301 So, do your best.

"Huh. ...... I'm bored. ......

You're not bored, Hark-dog. It's your job to heal the wounded.

Oh, ......! You can't really do anything if Masetta is watching over you from morning till evening! I'm not sure what to make of this. That book! Is that book supposed to be a way to kill the boredom? I want to read it too! Oh, "The History of Serendipity"? I'll pass.

Oh, that book. You helping your brother with his research?

You're half right. Your representative has already read this book. But I was told to read it in my spare time to keep an eye on you in case I come across something new.

Instead of doing something half-hearted like that, wouldn't you get more information by running around the city on your feet?

"I told you that Lakra and Marya were attacked the other day. There is a possibility that your life will be threatened.

Oh, that's what he said. Well, I guess I'm an easy target for Marya, Lakra and Masetha.

Well, then I'll just have to beat them back.

I'm here to keep you from doing that, though, aren't I? I'm here to make sure you don't get into trouble if you get into the habit of opening wounds, okay?

Oh, yes. I understand. I understand, so please stop grabbing the corner of the book under my eyeball.

Of course I want to help my brother as soon as possible. That's why I came along with Serende, but if I let Masetta stay here, she's just slowing me down.

The enemy's movements are getting more and more intense, and I can't just lie there and say that sleeping is my job. I'm not going to say it, because I'll just get destroyed if I do.

I'm sure you'll be able to find something that works for you.

It's time to change your bandage, Hark-dog.

It's time to change your bandage. I don't mind the old lady laughing and giggling, but if you're going to treat me, it's better to be a feast for the eyes!

You. ....... But where's the usual person?

If you're my senior, you're in the next room examining another patient.

I'm going to use my magic detection to check the next room for a bit. Oh, really. Besides Obaachan's magic, there's another person from the facility doing something to the patient. I wonder if her condition's gotten worse, I'm afraid. Hmm?

That position in the next room was the old man. I think it was an old man who liked to fondle women's asses, so he must have fondled you too.

Oh, yeah! You're disgusting!

Haha, it's like a man's nature to want to fondle a nice ass.

Hark-dog, it's you. ......

"Hark Doc, it's you..." "Oh, I guess that's just offensive to the hard core clergy. I'm not sure what to make of this.

The sister at the facility quickly took out a tool and removed the bandage around my neck. Even though she's young, she's as skilled as an old lady.

She's got good hands. "You're good at it. Obachan was skilled, but you're pretty good too.

"Well, I've been doing this a long time.

"Well, I've been doing this a long time." "Longer than the dark side?

In the event that you have any questions concerning where and how to use the internet, you can call us at the web site. The demon took away my vision, but I kept my distance, so I grabbed the empty bed next to me with my right arm and threw it.

It's a good thing that the demon's strength is not too strong. It's scary to know that the lady is not as strong as this.

I was crushed by the bed that flew at me and heard a slight groan from inside the futon that was slammed against the wall. I didn't care, so I kicked the bed three times, and it became quiet.

"Hey, hey, Hark-dog!

This guy's an assassin. If you just quit the dark side last week and took this job, you might be falsely accused.

He was grabbing a pair of scissors while trying to kill me, so he's guilty. So you've officially come into this business just to kill me? I'm not sure what to make of this, but I'm sure it's a good idea.

I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm not the only one who's had a bad experience.

Yeah! And that you're close to that day.

It's a good thing I'm not the one who said the unthinking, ill-considered line.

"I'm sorry. ......

It's a good thing I'm not the only one who can't think straight. In the event that you're looking for the best way to get the most out of your business, you'll be able to get the most out of it. But it was effective enough to hit me in the groin with a tonker.

I've been told not to move. ....... I'm not sure what to do, but I'm going to do it.

"This doesn't count as moving. In fact, it was Masetta's comment that almost opened the door. He's injured, you should work on him.

Okay, next time I'll tighten your neck with cotton and drop you.

Huh?

I don't know how to tell the truth from a lie, but Masetta's eyes were serious right now. And this is not the time to do that. I have to finish restraining my sister. The man who tried to assassinate Lakra took the poison himself and died, and it's not good for him to die in a place where people need to rest.

I don't know.

I'm not sure if I'd ever dreamed that I'd be cooking for you guys like this last year. ......

I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one. If you're a man living alone on Earth, you're likely to find bento boxes and prepared meals from convenience stores and supermarkets, and you're unlikely to have the opportunity to use knives and pots.

However, since there are no such convenient facilities in this world, cooking is something that can be learned even though it is simple. In this kind of situation, old men are very particular, so they try to be original and can create something quite bizarre. ...... I'm looking forward to it.

Plate's ready!

Oh, yeah. Thank you. Thank you. Now, why don't you go serve that soup for me?

The fact that they were eating under the supervision of a human from the Umies faction meant that they had to be on their guard. Even if Topala had no intention of doing so, there was a possibility that the ingredients and utensils would be poisoned. That is why Wolfe and Ilias are helping with the process and checking the food closely. But since we have prepared everything to be eaten, there is no problem as long as we pay attention to Toppara's condition.

Toppara was a little nervous about being watched by Ilias and Wolfe throughout the whole process, but other than that, he finished preparing the meal without any suspicion. If there was anything that could be read, it was a hint of melancholy.

"It's delicious!

"That's good. Different countries have different tastes. I was a little worried.

The four of us gathered around the table and each of us took a meal. Toppala, who had been reluctant to eat at first, noticed that he was calmly serving another bowl of soup to Wolfe.

"You must miss your family.

"Did you check out ......?

I can tell by the look on your face when you were helping me cook, and by the way you look now. It's like you have a wife and kids that you don't have back home.

Well, yeah. Just so you know, it's not like I've grown tired of you. My wife's family is in horse breeding. My wife's parents are still alive and well, so I figured it would be a better environment to raise our daughter.

Topala must have been a horse-buyer or something. We have business connections, and it is not unheard of, though less modern, to choose a path that does not restrict each other's work after marriage.

It must have been a lot of fun to have a son and two daughters together.

"Only on the outside. You're almost thirty in real life. I'm not that old.

I'm not that old." Serende is a land of elves and dwarves, sub-humans who live longer than normal humans. When I guess your age, I take into account many factors other than your appearance. It reminds me a little of life in Japan, where people are not surprised by your real age.

"Are you receiving any instructions from Princess Yumyess?

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't receive any. Shortly before you arrived, I received a letter instructing me to find out what kind of contact Mursht had with her.

You don't hide.

I like to hide things from people I can hide them from. I just thought that if I were dealing with you, I could get more information out of you by asking you directly, and I wouldn't have to worry about upsetting you.

I laughed at that and gave him some simple information. As long as there was information to be gained, Topala's position would not be so bad. If he uncovers the secret of Yumyess, he may lose his job along with his position. ...... If that happens, I'll ask Washekht for help.

I can give you this much information, but it's going to be difficult to get in touch with you. I'll be sad to say goodbye to this surprisingly familiar taste.

It's what you get when someone tries to kill you at .......

I'm used to that. I just don't like the idea of having an old man used as a pawn, only to have him die in vain.

No doubt.

If you have a pawn that you have a close relationship with, you can't help but use it. He would at least try to teach them how to assassinate, just like he did with the child. In that case, Ilias and the others can't take it easy on them.

If Topala was determined to kill me, I would be able to detect it at a glance. If that happens, it'll be as if I'm the one to do it. Even if you can persuade him to give up, in that case, you don't know what kind of punishment Topala will receive as a traitor.

Therefore, it is necessary to break off relations with him at this point. We need to make Topala look like a pawn too valuable to be used, too valuable to be disposable.

Once this matter is settled, the struggle for the throne will come to an end.

"Whether or not the man I support becomes king, my work will be less productive if he does. If that happens, it will be easier for me to go back to my wife and work. Thanks to you, I've been able to make some not bad money.

That's good. This job is not for old men, you know.

I'm a professional, after all.

What kind of professional eats with a girl who might be his enemy and then relaxes his face?

We laughed and poured sake into each other's bowls. We laughed and drank from each other's bowls.

There are many reasons, such as a personality that makes me feel at home with him, paternity that I seek in place of a father with whom I did not get along well, and many other factors. There are many other factors, but I think you have taken all of them into consideration, and you like this person as an individual, and you have accepted him as a place where you can relax. But you shouldn't be in this place right now. You shouldn't seek this place. This is an opening and an opportunity to exploit.

I've given Ilias a hard choice. I've caused Wolfe to worry. From here on, I must end all this quickly. That decision was made well after today's dinner.

But before I could realize that it was too late, the happy scene was crushed by a pile of rubble.

I'm not sure what to say.

He jumped off the debris that was stretching over his head and raised his body. He has no obvious injuries, but he doesn't have a good grasp of his current situation. You decide that you need to bring him back to his senses first, so you tap him lightly on the cheek.

"Hey, get a grip!

"What? What is it?

I don't know. The house just collapsed.

That's all I can tell you. The house collapsed without warning, and I protected him from being trapped underneath. He hit his back a little, but this level of impact is nothing to me. The next thing I had to check was...

"Shh! Are you okay?

Wolfe, are you okay?

A figure of Wolfe appeared from the nearby rubble. For Wolfe, an attack of this magnitude would have been enough to protect him. .......

"Yes ...... but ......

Wolfe's gaze was fixed on the nearby rubble. In the moonlight, you could see red blood seeping out from the underside of it.

The face of a person who had been with me a moment ago, but was not here, flickered in my mind. I don't even need to think about who this blood belongs to.

"Ilias, Wolfe! Hurry up and get Toppara--?

The surroundings began to glow red, as if to hide the color of the blood. No, this is fire! It's not uncommon for a fire to start in the fireplace of a collapsed house, but the way it's spreading is unusual. This collapse and fire must have been started on purpose.

We should leave this place as soon as possible, but since there is a possibility that Topala is still alive, he won't move from this place. He grabbed the underside of the rubble and lifted it in one motion. He crouched down and examined its depths, but--

"...... Enough. Let's get out of here, both of us.

"...... Okay.

Deciding that there was no need to find out what he meant by that, or what he had seen, he shifted the debris slightly to the side and left it there. He kept his head down, his face not clearly visible.

I pick him up and carry him out of the flames. Onlookers were beginning to gather around me, and it seemed unlikely that I would be able to identify the culprit behind the commotion. If I stay here, there is a possibility that they will take advantage of the commotion and cause another disturbance.

It's too late for ....... A little faster: ......

Shh. ......

On the way back to the base, he kept talking to himself as he moved. After explaining the situation to my worried friends, I left the base and returned to Toppala's house.

As I was moving him along, I noticed something, but at that time I had to think of his safety first. I'm on my way to make sure of that.

The fire in Topala's house had already been extinguished, and the onlookers had already dispersed. A few Serende soldiers are examining the collapsed house, but that's not the place we should be looking.

There was a faint smell of blood coming from the alleyway in front of Toppala's house. As he walked further into the alley, he could still smell it, though it was mingled with the smell of the fire.

This is .......

I followed the source of the smell and found it in a corner of the alleyway. There were five dead bodies lying in a messy heap.

All five of them were wearing robes that would allow them to hide in the dark, and the quality of the knives peeking through the gaps in their clothes made it hard to believe that they were ordinary people. All of them had been killed with one precise blow.

A search of his belongings revealed several bottles, some of which were highly flammable. The only thing I can think of is that these are the same people who set Topala's house on fire.

But if so, who killed them? If they were killed when they smelled blood, then they were attacked by someone soon after they set the fire.

I'd leave that to him, .......

I can't go that deep into it. It would be quicker to give him this information. After retrieving some of their belongings, I checked the manner in which they were killed.

Three of them had been attacked from behind, and the rest had been killed from the front. The amount of blood on the ground is rather small and there are traces of dragging. They must have gathered the bodies in this place after killing them all.

In other words, it is thought that these dark men were deployed in the vicinity of Toppala's house, and that whoever attacked them was supplementing their position from a further distance.

Didn't they just happen to be there, or were they waiting for the right moment to make their move?

From their physical appearance, I feel that they have some knowledge of combat, but they look as if they were attacked in a defenseless state. I'm not sure if there was a reason why they couldn't react.

Something like this: ......

If he had brought Ecdysiac or Mixu with him, he might have learned a little more, but ...... now there was the possibility that the enemy might try to set up a base. I'd like to keep the two most responsive people by his side.

I thought you were back at the base. You're still here?

You're still here?

He drew his sword and held it in the direction the voice came from. There was Murscht dragging a corpse, dressed in the same outfit as the dark one from earlier.

He seems to have blood all over his body, but I can't see any injuries on him. Some parts of his body are already dry, so it seems that he is the one who killed everyone here.

What are you ...... doing?

"Just what I saw. Exterminating the people who attacked him. Killing them takes a moment, but collecting them takes time. I'd like to protest to Lord Hilmera that we're short-staffed, really.

Mursht walked past me and tossed a new corpse on top of the others. The sight of him treating a corpse as if it were an object, with his usual expression, was almost maddening.

"Did you know we were going to be attacked?

"No. No. But I knew that if I left, there was a good chance they would take advantage of the opportunity and attack us. That's why I thought I'd stick around for a while, but I didn't expect you to move so soon. I wonder if the princes were in too much of a hurry?

The purpose of Mursht, or rather Princess Hilmera, is to take away the power of the other princes. It makes sense for him to watch over the princes to make it easier for them to uncover their secrets, and to take the lives of the dark ones who target him in this way.

Did you take advantage of his being targeted?

"Are you going to blame me for that? If I leave, he'll be attacked. If I don't take advantage of it, he's either going to stay a target or I'm going to stay with him. Neither of which would be good for you, right?

"......

Mursht had a point. If Mursht hadn't been involved, the dark side that had attacked him would still be alive today and would have taken the next step. But that didn't mean he could keep Murshto, the unproven protector of Princess Hilmera, by his side at all times. I'm grateful for the situation, but I have no reason to resent it.

Honestly, I'm glad you're protecting him. Losing him to these people would have been worse than a nightmare. Thank you, Ilias. You did a good job protecting him.

"...... I don't need you to thank me for--

I do. It's true that I love him and you've protected him. I want you to continue to protect him.

Mursht smiles innocently at me, still covered in blood. I know his gratitude is real, but his madness makes me afraid to accept it.

"You don't have to tell me. I'm his sword and his shield.

You're right. I'm sure he feels the same way. I'm very jealous and envious of that.

Mursht stretched out and walked towards me as if he had finished his work. He put his hand on my shoulder and muttered one last thing.

So if you can't protect him, you should die.

At that moment, for the first time, I felt as if Mursht's innermost feelings were revealed to me. His eyes were reddish-orange, like burning flames, yet they reflected my image, colder than ice.

They were similar to his eyes, but I could instinctively tell that they were a different kind of madness.

"......

Mursht just walked away. I couldn't move from the spot until I felt the coldness of sweat on my back.