Book 3: Chapter 25

「So, could you show me Summon Magic right away?」

Seeing Rokuna return her gaze from Ein back on to her, Sharon once again made a troubled-looking face.

「Erーm……I can’t show it to you here.」

「Ahaha, I get it. I wouldn’t tell you to do something like use magic in the storefront like this.」

「Ah, no. That’s not it. Erm, just how should I put this……」

Seeing Sharon be hesitant to talk, Rokuna tiled her head.

Just what wasn’t it? It either meant that she didn’t want to use it in front of people, or that the requirements to use it weren’t assembled.

「Erーm……This is the middle of town, right. It’s peaceful, right.」

「Although I think that it’s a bit hard to say that is definitely true, I suppose it is.」

When compared to the Zadark Kingdom’s royal capital Arkverm, the public order could be said to be bad, but Rokuna vaguely nodded.

She didn’t have the time to spend time to quibble over the small details.

「Erーm, so, in other words……um. I can’t bring it out.」

「Bring what out?」

「Like the Sword Spirit……If there isn’t an enemy, I can’t bring it out.」

Hearing Sharon’s words, Rokuna went “I see” and understood.

If the existence of an enemy was the 「Sword Spirit」 Summon’s condition, then that was a blind spot.

The Zadark Kingdom was peaceful.

There were monsters like Thorn Horned Deer and Charging Boars, but they were targets for hunting and weren’t a threat.

Even if she were to change the other conditions and test it out, there was no way the Summon Magic would succeed.

However, it was too early to conclude that that was the only cause for failure. She needed to gather more information.

「Hーn. In that case, we’ll have to go to a place where there are enemies.」

「Y, yes.」

If it was in mankind’s territory, this was a strange way of putting it but there wasn’t a lack of enemies.

Having just gone outside of the gate earlier, bandits had come out, and the Alva existed as well.

「Well then, let’s get going.」

「Heh?」

「If we go outside of the town, then something random should come out, right?」

「S, something random you say……Eh?」

Rokuna whispered to the rushing Ein from the side.

「……Rokuna-sama. In this place, it is prefered that Adventurers accept a request and exterminate monsters.」

「What’s with that. That’s such a painー, what are people that aren’t Adventurers supposed to do.」

「No, since Sharon is a student of the Adventurer School, she has to follow manners as an Adventurer……」

「……Hーn」

Although Rokuna felt that this was extremely bothersome, she reluctantly turned back to Sharon.

She needed to follow the local rules out of fear of being linked to unnecessary trouble.

「Ahh, sorry about rushing you. That being said, if you can’t use it unless there isn’t an enemy, I’d like to do something about that though.」

「Ah, yes. That’s true……」

「In that caseー, wouldn’t it be fine if you just take a forest investigation or subjugation request?」

Suddenly, a voice with a cheerful tone could be heard at the entrance of the store.

When they turned around, the red-haired young lady called Seira from earlier was there.

Kain was together with her looking troubled.

「S, sorry. Seira said that she would join in and wouldn’t listen to me……」

「I won’t allow you all to leave me out!」

Saying that, Seira puffed up her chest.

Rokuna observed Seira once again.

Her height was the same as Kain’s, she had short red hair and red eyes that looked like they were on fire, and she wore sectioned armor that seemed to be made of Holy Silver on her well-balanced body. Even for the spear that she carried on her back, Rokuna could tell that it was a considerably excellent weapon……but.

「This town, is the public order so bad that you can’t even go around town without being fully equipped?」

「It isn’t like that, but even if it isn’t, I won’t be able to fight when the time comes if I have a peace of mind, will I!」

「Hーn. You do have a point.」

Seira firmly gripped the hand of Rokuna who nodded looking impressed.

Her eyes looked like they were moist with deep emotion for some reason.

「Right! That’s so true, right! Everyone just doesn’t understand me! Heyー, see Kain! What I was saying was correct, right!?」

「Nnー, ahー, ahaha……」

When she noticed, both Kain and Sharon were averting their eyes.

While finding that puzzling, Rokuna let go of Seira’s hands.

「……What’s going on?」

「Yes. Wearing armaments within the middle of town is seen as an act of intimidation, and since there is a fear of being connected to crimes, it isn’t recommended……that is how it is. However, for the sake of self-defense, the minimum amount of armaments are allowed.」

Ein answered Rokuna’s question.

This demonstrated that she had been infiltrating for quite a long time.

「Well, wouldn’t it be fine if we have a have an unrushed discussion about that next time. More importantly, what do you mean by a forest request? Ah, I’m Rokuna.」

「I’m Seira. Wellー, you see, on the way headed towards the Canal Kingdom, there’s a large forest.」

That forest was the forest that the bandits that attacked Rokuna earlier were in, and it was called the Aledona Forest.

Since it was the shortest route that connected the St. Altlis Kingdom and the Canal Kingdom, the highway was created going through the forest, but the Aledona Forest was a place that monsters inhabit.

For that reason, subjugations would be routinely performed by the chivalric order, but according to Seira’s story, it seems that the monsters of the forest have increased recently.

Furthermore, she said that there was a change in the chivalric order’s situation.

「There’s a country called the Jiol Forest Kingdom, see. It seems that that place has joined hands with the Mazoku.」

「Hーn.」

Rather than already knowing about that, Rokuna was someone related to it, but she feigned ignorance and listened.

Seira continued her explanation with a serious-looking face.

「The St. Altlis Kingdom is the country that performed the Hero Summoning after all. People wonder “is the king of the country called the Zadark Kingdom really the Demon Kingー”. Or “won’t they come attackingー”. And so, for various reasons, a majority of the knights were sent towards being a countermeasure against the Mazoku.」

「I see.」

「The leader of the Peace Faction nobles is in the middle of going to the Jiol Forest Kingdom after allー. I think that contact will immediately come if something happens though……」

The leader of the Peace Faction nobles was Duke Albania, and he has had interactions with Seira’s Necros Duke House.

Incidentally, Duke Necros did not get involved with politics, and was called things like being the Neutral Faction.

「……Hーn, do you guys get along?」

「Uーn, I guess it’s a bit complicatedー. Since that Nefas guy is technically my former fiance, it’s not like I don’t have my own thoughts about him.」

Nefas was Seira’s fiance, but Nefas had a strong impression of being an unpleasant guy to Seira, and she thought of someday rushing out of her house and running away.

However, ever since the day of the Adventurer School’s entrance ceremony, Nefas had subtly started to change.

She didn’t know that it was that changed Nefas, but he said that he wanted to start over their relationship from the beginning. She was terribly surprised by Nefas’s roundabout proposal to cancel their engagement.

After all this time, Seira was worried about Nefas, who was one she considered an undesirable friend, in her own way.

「Hーn, Nefas……huh.」

Thinking “if I remember correctly, that was the man that came into contact with Nino in the Jiol Forest Kingdom”, Rokuna remembered the report from the other day.

However, since there was no need to tell that to Seira, she kept it down to just nodding.

「Well, in any case. I understand that the safety of the forest is being threatened because of that. And so?」

After Rokuna urged her on, Seira made a light cough and continued.

「Right. Right now where the relationship with the Jiol Forest Kingdom has worsened, the trade route with the Canal Kingdom is important. And that is why the King himself has directly made a request directed towards Adventurers!」

They were two types of requests being the investigation of the Aledona Forest and monster subjugation.

The investigation was directed towards fledgling Adventurers like the ones that attend the Edius Adventurer School and towards novice Adventurers, and was a mission where they would search the inside of the forest and the areas along side the town and road, and report the situation of the vicinity. Subjugation wasn’t necessary in this case.

On the other hand, the monster subjugation would be executed depending on the information obtained in the investigation mission, and was put out directed towards powerful people and veterans.

「See? It’s perfect, isn’t it?」

「That’s, true……If it’s the subjugation request, then it might be just right.」

Rokuna replied to Seira who had proudly puffed up her chest.

Since Rokuna’s objective was to see Summon Magic, it would be pointless if it weren’t a request that fought against monsters.

「Sharon, what do you think?」

Since it was a dangerous mission, Seira confirmed the wills of the other members as well.

「Ah, un. That’s fine.」

「Ein, what about you?」

「It isn’t a problem.」

It was decided that she would be accompanying Rokuna anywhere that she went from the start, but Ein also replied like that for now.

「Yosh, then let’s go to the Adventurer’s Guild! Rokuna-san, where’s your card?」

「I’m not an Adventurer so I don’t have one. And I have no intention of becoming one.」

「Hーn. Then we’ll handle the procedures, so can we borrow Ein?」

「That’s fineー.」

After Rokuna replied, Seira started walking while taking Ein along. As for Kain, he was being pulled by Seira’s hand for some reason.

And then, Sharon lowered her head to Rokuna looking apologetic.

「Excuse me. Since we will be back right away, could you please wait for a bit?」

「’Kay, ‘kay, take care.」

After Sharon made a sign, a woman that seemed like an employee hurriedly entered the counter and switched places with Sharon.

Just like that, Sharon also chased after Seira and the others.

「……They’re at the height of their youth.」

If Humans were creatures that were no more than that, things would surely be peaceful……

Rokuna muttered that in her mind.