CH 13

[I Decided to Go to the Place Where the “Great Invasion” Originated]

“Actually, it’s been almost 20 years since the “Great Invasion”, and we’ll be sending an investigation team to the Demon Forest.”

The word the “Great Invasion” that came out from Rebecca was words that made everyone in the Kingdom feel scared.

Twenty years ago, it occurred shortly after I was born.

An unprecedented disaster in which large crowds of “Abyss Walkers” which was neither monster or human, reproduced in large numbers in the Demon Forest and attacks the whole Kingdom.

30,000 dead, innumerable people were injured, more than fifty cities destroyed, that was the result of the “Great Invasion”.

Not only in the frontier, but also in the village where we lived, many people became victims of the Abyss Walkers, mine and Alfine’s parents were also in the line of victims.

Because of that, we don’t know the faces of our parents.

And what happened in the village during the “Great Invasion” were only things that we heard from the surviving adults, so I don’t know the details.

Weーwho lost our our parentsー, lived poorly in the orphanage that the feudal lord made in the village, where the children with the same circumstances were gathered until we became an adult.

The director at that time who is a really good person, so to speak, was our parents.

Therefore, I and Alfine made a promise, that when we became successful adventurers and gained a huge amount of wealth, we will build an orphanage where we will raise orphans like our own children, just like our respected director.

Right…it’s already been 20 years since our parents, whose face we don’t even know, snatched away by the “Great Invasion”…time passes quickly.

‘Is it…is it an investigation to see if the Abyss Walkers have revived?’

Listening to my whisper, Rebecca nodded quietly.

“Abyss Walker” has become a taboo word in this country after the invasion.

It was the same among the adventurers.

This is because the Kingdom army and the Royal Guard Knights were not enough to protect the town and people from the “Abyss Walkers” who were reproducing in large numbers, so many adventurers were mobilized for defense and died.

The “Great Invasion” that caused unprecedented amount of deaths caused the Kingdom’s human resources to run out, starting with the Royal Guard Knights that has long been said to be weak, to even the highest peak of adventurers, the platinum rank, dwindles to about 10 people.

“In addition, this time, Frontier Count-sama will also participate in the investigation team, so there is a talk in the Adventurer’s Guild to recommend Frick-sama as an escort.”

Rebecca is looking up at me as if to see my reaction.

The Frontier Count is Noelia’s father and a great noble right…

Why am I recommended as the escort for the investigation team in which such a great person participates?

“Hm? I’m added to that investigation team? Even though I’ve been promoted, I’m still just a bronze rank…”

“Actually, the other party told me that he would like to reduce the number of people and conduct a small-scale investigation so as not to provoke the monsters of the Demon Forest.”

“But, the one who should take the request of such a great noble is the platinum rank adventurers right?”

The escort of a great noble is a very profitable job, and it is a job that could only be introduced to someone whose identity was firmly guaranteed.

These important requests were always received by platinum rank adventurers whose character has been recognized and fully guaranteed by the Adventurer’s Guild.

“This Adventurer’s Guild’s platinum rank adventurers are mostly those who have a large party with dozens of people and only few are solo adventurer.”

Certainly, as Rebecca said, it seems that there are not many solo adventurer in this Youg Hannotes.

Many of the beginners were forming a party with four or five people, and many veterans were also forming a party of ten or more people to take requests.

Although there were not many solo adventurers in the royal capital, it was rare to have a party with the same number of people as in Youg Hannotes.

“Yeah, I was wondering why there were many party with a large number of people in this Youg Hannotes…”

“Well, it’s a lesson from the “Great Invasion”. I heard that many solo veteran adventurers died because they didn’t get proper support at that time…that’s why, our Adventurer’s Guild doesn’t really recommend acting solo. If Frick-sama or anyone asks, I was thinking of introducing you from the Adventurer’s Guild side.”

That will be quite troublesome.

I was feared by the veteran adventurers, and I can’t afford to pair up with beginner adventurers to earn money.

For the time being, I want to accumulate funds while accumulating achievements in acting solo.

“Is that so? But I’ll focus on acting solo for a while.”

“Right~. I thought you’d say that, and among the solo adventurer, Frick-sama had a sword arm and a magic arm, so I recommend you this time. The problem was the guarantee of identity. However, it’s no problem because Noelia Ojou-sama volunteered to be your guarantor. How about it? Frick-sama, do you accept this request? The planned number of investigation days is 7 days, and the daily wage is 100.000 oz including meals.”

Rebecca put the request slip in front of me.

The client is a great nobleman, the Frontier Count of Youg Hannotes, so there is no possibility of nonpayment, and the daily wage of 100,000 oz is very attractive, but…

The request was to escort the investigation team huh…

It means that I should protect the people of the investigation team led by the Frontier Count.

I became able to use magic, so I feel that I can escort a small number of people, even if we encounter the “Abyss Walkers”.

“Okay. I’ll accept this request.”

“I will confirm it just in case, but this is an escort request, so you can’t just let loose some large-scale magic just because the monsters have attacked first. Because if you do such things in the Demon Forest, the monsters will gather in large numbers as the chain reaction.”

Rebecca looked at me with a worried face.

Because there is a precedent, it can’t be helped that she’s worried, but as expected, even I won’t do such stupid things in an escort request.

Unless I judge that it’ll be dangerous if I don’t use it.

“It’s fine. In escort work, I won’t do magic experiments, and I’ll only use magic that I can control.”

“Please do. There are various comments about Flick from the Frontier Count-sama, and there are voices in the guild that we should stop this recommendation.”

I thought that the issue of releasing large-scale magic caused various problems, but…

Noelia said that “There was no problem because it was settled well”.

Unexpectedly, it may not have been settled well.

“Is that so? Well then, to protect Rebecca’s honor as the exclusive receptionist of the problem childーmeー, please be assured that I will carry out the request properly.”

“P-, please. The investigation team will leave from main gate in tomorrow morning, so please don’t overslept and gather on time. Also, we will pay the cash assessment that we took after you return.”

Rebecca said that and gave me the claim check.

“So the investigation team depart tomorrow huh. I’m afraid I have to go to bed early today. I agree about the liquidation. I’ll be away for a while from tomorrow, so please do.”

“Yes, please be safe! I look forward to your safe return.”

I found that the request starts from tomorrow morning, and hurriedly parted from Rebecca, then I went to bed early in preparation for the investigation of the Demon Forest tomorrow.

Then, the next morning, when I arrived at the gathering place in front of the main gate, my feet stopped.

“Good morning, Frick-sama. I look forward to working with you to escort the investigation team for the next seven days.”

Noelia greeted with monotonous voice as usual.

What was waiting there was the murderous father of Noeliaーthe Frontier Count of Youg Hannotes and a man who seems to be at the prime of his lifeーand Noelia herself.

Also, there were five escort knights and two scholars.

“Ah, eh? Are you going too, Noelia?”

“Yes, I accept my father’s escort request as a platinum rank adventurer.”

Noelia said, then the killing intent from her father swells.

“Noelia, the brat is一一”

“Father, with this, everyone has gathered, so let’s depart immediately. We’re not going on a picnic, so please refrain from speaking. Well, let’s go, Frick-sama.”

Noelia stopped her father who was saying something, then she pulled my hand and started walking.

“Wa-, wait, Noelia. I also think it would be better to greet the Frontier Count-sama, who is the escort target.”

“No, that’s not necessary. And the escort request has already started y’know.”

The Frontier Count father and the other people who followed him also did not seem to object Noelia.

In this way, I, together with Noelia’s father-daughter pair, set out on a journey to investigate the Demon Forest, where the “Abyss Walker” was born.