Volume 2 - CH 33

Leaving Moriah at the guild, who said he had something to do, we go down the main street of Duna.

"Yuki Eyebrows."(Rain)

"Gu."(Yuki)

Rain, walking next to me, points it out, and I relieve my brow.

Although we are slowly making progress toward a solution, there are still many problems.

Above all, I'm worried about the emotional distress of my friends as the reality of that labyrinth becomes clearer.

"I'm fine."(Yuki)

Perhaps it may sound callous, but I don't feel so much aversion to defeating that monster, even if it is really a human being.

As long as they are a part of the "selection" that is responsible for "Shayo," I can divide my mind that their elimination for the sake of the objective is inevitable.

However, what about the others who are still at an impressionable age, who are still just starting out?

I wonder if they are stressed about killing humans, even if they are in different forms.

In particular, Marina and Nene are often in the vanguard and wield weapons directly.

As a leader and former instructor of these women, I don't like this situation.

"I know what's going on with Yuke, and I understand."(Rain)

"Is it all over your face. ......?"(Yuki)

"Yeah. But don't be overprotective of us. We all know what is expected from us."(Rain)

We share information all the time.

What we just discussed in the conference room is already shared information in each of the attack parties.

"I think we'll be fine. Maybe it's because it's not in human form."(Rain)

"I hope so."(Yuki)

"Fine,  then  let's go back to the inn. You know, "Take your rest when you can," right?"(Rain)

That's what I told them repeatedly during their pre-adventure training.

We must  rely on our fire power, but it is more important to get a good rest so that we can always perform well. ......

I'm not very good at adhering to this, even though I say so myself.

"Hmm ......?"(Yuki)

Just as I was about to turn off the main street and arrive at the "Singing Fawn" pavilion, a black carriage approached from behind.

It was a somewhat luxurious box carriage with four horses and sturdy-looking iron wheels.

It stopped just as it passed us.

"I had to look for you."(??)

A small, elderly man in a luxurious-looking suit got out of the carriage with his escort.

He had a short mustache and a receding forehead, and came toward us with a grim look on his face.

"Who  ......?"(Rain)

Rain looks up at me.

I give her a smile, and the little man opens his mouth again.

"It's your uncle. Reynise. My father sent you a letter, didn't he?"(Uncle)

The fact that the name was given, albeit in a messy way, made this man's identity clear.

Since he claimed to be an uncle, he was probably Rain's father's brother - Bran Crowder.

Thanks to Nene and Mamaru, I had most of the information about Rain and Count Clauda.

"Get your ass over here."(Bran)

Perhaps unable to bear our silence, he reaches out his hand to Rain.

I gently pull away from his hand, protecting Rain with my back to her.

"I don't know who you are, but I think you've mistaken her for someone else."(Yuki)

"Are you ...... Yuki Ferdio? The girl is the daughter of our family. Hand her over to us.(Bran)

"Well? From what I understand  she is a single woman living alone until now and didn't even have a family to begin with?"(Yuki)

He has not yet even given his name, just that we have looked it up and know about it.

I will not let such a rude person touch Rain.

"Enough of this. I don't care if I have to hurt you a little."(Bran)

The escort knights closed the distance to us from both sides of Bran Crowder, who was chin cupping his jaw ......, but they both fell on the spot.

The two knights who try to get up, I release a "Sleep Mist" magic to neutralize them.

"Nn......?"(Bran)

I glare lightly at Bran Crowder, who looks surprised.

"I'm Bran Crowder, the great Count of Crowder! Reynise there is the daughter of the current head of the family, Dimwit! We must ask you to hand her over."(Bran)

"I decline."(Yuki)

At my words, Bran Crowder looks surprised again.

"I am sure a letter has been delivered to you. Reynise is to be placed in the royal family of Salmutaria."(Bran)

"I haven't heard, and I don't approve."(Yuki)

Here, he deliberately breaks his honorific and glares at me in an unaccustomed but terrific manner.

I knew that this kind of situation would eventually happen, and I had been gathering information for that occasion.

"First of all, there is no evidence that Rain is the Count's daughter Reynise. On what basis do you say that?"(Yuki)

I heard that there were some of those evidences and grounds if you look for them, but I asked ...... Mamaru to erase them painstakingly.

The evidence is no longer based on the same hometown, but on a story of the same degree.

And even if that were true, if an aristocrat were to enter into a marriage relationship with another country, he would need permission to do so.

This is the information that Mamaru, Manuela, and Benwood were able to find out for me.

Marriage with royalty and nobility of other countries involves political issues.

It is obvious that the marriage must be approved by the royal council, where the king is present, since it could be an element that could trigger treachery or foreign influence.

However, there is no evidence that Raine

was ever asked for such an approval.

"Clover" is now a special A-rank party, a court-appointed mission.

If a member of the party was to marry into a foreign royal family with aristocratic status, it would have to be talked about at some point.

"This G......mu. You ......!"(Bran)

"So you are saying that you kidnapped Rain and sold him to Salmutaria because he might be of your blood, and that you were trying to make connections and profits without getting approval because she was a commoner or an adventurer?"(Yuki)

"What's wrong with that? She will be queen because of the blood of Crowder! The time has finally come for one who has been of no use to the house!"(Bran)

A bleary-eyed Bran Crowder barks, spit flying.

It is apparently true that the Count Crowder's family is in dire financial straits.

For them, this proposal from the royal family of Salmutaria was a godsend.

"Come, Reynise, Your father wants to see you."(Bran)

"I don't think I want to see him."(Rain)

Rain looks at Bran Crowder with an aggressive magical light on the tip of his wand.

She seems unaffected by the cold, deadly look on his face.

I am more than a little relieved.

"You'll be a queen!"(Bran)

"I'm not interested."(Rain)

A magic arrow, grazed Bran Crowder's cheek and pierced the carriage.

"Go home. I am Rain of Clover. I'm not Reynise."(Rain)