Chapter 134

“The reason I called you to this meeting through Kate today, Sword God, is because I really hope you can help us with this matter. Of course, it’s not mandatory, but I would appreciate it if you could accept.”

“Well, I’d be happy to help.”

At my cool response, Kate’s eyes went wide as she stared at me.

“…Eh?”

“What? What is it?”

Kate spoke in a voice filled with ultimate injustice.

“I mean… when I asked, you were so slippery about it, but the moment my Dad asks, you accept without even asking what the quest is….”

“Isn’t that because I’m the Vice Guildmaster and you’re just a Manager with nothing to her name?”

“That’s exactly what I’m complaining about! Wow, Sword God. I didn’t see you that way…. In the end, even you are helpless before power. I’m truly disappointed.”

Well, it’s not like I actually wanted to say ‘Okay!’ as if I were receiving a blank check. But what can I do? I have my own reasons.

I recalled the being I met in my dreams on the night Kate returned after giving me the request.

[Hero. I have a favor to ask.]

‘Do you even have the right to ask me for such a favor? Do you know the meaning of the word “shameless”?’

[…I know. However, please give me time to explain.]

‘Sigh…. What a hassle. Seriously….’

As the conversation threatened to drag on, the Vice Guildmaster waved his hand to cut Kate off.

“You damn daughter of mine. Stay out of this. And Sword God, thank you for accepting without any questions or conditions. As for the reward… honestly, I’m not sure what to give you yet, so I’ll just mark it down as a debt. Tell me when you need something later. If it’s not too unreasonable, I’ll do my best to fulfill it.”

“That’s enough for me.”

“Wow… ‘that’s enough.’ Look at how easily he bends his back.”

The Vice Guildmaster glared once more at the grumbling Kate.

“I told you to shut down the local broadcast. One more interruption and you’re out!”

“Tsk….”

“I apologize. She’s at that age and still so immature…. Anyway, I’ll explain the details of the request to those gathered here.”

Vice Guildmaster Uslarn wiped the sweat from his forehead as he finished the briefing, which had lasted about ten minutes.

He looked around at the participants, tapping the drawings and text he had written on the blackboard for explanation.

“…And that’s the gist of it. Any questions?”

Every single person attending the meeting wore a serious expression. The situation the Vice Guildmaster had briefed them on was by no means simple.

“…Isn’t that impossible?”

“Asking us to do that with just this many people is a bit….”

“…What happens if we refuse? Will we be blacklisted? Ah, if my promotion to manager gets pushed back again, my wife won’t even give me dinner….”

Difficult whispers drifted through the air.

I also opened my mouth toward the Vice Guildmaster with a slightly annoyed expression.

“Phew… let me summarize this.”

“Go ahead.”

“So… the ‘Count of Evas’ and the ‘Count of Harpun,’ located on the northern border of the Marquisate, are engaged in a Territorial War with neither side showing any sign of backing down until the other is dead…”

“And caught between them, without belonging to either faction, are the ‘Pilgrim Priests of the Lumina Church’ who are treating the wounded? And among them are some fairly high-ranking priests?”

“That’s right. A group called ‘Moonlight Wings.’”

Hmm. Are they like Doctors Without Borders?

“Those pilgrim priests have been struggling to save only the wounded without taking sides… but recently, both the Evas and Harpun counties have been putting heavy pressure on them to join their respective factions? To the point where they feel their lives are in danger?”

“Correct. In fact, it’s beyond just pressure; three priests have already been killed. According to the survivors… they don’t know which side did it, but it was clearly done to make an example of them.”

“I see… so they couldn’t hold out any longer and sent a rescue request to Seol, the nearest territory?”

“That is the case.”

“And the first place to receive that request was the District Three Adventurer Guild… and Lord Olfen, the District Three Guild Leader, wants to handle this exclusively within District Three to monopolize the credit without any outside help?”

“I won’t deny it.”

“So, to keep the rumors from leaking, instead of famous adventurers, you’ve gathered only the guild’s internal combat personnel—specifically those who rarely engage in outside activities—for this meeting? And as insurance, you called me in, since my visibility is low compared to my skill and I have the guarantee of your daughter, who is an Aura User.”

At my merciless summary, the Vice Guildmaster wiped his sweat with a laugh.

“Haha… Sword God, you certainly are good at summarizing.”

“Yeah, well. I hate it when people beat around the bush and make stories drag on.”

“Well, I’m saying this just in case you misunderstand, but the Guildmaster’s request is absolutely not mandatory. There’s no penalty even if you refuse. That man might have a bit of a lust for power, but he knows where to draw the line. His request is… well, more along the lines of asking you to just give it a try within reasonable limits.”

“Hmm….”

While the meeting participants, including myself, were lost in thought, a pretty female mage belonging to the guild, dressed in an ornate gown and sitting opposite me with Kate in between, raised her hand.

I remembered her as a mage named ‘Hyacinth’ from outside the Marquisate. Was she an Archmage-class specialist in fire magic?

I didn’t know her race, but seeing the brown wings extending from her dress, she was likely an Anthrobeast.

But can she actually fly with those? It would be impossible with that size. Unless her body weight was extremely light… but as far as I knew, the weight of Anthrobeasts isn’t much different from other beastmen.

“Since I’m not familiar with the local affairs… why is the Evas County acting like that? Weren’t they just in a Territorial War with the ‘Viscounty of Eden’ until recently? Did they pick another fight already without catching their breath?”

“To be precise, they picked the fight with the Harpun County first. The Viscountcy of Eden only joined in to help Harpun. And the result, as you know… Evas left Harpun alone and crushed Eden first. Thanks to that, the Viscount of Eden lost his head after meddling in someone else’s fight for no reason.”

“Good grief, why do they do Territorial Wars as if they’re eating daily meals?”

“Because they have the power.”

“Eh?”

“Baran is a powerful empire, but compared to that, the power of the Imperial Family isn’t actually that strong. Their influence doesn’t reach the outskirts. That also means the Imperial Family cannot mediate even if a Territorial War breaks out.”

“So if you’re confident you’ll win, it’s only natural to start a war and swallow them up?”

“Exactly.”

“Does that mean the Evas County is that strong?”

“Hm? You didn’t know? It’s a pretty famous story.”

“What is?”

“Sigh, these shut-in mages… There are two Masters there.”

“…Two? In just an County?”

“Yes. While there are plenty of territories without even a single Master-class, they have two—who are essentially tactical weapons. It’s no wonder their confidence is overflowing.”

“…I mean, why would people who have reached the rank of Master bother serving under a mere Count and putting up with each other?”

“Well, that’s because those Masters are the Count of Evas’s family.”

“…Eh?”

“One is the current Count of Evas’s uncle, ‘Organt Duncan Evas,’ and the other is the second daughter-in-law they brought in recently.”

“…A daughter-in-law? How can a daughter-in-law be a Master?”

“She’s a Dragonkin, Carmen Sonya Evas. I believe she’s 123 years old this year? Actually, in terms of sheer years, she’s older than Organt. Of course, you’d have to use the converted age.”

“Ah… then the second Young Count essentially did a lifetime’s worth of work with just that one marriage.”

“Exactly. Because of that, the succession actually flipped from the first son to the second at the time.”

“He must be incredibly handsome if a Dragonkin Master fell for him enough to marry into the family.”

“Actually, that’s said to be the biggest mystery. From what I hear, the second son is quite unremarkable—looks, scholarship, martial prowess, all of it.”

“Hmm…. Well, love is a strange thing.”

The Vice Guildmaster cleared his throat with a ehem and turned his gaze back to me.

“We’ve drifted off topic. Anyway, for those reasons, we want to quietly bring those Lumina priests to District Three of Seol. …Without anyone knowing.”

I tapped the table with my finger, organizing my thoughts before asking again.

“The group’s name was ‘Moonlight Wings,’ right? How many people are in it?”

“Hm? I told you, thirty-seven.”

“That’s just the priests. There must be people attending to them as well. Unless we’re just going to abandon them, you don’t seriously expect us to go in, pick out only the priests, and leave the others stranded on the battlefield? Excuse me, but may I call you trash?”

At my words, the Vice Guildmaster flinched and shook his head.

“No, no, that’s not what I meant.”

Sure it wasn’t. It was written all over his face. Honestly, I’m not exactly known for valuing human life above all else, but these guys occasionally make even me shake my head.

“So. What’s the total count?”

The Vice Guildmaster stammered as he looked at the documents his secretary hurriedly handed over.

“All together, it seems to be about 80 people.”

“80 people… and we just need to move the people?”

“…They also carry some holy relics and artifacts. The essential items alone would fill about one wagon.”

“So… 80 people and one wagon’s worth of luggage.”

“That’s the size of it.”

The people who heard the specific numbers burst into hollow laughter. I also let out a dry smirk at the absurdity.

“You want us to move them in secret to Seol from the middle of a battlefield where both armies are watching like hawks?”

The Vice Guildmaster gave a troubled smile instead of an answer.

“Can’t they just publicly declare they’re stepping away from the Territorial War and retreat?”

“They won’t let them go. Regardless of their abilities, there’s no better justification than them.”

I thought for a moment and quickly realized what kind of justification he was talking about.

“So, whichever side the priests join is seen as the ‘good’ side?”

“Correct. The mere fact that they joined a faction would provide endless leverage. The alternative would be a total disaster. I suspect they’d rather kill them all than let them go. They could just blame the aftermath on the opposition.”

Just then, someone from across the conference room asked.

“Can’t we just report this to the Marquis from the start? If the Kesala Marquisate officially steps in to protect them, the Evas and the Masters would all bow their heads and back off.”

The Vice Guildmaster clicked his tongue at the question.

“How can someone working for the Guild be so ignorant of the political situation? Do you not know how sensitive the relationship between the Empire and the Marquisate is?”

The man who asked turned slightly red at the rebuke.

“Their relationship is like a cow and a chicken in the same house. It’s best for both to keep to themselves and mind their own business without clashing.”

“…….”

“If the Marquisate exerts influence over a Territorial War, it’s effectively exerting influence over the Baran Empire. Do you think the Empire will just sit back and smile?”

“…….”

“Therefore, we must leave as few traces as possible. The best-case scenario is bringing them back without a sound, and at worst, it must remain the sole action of the Adventurer Guild.”

“Does that mean the District Three Guild Leader will take responsibility if a problem arises?”

“Yes. That’s what he said. The man has essentially staked his career on this.”

“Hmm….”

Then someone else raised their hand.

“What about teleportation? The Purple Magic Tower should have large-scale teleportation scrolls. We could buy one and….”

This time, Hyacinth spoke up instead of the Vice Guildmaster.

“Teleportation leaves a strong trace. Especially a large-scale one. If nearly 80 people vanish without a trace, an investigation will follow—and an Archmage of my level could easily track the time, origin, and destination. If the goal was simple rescue, maybe, but for a secret extraction, it’s impossible.”

I smacked my lips.

Over 80 people, moving loudly with a wagon while both sides are watching with eyes wide open… and I’m supposed to get them out undetected. Good grief….

Kate, who had been silent, requested the floor.

“Can’t we just pull them out in small groups over several trips? If we have enough time, it seems possible.”

“I sent a scout two days ago, but that seems unlikely. Several knights sent by both sides are staying there under the pretext of ‘protecting’ the priests. I heard they’re all formidable opponents.”

“……”

A moment of silence followed… and soon, those who had organized their thoughts spoke up one by one.

“…In the end, it seems there’s no answer other than a direct confrontation.”

“No, dammit, it’s the middle of a battlefield. How are we supposed to bring them back?”

“Ah, I don’t know. It’s complicated. If we have to do it, let’s just try it instead of wasting time. They said it’s okay to fail anyway.”

“Could we take a few mages and use Invisibility and Silence?”

“The success rate wouldn’t even be 1%.”

“If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.”

Amidst the chaotic exchange of opinions, Shia, who was sitting on my lap, yawned and looked up at me.

“Dear. This is tedious. Why not finish this roughly and go back?”

At that moment, the heavy atmosphere in the room vanished, replaced by a burst of boisterous laughter.

“Hahahaha!”

“Hohoho.”

“Haha. Our little lady was bored.”

“Look, the precious guest says it’s tedious. let’s wrap this up quickly.”

I nodded to the people in apology, but internally I let out a smirk.

‘Truly, looks are everything….’

To be blunt, I’ve rarely seen anyone get angry at this girl. Even though she has absolutely no wall between her and a lack of manners, people—regardless of age or gender—just look at Shia’s face and immediately show favor with a smile.

‘She’s covering a significant portion of her looks with those earrings and it’s still this much… if she actually went around without them, she could probably start a religion. If a word from the leader moves everyone, we could turn that into a power base….’

But… at that moment, something flashed through my mind.

‘Wait. A word from the leader moves everyone…. Can’t that logic be applied to this situation too?’

I raised my hand and requested the floor.

“I have an idea.”

“Hm? Do you have a good thought?”

“Let’s give up on the rescue that won’t work anyway… and instead, let’s just get rid of the reason they’re in danger.”