Side – A Certain Group of Three, Part 4
「That was one impressive match. We can’t be too careful with these adventurers.」
「Totally true, Sis. That old man is insane, I couldn’t see him at all……」
「Yeah. If he was sent as an assassin, how many people in our country could actually stop him? Assuming, obviously, that he wouldn’t fight face to face… What do you think, Klikka?」
「Even if I manage to see through his stealth, I wouldn’t be able to win. The truly great thing about that old man is that he’s still not weak in a head-on fight, despite his prowess in covert operations.」
「Sigh. There’s plenty of other adventurers that would give us a run for our money too…… Do we have no choice but to try to shut up the South and the East?」
「I agree with that sentiment. If relations continue to deteriorate between our countries and a large-scale war breaks out, the damage to our country would be staggering.」
「But will the Dukes give up that easily? If things don’t work out, it could turn into a civil war……」
「I’d rather that than an invasion. I think it’s about time for our country to change.」
「But……」
「Biscot… I know how much you care about our country. The previous knight captain raised you well. But Raydoss has its light and its darkness. You know that well, don’t you?」
「Well yeah…… since I was born in a lab like you. But Dad destroyed it, didn’t he? He went around and crushed a lot of other facilities too……」
「The ones near Central that is. But there could be similar ones in the East and South, maybe even the West or North in the worst case. If we turn a blind eye to that possibility, we may never be able to recover from that mistake.」
「……Got it.」
「I’d like to get back home soon, but…… how’s the surveillance?」
「Still there, but they’re watching from a distance. Since we’re using wind magic, they can never hear our conversation.」
「I’m not too worried about them for now. The best timing for our escape is right after the finals. The ceremony and what not will take up a lot of manpower, yeah?」
「Actually, there’s something you should know about that.」
「What is it?」
「It seems there’s another group of people besides us who’ve been sneaking around town.」
「Really? How did you find out? Weren’t we under surveillance? You said we can’t move freely, and that’s why we can’t go to the bars, right?」
「Sigh. You just starting drinking and already you’re an alcoholic.」
「Well, yeah I’m old now. I guess I finally understand why Dad and the others kept whining for their drinks after work.」
「You’ll have to put up with drinking with me while you’re in town. So, Klikka, where did you get this information?」
「From him. And since there’s no reason for him to betray us at this point, I believe there is no mistake.」
「I see, so the information came from him. Then we can trust it…… But depending on his movements, the timing of our escape may change.」
「Yes. In the worst case, we may have to head north and pass through the border instead of taking the boat from Bulbola.」
「Are you sure about that? It’s not so easy to get past Phyllius’s territory, is it?」
「We can use my family’s merchants. They’re one of the few we have outside the country.」
「No, I want to keep your family out of this as much as possible. They’re one of our supporters.」
「But my father and mother are ready to give up a business route or two if it will help you, Sibylla-sama.」
「No way. They are the ones who instantly recognized you as their own daughter after you had been missing for so many years. They even offered to take you in as their heir, remember? I can’t cause any trouble for them.」
「Yeah, yeah. You’re lucky to have proper parents unlike the rest of us lab rats. You better take good care of them.」
「Says the idiot……」
「Kuku. But Biscot’s right this time.」
「What do you mean, “this time”!?」
「……Thank you very much.」
「Don’t mention it. Worst case scenario, I can break the red seal and activate the Red Blade. Then I’ll carry you two and him on my back all the way through.」
「Oh yeah? That sounds like a lot of fun!」
「Right?」
「……That’s really a last resort. I’m begging you, please don’t be too hasty.」
「I know, I know.」
「How many times have I been fooled by those words……」
「Ahaha. I’m serious this time.」
「……You had better be.」
Side – ????
「Hee-hee-hee. The festivities in this town are almost over…… How are things going on your side?」
「Mmm. The four potential targets were Diaz, the guildmaster, Wijat Aurel, the leader of the beastman, Felmus, a former rank A adventurer, and finally Dimitris, a rank S adventurer……」
「Were you able to narrow it down?」
「Aurel and Dimitris.」
「Oh dear! You intend to mess with a rank S adventurer!」
「Indeed… They both have grandchildren you see.」
「In other words, it would be easy to take a hostage?」
「Aurel is not only a good fighter, but his knowledge will come in handy too. As for Dimitris… if we can him on our side, he would be worth as much as taking over an entire country.」
「I can see that. But both of them have formidable escorts, you know? Especially for Dimitris’ grandchildren, I’m sure their guards will be quite talented.」
「I am aware.」
「Oh, and I’ll be preoccupied with our friends from Shallus, just so you know, I can’t help you there.」
「I am borrowing forces from my Lord, and I have other pawns from this town as well. I plan to use them.」
「Is that so? May I ask what kind of forces?」
「One is the adventurers we kidnapped and transformed into our undead soldiers, using the potion you provided us.」
「Ah, that potion? I was wondering why you would ask for something as unusual as a necro potion…… You can really turn people into undead while they’re still alive?」
「Indeed, though it was a makeshift ritual, so their performance will be much lower compared to when they were alive.」
「Still, they are still useful as meatshields, right?」
「Correct, and the main force will be the ghouls who are former rank C adventurers. They may not have rationality like me, but they were created by my Lord personally, so their combat power is plenty.」
「Hee-hee. That sounds interesting. But still, it’s a strange feeling to be able to have a conversation like this. You, an undead, still have your wits about you.」
「All is by the power of my Lord and the Holy Mother. Once Dimitris and Aurel turn undead, they will be their faithful servants as well.」
「Hee hee hee! I’m sure an undead rank S adventurer will have immense power! I’m looking forward to seeing it!」
「The day after tomorrow, we’ll go to the closing ceremony where Aurel and Dimitris are present. That is the moment to strike.」
「Yes, sir. Then I’ll go adjust the dosage for our friends from Shallus……」
「I am sure you are aware of this already, but the Shallus Kingdom still has its uses. This time, we just need them to make some noise, understood?」
「I understand. The Kingdom of Shallus is in a good strategic location for your country. If we can attack the Kingdom of Kranzel from both the north and south, there are considerably more strategies we can take. It would be a shame to throw that advantage away here.」
「That’s right. The current king is at the beck and call of his aides. He’ll even take the hands of a long-time enemy if he’s told to do so, completely unaware that he’s working with our agents. Though the operations in Phyllius and Seedrun failed, it’s enough as long as we have the Kingdom of Shallus. We can make do with them.」
「But it seems that some of the Shallus nobles are quite disgruntled, don’t you think? There are some intelligent people among those who have been dispatched this time. They appear to be skeptical of the king’s instructions, and realize he is a puppet to his aides.」
「It’s your job to take care of them here.」
「I fully understand.」
「Make sure everything is ready by the time the operation starts.」
「There are so many poisons I’d like to try. I wonder which one should I use?」
「And don’t forget to create a diversion using Shallus’s men.」
「I have not forgotten. Oh boy, this is going to be so fun…… Hee hee hee!」
