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Chapter 84

The Shadow of the Enemy Lurking Deep Within Madeira

 

It’s currently our second morning in Madeira.

The light seeping through the window is dull, and a cloudy sky hangs over the town.

There are no children’s voices outside, and the lack of bright sunlight gives the illusion that I’ve woken up too early in the morning.

…So this is what morning in Madeira feels like.

 

Yesterday, when we were in the middle of having dinner with everyone, I told Frederica and Ashley about the Orc subjugation.

 

「So what’s our plan for today, Sybilla?」

 

「Let’s see… For now, there’s something I’d like to confirm first, so we’ll move after that. Emmy-chan, just like yesterday, it would be great if you could continue to look after the orphanage.」

 

「Understood!」

 

During breakfast, Sybilla and I told Emmy that we’ll once again leave her in charge of protecting the place. After that, I returned to my room and geared up.

 

「Since we’re not planning to fight monsters today, it’s fine to wear light clothing, you know?」

 

「Got it.」

 

At the entrance, Sybilla affectionately ruffled the hair of the orphanage kids who’d grown quite close to her. She also hugged them and lifted them up.

I noticed one of them looking my way, so I gave him a light pat on the head.

 

「Energy charge complete!!」

 

Sybilla gave everyone a bright smile, then waved as she stepped outside the orphanage.

I waved back to the children as they saw us off, then followed after her.

Once we’re outside, Sybilla’s eyes tell me that she’s in her serious mode.

 

「We’ll be looking around the town today, follow me.」

 

I nodded to Sybilla as we set out into the sparsely populated town.

 

Sybilla walked toward the city center.

It was a collection of buildings that seemed to run the town, located near the Adventurer Guild.

 

I was wondering which building she was heading for, but Sybilla slipped into a narrow alleyway, hiding between the buildings.

What she took in her hand was the opera glasses I saw her using so much yesterday.

But… what is she planning to do with it in the middle of town like this?

 

Ignoring my confusion, Sybilla held the tool and looked at a particular building with it.

What stood there was…

 

「The Mail Guild?」

 

「Yep. Let me focus for a little.」

 

She must have been extremely focused, as she wasn’t saying a word and her breathing was barely audible as she fixed her gaze on the building.

 

She must have been extremely focused, as she wasn’t saying a word and her breathing was barely audible as she fixed her gaze on the building.

What on earth could be so troubling about that building? Honestly, I’m more worried about whether us sneaking around like this would arouse suspicion instead…

 

I was waiting patiently for about ten minutes while wondering what would happen.

When Sybilla finally spoke.

 

「As I thought…」

 

Sybilla stood up, sighed, and made her way to the Courier Guild.

…Wait, you’re just gonna walk in like that?

 

She straight-up went and entered the Courier Guild building… or so I thought, but instead she circled around to the back of the building.

Behind the building was a garbage dump with burnt paper waste.

Sybilla slowly put her finger into the black mass.

 

「I’m counting on you to cast Cure on me after this.」

 

「Alright.」

 

Assuming she would receive my cure magic, which also served as a cleansing magic, Sybilla dirtied herself searching for something inside the garbage dump.

Eventually, having found what she was looking for, she placed one of several picked-up scraps of paper into her bag.

She then picked up the smallest piece left in her hand and showed it to me.

 

「What is this… a letter?」

 

「That’s right. A burned one, to be precise. It crumbles so easily like this, as you can see.」

 

Sybilla rubbed her fingertips against the charred remains of the letter, and as expected, they crumbled away into pieces.

 

「I’ve seen what I wanted to see. We’re leaving now, let’s go.」

 

While still left completely puzzled by Sybilla’s actions, I left the scene together with her.

 

In the end, we didn’t go inside the building. Instead, we sat down on an old bench that stood alone in the deserted outskirts of town.

Then a deep sigh escaped my mouth.

 

「Isn’t it about time you tell me what is it that you’re after?」

 

「Why do you think there was a scrap of a letter there, Rasel?」

 

「Obviously, it’s because you’re supposed to burn the letter after you finish reading it, no?」

 

「Well, of course you’d think so. Then, let me rephrase the question. …Since the Courier Guild also handles some letters for official communications, they have a rule to store everything. Do you think the Courier Guild would burn letters after reading them?」

 

The Courier Guild’s rules…!

If they have an obligation to store every letter, then you shouldn’t have been able to find burned letters for disposal in the Courier Guild.

And yet, Sybilla was able to find and pick up some of the scrapped letters.

 

「I’ve been wondering about it for a while. Why haven’t they sent a rescue request to other towns’ high-ranking officials, even though there are so many monsters around this town… which means there have been overflowing from the dungeon?」

 

There’s only one answer to that question.

 

「The member of the Courier Guild that could be seen from the window… he was one of the crimson believers, huh?」

 

「Looks like your intuition has sharpened, I’m glad. You guessed it—from the start, the Crimson Church had their hands on the heart of this city and has been controlling information. It’s especially troublesome that they’ve got control of couriers.」

 

Sybilla looks up at the grey sky, blowing air on her bangs and absentmindedly watching them sway.

She has her palms outstretched towards the sky, but of course, just because she’s a goddess doesn’t mean she can grasp the sky.

Come to think of it, those wings of hers—I wonder if she can actually fly with them?

 

「The Adventurer Guild sent out a request for help, but it has never reached the outside. Instead, the local Crimson Church members clad in white went on a killing spree. Well, as far as the Guild is concerned, I guess they don’t care as long as the monsters are defeated, right? So it all just ended up getting swept under the rug.」

 

Listening to her explaining the state of this town, I too look up at the sky.

The cloudy ceiling obscuring the blue sky is hazy, with no clear boundaries.

It feels oppressive, as if the sky might fall, yet the sky itself is somehow decadent and lacking in tension.

 

「Though it seems like I still don’t understand everything, there’s one thing I know for sure.」

 

Sybilla said as she clenched her outstretched palm tightly.

 

「The Crimson Church is controlling the population of Orcs. And they’re definitely refusing rescue requests from the Adventurer Guild because it’s inconvenient for them to have the number of orcs reduced.」

 

In that clenched fist, she held a small… yet undeniable truth.

So the strange occurrences in this town ultimately lead back to those guys, after all.

 

「Now then, for our next move, I might need you to do a little thing for me, Russell.」

 

「What is it? Just say the word.」

 

「For a while now, I’ve been actively casting Search Floor magic, you see.」

 

Search Floor… a detection spell. It’s a magic used to locate monsters in dungeons.

I see. So she sensed someone approaching and has been making sure not to be found with it, huh.

 

…Then why did she bring up that talk here?

 

Sybilla leans her face close to mine as we sit on the bench. …Her face is awfully close.

What the hell are you trying to do out in the public first thing in the morning like this? Wait, hey, stop——.

 

「Don’t move. We’re being tailed.」

 

——Wha!? Since when!?

 

Sybilla then sits on my lap, kneeling on the bench.

With her face that looks like a work of art, so close to me, as expected, even I’m starting to feel a bit nervous.

 

Since I know Sybilla’s personality, I can’t bring myself to accept the fact that I’m nervous around her…

Geez, it’s that Sybilla, for crying out loud. Just think of her as a hawk or something.

 

It seems there isn’t much time left.

I quickly composed myself and replied softly to Sybilla with, 「Okay」.