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The Girls Make Their Decision – Part 04

Early the next morning, Daigo spotted the sleepy-looking guests of Biltappo el Debab coming down the stairs.

“Good morning,” Daigo greeted them. “You’re up early.”

“To be honest, I’m very sleepy,” Hikaru replied.

“As I mentioned yesterday, the town is in a bit of a strange situation right now, so it might be best to just rest today,” Daigo suggested.

Hikaru let out a small sigh. “I have something to discuss regarding that. Could you call your parents here?”

When Hikaru shared what happened last night with Daigo’s family, they were surprised. The situation was worse than they had imagined.

“It’s not the first time that a Knights Templar’s ship has arrived at Southleaf Island,” Daigo’s father said, furrowing his brow.

“I want you to spread the word. This is no longer just a problem between Einbiest and Bios; the lives of the people on Southleaf Island are being threatened.”

“We’ll do just that,” Daigo’s mother said. “It’s a small town, so everyone will know immediately.”

“I believe we are partially responsible for this situation,” Jillarte said bitterly, silencing the room.

“Don’t worry about it,” Daigo’s father said. “Humans coming from Bios always looked down on us. Sooner or later, there would have been a clash.”

“But…”

“Listen closely.” Daigo’s father placed a hand on Jillarte’s shoulder—a thick, cook’s hand, marked with burns. “The people of Southleaf Island have faced many challenges throughout history. We have lived tenaciously, even on the brink of ruin. I believe we can overcome this as well. The great fairies bless those who continue to hold onto hope.”

“Hope…”

“Even if we stumble, their blessings we must not fumble.”

“You just ruined everything,” Daigo’s mother interjected, causing the family to burst into laughter.

They’re strong, Hikaru thought as he listened beside them.

They were much stronger and resilient than adventurers who relied on their physical strength alone. They had pride for their home, faith in their way of life, and love for their friends.

As a wanderer, I can’t obtain what they have. Maybe one day I will build a house somewhere and settle down?

---

After asking Daigo’s family to spread awareness among the residents about the crisis, Hikaru’s group had a quick breakfast and left the inn. Their next destination: the Maze of Magic Locks.

There were about five Adventurers’ Guild huts at the entrance of the dungeon, but all of them were unoccupied. The Knights Templar might have been involved.

“Hikaru, are you really going through with this?”

Of all the things discussed last night, this part of Operation: Liberate Southleaf Island sparked the most debate.

“Yeah. It’s necessary,” Hikaru firmly stood his ground.

The Dungeon Master’s declaration hanging by the entrance remained unchanged, but Hikaru and the girls knew that the labyrinth within had undergone a transformation.

“I wonder how long we’ll have to wait…”

“There’s only one path from the town to here, so we couldn’t have missed them, and time-wise, it should only take one night for them to get back, even if they got lost. The worst-case scenario would be getting crushed by the dungeon while the layout changed.”

After waiting for five minutes, a figure appeared at the entrance of the dungeon.

“Huh? It’s you!”

It was Gogo Zoro’s party.

Reaching the first floor from the locked door normally took four to five hours, but with the route change, Hikaru estimated it would take at least half a day. As a matter of fact, they returned in a little over half a day.

It would have been a problem if they came out earlier, but the speed of their return was unexpected.

They didn’t expect Hikaru and his group to be at the exit. Gogo passed the injured elderly man, Gary, to the bat Beastman and drew his dual axes.

“I get why you’re worked up, but you started it. I only fought back,” Jillarte said, not drawing her weapons. “You were in the dungeon, so you probably don’t know about the situation. Let’s exchange information first. She can heal the injured with her Healing Magic.”

“What? You released your friends while we were inside?”

“No. The Knights Templar have taken over the town.”

The mouths of Gogo and his lackeys all dropped open. Even Gary, barely clinging to life, was wide-eyed in disbelief.

“Th-That’s ridiculous…”

“Take a look around. There are no guild staff in the huts, and no other adventurers waiting outside either.”

“What?! Esrat!” Gogo jerked his chin.

“Right away.” Esrat hurried off to check the huts. As expected, they were empty. “He’s right. There’s no one here. No signs of a fight either.”

“I can’t believe the Knights Templar are actually here.”

“I’ll give you all the information I have. Then you will decide who the real enemy is.”

“You want to pit us against the knights.”

“Not quite.” Jillarte smiled. “We’ll work together to bring them down. I’m sick of Bios’ methods as well. So, which will it be?”

“Grrr…”

Gogo had barely any options. Unable to believe Jillarte’s words, he ordered Esrat and the bat Beastman to check out the town. Meanwhile, Paula tended to Gary and the bandaged man’s wounds.

But the result remained the same. The town’s streets were devoid of Beastmen, with only the occasional knights patrolling. Adventurers they secretly got in touch with revealed even graver news—their weapons had been confiscated and taken to the knights’ ship.

The bat Beastman returned with this information, while Esrat stayed behind to continue gathering intel.

Gogo accepted Jillarte’s proposal. “So, where do we start?”

Hikaru’s group had moved closer to town. They sat in a small rest stop along the road leading to the dungeon.

Jillarte shot a glance at Hikaru.

“First, we’ll block the port,” Hikaru said.

“What? Block the port? Are you out of your mind? There won’t be any way out, then!”

“Exactly. We’re not letting a single knight get away.”

“You’re human. Aren’t you supposed to be on their side?”

“Please. I’m not about killing defenseless people.”

Gogo stared fixedly at Hikaru, questioning his true intentions, but eventually let out a small breath.

“Fine. Seems I misunderstood.” His vicious face turned softer.

“I’m glad you understand.”

Hikaru never viewed Gogo and the others as exceptionally evil villains. Their goal was to take Jillarte as a hostage and demand ransom from Einbiest. It was purely a business transaction, with no intention to harm Jillarte, which was why they used the paralysis trap. They were met with severe retaliation, though.

Even all that considered, they differed greatly from actual fiends who used their power to arrest and kill defenseless people. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have garnered this much respect from the adventurers on Southleaf Island.

“We’ve already taken steps to blockade the port. We’ll retrieve everyone’s weapons, and you will return them to the owners.”

“You make it sound so easy. If you’re planning to board the enemy’s ship, forget it. The Knights Templar’s ship is a mobile fortress. Plus, you have no knowledge of its structure and layout. You’ll have to do more than just board it, you know.”

“I appreciate your concern, but it’s unnecessary. If anything, you should worry about your part of the plan. Once they realize their ship is under attack, the knights will gather at the harbor. The question is, how much time will everyone have to retrieve their weapons? Can you convince them?”

Hikaru had his Stealth, which he didn’t need to mention.

“So it’s gonna be a test on whether they trust me or not,” Gogo said. “Interesting. You better not mess up.”

“There are around a hundred knights. We’ll create as much chaos as possible at the port, so you deal with them individually.”

“Individually?”

“Unlike adventurers, knights are trained in one-on-one and group combat. Try to engage them one by one as a group and gradually wear them down.”

Gogo and his companions nodded gravely. Hikaru was slightly surprised by their willingness to cooperate when faced with a common enemy.

After a brief discussion, Hikaru said, “That’s the general plan. Any questions?”

“I don’t have any questions about the plan. When do we execute it?”

“Hmm… Evening would be best, when it’s getting dark.”

“Someone’s coming,” the bat Beastman alerted. His keen ears had been surveying the surroundings the whole time.

Soon after, Hikaru’s Mana Detection also picked up something.

“Master Gogo!” It was Esrat, rushing towards them. “It’s bad. The Knights Templars are gathering the residents and ordering them to find Jillarte. If she’s not found in an hour, they’ll start killing residents one by one!”

They were planning to search for Jillarte at the expense of the residents’ lives.

All eyes turned to Hikaru.

“I see, there’s no time to waste. In that case, there’s only one solution. Operation: Liberate Southleaf Island will commence right away.”