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Volume 5 Chapter 8

Several days passed and a guard showed up at my mansion to give a report on the case.

Apparently, the client had concealed himself by wearing a hood, although the five men could tell he was a man, they could not give specific details of what he looked like.

I thought as much. I would have been surprised if it was easy to find the client.

The assailants are D-rank adventurers. According to the information provided by the Adventurers Guild, they rarely took any requests, and the assumption is that they specialise in unscrupulous work.

In the end, the client’s identity remains a mystery.

「Well, I don’t know what to make of this…… If I was their prime target, that’s fine, but if they go after the orphanage, I can’t protect it from here」

I trust Lumina can handle any problem that may arise since she’s staying there. During the day though, she goes out, leaving it without protection.

And she’s been taking requests at the Adventurer’s Guild recently……

I’ll have to arrange a meeting with her……

 

A few days later I met her at a tavern in the back of the Guild.

We could have just met at the orphanage, but due to the sensitive nature of the matter, I could not let Saya hear it, so it had to be the Guild.

Of course, there was another reason……

「Touya, mind chilling this for me」

She holds out a mug of ale to me.

I chuckle at Lumina’s request, she has not changed. I oblige and use magic to cool the ale, including my own.

「Before we get started, let’s drink up, Cheers!」

Our mugs clash in the centre of the table before we take them to our mouths.

The ale certainly tastes better when chilled.

「Puhah! Cold ale is the best. If it were possible, I would not mind forming a party with you just to have you around for this, but you are a…… noble now」

「We can do without it….. We are friends after all」

I am thankful that my friendship with Lumina continues without being bothered with titles.

I have had some alliances in the Adventurer’s Guild, but since becoming a Marquis, people have been keeping their distance, somewhat cautious of me.

Those who I have gone on requests with and have witnessed my abilities are even more wary. Since returning to the castle, Char and Al have not been able to join me on requests, which is different from Lumina, who is on equal footing with me as a fellow adventurer.

Although she will sometimes say some strange things, it is still nice to share a drink with one of the few friends I can trust in this new world.

After a few drinks, I decided to begin to talk about the issue at hand.

「I can’t believe you got attacked,Touya…… Stupid of them. Even if you take on small requests, it’s hard to not know who you are. Maybe they really were only doing thug work」

「Yeah, that’s why I’ve asked Guilmouth to investigate. There must be someone behind this」

Lumina crossed her arms and began to look a bit worried.

She looks to be pondering on the information I have shared with her.

Still crossing her arms, her gaze shifts slightly upwards at me.

「Okay, I understand. I’ll try to stay with Saya and the children as much as possible. I will take requests which are a day trip, and if I have to go on one that takes more time, I will talk to you about it beforehand」

「Ah, that would be great」

「By the way, there is something I wanted to ask you about the orphanages」

Among the many orphanages in the Capital, there is one where I took a tour of its luxurious building. The priest in charge looked well-off, while the children looked mistreated.

Lumina looked appalled by what I told her.

「I can’t think of the number of donations from the Merchants, no matter how big they are, allowing them to live lavishly. There is more to it…… Or, maybe……」

She looked like she had a sudden realisation.

「What is the matter, Lumina? 」

「Oh, there was a request to investigate the shady dealings of the Merchant Guild with other countries. Some of these dealings involved human trafficking. Slavery is condemned in the Empire but that is not the same with other nations, just like our neighbouring country」

「…… You think this has to do with the Merchant Guild……?」

「Well, it’s only a hunch……」

When I was at the orphanage, I do not remember seeing children close to adulthood. Usually children when they reach the age of fifteen have to leave the orphanage. They would find work in the connected Merchant Guid or become adventurers, but is it possible that they are being trafficked……

Felt my pulse rise when I thought about this.

「Touya, you are making a scary face. How about you accept the request with me? As I recall, it is a C-rank request, so we can accept it without any problem. Until now, I didn’t feel like accepting it alone, but with you I think we can handle it」

「Oh, fine by me. Human trafficking is not something I can overlook」

「Alright. We can take it tomorrow, so if possible can we meet at the Guild at noon?」

「Yeah, sure」

After our discussion about tomorrow’s request, Lumina and I went our separate ways.

The following day I asked Dalish about the orphanage that we were investigating.

「That orphanage…… I believe it does business with the Vanish Merchant Guild. Their main business is imports and exports to and from the Empire」

「I see, Tell me more about this Vanish Merchant Guild」

「Yes, the Vanish Merchant Guild is —」

Dalish was more knowledgeable than I expected. I can only be thankful to His Majesty for introducing me to such an excellent retainer.

As planned, I met up with Lumina at the Guild. She was already waiting for me in her adventurer getup.

The request was still available.

It is an investigation request, so the pay is not that great. Moreover, as I understand it, the Merchant Guild to be investigated had not been identified and was in a rather tumultuous state.

When we asked to see the guildmaster, the new receptionist looked at us confused.

「The guildmaster is currently busy. He cannot be disturbed」

「I understand. Maybe this will make things easier」

I put my guild card on the desk.

The receptionist’s face paled when she saw the gold-coated A-rank card.

「A-rank? I apologise. I’ll go notify him right away」

The receptionist hurried up the stairs to the back. WIthin a few minutes, she had returned with a perspiring forehead.

「The Guildmaster will see you now」

Oh, thank goodness. Lumina, let’s go」

「Okay」

I follow the receptionist with Lumina next to me.

The receptionist knocked on the door, permission was given from inside, and we entered the room with her.

「Hey, Touya. You have been away from adventuring for a while now, I was beginning to think you had decided to leave this life behind」

「Grusia, same as ever. And I thought you were skipping work and drinking again」

「Come on now! Don’t say that! That was the old me, I am busy man now」

Grusia smiled and extended his hand to me, which I shook lightly.

The receptionist looked amazed at our casual interaction.

「Oh you don’t know Touya, do you?」

「Yes…… I don’t know him……」

Only a few people, even in the guild, know my identity. To Grusia, I am just an adventurer, not “hero who saved the country” or the “Marquis”.

「It’s all right, but from now on as a receptionist, you must remember this. This is Marquis Kisaragi, who is also the hero who saved the Empire」

「Eh…… Eh!? Whaaaaa!!」

Grusia laughs at the receptionist’s shock.

I immediately stop the receptionist who tries to kneel before me on the spot.

「…… I apologise about earlier…… Even though I did not know, it was rude of me……」

「No, it’s fine. I am here as an adventurer. I haven’t been taking requests lately, so I don’t blame you for being questioning my identity」

「Thank you. Still, it is an honour to meet the hero. Is it alright if I can maybe shake your hand……?」

「Well, if that’s all you want……」

After casually shaking hands with me, the receptionist exited the room with a big smile on her face, a totally different expression from before.

「Have a seat. What can I do for you?」

「Yes, we are here about a request」

I tell him about the request to investigate the shady dealings which I suspect involve the Vanish Merchant Guild and the orphanage, as I heard from Dalish and Lumina. When I finished my explanation, Grusia looked to be mulling it over.

「The Vanish Merchant Guild is a big exporter and importer between the Empire and the Cyphancy Empire. It is hard to believe that they would be in cahoots with an orphanage to traffic people…….」

「Yes, there may be other Merchant Guilds, but for the time being I intend to start investigating the Vanish Merchant Guild and orphanagev

「Even if you call it an investigation, I suspect you will likely solve it, Touya, so, if you not only investigate but also solve the problem, I will add the reward you for both」

「I haven’t said it can be solved yet, though……」

「No, this is something that probably you can solved」

Lumina titls her head curiously at Grusia, who speaks confidently.

「Why does it have to be Touya?」

「Because there are nobles in the mix. If an ordinary adventurer were to start snooping around, they might be hushed up by nobles. Or they could be condemned for being disrespectful or who knows what. But Touya is a Marquis, it’ll be hard to get rid of him of him that easily」

「…… Indeed」

It is true that if any noble comes out of the woodwork, they won’t hold their position over my head.

It does help to be in the upper echelon of nobility.

Well, I do not think they can execute a condemnation on their own. I’m going to need to check with His Majesty.

「I’m sure with him, this sensitive case will be handled」

「Hey, you’re making it sound so simple」

「That’s right. The hero who saved the Empire should be able to handle these requests with ease. Oh, by the way, do you have a bottle with you? I have been unable to find the same kind」

Does he mean the bottle from that time…… The one we toasted with after the Empire was saved.

I pulled out one such bottle from Dimensional Storage and placed it on the table.

「Oh! This is it! I knew you had it. Thank you!」

Lumina looked strangely at the ecstatic Grusia.

「…… Touya….. What is that drink? I don’t recognize the bottle」

「What? You’ve known Touya all this time and he’s never given you a drink of this? You have to try it」

「……」

I can feel the daggers coming from Lumina.

I give in, take out another bottle from Dimensional Storage and put it in front of Lumina.

「I knew you would understand, Touya」

「Lumina, was it? That is a good bottle. I got another bottle from Touya, so I can drink the already opened one. Want to try some?」

「Guildmaster, I’d like some」

Grusia brought out a half empty bottle from the shelf and poured a little into three glasses.

「Hey, Grusia. You’re not supposed to be drinking at work, you know that right? You got in trouble last time, remember?」

「Touya, don’t sweat the little things. This is part of the job. The Marquis offered me a drink, how could I refuse?」

I sigh at his plausible excuse.

 

「Well, let’s drink to that. Here’s to the completion of the request」

「Cheers!」

「……Cheers!」

The three of us sip on the drink in our hands.

The taste is as aromatic as ever, it spreads all over the mouth.

Still delicious……

Lumina looked surprised at the drink after the first sip.

「Touya, what is this drink!? It has such a strong taste and scent, why did you hide this until now!?」

「Even if you say that…… We always drink chilled ales」

Lumina always goes to the bar for ale, and drinks it cold.

Since I can’t possibly bring my own liquor to the bar, I did not have a chance to offer her this drink.

「It’s good, isn’t it? Here, have another」

「Thank you, Guildmaster」

The drinking session continued between Grusia and Lumina, until another receptionist came by and Grusia got angry with them.