Chapter 419
"Come to think of it, it feels like it's been ages since we were last apart from Liberta-kun."
While preparing for the mountain climb at the base, Amina murmured as she, along with everyone except Liberta and the guards, did a final check of their room's luggage.
"Yeah. It's only natural for us to always be together."
It was Nell who responded to the statement about Liberta's absence.And it was Ingrid who flinched in reaction.
Claudia, who was teaching Esmeralda how to pack, stopped what she was doing and turned around.
This time, since they only had one item bag, they had to carry the climbing equipment separately.That's why they had all gathered in Claudia's room—she had extensive travel experience and had climbed mountains before.
"......""Ah, Ingrid-san is trembling from a lack of Liberta-kun.""Well, I understand the feeling. Being together with him has become the norm, after all."
Usually, the thought of a trip would spark excitement, but now they all felt a certain something was missing.They understood Liberta's kind words telling them to go and have fun, and they had agreed to actually enjoy themselves.
But everyone present felt that sense of incompleteness.
"How long will the trial take, I wonder?""For the simplest trial, about a week. The difficulty Liberta challenged has only been conquered by a few people, like founding heroes of nations. There's a big difference—the shortest was four months, the longest about three years.""......We won't be able to see Liberta-sama for four months!?"
The one feeling the most severe withdrawal symptoms was Ingrid. Her expression turned into something out of a manga, complete with dramatic shading, as she muttered "Wh-what did you say...?" The others had heard the story before, but hearing it again made the duration feel long.
"Please don't worry. Liberta will be back in about a week. After all, he's Liberta."
As if to dispel that tense atmosphere, Esmeralda stood up from packing and smiled.It was a belief born from trust in Liberta's abilities and his track record.
"In fact, I can already see the future: he'll smash through the records, clear the trial, astonish the temple, and then they'll hound him with questions about how he did it.""Ahh—""That's possible. We should send a letter to Natal in advance about that.""Liberta-sama will clear it in three days."
Nell and Amina nodded in agreement at this remark. They could already picture him greeting them with a casual 'Yo' after climbing up and down the mountain, and at the end of his story about the hardships, they could see him complaining that the temple's questions were the toughest part.
"Three days, huh...?""Liberta might just...?""But heroes took over four months to conquer it?""Hmm, but it's because we think it's impossible; maybe Liberta-kun will clear it in some ridiculous way?"
They all chuckled wryly, thinking Ingrid's three days were too short, but at the same time, an image of Liberta rampaging with explosive excitement, yelling 'Yahoo!!', flashed through their minds.
Having heard the trial details from Claudia, they knew he would have starting gear and skill restrictions. Yet, for some reason, they could imagine him sporting fully upgraded equipment. This was because they recognized Liberta as an exceptional, out-of-the-box existence.
"......""Huh, is it really that worth thinking about!?"
Amina's words left them all silent and pondering—they couldn't outright deny the possibility.
While they were lost in thought, they heard the sound of light running footsteps in the corridor and the murmur of conversation.For safety, they had rented out this entire floor. The Garden Guards and Entertainers were stationed near the stairs and in the hallway.The fact that they were talking meant there was something important to report.
"It seems something has happened."
Sensing from the voices leaking from the corridor that this was no ordinary matter, the atmosphere around Esmeralda shifted.Almost simultaneously, everyone else's relaxed mood also completely changed.
As if sensing the change, a quick knock came at the door.
*'It's Genjirou. May I come in?'*
Since it wasn't an urgent situation like an attack, Genjirou asked for permission to enter.The fact that he asked suggested it wasn't an emergency, considering the possibility they might be changing clothes.
"Yes, please come in."
Claudia, the room's occupant, responded on everyone's behalf, and the door opened.Entering were Genjirou and a familiar Entertainer.
"We just received information from him. It seems they've caught a tail of the Heretic Church."
Though he usually had a habit of taking off his clothes, today he was properly dressed and had done his job well. The information he brought concerned the disappearance cases plaguing Areiya.
"That's a fine achievement, isn't it?""Though, it's just a low-level collaborator we managed to catch.""So, a collaborator of the Heretic Church hiding in Areiya?"
It seemed he had returned to share the information, thinking it might be a clue to solving the cases.
"It's still a valuable source of information. So, what were they connected to?""Apparently, they've built several secret passages within buildings. There are lookouts for each building who help them escape.""They go through places with no paths, and even if you search the houses afterward, the culprits are gone. If they can move from wall to wall, hiding is easy... So that's how they've been shaking off pursuit?"
Not everyone in Areiya is a devout believer.There are certainly those who are quick to profit and involved in shady dealings.
If they're hostile, it wouldn't be surprising to have one or two spies infiltrated.
"In the end, they managed to shake off the pursuit and escaped into the sewers. So we stopped tracking them there.""The sewers... parts of them were built in ancient times, and some maps have been lost. It was the right decision not to pursue recklessly and risk getting lost."
The place where the hostile elements are coming and going is the sewers.
"Hasn't the possibility of infiltration through the sewers been considered?""It has been considered, but that doesn't mean every entrance is accounted for. Guards are posted at connections to important facilities and places where many people could enter, but for small inspection hatches, records have been lost due to building renovations. Also, because of additions made over generations, the reality is that we don't have complete control—it's like searching for something that doesn't exist on the map.""Does that mean you could potentially enter from outside the city?""Could you? Possibly, you could. But even then, the sewers are cramped. According to records, they were meticulously designed by devout dwarven craftsmen. Larger races might be able to enter, but they couldn't move around easily.""Is that so? The sewers in our village are clean and spacious, though.""That village is the abnormal one."
Those sewers were designed for inspection, not for comfortable passage.On top of that, because they were built in ancient times, there are no clear maps.
While a large force couldn't move through them, there was still the potential for a few individuals to infiltrate.
Though such clear holes were watched, they'd also received information that infiltrators were using hidden passageways.
Claudia drew a comparison, flatly dismissing Liberta's village as "abnormal" in one word.
"For now, I'll share this information with Natal. At the very least, it should allow for some countermeasures regarding future incidents.""Understood. Also, regarding Shalia-san... she successfully made contact with the person Liberta asked her to find, so she'll be occupied with that for a while. She asked me to pass along that she can't accompany us to the mountain.""Understood."
If the Heretic Church was active in the sewers now, temple knights composed of dwarves and small folk would likely be dispatched soon.
If so, the current commotion should subside to some extent.There was a possibility they wouldn't be caught and would go further into hiding, but Claudia decided that whether to minimize damage was a judgment for Natal and the others, not her.
"What kind of person was that person Liberta asked her to find?"
With the Heretic Church matter left to Natal's judgment, the remaining point of interest was the person Liberta had kept even from Nell and the others. Nell asked the Entertainer squad member about this person's characteristics.
"What kind? Sorry, but that's a question I can't answer. Please, cut me some slack this time.""Ehh—""Nell-san, you mustn't force him."
Information management is a fundamental aspect of an Entertainer's duties.Even if it's family, they can't share information without permission.
Nell noticed Genjirou glaring intently, so she held back her dissatisfaction towards the man who honestly bowed his head, saying he couldn't tell. Esmeralda's words helped her suppress that dissatisfaction.
"If you get any more information about the commotion, please share it.""Understood. Even while you're climbing the mountain, we can get word to you without issue.""I'm counting on you.""Yes, I'll be going now."
With that exchange concluded, the Entertainer man departed.
"Well then, I need to go to the temple to convey this information. What will everyone else do?""I still have luggage to prepare.""I'll stay here too.""Me too!"
Though she now had additional matters to attend to, Claudia didn't seem bothered and informed them of her next plan.Esmeralda wasn't ready yet, so she wouldn't accompany her.Nell and Amina had no business at the temple, so they chose to wait.
"What about you, Ingrid-san?""I think I'll take a look at the market. Even if we're carrying preserved food, I think we can prepare a bento for the day itself. I'll go check out the ingredients."
Ingrid, having finished her preparations, said she would go out, but not with Claudia—she was heading to the market.She had already confirmed with the inn that they could borrow the kitchen.
So, she offered to go buy ingredients to make bento for the mountain climb.
"Understood. Then shall we go together part of the way? Genjirou-san, I'm sorry to trouble you, but could I borrow two guards?""Certainly."
The market was on the way from this inn to the temple.So they would go together, moving with guards instead of just the two of them.
"Does anyone have any requests for food?"
Having received Genjirou's consent, Ingrid began preparing to leave for the market.While doing so, she took requests.
"Meat!""Me too!"
The two beastkin immediately raised their hands to request what they wanted to eat.
"I would be happy with some fruit.""I don't have any particular requests."
Esmeralda requested fruit, and Claudia, not particularly picky about food, said she had none.
"And for me?""Yes, I will also make enough for the guards."
Her gaze then fell on Genjirou, who was on guard duty. For a moment, he was taken aback, but Ingrid nodded towards him.
"Th-then, something that looks like it'll give me strength..."
Hearing Genjirou's words—he wasn't used to making requests—she thought for a few seconds.
"Understood. Well then, I'm off to do the shopping."
With that, Ingrid headed out together with Claudia and the guards.