Editing/Standardisation: Medicine Melancholy
Original Translation: Medicine Melancholy
Iris
It wasn’t until late at night that we finished dealing with the aftermath of the attack… We had to spend the night in a corner of the soldiers’ quarters next to the outer walls, gracefully provided by their commanding officer.
The next morning, at the mayor’s summons, we travelled all the way across the town to his mansion, which was located in the area where the wealthy lived.
Apparently, he had a dispute with everyone in the mercenary company the last time they visited this town, so they weren’t invited this time.
Only Nii-sama, Reiji-san and Milly-san accompanied me to see the mayor while the mercenaries stayed behind to discuss future operations with the stationed soldiers.
“Good grief… I don’t expect him to do anything funny in our first meeting, but be prepared to run in any case. And do not touch whatever is offered to you.”
Nii-sama warned me again, for the umpteenth time today.
I’d already applied magic to increase resistance to abnormal statuses such as poison and paralysis, but you can never be too careful.
…Because this mayor didn’t look friendly at the slightest.
If what the soldiers told us was true, it’s obvious that he’s hiding something he doesn’t want anyone to find in the goblin-infested mineshaft. Perhaps he called us here to warn us against investigating it.
This meeting could very well be a trap of some kind.
“…Let’s get this over with. Iris and Milly, stay close to Reiji at all times. Reiji, I trust you can look after them?”
“Gotcha.”
After Reiji-san nodded as a confirmation, Nii-sama knocked on the extravagant door… At this point we already know very well about the nouveau riche taste of its owner.
When the servant led us into the parlor, the mayor was already there waiting for us.
…At first glance, it was hard to believe that this was the home of a town mayor whose major industry was stagnant and in trouble, with its soft, expensive-looking carpets and large amount of furnishings.
“We’ve finally met, travelers. Come, take a seat.”
Acting overly friendly, the mayor guided us to our seats. However…
“…Five of them.”
“Not too many to deal with, then.”
Nii-sama and Reiji-san whispered to each other.
It seemed that the mayor’s goons were already in place. But they weren’t enough to make the two of them panic. The only problem was if there’s something in the tea or air, that had already been taken care of unless there was something wrong.
The mayor started asking us questions. How we acquired our current abilities at a young age, where we were born and where we lived.
Nii-sama was entrusted with the responsibility of conversing, and the talk proceeded smoothly, even if it was only on the surface.
“…Now that I’ve heard of your heroic deeds yesterday, I would like to extend an offer of working under my command to you.”
So this is what he’s trying to do. Unfortunately, we don’t want to become anyone’s pawns here.
“Of course, I’ll reward you nicely…”
For us, whose money in the game didn’t transfer over to this world and only had the reward money from the previous town, it certainly looked like a huge sum.
Since we weren’t present during the mercenaries’ previous stay in this town, he probably judged us to be their newest recruits and wanted to lure us to his side with money.
However, Nii-sama quickly interrupted the mayor by raising his hand.
“Pardon my interruption, but if this is what you’re after, then we respectfully decline. If you ask us to lend a helping hand for the time being to protect this town, I am willing to cooperate, but I have no intention of being employed by a person who is in charge of the town but has no intention of doing his job.”
Suddenly, at Nii-sama’s words, which could be described as impolite, one could see the blood vessels rising on the mayor’s forehead.
“…It’s wonderful that you youngsters are being so brave, but I’m only telling you this because I see you as skilled mercenaries… Yes, it’s just business, no need to make it personal…”
“You seem to have misunderstood something… We are simply travelers and not mercenaries to begin with.”
Nii-sama interrupted the mayor again.
We were only cooperating with the mercenary company, and not strictly their members.
“B-But you are with those mercenaries, aren’t you? I don’t think you were with them when they stayed here before…”
“We are only accompanying them on their journey as a favor, out of a personal relationship. Their employer is acquainted with us.”
The mayor was at a loss for words. He must have realized that the person employing the “La Cercueil” is the Count ruling over this region.
To mess with the Count’s guests meant inviting trouble, I’m sure the mayor knows that much.
Well, calling us the Count’s guests was kind of a bluff. Fortunately, we had the power to back that up, as shown yesterday.
“Not to mention…”
Nii-sama took a sip of the tea that was offered to him… and immediately spat it out.
His eyes narrowed quickly, taking on a menacing hue.
“Serving your guests tea spiked with Dreamgrass nectar is the peak of etiquette, don’t you think?”
“Guh…”
Dreamgrass… When I was unable to unveil my wings due to trauma, I had to take medicine with it as an ingredient to be able to sleep. Since Nii-sama was the one making that medicine, he was able to detect the slightest discomfort when tasting that particular nectar… After all, I had to take that medicine for a while.
…Come to think of it, Ayame was good at tasting water and rice for some reason.
“It seems that we’re not welcome here. If you leave us out of whatever you’re plotting, then we won’t pursue this matter. Now, if you excuse us.”
We all got up from our seats.
There was a sense of killing intents around us, but when Reiji-san crawled his hand to the sword at his waist, they seemed to pull back.
“…If you don’t have my approval, it would be easy to make it impossible for you to even get lodging in this town. You’re going to regret this.”
“Who’s going to regret it, we shall see about that.”
My brother left such a parting remark with his most wicked princely smile, and we left the mayor’s house.
“Good grief… I had a hunch this would happen, but that wasn’t a negotiation from the beginning…”
Nii-sama went limp as soon as he was out of human eyes. His inner Ayame was leaking.
“Ahaha… Good work back there, Mr. Ambassador.”
“I’m so tired…”
As soon as he said that, he wrapped me in for a hug.
“Can we keep like this for a while? Ah… I feel like I’m being healed…”
At the sight of Nii-sama acting so silly, I smile wryly, pat him on the back and let him do as he pleases.
“…But you know, that was still a pretty dramatic way of telling him to sod off. You literally declared war on him.”
“Sorry… But there’s no doubt it’s going to happen sooner or later.”
“For god’s sake… They could have hidden the greed in their eyes a bit better when they looked at Iris and Miriam.”
“I know right…”
“To be honest, it creeped me out, nya…”
Just like yesterday, the mayor, let alone his underlings, looked at me as if I were a merchandise to sell for money.
“This country bans the trading of slaves, but it’s very likely he’s got some outside connections… Do not travel alone, at all costs.”
I nodded deeply at that.
“…Anyway, where are we going to stay?”
“I wish we’d found accommodation earlier, nya…”
With such an ominous statement from Miriam-san, we began to stroll around the town with a gloomy feeling.
Several hours later
“…I didn’t expect that mayor to act this fast.”
“We got turned away everywhere we go…”
The sun was high in the sky, even beginning to set, and we were quickly at our wit’s end…
The town’s main street ran alongside a mountain stream that flowed through the valley, and the sights and sounds of the gentle stream would normally soothe my soul, but I was in no mood for that right now.
“Looks like we don’t have much choice other than borrowing the soldiers’ quarters again.”
“Yeah… but that would only be a temporary solution.”
“I agree… I wish someone would let us rent a room.”
Such a slim hope that was.
At least the townspeople weren’t being completely hostile to us, since they did know we saved the town yesterday.
“Well, can’t exactly blame them for that. We have no idea what tricks that mayor has up his sleeves… Huh?”
“Is somebody arguing?”
Someone was arguing with the soldiers at the gate.
“I’m telling you, Nee-chan is kidnapped, so please hurry up and rescue her! Please, I beg you!”
It was a young boy, clearly in distress.
We looked at each other and quickened our steps toward him.
At the scene, we found the officer and Zeltis-san arguing with a boy about ten or twelve years of age.
“Is he a kid from this town?”
“I’m not so sure…”
“He said his sister was kidnapped right? Depending on the situation, we could have an emergency on our hand.”
“In any case, we should hear him out immediately.”
Nii-sama seemed to be thinking something, but we all nodded to each other and approached the officer.
“Excuse me, everyone, what’s going on here…”
“…?! It’s you guys?! You all are strong people, aren’t you?! Please, help me…!”
Upon seeing us, the boy immediately drew closer with a fierce look.
After somehow quieting him down, we listened to what he had to say.
He wasn’t originally from this area, but a woman who worked as a pharmacist in this town found him lying around here alone and picked him up… he had been living in her care since.
“Nee-chan was out of town collecting medicinal herbs because she needed a lot of medicine right now… but she still hasn’t come back. When I looked for her, I found some goblin-like footprints!”
“Well, as much as we would like to help you, we are not allowed to move on our own without permission from the higher-ups…”
The officer told the boy apologetically.
“It’s a shame to say it, but so are we. It would be unwise if I act rashly and jeopardize the company in this place where we had an earlier dispute with its ruler… Maybe the Captain will approve of it, though.”
Said Zeltis-san.
Soldiers on official duty and mercenaries with a reputation to protect. Neither of them could act on their own, that meant…
“Oh well, guess we’ll just have to go… Saul, you okay with that?”
“……No objection. But… we’ll have to talk with you later, okay?”
The boy’s shoulders shook with fear at the words directed at him, and his gaze wandered.
“Nii-sama, you don’t have to say something that threatening…”
“…Hmph.”
Nii-sama turned away grimly. Clearly something had been eating at him for a while now, but he didn’t seem to be opposed to going to help.
“It’s settled then. Me, Saul and…”
“I’ll pass. I’m simply no good in an infiltration mission, nya.”
Milly, who is a magician specializing in firepower, was simply not suited for action in tight places such as tunnels.
“That leaves…”
“Yeah…”
Reiji-san and Nii-sama turned toward me.
“Iris, do you mind waiting here with everyone else…”
“Thanks, but I refuse.”
“As I expected…”
I answered immediately with a smirk, and Reiji-san and Saul-niisama’s shoulders slumped in disappointment.
Normally, they would fiercely oppose my decision, but…
“Of everyone here, Iris is the most useful for infiltration.”
That’s the reason. Bishop class was actually second only to the Assassin or Archer series of classes in this type of covert ops, because they possessed a spell that conceals the appearance of those around them.
Milly-san also had a magic that makes her disappear, but it only applies to herself. Instead, it has the advantage of being able to prepare magic while being unseen, although it is a difference in class design and not the superiority of either.
For once, I had the right to choose whether or not to accompany them, and I would not accept a rejection.
So, an operation to rescue the boy’s older sister was hastily decided.
I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear Nii-sama muttering “Alright, excuse get” with a bad expression.
APM - Translation 