Side: ???

『To make sure these two can follow along, how about you explain the current situation from the start—including the collaborator and how you actually stopped the assassination? Though, I have to say, I'm impressed you pulled it off. I figured there was a 90% chance of failure.』

『Don't you dare joke about this!! Were you planning to just let Aria-oneesama die!?』

Inside the flat surface called a "monitor", the second princess of this country, Seraria-sama, was practically pouncing on the man speaking.

I see... so it was true that Mobu-san and his group were involved with the princesses.

『I said I'd explain, didn't I? Elju, Oriel—since the conversation isn't progressing, hold that drill back for me. Anyway, if we ignore this princess, we won't get anywhere, so even though it's a pain, I'll start from the beginning.』

『Chii-anesama, please, calm down.』

『Seraria-sama, I admit Yuki is infuriating, but we need the story to move forward... Please, restrain yourself.』

I felt a wave of relief seeing Elju-sama pulling Seraria-sama away.

Elju Lau Roshure.

Unlike a fake like me, she is the true Saintess who received the blessing of Lilyshe-sama.

After all, this entire upheaval was orchestrated specifically to assassinate 'Elju Lau Roshure'.

"Hahaha! That princess has quite the spirit! Quite different from Princess Elju."

Mobu-san was laughing.

I've heard from him how he met the Princess, and while such things happened, the fact that they can interact like this now is both a strength and a weakness.

『Shut your mouth!! You're Mobu, right? I've heard about your deeds from Elju. No matter how much she forgives you, I won't. When we meet face-to-face, let me hit you a hundred times!!』

"Wha—make it one hit, surely!? Well, with a princess's slender arms, I guess a hundred would be about right?"

『You said it. I may be a princess with "slender arms", but I'm a Level 63 Valkyrie.』

"Wha—!? That's higher than me! And a specialized female class, a frontline fighter at that!! Wait, if I take a hundred punches without resisting, I'll die!!"

『Oh, don't worry. I'll heal you like what was done for Elju and keep hitting you. Fufufufufu...』

Yes—this is exactly why Seraria-sama is known as a martial princess. Even I was surprised by her class when I first met her.

In truth, she is no mere figurehead. She has cut down both monsters and men and has stood upon the battlefield—a War Maiden worthy of her title.

『You can keep doing comedy or execution later, just start talking.』

But who exactly is this man?

Judging by the conversation, he is the one leading the discussion. The Princess is a party involved, and Mobu-san's group helped me. But what is this man's role...?

"Got it, Princess. Let's put the hundred punches on hold. I request a reduced sentence."

『Denied. Now explain everything that's happened so far.』

It seems it will be a while before I can speak. I, too, want to hear the full sequence of events behind this chaos.

"Alright... where should I start...?"

『Mobu-dono, if I may, please start from after I fled carrying Elju-sama and Seraria-sama.』

"I wasn't there at that time. If I had been, would it have helped my case a bit?"

『Not at all. In fact, you should be grateful I was nearly unconscious from poison then. If I could move, I would've beaten you all to death.』

"Whoa, scary. Fine, I'll explain from around there."

* * *

Side: Mobu (At the time)

"Hey, this is my first time at this guild. Any jobs worth looking at?"

I had split from Raiya and the others to go look for slaves, but then Yuki contacted me saying something like, 『Let me judge your taste in women』. That made me hesitate to buy slaves alone, so I intended to drag Raiya and the others into it. However...

『Looks like Yuki's worst suspicion came true. This could get bad—we need more information. Like he said, I'll watch the army's movements. You go gather intel at the Adventurer's Guild.』

And that's how I ended up here.

Things are starting to smell real fishy... It didn't seem like it would end with just killing some small-time crook.

As I was thinking that, the guild receptionist answered:

"Let's see... quests are somewhat divided by guild rank, but at this branch, the volume is pretty standard across all ranks. By the way, excuse me, but what is your rank? I can't really recommend anything without knowing."

"Ah, my bad. Here."

I pulled my guild card from my pocket.

A guild card is a convenient thing—it records completed quests, monsters slain, stores money, and can only be used by me.

When I showed it to Yuki before, he said, 'Tch, this is oddly better than back home. Damn fantasy worlds...' Guess his homeland didn't have anything like this.

"Oh! You're Mobu-san!? The Hero of Defense!?"

As the receptionist raised her voice, the eyes in the guild turned to me.

"—Mobu? You mean that Mobu?"

"—You can't fake a guild card, so it's gotta be the Hero of the Defense."

"—What's this 'Hero of the Defense' thing?"

"—You don't know? Apparently, a monster horde attacked a town in Gartz—the one we're at war with now. The lord's main forces were away dealing with bandits, so it was on the brink of destruction."

"—Yeah, and that's when one man stepped up, rallied the adventurers who were there, and successfully defended the town."

They started talking about my younger days. Normally I'd shut the receptionist up, but this works in my favor.

"Um, Mobu-san, I heard you were contracted to that town..."

...Huh?

The word hasn't reached here yet?

They used Princess Elju as a banner to push their invasion, right...?

"...Well, you see, it was destroyed in the war."

"Eh!? P-Please wait a moment!! I haven't heard anything about that! Please, wait a moment! I'll speak to the Guild Master!"

What was going on? Guilds usually exchange information meticulously. It wasn't as good as Yuki's monitors, but I'd heard they've got 'communication crystals'... The headquarters is in the Holy Nation of Rithea, I think.

Anyway, relying on guild info alone is shaky. I'll try talking to some of the guys in the trade around here.

"Hey, got a second? I want to ask you something."

"O-Oh. It's an honor to talk to a Rank 8 adventurer like you. What do you want to know?"

"Yeah, just the status of the war lately. As you know, I'm Rank 8 and I was exclusive to a certain town. I've been away a while, and I come back to find a war. I don't have much info. I'll pay for your time."

I pulled my wallet out. For adventurers, information is life; you get it even if you have to buy it.

"I see. For that much, I don't even need your money. Apparently, a village in Gartz was being treated horribly. The Saintess from here went to save them, which is all well and good, but Gartz called it an 'act of aggression' and labeled her a 'Fake Saint.' King Roshure was furious at this and started a war to liberate the people from Gartz in the name of justice."

Wait, that's how they're spinning it here? The princess was completely set up... I knew that, but this was beyond just some small-time scheme.

"Mobu-san, the Guild Master is calling for you. This way, please."

"Oh, sorry. Here, take this."

"No, it's fine—"

"Don't worry about it. It's proper manners."

"...Thanks. I'll become an adventurer like you someday."

"Nah, don't aim to be like me..."

With that, I met with the Guild Master.

* * *

"My apologies. I contacted headquarters and confirmed your testimony is true, but there's a problem."

"What kind of problem?"

"I suppose I can tell you. You've heard of Communication Crystals, right?"

"Yeah, a handy tool for quick contact."

"Indeed. But therein lies the issue. Those crystals are items used exclusively by the Guild. That means contact between guilds is easy."

"So? How is that a problem?"

"Normally, it's not an issue. But during a war like this, it's very troublesome. Because of the ease of communication, the guild itself could be suspected of having spies."

"I guess that makes sense..."

If you can report the enemy's movements every step of the way—like Yuki and I do—it makes responding easy. Since they know the Guild has that capability, of course they'd be wary.

"So, we have measures for that. Communication Crystals are set to connect only to Guild Headquarters—the Holy Nation of Rithea. When a war breaks out, we disable communication between the branches of the warring nations."

"I see. That's how you prove the Guild isn't taking sides in the war."

"Exactly. I'm glad you understand. Now, as for you... don't go around asking about this anymore. You'll be suspected of being a spy. Normally, adventurers from a nation are hired as mercenaries for that nation, but given the town you were in, it makes sense that fleeing here was closer."

"Yeah, this side was closer, so we ran. Got it, I'll stop asking around."

"Please do. I'll spread word here that you barely escaped the disaster and came this way. Also, I'll make sure you aren't summoned for any war-related quests. I imagine it's been hard on you."

"Thanks. I owe you one."

"Don't worry about it. Are your companions safe?"

"Yeah, we're staying at an inn in the capital."

"I see. That is a small mercy, then. Don't do anything reckless out of despair."

I already passed that stage long ago...

Anyway, after gathering information, I met up with Raiya and Kurse.

* * *

"I see. The guild's situation makes sense."

"I heard about that from my father," Kurse said. "Adventurers aside, the Guild never interferes in national disputes."

Both Raiya and Kurse accepted the info I brought. Since Kurse is a former lord's son, his backing pretty much made it certain.

"How about your side? Was the castle in a panic after the Princess was kidnapped?"

"Well, yes. But there's an interesting story."

"What?"

"It's been about half a day since Oriel escaped. And yet, the Kingdom is already gathering troops."

"That's not surprising, is it? The princess was taken. Regardless of the truth."

"But the soldiers gathered are all elite troops. The kind usually sent to the front lines against Gartz."

"Could be a coincidence? They'd gather to have a strategy meeting, right?"

"Fine, let's accept the gathering as a coincidence. But what do you think if I told you they're already preparing for an expedition?"

"...That's too fast."

"Yeah. I don't know where they were planning to go. But it's too fast. So, where do you think this army is headed?"

"They'd have to chase the princess first, right?"

"Right. Let's head back to the inn and contact Yuki. I don't think he'll be taken down easily, but an army is a different story."

We headed back to the inn to make contact.

* * *

『Hmm. Things are getting messy.』

"Yeah."

『There's still not enough info to be certain. Keep me posted if the army moves. Give me an estimate of the numbers, too.』

"Got it. I'll let you know."

『And about that army... find out who's leading it. Or rather, check if there are any suspicious people mixed in.』

"Suspicious people? What do you mean?"

『People who normally wouldn't participate in military operations. Ministers, merchants, envoys from other countries—something like that. If there's someone like that, they're probably there to create a justification.』

"Justification? For moving the army?"

『No—no. For taking over the country later.』

"Sorry, I don't get it. Explain."

Then, Kurse, who had been listening beside me, nodded as if it all made sense.

"Mobu-san, what Yuki is saying is basically 'If there's going to be an assassination of the royal family, try to stop it.'"

『Exactly.』

"If a suspicious person joins this expedition, and a royal is assassinated in the meantime, that suspicious person has a perfect alibi."

"Because they weren't at the scene. They wouldn't even be suspected, would they?"

"Right. That's the goal. You just hire someone for the assassination. Then, once the report comes in, you immediately take some soldiers and rush back. You'd be hailed as a hero—the loyal minister who rushed back to serve His Majesty in the capital's greatest crisis."

"I see."

"And the ones you lead back are the Royal Guard and the elites. These guards would face criticism for leaving the capital empty and letting the King die. If the suspicious person shields them from that blame, the elites will naturally side with them. At that point, there would be no royals left. Even if there are bloodlines left, they'd have no voice since they did nothing during the crisis. So, inevitably..."

"...That suspicious person ends up holding all the power."

"Yeah, and with the military elites in their pocket. Is that about right?"

Kurse looked at Yuki on the monitor for confirmation.

『 Spot on. We have the same thought process. You're good—want to swap places and be the Dungeon Master? 』

"Pass. Not being able to step outside is just going back to being a lord's sheltered son."

『 Shame. But if that's the case, to foil their plan, we have to stop the assassination... 』

"...That's a tall order."

I didn't understand why they were worried. Because...

"Isn't it simple? Just go see the King and tell him he's going to be killed!"

"..."

『...』

Yuki and Kurse stared at me blankly. What? Did I say something strange?

Then Raiya put a hand on my shoulder and said:

"Think about it. We have no acquaintance or connection with the King. If we go in talking about assassinations, we'll be jailed for lèse-majesté. Or worse, the people behind the plot will frame us as the assassins and execute us."

Ah, I see.

Man... why do they always make things so complicated?

"Then, how about sneaking in at night and acting as guards?"

『That's the last resort. The chance of success is pretty low, though.』

"We should gather maps of the castle in advance."

『The assassination probably won't happen the moment the expedition starts. We have some time, but it'll be tough. 』

"Even trying to rely on a royal connection would be seen as an assassination attempt itself."

『There you have it. Don't go sniffing around carelessly, Mobu. Just go buy slaves or do some shopping for a while. Oh, and don't forget to report when the army moves.』

The conversation ended there. We spent the day as we pleased.

* * *

The next day, the army began its march.

Just as Yuki said, a suspicious person was in the line.

『Minister Loire, huh... he's almost certainly the mastermind. If there's someone behind him, it's beyond our level of handling for now. But if we can stop Loire, whoever is behind him will have no choice but to pull their hand.』

"Right, that's the info from here. here are about 2000 of them. Make sure you survive."

『Yeah, I'm considering running as an option. Well, I'll use them to test the dungeon first. Also, let me know if any enemy reinforcements appear.』

"Got it, leave it to me."

With the report finished, I decided to continue with the shopping.

By the way, Raiya and Kurse both had things to do, so they didn't come shopping with me... Ugh. If I buy the slaves alone, it'll look like they're all according to my tastes.

As I was wandering the town, a classic trope of the youth was unfolding.

"U-Um, I have important business to attend to. I-I cannot go with you!!"

"Huh? What's the big deal?"

"Yeah, come have some fun with us."

"Those huge tits of yours are there to be used, right?"

...Man. I was young once, but I don't think I was that stupid. Well, I was pretty broken until recently, though.

Her breasts were indeed large. Melons? No, watermelons? Truly enormous! But even though my wife was gone, I still had feelings for her. It didn't exactly please me.

"Alright, alright, you young'uns. That's enough. You look pathetic."

"Huh?"

"What's it to you, old man?"

"We're Rank 4 adventurers, you know? You know what that means?"

"Ah, ah... help..."

She looked at me and probably thought I was weak. I mean, I do look like just some middle-aged guy.

But... what is this? I feel like I've seen her somewhere before... Does she look like Princess Elju? No, her hair is blue, and her chest is way bigger... maybe it's the atmosphere?

"Hey, are you listening, old man!?"

"He's ignoring us!!"

"Let's get him!!"

The youths lunged at me. But, honestly...

"Sorry, little lady, but have we met somewhere before?"

The three of them were already face-down on the ground.

* * *

Side: ???

『I see. So that's how you met... and she is that "collaborator", huh?』

As the man's eyes turned toward me, everyone else's gaze followed.

"Yes. I shall take over the explanation from here."

I stepped forward.

"But first, an introduction. I have come from the Holy Nation of Rithea. My name is Rurua. My former name was Rurua Rithea... I was known as the Saint of Rithea."

I removed my hood and glasses.