Side: Milly
"Hmm. Even so, I think one silver coin is a little too much."
Momento-san looks slightly apologetic, as if he feels bad that the amount of money doesn't quite match the information he's providing.
"It's fine. If you think it's not enough, you can just give me some more information to make up for it."
"Yeah. I suppose I'll do that."
Momento-san nods at my suggestion. I decide to gather some information from Teles-chan as well, who has been listening to our conversation beside us.
"So, what do you think, Teles-chan? Want to join us? This kind of thing can actually be pretty fun."
"Eh? Is it really okay? I haven't paid anything..."
"We're talking about sightseeing spots and dangerous places. I was hoping you could tell us about anything you know, too. You must hear all kinds of rumors at the diner, right?"
"Ah, yes."
"Well, technically I'd have to pay you for your information too, but since we're at your family's diner... Hmm. How about four extra drinks? One for me, one for Kirika, one for Momento-san, and one for you, Teles-chan. Oh, by the way, is it okay for us to talk about this here?"
"It is! It's already past lunchtime, so there aren't many customers left. If I tell my father, he'll understand. I'll bring the drinks right away!"
With that, she goes over to the man who appears to be her father, who is cooking behind the counter, and says something to him. He glances over at us.
He's a large, imposing man with a thick beard.
He has quite a presence. He looks like he could still serve as an active soldier even now.
"Pretty generous of you."
"I don't do that with people who seem like they have ulterior motives. But if someone seems trustworthy, it's only natural not to be stingy when it comes to things like this, right?"
"True. They say information is worth more than money. For us mercenaries, information is essential to staying alive."
While we're casually talking, Teles-chan returns with the drinks.
This time, instead of standing in front of the table, she sits down in a chair.
"Now then, shall we start by hearing what the two of you can teach us first?"
"Indeed. Both of you, please look at this..."
Kirika takes a map of the Royal Capital that we bought earlier and spreads it out on the table.
If we only asked about dangerous places, we'd look suspicious. Besides, everyone asked us to do some research for our honeymoon, so we have a perfectly legitimate reason for asking about sightseeing spots.
"Is this... the royal capital?"
"Looks like it."
"Don't look so puzzled. As I mentioned earlier, we haven't been here very long. We just want you to tell us if there are any interesting tourist spots. Putting places outside the capital on hold for later, we need to gather information to enjoy the capital where we are right now."
"I see. That certainly makes sense."
"...I guess that's why you need Teles-jouchan's input. I don't know much about places women would like."
"Is that what this is about? Then leave it to me! I'm more knowledgeable than Momento-san!"
"Well, naturally. If I knew more about that than you, Teles-jouchan, that would make me the Lalaina-sama type."
"Ugh, my older sister doesn't really have much interest in those kinds of places..."
Well, if you're serving as a Magic Swordsman and spending every day on military duty, I suppose you wouldn't have much time for that sort of thing.
She probably has her own room, but she'd have to vacate it at a moment's notice, and maids would come in to clean it, so she couldn't exactly fill it with her hobbies.
My own room, on the other hand, has shelves lined with rare alcohol... Well, Yuki-san obviously knows about it. But if some of my friends from the Guild saw it, they'd probably be shocked. Because some of those bottles cost several gold coins each.
Those are best enjoyed and savored together with Narjia-san, after all. Even Eris and Ratz say that when alcohol is too expensive, they get so nervous that they can't even taste it properly.
"So, is there anything you want to ask about first?"
"Let's see~ I happen to love liquor. Are there any places that serve delicious drinks, or shops that sell them?"
Yes, liquor.
The flavor varies quite a bit depending on the location.
It's still inferior to the alcohol from Yuki-san's homeland, but I don't think it's impossible for something here to surpass it.
Someday, I'll find a drink that surpasses the ones from Yuki-san's home world. Even in Enaria, I was searching for booze. Ah, I was doing my job properly, of course.
"I see. In that case, I can give you a few recommendations too."
"Hmm. I don't drink much alcohol, so..."
"It's fine. I also want you to tell me about things strictly for girls, Teles-chan."
While fulfilling my own goals like that, we first gathered information about dangerous areas and details within the royal capital.
"—And so, this place is recommended."
"Right. And the statue here depicts the Holy Sword wielder who is said to have founded August long ago..."
And occasionally throughout the conversation, the Holy Sword wielders were mentioned.
While I thought that every single one of those stories was heavily glorified, I also completely understood the feeling that having those quick-tempered hotheads at the top left no other choice.
"By the way, don't go into the alley down that street."
"It's dangerous. Pickpockets target outsiders there, and sometimes they even kill people to take their valuables."
"Heh, so there are places that dangerous even in the royal capital."
"As long as you don't go down that street, you'll be fine. It's a kind of division of territory. Every city has its bright side and its dark side."
"I don't understand that at all, though. I wish I could just ask my sister to wipe them out all at once."
"It's not that simple. That street also serves the purpose of giving the outcasts somewhere to live. The Shadows keep most of them under control, which is why the problem is contained there."
"Ah, so the Shadows are connected to various things behind the scenes, huh."
"Exactly. Some of the country's higher-ups are involved too, so they can't exactly crack down on them. Besides, they're also a sort of safety valve that keeps the outcasts from running wild throughout the capital. So you can't simply call them evil."
"A story you hear everywhere, isn't it?"
"Yeah."
The Shadows, huh?
Let's report this to Yuki-san and the others.
We won't interfere with them ourselves, but if they make the mistake of coming after us, I'll make sure that day becomes their last.
Now then, we've heard most of what there is to know about the royal capital, so next let's ask about the surrounding region of August.
"All right, Momento-san, you're the main source this time. Do you have anything that would satisfy Teles-chan and me?"
"I'm looking forward to it."
"I'm sure I can think of places Milly would enjoy, but I don't remember many places Teles-jouchan would like."
"Ehhh? There must be places with beautiful scenery or fields covered in flowers, right?"
"There probably are, but those kinds of things don't usually catch a man's eye... Wait a moment. I can't recall any flowers, but as for a place with a beautiful view, it's right here."
Momento-san points to a particular stretch of empty plains on the map.
The problem is that it's currently an area where fighting is taking place.
"This looks like a plain, but is there something here?"
"Yeah. It isn't listed on the map, but there's a lake here, and it's so clear and beautiful it's like a mirror."
"Hehh~"
Teles-chan expressed interest upon hearing that, but Momento-san continued with a bitter smile.
"I hate to disappoint you when you're so interested, but Milly and Kirika aside, you shouldn't go there, Teles-jouchan."
"Eh? I could go to a place like this, you know? I can handle bandits at least."
"Well, between you and your dad, Teles-jouchan, you could probably deal with mere bandits."
"See?"
"But the opponent there is a bit different."
"Different?"
"Yeah."
Saying so, Momento-san slid his finger right off the map, stopping at a certain point.
"Here."
"Isn't this a foreign country? The Hiffy Holy Kingdom, I think?"
"You know it well."
"Of course I know it. After all, it's the country that worshipped the god who existed even before the Holy Sword wielders were born."
That catches my attention.
I've never heard of any such god.
"Hey. What do you mean by 'god'?"
"Ah, you didn't know?"
"Teles-jouchan, it's only natural she doesn't know. That's just something those guys claim."
"Just something they claim?"
"Etto... Occasionally, they come to this royal capital, you see. You know how stories say that a god created the Holy Swords, and the people who received them became the original Holy Sword wielders?"
"Yes. I've heard that story."
"Well, they claim that they worship the very god who created those Holy Swords."
...Wait a second.
The one who created the Holy Sword wielders was supposed to be the previous Dungeon Master of this continent.
Are they confusing a god with the Dungeon Master? Or is it just a lie to gather believers?
"The general consensus is that it's a lie, though. After all, if it were true, it should have spread alongside the tales of the Holy Sword wielders, but it hasn't spread at all."
"Eh? Is that so, Milly-san?"
"Yes, I never heard such a story back when I was in other countries. So, what do you mean by the Sacred Kingdom of Hiffy being the opponent?"
"Oops, that was the topic, wasn't it? Since Teles-jouchan already explained about the Sacred Kingdom of Hiffy, I'll skip that part. Well, worshipping a god tacked on like that is fine. When they come to the capital, they run soup kitchens and offer jobs to people who are struggling to eat by taking them to their country, so they say."
"What part of that is dangerous?"
"There's nothing dangerous about that part. But the problem starts after that. This is a story from about a month ago when I went to the holy capital of the Sacred Kingdom of Hiffy as a merchant's guard for a job. The merchant I was guarding didn't have that much cargo, but the cargo of merchants coming from elsewhere—that is, from directions other than Agust—was loaded with massive quantities of food. Also, mostly iron and the like. Even though there were no rumors of a famine..."
"What does that mean?"
Teles-chan didn't seem to quite understand.
Gathering supplies like food.
And doing so despite there being no famine...
There is only one possible answer.
"They were preparing for a large-scale military operation?"
"That's right."
"Eh!? A military operation, for what? The small neighboring countries around August have been quiet lately, right? Isn't it for monster extermination or something?"
"I thought the same thing at first. But the information didn't add up. There were rumors that it was for monster extermination, while others said they intended to settle a dispute with a neighboring country. So I asked a Hiffy soldier I knew. And then..."
"And then?"
"It sounds ridiculous, but they seriously told me that every soldier had been issued a 'Magic Sword'."
"No way~"
"I had the exact same reaction as you, Teles-jouchan. What's more, that soldier acquaintance of mine was a man. He didn't even meet the prerequisite condition for a Magic Sword wielder, which is being female."
"Of course not. Magic Swords can only be used by strong, talented women like my sister."
That's the common knowledge of this continent—Magic swords can only be used by women.
However, I know better. The previous Dungeon Master simply made them that way.
I happen to know someone who can create things so powerful that magic swords would look like toys, and make them usable by anyone. Mainly a drinking buddy of mine.
So, their so-called common sense is fragile to me. But to them, it was an indisputable fact.
"However, that soldier acquaintance said he was special and actually demonstrated using the Magic Sword."
"Ehh~? Is that really genuine? Wasn't he secretly using magic?"
"No, that guy can't use magic either. So that was probably real. Well, nobody believes me, though."
Maybe they had been hiding behind that common knowledge all along.
People tend to reject anything that overturns what they consider common sense.
There are countless people who have been thrown into confusion by my husband, after all.
Including me.
"And acquiring that power, their goal was supposedly to keep neighboring countries in check and handle nearby monster exterminations."
"Ah, so that's why."
"That's the gist of it. There's a chance you might run into the Sacred Kingdom of Hify while they're hunting bandits or monsters. That lake right over here is near the border. Well, I don't think they'd pick a fight with Agust, but since you're civilians, you might get dragged into something at worst, or mistaken for bandits. It's best to wait and see how the Sacred Kingdom of Hiffy moves for a while."
I see. We should be careful about this too."
"Indeed."
"That's wise. Since Milly and the others agree, don't go telling your dad that you want to go there, Teles-jouchan. And going alone is strictly off-limits, got it?"
"I know. There's no way my dad wouldn't gather this kind of information. I wouldn't go all the way to a place like that alone."
Hearing about the Sacred Kingdom of Hiffy was a stroke of good fortune.
Most likely, what Momento-san said is true, and the ones attacking right now are definitely the Sacred Kingdom of Hiffy.
Deducing from the conversation, we should assume they somehow gathered Magic Swords and removed the usage restrictions. It matches the story I heard from Yuki-san, making it highly credible.
While I was pondering these things, the conversation shifted to other famous sights, and after that, there wasn't much that caught my interest.
Just things like powerful monsters appearing on the road to the Academy making it dangerous.
Then, just as the conversation was coming to an end, a man called out to Moment-san.
"Yo, Momento. What's this, hooking up with women?"
"Nah, these two are in the same line of work. Has your eyesight gone bad?"
"...Ah, you're right. I mean, damn. You two aren't half-baked in terms of skill at all, are you?"
"Hello."
"Not at all. Speaking of which, are you a mage?"
The man was holding a staff in his hand.
So, seeing that, Kirika naturally turned her gaze toward the staff.
"Hmm? Ah, well, I used to be somewhat famous back at the Academy."
"What're you talking about? You weren't even single-digit, barely managed double-digits."
"Shut it."
While laughing and talking like that, Momento-san suddenly spoke up as if remembering something.
"Speaking of which, I saw a strange staff in the Sacred Kingdom of Hiffy."
"Ah? You mean that story you told before about a guy equipped with a Magic Sword?"
"No, apart from the Magic Sword. Aside from the Magic Sword, that soldier had what he called a Staff of Fire... an iron... how should I put it, something like a staff."
"Why are you saying that like a question?"
"Well, it had a strange shape for a staff..."
Saying so, Momento-san dipped his finger into a cup and began drawing the shape of the staff on the table with water.
"...Isn't that a staff?"
"No, the shape looks like one, but... the soldier held this staff horizontally, resting the butt end against his arm."
"That's not how you use a staff. Besides, you said it was iron. Which part of it makes it a 'Staff of Fire'?"
"Who knows, he didn't demonstrate this one for me. Apparently, the center of this staff was hollowed out, and fire spews out from the hole or something..."
""!?""
We couldn't form a clear picture at first, but Momento-san's final words allowed us to imagine a certain item.
Not driven into the ground, held horizontally, made of iron, hollowed out in the center, with fire spewing out from there.
The two of us looked at each other.
—A gun.
Since the drawing was made with water, we couldn't tell what type of gun it was at all, but both of us arrived at the exact same answer.
If I recall, Jessica mentioned it before... that in another country, there was a nation that achieved development by summoning people from another world.
"Say, Momento-san. Is there any story about someone from elsewhere coming to the Sacred Kingdom of Hify and causing it to develop?"
"Hmm? Ah, a few years ago, I think they said something about summoning a hero who surpasses the Holy Sword wielders in the name of God, or something like that."
"That's just a bluff and a lie. In the end, there's been no movement up until now, and nothing in particular has changed."
"But Hiffy seems to have been thriving ever since they summoned that hero, you know?"
"Is that the kind of thing a hero does?"
"Well, yeah."
...It seems certain that an outsider is involved.
And judging from the fact that they're making gun-like objects...
There is a high possibility that someone summoned from Yuki-san's world is in the Sacred Kingdom of Hify.
This is bad... I have to tell Yuki-san quickly!!
"Thank you. I just remembered an urgent errand. Teles-chan, here's the money. Thank you too, Moment-san and his friend. I'll come back here if anything else comes up."
"Excuse us."
Saying so, the two of us rushed out of the shop immediately.
"Good grief, this is way beyond just troublesome!!"
"I wouldn't want to think they are on the same level as Master, though."
"If they were, the new continent would be a sea of flames. At any rate, let's pass this story on to Yuki-san!!"
"Understood!!"
* * *
