Chapter 12
Chapter 12
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Investigation Team Formation
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After hearing the full story from me in detail, Duke Liebv urged me to form an investigation team—and at the same time, invited me to join it.
Doing nothing wasn't an option. Places like Arborness were already starting to make quiet preparations for the worst. There was hard evidence right in front of them of clearing a high-difficulty dungeon, backed up by testimony from his own daughter. They couldn't just brush it off as idle chatter from some outsider.
But making a huge fuss would risk provoking the Empire, whose mood was already soured by the fact that Brayden's holy sword hadn't shone as expected.
So the best move for Carrot Duchy was to recruit me, the one who knew the details.
"Conveniently enough, Elfin here is visiting as an envoy from Arborness, and my daughter has been through the same ordeal as you. How about we team up with Arborness to establish joint countermeasures? Three people working together would be better than Carrot Duchy or Arborness struggling alone. What do you say, Miss Elfin?"
"Eh..."
Elfin's face twisted like she'd just bitten into something foul at the suggestion of teaming up with me.
But she was here as Arborness's official envoy to discuss countermeasures. She couldn't just flat-out refuse a proposal from the king of another nation based on personal feelings.
Elfin shot me a look, her eyes and expression screaming, 'Reject it right now!'
But I already had a rough sense of what this world wanted from me.
Thinking back to Ravi's case, if you turned a blind eye to the problems they faced, the world deemed you as failing to change fate and hit you with backlash damage.
It had demanded direct confrontation—whether comforting Ravi after her heartbreak or facing that 'illusory being' in the strangely altered dungeon.
So naturally, there was only one choice for me.
"I understand what you're saying. I'd be happy to help Carrot Duchy—"
'Damn it... Now it's mad because I'm trying to help?'
The stomach pain hit immediately, and I cursed inwardly.
Until now, it had punished me with backlash for dodging problems instead of solving them directly. Now it was hitting me for trying to confront it head-on?
Screw this Resister of Fate title. Was it just screwing with me to mess up other people's plans?
I wanted to tell it to shove it and push forward anyway, but following these directives had never led to a net loss so far.
And above all, my gut hurt too much to hold out here.
"...I'd love to help, but for me to get involved directly in this matter—"
'What the hell is this bullshit?'
Help, and it freaks out. Don't help, and it freaks out.
What did it want from me?
Pain incomparable to before spread through my upper body, and cold sweat poured down my face.
Elfin, being an elf, might not notice, but Ravi and Duke Liebv could tell from the smell that I was in serious pain. Their eyes went wide.
Ravi especially, who knew about my "chronic condition," turned pale and didn't know what to do.
If this wasn't it and that wasn't it either, what the hell was I supposed to do?
To escape this agony, I needed to find the right answer fast...
That's when I spotted something off in the initial message.
'As a result of choosing to directly help Carrot Duchy...'?
Help or not, it was a no-win situation—but there was always a loophole in these choices.
This garbage game made a habit of screwing people over with clever wordplay.
So what if I helped without doing it directly? Found some workaround?
A scenario flashed in my mind.
One where I didn't run from this incident, avoided the backlash penalty, and could steer Ravi and Elfin's futures from the sidelines.
"Are you alright? You don't look well—"
"I-I'm... fine. Your Grace... huff... I'd like to help Carrot Duchy, but for me to get involved directly in this... huff... would put too much pressure on both sides."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Rumors that the holy warrior's sword didn't shine have the Empire on edge. If they hear that neighboring countries are reacting sensitively and discussing countermeasures among ourselves, what do you think would happen?
Arborness has the power to weather it, but Carrot Duchy would face serious fallout. The Empire sees you as little more than a vassal."
"Hrm..."
Even as the duke of the duchy, he couldn't deny that reality.
Carrot Duchy couldn't afford to irk the Empire, enduring countless unfair treatments as a result.
"And if it came out that Carrot Duchy recruited me—an Imperial citizen—and officially tasked me with a deeper investigation, it wouldn't just be me in trouble. The whole duchy would fall out of the Empire's favor. So I can't accept official support. But."
"But?"
"Forming the team as you suggested wouldn't be a bad idea. What I saw in that goblin camp is beyond what I can handle alone. So Ravi, Elfin, and I will investigate on our own—no ties to Carrot Duchy, no support. Just the three of us.
Carrot Duchy has no involvement. We're just three people whose interests align, moving together. Whatever we uncover gets reported back to our respective homes individually. Nothing to tie you to it. Just your average adventuring party."
"Hiding in plain sight? From our perspective, it's perfect for plausible deniability if things go south. But what do you get out of it?"
Duke Liebv's rabbit ears twitched skeptically.
"Not at all. If we were an official Carrot Duchy outfit, every scrap of intel or minor loot we picked up would go straight to you. But in this setup? No.
We decide how and when to use the information, where to go. Even to places Carrot Duchy has bad blood with, or Arborness."
I pointed to Ravi and Elfin.
"And each of us can share what we learn wherever we want. Carrot Duchy or Arborness could get what they need through us. Obtained via 'unofficial channels,' so the Empire can't pry."
As I finished, the stomach pain eased, and my breathing steadied.
This wordplay actually worked? How was this any different from helping directly?
I was pissed enough to want to punch something, but raging at intangible text wouldn't change a thing.
Duke Liebv turned to Elfin and asked her opinion.
"Miss Elfin, what does Arborness think? This young man's proposal appeals to Carrot Duchy, but if it doesn't align with Arborness, we'll need another approach."
Elfin glanced between me, Duke Liebv, and Ravi.
Irritated when she looked at me, sympathetic toward the duke and Ravi.
...Why just me?
After much deliberation, Elfin finally spoke.
"Arborness concurs with Carrot Duchy's view."
Duke Liebv brightened and welcomed the decision.
"I-Is that so!?"
"Yes. Arborness has no interest in poking around too obviously and earning the Empire's ire. Even discussing this with other nations risks leaks, and no one wants the risk of falling out of imperial favor. In the current situation, posing as an unrelated party is best. Of course..."
Elfin glanced at me.
"...no guarantee the members will always get along."
'That's the real issue.'
Reasons for Elfin to hate Alvis? Plenty. But it wasn't fair to lump me in.
I'd have to arrange a frank talk with her sometime.
I swallowed my frustration and focused on the positives.
Two of the defeated heroines—excluding Celine—were now by my side.
With this world's forced destiny to alter fates, I'd have to investigate anomalies anyway to avoid dying in agony from backlash.
Recalling how Loveholic's defeated heroines fared in most of Holy Warrior Brayden NX's routes, keeping Ravi and Elfin as allies was crucial.
Every little choice like this was a turning point to avert the shitty future ahead.
"Arborness approves dispatching an investigation team to probe the situation. This is Elfin's judgment as envoy in place of the elders, and it reflects Arborness's will. Arborness dispatches one member: Elfin herself."
With Elfin stating Arborness's official stance, Ravi jumped in.
"Then Carrot Duchy sends me! Dad, I'll handle this investigation team dispatch."
"You sure that's wise?! You nearly got trapped in that dangerous dungeon—"
"That's exactly why I have to go. I'm pretty capable, right?"
Unable to sway his stubborn daughter, Duke Liebv accepted with a face full of worry and unease. Ravi promptly raised a hand.
"Then Carrot Duchy dispatches a member to the investigation team too! One member: Ravi herself! Elfin, we're teaming up again right after academy graduation? Looking forward to it."
"Yeah, I'm glad. Ravi's reliable and trustworthy."
"Ahem. We need one more for the team."
Elfin's eyes narrowed as I chimed in.
"Tch..."
"As the one who came up with the idea, I'll naturally join. I'm from the Empire originally, but I have no loyalty there... Just treat me as a wandering vagrant."
"Attitude's as lousy as ever, no sincerity in sight. Haven't changed since the academy. Not like a few days could remake a person."
With Elfin's jab, the investigation team of me, Ravi, and Elfin was formed.
Officially unrelated to Carrot Duchy or Arborness.
Afterward, Ravi and I handed over all the supplies we'd brought from the dungeon to Carrot Duchy.
Duke Liebv jumped in protest, insisting he couldn't accept it all, but since I had no immediate use for it, I decided to use it to build goodwill with Carrot Duchy and Ravi.
The duke, receiving treasures that would massively aid his poor, underequipped nation, promised me the duchy's finest accommodations during my stay.
Building that goodwill was great, but the investigation team had one issue...
"So, Alvis, what do we do now?"
Ravi asked as things wrapped up.
"Great question. Well—"
I was about to say disband and rest when...
"Your Grace! Urgent news..."
The parlor door opened, and a castle guard saluted before whispering to Duke Liebv.
Dismissing the guard, the duke spoke with a furrowed brow.
"Monsters are swarming the northern Fresia Mountains near imperial territory. An abnormal number, they say. Could this be..."
I seized the chance.
"That's exactly what we'll investigate. Your Grace, leave this to us."
The three-person investigation team's first mission arose the very day it formed.