Settling Affairs (3)
There was only one reason I could now, unlike before, openly declare that I intended to make use of their power.
Because I had proven myself.
I had cleared a Catastrophe-class dungeon alone, so clearly that no one could dispute it.
That was why I could confidently offer my strength as collateral and request a deal even against a vast organization.
After a brief moment of thought, Nilain nodded without hesitation.
"Very well. If there is anything you need, we will support you. But before that… please visit our Order sometime."
Nilain explained that information on the Outer Gods was not under his sole authority, and asked me to come to the Order.
That was what he said, but it almost certainly meant the Order itself wanted to verify me once more.
"In that case, there are a few things I'd like to know in advance as well."
"Understood. When you wish, simply let us know through Bedeia."
Just as the Order needed its verification, there was no reason to refuse if they would also hear out my request for information.
I nodded at Nilain's answer.
Once everyone's treatment was finished, the raid party re-entered the dungeon in earnest, harvesting mana stones from the corpses of the magical beasts and collecting the remains.
Everything from those carcasses was precious research material. What needed selling would be sold; the rest would be handed over to the Magic Tower for thorough analysis.
When all the cleanup was done, we headed back toward the outer city of the north.
Our entry was anything but quiet. It was more like a victory march after winning a war.
Nobles had come out beyond the gates to wait for us.
Fully armed soldiers stood in ranks from the gate itself, and golden royal banners stretched high into the sky, snapping in the wind.
Even for a sparsely populated outer city, the welcome was beyond imagination—as if they were greeting soldiers returning home in glory.
And still they said it was not enough: if we came to the capital, an even grander celebration of our return awaited.
I now had to prepare to meet the Emperor, and as it happened, a large-scale banquet was already scheduled in the capital. Both the imperial commendation for our achievements and the formal banquet would be held in the capital where the palace stood, so one way or another, that was where we had to go.
Perhaps I would even have a chance to encounter the Emperor before I could call on Ren's help.
There was still time, though.
We needed to dispose of the mana stones and clear the backlog of work after the raid, so the imperial household was in no rush either.
Of course, that was only true at the clan level.
I headed for the central city where the capital lay ahead of the others.
Ren stayed behind in the northern city with remaining business to settle. Pria came with me to the central city, saying she needed a contact's help to study the artifacts recovered from the dungeon. Naturally, Bedeia came as well. Just as she had stuck to Ren's side during the dungeon raid, now it seemed to be my turn; she followed behind me without a word.
I did not go out of my way to make conversation with Bedeia. She was clearly of the Order, and until our relationship with them took another step forward, I saw no reason to waste words.
The moment we arrived in the central city, I went straight to the inn where Arnen and Elia were staying. I planned to spend my time there until I rejoined Ren.
I needed to sort out my thoughts before meeting the Emperor, and I also had news about Arnen's father to deliver.
It had been months since we last saw each other. In the time I had been gone, both of them had changed noticeably.
Especially Elia. The small, lively girl now had a far clearer light in her eyes. She was at an age for rapid growth, but learning mana and training her body had clearly played a large part.
Before I left, Arnen had asked my permission—whether she might teach her younger sister the mana refinement method she herself had learned.
I had said it was fine, and in the meantime Elia had laid the foundations of mana refinement and formed a warrior's core.
Arnen herself had already opened most of the mana circuits in her body and reached a stage where she could, however faintly, channel mana into a blade.
I did not know the details, but by the standards written into the refinement method, that was overwhelming talent.
"Estelle helped us a great deal."
Estelle and Arnen had only met a few times through me, yet after I left, Estelle had apparently looked after the sisters of her own accord.
In truth, passing the mana refinement method on to them might not have been entirely welcome from Estelle's point of view.
Something she had learned as a precious secret had, one day, simply been shared with the people around me.
And yet she had reached out without the slightest sign of resentment…
…Surely she wasn't only doing it because it was me?
I could claim we had exchanged the refinement method through a fair trade, but there was no denying that Estelle had shown me more goodwill than an equal exchange required, all for the sake of a good relationship with me.
I would have to go see her soon and at least pay my respects.
Arnen said she had become a low-rank adventurer. With a few more achievements under her belt, she would soon be able to aim for mid-rank as well.
"Bell, you've become a total hero, haven't you?"
Elia had grown quickly, but she still had a girl's youthful air about her. She came right up to me as if the months apart meant nothing—casual and familiar, as though we had only parted yesterday.
"A hero?"
"The rumors are everywhere! They say a monster warrior appeared who cleared a Catastrophe-class dungeon alone."
"Monster warrior…"
Well, that did not sound particularly flattering. It felt as if someone had just slapped on whatever modifier came to hand in a hurry.
"Yeah! Some people say a reclusive master finally showed himself, and others say he's a monster who transcends common sense! And, um…"
Elia chewed her lip as if choosing her words, then her face lit up as something occurred to her and she continued brightly.
"Oh, right! And some people say a saint has appeared to calm the chaos on the continent— mmph."
She never finished the sentence. Arnen, sitting beside her, had clamped a hand over Elia's mouth in an instant.
She glanced around at the nearby adventurers who were sharing the meal. Fortunately, at the next table Bedeia was eating alone.
I had heard similar talk before, so I understood Arnen's reaction.
Religion held strong influence here; as another adventurer had once said, even the single word "saint" could be taken as blasphemy.
But Elia seemed used to Arnen covering her mouth. She slipped free of the hand with ease and spoke up again, undaunted—if anything, even more excited.
"Anyway, the rumors have spread like crazy!"
A proud little smile clung to the end of her words, as if the glory were partly her own.
I had come to the central city almost immediately after clearing the dungeon and returning, yet in that short span the rumors had already run as far as they could go.
Rumors, as always, outran any pair of feet.
Arnen added with an awkward smile,
"Elia has been looking into all sorts of things. I think it's because she really likes you, Bell."
"Mhm, mhm! And lately lots of people have been heading to the northern city just to meet Bell! Looks like the rumor that you're here hasn't gotten out yet."
That would explain why the adventurers at the surrounding tables on the inn's first floor kept glancing our way.
They were wondering whether I was truly the subject of those rumors.
Anyone who had stayed at this inn for a while would have known me since the days I cleared a Forbidden-class dungeon.
Coming to the central city had never been a secret, so there was no reason to hide it.
Ignoring the stares, I went on to give Arnen the news she had been waiting for.
It was about her father. He had gone into an Apocalypse-class dungeon for a preliminary survey, already knowing something, and had gone missing. He had once been a member of the Five Stars, and I would soon be introduced to another adventurer who had been close to him in those days.
"You've already come that far, Bell. Thank you for not forgetting, and for looking into it for us."
They were the first people I had formed a bond with after leaving the Forbidden Zone. As long as it did not interfere with my goals, I was more than willing to help.
After a long conversation over the meal, I quietly returned to my room and sank into thought.
With rumors this widespread, the imperial household would certainly be aware of my existence. Even without the rumors, the clearing of a Catastrophe-class dungeon was a matter the palace had taken a deep interest in; they could not help but know.
I now had to prepare to face the Emperor directly. "Prepare" was the right word—or rather, "arm myself."
Either I needed irrefutable evidence that would force him to tell me the truth…
Or, if there were circumstances the Emperor could never speak of, and those circumstances might harm me, I needed a weapon—or a sure means of response—that could offset that harm.
The most hollow outcome of all would be if even the Emperor knew nothing. I could only hope that was not the case.
Perhaps the Order really does hold more information…
I could not deny the possibility.
Whether for that reason, or to secure a means of answering the Emperor's moves, I needed to extract information from the Order.
That, too, was part of why I had come down to the central city first. The Order Nilain had asked me to visit was the headquarters near the capital.
The next morning, my mind made up, I went without hesitation to find Bedeia in the room next door.