Chapter 31: The Hus Conference
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 31: The Hus Conference
The day Airune and Alto departed for Massa Village in Arasen’s carriage.
As soon as Branch Manager Karen confirmed their carriage had cleared the gates of Dakuren, she rushed to the Lord’s Castle to seek out the Count.
“They’ve left?”
“Yes. I personally confirmed their departure past the city gates.”
“Good. Let the meeting begin.”
Gathered in the drawing room were the key figures of Dakuren, including Count Dakuus and the Countess.
Karen, the Adventurer Guild Branch Manager, was the last to join.
“To hinder any attempts to track Lord Alto’s whereabouts and to prevent rumors from spreading further, I have intentionally demoted his rank from Hero to Gold.”
“Well done. And what is the status of the party Alto belonged to in Lukart?”
“You are likely familiar with the name ‘Mirei’s Party,’ the first to achieve Hero rank. However, they made the blunder of loudly discussing Lord Alto’s withdrawal among themselves. Now, the entirety of Lukart is aware of his absence.”
“Hmm. I had hoped they would maintain appearances until next month. It is a pity, but there is no way to catch a rumor once it has taken flight.”
The Count clicked his tongue, though he didn’t seem as disappointed as his words suggested.
Alto himself might dislike it, but to prepare for what was to come, the fame and identities of the war veterans—including Alto—would inevitably have to be revealed.
That was the path to peace.
Though it was a bit earlier than expected, it was a decent enough start for introducing Alto Bertrand to the world.
“The Lukart Branch Manager, in her fury over losing Lord Alto, is refusing to give Mirei’s Party any dungeon quests at all. She claims she won’t grant them any until they bring Lord Alto back. Seeing how she’s pushing them with such irrational demands, it seems she intends to break Mirei’s Party completely, then beg Lord Alto to return after showing him their ruin.”
“Ohoho~, speaking of that!”
Nasian, the Bank Manager, raised her hand and cut into Karen’s report.
Out of respect for Nasian’s status as a veteran, Karen stepped back, though she didn’t look particularly pleased.
Nasian noticed, but as a former intelligence officer, she found it nearly impossible to treat women who couldn’t recognize a proper man as human beings.
The incident where the women had told Alto Bertrand to his face that he wasn’t their type was already famous among the high-ranking officials.
“During his first visit to our bank recently~, Lord Alto mentioned that he has absolutely no intention of ever setting foot in Lukart again.”
“It has already been two weeks. Wasn’t the agenda for today’s meeting to discover the reason behind that and share it?”
Count Dakuus idly stroked his mustache.
As a man who prioritized results, he preferred reports that led with the main point and the conclusion.
“He is said to have a debt of 40 million Dalk. A personal loan.”
“You’ve already reported that to me.”
“However, after tracking the flow of funds, there is no record anywhere of Lord Alto depositing that 40 million Dalk into savings, investing it, or even spending it.”
Nasian turned to look at Branch Manager Karen.
Now, show us your worth.
“I suppose~ it was used for party operating expenses or something of the sort~? Ohohoho!”
If it concerned party operating expenses, that was a domain Karen, as the Adventurer Guild Branch Manager, should have investigated.
In their quest for merit, they had each moved independently to dig up information, even in the overlapping gray areas of their duties. Yet, this specific detail had been difficult to uncover even in Lukart.
This was the result of the desperate efforts of the Lukart Branch Manager and the Carriage Station Manager.
‘If the rumor breaks that we leeched off a man, our heads are definitely on the chopping block.’
‘You crazy bitch of a Branch Manager! How the hell are you training these kids!’
Information control often appeared difficult, yet it tended to be quite robust in the early stages—with the caveat that once it crumbled, it became uncontrollable.
“There were no records within the Church of donations amounting to 40 million Dalk, nor anything under the name of Lord Alto or his designated priest. On the contrary, he visited the Dakuren Church this time and signed a new donation contract.”
The Pastor of the Dakuren Church chimed in, but in the end, no one had information on exactly how Alto had been treated in Lukart.
The Countess, who had been silent until now, stirred her tea with a teaspoon.
“So, to summarize…”
She dropped a sugar cube into her black tea.
“Lord Alto ended up with a debt of 40 million Dalk while in a party in Lukart. We don’t know the exact reason, but an incident occurred that was significant enough to make him break ties with the party. That much seems clear. Furthermore, according to Branch Manager Karen’s report, the party didn’t even realize he had left for several days. We can infer that his frustration finally boiled over, leading to a quiet, behind-the-scenes withdrawal.”
Karen nodded in agreement with the Countess’s assessment.
“Paradoxically, because of that 40 million Dalk debt, Lord Alto listed his true identity on his withdrawal form to apply for his veteran compensation and pension. That is how the Lukart Branch Manager found out, and how he ended up coming to Hus. Up to this point… if we look at it only from our perspective, it is a stroke of incredible luck.”
“However, Alto Bertrand is the man who will become the son-in-law of our Hus. As the husband of Lady Airune and Lady Narupa, he is the only man who can support and protect Hus during the upheaval and transition that will soon shake the world.”
Count Dakuus made a solemn declaration.
“An insult directed at the one who will be the ladies’ partner is an insult to Hus itself. Moreover, Alto Bertrand is a man to whom the nation and humanity already owe a great debt. If we treat such a man poorly, it will be recorded in history as a foolish act, and we will be scorned by future generations.”
“May I say something~?”
Amidst the somber atmosphere, Nasian boldly raised her hand.
Deduction based on information was originally Nasian’s role in the military.
Count Dakuus adjusted his monocle, signaling his permission.
“My theory is~ that Mirei’s Party saddled Lord Alto with that 40 million Dalk debt and then used it for their own private purposes~.”
“Your evidence?”
“Upon checking Lord Alto’s loan records at the Lukart branch bank, he withdrew from the party less than a week after the loan was issued. From here on, it’s speculation~ but I believe they convinced Lord Alto to take out a loan under the pretext of party expenses, and then they blew it all. Once Lord Alto realized this, he lost all affection for them and chose to come to Hus~.”
“If we are in the realm of speculation anyway, how do you think they ‘blew it all’?”
“On a man, of course.”
At Nasian’s answer, the Countess looked up from her teacup.
“Do you have any idea how much the men right here in Dakuren spend in a single month just going to salons and decking themselves out in luxury goods~? They cover all those costs with money they get from women. Ah! Morbis is the same way.”
“M-Morbis?”
At the mention of the man she had recently been seeing, Karen couldn’t help but blurt out a question.
“What about Morbis?”
“Young Morbis~ is the boyfriend of Maroni, the ace of our bank counter. Maroni is actually his first girlfriend. I heard he was hanging out with someone new at a salon recently, and Maroni is very worried about it. She’s the one bringing home the most money, but the man gives out allowances to women in equal amounts and spends the rest himself. Ohohoho!”
Karen, who had recently received 200,000 Dalk as an “allowance” from her person of interest, felt her face turn cold.
At the same time, Nasian’s expression turned serious as she continued.
“They must have poured all 40 million Dalk into some other man’s pocket. My Lord, if that weren’t the case, the likelihood of the rapid withdrawal, the move to Hus, and the change in the church donation contract happening so seamlessly is remarkably low. In particular, when he came to the bank, he even asked to cancel the automatic transfer of his national subsidy to the Lukart party’s operating account. Looking at it from various angles, it’s clear Lord Alto was the party’s financial lifeline, excluding quest rewards, and he must have caught them looking at another man.”
“They viewed the man of their party as nothing but a wallet? How dare they? Why on earth…?”
Karen asked in shock, but…
“…Indeed, I wonder why~? It’s not like Lord Alto is lacking in any way~.”
Karen fell silent at Nasian’s pointed counter-question.
This time, the Pastor spoke up in support of Nasian.
“I am not well-versed in the psychology of the secular world, but I believe Bank Manager Nasian’s opinion is plausible.”
“Oh, thank you~.”
“On another note, Branch Manager Karen? When is the audit from the Adventurer Guild headquarters expected to arrive in Lukart?”
“Yes, Pastor… Surprisingly, Headquarters is quiet. Ah, I suppose since Lukart is the place that produced a Hero-rank party and hosted the Victory Commemoration Ceremony, they want to give them a chance.”
“It seems to be the opposite.”
“Pardon?”
When the Pastor, Gavia, opened his usually squinted eyes, a remarkably sharp gaze was revealed.
Both the Count and Countess focused on those eyes, which rarely ever opened.
“I received word from the Church’s High Command. They will be sending a priest to Hus, specifically to Dakuren, shortly. They requested that I ensure she is appointed as the exclusive priest for Lady Rene’s party. Branch Manager Karen, have you heard anything about this?”
“Not yet. Normally, for a priest to act as an adventurer, internal administrative permission from the Church is required first, so the Adventurer Guild is usually notified just before the dispatch. But hearing what you’ve said…”
“Yes. It seems the Adventurer Guild headquarters and the Church High Command have joined forces.”
“Just who is this priest that the High Command is personally pressuring the Pastor to make her the exclusive member of the Lady’s party?”
The Countess picked up another sugar cube.
A sense of foreboding was swirling in her mouth.
“The priest’s name is Yarismal Bichante.”
“Bichante…!”
Count Dakuus was greatly shocked to hear the name that came from Gavia’s lips.
“Yes, that is correct, My Lord. Yarismal Bichante. She is the only daughter of Mirachi Bichante—the heretical priest of the Bierma tribe who could wield both divine power and sorcery, and one of the Four Heroes who defeated the Demon King.”
Nasian, quick-witted as ever, immediately analyzed the situation.
“The Adventurer Guild and the Church High Command are trying to get their hands on Alto Bertrand himself. Not through Lukart, but through their own hands. That’s why they intend to use a honey trap.”
Count Dakuus urgently issued his orders.
“Branch Manager Karen, find out the movements and hidden motives of the guild headquarters and the Lukart branch! And you two, find the only illegitimate child of Regeros, who was the Ranger of the Four Heroes!”
They could absolutely not lose Alto Bertrand.
This was a sentiment shared by all five people in the room.
To protect Hus from the threats that would arrive in the near future, Alto was an absolute necessity.
Finally, Count Dakuus checked on the matter he had been concerned about with Karen.
“What is the status of the dungeons in Lukart and Dakuren?”
“It is exactly as you predicted.”
At those words, Nasian wore a worried expression for the first time, and Pastor Gavia furrowed his brow.
“The level of monsters in the Lukart Dungeon is dropping significantly and their numbers are decreasing, but conversely, the number of monsters in the Dakuren Dungeon is rising rapidly.”
“As I thought…”
Count Dakuus rinsed the bitter taste in his mouth with the tea his wife had brewed, whispering very quietly to himself.
“Are you still obsessed with the Bloodhound… Vulcanus…!”