Surviving the Danger Zone (2)
"If you bring my daughter back alive, I'll pay you any additional reward you ask for."
Baroness Dernoa, the one who'd placed the named request on Kali, said that. The baroness was a plump middle-aged woman, her flesh bulging in all directions. The countess I'd seen before was a similar type of auntie—were all the nobles in this world like that?
Our representative, Kali, was too busy devouring the feast laid out on the table to respond. If no one answered, the lord would feel awfully awkward. In that case, the next in line after Kali would be the other vice guild master, Natalia, right?
So I glanced at Natalia, but she was straight-up asleep. Which meant... surely not the acting vice guild master, me...?
No way. I was just a receptionist who'd been dragged along. That's what I thought, anyway—but Bella, Haru, and Marie were all staring right at me.
"Uh... y-yes... so... wh-when was the last time you saw your, your daughter...?"
I stammered it out, eyes darting nervously, and Baroness Dernoa narrowed hers. It was obvious she didn't trust handing such an important task to a frail little guy like me.
"...A week ago. The last person who saw her said she headed into the forest."
"R-right. And the forest has those, sp-special-grade monsters...?"
"The special-grade monsters' territory is close if you call it close, far if you call it far. Not close enough for ordinary folk to wander in."
Of course. If a special-grade monster's turf was that nearby, no way could they maintain a domain like this. Those things could wipe out a whole city without a powerhouse adventurer around.
"Still, she might've gotten lost wandering and stumbled that far in... That's why I called you all."
"I see..."
"One question."
Kali finally finished eating and stared straight at Baroness Dernoa. The baroness looked relieved, like now that a proper woman had stepped up, they could finally talk business.
"Plenty of people have gone missing in that forest—not just one or two. Add in villagers and outsiders, it's over a hundred. You sat on your hands until your own daughter vanished? Now you put out a request?"
"...No excuses. I had no will to solve it before my daughter disappeared."
"This happened in your domain."
"I'm no soft-hearted lord. Not my family? No way I'm shelling out to hire you lot."
"...Fine. We'll start by hunting for any trace of your daughter. Mansion, village, forest—every inch. That cool?"
"Of course."
"Alright, everyone up. Time to work."
We filed out of the mansion after Kali. She turned to us and started barking orders.
"Me, Bella, and Haru head into the forest. Marie, check the village and residents. And Bibi... scour this mansion for anything suspicious."
"Y-yes?"
"That baroness is shady as hell. Over a hundred missing, and she never once investigated? She's hiding something. Find it."
"H-how am I supposed to..."
I started to protest—how the hell was I supposed to uncover a noble's deep secrets?—but then it hit me. I had no idea why they'd dragged me here, but if I proved totally useless, wouldn't that do the trick?
"Got it! I'll do it!"
"Wh-what? Why the sudden fire?"
"......I'm napping."
"Do you."
Natalia outright declared she'd slack off, then poof—vanished from sight. Bella looked dumbfounded, but Kali didn't bat an eye.
We can really pull this request off? Even if we failed, it wouldn't be on me... but with all those missing people, it kinda gnawed at me.
"Um, Vivaldi-nim."
"Yes?"
I was wandering the mansion's interior, pretending to work, when Marie called out. Her three secretaries were with me; the rest of her clones were out investigating the village.
"I didn't get to say last time..."
"Thank you for helping."
"Th-the adventurer who tried to..."
"Oh, that."
She meant when that adventurer swung at Marie. I'd jumped in, but really did jack squat.
"If not for Kali-nim, I couldn't have done a thing..."
"St-still!"
"Having you step up was so reassuring!"
"You were awesome."
"R-really? Ahaha... huh?"
The Maries kept crowding closer, backing me up until I hit the wall. The three of them—each taller than me—closed in, looming as cold sweat poured down my back.
"Ah, awa...? Marie-ssi...?"
"Um."
"I've wanted to tell you..."
"I, for Vivaldi-nim..."
"Eek...?"
Marie’s slender, soft fingers brushed my cheek. Six wings wrapped around me like an embrace.
"Haaaaah..."
Then, from across the hall, someone let out a massive sigh as they approached. For some reason, the Maries clicked their tongues and pulled back. I wiped sweat from my brow and turned to the sighing figure.
"Haaaaah..."
A man, looking exhausted, shuffled along with arms full of documents. Dark circles ringed his eyes. He reeked of kinship, so I approached.
"Ex-excuse me!"
"...Oh, you're from the adventurer guild."
"Y-yeah. Vivaldi from the guild. Investigating for clues on the young lady."
"Ah... I'm the administrator, Barnabas. Sorry, but make it quick—busy..."
"I-I'll help!"
"...Pardon?"
"I-I'll carry these, right?!"
"Uh, y-yeah...!"
"I'll take them."
As I reached for Barnabas's papers, the Maries swooped in and divvied them up. Barnabas, touched, led the way.
Yep, total kindred spirit. Trapped in unwanted drudgery.
"My office. Desk's fine."
Barnabas's office was buried in paper mountains—way worse than mine. Running a whole domain? Figures he'd have more work.
"Want help sorting?"
"R-really? Th-then yes! Just classify them! By this chart...!"
Before I could move, the Maries zipped around, sorting docs like pros. Barnabas teared up watching his office transform.
"D-damn... crying like a kid. Work piled up forever—no one's ever helped."
"I get it."
"Even told the lord, won't hire a secretary. Sigh..."
Having Marie as my stellar secretary made me luckier, I guess. Seeing his relief swelled my chest with pride—even if Marie did all the work.
"Well, back to..."
"Wait!"
Barnabas grabbed my shoulder as I turned to leave.
"I get why you approached me. Want dirt on what the lord's hiding? I'll spill!"
Oh crap. Got carried away by solidarity—administrators know the lord's secrets best. This'd make Kali's task a success!
"N-no? Wh-why would I..."
"No need to play coy. For finding the young lady, right?"
"No! If you spill to me and it gets out, you'll be in danger..."
"Doesn't matter! Get fired, done! I got nothing to lose!"
His clear eyes brimmed with madness. A chill ran down my spine. Didn't expect him to match me even here!
Sunset brought us back to the inn. Luckily, Barnabas's intel was useless. Baroness was ex-military, kept distance from villagers—nothing juicy. Kali had to think me utterly incompetent now.
Sure enough, she scowled at my report.
"...Sigh. Nothing suspicious at the lord's?"
"Huh?"
"If even you scoured and found zilch, she's clean. My suspicion was overkill. Good work."
She patted my shoulder. Where does this bottomless trust come from?!
"Other reports? Forest turned up squat—no special-grade tracks outside its turf."
"......Slept."
"Right. Next?"
"Pfft."
Kali brushed off Natalia's blatant slacking. Bella just snorted.
"Um..."
Marie raised her hand last.
"I helped villagers with clones today, chatted around."
"Yeah? And?"
"This village... seems heavily influenced by the Monster Protection Association."