#062 Clue
#062 Clue
After Acedia's attack on Normance.
Lucius, Rosemas, and I became instant celebrities.
The Witch of Salvation!
The Knight of Salvation!
The Elf of Salvation!
The title "Salvation" felt a bit awkward, but to the citizens of Normance, our deeds were salvation itself.
Naturally, the number of people wanting to meet us grew, and naturally, the number of people wanting to use us grew too.
A familiar situation.
And on top of that, I'd given away every last Mana Stone except the choice ones I'd secretly skimmed off, so hadn't we created an image that was just perfect for exploitation?
A party with no greed for wealth, yet suspiciously sincere about saving people.
-Look at this, they're a proper Hero Party, just without the Holy Swords!
We'd merely weathered one crisis in Normance, and they were treating us like some kind of Hero Party.
In other words.
"They're treating us like suckers."
With Lucius and Rosemas present, I reminded them of the situation we were in.
"Calling us a Hero Party means they're going to work us that much. Huh? The Hero can't even do this much? Are you really a Hero? Isn't it only natural for you to save us? Can a Hero save people and then ask to be paid for it?"
"...Just hearing that is horrifying."
Rosemas shuddered in disgust.
"You've both already experienced it by now. You want to rest for a bit, you have your own things to do, but they keep pestering you."
"Yes. That's—"
"Did that... happen to me?"
Lucius looked deeply shocked.
"They asked for help, so I helped, and I moved only after finishing everything I had to do... Was that what you meant, Master, by being a 'sucker'?"
"Did you get paid?"
"A refreshing drink..."
"Sucker."
I tapped Lucius on the head with my staff.
"I hereby appoint you not the leader of a Hero Party, but the sucker of a Hero Party."
This is foreshadowing.
That you will be used by me.
If, laaaater on, someday you shout, "Were you using me?!"—I'll get in one good jab, telling you I'd been calling you a sucker since Normance, you clueless sucker.
"So, Sucker Lucius, the situation we're in has gotten more serious than when we repelled the Sandworm. What should we do now?"
"...Avoid the people trying to use us as much as possible and chase Acedia's trail?"
"Correct. I'll promote you to smart sucker."
From a genuine sucker who was so innocent he didn't even realize others were using him, he'd become someone who at least knew how to cut things off when they needed cutting.
"Then a question. To chase Acedia's trail, how should we move?"
"Wouldn't it work to search for traces of the one called Malphas, and the one called Furcas whom Hero Bareness fought?"
"Rosemas, I'll give you 70 points."
70 out of 100.
It was a high score, but for an elf like Rosemas, it would be an unsatisfyingly low one.
"...Why is that?"
Look.
That cat, immediately pouncing to demand an explanation for the lost 30 points.
Right in front of Lucius, she was putting an edge in her voice over having received only 70 points.
It was cute, but losing 30 points was losing 30 points.
"Acedia's people are thorough. Since this operation has clearly failed, they'll cut off Malphas and Furcas."
"Cut off?"
"It means cutting off the hand you were shaking. Erasing the trail."
"They'll make investigating Malphas and Furcas meaningless!"
"Lucius, 80 points."
There was a way to earn the remaining 20 points here.
Neither of them would reach it, so it was faster for me to just explain.
"If I were Acedia, I'd set a trap. I'd approach the Hero Party looking for information on Malphas and Furcas, then say this."
I composed my voice, then grabbed hold of Rosemas.
"Hero! They kidnapped my little sister! I think it was definitely some kind of Kas... something! Please, save my little sister!!"
"...Since we can't know whether even the smallest lead is real or a trap, we would investigate."
"Right. By the time you realize it's a trap, it's already too late. They'd throw Magic Beasts at you in some dungeon and crush you, or seal off the cave entrance."
More than a few Hero Parties had been disposed of that way.
They even used the names of soldiers who'd been defeated or killed to bring down their enemies.
What an efficient and vicious tactic.
"So, Lucius, we need to approach this a different way. We chase a trail they can never erase. There are two methods: physical and magical. What do you think?"
"...Tracking the Sandworm?"
"100 points, Rosemas."
Rosemas's face lit up.
"Specifically, how do you intend to track the Sandworm?"
"We trace back the tunnel the Sandworm dug through. It didn't just spontaneously generate from the ground, so there must be a starting point somewhere."
"Exactly. Rosemas, go to the Adventurers' Guild a little later and tell them yourself."
"Me?"
"Of course you should do it. It's the investigation method you proposed."
"......."
Rosemas blinked, looking somewhat shocked.
"What's wrong?"
"Ah, no. It's your idea, Witch, so if I say it as though it were mine, that feels a bit shameless..."
"What's shameless about it? Who knows? Maybe it's something I didn't know, and you saying it lets me pretend I did."
"You're not the kind of person to do that, Master."
"No, Lucius. People in my position are often pseudo-experts. They act all high and mighty as though they'd known what their companions said all along."
"......."
The two fell silent.
Whether it was because they'd realized something, or because they were doubting me.
To prove it wasn't the latter, I'd have to show that I wasn't an idiot or a pseudo-expert.
"We'll pursue Acedia by magical means."
"Magical means?"
"Yes. There are a few things I want to piece together."
I spread out a map of Normance.
"You remember the Dimensional Gate that opened north of the lake?"
"Yes. It's closed now..."
"We'll trace it back."
"...Is that possible?"
"Yes."
At the level of a Great Demon King, observing the other side of a destroyed Dimensional Gate is no trouble at all.
"It's a bit awkward to confirm since our team has no mage, but anyone who can use magic a little should be able to do it, you know?"
As Rosemas said, a tunnel has an end and a beginning.
Just as physically tracking the tunnel reveals its end, a Magic Circle's traces can be investigated to trace back where the enemy opened it.
In most cases, the starting point of a Portal—where the enemy's main force was before crossing through—is the enemy's stronghold.
Beyond a Portal is practically enemy territory; what would be the point of marching dozens of kilometers, collapsing from exhaustion, and then crossing through?
Five hundred years ago, the Demon King Army had considerable success with Portal trace-back methods.
Opening the enemy's surprise-attack Dimensional Gate in reverse to launch a counterattack.
Or deliberately making the enemy cross through a Dimensional Gate, then making them emerge onto the frozen river of the northern snowfields.
Or closing the Dimensional Gate at the moment they were trying to cross, when they were halfway through.
Spatial Magic isn't my signature specialty, but it's not a level I'd be embarrassed about anywhere.
"We'll cross the Dimensional Gate fully prepared. Tomorrow."
"...Tomorrow?"
"Yes. That way, both the people looking for us and the people targeting us will be at a loss, won't they? If there are people who genuinely wish for our help out of goodwill..."
I pointed at the notice board in the square.
"Tell them to make a request to the Adventurers' Guild. If I see it and it's related to Acedia, or it's somewhere our strength is truly needed, I'll go."
* * *
While Rosemas went to the Adventurers' Guild.
I avoided other people's eyes and headed to a clothing shop to gather supplies needed for the journey.
"Hello, Witch of Salvation."
"I came to buy clothes."
Fortunately, the clothing shop not far from the Adventurers' Guild had survived the Sandworm attack.
"I've worked out all the designs today, so please alter them to match this design."
"Ooh..."
I handed Cospaco the sketches I'd drawn in advance.
Cospaco stared at the drawings, then looked me up and down and tilted her head.
"Hmm..."
"What is it?"
"Witch, perhaps...?"
"Oh. You can tell right away?"
As expected of someone in the clothing business.
"It's adjustable, so there's a bit of difference. It gets bigger or smaller depending on the amount of mana, things like that."
"Hmm... Then how about modifying it this way?"
Cospaco pulled out a booklet.
It was packed with drawings that looked like Cospaco's design practice, and from among them I picked a design that suited me.
"Please do this one."
"Very well. But, in exchange..."
"You can sell this. Just hide the fact that it was my idea."
"...Is that all right?"
"Yes. I wouldn't exactly call it 'in exchange', but could you make me some spare clothes in advance? So I can pick them up as soon as I get here."
"Ah, if that's all, gladly."
Cospaco must have heard about the awkward situation I'd been through.
Actually, it would be strange if she didn't know.
"Witch, you were just like a goddess of fire."
"Isn't that blasphemy?"
"If praising the one who protected Normance is blasphemy, then I'll follow the Church of the Witch."
"What even is that? Haaah."
Cospaco giggled and went inside.
"Sorry, Lucius. You probably want to get new clothes too... Why does your face look like that?"
"It's nothing."
Lucius's expression was utterly composed.
It was almost cold, and I felt awkward for no reason.
Did I do something wrong?
Was it because I didn't show him the design?
"I have a spare sketch. Want to see?"
"Um... Master?"
"What?"
"Wh-what is that?"
"Clothes."
I took my sketch back from Cospaco and showed it to Lucius.
"They cover what needs covering, and they're for avoiding trouble from those annoying Azure Moon Goddess followers."
"......."
A baggy knit that firmly covered the chest and underarms.
A red necktie running down the center.
And a mage's robe like a coat, for emergencies.
"How is it? I won't get caught by the Azure Moon Goddess followers, right?"
"...What about below?"
"Ah, this?"
I pointed at the hem of the knit that hung precariously at my thighs.
"Under this are shorts. It's a little short, but..."
"No, that thing on your legs. What in the world is that?"
"Ah, this?"
When we conquered Shax's dungeon.
I'd thought of it after seeing the spiderwebs filling the abandoned dungeon.
"Fishnets."
If I wore this much, surely the followers of the Azure Moon Goddess wouldn't pick a fight with me for showing too little skin.
"Huh? Witch? Surely you're not thinking of layering some kind of shirt under the knit, are you? Right? That's not how this design works. If the followers of the Church of the Azure Moon Goddess see something layered under the knit, they'll all try to strip it off, you know?"
"......."