The Paramere Search Operation (5)
The Paramere Search Operation (5)
The night passed. When the search party gathered again during the day, they went through another brief overview of the Paramer operation.
It was not much different from yesterday. The only change was that they explained the entry route using a map.
"The search party's objective is to determine the nature of the black smoke and to check for survivors."
At Hudson's briefing, Ian, the Imperial knight serving as search party commander, nodded.
"It would be best to examine everything with the Clock Tower at the city's center as the focal point."
"...Excuse me?"
Hudson asked in surprise.
"Then we would have to search too wide an area. It could take longer than the two weeks we anticipated..."
"Didn't you say it yourself? That checking for survivors and determining the nature of the black smoke is important. To uncover what's important, we need as much information as possible."
"But even so, we can't look at everything..."
"We split into three groups."
"Excuse me?"
Ian scowled.
"If we want to see more than we originally planned, splitting into three groups would be best. Dividing the area into three would be good. First."
As if slicing a pizza, the circular city drawn on the ground was divided into three.
"We'll take the north from here. The Blue Magic Tower and the Imperial knights can make a reasonable sweep."
"...Ha?"
Daniel of the Blue Punk Mercenary Company asked back in disbelief.
"Then what about the second group? What are you planning to do with them?"
"Show some respect, mercenary."
"...What are you planning to do with them, then?"
"I'll attach the rangers to the mercenary company. You can take the southeast. Any complaints?"
"How could there not be? I've been holding my tongue, but this is too much. The Blue Magic Tower is the most important force here, and you're going to take them all for yourself? This guy's insane."
"Of course, we go together as far as the initial entrance. We split up after entering. Breaking through the path is done together. Besides, this is a search mission. Avoiding combat as much as possible and securing information is the priority. Didn't we clearly assign elves to you? Rangers are useful. They have limitless value in a search operation. And above all..."
Imperial knight Ian placed his hand on his sword. An unfamiliar energy seethed around him.
"There won't be a third time. Mercenary. Next time, I won't hold back."
"...This is really driving me crazy. Search operation or whatever, it's just wordplay. It's obvious without even going in that the place is full of combat, and you're telling us to avoid combat on our own?"
Daniel shrugged.
"Well, fine. It's better for us. Honestly, I'd feel better not seeing you lot. And going around with the elf ladies isn't bad either."
"We will act separately the moment we enter."
"Ah! Seriously, what the hell!"
"Don't cling to us."
The situation was so absurd that I casually spoke up.
"Then, Sir Knight."
"What?"
"Is the southwest being handled by the churches grouped together? They have the fewest numbers, though?"
Eyes gathered on me. I looked at Ian as if I knew nothing. He nodded.
"Whatever is inside, it's bound to be something wicked. If so, it would be poison to priests like you. I consider it fair to regard you as a small elite force."
Yeah. Wordplay.
Bullshit. I nearly laughed myself sick.
Does he know what's inside and is deliberately setting the churches apart? From the start, this was no different from saying outright that we were useless and he had no time to look after us.
Oh, well.
They can handle it among themselves. Not my problem~.
But without knowing my true feelings, Rosemary scowled. She raised her voice.
"What are you doing right now?"
"Commanding."
"Commanding? Is throwing people away to die commanding, Sir Ian?"
"It is commanding. What is command if not deploying the right people to the right places?"
Ian scowled.
"We have a task inside that we absolutely must accomplish. We must uncover the cause and learn Paramer's secrets. We have no leisure to look after those who lag behind. Didn't the churches also come here knowing that from the start?"
"...I've been holding my tongue, but seriously!"
"Do not forget that the Church of Ra stands beneath the Empire. And brats like you..."
Ian half-drew his sword.
"Remember that you cannot defeat the sword of the Empire."
"......"
Rosemary bit her lip. She looked around, but there was no one to take her side.
The mercenaries subtly averted their eyes. The wizards looked on regretfully, but no one readily extended a hand. The elves only snorted pointedly.
Wow.
What a mess. A total mess.
Ian spoke.
"Departure is at noon. Everyone, organize your necessary supplies by then. There will be no changes to the plan. Make every preparation."
Wow.
Since they might not follow his command, he throws them away from the start and monopolizes the main force for himself. And thanks to the wizards' reconnaissance, he's hogging the spot with the fewest monsters that they scouted in advance.
This is the first commander I've seen openly planning to hog all the credit. It's so transparent it's hilarious.
But what can you do.
The group you're dismissing seems to be the hidden powerhouses, you know?
. . .
"...What do we do?"
"What do you mean, what do we do? You're the senior here, Rosemary."
"Drop that ridiculous 'senior' crap. It gives me goosebumps."
"Come on. You saved me, didn't you? You're the senior here, Rosemary. Going to pretend you don't know me now?"
I whispered in an oily voice.
"We're practically in the same boat... If I had to describe our relationship in two words..."
"...In two words?"
"Comrades... wouldn't you say?"
"Aaaaah! Aaaaaaah!!"
As if she had heard a filthy word, Rosemary dug at her ears repeatedly. Seeing her openly dislike it is kind of fun.
"Buy a mask. Because what I said is true."
"I already have a handkerchief."
"It'll come loose during intense combat. A mask is better. It won't fall off easily if you hook it over your ears."
As for me, I don't have to worry about suffering from the madness, but other people are different. I'd rather not have a comrade I fought alongside, trusting them with my back, suddenly turn on me.
"You too."
He flinched.
The Apostle of Isis, who had been trailing along, poked his head out from behind a wall.
"Uh, since when did you know?"
"You were just completely visible. Buy a mask."
The Apostle of Isis. He was still a fledgling, but he was unquestionably an apostle. Why he was here was another question.
Well, he probably got roped in like Irene. Let's not read too much into it.
I casually held out a mask. There's no harm in building a connection. An apostle is an apostle, so he'll surely be useful.
"Thank you!"
I recognized him in the game too, but how should I put it...
"He's polite."
"Yes? Ah, I hear that a lot."
His hehehe laugh makes him seem like a real boy. Completely different from me, who has a boy's face.
"Rosemary."
"What."
"Hehehe."
"Shit, did I do something wrong?"
The world is truly unfair.
I bought the necessary supplies. To be precise, I bought the local specialties.
Honestly, I'd already come fully prepared. There isn't really anything else I need to bring.
"The raisins here are good."
"...Raisins are good?"
Rosemary looked disgusted. I casually held out a raisin from inside a roll cake, a local specialty.
"Double the sweetness?"
"Ugh... I really hate..."
"Noah. Want some?"
"Yes? Ah! Thank you!"
We wandered around the small market. It was a small village, but there was surprisingly a lot to see. Since adventurers and wizards who came to see Paramer often stopped by, tourism seemed to have developed despite its small size.
"...Oh."
I ran into Daniel. The Blue Punk Mercenary Company, swarming in, surrounded us.
"So. I mean. Um."
Daniel scratched his head vigorously.
"I'm sorry about earlier. Priest."
"Forget it. What fault could you people have? It's our fault for being incompetent. Don't mind us."
Wow. Scathing sarcasm. The best, Rosemary.
At the openly cutting remark, Daniel couldn't find anything else to say. He just lowered his head slightly.
Still, he has a conscience. Going so far as to apologize.
They left. Contrary to her scathing sarcasm, Rosemary seemed rather worried.
"What do we do?"
"Eat this and feel better."
"...Nom... Ah, shit! It's that thing from earlier! The raisin roll cake! Ptui, ptui, ptui."
"I think it's good!"
"Right? Why would anyone hate this? By the way, do you like mint chocolate?"
"I do like it?"
"You have no taste."
"What?"
I don't know about anything else, but mint chocolate is a sin.
"Anyway, don't worry. You have me—your junior colleague and Rosemary's great master—don't you?"
"...That makes me more worried. Really."
Rosemary's sigh was deep. I bit into the bread. I picked out the raisins one by one and handed them to Noah.
The guy gobbled them all up. At least I found one use for him.
You are my raisin disposal service. I like roll cake, but I hate raisins.
. . .
We departed immediately. There was no further discussion. The situation was such that looking at each other was almost like looking at enemies.
Everyone was seething at the self-righteous Imperial knight's conduct. Even the elves, who had stepped back saying it was a human matter, disparaged him, saying they had never seen such a human before.
Paramer came into view. A city shrouded in black fog. From the boundary line, black fog was already creeping outward.
"...We will stop for a moment."
The city of Paramer. A place with a massive wall erected on its outskirts.
To be precise, the wall had been built after Paramer's massacre. It was essentially a sealing wall erected by the Empire. Wizard Hudson, who had collected the black fog creeping down along that outer wall, placed a sample in a glass bottle.
Daniel asked curiously.
"Wizard. Haven't you already collected plenty of that? I heard the Magic Tower visits this area often."
"That's correct. But something collected long ago and something collected just now are bound to differ. This too will become an important research sample."
"What are you researching?"
"That's a Magic Tower secret."
"Are you making war weapons or something...?"
At Daniel's offhand remark, Hudson stiffened. He spoke firmly.
"The Magic Tower absolutely does not contribute to the making of war weapons, Captain Daniel. I would appreciate it if you chose your words carefully."
"Ah, I apologize. It slipped out."
"Quiet."
Imperial knight Ian tied his horse near the entrance. In front of the massive barrier, he signaled Hudson with his eyes.
"Open the gate. Wizard."
"Understood. Is everyone ready? We must enter immediately after it opens. Keep in mind that it takes roughly one minute for the gate to close."
Hudson looked around at everyone.
"I hope... fortune is with you all."
The gate opened. Paramer. The barrier that had imprisoned the fallen city began to rise slowly.
Alright. Let's do this.
And so, the Paramer Search Operation began.