The guild was as busy as ever. All the counters and reception desks were full and all the low-ranking request boards were occupied by various people. All the way from Apprentice-rank to D-rank, people were making a long line.
It has been more than a week since the interrogation, and Grey and Yuna have continued their daily lives as they pleased. They went on adventures when they wanted to and rested if they so pleased.
Of course, each day was full of excitement and happiness as they spent their own times at their own pace. Grey often frequented the kitchen and exchanged notes with Gerd. While Yuna often joined Helen in her spare time.
Grey and Yuna are currently in the guild as they were called by the Guildmaster for an important meeting. The receptionists didn't tell them what the contents will be, but it was apparent that the meeting is related to the previous incident.
"Grey, Yuna, you're here." ［Gaston］
"Oh, so these are the people we're waiting for? Whoa～ they really are young!" ［???］
"I agree with you, Elder Sister." ［???］
Not one, not two, but three voices greeted Grey and Yuna the moment they entered. And of those voices, two of them were unfamiliar to their ears.
The owner of the voices were a young man in his early twenties and a woman of the same age as Kris. Adorning them was the uniform of the kingdom's knights. Not just any knight, but they were garments worn only by those of high ranks.
Kris and Aria were also present in the room, seating themselves peacefully by the side. And unlike usual, the two were quite behaved and weren't bantering with one another.
⟨⟨Appraisal⟩⟩ ［Grey］
-----------------------------------
[Salferine]
[Name] Vanessa von Helsberg-Filastra
[Race] Human
[Sex] Female
[Age] 24
[Status] Healthy
[Mana Capacity] 1,275 [Mana Quality] C
[Combat Power] 1,823 [Threat Level] B
[Attribute] Fire [Magic Proficiency] High (58%)
[Class] Swordsman [Weapon Proficiency] High (61%)
[Physical Enhancement] 64%
[Ability] 『Sunfire (3☆)』
-----------------------------------
[Salferine]
[Name] Kurt von Helsberg
[Race] Human
[Sex] Male
[Age] 23
[Status] Healthy
[Mana Capacity] 1,221 [Mana Quality] C
[Combat Power] 1,761 [Threat Level] B
[Attribute] Fire [Magic Proficiency] High (60%)
[Class] Lancer [Weapon Proficiency] High (60%)
[Physical Enhancement] 64%
[Ability] 『Sunfire (3☆)』
-----------------------------------
Although they were not as strong as Aria, they were still B-rankers and just as admirable. Not to mention, the two of them came from a noble house.
With their combat power, Vanessa and Kurt were among the top 10 strongest in the army of the kingdom of Alfrione. Despite being young, their names are famous enough that the mere mention of them strikes fear in the hearts of enemies.
Back in the Royal Academy, Vanessa and Kurt were part of a group called the "Golden Triangle" which consisted of the three prodigies of their respective years. Kurt was the youngest while Vanessa was in the middle of the said group.
"These two are Lt. General Filastra and Commander Helsberg. They are here to represent the army of Alfrione as per my request for a discussion. They also happen to be B-rankers." ［Gaston］
As the Guildmaster introduced the two guests, Grey couldn't be helped but shocked. While he knew they were of high rank, he didn't think it would be as high as the Guildmaster had mentioned.
A kingdom's military ranking is divided into three types, namely, Knights, Soldiers, and Trainees. And like Earth's modern military hierarchy, this is further subdivided into more defined ranks.
Soldiers can be divided into three. The lowest rank is a normal soldier, followed by a "Team Leader" who leads a team of 3 or 4 soldiers, and lastly, there is the "Squad Leader" who leads a squad of 10 or so soldiers.
Exceptional Squad Leaders can be promoted into Knights, which are subdivided into 11 ranks. From the top, they are General, Lt. General, Commander, Lt. Commander, Brigadier, Colonel, Lt. Colonel, Major, Captain, Lieutenant, and normal Knights.
In Empires, there is an even higher rank called "Marshal" which leads the Empires whole army consisting of about a million troops. They are military officers who are S-rank at the very least.
Alfrione sending two of the highest-ranked officials means that the beast-incident cases are considered a very important and serious matter on the side of the kingdom.
Otherwise, they would have just sent others at the rank of Captain or lower,
Not to mention, the two officers in front of Grey and Yuna were still young considering most knights join the army at the age of 20. Being able to achieve such a high rank at such a young age is a very incredible feat.
"I'm Vanessa, and this is my little brother, Kurt. Nice to meet you!" ［Vanessa］
"Your introduction is too crude, Elder Sister. You should at least act more proper and dignified as a lady." ［Kurt］
"Kurt, you're just too stiff. You should relax a little bit, you know?" ［Vanessa］
"Then I should assume that you wouldn't mind rumors about how the dignified and graceful Lady Vanessa is actually a slacker behind the scenes, right?" ［Kurt］
"Urk!" ［Vanessa］
Vanessa fell quiet with a single statement from Kurt. Her mouth was shut tight in an instant, unable to find any sort of retort or rebuttal. It was her total defeat.
Seeing the scene interaction of the two siblings, Grey wondered if all high-rankers were actually eccentric, but didn't finish the conclusion as that would mean him and Yuna would also be included in it.
"I apologize for that poor display of actions, we ended up wasting some precious time. Now, why don't we start the discussion by summarizing what we currently know about the case. Sir Gaston can add to our findings, afterwards." ［Kurt］
"""""Y-Yeah..."""""
Although Vanessa had a higher rank than Kurt, the latter was actually more capable and can carry himself more properly. He looked like a model officer, unlike a certain someone who was moping beside him.
Somehow, seeing Vanessa so defeated, Grey felt pity for her. She looked like a child who just got her toys confiscated.
Led by Kurt, everyone then took a seat around the Guildmaster's desk. Grey and Yuna were seated at the left side, Kris and Aria at the left side, Vanessa and Kurt at the front side, and the Guildmaster at the rear.
The Guildmaster had also erected a magic barrier to prevent the noise from leaking outside. It was a countermeasure any decent-minded person would do when discussing something important.
"For the past 12 years, there have been a total of 108 recorded reports within the kingdom. In those reports, 92 were stopped before it could cause any damage and casualty, while the remaining 16 caused the complete destruction of 14 villages and a total of 9,208 deaths, not including the unconfirmed reports. It is currently branded as a priority II case with no current suspects." ［Kurt］
"9 thousand..." ［Grey］
Although Grey already had knowledge of how severe the case was, hearing it straight from the mouth of a high-ranking military officer was something else.
Grey wasn't the only one. Yuna, Kris, Aria, and the Guildmaster also felt a sense of discomfort from hearing how many lives were lost in the past decade. Not to mention, it is only within the Kingdom of Alfrione.
"I know what you're thinking, Sir Grey, but with the information we currently possess, we have no way of finding out where their hideout is and stopping their operations. Or at least, that's how it's supposed to be. Sir Gaston, why don't you share the results of your investigation with us." ［Kurt］
As Kurt looked at the Guildmaster, all eyes were focused in his direction as they awaited for the new information to be revealed.
The Guildmaster stood up and grabbed a folder of documents from who knows where and handed it to Kurt. Without printing technology and for the sake of secrecy, it was the only copy present.
"This is...!" ［Kurt］
"Hm? What is it, Kurt?" ［Vanessa］
"Elder Sister, take a look at these." ［Kurt］
Just like Kurt, the moment Vanessa saw the documents the Guildmaster had prepared, her eyes also opened wide in shock as she suddenly stood up from her seat. She then flipped all the pages but her expression was still that of shock.
While Vanessa and Kurt were sent to represent the military, the two had no idea about the new findings. This is all for the sake of ensuring that no leakage of information will happen. All Kurt and Vanessa knew was that the meeting will be about the decade-old beast incident cases.
Even the previously calm and collected Kurt was shocked to the point that he almost broke character. He was just as shocked as his older sister was.
"Sir Gaston, are all of these true?" ［Kurt］
"It is... Inside there information about the perpetrators of the incidents, their numbers, their leader, and the location and layout of their base of operations should be contained. All the information needed to plan a raid and destroy the organization are recorded. This is the result of our decade-long effort." ［Gaston］
Kurt gulped a mouthful of air as he continued to scan the documents. Each page was incredibly detailed and there was no flaw in the report. It was a report which could be considered a key to the safety of the kingdom.
According to the files, the perpetrators of the beast incidents were a criminal organization named "Iblis". A notorious organization which was supposed to be destroyed by the army's raid 20 years ago.
The records indicated that the name of the evil organization is "Iblis". It was founded more than 40 years ago by a former C-rank researcher who committed many heinous crimes in the name of "research". He was ultimately killed when the army raided their hideout.
Currently, the leader of Iblis is the apprentice of the previous leader. The members of the organization number roughly about 1,500, most of which are former bandits who were recruited by Iblis.
Their hideout is located about a hundred kilometers southwest of Galderia, in a mountain named Ardoa, just on the outskirts of the Haltea Great Forest. The hideout is built like a maze, with multiple routes that serve both as entrances and a way to escape.
The goal of the organization is still unknown but it is assured that they are the perpetrators of the recent incidents. It is also highly possible that they are continuing their experiments from 4 decades ago.
"Sir Gaston, this might be a rude question, but how did you get your hands on this information? Even with all the efforts of the kingdom, I have never seen such a detailed report before." ［Kurt］
"Hahaha, It was all thanks to these youngsters. Because of them, we were able to acquire the magic tool used in the incidents and find, detain some of the members of this group of perpetrators, and interrogate them. If it weren't for them, we wouldn't be able to do this much." ［Gaston］
"I see... Then, I extend to you my utmost gratitude, Sir Grey, Lady Yuna." ［Kurt］
"I also feel the same." ［Vanessa］
Expressing their gratitude, Vanessa and Kurt bowed their heads towards Grey and Yuna. It was a gesture which was rare for nobles to be doing towards commoners.
"Ah! P-Please raise your head, Lady Vanessa, Lord Kurt." ［Grey］
But before it could last for even a second, Grey did his best and made them stop their actions in a panicky state.
While it is true that Grey has never met a noble in his past life, the situation can be related to that of high-ranking government officials bowing their heads before a normal civilian. It was an uncomfortable feeling which Grey shared with Yuna.
"Sir Grey, you might not realize it, but what the two of you have done is a great service to the kingdom. It is an accomplishment which can immediately warrant a knighthood to those who are involved." ［Kurt］
"We don't really need a knighthood or anything of the sort, so there's no need to be too polite, and... we also have our own reasons for helping out." ［Grey］
The moment Grey finished his words, the air of the office became slightly heavier. Everyone immediately understood that Grey and Yuna had personal circumstances which fuels their reason in joining the case.
"Ah! I apologize, I spoke toー" ［Grey］
"Don't worry about it. We don't mind informalities, actually, we prefer it that way. Right, Kurt?" ［Vanessa］
"Elder Sister is correct. You don't need to force yourself to speak formally just because we are of noble descent. As for your reasons, we also won't be inquiring any further. Just know that we are thankful for your help." ［Kurt］
Vanessa and Kurt were quite different from how Grey imagined nobles to be. In most of the fictions he had read, nobles were mostly arrogant and cruel, but the ones before him are nothing of the sort. Rather, they were kind and understanding.
The situation made Grey think how fortunate he was to be able to meet such wonderful people. A part of him thinks that it was all thanks to God's arrangements, something we would be thankful of.
"Lord Kurt, Lady Vanessa, with these documents in mind, why don't we plan for a raid. We finally have the chance to stop these incidents once and for all." ［Gaston］
"I agree with you, Sir Gaston. Now all we need to do is wait for reinforcements and we can finally conduct a raid." ［Kurt］
"Hahaha, I don't think that's needed, Lord Kurt. We can conduct it straight away. We don't need any reinforcements." ［Kris］
"I.... I'm afraid I don't understand what you are trying to imply, Lord Kris." ［Kurt］
Confusion and doubt... Those were what filled Kurt's head upon hearing Kris' suggestion. He knew that Kris had a playful nature, but he doesn't think he will joke at such a serious conversation.
"I mean, with the people we have here... We can perform the raid right now." ［Kris］
Kris tried to explain his previous statement, but it was no use. Neither Vanessa nor Kurt understood the meaning of his explanation. After all, neither of the two of them knew of Grey and Yuna's true power.
But other than them, everyone else fully understood what Kris was trying to imply. They might not even need all of them, even without the help of the army, the guild could raid the enemy's base if they wanted to.
"Lord Kris, even if we have you, an A-ranker, and us, three B-rankers, it is still too risky. We can't afford to take such hugー" ［Kurt］
"You're close, but not quite..." ［Kris］
"Pardon?" ［Kurt］
To Kurt's question, Kris simply looked at the direction of Grey and Yuna on the opposite side of the table. Following suit, Kurt and Vanessa's eyes also ended up in the direction of the two.
"What we have are 3 B-rankers, 2 A-rankers, and an S-ranker. If you ask me, it's quite a powerful force, isn't it?" ［Kris］
Kris corrected Kurt in such a calm manner with a smile plastered on his face. Kurt and Vanessa on the other hand, were once again shocked from the sudden revelation.
Well, who wouldn't be shocked when teenagers who were clearly many years younger than them were actually powerhouses which can easily overpower anyone in the army.
"Well, what do you think?" ［Kris］
Kris asked with an even bigger smile on his face. There was no way Vanessa and Kurt could reject Kris' proposal. It was best to strike while the iron was hot.
Deciding to conduct the raid, Vanessa laid out the map of the mountains on the table and shared the remaining documents to the others.
"According to what we know, there are three entrances located here, here, and here." ［Vanessa］
Vanessa pointed out three places on the map. One was by the cliffside, one was by the summit, and another one was in the forest. All of which were marked by a small cave as the entrance.
Surprisingly, there was no entrance in the large cavern located by the mountainside. It seems like the organization was avoiding the most obvious entrance in case someone wanders near the mountains.
"Each of these entrances are guarded by a single C-rank beast and a couple of D-rank ones. Since we have 6 people participating in the raid, we will go by pairs. Me and Lady Yuna will take the cliffside one, Sir Grey and Kurt will take the one by the summit, and lastly, Lord Kris and Lady Aria will take the forest. Are there any objections?" ［Vanessa］
Everyone shook their heads in response to Vanessa's question.
Beforehand, Grey had revealed that Yuna, aside from being able to use Ice magic, is also able to use wind magic up until the intermediate level. The two of them could also use earth magic at the same level. It was done in order to compensate for Kurt and Vanessa's fire-attribute.
Since the base is located underground, it would be a problem if all of the air is burnt by fire magic spells. The pairing was dome so that Grey and Yuna will be able to create ventilation inside the cave and resupply air from the outside. Vanessa and Kurt will also try their best to use arts rather than spells.
Of course, wind and earth magic wasn't the only one Yuna was capable of controlling. She could also control all the other attributes and classes up until the "intermediate" level. As for Grey, he can control them up until the "high" level, but there is no need to reveal those. They will stay as their trump cards.
While training in other attributes and classes may be beneficial in certain situations, it does not help out in increasing combat power. This is because mana quality only regards the attribute or class with the highest proficiency. It is also the reason why people only train in one class or attribute.
With the pairing finalized, everyone in the room brainstormed for a couple of minutes to devise a master plan. It was a makeshift master plan which mostly takes into account their high combat powers.
The raid will be done at night to prevent the enemy from noticing their approach, and the moment they have infiltrated inside, the entrances will be barricaded with net-like walls which prevents people from escaping but allows air to enter.
The moment a dead end is met in the maze, the said route will be sealed to close off with earth magic to narrow down the maze. It was also decided that destroying the maze was forbidden as it might cause the base to collapse.
Lastly, the moment they arrive at the main room, they won't act until everyone has arrived. But in case of emergency, everyone can take necessary actions.
"Mmm..." ［Grey］
"Is something wrong, Sir Grey?" ［Vanessa］
"Ah, nothing... It's just that the plan was much simpler than I thought." ［Grey］
"Fufufu, you're right. Well, normally it would be more complex and sophisticated than this. But with all the members of the raid team at least at B-rank, we could even charge without any plans at all." ［Vanessa］
Vanessa was right. With the members of the raid team consisting of an S-ranker, two A-rankers, and three B-rankers, even a simple plan like this can easily lead to victory. It won't even be surprising if they won just by charging in recklessly.
But even with that logic, Grey still felt uneasy. It was as if the case had become less serious all of the sudden.
"Now that we have finished planning, everyone is now dismissed. Just remember that we will be meeting up when the sun sets, okay?" ［Vanessa］
"""""Yes!"""""
With the meeting finished, everyone slowly went outside of the guildmaster's office, and went their own ways to prepare. Only Vanessa, Kurt, and the Guildmaster were left in the office as they discussed other matters.
Deep inside Grey's heart, he was feeling a sense of relief and anxiety. Finally, he could fulfill the promise he made to himself three years ago. The promise to bring down justice upon the perpetrators of the incidents.
"Yuna, are you feeling alright?" ［Grey］
But it wasn't him who was the most anxious. Yuna, who was from the very village which got destroyed years ago has become silent. Grey didn't know what was inside her mind.
"Grey..." ［Yuna］
"Yeah?" ［Grey］
"After this... I want to eat curry again." ［Yuna］
Yuna asked shyly as she looked down at the ground. It seemed like she was trying to calm herself down by thinking about other things.
Grey easily noticed her gestures but didn't pay it any mind. He was satisfied that the current Yuna was already strong enough to face her own anxieties. She has indeed become stronger.
"Sure." ［Grey］
CHAPTER 27 END