When we return to the Dancing Dragon, we find that the bard is already
there. He's flirting with a female patron who appears to be quite taken by his
manners. Even though I think that his behavior is obnoxious, it actually
seems to be able to land him women in this world.
Let's mess with him.
"You already have me, but you still try to pick up other women?" I
approach him with a pout and hug Senka tightly, willing myself to tear up to
underpin the feeling of betrayal. It actually works, and I feel my vision blur
slightly.
"Huh, you already have someone?" The woman looks at me, and then at
the doll, I'm carrying, a hint of disgust appearing on her face. The bard is
taken aback by my sudden appearance and my words but has enough time to
share the woman's sentiment in regards to Senka.
Why does everyone dislike that design so much? Can't you see how
creepy-cute she is? I guess that concept doesn't exist in this world...
"I was not aware of such a relationship between us, Lady Marcott." The
bard is actually speaking the truth, but that's only giving me the opportunity
to add oil to the fire.
"Oh no! So that's how you treat me after all the hot nights we shared!"
Watching the bard's confusion and the woman's growing contempt for him is
so fun. Time for the finisher. "Now that I'm with child, you want to wash
your hands of me?"
I see the figurative switch being flipped in her eyes.
"You are scum!" Her words are accompanied by a resounding slap to his
face. She then picks up her bag and stomps off, leaving behind a completely
bewildered bard.
"Miss Marcott, what..." Luna stares at me strangely, but there's doubt
flickering in her eyes when she glances at the bard. Even though they've been
traveling for a while now, she has so little faith in him that it's almost pitiful.
"I was playing a prank on you." It seems my acting was so on point that
they didn't suspect me at all.
"Please, Lady Marcott, do not scare me so." Strangely enough, the bard
looks relieved. What, did you think something happened between us, and you
just were too drunk to remember? In your dreams! "... and what an...
interesting doll you have found."
"Yes, isn't she just cute?" Rubbing my face against Senka's, I feel her
stitches against my cheek. It's a strange sensation, but I don't mind.
"Umm... yes indeed, you could say she holds a... unique charm."
Obviously, he's trying his hardest not to say anything rude, like Luna did. I
can tell that he feels just as much disgust at the somewhat grotesque sight of
Senka as the half-elf does, but at least he's diplomatic about it.
"Anyway..." Luna sits down while clearing her throat and helps her
companion out from having to act like he doesn't actually dislike the doll's
design. "Where are Rolan and Gram?"
"They are not back yet. I found some interesting information and returned
early, in case someone was here already." He looks proud of himself. Let us
hear what you found out, and see if it can compare to what I uncovered. "It
appears the merchant Sveinn Itkonen always delivers his goods directly into
the manors and castles of nobles, and the escorts are always kept outside until
the transactions have been finished."
That's far from enough to implicate him, but it does look quite suspicious,
even without the information I uncovered. And it makes a lot of sense when
you know that he's trading in slaves since he obviously can't do it with
adventurers around.
"It explains how he could hide his illicit dealings for so long. We learned
from an encounter with some dangerous thugs that Sveinn is smuggling
slaves. They were in the process of taking Lady Nightwane when we
surprised them." Luna is leaving out the fact that she was knocked out cold
during the most crucial part, and that I got that information from them. But I
won't complain; when she's the one saying it, it's more convincing.
"Really? That is a troubling discovery. But if that is true, I wonder why he
needs to hire so many security guards from the guild. Would it not be better
to be using said thugs once he is out of the city?" The bard scratches his chin
and considers the new information.
"Maybe the guards employed from the guild act as camouflage?" Luna
assumes with a thoughtful expression. That's a pretty good point. Considering
how Gram was all friendly with the gate guards, it wouldn't be surprising for them to let the caravan through when their buddies are escorting it, without
even performing a check of their cargo.
"But how does he plan to transport several people and not let the escorts
know? It's impossible to keep that many living beings silent for such a long
journey." The bard brings up another fair point.
Since he has been doing his business for a while now, it's evident that he
must have a way. But having ten carriages means he has a large number of
slaves hidden away, and it's impossible to keep them all quiet. Aside from
them remaining completely still during the journey, locked in secret
compartments built into the carriages, and going without water and food,
there's just no way that nobody ever noticed them.
Additionally, if he orders the kidnapping of people who are established
personalities in various places, such as Lady Nightwane in this city - no
matter how badly her business is actually going - it will most likely cause
suspicions. Maybe he doesn't intend to return here after this job, or there was
some plan to make it appear as if she left on her own.
"I think it is possible that the slaves are placed inside barrels, and then put
under a Stasis spell." Luna rubs her chin and suggests a plausible explanation.
What's that spell? It sounds sci-fi.
As the two keep coming up with theories around this Sveinn's methods, I
just kept listening until their discussion draws to a close. The question in the
room now is what they should do about it. If it's an organization, not knowing
how far it reaches could be dangerous. After all, adventurers aren't in high
esteem and are mostly considered drifters. In many places, they're even
frowned upon, just like eternal part-time workers are in Japan.
It's slowly becoming dark outside and the time to meet back up here draws
near. We'll have to see Rolan's verdict on this matter since he's the leader.
"Oh, you're back already." It's Gram's voice. I turn around and find that
Rolan is accompanying him. Think of the devil, huh?
"Yes, we obtained some really interesting information." The bard slides
over on the bench, and Rolan sits down next to him.
This time, Gram is banished to the extra chair, which he pulls over from
another table. It looks laughably small compared to his massive frame and
creaks under his weight. Luckily, he left his shield in the room upstairs, or the
chair would have given out under his weight.
- Adventurers are sharing information -
"I see... we have to do something about it. To think such problems still
exist in our kingdom..." Rolan has a grim expression and frowns at the
thought that there're still people who trade in demi-human slaves. I knew he
was the righteous type from the very beginning, because he 'saved' me from
the streets, and he wants to slay the demon lord to make life better for
humans. If I had been reincarnated as a human, I could see myself getting
drawn in by his charisma.
"I think it'd be best to let the guild know about this. We can search his
carriages before departure to see if there really are slaves on board, then
report him to the city watch as we pass through the gate checkpoint." Gram's
suggestion seems quite solid. I'd vote for that one if I had a say in this matter.
I'm not a proper member of the party, so I don't, though.
"Yes, we can do that when the time comes, but before then we should try to
get evidence. Let's go and find the three that attacked Runa and Miss Marcott.
If we capture them, we can get them to confess." Rolan suggests, and I
suppress a flinch.
Please don't try to search for them, they're all right here inside me, in
various states of digestion. But even if they weren't and you found them, what
would you do if they belonged to a large group with an extensive
underground network that includes skilled assassins and mercenaries?
At least that's how these things usually go in fiction.
"I don't think we should do that. If they have powerful people backing
them, we're at a disadvantage." Yes, listen to Gram, he's got the right
concerns. "The buyers are those with large enough estates that these slaves
never see the outside again. Those are always nobles, and running afoul of
them could be quite dangerous."
Is it just me or is this whole thing getting bigger and bigger? They're
talking about taking steps to break up an underground slave ring that may be
operating on a national scale.
You're only four people! That's an impossible endeavor.
Oh wait, maybe the adventurer guild also has quite some influence? I
mean, adventurers themselves may be frowned upon, but if there's a guild
hall in each city, it should be an institution with roots in the government. But
if that's the case, how can we be sure that they don't have a finger in the pie as well?
"What do you think, Miss Chloe?" Rolan is actually asking for my opinion.
And interestingly enough, Luna isn't glaring at him for calling me by my first
name. Maybe it's because this situation goes beyond such petty little
squabbles.
"As a noble, I believe it's my duty to act in the interest of the people." I'm
spouting some typical idealistic nonsense I learned from light novels. Either
they dismiss my words for unrealistic idealism or are inspired by it. No real
loss for me either way. "We can't leave slavery alone. Individual freedom is
the most sacred right one has."
I do have the opinion that everyone should be free, as long as they don't
lose said freedom through foolish actions. Such as attacking someone far
more powerful than they are, based on orders from a person whose face they
may have never seen. It's what landed a lot of people in those slave pens in
Rodens.
In either case, I don't mind going to war against these slavers, but I'll
abandon ship if it takes too long. I have to be somewhere within three years,
and at this point, I don't even know how many days make up a year in this
world. I'm marking every passing day on a notebook, though.
"Miss Chloe..." Rolan is looking at me in astonishment and a hint of
admiration. Oh, did you fall for me? "If only all nobles thought that way, the
kingdom would be a much better place."
Praise me more!
"Yes, I believe it's our duty to stop these criminal machinations. As a
matter of fact, they attacked Runa and could have taken her, too." I can smell
an ulterior motive called revenge, though.
Ah, the topic is going to head in that direction now, isn't it?
"But... you say this doll saved you?" He points at Senka with an
unmistakably displeased face. So even you dislike this design? Well, it makes
sense, her appearance is quite harrowing if you were to think of her as an
actual human being.
As if in response, Senka's neck makes a creaking noise, and she snaps her
head around to face Rolan. Her mouth opens and closes rhythmically while
mechanical laughter emerges from her chest area. She even got the perfect
angle, the same as the one she used on Luna earlier. This way she looks
consistent and the facade of her being an automaton is more believable - even though Lady Nightwane said that she's a cursed doll in front of Luna.
"Woah!" Hah, even he's freaked out by her moving like that! "That's...
quite the doll. You really want to bring it along?"
Yes, anything wrong with that?
"Yes, anything wrong with that?" Oops, I said it out loud. And in the same
tone as my defiant inner voice, too.
"H-huh? Well... no, it's alright." He's surprised by my attitude but doesn't
comment on it, and gives in easily. Hah, what a pushover.
"Actually, I almost forgot about it... but where did you get the money for
the doll from?" Luna finally remembers to ask. I was actually expecting that
question much earlier.
"The kidnappers dropped their purses and some other items when they ran
away." It may be unbelievable, but I have a few other items that could be
used as evidence if they need it. "I thought it was only fair to use their money
to free our savior from that awful store."
There, I said it, the store is awful. Luna has a sympathetic expression on
her face. So even she thinks it's awful. Why does she even know such a shady
place? Can't she get magic supplies and potions from a more upstanding
store?
Nobody questions my explanation any further. In fact, Gram gives a hearty
laugh when he hears it. Good, Senka was reluctantly accepted by the others,
so there's no problem. Luna has also resigned herself to the fact that I'll be
carrying the creepy-cute doll with me from now on, and can only shake her
head with a sigh.
"So, our next move is to contact the guild." Rolan is entering his leader
mode and hands out the roles to the party. "Gram, talk to your friends in the
city watch. Only those you really trust, we don't know whether they are in on
it or not. Sigurd, you go and find out more from your sources. Maybe there
are rumors about this."
That sounds like the bard has some questionable connections, too. Who
else could have information about illegal slavery, other than the dark side of
society? Then again, he did mention minstrels, and those are usually good at
picking up rumors.
"Let's all meet back here at midnight." I have to wonder how anyone can
tell time without clocks. Is there something indicating midnight in this city,
like a bell? Finally, the leader turns to us."Runa and Miss Chloe come to the guild with me. We'll need you as witnesses."
With this, the party splits up again. I'm beginning to feel hungry, especially
since it smells really nice all around us in the tavern. It's time for dinner, but
we don't have the luxury to worry about this right now.
Rolan, Luna and I cross the square and head towards the guild hall. I
haven't been in there, even though I did pass it by four times today, so I'm
interested to see what it looks like inside and what kind of people are
frequenting it.
"Phew..." Senka breathes a sigh of relief when we leave the tavern and
walk across the city square. "I couldn't speak to you with the bard around. I'm
sure he has incredibly sharp ears."
She's right on the mark; I'm lucky that she's so perceptive. I'm walking a
few steps behind the adventurer couple so that we can whisper to each other.
"So, you intend to stick with them for the time being?" The doll girl asks
me without moving, since we may still be seen by other people.
"Yes, they are quite interesting. I have to be back in the demon palace
within three years, so I have more than enough time for a small side trip like
this." It takes a weight off my shoulders to be able to talk to someone without
having to hide everything about myself. For some reason, I fully trust Senka,
even though we only met a few hours ago. I'm sure there must be a good
reason for it...
"I can see that. These two in front of us make the perfect targets for
messing around with. The bard, too." I hear her chuckle and have to suppress
a smile. I see she's a kindred spirit.
"What about Gram?" While she commented on the others, she left out the
big man for some reason.
"He reminds me of my foster father from a different era. Only that this one
has no hair on his head, but a magnificent amount on his face, while my
foster father was the other way round. Their height is similar, too." There is a
hint of loneliness in her voice even though she doesn't change her tone. "I
want to climb on his shoulders..."
Please don't do that; I feel like he'll get a heart attack from that.
"What do you think about this whole slavery affair?"
"Very textbook for such a fantasy setting."
"I know right? At least this world isn't as clear-cut good demons and evil humans, as is often the case when one is reincarnated on the demons' side in
such stories." Those have been getting really popular lately, after all.
"Just don't trip over that trope later on. Don't let your sympathy for the
humans cause you to hesitate, when the time comes for you to choose your
side." Senka's voice remains neutral, but I can tell that she's warning me
somberly.
"I won't." This topic should have given me reason to hesitate before, but
the time I spent with Maou-mama has taught me valuable things about life
and its priorities. "I'm a demon, after all."
Ah, the brainiac inside me just died. It seems his heart just gave out from
being unable to bear the mental strain of staying inside a Crawling Chaos'
body. Really though, he survived for quite a bit longer than my previous
experiment. All I did this time was to keep supplying him with oxygen. Next
time I'll try providing food, too.
The interior of the adventurer guild is a large hall, as expected. There's a
reception area on the left to the entrance and a supply store to the right.
Deeper inside are several long tables, where I can spot people in attire similar
to Rolan and his party's. They're standing around chatting, or sitting at the
tables and having dinner.
This entire place is very cliché.
Even the fact that the receptionist is a woman in her mid-twenties is just
typical. She's wearing something like a traditional dress and sports a small
cap on top of her brown-haired head. It reminds me of the receptionist girls in
a game series about hunting dragons with oversized weapons.
"I'd like to talk to Ingrid, is she in?" Rolan walks up to her and asks in a
casual tone. Unexpectedly, he's pretty good at acting like nothing is out of the
ordinary, even though there's something pretty urgent going on.
"Yes, she just returned from a meeting with the lord. I shall ascertain her
availability." The receptionist responds with a nod and walks out through a
door behind her.
"Did she say 'the lord'? Rolan, are you sure we can trust this Ingrid
person?" I'm just playing devil's advocate since it's a reasonable concern. I
doubt a woman is going to engage in business that involves the enslavement
of other women, although you can never be too sure.
"Yes, she may be the guild master now, but I've known her for a long time before that. She's like an older sister to me." He replies with a warm smile
into which I can't help but read a lot of things.
Was she his first love or something?
But Luna doesn't glare at him in jealousy and instead nods with an
understanding expression. I must have been reading too much into it.
Still, he's good friends with the guild master, huh? If she can be trusted,
then we'd have a pretty powerful ally in her. The guild master should have
quite some influence over the adventurers and be able to make them help.
"Rolan!" A firm female voice resounds through the guild hall, and all necks
snap around to its owner. "You haven't come to see me in a long time, even
though you've been going around making a name for yourself!"
A woman approaches us with a wide grin. She's about as tall as I am, but
her presence is much larger than just her appearance. Wearing a long-sleeved
top and a long skirt in earthen colors gives her an unassuming appearance,
but I can feel strength underneath it all.
It's like a rule for guild masters to be secretly really strong, but I don't
doubt that in this particular case. She's also quite beautiful and must be rather
young for her position.
"Ingrid, there's something we need to talk about." Rolan is very serious, so
her relaxed expression immediately vanishes under a firm gaze. For a
moment, she stares into his eyes, but then blinks and turns away.
"Must be something important. Let's go to my office." She walks away and
waves for us to follow her.
Said office is on the second floor of the guild building, which is a gallery
overlooking the dining and gathering hall below. Opening a plain wooden
door without any sign indicating that it belongs to the guild master on it,
Ingrid leads us inside.
The interior is overflowing with things. The walls are decorated with
various personal belongings and trophies; there's an unknown canine-like
beast's head, a jaw of something I would identify as having belonged to a
shark, as well as ornamental weapons and a large paper placard displaying a
dragon's morphology. Every single flat surface in the room is overloaded
with piles of files and papers, wooden and stone figures, as well as bones,
leather bags, and clothes.
In all honesty, it looks quite cozy in here. I like these kinds of rooms; my
own was like that, too. My father always brought souvenirs from his overseas business trips, and he actually had pretty good taste in those things. He never
bought into tourist traps like an Eiffel Tower keychain or a Statue of Liberty
lighter.
"Take a seat anywhere. Sorry, but I'm not sorry for the mess." She rounds
her desk and sits down on her revolving chair while gesturing into the room.
There aren't many places one could sit; I find one spot on the edge of the
couch, Luna sits down on a wooden barrel, while Rolan remains standing. "In
my line of work tidiness just means you're unsuccessful."
That's true for any job that will occupy every waking minute of your life,
just like my father's. Whenever he was home, he didn't have much time for
anything but having meals and sleep.
Why am I thinking back to my parents and my life in the previous world? I
will most likely never get back to it, and I don't really want to recall those
memories...
"So, you're saying that the merchant Sveinn Itkonen is secretly smuggling
elven slaves?" Ingrid's voice brings me back to the present. Wow, the
conversation seems to have already moved along for quite a bit while I wasn't
paying attention. "Where's your evidence?"
"We still need to find hard evidence, but there's enough reason to believe
that it's true. Runa and Miss Chloe here were attacked by three men who tried
to kidnap Lady Nightwane. Miss Chloe heard them mention Sveinn's name."
She's staring at me and then at Senka. Nothing is showing on her face, but I
can't help but feel that she's looking down on my taste in designs.
"Hm... alright, I'll send Vigi to check on the warehouses Sveinn frequently
uses, though he won't be back from a request until tomorrow morning."
Leaning forward onto the desk and folding her hands in front of her lips,
Ingrid concedes. Rolan and Luna look at each other with hopeful gazes upon
hearing that response. I'm just relieved that she doesn't make a rude comment
about Senka. "And where's Lady Nightwane?"
"We told her to close her shop until things are settled." Luna speaks up and
replies. When I think about it, that may not have been enough of a precaution.
Considering there's most likely an entire organization behind it all, and three
of their guys didn't return from the job, they might send people to check on
them. And I doubt a locked wooden door will stop them at that time.
"If they ran away, it's very likely that they'll return to finish the job. At that
time a locked door won't be a problem." Aside from the details, she can't know about, Ingrid and my thoughts are aligned.
"Oh no! We should go and bring her here, to put her under the protection of
the guild." Luna jumps up at the realization that Lady Nightwane might still
be in danger.
"I'll come with you." I stand up myself and announce.
"Wait... who's this girl again?" The guild master directs the question at
Rolan while pointing at me. That's rude; you can just ask me directly!
Wait, you only now care to ask? Even though Rolan even mentioned me by
name in his explanation just now.
"She's Miss Chloe Marcott. We picked her up in Birkas. She was attacked
by bandits and ended up in our care." The leader gives a quick explanation,
most likely because we're pressed for time.
"Any combat experience, Chloe?" Her piercing gaze seems to bore holes
into my eyes. No honorifics and straight to the name? Even if it's actually my
last name, it feels quite rude to be addressed so casually by someone whom I
just met.
"None." But I need to keep up the act, so I reply meekly while avoiding her
gaze. I only have minimal experience, so it might as well be none, so
technically I'm not lying. Not that it changes the fact that I'm most likely the
strongest being in this city, solely based on my physical attributes. Since I
don't know how powerful magic can be, I won't say that I'm the strongest
overall.
"And you still wish to go along to Lady Nightwane's store, knowing that it
might be a dangerous situation?" I don't like her tone. She's clearly judging
me for endangering myself - and those around me - by forcing them to look
out for me during battle.
"Ahhh, Miss Chloe is like that, you see. She also came along on our
extermination request with the wulfar." Rolan's explanation makes me sound
like a selfish noble girl. I'm posing as a noble, but I'm not selfish, you know?
"Yes, I got to know Lady Nightwane, so I want to make sure that she's
alright." And maybe get to know her a little better in the process.
"Oh well, she's your problem, Rolan." Standing up from her chair, Ingrid
remarks with a frown. This lady is really rude! "In either case, if Vigi finds
out that Sveinn is a slave smuggler, we'll be able to capture him. But I doubt
the organization behind him will stop. They'll find someone else to do it."
So, we would need to get to the core of things and break apart the criminal organization completely, before this can be put to rest. Or at least that's what
I get from the way she's saying it.
"I understand." Rolan nods with a downcast look. It seems he's fully aware
of the fact that such human evil can't be rooted out with some superficial
treatment. "But this is a step in the right direction."
I wonder what would have happened if I hadn't been around. Lady
Nightwane, and maybe Luna as well, would have been kidnapped and turned
into slaves, with Rolan and his party none the wiser. It would have been
treated as a missing person case, but nobody would have made the connection
to the merchant Sveinn and the fact that kidnappings and slave trading are
being conducted in this very city.
Isn't this helping the humans sort out their domestic problems? If they deal
with this and manage to end the black market slave trade, they'll be able to
focus on external issues, like the war against the demons. That's not what I
want. What would Maou-mama say, if she found out that I was involved in
helping to make the humans more united?
Well, for now, I'll just think about what I can gain out of this. Some of the
slave traders and their thugs could disappear under mysterious circumstances,
just like the three in Lady Nightwane's store did, so that I can eat my fill- I
mean, gain more templates for different physical appearances.
"Thank you, Ingrid." Rolan nods towards the guild master. At his gratitude,
she merely waves it off as something natural to do.
He turns to Luna and me afterward. "We should hurry."