Chapter 171: Volume 8 - CH 167

「Whoaa ...... this is awesome」

In the western part of Raid, a great country in the western part of this world, a crater suddenly appeared on the outskirts of a vast forest called the Dark Green Forest.

A man was floating in the sky above it.

A slightly strong wind, probably caused by sorcery, fluttered the man's long robe, but it had no effect on him as he floated in midair.

The man looks at the endless, desolate explosion scars, and is amazed.

「Hmmm? I'd say it's roughly a 15-mile radius?」

Water is floating here and there in the crater below. It has been raining a lot recently, and it will probably become a lake after a long period of time. A circular lake with a radius of 15 miles is quite a big environmental change. There are many countries in the surrounding area that need water, and the Dark Green Forest may also be altered. It would probably lead to disputes, but that is not something a man would think about.

He continues to stare carefully at the crater as he floats in the air.

「What's more, this explosion is ......」

The man quickly and naturally lowers his altitude to assess the crater and the surrounding terrain. His hooded eyes gleam. Taking measurements while continuously using the art of levitation requires a high level of concentration, but the man seems to be doing it with no difficulty. However, as you can see from his skin tone, it's only natural for an 【Immortal Family】 to do so.

「It's not gouging down as much as I thought it would ...... and there's no residue ......」

The man's eye was looking at things with great precision.

The gouging of the terrain was small in relation to the size of the area of damage. The center of the explosion was slightly elevated, and although the area around it was gradually getting deeper, even at the deepest point, only about three majors (27 meters) had been cut from the original terrain.

And there are no remnants of what could be called residues of magic power, which in today's world there should be no way to detect, which is the meaning of the event.

The residue is what remains after the use of medium or larger-scale sorcery. The time and scale of the residuals differ depending on the scale of the art. Originally, if sorcery of this magnitude and power was used, the residue should remain for at least one season. The lack of it means that this explosion was not caused by sorcery.

「Even if it is ...... as expected, this is a bit of a stretch, yes.」

The man's voice is laced with a hint of agitation.

The man, who had been standing motionless in mid-air looking at the vast crater, suddenly looked up. The next moment, he vanishes from the scene. This is due to 【Transfer】.

When the man regained his consciousness from the fluctuation caused by the 【Transfer】 art, he found a man in sheet metal armor. The surrounding scene is a typical inn. It was a room at the Gray Crow Pavilion in Ares.

「Milord」

Granfeld, the swordsman, is relieved when he recognizes the young man who has returned by 【Transfer】. This swordsman has a worrisome side to him.

「Granfeld-kun, huh? Thanks for your hard work.」

「Thank you for your kind words.」

The way he bowed deeply was a perfect gesture of courtesy. At first glance, he appears to be a lowly mercenary, but his gesture is almost like that of a knight of the country. After nodding back at him in a composed manner, the man asks honestly what he wanted to ask the most.

「....So, how did it go?」

「It seems that the Labyrinth of No Return has been conquered. We don't know how many people have conquered it yet.」

「Heeh, ...... that labyrinth, eh」

The soldiers of Fort Dalewood, who have discovered that the Labyrinth of No Return has been liberated and have succeeded in eliminating the monsters in Dalewood Gorge, are still awaiting the return of a group of adventurers who have accomplished the difficult task of liberating the Labyrinth of No Return at the entrance to the Labyrinth of No Return. [TLN: Change Dalewood Valley, to Dalewood Gorge]

Returning from a labyrinth with 100 layers is also a difficult task, as it is said that it takes 100 days even if it takes 1 day per layer, so 120 days is required to be stationed in the area to make up for the extra time. After 120 days, it will be winter, and it will be difficult to camp outside, but rules are rules.

But the man in the long coat sees through this. There is no group of adventurers in the world today who could conquer that difficult labyrinth. The one who conquered it is probably not from this world.

「.....Did they take #1096 with them?」

「Huh?」

「Just talking to myself」

The man in the long robe, who mumbled in a dazed manner, sat down on the bed and turned his gaze a little further away.

「Yuki seems to be taking her time. Go and find out a little more.」

「Understood」

The man watches Granfeld's back as he leaves with a polite bow.

He is skilled and has a broad vision. The man trusts him. But the man doesn't have any faith in him. (? 信頼もしている。だが、信用はしていない。)

The look in the man's eyes told that more than anything else.

＊　＊　＊　＊　＊　＊　＊

Siegurd Maylander, the current head of the Viscount Maylander family, in consultation with his niece Sheryl, did not make any public announcement about Sheryl's move to the Coogan residence. He also urged Sheryl to exercise restraint for the time being by keeping a close exchange of information by having family members come and go from one place to another.

Sheryl, who had thought her uncle was mediocre, was surprised by his unexpected calmness and breadth of vision, but she accepted his suggestion, and at the Coogan residence, she pondered over the future measures to be taken.

That evening, Sheryl visited the mansion, and in front of her was an elderly man who worked as a butler for the Maylander family, who she is familiar with.

「Today, the Marquises of Kropp, Heinerberg, Count Zeddan, and many other barons and viscounts have requested to see Milady.」

The parchment that he proudly holds out to her lists the names of the nobles who have visited Maylander's house and requested to see Sheryl. The sheer number of names made Sheryl dizzy, but she read through them carefully. The fact that many of the nobles are rather critical of the royal family is, in a way, to be expected.

「...... I am sorry to uncle, but as I was saying, please refuse everything for the time being」

「Yes. As you requested.」

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In fact, it is said that there is no shortage of nobles who want to interview Sheryl to somehow make contact with Satoru by using that kind of means at Maylander's house. Siegurd has turned down all such requests, just as Sheryl had asked him to do.

Her uncle, who she thought was a moderate man with a good and mild temperament who was merely an opportunist, has made a brilliant move, keeping Sheryl's footsteps well hidden. Some of the houses, including one that insulted Siegurd and threatened him, but Siegurd responded firmly, and Sheryl secretly revised her opinion of her uncle, who was her late mother's brother.

From Siegurd's point of view, Sheryl is her late sister's child, in other words, her niece. Her ability to survive his brother-in-law Edward's blunder and the ensuing turmoil was no mean feat. Sheryl was surprised that he would be so protective of his niece, who had even rolled in with the baggage of Edward, who had been kicked out of aristocratic society―Sheryl's heart is filled with emotion.

Siegurd had loved Sheryl as if she were his own daughter, and his wife, Melissa, was a sorceress who had once belonged to the Academy of the Wise. Wisdom turns. Siegurd and Melissa have three children, but the eldest, the heir apparent, is still eight years old. Perhaps Siegurd thought a lot about this to protect his family.

Of course, Sheryl does not think of her cousins as her uncle and his wife. It is Sheryl's duty to be loyal to Satoru to protect them.

「...... But even so, we don't have enough hands to do that. At this rate, half of the Senate will have to push in.」

The last time the Senate met was three days ago. Since that night, the number of noble families belonging to the Senate who have been trying to establish a relationship with Sheryl has already reached 40, and one of the four ducal families have also visited. It would be impossible for Sheryl to keep a watchful eye on each and every one of these families. She could hire adventurers for the short term, but Sheryl's plan is for the long term.

「If you want, you can ask us to help you.」

「No, .....it pains me(それは心苦しい). Of course, I'm sure I'll have to do a little work for you.」

Sheryl bows her head to the butler of the Meilanders' house, looking truly apologetic. For 10 years since her foolish father Edward's blunder, Sheryl has also been helped by this butler in various ways. Having grown up in an aristocratic society, it was Maylander's family members who taught Sheryl the art of living in the city. Sheryl feels bad that he has to help her more than he should.

That night, while having dinner with Derek, who had come to report, Sheryl's fears and complaints made Derek groan in amazement.

「Team leader is so serious.」

「Sorry, I'm so clumsy.」

Derek smiles bitterly at the expression on Sheryl's face, which seems to contain about a third of her unfaithfulness.

「Their servants have a servant's connection to their servants. You don't have to tie them up tight, but just give them a silver coin (shilling) when they come to you with information. Then we can talk them into reaching out to other houses.」

「But ...... isn't that would be a betrayal for the families?」

Derek softly admonished Sheryl, who was becoming more and more discouraged.

「If that noble does what the team leader fears, that noble will betray the Ares royal family and others to the team leader and the Senate. There is no need to show mercy to a traitor.」

Sheryl was raised in the nobility and is of an extremely good nature. She seems to understand some of the subtleties of the world because she worked in the task force, a department where one has to know the dirt of the city to make it, but it seems that her upbringing has not worn off, and although she is capable, she is also a bit naive.

Derek's work is mainly dirty work. Derek himself strongly understood this.

「The connection between servants is something that cannot be underestimated」

Derek bites into the herb-roasted rabbit meat that is the main dish and is deeply impressed by its elegant taste while giving Sheryl a small, mischievous glance.

「We succeeded in bringing the Viscounts Lemerre into the fold, but that's because of all those things」

「.........Derek is much more capable than I am.」

Sheryl was stunned by Derek's ability to successfully win over the Viscount, a family belonging to the Senate, in just two days, something she had thought would be difficult. Sheryl was stunned by Derek's ability and wondered if it would be more successful if Derek took charge of the situation rather than her.

But Derek shook his head from side to side with a difficult look on his face.

「I hate to say it. I'm just a shadow. Because I'm a shadow, I can work this hard.」

Perhaps if Sheryl knew the circumstances of the bringing the Viscount, she would look at Derek with contempt and then blame him.

The background behind Viscount Lemerre's embrace was blackmail. At the age of fifty, he had recently raped and even impregnated a maid who worked in his house. Viscount Lemerre is an adopted son, and his wife holds the real power in the family. She is a jealous woman, and if she finds out that he raped the maid, he will be forced to retire. Fearing this, Viscount Lemerre conspired to silence the maid, and Derek learned of this fact.

Taking full advantage of his position as a former patrolman, he made contact with the maid, asked her what she wanted to do, and succeeded in extorting a huge amount of money from Viscount Lemerre. He then made the Viscount Lemerre comply on the condition that Derek would cover up what Viscount had done if he did what Derek said.

He also heard that the maid was planning to resign from her post at Viscount Lemerre's and run a store somewhere after the birth of her child, using the funds she had obtained.

「It is suitable for a person like a team leader to go out into the sun. It's a matter of personal preference, so don't worry about it.」

It is only those in the shadows who have access to the dark side of society. If Sheryl had learned of this fact, she would have formally accused Viscount Lemerre and reported it to his wife without concealment. If that had happened, the maid would have been thrown out with no money and Viscount Lemerre would be retired. You may be able to win the pleasure of Viscount Lemerre's wife, but what you gain will be small.

But what you get from hiding such things is sometimes greater. Sheryl would not be able to make such a dirty decision, and in the first place, it would not suit her. It would be unnecessarily dirty.

Sheryl only smiled a small smile, knowing that Derek was thinking of her. There are certainly some things that are not suited to the job. If Derek is willing to cover himself in the dirt, Sheryl will only reward Derek in the form of a reward.

「That reminds me, I've also heard that there are some guys posing as adventurers snooping around about the conquer of the Labyrinth of No Return.」

「Not the same 13 city-states or Raid?」

Sheryl was on board with Derek's somewhat deliberate digression.

Satoru was the one who cleared the Labyrinth of No Return, but that fact will not be revealed in the future. It is said that the 13 city-states and Raid are engaged in behind-the-scenes tactics and dark battles over the heroes who conquer the labyrinth. Unfortunately, the heroes do not appear in the public eye.

「Of course, that's a possibility. When I was at a party and heard about it, I was a little bit caught up in it.」

Sheryl raised one eyebrow and glanced at Derek's face.

「I heard that the male swordsman had an Eastern accent in his clothes, a design you don't see around here.

「East ......?」

When Sheryl heard that the region was located on the opposite side of the continent, she felt a strange uneasiness in her heart.

Her intuition told her that she should tell Satoru about it. Sheryl hesitated for a moment and then made a curious entry on the parchment, so she quickly used the 【Designated Transfer】 that Isolde had taught her to chant. She also thought about using a 【Communicating】 to hear Satoru's voice directly, but she wanted to keep that as a last resort.

Of course, she was not aware of it, but Sheryl's consideration was more than a little effective.

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