Volume Five, Chapter One
After that, somehow I managed to calm and satisfy Lady Meel… and after resting at the princess dragon’s place, we crossed fields and mountains, drawn by the scent of the sea.
“Ellarge! I have returned!”
Yes! Somehow, we safely arrived at the city of Ellarge, the base of the Gourmands!
As I step out of the car and stretch vigorously, I’m enveloped by a breeze carrying moisture and the scent of the tide. Against my skin, I feel the heat of stone buildings and streets where food stalls crowd together in bustling activity…!
This city has a different kind of liveliness compared to the royal capital!
…Well, it’s not like I lived here for that long, but it was the first city I came to in this world, the place I met my friends, and where I got my ID for this world… When I think about it like that, I’ve grown pretty attached to it!
“That said, the Melnoa Volcano was also a treasure trove of ingredients! We should visit occasionally for the hot springs and ingredients while paying our respects to Lady Meel!”
“Hot springs and food sound good… but I don’t want to see that dragon again!”
‘Me too! That one, no way!’
As I massage my stiff neck from driving, Ms. Aria and Gomamiso purse their lips with such disgusted expressions. Both of them, wrinkling their noses like that… it ruins your cute faces, you know?
…Well… it seems their hostility toward Lady Meel won’t disappear anytime soon. To me, she’s an adorable dragon… but this is something that only time can heal. While I hope they can become friends, I can’t force it.
“Still, I already promised to go make curry for her, so we’ll have to visit at some point.”
“…Why… why did you promise that? Rin, you’re our cook…!”
“Because… to protect everyone’s lives… and by extension, the peace of Melnoa, I had no choice but to do that…!”
I gently comfort Ms. Aria as she covers her face with both hands and breaks down crying. I feel like she’s putting on a bit of an act, but it’s half true. When Lady Meel was enraged, what choice did I have but to declare "I’ll make you special curry too!" to prevent her from harming everyone or ravaging Melnoa? I had to appease her by saying, "I’ll top it with hot spring eggs and Hell Catfish fritters!”
…Well, Lady Meel wasn’t really serious—if she had been truly angry, I’d have been torn to pieces before I could make such an offer—so it’s thanks to my curry promise that we made it out in one piece.
Where there’s life, there’s hope, right? All’s well that ends well?
“But anyway… future plans and everything else… will have to wait until after we report to the guild…”
“True… You’re the one involved, Rin, so there’s probably a ton of paperwork and reports waiting for you.”
The little farce aside, the things I still had to do suddenly crossed my mind, and I felt a bit of a weight settle on me.
The main burden will fall on Mr. Ville as our party leader, but… since I’m directly connected to the saint’s summoning, I’ll probably have just as many responsibilities.
Behind me, as I let out a long, long sigh, Mr. Ed takes over comforting Ms. Aria, who’s still pretending to cry, chuckling all the while.
“Ughhhhh… I kind of just want to run away from it all right now…”
“…Then, should we all escape… together?”
“Hmm! What a tempting invitation!”
Just as I’m about to be drawn in by Ms. Aria’s sweet temptation as she whispers devilishly in my ear, someone pats my back as if to scold my wavering heart.
“I understand the desire to run away… but come on. We need to show our faces and report to Tori.”
“Aww… I wanted to enjoy Ellarge a bit more after so long, but I guess it’s best to head to the guild sooner rather than later.”
Looking up at Mr. Ville, I notice he has a somewhat dejected expression… Ah, he must be thinking the same thing as me. While it’s certainly a relief to have returned to Ellarge, the reporting and communication that comes with it is such a drag…
“Ugh… I don’t even know where to start with the report! So much happened, I can’t make heads or tails of it…”
What we discussed in the royal capital was all too important—not to mention long—so just reporting it will be a huge task. And then there’s the problem of deciding what to share and what to leave out…
“Indeed… the information is so dense that it’s hard to know how to explain it all…”
“A lot happened both on the road and in the royal capital, after all.”
It’s not that I dislike Mr. Tori… actually, I find him quite likable, but when I think about all the reporting and paperwork that comes with it, you know? It’s just a bit troublesome… Sorry, Mr. Tori!
“The Adventurers’ Guild will want to hear about the mana stone incident and the impact of conquering the secret dungeon, but then again, we’re dealing with that Tori.”
“He’ll definitely want to know about everything regarding the saint’s summoning too… He’s one of the few people who knows about my circumstances.”
…Yup. The focus of our reporting this time comes down to how much of my private conversation with Mr. Noah I should share with Mr. Tori.
Hmm… Managing what information to share is tricky…
First, I should definitely keep quiet about this world being based on a game, right? Also, I absolutely think I should remain silent about Mr. Noah being a reincarnated person. On the other hand, it’s fine to mention things like "a monster nest with a mana stone formed near the royal capital" and "we eliminated it." I can also share information like how the saint’s group has been causing problems in various places, and even suggest that we should travel around to get ahead of them and solve problems before they arrive.
But still…
“I should probably report to Mr. Tori about the prophecy I briefly mentioned to you, Mr. Ville, right?”
“Ah, that… Yeah, since we’ll probably be away from Ellarge a lot from now on, it would be good to inform him.”
“There’s a good chance we’ll get side missions like ‘Oh, while you’re at it, go check this place out.’”
Yes. Actually, when I had a private talk with Mr. Noah, he secretly shared with me a list of all the game events he could remember. Mr. Noah told me I could explain it as "written like a prophecy in an ancient manuscript handed down through the royal family," so I’ve already told Mr. Ville about it.
After all, Mr. Ville is the party leader of the Gourmands! To interfere with the saint’s events, we’ll need to move as a party… so it’s important to keep the party leader, who determines the party’s movements, in the loop, right? But setting aside such reasons, I just wanted Mr. Ville to know! After all, he’s the first person I met in this other world—there might be voices saying "Wasn’t your first encounter with those people at the saint’s summoning?" but I don’t count that as a proper meeting—!
“Still, an ancient manuscript passed down through the royal family… I knew of its existence, but to think it contained such things.”
“You’ve never seen it, Mr. Ville?”
“It was meant for the king’s eyes only. I’ve never seen it.”
Hmm. I’ve heard that mixing lies with truth makes them harder to detect, and I guess that’s really true…
It’s true that Mr. Noah has an ancient manuscript passed down through the royal family. It’s true that the document contains the history of the royal family and some memorandum-like notes, and only the current king can handle it. It’s also true that Mr. Noah and I had a private talk. But the claim that the manuscript contains prophecies is a lie! Mr. Noah came up with most of it, but it’s such a perfect balance!
“But the question is, how much of it should we tell Tori…?”
“That’s the issue… I hope he’ll understand that we’ll be out of town and operating elsewhere more often from now on…”
Ugh… truly, selecting which information to report is such a hassle! Not only deciding which information to present, but also having to allocate mental resources to simulate Q&A scenarios like how to respond when Mr. Tori probes deeper! This is the most daunting task I’ve faced recently!
By the way, Ms. Aria, Mr. Ed, and Mr. Xenon were like, "We’re going back first to prepare for the welcome-back party!" and went back to the base ahead of us…
Well, Mr. Ville can probably explain everything about the party matters, so there’s no issue, but… I can’t help feeling a bit left behind…
Gomamiso is still sleeping soundly in my arms!
“Aaaaah! It’s Ms. Rin and Mr. Ville!”
As I desperately resisted the temptations of food stalls with freshly grilled skewers and delicious-looking fruits, a familiar voice vibrated my eardrums.
Turning around, I see… triangular cat ears and a long tail?
“Huh? Lent! It’s been a while!”
“It’s been a while… Wait, no time for pleasantries! We’ve been looking all over for you and Mr. Ville because we have a favor to ask!”
The cat-eared boy desperately circles around in front of me as I casually wave my hand.
Right after I came to Ellarge, I met him during the fire bear incident. A beastkin boy from the “Lucky Clover.” After the fire bear incident, we worked together to develop a menu for the church’s bazaar, so I have a connection with him in some way.
However, Lent’s face as he rushed over to us looks a bit troubled… Did something happen? Honestly, I can’t help but worry…
“Sorry, Lent! I understand you have something to talk about, but we need to go to the Adventurers’ Guild right now…”
“Oh! You’re going to the guild! In that case… hmm… I guess it’s okay…”
Seeing Lent’s slightly hesitant manner, Mr. Ville and I exchanged glances involuntarily.
…Yup, there’s definitely something going on here!
“But, um… if you have time after visiting the guild, I’d like you to come to our church! I also want to talk about the bazaar from before!”
“Ah, right! You said you were going to make Pão de Queijo! I really want to know how it went!”
“Yes, thank you! I’ll be waiting!”
With a face that brightened just a little, Lent waves his hand and runs off, blending into the crowd.
“There seems to be… something complicated going on…”
“Yes… and moreover, I get a strong sense that it’s something unpleasant…”
Hmm… I hope it’s something we can help with.
But what concerns me even more is…
“…It feels strange that Lent would directly say he has something to ask of us…”
“Indeed. I remember him being quite considerate toward us… despite that, for him to come directly with a request means…”
“…Perhaps they’re in a desperate situation with nowhere else to turn?”
The more I think about it, the more my thoughts go in a bad direction.
I mean, he’s from that church run by Mr. Rayer, who’s super formal and always keeps things strictly professional—and now he’s got a personal request for us?
I can’t help but think that Lent and his friends must be caught up in some trouble they can’t handle on their own!
“…Well, let’s head to the guild first.”
“Yes. From the way Lent was talking, it seems the guild might be involved too…”
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t concerned about Lent’s situation, but we need to take care of our business at the guild first before we can move forward.
With a sense of reluctance, I turn toward the guild as Mr. Ville urges me on.
◆◇◆
The Adventurers’ Guild in Ellarge is as busy as ever.
Fortunately, it seems Mr. Tori’s schedule is open today. Following the guidance of the kobold receptionist, Ms. Sheila, we head toward the reception room.
“You’ve finally returned! We’ve received reports about your accomplishments from both the Melnoa and Schulbrand guilds!”
As soon as the door opens, I feel somewhat relieved seeing Mr. Tori’s cheerful face. The last time I saw him, the light in his eyes was nearly gone from all the paperwork and whatnot… Now his eyes look much more lively, his complexion is good… he seems to have recovered quite a bit.
“Information travels quite fast. Did you use messenger birds?”
“Yeah. A messenger bird came from Schulbrand, and a fast horse delivered news from Melnoa!”
Mr. Tori grins back at Mr. Ville, who has heavily seated himself on the reception sofa.
Messenger bird… for a moment I wasn’t sure what that meant, but since it’s paired with "fast horse," I figured it must be some kind of bird-based communication method like carrier pigeons.
That sounds kind of cool! In my mind, I picture pigeons or hawks, but since this is another world, after all. Griffons or harpies… wouldn’t it be more fantasy-like if they used monsters? Come to think of it, Gomamiso has wings too, and if it could fly, it might look somewhat impressive… or maybe not?
“If reports have already come in from other places, that makes things easier. We’ll fill in the gaps from our side.”
“Right. Tell me how your movements will change going forward based on what was discussed in the royal capital.”
Mr. Tori’s expression turns serious at Mr. Ville’s opening words. Settling deeper into the sofa, we spill out as much information as we can… That said, Mr. Ville is the one mainly leading the discussion. I’m just supplementing and testifying… that sort of thing.
As I was considering earlier in my mind, I didn’t mention things like "Mr. Noah is a reincarnated person from another world with vivid memories of his previous life!" or "This world is actually an otome game world!" That would only confuse, and I didn’t think it would be the right time to reveal the truth here.
The events at Melnoa Volcano. The encounter and reconciliation with Lady Meel, and our contract with her. The uproar about enlarged magical creatures and the mana stone incident near the village around Schulbrand, and our trip to the hidden dungeon.
“…A prophecy in an ancient manuscript, huh. This is turning into quite the strange tale…”
“Indeed. Normally, it would be hard to swallow, but the saint’s summoning actually happened. We can’t afford not to believe it.”
…And of course, we also reported on the saint’s group’s movements. Along with that, we laid out our own plans… we held nothing back about how we plan to travel to various places to resolve disturbances and problems in advance to interfere with the saint’s group! Seeing both Mr. Tori and Mr. Ville sighing in unison stimulates my sense of guilt… The truth is, it’s not a prophecy, but an event list leaked from the developer!
“That’s why from now on, we’re planning to move around to various guilds and accept requests.”
“Well, from the guilds’ perspective, having powerful adventurers like you traveling around is certainly welcome, but…”
While feeling sorry for Mr. Tori, who seems unsure whether to be happy or worried, I’m secretly a bit relieved. After all, I even have intel on hidden events that won’t trigger unless certain conditions are met! When it comes to having an information advantage, we’re way ahead of the saint’s group. As long as we keep playing our cards right, I think we can keep that advantage and move things along smoothly!
Probably to avoid interrupting the intense discussion, Ms. Sheila silently serves us herbal tea, which I sip. It’s a bit bitter and grassy, but the aftertaste reminds me of green tea. It feels oddly nostalgic. This subtle bitterness—it’s got that refined feeling… Imperfection has its own charm, as they say.
“But first, I want you to work for Ellarge! See, the Azure Droplets just went overseas to help out another guild.”
“Them? That’s unusual. They typically never leave Riessfeld, right?”
An unfamiliar term enters my ears as I’m feeling nostalgic. It sounds like someone’s alias or a party name…
“Ah, you wouldn’t know, Rin. The Azure Droplets are one of the top-tier adventurer parties around.”
Noticing me instinctively lifting my head from my cup with a tilt, Mr. Ville provided additional information.
Whoa! Another famous skilled adventurer party from this city!
Doesn’t that sound like a rival party? That’s pretty cool! It feels like classic fantasy or adventure novel tropes, which I think is great!
“Exactly! They’re just as strong as the Gourmands! Plus, the Azure Droplets have a skilled cook with them! They specialize in expedition missions all over Riessfeld.”
“…The expedition part isn’t really relevant, though…”
“Ah, expeditions, is it… The old Gourmands weren’t good at those, right?”
Is it just my imagination that I hear Mr. Ville grinding his teeth as Mr. Tori laughs heartily?
Still, thanks to that additional explanation, my understanding of the Azure Droplets has improved!
Basically, Mr. Ville and his party, who couldn’t travel far, handled medium to high-difficulty missions centered around Ellarge. Meanwhile, the Azure Droplets, who could travel far, focused on expedition quests.
Mr. Ville might look a bit frustrated, but I think it’s a pretty solid division of roles!
And they have a skilled cook too!
I haven’t heard of anyone other than me and that high school girl being summoned from another world, so the cook must be a native of this world, right? That means… they might know about ingredients unique to this world and recipes using them!
…As Lent told me before, "recipes" are quite valuable in this world… I wonder if I could exchange my Earth recipes for other-world recipes.
“Now we have Rin with us! Expedition missions are nothing to fear!”
“Well, I understand how you feel, but I’m asking you to take on quests centered around Ellarge for now!”
My consciousness, which had been swallowed by a whirlpool of thoughts, resurfaces due to the unexpected warmth of someone else. Mr. Ville has grabbed my wrist and raised my arm high like a boxer who’s been declared the winner. Mr. Tori coolly retorted to Mr. Ville, who had a somewhat triumphant look on his face.
Well, I can understand Mr. Ville’s feelings, but right now, the Gourmands are the only party capable of handling medium to high-difficulty quests. Of course, Mr. Tori is desperate to keep us here. I think we could go on expedition missions once the Azure Droplets return to Ellarge and we can coordinate our schedules…
The illustration’s description: Ville raised Rin’s arm.
“Besides, there’s one urgent request I’d like you to take.”
“An urgent one? What’s the damage, and how urgent is it?”
I felt something like an electric current run through the room at Mr. Tori’s words as he furrowed his brows. From Mr. Tori’s demeanor, it seems like this is a highly urgent matter. Mr. Ville apparently had the same thought as me. His well-shaped eyebrows draw tightly together.
“It’s extremely urgent. Recently, there’s been a request from both the Fishery Guild and the Commerce Guild to investigate the rough sea currents.”
Mr. Tori continued with a troubled look—apparently, if things get any worse, it can damage the entire country.
“As you know, Ellarge is a city sustained by trade and fishing. Despite that, several ships are already unable to enter the port.”
“Hmm… if this situation continues and the port becomes completely closed, that would be a devastating blow, right?”
“To put it plainly. And also…”
The state of the sea—whether it’s stormy or calm—is a critical issue for both trading vessels and fishing boats. No wonder it’s labeled “urgent”!
“…And also?”
“Actually, the same kind of request has come from the Lyusia Temple, too. They want us to investigate the anomalies happening at sea.”
Mr. Tori’s words, as he scratches his head, catch somewhere in my mind. Lyusia Temple…? Hmm? That sounds familiar somehow… It wasn’t that long ago… and it was somewhere with a decent number of people around…?
“Ah! Lent’s place!”
“Lent… Oh, the Lucky Clover kid’s place. That’s right, their base was the Lyusia Church!”
The headquarters of the Lucky Clover, led by the former warrior priest Mr. Rayer! He said it was a church dedicated to the sea goddess Lyusia!
…Which means what Lent wanted to consult us about is…!
“It seems like we should definitely take this quest.”
“Yeah. Sounds like there are some complicated circumstances…”
Our whispered conversation must have been audible. Mr. Tori brightens up with a "You’ll take it!" expression. Well… we have no choice but to accept this, right? It’s definitely a case with something going on behind the scenes!
…And also, isn’t this one of the game events that Mr. Noah told me about!? There were several events that would trigger depending on flag conditions!
Before meeting the conditions, the state was "the sea is calm" and "fish are caught in abundance," but after meeting the conditions, it changes to "the sea becomes rough" and "fish can no longer be caught," so by going to remove the cause, one’s level or affection would increase… that kind of thing!
It’s just my guess, but rather than a romantic event… I think it’s more of a scenario where you increase favorability or trust through combat or puzzle-solving. I mean, if it were a romantic event, a dialogue-based solution would make more sense than combat, right? Well, I don’t play romance simulation games, so I don’t know the exact details…
I wasn’t told specifically about the trigger events, but I wonder what it could be? Obtaining the mana stone? Or defeating the Drauwurm? Lady Meel seems to know something too, so maybe my closeness with the princess dragon is also related?
In any case, to interfere with the saint’s side, we have to accept this request!
“Man, this is a relief! Depending on the situation, there may be sea combat, but there just aren’t many parties who can handle that! Yet I’m being pressured by both the Fishery Guild and the Temple…”
With a pleased expression, Mr. Tori begins to spread out what appears to be documents for this request. In the reward column that I glimpsed, a considerable sum was recorded. But well, since there’s no period specified, it’s the type of request where the longer it takes, the less profitable it becomes! Hmm… if we could settle it quickly, it would be a lucrative request…
“So? If sea combat is anticipated, will there be some support from the guild?”
“Well, yes. It’s a battlefield that’s difficult to fight in without specialized equipment, after all.”
It seems Mr. Ville and Mr. Tori have already begun discussing the conditions of the request and various details. I’ll leave the technical talk to them! Me? I’d like to gather a bit more information…
I pick up the parchment left on the desk that contains the details of the request.
…Yup. It’s strange how I can read unfamiliar letters so fluently… or rather, how I can understand the content… It’s truly a mysterious sensation. It’s a bit eerie, but now’s not the time to worry about such things! I need all the info I can get, and being able to understand this is a huge help.
“Just in case, I want to increase the number of underwater exploration items being lent out. Or at least lend us higher-grade ones!”
“I understand what you’re saying, but we’re short on equipment to begin with! This is the absolute limit of what we can offer!”
…However, it seems that most of what’s written is what Mr. Tori already told us. There are supplementary explanations, but with just this amount of information, I still don’t understand at all…
The voices of Mr. Ville and Mr. Tori hammering out the conditions grow increasingly louder. Wondering when they’ll finish, I drain the remaining tea that Ms. Sheila had brewed for us.
◆◇◆
The church at the outskirts of town is quiet today. I thought about going around to the back entrance, but I can’t quite remember where it is… Well, when I came here before, Lent led me by the hand.
Looking at the church door again, it’s made of a single plank with a dignified atmosphere. The decoration is minimal and simple, but it glows amber… clearly telling the story of standing in this place for many years.
When Mr. Ville knocks on the door with what appears to be a brass door knocker, there’s an immediate response. Without much waiting, the door slowly opens.
“Ah, you’ve come. Thank you so much!”
“We’re not strangers, after all. Judging from that boy’s state, it seemed like some trouble was happening.”
The one who shows his face from inside is Mr. Rayer, the former warrior priest who’s already become familiar to us. He seems relieved to see us. The tension between his brows relaxes just a little. Is it my imagination that his face looks a bit more tired compared to when we last met? Am I only seeing it that way because I know about the "rough seas" situation?
“Oh, I shouldn’t keep guests standing outside. Please, come in.”
Mr. Rayer, adjusting his glasses, which had slipped down a bit, lets us into the church. When I visited before, we entered through the back door, so this might be my first time entering the chapel like this!
The first thing that catches my eye through the widely opened door is…
“Wow! The stained glass is beautiful!”
“Hehehe. It’s said to depict Lady Lyusia. It was donated by faithful parishioners several decades ago.”
On the front wall, there’s a large window with stained glass, though with few colors. In the center of a predominantly blue world, a figure of what looks like a woman with long hair is depicted. Just below that… at what appears to be an altar, there’s an oddly shaped object—a small perfect circle combined with a cross at its intersection point—I wonder if that’s the sacred symbol of the Lyusia religion?
Then there’s a pulpit where Mr. Rayer probably stands to preach, and long benches for the believers. Well, just imagine the typical interior that comes to mind when you hear "church.”
“By the way, we just met Lent earlier!”
“Ah, Lent and his friends have gone on a mission… You must have just missed each other.”
“Hehehe. I’m glad Lent seemed to be doing well!”
Lent isn’t here even though he said we’d talk at the church, so I guess he went to accept a request after all. I have various things I want to ask about, like the bazaar, but he’s got to make a living. Can’t be helped. Work comes first.
“Well now. Let’s not stand around talking. Please, come this way.”
Just beside the altar, there is a plain-looking door that seems to lead to the back of the church… or rather, to the living space I visited before. A few belongings placed at the end of the hallway, laundry fluttering in what seems to be a courtyard… though separated by just a door, it suddenly becomes a space overflowing with signs of everyday life!
“I didn’t expect you’d notice us just from knocking. If there’d been no one around, I was thinking of looking for the back entrance…”
“Ah. Recently, I’ve been offering prayers at the altar whenever I have time.”
“…Are those prayers related to the request?”
Mr. Rayer glances back at us in response to Mr. Ville’s words, and indeed, deep fatigue remains visible on his face. It’s not just the lighting—he’s definitely accumulated mental strain.
“You see right through me. Come to think of it, you went to the guild, didn’t you?”
“Yes. I’ve heard that an investigation request came from the church.”
“Good to know you’re well-informed.”
Mr. Rayer, leading the way, opens a door I recognize. Inside is… just as I thought, the reception room from before! It reminds me of when we made those Pão de Queijo-like pastries with Lent and the other kids…
While I’m savoring those memories, the conversation between Mr. Ville and Mr. Rayer continues.
“…The truth is, we have a once-in-a-decade grand festival coming up, and yet… we haven’t felt the Goddess’s blessing at all.”
Mr. Rayer, after showing us to the sofa and sitting down in a chair himself, begins with a tragic expression.
Apparently, even though high-ranking clerics and priestesses—people with years of training—have been offering prayers, there’s no sign of any blessing. Normally, after prayers are completed, light is supposed to pour down and bestow protection on amulets… but this year, there’s been absolutely no sign of that happening!
“I see… Even if it’s once a decade, for the divine works to be completely absent is… troubling.”
“That’s… beyond worry. It must be terribly unsettling not knowing what’s happening…”
Looking closely, Mr. Rayer has deep bags under his eyes.
Losing touch with the object of your faith… for someone who’s a priest and entrusted with a church, that’s certainly a crisis. "The object of faith might have disappeared"—that could shake the very foundation of belief! Actually, it would definitely shake it!
This is a more critical situation than I thought for the Lyusia religion…!
“Um, Mr. Rayer. It might be inappropriate to say this given the situation… but actually, there’s something I need to apologize to you for…”
“Oh? What happened?”
When I call out to Mr. Rayer, who’s slightly lowering his head while pushing up his glasses, he raises his face, his expression returning to a gentle one. Ugh… It’s really hard to bring this up when they can’t even make new amulets, but…
“Well, actually… the amulet you gave me, due to certain circumstances, I had to give it away…”
…That’s right. I’ve been thinking I needed to apologize to Mr. Rayer when I saw him! Even though it was from ten years ago, I left the amulet he gave me in Melnoa. There was a reason—without it, everyone except me would be considered enemies by the princess dragon…
You know, Lady Meel also said something like, "Since ancient times, it has been decreed that those bearing divine protection shall attend to my needs…" The blessing of Lyusia, Goddess of the Sea, in that amulet was perfect as certification for a caretaker.
…But originally, that amulet was something Mr. Rayer kindly gave me, right? I’m torn between feeling it couldn’t be helped, given the circumstances, and feeling I should still apologize!
“…Oh, is that all?”
“Ugh… even considering the situation, I ended up giving it away without permission…”
“An amulet’s true purpose is to protect people. I’d say it fulfilled its duty admirably.”
Mr. Rayer’s voice in response to my continuous bowing is incredibly gentle and kind. As expected of an active priest! The sense of reassurance and feeling of being forgiven is overwhelming…!
“Please don’t worry about it, Ms. Rin. Looking at it differently, thanks to the Goddess’s power, you were able to protect people’s lives. This might become an opportunity for more people in Melnoa to believe in Lady Lyusia.”
Mr. Rayer, smiling a bit mischievously, gives me a playful wink.
…I see. So that’s another way to look at it.
Come to think of it, when I handed it over to the Melnoa side, I properly said, "It contains the power of the Sea Goddess!" I unintentionally played a part in missionary work!
Yup. Thinking of it that way makes me feel a bit better! It’s true I gave away the amulet, but I can consider it as having helped spread the Goddess’s divine virtue…!
…Hm? Wait a minute…
“So that means no new amulets can be made… and not being able to sense the Goddess’s power right now is even more of a problem, isn’t it?”
“Yes, that’s correct…”
Mr. Rayer’s shoulders slump as I involuntarily hold my breath.
Ugh… feels like we’re back to square one…
“Lady Lyusia is the goddess who governs the seas. So if something were to happen to Lady Lyusia, the sea would be the first place we’d see any change…”
Ah, I see. That’s why the church also put out an investigation request to the guild.
“True… Regardless of which is the cause and which is the effect, investigating the sea is a good approach.”
“Um, Ms. Rin… cause and effect? What exactly do you mean?”
I mentioned it casually, but Mr. Rayer latched onto it more than I expected!
…Well, I guess that’s natural. As they say, a drowning person will clutch at anything… he probably wants to grasp any information available right now. But that doesn’t mean I can explain it well! It’s a bit difficult! Desperately calming my confused mind after being suddenly put on the spot, I somehow manage to find the words.
“Well, um, how should I put it… is the sea in turmoil and the blessing not reaching us because something happened to Lady Lyusia, or something else is causing the sea to rage, and that’s why her power can’t reach the land…”
Argh, seriously! I’m so bad at explaining things!
Basically, whether the sea is stormy because something’s wrong with Lady Lyusia, or it’s stormy for another reason, and that’s stopping her power—it makes sense to investigate the sea either way!
After somehow explaining this while stumbling over my words, both Mr. Ville and Mr. Rayer look at me with surprised eyes.
…Yup, I knew it! No one really sees me as the brainy type!
“…Indeed, at this stage, we can’t definitively say where the cause lies.”
“Yes. So to identify that, investigating the sea is essential, I think.”
“You’re absolutely right, Ms. Rin… I’ve been thinking too simplistically that something might have happened to Lady Lyusia herself… but since Lady Lyusia also governs the abundance of the sea, it’s possible we can’t feel her blessing because the sea itself is turbulent…”
When those who seem smarter than me show such understanding, I feel a strange mix of ticklishness and slight embarrassment? But seriously—even though I said it myself, regardless of where the cause lies, investigating the sea is an essential step.
It’s not like I’m planning to use the investigation as an excuse to go fishing or gathering… I don’t, but…! I can’t help wanting to play in the sea during break time!
“In any case, we, the Gourmands, have been assigned this investigation request. We’ll do our best to resolve the issue.”
“With you all, I strangely feel that everything will be alright, no matter what happens. Please take care of this.”
Mr. Rayer takes Mr. Ville’s and my hands in turn while bowing deeply.
He’s not a king or anything… but for the head of an organization to bow so deeply… he really must be troubled…
“We’ll work hard to find out the cause and move things in a better direction!”
I want to believe it’s not just my wishful thinking that Mr. Rayer’s expression seems to soften slightly as he watches us clench our fists. I have to do my best not to betray this trust Mr. Rayer has in us! I’m getting fired up!
We leave the church, seen off by Mr. Rayer, who continues to bow until the end.
“When we get back, we’ll need to tell everyone that we’ve accepted the request…”
“Yeah… though I have a feeling we might get scolded for accepting a request without taking a break first, but…”
“Since the sea’s condition directly affects life in a port town… We’ll just have to ask for their forgiveness…”
If the sea gets too rough, ships won’t be able to bring cargo into Ellarge—or leave from it. That would be a huge economic blow…! Furthermore, they wouldn’t be able to go fishing, so the food situation would worsen too… considering all this, I think it’s a matter of life and death.
“…Protecting the town’s safety is also our duty as adventurers… I suppose I’ll appease them with some meat skewers today…”
Mr. Ville, showing a somewhat wicked smile, heads toward a stall wafting a fragrant aroma.
I see! To win over our party, start with the stomach…!
“If that’s the case, I think I can help too! Let’s buy that big fish!”
I pull on Mr. Ville’s cloak as he buys quite a lot of meat skewers, pointing to the fish shop across the way.
That sea bream-like fish displayed at the front of the store! It’s a magnificent size, and it looks fresh… sashimi, sushi, grilled, fried… and the head could be simmered or made into a clear soup… I’m sure it would be delicious!
Let’s pray that our leader’s purse strings are loose!
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