Following the scout from the Wolf Dog Mercenary Corps, it wasn’t long before I came face-to-face with a familiar countenance.
“It is a pleasure to meet you. I assume you are the Captain of the Special Task Force.”
He had red hair and a claw-shaped scar etched over one eye. His camellia-colored pupils watched me as if measuring my worth.
His sword, shimmering with a crimson luster as if it had drank blood, was held in one hand and pointed toward the ground.
“I am Riki, the leader of the Wolf Dog Mercenary Corps.”
“I am Owen, Captain of the Special Task Force.”
Riki nodded and asked, “I have heard much through the rumors. I was told you cut down all the Nobles who came with the Holy Sword in the Royal Family’s presence?”
“That did happen once.”
A significant amount of time had already passed since I committed that act. It wasn’t strange for the rumors to have spread as far as they had.
“I was merely patrolling the Sacred Land; I didn’t expect to be summoned so suddenly. For what reason did you seek us out?”
“There are two reasons: an official one and a personal one. Which would you like to hear first?”
“Whichever is convenient for you.”
Riki shifted his gaze toward the surroundings. The presence of people I had felt all around us vanished instantly like smoke.
“You have talented scouts.”
“They are comrades I have spent a long time with.”
“Comrades who survive for a long time are important. They grow stronger the longer they live.”
As if in agreement, Riki nodded and spoke. “Count Georg wishes to meet the Captain of the Special Task Force.”
“…”
I blinked my eyes for a moment at those words. I calmly chewed over the meaning behind Riki’s statement. After continuing the silence for a few seconds, I quietly observed Riki’s expression and asked.
“How much do you know?”
“I am not sure what you are asking, but for now, I don’t know anything for certain. I only know that Count Georg does not believe the Special Task Force came to this place solely for the purpose of the Holy Land Recapture Operation.”
“…Oho.”
It seemed an elite was an elite for a reason.
“Your master has quite the sharp mind. However, there is still something I haven’t heard…”
“You mean my personal reason.”
“Yes. That.”
“Before that, may I receive an answer first?”
“Impossible. I will hear your personal business first. My decision will change depending on that reason.”
Riki let out a groan and soon looked behind me.
“Are these all people who can be trusted?”
Displeasure filled the expressions of the Special Task Force members. I calmed them with a wave of my hand and opened my mouth.
“These are the ones I selected based on my own standards. At the very least, none of them here have loose lips.”
“…I apologize. Since you are all members of the Special Task Force, it was a slip of the tongue on my part.”
“Humans are meant to learn from their mistakes. Just speak. What on earth is the reason that makes you want to screen people to this extent?”
Riki frowned and let out a deep sigh.
“I want you to reveal Count Georg’s dark secrets.”
“…What?”
For a moment, I doubted my ears. What did I just hear?
“Asking for such a favor… must sound strange.”
“Correct. It sounds very strange right now. What exactly do you mean by wanting me to reveal his dark secrets? No… before that, do you know the reason why I am trying to perform an Inspection on Count Georg?”
“To be honest… yes. I have a hunch.”
“What kind of hunch?”
“A connection with the Demon Race.”
“…”
“Was it not to find that connection that you intended to inspect him?”
I discarded all the plans I had organized in my head. It was because I hadn’t even imagined I would hear this story from the leader of the Wolf Dog Mercenary Corps himself.
“How did you know?”
“My father probably doesn’t know… but I am aware that he is researching Chimeras away from the eyes of others.”
I tried a bit of leading interrogation.
“…Are you admitting that the one who established the Chimera Research Building in Zerni Houston was indeed Count Georg himself?”
“About half of the funds flowing through the Wolf Dog Mercenary Corps are managed by Count Georg. You can find out how those funds are being used with just a little bit of investigation.”
“I will take that as an admission.”
Looking at Riki, whose expression didn’t change at all, I slowly scratched the back of my head.
“I have one question.”
“Please, speak.”
“Why do you not try to reveal Count Georg’s dark secrets yourself? With the level of the Wolf Dog Mercenary Corps, you could have surely established a route to report him secretly to the Royal Family.”
Riki replied with a troubled expression.
“I cannot tell you that due to personal circumstances.”
“Hmm.”
Setting aside what those personal circumstances might be, if Riki was certain enough to say he couldn’t speak of it, there must be a reason.
“Fine. I understand for now.”
I twisted my head back and forth to loosen my neck. My stiff muscles made a snapping sound.
“I will politely decline Count Georg’s invitation.”
At my words, the Special Task Force members flinched, and Riki also knitted his brows.
“Don’t misunderstand, though. It doesn’t mean I’m stopping the Inspection entirely.”
“Then why are you refusing?”
“I can’t tell you that due to personal circumstances.”
“…”
In the end, Riki sighed and nodded.
“Understood. I shall relay that to Count Georg.”
“Riki. I’ll ask one last thing.”
“What is it?”
“Are you living happily right now?”
Riki frowned.
“Why do you ask that all of a sudden?”
“It is a simple curiosity. You don’t need to think deeply about it.”
“…I am trying my best to live happily in my own way.”
“…I see.”
Nodding my head, I turned my steps away.
“I’ll see you again later.”
“…I hope we can meet with a smile next time.”
I also nodded at those words.
“I sincerely hope so as well.”
How far had we traveled after leaving the place we were invited to? Murfin asked tentatively.
“Wasn’t that the best opportunity for an Inspection? Why did you refuse when he practically asked you to come find him of his own accord?”
In response to Murfin’s question, I recalled Riki’s appearance from moments ago and the words he spoke before answering.
“I’ve said it before, but the leader of the Wolf Dog Mercenary Corps views Count Georg as a benefactor. That remains true even now.”
“Even so, didn’t he mention the possibility of a connection with the Demon Race with his own mouth? Wouldn’t it be better to verify it?”
Murfin’s doubt was justified.
“It is not better.”
However, I had no choice but to shake my head at that justified doubt.
“Riki’s eyes were not those of someone doubting Count Georg. Rather, they were eyes of trust.”
“…Pardon?”
Murfin wasn’t the only one wearing a surprised expression.
The members of the Special Task Force and even the Dragon who was staying as a Guest had their eyes wide open.
“A person’s eyes contain a relatively large amount of information. While I can’t say the accuracy is 100%, I can generally get a feel for things.”
Of course, there was no way to explain this further other than it being something learned and felt through Experience.
However, one thing I could say for certain was that every time Riki mentioned Count Georg, his eyes were filled with conviction.
Yet, the nature of that conviction was closer to trust and belief rather than hatred or denial.
“The fact that Riki deliberately mentioned the connection with the Demon Race regarding Count Georg wasn’t truly to request an Inspection. It means he is certain that even if Count Georg is inspected, no evidence related to the Demon Race will be found.”
Beatrice asked back with an absurd expression.
“…Ha. Are you saying the Wolf Dog Mercenary Corps is also in league with the Demon Race?”
“No, that’s probably not it.”
I immediately shook my head at that question.
“Riki, the leader of the Wolf Dog Mercenary Corps, harbors a significant hatred for the Demon Race. It’s likely a hatred that Count Georg planted on purpose.”
“…Count Georg planted hatred?”
Elena frowned.
…Now that I think about it, this was something I knew from hearing it from Riki in my past life, so it was a slip of the tongue.
Not to mention the current Special Task Force, even Elena, who handles information, wouldn’t know this.
“Yes. Because it’s easier to avoid suspicion that way.”
But there was no reason to try and take back words already spoken.
Trying to retract them hastily would only lead to strange misunderstandings or suspicion. I had no intention of worrying about such things individually.
“Anyway, the important point is that Count Georg sent his Personal Troops to call for me. Whatever the case, it means he is confident that even if he faces me, he can prove he has no connection to the Demon Race.”
In other words, it was a trap. Moreover, it was a trap where a Sword Master and the mercenary corps he led were spreading a perimeter.
“If we enter such a trap without any preparation, we might clash with the Wolf Dog Mercenary Corps if we’re not careful. It would be a relief if it ended in a simple clash, but if we clash amidst a story related to the Demon Race, someone will inevitably see blood.”
To be honest, I didn’t think I would lose for even a second.
However, human emotions and thinking capacity always tended to develop in ways that exceeded my expectations.
While I wouldn’t lose, if a situation occurred where I had to kill the Wolf Dog Mercenary Corps by mistake, it would directly lead to a loss of Humanity’s strength.
I had to strictly avoid a development in that direction.
Currently, Humanity was in a state where every bit of military power was precious.
Furthermore, since an enormous amount of troops had been wiped out in the Holy Land Recapture Operation, preserving our strength was a necessity, not an option.
The task given to me was to prove the relationship between Count Georg and the Demon Race in a way everyone could accept while minimizing conflict with the Wolf Dog Mercenary Corps.
And to lead the Holy Land Recapture Operation to success.
After contemplating my future plans for a moment, I made a decision quickly.
“For the time being, we will not approach Count Georg.”
“…You are moving away from the target of the Inspection?”
“Yes. We will change our priorities.”
Count Georg has likely finished all preparations under the premise that the Special Task Force will come to him.
If that’s the case, inspecting Count Georg now would be nothing more than a simple waste of time and manpower. In the first place, an Inspection is supposed to be a surprise, not something done after giving notice.
“As of this moment, we will treat the Holy Land Recapture Operation as our top priority. At the same time, if any Demon or creature from the Demon Race is found attempting to contact Count Georg, we will immediately switch back to the Inspection mission.”
“You failed?”
“Yeah. Sorry. Unlike his appearance, that guy who’s the Captain of the Special Task Force is quite a handful.”
At the words of Riki, who had returned to the barracks, Georg slightly furrowed his brow.
“Is that Special Task Force Captain really skilled enough for you to speak of him like that?”
“I could tell he was strong just by looking. To put it clearly, I can’t guarantee a victory or defeat.”
“…Hmph.”
As if he hadn’t expected to hear a Sword Master say he couldn’t guarantee the outcome, Georg’s expression became serious.
“This is trouble. Real trouble.”
Riki asked back with a puzzled expression.
“Is it that much of a problem? It’s not like any evidence will come out anyway.”
“That’s because you don’t yet understand the society of Nobles. They are in a position where they’ll manufacture non-existent evidence just to bring an opponent down. Just having such false rumors circulating weakens my voice. And as I’ve said before, the weaker my voice becomes…”
“The higher the probability that we’ll be sent into a death trap?”
“Exactly.”
Count Georg looked at Riki with a serious expression and said, “All of you are important members of my House. Unless it’s a truly necessary location, I will never stand by and watch you get thrown into a senseless death trap.”
“Hmm.”
Riki nodded as if he understood and asked, “Then, what are you going to do?”
“What else would I do…”
Count Georg replied with an expression of having made a significant decision.
“If he won’t come to me… I have no choice but to go to him.”