Chapter 195: Reunion and a Request

Hearing from the priest that Yukinojo-san had been attacked, we hurried back to the village.

And in the mansion located deep within the village, we reunited with unexpected people.

“Liliera-san!? And Meguri-san and Norb-san too!?”

Yes, standing there were Liliera-san and the others, from whom we had been separated by the storm!

“It’s been a while, Rex-san. I saw a ship floating outside the town, so I thought it might be, but it really was you, Rex-san.”

“Long time no see.”

“It’s been a while, Rex-san, Mina-san!”

Liliera-san, Meguri-san, and Norb-san greeted us calmly upon our reunion.

It seems they saw the former pirate ship I had modified and thought I might be there.

Using that ship as a landmark was the right call after all!

Now only Jairo-kun is left!

“Kyu!”

While I was moved by the nostalgia, Mofu-mofu lightly tapped Norb-san’s leg.

“Ah, yes. It has been a while, Mofu-mofu-san.”

“Kyu!”

Greeted by Norb-san, Mofu-mofu nodded in satisfaction.

Hahaha, it must have been angry thinking it was being left out.

“It’s been a while.”

“Mina looks well too.”

Everyone smiled at the long-awaited reunion.

“But why is everyone here?”

Even if they followed the former pirate ship, this is inland.

If everyone who safely landed after that storm were to go somewhere, I’d think they’d head to a coastal town or village first.

“Ah, about that, we were just about to explain it. To these people.”

With that, Liliera-san pointed at Yukinojo-san, who was hanging his head for some reason, and an unfamiliar older man.

“Umm, and you are?”

When I asked while tilting my head, the older man let out an “Ah.”

“Come to think of it, I hadn’t greeted you folks yet.”

Saying “Heave-ho,” the older man stood up and introduced himself.

“I am the Mikado of this country. Nice to meet ya, foreign youngsters. You guys really helped us out in various ways.”

“Old ma—you are the Mikado of this country!?”

This person is the Mikado!? The one who entrusts politics to the Shogun and performs rituals to protect the country?

“Wow, he doesn’t look like such an amazing person at all.”

“No matter how you look at him, he’s just a filthy workshop old man.”

“Hey, Meguri, you shouldn’t say that even if it’s true!”

“No, isn’t what you just said even worse?”

It seems I wasn’t the only one surprised; everyone unintentionally voiced their impressions upon seeing the Mikado.

“Hahahaha, you’re absolutely right! A title like Mikado doesn’t suit me at all anyway!”

Fortunately, the Mikado seemed to be an easygoing person and forgave our rude remarks with a laugh.

“Ahaha… I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. That being said, we don’t have the time to leisurely make small talk. Let’s share what we know with each other.”

“Ah, yes.”

With the introductions formally finished, we settled down and began explaining things to each other.

Since Yukinojo-san was zoning out for some reason, the Mikado introduced him on his behalf, saying he was the Shogun’s son.

Then, we explained what happened while we were separated.

We explained that Mina-san saved Yukinojo-san, and that the Head House Elder had betrayed them, so Yukinojo-san had come to this village to undergo the ritual to succeed as the next Shogun.

“And so, while we were exterminating the monsters rampaging near this village, we also reunited with Mofu-mofu.”

“Kyu, kyuuu!”

Mofu-mofu also nodded excitedly in agreement.

It must have been lonely being separated from us.

There, there, you’re not lonely anymore.

I picked Mofu-mofu up and patted its head to convey that everything is alright now.

“Kyu, kyuuuuu!?”

Then Mofu-mofu opened its eyes wide, trembled its body, and…

Tinkle, tinkle, tinkle~

“Ah.”

Mofu-mofu peed itself with a completely relaxed face.

It seems living alone in the forest made it quite anxious.

I’ll have to give it a lot of close physical contact for a while.

Then, the Mikado told us what happened while we were out of the village.

“So that’s how we found out Haruomi was allied with the Majin.”

“!”

Told that Haruomi-san was allied with the Majin, Yukinojo-san’s shoulders trembled.

I see, I wondered why Haruomi-san wasn’t around; so that’s what happened.

“But man, what a mess. To think we’d allow an intrusion even though a barrier was put up to keep Majins out. And they even stole the key to the magic item.”

Saying “How pathetic,” the Mikado scratched his head roughly.

He seemed deeply frustrated that the important key was stolen.

“Then it’s our turn.”

Also to change the subject, Liliera-san and the others began to tell their story.

“Meguri and I were searching for everyone while working as merchants’ guards or bounty hunters in this country, and along the way, we saved a noble of this country who was being attacked by bandits.”

“A noble?”

“Yes, that person introduced himself as the Head House Elder of this country.”

Huh? The Head House Elder was definitely…

“Are you bastards Sanoukouji‘s underlings!?”

Then, reacting to the words ‘Head House Elder,’ Yukinojo-san, who had been zoning out, snapped back to life.

Ah, yes, yes, that was his name.

He’s supposed to be the person who killed the Shogun and is targeting Yukinojo-san.

To think Liliera-san and the others had made contact with such a person; it’s surprising.

“Are you also aiming for my life!”

Yukinojo-san jumped back, drew his sword, and took a stance with a ghastly expression.

“Calm down. We’re your lifesavers.”

“It is likely just a trap to make me drop my guard!”

Even though Liliera-san said they weren’t enemies, Yukinojo-san, who had been constantly attacked by pursuers until now, couldn’t seem to believe it.

We know Liliera-san and her group aren’t people who would do something like that, but I’m still curious about the circumstances that led them to side with the Head House Elder.

“Calm down, Yukinojo. If they intended to kill you, they would have joined forces with those Majins and attacked.”

“Th-That is…”

Yukinojo-san, who had been so agitated, lowered his sword tip slightly after being admonished by the Mikado.

“Sorry ’bout that, missy. Could you continue the story?”

“I’m glad there’s a calm person here.”

Prompted by the Mikado, Liliera-san continued her story.

“You said you were being targeted, but according to the Head House Elder, Sanoukouji-san, that seems to be a misunderstanding.”

“A misunderstanding? Even after continuously attacking me!?”

Having been constantly attacked up until now, Yukinojo-san showed his anger again at being told it was a misunderstanding, but Mina-san admonished him.

“I told you to calm down. Make your judgment after hearing the whole story.”

“M-Muu… Understood.”

“Then I’ll continue. I mentioned this earlier, but Sanoukouji-san was being attacked by bandits when we happened to pass by. But those were actually assassins disguised as bandits.”

“Assassins?”

“Yes. Having experienced being a body double, I can tell the difference between real bandits and assassins disguised as them.”

Meguri-san guaranteed from her own actual experience that the true identity of the bandits was assassins.

“W-Wait! Sanoukouji was being attacked by assassins!? What does this mean!? He is the one who has been attacking me!?”

“Sanoukouji-san invited us to his mansion, saying he wanted to thank us for saving his life. And he gave us a job. To guard a person named Youren Yukinojo, the next Shogun of this country.”

“To guard me!?”

Hearing that the person he thought was an enemy was attacked by assassins and had even requested bodyguards for him, Yukinojo-san fell into a panic.

Even outsiders like us are confused, so Yukinojo-san, who is the person involved in the uproar, must be even more lost.

“That older man said this. The goal of the thieves who attacked the Shogun is the key to succeed as the Shogun of this country. The only ones who know what that is are the Shogun and the Mikado. The fact that you fled without relying on him, the Head House Elder, means there’s a high chance the thief is someone you trust more than him. And he said they plan to separate you and the older man and aim for the moment of the Shogun succession to steal the key.”

Meguri-san announced that the true culprit targeting Yukinojo-san was someone close to him.

And the only comrade of Yukinojo-san who survived this far was just one person.

In other words, it means Haruomi-san.

“Could it be that the assassins who attacked me were also Haruomi‘s doing!?”

Yukinojo-san shouted, his body trembling, unable—or rather, unwilling—to believe it.

But if Haruomi-san had joined forces with a Majin, then it must be the truth.

“Sanoukouji-san seemed to want to go rescue you himself, but he said the assassins were too strong and it took everything he had just to protect himself. He apparently sent several skilled guards, but he said they were all attacked before they could meet up with you.”

“So he asked us, who easily defeated the assassins, to guard you.”

“And when we arrived at this village, you were right in the middle of being attacked by a Majin.”

With that, Liliera-san and the others finished their explanation, saying the story was over.

“I see, you arrived with incredible timing.”

Mina-san let out a light sigh at the fact that they managed to meet up at the very last possible moment.

Haruomi-san must have been waiting for a chance when we would be separated from Yukinojo-san.

And he aimed for the moment we left the village to exterminate the monsters to attack Yukinojo-san.

“The Majin was probably able to enter the village because Haruomi-san guided them in using some kind of magic item.”

That’s probably the correct answer.

No matter how strong a barrier is, once you’re inside, it’s not like there are no methods to bring it down.

If Liliera-san and the others hadn’t arrived in time, things would have turned out truly terrible.

“By the way, what about Norb?”

As the conversation settled down, this time Mina-san asked why Norb-san had come here.

“Ah, yes. I arrived at a coastal town, so for the time being, I left the pirates I saved to the town guards and decided to search for everyone. While moving, I was treating injured people and those suffering from illness to gather information along the way.”

I see, that’s very like Norb-san, a priest. Gathering information while helping people is a clever method.

“It seems my name spread as I continued treating people like that, and the Domain Lord who rules this domain requested me to treat his daughter.”

” ” “Treat his daughter?” ” “

Then, for some reason, Mina-san and the other women tilted their heads in unison.

“Eh? Ah, yes. That is correct.”

For some reason, the women gathered and were whispering to each other. I wonder what’s wrong?

“A daughter, huh.”

“Somehow, it reminds me of someone.”

“Come to think of it, where is that idiot wandering around?”

“U-Umm, so, as a reward for saving the Domain Lord’s daughter, they agreed to help me search for everyone, but since there are many injured people in this village under his rule due to attacks by a horde of monsters, I received a request to come here to treat them.”

Ah, the matter of the monsters we subjugated.

Thanks to those monsters, we were able to reunite with Mofu-mofu, and surprisingly, that horde of monsters might have brought us good luck.

“And so you came to this village.”

“That is correct.”

“To think people would gather this conveniently.”

“Though there’s still one person we haven’t met up with.”

Ah, come to think of it, Jairo-kun still hasn’t met up with us.

I wonder where he is right about now.

◆Jairo◆

“See ya, princess.”

Having beaten the crap out of the monster targeting a certain castle’s princess, I tried to leave the castle to meet up with my brothers.

But the princess clung to my back and pleaded with me not to go.

“Please wait, Lord Jairo! Won’t you please remain in this castle? Lord Jairo, who single-handedly subjugated that terrifying monster, is a hero of this country. I want you to become my vassal… no, I want you to live together with me!”

I gently patted the princess’s head and told her, trying to sound as kind as possible.

“Sorry. I have comrades. I can’t stay here.”

Besides, I also got information that might lead to my brothers, so I can’t be dawdling.

If I don’t hurry, they might move to another place.

“No…”

“It’s fine. There are no more scoundrels targeting you. If there are, I’ll come back and beat ’em up again!”

“Will you protect me… again?”

“Yeah, leave it to me!”

After I patted her head a few times, the princess finally seemed convinced and gently let go.

“I suppose someone like me could never monopolize you. I am deeply sorry for detaining you, Lord Jairo.”

“See ya, princess!”

“Ugh… Please take care, Lord Jairo…”

Leaving the castle, I proceeded through the castle town towards the next town.

“Lord Jairo!”

“It’s Jairo the Demon Beast Killer!”

“It’s the Jairo who turned the tables on 1000 monsters all by himself!”

As I walked through the town, people I had gotten to know here and there called out to me.

The guys I helped when I was staying in this town saw my face and came outside.

I mean, 1000 monsters is an exaggeration.

“Where are you going carrying all that luggage, Jairo-san!?”

The girl from the familiar teahouse asked me with wide eyes as I walked carrying my luggage on my back.

“Yeah, since I beat the crap out of the damn monster targeting the princess, I’m heading back on my journey!”

“No way! Please don’t go, Jairo-san!”

“That’s right, you should just live in this town!”

“Everyone in this town was saved by you. Nobody cares if you’re a foreigner!”

Hearing that I’m returning to my journey, the people of the town try to stop me.

Heh, this kind of thing doesn’t feel bad either.

But I still have a ton of things to do.

I gotta meet up with my comrades, complete requests, become an S-rank adventurer, and catch up to my brother!

“Sorry! I got things to do! See ya, everyone!”

” ” ” “Lord Jairo~!” ” ” “

Everyone sees me off with tears in their eyes.

Man, the people in this town are too easily moved to tears, it’s no good.

It’s gonna make me feel gloomy too.

“…I wonder how this young master manages to save so many girls in just a few days.”

For some reason, the pirate who became my underling sighed while saying something like that.

“I mean, stop calling me ‘young master’.”

◆

“Somehow, just now, I felt like that idiot doesn’t need to come back anymore.”

“Eh? What’s this all of a sudden?”

Mina-san suddenly said something strange, which surprised me.

Is she so worried about Jairo-kun that she’s feeling anxious?