Volume 3 Chapter 15 Stealth Weapon Adventurer
We were amazed by those words.
"The lord? The lord... in this dungeon city?"
"Yeah, that's right. Oh, right. Strictly speaking, he's a retainer of a noble, but it's not like the palace where court nobles are everywhere. He's definitely the lord of the territory or someone related by blood."
Alex added, "Well, it's also important to know exactly who from that bloodline he is."
"A retainer is different from a knight, they are a stealth weapon adventurer for when the need arises. They're not part of the military but an adventurer for personal use. That's the Stealth weapons adventurer."
We exchanged glances. Alex continued,
"Among adventurers, the exceptional ones have their names listed by the Adventurer's Guild and reported to the lords. So, even the famous adventurers are known to the upper echelons of the nobility."
I recalled my encounter with Ridge. The encounter with the selfish young lady I met at the clothing store. She knew me.
In my mind, dots began to connect.
"Among them, when there's someone the lord like, they might get an offer from the lord's side. In other words, it's an invitation to become their retainer."
Clay crosses his arms. Alex continues.
"Adventurers are often described as free-spirited, but also unstable. Even if you desire stability, it's not easy to come by. However, you can find it by becoming someone's retainer. Eventually, the lord becomes your main support."
"Don't adventurers seek freedom?"
"You're quite naive, Wade. Freedom is tough. You can only endure as much freedom as you can handle. Those who can't endure it will give up freedom for stability."
Alex clears his throat and concludes.
"Thus, forming a contract with the lord, a unique kind of adventurer is born. They delve into dungeons, hunt monsters, and even clash with humans for their lord. They are the lord's trusted blade, the shadowy adventurer, so to speak."
I nod at Alex's explanation. Then Ice asks a question.
"Alright... So the lord wanted to know about Moruru... is that it?"
"That's very likely. Noteworthy adventurers have their family composition, address, everything investigated and the information is sent to the lord. It's rather strange that the attack didn't target the house."
"That's the only disappointing part. If attackers come to this house, we wouldn't need to repel them."
Clay sarcastically remarks, and Alex chuckles, saying "That's true."
Then, I spoke up.
"Sorry, everyone. And Moruru, too. It's probably just a hunch, but there's a chance I may have passed on some information about Moruru to the lord."
I bow my head. Silence dominates the room. As I endure the pain of their gazes, Ice speaks up.
"Go on, Wade-kun..."
Ice had an unusually stern expression as she faced me. I gulp nervously.
"Is Ice-san a little mad at Wade-kun...?"
"Women change when they have children."
"Sandra, shhh."
I took a deep breath and started talking.
"On Moruru's birthday, everyone thought it was a big deal, so I took Moruru to buy clothes. At that time, when we chose a fancy clothing store, I talked to a girl who claimed to be the daughter of a noble lord named Ridge."
"Ridge... Ridge of Noble Karditsa!"
At Alex's identification, I nod.
"I saw that girl causing a scene, and Moruru secretly said something teasing to her. When that Ridge girl noticed, she confronted Moruru, saying she looked like a sl*ve because of the collar."
"Yeah, that's right. Some people wear collars as a fashion statement, but basically, collars are for sl*ves to wear."
"It's Moruru's favorite!"
She insisted with a rough voice. It seems Moruru really doesn't want to take it off.
"So, because her attitude was too much, I told her 'She's not a sl*ve.' Then, that girl Ridge seemed to know me surprisingly. She even knew about dragon hunting."
"...And then?"
"After that, her attitude suddenly softened. Looking back, she might have had some idea at that point. Moruru seemed so human-like that I underestimated the situation, thinking she wouldn't be found out."
I bowed my head again, apologizing. But Ice touched my head as if forgiving me, saying, "It's okay..."
"It's understandable even if it was unexpected, Wade-kun. It's still Moruru's first day, and everyone was in a frenzy over Moruru."
"Yeah. From what I hear, it feels like the other party was at fault. It's just unfortunate that Ridge-sama was there at a time when I didn't even know what clothes she wear, and for Ridge-sama to figure it out is simply bad luck."
Ice and Clay's support made me feel grateful. Moruru, in her own unique way, said, "Thanks, Papa, be careful next time," as she patted my shoulder. She's so cute.
Then, Alex chimed in with his support.
"Well, as long as they mistake it for the Metamorph Dragon, it's not too bad. But, what concerns me is the time lag in that story. When was Moruru born?"
"Um, it was at least a few weeks ago... Maybe even a month or so ago."
Alex nodded at Toxy's response.
"Right. In that case, it would make sense that it took time to prepare... If the lord made the decision to act, it shouldn't take more than a month. Wade, you were there, and only Ridge-sama noticed, right?"
"Yeah, that's right. I didn't see anyone who seemed like a parent figure. There was a butler-like person nearby, though."
"Then... that's good. That information is quite significant."
Alex's expression changed to a grin. Clay and I were taken aback for a moment.
"Hold on. The guys are catching on quickly, and I'm falling behind. I need an explanation."
Sandra pointed out. We chuckled at Sandra's remark. Then, I spoke up.
"It's simple. If the lord had been in command, things would have happened much faster. However, since it took this long, the lord still doesn't know about Moruru. Someone is obstructing the information."
"And that someone, who realized Moruru-chan's identity, can only be Ridge-sama."
Ice and Toxy understood, but Sandra looked puzzled. So, I summarized.
"So, the deal is this. The enemy this time isn't the lord, the top authority in this city, but his daughter, Ridge. We need to be careful in our approach, but it might make things a bit easier."
"Ah, I see."
Sandra clapped her hands. Alex made a prediction there.
"In that case, probably not many stealth weapon adventurers will be able to make a move. Soon after, negotiations will start at the next or the one after that."
"Negotiations, huh?"
I crossed my arms. Then, Alex chuckled.
"This is a good opportunity. Wade, remember the negotiation skills I taught Clay. You should learn them too. Especially since you might be more suited for tougher negotiations than Clay-boy."
"Huh? Is this some kind of special lesson? Wait, did Clay receive that kind of training?"
"Well, sort of, Wade-kun. Besides rune magic, he'll teach you various other things if you ask."
"That's right. Five gold coins is the amount for that. Alright, let's get started. The meeting is already over. Scatter, scatter. From here on, it's time for 'Scary Alex-sensei's Negotiation Techniques.'"
"Isn't the name a bit ominous?"
"Shut up. Scatter now! This isn't a show!"
Even Toxy's tsukkomis didn't bother me, but everyone else besides me was driven away by Alex. As I looked at Alex with a sense of reluctance, Alex had a truly scary expression on his face, directed towards me.
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