CH ss - 26

[Alfine: Mysterious Facility First Part]

“Haa!? Wait a sec, do you understand what you’re saying?”

My eyes turned to dots at Maribel’s sudden confession.

The child of beastmen before me said that the Abyss Walker we were looking for was with her father.

“Because, he looked exactly like the one in that portrait you know. Father and the others also felt they were creepy, but the employer person told them not to tell it to other people.”

Having perceived that what she said was denied, Maribel pouted her lips, and protested at me.

She, who is still childish and not beastified by much, looked almost the same as a human child, but the small drooping cat ears that can be seen among her brown hair showed that she is a beastman.

I wonder if she will get angry if I say she is cute…

Younger sister that people talked about might be someone like her.

The childish beastman Maribel is a child with overflowing cuteness who even made me who was always thinking about the matter between Finn and myself thought so.

Meila also seems to be very interested in Maribel, as she began to talk seriously, unlike her attitude toward me.

“Errm, Maribel-chan. The creature drawn in this portrait is called Abyss Walker, a reaaally scary creature. Didn’t your father or the others teach you that?”

“Maribel also thought it might be the Abyss Walker that she heard from mother, but father said they’re not, so they are not.”

Certainly, it’s impossible for adults don’t teach children about Abyss Walker in this kingdom of Hartford.

Even I who grew up in an orphanage had been told about them many times, so I can’t help but know.

But why did Maribel’s father say the creature on the map wasn’t Abyss Walker?

It’s not like Maribel’s father doesn’t know about Abyss Walker.

Maribel doesn’t seem to be lying either.

I kinda got confused.

“W-wait a minute. I wonder if you can give me time to sort things out. My head seems to has become entangled, you know.”

Judging the talk was heading to a complicated direction, I decided to sort things out for a moment.

“R-right. First of all, where does Maribel live? This place is not your home, right?”

Having took my state into consideration, Meila asked Maribel to confirm.

“Obviously. Maribel doesn’t live in such a dark and musty room!”

Maribel looked taken aback when asked if this was her home, and then she put on an angry expression with a huff.

Maribel’s cuteness is not reduced even though she is angry, on the contrary, it made me want to pamper her a lot.

To think there was such a cute girl in this world…

Noticing my hand that reached out to pat her head unintentionally, I immediately withdraw it.

“Maribel came from the city of Inbahanes, hiding in the luggage in the wagon of father and co. Though Maribel looks like this, she is very good at hide and seek.”

“You were hiding in a wagon from Inbahanes!?”

Because she is a beastman, I didn’t think she came from Youg Hannotes, but… to think she came from Inbahanes.

Hiding in the luggage of the wagon–

That’s a considerable way to erase her presence, isn’t it?

Inbahanes is located east from here, it should be quite far.

“Un, it was for about two weeks, I guess. I slept at noon, and ate meals in the wagon when everyone was sleeping at night.”

To act like such at her age… Isn’t she too bold?

To follow her father without being found all those time – in contrast to her appearance, she is quiet an active girl, isn’t she?

“So, when we arrived at this facility, father and the others found me; because they couldn’t let me go back alone, they had me live here with them while hiding me from the employer person.”

It seems that Maribel’s father and his co didn’t come on their own accord, but were hired by someone to come to this place.

“Was the employer perhaps this Abyss Walker?”

“Hmm, no. As far as I’ve heard from father and the others’ talk, it was the vassal person of the lord of Inbahanes. I heard that if they help fix the facilities here, the city of Inbahanes will become a country of beastman once again. Also, there were some people who spoke in a language I don’t know of, among them there was also this unpleasant person.”

Maribel didn’t seem to know the details either, she only told us what she heard from her father.

The employer is the vassal of the Lord of Inbahanes…

Besides, they purposely dispatched people to repair such unknown facility.

Also, I wonder what they meant by making Inbahanes a country a beastmen…

I don’t think they can make a city of the kingdom of Hartford independent as they pleased though.

“Speaking of the lord of Inbahanes, Gile, the commander of the Royal Guard Knight Order should have been given the territory two years ago… I wonder what kind of facility he built in this Abyss Hole, which located in such far corner of the land.”

Having judged Maribel’s words were mixed with some fishy points, Meila’s face darkened.

“So then, father and the others helped with the repairs here for about two months, but about three weeks ago, they suddenly stopped the repairs and took only father and the others out.”

“Two months ago!?”

Seems like Maribel’s father and his co had been helping with the repairs at this Abyss Hole underground facility for about two months.

But at that time, the ones who came here were only the adventurers who come to subjugate monsters.

Rebecca also said that the number of people increased only recently.

“There were others, but those people said they were here much earlier you know-”

According to Maribel’s testimony, this underground facility has been in operation for quite some time.

What on earth is this facility for, to be built in such a place…

As I listened to the talk, the questions in my mind increased.

I doubt Gile had a hand in this, cause he’s dumb and all. But someone close to him might be behind it.