Mile and the other three had already discussed things to some extent, but with Terezia and Euan joining, they had to reconfirm the details. The place, as usual, was inside the simple tent that Mile had brought. Just in case, Mile secretly cast a soundproofing spell.
"…So, first we need to confirm the charges. We need to verify if those men are telling the truth, and even if they aren't lying, they might have been hired by someone pretending to be from the guild, so we need to investigate that as well…"
Mile's re-explanation made Reina think, "If they're bad guys, why not just go ahead?" but she understood internally. She had said similar things during the previous discussion, but ultimately agreed. Confirming the facts of the request wouldn't take much effort. If it were about the old robbery, it might be different, but whether those C-rank hunters were hired or not could be found out with a little inquiry. Kidnapping and inciting murder of the capital's citizens are sufficient crimes, and if we can confirm that, there's no problem in condemning them. Of course, we can also ask the authorities to torture them and make them confess about the past.
Terezia had no intention of interfering with Mile's actions and was merely there to listen to the plan. Euan also thought that a thorough investigation beforehand was necessary, so he didn't object.
On the fourth day of their journey from the capital, the carriage arrived at the town of Tarus, the capital of the Boardman Viscount's territory, where Pauline was born and raised.
The capital, in name, was just the largest town in the viscount's territory. It was of considerable size due to the main road passing through, but it was far from being a true "capital."
"Then, let's get a room," Reina said, as usual, taking charge. After a slight detour, the group headed to an inn.
The inn, recommended by Pauline, was one where "the clientele isn't very good, and even suspicious people don't stand out." They planned to take one four-person room and two single rooms. Euan naturally needed a separate room, and Terezia also decided to take one, saying, "It might be difficult to talk if I'm there."
"One four-person room and two single rooms. Are they available?"
When Reina asked the receptionist, the man opened his eyes in surprise. This inn wasn't one that young women usually wanted to stay at. However, because it was cheap and even suspicious guests could stay without standing out, female guests occasionally came. The man was surprised not because the guests were a party of young women, but because of the appearance of the girl behind Reina.
Short black hair spilling out from under a hood, and two eyes visible through the gaps in the bandages covering her face. Even the receptionist, who was used to suspicious guests, found this one particularly suspicious. Probably the most suspicious this month.
But the man was a professional. After a brief moment of surprise, he calmly replied, "Yes, they are available. How many nights do you plan to stay?"
"Undecided. We'll let you know the day before we leave."
Reina said this, confirmed the accommodation fees and meals, and received the keys.
The suspicious black-haired girl was, of course, Pauline. Her hair had been dyed with dye powder before boarding the carriage, but the finishing bandages were wrapped in a hidden spot after getting off the carriage. If she had wrapped them before boarding, she would have attracted too much attention from other passengers, and Pauline might not have been able to endure the embarrassment.
Dyeing hair with magic had issues with duration, so they opted for the safer and more practical "dye powder," which many predecessors had proven to be effective. Using dye powder could damage the hair, but Pauline could repair it herself, or rather, heal it. Removing the color could be done by breaking down the dye powder with a purification spell.
The four of them quickly entered their rooms and rested until dinner time. Even just riding in a carriage was tiring due to the intense vibrations and sore bottoms. Euan also went to his room to rest. Terezia, after placing her luggage in her room, went to the guild, saying she had some business to attend to.
The next morning, after breakfast, the group set out. Moving in a group of six would attract attention, so they split into three teams. Today's mission was just to gather information, so splitting up would be less noticeable and allow them to gather more information.
The teams were: Meave and Euan, Reina and Terezia, and Mile and Pauline. Since no action had been taken yet, the risk of the others getting into danger was low. Therefore, Reina and Meave decided to pair Pauline with Mile, the most capable of the four. Terezia seemed to want to pair with Mile but, understanding her position, didn't interfere.
Additionally, Terezia, who would play a minimal role as a party member and avoid getting involved in conflicts, would be a problem if paired with Pauline, who was most likely to cause trouble. Therefore, the only possible combinations were Terezia and Reina, and Mile and Pauline. Terezia, who looked like the "Red Vow" members, was chosen to blend in and not take the lead. Pairing her with the main character would be meaningless.
The three teams split up and headed to their respective investigation areas. Reina and Terezia went to the guild area, Meave and Euan to the commercial district, and Mile and Pauline, with her hood pulled down and bandages wrapped to hide her face, to the residential area.
In the evening, after completing their investigations, the group returned to the inn, had dinner, and gathered in the four-person room.
"Then, let's compile the information everyone gathered," Reina said, as usual, taking charge.
"First, the information from the guild area we visited.
It seems that the five C-rank hunters occasionally hired by the Beckett Guild haven't been seen for about ten days. They were often hired for illegal jobs that didn't go through the guild. From their names and appearances, they are definitely the ones we're looking for. Also, it seems they are hiring people without hunter qualifications as guards, not for other jobs, but specifically for guarding."
"The commercial district is almost the same as what Pauline told us about the situation six months ago. Despite the Beckett Guild's aggressive business practices and actions that are clearly criminal, they somehow avoid punishment by the authorities. Many stores and people who have been harmed by the Beckett Guild are resentful. Euan managed to get the information from female shopkeepers," Meave reported. Euan had a smug look, and the other four women, except Meave, were put off by the fact that he only talked to women.
"The testimonies of those captured in the capital haven't changed. If the story were different, we would have received a message from the guild master immediately. It's been seven days since they were handed over to the guards. If the story were overturned, it would have happened within five and a half days, considering the travel time. I don't think anyone could withstand the interrogation by the guards, especially the torturers sent directly from the palace," Terezia explained, effectively ruling out the possibility that the guild master was innocent.
Initially, Mile and the others thought they could infiltrate the guild by taking advantage of the guild master's anxiety over the missing men, but after looking at each other and saying, "No way…," they realized it was a clear misjudgment. In this world, circumstantial evidence was enough. Mile thought so.
Mile suggested capturing the men without killing them, using a method similar to the "Killer Squeezer," a story about a girl assassin who uses superpowers to crush her enemies, but the others rejected it. They said that to restore Pauline's family's reputation and ensure they could take back the store, simply eliminating the bad guys wouldn't be enough. It was a valid point. If they weren't careful, they could end up being the criminals.
They had to not only defeat the guild master and his gang but also restore the reputation of Pauline's family. The "Red Vow" members racked their brains.
The next morning, when the town's 2nd bell (9:00 AM) rang, four figures stood in front of the newly opened Beckett Guild store.
They were four girls. The smallest, a girl around eleven or twelve years old, took out something that looked like cymbals from nowhere.
*Clang!*
The sudden, unfamiliar loud sound made people stop and focus on the girls.
*Clang, Clang!*
After making more sounds, the girl shouted loudly.
"Revenge! Revenge!
A girl whose father was killed, and whose mother, brother, and father's store were taken, is seeking revenge!
Everyone, please do not interfere and be careful not to be injured by the flowing magic!"
It was a raid, even though it wasn't snowing and it was early in the morning. People's eyes sparkled. In a world with few entertainments, such an interesting event, one that could be retold for a lifetime, was rare. Moreover, the main characters were cute girls, and the enemies were notorious bad merchants. There was no need to confirm who was right and who was wrong.
People started to gather, and by the time the guild members came out to see what was happening, the area around the Beckett Guild was filled with a large crowd.
Then, Reina muttered, "What's with the 'de gozaru'?"
The author had a kidney stone, causing them to roll around in pain and visit the hospital, disrupting the update schedule. I apologize for the inconvenience. The stone was about 1 cm in size, and they were told it might pass naturally, so they were sent home without even painkillers. (^^ゞ
Updates may be delayed due to pain, hospital visits, and other matters, so please bear with me. (^^ゞ