Act 3: Chapter 7: Signs of Unrest
「Kotone-san is… investigating me?」
Well, I should’ve expected that.
I mean, she might be the same as me.
Kotone was an otherworlder too and Rosemonde’s remarks just proved that.
Maybe she wanted to have a chat about Japan with me.
「I think there’s no need to worry about that.」
The matter of Kotone investigating me with malicious intentions might be nothing more than Rosemonde’s over speculation.
I mean, I heard from Pomera that Kotone had already been fighting to protect the city even before the arrival of Mother’s subordinate, the 4th sister.
I guess she shouldn’t have any ill intentions towards a fellow Japanese like her.
「You don’t know anything about her at all. 《Ares Hand》 are true misanthropes.」
Rosemonde struck the table as she warned me.
「Well, ability-wise, you guys are far above her, but… that girl has this strange ability you know. At least, you should be wary of her ambush.」
Rosemonde said so while looking toward Philia.
When Philia was tilting her head with an adorable look on her face, Rosemonde got goosebumps instead.
「A-Anyhow, there are many suspicious rumours about 《Ares Hand》 since she’s always hiding. That’s why to stop being so naive when I tell you about her investigating you. She’s a coldhearted and cruel person. Though that racoon old man managed to control her, there’s clearly something suspicious about it. At the very least, you have to be very careful.」
「… I understand. Thank you very much for your advice, I’ll try to do as you say.」
She was right, it seems I was too careless since the other party might be Japanese like me.
Maybe I had to raise my vigilance a little bit to the otherworlder.
Anyhow, every one of them was the holder of 《Gift Skill》.
Kotone’s 《Gift Skill》, 《Ares Hand》, was a skill that allowed her to lift the restriction limit or curse of any kind of weapon and use them as if they were her own limbs.
Depending on the weapon she had, it was an extremely broken skill.
Vigilance toward Kotone aside, I really couldn’t let my guard down against the other otherworlders who had 《God’s Gift》 too.
I also heard the story from Pomera that Kotone could barely hold her ground in the fight against Mother’s subordinate.
Since that was the case, her level might be still below level 1000.
She might be slightly more powerful than the current Pomera.
「It might be not a big deal for you or that monster over there, maybe Pomera too. But still, be careful. 《Ares Hand》 might kidnap Pomera if she’s hostile toward you.」
「P-Pomera?」
Pomera pointed her finger toward me.
I was at a loss for words.
Sure enough, Pomera wouldn’t be able to resist Kotone if the latter ambushed Pomera.
「You might be strong but don’t let your guard down. The reason 《Ares Hand》 is investigating you might be because of your weapon.」
「… But, she has been neglecting her adventurer job for the last half year she stayed in this place, right? She doesn’t strike me as a belligerent person either.」
「She might be, in fact, a coward. She’s a cowardly but definitely charming woman. She’s extremely discreet about her self-protection. Her skill is a really troublesome one. A cruel and coldhearted person like that is troublesome because she will do anything and everything to save herself. Even the fact of her status as the strongest adventurer in Manarak is nothing more than for her personal comfort. Kanata, you might have to be more careful than Pomera.」
「Saint fist…」
Pomera muttered her nickname with complicated look on her face.
「Pooh.」
Rosemonde chuckled upon hearing Pomera’s muttering.
But her expression returned to normal the moment Pomera glared at her.
It seems Rosemonde was present at the scene where Pomera first received her saint fist alias.
Rosemonde, who got blown off by Philia once before, naturally noticed the truth.
The current strongest adventurer had changed from Kotone of 《Ares Hand》 to Pomera the Saint Fist.
But, was Kotone really that kind of person who got jealous of something like that?
Sure enough, I got the impression that she was a cold, expressionless, and intellectual woman during the meeting.
Though she doesn’t seem to be a dangerous person, she has been staying in Manarak for a long time.
I should at least take some precautions.
「Since the miracle drug is close to completion, the matter of Pomera-san’s levelling is…」
I noticed Pomera’s shoulders twitch when I muttered so.
She gripped her huge cane tightly in silence.
「Thank you for specially coming to this place to warn Pomera-san, Rosemonde-san.」
Pomera made a dumbfounded expression on her face upon hearing me say that.
「For Pomera?」
Hearing Pomera’s remark, Rosemonde crossed her arms, averting her face as she clicked her tongue.
「Tch, it’s to repay for when you saved me before. It’s not like I’m doing this coz I’m worried about you guys. I just can’t do my commissions properly unless I get rid of this worry.」
Despite her harsh, tsundere-like tone, she was a literal mass of good intentions.
「It’s not just about Kotone. Several strange rumours are going around now that you guys are absent from the guild. You should pay more attention to the importance of information to live as an adventurer. 」
「M-My apologies…」
This reminds me that aside from the matter about Kotone, Rosemonde had also mentioned the unrest in Manarak.
「So, what’s actually happening?」
「Seriously, you don’t even try to hide the fact that you’re too lazy to investigate. Sorry, but I won’t tell you. You have to investigate that matter by yourself.」
Rosemonde spoke with a dumbfounded look on her face.
「Y-You’re right… Anyhow, thanks a lot. Sure enough, lately, I’ve realized this fact that my awareness of the flow of information and vigilance as an adventurer is way too low.」
Her remarks might be a bit too blunt but that might be her own way to show her care yet not spoil us too much.
She means that as adventurers we had to gather information on our own.
Though it might be a bit too troublesome.
「… Yesterday, a group of strange people came to Manarak. They were carrying weapons despite not being registered as adventurers. One of them resembled the man in a wanted poster that has been attacking travellers.」
… In the end, she still gave us the information.
What was the meaning of her stern lecture a while ago then?
Or else, maybe she’s actually worried about us not hearing about that piece of information.
「Those ruffians who aren’t registered as adventurers are really standing out since they’re walking in the city when it’s still broad daylight with weapons in their hands are clearly strange. Even a stupid person can guess that those people are up to no good.」
… Sure enough, those are definitely a suspicious group of people.
If those rumors are true, they’re in one way or another far more dangerous than Kotone.
「How high is the level of the man in the wanted poster?」
「… Dunno, around thirty or fifty, maybe? I mean, there’ll be a huge commotion if someone whose face resembles a criminal in the wanted poster has raised his level over fifty.」
「I see…」
I see now…
Here I am thinking of them as some sort of big shot since they dare to enter the city with an S-rank adventurers.
「I get this vague impression until now but you guys are lacking common sense.」
Rosemonde heaved a sigh.
「… Is it that bad?」
This might be the side effect of raising my level in 《Cocytus》 for too long, resulting in my screwed-up common sense.
I thought that I got better nowadays, but it turns out I still have a long way to go.
「P-Pomera is included too…」
Pomera made a slightly shocked look on her face.
「That isn’t the only strange rumour out there. It’s unrelated to the previous matter, but apparently, some sort of event happened in the church of Manarak.」
「Some sort… of event?」
「It was caused by a priest called Dohal who resides in this city. That man has been spreading the information about him being a great user of white magic who has no to little interest in money and promotion. His remarks are cliche but he’s hailed as a saint. Well, I belong to one of those non-believers but even I can’t help but respect Dohal’s personality.」
「So did something happened to that Dohal?」
Rosemonde nodded. fr𝚎𝗲𝐰ebnov𝐞𝐥.𝐜o𝗺
「The truth is, he found an item with an extremely terrifying curse in Manarak, it seems that Dohal is trying to dispel the curse in secret. But, his attempts were met with failure which resulted in the destruction of a part of the church. That even must be so terrifying to the point that it inflicted trauma on Dohal which forced him to stay in the secret chamber of the church since then.」
「W… What’s actually happened?」
「Dunno. If this rumor is correct, some sort of disaster has been unleashed in this city. The information about what really happened back then is under strict control to prevent chaos. But one thing for sure is the fact that one part of the church where Dohal staying at is blown up, and the church side doesn’t want to talk about this matter either.」
Sure enough, various rumours in the dark were way too bizarre.
A group of people walked in the city in broad daylight with weapons in their hands as if waiting for something and some sort of curse that destroyed one part of the church.
It seems another storm was about to hit Manarak again.
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