Chapter 7

At the "Silver Water Jug Inn," business picks up as a bar when night falls. However, since the number of seats is limited, once the capacity is exceeded, the presence of the entrance fades, and the number of customers decreases. It's not good to have a long line, and being too popular can also draw too much attention. The inn is only functioning as a bar to facilitate interaction among guild members and to entertain clients, not to make a profit from the food and drink business.

Even after the evening session began, Miralca, the princess, and Aileen seemed to want to stay and talk normally, so I had them move to a less conspicuous seat. I had prepared a couple of private booths just in case. They are hidden by curtains so that the inside cannot be seen, but since they are close to the counter, I could sometimes hear parts of their conversation.

"Miralca, how's the university lately? I heard you've been doing some flashy experiments again."

"I'm using magic to destroy buildings of various materials to study efficient methods of destruction in siege battles. But since I'm the only one who can perform the magic, I should probably do more versatile experiments."

"Even after the defeat of the Demon King, there are still monsters called 'strays' that have built fortresses. When people in the area are in trouble, Miralca attacks those fortresses..."

"Orcs, ogres, and trolls have a strong reproductive ability, and if left alone, things won't end well. It's a job the guild should do, but the commission fee is too high for people to hire them."

I admire that Miralca, like a hero, helps people. From what I hear, it sounds like the destruction experiments are a side effect, but not entirely.

"Even though the monsters in my country are no longer rampant, there are still problems with monsters..."

"They have decreased significantly, but monsters from other borders also come in, and there are those that fly from the sky. The only way to deal with them is to defeat them one by one."

"That's true. Speaking of flying monsters, it seems that a fire dragon has appeared in the forest near the capital recently. During the breeding season, they fly in from the volcanic zone where food is scarce."

I've also heard that a pair of fire dragons have flown in, causing trouble for people working in the forest. If a request comes to the guild, we will respond, but so far, no such request has been made. Since the White Goat Inn has S-rank adventurers, the fire dragons will likely be defeated if a request is made.

"Master, are you not interested in the fire dragon hunt?"

"Material-wise, dragon materials are hard to come by here... I am interested. However, achieving such a great feat would draw attention. If I were to move, there would be a procedure to follow."

"Procedure... I see. You won't leave the people suffering from the fire dragons forever, right?"

"Verlaine, an order has come in~. Please talk to 'the customer' in moderation and get back to work~"

When the evening session starts, the part-time waitresses come to work. One of them used to be a pickpocket in the slums and is registered as a thief in the guild.

"Order received. Customers, I'll be back later."

"Ah, I'll just drink casually."

Verlaine Elsain is the Demon King's real name. Since people only know the title 'Demon King,' revealing her real name wouldn't expose her, but I feel that this workplace is a bit too open.

The Demon King's country is called the Elsain Demon Kingdom, and Verlaine is the 12th Demon King. Considering that the Albain Kingdom has a 52nd king despite having a longer history, the difference in lifespan and the frequency of internal strife is evident. There have been succession wars in Albain as well, but the current reign is relatively stable.

"Hey, Aileen. The elf maid has been working normally, but don't you think something is off?"

"Indeed, you noticed... Since her face hasn't changed, Miralca wouldn't overlook it."

"Once you talk to Verlaine, you'll see that she's a good person. She's helping out, and the shop is benefiting from it. Dick is probably happy too, right?"

"...Hmm. Is there no danger of her trying to trap Dick?"

"Ah, I'm worried about that too. I think it's okay, though. She's trying to earn Dick's approval."

"Approval... Ah, ah, both of you. Is the elf showing affection towards Sir Dick?"

I worry if it's okay for the princess to be in the shop this late, but apparently, she's staying over at Miralca's place to study. Even if it's a night out, as long as it doesn't get exposed, it shouldn't be a problem.

"Hmm, I wonder. It seems she wants something Dick is keeping for her."

"Is Dick aware that she's working under the pretext of getting it back... He can be a bit absent-minded, so you should tell him properly."

"Miralca, there's also the freedom of career choice. Isn't it good? If I could, I would work in this shop with Sir Dick..."

"Of course... You really only think about Dick, don't you?"

"Sorry. But, Sir Dick has been so helpful with the duke's matter, and I'm really happy..."

I'm relieved not to be called to that girls' talk, but if I were, I don't think I could escape in various ways.

Just as I was about to escape into my drink, the doorbell rang—A customer wearing a dull brown cloak with the hood up came in and approached where I was at the counter.

"Is the seat next to you free?"

"Yeah, it's free."

One of the customers who comes to my shop to avoid drawing attention—Cordy, the "Shining Light Sword." I thought he would come soon, but I didn't expect it to be today.

He took off his hood and, as always, showed a cheerful smile. His complexion was much better than the last time he came to the shop.

"Customer, what would you like to order?"

"A cold ale, please."

"Understood."

Ale, unlike blends, can be served immediately. The only tavern in the capital with a refrigerated ice room is this one.

Verlaine, without being asked, brought me a refill of ale. Cordy drank about half of it in one go, clinking his mug.

"Phew... It's good. The ale at this shop is really special."

"It's from a different supplier than other taverns. The taste of ale can vary greatly depending on the ingredients and the maker."

"You've always been meticulous, Dick. I bet you could run any kind of shop and make it stand out."

"I just want to drink good ale. The more I try to make the tavern unique, the harder it is to see its true nature."

I talk quite openly with Cordy. The tavern's disguise to hide the guild's excellence—such things I rarely tell others.

Cordy finished the rest of his ale and started eating the snacks that were served. Just by looking at him drinking, he seems more like a young knight drinking with friends than the head of the knights.

Though it's not quite right to call him a friend, it's pointless to stubbornly deny it. Cordy is a good guy with no pretenses, and that hasn't changed even after knowing various entanglements and feeling a bit jaded.

"...About the princess, was it your help that led to that?"

"Miralca said she saw the match, so I thought it was possible for the head of the knights to be involved... But for those who know my magic, it's obvious."

"No, I didn't feel the presence of magic. But when I saw that 'enhanced feeling,' it brought back memories. It's more like a gut feeling now."

"So that's why you came to see me. You're really thorough."

"Haha... But I think Miralca felt the same way. If she saw that, she couldn't help but come here. You still have a significant influence in this capital, even with the limited number of people who mention the name 'Dick of the Forgotten.'"

If Cordy says so, I can assume my plan is working well. Considering the amount of information that reaches the head of the knights, if my existence isn't exposed, it means I'm successfully hiding.

"Hmm... This snack is also delicious. Are these fried nuts?"

"They're flame walnuts. They can be eaten raw, but they develop a spicy flavor when heated."

"Wow... This spiciness is addictive."

"By the way, this is a complimentary snack. Feel free to help yourself."

"You're always so generous. But this feeling... It seems to give some fire resistance."

"A little. To get a stronger resistance, you need to combine it with the right drink. That's usually only necessary when fighting fire-breathing monsters."

I also tried the flame walnuts, savoring their spiciness—this is the best way to prepare these nuts, and they go perfectly with ale.

However, for some reason, Cordy was staring intently at the small dish of flame walnuts. When he makes this face, he usually has a serious matter to discuss—this time was no exception.

"Dick, I have a favor to ask. I didn't want to bring a job to you, but it seems I can only rely on you."

"I'd like to say no, but... it depends on the content. My guild can handle anything, but we're not a jack-of-all-trades."

I checked to see if Miralca and the others were listening, but they were still chatting about recent events and hadn't even noticed Cordy's arrival.

"So, what's the favor? If it's something like a cat search, take it to a regular guild. I'm not saying I won't take it, but..."

"A cat search is something the knights could handle... but while you could find it in a day, it would take us several days."

Cordy doesn't know the specifics of the information network I've built, but he evaluates me as the most knowledgeable about the capital. That's not entirely wrong.

Cordy, who had been smiling gently, suddenly became serious and said in a voice that wouldn't be heard by anyone around.

"I have a subordinate named Timis, a female knight who serves as a centurion. She has volunteered to hunt the fire dragon that appeared in the forest east of the capital."

"Centurion... What's her combat rating?"

"1840. Equivalent to a C-rank adventurer."

In the knights, a centurion's combat rating is roughly equivalent to a B-rank adventurer. The difficulty of hunting a fire dragon is such that a party of six A-rank adventurers can barely achieve it. In other words, if Timis goes as she is, she will definitely fail the hunt and could even lose her life.

"Such a reckless volunteer should just be denied."

"But... the king himself gave me an order. He wants me to fulfill Timis's wishes as much as possible and to support her if she is working hard to advance."

"...I don't really want to know, but what's the relationship between Timis and the king?"

"She is the daughter of one of the king's concubines. She has been skilled in martial arts since childhood and is particularly excellent with a spear among her peers. However, she is a bit too eager for success."

The appearance of a fire dragon nearby might have seemed like a golden opportunity for someone eager for achievements.

"The legitimate heir... Princess Manalina, is the only one with the right to the throne. So, she's trying to earn merit as a knight. That's not a bad thing in itself, but if I follow the king's orders and she ends up dying, that would be a bigger problem."

"Right... That's why I considered hunting the fire dragon myself. But I'm the head of the knights. I don't have a stand-in, and if I leave, my subordinates will immediately notice."

"...Yeah, that's true."

Cordy is trusted by his subordinates, and his direct deputies often seek his instructions. If he were to disappear, they would mobilize to find him—once the king learns that Cordy has moved, he might suspect the situation. If it's thought that Cordy preemptively thwarted Timis's wish to hunt the fire dragon, there's nothing he can do about it.

It's a troublesome matter, but Cordy is still loyal to the king. His parents, who are now retired adventurers, are also given generous support.

Cordy could have founded a country with his power as a hero, but he has no such ambition. I think it's a waste to see it from the outside, but it's also true that the country is stable because he is the head of the knights.

"...If Timis's party comes to this shop seeking information necessary for the fire dragon hunt, could you help her win?"

This is a far cry from the princess's duel—her opponent is a fire dragon. In terms of combat rating, a mature dragon is at least 12,000 points. A knight with a rating of 1840 would have their armor destroyed in one hit and be in mortal danger in the second.

If Timis were to lead a group, the fire dragon would surely use its breath attack to eliminate the group, causing significant damage.

However—there is a trick to hunting fire dragons. If you know it, it's not impossible to overcome the difference in combat ratings.

This isn't the first time a fire dragon has appeared in the Belfone Forest. Two years ago, I hunted a different individual. I had a guild member carry out my strategy.

To teach a young and ambitious female knight to defeat a fire dragon and to prevent her from taking actions beyond her capabilities in the future.

If asked whether both can be achieved, I can answer. If the conditions are right, it is not impossible.