Chapter 99

As Iona left the dormitory, the captain of the guard entered the room. The captain, with an indescribably complex look on his face, entered the room, closed the door behind him, and looked at Rio and Shiraha in turn before showing a surprised expression at Churas.

"Why is there a cat?"

The question slipped out before he could stop it, and the captain of the guard shook his head as if to regain his composure and looked at Rio.

"I've heard the story. A request has been confirmed to be made in Iona's name at the Adventurers' Guild."

"Before that, why was that person allowed into the dormitory?"

Rio and the others were assigned to this dormitory because the security was supposed to be tight. However, if the martial faction of the Hornedra Familia could enter so boldly, there would be no safe place left in this town.

The captain of the guard, after letting his gaze wander as if choosing his words, spoke.

"Though it's not a good thing to say in my position, the guard alone cannot maintain the security of this town."

"That's true."

Even with the cooperation of the Adventurers' Guild, the town is in this state. The security is maintained within a limited range, and the territories of the underground organizations are left to self-governance, barely maintaining a balance.

In fact, when the Hornedra Familia, one of the underground organizations, engaged in a conflict, the town was on the verge of dysfunction.

The captain of the guard scratched his head in frustration.

"This is the kind of town. No matter what kind of organization they are, if they come out publicly saying they just want to talk, we have no choice but to respond. Otherwise, it would become an adversarial situation."

"Even so, I would have liked to be informed beforehand."

"I apologize for that."

Seeing the captain of the guard bow, Rio swallowed the discomfort in his chest.

"So, what do you think is the purpose of Iona, or rather, the Hornedra Familia?"

"To defeat the evil god Kajih, as they say. The ultimate goal of the Hornedra Familia is to reclaim their homeland. And if the evil god Kajih is defeated, it would be a sincere desire of this town to support them with all our might."

Given the level of threat, the captain of the guard even declared support, which was unexpected from someone who should be in an adversarial position.

Rio glanced at Churas. This cat seemed to know a lot about the evil god Kajih. However, Churas turned away, not intending to speak in front of the captain of the guard.

The captain of the guard continued.

"Of course, we can provide food support, and if you bring back information, the town can offer a reward."

"What about manpower?"

"In a covert operation, we wouldn't be much help. This kind of mission falls under the jurisdiction of the adventurers, but the guild is in chaos right now."

Given the current state of the Adventurers' Guild, it was impossible for them to provide manpower. Rio, who didn't expect much, accepted it smoothly.

"I want to send a letter to my homeland without going through the Adventurers' Guild. Can I ask for your help?"

"It will be a life-threatening mission. Understood. I will take responsibility for it."

Despite a slight misunderstanding, the captain of the guard accepted Rio's letter. It was written in code so that the contents wouldn't be revealed if seen.

"I have an acquaintance staying in the town of Sufan. If I leave it with the guild there, it should be fine."

"Understood. I need to contact them about this matter anyway, so I'll take it with me."

The captain of the guard left the room. Rio closed the door and sighed.

"It's getting serious."

"Defeating the evil god is unnecessary, I think."

Glared at by Shiraha, Rio nodded honestly.

Given the purpose of the magic orb investigation, defeating the evil god Kajih was irrelevant.

"Maybe I should teach Iona the magic cut technique."

It was a dangerous skill that could remove slave collars, but the rumor was already out. It wasn't a particularly difficult technique in principle, and it could be reproduced if one had the aptitude.

If the skill were to spread, Rio wouldn't be targeted by the Hornedra Familia. Their goal was to nullify the unique magic of the evil god Kajih.

"Churas, what is the unique magic of the evil god Kajih?"

"I don't know the details. I've heard that when the Shweet Kingdom was destroyed, the defensive barriers disappeared instantly, children who couldn't use body enhancement were embedded in the walls of houses, and weapons, except for holy artifacts and evil tools, vanished with a single glance."

"The only thing I understand is that body enhancement must not be interrupted."

"It's a story from seventy years ago. It includes exaggeration, and there are few people who know the time. Still, the best course of action is to avoid encountering it."

Churas added, "However, Shiraha and I can sense each other's presence even from a distance due to our high sensitivity to magic, which comes from being born from a magic orb."

"Is the evil god Kajih the same?"

"Yes. By the time we sense its presence, its location will already be known. It would be best to escape immediately."

Churas added, "Whether you can escape is another matter," but the effect of Iona's holy artifact bow, which has the ability to fixate the gaze, would be significant in aiding escape and preventing attacks.

Though they couldn't fully trust each other, this time it would be helpful.

Rio, who was trying to convince himself, noticed that Shiraha was staring at Churas and called out to her.

"Is something wrong with Churas?"

Shiraha, still looking at Churas, tilted her head.

"Will you pretend to be a normal cat while we're on the investigation?"

Rio also thought it would be difficult for Churas, who was supposed to be their guide, to pretend to be a normal cat.

Churas puffed out his chest.

"To make the Hornedra Familia understand the necessity of the investigation, I must teach them the effects of the magic orb. My existence is effective in conveying the effects and dangers of the magic orb. Therefore, I will talk to that woman."

"Then, we don't need to buy pet food before the investigation."

"Huh...?"

Surprised by Shiraha's unexpected words, Churas looked up at Rio.

Rio gently averted his eyes.

"Sorry, I was also unsure what to do."

"You were going to feed pet food to your savior..."