Chapter 64

In the residential area of the city of Kama, where nobles and some merchants lived, there was a particularly prominent mansion. This mansion was overwhelming, and including the garden, it covered an area of about 160,000 square meters, comparable to a certain amusement park.

In one of the rooms, the interior was adorned with expensive decorations and antiques. The furniture was clearly crafted by top-notch artisans.

A man sat on the sofa with a haughty attitude, sipping tea. He was about two meters tall, and his muscular body was so imposing that he could easily be mistaken for a half-giant. Across the table, the other man, from his attire and demeanor, was clearly a noble.

"Joseph, don't you have anything to say to me?"

"Hmm? Is there something wrong? I thought the condition for me being a guest was that you wouldn't impose any restrictions."

"You know I've been gathering excellent talent, right? Why did you hide information about Yu Sato?"

Joseph finished the remaining tea in one gulp and belched.

"Your pretense of arrogance is futile. I know you hid the information because you like Yu, not because of any guild request."

"If you've investigated that much, you should know why I didn't say anything."

Joseph tried to stand up, but as if on cue, Nung entered the room. He carried a tray with a wine bottle and glasses, placed the glasses on the table, and began pouring wine.

"This is a 30-year-old Brute Mogul from one of the five major winemakers in the capital, Brute. As you know, Joseph, Brute Mogul produces only 4,000 to 5,000 bottles a year, and this is the finest, aged for 30 years."

"I'm cutting down on alcohol."

"I know. Ever since you met Yu, right?"

Muss took a sip of the wine, savoring the taste and aroma, and spoke provocatively to Joseph.

"You... You knew and still had it brought in, didn't you?"

"Hehe, just a little joke. I want Joseph to cooperate with me to get along with Yu."

"Don't mess with him. If you go any further..."

The room was filled with a killing aura, and Joseph's muscles bulged. Nung moved behind Muss, ready to act at any moment.

"You really like him, don't you? Well, considering your situation, I can understand. But it's not too late to give your answer after hearing the story, right? Tell Joseph what you reported to the old man and me."

"Understood."

"Yu Sato is from the village of Ressel. In the village, he was discriminated against because of his hair and eye color. He registered as an adventurer but was issued a fake guild card and had more than half of his quest rewards taken."

Joseph listened to Nung in silence, his eyes becoming bloodshot with anger, and his expression resembling that of a demon.

"He also suffered daily violence from the adventurers in Ressel. However, the situation changed on a certain day when the adventurers who were beating him to death. Around that time, he met Nina and formed a party with her."

"What do you think?"

"It's a disgusting story."

"Indeed, it's a disgusting story, but that's not what I'm concerned about. Is it possible that the adventurers who were beating Yu to death conveniently died at the right time? By the way, one of the adventurers died while fighting goblins, and the other two died on the outskirts of the village shortly after the first one."

"Are you saying Yu killed them? Given the daily violence he endured, it's not surprising if he did."

"True, he endured daily violence. It's hard to imagine from my impression of Yu. Joseph, you know more about Yu's abilities. Was there a reason he endured it? Or did he suddenly gain the power to kill the adventurers?"

Joseph's expression remained unreadable, but Muss turned to Nung to continue.

"After completing quests for about a year, he left the village and headed for the city of Kama. He was called ungrateful by the villagers as he left. On the way to the city of Kama, he met Rena and formed a three-person party. After registering as an adventurer in the city of Kama, he defeated the Goblin King in just ten days and also defeated the 'Foresight Zep Magnote' and two others from the Undead Mercenary Corps who were hunting rookies. One of them was defeated by you, Joseph. Recently, he also bought and is raising a dark elf girl, so it's clear that they are a four-person party exploring the dungeon."

"Foresight Zep Magnote is a fairly famous demi-human who single-handedly defeated a general of the Set Republic in the Marquia Plains battle."

Joseph clicked his tongue, thinking they had done their research.

"I understand your interest in Yu, but I don't see a reason to cooperate."

"Yu lived with three people in Ressel. One was Nina. Who was the other one?"

"Obviously... Yu's family, right?"

In response to Nung's question, Joseph answered as a matter of course, but Nung shook his head.

"The villagers indeed testified that Yu lived with three people on the outskirts of the village, but the name of the third person never came up. It's clear that the third person lived with Yu, but that part of the villagers' memory seems to have been erased by someone."

"What do you mean...?"

"The villagers' memories were erased, but the traveling merchants' memories were not—rather, they were forgotten. The traveling merchants remembered the third person, a woman named Stella. They were puzzled because the name 'Stella' suddenly stopped being mentioned by the villagers when they asked about it."

"See, don't you want to cooperate with me now?"

"Fine, I'll cooperate. But in return, you have to tell me all the information you get in the future."

Satisfied with Joseph's answer, Muss took a sip of the wine in his glass. As Joseph headed for the door, Muss called out to him as if he had just remembered something.

"Oh, by the way. I'm not sure yet, but you should be careful around Nina."

"Nina? Ha, you're worrying too much."

"I hope so."