Evil Avalon

Chapter 103-Over-the-table speculation

(TL:By Rafael,valhallatls.blogspot.com)

I face Goshin, the clan leader of the Kunoichi Red clan, across the table and we greet each other. I don't want to go on and on about social pleasantries, so I ask her directly why she called me here.

　

"So you didn't call me because I was in possession of a "fake"?"

　Fake" is a skill that protects one's information from appraisal skills by disguising one's status and name. In this world, there are many places that use "simple appraisal" to verify the identity of adventurers, and it is effectively used as a social system. It is clear that if "FAKE" were to become known, chaos would ensue.

　

　Even if the existence of "fakes" were to become public knowledge, it would be possible to detect them with a higher level skill called "appraisal," but this "appraisal" is a national secret only in the U.S., and the method of learning it has not been disclosed to other countries. On the other hand, magic items containing "Appraisal" magic are available in the market, but they are so expensive that a single appraisal costs several million yen, so they cannot be abused.

　For these reasons, I assume that the countries of the world designated the "FAKE" skill as harmful before it spread, and restricted information and learning methods.

　

　Since I had such a hidden skill, Kunoichi Red saw it as a problem - at least this must have been her concern when she first sent the clan party invitation. Goshin nodded slowly in affirmation.

　

'Yes we were indeed interested in the possession of the "fakes" as well ...... but before that. How much do you know about our clan, Narumi-sama?"

　Goshin's kunoichi Red often appears on TV and in magazines, so most people would associate them with an entertainment group or an entertainment agency. I thought about answering in the same way, but after some consideration I decided to answer frankly, since I could not go on with my story if I was playing dumb.

　

'I heard that in addition to running the Adventurers Guild ......, you are also involved in espionage and other activities."

'Yes, we do. The "fake" is a skill that is only disclosed to organizations like ours, but when we checked, there was no evidence that Narumi-sama had received permission from the government to learn or use it. I have been trying to figure out how you could have possessed such a skill in spite of that. ......'

At first I was suspected as a foreign agent. In other words, agents like Kuga Kotone .  They suspected that I was an agent from abroad who had come to Japan to spy on a special Japanese institution called the Adventurers' School. Goshin said she was personally very interested in the person who had penetrated through the Adventurers' School's research and security.

　

　However, my family structure and background negated that. After a detailed investigation, everyone in the Narumi family seemed to be an ordinary person,

　

"If you were an agent, your past would have been erased or your career would have been manipulated, but I was able to trace the entire life of  Narumi-sama and his family, and I was able to confirm that they were purely ordinary people. If that is the case..."

　The possibility of a domestic dark organization. A fellow worker who normally spends his time as a civilian and only has a dark side when he is on a mission.

　

"There are several domestic organizations that possess "fakes," but I can think of only one organization whose members are completely unknown to ...... me.'

　That rings a bell. Maybe, or maybe not, but Goshin looked as if she was certain. I'm going to ask her anyway.

　

"I heard that "Oboro[Haze]" went into the dungeon."

"...... Oboro?"

　Goshin smiles smugly, as if to say that she has revealed my true identity. The Kunoichi, who was listening next to her, seemed to know who it was, but Kirara-chan was surprised to hear that I was a  Oboro, her eyes fluttering.

　

　Oboro or Haze is a secret society that is said to be behind various conspiracies and is a famous organization that has become an urban legend. I remember that it appeared in a sub-story in Dun-Ex, and that there was a quest to defeat it, which involved finding out its true identity and capturing its leaders. What does this Oboro have to do with me?

"Just so I'm clear, you are talking about that famous secret society, right?"

"Haze, yes that Oboro. I heard that Oboro appeared as a helper in Narumi-sama's class."

　

　A helper for our class?　

　

"We understand that the leader of the Sorel clan was defeated by an unidentified girl wearing a mask. The defeated clan leader is actually a member of the Kinran-kai."

　Kunoichi Red was informed that a powerful member of the conquering clan Kinran-kai had been knocked down by someone and taken to the infirmary. When the guild officials rushed to interview him afterwards, he testified that the unidentified girl was Oboro.

I am sure that I confirmed directly with my sister that she had defeated a member of the Kinran-kai. She said that his level was over 20, and she had no choice but to put out her true spirit. However, I do not know what the man saw in Hanano that made him mistake her for Oboro.

　

　Perhaps sensing that I was not quite grasping the situation, Goshin added an explanation.

　

"The girl was a faker. We can't be certain that she is Oboro on that basis alone, but it seems that she also used her speed-increasing skill."

"Speed-increasing skills? Is that a skill known only to Oboro?"

"It is a skill that makes Oboro powerful, and we want to obtain that skill at all costs."

　It seems that Goshin suspects that both I and the masked girl are Oboro members and that we have information about the speed increase skill.

　

　The speed-increasing skills my sister remembered were "Accelerator," which increases movement speed by 30 percent, and "Shadow Step," which also increases evasion.

　

　There is no need to go to the trouble of pointing out the mistake and giving the correct information, but I'll just add a quip.

　

"I don't know of any such skill, so there is no way I can trade it. And I don't think it's fair to assume that she is Oboro just because she possesses a speed-increasing skill. I think you are being too paranoid."

"With all due respect,......, but an unidentified strongman who has mastered both the "fake" and the speed increase skills has conveniently appeared as a helper in Narumi-sama's class,...... even if you ask me not to suspect this. The actuality is, it's impossible. And--"

　

Even if the masked girl was not Oboro, it does not change the fact that she had learned the speed increase skill. Kunoichi Red wants not information about Oboro, but rather the speed increase skill.

　With the speed increase skill, Kunoichi Red would be able to leap ahead and carry out various missions. She tells me how much it will benefit the country and society, but to be honest, I don't really care. What matters to me is whether or not I can protect the people I care about, and I have no expectations of Kunoichi Red in that regard.

　

　When Gowhin saw that her attempts at persuasion were not working, her elegant face fell slightly and she played the negotiation card.

"Narumi-sama will surely need our help."

"......Why if I may ask?'

　She's talking nonsense again. I would rather retreat to the dungeon with my family than rely on a Kunoichi Red, but let's just ask her why, shall we?

"This is top-secret information we have obtained, but the Kinran-kai is going to declare war on Oboro in the near future."

　She explained to me what kind of clan the Kinran-kai is.

　

　Before it became an affiliate of the Colors, the Kinran-kai was larger than it is now, and it spent most of its time fighting with various clans over rights and interests. A large scale clan is bound to have conflicts. Japan's largest clan, "Jurakusetsu," is also in a constant battle all year round, so it is not difficult to imagine.

　

　Kinran-kai has also won many battles and secured sponsors and excellent human resources one after another. It had rapidly expanded to become one of the leading clans in Japan and was at its peak, but that did not last long.

　

　One day about 10 years ago. Something triggered a war with Oboro, and within a month it was half destroyed. More than half of the Kinran-kai members were killed, and the clans and sponsors who had been their allies defected one after another. The clan fell into a crisis of survival. The clan made the difficult decision to join the Colors, which was gaining momentum at the time, in an effort to rebuild the clan.

　

The old Kinran-kai members who have been around since before joining the Colors still harbor intense feelings of hatred toward Oboro,...... but the other day they were defeated by an adventurer who appeared to be Oboro.

　When the Adventurers' Guild was informed of Oboro's defeat, the executives of the Kinran Kai were outraged, claiming that Oboro had "tarnished the name of the clan". A general meeting of the clan was immediately held, and a shouting match ensued over whether the clan should retaliate or remain silent, since no lives had been taken.

　

"After much wrangling, it was decided that the former Sorel clan leader would take the lead in defeating Oboro in a bid to clear his name."

"......The previous clan leader of Sorrel?"

"Yes. The man is called  Sosuke Kirigaya. The man who was defeated by the masked girl - Kaga Daigo is the current clan leader of Sorrel, but he only recently assumed his name. Until last month, thei clan leader was Kirigaya."

　Sosuke Kirigaya......I remember my mom telling me at a family meeting once that the clan leader of Sorel is a dangerous man, but he's come a long way in such a short period of time to become the leader of a second-tier organization.

"I heard that he made "tremendous achievements" and was promoted to the number two position in the Kinran-kai, which was an unprecedented promotion. His nickname is "Mad Dog," and while we are still trying to find out more about him, we have heard that he has a very bad temper, just as his name suggests."

　　What would happen if such an evil-looking guy ...... were to take the lead? They must be trying to gather information about Oboro  by suing violence to get it out of people related to mask girl. If that happens, not only my sister but also Satsuki and Kaworu will be troubled, right?

　

"As you may have guessed from ......, not only the masked girl, but also her friends at school could be harmed. It pains me to think of your current feelings, Narumi-sama."

　Seeing my eyebrows slightly raised, Goshin held her chest with both hands as if she was pained. 

"If Kirigaya were to go into an adventurers' school and harm the students, I'm sure the school and the government would take appropriate action. I think that even the Kinran-kai would know that much."

　The Adventurers' School is an institution created by the Japanese government with the prestige of training adventurers. The government would not be silent if anyone messed with the students enrolled in the school. Even the clan would be subject to severe sanctions.

"As you say, the government will take action if they harm the students in public. However, there are many places outside the school and in the dungeon that are out of sight. We cannot predict what the man known as the mad dog will do."

"...... Indeed. "

　Even the strong Kinran-kai of that time was driven to a devastating defeat in just one month, so why did they think they could beat Oboro without much preparation? Even though the Colors, a higher-ranked organization, was behind them, there was no reason or merit for them to become enemies with Oboro just because one of their subordinate organizations had lost. On the other hand, it would be too optimistic to think that the Kinran-kai alone could win.

"We should think that the odds are stacked against us. Perhaps it has something to do with Kirigaya's "tremendous achievement. Some mighty magic item, some skill. Perhaps he discovered a new job. Without such a plan, they would not have declared war on Oboro."

　There has clearly been a change in the atmosphere at Colors recently, including in the subordinate organizations. There is always something going on. Goshin has yet to figure out what it is, but she says it's only a matter of time before she figures out what it is.

"I already have my men snuck in around the Kinran-kai. With our superior intelligence skills, it won't be long before we find out what it is. At the same time, we believe it is possible to protect your friend Narumi-sama from them."

　Kunoichi Red will move to monitor Kinran-kai and gather information while protecting my classmates. If necessary, they will intervene and negotiate with them. It would certainly be a great benefit to me if she did that. ......

　

"I see. So that's what you mean when you say you need Goshin-san's help. But I still can't accept the deal."

"May I ask why ......?"

"Because even if we accept Goshin-san's proposal, we must first trust each other. Even if we were to provide the information, there is a possibility that it would be contradicted if it became inconvenient to Kunoichi Red. First of all, we have to make sure that Goshin-san and the others are trustworthy partners. ...... But this is all when there is an assumption that if I knew about the speed-increasing skills, that is."

　According to what Lisa told me, the Kunoichi Red clan was not a friend of justice.  We can't afford to have our backs protected by a group that could attack us at any moment.

"Do you think we're going to go back on the contract, kid ......?"

"Narumi. Correct it immediately and apologize to my aunt."

　The butler, who had been smiling and waiting behind me, suddenly turned indignant when I refused Goshin's proposal, and the waitresses' fury swelled. Kirara-chan, who was sitting next to me, also looks bloodthirsty and asks me to apologize. I know I should be polite, but I have to be cautious when the safety of people I care about is at stake.

　

（But the anger of the people in the back of the room is not letting up. ...... Is this a bad idea?)

I'm in the middle of a needle's throw with dozens of people staring at me. I can't afford to be in a battle with this many people, so I should probably prepare to run away. On the other hand, Goshin is pretending to think about something without calming her subordinates around us. Perhaps this pressure is part of her plan.

　

　For now, she hasn't made any moves to attack me, so I'll just wait for Goshin's decision while eating a set of snacks lined up in front of me. By the way, if I apologize to ......, will you really forgive me, Kirara-chan?

TL Note- Sota, I doubt your apology will be even considered.

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