The beast tamer exiled from the hero’s party and the cat eared girl from the strongest race meet
We suddenly managed to get straight to the information we were looking for.
I was happy about that, but…
"The Four Heavenly Kings… and a demon equal to them?"
I hadn’t heard anything like that.
Wasn’t there supposed to be just one enemy?
I looked at Yuki.
He shook his head as if to say, I don’t know either.
So this was an unexpected development.
For now, I decided to hear the rest of the story.
"Yeeees, that’s right… Seems there were two demons, heehee."
"Is that a confirmed fact?"
"And also, I’d like to make sure whether one of them is really one of the Four Heavenly Kings."
"Oh yes, yes, that’s the part you’re curious about, isn’t it… But Marily-chan’s information gathering is perfect. There’s no mistake… fufufu."
…Could this person be incapable of speaking without adding that creepy laugh at the end?
It’s a good thing Nina wasn’t here.
If she had been, I’m sure she would’ve been terrified.
"Where were they sighted?"
"All over the place… The western continent, near this town, the plains… here and there, fufufu."
"I see… Anything else about those demons?"
"For now, that’s all… If I take more time, I might get more, but… wh-what shall we do? Heehee."
"Rain, what do you think?"
"…We need more information, so I think we should ask."
"Yeah, agreed. I’m of the same opinion… So, can we ask you to do that?"
"Understood… I can’t promise, but I’ll keep investigating, heheh."
"…Eek."
Sora and Luna were already at their limit, shivering in fear.
Well, even if it’s not Nina, this is pretty scary.
"For now, let’s wait for Gray."
We moved to the inn where we were supposed to meet up.
The inn wasn’t very large, and there were few guests.
In a place like this, visitors from outside must be rare.
We sat around a big table and ordered some drinks.
While chatting and getting to know Yuki better…
Just as we finished our first drinks, Gray showed up.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, young master."
"Good work. Juice okay?"
"To be honest, I’d prefer alcohol… but fine, I’ll settle for juice."
Gray took a seat and downed the juice in one gulp.
From the look of him, he’d been moving around a lot and was thirsty.
"Alright… let’s organize the information."
First, we told him what we had learned.
Then it was Gray’s turn.
"Not sure if my info’s connected to the demons, but… there’s been an increase in missing persons."
"Missing persons? What do you mean?"
"Just what it sounds like. People vanish without warning. There are rumors about divine abductions, or maybe some pervert with strange tastes."
"…And you took notice of this because…?"
"Because there are also rumors of sightings of demons around the same time… and the timing of those sightings matches exactly with the disappearances. It’s harder to believe they aren’t related."
"I see… that does make sense."
Yuki seemed to feel something at Gray’s words, his expression thoughtful.
I, too, started sorting the facts in my head.
The Four Heavenly Kings and another powerful demon appearing around the city.
And at the same time, people going missing.
"It’s true… it’s hard to think those two issues are unrelated. I’d say they’re connected somehow."
"But the connection itself is unclear. What would the enemy want with abducting humans? To make them slaves?"
"S-slaves…"
"Hm? Sister, why are you blushing?"
"N-no, it’s just…"
"Don’t tell me, you imagined something indecent from the word ‘slave’? I meant it in the sense of laborers… I can’t believe your mind went there. Sister, you’re more perverted than I thought."
"Q-quiet! Sora hasn’t said anything yet!"
"Your face says it all!"
"Alright, enough with the comedy act. Honestly… no wonder you two are called the ‘twin sisters who can’t make it as comedians.’"
"We’ve never been called that!?"
What are they doing…?
Yuki and Gray were both staring, dumbfounded.
"…Ahaha."
Unable to hold it in any longer, Yuki burst out laughing.
"Uh… sorry. It’s not like everyone’s making fun of you or anything. They’re always like this…"
"No, no, I’m not angry or anything, so don’t worry. I just thought… it looks really fun."
Yuki laughed, but there was something lonely in his expression.
Almost as if he admired the scene before him…
That look left a strangely strong impression on me.
Was he dealing with some kind of problem?
If so, I genuinely wanted to help him.
I hoped that one day he could wear a genuine smile.
"Anyway, about our plan moving forward…"
I brought the conversation back on track.
At the moment, we didn’t have any solid leads, so we couldn’t take any action.
So first, we’d continue gathering information as we had been.
But instead of just waiting for news to come in, we’d also actively explore the area around the city.
"…I suppose that sums it up?"
Iris spoke as if voicing my own thoughts.
As usual, she was quick to understand.
That was really helpful…
But sometimes it almost felt like she could read my mind, and that made me a little uneasy.
Well, Iris was just smart—that’s all.
…Right?
"Mm, but it’s a bit frustrating, isn’t it? We’re basically on the defensive."
"I’ve been feeling the same. Lately, they’ve been striking first every time, so I’d like to go on the counterattack."
"Search and destroy!"
…Where does she even learn these phrases?
"Yeah… we should avoid being constantly on the back foot."
"If we’re dealing with one of the Four Heavenly Kings or a demon on that level, that’s tough. By the time we notice, it might already be too late."
"Yeah, I agree with everyone."
I looked around at everyone’s faces…
Then I gave them a mischievous grin.
"That’s why… I just thought of something."
"Ooh, Rain is making an evil face, huh?"
"What is it?"
"Let’s go fishing."
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