n

n

n

nWe chatted pleasantly for awhile, and before long, we got into the swing and our conversation became really lively, but I had questions of my own that I wanted to ask.

n“Actually, I have some questions I would like to ask. Would it be alright?” Ryouma

n“But of course. You are a related party, after all, so it’s only right that we involve you.” Reinhart

n“Now then, where should we begin?”Elize

n“Well, for starters, this incident has been completely settled now, right?” Ryouma

n“Yes, there won’t be any more problems related to this incident. After all, the person responsible is no longer in this world. With evidence in my hands, I led the knights of the royal capital to raid his manor and then took his life with my own hands. You know about the man responsible for this whole mess, right?” Reinhart

n“It’s just speculation based off the things I’ve heard from Yurdum-san, but if I’m not mistaken, the ringleader should be the former Margrave Volcano and current head of a count family, as well as the son of the feudal lord of the territory where Reinbach-sama achieved the merit of being a ‘Contractor of the Divine Beast’.” Ryouma

nReinhart-san nodded and explained.

nIn summary, he spoke about the time when the previous head of the Jamil family, Reinbach-sama, succeeded in becoming the Contractor of the Divine Beast. Back then, the margrave led his armies to fend off the dragons attacking his territory and people, and while he did succeed once, the dragons kept attacking, and eventually, they could hold no longer, causing countless people to die, and the city to be scorched under the dragons’ flames.

nReinbach-sama would eventually settle the problem himself, but while Reinbach-sama would be remembered and honored as the biggest contributor for becoming the Contractor of the Divine Beast, the only thing that awaited the margrave was slander that marked him incompetent.

n“The struggle between the nobles is a cruel thing. The nobles of the military may have advocated for the margrave, but most of the royal court nobles, that knew nothing of war, and the nobles hostile toward the margrave irresponsibly remarked, ‘He couldn’t defend his territory even with all those soldiers, and yet Reinbach-dono solved everything alone’.

nAs a result, the already wounded margrave lost his military and his wealth, and it was around then that the person behind this recent incident was born. The margrave’s family had to give up their territory because they didn’t have the resources to fix it, but that’s actually only for the time being. Alas, even that ended in tragedy.” Elize

n“Their territory was meant to eventually be returned to them, and they would once again be able to call themselves a margrave’s house. And supposedly, there were even talks of marriage with a marquis’s daughter that they decided upon privately, but… The margrave’s son wasn’t happy even with that.” Reinhart

nApparently, when Reinhart-san entered their manor with the knights, only the head himself and an old servant was there. They had already disposed all of their valuables, and the head even drank poison and a magic potion that bolstered his physical abilities, then attacked Reinhart-san.

nIn the end, the head used a magic tool to set fire to the manor in an attempt to drag everyone there with him.

n“There were nobles that supported him too, but those nobles are neither strong enough nor courageous enough to be openly hostile, and some of them were linked with other crimes as well, so it’s unlikely for any of them to try another plot. The Dark Guild’s involvement and the missing valuables from the count’s manor are certainly a cause for concern, but I don’t think anything as big as this last incident will be possible for them anymore. Also, our people stayed behind in the royal capital to continue investigating with the knights, and there’s also a lead in the assassin that targeted Serge.” Reinhart

nOh, right, that happened too, didn’t it? I’ve completely forgotten already, but the assassin that targeted Serge-san is currently confined underground in a special room.

nWe disarmed him after catching him, and though there was a bit of a trouble when the poison slime detected that he’d ingested a slow-acting poison beforehand, the medical team was able to pump his stomach by having him take in the cleaner slime like one would an endoscope. Since the medical team made it in time to retrieve the poison, he should already be in the clear.

nHe’s exhausted, but there’s no danger to his life. I don’t know how much information we can get from him, but I’m sure he’ll be subjected to a harsh interrogation.

nWhile I was thinking that, the madam continued with a serious expression.

n“More importantly, isn’t there something more important we need to be discussing right now?” Elize

n“Like what?” Ryouma

n“Like how the other nobles will be sure to try and solicit you after this incident.” Elize

nRight, it’s a bit late to be mentioning this, but everything I’ve done because of this incident has caused my name to spread among the people in the city. And with how this incident is said to have garnered even the attention of the nobles, it’s only a matter of time now before my name and deeds reach their ears… In fact, they probably already know.

n“This isn’t a matter we can just leave alone, Whether it’s as individuals or as nobles, so to avoid any problems, we wish to formally invite you to become a specialist of our Jamil family.” Elize

n“Right, the in-house specialists. If I remember correctly, you previously offered me the position of a Rank 3 Specialist.” Ryouma

n“That was the case back then, but you took the initiative to help solve this incident and even the problems afterwards, so I believe a Rank 2 Specialist would be more fitting now.

nEspecially since your research on slime fields that could produce and harvest crops with high efficiency, and your research on nutritional supplements using the algae from the alga slimes won’t be limited to just this incident. The fruits of your research have the potential to save countless lives. That alone is more than enough reason to take you in as our specialist.” Elize

n“Well, that’s how it is, so once again, we’re formally extending the offer to appoint you as our house’s specialist… What do you think?” Reinhart

nThis is a great offer for me, indeed, and it’s definitely the best option if I want to avoid problems, but I couldn’t give an immediate reply.

n