Ch.229The NPC Who Confirms the Butterfly Effect. (8)

Even though the Eight Continent might be similar to the medieval era without things like photographs, it’s still fundamentally a place where people live. In fact, even without cameras, there are countries that have implemented modern-like elements through fantastical means. For instance, [IT], which produces weapons like the gun Ragni uses, may only work within their own country, but they even have proper small radio devices similar to cell phones. In other words.

“As I mentioned last night, I don’t need any rewards.”

“Haha! Such excessive modesty from a young man! But I’m afraid it’s too late!! The lord has already expressed a desire to meet you!!”

In a situation where I have no idea how or through what channels my personal information or physical description might have reached Ponia, I absolutely must avoid meeting any high-ranking official from Ponia.

Normally, I’m the type who never refuses when someone offers me something, but haven’t I already moved past the point in life where I’m so hungry I’d gulp down even a poisoned chalice? I just want to make contact with Luxuria and leave without causing any trouble, so please just leave me alone!!!

“Haha… Is that so? But I’m really in a hurry right now, so if we can’t meet immediately, could we perhaps schedule it for later? At the very least, the domain I want to visit is right ahead, so perhaps on my way back from there.”

He’s not just a guard but the Knight Commander. Since I’m dealing with the leader of all knights in this domain, I express my refusal as indirectly as possible. I’d like to tell him to stop talking nonsense and get lost, but I’ve already accumulated enough bad blood with Ponia. There’s no need to create unnecessary conflict, and I’m confident that the noble lord must be busy, so he can’t meet me right away. But as I say this, the Knight Commander pats my shoulder with a bright smile.

“Hahaha!! I see! Indeed!! I heard from Johnson yesterday that you’re heading toward the Poria domain, right? As it happens, all the forest keepers who went strange yesterday were from that direction. It would be good to discuss that with the lord as well!! As you said, he’s a busy person, and yesterday’s incident has made him even busier. But when I mentioned you last night, he immediately ordered me to bring you! Since you’re also busy, let’s go right away!!”

Wait, what the hell? Is he some kind of noble who’s friendly to commoners, like something out of a light novel?

Even though I’m an uneducated, stupid commoner, I know from my past life memories that it’s common sense that seeing a noble requires making appointments and reservations days in advance. Let alone the lord of a domain where an incident has occurred. Seeing such a person on the same day? Come on, that’s a bit…

“Ah! There’s the carriage the lord sent! Come down when you’re ready!! Our knights will safely escort you there!!”

The Knight Commander, who pointed out that the carriage outside our inn room was sent by the lord to pick me up, laughed heartily and closed the door, heading downstairs as if there was nothing more to discuss. Damn it, really? A same-day meeting with the lord? I don’t want that!

“Jack, if you really don’t want to go, should we run away?”

“I’m ready anytime. We can climb out this window to the roof, then cross to the opposite building—it’s a straight line to the collapsed wall from yesterday.”

As Miho and Chikuyo read my reaction and suggest we could escape through another window, I fall into serious contemplation.

Honestly, I was planning to go to Poria and meet Luxuria. If she truly is that likable demon who could have been my ancestor’s wife 8,000 years ago, I’m thinking of at least neutralizing her and putting her under protective observation, even if I can’t immediately ask her to date me. However, the risk of dragging around a demon like her would certainly be substantial.

If things go wrong, our entire party could be labeled as demon followers before we even leave Ponia, and in a worse scenario, it could negatively affect my little sister’s group far away in Natie.

In other words, this is a situation that really needs to be handled quietly. Starting from now, before I’ve even made contact with Luxuria, I’m going to antagonize another lord of Ponia? No, that won’t work. The risk is too high.

“But didn’t you say that revealing yourself as ‘Forest Keeper Jack’ would also be an enormous risk?”

“Yes, that’s the problem.”

“But didn’t you say Jack never attacked any nobles?”

“I never attacked them, but I was wanted and fled. From Ponia’s perspective, I’m a criminal who caused a monster parade, ignored a noble’s orders, and ran away—that’s what Ragni predicted too.”

When I answer Miho’s question, both of them sigh. We might come up with a better plan if we think a bit more, but the carriage has already arrived. We don’t have much time to find the perfect answer.

“We have no choice. Let’s go hear what they have to say. And if it seems like I’ve been discovered, we’ll escape immediately—sorry, but you two will have to do some long-distance running if that happens.”

“Can’t be helped~”

“I’m already used to it! I ran all the way from Natie to Aigram, so one city’s distance is nothing!!”

Unable to find a good option, I had to choose the lesser evil. I just hope they haven’t discovered that I’m Forest Keeper Jack.

*

Come to think of it, since reincarnating into this world, I haven’t seen many large buildings except for Avalitia’s house or the academy in Natie. Even the Grand Elder’s house was surprisingly just an ordinary mansion.

“…Wow. How can a lord’s castle be this big?”

“Hmm, this is my first time seeing a castle built by humans. Is it your first time too, Jack?”

“I’d get lost in there. Why is it so huge?”

If the academy building where Ira is located boasts a three-story structure with extensive grounds, the castle now before our eyes is literally a medieval building with excessive height born of vanity.

However, as we move by carriage with the Knight Commander’s escort, we can see refugees from yesterday’s incident receiving treatment or resting in small tents below the castle. Considering how they summoned me on the same day and are taking care of the evacuated citizens below the castle, maybe this person isn’t so bad after all.

With such optimistic thoughts, we enter the castle, and soon the carriage stops.

“We’ve arrived, please get out!!”

“Thank you for the escort.”

“”Thank you.””

“Hahaha! Escorting the saviors of our city is only natural! Well, I must return to supervising the reconstruction, so I’ll say goodbye here. Follow that guide who just came out!”

I can’t remember clearly, but aren’t knights nobles or of equivalent status? I don’t understand why the leader of such knights would treat commoners like us with such a bright smile and kindness, but we exchanged pleasant farewells with him and greeted our guide.

“Welcome. Adventurer Jack. And are you Adventurer Miho and her family member, Chikuyo?”

“Ah, yes.”

“Hello.”

“That’s right.”

The middle-aged woman who appeared as our guide quietly confirmed our identities, nodded, and then asked us to follow her into the castle.

After quietly following her for several minutes, climbing numerous staircases, we arrived at the room where the lord waiting for me was located. Hmm, we seem to have climbed about five floors. It’s unnecessarily tall.

“My lord. Adventurer Jack and his party have arrived.”

[Hmm. Let them in.]

When the middle-aged woman quietly announced at the door, an immediate response came. She gestured for us to enter after opening the door for us. The room we entered appeared to be a massive library.

“So, you are Adventurer Jack and his companions?”

“Yes, that’s right. I’m Jack.”

“I’m Miho, a beastfolk adventurer.”

“I’m Chikuyo, Miho’s older sister.”

The elderly man with gray hair similar to mine, gray eyes, and a neatly trimmed black beard addressed us in a dignified voice from his chair in the center of the library.

“Female beastfolk. I often see male beastfolk, but it’s my first time seeing two beautiful beastfolk women.”

“Hoho. Thank you.”

“Ah, thank you for the compliment.”

Suddenly complimented on their appearance, Chikuyo covers her mouth and responds coquettishly, while Miho bows her head hurriedly in gratitude. The lord then kindly smiles, shifts his gaze to me, and speaks.

“I thank you for cooperating in the defense of our city and saving our citizens when you were merely passing through.”

“Any adventurer would have done the same. I didn’t do anything worthy of such gratitude from you, my lord.”

“Haha. You are indeed a modest young man, as reported.”

I’m not sure if I’m following proper noble etiquette since I don’t know it well, but he laughs without any reservation and slowly rises from his seat to approach us.

“Well, I should reward you. Is there anything you desire?”

“I don’t particularly want anything, but there is one thing I’d like help with.”

“Help?”

“Yes. The forest keepers who were captured yesterday. I’d like to have them restored to their senses with the help of clergy, and then quickly hear what they have to say.”

Since I can’t just refuse everything when a noble is offering something, after much contemplation during the carriage ride, I smoothly deliver the response I had prepared for when he asked what we might want. He tilts his head curiously and asks again.

“Why do you desire such a thing?”

“We were planning to visit the Poria domain, but Forest Keeper Johnson mentioned yesterday that those who were enthralled by the demon were active in that direction. So, I’d like to confirm what’s happening there.”

“Ohh…”

The man, who let out an intrigued exclamation after hearing my explanation, approached even closer, placed his hand on my shoulder, and spoke.

“Yes, I can easily grant such a request. However, there is one thing I would like to ask you as well. Can you answer? If you do, I will help you with whatever you desire as much as possible.”

I don’t particularly want that much, but I can’t just say I don’t want to answer here! So I nodded in response, and he smiled kindly at my answer before speaking.

“Can you tell me why a ‘forest keeper who left the Ponia mountains’ is trying to return to Poria?”

…Uh, what? What did he just say?