Chapter 170

Chapter 170

“What’s wrong?”

As I was receiving information from Lindy for the next target, I saw Lindy and a subordinate who had suddenly entered, whispering to each other beyond the crystal.

Knowing that she rarely allowed even trusted employees into her room when communicating with me, I asked her with concern.

After confirming that the subordinate who reported had left the room, Lindy looked back at me and opened her mouth.

– Um… well, actually, lately, someone has been trying to gather information about our Elysia.

“Who is ‘our’ Elysia?”

I corrected Lindy’s casual use of “our Elysia.” Of course, it’s a term close friends can use freely, but Lindy, the perverted lesbian, certainly didn’t mean it that way.

– Hey, why are you like this between us? Isn’t it about time you accepted my true feelings?

“What is ‘between us’?”

– Elysia, who works hard outside, and me, who diligently supports her from the inside?

“…Let’s stop the jokes and tell me, what do you mean by someone collecting my information?”

– It’s not a joke! Well, if Elysia wants it, I guess I should let it go. Actually, I hadn’t told Elysia, but there have been quite a few people who wanted Elysia’s information. For quite a long time.

“Really? This is the first I’m hearing of it?”

Despite Lindy’s claim of a long time ago, I, the person involved, was hearing this for the first time. Moreover, Lindy had already known about it for a long time, unlike me.

– Of course, you would only hear about it now! Do you know how much I’ve worked for Elysia? You have no idea how carefully I’ve manipulated information, fearing it might reach Elysia’s ears!

But it turns out that Lindy, who had the ability to tell me, had kept it a secret instead. Since my only informant was blinding my eyes and ears, it was natural that I wouldn’t know.

Of course, I could have obtained information through the Emperor, but my lingering commoner personality made it too burdensome to ask casually, so I couldn’t. My communication with the Emperor was limited to when the Emperor requested something or when I reported my actions.

“But why are you telling me everything now, when you’ve been hiding it so well from me?”

I asked Lindy, wondering if something truly serious had happened to make her reveal what she had kept secret for years. I wondered if the person digging into my information was colluding with the demons, or perhaps a powerful individual or high-ranking noble that even I couldn’t easily deal with. It was even possible that the demons themselves had placed the request.

Perhaps it was indeed a serious matter, as Lindy leaned closer to the crystal ball and spoke in a low voice, lowering her voice. She even looked around to see if anyone was listening, even though her subordinate had already left, making the room empty.

Given Lindy’s atmosphere, I unconsciously followed suit and brought my ear closer to the crystal ball.

– Actually…

“Yeah. Actually, what is it?”

Lindy whispered, covering her mouth halfway with one hand as if whispering in my ear. Tensed by her actions, I also swallowed hard and focused to not miss Lindy’s words.

– Actually… I thought Elysia might fall for me if she knew I was working so hard behind her back?

“…You’ve been hiding it all this time for just that reason?”

– Don’t say ‘just for that reason’! It just shows how sincere my feelings for Elysia are! Moreover, another competitor has appeared, so I felt the need to be more proactive.

“Competitor?”

– Ugh… Luna alone was already a handful, and now there’s one more…

Lindy muttered, clutching her head. The additional competitor was likely referring to Presia. But Luna and Presia being Lindy’s competitors? It was just absurd nonsense from Lindy, who assumed all women were lesbians like her. The idea that lesbians are common is just Lindy’s delusion; homosexuals are a minority.

Of course, I don’t know the specific preferences of Luna or Presia. But the probability of Luna and Presia being lesbians like Lindy? It’s ridiculous to even calculate. Why not say that Celian and the other friends are also lesbians?

Rather, I was worried that Lindy might try to reach out to Presia after Luna. I was already worried that the innocent Luna and Presia might end up walking the path of sexual minorities like Lindy if they fell into Lindy’s clutches.

“While you’re saying that, don’t try to reach out to the boss after Luna.”

– Do you think I’m a pervert who touches anyone? I know how to distinguish right from wrong!

“But you didn’t have that when we first met. You stuck your elf erogenous zone, your ears, to me, who knew nothing, and asked to touch my butt…”

– Th-that’s because Elysia is too…!

Lindy tried to exclaim something but stopped. However, she couldn’t argue further, as she had nothing to say on that matter.

“So, who is the one collecting my information?”

I turned the conversation back to the main topic, feeling that if we continued like this, we would just waste time on irrelevant matters. It was enough to tease her as a warning.

– …It’s difficult to pinpoint anyone specific because there are so many, even excluding those who are keeping their identities strictly hidden.

“There are that many?”

– Elysia? If you look back at your actions, you wouldn’t be able to say that.

“Right. I guess so. I’ve killed a lot of demons, and even quite a few high-ranking nobles, so I’ve made many enemies.”

– Are you really not knowing? Are you pretending not to know while actually knowing everything? Please, just tell me!

“What are you talking about? Stop saying things that are hard to understand and give me the next target. We need to move more diligently since we lost a day rescuing Luna.”

For some reason, I ignored Lindy’s shouting and asked her for the next target. I felt bad for burdening Presia unnecessarily, but thanks to her joining, the scope of what we could do had significantly expanded.

The true value of a mage lies not only in increased firepower but also in the unimaginably expanded range of available tactics. There was also less worry about Presia being in danger if we acted separately.

Recalling the strength of Bear and Bunny, who had captured Luna and me last time, I judged that they alone would be sufficient to protect Presia.

– …I guarantee it, Elysia will surely be punished someday.

Well, that’s a scary thing to say, making me feel uneasy.

Of course, unlike the perverted Lindy, what punishment would I, who is more upright than anyone else in this regard, receive? However, regardless of being upright, it’s unavoidable to feel uneasy.

***

After receiving the next destination from Lindy, I returned to the inn where we were staying. The conversation with Lindy took longer than expected, and by the time I returned to the inn, it was past midnight.

Since the inn wasn’t soundproofed, I carefully opened the door without making any noise, so as not to wake the other guests, and entered.

It seemed Luna and Presia had fallen asleep on the bed, likely tired of waiting.

The sight of the two sleeping side-by-side, using Bunny, who was in the form of a large stuffed animal, as a pillow, brought a smile to anyone who saw them.

Of course, if the lesbian Lindy had seen them, she might have gone wild for different reasons, but there was no way these innocent girls could be lesbians like Lindy. Anyway, Lindy is quite a decent elf, but she loses points by showing her eccentric side sometimes.

Bunny, who was lying still with its ears folded and unfolded, greeted me as I entered the room, as if in place of the two sleeping people. Meanwhile, Bear, having quickly escaped from the two, sat on the spacious bed, which was empty unlike Bunny’s spot, and welcomed me.

There was no need to wake the two sleeping people, so I quietly headed to the bed where Bear was. It felt a little guilty to take up the entire spacious bed by myself, but since Luna and Presia were small, the bed they occupied wasn’t that narrow.

Making excuses for myself for hogging the spacious bed, I quickly closed my eyes in preparation for the grueling schedule ahead.

And the next morning. I must have slept alone in the spacious bed with just Bear, but when I woke up feeling suffocated, Luna and Presia were hugging me from both sides, and Bear and Bunny were on top of my stomach.

When I casually turned my head, I noticed that the bed on the opposite side was completely empty.

…No, why is everyone here, leaving the spacious bed?

However, even in my suffocating state, it was impossible for me to escape without waking everyone who was still asleep, so I had to remain trapped with my eyes open for a long time.