Chapter 69 Information organization
{TL: By Creed}
After a night's rest, morning dawned at the Doctor's residence.
When I found myself sleeping in the same bed as Sofia, I was nervous about whether I could sleep or not...
But when I lay down and closed my eyes, I fell asleep right away.
I guess I was tired from everything that happened.
Afterward, we had breakfast and returned to the guest room.
The Doctor seemed like he wanted to talk, but he apparently had work until early afternoon.
He mentioned that it was time to discuss an exclusive role.
Of course, I didn't intend to have such a conversation.
What we needed to discuss was how we would proceed from now on.
When we talked about the exclusive role,
"I see... It might be better to accept it."
"Huh, really?"
"By becoming exclusive, you can delve deeper, and Doctor will trust us more. It'll be easier to gather evidence of wrongdoing."
"Yeah, I thought about that, but ultimately, won't we end up opposing him? If we become exclusive and then do something like that, won't it be bad later?"
"It certainly would be bad, but if Doctor falls, it won't be a problem. Cliff will take care of it somehow."
"So... it means Doctor must fall for this to work?"
"That's right... It'll be a high-risk operation, Fate. Still, even if you choose to withdraw, prioritizing safety and security..."
"No, I won't do that."
I said firmly.
I know Sofia is worried about me.
I'm really grateful for her concern, and I don't want to put Sofia in danger either.
But...
"If Doctor is doing as he pleases, I don't want to leave him alone. It might not concern me. I could just quit being an adventurer. But... if I know about it and I might be able to do something about it, I want to try. I want to do what I can."
"Yes, I understand."
"But Sofia...I'm sorry."
"Why apologize?"
"Because I'm going to involve Sofia in my selfishness..."
"I don't mind at all. In fact, I'm happy. Fate's earnest and straightforward nature is something I've come to like."
"...Thank you."
I'm really glad Sofia is my childhood friend.
She's too good for me.
But... I can't keep thinking like this forever.
I need to become a man worthy of her soon and then, I'll cherish her forever.
"So, is it okay to accept the exclusive role?"
"Yes, I think that's fine. However, just because you've become exclusive doesn't mean all information will be disclosed immediately. You'll probably be given dirty work gradually."
"Right... yeah, that's true. But, I don't want to do anything that would hurt people. If it seems like it might come to that, I might want to think of another way."
"Yes, I agree with that. If it involves stealing from the thieves' guild, we can recover later... But if it involves blackmail or assassination, let's consider alternative methods."
"Yeah. So, for now, is this our plan?"
"Oh, there's some information I'd like to share if you have a moment..."
I wonder what it is?
"About Aisha... it's possible that Doctor is involved."
"Huh?"
I unintentionally raise my voice at the unexpected information.
"What do you mean?"
"I can't say for sure, but according to Cliff's information, it seems that Doctor and his associate, Falz, were involved in human trafficking..."
"Could it be... Aisha is the victim?"
"Cliff said it's highly likely. They kidnap valuable beastmen and others and sell them as commodities... that seems to be the high probability."
"..."
I clench my fist tightly.
To kidnap such a young child...
And to try to sell her as a slave...
Unforgivable.
If there's enough evidence, I'd want to cut them down right away.
But... I can't be hasty.
If I cut down Doctor here, Sofia, my partner, might be dragged into it.
And yet, even if I wanted to impeach him properly, I don't have enough evidence.
It's okay.
Aisha seems to be properly protected by Cliff.
Let's not rush and do what we can for now.
"Yeah... thanks for telling me. We should keep an eye on Aisha too."
"Yes. Also, if you have the time... could you go see Aisha? It seems she's concerned about you..."
As she says this, Sofia has a subtle expression.
Could it be... jealousy?
"Ugh, this girl is so annoying. Don't be jealous of a little kid like that."
"Uh..."
Licorice, who was watching the situation, says in exasperation.
Sofia blushes and looks away.
"But, but, that's..."
"Yeah, yeah, no need to explain. Anyway, don't get jealous of a child and do anything weird."
"I-I understand!"
Sofia getting worked up is cute too, I can't help but think.
"Alright, so let's accept the exclusive role."
"Yes, I think that's fine."
"I'll leave that to you. If there's anything I can do, well, I'll help out."
The opinions of the three of us align.
Now... what will happen next?
I want to stay alert and do my best.
――――――――――
Afternoon.
After Doctor returned home, we discussed taking on the exclusive role.
Doctor was even more pleased than we had anticipated.
Perhaps he was happy because Sofia had sided with him.
After all, she's the Sword Saint.
Her power is such that she could conquer a small country on her own.
The conversation flowed smoothly.
By becoming exclusive, we would receive some level of disclosure of information.
It's not everything, but it's significant.
If we proceed with the investigation skillfully, we should be able to obtain concrete evidence of wrongdoing.
...And that's where the good news ends.
There's bad news.
As soon as we became exclusive, we were immediately given a job.
And that job is...
"To think, it's to find Aisha..."
TL Note: What will Fate and Sofia do?
Comments
Post a Comment