Audience with City Lord
Lolimast led us to the city lord's mansion. This person is like our guide.
...It's huge. It's more a castle than a mansion.
"This here is Vinfitt city lord's mansion. It's really big, so make sure you don't get lost, okay."
"That's for sure. You (lolimast) don't want to get lost."
"Un, it would cause an uproar if you (lolimast) get lost."
"...Something sounds off with your replies."
...Frankly, if anyone gets to be thought as a lost child, it would be lolimast, not me or Alma.
She's staring hard at us, let's ignore it.
On our way inside the mansion with lolimast leading, some servants occasionally passed by us and greeted her with a smile before freezing up when they saw me and my mask.
It must look like some unsavory individual is chasing a little girl from the sidelines. How'd it come to this.
I had to do this as a Soarer, not Kajikawa though...
We arrived at the lord's room. It took us around several minutes to get here walking from the entrance. Isn't it a pain when your house is too big? Like when you wanna go to the restroom or something.
The guards standing outside informed the lord of lolimast's arrival before giving the OK.
"I'm sure you'd be fine but just a reminder, mind your manners okay. You can just respond to questions. I'll have your back if he asks you something you really shouldn't answer."
"...Understood."
Guess she means questions like asking about my identity, or direct control of mana, energy and life force.
Well that depends on what kind of person is this city lord. If he's like that trashy pig noble, I might as well keep my mouth shut.
The guards led us in. I always get nervous whenever I enter a bigwig's room.
The only exception is lolimast's room. It's way too fancy to be nervous about.
Inside the room, a brown haired man in his late thirties is sitting on a chair over a table for receiving guests, he must be the lord. Opposite to him is a navy blue haired woman in her twenties drinking tea, looking at us.
...The lord aside, who's this woman?
"We've kept you waiting, my lord."
"Good job, Ivuran. Yesterday was quite an ordeal wasn't it."
The city lord thanked lolimast with a gentle voice as she greeted him.
First impression not bad at all. In fact, he seems like a considerate man.
His first impression of me must be that of a masked suspicious lad though.
"It thankfully did not turn out bigger as we succeeded resealing the monster before anyone could fall victim."
"...Is he, the 'Soarer' then?"
"Yes, he is... There are so many excruciating circumstances around him to necessitate that suspicious mask, but I guarantee that he is not evil."
I never asked for the mask, how many times must I--etc.
"...Well if you say so, I believe it. Very well, I shall not probe the matter pertaining this man's identity further as long as he causes no trouble."
"We truly appreciate your understanding."
"Oh right I have yet to introduce myself. I am the lord governing this city as well as the surrounding area, Earl Murugaini Haiyaruron. You have my gratitude for saving this city's populace. If not for you people, I would not be here along with everybody in this city."
An earl! The man's on a different level, in so many ways, compared to that baron guy. This earl seems younger yet he's got this dignity that trash could never hope to possess.
This must be how a noble should be. So cool.
"Please don't mention it, I only did what I could."
"Hahaha, yet what you could was extraordinarily enormous. Well then, may I hear the detail on what transpired right about now?"
"Yes sir."
<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >
Lolimast gave her account on the incident with some fake story.
Which is about the priest telling us the entire password instead of just the slightest part.
"Once we managed to seal the monster, we proceeded to defeat the demons lurking in the city with the help of this rank D adventurer Almatina, and captured one of them."
"Rank D? So you're saying the demons themselves weren't that strong?"
"...The captured demon is level 35 with high level Tame and Hypnosis Skills. The other demons would be way out of a rank D league if they were on the same ballpark though?"
The woman who was sitting opposite of the city lord threw a question.
Who's this woman anyway? Is she his wife or something, she's really making herself comfortable here.
"If the demon's testimony is to be believed, that captured demon is their leader while the other ones worked under him. Those demons were indeed far weaker than him."
They might start asking weird questions if they found out about Alma's real strength, so I made it sound like the other demons were weaklings a rank D could take on.
"...Hmmm."
"What's with that 'I'm just gonna pretend I accept that explanation for now' voice, Julia."
"I mean you know, this masked man is suspicious alright, but that young lady over there is pretty strong herself despite her rank, right. I was told hers was a one sided battle against a demon, you see?"
"...Did you send your underlings to peek on us again? If you got time for that, you had time to sniff out those demons, Assassin Guild's master."
!?
Eh, this Julia person is the guildmaster of an assassin guild!?
What's the leader of an underworld organization doing out in the open like this.
"I mean can you blame me? You and those two over there took care of those demons before we could even find them. We didn't get any spotlight."
"Isn't that cause you're too slow. Well I guess I can't expect you to match Spirit Network and Soarer-kun's mobility, I'll give you that."
"Well, I am thankful for your help at least."
...They seem to get along well. Are they friends maybe?
Thought Assassin Guild was supposed to be a criminal syndicate, maybe not?
"Would you two like to join our guild? From what I heard, both of you would be quite the assets for Assassin Guild."
"I have to decline."
"Same here."
"Oh that's a shame. Then how about that blond girl? Moving around inside shadows is like the one Skill fits for Assassins, don't you think so?"
...!!
She even knows about Reina! No really, if they could get that much info, why didn't they stop those demons' plan before it hatched!
They probably know about my identity too... Heck, maybe even the thing about Mana Control.
"...Reina is joining my party. She will not join your guild."
"Eeh."
"Don't you 'Eeh' me. Quit making those weird demands to our town saviors."
"Moving inside shadows? What is this about?"
"Ah, there's another helper in this incident, a girl named Reinamiure who owns a rare Skill, 'Ninjutsu'. That girl saved Soarer when things were not looking good."
...I would have liked to conceal Ninjutsu Skill.
The Skill is rare enough to get people like this guildmaster taking notice of it.
Like how that pig noble aimed for Alma's Magic Swords.
...I'm gonna deal with them personally if they lay their hands on Reina.
"Ooh, scary. I'll stop pursuing this matter cause I don't want to deal with that masked guy's wrath. Just knowing that Ninjutsu Skill exists is good enough. We can always find out ways to obtain it."
...Guess my hostility, or more like bloodlust seeped out. Assassin Guild master looked cautious as she spoke.
Too bad for you. Ninjutsu Skill is exclusive to Ninjas and you have to train before you come of age to obtain that. There's no way to get it once you do.
Well, they could train kid candidates for several years and get the Job though.
"Speaking of which, where is this Reina girl right now?"
"...She drank too much last night. She's currently suffering from a hangover."
"Guildmast brought the alcohol."
"Ah hey Alma, psst, psst!"
"...I'll have to ask her presence once she's feeling better. I would like to thank her personally."
The city lord sounded gentle despite his wry smile. He's just oozing with broadminded-ness.
I wouldn't have gotten so wary of nobles if only I met this person first.
Well, I guess I could use that pig noble as a bad example.
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