Chapter 295

Observing the gatekeepers with Spirit Eye and confirming they posed no threat, they approached the gate without hesitation.

As expected, they were quickly surrounded by burly men who halted their advance.

“What’s your business here!”

“Business? It was your lord who summoned us, wasn’t it? We didn’t want to come, but we made the effort, and now this? Isn’t that a bit much? We could just leave, you know. Though I’m not sure what would happen to you all if we did.”

“W-Wait a moment. Could we see some identification…?”

“Fine by me.”

Lowering themselves here could put them at a disadvantage during negotiations. So, to make it clear they wouldn’t bow to the lord, they adopted an arrogant attitude.

Part of it was also irritation over Leah being taken…

After showing their identification and revealing their status as high-ranking adventurers, the gatekeepers assumed it was the lord’s usual scouting attempt and sent someone to the castle for confirmation.

Soon, one of the gatekeepers returned, clattering in armor at full speed, and instructed the others to let them through immediately.

The urgency spread among the gatekeepers, and in no time, the castle gates began to open with a heavy groan.

“Please, come through. If you wait just inside, a guide will come to meet you.”

“Thanks.”

Normally, they’d be more polite, but to convey their anger, they remained curt.

Tatsuro, Ai, and Nana, who was still unnoticed due to Concealment, passed through the gate.

While the castle in Lyadas was tall and narrow with a pointed roof, this one was wide and not particularly tall.

Between the gate and the castle was a large star-shaped fountain, its spout illuminated by a light source that cast a soft, fantastical glow in the gathering dusk.

The path to the castle was lined with symmetrical gardens, so splendid that, under different circumstances, they might have wanted to tour them leisurely—a stark contrast to the more modest Lyadas.

As the three stood quietly by the gate, gazing at the castle’s front garden, a man approached at a brisk but composed pace.

“Level 10 or so, a small fry. No Martial Arts or Magic skills, so he’s not a combatant.”

“Got it.”

“Understood.”

Sharing this information in hushed tones, they watched as the man, dressed in priest-like robes with a pendant shaped like a distorted Arabic numeral 8, came closer.

“You’ve arrived much sooner than expected. I thought it would be tomorrow afternoon at the earliest, so I hadn’t informed the gatekeepers. My apologies.”

“And you are?”

“My apologies for the late introduction. I am Intaiya Hook, secretary to the lord. I have been instructed to guide you to the lord’s chamber. Please follow me.”

“Alright, lead the way quickly.”

“Very well, this way.”

Bowing respectfully, Intaiya began walking toward the castle, and the three followed.

When another soldier opened the castle doors, they stepped inside.

The interior greeted them with white walls accented in red and gold. The floor was made of light brown stone with curious black patterns, far more ornate than Lyadas, exuding a sense of grandeur.

Pretending to admire the castle’s interior, Tatsuro subtly signaled Nana, who was under Concealment, to begin her mission.

Nana nodded silently and separated from Tatsuro and Ai, heading toward the third floor, fourth room from the right corner, to retrieve Leah Schleiermacher.

“Nana’s gone. Let’s do our part.”

“Yeah, I’ll make sure not to punch him right off the bat.”

“And I’ll make sure not to burn his hair off with Laser Cutter.”

Exchanging light-hearted banter, they followed Intaiya’s steady steps, turning right and left through long corridors until they stopped before a room at the farthest, highest point from the entrance.

“This is where the lord awaits.”

“Hm. Let’s meet him, then.”

Tatsuro ordered Intaiya, eager to see the face of the one responsible for this commotion.

Nodding, Intaiya used the bird-shaped door knocker to strike the large door three times.

A servant opened the door from within, revealing the room’s interior.

“So, this is the audience chamber. And that dwarf lounging up there is Lyusiten Morrow, huh?”

“What’s with that smug face? Makes me want to slap him.”

A navy-blue carpet stretched straight from the door to a two-tiered, fan-shaped staircase. At the top sat a fine red chair, and behind it, a massive portrait of the man currently sprawled in it, exuding self-importance.

The ostentatious display pushed their anger up another notch.

Even so, Tatsuro used Spirit Eye to assess the lord and the two men flanking him, seemingly as guards.

The lord was around level 20, with Staff Arts and Crisis Detection, nothing particularly noteworthy.

Tatsuro relayed this to Ai.

The man to the lord’s left, likely in his late thirties, was a beastman with shaggy orange hair and sharp features.

“His level’s around 75 to 79. A Sword Arts user above level 10. He’s got some strange glowing skill, too. Be careful.”

“A Sword Arts maniac with a weird skill, got it. What about the other guy?”

“Sword Arts maniac? It’s not a fast-food order… Anyway.”

Tatsuro turned his attention to the man on the lord’s right.

This one had navy-blue hair, matching the carpet, grown excessively long and braided in three places—left, right, and back—wrapped around his neck like a scarf. He appeared to be an elf in his twenties.

“His level’s around 85 to 90, quite high. Also a high-level Tree Magic user… He might be the one who took Leah. If negotiations break down, I’ll take him out.”

“Then I’ll handle the Sword Arts guy.”

“Got it. They’re not making a move yet, so let’s go.”

“Yeah.”

Though tempted to retort to the lord’s beckoning expression, arguing here would be pointless.

They stepped firmly onto the navy-blue carpet, standing before the man looking down from the two-tiered platform.

“Well, you’ve come. Make yourselves comfortable.”

“Don’t need to tell me twice.”

“What?”

Though the lord might hold higher social status in this country, Tatsuro and Ai were here to negotiate as equals.

With no intention of deferring, they pulled two chairs from Infinite Item Field, placed them carelessly on the carpet, and sat down simultaneously.

The lord, expecting deference, was visibly angered by their casual attitude, taking his polite words at face value.

However, Intaiya, the self-proclaimed secretary, whispered something to calm him, likely suggesting they were just children, allowing the lord to swallow his pride.

Still, he remained visibly displeased…

“Hmph. Fine. So, you’ve come to swear loyalty to me, yes?”

“No, we’re here to demand you return the girl you kidnapped, you abductor.”

“Abductor? How crude. I merely offered to provide a place where her talents could flourish. What’s wrong with that? Having her tied to children like you could stifle her potential. Besides, I’m more interested in you two. Young high-ranking adventurers, was it? That’s impressive, isn’t it? Our king values young, powerful individuals to lead the nation’s future. I could even arrange for you to serve the king directly. How’s that? Not a bad deal, right?”

Lyusiten Morrow seemed to assume from their attitude that Tatsuro and Ai were uneducated and unaware of a lord’s greatness.

So, he shifted tactics, leveraging the king’s authority to make his offer more appealing.

He didn’t fully grasp what high-ranking adventurers meant but sensed their value, figuring the king would want them. Even if he didn’t keep them himself, recommending such talent would earn him favor.

But—

“King or lord, we have no intention of serving anyone. Just return Leah.”

“What!? Then what do you want? Money? Goods? Status? Name it!”

Tatsuro and Ai already had more than enough wealth and items, and taking a high position meant taking on responsibilities—something they both wanted no part of.

Above all, they had no desire for anything from a fallen lord.

The only thing they wanted was the person he’d taken.

“We don’t want anything from you. If we want something, we’ll buy it or take it ourselves. Our only demand is that you return the girl you kidnapped. If you agree now, we’ll leave peacefully.”

Refusing to yield and maintaining a firm stance, Tatsuro pushed Lyusiten Morrow to his limit.

Veins bulging and spittle flying, the lord shouted.

“You don’t know your place! We have the hostage!”

“You said earlier it was about giving her a place to shine, and now you’re admitting she’s a hostage, old man?”

“You—Who do you think you’re talking to—”

“I’m talking to a fallen lord, old man. Your position’s about to vanish. Maybe it’s time to learn how to deal with regular people.”

“Keep talking!! I am the lord! Now and forever—”

Seeing Lyusiten Morrow’s predictable reaction to his taunts, Tatsuro deemed further conversation pointless.

{Any word from Nana yet?}

{She should be there by now, given the distance. Probably soon.}

As Lyusiten Morrow ranted, the two held a telepathic discussion. The braided-scarf elf began whispering something to the lord.

The lord listened, quieting for a few seconds.

Wondering what was being said, Tatsuro and Ai watched closely. Soon, Lyusiten Morrow, now eerily calm, smirked smugly.

“Oh no, this is one of those misunderstanding patterns…”

“Why the fake Kansai dialect? But yeah, I agree.”

Sensing trouble from his grin, their fears were confirmed as he began spouting nonsense.

“So, you lack respect for me because you’re adventurers who bow to strength, not authority. You think I’m weak, so you act this way. Hahaha, it’s so simple once I understand!”

“What’s this guy talking about?”

“No idea. Maybe he’s lost it.”

“Then I’ll show you my power. I’m not suited for combat myself. So, Eduar and Andoni will demonstrate it for me. Their presence here is proof of my authority as lord, so you can’t complain.”

The elf with the braided scarf, Eduar, and the orange-haired beastman, Andoni, stepped forward.

“Show your power? You’re not saying we have to fight them, are you?”

“Exactly that! You’re so high and mighty, you won’t back down, will you?”

“We’re not the ones acting high and mighty. But what’s the point of fighting? What’s in it for us?”

“What’s in it? I said to—Fine, alright.”

Tapped on the shoulder by Eduar, the lord curbed his arrogance and nodded magnanimously.

“If you win, I’ll return the girl as promised.”

“No tricks?”

“Of course not. I swear it.”

Sensing the lord’s confidence in Eduar and Andoni, Tatsuro turned to Ai to discuss their next move when—

||Infinite Item Field has received one new item.||

“Looks like Nana sent word.”

“Talk about awkward timing.”

Ignoring Lyusiten Morrow for a moment, Tatsuro retrieved a note from Infinite Item Field.

It read, |Leah secured, mission complete| in concise text.