Translator: Nonon
Proofreader: Silavin
When we went outside, I realized that the Sun had hidden and it had started to rain.
After hearing the details from Ms. Blue, we immediately asked the people of Shiki to evacuate to their homes and asked whoever could move to help us in the search.
According to Ms. Blue, Light Blue went to the bathroom while playing with Ms. Schwarz and when he came back, he was grabbed and kidnapped by a wolf-type monster [Direwolf] that can be found around here. The witnesses were Gray, Cyan and Ms. Blue. Cyan chased after it, but it quickly escaped to the forest as if it had been trained and after asking Gray to report this, Cyan followed it inside the forest.
Hearing that, Gray told Ms.Blue to contact me while calming her down and then went to Ms. Schwarz’s house to explain the situation and keep watch.
“It can’t be helped that you all suspect me. I’m a traveler, I can communicate with my children and I was also playing with Light Blue and the others. It’s not strange for me, who has neither credibility nor your trust to be surveilled. However, if possible, I would like to cooperate with the search.”
Ms. Schwarz, who heard about the situation, was extremely panicked but seemed to have decided that it was not wise to act immediately due to the situation being what it was. I had to be there, at the very least, or she would only look more suspicious even if she moved.
Since there is no hard evidence against her involvement, this uproar should be resolved by the people of Shiki alone. But, what should I do? I observed her movements over the last few days, but it didn’t look like she would hurt children. Though, if she’s really that Ms. Schwarz, I’d be worried about allowing her to cooperate with us or even just staying here. I am worried, but–
“—Ms. Schwarz, can you help us with the search?”
Gray, Lady Violet and Ms. Schwarz, who my words were directed at, opened their eyes wide.
“…Is that fine, Clo?”
“Yes. Ms. Schwarz, I will have you talk with the monsters and expand the search area… I feel bad asking this to a guest, but I am counting on your cooperation. I will not skimp out on the reward.”
I bowed my head to Ms. Schwarz and asked for her cooperation, whilst fully aware of how rude I was being.
There is no time. I’m worried, but right now we need as many people as possible. I’m going to use whatever I can when a life is at stake.
“I don’t need a reward. Right now we have to work together… Is that fine, Violet? I understand your wariness of me, but I ask that you put it on hold for now.”
“… It’s Lord Clo’s decision. I won’t complain.”
Lady Violet seemed a little dissatisfied, but I will apologize for this later.
… Well then, according to the witness testimony, the direwolf headed for the mountain from the square—
“Ms. Schwarz, you will join me and Gray in the search towards the big tree in the southeast. Lady Violet will go with Apricot’s group and follow Cyan’s footsteps towards the cave, and Orchid will wait with the priest near the church to look for the injured —“
I asked other people who could move to search the surrounding area as well. For people who had no combat abilities they could simply check the area in a range that would be easy for them to escape from and return. I asked them to send a signal by activating some kind of magic in the sky if they found them. And I also wanted them to explain the current situation to Cyan if they met her on the way.
“The visibility is poor due to the rain, so monsters might also be agitated. Please don’t forget to light the fire with a pyro stone. – well then, let’s hurry.”
◆
As expected, the direwolf’s footprints had disappeared at the entrance of the forest.
Direwolf is a relatively clever wolf-type monster. In the forest, it will jump from tree to tree and sprint from branch to branch to avoid being tracked by its footprints. Of course the branches are not completely unbreakable and the direwolf will also shed fur so it’s not impossible for someone with knowledge to track it down.
But there’s one thing that’s bothering me.
“Direwolves rarely attack people directly”
“That’s right.”
Direwolves rarely attack people. It’s because they’re clearly weaker than humans.
It’s a different matter if they’re against small children, but even if they have the leg strength to run or jump, they are clearly vulnerable to impact, and they’re such fragile monsters that they will die if they charge at somebody, so they’re unlikely to make enemies.
“Hmm, it doesn’t look like it gained any special powers due to its environment. The birds don’t seem to have seen anything like that either.”
Ms. Schwarz was gathering information by talking to the monsters we met on the way.
…I knew about her from the plot of Ring of Fire, but she’s very useful. Even though we’ve entered the monsters’ habitat, we didn’t have to engage in any battles thanks to her talking to them.
“Clo, this might be the wrong time and place but I want to ask something.”
While Gray and I were calling out to the surroundings, Ms. Schwarz talked to me in a low volume that Gray couldn’t hear. She looked unusually meek for somebody who was always full of confidence.
“Why did you allow me to join the search?”
Frankly speaking, it was partly because Gray and I would be able to deal with her the best if something happened, so I wanted her to be close. But the biggest reason was…
“Because you seemed to be having a lot of fun playing with the children. I thought you were really concerned for the boy.”
“…I see.”
The biggest reason was that I didn’t think she looked like somebody who would harm children.
Gray seemed to be really having a lot of fun these past few days and the occasional sight of him playing didn’t look like an act. That’s why I thought it would be best for her to join the search under surveillance now.
“In that case, I will also search—hm?”
I don’t know what she thought about my answer, but after a short while, Ms. Schwarz switched her gears and was going to resume the search. However, perhaps having sensed something, she turned her attention to a slightly different direction than the one we were heading towards.
“What’s wrong?”
“Hm, looks like this child saw a boy who looked like Light Blue ahead.”
“Really?!”
Hearing that, we ran towards the place where it saw the boy.
The soil was muddy because of the rain, but I chose a relatively hard ground to run on so as to not slow down as much as possible.
After running a dozens of meters, in an open space with a part of the trees being gone was—-
“No, no! Horses run fast and shoot arrows!”
『G、grrrrr……』
“You can’t shoot arrows? Okay, then I’ll teach you!”
『Gr?!』
Light Blue playing with the monster. Moreover, the boy was on top, as if they were playing horsey.
Isn’t this boy a little too strong?!