Sevens (LN) - Volume 9 - Chapter 104

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Chapter 104 – Sweeper
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This place is a bar for the general public in Beim.

「Lyle, do you know about sweepers?」

I was invited by Albano and we ate there with just the two of us.

「Sweeper? Do you mean something like a cleaner?」

We continued socializing personally with each other like this even after the expedition was over.

「That’s right. They’re cleaners. But, what they’re cleaning is adventurers, though.」

「Are they an existence that is hunting adventurer?」

「It’s just a rumor. About how the guild is hiring skilled killers to hunt the nasty adventurers. There are many of these kinds of stories in Beim since a long time ago.」

Many people gathered in Beim, for good or bad.

The adventurer guild didn’t ignore the adventurers who were committing awful crimes and cleaned them up using the sweepers in their employ. That was what the rumor was about.

「I have heard that rumor. There was also that kind of rumor in other guilds, but I thought it’s just a rumor.」

「It’s also just a rumor over here. But you’re the type of adventurer who wouldn’t be troubled even if this kind of sweeper really does exist, though.」

「But you’re the type who’ll be troubled, huh, Albano?」

「No way I’ll do some unprofitable thing like doing crime. Well, I don’t know if it’s about the grey zone thing though. Neither of us want to get involved with sweepers anyways.」

「Yeah.」

The existence called a sweeper that hunted the adventurer──they must be strong.

Albano took small sips of his drink as he talked about the recent news.

「Let’s change the topic. Big sis Alette has returned.」

「Big sis? Do you mean Alette Baillet(アレット・バイエ)?」(TN: I think there might be a typo from the author here. Last time her name came out it was Annette) (EN: Went and double checked. It is an author typo, going to be going with Alette)

I tried recalling where I heard that name before. It was a name that I heard from Miranda.

It seemed that she was a really excellent adventurer.

「──So you know her just as I thought. You have investigated around a lot, huh?」

It seemed he was asking me a leading question.

This person was really shrewd.

「I want to know about the people I might work with, after all.」

「It’s not like I’m criticizing you. And about that big sis, she’s quite the big name even in Beim. And you know, that big sis came back with quite the scary face.」

It seemed she was returning to her birthplace for a while, but apparently she had returned to Beim recently.

「Did something happen?」

「Big sis is a former noble. It seems that her family fell into ruin when she was born, but her birthplace is a small country called Lorphys. It seems that its neighboring country is acting really fishy right now.」

Several pieces of information inside my head connected with each other.

I had heard the name of this small country called Lorphys.

As for its neighboring country──was it Zayin?

「Is it Zayin?」

「Do you know something?」

We were in this bar in order to exchange information with each other.

We were talking like this because it benefitted both of us.

If I only listened without giving any information back, Albano would surely stop talking with me.

「──I heard that there’s some internal discord going on in that country.」

「Really? No wonder big sis cannot calm down.」

「That Alette-san, is she getting uneasy and trying to do something?」

The former noble Alette couldn’t calm down because the neighboring country of her birthplace was showing suspicious movement.

Was she worried for her family there?

「Big sis’s circumstance is also complicated after all. It’ll be interesting if you try meeting her once. After all, she is leading a real knight order.」

「A real knight order?」

It was already a strange story for an adventurer to lead a knight order.

Was it related to her being a former noble?

「They introduce themselves as the Lorphys mobile knight order. It’s a gathering of former nobles and knights. They’re an eccentric bunch who still swear loyalty to their country even now.」

──I couldn’t understand.

They were still loyal even though they weren’t nobles any more?

Albano wouldn’t tell me the details, so I could only investigate it myself later.

「Is there something in this country called Lorphys?」

「That country once lost a war against Zayin, so they’re the most likely candidate to be targeted again. Big sis is planning to recruit mercenaries in a big hurry.」

It seems she was planning to gather mercenaries so she could oppose the enemy if it came to war.

But, it was a method that was really like an adventurer.

「Are you hired by her?」

「She is gathering comrades in order to earn money in the dungeon to fund her effort. She also invited me. I’ll help her with the dungeon, but no way will I agree to be a mercenary on her country’s side. I’m not going to ally myself with the losing side. Besides, the country called Lorphys is also poor.」

So he prioritized the reward rather than morals.

I had no qualification to criticize him for that.

「And so, I’m thinking of inviting you, how about it? The expedition will go easier with you there, and of top of that I got this feeling we’ll also earn a lot more.」

「I’ll be away from Beim starting tomorrow for a quest though.」

「Quest? How long?」

「Around two weeks. A month at the longest.」

「Then there’s no problem. There’s still some time until we go in the dungeon for real. Decide whether or not you’ll join when you return.」

Alette Baillet──I heard that she was a capable adventurer. She also had a lot of comrades.

She was someone who I wanted to get personally acquainted with, but it made me curious what kind of circumstances she had.

「If you’re going to meet big sis then look forward to it. She’s an interesting person, after all.」

「Interesting?」

「She’s especially interesting when she’s in her “post-growth”, though…heh.」

Seeing Albano reminiscing and laughing, for some reason it made a familiarity with Alette-san bloom inside me even though I hadn’t met her.

──Late at night.

Albano parted with Lyle and went on his way home. He entered a gap between buildings.

He made some sounds there as he was relieving his urge to pee.

But, a woman’s voice called out to Arbano at that time.

「It’s appalling to do that here.」

Albano became unable to pee because of a woman who was approaching with inaudible footsteps.

He hurriedly put his thing back inside and turned around. Overtly standing there was a blonde haired and beautiful woman.

「That was rude of me. More importantly, what’s your business with me? Right now I’m just a humble adventurer who is working diligently, you know?」

「I’m amazed you can say that with a straight face. I’ve also heard some bad rumors about you though?」

「It’s just complaints from Creit anyways, right?」

「There are also complaints from others.」

Albano greeted the woman lightly while putting on a bold front, but he was shivering at the inside.

(Why is this woman here huh? Don’t tell me, she came to kill me?)

She was one of the sweepers that he mentioned to Lyle.

p203

Albano had done something that could be construed as crime before.

A sweeper was sent to him at that time.

The woman narrowed her gaze at Albano. Albano was at a loss on whether he should draw his sword or not.

But, the woman shrugged.

「We had asked you to do various things recently, so I came to thank you. It’s because you won’t approach me even when I happen to be at counter.」

Albano felt relieved and realized that he was sweating all over.

(Then don’t threaten me like this! Haa, that was scary. I don’t even feel drunk any more.)

「I’ll be suspected if I carelessly approach you.」

「Lies. But more importantly, this is our thanks for the previous time.」

The woman showed a leather bag that was filled with gold coins.

Albano took it and checked the inside.

「──It’s a lot.」

「A service from us. I’m thankful to you.」

Albano put the bag into his pocket and looked at the woman──Marianne.

The moonlight shined down. The mask she was wearing became visible.

Her mask was an eye mask type. It was decorated to make it look like she was crying.

「Take that mask off. It’s scary when you wear it at midnight.」

「I don’t want to take it off while doing this work.」

Albano wiped his cold sweat while asking a question about Marianne’s quest.

「More importantly, I don’t think it’s something that you should be so concerned about though.」

「What do you mean?」

「I mean those brats, Erhart’s group. I protected them within limitations without them noticing it but, why are you protecting them? This also doesn’t feel like a quest from the guild. Why’s a sweeper like you so concerned about those brats?」

The receptionist Marianne who usually could be found in the guild seemed like a harder woman.

Her leading around adventurers like Erhart’s group by their nose was something that suited her.

It was suspicious that she was requesting Albano like this to protect Erhart’s group from danger.

Marianne’s hand moved toward Albano’s mouth and touched his lips with her index finger.

「──You whose life was saved by me should just follow your order without asking anything. You don’t need to know the reason.」

「G-got it.」

Marianne withdrew her index finger and warned Albano.

「More importantly, I wish that you wouldn’t unneccessarily talk about the sweeper rumors to him.」

「You mean Lyle? It was just an idle talk──I got it. I’ll avoid that topic from now.」

「That’s a good attitude to have. Also, something like a sweeper doesn’t exist. Keep that in mind.」

Albano nodded quietly at that warning.

Marianne had saved his life in the past when he was almost killed.

After that, he would receive a quest from her like this sometimes.

Marianne started walking and vanished into a cramped alley.

Albano saw her off and stroked his chest.

「What a scary woman. What do you mean that sweepers doesn’t exist. You’re a sweeper! Tsk! ──Now I’m wide awake.」

Albano searched for a bar to drink a bit more today──

We accepted a monster extermination quest.

Beim itself didn’t have that large of a territory, but there were several villages existing outside the city.

Monster extermination quests came from those villages. We accepted one such quest.

There were several reasons why I accepted the quest, but the biggest reason was──

「IT’S OUTSIDEEEE!」

『It’s great that May is happy.』

──May. She was spreading open her arms wide on Porter’s ceiling in a really good mood.

I watched her doing that while ignoring the Fifth’s noisy voice and talked to her.

「You can’t return to your original form in Beim, after all.」

「I want to run on the ground, and also fly around in the sky! Aa~, isn’t there a good place there that doesn’t have any people?」

『Of course you would. Of course you want to run around more. I’m sorry May, we’re making you feel cooped up in that kind of city!』

May’s true form was a qilin. Although it wasn’t really accurate to call her human form a fake, at best it could be called a sub-form.

Apparently sometimes she was driven by the impulse to return to her original form and run around because of that.

It was stressful for May to live in the city.

「We’ll go out periodically, but can you endure with just that?」

May was looking impatient. It seemed she wanted to run around quickly.

「H~m, I might be able to endure it if I’m allowed to act freely for around a week I guess?」

「One week!?」

The Fifth got annoying inside the Jewel when I got surprised like that.

『That much is fine! Do you know how stressful it was for May to live in Beim for several months? Lyle, I’ll teach you about animals in detail next time.』

I shall decline.

Generally when it came to animals, the Fifth would become useless. His opinion would always be biased towards animals and wasn’t really applicable, so I ignored him.

「What are you going to do for a week May?」

「Running around, relaxing? I’m also going to do my work as a qilin, I guess.」

「Work?」

「Yes! We’ll defeat monsters when they increase too much, and destroy dungeons when we find one.」

I had been wondering about it since before, why would they do something like that?

「Why is May doing something like that? No, not just May but all the other qilin and sacred beasts, what is their reason to defeat monsters and dungeons?」

May tilted her head and thought for a bit, and then she smiled.

「I don’t know. But Kaa-san told me that it’s because of a “promise”.」

「Promise?」

「Yes, Kaa-san said it was a promise with the goddess.」

I didn’t really get it.

Did they really promise the goddess?

I could hear the Fifth’s explanation from inside the Jewel.

『It’s said that the sacred beasts were created by a goddess, after all. Perhaps they promised one of the goddesses? Though so much time has passed that even May doesn’t know about the events of that time.』

「Goddess, huh.」

Novem showed her face from inside Porter when I muttered that.

Her hair that was tied into a side ponytail swayed in the wind when she got out. She held it in place with her hand.

May rejoiced when she saw Novem.

「Novem! Want to go play together with me too?」

Novem made a troubled smile and caressed May’s head.

「I’ll stay at Lyle-sama’s side. More importantly, remember to return on time, okay?」

「Yep!」

May’s attitude toward Novem, how should I put it, she had no wariness at all toward her.

It even looked like a child fawning on her mother.

Next, Miranda called to me from inside Porter while I was watching the two of them.

「Lyle, can we talk for a bit?」

When I entered inside from the hatch on the ceiling, Miranda opened the rear hatch.

She pointed at the scenery that was visible from there.

「Isn’t that curious?」

「That? ──Is that a horse carriage?」

There was a damaged and toppled carriage some distance away from the highway.

Was it attacked by a monster?

「Let’s stop Porter here.」

Miranda shook her head when I suggested going there to investigate.

「It looks like there isn’t anyone in it. That’s why I’ll go alone to investigate.」

There wasn’t any sign of people around. Miranda wanted to investigate alone because there wasn’t any sign of a trap.

「Is there something that interest you?」

「──There’s something about the town and village that we passed earlier that’s making me curious. I’ll catch up soon, so please head to our destination ahead.」

Miranda said that and leaped out from the rear hatch of the moving Porter. A golem that Miranda created appeared just before she landed on the ground and received her on its back.

The golem had the appearance of a feline animal. It ran right away toward the toppled carriage.

We arrived in a village that had a lot of wooden houses.

There was a forest nearby. This place was near the border with another country.

We came to such a village riding in Porter. The village chief talked to us.

「Monsters are coming in from the other side of the border?」

「Yeah, that’s right. Beim is a safe place because it has a lot of adventurers, so the monsters must be coming from other places.」

「Safe?」

「You don’t know? When adventurers retire, a lot of them get tired of living in the big city and move to rural areas. This village also has quite a lot of those retired adventurers.」

The village chief was also formerly an adventurer. He also looked used to monster extermination.

They could exterminate the monsters around the village by themselves.

But, it seemed this time was difficult for them because of the great number of monsters.

「We aren’t on active duty anymore, so it’s hard for us to go inside the forest and chase the monsters around. Sometimes we would ask the guild to send young guys here to make them exterminate the monsters.」

It was interesting to hear the situation of Beim’s rural district like this.

I continued talking with the village chief while walking through the village.

「Is there any thing strange recently?」

「Strange thing? ──The increasing number of monsters that come here from other places I guess? It’s troublesome that monster types that you won’t find around here are also coming.」

Was there a reason for it?

「More importantly, do your extermination work properly. We’re troubled because we can’t enter the forest.」

「Please leave it to us.」

I finished talking with the village chief and headed to where Porter was parked.

I listened to the ancestors’ conversation while I was alone.

When I saw the scenery of the tranquil village, I noticed that this village seemed prosperous.

The villagers didn’t look like they were living in poverty.

『As a village, this is in the category of well-off. No, isn’t this village too well-off?』

After the Third gave his impression, the ancestors’ talk was getting heated.

『Seeing it being this well-off, I can’t help but think that they ‘re cheating with their tax payment.』

『But does tax even exist here in the first place? The merchants are the one in charge around here right?』

『There isn’t any sign that this village has a magistrate. True, I saw some soldiers at the nearby city, but the government here is really different compared to ours.』

『I’m curious how are they governing this place.』

They were formerly feudal lords. They were discussing how the government here was working.

I was listening to their conversation while walking, but I suddenly felt that I had nothing to do and used my Arts.

It was to check the map of this area and where the monsters were hiding.

I was planning to decide the plan going forward before I returned to my companions.

But, I found a really curious movement inside the forest.

There were red dots moving relentlessly. In addition it looked like they were chasing after yellow dots.

「What?」

It looked like the yellow dots were being chased by the red dots──birds flew out from the nearby forest when my thoughts had reached that point.

The Third stopped the conversation and talked to me.

『Oh, it looks like there is a commotion in the forest.』

I heard an explosion right after that.

The cries of the animals and birds became louder. The villagers were also getting noisy.

「What happened?」

Novem and Sophia came to me while I was pondering what to do.

「Lyle-sama!」

「Novem, where’s everyone else?」

Sophia told me about everyone else’s situation in Novem’s place.

「Everyone is going their own way so we don’t know where they are. Novem-san and I came here to meet up with Lyle-dono.」

I immediately checked the map inside the village and the surrounding area.

I closed my eyes and put my right hand’s fingers on my forehead to concentrate.

An explosion went off inside the forest. It caused not only the animals, but also the monsters to go into a frenzy.

When I focused on the pursued yellow dots, it seemed the dots were humans.

This reaction was three──three people? But one person was surrounded by monsters.

I wouldn’t make it even if I ran there now.

Only two of them could be saved.

More importantly, the monster group was approaching the village.

Were the yellow dots trying to escape from the forest?

「This is bad. Monsters are heading to this village.」

Sophia got flustered hearing that.

「Eh!? W-we have to solidify the defense immediately then!」

But, it was good that she was thinking what should be done right now even though she was flustered.

Novem asked me when she saw me hesitating.

「Lyle-sama, is there something weighing on your mind?」

I hesitated on what I should do, and in the end──I told Novem and Sophia.

「I found people getting pursued inside the forest.」

Sophia was surprised.

「I-inside the forest!? B-but, we have to go save them then──no, but, we have to protect this village.」

The Fifth encouraged the hesitating me.

『Don’t hesitate! Make your decision quickly. It’ll be the worst if you end up unable to protect either of them from worrying too much. Just go save them rather than hesitating like this!』

The number of monsters creeping inside the forest was high.

However, the number heading towards the village was also no small matter.

If I was to save the people in the forest, it would be better to bring only the minimum number of manpower.

Monica arrived while I was considering going alone.

「Chicken dickwad!」

Monica was carrying Shannon on her back.

「Lyle! The monsters inside the forest are starting to get restless because of the explosion just now! It looks like something is coming here!」

Shannon had mystic eyes, special eyes that could see mana. It seems that she used them to detect the abnormality inside the forest.

Her eyes were really convenient, but because the owner was Shannon they couldn’t be used to their maximum potential.

Originally those eyes could do even more amazing things but──this was what they called pearls thrown before swine.

「I know. More importantly, where is May? And Miranda?」

Either of them would be great to have when running around inside a forest.

But the timing was bad.

Monica told me about May.

「If it’s May then she had just flown away a little while ago. Looks like she’ll return here in one more week. Well, May is somewhat loose with time so I think it will be more than one week before she returns.」

She already flew away.

Next Shannon told me about Miranda.

「If it’s Onee-sama then she hasn’t returned.」

「──I should have one of them remain.」

If May was here I would be able to ride her and enter the forest from the sky. If Miranda were here, I could ask her to create golems to ride inside the forest.

It was a bit difficult with the two of them absent. ──I should have kept one of them behind.

The Fourth let out a small sigh.

『What a bad timing.』

「Let’s call the two of them back right away. No──gather everyone to protect the forest. As for Miranda──」

Then Sophia asked me anxiously.

「Lyle-dono, how about the people inside the forest?」

Sophia asked whether we wouldn’t save them. I answered her even while still hesitating.

「──We won’t make it in time.」

Sophia clenched her hands when I told her we were abandoning them.

「I-if I use my Arts, won’t it be usable for moving faster?」

「Sophia’s Arts? I see!」

If I had Sophia lightening my weight, my speed would also increase.

It would burden Sophia, but there was a possibility that we would make it in time.

The Third praised Sophia.

『Sophia-chan has also grown a lot. Well, this is a curious event so let’s go investigate it. It’ll be alright if you have the remaining members protect this village.』

「Got it. You come with me, Sophia.」

「Y-yes!」

I immediately gave Novem instruction.

「Novem and the others are going to prevent the monsters from entering the village. They’re coming from the forest, so leave Porter behind and intercept them there.」

It was possible to deal with the monsters if we knew where they came from.

However, Novem refused my instruction.

「Lyle-sama, I’m also coming.」

──Miranda was outside the forest at that time.

Something bothered her along the highway on the way to the village and she investigated it alone.

「As I thought, it’s a trace of battle.」

There was a trace of magic usage in that place.

It looked like the toppled carriage was attacked by someone.

「Were they pursued by bandits?」

There were footprints and traces of blood──other than that, there were wheel tracks heading into the forest.

Miranda turned her gaze to the forest.

「I wonder if this is something troublesome? Hm?」

Were they escaping into the forest? She was considering that, but she heard the sound of an explosion right after that.

「Inside the forest? ──Looks like I better join up with Lyle and others.」

Miranda pointed her palm to the ground. The soil bloated up and a feline animal materialized.

Miranda rode on its back and hurried it to dash toward the forest──.

Inside the forest.

My body leapt further than I thought each time my feet kicked off the ground.

It felt like I was advancing with consecutive jumps.

Sophia, Novem, and I had entered the forest.

Novem usually followed my instruction obediently, but today she was strangely stubborn.

Originally I wanted her to stay behind in the village to heal the wounded and face the monsters, but she came with me. Sophia who was following behind me was worried for the village.

「Are Aria and the others going to be alright?」

Most of my companions were staying behind.

「I think they’ll be fine. More importantly, the problem is us.」

「Problem?」

There were people fighting inside the forest.

But, I didn’t know whether those people really should be saved or not.

I told Sophia to not carelessly approach even if we found those people.

「We don’t know what kind of people they are, so it’s better that we don’t approach them carelessly even when we find them.」

Sophia also seemed to realize it.

「I-indeed. It’s also possible that they’re bandits.」

In her panic, Sophia thought that the people inside the forest were innocent at first.

When talking with the village chief I heard that the villagers wouldn’t go near the forest because of the many monsters.