Seeker 162

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Chapter 162. Connections

Passing through the upscale residential area of the city, I arrived at a castle surrounded by sturdy walls. 

I approached the gatekeeper standing before the castle gate and conveyed my purpose. 

Among the 2 gatekeepers, 1 rushed towards the depths of the castle.

"Whoaaaa!"

"Amazing, Daichi-aniki! Having connections with the Lord!"

"As expected from Daichi-aniki!"

The burly servants made a commotion, cheering and hollering. 

Well, yeah. 

It's just that we happened to have a connection.

As I waited in front of the castle gate, a familiar figure arrived with the gatekeeper who called them.

A beautiful woman with blonde hair and blue eyes, she was the heiress of this territory and an adventurer.

"Welcome, Daichi-san, Kazane-san, and Hotaru-san. I heard you came up with some matters to discuss today. We can't talk about intricate matters here, so please come inside."

The person, the lord's daughter known as Altheia but addressed as Aria-san guided us into the castle.

On the other hand,

"Alright then, Daichi-aniki, we'll gather information around the scene!"

"Count on us!"

"We'll meet up later at the central square!"

The burly servants dispersed while saying so.

Leaving the investigation to them made me a bit anxious.

But well, let's hope they can find some clue.

Later, we followed Aria-san into the castle and were led to a reception room. 

There, we met with the Lord.

"Oh, it's you, Daichi-kun and the others. Seems like you're in trouble. I'm glad you came to me for help. Let's hear the details then."

Around 2 days had passed since that incident, and the Lord's health mostly recovered. 

He gestured for us to sit on the couch.

Facing us across the table were the Lord and Aria-san.

In front of these two, I began explaining about Eslyn-san's disappearance and the conflict she had with the wealthy merchant Goldo.

After listening to the whole story, Aria-san unexpectedly uttered these words:

"Goldo again? Father, it seems like—"

"Yes. We can't make a definite conclusion, but it's reasonable to assume that Goldo is highly likely to be involved."

"...? Are you saying Goldo has a criminal record?"

When I asked that, the Lord nodded with a grave expression.

"The term 'criminal record' might not be entirely accurate. But Goldo has long been suspected of involvement in human trafficking."

Aria-san added to that.

"There was a period when multiple abduction cases occurred within this territory. We launched investigations, but the culprits were never found. It seemed like someone was sheltering the criminals."

"Based on the information we obtained at that time, we grew suspicious of Goldo. I ordered the soldiers to conduct a forceful investigation as a last resort. But the investigation turned up nothing. I publicly suspected Goldo of complicity, and turned into a situation where I was openly suspicious of him."

"Goldo is a powerful figure in the city, so even you, Father, couldn't push the matter further. The investigation into Goldo had to be abandoned. After that, the abduction cases also subsided."

Aria-san's words came to a halt there. 

And that brings us to the present.

I more or less understood the situation, but...

At that moment, upon hearing about human trafficking, I recalled a certain incident. 

The group of kidnappers had abducted an elf in the forest near this city. A gang led by someone called the Boss. Criminals, without a doubt.

"Ah...!"

And then, through my brain's association game, another thread connected.

"Hmm? What's up, Daichi-kun? Did you notice something else?"

"Kazane-san, do you remember the kidnappers' boss who had the elf? The ones who were with the elf we rescued from the kidnapping?"

"Ah, yeah. I remember that guy. What about that?"

"He was among the lackeys that Goldo had. Yeah, that's right."

I completely forgot about it. 

I should have realized it when I first encountered Goldo.

Back when we were in the city's central square when Goldo had approached Eslyn-san, that time. 

The man who had been glaring at me among the lackeys.

He's a burly, bearded giant with a deep voice, who had a substantial build and a beard. 

I couldn't tell at the time since he had his hood pulled down low, but looking back, he was undoubtedly the kidnappers's boss.

"Daichi-san, what's the story here?"

Aria-san asked me that, and I explained everything that had happened.

Encountering the kidnappers with the elf in the forest near the city, rescuing three elves from them, and how the leader of those kidnappers was among Goldo's lackeys.

Upon hearing my story, Aria-san and the Lord exchanged glances and nodded at each other.

"If Daichi-san says so, then it's most likely true, Father."

"Indeed. It's quite possible that this leader of the kidnappers refrained from abductions within our territory and operated in other cities. However, the trafficking of the kidnapped individuals likely went through Goldo. With this, we can consider the connection between the kidnappers and Goldo. The issue is—"

"What to do from here, right? Father, if you accused Goldi of a false charge, you'll face significant criticism from the influential figures in the city. Conducting a public investigation without solid evidence could be detrimental to you."

"The straightforward approach would be challenging indeed. In that case, a covert approach—Altheia, what if we ask her to give it a shot? Altheia, could you infiltrate Goldeau's mansion alone, discreetly gathering information without being noticed?"

"Father, are you okay with your daughter turning into a spy? Putting that aside, it's not as easy as you might think. Even with the abilities of an adventurer, not everything is achievable. Unless you're an adventurer with the [Stealth] skill, you won't be able to explore the mansion without being detected."

"Then how about hiring an adventurer with the [Stealth] skill? But then again, unless they are someone exceedingly trustworthy and upright, it might endanger my position even further. Is there any other approach—"

"Hmm..."

After exchanging words of consideration, the Lord and Altheia crossed their arms and fell into contemplation.

They look quite similar. 

They're father and daughter.

Altheia glanced briefly at us.

"Daichi-san and the others, do you have the [Stealth] skill... or not?"

"I have it."

"I've got it too!"

"Right? The [Stealth] skill is supposed to be quite rare, so— Wait, what's going on?"

Altheia tilted her head.

The Lord blinked his eyes too.

Hmm, so the [Stealth] skill is considered rare, huh?

I had absolutely no idea.