Estimated reading time: ~4 minutes
Chapter 66
○○○
I realized it.
Anon gripped my shoulder with a vice-like power. His eyes, hidden beneath his hood, must have been wide open at that very moment.
This is bad! This is really bad!
At this rate, I’ll be thrown into the midst of countless sweaty old men and be forced to mingle with them without question!
Now’s not the time for that.
I have to do something about this situation.
My gray brain cells (self-proclaimed) kicked into full gear to overcome this predicament.
And then, approximately three seconds and a bit after Anon grabbed my shoulder─── I finally found a way to break through this situation.
「Ash, I want to leave this to you. Time is of the essence now,」
I said, trying to maintain a sharp expression as I turned to face Ashley.
Of course, Anon interjects, 「Low, that’s───」 but I’ve already anticipated that.
It’s okay. I’ve already devised a plan.
Calling out his name, 「Anon!」 I spoke to him while maintaining my expression.
For some reason, Anon says he wants to see my cool side.
Perhaps because he originally had heroic aspirations, he seems to be seeking a heroic aspect in me.
That’s why–
「Shouldn’t we head straight to Vienetta and treat the Clan Master’s brother? That’s something only we can do, right?」
I looked into his eyes hidden beneath his hood.
「Isn’t that so?」
「Ah, yeah…… You’re right, that’s certainly true.」
Then, turning to Ashley again,
「Ash, you’re the only one I can entrust this place to. There’s someone suffering from an illness in Vienetta. It’s a situation where every minute, every second counts, and Sensei and I are the only ones who can save them! Please, for their sake!」
I bowed my head deeply.
Curious about Ashley’s reaction, I slightly raised my head to peek at her,
「I’m the only one… Low can entrust this place to,」 she clenched her fists.
It pains me to take advantage of her pure nature, but putting that aside, I managed to overcome this situation. Sorry, Ash. Do your best.
○○○
And so, the story returns to the present.
We are riding on the back of an Eagle Dragon, heading towards the Vienetta headquarters.
「Come to think of it, Anon, are the defensive forces of the other Holy Knights’ locations okay, besides Ash’s?」
「You mean where Virtuous and Arrogant are? We’ve got that covered. Chancellor Madison is personally sending forces to Arrogant, which is relatively close to the royal capital.」
Chancellor Madison.
He was one of the three people who came to see me off when I left the royal castle.
I heard that the seal of Sword of Affirmation was broken by the King’s order, which was based on the Hero’s opinion, but I wonder what stance he takes on that matter.
「As for Virtuous, the largest clan, Seventh Blue, will lend a hand at the Chancellor’s request.」
「To have the Chancellor arrange things, Anon, just who are you─── 」
「Ichiro, I am who I am. Just Anon. Nothing more, nothing less.」
An exceptionally strong wind blew.
Hidden behind his hood swaying in the wind, I wanted to know more about him.
But, rushing to seek results is precisely───
「You’re right. You are you.」
It’s tactless.
So, let’s get to know each other, one step at a time.
○○○
As I received a lecture from Anon about Vienetta, where we are currently headed, and the Clan Master, a town came into view after about half an hour.
We dismounted from the Eagle Dragon, entered the town, and followed Anon’s lead.
After a bit of a detour, including stopping by the Dragon stables, we finally arrived at the Vienetta headquarters.
「Please inform them that Anon has arrived.」
With a sharp reply of 「Yes, sir!!」 the gatekeeper hurried to confirm our arrival.
「Whoa, it’s huge!」 Sensei exclaimed. This is one of the adorable things about Sensei.
We were amazed by the size of the building, which far surpassed any ordinary guild building. Although not particularly tall, its expansiveness and structure reminded me of a type of small fortress.
「Well, it’s one of the top five major clans in the Arcana Kingdom. The headquarters is the face of the clan. Every clan takes pride in it.」
「Is that so?」
「That’s how it is. Adventurers are finished if they’re looked down upon.」
As we engaged in casual conversation for a while, the gatekeeper from earlier came running back.
「My apologies for the delay, Lord Anon. Please come inside.」
A person who seemed to be an executive of Vienetta was waiting at the entrance of the building. After discussing something with Anon, he said, 「Please follow me,」 and guided us to the Clan Master.
If you enjoy it and wish to see more, please consider giving it a 5-star rating for the series on NU. Click Here.
Check out my Patreon for early access to upcoming updates. Patreon Link