Volume 1 Chapter 72 The Question From That Day
"They want to talk where Allen isn't present?"
Fatina asked Chester, as if she wanted to say something.
"If you go, you'll understand. Shall we move for now?"
Chester urged us to leave the room without clearly answering Fatina's question.
His tone seemed like he had already heard about the situation or had some idea about it.
Fatina tilted her head with a puzzled expression as if there was a question mark floating above it, but in the end, she just went out into the hallway.
We went down the stairs, and Chester opened a door at the end of the first-floor hallway.
It was a spacious room, and Allen's party members were already waiting inside.
Thief Fiione was leaning against the wall near the door with her arms crossed.
Magician Dorothea was sitting on the sofa in the middle of the room with a weary look on her face.
Holy Knight Ellis was standing in front of the window.
When we entered the room, the three of them turned their heads almost at the same time.
Ellis was the only one with a calm expression on her face, and the other two seemed to be maintaining their composure.
The girls are the only ones in the room, and Leanne is nowhere to be seen.
I wonder if only one person is acting differently and hasn't arrived yet.
"It seems like one person is missing?"
"Hmm? It seems so."
When Chester asked Fiione, who was closest to him, about Leanne's whereabouts, she didn't seem interested, as if she only remembered after being told.
It was as if she had forgotten, even though she was missing one of their own.
"I don't know about Leanne. I think she ran away."
"...That kid doesn't have that kind of courage."
It was Ellis who muttered that.
I wonder if it was my imagination that somehow I felt something unnatural about Leanne, who was talking about Leanne herself rather than her place.
"Alright, fine. So, what's the deal?"
Without mentioning anything further about Leanne, Chester went straight to the point, and Fiione explain it.
"I'm talking about the recent incident. I think it's best to explain the facts clearly to avoid any misunderstandings."
"What facts?"
"Like the clash with that party at Aquaflow Cavern and the incident of destroying the city, those were all Allen's ideas. I was just forced to go along with it as the party leader."
"Huh?"
For some reason, Ellis, who should have been a comrade, let out a surprised voice at Fiione's explanation. Her face clearly showed confusion, as if hse wanted to say that the story was different.
"W-what's that... When Allen talked about the king's request, Fiione also agreed, didn't she?"
"I suggested to Allen that it's better not to get involved in dangerous matters, but he didn't listen."
Ellis was the opposite of Fiione, who continued to talk calmly without changing her expression at all.
"I did say that. Dorothea did too, didn't she?"
"...Fiione and I advised Allen to stop."
Dorothea answered in a quiet voice.
"Both Dorothea and I were against taking on this request from the beginning. There was no specific explanation of what the key was, and the story about being given a title if we collected three of them is suspicious if you think about it normally."
"So, does that mean Fiione-san and Dorothea-san were forced to do it by Allen?"
To Chester's question, Fiione replied, "That's right."
Upon hearing this, Chester put his hand on his chin and seemed lost in thought.
Fatina and Mel looked at each other, wearing puzzled expressions.
I'm sure everyone, including me, was surprised.
If what both of them are saying is true, then it means there was a disagreement among the member about the request from the king.
Allen and Ellis were in favor, while Fiione and Dorothea were against it. It's likely that Leanne just followed Allen.
"But there's no excuse for turning a blade towards our country's princess, Merletta-sama."
Iria glared at Fiione and said firmly, but Fiione didn't even look at her, as if she wasn't bothered at all.
"I wasn't really aiming for the princess. I just wanted to take her to the castle. I don't want to get in trouble with the king for causing her any harm."
"Princess, is what this person saying true?"
"Well... when we met at Aquaflow Cavern, Allen did try to take me back to the castle."
As Mel said, it seems like Allen didn't intend to harm her.
Iria seemed to be mistaken, as she looked away from Fiione and didn't say anything else.
"I see. So, you two were at the same party, but this time you're saying you reluctantly agreed to this?"
"Just because you're in the same party doesn't mean you always agree. It's just a normal thing, right?"
"What's that? I didn't hear about that..."
Ellis looked shocked as she gazed at her party members.
Out of the three, it seemed like only Ellis didn't know their thoughts.
"That's just because Ellis didn't hear. Haven't you been 'watching us at all'?"
"That's not true! I've been watching and protecting everyone!"
"Really? I've been thinking this for a while, but doesn't Ellis never think about anything?"
"...Huh?"
Ellis's expression froze when she was told.
"If I put it more accurately, you were trying not to think. You left everything to Allen and abandoned your own thoughts. In my opinion, you're an accomplice too."
"W-wait. That's not true. I was just..."
Clearly agitated, Ellis hesitated, speaking in a barely audible voice.
"Not true? You seemed to talk with Allen a lot, but I've never seen you express any opinions to him."
"...Likewise."
It seemed like Ellis wanted to say something to the two of them, but in the end, she remained silent, keeping her mouth shut.
"Besides, neither Dorothea nor I intended to take others lives. We were holding back with that intention. Finally, we ended up losing, but isn't that for the best?"
"That's a lie! This person definitely intended to kill us!"
Fatina spoke with a firm tone and pointed at Fiione. Fiione's expression changed from being blank to suddenly smiling.
"Fatina-san, is that so? You're still new to being an adventurer, so maybe you don't know, but adventurers often have disagreements with each other. Even then, they don't go as far as to kill. That's just common sense."
"How dare you tell such a blatant lie!"
"Fatina-san, please calm down."
Chester calmed Fatina down.
Fatina closed her mouth, following his lead, and glared at Fiione.
When I actually faced Fiione and Dorothea in the Aquaflow Cavern, I didn't sense any hesitation in their attacks. In fact, it seemed like Ellis and Leanne were more confused, and they didn't seem to be trying to kill us seriously.
It could be because their roles in the party aren't attackers.
"So, what are you two going to do in the end?"
"I'm going to leave Allen's party and back off from this matter. I have a stash of thousands of gold coins. If it's not enough, I'll earn more later to pay back."
Without saying anything, Chester listens silently to Fiione's proposal.
"Also, I'm at Level Cap 80. I'm even willing to become an exclusive member of this merchant guild and take on dirty jobs. Unlike other adventurers, I have discretion. So, I would like to be treated accordingly."
"Oh, 'that's absurd'."
Chester replied immediately.
"Why?"
"Because I don't feel any 'trust' from you all."
Upon hearing Chester's words, Fiione frowned for the first time.
"Trust? This is not a story to be told in flowery language. If you're a merchant too, you should understand that considering profit is the right thing to do."
"No. For a merchant, trust is something precious that can't be obtained no matter how much money is offered. We cannot do business with people who do not have it."
"Don't joke around. It's pointless to talk about something that doesn't even have a form."
"I'm not joking. I'm dead serious. Trust may not have a form, but it can certainly be felt. Even without using complicated words."
Chester looked at us briefly and said,
"You will receive the appropriate punishment. It's better for you to go to jail and reconsider what you've done."
"That decision is unfair. I told the truth. If you catch us for that reason──"
"Are you saying that the Adventurer's Guild won't stay quiet?"
Chester interrupted.
It seemed like he had anticipated this from the beginning.
If rumors spread that an S-rank adventurer, the pride of the Adventurer's Guild, was imprisoned, it would damage their reputation. In that case, they wouldn't just overlook it.
"I don't know what you're saying is unfair, but we are the ones who decide. This is Trasverum."
As if to say the conversation was over, Chester swung open the door to the room.
There were many people dressed as warriors and magicians. There might have been over twenty of them, just from what I could see.
"They are the adventurers we have hired. Some of them have a level cap of 60. If you have the confidence to face them and escape, feel free to do as you please."
"...I absolutely won't accept this."
"Please take them with you."
Fiione clicked her tongue, Dorothea made a visibly disgusted face, and Ellis lowered her head as they left the room, surrounded by hired adventurers.
After the three of them were gone, the room suddenly became empty, with only silence enveloping the surroundings.
Fatina and Mel simply stared at the direction they had left.
"Phew, I hope they reflect on this a little."
"You knew from the start what would happen, didn't you?"
"Never would've guessed. I've been a merchant my whole life, after all."
Saying that, Chester shrugged his shoulders.
"That person Ellis... I feel a little sorry for her."
Fatina looked down and said so. Certainly, Ellis was also a member of Allen's party, and it's an undeniable fact that they attacked us.
However, regardless of the circumstances, it leaves a bad taste to be treated as an accomplice by her allies.
"Hmm... that may be true. Well, the decision about Ark-san is the only one left. As for us, it doesn't matter how her situation is handled."
"I see. Thank you."
I replied after understanding what Chester wanted to convey. I left the room and headed straight to the entrance of the mansion.
When I stepped outside the building, a girl in a white robe was standing there, looking lost.
"Leanne."
"...Ark."
It was my childhood friend, Leanne, and one of the members of Allen's party, a priestess.
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