The sun was shining on the gray city, and the snow was melting off the main street. It was the first clear winter day in a long time.

　A few days after the start of boot camp.
　Iris (Rene) was out on the town with Diana. Today, she is wearing a comfortable robe, without that torturous corset.

How are you doing with your studies?
Very hard. ......

　The destination is the branch of the Adventurer's Guild in the city.
　I've been getting almost all of my quests directly from the Count, but it's still polite as an adventurer to go through the guild. Adventurers who ignore the guild and accept quests will be subject to disciplinary action and even blacklisting if they go too far.

　The reason why Iris (Rene) came along with him was because Rene wanted to see the Adventurer's Guild with his own eyes.
　Adventurers are experts in locating demons and fighting them. They are heroes in many adventure stories and songs, though they are sometimes thought to be shady by the public.
　The current threat to Rene is the Knight Commander, but there's no guarantee that he won't be facing strong adventurers in the future. You should know as much as you can about adventurers.

　It was half out of curiosity that I came to see it myself, not because I was tired of just salvaging it from Iris's memory, though I gave it some reason like .......

"How to use a knife and fork. How to sit and stand in a chair. Elegant language and graceful hand gestures. When you walk, walk on a straight line.
　In addition, ...... can you believe it?　The whole way through, they made me do it with a book on my head!
"Oh my God. I thought putting a book on your head was just a joke to laugh at the big guys, but you really do it.
They really do it.

　The topic of conversation on the road was the training that Iris (Rene) was being given.
　I'm sure you've heard of it, but I'm not sure if you've ever heard of it. Even so, in order to make up for it, he was given a cramming education that would make even those not in the Ministry of Education want to cry "yutori education.

"If you say you need to study for your job, it's so hard that I want to be paid for this time.
"Ha-ha-ha!　That makes sense!　But Iris, I'm sure this guy will be useful in the future.
Is that how it works?
That's the way it is. Just because he knows how to use a knife and fork, people will think, "He's an adventurer, but maybe he's from a noble family. It might change the way the higher-ups look at you.
　That kind of thing can come in handy somewhere unexpectedly.

　I see, thinks Iris (Rene).
　If you think of it as unpaid training, it's black, but if you think of it as being able to take the classes you want to take for free, it might be a good deal.
　In fact, this is a great opportunity for Rene.
　There will be times in the future when I will be possessed by another noble girl and take her place. In order not to be confused at such a time, there is no harm in learning the appropriate moves.

　--Well, that's ...... going to have to wait until we get this country sorted out first, though.

　In order to do that, you have to send the Night Python people to hell first.
　It's not enough to live as a nobleman and shadow warrior of a lady. I have to manipulate the situation from behind the scenes and make sure that Night Python is destroyed.

　--In the end, I'll just have to do it myself. ...... I'll have to see how far I can get with the Count and the Dragon's Throat. In the event that you're not sure what to do, you can always try to find out what you can do. ...... Well, first of all, you can use your physical body to gather information.

　If anything, I want to gather information about the situation in Ciel-Teira after the coup. There's a limit to how much you can listen to people in a spirit body.

　While they were thinking about this, they arrived at the guild's branch.

　"Here, my lord.

"Hey, you're on a quest from your lord. I know.

　The master of the guild, who was a familiar face to the two of them, said this as soon as he saw Iris and Rene.

　The Adventurer's Guild branch was located in the busiest part of the city.
　But the two-story building itself was small, like a tavern with a nice atmosphere. Although they don't serve food here, there are adventurers who bring in food and drinks from nearby stores to eat and drink. Around the counter, instead of a menu of drinks and liquors, there was a sign with a request (quest).

　Since it is a small branch, the branch manager (master) himself sometimes stands there and deals with adventurers. The Master fills in for the receptionist's shift. If nothing strange happens, the branch manager (master) has the most free time," he says. Well, actually, it seems to be more of a hobby of the Master.

　A bearded man who is large horizontally and short vertically, with muscles like rocks. The master is a dwarf, the second most common race in this country after humans. Male Dwarves have thick beards even when they are young, so it is difficult for humans to tell how old they are, but the Master seems to be already in his old age. His muscles, which he prides himself on, have lost their strength, but he used to be an adventurer in his younger days, and even now, standing at the counter and seeing the faces of active adventurers is his greatest pleasure.

You guys seem to be in the lord's good graces.
"Favored is good and bad. This job is a bit dangerous. You know what it is.
Well, yeah. Depends on the situation. ...... If the enemy is serious about going all out, it could be dangerous.
Do you have an idea?
Oh, yes. ......

　The Master glanced at the adventurers eating and drinking nearby.
　The Master glanced at the adventurers who were eating and drinking nearby, "It's best not to talk about this quest where it can be heard by the general public.

I'll talk about it upstairs. ...... Hey!　Wayne!　Give me a counter!



　The Master walked up the stairs, followed by the young clerk who had come down.

　They were ushered into the Master's office, which looked like the principal's office of a small school. This room was the only one that was equipped for secret talks. In addition to soundproofing, it has a magical soundproofing and detection barrier. I've heard that larger chapters have many more fully equipped rooms, but for a chapter of this size, one room is the best we can do.

"How much do you guys know about this coup d'etat?

　The first thing that the Branch Chief (Master) said, Iris (Rene) thought that all the blood flowed back.
　The fight with the Night Python was just an errand to improve her level. I didn't think the story would be connected here.

　A cold, black flame of resentment burned in my chest. Iris (Rene) tried desperately to calm her mind so that she wouldn't burst into murderous intent. If she were to inadvertently give off a strange (i.e. evil) vibe, Diana, the priestess, might notice Rene's presence.

　Fortunately, Diana did not seem to notice anything.

"It's just a rumor circulating in the world.
Well... Well, you should hear what I have to say.

　"Well then, you might as well ask me what I think," said the master as he poured himself a cup of tea and served it to them.
　Incidentally, he had poured a lot of some kind of alcohol into the tea he was drinking. It seems that dwarves need alcohol in their tea to make them happy. It's not tea any more, it's alcohol with tea.

First of all, the Night Python is believed to be based in the Duke of Gerald's domain. It is said that the Duke may be related to Night Python. There's no proof, though.
　And this duke is the center of the Royalists. I don't know what my lord thinks, but I think he thinks it's a bad idea and wants to get Night Python out of his territory while he can. ......
I'm sorry. What was the position of the Earl of Keighley in this coup?
I'm not sure if I'd be able to do that if I were you. I'm sure he was anti-coup in his heart.
　When the king's brother received the support of the four major powers and got all the big lords on his side, the game was already decided. If you tried to fight for the king, your territory would have been burned to the ground. That's why they had no choice but to watch with their fingers crossed.
　And even then, since you didn't actively cooperate with the coup, you'll be treated as an outsider from now on. I don't think they're going to confiscate your territory that easily. ......

　In the event that you've got any questions regarding where and the best way to get in touch with us, we're here to help.
　Hilbert got the support of the four major powers to make the great lords sway to him.
　By getting the great lords to sway to him, he made the other lords think that there was no point in fighting.
　The king, ...... René's father, found himself in a state of limbo.

　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for. The war potential of a lord is naturally proportional to the size of his territory. If a large lord rebels, the blow will be immeasurable.
　And the Knights of Columbus, who are under the direct control of the royal family, are ...... headed by Lawrence (that thing).

　In the event that you have any questions regarding where and how to use the internet, you can call us at the web site. Count Keeley has been put in the "don't kill unless necessary" folder in his mind.

　Anyway, it's not good to know that the Duke, who is considered to be the center of the royal brother faction, might be in league with the Night Python.

So you're saying that the Royalists might use Night Python to attack the Count?
"I don't think they'd be that blatant about it. You know what the lord is worried about. ...... They've always been a criminal organization, a shadowy entity. It may cause them to lose their grip.

　The Branch Manager (Master) made a face.

　I'm not sure what kind of madness is swirling around this country right now, but Iris (Rene) knows. Anyone who opposes the new king may be subject to private punishment just for that.
　It's no wonder that Night Python thought, "Count Keely, who seems to have been an anti-coupist, won't be pursued by the authorities no matter what he does. Or, if he's really in league with the royalists, he can get Duke Gerald to silence the authorities and go into free-for-all mode.

I think Hugh's fears may have been correct. I don't want to get caught up in a family feud, you know?

　Before I knew it, Deanna was smoking a cigarette and blew out a sigh of purple smoke.
　I'm not going to get involved in a family feud. On the contrary, "Dragon's Throat" might be involved in this coup from the losing side.

　The master nodded hesitantly with a difficult face.

"But I also want you to accept this request from the Dragon's Throat. I want you to protect my lord.
"Master. Isn't the guild supposed to be neutral on politics?
I know. So this is my own idea.

　The Adventurer's Guild, a supranational organization, keeps its distance from politics. By adhering to the principle of "not supporting any particular nation or political force," the Guild is recognized by many nations.
　It would be fine if it was "to protect a countess who was targeted by a criminal organization", but if it involves a big disturbance that divides the nation, it is gray.
　Normally, it would be the job of the chapter leader (master) to reject such stingy requests (quests), or to set up an environment where the terms and conditions with the client do not become political, but it seems that the smaller the chapter, the more lax it is about such philosophical aspects.

And I think I know a little bit about Night Python. It's true that they've got roughnecks and ace adventurers in their ranks. But they don't have the time to be so careless about it.
　I don't think Night Python's going to have enough resources to deal with you four. It's not like they're going to be that serious about it.
...... You mean they're going to kick you out of the entire county?
It's the mines, after all, that are the most lucrative for them. And Night Python's not the type to go to war with the government head on. They're used to getting government officials and nobles to sniff around and say hello.
　Even if they are kicked out of one of the small territories that are ruled by stiffs who don't understand, it's hard to say whether they will stay in such a troublesome and unprofitable place.



　If there was a country at war, would it put all of its forces into one battlefield?
　If it's a battle for the survival of the nation, it's usually no.
　In other words, that's what the Branch Chief (Master) was talking about.

But they also have a reputation to uphold, and if we're too defenseless, they might retaliate just because they can. I want you to stop them.
I'll do it. I'm doing it for the sake of the Count and Catherine.

　Before Deanna could say anything, Iris (Rene) took the initiative and said. I'm going to do it for you.
　The fight against the night python was just an errand, but it might lead to the hateful revenge. An evil fighting spirit was burning.

"...... I see.

　The master of the branch, who would not understand the situation of Iris (Rene), smiled a little apologetically.
　Deanna had a bitter look on her face, but ...... said nothing more.