Visit to the Company
Tigaro and Kenna parted ways with Rogienor, Machen, and the guards, and were walking along the streets of the commercial district.
Kenna, who was walking half a step behind Tigaro, sniffed.
Then, as she closed the distance to Tigaro, she breathed in for a moment near the nape of Tigaro's neck, and then whispered in his ear.
"Tigaro-sama. Apparently, we are being followed by the [Water Eye]."
Kenna said that there was a [Water Eye] floating in the sky behind Tigaro and Kenna, and it seemed to be following them closely.
[Water Eye] is one of the magic used by the Holy Water Knights.
The sphere made of water is a very useful magic that takes over the user's vision and allows them to collect information from a long distance.
Its main purpose is to monitor the security of the royal capital.
Due to the increase in mana achieved through long-distance remote control and the difficulty of operation, it requires the assistance of magic tools to use it, but it is a magic that is easy to use and more than compensates for the disadvantage of having to prepare magic tools.
Given that it is attached to an individual, the Holy Water Knights must be extremely wary of Tigaro.
After sighing a little, Tigaro spoke back to Kenna.
"Let them do whatever they want"
In order to dispel their suspicions, it would be better not to forcefully interfere with the Asur family and the Holy Water Knights for now.
Having no choice but to make that decision, Tigaro continued on his way as if nothing had happened.
Eventually, he arrived at a store.
When he showed his face to the guard in front of the store, the guard saw Tigaro and Kenna's faces and panicked, opening the store door immediately.
"Come in."
When he entered the Mikikonis Company, he saw a number of beautiful products lined up on tables.
As he walked past them and onto the carpet, he met the clerk's eyes as he turned around.
Tigaro grinned at the man whose eyes widened in surprise.
"Ah, hello"
"You are, Tigarokent-sama. And Kenna-sama too."
The man walked towards Tigaro without making a sound, although his steps were a bit hurried. And he said, smiling and pointing to the door at the back of the room.
"Please go to the usual special waiting room."
Tigaro and Kenna are guided by the man and pass through several rooms.
The two of them were then led to a room that was clearly more luxurious than the previous one.
Above the room is a chandelier with a complex shape.
Below that is a long wooden table that was polished that it was shining and a large sofa made of black leather.
It is probably the highest-class room in the Mikikonis Company's royal capital branch.
At the man's urging, Tigaro sat down on the sofa.
Just as Tigaro was sitting down, tea was served and the aroma tickled Tigaro's nose.
Even though it was a surprise visit, the tea was served immediately, which clearly shows that they are putting a lot of effort into educating the waiters.
However, the man seemed to be unconvinced, so he called the waiter who had been in the room and whispered in his ear.
"Hey, get some sweets ready. Quickly."
The waiter hears this from the man and leaves the room in a hurry.
Tigaro, who was looking at it, was still smiling.
"Haha, I'm sorry for the sudden visit."
"No, no. Tigarokent-sama is our important customer. Please come anytime, even if you don't have a reservation. Now, now, Kenna-sama, please take a seat."
"No. Kenna is Tigaro-sama's slave, so don't worry about it."
Even though Kenna refused, saying that she not going to sit next to her master, the man was not offended and accepted Kenna's attitude as if he understood.
When the sweets arrived, the man spoke to Tigaro.
"――So, what kind of business do you have today?"
"Haha, I was passing by so I just came to have a quick chat."
"Is that so?"
In reality, Tigaro and Kenna came to ask about the monster that appeared in the capital and about Eul, but they didn't ask about it all of a sudden.
"That’s right, the recent flow of food in the kingdom has been affected by the seasons."
Even when Tigaro said he had come to see him for no reason, the man was in a good mood and began talking to him smoothly.
They were all about trivial stories like that some territory in the kingdom was having a good harvest, or that the empress of the empire had purged the ministers again.
"Haha, business seems to be going well."
"Haha. This is also thanks to Tigarokent-sama."
The man says that because Tigaro often uses this company.
Sweets as gifts for Lapeia, ingredients and decorations for dishes prepared at Noros' banquets.
Other everyday miscellaneous goods were also purchased through Mikikonis Company.
The man who thanked Tigaro looked around Tigaro's body without being rude.
"By the way, I heard that Tigarokent-sama got into a battle with a monster the other day... but as far as I can see, you don't seem to be injured, so I'm relieved."
It's finally here, Tigaro thought.
As expected, merchants seem to have a quick ear, and they seem to be able to grasp a certain amount of information, even if it's just gossip among the nobles.
Tigaro didn't lose his smile, but he laughed, looking a little embarrassed.
"Ah. It's pathetic, but I failed to capture that monster."
"No, no, it was precisely thanks to the help of Tigarokent-sama that you were able to subdue the scene without any human casualties. We at the Mikikonis Company are also impressed by your quick response."
With a pleasant smile on his face, the man praises Tigaro.
Without thinking anything about it, Tigaro continued speaking with a smile.
"Haha. So, personally, I'm gathering information about that night in order to restore my reputation, but I wonder if Mikikonis knows anything about it?"
In response to Tigaro's question, the man frowned in confusion.
"I'm sorry that I can't help you, but I'm wondering if Tigarokent-sama, the person involved, could talk to me in more detail... The reason I say this is that the monster always attacks people indiscriminately. This is the first time we've heard of someone disappearing without a trace...''
"Yeah, that's why I want at least some information about that night. No matter how trivial it is."
Breathing out and letting out a little breath.
Then, Tigaro said it clearly and emphatically.
"For example, someone went missing."
Hearing Tigaro's words, the man's frowning eyebrows twitched.
"…Do you mean Eul Stimung-sama?"
"You're quick and it helps."
As if confirming the man's intentions, Tigaro smiled cheerfully.
"I heard that two people, Brelin and Machen, who came from the Empire just like Eul-sama, met before dinner, and that was it. It seems like the soldiers on patrol haven't seen her since then..."
"Oh... I see."
Even if Eul sneaked out on her own, there's no way the soldiers wouldn't have seen her.
Tigaro did indeed see Eul running through the deserted aristocratic district at night, and Tigaro's personal maid Kenna also confirmed her appearance, so it seems likely that she somehow escaped from the Fonedao family mansion.
Even if Brelin and Machen, the last witnesses to her, were lying, a soldier working for the Fonedao family would have seen her leaving the mansion.
However, it was clearly strange that the soldiers at the Fonedao family's mansion didn't see anything.
If so, is it possible that someone within the Fonedao family is secretly guiding her actions?
Seeing Tigaro who was deep in thought, the man asked with a questioning look on his face.
"Does Tigarokent-sama thinks that Eul Stimung-sama and the monster that appeared in the royal capital is related?"
"They happened on the same night. There's no evidence that they're related, but I think it's a little too early to say they're not."
Far from being related, the true identity of the monster was Eul itself, but Tigaro didn't mentioned it.
As Tigaro was quietly enjoying the smell of tea while organizing the information in his head, the man suddenly opened his mouth as if he remembered something.
"Ah, now that I think about it, the Holy Water Knights asked me about the Noros family and Tigarokent-sama the other day. Of course, I gave them the usual answer."
Hearing this, Tigaro gave a troubled smile, put down the teacup, and exhaled lightly.
"Perhaps because there was a rumor that Tigarokent-sama targeted Aifietouka-sama in the past, there were whispers among the Asur family and some members of the Holy Water Knights that it was the Noros family who abducted Eul Stimung-sama."
"I see.… Perhaps you may also be asked about my visit here today."
[Water Eye] also followed them, so it would be better to think that it is almost certain.
It's not just limited to the Holy Water Knights and the Asur family, but Tigaro also doesn't have a good feeling about having someone search his pockets.
Tigaro groaned a little.
"...That's right. Kenna, do you have that dagger?"
"Yes, it's here."
Kenna pulled out the dagger that Psyphro had thrust at her own slave the other day.
The blade of the dagger, which had a richly decorated hilt, was now wrapped in many layers of cloth.
"If the Knights ask you about our visit today, please use the excuse that we came to ask you to make a sheath for this."
Tigaro, who received it from Kenna, made a heavy sound and placed the dagger on the long table.
The moment he saw the dagger, the man's eyes, which had been smiling at Tigaro in a flattering manner, became sharp.
It was the look of a merchant who was judging the products.
"Can I touch it?"
"Sure."
Tigaro relaxed his posture and readily gave permission.
[Excuse me then], he said, and reached for the dagger.
Wrapping a wrapped cloth around his hand so as not to touch the dagger itself, the man examined the dagger in every detail.
After looking at the handle, he completely removed the cloth wrapped around the blade and looked at it from various angles under the light shining down from the chandelier.
"This unique dull reflection of light. It looks like mana sealing alloy is used."
"...Yeah, Brother Psyphro had that."
Hearing the man's words, Tigaro muttered.
As the saying goes, Noros don't need a second weapon, people in the Noros family who use their own manifestation magic as a weapon generally rarely carry other weapons.
However, it would be a different story if the weapon had special effects.
If there is a dagger made of mana sealing alloy, it should have the effect of obstructing the flow of mana when the person stabbed uses magic.
Thinking back, Tigaro remembered that Psyphro had pulled out his dagger before making his slave use recovery magic.
Even if he tries to return the dagger he picked up, the dagger given back to him by Tigaro will no doubt be used by Psyphro to torment the slaves again.
Regardless of whether it was non-aggression or non-interference, he didn't want the tools Tigaro had returned to him to be used like that, as it seemed like Tigaro himself was complicit in Psyphro's tormenting.
Psyphro, who doesn't care much about his possessions, doesn't seem to be particularly concerned about the dagger, so Tigaro decides to keep it as is.
Tigaro laughed cheerfully at the man who looked at the dagger and was satisfied.
"Please keep the expenses together with the budget for the Noros banquet."
"I understand."
Even if it were discovered that Psyphro had given him the dagger without permission, he could somehow deceive it by saying that he had planned to return it with a glittering scabbard attached.
While Tigaro was thinking of such an excuse, the man who had received the job deepened his smile and carefully placed the dagger on the tray brought by the waiter.
"By the way, where is Muira now?"
At Tigaro's random question, the man tilted his head as if he was reminiscing and opened his mouth.
"She should be on the branch of a territory ruled by the naval commander on the eastern side of the empire. If you have any needs for Muira-sama, I will call her. How would you like me to call her?"
She was further away than he expected.
Muira is a slave girl that Tigaro enslaved after Kenna.
Since she is good at interacting with people, she is entrusted to the company to learn about business, and is entrusted with the role of making Tigaro's own connections with outsiders that are unrelated to the Noros family.
Even if it's within the Kingdom of Shirsodi, it will probably take some time to call her.
Also, she seems to be a little busy at the moment, so he decided to have her focus on strengthening those connections for now.
"Haha. No, I was just thinking about asking her to show up if she was nearby. There's no need to force her to come here."
"Is that so?"
It seems like it will be a long time before he sees her again.
---
"Thank you for your continued patronage."
He waved at the man who bowed politely and left the company.
The street in the commercial district where he left the store was busy with people, and it was completely peaceful with no disturbing incidents.
In front of the store, a young man trying to attract customers is calling out to a group of women, and nearby, children are playing and chasing each other.
While looking at the scenery, Tigaro began to move forward.
When he leaves the store, the [Water Eye] of the Holy Water Knights continues to follow him as if monitoring him, but Tigaro walks through the streets without paying any particular attention to it.
"If everything goes without incident, we don't have to gather any information either."
"However, I think it is dangerous to be too far behind."
Behind Tigaro, who was muttering, Kenna replied indifferently.
"...Haha, Kenna is realistic."
Kenna's words that brought Tigaro's thoughts back to reality were understandable.
Since they don't know the intentions of Eul and those related to her who have not yet been seen, if they don't take measures to prevent monsters from appearing again like in Eul's case, there's a risk that Aifie will suddenly be attacked by monsters again.
Tigaro was groaning as he thought that he had to stop thinking comfortably and at least ensure Aifie's safety.
As Tigaro approaches the river bridge, he notices that one of the carriages coming from behind has slowed down near Tigaro and Kenna.
When he looked at it from the side, he saw that the Noros family crest was engraved on the carriage.
Apparently, the slaves of the Noros family noticed Tigaro and Kenna and stopped the carriage.
The window of the box carriage opened, and a man peeked out.
That man was Psyphro, the eldest son of the head of the Noros family.
"...Tigaro? I don't see any carriage, so you're taking a walk?"
The head of a human that looked like a slave could be seen near Psyphro's stomach as he said this bluntly.
Apparently, Psyphro is making the slave lick his p*nis.
Looking at this, Tigaro opened his mouth with a smile already plastered on his face.
"Haha. I was just checking with the company about the preparations for the Noros banquet. What about you, brother?"
"...I was just being interviewed by some trash from the Knights about a missing person. There's no way I'd remember everything about a slave."
Psyphro said in disgust.
Apparently, Psyphro was being briefly interrogated regarding Eul, whose whereabouts were unknown.
The second son Skrios would have refused such trouble, but Psyphro, who was more intelligent than Skrios, must have realized that refusing the Holy Water Knights' cooperation would cause more trouble.
He was probably on his way back now.
The members of the Holy Water Knights seem to think that the Noros family may have kidnapped her, but looking at Psyphro's condition, they haven't found any evidence, and the investigation itself doesn't seem to be going well.
Tigaro inwardly breathed a sigh of relief that the fact that he had captured Eul was not discovered.
Then, he asked Psyphro with a smile.
"Can I come with you to the mansion?"
"Do whatever you want"
Psyphro replied grumpily.
That's when Tigaro was about to get into the carriage without worrying about it and smiling cheerfully.
"Kyaaa!!?"
The other side of the bridge where the river flows in the commercial district.
That's where the screams came from.
Tigaro turned around and was surprised by what he saw.
What is reflected in Tigaro's eyes is a bug-shaped anomaly.
It bites with strong jaws, and its reddish-black body is made up of joints and shells, and has six legs.
Moving its feet busily, it walked as if crawling on the ground, approaching the residents of the royal capital.
It had the shape of an ant, larger than a human body.
Right now, that ant-like monster was about to attack the residents of the royal capital.
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