That night, an incident occurred.

We returned to the inn and soon fell asleep from exhaustion.

It was then that the incident occurred.

Khan Khan

「Fua!? W-What is it?」
「Outside, it’s burning」

I was awakened by the sound of bells ringing and looked out the window to see the night sky lit up in red, even though it was the middle of the night.

「That direction is…」
「The lord’s mansion」

Kiara-chan grabs the hem of my shirt, looking frightened.

From far away, I can hear voices instructing people to evacuate, people trying to put out the fire giving instructions, and the screams of those fleeing.

「Would you like to help put out the fire?」
「We shouldn’t. In some cases, it will raise suspicion and cause more confusion」

That was true.

We are now labeled as criminals. If we go there, there is a high possibility that we will cause even more trouble than we did during the daytime.

「I guess we’ll just have to wait and see…」
「It can’t be helped」

There are people in trouble right in front of me, but I can’t help them.

That is frustrating.

On that day, we spent a sleepless night.

In another place, there were others here who saw the same scene.

「As expected of onii-sama」
「Yeah, I didn’t expect them to be so quick on the uptake.」
「Ellen ane-sama, what about the evidence?」
「Unfortunately, it’s only the ones I’ve seized during the day」
「I see…」
「No need to worry. The evidence from the daytime alone will be enough to provide a means to counter the situation. So don’t make that face. Emeria did well enough」
「Yes, ane-sama. Will you stay with me today?」
「Of course. I’ll be busy again tomorrow. Let’s be together at least today」
「Yes…」
「Don’t worry, I’m on Emeria’s side no matter what」
「Yes, ane-sama」

Night falls.

Each with their own thoughts.

side: Prince Orstia

「Your Highness Orstia, we are proceeding as planned」
「all right」

After receiving a report from his subordinate, he looks down at the report given to him by the Prime Minister.

The report summarizes the incident that took place in Tanza.

「Well put together, as always」
「I am honored. But was it alright?」
「What is?」
「Tanza was ruled by His Majesty’s brother, and is it not an important place for His Highness Orstia as well?」

Certainly, it was an important source of income.

But now it is only in the past tense.

「Uncle did a great job. But bad things don’t work, do they?」
「That is correct」
「Besides, we are already well-funded for the move we are about to make. I don’t blame him for what his got, but I still wouldn’t want to touch the funds he got his hands dirty with」
「Your Highness is correct」

My uncle’s misdeeds have reached my ears.

So even if he’s a family member, the pus has to be squeezed out of him, right?

「By the way, what did Father say?」
「Nothing. He seems to be standing in the sidelines」
「Is that so」

Then there’s no doubt I did it.

「What evidence do we have that it was under Uncle?」
「All to ashes」

Ahh, that’s a shame.

If that had remained, I would have gotten more meaningful information, and I would have loved to have given it to my well-made sisters. They seem to be working hard to compete with us.

「And what about the military?」
「I think it’s still less than planned」
「It can’t be helped. It takes numbers to win a war reliably」
「I am terribly sorry」
「I am not blaming you, Prime Minister. When will it be over?」
「If we can fulfill Your Highness’ wishes, six months at the earliest… a year, I’m sure」
「I’ll leave it to you」
「As you wish」

The Prime Minister leaves the room.

「Aah… we’re getting closer」

Surely, many people will die soon.

If it goes wrong, more than 10,000 corpses will be built up.

But this is necessary. Because someone has to do it. That is how a country is protected.

I look down again, at the report.

「My sister seems to be doing well, so I should do well too」

I looked at the report and quietly smiled to myself.

side: Yuan

「Unfortunately, the lord is dead. And with him, the evidence」
「I see」

Snow-san visited our room around midday and told us what happened last night. According to Snow-san story, someone broke into the lord’s mansion during the night and went around setting fires.

「Emeria-sama thinks it was the hardliners」
「That seems to be the only explanation」

It’s called cutting the lizard’s tail. There must have been many more incriminating evidence in the lord’s mansion. However, those who do not want to be suppressed…probably hardliners appear to have thought that the evidence has been destroyed.

「Couldn’t be prevented?」
「We anticipated it, but it was too soon and we didn’t have the resources to devote to it」

Fortunately, only the lord’s mansion was burned and the surrounding area was not severely damaged. However, it seems that one charred corpse was found at the site of the burned pavilion. A fat corpse.

「Looks like Tanza is going to be rough for a while」
「Yes, because there will be no administrator until the next lord takes office」

The law itself applies to the Rūdo territory, just as there is no one to judge us, there is no one to judge anyone for wrongdoing. The knights and vigilantes are going to be busy.

「Well, I’ve ordered a request from the guild to maintain security, so it doesn’t look like the city will stop functioning」
「The guild…」

The lord and the guild were connected, so will it work well?

「Don’t worry, the relationship with the Guild Master was clearly mentioned in the evidence we seized yesterday. The deputy Guild Master should be working on it now」

I can’t address that, though. I don’t know how far they were tainted.

At least the request for public safety seems to have been put up on the board right away, though, so it’s a little more sane.

「What about the Resistance?」
「It looks like they got out of the city safely. Some people are still here, though」

It seems that those in the Resistance will be acquitted. It means that there is no evidence. It seems that they have achieved their goal, the Resistance is disbanded, and each returns to his or her own adventurer’s business. The kidnapped people were also allowed to return to their respective towns and villages after a short rest.

「Is this the end of the matter?」
「On the surface. But we’re just getting started」

That’s right. The struggle between the hardliners and the peacemakers is taking place under the surface. This time around, Snow-san says that both factions will be busy.

We are only doing what the Princess ask us to do, so we are involved, but I think the Princess will do her best in the battle over there.

「Also, it looks like the organization that was connected to the lord has been taken down」
「Are they also hardliners?」
「I guess not. I was surprised too, but the one who crushed them…」
「It’s me and Il-neechan!」
「Wa!」

The door was opened vigorously and Luri-chan was standing there.

「You can’t do that, Luri. Knocking is the least polite thing you can do」
「Yeah, I’ll be careful next time!」

Behind Luri-chan, there was also Illumina-san.

「What’s the matter, both of you?」
「I just came because I heard that Yuan-chan and the others were in trouble」
「That’s not true. More importantly, Snow-san told me that you destroyed an organization that was connected to the lord…」
「It’s true」

It seems to be the truth.

「It was a piece of cake!」
「Um, wasn’t it dangerous?」

It seemed that some of the members of the organization were even capable of capturing adventurers.

「Because – we’re Shadow Wolves, we can handle that much!」
「But you’re not good at fighting?」

Unlike Shia-san, Illumina-san is so much more than a magic item store and innkeeper, and Luri-chan is an informant.

「Oh, but I never said I wasn’t good?」
「Eh?」
「Yuan asked me if the Shadow Wolf Tribe was a warrior tribe, and I just denied it」

Illumina-san laughs mischievously.

「But Luri-chan said she’d run away if there was any danger…」
「Yeah, I got away! And then they came after me, so I had to do a little bit of trapping ahead of them!」
「I- Is that so」
「The root of the Shadow Wolf Tribe is combat. The basis is to find a way of life and achievements that suit you in the midst of it」

Then I wish you had told me!

「So, it’s like we’ve rounded up an organization that was in a rush and got bolder」
「Yuan oneechan is terrible! I was going to sell the information to Il oneechan, but she’s getting it herself. They took Luri’s role!」

And it looks like they were working separately and beat them up respectively.

「Both Illumina-san and Luri-san are very strong」
「I didn’t do anything this time, though. Lara and the others did a great job」
「Lara-san and the others?」
「All of Il oneechan’s employees are former adventurers! Il oneechan hired them in a handbasket!」

Handbasket!?

「Luri, be careful how you say that. It’s the result of a properly consensual love affair」
「Let’s see, Illumina-san’s employees are women, right?」
「That’s right? They’re all so talented and cute」

Ah-… It seems to me that we should not go into this matter in depth.

Just as I promised myself this, Luri-chan started to say something outrageous.

「Yuan-chan, are you interested in oneechan too?」
「Fue? There is no such thing!」
「Eh~ If you were interested, Luri would have told you…… ouch! Shia oneechan, what are you doing!」
「Don’t teach Yuan anything weird」
「Eh~ …… But it would help Shia oneechan a lot more」
「We have our own ways」

Shia-chan is right. I was surprised at the relationship between Illumina-san and Lara-san and their colleagues, but we don’t need to imitate them.

We are a party that travels together, so it would be nice if we could get along.

「Do you share the same opinion, Snow-san?」
「I’ll just be watching you」

Snow-san will be part of the party from now on, though, at least until we reach the Republic of Artica.

「What about you, Kiara-chan?」
「I-I…」

Kiara-chan looked troubled.

We haven’t told Luri-chan about what will happen in the future, so she doesn’t know.

「Kiara-chan is still trying to figure out what to do with her future!」
「Is that so?」
「Yes…」
「Fu~n?」

Luri-chan is looking at Kiara-chan curiously, but the way of thinking differs from person to person.

You should decide how you want to live.

「By the way, what’s the matter with you two?」
「I came to you because the problem was solved and Yuan and you girls seemed to be free」
「Drink, drink, eat, eat!」

Apparently, they had just come to have a party.

「Daytime annoyance」
「Please don’t say that. I won’t be seeing Shia for a while.」
「That’s right, we won’t be seeing all of us together like this for a while!」

The conversation was pushed aside and the party began.

It is Illumina-san’s inn, there is no problem to make noise, the food is brought by the employees, and drinks were served.

However, only Illumina-san and Snow-san drank alcohol.

It’s still too early for us.

I have seen Lara-san and some of her employees mixed in during the process, but are the stores and innkeepers ok?

The party went on until after dark, and I enjoyed hearing about Shia’s past from Illumina-san and Luri-chan.

Shia-san seemed a bit grumpy, though.

Author-san

This concludes the City of Tanze chapter.
A new chapter will begin in the next issue.
I can’t deny that this is a bit of a mess, but thank you for taking the time to read this far.

I look forward to hearing from you again.

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