--What is still bothering me is that the bandits we captured committed suicide.


　According to what I heard, they had hidden the poison in their mouths beforehand, and when Diet and the others tried to interrogate them, they had already expired.
　The bandits gathered in the barn were in agony, their bodies were all bowed, and their expressions were as if they were smiling after their intense agony.
　It was a very gruesome way to die.


　But the question is, why did they do it?
　Although the judiciary in this world is not as well-developed as in the man's world, there is a certain amount of punishment for crimes.
　Therefore, unless you commit a serious crime, it is unlikely that you will be executed immediately.
　In the first place.
　If you are caught, you will not be executed on the spot.
　You'll be taken to a suitable place first.
　And while you're there, you can try to escape.
　If you atone for your crimes, you could be released.
　You did a bad job and got caught. So it's hard to imagine that he was grieving for the future and drank poison and committed suicide .......


　Naturally, Deet and the others were puzzled, as if they didn't understand.
　I was impressed by their bitterness, saying that they had lost the clue to catch the bandits, and that their investigation was back to square one.


　Anyway, because of this, Diet and the others questioned us again.
　Of course, it was not because they suspected us, but to investigate the situation.
　Naturally, Deet's investigation also extended to Gills, and he was interrogated separately, but he was soon released.
　He is such a strange man. It would seem logical that he should be detained as an unidentified person for a certain period of time, at least until he reaches the capital, but he was released unexpectedly easily.


　According to him, the village chief had helped him to be released.
　As I woke up, I asked the village chief why.


He said, "In the village of ......, there is a man with a disease that requires medicine that cannot be obtained in this area. So, Lord Guilds gave me some medicine to cure the disease.


　He said.
　I remember hearing such a story when I was invited to dinner the day before.


So you helped him?

"Yes. It was a very low price ......, and I think it was probably in the red, even if you take into account the fact that I was working as an individual. So I wanted to help in any way I could.


　I see. So that's how it happened.


"But why did Gills go that far?　That man doesn't have any connection to this village, right?

No. Yesterday was the first time Mister Gills visited here.


　I guess.
　That strong northern Imerian accent. He's definitely not from around here.


I was curious and asked him why he was doing this, but it seems that Mister Guilds is visiting villages and settlements in the region like ours.

"Why?


　It's not profitable to go around villages with poor logistics like this ......, and the cost of finding specialties and curiosities is enormous. It would not be profitable and would quickly bankrupt the company.
　I can't help but wonder why they are doing it. I can't help but wonder.
　Did the village chief see the true meaning of my question?
　A gentle smile appeared on his face.


"Master Arx. Things don't move solely on the basis of interest.

What is it?

Some people are motivated by emotion.

People's hearts and actions cannot be measured by a scale or a balance, can they?

Do you think that's funny?

No. It's just that I've always wondered about people who spend their lives acting selflessly, instead of being bonded by the feelings of their relatives or being inspired by casual feelings.

That's true. People are motivated by interest.


　I want to be appreciated by people.
　We want to be appreciated. We want to see people happy.
　People tend to seek such things when they have a comfortable life and are rich in spirit.


But for people like us, it's very nice to have people like that in our lives.


　I also remember when I was reliving a man's life. It was a special feature on an evening information program, in which mobile vending trucks traveled around rural villages to help the elderly and other shopping refugees who lacked transportation.
　In short, Gill's is something similar to that.
　There are differences in what they are doing, but they are the same in that they are working with the people in the community in mind.
　I want to help someone.
　I want to return the favor I have received.
　There are many reasons to do this.
　This also explains why I dared to come to this village at a time of crisis.

　I scratch my head, thinking about that.


"No. It's no good trying to look into people's backgrounds.

You can't help it. You're the one who has to do it.


　But...


It's kind of like the Dunweed in the Kige ...... folktales.


　The name is that of a character in a book of legends.
　Dunweed is a traveler who goes from village to village, offering what the village needs at low prices.
　Always moving with a selfless spirit, he helped many and was thanked by many.
　In this world, this story is often cited by commoners to teach morals to their children.




I'm not sure if he's aware of it or not, but he mentioned it to me yesterday when he gave me the medicine.


　And then the village chief seemed somewhat troubled, and spilled out.


It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

That's ............ true, I suppose.

But I didn't think that the person who talked so passionately about [Dunwoody] was a bad person. When I asked how much the medicine would cost, I was prepared to pay quite a bit of money.


　--Don't worry, don't worry. Just give me a good meal instead and I'll be fine.


I can't help but suspect that the person who said that and helped the villagers is a bad person. ......

Sure you can't?

Yes. To us, that person is Dunweed.

Then I'll have to be careful. Then I'll have to be careful, because then I might be seen as the one being ripped off.

I don't think Mr. Arx would do such a thing. ......

I don't know. I don't know. He's been acting weird to me.


　He may have been polite to the people of the village, but not to himself.
　This [Dunweed] has a bandit-like aspect to him.
　He is always on the side of the people, never giving in to the powerful.
　Moreover, he takes the profits that those people have unjustly gained and distributes them to the poor.
　We are not doing anything wrong, so we are not likely to do anything like that.

　While making a joke out of it, he said something about Gills.
　We can't take the chief's story at face value yet, but we should keep in mind that he is different from a merchant who puts his own interests first.


　　　I talked to the village chief in the morning.　


　After talking to the village chief in the morning, I started to repair Diet's engraved weapon.
　This was something he had asked me to do last night.
　Naturally, he's already paid for it.
　I woke up early in the morning and started to work on it before I left for the village.


　The items to be repaired were the huge sword he was carrying and the wrist he was wearing on his arm.
　The sword was a machete-shaped sword made from a danpira, and was larger than the height of Arx and Deet. It is a weapon that could almost be called a weapon, with engravings all over it.
　Despite the ruggedness of its shape, the engraving is magnificent. The engraved [glyph arts] use abbreviations like the cursive script in the man's world, and because everything is connected, it looks like a beautiful pattern.


　From this, we can see that this is an excellent product made by an outstanding engineer.
　Arcs has also seen a variety of engravings in the past.
　He has been shown engraving tools purchased by his favorite large store.
　Sometimes he looks at catalogs from bookstores.
　But Deet's sword does not belong to any of the types I have seen so far.
　Therefore, it is likely to be an ancient item.
　It is engraved to maintain its strength and sharpness.
　Engraving for ease of handling and sliding.
　And even a water-repellent mark, perhaps to remove blood and oil.
　The engraving is exquisitely composed so that they do not affect each other.
　There is no one who can make this now, no matter where you look.
　There are many parts that even Arx, who has read the annals, would not be able to identify or decipher.


　At the end of the restoration work, Deet woke up.
　It's a very late morning by this world's standards, but that's probably because he's been on night watch and investigating until late.
　He yawns loudly, rubs his eyes, and slumbers.
　He still hadn't gotten over his drowsiness.
　His aide, Galanga, helped him to drink a glass of water.
　Eventually, he woke up.


"Oh, thank God. He's getting sick all of a sudden. I'm so tired.

"Boy. I'm glad to hear that.

Oh. Now I can kill the enemy with it.


　Despite his cute and smiling face, the words that came out of his mouth were extremely noisy. Even the sons of warrior families are supposed to be a little more quiet. ...... Is this due to family culture?
　When I was thinking about how extreme it was, Diet peeked in.


So, what's it like?　It's looking really good.

The work is already done. I'm just checking to see if anything has been missed.

Really?　You work fast.


　"You can hold it now," I say to Deet.


"Oh?　Oh?


　Deet lifts the giant sword lightly with his wrist-mounted hand and makes such a sound.
　The daydream-like scene makes me dizzy, but ...... the voice, mixed with surprise, makes me realize that the work was successful.
　Just in case.


"How's it going?


　I said to him.


"Haha!　That's great!　This is amazing!

"Wha--


　Deet swings the giant sword around the room.


　It's more than dangerous.
　It's a close call between the tip of the knife touching the furniture and the furniture not touching the tip of the knife. The slightest mistake and you could lose everything.
　Despite this, Garanga makes no pretense of stopping it.
　Rather, he smiles broadly and asks Deet.


"How are you doing, kid?

"Yeah, I'm feeling much better than before!　Wow!　How did you do that?


　You can tell just by lifting it.
　The way he raises his huge sword with his arm outstretched is like an executioner waiting for the right moment to swing down.
　However, I, the person facing him, feel like a criminal waiting for the moment of execution.
　I put my hands out in front of me as if to control my movements.


"Before that, that.

"Hmm?　Oh, oh, sorry, sorry.


　Deet sticks out his tongue as if to say, "Heck," and holds up his sword. Rather than looking offended, he seemed to have been accused of mischief. I wondered if this disturbing behavior was on the same level as that for this boy.
　I suddenly felt a shiver and a chill run down my spine.


How did you do that? I was just repairing the damage.


　Galanga puts his face close to the sword and narrows his eyes.


You can see the ...... pattern beautifully highlighted. I think it was not like this when I started working with Miss.

"Maybe this was always beautiful in the first place. Maybe it was always beautiful, but it got worn out from all the use, and no one was able to repair it properly.

You mean the restored ......?

Not completely.

That one's .......


　While Galanga was roaring, the owner of the sword was...


I don't know what it is, but I think I'll show it to Arx next time.

If no one else can do it so well, I might as well do it. I'm sure with more knowledge we can get it back to the way it was.

By "original," do you mean when it was created?

Yeah. It might take some time, though.

Really?　Then I'll ask Arx to do the maintenance from now on!　Thanks!


　After Deet decided to appoint him as the exclusive technician, he couldn't wait any longer.


I'm going to go outside and test the sharpness.

"Boy, don't be too reckless, okay?

"I know!


　"I know!" Deet said, and ran out with the huge sword on his shoulder.
　In the midst of all the hustle and bustle, it suddenly occurred to me that there was a lot of work to be done.
　In the midst of the hustle and bustle, I suddenly noticed that Garanga was looking at me.
　What's going on? You turn your head to look.


...... No, it seems that rumors are not so reliable.

Oh.

Let me say thank you. Thank you, sir.


　Galanga thanked me for repairing his weapon.
　The day before, there was a hint of disturbance in his gaze, but now there is no such light in his eyes.


You've been paid.

No, no. It's just a feeling.


　After this exchange, Galanga looks out the window with concern.


I mean, kid, are you sure you're okay? I think you're overexerting yourself just because your sword is feeling better. ......


　Deet, on the other hand, could see it.


If you're worried about me, you should come too!

"Huh. ............ Hey. I'll go with you.


　Following Deet, Garanga also went outside.
　When I looked through the window, I saw that he was wielding a huge sword.
　Perhaps it was because the restoration was finished, but he was full of energy.
　The sleepy look he had just given me was a complete lie.


He's so energetic.


　As I muttered this to myself, one of the attendants appeared out of nowhere.


"He's just like a child, isn't he? You're so different from someone else.

"Is that some kind of insult to me?

No, it's a compliment. It's a compliment. It's saved me a lot of trouble.

I don't know.

　I shrug my shoulders at Noah, who gives me a stern talking-to.


It's an odd-looking group, though.

Yeah. That's true.


　...... Deet and his team described themselves as a unit dedicated to investigating and defeating bandits.


　Although it was suspicious that they did not reveal their origins, there was no doubt that they were involved in the Rustinelle territory.
　As well as the fact that they are wearing seals indicating their affiliation with the territorial army, it is already known that they are acquainted with the village chief.


　However, there are a few things that bother me.
　The quality of the equipment is beyond what a single unit should be equipped with.
　Excessively well organized troops.
　The overly reverent attitude of the villagers.
　I talked to some of the others, and they were all as strong and determined as Deet and Galanga.
　They seemed to be too strong for a mere unit.
　While I was thinking about this, another squire came up to me.


"Hello.

Good work, sir.

Cazi, how are the preparations going?

We're almost done here. All we have to do is get ready to go.


　He squared his chin and looked out.
　He and his guide were getting ready to leave.
　And then.


...... Also, I've seen the guys, and they're pretty well organized.　Not only were they well equipped, but they had mages as well.

About three of them?

No, five. Two of them were dressed as vanguards to hide the fact that they were mages. That's very elaborate.

"Well, well, well.


　Noah's eyes narrowed meaningfully as he listened to Kazi's words.
　As they were discussing the people Deet had brought with him, he suddenly asked them.


"Are they elite?

No, that's probably not it.

"No?

No, well, elite is elite, but it's kind of ......

　Is Kazi difficult to verbalize?
　I don't know what to say.
　As he grumbles and groans, Noah opens his mouth.


It's not just a bunch of soldiers, in my opinion, but a bunch of generals. Deet: ...... No, I suspect that all of the men that Deet has brought with him are men of rank and ability.

What?

"...... Ah. I'm not sure what to make of that. That is.


　They are both highly regarded.
　In the event that you have any questions concerning where and how to use the internet, you can call us at the web site.
　I have a feeling it's someone more well known, or at least of a higher status.


Do you have any idea who Noah is?

When his assistant called himself Garanga, he was already...

Is he famous?

He's probably one of the lords of the House of Rastinel. Galanga Uiha, Lord of Azil of the House of Rastinel. He's a fierce warrior who has won many battles against the Empire. Clayton Balan, Lord of Gardaria, as far as I can tell. Skarr Rosta, Lord of Lobel: ......


　Noah's mouth was full of names of lords who were entrusted by House Rastinel.


"What?　What?　Wait a minute!　Is Deet working with several of the lords around here?

Of course.

No, no, no!　Isn't that strange?　What's going on with the chain of command?


　In short, the powerful people who rule this region are all working together, and they are doing something that should normally be done by someone lower than them, such as hunting bandits.
　It was absolutely impossible. No, this is an action that should not be allowed.


It is not uncommon," he said, "for local monarchs to have different forms of governance, command, and organization. It's not impossible.
It's not impossible. ......

I'm sure you'll be able to find something that works for you.　On the other hand, it can be said that the noble way of being like a kingdom aristocrat has not been fully cultivated. ......


　I'm not sure what to do.
　...... The House of Rastinel is a local monarch under the Kingdom of Rynor.
　This means that they are recognized as a royal family, albeit a small one.
　It's a good idea to make sure that you have a good idea of what you're doing.
　If Noah and Kazui are correct, the lords here are probably treated like warlords in the men's world.
　They may have taken a form similar to that of certain feudal lords, who had their vassals and lords live in their castles, and had deputies in their territories.
　If this is the case, it would certainly not be impossible for him to bring in a luxurious group of powerful people around him as his escort.


　But then....


So Diet is still ......

"Probably so. The Rastiner family is said to have teenage children, so I'm pretty sure.


　I had a sneaking suspicion that he was the son of the lord of this place.
　If it is not the child of a high-ranking person, he will not be appointed as the head of the troops, and he even has a small lord with him. There was no doubt about it.


　Cazi looks outside.


"So that was the guillotine of the headhunting Rustinell?

Probably.


　I ask Noah and Kazi about the word that just popped up.


...... What's that?

It's a famous weapon that has been passed down from generation to generation in the Rustinell family. It's the sword that Arx-sama repaired earlier.

"Geez, .......

It's a weapon that's been said to have decapitated many Imperial soldiers on the battlefield. Even I know about it. Khihihi.

I hear it's a modified version of the beheading sword originally used to punish criminals.

Wow, scary. ......


　When I found out that what I was repairing was a terrible weapon, my back started to tremble.
　Anyway, is that why Garanga's attitude changed so much?
　It's true that if he fixed something so venerable, it's only natural for him to change his attitude like that.


"But Deet had it with him?

It must have been passed down from the head of the family. The current head of the family, Louise Rastinel, is also known as the Witch of the Headhunters and the Lord of the Beheaders, and is still greatly feared by the neighboring Grecian Empire.


　The story also shows that she is rough and rugged.
　It seems more like a warlord than a nobleman, but in this world, local monarchs and military nobles are more common than you might think. Originally, local monarchs in this world were mostly clans that ruled their lands by force of arms, so they were more like lords who had risen from powerful families.


　In particular, in this world, around the Kingdom of Rynor, there are constant conflicts, so local monarchs and military nobles can not afford to live an overly glamorous life, such as "Oh, my God, you are beautiful.
　In addition, they are not afraid to send their heirs to the battlefield.
　Or, rather, they send them out to fight.
　I guess it's because we live in a world where magic is a technology and the power of each individual is so strong.


　While the two of them were talking about this, a voice called out from outside.

"Hey, Arxu. We're almost ready.

Yeah, I'm coming.


　I'm on my way." She replied to Deet, who had peeked out of the window and called out to her.
　Then, Noah, Kazui, and I went out of the house.