The next day, we went to the adventurer's guild to meet an adventurer that Toya and his friends had spotted.

　We came early in the morning, which we don't usually do, to avoid any misunderstandings, but there are always a lot of people at the adventurer's guild in Pining.

　We waited for the crowd to thin out and then went inside.

　As far as we could tell, there was no sign of the person we were looking for, but we did check with the receptionist. She told us that he hadn't come in after all.

　After that, we sat down at a table in the guild and started to wait, but .......

"He's not coming.
He's not coming.

　We've been sitting here for a few hours now.
　It's almost noon.

Well, it seems to happen once every few days in some cases. ......

　I'm not sure what to say, but I'm sure you'll understand.

　In addition, Toya and Yuki went out to buy something delicious.

　It is unclear whether they will be found or not, since they are not in Clevily.

If they're not, they'll be gone for a few days. ....... Should we split up and look for this girl?

　Natsuki showed me the girl in the sketch.
　She's a pretty girl, and if she's still alive, I'd like to help her.
　But the truth is, .......
　I hope the situation is not too bad. .......

The question is, which is faster? The question is, which one is faster? Hmm, this is a bit foul, but, you know, goods?　Do you want me to look for that person?

　You'll be able to find a lot more than just a few of them.

I'm not sure.　I'm not sure what to do.

　I don't think that's a foul thing to do.

I'm not saying that. I'm talking about investigating Mr. Goods' activities. If you've been investigating him for two months, there's bound to be a trend in his behavior, and there's bound to be a lot of people who've seen him. He's not exactly hiding himself, so he's easier to track than a missing person, right?



In other words, you know where Mr. Goods was working and what he was doing, and you know what he was looking for.

"...... I see. That sounds a bit foul, to be sure.

　I'm sure you'll be able to figure out what he was doing and how he was doing it.

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

Of course, if it works out, we can give him the reward. Of course, if it works out that way, we can give him the reward, but it would be hard for us to take it.

"Yeah, I agree. Yes, I agree. It's just that we've been working hard for two months. And I'd like to get this over with.

Right.

　I'm staying at the lord's mansion, so I don't have to pay for lodging, but to be honest, it's not as comfortable as at home, and I don't have any income during that time.

　I've spent a lot of money in Clevily. .......


　So we changed our mind, and after eating what Toya and the others had bought, we asked the receptionist to send a message to the goods and began our search for him.

　As we had been investigating for two months, it was easier than expected to gather information by showing Natsuki's sketch and talking about the features of the goods.

　As a result, we were able to narrow down the area where he had been hanging out recently, but unfortunately, we couldn't see him even after walking around there.

　I also found the place where he stays, but there was no sign of him there either.

　We went back to the guild to talk to the receptionist, but still no sign of the goods, and the day's search was over.

　　　　But the goods were there.

But what were the goods doing there, I wonder?　That area is a residential area, right?

But what was he doing there? If they're criminals, they should be holed up in a less safe place, like a barbershop.

　The range of goods found in today's survey.

　Taking it all together, it was highly likely that he was looking for a corner of a residential area.

　The area was neither poor nor upper class, but an ordinary residential area.

　Notwithstanding Toya's slightly prejudiced words, it is not the kind of place where you would expect to find corrupt aristocrats kidnapping beautiful women, or poor people committing crimes.

If there were a few more stores, I could have listened to you, but it's a little ...... difficult when you're a passerby.

　The shopkeepers were generally cooperative if we showed them our guild cards and told them that we were investigating a missing person at the request of the lord, but it was a little difficult to talk to passersby, and they often walked away, saying they were in a hurry.



　Well, it's not surprising.
　They don't just take a leisurely stroll in the middle of the day, they're usually at work.
　It's difficult to ask them to take time out for us.

　In the meantime, when Haruka and I talk to them, they don't react so badly, but ...... it's the appearance correction. I'm not sure.

　I think that's a big part of the reason why the interview went so well.

　I'd rather be talked down to by a pretty girl than by a shady cop. It can't be helped.

　For me, it's kind of annoying that women respond well to ......, but it's convenient.

But it also seems to me that the odds of a classmate being involved are much higher now.

Is that so?

I'm assuming they're kidnapping and holding her captive. In a normal residential area, it would be difficult to bring in people without people noticing and keep them locked up without them noticing. But if you can be mesmerized, then you can solve those problems, right?

"Yes. Well, unless you are indifferent to your surroundings like in modern Japan, this is not the case.

　It's not uncommon in urban Japan to not even know the name of the person living next door in your apartment, or even have a nameplate, but not here.

　But not here. We know our neighbors, even if it's not much.

　Because of Diora's advice, we went to greet our neighbors after we moved in, and sometimes we give them small gifts.

　It didn't cost us much, because we picked it ourselves, and it's a small price to pay to help prevent crime.

Does anyone want to borrow a guard?　Then the passersby will have to talk.

Why don't you just ask around the houses? It would be suspicious for us to go and talk to them, but we can do that.

"I see. And you don't need a search warrant here. ......

　If it looks suspicious, you can force your way into the house.
　That's this world.
　If you can manage that well, it's a strength of non-democratic countries.

It's a strength of non-democratic countries. Yeah, let's talk about it.



　　　　The next day, Sazius was walking with us in a residential area.

　The next day, it was Sazius who was walking with us through the residential area.

　The reason why he decided to cooperate with us was not that he was impressed with our enthusiasm for the investigation, of course.

　The main reason was that, based on our opinions and the information we had given him, he felt that other territorial soldiers would be a liability in case of an emergency.

　The other reason was that we thought we could get some idea if we asked around for a day.

　If we had to hold him for several days, we wouldn't be able to drag him out.

　If this doesn't work out, we'll have to come up with another plan without him.

　It will be a hassle.

　So even if we don't finish this today, I'd like to at least get some clues.

Around here?　It's far from any of the places where the bodies were found.

　Standing at the spot where we brought him, Sazius looked around a little surprised.

　It's morning, and people are going to work. There's a fair amount of traffic, but it's not particularly noisy, and it's a peaceful residential area.

　If you listen carefully, you can hear the sounds of daily life from the houses, as if they are doing housework.

That's right. If it weren't for the goods, we wouldn't have come here either. At least, not in the short term.

"Hmm. I'll give you a reward for a job well done. ......?

　In yesterday's survey, we were able to narrow down the area that the goods were focusing on.
　But we haven't been able to identify the individual houses.
　So we started canvassing the houses in the vicinity of that section.

　Thankfully, the lord of the area was quite respectable, and even though he seemed a bit busy, he listened to us and told us what he knew.

　They also seem to know their neighbors well, knowing their occupation, family structure, living style, and even what they eat for dinner.

　As we approached the target plot, a house came into view.

　It is a slightly larger house in the area, and it seems to have been built a few decades ago by a couple who were slightly successful in business.

　The couple had already passed away, and the person living there now was their daughter, who was around 20 years old.

　The daughter, who is around 20 years old, lives alone, but has some money left by her parents, so she is leading a comfortable life.

　Recently, however, the daughter has been acting a little strange.



　It's not that I haven't seen her, but the number of times I have seen her has obviously decreased, and her small but carefully tended garden is now in a state of disrepair.

　I heard that many of the neighbors had been taken care of by her parents, and that they occasionally called out to her with concern, but all they got back was, "Don't worry.

　But the only reply she gets is, "It's okay." With that being said, she can't do anything and is in trouble.


　That's what we found out from our interviews.

"......, isn't it already a hit?　It's good to go in, isn't it?

　It's not hard to see why Toya would come to that conclusion, given the information.
　I think so, too.
　No, it wouldn't be possible in Japan, but...

"What do you think about that, Sazius?

　Sazius nodded again when Natsuki asked him about it.

Sazius nodded again. But if what you've told me is correct, ...... I'm a little nervous.

I'm going to cast a counter-magic on Sazius as well. ...... Do you want to go ask the gods for help?　Sazius, what is your faith?

　In the event that you're not sure what to do, you'll be able to ask for help.

　So I asked Sazius about it, but he shook his head.

He shook his head and said, "There was a temple to Ygrimyah near where I was born, so I'm familiar with him, but I'm not a believer. You can't just ask for blessings at a time like this.

　In this world where gods are real, I don't see as many devoted believers as I thought I would in this country.

　If you pass by a temple, you stop by, put in a money offering, and pray.

　However, there are people who are paranoid about participating in religious events, following strict precepts, and saying, "It's God's will! It's not that I don't believe.

　It's not that they don't believe in God, but they don't put their trust in Him. ...... It's similar to the feeling of Japanese people, and it's quite easy for us to do.

　Of course, as long as the gods are real, they are not as loose as in Japan.

So, if there is a battle, let's have Sagius stay back. But if you get mesmerized or something, I might have to stop you a little rough, sorry about that.

"...... I'd prefer you go easy on me. Well, it can't be helped. I'll take it.

　I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure you'll be able to do it.