The Summoning Genius of the Necromancer School
Simon and Pier arrived at Arnishe.
The city was shaped like a spider web, with the towering lord's castle at its center and winding residential areas surrounding it.
Perhaps due to its proximity to the territory of the Holy Federation and the rugged terrain, the scale of the estate was small, and the houses were old.
Still, Simon felt a strange fondness for it. 'Indeed, I prefer this kind of neighborhood over a big city.' It was the closest to Reshill among all the cities he had seen so far.
[You! So! Annoying! Damn it!] At that moment, Pier, who was inside his armor, complained.
Every time he moved, the sound of clanking metal echoed.
"Just hang in there a little longer, Pier." [Next time, get something bigger! This size is just not right!] "Yes, I'll do that."
Simon chuckled, thinking that it was quite exaggerated to complain about the size when there was hardly any flesh on him.
The two wandered the streets, chatting about various things.
Perhaps due to recent unsettling events, the streets lacked vitality.
Every house had its doors tightly shut, and curtains were drawn at the windows.
It felt as if everyone was huddling inside.
"Hmm, this is quite hopeless. How do we find the undead here?" [Hehe! I've done many missions like this while traveling with Richard.
There are mainly three methods.]
Pier raised a finger with his gauntlet, which made a creaking sound. [The first is to meet with the client.
Since the client is the lord, you should reveal that you are from Kizen and demand all the information you know! You might even receive support in terms of funds or manpower.] "Oh, that's a good idea." [But the reason the client hasn't solved this issue until now is that there are always reasons around them!] Simon understood the hidden meaning in Pier's words.
Contacting the client would introduce variables into the situation.
[The second is to conduct inquiries.
Borrowing Richard's words, it's like heading into the unknown!] "Hmm, that seems a bit..." [But in my experience, surprisingly, this method can sometimes be the fastest shortcut to the truth.
And lastly.] Pier raised a third finger. [Buying information from the Thieves' Guild.] "The Thieves' Guild?" [Do they call it something different these days? Think of it as the Information Guild.
In any reasonably sized city, there are merchants who buy and sell information.
No one is more sensitive to issues than they are!] "Hmm."
After hearing Pier's advice, Simon closed his eyes for a moment and pondered.
"Alright. First, let's find a place to stay and then look for the Thieves' Guild." [That's good news! I want to get out of this damn armor quickly!] Simon and Pier wandered around the bustling area near the square.
Perhaps due to the rugged terrain, there were fewer inns than expected for the size of the city.
Still, after asking around, they managed to find an inn.
"Welcome!" As they entered, the innkeeper greeted them.
He looked like a local, a man in his mid-forties with a sturdy build.
"I'd like a big, clean room, please."
"Sure! That'll be 300 silver for one night. Do you need meals? Bread and soup will be an additional 50 silver, and meat dishes will add 150 silver." 'Perhaps because there aren't many inns, the lodging fees are high.' Simon thought as he rummaged through his pockets and flicked a gold coin with his finger.
"Breakfast tomorrow. Bread will be enough."
The innkeeper's eyes widened as he grabbed the coin.
One gold coin was worth 1,000 silver.
"Would you like change?" "No need for that. But I'm curious about the location of the Thieves' Guild."
The innkeeper's expression changed oddly.
"Ah, I see! You're looking to buy information. You seem like an outsider, but how did you come here..."
Simon slowly opened his palm. "......?" "You sure are curious about the customer's identity. For information, I must charge one gold."
Hehe! The Pier, who was standing next to him, twisted his waist and laughed. [A kid who hasn't even dried his hair is playing with an adult!] The innkeeper's face froze.
He could sense it.
The issue wasn't the gold; the moment he returned the gold and asked about their identity, he felt an uneasy premonition that his life might be in danger.
What on earth were these outsiders? The innkeeper thought as he quietly slipped the coin into his pocket.
"You want to know the location of the Thieves' Guild, right?" Ping! Simon flicked his finger again, and another golden coin flew into the innkeeper's hand.
"And all the information you have about the 'disappearance incidents'."
Simon's eyes gleamed sharply.
"You seem to know something, don't you?" "......"
The innkeeper gulped nervously, and Simon could almost hear the frantic thoughts racing through his mind.
"...... I will return one gold."
Just as the innkeeper was about to approach Simon, Swish! A pure white great sword was suddenly aimed at his neck.
The color drained from the innkeeper's face, and from the helmet of the armored man pointing the sword came a chilling laugh.
It was a laugh that seemed like it would haunt one's dreams.
"What's wrong?" Simon maintained a gentle smile while still holding out his palm.
"Weren't you coming to return it?" '......
Cough, cough!' The innkeeper trembled and immediately prostrated himself on the floor.
"I don't know who you are, but I will comply with your orders. However, please keep my identity as the information provider a secret..."
Simon nodded toward Pier.
Pier retrieved the great sword and slung it over his shoulder.
"Get up. We'll do that."
They had only five days to solve the case, and there wasn't much time for anything else.
Simon and Pier decided to tackle this mission head-on.
Simon listened to everything the innkeeper had to say.
He was able to confirm all the detailed information about the disappearance incidents that had occurred so far.
"After the disappearance incidents of the estate's people, they are found months later as dried mummies." "...... Yes."
"Most of the victims are young men, but the mummified bodies found are mostly women."
"Y-yes."
Simon frowned in thought.
There was no clear evidence that gave him a solid lead.
"Were there any signs that the female victims... had been subjected to any foul deeds?" "The lord also suspected sexual crimes by gangs within the estate, but there were no such signs."
Simon's head was starting to ache, but Pier, who was listening with his arms crossed, seemed to find it amusing and kept chuckling. '......
Pier?' [Hehehe! It's certain! Absolutely certain!] Pier grinned widely. [Erzebet, that guy must be somewhere in this city! 100%! To find it so easily! Hahaha!] Pier seemed to have a solid hunch.
If that was the case, there was no reason to stay here any longer.
Simon stood up from his seat.
"I'll come back in the evening."
"Ah, yes! Please be careful, as the estate has been quite unsettled lately."
Simon and Pier stepped outside.
Their next destination was the Thieves' Guild, as indicated by the innkeeper.
"Pier, how are you so sure that this is the work of the ancient undead?" [That's obvious!] Pier grinned. [Young men are toys to play with! Women are of no interest, so they suck them dry and kill them! It's exactly the kind of thing that old hag would do!] "...... Do real undead do that? Aren't they human?" [I told you! Undead are beings that cannot be understood by human common sense! Ancient undead who have lived for a long time are even weirder!] "Hmm."
Simon stroked his chin, lost in thought. [What are you thinking so hard about?] "Well, I'm a young man too. How about I act as bait to lure that old hag out?" Pier burst into laughter from behind his helmet. [What is a kid who hasn't even dried his hair talking about! Hahaha!] Pier ruffled Simon's hair with his palm.
Simon pouted his lips. "...... What's wrong with me?"
[It means you're overwhelmingly far from that guy's taste! Even if you grow a beard, it would be ambiguous.] "Ugh."
The two exchanged various words and finally arrived in front of the Thieves' Guild.
At first glance, it looked like an ordinary tavern.
The two opened the door and entered.
It was a bar-style tavern.
A handsome middle-aged bartender was polishing glasses, and bearded men at the tables were enjoying their drinks.
Unlike the empty streets, this place was bustling. 'But there's no atmosphere that suggests they're selling information.
It's just a local tavern.' Simon and Pier found a spot at the bar and sat down.
"What can I get you?" the bartender asked, and Simon extended his finger to draw a T in the air and then pulled out a silver coin.
"This way, please." 'Ah, it really works!' Following what he heard from the innkeeper made it easy.
Simon and Pier followed the bartender's lead.
As they exited through the back door of the establishment, they saw a door and stairs leading to the basement.
The bartender politely bowed and turned back.
"Haah."
Simon took a deep breath and descended the stairs.
The sound of his footsteps echoed loudly on the stone floor, and the musty smell unique to basements filled the air.
When they reached the bottom of the stairs, two men wearing masks and holding crossbows stood guard at the door.
They silently stepped aside to let Simon and Pier through.
Creak.
The old hinges squeaked as the door opened.
The atmosphere here was vastly different from upstairs.
People wearing robes pulled down over their heads or masks sat quietly at tables.
Three middle-aged men were playing poker, two young men were engrossed in conversation, an elderly man was present, and a young woman was sipping beer alone.
Several doors were visible at the back of the tavern, which seemed to be where information could be purchased.
For now, Simon and Pier sat at a quiet corner table against the wall.
"Welcome."
A young madam approached them.
She wore a form-fitting wine-colored dress, and her abundant blonde hair was styled in curls.
Click.
Click.
On her white legs, which were visible between the dress, she wore a black band, and a glimmering blade was subtly visible next to it.
Simon swallowed hard.
"So then."
She said with a business smile as she sat in the chair opposite them.
"What brings you to our guild? Outsiders." "...... The reason for coming here is obvious," Simon said.
He couldn't let himself be swept away by the atmosphere.
"I've come to buy information."
"What kind of information do you want?" "About the people going missing in the estate and the mummified bodies. Everything you know about this incident."
The madam smiled.
"Everything? The cost won't be cheap. Can a first-year student from Kizen afford that?" '......!!' Simon was shocked internally but did not show it and asked, "What do you mean by that?" "It's a simple deduction."
She continued in a relaxed voice.
"It's common knowledge that the lord is desperate to solve this incident. In fact, he has requested help from many people, and Kizen must be among them. However, in such a small estate, they wouldn't have the resources to call a necromancer from the Kizen headquarters, so they would have opted to request help from students."
She leaned toward Simon.
One knee rose on the chair, and a strong scent of roses wafted through the air.
Behind her smiling face, a slender curve was visible.
"And right now, only first-year newcomers are at Kizen. The students who received the request are first-year students whose protection period has ended. And just in time, one has appeared in our estate..."
She discreetly pulled back Simon's hood.
"A youthful outsider." "......"
She lifted Simon's chin with her fingertips and smiled.
"Am I wrong?"
......
How rude.
But he couldn't show it.
It was simply offering the information that he came from Kizen to the Information Guild.
"Of course, if you're short on money, there is another way to reveal your identity. You could kneel us down right here and force us to give you information. The name Kizen is that great, isn't it?" "......"
Simon remained unfazed.
Instead, he reached out and grabbed her slender hand that was holding his chin.
"That's an interesting deduction. Now, how about I give it a try?" "...... Yes?" Simon slowly pulled her hand toward him and leaned in.
"A significant incident is shaking the entire estate. The lord is in crisis, and as you said, he has sought help from many organizations."
The grip on her hand tightened.
Her smiling expression slightly stiffened.
"And the only Information Guild that exists in this estate. Whether from the lord's side or the people who received the request, everyone must have visited this place to obtain information. To conclude, no one has been able to solve it."
Simon moved a little closer, and this time she subtly pulled her head back.
"The same incident has been occurring for years, yet no one knows who the culprit is, let alone a solution. Don't you think it's strange how little information there is? At this point, it seems that information isn't just controlled, but that everyone has been stumbling around due to clever lies interspersed within the given truths."
Simon didn't know what kind of perception and influence the Thieves' Guild had in this estate, but from an outsider's perspective, it didn't seem logical.
Looking at her stiffened face, Simon coldly said, "Am I wrong? A Thieves' Guild situated right in the middle of the crime scene couldn't possibly be unaware of the key information until now. Incompetence? No, you don't seem incompetent."
Revealing his true colors, Simon's palm rested on the back of her head.
He then slowly pushed her face toward his and whispered, "Before everything gets turned upside down, show me the truth."