91 – Trash Hero
“You’re looking for someone? Who are you talking about?”
“I want to find a Gold-ranked adventurer named Mileia.”
Finally, I was able to wrap up the chaotic situation and return to the main point.
Mariel looked puzzled.
“Are you sure that’s okay? I naturally thought someone as lively as you would want something else….”
“What on earth are you thinking….”
“Of course, I thought you would be aiming for the world’s best mage researcher and the most beautiful woman, which is me.”
“….”
Well, it was undeniable that Mariel was objectively not a beauty.
However, when I observe her actions and words, no matter how beautiful she may be, she undermines herself to the point where I can’t feel any charm.
No, she’s getting involved in another strange topic again.
Now is not the time to say such things.
“Sigh… Anyway, I hope I can help find that person. You know I have no right to refuse, right?”
“Mm… Are you saying you used me just to find someone? I want to do something more productive.”
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“The work you’re doing here doesn’t seem particularly productive either.”
“Why are you saying such things! Even after seeing my ‘Guardian No. 1,’ you’re saying that!”
That ‘Guardian No. 1’ may have been shattered by a gust of wind hanging on her small chin, but still.
I sighed and looked at Mariel, who was protesting with flailing arms, and let out a small sigh.
“There’s no information other than the fact that the person who is being sought left with the warrior to ownerless land. Since Mariel is a great magic researcher, she must have a way to find such a person, right?”
I deliberately raised Mariel, who takes great pride in being a magic researcher, and asked.
Since Narration said she has a way, it must be certain.
“Finding a person who became lost in ownerless land? Oh… Mariel’s eyes suddenly began to shine.
I feel uneasy when she makes that kind of expression.
“Not lost, but… you’ll help, right?”
“I made a promise, so of course! Besides, I wanted to test something.”
“Test something?”
“It’s nothing special. Anyway, I will gladly go with you! We need to change clothes and prepare, so wait for me!”
Mariel said that and went back into the mansion with a firm step.
“Um… Wasn’t it just to let me know the location?”
…To go together?
I didn’t think she would go as far as to accompany me, but well, maybe it’s for the best.
I waited in front of the mansion for Marie to finish preparing and come out.
* * *
In order to find Milaea’s location, I obtained Marie’s cooperation and decided to form a search party.
Since Milaea’s expected location is where the demons are likely to be, there was a high possibility that we would be facing them.
In the worst case scenario, we could be dealing with powerful demons.
Once we join forces with Milaea, she herself is a force equivalent to a one-person subjugation squad, so we shouldn’t worry too much.
Since Nareisha personally warned that her life is in danger, it was certain that she would find herself in a situation where she needs help.
Now that Marie has joined us, it was judged that it would be better to gather more people and go.
“Hmm? You want to find Milaea? Is there a special reason?”
“Milaea thinks I’m dead. She left with the hero to subjugate the Demon King, so I want to let her know that I’m alive before she gets too far away. I also have something to say.”
I said to Algot, wondering if I could get his cooperation as well.
I couldn’t say the reason for finding Milaea was “because Nareisha said so,” so I made up a plausible excuse.
Algot listened to my words and had a very interested expression.
“Did you have such a close relationship with that Milaea, Miss Yunoa?”
“It’s not a close relationship… It’s more of a peculiar one.”
“Hmm….”
“So, I’m thinking of going to find her now, but there is a possibility of a battle occurring. I’m gathering people to join the search party and help. What about you, Algot? Even if you don’t go personally, as the guild master, can’t you find someone who can help?”
I asked Algot.
If she cooperates, she would definitely be one of the most reliable allies.
Because she possessed both power and influence.
But Algot shook her head.
“No, it’s an unofficial matter… and I can’t leave the guild empty-handed either. But it seems Milaia is interested.”
Of course, it was too much to ask.
I understand Algot’s position as well.
It was true that there was not much reason to mobilize other adventurers under the authority of the guild master.
For those who know the contents of the narration like me, it’s only natural that I suddenly go looking for Mireia, who left with only one companion. But for others, it might just seem like a personal matter.
“You said you were going with Mariel, right? I can’t help directly this time, but if anything happens, please contact me through Mariel. If something happens that the guild can move on, we will respond. Even if Mariel is far away, she has a means to contact me without wasting time.”
Algot said to me.
For now, I can only be satisfied with this.
Just having a means to contact and deal with the guild in case of an emergency is an additional safety measure.
Having received Algot’s promise of support from the rear, I found Sylphy next.
Even if others don’t know, Sylphy, who believes in me as her senior, will listen to my personal request.
“Oh, senpai!”
I met Sylphy in front of the Adventurers Guild.
The first thing that caught my eye was still her incredibly large bow.
Unlike when she used a short sword, she said she could handle requests well on her own now.
Honestly, I had thought at least once that I wanted to see her using that giant bow in action.
I explained my plan to Sylphy to go find Miléa, and asked if she could help.
After listening to my explanation, Sylphy nodded with sparkling eyes.
“You need my help, senpai?”
“Yeah, there aren’t many people I can ask for help since it’s not a request.”
“If I can be of any help, I’m willing to do it!”
It was such a refreshing response.
With this, there are four of us: Mariel, Sylphy, me, and Shally, who always sticks by my side, even though battles are tough.
Since we’re not a punitive force, I thought this was enough.
“Yunoa’s judgment to gather people to find Miléa was excellent, considering how incompetent he usually is.
But we’re running out of time.
If Yunoa wants to save Miléa’s life, we need to hurry a bit,” the narration warned me.
There’s not much time left.
If I’m late, will Miléa really die?
Miléa… dying…
I can’t imagine it, but Yunoa has never been wrong about anyone other than me.
I finished recruiting the search party to find Miléa and decided to set off immediately.
* * *
To find Miléa, we headed back to the capital, Pifnel, at Mariel’s request.
Just the journey from Kuberu to Pifnel takes quite some time, so I couldn’t help but feel anxious, keeping in mind the warning from the narration that we don’t have much time left.
“So… how can we find Miss Mireia? Do we have to start from the capital?”
Inside the carriage heading towards Piphnelo, I asked Mariel.
“hehehehe, isn’t the starting point where the person you’re looking for departed from? Normally, you wouldn’t be able to feel it, but traces of their magic power remain where they’ve passed! If they departed from the capital with a hero, we can follow those traces!”
“Traces remain?”
If I had the ability to sense magic power like Mariel, I would have certainly noticed such traces.
If that were possible, it would have been useful when looking for Meruru in the first place.
“Of course, humans can’t feel it. But the magic I’m researching has a sensitivity three thousand times higher than that! We just need to follow it!”
“Three thousand times higher?”
“You wouldn’t understand even if I explained now. I’ll show you when we arrive!”
Mariel said confidently.
Three thousand times the sensitivity to magic power… I try to imagine the amount of magic power I usually sense in the air.
It feels like my mind would go crazy if I thought it became three thousand times more.
Well, for now, I have no choice but to trust Mariel.
“Is Mariel an adventurer?”
Sylphi, who had been observing the conversation from the side, asked.
Mariel looked at Sylphi and spoke.
“I am not an adventurer. I am the greatest magic researcher and a prodigious sorceress in the world.”
“Oh… I see…”
After Sylphi made a soulless comment, she looked at me.
I felt a sense from her facial expression as if she was asking, “Who is this strange person?”
I’m sorry, Sylphy.
This person has always been like this.
* * *
After several days of traveling by carriage, we arrived in Piphnel.
It wasn’t difficult to find the location where Milaea had departed.
It was the same place where the hero had set off to subdue the Demon King.
Although it would be more accurate to start tracking from the direction of the Central Church, we couldn’t find a way into the city walls, so we decided to trace the path the hero had last passed through as the starting point of our tracking.
But can we really find Milaea using this method?
If it weren’t for Narracay, I would honestly feel like I’m wasting my time.
Mariel held a staff engraved with runic characters and said to me.
“hehehehe, take a good look.”
Then she raised the staff high and recited an incantation in an inaudible voice.
As the blue magic power gathered at the end of the staff, it gradually took on a certain form.
“This is….”
“It’s… disgusting.”
Sylphy took a step back with a disgusted expression.
What Mariel summoned with her magic was an eyeball as big as a human head.
Just looking at it, you could feel its grotesqueness, the vividness of the eyeball itself.
“This is my summon with three thousand times the magical power density! It’s called ‘Eyeball’!”
Mariel proudly straightened her chest and said.
Honest impressions… It’s so grotesque that it’s hard to look at straight.
Was it impossible to adjust the appearance of the summoner to be less repulsive?
Eyeballs… or should I say, “Eyeball Slime,” as Mari calls it, had even sticky goo oozing from it.
Well, as long as it performs well, it doesn’t matter.
Just as I was thinking that, Mari made a request.
“Hey, Yunoa! Visualize the person you want to find in your mind and touch the Eyeball Slime!”
“What?”
“The person you want to find is only close to you. By visualizing and touching the slime, it can follow their magical energy.”
“You want me to… touch this?”
“Visualize the person you want to find vividly and touch the Eyeball Slime. Don’t take your hand off until I say so!”
It doesn’t seem like a joke at all.
I looked at the “Eyeball Slime” with a grim expression.
I could see a slimy liquid flowing down the surface of the eyeball.
“Sigh…”
With Mireia’s image in my mind, I reached out my hand to the Eyeball Slime, tightly closing both of my eyes.
* * *