Chapter 163
"You've called in quite a promising lineup."
"It would seem so."
I murmured as I looked over the list of S-rank adventurers Sebas had obtained.
Since I had made a secret pact with Father, I no longer had to worry about things from Silver's standpoint. As long as the plan proceeded smoothly, there would be no problem; if I judged it dangerous, I could simply intervene.
Even if that caused trouble, the Empire would likely stand behind Clyde and settle matters.
Honestly, that would be the most desirable outcome.
"Would it be improper to hope this group fails?"
"They're all promising S-rank adventurers. If they fail, the danger level of the monsters will rise dramatically."
Nodding at Sebas's words, I looked at the entry for the S-rank adventurer at the very top of the list.
Of the adventurers the Guild invited to the Empire this time, only two had been certified as individual S-rank adventurers.
"Bruce Tarrant. An ice mage active in the northern Eaglet United Kingdom, huh? He's only just risen to S-rank, yet he's certainly been busy."
"He's the one rising fastest, after all. He's still only in his early twenties, but he's been climbing the ranks at a remarkable pace. Combined with his gentlemanly behavior and handsome features, he's popular throughout the United Kingdom as the Ice Prince."
"He must be the Guild's leading candidate to put forward. He's bound to be a goody-goody."
"He has the ability to back it up, of course. He reached his current position by taking down several wanted monsters."
"The fact that a mage became an S-rank adventurer on his own shows his skill. But this is probably his limit. Modern magic alone lacks sufficient power."
"That is rather harsh."
"We have to be hard on the juniors. There's a world of difference between S-rank and SS-rank. The monsters they face are on completely different scales. If they lack the ability, they simply die."
Saying that, I looked at the name below Bruce's.
I don't know him personally, but I've heard plenty about him. Bad things, though.
"They invited Ignat as well? That defeats the purpose. He's already a problem child who won't listen to a word the Guild says, isn't he?"
"He's a flame magic swordsman based in the Imperial Kingdom, isn't he? The rumors I hear say he's a berserker who ignores the damage he causes to those around him and just rampages, but I wonder what he's really like."
"It has to be even worse. The Guild must have covered up more than a few incidents because of his abilities."
After saying that, I let out a heavy sigh.
What a troublesome man they've invited.
Bruce wasn't troublesome in terms of personality, but Ignat was different. At worst, Ignat could make the situation even worse.
His strength only makes him more troublesome.
"I hope the Guild can keep him under control."
"I would not count on it."
"True. Then let's put our hopes in the other S-rank adventurers."
Saying that, I looked below Ignat's name.
Two names were written there.
Pairs of adventurers weren't unusual, but this pair was an outlier even among them.
"A married couple recognized as S-rank adventurers. Sydney and Auguste, huh?"
"They're a pair based in the Kingdom. They've been adventurers for a long time, so they were probably chosen in hopes that they would take charge."
"Sydney handles offense and Auguste defense. They've been around a long time, so they're also highly experienced in taking part in special operations like this. If they can fight as a pair, they should be more than capable. In terms of stability, they're easily the most dependable of the S-ranks participating this time."
"I believe I've met them once."
"Yes. I met them once at Headquarters. They left a good impression."
This was the only selection this time that I could approve of.
Young up-and-comers focused only on climbing higher, and a troublemaker who spreads trouble all around him. There's no way they'll stay in step.
They should have chosen a more dependable group in the first place.
"So the last is the Gloam Soldato, huh?"
"They're a five-person party that mainly operates in the Imperial Kingdom. I hear coordinated group battles are their specialty, but..."
"They'll probably be the least impressive of the lot. They haven't achieved any notable accomplishments. I'm not even convinced they deserved S-rank certification."
Being certified as S-rank means being capable of dealing with most monsters.
However, the Gloam Soldato rarely ventures outside the Imperial Kingdom, and they have no record of defeating any unfamiliar monsters.
They became S-rank by defeating large numbers of monsters whose strategies were already known.
They certainly have ability. They're not weak, but if you ask whether they're strong enough to face monsters that would force them to take a break, I'd have to shake my head.
Of this group, they're the only real concern in terms of ability.
"Are those all the S-ranks who were invited? Are you going to assign one monster to each of them?"
"Apparently. However, there is one problem."
"Already? What happened?"
"Apparently, only the Gloam Soldato has yet to reach the Imperial Capital. We've lost contact with them, so we have no information."
"...When did they enter the Empire?"
"The last word we received was two weeks ago. Apparently, they entered the Empire from the north."
"They entered from the north two weeks ago? Why would they need to come in from the north if they were traveling from the Imperial Kingdom? Crossing the border shouldn't have been a problem. It was Guild business, after all."
"That did concern me as well. Perhaps they were acting with a different agenda from ours."
"This is a plan led by the Guild and the Empire. Bringing another agenda into it is far too dangerous."
Ignoring the Guild and the Empire would make future operations difficult.
We were supposed to begin operations only after everyone had gathered in the Imperial Capital, after all.
If they'd acted on their own—
"...If it was the Imperial Kingdom, they might well try something unnecessary."
"From the Imperial Kingdom's perspective, it wouldn't be in their interest for the plan to succeed, the monsters around the Empire to be defeated, the commemorative ceremony to go off successfully, and the S-rank adventurers to establish bases in the Empire."
"The world doesn't usually work out that neatly, but they may have made a nasty move to throw the Empire into chaos."
They could bring the Gloam Soldato into their fold and make them act independently. If that plunged the Empire into chaos, the Imperial Kingdom would be delighted.
The Empire has been in turmoil lately as it is. The eastern border where my elder sister Liese is stationed is impregnable. Since they can't break through by force, it's easy to imagine them resorting to underhanded tactics.
"Since they were given information in advance, they should know which target monster is in the north. What is the northern target monster?"
"—The Spirit Turtle."
"...Tsk."
The instant I clicked my tongue, the door suddenly opened.
There stood Orihime, her face pale.
"What is it, Orihime?"
"My barrier... It broke. The Spirit Turtle has probably started moving."
"I see... Understood. I'll inform Father myself. Come on, Sebas."
"Yes, sir."
"Arnold... The barrier holding back the Spirit Turtle was only intended to buy time. It should have lasted another three days. The evacuation probably isn't finished yet... The people will be exposed to danger. My barrier failed... I'm sorry."
Because Orihime had sensed that the barrier was broken, she understood the gravity of the current crisis better than anyone.
Her words weighed heavily on me.
But I answered with a smile.
"Don't worry. There are people in the Empire we can rely on."
After lightly patting the head of Orihime, who looked worried, I went outside with Sebas.
And then.
"Looks like we have no choice but to act."
"We hardly get any time to rest."
"It can't be helped. Well, time to work in the shadows."
"Understood."
After that exchange, Sebas and I headed for the throne room.