Chapter 13
Franz was taken aback when Hera suddenly suggested going to her lodgings as soon as they left the restaurant. Blinking in confusion, he finally managed to speak. "Why the lodgings?"
"Well, there are too many ears listening here. As you said, I think I was being too hasty, so I thought we could take our time to make a plan. Or did you have something else in mind?"
As Franz had hoped, she seemed to have regained some composure after the meal.
'But don't people usually explain the reason first?'
Franz felt a bit annoyed at his earlier confusion, but decided to let it go, figuring it was better this way. After all, this was a hundred times better than dealing with a villainess bent on world destruction.
"No, I didn't have anything particular in mind."
"Then let's get going. Even though I'm not as impatient now, time is still of the essence."
With that, the two began walking through the streets of Cal Desien. The streets were truly crowded. Shop owners calling out to potential customers, people looking to make purchases, and street vendors all added to the hustle and bustle. Whenever one peered into the shadowy alleys, there were always two or three rough-looking individuals lurking about. No doubt they were involved in illicit dealings.
"Here we are," Hera said, opening a wooden door of a run-down building. Franz followed her inside.
'It's ordinary,' he thought. The inn where Hera was staying was unremarkable in every way. It was a typical inn with a restaurant on the first floor and lodgings above.
Hera strode up the stairs and down the corridor, inserting a key into the door at the very end. As the door opened, a hair-raising creak echoed through the hallway.
"Franz, I apologize, but there's nowhere to sit. If you don't mind, please make yourself comfortable on the bed."
Entering the room, Hera pushed back her hood, revealing the characteristically long ears of her elven race. Franz couldn't help but marvel at the sight.
'It's fascinating every time I see it.'
He'd always heard that species evolved in ways beneficial to their survival, but he couldn't fathom how the elves' long ears could be advantageous. They didn't seem to improve hearing, nor did they grant telepathic abilities. He'd always wanted to ask but felt it might be impolite, so the question that had nagged him since their first meeting remained unanswered.
Well, that aside.
"What's your plan? Do you have anything worked out?"
"I had a plan... but it hit a snag. Let's discuss that later. For now, I'll tell you our target: Gidrik, the lord of Cal Desien."
Gidrik, the lord of Cal Desien. It seemed there was truth to the rumors after all, just as Franz had suspected. However...
'The plan hit a snag?'
Franz found this hard to believe. This was Hera, after all. Given her prowess in the Hero's party, she should be able to easily infiltrate most mansions' security.
"Why did the plan hit a snag?" he asked.
"It seems rumors are circulating among the nobles that someone is rescuing elven slaves. Upon hearing this, Gidrik apparently hired a rather famous magician. I'm certain his epithet was 'The Trap Magician.'"
"The Trap Magician...? Are you sure?"
"I'm certain."
That's strange. There's no such person.
In Franz's memory, there was no magician with the epithet "The Trap Magician." Even if they weren't affiliated with the Magic Tower, he should have at least heard the name of someone that famous in the same profession.
Suddenly, a forgotten memory flashed in Franz's mind.
'Could it be that guy...?'
Back when Franz was still a member of the Magic Tower, there was an odd fellow researching trap magic. The guy used to bully Franz, making up ridiculous excuses because he was a senior. He'd order Franz to fetch tea, clean his research lab, and even try to get him caught in his traps.
'But he disappeared.'
When Franz became the head of the Magic Tower, he looked for the guy, but he was already gone. However, his epithet back then wasn't something as grand as "The Trap Magician," but rather...
'It was "The Mousetrap."'
The old folks at the Magic Tower despised him, saying he couldn't compete fairly with time-honored magic and instead researched things like traps. Even Franz, who generally disliked the old guard, had to agree with them on this point.
'Mousetrap, what a fitting nickname,' he'd thought.
"Franz, why are you smiling...?"
"Oh, just remembering something from the past. Don't worry about that 'Trap Magician' guy. I'll take care of him."
Franz felt genuinely excited for the first time in a long while. The Trap Magician? A mere mousetrap calling himself a magician? You're dead meat today.
"I see. As expected, the continent's greatest magician is different. Calling you was the right decision."
"So, does this mean the plan is back on track? Can you explain what it is?"
"It's simple. We rescue the elves imprisoned underground and kill Gidrik. That's all there is to it."
Franz couldn't help but let out a laugh of disbelief. The explanation of the plan was so absurdly simplistic. It was about on par with saying, "How to make a fried egg: Fry an egg."
'But then again, it's not entirely unreasonable.'
With two members of the Hero's party together, the mansion's security was essentially meaningless. And it was true that frying an egg does result in a fried egg.
Besides, Hera had probably just psyched herself out unnecessarily. She likely could have done it alone. After all, a mousetrap might catch mice, but it can't catch people.
"So, is this the extent of our battle plan?"
"That's right. But Franz, there's something I need to say."
Something to say...?
Come to think of it, Hera had been about to say something at the restaurant before the food arrived and interrupted her. She had mentioned something about being worried.
Gulp.
Franz swallowed hard, feeling an inexplicable sense of foreboding. He cautiously opened his mouth.
"What do you need to say?"
"Once we rescue all the elven slaves, I don't know what I should do. What should I live for? I've lost everything - the great forest I was supposed to protect, the world tree, my family, my friends... everything."
Hera poured out her frustrations, looking as if she might crumble at any moment. Simultaneously, a warning window appeared before Franz.
<Warning!>
<Elven Archer Hera's emotions are spiraling out of control! If left unchecked, this could negatively impact the ending!>
Why did his ominous premonitions never fail to come true? A sigh escaped Franz's lips.
If there was any silver lining, it was that unlike the Saint, Hera was still in the stage of contemplation. So if he handled this well now, he might be able to prevent her from turning into a villainess.
After gathering his thoughts, Franz carefully asked, "What do you want to do? Do you want to return to the great forest?"
"I... I don't know... I can't tell if the other elves are in cahoots with those two, or if they're genuinely misunderstanding the situation..."
"Well, take your time to think about it. If you really can't find anything to do, come to the Magic Tower. It might not be as grand as rescuing elven slaves, but I can certainly create a place for you there."
"I couldn't possibly impose on you to that extent..."
"It's fine. It's not an imposition. Just think of it as me offering you a job, nothing more."
The question was, when would Hera's mission to rescue elven slaves end? Or would it ever end at all? If scumbags kept cunningly selling elves, Hera would have no choice but to keep rescuing them.
'Do we need to eliminate the root cause?'
It seemed difficult to do that right away, so he'd have to think about it more slowly. Fortunately, his strategy seemed to have worked, as Franz noticed the warning window before him had disappeared.
A sigh of relief escaped Franz's lips. That's when Hera spoke again.
"Speaking of impositions... I'm sorry I didn't mention this earlier, but..."
"Sorry? For what?"
"I don't have enough money to pay for a designated dispatch..."
For a moment, Franz felt a chill run down his spine, but he quickly composed himself. How many times was she going to surprise him today?
In truth, requesting a designated dispatch of the head of the Magic Tower was incredibly expensive. It was something that rarely happened in the first place.
However, Franz wasn't heartless enough to demand payment in a situation like this.
"Forget about the money. Just think of it as me helping out a former comrade from the Hero's party."
"No, that won't do. Elves may bestow favors, but we don't live in debt."
"Then just give me one copper coin."
"Franz, I'm being serious right now."
Franz rubbed his forehead, encountering Hera's old-fashioned stubbornness for the first time in a long while. They say nobody dislikes getting things for free, but it seemed that elves, or at least Hera, had an intense aversion to it.
Then, as if struck by an idea, Hera nodded.
"Didn't you say earlier that you'd give me a place in the Magic Tower?"
"Did I...?"
"So, I'm saying this: once I've rescued all the elves, I'll repay today's debt with my body. After all, the fee for a designated dispatch of the head of the Magic Tower is something I could never repay in a normal lifetime of work."
For a moment, Franz doubted what he had just heard. As he blinked in confusion, Hera delivered her coup de grâce.
"Do you not understand? I'm saying I'll become your slave and repay you for the rest of my life, Franz."
'I try to help, and she tries to turn me into a criminal...'
Franz raised his hand to his forehead, utterly exasperated.