The three of us sat in group at the corner of the cathedral, watching the soldiers' movements.
As the soldiers were searching the church, a familiar man approached them.
He was a good-looking young man with black hair slicked back, about the same age as me, slim, and a little shorter than me.
His name was Taylor, and he was my superior and second-in-command in my unit during the war.
As he approached me, he looked at me with a suspicious expression and said.
"Reid?"
"...It's been a while, Taylor."
"Ah... May I ask what's going on? Including your young ladies."
Fear and Leah, who Taylor called the young ladies, looked at me silently with a wry smile, as if to say, "Right?"
...Well, if it's just for looks, it can't be helped, right?
I replied with a wry smile, then looked at Taylor and nodded.
Taylor told me that he is now the captain of the patrol and security forces.
So here's what happened to the three divas, what happened to the church, and why I'm here.
I also explained about Baron Tegagusa, who was the diva's patron, and Baron Abonano, the administrator of the royal capital's church.
After hearing my explanation, Taylor crossed his arms and made a difficult face.
"...But isn't that going too far?"
"Hm?"
"One of the attackers is dead, and the priest has been stabbed in the right hand. Couldn't you have waited until we arrived?"
"..."
"One of the people who died was an attempted rape, so it can't be helped. But wouldn't it have been better if the priest had waited until we arrived?"
I chuckle a little at Taylor's reaction.
Taylor frowned in response to my laugh and looked at me suspiciously.
Fear and Leah were also looking at my smiling face, tilting their heads in confusion.
"Yes, that's right. Taylor isn't wrong."
"...Then why didn't you wait?"
"That's right... What kind of person is able to give orders to soldiers?"
Feeling the intimidation I was giving off, Taylor stopped crossing his arms and braced himself with a stern expression.
The surrounding soldiers were also wary of us, watching the situation closely.
I took out one of the letters I had found in the priest's room from my pocket and said.
"Let me ask first, Taylor... are you a companion of Baron Tegagusa?"
While the soldiers were searching the church, they checked every letter they found.
Each piece of content was a fairly short sentence, so I was able to read a few pages at a time.
Among them was that Baron Tegagusa and the priest had been using the subsidies to line their own pockets.
A sentence saying that it was okay to report to the soldiers.
And then there was the name of Count Deus, which had only appeared once.
In other words, if the letter is true, it would not be unreasonable to assume that Santony's soldiers are under the command of Baron Tegagusa.
Of course, there are other nobles who rule Santony.
However, based on the contents of the letter, it seems likely that the nobleman is also connected to Baron Tegagusa.
"Let me ask again. Taylor... are you my enemy or my friend?"
"...What if they're the enemy?"
"Hahaha, are you asking someone who was in the same unit?"
"You saw me during the war, right?" I says with a smile.
I don't recall ever letting anyone I considered an enemy live.
No matter how excessive it may be.
Criticism is nonsense compared to the danger his friends endured and the difficult situation he found himself in afterwards.
...I don't judge enemies easily, so please be think carefully.
Taylor and I glared at each other for a while, then Lea gently tugged on my clothes from the side.
I turned my gaze to Lea, who whispered to me with a troubled look on her face.
"Is there any unpleasant smell coming from this person?"
"...I know. Taylor, you really have a nasty personality, don't you?"
"People...even former allies can change. I'm the cautious type."
I replies to Lea with a wry smile, then looks at Taylor and gives an exasperated laugh.
I was also one of those who was suspected of that.
Taylor says my methods are excessive, but he's too much of a man to tell me otherwise.
Those suspected of being enemies are repeatedly investigated, evidence is gathered, and if necessary, they are imprisoned.
Consider the damage to your allies, devise a strategy, and eliminate them.
This was probably a major reason why he was appointed vice-captain.
If I'm a man of action, he's a man of strategy.
It's common to say that people are excessive, so please take a look in the mirror.
Taylor sighs, relaxes his guard, and tells his men to resume their investigation.
"Reid hasn't changed."
"Taylor too. Now let's clear up any suspicions. If possible, I'd like to meet Taylor at the guardhouse or somewhere, as there are some things I don't want to show you."
"...You're coming to the station yourself, huh? Got it, let's head there."
I told Fear and Lea that I would meet up with Erica and the others and leave the three sisters in their care.
The two of them smiled and nodded, and Taylor, seeing this, began talking to them, saying, "In that case, let's hear the details first."
If Baron Tegagusa doesn't have the resources to take on Taylor, does that mean someone else has?
As I was crossing my arms in thought, my eyes suddenly met with Taylor's.
I felt as if he was telling me with his eyes that he'd tell me ... later, and I gave a wry smile.
The conversation at the guardhouse finished around 6 p.m.
No, it's really long.
I started by explaining the contents of my magic bag, then told him everything, including what had happened recently and the problems I was facing.
Well, in exchange for talking to him, he promised to help me if anything happened.
According to Taylor, they have caught any subordinates acting suspiciously.
Or rather, I was shown it.
The man in the jail became frightened when he saw Taylor, began crying, begging for forgiveness, and clinging to him.
That's a bit creepy... Should I look in the mirror too?
"Reid-san!"
"Erika, were you waiting for me?"
When I came outside the guardhouse, Erika and the three girls came running up to me.
Erika approaches me with a relieved smile, so I take her hand and pull her into a hug, replenishing my sense of security.
It's true that I was tired and wanted to be healed.
He calmed down a bit after smelling Erika's rose scent, and when he released her, her cheeks flushed and she protested.
"Wh, what is it, I'm outside?"
"Replenished healing."
"Healing, already."
While the three girls looked on with grins, Erika crossed her arms and looked annoyed, but it was clear that she wasn't completely opposed.
As we head to the inn, he explains that the three sisters are also staying there.
It seems like Fear and Leah are by my side now.
"Instructor, was everything okay?"
"Yeah, it's fine. It's just that it's taking time to prove my innocence."
"A Corporal named Taylor?"
"Yes, he was my superior officer during the war."
"Master's... superior?"
"We're friends now."
When I replied to the three girls, Erika, who was walking beside me holding hands, asked me with a slight blush on her cheeks.
I also had something to tell Erika about, the name of Count Deus, which had appeared only once in that letter.
In the adventurers' reports, what had only been a possibility began to look more and more like reality.
"The people you mentioned connecting with in the royal capital were Baron Tegagusa and Baron Abonano, right?"
"I thought that was it, but it seems to be connected to some troublesome places..."
Deciding that I couldn't say it out loud, I whispered to Erika.
When I told him about Count Deus, who was mentioned in the letter, he frowned and sighed.
"...That's troublesome."
"Right?"
Until you arrive at the inn, tell the four everything except what Taylor told you to keep secret.
We then talked about our plans for the next day and laughed about how busy we all were.