It was past noon, around 2pm.
Erika, the three girls and I were having a late lunch at a restaurant.
The three girls continue to be protected by Fear and Leah.
However, they laughed happily and said that they would receive a reward.
At 9:00 in the morning, accompanied by Taylor, I met with the Marquis de Dors, who governs Santeny, and gave him an explanation.
Perhaps thanks to Taylor's words, it seemed like they somehow believed me.
By the time the story finished, Marquis Doles sighed and was shocked and saddened by the situation.
You may wonder why a Marquis rules Santeny, which is only a three-day carriage ride away.
Santony is an important place for the Kingdom of Libertonia.
To the south lies the neighboring country of Sajiris, with which we were at war, and to the southeast lies the Toyokuni of Yurural.
Of course, there are several towns along the way between the two countries, but Santony is the place to escape to when things get dangerous.
That's why the walls are built so strongly that even if someone gets inside, they won't be able to advance easily.
While they are fighting inside, they can either evacuate to the royal capital or intercept them.
If you ignore Santony, you'll be ambushed from behind.
I had heard some accounts of Marquis Douls's bravery during the war.
...I don't think he'd do anything bad in that town.
As I chatted with Erika and the others over tea after dinner, I suddenly remembered something and lightly knocked on the table.
Erika tilted her head and asked, perhaps wondering about my behavior.
"...? What's wrong?"
"Well, that's right... there's somewhere I want to go, would you like to come with me?"
"I don't mind."
Erika nodded, and the three girls smiled in agreement.
Standing in your seat is the fountain in the center of Santony.
As I started walking there, Erika came and put her arm around me.
I felt the soft touch of Erika's breasts with my arms, and when I looked at her face, she was blushing and smiling shyly.
"Is that okay? We're in public, you know?"
"...Everyone does this much."
That's certainly true, but... well, it's one of the perks of the job, so I won't say anything rude.
To be honest, yesterday and this morning were pretty brutal.
It's okay to seek some comfort.
It's 4pm.
After that, I walked around the fountain, knocked lightly twice on the sign explaining about the fountain, and walked around the food stalls.
Then I knocked three times on the wall of a bakery along the way and now I'm in a dimly lit back alley.
There were no people around, and it was so creepy that the three adventurer girls were on their guard.
Erika, who was clinging to my arm, said this while tightening her grip a little.
"What do we have here?"
"It's a general store."
"Is that true? There's not a single person here, and it feels weird..."
"Well, normally he wouldn't come."
She tilts her head at my words and looks suspicious.
...Yes, people usually don't come or see it.
The place we're going to now is what they call a secret store.
A store that you can't enter unless you take a certain action, as is common in games.
I've used it often in games, but this is my first time in this world, so I hope it goes well.
If it exists in this world...it exists.
I knock four times on the only wall, a different colored one, with my fist-sized hand.
And it was Roll who responded immediately.
"...Why did I suddenly sense something?"
"That's strange, isn't it? I didn't feel anything either..."
"Instructor~?"
"Well, the best way to explain it is it's a hidden general store."
I explained to everyone as we walked, and they all looked at me with shocked expressions.
I received comments like, "It's strange that you know that," "Where did you know that?" and "You're an instructor."
And now that I've made my presence known, another faint presence has appeared.
It felt as though they were being followed after leaving Marquis Dolls' mansion, a presence that even the three girls hadn't noticed.
If you ask me why I noticed, it's because I just happened to notice it.
How should I put it, I often felt like I was being watched and wanted to turn around.
While having a normal conversation, he makes small gestures with his fingers to the three girls, who nod as they continue the conversation.
After walking for a while, I came across a door, the door to the general store I was looking for.
Approach the door and put your hand on it.
"Please be quiet..."
"...Is it better not to look for him?"
"Well, I'd be happy if you could do that."
A female voice called out to us from behind us, and even though we looked around we could only sense a presence, but we couldn't see anyone.
Erika and her three daughters were also looking around with anxious expressions.
I asked the woman, feeling curious.
"If you can hide your appearance, can't you do something about your line of sight?"
"...Well, what do you think?"
"Well, that's fine. So, what do you want?"
Report and be careful
After he said that, a pocket watch with the royal seal suddenly appeared in front of him, swinging as if it was being held in place by something invisible.
Perhaps sensing that I had checked the royal seal, the pocket watch immediately disappeared.
"I am a subordinate of the king. I am investigating what you have brought in."
"...Is this a warning not to do anything unnecessary?"
"No, that's not true."
Hmm? So what is it? I can't read it at all...
I wasn't the only one tilting my head in confusion; Erika and the others were tilting their heads as well.
The woman seemed to be enjoying the situation, as she continued with a slight smile in her voice.
"When you discover something, notice something, or come up with a prediction or speculation, please let me know."
"...Why do you want my opinion? I think I'm just an amateur compared to you professionals..."
"Amateur... hehe."
...Eh, I laughed just now.
Judging from her voice, I thought she was a calm character, but is that not the case?
When I looked at Erika and the others, they were looking at me with expressions that said, "No way."
It's true that I learned how to write reports and do research after I was reincarnated.
Of course, I am doing my best using the knowledge I gained before my reincarnation.
However, I have seen the documents from the royal castle several times, and I think they are superior to my own.
It was Taylor who was the inspiration for the steps taken in the investigation, gathering evidence, and setting up the traps.
While Taylor is a man of action, I consider myself an amateur.
So I'm betting on myself to make up for my amateurish side.
"I don't know what kind of amateur you are talking about, but the king and the prime minister have high hopes for you."
"...Please spare me from such regards."
"Heh, would you agree?"
"Yes... I understand, I agree. But please don't blame me later, okay?"
The atmosphere calmed down after my words, but the next time the woman spoke the mood changed.
It feels like you're signing a contract for something important.
"Consent has been obtained. From now on, I, Shale, will be by your side."
"yeah...?"
"If you need me, please call me Shale. Even if I'm not nearby, I can come to your side."
"No, wait... is it okay to investigate?"
"I'm not the only one investigating. I'll step away for a bit to report to my companions. I'll give you a signal when I'm nearby. Now then..."
"..."
This must have involved some kind of contract...
Isn't it amazing that just by calling her name she notices me and comes over to me?
After the woman's presence disappeared, I noticed Erika and the others looking at me with distrustful eyes.
"You're bring in trouble again... haa."
"Instructor, you need to exercise some restraint..."
"This is the first time I've been this busy."
"Master... this is bad."
That's a terrible thing to say, do I have anything to do with this incident?
If you think about it, it's related to the documents I submitted to the Prime Minister about Elysia...
I scratch my hair in embarrassment and apologize to Erika and the others.
Everyone laughed awkwardly at my reaction, and Erika continued.
"I'm not saying this to Minty, but I never get bored when I'm with Reid."
"I wonder if I should be happy about it... I'm worried."
"Please be happy."
Erika said with an amused laugh, and I gave a wry smile.
I was certainly trying to make it so people wouldn't get bored of it, but it wasn't what I had in mind.
I let out a sigh, opened the door to the general store where I had left off, and went inside.
As I went inside, I muttered to myself.
I think I'll be surprised again.