Vol 3 Chapter 23: Mio, the Lord’s Daughter

We arrived at the town of [Requille], entrusted our carriage to the depot, and began walking toward the Adventurers’ Guild as [White Lightning].

“Wow… This town is seriously impressive,” Nina remarked as she admired the tall buildings and well-maintained roads.

“It’s a decent town,” Alice replied, sounding somewhat smug.

“It really is lively and pleasant,” Fana-san said.

“This is my first time coming to such a big town,” Lena added, her voice tinged with awe.

Kaguya quietly observed her surroundings, while I couldn’t help but glance around like a curious tourist.

Before long, our destination came into view.

“…That’s one massive Adventurers’ Guild,” I murmured, unable to contain my thoughts as I took in the large building before us. My chest tightened with a mixture of nervousness and excitement.

“Well then, everyone, shall we proceed?” Kaguya-san finally spoke, her voice calm and composed. Together, we steeled ourselves and stepped through the grand doors.

The interior didn’t differ much from other guilds we’d seen. After a brief look around, we headed straight for the reception desk.

Behind the desk sat a man.

Yet, for some reason, I couldn’t shake an indescribable feeling of unease about him.

“Hello. We’ve just arrived in town. Are there any quests available?”

Fana-san, ever amiable, took the lead and presented her adventurer card with a subtle motion that naturally drew attention to her figure—particularly her chest.

One would expect a man to be at least slightly flustered in the presence of such a beautiful woman. However, his reaction was unexpectedly detached.

“S-Rank, huh? The quests are posted over there. Check them yourself,” he said flatly, gesturing toward the bulletin board.

His tone wasn’t calm so much as indifferent, bordering on apathetic. Even in front of Fana-san’s charms, he didn’t so much as blink.

“I see… Alright, thank you,” she replied.

Fana-san stepped back, her expression thoughtful rather than disheartened. She seemed to be pondering something as I stepped forward to take her place.

“Excuse me, but are there any issues or strange rumors in this town that we should be aware of?” I asked directly.

“Who knows? I wouldn’t be aware of such things. Is that all? If so, I’d appreciate it if you moved along. I’m not exactly free,” he said curtly.

His blunt response offered nothing useful, and we left the reception desk behind.

“That guy… don’t you think he’s acting weird?” Nina asked once we regrouped a short distance away.

“Indeed. A normal man wouldn’t remain that composed in front of Fana-sama,” Kaguya-san noted.

“Uh, I get what you mean, but… Fana isn’t a succubus or anything, you know,” Lena said, half-jokingly, with a slightly awkward smile.

“For now, let’s start gathering information. The adventurers here might know something. Nina and I will team up. Alice, you go with Kaguya-san. Does that work?”

“Got it.”

“Leave it to me!”

“Understood.”

Fana-san efficiently issued orders, as expected of our leader. But wait—

“Uh, Fana-san?”

“What about me and Shin?”

Having been left out of the assignments, Lena and I exchanged looks and turned toward her, feeling like lost children.

“You two will stay here and keep watch. Observe the surroundings and keep an eye out for anyone suspicious. Can I count on you?”

“Y-Yes!”

“Got it!”

Phew. Thank goodness we weren’t being sidelined…

“Geez, Fana, don’t scare us like that! I thought for a moment that you didn’t think Shin and I were good at gathering information,” Lena said with a relieved smile.

“Of course not. You two have an important role to play, so don’t worry,” Fana-san replied, though she sounded a little hesitant.

Huh? That’s rare. Is she unsure about something?

“Alright, everyone, let’s get started. Be careful not to draw any unnecessary attention,” she said, signaling the beginning of our tasks.

Maybe I’m just imagining things.

Following her instructions, we all got to work. Lena and I sat down side by side, keeping watch as instructed.

After some time observing the others, they returned, their expressions dark, and slumped into their seats.

“No luck… How about you?” Fana-san asked.

“Nothing worthwhile on our end either,” Nina replied with a shake of her head.

“What about you two? Did you notice anything unusual?” Fana-san turned to us, but unfortunately, our report wasn’t much better.

“Umm… from what I saw, nothing seemed particularly strange.”

“Yeah, that’s true. All the men were just ogling us.”

“I see…” Fana-san murmured in response to me and Lena’s report. After that, everyone fell silent, lost in their own thoughts.

Alice and Kaguya, in particular, looked troubled.

“Come on, let’s not rush things, okay? We just got here,” I said, hoping to lighten the mood.

“…Fufu, you’re right. Let’s look for an inn first,” Fana-san agreed, rising from her seat to break the tension.

It was at that moment—

“U-Um, excuse me, but are you all S-Rank adventurers?” a clear, resolute voice called out to us.

“Yes, that’s right. And you are…?” I asked, turning toward the voice.

Standing there was a girl about the same age as Alice. For someone entering a guild teeming with rough adventurers, she looked far too refined. She wore a pure white dress of clearly exquisite quality, one that modestly covered her body as if shielding precious treasures. Her light makeup enhanced her youthful features, and her well-groomed golden hair, flowing down to her waist, gave her an air of maturity beyond her years.

She could easily be called a beauty. Perhaps, like Alice, she was a noble’s daughter?

“Do you need something from us?” Alice asked. She straightened her posture and faced the girl proudly, displaying the grace of a noble—although one who had fallen from grace. When Alice assumed that stance, it became obvious how different the two of them were.

One had a figure that was, frankly, generously endowed for her age; the other had a chest so flat that one could look forward to its future growth. Alice surely meant nothing by it, but it might have seemed like she was silently proclaiming her own superiority.

“Yes. I happened to overhear what you said at the reception earlier. I’m very sorry to bring this up so suddenly, but I’d like to request something of you,” the girl continued without reacting to Alice’s demeanor.

“Pardon my late introduction. I am Mio Requille, the daughter of this domain’s lord. Please, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“The daughter of the lord!?”

“Eh, wha—!?”

Lena and Nina gasped at the sudden appearance of someone so closely related to our target. I, too, was surprised, but managed to keep my composure.

“…And what business could the lord’s daughter possibly have with adventurers like us?” Fana-san asked calmly, as if trying to discern something. Her eyes reflected suspicion rather than excitement at drawing closer to a lead.

“Yes. I want you to save my father—Ruflas Requille!” Mio pleaded.

“Save him? How do you mean?” Fana-san asked, pretending not to know anything.

Mio looked pained as she forced the words out. “My father has lost his way. It’s all because of that woman who started visiting our mansion. Ever since she arrived… h-he’s just not the same…!”

Her voice choked up as she covered her face with her hands and sobbed quietly. I found myself reminded of how Alice looked when we first met her.

“I see… Would you tell us more?” Fana-san prompted, offering no direct comfort, but encouraging Mio to continue.

Mio then explained the situation.

Ruflas Requille had been a good lord, well-loved by the townsfolk, and his governance had been solid. But a few months ago, an unnamed woman visited the mansion, and from that point on, everything changed.

Taxes were raised without reason.

He began interfering in the neutral Adventurers’ Guild.

Money was collected and then vanished, likely showered upon that mysterious woman.

Ruflas’ temperament worsened, and he began treating his butler, servants, and even maids harshly, firing them at the slightest mistake.

It was almost as if—

“This story sounds familiar…” Alice murmured.

It was just like what had happened at Alice’s home. I doubt I was the only one who thought so. Yet, from Alice’s tone, it seemed like she was trying to treat it as someone else’s problem.

“So, what is it you want us to do?” Alice asked.

“Sniff… please. As S-Rank adventurers, I beg you to investigate my father and expose that woman’s wrongdoing! I beg of you!” Mio’s plea was desperate, as though clutching at straws.

“…I think that’s not a bad idea,” said Fana-san, who had been watching the exchange between Alice and Mio closely.

“Gaining favor from a noble isn’t a bad move. What do the rest of you think?” Fana-san asked in a slightly mischievous tone, and we all nodded in agreement.

“Th-Thank you so much, everyone of [White Lightning]!” Mio cried out, relieved.

“…Alright, then. Let’s discuss the details,” Fana-san said, taking the lead in deciding our next steps.

And now, here we were, standing inside the lord’s mansion.

“Right this way, everyone,” Mio said.

The mansion sat on an expanse of land large enough to hold multiple ordinary houses or shops, and it was a grand old building that carried a sense of history.

Just as in Alice’s case, Mio’s father had changed after meeting a suspicious woman who had suddenly appeared. The difference here was that this woman did not live in the mansion; she visited only occasionally, every few days or weeks, and always at night.

The maids had disappeared, and the butlers and cooks—all men—looked haggard. This all matched the patterns we had seen at Alice’s home.

We would be staying in the mansion under the pretense of being guests of Mio. Without needing to pay for an inn, we could remain close to the heart of the problem and investigate. That was Fana-san’s reasoning.

(Still, sleeping under the same roof where an enemy might be lurking is nerve-wracking…)

I felt a bit uneasy. Following behind Mio, I trod on a plush carpet, straining my senses to watch for anything suspicious. It was almost suffocating.

“…Shin-san, there’s no need to be so tense just because it’s a noble’s mansion,” Fana-san said softly, as if reading my mind, trying to ease my nerves.

“…But don’t let your guard down, either,” she added quietly.

“I understand. Thank you, Fana-san,” I replied, appreciating her balance of kindness and caution. Her ability to say what needed to be said was one of her strengths. I nodded deeply, taking her advice to heart.

We continued walking down a corridor so long it barely felt like it was indoors. That’s when he appeared.

“—What business do you commoners have in my mansion!?”

A sudden roar.

The man glared at us fiercely, his face stern. Judging by his manner of speaking, this must be the lord, Ruflas Requille.

“Why are you here!?” he demanded, spitting his words without waiting for our answer, as though enraged by our very presence.

“We are—” Fana-san began.

“—Father,” Mio interrupted, cutting her off.

“These people are my invited guests. They are not suspicious in any way.”

I found myself thinking how strong she was. Despite facing the head of the household, she didn’t waver. Beneath her ladylike appearance lay a resolute spirit.

“…I see. My apologies,” Ruflas said, deflating as though his daughter’s presence alone forced him to relent. He backed down surprisingly easily. Perhaps that was just how their family operated.

“Make sure you don’t cause any unnecessary disturbances,” the lord said, leaving us behind as he passed by.

“…That’s the lord? He’s a bit short-tempered, but otherwise pretty normal, isn’t he?”

“Yeah, exactly. He doesn’t really seem like he’s lost his mind or anything…”

We watched the lord’s retreating figure as Nina and Lena shared their quiet impressions.

“…He never used to flare up like that out of nowhere. If I don’t step in, he’ll just keep going, and now everyone is tiptoeing around him like he’s something fragile,” Mio said, pressing a hand to her chest with a sorrowful look, clearly pained by her father’s change.

“Hmm…” Alice murmured softly, simply observing the situation.

Despite that brief commotion, we were shown to our guest rooms. We tried to decline, but perhaps out of courtesy, each of us was given a private room.

“They’re way too big…”

A single one of these rooms was several times larger than the inns we usually all share. The bed looked big enough for five people to sleep on at once—truly a luxurious space. After setting down my belongings, I sat timidly on the bed, feeling completely out of place.

“…I can’t relax.”

As someone who grew up in a rural village, staying in such an extravagant room felt burdensome. I wondered how everyone else was feeling. Fana-san, Alice, and probably Kaguya were used to this kind of environment, but Lena and Nina might be just as nervous as I was.

“Anyway… this is where it all begins,” I said quietly to no one in particular, trying to steady my resolve.

Since we had just arrived, Fana-san suggested we rest for the day to recover from our travels. We all agreed and spent the remainder of the first day taking it easy.

I lay on the bed, staring at the high ceiling and doing nothing in particular, when I heard a polite knock at the door. Sitting up, I answered.

“—Shin-sama, may I come in? It’s Mio. Dinner is ready,” came the voice from beyond the door.

When I opened it, I saw that Mio had changed out of her pure white dress into a somewhat more casual one-piece. Even so, it still exuded refinement. She truly was a noble’s daughter.

“Thank you. In that case, I’ll take you up on your offer. Have the others been called as well?”

“Yes, everyone has already headed to the dining hall. You were the last one, so let’s go,” she said with a graceful tilt of her head and a charming smile. It was a different kind of beauty than the seductive allure of my companions—more like a delicate flower.

We walked side by side, but since we’d barely met, I couldn’t think of what to say. As I remained silent, Mio broke the ice.

“Um, forgive me if this is out of line, but…” 

“Yes? What is it?” 

“Well… I was wondering…”

“Sh-Shin-sama, do you have someone you’re in love with?” she asked, as if steeling herself to say the words.

“L-Love!?” I blurted out, completely caught off guard.

“…So that means you don’t?” she continued, her eyes moist and her cheeks flushed, as if enduring some embarrassment.

“You all seemed so close, and since you’re the only man traveling with such beautiful women, I thought maybe you had that sort of relationship…”

“N-No! It’s nothing like that! I’m not… I mean, we’re not—”

I tried to say we weren’t involved like that, but the words stuck in my throat. What exactly was our relationship, anyway? They were precious companions, of course, but not lovers. We’d never even done anything truly intimate like a married couple might. Then… what were we?

“Shin-sama? Is something the matter?” Mio asked.

“N-No, sorry. Anyway, I don’t have a girlfriend. I never have!” I said in a fluster, trying not to let anything slip that I shouldn’t. I probably sounded like some cheating boyfriend trying to cover his tracks.

“Hehe, I see… In that case, Shin-sama is pure and untouched, then,” Mio teased, using an unexpectedly bold phrase for a noble lady.

“W-What!?” I yelped, shocked by her choice of words.

“Th-That’s…! Y-You shouldn’t say something like that! Not as a noblewoman!” I scolded her, panicking.

“Ufufu, that was improper of me. I do apologize,” she said with a mischievous grin.

I ended up sounding like I was telling off a child. She only smiled playfully, making me wonder if all girls were like this. I needed to rethink my initial impression of this demure young lady.

“Now, come along. We don’t want the food to get cold,” she said, changing the subject as though nothing had happened.

“R-Right!” I replied, hurrying after her. Mio’s profile looked oddly pleased.

Dinner was splendid. While I certainly had no complaints about Kaguya-san’s cooking, this mansion apparently had its own dedicated chef. The dishes felt like something you’d find in a high-class restaurant, and we devoured them all.

Fana-san, Alice, and Kaguya-san were all carefully adhering to proper dining etiquette, elegantly working their forks and knives. Lena and I followed their lead, eating nervously and minding our manners. Nina, on the other hand, didn’t care at all, happily stuffing herself and even asking for seconds.

We ate our fill, and Mio watched us all with a bright expression. Still, something felt off.

“Um… Doesn’t the lord join you for meals?” Lena asked on everyone’s behalf.

“Well…” Mio’s face clouded over for a moment as she sighed quietly and spoke again.

“…Father has been eating alone for some time now. There’s no need to worry about him.”

“I see… I’m sorry.”

Mio tried to put on a brave face, but her lonely sadness was evident. With that, an uncomfortable silence fell over the table and lingered until the meal was finished.

After dinner, we gathered in the room assigned to Fana-san to discuss our plans for the following day.

“Starting tomorrow, I’d like to gather more information. Does anyone have any ideas?” Fana-san asked, looking at each of us in turn.

Alice responded first. “I agree. If possible, I think we should investigate both inside and outside—talk to the townspeople, the guards, and see what we can learn.”

“Yes, that sounds good. Let’s split into two groups,” Fana-san said. She then proposed a slightly unexpected arrangement.

“Shin-san, Lena, and Kaguya-san will investigate the town. I will stay here with Nina and Alice to investigate the mansion. How does that sound?”

“I have no objections.”

“U-Um, Ojou-sama, are you sure it’s okay if I’m not with you?” Kaguya-san asked, sounding concerned about being separated from Alice.

Alice, however, gave a straightforward answer. “Yes, it’s fine. In fact, it might be better this way. If those of us who know the previous situation too well all stick together, we might miss things that fresh eyes would catch.”

“I see… In that case, I accept your reasoning,” Kaguya-san replied, understanding her mistress’s logic.

With that calm and rational division of labor, the discussion concluded smoothly.

“Hehehe, I get to go around town with Shin.”
“Hey, Lena, this isn’t a sightseeing trip.”
“—I-I know that!”

They exchanged lighthearted banter, the same as always.

“Alright, everyone. Tomorrow, let’s do our best. And please, don’t push yourselves too hard,” Fana-san said, wrapping up the meeting.

We each returned to our rooms afterward. I sank into the soft, plush bed, letting the day’s weariness wash away as I drifted off to sleep.