As Cain had said, Rita easily made her way out of the Bureau of Order. Whether she used her status or money, the officers who escorted her out were very kind.
After brushing off the officers who tried to see her out, Rita looked around and spotted her companions, then approached them.
“You must be exhausted,” Edward said.
“It wasn’t that bad, but it was certainly an experience,” Rita grumbled briefly, though she didn’t seem particularly worn out. There was a purplish stain on her collar, which looked like blueberry jam.
“I thought I was going to die of embarrassment because of my shoes,” Rita said. Since arriving in Midland, she hadn’t had a chance to buy new shoes and was still wearing her old ones with holes in the toes. Her socks underneath were already tattered.
Edward spoke gently, trying to lift her spirits. “While you were being questioned, I booked us a room at an inn. It’s the best one in Midland. I’m sure you’ll like it.”
“Good job,” Rita said with a satisfied nod. Then, she suddenly narrowed her eyes and looked at Edward. “Who’s paying?”
“Not yet,” Edward replied.
“Seriously, you guys are the worst,” Rita said, feigning disappointment.
Before heading to the inn, they stopped by a restaurant. As soon as Rita sat down, she started talking about what she had heard at the Bureau of Order.
“The werewolf sightings around Midland didn’t start today,” she said.
“Really?” Edward asked.
“The citizens think it’s just a pack of wolves in the forest, but the Bureau’s knights saw them a few days ago. They were preparing to hunt them down when we encountered them first.”
A few days ago. Satin thought back to the werewolf they had encountered in the village the day before. That one had also been lurking around the village for a few days. He wondered if the werewolves in Midland had appeared around the same time, and why there were nine here but only one there.
Rita continued, “The Bureau and the local government have been investigating, and they think the werewolves came from the north.”
“The north?” Satin asked, surprised. The capital, their destination, was also to the north.
Rita nodded. “Yes, the north. It seems like something big is happening in the capital.” She didn’t seem too worried, perhaps because they had handled the werewolves without any casualties that day.
Cain pointed out Rita’s optimism. “You were barely able to handle nine werewolves today. What if there are more next time?”
“We can ask for help, like we did today. It’s not just our problem,” Rita replied.
“Do you think it will be that easy? Today we were close to Midland, but what if we encounter monsters in the middle of nowhere next time?” Cain asked.
“Good point,” Rita admitted. There were long stretches of wilderness between cities, and they might have to camp outdoors. They hadn’t needed to camp yet, but that could change.
The group consisted of only four people, and since Satin was essentially Cain’s sidekick, they were effectively a group of three.
After a moment of thought, Edward spoke up. “What if we recruit more people?”
“You want to start a tour group?” Cain asked sarcastically.
Edward explained calmly, “If Rita is right, the Bureau of Order and the local government in Midland are working together to prioritize the safety of their citizens, unlike Cloverland. They were preparing to hunt the werewolves before we even got here. If we work with them, we’ll be safer.”
Cain was silent for a moment, unable to find a counterargument. So, Satin spoke up instead. “But we don’t know when they’ll be ready.”
It was certainly good news that the Midland government and the Bureau of Order were doing their jobs properly. This was beneficial not only for the citizens of Midland but also for travelers passing through.
The issue, however, was that they were public institutions, which typically meant slow decision-making. There was no reason to believe that the public institutions of this other world would be any different.
“The extermination squad won’t be able to set out tomorrow, will they?” Satin asked.
“You’re right…” Edward admitted, looking troubled as if he hadn’t considered this.
However, Edward’s idea itself wasn’t bad. Satin thought about other ways to gather people, outside of public institutions.
Fortunately, there was a suitable place. Cain had used it before, and so had Rita.
“What about the Adventurers’ Union?” Satin suggested.
Rita’s eyes lit up immediately. “That’s right, the Adventurers’ Union!”
“That sounds like a good idea. Beginner travelers often find companions through the Adventurers’ Union,” Edward agreed.
With Rita and Edward’s support, Satin felt a bit proud. However, Cain’s silence bothered him.
“What do you think?” Satin asked Cain.
“Not much,” Cain replied.
“What do you mean, ‘not much’? You don’t like the idea?”
“I don’t have any thoughts about it,” Cain said, though his expression seemed somewhat sullen. Satin wondered why. As he stared at Cain, Rita waved her hand from across the table.
“Leave the grump alone. He just doesn’t want anyone else around you,” Rita said.
“That’s true, I don’t,” Cain admitted with a frown.
Rita suddenly shivered. “Ew, that’s creepy.”
Edward scolded her for making a scene, but Rita continued to rub her arms.
Cain had more to say. “I can’t use magic in front of other people.”
“What?” Rita exclaimed loudly. Edward and Satin also looked surprised.
‘Is there such a restriction on using magic?’ Satin wondered, tilting his head. Rita furrowed her brow and challenged Cain.
“Don’t lie. What kind of magic can’t be used just because someone’s watching?”
It seemed that Cain’s claim had no basis. However, Cain simply shrugged without further explanation.
Watching the two argue, Edward asked, “Do you mean you won’t use magic rather than can’t?”
“Same difference,” Cain muttered.
Rita’s expression softened slightly. “Why not? Is there a reason?”
“I don’t want to show off as a magician in front of a crowd,” Cain said.
“Are you saying I show off?” Rita asked.
“You can do whatever you want. I just don’t want to,” Cain replied.
Rita looked puzzled, then suddenly realized something and frowned again. “Is that why you made me take the blame earlier?”
Earlier, Cain had set fire to the city wall with magic, and Rita had been taken to the Bureau of Order because of it. She had been offered blueberry jam while being questioned, all while her socks were visible through the holes in her shoes.
“Well, uh…” Cain mumbled, trying to avoid the question with a slight smile. It was a charming smile that could captivate anyone who saw it for the first time.
But Rita wasn’t fooled. She glared at him, looking annoyed.
Before Rita could challenge Cain to a duel, Edward intervened. “Is there some reason you can’t use magic openly?”
“I don’t have to explain myself,” Cain said.
Edward paused, then asked cautiously, “Is it because of the original owner of the magic?”
Satin was confused by this question. Then he remembered: Cain had said he stole his magic from a dead Black Magician. But why would that be a reason to hide his magic?
Seeing Satin’s confusion, Edward explained, “The magic Cain uses is described in the letter of accusation you two sent. He doesn’t want to be associated with it.”
In this world, magic wasn’t open-source. Cain had no teacher, and if someone asked where he learned his magic, he would have no answer. He might even be suspected of wrongdoing.
“I think the chances of that are very low, but I understand why Cain feels uncomfortable,” Edward said.
Edward did not press further and stepped back. Cain seemed somewhat dissatisfied but did not argue and simply turned his head away.
Rita looked confused, not understanding what was going on. “What are you talking about?” she asked.
Edward assured her that he would explain later, which seemed to calm her down. Watching this, Satin felt a strange sensation.
‘Is he feeling guilty?’ Satin wondered.
Ever since learning that Cain was a survivor of the fire four years ago, Edward had been notably considerate towards him. This was likely because Edward had initially suspected Cain of being an apprentice to the Black Magician. In reality, Cain had been a victim, and the Temple Knights and Bureau of Order, who had responded to Cain’s call for help, had caused the death of his dear friend—or so Cain had believed for four years.
From Satin’s perspective, Edward had no reason to feel personal guilt. After all, Edward had only recently completed his training as a priest and couldn’t have done anything four years ago.
However, emotions aren’t always logical. Satin himself was no stranger to complex feelings.
Edward summarized their situation: “If we move alone, Cain can use his magic. If we seek help from others, Cain won’t be able to use his magic. We need to consider whether Cain’s magic or the additional manpower will be more useful.”
Fighting one werewolf hadn’t been difficult. Even without Cain’s help, Rita and Edward could handle it. Fighting nine werewolves was naturally harder, but if the battle hadn’t taken place near the forest, they might have managed.
‘I didn’t realize area-of-effect magic required such careful consideration of the environment,’ Satin thought. In games, side effects like fire spreading from flame magic were rarely implemented, so he hadn’t thought about it. He nodded, appreciating the difference between games and reality.
“Do you have any good ideas?” Edward asked, misinterpreting Satin’s nod.
“Oh, no, I was just thinking about something else,” Satin replied, waving his hand. But then, a thought occurred to him.
‘What if we encounter something other than werewolves?’
