Chapter 26

After finishing my shopping and returning to Mr. Griffo’s mansion, as expected, Redelia was sulking.

It seemed that the children’s earlier words hadn’t had much of an effect.

She was sobbing quietly in the corner of the property, with both her body and the horses slumped awkwardly, making for a rather surreal scene.

Anyone unfamiliar with her would definitely scream at that sight.

Apparently, there had been quite a commotion at the mansion while we were away.

“I’m sorry…”

“I… I’m worthless… Please fill this trash bin with garbage that’s worthy of it… or better yet, dispose of me as trash!”

“There, there, I’m sorry. How about we sleep together tonight?”

“Mazdaaaar…!”

— And then, the next day.

With Redelia, who had somehow returned to her usual form, I faced Mr. Griffo.

“Thank you for everything.”

I bowed my head.

We were leaving Wigarlus to carry out Branch Chief Sigurd’s request.

Mr. Griffo laughed and slapped me on the shoulder repeatedly.

“What are you talking about? Once you finish the job, come back here again. Don’t say goodbye like it’s a final farewell.”

“But…”

“I’m telling you it’s fine. For the sake of the kids, too, you should accept people’s kindness.”

When I hesitated to reply, Mr. Griffo pressed further.

“What is it you really want to do? What’s most important to you, huh?”

I relaxed my shoulders and rephrased my words.

“Then I’ll take you up on your offer, without hesitation. When I return, I’ll bring some interesting souvenirs.”

“Sounds good! We’ll share a drink together then.”

We bumped fists.

And so, we left Wigarlus.

Our destination was the town of Miniger.

The inside of Redelia was lively during the journey.

At the new Elpida orphanage, Nag and the children were present.

After much thought and discussions with Mr. Griffo and Mitera, I had decided to bring the children along.

For their future, they should gain as much experience and broaden their horizons—this was the conclusion we reached.

In return, I vowed to protect the children.

They had finally found a safe environment.

I would never let them be lost again. I must not.

Through our time together at the shopping district, I felt closer to the children.

They were practically family now.

“Of course, that includes you too, Redelia.”

“Huh!? Wh-what is it!? What happened!? Is it a mistake, a punishment, or a reprimand!?”

“Calm down. I just said you’re family too.”

My sudden comment startled her, causing her to tremble. But by now, I was used to this sight.

As I gently stroked her crystalline surface, the trembling slowly subsided. This was also our usual routine.

Redelia, who had been blinking happily, suddenly spoke in a serious tone.

“Master, I have something to report.”

“What is it?”

“I sense something strange ahead.”

I tensed my expression.

Ever since the incident with the ‘Earth Whale,’ I had come to trust Redelia’s detection abilities.

Perhaps another threat that only she could perceive was closing in.

“Details?”

“I’m sorry, it’s still vague… But I might be able to tell more as we get closer. Please stay on guard.”

I nodded.

The town of Miniger lay ahead. As expected, something was up.

It didn’t look like we could just gather information and be done with it.

“Let me know as soon as you figure anything out.”

“Yes.”

I kept a watchful eye from the driver’s seat.

There were more people on the road now, likely because the large-scale extermination operation had settled down.

Nothing suspicious was in sight. The iron carriage moved along without incident.

Around noon, we stopped Redelia and gathered under the clear sky for a meal.

Thanks to our efforts, the orphanage was now equipped with facilities for cooking and laundry, allowing us to enjoy freshly prepared meals even during our journey.

I was grateful for that.

The cooking was mainly handled by Groza.

As an aspiring chef with useful skills, both the taste and presentation of her dishes were top-notch.

Even as we chatted, I remained vigilant of our surroundings. Mitera, who had been relaying Redelia’s information, was doing the same.

So was Fiole.

Although she hadn’t said anything directly, she must have sensed my mood. She never let go of the newly acquired shield, even during the meal.

By the way, I named that shield ‘Shield of Dawn,’ wishing for her bright future.

— But honestly, there’s no way I’d name it something like ‘Sparkly and Shiny.’

The first day passed without incident.

On the second day—

“Master.”

Redelia’s voice was tense.

I listened to her report from the driver’s seat.

“I sense the presence of monsters ahead.”

“How many?”

“A lot… But… It seems none of them are alive. Yet, the presence is unusually strong…”

Redelia herself was questioning her own senses.

This was no ordinary situation.

After proceeding for a while, we noticed that the ground along the road had been gouged out.

As if a giant snake had writhed its way through.

We cautiously examined the gouged ground, wary of any ambushes.

In a trench-like area, over twenty monster corpses lay scattered.

Some had been bludgeoned by something hard, while others had large holes in their bodies.

This wasn’t the ‘Earth Whale’… Who could have done this?

Could this be related to the disappearance of adventurers in Miniger?

If so, this would be quite troublesome.

I slowly scanned the area for clues.

“Ugh…”

When I saw ‘it,’ I instinctively covered my mouth.

Among the monster corpses, I found what appeared to be parts of a human body.

The surroundings were a sea of blood, long since dried.

And there, I recognized a familiar piece of jewelry.

It was far off, but there was no doubt.

It belonged to that man.

“Gabi…”

So, this is where you ended up…

From the looks of it, he likely fell while trying to escape, becoming food for the monsters.

How pitiful…

But, I suppose this is just karma at work.

If we proceed a little farther, we’ll see the town of Miniger.

I couldn’t imagine Gabi making it to Miniger without leaving any trace.

Redelia’s mysterious presence, the strange group of monsters, the connection to Gabi…

“Looks like something very troublesome is waiting for us…”

I muttered, making sure the children couldn’t hear.

And slowly, I urged Redelia forward.