It’s been a few days since I got rid of our shadow.

Since then, I didn’t find any other hints from other people following us. So I guess these guys really didn’t inform their boss yet, and with Thalia wearing a hood, is also helping us stay on low profile. But unfortunately I am still not sure how to deal with the whole situation.

There are a few options and I like none of them.

First, I could just get rid of him. But that would lead me down a path that I don’t want to walk.

Second, I could threaten him. But that is not really different from the first option, and there is the danger of agitating him, which could lead to a more dangerous situation. An adventurer threatening a noble is not a good idea.

We could still just leave, but I still want to do some research in the Royal Library. So, I am opposed to that, too. Especially now that my savings are at a comfortable level again. I am just waiting for one thing, before I can visit the library again.

Last, I could gather evidence of his crimes to bring him down. I think this would be the best option, but I am not really sure where to start. I don’t even know what his crimes are, even if I am sure that there are a lot of crimes where he is involved. Also, I have no experience in investigations like this.

Maybe I should ask the guild if they got anything out of the guys I captured? But I doubt that these thugs have any useful information.

Well, let’s think of it later.

In these last few days, Thalia leveled up, so she is level 12 now, and I increased my Magic Manipulation rank to rank F because of my continuous practice.

We are almost finished with our breakfast, so I guess we are heading out hunting again. Oh!? Or maybe not. There is a familiar scent that just entered the building. And it is actually a familiar scent. And fortunately, it is not someone related to that pig noble.

“Thalia, let’s take the day off today.”

“Huh!? We don’t go hunting today? What should I do then?”

“You can do whatever you want today.”

“Eh? But…”

Before she could say anything else, she got interrupted by a knock on the door. I already know it’s the person who just entered the inn. She is still confused, but she stands up and walks to open the door.

Usually, I would just sit and wait, but this time I also walk to the door. Thalia opens it and the shock is clearly visible on her face. The foxkin on the other side of the door is also frozen from shock. It took her a moment before she regained composure.

“Thalia!” Our guest immediately hugs her close.

“Sis!?”

That also brought Thalia back to reality, and she hugs her back.

After watching the situation for a moment with a warm smile, I leave the room quietly and close the door. I could hear a few sobs coming from the two girls.

I actually also tear up a bit. Damn, I am weak to situations like this. I take a brief moment to regain my composure and then walk downstairs.

Thalia being Rika’s sister, was the whole reason I couldn’t ignore her situation. If it were not for this, I am not sure I would have intervened. But the moment I realized the fact that I found Rika’s sister, even if just by accident, I knew I it was impossible for me to walk away.

Even though we just traveled together for a day, she became an adventurer I am friendly with. If I ignored her sister, although not blood-related, I wouldn’t be able to face her again, if we ever met again. So she was also the adventurer I sent the message to via the guild.

“Oh Benji. Didn’t you just get a guest?” Arriving downstairs, the proprietress calls me out.

“Ah, yes. But she had actually business with Thalia, not me. So I figured I let them talk alone.”

“Huh? With your slave?”

“Yes. Well, I don’t really want to talk about other people’s circumstances. But if they ask, could you tell them I’ll be back for dinner?”

“Ah, I understand. Yes, I can tell them.”

“Also, did Rika already rent a room?”

“No, she didn’t.”

“I see. I think she probably will stay here, too. So could I rent another single room? I don’t want a situation where every room is already occupied. I’ll figure out the details with her later.”

I think that Rika probably wants to stay in the same room with Thalia. So, there is a chance where I might be the one who needs another room. After renting the room, I leave the inn.

Well, now what to do with my free time? I guess I use that chance to refill my Blood Power. I still had no time to do this, since I was together with Thalia the whole time. But now that Rika is there, I don’t have to protect her 24/7.

I finished this first task in just about an hour. I left the city, tracked down a wolf, and feasted on its blood. It’s actually quiet some time since I last drank blood, so it was a bit weird, but other than that, I had no issues.

Back in the city, I went to the guild to ask about the two criminals I handed in. I waited for a bit until Nora was free and then asked her about them.

“Actually… there is a bit of an issue… The criminals you handed in got killed in their cells. There are no witnesses to what happened.”

I see… That guy probably got rid of them so that there is no evidence of him being involved. That is actually a problem. I thought he would just keep his distance from them and deny any connection to them. I might have underestimated the situation.

And there is another problem. Having the two guys killed means he had to get in contact with them. Did he get information out of them before he killed them? Does he know about me? Or the location of our inn?

Well, for now, Thalia should be safe, because Rika is with her.

“So, would you agree to meet the guildmaster? The guildmaster is quite upset about this incident and would like you to share your information, even if you don’t have proof of it.”

The guildmaster… He could be a useful ally, but I can’t be sure that he is not involved.

“I am not sure about sharing information yet. Can you tell me about him? I can’t really decide without knowing what kind of person he is. After all, I have to be careful.”

“Ah, right! You just recently came to the capital. That’s why you do not know about her.”

Apparently, the Guildmaster in the capital is a woman in her forties and a former B-Rank adventurer. Besides that, she is the sister of the current Marquis Leston. On how the sister of the Marquis became an adventure, that’s a rather complicated story, but in short, it went like that. She was always more tomboyish and trained a lot with the sword. At one time there was another noble son of an influential family, who tried to courtship her. But when she refused his advances, he got angry and tried to rape her.

In reaction to that… well, she beat him up really hard. Unfortunately, it didn’t go without consequences, because there were obviously no witnesses. Because of the pressure of the other family, she was disinherited, so she became an adventurer and rose through the ranks. Of course, she still has the support of her family.

“I think with this, you also understand that you can trust her with your case, right?”

I see her point. With that kind of famous backstory, it is unlikely that she has connections to that Viscount or any other part of the underworld.

“Allright, I’ll meet her.”