“You’re out of line, Svenden,” said the man by Kristoffer’s side.
“Let him speak,” said Kristoffer.
The margrave was unbothered by the lack of manners shown by the combat support division’s Rud Svenden.
“Regimental Commander Svenden,” he continued. “I assume that if you have spoken up, it is because you have deemed it a necessity?”
“I believe so,” replied the commander.
“I see. Then make it quick.”
What?! He’s been given permission to speak?!
Shiori had hoped he might be reprimanded. And yet, with a nod of the head, Kristoffer was happy to let Svenden speak. For a brief second, her eyes met the margrave’s, and for just a moment his eyes narrowed as he smiled. Before Shiori even had a chance to be shocked by this expression, however, his stern gaze had returned. Alec, standing by her side, offered a quick gesture with his hand, while Zack, too, gave her a quick glance. It was a few brief instances of communication between them.
They won’t let anything happen to me.
Given his rank and the circumstances, Kristoffer could not offer an outsider like Shiori support openly. However, he was one of just a few people who knew her true identity. Whatever the other leaders of the northern knight corps had in mind, Kristoffer was not simply going to sit back and watch.
Shiori had never been good when it came to negotiations, but knowing that she had support made it easier to relax. Still, she wanted to get through this on her own. And though she wasn’t sure she could, it was important to her to show that she could stand up for herself; she was not a delicate flower in need of protection. Her past party members had felt like they had her under their thumb, and she did not want to let such a thing happen again.
“If you want to say something,” whispered Alec, “don’t feel like you have to hold back. Give it to them straight.”
Shiori nodded.
“The mage with the black hair. Miss Shiori Izumi. That is you, isn’t it?” asked Svenden.
“Yes, I am Shiori.”
“I apologize for calling you to the tent for this meeting, but I wanted to use the opportunity to say a word of thanks. We are truly grateful to your research efforts and teachings, Miss Shiori. It is because of you that we’ve been able to keep the stampede damages to a minimum.”
It had been one day since they’d noticed the signs of possible stampedes. Ordinarily, by now, a large-scale stampede would have already broken out. According to Svenden, the reason that the smaller stampedes could be stopped before growing into something bigger was largely due to the search magic implemented in the knights’ sweep-and-clear strategy.
“We wouldn’t be sitting here having this leisurely meeting otherwise,” said Svenden. “It would not be an exaggeration to say that our ability to crush the smaller stampedes is thanks entirely to your spell. While we are dealing with a huge number of magical beasts, their numbers are finite. By keeping their numbers down, we significantly lessen the chance of a stampede. The proof of that is, as they say, in the pudding. That said, search magic has only been in use for about a month. It’s still being tested. It is safe to say we have yet to master it, and while it shames me to admit it, our troops struggle in dealing with the many plant-type magical beasts in the forest, which cause complications. It is in this area that I would like to request your help, which is to say, I’d like you to accompany a squad.”
In other words, you want me to do the searching instead of your knights.
Though Svenden had made a point of using the word “request,” the force of his words made it clear that this was more of an order. The man was essentially using their emergency operation to push his own agenda. Shiori felt frightened, but that did not mean she would simply acquiesce.
“If it’s advice you would like, I would be happy to help. Accompanying a squad, however, will unfortunately prove difficult. I am here today on behalf of the Adventurers’ Guild, as a dedicated search support member.”
“We are well aware of your position. And I am not asking you to do this for nothing. We are prepared to welcome you into our ranks as an official adviser. I know that life as an immigrant brings a great many challenges; joining the knights will guarantee you stability and status. I believe this to be a good deal. What do you say?”
“An adviser...?”
Svenden was a man who would bring anyone into his fold if they were useful—even disabled soldiers. His gaze was firm, his offer serious. Shiori was shocked. She couldn’t have imagined that the conversation would move so quickly. Her silence made room for another knight to speak up.
“Svenden, trying to get the jump on snatching up a talented prospect? Hardly praiseworthy behavior. My own division is desperate for such talent. And I think it’s fair to say that Miss Shiori would not be able to maximize her capabilities in the combat support division. She is an expert when it comes to the subtle handling of spells and combined magics, and we hold her highly in this regard. Miss Shiori, how about considering a researcher role in the knight corps magic division? We would welcome you with open arms.”
“If you two are just going to jump in like that, then don’t expect me to stay silent. Many in my own division would love to have her on the team.”
“Appelberg, Ronnegard, stand down.”
“We can’t allow anybody to have a monopoly over such talent. It’s only fair that she be split evenly among all our divisions...”
The men at the table were bickering, all of them speaking as if Shiori’s joining their divisions were already a done deal. Within moments, however, they had moved on to discussing how to divide up all the adventurers between their divisions. Perhaps, despite the cooperative face of the operation, this discussion had been their aim from the start.
The adventurers began to get a sense of this, and Shiori could feel the confusion drifting through the air. And while Kristoffer looked emotionless at a glance, upon closer inspection Shiori noticed his finger tapping rapidly on the table; the discussion was irritating him.