Once again, all eyes were on Wil. “Oh, me? Well... I’m an information broker at the moment, and I got this intel secondhand from a certain noble. I told him I wanted any info on the second princess he might have. Oh, and we can trust this guy, so no worries there. I’ve done my research on him.”
Wil currently wasn’t working as an alchemist, but an information broker who traveled from town to town. Merlin and the others all knew this.
“That’s right... You’re no longer working as an alchemist.”
“Yup. It’s what got me the title of Phantom Alchemist. We match now!” said Wil, grinning.
“Does it really make you that happy?” asked Toll.
“It does! It’s an honor to have something in common with the Legendary Party,” he responded, still smiling. Though it seemed more of a teasing grin than one that came from the heart.
“The ‘Legendary Party’? I don’t recall ever using that name,” muttered Lily, looking quite displeased.
“Wil, you’re derailing the conversation,” said Toll in an attempt to get it back on track.
“You’re right. Let’s get back to the matter at hand. Um... About the second princess, right?”
“Right. I’d like to hear the methodology and circumstances of her kidnapping in more detail.” Toll wanted to hear more and urged Wil to share.
But what he said was beyond what Toll and Lily had imagined. “To be honest, that doesn’t really matter.”
“Huh? What do you...?!” Toll was shocked by Wil’s reply, and tried to urge him to explain his thinking.
“Oh, I know that face! You’re asking why it’s not important.”
“Clearly, the second princess’s kidnapping is the most salient problem we’re facing,” said Toll. Lily and Merlin nodded in agreement.
“You’re right. It is a big problem, but if worse comes to worst, the empire can just bring the situation to light and deploy the Five Commanders. Other nations will help them too. Plus, whoever kidnapped her did so knowing about her powers, so they’re not going to kill her.”
“I-Indeed.”
“Then, just what is the biggest issue at hand? It’s not that. It’s why the demons decided to act now of all times,” said Wil, as if directing the question to Toll and the others.
They picked up on what Wil was laying down and gulped. “No way...”
“I can think of two possibilities: One is the birth of a new Demon King. The second...is the Demon King’s revival.”
As soon as those words had escaped Wil’s mouth, Merlin banged her fist on the table and shot into the air. “But we defeated the Demon King for good! He can’t come back! I-If he could, then why did he have to...?!”
“Calm down, Merlin. That’s only a possibility. We don’t know anything for sure yet.”
“But...”
“Toll’s right, Merlin. I was simply offering explanations. My first suggestion—the birth of a new Demon King—is much more likely.”
Merlin regained her composure and sat back down while clearing her throat. “You’re right. Sorry. Continue.”
After confirming Merlin had calmed down, Wil once again began to speak. “Well thankfully, the Hero of Ishtar was saved thanks to Lloyd.”
“I see... Wait, Lloyd?! He’s in Ishtar?!” Merlin shot back into the air.
“He is. And thanks to him, they were able to put a stop to the demons’ plan.”
Merlin sighed in relief and patted her chest. She had been terribly worried about Lloyd ever since he had suddenly run away. She must have found it reassuring to hear he was still alive. Once she finally came to, she sank back into her seat. “So? How is he? Is he doing all right?” she asked, her eyes trained on the past.
“Yup. He was kicked out of the Hero’s party, but he’s now with a party of S-rank adventurers. Actually, I guess he’s soon about to join them.”
“What?! He was kicked out?! There’s no way! Nobody would ever...”
Merlin had likely wanted to say, “Nobody would ever kick Lloyd out of their party!”
Wil was also well aware of Lloyd’s prowess with support magic. “You’re right. Even though you’re of the Philosopher class, your support magic can just barely outstrip his with the best of my potions—the ones I really toiled for.”
Wil’s potions were on a whole other level than those created by the average alchemist. When both made mana potions, Wil’s would be multiple times as effective. If Wil had “toiled,” those potions had to be quite the marvel.
Merlin sighed. “But that’s why there’s no way he’d...”
Lloyd’s support magic was at least beyond compare to anyone Merlin and the others knew, which was why it was so unbelievable he’d be kicked out of a party.
“Lloyd really is amazing—not that I’ve ever chatted with him myself.” Wil had known Lloyd since he was a boy, but Wil was a stranger to Lloyd. He was only acquainted with Lily and Toll, and he only regarded them as two of Merlin’s very few friends. “But shouldn’t he have a bit more confidence in himself? He’s, y’know, a bit too serious. He’s got the skills, but he can’t recognize it himself. Some people tend to hate that type.”
“Ugh, maybe you’re right...” Merlin had no rebuttal; Wil was right. There were plenty of such people in this world, and that was something Merlin knew painfully well. She had been a member of the “Legendary Party,” and while many called them “heroes,” that earned them the ire of the proper Heroes, as well as the envy of some adventurers. And that tenant only held truer for those who didn’t see their own talents.
“Yeah, you’re right, but...I didn’t want Lloyd to turn out like me. Someone whose overconfidence meant their comrade’s death...” muttered Merlin. Lily’s expression was equally gloomy.
Toll’s, alone, had remained stagnant. He looked straight into the two’s eyes as he adjusted his glasses. “We’ve derailed this discussion again. That’s all in the past. Hanging our heads and mourning his death won’t bring Sybil back. The only thing we can do is protect the future he created. Right?” he asked.
“Right... Being stuck in the past won’t change a thing,” said Merlin.
“It won’t. So let’s keep our thoughts focused on what we can do now,” added Lily. Both she and Merlin wore faint smiles.
“That’s right. So let’s hear Wil out and think of a plan of attack.”
“Hmm... You’re right. We made it out of danger this time, but there’s no guarantee that’ll continue. We’ll be too late if we wait to take action once everything’s all over. We need to fight back.”