Only I was surprised to see the Wyvern; Count Sofia and Rex were more flustered than I was.
We had to return to Feel in a hurry. Since I couldn’t leave Count Sofia, who was riding a War Horse, alone, Prim and I also borrowed Battle Horses, to which we hadn’t formed a familiar contract, and four of us returned to Feel ahead of time.
Well, I can’t ride a horse, so I had no choice but to cling to Prim’s back. You’ll be thrown off if you move your hands higher than my waist. She said that. I had no intention of doing so, but when I looked into Prim’s eyes, I felt she might really throw me off, so I nodded vigorously.
The Wyvern landed much faster than we arrived at Feel. Whether it’s a Wyvern, a Grantpus, or a Battle Horse, you’re supposed to use the stables of your respective Guild or mansion. So, after completing the procedures, we had to head there. Flying familiars like Wyverns are generally prohibited from flying within the town, but they are permitted when their masters are accompanying them. Therefore, by the time we reached Feel, the Wyvern had already entered Feel. “Welcome back, Count, Order’s Master,” two female Orders on guard duty greeted Count Sofia and Rex. Aren’t they not flustered at all? “Good work. I saw the Wyvern heading towards Feel earlier, has the Hunter’s Master returned?” “Order’s Master, you saw it too, didn’t you? No, it wasn’t the Hunter’s Master. The one who arrived on that Wyvern was Count Bismarck Ballman.” “Count Bismarck?” So it wasn’t the Hunter’s Master. Even though it wasn’t my fault, I was quite nervous, thinking he had suddenly returned. Besides, why would a noble come to Feel? Well, Feel is also a summer resort, so it’s possible it’s for leisure.
Count Ballman’s territory is to the south of the Royal Capital and is the furthest from Feel. It’s said to be a land rich in forests, with thriving forestry and agriculture. There are also labyrinths, and some of the materials obtained are rare and valuable. The Helios Orb labyrinth doesn’t have a Dungeon Master like in popular novels or games from other worlds, but the Labyrinth Core exists. Labyrinths with destroyed Labyrinth Cores disappear without a trace. The Helios Orb labyrinth is said to be either a natural phenomenon or a type of monster. It is believed that the demi-humans and monsters within the labyrinth exist to protect the Labyrinth Core, and the materials obtained from them are meant to lure in humans as prey. From what I’ve heard, the labyrinth is like a subspace, with an environment that clearly doesn’t resemble the inside of a labyrinth. Furthermore, the monsters within the labyrinth are diverse, with many species that do not originally inhabit the area. In return, their materials are rare and often traded at high prices. Dragons and Golems, in particular, are entire bodies of materials, so hunters who defeat them can obtain a lot of money, and the country and towns can acquire a large amount of materials, so destroying the Labyrinth Cores is prohibited unless absolutely necessary.
Among the Golems that appear in that labyrinth, there’s a lower-ranked one called a Puppet, which sometimes appears in mines. It’s said that Mithril Puppets have appeared several times at the Mylight Mine. They aren’t particularly strong, but their bodies are made of Magic Silver, making them difficult to defeat. As for Mithril Golems, only S-rank hunters who have evolved to High Class can effectively damage them, and they are usually requested through special commissions. These Golems and Puppets exist in the same variety as the ores found in mines, but they appear in labyrinths regardless of such constraints. This means that Golems and Puppets made of Adamantine Steel and Divine Metal also exist. In fact, it’s said that about 30% of Magic Silver and Adamantine Steel in circulation, and nearly 100% of Divine Metal, are from labyrinths. Although they rarely appear and the encounter rate is even lower, it’s said to be a waste of time to stake them out. I remember being overjoyed at the thought of obtaining Divine Metal when I heard that, only to be laughed at by Prim and Meena. “Yes. They said they came to the Hunter’s Guild to submit a request.” Well, the labyrinth talk is irrelevant now. Besides, why would they come all the way to Feel for a request? The Hunter’s Guild exists in every town with a Lord, as well as in the Royal Capital, so I would think their own territory would be sufficient. “Count Bismarck, you say? This is convenient, however. I don’t know what he’s here to request, but he came by Wyvern.” “Indeed. Did Count Bismarck enter the mansion?” “Yes. He said he would head to the Hunter’s Guild after lunch.” “I see. In that case, it would be best to take Linus and go there ourselves.” “Understood. I’ll send a few Orders ahead to Count Bismarck’s mansion. We believe it’s safe, but there’s a possibility that Count Bismarck’s Wyvern could also be targeted.” Certainly, this is convenient. The reason we couldn’t contact the Royal Capital was that a messenger traveling by land would likely be attacked by a pack of Wolf Species led by Black Fenrir, and the air route was unusable because Viscount Archlight’s Wyvern had been killed. However, by any chance, Count Bismarck’s arrival in Feel by Wyvern has made the air route usable, allowing swift communication with the Royal Capital. Furthermore, today, Prim and I captured the Retisencia agent, which increases the urgency. We need to quickly explain the situation to Count Bismarck and borrow his Wyvern. Fortunately, Count Bismarck has not yet gone to the Hunter’s Guild. Linus would likely accept the request itself, but whether a hunter would take it is another matter, which would be a waste of time. More importantly, it would definitely reveal that he came by Wyvern. If that happens, idiots like Noble Deers might make a move. “Yamato, Primrose, could you two also come? I don’t know what kind of request he’ll make, but in Feel’s current state, I don’t trust any hunters other than you two, so I think it’s best to make it a special request. Linus will probably say the same thing.” Indeed, depending on the content, it could become a special request for us, and even if not, I don’t think any hunters other than us would accept it. In that case, it would be less trouble if we accepted the request from the start, and Count Bismarck wouldn’t have to experience any unpleasantness. “Understood. You mean we should head there immediately?” “Yes. Linus will be contacted by the Order’s Guild, so we will head to Count Bismarck’s mansion first. Also, please arrange for security.” “Yes, sir.” The Hunter’s Master, who is away, probably considered that possibility as well, and may have put a bounty on the Wyvern. Well, even though it’s daytime, the hunters are drinking sake and gambling, and hardly go out for hunts. It’s also been three days since Black Fenrir defeated Green Fang, but that hasn’t been publicized, so they won’t act immediately. Whether they know the Wyvern has arrived or not, they know the Hunter’s Master departed for the Royal Capital using a Wyvern, so they might mistake it for the Hunter’s Master returning, or even if they confirmed he went to a noble’s mansion, they probably wouldn’t have the guts to storm a noble’s mansion at this hour. However, it’s always better to be safe, so we decided to head to Count Bismarck’s mansion. Side: Sofia The shore of Lake Veil has villas and detached residences belonging to the Royal Family, nobles, and wealthy Traders. Surrounded by the Mylight Mountains, with Lake Veil spread out before it, Feel is very pleasant to live in regardless of the season. It snows in winter, but it rarely freezes. Amister, which has many mountains, has pleasant weather in the summer but can get cold in the winter. Therefore, most nobles visiting Feel would do so in the winter. For this reason, almost all nobles have detached residences. It is because of these detached residences that Feel, despite being directly under the Royal Family’s jurisdiction, can have its governance managed by a representative executive, commonly known as a Provincial Governor, for three years. The term for a Provincial Governor is three years, and they are selected from one Marquis, one Count, and one Viscount. During their term, differences in rank are meaningless in Feel, and any nobles who try to force others to obey will be severely punished. By the way, Barons cannot own land, so they serve as deputies in towns within Marquis or Count territories. Viscounts govern their not-so-large territories by themselves. Currently, the Provincial Governors are Marquis Frederica Amatista, Viscount Archlight Diamante, and myself, Count Sofia Turmalina. Marquis Frederica took office this spring, but Viscount Archlight’s term will end next spring, and he will return to his own territory. I am in my second year. Although we are appointed as Provincial Governors, neglecting the governance of our own territories is not permitted. Therefore, if any problems arise in our territory, we are allowed to return temporarily, and the fact that there are three Provincial Governors is due to these considerations. Furthermore, since we are not prohibited from leaving Feel for three years, we can also return to our own territories with the permission of the other Provincial Governors. Count Bismarck Ballman, who came to Feel earlier, has never been a Provincial Governor of Feel before, partly because he was too busy dealing with the labyrinth. This is still the case, and he rarely even comes to the Royal Capital. I wonder what could have happened for Count Bismarck to come to Feel using a Wyvern? If it’s a request, for subjugation or material collection, he could just ask a hunter. His territory, Ballman Count’s Territory, is home to many skilled hunters. “This must be Count Bismarck’s detached residence. And that Beast Carriage, isn’t that Marquis Frederica?” Marquis Frederica? You’re right. The crest on that Beast Carriage is undoubtedly the coat of arms of the Amatista Marquis family. Why… I don’t need to ask. Feel is facing a major problem that the Provincial Governors cannot handle alone. We must report it to the Royal Capital immediately. Viscount Archlight will probably realize Count Bismarck’s visit as well. However, it is rude to visit someone of a higher rank like a Count without an appointment. Therefore, we should assume that Marquis Frederica has taken action. “I see. Even in emergencies, maintaining face and reputation takes precedence. Nobles are troublesome.” I understand what Yamato means, but without that face and reputation, nobles would largely lose their meaning. Besides, I thought he was of noble birth because of his family name, but is that not the case? “That’s how it is. More importantly, Count Sofia, if Marquis Frederica is here, shouldn’t we hurry?” “Yes. Let’s go.” Marquis Frederica had to become the head of the family at the young age of 12 because her predecessor died prematurely. The late Marquis Amatista was sickly, and she was his only heir, so she struggled considerably when she first inherited the family. I can empathize, as I have also lost my husband, but fortunately, she has two daughters, so I don’t have to worry about that, which is a relief. Both of her daughters recently got married, falling in love with the same person and marrying him. Moreover, he is a Trader who deals with the Battle Horses I’m raising, and I’ve had my eye on him for a long time. So, I’m genuinely happy. My situation is not important right now. Even though they are detached residences or villas, they always employ staff for management, so when I informed the gatekeeper of the visitor, they contacted me immediately, and an Elf butler appeared at the entrance. “Welcome to the Ballman Count’s residence, Count Sofia Turmalina. My name is Tonel Highlight, a P-rank Butler of the Ballman Count’s family.” Many of the attendants and maids, not just housekeepers, are registered with the Butler’s Guild. Of course, some work through connections, and there are also slaves, but a person’s credibility changes based on whether they are registered with the Butler’s Guild, so some people may be wary of attendants not registered with the Butler’s Guild. Since Tonel is a P-rank Butler, he is likely approaching 50, older than he looks. “I apologize for the sudden visit. I had an urgent matter, so I came without regard for courtesy.” “Not at all. We were informed of the situation by Marquis Frederica, who visited earlier. Forgive me for asking, but who are these individuals?” “They are the Order’s Master of the Feel branch and the G-rank Hunters who recently came to Feel.” “What! …Excuse me. Then, Count Bismarck is waiting, so I will guide you.” It’s unusual for two G-rank Hunters, especially those forming a raid party. “Yes, please. Also, the Sub-Hunter’s Master should be arriving soon, so please guide them as well.” “Understood.” Depending on the content of Count Bismarck’s request, it would be appreciated if the difficulty level were as low as possible. I have a bad feeling about this, but I can only rely on Yamato and Primrose.
