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In total, Cortina was attacked by three people. We seized them all and returned to the inn that she reserved for us.

Cortina stayed behind for a bit to go and thank the inn’s owner for informing Lyell about the situation. She made the owner check the room and see her note by breaking the window in a flashy manner.

She had no time to write a detailed message, and leaving the normal way would let Mateus escape from her eyes. Considering everything, she chose to go with that method.

This was a double room, so it was a little too narrow for the five Heroes, me, and three men on top of it.

Maxwell cast wind magic along the walls to diffuse the air and not let the sound escape outside.

“Reminds me, weren’t you a little too fast there, Nicole?”
“Huh, I-I think you’re imagining it?”

After the sound was blocked, Cortina asked me. Thinking back, I used my newly-learned muscle strengthening when rushing at Lyell, so it was natural for her to think that.

“I just dashed normally. Didn’t you see it yourself, Cortina?”
“No, I didn’t, that’s why I’m asking… But you’re right, you probably escaped my sight since you are so tiny.”
“Don’t call me tiny. What about you, mom?”
“Me too… I’m sorry, but I was looking at Lyell there.”

Fortunately, everyone’s gazes were concentrated on Lyell at that time. There was no one there who paid attention to my small—do know that I have been growing though—stature. If I kept saying that it was just Cortina’s imagination, no one should delve deeper into it.

Besides, I interfered with my own body and strengthened it, so I was confident that I didn’t leave any hints. Had I used threads to strengthen myself instead, I probably would have no excuses left.

Now that I think about it, Mateus knew that I used threads. I had to remember to muzzle him later.

“Now then, won’t you start talking? Where is Klein.”

Cortina pressed a question to Mateus who lay tied up on the bed. Honestly, I was feeling more and more hostile towards him. I was absolutely against Cortina approaching him on the bed. I knew it was important, but still, I hated the idea.

That said, the other two were out cold, so he was the only one we could talk to. Our goal was to catch Klein and to take back the taxation certificate that he took with him. So I understood that we had to question Mateus, the only conscious person of the three.

However, Mateus was instead pondering something with a pensive expression.

“Do you plan to keep silent this late in the game? Let me warn you just in case, but you don’t have the option of suicide with Maria here.”
“No way, no way. I do want to keep my life. Besides, Master Klein is not worth enough to forsake my life for him, right?”
“Then what are you hesitating for?”

He shook his head at Cortina’s question. He continued with a shameless smile on his face.

“I’m thinking about my future. Either you kill me, or I get a death penalty, right?”
“That’s right.”
“Right? But I was discouraged at the very end. I was made to know that there exist strong people that I have no hope of beating. I have lost my motivation to continue this work.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“I mean… I’m saying that I will spill everything, so won’t you let me go?”
“As if we can do that!”

Cortina was quick to refuse, but Maxwell cut into their conversation. He had his usual impish expression and was stroking his beard.

“No need to be hasty, Cortina. There might be some merit to us too in what he is suggesting.”
“Huh, you plan to believe this guy?”
“I could not possibly trust him completely, of course. However, making someone like him talk would take a lot of time. He might even give us false information before dying.”
“What are you suggesting then?”

Cortina swelled her cheeks and complained at Maxwell like a kid. Standing there with her hands on her hips and glaring at him made her look unsuitably immature for her age.

“Hmm… If we were to let him go, we shall give him two conditions.”
“Two?”

Maxwell turned towards Mateus and revealed a mean smile that he tended to show from time to time. He drew his face closer to Mateus and spoke in a scheming tone.

“First, you have to quit your work as an assassin. Never taking another job again.”
“R-Right. I will gladly accept that. I’d rather not fight a monster like that person ever again.”
“Calling me a monster, huh? Want me to make it so you can never open that mouth again?”
“Calm down, Lyell. Also, the other condition is that you would be under my supervision for a fixed period.”
“Under your supervision?”
“Simply put, I can use your power as I see fit.”
“Hold on, I was planning to retire and just go plow fields or something, you know? If I become your henchman, I’d just find myself in more trouble, won’t I?”

Mateus said in protest at Maxwell’s demand. Cortina also chimed in with her own objection.

“That’s right! Besides, even if you make him your underling, do you really think you can trust him!?”
“Of course not. However, if he decides to turn on me, I can always set Lyell on him. I wonder if he would be willing to take on such a risk just to deceive me?”
“Absolutely not. I never want to fight against that person ever again!”

He hurriedly shook his head left and right with a pale expression. So he was beaten up by Lyell to that point, huh? I wonder how scared he felt?

“So, what would you do? Of course, you can refuse, but in that case, I will have to ask Lyell and Maria to do their best to obtain information.”
“Like I have an option to refuse! I got it, I will talk and I’ll become your underling!!”
“I am glad that you are so obedient.”
“Cortina, I understand your doubts. However, I wanted to obtain more pieces for myself. After all, I just lost one not long ago.”
“Do you mean Haumea, Reid’s reincarnation?”
“Now now, I never said anything of the sort, have I?”
“Isn’t it a bit too late to—”
“There is no time for that now. Go on, tell us what you know about Klein.”

He stopped Cortina with his hand and urged Mateus to start talking. Mateus started spilling the beans as he was told to, all while stealing glances at Lyell and Maria.

“Klein is currently in a City of the Geeze Union called Sedim.”
“Sedim… Their Capital, huh?”
“Yeah, he contacted me a little ago. He is hiding there with the slave merchant, with the Jend Sect guarding them. That said, I am distancing myself from the other Jend Sect members so there might be some delay in the information. Based on the latest information that I have, he is definitely there.”
“And why are you distancing yourself?”
“The Head… is a battle junky, and well, I’ve been planning to take his head one day.”
“So your eccentric personality is due to his influence.”
“It’s partly my own innate nature.”

Geeze Union, like the Sword Kingdom of Alecmarle, was one of the southwestern kingdoms that had separated from the Southern City-State Alliance. They were in a truce with the City-State centered around Qaum. This happened due to the appearance of the Evil Dragon Colchis.

And it was also the place where Lyell was born.

“If it’s Geeze, Lyell should be familiar with the land, right?”
“Uh, no… Actually, I am not very familiar with anything outside of my village, Croix…”
“Goodness… So you really were a bumpkin swordsman.”

Maxwell responded in exasperation, and I fully agreed with him on this.