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In the guild’s investigation, monster tracks were found near the village, and it was concluded that it was the work of a Bandit Lynx.

Bandit Lynx, despite the name lynx, grew to be surprisingly large and powerful. They were carnivorous magic beasts with fearsome sharp claws and fangs. They were relatively common in Setulev and often caused problems.

Normally, they were creatures that found hunting prey they couldn’t finish eating more trouble than it was worth and didn’t indulge in killing. But if they were starting to take pleasure in murder, it was a problem that couldn’t be ignored.

The managers were retracing the steps of the guild’s investigation, leaving the village and walking through the hot and humid morning.

“I originally used to be a courier, not an information broker.”

For some reason, their conversation naturally turned to personal stories. Lucella had thought that Ivar wasn’t the type to willingly share his own experiences, but it seemed the time was right, and Ivar had no reservations when speaking to Lucella.

“I started as a kid’s messenger, but gradually, I ended up carrying more dangerous stuff.”
“Like drugs?”
“Very often.”
“Corpses too?”
“I’ve transported them. I’ve carried living kids, and that was scarier than the corpses.”

As he recounted his past, Ivar didn’t seem particularly moved. For him, it appeared to be a matter-of-fact account of his past, including the consequences of his work, at least on the surface.

“You entrust important packages to someone strong so it definitely reaches the target, right? But ultimately, they still die. The enemy anticipates their route, lies in wait with a bunch of tough guys, or sends someone even stronger to kill them. But, despite the fact that I was weak, I survived and became known for completing dangerous jobs.”
“How did you survive?”
“…Imagination. I had to have the imagination to figure out who wanted to kill me and what they were thinking at any given moment. I had no other means to protect myself but to have such imagination.”

Ivar took a moment to contemplate this insight before putting it into words. Perhaps, for him, sharing such a story was a first.

“During that line of work, I made connections here and there. One day, it hit me. Using those connections to broker information from one side to another could be a safer way to make a good living. And that’s around the time I took on the public face of being an adventurer manager.”

No matter how confident one’s crisis avoidance abilities were, Ivar likely thought he would eventually meet his end if he continued down that path. So he sought a slightly better environment, becoming an information broker. Even if it meant he couldn’t stay in Maltgartz, it had to be better than dying.

With that, Ivar’s storytelling ended. While he may have seemed quite talkative, he appeared to have no intention of sharing more than necessary.

“What about you?”
“I’m from Takka.”
“Ah…”

With just that one word, much was conveyed.

Lucella…once known as a man by the name of ■■■■■, hailed from a country called Takka. The country had been conquered and absorbed into the Maltgartz Empire over twenty years ago.

“So you’re from the generation that received the ‘Imperialization Education’ of Maltgartz?”
“Well… Thanks to that, I did get a proper education, so I’m grateful in a way.”

The Maltgartz Empire, established by its first and current Emperor, Richard, after a series of wars, was a superpower. The Empire had effectively dismantled the ruling systems of the nations it conquered and integrated them into the Empire, growing larger like an insatiable slime.

Incorporating the children of the conquered nations into the Empire’s education system was also part of the strategy. This allowed ■■■■■ to not only attend temple schools run by the temple for free but also enroll in advanced schools.

“Then, after graduating from university, you could have become a bureaucrat. You seem good at studying.”
“I didn’t feel like I’d fit in. Besides, even if I became a bureaucrat, my assignment would be in my hometown, right?… Getting promoted and gaining favor in the Empire typically involves having family in your hometown and establishing connections with local power players.”
“You don’t have family?”
“I’m from a war-torn region. My family, relatives, and everyone I knew died in the war before I was even old enough to understand what was happening.”

While he had received sympathy at times, ■■■■■ had never felt particularly lonely. Having no memory or knowledge of his family, they were effectively nonexistent from the start. He had occasionally compared his situation to those with families and felt he had lost out, but that was about it.

“So, why did you become an adventurer manager again?”
“It was for Giselle. When I met Giselle, she saved my life… I felt like I owed her, and I wanted to repay that debt.”
“I see, I get it now. So, that’s the kind of relationship you two have.”

Ivar nodded in understanding, as if something had clicked. Then, he grinned mischievously.

“So, you were only ever thinking in terms of gain and loss, huh? Have you ever been scolded by this Giselle perhaps?”
“Geh…”
“In society, that’s how it works, you know. It’s a place where large groups of people progress by balancing their interests. So, those who give back what they receive are considered ‘trustworthy.’ You were thrown into that world from the get-go, so you probably didn’t know how to deal with people who went beyond just keeping score.”

Ivar had probed into both the aspects that Lucella was aware of and those she was not.

When Ivar used the term “imagination,” this was essentially what he meant. He had survived through a deep understanding of people and a keen observation of others. These words were just a simple way for Ivar to check his answers.

Lucella felt a mix of embarrassment and frustration at her own shortcomings.

“And so, you’re saving lives and being saved in return, over and over again. Is that your intention with the Queen of Mount Kuguse too?”

Ivar’s words were relentless. He had no qualms about his straightforward and often harsh manner.

“Well, I think Mom would do anything for my sake, and I feel the same way. It’s not about debts. It’s because… I love Mom…”

Lucella expressed her feelings as if she were unraveling a tangled thread. It might seem similar to the concept of debts and favors, but it was entirely different. Lucella no longer had any intention of bringing an abacus into her relationship with Kafal.

Upon hearing her answer, Ivar quietly smiled, a wry grin on the corner of his mouth.

“You’re putting on a good face. It’s an expression of an overly spoiled brat.”
“…Is that supposed to be a praise?”
“It is, it is. I mean that you’ve grown. It’s better than being emptier than a baby.”

Ivar seemed cheerful, but it felt like he was treating her like a child, and that, at times, seemed not entirely wrong. Lucella could only sigh.

“Even in my case, my real parents were terrible, but the big brothers in the slums were good to me without any ulterior motives…”

Ivar’s words trailed off, and he stopped in his tracks. Lucella also noticed it. …or rather, it was more appropriate to say that even Ivar noticed that when Lucella did.

Normally, Lucella, who was more versed in combat, was far sharper in sensing the enemy’s presence, but if the enemy approached without bothering to hide its presence, then Ivar would naturally notice it too.

“Hey, look at that.”
“Yeah.”
“So it’s bingo, huh.”

It was supposed to be a nocturnal creature, yet here it was in broad daylight. A creature that typically engaged in ambush-style hunting, but it didn’t even bother hiding in the underbrush or the shadows. It revealed itself on the path leading into the forest from the open field.

It was one of the largest Bandit Lynx, a creature that had grown to the peak of its kind. It was massive, its build resembling that of a tiger more than a cat. It bared its fangs, drooling in excitement, and it maintained a crouched position, ready to pounce at any moment, steadily approaching.

For some reason, Lucella felt a foul stench that seemed to penetrate deep into her nostrils, as if someone had burnt a toxic substance. It was nauseating.

“What a terrible smell…”
“Smell?”

As Ivar murmured, he stepped back behind Lucella.

“Grrrrrrrrr!”

The magic beast growled and then charged. With its robust limbs pounding the ground and its eyes shining brightly, it dashed forward madly, claws and fangs bared, ready to strike its prey.

“Gii?!”

But its charge came to a sudden halt. A transparent ice spear jutted out from the ground, impaling the Bandit Lynx.

Pierced from its belly to its back, the creature dangled in mid-air, still struggling. The ice spear, despite its delicate appearance like glasswork, was surprisingly robust. The wound only widened as the beast writhed, and fresh blood flowed along the ice spear and onto the ground.

Branded by the world as the daughter of a Red Dragon and a Blue Dragon, Lucella had the ability to manipulate the powers of fire and water. In the ‘Water Country’ of Setulev, filled with the power of water, Lucella could wield her abilities freely, turning them into weapons to strike down her enemies.

The power surging from the ground continued to erode the Bandit Lynx’s body. The magic beast’s body then ruptured as it stayed skewered

“Instant kill, huh?”

Ivar, who had been watching the whole sequence of events, muttered in a somewhat exasperated tone.

With all the moisture in its body, including blood, under Lucella’s control, the Bandit Lynx remained suspended in mid-air, its body pierced from the inside by countless ice blades that resembled the thorns of a chestnut. Now, it was nothing more than a desiccated, ragged corpse, caught in a formation of ice flowers made from blood and water.