GILF Hunter

’So, you found no trace this time either?’

’That is....’

Priscia replied, breaking into a cold sweat toward the old priest who was looking down at her with a chilling gaze.

’If you could just give me a little more time and budget, I’m sure I can find her....’

’Enough. A decision was already made at the last meeting. The knightly order will undergo a new screening and be entrusted to someone else.’

’Eh? Th-then what about me...?’

’Since you’ve worked hard all this time, how about going down to the Minea Monastery for a while to rest? It’s a very quiet and peaceful place, perfect for resting.’

On the surface, it sounded like words of consideration for Priscia, but there was no way she could fail to understand the hidden meaning.

After all, was she not the captain who had missed the Saintess’s traces twice? Even if they didn’t say it to her face, rumors would surely spread far and wide that there was something wrong with the captain’s faith.

It was certain that she would never be able to return to the Grand Temple from the monastery.

’...Hah! No!’

Priscia, who had shouted that out loud unintentionally, opened her eyes. Only pitch-black darkness surrounded her.

Blinking her eyes, unable to adapt to the suddenly changed environment, Priscia belatedly realized where she was.

...It was on a bed.

’A dream...?’

Understanding the situation, Priscia let out a deep sigh and slowly raised her body from under the blankets.

Her pajamas were soaked with sweat and clinging unpleasantly to her body. Even the bedsheets were damp.

Priscia threw off her damp pajamas and washed her face.

As the cold water touched her skin, she felt her mind, which had been confused and intoxicated by the emotions in the dream, gradually returning to reality.

It was the worst nightmare she had had in recent years.

...Surely, it must have been because of that shocking scene she saw yesterday.

Since falling back asleep seemed impossible, Priscia started her day a bit early.

Stepping outside, Priscia accidentally ran into Frenda, who happened to be passing by in the hallway.

Of course, it wasn’t a coincidence; Frenda had been hovering nearby to spy on the atmosphere of the knightly order, but Priscia couldn’t have known that.

’Hello, Priestess Priscia.’

’...Hello.’

Frenda glanced at Priscia’s face with a slightly puzzled expression. Her expression was dark enough that one could tell something big was wrong even at a glance.

’Did something happen yesterday? You look very tired.’

’...’

Frenda, who had cautiously probed Priscia, could see her expression darkening even further.

’Ah... no! Nothing happened....’

Priscia shook her head, replying that it was nothing.

Even if something did happen, she wouldn’t honestly confess it to Frenda, an outsider to the knightly order. Frenda didn’t expect to hear a detailed answer either.

However... from Priscia’s reaction alone, Frenda could sense something strange in the atmosphere.

It was because Priscia’s face suddenly turned bright red, as if she had recalled something upon hearing Frenda’s question.

For a person who was so taciturn and cool-headed to react so emotionally, it was clear that something had happened last night.

Frenda glanced at Priscia’s face with such suspicious eyes.

* * *

’Sigh.... I’ve come again.’

Frenda had snuck out of the temple once more.

At least during the day, since everyone has schedules and moves about, there was little worry of being caught even if Frenda headed somewhere secretly.

...Of course, even so, visiting the building of a specific mercenary group so often was naturally not a good thing, but it couldn’t be helped now.

It felt like she was making the excuse that it couldn’t be helped every time, but this time it truly couldn’t be helped.

Frenda, who arrived safely without being noticed by others, first went to find Rin.

’Um, Ms. Rin. By any chance, the memo I asked of you last night...?’

’Oh, right!’

’Really, I told you it was a very important story!’

Frenda got a little angry seeing Rin let out an awkward laugh with an expression that said she had forgotten.

But Rin also replied with a face of grievance as if it couldn’t be helped.

’I found the Captain, but something big happened last night so I forgot. It wasn’t on purpose....’

’Pardon? What happened?’

Rin, who was about to answer, hesitated.

After hesitating without answering for a long time, Rin eventually looked away and muttered in a small voice.

’...Nothing happened.’

’What on earth does that mean.’

Watching Rin give the exact same answer as Priscia, Frenda’s doubt deepened further.

And Ian, whom she finally met, as well.

’...Captain. Did something happen last night by any chance?’

’Nothing happened....’

...What on earth happened!

The story that nothing happened was already the third time. By now, Frenda could sense that something immense had occurred last night.

However, Frenda ultimately had to return without hearing any kind of answer.

She thought about telling Ian directly to be careful of Priscia’s surveillance... but for some reason, even the knights seemed all confused now.

Frenda decided to wait and see for a bit longer.

...It was absolutely not because she had forgotten to deliver it due to being distracted by the kiss she briefly shared because of the Elf’s urging.

* * *

A warehouse that occupied an entire building of the mercenary group.

There, Louise set down a small box in front of Ian.

What Louise brought was a box containing several small potion bottles. They were samples of the potions produced this month.

’This is the sample to be produced this month. The rest will be sent to the warehouse as soon as they are made.’

’Yes. Thank you. Good work.’

Ian did check the contents briefly, but in fact, since the types of potions made over the past few months were the same every time, there was no longer even a need to send samples for verification.

’Anyway, quite a lot of potions have gathered.’

Louise looked around at the items already filling the warehouse.

After the workshop had successfully settled in.

As the number of working alchemists increased and sufficient manpower was filled to cover the volume needed for the shop and more.

The Louise Workshop had been mass-producing several potions requested by Ian and steadily bringing them here.

Since it was too much volume to use internally within the mercenary group, she thought he planned to hand them over to other mercenary groups or supply them somewhere. But Ian simply kept stacking them all neatly in this warehouse.

Thanks to that, the warehouse looked like it was about to burst with items.

’It seems like too much stock will pile up, will it be okay?’

’I plan to expand the warehouse further as needed. There will be room before the next items arrive.’

’Further from here?’

Louise spoke with a weary expression, looking up at the potion shelves filling the warehouse.

’If you gather just a bit more from here, there will be leftovers even if everyone in the city used them. Just how big are you planning to make this business...?’

Louise seemed to think he was planning to distribute these potions elsewhere.

Ian was stockpiling as much as possible for use when the time was right, but it would surely be hard to imagine using this much volume all at once.

...Honestly, even to Ian, it was an excessively unrealistic amount.

Seeing the consumables, which would have been simply expressed as ×9999 beyond the monitor, directly in front of his eyes like this, the scale was enormous.

’Production isn’t difficult for you?’

’Yes, the workshop is running smoothly... and besides, Emilia is being quiet lately.’

’...Really?’

’You should see for yourself what state she’s in.’

Ian asked Louise back as if it were unexpected. It was because the word ’quiet’ was attached to someone who absolutely could not have it attached.

Louise also nodded as if she understood Ian’s reaction.

’I suppose, perhaps because she completed the item that was her ultimate goal, she seems to have no motivation lately. If I tell her to do something, she just makes it as told.’

’...’

So... it seemed to mean something like burnout had come.

Well, understandable. The last thing Emilia created was a legendary grade consumable item that even Ian knew was impossible to create with alchemy.

Since she had created a potion that could practically be called a legendary item, it was no wonder she lost her motivation for research after that.

Louise thought for a moment and then cautiously asked Ian.

’Um, Captain. Do you know any interesting recipes? I think if you told her something like that, she might find some strength.’

’...Didn’t you say you wished she would be quiet usually?’

’Even so, a state like that is a bit.... Since she’s too quiet, it’s actually hard to watch.’

’I’ll try to meet her once the urgent work is over.’

Ian nodded and replied.

In Ian’s mind, there was a lot of information about items similar to the [Mind Elixir] he had created before.

He didn’t know the production methods, but just telling her about them would give Emilia enough great inspiration. After all, she had created the [Mind Elixir], which had no production method, by herself.

’Hmm....’

’...What have you been staring at so intently since earlier? Elena.’

Next to the two sharing a conversation like that, there was someone staring intently at Ian. Louise turned her head toward that direction and spoke.

Louise’s long-time acquaintance and a jeweler who had been indebted to the Ian Mercenary Group from before. It was Elena.

They had met by chance on the way here, and since she said she also had something to talk about, she had accompanied them.

She seemed to have stayed out of the conversation because it was about work... but it looked like she had a lot to say.

Elena was looking at Ian with a peculiar gaze.

Exactly at something on his arm.

’Captain Ian. You’ve gotten an accessory I haven’t seen before?’

’Ah, this is....’

Thanks to her habit of first checking what kind of accessories a person is wearing when meeting them, Elena immediately noticed that Ian was wearing an accessory she hadn’t seen before.

It was practically an occupational disease of a jeweler.

Elena continued her story before Ian could even finish his reply.

’It’s the same item as Ms. Rin’s. Did you divide an item made as a pair and wear them?’

’Oh my.’

Louise, who was listening to the conversation from the side, smirked upon hearing those words.

Having a pair of the same accessories divided between them....

Well, anyone would show a similar reaction upon hearing that.

Even if he explained belatedly that it didn’t mean that... well.

Wouldn’t it just add the reaction of being a shy person? Ian gave up on trying to explain.

Elena spoke seriously to Ian with a face that said there was a big problem.

’But Ms. Rin is the only one who’s wearing that.’

’Pardon? That’s because this is a unique item.’

’I see. It was certainly incredible craftsmanship. It’s the skill of a master I haven’t seen... you likely obtained it in the Labyrinth.’

Nodding as if she understood, Elena reached a conclusion on her own without giving Ian a chance to say anything.

’Alright. Then leave the ones for the others to me. I’ll make sure they aren’t inferior at all.’

’Pardon?’

’I’ll take the materials!’

Smiling confidently, Elena entered the warehouse room where minerals were gathered.

For some reason... even though he hadn’t made a separate request, it felt like he had been put in a position where he had to match a pair of accessories with everyone.