Chapter 266: The identity of the scent (1/2)

Chapter 266: The identity of the scent

TLN: No way I would leave the chapter like that! So here’s one more!

This will not count in the sponsor chapter count. Enjoy! …Is what I would want to say…

Ugh.

A thin layer of smoke hangs over the store’s interior.

As I thought, an unpleasant smell is spreading.

It is an atmosphere that makes me wince a little.

For now, I ignore the mostly negative gazes that were being poured on me and search for the two I came here for.

It is not a big store, so I was soon able to find the back figure of the familiar two.

But it looks like I will have to hurry.

As I approach the two in fast steps, the more I could tell the state of the two.

This is bad!

Akashi-san is trying to open a small bottle for Yuduki-san!

…She opened it!!

Damn it, I didn’t make it in time.

…Now that it has come to this, might as well…

Go with the plan I previously had in mind.

“Azusa.”

I mutter in a low voice and call for my habitual bow.

At that moment, a sense of touch was born from my left palm, and I grab it.

No arrow prepared.

Without giving time for the customers to panic, I take stance with my bow, enhance it with magic power, and pluck the string.

“?!!”

With me as the centre, the smoke and smell that was hanging over the place was blown away.

A whirling wind spread while leaving the store’s interior.

Looks like I managed to do it well.

Since the time at the Demon race territory, I haven’t held back much, so I didn’t know how much to hold back here. Well, as long as the result is fine, it is okay, I suppose.

The bottle that Akashi-san had in her hand fell and broke.

The liquid that was staining the wooden table made one long strand down and quickly evaporated in a thin smoke.

From what I can sense, there’s no ‘smell’ remaining there.

Of course, in the interior of this store as well, and of course, it disappeared from the ‘inside’ of these customers and employees too.

Good grief.

That guy is beginning quite the outrageous thing.

So he doesn’t care about my warning.

The matter with the guns, and now this.

I remember the insides of the bottle and the smell inside the store.

Leaving aside the concept of it, it is the dangerous type.

…That damn Tomoki.

“Hey there, Akashi-san, Yuduki-san, what a coincidence.” (Makoto)

Even I know there’s no coincidence in this.

But still, I thought that there was no choice but to do so in this place.

Smoothing things over is not in my list of skills, so please forgive me on that one.

Akashi-san had a dumbfounded face as she looked at me.

…After looking at what happened, it can’t be helped.

It seems like Yuduki-san is trying to hold back her agitation.

She is looking at me with a somewhat stern face.

Looking at her tightened lips, she probably has noticed something already.

“…Boss Raidou, why are you here?” (Akashi)

“Yeah. You can’t fool us with that coincidence talk. I heard that you would be busy with the labyrinth for a while.” (Yuduki)

“Yes. In truth, more than half of it can be called a coincidence though.” (Makoto)

“That means there’s a part that doesn’t apply in the coincidence, right?” (Yuduki)

Yuduki-san still has that stern face.

At present, I have become somewhat knowledgeable about things like medicines and magic medications.

However, just like how charms serve the same purpose as talismans and amulets—wait no, the comparison wasn’t that good there. Charms are mostly turned into amulets and talismans are—wait, why am a beginning a lecture here.

What’s important here is that the magic medication that Akashi-san had in her hands was not the type for medical treatment and it was a type I still wasn’t familiar with.

I can understand it roughly, and I know the objective of Tomoki, so as long as they don’t ask for a deep explanation about it, there’s no problem.

The problem is, how am I going to tell them.

On top of that…

I look around the establishment.

Everyone was making a face as if they had been tricked by a *fox or a racoon* as they were trying to grasp the situation.

Doesn’t seem to be a good place to continue our conversation.

It enters in the area of private talk, so…at this moment…that place would be best.

It would be two birds with one stone after all.

“Yeah. Looks like I will have to get involved in the trouble of the top brass. Now then, it is already this late, so how about you two accompany me to the labyrinth?” (Makoto)

I can protect the secret, and if there’s anyone following us, we can easily lose them.

And while at it, I can search for Beren and the others as well.

It should be okay to talk in the grand labyrinth.

“I see. A place suitable for private talks, right?” (Yuduki)

“Y-Yeah…” (Makoto)

Yuduki-san slightly widens her eyes and whispers as if impressed.

She is nodding, so it should be fine to take it as her accepting.

Akashi-san was looking alternately at Yuduki-san and I as if she was half asleep.

“Then, let’s go.” (Makoto)

“Understood. Akashi, we are going.” (Yuduki)

Yuduki-san had Akashi-san stand, and leaves the store as if dragging her.

I leave some change at the store and depart as well.

At any rate…that Tomoki, to think he would turn his charm into a drug.

What an outrageous thing to think of.

If Senpai learns of this, a war between hyumans might occur before the war with the demons ends.

Hibiki-senpai would probably try her damnedest to stop it after all.

However, it is an incredible idea.

If you are not at his side, the charm will have no effect to begin with, and if you know of its existence, there’s ways to go against it.

Of course, completely shutting it out will depend on a battle of strength though.

It is strong, but in a sense, it is an ability that has its restrictions. That’s how I thought.

But putting the charm ability in a tool and spread it around in that way will dramatically increase the effective range. Moreover, that tool is a perfume. It diffuses around the area like incense.

The compatibility with the charm is quite good.

For the side that tries to prevent it, that’s a lot worse than placing an accessory on the target.

You can’t just stop breathing, and you will have to take in mind the direction of the wind at all times.

In the first place, there’s quite a lot of spells that can control the wind.

That guy…seriously only has brains for the most hopeless stuff.

I am impressed.

Leaving aside the fight between Naoi and Kannaoi, and the competition between all the Osakabe; right now, the currently occurring fight of the Osakabe has Tomoki or the Empire involved in it.

In the end, it seems like I will have to get involved with this city.

My head is already hurting with matters of the 20th floor. Good grief.

Without being able to find a solution for it yet, I follow the two and enter the labyrinth.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

Fourth floor of the grand labyrinth.

In the deepest place that the two bodyguards can go to, we take one big breath.

There’s no trace of Beren and the others.

At this rate, I can see that they are at a lower floor than this.

Just what in the world are they doing?

The three don’t seem like they needed to increase their level though.

Even in the floors after the tenth, they worked pretty well.

“Now then, if it’s around here, there should be no one to hear us. You two, it seems like you didn’t return to Iroha-chan’s place all day long. What were you two investigating?” (Makoto)

Leaving aside Yuduki-san, I am interested in what Akashi-san has to say.

The origin of that bottle.

I don’t thing Sairitz-san is involved in it, but I am interested in how far of the Osakabe household this has spread.

“…We were…investigating about a certain influential person that has the highest probability of aiming for Iroha-sama’s life.” (Yuduki)

“So, an opposing faction of Iroha-chan huh. I see. And who is this person?” (Makoto)

“How to say it, rather than calling it an opposing faction, it is more like that person is the one who holds the true authority at the Osakabe household at present. Iroha-sama doesn’t really hold that much authority.” (Yuduki)

Now that I think about it, I did hear that they are unrelated with the matter of the successor.

There’s already a political marriage settled.

She is being married off, so I thought she would be treated somewhat importantly, but it looks like that’s not the case.

And Yuduki-san, you are not going to tell me the name?

Well, if that person has that much authority, I can learn who it is by investigating, but…going through the trouble of doing that is a pain.

“And, who is it?” (Makoto)

“I would be grateful if you catch on that it is hard to speak of.” (Yuduki)

“Now now, it is Boss Raidou here, so isn’t it fine? The one that Yuduki was investigating was Tatsuki Kougetsu. He is one of the people serving long at a responsible position called chief minister in the Osakabe household. In words that a foreigner could understand…it is like a cabinet minister? Ah, Boss is a Wise, so maybe you understand it already?” (Akashi)

Chief minister…

I don’t know how much of it is the same chief minister I know of, but if it’s what I think of, I can tell that he has quite the authority.