Chapter 380

I unraveled Mana and fed it to the Ranunculus flapping its wings while making a cute sound.

I could understand the reason Hugh Benson sent Marianne and Benjamin together with the rest of the mercenaries. Leon and John were guys who received the affection and attention of the God of the Sun all at once. He probably thought it would be a bit safer if they went to the holy site of the Sun together with those guys.

I also highly regarded the point that Hugh and Elwin, who have excellent skills, personally rescued the distressed people and kept their lifelines attached. They perfectly handled additional measures, such as safely transporting the distressed people. Hugh Benson’s judgment has always been accurate and within a comprehensible range until now.

Hugh Benson is appropriate as a person leading a group. Is there a need to refuse his request?

However, Ruben thought for a long time. The child’s troubled face was only puzzling.

“Why is that?”

“…I think Sir Hugh Benson is a type of figure who doesn’t hesitate in front of any matter.”

“Mm.”

“‘If it doesn’t work out, whatever.’ These words weigh on my mind. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] If Sir Benson thought he absolutely had to take the initiative, he would have said so to me too. But… Somehow, it sounds like he’s agonizing over ‘Is it okay if the other side takes the initiative?’.”

“…Uh.”

“Sir Hugh Benson wanting to have the initiative would be a rational judgment, and thinking he wants to hand over the initiative would be a judgment based on intuition. I don’t know which of these I should choose.”

You interpret those words like that?

Not knowing what would be good to answer, I hesitated.

I have always lived prioritizing intuition. The matters of long agonizing were handled by higher-ups, and I was mostly thrown into matters using the body, so the time piled up layer by layer formed me. If you ask me whether I trust reason or intuition, I would answer I trust my intuition built up over a long time.

However, Hugh Benson is an exceedingly clever guy. Unlike me, he was a person who led the group and judged on his own. Is it only once or twice I preserved my life receiving help from his sharp intellect. Because he didn’t describe the situation around him in detail, it was only even more difficult.

At that time, a knocking sound rang out.

It was Ivan Bikoff. Seeing he came alone leaving his wife behind, I thought he must have something urgent to say and opened the door for him. Ivan showed etiquette by giving a short silent bow to Ruben as he entered the room. Ruben also accepted that greeting without reserve.

“I came because I was curious about the conversation you were having earlier. Are you busy?”

Ivan’s gaze looked at the half-blue Ranunculus. Under Ruben’s tacit approval, I offered a chair to Ivan too and sat him down. Ivan, who listened to the story we were agonizing over until just now, did not agonize long and answered freshly.

“Permit both.”

“Both?”

“A Ranunculus can repeat the same words more than twice, can’t it? Utilizing that point, in the early part of the Ranunculus say you do not permit it, follow the command of the relevant commander. Say that, and after that, say you will give the authority to strip the command right and bring it if the command of the relevant commander is not to your liking.”

Ruben let out an empty breath. The child slowly swept and stroked under his chin.

Ruben was a guy who would try to take both if there were two choices. Wouldn’t the child have thought of this first? I immediately found the answer to the arising doubt in Ruben’s reply.

“But then wouldn’t it be that we can’t receive the Ranunculus back?”

“Of course, Yulan is a barren land for information, and it is a branch always lacking Ranunculus. But isn’t the Prince right here? Soon, additional Ranunculus will come in from various places. Send two or three as subs.”

The child did not agonize anymore.

“…Those words are correct. I worried uselessly.”

“It is natural that the person always on the frontline sees the most things and thinks the most thoughts. It is good to entrust tasks that can be entrusted. Moreover, didn’t you say the recipient is in Felix? At most it takes two days to go, two days to come. Since you can exchange news in four days, I see it as appropriate.”

Ruben looked at Ivan anew.

Even knowing the child’s marveling gaze wasn’t directed at me, my shoulders pointlessly shrugged at the wisdom of my close friend guy. Ruben praised Ivan with an affectionate tone.

“Baron Bikoff… speaks exactly like a Knight.”

“The frontline for a Knight is in front of monsters, but the frontline for a merchant is in front of a customer agonizing over a purchase. Since there is plenty of time to examine the other party, I naturally came to realize it.”

“…Hmm.”

“Then may I ask about the abnormal phenomenon we saw today now?”

The Ranunculus sent from the holy site of the Sun has not arrived yet. Since I also had the desire to convey the news of the other group members to Hugh Benson, sending a reply was a matter that was fine to put off. There was plenty of time to give to Ivan.

While steeping the tea leaves, I agonized for a moment not knowing how to start speaking.

I subtly looked at Ruben. The child quietly looked at me and blinked his eyes slowly. Ivan was my friend, and Ruben was intending to entrust it to me judging that it would be better for me to speak comfortably this way and that rather than Ruben explaining authoritatively.

However, for me, who lacks eloquence, there was no hardship like this.

I prepared and offered the properly brewed tea water, Ruben’s share first, and Ivan’s second. I also placed one teacup in front of me. Ivan first smelled the scent of the tea water, checked the temperature, held a sip in his mouth, and nodded his head.

I spoke.

“The gods said Ruben is one of the soul fragments of the first human.”

“…”

“The gods I met considered the first human somewhat repulsive. They do say with their own mouths that they don’t hate him, but the exact circumstances are unknown.”

“…”

“Doesn’t it say the ninth god, who lost the first human in ancient times, caused all sorts of chaos? Because of that influence, I am guessing if he didn’t receive the hatred of spirits, who are said to live eternally.”

Then Ruben swept his face with his dry hand and let out my name like a moan. Mikaa, worrying what if Ivan also got bewitched by that endearingly dragging voice, I examined his face.

The guy didn’t twitch a single eyebrow. Ivan, having swallowed the rest of his tea water, asked as if confirming.

“…You met a god?”

“Yes, it wasn’t intended… but somehow the gods called our group asking to solve their matters, so we got entangled. The God of the Sun said to obtain the divine relics of Biban and Yulan and use them to dispatch the ninth god.”

“…So?”

“I am curious about the whereabouts of Yulan’s divine relic. Do you perchance know anything?”

“…”

“…Mm?”

“Would I?”

Why doesn’t he know?

At that moment, Ruben, who was quietly watching our conversation, put his hand down next to the teacup on the table. At the gesture that he also wanted to intervene in the conversation, both Ivan and I looked back at Ruben. Ruben opened his mouth with an awkwardly smiling face.

“May I explain?”

“I ask you, by all means.”

Ivan replied promptly and sat turning his back completely to me. Having been confident that I explained neatly in my own way, the way that guy acted was exceedingly detestable.

The preamble Ruben brought out after wetting his throat with tea water was as follows.

“Do you know the news that the monsters of the Unique Mountain Range are moving south?”

While I viewed the squabbling between the gods more impressively, Ruben explained focusing on the Empire and the lives of humans.

The explanation continued at length that a group of black mages presumed to be fanatics of the ninth god was strengthening monsters and attacking the Empire and kingdoms, that the relevant group kidnapped swordsmen of Sword Expert Top-Class or higher to use as sacrifices for another spell, and that several black mages from the Cieron Academy were seen at the location visited following an oracle.

Also, he emphasized once again that the opportunity Ruben came to track the abnormal phenomenon in the sea was due to an oracle given by the God of the Sun. If Ivan saw the phenomenon and guessed the cause, Ruben’s explanation was that because he knew the cause, he examined the phenomenon. He informed in a calm voice that since their opinions were the same, let’s now find a method to track the whereabouts of Yulan’s divine relic.

Up to here it doesn’t seem much different from what I said.

And Ruben added in a calm voice.

“A divine relic can only be handled by the divine blood of each kingdom. As far as I know, the divine blood of Yulan is currently the King and his five children, a total of six… I heard the eldest is merely seventeen years old. It is an early period for a battle for the throne to occur.”

“…”

“The Empire’s informants inside the Yulan Royal Castle mostly have a high age range while having low status. Because of that, I couldn’t obtain a disguised identity that would allow me to directly contact the young royal descendants. So I ask you…”

“…”

“By any chance, is there a method to contact the young royals of Yulan separately?”

Instead of answering Ruben right away, Ivan looked at me and spoke.

“Did you hear, Michael? [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] This is how you make a request.”

Ruben is clever, so why is Ivan boasting to me?

My child being smart is a proud thing for me too. Tightly holding back wanting to say a word, I just nodded my head. Ivan promised to somehow find a method, and in return additionally secured one simplified contract.

Having heard all the things to do and hear this way and that, before leaving his seat Ivan requested time saying let’s talk separately for a moment. Since I too had very many things I wanted to say, I wanted to say Let’s do that right away, but I stopped at the gaze of Ruben staring at me from the side.

Do I have to seek permission from Ruben? What should I say?

We faced each other for almost more than five seconds. It was long enough to nod his head once, but Ruben didn’t permit it right away.

Could he still be doubting the purpose of Ivan approaching us? If that were really the case, there would be no need to reveal inner thoughts to this extent. Is my arm still a problem? Pointlessly, I clenched and opened my left hand once.

Only then did Ruben smile radiantly.

“Have a good time, Mika. I will be waiting. Since you overexerted yourself too much today… I want you to rest early.”

“Mm.”

“You can use the second reception room on the left on the 3rd floor. Since soundproofing magic is applied, you’ll be able to use it comfortably. Should I tell them to prepare even simple snacks?”

“Uumm… No, it’s fine. Because it won’t take long.”

Getting permission for every single action is somehow ticklish and bizarre.

Ruben urged once more saying Come back quickly. I stood up from my seat and guided Ivan. While exiting the room and walking the corridor, Ivan said incomprehensible words.

“I didn’t intend to talk for long either.”

“Mm?”

“Because I am a body with an owner.”

“Yes?”

“I’m just saying.”

“…Yes.”

Anyway, Ivan was a quite peculiar guy both in the past and now. However, seeing him calling the other party ‘spouse, spouse’ at the end of every word, somehow an unavoidable laugh came out. In any case, it seemed the guy was living happily and well, so I set my mind at ease to a certain extent.