Chapter 404: The Place Where We First Met - Breakthrough with the Forbidden Master

“…That’s pretty harsh. Hakuki’s demon remnants and the manipulated warriors of Japone, forcibly collecting from the people…… yet the real problem is …….”

“If Benlinerve is among those who’ve been altered… Well, given that Norja here has clearly been tampered with… the possibility certainly exists…….”

This was just Koujiro and Espie’s speculation, but to be honest, I also felt that it was highly likely.

But, something that can manipulate someone’s mind so easily……

『…… tis inconceivable …….』

At that moment, Tre’ainar, who was standing nearby, had a serious look on his face as if he was thinking about something.

「Tre’ainar…… is there something bothering you? If so, I can ask everyone else for their opinions…」

『…… No…… I am merely contemplating…… I suppose I must wait until I learn more.』

Was there anything about what we just talked about that bothered you?

Maybe my brain just can’t piece it together yet?

What the hell is Tre’ainar thinking about……

[Hahahaha, well, anyway…… Benlinerve and the other members of the investigation teams from the Empire and the Demon Realm were defeated and taken away… I believe I’ve figured out where they are~]

“”””””Eh…th, that was quick?!”””””

[Hihahaha, ain’t I amazing? Praise me more~♪]

At that moment, we were all surprised at the words of Paripi from beyond the magic crystal.

I mean, it hasn’t even been that long, yet he already figured it out?

“Hey, Paripi…… is that true? I mean, it’s way too soon… are you sure? Maybe you’ve got some kinda connection to those demons or something?”

[Haha~, how mean of you~, to doubt your right-hand man, boss. I’m hurt ~, yoyoyo. You can’t believe me? This pure and innocent me!]

“…… hey …….”

[Hiha, don’t get mad. But, well, I am not involved with them…… I just had a hunch from the start.]

“Wh, what?”

Unbelievable? What part of this is even remotely believable?

But, judging from his confident attitude, it seemed he had gotten some kind of lead.

Then what the hell ……

[The truth is, after the Great Demon King was defeated… even after the war ended, Hakuki was still lurking around the Demon Realm and the Surface World with the remnants of his forces… Turns out he’d occasionally show up near Shiznautmy too.]

“…… Is that right? Ah, I see. That’s why he’s using those ancient relics…”

[That’s right. Without the Master Key, he couldn’t go deep into the ruins, but he had a hideout not too far from Shiznautmy…… On the other hand, I also hung out at Shiznautmy from time to time, so I made sure to avoid running into Hakuki. You see, I’m supposed to be dead.]

Hearing this story reminded me of something.

Come to think of it, Jamdi’el was also using Shiznautmy for matters related to Kron, and Hakuki was also involved in that.

“Wait…… so Hakuki has been on the Surface World for quite some time now…… does that mean he’s pretty familiar with the area around Shiznautmy?”

[That’s right. Japone is nearby, so he must have been scheming a lot…… so I had someone investigate the area around the hideout a bit, and it turned out to be a hit.]

It’s a simple story when you think about it, but it’s pretty unsettling.

After all, the legendary Hakuki, who is said to be the strongest of the Six Supremacy, actually has a hideout of sorts on the Surface World, and it’s located near Shiznautmy and Japone.

Koujiro, Shinobu, and the others also had pale faces.

There was a monster just a stone’s throw away from their homes.

『Oh…… I see…… so that is what he meant.』

「?」

While we were all surprised to hear what Paripi had to say, Tre’ainar nodded as if everything suddenly made sense.

And……

『After hearing all Paripi had to say…… I too have discerned Hakuki’s hideout location…… Or rather, had I considered the possibility of him operating covertly in Shiznautmy even after the war…… No, truthfully, the moment I learned Shitnei was the son of Inai of the Bockmati Family, I should have realized.』

Did Tre’ainar figure it out too? Just from what was just said? Even though we only talked about Shiznautmy?

No, does that mean it’s close to Shiznautmy?

『Child, I have mentioned it before, have I not? There is a large city fairly close to Shiznautmy… Ikkanai City.』

“Ikka… nai?”

Where was it? No, I’ve heard of it. Recently. I’m sure it was……

[Hahahaha, huh? Boss! Hahahahaha, oh, you figured it out from that? No… I think it was… someone else who figured it out?]

“Eh? Big brother, are you talking about Ikkanai City?”

Ah, I said it out loud. That was dangerous. And judging from the reaction of Paripi now, it’s clear that he had figured out a lot about me.

So, Ikkanai City. Right, I remember now.

“If I recall correctly, it was the city that Espie, Slayer, and I were heading toward on our way to Shiznautmy … in the past era…… Yeah, now I remember…… that place was under the Bockmati Family’s influence…….”

[Hihahaha, that’s right. Originally, it was just a second- or third-rate outpost for the Bockmati, but after the war, it became a key trading hub for Hakuki, who occasionally roams around Shiznautmy, to conduct business.]

I see, so Hakuki and the missing Uncle Ben are also in that city?

No, even so, hiding an entire force inside a city would be impossible. If so……

[Hihaha♪ Of course, Ikkanai City is, on the surface, a normal human town, and there’s no way Hakuki, hundreds of his subordinates, and nearly a hundred captured investigators, could be taken to a place like that. Hakuki’s hideout is close enough to Ikkanai City for access but far enough away to keep an army and prisoners out of sight.]

Not within the city.

Not far from the city.

Out of sight.

A hideout.

A place where you could take over a hundred demons and prisoners……

“Near Ikkanai City…… Come to think of it, me, Big brother, and Slayer were heading to Ikkanai City as a stopover on our way to Shiznautmy, but we never actually went, did we?”

“Oh yeah… That’s right. Because back then, we got stuck deep in the mountains and—… Wait…”

“…… Ah!”

At that moment, hearing what Espie and Slayer had said, I suddenly realized something.

Judging by their sudden silence, they’d realized it too.

That’s right, we never made it to Ikkanai City back then.

Why was that?

“I see…… Young man…… I, too, do comprehend.”

“Mr. Chieftain ……”

“So it’s thus…… indeed, these past ten and more winters, we did not return unto that place… No, we forsook it. That land—yes, it was seized and stolen by those fiends…… true, in all these long years… we never once ventured to behold its fate……”

And Mr. Chieftain, who had been listening to the whole thing silently, seemed to have noticed, and smiled somewhat sadly.

That’s right, Hakuki is……

“So that means Hakuki… is using the elven village from over a decade ago as a hideout…”

And of all places, it was in the very place I first met Hakuki, and he ……

Author’s Note

See you again, little by little… taking it slow.

Oh, and it seems that Renta! made a commercial for Forbidden Master on YouTube…… For those of you who don’t know yet, please check it out.