Although I had some idea of what Hikari was thinking when she asked me for a speaker, I still didn't expect her to choose to directly use her own name.
Well, it's not that I didn't expect it at all. I should have thought of it when she reached into her pocket and took that thing out. I just deliberately tried to ignore the possibility.
In other words, the reason this situation has arisen is because I brought it upon myself.
As mentioned before, [Dawnlight], which refers to Hikari and her group, is a very special group among mercenaries.
Among the many mercenaries who rely on tasks such as escorting, handling miscellaneous tasks, monster hunting, clearing small restricted areas, and small-scale war mercenaries, which focus more on physical abilities, they are the only ones who accept lost item retrieval jobs, which focus more on intellect and reconnaissance skills, making them seem somewhat out of place.
Regardless of whether people love or resent them, their abilities are undeniable, judging by their solid achievements.
The only problem is that since Hikari chose to reveal her own name, it is tantamount to indicating that her actions this time are related to all members of [Dawn], rather than being a personal act.
But if you just want to protect one person, all you need is for those few people to get together, so why would you need others to intervene and help?
If it weren't for that last sentence, it would at most have caused a few gossips, but now...
The only possibility is that she was perceived by the majority as an imposter, or that the illogical aspects were deliberately ignored, and she was seen as a substitute for the object of their resentment, thus leading to acts of revenge.
It's naive, but that's how many people blindly follow others.
I couldn't help but feel a headache coming on from all those complicated twists and turns, and the development of events confirmed my guess.
Soon, someone jumped out from the restless crowd.
"Who doesn't know that [Xi Guang] always works alone, doesn't recruit new talents, and never takes on guard duties? What do you mean by pretending to be them to deceive everyone, little girl!"
This was immediately followed by another wave of agreement.
[Huh? Huh? How could I be faking it! I'm the real person!]
Another loud buzzing sound shook the crowd.
I'd completely forgotten that I was still amplifying this idiot's voice.
With a wave of my hand, I dispersed the shaping magic, lifted Hikari from the chair, and looked around at the menacing crowd that was closing in as they recovered. I gestured to her, "Let's get out of here first. We'll talk to them when they've calmed down."
The girl nodded, remaining still and obediently resting on my shoulder. She then raised her voice to the crowd that had gathered around her, announcing, "I'll be back tomorrow."
It seems this idiot wants to make things worse.
I sighed inwardly, and without caring if the archmage stationed in the city noticed, I quickly opened a door and slipped inside with the girl in my arms before the crowd surrounded me.
...
Stepping out of the transfer passage on the other side of the city, and after taking a detour to shake off any potential pursuers, I took Hikari, who was also wearing a cloak that was enough to cover her body, and finally found an inn to stay at a little distance from the dome hall.
After a quick meal in the hotel's cafeteria, the girl sitting opposite me still had her head down and looked sullen.
"I'm clearly the real deal, so why won't they believe me?"
She muttered to herself, forcefully poking the removed meat and bones with her fork, leaving marks of varying depths on the tender, stewed bones.
It seems this fool still hasn't realized that this isn't just a matter of belief or disbelief.
When she appeared alone amidst the crowd, and in such a vulnerable manner to solicit help, whoever she was, and whether or not they realized the truth of her identity, just based on that title, there were those who wanted to use her as a stepping stone to gain fame and challenge her.
It's quite normal, especially among mercenary groups accustomed to bloodshed. The sadistic urge to inflict violence on the weak and on the strong who show vulnerability is one of the most frequent phenomena. However, most people can restrain themselves verbally, while a few who cannot tolerate and indulge themselves will eventually walk to their final execution platform.
I've seen my supervisor handle it casually a few times, at least.
But this kind of thing... I just don't feel comfortable saying it to Hikari.
May this pure light continue to maintain its clarity for a little longer. That is my hope.
And thankfully, it seems that Yao didn't notice our escape just now, otherwise she would have nagged us for ages, then erased all the plans we discussed afterward and gone back to the one she originally proposed.
I would never want to lane with someone like Yao! I would be completely refuted by her words!
Fortunately, Hikari didn't dwell on the matter for too long. After a brief period of depression, she rallied and offered other ideas.
“Like I said before, if hiring mercenaries doesn’t work, we have other options.” Hikari held up a finger. “After all, this is the largest transportation hub, and almost half of the supplies and personnel movement happens here. In other words, unless the participants are traveling from the other side of the destination, most of them will pass through here.”
"Following this line of thinking, all we need to do is guard the main road leading to the Sacred Tree Fortress, find those groups of lone warriors, and then join them."
It's really impressive that she came up with a new solution.
I hesitated for a few seconds before retorting, "How do you know those lone travelers will set off in groups? And if they do form groups, shouldn't they also be able to take on any escort duties along the way? Otherwise, how can we determine if they are trustworthy?"
"Uh... obviously because they're bad?" Hikari seemed a little hesitant.
"Then a new question arises: should they protect us, or should we protect them?"
The girl glanced left and right, then suddenly stopped talking.
Although feasible, it seems this plan must be rejected.
Of course, the reason I'm being so meticulous here isn't entirely because I'm fussy. My initial plan was simply to post a commission, hire two or three people I liked, or even just pair up with others to go together. Even if I couldn't find suitable candidates, I wasn't completely incapable of going on my own. I just needed to take a few detours and be careful not to get surrounded by a pack of beasts—at least that's what I did the first few times.
Now that this idiot has suddenly appeared, my plans have to be changed.
When I brought her back to the garden earlier, I did consider leaving her there and coming back alone. But looking at her pleading eyes that were almost filled with tears, I couldn't bring myself to do it, and in the end, I ended up in the situation I am in now.
In conclusion, they brought it on themselves.
Or should we just send this idiot back? It would be much easier for me to move around if I were alone.
As I gently tapped the table, I was suddenly drawn to a sound coming from nearby.
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