We sat down nearby, and the receptionist started talking.
"Those knights think they are strong and are making fun of adventurers. Be careful as they will tangle with adventurers who come without knowing anything." (Receptionist)
"Are they strong?" (Yuna)
I saw them fighting Wolf yesterday, and I could see that they were quite capable. However, I didn't think anyone couldn't do it.
"They're strong. That's why no one can complain." (Receptionist)
The receptionist insisted.
"That much?" ()
"You might be able to handle it alone, but against that many people..." (Receptionist)
It was true that it was fine if they were alone, but you couldn't deal with all the knights. It was not just the knights I saw. It was normal to think there were more.
That was probably why the receptionist couldn't get angry at the knights yesterday, so she remained silent.
"It's frustrating. It's not our strength." (Receptionist)
"…Isn’t it our strength?" (Blitz)
Blitz spoke.
"You adventurers don't seem to know. As I told the girls yesterday, they're using someone else's power." (Receptionist)
"You said it yesterday, but is it possible to do such a thing?" (Yuna)
I asked what I couldn't ask yesterday.
The receptionist seemed a little worried and started talking in a low voice.
"It's a rumor, but it's said that fairies steal the magic from the city's residents and give it to the knights." (Receptionist)
"...!?"
At the receptionist's words, we looked at each other.
"Are there fairies?" (Yuna)
"Actually, I've never seen one, so it's just a rumor. But I've heard knights say things about fairies over and over again, like, 'Are you going against us who have been given the power of fairies?' They also call themselves fairy knights, so we believe that fairies actually exist. Above all, if we didn't borrow the power of fairies, I don't think weak knights would suddenly become stronger." (Receptionist)
Is Prim's older sister giving power to the knights?
If we investigated those fairy knights, we might be able to obtain information about Prim's older sister.
"But why do you ask about the Fairy Knight?" (Receptionist)
"That is..." (Yuna)
"Maybe you heard the rumors about fairies and tried to ask yesterday's knight about fairies? In that case, you should stop. They're the ones who get involved with women and children alike. Besides, even if you asked them, They won't even tell. Sometimes they divulge it themselves, but when I ask, they get tight-lipped." (Receptionist)
I was worried.
Should I tell the truth?
"Also, I didn't tell you yesterday because I thought you were going to leave town right away, but it's better to leave town soon. Especially those two wizards." (Receptionist)
I looked at Rosa-san and Ran.
"Why?" (Yuna)
"Regardless of the residents of the city, if you stay in this city, your magic will be taken away from you. It's not a problem if you're just making a living, but for people who work with magic, it's a matter of life and death. That's why the wizards of this town left. Well, it's not just the wizards who are in trouble, the craftsmen who use magic are also in trouble." (Receptionist)
"So, are we still being robbed?" (Yuna)
"Not yesterday or today. Your magical power is taken away once every few days in the middle of the night. If you feel tired in the morning, you should think that your magical power has been taken away. For those who don't know. You might think you've ruined your health." (Receptionist)
"Um, you mean the fairies don’t steal it directly, but just by being in the city?" (Yuna)
"I've heard stories of people being robbed directly by fairies, but in reality, they can be robbed just by being in the city. That's why you guys should leave the city as soon as possible." (Receptionist)
I also understood why there were no adventurers in this town.
Being in the city took away their magical power.
I also understood why that knight called themself a fairy knight.
There was a possibility that Prim's older sister was the one who gave the knight magic power.
I wanted to ask for more details, but I didn't know how much to ask.
"I'm sorry, but I can't leave town. Actually, we're looking for that fairy." (Blitz)
When I was worried, Blitz spoke for me.
"Are you looking for fairies? You should stop. There were people like you in the past, but no one has come back. If your life is important to you, you should leave the city." (Receptionist)
Does that mean they was killed when he tried to find out about fairies?
"What if I told you we would defeat that fairy?" ()
"There's no way we can do that. We don't know where the fairies are. If we try to defeat the fairies, that fairy knight will appear." (Receptionist)
In order to find Prim's older sister, I had to do something about that fairy knight.
"Umm, may I have a moment?" (Noa)
"What is it?" (Receptionist)
Noa, who had been listening silently, opened her mouth.
"Knights obey the king of a country and the lord of that city, right? What kind of person is the lord of this city, and what kind of orders does he give to the knights?" (Noa)
That was certainly true.
The knight was thinking the wrong way because they were too distracted by the fairies.
"Don't say that. I can't say anything more. You guys will be in danger. I can't help but be interested in fairies, but no more. Go back to the village." (Receptionist)
The receptionist said kindly.
"The same goes for you adventurers. If you value your friends, it's best not to go any deeper." (Receptionist)
I could tell that the receptionist was really worried about us.
Another option was to talk to the receptionist about Prim and asked her to help.
But I also felt like it was not a good idea to talk about Prim in this town.
If someone who had bad feelings towards fairies found out that Prim was related to Fairy Knights, there was a possibility that they would attack us.
I couldn't deny the possibility that the receptionist might suddenly attack us.
But if Prim's sister was involved with the knights of this city, or even the lord, I would like to recruit someone who was knowledgeable about the city.
I decided.
"Is there a room where no one can hear us?" (Yuna)
"Of course, there is. Why?" (Receptionist)
"I have something important to tell you." (Yuna)
Seeing my serious expression, she let out a sigh and said, "Okay. Well then, come here," and she led me to the back room.
"In this room, we can't be heard by anyone outside. So, what are you talking about?" (Receptionist)
"Prim, come out. I think it's necessary to extract information." (Yuna)
When I said that, Noa's pochette moved and Prim came out.
"Fairy..." (Receptionist)
"She's Prime. She's a fairy." (Yuna)
"That's a lie, fairies shouldn't be able to see unless they're on the same wavelength. But you all can see, including me." (Receptionist)
Everyone in this room had their eyes on Prim.
"I can't tell you the details, but if Yuna is there, other people can see it too." (Prim)
"I can't believe it. Then, could it be that you are the fairy who steals the magic from the city's residents and gives it to the knights..." (Receptionist)
The receptionist narrowed her eyes and looked at Prim as if glaring at her.
"No, it's not Prime. But it can't be said that it's unrelated. I think it's Prim's sister who gives those knights their power." (Yuna)
I told the receptionist the real reason I came to this town.
"Ha, the two children came to the town to look for their older sister at the request of that fairy. And, coincidentally, they met an adventurer they met before in this town and decided to help them." (Receptionist)
I didn't talk about things like Crimonia, the fairy forest, and the fairy mirror.
"Then, that dismantled monster was a lie." (Receptionist)
"It's not all a lie. I'm an adventurer. I wasn't the one who dismantled it, but I was the one who defeated the monster. I didn't think it would be believed even if I said it, and there was a reason why I couldn't tell you. " (Yuna)
"A fairy and a bear girl are adventurers..." (Receptionist)
The receptionist put her head in her hands.
"That's strange. I haven't had any alcohol yet today." (Receptionist)
She started escaping reality.
"Your tone is different from yesterday." (Receptionist)
"…………ah" (Yuna)
Wearing a bear and a cat mask, I spoke normally, completely forgetting that I was playing a weak, ignorant girl from a nearby village.
"I'm sorry. This is the way I'm supposed to speak. I thought it wouldn't arouse suspicion that way." (Yuna)
"That pretty girl was just acting, wasn't she?" (Receptionist)
Something about it made me feel sad.
Maybe it was cuter that way.
But a setup like that wouldn't last long. It would be discovered someday. In that case, the sooner you know, the better.
To begin with, I had completely forgotten about it and was speaking in a normal tone.
"Just to confirm, you're not an adventurer at your age, right?" (Receptionist)
The receptionist asked while looking at Noa.
"Yes. I'm not an adventurer, so don't worry. Just think of me as a normal girl you can find anywhere." (Noa)
Noa answered politely.
As someone who knows Noa's true identity, I wanted to poke fun at girls everywhere.
"Perhaps you're a nice young lady somewhere? Your tone and atmosphere are different though." (Receptionist)
She was a noble's daughter.
But Noa knew that she couldn't explain that, so she just smiled.
The way she dealt with things was also not like a normal girl.
"Eh, is Noire-chan a good young lady somewhere?" (Rosa)
Rosa-san asked.
"No, I'm just an ordinary girl you can find anywhere, so please call me Noire-chan as usual." (Noa)
She smiled like a young lady.
Maybe the daughter of an aristocrat was something that shines through even when she changed her clothes.
It was the same thing that even if I wore a beautiful dress, I wouldn't look like a noble lady.
"I wonder if it's okay?" ()
May it was okay because Noa wouldn't punish her even if they found out later that she was a noble's daughter.
In the first place, I called them "Noa" and "Cliff."
Thinking about it now, it wouldn't have been surprising if she was punished for lèse-majesté.
Author's Note
[Notice]
I apologize. It doesn't seem like there will be a fix for Blitz for a while.
Also, I will be working on proofreading a book soon, so I think I will take a break from posting.
Furthermore, I'm scheduled to get my third dose of the coronavirus vaccine sometime next month, so if I feel unwell, I'll probably take a break from posting.
As soon as we know the details, we will report it in the afterword if we can post it, or in the activity report if we can't.
* Thank you to everyone who reports typos.
Please note that some kanji have been revised to match the book, so some may not have been revised.