Published: March 21, 2026
Early in the morning there was a telepathic message from Yoru, telling us where our lodgings were; a few minutes later Yoru and Lattice Nail came into our room.
"Master, here is what you asked for."
The sun hadn't fully risen yet. Amelia and Crow were still sleeping in another room.
I took the papers Yoru was holding and stroked under his chin and head; he purred contentedly.
"Ah. Thanks. Lattice Nail, thank you too."
When I said that, Lattice Nail pushed his head forward in front of me.
I tilted my head, not understanding what he meant.
"…What is it?"
Lattice Nail raised his face a bit and puffed out his cheeks.
"Geez! I meant for you to pet my head too! You can tell when it’s her, but why can’t you tell when it’s me?"
"Well, knowing the feelings of women other than Amelia is pointless. Knowing Amelia's feelings is enough, right? Also, I won't pat your head."
I tilted my head back. What obvious nonsense was this Demon Clan member spouting?
Lattice Nail sighed and looked up at the ceiling.
"I was tied for first place with your girlfriend in the contest, you know. I'm losing confidence."
I still think the contest result was a fluke caused by lighting and angles.
I couldn't be bothered with Lattice Nail's foibles, so I looked at Yoru. He was looking at Lattice Nail with a troubled expression.
"Is something wrong?"
I asked as I picked Yoru up. His gaze shifted to the papers I was holding.
Come to think of it, I hadn't looked inside them yet. Lattice Nail had said something odd.
I unfolded the neatly folded documents.
And I noticed something off.
"Yoru, where did you find this?"
Yoru looked puzzled at the question, but answered while tilting his head.
"In the attic room of the Adventurer Guild. Lattice Nail said the same thing. Is this document that strange? A forgery?"
I stroked Yoru's head to calm his worried look; he reflexively purred again.
"No, that's not it. It’s too perfect. But the information is probably genuine."
Precisely because it seemed genuine, it was suspicious.
"If this was left in the Adventurer Guild attic, then there must be someone who wants to assassinate Gram. And someone close to Gram."
I nodded at Lattice Nail's words. We needed to act quickly before the target was taken.
"Wai—wait! Why would you jump to that just because it was in the attic? Couldn't it just be Gram's negligence?"
I nodded and showed the papers to Yoru.
"See? Odd, right?"
Yoru still tilted his head, so I felt a little mean and explained where it was strange.
"First, the paper is far too sturdy. The documents I saw at Uru's Guild weren't this durable, and their storage was sloppy. Yet this has no marks except the fold you made, Yoru; it's not creased or bent. I saw paper this sturdy at the Royal Castle yesterday. Also, it's weird that all the information is packed onto this single sheet… human trafficking, organ trafficking, murder, the names of mercenaries hired. It's all neatly compiled. Between the paper and the organization, it's like someone saved it as an offering to some king. Even one sheet like this could start a war. Human trafficking is taboo among the Beastmen, right? If someone close to Gram left this in an unlocked attic room claiming it was Gram's orders, either they intended to hand it to someone or they deliberately arranged for it to be stolen. Yoru found it before they could."
Yoru's expression grew progressively worse as he grasped what I was saying.
"Not merely a war. The Uruk royal family would be completely destroyed. If that happens, Lord Ria wouldn't be safe either."
The idea of human trafficking—detestable even to hear of among the Beastmen—coming from the royal household was appalling.
According to the papers, the trafficked people weren't limited to Beastmen; Humans and Elf race members were included as well.
There were probably the wives and children of those who bowed to me in Elf territory among them.
Having said I'd take in anyone I found along my path, I couldn't just pretend I didn't care.
"Honestly, I don't particularly care if any country in this world falls. But…"