183 181 Why they (2/2)

”I met him in front of the guild”

”Could it have been yesterday?

”Mmm.”

”When I came to see Diaz, it was a coincidence”

”That was a disaster. Because the Beast King is the kind of guy who mistakes negotiation for intimidation. You've been intimidated since before the guild, haven't you? But if it were, wouldn't you imitate selling fights to the Beast King...”

'What do you mean?

”Hmm. Can I tell you now? Why don't you sit down?”

”Mm-hmm. Okay.”

Diaz made me a cup of tea. Drink it and listen to Diaz.

”53 years ago. Me and Orrell are still running adventurers. The Adventurer Rank was also D”

But isn't that pretty awesome? By then, Diaz and the others should still be teenagers. So already rank D is fast enough.

”At the time, he was quite a heavenly dog, but one day he showed up to tear our pride apart.”

”That's the Black Cat Girl?

”Oh. She was a 15-year-old girl by the name of Chiara. It doesn't matter if she's Black Cat or not, the adventurers turned a hard eye on her young lady. I wonder what such a child can do. So did we.”

Adventurers are no different now or ever.

”She just shut everything up with her strength. It was a little too much, though. He slapped the fool relentlessly, dived into the dungeon with a solo, and continued to achieve results. When did she become known as the Black Cat and rise to the mouth of the adventurer?”

That's amazing. Did you even have any magic props? Or was it just genius?

”There was a lot going on, and me and Orrell were saving her life and partying occasionally. When we were together, she was a boring daughter.”

”Did you like that kid?

”Ha ha. Direct ball! I don't know. I'm sure I admired it though. Well, I'm pretty sure she was beautiful.”

I'm laughing, but that laugh looks lonely somewhere. I guess I haven't forgotten yet.

”She was looking for a way to evolve. You've already reached your maximum level by then. I was worried about how I could evolve. So, while diving into the dungeon and seeing Lord Lumina several times, he grabbed a hint at evolution.”

”Apparently?”

”Oh. In the end, because she disappeared before you could tell me what it was”

”You disappeared to evolve?

”No, you're not. He asked me and Orrell to help him evolve.”

That's certainly strange. If you disappeared of your own free will, I feel like I could explain why.

”I mean, I guess it's the result of being involved in some kind of case. We followed Chiara's whereabouts desperately. I also looked for clues. And I could get some testimony.”

”What's that?

”First of all, it seems that just before her disappearance, Chiara had a big fight with Lord Lumina. I don't know the details, but she said Chiara was yelling at me not to do anything extra. Orrell told me.”

What happened to you? From how Lumina is doing, I don't think she'll do anything harmful to the Black Cats.

”Well, in conclusion, Lord Lumina had nothing to do with this disappearance. I checked it with my heart, so I'm pretty sure.”

He was surprised at Chiara's disappearance and was sure he was grieving.

”It's just that I'm pretty sure Chiara was aware of the terms of evolution. And I believe that's a big part of Chiara's disappearance”

”Did someone target you or something because you know the terms of evolution?

”I thought so, too. And I found someone suspicious.”

”Who?”

”The Beast King of the time. He's the father of the current Beast King. As executors, the Blue Cat clans under their command. I don't know for sure, but I think I'm rather suspicious.”

At the time, after Chiara disappeared, Diaz and the others looked around to find out about them when they heard rumors that the Blue Cats had been visiting her inn several times.

And then Orrell follows the beasts' handouts and grabs some information. That was the story of ancient times, when the Beast King was not a gold lion, but a black tiger.

Diaz and the others seem to think that the Golden Lion took the throne after the Black Tiger was restricted by evolution by touching God's wrath.

That is why the present Beast Royal Family is afraid that the Black Tiger will take the throne they have obtained again. It is also because they erased past books and information, tried not to give hints about evolution, and used the Blue Cat Clan to persecute the Black Cat Clan to sharpen its power. So I guess I couldn't blame the Blue Cat tribe for their behavior of enslaving the same Beastman tribe either. Anyway, the royal family is the back shield.

The Blue Cats also earn money by obeying the Beast Royal Family and improving their status, as well as by silencing the slave trade. This is your chance to pull out the Black Cat clan, which has always been a superior. He also said that even though memories and such were manipulated by God, disgust and contempt for the Black Cat tribe who committed the great sin remained. The Blue Cat Clans seem to have been delighted to capture the Black Cat Clan and gone.

”He also tortured the Blue Cat tribe who was in town at the time - interrogating him and getting information that he had reported Chiara to the elders of the Beast Nation. Then, even the clan that was serving the Beast King sent an armed warrior to make contact with Chiara for some reason.”

Does that mean Chiara was killed or captured by the Beast King... You're right to keep your mouth shut.

Whatever, the killer is gushing all over Fran's body. I've never seen Fran so angry. It's good to be in front of you, Diaz. I can be absolutely frightened if the understatement is my opponent.

”Is that true?

”As I said earlier, it's just our guess. But I'm pretty sure the former Beast King is involved.”

”Yes.”

Fran stares into the void with dark eyes. If it had been before I met the Beast King, I might have stormed under the Beast King now.

But we know now. He told the Beast King that he would only die if he went to the dark clouds. Even though the Beast King alone is a monster, all around him are powerful men. At least you have to evolve to be a contender.

To sink his passion, Fran was holding his fist to the point of bleeding and shaking his whole body.

”If that's how it goes, we're not going to imitate it like we're going to the Beast King, are we?

”Mmm...”

Fran nods with sincere regret. If it's true, you want to challenge the fight right now and ask me everything.

”Do you mind? First, evolve and empower. Don't do anything reckless, okay?

”Mmm.”

Diaz also told me about her relationship with Lumina.

They were sick of Chiara's disappearance, and they made a pact for the second Chiara to show up one day - that is, for the Black Cat tribe, which aims to evolve.

Lumina created a new dungeon in the west so that the Black Cats could step in and be strong. What a treatment to say the west dungeon is part of the east dungeon, they don't have a master or anything.

Lumina also decided to build up her strength so that she could help the Black Cats evolve once they reached the level limit. I don't know if Diaz is familiar with it either, but Lumina seems to be able to help in some way, even if she can't teach the conditions of evolution. You just think it takes a huge amount of magic to do that, and you need to put in the power for decades?

In the meantime, we must conserve the magic of turning to the defense of the dungeons, and we must alert the powerful adventurers. That's where Diaz comes in.

Reported successful negotiations with the Dungeon Master. Let the country know the wealth brought about by the dungeon and its value as a training ground for adventurers, and plot to prevent Lumina from being crusaded by mistake. That's how he defended Lumina and gained the Alliance Master's seat as his own feat. To protect the Black Cats by gaining power.

Diaz's words had no lies whatsoever. In other words, Diaz, Orrell and Lumina said they were working together to find Chiara's revenge as well as to protect the Black Cat Clan. Well, you're in favor of Fran.

”Tomorrow I'll announce the promotion of Fran.”

”Mm-hmm. Okay.”

”However, you can already rank up, so you should go through the process downstairs.”