The Mysterious Child: An Adventure Tale Beginning with Numerology

After reuniting with Mererosu, we had dinner at a tavern near the inn.

The Elven diplomatic team had apparently been searching for Cure Potions at pharmacies and shops. As expected, Mererosu was able to find them quickly.

After reporting about the village, it seems the diplomatic team decided to temporarily halt their search for Cure Potions and shift to searching for the children.

However, even the Information Guild didn't have any information about the Elven children. There are no settlements between the Demon Tree Forest and this town, so it's thought that either Paraiso or someone else took them away without stopping in town.

When I informed Mererosu that Paraiso had headed towards the Dragon Capital and that we would start pursuing him tomorrow morning, she returned to the diplomatic team's base. She seemed quite busy, so we decided to head to the inn and rest first.

Mererosu returned to the inn late at night.

Really, good work.

The next morning, I woke up as dawn broke.

I washed my face and did some stretches, and when I went downstairs to order breakfast, Mererosu had already prepared everything.

"Good morning. You're up early."

"Good morning. I obviously couldn't sleep in."

Mererosu seemed somewhat restless.

Paraiso is probably heading to the Dragon Capital by carriage. It would take about 3-4 days by carriage from here to the next town, so we should definitely encounter them on the way since we're moving quickly with teleportation. I understand how she feels, but there's no point in being too impatient.

"Make sure you eat properly, okay?"

"Yes. Really, I'm glad you all are here."

When I spoke to her, she seemed to calm down a bit, and Mererosu put down her equipment and ordered breakfast.

I also ordered breakfast for everyone, then went back to the room to wake up the sleeping little girls. They were both groggy for a while, so I stuck Punisuke into their backs, which made them scream and wake up fully.

We all had a good breakfast, prepared ourselves, and then set out.

After greeting the unenthusiastic gatekeeper, we headed straight south on the deserted road.

"By the way, what happened to the diplomatic team?"

"They left town last night and dispersed to roads other than the one to the Dragon Capital. They said they'd leave this route to us and search by splitting up."

"I see. There is a possibility they headed to other towns or countries, after all."

There's a good chance that Paraiso isn't even the one who took the Elven children.

If Paraiso is involved in human trafficking as Cardenas said, they might have been handed over to slave traders before reaching this town. Many people would want them just because they're Elves.

A beautiful Elven girl who does whatever you say is every man's dream, after all.

"Did Ruruk-sama call!?"

I felt like Karmarike popped into my mind. Let's just pretend that was my imagination.

Anyway, if the children were taken for the purpose of selling, it's possible that only Paraiso is heading towards the Dragon Capital. It's natural to split up to gather as much information as possible.

And also...

"...The cause of the monster attack on the Elven village is still unknown, right?"

"That's right. How they passed through the Demon Tree Forest, and how they commanded an army of monsters including A-rank ones, is still a mystery."

There's more to investigate than just the whereabouts of the children.

We probably can't help much with that side of things, so at the very least, we want to confirm the safety of the children as soon as possible.

"Well then, shall we start teleporting? Saaya, please take care of that side."

"Okay~"

Once we were out of sight of the gatekeeper, we started moving along the road using "Relative Teleport".

We found them before it was even noon.

Saaya noticed first. We had her take the lead as practice for teleportation. When I teleported behind her, she immediately turned and said:

"This is bad! Someone's being attacked!"

Far ahead, we could see magical flames.

It looked like a group of several dozen people, but they seemed to be divided into two types: those attacking and those being attacked. There was no sign of monsters.

"Bandits?"

"What should we do? Take them out?"

"Well... Bingo. Let's help and earn their gratitude."

Even from this distance, my "Eye of Fiction" was working. One of the people being attacked had Paraiso's name.

He seemed uninjured as he was being protected by guards in the center of the circle, but it was only a matter of time before he'd be killed at this rate.

"Mm. Should we do it?"

"If Elen did it, there'd be deaths. We just need to capture them."

"...Should I do it?"

Saaya raised her hand, which was unusual.

Thanks to leveling up, she's gotten used to defeating monsters, but she has no experience in combat against people. She wasn't supposed to like fighting in the first place.

Maybe her mindset has changed after traveling in this world for the first time.

Since she volunteered, might as well let her do it.

"Alright, I'll leave it to you. Don't overdo it."

"Okay— 'Relative Teleport'!"

Saaya teleported close to the bandits.

I immediately teleported with the rest of the team to a position not too far, not too close. I intend to provide support in case of an emergency.

"'Tornado'!"

Saaya's wind magic hit some of the bandits surrounding Paraiso's carriage directly.

The bandits were blown away by the gale. Although they were confused by the sudden intrusion of a little girl, they soon launched an attack on Saaya.

Arrows, magic, throwing knives.

Various methods, but nearly ten attacks came at Saaya.

However, Saaya didn't panic. She calmly activated her skill.

"'Probability Manipulation'!"

A numerology skill crowned with the number 1.

Its effect is simple, yet—

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[ Numerology 1: "Probability Manipulation"

  > A royal-class skill that fixes random numbers to absolute numbers.

  > > It doesn't affect targets with will, but can directly interfere with substances including elemental properties, spell formulas, item effects, causality, etc. Truly the goddess of fortune. ]

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Well, it's a somewhat abstruse description typical of numerology skills, but it's actually a simple ability.

Basically, it can control anything with a random element. The only exceptions are living beings.

In other words, ordinary ranged attacks are out of the question, and it's a cheat skill that ensures nothing hits Saaya at all.

"Wh-what? The arrows were blown away by the wind!?"

"Who the hell hit my fire magic with water magic!?"

"Hey, I told you not to stand in the line of fire! Someone, a potion!"

And so, in a comical turn of events, the ranged attacks were either nullified or turned into friendly fire.

No matter how accurate the attacks are, if there's even a 0.01% chance of "not hitting Saaya," this "Probability Manipulation" turns it into 100%.

When I saw this skill, I felt Saaya's indescribable anger.

She's the "Absolutely No Tolerance for Ranged Attacks" person...

"'Ice Rock'! 'Earth Bullet'!"

Well, while the enemies' attacks don't reach her, Saaya's attacks do reach them.

As the bandits were in chaos with their attacks not connecting, Saaya accurately knocked them out one by one.

"Damn it! You creepy brat!"

Some of them approached with swords drawn.

Their judgment was correct, but even though she's young, Saaya's stats are all high.

"Hya!"

Using her overwhelming speed and power from her high stats, the little girl smashed the approaching bandits along with their armor. The light sounds of "Take that!" and "Hah!" don't match the scene at all.

Before long, all the bandits had lost consciousness.

Whether from tension or from moving around quite a bit, Saaya returned to me slightly sweaty. With her bangs sticking to her forehead, she smiled shyly.

"Hey, I did well, didn't I? How was it?"

"It was just like we practiced. Well done."

"Yay, I got praised! Hehehe."

I put a towel on her head to comfort her.

Now then, time for the aftermath.

I raised my voice towards the dumbfounded merchant and his guards:

"Everyone there, we are the adventurer party [Rozewill]. Please restrain the bandits while you can."

The guards, coming to their senses, hurriedly took out ropes and started tying up the bandits.

In any country, it's not legally problematic to kill bandits, but if you capture and bring them in, you can get a bounty. Perhaps because we had completely neutralized them, the guards didn't complain.

After the bandits were tied up and thrown into the carriage, a plump man with thick blue hair—Paraiso—approached us, wringing his hands. One of the guards was standing by, but... he seemed too intimidated by us to be of any use.

"Thank you very much for saving us."

"We were just passing by. Are you a merchant?"

"Yes. I am Paraiso of the Tabasco Trading Company. Young lady, thank you so much. You're so strong for your age."

"Oh no, it's not that impressive."

Saaya, in her polite mode, returned a smile.

Even though she's only 10 years old, she's quite a beautiful girl. After witnessing her overwhelming strength, Paraiso blushed childishly at her graceful smile.

...I'll pretend I didn't see that.

Also, the guards were awkwardly staring at the ground after Saaya described defeating about 15 bandits as "not that impressive." Well, that's a normal reaction, I suppose.

I'll pretend I didn't see that either.

"Do bandits often appear in this area?"

"No, it's rare. Bargia prides itself on having few bandits and being a peaceful country, but..."

"I see. You were unlucky then."

"Yes, absolutely. So, where are you adventurers from? You're all still quite young despite your impressive abilities... You seem to be well-known, but I assume you're not from Bargia?"

Paraiso's eyes sharpened slightly.

His merchant mode was showing.

"We're from Mataisa. We're traveling, and we've only been in Bargia for a short time, so it's natural you don't know us."

"Is that so? How's your trip in Bargia? Have you been to the Dragon Capital yet?"

"We're enjoying it as we sightsee. We've visited the Dragon Capital once. We're currently on our way back from a quest, but... our travel supplies aren't exactly abundant."

"Oh! Is that so? Then would you allow me to offer you some of my goods? Please accept it as a small token of gratitude to my lifesavers. Of course, I'll give you a reward separately as well."

"Don't worry about it. But since you're offering, could you show us a few things? What kind of products do you deal in, Paraiso-san?"

Naturally guiding him to check his inventory.

The flow was as intended, but the important part starts now.

Paraiso rummages through some boxes in the carriage.

...But I know.

Those boxes are fake. They're empty.

To begin with, it's strange that there's enough space in the carriage to load 15 bandits. For merchants, products are their life. Even just moving between towns involves risks and costs, so there's no way a merchant would move without loading products.

So where are Paraiso's goods?

Of course, they're in the item box hanging from his neck.

"Well, how about these?"

Skilled as he was, he pretended to take things out of the box while actually retrieving several items from his item box.

It was the first time I'd seen someone other than us with an item box, but it must be a powerful tool for merchants. It's understandable why Paraiso is the top earner of the trading company.

"High Potions, Antidote Herbs, and Holy Water?"

"Yes. Many adventurers are regular customers, and the Antidote Herbs are especially popular."

"...Wouldn't Cure Potions be more convenient for status ailments?"

"Unfortunately, we're out of Cure Potions. I apologize."

Well, of course. He supposedly sold them all to the Elves.

By the way, Mererosu is waiting far away. It would be troublesome if she was revealed to be an Elf.

"Out of stock? It seems like everywhere has low inventory recently."

"That's right. One of the ingredients, Almiraj horns, has been completely monopolized by the Dragon Capital... It's quite troublesome."

"I see. That can't be helped then."

Hm? Wait, Almiraj horns?

So the reason for the shortage of Cure Potions was the ingredient, Almiraj horns.

If that's the case, I have a pretty good idea who's behind this... I hope it's not just my imagination.

Well, anyway.

"Then, Paraiso-san, I'll buy 10 High Potions and Holy Waters. Also, do you have any rare herbs or flowers used for fortune-telling? Our girls are... well, girls after all..."

"Yes, of course! Just a moment please!"

Paraiso pretends to rummage through the empty boxes again.

By the way, Saaya and Elen stepped on my foot in response to the "well" part. Ouch.

"How about these? 'Spirit Bulbs' useful for feng shui, 'Star-hiding Flowers' that increase the accuracy of astrology, and 'Rainbow Shells' that are popular among young girls for color divination water bowls."

Here it is!

He did have the Star-hiding Flowers after all.

I put on a poker face and look at everything as if interested.

"I see, I'd like to get all of them if possible... By the way, how much stock do you have?"

"We have a fair amount. O-of course, these are quite valuable items, so I'd have to refrain from giving them all away for free..."

"No, no, I wouldn't dream of asking for them for free. Let's see... How about half your stock at 1.5 times the regular price?"

"What are you saying! As thanks for saving my life, I'll sell you everything at half the regular price!"

"Are you sure? Then, instead of a reward, I'll buy half of what you can sell at that price, and the other half at the regular price."

"What a kind heart... Then I'll bring half of the stock right away."

Well, we've lightly concluded our business.

From talking with him, Paraiso doesn't seem to be that much of an unscrupulous merchant. At least, he seems to have enough common sense to prioritize gaining trust over profit when dealing with his lifesavers.

Well, if he's the top earner of a steady trading company, he probably isn't a bad person.

It was quite anticlimactic, as the Elves had made him sound like the root of all evil.

I casually talk to Paraiso, who is cheerfully wrapping up the goods.

"By the way, Paraiso-san, may I ask you something?"

"Yes, what is it?"

"Have you been dealing with slave traders recently?"

Paraiso's hands stop abruptly.

"...Whatever do you mean?"

"I just remembered, I think I saw this carriage near the Great Forest the other day, and at that time, I saw Elven children riding in the wagon. If you're planning to put Elves on the market, I was wondering which auction it would be."

"..."

Paraiso remains silent, his back turned to me.

The surrounding guards are leaking a faint killing intent.

That reaction alone confirms it, but I'll push a bit more.

"...Actually, I like Elves. So much that I'd like to marry one."

I say with a grin and a wicked face.

To be honest, it's not a lie. So it's a high-level technique that can't be seen through as acting. Yes, this is a technique to draw out information, and definitely not exposing my preferences. Verdict: not guilty.

Paraiso glances at Saaya, whose face is as beautiful as an Elf's, and nods in understanding.

"I see, I see. I would very much like to help you with that... However, unfortunately, the Elves from the other day won't be put up for auction."

"Oh? Then where are you selling them?"

"...I'll trust you as my benefactor. Please keep this just between us."

Paraiso leans in close to whisper in my ear.

He doesn't want even his guards to hear.

"The one who ordered the purchase of the Elves was a noble from the Dragon Capital. Apparently, if we stockpiled Cure Potions and waited near the Lunera Great Forest, Elves would eventually come to buy in large quantities. Following detailed instructions was the condition, and they lavishly provided the cost of the Cure Potions and several weeks' stay in town. While we were waiting, sure enough, the Elves came to buy. As instructed, we made a contract to have them sell the children they wanted in lieu of the shortfall in payment."

A noble from the Dragon Capital?

Even I find this suspicious.

"Did you find out which family the noble was from?"

"Not that far. However, they seemed well-versed in sales routes that only nobles can use, so probably a noble who rose from a merchant family."

"I see. But it's strange, isn't it? For things to go exactly as if it was prophesied..."

"I found that mysterious as well. I acted according to the instructions with half-belief, but I couldn't understand why the children came along so obediently. I was nervous about whether the adults would forcibly stop them, but it seems that 'swearing by the Holy Tree' during the initial contract, as advised, played a big part."

"I see. So, where are the Elven children now?"

"As soon as we left the Demon Tree Forest, I handed them over to a different envoy. That envoy didn't seem to be a slave trader either, and this was my first time dealing in human trafficking, so I didn't delve too deeply. Therefore, I don't know where they were taken."

"...I see. Thank you very much."

"Not at all. I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help."

Paraiso looked disappointed at missing a business opportunity.

Paraiso didn't seem to be lying. If the events at the Elven village were as he said, the problem seems deeper than expected.

At the very least, it seems we won't be able to trace the whereabouts of the Elven children at all.

"Well then, here are your items."

"Thank you very much."

I paid and obtained our goal.

Just as I was about to report to Mererosu who was waiting, it happened.

"Master Paraiso! We have trouble!"

The leader of the guard team rushed over in a panic.

"What's the matter?"

"We interrogated the bandits when they woke up, and they said they were instigated by a noble's errand boy to attack us. They even received payment and were instructed to kill us for certain."

"What? Could it be..."

"Yeah. Probably to silence us."

The guard trembled with suppressed anger.

Paraiso sighed heavily and looked up at the sky.

"...Indeed, I should not have done something beyond my means."

"What should we do, boss? Should we let them talk and then dispose of them?"

"No. Let's turn back and hand them over to the soldiers in town. It's better to leave the information extraction to professionals. Also, it seems we've stepped into dangerous territory, so I'll explain the situation in detail to Cardenas and ask for his cooperation."

Saying this, Paraiso and his guards hurriedly began to pack up.

"I apologize. That's why we'll be turning back here. Sorry for the rush."

"No, please be careful."

The merchant group, having hastily prepared for departure, then went back the way they came.

We obtained the flower we wanted without using the letter of introduction from Cardenas, and if Paraiso himself is going to report to Cardenas, it seems we don't need to be involved with the Tabasco Trading Company any further.

But I feel like we're getting caught up in some incomprehensible conspiracy.

With a sinking feeling inside, I went to report what I had heard to Mererosu, who had been waiting at a distance.

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Author Notes:

  [Paraiso]

  > Human race. 46 years old. Originally from the Maguu Empire.

  >> In his youth, he was an A-rank adventurer scout. During a quest, he encountered an S-rank monster and was defeated. His companions were all killed, and Paraiso himself retired as an adventurer due to a leg injury. He inherited the item box, which was a memento of his leader, and moved to Bargia to start anew as a merchant.

  >>> Buying up valuable medicinal herbs and flowers in the Elven village was due to his intuition and business acumen cultivated over many years. He still doesn't know about the monster attack. While economic slavery is common in human nations, Paraiso actually made a fairly conscientious contract, intending not to buy the Elven children without their consent. Why the Elven children were so obedient is planned to be revealed in the main story.

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