Chapter 38

The Black Ravens Hideout
When Mr. Kernel spoke to the man at the entrance, he bowed deeply and went down the hallway.
After a while, the man returned with a sharp-looking handsome man.

This must be Boss Cynus, I thought.

Boss Cynus squinted his eyes and smiled, spreading his arms wide.

"It's rare for Uncle Kernel to show his face here. This place is like your home, so feel free to come and go as you please. You can even live here if you want."

"I'm already retired."

"Don't say that, come on in."

Boss Cynus smiled brightly and extended his hand, inviting Mr. Kernel into the room.

I had thought this place would be scarier, considering it's an organization that handles theft and assassination.
But what's with this homey atmosphere?

Not fully understanding the situation, SIster Emilia, Orlan, and I followed Mr. Kernel into the room.
Before us was a wide room with tatami mats.

I've never seen tatami mats in the Kingdom before.

According to ancient literature in this world, reincarnated people with memories of Japan, like me, occasionally appear.
In the age of myths, an ancient country used summoning magic to bring Japanese boys and girls, who then fought as heroes against the Demon King.

It's a fairy tale for children, so I don't know how much of it is true.

I had wondered if there might be tatami mats somewhere, but I didn't expect to see them within the Kingdom.

We took off our leather shoes, sat cross-legged on the tatami, and took our seats.
Boss Cynus looked at Sister Emilia and me, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"Uncle, who are these two? I don't recognize their faces around here."

"Oh, these two are my friends. This is Ian and Emilia. I brought them here to introduce them."

"I see... If they're Uncle Kernel's friends, I can't ignore them. Since you brought them here, it's not just an introduction, is it?"

The previously friendly atmosphere changed abruptly, and he looked at us with an icy gaze.

The intense killing intent was overwhelming.

I hesitated a bit, but Mr. Kernel, sitting next to me, slapped me on the back, saying, "Go ahead, speak up."
Thanks to that, I shook off the intimidation and addressed Boss Cynus.

"We're looking for a magician who escaped from the Elfast Magic Kingdom. Orlan mentioned that she helped an unidentified person and brought them here. We'd like to meet that person."

"Oh... Orlan said that... So, what will you do if this person is the mage you're looking for?"

"We want to protect them."

After listening to my explanation, Boss Cynus put his hand on his chin.

"He was being chased by assassins. I suspect that both domestic and foreign assassin guilds are involved. If you protect him, you never know when assassins might attack. Do you have the confidence to defend him in such a situation?"

So, the Elfast Magic Kingdom chose to kill the escaped magician rather than bring him back.

Boss Cynus probably doubted our identities and resolve.

I quietly took out a dagger engraved with the Royal family crest from my pocket and placed it on the tatami.
Seeing the crest, Boss Cynus nodded deeply.

"I thought you were just some noble brats, but I didn't expect such big shots. Uncle, did you know who they were?"

"I didn't. I'm not interested in such things. Ian is Ian, and Emilia is Emilia. That doesn't change the fact that they are my friends."

"You must know what kind of organization this is. The Royal Castle, or rather the Royal family, is our greatest enemy."

Boss Cynus stood up on his knees, threateningly.

I hadn't expected a peaceful negotiation since deciding to visit the Black Ravens hideout, but I didn't think we'd be this disliked.

Sister Emilia, sitting next to me, placed both hands on the tatami and stared at Boss Cynus.

"As you say, we are the Royal family. But we have no intention of fighting the Black Ravens."

"The Black Ravens steals and kills the rich and the nobility. To the Royal Castle, we are a gang of villains."

"If you say that, the Royal Castle also starts wars and kills many enemy soldiers. What we do is worse than the Black Ravens."

"You have an interesting perspective. No wonder Uncle Kernel likes you. Alright, I'll at least listen to what you have to say."

Listening to Sister Emilia, Boss Cynus calmed down and sat back down on the tatami.

I was struggling to figure out how to calm Boss Cynus down, but thanks to Sister Emilia, we were saved.