"Hurry up! Or are you still dazed from what you did last night?"
"Huh? What? What is she talking about, Ryan?" Mirian asked, bewildered.
"Don't you remember anything?" Karol said with a suspicious expression.
"You can chat on the way. Please, get in already," the guard intervened.
"Yeah, yeah, how annoying," Helen grumbled. And after complaining, Helen was the first to step inside.
Once everyone was inside, Ryan sat next to Helen, and Mirian sat on his other side.
The carriage began to move.
"There are plenty of seats, you don't have to sit here too, Mirian," Helen said as she leaned against Ryan.
Glaring at Mirian with defiant eyes.
"I could say the same. Go sit in front."
Karol sighed.
"Now that I see you up close, you guys are pretty strange," she murmured.
"Hmm? By the way, who is this little girl? Oh, I remember. She was at the inn when we arrived," Mirian said.
"It's a bit of a long story. Let Ryan tell you later," Karol stated.
"Don't talk to him so casually!" Helen grumbled, glaring at her fiercely.
"Alright, that's enough. This is Karol... and well, I met her recently. She helped me with something, and that's why she's here too. She was probably the one the guards contacted first before coming to look for us."
"That's right!" Karol nodded.
They began to talk. Helen and Mirian had many questions, but Ryan refused to answer, as he would likely have to repeat the same explanation to the baron.
So he told them they would hear everything once they arrived.
Reluctantly, they agreed.
During the ride, Karol remained quiet, which was quite unusual. Once they arrived, they were invited inside. The house wasn't very large.
They were led to a room on the first floor, where they found a woman dressed in a typical maid outfit.
She had them take a seat and went to inform the baron that the guests had arrived.
"Mister Ryan! Karol!" a boy's voice came from one of the doors.
"So this is where you were," Karol replied with a smile.
The boy stood in front of Ryan.
"Are you alright, brat?" Ryan asked.
"Yes, they treated me very well in the infirmary, and they brought me here this morning. Lord Thomas said my father is coming to pick me up. He should arrive soon."
"And do you really know these people?" Ryan asked.
"Yes, Mister Thomas is always with my dad," the little boy affirmed.
"Tsk." Helen rose from her seat.
"Are you going to tell us what happened these past few days or what? This annoying blue-haired girl, and that brat over there... Everyone seems to know you, but I have no idea what kind of relationship you have with them."
"I want to know too. Please, Ryan, tell us what happened. We were so worried looking for you, and now you're being a total mystery," Mirian added with a gentle tone in her voice.
Ryan rested his elbow on the armrest and leaned his chin on his hand.
He was about to speak, but a voice interrupted him.
"I'll explain it to you." The voice of a man in a black suit echoed as he entered the room.
When he stood before them, the same woman from earlier accompanied him. He made a gesture to her, and she told the boy it was time to continue with his homework, so she left with him.
"So, are you this baron?" Helen asked.
"Yes, but you may call me Thomas." He walked to the center and sat in one of the armchairs facing them.
For a moment, everyone remained silent. Ryan used Inspect on the Baron. He noticed nothing unusual. He was a B-rank man who lacked the typical distinctive title he had seen on holy knights so far.
Though he remembered his previous encounter with a noble and began to feel uneasy. There were also things he wanted to ask.
However, Helen, impatient as always, spoke first.
"Alright, Baron, Thomas, or whatever... we're listening. Tell us what you said you'd explain."
Thomas began explaining his relationship with the boy's father and why he was there.
Although Ryan wasn't entirely convinced, Thomas showed him a memory crystal, where scenes of meetings and celebrations with the Viscount could be seen.
It turned out the boy's father was a viscount from the nation of Varvylon and also the leader of the Merchant Guild.
Thomas worked for the viscount.
He also recounted what Ryan had told the guards and how he had rescued the boy alongside Karol.
Ryan added a bit more about what happened, including the fact that he had to fight demons from another territory.
Helen and Mirian were thoroughly shocked. They never imagined Ryan had actually been in demon territory.
"That makes things even more troublesome. If someone kidnapped Alan and it was orchestrated by a demon king, it means the demons are planning bizarre experiments," the baron commented, clasping his hands tightly together.
"Demon King Rigal is notorious for his cruelty..." Thomas affirmed.
And after a brief silence, Thomas spoke again.
"I came here on the viscount's orders a few days ago, but I never imagined Alan would turn up so far away. In fact, his disappearance was reported a week ago at the Varvylon Adventurers' Guild. The viscount offered a massive reward, so many adventurers set out to find him."
"Do you have any idea who might want to harm the viscount?" Ryan asked.
"To be honest, the list is long. But I find it hard to believe any of them would go this far. The viscount should arrive in two or three days, so I ask that you wait. He will make sure to reward you properly."
"Reward?" Helen muttered.
"Is that all you can think about?" Mirian complained.
"Of course not. But if they want to reward us, I don't see the problem."
"Such greed... especially for an S-rank," Karol commented.
"Tsk. By the way, something doesn't add up. You say this girl helped with the rescue? But she's just a child," Helen questioned.
"I'm not just a child." Karol stood up and walked toward Helen. She placed her hands on both of Helen's cheeks.
She began draining her mana until she returned to her adult form. Feeling her energy being drained, Helen swatted at her, and Karol activated a barrier.
"See? I'm a mage."
However, due to the small amount of mana she absorbed and spending it on the barrier, she reverted almost immediately to her child form.
"What kind of creature are you?" Helen muttered with disdain.
Mirian stepped closer and observed her with curiosity.
"Hmm... now I get it. You're a mage and a cursed wizard. Were you really that foolish?" Mirian asked, furrowing her brow.
"Hey! Don't make fun of me!" Karol complained.
"That's enough, both of you!" Ryan scolded them.
Then he turned back to Thomas, who was watching them in astonishment at how peculiar this party was.
"To be honest, we can't wait for the viscount. We should already be heading back to our city to report on the quest..."
"But Ryan!" Helen complained.
Mirian sat down, crossing her legs.
"That's true... we didn't gather any materials because we were busy looking for Ryan. Sophia is definitely going to be furious this time."
'How did you manage not to gather anything?' he thought.
"In that case..." Thomas intervened.
"You can ask me for anything. I will reward you on the Viscount's behalf."
"Huh? Can we really ask for anything?" Ryan asked, feeling a brief sense of relief.
"Yes..."
"Can you give us a wyvern?" Helen asked.
"Of course not!" Thomas replied instantly.
"Tsk." Helen clicked her tongue.
'I guess this Baron isn't as wealthy as he made himself out to be.'
"Then how about giving us materials to craft scrolls? For now, we'll settle for that."
"I believe I can help you with that. I can have materials brought from Varvylon, but it will take at least three days. Although materials are usually gathered in this town, everything gets shipped to the guilds. It's not like we have a warehouse here."
"Damn it," Ryan muttered. "That's too long, there's no way we can wait. You'll have to send them directly to Lunar Veil, though we still won't complete the quest on time anyway."
Helen crossed her arms.
"Tsk, no wyverns, no materials... but you said anything. So, what can you give us today?"
Thomas swallowed hard.
"Actually... I was thinking of land, or perhaps a title... or money."
'Land?' Ryan stood up.
"Then can you give me a property in this town?"
"Yes, of course. And I'm certain the Viscount will also send you the reward he promised the Adventurers' Guild for rescuing his son."
"Are you planning to live here, Ryan?" Helen asked with doubt.
"No, but owning a property here isn't a bad idea. We'll probably come back someday, don't you think?"
"Yeah, you're right," Mirian agreed.
After the meeting, they agreed to meet later so Thomas could give Ryan the location of his new property. In addition to that, he said he would send the requested materials directly to the Lunar Veil guild once everyone left the baron's house.
Helen immediately began complaining.
"There's something that's been bothering me ever since this dwarf mage showed up..."
"Huh? What's bothering you about me?" Karol asked in a brazen tone.
Helen stepped right in front of her.
"Why does your body smell so strongly of Ryan? And why are you acting so familiar with him?"