Hearing Tris's assessment, Rin was utterly surprised.
Rin: "Rose is targeting you, Master? Why?"
Tris: "Why indeed? I'm wondering what the real reason is myself."
Of course, he didn't believe she was doing all this merely to extort some food supplies.
Rin: "Master doesn't know the reason either? Besides, clearly, you and Rose don't even know each other. Then why do you think she's aiming at you?"
Rin grew increasingly confused, her mind filling with questions.
Tris: "Not knowing each other doesn't mean there's no connection. Yesterday, the person I mentioned who looked dangerous—that was her. And then the very next day, she appeared before me. How could that be a coincidence?"
Another thing troubling Tris was that he was fairly certain he had been careful not to reveal his face at the time.
So how did Rose know for sure that it was him? That remained one of two unanswered questions.
After all, this world held too many strange magics; no matter how cautious you were, it was impossible to guard against them all.
Rin: "So what exactly did you do yesterday, Master?"
The more she listened, the more questions she had.
Tris: "I went hunting. It's possible I accidentally stole the prey she was after. The food supplies earlier were part of the spoils from that hunt."
Hearing this, Rin suddenly understood a little better why Rose and Master had that strange conversation and transaction earlier.
Rin: "So Rose wanted to claim part of the spoils?"
Her voice was full of doubt.
Judging by Rose's appearance, Rin didn't think she would be so desperate for food or provisions.
As a mage who owned something as expensive as a spatial ring, even if she had no money, she could easily find ways to earn far more than the cost of those supplies.
Tris: "Her true purpose is still unclear. But whatever it is, we can't let our guard down."
With so many unknowns, investigation was the only option.
Rin: "Rin will be careful too."
Though worried, she sighed in relief that she wasn't the cause of these troubles.
After a slight pause, Rin added:
"Rin also thinks she has some scheme. But Rin feels she doesn't truly mean us harm."
Tris nodded in agreement. He, too, hadn't sensed any real hostility or malice from Rose.
Otherwise, with his personality, he would never have let her get close to grab his arm like that.
'(￣へ￣) Even if her chest is bigger, it's still a no.' Tris affirmed inwardly.
If it were clear enemies like Zyron or cultists, he would simply use every means to kill them.
But with Rose, whose motives were unknown, it was hard to devise a proper countermeasure.
Sighing inwardly at the troubles piling up so soon after arriving in Aldor, Tris glanced at his right arm.
'I can still use magic. Of course, this arm can't possibly be Imagine Breaker.'
He quietly continued his lunch, lost in such idle thoughts.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Milady, why did you approach those two children?"
One of Rose's attendants, a white-haired girl in a matching cloak, asked curiously.
Rose replied playfully:
"Aren't you two busy recruiting manpower and setting up headquarters? Yet you still have time to worry about what I'm doing?"
Attendant two: "One of our duties is to protect you, after all."
Rose: "Even though neither of you is as strong as I?"
Attendant two: "It's a mission entrusted to us by the Great Mother herself."
Attendant one: "Besides, if trouble arises, like when we first came to this slum, you wouldn't want to act personally, right?"
Rose: "Depends on my mood."
Attendant one pressed again: "Then why did you approach those two children?"
Rose: "You're that curious?"
Attendant one: "A little. But we also want to know if it relates to our current work. That way, we can coordinate better with you."
Rose: "If I said I was simply bored and looking for some fun, would you believe me?"
Both attendants answered in unison: "No."
Rose: ". . ."
Attendant one: "You always act with a clear purpose. There's no way you would ever do something just for fun."
Attendant two: "Do those two children have anything to do with our current work?"
Rose: "No. Whether they're here or not doesn't affect what we're doing."
Seeing she wouldn't explain further, the attendants knew they wouldn't get more information.
So they returned to discussing preparations.
Attendant one: "For the charity event in a few days, we've recruited a group of helpers. Please take a look."
As she spoke, the other attendant opened the door, calling in a group waiting outside.
Four people entered—three men and one woman.
The first man was tall, burly, bald, with tattooed patterns on his head.
The second was middle-aged with a goatee, dressed neatly but looking more like a playboy than a gentleman.
The third was a young man covered in scars, one eye hidden beneath a bandage.
The woman looked over thirty, wearing a dress that revealed one long leg. Her large chest nearly spilled from her outfit, the deep cleavage drawing men's eyes.
All four looked humble, heads bowed to the floor instead of facing forward.
Attendant one introduced: "These four each control territory in the slums. The bald one leads a gang of hired thugs. The bearded one deals in contraband. The scarred one heads a small but aggressive rising group. And the woman runs a prostitution ring with many connections."
With a few words, she summarized their backgrounds.
Rose: "As expected of a big city. Even in the slums, you can find such talent. You've assigned them tasks already, right?"
With a glance, Rose judged they were comparable to top C-rank adventurers, perhaps even stronger in the case of the one-eyed man.
Attendant one: "Yes, milady. We plan for the bald one's group to handle carrying and construction. The bearded one will procure food and materials. The scarred one's small gang will manage security. And the woman's group will cook and serve food."
Rose: "Alright, that's fine. Just make sure they don't cause trouble that harms our reputation."
Attendant two: "We've already warned them carefully."
At these words, the four newcomers trembled slightly.