A short time before Augusto was attacked, Daridora was in his shop, listening to a report from a subordinate.
"I see. So there are no issues with the Tira Trees. That is certain, yes?"
The one being asked was a man in a white coat.
...Though it seemed he had not washed it in quite some time, as it was so stained that calling it a "white coat" was something of a stretch.
"Yes. There are no problems on that front. However..."
"However?"
"Well, the research funding is a little... I'd like you to increase it a bit more, if possible."
"Again? I recall hearing something similar about a month ago and paying out funds for it."
Daridora's nervous-looking face twisted in displeasure.
Even for the Elema Trading Company, which held significant influence in Gauche, it was ultimately based in a small city in the minor country of Solrein—and not even the capital, at that.
Naturally, the funds at its disposal were not inexhaustible. ...Even so, it did have enough wealth to gather skilled adventurers from neighboring countries.
But paying no mind whatsoever to Daridora's demeanor, the man in the white coat continued.
"Yes. I believe there are almost no problems as things stand. However, 'almost' does not mean 'completely.' As things are, there is a possibility... a real, if slight, possibility that the Tira Trees could exhibit hostile behavior toward humans."
"I have never heard of Tira Trees harming people before."
Daridora's words were exhaled along with a sigh, but the man in the white coat shook his head vigorously as if to say that was absurd.
"It may be true, as Lord Daridora says, that no one has been attacked before. But that is only how things have been up until now. The Tira Trees have lived with almost no interaction with humans until now."
"...In other words, the reason there has been no damage so far is that contact between people and Tira Trees has been minimal, and if I were to do as I am proposing—plant Tira Trees around the walls—damage might occur? When you first brought this proposal to me, Kutoga, I heard no such talk."
"It is a possibility. Strictly a possibility. But wouldn't it be better to eliminate the seeds of anxiety?"
At the words of the man called Kutoga, Daridora let out a small breath and considered the matter.
He had already received reports stating that the Tira Trees were safe beyond ninety-nine percent certainty. Was it truly necessary to spend additional funds to confirm their safety?
(But... to give Lord Lyubrand absolute peace of mind, I must be able to guarantee certainty. Thinking of it that way, it cannot be helped.)
Even so, Daridora's reluctance stemmed from the instincts of an accomplished merchant.
The money he was providing was being used by Kutoga as research funds for the Tira Trees.
That much was clear from looking at the ledgers, and since actual results had been produced, it was certain.
However... even so, his merchant instincts made him wonder whether it was truly wise to trust Kutoga.
(No, things have progressed this far. Hesitating here serves no purpose. Given that...)
Having organized his thoughts, Daridora eventually spoke.
"Very well. I shall approve the additional funds. Before that, I would like to inspect the inside of the research lab. Would that be acceptable?"
"Yes, of course! I will show you my beloved Tira Trees to your heart's content. Then let us go. Let us go right away!"
If someone were embezzling funds or using them for purposes other than research, would they readily agree when told the lab would be inspected?
Under normal circumstances, they would refuse immediately.
Given that, perhaps the funds were indeed being used properly.
Thinking such thoughts, Daridora rose from his chair.
"Then, let us go. Fortunately, I have no particularly urgent business today."
Murmuring so, Daridora left the room together with Kutoga.
The research lab entrusted to Kutoga was located on the outskirts of Gauche, and because of that, it was a considerable distance to travel on foot.
Moreover, Daridora, as the head of the Elema Trading Company, was not forever idle.
In order to shorten the travel time even slightly, he was about to board a carriage with his skilled adventurers as usual, but...
"Wait, Lord Daridora!"
One of his guards stepped forward in front of Daridora, who had been heading toward the carriage, shouting as he did so.
A beat later, the other guards also formed a protective formation around Daridora.
At the center of that formation, beside Daridora, was Kutoga—but he, not understanding what was happening, frantically looked around.
"Lord Daridora? What in the world is..."
Kutoga asked Daridora beside him, but what came back was Daridora's stern, tightened expression.
Normally Daridora was a nervous man, but right now the aspect of him as the head of the Elema Trading Company, which wielded great influence in Gauche, was far more prominent.
"They're here!"
As the man who had first warned Daridora shouted, three men appeared.
"Who are you!"
One of the guards shouted, but he immediately realized that the question was meaningless.
For the three men who appeared were frothing at the mouth, their eyes dyed with madness.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
The three screamed, raising the daggers in their hands and charging straight at the guards.
No—there was no doubt that the three were heading not for the guards but for Daridora at their center.
It was possible that someone among the guards was the target, but if asked who among those present was most likely being targeted, Daridora was by far the most probable.
"Defend! The enemy is three, all of them rank amateurs!"
The guard who had first noticed the three men shouted.
The other guards had also been hired by Daridora for their skill.
They could tell immediately that the three men charging at them were by no means seasoned warriors.
"Hah, what the hell possessed these guys to pull something like this?"
"Who knows. More importantly, don't let your guard down. Dying in a place like this would be no joke."
"Right. But there's no way we'd be done in by enemies of this calib—er!"
With those words, one of the guards swiftly drew back her bowstring and loosed an arrow.
The arrow flew straight and pierced the torso of the man at the front of the three attackers without a millimeter of deviation, but...
"Wait, what the hell is this!"
The one who screamed was not the man who had been struck by the arrow, but the woman who had fired it.
And that was only natural. Despite the arrow piercing him, the lead man showed no sign of minding the pain or anything else as he came running toward them.
Under normal circumstances, if an arrow pierced a limb or—especially—the torso, one's movements would slow.
The pain itself could be managed through the excitement of combat, but the arrow itself would get in the way.
When moving the body, an arrow embedded in it would impede that movement.
But... the three who had attacked Daridora showed no such signs whatsoever.
What should have been a hindrance to moving their bodies was completely disregarded as they closed the distance.
It was only natural that the woman with the bow let out a cry of astonishment.
"Calm down! Looking at them, it should come as no surprise that they're insensitive to pain! If they won't slow down from pain, then just stop them from moving entirely!"
The man who appeared to be the leader of the guards shouted toward Daridora at the center of their group.
"Lord Daridora, capturing them will be difficult, so I would like to eliminate them. You have no objections, yes?"
He asked "You have no objections, yes?" but the man was not seeking Daridora's permission.
Understanding that, Daridora immediately gave a nod.
"Understood. If Narcus says so, then capturing them must be impossible. Do as you see fit."
Normally Daridora made no effort to hide his nervous disposition, but this was the head of the Elema Trading Company, as expected.
Even with his life being targeted, he showed no sign of fear.
No—Daridora was a merchant, not someone who had trained his body like an adventurer.
It was not that he felt no fear.
He simply did not let it show.
This, perhaps, was fitting for someone who led the largest trading company in Gauche.
"Permission has been given by Lord Daridora! Go, annihilate them!"
Following the voice of the man called Narcus who led the guards, three of the surrounding adventurers stepped forward to meet the oncoming men.
(They show no sign of feeling pain, but judging by their movements, their actual skill is low. In that case, our forces should be more than enough to handle them.)
From the pride of having been gathered from surrounding countries as skilled warriors, Narcus made that judgment.
That his judgment was by no means mistaken was easily proven by the three who met the attackers.
The attacks unleashed by the three guards ended the attackers' lives without allowing them to do a thing.
For all that the three showed no sign of feeling pain, that alone was nowhere near enough to deal with seasoned adventurers.
Necks severed, torsos cleaved, limbs lopped off... in such fashion, it took less than a minute for the three attackers to set off on their journey toward death.
Even with the three dead, Narcus did not relax his vigilance and scanned the surroundings.
Since they had launched an attack against his group, he could not believe it would end at just this.
There would be a second wave, a third. Thinking so, he remained on alert... but there were no new attackers in sight.
Instead, passersby who had witnessed the exchange screamed, and others who heard those cries began to gather.
"Lord Daridora, it is dangerous here. You should return to the building for now..."
"Indeed."
Daridora thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Kutoga, unfortunately the inspection regarding the Tira Trees will have to wait for another time. I believe these attackers were targeting me, but the possibility that you were the target cannot be denied either. You should take shelter in my shop for a while as well."
"Ah... yes, you're right. ...I wanted to get back to the research lab as soon as possible, though."
Kutoga said so with a sigh, but he did nothing to defy Daridora's words. ...Rather, he could not.
For Kutoga understood that he was, above all, a researcher.
If he were attacked by something, he did not think he could handle it the way the battle he had just witnessed had been handled.
It was clear beyond doubt that he would be killed without being able to put up any resistance whatsoever.
Given that, he meekly obeyed Daridora's words to take shelter in a safe place, and just as he was about to retreat inside the shop...
"Look out!"
That voice rang out through the surroundings, and suddenly both Daridora and Kutoga were forcefully shoved from behind.
"Gah!"
A scream rose.
No, it was not just one scream.
"Gyaah!"
"Guhah!"
"Gaah!"
Cries of agony rose one after another.
Kutoga spun around reflexively and saw several people clutching their bodies and screaming.
Among those screaming was Daridora.
Startled by the sight, Kutoga frantically checked his own body.
Perhaps the reason the others were screaming had also affected him—perhaps an arrow was embedded in his body.
In this frantic situation, even if an arrow had struck him, he might not have noticed.
Driven by that thought, he hastily checked his entire body, but fortunately, he had no injuries anywhere.
...Though this was purely and solely because Kutoga had been lucky.
In fact, had Narcus not shoved him aside a moment ago, an arrow would have pierced Kutoga's head.
"Kyaaah!"
"Hey, what? What happened!"
"Lord Daridora was attacked!"
"Who would do such a thing!?"
"Who knows!"
Leaving the screams rising anew from the surroundings behind, Daridora and Kutoga retreated into the shop.
Having seen them safely inside, Narcus quickly scanned the area while pressing a hand against the wound he had received shielding Daridora.
The number of arrows that had flown in exceeded ten.
Considering that they had been fired nearly simultaneously, this was not something that could be accomplished by just one or two people.
Given that, he would definitely capture at least one or two of them.
With that thought, he surveyed the surroundings... but the only people in his line of sight were residents of Gauche, and not a single one carried a bow.
"...What is going on?"
Since they had launched such an attack, there had to be someone somewhere—he held that conviction.
But contrary to that belief, there was no sign of the attackers anywhere.
"Damn it, did they get away?"
All Narcus could do was spit those words out and then return to the shop to confirm the safety of his employer.