In the basement of the exclusive shopping district in Loizart, the conversation between Goose and Tenkunhan continued.
"……I see…… So that is the policy the country is currently pursuing."
Goose Minakata was explaining the world situation as he knew it to the middle-aged man who went by the name Tenkunhan.
As he spoke, Goose realized that this man was incredibly naive—or perhaps simply detached from reality. He was, at the very least, completely out of touch with the current state of affairs.
(I thought I was out of touch with the world... and Saki, too... but I guess there’s always someone better. Or in this case, should I say someone 'worse'?)
Without letting those thoughts show on his face, Goose offered his opinion.
"That is why, even if you have to use a bit of deception, you should claim that Tenkunhan-san brought this back as a product of Mitsuho for the time being."
He didn't go as far as to mention that he had a friend named Jin who could provide the necessary connections to make such a story stick.
"But if your goal was to earn foreign currency, why do it on such a small scale? This can't be generating much of a profit."
"That is true, but since I did not know if it would sell, I started with a small amount to test the waters."
In Mitsuho, cotton was preferred because it absorbed sweat and was easy to dye; consequently, he hadn't been entirely confident that this material would be accepted here.
Indeed, ground spider silk possessed properties that made it resistant to dirt, which also made it difficult to dye with ordinary dyes. It could only be colored using magic dyes, much like the ones Jin used.
Because magi-engineering was underdeveloped in Mitsuho, Tenkunhan explained that the fabric had not been very well-received there.
However, Tenkunhan possessed some degree of magi-engineering skill himself and was able to apply a faint color to it. Thus, he had begun seeing if it would sell in Loizart.
"I see, so that was it.……But how did you know I had come? There was no way for your lookout to contact you."
To that question, Tenkunhan explained with a small smile.
"I have a magic tool for long-distance communication. Though it cannot transmit voices."
He showed the box in his hand. It was a container about the size of a business card case, with a magi-crystal embedded in the center of the lid.
"The sender has a button, and when they press it, this magi-crystal lights up for as long as it is held down. We have agreed-upon signals, such as one long flash followed by one short flash meaning a visitor has arrived, or three short flashes in a row meaning danger."
It was remarkably similar to the Morse communication devices used on modern Earth. However, they had not yet reached the stage of combining long and short flashes to transmit actual text.
"I see, that’s quite convenient."
It seemed the Street Vendor had been secretly communicating so as not to be observed by passersby.
"I received a signal for 'Seemingly friendly visitor' and 'Category: Scholar,' so I was prepared for you."
Even though Goose was "seemingly" friendly, Tenkunhan bowed his head, asking for forgiveness for having him threatened with a knife just in case.
Goose waved his hand, telling him not to worry about it.
"But 'seemingly friendly,' eh? Are there those who aren't?"
"Of course. Even if they say the public order is good, there are always—"
Before he could finish his sentence, the magi-crystal in the box in Tenkunhan's hand flashed three times in rapid succession.
"Wh-What!?"
In the next instant, the door was blown inward.
"The signal was too late!"
Goose grumbled as he kicked his chair back, stood up, and braced himself.
"Ha-ha! So this is the nest!"
Four figures charged through the shattered door. The one at the very back was dragging another man.
Looking closely, Goose saw it was the man who had been at the street stall.
Judging by his swollen face and the way his left arm was bent at an odd angle, he had clearly been severely beaten.
Goose concluded that the man must have been forced to cough up the location of this hideout. He had likely managed to send the signal with his remaining right arm, though it had been a moment too late.
"Found you at last," the man in the lead said, his breathing heavy with greed. "Now then, you’re going to tell us the source of that fabric."
He brandished a short sword at Tenkunhan to emphasize his threat. Two others glared at Goose and the man who had previously held a knife to him.
Furthermore, looking even more closely, the fourth figure dragging the Street Vendor was not human, but appeared to be a golem.
"The secret of that fabric is worth a fortune. It’s a waste to let you lot monopolize it."
"What did you say?"
Turning pale, Tenkunhan barely managed to find his voice.
"……A texture smoother than silk, dirt-resistant, and easily cleaned. Moreover, it's several times stronger than silk. We're taking that secret."
"I see. Were you hired by someone?"
When Goose spoke in an intentionally calm voice, the man in front of him raised his arm with a sneer.
"Don't ask questions that don't concern you!"
He threw a punch.
However, the blow never reached Goose.
"Wh-Wha?"
A boy had appeared out of nowhere and caught the man's fist.
Capella 7—commonly known as Teraru—had decided he could no longer stand by. Having received permission from Laojun, he had deactivated his 『Invisible』 state.
"『Paralyze』."
"Gah!?"
With magic cast through direct contact, the man was knocked unconscious instantly.
"Y-You!? Gack!"
Without a moment's delay, Teraru incapacitated the second man as well.
The man who had been threatening Tenkunhan was shocked to see his companions drop in the blink of an eye.
"You! What did you do?"
In the next moment, Teraru grabbed Tenkunhan by the collar and yanked him back.
There was a muffled sound of surprise, but Teraru ignored it and dragged the artisan into the corner of the room. Goose and the other man followed, taking cover in the same corner.
"……I see, you had a guard. I should have expected as much. But we still have a hostage…… Wha—!?"
The leader must have been referring to the Street Vendor the golem had been dragging, but the injured man had been moved to Goose's side before anyone realized it.
When a Quinta demonstrated their true ability, such a rescue was a trivial matter.
The only remaining problem was the golem the leader had brought with him.
＊ ＊ ＊
『……That is undoubtedly a golem developed by the Unifilar. I see, so there are still remnants active.』
From its appearance, Laojun deduced that the leader was likely a remnant of the Unifilar. Of course, whether he was right or wrong, the outcome remained the same.
『Capella 7, as creations of My Lord, we cannot afford to lose to such an outdated golem. I authorize the use of the laser.』
＊ ＊ ＊
"Damn it, when did you—!?"
While keeping a sharp eye on the boy, the man barked an order to the golem.
"Capture them! You can break their bones as long as they're alive!"
The only response was silence. The golem slowly toppled over.
The laser beam fired by Teraru had accurately pierced the golem's control core. Since he knew it was a Unifilar model, the location of the core was common knowledge to him.
Then, one more 『Paralyze』.
"Agh!"
The remaining man was easily knocked unconscious.
"Thank you, you saved us. Just who are you?"
However, without answering the question, Teraru vanished back into the shadows. Silence reclaimed the room.
"……"
"Goose-kun, who was that?"
Goose couldn't answer Tenkunhan's question.
"In any case, we have to provide Behandeln for this man."
The Street Vendor was unconscious and appeared to be in critical condition.
"……We have to get a healer to look at him."
"I agree.……But what about these guys?"
They tied the three unconscious men with rope for the time being, but their fate remained a concern. Neither Goose, Tenkunhan, nor the other man could come up with a good solution.
At that moment, a voice called out.
"Goose-sama, are you safe!?"
It was a voice Goose recognized well.