Once we secured Beere-san’s cooperation, we met up with Lowell and the Petit Golems to trade notes. Because our group was so large with the golems in tow, we set up the Magic House inside our room at the inn.
I started by relaying our progress.
"—So, he’s not just giving us info; he’s offered to act as our guide if we need it."
"I see. Having someone on our side who actually knows the terrain is a huge advantage," Lowell said, nodding gravely. I had been skeptical about whether we really needed a guide, but he clearly thought it was a priority.
"Beere-san made it sound like an infiltration," I noted. "Is it really that dangerous?"
"It sounds like the rumors are more or less true," Lowell replied. "Whether they were joking or not, I was told repeatedly that we shouldn't think of it as a country, but as a bandit stronghold."
A bandit stronghold... that was quite the reputation. If that were the case, then "infiltration" was exactly the right word for it.
"Mind you, the people saying that have never actually set foot in the place. Apparently, kids around here grow up being told that 'bad children get snatched by Albiroda bandits.' Since it's been drilled into them from birth, none of them would even dream of going near it."
That made Beere-san a rare find indeed. It was still a mystery how he knew so much about a place that everyone else was too terrified to visit.
"Did you manage to talk to those people with the weird hair?" Halfa asked.
"No luck there, Halfa-chan," Spira replied. "They didn't show up at the Adventurer’s Guild today."
Our main objective at the guild had been those Mohawk adventurers. Beere-san had mentioned that the ones recklessly challenging the Tiraza were usually drifters from Albiroda. If they really were from there, they’d be a goldmine of information. Unfortunately, it seemed we’d missed our chance for the day.
"We have a few days before we leave," Lowell said. "We'll likely cross paths with them before then. Even if we don't, it’s not a dealbreaker as long as we have Beere."
Lowell was right. While I wanted to hear what the Mohawk adventurers had to say to gain a more well-rounded perspective, it wasn't strictly necessary. I would just keep it in the back of my mind and hope we ran into them before we departed for Albiroda.
"Allen, did your group find anything out?" I asked.
"Well, for starters, yours taste way better, Master!" Pino chirped.
Not exactly the intel I was looking for. Apparently, they’d spent part of their investigation eating hamburgers. It seemed the shop in Welno was already up and running.
"Hey! Shut it, stupid Pino!" Milly snapped.
"N-no, that’s not what he meant! We were definitely gathering info!" Allen stammered.
"Buying their wares makes the shopkeepers more talkative. It is a proven tactic," Shara added, trying to smooth things over.
To be honest, I’d already expected something like that to happen, so I didn't mind. That was why I’d given them money, after all. Though I hadn't expected their primary discovery to be a food review.
Wait, you guys ate burgers? That's not fair! Shiroru projected.
"You got to eat curry, Shiroru-chan! You're the one who's not fair!" Pino shot back.
The two of them were bickering like children. I decided to ignore them for the moment.
"Was there anything else that caught your attention?"
"We did find something, though I’m not sure if it’s directly linked to Albiroda," Allen said, his tone turning serious. He shared a rumor about abnormal monsters appearing west of Welno—right in our intended direction.
"They look just like the local wildlife, but they’re supposedly incredibly aggressive," he explained.
"And they apparently keep moving even after taking hits that should be fatal," Spira added.
"They supposedly got away in the end, but by then, they looked completely different," Shara said. "The story goes that their wounds were sealed shut with something that looked like metal."
If the rumors were true, they certainly weren't normal monsters. Their connection to Albiroda was unknown, but we were likely to cross paths with them since we were heading west.
With that, all three groups had shared their findings. Just as I thought the meeting was wrapping up, Garna hopped into the center of the room, drawing everyone’s eyes.
Once she was sure she had our undivided attention, she spoke, making no effort to hide her bitter expression.
I also have something to tell you. Ever since I learned of that unknown dungeon yesterday, I have been reaching out to my followers... but my voice can no longer reach some of them.
By "followers," she meant the evil cultists. I wasn't sure if that was still the right term for them, but when Garna had reconciled with the other gods, she had told her believers about the change in direction. Everything had seemed fine at the time, though it must have been a massive shock for them.
"Does that mean they've stopped following you?" I asked.
Garna nodded, looking crestfallen.
It was a sudden shift. Resistance was to be expected, and it's only natural that some would sever their connection with me. However... She hesitated, shaking her head. It clearly wasn't just a simple loss of faith. She took a breath and steeled herself. The majority of those I can no longer reach are located in the Western Region. It is too consistent to be a coincidence. I believe they may have staged an organized defection.
Organized defectors. If they refused to accept Garna’s new path and still craved the "harsh trials" of the old ways, a group like that would be a nightmare to deal with.
Plus, everything pointed to the same place. An unknown dungeon in the west. Defectors in the west. There had to be a connection.