Rauya-san... no, Rauya would do. Setting aside his aptitude as an infiltrator for the moment.
"Dende-san said he’d help us out, so let's get him to the Guild."
"Roger~!"
We decided to haul Rauya to the Adventurer’s Guild while he was still bundled up like a carpet. We were amateurs when it came to interrogation, after all. I wasn't sure if Dende-san was actually an expert, but since he’d offered to help, I figured I’d take him up on it. I’d considered dealing with Rauya in the dungeon if he’d seemed truly dangerous, but he seemed harmless enough. Probably.
"S-Stop! Please, stop! I’ll do anyth—"
"Zip it~"
Pino shoved something into Rauya’s mouth just as he started to make a scene. Ah, a carrot.
Rauya’s eyes bulged in shock. Seizing the opening, Allen and Milly hoisted the bundle onto their shoulders. Shara handed Pino a spare. Pino beamed, a carrot in each hand. Their stance made it clear: the moment Rauya finished the one in his mouth, they were ready to reload the next.
Rauya saw the writing on the wall, looked resigned, and stopped chewing. Smart move. If he tried to resist, he’d just be force-fed carrots for the foreseeable future.
It was pretty rough treatment, but considering he was an operative for a hostile organization, it was relatively civil. Only Shiroru was grimacing, though.
『Ugh... that looks painful-zo.』
"Shiroru, you hate raw carrots, don't you?" Halfa teased with a laugh.
Shiroru would eat just about anything, but she did have her preferences. Personally, I thought fresh carrots were delicious even when raw.
"So, you caught him. If he’s in this state, did he have the Power of Silver too?"
Dende-san was waiting for us when we arrived at the Adventurer’s Guild. He looked down at the bundle as Allen and the others dropped it on the floor.
"Rauya the Jester has moved up in the world, it seems," Jester-san remarked. He was also there, staring down at the bound Rauya.
"The Jester?" I asked.
"It’s a nickname of sorts. Nothing particularly impressive, though."
Apparently, Rauya was a celebrity of sorts. He was a second or third-rate infiltrator at best, but he had incredible luck. He was the kind of person who always managed to deliver results, even if no one could tell if he actually had any talent. His amateurish behavior made it impossible to guess his goals, yet he’d somehow fulfill his objectives before anyone realized he was there. That was why he’d been dubbed "The Jester."
"Doesn't matter how lucky you are when your opponent is Tort," Halfa said, crossing her arms and nodding.
"Exactly. It's a lost cause," Spira added.
I didn't remember doing anything special, but I guess that’s how they saw it?
"So, Dende-san. I’d like to ask you to handle the interrogation."
"Yeah, leave it to me."
When I asked Dende-san to handle the interrogation, he readily agreed. The grin he flashed, combined with his mohawk, made him look like a total villain. On the other hand, it made him feel very reliable.
"Little lady, I’m taking these."
"The carrots? Sure~!"
Dende-san snatched the carrots from Pino and dragged the bundle toward a back room. Jester-san followed him.
"Good grief, I don't approve of wasting food," Jester-san remarked.
"Don't worry about it. Once we’re done, he can finish them off himself."
"I see. No problem then."
...What exactly were those two planning to do with those carrots?
The two of them were back before long. Behind them was a man with a strange mohawk. No, wait—that was Rauya.
"He sang like a bird, so things went smoothly," Dende-san reported.
"He enjoyed the carrots as well, so don't you worry," Jester-san added with a smile that was actually quite terrifying. I decided not to ask for details. At the very least, Rauya didn't have any visible injuries. They must have just had a peaceful chat. I was sure of it.
"So, what did you find out?"
Jester-san’s expression darkened. "The situation is rather grim."
A horrific plan was currently in motion within the Bandelt Group's territory. They intended to plant the Power of Silver in the entire population and transform them into abominations. Their method was simple: they mixed a special "Silverization Powder" into the residents' food.
"Once a person has ingested a certain amount of the powder, the power awakens the moment their faith in the cult's god reaches a certain point. The Order then recruits those individuals as executives."
It was a truly wretched scheme. The residents would be assimilated by the silver without even realizing it. Once the assimilation was complete, even my Clean spell wouldn't be able to revert them. We had to do something before it reached that point...
"But wait, how is Rauya okay? If he’s an executive, doesn’t that mean his power awakened?"
"Most likely, his faith was so low that the power never activated. Since he was a member of the Order from the start, they probably promoted him as soon as he hit the powder threshold. The leadership likely never imagined that one of their own followers would have zero faith."
"Oh... I see...?"
Jester-san’s theory seemed far-fetched, yet it made perfect sense. Rauya scratched his head sheepishly. I didn't think that was something to be proud of.
"But if that's the case, most of the residents probably haven't awakened yet. We might still be able to save them."
Dende-san nodded. "Right. The residents in the newly conquered areas should be safe. Even in the original Bandelt lands, I doubt everyone is a true believer in the Eld Caldia Order."
Jester-san still looked worried. "We can't afford to be complacent, though. The people are already starting to accept the Bandelt Group's rule because of the dungeon's benefits. The cult's indoctrination is undoubtedly moving fast."
He was probably right. I’d intended to wait for the cult to come to us, but we might not have the luxury of time.
The situation was bad. In moments like this, there was only one thing to do—...
『Oh, you're using that?』
『I'll never understand how that thing works... but if you have that, you'll probably manage somehow-jya.』
Shiroru looked excited while Garna looked exasperated as I produced a box. It wasn't just any box; it was a Pandora Gift. When you're in a pinch, it's gotta be this!