My name is Asa. Specifically, Asa Fougma.
I am a member of the Mercury Race, a being created specifically for the navigation and operation of the Sun Castle. The details regarding the nature of the Mercury Race are rather convoluted, so I shall set them aside for the time being.
What matters most is my role. I was tasked with assisting the master of the castle in his private life. In other words, I am a butler. I take great pride in my specialized capabilities in the field of domestic service.
"Now then, Master Earth. How exactly did things escalate to this point?"
I directed my question toward Master Earth, who sat in a formal kneeling position before me. He is a highly capable colleague, and I had previously evaluated him as a very reliable fellow butler, but...
I recalled the scene I encountered when I arrived in the basement of the ruins with Lady Tiselle. Over twenty adventurers lay sprawled across the floor, and in the center of the room stood Master Earth, looking quite ferocious.
"Did you truly believe such mediocre strength would allow you to hinder the Great Lich King's designs?!"
...Indeed.
"W-When they spoke ill of the Lich King, I simply lost my composure... It was an accident."
It was not as if I could not sympathize. I, too, would be incensed if someone mocked the Sun Castle. I would likely beat them down with every ounce of my strength. From that perspective, Master Earth had shown restraint by not killing the adventurers. He had merely rendered them unconscious. In that regard, his performance was commendable.
However, the question remained: what were we to do now? As I stood there pondering, Lady Tiselle, whom I held in my arms, spoke up.
"Let's bring Big Brother Gol and the others into this."
I had indeed received reports that Master Gol and his companions were well-acquainted with the Adventurer Guild in the royal capital. Still, I worried that involving them might only inflate the scale of the incident.
"It’s already a massive incident, Asa. Besides, if we don't settle this here, we're the ones who will be scolded later."
...She had a point.
"Earth. This Tony person was a Lich, and he claimed to be a subordinate of the Lich King, correct?"
"Y-Yes. He was a fraud, of course, but that is what he claimed."
"At this point, it doesn't matter whether he was a fraud or not."
"It matters a great deal!"
"No, it doesn't. Regardless, Earth—go find one of Big Brother Gol's group and bring them here."
"As you wish."
Master Gol, Master Sil, and Master Bron were soon brought to the scene by Master Earth. They understood the situation after a brief conversation with Lady Tiselle. I could sense a deep bond of trust between them—or perhaps it was simply a shared sense of resignation.
Master Gol and the others began their preparations with practiced efficiency. I apologized for my lack of assistance; as I was still carrying Lady Tiselle, I could not lend a hand. Master Earth, however, worked diligently to support them.
"Ugh... Am I... still alive?"
The first of the adventurers began to stir.
"Now that you're awake, would you mind coming over here?"
"Eh?"
Master Gol, who had addressed the groggy adventurer, sat in a chair and tossed a wooden memo board onto the table in front of him.
"You were completely outmatched. Do you understand where you went wrong?"
He followed up with a question. The confused adventurer looked around, trying to make sense of his surroundings. Then, he spotted Master Earth standing behind Master Gol.
"Wh— That—! That's the Lich King’s subordinate!"
The adventurer scrambled to draw his sword, but neither Master Gol nor Master Earth moved. Instead, Master Gol let out an exasperated sigh and spoke with an air of bold authority.
"He is an examiner I have commissioned."
"An examiner?"
"Precisely. This entire event was a test to evaluate the capabilities of the local adventurers. If you look back on it with that in mind, surely you noticed several oddities?"
"A test? ...Ah."
"Do you understand now?"
"Y-Yeah. There certainly were a lot of things that didn't quite add up."
And so, the matter of Master Earth’s rampage was settled by framing it as an adventurer examination. It was Lady Tiselle’s idea. While I had initially feared it was too reckless, it proved surprisingly effective.
"But why conduct such a test?"
"Who knows? We were simply requested to handle the evaluation. Oh, and you needn't worry about the client. Their identity is impeccable; they are an acquaintance of Count Chrome."
Naturally, that "acquaintance" was Lady Tiselle herself.
"Kuh, I see... In this state, I suppose we've failed. What about the reward?"
"Let’s see... what were the terms of the contract?"
"Five silver coins up front, twenty-five upon completion."
"And the method of payment?"
"It was arranged through the Adventurer Guild, but..."
"Well, since you did successfully eliminate the one claiming to be the Lich King's subordinate, you should go ahead and collect your reward at the guild."
"Are you sure?"
"It’s fine. We put you through quite a lot, after all. However, I’d like you to wait for your comrades to wake up and help us explain the situation to them."
"Understood."
Master Sil and Master Bron were not present for this part. Master Sil had left earlier to investigate the location where we were first attacked. He found it suspicious that a Lich calling himself Tony would hire common thugs to target Lady Tiselle and wanted to uncover the motive. It was indeed a mystery. It was a shame Tony was no longer available for questioning, but I decided not to dwell on it, as that would be equivalent to blaming Master Earth. Besides, Lady Tiselle was already picking on him enough as it was.
Meanwhile, Master Bron had headed to the Adventurer Guild to report the incident. He was not relaying the lie about the examination, but the actual truth. It was a serious matter that a Lich claiming to be a subordinate of the Lich King was operating in the royal capital. I fully agreed with reporting the facts; it would not do for our clumsy cover-up to inadvertently hide a deeper conspiracy.
"Discovered a Lich claiming to be a subordinate of the Lich King and successfully annihilated it. We conducted a brief field test for the adventurers who arrived late. We will cover all medical expenses."
The phrasing was adjusted slightly, but as no lies were technically told, I suppose it was acceptable.
That night, Master Gol, Master Sil, and Master Bron gathered in a private room at the Adventurer Guild. Lady Tiselle, Master Earth, and I were also present.
"The party that hired the adventurers to attack the Lich was the Dalfon Company," Master Gol reported.
Apparently, both the person who informed the adventurers of the Lich's location and the one who paid the rewards were connected to the Dalfon Company. While "connected" implied the company might not have been directly involved, it was highly suspicious nonetheless.
"As for the group that attacked Tiselle... they're known as the Aliscid Gang. They had no idea Tony was a Lich. They were just following orders to kidnap Tiselle. However, she wasn't the only target; Alfred and Urza were on the list too. Also—and I don't know if this is related—the Aliscid Gang is one of the organizations the Dalfon Company uses for its dirty work," Master Sil added.
I see. To think they were targeting not only Lady Tiselle, but Master Alfred and Lady Urza as well... How utterly foolish.
Ah, Master Earth. Please, compose yourself. Your bloodlust is leaking. I understand your anger regarding Lady Urza, but there is no need for such a display. I am certain Master Sil did not leave those scoundrels unscathed.
"I broke their limbs. Proportionally, of course," Master Sil noted.
See? Master Earth, please stop looking as though you wish you had been the one to do it.
"I suppose I'm last," Master Bron said. "After I finished the report at the guild, I was approached by a representative of the Dalfon Company. They gave me this invitation."
Master Bron showed us a piece of parchment. Everyone except Lady Tiselle grimaced. The invitation was addressed specifically to her.
"Asa. How long will it take to prepare a dress for me?"
"The uniform Master Zabuton crafted will be perfectly suitable. I have it with me, but... do you truly intend to go?"
"Is there a problem?"
"It might be wise to consider this more carefully..."
"I have considered it. Looking at the ink on this invitation, I can tell it was written in a great hurry. Big Brother Bron, when exactly did you receive this?"
"Right before we met here. Not even thirty minutes ago."
"Which means that regardless of whether they are friend or foe, the Dalfon Company is panicking. The more time we take, the more time we give them to prepare. Since we have an invitation, we should simply barge in. Fortunately, there’s no time specified on this."
She was right. The invitation only stated the company's desire to host Lady Tiselle. However, common sense dictated that one would usually wait until the next day, as it was already night.
"You intend to visit them at this hour?"
"It’s fine. Big Brother Gol, Big Brother Sil, Big Brother Bron—would you mind acting as my escorts?"
"Knowing that Alfred and Urza were targets too, we can't exactly say no."
"Honestly, you could just say you're worried about your precious little sister."
Lady Tiselle, please refrain from poking Master Gol in the cheek. He might actually get cross with you.
"Earth. You will provide hidden security. If the need arises, play the part of the villain."
"Understood," Master Earth replied with a polite bow.
He was being tasked with intruding and causing chaos should Lady Tiselle give the signal. I worried if he would be able to show his face in the capital after such a role, but then I remembered he could alter his appearance at will. He would simply change his face from the start.
"Asa. You will accompany me as my butler. I expect a flawless performance."
...
"What is it?"
"No, it is nothing. As you wish, my lady. Leave everything to me."
"I’m counting on you. Also, if you could find it in your heart to untie this rope around my waist..."
"Regrettably, Master Alfred and Lady Urza gave me strict instructions never to remove it. I must ask for your forbearance."
"But you’re my butler, aren’t you? Can’t you listen to my wishes?"
"Indeed, I am in charge of Lady Tiselle. And that is precisely why you are tethered to me."
Master Gol, Master Sil, Master Bron—thank you for your encouraging looks. It is all part of the job.
Now then, let us prepare for our departure.