We had come to Obaba-sama’s place to deliver our report.
Obaba-sama was the clan elder for Lutina, the newest addition to our party. Trust a noble to have an "elder" looming over them. I wasn't sure if it was a noble thing or just an upper-class thing, but they certainly loved their hierarchy.
While adding a beautiful noble daughter to my harem was a fantastic development, the baggage that came along with her was a bit of a nuisance. Nobles were a headache like that. It was never just a matter of dealing with the person themselves.
Well, it wasn't as if I had a legal obligation to support the whole clan, so they weren't exactly a deal-breaker. Ultimately, it seemed to function as a sort of mutual aid network designed to prevent anyone from falling through the cracks. In this case, it was a safety net for Lutina, who had nearly become a dropout because her father had been slacking off on his labyrinth subjugation duties.
Because of that, I didn't think this relationship would turn sour for us—provided they didn't decide that "saving" Lutina meant getting rid of me. Since the core intent was to support her, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing for me, either. Even if some of it felt like unwanted interference.
As long as they didn't overstep, I’d just have to play along for a while. If they did start meddling, I’d have to cut ties and run. Of the thirty-six stratagems, fleeing is the best.
"Unfortunately, we’ve confirmed that at least two of the relay points to Grinia have been abandoned," Lutina reported to Obaba-sama. "It’s highly likely that the third has met the same fate."
Obaba-sama had tasked us with finding a way to reach Grinia, or at least gathering information on how to get there. Technically, we had failed the mission. We hadn't reached the destination. However, simply confirming that the route was impassable should have been sufficient.
"Is that so? I suppose it really was impossible after all," Obaba-sama muttered. She had clearly suspected as much.
"Yes. There is nothing more to be done," Lutina replied.
"I judged that talented adventurers would be able to make the trip, but even that wasn't enough, was it?"
Finding out it couldn't be done was plenty. It should have been plenty.
"We have exhausted every option available to us," Lutina stated firmly.
"So, it was simply beyond the likes of you, then?"
Regardless of her attitude, impossible was impossible.
"It was impossible," Lutina repeated, her tone increasingly blunt.
Go on, tell her like it is.
"And here I thought that if I sent talented adventurers..."
"It doesn't matter how talented the adventurers are; what’s impossible is impossible. Your judgment was flawed."
That's it. That’s the spirit.
I wouldn't have minded if she'd gone a step further and asked if the old woman had finally gone senile. Honestly, it looked that way from where I was standing.
"Hmph. I’m at least ten years away from going senile!" Obaba-sama snapped.
I hadn't even said a word. Not a single one. I was certainly thinking it, though.
Wait, did she really plan on hanging on for another ten years without losing her edge? Doesn't the very fact that she thinks she can prove she's already senile? Reigning over the clan for another decade? Spare me.
"No," Lutina countered. "This isn't about senility. It was simply a lapse in judgment."