Harold's waking up that morning was by no means good. The reason is because of an extra-large death flag that was dropped suddenly at the liquor table last night.

Sid and Eileen said they'd get married after this assignment. There are a lot of monsters waiting for both of them. There are situations where we can only see the worst future anymore.

It has nothing to do with my survival. However, it is a man named Harold who cannot be so divided and abandoned.

(If I didn't have any power, I might have...)

Unfortunately, or fortunately, Harold has the strength to resist the situation.

In the first place, Burston was visited by a larger proportion of people who feared that a monster would expose a large number of people to a life-threatening situation than if the energy portal were sleeping underneath the tunnel. You don't have to risk your own life.

"... well..."

If we do this right, we can save not only Burston's people, but Sid and Eileen. If you think so positively, it's not all bad.

Even if it's a small fortune in misfortune as death.

"Milord, the town's representatives are coming."

Keith's voice rewards visitors with a cluttered knock through the door. Most eyes follow, but they come out faster than I expected.

Is that how quickly and desperately they acted?

Let me through.

"Hey, come in."

Put it between strokes and the door of the room opens.

"... good morning"

"Ha, you look terrible."

"I couldn't sleep with hate....."

Well, I'm not convinced without saying so. Rather, Harold was surprised at his thickness that he slept well under these circumstances.

I didn't even feel like I was paralyzed by the dangers I had experienced.

"So what do you want?

"In two hours' time, I've made plans to have the town and a few Knights' representatives gather at the assembly hall. To that report."

The Knights were expecting it yesterday when they met Sid and the others. I'm sure you know from that conversation that Burston is in danger of something.

Although Elle has informed the Knights of the monster in Harold's name, it appears that he has only sent a minimum number of people here because he has assigned personnel to Travis.

It is a delicate matter whether the danger is well communicated to the side of the scene.

I see.

To be honest, from Harold, who is basically hated by the Knights, it is no trouble for them to be together, but now, above all, it is essential to be present and persuaded that they need manpower to evacuate.

Worst of all, you'll need to drag representatives of the town and the Knights back underground to show off your monsters.

……

"Is there anything else?

Even after completing the report, Fiona asks with suspicion that she will not move from the spot.

She lifted her face and stared Harold in the eye.

"There are a lot of things I don't know about this problem. The existence of monsters, underground facilities, solutions, and... you."

It was clear that there was something I wanted to say. Then Harold closed his mouth and listened.

"But something unusual is happening. Something terrible is happening that I and the people of the city can't do anything about."

I don't know, it must be her honest feeling. Naturally.

I didn't know what to do and couldn't help but be paranoid when I was living in peace and suddenly being shown by a large number of monsters that my town was in danger of being destroyed.

Rather, the human core called Fiona is stronger than just being in a half-craze.

"That's why I have no choice but to knowingly believe you have something suspicious to do to help me break the situation... believe me, right?

Still, I didn't have the strength to speak like that. It seems that the sight of yesterday was quite bearable.

It is exactly what I was aiming for, but I can't help it. Fiona is pathetic because she has to believe the man who created this situation with intent.

Well, Harold didn't have a stepsister who could say anything.

"I'm not interested in who you believe or what you believe. You have to believe what you believe, according to your heart."

At the very least, you can see it in words. Instead of encouraging, it was just a dichotomy.

Her cooperation is certainly more advantageous for quick action, so I would like to establish a friendly relationship if possible.

(Well, I wouldn't have struggled so hard if I could do that easily.)

Meetings with representatives of the town who are confronted with all the anxiety while preparing for unforeseen events.

It will undoubtedly be troublesome. With such melancholy thoughts, Harold was to come.

The place was like a meeting place near the center of town. By the time Harold arrived, there were already a lot of people there, not only people thought to be representatives of the town, as Fiona had told me, but also several knights.

Some of them have seen one face. Perhaps that was the position, but Sid's face was stained with a discomforting color. Given that his gaze is on Harold, Harold's reputation within the Knights is as expected.

"So, Fiona, what does it mean to suddenly gather so many people to have an urgent discussion?

"Yes, there is someone who would like to introduce us to it first."

Yes, Fiona encouraged Harold and Giffeldt to step forward with the list.

While receiving the gaze that gathers, I first entrust Fiona with explaining the situation and proceeding on the spot. If there's anything you need, the list will catch your tongue.

Harold has no choice but to keep his mouth shut in order to create extra clashes.

"This is the list that I just introduced you to. I want you to know something."

That's what the list says and lowers its head. The word actor came to Harold's mind.

In fact, he probably plays the role of a human being in an investigative agency. Speak as if you were reading a determined line.

"We were asked to investigate Burston's tunnel."

One of them is probably about Elle. Although the person in charge is Harold, it is Elle who essentially manages Frieli's activities.

In addition to what Harold had instructed me to do this time, I was able to discover a large group of monsters because Elle was searching for them, considering their potential. Unlike Harold, who thinks about it because he has original knowledge, El, who has a wide perspective and flexible thinking, can find the possibility that it could not be the original.

"The face of the investigation is to examine the degree of deterioration of the tunnel. But the real purpose is different."

"What is the purpose?

Probably the mayor, a somewhat well-dressed man asks the list.

As a matter of course, the list took something like a thin metal plate from the palm of his pocket.

Well, whatever it is, Harold leans his neck inside. That's what everybody here thought, and everybody was looking at the list. Such interest quickly turns into astonishment.

"This is..."

Someone murmured in a stunned voice. I didn't say anything, but Harold was surprised.

Because a picture appeared on the metal plate. It was vivid in hue, reflecting real-world sights just like video equipment that shouldn't exist in this world.

"This is one of the magic items, simply a substitute for cutting the real landscape as-is."

The words are true, and the sight of the plate moves as if it were a video camera.

Even though the magic item itself is valuable, its performance is almost like an auto part. Even so, it is worthy of full astonishment, but what is important now is the scene that is reflected there.

It was a plate that was by no means large, but it was easy to see the appearance of a number of monsters that were close to it.

"And this is deep in Burston's tunnel, cutting out the underground landscape of this town."

The list pushed the heart of the story to the town council as if it was useless.

It's too abrupt for them to hear. There was no way to catch it quickly, and it was a dry laugh that came after a while of silence.

"I don't know what to say... haha, even if it's a joke, it's of poor quality"

"Why is there so many monsters lurking underground in this town? This is ridiculous."

"Yes! And there's no proof that the magic item is authentic."

As expected, the reaction to the truth, which almost only sounded like Yota, was denial and ridicule.

Well, of course. It is up to us to understand how true this story is and how imminent the real threat is.

"Surely this is not the only story you can believe. But how about the Knights over there?

The list turned its sharp gaze to Harold's face. I was only paying attention to the plates, but seemingly several of them, including the man who was leading them, turned pale. The fact that the information presented in the list has changed color may also be an indication of Travis' possible situation.

Harold realized it, and the list couldn't have missed it.

"Dear Knights, In what name and for what purpose are you stationed in Burston?"

Now the councillors look at the Knights at once. I don't know what explanation I gave the town's representatives, but now that the list has revealed some of the information, I'm starting to have doubts about them.

Harold watches the situation silently, impressed by the way he is doing well. A small rift between the town council and the Knights, who were suspicious of Harold and the others, would allow them to enter and fall apart.

"... we have sightings of a man we've been chasing. That's why I'm working on a search."

After a while of silence, the captain said so. Perhaps that's what I explained in advance.

But anything is too timing, such as entering Burston just after Elle sent word in Harold's name. Well, I think Harold knows how it works.

"Well, I don't know anything about this information."

"Oh, yeah."

Harold wonders when he sees the captain's man back in sharp sight again.

Probably saw him listening to the monster crowd. But I thought it was premature to tell the people in the town that it would cause useless anxiety and worry, but if so, the information from the list would be quite important.

Raise your hands and try to extract information from us normally, even if it is difficult.

But he chose to refuse. Instead of asking for information, they don't even show a willingness to negotiate.

(Maybe this is also my fault...?

The hypothesis that he prioritizes vigilance over Harold, even though he knows the danger to some extent, is perhaps because of himself.

From their point of view, Harold is a great sinner who betrayed the Knights. Except for Sid and Eileen, who used to be familiar with it, they must be quite resented. In that case, it would not be surprising to think that Harold set up the trap.

Harold thinks about what to do. Harold's behavior, good or bad, could influence the situation. If you move lightly, it is visible that you will break apart without building a cooperative system, and Harold would like to avoid disagreement in this critical situation.

(I can't even take the time to settle, and it's almost impossible to settle in the first place with this mouth.....)

As for Harold, I'd like him to leave it to the list to negotiate.

"Above all, I don't trust this man when he's here."

That's how the man looks at Harold, and the Knights, except Sid. They still seem to have the worst impression.

And now it was time for the people of the town to turn their heads to their words.

"You may not know, but the man there, Harold Stokes, snuck into the Knights as a messenger in the past, causing a lot of deaths and damage. He's a sinner without a stranger in King's Landing."

Expose Harold's guilt as if he were making a speech in front of the town's representatives.

If you don't deny it now, you won't believe it when you deny it. That is the truth in this world.

"Yes, and now we are powdering ourselves day and night to atone for our sins."

It may be the best defense, but the weights are different in the words of two people who are not familiar with the symbol of state power. If you're asking if you can trust someone with magic items that you've never seen before, that's another problem.

The situation may have changed with a little more time to root it out, but under the circumstances, the people in the town will be on the Knights' side. I do not doubt the ability of the list that would have been entrusted with this role by Elle's judgment, but it may be cruel to flip the situation over without a lot of advance preparation.

"So what's the matter with you? The fact that he can't be trusted doesn't change."

"Why can you say that? Without him, no one would have noticed."

And where is the evidence that Harold, the man, didn't do it?

Opinions begin to deviate from the point of view of parallel lines... Besides, Harold's remarks and the man's gaze on us got Harold's attention this time.

Soon you'll feel like you have to say something unreasonably.

"Why don't you say something? Stokes"

The man talked to me without understanding Harold's feeling that you should not wave at me.

I can't even get here and get through silence. He sighed so loudly that he could bear the feeling, and Harold spoke while searching for the most moderate words.

"What if it is? Is there anything you can do?

The air on the spot freezes as if to affirm a man's words. What is he even saying on the list? He looked at Harold with his stupid eyes.

Well, Harold himself felt the same way, but put that aside and learn from years of experience. I feel like it would be an overly complicated development to stop words here.

Then we'll have to do it. Turn this goddamn mouth around and force me to take the lead. So determined, and now with his own will, Harold opened his mouth.

"Shut up and obey me. You have no other choice."