Otome Game Mob Villain

Chapter 759

"No, it's nothing. More importantly, you all must be exhausted. You seem unharmed, which is a relief. If you'd like, please rest for a while. We can prepare some delicious snacks and drinks."

I smiled as I said this, but Ibi relaxed the corners of her mouth slightly and shook her head.

"Unfortunately, we are currently on duty, so we must decline. Also, while we have eliminated the monster horde, there is no telling when more might appear. Let us depart immediately."

"...Understood."

Nodding, I exchanged glances with Capella and the other knights.

They quickly grasped my intent, and the surroundings became a flurry of activity.

"Then, we shall return to aerial surveillance. Move out, all of you."

At Ibi's command, the members of the Guardian Ten Wings nodded in unison and beat their wings simultaneously.

As the wind whipped up and dust swirled, they soared into the sky, disappearing into the clouds in an instant.

"Now then..."

Ibi, now alone on the ground, approached me and offered a gentle smile.

"Lord Ridd, might I have a brief word in your ear?"

"...Certainly, that's fine."

Although Tink and Capella grew wary, I gestured for them to stand down and nodded.

She relaxed her expression and slowly leaned her face close to my ear.

"Did you enjoy peeking?"

"...Now, what might you be referring to?"

I shrugged with an innocent look, and she grinned defiantly.

"Do not mistake that for our full strength. This is a personal piece of advice: if you value Baldia's territory and your life, I recommend you do not delve any deeper into the affairs of the beastmen nations."

"Is that..."

I was about to ask if Horst was involved, but she placed a finger in front of my mouth and shook her head.

"Loose lips sink ships. At least, take good care of the little bird that strayed from the flock. Lock it in a cage so it isn't stolen or doesn't fly away."

Ibi glanced sideways at Aria, then raised her head and bowed.

"Now, I shall take my leave as well. Please depart once preparations are complete. No signal is needed."

"Wait a moment. I still have questions...?!"

I started, trying to stop her, but she beat her wings and soared into the sky.

As I watched Ibi vanish into the expanse above, Aria came over.

"...Onii-chan, should we chase after Ibi-nee?"

"No, it's fine. Thank you, Aria."

I gently patted her head while pondering the meaning of Ibi's words.

◇

After setting off for the Horseman territory, no more monster hordes appeared, and our party safely reached the checkpoint between the Horseman and Avian territories.

However, Ibi and the other Ten Wings members never descended to the ground.

Ibi's words: *'If you value Baldia's territory and your life, I recommend you do not delve any deeper into the affairs of the beastmen nations.'*

I wanted to ask her true intent, to speak with her once more...

This checkpoint is jointly managed by the Avians and Horsemen, I'm told, with a large white border line drawn within the grounds.

We are currently standing on the Avian side, lined with Avian soldiers, while across the line on the Horseman side, Horseman soldiers stand in formation.

Interestingly, right in front of this drawn border, one soldier from each side stands, making provocative gestures at each other.

They glare with scowls, make exaggerated gestures as if to say 'come at me,' and finally, they both snort dismissively, turn on their heels... that's the sequence.

It's like a comical dance, endlessly entertaining and amusing to watch.

The surrounding soldiers and people crossing the border laugh at their antics.

Perhaps it's a culture that evolved from soldiers' pastimes or games, since they can't actually cross the border line.

As I disembarked from the trailer to proceed with formalities, an Avian soldier approached.

"Lord Ridd. I have a letter from Lord Horst. He wishes to convey his deepest apologies for this incident."

"Not at all. A meeting can be arranged whenever convenient. Please convey to Lord Horst that he should prioritize his territory's affairs without concern for us."

"Understood. I will certainly relay the message."

I accepted the letter with a smile, and the soldier saluted before withdrawing.

Judging by the Avian soldiers, it's clear they hold no hostility toward us.

The strength of the Ten Wings is immeasurable and dangerous, but Horst Padgry, Clan Chief of the Avians...

It seems he likely has hidden motives and a different face unknown to his people and soldiers.

Just as I tucked the received letter into my pocket, a rough, oddly familiar voice called out, "Hey there, Ridd, Amon!"

This voice, calling our names in such a tone...?!

Startled, I turned toward the voice. There stood a figure with carelessly grown russet long hair, narrow sharp eyes gleaming with pale blue irises, a stubbled jaw, and tanned skin.

He had a distinctly rough-looking face but was dressed neatly in what resembled a military uniform, with a red scarf at his neck and a red sash around his waist.

The moment our eyes met, he grinned broadly, boldly stepped over the border line, and came towards us.

"Being the last visit when you're right next to the Foxman territory... I still think that's a bit much, ya know? We've been waiting with our necks stretched out so long we're worn out!"

"My apologies. It has been too long, Lord Azteca Zebrart."

Yes, this rough-looking, rudely familiar individual was none other than Azteca Zebrart, Clan Chief of the Horsemen.

His complaint about being 'worn out from waiting' referred to the fact that the Horseman territory lies north of the Foxman territory, while the Tanukiman territory is to the south. Our diplomatic tour had circled Zubera from the south, making his territory the last stop.

We had informed him beforehand about being the final visit, but we received a long, impeccably calligraphed letter (apparently in his own hand) filled with sarcasm and complaints.

It ended with, 'Fine, I'll accept it. But you owe me one.'

"Haha. No need to be so formal, Ridd, Amon. Just call me Azteca. Feel free to drop the formal speech too. You did the same at Vene's place, right?"

As Amon and I bowed, he strode over with a smile and gave my back a hearty slap.

"You, you seem well-informed."

As Amon asked, somewhat taken aback, Azteca's eyes glinted.

"Don't underestimate the Horsemen's intelligence network. We haul cargo all over Zubera like a spider's web. I've caught wind of your various exploits."

Saying this, he gave our entire party a sweeping glance.

The Horsemen are said to have the greatest stamina for running among the beastmen tribes, and they leverage this to manage transportation services across all of Zubera.

With frequent travel between nations, they naturally encounter vast amounts of information.

If they consciously gather intelligence alongside their transport work, the information they obtain must be immense.

Perhaps every action in each tribal territory so far has reached his ears.

"Ah, ahaha. Under— I mean, got it. Then, we'll do that."

"Now you're talkin'!"

I responded with a wry smile, dropping the formal tone. Azteca laughed heartily, looking pleased.

My past life's sales experience whispered that with this type of person, diving right in often leads to surprisingly good relations...

"Lord Azteca. We understand your position, but please do not cross the border line so casually. It is an established rule between our two tribes."

An Avian soldier spoke up, flustered. "Yeah, yeah, sure," Azteca replied, shrugging as if bothered.