Woo. d*mn. That Lukius guy."


    The man was in a tavern at the end of the street, stirring a bottle of sake.


    Sake, sake, sake," he said. Bring me more booze. I can''t do without it.


    Customer. You drink too much. Let''s call it a day.


    Shut up. This is a bar. This is a bar, and a bar is supposed to serve alcohol. Now, get on with it and serve me a drink.


    The bar master reluctantly opens a bottle of liquor on the counter.


    Hey, Master. How are you doing?


    "Oh, it''s you."


    The master''s face brightens a bit when he sees that his regulars are here.


    Can I have my usual?"


    Yeah, I''ll be happy to serve it."


    The master puts the previous customer on the back burner and prepares his regular''s drink.


    That customer over there is having a rough time," he says.


    I''m so tired," he said. I''ve been coming in and out every day. They drink a lot of alcohol and never pay the bill. But I don''t want him to get out of control.


    But you are a man of rare stature," he said. I thought you were a famous adventurer."


    I don''t know. According to the man himself, he used to be a very active and reasonably good player in the "City of Adventurers. ......


    Oh, in the City of Adventurers. That''s quite a feat."


    But now, it seems, they are not crying. He''s been going from store to store around here, begging for a drink every day.


    I see. Well, they say the nature of dungeons is different in different cities. Just because something works in one town doesn''t mean it will work in another. It''s a difficult part of the adventure business.


    It''s okay if it doesn''t work out," he said. I just don''t want you to get in trouble."


    Hey. Master. Hey, Master, you got any more booze?　Don''t you see this bottle?　It''s completely empty.


    Yes, yes, yes. I''m coming.


    The master brings out the liquor with a "Oh dear" look on his face.


    Well, that''s the way it is," he said. You''re going to have to put up with a lot of noise for a while.


    Oh. You''re in a lot of trouble.


    Woooie. Hiccup. I''m so sick of you guys. You''re all making fun of me. Who the hell do you think I am, Sebasta, a Class A adventurer?


    You''re wrong. You''re ex-Americans.


    What?


    Sebasta heard a sarcastic voice and, speaking with a lisp, glared at the thin, nervous-looking man who had suddenly spoken to him. The man, undaunted by Sebasta''s intimidation, took a seat at the table he occupied.


    You have been assaulted and fugged out of the ''City of Adventurers. As a result, your certification as an adventurer, which must be renewed periodically, has expired, and you are now disqualified as a Class A adventurer.


    What the hell are you?　Do you know who I am? You''re being disrespectful."


    Like you, I was kicked out of the City of Adventurers.


    Mhm, is that the sigil of the ''Guardian of the Magical Tree''?"


    Sebasta stares at the coat of arms presented by the man.


    Yes," he said. My name is Willik, and I used to be a connoisseur for the Guardian of the Magic Tree.


    Willik said, his lips contorting into an eerie smile.


    ''You mean you''re an appraiser .......''


    ''Yes, it is. I got kicked out of the guild because of Roland''s arrival."


    ''...... hmmm. What does it matter if we are from a second-rate guild that crushed each other? Get lost. I don''t have time for you.


    "Even if I told you that Roland is now the head of the Golden Eagle guild?


    Following Willik, a Warrior with a halberd takes his seat.


    You are ...... Gilbert, aren''t you?


    Yo, long time no see.


    Gilbert turned a carefree smile on Sebasta.


    ''You think Roland is the head of the guild of the "Golden Eagle"?　No, more importantly, don''t tell me you''ve left the Golden Eagle, too?"


    I didn''t just leave," he said. Roland banished me."


    What?


    I''m telling you, I didn''t do anything wrong. On the contrary, I was advising him. I suggested to him that we should promote the reconciliation of the first and second units. People are worried about the guilds being split up, you know?　Then I went to ...... and it was terrible, that Roland guy. He incites conflict between units and stalls the internal affairs of the guild with his secret spy and snitching activities. It''s made things tense within the guild. To top it all off, he put the blame on me. They made me look like a traitor and incited the guild members to hang me and then expel me. That son of a b*tc* took advantage of his new position as guild leader and did whatever he wanted. He''s like a dictator.


    What a surprise! Roland ...... did ...... that."


    Sebasta was crestfallen.


    In his mind, Roland was an unreliable but basically quiet and reserved young man.


    What on earth had happened to him to make him such a scheming, cold-blooded politician?


    Let me ask you this. What happened after I left town?


    Gilbert spoke.


    He added his own unique adaptation of the events after Sebasta and Willik left.


    The Second Corps was disbanded?"


    ''Yeah, there were a lot of Lukiusites in the second unit. They were an eyesore.


    Roland ...... has my second unit!"


    In fact, Sebasta had been abandoned by the men of the Second Corps, but in his mind he was still in charge of the Second Corps.


    I told him, ''You know what? I told him he should call Sebasta''s father back. I told him he should call Sebasta''s father back so he could take control of the Second Corps. The men of the Second Corps had deep respect for Sebasta''s father. And you know what he said?　I have no intention of bringing Sebasta back. I''m not going to bring Sebasta back because I''m the one who arranged for him to be banished from the city," he said. It was all in his hands.


    Lucius was also conspired to death at his hands. He was surrounded by Roland''s men in a dark and gloomy dungeon cave and was slaughtered. Ostensibly, it was self-defense, but, well, in all likelihood, Roland had the facts distorted.


    Curse you, Roland!"


    Sebasta slammed the liquor bottle on the desk with a cracking force.


    I had no idea he was such a scumbag. I''ve never heard such a vicious story. No, no, no. If only I could return to the adventurer''s town, I would put him to death with my own hands!


    I''m not sure I''m going to be able to do it. Sebasta-san. It''s not all that I resent. I have some good news about Roland''s movements.


    What?


    Roland is on his way to the Fire Dragon Isle to expand his business.


    Fire Dragon Island?　Does that mean that the S-class monster "Grand Fafnir" will appear?


    Yes. So we''re working out a plan to give Roland a drink. What do you think?　Will you help us?"


    I see. I see. In that case, let''s talk. Let''s hear what you have planned.


    Okay, let''s cut to the chase.


    Willik and Gilbert began to talk about a plot to sabotage Roland''s plans.


    I see. That may indeed be a way to punish Roland.


    What do you think?"　Sebasta''s dad. Are you ready to go along with our plan?"


    Of course. I''ll do whatever it takes to destroy Roland.


    I''m not sure I''d like that. Then it is decided. From now on, we will act as a secret guild, the Roland Victims Association. Then, let''s have a swearing-in ceremony.


    The three ordered the waiter to place the sake cups on the table.


    We will continue to work together, united by our oaths, no matter what the difficulties. We will continue to work together, united against all odds, until the day we bring Roland to his doom.


    "Till the day I smite Roland with my halberd."


    "Until the day I take the Second Corps back from Roland."


    The three of them poured each other a cup of sake and drank it down.


    Four continents surround the inland sea, located in the east, west, south, north, and south directions.


    The final destination, "Fire Dragon Island," is where the ship arrives after touring the four continents.


    Roland was relaxing in his cabin on the cruise ship headed for the island.


    In his hand was a letter from Lilianne.


    The letter was full of sentiments, such as: "We want you to take care of the ''Guardian of the Magic Tree'' and the ''Golden Eagle,''" "We wish you good luck with your new business," and "We just miss you for being away from you for a short time.


    As Roland put the letter away, he recalled the events of the past few weeks.


    After Roland resigned as head of the guild, the structure of the "Golden Eagle" shifted to a council system in which the six executive officers made decisions through discussion and majority voting.


    The executive officers included Roland and the captains of each unit, as well as Liliane and Lange as outside officers.


    If they were in charge, there would be no problem with the "Golden Eagle.


    Thus, Roland obtained permission from the guild to go on a business trip to "Fire Dragon Island.


    Roland stopped reminiscing and took out a pamphlet about "Fire Dragon Island," the destination of the ship.


    There is one large volcano on the "Fire Dragon Island," which forms the terrain and dungeon.


    The inhabitants have adapted well to living in harmony with the volcano, building their houses with special materials to protect them from the flying ash and fire sparks, and building the town according to the rules.


    However, even with the efforts of the local residents, they are unable to cope with the disaster caused by the "Giant Fire Dragon (Gran Fafnir)," and the islanders are constantly asking for help from outside adventurers'' guilds.


    This time, the "Golden Eagle" responded to such requests from the local residents and decided to come forward to help defeat the "Grand Fafnir.


    The "Grand Fafnir" was not the only reason for adventurers to visit the "Fire Dragon Island.


    The volcanic eruptions that often occur on the island reveal special elements in the ground, which solidify into rare ores called "rare metals" that cannot be found anywhere else and cover the surface of the volcano.


    The "rare metals" become materials for special equipment.


    The alchemy guilds in the town are said to be of incomparably higher quality than those in Roland''s adventurer''s town.


    Adventurers from all over the world come to the "Fire Dragon Island" every year in search of this "rare metal" and the equipment made by the excellent alchemists.


    The island is the only place in the world where adventurers from different continents fight each other for resources.


    While Roland was reading a pamphlet, he heard the sound of a steam whistle.


    A ship was approaching the "Fire Dragon Island.


    Roland decided to go out on the deck of the ship and see the "Fire Dragon Island" with his own eyes.


    Is that the Isle of Fire Dragons?


    On the deck, many people crowded around and cheered in addition to Roland.


    In front of Roland''s eyes, he could see the shadow of an island floating in the distance on the horizon, and a volcano rising up from it, spewing out clouds of smoke.


    Near the summit of the volcano, a wide-open crater and a glowing red "magma path" could be seen.


    Looking down from there, the magma path breaks off, revealing the "metal line," a jewel-like area of rugged rock surfaces and shiny ore chunks.


    If you look down from the "Metal Line," which occupies the middle of the mountain, you will see a forested area at the foot of the volcano, and beyond that, the town spreads out.


    This forested area is the buffer zone between the city and the dungeon.


    The town is lined with inns where adventurers from the four continents and neighboring islands stay.


    (The S-class monster "Giant Fire Dragon (Grand Fafnir)" is sleeping in that volcano.)


    Roland''s mission this time was to build a base and prepare the ground to support the "Golden Eagle''s" defeat of the "Giant Fire Dragon (Gran Fafnir).


    Soon the ship was approaching the island''s harbor, and the crew began to prepare for the unloading of the ship.


    （The ship''s crew was busy preparing to unload the ship''s cargo: alchemists of the highest international standard, adventurers from four continents, and monsters and items reflecting the vegetation of the volcanic region. I wonder what adventures await them on that island.)


    The ship slides its hull into the harbor with the excitement of launching a new business.


    We will soon arrive at the ''Fire Dragon Island. Passengers disembarking from the ship are requested to prepare their luggage."


    <>