《A Heroic Tale About Starting With a Personal Relations Cheat (Ability) and Letting Others Do the Job》 Volume 1 - CH 1.1 Prologue Translated by SoundDestiny Edited by SoundDestiny It was only at the age of fifteen, when I had given up everything, that I realised that connections could be used as a weapon. Since then, I have continued to hone the weapon of networking and tried to lead an ideal life in my own way. As I predicted, the weapon would play an active role in all aspects of my life, and give me a definite advantage in a field where I had never had anything noteworthy to offer. It has been three years since I had adventures around many different places with friends. Im not being conceited, but Im sure there are many feats that have been achieved through my connections. However, if there is a downside Ned Wolkinter. You are hereby expelled from the adventuring party Stardust Light! My weapons are difficult for others to understand. Tracing back to those few minutes ago. I was visiting the audience chamber in the royal castle of the Kingdom of Intail. You wanted to see me, Your Majesty? Mm. Raise your face. Slowly I raise my head. A large man sat on a throne in front of me. He was an old man with wrinkles etched on his face. He was the King of the Kingdom of Intail. You are Ned Wolkinter, the leader of the adventurer party Stardust Light? Yes. Upon affirmation, His Majesty opened his mouth. Let me put it simply. I would like to appoint the Stardust Lightto be our countrys heroic party. A heroic party..? I know what the word means. The Hero party. They are small, elite teams dispatched by countries around the world to defeat the Demon King, who has suddenly appeared. People are happy or sad at the results that these heroes parties bring back, and this sometimes affects the economy. These days, every country sends out a party of heroes to defeat the Demon King. In view of this trend, our country has decided to take a leap of faith and form a heroic party. I give a friendly nod to His Majestys explanation. We spent a long time selecting those who would be suitable for the heroes party. As a result, we have set our sights on you, the Stardust Light. I am honoured. Its a very self-explanatory story thats going on without my knowledge. Of course, I cant say such a thing, so I shut my lips. From what I hear, Stardust Light sounds like a pretty good party. Yes. Im very proud of the members Ive gathered from all over the world. Its honestly nice to be praised for the party. So I answered honestly. Its proud membership appeals to us as well. So please, let the Stardust Light be our countrys heroic party. What a surprise. This was a step towards grasping glory. There was no reason to refuse. I humbly accept your off Except you. The kings words were not immediately understood. Ha? I couldnt understand it even after taking my time, so I voiced my doubts. His Majesty then let out a sigh and explained. All the members of the Stardust Light are excellent. However, only you, the..leader, are not good enough. While the other members are S-class adventurers, you are an adventurer who barely maintains the A-class status. To put it bluntly, you are a hindrance. Im not a hindrance Im the team leader. Hmph!What a pathetic man you are, clinging to your position! Instantly, The kings tone becomes rougher. This must be his true nature. And that title of team leader is questionable!Weve already assessed you through the Adventurerss Guild! Explain the role of each of your members! Well, there are five members, including me. A knight who is in charge of both attack and defence, Warriors who can be trusted being the vanguard, a monk who acts as a healer and a wizard who specialises in long-range attack. And who are you? Im the manager. I dont want it! This is getting absurd. Knights, warriors, monks, wizards and managers are the standard configuration though. In my opinion. Youre insinuating that your connections are weapons! What a ludicrous excuse! You just cant do anything without someone to protect you! Well, that may well be the case. You admit you were making excuses. After all, you are just a lackey. I cant entrust the leadership of the heroes party to someone like you! His Majesty tells me in exasperation. Ned. At that moment, a man standing beside His Majesty called my name. He is the Prime Minister of this country. You have to understand. A party of heroes on a mission to defeat the Demon King attracts attention from all over the world. Therefore, if there are disproportionate people in the party, they will receive a lot of condemnation. That will, in turn, tarnish the dignity of the Kingdom of Intail. .. So why dont you ask another adventurer party to do it for you? The members you have assembled are uniquely talented. I was surprised when I investigated them myself. A knight who has received the blessing of the Almighty, a warrior who can fight forever without eating or drinking, a priest who can even raise the dead, and a wizard with three sage medalsThey are so talented that I wonder where on earth you got them. Thats because Ive really searched for them like hell Apparently, the upper echelons of this country want to make the Stardust Lighta heroic party, no matter what their intentions are. But they dont understand. All the members of the adventurer party Stardust Light are not just human beings, in a good way or a bad way. Lets be clear on this occasion. Its true that Im the leader of the Stardust Light, but what I actually do is closer to being a beastmaster than a leader. . What are you talking about? That party is all the members Ive assembled on the premise that I control them. My job is mainly liaison to talk to them in advance so that the damage caused by their fighting doesnt get out. If there is no one left to do that job. To His Majesty and the others, I told them. I think youll probably..regret it. Silence reigned in the audience chamber. Eventually, His Majesty and the Prime Minister broke the expression on their faces and Pfft. Kuhaha! A small chuckle is heard. Oh, yes!Regret!Then lets look forward to it at best!If youre really that good, I might regret it! His Majesty sneers at me. I forgot to mention that, in your place, I will be adding Julius, our near-guard knight, to the party. He is the same age as you, but unlike you, he is the best of the best. He will more than make up for the hole you left out. So you have nothing to worry about. AD Then His Majesty looks at me with condescending eyes. You have nothing more to say, have you?Then I will tell you again. With a winning smile, His Majesty told me. Ned Wolkinter. You are hereby expelled from the adventuring party Stardust Light!Now, please excuse yourself as quickly as possible. Im sure you understand, but I wont allow you to have any contact with the heroic party. I cant get through him at all. I let out a small sigh and left the audience chamber. AD Now the obstacle is goneour country now has the strongest and bravest party! Yes, with them in action, we will be able to outmanoeuvre the rest of the world in no time. The Prime Minister nodded to the delighted King. Prime Minister. The exchange we just had you are as glib as ever. Not as bad as Your Majesty, but I can take on any number of youngsters of that calibre. Haha! The two laugh together. The members of the Stardust Light are pathetic. They can thank me for unleashing themfrom an incompetent brat, who used them for good. Are they simply good people, or are they vulnerable? In any case, it is too good to have a party of that magnitude monopolised by a single person. Let them properly work for the country. The king nodded in satisfaction at the Prime Ministers statement. The chain of contacts between the Ned and the heroic party should be broken while were at it. I believe they have a tool to communicate. Take it away immediately. Yes, sir The Prime Minister bowed deeply and immediately set to work. The Prime Minister leaves the audience chamber. Looking at the closed door, the king slowly leaned back on his throne. Kuhaha ..it is my country that will defeat the Demon King. My name will be etched in the history of the world! The king smiles with amusement. His head was filled with fantasies of himself being hailed around the world as a great hero. He doesnt know it C but decades later, the kings name will indeed be etched in history. However, it was not as a hero, but as the worst dark lord. Dear friends of theStardust Light The communication does not connect, so I am sending you a letter. You may have already heard, but I have two things to say to you all. The first one. The Stardust Light have now been appointed as a brave party by the king of the Kingdom of Intail. From now on, wealth and fame will be at your disposal. Enjoy it to the fullest ..What?Why am I writing like its somebody elses business? Let me explain then. Secondly, I want to tell you. Because of the stupid king, I had to leave the party. Apparently, Im not fit to be a part of the Kingdom of Intail heroic party. I heard that an excellent young Kingsguard knight will be replacing me, so please get along with him from now on. To be honest, I thought about taking you with me and going somewhere, but at any rate, he is the king of a country. If you go against him, you will get into trouble. Besides, its an undeniable honour to be chosen for the heroes party. You wont lose it because of me alone. I dont think any of you are interested in the honour Anyway, thats why Im leaving you here. The party was originally formed just over a year ago, and if the meeting was sudden, then the parting may be sudden too. Ill be looking forward to your help in defeating the Demon King. You guys can probably defeat him. But it looks like theres going to be a lot of damage instead. PS: I heard they sell really tasty bun buns in the cafeteria of the Demon Kings castle, so buy some. Hmmm.. In the corridors of the Royal Castle. I was walking around trying to work out the contents of the letter I had written. Honesty, isnt necessary right? Erasing it Erase some sentences with a pen. Then, the letter was completed, folded properly and put in my pocket. Im a hindrance. Its likeIve finally been found out I mumbles and mutters while scratching my hair. To be honest C what His Majesty told me was true. I was a lackey in the Stardust Light, half-fed by adventurers of superior ability. At least objectively, that is the undeniable truth. And the Hero Party is an organisation that carries the name of the country on its back and attracts a lot of attention. Its probably not surprising that Im out of the picture. Hey, Ned. As I was walking down the corridor, someone called out to me. When I turn around, there is a man clad in a white and silver armour suit. Well, well, well, isnt that the Hope of the Kingsguard, Sir Julius? . Dont take a queasy tone. Just the way you always do. Im going to put it back the way it was because he said so. People have gone to a lot of trouble to do this, even though they have done it humbly. Be thankful, eh, Ned?If I hadnt been so tactful, youd be carrying an undeserved burden right now. I raised my eyebrows at his words. You proposed my banishment? Yes!I am the one who advised your banishment!Hahahaha! Julius laughed merrily. Because I know very well what you have been doing since you were a child. So Im the only one you cant fool!You have a broad face, but otherwise you are just an ordinary man!Youre always relying on someone else, always doing nothing yourself!But you used me like a pawn during the mid-term exams and graduation exams at the institute..! The hope of the Knights immediately shook his body. Is he emotionally unstable? Julius and I have known each other since we were very young. We were both born and raised in this country and went to school together at the academy, where we got to know each other. However, we are not on good terms. If anything, we are the opposite. You cant defeat the Demon Lord! But I would have no problem with that!I, who is known as the greatest of all time among the Knights of the Kingsguard, will be able to lead the hero party right!And when the Demon King is defeated, I will marry the Princess and gufu,fufu..! ..Youve picked the wrong people for this.. This man has long been in love with that daughter of His Majesty the Idiot, that is, Her Royal Highness the Princess, and it is as if he became a knight of the Kingsguard just to be united with her. His passion is so great that he has accumulated enough achievements to be regarded as a gem, as he has said, but he is a man whose fundamental motives are riddled with inferiority complexes. Our king doesnt have a good eye for people. Both himself and others must have a character that cares only about the top. Now that its come to this, Im not going to argue, but you, make sure you hold the reins of those guys for me. Otherwise, in the worst case scenario, the country will be destroyed. Ha, what a load of nonsense. Are you trying to make me feel like a sore loser? I dont mean to, but I keep my mouth shut, thinking I dont need advice as he seems confident. At that moment, someone approaches me from the end of the corridor. It is a girl with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a beautiful face. Princess? At the mention of the girls identity, Julius turned quickly and smiled wryly. Ooo, Princess! You are in a good mood toda! Ned-sama!!! Gueuuhh! The Princess came up to me, flicked a bullet to the approaching Julius. Apart from Julius, who is holding his solar plexus, the princess is closing in on me. Princess of the Kingdom of Intail C Iris Intail. Those who were familiar with her called her Princess. Why is Ned-sama out of the heroes party?I dont understand! Lets go and protest! As usual, the princess acts with her usual self. We are close enough to touch skin to skin. Her hair is as smooth as silk and smells sweet. As expected, when I tried to move away a little, the Princess quickly closed the distance. I give up and decide to talk to her as it is. Unfortunately, Ive already protested it. When I replied with a sigh, Julius peeled his eyes and became angry. You, you!How dare you speak to the princess in such a disrespectful manner? Please be quiet Julius. I asked for that one when Im talking with Ned-sama. Gunu!!! Julius looks frustrated. He looks as if hes trying to say. Why do you address Ned as sama and call me by my name? I have had several exchanges with the Princess and we are now able to talk casually like this. What. should be regretted is that I should have interacted with His Majesty as well. As for His Majesty, I had deliberately avoided interacting with him in part because I had not heard good rumours about him, but that decision may have backfired. The most important thing to remember is that the government is not a party to the law.Even if they had interacted with me, the way she talked about me, they would have banished me anyway. Dont worry, the Stardust Light will all run riot freely..and do fine without me. They might actually be able to defeat the Demon King. That is, if they can be properly controlled. So why dont you support them together?It is for the best that the demon king is defeated and the world is at peace. Dont you think so, Princess? Thatsright. The Princess looks convinced. I understand!I will support the brave party now, just as Ned-sama says! For better or worse, the pure princess is easily persuaded. Julius looks at me with a blank stare as I feel like Ive finished a job. You.. are still a first-class talker, as ever. Well. My motto is to help others. Being a good talker is an essential skill. Julius frowned. As if to say he didnt want to be in the same space as me anymore. But maybe its time for me to walk away too. If I remain in the royal castle, Im likely to get tangled up with troublesome people. Princess, may I ask you to deliver a few messages? Sure! To whom? The General Secretary. I happened to meet a guy who runs a printing business on my last trip. Hes got a pretty big factory, so if you think he might be interested, tell him to contact me later. I Understand! And tell the Cardinal to go to the West Ward Alms Clinic. Hes been unwell for the last six months, hasnt he?Ive found him to be a good doctor. Tell him its a referral from me and hell see him straight away. Ill be sure to tell him! At any rate, Ive done the rest aside from meeting the king. Hmmas usual youre all about other people. Its all just errands Ive run along the way. Saying this, I handed Julius the letter I had in my pocket. I also need a favour from you. Give this to the members of the Stardust Light. Whats this? Its a farewell letter to my former comrades. Ha, I wouldnt take this stuff. Ill throw it right away. Julius says with a nasty smile. Then Ill ask the princess for this tooA-aa it would be easier if Julius gave it to her. Dont worry about it! I will send it for Ned-sama! The Princess said with a twinkle in her eye. Julius face turns indignant and angry. Damn, thats the thing..! Thats what I dont like about you..! Saying this, Julius placed the letter inside the armour. The princess looks a little disappointed. Well, do it swiftly. This whole thing has made me hate the kings and nobles of this country, but I dont hate you that much. But I hate you!!! TL: Theres a manga adaptation soon, and sorry. I forgot to put the illustration. Volume 1 - CH 1.2 The country that bonded with a dragon Translated by SoundDestiny Edited by SoundDestiny After leaving the royal castle of the Kingdom of Intail, I was walking directly through the castle town. I had already decided where I was going. Out of this country. If I told the princess about this, she was likely to vehemently object, so I kept quiet when we were talking in the royal castle. From here, is the kingdom of Enubidia? (`̥ӥǥ) If I take a boat from the port town, I will soon reach the Kingdom of Enubidia. As soon as possible, I want to escape to a place where His Majestys power does not extend to me. At any rate, the members of the Stardust Lightare all idiots with one or two quirks. If only he could control them, he would bring back the best results, but unfortunately Julius will not be able to hold the reins of their power. If he cannot control them C there will be horrendous damage. I dont want to be held responsible for it afterwards. So I want to get the hell out of here and escape to the outside world. Well, I guess Illenjoy my freedom I dont mind travelling alone. Im always with someone, so I feel like Im spending precious time now. Welcome! Weve got the latest in grimoires for sale! A shopkeepers voice can be heard coming from the stall. Speaking of which, it is time for a new set of magical tools. I already have enough for what I need, but magic tools are delicate items and can get damaged during adventures and other rough activities. It is better to replace them with new ones around here. Do you have a comms stone? Yes, of course.Its pricey, though. is 20,000 zeni a piece. Expensive, but in line with the market. Then give me six. Six? Aaa, well, customer, youve got it all wrong. The shopkeeper chuckled and said. One communication stone can hold the contact details of a hundred people. Hundreds? Aa. So one is more than enough Then give me eight. Ha ? The selled widened his eyes in surprise. Ignoring his shock, I paid up. The number of contacts I want to register is seven hundred and ten. I had thought that six would be enough, since a single communication stone in another country can register one hundred and twenty contacts. Well,thank you for your continued patronage I put the communication stones Id have purchased in the pouch around my waist. Leaving the shopkeeper, who remained surprised, I headed for the port town. Next, Id better finish the formalities of getting on board the ship. The time is already midday, chances are castle and port towns are close I probably wont be able to get on the boat today, so Ill have to stay overnight. So I decided to hire a carriage, thinking it would be better to get to the port early enough to book accommodation. When I arrived in the port town, I immediately headed for the boat station. I want to board a ship to the Kingdom of Aenebidia, are there any seats still available? I went to the counter and spoke to the man at reception who was reading the newspaper. Yeah, there are seats available, but were actually having a bit of a problem. There are restrictions on boarding for a while. Restrictions? Theres been an outbreak of a large monster called the Kraken in the waters on the way to the Kingdom of Enubidia. Because of it, the only people allowed on board now are adventurers of A-level or above, or those on official missions who have to cross the sea right now. Kraken are dangerous monsters. I can agree with the restrictions imposed, but.. Then no problem. Im a grade A adventurer. Saying this, I take out my adventurers card from my pocket and show it to the man. An adventurers card is a kind of identity card issued by the adventurers guild to which you belong. In addition to the name of the registered person, the card also lists the adventurers grade. Oh~ youre not what you seem, are you? I get told that a lot. Although His Majesty made fun of me, being a Class A adventurer is an inherently admirable enough status. It is also a privilege of Class A to be able to overcome these restrictions. All right, Ive saved you a seat. The boat will leave in three days time, so dont be late. Aa ah, wait a minute. Just before I turned on my heel, I approached the man again. Can I see your charts? I want to know which waters the Kraken will be in. I dont think theres any point in knowing.Well, okay. Give me a minute. After a short wait, the man unfolds a chart on the counter. I think the Kraken has appeared here. A man pointed and told me where the Kraken was. in these waters, they can just barely reach the sound of the whistle. Im developing a contingency plan for the eventuality. At any rate, I was able to work out a way to manage even if the Kraken came out. Thank you for your help. Oh. I dont know what it is, but Im glad it helped. After I left the window, I decided to look for accommodation to sleep in for the next three days. As a port town, there were plenty of places to stay. I decided to stay at an inn that serves delicious seafood dishes. Three days later. I boarded a ship bound for the Kingdom of Enubidia, as planned. But it will take a week until the ship arrives.. As I squinted my eyelids in the brilliant sunshine, the sea breeze caressed my cheeks. I stroke my slightly sticky cheeks with my thumbs, thinking of my former companions. According to the newspaper I bought this morning, the hero party is leaving the Royal Capital today. There seems to be a grand parade celebrating their departure, but the noise and bustle of the parade does not reach the ocean. Not long ago I should have been spending time with them as a member of the Stardust Light, but when Im rocking leisurely on the boat, those days seem like someone elses business. Julius joined the hero party instead of me, as His Majesty wanted. However, I still dont think that man can hold the reins of the members, so. By the time I reach the Kingdom of Enubidia, one of our cities will probably have been crushed. Farewell, Julius. I offer one second of silent prayer for the sacrifice of an old friend. Oops, I guess I should call ahead. I remembered that I wanted to contact someone before I arrived in the Kingdom of Enubidia. I immediately activated the communication stone I had purchased in the castle town and communicated with the person. Ned? A female voice can be heard on the communication stone. Ah, Its been a long time isnt it? Are you on the clock now? No problem. Ill make as much time as I can for you? Loyalty is as high as ever. How that came about is unclear. Actually, Im on a ship heading for the Kingdom of Enubidia. Oh, youre coming? What do you want?Since its you, I wouldnt be surprised if theres a natural disaster on the horizon. Whats more surprising than a natural disaster? I landed in some trouble and Ive decided to leave the country. Ill tell you more about it when I see you. All right. Ill show you around the city when I get there. Thank you. I dont know how many days Ill be staying, but I need some way of earning an income for now. I think Ill register with the Adventurers Guild when I get there, so maybe you can help me with a few requests. Thats no big deal. Do you want to hunt wyverns? Ah, thats a good choice. Wyvern tails are as delicious as steaks. As I was talking about these things, I felt a gaze from somewhere. When I turned around, there was a young female knight with long blue hair fluttering in the air. She was about seventeen or eighteen years old, about the same as me. The fact that she is wearing armour on a boat trip suggests that she is a serious person. Well then, see you later. I disconnect communications. The blue-haired female knight slowly approaches me. Sorry, were you on comms? No, Im done..Do you need anything? Not so much an errand, but I just wanted to say a quick hello. Greetings?She corrects her posture in response to me tilting my head. I am May Ascent. I am a knight of the Kingdom of Enubidia. Im Ned Wolkinter. I used to be an adventurer in the Kingdom of Intail. I told her in the past tense, as I no longer wish to operate as an adventurer in that country. But May did not show any sign of concern and opened her mouth. If youre on this ship, that means youre an A-level adventurer, right? Thats a good thing. A good thing? Youve heard that there might be a Kraken attact, havent you?If push comes to shove, we should be comrade-in-arms, to cover each other back. Thats why Im saying hello to you like this. I see, thats an auspicious mindset. A polite or disciplined person She is probably a person of good upbringing. Her appearance is very well-defined, and her skin and hair are so beautiful that it is hard to believe that she is a knight who makes her living fighting. It is evidence that she lives in a good environment where she can take care of her appearance. Im sorry, but please dont count me among your forces. Hmm?Why is that? My title as an A-level adventurer was forced upon me by the same party of friends who pulled me along. As far as my individual abilities go, Im afraid Im not much different from an E-Level. What is that? Isnt that a scam? Aathey say that a lot. Unfortunately, it is really often said. The faces of His Majesty and Julius passed through my mind. Hmm, I heard there was a Class A adventurer on board, so I was expecting to see him, but hes just a fraud. May informed me with a sigh. Oh well. If it comes to a fight, at best stay out of the way and stay quiet. Ill let you do that. After all, my motto is letting others do the job. A joke. I really despise you. May turned on her heel and went away. It was meant to be a joking comment, but apparently it only made the air worse. ..Well, it wasnt really a joke, was it? The best thing would be not to encounter the Kraken. I tried to harbour such fleeting hopes, but they were easily dashed. Four days later. We encountered the Kraken. After midday on the fourth day. Suddenly, the surface of the water ahead rolled up vigorously. Whats going on? The knights of the Kingdom of Enubidia on board the ship were bewildered. The seawater that had rolled up turned into a large amount of rain and poured down on the ship. Someone shouted loudly as they were hit by the torrential water and their vision was blurred. The Kraken is out!!! That was the signal for battle. The knights who had been waiting in the ship prepared their equipment and rushed to the deck. A giant squid appeared in front of the knights holding up their shields. Thats the Kraken It is a well-known category of sea-dwelling monsters but I recall that even I have never encountered one yet. Kraken are extremely dangerous monsters, but they are also cowardly. As soon as they realise that their opponents are superior to them, they quickly retreat. So even if I encounter a Kraken, I can get through it unscathed as long as I take countermeasures. You, why are you here? While watching the Kraken on deck, I was approached by May. I told you to stay out of the way and keep quiet. Now go back inside. Ill do that, but.. can you guys handle it on your own? Pfft, dont worry about it. Dont underestimate the knights of the Kingdom of Enubidia. Having said this, May went to the Kraken. When fighting off a kraken, the important thing is to take initiative first. If we do not look frightened at all and keep showing the will to fight back, the Kraken will eventually leave. For this reason, the knights should have attacked the Kraken as soon as possible. No, , youre undermanned by all accounts. From the looks of it, the knights are skilled, but with that number of men, they have their hands full just dealing with the Krakens attack. At the same time they seem also having trouble. Their formation is already on the verge of collapse. It cant be helped. Ill call them. Before heading back inside, I took a shell-shaped whistle from my pouch. The battle with the Kraken was far fiercer and more intense than expected. Damn! May, a knight of the Kingdom of Enubidia, was knocked down by the violently shaking deck and looked at the Kraken with her hands on the floor. At this rate, well get hit The Kraken still remains unscatched. It has begun to think of those on board this ship as inferior. Why is this happening? May asks the knights in the vicinity about the reasons for this. What happened to the other knights! There must have been more knights waiting on deck! Of the ten who were waiting, four were dropped into the sea by the Krakens surprise attack. Two barely survived, but are currently undergoing treatment. And the other four? ..are down with seasickness. My foot almost slipped. W-what a useless bunch..! I put my hand on my forehead. It is an abomination that I do not want to think of as the same knight. I remembered that a few days ago I had called an adventurer from the Kingdom of Intail a [fraud]. I owe him an apology. My colleagues are much more cowardly. Ill take the lead, you guys follow! Aa-wait, May-sama!You, the Knight of the Kingsguard, if youre hurt, the PrincessRushia-sama will be sad!! Dont be stupid!Its a knights duty to fight physically at times like this! Besides, if I cant fight off the Kraken at this point, it will be more than just me getting hurt. Along with the ship will be reduced to rubbish. May approached the Kraken with determination. The Kraken swung its thick tentacle down. May blocked it, using her sword as a shield. Ggh, ah!!! Normally, knights with large shields would have gathered to defend against this blow. Mays skill in single-handedly defending against it was assured, but the burden was too much. Her arms and legs were numb and motionless, and the sword fell from her palms. Its bad. She is completely unprotected. If the Kraken continues its attack, it cannot be prevented. If any more people leave the front line, the line of defeat will finally become thicker. May gritted her teeth and tried to move, ignoring the numbness in his body. Immediately afterwards C suddenly, a high-pitched whistle sounded. What was that sound ? Is that some kind of signal?However, there was no sign of anyone rushing on deck. As May wondered C suddenly the Kraken screamed. The krakens condition suddenly changes, and the knights on deck are also puzzled. The paralysed May, now able to move, closes in on the Kraken. Before he can draw his sword, May stops moving. At the Krakens feet, a shadow of something is seen on the surface of the water. Is that a..mermaid? Its upper half of the body is human but the lower part is half fish. This is the characteristic of the mermaid race. The mermaids that are living at the bottom of the sea swam freely in the water and poked the kraken incessantly with spearheads in their hands. Are the mermaids joining us in attacking the kraken,? A scene unfolded before their eyes that could only be perceived as such. But it is a sight that is not supposed to be. Thats ridiculous..Mermaids hate humans. What is this? The Kraken screams once more. Eventually, the Kraken moved away from the ship and was dragged to the seabed by the.. Mermaids. After the Kraken left the ship, I put the whistle away in my pouch. After a while, the surface of the water in front of me bubbled and soon countless mermaids appeared. Land Dwellers! O people of the land dwellers!!We have defeated the Kraken! Give us, our reward!People of the land dwellers!! The mermaids gathered in the straw and demanded their rewards. With splashes of water flying everywhere, I take out what I have prepared from my pouch. Yes, yes. Apples, right? Oh ! This is the very essence of life! It is no exaggeration to say that the people of the land exist to produce this! Thats an exaggeration. To say it is an exaggeration for humans to produce apples is a bit too much. But.Im glad I bought apples in the port town for this kind of situation. Mermaids like several things, and apples are one of them. Ill buy as many as I can if it puts them in a good mood. Sorry to call you on such short notice. Dont it mind!Ned has made a covenant with us!Thats why she gave you the whistle! A male mermaid said loudly. Generally, the mermaids who come out to fight are men. His upper body was wrapped in strong muscular armour and he held a very heavy spear, using the buoyancy of the water. By the way, Ned! Hmm? The Queen wants to see Ned!Come to the Ryugu Palace! Roger. Tell her Ill come when things settle down. If you dont come soon, she will create a huge tsunami and sink this ship! Thats not good. Ill give you another apple, try to appease her. Yes, sir! Having said this, the mermaid dove back into the water. If the Kraken is defeated and the ship is sunk, its the end of the world. Perhaps Ive just eliminated the second crisis that was looming over the ship?Well, as for the second crisis, it looks like it came about because of me. When the mermaids are completely out of sight, I hear footsteps nearby. Aa, y-you , that was . There was a wide-eyed and astonished May. When I was communicating, you stood somewhere near me and this time, is does May has a peeping-tom hobby? Nah?! N-no, no!It just happened, Im standing here at the wrong time! May denied it with a red face. More importantly, what did you do? That was a mermaid, wasnt it?Mermaids hate humans. Theyre the kind of people youd normally have to fight with just to see each other, let alone have a conversation. Normally that might be true, but well, Im kind of a friend Friends.? A mermaid and a human? To be precise, Im friends with the Ryugu tribe who live in the western waters. In exchange, I have a bit of a disagreement with the Lorei tribe, who live in the eastern waters. But I know someone who has an alliance with Lorei, so I think I can negotiate peacefully with mermaids from almost any ocean. ?????? May looked confused at the information I gave her. I may have even given out a bit of unnecessary information but I dont have a problem with that. Its hard to believe, but in short, you can negotiate with mermaids..So, in the battle with the Kraken earlier, you were the one who called the mermaids? Aa. I told you, my motto is letting others do the job. With the help of others, no one can beat me. I even take such pride in it. When I jokingly said this in a boastful manner, Mays lips tightened. Its complicated, but whatever it is, it does look like youre our saviour I was a little surprised. I thought I was going to be mocked again, but it seems that May is more tolerant of other peoples values than I thought. I hope His Majesty the King of the Kingdom of Intail will learn something from her. Can you make some time after we arrive in the country?I want to thank you. For me, for whom networking is the only weapon in my arsenal, there is no reason to refuse the proposal. I welcome meeting and interacting with new people. Itll be my pleasure. Three days had passed since the defeat of the Kraken. The seven-day boat trip came to an end and the land of the Kingdom of Enubidia was in sight. Ned. As the ship approaches the harbour, May calls out to her. As promised, let me thank you. Are you sure youre free for today? Yeah, Im free all day. Good. Then I have some places Id like to show you. My schedule is free, or rather, I left it open. I actually had someone I was meeting up with, but after consulting with her, I changed my meeting with her to tomorrow. Aa, um, May-sama. Are you sure?Inviting adventurers from other countries into your castle. Hes our benefactor, it wont be a problem. Besides, Rushia-sama likes adventurers. The knights are having some kind of conversation. I chuckled when I heard the words knights and castle. Apparently, Ive been associated with those things of late. How did you end up in the Kingdom of Intail? I was escorting a nobleman from our country who was staying over there for a few days or so. It seems that the nobility of the Kingdom of Enuvidia was visiting the Kingdom of Intail. I did not know that. Weve arrived safely May mutters. The ship arrived at the port and stopped. Welcome. To the country that has made a pact with a dragon. The Kingdom of Enuvidia, a country which made a pact with a dragon. The country is said to have borrowed power from a great dragon when it was founded. Before, the land in this area was said to have dried up. As a result, crops did not grow, but with the dragons blessing, the land was enriched and blessed with resources. Some monsters are intelligent and can interact with people. Dragons are a prime example of such monsters and are extremely powerful. History shows that humans and dragons sometimes fought and sometimes cooperated with each other, but the only example of a dragon supporting the founding of a country is the Kingdom of Enuvidia. Spectacular. Fufu, ..thats right! This is a good country! May smiled happily, she was happy that I praised her kingdom. The buildings in the Kingdom of Enuvidia are larger in scale than those in the Kingdom of Intail. Such is the culture that has taken root. Dragon ornaments and figurines can be seen here and there, perhaps to entertain the tourists. The scenery is gorgeous for a port town. Incidentally, that legendary adventurer party, the The Seven Meteors, once stopped by this town. Eeee? I couldnt help but voice my doubts at Mays statement. Oi, whats with that reaction? Dont tell me youve never heard of The Seven Meteors? Uh, yeah. I know that much about tthem, but Theres no way I dont know them. The adventurer party The Seven Meteors- is the most famous adventurers in the world. The feats accomplished by that adventuring party are too numerous to mention: they have conquered impregnable dungeons, defeated large monsters that were threatening the world, and pioneered the development of lands that had never been explored before. The strongest adventuring party, both in name and in reality, is the The Seven Meteors. This is a common knowledge in this world. Likewise, the fact that the.The Seven Meteors was disbanded a year ago is also common knowledge known by people all over the world. Did the The Seven Meteors stop by this town? Yes!Id like to be able to say with pride.but strictly speaking, they were just passing nearby. But when youre dealing with the The Seven Meteors, that alone makes me feel proud. ooh . I see. So thats what this is about. There was a slight discrepancy in information, which was puzzling but satisfactory. The fame of the adventurer party The Seven Meteors is tremendous. A town can become a tourist attraction simply because a party has stayed. This port town must have been aiming for such an economic effect and spreading the same sales pitch to its people as May had mentioned. There were a few well-known adventurer parties in the Kingdom of Aenebidia, werent there? Aaa, The most famous is probably the White Dragon Chivalric Order. Ned knows about that party? Of course. Adventurer party White Dragon Chivalric Order. The party, who hail from the Kingdom of Enuvidia, are all clad in knights armour, which is unusual for adventurers. The party has made a name for itself mainly by conquering dungeons and defeating monsters. The White Dragon Chivalric Order are a party of adventurers, but they are the object of admiration for the countrys knights. In particular, the leader of the Order, Lady Riese Von Aldiana, is an S-class adventurer and a former aristocrat, and has a reputation for being noble and beauty. I, for one, am fascinated by her. Does May perhaps admire this person? Ah!Along with the The Seven Meteors, she is one of the most respected people in the world!I hope to be a knight like that one day! May said excitedly. Arent there several well-known adventurer parties in the kingdom of Intail, where Ned is from? Well, yeah. But when it comes to the latest buzz, I think its the Hero Party. TheHero Party. I see that Hero Party also started their journey just as we were leaving the Kingdom of Intail. May also seems to know a little about the hero party of the Kingdom of Intail. Although countries around the world now dispatch their hero parties, I had thought that the The Seven Meteors would go on to defeat the Demon King. May mutters. I am sure many of us thought so. Thats how strong the The Seven Meteors was. Since its break-up a year ago, The Seven Meteors has not shown its face to the public. What are they doing now..? I wonderprobably, living their lives as they like?! !No!They must be holding important positions in the country, or carrying out top-secret missions ..doing things we cant imagine! May is a bit of a dreamer, apparently. Whats the heroic party like in the Kingdom of Intail? After all, they were selected directly by the kingdom, they must be very strong? I wonderif its by strength alone, Id say theyre probably better than any countrys heroic parties. . I say in a small voice and May looks at me strangely. Extra issue! Breaking News! At that moment, a newspaper vendor passed in front of me. I take a coin from my pouch and approach the newsagent. Give me one stack. Okay! I read the newspaper as soon as I receive it. May, moved her face closer to the newspaper as if peering into it. Whats this, ? May is surprised to see the biggest headline. A-aa, I told you it was . On it, in large, bold letters, were the words. Hero Party from the Kingdom of Intail destroys the city. Five days after the hero party began their journey. The prime minister rushed into the kings room in a great hurry. Your Majesty! Theres bad news! Whats going on? A brave party has destroyed the city! Ha? The king stiffened with his mouth open in a pout. The Prime Minister was sweating all over, probably because he had come in such a hurry. When the Prime Minister, who had been breathing hard, began to calm down, the Kings halted thoughts moved again. What do you mean?Explain! Well, Julius reported that during their travels, they encountered a monster that appeared to be under the command of the Demon King and they got into a fight. The Prime Minister continues with an awkward look on his face. In the aftermath of the.battle, the city was destroyed. The lake, which had been a tourist attraction, disappeared and the nearby forests were burnt to the ground. Fortunately, the inhabitants have already been evacuated, but..they are demanding large amounts of compensation. The Kings face paled into a blue pallor at the report, which was far beyond anything he could have imagined. Wwha-what,ho-w did this happen?! The king had ordered his prime minister to report to him whenever the heroes party was active. However, he had no idea that the memorable first report was not about achievements, but about damage. You made sure Julius had a communication stone, didnt you?Connect to comms immediately!Im going to talk to him directly! Well, thats the thing, the citys inhabitants responded to the comms link..and apparently Julius has overworked. !? Theyve only been on the road for five days! What kind of schedule was made that Julius can be overworked in five days? The King cant imagine. Incidentally, according to Julius last report, the hero said, Theres a call for help over there! After that, he disappeared. The warrior is so immersed in monster hunting that having a conversation is impossible. The wizard stubbornly refuses to move until he has read all the books in the citys library, and the monk seems to be unnecessarily raising the dead to create further chaos O,oo,oooo what is this happeing my head cant keep up The elegance is not suited to the hero party. The size of the problem is out of the norm. W-why? How did this happen?What was Julius doing!? Apparently, no matter what Julius said, the members responded that Ned wouldnt say that or I only want to listen to what Ned says and refuse to follow instructions. Gunnu that man, did he brainwash them!? It reminded the king of a man called Ned, whom he kicked out of the party a few days ago. Could this happen because of that man?Come to think of it, that man said, That party is all the members I have gathered on the assumption that I will control them. After all, can a brave party only be controlled by Ned? No. Ned is a person with no redeeming qualities. In fact, he has left behind no notable achievements in the Kingdom of Intail. If even a man like him could control the members of the party. There is no reason why Julius should not be able to do the same. give these instructions once Julius has recovered. The King, who has regained his composure, tells the prime minister calmly. The hero party may be an S-class adventurer, but they are still human beings. If they violate orders too much, punish them severely. If the situation calls for it, you can even use my authority on them. The Prime Minister nods his head at the Kings order. A few days later. Reports reached the Kings ears that Julius had been seriously wounded. Tl Note: (So Rushia use Mekake, Mistress/Concubine to refer herself. But Ill just I,me,my, because its easier ) From here well take a carriage ride. After a reasonable walk through the port town, May led me to a carriage. Prompted to get in first, I climbed into the carriage carefully. Then May got in too, and the door was closed. Where are we going? Royal Capital. I would like you to meet my employer there. May is a knight. Her employer would be, at the very least, an aristocrat..or a politician. She seems to be quite grateful to me for fighting off the Kraken, but all I did was call the mermaid. The carriage began to move slowly. When the regular sound of the horse begins to be heard, May opens her mouth. But its a pity. I didnt expect the hero party from the Kingdom of Intail to end up like this so early on. No, well, itsexpected, and Im not that surprised. It really was as expected but Im a little concerned about what Her Majesty looks like now. Should I secretly contact the Princess and ask her how shes doing? Afterwards, May and I talked a lot about each others countries. However, I am more focused on different countries, so Im not actually particularly knowledgeable about the Kingdom of Intail. Even when I was a student, I skipped classes and went on an adventure in other countries, so I probably have less knowledge of the country than the average citizen of the Kingdom of Intail. We have arrived. After an hour or so, the carriage pulls up. The carriage had entered the royal capital a few minutes earlier. And now, in front of us C the castle. Is thisthe royal castle of the Kingdom of Enuvidia? Aa. I would now like Ned to meet my employer, Her Royal Highness Princess Rushia.. Ive always had a thing for princesses, castles and knights, apparently. And when Mays employer is a princess, one fact is revealed. I thought May is just a knight. Aaa. I serve as a knight of the Kingsguard. May is apparently a knight guarding the royalty. Thats a reasonably high status. No need to be nervous. She may be a princess, but shes a friendly person. I have to behave in a formal manner because of my status, but perhaps Ned will allow me to be easy-going..Of course, we dont have to meet her if you dont want to. No, by all means let us meet. I have a principle that if I havent met someone before, Ill meet them anyway. Thats a good principle. After all, you might be able to help me in a pinch. ..Id withdraw my previous statement. Its a calculating principle. I think any principle that isnt backed by calculation is just delusional. I followed Mays lead into the castle and reached the end of the corridor, and there is a door in front of me. I have already reported about you to Rushia -sama. Lets go in, shall we? Okay. Checking my appearance, I nodded. May opens the door. Beyond it was a luxurious room. A red carpet with exquisite patterns engraved on it, and many ornaments that I could tell were expensive just by looking at them. On top of that, the room was well furnished with a set of practical furniture. In the Kingdom of Intail, I entered the audience chamber to meet the king, but this time I was to meet Her Royal Highness the Princess. From the scale of the door, this is probably one of the princesss private chambers. Youre Ned? A girl sitting in the centre of the room looked at me. My name is Rushia Enuvidia. I am the princess of this country. A girl who appeared to be in her mid-teens sat on the throne. She is a beautiful girl. Her skin is as white as the first snow and her hair is long and clear silver. She has a slender body that could be broken just by touching it, but her crimson twin eyes are like jewels set into a pedestal, exuding a strength that will never waver. I can feel the noble atmosphere around her. I was convinced just by taking one look at her that I had met the right person. My years of experience tell me this. This will surely be a good meet up for me. It is an honour to meet you. I am Aaa, good, good. May owe you a favour, right?Then you are as good a friend as any-ja.. You can be a little more open. if thats what you wish. I lift my deeply bowed head and relax my shoulders just a little. This is what Ive heard from the upper class people Ive met so far. Aristocrats and royalty are often fed up with a stuffy environment. So many of them want to at least talk casually with outsiders. However, it would be better to at least use honorifics. Even if Lady Rushia says there is no problem, it does not necessarily mean that others who adore her will feel the same way. My name is Ned Wolkinter. I was an adventurer in the Kingdom of Intail. Oh, an adventurer. I like adventurers. Princess Rushia smiles and says. Ned, let me first thank you. Thank you for helping May. For me, May is one of the few friends I can trust. If you hadnt repelled the Kraken, I would be in a state of grief right now. Her tone was a little peculiar, but she was polite even to me, a commoner, and her behaviour showed her good nature. Its nice of you to thank me, but I havent done much. The one who defeated the Kraken is - mermaids, I hear? Princess Rushia says with a grin. Have you decided where youre going to sleep today? No, I havent decided. Then you can stay here in the castle today. While I am surprised at the sudden suggestion, Rushia -sama continued. Instead, tell me about the adventures youve had so far. I love adventure tales! I see, that makes sense. Apparently, this was the real reason for calling me here. I glanced at May and was met with a soft smile. I understand. If its okay with me, Ill talk about it as much as you want. And that evening. I had dinner with Princess Rushia and I talked about my adventures up to this point. Of course C I hid somepart to ensure secrecy . Conversations with Princess Rushia continued late into the night. Ho! So what happened to that aerial temple? I had an acquaintance snipe the core of the temple and destroyed it. Now pieces of the collapsed temple are being sold as a local speciality. Wa-ha-ha!The land of legends is now an easy souvenir! I told her the story of my adventures in the aerial temple known as the Land of Legends. Princess Rushia really seemed to like hearing adventure stories. Although she is supposed to be of noble status, listening to me, Princess Rushias eyes light up like a child enjoying the reading of a storybook. Now I told her a story about climbing a volcano to defeat a monster. Ho, ho monsters in the crater of a volcano? Surely thats a difficult monster. So how did you defeat it? I had a wizard friend of mine freeze the whole volcano, and while he was doing that, I quickly killed it. Freeze the volcano eh? Is that even possible? Well, it seems that those who can, can. I laugh and say to the confused Princess Rushia. I was surprised when I saw it too. [Ive got a new technique to show Ned~!] I remember being told that and almost frozen by it. I do wonder if that wizard is going to ice me? Now..What else shall I talk about? While I was sorting out the repertoire of stories in my head, there was a knock at the door. It was May. Princess Rushia, its time to go to bed, or youll be in trouble tomorrow. Mm, is it that late already? Its been a long time since Ive lost track of time. Im glad she was satisfied. Apparently, the pleasant banter is about to end. I picked up a cup from the table and quenched my thirst. Rushia -sama stares at me. But you dont seem too nervous. Nervous? As I tilt my head, Princess Rushia tells me. Aa, no. If I may say so myself, Imbeautiful, right? . huh? Beautiful, isnt it? . Haa. Beauty Yes, you are. Fufufu, after all, I am beautiful. When she nodded her head, Princess Rushia smiled with satisfaction. Finally, the conversation moved on. Thats why most boys who meet me for the first time are usually too nervous to speak well, but you, you seem to be, how should I say, used to it. Well,..maybe Im actually used to it. Princess Rushia is still very young and her body is hardly uneven, but she has a face that will no doubt make her a beauty in the future. But I knew several of the opposite sex who were equally good-looking. The princess of the Kingdom of Intail is one of them. Hmm, is there a woman in the world as beautiful as a me? They rarely exist, but theyre there. What a conversation, and I had my doubts too. Princess Rushia, you seem to be quite fond of adventure stories, have you ever thought of adventuring yourself? Mmm, thats because that ..Im the princess of this country.. Certainly, as a princess, she cant sing or celebrate her freedom compared to us commoners. When I sympathised with her in my heart, Princess Rushia continued. Andight, Im afraid. Afraid of fighting? If you encounter a monster, you have to fight, dont you? I am afraid of fighting and conflict. These words were unimaginable from the previously sprightly Princess Rushia. Slightly surprised, I express my honest impression. .You also have a surprisingly timid side, dont you? Nah! W-w-what cowardice!Even I, the princess, can be afraid! Princess Rushias face turned red. I dont think theres anything wrong with being afraid of fighting, but from the way she had been talking, I had thought she was more feisty and daring. This is a little surprising. Beside me, who was surprised in this way, May smiled. Rushia-sama cant even hold a weapon, you know. O-oii! May! Dont say unnecessary things! Pardon me. With an not guilty look on her face, May straightened her posture again. As a knight of the Kingsguard, May seems to be able to talk casually with Princess Rushia. Even so, because of her different position from me, the guest, May never sat down in front of her lord, Princess Rushia. Its fine, isnt it? I say to Princess Rushia, who is puffing her cheeks out in dissatisfaction. Its unusual for royalty to engage in physical combat, and..not having the strength to fight doesnt diminish Princess Rushias value. I said that as encouragement. But when Princess Rushia heard those words, she instantly turned mysterious. Have the strength to fight? I didnt miss her little murmur. Ah, my mistake. Is Princess Rushia willing to overcome her weaknesses, and inwardly seeking the strength to fight? Sorry. I misspoke. After all, as royalty, you should have power No.,no..You are not wrong!Ned is right, I dont have the strength to fight! Im weak!So its no surprise that ..Im a coward! Princess Rushia says somewhat excitedly. Her tone sounded a little exaggerated, and I felt a tugging sensation. It was as if she was saying to herself. Princess Rushia, its time to go Oops, right At Meirs words, Princess Rushia looks at me with a smile. Ned, I had a good time today!Now that Im satisfied, you too can get some rest! I shall do so. This will Ned-sama room The room to which I was shown by the castle maid was truly opulently decorated. The room was spacious, the windows were large, the furnishings were all delicately patterned and there was a fine red carpet underfoot. It is a good thing that I left the kingdom of Intail and was able to enjoy such an environment so soon, but now that I have come this far, I am worried about my future life. There is a large bathroom for guests in the castle, if you wish to use it. Oh, thanks for showing me around. The maid bowed solemnly and left the room. As the door quietly closed, I exhaled a huff and placed my waist pouch on the table. Im still wide awake..should I register my contact details on my comms stone while Im at it? I took a communication stone from my pouch and stroked the circular frame in a clockwise direction, and letters appeared on the surface of the stone. One by one, the contacts, which had been jotted down on paper, were registered. It was a steady and tedious process. I have registered the contact details of 500 people, but there are still 200 more to go. If possible, I want to finish this today. Occasionally, he continued working, looking out of the window at the quiet cityscape. Ah finally, Im done. When I had registered everyones contact details, I straightened my back lightly. I was concentrating so hard I didnt realise it, but it was a little chilly. Its time to take a bath and go to bed. hmm?Speaking of which, where are the big bathrooms? It seems there are bathrooms in the rooms, but since Im here, Id like to use the castles main bathrooms. But I forgot to ask and I couldnt find it. Just as I step out of the room, I spot a maid walking down the corridor. She is a different person from the maid who showed me to my room, but it would not be a problem if I called out to her. Can you help me?I need to go to the main bathrooms.. If you want the main baths, go straight down this hall and turn left at the end of the hall. I thank the maid for her guidance and follow the path as told. As I undressed in the changing room and stepped into the large bath, white steam blocked my view. Heh, this is quite something. The large bathrooms make lavish use of the spacious area. The ceiling is high and open, and the tiles underfoot are smooth and easy to step on. The gold and silver decorations created an elegant atmosphere. Amazing..Is this really for guests of honour? Ive travelled all over the world and have been in some of the most luxurious baths there are, but this is an order of magnitude different. I will go to bed tonight feeling fabulous. I wash myself lightly and then immerse myself in the bathtub. Then hira-sama hot water level is.. Mmiru also Over the rising white steam, I could hear someone talking. Was there someone ahead of me? If youre invited to the castle, you might be a nobleman. It would normally be irregular for a mere commoner like me to be invited to a castle. It might be better to greet them lightly if our faces meet. As I think about this, the steam gradually clears. In front of my eyes, ..Rushia and May were soaking in the bathtub in a state of undress. ..Mm? .Eh? Ha? Each one of us becomes flabbergasted. After ten seconds of silence, Nuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! Oouuu.. The screams that rip through the silk are overwhelming and half-heartedly startling. Ne, ned! You!!! How did you get here? No, thats my line As I answer Mays teary-eyed, shouting question, I think about why this is happening. I thought I was asking where the large bathrooms for guests were, but was I directed to the bathrooms used by Rushia and May? Somehow, I guessed how Id enter this situation. In front of my eyes, the two girls reveal their alertness. Mah, May!What are you going to do?What am I supposed to do in a situation like this? I dont know! And, for now, its better to hide our body ! They were completely confused. Mays face still has a faintly innocent look, but her body is feminine, with clearly visible bumps. She has no lean flesh, probably due to her training as a knight. Her fresh, water-repellent skin has a sex appeal that is hard to imagine from her usual appearance. On the other hand, Rushias figure is slender and almost as uneven as her body, but her porcelain-clear skin and silver hair, which looks even more lustrous when wet with water, give her a mysterious beauty. Her cheeks, which are tinted red with a hint of moisture, and her embarrassed expression give her a sex appeal different from that of May. It was as if I was looking at a delicate work of art. There was a noble figure there that should never bedefiled, which is essentially unattainable for the mundane person to see or touch. Ta, towel!May!Bring me a towel! Ye-yes I understand!Ill bring it to you right away!Aa May, who got up from the bathtub and headed out at a fast pace, falls down when she crosses my side. Kuhh.., my foot, I slipped .. May let out a groan and tried to stand up, putting both knees on the floor. But, if she gets up in front of me, Im going to . Youre in full view of Rushia blurts out. When May got up, she was red up to her ears and her whole body was shaking. I cant do it anymore.kill this man and Ill die, too! No, no, no, no, no.. I put my hand to my forehead as May glares at me with tears in the corners of his eyes. Ill leave normally, you two just wait in the bathtub. I told them as calmly as possible to calm their confusion. I turn my back and then stand up. I intended to leave the bathroom, but I turned around to ask a question. By the way, where are the big baths for guests? Y-yo-you! Why are you being so, so calm! Theres no point in making a fuss now, is there? When I tells her in a calm manner, Mays face turns red. One floor down! Go quickly! I quickly headed to the changing room to get dressed and went out into the corridor with my hair barely dry. What if Im accused of disrespect? Ill make a quick getaway then. But How much more unwary can they be? If I, for example, had plotted to assassinate Princess Rushia , it would be a disaster by now. The entrance and surroundings of the castle were well guarded, but inside there were many blind spots. Is there a reason for this?.. With this in mind, I headed for the large bathroom for guests of honour. Next morning. I woke up in the guest room in the royal castle in the kingdom of Enuvidia. Morning already? I look at the morning sun shining through the gap in the curtains and let out a sore yawn. The room was cosy and comfortable. The bed was soft and fluffy, I slept well, and I feel like Im going to have a good time today. They said I could do whatever I wanted as long as I didnt go upstairs.Ill go for a light walk. After washing my face and getting dressed, I headed for the gardens outside the castle. The morning mist is thick. Did it rain last night while I slept? I walked along the damp cobblestones, and before I knew it, everything was enveloped in mist in all directions. I thought I had come to see the beautiful scenery of the gardens, but perhaps I came at the wrong time of day. As I was about to return to the castle, I suddenly noticed a strange reflection in the haze in front of me. A huge shadow. A shadow so tall that it seemed to reach the second. or even the third floor of the castle. I dont know what it is C but as long as it is moving, it must be a creature. Dont tell me its a monster? Instantly alert, I mobilise all the knowledge in my head to try to understand the phenomenon in front of him. But I had no idea what it was. Who are you? A girls voice is heard from the front. As I maintained my vigilance and waited in silence, Princess Rushia appeared from the haze in which the shadow was reflected. Aaa, its you, Ned? Good morning. Uumu. Good morning, its. Princess Rushias words trailed off. Whats wrong? Nothi-nothing!I mean, after what happened last night! Princess Rushia blushes. I havent even shown it to my father since I was over three years old. .! And yet you..stare at me so clearly for such a long time. ..! It wasnt so much that I was staring. Still, I cant deny that I saw it, because its true. .. I have heard about the situation from the maid. You are not responsible for this matter. thank you. It seems to mean that there is no one to blame. Powerful people are often extremely violent once they lose control of themselves, but I am glad that Rushia seems to be a person of character. By the way, Princess Rushia. Did you see something here just now? Mm?I thought I was the only one here. Princess Rushia tilts her head curiously. What, then, was the shadow just now?Was I imagining something? Ned. What are you going to do in this country? Princess Rushia asks me about my future plans. For now, lets just say that the shadow I just saw was my imagination . First, I think Ill register with the Adventurers Guild to secure a source of income. Mm, you were an adventurer in the Kingdom of Intail, so that would be good. Princess Rushia nodded. In this day and age, there is usually an adventurers guild in every country, but unfortunately they do not work together perfectly. If I wanted to work as an adventurer in the Kingdom of Aenebidia, I had to re-register. I had to start over from the lowest grade. Then I shall send May as your guide. Are you sure about ? I really enjoyed the tales of adventure you told me last night! And for that, I want to thank you! Your Highness is a generous princess. I am still not yet familiar with the streets of this city, as I came by carriage from the port town to the castle. Ill have to take advantage of Princess Rushias goodwill. Well, I will now show you around the city. You wanted to go to the Adventurers Guild, right? Yeah, lead the way. After a quick breakfast at the castle, I walked through the city with May. The royal city of Enuvidia was pleasant. It was safe and lively. Children running around and old couples strolling are the very symbol of peace. Does she not care what happened last night? Unlike Princess Rushia, there was no change in Mays condition. Last night, if anything, Im sure May was in a worse position than Princess Rushia.. Maybe I should be the one to apologise here, after all. May. About what happened last night.. Last night?Oh, you mean the adventurous tales you told Princess Rushia? .hmm? I didnt expect that direction, so I was a little slow to react. No, its about what happened at the baths.. Bath?I dont know what youre talking about. You and I parted ways in Princess Rushias room and that was the last time I saw you When I heard those words, It was clear to me that May wants to pretend that the incident at the bath never happened. I see. There is no need to provoke. It must have hurt her a lot..prickles and guilt eat away at her heart. Ned. That adventure story you told Princess Rushia yesterday, how true was that? I tilted my head, unsure of the meaning of the question. What do you mean by that? You cant be telling the truth about going to an aerial temple or freezing an entire volcano,Im not too impressed with you overstating your achievements, even if its just to amuse Princess Rushia. Apparently, May is in disbelief about what I said last night. I didnt exaggerate at all. It all really happened. . No, no, thats ridiculous. If that was all true, youre not just an A-level adventurer, youre an S-level adventurer. Im a grade A, but everyone around me is a grade S. When I told her thats why I was able to make it happen, May looked downcast with a serious expression on her face. . No, no, no. Youre not fooling me. Because if the story is true, there are only three parties that made it to the Aerial Temple, and two of them cant be in this country. But if its the other one, then Ned impossible, impossible, it cant be possible. May mumbled something out. I may have said too much that confused her a lot. Does she know more about the adventurers situation? I recall that yesterday she said she was fascinated by the leader of the adventurers party White Dragon Chivalric Order. Is this the right road? Uh,Aaa. Youre right. Its just around this corner to the right. May comes to her senses and resumes guiding me. Ned, what do you do after you register with the guild? Are you going to take the job straight away? I intend to. Princess Rushia said I could stay at the castle today, but.that would be bothersome, and Id like to earn enough money to pay for todays accommodation. Ok. Then Ill help you. The words were unexpected and I accidentally stared at May. Princess Rushia has asked me to keep you company for the rest of the day. Im registered with the guild as a Class B adventurer, in case youre interested, so I can take requests. Ifyou dont need me, Ill leave. Please stay, Ive already prepared a collaborator. Can we have a quick meeting first? Of course. But you already have a collaborator in place, so its not as if your motto is helping others. Its the only thing Ive got going for me If May is willing to help, it will be easier to make more money than planned. The Adventurers Guild is responsible for mediating requests from towns and countries. Some of these requests require a minimum number of people, so if there are three of us, we can take on larger requests. This is the Adventurers Guild. Lets go inside. May opened the door and I followed. The atmosphere of the guilds seems to be the same everywhere. In the old-fashioned but somehow atmospheric wooden buildings, men and women with weapons and armour are everywhere talking to each other. There was a tavern right next door, and even though it was only mid-morning, I could hear the lively voices. Im meeting the first collaborator herebut she hasnt arrived yet. Then lets wait at that table over there. I follow Mays directions and take a seat at the table. So, who is the collaborator? Its.. I wanted to explain, but after thinking for a moment, I retracted the words. .. since were here, lets keep it to ourselves. Mm, whats that? Well, youll find out soon enough. Maybe May will be surprise. About five minutes later, the guild door opened. Oh, here she comes. I look blankly at the door and realise that the person Im looking for has arrived. At the sound of my voice, May also turns around Ha? When May saw the person who appeared, she stiffened with her mouth open. The guild was abuzz at her appearance, clad in pure white armour. [Hey, that one], [Why are you here], [I dont believe its her], [Shes beautiful] .. such voices could be heard from everywhere. There you are, Ned. Yo, long time no see. I feel nostalgic and reassured by the face I havent seen in a long time. Aa,aaa,Aaaa..N-no-no, no way, no way, no way! Seeing the woman approaching, Mays confusion became even more intense. Ned, who is she? This is my second collaborator. Right, then I should introduce myself. I think May already knows herwell. Im Riese Von Aldiana, Leader of the White Dragon Chivalric Order. Pleasure to meet you. An adventurer who is admired by the knights, and whom May fascinated by. Riese, who is also one of my friends, smiles quietly. She was a beautiful woman in pure white armour. Her tall stature and well-defined eyes attracted the gaze of even her own gender. Her beautiful golden hair was wavy and so glamorous that it was hard to believe that she belonged to an adventurer who made her living fighting. Riese Von Aldiana. There is surely no one in the Kingdom of Enuvidia who does not know her name. She is the leader of the White Dragon Chivalric Order, an outstanding party of adventurers. I see, so you are a knight of the Princesss Kingsguard. Ha! Yes! Riese, seated at the table, was quick to get to know May. Were going to be commissioned by the Adventurers Guild to take down monsters. Danger is inherent in fighting monsters. Thats why it pays to know the people youre entrusting your backs to. The two people who are meeting for the first time here are Riese and May. So the two were now trying to build a relationship of trust through casual chit-chat, but it seems that May was nervous because she had just met Riese, the woman of her dreams. I see you and Net met on the boat. This is something of a coincidence, so Im looking forward to working with you today. Yes! Ive heard that the Kingsguard knights swordsmanship is first-rate. I have high hopes for you. Yes! Is there anything else you would like to ask me,May? Yes!. Ah!!!? Thats the part where she shouldnt answer immediately. May also seemed to realise immediately, and the blood quickly drained from her face. She then looked as if she was about to cry. It was probably a mistake to bring her. Im going to register with the guild for now. At this rate, the tension in May is not going to be released anytime soon, so I should start acting on the request as soon as possible. To do that I have to register with the guild first. Ned. I know its a bit late for this, but if an adventurer has just registered, hes an E-level, right?You cant take on big requests in that state, can you? Riese looks at me as I get up from my chair. I know. So for now, Im going to do my usual routine and get promoted to grade D straight away. Having said this, I headed for the counter where the receptionist stood. Welcome. How may I help you? I want to register as an adventurer. Very well. Please fill in this form first. Do you need anything else? No need. The receptionist gives me a registration form and I fill it in with a quill pen on the counter. After filling in my name, age and gender, the form contained the following sections. - Existence Power Level Blessings Special Armament Other - As a registered member of several national adventurers guilds, I was familiar with them. Basically, these four items are indicators of an adventurers ability. Existence Power is a numerical value that represents overall strength, which is raised by defeating monsters. The higher this value, the stronger the person is physically and mentally. However, the ease with which existence power can be raised varies greatly from person to person. The average value for ordinary people is 1, while the average for those who are called heroes is roughly 6. 7 is a legend, and there are no more than ten of them in the world. BlessingsIf you have powers from a special entity other than yourself, enter them in this section. For example, the knight (who is now a hero) who adventured with me in Stardust Light had the blessing of the Almighty God in his body. Special armamentsLiterally, fill in this section if you have special weapons or armour. Riese should have filled in this section. The sword she carries is imbued with special powers. Other . If there are any other characteristics that appeal to you as an adventurer that do not fall into the above three categories, enter them here. If you can use magic, it is standard practice to write wizard here. Magic is a skill that can only be used by those who have studied a special discipline, so there is no dedicated section for it. I filled in this form as follows. - Existence Power Level 1 BlessingsNone. Special Armament Depends on the occasion. OtherConfident in his connections. - Here you go. Thank you,..confident in your connections? Yeah I always get a tilt of the head with this description. I want to be promoted to grade D and Ill prove it right away. The requirement for moving up to D level is to complete ten requests, right? Yes. Same as the guilds in the Kingdom of Intail. Then I can probably move up to D level right away, as planned. Id like to take on a request as soon as possible. May I ask you to introduce me to a search request? Please wait a moment. The receptionist was very efficient in preparing the documents. As the clients of people-hunting requests are often individuals, the rewards are often inadequate or the request is cancelled due to a mistake. For this reason, the requests themselves are often unpopular and left unfulfilled C so-called salted. Guild officials would probably like to digest the requests as soon as possible. From the looks of it, there are about 30 request forms. They must be sharing information with guilds in other branches. Not only the residents of the Royal Capital, but also missing persons from neighbouring villages and towns were requested to be searched. Thank you. Ill get to the bottom of this soon. Yes? I took a quick look at each request and took out the communication stone in my pouch. Lenovan?Its been a long time. Yeah, its me, Ned. Sorry to come out of the blue, but did you see a couple of guys in the village youre in last week?.. Give me some details about those two. I make a note of the information on the paper in my hand. Saika, its been a year. I forgot to tell you, congratulations on winning the gladiatorial competition half a month ago. I just wanted to ask you, was there a red-haired girl who was doing menial work at that venue? Taking notes again. Long time no see, Duke of Ruin Eh?Do you already know what I want?Thats right. The quintessential clairvoyant Lord Ruin. Thank you for the information. Yes?Are you responsible for ruining your daughters marriage proposal?Ha ha, I didnt break that one, Lloyd did it on his own. See you later. Notes. Sharyn?Sorry, that was sudden. Actually, theres someone I want you to look for in the woods over there. I think hes in an intricate area, so I need you to lend me your animal eyes. Okay. Ill go with you as much as you want, even if its just to groom them. Notes. Long time no see, Eddie. I need to ask you for a favour Notes. Elaine. I need to ask you a few questions Notes. Alec. Im just Laurie. I want to ask you Zeth Eufa Narc Notes. Take notes. Take notes. Take notes. Take notes. Take notes. Take notes. Take notes. Take notes. Take notes. Take notes. Take notes. Take notes C take notes. something like this. Before long, eight correspondence stones and a large quantity of notepaper were cluttered on the table. I organise the notepads properly and hand them to the receptionist. Ive completed all the requests Ive received. Here is a summary of the subjects whereabouts, contact details, safety, with a note. H-ha, yes. , please wait a moment! The receptionist heads for the back room in a panic. After a while, other receptionists who were in the vicinity also entered the back room, perhaps because they were understaffed. Gradually, noisy voices can be heard coming from the room. The sound of flapping and busy footsteps kept echoing. About ten minutes had passed. The receptionist came in front of me again. Yes, I have confirmed the fulfilment of your request. Here is your reward and your.adventurer card. A bag full of notes and coins was placed on the counter with a thud. The receptionist then looks at me as if she still cant believe what she sees and gently hands me my card. The card stated that I was a Grade D adventurer. After promotion to grade D. I went to the two female knights waiting for me at the table. Sorry to keep you waiting. Ill take your request then. No, no, wait. Wait a minute. Didnt you just do a lot of quest? May asks, puzzled. Riese is not surprised, having seen this scene once. For some reason, she was proud as she drank her tea. Im just involved with a lot of people while May hones her sword skills. I dont think its that great. I-is that so? No, Im pretty sure thats not true. For a moment, May seemed convinced, but her doubts were soon rekindled. As always, you have low self-esteem. Riese, who was listening to the conversation, tells me with a sigh. Ive adventured all over the world as a member of the White Dragon Chivalric Order, and youre the only one who can pull off a trick like that, Ned. Thats what they tell me..After all, Im only borrowing someone elses help. At least I dont help everyone, though. Riese tells me shortly. I dont intend to have such low self-esteem. I have a good memory for the results Ive achieved. But Im talking about the fact that not all of them were achieved by myself, but by someone else. I will not be haughty about it. If I act as if someone elses achievements are my own C that will surely be the end of the line. Hey, Ned. One thing Ive been wondering, if you can make so much money, you dont need us to help you with your requests right? May questioned. We dont always get requests for people-hunting stuff. Unlike monsters, theyre easier to counteract and we cant rely on them all the time. There are inevitably limits to what can be done to combat monsters. However, it is easy to take countermeasures against disappearances and lost persons, for example, by warning people around them and putting up signs on the roads where they are likely to get lost. As long as the lords are decent, the more requests that come in, the more measures should gradually be put in place. This would naturally lead to a decrease in the number of requests. Anyway, people like me should earn when they can. Now is the time to earn it, with Riese and May, two reliable collaborators. Now lets discuss which requests to take on. The three of us look at the noticeboard set up in the guild. A large number of requests were posted on the notice board. The ones were going to take on this time are the relatively well-paid defeat type amongst the numerous requests. I was thinking that the two of us, me and Riese , could take on the regular wyverns Saying this, I point to the request form posted on the notice board. With the addition ofMay , there are now three of us, and we will take on the task of defeating these three Red Wyverns. Red Wyvern!? May exclaimed in surprise. Red Wyverns are a higher species of wyvern. The conditions for receiving a request are therefore also [three or more people and an average rank of B or higher]. Riese is an S-level adventurer, so she should be able to take it. But that wont be long, sowell also take on the ten ogres over here. Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute!Ned!Come here! Meir grabbed me by the neck and moved me towards the corner of the guild. OOuu, Youre killing me! I told May in a desperate swashbuckling voice. I dont care if its Lady Riese, Im just a Kingsguard knight! I dont intend to lose to any knights, but I just cant if itsRed Wyvern!That a monster can be selected by few, even A-level adventurers, can be defeated! Well, yes, but And an ogre, not one, but ten!Impossible!Im going to die! May said, with tears in the corners of her eyes. She must have been mentally exhausted when she was in the same room with Riese . There was no sign of the usual coolness in May now. Also, if I became a deadweight, in the unlikely event that I will fail the quest with it. Ill tarnish Lady Rieses perfect career..! ..I didnt know you were thinking of that. Its too hard to be true. Not that Riese is perfect, either. Wheres the imperfection?! Seeing it with my own eyes, Im thinking more and more that Lady Riese is perfect! That beautiful demeanour for an S-class adventurer!The noble aura emanating from her entire body! Presence! Oh, I really admirefrom the bottom of my heart! May says with an ecstatic expression. Apparently, for May, Riese is really a heavenly person. But from my point of view, who knows Riese well. where you cant see it, shes far from perfect. I mutter in a low volume that May cannot hear. At the very least, I knew one fatal flaw of Rieses. But I hesitate to tell May about it. I feel a little sorry to destroy the beautiful illusion of Riese in Mays mind. Even if you are a liability, I dont think wed have a problem with Rieses abilities. Well, Im sorry about that. I feel like Im relying on you all the time. If she says its okay, then its okay, alright? Then I look at Riese. Riese, who had been listening to our conversation in silence, nodded firmly. I dont mind at all. Okay, then its decided. Thus began our adventure. The Red Wyvern was to be transported by horse-drawn carriage to the location where it was sighted. Around the time the vehicle enters the forest near the Royal Capital, the road surface becomes rougher and the vehicle body shakes more often. As the vision shakes with clangs and thumps, May, sitting opposite me, keeps lowering her gaze with a hard expression on her face. May. Why dont you calm down for a minute? T-theres no way I can calm down May takes one look at Riese, who is sitting next to me. She must have admired Riese a lot. Meirs nervousness was tremendous. Im going to take a little air from outside! The coach door opens as if to escape, and May steps out, as if she has reached the limit of her nervousness. The first time I saw her, that was running somewhere, and me and Riese watched her from the window. Mail is sure energetic. I hope it doesnt spin out of control. Rather than being over the top, May seem half nervous and half excited. By the way, Ive always wanted to ask you, what brought you to the Kingdom of Enuvidia? Come to think of it, I hadnt explained it yet. Ill give you the short version I told her, as briefly as I could, what had happened so far. However, Riese and I had known each other for a long time and had exchanged communications several times, so there was not much new information. The only thing I had to tell her was what His Majesty had told me at the Royal Castle. I see. So you were kicked out of the heros party. When I explained everything, Riese gave me a sympathetic look. . must have been a complicated time for you. Its not that complicated You dont have to put up with it. I know your past. It weakens me when people say that. Riese and I have never formally gone on adventures in the same party. But the time we met was a long time ago. So she knows my situation to some extent. Fumu, is this finally my turn? .. hmm? Riese, sitting next to me, quickly moved her body closer to mine. Our thighs touch each other. I heard the sound of armour clicking and rubbing against each others. Because Riese is tall, her shoulders are at the same height as my eyes. I had a bad feeling. Ned, if youre in the mood for some pampering, Ill lend you my breasts as much as you want. She whispered softly in my ear. A chill ran down my spine. Dont. Dont hold back. Im removing the breastplate now, just give me a minute. Seriously, stop. Fufu, youre still as shy as everCome on, Ive taken it off. Jump in anytime. Ill give you some warmth and I told you to stop. Ouch. Riese removed her breastplate at an unusual speed and slammed my hand sword into Rieses head, who was ready to hold on to it. Riese looks disappointed. Youre a dull man, and youre causing my needs to build up. I dont know. I run my hand over my forehead. Ive told you many times, you need to fix that pampering personality of yours as soon as possible. Its not nice for those of us who get involved. Even I have said many times that its an impossible proposition. Its my natural disposition, or shoul I say, proclivity. Riese put one hand in front of her chest, smiled proudly. What other woman could so confidently reveal her proclivities? I let out a deep sigh. Riese Von Aldiana has strong maternal instincts. Specifically, she has a strong desire to pamper younger men. This is a fact known only to some people close to Riese. Riese is now 21 and I am 18. Although there is only a three-year age difference between us, it seems that I am enough of an object of sexual desire for Riese. Whats scary is that..Riese will try to fulfil her needs in an unobtrusive way. With her usual expression and her usual tone of voice, she searches for an outlet for her needs. Why are all these weirdos around me ? The answer is simple. Birds of the same feather flock together. If that logic holds true, then Riese and I are the same kind of people. Give me a break. Your fellow members of the White Dragon Chivalric Ordermust be annoyed by your proclivities, arent they? No, they dont. I keep it hidden in front of outsiders. And they say, [Well, its fine if its on Ned.] Why am I the target? They have my back too, which is why Ive decided not to hold back against Ned. . I need to rethink my relationship with the White Dragon Chivalric Order once and for all. If the leader is the leader, then the members of the group are the members of the group. Should I distance myself from that party a little? Its the end of the world when a woman like this is the object of admiration for the knights. I dont care what people think of me. I am me. So if youre heartbroken, take it easy on me. Shall I pat you on the head?Or would you prefer a lap pillow?Im carrying ear buds just in case this happens. I dont need either of them, and Im ditching those ear buds. I flicked away Rieses approaching hand. Please, I beg you, please control yourself. For now, just get your breastplate back on. Its a pain in the eye. Yare,YareI went out of my way to remove it for you. Youre a troublesome man. Its in your head that you cant help it. With the breastplate removed, Rieses upper half of her body was in a single piece of underwear, thinner than a swimming costume, clearly revealing her voluptuous body. Suddenly I feel tired. My head felt heavy. I let out another sigh, and then Im back. I looked around, but I still cant seem to find the monster May, who had been outside, returns to the carriage. Instantly, Mays eyes widened. Inside the narrow carriage. Me and Riese are so close together that our skin is touching. And Rieses appearance is not something that can be shown to others. Y-yo-youuuuu! What the hell are you doing to Lady Riese? Its the other way round I cant help but hold my head up. I was the one who was going to be the subject of such things. I spent enough time stopping the carriage and going to the trouble of clearing up a misunderstanding. The battle with the Red Wyvern has begun. Both wyverns and dragons have horned heads, large wings and long tails, but their properties differ only in their similar shapes. The wyverns body is one size smaller than that of the dragon, and unlike the dragon, it is not protected by tough scales, so it is a monster that can be defeated if we can find a chance to win if we strike it. Unlike dragons, wyverns do not have reason, and their movements are linear, like those of beasts. In other words, it is easy to anticipate. Seeing the three Red Wyverns screaming in the sky in front of her, May readied her sword. May, are you getting the hang of it? Aa. As Ned said, the moment they come down is the moment to attack. Red wyverns are belligerent but have no way of attacking enemies at a distance. Therefore, the wyverns always go down to the ground once to attack us. May, they are coming. Yes! May, who was in the lead, was targeted by the Red Wyvern. A giant wyvern looms from the sky. At first, May was frightened, but she finally became accustomed to its speed and this time she avoided the wyverns claws with minimal movement. Let me! She slashes at the Red Wyverns torso. The wyvern screamed and ran away into the sky. However, the wounds seem to have been deep and he soon crashed. Well have to check on it later, but from the looks of it, were sure well be able to defeat it. By the way, Ned While watching the battle, May unexpectedly approached him. You, what is your relationship with Lady Riese? It was a question that had been asked many times already. Letting out a sigh, I say. Do you still care? Of course I care!You let Lady Riese dress like that in such a small, closed room.!And when I looked closer, I could see that Riese didnt look too happy about it either. ! She is a sharper observer than I thought but for the wrong reason. But I much prefer that she used it for combat. Here comes the second Red Wyvern. Oi, stop trying to derai Uwa its really here! I had hoped that working together with Riese would raise her aspirations as a knight, but if this is the case, will it have the opposite effect? Kuhthis!!! May quickly held her sword vertically. She placed her palm on the blade and caught the oncoming Red Wyverns claws. Immediately afterwards, she deflected the impact at an angle. The Red Wyverns claws slide down the blade. Nice! Aaa, you !You really dont do anything, do you ! You can do it, but youre dragging your feet. Damn!!!Hold still!!! May said with a blue streak on her forehead. Although May had said many times in the guild that it was [impossible] and she would [die], when it came to fighting, she was quite a good fighter. It is not so easy to defeat her, the Red Wyvern is also unable to give May a decisive blow. As a knight in her own right, May seems to be good at defending herself. Shes got a good skill, as she was brought here by Ned. Riese, who was standing next to me before I knew it, says, looking at Mays fight. Its completely coincidental. Shes definitely promising, because she blocked a blow from the.. Kraken with just a sword. And with that, she still has an existence power of three people. That was three? Instantly, shes exerting the equivalent of existence force 4 Hmm, she looks like he could turn into a monster if she trained well. Riese observes the fighting May with a serious look on her face. The way she looked at her, I guessed what she was thinking. I dont mind if youre just trying to build a friendship, but dont be a scout. Mey is a favourite of Her Royal Highness Princess..Rushia. I understand. As always, youre a good mind reader. There are some people in the world with whom you cannot have a conversation otherwise. Well, Ill have a fight around here too. Riese draws her sword from its sheath. The sword, drawn with a shrieking sound, was imbued with a pale light. May, lets change. Ha, yes! May distances herself from the wyvern. Fortunately, the wyverns seemed to be wary of our forces and did not attack those two at once. Here I go Riese runs. A moment later, a slash of light sliced through the Red Wyverns giant body. That is Rieses special armoury C the Sword of Glorious Light and Great Radiance. This sword was created using materials from the monster known as the White Dragon, which is also the symbol of the adventurers party, the White Dragon Chivalric Order. The sword, forged using the scales and fangs of the White Dragon, which governs light, is said to cut through all matter in a single, blinding flash. Thats Riese-samas battle , how divine ! May is slightly over excited and glued onto Riese. The flashes of light that gushed out were multi-layered, and a flower of light bloomed and spilled out onto the battlefield in front of her. Riese, at the centre of the scene, is bathed in multiple flashes of light and wields her sword gracefully, as if she were a stage actress. Rieses existence powerlevel is 6 and her physical strength is such that she can create craters in the ground with just a footstep and snap large trees with just her fists. The Sword of Elegance and the physical strength of existence 6. The combination of these two is a tremendous offensive force. But then Ned!Look out!!! I heard May shout. I looked and saw a third Red Wyvern in the sky, aiming at me and rushing forward. It was a huge trobule. If I were to be hit by that rush in the flesh, there would be no way I could survive. May was shouting but on the other hand, Riese was in no hurry at all, as if she trusted me. Riese stares at me silently. Do you want me to prevent it? Unnecessary. Just a glance is all that is needed to complete the exchange. Riese had probably anticipated my response and was easily convinced. Now, which one shall I use? I put my hand into the pouch and select the tool I want to take out. But before I could take out the tool, I felt a strange sensation. Hmm? My whole body glows faintly. Strange. I shouldnt have done anything, but the light gradually became stronger and stronger Ah! With a high kiing sound, the light propagated around them. The wyvern that rushed forward was bounced by the wall of light that suddenly appeared and died in front of me. The Red Wyvern that had lunged at me was dead, perhaps because it was badly hit. Riese cuts the one remaining wyvern in two and walks towards me immediately. The light you just saw is magic..Self-defence Garment Rula Shield that protects the target from enemy attacks. It is also a very high-level art. When did you prepare it? Riese asks me. But I reminded her of recent events, but I dont remember preparing anything. With an involuntary pause, I replied. Again, someone else took the liberty of putting it on. Its probably Liz though, judging by the sensation. This sort of thing happens so often that when I registered with the guild, I wrote it depends in the special armaments section. Very unwillingly, I often have strange magic cast on me or strange equipment that I dont even know I have. Isnt Liz an active wizard in the heroes party? That girl can activate up to four hundred spells in parallel, and sometimes shell maintain a spell she cast on himself a long time ago that shes forgotten about. But I can assure you that I have a good memory for any magic that has been cast on me. This [self-defence robe] was cast without permission. Im not complaining because it helped, but I do wish she would at least say a few words before. Im telling them to stop because its bad for my heart. For some reason, people just wont stop doing this. Every wizard, every time I see them, they cast spells on my body without my permission, and they want to overwrite the spells cast on my body with their own magic. ..thats called marking . What did you say, Riese? No, its nothing. The less I know about Ned the better. I think she mumbled something as shook her head. Anyway, youve now accomplished the first request. Lets get the rest of the ogre and be done today. After all requests have been fulfilled. I returned to the Adventurers Guild. I want to say thank you to both of you. Im going to report back on the completion of the requests, so you two can wait here. I went to the counter to deliver the items that would serve as evidence of the request, as I was accustomed to doing. I took the claws of three Red Wyverns and the horns of ten Ogres from their respective pouches. May and Riese, seated at the table, watched Neds fumbling about. Lady Riese . Thank you for working with us today. It was a great learning experience. May bowed deeply to Riese, who sat opposite her. Riese then smiles. By the looks of it, you seem to have relaxed some of your nerves. So sorry. Im finally getting used to it. When they first met, May was unusually nervous. May felt embarrassed when she remembered it. Um, Lady Riese. If its difficult for you to answer, you dont have to answer.. After Mays nerves eased as she completed the request, May asked Riese what had been bothering her for some time. why would someone of your stature be cooperating with Ned? I have always wondered. Riese is one of the most famous adventurers in the country and must be very busy at all times. Despite this, Riese went out of her way to make time for Ned and cooperated with the request. She didnt show any displeasure but, on the contrary, she was full of motivation. Because I owe him more than I can ever repay. In a clear voice, Riese told May. What is it that Riese, the leader of the White Dragon Chivalric Order, that she cant repay him? Apart from Mays deepening doubts, Riese does not explain anything further. Instead, she tells her something else. Even without past indebtedness, Ned is a man you want to push higher His motto [Using other peoples power] is easier said than done. Somewhat proudly, Riese told May. Ned has had its share of extraordinary struggles and setbacks, and as a result he chose to live that way.. I cooperate with that way of life because I respect it from the bottom of my heart. Respect, is it? May realised that Riese has the same feelings towards Ned that she has towards Riese. To be honest, it was C May couldnt imagine that. It is true that Ned has its own strength and she already has a certain respect for it. However, it is difficult to say whether she respects him as much as he respects Rushia. After all, Neds power is only using other peoples power, no matter how far he pushes it. It may be possible to appreciate it as a rarity, but when it comes to respecting it from the bottom of ones heart, as Riese says, it is unlikely to be possible at the moment. Youll find out sooner or later, May. How proud you would be to wield a sword for that man. Riese looks at May with eyes that seem to see through her mind. A few dozen seconds later, Ned returns from the counter. Sorry, Ive kept you waiting. Ive got your reward. T-thats a lot of money. That way we wont have to worry about splitting it up. Defeat of three Red Wyverns and ten Ogres. When May and Rushia saw the reward money for each, they had their own reactions. Unlike May, who is genuinely surprised, Riese is already thinking about splitting the money. For Riese, the leader of the White Dragon Knights, this level of reward is probably not a big deal. My share should be ten percent. Eh? Hearing my words, May was surprised. Im not going to be so thick-skinned as to suggest a three-way split here. During the battle, I was just standing behind, doing nothing. There were a few irregularities caused by the self-defence robe, but I dont think you can call those my achievements. No, I want the rewards to be in the same proportion. Riese says with a serious expression. But I wasnt about to give in so easily, either. Riese. You should only get what you deserve for your work. Right. Then Ill deposit the larger amount in the guild, addressed to you at a later date. Ill spend the money I get however I want to. Oi. If she is going to go to that length, there is no way for me to resist. May looked at me with surprised eyes when I couldnt say anything back. Even Ned can be talked down to by someone Fufu. Its not like Ive been with Ned for very long. Riese said proudly. Then she turned a little more serious and looked at me. Ned has been a great help to us on a regular basis, providing us with information, negotiations and consultations. We just want to repay that debttake this as the consensus of the White Dragon Chivalric Order. Understood. Then Ill split it equally with Riese. I let out a sigh and nodded. Then May, who was sitting next to Riese, also opened her mouth. Ill split it equally. Originally, the purpose of today was to help Ned, and as far as rewards are concerned, Its too much. Besides, if I get paid more here, Princess Rushia will be angry. There is no way to get around this when May brought up Her Royal Highness the Princess Rushia . As my lips are drawn back in a tight line, May smiles a little triumphantly. She seems happy to have beaten me to the punch. .. then, well divide it into three equal parts. Its not that I dont want a reward either. If they say I can have it, Ill have it. Rushia , it feels so good to talk against Ned. I know what you mean Well, Im sure he will just donate the larger amount to somewhere else anyway. Eh? May rolls her eyes. Riese , with a knowing look, launches a question at me. Hows the four orphanages run by Ned now? Five. The number has increased again recently. This time Im donating there.! You also had the mercenary soldiers group, didnt you?What happened to that one?I havent heard anything about it recently. They went to the Republic in the east. For convenience, theyve changed their name to the Order of the Knights, so Riese just doesnt realise it, but theyre still reasonably prominent. Mays eyes widened when I and Riese conversed like that. Oi,oi doesnt that mean Ned actually has tremendous power? Just being facetious. (Tl: I dont think its the right word but I could not think any, so heres the raw: ڤ) I reflexively told May my customary response, because thats what people say to me sometimes. But Riese immediately drowns out my words. I think its about time you understood, May, that you shouldnt take what the internet says at times like this seriously. Riese might not be on my side, she might be my enemy. The statement was so unintentional that I couldnt help but think. At that moment, I felt a tremor from inside my pouch. I open the pouch, which makes a small clattering sound, and one of the communication stones reports an incoming call. .. Princess? The surface of the stone was marked Iris Intail. Sorry, Ive got a bit of a comms call, Ill have to go outside for a moment. Whos on the other end? Princess of the Kingdom of Intail. I got up from my chair, answering Rushias question. I think its strange when you can casually communicate with the princess of ..one country. Welcome to this side of the world, May. Youll never be bored with that man. But be careful because if youre not careful, he can twist your common sense. I heard some harsh words behind my back that I couldnt quite accept, but I decided to ignore them because it will bring trouble taking them seriously. Out on the comms. Ned-sama! A familiar bright voice sounded from across the communication stone. Long time no see. Yes!Its been a long time! The princess of the Kingdom of Intail is apparently full of energy today. If she had a dogs tail, she would be swinging wildly right now. Is it okay if she communicates with me? Isnt His Majesty stopping you in any way? Its all right!Im communicating with you properly and away from your fathers surveillance!This level of adversity will not tear me and Ned-sama apart! Thats great. She has the bravery not to do as His Majesty says and the brains to avoid unnecessary conflict. She has a reputation as a noble woman, so much so that many people are afraid to speak to her, but if you take her royal abilities and position out of the equation, she is just a bright, talkative girl of her age. However, she is usually busy with her official duties. The fact that she has communicated in this way suggests that she may be on urgent business. Whats going on? There have been some changes in the Kingdom of Intail since Ned-sama has departed, so I thought Id let you know just in case. Thats helpful. I know about the movements of the heroic parties from the newspapers and so on, so you can skip that. I understand. It wasnt an urgent matter, but it was information I knew I would have to ask sooner or later. I have known the princess for a long time. She must have read my thoughts. First of all, I would like to talk about the personnel changes at the castle. Treasurer Joaldahl has left the castle. It seems that my father and the Prime Minister had a disagreement when they decided to use taxpayers money to pay for the damages caused by the brave party. Right. If thetreasurer really leaves the country, tell him to contact me. I should at least be able to refer him to his next job. I knew you would say that, Ned-sama, so I have already given him the communication stone. Quite a deft hand. I know everything there is to know about Master Net! Former Treasurer Joaldahl is not only highly competent, but also a good man with a good personality and is well-liked. From a financial point of view, there is no harm in making a favour out of him, and even without calculation, he is a person whom I genuinely want to help. Next, there have been some developments in the military The Princess continues to explain. I took out my notebook,to note any necessary information. The Cardinals position has changed and it may affect the orphanage we run. Indeed, it might. The conversation went on to the orphanage I run. It reminded me of the children who run free in the small orphanageidyllic village in the countryside of the Kingdom of Intail. My bad. I always leave you in charge of the orphanage. No!Originally, that orphanage was run by me and Ned-sama, and its a nice break for me to play with the orphanage children. .. I appreciate you saying so. The children have been asking to see Ned-sama too. I have about five orphanages, but I rarely turn up. I just check on them regularly through correspondence, like this time, and send them the necessary funds. I was feeling close to resignation, thinking that the children must think of me as a very cold man, but according to the princess, that is not the case. But it may just be a comforting thought. But it sounds like a lot has happened since then. Yes. Truly, since Master Net left the country, things have been very noisy It seemed as if the Princesss words had been cut off abruptly. Oh Right!!Ned-sama!!Why are you in the Kingdom of Enuvidia?I never heard that you were leaving the country! Iris suddenly raised her voice and I moved the communication stone a little further away from my ear. I thought she knew everything about me.Refrain from the rush that is.. AaCaaa..my bad. But I felt like if I told you, youd stop me. Of course!Ned-sama rarely comes home!At the very least, I would have liked to talk to you a bit more! If we want to talk, we are talking right now. I wanted to talk to you face to face! Im sorry about that. But if I missed the timing, His Majesty was likely to take notice of me, so I had no choice but to do it this one time. By now, His Majesty is probably worrying about what the hero party is up to. I had a hard time dealing with them myself, so its not that I dont feel sympathy for him, but he deserved what he got, so Ill leave them alone. On a different note, is Emma the diplomat over there? Is Emma here?.. No, she havent returned from the country she was sent to yet, what happened? No, its not like that, but that diplomat is familiar with my activities in other countries because shes been going around to other countries. Shes usually very tight-lipped, but given the circumstances, I thought maybe she might have something to say to His Majesty. Do you want me to keep quiet? No, Dont. Im sure His Majesty and the Prime Minister will search me sooner or later. I shall consider this is the right time. Im no longer in the Kingdom of Intail anyway. If they know something, it wont affect my own life that much. Speaking of which, one thing about father has been bothering me. The Princess said as if she remembered. Earlier, the Prime Minister was investigating the Kingdom of Enuvidia on fathers instructions. Perhaps he is planning something. Are they plotting something? I raised my eyebrows at those words, which I found disturbing. A few hours earlier, at the Royal Castle in the Kingdom of Intail. The Prime Minister rushed into the Kings office in a state of panic. Your Majesty!Report! I dont want to hear it! The heroes have destroyed the town again! Aaaaahhhh!!! The king exclaimed, abandoning his dignity. He fell from his luxurious chair and held his head. While sympathising with the king, the Prime Minister continued his report. According to reports, the hero party engaged the Demon Kings men in the middle of the Edwin Mine. However, in the aftermath of the battle, a massive landslide occurred. Fortunately, the wizard Liz evacuated the inhabitants, so there were no casualties. They saved the inhabitants, but did not protect the town at all Why do they fight like that!Cant they be a bit more aware of their surroundings, those bastards! The king already knew that from the first report and put his hand to his forehead. Bring me the communication stone!Im going to talk to Julius! Julius is down with depression. The King stomped hard on the floor but it was Julius who had fallen down. Damn the damned !What are the others doing now! Pretty much the same as last time. The hero has disappeared somewhere again and the warrior has gone to challenge the legendary monsters that inhabit the mountain tops. The wizard is deep in his cave, absorbed in the development of new magic, and the monk is celebrating every day by raising the dead in the cemetery. Theyre having a lot of fun without even knowing the trouble they caused. Its true, they dont want to follow Juliuss instructions, do they? Yes. As always, they want Ned. The King frowned. One point must be acknowledged. The influence of Ned was stronger than he had imagined. Lets kill Ned and end this, once and for all. In a whisper, the king muttered in a small voice. There is no way a man like that, with no redeeming qualities, could control the hero party.is it brainwashing?, or is he blackmailing them by taking advantage of their weakness? In any case, if we are dragged along by that man forever, we should just erase his existence. That way, the hero members of the party will cool down a bit. But isnt that a bit extreme? Dont be a fool!After all, hes the one who assembled the original Hero Party!He is responsible for the actions of that party! Considering the damage that has been done, it is a mortal sin that he fully deserves the maximum penalty! The King shouted in a show of anger. And I didnt like that man before!Ill never forgive that brat who shamed my daughter.! (TL: I guess he has more than 1 daughter?) thats how you really feel. The Prime Minister lets out a small sigh. But how do we proceed to kill Ned? I was informed that Ned is already out of the country .. I believe hes in the Kingdom of Enuvidia now? They already knew where Ned was. The guards stationed in the port town had reported that he had boarded a ship bound for the Kingdom of Enuvidia. Then I have a good idea. because the Kingdom of Enubidia owes our country a great debt. I see. You intend to use that one. Tl: Since this is an LN, the next chapter, Ill use the diamonds. Those diamonds will straight into buying next vol. really hope you guys can buy the chapters. Volume 1 - CH 2 The country that bonded with a dragon Translated by SoundDestiny Edited by SoundDestiny After leaving the royal castle of the Kingdom of Intail, I was walking directly through the castle town. I had already decided where I was going. Out of this country. If I told the princess about this, she was likely to vehemently object, so I kept quiet when we were talking in the royal castle. From here, is the kingdom of Enubidia? (`̥ӥǥ) If I take a boat from the port town, I will soon reach the Kingdom of Enubidia. As soon as possible, I want to escape to a place where His Majestys power does not extend to me. At any rate, the members of the Stardust Lightare all idiots with one or two quirks. If only he could control them, he would bring back the best results, but unfortunately Julius will not be able to hold the reins of their power. If he cannot control them C there will be horrendous damage. I dont want to be held responsible for it afterwards. So I want to get the hell out of here and escape to the outside world. Well, I guess Illenjoy my freedom I dont mind travelling alone. Im always with someone, so I feel like Im spending precious time now. Welcome! Weve got the latest in grimoires for sale! A shopkeepers voice can be heard coming from the stall. Speaking of which, it is time for a new set of magical tools. I already have enough for what I need, but magic tools are delicate items and can get damaged during adventures and other rough activities. It is better to replace them with new ones around here. Do you have a comms stone? Yes, of course.Its pricey, though. is 20,000 zeni a piece. Expensive, but in line with the market. Then give me six. Six? Aaa, well, customer, youve got it all wrong. The shopkeeper chuckled and said. One communication stone can hold the contact details of a hundred people. Hundreds? Aa. So one is more than enough Then give me eight. Ha ? The selled widened his eyes in surprise. Ignoring his shock, I paid up. The number of contacts I want to register is seven hundred and ten. I had thought that six would be enough, since a single communication stone in another country can register one hundred and twenty contacts. Well,thank you for your continued patronage I put the communication stones Id have purchased in the pouch around my waist. Leaving the shopkeeper, who remained surprised, I headed for the port town. Next, Id better finish the formalities of getting on board the ship. The time is already midday, chances are castle and port towns are close I probably wont be able to get on the boat today, so Ill have to stay overnight. So I decided to hire a carriage, thinking it would be better to get to the port early enough to book accommodation. When I arrived in the port town, I immediately headed for the boat station. I want to board a ship to the Kingdom of Aenebidia, are there any seats still available? I went to the counter and spoke to the man at reception who was reading the newspaper. Yeah, there are seats available, but were actually having a bit of a problem. There are restrictions on boarding for a while. Restrictions? Theres been an outbreak of a large monster called the Kraken in the waters on the way to the Kingdom of Enubidia. Because of it, the only people allowed on board now are adventurers of A-level or above, or those on official missions who have to cross the sea right now. Kraken are dangerous monsters. I can agree with the restrictions imposed, but.. Then no problem. Im a grade A adventurer. Saying this, I take out my adventurers card from my pocket and show it to the man. An adventurers card is a kind of identity card issued by the adventurers guild to which you belong. In addition to the name of the registered person, the card also lists the adventurers grade. Oh~ youre not what you seem, are you? I get told that a lot. Although His Majesty made fun of me, being a Class A adventurer is an inherently admirable enough status. It is also a privilege of Class A to be able to overcome these restrictions. All right, Ive saved you a seat. The boat will leave in three days time, so dont be late. Aa ah, wait a minute. Just before I turned on my heel, I approached the man again. Can I see your charts? I want to know which waters the Kraken will be in. I dont think theres any point in knowing.Well, okay. Give me a minute. After a short wait, the man unfolds a chart on the counter. I think the Kraken has appeared here. A man pointed and told me where the Kraken was. in these waters, they can just barely reach the sound of the whistle. Im developing a contingency plan for the eventuality. At any rate, I was able to work out a way to manage even if the Kraken came out. Thank you for your help. Oh. I dont know what it is, but Im glad it helped. After I left the window, I decided to look for accommodation to sleep in for the next three days. As a port town, there were plenty of places to stay. I decided to stay at an inn that serves delicious seafood dishes. Three days later. I boarded a ship bound for the Kingdom of Enubidia, as planned. But it will take a week until the ship arrives.. As I squinted my eyelids in the brilliant sunshine, the sea breeze caressed my cheeks. I stroke my slightly sticky cheeks with my thumbs, thinking of my former companions. According to the newspaper I bought this morning, the hero party is leaving the Royal Capital today. There seems to be a grand parade celebrating their departure, but the noise and bustle of the parade does not reach the ocean. Not long ago I should have been spending time with them as a member of the Stardust Light, but when Im rocking leisurely on the boat, those days seem like someone elses business. Julius joined the hero party instead of me, as His Majesty wanted. However, I still dont think that man can hold the reins of the members, so. By the time I reach the Kingdom of Enubidia, one of our cities will probably have been crushed. Farewell, Julius. I offer one second of silent prayer for the sacrifice of an old friend. Oops, I guess I should call ahead. I remembered that I wanted to contact someone before I arrived in the Kingdom of Enubidia. I immediately activated the communication stone I had purchased in the castle town and communicated with the person. Ned? A female voice can be heard on the communication stone. Ah, Its been a long time isnt it? Are you on the clock now? No problem. Ill make as much time as I can for you? Loyalty is as high as ever. How that came about is unclear. Actually, Im on a ship heading for the Kingdom of Enubidia. Oh, youre coming? What do you want?Since its you, I wouldnt be surprised if theres a natural disaster on the horizon. Whats more surprising than a natural disaster? I landed in some trouble and Ive decided to leave the country. Ill tell you more about it when I see you. All right. Ill show you around the city when I get there. Thank you. I dont know how many days Ill be staying, but I need some way of earning an income for now. I think Ill register with the Adventurers Guild when I get there, so maybe you can help me with a few requests. Thats no big deal. Do you want to hunt wyverns? Ah, thats a good choice. Wyvern tails are as delicious as steaks. As I was talking about these things, I felt a gaze from somewhere. When I turned around, there was a young female knight with long blue hair fluttering in the air. She was about seventeen or eighteen years old, about the same as me. The fact that she is wearing armour on a boat trip suggests that she is a serious person. Well then, see you later. I disconnect communications. The blue-haired female knight slowly approaches me. Sorry, were you on comms? No, Im done..Do you need anything? Not so much an errand, but I just wanted to say a quick hello. Greetings?She corrects her posture in response to me tilting my head. I am May Ascent. I am a knight of the Kingdom of Enubidia. Im Ned Wolkinter. I used to be an adventurer in the Kingdom of Intail. I told her in the past tense, as I no longer wish to operate as an adventurer in that country. But May did not show any sign of concern and opened her mouth. If youre on this ship, that means youre an A-level adventurer, right? Thats a good thing. A good thing? Youve heard that there might be a Kraken attact, havent you?If push comes to shove, we should be comrade-in-arms, to cover each other back. Thats why Im saying hello to you like this. I see, thats an auspicious mindset. A polite or disciplined person She is probably a person of good upbringing. Her appearance is very well-defined, and her skin and hair are so beautiful that it is hard to believe that she is a knight who makes her living fighting. It is evidence that she lives in a good environment where she can take care of her appearance. Im sorry, but please dont count me among your forces. Hmm?Why is that? My title as an A-level adventurer was forced upon me by the same party of friends who pulled me along. As far as my individual abilities go, Im afraid Im not much different from an E-Level. What is that? Isnt that a scam? Aathey say that a lot. Unfortunately, it is really often said. The faces of His Majesty and Julius passed through my mind. Hmm, I heard there was a Class A adventurer on board, so I was expecting to see him, but hes just a fraud. May informed me with a sigh. Oh well. If it comes to a fight, at best stay out of the way and stay quiet. Ill let you do that. After all, my motto is letting others do the job. A joke. I really despise you. May turned on her heel and went away. It was meant to be a joking comment, but apparently it only made the air worse. ..Well, it wasnt really a joke, was it? The best thing would be not to encounter the Kraken. I tried to harbour such fleeting hopes, but they were easily dashed. Four days later. We encountered the Kraken. After midday on the fourth day. Suddenly, the surface of the water ahead rolled up vigorously. Whats going on? The knights of the Kingdom of Enubidia on board the ship were bewildered. The seawater that had rolled up turned into a large amount of rain and poured down on the ship. Someone shouted loudly as they were hit by the torrential water and their vision was blurred. The Kraken is out!!! That was the signal for battle. The knights who had been waiting in the ship prepared their equipment and rushed to the deck. A giant squid appeared in front of the knights holding up their shields. Thats the Kraken It is a well-known category of sea-dwelling monsters but I recall that even I have never encountered one yet. Kraken are extremely dangerous monsters, but they are also cowardly. As soon as they realise that their opponents are superior to them, they quickly retreat. So even if I encounter a Kraken, I can get through it unscathed as long as I take countermeasures. You, why are you here? While watching the Kraken on deck, I was approached by May. I told you to stay out of the way and keep quiet. Now go back inside. Ill do that, but.. can you guys handle it on your own? Pfft, dont worry about it. Dont underestimate the knights of the Kingdom of Enubidia. Having said this, May went to the Kraken. When fighting off a kraken, the important thing is to take initiative first. If we do not look frightened at all and keep showing the will to fight back, the Kraken will eventually leave. For this reason, the knights should have attacked the Kraken as soon as possible. No, , youre undermanned by all accounts. From the looks of it, the knights are skilled, but with that number of men, they have their hands full just dealing with the Krakens attack. At the same time they seem also having trouble. Their formation is already on the verge of collapse. It cant be helped. Ill call them. Before heading back inside, I took a shell-shaped whistle from my pouch. The battle with the Kraken was far fiercer and more intense than expected. Damn! May, a knight of the Kingdom of Enubidia, was knocked down by the violently shaking deck and looked at the Kraken with her hands on the floor. At this rate, well get hit The Kraken still remains unscatched. It has begun to think of those on board this ship as inferior. Why is this happening? May asks the knights in the vicinity about the reasons for this. What happened to the other knights! There must have been more knights waiting on deck! Of the ten who were waiting, four were dropped into the sea by the Krakens surprise attack. Two barely survived, but are currently undergoing treatment. And the other four? ..are down with seasickness. My foot almost slipped. W-what a useless bunch..! I put my hand on my forehead. It is an abomination that I do not want to think of as the same knight. I remembered that a few days ago I had called an adventurer from the Kingdom of Intail a [fraud]. I owe him an apology. My colleagues are much more cowardly. Ill take the lead, you guys follow! Aa-wait, May-sama!You, the Knight of the Kingsguard, if youre hurt, the PrincessRushia-sama will be sad!! Dont be stupid!Its a knights duty to fight physically at times like this! Besides, if I cant fight off the Kraken at this point, it will be more than just me getting hurt. Along with the ship will be reduced to rubbish. May approached the Kraken with determination. The Kraken swung its thick tentacle down. May blocked it, using her sword as a shield. Ggh, ah!!! Normally, knights with large shields would have gathered to defend against this blow. Mays skill in single-handedly defending against it was assured, but the burden was too much. Her arms and legs were numb and motionless, and the sword fell from her palms. Its bad. She is completely unprotected. If the Kraken continues its attack, it cannot be prevented. If any more people leave the front line, the line of defeat will finally become thicker. May gritted her teeth and tried to move, ignoring the numbness in his body. Immediately afterwards C suddenly, a high-pitched whistle sounded. What was that sound ? Is that some kind of signal?However, there was no sign of anyone rushing on deck. As May wondered C suddenly the Kraken screamed. The krakens condition suddenly changes, and the knights on deck are also puzzled. The paralysed May, now able to move, closes in on the Kraken. Before he can draw his sword, May stops moving. At the Krakens feet, a shadow of something is seen on the surface of the water. Is that a..mermaid? Its upper half of the body is human but the lower part is half fish. This is the characteristic of the mermaid race. The mermaids that are living at the bottom of the sea swam freely in the water and poked the kraken incessantly with spearheads in their hands. Are the mermaids joining us in attacking the kraken,? A scene unfolded before their eyes that could only be perceived as such. But it is a sight that is not supposed to be. Thats ridiculous..Mermaids hate humans. What is this? The Kraken screams once more. Eventually, the Kraken moved away from the ship and was dragged to the seabed by the.. Mermaids. After the Kraken left the ship, I put the whistle away in my pouch. After a while, the surface of the water in front of me bubbled and soon countless mermaids appeared. Land Dwellers! O people of the land dwellers!!We have defeated the Kraken! Give us, our reward!People of the land dwellers!! The mermaids gathered in the straw and demanded their rewards. With splashes of water flying everywhere, I take out what I have prepared from my pouch. Yes, yes. Apples, right? Oh ! This is the very essence of life! It is no exaggeration to say that the people of the land exist to produce this! Thats an exaggeration. To say it is an exaggeration for humans to produce apples is a bit too much. But.Im glad I bought apples in the port town for this kind of situation. Mermaids like several things, and apples are one of them. Ill buy as many as I can if it puts them in a good mood. Sorry to call you on such short notice. Dont it mind!Ned has made a covenant with us!Thats why she gave you the whistle! A male mermaid said loudly. Generally, the mermaids who come out to fight are men. His upper body was wrapped in strong muscular armour and he held a very heavy spear, using the buoyancy of the water. By the way, Ned! Hmm? The Queen wants to see Ned!Come to the Ryugu Palace! Roger. Tell her Ill come when things settle down. If you dont come soon, she will create a huge tsunami and sink this ship! Thats not good. Ill give you another apple, try to appease her. Yes, sir! Having said this, the mermaid dove back into the water. If the Kraken is defeated and the ship is sunk, its the end of the world. Perhaps Ive just eliminated the second crisis that was looming over the ship?Well, as for the second crisis, it looks like it came about because of me. When the mermaids are completely out of sight, I hear footsteps nearby. Aa, y-you , that was . There was a wide-eyed and astonished May. When I was communicating, you stood somewhere near me and this time, is does May has a peeping-tom hobby? Nah?! N-no, no!It just happened, Im standing here at the wrong time! May denied it with a red face. More importantly, what did you do? That was a mermaid, wasnt it?Mermaids hate humans. Theyre the kind of people youd normally have to fight with just to see each other, let alone have a conversation. Normally that might be true, but well, Im kind of a friend Friends.? A mermaid and a human? To be precise, Im friends with the Ryugu tribe who live in the western waters. In exchange, I have a bit of a disagreement with the Lorei tribe, who live in the eastern waters. But I know someone who has an alliance with Lorei, so I think I can negotiate peacefully with mermaids from almost any ocean. ?????? May looked confused at the information I gave her. I may have even given out a bit of unnecessary information but I dont have a problem with that. Its hard to believe, but in short, you can negotiate with mermaids..So, in the battle with the Kraken earlier, you were the one who called the mermaids? Aa. I told you, my motto is letting others do the job. With the help of others, no one can beat me. I even take such pride in it. When I jokingly said this in a boastful manner, Mays lips tightened. Its complicated, but whatever it is, it does look like youre our saviour I was a little surprised. I thought I was going to be mocked again, but it seems that May is more tolerant of other peoples values than I thought. I hope His Majesty the King of the Kingdom of Intail will learn something from her. Can you make some time after we arrive in the country?I want to thank you. For me, for whom networking is the only weapon in my arsenal, there is no reason to refuse the proposal. I welcome meeting and interacting with new people. Itll be my pleasure. Three days had passed since the defeat of the Kraken. The seven-day boat trip came to an end and the land of the Kingdom of Enubidia was in sight. Ned. As the ship approaches the harbour, May calls out to her. As promised, let me thank you. Are you sure youre free for today? Yeah, Im free all day. Good. Then I have some places Id like to show you. My schedule is free, or rather, I left it open. I actually had someone I was meeting up with, but after consulting with her, I changed my meeting with her to tomorrow. Aa, um, May-sama. Are you sure?Inviting adventurers from other countries into your castle. Hes our benefactor, it wont be a problem. Besides, Rushia-sama likes adventurers. The knights are having some kind of conversation. I chuckled when I heard the words knights and castle. Apparently, Ive been associated with those things of late. How did you end up in the Kingdom of Intail? I was escorting a nobleman from our country who was staying over there for a few days or so. It seems that the nobility of the Kingdom of Enuvidia was visiting the Kingdom of Intail. I did not know that. Weve arrived safely May mutters. The ship arrived at the port and stopped. Welcome. To the country that has made a pact with a dragon. The Kingdom of Enuvidia, a country which made a pact with a dragon. The country is said to have borrowed power from a great dragon when it was founded. Before, the land in this area was said to have dried up. As a result, crops did not grow, but with the dragons blessing, the land was enriched and blessed with resources. Some monsters are intelligent and can interact with people. Dragons are a prime example of such monsters and are extremely powerful. History shows that humans and dragons sometimes fought and sometimes cooperated with each other, but the only example of a dragon supporting the founding of a country is the Kingdom of Enuvidia. Spectacular. Fufu, ..thats right! This is a good country! May smiled happily, she was happy that I praised her kingdom. The buildings in the Kingdom of Enuvidia are larger in scale than those in the Kingdom of Intail. Such is the culture that has taken root. Dragon ornaments and figurines can be seen here and there, perhaps to entertain the tourists. The scenery is gorgeous for a port town. Incidentally, that legendary adventurer party, the The Seven Meteors, once stopped by this town. Eeee? I couldnt help but voice my doubts at Mays statement. Oi, whats with that reaction? Dont tell me youve never heard of The Seven Meteors? Uh, yeah. I know that much about tthem, but Theres no way I dont know them. The adventurer party The Seven Meteors- is the most famous adventurers in the world. The feats accomplished by that adventuring party are too numerous to mention: they have conquered impregnable dungeons, defeated large monsters that were threatening the world, and pioneered the development of lands that had never been explored before. The strongest adventuring party, both in name and in reality, is the The Seven Meteors. This is a common knowledge in this world. Likewise, the fact that the.The Seven Meteors was disbanded a year ago is also common knowledge known by people all over the world. Did the The Seven Meteors stop by this town? Yes!Id like to be able to say with pride.but strictly speaking, they were just passing nearby. But when youre dealing with the The Seven Meteors, that alone makes me feel proud. ooh . I see. So thats what this is about. There was a slight discrepancy in information, which was puzzling but satisfactory. The fame of the adventurer party The Seven Meteors is tremendous. A town can become a tourist attraction simply because a party has stayed. This port town must have been aiming for such an economic effect and spreading the same sales pitch to its people as May had mentioned. There were a few well-known adventurer parties in the Kingdom of Aenebidia, werent there? Aaa, The most famous is probably the White Dragon Chivalric Order. Ned knows about that party? Of course. Adventurer party White Dragon Chivalric Order. The party, who hail from the Kingdom of Enuvidia, are all clad in knights armour, which is unusual for adventurers. The party has made a name for itself mainly by conquering dungeons and defeating monsters. The White Dragon Chivalric Order are a party of adventurers, but they are the object of admiration for the countrys knights. In particular, the leader of the Order, Lady Riese Von Aldiana, is an S-class adventurer and a former aristocrat, and has a reputation for being noble and beauty. I, for one, am fascinated by her. Does May perhaps admire this person? Ah!Along with the The Seven Meteors, she is one of the most respected people in the world!I hope to be a knight like that one day! May said excitedly. Arent there several well-known adventurer parties in the kingdom of Intail, where Ned is from? Well, yeah. But when it comes to the latest buzz, I think its the Hero Party. TheHero Party. I see that Hero Party also started their journey just as we were leaving the Kingdom of Intail. May also seems to know a little about the hero party of the Kingdom of Intail. Although countries around the world now dispatch their hero parties, I had thought that the The Seven Meteors would go on to defeat the Demon King. May mutters. I am sure many of us thought so. Thats how strong the The Seven Meteors was. Since its break-up a year ago, The Seven Meteors has not shown its face to the public. What are they doing now..? I wonderprobably, living their lives as they like?! !No!They must be holding important positions in the country, or carrying out top-secret missions ..doing things we cant imagine! May is a bit of a dreamer, apparently. Whats the heroic party like in the Kingdom of Intail? After all, they were selected directly by the kingdom, they must be very strong? I wonderif its by strength alone, Id say theyre probably better than any countrys heroic parties. . I say in a small voice and May looks at me strangely. Extra issue! Breaking News! At that moment, a newspaper vendor passed in front of me. I take a coin from my pouch and approach the newsagent. Give me one stack. Okay! I read the newspaper as soon as I receive it. May, moved her face closer to the newspaper as if peering into it. Whats this, ? May is surprised to see the biggest headline. A-aa, I told you it was . On it, in large, bold letters, were the words. Hero Party from the Kingdom of Intail destroys the city. Five days after the hero party began their journey. The prime minister rushed into the kings room in a great hurry. Your Majesty! Theres bad news! Whats going on? A brave party has destroyed the city! Ha? The king stiffened with his mouth open in a pout. The Prime Minister was sweating all over, probably because he had come in such a hurry. When the Prime Minister, who had been breathing hard, began to calm down, the Kings halted thoughts moved again. What do you mean?Explain! Well, Julius reported that during their travels, they encountered a monster that appeared to be under the command of the Demon King and they got into a fight. The Prime Minister continues with an awkward look on his face. In the aftermath of the.battle, the city was destroyed. The lake, which had been a tourist attraction, disappeared and the nearby forests were burnt to the ground. Fortunately, the inhabitants have already been evacuated, but..they are demanding large amounts of compensation. The Kings face paled into a blue pallor at the report, which was far beyond anything he could have imagined. Wwha-what,ho-w did this happen?! The king had ordered his prime minister to report to him whenever the heroes party was active. However, he had no idea that the memorable first report was not about achievements, but about damage. You made sure Julius had a communication stone, didnt you?Connect to comms immediately!Im going to talk to him directly! Well, thats the thing, the citys inhabitants responded to the comms link..and apparently Julius has overworked. !? Theyve only been on the road for five days! What kind of schedule was made that Julius can be overworked in five days? The King cant imagine. Incidentally, according to Julius last report, the hero said, Theres a call for help over there! After that, he disappeared. The warrior is so immersed in monster hunting that having a conversation is impossible. The wizard stubbornly refuses to move until he has read all the books in the citys library, and the monk seems to be unnecessarily raising the dead to create further chaos O,oo,oooo what is this happeing my head cant keep up The elegance is not suited to the hero party. The size of the problem is out of the norm. W-why? How did this happen?What was Julius doing!? Apparently, no matter what Julius said, the members responded that Ned wouldnt say that or I only want to listen to what Ned says and refuse to follow instructions. Gunnu that man, did he brainwash them!? It reminded the king of a man called Ned, whom he kicked out of the party a few days ago. Could this happen because of that man?Come to think of it, that man said, That party is all the members I have gathered on the assumption that I will control them. After all, can a brave party only be controlled by Ned? No. Ned is a person with no redeeming qualities. In fact, he has left behind no notable achievements in the Kingdom of Intail. If even a man like him could control the members of the party. There is no reason why Julius should not be able to do the same. give these instructions once Julius has recovered. The King, who has regained his composure, tells the prime minister calmly. The hero party may be an S-class adventurer, but they are still human beings. If they violate orders too much, punish them severely. If the situation calls for it, you can even use my authority on them. The Prime Minister nods his head at the Kings order. A few days later. Reports reached the Kings ears that Julius had been seriously wounded. Tl Note: (So Rushia use Mekake, Mistress/Concubine to refer herself. But Ill just I,me,my, because its easier ) From here well take a carriage ride. After a reasonable walk through the port town, May led me to a carriage. Prompted to get in first, I climbed into the carriage carefully. Then May got in too, and the door was closed. Where are we going? Royal Capital. I would like you to meet my employer there. May is a knight. Her employer would be, at the very least, an aristocrat..or a politician. She seems to be quite grateful to me for fighting off the Kraken, but all I did was call the mermaid. The carriage began to move slowly. When the regular sound of the horse begins to be heard, May opens her mouth. But its a pity. I didnt expect the hero party from the Kingdom of Intail to end up like this so early on. No, well, itsexpected, and Im not that surprised. It really was as expected but Im a little concerned about what Her Majesty looks like now. Should I secretly contact the Princess and ask her how shes doing? Afterwards, May and I talked a lot about each others countries. However, I am more focused on different countries, so Im not actually particularly knowledgeable about the Kingdom of Intail. Even when I was a student, I skipped classes and went on an adventure in other countries, so I probably have less knowledge of the country than the average citizen of the Kingdom of Intail. We have arrived. After an hour or so, the carriage pulls up. The carriage had entered the royal capital a few minutes earlier. And now, in front of us C the castle. Is thisthe royal castle of the Kingdom of Enuvidia? Aa. I would now like Ned to meet my employer, Her Royal Highness Princess Rushia.. Ive always had a thing for princesses, castles and knights, apparently. And when Mays employer is a princess, one fact is revealed. I thought May is just a knight. Aaa. I serve as a knight of the Kingsguard. May is apparently a knight guarding the royalty. Thats a reasonably high status. No need to be nervous. She may be a princess, but shes a friendly person. I have to behave in a formal manner because of my status, but perhaps Ned will allow me to be easy-going..Of course, we dont have to meet her if you dont want to. No, by all means let us meet. I have a principle that if I havent met someone before, Ill meet them anyway. Thats a good principle. After all, you might be able to help me in a pinch. ..Id withdraw my previous statement. Its a calculating principle. I think any principle that isnt backed by calculation is just delusional. I followed Mays lead into the castle and reached the end of the corridor, and there is a door in front of me. I have already reported about you to Rushia -sama. Lets go in, shall we? Okay. Checking my appearance, I nodded. May opens the door. Beyond it was a luxurious room. A red carpet with exquisite patterns engraved on it, and many ornaments that I could tell were expensive just by looking at them. On top of that, the room was well furnished with a set of practical furniture. In the Kingdom of Intail, I entered the audience chamber to meet the king, but this time I was to meet Her Royal Highness the Princess. From the scale of the door, this is probably one of the princesss private chambers. Youre Ned? A girl sitting in the centre of the room looked at me. My name is Rushia Enuvidia. I am the princess of this country. A girl who appeared to be in her mid-teens sat on the throne. She is a beautiful girl. Her skin is as white as the first snow and her hair is long and clear silver. She has a slender body that could be broken just by touching it, but her crimson twin eyes are like jewels set into a pedestal, exuding a strength that will never waver. I can feel the noble atmosphere around her. I was convinced just by taking one look at her that I had met the right person. My years of experience tell me this. This will surely be a good meet up for me. It is an honour to meet you. I am Aaa, good, good. May owe you a favour, right?Then you are as good a friend as any-ja.. You can be a little more open. if thats what you wish. I lift my deeply bowed head and relax my shoulders just a little. This is what Ive heard from the upper class people Ive met so far. Aristocrats and royalty are often fed up with a stuffy environment. So many of them want to at least talk casually with outsiders. However, it would be better to at least use honorifics. Even if Lady Rushia says there is no problem, it does not necessarily mean that others who adore her will feel the same way. My name is Ned Wolkinter. I was an adventurer in the Kingdom of Intail. Oh, an adventurer. I like adventurers. Princess Rushia smiles and says. Ned, let me first thank you. Thank you for helping May. For me, May is one of the few friends I can trust. If you hadnt repelled the Kraken, I would be in a state of grief right now. Her tone was a little peculiar, but she was polite even to me, a commoner, and her behaviour showed her good nature. Its nice of you to thank me, but I havent done much. The one who defeated the Kraken is - mermaids, I hear? Princess Rushia says with a grin. Have you decided where youre going to sleep today? No, I havent decided. Then you can stay here in the castle today. While I am surprised at the sudden suggestion, Rushia -sama continued. Instead, tell me about the adventures youve had so far. I love adventure tales! I see, that makes sense. Apparently, this was the real reason for calling me here. I glanced at May and was met with a soft smile. I understand. If its okay with me, Ill talk about it as much as you want. And that evening. I had dinner with Princess Rushia and I talked about my adventures up to this point. Of course C I hid somepart to ensure secrecy . Conversations with Princess Rushia continued late into the night. Ho! So what happened to that aerial temple? I had an acquaintance snipe the core of the temple and destroyed it. Now pieces of the collapsed temple are being sold as a local speciality. Wa-ha-ha!The land of legends is now an easy souvenir! I told her the story of my adventures in the aerial temple known as the Land of Legends. Princess Rushia really seemed to like hearing adventure stories. Although she is supposed to be of noble status, listening to me, Princess Rushias eyes light up like a child enjoying the reading of a storybook. Now I told her a story about climbing a volcano to defeat a monster. Ho, ho monsters in the crater of a volcano? Surely thats a difficult monster. So how did you defeat it? I had a wizard friend of mine freeze the whole volcano, and while he was doing that, I quickly killed it. Freeze the volcano eh? Is that even possible? Well, it seems that those who can, can. I laugh and say to the confused Princess Rushia. I was surprised when I saw it too. [Ive got a new technique to show Ned~!] I remember being told that and almost frozen by it. I do wonder if that wizard is going to ice me? Now..What else shall I talk about? While I was sorting out the repertoire of stories in my head, there was a knock at the door. It was May. Princess Rushia, its time to go to bed, or youll be in trouble tomorrow. Mm, is it that late already? Its been a long time since Ive lost track of time. Im glad she was satisfied. Apparently, the pleasant banter is about to end. I picked up a cup from the table and quenched my thirst. Rushia -sama stares at me. But you dont seem too nervous. Nervous? As I tilt my head, Princess Rushia tells me. Aa, no. If I may say so myself, Imbeautiful, right? . huh? Beautiful, isnt it? . Haa. Beauty Yes, you are. Fufufu, after all, I am beautiful. When she nodded her head, Princess Rushia smiled with satisfaction. Finally, the conversation moved on. Thats why most boys who meet me for the first time are usually too nervous to speak well, but you, you seem to be, how should I say, used to it. Well,..maybe Im actually used to it. Princess Rushia is still very young and her body is hardly uneven, but she has a face that will no doubt make her a beauty in the future. But I knew several of the opposite sex who were equally good-looking. The princess of the Kingdom of Intail is one of them. Hmm, is there a woman in the world as beautiful as a me? They rarely exist, but theyre there. What a conversation, and I had my doubts too. Princess Rushia, you seem to be quite fond of adventure stories, have you ever thought of adventuring yourself? Mmm, thats because that ..Im the princess of this country.. Certainly, as a princess, she cant sing or celebrate her freedom compared to us commoners. When I sympathised with her in my heart, Princess Rushia continued. Andight, Im afraid. Afraid of fighting? If you encounter a monster, you have to fight, dont you? I am afraid of fighting and conflict. These words were unimaginable from the previously sprightly Princess Rushia. Slightly surprised, I express my honest impression. .You also have a surprisingly timid side, dont you? Nah! W-w-what cowardice!Even I, the princess, can be afraid! Princess Rushias face turned red. I dont think theres anything wrong with being afraid of fighting, but from the way she had been talking, I had thought she was more feisty and daring. This is a little surprising. Beside me, who was surprised in this way, May smiled. Rushia-sama cant even hold a weapon, you know. O-oii! May! Dont say unnecessary things! Pardon me. With an not guilty look on her face, May straightened her posture again. As a knight of the Kingsguard, May seems to be able to talk casually with Princess Rushia. Even so, because of her different position from me, the guest, May never sat down in front of her lord, Princess Rushia. Its fine, isnt it? I say to Princess Rushia, who is puffing her cheeks out in dissatisfaction. Its unusual for royalty to engage in physical combat, and..not having the strength to fight doesnt diminish Princess Rushias value. I said that as encouragement. But when Princess Rushia heard those words, she instantly turned mysterious. Have the strength to fight? I didnt miss her little murmur. Ah, my mistake. Is Princess Rushia willing to overcome her weaknesses, and inwardly seeking the strength to fight? Sorry. I misspoke. After all, as royalty, you should have power No.,no..You are not wrong!Ned is right, I dont have the strength to fight! Im weak!So its no surprise that ..Im a coward! Princess Rushia says somewhat excitedly. Her tone sounded a little exaggerated, and I felt a tugging sensation. It was as if she was saying to herself. Princess Rushia, its time to go Oops, right At Meirs words, Princess Rushia looks at me with a smile. Ned, I had a good time today!Now that Im satisfied, you too can get some rest! I shall do so. This will Ned-sama room The room to which I was shown by the castle maid was truly opulently decorated. The room was spacious, the windows were large, the furnishings were all delicately patterned and there was a fine red carpet underfoot. It is a good thing that I left the kingdom of Intail and was able to enjoy such an environment so soon, but now that I have come this far, I am worried about my future life. There is a large bathroom for guests in the castle, if you wish to use it. Oh, thanks for showing me around. The maid bowed solemnly and left the room. As the door quietly closed, I exhaled a huff and placed my waist pouch on the table. Im still wide awake..should I register my contact details on my comms stone while Im at it? I took a communication stone from my pouch and stroked the circular frame in a clockwise direction, and letters appeared on the surface of the stone. One by one, the contacts, which had been jotted down on paper, were registered. It was a steady and tedious process. I have registered the contact details of 500 people, but there are still 200 more to go. If possible, I want to finish this today. Occasionally, he continued working, looking out of the window at the quiet cityscape. Ah finally, Im done. When I had registered everyones contact details, I straightened my back lightly. I was concentrating so hard I didnt realise it, but it was a little chilly. Its time to take a bath and go to bed. hmm?Speaking of which, where are the big bathrooms? It seems there are bathrooms in the rooms, but since Im here, Id like to use the castles main bathrooms. But I forgot to ask and I couldnt find it. Just as I step out of the room, I spot a maid walking down the corridor. She is a different person from the maid who showed me to my room, but it would not be a problem if I called out to her. Can you help me?I need to go to the main bathrooms.. If you want the main baths, go straight down this hall and turn left at the end of the hall. I thank the maid for her guidance and follow the path as told. As I undressed in the changing room and stepped into the large bath, white steam blocked my view. Heh, this is quite something. The large bathrooms make lavish use of the spacious area. The ceiling is high and open, and the tiles underfoot are smooth and easy to step on. The gold and silver decorations created an elegant atmosphere. Amazing..Is this really for guests of honour? Ive travelled all over the world and have been in some of the most luxurious baths there are, but this is an order of magnitude different. I will go to bed tonight feeling fabulous. I wash myself lightly and then immerse myself in the bathtub. Then hira-sama hot water level is.. Mmiru also Over the rising white steam, I could hear someone talking. Was there someone ahead of me? If youre invited to the castle, you might be a nobleman. It would normally be irregular for a mere commoner like me to be invited to a castle. It might be better to greet them lightly if our faces meet. As I think about this, the steam gradually clears. In front of my eyes, ..Rushia and May were soaking in the bathtub in a state of undress. ..Mm? .Eh? Ha? Each one of us becomes flabbergasted. After ten seconds of silence, Nuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! Oouuu.. The screams that rip through the silk are overwhelming and half-heartedly startling. Ne, ned! You!!! How did you get here? No, thats my line As I answer Mays teary-eyed, shouting question, I think about why this is happening. I thought I was asking where the large bathrooms for guests were, but was I directed to the bathrooms used by Rushia and May? Somehow, I guessed how Id enter this situation. In front of my eyes, the two girls reveal their alertness. Mah, May!What are you going to do?What am I supposed to do in a situation like this? I dont know! And, for now, its better to hide our body ! They were completely confused. Mays face still has a faintly innocent look, but her body is feminine, with clearly visible bumps. She has no lean flesh, probably due to her training as a knight. Her fresh, water-repellent skin has a sex appeal that is hard to imagine from her usual appearance. On the other hand, Rushias figure is slender and almost as uneven as her body, but her porcelain-clear skin and silver hair, which looks even more lustrous when wet with water, give her a mysterious beauty. Her cheeks, which are tinted red with a hint of moisture, and her embarrassed expression give her a sex appeal different from that of May. It was as if I was looking at a delicate work of art. There was a noble figure there that should never bedefiled, which is essentially unattainable for the mundane person to see or touch. Ta, towel!May!Bring me a towel! Ye-yes I understand!Ill bring it to you right away!Aa May, who got up from the bathtub and headed out at a fast pace, falls down when she crosses my side. Kuhh.., my foot, I slipped .. May let out a groan and tried to stand up, putting both knees on the floor. But, if she gets up in front of me, Im going to . Youre in full view of Rushia blurts out. When May got up, she was red up to her ears and her whole body was shaking. I cant do it anymore.kill this man and Ill die, too! No, no, no, no, no.. I put my hand to my forehead as May glares at me with tears in the corners of his eyes. Ill leave normally, you two just wait in the bathtub. I told them as calmly as possible to calm their confusion. I turn my back and then stand up. I intended to leave the bathroom, but I turned around to ask a question. By the way, where are the big baths for guests? Y-yo-you! Why are you being so, so calm! Theres no point in making a fuss now, is there? When I tells her in a calm manner, Mays face turns red. One floor down! Go quickly! I quickly headed to the changing room to get dressed and went out into the corridor with my hair barely dry. What if Im accused of disrespect? Ill make a quick getaway then. But How much more unwary can they be? If I, for example, had plotted to assassinate Princess Rushia , it would be a disaster by now. The entrance and surroundings of the castle were well guarded, but inside there were many blind spots. Is there a reason for this?.. With this in mind, I headed for the large bathroom for guests of honour. Next morning. I woke up in the guest room in the royal castle in the kingdom of Enuvidia. Morning already? I look at the morning sun shining through the gap in the curtains and let out a sore yawn. The room was cosy and comfortable. The bed was soft and fluffy, I slept well, and I feel like Im going to have a good time today. They said I could do whatever I wanted as long as I didnt go upstairs.Ill go for a light walk. After washing my face and getting dressed, I headed for the gardens outside the castle. The morning mist is thick. Did it rain last night while I slept? I walked along the damp cobblestones, and before I knew it, everything was enveloped in mist in all directions. I thought I had come to see the beautiful scenery of the gardens, but perhaps I came at the wrong time of day. As I was about to return to the castle, I suddenly noticed a strange reflection in the haze in front of me. A huge shadow. A shadow so tall that it seemed to reach the second. or even the third floor of the castle. I dont know what it is C but as long as it is moving, it must be a creature. Dont tell me its a monster? Instantly alert, I mobilise all the knowledge in my head to try to understand the phenomenon in front of him. But I had no idea what it was. Who are you? A girls voice is heard from the front. As I maintained my vigilance and waited in silence, Princess Rushia appeared from the haze in which the shadow was reflected. Aaa, its you, Ned? Good morning. Uumu. Good morning, its. Princess Rushias words trailed off. Whats wrong? Nothi-nothing!I mean, after what happened last night! Princess Rushia blushes. I havent even shown it to my father since I was over three years old. .! And yet you..stare at me so clearly for such a long time. ..! It wasnt so much that I was staring. Still, I cant deny that I saw it, because its true. .. I have heard about the situation from the maid. You are not responsible for this matter. thank you. It seems to mean that there is no one to blame. Powerful people are often extremely violent once they lose control of themselves, but I am glad that Rushia seems to be a person of character. By the way, Princess Rushia. Did you see something here just now? Mm?I thought I was the only one here. Princess Rushia tilts her head curiously. What, then, was the shadow just now?Was I imagining something? Ned. What are you going to do in this country? Princess Rushia asks me about my future plans. For now, lets just say that the shadow I just saw was my imagination . First, I think Ill register with the Adventurers Guild to secure a source of income. Mm, you were an adventurer in the Kingdom of Intail, so that would be good. Princess Rushia nodded. In this day and age, there is usually an adventurers guild in every country, but unfortunately they do not work together perfectly. If I wanted to work as an adventurer in the Kingdom of Aenebidia, I had to re-register. I had to start over from the lowest grade. Then I shall send May as your guide. Are you sure about ? I really enjoyed the tales of adventure you told me last night! And for that, I want to thank you! Your Highness is a generous princess. I am still not yet familiar with the streets of this city, as I came by carriage from the port town to the castle. Ill have to take advantage of Princess Rushias goodwill. Well, I will now show you around the city. You wanted to go to the Adventurers Guild, right? Yeah, lead the way. After a quick breakfast at the castle, I walked through the city with May. The royal city of Enuvidia was pleasant. It was safe and lively. Children running around and old couples strolling are the very symbol of peace. Does she not care what happened last night? Unlike Princess Rushia, there was no change in Mays condition. Last night, if anything, Im sure May was in a worse position than Princess Rushia.. Maybe I should be the one to apologise here, after all. May. About what happened last night.. Last night?Oh, you mean the adventurous tales you told Princess Rushia? .hmm? I didnt expect that direction, so I was a little slow to react. No, its about what happened at the baths.. Bath?I dont know what youre talking about. You and I parted ways in Princess Rushias room and that was the last time I saw you When I heard those words, It was clear to me that May wants to pretend that the incident at the bath never happened. I see. There is no need to provoke. It must have hurt her a lot..prickles and guilt eat away at her heart. Ned. That adventure story you told Princess Rushia yesterday, how true was that? I tilted my head, unsure of the meaning of the question. What do you mean by that? You cant be telling the truth about going to an aerial temple or freezing an entire volcano,Im not too impressed with you overstating your achievements, even if its just to amuse Princess Rushia. Apparently, May is in disbelief about what I said last night. I didnt exaggerate at all. It all really happened. . No, no, thats ridiculous. If that was all true, youre not just an A-level adventurer, youre an S-level adventurer. Im a grade A, but everyone around me is a grade S. When I told her thats why I was able to make it happen, May looked downcast with a serious expression on her face. . No, no, no. Youre not fooling me. Because if the story is true, there are only three parties that made it to the Aerial Temple, and two of them cant be in this country. But if its the other one, then Ned impossible, impossible, it cant be possible. May mumbled something out. I may have said too much that confused her a lot. Does she know more about the adventurers situation? I recall that yesterday she said she was fascinated by the leader of the adventurers party White Dragon Chivalric Order. Is this the right road? Uh,Aaa. Youre right. Its just around this corner to the right. May comes to her senses and resumes guiding me. Ned, what do you do after you register with the guild? Are you going to take the job straight away? I intend to. Princess Rushia said I could stay at the castle today, but.that would be bothersome, and Id like to earn enough money to pay for todays accommodation. Ok. Then Ill help you. The words were unexpected and I accidentally stared at May. Princess Rushia has asked me to keep you company for the rest of the day. Im registered with the guild as a Class B adventurer, in case youre interested, so I can take requests. Ifyou dont need me, Ill leave. Please stay, Ive already prepared a collaborator. Can we have a quick meeting first? Of course. But you already have a collaborator in place, so its not as if your motto is helping others. Its the only thing Ive got going for me If May is willing to help, it will be easier to make more money than planned. The Adventurers Guild is responsible for mediating requests from towns and countries. Some of these requests require a minimum number of people, so if there are three of us, we can take on larger requests. This is the Adventurers Guild. Lets go inside. May opened the door and I followed. The atmosphere of the guilds seems to be the same everywhere. In the old-fashioned but somehow atmospheric wooden buildings, men and women with weapons and armour are everywhere talking to each other. There was a tavern right next door, and even though it was only mid-morning, I could hear the lively voices. Im meeting the first collaborator herebut she hasnt arrived yet. Then lets wait at that table over there. I follow Mays directions and take a seat at the table. So, who is the collaborator? Its.. I wanted to explain, but after thinking for a moment, I retracted the words. .. since were here, lets keep it to ourselves. Mm, whats that? Well, youll find out soon enough. Maybe May will be surprise. About five minutes later, the guild door opened. Oh, here she comes. I look blankly at the door and realise that the person Im looking for has arrived. At the sound of my voice, May also turns around Ha? When May saw the person who appeared, she stiffened with her mouth open. The guild was abuzz at her appearance, clad in pure white armour. [Hey, that one], [Why are you here], [I dont believe its her], [Shes beautiful] .. such voices could be heard from everywhere. There you are, Ned. Yo, long time no see. I feel nostalgic and reassured by the face I havent seen in a long time. Aa,aaa,Aaaa..N-no-no, no way, no way, no way! Seeing the woman approaching, Mays confusion became even more intense. Ned, who is she? This is my second collaborator. Right, then I should introduce myself. I think May already knows herwell. Im Riese Von Aldiana, Leader of the White Dragon Chivalric Order. Pleasure to meet you. An adventurer who is admired by the knights, and whom May fascinated by. Riese, who is also one of my friends, smiles quietly. She was a beautiful woman in pure white armour. Her tall stature and well-defined eyes attracted the gaze of even her own gender. Her beautiful golden hair was wavy and so glamorous that it was hard to believe that she belonged to an adventurer who made her living fighting. Riese Von Aldiana. There is surely no one in the Kingdom of Enuvidia who does not know her name. She is the leader of the White Dragon Chivalric Order, an outstanding party of adventurers. I see, so you are a knight of the Princesss Kingsguard. Ha! Yes! Riese, seated at the table, was quick to get to know May. Were going to be commissioned by the Adventurers Guild to take down monsters. Danger is inherent in fighting monsters. Thats why it pays to know the people youre entrusting your backs to. The two people who are meeting for the first time here are Riese and May. So the two were now trying to build a relationship of trust through casual chit-chat, but it seems that May was nervous because she had just met Riese, the woman of her dreams. I see you and Net met on the boat. This is something of a coincidence, so Im looking forward to working with you today. Yes! Ive heard that the Kingsguard knights swordsmanship is first-rate. I have high hopes for you. Yes! Is there anything else you would like to ask me,May? Yes!. Ah!!!? Thats the part where she shouldnt answer immediately. May also seemed to realise immediately, and the blood quickly drained from her face. She then looked as if she was about to cry. It was probably a mistake to bring her. Im going to register with the guild for now. At this rate, the tension in May is not going to be released anytime soon, so I should start acting on the request as soon as possible. To do that I have to register with the guild first. Ned. I know its a bit late for this, but if an adventurer has just registered, hes an E-level, right?You cant take on big requests in that state, can you? Riese looks at me as I get up from my chair. I know. So for now, Im going to do my usual routine and get promoted to grade D straight away. Having said this, I headed for the counter where the receptionist stood. Welcome. How may I help you? I want to register as an adventurer. Very well. Please fill in this form first. Do you need anything else? No need. The receptionist gives me a registration form and I fill it in with a quill pen on the counter. After filling in my name, age and gender, the form contained the following sections. - Existence Power Level Blessings Special Armament Other - As a registered member of several national adventurers guilds, I was familiar with them. Basically, these four items are indicators of an adventurers ability. Existence Power is a numerical value that represents overall strength, which is raised by defeating monsters. The higher this value, the stronger the person is physically and mentally. However, the ease with which existence power can be raised varies greatly from person to person. The average value for ordinary people is 1, while the average for those who are called heroes is roughly 6. 7 is a legend, and there are no more than ten of them in the world. BlessingsIf you have powers from a special entity other than yourself, enter them in this section. For example, the knight (who is now a hero) who adventured with me in Stardust Light had the blessing of the Almighty God in his body. Special armamentsLiterally, fill in this section if you have special weapons or armour. Riese should have filled in this section. The sword she carries is imbued with special powers. Other . If there are any other characteristics that appeal to you as an adventurer that do not fall into the above three categories, enter them here. If you can use magic, it is standard practice to write wizard here. Magic is a skill that can only be used by those who have studied a special discipline, so there is no dedicated section for it. I filled in this form as follows. - Existence Power Level 1 BlessingsNone. Special Armament Depends on the occasion. OtherConfident in his connections. - Here you go. Thank you,..confident in your connections? Yeah I always get a tilt of the head with this description. I want to be promoted to grade D and Ill prove it right away. The requirement for moving up to D level is to complete ten requests, right? Yes. Same as the guilds in the Kingdom of Intail. Then I can probably move up to D level right away, as planned. Id like to take on a request as soon as possible. May I ask you to introduce me to a search request? Please wait a moment. The receptionist was very efficient in preparing the documents. As the clients of people-hunting requests are often individuals, the rewards are often inadequate or the request is cancelled due to a mistake. For this reason, the requests themselves are often unpopular and left unfulfilled C so-called salted. Guild officials would probably like to digest the requests as soon as possible. From the looks of it, there are about 30 request forms. They must be sharing information with guilds in other branches. Not only the residents of the Royal Capital, but also missing persons from neighbouring villages and towns were requested to be searched. Thank you. Ill get to the bottom of this soon. Yes? I took a quick look at each request and took out the communication stone in my pouch. Lenovan?Its been a long time. Yeah, its me, Ned. Sorry to come out of the blue, but did you see a couple of guys in the village youre in last week?.. Give me some details about those two. I make a note of the information on the paper in my hand. Saika, its been a year. I forgot to tell you, congratulations on winning the gladiatorial competition half a month ago. I just wanted to ask you, was there a red-haired girl who was doing menial work at that venue? Taking notes again. Long time no see, Duke of Ruin Eh?Do you already know what I want?Thats right. The quintessential clairvoyant Lord Ruin. Thank you for the information. Yes?Are you responsible for ruining your daughters marriage proposal?Ha ha, I didnt break that one, Lloyd did it on his own. See you later. Notes. Sharyn?Sorry, that was sudden. Actually, theres someone I want you to look for in the woods over there. I think hes in an intricate area, so I need you to lend me your animal eyes. Okay. Ill go with you as much as you want, even if its just to groom them. Notes. Long time no see, Eddie. I need to ask you for a favour Notes. Elaine. I need to ask you a few questions Notes. Alec. Im just Laurie. I want to ask you Zeth Eufa Narc Notes. Take notes. Take notes. Take notes. Take notes. Take notes. Take notes. Take notes. Take notes. Take notes. Take notes. Take notes. Take notes C take notes. something like this. Before long, eight correspondence stones and a large quantity of notepaper were cluttered on the table. I organise the notepads properly and hand them to the receptionist. Ive completed all the requests Ive received. Here is a summary of the subjects whereabouts, contact details, safety, with a note. H-ha, yes. , please wait a moment! The receptionist heads for the back room in a panic. After a while, other receptionists who were in the vicinity also entered the back room, perhaps because they were understaffed. Gradually, noisy voices can be heard coming from the room. The sound of flapping and busy footsteps kept echoing. About ten minutes had passed. The receptionist came in front of me again. Yes, I have confirmed the fulfilment of your request. Here is your reward and your.adventurer card. A bag full of notes and coins was placed on the counter with a thud. The receptionist then looks at me as if she still cant believe what she sees and gently hands me my card. The card stated that I was a Grade D adventurer. After promotion to grade D. I went to the two female knights waiting for me at the table. Sorry to keep you waiting. Ill take your request then. No, no, wait. Wait a minute. Didnt you just do a lot of quest? May asks, puzzled. Riese is not surprised, having seen this scene once. For some reason, she was proud as she drank her tea. Im just involved with a lot of people while May hones her sword skills. I dont think its that great. I-is that so? No, Im pretty sure thats not true. For a moment, May seemed convinced, but her doubts were soon rekindled. As always, you have low self-esteem. Riese, who was listening to the conversation, tells me with a sigh. Ive adventured all over the world as a member of the White Dragon Chivalric Order, and youre the only one who can pull off a trick like that, Ned. Thats what they tell me..After all, Im only borrowing someone elses help. At least I dont help everyone, though. Riese tells me shortly. I dont intend to have such low self-esteem. I have a good memory for the results Ive achieved. But Im talking about the fact that not all of them were achieved by myself, but by someone else. I will not be haughty about it. If I act as if someone elses achievements are my own C that will surely be the end of the line. Hey, Ned. One thing Ive been wondering, if you can make so much money, you dont need us to help you with your requests right? May questioned. We dont always get requests for people-hunting stuff. Unlike monsters, theyre easier to counteract and we cant rely on them all the time. There are inevitably limits to what can be done to combat monsters. However, it is easy to take countermeasures against disappearances and lost persons, for example, by warning people around them and putting up signs on the roads where they are likely to get lost. As long as the lords are decent, the more requests that come in, the more measures should gradually be put in place. This would naturally lead to a decrease in the number of requests. Anyway, people like me should earn when they can. Now is the time to earn it, with Riese and May, two reliable collaborators. Now lets discuss which requests to take on. The three of us look at the noticeboard set up in the guild. A large number of requests were posted on the notice board. The ones were going to take on this time are the relatively well-paid defeat type amongst the numerous requests. I was thinking that the two of us, me and Riese , could take on the regular wyverns Saying this, I point to the request form posted on the notice board. With the addition ofMay , there are now three of us, and we will take on the task of defeating these three Red Wyverns. Red Wyvern!? May exclaimed in surprise. Red Wyverns are a higher species of wyvern. The conditions for receiving a request are therefore also [three or more people and an average rank of B or higher]. Riese is an S-level adventurer, so she should be able to take it. But that wont be long, sowell also take on the ten ogres over here. Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute!Ned!Come here! Meir grabbed me by the neck and moved me towards the corner of the guild. OOuu, Youre killing me! I told May in a desperate swashbuckling voice. I dont care if its Lady Riese, Im just a Kingsguard knight! I dont intend to lose to any knights, but I just cant if itsRed Wyvern!That a monster can be selected by few, even A-level adventurers, can be defeated! Well, yes, but And an ogre, not one, but ten!Impossible!Im going to die! May said, with tears in the corners of her eyes. She must have been mentally exhausted when she was in the same room with Riese . There was no sign of the usual coolness in May now. Also, if I became a deadweight, in the unlikely event that I will fail the quest with it. Ill tarnish Lady Rieses perfect career..! ..I didnt know you were thinking of that. Its too hard to be true. Not that Riese is perfect, either. Wheres the imperfection?! Seeing it with my own eyes, Im thinking more and more that Lady Riese is perfect! That beautiful demeanour for an S-class adventurer!The noble aura emanating from her entire body! Presence! Oh, I really admirefrom the bottom of my heart! May says with an ecstatic expression. Apparently, for May, Riese is really a heavenly person. But from my point of view, who knows Riese well. where you cant see it, shes far from perfect. I mutter in a low volume that May cannot hear. At the very least, I knew one fatal flaw of Rieses. But I hesitate to tell May about it. I feel a little sorry to destroy the beautiful illusion of Riese in Mays mind. Even if you are a liability, I dont think wed have a problem with Rieses abilities. Well, Im sorry about that. I feel like Im relying on you all the time. If she says its okay, then its okay, alright? Then I look at Riese. Riese, who had been listening to our conversation in silence, nodded firmly. I dont mind at all. Okay, then its decided. Thus began our adventure. The Red Wyvern was to be transported by horse-drawn carriage to the location where it was sighted. Around the time the vehicle enters the forest near the Royal Capital, the road surface becomes rougher and the vehicle body shakes more often. As the vision shakes with clangs and thumps, May, sitting opposite me, keeps lowering her gaze with a hard expression on her face. May. Why dont you calm down for a minute? T-theres no way I can calm down May takes one look at Riese, who is sitting next to me. She must have admired Riese a lot. Meirs nervousness was tremendous. Im going to take a little air from outside! The coach door opens as if to escape, and May steps out, as if she has reached the limit of her nervousness. The first time I saw her, that was running somewhere, and me and Riese watched her from the window. Mail is sure energetic. I hope it doesnt spin out of control. Rather than being over the top, May seem half nervous and half excited. By the way, Ive always wanted to ask you, what brought you to the Kingdom of Enuvidia? Come to think of it, I hadnt explained it yet. Ill give you the short version I told her, as briefly as I could, what had happened so far. However, Riese and I had known each other for a long time and had exchanged communications several times, so there was not much new information. The only thing I had to tell her was what His Majesty had told me at the Royal Castle. I see. So you were kicked out of the heros party. When I explained everything, Riese gave me a sympathetic look. . must have been a complicated time for you. Its not that complicated You dont have to put up with it. I know your past. It weakens me when people say that. Riese and I have never formally gone on adventures in the same party. But the time we met was a long time ago. So she knows my situation to some extent. Fumu, is this finally my turn? .. hmm? Riese, sitting next to me, quickly moved her body closer to mine. Our thighs touch each other. I heard the sound of armour clicking and rubbing against each others. Because Riese is tall, her shoulders are at the same height as my eyes. I had a bad feeling. Ned, if youre in the mood for some pampering, Ill lend you my breasts as much as you want. She whispered softly in my ear. A chill ran down my spine. Dont. Dont hold back. Im removing the breastplate now, just give me a minute. Seriously, stop. Fufu, youre still as shy as everCome on, Ive taken it off. Jump in anytime. Ill give you some warmth and I told you to stop. Ouch. Riese removed her breastplate at an unusual speed and slammed my hand sword into Rieses head, who was ready to hold on to it. Riese looks disappointed. Youre a dull man, and youre causing my needs to build up. I dont know. I run my hand over my forehead. Ive told you many times, you need to fix that pampering personality of yours as soon as possible. Its not nice for those of us who get involved. Even I have said many times that its an impossible proposition. Its my natural disposition, or shoul I say, proclivity. Riese put one hand in front of her chest, smiled proudly. What other woman could so confidently reveal her proclivities? I let out a deep sigh. Riese Von Aldiana has strong maternal instincts. Specifically, she has a strong desire to pamper younger men. This is a fact known only to some people close to Riese. Riese is now 21 and I am 18. Although there is only a three-year age difference between us, it seems that I am enough of an object of sexual desire for Riese. Whats scary is that..Riese will try to fulfil her needs in an unobtrusive way. With her usual expression and her usual tone of voice, she searches for an outlet for her needs. Why are all these weirdos around me ? The answer is simple. Birds of the same feather flock together. If that logic holds true, then Riese and I are the same kind of people. Give me a break. Your fellow members of the White Dragon Chivalric Ordermust be annoyed by your proclivities, arent they? No, they dont. I keep it hidden in front of outsiders. And they say, [Well, its fine if its on Ned.] Why am I the target? They have my back too, which is why Ive decided not to hold back against Ned. . I need to rethink my relationship with the White Dragon Chivalric Order once and for all. If the leader is the leader, then the members of the group are the members of the group. Should I distance myself from that party a little? Its the end of the world when a woman like this is the object of admiration for the knights. I dont care what people think of me. I am me. So if youre heartbroken, take it easy on me. Shall I pat you on the head?Or would you prefer a lap pillow?Im carrying ear buds just in case this happens. I dont need either of them, and Im ditching those ear buds. I flicked away Rieses approaching hand. Please, I beg you, please control yourself. For now, just get your breastplate back on. Its a pain in the eye. Yare,YareI went out of my way to remove it for you. Youre a troublesome man. Its in your head that you cant help it. With the breastplate removed, Rieses upper half of her body was in a single piece of underwear, thinner than a swimming costume, clearly revealing her voluptuous body. Suddenly I feel tired. My head felt heavy. I let out another sigh, and then Im back. I looked around, but I still cant seem to find the monster May, who had been outside, returns to the carriage. Instantly, Mays eyes widened. Inside the narrow carriage. Me and Riese are so close together that our skin is touching. And Rieses appearance is not something that can be shown to others. Y-yo-youuuuu! What the hell are you doing to Lady Riese? Its the other way round I cant help but hold my head up. I was the one who was going to be the subject of such things. I spent enough time stopping the carriage and going to the trouble of clearing up a misunderstanding. The battle with the Red Wyvern has begun. Both wyverns and dragons have horned heads, large wings and long tails, but their properties differ only in their similar shapes. The wyverns body is one size smaller than that of the dragon, and unlike the dragon, it is not protected by tough scales, so it is a monster that can be defeated if we can find a chance to win if we strike it. Unlike dragons, wyverns do not have reason, and their movements are linear, like those of beasts. In other words, it is easy to anticipate. Seeing the three Red Wyverns screaming in the sky in front of her, May readied her sword. May, are you getting the hang of it? Aa. As Ned said, the moment they come down is the moment to attack. Red wyverns are belligerent but have no way of attacking enemies at a distance. Therefore, the wyverns always go down to the ground once to attack us. May, they are coming. Yes! May, who was in the lead, was targeted by the Red Wyvern. A giant wyvern looms from the sky. At first, May was frightened, but she finally became accustomed to its speed and this time she avoided the wyverns claws with minimal movement. Let me! She slashes at the Red Wyverns torso. The wyvern screamed and ran away into the sky. However, the wounds seem to have been deep and he soon crashed. Well have to check on it later, but from the looks of it, were sure well be able to defeat it. By the way, Ned While watching the battle, May unexpectedly approached him. You, what is your relationship with Lady Riese? It was a question that had been asked many times already. Letting out a sigh, I say. Do you still care? Of course I care!You let Lady Riese dress like that in such a small, closed room.!And when I looked closer, I could see that Riese didnt look too happy about it either. ! She is a sharper observer than I thought but for the wrong reason. But I much prefer that she used it for combat. Here comes the second Red Wyvern. Oi, stop trying to derai Uwa its really here! I had hoped that working together with Riese would raise her aspirations as a knight, but if this is the case, will it have the opposite effect? Kuhthis!!! May quickly held her sword vertically. She placed her palm on the blade and caught the oncoming Red Wyverns claws. Immediately afterwards, she deflected the impact at an angle. The Red Wyverns claws slide down the blade. Nice! Aaa, you !You really dont do anything, do you ! You can do it, but youre dragging your feet. Damn!!!Hold still!!! May said with a blue streak on her forehead. Although May had said many times in the guild that it was [impossible] and she would [die], when it came to fighting, she was quite a good fighter. It is not so easy to defeat her, the Red Wyvern is also unable to give May a decisive blow. As a knight in her own right, May seems to be good at defending herself. Shes got a good skill, as she was brought here by Ned. Riese, who was standing next to me before I knew it, says, looking at Mays fight. Its completely coincidental. Shes definitely promising, because she blocked a blow from the.. Kraken with just a sword. And with that, she still has an existence power of three people. That was three? Instantly, shes exerting the equivalent of existence force 4 Hmm, she looks like he could turn into a monster if she trained well. Riese observes the fighting May with a serious look on her face. The way she looked at her, I guessed what she was thinking. I dont mind if youre just trying to build a friendship, but dont be a scout. Mey is a favourite of Her Royal Highness Princess..Rushia. I understand. As always, youre a good mind reader. There are some people in the world with whom you cannot have a conversation otherwise. Well, Ill have a fight around here too. Riese draws her sword from its sheath. The sword, drawn with a shrieking sound, was imbued with a pale light. May, lets change. Ha, yes! May distances herself from the wyvern. Fortunately, the wyverns seemed to be wary of our forces and did not attack those two at once. Here I go Riese runs. A moment later, a slash of light sliced through the Red Wyverns giant body. That is Rieses special armoury C the Sword of Glorious Light and Great Radiance. This sword was created using materials from the monster known as the White Dragon, which is also the symbol of the adventurers party, the White Dragon Chivalric Order. The sword, forged using the scales and fangs of the White Dragon, which governs light, is said to cut through all matter in a single, blinding flash. Thats Riese-samas battle , how divine ! May is slightly over excited and glued onto Riese. The flashes of light that gushed out were multi-layered, and a flower of light bloomed and spilled out onto the battlefield in front of her. Riese, at the centre of the scene, is bathed in multiple flashes of light and wields her sword gracefully, as if she were a stage actress. Rieses existence powerlevel is 6 and her physical strength is such that she can create craters in the ground with just a footstep and snap large trees with just her fists. The Sword of Elegance and the physical strength of existence 6. The combination of these two is a tremendous offensive force. But then Ned!Look out!!! I heard May shout. I looked and saw a third Red Wyvern in the sky, aiming at me and rushing forward. It was a huge trobule. If I were to be hit by that rush in the flesh, there would be no way I could survive. May was shouting but on the other hand, Riese was in no hurry at all, as if she trusted me. Riese stares at me silently. Do you want me to prevent it? Unnecessary. Just a glance is all that is needed to complete the exchange. Riese had probably anticipated my response and was easily convinced. Now, which one shall I use? I put my hand into the pouch and select the tool I want to take out. But before I could take out the tool, I felt a strange sensation. Hmm? My whole body glows faintly. Strange. I shouldnt have done anything, but the light gradually became stronger and stronger Ah! With a high kiing sound, the light propagated around them. The wyvern that rushed forward was bounced by the wall of light that suddenly appeared and died in front of me. The Red Wyvern that had lunged at me was dead, perhaps because it was badly hit. Riese cuts the one remaining wyvern in two and walks towards me immediately. The light you just saw is magic..Self-defence Garment Rula Shield that protects the target from enemy attacks. It is also a very high-level art. When did you prepare it? Riese asks me. But I reminded her of recent events, but I dont remember preparing anything. With an involuntary pause, I replied. Again, someone else took the liberty of putting it on. Its probably Liz though, judging by the sensation. This sort of thing happens so often that when I registered with the guild, I wrote it depends in the special armaments section. Very unwillingly, I often have strange magic cast on me or strange equipment that I dont even know I have. Isnt Liz an active wizard in the heroes party? That girl can activate up to four hundred spells in parallel, and sometimes shell maintain a spell she cast on himself a long time ago that shes forgotten about. But I can assure you that I have a good memory for any magic that has been cast on me. This [self-defence robe] was cast without permission. Im not complaining because it helped, but I do wish she would at least say a few words before. Im telling them to stop because its bad for my heart. For some reason, people just wont stop doing this. Every wizard, every time I see them, they cast spells on my body without my permission, and they want to overwrite the spells cast on my body with their own magic. ..thats called marking . What did you say, Riese? No, its nothing. The less I know about Ned the better. I think she mumbled something as shook her head. Anyway, youve now accomplished the first request. Lets get the rest of the ogre and be done today. After all requests have been fulfilled. I returned to the Adventurers Guild. I want to say thank you to both of you. Im going to report back on the completion of the requests, so you two can wait here. I went to the counter to deliver the items that would serve as evidence of the request, as I was accustomed to doing. I took the claws of three Red Wyverns and the horns of ten Ogres from their respective pouches. May and Riese, seated at the table, watched Neds fumbling about. Lady Riese . Thank you for working with us today. It was a great learning experience. May bowed deeply to Riese, who sat opposite her. Riese then smiles. By the looks of it, you seem to have relaxed some of your nerves. So sorry. Im finally getting used to it. When they first met, May was unusually nervous. May felt embarrassed when she remembered it. Um, Lady Riese. If its difficult for you to answer, you dont have to answer.. After Mays nerves eased as she completed the request, May asked Riese what had been bothering her for some time. why would someone of your stature be cooperating with Ned? I have always wondered. Riese is one of the most famous adventurers in the country and must be very busy at all times. Despite this, Riese went out of her way to make time for Ned and cooperated with the request. She didnt show any displeasure but, on the contrary, she was full of motivation. Because I owe him more than I can ever repay. In a clear voice, Riese told May. What is it that Riese, the leader of the White Dragon Chivalric Order, that she cant repay him? Apart from Mays deepening doubts, Riese does not explain anything further. Instead, she tells her something else. Even without past indebtedness, Ned is a man you want to push higher His motto [Using other peoples power] is easier said than done. Somewhat proudly, Riese told May. Ned has had its share of extraordinary struggles and setbacks, and as a result he chose to live that way.. I cooperate with that way of life because I respect it from the bottom of my heart. Respect, is it? May realised that Riese has the same feelings towards Ned that she has towards Riese. To be honest, it was C May couldnt imagine that. It is true that Ned has its own strength and she already has a certain respect for it. However, it is difficult to say whether she respects him as much as he respects Rushia. After all, Neds power is only using other peoples power, no matter how far he pushes it. It may be possible to appreciate it as a rarity, but when it comes to respecting it from the bottom of ones heart, as Riese says, it is unlikely to be possible at the moment. Youll find out sooner or later, May. How proud you would be to wield a sword for that man. Riese looks at May with eyes that seem to see through her mind. A few dozen seconds later, Ned returns from the counter. Sorry, Ive kept you waiting. Ive got your reward. T-thats a lot of money. That way we wont have to worry about splitting it up. Defeat of three Red Wyverns and ten Ogres. When May and Rushia saw the reward money for each, they had their own reactions. Unlike May, who is genuinely surprised, Riese is already thinking about splitting the money. For Riese, the leader of the White Dragon Knights, this level of reward is probably not a big deal. My share should be ten percent. Eh? Hearing my words, May was surprised. Im not going to be so thick-skinned as to suggest a three-way split here. During the battle, I was just standing behind, doing nothing. There were a few irregularities caused by the self-defence robe, but I dont think you can call those my achievements. No, I want the rewards to be in the same proportion. Riese says with a serious expression. But I wasnt about to give in so easily, either. Riese. You should only get what you deserve for your work. Right. Then Ill deposit the larger amount in the guild, addressed to you at a later date. Ill spend the money I get however I want to. Oi. If she is going to go to that length, there is no way for me to resist. May looked at me with surprised eyes when I couldnt say anything back. Even Ned can be talked down to by someone Fufu. Its not like Ive been with Ned for very long. Riese said proudly. Then she turned a little more serious and looked at me. Ned has been a great help to us on a regular basis, providing us with information, negotiations and consultations. We just want to repay that debttake this as the consensus of the White Dragon Chivalric Order. Understood. Then Ill split it equally with Riese. I let out a sigh and nodded. Then May, who was sitting next to Riese, also opened her mouth. Ill split it equally. Originally, the purpose of today was to help Ned, and as far as rewards are concerned, Its too much. Besides, if I get paid more here, Princess Rushia will be angry. There is no way to get around this when May brought up Her Royal Highness the Princess Rushia . As my lips are drawn back in a tight line, May smiles a little triumphantly. She seems happy to have beaten me to the punch. .. then, well divide it into three equal parts. Its not that I dont want a reward either. If they say I can have it, Ill have it. Rushia , it feels so good to talk against Ned. I know what you mean Well, Im sure he will just donate the larger amount to somewhere else anyway. Eh? May rolls her eyes. Riese , with a knowing look, launches a question at me. Hows the four orphanages run by Ned now? Five. The number has increased again recently. This time Im donating there.! You also had the mercenary soldiers group, didnt you?What happened to that one?I havent heard anything about it recently. They went to the Republic in the east. For convenience, theyve changed their name to the Order of the Knights, so Riese just doesnt realise it, but theyre still reasonably prominent. Mays eyes widened when I and Riese conversed like that. Oi,oi doesnt that mean Ned actually has tremendous power? Just being facetious. (Tl: I dont think its the right word but I could not think any, so heres the raw: ڤ) I reflexively told May my customary response, because thats what people say to me sometimes. But Riese immediately drowns out my words. I think its about time you understood, May, that you shouldnt take what the internet says at times like this seriously. Riese might not be on my side, she might be my enemy. The statement was so unintentional that I couldnt help but think. At that moment, I felt a tremor from inside my pouch. I open the pouch, which makes a small clattering sound, and one of the communication stones reports an incoming call. .. Princess? The surface of the stone was marked Iris Intail. Sorry, Ive got a bit of a comms call, Ill have to go outside for a moment. Whos on the other end? Princess of the Kingdom of Intail. I got up from my chair, answering Rushias question. I think its strange when you can casually communicate with the princess of ..one country. Welcome to this side of the world, May. Youll never be bored with that man. But be careful because if youre not careful, he can twist your common sense. I heard some harsh words behind my back that I couldnt quite accept, but I decided to ignore them because it will bring trouble taking them seriously. Out on the comms. Ned-sama! A familiar bright voice sounded from across the communication stone. Long time no see. Yes!Its been a long time! The princess of the Kingdom of Intail is apparently full of energy today. If she had a dogs tail, she would be swinging wildly right now. Is it okay if she communicates with me? Isnt His Majesty stopping you in any way? Its all right!Im communicating with you properly and away from your fathers surveillance!This level of adversity will not tear me and Ned-sama apart! Thats great. She has the bravery not to do as His Majesty says and the brains to avoid unnecessary conflict. She has a reputation as a noble woman, so much so that many people are afraid to speak to her, but if you take her royal abilities and position out of the equation, she is just a bright, talkative girl of her age. However, she is usually busy with her official duties. The fact that she has communicated in this way suggests that she may be on urgent business. Whats going on? There have been some changes in the Kingdom of Intail since Ned-sama has departed, so I thought Id let you know just in case. Thats helpful. I know about the movements of the heroic parties from the newspapers and so on, so you can skip that. I understand. It wasnt an urgent matter, but it was information I knew I would have to ask sooner or later. I have known the princess for a long time. She must have read my thoughts. First of all, I would like to talk about the personnel changes at the castle. Treasurer Joaldahl has left the castle. It seems that my father and the Prime Minister had a disagreement when they decided to use taxpayers money to pay for the damages caused by the brave party. Right. If thetreasurer really leaves the country, tell him to contact me. I should at least be able to refer him to his next job. I knew you would say that, Ned-sama, so I have already given him the communication stone. Quite a deft hand. I know everything there is to know about Master Net! Former Treasurer Joaldahl is not only highly competent, but also a good man with a good personality and is well-liked. From a financial point of view, there is no harm in making a favour out of him, and even without calculation, he is a person whom I genuinely want to help. Next, there have been some developments in the military The Princess continues to explain. I took out my notebook,to note any necessary information. The Cardinals position has changed and it may affect the orphanage we run. Indeed, it might. The conversation went on to the orphanage I run. It reminded me of the children who run free in the small orphanageidyllic village in the countryside of the Kingdom of Intail. My bad. I always leave you in charge of the orphanage. No!Originally, that orphanage was run by me and Ned-sama, and its a nice break for me to play with the orphanage children. .. I appreciate you saying so. The children have been asking to see Ned-sama too. I have about five orphanages, but I rarely turn up. I just check on them regularly through correspondence, like this time, and send them the necessary funds. I was feeling close to resignation, thinking that the children must think of me as a very cold man, but according to the princess, that is not the case. But it may just be a comforting thought. But it sounds like a lot has happened since then. Yes. Truly, since Master Net left the country, things have been very noisy It seemed as if the Princesss words had been cut off abruptly. Oh Right!!Ned-sama!!Why are you in the Kingdom of Enuvidia?I never heard that you were leaving the country! Iris suddenly raised her voice and I moved the communication stone a little further away from my ear. I thought she knew everything about me.Refrain from the rush that is.. AaCaaa..my bad. But I felt like if I told you, youd stop me. Of course!Ned-sama rarely comes home!At the very least, I would have liked to talk to you a bit more! If we want to talk, we are talking right now. I wanted to talk to you face to face! Im sorry about that. But if I missed the timing, His Majesty was likely to take notice of me, so I had no choice but to do it this one time. By now, His Majesty is probably worrying about what the hero party is up to. I had a hard time dealing with them myself, so its not that I dont feel sympathy for him, but he deserved what he got, so Ill leave them alone. On a different note, is Emma the diplomat over there? Is Emma here?.. No, she havent returned from the country she was sent to yet, what happened? No, its not like that, but that diplomat is familiar with my activities in other countries because shes been going around to other countries. Shes usually very tight-lipped, but given the circumstances, I thought maybe she might have something to say to His Majesty. Do you want me to keep quiet? No, Dont. Im sure His Majesty and the Prime Minister will search me sooner or later. I shall consider this is the right time. Im no longer in the Kingdom of Intail anyway. If they know something, it wont affect my own life that much. Speaking of which, one thing about father has been bothering me. The Princess said as if she remembered. Earlier, the Prime Minister was investigating the Kingdom of Enuvidia on fathers instructions. Perhaps he is planning something. Are they plotting something? I raised my eyebrows at those words, which I found disturbing. A few hours earlier, at the Royal Castle in the Kingdom of Intail. The Prime Minister rushed into the Kings office in a state of panic. Your Majesty!Report! I dont want to hear it! The heroes have destroyed the town again! Aaaaahhhh!!! The king exclaimed, abandoning his dignity. He fell from his luxurious chair and held his head. While sympathising with the king, the Prime Minister continued his report. According to reports, the hero party engaged the Demon Kings men in the middle of the Edwin Mine. However, in the aftermath of the battle, a massive landslide occurred. Fortunately, the wizard Liz evacuated the inhabitants, so there were no casualties. They saved the inhabitants, but did not protect the town at all Why do they fight like that!Cant they be a bit more aware of their surroundings, those bastards! The king already knew that from the first report and put his hand to his forehead. Bring me the communication stone!Im going to talk to Julius! Julius is down with depression. The King stomped hard on the floor but it was Julius who had fallen down. Damn the damned !What are the others doing now! Pretty much the same as last time. The hero has disappeared somewhere again and the warrior has gone to challenge the legendary monsters that inhabit the mountain tops. The wizard is deep in his cave, absorbed in the development of new magic, and the monk is celebrating every day by raising the dead in the cemetery. Theyre having a lot of fun without even knowing the trouble they caused. Its true, they dont want to follow Juliuss instructions, do they? Yes. As always, they want Ned. The King frowned. One point must be acknowledged. The influence of Ned was stronger than he had imagined. Lets kill Ned and end this, once and for all. In a whisper, the king muttered in a small voice. There is no way a man like that, with no redeeming qualities, could control the hero party.is it brainwashing?, or is he blackmailing them by taking advantage of their weakness? In any case, if we are dragged along by that man forever, we should just erase his existence. That way, the hero members of the party will cool down a bit. But isnt that a bit extreme? Dont be a fool!After all, hes the one who assembled the original Hero Party!He is responsible for the actions of that party! Considering the damage that has been done, it is a mortal sin that he fully deserves the maximum penalty! The King shouted in a show of anger. And I didnt like that man before!Ill never forgive that brat who shamed my daughter.! (TL: I guess he has more than 1 daughter?) thats how you really feel. The Prime Minister lets out a small sigh. But how do we proceed to kill Ned? I was informed that Ned is already out of the country .. I believe hes in the Kingdom of Enuvidia now? They already knew where Ned was. The guards stationed in the port town had reported that he had boarded a ship bound for the Kingdom of Enuvidia. Then I have a good idea. because the Kingdom of Enubidia owes our country a great debt. I see. You intend to use that one. Tl: Since this is an LN, the next chapter, Ill use the diamonds. Those diamonds will straight into buying next vol. really hope you guys can buy the chapters. Volume 1 - CH 3 Poisonous Demon Dragons Translated by SoundDestiny Edited by SoundDestiny After leaving the Adventurers Guild with three equal rewards. Mm ? A transmission from Rushia-sama? Suddenly, May takes out a communication stone from her armour and holds it close to her ear. After a while, May finishes communicating and looks at me while putting the stone away. Ned, Rushia-sama wants you to come to the castle. She wants to ask you for a favour. A favour from me?okay, lets go there right away. I was going to book an inn now, but if Her Royal Highness has summoned me, that should be my priority. Besides, there are many inns in this town. Even if I make a detour, it is unlikely to be fully booked. I have to go and meet my party members after this. I have to say goodbye to you both here. As May and I were about to head for the castle, Riese stopped. I, too, think we should take a break today. Riese, thank you for your help today. If theres anything else I can do, please let me know. Riese-sama!Thank you for giving me a valuable experience today! May bowed deeply next to me as I thanked Riese lightly. Riese smiles softly at her and turns on her heel. Aaa.. really, it was a priceless experience today. I was quite nervous at first, I wondered how it was going to go. D-dont say that. I didnt think Id be that nervous. May says, blushing slightly. Together, May and I then walked to the royal castle where Princess Rushia was. The sun has already set and a chilly breeze caresses my cheeks. There are many bars in the vicinity of the Adventurers Guild, so noisy voices could be heard from everywhere. However, as we approach the castle, the atmosphere begins to quiet down. The royal castle seen in the daytime looked so bold and magnificent that it was no exaggeration to say that it was a symbol of authority. Ned, this way. I follow Mays lead and walk through the castle. Isnt this the same room as last time? Aa. Ive been asked to show you to the audience chamber. This a strange thing. The audience chamber is the place where royal authority is demonstrated to visitors. But Ive already witnessed the true nature of Rushia-sama during my last visit. There should be no point in showing authority now Excuse me. The majestic door opened and I entered the audience chamber with May. It was a large room. The floor was polished to reflect the light and there were no unnecessary ornaments around. The simplicity of the scene gave it a unique sense of power. A large window, a large staircase and a large chair. All emphasised the presence of royalty sitting at the back of the room. Armed knights stood silently on either side of the room. The atmosphere was suddenly tense. You have come. Rushia-sama, sitting on a luxurious chair, looked at me and said. This is the first time I saw her this stern, I felt a sense of discomfort before I even bowed. .Rushia-sama? She was different from the Rushia-sama with whom we had previously conversed throughout the night. She looked as if she was in dire straits, as if she was barely suppressing the pain in her chest. I heard that you visited the Adventurers Guild today, did you successfully register? Yes. Thanks to Mays guidance. Im glad to hear that. The short chit chat comes to an end. I had a bad feeling. To have a peaceful conversation like this before the main subject. The main subject must not be peaceful at all. Lets get down to business. I have a favour to ask of you. Rushia-sama spoked. Have you ever heard of a monster called the Poisonous Demon Dragon? Only what Ive heard of Then I will explain it to you just in case. Lucilla-sama began to tell her story. The poisonous dragon was born in the northern part of the Kingdom of Enuvidia and, as its name implies, it is a dragon that possesses deadly poison. It is also the only dragon that the people of the Kingdom of Enuvidia do not believe in. Another name for the Kingdom of Enuvidia is the country that is in bond with the dragon. The majority of the population considers dragons to be sacred. However, such people dare not believe in dragons. The Poison Demon Dragon is extremely ferocious and has been laying waste to our country since ancient times. The poisoned land is a source of all kinds of diseases and crops do not grow for a long time. The damage has been so great that countless deaths have already occurred. With a mysterious look on his face, Rushia continues. The damage caused by the Poisonous Demon Dragon soon spread not only to our country but also to other countries. They may not be as deadly as the Demon King, but the Poisonous Demon Dragon is also a monster recognised as a threat worldwide. Ive heard of them too, if only by name. Im sure most people have known about it. Even if not as well-known as the Demon King, it is rare to find a monster that is that well-known. I would like you to take on the task of defeating the Poisonous Demon Dragon. Ha..? The words were so unexpected that I involuntarily uttered a question. You can beat him, can you? Thats what Im told. Lucilla-samas mouth was full of implied statements. But for me it was a request that was too absurd, as I searched the words to reply, someone jumped in. Rushia-sama! May spoke up. Forgive me for interrupting. But the other party is the Poisonous Demon Dragonand no matter how hard Ned tries, its not something that can be handled by an individual!Have you forgotten that a year ago, despite forming an allied force with our neighbours, we were beaten back! Of course, I remember. Still, I hear that Ned can take it down. Princess Rushias attitude remains stubborn. A year ago,I was on another continent. I had heard that several major battles had taken place in this area, but I had not investigated them in detail until now. Apparently, one of them was the battle over this Poisonous Demon Dragon. Does it look like I can defeat the Poison Demon Dragon to you, Rushia-sama? I have heard information that.you can defeat it. And, who gave you this information? I cannot say. I cant tell you Princess Rushia said with her eyes downcast with the answer being dodged. .. sorry. Princess Rushia apologised in a hushed voice. I am aware that I am saying harsh things. ButI have my own reasons for not backing down Like a child holding back tears, Rushia-sama says in a trembling voice, clutching her skirt. Please. I beg you to slay the Poisonous Demon Dragon. If you refuse to accept the task, then I will detain you until you do so. Clenching her fists and shaking off the pangs of conscience, Rushia-sama stared at me with eyes moistened with tears. At the same time as her declaration, the knights standing on either side of the room put their hands on the hilts of their swords. If I dont agree with what Rushia-sama says here, she intends to restrain me immediately. W-wait! You guys! Whats the meaning of this!? May asks the knights, looking puzzled. The knights were wearing the same armour as May. In other words, they are Mays colleagues. That seems to be why May cannot understand the situation in front of her. May,well tell you whats going on later. So for now, you must cooperate with us and take that man into custody. No, you cant! We owe Ned! Give priority to Her Highnesss orders. Kingsguard knight May, what is your role? At these words, May shut her mouth. Kuh-u!!! Between her duty as a knight and human reason, May was torn between her duty as a knight and human reason. A single line of blood dripped from her lips as she bit down hard. Well. What should I do, I thought. May is unlikely to help. No, perhaps she would move if I asked for help, but in her current state of mind, she wouldnt be able to fight properly. I looked again at Princess Rushia, the source of this incident. If I look closely, her eyes are red and swollen. She must have been crying until just before.However, Princess Rushia, who had looked remorseful earlier, was now looking at me with eyes that held a strong will. Despite Mays dismay, Princess Rushia seems to have made up her mind. Princess Rushia. Unfortunately, I am one of the weaker adventurers. I cant slay a poisonous demon dragon. I have heard that you are a good talker. I see. I laugh. It was not going to persuade her, at least not on this occasion. But that doesnt mean I can defeat the Poisonous Demon Dragon now, which is, of course, impossible. I cannot agree to such a request. The knights nearby drew their swords at once. Its a quick decision. But Princess Rushia said she would restrain me. So I know, the knights have no intention of hurting me but their sword is a threat. Im going to have to take a step back. Saying this, I took out a small sphere from inside my pouch and smashed it on the floor. Instantly, the sphere cracks open and a large amount of white smoke shoots out from inside. What? A smoke screen? Dont let him get away! Make sure he doesnt escape! Before the knights could surround me, I opened a nearby window and jumped out. I took a grappling hook from my pouch and threw it at the ramparts directly in front of me. I made sure that the hook at the end caught a hollow in the wall, and landed on a distant scaffold while grabbing the rope. W-what an escape for your life, , youre already surrounded..! Shit! Chase him! The bustle of knights can be heard in the distance. Im confident in my running skill. I would almost certainly be defeated if I had to fight alone. So I always have several ways to escape from this kind of situation. However, I couldnt master escape techniques, so I decided to use my connections. I take out a communication stone from my pouch and contact someone I can rely on. Riese, I have an emergency. Please help me. Understood Riese briefly expressed his cooperation. Thanks. In times like this, you really are a reliable partner. Where are you? Just outside the back door of the royal castle. Im heading towards the guild. As I passed through a narrow alleyway, I heard a knight shout from behind me, [There he is!] came a knights shout. This is no time to worry about being seen. I went out onto the main street and ran straight through the streets lined with many stalls. Passers-by were astonished to see me. The composition is not good. Im being chased by a knight, like a criminal on the run. Im afraid that a righteous citizen might jump out at any moment. Anyway, I have to get out of this situation as soon as possible. Ned. Is the enemy an entity that can be defeated? I was a little troubled by that question, which I heard from the communication stone. The opponents are the knights of the Kingdom of Enuvidia. however, the White Dragon Chivalric Orderare an adventurer party based in this country. It would only be a loss for both sides if the kingdom and the White Dragon Chivalric Order were to become enemies. .keep it under control. And leave as little evidence as possible that Riese did it. Understood. It seems like a sticky situation. Thank you for understanding so quickly. I agree with Riese. This case is really fishy. The attitude of Princess Rushia is also worrying, and the fact that it happened at this time is also worrying. Seven seconds later, bow your head. I heard Rieses voice. I put the comms stone back in the pouch and stopped. o,o-kay.., we managed to catch up with you..! Dont resist, ! Stay put, stay still ! The two knights approach. They must have run all the way here. I feel a little sorry for them, with sweat dripping from their chins and breathing on their shoulders C but Youd better grit your teeth. Ha? A moment after the knights tilted their heads, a flashlight slashes flashed behind them. The two knights, blown away with great force, pass right over me as I bow my head, and finally crash into the wall, motionless. Thank God. Its no trouble. I thanked Riese, who was coming leisurely from in front of me. Ned, are you sure youre not in trouble? Aaa. Were you scared? Did you miss me? Im not scared nor lonely. Oi, dont casually pat my head. Its all right. I missed you, by the way. I dont know, I would say,but as a person who has been helped, I would like to reward her somewhat. I decided to stop resisting and let her pat my head for a while. The beautiful blonde hair grazes the tip of my nose and tickles me. When I breathed in, I could smell the faintest hint of sweet perfume. Rieses movements, which had been gently stroking my head, gradually became more intense. Eventually, Riese sniffs and looks excited C and then No, I cant take it anymore. Let me just hold you a little longer. Dont. You once said that and you didnt let go of me all day. I pushed her shoulders and Riese looked disappointed. Butwerent those guys who were chasing Ned earlier the knights of this country? What happened to them? I dont know either, The first thing I did was to tell Riese what Princess Rushia talked about. However, Riese does not seem to have any idea of Princess Rushias leopard-change attitude, and she looks at me strangely. Youre still a troublemaker. .. dont make it sound like its my fault. Im certainly aware that Im a troublemaker, but that cant be helped as I come into contact with all sorts of people. I am used to trouble. However, this time there are many unexplained points and it is impossible to move without being careless. To ask a single Ned to take down a poisonous demon dragon is not an ordinary thought by any stretch of the imagination. There must be a reason for this. ..I agree. I nod my head in agreement to Rieses words. During the brief conversation, it seems that Princess Rushia doesnt believe that I can defeat the Poison Demon Dragon. Hm. Despite that, she forced you to slay the Poisonous Demon Dragon? Yes. In other words..her real purpose is something else. If the goal is to defeat a poisonous demon dragon, it should be left to someone more trustworthy than me. That is exactly what the White Dragon Chivalric Order, the proud adventurer party of the Kingdom of Enuvidia, should be doing. However, Princess Rushia did not do so. The objectiveis to put me up against the Poison Demon Dragon. Me and the Poison Demon Dragon fighting. Perhaps that is the objective in itself. I dont understand. Why would Princess Rushia do such a thing to you? I dont know. If we can figure that out, we might find some possibilities for persuasion Did you do something wrong?You didnt force her into skinship, did you? Dont put me the same you I would never do that. The other party is royalty. I was having a nice conversation and I was trying to be considerate on top of that. Cool your head Ned. Why does Princess Rushia want me to fight the Poison Demon Dragon? Or, better still C agree to defeat the Poisonous Demon Dragon. Riese . If we mobilise the entire White Dragon Chivalric Order, can we defeat the poisonous dragon? Impossible. The answer is immediate. We are good at physical attacks, but poison dragons are a bad match for us. Its an impregnable fortress, and even approaching it youll be hit by a deadly poison. You speak as if youve fought one before. Yes, I have. In fact, I fought there a year ago. Riese goes on to explain. A coalition army was formed from volunteers from neighbouring countries to defeat the Poisonous Demon Dragon. The White Dragon Chivalric Order also took part in that battle. Just like May said. They formed a coalition army and took on the Poisonous Demon Dragon, but were beaten back. Riese seems to have taken part in that battle. We were very close, but we received more damage than we expected, so we had to retreat.That was quite a hell. Hallucinations, auditory hallucinations, paralysis and excruciating pain. Some had sores on their skin, others vomited blood endlessly. Some were left with permanent injuries. I realised thatpoisoning is such a terrible thing. I wouldnt want to experience that for the rest of my life if I could. The description is graphic. These are the words of someone who has really witnessed the scene. I dont think I could stand it. Whatever it is, first I want to know what Princess Rushias intentions are. The quickest way to do that is to talk to her directly, but..now that this has happened, its difficult to go and see her, so what should I do I organise my thoughts out loud. At that moment, Riese opened her mouth as if she had thought of something. Ned. Ive got an odd idea..or rather I remembered Riese tells me. Meet our collaborators. collaborator? Actually, theres someone in that castle that you once savedHe once came all the way to theWhite Dragon Chivalric Order to thank you for saving him. that happened? Someone I saved in the past. I cant remember who the other person is from that information alone, but its deeply moving to know that my past actions are helping me now. If he is in the castle, he might be able to help me meet with Princess Rushia. This is a proposal I should get on board with. Alright, introduce me. Understood On the way to the castle again, Riese was talking to her collaborators on the communication stone. I asked her to give me a rundown of when and where we would meet up, what the security situation was in the castle, and so on. Eventually, Riese put the communication stone inside her armour and looked at me. The arrangements have been made. The rendezvous point is in the kitchen of the castles main dining hall. It can be reached quickly by using the servants entrance. I understand. Just dont go in there carelessly or well definitely get caught Riese smiled wryly, as if she had guessed what I was trying to say. I guess thats where I come in. ..Aaa. Ill leave it to you. The division of roles was done naturally. Since we had known each other for a long time, communication was smooth and easy. Walking through a narrow alleyway, trying not to be spotted by the surrounding knights, I found a small stall. It seems to be a shop specialising in clothing. The royal city has many tourists, so there must be a high demand for goods useful for travelling. Riese, I need you to be on the lookout. Id like to stop by that shop for a while. A shop? Wouldnt it be safer if I went there to buy something? Riese wont do it. I told her shortly and headed for the shop. The owner, who has a scruffy beard, immediately notices I entered. Welcome, Onii-san. I need one of these black outer coats. This one? I think its a bit big for you.. Here you go. Ill leave the money here. I couldnt waste my time, so I got what I wanted and left the shop as soon as possible. Then I met up with Riese again. Riese, put this on. Thats fine, butwhy? Youre the leader of the White Dragon Chivalric Order, you cant just go out and fight the castle knights, can you? Aaa, I see what you mean. I forgot about it. If Riese bought it directly, it would be traced back to me, so I took the risk and bought it myself just now. This kind of clean-up is highly recommended for my job, so Im going to take care of it now. ..Wait. Come to think of it, isnt this the first time youve received a gift from Ned? ..come to think of it, it might be. As expected its complicated. Ill demand a do-over when things are done. All right, all right. Ill do whatever you want. Did you say anything?Does that mean I can ask you to sleep with me? Goods only. Well discuss this later. Im tired. Not..my body, but my mind. Basically, S-level adventurers can beat most enemies, and many of them have a low sense of urgency. Strictly speaking, they are more insensitive than lacking a sense of crisis. For those who have overcome all kinds of hardships, crises that cause them to panic rarely occur. In this royal city, where the nights curtains have fallen, Riese and I approach the castle under our breaths. Security was sparse the closer one got to the castle. Its no wonder. No one would think that I, on the run, would ever return to the castle again. Riese, stay here. In 30 seconds, the operation will begin. Understood. Good luck. Thats my line. At any rate, I cant fight. I always leave the fighting to someone else. -Operation starts. Thirty seconds had passed when we went to the back door of the castle. A powerful sound of destruction was heard at the main gate. Rieses role is a diversion. She is to concentrate on luring out and neutralising the knights in the castle. While Shes doing that, Ill go inside the castle. Using a grappling rope, I quickly crossed the ramparts. While the knights in the vicinity are running towards the main gate, I head for the rendezvous point. This way, Ned-sama. As I pass through the door, which had been unlocked beforehand, I hear a voice from somewhere. At the end of the corridor, a woman beckons from inside it. I make my way to that room without making a sound. Are you the collaborator Riese mentioned? Yes, I am. My name is Hersha, and I work as a servant here at the castle. After closing the kitchen door, the woman who introduced herself as Hersha bowed solemnly. She was probably in her mid-twenties. She is tall and has a rather beautiful face with an interesting atmosphere. Her deep red hair is tied back, giving her a clean look. Her hairstyle is called a Gibson tuck. She was dressed in a black-and-white maids uniform with frills, which gave her a graceful appearance that would not look out of place working in a castle. I dont think Ned-sama remembers me . No, I do recognise you. As I stared into Hershas face, I searched the memories in my head. It was about two years ago, I believe. It was a small village within a horse-drawn carriage ride of this royal capital .Amazning..youre right, you visited the village where I lived two years ago and killed the monsters that used to haunt the area. We only saw each other for a few seconds, but I never thought you would remember me. I am good at remembering peoples faces. When I told her this, Hersha smiled softly. But two years ago, thats not when I was active as the Stardust Light, is it? Yup. Before you becameStardust Light,it was when you were one big shining mass, we were indebted to you. I see. In those days,I had a wide range of activities. I might have visited Hershas village and killed the monsters. Im sorry to bother you in your haste, but I just have one question.are you hiding your true identity? Hersha asked me with a serious look on her face, while I was scratching the back of my hair. Im just being modest. Im not that desperate. Right. Not that Im desperate C but Its just that Ive had enough of playing..the big, stupid tame tax. ..our hearts go out to you. Hersha bowed her head reverently. Im not very good at this subject. Its time to get moving. I know youve heard from Riese, but I want to meet Princess Rushia. Can you do it for me? Of course. Im also the head maid. The woman who told me in such a calm tone made me open my eyes wide. You have come a long way from being a villager. All of us who have witnessed your exploits had our ambitions shaken in no small scale..I am one of them. I cant decide whether it was a good influence or a bad influence, but at least for Hersha it seemed to be a good influence. Well, let me show you the way. I shall leave you here. Hersha slowly bows her head. She leads me to a place in front of the private chambers of Her Highness Princess Rushia. I should go alone from here onwards. I bow my head and express my gratitude. If its Ned-sama, you might be able to melt the frozen heart of Her Highness Princess Lucilla. ..? What does that mean? I cannot answer your questions from my own mouth. For further information, please ask Her Highness or. the Kingsguard Knight May. Saying this, Hersha turned on her heel. As she quietly left, I suddenly heard a voice from inside. ..nn, ah! It was the girls..painful voice that I heard from behind the door. In the quiet corridor, only that voice echoes. Uuunaaah! Ha..h..aha..haAaan! Oi, oi,oi,oi. A frozen heart, did Hersha mean that kind of frustrated heart? Im not strong enough to melt such a heart. For a moment, I almost stopped thinking, but now Im being chased. This is no time to sit on my hands. Oi. I knock on the door. nAah? Wh-whos there?! Its me, Ned. W-wait, wait-nanojya! Wait-nanojya!!!!! A slamming, noisy noise could be heard from behind the door. I waited for about thirty seconds, but I could still hear the busy noise. It would be troublesome if she escaped. As long as I dont know what is being done behind the door, I cant wait too long. If the knights of the castle found me, Im back to square one. I opened the door with all my might. Im going in. Fuiiwaa? The first thing I saw was a startled girl on the bed. Her face was upturned, and her breasts and the bottoms of her feet were exposed due to her dishevelled clothing. Sweat was floating on her pure white skin. Wh-wh-wa-what, what do you want ? And how did you get here? Princess Rushia asked, standing up and pointing at me. But she soon realised how she was dressed and hurriedly straightened her dishevelled clothes. Ill have to keep quiet about how I got here. The matter is, of course, about the defeat of the Poisonous Demon Dragon. I have nothing to say!Whether or not youre willing to take on the job, thats all that matters! Theres always two sides of the same coin. Saying that, I tried to get closer to her, but Waawh!? Wait, Im against violence-jyaa! Princess Rushia looked exaggeratedly frightened. Dont come any closer! Dont be violent.! Princess Rushia tells me while holding one of her hands to her chest. Speaking of which, Princess Rushia said she is not good at fighting and conflict. So this situation is probably the most frightening situation for her. I understand that, but her attitude is too obvious. Are you pretending.? Im not pretending!I mean, you!Youre being rude! And, you have no courtesy to show a man whom you suddenly try to restrain. Ugh Princess Rushia was at a loss for words to reply, perhaps acknowledging that it was a good argument. Im sorry, but Ill do exactly what I have to do, even if its against royalty. Having said this, I approached Princess Rushia. Im going to punish any child who causes trouble for others. Ill.. Nyogo!? He dropped a hand chop on her head. Of course, Im taking it easy on her. My Existence Power Level 1, so I shouldnt be that strong C but.. U,uu.. Princess Rushias beautiful eyes filled with tears as she looked at me. Uwaa``````nn!!! May```!! May```!! Come here ```!! Princess Rushias sobs echoed in the room. Five minutes had passed since May rushed to Princess Rushias cry. Understanding the situation, May put her hand to her forehead. Youre bolder than I thought youd be, beating up royalty. The trick to get in terms with nobility and royalty is not to overplay your hand. You have to be very clear about what you need to say. ..sounds like you have a point, but youre probably the only one who can dismiss it. May let out a deep sigh. Five minutes ago. May rushed to the room and closed the door the moment she saw a sobbing Rushia and me next to her.May has decided to protect me. Ostensibly I am still wanted, but at least she can be trusted. May looks at Princess Rushia who has finally stopped crying with her eyes bright red and swollen, with sympathy. Rushia-sama. If you dont mind, let me give Ned an explanation from my mouth.. .. No, I will explain. Now that it has come to this, it is quicker to tell Ned everything. Princess Rushia then slowly looks up. Princess Rushia looked at me with eyes filled with resignation. Remember I told you that the damage caused by the Poisonous Demon Dragon was not limited to the Kingdom of Enuvidia, but extended to other countries as well? Yes. The nest of the poisonous dragons is in the Kingdom of Enubidia. So, normally, when the poisonous dragons cross over to other countries, they dont stay there for long periods of time. Butthere has been one exception in the past. In a quiet voice, Princess Rushia said. A few years ago, the Poison Dragon Demon invaded the Kingdom of Intil, where it carried out its tyranny for about a month. The damage was so great that it has still not recoveredand the Kingdom of Enuvidia was held accountable. Princess Rushia spoke with a sombre face. .. I remember, about four or five years ago, there was a story about a rural town in the middle of nowhere that was completely destroyed by monsters. Youre talking about that, by any chance? Thats the one. Why didnt you remember that until now, on the contrary, why didnt you remember it? Maybe I was in another country at the time. I actively collect information about people, but also other information. I suppose because I often travel to other countries, I was fortunate enough not to have been involved in the Poisonous Demon Dragon case. I never imagined that .it would have such a big impact. But monsters are like natural disasters, arent they? Is the Kingdom really supposed to be held responsible for that? There are circumstances. You, too, know the alias of the Kingdom of Enuvidia, dont you? I knew what Princess Rushia meant by that question. The land that bonded with dragons.? Yes. Thepoison demon dragon is a monster that was born in this country, so it is understandable they are distrusted. And in fact, the Kingdom of Enuvidia sometimes carries out dragon protection activities. If they say that the Poisonous Demon Dragon is the only exception, they wont be convinced. In other words, is the Kingdom of Enuvidia deliberately leaving the poisonous demon dragons unattended? It is suspected. It is not thought that they are protecting the dragon, but the kingdom may be judged reluctant to defeat it. Poisonous demon dragons are rampant in all countries, though not as rampant as in the Intail Kingdom. It is only natural that the countries that have suffered.. should take the brunt of the anger. In this case, the Kingdom of Enuvidia is truly under siege from all sides. Princess Rushia continued that there are no other countries that are on her side. They say they are to take the brunt of the anger, but strictly speaking, the other countries are probably thinking to the extent that [if the Kingdom of Enuvidia pays reparations, they will be the beneficiaries]. This is an extremely unreasonable claim, but because it is the majority opinion, it is a situation that cannot be easily brushed off. I see. Certainly Kingdom of Enuvidia in a tight corner. Now, heres the important thing.. the Kingdom of Intail has been demanding reparations from our country for some time now. But the other day, their king reversed his opinion. Reversed? When I asked her back, Princess Rushia nodded her head. According to father, the king of the kingdom of Intail said[A few moments ago, a highly skilled adventurer called Net went to the Kingdom of Aenebidia. Ask him to defeat the poisonous demon dragon. If he succeeds, the matter of compensation will be withdrawn]. ..he named me? Princess Rushia nodded her head and continued. If Enuvidia cant defeat it, theyre going to go ahead in earnest with the compensation case, which has been postponed until now. At the very least, they wont be convinced if I dont send Ned into the fight. .What the hell I realise that Im not the only one to be put on such blatant conditions. That idiot king has been after me from the start. The fact that they are making a compromise is also disgusting. In short, they are saying that if they let me join the fight, they will leave room for negotiation. From the perspective of the Kingdom of Enuvidia, if they said such a thing, it is obvious that they would bite. I know its a dubious proposition. But..father seems to have accepted this proposal. It is a no-lose proposition for our country. .. Well, thats true. If I can defeat the Poisonous Demon Dragon, it will be profitable. If I fail and I die, relations between the two countries can be maintained as before for the time being. The compensation offered is so huge that it is impossible not to accept, considering the position our country is in. I am sorry.I am really, really sorry. I have succumbed to pressure. If it is rejected, the Kingdom of Enuvidia will be perceived as having no intention of accepting any blame for the Poisonous Demon Dragon. This could lead to a diplomatic issue. Ned, let me clear up one misunderstanding. May says in a clear voice. Her Highness was dismissive of the matter from the outset. While we were fulfilling the Guilds request, Her Highness tried desperately to persuade her father. But still His Majesty did not understand, so Her Highness had no choice but to try to detain you with her own hands before His Majesty did..because if we restrain you, it will only be for show. But if His Majesty moves, it will be rough. .. I didnt realise that. No wonder it was a hasty move. Princess Rushia was in a hurry to protect me. She must have felt she had to take me into her own hands before the king could make his move. Princess Rushia couldnt explain what happened, probably because His Majesty the Idiot of the Kingdom of Intail had asked to keep quiet about the matter. Well, it doesnt matter what they explained to me anyway. Im not stupid enough to say [I understand] when someone says [I wont do anything wrong, just let me restrain you] and Im not stupid enough to hold out my hands. Princess Rushia, Im sorry I hit you No, its okay. It was me, s who was at fault.., but it hurt so much. I thought I was going to die.Uuu. I dont remember hitting her that hard. It was just a light chop. It was almost the same force as when I knocked on the door. Its not Princess Rushias faultor rather, this case also involves my circumstances. .. your circumstances? Princess Rushia tilted her head at me as I said with a sigh. The reason I left the Kingdom of Intil was because I had a disagreement with His Majesty in that country. As a matter of fact I tell Princess Rushia and May about the connection between me and His Majesty the Idiot. When I finished telling them everything, they looked at me with their eyes wide open. Youve been expelled from the hero party..? Aa. As a result, the current hero party is often run amokand perhaps thats what made them target me. So I feel like Im the one who started this whole thing. Its my fault for getting you two involved. Im sorry. I bowed my head. This time, maybe it wouldnt have happened if I hadnt come to the Kingdom of Enuvidia. Ned is not to blame. That king is quite a dark lord, if you ask me. UmuMay is right, it is their king who is unreasonableAnd originally, the matter of the Poisonous Demon Dragon has been struggling behind the scenes for a long time. It may have started because of Ned, but sooner or later these problems would eventually come. This may indeed be the case. In fact, the Kingdom of Intail is currently suffering massive damage from the heroic parties. It is possible that they are just trying to squeeze money out of the Kingdom of Enuvidia to recover from that. The bad guy is the king of the Kingdom of Intail. If only that idiotic king could be dealt with, this matter would be settled. The policy is set. If Im gonna deal with poison demon dragons, I know some people, theres still a way to do it. Do you have a deadline for the slaying of the poisonous dragon? by the end of the week. Again, absurd. I cant help but laugh. That idiot Majesty, he really is too blatant. The Poisonous Demon Dragon is such a threat that even if I formed a coalition force, I would have retreated. There is no way I can prepare a decent force in a week. In short, hes probably telling me to die. Will I manage to get it sorted out this week? In a way, this is a good opportunity. If Im thinking about the future, its better to cut ties with His Majesty the Idiot as soon as possible. Princess Rushia, I want you to let me stay at the royal castle tonight. ? For appearances sake, its better to be restrained, isnt it? I want to calm down and think things over, so Ill just accept it for now. When I said this, Princess Rushia smiled unreliably and looked at May. May, restrain Ned lock him up in a nice room. I understand. The room I was taken to in the name of restraint was a luxurious guest room. It was probably a room reserved for a nobleman. The room is spacious, the furnishings are all of high quality and there is even a separate room for the squires to relax and unwind. After a quick look at the interior of the room, I stepped out onto the balcony and a cool breeze lifted my fringes. Just right for cooling my head. Lets do some thinking here. First, I need to find out what that asshole His Majesty is after. His Majestys purpose is to clash me with the Poisonous Demon Dragon. What could be the reason for this?There are two candidates. The first is to spite me. I know from the newspapers that the heroes party is going out of control. If they just want to make me feel bad about it, they may be able to get away with it by simply passing on the information to His Majesty that they are suffering because of me. If its really just a case of spite, then they probably arent that serious about compensation either. Secondly, they are seriously trying to kill me. They dont have any reason to hold a grudge against me, Unless,they think killing me is going to stop the hero party from running amok? If thats the case, even if I defeat the Poison Demon Dragon, they could send further assassination after me. If I dont take some action to break His Majestys thinking, Ill be a target for a long time. This is becoming a hassle. I brushed his hair back lightly. Why not just prepare shadow warriors and have them fight the poisonous demon dragon and fake my death? .. not very realistic. If the disguise is discovered, the position of the Kingdom of Enuvidia will become even worse, and in the first place, disguising death is not something that can be continued for a long time. In the future, when I come into contact with a celebrity like Riese, I will inevitably stand out. It would be impossible to keep the information that I am alive secret. In any case, there is no doubt what triggered.was the outburst of the heroic party. If so, would His Majesty the Idiot withdraw his proposal if I stopped their outburst? As much as it pains me to say it..should I ask the hero party to hold their own for a moment? With a communication stone, I try to contact the heroes. But no matter how long I waited, the communication did not connect. I knew it, they must have taken the..communication stone. His Majesty the Idiot. Do you realise that you are strangling yourself? With the exception of Julius, every member of the heroic party had a communication stone with my contact details registered on it. But they probably took it away. Thanks to this, I am now unable to contact each of them. .. Lets put this one on hold, shall we? The deadline is this week. I have to get some kind of result by then. However, apart from the Poisonous Demon Dragon matter, there was one other thing that was on my mind. The frozen heart of Princess Rushia.. These were the words uttered by the head maid, Hersha. When I asked her what she meant, she replied that I should ask Princess Rushia herself or May Does these two have some kind of secret thing going on? Princess Rushias attitude was a little strange. I remember, just after I entered her room. Princess Rushia, who had been appealing against violence, had her hand on her chest, but I couldnt help but notice the way she was moving. It was not so much that she was afraid of me approaching her, butit was a movement as if she was desperately trying to restrain herself from putting out her hands. It was a little different from the behaviour of a frightened person. She was acting as if she was more afraid of herself C who didnt know what she was going to do C than of me, who was right in front of her. no good. Its incomprehensible speculation. I dont even know if this has anything to do with the Poisonous Dragon. I had a light headache from overthinking. Fatigue has reached its limit. Thinking about it, today is quite a hard schedule, fighting monsters and being chased by the castle knights. Its a tough day for me, who has an existence power of 1, let alone Riese, who has an existence power of 6. .. hmm? Suddenly, I realise that the soles of my feet felt uncomfortable. I looked and saw that there was something strange stuck in the sole of my shoe. Whats this? A white gem? I picked up the object in my hand, shone it in the moonlight and observed it. The pure white stone was light, flat and looked like a piece of something. When I was doing the guilds requests and walking around the castle with Hersha, I didnt feel any discomfort in the soles of my feet. If that is the case, this was caught in the sole of my shoe afterwards. after I entered Princess Rushias room. Is this from Princess Rushias room?But where have I seen it before. It gets caught strangely. It just didnt seem like a jewel. Lets check it out, shall we?So I put the white stone in my pouch and went back to the room. Next morning. As I was changing from my nightgown in the closet into my going-out clothes, there was a knock on the door and a blue-haired girl walked in. May, good morning. Oh, good morning. May, wearing her armour as usual, looks at me with a complicated expression. you didnt run away, did you? In a small voice, May said. She had apparently anticipated that I might flee the castle last night. Id be lying if I said I hadnt thought about that, but it would only jeopardise the position of Princess Rushia and the others. Meir and Princess Rushia told me that it wasnt my fault for what happened,..but even so, it was definitely me who triggered it. Im not going to run away until I take responsibility for that. I see.I knew you would say that. You trust me? I think I know you well enough from our association over the last few days to know that you are a righteous man. May says with a smile. By the way, Ned. If youre getting dressed, does that mean youre going out now? Yeah. Im going to make a quick stop. Then Ill accompany you. May smiles apologetically. Surveillance..just in case. I see, Im convinced. Princess Rushias concern can be seen in the fact that she has chosen May to act as her watchdog. May, can I have breakfast first? Sure. To tell you the truth, I havent eaten yet either, so this is good. It was just right. After leaving the castle we go into a suitable restaurant and order a light meal. So, Ned. What are you going to do about the poison demon dragon? I thought about it before opening my mouth to May, who asked me with a mysterious look on her face. Im still struggling to think. Defeating the Poisonous Demon Dragon is difficult, butthis case is ultimately caused by the king of the Intail Kingdom, isnt it?Then I might be able to do something if I seize that kings weakness and negotiate with him. You think you can even hold the weakness of the king of a country? If I wanted to. May looks surprised and disbelieving at what Ive said. But I just dont want to use my contacts in that way if I can help it. .. why? Because its dangerous. Communicate clearly. My contacts can turn into a devils weapon if theyre used the wrong way. Such..threat could be the first step. Surely, if I wanted to, I could take on the weakness of any person, old or young. From village girl to the king of a country, and even the S-class adventurers with existence power 7, of which there are only ten in the world, I am sure that I can blackmail countless people. Im proud to say that I have that much information network. But I have never wanted that kind of power. Above all, I dont want my friends, who are important to me and on whom I rely, to be part of such force. If I use my contacts for dirty things, Ill also be defiling the way of life of the people who help me. That doesnt make me feel very good. I dont want to act in a way that will harm my friends. Thats why I try to avoid blackmail, fraud, and injustice..as much as possible. When I looked at May after explaining that much, she had a serious expression on her face. I may have spoken too seriously. To soften the air that had somehow become tense, I gave her a small smile. Well, when I say avoid, I mean to the extent of not taking the easy way out.they say that a life is a kind of thing, and maybe this is a time when I need that kind of power. I tipped the cup on the table with my mouth. As I quenches my throat with sweet tea, May, sitting opposite me, smiles. Im starting to get to know you, somehow. Staring me in the face, May said. Its not just about being righteous. Deep down you respect someone who is willing to help you Somehow.. They can all do things I could never do. They are walking a way of life that I could not walk. I didnt want to just twist their way of life. I want to keep admiring them forever. Lets get back to the story. I said, putting my cup on the table. Im in a situation where Im having a lot of trouble defeating the poisonous demon dragon, as Ive just explained. Id like to ask you, just for..reference, what do you want me to do, May? I know its a bit pushing, but the ideal is still to defeat them. At any rate, the poisonous demon dragons are nothing but a blight on our country. Staring at the cup in her hand, May says. Actually, there is no queen in this country. Do you know why? I shook my head at the question. The queen was killed in an attack by a poisonous dragon when she left the capital for a festive event. It was right in front of the young Princess Rushias eyes. Since then, she has hated fighting She had such a past? Yes. If we put aside diplomatic gains and losses and the pressure of our position,Im sure she is genuinely waiting for someone to avenge her mother. For Princess Rushia, the Poison Demon Dragon is also the killer of her mother. Ned.you can do something about it, right? May asked with a clinging look on her face. I reply, thinking of a few people I know in my head. As far as I know, there are six people who could defeat the..Poison Demon Dragon. Hou, really?Then, if you ask those people to help.. But just because they can defeat it doesnt mean they will. I said to May, who was in a hurry to come to a conclusion, in a slightly more forceful tone. All six of them are far away and their positions are complicated.Wwe should expect to wait a few years, not this week. . years, huh? May bites her lip at my words. Riese could not win even if she took on the challenge together with her friends from the White Dragon Chivalric Order. If I want to defeat such an opponent, I need an existence force of seven. In other words, I need a hero, one of no more than ten in the world. I have the candidate, but I am not ready to prepare for it right now. There is precisely one person who is close by, but due to bad timing, I cant get in touch with him at the moment. If I dont stick to the deadline ofthis week, its not impossible to take it down. I could give him a shout when this is over.. Defeating the poisonous demon dragon is an extremely difficult problem, but it is not impossible if I take my time. I told her so, but..Mays expression remained downcast. The way she looks, I have my doubts. Im only introducing the people to you, but you could be a bit more pleased. Even though its going to take a few years, youre going to be able to slay a poisonous demon dragon thats been on the loose for a while now. Yes, it is. Its certainly a delight. Im thrilled. With a forced, made-up smile, May said. Buta few years? I hope I can keep it until then. .. Haha, if only Id met you long before this,.. or maybe thats a wish I dont have. With a self-mocking smile, May mumbled something. Keep it..? What does she mean? .Sorry. My head was a bit confused. May apologises briefly. After regaining her composure, May looks at me with a calm face. Ned is right, it would be very gratifying to be able to defeat the poisonous demon dragons, even if it takes a long timeBut doesnt that solve the problems that are happening now? Well, yes. May is right. It might be better to separate the matter of the Poisonous Demon Dragon from the matter of His Majesty the Idiot. I am now facing the latter problem. When Im putting my head together like this, I cant help but remember something. It was the words that Hersha had uttered last night. May. Im going to change the subject, butis Princess Rushia hiding anything from me?! hiding things? Its just a curiosity, Im not forcing you to answer, but I thought you might know something about Princess Rushia. Do you know anything? Im also concerned about Mays current behaviour and Princess Rushias attitude last night. Maybe theres some important secrets about this case that I dont know about. .. I dont know what youre talking about. May says, looking straight at me. She sounded as confident as she always does but I knew she was lying. She probably thought she couldnt look away from me. Thats why she decided to look straight into my eyes, but thats not natural. Apparently, Mays mouth is tight. Then I have to find it by myself. Its time we left the restaurantIs there an Appraisers Guild in this town? I ask, straightening my back lightly after eating my breakfast. There is. Well, then, show me the way. I have something Id like to appraise. I said, remembering the white gemstone in my pouch. There is a profession known as appraisers. Their job is to analyse the details and value of any item. Due to the nature of their work, they often have a vast amount of knowledge and many of them are scholars. They are organised by an organisation called the Appraisers Guild. The Guild of Appraisers and the Adventurers Guild have a close relationship. When adventurers bring back items from their adventures, they often find strange plants and minerals mixed in. In such cases, it is the turn of the appraisers guild to mediate. In towns where adventurers are active, appraisers are also active. The Appraisers Guild in the royal capital of Enuvidia was a large, clean building. This is the Guild of Appraisers. May, the guide says. By the way, what are you appraising? I dont know what it is, so Im having it appraised. Muu, sure. I thought I would try to mislead her, but somehow May is convinced. We entered the building and headed for the reception desk. A young young man noticed us and responded. Welcome. Are you requesting an appraisal? Yes. I need an appraisal of some mineralsand a some kind of jewellery. Im sorry, we cant do an appraisal on any minerals. We are busy at the moment and the waiting time will be half a day. Appraisals takes time. I was willing to wait an hour or two, but..half a day is a long time. As I recall, the Guild of Appraisers also works with guilds in other countries, right? Yes. Unlike adventurers, appraisers are small in number. We have to share information frequently to get by, so we work well together. Then use this.. I took a card out of my pouch. I should be registered as a priority guide. Now you can give me an early result. ..I understand. Please wait a moment. The young man at reception looked slightly startled but quickly got down to business. The young man takes the card and goes to work in the back room. NedWhat was that about?You said you were a priority guide? Its sort of a perk of being a preferred guide. You get it for requesting an appraisal of a thousand items or more. Its sort of a perk for being a good customer. You get it for requesting over a thousand appraisals. A-a thousand items? Isnt that a lot of stuff to appraise?! When youre adventuring in uncharted territory, everything you see is an unknown object and if youre working with frontline adventurers, youre going to get over a thousand points pretty quickly A-mazing, being an adventurer May gave a drawn-out smile. Sorry to keep you waiting. You must be Ned-sama, our priority guide. The receptionist returns to the counter after the confirmation process. ,just to confirm, there are a total of seven of these cards issued, and they are shared in the same name by more than one person, correct? Aa,as it should be. ..Recently, several items were appraised in the Republic of Luxent in the name of Ned-sama. Also, last month,was the Valreid Empire and the Holy Place Kingdom. Three months ago, it was the Kakusen Empire and the Ingrid Empire.it seems that Ned-samas name is being used all over the world Do you have any idea whats going on? ..Aaa Apparently, he is concerned that my name is being misused by a stranger. However, I have a vague idea, so Im confident it is not being misused. Theyre still using my name. I have told them to re-register it in their own name if they felt like it, but apparently none of them felt like doing it. Theyre still as lax as ever. The card certifying the priority guide has no deposit or withdrawal functions. Therefore, there were no separate security issues. Well then, we will be with you shortly, but if you use the Guilds services as a.. priority guide, you will not be able to bring a companion with you. Please be patient. The young man at the reception desk looked at May and said. I nodded my head. May wait here, please. Okay. May nodded quickly. She doesnt seem to think Im going to run anymore. The receptionist guides me to the appraiser. Each appraiser often had their own equipment, hence the large number of workrooms within the guild. We proceeded down an intricate corridor until we reached a square room. Im Rezac, the appraiser. Let me see the goods first. A bearded man in a chair holds out one hand. I took out the white stone. This white gemstone. The texture, the shape, its unique Well, since it is brought to us by a priority guide, one of only ten in the world. Lets check it out a bit more carefully. Please. I explained to May that if she works with first-class adventurers, she can easily become a priority guide, but there arent many first-class adventurers to begin with, so less than ten is an acceptable number. Incidentally, my card is divided into seven cards, but since it is in my name alone, I am treated as one person. Hm? Oi,oi customer. Rezac, who was appraising the stones with a loupe, speaks up. This guy aint no stone. . not a stone? Then what is that white object? Its a scale. I tilted my head and Rezac explained. Ive never seen this kind before, but Im sure of it. These are the scales of a dragonSometimes people mistake dragon scales for gemstones. They both look alike. The moment I heard that description, it outlined the discomfort I had in my head. For a long time, I thought the stone looked familiar. Now that I know that they are dragon scales,I can clearly remember where I have seen them in the past. What do you want to do now?Im a mineral appraiser, so if you want to know more about this guy, I can refer you to another appraiser.. No, thanks. Ive got what I need to know. I take the scales from Rezacs hand. Thank you, youve been a great help. With that, I turned on my heel. I leave the guild with haste. After leaving the Guild of Appraisers, I headed for the Royal Castle. May, who was waiting near the entrance, was surprised to see me walking without looking back. Oi,wait, wait! Ned! Where are you going? Back to the castle. I told her briefly, stopped once and showed May what was in my hand. May. Is this what you were hiding? T-thats. Mays eyes widened when she saw the white gem or rather, the dragon scales in my palm. She clearly knew what this was, and reacted accordingly. Moreover, Im a grade A adventurer. I think I know some about these scales..Ill ask her for an explanation. May, is that okay? Aa.. May nodded as if in contemplation. The two of us went straight back to the castle. Our destination is the place I snuck into last night C Princess Rushias room. Normally, guests are not allowed to enter this area, but I was not stopped by the knights as I was escorted by May. After climbing the stairs and proceeding down the corridor for a while, we eventually see a door at the end of the corridor that leads to Princess Rushias room. This is where you stop, May. Once I stop and I say. Id like a moment alone with Rushia. ..I understand. May nodded her head with a mysterious look on her face. I walked down the corridor alone, approaching Princess Rushias room Last night, I did not notice when I was being shown around by Hersha, but there were no knights standing by near Princess Rushias room. For security reasons, they should have a few knights stationed around the front of the room, but there are reasons why this is not possible for..Rushia. I was about to touch the door, when. A girls voice was heard from the room. Uu.aa! Kuu..nn..Haa!..NnaaA! I hear Rushias charming voice, the same as last night. But if I listen carefully, I can hear it. This is the sound of suffering. Knowing it was rude, I opened the door without knocking. Then Rushia, who was sitting on the bed, looked back at me with great energy. Ne, Ned! Princess Rushia was astonished when she saw me appear suddenly. In contrast, I calmly observe her. She has long silver hair damp with sweat and flushed cheeks. Her dishevelled clothes and soggy bed. These are all scenes I saw last night, but there are two things that are different. One is that Princess Rushia has a bitter, agonised expression on her face. The other is the large white wings growing out of Princess Rushias slender back. What are you doing here NeGuahhhHH!!? With a crackling sound, Rushias wings enlarge. Pure white scales were eroding the surface of herslender, small body. The hardened scales were like armour, and from the elbows of both arms it looked as if it was wearing sturdy cage hands. Look, dont ! Dont look at ! Dont look!!! Rushias pupils split vertically. It was as if she were a reptile. Instantly, a weighty pressure that did not seem to belong to a human being was released. The glass in the room cracked all at once and I felt as if my heart had been grabbed by an eagle. The feeling of helpless fear in the face of an absolute power. The pressure, which I had not felt for a long time, caused me to break out in a cold sweat. Calm down. I called out to the confused Rushia as calmly as I could. I am weak. I am not a person who would normally be able to bear this kind of pressure. But, Ive done this many times before. In order not to provoke Rushia, I slowly approach her and open the pouch. From inside, I take out a small bottle of medicine. Its an elixir of all-purpose elixirs. It will temporarily suppress your symptoms. It is a rare drug that can be used to treat any condition. It is so expensive that it should not normally be owned by private individuals. Princess Rushia was clearly suspicious of it, but, realising that she pushed it away, she picked up the vial and fearfully sipped the liquid inside. After a while, Princess Rushias bloating body subsided. The constant creaking of bones stopped and the white scales covering her body began to peel off. I picked up one of the peeled off scales. There is no doubt. What I had mistaken for a gem earlier was this. Rushia Unintentionally, I called out her name. Poisonous Demon Dragons harbour a deadly poison. Perhaps I should have anticipated the situation when I heard her explanation. These symptoms lead to dragonization disease. When I asked, Princess Rushia silently cast her eyes down. Dragonification disease is literally a disease that causes people to turn into dragons. Some monsters called dragons wear something like a poison called miasma. Prolonged exposure to such a miasma can lead to the onset of the dragonisation disease. Patients with dragonisation disease can normally spend time in a human body. However, from time to time, in the form of seizures, the body transforms into that of a dragon. When the seizures end, the body returns to that of a human, but as the disease progresses, the intervals between seizures become shorter and shorter, and eventually the patient is in a state of constant seizures C in other words, unable to return from the body of a dragon. The poison demon dragon got to you, didnt it? I asked Princess Rushia, who was sitting up in bed. Having taken the medicine, Princess Rushia had returned to a human body. Looking at her white, slender body, I almost thought that the scene I had just seen was a dream. However, the countless white scales scattered at her feet tells me the scene was real. I have heard the story from May. I heard that when Queenwas killed by a poisonous demon dragon, Princess Rushia was also by her side. Is that when you contracted the dragonisation disease? Princess Rushia says nothing. Her silence means an affirmation. ..Why didnt you tell me such an important thing? I tell her, suppressing my emotions. The dragonisation disease will continue to progress unless the dragon that caused the disease is defeated. In other words..if you dont defeat the poisonous demon dragon, Princess Rushia will eventually quit being human. At these words, Princess Rushia reacted with a small twitch. What do you mean..by saying that? A trembling voice spun. The Poisonous Demon Dragon is a genuine monster that could not be defeated even if a coalition army was organised. Even if..I reveal that Im suffering from dragonification disease,it does not mean that more force will be gathered. Indeed, it may be. But the Dragonisation Disease its not just a disease. Dragonisation disease is also known as the disease of heroes Perhaps Princess Rushia knows about it. But I dared to explain it, to confront her with that fact once more. The symptoms of the Dragons Disease can be said to be that a human being is imbued with the power of a dragon.So the dragonisation disease is a curse and a blessing at the same time. In fact, I know of several people who have listed dragon disease as a blessing on their guilds registration form. The power of the dragon can be a tremendous asset if a person knows how to use it. So much so that they can even slay dragons that have become the pathogens. .. So patients with dragon sickness often go on to use the dragon power in their bodies to slay the dragon that has become pathogenic by themselves..This is the common cure for dragonisation disease, and hence it is also called the disease of heroes. I tell Princess Rushia, who looks down. Princess Rushia should be no exception. If you can master the power of that dragon, you might be able to defeat.the Poisonous Demon Dragon. Beforeher body turns into a full dragon, she must use her power and go to defeat the dragon that is causing the disease. That is the general treatment for dragonisation disease. Indeed, you are right, the dragon disease is also known as the disease of heroes. There are many fairy tales in the world about the mortal struggle between the human who has the power of the dragon and the dragon who gave him that power.. Princess Rushia says with an unreliable smile. The problem is that I cannot be the hero of such fairy tales. What do you mean..? Im afraid. Short but clear voice. I told you.I hate fighting. I am a coward who wont even touch a weapon This statement reminded me of a story I heard from May. Princess Rushias mother was killed by a poisonous demon dragon in front of her eyes. She is probably traumatised by that memory. However Certainly, for Princess Rushia, fighting may be something that brings back bad memories. But this is no longer the time to be thinking about such things.. Ive tried it before. Princess Rushia interrupts me. Even I was not this weak-kneed from the start. In the past, I also tried to use the power of this dragon to avenge my mothers death. but as a result of using this dragons power.. Princess Rushia squeezes the sheet in her hand. hell was born right in front of me. It was like a scene after the rampage of a poisonous demon dragon. Princess Rushia, whose mother was killed by a poisonous demon dragon, naturally remembers the view vividly. And when she herself unleashed the dragons power, the exact same view was created before her eyes. What emotions were swirling in Princess Rushias heart at that time? It is not difficult to imagine. I dont want to use ..that kind of power. With that, instead of defeating the Poisonous Demon Dragon, I would also become a Poisonous Demon Dragon. That is also the most terrifying thing for me. Princess Rushia says in a trembling voice. I remember the terrified eyes of all thepeople when Mother was killed by the Poison Demon Dragon. I dont wantto look like that,.Im not a poison demon dragon! Princess Rushia says, spilling tears. When I entered this room, Princess Rushias cry of [Dont look!] reminds me of it. So thats why youre hiding the Dragonisation Disease? ..Yes. Only May knows about the dragonisation disease. Princess Rushias concealment about this matter was greater than I had imagined. However, the symptoms of dragon sickness are difficult to keep a secret. The head maid, Hersha, must have found out about this by accident. And then she tried to confide this information to me. I hear that the timing of the seizure is uncontrollable. And Ive also heard that if you try to hold it in, youll be in tremendous..pain. That is why there are no knights guarding Princess Rushias room. This is because in the event of a seizure, the knights might hear the anguish leaking from the room and rush to the scene. Now that I think about it, thats probably why the security in the.big bathroom was so thin. How often do you dragonise? Every three days at the most. The shortest is..one day. How have you managed to keep it under wraps at such short intervals? I have confidence in my endurance. Ive been holding back during the day, and then late at night or early in the morning, Id dragonise in the castle gardens. The explanation reminded me of a huge shadow I had seen in the morning mist. It seems that the shadow I witnessed during my walk in the castle gardens was thedragonised Princess Rushia. Youve already progressed quite a bit. The intervals between seizures have become short. At this rate, Princess Rushias dragonisation disease must have progressed considerably. three months if she keeps this up. Thats a rough estimate. Worst case scenario, it wont last a month. Why didnt you tell me that? I asked, running my hand over my forehead. Didnt you even think to tell me about your dragonisation disease when you first tried to restrain me?Princess Rushia would have had the option of appealing to compassion. ..I have already answered that question. It doesnt matter what I say, and I dont want to see people get hurt because of me Princess Rushia lowered her gaze and said. You dont have to overdo it With that, Princess Rushia picked up a small stone on the desk. Ned, do you know what this is? The communication stone? Yes. Ive had this and the stone in communication with May all day today. The fact that they are communicating means thatmy conversation was overheard. Apparently, Princess Rushia had been eavesdropping on the conversation between me and Meir. I have already heard your conversation.. defeating the Poisonous Demon Dragon will be tough, wont it? Princess Rushia barely formed a smile. You intend to settle this matter by blackmailing the Kingdom of Intail, dont you? Thats all right. There is no need to think about anything more than that but then what about Princess Rushias dragonisation disease? You dont have to take it that farOriginally, the poisonous demon dragons is the problem of the Kingdom of Enuvidia. I turned my head to Princess Rushia, who smiled fleetingly at me. Im not going to be so heartless as to nod so easily here. Princess Rushia has three months at the most. If I start acting now, I wont make it in time. I wanted to keep it a secret because of this atmosphere. Princess Rushia tells me with a sigh. It was a cheerful tone of voice, but it was definitely emphatic. It may be difficult to prepare a new force now. But if Princess Rushia fights with me, we might have a chance of winning. . I will not fight. It is enough if I can live out the rest of my life as a human being to the end. Princess Rushia tells me with a dejected look on her face, as if her tears have run dry. Dont worry, Im going to finish this by myself before I turn into a full-blown dragon. If I use..such monstrous power, I will be so hated by the people that I wont be able to live. As if it was her destiny. Princess Rushia told her in a tone of realisation. The sky was tinged with sunset when I realised. I was alone in the guest room of the royal castle, silently thinking, when I saw the orange-green sunlight illuminating the roofs of the castle town and finally realised the progress of time. It seems that several hours have passed since the discovery of Princess Rushias dragonisation disease. As I let out an involuntary sigh, a figure suddenly appeared on the balcony. Ned. There she was, Riese. Somewhat surprised by her sudden appearance, I open the balcony door and invite Lese into the room. . where did you come from? I could have come in from the front, but I thought it would be quicker this way. Riese then took a communication stone from inside his armour. Ill give it back to you. Aaa. I took the communication stone that was thrown to me and put it in my pouch. Princess Rushia seemed to have been eavesdropping on our conversation by giving May a communication stone But, Riese and I were doing the same thing. Last night, before we stormed into the castle, I put a communication stone in Rieses hand. I had arranged for her to be in constant communication with me while I was at the castle, so that if I was in danger, she would come to me immediately. Fortunately, I was not in danger, but Riese, who had eavesdropped on theconversation, must have known. That Princess Rushias body was being consumed by the dragonisation disease. ButThis composition looks like Ive come to crawl in the night. Its still evening. Youre a carefree woman, Oi. Its better than both of us not being able to be together. Riese is right, I thought. She can see that Im not in a good state of mind. So, what are you going to do? Are you going to go ahead and blackmail the king of the Kingdom of Intil as planned and call it a day? Riese asked in an indifferent tone of voice. I am not accusing her of anything, nor am I urging her to do anything. I am sure that whatever answer I give here, Riese will nod and respect it, saying, [I see]. That is why Im having a hard time talking. The fact that any decision I make is respected means that I have to decide, all by myself, what is right and what is wrong. Aashit! I no longer had the energy to put on a fa?ade of composure. I brushed my hair back. Really, why do I always, always always have to go through this? This.is the role of stronger guys like you . What I think about on a daily basis just spills out of my mouth. Im just an ordinary guyand all these guys, theyre the ones that got all this messy stuff.. I guess thats your destiny. Youre so noisy. In my heart, anger and feelings of helplessness are mixed up in my veins. .Well, the interests are aligned. From the outset, threats are a means of creating havoc. Besides not wanting to use my friends to do dirty things, its a method I want to avoid as much as possible. As I was trying to convince myself by such reasoning, Riese gave me a warm look, as if she were watching over a child. I like that about you, you know. Youre a man who can stand up for someone. Dont be ridiculous. Im not joking. Thats the best thing about you. Riese looks me straight in the eye and tells me. You didnt set out to be a hero, did you? Dont say that. It was a past I didnt want to poke too much into, so I looked away. Seeing me like this, Riese smiles gently. But what do we do?I somehow know what youre thinking, but perhaps the key is Her Highness Rushia? You can take thehorses to the water, but you cant get them to drink water. I know what Riese means. It is up to the owner to take the horse to the water, but it is up to the horse to decide whether or not to drink water there. Even if they are forced to take them somewhere, what they do there can only be left to them. However Unfortunately .. my job is always to get that horse to drink water. I suppose you could say that. Riese nodded in agreement. However, one horse is definitely not enough of a force. Lets leave the role of filling that strength to the adventurers in front of me. Riese. I need you to lend me the White Dragon Chivalric Order. ..its a request from none other than you. I have no reason to refuse. Riese immediately shook his head. Then, for some reason, she looked behind her Right, guys? Riese asks, looking towards the balcony. Before I knew it, a large number of armoured women appeared, kneeling on one knee, waiting. They all look familiar. They are members of the ..White Dragon Chivalric Order. .. you brought them with you? I knew this was going to happen..I really would have liked to rush in during the day, but it took a little longer to convene No, I mean, this isthe Royal Castle. If were not careful,we would all be caught trespassing. Hello,Ned-san, long time no see Hello Youre still the same troublemaker, arent you? The members were as fluent as Riese. From the looks of it, they apparently have a firm understanding of what Im about to do. I let out a sigh and went out onto the balcony with Riese. The women in armour were crammed tightly together. I thought they must be very annoyed, having been forced to visit such a place at the whim of their leader but For some reason, their expressions look somewhat proud. ..Please. Everyone, I need your help. I bowed my head to the famous adventurers. Riese , their leader, knelt down in front of me. Twelve members of theWhite Dragon Chivalric Orderwill now swing their swords for you. Volume 1 - CH 4 Epilogue Translated by SoundDestiny Edited by SoundDestiny The The Seven Meteors was not something I created with the best of intentions. A year had passed since I gave up on becoming a hero by myself and started living with the help of various people. Suddenly I realised that the people I rely on have become biassed. Basically, when Im trying to accomplish something I cant do on my own, I try to choose the right collaborators for that purpose. However, as a matter of course, in order to fulfil a highly difficult objective, the collaborators must also be carefully selected. To achieve difficult objectives, it was necessary to get competent people to cooperate with me. And so, after repeatedly selecting collaborators..I realised that there were six people I could rely on almost every time. They are generous people who will readily accept any request, and yet they are also capable people who will not yield to any difficulty. Until now, these six people had been chosen as collaborators at different times, but one day, they all finally joined forces. That was when I was trying to conquer the temple in the sky. The Aerial Temple is a very dangerous place, so I called in all six of my most reliable collaborators. As a result, we achieved more than ever before. Strangely enough, the six collaborators and I, who invited them, were able to stay close to each other as if we were all old friends. This was not only in our lives, but also in our cooperation in battle. It is no exaggeration to say that we were able to fight without fear, no matter how strong the enemy. Were probably the seven most like-minded people in the world. Not that anyone ever said so, but probably all of us thought so. Since then, we have often acted together as these seven. This was the beginning of the The Seven Meteors. After that, we became renowned as adventurers at a rapid pace, and soon made our abilities known all over the world. The division of roles, which at first seemed random, gradually became clearer and clearer, and when I started inviting new collaborators every time, for some reason I was given the incomprehensible nickname of The Illusion King. Everything seemed to be going well. Butevery glory comes with an end. Originally, we were a group of people who liked to live freely. However, when we were working as the The Seven Meteors, the colour of the eyes of those around us gradually changed. Even if monsters appear, this city is safe because the The Seven Meteors is here. Why dont we leave the dangerous requests to the The Seven Meteors? Here and there, such voices could be heard. At first, I felt reasonably happy to be relied upon by someone .Before long, they began to enjoy the days of being protected by us. The adventurer party The Seven Meteors is a world-famous organisation. The common perception of us is not limited to one city or country. People all over the world have come to look at us in that way. All six of us are free spirits. The thing we hate the most is restraint. And yet, we found ourselves restrained by the rest of the world. Then one day. One day, just as we were leaving the town for an adventure, an incident occurred where monsters attacked the town. The residents were helpless against the rampaging monsters, and the town was destroyed in a big way. After the monsters left. When we returned from our adventures, the people of the city bombarded us with This is what happens when you leave the city! Why didnt you stay here? It was a storm of abuse. When I heard their words, I thought it was over. Security in the city is not our responsibility. So this is a complete shift of responsibility. But then I realised that we were recognised on a global scale as an organisation that people could shift their blame. Wherever we go, we have a similar experience. People thought of the The Seven Meteorslike convenient heroes. That too, Im sure, without realising it. Thats why I made up my mind. When the adventure was over and each of us had settled down. I called the six of them and announced my decision. I think Ill disbandThe Seven Meteors once and for all. Towards the six of them, I told them. Originally, we should have been able to live as we liked. But lately, we cant do that becauseweve stuck out too much. Yes. We were too strong. The six of them are better without me. If the six of them demonstrate outstanding coordination, there is no one who can follow them. In order to further develop our skills, I also invited lecturers from all over the world and took on every request that could serve as a springboard. As a result, we became too strong. We became too.. Prominent. So a significant notoriety tax has arisen. Lets give it some time. Tell everyone what you think of yourself. Surely there are a lot of great people in this world besides us. Givenenough time, theyll be as famous as we are I knew it because I had a lot of information. We became famous because we made a name for ourselves with great momentum. But if we waited a while, others would rise one after another. Then. Whenthe rest of the world says, [We dont need you now], well get together again. Until then, this is our goodbye. We decided to go our separate ways. This is the flow of the The Seven Meteors, from its origins to its dissolution. I dont want you to get the wrong idea, Im not really tired of being an adventurer. Its just that when you work with the members of The Seven Meteors you inevitably stand out. That was no good. Thats why we decided to hide our true identities for a while and work separately. We believe that eventually, a party that surpasses us will appear.. Well, it didnt quite live up to expectations. A year has now passed since then. The fame of the The Seven Meteors is still undiminished, and no party has appeared to follow in our footsteps. There are some things that just cant be understood from the perspective of the parties involved. We didnt think that the The Seven Meteors would have had such an impact on the world. We were stronger than we thought we were and people respected us. After the party broke up, I was going to split up with my friends and travel on my own for a while. However, one day, Lloyd, a member of the The Seven Meteors, suddenly decided to accompany me for the very fluffy reason that [it would be more fun to be with the Ned]. This is how my journey turned into a babysitting trip. After that, the party that was created around me and Lloyd was the Stardust Light. The name is a cheap and simple one, as it is said that if a meteor breaks up and splits into pieces, it is stardust. Lloyd, who is addicted to helping others, a warrior who is only interested in fighting strong opponents, a wizard who would even cross the barrier of ethics for knowledge, and a monk who can only use resuscitation and has no interest in anything other than resuscitation. The members of Stardust Light were all as individualistic as The Seven Meteors. However, because they were only outstanding in terms of their abilities, they were able to gradually make a name for themselves as they somehow held the reins of power. They say there is a fine line between a fool and a genius, but perhaps there is also a fine line between a hero and a problem child. If that party were to follow in the footsteps of the The Seven Meteors in the future, the Stardust Light, modified, would be the first candidate for the hero party of the Kingdom of Intail. In reality, they are just a group of problem children, but I think they will eventually catch up, if only in terms of name recognition. Ned, over here!. I hear Princess Rushias voice, and thats when I switch my thoughts. Walking through the corridors of the royal castle, I looked at Princess Rushia next to me. Compared to the friends of the The Seven Meteors andStardust Light, Princess Rushia is like an honours student. Yesterday. After defeating the Poisonous Demon Dragon, we immediately returned to the Royal Castle and spent the day resting. And today, I was staying in a guest room in the royal castle when Lucilla told me that [Father wants to talk to you]. Thus I am now on my way to the audience chamber with Princess Rushia. But why am I being summoned by the king? Of course, its about the Poisonous Demon Dragon, isnt it? Well, thats that, I agree. The king of the kingdom of Intail originally asked me to defeat the poisonous demon dragon. There must be a lot of questions he wants to ask me. I hope the. story wont be too long, I think inwardly. Princess Rushia. How is dragonisation disease progressing? No more problems!I havent had any seizures since then, and I can control my dragonification powers freely now! like this! Princess Rushia shows the dragonisation of her right arm from the wrist upwards. The claws of the dragon suddenly appeared and I let out a startled [Ooo]. I didnt think that I would be able to use the power of the dragon so casually. Princess Rushia says with a smile. The news that the poisonous demon dragon had been defeated had already spread throughout the country. At the same time, it was also made public that Princess Rushia was suffering from the dragonisation disease. The people trust this information and are in the process of chewing on it, as theWhite Dragon Chivalric Orderare the witnesses. Even after you have slain that dragon, you will still have periodic cravings to dragonise. However, you wont suffer as much as you have in previous fits, and you can tolerate it for a few days or so. From now onwards, you should make it a habit to dragonise your body during your morning stretches. Mm, I shall do that. But now that you mention it, why does Ned know so much about the dragonification disease? Because besides Princess Rushia, I know other people with Dragon Disease. You really are a man of many faces. No wonder youre not scared, Rushia mutters. We reached the audience chamber as we were having a conversation. When the door opened, a man with a kind face was seated in a large chair. His hair was rather long and he had intelligent-looking eyes. His wrinkles were less chiselled and he looked younger overall. Thank you for coming The kings first words were uttered in a calm tone of voice. But it is somehow powerful and echoes through the audience chamber. He is a man with a different aura from the king of the Kingdom of Intail. Next to Princess Rushia, I bow my head. As I wait for the kings words, I wonder what his business is. Rushia, stand aside. The king told Rushia to leave the room. Because her face was lowered, Rushias expression was not visiblebut I could guess Rushia was troubled and left the audience chamber with an anxious gait. The silence stalls. As I continued to bow my head, the king eventually let out a small exhale as if he had been distracted. Raise your head. Like my daughter, I dont like a stuffy atmosphere. Haa. I raise my head as I am told. Compared to earlier, the kings expression was softer. It seems that he really meant what he said when he said that he did not like the formal atmosphere. My name is Laumann Enuvidia. Sorry to call you so early in the morning. (饦ޥ󣽥`̥ӥǥ) In a friendly manner, Wang says. Ned WolkinterThank you for defeating the Poisonous Demon Dragon. To be honest, I didnt think youd be able to defeat it. thank you. But if youre thanking me, you should be thanking White Dragon Chivalric Order and Rushia, not me. .. You are a humble man. Perhaps Princess Rushia told him the details of the incident. Even so, in the end, I hardly took part in the battle at all. The person who should be praised the most for this incident is Rushia, who broke out of her shell and went to the battlefield. Youve heard from my daughter. I was willing to sell your life for the sake of my own personal or amiability. you have every right to resent me. With a sombre look on his face, the king told me. His sombre look could not have been an act. I am sure that this man was tormented by remorse, just as Rushia was when she tried to detain me. Its a complicated feeling, but a single life of a stranger can avert a diplomatic row between countries. Anyone in His Majestys position would do the same. The king smiles unreliably. Its not a matter of apology, but Im really sorry. I, too, was in a hurry. The king bowed his head. Rarely does a king show such sincerity towards a mere commoner. But I was more interested in what the king said than in his attitude. In a hurry?For what? The demands of the Kingdom of Intail is simple. Within a week, he must order me to clash with the Poisonous Demon Dragon. .The deadline seems short, but with the kings power, it would be that easy to achieve. All he has to do is have the knights under his command take me into custody and take me to the nest of the Poisonous Demon Dragon. Its nothing to be in a hurry about. Was the king in a hurry tokill the poison demon dragon? If so, it must be You knew from the very beginning that Rushia was suffering from dragonification disease Say no more. The king interrupted my words with a slightly regretful look, perhaps realising his own gaffe. My lip is pursed and I look again at the face of the man sitting in the luxurious chair. It is the face of a king who bears the fate of his country, but at the same time it is the face of a father who cares for hisdaughter. My daughter is a sweet girl. She cant accept that someone else will get hurt for her. So, thats why I have to feign ignorance Thats how it is. Just as the head maid, Hersha, was aware of Rushias dragonisation disease..this king was aware of it from the beginning. The king is right, Rushia refuses to let others get hurt because of her. If I said, [I will organise a coalition army to cure the dragonisation disease and defeat the poisonous demon dragons], Rushia would definitely try to stop me. If there are any deaths in that battle, Rushia will think that someone died because of her, and she will be severely depressed. That is why the king pretended to know nothing about the dragonisation disease. That way, at least, it wouldnt be a burden to Rushia. I understand the situation. The king was impatient. The king knew that Rushias dragon sickness is progressing rapidly Thats why they put their hopes in me. I knew it would be impossible, but I had no choice but to do so. What do you want for your reward? The king abruptly cut in. My daughter has told me of your exploits. So there is no need to be modest..is there anything you want? I was only slightly troubled by this question before answering. If so, please exchange contact details. .. contact details? If I need to discuss anything in the future, I will communicate with your majesty Of course, I will take care not to interfere with your official duties. When he told her this, the king laughed. My daughter told me.that a man called Ned has tremendous contacts Hearing those words, I smiled too. Thats my weapon of choice. When I left the audience chamber, Rushia approached me with a worried look on her face. How are you?Are you injured or anything like that? Injured? You dont get hurt in a discussion. Thats true, but Im sureNed has a grudge against my father, and I thoughtthe worst that could happen would be a fistfight. Thats quite a leap of faith. I chuckled. Unfortunately, Im not much of a fighter, so I rarely do that sort of thing. I understand my weaknesses as much as I hate them. Im not willing to put my body on the line just for the sake of being gloomy. Besides, I think Rushias father is a good king. When I told her this, Rushia rolled her eyes and then made a happy face. OCof course! After all, he is my father! Rushia said proudly with her chest out. That king was carrying out his duties as the head of a country and his feelings as a father. I dont think there is any mistake in that order of priority. It was inconvenient for me, but in return I received his contact details, so all the complexities are now gone. A lot had happened over the defeat of the Poisonous Demon Dragon, but I think Rushia also respected her father in her heart. Seeing her with a cheerful expression on her face, I realised once again, the mess of the past few days had been successfully cleared up. Ned, there you are. Suddenly, a voice calls out to me from behind. I look and see May coming towards me from the other side of the corridor at a brisk pace. On the way, she notices Rushia next to me and stops in front of us to bow. Good morning, Your Highness Rushia. Mm. Good morning. After the brief greeting, I noticed that May was holding something like a booklet. May, what is that in your hand? Its this mornings newspaper. I brought it to show you. Me? Aaa. There are three interesting articles in the paper. Three? Tilting my head, I take the newspaper. I read them in order, starting with the article with the most prominent headline. Defeating the Poisonous Demon Dragon!The power of the dragon in Her Highness Rushia! Well, I knew this would blow up. After all, the poisonous dragon is a common threat to neighbouring countries. Therefore, the defeat of the Poisonous Demon Dragon is a pleasant fact for all countriesOstensibly. Now the Poison Demon Dragons wont be used for political purposes. Muttering in a small voice, Rushia and May nodded silently. Perhaps some foreign countries, like the Kingdom of Intail this time, were planning to use the poisonous dragon for political purposes. However, by defeating the Poisonous Demon Dragon, we were able to prevent them from doing so. The Kingdom ofEnuvidia was able to overcome its international weakness of the poisonous dragon. It is no exaggeration to say that this is a great achievement. I continued to the second article. The strongest ranking of mankind, supervised by the Great Sage and the Wisdom King. The article was lined with the names of a hundred people. It was familiar to me and Rushia. I knew it. My name is in it too. The article described it as a historical collaboration between the Great Sage and the King of Wisdom. However, it stated that there was no information on how this ranking was created or the intent of the ranking. Of course, no information about me was also mentioned. For many people, this article will be both interesting and strange. Butlike the first article, wouldnt such an article make Her Highness too conspicuous?I have a feeling that this will lead to a number of people wanting to borrow Her Highnesss power. May voices her concern. For Rushia, who is afraid of fighting, the request to join the battle is a heavy burden. Perhaps Rushia has only now realised this fact, and her expression has changed from the cheerful expression she had earlier to a fear one. However I dont think so. Read carefully here I pointed to the first article. The end of the article. The concluding part is read aloud by May. According to Riese Von Aldiana, leader of White Dragon Chivalric Order, after Her Highness Rushia returned to human form after defeating the poisonous demon dragon, she cried a lot. She cried out that she was afraid of fighting, and looked like a child of no more than a year old Wha-wCwha-wha-whaCwhatt a thing to write!!! Rushias face turned red and she exclaimed. If its been written this far, no one would think of letting Rushia to join in any fight. Gunnuthat may be so, but doesnt this make me look like a wimp!! You really are. Munu!!! Rushia had a very complicated look on her face. The article made it public that Rushia is not very good at fighting, to the point of tears. This should bring public opinion to some extent on her side. In the unlikely event that someone tries to invite her to fight, there will be an outcry of [Poor, poor Your Highness!] I had asked Riese beforehand to answer that way if she was interviewed by journalists. There is no problem if May, me and the others know about it, but it would be better to keep it a secret. Ned. Look at the third article. May told me and I read the third big headline. The content there has a big impact on me. Kingdom of Intail, Hero party disbanded. According to the article, the king of the Kingdom of Intale declared so yesterday. It must have been a fairly swift process, because it was published this morning in a newspaper in another country, the Kingdom of Enuvidia. I see. Apparently, the hero party Stardust Light is being disbanded. What should I do? Should I get in touch with them again and join up with them? No. I dont have to do that, do I? Because those guys, now that theyve set off on their journey, they wont be back for a while. [Since weve gone all this way, we are going to go all the way to the Demon Kings Castle!] Theyre likely to say something like that without a care in the world. As far as I know, this is the first time a party of heroes has disbanded so quickly. Rushia, peering into the newspaper next to me, said. The content of the article is also highly critical of the Kingdom of Intail. Come to think of it, the Kingdom of Enuvidia hasnt sent a hero party yet, has it? Umu, for our country, the poisonous demon dragons were more of a threat than the demon king. Rushia replies. The Poisonous Demon Dragon was a threat, which means Umu!The Kingdom of Enuvidia will also start recruiting hero parties now! Rushia said somewhat happily. So, Ned. I have a favour to ask you. A favour? I had a questionable look at the sudden suggestion. Rushia smiles fearlessly and tells me. I want you to be a member of the jury for the selection test for the Hero Party! A judge for the selection test. I couldnt help but chuckle at the suggestion that had unexpectedly rolled in. If I accept this proposal, I, who was trying to be a hero, even if only for a time, will now be on the side of choosing a hero. It is indeed an ironic life. But strangely, I dont feel bad about it. Thats probably because Im happy with the way Im living now. Whats this? I didnt feel unfulfilled as much as I thought I would. I dont feel depressed or sad. One of the reasons for this is probably the girl in front of me. I cant be a hero. I cant be the hero who saves the world. However, I can at least give a helping hand to a girl in need. Thats enough for me. I feel rewarded just by seeing Rushias smile in front of me. Just having her laugh in front of me makes me feel rewarded. I dont have to carry the world on my back to make people proud. . Im sure Ill meet all sorts of people again. Rushias eyes sparkled as she nodded her head. Afterword. This is Sakaishi Yuusaku. Thank you for picking up this book. This novel is about a protagonist who fights with his connections as a weapon. I dont know how old you are as you read this page now, but it wasnt until I was an adult that I realised that networking is a weapon! When I was a student, I did not think that networking was a weapon. There was usually at least one popular person in my class who had a lot of friends, but when I looked at him or her from the side, I only felt that [well, it must be useful to know many people and it must be fun to be able to enjoy with many different people]. Even when I was a university student looking for a job, I was often told, [Networking is important!] I succeeded in my job search without realising the importance of networking. I remember talking to a friend of mine, [I dont need any networking!] However, since becoming a writer, there have been many occasions when I have realised the importance of networking. Writers are basically sole traders, so if you want to exchange information, you have to start by building a relationship with someone. This is different from a salaried worker. For me, this was the first time I really became aware of networking, and I found it more gratifying than I had imagined when I started to build a network. Not only did they exchange information, but they also supported me in many situations, such as chatting about new topics and gaining inspiration, playing together to relieve stress, and helping me with my work, which I could not do in my existing relationships. Maybe its hard to appreciate human connections until you actually get them. This work came about naturally because I have recently had many opportunities to feel, [Wow, networking is more important than I thought]. Nowadays, the word [connections] sometimes gives a bad impression, but I think that if you get to know people in the right way, they can be a very valuable and cool thing to have. I hope that through this novel I can convey this appeal to you. I think networking is a very cool weapon. Acknowledgements. I would like to thank everyone involved in the writing of this work, including the editorial team and reviewers, for their assistance in the writing of this work, and thank you, Noy Sensei, for creating the wonderful illustrations. I am very happy that you drew not only attractive characters but also backgrounds that respect the world view. Finally, I would like to express my greatest appreciation to everyone who has picked up this book. Volume 2 - CH 1.1 Prologue 2 Translated by SoundDestiny Edited by SoundDestiny Two weeks had passed since the defeat of the Poisonous Demon Dragon. I woke up in my bed at the inn called Wind Dragon Fountain Pavilion, washed my face, changed my clothes and went to the dining room. Ned-san. Good morning. Oh, good morning, Risha. I had a brief conversation with Risha, a waitress who works at the inn. I see Risha almost every morning at the same time, so she knows me by name. In addition, we are the same age, so she is easy to talk to. The inn is an old-fashioned wooden structure, but it is comfortable. The food is delicious, and the waiters are very friendly. I think I was right to ask the regulars of the Adventurers Guild for their recommendations. I will probably stay at this inn for the rest of my stay in the Kingdom of Enuvidia. Are you going to the Adventurers Guild today? No, Ill be somewhere else for today. Ned-san, you show up at a lot of places besides the guild, dont you? Are you working on.something else? Well, yes. I just do some light chores aside from the Adventurers Guild to earn some money. I see..Take care of yourself, will you?You seem to be busy every day. Im doing better though. Compared to the time when I was required to slay a poisonous demon dragon, I have a much easier life now than when I was adventuring with a group of friends who had one or two peculiar behaviours. Im just grateful that Im getting enough sleep. Oh, by the way, the other day I received a message from an adventurer, Zagan-san. He asked if you could introduce me to one of your vanguards for the dungeon attack. Okay, Ill get back to you laterZagan, huh? If theres a vanguard that fits that guys style, its Warren or Noct. If he wants to recruit party members, I feel it would be quicker to rely on the guild than me, but apparently this kind of consultation has been increasing recently. I dont feel bad. These small steps eventually lead to a reliable network of contacts. After filling my stomach, I head out into town. The Kingdom of Enuvidia is a large country. The royal capital, the hub of the kingdom, was bustling with activity from morning onwards. On the way to my destination, I stopped at a general shop. Welcome. Id like to buy a newspaper. The man who owns the shop replies [Aight] and takes out a newspaper. As I take out some coins, I take a quick look at the goods on display in the shop. Sorry if Im imagining things, but the selection of goods is strangely skewed. Ohh, you seem to know. The truth is, Ive recently run out of stationery stocking routes. Im trying to find some but I can introduce you to some merchants if you like. He should be in town tomorrow. Oh, really?Thank you!In return, Ill give you a 50% discount on that newspaper! I bought the newspaper at half the usual price and gave the shopkeeper the merchants name and contact details. It was time to head off to work. Leaving the general shop, I walked straight ahead along the paved cobbles and saw a large castle. I lightly bade the guards, whom I have spoken to a few times, and entered the castle. It seems that they recognise me enough to give me a face pass. Its not so bad getting this treatment, Ive been to this castle several times before I defeated the poisonous demon dragons. Youve arrived When I reached the small parlour, a blue-haired knight C May C smiled at me. The silver-haired girl who was drinking tea next to her also put her cup on the table and looked at me. Ive been waiting for you, Ned! Sorry, Rushia. I came a little bit late. Its okay. Im sure youve been helping people again, Ned. It was a hard word to affirm, so I smiled to cover it up. To the casual observer, it might be helping people. But its still just complacency on my part. I told you before, you are welcome to stay at the castle. After all, you are a benefactor to me and my country. I am flattered by your kindness, but I must refrain. I feel more at home at the inn. I am an adventurer after all. When I said this, Rushia laughed and said, [Thats right, isnt it?] Well then, lets get this meeting started. Rushia took one look at the clock on the wall and nodded happily. Umu. The subject for today is the selection test for the Hero Party. Having defeated the Poisonous Demon Dragon, the Kingdom of Enuvidia can now afford to do many things. Several diplomatic relations that had been interrupted have been restored, and the power that had been devoted to monitoring the poisonous dragon can now be allocated to other areas. The formation of a heroic party is the best example of this. That is why it must be done carefully. This is a step towards a new era for the Kingdom of Aenebidia, which has escaped the threat of the poisonous demon dragon. Last time, we heard incessantly from Ned about heroic parties in other countries. But in the end, the characteristics of the heroic parties were on a case-by-case basis. Well, yes. The status and values appropriate for a brave man differ from country to country. I nodded to Mays words and said. Suddenly, an entity called the Demon King appears in the world and threatens mankind with countless monsters. The heroic parties are warriors dispatched by each country to fight against them. A party can have at most seven members, and each country can only dispatch one party. There are no rules, but as the heroic parties travel around the world, it is preferable that they are small and not too expensive. Another reason is that if too many people are allocated to a hero party, the countrys armed forces will be stretched too thin. Besides, . head count is useless in front of the demon king. The fact of the matter is that the Demon King and the monsters that follow him are so strong that even the most skilled adventurers are no match for them. Therefore, the heroic party is an honour that only a handful of strong men are allowed to carry, and it is no exaggeration to say that they are the representatives of the country. However, it is not just a matter of being strong. The heroic party must be supported by a large number of citizens, as they set out on a journey to defeat the Demon King on behalf of the country. In the Kingdom of Intail, where I was from, adventurers were not criticised for becoming heroes. However, in the neighbouring Imperial Kingdom, for example, where civility and lineage are valued, knights with the right education and training, rather than beaten-up adventurers, serve as members of the heroic party. The characteristics of the heroic parties varied from country to country. I ask you once again, what abilities are you two looking for in a hero? To my question, it was May who answered first. Strength, to say the least. In the end, we want them to fight the Demon King. We cant choose someone who doesnt seem to be able to defeat the Demon King as a hero. Thats a fair point. Nodding, Rushia then stated. No matter how strong you are, you cannot be selfish. I want you to be aware of the country and people who support you. In this view, the heroic party of the Kingdom of Intail could be considered an exception. Those guys were rampaging around with their own selfishness until the very end. That one was clean and charismatic, but if they cant be controlled, they will be a burden to the country. Thats why we gave up on them early. The reason why each country dispatches a brave party is partly the cause of defeating the Demon King, but it is also undeniable that there is a business aspect to it. The reason why each country dispatches a brave party is partly the cause of defeating the Demon King, but it is also undeniable that there is a business aspect to it. When a party of heroes from their own country defeats the Demon King, a huge economic effect will be generated. However, if more money is spent than that, it will be a failure as a business. What do you think, Ned? Well, I think.. It reminds me of the brave men and women I know. What kind of hero I knew..what was the hero I could not be? A..human being. A simple conclusion came to me. No matter how strong you are, you cry when you are sad and laugh when you have fun. I think that kind of person deserves to be a hero. At least, all the heroes I knew were like that. Even though they were people who stood up to the Demon King, sometimes they cried and sometimes they laughed. That kind of humanity is surely an element that attracts the masses. However I dont mean to say this myself, but its not something that can be assessed in an examination. Umu. But I agree with the opinions from Ned. A Hero is a representative of the people. Therefore, they must understand the feelings of the people. May seemed to agree and gave a small nod. There are plenty of people who are simply strong. Thats exactly what all the guys on this ranking are. Saying this, I spread the newspaper I had bought at the grocery shop on the table. The ranking of the strongest humans that I made to persuade Rushia beforeis still talked about all over the world, apparently. Thanks to this, for the past week, the newspapers have been constantly carrying the rankings. Its a bit late for this, but cant we assemble a hero party together using the power of Ned? No, of course not, and Im not going to rely on you to give it up either. Im just asking about the possibilities. I thought for a moment and replied to May, who said while looking at the rankings. Its a delicate point. If a person is suitable to be a hero, he must be a suitably competent person, but..usually such a person is in a special position. No one wants to be in a party of heroes from another country. May made a disappointed face. I smile lightly at her. In any case, the people wont be convinced that I personally chose the members. I think the hero party of this country should be chosen by Rushia, the representatives of this country. Thats true too. May is convinced. The selection test for the Hero Party is also meant to be a presentation to the people. At any rate, the hero party will be the representatives of the country, no less than the royal family. The people need to be convinced that if they have survived such an examination, they can represent the country. We have to conduct that kind of test. Speaking of which, Ned. I have a question about these rankings Rushia said, pointing to a newspaper spread on the table. Mays white fingers, with their nails neatly clipped, are placed on top of the strongest ranking of mankind. What is this Yggdrasil?There are two people with the same surname in the ranking. . I was only a moment too late in replying to that question. Its okayneither Rushia nor May noticed my discomfort. I pushed down my agitation and answered. who knows. They must have a big family. The meeting continued for several hours afterwards. After the meeting I left the castle and visited the Adventurers Guild alone. This time I did not visit to receive a request. I had a quick chat with the receptionist and headed upstairs to the private room I had reserved. Ive been waiting for you, Ned. When I entered the room, a blonde woman in pure white armour looked at me. Riese Von Aldiana. She is the leader of the White Dragon Chivalric Order, the most famous adventurer party in the country. Youre as lovely as ever. Come here, come here. Let me pat you on the head. Only you can say such a thing, Rises. oi, stop, dont touch me. Dont be so reserved. If you went to the trouble of choosing a private room, this is what you were expecting, wasnt it?I was expecting a lot of stuff, by the way. As if! Just get away from me. Aah!? I forcibly distance myself from Riese. Rieses existence level is 6, whereas mine is 1. Essentially, my physical abilities should be no match for Riese at all, but..somehow, Riese doesnt do anything that the other person doesnt want to do. Ive been looking forward to this for so long ..youre being childish. For a moment, I thought, [Cant I allow it for a little bit of that?] But I soon came to my senses. I chose the private room because I wanted to talk to you about these rankings. Saying this, I spread the newspaper on the table, which I had just shown to Rushia and the others. However, Riese does not look at the newspaper, but looks gainfully surprised. I suppose, its about Yggdrasil. right? The loose air disappears. The air is no longer relaxed. The darkness that lurks in the Amdo Empire, the secret society Yggdrasil. Im the one who commissioned the creation of therankings, but I never thought their name would come to light so brazenly and so openly. (ɵ۹) Wasnt this ranking supervised by the Great Sage Merlin and Lucas, the King of Wisdom? Thats also a difficult opponent to.. rein in. Aaa. They know everything, but they dont care about the value of their knowledge. To them, Yggdrasil is not a secret society, its just another organisation. Often, one should not expect a common-sense attitude from a race of geniuses. If I had had more time, I might have been able to hold the reins, but at the time I was in a hurry to persuade Rushia. In fact, if Rushia had arrived just a little later in the fight against the Poisonous Demon Dragon, we could have been wiped out. It was the best decision at that stage to let the Great Sage and the Wisdom King work in a groove, without controlling them. Besides, my intentions were not involved in the matter of the rankings being released to the public. Maybe someone close to those two people got a whiff of the scoop and wrote the articleTheyre working very fast. Thanks to that, Im in a bit of trouble now. Yggdrasil is an illegal organisation based in the Amdo Empire. I have heard that its aim is to develop weapons to help defeat the Demon King, but theactual situation has not been made public. The only thing that is clear is that its activities include inhumane experimentation. The beginning of the project was a mere coincidence. A soldier from the Amdo Empire overheard a conversation between Yggdrasil members in the camp. Hearing that the prisoners were to be used for human experimentation, the soldier immediately reported the matter to his superiors, who later executed him and his superiors for espionage. But one cannot put a door in anothers mouth. The Amdo Empire seems to have prevented the leakage of information, but a small number of people have escaped surveillance and passed information on to others. Originally, there had been a number of unexplained incidents in the vicinity of the Empire. Large numbers of corpses were dumped deep in the mountains. The appearance of a new species of monster that may have been artificially created. A succession of prominent scholars went missing, and the remains of research facilities were sometimes discovered. It is rumoured that Yggdrasil may be the culprit behind them. However, even so, there is no record of the Empire seriously investigating Yggdrasil. In other words, Yggdrasil is a powerful organisation within the Empire. There have been several people who contacted Yggdrasil in the past to ascertain the truth. However, not all of them returned alive. In some cases, they were found in a state of utter disrepair. As a result of a series of such cases, the notoriety of that organisation has spread among adventurers and citizens throughout the land. Dont get involved with YggdrasilIt is common knowledge for those who know the world to a certain extent. But now that its name is on the rankings, someone might provoke them. I would like.Riese to casually appease those people. I understand. Im still confident in my ability to speak out on this. I think you were right to turn to me. Its not just about speaking out. I trust Riese. Thats why I relied on her. Until now, only a few people knew the name Yggdrasil. Rushia and May, of course, and most adventurers dont know it either. His Majesty the King might know it, but in short, it is a name that is known only to those who are powerful enough to stand alongside the king of a country and those who are in a special position to know it. Personally, I find that organisation ominous.. Please take care of them. When I told her this, Lese made a pretence of thinking[Hmmm] From the looks of it, it looks like the rumours are true. Rumours? When I asked her back, Riese replied with a mysterious look on her face. Yggdrasil is the only organization that The Illusion King cannot reach. I hear there are whispers of such things among those who know aboutNed. Such a thing being whispered about? I let out a sigh and nodded. I dont know who started the rumour, butits true. I suppose there have been instances where someone has made contact? And yet Ned cant make contact, which is quite unusual. Aaa. Thats why its ominous. I dont know if I can successfully verbalise this feeling. But if I were to dare to tell you I kind of feel liketheyre avoiding me. Ive never thought about making contact with them, either, but that organisations wariness towards me feels a bit special. In the past, for various reasons, I had investigated Yggdrasil. But there were no results at all. The only reason I could see Yggdrasils name in this ranking is because I had no intention of investigating that organisation. If the means and the end had been reversed, this would not have happened. If the ranking had been created from the beginning to investigate Yggdrasil, their names would surely not have been listed. Does this mean Yggdrasil is being extra vigilant about Ned? Not in that..sense. I think of the heroes who are omnipresent in this world. Riese, for example, or Rushia, for example, or my former comrades, Lloyd. They may be wary of them but is there any reason to be wary of me alone? Its complicated. Riese mumbled with a pout. You are often looked down upon because of your abilities and personality. Its a very complicated feeling to know that Yggdrasil is the only one who is particularly aware of Ned. I dont know what those people think of me though. I hope they dont see me as an enemy. I myself am nothing special, just an ordinary guy. Yggdrasils wariness of me could well be just a misunderstanding. Anyway, I ask you to be vigilant. The selection examinations for the brave party will be starting soon, and when that happens, security against the outside world will be weakened for the sake of gathering candidates. Alright. Theres only so much an adventurer can do, but Ill report back to you as soon as I can. Riese nodded seriously. By the way, Ned. Changing the subject, it seems youre helping with the selection tests for the hero party, right? Aaa. The princess of this country said: I want to rely on your experience, having travelled to many countries around the world! . A sound decision. You think so? Im not going to be much help if Im there, but. Youre good at building parties, arent you?Not only the The Seven Meteors, but the Intail Kingdom party you used to be a part of is also quite prominent. Its a topic I dont like to hear about. As I frowned, Riese continued happily. Was it Stardust Light?Its the talk of the town among adventurers. Just the other day they managed to take down a giant monster that was said to eat mountains. ..instead of blowing up a whole mountain. Thats bold. Thats a very Ned thing. What does that mean? If theres a mountain-eating monster,they would say it plainly, [Lets blow up the whole mountain!] And they will do it. The king of the Kingdom Of Intail is lucky to have cut them off. ..Well, even if they werent a heroic party, theyd still be doing the same thing. What are you going to do for the selection test for the Hero Party? Thats a secret, but well, I can tell Riese. In deciding on the content of the examinations, I have been given a certain amount of discretion directly from Rushia, the princess of this country. I might ask Riese to help me later on, and it would be good to share the information with her now. I told her about the tests I had discussed with Rushia and the others just a few minutes ago and decided on. The first test is a simple interview. The brave party is often in the line of fire as representatives of the country. We need to be able to communicate at the very least. Thats a fair point. When you form an adventuring party, thats something to take into account. Riese and I know what Im talking about because we both are and were in an adventuring party. Adventurers are involved with all kinds of people. Guild officials, clients, local collaborators and many more. Building a good relationship with them is important in order to accomplish a request. The heroic party performs more work involving other people than the adventurers. I dont want to select people who have communication difficulties. The second test is a battle royal. They will be divided into two blocks and they will all fight amongst them until there are only ten parties left. It suddenly got radical. Strength is essential for a heroic party. Incidentally, this battle royal will be open to the public, so perhaps the Adventurers Guild will be asked to provide security. Of course, the national guards will be mobilised, but they probably wont have enough manpower. The people are now very excited by the defeat of the poisonous dragon. This is where the selection test for the Hero Party will be held. A large crowd is expected to gather. If youre short on manpower, I can lend you the White Dragon Chivalric Order again, like I did with the Poisonous Demon Dragon. ..Dont be so casual about it. Its not casual. I say this because of the trust we have built up. That being said, its hard for me to refrain from doing so too. But Im not going to be that reserved with Riese, either. So, after the battle royal, were going to have a final exam. After telling her that much, I shut my mouth once and retracted my words. Lets keep the details of thefinal exam under wraps yet. I havent worked out the details yet. Whats the matter? Is it a special test? Yes, its special. It is special and ..also dangerous. But its the perfect test if we want to pick a hero party. At the end of the day, its a bold test. The people will probably be divided on the subject. But we thought the test was the right one to choose the bravest of the brave. From what Ive heard about the exam, theres only one strong candidate that I know of. At this murmur, I looked at Rieses face. Riese pours her gaze into the void and tells me, remembering the past. Shes an adventurer named SerenDuvalis. In this country, she will be the most famous adventurer after me. (󣽥ǥХꥹ) I have heard of his name. An adventurer who uses the power of thunder, with an existence strength of five. Quite an intelligence network,Ned. Rushia laughed. Seren was once called my favourite rival. However, since I chose the path of fighting alongside my friends as the head of a party and Seren chose the path of mastering her strength as an individual, it is not an easy comparisonIf it were a simple comparison of strength, she might be stronger. that sounds promising. To have Riese say that much, she can certainly be counted as a strong candidate. For my part, Id welcome her with open arms. I hope a good and brave man will show up. Well then, its time for me to leave. Saying this I put the newspaper away and stood up. What, do you still have more plans? Ive been asked to introduce adventurers for a dungeon raid. Ill try to find a suitable one while Im at the guild. This is the story that Risha told me this morning at the inn. Since Im here, I might as well get it over with. Ned. When do the selection trials start? Were working out the details of the dates, butits roughly two months from now. When he replied, Riese let out an exhale of admiration for some reason. By then, your connections will have taken over the kingdom. Dont be so good at listening to people. I let out a sigh as Riese laughed happily. Volume 2 - CH 1.2 The Hero Party Selection Examination Translated by SoundDestiny Edited by SoundDestiny Through repeated meetings, we were able to work out the details of the test. Of course, it was not only me, May and Rushia also took part in the meetings. In the end, His Majesty the King and many other nobles discussed the contents of the test, the funds and environment that had to be prepared accordingly. Having shaken off the dark clouds that had been hanging over it for years with the defeat of the poisonous demon dragon, the country is now generous in its investment in the future. The budget is spent accordingly and the workload of the nobles has increased dramatically, but everyone was looking forward to the birth of the hero party. Then, two months later, on the day of the examinations. Many candidates had gathered in the square in front of the Royal Castle. roughly, seventy parties? The Kingdom of Enuvidia had been telling the world for more than a month that it was officially recruiting Hero parties. As a result, seventy-four parties gathered here. The number of candidates is comparable to the selection tests in other countries, isnt it? Aaa, it does. In a corner of the square, looking at the assembled parties, May next to me replied awkwardly. May, are you nervous? OCof course I am! The selection of the hero party is the most important thing for the future of our country! And yet, I never thought that a young girl like me would be the director. Its proof that Rushia trusts you. Youre in good hands, director. Uuu In the first place, this examination was held at Rushias initiative. If that were the case, it could be expected that May, Rushias close associate, would be in that suitable position, but it seems that.she herself did not envisage it at all. It is not that the king of the Kingdom of Enuvidia lacks charisma. However, Rushia is the driving force behind the defeat of the Poisonous Demon Dragon, and had gained enormous popularity among the people in the past two months. Perhaps the king considered this current trend and put his daughter in the foreground instead of himself. Butthey had to apply by party, Weve got a good turnout for that. I look at the people who have gathered and mutter. I believe it was Neds idea to recruit by party, wasnt it? Aaa. The most common way for countries to choose the members of the hero party is one at a time. But theres a drawback to that. The country chooses its own members, not theindividual, so when it comes time to form a party, there are many cases where the party members ideas clash. So, although its not very publicly known, sometimes the members of a hero party dont get on well with each other. This time, the Kingdom of Enuvidia recruited not just one hero, but a party of heroes. Many of them may not have been able to apply because of this requirement to join forces with others. However, a companion is not something that can be casually accepted with an [I understand] when told by the state to [team up with this person]. It is precisely because you are fighting a tough battle that a relationship of trust with your comrades is important. In that sense, finding a trustworthy companion can be said to be the zero-test. They should at least choose their own partner to have their back..Its easier to work together that way Old acquaintances understand each others strengths and are therefore more likely to cooperate. It is dangerous to think that..if they take their time to slowly nurture their bond. There is no guarantee that the Demon King will match the pace of humanity. When I was thinking like this, I suddenly realised that May was looking at me with a smile on her face. ..whats with that face? Nothing I just knew, it was the right thing to do to get you involved in this plan. Princess Rushias leadership was brilliant [Thank you], I reply appropriately. A large crowd had gathered on the square. All that will be done here today is to greet the candidates and explain the first test, but the spectators are still looking at the square with excitement. The birth of a hero party. They would like to enjoy this historical moment for as long as possible. Ladies and Gentlemen, you are all here today! While the candidates were leisurely watching the square next to a nervous May, Rushia appeared on the platform and greeted the candidates. In her hand, she holds a magic tool with a circular cone-shaped shape that makes her voice louder. Unlike May, Rushia did not seem nervous. She is a younger girl than me and May, but she has royal blood in her veins. Shouldnt May be ready by now? Y,Cyeah. Im off now Theres a lot of spectators there, so if you say anything strange, its going to be bad for the reputation of the Knights of the Kingsguard. Oooo, y-yCyou! Why are you saying that at this time? May walked away shaking with nervousness. Rushia stands solely as the administrator, so the role of the supervisor, May, is to explain the examinations afterwards. After this, May should be the one to give instructions to the candidates. The faces of the candidates listening to Rushias greeting were serious. Although she may look like a young girl, Rushia has a penetrating presence that is as strong as that of a grown-up. They naturally feel their spirits lifted. After Rushias speech, May stood up on the stage. Im May Ascent, the director of these examinations!First of all, let me explain the content of the exam!The schedule, as previously announced, will last for five days, including today.. Mays voice was a little shaky, but she still fulfilled her role admirably. Watching May frantically giving instructions, I cant help but smile. Looks like fun, doesnt it? Before long, Rushia approached me. Do you know anyone here? No, not a single one that Ive seen..thats why its fun. Looking at the faces of the candidates, I say. One of these guys is going to be the hero. Frankly, looking at the assembled faces, I cant imagine who will be the heroes. But that is how it is with heroes. A suitable person suddenly appears from an unexpected place. Thats why its interesting. Peoples potential is unpredictable, and thats why its fun. Ned. Once again, I would like to thank you. This selection test would not have been possible without your cooperation. I am really grateful. Dont worry about it. I get paid for itand also its my own kind of hobby. This still leaves me with plenty of money. I took the job on top of that because I thought Id enjoy it. Seeing me like this, Rushia showed a little thought. Ned. The first round of interviews, would you like to participate as an interviewer? Me? Umu! You have confidence in your ability to see people, dont you? That was the line I had said to the dragonised Rushia before. I cant deny those words. Well. When I affirmed, Rushia smiled as brightly as the sun. Well, then, I will now conduct the first round of interviews! May was chewing grandly. The venue for the first examination was a villa owned by the royal family of the Kingdom of Enuvidia. Since it is a villa and owned by the royal family, the exterior and interior are both luxurious. After passing through the well-kept gardens and entering the mansion, candidates can see a long corridor and a number of examiners. The examinees were led to the hall at the end of the corridor and instructed to wait there. In the order in which the candidates arrived, they were given wooden number cards by the examiners. The party whose number is called is led to a private room where they are likely to be interviewed. Alex. (å) As soon as they receive their number cards, their peers call out their names. Instantly, many of the candidates who had been waiting around turned to look at him. Feeling uncomfortable with all the piercing stares, the red-haired young man sighs. Dont call me names, Rygan. Well stand out. (饤) Hahaha! When youre a Class A adventurer, the fame tax is ridiculous. The one laughing boldly was Alexs party member called Rygan. There are two other members of the party right beside him. Everyone was nervous, but only Rygan seemed unconcerned. You sure you want me to be your assistant for the interview? Yeah. Ive known you the longest. The first round of interviews takes place in each party. Only two candidates can enter: the leader of the party and his assistant. Basically, the leader will be the only one to answer questions. The assistant is asked to provide only supplementary explanations. Alex has been active as an adventurer in the Kingdom of Enuvidia since he was a child. After becoming a Class A adventurer after 15 years, he became famous for a while under the name Alex the Red-Haired, and then, another six months later, he moved to another country to broaden his activities. Rygan had been a fellow adventurer since he was a young boy, even before Alex became a Class A adventurer. Therefore, they knew each other well. There is no better person to accompany him than someone who he knows well. Rygans optimistic attitude was also encouraging to Alex. But Im really surprised. I heard you were adventuring across the sea, but you suddenly came back to this country, and your first words to me after meeting me for a long time was Lets become a heroic party! So this is why. Thats enough of thatHow many times are you going to tell me the same thing? Thats how surprised I was. Somewhat happily, Rygan says. But Alec lowered his gaze. .. Rygan. Im telling you now, I have a prediction. Alex said in a small voice so that the others could not hear him. The Kingdom of Enuvidia was late in dispatching a hero party because of the mess with the poisonous demon dragons. So many people, including us, thought that this country would not dispatch a hero party. As a result, the leading warriors in this country started to aspire to a different path from being the Hero Party. Alex speaks in a hushed voice. Rygan listened in silence. S-class adventurer Riese Von Aldiana is a good example. If it werent for the poisonous demon dragons, she would surely have become the countrys hero. But she is now the leader of the White Dragon Chivalric Order, and she is in a position to organise her subordinates. She has already borne a heavy responsibility, and she can no longer be a hero. ..So in short, youre glad your original rivals disappeared across the board? Yeah. Its a shameful story, though.Unfortunately, the current Kingdom of Enuvidia does not have the immediate strength to match the heroic parties of other countries. This examination, it seems that they are recruiting from other countries as well. but it will be the same either way. Most promising people have already been recruited by other countries. Besides, inviting someone with no connection to the Kingdom of Enuvidia to join the heroic party is unlikely to attract support from the people. The applicants probably understand this. So, basically, it is rare for people from other countries to respond to the recruitment process for a hero party. This country is slow on the uptake. If they search for a hero, men and women now, using the same criteria as other countries, they will not be able to find them. So, inevitably, they have no choice but to lower the difficulty of the examinations. Thats logical, its a bit of a letdown that the first test is just an interview. Rather than cut the candidates in half with a difficult examination, they dont want to lose as many potential candidates as possible. Thats how it is. and because of the Poisonous Demon Dragon, the country is economically broke. The examinations are also limited. Theres always a chance there Rygan nodded, without any particular cloud on his face, and said [I see.] He is sure that most of the candidates are here solely because of their admiration for the hero party. Alex, on the other hand, stood here with a realistic calculation. He feels a kind of guilt. Its all right, isnt it? Luck is part of your skill. .yeah. Have a bit more confidence. Maybe the hero parties in other countries have been chosen in a similar way? Rygan is right. I should have a bit more confidence as a A-level adventurer. Seventh group, please come in! The examiner says loudly. The number seven tag was held by Alex. Lets go. Aaa. Well, if youre right, its a loose exam. Lets take it easy. Pushed by Rygans words, Alex entered the private room. Sunlight shone through the large window opposite. Against the window, five men and women were seated. The silver-haired girl in the centre is RushiaEnuvidia, the kingdoms princess. To her right sits a blue-haired knight who seems to be supervising the examinations. Further to her right sits the Prime Minister. Sitting to the left of Princess Rushia was a young man with dark hair.[Who is that young man?]Alex doesnt recognise him. He is not in the shape of a man who makes his living fighting, so even if he were an adventurer, he would be of a low rank. But he is too young to be a nobleman active at the heart of the country, like the Prime Minister. To the left of the young man C a beautiful girl with brown hair was sitting next to him. Now we will begin the interview. Princess Rushia announces the start of the interview. But Alexs eyes were glued not to Rushia, but to the girl sitting on the further left. It cant be! A shaky voice spills out. Rygan, standing next to Alex, looks worried at the confused look on his face. Oi..oi. Whats wrong Alex? No, nothing. Nevermind Alex shakes his head, but cold sweat is dripping from his forehead. According to your papers, you seem to be a Class A adventurer. Alex the Red-Haired..a name has reached my ears. Despite having an existence power of 4, youre very good on your feet, and I hear that you do more than your existence power can measure. Yes..I am honoured Alex bowed deeply. The other party is a princess of a country. It is natural to show courtesy. However, when Alexs head was bowed in a somewhat awkward motion, it looked as if fear, apart from courtesy, was hanging over him. Next to you is a B-level adventurer, Rygan, isnt it? Are the two of you partying now because youre from the same academy? Yes! Alex has chosen me to be his companion and assistant for this party! I will do my best to live up to his expectations and trust! Rygan answered in a cheerful tone of voice to the question posed by May, the examiner. He was bold and direct, as is typical of an adventurer. The impression seemed to be a good one for May, who smiled softly. Immediately afterwards, the brown-haired girl sitting on the far left opens her mouth. Alex-san, it seems that you were active as an adventurer in the Republic of Mystein until last month. What kind of request do you mainly make and take at that time? (ޥ󹲺͹) !!! Alexs eyes are flustered. A nasty sweat breaks out. Calm down, this is an interview. I have to answer the questions. Yes, for the most part, I was commissioned to take down monsters. So Im confident in my prowess. I see. You continued to hone your skills in the Republic, didnt you? Yes, I have. The brown-haired girls lips were pursed in satisfaction as Alex replied with a twitchy smile. But Alexs frustration did not disappear. The girls silenceher eyes, which seemed to see through everything was unbearable. .No. Im sorrythat was a lie. As if driven by something, Alex corrected his words in a shaky voice. Next to him, Rygans eyes widened. But Alexs mouth does not stop. The truth is, while I was in the Republic, I hardly had any adventures and lived a disordered life every.day. I never thought that this country would be recruiting a hero party, so when I heard about the recruitment, I trained up in a big hurry. ..I see. The girl, who had been silent, opened her mouth again and nodded. The chills that had been swirling in Alexs back chest fizzled out. But instead, he was left with the guilt that he had done something irreparable. Alex does not remember about the interview that followed. The next thing he knew, he was leaving the room with Rygan. Alex! Alex was walking down the corridor in a daze when Rygan grabbed him by the chest and slammed him against the wall. All the other candidates turned their attention to Alex and the others. But Rygans anger was not appeased. Damn you! Why did you go to the trouble of making such a disadvantageous comment! It was like you were asking to be dropped yourself! Rygans words are absolutely right. Thats why Alec decided to talk about the situation in a very abrupt manner. Winryn`Themis was there. (`󣽥ƥߥ) Alex said with a pallid look on his face, and Rygans brow creased. Whos that? In the Republic, everyone knows her name..She, who is endowed with the blessings of the God of Judgement, sees through all lies. I knew that a bad deception would be of no consequence. Rygan rolled his eyes. Alexs grip on his chest weakens. Its no wonder hes astonished. The ability to see through lies, the sheer magnitude of it, is something that even Rygan can imagine. With such power, every contract and negotiation would be advantageous. Impossible Winryn-Themis is a person who has decided to spend her whole life in a long, quiet, idyllic village, refusing even the solicitations of kings, popes and great merchants. How did she get here..? Alex, who had completely lost his cool, muttered, terribly upset. At that moment, small footsteps approached. Are you alright? If you dont feel well, Ill go and find a doctor. A girl in pure white armour called out to Alec. Alex lifted his pallid face and put up a bluff as best he could. No, thanks. More importantly,is that armour from..White Dragon Chivalric Order?Why are you here in the exam hall ..? Thats because were guarding this place!From the first exam to the final exam, well be guarding everything! The girl continued, [If youre not sick, Ill go back to my post` and left the place. Alex and Rygan watch the girls back with puzzled eyes. Oi, Oi..its true that the White Dragon Chivalric Order is the kingdoms leading adventurer party, but theyve been very bold to hire them. Since this kingdom and the Adventurers Guild are independent, hiring them wouldnt be free of charge Rygan mutters in a small voice. Its too late now, butthe current perceptions must be changed. Alex says, somewhat in awe. This country, more than any other, is seriously trying to create a hero party The examiners leave the room. I let out a small breath as I listened to the sound of footsteps moving away. Well, it is supposed to be something like this.. The candidates were from different backgrounds, but there were three main categories. They were either adventurers, kingdom knights or others. Some of them did not aspire to be a hero. Regardless of the circumstances of the candidates, the majority of them had some kind of achievement. Therefore, there were many examinees who knew their names even if they did not know each other. The red-haired Alex, who had just left this room, was one of them. I am sorry to the candidates, but so far I have not been able to pinpoint anyone. I may not have the right to say that, having given up on being a hero man, but I am proud to say that I have a good eye for people. Princess Rushia, this concludes the morning session. Okay! Everyone, take a short break! Rushia nodded in a cheerful voice at Mays statement. Each of the five interviewers relaxed their shoulders. [Dont mind if I do] as I lightly straighten my back. Ned=Wolkinter. A man sitting next to May approached me and called out. He was an old but dignified man. His hair was dark brown and his forehead was exposed by lifting his fringes. The wrinkles on his face were as brave as if they were proof of his accumulated achievements. I havent said hello yet. I am GalbaStellen, the Prime Minister. (Уƥ) I am Ned=Wolkinter..I apologise for the delay in greeting you. This time, I had jumped into this interview at Rushias suggestion. Therefore, I had not yet exchanged greetings with the Prime Minister, but from what I saw during the interview..he seemed to be a friendly person. I have heard of your exploits, Ned-tono. It seems that you led theWhite Dragon Chivalric Orderto the aid of Her Highness in the recent battle against the Poisonous Demon Dragon. In the newspapers, Her Highness and the White Dragon Chivalric Order were praised as if they were the greatest contributors, but in fact it was you who did it, wasnt it? Nothats lifting the stone too much. It was the White Dragon Chivalric Order and May and Princess Rushia here who actually slayed the Poisonous Demon Dragon..or rather, who did you hear such a story from? This mistress/concubine!/ It is I!! (TL:As I previously mentioned on Vol1, Rushia calls herself . It can be Mistress/Concubine/I/Me. Author didnt put the hiragana so, it can be both.) Rushia proudly puffed out her chest. [You] I mutter inwardly. There are only a limited number of people who know the full story of that battle, but Rushia, who was involved, would certainly be able to tell. When I let out an involuntary sigh, Prime Minister Galba smiled. Ned-tono, I would like you to keep your tone towards me simple. As it is, it makes me seem more respected than Her Highness. Thats true. Surely there could be a problem of appearance if I keep this up. Lets change to a frank attitude. .You, you always do similar things wherever you are Suddenly, I heard a girls voice from behind me. When I turned around, I saw a neat and clean-looking girl with straight brown hair down, smiling good-naturedly. She is the one I invited for this occasion. Winryn, its been a long time. Im glad you agreed to come on such short notice. Its a call from Ned-san, of all people. Of course,Ill answer from the ends of the earth. dont ever say that line in the Republic. Yes, I know. Winryn said with a gentle smile. With her ability to spot lies, Winryn is immensely charismatic in the Republic. If she were to say that she would [respond from the ends of the earth], she would attract a lot of attention. She looks like just another pretty or pathetic girl. Her smile is also innocent, but she can see through lies and knows a lot about peoples nasty sides. Despite her appearance, she has a tough personality. So, how responsive was the blessing of the God of Judgement? We are compiling a list of those who have lied. This way. As expected,shes fast A sheet of paper was handed to me with the names of several people on it. I read it silently. there are fewer than I thought there would be. The Hero Party Selection Examination is a country-wide initiative. Theyre trying not to lie from the start, which could be exposed if the kingdom investigates. Thats a good thing. [Or did they know about Winryn and was going to lie, but decided not to?].Well, thats one thing I appreciate about them, theyre good at being tactful. Its an added bonus to be good at negotiating. Winryn-tono. We are very grateful for your cooperation. If you have any problems in the future, you can contact us. This concubine/mistress/I will help you next time. Thank you, Princess Rushia. At Rushias thanks, Winreen bowed solemnly. But I wouldnt be surprised if Ned introduces more extraordinary people now. Why are you following Ned, Winryn-tono? To such a question from May, Winryn ponders a little before answering. Because Ned-san never lies. After stating simply, Winryn continued. Ned-san, who cares about connecting with others, doesnt act against anyone on a regular basis, so theres no need to lie in the first place..I prefer people with that kind of integrity. .thats an exaggeration. I lie sometimes too. Even if you do, its a kind lie to help someone, isnt it? I was a little bit flustered with the gentle smile coming from Winryn while scratching the back of my head. Its hard to do. Its a very uplifting day for the Prime Minister and for Winryn Themis. As I said before, you must never utter such lines in the Republic. I know. Winryn smiled. I am sure she means what she says. But it is also true that she is teasing me. A faint hint of mischievous mischievousness shone through Winryns eyes. Is there something wrong with that line? I answer Mays question, which sounds somewhat fluent and carefree. The day Winryn, who has the blessing of the God of Judgement, says,This person never lies, she was treated like a saint. Im glad there are no Republicans here.right now. Im sure Winryn is aware of the time and place, so Im sure shes paying attention. For those who are told to do so, it is a cold sweat. Ned-san doesnt seem to be very good at attracting attention either..so why dont you come and live with me? Its a nice, quiet place. Is that a joke? Hmm, who knows Chuckling, Winryn smiles. No one in this world knows what she really thinks. Rushia watched such an exchange between me and Winryn with a complicated look on her face. I have a feeling that.Ned could live richer than a concubine if he wanted to. I dont think so. Even if I did get a good status, Id soon be out of it. Theres not much I can do for myself. Well..I feel like you could be anything you want to be.. It is a matter of imagination. At least I couldnt be a hero. Your Highness, shouldnt you be eating by now?Time is finite. Thats true. Then, once and for all, disperse! At Prime Minister Galbas suggestion, Rushia nodded. Each of us leaves the room. Just before I did so. Ned-san Winryn called out to me. As you already know, my blessings are not universal. In very rare cases, there are things that can nullify my blessings, so..beware. I understand surely, we should be on the lookout for special armaments? Yes. The blessing of the God of Inquiry falls under the highest level of blessings, so it cannot be broken by the same blessing. It is also clear from the Republics research that there is no magic in existence that can nullify this blessing. The more I hear about it, the more outrageous the blessing is. Still, it can be broken by some special armaments, so its not..invincible, you know? Humility, or rather, concern for us. The selection of a hero party is a national policy. Failure to do so could, at worst, plunge many of us into the depths of misery. Roger that.Well, were not going to rely on Winryn to do everything for us. Well look into it if they look suspicious. Rather, that possibility was factored in from the start. So, after the interview Im going to do one more job. The first round of examinations, afternoon session, will now begin! Mays voice echoed through the hall. The nervousness of the candidates is completely dissipated, probably due to the many announcements they had made in front of so many people in the morning. The interviewers are also getting used to this job. The afternoon session will run more smoothly than the morning I see.youve been active as a B-level adventurer for a long time. You must have already earned enough money, so whats your motivation for wanting to be part of the heroes party? That, of course, is because I want to help more people! The young adventurer answered Prime Minister Galbas question with a vivid and lively reply. I have heard similar answers countless times already. When the interview was over, the adventurer bowed deeply and left the room. Then another candidate comes in. So, can you tell me what you think you are better than the other candidates? As I said earlier, I served a lord as a knight in the provinces. However, I have given up my title as a knight in order to take this examination. I hope you will appreciate my resolve. A well-dressed, mature man announces that he is ready for the job. As the interviewers exchange pleasantries, a young man standing next to the man raises his hand. As his assistant, let me add one point about him. He has not only a passionate determination, but also a calm and collected mind. He assesses the battle situation instantly and retreats once he realises that he cannot win. He also has the strength to retreat when the time comes. Hearing this explanation, Lucilla said, [Hmmm]. So..if you find yourself in a situation where you know you cant win the battle, but if you dont fight, people you care about will die, what will you do? Its quite a nasty question. But I am interested to see how he would answer this question. Lloyd would probably say[Youre a hero and youre allowed to run away?] Yea, I can just imagine that word coming from him Lloyd in my head told me this with a scowl. That man would say that line as a genuine question, without any calculations about getting an interview or anything like that. But people like that are in the minority. .. Anyway, Ill try to avoid such situations on a regular basis. Mm, I see. The mature man in front of me gave an uninteresting but definite answer. The interview is over and the men leave the room. Phew..weve only got a few more to go. Im getting tired. Wed be tired too if the examiner said that to us. Kuu. oh, youre being so mean, But perhaps taking it as a good argument, May straightened her back and regained her nerve. I cant help but wonder how May feels. After a series of interviews, it is clear that everyone has the same point of view. The knight I mentioned earlier is no exception. Ive heard so many appeals for resolve that Ive got calluses in my ears. The size of your resolve doesnt affect your reputation that much. The unwavering determination that is demonstrated at the last minuteand the foolhardiness that emerges from it are, after all, the result of daily training. What matters is the daily effort. After a while, the next candidate visits the room. It was a blonde girl. My name is Seren Duvalis . Nice to meet you. I recognised the name and looked at the girl. She was the person Riese had said and quoted as a strong candidate. In the Kingdom of Enuvidia, she is the second most famous adventurer after Riese. Rushia, May and the Prime Minister also appear to have been caught off guard by Serens appearance. Her presence power is 5. Although she is one step behind Riese, she is one of the best fighters in the Kingdom of Enuvidia. She is only 17 years old, but her face shows no sign of slackness. She came into the room alone. Do you not have any assistants? I have been alone in this examination from the very beginning. Thats not a breach of protocol, is it? The interviewers, including me, looked at each other as Seren asked in a strong tone of voice. It is not a breach of protocol, but she appears to be somewhat overconfident. For this exam, we recruited candidates on a party basis. This means that if they pass, they will work in that party. At least we wont be looking for additional people. If Seren passes, she will go on her own. Seren, perhaps seeing through my state of mind, told me sharply. In other countries, there is a pattern of a hero working alone. As long as I am competent, I should have no problem. The way she said that caught me off guard. Sure, there is a pattern, butthats an existence force of seven. Dont worry, Ill get there eventually. Its good that youre ambitious, but are you going to walk a tightrope all the way until you reach that point? If youre not strong enough, you have the option of relying on your friends. Well, thats an opinion that only you, a man who can only rely on his friends, could have. The air was tense with thorny words. Apparently, this girl named Seren.. knows me. As the name..Hero Party suggests, this one is designed to be taken by a party. Youll be at a disadvantage in future exams if youre alone. I have not fallen so far as to be dictated by people like you. (TL:Oooooooo) Wait a minute. Serens comment was met with a raised eyebrow from May. If you had listened to yourself earlier, you would know that youre being very overbearing. Such an attitude is inappropriate for a hero representing this country. No problem. I have my own personal feelings about that man there. Seren glares at me sharply with her eyes flashing. Apparently, the thorns that Seren has been releasing since a while ago are directed only at me. Ned..have you done something? .No, I have no idea. Im not sure why, but the way Seren looked at me was unusually severe. It looks as if she is interviewing me to kill me right here and now, rather than to become a brave warrior. I am good at remembering peoples names and episodes with them. Thats why Im sure. I have never met this girl, Seren, face to face. Once again, there should be no breach of protocol.. any misgivings you may be feeling, I will dispel them in the examination that follows. She started to speak out of the blue, but doesnt she think were going to drop her from the interview? The interview with Seren was then led by Rushia, the Prime Minister and Winryn. I seem to be disliked by Seren, and May doesnt have a very good opinion of her. The interview proceeded in an awkward atmosphere, but Seren, as she had said earlier, conversed with everyone but me in a confident manner. When Seren eventually left the room, May let out an uncharacteristic exhale. Quite a peculiar person, wasnt she? May says with a complicated expression on her face. Im more bewildered than irritated. Why did she hate me so much.. Why was I being so openly hostile? She didnt lie, by the way. .didnt want to hear that information. I let out a sigh at Winryns statement. Im glad to see that shes so open and honest. Well, if anything comes up, we can look into it further..Rushia. Was the next one the last? Umu. Keep up the good work. Thats right. People who aspire to be a hero cannot be mediocre. We are also prepared for the fact that they are unique and have strong habits. But no matter how strong their habits are, for them, as the candidates, this examination is their one chance. We have to be very aware of that fact and conduct the exam carefully. There is a knock at the door. When Prime Minister Galba replied [Come in], the door opened. Excuse me owww! A girl appeared from behind the door and fell, hitting her face on the floor. Silence reigned the placeThis is another appearance with quite an impact. ..are you alright? Hiyaa!!! Its all right! When I called out to her, the girl stood up vigorously. Tears were pooling in the corners of her eyes and her face was bright red. A grey-haired young man enters the room from behind the girl. These two seem to be the leader and the assistant. Aa, Im Alice Feldrant! Pleased to meet you! (ꥹեɥ) The girl had bluish-black hair that reached down to her calves. Her hair is very long, but it does not look filthy. Her hair is silky and shiny and shakes smoothly when the girl moves her body. Her skin is white and her face is young but well-defined. Compared to Rushia, she is taller, but rather petite, with a slender body. According to her papers, she is 16 years old. The overall impression of her is that she is full of shyness. Because of her very long fringes, Alices eyes were hidden when she moved slightly. She is afraid of the gaze of others and does not make eye contact. My name is ExzairSullivan, her assistant. (`룽Х) A grey-haired young man standing next to Alice bowed politely. The leader is Alice, and her assistant seems to be this man, Exzair. Its a strange party, a little strange, although it feels the other way round if I just look at the attitude. Alice Feldrant I can feel an indescribable presence from her. Well, Lets start the interview now.. Then Rushia took one look at Alice. .. you could relax a little more. Sorry Alice turns red up to her ears and turns her head downwards. According to your papers..Alice, you were an adventurer in the Kingdom of Enuvidia, but moved to the Amdo Empire a year ago. Why did you go to the Empire? Well, uh, it has to do with why I, uh, became an adventurer..I was saved by Rin The Brave a long time ago. () Rin The Brave is a hero from the Republic of Mystein. He is now, I believe, around 20 years old and has already achieved a number of accomplishments, and is a hero of both name and substance. I became an adventurer because I was saved by Rin the Brave, and I wished I could help people like him. I heard that the Hero Rin was in the Empire at that time. I thought that maybe I could meet him, but I couldnt in the end, so I spent my time as a normal adventurer in the Empire. It is quite a dramatic upbringing that she became a hero because she was saved by a hero. When I cast a light glance at Winryn, who was sitting next to me, she shook her head quietly. It seems she is not lying. So it was because of Lynn the Braves influence that you took the exam this time? y,yes! Alice nodded nervously. Once the motivation is known, I check Alices documents again. The power of existence is5, huh? I muttered to myself. Another thing worth mentioning. Her competence is at the level of Seren. The reason she is not as well known as Seren is probably because she has spent the last year in the Amdo Empire. I was a little curious about Alice, so I decided to ask her a question too. How did you get your existential power up to this level? Well, um, thats, you know, fighting monsters normally, but All by yourself? Yes. By myself. Back then, I didnt have parties like I do now.. Its a bold way of life. She does not seem to have a very bold temperament, but shes in the same league as Seren? һWere you obsessed with fighting alone? No, no, its not like that. .. Alice replies with some difficulty. Its just thatand I didnt have many friends. .I see Im sorry, but Im convinced. At least she didnt seem to have the same personality as Seren, who pursued strength as an individual. The reason that he has no friends is still more convincing. So youve only partnered up after youve increased your presence? Then, how did you get into the party with your assistant there, Exzair? Well, I met Exzair-san at the Adventurers Guild of the Amdo Empire. After I had completed a few requests, he asked me if I wanted to take on a request with him. We hit it off..and decided to work together. Although they hit it off, they dont seem to be very close. As if seeing through my state of mind, Exzair opens his mouth. Its not so much a match as it is a conflict of interest. I wanted a strong vanguard, and Alice wanted an ally to provide logistical support. I nodded [I see] at Exzairs addition. Whatever it is, a presence of five is worthy of recognition. How did you manage to train so well on your own? No, no! I just happen to be strong At Mays words, Alice was overly modest. Her attitude..Ive been wondering about it since a while ago From what Ive seen so far, you seem a little timid. Im sorry! Prime Minister Galba spoke in a calm state of mind. Alice apologised, her blank face turning blue. He is pointing out that attitude..Her personality is not suitable to become a hero, even if it is flattering. For examplesuppose you are a hero and you have to take on a battle you cant win. Prime Minister Galba says. This is another example of a nasty question. But it may be the best question to find out about Alices character. Situations can be anythingWell, lets say there are civilians being attacked by a monster. You are the only one who can protect them. But the monster is strong and you dont stand a chance. What will you do then? Do you fight or do you run away? Ee? Alice uttered an unfamiliar voice. Is something wrong? Aa, no, no, its not a big deal Alice says, turning her previously averted eyes straight at us. Youre a hero, but can you run away? When she said that C all the interviewers, including me, were surprised. The first round of interviews of the Hero Party Selection Examination has been completed. Now.we will now consider who to pass! Rushia says with a big smile on her face. Weve got a lot of famous non-adventurers here. Mirei the Wind Dancer, who is active all over the world as a wandering entertainer. Lax, a moving fortress who leads a vigilante group on the frontier. Fusen, the Green Shadow, a survivalist who lives as a hunter in the Devils Forest. Fina, an expert in fighting and cooking, uses Iron Fire or Spear Fire. And Heisen, a scholar on grimoire studies. I was surprised thatscholars had applied, but as long as they are competent, it doesnt matter. Umu, Ned is right. We should make decisions with as few preconceptions as possible. Rushia agreed with me as I said this while rolling up the papers. It seems that even students from the Royal Academy are applying to the Dukes Vanhardt Knights. Incidentally, Kingsguard knights like May can also take the examinations, but they prioritise their loyalty to the royal family thus they refuse to participate. There are a few wizards, but..this isnt a problem, is it? Umu! Rushia nodded cheerfully. Unfortunately, our country lags behind in the research of magic. But, because of our national friendship with dragons, we have a thriving monster industry!In particular, the number of special armaments made from monster materials is probably one of the highest in the world!..Our countrys strength is not magic, but special armaments. Of course, I dont mean to deny magic. Some kingdoms in the world are known for their magical powers. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the Kingdom of Enuvidia is a specially armed powerhouse. Special armaments are weapons made from monster materials, and as the name suggests, they have special abilities. In particular, some special armaments are equipped with skills, which have even more special effects than normal special armaments. I have a point to discuss with you. Thanks to Winryn, I know which candidates are lying. However, this mistress..does not think it is necessary to reject them for this alone. Your Highness, I agree with that opinion. The brave party is also involved in the politics of the country and will eventually come to the negotiating table. Lie is necessary in matters of negotiation. If I may speak from the prime ministers point of view, I wouldnt want to entrust a brave man to someone who is not very good at integrity and who doesnt understand politics. Rushia nodded her head in agreement with the Prime Ministers unique opinion. The highest power of presence is 5? I would have preferred 6, but. I dont see a problem with it. Seren and Alice, with an existence of 5, are both young. If theyre going to be heroes in the future, theyll definitely move up to 6. 7 is special so I dont know. I give my thoughts to May, who speaks up while looking at the documents. I want the heroes who represent the country to eventually reach an existential power of 6 or higher. So we need to pick someone who is both strong and growing. Alice=Feldrant Prime Minister Galba muttered with a finger to his chin. A person with Existence Power 5. That girl was also, after all, unique, for better or worse. That..I dont mean to be sceptical about this, but is she really Existence Power 5? Its good but she didnt look like it.honestly, she looked unreliable to me. I agree with what May said. The timidity that comes across just by talking to her. Throughout the interview, she behaved like a small animal. At least, my blessing hasnt responded, but Winryn also tells me anxiously. I dont know much about adventurers, but Ive been told that, depending on ones ingenuity, ones powers of existence can be greater than ones ability. Whether its defeating a higher-ranked monster by setting multiple traps or getting help from stronger comrades.She could be one of those hands. The argument from Prime Minister Galba is also undeniable. She said she was raising her power alone, so there seems to be no reason that she relied on her companions, but there are many other ways to do it. Setting traps is not a problem in itself, but if the means used are too limited, she may not be useful in a real battle. I reminded Alice once again. Her skin was so pure white you could almost see her veins through it, and her body was small and thin. She had a frightened demeanour and a very mature appearance. Just by looking at her, you wouldnt even think she was an adventurer. I was also surprised by her last answer. [Youre a hero, but can you run away]In a bad way, the word sounds like thoughtlessness. That statement took everyone by surprise, but it is certainly understandable that it could be taken that way. HoweverC .doesnt necessarily mean youve stopped thinking. In my head, I think of a man and I say. [Always strive on a daily basis to win any battle, whenever and however it comes.] Maybe its a sign of that kind of preparedness.I know at least one guy is like that. There are people in the world. People who think like that, as if it were natural. We have to choose carefully. Muttering this, May quietly looked over the documents. In the first place, what we are choosing now is a hero. A hero is a human being, but one who is beyond human knowledge. It is impossible to select them only on the basis of logic. The only way is for each of us to meet face to face and discuss based on our values and senses. Come to think of it, that man who isAlices assistant didnt make any remarkable remarks. Assistants are inherently involved in the interview process to assist the leader. But few of them ever defend that role in a ridiculously honest way. In most parties, the Assistants lifted their leader whenever the opportunity arose. And they tried to increase their chances of passing the interview as much as possible. However, that man, Exzair, really only said the minimum necessary to assist Alice. The two of them could have gone in for the interview together, but they didnt make the most of that feature. Are they not very keen on this examination? Or did he become an assistant for some other purpose? Ned-san Suddenly, I am approached by Winryn. I turn around and she hands me a document. I also have a list here for you. This is? The blessing didnt respond, but its a list of people who I personally thought were suspicious.Ive seen so many people, so Im proud that Im still a sharp intuition Several names were mentioned on the list. It was not my intention to ask for so much, but apparently Winryn voluntarily did the work she felt was necessary. This helpsIts almost the same as the list I made Did you make it too, Net-san? Ive seen a lot of people on it myself. I told you at lunch break, didnt I? Im not going to solely rely on Winryn. I then showed Winryn the list of suspicious people I had jotted down during the interview. Winryns eyes widened. Our list was almost ninety percent the same. Winryn is by far the most charismatic person in the Republic. With her endorsement like that, Im willing to trust this list. Rushia. As planned, its time for me to proceed to the next plan, okay? Umu. Im counting on you. With the two lists, I left the room. With Winryns help, candidates who had lied in a way that could be detected would have been identified in the interview. From here onwards, I must uncover the candidates who have lied in a way that cannot be detected. Now lets deal with the uninvited guests. There are risks associated with the Hero Party Selection Test. After all, we are recruiting candidates on such a large scale. Among the candidates, there must be agents from other countries. As Prime Minister Galba said earlier, the relationship between the heros party and politics is inseparable. In other words, the deeper you get into the matter of the heroes, the easier it is to get political information. My job from now on is to get rid of those agents. I rented a guest room in the castle and spread out all the communication stones in my pouch on the table. .Winryns blessing of the God of Judgement is extremely powerful. That is why her name is quite known in the Republic. Its rare to find a special weapon that can nullify that blessing. If someone has brought something that is rare and valuable into this country.it is almost certain that information has leaked out. And if the information is leaking, I should be able to find out. I put two written documents on the table.The list I drew up and the list Winryn drew up. The hastily prepared lie was spotted by Winryn. From this point on, the meticulously planned lies must be exposed. The enemy is the candidates who intended to lie from the start. Moreover, it is an opponent who has taken the trouble to take measures against the ability to detect lies, such as the blessing of the God of Judgement. In other words C there is definitely a malicious intent. Its malevolence has bare its fangs as early as today. Well, the person I should rely on this time is. I know I dont have any special skills. Thats why I always need someone to help me. Its almost like choosing the best one from a myriad of cards in my hand, but I have to remember that Im choosing a person. I stroke the frame of the communication stone in a clockwise direction and transmit to the contact Im looking for. ..sorry to call on such short notice. Do you have time now? The person on the other end of the communication is the one who knows where all the goods are. From stationery tools to magic tools, special armaments and even national treasures, this is a man who knows everything that is circulating in this world. He is the man to turn to if I want to find out what special armaments are really out there. I want you to tell me about the whereabouts of special armaments that can nullify the blessings of the God of Judgement. The city was completely quiet after nightfall. With the start of the selection test for the hero party, the royal capital, which had been so lively during the day, was peaceful, as if the fatigue of the party had been healed. But a disturbing presence crosses such quiet darkness. Several men in black cloaks, blending in with the darkness, were lurking in the vicinity of the military base. Quite a tight security, as wed expect. Indeed. But there will be changes as the selection trials progress. We have a chance. These men then stared at the towering wall in front of him. Beyond this wall is the base of the Royal Army of Enuvidia. The Kingsguard Knights, who directly guard the royal family, are stationed at the royal castle and the rest of the standing army stays at this base. As it is a military base, security is tight. However, if an event as large as the selection test for the Hero Party is to be held, the security must be directed towards that. These men wish to exploit this opportunity and break in. The exams last a week in total. Well find a way through before then. Theyll have to break within that timeframe or the security will be returned as usual. A breakthrough should be found as soon as possible. These men, carefully observing the base..but Unfortunately, you will never find that breakthrough. Hearing a voice from behind them, all of them turned around as one. Each of them took out the weapons they had been carrying hidden inside their cloaks. Swords, bow guns and knives. The men held them up but their will to fight instantly fizzled out. Its impossible.Riese Von Aldiana..! Why are you here?!! There she was, an adventurer with a power of Existence of 6 C Riese. She is the leader of the famous adventurer party White Dragon Chivalric Order. The men instantly realised. When it comes to this battle, there is no chance for them to win. The first priority is to survive. These men took a cautious look and tried to devise a plan C but You are all suspected of espionage. Riese calmly and matter-of-factly saw through the mens identities. The men were overcome with agitation and continued to glare at Riese. Dont be ridiculous! Where is your evidence!!! Do I need proof in this situation? Of course.. we havent done anything. Technically, these men havent done anything yet. They were just about to sneak into the base. This is what they are called by in the nick of time. As the men felt a faint sense of relief in the midst of their frustration. Hmm..I didnt want to bother you too much, but Ive also been told to keep it as civil as possible, so fair enough. Riese muttered to herself and took something out of her pocket. Throw throws at the man in front of her. Its a communications stone. Youll know why I threw it out. It is a magical tool made from a special gemstone. The man received the tool with alarm. Sorry, this is through the communication stone. Let me explain, briefly. .. that voice, one of the interviewees? Ah, you remembered me Uninterested, the other party to the correspondence said. They had met during the selection test. He remembers that he has a . puzzling figure. There were five interviewers. Princess Rushia, the organiser of the selection examinations. May, the knight of the Kingsguard, who supervised the examinations. Prime Minister Galba, the Kings right-hand man and Winryn, who is immensely popular in the Republic. The only one amongst these eminent faces is a dull young man who is the recipient of this correspondence. Im sorry that you applied for the test under various false information, including your identity and name but your true identities have already been revealed.IonisGilbert, LagenFravel and DiegoBrazi. These are your real names Suu??!!.. I dont know what youre talking about. Did you think you wouldnt get found out because youre a small, elite criminal organisation?. Six years ago, you were hired by the Bizen tax collector to take out the village chief of Kurt, who was opposed to the tax increase. You can accept it through the black market and it was also your first crime. Since then, youve mainly dealt with assassinations, but youve often complained about how little money you were making. The bar you patronise..is the Golden Pig Pavilion, isnt it? The waiter there was troubled by your bad manners. Time to pay your bills. It was breathtakingly shocking. All the information told in fluent fluency is true. They were investigated until the very detail. Everythingeverything about them has been seen through. The client this time is a military officer of the Republic. The objective is to steal military secrets from the Kingdom of Enuvidia. Youve even been lent a magical tool to conceal your information..Your work is finished here. Youll also have to give up the big reward youre after. Of course, well get your client too. Oh ugh, ah .! One of the three men has a cold sweat dripping from his forehead trickling down his chin and falling to the ground. He is a man who has been in the business for a long time. The man felt that the one on the other side of the communication was more frightening than Riese. Where and how did he so quickly find out about them? It would still be more convincing if he explained that he had dared to swim into such a situation, and that that person is now coming to catch him, sooner rather than later. But there is no reason for this man to do that. Looks like the story is over. Id appreciate it if youd stay..unprovoked. The man returned the communication stone to Riese as he approached, nodding his head. There is not the slightest intention of resistance. His heart is broken. Riese received the communication stone while still being wary of the men, who no longer had the strength to resist. This is the fourth onetheres more rats getting in than I thought.. The selection trials for the Hero are a rare, large-scale event. Even though they know theyre being watched, a lot of them dont want to miss this opportunity. The voice of Ned can be heard over the communication stone. I see. The enemy may be dispatching operatives with a certain degree of preparedness to throw away their lives. But you were very quick to gather information this time. You must have made use of your contacts as usual, but did you rely on an extraordinary partner again? I relied on the God Of Merchant to find out where the blessings and special armaments were. Theyre called gods of distribution, so all of their information was accurate. Im not familiar with the world of the God Of Merchant.but I know that alias. As I recall, hes rumoured to be so busy that hell charge you money just to have a conversation with him. I used a discount coupon, so I got off cheap. Ill have to go and pay you once the..selection exam is over. Thats not the point, butthis man is always doing extraordinary things. He calls himself an ordinary person because everyone he relies on is unique. Riese. Sorry, but I need you to do two more similar cases for me. No problem..Fufu. Is something wrong? Nothing. I just think that Ned has been relying on me these recent days Should I refrain from asking next time? No, you can keep relying on meits me happy. Happy? Ned asked back. There are a lot of people in this world who are itching to be depended on by you. Im one of them. I dont think there are that many like that. Unaware orstill a guilty man Riese was about to say: [Youre going to get stabbed one day, you know?] but stopped herself from saying it, thinking that it would be better to keep it as a secret and defend it by herself. Riese then detained more fake hero parties. In order to catch the operatives working in secret without letting them get away as far as possible, I want to avoid any conspicuous action. For this reason, I am now cooperating not with the White Dragon Chivalric Order, but with Riese alone. Again, I heard from various people and were able to find out who the agents were. Armin, the bakery owner. Themis, an employee of the apothecary. Lennon the hunter. Flip, the innkeeper. Shaina, a waiter at the tavern. And C the God Of Merchant. Among merchants, he is revered as a god. His personal history, in which he developed a small general shop inherited from his parents into the worlds largest trading house and opened a large number of shops at home and abroad, has now been written about and disseminated. A man whose schedule is packed to the minute for the next 20 years, but when I asked him, he cooperated more readily than I had expected. He told me [youre special] but what did he mean by that? It might have something to do with the discount coupons Im getting. So thats one case left. .. I look out of the window while lightly straightening my back. The completely darkened streets of the royal city were quiet, time was moving gently like drifting clouds, and the lights that could be seen pocketing around gave the impression of warm human activity. The malice stirring behind the shadows was being dealt with by me and Riese in a nonchalant manner. Net. I hear Rieses voice coming from the communication stone. I turned my gaze back to the table again. Its not a big deal, but I thought Id report it just in case. About the last set of candidates allegedly hired by Baronare not where they were supposed to be. Theyre missing? Their aim was to sabotage the exam, so I assumed they were setting something up near the second exam venue, but I guess I was wrong? The barons aim is to discredit the King by failing the selection test. It is a so-called power struggle. The King is a creature that is always both respected and opposed by the countrys nobility. Did the enemy not make a move today? No. The selection examinations are over in a week. There should be no room in the schedule for them either. Ill keep an eye on the perimeter just in case. Aa, please do. Ill look around a bit too. Im on the administrative side of the selective examinations, so I have free access to the exam rooms. The candidate should have seen my face during the interviews. In other words, they must recognise me as one of the most powerful people on the interviewer side. And as such, they wont do anything like killing me easily. I went outside the royal castle and headed for the venue of the second examination. On the way there. A blonde girl stands in front of me. Good evening. Under the night sky. The light from the street lamps illuminates the girl. I recognised her face. SerenDuvalis. A person who was once known as Rieses rival. She had also met him at todays interview and dragged something out of the alleyway. Is this what youre looking for? She then rolled the object she was dragging in her hand to my feet. It was the candidates who were to be taken into custody by Riese. They are not dead because I can see theyre still twitching. They are just unconscious. You took them down? Yes. Theyve been up to no good Seren told me plainly. The fact that these men are agents should only be known to me, Riese and Rushia and the others involved in running the selection trials at this point. In other words, Seren must have caught the men red-handed. Im not called the Thunder Emperor for nothing? With a [pikuri], Seren shows small sparks. A user of the special armoury thunder and lightning storm made from the blood and bones of the Thunder Beast Evol. It is said that to master that armoury, you need outstanding senseHence the user must be Existence Power of 5? ..youre quick to gather information. Seren also seems to know about my special skills. But there was contempt there. I suppose I should have known about this before the interview. It would be a quandary to check all the candidates. Im sorry, but there are other examiners besides you who are paying attention. When I said this, Seren looked miffed. She is highly competent, but her mental age seems to be appropriate for her age. Did you use..Riese? Seren asks quietly. Tonight, there were signs of fighting in various parts of Royal Capita. If you are the one giving the orders, it should be Riese who is following. I nodded [Aaa] to Seren, who seemed convinced. You did an unnecessary thing. With a resentful tone in her voice, Seren said. I wondered what part of the conversation she didnt like. It was you who gave Riese the weakness in the name of companionship. What do you mean? You were the catalyst for the creation of the White Dragon Chivalric Order. NedWolkinter. Seren said with her eyes flashing sharply at me. I respected Riese. I thought she would even reach one of the worlds strongestExistence Power 7. However, Riese has become feckless since she formed the White Dragon Chivalric Order. Putting her friends before herself and abandoning her obsession with strength..Riese has lost her fangs. Eventually, Seren shook herself with a wince. In the past, we had meaningful conversations every time we saw each other. But since Riese met you, shes been talking about you all the time!She talks about how great Ned is and how she wants to help Ned..! Shes always talking about you , instead of me, her rival! I was quietly listening to the conversation, and then I said, [Hmm?] I tilted my head. ..are you perhaps jealous? Ha, haaaa??!!! Why would you think that?!! No, I thought you were mad at me because I made you not care about Riese anymore Pl,Please stop joking! Im not going to let you get away with that!! Seren turned red in the face and shouted. It is a neighbourly nuisance at this late hour of the night. A,anyway! I dont approve of you. Seren breathes slowly to calm herself down and says. I dont like the White Dragon Chivalric Orderand I dont like you either. ..! With that, Seren heads back on her heels. Just after the girls back was out of sight. Ned. From behind, Riese called out. I didnt hear what you two were talking about but it looks like you were arguing with Serenhmm? Are these unconscious men that we missed? I will explain more about that later. Riese. Did you maybe say some things to Seren about me? Yeah, I used to talk about Ned a lot. I wanted Seren to know how great Ned is! I let out a big sigh. Seren Duvalis .. She is just, a big fan of Riese. Volume 2 - CH 2 Before the storm Translated by SoundDestiny Edited by SoundDestiny The day after the Festival of Valour. As the final examinations were two days away, today was a day of rest for all candidates. I, for one, am also taking today off, but.thats only if nothing went wrong. As expected, many unexpected things happened during the selection process, such as uninvited visitors and fewer people passing the examinations than expected. I woke up in the inn, had breakfast and headed for the castle. When I visited the headquarters of the Selection Examination Administration, located in the castle, I found Rushia there on official business. Good morning, Ned! Ah, good morning. Rushia. Paperwork in hand notices me and greets me cheerfully, to which I respond. The window of the room was open, probably because of the nice weather. A pleasant breeze and the bustle of the city came into the room through the window. Maybe its because the final exams are coming up, but theres a lot of activity in the city. Umu. Thanks to that,its given us more work, but thats a good sign..When I think of the time when I was tormented by the..poisonous demon dragon, the vitality of the royal capital is heartbreaking. Rushia said, deeply moved. Are the candidates still at the castle? No, after breakfast they are free to go out on their own. The green-shadowed Huzen and his party are going to the weapon shops,the iron-spear Fina and her party are going to the stalls, and the red-haired Alex and his party are going to the Court Magic Institute. Each showed individuality in the way they used their rest days. Some were busy preparing for their final examinations, others were looking for a change of scenery, and the rest..were free to choose how they wanted to spend their time. What are you doing Ned?I thought you were supposed to be on holiday today too Well, as much as Id like to take a day off. Unfortunately, this is not the case. I thought this was the time I had a chat with the party. .Umu. If theres anything I can do, please let me know. Aaa. Ill be counting on you in case of an emergency. I stopped by the castle because I wanted to report this. I left the Examination Administration and headed out of the castle. NedCsan Suddenly, someone calls out to me from behind. When I turned around, there was a blonde girl standing there. Seren? .whats with the unexpected look on your face? Nothing, I wasnt expecting to be approached. When I answered honestly, Seren looked uncomfortable. It seems that this perception is not entirely wrong. Last night, you stopped a party trying to break into my room, didnt you? . you noticed? Of course, I would have noticed if it had made that much noiseWell, to be honest, I could have solved the problem on my own without your help, but let me just say thank you. She is more disciplined than one might expect. No.If I think about it calmly, Seren behaved normally to everyone but me during the first round of interviews. She behaved belligerently in the second round, but I guess she wasnt unmannerly. At least she didnt break any rules. She is just greedy and wants to win. Dont worry about it. We, too, have a responsibility to run the examinations. Seren looked mystified as I replied. .. let me ask you one thing. Seren says in a small voice. The Hero Party Selection Test. who do you expect the winner to be? Thats Is it okay for me, the management side, to answer that question? Seren looked more anxious than ever. She is probably thinking about that girl at the moment. The girl with bluish black hair and a slender body, the girl who is an equal to Seren in the B block of the Valour Festival. Ned, there you are. When I was struggling to answer, someone called out to me again. A woman in pure white armour was approaching us. Re,rerere,ReCRese!? Re= rerere = re = rese,Who is Rese? Seren was understandably upset but Riese was talking to me. Ned, regular report. All security is set, all clear. The White Dragon Chivalric Orderwill continue to stand guard,other than that any news from you? Not particularly. Keep me postedbut can you at least report back to me using the communication stone? I was going to do that, but I happened to spot Ned heading for the castle. I just thought, since youre in the vicinity, Id like to meet you and talk. Im convinced of every word she says. Next to me, Seren was staring at Riese with a stern face. Riese looked at Seren for a moment, but ..I shall leave you now. WaiCt!!? Riese tried to turn on her heel, but Seren stopped her with a loud voice. Why are you ignoring me!! Noif youre glaring at me so hard, Im not even sure Im comfortable talking to you. I wasnt glaring at you! You were glaring at her so hard Ri,CRiese! I am disappointed in you! Seren pointed to Riese and told her. Mm, Why? Because youve been caged by this man! Seren says, pointing at me this time. Thats a terrible thing to say. Caged?.Thats strange to say. Why do you sound so convinced? And I know, I..! Riese, you would be stroking this mans head and hugging him in private..! Aa. That would be comforting. Riese nodded, completely unashamed. AnCand the other day you were giving a lap pillow in the carriage, werent you.!! Aaa, it was very relaxing. The conversation is not going anywhere. For some reason, Riese is good at this. Hold up, Wait. If I let you guys continue to talk, its going to ruin my reputation. I mean, why does Seren know so much about us? Im sure shes given a lot of thought to the time and place. Are you stalking Riese? Seren. You seem to misunderstand, but Riese is the type of person who wants to spoil any young child, not just me. So its not that Ive cajoled her Such nonsense. The only man I like to spoil is Ned. Eh.? I opened my eyes wide at the unexpected words that came out of Riese. Seren was already glaring at me like a demon, but Ill leave her alone for a bit. ..No, Ive definitely heard that story. Riese is always on the verge of a motherly outburst towards younger people, so if I dont act as an outlet for her, she might eventually commit a crime.. Aa, thats a lie my subordinate made up on their own. My party said that if I told you that, Ned would be reluctant to spoil me..Oh, so you believed them. I shouldnt have told you. Ive decided not to believe in the White Dragon Chivalric Order anymore. People call them the strongest adventuring party in the Kingdom of Enuvidia, but this is what they are when they open the lid. The people should know more about this fact. Then my headache will lighten. Generally speaking! Whats going to happen if you spoil a man like this! Seren, whose face turned red with anger, glared at me. Your behaviour is perverted from the outside!It is unhealthy! It is sexual! Sexual is a little bit of an exaggeration. Seren, its just that you dont know how Neds lives. This man has always worked hard towards his goals, and even when he has experienced setbacks, he has always stood up for himself. When I see him like that, I want to..protect him and help him, or rather, I have the desire for him to entrust everything to me. Leaving Riese to talk about her proclivities and reasons with an ecstatic expression on her face, I began to move on to other places. Leave it to Seren to preach to Riese Its a stupid idea, but maybe me and Seren could hit it off. Because we both want Riese to be better. That is not the time to think about this. I need to find them..as soon as possible. I went outside the castle and started to look around for that person. Roughly ten minutes later. I found the person I was looking for in a corner of the main street Eeeeeeeeeee ! Aaaaahhhh ! There was a crying child and a little girl. The child is a boy, probably about five years old. He is wailing and shedding tears without paying attention to his surroundings. And next to him, crying as well, was C Alice. .. What an odd situation.. What kind of combination is this? Why are they crying on the street this early in the morning? The sight of Alice who is no longer a little girl by any means, crying with the boy baffled me. At that moment, Alice, wiping away her tears, looked at me and noticed my presence. Oh, umm! Alice approached me, pulling the childs hand, and called out to me. Where is the Fountain Square.!!? When we arrived at the fountain square, a woman who appeared to be in her late twenties rushed up to us in a panic. Apparently, she was the mother of the boy Alice was crying with. The boy pulled away from Alice and hugged his mother. After parting with the grateful parents and child C I ask Alice what happened. .. I see. You intended to help a lost child, but you, yourself, had become lost too. Im sorry! Im so sorry.! Alice bowed her head repeatedly and apologised. Alice, who left the Kingdom of Enuvidia a year ago and was active in the Amdo Empire until a short time ago, seems to have completely lost her familiarity with the Royal Capital. The result of her taking on the task of guiding the way, without realising it, was the scene where I saw two of them crying together. Its true.. Im useless after all Alice looked completely dejected and muttered. I cant even guide a lost child, and in the end, Ive caused you trouble and.really, Ive always been a no good, no good person Slowly, tears appeared at the corners of Alices eyes. I looked into her eyes and said. Alice, you say youre not a good person, and yet you want to be a hero? Well, thats.. Alice was at a loss to give a reply. A bad person cannot be a hero. However, Alice, who lacks self-confidence in herself, is probably not comfortable with affirming herself to someone face to face. Just kidding. I smile lightly at Alice, who is half crying and half in trouble. Speaking of which, where are your other members? ..Exzair is not with you? Ah, yes. Im a bit separated at the moment..Philia-san and Kirch-san are out shopping..E,Exzair-san is out at the moment, on business on business? Ye,yes! I dont know, I dont know. Alice replied a little impatiently. Well, Ill take my leave Wait a minute. I stopped Alice as she was about to leave. Actually, there is an urgent request from the Adventurers Guild to take down a monster. If you dont mind, Id like you to help me.Ill let the other members know. Well, er,you see. I continue to speak to Alice, who is puzzled. Of course, you can refuse. Its a personal request, so it has nothing to do with the test. However, it seems that the monster is so viciousthat if we dont deal with it soon, we could be in a dangerous situation. When I tell her the seriousness of the situation, Alice, who had been previously frightened, becomes calm. Then Ill go with you.. After a brief hesitation, Alice said. If theres someone in trouble, Id like to.. help them. ..Thank you. Then, please follow me. I knew Alice would say that. As I led Alice to her destination, I took out my communication stone. After activating the communication stone, I briefly told the other person what I wanted to do. May? I have a small favour to ask you Deep in the forest. A huge monster lurking in a lake emerged with a violent splash of water. Giga Winikis. It is a nasty fish-type monster with a dorsal and tail fin as sharp as blades, and in addition, it ejects a mass of water from its mouth. Two days ago, a fisherman was victimised by this monster, and yesterday a woodcutter was its victim. Even without approaching the lake, the Giga Winikis is a ferocious monster that shoots water at any creature it finds within range, no questions asked. It was decided that immediate action was needed and a request was made to the guild to take it down. Snow Origin The snow emblem engraved on the pure white blade of the sword lights up with a phosphorescent glow. A moment later, Alice drew her sword, and after a short delay, Giga Winikiss body was cut in two. ICIm done. Aaa. Youre a lifesaver. Alice sheathes her sword. There is no scar on her body. She has a strength that makes anyone fall in love with her and a timid personality that makes her uneasy to watch. Alice, who had both of these qualities, seemed to be somewhat unbalanced. Are you hurt? Ah, yes, Im fine. Thats good to know. It would be a disaster if she got hurt before the final exam. If that happens, I shouldnt have entrusted her with defeating the monsters from the start.I actually have something I really need to talk to Alice about. We walked along the lake on our way back to Royal Capital. Alice is really strong. You may say your Existence Power Level 5, but.youre probably closer to 6 already. I dont knowmuch, I dont really feel it.. Rieses guess was right, Alice apparently does not care that much about her own strength. Now that she has defeated the monster, Alice is probably on the verge of finally reaching existence strength 6. Perhaps her Existence Power will increase during the final test. If youre so strong, you could have defeated more parties at the Valour Festival, couldnt you? Pft. Alice jumped in surprise. No, rather than being surprised C she is upset, like a child whose hidden blunder has been exposed. ThaCThaCThats not true. ! Aa, at the time, I had my hands full,and besides, everyone else was strong, or how can I say.. Turning her eyes away, Alice makes a desperate excuse. The slender figure approached the lake in a wobbly manner. Alice, watch your step. Hee? Hyaa!! By the time she realised, it was too late. Alice slipped and fell into the lake. UuuCueee. When Alice emerged from the lake, tears were running down her eyes, mixed with water. Her long, bluish black hair was wet and soaked in the water. Are you alright? YCyes.. Thank you very much I hold out my hand and pull Alice to me. I looked at Alice as she climbed out of the lake and I immediately looked away. Um, whats wrong You might want to cover up the front. With my eyes averted, I pointed at Alices body. Because her clothes had become wet, Alices white underwear was exposed. !!! Alice notices her own appearance, hurriedly turns her back towards me. I thought she had a slender body, but it seems she has some unevenness. The modest bulge of her breasts and the nips of her waist clearly showed the femininity that the young Alice had concealed. Sssssssorry,!!! Showing you unsightly things !! No Due to the fact that her clothes are skin tight against her skin, her rear view is also quite stimulating. With just a slight movement, her hair sways, each time revealing her skin-coloured backside. I quickly took off my jacket and handed it to Alice. Here, put this on. AaCthank you Alice thanked me and put on the clothes she received from me. Ive always wondered how Alice could be so feeble when you are so strong. Uuu. When I start a conversation as we are walking again, Alice gives me a complicated look. That..Ive always been a bit of a failure With her eyes downcast, Alice said. Up until secondary school, I went to a local school. It was a much smaller school than the academy in the capital, but.I didnt make any friends there either.. Im not good at talking, and I was always a bit of a coward..But thats why I decided to at least try to be strong. I had been aiming to become a hero since then, and I thought that if I became stronger, people might turn to me for help..So, as soon as I got out of school, I went to the Adventurers Guild and just kept on taking requests. I was like this, so people around me thought I was just someone who went home right after school ..But you still kept going to the guild and slowly improving your abilities? Yes..Ive had plenty of time. Alice affirmed haltingly. Phylicia and I were childhood friends and classmates. In school, Phylicia was the only one who got along with me, but she didnt seem to realise thatI was working as an adventurer. So when I came back from the Amdo Empire and told her, she was terribly angry. Why didnt you say anything?..In the end, it was my fault. I was clumsy, I was a coward, and Ive been spinning my wheels no matter what I do [I kept failing] then only I realised that Alice had a negative personality. It is a common story. In Alices case, however, it was perhaps a little stronger than others. .Rin, too, was troubled before he became a hero. I mutter, remembering a certain person. I continue to say to Alice, who looks at me. Alices goal is to become a hero like Rin, right? Yu, you know Rin the Brave? To Alices surprise, I nodded. Unlike Alice, Rin has quite a fast-paced personality, but he had the same problems as.Alice. He has always been really bad at acting seriously and trying to fit in with others.and he thought he would probably die without getting deeply involved with anyone until the end of his life. Alice looked surprised. Thats why he feels like a hero. Rin is a hero who has become more famous for his petty acts of helping people than for his battles against the Demon King. If a village is half destroyed, he helps to rebuild it and rather than hunting down the enemy, he reaches out to someone in front of him. He has honestly achieved little in the way of results in battle, but his approach to the people instead has led to a strong sense of popularity. From Alices point of view, did Rin the Brave seem not serious? Alice shakes her head. From Alices point of view, did Rin the Brave seem uncoordinated? Alice shakes her head. Same for me. At first I thought that heroes are all perfect. Its hard to notice when youre admiring someone, isnt it?But if you open the lid, even heroes have a problem or two. Heroes that everyone admires. are also struggling like ordinary people in places where everyone else cant see them. So Alice, you dont have to worry about every single failure. This was a line that could be said not so much to Alice, who is aiming to be a hero.but to Alice, who is aiming to be the hero Rin. There are those in the world who became a hero after suffering, struggling and overcoming their complexes. Their existence will be a beacon for Alice. Besides, Alice wouldnt be that timid. I continue to say to Alice, who has round eyes. [Youre a hero, but can you run away]..not many people can say that line so clearly. And Alice has a character that cant overlook people in need. You will help lost children, help defeat dangerous monsters and if you are truly a coward, you would have shut yourself up in your shell and done nothing. Alice, properly, has the conviction befitting a hero. Alice had somehow raised her face, which had been downcast. I look straight at her again. I ask you again.you really could have beaten a lot more parties during the Festival of Valour, couldnt you? So why didnt you dare to do so? I asked her, Alice answered with a small quiver of her lips. Its because you told me to.. Alice says, grabbing her water-soaked skirt tightly. [If you really want to be a hero, I expect you to be honest.] ..NedCsan told me that, andI, too, thought you were right. Those were the words I told Alice just before the Festival of Valour began. It seems my words were heard. Alice I stopped and looked at Alice. Its time to cut to the chase. Are you being blackmailed by Exzair? !!! I told Alice, who was wide-eyed and at a loss for words. After the first round of exams, I did a whole bunch of research on the candidates identities and backgrounds. As a result, I got information on a lot of parties, but I couldnt find out anything about..Alices party. Perhaps there is some kind of cover-up going on. To Alice, who instantly looks frightened, I continue. In the Amdo Empire, there is a certain organisation that I have been unable to find out anything about, no matter how much research Ive done. Alices party and that organisation match up in my inability to find such information.so Im already aware of your involvement with that organisation. Thats . And with the power of that organisation, they could easily get one or two tools that could nullify the blessings of the God of Judgement. They used those tools in the interview to make sure they wouldnt be found out to be lying. But from what I can see.Alice is the victim. I told her calmly so that Alice would not be confused. So Im hoping that Alice will tell me whats going on now. I expect theringleader to be the man who assisted you in the interview, Exzair, but you dont need to worry about that man right now. Ive asked someone I trust to stall him, so he shouldnt be able to get here. Exzair has special armaments that allow him to move through space. Therefore, if I want to be on the lookout for that man to eavesdrop, it does not make sense to just keep him away. Someone needs to stick with him around at all times to prevent him from using his special armaments. Right now, Ive asked Meir to play that role. Ive told her to use her title of test director to buy time but its Meir. I expect that she wouldnt able hold Exzair for too long. Well, but..Im.. Alice seemed to be trying to squeeze out words somehow. However, no matter how long I waited, she did not speak clearly. Im not strong enough to push her Perhaps she is being threatened hard. Alice is now losing her mind out of fear rather than calmly agonising over her options. Alice. Who do you trust most in this world? Alices eyes dart at this abrupt question, but she eventually answers. Ry, my parents and.party, my friends. Party member. Does that mean Phylicia and Kirch are her friends other than Exzair? Or is it a bluff to hide the threatened case from me? Oh, and also..Rin the Brave..trusts.. He is someone Alice admires. Naturally, she would also trust him. I see, Ill leave it to Rin then. Eh? Next to Alice who had a curious look, I pulled out a communication stone from my pouch. When I connect with the person Im looking for, I briefly tell him what Im doing and hand the communication stone to Alice. You can speak freely I hand the communication stone to Alice, who holds it close to her ear with a puzzled expression on her face. Hello, hello`Im Rin the Brave. .Eh? Alice knew that the magical tool given to her by Ned was called a communication stone. She had never used it. Originally, Alice was a person with extremely few acquaintances, and after meeting that man in the Amdo Empire, she was forbidden to have any tools related to communication. It was the first time she had touched an actual communication stone. So Alice put the communication stone to her ear with unsteady hands. Are?Is it still connected?O`i, its Rin the Brave. She didnt mishear Ah, ah, ah, um! Um, um, Im Alice! (ΤãΤΤΡ˽ꥹǤ!!) Ahahaha!Youre too nervous!Yes, yes, Alice-chan. Rins bright laughter can be heard over the communication stone. Alices face turned bright red. Im sorry we can only talk over the communication stone` Aa, how do you know about me?I heard from Ned earlier that you have a crush on me. Well, Im glad nevertheless. FaCFaCfar far from it! Im sorry that Im the one who admires you! (ȡȤȤȡȤǤ⤢ޤ󣡤Ρ˽ʤ󤫤㿤ơꤷUʤǤã) The voice, the tone, was definitely that of the hero Rin. Alice is convinced because she admires him.Its Rin the Brave. She is now talking to the real Rin. At that moment, a loud [DON!!!] was heard over the communication stone. It is as if he had punched something with great force. Er, er, RinCsan Aa`er, sorry. Its not like its a hassle, but Im kind of fighting a monster right now. Eh?? ACaa,are you okay!? Im fine, Im fine. I can handle this much. Rin says in a fluent tone. I dont` like fighting too seriously Rin says in a laid-back atmosphere that is disproportionate to the intense sounds of battle. Because if youre fighting with a kind of serious expression on your face, you make people feel uneasy, right?Im a hero, after all, and I dont want people to feel scared. Im moderately relaxed to show that Im totally relaxed. In other words, its about my personal preoccupation, so theres no need for Alice-chan to be concerned about it at all. A rumbling sound can be heard. It must be a stormy, fierce battle raging. But the voice emanating from Rins mouth gives an idyllic, calm impression, as if he were spending time in the long, quiet countryside. I know what you mean.. Alice smiles happily. When you saved me from being attacked by a monster on the outskirts of the village, RinCsan had a kind expression on your face the whole time, as if you were trying to put people at ease..I was..to such a Rin-san. Hearing Alices words, Rin spoke after a short pause. Alice-chanare you perhaps the girl who helped the village at the foot of the mountain? Y,you remember!? Yah`, I remember you, properly. Youre the girl with the long hair, right?..because you were looking at me with those sparkling eyes at that time. I see, it was already five years ago Alices hands trembled. She didnt think Rin would remember her -Alice was filled with uncontrollable emotion. So now youre a candidate for the Hero Party Youve worked hard` Yes. yes. Her eyes were burning. Alice shook her head repeatedly, wiping away the blotting tears with her fingers. So? What happened Alice-chan, what are you worried about now? Rins question brought Alice back to her senses. Right. This isnt the time for sentimentality. Well, actually..right now, NedCsan is asking me a certain question In a trembling voice, Alice says. Well, its a question I should answer. ButIm too scaredto answer it. Alice could not explain the situation so easily, even when dealing with the person she admires. She feels inferior to her own poor speech and cowardice. She doesnt know how it happened. The remorse was now so exhausted that she was no longer able to think properly. Lets see`the person infront of you is trustworthy, you can talk to him. I can swear to this in the name of Rin the Brave. Rin said in his usual easyCgoing tone of voice. Just then, the battle with the monsters was settled, and the sounds of battle could no longer be heard. Ned, you see, is a man who fights with his connections. Connections, is it ? Yes. Well, in a word, someone who knows a lot of people. Alice realises how easily Ned introduced Rin the Brave. He certainly has a wide network of contacts. But, you know, I think this is a sword vine with many blades.. Rins voice was a mixture of respect and dismay. Because he is connected to so many people, if he does anything wrong, rumours about him will spread quickly..but there are no such rumours on Ned. Ned itself is a puritanical character but Im sure that anyone who stood beside him is convinced of that. Ned is always doing the right thing, he says. He, himself swore that he wont turn to blackmail, fraud or injustice. What Rin spoke of was the strong determination from Ned. So, AliceCchan, you can feel free to rely on Ned. Ned is a friendly guy, so you just need to say a few words and he will help you. Im sure that wherever you are, the Ned will help you. Rins respect for Ned was noticeable. What kind of man is NedCsan who is spoken of so much by the hero Rin? Umm..who is Ned exactly? Hmm.just a normal person. Rin continued. But you know, if you ask him for help hes the one person you can count on more than anyone else. Alice and Rins conversation continued for some time. Meanwhile, I take out a stack of papers I had tucked away in my pouch and check to see if there is any unfinished business. As I rolled up the paper and read over my notes, Alice handed me back the communication stone. How did it go? I asked, and Alice opened her mouth, her snow-white cheeks flushed. Oh, um! Is Ned-san the leader of the party that first conquered the underwater ruins discovered on the Central Continent!? Alice asked me excitedly. Oh, and there are also stories that Ned-san was chosen as the next chief of the legendary..Fenrir tribe, and that he obtained the elixir of immortality said to lie dormant in Kakusenkyo (Im a little loss on this w_. I just typed the hiragana for it) .That guy talks too much. I refused to take the next chief position, and I sold the Elixir of Immortality at random, so I dont even know where it is now. I continue to hear from Alice that Rin told her about my background in a rambling manner. So, what do you think?Are you ready to answer me now? Alice must be planning to tell me herself, since she cut off communication with Lynn and returned the communication stone to me. I wait for Alice to speak. You are right, NedCsan.I am being threatened by ExzairCsan. Hes holding my parents and my party members hostage. I see, I can see that point. It would have been difficult to even ask Alice what was going on because they are being held hostage. If she leaked this to the outside world, they would bring harm to the hostages. Does your party members..Phylicia and Kirch know about this? No.they dont know. I am the only one being threatened. I had somewhat expected that. Before the start of the Valour Festival B block, I met with Phylicia and Kirch, who, unlike Alice, did not seem too alarmed by Exzair. Alice trusted me, thus she spoke up. I guess the persuasion of Rin the Brave worked, but I am sure that she has put her trust in me. Then I have a duty to respond to that. Alice. You dont have to think about anything else. Ill take care of everything, Alices parents, your friends, everything. I told Alice, who looked like she was about to cry. So, Alice, in your next final examdo what you think is right. Volume 2 - CH 3 Before the storm Translated by SoundDestiny Edited by SoundDestiny The day after the Festival of Valour. As the final examinations were two days away, today was a day of rest for all candidates. I, for one, am also taking today off, but.thats only if nothing went wrong. As expected, many unexpected things happened during the selection process, such as uninvited visitors and fewer people passing the examinations than expected. I woke up in the inn, had breakfast and headed for the castle. When I visited the headquarters of the Selection Examination Administration, located in the castle, I found Rushia there on official business. Good morning, Ned! Ah, good morning. Rushia. Paperwork in hand notices me and greets me cheerfully, to which I respond. The window of the room was open, probably because of the nice weather. A pleasant breeze and the bustle of the city came into the room through the window. Maybe its because the final exams are coming up, but theres a lot of activity in the city. Umu. Thanks to that,its given us more work, but thats a good sign..When I think of the time when I was tormented by the..poisonous demon dragon, the vitality of the royal capital is heartbreaking. Rushia said, deeply moved. Are the candidates still at the castle? No, after breakfast they are free to go out on their own. The green-shadowed Huzen and his party are going to the weapon shops,the iron-spear Fina and her party are going to the stalls, and the red-haired Alex and his party are going to the Court Magic Institute. Each showed individuality in the way they used their rest days. Some were busy preparing for their final examinations, others were looking for a change of scenery, and the rest..were free to choose how they wanted to spend their time. What are you doing Ned?I thought you were supposed to be on holiday today too Well, as much as Id like to take a day off. Unfortunately, this is not the case. I thought this was the time I had a chat with the party. .Umu. If theres anything I can do, please let me know. Aaa. Ill be counting on you in case of an emergency. I stopped by the castle because I wanted to report this. I left the Examination Administration and headed out of the castle. NedCsan Suddenly, someone calls out to me from behind. When I turned around, there was a blonde girl standing there. Seren? .whats with the unexpected look on your face? Nothing, I wasnt expecting to be approached. When I answered honestly, Seren looked uncomfortable. It seems that this perception is not entirely wrong. Last night, you stopped a party trying to break into my room, didnt you? . you noticed? Of course, I would have noticed if it had made that much noiseWell, to be honest, I could have solved the problem on my own without your help, but let me just say thank you. She is more disciplined than one might expect. No.If I think about it calmly, Seren behaved normally to everyone but me during the first round of interviews. She behaved belligerently in the second round, but I guess she wasnt unmannerly. At least she didnt break any rules. She is just greedy and wants to win. Dont worry about it. We, too, have a responsibility to run the examinations. Seren looked mystified as I replied. .. let me ask you one thing. Seren says in a small voice. The Hero Party Selection Test. who do you expect the winner to be? Thats Is it okay for me, the management side, to answer that question? Seren looked more anxious than ever. She is probably thinking about that girl at the moment. The girl with bluish black hair and a slender body, the girl who is an equal to Seren in the B block of the Valour Festival. Ned, there you are. When I was struggling to answer, someone called out to me again. A woman in pure white armour was approaching us. Re,rerere,ReCRese!? Re= rerere = re = rese,Who is Rese? Seren was understandably upset but Riese was talking to me. Ned, regular report. All security is set, all clear. The White Dragon Chivalric Orderwill continue to stand guard,other than that any news from you? Not particularly. Keep me postedbut can you at least report back to me using the communication stone? I was going to do that, but I happened to spot Ned heading for the castle. I just thought, since youre in the vicinity, Id like to meet you and talk. Im convinced of every word she says. Next to me, Seren was staring at Riese with a stern face. Riese looked at Seren for a moment, but ..I shall leave you now. WaiCt!!? Riese tried to turn on her heel, but Seren stopped her with a loud voice. Why are you ignoring me!! Noif youre glaring at me so hard, Im not even sure Im comfortable talking to you. I wasnt glaring at you! You were glaring at her so hard Ri,CRiese! I am disappointed in you! Seren pointed to Riese and told her. Mm, Why? Because youve been caged by this man! Seren says, pointing at me this time. Thats a terrible thing to say. Caged?.Thats strange to say. Why do you sound so convinced? And I know, I..! Riese, you would be stroking this mans head and hugging him in private..! Aa. That would be comforting. Riese nodded, completely unashamed. AnCand the other day you were giving a lap pillow in the carriage, werent you.!! Aaa, it was very relaxing. The conversation is not going anywhere. For some reason, Riese is good at this. Hold up, Wait. If I let you guys continue to talk, its going to ruin my reputation. I mean, why does Seren know so much about us? Im sure shes given a lot of thought to the time and place. Are you stalking Riese? Seren. You seem to misunderstand, but Riese is the type of person who wants to spoil any young child, not just me. So its not that Ive cajoled her Such nonsense. The only man I like to spoil is Ned. Eh.? I opened my eyes wide at the unexpected words that came out of Riese. Seren was already glaring at me like a demon, but Ill leave her alone for a bit. ..No, Ive definitely heard that story. Riese is always on the verge of a motherly outburst towards younger people, so if I dont act as an outlet for her, she might eventually commit a crime.. Aa, thats a lie my subordinate made up on their own. My party said that if I told you that, Ned would be reluctant to spoil me..Oh, so you believed them. I shouldnt have told you. Ive decided not to believe in the White Dragon Chivalric Order anymore. People call them the strongest adventuring party in the Kingdom of Enuvidia, but this is what they are when they open the lid. The people should know more about this fact. Then my headache will lighten. Generally speaking! Whats going to happen if you spoil a man like this! Seren, whose face turned red with anger, glared at me. Your behaviour is perverted from the outside!It is unhealthy! It is sexual! Sexual is a little bit of an exaggeration. Seren, its just that you dont know how Neds lives. This man has always worked hard towards his goals, and even when he has experienced setbacks, he has always stood up for himself. When I see him like that, I want to..protect him and help him, or rather, I have the desire for him to entrust everything to me. Leaving Riese to talk about her proclivities and reasons with an ecstatic expression on her face, I began to move on to other places. Leave it to Seren to preach to Riese Its a stupid idea, but maybe me and Seren could hit it off. Because we both want Riese to be better. That is not the time to think about this. I need to find them..as soon as possible. I went outside the castle and started to look around for that person. Roughly ten minutes later. I found the person I was looking for in a corner of the main street Eeeeeeeeeee ! Aaaaahhhh ! There was a crying child and a little girl. The child is a boy, probably about five years old. He is wailing and shedding tears without paying attention to his surroundings. And next to him, crying as well, was C Alice. .. What an odd situation.. What kind of combination is this? Why are they crying on the street this early in the morning? The sight of Alice who is no longer a little girl by any means, crying with the boy baffled me. At that moment, Alice, wiping away her tears, looked at me and noticed my presence. Oh, umm! Alice approached me, pulling the childs hand, and called out to me. Where is the Fountain Square.!!? When we arrived at the fountain square, a woman who appeared to be in her late twenties rushed up to us in a panic. Apparently, she was the mother of the boy Alice was crying with. The boy pulled away from Alice and hugged his mother. After parting with the grateful parents and child C I ask Alice what happened. .. I see. You intended to help a lost child, but you, yourself, had become lost too. Im sorry! Im so sorry.! Alice bowed her head repeatedly and apologised. Alice, who left the Kingdom of Enuvidia a year ago and was active in the Amdo Empire until a short time ago, seems to have completely lost her familiarity with the Royal Capital. The result of her taking on the task of guiding the way, without realising it, was the scene where I saw two of them crying together. Its true.. Im useless after all Alice looked completely dejected and muttered. I cant even guide a lost child, and in the end, Ive caused you trouble and.really, Ive always been a no good, no good person Slowly, tears appeared at the corners of Alices eyes. I looked into her eyes and said. Alice, you say youre not a good person, and yet you want to be a hero? Well, thats.. Alice was at a loss to give a reply. A bad person cannot be a hero. However, Alice, who lacks self-confidence in herself, is probably not comfortable with affirming herself to someone face to face. Just kidding. I smile lightly at Alice, who is half crying and half in trouble. Speaking of which, where are your other members? ..Exzair is not with you? Ah, yes. Im a bit separated at the moment..Philia-san and Kirch-san are out shopping..E,Exzair-san is out at the moment, on business on business? Ye,yes! I dont know, I dont know. Alice replied a little impatiently. Well, Ill take my leave Wait a minute. I stopped Alice as she was about to leave. Actually, there is an urgent request from the Adventurers Guild to take down a monster. If you dont mind, Id like you to help me.Ill let the other members know. Well, er,you see. I continue to speak to Alice, who is puzzled. Of course, you can refuse. Its a personal request, so it has nothing to do with the test. However, it seems that the monster is so viciousthat if we dont deal with it soon, we could be in a dangerous situation. When I tell her the seriousness of the situation, Alice, who had been previously frightened, becomes calm. Then Ill go with you.. After a brief hesitation, Alice said. If theres someone in trouble, Id like to.. help them. ..Thank you. Then, please follow me. I knew Alice would say that. As I led Alice to her destination, I took out my communication stone. After activating the communication stone, I briefly told the other person what I wanted to do. May? I have a small favour to ask you Deep in the forest. A huge monster lurking in a lake emerged with a violent splash of water. Giga Winikis. It is a nasty fish-type monster with a dorsal and tail fin as sharp as blades, and in addition, it ejects a mass of water from its mouth. Two days ago, a fisherman was victimised by this monster, and yesterday a woodcutter was its victim. Even without approaching the lake, the Giga Winikis is a ferocious monster that shoots water at any creature it finds within range, no questions asked. It was decided that immediate action was needed and a request was made to the guild to take it down. Snow Origin The snow emblem engraved on the pure white blade of the sword lights up with a phosphorescent glow. A moment later, Alice drew her sword, and after a short delay, Giga Winikiss body was cut in two. ICIm done. Aaa. Youre a lifesaver. Alice sheathes her sword. There is no scar on her body. She has a strength that makes anyone fall in love with her and a timid personality that makes her uneasy to watch. Alice, who had both of these qualities, seemed to be somewhat unbalanced. Are you hurt? Ah, yes, Im fine. Thats good to know. It would be a disaster if she got hurt before the final exam. If that happens, I shouldnt have entrusted her with defeating the monsters from the start.I actually have something I really need to talk to Alice about. We walked along the lake on our way back to Royal Capital. Alice is really strong. You may say your Existence Power Level 5, but.youre probably closer to 6 already. I dont knowmuch, I dont really feel it.. Rieses guess was right, Alice apparently does not care that much about her own strength. Now that she has defeated the monster, Alice is probably on the verge of finally reaching existence strength 6. Perhaps her Existence Power will increase during the final test. If youre so strong, you could have defeated more parties at the Valour Festival, couldnt you? Pft. Alice jumped in surprise. No, rather than being surprised C she is upset, like a child whose hidden blunder has been exposed. ThaCThaCThats not true. ! Aa, at the time, I had my hands full,and besides, everyone else was strong, or how can I say.. Turning her eyes away, Alice makes a desperate excuse. The slender figure approached the lake in a wobbly manner. Alice, watch your step. Hee? Hyaa!! By the time she realised, it was too late. Alice slipped and fell into the lake. UuuCueee. When Alice emerged from the lake, tears were running down her eyes, mixed with water. Her long, bluish black hair was wet and soaked in the water. Are you alright? YCyes.. Thank you very much I hold out my hand and pull Alice to me. I looked at Alice as she climbed out of the lake and I immediately looked away. Um, whats wrong You might want to cover up the front. With my eyes averted, I pointed at Alices body. Because her clothes had become wet, Alices white underwear was exposed. !!! Alice notices her own appearance, hurriedly turns her back towards me. I thought she had a slender body, but it seems she has some unevenness. The modest bulge of her breasts and the nips of her waist clearly showed the femininity that the young Alice had concealed. Sssssssorry,!!! Showing you unsightly things !! No Due to the fact that her clothes are skin tight against her skin, her rear view is also quite stimulating. With just a slight movement, her hair sways, each time revealing her skin-coloured backside. I quickly took off my jacket and handed it to Alice. Here, put this on. AaCthank you Alice thanked me and put on the clothes she received from me. Ive always wondered how Alice could be so feeble when you are so strong. Uuu. When I start a conversation as we are walking again, Alice gives me a complicated look. That..Ive always been a bit of a failure With her eyes downcast, Alice said. Up until secondary school, I went to a local school. It was a much smaller school than the academy in the capital, but.I didnt make any friends there either.. Im not good at talking, and I was always a bit of a coward..But thats why I decided to at least try to be strong. I had been aiming to become a hero since then, and I thought that if I became stronger, people might turn to me for help..So, as soon as I got out of school, I went to the Adventurers Guild and just kept on taking requests. I was like this, so people around me thought I was just someone who went home right after school ..But you still kept going to the guild and slowly improving your abilities? Yes..Ive had plenty of time. Alice affirmed haltingly. Phylicia and I were childhood friends and classmates. In school, Phylicia was the only one who got along with me, but she didnt seem to realise thatI was working as an adventurer. So when I came back from the Amdo Empire and told her, she was terribly angry. Why didnt you say anything?..In the end, it was my fault. I was clumsy, I was a coward, and Ive been spinning my wheels no matter what I do [I kept failing] then only I realised that Alice had a negative personality. It is a common story. In Alices case, however, it was perhaps a little stronger than others. .Rin, too, was troubled before he became a hero. I mutter, remembering a certain person. I continue to say to Alice, who looks at me. Alices goal is to become a hero like Rin, right? Yu, you know Rin the Brave? To Alices surprise, I nodded. Unlike Alice, Rin has quite a fast-paced personality, but he had the same problems as.Alice. He has always been really bad at acting seriously and trying to fit in with others.and he thought he would probably die without getting deeply involved with anyone until the end of his life. Alice looked surprised. Thats why he feels like a hero. Rin is a hero who has become more famous for his petty acts of helping people than for his battles against the Demon King. If a village is half destroyed, he helps to rebuild it and rather than hunting down the enemy, he reaches out to someone in front of him. He has honestly achieved little in the way of results in battle, but his approach to the people instead has led to a strong sense of popularity. From Alices point of view, did Rin the Brave seem not serious? Alice shakes her head. From Alices point of view, did Rin the Brave seem uncoordinated? Alice shakes her head. Same for me. At first I thought that heroes are all perfect. Its hard to notice when youre admiring someone, isnt it?But if you open the lid, even heroes have a problem or two. Heroes that everyone admires. are also struggling like ordinary people in places where everyone else cant see them. So Alice, you dont have to worry about every single failure. This was a line that could be said not so much to Alice, who is aiming to be a hero.but to Alice, who is aiming to be the hero Rin. There are those in the world who became a hero after suffering, struggling and overcoming their complexes. Their existence will be a beacon for Alice. Besides, Alice wouldnt be that timid. I continue to say to Alice, who has round eyes. [Youre a hero, but can you run away]..not many people can say that line so clearly. And Alice has a character that cant overlook people in need. You will help lost children, help defeat dangerous monsters and if you are truly a coward, you would have shut yourself up in your shell and done nothing. Alice, properly, has the conviction befitting a hero. Alice had somehow raised her face, which had been downcast. I look straight at her again. I ask you again.you really could have beaten a lot more parties during the Festival of Valour, couldnt you? So why didnt you dare to do so? I asked her, Alice answered with a small quiver of her lips. Its because you told me to.. Alice says, grabbing her water-soaked skirt tightly. [If you really want to be a hero, I expect you to be honest.] ..NedCsan told me that, andI, too, thought you were right. Those were the words I told Alice just before the Festival of Valour began. It seems my words were heard. Alice I stopped and looked at Alice. Its time to cut to the chase. Are you being blackmailed by Exzair? !!! I told Alice, who was wide-eyed and at a loss for words. After the first round of exams, I did a whole bunch of research on the candidates identities and backgrounds. As a result, I got information on a lot of parties, but I couldnt find out anything about..Alices party. Perhaps there is some kind of cover-up going on. To Alice, who instantly looks frightened, I continue. In the Amdo Empire, there is a certain organisation that I have been unable to find out anything about, no matter how much research Ive done. Alices party and that organisation match up in my inability to find such information.so Im already aware of your involvement with that organisation. Thats . And with the power of that organisation, they could easily get one or two tools that could nullify the blessings of the God of Judgement. They used those tools in the interview to make sure they wouldnt be found out to be lying. But from what I can see.Alice is the victim. I told her calmly so that Alice would not be confused. So Im hoping that Alice will tell me whats going on now. I expect theringleader to be the man who assisted you in the interview, Exzair, but you dont need to worry about that man right now. Ive asked someone I trust to stall him, so he shouldnt be able to get here. Exzair has special armaments that allow him to move through space. Therefore, if I want to be on the lookout for that man to eavesdrop, it does not make sense to just keep him away. Someone needs to stick with him around at all times to prevent him from using his special armaments. Right now, Ive asked Meir to play that role. Ive told her to use her title of test director to buy time but its Meir. I expect that she wouldnt able hold Exzair for too long. Well, but..Im.. Alice seemed to be trying to squeeze out words somehow. However, no matter how long I waited, she did not speak clearly. Im not strong enough to push her Perhaps she is being threatened hard. Alice is now losing her mind out of fear rather than calmly agonising over her options. Alice. Who do you trust most in this world? Alices eyes dart at this abrupt question, but she eventually answers. Ry, my parents and.party, my friends. Party member. Does that mean Phylicia and Kirch are her friends other than Exzair? Or is it a bluff to hide the threatened case from me? Oh, and also..Rin the Brave..trusts.. He is someone Alice admires. Naturally, she would also trust him. I see, Ill leave it to Rin then. Eh? Next to Alice who had a curious look, I pulled out a communication stone from my pouch. When I connect with the person Im looking for, I briefly tell him what Im doing and hand the communication stone to Alice. You can speak freely I hand the communication stone to Alice, who holds it close to her ear with a puzzled expression on her face. Hello, hello`Im Rin the Brave. .Eh? Alice knew that the magical tool given to her by Ned was called a communication stone. She had never used it. Originally, Alice was a person with extremely few acquaintances, and after meeting that man in the Amdo Empire, she was forbidden to have any tools related to communication. It was the first time she had touched an actual communication stone. So Alice put the communication stone to her ear with unsteady hands. Are?Is it still connected?O`i, its Rin the Brave. She didnt mishear Ah, ah, ah, um! Um, um, Im Alice! (ΤãΤΤΡ˽ꥹǤ!!) Ahahaha!Youre too nervous!Yes, yes, Alice-chan. Rins bright laughter can be heard over the communication stone. Alices face turned bright red. Im sorry we can only talk over the communication stone` Aa, how do you know about me?I heard from Ned earlier that you have a crush on me. Well, Im glad nevertheless. FaCFaCfar far from it! Im sorry that Im the one who admires you! (ȡȤȤȡȤǤ⤢ޤ󣡤Ρ˽ʤ󤫤㿤ơꤷUʤǤã) The voice, the tone, was definitely that of the hero Rin. Alice is convinced because she admires him.Its Rin the Brave. She is now talking to the real Rin. At that moment, a loud [DON!!!] was heard over the communication stone. It is as if he had punched something with great force. Er, er, RinCsan Aa`er, sorry. Its not like its a hassle, but Im kind of fighting a monster right now. Eh?? ACaa,are you okay!? Im fine, Im fine. I can handle this much. Rin says in a fluent tone. I dont` like fighting too seriously Rin says in a laid-back atmosphere that is disproportionate to the intense sounds of battle. Because if youre fighting with a kind of serious expression on your face, you make people feel uneasy, right?Im a hero, after all, and I dont want people to feel scared. Im moderately relaxed to show that Im totally relaxed. In other words, its about my personal preoccupation, so theres no need for Alice-chan to be concerned about it at all. A rumbling sound can be heard. It must be a stormy, fierce battle raging. But the voice emanating from Rins mouth gives an idyllic, calm impression, as if he were spending time in the long, quiet countryside. I know what you mean.. Alice smiles happily. When you saved me from being attacked by a monster on the outskirts of the village, RinCsan had a kind expression on your face the whole time, as if you were trying to put people at ease..I was..to such a Rin-san. Hearing Alices words, Rin spoke after a short pause. Alice-chanare you perhaps the girl who helped the village at the foot of the mountain? Y,you remember!? Yah`, I remember you, properly. Youre the girl with the long hair, right?..because you were looking at me with those sparkling eyes at that time. I see, it was already five years ago Alices hands trembled. She didnt think Rin would remember her -Alice was filled with uncontrollable emotion. So now youre a candidate for the Hero Party Youve worked hard` Yes. yes. Her eyes were burning. Alice shook her head repeatedly, wiping away the blotting tears with her fingers. So? What happened Alice-chan, what are you worried about now? Rins question brought Alice back to her senses. Right. This isnt the time for sentimentality. Well, actually..right now, NedCsan is asking me a certain question In a trembling voice, Alice says. Well, its a question I should answer. ButIm too scaredto answer it. Alice could not explain the situation so easily, even when dealing with the person she admires. She feels inferior to her own poor speech and cowardice. She doesnt know how it happened. The remorse was now so exhausted that she was no longer able to think properly. Lets see`the person infront of you is trustworthy, you can talk to him. I can swear to this in the name of Rin the Brave. Rin said in his usual easyCgoing tone of voice. Just then, the battle with the monsters was settled, and the sounds of battle could no longer be heard. Ned, you see, is a man who fights with his connections. Connections, is it ? Yes. Well, in a word, someone who knows a lot of people. Alice realises how easily Ned introduced Rin the Brave. He certainly has a wide network of contacts. But, you know, I think this is a sword vine with many blades.. Rins voice was a mixture of respect and dismay. Because he is connected to so many people, if he does anything wrong, rumours about him will spread quickly..but there are no such rumours on Ned. Ned itself is a puritanical character but Im sure that anyone who stood beside him is convinced of that. Ned is always doing the right thing, he says. He, himself swore that he wont turn to blackmail, fraud or injustice. What Rin spoke of was the strong determination from Ned. So, AliceCchan, you can feel free to rely on Ned. Ned is a friendly guy, so you just need to say a few words and he will help you. Im sure that wherever you are, the Ned will help you. Rins respect for Ned was noticeable. What kind of man is NedCsan who is spoken of so much by the hero Rin? Umm..who is Ned exactly? Hmm.just a normal person. Rin continued. But you know, if you ask him for help hes the one person you can count on more than anyone else. Alice and Rins conversation continued for some time. Meanwhile, I take out a stack of papers I had tucked away in my pouch and check to see if there is any unfinished business. As I rolled up the paper and read over my notes, Alice handed me back the communication stone. How did it go? I asked, and Alice opened her mouth, her snow-white cheeks flushed. Oh, um! Is Ned-san the leader of the party that first conquered the underwater ruins discovered on the Central Continent!? Alice asked me excitedly. Oh, and there are also stories that Ned-san was chosen as the next chief of the legendary..Fenrir tribe, and that he obtained the elixir of immortality said to lie dormant in Kakusenkyo (Im a little loss on this w_. I just typed the hiragana for it) .That guy talks too much. I refused to take the next chief position, and I sold the Elixir of Immortality at random, so I dont even know where it is now. I continue to hear from Alice that Rin told her about my background in a rambling manner. So, what do you think?Are you ready to answer me now? Alice must be planning to tell me herself, since she cut off communication with Lynn and returned the communication stone to me. I wait for Alice to speak. You are right, NedCsan.I am being threatened by ExzairCsan. Hes holding my parents and my party members hostage. I see, I can see that point. It would have been difficult to even ask Alice what was going on because they are being held hostage. If she leaked this to the outside world, they would bring harm to the hostages. Does your party members..Phylicia and Kirch know about this? No.they dont know. I am the only one being threatened. I had somewhat expected that. Before the start of the Valour Festival B block, I met with Phylicia and Kirch, who, unlike Alice, did not seem too alarmed by Exzair. Alice trusted me, thus she spoke up. I guess the persuasion of Rin the Brave worked, but I am sure that she has put her trust in me. Then I have a duty to respond to that. Alice. You dont have to think about anything else. Ill take care of everything, Alices parents, your friends, everything. I told Alice, who looked like she was about to cry. So, Alice, in your next final examdo what you think is right. Volume 2 - CH 4.1 Calling for help Translated by SoundDestiny Edited by SoundDestiny The day of the final examinations. The students had assembled in front of the abandoned dragons nest. Well, the final exam for the selection of the hero party is finally here. Rushia said as she checked the faces of those who had gathered. Before we start the exam, I have one unfortunate piece of news. For.various reasons, Rigils party has withdrawn from the exam. This leaves six remaining parties. [No wonder they havent turned up any time soon.] [Why did they withdraw at this time?..The most likely reason is that they were scared off by the final exam and turned tail. The next most likely reason is some kind of trouble.] As you know, the final examinations are extremely dangerous. But I do not want you to die. Therefore, you must share the necessary information before the examination begins! Rushias words made the candidates ready themselves. This was no time to be thinking about the whereabouts of the party that had dropped out. In the lairs of the dead dragon live special monsters that have adapted to the power of corrosion!And the most troublesome of these monsters is that they seem to have eaten the carcasses of the dead dragon! At the moment, two types of monster have been identified!One is a mutant of the monster called King Ape!The other is a mutant of a monster called the Garuda, an extinct bird!The strength of these two monsters corresponds to an existence power of 6 in human terms! A rustle and a groan can be heard amongst the candidates. Existence power 6 C there is not a single examinee who has reached that level. In other words, there seems to be a monster in the abandoned dragons nest that is more powerful than any of the competitors who fought at the Valour Festival. And one more thing!The Dragon Crown Sword is located in the centre of the abandoned dragons lair!This weapon, which possesses special powers, cannot be touched by monsters, so it will not shift position until someone else gets it! It is said that special armaments made from monster materials contain the presence of the monster from which they were made. The presence of the Dragon Crown Sword may be what is keeping the monsters away. You have done well to survive this long, my fierce men and women. Your struggle has already been recognised by many of the people.But only one party will win in the end. The mistress must choose one of you. Princess Rushia tells the candidate with determined eyes. Please, please. I sincerely hope that a real hero will emerge from among you C a new hero who can become the hope of this country! Princess Rushia declared in a loud voice. Achieve greatness! Let the final test begin!! Immediately after the signal sounded, several parties stepped into the abandoned dragons lair. Alice and the others also entered the forest. Unlike the Valour Festival, this time each party is competing for the results of the test. After each party entered the forest, they went their separate ways. The trees in the forest, nearly half of them are stained white. Is this the power of the abandoned dragon? After a short while of walking, Phylicia looked around and said. The trees in the forest were dotted with trees of the usual shades of green and brown, and trees with white trunks and leaves, affected by corrosion, as if they were speckled with spots. The white trunks of the trees crumbled when lightly impacted, and the leaves shattered and fell to the ground at the foot of the trees. The white particles on the ground are not sand, but the debris of trees shattered by corrosion. The abandoned dragons lair is a vast forest, but it wont take long to find itas long as we know where the Dragon Crown Sword= Kirch mutters. In other words, this test is not a race against time. The first thing to be wary of is the monsters. Each person should be ready to fight at any time. Meanwhile, Alice looked at Exzair with only her gaze. Exzair Sullivan. He is the man whom Alice met in the Amdo Empire and in this selection test for the heroic party, ordered to be the winner. Exzair knew what Alice was capable of and wondered if she could be used. The result was using the hostage to blackmail Alice. Exzairs special armoury, the Void Sky, has the effect of moving through space at will. Unbound by the concept of distance, Exzair could kill Alices parents, who lived far away from her, at any time. Stop. Exzair stops and tells his party member sharply. Theres a monster. A tiger-like monster stared at them from among the trees. Exzairs aim was to become a member of the heroic party of the Kingdom of Enuvidia and to steal the kingdoms amoury and information. For this reason, his interests were aligned with Alices only on one point: to pass the examination. So, ostensibly, they take a cooperative attitude to the exam. Thank you very much, ExzairCsan. .thank you for your help. Phylicia and Kirch, who know nothing about the situation, thank him honestly. Alice, who knew the true nature of Exzair, looked bitter. Because during the Valour Festival I left.most fighting entirely to Alice. Kirch grabs the axe on his back. Leave this to us Saying this, Kirch ran towards the monster. The tiger-shaped monster was covered in a grey outer shell, perhaps affected by the corrosive force released by the carcass of a dead dragon. It looked hard to the naked eye, but Kirch had no hesitation in closing in on it. The Axe of Execution (ɔ) Kirchs special armaments explode in bursts. The harder the opponent, the more powerful the attack. Thats the effect of the The Axe of Execution. The great axe swings down, gouging out the monsters outer shell and knocking its body to the ground. But the monster was still alive. An ordinary monster would have sunk now, but. The monster stood up and approached Kirch. The next moment, an arrow pierced the monsters back. Right next to Alice, Phylicia was holding her bow. A purple smoke enveloped her left eye. Ahh! Phylicia fires a second shot. The arrow pierced the monsters flesh, which had been exposed by Kirchs destruction of its outer shell. The arrowhead sinks deeply into the flesh and the monster lets out a cry of distress. Thanks, Phylicia No if only I didnt have the curse, I could have finished it off with one shot Kirch slams his axe into the monster again, killing it. The monsters body lies on the ground. They waited for a while to see if it was still alive, but it was completely dead. .its strong. Yes. It seems that the monsters in this forest is harder than normal, although they are not the two mutant species that Princess Rushia mentioned In the past, the power of corrosion was rampant in this forest. Monsters that could withstand this force began to live in the forest. In other words, many of the monsters here are probably robust individuals. Immediately after they are about to move Hyun, a sound of the wind cutting through the air. Kirchs eyes widen and he turns his body. A dull, dark-coloured knife grazed Kirchs cheek. KirchCsan! .. its alright. Kirch wipes the blood dripping from his cheek with the back of his hand. Four men and women in green cloaks emerge from the depths of the blackened forest. One of them. The dark-haired man in the lead is holding a knife. The Green Shadow, Husen ? Kirchs eyes widened. Alices voice trembled at the sudden appearance of the examinees. Why, why did you attack us..? Why? .. Thats a foolish question. Husen smiles wryly. Hostility between parties is not forbidden. Despite that, Husens party gets ready for battle. Essentially, this environment is my battlefield. The humiliation of not being able to do anything in the second exam C Im going to pay back here. The next moment, Husens party dispersed. Husen approaches Kirch. The other three headed towards Alice. KirchCsan, be careful! No problem if they come at me from the front, I wont lose.. Kirch, with his axe at the ready, suddenly dropped one of his knees. Then his limbs trembled slightly. This is poison .. Husen grins and dives into Kirchs blindside. A dull knife is thrust into Kirchs chest. But just before it does, a black mist appears at Husens side, and Exzair appears. Exzair launches a stabbing attack with a long, thin dagger. Husen avoided hair breath. Oya, that was close. Tsk. Husen clicks his tongue and jumps back. KirchCsan, Im treating you now. Wary of the retreating Husen, Phylicia approached the crouching Kirch. Phylicias right hand glows faintly, revealing a silver bottle. Balance of Purification and Healing. One of the cups on either side lights up. The numbness was removed from Kirchs entire body. The special armament Balance of Purification and Healing. has two effects: detoxification and recovery. However, there is a limit to the amount of this armament that can be effective in a day. The amount is shared between detoxification and recovery, so the user must choose carefully whether to prioritise detoxification or recovery, depending on the situation. After detoxifying, Phylicia also healed the wound on Kirchs cheek. A wound of this level can be healed without much effort. Spatial travel, detoxification and recovery.You guys have some nice special armaments. . your knives are also a special armament. Husen glares at her with his eyes flashing and Phylicia says back, revealing her wariness. Husen plays with the knives in his hands. Then the number of knives increased to two or three. The Eroding Mountain Blade is an armament that produces an infinite number of poisoned knives. Its not a remarkable effect, but I like the fact that its infinite. In a survival situation, the amount of weaponry left is a lifeline. (gɽС) Saying this, Husen throws the knife. The knives are poisonous, so they have no choice but to concentrate on evading them, even if it drains their strength. Moreover, if the number of knives is unlimited, simply waiting for it to deplete is also not an option. M,Me too.. Seeing Phylicia and her friends, who had no choice but to take a defensive stance, Alice reached for her scabbard. Immediately afterwards, Husens party slashed at Alice with a knife. Alice!? Waa, Im, Im fine, but ..! Alice avoids the approaching knife. But she is constantly surrounded by three people, so she is unable to move. Husen laughs. I have my friends trying to stop Alice Feldrant in her tracks. I dont think we can beat that girl in a straight fight from the start. But If all of her friends retire, she will probably waver a little. From the looks of it, unlike Seren Duvalis, shes mentally immature. Husens words made Phylicia look grim. Alice was already in a state where she could not remain calm. Even if the enemy has Existence Force 5, her mental structure was completely different from that of Seren, who had faced the test alone from the beginning. Then you intend to take on the three of us all by yourself? Kirch says, re-setting his axe. Husens party is made up of four people. If three of them are assigned to Alice, Husen will have to fight Phylicia and the other two by himself. When Kirch tells him implicitly not to be overconfident, Husen snickers, [Hmph]. I told you.this environment is my battlefield. A moment later, Husen flies backwards, hiding his figure in the darkness of the forest. A few seconds later, a dull-coloured knife was released at Kirch. Kh. As Kirch evades the knife, it now closes in on Phylicias back. Phylicia, bend over! E? Kya!? At Exzairs instruction, Phylicia noticed the approaching knife and complied with a scream. The knife then flew at Exzairs leg. Tsk. Exzair revealed his irritation. The poster child for survival C Husen the Green Shadow. For a man who has lived as a hunter in a magical forest where vicious monsters are continuously regrouping, this environment must surely be easy for him to fight in. The dark green cloak Husen wears is the protective colour of the forest, making it difficult for him to be seen. Invisible. That simple word fear hung over Alices party. Fear slowed her body and accelerated her physical exhaustion. Phylicia, who was trying to catch her disordered breath, lost her concentration for a moment. A moment later, Husen throws a knife without missing the opportunity. Just before the dull knife pierces Phylicias body -. Yo! A sword blade extended from somewhere flicked Husens knife. The blade shrank. Immediately afterwards, a man with red hair stood in front of Husen. If hostility between candidates is possible, then cooperation between..candidates is also possible, right? Red-haired, Alex.. Husens face contorted abominably. A little later, Alexs friends were also approaching. Husen, wasnt it?Weve just heard about the dangers of this forest, havent we? I dont think this is the time for parties to be fighting amongst ourselves. . dont be so conceited. Husen told them without relaxing his stance. Only one party will be chosen for the hero party.The struggle between the candidates is still going on. Or did you enter this examination with that level of determination? Alex wrinkles his eyebrows. He offers a hand for dialogue, but Husen quickly shakes it off. Its just that the number of parties we have to defeat here has gone from one to two. Husen shows his wariness, glares at Alec and the others, and disappears again into the depths of the forest. Just before that, however, Husen slipped. Before he knew it, Husens feet had turned into a shallow swamp. You, thats- Husen glared at Rygan, one of Alexs companions. A magical tool to till the soil and a magical tool to create water I see,so this guy can certainly be used.. In Rygans hands were two magical tools. They were the ones used by the grimoire scholar Heisen at the second round of the Valour Festival. A small hoe and a watering can. These disproportionate-looking magical tools on the battlefield successfully robbed Husen of his mobility. You, you, you ! Husens forehead was covered in blue streaks. Seeing this, Alex approaches Alice. Alice, you alright? Ha, yes! Alice reacted by shaking her shoulders, as if she were a small animal surrounded by natural enemies. However, Alex, who knows what Alice is capable of, finds it hard to believe. Im sorry, but could you help us a little? These guys dont seem to want to back down. Well, thats .. In other words, it must be a proposal to defeat Husen and his friends together. Alice could not answer immediately. A moment later C she feels intense pressure. Alice, Alex and Husen all realised the pressure and changed their expression. Something comes from deep in the forest. What came out from behind the deep darkness was a large tree flying at the speed of an arrow. ! The flying tree snatched Husens body. Huzen was blown away with a pain as if half his body had been gouged out by a cannon. Goaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!! An ear-splitting roar echoed. A great big grey ape emerged from the darkness of the forest. The King Ape! It was like a giant ape in a cracked armour. Nearly half of his body hair has mutated and become hard as stone, probably due to the effects of eating the carcass of the abandoned dragon. Its eyes are bloodshot and show no sign of reason. The King Ape thrust its sharp claws into the rock and the rock then slowly turned to dust. The king ape had inherited the power of the abandoned dragon. Oiou, it found us too quickly.. No. Next to Rygan, who muttered with a twitchy expression on his face, Alex chuckled. Enemies are so densely packed in here. It is a sure thing he would be coming! From King Apes perspective, they are an alien threat to his territory. Rygan, hold him back! Roger! Under Alexs direction, Rygan creates a shallow swamp at the feet of the crippled monkey. However, when the crippled ape entered the swamp C a sound like the evaporation of water was heard. The swamp turned into dust.!? The muddy water has turned to dust. This is no way to slow it down. Husen, youre being targeted! Damn i!? Husen became agitated at the cries of his companions. The crippled ape approached Husen at a speed not befitting its huge frame. A thick, muscular, powerful arm swung out. Huzen prepared himself for death at that moment, but Snow Origin. With a clink, the sound of water was heard. Gaaaaaaaaaa !? The King Ape shouts. Alices sword had sunk deep into King Apes arm. Alice immediately draws her sword and turns her slender frame to escape from the range of King Apes attack. This way, this way..! Alice pulled Husens hand and evacuated him far away from the crippled ape. Youwhy did you help me.? Husen looked at Alice with stunned, incredulous eyes. But Alice had already turned to face the King Ape and the next moment, she was sprinting again. My body, light.. Strangely, Alice felt that her physical body was lighter than usual. No. More precisely, her mind was lighter. Alice remembers a few days ago. Ill take care of Alices parents, my friends, everything. Those were the words of one young man. So Alice, in your next final exam, do what you think is right. Originally, Alice had intended to do that without anyone telling her. But it was the first time she had been told so clearly and had her back pushed. Light. Much lighter in mind and body than at the Festival of Valour. O, Oioi!! Calm down! The opponent is a monster with an existence power equivalent to six! I need you to calm down here.. She ignores Alex, who is bewildered. With unprecedented concentration, Alice confronted the King Ape. Shhhh!! Avoiding the swinging arm, Alice swung her sword. With her family and friends held hostage, Alices psyche was by no means normal. However, talking to Ned calmed her down even if its just a little. Snow Origin.!! The King Ape crossed his arms in front of his chest and tried to guard against Alices attack. However, Alices slash bent limply immediately after touching King Apes arm, splitting the King Apes huge body. The effect of the special armoury Snow Originis that it can liquefy a slash at will the moment it touches an object. It was as if Alices slashes were transformed like snow that melts on contact. .Its unbelievable Alex was aghast at the sight before him. The threat of the King Ape was equivalent to an existence force of 6. Despite this, Alice, who was supposed to be at Existence Power 5, was still able to go toe-to-toe with the King Ape. It was not even close to an equal match but she had the upper hand. Alice, you are. Phylicia opened her eyes and looked at Alices courageous figure. As Husen analysed, Alice is mentally immature. But thats the flip side of the coin C her change in mentality affects her strength. Alice, who had shrunk both mentally and physically as a result of the threat from Exzair, moved just a little bit lighter as a result of Neds words. Even that minor change was enough for Alice. O White Devil who wanders forever. (ä夦ħ) Quietly, Alice chants. that blossom in vain is piled upRemnant snowflakes dance in the sky. (ͽϷe , Фѩդ褦) Alices sword glowed pure white and its outline became as vague and dim as snow. Skill releaseWhite Flower (׆D) Immediately after Alice drew her sword, the slash became countless snowflakes that danced around the crippled ape. The snow touches the body of the King Ape. At that moment C a white flower bloomed. The slash is transformed into a flower. That was the effect of the skill White Flower. White flowers are blooming and spilling over, the King Ape is swallowed by a storm of slashes. Fuha,Hahaha!! Seeing Alice, who moves much better than she did at the Valour Festival, Exzair laughs. The fact that he was using a girl with such strength as a puppet made Exzair see a blackened hope. He cant stop laughing when he thinks that he will be able to control this strength at will forever. Guruaaaaaaaaaaaa !! The abandoned monkey bellowed and moved its limbs in a messy manner. Alice retreated once, then looked at the candidates around her. Oh, um I have a suggestion ! Alice said, her splattered sweat glistening like snow. W,why dont we all defeat this monster and move on ? With a nervous look on her face, Alice looked at everyone. It was the first time she had proposed to someone like this. Alices pure white cheeks gradually flushed. I refuse. Ee. Alices eyes darted to Husens shortly announced response. Alice, who didnt expect to be turned down, looks at Alex with a troubled face. Sorry, Ill pass too. ee.eeee..EEE!!? Why..? Alice, who did not expect even Alex to say no, gets teary-eyed. Alex smiled half-heartedly at Alice. Well handle this on our ownYou guys go ahead. To Alice, who is unsure of the true meaning of his words, Alex continues. You can take him down by yourself, cant you? Alices lips tightened involuntarily. [They saw through it.]The idea that if they all defeat the King Ape, instead of continuing to defeat it alone , everyone will move forward together. But both Husen and Alex are people who aspire to be a Hero. They do not take kindly to such gentle concern from Alice. They saw through Alices kindness C and gave way. Alice, lets go. Exzair is about to head deep into the forest. A moments hesitation. However, Alice, who instantly realised that hesitation was an act that would stain their resolve, bowed her head deeply and headed for the depths of the forest. The King Ape, perhaps wary of Alice, does not follow her and her party as they walk away. Alex.. Sorry, guys. Alex apologises to his party members. I cant..probably be proud of myself if I become a Hero with the help of that girl. Alexs face was somewhat refreshed as he told them this. Seeing their expressions, Rygan and the rest of Alexs friends smile. Apparently, they were not likely to be chosen for the heroic party. But they had no regrets. But I didnt expect you. I didnt realise you had the same idea. .hmph. Alex looked at him and Husen played with his knife irritably. Are you sure?You seemed to be going into this exam with an extraordinary amount of determination. When Alex insisted that candidates should not fight with each other, Husen told him, [Is that how prepared you are for this exam?]. Alex expects that Husen has some kind of larger purpose in mind. The reason were trying to become a hero party is to cultivate the Devils Forest. While Alex stiffens at the unexpected revelation, Husen speaks. People call me the poster child of survival, but.who would like to live like that? We are all people who have been forced to live in a harsh natural environment for as long as we can remember. Sounding bored, Husen continued. So when we were chosen as the heroic party, we were going to cultivate and strictly control every single one of the danger zones like the Demon Forest..But we dont have to become a heroic party ourselves if the others can fulfil that aim. .. you think shes going to accomplish that for you? Shes strong, but shes a softy. We could use her. Husen recalled Alice, who had saved him from the King Ape. That girl saved Husen, who had been so hostile towards her, without a moments hesitation. She is a good-natured person to the point of being dumbfounded. But he felt that if a person was going to be a hero, He felt he could.trust her. Red hair, dont drag our feet. Thats my line, Green Shadow. Husen lightly floats his knife upwards. The number of knives kept growing: two, three, four. Alex took out a sword in his right hand and a fluorescent crystal given to him by Huizen. At the time when Alice and her friends were fighting the King Ape. Seren Duvalis was running at full speed through the nest of the abandoned dragons. Kyukyiiiiiiiiiiii Damn it,so persistent!? The monster flying overhead made an ear-splitting noise. It was like a bird with half its body hair turned into grey armour. The distance makes it difficult to see its size, but its body was the size of a tree trunk, and its legs alone were well over Serens height. A special monster that lives in the nests of abandoned dragons C A Garuda. The monster, which all parties should be wary of, was staring at Seren with an angry glare. No`what can I say, Im so sorry. Next to Seren, a girl with light green hair in a ponytail was running with her. Mirei, the wind dancer. She is a wandering entertainer who performs all over the world and she apologised to Seren. I wont forgive you even if you apologise! Why should I be chased around together with you..a Garuda at that!? Because Seren passed in front of us while we were fighting it Dont make up such lies! You girls must be the ones who approached me! While saying it, Seren also glares at the girl running with her on the other side. Ahaha!! Well, well, lets all get along! Fina, the Iron Fire Spear. She is not only an adventurer, but also a cook. Her insistence on gathering all ingredients with her own hands has given her the strength to kill any monster. Then again, why is the monster so angry? Is it because I took its eggs? Or is it because I caught a bird-shaped monster nearby and roasted it whole? What are you doing during this final exam?!! Well,eating? Its a roast bird and extremely delicious! Eati Seren draws her sword from its scabbard and turns around. Sen!!! Seren blows away the grey feathers that are pouring down like rain with a single sword stroke. The feathers are incinerated with a violent thunderclap. At their feet, the feathers of the Garuda that Seren had been unable to block were stuck in the ground. Immediately afterwards, the ground turns grey around the feather and turns to dust. Thats a nasty, nasty feather.. Serens sword shatters with a clatter. It was an exchange that has been repeated many times. The crippled birds attacked Seren and his men unilaterally from high in the sky. The feather bullets released from its wings have the effect of corroding the target they come into contact with, and will be fatal if they touch it in the flesh. Li, leader hey, wait ! A large man running behind them lets out a grunt. It is not only Seren, Mirei and Fina who are fleeing from the flying monster,Garuda. Unlike Seren, Mirei and Fina have their own party members and they are starting to get tired. if we just run away like this, well be wiped out soon. But the Garuda is still flying in the sky. Mirei and Fina began to strategise with a difficult look on their faces. Seren silently glanced at them. Using the skill of Phantom Dance of Lightning may be able to break the situation, but..if I use it now, there is a possibility that another party will take advantage Of the seven swords Seren had prepared, she has used one. The goal of the final test is to bring back the national treasure of the Kingdom of Enuvidia, the Dragon Crown Sword. But being the only one treasure that exists, the competition between the candidates will start sooner or later. Besides, that girl is also taking part in this final examination. Alice Feldrant. If Seren is going to fight her, she needed to take all possible precautions. These girls must have similar thoughts. Seren glares at Mirei and Fina. The enemy is not only the Garuda monster. The gut-wrenching battle has already begun. Seren thought so and stored her second sword in the Phantom Dance of Lightningbut . Oh no! There are monsters coming from the front too! Fina alerts them. A deer-shaped monster with large antlers was charging at Seren and the others, who were fleeing from the Garuda. Its knobby horns have countless thorns. If it lunges at them, they cant escape unschathed. I will distract the Garuda! Mirei said and leapt high towards the Garuda. Wind treading shoes Mireis shoes are covered with wind. The next moment, Mirei was floating in the air. Apparently, she has a special armoury that allows her to fly. It is a power befitting her nickname, the Dancer of the Wind. Iron Fire Spear The moment the Garudas attention was diverted, Fina held up her spear. The tip of the spear was burning. Without stopping to run, Fina used her momentum to thrust the spear into the deer-shaped monster. The spear pierces the monster and its body burns intensely. The special armoury Iron Fire Spear is undoubtedly a powerful weapon that burns the target it pierces, but Fina uses it more for cooking. Yes! Monster down! Thanks, Fina! Mirei, who had been flying in the sky, joined them and they all fled together again. Seren looked suspiciously at the girls who were fighting, exposing their skills and not worrying about their physical exhaustion. .. arent you girls scared? Seren asks. Were in competition against each other, you know?Dont you think Id attack you from behind, for example, with such an unprotected..appearance? It was a serious question. But Mirei and Fina just smirk. Youre so serious, Seren. Somewhat taken aback, Mirei said. I trust Seren because people who are willing to attack others wont bother to say so! Fina said with a carefree smile. Seren was taken aback by their lack of hostility. Seren! I have a proposal! Fina looks at Seren with innocent eyes and says. Were going to try to bring down that Garuda monster somehow, so that you can finish it off Fina then runs towards the Garuda monster without hearing any reply. Mirei also immediately activated her Wind treading shoes and approached the Garuda monster. Oiiiii, this way!! Mirei provokes the Garuda monster. The Garuda monster is probably the strongest creature in the sky of this forest. Therefore, no creature would normally approach it. That is why it is showing an excessive reaction to Mirei attempting to approach it. GarudaCsan, come over here!! Mirei flew with the bird in a calm and composed manner. Mireis movements in the sky were fluid. Her light green hair and the green phosphorescence from her shoes trace trails in the sky. Flying freely back and forth, left and right, up and down, Mirei was like a fish swimming in the air. To begin with, Mirei has wowed countless audiences with her flying skills. Dancer of the wind. Mirei performs a dance that lives up to its name. The Garuda, bewitched by Mirei, is gradually led to the ground. Now! Attack at once! At Finas signal, the two parties launched an attack on the Garuda. Mireis companions use their experience as acrobats to throw knives and daggers. Finas companions attack the crippled bird with bows used for hunting and knife-like swords. The Garuda gradually lost altitude as a large number of weapons pierced its wings. .Riese. Is this the strength you seek.? Seren looked at the landscape in front of her with a calm and collected face. Those who should be competing with each other are united in fighting the monster. Fall down you Garuda Monster!!! Fina ran up a nearby tree and thrust her spear directly into the body of the crippled bird. A moment later, a burst of flames engulfed the bird. Gyiiiiiiiiiiiii!!! The Garuda Monster screamed. Hearing its shrill voice, Seren cools her thoughts further. Companions. Surely the word is right, attractive and carries an impression that should be embraced. But Seren knew. There are people who have been made gutted by the presence of their friends. I do not approve of this kind of power Staring at the Garuda monster falling to the ground, Seren reaffirmed her resolve. Seren, now!!! Fina pulled out the spear that had pierced the Garuda and looked back at Seren. But Seren did not respond to her voice and did not move an inch. Seren!? What are you doing, quickly..!! You are weak because you rely on someone else. Seren backed away from the Garuda and stared straight at Fina and the others, who were expecting Serens blow. The bird slowly got up and spread its wings, leaving Fina and the others bewildered. I am different. Seren says, looking at the bird that flew up into the sky again. It would certainly be easier to rely on someone else. But it is nothing more than revealing their own weakness, that they cannot face the situation alone. As long as they continue to rely on their friends, that weakness will never be wiped out. Seren cannot accept that by any means. I can defeat any enemy alone. Seren glared back at the Garuda Monster that flew high in the sky that glared at her. When the sword in the special armaments Phantom Dance of Lightning is drawn, lightning clings to the blade. Seren throws the sword C straight down. A single flash of light pierced through the abandoned bird. Gigiyiii!! Seren sheathed yet another sword and threw it. Lightning bolts streaked from below to above. The normally impossible sight was a gut-wrenching and violent attack, as if it were destroying and twisting the laws of nature. The Garuda monster falls again. Seren does not miss that opportunity. Skill releaseFlower Dance of Lightning The fourth sword is sheathed. The swords hilt turns yellow and becomes electrified. Seren swung the sword, which had turned into lightning itself, with blinding speed. The huge body of the Garuda splits open and a large amount of blood splatters. Seeing the dead bird, Seren let out a small exhalation. At the same time, Serens sword shatters. She used a superior sword compared to the one she used at the valour festival, but it damaged the hardness of the Garudas flesh. After putting the sword on her back into the scabbard at her waist, Seren calmly looks back towards Mirei and the others. What do you want to do? If you want to, Ill fight with you. Seren tells them without hiding her wariness. In contrast, Mirei and Fina shook their heads. Cant do itIm in such a state. Saying this, Mirei pointed to her left arm. Mireis left arm was greyish around the elbow and she seemed unable to move it properly. It seems that she had been attacked by a feather when she had guided the Garuda Monster to the ground earlier. Fina is similarly injured, with a slightly inflamed leg. She must have lost her position and twisted it when she landed after thrusting her spear into the crippled bird. However, this was merely a lack of self-care for Seren. She interpreted it as a weakness, peculiar to people who rely on someone else. Seren, sure youre strong, butsomething about you makes me uneasy to watch. Fina tells her with a serious expression. Seren ignored her words and headed deeper into the forest. After defeating the Garuda Monster, the calm Seren realised her blunder. She has only three swords left. A slightly disappointing number. At first, she had intended to avoid exhaustion, but why had she been so eager? If she had wanted to, Seren could have pushed the Garuda Monster to those two. . That Garuda monster.I cant say I am confident in defeating it alone. The Garuda Monster had already been drained of its strength by the wind dancer Mirei and it had already been severely damaged by Fina the Iron Fire Spear. In that state, Seren cant proudly say that she defeated it alone when she tore it to pieces. Seren was getting frustrated. Seren stepped on the ground a little more forcefully than usual, and as she continued walking, she came to an open area. The trees in the area were stark white. There was a rock at her feet and when she tried to step over it, the rock crumbled easily. It seems that the area is more strongly affected by the corrosive force scattered by the corpses of the dead dragons. The branches and leaves of the trees turn to dust just by being exposed to the wind and pile up like snow underfoot. So here, in spite of being in the heart of the forest, the sun was shining. There is something that shimmers and sparkles in that sunlight. Thats ..Dragon Crown Sword. Seren finally found what she was looking for. A special armament with immense power, which could borrow the power of the dragon with whom it had formed a friendship. The sword, worthy of being a national treasure, was beautiful to look at and looked more like a work of art than a weapon. The sword was thrust into the ground without a sheath and no sheath could be found. There are special armaments with a scabbard as the main body, such as the Phantom Dance of Lightning, but from the looks of it, the sword is probably the main body of the Dragon Crown Sword. As Seren approached the sword, she heard multiple footsteps from ahead. The gaze crosses with a girl with bluish black hair. Alice Feldrant Seren, san Quickly, Seren puts her hand on the hilt of her sword. Alice panicked when Seren began to prepare for battle. Wait, wait..! Wait?Whydo you need to wait?Dont tell me you think you can avoid a fight in this situation? Seren says without releasing her stance. Judging from the content of the final exam, its probably already factored in that the candidates will be competing with each other for the Dragon Crown Sword. In fact, that may be the aim. Alice showed a frightened demeanour, as if she were a small animal. But her eyes they were looking straight at Seren. Well, thats..not it, I think In a small voice, Alice refutes. Because.if you want to compare the strength of the candidates with each other, the second exam would have been enough..so I dont think thats what this final exam is about For a moment, Seren gritted her teeth in frustration. Then she quickly tried to retort, but remembered that she did not want to get into a tongue fight. Well, we are only speculating the answer right now. Seren exhaled her frustration out of her body with an exhalation. Let the..winner decide which of us is right. With that, Seren drew her sword from its scabbard. Se, SerenCsan, I Seren swung her sword without question at the bewildered Alice. Alice quickly moved to the side and avoided Serens attack. With a look that says, [I dont want to fight..], Alice also draws her sword from its scabbard. Phantom Dance of Lightning Snow Origin!!! Lightning strikes. Serens strike was extremely powerful. However, ahead of its trajectory was Alices slash. As soon as Serens sword touches it, Alices slash liquefies like melting snow. As if slipping through Serens sword, Alices slash came close to Serens neck. !! Seren quickly evades and retreats. Fortunately or unfortunately, she had not yet managed to cut Alice so her sword is still undamaged. The next moment, a shadow falls from above Serens head. Dont forget us. Kirch, who had leapt high before she knew it, swung his huge axe at Seren. Seren instantly saw that the axe was specially armed and defended it with her electrified sword. The violent impact sent sparks flying and the ground cracked under her feet C but Im sorry, but you dont have the same Existence Power as me. When Seren drew her sword, lightning flashed with a thunderous roar. Kirch jumped back as quickly as he could. However, he could not avoid all of the lightning strikes and his side was burning. Seren wanted to take down Kirch for a start, but immediately afterwards, an arrow was shot from somewhere. Its not a special weapon or anything, just an arrow. She avoids it with minimal movement as it is at a speed she can see. Behind Alice, Phylicia calmly took out the next arrow from the arrow barrel. good coordination. But such coordination doesnt work for me either. Seren sarcastically spoke. But Sereb can never let her guard down. Especially Alice and the grey-haired young man beside her. That man has special armaments that allow him to move through space. It would be tricky to be struck by him. Alice Feldrant!!! Seren runs with a lightning bolt. The yellow shining sword of Seren and the pure white sword of Alice, which is engraved with a snow pattern, violently clashed with each other. They seem to have the same quality of special armaments as well as the same level of existence power. A storm blows around the two of them, and the ground is cratered by the shockwave. A clash of power and force so great that the space is distorted. The surrounding trees are reduced to dust by the pressure. Suddenly, there was a huge earth tremor. This is..? The ground is ! Their feet shook violently. Alice and Seren each jumped back in the opposite direction. The next momenta huge snake emerged from the ground. Monster!!!? Seren is startled. The ground cracked and a terrifyingly huge snake-shaped monster emerged from underground. Behind the cracks in the ground there is an endless darkness.Apparently there was a large cavity under their feet. TheDragon Crown Sword is falling!? Alice says in a panicked mode. Ku!!! Seren immediately reaches for the falling Dragon Crown Sword. At the same time, Exzair also emits a black mist. However, both were one step behind. The national treasure Dragon Crown Sword falls into the underground space. Its become troublesome, isnt it.. Once both sides had retreated, they once again saw the full appearance of the monster that had emerged. Its body surface was covered with a grey outer shell, just like the King Ape and Garuda. You cant be.. the third mutant..? Phylicia opens her eyes and looks at the monster in front of her. Its an unexpected fact. But if they think about it, the possibility was not zero. Because, before this test began, Rushia Enuvidia said. [At the moment, two mutant species have been identified.] This is a place that has not been properly explored for 40 years. It is not surprising that there are unknown monsters. Lets call it the abandoned serpent , shall we? Its quite large It is not possible to judge it from its appearance alone, but years of experience have given Seren an intuition. Perhaps the abandoned serpent is stronger than the Garuda monster she just fought. It probably ate more of the carcass of the Abandoned Dragon. Unlike the Garuda, the epidermis of its body was also mostly covered in hard armour. Well. How do I go about getting the Dragon Crown Sword from here. Seren wanted to wait for the abandoned snake to make its move. If an opportunity arises, She will go down to the hole at that moment. The Abandoned Serpent slowly leans towards them and glares at them. When Seren readied her sword a deafening roar can be heard. What is that sound, ? Aa, my head is..! Kyiiin and a high-pitched sound that echoes directly into her head. Her vision blurred as her legs weakened. Kneeling on the ground, barely holding on, Seren realised that the tail of the Abandoned Serpent was quivering at high speed. Serpents do not make a roar, but produce sound by quivering their tails. The snake-shaped monster, the Abandoned Serpent seems to have this property. Eventually, the sound gradually becomes quieter. Seren stood up on shaky legs. The sound is too loud to be a threat. What is that sound really for? ?!! Seren felt a creepy, unpleasant feeling and looked behind her. It wasnt her imagination. Monsters are gathering..!!? Seren now realised that this was the reason for the sound. Apparently, the Abandoned Serpent has gathered the monsters that inhabit the forest in this one place. SerenCsan! In front!!! !? Alices cry brought Seren back to her senses. A large tail of the abandoned snake was approaching from the front. Gahhh !!! Seren quickly guards herself with her sword, but the tail is huge and she has no chance to defend it. Seren is flung backwards with great force. Her field of vision shifts in a flash. Penetrating countless trees, Seren was knocked to the ground. Seren stands up, coughing up a small amount of blood from her mouth. It seems that the brittle trees, which had become brittle due to the force of the corrosion, acted as a cushion. Thanks to this, she escaped serious injury. This is bad, Im isolated, Im in It is dangerous to act alone in this densely populated monster situation. However, Seren quickly contradicts herself. ..No, this is different. Isolation is not a bad thing for me. Thats just a sign of weakness. Seren gets up and looks around, bracing herself. Countless eyes lurked in the darkness, watching Seren. Uuu,aaa! A cold sweat broke out all over her body. Everywhere she looked, monster eyes were staring at her. Their ferocious eyes, shining suspiciously in the darkness, see Seren as a tasty prey. There are too many of them C too many. Seren hurriedly pulled the sword from her back. At the same time, she realises. There are only two swords left. Its impossible. With only two swords left, I cant fight this many monsters. Seren hid at the base of a large tree. Monsters of all sizes search for her. Seren felt an instinctive fear at the way they moved, as if they were slowly and gradually taunting their prey. What do I do? No answer came to Serens frustrated brain. Instead, she pondered nonsensical hypotheticals. [If I had been with my friends, would this have happened?] [If I had formed a party like Alice and fought together, would there still be hope?] There is a great deal of potential. If her companions had swords, they could have stored them in the Phantom Dance of Lightning and Seren could still have fought. While distracting the monsters with a diversion, they could have secured an escape route, and one of them could have broken free of the siege and gone to call for help. But Seren could not allow that possibility. Dont be silly, me, please ! Even if she hid, she would soon be found eventually. Seren gripped the hilt of her sword tightly. I dont need anyones help.!!! Yellow lightning gushed out and all the monsters lurking in the darkness turned towards Seren at once. With blinding speed, Seren slays the monsters one after the other. At the time of the Valour Festival, she was using a mass-produced sword, but the sword she is using now is more expensive than that. It is not so easy to break. However, after cutting down around fifteen monsters, the sword shattered with a cracking sound. One sword left. In contrast, the number of monsters is not decreasing. Seren, seeing the hellish scene, shouted as if to inspire herself. Flower Dance, Of Lightning!!!!!aaaaaAAAAAAaaaa With a sword that turned into lightning, Seren reaves the monsters around her. More than ten monsters died with that single blow alone. But using the corpses lying on the ground as footholds, the monster swarms closed in again. It was like an endless tsunami. It slashed monsters in all directions. Her legs trembled, her sword-wielding arm went numb, and yet Seren fought on. Having survived the final exam alone, Serens will was strong and unbreakable. However, the sword C unable to respond to Serens will C now shatters. Aa The moment the sword shattered, Seren realised. She is about to die. A large, hundred-footed, A centipede-shaped monster from overhead approaches with its chin wide open. There was nothing she could do to prevent it. It was the worst possible way to die. She had gone through the hero party selection test all by herself and had even made it to the final test and now she was to die here, in a place where no one could see her. Tears well up in Serens eyes. With unbearable frustration and disappointment, Seren is about to be crushed by the monster but, just before it crushes her. A dazzling flash of light pierced the centipede monster. Youre still as belligerent as ever.. The figure suddenly appears, holding Seren and moving away from the monsters. A female knight in pure white armour. When it came to her, Seren thought she knew more than anyone else. Reh, ze Riese Von Aldiana. The leader of the adventurer party White Dragon Chivalric Order and a powerful figure with a Existence Power of 6. Here and Now, that person whom Seren admired the most was right in front of her. Wha, why are you here. To inform the candidates that the exam is suspended. Also, to rescue the candidates in anticipation of a situation like this. Riese continues, looking at the monsters. Immediately after we heard a weird sound coming from the abandoned dragons lair, a huge number of monsters started to move, so much so that the forest shook. Her HighnessPrincess Rushia judged this to be a large-scale abnormal situation and organised a rescue team to rush in. My party is one of the rescue teams. Saying this, Riese calmly assesses the situation. BuI rushed into the most densely populated monster area, and I didnt expect to find you, Seren. Thats how wary the monsters are towards you. ..Is this the time for your sarcasm? Seren said sharply to Riese, who seemed to lack any sense of urgency. Look at these numbersno matter how strong you are, you cant fight this on your own. True. I could go in, but this is going to be tough. So why did you come to help? A seasoned and competent person like Riese would have been able to guess. Once she sets foot in such a dense area of monsters, she can never get out again. Dont worry. Everything is fine. Seren stared at Riese with dubious eyes. What part of this situation is [no problem]? It sounds like an escape from reality. But Riese seemed genuinely unconcerned and took a communication stone out of her pocket. NedYeah, the situation is as we expected. Were surrounded by monsters and were stuck. Fighting them one by one would be no problem but there are just too many of them. Riese tells Ned in a tone as if it were just a business call. Immediately, a mans voice is heard from the communication stone. Hang on for a while. Ill see what I can do. It was the voice of the man who had seduced RieseNed Wolkinter. Does he want to try to do something about it?That poor man, who cant do anything on his own.yet he is going to help us? Seren. Youll have to see for yourself. Putting away the communication stone, Riese says. What I once lacked..and what you lack now. I put the communication stone away in my pouch and called out to Rushia, who was standing next to me. Ive just heard from Riese. How did it go?! As expected. The knights weve already sent are not enough. We need more manpower. We were generally aware of the unusual situation that had occurred in the abandoned dragons den. It was such a huge anomaly that even those outside noticed it. Immediately after we heard that distorted roaring sound, the whole forest stirred violently, as if it were one living organism. We could see countless monsters emerging from somewhere and heading towards the centre of the forest. Im sorry..this mistress was not as prepared as I should have been. No, it cant be helped. We had a large number of knights on standby in case of emergency, and we also had the White Dragon Chivalric Order helping us. ..And on top of that, the lack of manpower is a situation that cannot be predicted easily..I didnt expect so many monsters to be lurking in the lair of the abandoned dragon. I replied to Rushia while looking at the deep forest that spreads out before me. The knights guarding the area had confirmed that a monster had emerged from the ground. Apparently, there was a huge underground space directly below the abandoned dragons nest. It is likely that many monsters were living there. The forest remains buzzing. Rushia immediately stopped the test and sent the knights who were waiting here to rescue them. The Kingsguard knight Meir also rushed into the nest of the abandoned dragon. Anyway, now we have to think about sending reinforcements. But we dont have any more soldiers to send out. I have a way of getting the message across. I told the surprised Rushia. Adventurers. I shall call the Adventurers in the Royal Capital to come to our aid. Some of the adventurers must be spending their spare time without taking requests in the hope of creating a party of heroes. If they rush in now, we will have enough manpower. But then, even if we could get the numbers to increase, Im not sure wed make it.. I looked at Rushia, who looked anxious, with a straight face. There is only one solution. Rushia. Can I ask you to do one job? Hearing that question, Rushia guessed my intention. Rushia nodded her head seriously. Umuleave it to this mistress! I put the communication stone from my pouch to my ear. Halo, Royal Capitals Adventurers! Its Ned. Im sorry to bother you so suddenly, but I have an urgent request. I told the receptionist at the Adventurers Guild, with whom I am usually in good contact, what I wanted. A large number of monsters have been spotted in the lair of an abandoned dragon. We need as many adventurers as possible to come. ICI understand. But it will take a long time to get there from here. No problem. Well provide the legs. The receptionist deftly prepares the request. I disconnect the communication and let out a small gasp. Well.how many people will show up? I dont know how many people are going to show up. It is a well-known fact that abandoned dragon dens are dangerous places. As it is also an urgent request, it is possible that not many people will turn up. At the very least, I would like to see a gathering of adventures at least double digits. The Adventurers Guild was crowded with more people than usual. Right now, the country is holding the selection examination for the heroic party. Not wanting to miss this historic moment, adventurers were killing time in their familiar guilds, waiting for the results of the examinations to be announced. Ee, everyone! We have an urgent request! At that moment, a panicked-looking receptionist appeared from behind the counter and told the adventurers. The location is the abandoned dragons nest, where the Hero Party Selection Exams are currently taking place! Due to a mass outbreak of monsters, the examiners in the nest need to be rescued! When the adventurers heard the details of the request, they came together and discuss it with each other. , what do we do? Well, we could go, but The candidates who need to be rescued are those guys who were fighting at the Valour Festival, right ? If even those guys cant compete with the monsters, so whats the point of us going there? The adventurers reactions were, if anything, negative. It is only natural. The content of this urgent request was, in all probability, life-threatening. It was explained to them during the festival of valour how dangerous the abandoned dragons lair was. Furthermore, the client is Ned! The receptionist says in a loud voice. At that moment, the guild was momentarily enveloped in silence. Ned? Someone mentions the name. Ned, that ? The murmur spreads like a wave, throughout the guild. Ned. Hearing that name, the adventurers changed their attitude. That guy who bought us dinner the other day? The guy who helped me with a job.. He encouraged us many times when we failed in our requests. When I had a fight with my husband, he listened to me complain. One after another, people came to talk about Ned. Those who were taught about the culture of various countries. Those who were given advice on starting a business. Those who were told about recommended magical tool shops. Those who told them about unusual tales of adventure. Everyone had an idea of who this Ned man was. He was hardly a skilled adventurer, to say the least. But he was always on their side. His good-naturedness was well known to adventurers, and even when Ned was away, many in the guild talked about him. Weve formed a party thanks to that guy Same goes for me..Ned, thanks to him for teaching us so much.. The adventurers talk while looking at each other and their fellow adventurers. I am indebted to him for bringing me together with my precious friends. I owe him for teaching me the important things about life. The adventurers felt a connection with the man named Ned and they could not ignore it. Oh, so its that mans request. Someone muttered in a small voice. Then we gotta go help . All the adventurers in the guild stood up. For Seren Duvalis, Riese Von Aldiana was an object of admiration. However, it was not the present Riese that Seren admired, but the Riese of the past. In the past, she was known as Riese the White Demon. As the name suggests, she was a fierce fighter who fought like a demon in white. No matter how powerful the monster is, she will face it single-handedly and win. The sight of her pure white armour stained with blood was awe-inspiring to other adventurers. For Seren, Riese was a symbol of strength. Her way of moving forward, even when bloodied, was noble and precious, something to aspire to. When Seren saw Rieses armour stained with blood, she was excited and thought, [This is true strength]. The hellish effort was not so hard when she was getting on par with Riese. Through continuous battles with superior monsters and days full of fresh wounds, Seren eventually grew to the point where she was on par with Riese. Many adventurers came to say that the White Demon and the Thunder Emperor were good rivals. However, one day, Riese changed her behaviour. Riese suddenly started to work with someone else. She was injured less often, was less exposed to blood, and returned from adventures more often without soiling her pure white armour. Riese eventually formed the adventurer party White Dragon Chivalric Order and became its leader. She is no longer often referred to by her former name of White Demon. But for Seren C when she was a white demon felt that Riese was stronger. Once upon a time, I was just chasing after strength, just like Seren. While fighting off the attacking monsters one after the other, Riese said. Seren is so exhausted that she can no longer even stand up. As if to act as a shield for Seren, Riese fought the monsters without retreating a single step. I took on requests alone as much as I could, and kept my fangs honed in the harsh struggle. The strength I developed then.certainly still lives on today. Riese says, sweat pouring from her forehead. There was not as much room for warfare as there was for tone of voice. The skill of Rieses special weapon, the Spear of the Great Radiant, is to change the sword into the shape of a spear and throw it to deliver a ray-like blow. However, if she loses her weapons in this situation, she will soon find herself the prey of monsters. Therefore, Riese was blocked from activating the skill. But one day, my family living in a distant land was attacked by monsters. While fending off the monsters attack, Riese continued. Even if I went to help them now, I wouldnt make it in time. When I was in ahelpless hurry, that man Ned happened to be nearby. Ned heard my story and immediately helped my family. Immediately..? Riese smiled at Seren, who asked back. He heard that there was an adventurer he knew on the land where my family lived. He asked that adventurer to save my family. .. Thats just leaving it to others, isnt it? Hahaha, thats true. In contrast to the astonished Seren, Riese laughs dryly. But thats something I couldnt do. I couldnt save my family with. my strength. Riese stared at her palms and muttered to herself. Without a chance to get sentimental, the monster comes barreling in. After blocking the monsters attack with her shiny sword, Riese dropped one of her knees and put her hands on the ground. Tosuddenly,Im getting tired. .enough already. Leave me and run away. To be honest, Seren didnt want to see Riese struggling. But Riese, tired as she was, had hope in her eyes. Dont worry. I told you everything is fine. Riese laughs, as if shes not struggling in the slightest. There C it looks like theyre here. Riese says, staring ahead. Immediately afterwards, there were countless signs of people. There they are!! Someone notices the presence of Seren and Riese and shouts loudly. Soon other voices were heard. Secure our escape route! Anyone with energy to spare, draw the monsters away! We have wounded men! Call the healers! Adventurers rush to Seren and the others. The number is not one or two nor was it ten or twenty it was even more than that. Wha,Cwhat is this..? For Seren, it was an unbelievable sight. Adventurers, whose faces and names were unknown to her, had gathered in such large numbers to help them. Apparently, adventurers from all over the city have come to our aid. Riese exhaled a [huff] and smiled with relief. The adventurers have managed to stall the monster hordes. They had made it this far almost unscathed, probably because Seren and the other candidates had killed the monsters along the way. Especially now that the Garuda and King Ape have been defeated, the abandoned dragons nest is no longer as dangerous as it used to be. As Seren is stunned, a healer woman approaches. Ill get your injuries fixed now.. .thank you. A woman uses magic to heal Serens external injuries. I see you both are alright. A familiar voice is heard among the assembled adventurers. A young man with dark hair, dark eyes and a dull face C Ned has arrived. Why are you here.? Its easier to understand whats going on if youre on the ground. Ned said quickly, took a communication stone out of his pouch and spoke to someone. Can you hear me?.Yeah, Serens place is safe now. The evacuation of the other candidates is largely complete. Riese and I will be on our way to rescue Alice and her parties, so I want everyone to continue to be on the lookout for the area. Ned was familiar with the situation and was in charge of a group of adventurers. You arrived early. Riese says to Ned. Yeah. Rushia brought me here. When she heard those words, Seren understood. Princess Rushia Enuvidia. She is the princess of this kingdom and a girl with dragonification disease. Seren can imagine that if he is carried by the dragonised girl, he can quickly travel from the royal capital to the abandoned dragons nest. More questions are popping out in Serens mind. Why are the adventurers in front of her and Her Royal Highness the Princess cooperating with this man? why? The questions overflow into words. Why are you following that man ? The adventurers beside her rolled their eyes at her question and looked at each other. Why? Its hard to put in wordsWell, you know, everybody helps their friends right? I owe him a lot. And I want him to keep helping me. And I want to drink till morning with him again. All the adventurers were laughing happily as they talked about Ned. Seeing them like that, Seren feels strange. Serendo you understand now? Riese said while looking at Ned who was holding the communication stone to his ear and continued to command. This is a strength I dont have. With deep respect, Riese said. At the same time, Seren learns why Riese changed. Riesethis strength was what she was so passionate about. No matter how many bloody battles she repeats, she will never get this strength. It is a strength that not only Riese, who was once known as the White Demon, does not have, nor does Seren. That is why Riese formed the White Dragon Chivalric Order. She now understood. She understood why Riese changed. And why Riese was so passionate with this strength and why. Ned Wolkinter After having her wound treated, Seren approached Ned and called out to him. This final exam, please retire me. Are you sure ? Seren nodded. I am not fit to be a Hero now. I will broaden my horizons and get to know the..world better. The grey-armoured serpent leans its body over and threatens them. Alice confronts the Abandoned Serpent with her sword at the ready. Seren has already left the line of fire. The party members present must fight the huge monster in front of them alone. The Abandoned Serpent was undoubtedly stronger than any monster Alice had ever fought. However, there was a certain emotion that sat in Alices heart when she was facing the Abandoned Serpent. It was not a feeling of wanting to escape. It was not a feeling of fear. If she leaves this monster unattended, someone could be in danger. Alices will to fight was boiling over. Alice, listen to me. Exzair spoke to Alice. My Void Sky requires me to see the coordinates of the destination at least once. Once that is satisfied, the rest of it, no matter how great the distance is, I can move freely.But right now, the hole where the Dragon Crown Sword fell is shrouded in darkness. Im afraid I cant transport myself with my powers. Exzair said, staring at the great hole at his feet. The darkness is so deep that he cannot see the Dragon Crown Sword. So you draw that Serpent to you. I will pick it up during that time. Exzair said, glaring at Alice, as if to say whether or not she would do it. But. Well, thats aguaranteed,No. What? Alice replies in a trembling voice to the exasperated Exzair. Um, that monsteris probably very strong, so.. It was at the moment Alice replied. The snakes tail reared at a speed unlike that of a huge figure. Alice leaps and avoids it with a light body movement, and Exzair quickly produces a black mist and moves a short distance away. The monsters around the forest..have started to move too. Countless monsters, gathered by the Abandoned Serpent, turn on Alice and her party. With only four of them, Alice and her party were quickly surrounded and had nowhere to run. Ku..!!!? Filia failed to escape and was about to be crushed by a huge ant-shaped monster. Snow Origin!!! Immediately, Alice stands in front of Phylicia and activates her Snow Origin skill. Snow flutters and the monsters in the area are cut to pieces by white flowers. At the same time, however, Alice is also hit in the shoulder by a skalengeck and lizard-shaped monster that is coming at her from the side. Alice! Itsalright Alice quickly slashed the monster and retreated, but blood was flowing from her shoulder. Phylicia immediately rushed to Alices side and treated her with the Balance of Purification and Healing Magic and special armaments for healing are often made more effective by the medical knowledge of the user. The Balance of Purification and Healing is no exception to this rule, and its effectiveness is enhanced by an accurate understanding of the condition and location of the wound. That is why Phylicia worked in a sanatorium and acquired medical knowledge. Its dangerous to take on the Abandoned Serpent and this mass of monsters..at the same time. Kirch said as he held up his axe to protect the two girls who were being treated. In the first place.its difficult for us to defeat this mass of monsters on our own. But if the monsters were summoned by the Abandoned Serpent, they might disappear by defeating the Abandoned Serpent.we should probably concentrate on defeating it here.. But even if you do concentrate, you cant ignore the monsters around you. Aa..So, this large number of monsters can only be attracted by someone acting as a decoy.. Kirch nodded with a mysterious look on his face at Phylicias statement. The question is who will be the decoy. Alices help would be essential if the Abandoned Serpent is to be defeated. Therefore, Alice cannot be used as a decoy. Kirch has difficulty with foot speed. He is good at shielding his companions and unleashing high-intensity blows, but he would not be suitable as a decoy, which requires quickness. The rest are Phylicia and Exzair. Exzair wont do it. He wont ever do it. This man is only acting on the organisations orders. There is no way he would take on a dangerous role. I will be the decoy. Phylicia said with a determined look on her face. But, but thats Alice. To the anxious Alice,Phylicia said in a strong-willed tone of voice. You know that when I was a student, I was also an adventurer, dont you? Eh? Ha, yes. I know, but And yet I was completely unaware that you were an adventurer as well.I regret that very much Phylicia continued apologetically. I didnt think in the slightest that you could become an adventurer. Thats why I didnt invite you to adventure with me, and I didnt question anything when I saw you leaving right after school. Even though we are friends.childhood friends, somewhere in my heart I looked down on you. On the contrary, there was even a time when I was haughty and conceited, thinking that we were the best adventurers in the school, even though you were not. Alice didnt know what to say to Phylicia, who bit her lip. Alice and Phylicia attended the same school and were also active as adventurers at the same time. However, while Alice was aware of Phylicias activities,Phylicia was unaware of Alices. Phylicia only thought of Alice as a shy person who left as soon as school was over. Alice is not suited to be an adventurer. She had assumed that she would spend the rest of her life as a quiet person.This was so far off the mark and an arrogant expectation. I strongly regret that I judged people by their looks and failed to even take an interest in them. I regret that I didnt believe in you in the past. Philia looks guilt-ridden and says. So please give me a second chance. With these words, Phylicia looked straight at Alice. I believe you this time. I know that you..you will defeat the Abandoned Serpent, wont you? Phylicia says with a soft smile. However, her body was trembling slightly. The truth is that she is scared. Nevertheless, she was determined to trust Alice. Alice could not deny that decision. HA!!! Alice nodded tearfully. Soon Alice and Phylicia split up. Alice, Kirch and Exzair concentrate on defeating the Abandoned Serpent while Phylicia, single-handedly, attracts as many monsters as possible. As she sprinted away, Alice noticed that the Exzair were in the throes and hiding from view. It doesnt matter. That man told me..that I dont have to think about anything else. AliceIll be your shield. Kirch says, readys to face the Abandoned Serpent. So you dont have to think about defending or evading anymore. Okay!!! With the trust of her friends, Alice approached the Abandoned Serpent. The Abandoned Serpent is clad in an outer shell like armour. However, Alice looks closely and notices several gaps in its armour. Alice fires slash after slash towards those gaps. The liquefied slashes split through the gaps in the outer shell and split the body of the Abandoned Serpent. The Serpents tail swung down. But Alice ignored it and continued to swing her sword. Kirch leaps above Alices head and blocks the descending tail with his axe. Fast.. Alice swings her sword at a speed that cannot be caught by the naked eye. Faster.! While she is doing this, Phylicia is fighting the monster single-handedly. She must defeat the Abandoned Serpent as quickly as possible. The noise will no longer be heard. The extra colour disappears from the world. With extreme concentration sharpened to the limit, Alice slashed the belly of the waste snake and stabbed its tail. The pure white sword rips through the body of the crippled snake faster than the blood splatter falls to the ground. At that moment, the crippled snake opened its jaws wide and a large amount of saliva was sprayed from its mouth cavity. When the saliva touches the ground, the ground turns into fine dust and flies into the air like confetti. Guuuu,Ooo!!? Kirch protects Alice from the spit of the crippled snake, using the Axe of Execution as a shield. The axe turned white and cracked shortly afterwards. The force of the corrosion seemed to have soaked and eroded the weapons interior. The abandoned snake opened its mouth wide again, but -. Snow Origin..!!! Alice fires a slash into the mouth cavity of the snake. Snow danced in the mouth cavity. In the next instant, countless slashes ripped open the mouth cavity of the crippled snake. It seems that the quintessence of the snake has now worked, and the crippled snake sprawls about in agony. Alice immediately tries to follow up, but Ee Before she knew it, the tail of the Abandoned Serpent was approaching from behind her. Just before she was pushed away, in a corner of her vision, she saw Kirch lying on the ground. An axe with a broken handle is lying right next to him. It seems that the weapon is broken and he can no longer fight. Gi! Alice, who had been shot high into the sky, clenched her teeth and barely remained conscious. Below her, she could see Phylicia attracting monsters, ready to die. For the sake of her friends, who believed in her, Alice gathered her strength. A, aaaaaaaaaAAAA!!!! With a loud scream, Alice swung her sword. A pure white slash is released from the pure white sword. The slash liquefies immediately after touching the head of the Abandoned Serpent and cuts through its epidermis. One eye of the Abandoned Serpent was cut in two and blood danced in the air. But the Abandoned Serpent does not die yet. The falling Alice was knocked to the ground by the tail of the Abandoned Serpent. No longer able to even utter a scream, Alice falls underground. U, ah Alice was unable to stand up. Her consciousness was already fading. Her body was complaining of its limits before her mind broke. If she stays down, Phylicia will be targeted by the Abandoned Serpent. She knows in her head that she have to stop that from happening, but she couldnt put any strength into her.body. Suddenly, Alice notices something unfamiliar close by. It was a sword with a dragon pattern on it. Dragon Crown Sword. Alice slowly crawls and reaches out to touch the sword. At that moment, she sensed some kind of will from the sword. Regret. She felt an empty, dark and very big emotion from the sword. It was not logical. But Alice realises instinctively. Abandoned, Dragon ? The sword was filled with the regrets of the Abandoned Dragon. The dragon must have been holding a grudge for a long time after its death. The monsters who devour his own corpses and rule this forest with their own rule. Please. Alice spun a gravelly voice. Can you lend me your strength.? Gently, when Alice touched the hilt of the Dragon Crown Sword, she felt the sword pulsing. The power comes. Just one more time Alice think she can fight. Alice whipped her creaking body into a standing position and used the rubble and debris as a foothold to get out of the hole. Alice!!! White Blossom!!! She swung her pure white sword and sent a snowflake right in front of the Abandoned Serpent. She knows that the Abandoned Serpent will not go down at this level. So this is not the real blow. With a dazzling white flower in bloom C Alice holds another sword in the air. O Dragonmy bonded contract. (), (YOˤ) Alice spins as if she is speaking to the dragons residue that resides in the sword. I will hold your pride in my heartcarve your power into my sword. (ʤFؤ˱),(ʤ򄇤˿̤) A crest floated on the blade of the sword. The crest of a grey dragon the ability of an Abandoned Dragon lights up on the sword. I now wield youShow me your power (˽Ͻ),(ʤ뤦) Power beyond human understanding overflowed from the sword. Skill Release Breath of the Abandoned Dragon! The slash was the dragons breath itself. The breath of the dragon that once ruled this land roared out. It was like anger against the monsters that roamed around this forest with their own rules. A storm-like blow from the Majestic Dragon instantly turned the monsters called by the Abandoned Serpent into dust, and eventually swallowed the Abandoned Serpent as well. The giant serpents body slowly disintegrated and eventually withered into dust. In an instant, all threats were gone. This is the power of the Dragon Crown Sword. This is the power of the Abandoned Dragon. Thank you.. Alice looked at the sword and whispered her thanks in a small voice. The crest on the blade pulsed as if in reply. Alice!!! Phylicia embraced Alice with tears streaming down her face. You really..! Truly, you are more worthy of being a Hero..than anyone else!!! Phy, Phylicia-san..its painful..! Alices face was buried in Phylicias chest. Its hard to breathe, but Alice has no energy to push away. Alice turned her face away and rubbed Phylicias back as she sobbed. Congratulations, Alice, youre truly the hero. KirchCsan Alices tear glands relax. Finally, little by little C a sense of accomplishment came over her and she has succeeded in defeating the Abandoned Serpent. But its not over yet. Well then, lets return back to the gathering point. Exzair clapped his hands lightly to attract attention and said so. Kirch looks suspiciously at the man who has suddenly appeared. Exzair.you, where have you been all this time.. Never mind the details..you know that, dont you? My powers are rather unsuited to combat to begin with. Even so Unconvinced, Kirch glared at Exzair. Without caring at Kirchs suspicious, Exzair approaches Alice leisurely and smiles. Alice, hand over the Dragon Crown Sword. Exzair said, as if it were a matter of course. You have no more strength left. I will take care of the Dragon Crown Sword. Exzair stared at Alice while waiting for the sword to be given to him. [I may be smiling with my mouth, but my eyes are always honest. You know what happens if you cross me, dont you?]Thats what Exzair was telling Alice from the look of his eyes. Alices body trembles with fear. But Alice glares back at him, even though she looks like shes about to cry. N, no.. .What? Exzairs eyes widen, as if he didnt expect to be rejected. I will not give you the Dragon Crown Sword Clearly, Alice showed her rejection. Alice, you I will no longer obey you. Alice said, fighting back her fear. Alice.? .. what, are you talking about? Phylicia and Kirch look at Alice wondering what she meant. He told me that he..would take care of everything and that I should focus on doing what I thought is right. Alice stared straight at Exzair. So I wont give in to you anymore ..! Alice tells in a weak and trembling voice. Exzair looked heartily irritated at Alice. However, he quickly regained his composure when he remembered that Phylicia and Kirch were by her side. You seem a little confused.this might be the result of that mysterious sword. Indeed, I should keep that for you. Exzair slowly approached Alice. Alice, Phylicia and Kirch are exhausted so they cannot make another step. Help me.. Alice closes her eyes tightly. Hero Rin said to her. [All you have to do is just tell him to help you. Thats all you have to do, and that man will help you wherever you are] NedCsan.. help me, please! Alice called out the name of someone who shouldnt have been there. Ill take care of it. She heard a reply she wasnt supposed to hear. Barely in time would be an honest way to describe it. After guiding the other candidates to evacuate, I arrived at the centre of the abandoned dragons nest and immediately found Alice and her party. In Alices hand is the national treasure of the Kingdom of Enuvidia, the Dragon Crown Sword. I knew it when I saw it. Alice had taken the seat of a brave warrior. Leave it to you.? Did you just say leave it to you.? Exzair looked at me suspiciously. Exzair Sullivan. Im sorry, but Alice is no longer under your control. I told Exzair, who now looked at me in frustration. You seem to be holding Kirch, Phylicia and Alices family hostage, but its all in vain. Haha.kuhaha!Such a joke coming from a single examiner! Exzair laughed uncontrollably. It appears that you know me..but there is nothing you can do about it. Exzair looks down at me blandly. Exzair then glares at Alice, who is sitting on the ground. Alice. I will punish you for defying me. First I will kill your family. After that, I will kill Kirch and Phylicia here. In the end, there will only be two of us left, you and me. Later, I shall report that you were eaten alive by the monsters. Exzair revealed his true nature and gave a vile smile. I tell Exzair without being scared by his threat. Try it. Exzair winded his eyes for a moment, perhaps not expecting that reaction. But the corners of his mouth immediately lifted. AaaIll do it even if you dont tell me to. A jet-black mist is produced from Exzairs black bracelet. Exzair quickly entered that fog and disappeared. Ne, ned,san.. Dont worry. Alice looked at me anxiously. Exzair will now move on to Alices family and probably try to kill them. But there is nothing to fear. Alice believed in me, Ill make sure I live up to that belief. Saying that, I took out a black mask from inside my pouch. Special armament C Isolation Masquerade Ball.. (¶ʁ̤) This mask has two effects. One is disguise. If the mask is worn, it can not only hide the face, but also change the clothes at will. The other is duplication. This mask can be infinitely multiplied. Unlike the original version, the duplicate version does not allow me to specify the shape of the mask or the clothing, but I can still disguise myself properly if I wear it. I had already given the duplicated masks to several people. I take something out of my pouch that I use in combination with this mask. It was a red communication stone, different from the usual. The function itself is the same as an ordinary communication stone. But I used it only on special occasions. The contacts registered on the red communication stone are all people to whom I have given the mask. I activate the communication stone and start communicating with everyone I know who is registered. I then announced to the red-emitting stone. The Illusion Kingactivate Exzairs special armaments Void Sky, can set the coordinates of the space it sees. Once the coordinates have been set, it is possible to shift freely at any time. At the Valour Festival, he shifted behind the enemy during the battle, but as the coordinates do not have to be set in real time, he can also freely shift to coordinates set in the past. Exzair was transferred to the city where Alices family lived. For situations like this, Exzair always carries several daggers. Alice is an extremely strong adventurer, but her parents are mediocre. They would be easy to kill. I wont let you go Exzair smiled a greedy, paint-covered smile as he searched for his target. Alice you are the best puppet ! Exzair will never get such a strong puppet again. As long as he has that girl, he can suck sweet nectar forever. With a blackened emotion, he gripped his dagger and walked on . Youre that Exzair, arent you? Suddenly, a voice called out to him. When he turned around, there was a man wearing a black mask. His body shape is hidden by a grey cloak, making it difficult to distinguish his age or gender. Exzair judge that it is probably a man by his voice. W,who are you.? Me? The masked man laughed. I am theIllusion King. Saying this, the man slash his greatsword at Exzair. The sudden attack makes Exzair jump back, startled. The Illusion King?How did an adventurer of the Seven Meteors end up here ? The man instantly slashed again at the bewildered Exsir. Kuh!!! With just a few exchanges, he can see the difference between him and theIllusion King. This man is incredibly strong. But if hes the real Illusion King, I dont stand a chance..! Exzair dripped with cold sweat. At any rate, the Seven Meteors is the worlds strongest adventurer party. The member of this group, the Illusion King, is an all-round expert who can use all kinds of tactics. He hides behind a mask and cloak and is famous for not speaking a single word. I never thought I would run into such a person. Immediately, he activates Void Skyand Exzair retreated. Exzair was transferred to another city. .. Damn, Ive fled so far away In fear, he fled to another country. It was a quiet town with few signs of life. ..Naturally. It is now midnight in this city. It is midday in the Kingdom of Enuvidia, but Exzair has moved to a country with such a time difference. Nice to meet you, ExzairCsan. Suddenly C someone called out to him again. What?!!Impossible!! Why are you here? There was a person wearing a black mask and a grey cloak. Exzair wondered why the Illusion King was here, but. No, youre different another person is it? Ara, you seem to suspect something. A fact Exzair only noticed because he was able to compare them consecutively. The body shape was slightly different. And the voice was definitely different. This time it was a woman. But I am also the Illusion King. Dosun!!a powerful sound, something was swung down in front of Exzairs eyes. It was a huge scythe. The blade of the scythe, which was swung down with blinding speed, sunk deeply into the hard cobblestone ground. Ah, hi, ah! Again, the difference between her and Exzair was instantly apparent. No win. Exsere quickly emitted a black mist and shifted again to another location. It was a city in a desert in a scorching hot desert, dazzled by the shining sun. The change in temperature soon had Exzair dripping with sweat. Sizzling, the suns rays were baking his body. Ah! I found you, Exzair! He is called out again in the same way. When he turned around, a figure wearing a black mask and a grey cloak was there. This time it is in the form of a child. The voice belongs to a girl. Wh,wha,what!!!? Who are you? Me? In a bright tone of voice, the girl said. I am theIllusion King The girl snaps her fingers. Exzair had a bad premonition. When he instinctively jumped back from the spot, the place where Exzair had been standing just a moment ago instantly exploded. It is a magic of terrifying power. Exzair shifts again to another location. What is this..? Whats happening.? Exzair confusion only increased. [Why was I being targeted by the Illusion King in the first place?] [Why do people claiming to be the Illusion King appear everywhere I go?] Exzair, who appeared in the busy entertainment district, moved to the back alleys. In his head, the information was gradually coming together. For some time now, the Illusion King has been unbelievably skilled in both martial arts and magic. Exzair once thought that it would be impossible for a person to acquire that much skill in a lifetime, but if the true identity of the Illusion King is an aggregation of several masters, then it makes sense. If the Illusion King is a master of more than one C he must be there. There must be a leader who unites all the Illusion King. Oi, there he is. A voice is heard from behind. Good heavens, people are getting drunk in a good mood, and hes just.. Youre getting your weapons ready, and youre saying things like that Ive been bored lately. Im just hanging out with you as a distraction. Two figures were approaching Exzair while talking to each other. Aaa! No way, you guys are too. The two men held up their swords and spears to the frightened Exsir. We too are the Illusion King. Exzair transferred to another location faster than he could be attacked. But no matter where he went, it was the same. Youre Exzair? Hi..! Theyll always find Exzair in every city. Youre Exzair, arent you? UuAa?!! No matter where he hides, they always find him. He felt as if he had made an enemy of the world. AAAAAAAAAAaaaaa!!! There is no escape now. When he transferred to all the coordinates I could think of, all of them are the Illusion King. Exzair is once again transferred to the lair of the abandoned dragons. Oh, youre back. Haa, haa, haa! Damn it, damn it! Ned tells him flatly, as if he knew this was going to happen. In contrast, Exzair was confused to the point of losing his mind. You look like youve been through a lot, Exzair. Someone calls out to him from behind his crouching body. The man in the mask and cloak is there, as expected. The person is holding a shiny sword. that, that sword is .. Hm?.. Oh, yes. This certainly stands out The person whispers a little and removes the mask. The cloak disappeared, revealing the persons true identity. It was a familiar woman with a neat beautiful face. The twelfth Illusion King,Riese Von Aldiana. Its been a long time since Ive mentioned.this title. Riese, who holds the special armament Spear of the Great Radiant, stands in front of Exzair. Behind Riese, Ned was standing fluently. Looking at this, Exzair intuits. You..? In a trembling voice, Exzair says. Is it you..? Is it all your fault..?!! He doesnt know why he thought that. It is possible that this man simply asked theIllusion King to do it for him. However, as much as he hates to admit it, Exzair felt something about this man from the moment he met him. It was the dignity of a strong person, a dignity that only a fierce man who has fought a hundred battles is allowed to wear. Sure, theres nothing I can do if its by myself. Ned said as he put his hand inside his pouch. But with everyones help I can do anything. Saying this, Ned took out a mask from his pouch and showed it to Exzair. Nice to meet you. Im Ned Wolkinter, the first Illusion King. Ned tells him with a wry smile. Even you Exzair, crouching, lets out his anger and confusion in his voice. If only you werent hereAaaaaaaaaaa!!!! Exzair, who has lost all sense of reason, attacks Ned, clutching his dagger. However, Exzair was slashed to pieces by Riese, right in front of Ned. Seeing the man who had died so easily in front of me, I relaxed my shoulders just a little bit. I immediately took out the red communication stone and contacted my companions. Deactivate the Illusion King. Thank you all for cooperating with me. Ill thank everyone again some other time. Originally, the Illusion King did not show himself in public, nor did he ever make a sound. Therefore, it was seldom noticed that its true identity was more than one person. When I was active as a member of the Seven Meteors, every time I went on an adventure, I would call one of my companions who was most suitable for that adventure, and that person was the Illusion King. So for me, the Illusion King was the companion of my former adventure party and my way of life itself, using human connections as a weapon. Despite the sudden activation, many of my friends responded. I strongly feel that the connections we once had are still alive and well. This is the one and only power I have developed. Its the only thing I have. But with it, I can do anything. Well, thats all settled Riese says as she sheaths her sword. Aaa, all I have to do now is go back to Royal Capital I patted my chest in relief and turned towards Alice and at that moment. Someone fell from overhead. !? The man who had descended from the sky appeared to have managed to evade even Rieses vigilance, not to mention my own. A violent earth tremor shook my body and the rolling dust blocked my vision. Riese, who was nearby, cleaved her sword to the side with all her might. A blast is created, blowing away the dust. Oh.I see. Bastard Exzair, you messed up. He has bulging muscles and ferocious twin eyes like a predator. The man with the ferocious aura looked at the dead body of Exzair and then shifted his gaze towards me. Hmm?Oioi, the Illusion Kingis here? Oh dear. Will the leader be angry with me? No, but I was told to hurry. I guess it cant be helped. The man sighs as he ruffles the back of his hair. Who are you? Riese asks, holding her sword. The man smiles wryly. Nain Yggdrasil. If I say that, will you get the message? (ʥ󣽥楰ɥ饷) A shiver runs through my body. I feign calmness so as not to let anyone realise how troubled I am. Riese is also probably in the same state of mind. The darkness that lies in the Amdo Empire C Yggdrasil. It is an organisation that should not be involved, as it is constantly rumoured to be repeating atrocious human experimentation, and those who get deeply involved in it die in a strange death. The man in front of me seems to be a member of that organisation. And if I remember correctly Nain Yggdrasil is ranked 29th in the strongest human race. He is stronger than theDragonised Rushia and Riese. Dont be so alarmed. Im just here to get a feel for the situation. I wanted the Dragon Crown Sword, but I dont want to go on a rampage and stand out. Yggdrasil, for all its power and military might, avoids being conspicuous. There are disturbing signs that it seems to be manipulating the world from behind the scenes, but it is fortunate that it is not a tyrannical organisation. And..Illusion King. I dont want to be enemies with you as much as possible. Our leader has a strange sense of kinship with you. I dont really understand why he said that to me. Nain Yggdrasil Do you want to make a deal? I suggest a deal to Nain. I dont know what your reasons are for being in Yggdrasil. But if you have a purpose, I will do my best to help you. In return, I need information about Yggdrasil. When I told him seriously, Nain smiled. Thats a sweet dealso thats the difference between you and our leader. He rejects my proposal. But Nain laughed, somewhat good-humouredly. Youre a very interesting guy. You have the same weapons as our leaders, but you use them in a way that our leaders dont. What has..this man been saying since a while ago? Leader always says that, man. Nain told me, looking at me with interest. Why dont you intimidate me? Nain looks amused. Why dont you deceive me? Somewhat curiously. Why dont you cheat me? Nain tells me, with a look of profound incomprehension. Coincidence? I forbid intimidation, fraud and cheating when using my connections as a weapon. Nains words sounded as if he could see through such personal restrictions on me. I can only think of one person who can accurately say all three. He understands my policy on weapons completely. So he is definitelya man who has the same weapon as me. You are using your power in the wrong way. Nain tells me what he wanted to say. Networking is a weapon of terror. Its a word I dont understand and I dont want to. It seems that in this world there are people with exactly the same weapons and the opposite values as me. So Im going to leave now. Ive collected what I need to collect. The black bracelet was shown to us by Nain. It is the special armament belonging to Exzair, the Void Sky. Nain wanted to collect this. Riese and I look at each other. In this situation, it is impossible to capture Nain. Nain is stronger than Riese, stronger than the Dragonised Rushia. Alice and the others are too exhausted to fight now. Oh..and a word of advice, just in case. Nain, who was about to leave, takes one last look in my direction. The reason we have kept our distance from you is because our leader wanted to separate us from you. But if you continue to encroach on our territory, as you have done this time Nains eyes narrowed. Ill be your opponent then. Nain showed a strong fighting spirit, and in the next instant he leapt high into the air and disappeared from sight. Volume 2 - CH 4.2 Epilogue Translated by SoundDestiny Edited by SoundDestiny The Kingdom of Enuvidia welcomed Alice and her party as the new hero party. The results of the final examinations were quickly communicated throughout the kingdom. An unexpected situation arose, but fortunately there were no deaths among the examinees other than Exzair. No one was injured permanently. And the day after the results were announced. From now on.. we will hold a Birthday Festival of the Hero Party! With Rushias announcement, the royal city was alive with colourful activity. All hail Alice the Hero! Hurray! Alices party rode in a royal carriage and marched slowly through the capital, protected by the Kingsguard knights. The people approached the carriage to catch a glimpse of the hero party. Phylicia waved her hand in a friendly manner, but Kirch was somewhat unaccustomed to this. Nevertheless, he acted friendly, waving and smiling in a way he was not used to. The problem was Alice. Perhaps not good at being exposed to the public, Alice, despite being the star of the show, was frozen in place from start to finish, like a groundhog. What a unique hero. When such words were heard from the crowd, Alice had tears in her eyes. The carriage carrying Alice and her friends eventually comes to a stop in front of the Royal Castle. This is the end of the greetings to the people. Relaxed and relieved, Alice and her friends enter the gardens of the castle and join the dinner party being held there. Good work. You worked hard. Yes, I did my best Alice looked more tired than her final exam. On her slender back was a single sword C the Dragon Crown Sword. This weapon will become a symbol of bravery for Alice in the future. You must be hungry. Theres plenty of food over there, so why dont you go? When I said that, Alice looked at me. Oh, um..Ned-san, would you like to go and eat with us? Hmm? Well, I dont mind. I also wanted to have a meal too. Many of the candidates attended the dinner party. I, along with Alice, enjoyed the meal while exchanging greetings with Alex the Red-Haired and Mirei the Wind Dancer. Ne, Net-san. This is very delicious.! Oh,then Ill try it too. Alice recommends a dish and I go and get it. Phylicia and Kirch were watching our exchange in the background. He missed the point. ..yea,he missed it. The two peoples lukewarm gazes were unbearable. It was somewhat like being treated like a cute small animal. You seem to be settling in well. While we were enjoying our meal, I heard a girls voice from the side. Yo,yo,youCYour Highness! Alice was the first to react. She was so nervous that she was about to drop her cup, so I secretly managed to stop that from happening. Im sorry to interrupt, but it will take a little more time before we can officially dispatch you as part of the heroes party. Until then, you will continue to stay in Royal Capital, but I would like you to be careful not to get too carried away because of the attention you are receiving. Ha, yes! Phylicia and Kirch nodded. And..we should consider again whether these three are really enough. Rushia looked at Alice, Phylicia and Kirch. Now that Exzair has disappeared, Alices party is now made up of three people. To be honest, it leaves me feeling uneasy. Aaa. Im not going to forgive Exzair, but.I cant deny that that man was a force to be reckoned with. After the final examination, Phylicia and Kirch were briefed on the true identity of Exzair. They both knew the situation Alice was in and felt anger towards him and regret for their own failure to not notice Alices abnormality. Phylicia, in particular, did not seem to have noticed Alices activities even when she was a student and immediately after talking to her she was quite depressed, but from the way she looks now, she has managed to pull herself together. This may be a sign of her determination to wipe out her own failings with her future achievements. For the time being, well have a temporary fill-in, so thequestion is who. Rushia put her finger to her chin and thought. Beside her, May interjects. If only we had someone like Ned, all would be well Hmm..? Mays casual remark caught everyones attention. Aa no, its just an idea, but .. Ned has a good track record, and from the looks of it, Alice and her friends trust him, dont they? They all look at her at once, and May makes a somewhat apologetic face. But Rushia and her colleagues listened to Mays story with a serious face. Mmm..Ned? Thats a brilliant idea! Rushia told me in a cheerful tone of voice, not anxious about any of this. No, you see.theyre a party of heroes. Its not that easy to fill in Ned. Riese, who was eating nearby, secretly overheard me with a twitchy smile. Yggdrasil was after the Dragon Crown Sword. If you want to find out what theyre up to, it might not be a bad idea to work with Alice and her party. Thats a good point. The words of Yggdrasils leader, spoken by Nain Yggdrasil, are still stuck in my earsWhat is the leader of Yggdrasil thinking? What on earth does he feel about my methods? I am not only wary, but genuinely curious. Maybe there are people in this world who are fighting in the same way as I am. Besides, there are probably no other members as dependable as you. The adventurer parties led by you in both the Stardust Light and the Seven Meteors are doing remarkably well. If you care about Alice, youre the right person for the job. Overestimation is too much. Phylicia and Kirch tilted their heads curiously at Riese, who gave them a long-winded earful. Rushia and May both seemed to have some idea of what Riese was talking about. Oh, ah, uh!I, I want to have an adventure with ..Ned-san too! Alice said, her face turning bright red. She must have summoned up all her courage. Alice looked straight at me with slightly moist eyes. Im not so heartless as to refuse this. .. I understand. Then, please take good care of me. Alice smiles happily. When I saw her face like that, I knew I had made the right choice, for now. Filling in for the brave party is a heavy responsibility, but Im used to it. Nowwho should I turn to next? Afterword Hello, this is Sakaishi Yuusaku. Thank you for picking up this book. This work is about a protagonist who fights using his connections as a weapon. The protagonist, being powerless, has learnt the greatness of relying on others. Like in the first volume, in the second volume, the protagonist builds new connections and fights using the connections he has built up so far. The main character, Ned, again connects with many people, but in reality, due to the Corona disaster, he is not able to connect with many people. I felt this a little while writing this second volume. This summer in particular has been raining than usual, and Ive spent more boring days than usual in my room. This year I have not been to the sea, mountains, summer festivals or fireworks displays. Originally, I am not the type of person who participates in events that much, but even if I didnt, I seemed to realise that summer was coming when events were taking place in my neighbourhood. For example, I would sometimes go for a run when it was dark outside, and on the way there I would see a summer festival being held at a shrine I was passing and realise, [Oh, so its summer now], which was a regular occurrence every year. It felt surprisingly lonely not to see the traditional festival. On the other hand, however, I could somehow predict that my schedule would be free this summer, so I was able to devote myself to work with all my energy. This gave me a sense of fulfilment, so I think I had a good summer. It is good to have a year like this once in a while. I hope that next year I will have a summer where I can see people without hesitation and problems. I would like to write a story about what the main character in this work, Ned, would do if he had a series of days when he couldnt see people..I would like to write such a story one day. Acknowledgments I would like to thank everyone involved in the writing of this work, including the editorial team and reviewers, for their assistance in the writing of this work, and thank you, Noy Sensei, for creating another beautiful illustration. As I thought with the first volume, I am impressed by how stylish each characters clothing is and how it fits the characters characteristics. Alice and Seren on the cover, so pretty and cool! Finally, the biggest thank you to everyone who picked up this book. Top: Ned Wolkinter Bottom: Llyod Exted Top: Alice Feldrant, Riese Von Aldiana, Princess Iris Intail Middle: Seren Duvalis Bottom: Winryn Themis, Princess Rushia Enuvidia, May Ascent Top: Kirch Eisen, Green Shadow Huzen, Red-Haired Alex. Middle: Phylicia Murray. Bottom: Exzair Sullivan, Wind dancer Mirei, Iron Fire Spear Fina. Top: Nain Yggdrasil Bottom: Hero Rin Volume 3 - CH 1.1 Prologue Translated by SoundDestiny Edited by SoundDestiny Three days after the hero party selection test. Well then, lets start the meeting to defeat the Demon King. In the conference room of the royal castle, I said to the people present. The four people gathered here now are me, Alice, Phylicia and Kirch, who belong to the hero Party. Also inside the room are Princess Rushia, the princess of this country, her guard May, and Riese, the leader of the White Dragon Chivalric Order, making a total of seven people. Riese is here as an adviser. W,what do you want to talk about ? All of it. I answered Alices question succinctly. Of course, there is no precedent for defeating the Demon King. So no one knows what to do or where to go. Lets discuss that with everyone and decide. Everyone shook their heads at my words. As far as Ive been able to find out, it seems the standard is basically to look for a suspicious-looking place and investigate it. Well, I dont think you need to be bound by the standard May commented. Being a serious knight, she must have done her research beforehand. There is one thing Im wondering about. Phylicia raises her hand and says. I have heard the term Demon Kings Castle and I heard a rumour that the castle is located in a mysterious fortified city on the northern continent. No one has been able to investigate it yet, as it is inhabited by many high-ranked monsters. Ah.. that one. That was a hot topic for a while. The castle became famous when several parties mentioned it as a place to investigate. The northern continent is less civilised and the monsters that inhabit it are extremely powerful, so there is not much information available and combined with its eeriness, it became a topic of conversation. The fact that no one has been able to investigate it yet means it is as dangerous as it sounds. To suggest such a place shows Phylicias strong determination. However, there is no need to investigate this matter with regard to the Demon Kings Castle. As it turns out, its a hoax. Where did you get your information? Ive been there. Hmmm? I replied to Phylicia, who asked me again. The adventurers party I used to be with were very curious. As as..result, the view was spectacular but the Demon King was not there. It was a nice landscape. I remember the vastness of the landscape because of the lack of civilization. The view of the wilderness at dusk from the top of the stone castle was so beautiful that I could watch it until sunset. Th,thats just what I would expect from you,Ned-san! Umu Ned is not what he seems to be. Next to Alice, who honestly admired me with a twinkle in her eye, Rushia was slightly taken back. For me, who is more often drawn to her, Alice is, how can I say this, a very good girl. Shes a breath of fresh air for my soul. As I was thinking about this, Riese smiled a little amusedly. Its not so much King of Illusion as King of Weirdos. (. ) (Its a pun) ..In the first place, the name King of Illusionitself was given by someone on their own. Im not that attached to a name that was given to me on its own. Returning to the subject C at present, there are few clues about the Demon King, so it is difficult to head directly to the Demon Kings stronghold. We will have to look for clues first. In other words, instead of looking for the Demon King, we need to look for clues about the Demon King. Ive encountered a few hero parties on my way as an adventurer, but they were all engaged in very similar and very different activities. As May-dono said, they must investigate suspicious places, but their means are different. Some parties worked on the basis of what they heard from others, while others worked by observing the ecology of the monsters. This area would largely depend on Brain. Riese tells the facts she has seen and heard for herself. Ah, when you say Brain, you mean As if in response to Alices murmur, they all looked at me. .. me? They all nodded their heads. Brains not a character, butactually, Ive been thinking about it a bit. Im just not very good at the combat side of things. But even so, since I joined as a member to fill in for the heroes party, I want to do my job. So, in my own way, I was considering several plans. I will explain them now. The hero party has already been dispatched by countries all over the world. We, the Kingdom of Enuvidia are quite late to the party..and we have already investigated most of the suspicious areas. ..does that mean there are no more places to investigate? Aaa, thats what a normal hero party would think. I looked into Alices eyes as she asked me. I know because I have some interconnectedness with heroes from other countries..and they are all so talented that it is hard to believe that they are the same human race. It is honestly unbelievable that they are desperately searching for the Demon King and have not even made contact with him yet Remembering all the brave men and women I have met, I told them. I suspectthat there is a traitor in our midst. It was a statement that could have been marginalised at the drop of a hat. But I trust everyone here. These women would be able to carry on a constructive discussion. Do you think there might be falsehoods in the reports of the findings? I nodded silently in response to Rieses confirmation. She is an exemplary S-class adventurer. She is familiar with all situations and understands them quickly. Well, I dont know if that person is deliberately betraying us. It is possible that they are being manipulated or threatened by the Demon Lord. Or it could just be a lack of investigationAnyway, I suspect that there are actually important clues hidden in places that have once been investigated. Everyone nodded in agreement. In any case, we are latecomers. To be clear, I dont think we can achieve any results by following what other heroic parties are doing nowThen why dont we make a bold move from the very beginning? I look at the three members of my party. I agree. If no one has done something like that yet..I think its always worth it for us to do it. Alice said on behalf of all three of us. I look at Her Highness the Princess, who is standing beside me. Is that okay with Rushia too? Umu! If its Neds decision, then it doesnt matter! ..Princess Rushia is our sponsor, so you can have more say, you know? Ive decided to trust my heroic party. This mistress is going to be ready for whatever decision the Neds make! That may not be a bad stance to take. At least I feel like I can live up to that trust now that Ive heard those words. Well, give me some time. Even though weve decided on thepolicy, Id like to have some idea of where were going. Ill try to contact someone I can rely on. Saying that, I left everyone for a bit and took a communication stone out of my pouch. After a while, the communication connects. Its been a long time, Ju Aaaaahhh! You! Youre Ned!!You-aaaaah!!! A furious yell was heard. I take the communication stone away from my ear, waited a few seconds and then spoke again. . you sound well. Im relieved, Julius I am not fine!!!! His shouts were heard again. Julius, the guardian knight of the Kingdom of Intail. The man who had once joined the Intail Kingdoms heroic party in my place was now furious. I can finally say this!Ive always wanted to say this to you! C Listen to me!Your party is crazy!Theyre all idiots!Youre all idiots for helping people, from reanimating, to fighting, to researching!Nobody listens to me! Why dont you become an idiot too, Julius? It might make things easier for you. How am I supposed to that HA?!!!! Hes still a loud person. Im always covered in fresh wounds because of the idiot who likes to help people and the idiot who likes to fight! Just when I think Ive finally got them by the scruff of the neck, the resuscitation idiot and the research idiot are always causing problems!Thanks to them, I never get any rest, body and soul!I havent slept! That sounds hard. Why dont you get that priest to cast an anti-fatigue spell on you? Dont be silly! That woman is interested in nothing but resuscitation and she only wants to resuscitate you! Come to think of it, thats right. She was the best in the world at raising the dead but she could do nothing else. Shes the kind of woman who, every time she finds a graveyard, shes going to raise the dead from one side to the other and throw a party!Last time she was mistaken for one of the Demon Kings henchman because of that! Come to think of it, that happened a lot too. Julius is currently travelling with the members of the Stardust Light I created. Travelling with them has been exciting, for better or worse. More than once or twice, I was mistaken for a subordinate of the Demon King. When I think about it, the hero party I joined this time is quite sensible and reasonable. I listened to Julius complaints and looked at Alice. ? Ah, um, what is it? Alice is a good girl Fhew!!? Is that so? Ehehe.. Alice smiled happily. Now that my mind is at ease, its time to get down to business with Julius. Julius. I need to have a serious conversation with you This is serious talk!Id rather not have any more serious talk Julius Its really serious. When I called his name seriously, Julius was silent. As you may know, Im going to join the Kingdom of Enuvidias heroic party as an alternative. And now Im wondering about my first destination. so what is it then. I want your opinion. Have there been any clues regarding the Demon King recently? Julius is silent for a while and then speaks up. Soon after we left the country, we engaged the Demon Lords men. The location was the Edwin Mine. Rather than being active in the vicinity, they appeared to be on the move. They were moving north from the coast, so they may have crossed the sea. If they are on the move..it seems that the mine itself does not need to be investigated. Even if they do investigate, lets leave that to Julius and his team, who actually engaged the Demon Kings men. If the Demon Kings men crossed the sea, towns along the coast would also fall within the scope of investigation. The range is wide, but it may be possible to narrow it down based on the route and other factors. Thank you. In return, Ill give you some tips on how to control Llyod and his friends. What is it then? Julius sounded like Husan. The warrior love combat, but they also like hard training. If you give him a branch from a tree and say, [Learn to cut rocks with this,] hell immerse himself in it for a while. I think after a while itll seriously come true, so youd better always have backup ideas in mind. . Where did you find such a monster, you bastard? I killed a monster that was being hunted down and he came out of its belly He then says [I was sleeping when it ate me]. No one knows how or why he survived. A body that is too robust may no longer be associated with a sense of danger. The wizard has a voracious appetite for knowledge, so give her a rare book.Especially if its something sheve never read before, shell be happy even if its a home-cooked recipe.the priest will settle down after a night in the cemetery, so its easier if you talk to the cemetery owner beforehand. .What about the hero? Hes the kind of guy who cant leave people in trouble. So you should tell him that you are in trouble too. If you do that, hell listen to what you have to saySince youre Julius, your pride must be getting in the way, and youve never once spoken out against them, have you? Hmph, dont associate me with you, who have nothing. As a knight of the Kingsguard, I have a duty to live unashamedly as a knight of the Kingsguard. Well, maybe thats true. I am aware that I have nothing. Thats all the advice I can give you. You see..or rather the Kingdom of Intail, has declared the disbandment of the heroes party. I thought Julius would return to his country soon, but I see youre still travelling together. If I could go home, I would!Those guys are forcibly taking me around just because my title of Kingsguard Knight of the Kingdom of Intail is convenient! I see. Theyre getting smarter too. As long as the kingdom of Intail has declared the disbandment of the heroes party, Lloyd and the others are mere adventurers. They have no backing or anything. Julius is the only person with a decent title. They must have realised that Juliuss presence would make it easier for them to gain trust in various ways. I cut off communication with Julius and approached Alice and the others again. Sorry to keep you waiting..Ive got some good information. It seems that my previous party from the kingdom of Intail have made contact with the Demon Kings men. Lets cross-check this sighting with the investigated areas in the vicinity. I shared what Julius told me with everyone and looked at the map on the table. The area around the Edwin mine is noteworthy. In particular, the area to the south across the sea. In this area, the areas that have already been surveyed are. There is only one place that falls under I nodded at Kirchs murmur. The Airun Ruins. (`) In the past, adventurers who set foot in these ruins died in every instance. This is one of the most dangerous places in the world.