《Former Demon King Becomes Savior》 Chapter 1 Just a teaser¡­ ¡±This is the end, Demon King!¡± ¡±Gwaaaaah! I never thought I would be defeated¡­!¡± In front of me, the hero with a shining holy sword, Excalibur, is glaring at me while breathing heavily. It seems to be over. This is my end. My strength, energy, and magic have run out, and I can no longer bear to keep up. Even now my arms are crumbling to pieces. But I never thought that the day would come when I would be saved by a ¡°Substitute Platinum Coin,¡± which I had prepared just in case. This item, which I had made with alchemy a long time ago, was enchanted with magic, so I would not die. I¡¯m glad I made it. But it will be at least a hundred years before my power is restored to me again. A hundred years, a hundred years¡­ Hahahaha. ¡±Well done, Hero! I admire you. But I will not die! I will return in a hundred years and when that happens, I will fill the world with grief and sorrow! Then you, mortal, will not survive! Hahahaha!¡± ¡±Wh-What did you say!¡± I hear the hero shout over my fading consciousness. Enjoy the rest of your life. Until the time of my resurrection, let me enjoy my dreams. Adios! * * * ¡±¡­King, Demon King! Please wake up! It¡¯s already been a hundred years!¡± ¡±Huh? Oh, Kabirumba. Good morning. Isn¡¯t it a nice morning?¡± ¡±Yes, it¡¯s a nice morning¡­¡ªI mean, how long are you going to stay in bed, Demon King? Please take that moldy bedding outside¡­¡± ¡±Aren¡¯t you a Fungus Spirit? Can¡¯t you do something about it?¡± Kabirumba, whose body looked like a moss-green sea urchin with a small bamboo sticking out from below, glared at me with one half-lidded eye. Oh, scary. Even I am a Demon King, you know? ¡±Hmm, then, I will make that bedding even more moldy¡­¡± ¡±I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯ll go hang it up right now!¡± I dashed outside with the bedding in my arms. With a refreshing breeze blowing, it seems that this place is still uninhabited, even after a hundred years. Being surrounded by the sea, the sea breeze was very pleasant. It¡¯s wonderful to be alive! Wait a minute. Isn¡¯t there something strange here? Like Kabirumba¡¯s attitude just now, isn¡¯t it a little too impolite for a resurrected Demon King? Oh, by the way, I kept a secret from everyone that I will be resurrected to prevent the ¡°Substitute Platinum Coin¡± from being stolen. The only one who knew about it was Kabirumba, who has access to all kinds of information in the world, the so-called ¡°Mycelial Network¡±. No wonder the only one who would pick me up was Kabirumba. When I returned to the hut, Kabirumba was cleaning the room. Kabirumba is really a good kid. Even there was an apple on the table. It¡¯s my favorite food. ¡±Thank you, Kabirumba. So, can you tell me what¡¯s going on in the world right now?¡± ¡±Of course. I have to make sure the Demon King listens to me. Rather, it¡¯s for that reason that I¡¯m here.¡± Humph! I thought I heard Kabirumba snorting. Even though fungus doesn¡¯t have a nose. Anyway, I listen to Kabirumba as I bite the apple. ¡±Wh-What¡­!¡± ¡±So, the demon tribe and humans have made peace with each other and are living peacefully together now.¡± That¡¯s absurd! If it¡¯s true, is there a reason for my existence now¡­ Or was Kabirumba here to prevent me from filling the peaceful world with a whirlpool of sorrow and grief? No, wait a minute. Something¡¯s wrong, something¡¯s not right. ¡±Who made peace with the humans, Kabirumba? I can¡¯t think of anyone else who could do such a big thing.¡± ¡±Of course, the Four Heavenly Kings made peace.¡± ¡±No! Wait! Aren¡¯t all the Four Heavenly Kings defeated by the Hero? I mean, the Hero sacrificed a lot to defeat the Four Heavenly Kings.¡± ¡±¡­That¡¯s strange.¡± ¡±Yes, that¡¯s strange.¡± What the hell is going on? Wasn¡¯t it because the Four Heavenly Kings were defeated that the castle was unsealed and the Hero came in? Maybe they were caught in the trap? Well, it¡¯s okay. Now that peace has been made with the humans, it doesn¡¯t matter now. ¡±I see. I¡¯m no longer needed. Ugh, even though I¡¯ve worked so hard for the others, I¡¯m useless to them now that I¡¯m back. I¡¯m just¡­ just¡­ so sad.¡± With sadness enveloping me, I curled up on the floor and went to sleep. Before I knew it, I had fallen asleep on the floor, and there was a blanket over my body. Really, Kabirumba is kind. Anyway, I can¡¯t keep crying. Now, I¡¯ve been resurrected. I have to live tomorrow. Those days of war are over. From now on¡­ let¡¯s enjoy the slow life¡­ like the others. ¡±Kabirumba! Work! Work! If I don¡¯t work, I don¡¯t eat. So, give me a job!¡± ¡±Even if you say so¡­ but first I¡¯ll show you around the island and see if there¡¯s anything you can do while staying here¡­¡± ¡±Kabirumba, I am no longer the Demon King. From now on you can call me Leonito¡ªNo, just Leo is fine¡± I looked Kabirumba and declared. The Demon King now is out of business. From now on I will live as a mere demon. ¡±¡­I understand. By the way, Leo-sama. Why didn¡¯t you save some money here? Not just money. There¡¯s not even a ¡®single¡¯ piece of gold or silver.¡± ¡±No way! I never thought this would happen! Unbelievable!¡± ¡±Wait, where did you learn such words?¡± ¡±Heh.¡± ¡±I¡¯m not complimenting you.¡± It seems¡­ I got a little carried away, and Kabirumba gave me cold stares. It¡¯s like went from being a ¡°yin-yang¡± to a ¡°yang-yang¡±. Apparently, it is difficult to judge this guy when happy or upset. Anyway, Kabirumba led me around the island. It seems that no one has ever come to this island for a hundred years. It had the same rich temperate ecosystem as when I first came here. The fruits, including apples, are abundant and will probably never run out all year round. Maybe¡­ I don¡¯t have to work? When I told this to Kabirumba, it was quickly denied. ¡±What are you talking about, Leo-sama? Do you really think you can live only on apples¡­ or fruits? Sweet, too sweet. As sweet as this apple!¡± ¡±Ahhh, my apple!¡± The fungus Kabirumba stretched its green mycelium and digested the apple. But personally, I think I could live with an apple¡­ ¡±Listen, you need to eat meat and vegetables to sustain your body. Didn¡¯t you do the same a hundred years ago? Why do you think you don¡¯t need them now?¡± ¡±I don¡¯t fight anymore, so I guess it¡¯s okay.¡± I glanced at Kabirumba, who was glaring at me with a raised eyebrow. Oh, this guy had an eyebrow. Maybe a nose, too? Chapter 2 Back in the hut, Kabirumba spread a piece of paper on the table. There was a pen nearby. Then, Kabirumba began to write letters. It seems that the letters are the same as they were a hundred years ago. That was good. ¡±Okay, first we need to get some meat and vegetables from some town or village. Do you understand up to this point?¡± ¡±Yes, sensei¡­¡± ¡±Good. Then what do we need to get meat and vegetables?¡± ¡±Money.¡± ¡±That¡¯s right.¡± Kabirumba squints at me as if to say, ¡°Well done¡±. This guy¡¯s face is more expressive than I expected. I remember when Kabirumba used to have the flat look in the old days. ¡±So, have you thought of a job you could do while we¡¯re touring around the island? If you don¡¯t work, you won¡¯t get paid.¡± ¡±Well¡­ there are a lot of fruits here. How about a fruit shop?¡± ¡±It would be nice if there was a town or village nearby.¡± Kabirumba smiled. That¡¯s right. Goods are nothing if there are no buyers. Does anyone live near this island in the first place? ¡±Kabirumba, where¡¯s the nearest town or village?¡± ¡±There is a settlement about two days¡¯ walk from here. It has a population of about twenty people. Though, they are going to leave soon because they found they could not achieve their planned results. And once they are gone, it will take about five days to get to the next place.¡± ¡±Oh no!¡± ¡±I was just thinking, where do you learn words like that?¡± Kabirumba looks at me suspiciously. I don¡¯t know either. So I answered with silence. Then Kabirumba sighs. ¡±So, fruit shop is no good.¡± ¡±No?¡± ¡±Yes.¡± What to do now? Should I become an adventurer like the hero of the past in order to show the world how powerful, how great, and how terrifying I am as a former Demon King? Let power be everything? ¡±If I can¡¯t be a fruit seller¡­ Should I become an adventurer¡­¡± ¡±It¡¯s rejected¡­¡± ¡±Why not?¡± Before I could finish, Kabirumba denied it dismissively. Its eyebrows were furrowed, as if it were angry. But I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve done anything to make this guy angry yet. ¡±Of course it¡¯s obvious. Leo-sama, you will be overdoing it, right?¡± ¡±I can¡¯t deny it.¡± ¡±Then¡­ you were going to play the Warriors, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡±How did you know?¡± ¡±As expected!¡± Kabirumba starts to wiggle and move in waves. I believe this is the ¡°dance of anger¡± that people do when they are angry. I¡¯m not sure if this is officially true. Kabirumba is a mystery. No one is completely sure of its ecology. ¡±Anyway, no adventurers. Well, how about becoming an alchemist? You¡¯re good at it, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡±That¡¯s true, but can I sell alchemic item? I don¡¯t remember any money coming from it.¡± ¡±That¡¯s because we were fighting with humans. Now that the world is at peace, it can be exchanged for money. So that¡¯s how it was. With money, I can buy things. If I can buy things, I can be happy. I don¡¯t know why I didn¡¯t realize it before. Then¡­ ¡±Okay, then! I¡¯ll be the Alchemist King!¡± ¡±There¡¯s no such title, but¡­¡± Kabirumba gave me a blank stare. Does he know all the titles in the world? Kabirumba is such a scary kid. But I will not give up. ¡±If there isn¡¯t one, I will make one. Now, I¡¯ve got a new goal. I¡¯m not going to conquer the world. I¡¯m going to become Alchemist King.¡± ¡±Do your best. But then, many people will want the alchemic item that Leo-sama made, so I guess there will be no more vacations.¡± ¡±What? I¡¯ll lose my vacation?¡± That¡¯s absurd. Where¡¯s my slow life? Am I going to spend 24/7 all the time? ¡±Stop, stop. I¡¯m not going to become Alchemist King. I will just make alchemical items so that I won¡¯t be too busy, and live a slow life of self-indulgence.: ¡±That seems to be a controversial goal. But for Leo-sama, it¡¯s a good idea.¡± Thank you, my friend. It has strengthened my resolve. ¡±Well then, let¡¯s leave as soon as I make the right items. I want to get there before the settler villages leave.¡± ¡±That¡¯s a good idea. There are not much materials on this island, but restorative and antidote potions should be able to be made.¡± ¡±That¡¯s right. But first, there¡¯s something I must make for sure.¡± It would be a waste if I died again by an accident, even though I had resurrected myself. So, I decided to make a second ¡°Substitute Platinum Coin¡±. The material I need is a platinum coin from the old days. It would be difficult to obtain nowadays. After all, this platinum coin is so pure that a magic circle can be engraved on the inside of it with magic power. However, it requires a great deal of knowledge and skill to do so. Still, it¡¯s a piece of cake for me. With this thought, I put a platinum coin on the table, and then I make a magic circle. Together with a golden glow, the magic circle is sucked into the platinum coin. * * * ¡±By the way, Leo-sama was able to use the magic of flying, huh?¡± ¡±Of course, that¡¯s because it¡¯s convenient for transportation.¡± ¡±Then I think it¡¯s okay to go straight through the settlement village.¡± Kabirumba, with its gnarled head growing out of my shoulder, is tilting its neck. Certainly, it may be so. But this is my first encounter with a human being since my resurrection from a hundred-year slumber. I must proceed with caution. ¡±What if I go to a big town and I screw up? Hmm, well, in a developing village, there is no problem. I can just wipe them out without leaving any trace.¡± ¡±Please don¡¯t do that.¡± I was joking. But it¡¯s easy to ¡°pretend they didn¡¯t see us¡± if there¡¯s only about 20 of them. Still, it¡¯s better to approach only a few people at first. Now, there is a white smoke in front of us. Perhaps that is the settlement village. In the distance, wooden fences and crude houses come into view. They look just like the huts we had just left. ¡±Leo-sama, please stop! You¡¯re not going there directly from the sky, are you?¡± ¡±I¡¯m going to do that, though¡­¡± ¡±No! There are only a few people who can use flying magic! Only the ¡®Four Wise Men¡¯ can do it.¡± ¡±Then that makes five if you count me¡­ just kidding. I¡¯ll be down in a minute.¡± With a swift, vertical movement, I descended to the ground. After all, it is best to move forward step by step while stepping on the ground. Now, where we landed is in a dimly lit forest. Naturally, there are no paths. Well, with Kabirumba-sensei, who knows the world so well, there is no way to get lost in the forest. ¡±Then, which way?¡± ¡±This way. There are monsters in the forest, so be careful.¡± ¡±They are still here after a hundred years? The Creator never gets tired of them.¡± ¡±The Creator is giving us blessings. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s good to talk like that. What if the monster disappears because of your stupidity?¡± ¡±Yes, yes.¡± Chapter 3 We continue walking through the forest. Sometimes we hear the rustling of leaves in the distance, but no one seems to be coming this way. Well, I am a former demon king, after all. No monster is likely to come this way unless it is an idiot. ¡±Kabirumba, be on the lookout just in case. We never know when monsters will appear.¡± ¡±I can show you the way but I can¡¯t search for them.¡± ¡±Excuse me¡­?¡± ¡±I¡¯m not good at monitoring moving targets. It requires me to go through several mycelial networks. During that time, they move around before I find them.¡± Kabirumba¡¯s information network is very good. But its full power seems to be exerted only against things that do not move. This is the first time I¡¯ve heard of it. So, there are not so many perfect superhumans like me, huh? ¡±Then I¡¯ll be the one to search for them. Haa!¡± ¡±If you can do it, do it from the beginning!¡± He looked at me with a blank stare again. It seems that Kabirumba has completely given up on me. But life is no fun if people don¡¯t have a little playful spirit. Anyway, first of all, check the safety of the surroundings, right? But there¡¯s trouble a little further away. ¡±A human is being attacked by a black bear. And I¡¯m getting the feeling¡­ Kabirumba! Let¡¯s go help him! If we do well, we can enjoy the good life in the village.¡± ¡±So, you¡¯ve got an ulterior motive, huh?¡± Oh no, Kabirumba¡¯s crying. But people can¡¯t live in this world with just nice words. Just like I was forced to quit my job as the Demon King. Not that I resent it, but if I could have gotten along with humans, I would have done so from the beginning. Then I wouldn¡¯t have had to become the Demon King. Anyway, it was too much of a hassle to wade through the trees, so I twisted a tree in my path and pushed straight ahead. Perhaps I could put it back later so I wouldn¡¯t get in trouble. Now, in front of me, I saw an old man and a black bear. The old man¡¯s shoulder was injured, and his clothes were stained with red blood. The black bear is about to jump on the ¡°old man¡± who stands up on his two legs and opens his arms, but I throw a stick under the black bear¡¯s feet as hard as I can to attract its attention. As the stick hits it back with a thud, the body of Black Bear, standing on two legs, slowly turns toward me. Its eyes are bright red, as if filled with anger. It¡¯s seemed to be saying, ¡°I will not allow anyone to interrupt my meal!¡± At the same time, my eyes met the old man¡¯s eyes, and his mouth was completely open. But it¡¯s all right now. The Demon King is here, after all. Now this Black Bear turns slowly toward me. It¡¯s as big as a rock. And, as the rumors say, it has bristly black hair. Even if someone hit it with a sword, it will bounce off its fur and be easily swatted away. As the black bear having its eyes on me, it comes charging at me with its low, four-legged posture. But don¡¯t be naive, Black Bear. Your attack is anticipated. Your body which is perfectly stand on the ground will not be able to avoid my attack! My attack are these three fast-moving drills protruded from the ground. The drills, made of hard stone, easily penetrated Black Bear¡¯s body. Black Bear dispersed without uttering a sound. All that remained was ¡°Black Bear¡¯s pelt. After retrieving the pelt, I head toward the injured old man. ¡±Aren¡¯t you just used a magic spell without chanting a word? Are you one of the Four Wise Men?¡± ¡±No, it¡¯s not¡­ I was once a Demon K¡­¡± As if interrupting my words, Kabirumba head-butted me with its head. I didn¡¯t know mycelium could be used in this way. ¡±Anyway, shouldn¡¯t your injury be healed first? Come here, quickly.¡± ¡±W-Well, you certainly have a point.¡± I sprinkled the healing potion on the old man randomly. In a flash, the injury on his shoulder is healed. This should save his life. Though he will need to rest for a while. ¡±How restorative! How expensive a potion did you use?¡± ¡±It¡¯s just a healing potion¡­¡± ¡±That¡¯s absurd. It should be an advanced healing potion! Wait, that¡¯s not it, maybe it¡¯s a healing potion++!? ¡±What the hell is that?¡± Healing Potion++? I¡¯ve never heard that name before. Is it some kind of language? I look at Kabirumba-sensei for an answer. Then, Kabirumba-sensei gently whispered in my ear. ¡±It¡¯s a new way of classifying the different types of healing potions, depending on the recovery power of the same potion.¡± ¡±Why? Aren¡¯t all potions the same in terms of recovery power?¡± ¡±During the past hundred years, it has been discovered that the potions produced by alchemists have different recovery power depending on their skill. Of course, it is not only healing potions. This is the case with all alchemical items.¡± That means my alchemical items are very powerful, huh? Even though I made it with materials I found around here. Hmm, I might be able to sell it for a higher price than I thought. The slow life is one step closer. ¡±Okay, the healing potion I used was a healing potion++.¡± ¡±As I thought¡­ But where did you get that?¡± ¡±I made it.¡± When I smiled at the old man, his eyes and mouth became wide and round again. It seems that there are not many alchemists who can make a healing potion++. I might be able to sell it for a really good price. No pun intended. I felt as if a light went off in front of my eyes. ¡±I see. In any case, thanks for the help. Oops.¡± I steadied the wobbly old man¡¯s shoulder. ¡±Let me give you a hand. The blood can¡¯t be recovered by the potion. Just get some rest when you get back to the village.¡± ¡±I¡¯m sorry for everything. If there¡¯s anything I can do¡­ let me know.¡± As planned. Mission accomplished. Now I can sneak into the village without suspicion. Look, Kabirumba is impressed with my brilliant work. ¡±I never thought it would really work. You seem to have good luck as usual.¡± ¡±Don¡¯t be rude. Luck is part of skill. Don¡¯t you know that?¡± ¡±Yes, yes. I¡¯ll leave it at that.¡± Chapter 4 After an hour of lending a shoulder to the old man, at last, the village came into sight. According to the conversation we had along the way, the old man seemed to have come to gather food. The villagers had hunted all the monsters near the village, apparently, and now they had to go far away to get food. What a mess! That explains why they decided to leave the village. ¡±Here¡¯s the village¡­ By the way, have you been here before, Leo?¡± ¡±No, this is my first time. I¡¯m looking forward to seeing the place.¡± ¡±Oh, I see. So you were on your way to this development village. I heard that valuable alchemical materials can be found around here. I remember that alchemists have visited here several times before.¡± From the way he looks into the distance and says so as if he remembers, it seems that the alchemist visited here a long time ago. If there were so few visitors, it seems that the precious alchemical materials are not so important. As we passed through the wooden fence, we came to a man who looked like a dwarf with a beard. He is taller than most dwarves, so he looks like a human being, not a dwarf. But still, they look alike. Is he a child between a dwarf and a human? ¡±You¡¯re back early. And who is this brother, by the way?¡± He asked while stroking his full beard. From the tone of his voice, he did not sound very welcoming. That¡¯s not surprising. From what I¡¯ve heard along the way, the village is running out of food. They probably don¡¯t want to waste any more food. The usual hospitality is to offer drinking and singing to the visitors after a long time. But it seems that it is not expected. It¡¯s a pity. ¡±This is the alchemist who saved me from being attacked by a black bear. He came to this area to gather materials.¡± ¡±Black bear? Hey, is that story true?¡± The bearded man shakes my shoulder and the old man wobble. The old man looked like he was unsteady on his feet, which made the bearded man startled. Normally, he would not be unsteady on his feet like this. ¡±You¡¯d better keep it that low. You¡¯ll collapse from anemia. ¡±What do you mean? You don¡¯t look like you¡¯re hurt¡­ but is that blood on your clothes yours?¡± ¡±Yes. If he hadn¡¯t given me the healing potion++, I might not have survived.¡± ¡±Healing potion++? May I ask you to tell me more about this?¡± ¡±Of course.¡± It seems that he has finally realized that the great alchemist is in front of him. His language had changed to be more polite. Now, we were taken to the largest hut in the village. ¡±I am the village chief.¡± It seemed that this bearded dwarf-like man was the village chief. It seems that the chief himself is patrolling this village. ¡±I am a travel alchemist. I came here to collect materials.¡± It¡¯s a lie, of course, but it will be a fact if it¡¯s not exposed. It is Kabirumba¡¯s idea so that there will be no prying eyes. To prove that there really was a black bear, I put the trophy ¡°black bear pelt¡± in front of the village chief. He must have immediately recognized what it was. Immediately his eyes widened. ¡±This is definitely a black bear pelt¡­ if it¡¯s here, did you kill it?¡± ¡±Of course I have. Black bear is not my enemy.¡± The chief gulps and swallows hard. Did he get it? There is someone stronger than him right in front of him. Anyway, together with the old man, I told him what had happened. The chief was pale when he heard that black bears were living within an hour¡¯s drive from this development village. Apparently, the chief is not a strong fighter. It¡¯s no wonder. After all, this old man, who had gone out to hunt outside, has some fighting strength. And now this old strongman has come back beaten to a pulp. Therefore, it is no wonder that the chief thought, ¡°This village is finished¡±. ¡±Thank you very much for saving our precious villager. How can I thank you? This village will be closed soon. Until then, please take your time.¡± The village chief regretfully announces the end of the village. It seems that the black bear has completely broken his heart. When the chief tells this to the villagers, the village becomes a bit noisy. There were no thanks for saving the villagers. Instead, I was allowed to stay in a spare room in the chief¡¯s house. ¡±It¡¯s not what I expected.¡± ¡±What are you talking about? You should be thankful that you can stay in a house with a roof over your head.¡± ¡±I should have never left home if I had to do this.¡± ¡±If you stay in there, you¡¯ll get sick from lack of nutrition.¡± Kabirumba shakes its head from side to side as if to say, ¡°Really, I have to do something quickly to this guy+. Well, that hurt my feelings a little. But there¡¯s no point in dwelling on it. I have to do what I can here. Even a caterpillar could do more than just brood. ¡±What are we going to do now, Kabirumba?¡± ¡±What, you¡¯re just going to leave it to me? Oh, that¡¯s right. If it¡¯s left to Leo-sama, we won¡¯t be able to move forward. Instead, we¡¯ll end up going backwards. It¡¯s no use crying over spilled milk. Yup, that¡¯s a fact.¡± Really, the fungus Kabirumba is terrible. But I have no good ideas too. So, let¡¯s leave it to Kabirumba. After all, the top people can learn from their subordinates. ¡±They said there are alchemical materials around here, right? Let¡¯s look for them first. If there are usable materials, you can make new alchemical items from them. When you have completed your products to some extent, let¡¯s go to the next town.¡± ¡±It takes about three days from here to the next town, right? Do we have enough food? ¡±On foot, yes, but we¡¯re going by air, aren¡¯t we? If so, we can get there within the day.¡± ¡±That¡¯s good news. But why should we come to this village in the first place?¡± Oh, Kabirumba¡¯s eyes are getting all squinty. ¡±Didn¡¯t I tell you that first? And who was it that decided to come here to practice meeting people?¡± I gently averted my eyes. It was so natural that Kabirumba must have missed it. Even the Demon King can make mistakes. Chapter 5 That night dinner was provided at the house of the old man whom I had helped during the daytime. The old man¡¯s wife and daughter thanked me many times. Never before had I been thanked so much by a human being. Surely they could see the horns on my head. And yet, they did not care. It seems that Kabirumba¡¯s story that ¡°demons and humans have made peace¡± is true. It was the same in the farthest village. I am sure that the same scene will be seen in the places we are going. Truly, my role as the Demon King is over. ¡±What¡¯s the matter? You seem so gloomy¡­¡± ¡±Hahaha¡­ just thought times are changing¡­¡± ¡±Hehehe, that¡¯s true. But some things don¡¯t change.¡± Kabirumba looks at me with kind eyes. The things that never change¡­? Life and money are important. It¡¯s a story that could be true. It¡¯s a very easy story to understand. Now, on the next day, I immediately head out to the nearby forest to collect some food. But before that, I sold some healing potions. Money is very important, after all. ¡±Are you sure you wanted to leave the village?¡± ¡±It¡¯s okay. No problem. I¡¯m just going to pick up a few things and then head to the next town. We¡¯ve got the money too.¡± ¡±But it was a very low price¡­ Normally it could be sold for three times as much as that.¡± ¡±Three times as much?! Hey, why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier!?¡± ¡±Aren¡¯t you saying that you were doing it out of the goodness of your heart?¡± Well, the villagers looked at me with a sad look on their face. It was my fault for not asking Kabirumba¡¯s opinion, but this guy should have at least told me whether the price was really good. From now on, I would ask Kabirumba without any sense of shame. * * * After half a day of walking through the forest toward the next town, the only new thing Icould get was mushrooms for ¡°smell-eraser¡±. Well, since I have already gathered enough materials for healing potions, I don¡¯t think I will need much more than I have. ¡±Still, if I had a magic bag, I could have collected more materials.¡± ¡±It can¡¯t be helped if you don¡¯t have it. It would have been nice if there had been a magic bag in the hut.¡± Kabirumba smiles at me. Its eyes were clearly reproaching me. I couldn¡¯t help it. I never dreamed this would happen. Anyway, when arriving in town, let¡¯s buy the materials needed and make a magic bag. If there are enough materials, it is easy to make a small one. Though the capacity is small, it should be useful enough. ¡±Well then, let¡¯s hurry to the next town. I want to get there before nightfall.¡± ¡±What are you talking about? We won¡¯t reach the town unless we fly through the night already.¡± ¡±What did you say!?¡± ¡±Hey, didn¡¯t I already tell you that! I said whether it was okay to leave the village¡­¡± ¡±So, that¡¯s what you meant. I don¡¯t know¡­¡± I looked at Kabirumba as if I wanted help. But Kabirumba shook its head helplessly. It seems that it is too late. Should we go back to the village? But that¡¯s not cool. ¡±So, we¡¯ll have to reach the next town during this night. We may not be able to stay at an inn, but there is less chance that someone will see us flying in the sky. That¡¯s quite an advantage, if you think about it. Besides, there¡¯s no need to sleep for a couple of days, is there?¡± ¡±Oh, demon¡­¡± Having no better alternative, I decide to follow Kabirumba¡¯s kind words. It is true that there was a time when I kept moving without sleep for a month, if not two or three days. It¡¯s a good memory now. But I don¡¯t want to do it again. After all, from now on, I will lead a slow life, waking up at any time I want and going to bed at any time I want, free and easy. * * * The next morning, we entered the town at sunrise. The guard charged me an entrance fee, saying that it was a national rule. Though Kabirumba was not charged. Anyway, the world is a hard place to live in. Apparently, the reason was that I had no identification. After entering the town, we went to a restaurant and asked for a breakfast set, and immediately started to have a strategy meeting. ¡±I think I need to prove my ID.¡± ¡±Yes, I think so. I¡¯m sorry, I forgot. I can just walk in.¡± ¡±I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea¡­¡± ¡±I¡¯ll pay for it when they give fungus human rights.¡± Yeah, well, that day won¡¯t come for a while. I asked Kabirumba-sensei about the identification. ¡±The people who need identification are merchants and people who travel around the different place. The people who live in the town basically don¡¯t go outside. If they do, it¡¯s probably to the fields.¡± ¡±I see. Then, I¡¯ll definitely need it. If I don¡¯t have it, I¡¯ll be charged for it every time, won¡¯t I?¡± ¡±Yes, they would. It seems that they don¡¯t take money in the village, though.¡± It is true that they don¡¯t take money in the villages. Then, shall we go through the village only? No, I¡¯d like to see how much the human towns have developed in the past hundred years. And how demons and humans are living together. ¡±What is the easiest way to get an ID?¡± ¡±Registering in a commercial guild. This way, you only have to pay money to get an ID.¡± ¡±A commercial guild. Not bad.¡± But Kabirumba sighed. Did I do something wrong again? ¡±Leo-sama, what about the alchemist?¡± ¡±Oh, yes. No commercial guilds. I¡¯ll be an alchemist!¡± ¡±Then you should join the alchemists¡¯ guild. By the way, there is no alchemy guild in this town, so you can¡¯t register.¡± Ugh¡­that¡¯s no use. Having a goal is the only way to move forward. I¡¯ll change my mind and devote myself to trading healing potions and purchasing alchemical materials in this town. But first of all, I need materials for magic bags. There are some rare materials, which is needed, and I hope I can found them. Unfortunately, even with Kabirumba¡¯s help, I couldn¡¯t find the materials I needed. Perhaps it was because there was no alchemy guild, but there were no stores specialized in alchemical materials. This is disappointing. ¡±I guess we have to look forward to the next town. By the way, can we get there today if we go there now?¡± ¡±Yes, we can. It¡¯s only a day¡¯s ride by carriage from this town to the next town, the territory of the margrave.¡± ¡±I see. Then we will be fine if we leave in the afternoon.¡± ¡±As long as nothing goes wrong.¡± ¡±Why are you saying that like it would be a problem?¡± I gave Kabirumba a blank stare, and with a huff, this guy looked away. Is this some kind of a flag? If something happens, I¡¯ll blame it on Kabirumba. Let¡¯s do that. Chapter 6 After selling the healing potion++ in the town I visited for three times the price I had paid for it in the village, I set out to reach my next destination by nightfall this time. At Kabirumba¡¯s suggestion, the flight had to be very far from the road. ¡±Is this really safe? Are you sure that nothing strange is going to happen?¡± ¡±It will be fine, I think. I¡¯m trying to stay out of trouble as much as possible. We are off the road, so it¡¯s hard to be seen, and I don¡¯t think anyone will come to this area, anyway.¡± Hmm, that may be true. But the fact that no one comes here means that the number of monsters is increasing. And my fears were soon proved correct. ¡±But there are a lot of monsters reacting somehow. By the looks of it, it must be a goblin or orc village.¡± ¡±Why do you say that?¡± Kabirumba turned to me with half-moon eyes. It¡¯s as if accusing me. Wait a minute. Is this somehow my fault? ¡±No, I only said that because there was a response from my detection, and isn¡¯t it Kabirumba who told me to fly over this location?¡± ¡±That¡¯s true, but¡­ this has become a problem. If the monsters are left unchecked, their numbers may increase and attack the town.¡± ¡±Hmm? That¡¯s not good. Okay, let¡¯s destroy them while they are still around. That way there will be no more damage, right?¡± ¡±No, uhh¡­ yes¡­¡± After a little hesitation, this guy agreed with me. Huahahahaha, let me show you my revived power. If I shoot magic at them from this position, I can take them all out. Shall I make it a super fireball? Or, Ultra Fireball? ¡±Leo-sama, you¡¯re not thinking of shooting magic from this position to clear the whole area, are you?¡± ¡±Hmm¡­ Is that wrong?¡± ¡±Of course! Are you planning to become a Demon King again?¡± ¡±No, I want to become an alchemist and enjoy a slow life. I want make lots of people smile.¡± ¡±Then shouldn¡¯t you keep a low profile?¡± Kabirumba puts on a dexterous expression as if he is smiling but not smiling. The mycelium above its eyes is pulsating. It seems that the method of using a wide-area annihilation magic to blow up the whole terrain at once is not acceptable. ¡±Then, let¡¯s go down nearby and use weaker magic to defeat them. How about the drill lance you used the other day?¡± ¡±It¡¯s a little plain¡­ but I¡¯ll do it!¡± The winning formula is set. My drill lance will pierce every monster. Even a black bear¡¯s hard skin will be pierced by my drill. So, let¡¯s get to work. As soon as I get down close to the group of monsters, I see that they are goblins. Green bodies, lifeless eyes. They are only as tall as a table, and their ears are pointy. One theory is that they were created by elves, but the elves deny it. Yet there are so many of them. It is not known how they reproduce, but it is rumored that they could ¡°split up¡±, just like slime. ¡±One, two, three, four¡­ there are quite a lot of them.¡± ¡±How could there be so many? Have the people living nearby not noticed?¡± ¡±It seems so. There is even high-ranking goblin like goblin general, king, lord, and hero.¡± ¡±It looks like there will be a lot of material after killing them.¡± The ¡°Goblin King¡¯s Crown¡± dropped by the Goblin King, the ¡°Goblin Lord¡¯s Necklace¡± dropped by the Goblin Lord, and the ¡°Goblin Hero¡¯s Cloak¡± dropped by the Goblin Hero. The ¡°Goblin Hero¡¯s Cloak¡± is a material for the Void Bag, which is the superior version of the Magic Bag. If I can get them, I can make the jump to the next level. It seems that my luck has come to me. Lucky me! Now, the target, lock on. I¡¯m going on the offensive now. However, I don¡¯t chant any magic, so I don¡¯t say a word. Anyway, since it would be troublesome if all the goblins start moving at once in a panic at my attack, I decide to kill them all at once with a single blow. Farewell goblins. Goodbye, Goblin Corps. Now, all of you are wiped out! Immediately, the surrounding area becomes noisy with the sound of spinning drill lances, but it soon becomes quiet again. All the goblins have dissipated as if the fog has lifted. All that remained were a few materials. ¡±¡­You¡¯re still so powerful, as usual. But how did you lose to the Hero with such power?¡± ¡±Look, there is no way I would destroy the Demon King¡¯s castle accidentally by myself that everyone worked so hard to build, right?¡± ¡±So, you were defeated because you¡¯re worried about such things. By the way, the castle was torn down and now becomes the Peace Memorial Park.¡± ¡±What the hell!¡± Really, all my efforts were not rewarded. Well¡­ I lost the battle. Rather, I didn¡¯t expect the Hero to be so powerful. I remember hearing the hero came from another world. But I wonder how on earth that guy crossed the dimensional barrier. ¡±More importantly, pick those materials up as soon as possible and head for the town. If all the good inns are occupied, there¡¯s a good chance we¡¯ll end up staying in some kind of a stable.¡± ¡±Isn¡¯t that a bit of a problem? After all, even though my magic power will be restored, my physical and mental exhaustion will not be.¡± Thus, I search for dropped materials while avoiding the drill lances sticking out of the ground. The goblins drop nothing but trash, so I leave them alone. Anyway, it takes a lot of drill lances to kill a big one. So, let¡¯s search on that area. ¡±Hmmm, looks like there is no ¡®Goblin King¡¯s Crown¡¯. But the other two were there. Too bad.¡± ¡±It can¡¯t be helped. Instead, it is better to think that you are lucky to get two of them. Compared to the other two, ¡®Goblin King¡¯s crown¡¯ is easier to get. If there is enough money, you should be able to get it easily. ¡±That¡¯s true. I¡¯ll save up the money and buy it sometime.¡± The goblin general had dropped a ¡°Goblin Sword,¡± but I gave up on bringing it back because it was heavy and in the way. And there was only one of us could brought it back. So, giving up is the key to everything. After that, I soared up into the sky again and headed for the capital this time. Chapter 7 As the town is close by, it is time to go down to the ground. This time it is evening instead of night. As was the case in the previous village, I must be careful not to be seen. Or else Kabirumba will be angry again. Oh, I¡¯m scared. ¡±Could you please stop talking about me like I¡¯m the king of fear?¡± ¡±Oops, did I say that out loud? I hope you won¡¯t get yourself into trouble again.¡± ¡±I¡¯ll return those words exactly the same way. It¡¯s Leo-sama who¡¯s bringing trouble, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡±No, it¡¯s Kabirumba.¡± As we arrive at the gate, we blame each other for our past sins. As might be expected of a major town, the gate was surrounded by a wall made of piled up stones. Judging from the many damaged parts, it seems to have existed for quite a long time. Of course, an entry fee was required to enter the town. ¡±Kabirumba, let¡¯s go to the alchemy guild for identification as soon as possible.¡± ¡±I would like to say so, but I think we should look for a place to stay first. As long as you don¡¯t leave the town, you won¡¯t be charged any additional money. But if you don¡¯t have a place to stay¡­¡± ¡±That¡¯s true. Then, let¡¯s do that. Find me the best inn.¡± However, Kabirumba smiled at me with a look that said, ¡°What is this guy talking about?¡± ¡±I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not enough money.¡± ¡±Is it that expensive!?¡± ¡±It¡¯s the major town, you know. So, surely, there are also luxury inns.¡± ¡±Then, please find me Kabirumba¡¯s favorite inn.¡± ¡±I¡¯m at your service.¡± Kabirumba smiles. It seems that Kabirumba likes to be depended on. A good subordinate must be used well. This is an ironclad rule for those who are higher in rank. Now, I followed Kabirumba¡¯s directions and made my way through the town. ¡±It¡¯s so lively. As expected from a margrave town in the far east, it was more deserted than this. To be honest, I thought it would be more deserted.¡± ¡±There¡¯s still a lot of undeveloped land beyond this point, you know. People gather here in search of rare monsters and materials. The development village seems to have failed.¡± ¡±It¡¯s a pity.¡± It seemed that the monsters had already disappeared in that area. And in the gaps that have been created, the black bears have been able to squeeze into the habitat. As the village¡¯s neighbors became a family of black bears, the villagers were forced to leave earlier than planned. Monsters are dying, huh? It seems that the blessings of the Creator have run out. From now on, people should be independent from the Creator and walk on their own feet, right? But if the monster¡¯s materials are completely gone, I will not be able to make decent items too, and that would be a problem. ¡±What¡¯s the matter, Leo-sama? You look so serious.¡± ¡±Well, I¡¯m thinking seriously. I was wondering if maybe the monsters are gone¡­¡± ¡±¡­It¡¯s because Leo-sama is making strange flags.¡± ¡±Wait, wait!¡± This is a matter of regret. The reason why the monsters around the village began to wither is because they started to disappear before their resurrection. Then it is not my fault. Still, Kabirumba gave me a dismissive ¡°Yes, yes,¡± as I tried to make this point. Ugh. Just you wait and see. I¡¯ll prove it wasn¡¯t my fault. ¡±Here it is. Runrun Inn.¡± ¡±Looks like a fun place to stay.¡± The inn looks like a well-established inn, and the staff is very calm. There were other guests besides ourselves, and the inn did not seem to be deserted. The room rate seemed reasonable, and there were people dressed in merchant¡¯s clothes who seemed to have money. I was shown to a room with two beds, a table and a chair. There was a window with a desk and a cabinet near it. The wooden and stone inn seemed to have a certain durability. ¡±Kabirumba, this place is quite nice.¡± ¡±Thank you very much. There¡¯s also a bath, though you have to pay for it.¡± ¡±You¡¯ve done everything you can. Now that we have a safe place to stay, let¡¯s go to the alchemy guild.¡± ¡±But it looks like it¡¯s almost closing time¡­¡± The sun was setting outside the window. Is it that time already? No choice. I¡¯ll register with the alchemy guild tomorrow. Then I have other things to do. ¡±Well then, let¡¯s go sell the healing potion. And while I¡¯m at it, let¡¯s look for materials for the magic bag. Anyway, I won¡¯t make another one until I run out of the potions I have.¡± ¡±Understood. I¡¯ll take you to a store that sells alchemical items first.¡± ¡±I¡¯m counting on you.¡± I tell the innkeeper that I am going out, and go outside. When I got to the main street, I saw many people coming and going. Looking to the right and to the left, I see peace. I look at the scene vaguely, and continue to look ahead. Was what I did a hundred years ago a mistake? Maybe it was a mistake. I only wanted a world where demons can live in peace. However, my friend said that humans and demons could not understand each other. But it seems that¡¯s not true. ¡±You can sell alchemical items here. In any case, they also sell alchemical materials¡­ Hmm, is something wrong?¡± ¡±No, it¡¯s nothing. Kabirumba, how much do you want to sell them for?¡± ¡±You can pay the same price as last time. Sell the antidote potion at the same time. There¡¯s a lot of demand for them here.¡± In the previous town, I could not sell the antidote potion because they said they still had some in stock. However, it seems I can sell them here. Is it because there are many people in this town that it is used more often? ¡±There is an adventurers¡¯ guild in this town. So, a good number of adventurers gather here. That means they need a lot of potions. Among them, of course, are antidote potions.¡± ¡±I see.¡± Kabirumba explained to me, perhaps because he could see the doubt on my face. So there is an adventurers¡¯ guild. I¡¯d like to visit one. Chapter 8 All the potions I brought to the market were sold at a high price. My healing potion++ sold for five times higher than the price I sold it for in the village. And the antidote potion++ also sold for a high price. ¡±Are you sure? I¡¯m not getting ripped off, am I? I don¡¯t want to be taken by the guards.¡± ¡±Don¡¯t worry. That was a legitimate store. If it had been some shady store in a back alley, it might have been a problem.¡± Unexpectedly, I got a large sum of money. And once returned to the inn, I could make as many potions as I sold. I didn¡¯t realize how easy it was to make money. What a great job, alchemist! And once my pockets are warm, there¡¯s only one thing to do. ¡±Kabirumba, let¡¯s go buy materials for the magic bag. Tell me where.¡± ¡±Okay. There is a store one street over from the main street that specializes in alchemy materials.¡± Kabirumba¡¯s guide led me to a store that looked very suspicious. Yes, this is the kind of shop that should not be located on the main street. I mean, why are there candlesticks in front of the store? And more than one. Is it safe? But Kabirumba recommends this place. It can¡¯t be wrong. I believe in you, okay? Now, as I push open the old wooden door, I hear the eerie sound of a rattling bell. What is this, a haunted house? Upon closer inspection, the door was made of trent wood. What a bold use of wood! After all, it¡¯s expensive. ¡±Welcome.¡± I hear a voice and an old woman who looks like a witch appears from the back of the store. But she is not a witch, just an old woman. When she glances at me, she seems to lose interest immediately. Inside the store, there were as many creepy things as outside. Mandragora, mad tree frog, fairy powder, kraken skin, and seven-colored lizard skin. Some of these materials are quite rare. ¡±Hmmm, I don¡¯t think I can find a ¡®Goblin King¡¯s crown¡¯. I wish there was.¡± ¡±That¡¯s too bad. What about the material for the magic bag?¡± ¡±Well¡­¡± Wraith rags, king slime core, magic silver thread and jelly beans. Yeah. There¡¯s some stuff. But there¡¯s a problem. ¡±Everything I need is here. But buying them all is going to leave me with very little money.¡± ¡±Think of it as an investment in advance and be patient. Don¡¯t get too tight with your purse strings just because you have a lot of money.¡± ¡±That¡¯s true.¡± As I bring the materials to the counter, the old woman glances up at me. Her eyes glinted like those of an animal that is hunting its prey. Well, if she comes at me, I¡¯ll hit her with my fist without hesitation. Let¡¯s make her blind. ¡±Are you planning to make a magic bag?¡± ¡±That¡¯s right?¡± ¡±I didn¡¯t think an alchemist who can make a magic bag would be wandering around here. Maybe¡­¡± ¡±What¡¯s wrong?¡± Her last words were mumbled in a mumbling voice. She was a kind of creepy old woman, or rather, an old witch. I asked her again, but she was shaking her head from side to side. It seems to be nothing. ¡±How about you, are you going to sell your finished magic bag here? I¡¯ll give you a discount on the price.¡± She points at the materials on the counter and says, ¡°Heeheeheehee¡± like a witch making a potion. Well, it seems that not many alchemists can make magic bags. If so, it must be sold at a high price. However, I see that there is only enough material for one bag. So, if I give it away, I will not be able to get it for a while. ¡±The price will be lower, that¡¯s an attractive offer. But I refuse. I need the magic bag for the rest of my trip.¡± ¡±Oh, I see. That¡¯s too bad.¡± Unexpectedly, she gives up easily. I expected her to haggle over the price, but she did not. Anyway, I gave her the money as the price was shown on the label and received the material. The quality of the material is fair, but I cannot afford to be extravagant. In any case, it is just a stopgap until I get the void bag. After that, I can sell it. ¡±I¡¯m surprised you refused. I thought you were blinded by short-term profit and would have accepted the offer.¡± Kabirumba said in a louder voice as we left the store, seeming a little surprised. ¡±Hmph, I¡¯m not such an easy man to deal with!¡± But my pockets suddenly got cold. My plan to enjoy a fine meal has been cancelled. I wonder where I can get a cheap meal. Let¡¯s ask Kabirumba. Just when I was thinking that, I found a place along the main street. It is the Adventurers¡¯ Guild, a place where all the dreams and ramblings of human beings gather. I had heard rumors of it, but I never thought I would actually see it. All I can do is to be thankful. Speaking of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild, it is a place where a cheap bar is built alongside the guild, as usual. ¡±Kabirumba, let¡¯s have dinner there.¡± ¡±Adventurers¡¯ guild? Hmm, but, you don¡¯t have to register as an adventurer or get into trouble, okay?¡± Kabirumba looked at me with half-lidded eyes as if not trusting me. How disappointing it is that trust has fallen to such a low level. I should regain my credibility at least once around here. ¡±All right, all right, I won¡¯t do it.¡± ¡±Still, I have a very bad feeling about this¡­ but that¡¯s OK.¡± Despite all that, Kabirumba did not stop me from going. If this was a bad idea, this guy would have said so. Is there something wrong? Maybe Kabirumba wanted to go, too? If so, why didn¡¯t this guy say so? What a tsundere. Now, I push open the swinging door and enter the Adventurers¡¯ Guild. The guild is quite lively, as many parties have already returned to the guild. This is the daily life of an adventurer. They seem to be living a free and easy life. They were drinking here and there, as if they were not thinking about tomorrow¡¯s money. In such a situation, I go to the counter of the bar. This seat is better for me since I am alone. Soon, the old man of the bar comes over to me. He wears an eye patch over his right eye and has a very strong face. His face is very strong and his body is huge. He probably used to be an adventurer. ¡±Welcome. I haven¡¯t seen you before.¡± ¡±Yes, I just came to town. I¡¯m surprised at how lively the guild is.¡± I turned around and looked behind, which was getting noisy. Everyone looks happy. ¡±I see. You look like you¡¯re from the countryside. You don¡¯t look like an adventurer either¡­¡± ¡±That¡¯s right. I¡¯m an alchemist. I just wanted to see what the Adventurers¡¯ Guild in the major town is like.¡± ¡±Hahaha! Some people are curious¡­ Well, take your time. If you need anything at all, you call me at once.¡± ¡±I¡¯m counting on you. Can you make a recommendation?¡± ¡±Okay.¡± The old man immediately brought me a glass of ale. It was very cold and very tasty. I can see why people would want to make a toast. Chapter 9 Among the items brought to the table were what appeared to be an assortment of grilled skewers. All of them were of different kinds, and it was fun just to look at them. When I bit into a square piece of meat that I couldn¡¯t quite figure out what it was, its juices started to melt in my mouth. The taste was strong, full of wildness. The kind of taste that hot-blooded youths would like. Not bad. And it goes well with ale. Whoever invented this food¡­ I commend him. ¡±I wish I could eat with Kabirumba, but you¡¯re a picky eater, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡±Yes. Furthermore, I don¡¯t need to eat. Worst case scenario, all I need is light.¡± ¡±I wish I had that ability so I wouldn¡¯t have to work.¡± ¡±You¡¯re lucky the light doesn¡¯t turn you to ash.¡± That¡¯s true. It¡¯s a little inconvenient to be able to move only at night, like the vampires. Just as I was thinking that Kabirumba was right, adventurers came rushing in with a bang. The adventurers headed straight for the guild counter. ¡±Call the guildmaster! It¡¯s an emergency.¡± ¡±W-What¡¯s so urgent!? Anyway, I¡¯ll get him right away.¡± The receptionist leaves in a hurry. The adventurers around start to make a fuss. I looked at Kabirumba¡¯s face. Could this guy possibly put its hand on its jaw? If so, that is Kabirumba¡¯s chin¡­ ¡±What¡¯s the matter, Kabirumba? Do you have any idea what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡±Yes, one thing.¡± Kabirumba is indeed the one. Apparently, this guy knew when an adventurer came running into the guild and called the guildmaster. Although I expected it, the information-gathering ability of the mycelial network is amazing. However, I have no idea about what happen. Was there anything that made the adventurers panic? ¡±Old man, do you know what this is about?¡± ¡±No. But I know those adventurers. They¡¯re C-rank adventurers. They¡¯re good in their own way. I think they¡¯re the ones the guildmaster¡¯s expecting.¡± ¡±Oh¡­¡± Expected adventurers. From the way they¡¯re panicking now, I think they¡¯re still a bit unsettled. Unless they are prepared for anything to happen like I am, they won¡¯t be able to stand on the top. ¡±What¡¯s the matter!? No way, they¡¯re coming this way, are they?¡± At that moment, the old man¡¯s face stiffened. He seemed to have guessed what had happened. Hmmm, hmmm? Am I the only one who doesn¡¯t understand? It¡¯s hard. Let¡¯s just put on an understanding face. ¡±That¡¯s why we came back as soon as we couldn¡¯t figure it out. Anyway, look at this thing.¡± As the boy from the C-rank party said this, his friend, a tall young man standing behind him, pulled out a sword from a big bag. It was a goblin sword. ¡­Hmm? I think I¡¯ve seen something like it just recently. When I glanced at Kabirumba, this guy looked away from the goblin sword. Kabirumba seems to be pretending not to see it. I followed suit and concentrated on the skewer in front of me. ¡±This is¡­ a goblin sword! Then there was a goblin general?¡± At the guildmaster¡¯s words, the guild suddenly became noisy. Meanwhile, Kabirumba and I are quiet. ¡±So there is a goblin village near the city. This is not good¡­¡± The old man murmured. Oh, that goblin village is gone now that I¡¯ve magically destroyed it. It is safe now. However, the conversation went on without hearing my voice. Moreover, it went in a bad direction. ¡±But, you know, there was nothing there.¡± ¡±Nothing was there? Hey, tell me the details.¡± ¡±Well, where should I start¡­ Okay, we were searching through the forest as we were requested, when suddenly we heard a loud noise.¡± The boy started to describe what happened with his body language and hand gestures. It seems that he had heard the sound when I activated the drill lance? What the hell. Who said, ¡°No one comes this close¡±. Hey, Kabirumba? ¡±However, it got quiet right away. Then we got suspicious and headed in the direction of the noise¡­¡± The boy stammered, perhaps remembering what he had seen at that moment. Was it such a shocking sight? Next time I¡¯ll be careful when I use the drill lance. ¡±There really was nothing there. Although there were a number of shabby huts that I guessed were made by goblins, there was not a single goblin¡­¡± Said the cute girl standing next to the adventurer boy. Then the long-haired woman with the staff behind her stepped forward. ¡±Instead, there were countless stone spear-like objects sticking out of the ground where the goblin village was supposed to have been. All of them had spiral grooves on them, like blades.¡± ¡±Is that¡­ magic? I¡¯ve never heard of such magic. Did you bring it back with you?¡± The guildmaster is puzzled. Judging from its shape, it is most likely the remnant of the drill lance I used. Earth magic is troublesome because it remains in its original form. Probably I should have used an ice drill. No, it still takes a long time to melt. Maybe it won¡¯t melt for a week or so. Either way, it has been found. ¡±It was so hard that it wouldn¡¯t break¡± Said the tall man, who was carrying the big bag. On his back was a large shield, and at his waist was a fine mace. He probably hit my drill lance with it. I¡¯m not proud of it, but that drill lance is known for its hardness. ¡±That¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡±It¡¯s true. That¡¯s why I hurriedly brought back only this goblin sword.¡± The guildmaster starts thinking with his hand on his chin. I think I should leave here. I just remembered something I have to do quickly. ¡±Are there any traces of the goblins that have been killed?¡± ¡±There were countless traces of them. We didn¡¯t count them, though.¡± ¡±Okay, then, let¡¯s get ready right away¡­¡± The guildmaster and others adventurers began to make plans. According to what I overheard, they have decided to go to the site, though it is dangerous. This is getting more and more urgent. ¡±Thanks for dinner, Old man. How much?¡± ¡±Ah, uh, two small silver coins.¡± ¡±I¡¯ll leave them here.¡± ¡±Thank you. Just to be safe, don¡¯t talk about that outside.¡± The old man gave me a shove. But I¡¯m not afraid. It would have been scarier if Kabirumba had said, ¡°Hisss!¡± like a snake. ¡±I know. I don¡¯t want the Adventurers¡¯ Guild to give me a hard time.¡± With these words, I left the guild and hurried to the gate I had entered today. Chapter 10 ¡±D*mn, how did this happen!?¡± ¡±We¡¯ll talk about it later. Let¡¯s hurry!¡± ¡±I¡¯ll have to pay the admission fee again¡­ Oh, crap¡­¡± When I reached the gate, a guard stopped me. ¡±Hey, it¡¯s not safe to go out now. It¡¯s better to wait until tomorrow morning.¡± ¡±Thanks for the advice, but I can¡¯t wait until tomorrow. And don¡¯t worry. I may look like this but I¡¯m strong.¡± Even if I¡¯m rotten and I have a fungus on my shoulder¡­ I¡¯m a former demon king, you know. I shrugged off the guard¡¯s protests and headed out of the town. And then I realized. ¡±Kabirumba, if we sneak in and out of the city from out of sight¡­¡± ¡±Do you want to be a criminal and be chased by the guards? With so many people around, you never know who¡¯s watching.¡± ¡±Ah, that¡¯s true.¡± Kabirumba gave me a look that said, ¡°What the hell is this guy thinking?¡±. Somehow, I felt a bit annoyed, as if I was treated like a child. Anyway, first of all, I went straight to the site, twisting and turning through the trees once I entered the forest. ¡±Leo-sama!¡± Suddenly, Kabirumba smiled at me. What is it? ¡±Put back the twisted trees back immediately. Otherwise, the adventurers¡¯ guild members who come later will say, ¡®What the hell is this?!¡± ¡±Ahhhhhh, I forgot about it!? Really¡­ it¡¯s a hassle!¡± ¡±In the first place, you should have flown. Well, let¡¯s do that on the way back.¡± ¡±Yes.¡± Upon reaching the site, I immediately use Gaia Control to remove the drill lance marks and clear the goblin village. All right. The evidence has been completely destroyed. Just to be sure, let¡¯s ask Kabirumba for an opinion. ¡±Is this all right?¡± ¡±They won¡¯t know that Leo-sama did it right away. But there will be rumors about who did it for a while.¡± ¡±In the meantime, let¡¯s just hide quietly. Or perhaps move on to another town? Anyway, this is not the only human town.¡± ¡±Let¡¯s think about it later. Come on, let¡¯s get out of here before someone finds out! Hurry, hurry!¡± Kabirumba urged me to come back immediately and were greeted by a suspicious looking guard. Of course, I had to pay the entrance fee. So stingy. It made our wallets feel lighter and lighter, and I returned to the inn with a sense of uneasiness. Still, Kabirumba is right. It was good that a place to stay had been secured ahead of time. After all, I had paid in advance and had a place to stay for the next three days. ¡±I never thought this would happen. I guess I should have just left the goblins alone.¡± ¡±Then the goblins would have attacked the town. After all, that was goblin village you know. Not only goblin general but also King and Lord and even Hero. The damage must have been tremendous.¡± Kabirumba shakes its head. It seems that the situation was quite dangerous. But my drill lance could have easily taken it out, right? Something seems off here. Is it just me or is there something wrong? ¡±But those three guys were so weak!¡± ¡±Leo-sama is just too strong. Please realize that.¡± So, it was only me. Anyway, I¡¯d better get myself together and replenish the amount of potions I sold. But first, I need to make a magic bag. I take out the alchemical ingredients from the bag and put them on the desk. ¡±Well, the quality is not so good, but I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t fail.¡± ¡±Have you ever had a failure? I¡¯ve never seen one before.¡± ¡±Hehehe, because I am the best alchemist in the world. The word ¡®failure¡¯ is not in my dictionary.¡± ¡±But I¡¯m sure there¡¯s ¡®unreliable¡¯ word written on your dictionary.¡± ¡±Shut up!¡± What a distraction! I must drive Kabirumba out of my mind and focus my attention on the task at hand. Now, the most important thing in making alchemical items is the precision and accuracy of the first magic circle made with magic power. ¡±Haaa!¡± I put my hands on the table, and a round circle appeared. Inside the circle, pentagonal and hexagonal stars, moon and sun symbols appeared one after another. Then, as if to fill up all the spaces between them, I proceeded to draw delicate characters. When the magic circle is completed, the materials for the magic bag, such as ¡°Wraith Rags,¡± ¡°King Slime Core,¡± ¡°Magic Silver Thread,¡± and ¡°Jelly Beans,¡± float in the middle of it. Immediately the synthesis begins, and as each material becomes a particle of silver light, it gathers in the center and begins to spin around and around. Eventually, they form into one large mass, which quickly transforms into a magic bag. Even after seeing it many times, it is still a mysterious sight. ¡±Hmm, I guess that¡¯s about right.¡± ¡±Is that what it looks like? No, it¡¯s not like that. I mean, it¡¯s a magic bag. How can you synthesize a + item from something of that quality? I don¡¯t believe it.¡± ¡±After all, I¡¯m the best alchemist in the world.¡± I look down at Kabirumba. But the corner of this guy¡¯s mouth is slightly twitching. ¡±Can I hit you?¡± ¡±I¡¯m sorry.¡± Kabirumba is so cold. Apparently, something didn¡¯t sit well with Kabirumba. Let¡¯s try again next time. ¡±Now all I have to do is to make healing potions and antidote potions. This one is easy. Hohoi nohoi.¡± ¡±¡­Thinking calmly, I think it¡¯s also unusual to casually make ++ alchemical items¡­¡± Kabirumba is mumbling something, but without these items, I won¡¯t be able to live tomorrow. So, let¡¯s work like a cart-horse for money. Until my life is burned up. If I don¡¯t work, I won¡¯t survive! ¡±By the way, I haven¡¯t had a bath for a long time.¡± ¡±I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s not enough money¡­¡± ¡±Are you kidding me!?¡± It can¡¯t be helped, so let¡¯s use the ¡°all clean¡± magic for the time being. This will remove even the toughest stains. It¡¯s a quick and magic clean. ¡±If you had that magic, you wouldn¡¯t have to take a bath¡­¡± ¡±No, it¡¯s a matter of feeling¡­ It¡¯s different¡­ The bath is a place to clean my life. Kabirumba doesn¡¯t understand that.¡± ¡±Yes, yes. Anyway, you just wanted a drink after your bath, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡±Ehe (?¨R?¨Q).¡± ¡±No, it¡¯s not cute.¡± Apparently, Kabirumba didn¡¯t like it. However, I¡¯ll do it next time. Chapter 11 The next day, I woke up refreshed. A night of good sleep in bed is enough for me. This is all I need. Oh, and some food, too. Anyway, I stuff my magic bag with the alchemical items I made last night and go downstairs. This inn includes breakfast. So even if my wallet is nearly empty, I can still have a meal. So great! ¡±Thanks a lot.¡± ¡±Why did you thank yourself for¡­?¡± ¡±Because I¡¯ve never been so grateful in my life. Thank God.¡± ¡±A former demon king thanking God¡­ it¡¯s a strange thing to say¡­ considering the situation¡­¡± ¡±Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s all right. I¡¯m a good demon now.¡± Kabirumba sighs deeply. This guy is already looking like having a hard time today. But that¡¯s not important. Today¡¯s breakfast is a sandwich, which is said to have been developed by the Earl of Sandwich. It could have been called ¡°itchi [¥¤¥Ã¥Á]¡± for short. ¡±But it¡¯s a good sandwich. It is easy to eat and tasty. It is also an impeccable dish that anyone can make easily.¡± ¡±Of course. This sandwich also seems to have homemade bacon, and with the vegetable leaves, which seems to have a good nutritional balance.¡± ¡±Speaking of which, can I eat mushrooms?¡± ¡±Would you like to try it?¡± ¡±No, thank you.¡± I should have said something else. But, the breakfast was so good I got a little carried away. Still, I have to calm down. Today I plan to sell some items first, and then go to the alchemy guild when my pocket is warm enough. ¡±Is there anything I need to register as an alchemist?¡± ¡±I wonder? I don¡¯t know that much about it either. After all, the system changes frequently. But, why don¡¯t you bring some items that you have made yourself?¡± ¡±That¡¯s true. However, I¡¯m getting worried about whether I can register successfully or not.¡± ¡±If it doesn¡¯t work, let¡¯s just register as a merchant.¡± If I register as a merchant, all I have to do is pay the money. But that¡¯s not enough. Now that I¡¯m back and free from all past ties, I¡¯d like to live my life doing what I want to do. ¡±Yes, that¡¯s right. Think of it as a last resort.¡± After finishing the sandwich, I left the inn and headed for the store where I sold potions yesterday. Since it was a little early in the day, many people were visiting the store. Most of them seemed to be adventurers. ¡±Hey, sell me the healing potion ++!¡± ¡±Same here. And I want an antidote potion++ too!¡± The voices of the adventurers are filled with vigor, and it seems that the potions I sold yesterday have already become the talk of the town and are selling like hotcakes. With these adventurers by my side, I head for the purchase counter with a gloating smile on my face. The same clerk as yesterday was sitting at the counter. I guess I can get my money quickly. ¡±I want to sell the same thing as yesterday.¡± ¡±What? You still have it!?¡± ¡±Yes, or rather, I made a new one yesterday.¡± ¡±Newly made¡­¡± The clerk¡¯s eyes were blinking. Perhaps another staff member heard our conversation, he came up from behind her. He is wearing a shiny badge on his lapel. As I recall, people are given a kind of decoration called a ¡°medal¡± when they achieve something, right? Then, this person is a figure to be watched out for, isn¡¯t he? ¡±It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Ireneo. I am the chairman of this merchant association. I understand that you are a well-known alchemist. If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d be happy to talk with you in detail at the back of the room.¡± It¡¯s suspicious. What will he do by bringing me into the back of the store? Besides, I¡¯m not an official alchemist yet. It would be bad for all kinds of things if it came out. When I looked at Kabirumba, the response was a small shake of the head. Apparently, we share the same opinion. ¡±I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m in a hurry. If I can¡¯t sell it here, I¡¯ll just go to another merchant.¡± ¡±It¡¯s outrageous! Of course, we will buy it right now. Get ready!¡± ¡±Y-Yes, sir, I¡¯ll be right back!¡± The clerk leaves her seat and goes somewhere. Well, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be back soon. Until then, this Ireneo was giving me a hard time. I guess I¡¯ll have to keep getting glares from this ¡°Ireneo¡± or something. In the subtly tense atmosphere, Ireneo talks to me. He seems to be a very determined man. ¡±I have a question, do you have the ¡®Curse Breaking Charm¡¯?¡± ¡±Curse-breaking charm? No, I don¡¯t have it. Is it necessary?¡± ¡±Yes. By the way¡­ can you make one?¡± ¡±Well¡­¡± I glance at Kabirumba, and as before, Kabirumba is shaking its head in the same small way. That means stay out of it, I guess. ¡±I can¡¯t. Ask another alchemist. It¡¯s not a difficult alchemical item to make, is it?¡± Immediately, this ¡°Ireneo¡± makes a ¡°What?¡± face. This is not good. Maybe it¡¯s a difficult alchemical item? No, that¡¯s not true, right? See? But when I look at Kabirumba¡¯s face, he looks like ¡°Oh no¡­¡±. Later I¡¯ll apologize. ¡±Excuse me, the money¡¯s ready. Please show me what you want to sell.¡± ¡±Oh, I¡¯d like to sell this and this¡­¡± Ah, this clerk came at the right moment. She is like the goddess who warms the frozen air. Then, taking advantage of the opportunity, I took out my healing potion++ and antidote potion++, and we started our business meeting. To avoid further problems, I decided to sell the same number of potions as yesterday. After I finished selling them, I ran away from the place quickly and easily, thinking that I would be in trouble if I got into further trouble. No one was chasing me from behind. It was a close call. ¡±Leo-sama?¡± ¡±I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know. I really didn¡¯t know anything.¡± ¡±Well, of course, you didn¡¯t. It¡¯s my fault for not telling you, but I didn¡¯t think that item would come up.¡± ¡±It¡¯s an alchemical item to lift a curse. Normally, the person who curses is the one who is cursed, and I wouldn¡¯t have remembered it if it wasn¡¯t for something like this.¡± The Curse-Breaking Charm is an item that can break a very powerful curse. However, it is a garbage item for the demon tribe that the curse does not work. If there is a demon tribe that makes such a garbage item, it would be only me. Inquiring minds are scary. Chapter 12 After getting myself together, I proceeded to the Alchemy Guild, today¡¯s main event. In this guild, not only can people register as alchemists, but also they can take care of various kinds of jobs. ¡±I¡¯m looking forward to seeing what kind of requests they will give me. My first step as an alchemist starts here.¡± ¡±Before that, I hope you can become an alchemist successfully.¡± ¡±Yes, I hope so.¡± I was starting to feel uneasy when I saw Kabirumba¡¯s smile. Maybe I should change the date? No, now that I¡¯ve come this far, I¡¯m going to show some guts. Push, push, and push! ¡±Okay!¡± The receptionist looks surprised. The atmosphere on the first floor of the building freezes. But, I didn¡¯t use any ice magic¡­ I glanced at Kabirumba who was standing on my shoulder, but this guy never made eye contact with me. ¡±Excuse me, I¡¯d like to join the alchemy guild.¡± ¡±Eh? Ah, yes, welcome to the Alchemy Guild!¡± The receptionist made a smile to serve the guests. She is indeed a beautiful receptionist. She seems to know how to live in the world. At the same time, the atmosphere in the room became like ¡°What is it? Isn¡¯t it just country bumpkin?¡± I¡¯m sorry for being a country bumpkin. After all, it¡¯s the first time in a hundred years that I¡¯ve been in this world. ¡±First of all, you have to go through the procedure. Please show your school diploma or a letter of recommendation from someone.¡± ¡±Huh?¡± The receptionist smiles. ¡±Let¡¯s see, uhh, to become an alchemist, you need a certificate. It can be a diploma or a letter of recommendation. The diploma is given when you graduate from the alchemy school, and the letter of recommendation can be written if you become an apprentice of a famous alchemist and your skill is recognized.¡± ¡±Um, is there any other way?¡± ¡±There¡¯s no other way~¡± ¡±No other way, huh¡­¡± That¡¯s no good. I don¡¯t have any of those. It seems I¡¯ll have to go to school or get an apprenticeship from someone. What a pity. ¡±Kabirumba, is there any way out of this?¡± ¡±You could buy a license as an alchemist with some money¡­¡± ¡±Please don¡¯t do that~, you will be severely punished if it is found out~¡± The receptionist smiles at me. Her temples are twitching. Somehow, her smile also seems to have lost some of its reserves. ¡±Is there nothing I can do but give up?¡± ¡±It can¡¯t be helped. Even if you don¡¯t become an alchemist, you can sell alchemical items.¡± ¡±Ugh¡­ I was planning to become an alchemist and live with my left hand¡­¡± ¡±I¡¯m sorry, the world is not that easy~¡± The receptionist smiles at me again. She looked at me as if she wanted me to leave early, so I gave up and left. Anyway, I was not taken seriously at all. It was regrettable. As I was leaving, I looked at the request forms on the wall. What kind of alchemical items do people need? If I knew the trend, I might be able to find other items to sell besides potions. The requests were divided by ranks, and the request form of the highest difficulty level contained the words ¡°Request for a Curse-Breaking Charm¡±. The client was the Margrave of Amand Badia. ¡±It seems that the Margrave of this town needs the ¡®Curse-Breaking charm¡¯ that was requested at the store earlier.¡± ¡±It seems so. The request seems to be of the highest difficulty. Good thing you didn¡¯t tell him you could make it, Leo-sama. If you had said it, there would have been a lot of trouble.¡± Indeed, Kabirumba is right. If I get the attention of the local ruler, I can¡¯t afford to live a slow life. They could be watching me secretly. Ah, it¡¯s scary. ¡±Well, someone might bring it to them sooner or later. It¡¯s not too much of an alchemical item as long as the materials are available.¡± ¡±Hmm, but this request is dated half a year ago¡­¡± ¡±What!? Why has this request been left unattended for such a long time?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but look at the reward. The amount of the reward had been rewritten many times, and now it was ten platinum coins. This doesn¡¯t make any sense. ¡±Kabirumba, how much is one platinum coin worth?¡± ¡±It¡¯s worth a hundred gold coins.¡± ¡±Really?¡± ¡±Yes. Anyway, there¡¯s no point in trying to accept it. You have to be an alchemist to accept the request posted here.¡± ¡±Yeah¡­¡± If I can¡¯t accept it, there¡¯s nothing I can do. But there¡¯s a way to sell the ¡°Curse-Breaking Charm¡± at the previous store. I may get a lot of money for it, but it is just half of the full price, about 5 platinum coins. ¡±No, you can¡¯t do that. This request has been left abandoned for six months, that¡¯s why it is so difficult. With such a large amount of money, the whole kingdom must be talking about it. And once you accomplish it, you¡¯ll be bombarded with requests of the same high difficulty level, and you¡¯ll end up working like a cart-horse, and then you¡¯ll end up like a living corpse.¡± Kabirumba spoke quickly. Never before has Kabirumba lost its cool like this. This is not good. It is dangerous to fulfill this request. ¡±Okay, Kabirumba. I promise. I will never accept this request.¡± ¡±That¡¯s good. I am pleased to see that you understand me better than I expected.¡± After leaving the alchemy guild, I had no choice but to register as a member of the commercial guild. Here, anyone can get an ID card as long as he/she pays for it. ¡±But, then, the person who needs the ¡®Curse-Breaking charm¡¯ will continue to suffer, right? He/she has been suffering for more than half a year already¡­¡± ¡±Hmm, that¡¯s also true. I don¡¯t know what kind of curse this person is under, but seeing as the amount of money is going up and up, it may be a serious situation.¡± Kabirumba put its mycelium to its chin and began to think. There is someone here who can create an alchemical item that can help someone who has been cursed, and I can¡¯t just turn a blind eye to it, right? I would be laughed at for calling myself the best alchemist in the world if I were to do such a thing. ¡±Let¡¯s do it.¡± ¡±Are you really going to do it?¡± Yes, I have made up my mind. All I have to do now is to quietly hand the completed ¡°Curse-Breaking Charm¡± to the gatekeeper of the house of the Margrave. Chapter 13 The first step is to collect materials. No matter how strong I am, I can¡¯t create alchemical items without materials. ¡±Leo-sama, are you sure you can gather the materials?¡± ¡±Well, it will be all right. Yesterday, the store where we bought the materials for the magic bag had ¡®Trent Tree¡¯ and ¡®Mandragora¡¯. Some stores around here sell ¡®Salt¡¯ for ¡®White Neutralizer¡¯ too, and I have ¡®Silver Coin¡¯. Then, all I need is the deadly poison of the Giant Death Spider.¡± ¡±I see. Then, there¡¯s a lot of undeveloped land around the town. Giant death spiders may be lurking in the forests.¡± Kabirumba looks relieved. Its expression is cheerful. Now, the first thing I did was rush out to buy some materials. Although they do not sell very well, there is a chance that they might run out. If I am not lucky enough to get a piece of Trent¡¯s wood, I will borrow a piece of the door from that store. In the end, I got the material without destroying the Trent door of the store. But once again, my wallet has become lighter. I will have to sell the alchemical items to earn money again. ¡±Now that we have the ¡®Trent tree¡¯ and the ¡®Mandragora¡¯, we need to buy some salt.¡± ¡±Let¡¯s do that. By the way, how much does it cost to get an ID card from the commercial guild, Kabirumba?¡± ¡±Oops, I forgot. I¡¯ll look it up right away. Ah¡­¡± ¡±Ah?¡± I have a bad feeling about this. No, I really have a bad feeling. I looked at Kabirumba who was in a daze as if praying. ¡±I¡¯m sorry, but the money we have is not enough. It seems that more and more people are abusing this easy-to-buy identification card. That¡¯s why the price of the card has gone up so much just recently.¡± That¡¯s true. The fact that anyone can buy it means that criminals and evil organizations can also buy it. There are people everywhere who think bad things. ¡±I see. I can¡¯t help it then.¡± ¡±Yes. At this price, it might be cheaper to pay the admission fee every time.¡± ¡±I didn¡¯t know the price went up that much. Let¡¯s give up the identification and live as a ¡®black alchemist¡¯.¡± Living under the cover of darkness, huh? That¡¯s pretty cool. Selling alchemical items will bring me a lot of money, and I can live a slow life with no worries. All I need now is a house where I can live in peace. If possible, I would like to live in a convenient town. ¡±Anyway, let¡¯s hurry up and look for giant death spiders. There must be at least a dozen of them deep in the forest.¡± ¡±I hope there is some Giant Death Spider venom left.¡± ¡±It¡¯s all luck. I¡¯m sure it wasn¡¯t that hard to get.¡± After that, I entered the forest and headed in the opposite direction of the goblin village I had destroyed last time with Kabirumba on my shoulder. By now, the place must have been thoroughly searched by adventurers. Hopefully, the adventurers had to go back to the town. Now, I search for the monster I¡¯m aiming for using my skills. The undeveloped forest is huge. Naturally, there is no map and no path. But I go deeper and deeper into the forest, avoiding the trees. ¡±That¡¯s Leo-sama. There are no monsters to attack us, are there?¡± ¡±Of course. I used to be a Demon King!¡± Giant Death Spiders are nocturnal. Therefore, it must be lurking deep in the forest, in the darkness. If I head for the dark part of the forest, I should be able to find it. It is now past noon, and the sun is beginning to set. This is a more and more convenient time of day. ¡±Here they are. At last, I found the spiders.¡± ¡±We¡¯re a long way from the town. But I¡¯m glad the spider can be found.¡± ¡±It seems the first hurdle has been broken. Now, do you think these spiders drop the items we¡¯re looking for?¡± The rustling sound is heard as the spider approaches. The monster intentionally makes noises as if they are trying to notice me. However, the glaring aura emitted from their body is suppressed. Because of this, the other party, who sees them, will only think that they are weak creatures as the other party is approaching. If the opponent is caught off guard like this, the spiders will not hide but will reveal themself to the one who hears the sound. As if to say, ¡°I am the absolute king¡±. But now, it is a trap for them. The moment they meet me, they will be defeated. Now, there¡¯s a loud noise through the trees. And when I stop moving, it comes down from the top of the tree right in front of me. It is a spider the size of three stalls put together. It is generally black in color, with hairs sticking out in some places. It has a white line on its belly, and two of its front legs are sharply pointed. On closer inspection, I found several small holes through which black liquid was flowing. It raised its head as if looking down at me. Then, as if to show me, it swung its front legs at me. But, at that moment, the Giant Death Spider explodes. It was nothing. After all, I had just used burst magic. ¡±Well, no luck, huh? Next, next.¡± ¡±The exoskeleton of a giant death spider. It¡¯s a good material for armor. You can sell it for money.¡± ¡±I¡¯ll pick it up then. It¡¯s a good thing I have the magic bag.¡± And so, the hunt for giant death spiders began. As a result, the fifth one finally dropped the ¡®Giant Death Spider¡¯s Venom,¡¯ which I had longed for. The loot this time was two exoskeletons, one leg, one egg, and one deadly poison. Kabirumba told me that the egg is sold as a delicacy. But knowing what it is, I would never want to eat it. ¡±This took longer than I thought. Let¡¯s hurry back.¡± ¡±Yes, I know. But I¡¯m glad we got it safely.¡± ¡±That¡¯s for sure. I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t need to kill ten or twenty.¡± If I am not loved by Creator, it is difficult for me to get the materials I want. But I think this time I¡¯m still loved. Thank you, Creator [„“ÔìÖ÷]. Chapter 14 By the time Kabirumba and I returned to the town, it was already late at night. The streets were already deserted and even the adventurers seemed to be inactive. It seems that we are the ones who work the most. Where is my slow life? Oh, well. I couldn¡¯t abandon it, that¡¯s for sure. Now, after handing over the entrance fee to the sleepy gatekeeper, we returned to the lodge. The inn was locked up tight, so I had to wake up the owner. He didn¡¯t get angry with me, but he looked at me like ¡°please don¡¯t do that again¡±. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m a bad boy. ¡±Well, we made it back in one piece. Now, all I have to do now is to make the ¡®Curse-Breaking Charm¡¯. The materials are of good quality, and I¡¯m sure I can make a ++.¡± ¡±As expected of Leo-sama. By the way, what kind of effect does the ¡®Breaking-Curse Charm++¡¯ that Leo-sama makes have? A normal ¡®Breaking-Curse Charm¡¯ would break the curse and that¡¯s it, but Leo-sama¡¯s is different, isn¡¯t it?¡± Kabirumba is right. This guy knows very well that I am a genius alchemist. ¡±That¡¯s right, Kabirumba. First, of course, it will break the curse, but at the same time, it will restore the user¡¯s body to its original healthy state, which was damaged by the curse. And here comes the best part. The user¡¯s body becomes resistant to the curse! He/she¡¯ll never be under a weak curse again!¡± ¡±Then, how is long that person would be resistant to the curse?¡± ¡±If I cast the spell as hard as I can, maybe up to ten times of their age, if it succeeds at all.¡± ¡±That means the person is almost completely immune to the curse, right?¡± For some reason, Kabirumba is scratching its head. Why does this guy look so serious when I told him about it? Leaving Kabirumba aside, I start to make alchemical items. First, I start with ¡°white neutralizer¡±. This is an item necessary for mixing materials that normally do not mix. It is quickly made from salt. Now that I have all the materials I need. I put some of the silver coins I have in my pocket on the table. ¡±The money is running out fast¡­¡± ¡±It¡¯s no use. Let¡¯s go back tomorrow to get the materials for the potion. Leo-sama can make as much money as you want from now on.¡± ¡±That¡¯s true.¡± By the way, I didn¡¯t have lunch or dinner today. Seriously, I am poor now. If only I could sell this ¡°Breaking-Curse Charm¡±, I would be a rich man at once. But if I do that, I will be far away from the slow life at once. Now is the time for patience. Don¡¯t be preoccupied with immediate gains. However, first of all, I need to complete this charm. So I put my hand on the table and I create a magic circle. ¡±Money, money, money, money¡­¡± ¡±Leo-sama, you are obsessed with money¡­¡± Despite Kabirumba¡¯s words, I concentrate on the task at hand. Light particles gather and fade away. In front of my eyes, I saw a completed charm. It had a large letter written in the center, surrounded by several smaller letters. I could already feel the sacred vibrations from the charm. ¡±It seems to have worked.¡± ¡±I was wondering what to do when Leo-sama started saying money, money, money¡­¡± ¡±It¡¯s all right, as long as it¡¯s finished.¡± If I deliver it now, the margrave won¡¯t accept it. So, let¡¯s do it tomorrow morning after breakfast. As I didn¡¯t want to stay up all night, I went to bed immediately. Though I was woken up soon after. * * * The next morning, I have a sandwich at the inn as I did yesterday. Today¡¯s sandwich seems to have a fried egg in it. The homemade mayonnaise is the best match. ¡±Kabirumba, you have checked the location of the Margrave¡¯s mansion, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡±Of course I have. I also checked the stores that might sell the materials for yesterday¡¯s Giant Death Spider.¡± Kabirumba gives a thumbs-up, or its mycelium up. It is very confusing. But it helps. ¡±Kabirumba is a reliable guy. But it¡¯s inconvenient that the place where I could sell the products has to be changed according to the products to be sold.¡± ¡±It can¡¯t be helped. No one wants everything.¡± ¡±Well, that¡¯s true.¡± I doubt the sanity of the stores. Do they sell the exoskeleton and paws to a blacksmith guild? If so, the eggs would be sold at a grocery store somewhere. Still, there is indeed no way to sell the items without choosing the right place to sell them. Now, after finishing the sandwich, we headed first to the Margrave Mansion. It was on the hillside of the town. There were no other buildings around the mansion, and it looked like a place where a person of high rank lives. Well, it¡¯s not as good as the castle of the demon king. Though, it is no more. Fortunately, not many people seem to visit the Margrave Mansion. At the gate of the wall that surrounds the mansion, a gatekeeper with a spear is looking bored. ¡±Hello. I¡¯d like you to deliver this to the Margrave.¡± ¡±Hmm, what¡¯s this?¡± ¡±I think the Margrave will understand if you give it to him. Just to be safe, make sure everything is authenticated.¡± ¡±I understand. Please come in.¡± The gatekeeper, who has no idea what¡¯s going on, seems to be in a state of confusion. That¡¯s right. I am now completely covered by a suspicious gray cloak to hide my appearance. I also wear a mask to keep people from seeing my face. This was Kabirumba¡¯s suggestion. However, it is not a good idea to invite such a suspicious person into the mansion. I think it¡¯s time to teach this gatekeeper a lesson in gatekeeping. ¡±Hey, do you intend to let a suspicious person like me into the mansion so easily? If you do, you¡¯ll lose your head.¡± I gesture for his head to be snapped off, and immediately, the blood drains from the gatekeeper¡¯s face as he comes to himself. Comparing the mysterious item with the one he had been handed, he seemed to think that was the case. ¡±In that case, could you at least tell me your name and where you live?¡± Well, that¡¯s not good. I don¡¯t want him to find out who am I or where I live. See that? Kabirumba is shaking its head from side to side. I can¡¯t tell him this. ¡±As you can see, I¡¯m just a suspicious person. No name to give, no place of residence. Now if you¡¯ll excuse me¡­¡± ¡±Ah, he, you can¡¯t¡­¡± I lightly dodged the gatekeeper who tried to stop me, and left the place as if I were running away, or rather, as if the wind was blowing. In no time at all, I can no longer see the Margrave Mansion. It seems that the gatekeeper did not chase me. Oh, dear. It¡¯s not easy to do good. Chapter 15 The gatekeeper, who had been craning his neck while watching the suspicious figure running away like the wind, immediately noticed something unusual. He feels something holy from the thing in his hand. The gatekeeper, who is aware that he does not have such a sixth sense, immediately realized that this is an anomaly. ¡±Something is definitely going on here. What should I do¡­ Ah, yes! Let¡¯s talk to the eyeglass-wearing steward.¡± Deciding so, he rushed to the mansion, unable to wait for his shift. In case it was an emergency, he asked another person to take his place as the gatekeeper. When the gatekeeper brought something to the mansion, the steward¡¯s eyes popped out of his sockets. ¡±Where in the world did you get this¡­?¡± ¡±A suspicious man asked me to give it to the Margrave¡­¡± ¡±¡­Did that person say anything else?¡± ¡±Yeah, he asked me to ask an expert to appraise it.¡± The gatekeeper stood still for a moment, not knowing what to do, because of the unusual behavior of the steward. He wondered if he had not handled the situation properly. Perhaps he should have brought the man inside the house even if he was forced to? ¡±Then, what¡¯s wrong with the man?¡± ¡±Yes, I was going to lead him inside the mansion, but he said, ¡®do you intend to let a suspicious person like me into the mansion so easily¡­?''¡± ¡±So you asked them to leave. Well, you handled it right. What did he look like?¡± ¡±I couldn¡¯t get a good description of him because he was wearing a gray cloak and a mask. He seemed to be an adult by his physique. Yes, his shoulders were very raised, and it was eerie.¡± The family steward who was listening to the story was about to think about it when he came back to himself. ¡±This is not the time for this. We have to evaluate this ¡®Curse-Breaking Charm¡¯ as soon as possible.¡± ¡±What! Is that the ¡®Curse-Breaking Charm¡¯? I¡¯ve never seen it before.¡± ¡±It¡¯s the first time for me to see it in person, too. That must be why the man asked you to appraise it. Otherwise, he thought he would not be trusted. What a calm and precise judgment!¡± After saying these words, the family steward rushed away. The gatekeeper, who had never seen him like that before, felt it was dangerous to get involved with him any further, and hurriedly returned to his post. After returning, his colleagues looked at him suspiciously. On the other hand, the family steward went to the vault and took out a pair of glasses. For the note, the goods delivered to the Badia family are temporarily brought to the vault room, and after the goods are checked by the glasses, by then, they would be brought officially to the owner. The appraisal glasses are one of the indispensable alchemical items for aristocrats and merchants. By looking at an object through the lenses, it is possible to know almost all the features of the item. In this way, it is possible to know immediately whether the item is real or fake. Now, after seeing the ¡°Curse-Breaking Charm¡± through the glasses, the family steward hurriedly left the vault and ran to the office of his Lord. The servants, who did not know the situation, looked at him with strange looks. After all, the family steward was always particular about his manners. To run in the corridor was an outrage. ¡±My Lord, My Lord! This is a serious matter!¡± The family steward knocks on the door vigorously. Because of this unusual behavior, Margrave Badia assumed the worst. ¡±Don¡¯t tell me something¡¯s wrong with Elena!?¡± ¡±No, it¡¯s not that, my Lord. It¡¯s different. Anyway¡­ Please look at this¡­¡± As if collapsing, the family steward entered the room and put down the ¡°Curse-Breaking Charm¡± on the desk of the office. Next to it, he also placed a pair of glasses. This was indeed a representative of the family steward. ¡±Is this¡­ is this the ¡®Curse-Breaking Charm¡¯? Where did you get this? No, more importantly, is it real?¡± The Margrave grabs a pair of glasses and examines it with suppressed impatience. There have been countless fakes brought to Margrave Badia¡¯s house so far. Of course, he punished them with a complaint, asking why they would do something that would make him get his hopes up when he could immediately tell that it was a fake. ¡±It¡¯s a real one, and moreover, it¡¯s a ¡®Curse-Breaking Charm++¡¯? I didn¡¯t know such a thing existed¡­¡± ¡±It seems so. I think it should be delivered to Miss immediately.¡± ¡±You¡¯re right. We have many questions but first, we must heal Elena.¡± Seeing the Lord and the family steward running down the corridor, the servants knew that something unusual had happened. Is it possible that something unfortunate has happened to Miss Elena? All the servants fell silent. Meanwhile, when they arrived at the room, a woman with waist-length golden hair and blue eyes was lying there, looking as if she was about to die. If she had been in good health, she would have been beautiful. But now, her complexion was earthy, her cheeks were thin, and her hair was dry. The servants shared the common view that it was unbearable to look at her. In fact, Margrave Badia was so pained when he visit this room. ¡±Father¡­? What about Mother?¡± ¡±Don¡¯t worry. Soon Olivia will be fine. Elena too will be fine in no time.¡± ¡±That¡¯s¡­¡± Elena was about to say that she would never make it when Margrave Badia interrupted her. ¡±No, you definitely get better.¡± Elena felt something strange when she saw her father¡¯s face. His face was full of power. It was a face Elena had never seen since she had discovered that she was under a curse. He seems to have a secret plan. While she nodded her head, Elena was laid down on the bed. Then, a piece of paper was stuck on her forehead. She was about to ask, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± when she felt something powerful flowing from the paper to her forehead, and from her forehead to her whole body. ¡°Who?¡± In Elena¡¯s mind, she saw the back figure of a man who was desperately holding his hand toward the magic circle on the table. He was a black-haired man with two round, reddish-black horns on his head. He must be a demon. On his shoulders, there is a green-colored round object. Could this be the creator of this mysterious paper? When she thought so, the gentle vibrations of the paper enveloped Elena¡¯s whole body. Before she realized it, the weariness that had been eating away at her body was completely gone. At that moment, she was sure that she was free from the curse. She felt light. She feels as if she can jump out of bed and leap up and down now. ¡±I can¡¯t believe it¡­¡± Margrave Badia muttered in a muffled voice. It¡¯s no wonder. Elena who had used the ¡°Curse-Breaking Charm++¡± had regained her brightness as before the curse, or even more so than before. It was as if she had never suffered from the curse. ¡±Hurry up, hurry up, and get Olivia!¡± ¡±Y-Yes, u-understood!¡± The family steward ran out of the room. As she watched, Elena couldn¡¯t help but smile. Margrave Badia looked at his daughter with a startled look as she got up from the bed, but he was convinced when he saw her standing up quickly. This was the power of the ¡°Curse-Breaking Charm++¡±. It was truly a divine power. Chapter 16 I think it should be safe to come this far. And the crowds on the main street should hide us. It¡¯s like: the best place to hide trees is in the forest, and the best place to hide demons is among people. ¡±It seems they¡¯re not chasing us.¡± ¡±It seems so. Now I can finally catch my breath. But I can¡¯t even buy a drink because I don¡¯t have any money. Let¡¯s go sell the materials for the Giant Death Spider as soon as possible.¡± ¡±Right. Monster materials can be sold at the store attached to the Adventurers¡¯ Guild.¡± I see, so I can sell the materials I got after I finished defeating monsters or something. I wonder if it goes to the blacksmith guild or the alchemist guild from there. It could also go to the commercial guilds. ¡±I don¡¯t need to prove my identity to sell it, do I?¡± ¡±That¡¯s right. Perhaps the materials, which come from the monsters that attacked the village, could be sold to the guild too.¡± ¡±Come to think of it, there is a black bear pelt left over too.¡± Apparently, everyone is free to sell items. As long as they can get the materials, the Adventurers¡¯ Guild does not care how they get them. I didn¡¯t want to stop by the Adventurers¡¯ Guild, but the building next door should be fine. As I headed toward the guild with heavy steps, I saw a good number of people at the purchase counter. ¡±Oh, there are quite a few people here. There are a good number of people looking like adventurers. Shouldn¡¯t we accept today¡¯s request? ¡±Maybe there are not many adventurers who accept requests on consecutive days. I think they take a rest in between to keep themselves in good shape. And in the meantime, they probably sell the materials they get for the money.¡± Well, it seems that being an adventurer is harder than I thought. It would be nice if the monsters would leave the money as it is, but that is not the case. So, it seems that to get the money, one has to go through the process of ¡°exchanging¡± it for cash. Now, after waiting in line for a while, it was our turn. The receptionist was a big, strong man. He was probably trying to avoid any complaints. Perhaps that is why the pressure was so great. ¡±I want to sell this.¡± On the counter, I place a black bear pelt, the exoskeleton, and the giant death spider¡¯s leg. Immediately, the big man¡¯s face goes tight. ¡±Where did you get this?¡± ¡±Deep in the woods.¡± ¡±Just to be clear, you don¡¯t mean around here, do you?¡± ¡±Yes. And, the black bear pelts came from a place near the development village.¡± ¡±Development village?¡± He was thinking for a while, but then he seemed to remember. He clapped his hands lightly and started to check with his glasses. And it was over soon. This was indeed a store specializing in buying and selling. They must have known most of the details just by looking at it. ¡±I¡¯ve finished checking. They are all genuine. The sale price will be three gold coins.¡± ¡±That¡¯s fine. Can you convert some of them into small gold and silver coins?¡± ¡±Yes. I¡¯ll get them to you right away.¡± That¡¯s a good price. I think it¡¯s much more profitable than selling the healing potion++. Maybe I can earn money more easily as an adventurer since I couldn¡¯t become an alchemist. ¡±Kabirumba, wouldn¡¯t it be better to become an adventurer?¡± ¡±Hmm, that¡¯s true, but I think it would be too conspicuous.¡± ¡±Ah, that¡¯s possible. I don¡¯t know how to add or subtract. Maybe I should go with adventurers and let them show me how they work.¡± While we were talking about that, the receptionist brought the money. Now money will not be a problem for a while. As long as I have the money, I can come and go in and out of the town. Huff, I am free! But, first of all, I put the money in my magic bag and leave the store. The next step is to sell the egg. ¡±So, where do you sell the delicacy egg? In a grocery store?¡± ¡±No, a store specializing in exotic foods.¡± ¡±I don¡¯t really want to go there¡­ but I can¡¯t help it if I have the egg. Let¡¯s go.¡± The exotic store was located in an alley off the main street. The storefront is quite ordinary. The show window in front of the store was not decorated with anything strange. If anything, the store selling alchemical materials that had a row of cranes seemed to be more peculiar. ¡±Welcome. Are you new here?¡± The glasses-wearing clerk talks to me with a pricey look in his eyes. I guessed he was the owner of the store, seeing that there was only one person in the store. ¡±I¡¯ve come here to sell something. Can you take a look at it?¡± ¡±Sure, of course.¡± Perhaps because he knew that I was not a customer, he seemed to have lost some of his cautions. Anyway, I placed a giant death spider egg on the table. ¡±This is quite a delicacy. The quality is perfect. How about five small gold coins?¡± ¡±That¡¯s fine.¡± ¡±Thank you.¡± I never thought that a simple, disgusting egg could be sold for such a high price. I am amazed at people¡¯s insatiable inquisitiveness for food. As a seeker of knowledge, should I taste it? No, I can¡¯t. After receiving the money, I quickly left the store. Judging from the fact that there were no suspicious items for sale in the store, I guess I need to become a member to buy the delicacies. But I guess not. ¡±Well, everything is done now. Now, what should we do? Maybe we should go out to collect ingredients for the potion.¡± ¡±That¡¯s a good idea. Although our money is getting warmer, it would be better to have a regular income. Besides, if there is a spare alchemical item, it will be useful in case something happens.¡± Kabirumba nods with a mycelium of nods, a move completely based on the assumption that something is going to happen. ¡±Hey, hey, Kabirumba, can you stop talking like that?¡± ¡±This was an oversight. Well, it will probably be all right. You can¡¯t get into trouble so many times, can you?¡± Kabirumba laughed, but I had a bad feeling about this. Chapter 17 After having lunch, Kabirumba and I go out of the town. Today¡¯s lunch is grilled skewers. It is said to be made from the meat of a big snake. It was a bit plain and a bit unsatisfying, but the price was cheap, so I guess that¡¯s all right. ¡±Kabirumba, where would you prefer to go today?¡± ¡±Well, let¡¯s go to the development village. That way, we are far from both the goblin village and the Giant Death Spider¡¯s house.¡± ¡±Well, that¡¯s a safe decision. I¡¯m a little concerned about how much progress has been made in the investigation of the goblin village, though.¡± Hopefully, the adventures will go into other place as it is. I don¡¯t want them to go around looking for the mage by saying ¡°Who used the magic?¡±. Though it is my fault that I didn¡¯t destroy the evidence first. But it was Kabirumba who said that there is no one around here. Maybe it¡¯s Kabirumba who¡¯s at fault? ¡±Is something wrong, Leo-sama?¡± ¡±No, nothing.¡± I can¡¯t have my partner turning his back on me now. Let¡¯s just be patient. So, with a nonchalant look on my face, I start to collect materials. For the note, the Magic Bag++ I made the other day has a capacity of a small house. It may be a little insufficient, but it will not be a problem for a while. I go around collecting materials for healing potions and antidote potions as soon as I find them. It would have been nice if Kabirumba¡¯s search ability could have been useful in such a case, but he is not good at such things where there is a rapid transition of people. The typical case is ¡°something that will disappear as soon as someone pulls it out¡± like in this case. Therefore, it is a waste of time to investigate and remember the location. However, even Kabirumba has its uses. This guy¡¯s mold and mycelium can be used in different ways. ¡±Kabirumba, show me where the medicinal herbs and antivenoms grow. Is there any?¡± ¡±Yes, but it¡¯s in the middle of nowhere.¡± ¡±It¡¯s all right, it¡¯s all right.¡± It takes time to pull out the medicinal herbs that are growing sparsely. So, I¡¯d like to reap them all at once. And there¡¯s no problem, since I¡¯ve already got my magic bag. Now, I head in the direction that Kabirumba has indicated. It is true that it takes some time to reach the inner part of the forest, but at last I found the herbs. ¡±Wow, this is quite a lot. With this much, I should have no trouble making healing potions for the time being.¡± ¡±That may be so, but please be sure to sell them in small quantities, Leo-sama. If you sell them in large quantities, the price will collapse and you will be scolded by other alchemists.¡± ¡±That¡¯s also true. I¡¯ll keep quiet for a while, since there is also the matter of the ¡®Curse-Breaking Charm¡¯.¡± If rumors spread that a lot of high quality alchemical items are being sold, they might notice that I was the one who made the ¡°Curse-Breaking Charm¡±. Since I was in disguise, the gatekeeper would not immediately recognize me if he passed by me, but he would hear my voice. In that case, I should have changed the tone of my voice at that time. ¡±Really, I wasn¡¯t prepared properly, was I?¡± ¡±What are you talking about now? Isn¡¯t Leo-sama always so clumsy?¡± ¡±Shut up! I¡¯m taking all of this seriously.¡± Kabirumba is cold. Have I done something to offend this guy? No, think about it. Think about what I did for Kabirumba. Yes, I haven¡¯t done anything. ¡±Kabirumba, what do you want to eat today? I¡¯ll treat you to anything you like.¡± ¡±Huh? I¡¯m not picky eater. I can eat anything, and I don¡¯t have any preferences.¡± ¡±Then, is there anything you want?¡± ¡±Do you think there¡¯s anything I can do with my mycelium?¡± Well, for Kabirumba, nakedness was the standard and the best state. This guy didn¡¯t need anything. In other words, there was nothing I could do. Immediately, I felt overwhelmingly helpless. ¡±Leo-sama, What¡¯s the matter, all of a sudden? Do you have a favor to ask? I may be able to grant it, but I don¡¯t have the slightest idea¡­¡± ¡±No, I¡¯m not. I¡¯m just wondering if there¡¯s anything I can do for Kabirumba. You know, you¡¯ve been helping me a lot, right?¡± ¡±Then, it would be good if you could keep away from causing any more problems.¡± While saying this, Kabirumba smiled at me. That¡¯s impossible. It¡¯s not that I want to, it¡¯s that this world won¡¯t leave me alone. Being a popular guy is hard, well, just kidding. ¡±I¡¯ll do my best.¡± ¡±Yes. That¡¯s all I want.¡± Okay, from now on, I should consult Kabirumba about everything. Then Kabirumba will be my accomplice when something goes wrong. This way it will not be my fault alone. After collecting some medicinal herbs and antivenoms, I decided to collect other materials. The other day, when I visited the alchemy guild, I found not only healing potions and antidotes, but also potions for restoring magic, stamina, sleeping pills, diet pills, and night vision. In other words, there is a demand for these potions as well. ¡±I guess I¡¯ll sell alchemical items other than healing potions and antidote potions for the time being.¡± ¡±That¡¯s right. If Leo-sama can meet the various demands, we will not have to worry about money anymore. It will give us a much greater sense of security.¡± For the time being, I did not know what the demand was, so I gathered enough materials to make some of those alchemical items. In particular, diet pills and night vision potions were not in demand among the demons, so I did not know their prices. Anyway, I¡¯ll leave the selling price to Kabirumba¡­ no, I¡¯ll ask this guy. So, no problem will occured. As we have gathered enough materials for the time being, we decide to return to the town. Chapter 18 At this rate, we should reach the town before dusk. If we arrive early, we¡¯ll have plenty of time to choose our dinner for tonight. Oh right, we have some money in the pockets now. So, we might as well eat the best food in the town. Perhaps I shouldn¡¯t have thought of that, but there¡¯s a monster in my search ability. And worse, there seems to be a human nearby. Is it an adventurer? I hope I don¡¯t meet them. ¡±Kabirumba, people are being attacked by monsters.¡± ¡±Again? I think Leo-sama¡¯s search range is too wide.¡± ¡±¡­That may be true.¡± But now that I¡¯ve found them, I can¡¯t just left. I may have fallen, but I¡¯m still the former demon king. It is the duty of the strong to help the weak. But, first, I must wear a gray cloak and a mask. The humorous expression on mask creates a unique atmosphere. The owner says the mask is called a ¡°Hyottoko¡±. ¡±Let¡¯s help them. I can¡¯t leave them here.¡± ¡±Well, if Leo-sama is dressed like that, I guess it¡¯s not a problem at all¡­¡± Kabirumba did not say no. Despite his appearance, Kabirumba has a kind heart. Appearances often give this guy the creeps, though. Well, it¡¯s not what¡¯s on the outside that counts. It¡¯s what¡¯s inside that counts. ¡±There it is. Wait, why are they being attacked by black bears? How wide their habitat is?¡± ¡±That¡¯s strange. I thought they weren¡¯t such fertile monsters.¡± ¡±Kabirumba, don¡¯t say another word. Don¡¯t talk nonsense. Drill Lance!¡± ¡±Ah!¡± Kabirumba¡¯s voice came at the same time as the drilling lance¡­ Did I do something wrong again? But did Kabirumba say anything when I killed a black bear with a drill lance before? ¡±Now that I¡¯m here, it¡¯s all right.¡± I came down in front of the two girls. To be precise, I just ran on the ground and got in between the girl and Black Bear. Black Bear had already dissipated like mist, and only its right arm was left. I heard that it tastes good when it is stewed. A fine food item. As for the two girls, they seem to be safe. They are exhausted, but not injured, and seem to be in good health. It would have been better if I had had a potion to restore their stamina, but alas, I do not have it with me. However, if I don¡¯t have it, I can always make it. So, I quickly make a potion to restore their stamina. It is not a difficult alchemical item, so I can make it even while picking my nose. At first glance, the two girls seem to be a pair of a swordsman and a archer. They seem to be novice adventurers, judging from the cheap leather gear they are wearing. But now, they are holding each other and looking at me like a bad merchant. ¡±Drink this. It¡¯s a potion to restore your stamina.¡± I gave them each a bottle of stamina-restoring potion. If I were a bad merchant, I would have given them a drink containing a sleeping potion and guffawed, but I am not a bad merchant. However, they were not willing to drink it, perhaps because they were wary of it. Really, I had no choice. ¡±Then I will drink one bottle. You can drink the other half of the bottle.¡± Since the potion is supposed to be a ++ potion, even half of it would be effective enough. I gulp down the bottle and feel energized. I thought I was not tired, but it seems that I was tired to a certain extent. Seeing this, the two finally take a sip of the stamina-restoring potion. They seem to be surprised with their eyes wide open, but they are soon feeling better. ¡±Wow, this is amazing! I didn¡¯t know such an alchemical item existed.¡± ¡±I¡¯ve never had this before! It¡¯s amazing!¡± ¡±Oh, well, I¡¯ll clean up your body too¡­¡± I use ¡°All Clean¡± on the two girls who cover their bodies. Immediately they became clean. It was as if they were freshly bathed. But then, the two girls looked red and looked at me as if they could not believe what they were seeing. As I watched them smiling, Kabirumba pulled on my clothes with a quick tug. ¡±Let¡¯s get out of here quickly. It¡¯s not safe to be in contact with them any longer.¡± ¡±Okay. I¡¯ll do that.¡± The girls are looking at me curiously, tilting their head as I talk to something under my cloak. Since there is no monster around, they should be able to reach the town without any problem even if I leave them at this point. As long as they don¡¯t make any detours. ¡±Well, then, please return to the town with care.¡± ¡±Ah, W-Wait!¡± Leonito the former king is cool enough to leave. I left like a gust of wind. Though I thought he was saying something, I¡¯m not going to get into any more trouble. From Kabirumba¡¯s reaction, it seems that I have already done something. ¡±I think we¡¯re OK in this area. By the way, Kabirumba, is Black Bear a strong monster?¡± ¡±It seems so. I checked it out again the other day when we went to the Adventurers¡¯ Guild bar, and it seems to be a B-rank monster.¡± ¡±I see, it¡¯s a B-rank monster. ¡­Is it strong?¡± This is the first time I have heard that monsters have ranks. I knew that adventurers have ranks from the previous talk, but is it similar to that? ¡±Leo-sama, why did you talk as if you knew? A B-rank monster is a level of monster that a B-rank party can defeat, okay?¡± ¡±By ¡®party¡¯ you mean a group of people working together to defeat them, right?¡± ¡±That¡¯s right, but how to put it! Generally, three to four people seem to be able to defeat that kind of monster.¡± ¡±Hmm, why that number of people?¡± Well, if they want to defeat monsters safely, it¡¯s better to have a lot of people. After all, compared to demons, humans outnumber demons. So, they could overwhelm monsters with the violence of their numbers. Well, there is a possibility that they will be wiped out by a dragon or something. ¡±The more people, the less reward each one can get. If there are family adventurers, it will be a common property, so it is less likely to be a problem.¡± ¡±I see. Safety or money? Did the two girls just now choose to prioritize a money?¡± ¡±Who knows? It¡¯s possible that they were abandoned as decoys for the black bears¡­¡± Abandoned as decoys? Abandoned those fragile-looking girls? ¡±What¡­?¡± ¡±It¡¯s just a possibility! That doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s true! So please suppress your murderous intent!¡± Chapter 19 ¡±We can¡¯t stay like this. We have to get back to them as soon as possible.¡± ¡±Leo-sama, listen to me calmly. What I just said is a metaphor. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s true or not. Maybe it¡¯s really just a party for those two.¡± Is that possible? A party of two girls. Girls who are close to each other, supporting each other and growing up together. No men needed there. And if a man gets between them, he¡¯ll be erased. ¡±I hope you¡¯re right¡­ but I¡¯m still curious. Because I don¡¯t want them to be attacked by monsters or something. All right, let¡¯s go back after all.¡± ¡±That won¡¯t be necessary. I¡¯m sure all the monsters in this area have escaped.¡± ¡±Oh, is that a joke?¡± ¡±¡­¡± ¡±Please forgive me¡­¡± I think Kabirumba¡¯s ¡°silent pressure¡± is more frightening than my murderous intent. Still, I was not convinced, so I extended my search range ability with full power. As a result, I didn¡¯t find any response from the infidels who might be running back to the town. On the other hand, the monsters were moving as fast as they could away from this place. That which Kabirumba said was true. The monster had run away because of my previous murderous intent! But thanks to that, the two girls will be able to return safely to the town. Still, I¡¯ll keep an eye on them just in case. ¡±Leo-sama, you¡¯re like a stalker, you know¡­¡± Kabirumba smiles. ¡±Don¡¯t talk nonsense. Call me a guardian, not a stalker.¡± ¡±But, you¡¯re being overprotective. There are no monsters within range, are there? You don¡¯t have to watch over them anymore.¡± ¡±I know, but things have come this far and I want to see them through to the end.¡± ¡±Leo-sama, you¡¯re like a mother watching over her child who¡¯s running an errand for the first time.¡± ¡±I see. I think I understand how mothers feel now.¡± As I watched, the girls has entered the town. Mission accomplished, and Kabirumba and I could return back. I take off my cloak and mask and put them in my magic bag. Now the sky is turning from dusk to dark blue. ¡±Leo-sama, you were planning to have an early dinner, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡±Yes. I was going to have a fancy dinner. But, I can¡¯t help it, and I don¡¯t regret it.¡± ¡±That¡¯s fine. Then, let¡¯s go have dinner. The tavern attached to the Adventurers¡¯ Guild is no good. There¡¯s a good chance the two girls from earlier will be there.¡± ¡±All right. I think let¡¯s take a walk in the back streets today.¡± I walk down the backstreets feeling a little disappointed. Tomorrow I can look forward to a sumptuous dinner. But now, I should find a nice place in the backstreets. Anyway, at the backstreet, I found a nice restaurant, which served a delicious orc stew with local ingredients. Maybe I¡¯ll go hunting for orc meat next time? After a long day, I return to the inn early. Today is the day I¡¯m going to take a long-awaited bath. I grab a silver coin and head for the baths. I pay the attendant at the bathhouse and head for the bathtub. There was a bathhouse as big as the room I was renting. Maybe, ot would cost a lot of money for fuel to keep the water hot in such a big bathhouse. Even if the temperature was maintained by magic, it would be very difficult. ¡±This is it¡­! This is what I¡¯ve been waiting for.¡± I shouted as I got into the bathhouse, because it felt so good. But Kabirumba tilted its head, as if not understanding how good it felt. ¡±How is it? ¡±It¡¯s something like that. But still, Kabirumba is allowed to enter for free. That¡¯s not fair.¡± ¡±Are you sure you don¡¯t mind if you have to pay for me too?¡± ¡±¡­¡± Let¡¯s pretend this conversation never happened. If I am charged for both of us, I will be charged for accommodation and entrance fee as well. To avoid such a situation, I did not ask any questions. ¡±What should I do from tomorrow? I¡¯ve got enough to do, so I think I¡¯ll just laze around for a while.¡± ¡±Leo-sama, that¡¯s a good idea. Let¡¯s be quiet for a while. Let¡¯s do that.¡± ¡±¡­I don¡¯t know why¡­ but I¡¯m a bit suspicious¡­ The usual Kabirumba would say, ¡®Don¡¯t be lazy, work¡¯.¡± ¡±I don¡¯t think so. (¥½¥ó¥Ê¥³¥È¥Ê¥¤¥è©`)¡± I doubt it. The fact that Kabirumba said it in broken Japanese makes it even more suspicious. Should I try tasting Kabirumba? It might taste like a lie. As I stare at him doubtfully, Kabirumba sighs a sigh of resignation. ¡±Okay, the Adventurers¡¯ Guild is in turmoil right now¡± ¡±Turmoil? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re talking about those two girls?¡± ¡±It seems so close, but it¡¯s so far. To be precise, the drill lance that Leo-sama used to save those two girls seems to be a problem.¡± Drill lance is a problem? Well, I remember Kabirumba mumbling ¡°Ah¡± when he used the drill lance. Maybe Kabirumba had predicted this at that time? And using the mycelial network, Kabirumba has been monitoring the Adventurers¡¯ Guild. ¡±Hey, what do you mean?¡± ¡±Do you remember that the adventurers who went to investigate the goblins¡¯ village had found traces of the drill lance?¡± ¡±Of course. But then I¡¯m sure their testimony is suspect because the evidence was wiped clean afterwards.¡± ¡±Yes, that¡¯s right. Such magic has never been heard of or seen. So, the credibility of their testimony was not so good. However, there is in fact a drill lance user.¡± Oh, I have a bad feeling about this. Just when it seemed like it was going to be forgotten, there was a drill-lance user. So, they must suspect there¡¯s a guy who attacked the goblin village. ¡±What do we do?¡± ¡±I can¡¯t help it. Now we have no choice but to hide. Fortunately, Leo-sama was in disguise. If you don¡¯t dress like that, they won¡¯t be able to recognize Leo-sama so easily.¡± Kabirumba shakes its head from side to side and casts down its eyes. Maybe if I had used a different magic at that time, none of this would have happened. From now on I must refrain from using the drill lance. Fire magic can¡¯t be used in the forest, so should I use water magic? No, maybe wind magic would be better. ¡±I should have kept my mouth shut. Now we have to think about moving to another town. Kabirumba, plan B. Show me plan B.¡± ¡±What? There is no plan B.¡± Since there seemed to be no plan B, I decided to stay here for a while. Chapter 20 The next day, Kabirumba and I checked the store, the Adventurers¡¯ Guild and the Alchemists¡¯ Guild from afar. So far there does not seem to be a big commotion. Anyway, I ask Kabirumba to keep an eye on things. ¡±We won¡¯t be able to sell anything for a while.¡± ¡±That¡¯s true. Leo-sama may be asked a lot of questions. In that case, I never know when Leo-sama might slip up.¡± ¡±Hey, why are you trusting me in a different way?¡± There¡¯s no point in complaining to Kabirumba. I can¡¯t sell anything now, and I can¡¯t act rashly. The only thing I can do is to make alchemical items at the inn. ¡±I should stay quiet at the inn. Yes, it might be a good idea to apprentice myself to a famous alchemist and get a letter of recommendation from him.¡± ¡±Is there anyone who can teach alchemy to Leo-sama?¡± ¡±It doesn¡¯t matter if there is no one. As long as I can get a letter of recommendation.¡± ¡±On the contrary, I think he would ask Leo-sama to be your apprentice.¡± Kabirumba laughs at that. The mummy will become mummified. And without the qualifications of an alchemist. I¡¯m a completely unqualified alchemist. Really, I¡¯m going to have to live in the dark. ¡±Let¡¯s not do this. The world¡¯s greatest alchemist will always be a solitary being.¡± ¡±I think that¡¯s a good idea. But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s good for your health to stay cooped up in an inn all the time, Leo-sama.¡± ¡±That¡¯s true. Well then, let¡¯s go back to the undeveloped forest. There is a possibility that a new material may be found. Because yesterday we were mainly looking for medicinal herbs.¡± Before that, it might be better to find out what kind of materials for alchemical items have been found in the forest. The information on materials is either from alchemy guilds or adventurers¡¯ guilds. Neither of them are good. If it¡¯s a no-go, should I go to the commercial guilds? ¡±Can we stop by a commercial guild for information on what kind of materials are available in the undeveloped forest?¡± ¡±Well, that¡¯s good. Then, let¡¯s go to the commercial guild. If it¡¯s a commercial guild, Leo-sama haven¡¯t done anything that would cause a problem yet.¡± Kabirumba¡¯s words sounded harsh, but I can¡¯t deny it because it¡¯s true. The alchemy guild has the case of the ¡°Curse-Breaking Charm¡±, and the adventurers¡¯ guild has the case of the ¡°Annihilation of Goblin Billage¡±. Both of them are deeply related to me. I have no regrets because I couldn¡¯t leave either of them alone, but I don¡¯t know how it came to this. The commercial guild was located along the main street. It was a good location. It must be because they are so powerful. They probably control most of the goods that come to the town. ¡±It¡¯s a fine stone building.¡± ¡±Yes. The Adventurers¡¯ Guild was big, but this one is even bigger. I can understand that the Adventurers¡¯ Guild is big since there is an undeveloped forest nearby, but the Commercial Guild is even bigger than the Adventurers¡¯ Guild.¡± ¡±Is there a reason for this?¡± Maybe there is something valuable to be gained from the undeveloped forests. After all, the commercial guilds are very powerful, and they could be the ones who control it and distribute it. That¡¯s possible. ¡±It is simply the policy of the Lord. They probably protect the merchants so that their goods will not be scarce on the frontier. As a proof of this, the commercial guilds seem to be getting bigger.¡± ¡±It sounds like the Lord is in a lot of trouble. By the way, did the ¡®Curse Breaking Charm¡¯ help?¡± ¡±There is no strong information about it so far. Maybe there is something that needs to be kept hidden¡­¡± Kabirumba started to think. In this state, this guy is a little creepy. When things are not going well, he becomes silent like this. I am afraid to hear the conclusion. So, in the meantime, I am going to visit a commercial guild. There were a fair number of people in the guild. Not sparse, but not many. It seems that they are having a hard time keeping commerce active. And this is accelerated by the increase in the price of ID cards issued by the commerce guild. This has certainly made it more and more difficult for people to visit. Without newcomers, the commercial guild may be on a gradual downhill slide. On the wall, there was a purchase wish list. By checking it, one can get some idea of which items will sell at a high price. From what I saw, it seemed that most of the items were groceries. Next are the daily necessities. Alchemical items are not listed. Perhaps they have different jurisdictions. Anyway, the area seems to be well organized. ¡±It all seems to be based on the principle of bringing in large quantities. It can be managed with the magic bag, but it seems to be difficult to move from town to town.¡± ¡±It seems so. And perhaps because the goods can be purchased in large quantities, the purchase price is lower than when selling individual items.¡± ¡±I see. It must be hard to be a merchant.¡± If I want to be a merchant in earnest, I will need a lot of money. And if the odds are against me, I¡¯ll run out of money in no time. It seems impossible for me to do it. Though there is Kabirumba, an extraordinary entity that can instantly know the world¡¯s market prices, I am not confident of my ability to use it. In the end, there was no information on materials from the undeveloped forests, which I had hoped for. It seems that they do not buy on a small scale. However, it seems that it would be better to come here if I wanted to sell a large amount of stuff. In other places, there is usually a limit to the amount of material that can be sold. Therefore, I cannot sell my healing potions and antidote potions in large quantities just because I want to make money. By the way, the price to get an ID card issued at the guild had gone up from one small gold coin to ten gold coins. Isn¡¯t this a hundredfold increase too much? That¡¯s a bit too much, isn¡¯t it? As Kabirumba says, it would be cheaper to pay the admission fee each time. Chapter 21 After leaving the commercial guild, I returned to the inn without making any detours. It seems that the information we want is in the Adventurers¡¯ Guild or the Alchemists¡¯ Guild. In that case, I would have to rely on Kabirumba¡¯s information network. ¡±The commercial guilds didn¡¯t give us the information we wanted, huh?¡± ¡±Well, that¡¯s true. They don¡¯t seem to do small transactions. Unless you¡¯re going to be a merchant, Leo-sama, but you don¡¯t intend to be a merchant, do you?¡± ¡±Yes, I don¡¯t intend to. Even if they have an excellent information network, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to take advantage of it.¡± ¡±You¡¯re being very frank.¡± Kabirumba looks at me with a questioning look. As expected, I have recently learned to distinguish between what I can do and what I can¡¯t do. Maybe I¡¯m only good at fighting or making alchemical items. ¡±So, Kabirumba, can you use your excellent information network to tell me what materials can be gathered in this area?¡± ¡±Of course. Here is the list. However, since this is the list obtained from the guild, I cannot rule out the possibility that there are other materials in the undeveloped forest.¡± ¡±In other words, there are infinite possibilities in the forest. Perhaps, there might be a new material to be found.¡± After looking at the list, I put the materials I want into my mind. It seems that I can get the materials for the advanced healing potion, at least. Although it was impossible to get a perfect healing potion. Among the list, I found a ¡°Goblin King¡¯s crown¡±. The purchase price was higher than I expected. If I were to buy it, I would need to have a lot of money. ¡±I¡¯ll have to save up for a while. My immediate goal is to make a void bag. With this, it¡¯s like carrying a castle around with me.¡± ¡±Then you need the ¡®Goblin King¡¯s crown¡¯, Leo-sama. Shall you go looking for the Goblin King?¡± ¡±Well, it¡¯s not an easy monster to encounter. The condition of its occurrence is ¡®a large number of goblins¡¯, and there is no such place in the area we are searching now.¡± Unfortunately, it is unlikely that I could encounter such a monster around here. It would have been possible if I had left that goblin village behind ¨C from the looks of it, but adventurers would have been sent there soon, and they would have been wiped out in the end. For the note, these goblins are not strong, but because of their weakness, they attack in numbers, just like humans do. If it were a major town like this place, it¡¯s not a problem. But if it were a development village or a small town, it¡¯s not likely to be able to hold out. So, it will be the humans who will be wiped out. The same is true even if there are some other races mixed in. ¡±For now, I think we should aim to buy it, Leo-sama. Of course, if there¡¯s a chance, just go for it.¡± ¡±Then, we need to save more money. Selling the advanced healing potion++ would be a great deal¡­¡± ¡±That would be quite noticeable. So, the only way is to steadily sell alchemical items that are commonly traded.¡± ¡±Well, that¡¯s true.¡± Apparently, it is not possible to make a fortune at a time. So, the only way is to sell alchemical items steadily and painstakingly every day. Although it is quite advantageous to be able to make ++ alchemical items. ¡±Well then, let¡¯s head for gathering materials, Leo-sama. Even if we find valuable materials, we should hold off for now.¡± ¡±But if we never come back to this town again, it would be okay to sell them, right?¡± ¡±Yes, but now is not the time. First of all, you need to get used to human society, Leo-sama. Otherwise you won¡¯t be able to survive in the future.¡± ¡±Well, it¡¯s totally different from the society of the demon tribe. In the demon society, power is everything.¡± Kabirumba is right. Strength was the most important thing in the demon tribe society. Otherwise, I would not have become the Demon King. I became the Demon King simply because I was stronger than anyone else. As I was leaving the gate as usual, the gatekeeper stopped me. My body stiffened involuntarily. Had he found out my secret? ¡±You¡¯ve been in and out a lot lately, haven¡¯t you? If you don¡¯t have an ID, you can apply for a long-term stay at the town hall. Though you have to pay some money, but they can make a temporary ID for you on a monthly basis.¡± ¡±Really? I didn¡¯t know that. Thanks for the valuable information. I¡¯ll go there right away. Here¡¯s a little something for you.¡± ¡±Oh, yeah.¡± It seems that the gatekeeper was a good guy. I tipped him in return and headed for the town hall he had told me about. ¡±I didn¡¯t think there was such a system, Kabirumba. Everything is different from the demon society.¡± ¡±That¡¯s right. I didn¡¯t think there was a legal loophole in the system.¡± ¡±Well, humans love money. So, I thought that every time someone came here, they would be charged an admission fee to make money.¡± There were many people in the waiting room of the town hall where I was shown around. It seemed that they were taking care of the procedures for residents, opening new businesses, and dealing with problems that had occurred in the town. After a while, it was my turn. ¡±I would like to have a temporary ID issued.¡± ¡±Please tell me the purpose of your stay in the town.¡± ¡±Well, sightseeing?¡± ¡±I understand. You will need five silver coins to issue a temporary ID.¡± I took out five silver coins from my pocket and handed them to him. It would certainly be much cheaper than going in and out again and again. The entrance fee is five small silver coins. It will pay for itself in ten trips. Next time I arrive at a new town, I will ask for a temporary ID first. In this sense, the official identification card, which can be used anywhere, is very convenient. Especially for those who travel around the world, it would be a great need. Maybe some people become adventurers just for this purpose. Now, I leave the town hall after receiving a temporary ID card. It was easier than I expected, so I was a little disappointed. Whereas at the alchemy guild, I was almost turned away at the door. ¡±Now I am a member of human society, aren¡¯t I?¡± ¡±Congratulations, Leo-sama.¡± ¡±It may be a small step, but it¡¯s a big step for me.¡± With my temporary ID hanging from my neck, I walked out of the gate with great enthusiasm. Chapter 22 The purpose of my visit this time is to obtain alchemical materials that I have not yet obtained. To do so, of course, I will have to go deep into the undeveloped forest. ¡±Now, which way should we go, Kabirumba?¡± ¡±Before that, please narrow down your search ability to some extent, Leo-sama. If you keep stalking adventurers every time you find them like you did yesterday, there won¡¯t be enough time.¡± ¡±How dare you say that! It¡¯s not stalking. I was just worried about them, so I was secretly watching them so they wouldn¡¯t know I was there.¡± ¡±That¡¯s what people call stalking.¡± This is not the first time Kabirumba has been cold. I know this guy¡¯s worried about me, but does that mean this guy doesn¡¯t trust me? Even I have a sense of decency. I don¡¯t go to help a girl unless she is in trouble, like yesterday. Although I have helped an old man before, it was for the convenience of the development village. Anyway, first of all, we decided to head in the same direction as yesterday. Kabirumba told me that the survey of ¡°Goblin Village¡± was over, so there was no problem to go to that area. But I am a cautious man. So, I decided to explore from the same direction as yesterday, just to be safe. ¡±First, let¡¯s go to the same area as yesterday. There were so many trees growing in clusters. There must be a reason. In such a special environment, there might be some rare materials.¡± ¡±That¡¯s a good point of view, Kabirumba¡± ¡±Yes, yes.¡± After a while, we arrived at the place without any hesitation since we had already checked the location. The place was deserted since most of the area had been harvested yesterday, but that was not a problem since the purpose of this visit was something else. ¡±Hmm, it seems that the soil is rich in nutrients, Kabirumba. Did some giant creature die around here? A dragon or something?¡± ¡±It¡¯s possible. At least, something definitely lived around here.¡± Kabirumba pokes at the soil. Well, Fungus is called ¡°cleaner¡± because it eats everything. By eating the components of the soil around here, it is easy to tell that something has been living in the area. ¡±Well then, let¡¯s start looking for materials right away. We will have to find it with our own eyes.¡± Kabirumba and I split up and began to survey the area. We found mud mushrooms, poisonous mushrooms, and mandragora. There was also Yomeiso, sleep mint, cordyceps sinensis, and shineleaf. ¡±I didn¡¯t know there were mandragoras in the forest. This is a nice forest, isn¡¯t it, Kabirumba?¡± ¡±Yes, there were some other materials needed to make alchemical items. It seems like a good place to experiment.¡± ¡±That¡¯s right. Let¡¯s try to make some and sell them. It might be a new way to make money.¡± This area is worth checking out. It¡¯s a good place to collect. There may be more places like this in the undeveloped forest. ¡±By the way, there are no monsters here¡­¡± ¡±They¡¯re all afraid of Leo-sama and won¡¯t come near you.¡± ¡±Well, then I¡¯ll try to suppress my power a little. The materials obtained from monsters are also good materials for alchemy.¡± As I kept my strength under control, some monsters started to appear. All of them were monsters that could be killed with a single blow, but I learned from the previous experience and fought them with wind magic. ¡±It¡¯s good to use wind magic, but can¡¯t you control it a little more, Leo-sama? If you continue like this, the trees in the forest will run out.¡± ¡±Even so, I¡¯m still holding back¡­¡± While said this, I looked at a bit of open land in front of me. There were many trees lying there. Well, my wind had become a sharp blade, knocking down not only the monsters but also the trees. ¡±Should I use a different magic¡­ or is earth magic the least damaging?¡± ¡±You can do it if it leaves no trace, Leo-sama. Oh, wouldn¡¯t ice magic melt away in a few hours?¡± ¡±That¡¯s it! I¡¯ll use ice drill lance from now on.¡± ¡±¡­Hmm, I don¡¯t think you should use a drill lance.¡± Kabirumba is looking at me with half-open eyes. Is it so? What a coincidence. That¡¯s what I was just thinking. ¡±Okay, I¡¯ll go with Ice Arrow. That¡¯ll work, right?¡± ¡±Well, I can only see the tree being full of holes in the future if you use that. Why don¡¯t you drop the magic and attack with your bare hands, Leo-sama? Anyway, if you use weapons, the weapons will be broken more easily.¡± ¡±Hey, can you stop talking about me like I¡¯m an insolent person? Huff, I don¡¯t have a choice. I¡¯ll just use my hand.¡± After that, with a snap, I hunted for the monster¡¯s head with a terrifyingly fast punch. It is true that this way causes less damage. But the scene was very plain. ¡±No way, I still want to use magic. I¡¯d like to shoot off with a bang.¡± ¡±Please don¡¯t do that, Leo-sama. There will be a lot of problems.¡± Kabirumba presses me with a smile. Well, to fit in with human society, I must change from a flashy life to a simple one, huh? But it¡¯s a way of life. ¡±All right, all right. I¡¯ll put up with this for a while. When I can¡¯t stand it any longer, I¡¯ll use magic secretly somewhere deep in the forest.¡± ¡±That might be a problem if anyone finds out, though. But it would be much better than doing it around here.¡± Kabirumba reluctantly agreed. Now, he¡¯s got my word. When my stress gets to be too much, I¡¯ll try to relieve it as soon as possible. Wat, does Kabirumba ever get stressed out? I guess this guy doesn¡¯t have such feelings because he is a fungus. But it seems to have feelings of joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure. Kabirumba is really mysterious creatures. Chapter 23 The sun began to set after a long day of hunting and gathering monsters. I could have dug a hole with my magic and used it as a temporary base, but I was tempted by ¡°the desire to sleep in a bed¡± and decided to return to the town. Of course, Kabirumba said to me, ¡°If you want to go back, just say so. I would interrupt you before dark¡±. Really, I¡¯m sorry. ¡±There¡¯s no suspicious activity around here, is there, Leo-sama?¡± ¡±No, it¡¯s okay. Everything¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve had a few reactions from adventurers, though.¡± ¡±Just be careful not to get us in trouble.¡± ¡±I know.¡± But what kind of reckless adventurer would try to tangle with me, a former demon king? I find that a little hard to believe. If there is such a daredevil, I¡¯d like to see him. It would be troublesome to take it easy on them, though. Anyway, I did as Kabirumba told me and returned to the town to avoid the adventurers, and I can¡¯t cause any trouble now. If I do so, I will be forced to leave the town. On the way back, I eat a proper supper before returning to the inn. And I take a bath again today. But, the old woman who sits at the table says to me, ¡°You like to bathe, don¡¯t you?¡±. Perhaps, taking a bath is not something people do every day. Or maybe people use it as a way to wash their mind when they are tired? It is true that it is not free, and it costs a certain amount of money to take a bath every day. Maybe I should be careful too. ¡±Is a bath a luxury item?¡± ¡±What are you talking about all of sudden, Leo-sama? Anyway, I heard that the Adventurers¡¯ Guild decided to look for someone who used a drill lance.¡± ¡±Why? Why didn¡¯t they just leave it alone?¡± I don¡¯t think finding me will change anything. Maybe they want me to sell the precious high-ranking goblin material? That¡¯s not an option. I have my reasons. ¡±Those two adventurers don¡¯t seem to be actively offering information, do they?¡± ¡±Well, that¡¯s something to look at.¡± ¡±They left without telling us their names, so I guess they must have guessed that there was something going on.¡± Kabirumba nods his head and says, ¡°Yes, it is something to see¡±. Perhaps the duo is being marked by Kabirumba. For the time being, the status quo seems to be holding. ¡±That¡¯s good. It saves me the trouble of having to eliminate them.¡± ¡±Don¡¯t say scary things¡­¡± ¡±No, it¡¯s their memory that¡¯s erased¡­¡± I told Kabirumba firmly that there seemed to be a misunderstanding. I wonder if this guy really understood what I was saying. Maybe this guy just doesn¡¯t want to ¡°expose the scandal that has befallen us¡±. That¡¯s fine, though. ¡±Kabirumba, now we won¡¯t be able to go near the Adventurers¡¯ Guild for a while, will we?¡± ¡±Yes. I don¡¯t know how much information has gotten out, but it¡¯s best to stay away.¡± This means that the store attached to the Adventurers¡¯ Guild will be of no use for a while. I¡¯ve missed out on selling the materials I got from the hornbunny. Oh well. Maybe there is another store. Let¡¯s hope so. ¡±So, let¡¯s stop hunting monsters for the time being. After all, we can¡¯t do anything if we can¡¯t sell the materials even if we kill monsters. Are there any other places to sell them, Kabirumba?¡± ¡±There are a few private shops¡­ even further down the back streets¡­¡± ¡±Hey, isn¡¯t that a bad place!?¡± ¡±Yes, they are.¡± Kabirumba says this in a casual manner. If I do backroom deals, one day the guards might find me and send me to jail. I can¡¯t take that risk. I¡¯m going to be holding on to the material for a while. Good thing I have the magic bag. ¡±I guess we¡¯ll have to think about moving to another town, huh¡­¡± ¡±¡­I guess so. Okay, I¡¯ll think of a plan B.¡± ¡±I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± That¡¯s the plan for now. As soon as we get out of the bath, let¡¯s start making alchemical items with the materials we gathered today. The only way to make money is to sell alchemical items. I make some diet pills and night vision potions. I also made a sleeping potion, but I did not show it to the public. These items can be very dangerous depending on how they are used. If such a sleeping potion++ is sold around here, it might cause a big problem. And I guess the diet pills would be sold to women who want to look beautiful. After all, when I walk around the town, I see people of a decent stature. It could be sold to such people. And it is not only women. There are men who have the same kind of body shape, so it may be important for them too. A night vision potion is an alchemical item that allows one to see as far at night as in the daytime. I think it will be sold to adventurers. With it, they can hunt safely at night. ¡±Well, it might be better not to sell the night vision potion, Leo-sama.¡± ¡±Why not?¡± ¡±I think it¡¯s mainly used by night people.¡± ¡±Night people¡­¡± Night people, they are assassins and people who live in the dark. It will certainly make it easier to play the nighttime game. Well, I have no intention of cooperating with the evil one in the beginning. So, I¡¯ll keep the night vision potion. As a demon, I have night vision and don¡¯t need it. ¡±The only new thing I can sell is diet pills.¡± ¡±I think intermediate healing potions can be sold, too. However, you can¡¯t sell them in large quantities.¡± ¡±That¡¯s true. The intermediate level healing potion I make is more effective than a bad advanced level healing potion.¡± The fact that I can make a good quality item is also a consideration. But even if I try to lower the quality, it doesn¡¯t work. I am afraid of my talent. But I feel like I¡¯m being strangled by my talent. ¡±I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re good at it or not, Leo-sama¡­¡± Kabirumba looked at me and sighed. Even if you say so¡­ I am the best alchemist in the world. ¡±Really, it¡¯s not easy to live among human society¡­¡± ¡±Perhaps the idea of a former demon king blending in with human society is wrong¡­¡± ¡±You¡¯re saying that now? You¡¯re on a boat that¡¯s about to be boarded so don¡¯t get off until the end.¡± ¡±I know, I know.¡± Kabirumba looked away. Don¡¯t tell me this guy has an impression that I¡¯m a pain in the ass? ¡±Kabirumba, is there anything you want to eat?¡± ¡±What¡¯s the matter, all of a sudden?¡± He gave me a quizzical look. If only I knew what Kabirumba liked to eat, I would be all over him. Chapter 24 The next day, I immediately go to the store to sell the alchemical items I made yesterday. First, I sell the healing potion and the intermediate healing potion. Kabirumba tells me that it is better to sell the diet potion to the beauty salon. ¡±I would like to sell this.¡± ¡±This is healing potion. Is this an intermediate healing potion? Thank goodness intermediate healing potions are hard to find¡­huh? Intermediate healing potion++!?¡± The store became noisy at the sound of the clerk¡¯s voice. The clerk who shouted was embarrassed and apologized to the people around him. Thanks to that, a lot of attention was focused on us. I shouldn¡¯t have sold the intermediate level healing potion. Kabirumba on my shoulder looks apologetic, but it is not his fault. It is the clerk who shouts at me for an alchemical item like this. Still, the clerk immediately quoted me a price for the item. I thought about quitting the sale, but I guess it is too late now that the item has attracted so much attention. Now, I¡¯d better stay away from this store for a while from now on. ¡±Excuse me, do you have any other items you¡¯d like to sell?¡± ¡±No, I don¡¯t.¡± I told the clerk who looked at me as if probing. This might be a good time for me to go to plan ¡°B¡± in earnest. After all, I¡¯ve already made my face known in the town for a long time. Really, let¡¯s get the hell out of here before involved in something I don¡¯t want to get involved in. After leaving the store, Kabirumba and I head for the beauty salon. If things are the same as before, this diet pills++ will be a big deal. ¡±Should I put on a disguise?¡± ¡±That¡¯s one way, Leo-sama, but you look suspicious in that gray cape and mask. You¡¯ll be turned away at the front in that outfit.¡± ¡±I see. I should have made a transformation potion. Then I wouldn¡¯t have had any problems.¡± ¡±Yes, you¡¯re right. We should learn from this lesson and do so in the next town. Do you think you can get the ingredients for the transformation potion?¡± Well, I don¡¯t think we can find the materials around here. Those materials are mainly found in the desert and the sea. So, I don¡¯t think I can find them here in the forested area. ¡±They can¡¯t be found in the forests around here. So, the only way to get it is to go to a store that sells materials for alchemical items.¡± ¡±Let¡¯s go there after we sell diet pills. Maybe they have ¡®Goblin King¡¯s Crown¡¯ in stock.¡± ¡±Yes, I guess so. Let¡¯s just go and see.¡± Now, we arrive at the beauty salon. Inside, of course, there were women everywhere. I, a man, appeared in such a place, and all eyes were on me at once. I felt uncomfortable, as if I was being judged. ¡±Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have come here.¡± ¡±Leo-sama has a good face, you know.¡± ¡±I object. Not only good looking, but also good on the inside.¡± ¡±Yes, yes.¡± We look around the salon while exchanging such comments. I wondered if this kind of place was really a place to sell, but then I saw a signboard at the back of the store with the words ¡°We buy goods¡± written on it. I sat down on a prepared seat and rang the bell, and a rather shapely madam came from the back. ¡±Welcome.¡± ¡±I¡¯d like to sell something to you. Here is this¡­¡± I took out a bag of diet pills from the bag. The madam seemed to notice immediately what they were. Then she smiled at me. ¡±Diet pills. They are very popular. Of course, I¡¯ll buy them.¡± She then started to check them with her glasses. And soon her color changed, but she wisely did not say it out loud. Judging from the way she checked it over and over again, it seems that the diet pills++ is a rare alchemical item. ¡±Excuse me, where did you get this?¡± ¡±Hmm.¡± I glanced at Kabirumba, who was shaking its head from side to side as if it was vibrating. This was a signal not to say anything. ¡±I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t tell you where it came from. We are also in the business.¡± ¡±Of course you are. ¡­How about this price?¡± Oh, that¡¯s more than I expected. If anything, it¡¯s more expensive than the intermediate healing potion++ that I just sold. I never thought I could sell it for such a high price. Kabirumba¡¯s eyes were popping out of its sockets, as if he was surprised at the price. No, this guy eyes are always popping out. ¡±No problem. I¡¯ll sell it to you.¡± ¡±Thank you. When you have more in stock, could you come and sell them to us?¡± ¡±Well, I¡¯ll think about it.¡± Then I smiles at her. At this point, I mustn¡¯t make a decision on my own. It has to be postponed. Then discuss it with Kabirumba after I leave the store. The key is do not decide alone, and make Kabirumba my accomplice. Now, when I leave the beauty salon, the women inside look at me suspiciously. Still, I think I have found a new customer, huh? This store probably wants to monopolize the diet pills++ that I sold them. If it is only available here, customers will surely come for it. And if customers come, other products will be sold along with them. ¡±What do you think?¡± ¡±I think that sounds a little too good to be true. Maybe we should visit other beauty salons and see how it goes, just to be sure.¡± That¡¯s very cautious. But let¡¯s go with Kabirumba¡¯s opinion here. Personally, I don¡¯t care where I sell the diet pills, but I don¡¯t want to get into trouble later. Anyway, there¡¯s no beauty products power struggle in the town, right? If so, it¡¯s not a good idea to side with one side or the other. There¡¯s a good chance that a rival store will take notice of us. ¡±Okay. I¡¯ll do it. So what do you say, Kabirumba? Should we head out now?¡± ¡±No, we¡¯ll go another day. If the diet pills ++ go on sale at the store we just went to, it may have some impact on the other stores. If we can see how they respond to the situation, we can get more information.¡± Kabirumba is indeed a man of discretion, a man of calm and precise judgment. I don¡¯t know if fungus has a gender. But I have been taking a bath with this guy, so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a girl. Probably. Chapter 25 Now all I have to do is to go to that mysterious store to see if they sell the materials I want¡­ no problem, right? ¡±Kabirumba, I¡¯m thinking of going to that store with the skull and crossbones on it.¡± ¡±Hmm, that store looks creepy, but they are selling genuine goods at a fair price. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything wrong with that.¡± ¡±I see. Then, good.¡± I hadn¡¯t checked if they sell the materials for the potion or not. But I didn¡¯t think I would need it. And since they were used by those who go undercover in enemy territory, I didn¡¯t think I would need them myself. When I get to the store where the witchy old hag is, I should check out all the materials. There is a chance that I might come up with some alchemical items that might be worth some money. Especially beauty items may be a valuable source of income. They are likely to keep my identities secret. Now we enter the store with an eerie rattling sound of a bell. The exterior and interior of the store are as eerie as ever. In a way, it is not so different from what it looks like, which is probably good for my heart. ¡±Welcome. You¡¯re here, hottie.¡± ¡±What?¡± Since there were no other customers in the store, it seemed that the old hag was talking to me. Anyawy, what is this old hag talking about? I am definitely older than her, but I am not attracted to her. As I was scowling at her, she laughed ¡°Kukukuku¡± with a cackle. Right at that moment, I felt a cold sweat running down my back. I feel really bad. Really, I¡¯ll go outside as soon as I¡¯m done with my business. However, I must look around the store with an air of unconcern. As I thought, there is no ¡°Goblin King¡¯s crown¡±. It seems that it is not so easy to get. Well, of course it is. It¡¯s been less than a month since I came to the town. And I can only blame my bad luck for creating so many problems. It¡¯s never my fault. Never. Just bad luck. ¡±Kabirumba, are there any other stores in the town that sell alchemical materials?¡± ¡±This is the best selection. Even if it¡¯s illegal, there¡¯s no other store better than this one.¡± ¡±I see, you have a good eye.¡± While we were whispering about such things, we heard a rustling sound as if someone was walking in a hurry. I didn¡¯t know there were other customers. No, when I entered the store, there was no one except Old Hag. And if someone had entered the store, the eerie ¡°clang-clang¡± sound of the bell should have been heard. Suspicious, I looked in the direction of the sound. There stood a cute little girl with beautiful blonde hair that reached down to her waist. She was somewhere between a girl and an adult woman. Well, the word ¡°cute¡± is rude for her. So, I¡¯ll correct it to ¡°beautiful¡±. Now, this lady was staring at me with eyes as blue as sapphires. Her cheeks are somehow upturned. I couldn¡¯t help but make eye contact with Kabirumba. Maybe she is my fan? No way. ¡±I¡¯ve finally found you.¡± ¡±¡­Yes?¡± Her voice is bouncy and cheerful. She¡¯s finally found me? Is she an applicant for an apprenticeship? But unfortunately, I don¡¯t take apprentices. Rather, I¡¯d like to apprentice myself to an alchemist who seems to have connections to become an alchemist. . ¡±My prince!¡± ¡±What?¡± The lady jumps on me and I hold her in my arms¡­ Whoa, it¡¯s dangerous! If I hadn¡¯t caught her, she¡¯d have knocked over all the shelves around here. It would be a disaster if I have to pay for all of them. Now, the lady squeezes my arm still more tightly. I apologize for calling her a little girl earlier. After all, her chest are bigger than I expected. I couldn¡¯t tell because she was wearing loose-fitting clothes. Maybe she¡¯s sick? Hmm? Sick? No way¡­ when I looked at Kabirumba, this guy looked like ¡°no way¡±. Of course it is not what am I thinking, right? I¡¯m not overthinking this, am I? Tell me it¡¯s not true, Kabirumba. ¡±Well¡­¡± ¡±Ah, I¡¯m sorry it took me so long to introduce myself. My name is Elena Badia. I¡¯m the only daughter of the Margrave Amand Badia.¡± ¡±Haah, as I thought?¡± ¡±Ah¡­¡± Oh, Kabirumba said ¡°Ah¡±. No way, this guy must have misspoke. Or maybe Kabirumba had some secret plan to turn the situation around. And now, I seem to have destroyed it because I had answered the lady¡¯s introduction. But how could I have known that there was such a thing? ¡±Why are you so unreliable, Leo-sama? If you hadn¡¯t answered her properly, we might have been able to get away with ¡®pretending to be someone else¡¯!¡± ¡±Oh, no!¡± ¡±It¡¯s too late now. Leo-sama?¡± Well, this Miss Elena now smiles at me and clings to my arm like a killer Kong. Wow, that¡¯s a lot of power! The effect of the ¡°Curse-Breaking Charm¡± is making her a hundred times more energetic! Really, why didn¡¯t I make a normal ¡°Curse-Breaking Charm¡±? ¡±It seems the princess has found someone she loves. My eyes were not deceived.¡± ¡±Thank you very much, Grandma Margaret.¡± ¡±Don¡¯t let him get away. He can make a magic bag too. By the way, you¡¯ve been looking for something since the last time you were here. What exactly are you looking for? Maybe I can help you.¡± Miss Elena¡¯s clinging strength became even stronger. She¡¯s not going to go any higher, is she? Still, it was quite a bombshell. In other words, this Old Hag is the mother of the Margrave Badia. No wonder her store is well-stocked. I¡¯m afraid that the Margrave is not only behind her, but she is the Margrave herself. Now, what should I do? Should I take this ship until the end? At least I know that Miss Elena is not likely to let go of my arm so easily. ¡±Well¡­ I guess we¡¯ve come this far and we¡¯ll just have to be resigned to it, Leo-sama. If we¡¯re going to be so desperate, we might as well take advantage of what we can.¡± Kabirumba said this as if he was giving up. If I give up, that¡¯s nothing, but if Kabirumba has given up, that¡¯s the end of the story. I guess I have no choice but to give up. ¡±Well, that¡¯s true. So, I¡¯m looking for the ¡®Goblin King¡¯s crown¡¯. But it seems to be hard to find.¡± ¡±You can¡¯t possibly¡­¡± The Old Hag exclaims. Elena, who nods her head, still doesn¡¯t seem to want to let go of my arm. And now, my arms are completely trapped in her cleavage. Does she have any sense of shame? I guess not. After all, she called me ¡°prince¡± when I¡¯m a former demon king. What a crazy girl. Chapter 26 The old hag¡¯s mouth was agape like a fish on land. She seemed to be at a loss for words. But it¡¯s now or never. However, Miss Elena, who clung to my arm like a kraken, would not allow me to do so. She might get hurt if I try to force her to break free, and besides, she is sick, isn¡¯t she? Because considering what I have heard so far, it seems that Miss Elena is the one who was cursed. She seems to be getting better, but of course there is a possibility that she is not. Besides, I don¡¯t want something to happen to Miss Elena and I don¡¯t want being a wanted person. ¡±Excuse me, what¡¯s wrong with Grandmother Margaret?¡± ¡±Hmm? ¡­Maybe she¡¯s having a heart attack because she¡¯s so angry that her precious granddaughter is about to fall in love with a strange man¡­? So, please spare my arm¡­¡± ¡±No, it¡¯s not that! I mean, could you make a ¡®void bag¡¯?¡± ¡±Void bag?¡± I guess she¡¯s never heard of it. But Miss Elena nods her head cutely. However, she would not let go of my arm. Oh, what am I going to do? Kabirumba is silent as well, looking puzzled by the situation. ¡±Void bag is a higher level version of a magic bag. One of the materials used to make the void bag is the ¡®Goblin King¡¯s crown.¡± ¡±I didn¡¯t know that. But, as expected of Leo-sama. Not only can he make the ¡®Curse-Breaking Charm¡¯, but he can also make ¡®Void Bag¡¯.¡± ¡±But what are you going to do with the rest of the materials? Hey, you can¡¯t be¡­!?¡± I hate a woman with a good intuition. She must have anticipated my return and had her granddaughter waiting for me inside the store. Anyway, I don¡¯t want to cause any more trouble. So should I use sleep magic to put them to sleep and leave this town while they¡¯re asleep? I thought. ¡±Wel, it seems that Margrave Badia has already heard about this. They say someone attacked a goblin village. Right, Leo-sama?¡± Oh, can I speak up? But, no, I¡¯ll keep my mouth shut. It wouldn¡¯t be good for me to blurt out something. Anyway, good luck, Kabirumba. I¡¯m counting on you. ¡±Yes, of course. I¡¯m hearing about it. So, you¡¯re the guys who did it, right?¡± ¡±We¡¯re not guilty. We just saved the town from a crisis. The goblin village had not only goblin generals but also king and lord and hero. Well, that¡¯s how we got the ¡®Goblin Lord¡¯s Necklace¡¯ and the ¡®Goblin Hero¡¯s Cloak¡¯.¡± With a gasp, the old hag gulped. Kabirumba, even if the old hag is bossy, she¡¯s still an elderly person. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to startle her too much. Just when I was thinking of sending Miss Elena as a helper to save the dying old hag, her face turned pale. Hey, this is not good. She is about to collapse too. She seems to be terrified by the presence of a vicious monster near the town. In case she gets into a bad situation, it would be very bad. Anyway, I try to speak. ¡±It¡¯s all right, it¡¯s already done. A monster of that caliber is no match for me. I killed them all in less than three seconds. It¡¯s no big deal. Right, Kabirumba?¡± Again I heard a gasp. This time there were two. It was the old hag and Miss Elena. Miss Elena¡¯s arm was shaking slightly, but she did not let go. Meanwhile, Kabirumba had an ¡°Oh, no¡± look on its face. I knew I should have kept my mouth shut. ¡±Oh, who are you guys?¡± The old hag squeezes out a shaky voice. Her high-handed attitude has completely disappeared. Now she¡¯s completely quiet. And now, she said, ¡°Who am I?¡±. Hmm, if I say ¡°I¡¯m a former demon king,¡± I¡¯ll be chased to the ends of the earth. ¡±Huff, I¡¯m an ally of the weak.¡± I said this and smiled at Elena. Her trembling suddenly stopped, and her face turned completely red. But her arms tightened. Hey! Where is that power coming from! Meanwhile, Kabirumba looks at me with a ¡°What is he talking about?¡± This guy¡¯s terrible. Anyway, isn¡¯t it cool to be cool? I¡¯m a former demon king, you know. ¡±I-I see. You¡¯re an ally of the weak. Is that why you delivered the ¡®Curse-Breaking Charm¡¯ for my granddaughter?¡± ¡±That¡¯s right. I just didn¡¯t know that Miss Elena was under a curse.¡± ¡±Hmm¡­¡± Obaba started to think about something, but Miss Elena was puffed up. Why? Maybe she wanted me to say that I made it for her? No way, because that¡¯s the truth. ¡±By the way, I¡¯m curious¡­ how did you know that Leo-sama was the one who made the ¡®Curse-Breaking Charm¡¯?¡± ¡±That¡¯s because¡­ I had a dream.¡± ¡±A dream?¡± ¡±Yes. I had a dream right after my father put the charm on my forehead. In the dream I saw a man with black hair and two reddish-black horns facing the magic circle. On his shoulders was something round and green.¡± ¡±Hey, it must be Kabirumba¡¯s fault.¡± ¡±No, it¡¯s Leo-sama¡¯s fault.¡± No, it¡¯s certainly Kabirumba¡¯s fault. After all, you know¡­ there are many demons with two horns. There¡¯s a good chance it¡¯s not me. But not you, Kabirumba. You¡¯re the only one who looks like that. So, it¡¯s not my fault. ¡±So I knew right away that you were the demon in my dream. After all, when I checked all the demon in the town, I couldn¡¯t find anyone matching the description in my dream¡­ but I recognized Leo-sama at a glance!¡± ¡±I knew it was Leo-sama¡¯s fault¡­¡± ¡±Noooo¡­¡± I¡¯m so frustrated. I can¡¯t argue. Why shouldn¡¯t Miss Elena have started with the green circle? How can this happen? As I was blaming Kabirumba, the old hag made a move. ¡±Anyway, you guys need to come to the Lord¡¯s house. After all, you¡¯ve done so much for my granddaughter. So, let us at least repay you. Please.¡± The old hag clasped her hands together. I¡¯m afraid she¡¯s acting so differently from before. But I can¡¯t ignore the old hag¡¯s sincerity. Miss Elena also looks at me with a hot gaze, and she doesn¡¯t seem to want to let go of my arms, so I have no choice. ¡±Okay. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡±I¡¯ll lead the way!¡± Miss Elena said this bouncily. No, she was really ¡®bouncy¡¯. I don¡¯t know why. However, perhaps she has already regained her energy, hasn¡¯t she, Miss Elena? Chapter 27 ¡±Uh, Miss Elena? I think it¡¯s time you let go of my arm.¡± ¡±Please, call me Elena.¡± ¡±No, are you listening to me?¡± Miss Elena did not let go of my arm. Meanwhile, the old hag had left everything else to Elena because she had to take care of the store. What a selfish old hag. Well, I guess it¡¯s better than being followed like a ghost in the background. Normally, it would have been a carriage ride, but there was no carriage, perhaps because the presence of a carriage in front of the store might have alarmed people. If anything, there was no escort. I wonder if it¡¯s safe. ¡±Miss Elena, are you sure you¡¯re safe wandering around in a place like this by yourself?¡± ¡±Don¡¯t worry. You may not know it, but I¡¯ve got an escort. Besides, Leo-sama will protect me if anything should happen, right?¡± ¡±That¡¯s true¡­¡± After all, I¡¯m an ally of the weak. Well, upon searching the area with my ability, it is true that there is someone who is keeping an eye on us from a distance. Still, she seems to be a daring young lady without an escort next to her. Oh, wait, aren¡¯t I her escort now? Well, the young lady is in a good mood and pulls my arm. And when the people saw us, they looked at us as if they were smiling at someone. Hey, that¡¯s not the kind of relationship we have. Please don¡¯t misunderstand it. Still, it seems a long distance to walk to the Lord¡¯s house¡­ Despite the fact that Miss Elena is fully recovered, she is still a lady with a famous reputation, isn¡¯t she? No, that power. I may be making a terrible mistake. Miss Elena is a daughter of a distinguished family, right? Who said that? She could be a power girl. As I was thinking that, a carriage stopped in front of us. It looks different from the carriages that run around here. This one has a magnificent roof that covers the whole of the carriage, and it is a two-horse cart. The body of the carriage was decorated with the family crest of some family, and the metal used in some parts of the body shone with a dignified light. Just by looking at it, I could tell that it was a prestigious carriage. ¡±Miss, I¡¯m here for you.¡± ¡±You¡¯re here sooner than I expected. Are you sure you¡¯re not overworked?¡± ¡±No, no, I¡¯ll be right up for you, Miss.¡± Miss Elena talks with the coachman with a smile on her face. It seems that this carriage belongs to the family of the Margrave Badia. And it seems that we will be traveling by carriage from here. I feel relieved. I thought I¡¯d have to carry her in my arms the whole way. ¡±Leo-sama, please get in.¡± ¡±It¡¯s a very nice carriage. Excuse me.¡± ¡±Hey!¡± Kabirumba head-butted me. Kabirumba¡¯s head is like a stone. Still, what¡¯s this guy doing out of the blue? When I scowled for what this guy was doing, he spoke in my ear in a whisper. ¡±Human women, especially noble women, are escorted by men.¡± ¡±Escort? I don¡¯t know how to do that¡­¡± ¡±First of all, you have to give her your hand¡­¡± Following Kabirumba¡¯s instructions, I escort Miss Elena. Apparently, it is good manners to let the lady get on first. Really, it¡¯s a pain in the ass. Human society is troublesome. In a demon society, we¡¯d just say, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, just get in¡±. ¡±Miss Elena, please get in first.¡± ¡±T-Thank you very much.¡± Miss Elena, with a hint of pink on her cheeks, got into the carriage. It seems I was right. That¡¯s Kabirumba, a man I can count on. She got into the carriage and we started to go quietly. The kind of carriages I often see in the town are noisy with rattling and clattering, but this one seems to be different. Oh, so this is the carriage that the Lord rides in. Nice, nice, rich people are nice. The windows were covered with thick curtains and lanterns illuminated the inside of the carriage. ¡±Let me introduce myself again. I am Elena, the daughter of Margrave Badia. I thank you for saving my life.¡± Miss Elena bowed deeply. It seems that she had been patient so far because she had been in the public eye. Being a daughter of a Lord is hard work. I guess she can¡¯t bow so easily in front of others as a superior. But I know that feeling. I used to be like that. It took some getting used to. Anyway, it¡¯s hard on Miss Elena¡¯s chest, too. ¡±As I said before, I¡¯m an ally of the weak. It is natural to save those who can be saved. So please look up. Your chest are about to fall out.¡± Miss Elena lifted her head and hid her chests with her hands. Hey, if she has a sense of shame, she should not wear such a dress that emphasizes her chest. Or is it an aristocrat¡¯s custom? ¡±My name is Leonito. Please call me Leo. This is Kabirumba, my buddy. the fungus spirit.¡± ¡±Hi.¡± Kabirumba bends its threads with a smile. Its looks kind of happy. Is it because I said ¡°buddy¡±? This guy is cute. Maybe he¡¯ll be even nicer if I call this guy ¡°sensei¡±? Hmm, hmm. However, Miss Elena, with a bright red face, started to lower her arms to her waist, as if to emphasize her chest. She is in a posture as if to emphasize her chest. What does this mean? ¡±I¡¯m a little curious, how are you feeling? I assume that your loose-fitting clothes are designed not to put any strain on your body.¡± The loose-fitting clothes make me feel as if her chests are about to fall out. I would have thought that a tighter dress would not have done that. ¡±Thanks to Leo-sama, I feel much better. My mother chose these clothes for me because she was worried about my body. I told her that I could wear normal clothes now that I was better, but she wouldn¡¯t listen to me.¡± She looked troubled, but she did not seem to mind. I guess she is glad that her mother cares about her. That¡¯s good. ¡±That¡¯s good. The ¡®Curse-Breaking Charm¡¯ that I made has a special feature that makes it resistant to curses. It is unlikely that you will be cursed again in the future.¡± ¡±It¡¯s not that unlikely, it¡¯s almost impossible. The only possibility is if Leo-sama curses you¡­ but even then, it would be the highest level of curse, so it is not so easy.¡± ¡±Hey, Kabirumba, could you please stop talking as if I am cursing Miss Elena? I don¡¯t want Miss Elena to get the wrong idea.¡± See? Kabirumba said something so strange that Miss Elena froze. What are you going to do? I¡¯m sure there¡¯s some kind of misunderstanding. Chapter 28 Margaret Badia, the old hag, sighs loudly as she sees her granddaughter Elena leave the store. She had not expected that the demon who had come to buy the materials for the magic bag was the one who had created the ¡°Curse-Breaking Charm++¡±. Naturally, Margrave Badia asked the Alchemy Guild to obtain the ¡°Curse-Breaking Charm¡± before. However, he could only place an order for it. The head of the guild told him very ambiguously that ¡°it is not impossible to get it¡±. If this situation continued, his daughter would die. So, Margrave Badia sent a messenger to the royal capital to ask for the ¡°Curse-Breaking Charm¡±. But even so, it was not easy to obtain it. Of course, Margaret, his mother, did not sit idly by and watch the situation. So, she thought that a demon tribe skilled in alchemy and magic might be able to make it. And, with a little hope, Margaret visited every house of the demon tribe in the town. But her hopes were soon crushed. The demon tribe does not need the ¡°Curse-Breaking Charm¡±. Because they cannot be cursed. That¡¯s obvious because they don¡¯t need it. It is the same for human beings. However, if there is a person who makes alchemy a hobby, it may be a different story. Still, she went around to all the houses, but in the end, it was all in vain. ¡±I didn¡¯t think there was a demon tribe who could make a ¡®Curse-Breaking Charm¡¯. Assumption is scary. So scary. But that ¡®Leo-sama¡¯ or whatever it was didn¡¯t seem to be a demon tribe at all.¡± The old hag suddenly remember that time. When he first visited there, she didn¡¯t feel anything strange. No, no. It was the fact that she felt nothing that was strange. After all, demons have much more magical power than humans. Therefore, even if they are there, those who have magical power feel intimidated by them. However, ¡°Leo-sama¡± did not give her such a feeling. Rather, he was creating the same atmosphere as the people around. And it is more and more unusual the more she think about it. Then, there is one possibility. ¡±Is he hiding his power, that demon, by any chance? Oh right, he said he attacked a goblin village and killed them in 3 seconds!¡± Unaware of her loud voice, the old hag moved around the store. But she didn¡¯t have time to sit down and think. ¡±The power of that demon tribe is immeasurable, isn¡¯t it? Besides, he can make a ¡®Magic Bag¡¯, a ¡®Curse-Breaking Charm¡¯, and a ¡®Void Bag¡¯. I bet there aren¡¯t more than three alchemists in the whole world who can make void bags.¡± She moves around, still mumbling. But she wonders who the hell that demon is. He said he was an ally of the weak, but how much can she believe his words? ¡±I should report this to the kingdom¡­ No, no, no, no! What if it¡¯s bad for that demon? What if he becomes our enemy? There will be terrible damage.¡± She shivers as she imagines the scene. Margaret¡¯s thoughts were now in order, and she hurried to the back of the store. There she found an alchemical item that would allow her to speak directly with the Margrave. Its name is ¡®Conversation Crystal¡¯. It is a rare item that allows someone to talk to a person at a distance. Now, Margaret held up her hands to this Conversation Crystal. ¡±Can you hear me?¡± ¡¯Mother? What¡¯s going on all of a sudden? What¡¯s wrong?¡¯ This item is to be used only in case of emergency. That is why Margrave Badia had flown to the room where the conversation crystal was kept. ¡±Listen to me carefully. Elena is on her way there now with the Demon. Welcome them politely. As if royalty had come.¡± ¡¯As if royalty came?¡¯ A clearly puzzled voice came back. But it is true that Demon has strong power. They should never be underestimated. However, even if the person wasn¡¯t a Demon, Margrave Badia had no intention of being disrespectful to the person who had saved his daughter¡¯s life. ¡±That¡¯s right. You mustn¡¯t offend this demon. If you do that, this town will be reduced to ruins easily.¡± I heard the sound of spit being swallowed on the other side of the conversation crystal. It seemed that her point had been conveyed correctly. So, with a satisfied feeling, Margaret continued. ¡±I¡¯m going to close up today and head over there, too. I¡¯ll tell you the details then.¡± ¡¯I-I¡¯ll be waiting for you, mother¡¯ What was that last puzzled voice? Margaret have to question him for an hour or so when she get back to the house. Anyway, she smile to herself as she think of her son and her granddaughter, who have regained their vitality. ¡±In any case, I can only express my gratitude to Leo-sama. His alchemy is top-notch. And he is also powerful. I¡¯d like him to be Elena¡¯s husband at any cost.¡± Margaret nods her head. In her mind, she was already planning how to bring them together. Then it occurs to her. ¡±And the ¡®green fungus¡¯ like creature on Leo-sama¡¯s shoulder¡­ I think he called it a Kabirumba or something. It seemed to have a lot of knowledge. If I can get that knowledge too¡­ I¡¯ll have to push harder and harder to get them together.¡± The old hag¡¯s eyes lit up. It was the same gleam she had when she had hunted like a panther to win over the position of Margravine. Meanwhile, Leonito and Kabirumba both felt a mysterious chill and shivered. Chapter 29 After hearing Kabirumba¡¯s that ¡°I¡¯m cursing Miss Elena,¡± Miss Elena has been staring at me. D*mn, Kabirumba is making me feel uncomfortable. And I¡¯m getting chills, too. But when I look at Kabirumba as if to say, ¡°It¡¯s your fault,¡± Kabirumba also has a mysterious chill, or maybe he is shivering. No, Kabirumba is definitely shivering, isn¡¯t it? Is it possible that this guy is feeling uncomfortable under Miss Elena¡¯s gaze too? ¡±Excuse me, Miss Elena? I swear to God that I didn¡¯t curse you, okay?¡± ¡±T-That¡¯s right. Leo-sama would never do such a thing and I won¡¯t let him do that. Please rest assured. Therefore, Miss Elena will never be cursed again.¡± ¡±Never be cursed again¡­¡± Oh no. I don¡¯t know what it is, but Miss Elena¡¯s frozen expression scares me. What am I supposed to do in a situation like this? I wish I was an expert in interpersonal relations, but unfortunately I¡¯ve been a quiet person until recently. I have no idea what to do. As I was puzzled, Miss Elena leaned forward and put her hands on my hands. She was leaning forward so that her chest looked incredibly huge. I had thought, ¡°That¡¯s not true, is it?¡± but she was not wearing any bra, probably because she was sick! However, our eyes met, and her eyes were moist like blue roses in the morning dew. ¡±I don¡¯t know how many times I can thank you, Leo-sama. But I was always afraid that it would happen again soon after the curse was lifted. But now¡­ now¡­ I don¡¯t have to be afraid anymore!¡± Miss Elena cries out, perhaps overcome with emotion. At a time like this¡­ I should hug her and comfort her like a man, right? Besides, this position is not good. It¡¯s better to hug her so that I can¡¯t see her chest. And when I gently hugged her, Elena settled into my arms without any resistance. Then she hugged me tightly. Gwah, it¡¯s bad! Miss Elena is as powerful as Killer Kong! I struggled to comfort he while fighting the fear of being crushed like a mackerel. ¡±Have you calmed down?¡± ¡±Please forgive me. I¡¯m sorry for showing you my humiliation.¡± ¡±Hahaha, it¡¯s fine. Rather, you look so cute, it was a great experience for me.¡± ¡±Geez, Leo-sama¡­¡± After settling down, Miss Elena somehow moved from in front of me to sit next to me. Her hand was still holding my hand. Hmmm, if I meet Margrave Badia in this state, I am sure that he will cut me off. What should I do? When I looked at Kabirumba, he was looking far away for some reason. He looked as if he wanted to say, ¡°I don¡¯t care¡±. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have consoled Miss Elana? But I think it would have been worse to let her keep crying like that. In the meantime, it seems that we are approaching the residence of Margrave Badia. The coachman asked us to get ready for the arrival soon. He is a very thoughtful man. No wonder Miss Elena trusts him. Anyway, there is nothing special to do. However, I¡¯d have to do something about my hand¡­ After all, a gentleman is supposed to escort a lady. Then let¡¯s make it look like we were holding hands to escort her. It¡¯s a perfect plan. Really, I¡¯m afraid of my talent. Now as the carriage stops, there is a knock at the door. Miss Elena returns the knock and the door is opened. The bright light outside immediately illuminated the interior of the carriage. I go down first to escort Miss Elena out. Although our hands are still linked, I escort her out of the carriage in the same way. Hmm, she never let go of my hand, huh? Anyway, the carriage lands in front of the entrance of the mansion. The heavy black lacquered door was opened from the inside, and in front of us were two people in exquisite costumes, not too luxurious, not too poor, but exquisite. They must be the Margrave Badia and his wife. They looked at me and smiled. ¡±Welcome. We¡¯ve been expecting you. I am Amando Badia. This is my wife Olivia.¡± ¡±Nice to meet you. Thank you for inviting me. I¡¯m Leonito, and this is my buddy, Kabirumba.¡± ¡±Hi. I¡¯m Kabirumba.¡± The couple looks aghast at the talking green sphere. I knew a talking fungus was creepy. Even I can¡¯t figure out where this guy¡¯s voice is coming from. It¡¯s an eternal mystery. Still, the Margrave Badia and his wife must have heard about the dream from Miss Elena. Nevertheless, they could not believe in Kabirumba until they saw the real thing. ¡±I have a lot to tell you, including a thank you. Come on, come inside.¡± ¡±Well, if you¡¯ll excuse me.¡± I enter the mansion holding hands with Miss Elena. I didn¡¯t hear any comment from Margrave Badia, but I wonder if it was a good thing. However, I¡¯m getting a little nervous. After all, Miss Elena is clinging to my arm. How bold. As expected of Margrave mansion, the spacious hallway was decorated with expensive vases of flowers, and the pure white window frames were made of translucent glass. It was very different from the castle of the demon king. Whereas the other one was black, and there were no windows in the corridor. And there were weird-looking candlesticks here and there. Looking back now, it¡¯s in very bad taste. Now, I was shown into a sunny parlor. There were young-leaf colored curtains on both sides of the windows, and a large window with white lacy curtains, which were so thin that the other side could be seen through them, was blowing comfortably in the wind. Through the window, I could see a garden with red and yellow flowers. There seemed to be a fountain in the center of the garden. This is amazing. I could grow plants for alchemical materials here. ¡±Do you like it here?¡± ¡±Yes, of course. The view from here is wonderful.¡± ¡±Leo-sama, please come this way.¡± Miss Elena leads me to the seat she has prepared for me. On the table are foods I¡¯ve never seen before. I guess this is what human society calls sweets. I am a little excited, since all I have ever had in the past were fruits when it comes to sweets. As soon as I sat down, a cup of tea was brought to me. The tea seemed to have a very nice aroma. It was also served in front of the Kabirumba. How thoughtful. Kabirumba seems to be well recognized here. Its face looks happy. Chapter 30 After the servant who brought the tea left, Margrave Badia and his wife straightened their posture. Kabirumba and I followed their example and straightened our posture. Miss Elena also straightened her back. ¡±Please excuse my appearance, and forgive me to call you at such short notice. However, I have heard some of what happened. Thank you so much for saving my precious daughter. As you see.¡± Margrave Badia bows his head. His wife and Miss Elena bowed too. Somehow, I have a different feeling from when they bowed to me when I was a Demon King. It¡¯s so strange. I have not done anything to be bowed so deeply. I just did what I can do now. ¡±Everyone, please raise your heads. I can¡¯t talk to you if you like that. Besides, I didn¡¯t do that much. I¡¯m just doing what I think I should do as people who live together.¡± Finally, everyone looked up. Kabirumba has a ¡°what?¡± look on its face. I wonder if I said something wrong. I¡¯ll ask this guy later. ¡±I¡¯m glad to hear you say so. Of course, I will pay you.¡± ¡±That¡¯s the thing¡­ I¡¯m not an official alchemist. In fact, I am a dark alchemist. So I cannot accept a fee for my services.¡± ¡±Dark alchemist.¡± Miss Elena¡¯s eyes are shining for some reason. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m that good looking. Well, I think I¡¯m good looking myself. But then, Margrave Badia coughs. ¡±Excuse me, but why don¡¯t you take the qualification of an alchemist?¡± ¡±Well, Leo-sama doesn¡¯t have neither a diploma nor a letter of recommendation, which are the requirements to become an alchemist. That¡¯s why he couldn¡¯t qualify.¡± Kabirumba interjects now and then. His tone is a bit strong. This guy seems to have an idea. Is he going to do a ¡°Loophole Operation¡±? Isn¡¯t that a crime? I don¡¯t want to go to jail yet. After all, I just got resurrected! ¡±Well, I see¡­ It¡¯s true that a man as good as Leonito-dono doesn¡¯t need to go to the academy or become an apprentice of a famous alchemist. Very well. I will be your patron and write a letter of recommendation.¡± ¡±What!?¡± ¡±We¡¯ll be happy if you do.¡± Kabirumba smiled at my surprise. What a horrible fungus. I never thought I could get a letter of recommendation this way. Am I going to be all right? I¡¯m sure it¡¯s all right. After all, it¡¯s a recommendation from the most powerful man in the town. Power is scary. ¡±Leonito-san, if you don¡¯t mind, could I ask you a few questions?¡± Is Madam Olivia interested in alchemical items? It was nothing to hide, so I told her what had happened so far. Kabirumba didn¡¯t say anything to me, so I guessed it would be all right. To tell the truth, there was a time when I thought so, too. ¡±Fumu, so it was Leonito-dono who wiped out the ¡®goblin village¡¯ reported by the Adventurers¡¯ Guild, is it?¡± ¡±Yes, that¡¯s right. I was afraid that if I left them as they were they would increase in number and attack nearby towns¡­ I didn¡¯t think that the Adventurers¡¯ Guild was conducting an investigation.¡± ¡±That can¡¯t be helped. Leo-sama has done nothing wrong.¡± Miss Elena says so, but Margrave Badia looks a little troubled. It seems that the situation has become quite problematic. If this is the case, it would have been better to come forward to the Adventurers¡¯ Guild earlier. ¡±I guess we¡¯ll take care of that¡­¡± ¡±Grandmother!¡± ¡±Mother¡­¡± ¡±Old hag¡± ¡±Who¡¯s Old Hag!¡± The parlor door opens with a bang, and the old hag appears, all dressed up and ready to go. As expected of a former margravine, she has a stately appearance. She is a far cry from the woman I saw in the store. Immediately an extra chair is prepared, and the old hag takes a seat. ¡±I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m late, I¡¯m Margaret. I am the mother of the Margrave there.¡± At these words, Margrave Badia is smiling. I don¡¯t know what it is, but the old hag seems to be a very informal person. She doesn¡¯t live among the common people in the capital. But what should I call her? Old hag is not good. ¡±I¡¯m terribly sorry. Please forgive me.¡± ¡±There¡¯s nothing to forgive. Just pretend that it was an old friend of mine who did it.¡± ¡±I see¡­ I¡¯ll do that.¡± With these words, Margrave Badia bowed deeply to the old hag. It seems that things are going to be all right. But still, does the old hag have friends who could do such a thing? ¡±Old¡­ I mean, Margaret-san, you seem to be quite wild¡­¡± ¡±Wild? Kukuku¡­. Hahaha! Yes, yes. I used to run away from home a lot when I was young, looking for stimulation.¡± The old hag seems to remember those days, smiling happily. Maybe she really is a witch. This is a tricky one. Margrave Badia and his wife are smiling with a tight smile on their faces. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re being told about those days. And Miss Elena. She looks at her as if she were looking at a hero. Ah, so, you¡¯re that type, Miss Elena. Maybe it was not a good idea to cheer her up. But it doesn¡¯t suit her to be in pain. She¡¯s much better when she¡¯s as perky as she is now. It may be a source of worry for her parents, but not for me. ¡±So, I have a favor to ask of Leo-sama, will you do it?¡± ¡±Yes, anything I can do, please let me know.¡± Anyway, she can make up for the trouble I caused at the Adventurers¡¯ Guild. And the Adventurers¡¯ Guild will not take notice of me. In this case, I should do as she asks. That way, there will be no more regrets. ¡±Actually, I¡¯m worried that Elena might get cursed again¡­¡± ¡±Ah, grandmother, that¡¯s already taken care of.¡± ¡±W-What?!¡± With these saying, Miss Elena explained. Thanks to her, the conversation is flowing smoothly. In the meantime, I picked up a sweet that had been served to me. What a smooth texture! The sweet taste and mellow aroma that flooded my mouth. I could never reproduce this with fruits. This is a food of another dimension. It goes well with tea. ¡±Elena, it looks like you got yourself a real treat.¡± ¡±Oh, everyone, do you want me to make a ¡®Curse-Breaking Charm¡¯ to prevent curses? If you have the materials, I can make it.¡± When I said this, the atmosphere hardened.