《The Support Magician Who Was Kicked Out of The Hero Party Will Begin His Adventure》 Volume 1 - CH 1 Chapter 1 ¨C Lie When Eto returned to the stable where he would sleep tonight, his party member, Lana, appeared. ¡°¡­ Eto, where did you go until this late?¡± Lana asked somewhat hesitantly. ¡°I was just hunting for monsters outside the town. What¡¯s wrong? Do you have some business with me?¡± ¡°Hunting for monsters¡­why are you doing that? Even though we just arrived in this town this evening!¡± Eto was surprised at Lana¡¯s strong tone. However, since he has never talked about hunting for monsters alone to them, it may be unavoidable for her to have such a reaction. ¡°Well, that¡¯s true, but¡­ Hero-sama doesn¡¯t give me any reward after all, so I have to at least make some money just for food.¡± While being embarrassed, Eto explained the reason why he went out of town in the lightest tone possible. Hearing that, Lana cast her eyes downward and sank into silence. In actuality, Eto didn¡¯t want Lana to know that the Hero-sama doesn¡¯t recognize his work, resulting in him not giving Eto any reward. Let alone reward, the Hero didn¡¯t even give Eto a room in the inn, so Eto had to ask the innkeeper to rent a corner of the stable at a low price. "" Two years have passed since Eto joined the Hero¡¯s party. During that time, the treatment he received inside the party got worse and worse. For the past year or so, the situation where he didn¡¯t get any reward and couldn¡¯t stay at the inn continued even until now. ¡°I¡­ heard about it, you know¡­¡± Suddenly, Lana started speaking in a lower voice than usual. Eto doesn¡¯t know what kind of expression she is making right now because her face was still cast downwards. ¡°Heard what? About how I didn¡¯t get any reward?¡± ¡°Not that!¡± Lana replied strongly. ¡°About how Eto played with women in various towns! That¡¯s how you spend your money, that¡¯s how you always run out of money, right? It seems Hero-sama has also warned you many times. Despite that, Eto still plays with women, so Hero-sama didn¡¯t give you a room in the inn as punishment!¡± Eto couldn¡¯t understand what Lana was saying. He used his money to play with women? If he couldn¡¯t even have enough money to get an enjoyable meal, there is no way he could play with women, right? Why did Hero-sama tell her such a lie? Well, if it¡¯s that person who looked down on Eto, he may tell such a lie half-jokingly. More importantly, how could Lana who was from the same village as himself and had been with him since she was little believed that? For Eto, that was the most shocking thing that he heard. ¡°Looks like you couldn¡¯t say anything to that¡­¡± When Eto was unable to respond to her soon enough, Lana stood up, tried to leave Eto at the place ¡°Wait, Lana. I didn¡¯t play with women!¡± ¡°¡­ Alright, stop it. You even lied about not getting any reward from Hero-sama¡­. I¡¯m really disappointed in you, Eto.¡± Lana said so and started walking towards the entrance of the inn. ¡°Lana! T-that¡¯s not true!¡± Eto shouted. However, without looking back, Lana went into the inn just like that. ¡°Why¡­why does Lana believe what Hero-sama said more than me¡­.¡± Needless to say, Eto¡¯s muttering didn¡¯t reach anyone and disappeared into the darkness of the night. Volume 1 - CH 2 Chapter 2 ¨C Memory of A Year Ago ¨C First Part ¡°Eto, danger!¡± Hearing Lana¡¯s shout, Eto turned his body and saw a human-faced lion, a Manticore, was approaching him. At this rate, he won¡¯t make it in time to use any magic. Thus, he pointed the one-handed sword that he held in his right hand at the throat of the monster. Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t an opponent that could easily be damaged by such a desperate stab. The Manticore stepped back to avoid his sword and once again strongly kicked the ground with its tough hind legs, trying to bite Eto. That scene seemed to move slowly in front of Eto¡¯s eyes. And even though the fangs of the Manticore are approaching, he doesn¡¯t have any way to defend against it. But when he was prepared to be eaten by the Manticore, Eto suddenly felt an intense heat and light from his right. At the next moment, a fireball that was as big as the Manticore¡¯s body hit its flank, blowing its body to the other side. ¡°Eto-san, please move back!¡± With her right hand extended toward the Manticore, the master magician, Mirei, shouted. Having a side of its body burned black, the Manticore frowned and growled. Simultaneously, its body begins to glow, and two wind arrows manifest above it. ¡°GURURURURU, GWAR!¡± Then, with a deep roar, the Manticore fired the two wind arrows at Eto. Shortly after that, Lana bumped her body into Eto, causing the wind arrows fired by the Manticore to fail to hit its target. Lana immediately stood up and held out her sword to protect Eto. Looking at that, the Manticore glared at Lana and shined its body once again to activate its magic. However, a much more dazzling light suddenly spread all over the area. Standing there is Ronaldo, the Hero, who lifts up a shining holy sword in his hand. As Ronaldo brandished his holy sword down, the slash of light that jumped out of the tip of the sword flew and tore the body of the Manticore. Looking at that, Lana immediately narrowed her distance and slashed the head of the collapsing Manticore to give it a finishing blow. ¡î¡î¡î ¡®Ah, this dream again, huh.¡¯ Or so what Eto thought. It was the same dream that he had over and over. It was in fact something that Eto really experienced a year ago. Although he knew that he wasn¡¯t very useful in the hero¡¯s party, that battle against Manticore made that fact clear to everyone. The Hero¡¯s party is accompanied by a total of about thirty people consisting of the escorting knights and mages, liaisons to the royal castle and church, pharmacists, cooks, and coachmen. And it was precisely around that time their attitude toward Eto changed. That night, Eto was called by the hero. ¡î¡î¡î Hero Ronaldo and the master magician Mirei were waiting for him in the inn¡¯s dining room. The escorting knights were also present, but Lana wasn¡¯t there. And since that inn was reserved for the hero¡¯s group, no other guests are staying there. ¡°Sorry to make you wait, Hero-sama.¡± "" ¡°Aa, Eto-kun, please have a seat. I have something to discuss with you.¡± Around that time, Eto still had a feeling of admiration toward the Hero Ronaldo. Not only strength, the hero also possesses a blonde hair that shines like the sun, well-refined features, and a polished behavior akin to a noble, all of which were definitely things that could make people envy him. Eto has sighed many times when he saw his plain black hair and plain face that reflected in the mirror. Yes, he couldn¡¯t find any parts he could win when comparing himself to Ronaldo. ¡°Eto-kun, in today¡¯s battle against Manticore, are you aware that your carelessness has put our party in danger?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes, I am very sorry.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need you to apologize. If you are aware of that, then you are also aware that your support magic is useless at our level of battle, right?¡± ¡°Hero-sama¡­¡± ¡°Eto-kun, unfortunately, I have to forbid you to use your support magic in this party¡± ¡°But! If you do that, there is nothing I can do!¡± Eto subconsciously shouted. Although he did admit his mistake, that doesn¡¯t mean he could just nod if the Hero forbade him using support magic, which was his only special ability. ¡°Eto-kun, what could you even do in today¡¯s battle?¡± Mirei, who had been silent until then, opened her mouth. AD ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Hero-sama and Lana would be the vanguard, and I will handle the rear. Meanwhile, Eto-san could help the party by handing over potions and stopping low-ranked monsters.¡± ¡°However¡­¡± The instructions that Mirei told him were ones that she gave assuming Eto won¡¯t use the support magic anymore. That basically means he was the support of the party or could be said to be a chore that didn¡¯t require his abilities as the sage. ¡°Hero-sama, my support magic is still growing. Even now, it is effective for myself, Lana, and the escorting Knights and mages. That¡¯s why, please let me use my support magic.¡± Eto lowered his head and earnestly requested. When he was still being trained at the royal castle, the leader of the magic corps and others saw great potential in Eto¡¯s support magic. But now, if he was banned for using it, even the door to that possibility would be closed. Besides, Eto thought that if he could somehow insert his support magic into his party¡¯s combat tactic, he was sure that he would be able to manifest his power more than he has now. ¡°Eto-kun, I don¡¯t want things like today to happen again. We have to show the people real strength. By doing so, I believe it could lessen the fear they have towards monsters and strengthen their loyalty toward the Kingdom. That¡¯s the reason a hero¡¯s party exists, don¡¯t you think so? Hence, I was disappointed with how you fought today.¡± ¡°Hero-sama¡­¡± Eto stopped his thoughts for a while when he heard Ronaldo¡¯s words. The existence he admired just said he was disappointed with him. Because of that, his body seemed to become cold, even though it wasn¡¯t cold that day. ¡°¡­ Because of my carelessness, the Manticore was able to approach us. But, I think it is something that often happens in close combat. Furthermore, even if it wasn¡¯t me, other people could also hand potions to the party, right?¡± "" Eto somehow managed to regain his wits and tried to say that to the Hero. ¡°In that case, will you leave this party? I think it¡¯s a sin to be chosen by the goddess-sama as a sage but be useless in battle. If you don¡¯t feel like contributing to the party, you can always leave, you know?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Hearing how low the evaluation of others toward him, Eto starts to lose hope. He doesn¡¯t remember much after that. He only remembered that he told Hero-sama that he would obey his words. And from the next day, Eto stopped using his support magic. Volume 1 - CH 3 Chapter 3 ¨C A Memory of A Year Ago ¨C Last Part ¡°Eto-kun, I want you to stop. I can¡¯t allow you to use support magic with such a weak effect.¡± Ronaldo was looking at Eto, who visited the inn room, with an annoyed expression while saying that. A month has passed since Eto was banned from using support magic, which was his specialty. Although Eto felt it was unjust, the power that the Hero held was too much for him, as even the escorting knights and mages just silently obeyed Ronaldo¡¯s words. But even in such a situation, Eto continued to train his magic power manipulation and support magic. Because, although he doesn¡¯t know when, he still strongly wished that his support magic could help the party. ¡°Hero-sama, my support magic can improve everyone¡¯s physical strength and the power of magic attacks. And that effect is gradually increasing every day. That¡¯s why, please somehow let me use my support magic.¡± This was Eto¡¯s second direct discussion with Ronaldo. Eto was hoping that if Ronaldo could see the true power of his support magic, he would surely acknowledge his ability. ¡°But it didn¡¯t work at all in the fight against Manticore, didn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Even so, my support magic works for myself, Lana, and the escorting knights and mages. Please try it once again. As long as we build a strategy which includes my support magic, I¡¯m sure it would be useful for the party.¡± ¡°Are you trying to say we have to change our strategy to let you use your support magic?¡± Ronaldo¡¯s gaze sharpened. There is a wrinkle between his eyebrows, making Eto understand that he was irritated. However, Eto cannot back out here. Because he wanted the Hero to lift the ban for him to use his support magic. ¡°If I use my support magic on the escorting knights and mages and arrange their formations in each battle, I¡¯m certain the burden on Hero-sama will be reduced.¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t see any need for that.¡± Ronaldo immediately dumped his idea. ¡°Eto-kun, are you done? If that¡¯s the case, there is nothing we have to talk about anymore.¡± ¡°Hero-sama, please give me another chance. I want to use my support magic to contribute to the party.¡± Hearing that, Ronaldo sighed loudly. ¡°Alright, if you say that much, then let¡¯s make it clear. Show me that your support magic can help us.¡± Saying that, Ronaldo then ordered his maid to gather the escorting knights and mages. But as Mirei and Lana were outside, they didn¡¯t participate in it. ¡î¡î¡î Eto and the others, who came out of the town, headed towards the grasslands near the highway. ¡°With how wide this grassland is, I think it¡¯s enough for you to fully exert your power. Now, do demonstrate me the power of your support magic, Eto-kun¡± Since it will be night in another hour, Eto hurriedly gives an instruction to the escorting knights and mages, then casts his support magic on them. ¡°Like this, the knights whose strength and speed have been increased by my support magic will act as the tanks, and the mages with an increased magic attack power will perform mid-long range attacks. With this, since they have more defense and attack power, even if an unexpected situation occurs, they should be able to buy some time for Hero-sama to respond.¡± This was Eto¡¯s answer. Although the power of his support magic is growing, he still cannot significantly increase Ronaldo¡¯s statuses right now. In exchange, he proposed to allow the escorting knights and mages that had been strengthened by his support magic to participate in the battle to make the battle more steady and balanced. With that in mind, Eto looked at Ronaldo with anticipation. ¡°I understand what Eto-kun intended.¡± ¡°Then, will you acknowledge my ability?!¡± ¡°Eto-kun, looks like you are misunderstanding something.¡± Ronaldo sighed exasperatedly. ¡°Misunderstand¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. You need to know that it is important for me, who was selected as a hero by the oracle, to defeat the monsters. For that, I will keep letting the escorting knights and mages investigate the monsters and guard the town. Thus, you don¡¯t have to cast your support magic on them.¡± 1 ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°What I want is individual strength. With that strength, we, the apostles of the goddess-sama, will defeat the demons and allow people to live with peace of mind. Perhaps Eto-kun doesn¡¯t understand that?¡± ¡°Of course I understand that, but¡­ I just think you are too fixated on individual strength¡­¡± Although individual strength is indeed important in battle, the specialty of Eto, who is a sage, is support magic. Hence, Ronaldo¡¯s thinking seemed to deny the very existence of a sage. ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m wrong?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I mean. However, I, too, joined the hero¡¯s party because of the Oracle. Doesn¡¯t that mean my role is to aid the party by my support magic rather than by my individual strength?¡± ¡°Eto-kun, pull out your sword.¡± Ronaldo then pulled out the holy sword and pointed its tip toward Eto. ¡°Hero-sama, what are you¡­¡± ¡°The escorting knights and mages are enough for support. So, prove your strength. That¡¯s the only way I could acknowledge you.¡± In the end, what Ronaldo wanted from Eto seemed to be only individual strength. His eyes stared firmly at Eto, as if saying he doesn¡¯t accept any other answer. Subsequently, the sky began to darken. And once this ends, Eto doesn¡¯t even know when Hero-sama will even hear what he said. Thus, Eto made up his mind. He pulled out his sword and casted support magic on himself. ¡°Here I go, Hero-sama.¡± Eto immediately narrowed his distance to Ronaldo and slashed. And for Eto, it was his most powerful attack, with his power and speed being strengthened with his support magic. "" However, the moment Eto thought his sword was going to reach Ronaldo, Ronaldo casually swung his holy sword. As a result, Eto¡¯s body was blown away and rolled on the grass. ¡°Looks like it was a waste of time.¡± Looking at Eto, who fainted, Ronaldo muttered. After that, Eto was taken to the inn by the escorting knight. But after that day, the severe criticism towards Eto by the support members2 became even stronger. He also began being separated from Ronaldo and the others, even when having a meal, and eventually he didn¡¯t get a room in the inn. At last, Ronaldo also didn¡¯t give him any rewards from subjugation. And Eto¡¯s suffering will last for a year. Volume 1 - CH 4 Chapter 4 ¨C A Magician¡¯s Complaint Just like any other day, today, Eto got blamed by the holy mage, Mirei, for being late in handing over mana potions to restore her magic power during the battle. Meanwhile Lana, who used to defend Eto, has distanced herself and stopped joining in such conversations since their talk in the inn¡¯s stable. ¡®If you complain that much about the timing of handing over the potions, I hope you could just carry a few potions yourself and drink them when needed¡­¡¯ That¡¯s what Eto thought. However, Mirei, who was a noble blessed with magic talent from an early age, seems to have no hesitation in treating Eto, who she deemed useless, like a servant. ¡°Eto-san. Can you at least know when you should hand me the potion? That¡¯s the only thing Eto-san, whose support magic is useless, can do, right? I wonder why you can¡¯t understand no matter how many times I say it. Nee, Eto-san, are you listening?¡± While swaying her brunette¡¯s hair that stretched to her waist, Mirei wrinkled her eyebrows and sharply directed her gaze at Eto. ¡®Even though I, too, should be able to show my power if I wasn¡¯t banned from using it¡­¡¯ However, Eto knew that once it was branded as useless, it¡¯s hard for him to change it. And in the current situation where he couldn¡¯t even get any chance to show it, he couldn¡¯t even relinquish such infamy. ¡°Sigh, why is someone like you even in Hero-sama¡¯s party? I wonder if you really were chosen as the sage. Maybe there is a mistake? You need to know that it is your fault that people might even doubt our ability,¡± Saying that, Mirei stared at Eto, waiting for a counterargument. However, Eto could only respond to her with, ¡°I am very sorry.¡± Then, with a deep sigh, Mirei shook her head, seemingly irritated with Eto. ¡°Can¡¯t you just leave the party right away? Although I know the fame and reward of the Hero¡¯s party is very appealing to you, it is troubling to have an incompetent member like you. Nee, Eto-san, can you understand what I said?¡± Mirei¡¯s grumbling will continue for a while, and this has already become a daily thing. Every time this happens, Eto only listens with half an ear and answers with ¡°Yes, I know that very well.¡± or ¡°Yes, I am very sorry.¡±, etc. "" Normally, he would just endure the grumble until Mirei gets tired of it, but today there was another person who joined the talk. ¡°Eto-kun. Do you have the awareness of being a member of Hero¡¯s party? If you don¡¯t, just as Mirei-san said, I¡¯d like you to leave this party¡± The hero, Ronaldo, stared at Eto with his dark blue eyes. ¡°Hero-sama, it is difficult to know exactly when to hand a mana potion without a sign from the mage. Moreover, normally, magicians would also carry their own potions. And in case the mage wants someone to hand her a potion, they would decide on a sign for that in advance.¡± ¡°Huh? Are you implying I am the one wrong here? You, who is useless to the party, had the gall to push your responsibility on others? You should be ashamed of yourself!¡± Mirei glared at Eto. ¡°You¡¯re right, Mirei-san. Eto-kun, since the things that you can do are limited, it¡¯s troubling if you can¡¯t even do that perfectly. Why can¡¯t you do such a simple thing like handing over a potion?¡± Ronaldo, who was supposed to be the party leader, didn¡¯t even blame Mirei. Rather, he even added some words to corner him. Like that, a year after Eto was banned from using support magic, the treatment he got in the party worsened to the point where he wasn¡¯t allowed to say any objection to any member of the party. Volume 1 - CH 5 Chapter 5 ¨C Leaving the Hero¡¯s Party1 In actuality, Ronaldo has never been adding to Mirei¡¯s unreasonable remarks about Eto. Needless to say, even now, Mirei still continues complaining about Eto. However, Eto apparently felt that it was time for a change. ¡°Hero-sama, Mirei-sama, as I have said many times, without a sign from the magician herself, I won¡¯t be able to hand the mana potion at the perfect timing that Mirei-sama wants. And I don¡¯t think anyone can do it. Well, that is, unless that person is a person from Mirei-sama¡¯s household who can understand all of Mirei-sama¡¯s thoughts without being told, though.¡± When Mirei paused her complaints for a bit, Eto said that. Although it was something that he has explained to her numerous times, he had to say it because it is a fact, even though the said person doesn¡¯t feel like hearing it. ¡°What an excuse. There are indeed plenty of people at home who can understand my thoughts. I¡¯ll call them to do that instead of Eto-san, so can you immediately leave this party? We don¡¯t need a useless person after all. Right, Hero-sama?¡± ¡°Yes, you are absolutely right. I¡¯ve endured it quite a lot until now, but as expected, Eto-kun isn¡¯t suitable to be a member of my party. Eto-kun, if you can change your mind and do your job properly, then it¡¯s fine. But if you can¡¯t, I want you to leave the party.¡± At this time, Eto couldn¡¯t find any meaning in trying to stay at the party, to the point of he had to bow his head to Ronaldo and Mirei. Not only was he banned from using support magic, the only thing he was allowed to do during the battle was handing over potions and stopping small fries that came towards them. While stopping the goblins with a sword, which he wasn¡¯t good at, he was also yelled at by Mirei and had to run around with potions in one hand. Furthermore, when the battle was over, he was cursed for being useless and a hindrance. And in the end, he doesn¡¯t even get a share of the subjugation reward. Not too long ago, he was worried that Lana, who was from the same village as him, would be lonely if he were to leave the party. However, since she got a top-class profession, Sword Saint, she became an indispensable existence of the party. Compared to Lana, Eto thought that all he could do in the party was just a pathetic job. Perhaps that¡¯s also why she decided that his words were a lie that night. Thus, Eto sighed deeply, then he stared into Ronaldo¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s just as Hero-sama and everyone says, I am not needed in this party. Therefore, I¡¯ll be leaving the party from today on. Thanks for everything.¡± ¡°Great! I do think it would be better for all of us. Eto-kun is still the same age as me and still very young. I think it¡¯s better for Eto-kun to look for a job that suits you in town rather than fighting with monsters. Alright. As a party leader, I respect Eto¡¯s wishes.¡± After saying something like Eto¡¯s wishes coincided with his, Ronaldo immediately approved Eto¡¯s withdrawal from the party. ¡°Thank you for your understanding.¡± Hearing that, Eto once again bowed his head. Then, when he turned his gaze towards Lana, he found that Lana had wide eyes, seemingly surprised with what he said. Eto did feel a little guilty of impulsively deciding to leave the party without consulting Lana first. But, he was certain that even if he wasn¡¯t here, Lana wouldn¡¯t be troubled. Because just as Lana distanced herself from him, Eto also mentally distanced himself from Lana, who didn¡¯t even believe his words. Volume 1 - CH 6 Chapter 6 ¨C New Start The next morning, Eto, who was sleeping in the inn¡¯s stables as usual, was awakened by the clerk in charge of taking care of the horses. ¡°Hey, you. Aren¡¯t you the chore guy in Hero-sama¡¯s party? Your party members have already left, is it fine for you to sleep?¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s fine.¡± After answering the guy, Eto went out of the stable and stretched his body, circulating the blood around his stiff body. ¡°Ah, what nice weather. Looks like it¡¯s going to be sunny today.¡± The sun has not yet crossed the city walls. Even so, Eto, who sucked in a deep breath of the refreshing morning air, felt really fresh as if he had just been reborn. That was naturally because he was finally released from the Hero¡¯s party. ¡®From now on, I¡¯m going to live as I wish. I¡¯ve had enough of a life where my head was pressed down from above and being forcefully evaluated as a useless person.¡¯ For the time being, he has to return to the royal capital and report to the royal castle that he has left the Hero¡¯s party. After that is done, then truly, he will finally be able to regain back what he had lost. After washing his face with the water from the well and getting dressed, Eto went to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild to earn money for the traveling expenses to the royal capital and also for his living expenses. In fact, it has been two years since Eto joined the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. But at that time, he just only finished the registration procedure before heading to the royal capital because he was chosen as the Sage at the church. Naturally, he started from F-rank. Although his rank keeps increasing from subjugating monsters while he was still in the Hero¡¯s party, for the past year, it has become common for him to accept requests alone for the sake of earning living expenses and replacing his equipment or items. Thanks to that, he is now a C-rank adventurer, which is the rank when an adventurer is finally recognized as a full-fledged adventurer. When his rank went up from E-rank to D-rank and from D-rank to C-rank, the rewards he got from completing requests was also increased. Thanks to that, he was able to get out of a life where he could barely eat, little by little. To be frank, if he wasn¡¯t even working in the Hero¡¯s party, Eto will be able to live a relatively good life as an adventurer. Eto then accepted several requests around the town that he could complete at once, and completed them one by one without facing any danger. Then, after subjugating a small settlement of Goblins with other adventurers, Eto took a break while remembering something that happened two years ago. It all started when a church official came from the royal capital to meet Eto and Lana, who were born in a small village in a remote region. Volume 1 - CH 7 Chapter 7 ¨C News About The Birth of The Hero That day, all the people in the village were gathered at a meeting house in the center of the village. The village chief leaned his weight on his cane with both hands and slowly stretched his bent hips to raise his voice. ¡°Everyone, this gentleman is Pastor Saar, who came from the royal capital. And he has something to announce, so please listen carefully.¡± Knowing that the person standing beside their chief was a messenger from the royal capital, half of the villagers were curious, while the other half were hoping that they wouldn¡¯t get involved in troublesome matters. Pastor Saar, who is dressed in a dark green garment, then bows to the villagers. From his looks, people assumed that he was still in his mid-twenties and seemed to be a serious young man. ¡°As introduced by the chief, my name is Saar. This time, I come to convey the words of the pope to everyone.¡± The villagers then started to make a commotion. ¡°Please calm down. We only wanted to ask one thing from everyone. That is, when your children turn fifteen, please be sure to have them receive a profession assessment at the Church in the town of Assis.¡± Hearing that, the commotion stopped for a moment, before they started to talk with each other, but with a voice lower than before. In towns, when boys and girls turned 15 years old, they would definitely receive a profession assessment at the church. However, people from villages in remote areas don¡¯t really like to go out of their way to send their children to the town just for that. Thus, there were a number of parents who didn¡¯t let their children receive a profession assessment. The reason for this may be that they believed that villagers like them, who live their lives doing farming or hunting, don¡¯t particularly need a good profession. ¡°This time, there was an oracle from Goddess-sama, informing us that the Hero will be chosen.¡± When Saar said that, the villagers¡¯ voices became louder again. "" ¡°Eto, did you hear that? Hero-sama will be chosen, he said! Amazing! I can¡¯t believe the Hero really exists.¡± Lana¡¯s face was flushed with excitement. ¡°Like that Hero-sama who defeated the demon of darkness a hundred years ago?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! And don¡¯t forget, Hero-sama also defeated the Rotten God and the Golem King!¡± ¡°But, isn¡¯t that just a story? I wonder if Hero-sama really defeated them.¡± ¡°Of course he did! Isn¡¯t that¡¯s why Pastor-sama came all the way to this village¡± Knowing that the Hero, who always appeared in the story, actually existed, Lana¡¯s eyes brightened. That is understandable. Because she really liked the story of the Hero since she was little. Although it was a rare hobby for a girl, because of that, she gets on well with Eto, who admired adventure stories just like her. ¡°Everyone, the announcement isn¡¯t over yet. From here, I will be announcing the most important thing. Hero-sama needs some people to fight together with him. And according to the oracle from Goddess-sama, a Sword Saint, which was the highest profession of a swordsman, and a Sage who has an outstanding magic talent will be born in a remote region.¡± It goes without saying, that announcement made the villagers start talking loudly, as they thought heroes might be born among themselves. ¡°Eto, a Sword Saint, he said! That¡¯s so cool!¡± ¡°Lana, isn¡¯t the Sword Saint supposed to be a man, just like the story that we read?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it fine even if the Sword Saint is a woman? And because Eto is smart, you would be the Sage!¡± ¡°I also prefer to be the Sword Saint, you know! It¡¯s cooler to defeat the enemies with a sword than magic, after all.¡± ¡°But, as I said, it would be me¨C¡± Naturally, the conversation between the two, who cannot suppress their excitement, continued for a while. Just by hearing that the Hero actually exists, Eto felt like the world which they lived in changed, as if it was reborn. ¡°That¡¯s why, when your children turn fifteen, please be sure to receive a profession assessment! And the closest Church from this village is the Church in the town of Assis! Please remember to do that!¡± Although pastor Saar shouted with a loud voice, the villagers¡¯ uproar had become louder, to the point that it couldn¡¯t be controlled. Volume 1 - CH 8 Chapter 8 ¨C A Talent For Support Magic Although Eto and Lana were already fifteen years old when the pastor came to their home village and announced the birth of the hero, they originally had no plans to go to a church in a town to receive a profession assessment. This is because they intended to get a job that they could do in the village without having to undergo a profession assessment, just like any other villager. However, due to the uproar of the birth of the hero, which involved the kingdom and the church, Eto and Lana now had the opportunity to receive a profession assessment. And the two happened to be chosen as the Sword Saint and the Sage. Since then, their days have become hectic. They were kept in a separate room in the church, and then the church gave the detailed explanation to their families who were contacted and came to the town. After that, Eto and Lana left their parents and headed for the royal capital. During the long journey to the royal capital, Eto and Lana couldn¡¯t hide their bewilderment at the special treatment they received. They got the best room at the inn, and when it comes to meals, they saw numerous dishes that they have never seen before in their remote village. At the beginning, Lana indeed became lonely because she had to be separated from her parents, but because her childhood friend, Eto, was also with her, she managed to regain her cheerfulness on the way to the royal capital. At that time, they felt like they were characters that appeared in the story, making them excited for what kind of adventures awaits them. After the two arrived at the church headquarters in the royal capital, they were introduced to Hero Ronaldo and Master Magician Mirei, who arrived a few days later. But when they found that Ronaldo and Mirei were nobles, Eto and Lana ended up prostrating on the floor, as they didn¡¯t know how to act in front of them. ¡°Eto-san, Lana-san, please stand up. We are comrades chosen by Goddess-sama. Furthermore, we are special beings. That¡¯s why, just because you two are commoners, you don¡¯t have to humble yourself in front of me. We are all equal in front of Goddess-sama after all.¡± Ronaldo said with a dazzling smile. ¡°Just as Ronaldo-sama said, please come here, you two. Let¡¯s have tea,¡± AD Mirei also laughs at Eto and Lana in an amicable manner. Hearing how the two were talking to them in a gentle tone, Eto was overwhelmed, thinking ¡®So this is the difference between nobles and us commoners, huh¡¯ ¡î¡î¡î For the first six months, they received training at the royal castle, and then for the next six months, they received a lot of practical training by actually defeating monsters outside the town. Thanks to that, the Hero Ronaldo was able to freely wield the holy sword, which is said to be given by the Goddess-sama herself, and he was also able to use powerful sword skills and magic. Boasting a bottomless amount of magical power, the Master magician, Mirei, has been educated as a genius in magic from an early age. At the age of fifteen, she had already mastered numerous intermediate magic. And for fire magic, which was her specialty, she was even capable of casting the advanced magic of the said element. Lana, who was chosen as the Sword Saint, seemed to have a hard time living in an unfamiliar environment at first. However, she later gained more abilities as the Sword Saint at a tremendous speed as she trained with the Knights. Her growth was so abnormal to the point that after six months of training, there wasn¡¯t a person who could beat her unless they¡¯re as strong as the leader of the Knights. Meanwhile under such circumstances, they found out that Eto¡¯s specialty as a sage is support magic. Support magic can be broadly divided into three types. Buffs that could strengthen the battle prowess of his allies, debuffs that could weaken the enemies and cause abnormal conditions, and an enchantment that imbues magic to weapons and armor.1 Eto was able to master all of these support magics. Six months after he started his magic training, Eto¡¯s buff and debuff magic has risen to intermediate rank, while his weapon enchantment has succeeded in imbuing lower-rank magic. And Puke2, the leader of the magic corps who was teaching magic to Eto, valued Eto more than the master magician Mirei. He even told the people around that as long as Eto¡¯s level goes up, his support magic will definitely become the crucial factor in grabbing a victory in a tough battle. However, unfortunately, Eto¡¯s ability as the Sage was only supporting magic, while his sword and attack magic were mediocre at most. Thus, in the second year the Hero¡¯s party was made, and the journey to subjugate the monsters began, people started to question Eto¡¯s abilities. At that time, Ronaldo, who possesses the power of the holy sword and can use powerful sword skills and magic, was already able to slaughter intermediate to lower level monsters with a single swing of his sword. Ronaldo¡¯s individual fighting prowess has become so high to the point that there was no big difference even if Eto didn¡¯t really use his buff or debuff magic. In addition to that, the holy sword, which originally possessed great power, also couldn¡¯t be imbued with magic. Volume 1 - CH 9 Chapter 9 ¨C Changes in The Surrounding The one who began to say that Eto wasn¡¯t useful for the party first was the Master Magician Mirei. ¡°It seems we can¡¯t expect a good effect from Eto-san¡¯s support magic. Why don¡¯t we reconsider whether he is a needed person for the hero¡¯s party?¡± ¡°My support magic indeed doesn¡¯t have that much power like Mirei-sama¡¯s magic. However, the knights and magicians who participated in the subjugation could definitely feel the effect. Besides, the effect of my support magic is still increasing even now, so I think it will eventually be useful for everyone.¡± ¡°How long do you intend to make us wait for that? It¡¯s almost time for us to embark on a journey to subjugate the monsters, right? If we still have to wait even after embarking on the journey, isn¡¯t it more efficient to add the knights and magicians, who can be an immediate fighting force to the party?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Mirei-san, I think Eto-kun is also doing his best. Besides, we are comrades chosen by Goddess-sama. Hence, can you somehow take the long view?¡± Ronaldo then persuaded Mirei. ¡°If Ronaldo-sama says so¡­¡± Naturally, Mirei decided to follow Ronaldo¡¯s words, but she still gave Eto a sharp look. Actually, Eto knew why Mirei¡¯s attitude toward him changed. From the start, Mirei¡¯s goal is to become the leader of the magic corps, or in other words, the top magician in the kingdom. That is why, since she heard that the current leader of magic corps, Puke, evaluated Eto¡¯s support magic highly, Mirei seemed to see Eto as her rival. If Eto had been able to freely use advanced magic to contribute to the party, Mirei might not have been so openly against him. Regrettably, the members of Hero¡¯s party, who had little experience in subjugating monsters, couldn¡¯t understand the effectiveness of Eto¡¯s support magic. As a result, two months after they started their journey, Eto was banned from using his support magic. Since then, the sight of Mirei, who persistently criticizes Eto, has become a daily thing and the Hero didn¡¯t even try to stop it. From the start, Ronaldo always emphasized on each of their own individual strengths, and he didn¡¯t seem to be interested in strengthening his companions with support magic. Adding to that, a total of about thirty people consisting of the escorting knights and mages, liaisons to the royal castle and church, pharmacists, cooks, and coachmen who accompanied the hero party on their journey also started to look down on Eto, following Mirei¡¯s and Ronaldo¡¯s footsteps. Normally, things such as not getting a room in the inn or not getting served meals shouldn¡¯t have happened to Eto. Subjugation rewards should have already been given to each member of the party by the kingdom and the church. That is why the situation where Eto wasn¡¯t given any rewards was very abnormal. Of course, Eto has repeatedly urged the people accompanying the party to give him his share of rewards. He also had already said to the liaisons to the royal castle and the church that there is no way he could continue his journey if the situation where he wasn¡¯t even given any food continued. However, all they did was just said that they would do something about that after reporting it to their superior. Even so, Eto continued to urge them to change his current situation, but he stopped expecting anything from them after hearing the words of the liaison who was supposed to be managing the rewards. ¡°If you don¡¯t have any food, why don¡¯t you just hunt monsters and exchange them for money? Since Eto-sama hasn¡¯t participated in the battle with your party, I¡¯m sure you still have some spare energy, right?¡± A female bureaucrat, who is in charge of liaison with the royal castle, said so, while looking down at Eto. At first, the surrounding people indeed seemed surprised by her remarks, but they gradually began to agree. ¡°Aa, that¡¯s a good idea.¡± Then, a man, who was her superior, agreed to her remarks. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. We also cannot request something that we don¡¯t see any need for to the capital, after all. Thus, if Eto-sama could solve the problem himself, there is nothing better than that.¡±1 The liaison of the church immediately added. "" Meanwhile, the knights and magicians who were watching the situation said nothing and just glared at Eto. At that moment, there is only one thing in Eto¡¯s mind, ¡®This is useless¡¯. Eto gave up, as he found that those people had no intention to listen to his requests. Since then, Eto no longer complained about any of his distress to them. He just carried out his job as ordered by Ronaldo, then he accepted some requests such as defeating monsters or collecting herbs to cover his own food expenses while the other party members rested comfortably at the inn. As a matter of fact, Lana persistently asked him why the treatment that Eto received changed, but without being able to say that he was being looked down by the surrounding, each time Eto only said something to deceive her. After that, Lana gradually stopped asking, making Eto relieved. Volume 1 - CH 10 Chapter 10 ¨C Reporting to The Royal Capital Adventurer¡¯s Guild After recalling the past, Eto sighed deeply. Many things have happened in the last two years. And he knew that those things were undoubtedly things that he cannot experience had he stayed at his home village. However, Eto barely felt any gratitude towards those experiences. Because after having been discriminated against by the Hero and his party for about a year, the only thing he felt was exhaustion in his mind and body. ¡°I guess I will finally be able to get a break from those things once I finish my report in the royal capital.¡± Muttering like that, Eto returned to finish the request he took along with the other adventurers. But it seems, the Goblin settlement had already been annihilated by the hands of other adventurers. Having gathered enough money for his travel expenses to the royal capital, Eto immediately left the town. Then, while receiving some requests such as escorting in the town he visited along the way, Eto arrived at the royal capital in about half a month. When he visited the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, which is also the headquarters to get in touch with the Hero¡¯s party, he was told to wait in a room inside the guild. At that time, Eto started to feel worried about what their reaction would be after hearing his report. However, for the sake of regaining his life, Eto knew this is something that he cannot avoid. Plus, he also intended to report everything, including the treatment he received in the Hero¡¯s party, without concealing anything. After waiting for a while, the guild¡¯s Grand Master and the Guild Master of the royal capital¡¯s Adventurer¡¯s Guild entered the room. They¡¯re the ones who took care of Eto and his ex-party when they conducted a practical training to actually subjugate monsters around the royal capital before. By the way, the Grand Master is the head of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild in the kingdom. His job is to supervise the Guild Master of each town. ¡°Although we¡¯ve met Eto-san before, allow me to re-introduce ourselves. First of all, this is Trie-sama, the Grand Master, and I am Sidrake, the Guild Master of the royal capital¡¯s Adventurer¡¯s Guild. Pleased to meet you¡± ¡°Pleased to meet you, too. Thank you for giving me some of your time.¡± After exchanging some words, Eto began to explain why Eto was alone in the royal capital. Without any falsehood, he explained the series of events that led him to be there. ¡°Please wait a moment. According to Eto-san¡¯s story, Eto-san was banned from using your support magic by Hero-sama, right? Not only that, you also said that they didn¡¯t give you a share of subjugation rewards, and they refused to give you accommodation and meals. Hence, Eto-san ended up taking some work from the adventurer guild by yourself to earn your living expenses?¡± The Guild Master hastily asked to confirm the facts. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°When did it start?¡± Then, the Grand Master, who had been listening to Eto¡¯s story in silence, asked. ¡°It¡¯s been a year since I¡¯ve been treated like that.¡± ¡°Has Eto-kun told your situation to someone during that one year? Aren¡¯t there knights, magicians, liaison, and others accompanying Hero¡¯s party?¡± ¡°I did. Many times in fact. I told them to at least give me a share of the reward, and I also told them there is no way I could continue the journey without even being given a meal. However, one of them then said that since I was useless in battles, I should have been able to do some work in the Adventurer¡¯s Guild to earn my own living expenses. And the others also agreed to that. Although the knights and magicians heard the conversation, they didn¡¯t say anything. Because of that, I gave up making requests to them.¡± Truth to be told, at this point of time, Eto¡¯s anger has already disappeared. Because for him, all those things are already over. And right now, he is only fulfilling his obligation, which was to give a necessary report, before living his own life. ¡°I see. Understood. However, we have to confirm whether what Eto-san told us was true or not first, is that fine?¡± Saying that, the Grand Master squinted his eyes, trying to read Eto. ¡°Of course, feel free to.¡± Since Eto had expected it was unavoidable for them to suspect his report, he was able to receive the sharp look that the Grand Master gave him without panicking. And with that, his duty is finally over, and he decided to leave the rest to the guild. After that, the guild asked whether he wanted them to provide him accommodation, but Eto politely declined. Then, he also told them to leave a message to the guild receptionist if they have business with him because he is thinking of accepting requests at the guild. ¡®There is no way I want to leave everything, including my daily life, to the guild, when I am just about to start my adventure after all.¡¯ Volume 1 - CH 11 Chapter 11 ¨C Achievements in The Adventurer¡¯s Guild For the next two months, Eto vigorously completed many requests in the royal capital¡¯s Adventurer¡¯s Guild. In those two months, there was one time when the Guild Master explained the progress of the investigation, and from what Eto could see, it would take some time to finish the investigation because they had to summon the people concerned and confirm the facts. However, it seems Eto already had little interest in that matter at that time. Because rather than that, Eto was more excited in the power of his support magic, which has increased. Since his training at the royal capital began, Eto has been steadily training his magic control every day. And now, it finally began to produce some results. Eto had his share of experience in combat. Although he was banned from using his support magic by the hero, when he went out of the town alone to earn living expenses, he naturally used his support magic to defeat the monsters. Although his swordsmanship is still crude, by using buffs and debuffs, Eto, who wields a sword that has increased power after getting enchanted, already possesses the strength on par to that of B-rank or higher adventurers. That can be seen when Eto hunted a stray wyvern that was attacking a village near the royal capital. And when he returned to the guild, the adventurers who saw the corpse of the wyvern on the load-carrying tray, made a commotion, causing the guild to become lively like a festival. This also shows that in just under two months, Eto has won the trust of the adventurers and guild staff. It was shortly after that he was called by the Grand Master. ¡°Looks like you just made a big achievement, Eto-kun. There is no way you could stay in C-rank after defeating a Wyvern alone, you know?¡± With a gentle smile, the Grand Master greeted Eto, who was guided to a room in the guild. Inside the room, the Grand Master, the Guild Master, and two men whom Eto never met before are waiting for him. ¡°No, no, it¡¯s just because I was finally able to freely use my support magic. It¡¯s a little late to be able to do that, though.¡± ¡°I see. It seems your support magic has grown. Perhaps if Hero-sama didn¡¯t ban Eto-san from using your support magic, you might have been able to play an active role in the party right now.¡± The Guild Master who was listening on the side suddenly said. ¡°I wonder about that. That ¡®what if¡¯ that you just said will never happen, after all. And now, I just want to be useful for the guild as an adventurer from now on. And as the Grand Master said, if I am already qualified to be a B-rank adventurer, I also want to take the promotion exam.¡± ¡°Alright, I will be looking forward to it.¡± Hearing that, the Grand Master smiled with satisfaction. Volume 1 - CH 12 Chapter 12 ¨C Meeting in The Adventurer¡¯s Guild The two, who weren¡¯t acquainted with Eto, were in fact a high-ranking government official who is the assistant of the Minister of Finance, and a cleric who is the assistant of the high-ranking church official of the royal capital¡¯s church. If it was two years ago, Eto would definitely be afraid to speak when he meets such important figures. However, after witnessing the darkness of the royal castle and church, he was no longer influenced by the title of the person before him. After apologizing to Eto, the two simply explained that they have confirmed the facts of what Eto reported previously. ¡°The ones who didn¡¯t give Eto-san his share of rewards were the liaisons between the royal castle and the church. We also suspect that they took the money, but they remained silent on why they did so.¡± ¡°Maybe they¡¯re ordered by Ronaldo-sama? Ronaldo-sama seems to want to get me out of the party after all.¡± Eto asked straightforwardly. ¡°I don¡¯t dare to say anything about that, but¡­there is no evidence that the Hero-sama was the mastermind.¡± ¡°In other words, Ronaldo-sama wouldn¡¯t be blamed, right?¡± ¡°Given the current situation, I think it would be difficult to make Hero-sama take the responsibility¡­¡± In actuality, Eto expected this to happen. The hero was someone who was chosen by Goddess-sama to save the world from crisis. Meanwhile, the Sage, the Sword Saint, and the Master Magician only have the role of assisting him in his journey. There is no way they want such a unique existence to take responsibility for a trivial matter. And since Eto was the only victim, it seems there are still plenty of ways to mask it off. ¡°Alright. That¡¯s fine. I already expected that the truth would come to light from the beginning anyway. As long as this matter has ended, it is enough.¡± ¡°Sigh, I am very sorry for everything¡­¡± ¡°But can I say one thing regarding this matter? It¡¯s about the Sword Saint, Lana. I think she was just being lied to and didn¡¯t know anything about me not getting any rewards. We were born and raised in the same village, after all. So, I know that she wasn¡¯t such a person.¡± ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll tell the investigators about it.¡± ¡°In addition, Lana and I are just commoners. I hope you could warn the escorts to not let her be the next target of Ronaldo-sama and Mirei-sama. I don¡¯t know who they are escorting after all.¡± ¡°Yes, I would share the information regarding that matter too as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Please.¡± In addition to that, they also said that they would give Eto the compensation, including the rewards that he wasn¡¯t given at the hero¡¯s party. And since he might leave the royal capital for a long time, Eto asked for the money to be transferred to his guild¡¯s account. But, truth to be told, Eto just had a strong desire to not get involved with the people from the royal castle and the church anymore. Lastly, Eto decided to tell his concerns, which he had been thinking about for some time, to the government and church officials. As long as this problem is resolved, he would be able to clear his concerns. Volume 1 - CH 13 Chapter 13 ¨C Eto¡¯s Concern ¡°Although we still don¡¯t know for sure who was the mastermind of that case, it is clear that the problem has come to light. That¡¯s why, I hope you can make an arrangement so the Hero¡¯s party or the surrounding peoples cannot find fault with me.¡± ¡°Ee, I¡¯ll make sure no mistakes will happen.¡± ¡°I see. Well then, regarding the times when I was still in the Hero¡¯s party, can I ask you to prove my innocence?¡± ¡°Can you please elaborate it specifically?¡± ¡°From what I can assume from the investigation, someone was stealing my rewards, right? I think it¡¯s not surprising if such people start informing everyone that I¡¯ve actually spent all of my money or violently assaulted someone. It won¡¯t be difficult to fabricate some evidence with political and financial power after all. If possible, I don¡¯t want to spend my time and effort on such silly complaints.¡± Because of his experience in the Hero¡¯s party, Eto couldn¡¯t help but look at the government official and church official with cold eyes. And receiving such gazes from a B-class adventurer, the two began to sweat on their foreheads. ¡°U-understood. Well then, let¡¯s make credential proof that proves Eto-san hasn¡¯t committed any crime when he was at the Hero¡¯s party.¡± The government official gave a suggestion, accepting Eto¡¯s request. ¡°That¡¯s not enough. If someone suddenly gave ¡®concrete evidence¡¯, such credential proof would only become a piece of paper. Such a document that can¡¯t prove anything due to the power relationship at that time definitely cannot be called credential proof, right?¡± ¡°Then, what do you think we should do¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind even if you investigate everything about me once again, but in exchange, I want you to make sure that any crime I might have committed since I joined the Hero¡¯s party until I left, no, let¡¯s make it until when I had returned to the royal capital, never happened.¡± ¡°Make it never happen¡­? Like an amnesty?¡± The church official who was listening from the side asked. ¡°Since I didn¡¯t commit any sin during my time in the party, I don¡¯t really need an amnesty. However, the point is, I merely want to avoid getting into trouble because of someone who tries to find fault with me in the future. There is no way I could win against noble-sama after all. Do you understand what I mean?¡± ¡°Ee, I understand. However, that could damage Eto-san¡¯s honor, is that fine?¡± ¡°That cannot be helped. Regarding my actions after returning to the royal capital, I think the guild¡¯s staff and clients can prove my innocence. But because no one could guarantee my actions before that, I think it would be easy to forge evidence if anyone wanted to frame me.¡± ¡°I see. Then, just like Eto-san said, I¡¯ll ask his Majesty the King to issue a declaration that even if Eto-san committed any crime during the period from leaving your village until today, the kingdom will write them off.¡± Then the Grand Master, who had been listening in silence, offered a new suggestion. Naturally, Eto was also surprised to suddenly hear him bring up his Majesty the King name. ¡°Is it fine to make such a request?¡± ¡°Given the damage Eto-kun received, I don¡¯t think this is a problem. Besides, I think there is no better way to get rid of future trouble than receiving an amnesty from His Majesty, right?¡± The official dispatched from the royal castle showed his disapproval when the Grand Master brought up the name of His Majesty the King. However, at the end, the Grand Master accepted Eto¡¯s request with an intensity, as if he doesn¡¯t want to hear a refusal from the government official. Then, saying that he has to discuss matters in the royal castle, the man leaves the room. But in the end, Eto¡¯s request was accepted in the form of what was suggested by the Grand Master. And at a later date, a declaration with the signature of His Majesty the King was delivered to the guild. Volume 1 - CH 14 Chapter 14 ¨C How To Spend A Lot of Money That day, Eto, who was summoned by the Grand Master, was guided to a room in the guild. In the room, the Grand Master and the Guild Master are waiting for him. They told him that the royal castle and the church had transferred the promised money to him, and also that a declaration by His Majesty the King had been delivered. ¡°So, Eto-kun. This is a very difficult question to ask, but do you have any intention of returning to the Hero¡¯s party?¡± After confirming the declaration and the money had been received, the Grand Master asked Eto with a bitter look on his face, completely different from his usual heroic impression. ¡°Sorry, but I had to ask that. Eto-kun¡¯s achievement since returning to the royal capital naturally has been heard by the higher-ups of the royal castle and church. They likely thought it would be a loss for them if they let go of Eto-kun, the Sage chosen by Goddess-sama, who is extremely talented in support magic. Of course, even I thought it was too foolish, as they¡¯re too late for that. But then, how is it, Eto-kun?¡± ¡°I was kicked out of the Hero¡¯s party because they deemed I was useless. Hence, there is no way I can trust them. Besides, having me working together with them, or even traveling together for a long time, likely will cause a fatal crack in the party.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. They really don¡¯t understand what it means to be a party!¡± Saying that, the Grand Master scratched his head. He probably had some thought about that, as he was formerly someone who had made a name for himself as an adventurer. ¡°From now on, I just want to live my life as an adventurer. I have also set a goal, which is to prove the value of support magic to the world. Thus, I don¡¯t have any intention to join the Hero¡¯s party again.¡± Eto answered while staring firmly at the Grand Master¡¯s eyes. ¡°I see, understood.¡± After saying that, the Grand Master then told Eto that with this, the confirmation was over. ¡î¡î¡î After the meeting, Eto sat in the tavern, which is also the dining room of the Guild. The guild was a bit quiet as the morning hustle and bustle of adventurers who were competing to accept requests had passed. ¡°Uncle! Give me something light and carbonated water.¡± Eto called out to the shop owner. ¡°Ou! Are nuts fine? Or do you prefer roasted meat?¡± The owner, who had a big physique like a bear, bent over and looked out from the kitchen. ¡°Ah, nuts are fine. Please.¡± Three months have passed since Eto returned to the royal capital. The season has changed from summer to fall. Hence, the sunlight that illuminates through the window seems to have become more translucent, making the temperature inside the room more mild. That is actually a good thing. Because until a few days ago, extremely hot days have been persisting, and Eto, who doesn¡¯t have any thermoregulatory clothing, couldn¡¯t stand the weather. Having received some money from the reward for subjugating the Wyvern and selling the materials, Eto moved from the cheap inn he had rented since he came to the royal capital to an inn close to the adventurer¡¯s guild, which is also convenient for shopping for daily necessities. Although the fact that he still lives in an inn doesn¡¯t change, Eto felt moving from a dirt cheap inn in a slum where he could smell a bad smell when walking on the road, to living in a residential area where ordinary citizens live, was like a new chapter of his life. That made Eto realize that as long as he continues to do his best as an adventurer from now on, he would be able to live to the fullest. In addition to that, as long as he still had the money that just got transferred to his guild¡¯s account today, Eto will surely don¡¯t have to worry about meals for years. Because it was definitely a lot of money, which was something that Eto never had before. And now, he was wondering how to spend that money. ¡°Here, thanks for waiting! Oh right, it seems you got summoned to the guild, did you do something?¡± The owner casually starts a conversation. When he subjugated the Wyvern, it was very lively in this place, full of drinking and singing. And at that time, the shop owner came to remember Eto very well, and after that he began to talk casually with him. ¡°Nope, it¡¯s just, the things I requested have finally finished. With this, I can accept any request without any worries.¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s good!¡± Saying that, the shop owner laughed, before returning to the kitchen. After that, Eto munched the nuts, moistened his throat with lemon-squeezed carbonated water, and prioritized on thinking how to use large sums of money he just got. Volume 2 - CH 1 Chapter 1 ¨C New Equipment and the Slave Firm In the tavern of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, Eto was thinking about the future. Of course, he definitely wanted to make a name for himself as an adventurer, but besides that, he also wanted to prove the value of support magic to the world. Eto¡¯s support magic was branded as useless by Hero Ronaldo, and its usage was banned for a year. And he couldn¡¯t forget his frustration then. Hence, the reason why he wanted to strengthen his support magic other than to gain more strength as an adventurer was also Eto¡¯s stubbornness to make Ronaldo understand how wrong he was. Although he is now capable of defeating a Wyvern alone, as long as he continues being an adventurer, there is more danger awaiting him. For example, if many enemies attack him at once, it would be beyond Eto¡¯s power to handle them as an adventurer who acts as a solo. And if he is dealing with a large monster, such an Ogre, his current equipment definitely isn¡¯t enough. ¡°Yosh, let¡¯s solve those problems one by one. Uncle, thanks for the meal.¡± ¡°Ou, please come here again!¡± After leaving the guild, Eto went to the craftsman district, where weapon and armor stores gather. For about a year in the Hero¡¯s party, Eto¡¯s equipment was neither new nor maintained. Although the sword he used was a one-of-a-kind item made of high-quality steel and produced by a highly skilled blacksmith, and his armor was a high-class item made of Wyvern leather, which was provided by the kingdom, Eto has been doing the maintenance himself and kept using them despite their quality that keep degrading for the past year. But since it seems the equipment doesn¡¯t need to be returned, Eto thought it wouldn¡¯t be a problem even if he keeps using it. However, the fastener of the armor is now loose, and the tip of his sword was chipped, causing it to sometimes make a strange sound when hitting something. Yes, the sword was most likely cracked. Eto knew that if he is going to continue being an adventurer from now on, then properly preparing armor and weapons will become a pressing need for him. But he doesn¡¯t need a good-looking sword like those nobles used. What Eto wanted is a durable sword that could protect his life even if it has a rugged appearance, and also a set of armor that suits his fighting style. After looking around the stores, Eto decided to purchase the weapon in Garm Weapon Store owned by a veteran dwarf blacksmith and armor from Sylpheed armor store run by a dwarf and half-elf couple. Although both stores aren¡¯t that big, they have a good reputation among adventurers, and they listened to Eto¡¯s requests, even though he was still young and inexperienced. ¡°Garm-san, can you somehow lower the price of this Mithril Sword? Are you going to extort all the money of this young and innocent adventurer? I smell corruption-¡± Eto jokingly asked. ¡°No way! Don¡¯t say stupid things! As an adventurer who defeated a Wyvern alone, if you don¡¯t have enough money, go make more money outside the town!¡± It goes without saying, Garm just brushes off his joke. ¡°How about a discount?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Maybe a bonus?¡± ¡°Eei, you¡¯re noisy! Fine, I¡¯ll make the dagger for dismantling cheaper. If you make more money, don¡¯t forget to come here and buy something again!¡± ¡°Of course, thank you, Garm-san!¡± Eto bought a Mithril one-handed sword, a dagger for dismantling, and some throwing knives at the Garm Weapon Store. Then, at Sylpheed Armor Store, he ordered a set of armor made from the Wyvern materials he possessed and a sturdy adventurer¡¯s combat uniform to wear underneath the armor. The set of armor was actually relatively cheap, mainly because he provided the materials. But the Mithril sword alone made him lose one-third of his savings. As expected of a sword forged with a high-class material, Mithril. Needless to say, he kept trying to haggle with the owner, but it seems it was impossible. Mithril sword, which has a good magic conductivity, definitely will significantly increase the combat power of Eto, who is good at imbuing magic into the weapon. Because enchanting Mithril sword, rather than steel sword, could increase the attack power of the magic sword and additionally save his magic power. Eto was very exhilarated by the excitement of expensive shopping and the anticipation of equipping those weapons and armors. The next stop is the Slave Firm. After he finished buying equipment, Eto was thinking of buying slaves to add to his party. Eto knew that only with party members that the true abilities of support magic, which is his specialty, could be manifested. As long as he raises the ability of his party members with buffs, he believed they will be able to deal with dangerous monsters beyond the level of his party. Besides, most escort quests were in fact taken by a party rather than alone. However, after having a hard time in the Hero¡¯s party, Eto became reluctant to form a party with other adventurers. But if it¡¯s with a slave contract where their status was certain, Eto thought it would be possible to reduce troublesome friction between party members while ensuring his own safety. ¡°Still, whether we could develop a relationship or not is up to the other party, though¡± As he walked to the Slave Firm, Eto muttered, thinking about the future. In fact, there are some adventurers who are active with slaves as their party members. However, most of them treat the slaves as if they were disposable. And Eto, who was unjustly treated at the Hero¡¯s party, had a hard time seeing such scenes. Because, it¡¯s like he was seeing himself a few months ago. ¡°I guess let¡¯s start with meeting and talking to them first.¡± The Slave Firm that Eto is heading to is the shop recommended by the Guild master. Eto thought that if it¡¯s the guild, which has built an information network in the royal capital by buying and selling materials and the movement of the adventurers, they would definitely recommend him a healthy store. Besides, since the Guild is also aware of Eto¡¯s money situation, they surely won¡¯t introduce a store that wasn¡¯t suited for him. However, when he arrived, the Slave Firm that stood in front of Eto was just like the mansion of a noble itself. The entrance is equipped with a large iron gate, and there are two strong guards with spears on both sides of the gate. Eto then nervously handed a letter of introduction from the Guild Master to one of the guards. After waiting there for a while, a man who wore a butler¡¯s clothes appeared and bowed his head deeply to Eto. Then, guided by the guide, Eto went inside the firm. And after passing a beautifully arranged garden, he saw a mansion made of brick in front of him. Volume 2 - CH 2 Chapter 2 ¨C Slave Merchant Tamara Eto regretted having come to a place that didn¡¯t suit him. He wondered why the Guild Master introduced an adventurer like him to such an amazing store. And while pondering about that, Eto followed the butler as he walked to the front door of the mansion. When he entered a room guided by the butler, he was served with tea and sweets. Although Eto found no eye-catching furnishings placed in the room including the sofa where he sat, for a bumpkin like Eto, they still look luxurious and elegant. Eto then drinks the tea served in front of him. As the tea passed his throat, he smelled a faint sweet scent lingering in the air, with almost no astringency to it. And the sweet was a high-class product made by solidifying sugar into a flower shape, which made him remember that it was the sweets that Mirei used to eat. The moment he remembered that, the tension that he felt since he saw the mansion suddenly disappeared, as if it was just a lie. Because he just realized that he doesn¡¯t need to be ashamed to praise something that such a person likes. In conclusion, the sweet was very delicious with an elegant sweetness. As Eto enjoyed the tea and sweets, a man whose age couldn¡¯t be guessed and had a strong impression entered the room. The man called himself Tamara, the one who runs this slave firm. He has a dark skin peculiar to those from the southern region, which happens to make his white teeth more dazzling. He was someone with youthfulness, presence, and graceful manner that made it convincing if he was told to be in his early thirties or even late forties. ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, Eto-sama was introduced by Sidrake-sama, right? Pardon my intrusiveness, but can I ask what kind of relationship you have with the Guild Master of the royal capital¡¯s adventurer¡¯s guild? If you don¡¯t mind, could you tell me?¡± After giving a brief introduction to each other, Tamara probed the relationship between Eto and the Guild Master. Eto thought it was a logical thing to do. A young man like him is going to buy a slave with the introduction of the Guild Master, after all. Not only that, Tamara probably also has to know what kind of person Eto is. Thus, Eto told him that he was a C-rank adventurer who had successfully defeated a Wyvern alone and got plenty of money from that. Eto also said that he wanted to form a party by purchasing slaves. ¡°I see. However, if you want to form a party, isn¡¯t it more natural to invite the other adventurers in the guild first? Eto-sama is still young. Hence, I thought there was still a way for you to find some people with similar age and ability to grow together.¡± Tamara unreservedly asked the reason why Eto wanted to buy slaves. ¡°Yes, it was just as Tamara-san said. But, to tell you the truth, I was treated very unjustly in my former party. The reason seems to be because my specialty is support magic, which means, my ability for swords and magic was quite low compared to the other members. Because of such experiences, I am reluctant to form a party with others. However, I know very well that support magic could demonstrate its true worth in a party. Thus, I think adding slaves to my party to increase my strength and ensure my safety with the slave contract at the same time is a big merit for me.¡± Hearing that, Tamara nodded many times. ¡°I am very sorry to ask you something such as that. And Eto-sama, please feel free to use our slave firm for that. Now, I know this is sudden, but I¡¯d like to know Eto-sama¡¯s budget and the ability of the slaves Eto-sama wants in detail.¡± Eto then told Tamara that required two slaves that could act as front-liners or one front-liner and one rearguard. He also added that he preferred an archer than a mage as the rearguard. ¡°Eto-sama is excellent at support magic, right? If you add an archer as a rearguard, wouldn¡¯t it be difficult to deal with monsters that are resistant to physical attacks?¡± That¡¯s a good point. ¡®Since he possessed so much knowledge about adventurers, I guess I could tell him a bit of what I could do¡¯, that¡¯s what Eto thought, as by doing that, Tamara might provide him some advice when choosing slaves. ¡°I am also skilled at imbuing magic into weapons. In other words, enchantment. As long as I imbued magic to their swords, even physical attacks can deal some magic damage.¡± ¡°Oh my! I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s hard to find a magician that could use enchantment magic, right? And is it possible for Eto-sama to also enchant the weapons of his other party members?¡± Tamara asked with excitement. ¡°Yes, it is possible.¡± "" ¡°That¡¯s wonderful! However, that couldn¡¯t be a reason to avoid adding a magician to your party, right?¡± ¡®Perhaps Tamara is a former adventurer?¡¯ Eto couldn¡¯t help but have this thought, as Tamara¡¯s questions are so accurate and don¡¯t divert his attention. ¡°Support magic that raises the abilities of allies is more effective to strengthen one¡¯s strength and speed than magic. Moreover, these buffs can be layered on top of physical strengthening magic. As follows, I think the increase in combat power is greater for swordsmen and archers than that of mages.¡± ¡°Oh my! You could even layer the magic! I¡¯ve never heard something like that. However, I see, if it¡¯s like that, then I¡¯m convinced. Eto-sama, thank you for telling me what you want to keep a secret as an adventurer. We will do our best to fulfill Eto-sama¡¯s requests.¡± After hearing about such a rare magic and a magician that could layer his magic, Tamara seems to have fully satisfied his curiosity. He even promised his utmost cooperation to Eto with a warm face. Volume 2 - CH 3 Chapter 3 ¨C Swordsman And Archer Having left the drawing room alongside Tamara, Eto walked through the corridor to the elegant annex behind the mansion. According to Tamara, although there are also slaves in the main building, they¡¯re for nobles and wealthy people, and none of them can fight as an adventurer. Eto was led to a room made to look like a small dance hall, with a white carpet laid in the center of the wooden floor, and a sofa set above them. There is a stage in front of the sofa, where slaves can be lined up for a question and answer session. Then, while Eto is enjoying the tea and sweets that were served in that place, Tamara returns with a few documents in his hand. Those were the data of the slaves that met Eto¡¯s requests. After reading the documents and listening to Tamara¡¯s story, Eto narrowed down the candidates of slaves to five. Then, immediately after calling the five to the stage, Tamara leaves the room. Among the five, three of them were vanguards with a swordsman profession, and the other two were rearguards with an archer profession. Looking at the prices of the slaves, Eto thought he could definitely buy three of them if he used more money than he had planned to use. The first to appear on stage was an Ogre man and a half-Ogre girl. According to the data, they¡¯re a father and daughter pair. Both are swordsmen, and in addition, Ogres can also use axes and shields. Meanwhile, the other swordsman is a human male who was a former C-rank adventurer. It was described in the documents that the three were debt slaves who sold themselves to the slave firm to repay their debts. The archers were a human male and an elf woman. Elves are known as a race good at archery and wind magic. Hence, he thought the price offered by Tamara for her was ridiculously cheap. But according to the documents, she is the only one out of five who was a crime slave. And her crime is murder. Incidentally, the human archer was also a debt slave and a former D-rank adventurer. Eto next proceeded to ask the reason why they became slaves. The Ogre man and the half-Ogre girl answered that they were in debt to buy medicine for their human mother, who was ill. Unfortunately, although the mother was able to prolong her life thanks to medicine, she wasn¡¯t completely cured and ended up passing away. After that, the Ogre Father continued to repay their debt as a B-class adventurer, but he was gravely injured by the attack of monsters, causing both father and daughter to decide to sell themselves to a slave firm. ¡°May I ask why you decided to make your daughter become a slave too?¡± ¡°Our village was attacked by a plague, which killed all of my close relatives. That¡¯s why I thought it¡¯s better to have her become a slave together with me on condition that we have to be bought as a set, rather than leave her alone.¡± ¡°I see. But Amou-san¡¯s injuries have already healed, right?¡± ¡°Aa. I am completely healed. I have no problem fighting.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Although the half-Ogre daughter is still only twelve years old, she has been trained with the sword by her father since she was young, and her current skill is equivalent to a D-rank adventurer. Which means, she should have no problem defeating goblins and orcs alone. That¡¯s a pretty surprising talent for a twelve-year-old girl. The human swordsman answered that he was forced to sell himself due to a delay in debt repayment because he was injured during a battle. He added that the debt itself was actually something requested by his friend. But that friend suddenly disappeared, causing him to have no choice but to pay back that debt1. He is a very unfortunate man who was not only betrayed but also injured. Nevertheless, that doesn¡¯t mean Eto could just choose a slave with sympathy. He has to consider the slaves¡¯ ability and personality first. Next is the human archer. It is described that he is an excellent archer from a big clan. However, he seems to have been addicted to gambling and was forced to sell himself because of his debt. Eto naturally heard people say that gambling was like drugs, but since he has no such a hobby, he couldn¡¯t comprehend the feelings of a person who borrows money for gambling. Lastly, the elf archer said that she killed a slave trader who tried to invade their forest to kidnap their children. She succeeded in rescuing the children safely and returned to the village, but a few days later, a human visited their village. The man was a messenger of a noble family adjacent to the elves¡¯ territory. He said he was investigating the murder of a group of humans by an elf and returned after hearing the outline of the case. Later, the man appeared again, but this time with a letter from the noble, and told the chief of the village that he intended to arrest the elf for the murder case. Unluckily for her, the witnesses of the incident were only an elf child who was about to be kidnapped and a human who fled, in addition, the slave trade that she killed was the son of an influential merchant who was a purveyor to nobles. She was then found guilty by a human trial, and the human threatened to dispatch their armed soldier to the elf village if they didn¡¯t surrender her identity. Because of that, she willingly turned herself in for the sake of protecting her village. Having been taken to the noble with hands and feet chained, she was about to be violated by the said noble. However, since she hadn¡¯t signed a slave contract yet, she bit the noble¡¯s cheek and tore it alongside the meat. Looking at the noble who screamed and fled the room, she laughed at him with her eyes dyed with grudge and hatred2. ¡°Did you not attend the trial?¡± ¡°Aa, I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t they too forceful? Tamara-san, is it common for people to be enslaved like this?¡± ¡°No, it was clearly not common. However, the judicial record was, in fact, official. As we also investigated and asked about it here and there, we have ascertained that this is true.¡± ¡°Hmmm, I wonder how I should decide this.¡± "" ¡°She is a very talented archer. I think it¡¯s a shame if we let her hand rot just like that.¡± After that, the slaves were lowered from the stage. And while recalling his conversation with them, Eto takes a closer look at the documents spread out on the desk. ¡°Tamara-san, I¡¯ve decided.¡± Eto, who has decided who to add to his party, told Tamara. Volume 2 - CH 4 Chapter 4 ¨C Reason For Choosing ¡°So, can I ask the reason why you chose us?¡± The elf archer, Sorano, said. Although she herself might not intend to do this, Eto felt like he was being coldly looked down upon because of her height. ¡°Or rather, I want to know why you chose me.¡± From what Eto can see, Sorano must be someone who was very straightforward about her curiosity. And Eto felt that responding to her thoughts with sincerity would be the first step in gaining her trust. ¡°Frankly, I didn¡¯t know how true the story that Sorano just told me was. Things such as murdering a slave trader who tried to kidnap some children from your village or injuring the noble who was about to violate you. But, if those are true, ¡®you sure can hold back there¡¯, that¡¯s what I thought. Because if it were me, I would definitely try to kill all the slave traders. Or at least, I definitely won¡¯t leave such a group of criminals alone. And regarding the noble, I indeed don¡¯t know how much I would do to that noble if I have to think about future consequences, but you were already in a position where you had already been treated as a criminal slave and one of the culprits is in front of you, right? Then, I think let alone cheek meat, I think it is unavoidable even if it was his neck that was torn off. The point is, I respect Sorano¡¯s action.¡± Eto conveyed his honest feelings to Sorano. Hearing that, Sorano turned to the side and sat down on the bed, saying, ¡°I see.¡± Yes, it seems she was shy after hearing Eto¡¯s words, but Eto was sensible enough not to point it out. ¡°Well then, we are next. Can you tell me why you bought my dad and me?¡± The half-Ogre swordsman, Kohaku, asked Eto. Her father, Amou, boasted a giant-like height that made people have to look up when looking at him, he also has bluish skin and two black horns growing on his forehead, showing the characteristics of an Ogre. In comparison, Kohaku looked more like a human. Although that might be because she is still young, her body was smaller than that of Eto, and she has silky white skin. Without the transparent amber horns that grew at the center of her forehead, it would be unbelievable to call her a half-Ogre. And apparently, she was named after the color of her horns that had been growing since she was born1. ¡°The reason I bought slaves is to have party members who wouldn¡¯t betray me. As long as I have a slave contract, at the very least, I can ensure my safety. In addition to that, as I explained to the firm, I will give you 5% of the quest reward. And when the money you have accumulated has already reached the price I bought you, I¡¯m thinking of releasing you from slavery. As follows, I want you to work earnestly with that as an encouragement. You also don¡¯t have to worry about food and shelter, basically, I am offering you the same treatment as me. Are you with me so far?¡± Eto asked Amou and Kohaku for confirmation. Seeing them nodding, Eto continued. ¡°One of the reasons I bought you two was that Amou¡¯s combat power was significantly higher than that of the other swordsman. Another reason is that since you two are a father and his daughter, as long as I agree to your terms, I think you two will be unlikely to betray me. If I could say it frankly, Kohaku could be used as a hostage to get Amou to work.¡± The moment Eto used the word ¡®hostage¡¯, a strong aura of intimidation came from Amou. ¡°Of course, even if I said hostage, it doesn¡¯t mean I would put Kohaku into danger. However, even if Kohaku is in a safe place, Amou will definitely return to your daughter, and if both of you are together, I¡¯m sure you two can work together to overcome any crisis. The point is, I believe the strength of that feeling may be the last push to help us survive any difficult situation.¡± After Eto had said that, the intimidation from Amou stopped, and Kohaku cast her eyes downward and nodded. ¡°Understood. We hope master will actually keep the conditions that master just said.¡± Eto understands very well that Kohaku doesn¡¯t seem to trust him yet, but it also doesn¡¯t mean she is going to be hostile. ¡°Just call me Eto. I¡¯m looking forward to working with you.¡± After that, the four, who just became a party, left the inn room and headed to the shopping district to purchase some clothing and daily necessities. Volume 2 - CH 5 Chapter 5 ¨C Preparation For An Adventure Turns out, there is no clothing that fits the large body of Amou, who is an Ogre. Thus, in the end, they bought a few used clothes for Kohaku to sew them to fit her father. It seems even in the royal capital where many races gather, Ogres as big as Amou, are rare. Fortunately, Amou seems to have left some clothes in Tamara¡¯s slave firm, so Eto thought they could just go get them later. Regarding equipment, Eto gave the Wyvern leather armor that he used before he bought a new one to Sorano. He also placed an order to remake the Orc leather armor that he brought as a spare for Amber. Meanwhile, Amou¡¯s armor will be made from all the Wyvern leather Eto has, at a bargain price. In exchange for that, Sylpheed Armor Store gave Eto a condition where he has to give trading with Sylpheed Armor Store the highest priority the next time he defeats another Wyvern. After ordering the armor, Eto went to the Garm Weapon Store, where he purchased the Mithril Sword. Apparently, although Amou is indeed able to use a greatsword, an ax, and a shield, he is better with swords than the rest. In addition, when Eto explained his support magic, Amou also agreed that it would go well with a great sword. It goes without saying, a greatsword for someone with a big stature like Amou will definitely use a considerable amount of steel or iron, causing the cost for manufacturing it to be high. Hence Eto, who just bought a new set of equipment and bought more slaves than he initially intended, nervously consulted Garm, wondering whether his remaining money is enough to buy Amou¡¯s sword. Then, Garm told Eto that he actually has forged a greatsword that meets Amou¡¯s requests. But since there is no one who could wield it, if Amou can swing the sword, it will be offered at a bargain price. ¡°Garm-san. You just said that you were going to offer it at a really low price if Amou can wield that sword, right? You are not joking, right? I¡¯ll hold you to your words.¡± It was truly a lifesaving offer for Eto, as the remaining money in his hand definitely couldn¡¯t afford the sword at its original price. ¡°Eei, you¡¯re noisy! I am a man of my words. Of course, I won¡¯t take it back. The great sword is stowed at the back of the warehouse. Follow me, Amou!¡± Garm raised his voice. And as Eto nodded, Amou followed Garm, with the rest of the party following suit. ¡°You all don¡¯t have to follow me! That big man is enough!¡± ¡°No, no, since we¡¯re already here, I¡¯d like to see the moment when the great sword is swung. It can be a reference when fighting in the future after all.¡± At that moment, all members of the newly established party had the same feeling, which is that they might be able to see something interesting if they followed him. Thus, even if Garm yelled at them, the three didn¡¯t stop their feet. The great sword that was randomly placed in the back of the warehouse turns out to be a jet black sword from the tip of the sword to the handle. Its blade is thick and broad enough to easily cut off the head of a horse. The length is also relatively long, to the point that even Amou, who was over 2 meters tall, definitely couldn¡¯t place it on his waist. Looks like he has to carry the sword on his back. ¡°Well then, if you can swing it, show me! But of course, I don¡¯t want you to just simply swing it. Swing it quickly and sharply, show me that this great sword can be used!¡± Amou nodded in silence to Garm¡¯s words, then suddenly reached his hand to the great sword, gripping the handle. He didn¡¯t seem to put any special effort into taking it. Then, he pulled out the sword just like pulling out a normal sword, gripped the sword in both hands, inhaled, and slashed it at the same time. *Swoosh* The sound of a sword tearing through the air echoed in the warehouse. Amou then swung the sword again many times, as if to confirm it. The previous sounds were only sounded for the first few times, and it turned into louder and greater sounds, as the sword sharply cuts through the air. ¡°Umu. I¡¯m surprised you could swing it that easily. Yosh, Amou. I¡¯ve decided to give that greatsword to you.¡± Saying that, Garm breaks into a smile. Amou then grabbed the sword with one hand and bowed to Garm, saying, ¡°Thank you.¡± It seems Garm was pleased with Amou to the point that he not only made the price of the sword cheaper, but he even made a leather scabbard so that Amou could carry the sword on his back. Eto also purchased two daggers for Kohaku, and one dagger plus a set of bow and arrows for Sorano at Garm Weapon Store. Although they could already bring back the items that were already put in the store, it seems that the rest of the equipment, including the ones ordered by Eto, will be available only in three days. Kohaku can dual wield, and Sorano said she had mastered the dagger technique for close combat. The bow and arrow set was not a high-quality item, but due to budget, Eto told Sorano to endure it for a while. But since Sorano seems to be able to make her own bow and arrows as long as there is wood suited for it, Eto thought it may be a good idea to look for wood for making the bow and arrows if he had some money left. Eto was also interested in the bow and arrows made by an elf, after all. Volume 2 - CH 6 Chapter 6 ¨C Confirming Each Other¡¯s Abilities The next morning, after having an early meal at the inn, Eto and his new party headed to the guild¡¯s training ground. Although they have shared information on their abilities to each other, regarding Eto¡¯s support magic, there were many things that cannot be understood until actually experiencing it. And since it is not possible to leave the town until their equipment is ready, they decided to try various things at the guild¡¯s training room first. Thus, while slipping through the crowd of adventurers competing to take requests, Eto headed to the training room built in the back of the guild. The oval-shaped indoor training room has its ground firmly treaded down, designed to withstand the practice of numerous people. At the edge of the training ground, there were some target practices for magic attacks and bows, and on the other side, swords and axes with sharp blades lined the shelves. And in order to confirm each other¡¯s abilities, they decided to train with swords first. Firstly, Eto fought without using his support magic. And as expected, without that, Amou¡¯s ability and power greatly surpassed him. Meanwhile, although the dual wielding Kohaku is quite lacking in terms of power, her speed is quite fast, and she also has a sense of combat inherited from her father. Sorano¡¯s dagger arts have also reached a considerable level of skill, to the point Eto wasn¡¯t able to break through her defense with his swordsmanship. In conclusion, it was confirmed that among these four, the ¡®normal¡¯ state Eto is the weakest. Next, they tried various things with Eto¡¯s support magic. When Eto fought using his buffs, it goes without saying he was able to take on three of them. However, if Amou became serious and decided to swing his great sword, the result might not be like that. But in the mock combat, Amou was at the mercy of Eto¡¯s speed. Eto then applied some buffs to his party members and had them try to move with their swords and bow. It seems Sorano has some experience in receiving support magic, but Amou and Kohaku were surprised because it was their first time receiving buffs. But apparently, it was also the first time Sorano was given such powerful buffs. Eto had her try shooting some arrows while trying some combination of support magic, such as using it with strength buff plus physical strengthening magic or adding wind magic to her arrows. Lastly, Eto decided to have his party members try the effect of his debuffs. Eto tried to give them all debuffs that he knew one by one, such as a debuff that could dull one¡¯s movement ¡®Slow¡¯, a debuff that could cause an abnormal status similar to being sent into darkness ¡®Dark¡¯, a debuff that pushes one¡¯s body against the ground ¡®Gravity¡¯, a debuff that could inflict continuous pain to one¡¯s body ¡®Pain¡¯, and a debuff that erases any sounds of one¡¯s surrounding ¡®Silence¡¯. Although Eto used a method of cutting the duration of the debuff in a short time by immediately applying the opposite of those debuffs, it seems that the three still had a hard time. When Eto told them those debuffs can be layered, the three started to look like they felt despair. ¡°I now know very well that Eto¡¯s abilities are heinous.¡± As Kohaku said that, Amou and Sorano nodded many times. For the next two days, Eto spent his time practicing cooperation techniques with his party members while having them accustomed themselves to Eto¡¯s buffs. And three days later, as the weapons and armors were finally ready, all of them wore their respective equipment and went out of the town. Then, after defeating some goblins in the forest and correcting their coordination many times, they finished that day¡¯s adventure. ¡°I¡¯m going to get a request from the guild tomorrow.¡± That night, when Eto said so in the inn room, Amou deeply nodded, and Kohaku clenched her fist in front of her chest and shouted ¡°Yosh¡± to fire herself up. Even Sorano, who seemed to be expressionless at first glance, also had her cheeks slightly red. Tomorrow is the first day of Eto¡¯s adventure with his new party members. And Eto vowed that he will give the safety of his party members first priority, and fulfillment of the request second1. Volume 2 - CH 7 Chapter 7 ¨C The Beginning of An Adventure As Eto and his party arrived at the entrance of the guild fully equipped, the attention of the adventurers and guild staff in the building instantly gathered at them. That¡¯s because the rumor that Eto is a strong man who defeated a Wyvern alone has spread among them. And such a man just formed a party with his slaves, of course that would attract people¡¯s attention. The last time they showed up in the guild, they wore very little equipment and just went into the training ground. That made people think that it would be awhile before Eto¡¯s party starts their work as adventurers. However, here they are, fully equipped and having different expressions from the last time. Thus, when they headed to the request board with Eto in the front, people avoided them and paved a way, as if it was a natural thing to do. Receiving such treatments, Eto felt like he was the Hero for a moment, but when he recalled the real face of the Hero, he became disgusted. Because for Eto, Ronaldo¡¯s existence is a stopper that prevents him from becoming arrogant. With such thoughts, they arrived at the quest board. Eto exhaled quietly and carefully checked each request. In the adventurer¡¯s guild, as long as there is a C-class adventurer in a party, that party is allowed to take a C-rank request. However, if the other members of that party are E or F-class adventurers, the C-class adventurer will have to be fully responsible for their safety. If by chance a low-ranked adventurer is critically injured or even loses his life during the request, the C-class adventurer will be the one who gets blamed by other adventurers. In addition, it also has become a custom for the said adventurer to be urged to give some compensation for the family of the deceased adventurer. In this way, the Adventurer¡¯s Guild uses the rank system and the custom among adventurers to prevent newcomers from dying because of recklessness1. Although Eto, who was a C-class adventurer, was the highest rank in their party, before becoming a slave, Amou was a B-class adventurer who was said to reach A-class in terms of combat power. And there is no way Kohaku was lower than D-class. In addition, although she wasn¡¯t an adventurer, Sorano¡¯s abilities are most likely B-class or higher. In conclusion, Eto¡¯s party had members of relatively high levels. Eto then accepted several requests from near the royal capital at the guild receptionist. Requests such as subjugation of a small settlement of Goblin, investigation of a piece of information that said there is a group of Orcs near the royal capital, collecting medicinal and poisonous herbs, collecting various potion materials, and escort requests for caravans leaving for the neighboring town, which will depart the day after tomorrow. He took those requests because he judged that those requests definitely won¡¯t make his party members encounter a dangerous situation. Because Eto thought that in the end, they¡¯re a new party. So, it was important for them to get used to completing requests first. That day, Eto¡¯s party destroyed a small settlement of Goblin and ended the day with collecting various herbs. The day after that, they investigated the group of Orcs and destroyed the already half-finished Orc settlements. Then, while Eto, Amou, and Kohaku skinned the Orcs¡¯ corpses, Sorano went to the guild to report and requested support for skinning and transporting the corpses. Yes, the number of Orcs has exceeded twenty, meaning that Eto¡¯s party has gained quite an amount of profit. The next day, without showing any sign of fatigue, they went to complete the escort request. They stopped at the neighboring town for a night, then took another escorting request of a caravan heading towards the royal capital. On the way, thinking that the quest went too smoothly, Eto told his party members to be careful, but in the end nothing happened and that marked the start of a new adventure for his new party. Eto decided that the day after returning to the royal capital would be a day off. He also distributed the rewards, where Amou and the rest got 5% of the reward to free themselves from slavery, as Eto promised before. Meanwhile, the 50% of the reward will be used for party expenses such as equipment maintenance or renewing, purchasing consumables items such as potions, and living expenses such as inn¡¯s fees and food. And of course, the remaining 35% will be Eto¡¯s share. "" When Eto asked his party members about equipment, Kohaku said she wanted some throwing knives, while Amou and Sorano said they needed a dagger for skinning. And he also needs to replenish Sorano¡¯s arrows. In the end, they decided to spend their day¡¯s off together shopping at Garm Weapon Store. From afternoon, Eto had given the three some money for food expenses before they went their separate ways. The three have been forced to spend boring days as slaves, after all. So, they must be quite happy having some money that they can spend freely, even if it was just the same amount of pocket money. All in all, it seems each of them was able to spend a relaxing time after a long time. Eto was satisfied that his party members were able to properly complete the guild¡¯s requests. That also made him feel that his current party was quite promising. Volume 2 - CH 8 Chapter 8 ¨C Manticore, Eto¡¯s Nemesis Eto never imagined this would happen. It was supposed to be just a subjugation request, which happens to be a little more difficult than their usual request. No, he didn¡¯t ¡®bite off more than he can chew¡¯, as he knew that request was suitable for them. However, Eto made a mistake. And that single mistake puts his party in a pinch. Eto looked at his thigh that had been pierced by a poison needle, dark-ish blood flowing endlessly from there. Kohaku tied the joint of Eto¡¯s foot with a rope, and tried to bandage it, dirtying her hands with his blood. In the immediate vicinity, Sorano stands there, guarding them, while Amou is fighting the two Manticores alone. Manticore is an eerie monster with a human head and a body of a lion. And the two manticores they faced, with the faces of a bearded old man and a young man, can also speak human language, which they sometimes remembered. Above them, there is a sharp, pointed tail swaying like that of a scorpion. And that was the deadly weapon that pierced Eto¡¯s thigh. ¡î¡î¡î That day, a commotion broke out in the Adventurer¡¯s Guild in the morning. It happened because there was news about a caravan heading towards the royal capital that was attacked by Manticore, causing many casualties. The guild promptly issued an urgent subjugation request of C-rank Manticore that appeared in a place that could be reached in two hours by horse from the royal capital. The quest was intended for a C-rank party or higher, with the reward doubled. However, the deadline for the subjugation is three days, and if it exceeds that, they will only be given a normal amount of reward. Yes, they made the adventurers compete, with the primary goal being to subjugate the Manticore as fast as possible. ¡°Etou, the reward is doubled! Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s attractive? Let¡¯s take it!¡± Kohaku said enthusiastically. ¡°I don¡¯t really mind. But, Manticore, huh¡­¡± However, Eto was quite reluctant to join the competition. ¡°Is Eto not very good with the Manticore?¡± Sorano asked while giving Eto a mysterious look on her face. ¡°Hmmm, I certainly have a bad memory regarding that.¡± When Eto was still in the Hero¡¯s party, there was a time when he couldn¡¯t do anything in the fight against Manticore. He ended up being saved by Mirei¡¯s magic, and also getting protected by Lana, heedless of danger. And the Manticore was defeated in a single attack by Hero Ronaldo. Indeed, that battle was the event that caused Eto to be banned from using his support magic and treated like a chore-guy in the party. Because of that, the unpleasant memories of those days always follow him when he hears of the Manticore. ¡°Wasn¡¯t Amou also injured by a Manticore?¡± ¡°Yes. However, I¡¯m not particularly bad at them. There are always times when something goes wrong in a request as long as one continues being an adventurer for a long time after all. Thus, there will be no end if I had to worry about each one of them.¡± ¡°I see¡­ that¡¯s true. Yosh! Let¡¯s take that Manticore subjugation request.¡± ¡°Yay! That¡¯s the spirit!¡± ¡°We can even beat it with just a bow, as long as we have distance. It¡¯s not a difficult opponent.¡± Like that, Eto¡¯s party took the subjugation request for manticore and left the guild in a high spirit. Volume 2 - CH 9 Riding the regular carriage that connects the towns, Eto and his party headed to the place where the attack took place. In addition to Eto¡¯s party, there was also another adventurer¡¯s party in the carriage, and he also saw some familiar adventurers run past them on horseback on the way. That is understandable. Because the doubled reward that the Guild promised was extremely attractive for any adventurers. Besides, adventurers who completed an urgent request will be evaluated as someone with abilities by the guild staff and the client. That will lead to an increase in their credibility. And with their credibility increased, they would be able to obtain more profit in the future, and that¡¯s what they wanted more than the reward for this urgent quest itself. Having arrived at the destination, Eto got off the carriage. The caravan that got attacked by the Manticore has already been cleaned up, leaving no trace of it. There was a highway running from east to west, and thick forest continued on both sides of the highway. ¡°Looks like there is no trace of the Manticore.¡± Kohaku said, while observing the surroundings. The adventurers who roamed around the place also didn¡¯t seem to discover any trace of Manticore. Still, there were parties that went into the forest. ¡°I think if there were this many people wandering around with weapons, even the Manticore wouldn¡¯t want to come out. Shall we also go into the forest then?¡± ¡°Eto, follow me for a bit.¡± Saying that, Sorano looked at the entrance of the forest with a serious expression. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± With Sorano at the front, Eto¡¯s party began to step into the forest. Sorano just walked in silence, not explaining anything to them, until she suddenly stopped in front of a tree. There, they saw that the bark of the tree, which happens to be near Eto¡¯s waist, has been stripped. ¡°I think this mark is caused by the Manticore¡¯s tail. Actually, there was a habitat of Manticore near my village. And whenever someone saw this mark on a tree, the village would immediately be on alert. I also saw the same mark on the tree at the entrance of the forest.¡± Hearing that, Eto and the rest opened their eyes in surprise, as they didn¡¯t know that Sorano has such hunter-like skills. ¡°That¡¯s amazing, Sorano!¡± ¡°Fufunn, that¡¯s a skill!¡± Sorano said, seemingly proud about it1. ¡°Yosh, let¡¯s defeat the Manticore before the other adventurers could.¡± ¡°Ou!¡± Like that, Eto and his party fired themselves up in a moderate voice, to not raise other adventurers¡¯ suspicions. After that, as they progressed through the forest with Sorano in the front, they clearly could see that there were marks on the trees they passed, like the ones they saw earlier. And then, they finally discovered the Manticore, drinking water from the river. They also didn¡¯t see other adventurers around. In addition, the Manticore was facing the stream, turning its back towards them. It didn¡¯t seem to be aware of their presence. Looking at that, Eto immediately cast a spell that strengthened one¡¯s physical abilities ¡®Battle Spell¡¯, and layered it with ¡®Haste¡¯, which strengthened one¡¯s speed. He then continues to cast another buff that strengthens one¡¯s power, ¡®Strength.¡¯ At that moment, Eto felt that if he could defeat the Manticore that stood in front of them, he would be able to move on from his pathetic self when he was still in the Hero¡¯s party. That way, he could also overturn the humiliation he received from those days when he was banned from using support magic. Thus, Eto pulled out the brand-new Mithril Sword, enchanting it with fire magic and rushed towards the Manticore. At the same time, the cooperation between his party, which they had been practicing very hard, has completely disappeared from his mind. However, just before Eto accelerated his speed, he could see something moving at the edge of his eyes. At the next moment, Eto suddenly felt a strong heat in his right thigh, and before he knew it, he was already lying on the ground. ¡°Eto!¡± Eto heard Kohaku screaming, seemingly worried. But when he desperately looked around, he saw that another Manticore, which wasn¡¯t the one they saw on the riverside, was looking down at him. On its back, he could also see its swaying tail. That was the moment Eto knew2 that he was stabbed by its poisonous tail. Volume 2 - CH 10 Chapter 10 ¨C Introspection While smiling creepily with its bearded face, the Manticore swung its sharp tail, aiming at Eto¡¯s nape. And due to the pain caused by the wound and the poison, Eto couldn¡¯t move. But when he was about to give up, Sorano came and cut the tip of the Manticore¡¯s tail off with her dagger. Running from behind, Amou also swung his great sword towards it. The Manticore managed to dodge the blow, but it seems to judge that the two were difficult to handle, as it immediately moved to work with the other Manticore. ¡°Why did you suddenly rush in by yourself, Eto! Do you want to die?¡± Kohaku placed her hands on both sides of Eto and dragged him backwards to get a little distance from the Manticore. ¡°S-sorry¡­¡± Eto replied with a quivering voice. ¡°Mou, I was really surprised, you know! Here is the antidote.¡± Kohaku then throws an antidote potion which they have prepared in advance to Eto¡¯s mouth. Then, after confirming that Eto had drunk the potion, she immediately proceeds to treat his wound. She also seemed quite accustomed to it. Meanwhile, Sorano is standing beside them, guarding, while holding her bow to support Amou from a distance. In some distance in front of them, Amou was using his great sword to defend from the attacks of the two Manticore, while running around to keep them away from the place where Eto were. ¡°In the end, I- failed to overcome my past, huh¡­¡± Eto muttered while breathing very feebly. ¡°Far from overcoming your past, you almost lost your future, you know!¡± Kohaku shouted while still treating Eto¡¯s wounds. ¡°Kohaku¡­ T-that¡¯s a- good one.¡± ¡°Mou, just be silent and focus on recovering!¡± After waiting for the antidote potion to take effect, Kohaku gave Eto a healing potion. She also sprinkled a small amount of the potion to his wounds, making the wounds on Eto¡¯s thigh closed in a blink of an eye. ¡°Sorano, Kohaku, I will cast some support magic on you two, so go to support Amou. I will be fine.¡± Eto then cast both Strength and Haste on the two. In addition, he also imbued Sorano¡¯s arrows with wind magic. ¡°Dad, let¡¯s do this together!¡± Kohaku called out to Amou, who was fighting alone. ¡°Ou!¡± Immediately after Amou replied, Sorano shot an arrow, with its speed and penetrating power increased by wind magic. And that arrow pierces deep into the eyes of the beard-faced Manticore. ¡°GUWAAAA!¡± That arrow successfully stopped the movement of the Manticore, as it raised a pained cry. At that precise moment, Amou swung the great sword toward it, slashing Manticore¡¯s nape, spilling a large amount of blood. Amou didn¡¯t look at the fallen Manticore and headed for the other Manticore right away. By that time, the arrows shot by Sorano had pierced the other Manticore¡¯s face and body. Then, after calmly defending himself from the rampaging Manticore¡¯s counterattack, Amou took a chance and cut off its front leg. He also cut its tail, as the Manticore lost his balance. Lastly, he sharply stabbed at its nape, making the sword pierce the other end of its body. Although those are the Manticores that almost killed Eto, thanks to his reliable party members, they succeeded in subjugating the two Manticores. Later, Eto once again was scolded by Kohaku, making him reflect upon his actions. He realized that he has to leave such a way of fighting alone to someone who only believes in individual strength, like Hero Ronaldo. What he had to aim for is a way of fighting while fully utilizing his support magic with his party. Yes, it was Eto¡¯s first major failure since he left the Hero¡¯s party. Volume 3 - CH 1 Chapter 1 ¨C Wyvern Subjugation Six months have passed since the Manticore subjugation. During that time, Eto and his party kept achieving result after result by accepting many requests and completing them. Eto also passed the promotion test and became a B-class adventurer, while the other three almost became the fastest adventurers to be promoted to C-class. As a result, their fast rise in rank became a heated topic in the royal capital. Many people came to think highly of Eto for his attitude of respecting his slaves as proper party members and giving them 5% of the rewards as a reserve fund, so they could release themselves from slavery. Some parties that tried to use Eto¡¯s method began to appear as well. In addition to that, many guild staff who doubted the past trend of making light of the lives of slaves also started to make some effort to solve that matter, such as giving a bonus to parties that respect the freedom of slaves. Because of that, Eto and his party began to be treated like a hero of the times in the guild, but the person himself and his party just brushed it off and continued their activities as adventurers just as normal. That was because the moment he felt proud being treated as such, Eto always reminded himself in his mind, ¡®Stop, don¡¯t let yourself become something like the Hero¡¯, and once again reevaluated who he was. There was also his mistake in their fight against the Manticore, which reminded him that the profession called adventurer is a profession where one¡¯s easily losing their lives the moment they become too full of themselves. The members of his party also followed Eto to not become arrogant whatever praise they received. Needless to say, these humble attitudes were favorably received by many other adventurers. ¡°Oi, it seems Eto¡¯s party just subjugated a group of Wyverns. The crowds have already gone there, so let¡¯s go there too!¡± Like that, many young adventurers rushed out of the guild. ¡°You guys! Don¡¯t look at other people, do your job properly first!¡± That, of course, made a certain guild receptionist, Sally, angry. For the past decade, Sally has seen the rise and fall of many adventurers. And there are only a handful of adventurers who managed to seize the opportunity and gained great wealth and fame. "" That is why, even though the faces of many young adventurers who looked up and aimed to be like them might always look so shining, unfortunately, some rookie adventurers couldn¡¯t come back alive. Although this depends on which area of the kingdom, the probability of an adventurer reaching D-class, which is the rank where they start to be called a full-fledged adventurer, is 70%. And only 50% could reach C-class, which has a wider rank of work. Other than those who managed to reach C-class, some of them either give up on becoming an adventurer or never returned because of their recklessness. Since adventurers always work in places inhabited with many monsters, there are also some cases where an unexpectedly powerful monster appears, wiping out the adventurers¡¯ party. That¡¯s what it¡¯s meant to be an adventurer, a profession that even a high-ranked party, which was thought to be a party that would have a smooth rise in their rank, could be annihilated due to a little recklessness and bad luck. And in the middle of such situations where various adventurer parties appeared and disappeared, Eto¡¯s party has been rising and achieved top-class results in terms of the number of requests accepted and the request completion rate despite being a new party. Even today, they just succeeded in thinning out the number of Wyverns, which had been increasing in the mountains in the northern part of the royal capital. And Sally knew that Eto¡¯s party was recently invited to the Guild Master¡¯s room to report about the Wyvern subjugation. In actuality, Eto, who is always calm and kept a low-profile despite continuously achieving great achievements, was also popular among guild staff. There were plenty of young female staff members who made blatant appeals to him, but Eto politely kept his distance so as not to hurt the other party. Looking at Eto¡¯s attitude, Sally thought Eto was a man who has gone through much in his life, reminding her of her father, who was doing his business while bowing to people as a small merchant. ¡°Isn¡¯t that making you tired? I am sure if it¡¯s Eto-san, they wouldn¡¯t mind even if you cut the talk a little forcibly.¡± Sally once said that to Eto. ¡°I am scared to become someone who is full of himself. I was once having a hard time being with such people, after all. That¡¯s why, I will always be careful not to be like them.¡± Eto answered with a wry smile. ¡®I see¡¯, that¡¯s what Sally thought. Because of that experience, he never became full of himself, and just simply took requests one after another. Sally wondered where Eto had such a hard time, despite still being a teenager, but unfortunately for her, no one knew about Eto¡¯s past before he came to the royal capital. She once heard from her colleague that the information about his past was blocked by the higher-ups of the guild. But of course, Sally had no desire to look into Eto¡¯s past in the first place. She just felt like she became closer to him, as she found that Eto was someone who has seen much in life. At any rate, as Sally was organizing some documents while thinking about such things, she saw Eto walking from the back of the guild. ¡°Thanks for your hard work, Eto-san.¡± ¡°Ah, thanks for your hard work too, Sally-san.¡± ¡°It seems you have defeated a group of Wyverns this time. Many young adventurers have been talking about that, you know? How many Wyverns did your party subjugate?¡± ¡°Wyverns are a strong enemy for new adventurers, after all. I am sure I too couldn¡¯t have defeated them without my reliable companions.¡± As usual, Eto replied modestly. ¡°Thanks to their high fighting ability, we managed to defeat twelve Wyverns.¡± ¡°Twelve! That¡¯s amazing. Isn¡¯t that a new record for one subjugation request?¡± ¡°According to the Guild Master, the record for that was an A-rank party that subjugated twenty-two Wyverns 20 years ago. That just made me realize once again, there is always someone better than you.¡± Eto said with a dazzling smile. Volume 3 - CH 2 Chapter 2 ¨C Renewing Equipment It goes without saying, the rewards for subjugating twelve Wyverns are quite something. And since they still have a lot of money to save for party expenses, Eto decided to renew their equipment. For the armor, Eto decided to use plenty of Wyvern leather that they got from the subjugation request, and adding other hard materials such as steel at some important parts to further improve the defense. And for the weapons, although they might be unable to find a replacement for Amou¡¯s greatsword, Eto was thinking of making daggers made of Mithril for Kohaku and Sorano to improve the effect of his enchantment. Lastly, regarding Sorano¡¯s bow and arrows. The wood that Sorano said to be suitable for making bow and arrows was pretty hard to find. Fortunately, for the past six months, they have been collecting some materials little by little. But since they just got quite an amount of money from the Wyvern subjugation, it has become possible for them to purchase the other materials at once. And using all the collected materials, Eto also decided to make time for Sorano to make her bow and arrows. In addition, he will also buy a high-quality bow as a spare. Once all the new equipment is completed, Eto¡¯s party will finally be considered well-equipped as B-class adventurers. Although currently Eto is still the only B-class in their party, thanks to the Wyvern subjugation, Amou and Sorano have met the requirements to take the B-class promotion test. If the two passed the test, their party will be considered a strong party consisting of three B-classes and one C-class. And Eto was really looking forward to that. ¡°Why can¡¯t I be promoted to B-class too? Isn¡¯t this too unfair, Eto?¡± Kohaku complained with her cheeks pouting. Of course, Kohaku also went to subjugate the Wyverns with Eto and co. But, in terms of the number of Wyvern subjugated, Amou subjugated five Wyverns, four for Sorano, two for Eto and one for Kohaku. In conclusion, Amou and Sorano¡¯s results are just that outstanding. However, that was, in fact, also the result of the difference in role. Eto naturally acted as a rearguard to use his support magic while establishing the formation for the party, and Kohaku was positioned to protect Eto. Sorano, who was also a rearguard, was able to hunt the Wyverns from a distance thanks to Eto¡¯s buffs and enchantments. Meanwhile, Kohaku only gave a finishing blow to a Wyvern that Sorano shot down. ¡°Kohaku has done very well protecting Eto. But in the first place, you have to be an adult to rank up to B-class. It¡¯s still early for Kohaku.¡± Sorano said that to sooth Kohaku. In the past six months, the women in Eto¡¯s party have been getting along very well with each other. They even went to the town together on holidays. Because of that, Amou often consulted with Eto on how his daughter left her father too soon, which became a secret between the men in the party. ¡°Hmmm¡­ But, it¡¯s very strange that there is an age limit for that! Or rather, I want to rank up too!¡± Kohaku¡¯s real intention was likely that she doesn¡¯t want to be the only C-class in the party, which Eto thought was too childish. But then again, she is indeed still a child, as she just turned thirteen this year. ¡°I think there isn¡¯t anyone at that age who is as strong as Kohaku, don¡¯t you agree? And I am sure the guild also understands that Kohaku is a promising adventurer. If Kohaku continues being an adventurer just like this, you might be able to go even further than me.¡± ¡°Fuun. Is that so? But, I think I can never win against Eto, because your abilities are too heinous.¡± Kohaku said while smiling like a mischievous child. It was two months later that all the new equipment was completed. They made some adjustments and maintenance to improve all their equipment, except for Amou¡¯s greatsword and Eto¡¯s Mithril sword. But what surprised them the most was the power of the bow made by Sorano. With Eto¡¯s buffs and enchantments, Sorano¡¯s bow could now aim from 1,500 to 2,000 meters away. In addition, it additionally allows her to accurately shoot her target up to 200 meters away. When Eto asked if all elves were that good at bows, Sorano shook her head and answered, ¡°Eto¡¯s support magic is just too abnormal.1¡± That made Eto wonder if his support magic was that abnormal, until he remembered that he was the Sage, which made him thank the Goddess for giving him such support magic. In the past, there were indeed times when Eto resented the Goddess for selecting such a person as the Hero, but as he achieved some achievements with his party, that kind of shackle of the past seemed to gradually disappear2. Volume 3 - CH 3 Chapter 3 ¨C A Little Uneasy A month after the subjugation of the group of Wyverns, Amou and Sorano decided to take the B-rank promotion exam. The content of the exam is that they have to successfully complete an escort request specified by the guild. During the exam, not only giving the safety of their escort target the absolutest priority, the Guild will also check whether they could cooperate with other adventurers or not. When Eto took his B-class promotion exam, the merchant that he had to escort actually had hired some mercenaries as his guards. And those mercenaries kept saying that they didn¡¯t trust adventurers. Had Eto lost his composure there, the escort request would have ended in failure. In conclusion, the key to the test was actually to see how the participant cooperates with the mercenaries who didn¡¯t bother to hide their dislike towards adventurers and complete the said request. But Eto wasn¡¯t too worried about Amou, as he was originally a B-class adventurer. Although he is indeed not very talkative, Amou can still communicate with other adventurers and merchants as necessary. In addition to not only having a high fighting power, Amou is also always calm and not very emotional, making him very suited for the test. The problem was Sorano. Growing up in an elven village, Sorano tends to act based on her emotions. Fortunately, after repeatedly being persuaded by Eto to not be like that, as it would make the party hard to cooperate with her, she now is capable of controlling her emotions within their party. However, it is unknown how much Sorano can control her emotions in front of other adventurers and merchants whom she meets for the first time. Of course, that doesn¡¯t mean she will definitely badly injure the other party, but Eto thought she might actually punch someone once and come back. Since his slaves are the only ones who are going to apply for the exam, Eto had signed a contract, saying he would take full responsibility if the two made any problems in the middle of the request. Of course, Eto intends to tell Sorano to at least control her emotion as long as it doesn¡¯t harm her, but Eto still has no idea what the result would be. And when Eto consulted Kohaku about this, she just laughed and said, ¡°Sorano would be fine. You¡¯re too worried.¡± For a moment, Eto thought that Sorano might be more mature than he had thought all this time, but when he recalled how she usually acts around them, he shook his head. ¡°No, I am certain you know that Sorano has a childish side, right? Such as eating whole meat without cutting it or neglecting anything in front of her when there is something that she wants.¡± ¡°If we¡¯re talking about the usual her, then yes. Isn¡¯t that fine? But, as an adventurer, I think Sorano is a little amazing. How should I explain this? Ambition? She has a great ambition, you know?¡± ¡°Ambition? What kind of ambition does she have?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a secret!¡± After that, no matter how many times Eto asked about Sorano¡¯s ambition, Kohaku never told him about it. ¡î¡î¡î At a camp where B-class exams were taking place, the mercenaries hired by the merchant and the adventurers taking the exam were in a very tense mood. Apparently, the content of the exam was similar to the exam that Eto took. It all started because a mercenary said to the adventurers that they will be keeping watch at night on their own, clearly implying that they didn¡¯t care what the adventurers were doing, as they didn¡¯t trust them. And one of the adventurers opposed it, which started the conflict. But when the conflict became heated to the point it became difficult for them to back down, a big hand touched the back of the two, separating them. When they turned to the side, thinking what happened, they saw a big man smiling at them1. ¡°Fighting is no good. A loud noise can attract monsters and wild animals. Regarding lookouts, why don¡¯t we make it two layers of lookouts? Mercenaries can watch the inner layer while we will watch the outer layer. With that, it would be the same as always. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Amou said, looking straight in the eyes of the mercenary and the adventurer. Totally unprepared by Amou¡¯s proposal, the two accepted it, saying ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±, even though Amou didn¡¯t particularly try to intimidate them. Since then, every time an adventurer is about to quarrel with a mercenary, Amou will appear and resolve the strife. There was even a time when the merchant ranted to the adventurers, but thanks to Amou, it was completely resolved. Even though he didn¡¯t actually try to scare them, for some reason Amou¡¯s appearance distracted both sides from their strife. In the middle of that, Sorano just kept a close eye on the situation behind Amou, and when it was her turn to be the lookout, she kept away any monsters with her high level of search ability and her medium-long range attack with her bow. In actuality, Amou and Sorano, who was in the same party led by Eto, were quite famous in the Guild. And seeing that the scenario of the exam was rewritten by Amou¡¯s presence, the examiner who accompanied them thought that, at this rate, it couldn¡¯t even be called an exam. And when it was Sorano¡¯s turn being the lookout, no matter who was being a lookout with her, the monsters that approached a certain distance were unknowingly subdued, without the other party doing anything. With such a difference in ability, it would be difficult for the examiner to measure the strength of the other adventurers. Thus, thanks to Amou and Sorano, the exam was about to end without any problems. However, when they¡¯re just a village away from the royal capital, a Hobgoblin came out of the highway from the forest on their right. That was actually extremely strange. Since they¡¯re near the royal capital, Knights and adventurers should have regularly subjugated the monsters near the highway, making even Goblins, which were common monsters, rarely seen there. But now, a Hobgoblin, which was the higher-ranked of Goblins, appeared before the group, despite their small numbers and how they usually hunt for their prey in the depths of the forest. As Amou and Sorano observed the Hobgoblin, one of the adventurers rushed in and cut off the Hobgoblin¡¯s torso with a greatsword. ¡°How is it! I finally got to subjugate a monster!¡± The said adventurer was screaming while holding his sword. Actually, if an adventurer wanted to be a B-class adventurer, he or she had to be sensitive to strange things that happened in a forest to ensure the safety of their escort target. From there, it can be concluded that even though the adventurer may have the ability to subjugate a Hobgoblin with a single swing of his sword, he lacks the ability to guess the content of the exam. At any rate, with the appearance of the Hobgoblin, Amou and the others remained vigilant to the surroundings. However, even after waiting for a while, the previous Hobgoblin was the only one that appeared. After skinning the monster and processing the corpse, the caravan began to follow the road again. At that moment, Sorano suddenly felt a gaze looking at them from the depths of the forest to their right. However, the sharp gaze filled with murderous intent disappeared in an instant. Then, Sorano immediately walked up to Amou, who kept being vigilant with his surroundings in the front-line. ¡°Amou, did you feel a mysterious gaze from the forest before?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t. But, I have a bad feeling, which I can¡¯t really explain, since we entered this highway¡­¡± ¡°I see.¡± Since the information was so uncertain, they postponed reporting to the examiner, but they decided to be more vigilant. Even after thinking for a while, Sorano didn¡¯t know what the sharp gaze that she felt earlier was. It was definitely not something that she could just brush off with thinking that it was just her hallucination, but since there was no actual harm to her or the others, she had no choice but to continue the exam. With a Hobgoblin that people don¡¯t usually see in the highway and a murderous gaze she felt, Sorano returned to the royal capital with a little uneasy feeling lingering in her mind. Volume 3 - CH 4 Chapter 4 ¨C Dark Clouds Three days after Amou and Sorano returned from the promotional exam, the Guild announced that the two were safely promoted to B-rank. And right now, Kohaku stared at the two¡¯s guild cards in her hands while leaning her body on a table in the Guild¡¯s tavern. ¡°Silver color, so cool. I am so jealous¡­¡± Kohaku has been repeating these same words for a while, seemingly envious of the two, whose cards have changed from bronze, which is the mark of a C-class adventurer, to silver. ¡°Mou, give it back already. Kohaku can also take the promotion exam too when you are 15 years old.¡± ¡°2 years¡­it¡¯s too long¡­¡± No matter what Sorano said, Kohaku didn¡¯t stop looking at Amou and Sorano¡¯s guild cards. Just as Sorano said, to take the B-class promotion exam, one must be at least 15 years old, which can already be considered an adult. And Kohaku, who was still 13 years old, most likely felt that it was too long even for her. And then, Eto, who just had a meeting with the Guild Master in the back, returned. He was reporting on the ominous gaze that Sorano felt in the promotion exam to the Guild Master. It was something that was felt by Sorano, who had the highest enemy detection ability and possessed a keen sense in the party, after all. So, Eto thought there is no way it was just her hallucination. ¡°What is the response of the Guild Master?¡± Sorano asked Eto. ¡°Hmmm. Although he knew that we couldn¡¯t ignore Sorano¡¯s intuition, it is still difficult for the Guild to do a large-scale investigation just based on that.¡± ¡°I can imagine.¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s find out what happened in the forest by ourselves! Since it was Sorano who mentioned it, there is no way it was a mistake.¡± Suddenly, Kohaku regained her spirit and said that. She was probably trying to relieve her frustration from not being able to promote to B-class by making some achievement. Maybe because of hearing what she said, Amou, who had been talking with the tavern owner at the counter, went back to where Eto and the others were. ¡°No, Kohaku, we have to handle the matter regarding the investigation of that forest more carefully. Although I don¡¯t know what Sorano felt back then, I also had a bad feeling at that time. When I thought about it again when we returned, that feeling closely resembled the impression I had when I first saw a dungeon.¡± ¡°Dungeon?¡± ¡°Yes. When I was a kid, a new dungeon suddenly appeared near my village. And I went to see it. I guess you could say that my curiosity got the better of me. The bad feeling I felt in that forest was very similar to the one I felt at that time. If I had to describe it, it would be a creepy feeling, as if telling me that there is a mysterious existence in the deepest part of the dungeon.¡± Even Amou, who never showed any fear towards monsters, said that. Hence, Eto decided to increase his vigilance to any request in the forest in the eastern part of the royal capital. However, at midnight of the same day, the royal capital came to know about the sudden change in the forest. A bell rang, informing the civilians about an anomaly. At the same time, many soldiers and knights riding horses can be seen passing through the main street in a rush. Looking at that, Eto and his party hurriedly equipped their equipment and headed toward the Guild to find out what¡¯s happening. The guild was full of not only adventurers, but also nearby civilians. Everyone came to the guild to ask about the situation. And as Eto and his party walked into the guild, passing through the wall of people, Sally, who noticed them, approached Eto. ¡°Eto-san, the Guild Master wants to talk to you as soon as possible. Can you please go to the Guild Master¡¯s room right away?¡± ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll head there immediately.¡± After replying, Eto heads towards the Guild Master¡¯s room, slipping through the crowd. Volume 3 - CH 5 Chapter 5 ¨C The Appearance of a Dungeon After passing through the crowds, Eto and his party finally arrived at the Guild Master¡¯s room. Inside, in addition to the Guild Master Sidrake, there was also Grandmaster Trie, who was present when he was making his report on the Hero¡¯s party. ¡°Long time no see, Trie-sama. If even Trie-sama is here with Sidrake-sama, does that mean something big happened?¡± As Eto straightforwardly asked, Trie deeply nodded. ¡°A dungeon has appeared near Atsusa village, east of the royal capital.¡± It was precisely near the place where a Hobgoblin appeared during Amou and Sorano¡¯s B-class promotion exam, where Sorano felt a murderous gaze directed at them, and where Amou got a bad feeling. Turns out, right after Eto made his report, the Guild Master sent two C-class adventurers parties to investigate. Unfortunately, only one of the parties came back, and they reported that they discovered the entrance of a dungeon near Atsusa village. According to them, there were numerous Goblins gathered around it, and the said village was already in a state of destruction. Lastly, they couldn¡¯t confirm if there were any survivors in the village as the number of Goblins were too many. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a stampede?¡± Sorano asked, in the same tone that she used when she spoke with her party members. Hearing that, Eto hoped that the Grand Master wouldn¡¯t get angry at her, while being exasperated by his own small-fry-like thought which worried about social standing even in the midst of crisis. ¡°Ee, looking at the situation, there is indeed an indication of a stampede. However, leaving aside an old dungeon, I¡¯ve never heard of a situation where monsters gathered around a dungeon that has just appeared. In other words, we are in a situation where we can¡¯t even find an answer from past events.¡± Guild Master Sidrake replied instead. ¡°A new dungeon, large number of Goblins, and signs of a stampede¡­¡± Sorano seemed to ponder the situation, while muttering some keywords of the events. ¡°In any case, the first wave of monsters has actually already approached the walls of the royal capital. But since the number wasn¡¯t that big, they were successfully repelled by the knights and guards. Currently, even the magic corps is joining to protect the walls.¡± ¡°Trie-sama, so the first wave has already attacked the royal capital?¡± Surprised by the news, Eto asked for confirmation. ¡°Yes. And the reason we summoned you guys here was because the leader of the magic corps is asking Eto for his assistance. You know him, right? It¡¯s Puke the fabulous1.¡± Immediately after joining the Hero¡¯s party, Eto had received training from Puke, the leader of magic corps. And Puke highly valued Eto¡¯s support magic. Although the surrounding people said that Puke was an eccentric person, whom they couldn¡¯t figure out, Eto respected Puke, who was very enthusiastic about magical research without being bound by stereotypes. ¡°Ee, I once received training from Puke-sama. I see, so Puke-sama requires my assistance. Understood. Where should I head to? ¡°I see! So you will go! Puke is currently on the spire between eastern wall and southern wall meet. I¡¯ll have the guild staff to escort you there. I¡¯m counting on you.¡± Eto then looked at his party members, telling them that he was indebted to Puke and told them that he really respected Puke. Thus, if Puke needs his help, Eto tells them that he would like to respond to it. ¡°If Eto said so, then I will go too¡± ¡°Even if I go back to the Inn, I don¡¯t think I could sleep. If you want to strengthen the defense of the wall, then my bow should be useful.¡± ¡°If there is something I can do, just give me an order.¡± The three immediately told Eto that they would follow him. Volume 3 - CH 6 Chapter 6 ¨C Stampede Eto and his party headed to the rampart near the castle walls by a carriage provided by the guild. In addition to the coachman who operates the carriage, a guild staff is also there with them, telling Eto and his party about the event that occurred in detail. According to the guild staff, the attack of Goblins towards the royal capital started about two hours ago. Fortunately, the knights and the garrison soldiers managed to wipe out about 200 to 300 Goblins by shooting their bows from the top of the wall. After that, with the cooperation of a Tamer, who has bird-type monsters as his subordinates, they found a flock of tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of Goblins in the eastern forest. The Goblins also showed signs of forming some platoons, which without a doubt indicated that they will send second and third waves towards the royal capital. Because of that, the higher-ups decided to inform the danger to the civilians and have the knights, magicians, garrison soldiers, and adventurers to take turns to intercept the attack of Goblins, so if the Goblins managed to cross the walls, they could immediately issue an urgent evacuation notice to the civilians as the last resort. It is also assumed that the second group of Goblins will reach the walls in several tens of minutes later, and then the third and fourth group of Goblins will continue to attack the royal capital without a break. Currently, the troops other than adventurers have already gathered at the rampart and gates. The guild staff also said that the adventurers that are capable of long-range attacks are likely to be attacking from the walls, and those specialized in close-combat would be on standby in the square in front of the gate. When their carriage arrived at the spire, a young magician emerged from inside. The guild staff then got off the carriage and uttered a few words to the magician before he greeted Eto and his party and returned to the guild with the carriage. After that, the magician immediately guided Eto and his party to his leader. Eto and his party climbed long stairs leading to the top floor of the spire and were led to the front of a humble door. Then, after the magician had knocked the door and announced the arrival of Eto and his party, a voice instructed him to let Eto and his party enter the room. ¡°I will have to excuse myself here. Please enter the room.¡± Saying that, the magician went away. ¡°Excuse us.¡± When Eto opened the door, they could see a figure of a magician, who had his back turned to Eto while looking outside the rampart. "" ¡°Yaa, long time no see, Eto-kun. People often say ¡®a man speaks with his back¡¯, but what do you think my back speaks of?¡± The magician spoke to Eto still with his back turned against them. ¡°Fufu. Puke-sama sure doesn¡¯t change. Hmmm, unfortunately, I can¡¯t see what Puke-sama¡¯s back is saying, as the magician¡¯s attire that Puke-sama wears fully conceals it. I do know that your shoulders are sloping, though.¡± ¡°Hohoo. I heard you¡¯ve left the Hero¡¯s party, but you seem to be doing well right now. And I¡¯m sure I have told you before that Wyvern meat is my favorite dish.¡± The magician finally turned his body and grinned. His long hair stretched to his back, and a torch placed in the room illuminated the man¡¯s well-looking face and pale skin. ¡°Long time no see, Puke-sama. Although we¡¯re in the middle of this kind of situation, I¡¯m glad I was able to meet you again.¡± ¡°Me too, Eto-kun. Now, with you being here, it¡¯s like we just gained the strength of a hundred people. Let¡¯s get rid of the Goblins together.¡± Puke said, in a light tone as if he was just going to play somewhere. Volume 3 - CH 7 Chapter 7 ¨C Rare Species ¡°The only problem is, we still don¡¯t know the exact number of the Goblins.¡± Puke, the leader of the Kingdom¡¯s Magic Corps, began to explain the situation. ¡°We will be engaging in a defensive battle to defend the royal capital. However, there is a limit to the stamina and magic power of those who can fight. Not only that, the number of potions, and even food supplies are also limited. Hence, the higher-ups of the kingdom wanted to know how long the battle would continue. However, even after having a tamer with a tamed bird monster investigate it from the sky, we still don¡¯t know the exact number of the Goblins. Since most of them are lurking in the forest, we can¡¯t help but just roughly assume their number, which likely ranges from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands. But even with that, the information we got is still too little to make a strategy.¡± ¡°I heard the Goblins also formed numerous platoons, but have you confirmed the existence of the one who leads them?¡± ¡°As expected of Eto-kun, that¡¯s a good point¡± Puke smiled, seemingly enjoying the conversation. ¡°According to the report of the adventurers who witnessed the appearance of the dungeon for the first time, they saw a Goblin that they have never seen before near the entrance of the dungeon. Although its size is just like that of a normal Goblin, its skin is white, and it has a pair of red eyes. The white goblin was also commanding the surrounding Hobgoblins. At first, they thought it was just a goblin magician, but we never heard of the existence of a white Goblin.¡± Puke said, with his palms facing up, as if surrendering. ¡°Red-eyed Goblin¡­Don¡¯t tell me.¡± Hearing that, Sorano muttered to herself. Her eyebrows are wrinkled, and there is a shadow of anxiety in her eyes. That made Eto worried, as it was a reaction that he had never seen before. ¡°Sorano, do you know something about that Goblin?¡± ¡°There is a folklore about a Goblin with eyes red like blood in my village. Hundreds of years ago, that rare species of Goblin apparently attacked a human country with a large group of Goblins. However, there is no information about what happened to those Goblins. The only thing described in the story was the rare species of Goblin said to have used powerful magic.¡± While remembering the folklore, Sorano explained the red-eyed Goblin to Eto and the others. ¡°A rare species of Goblin that can use powerful magic, huh. Seems unlike Humans whose lives are short, Elves sure properly leave such legends to their children. Unfortunately, there is no such record in the royal capital.¡± Puke sighed as if impressed with the elves while looking at Sorano, expressing his interest in the story. ¡°By the way, you must be Eto-kun¡¯s comrades. I¡¯m Puke, the leader of the Magic Corps. Pleased to meet you.¡± Puke suddenly started to introduce himself, but Eto understood that this kind of sudden thing was actually his trait and started to introduce his party members. Volume 3 - CH 8 Chapter 8 ¨C Defensive Battle Outside the spire, the area around the castle wall suddenly became hectic. That was because the second wave of Goblins had finally appeared. Since there is a passage that connects the spire to the wall, Puke brought Eto and his party to the top of the wall in the east through that passage. From there, they could see hordes of Goblins illuminated by the magical tools which happen to be the light source that fills the roads. However, without knowing the exact number of the enemy, it would be risky to exit the gate to intercept them. Therefore, the higher-ups of the kingdom decided to conduct a siege battle that effectively used the castle walls. Fortunately, the way the Goblins attacked was simple. They either simply attacked the gate and tried to break it or climbed the wall by stepping over the corpses of their allies. Yes, the kingdom only has to be careful of those two patterns. Although there seems to be quite a number of Goblin Mages and Goblin Archers, their attacks can¡¯t cross the walls and the barrier made by magic. Thus, by blocking the advance of Goblins from the top of the walls by using bows, spears, rocks, or even boiling water, they should be able to prevent their invasion into the town. However, over time, the defending side will definitely be exposed to a number of threats, as stamina and magic power do not last infinitely, and there is also a limit to the number of arrows. Furthermore, the Goblins also cling their bodies to the walls, so the corpses will be piled up. And those mountains of corpses have begun to touch the walls of the east and south. Thus, they have to be wary of Goblins that manage to reach the top of the castle walls by climbing that mountain. They couldn¡¯t even go outside the walls to destroy the mountain of corpses, as they will soon be surrounded by a horde of Goblins and be killed if they do that. As the defenders desperately continued to resist without any concrete countermeasure, the sun started to appear in the sky. Subsequently, the Goblins began to withdraw to the eastern forest, as if they were avoiding the sunlight. ¡°What? The Goblins retreated? As far as I can see, there are still a lot of them, so why are they retreating just like that? Even though if they pushed a bit more, they would have been able to reach the top of the wall.¡± Puke tilted his head, unable to understand the bizarre behavior of the Goblins. Incidentally, even though he had been repeatedly using attack and defensive magic all night, it seems Puke still had quite a bit of magic power left. ¡°The way they retreated seemed as if they disliked the sunlight. Or maybe, they were instructed to attack until the morning from the start? However, if that¡¯s really the case, that just means the Goblins can even share such complicated commands between each other.¡± Next to Puke, Eto also started thinking. And while the two were absorbed in their thoughts, forgetting the hordes of Goblins, the monsters gradually disappeared from the highway. That night, before the attack started, Eto had applied the archers with a Strength buff and enchanted their bows, and he also gave the Magicians a buff that raised their magic attack power. In the battle, Sorano fired precisely and aimed at higher-ranked Goblins from far away. Meanwhile, Amou was responsible for dropping stones and boiling water from the walls, and Kohaku was guarding Eto in case of emergency. Although they successfully prevented the hordes of Goblins from invading the royal capital, the knights and soldiers showed no expression of joy. Because they knew that there were still a lot of Goblins lurking around in the forest. But, as they found no hordes of Goblins nearby after thoroughly searching the area around the walls, the gate was opened, and they began to work to clean up the Goblin corpses. After that, the attack of Goblins continued every night. Hordes of Goblins will flood the road when the sun goes down and attack the royal capital throughout the night. And when the sun rises, they will retreat into the forest. The army and monster expert have tried to search for an implication of this orderly action of Goblins, but it seems they still couldn¡¯t find a convincing answer to that. Despite their success in repelling the Goblins, the higher-ups of the kingdom knew they couldn¡¯t let this situation continue. If the night attack continues every night, the fatigue of the soldiers will increase. They also have to consider replenishing consumables such as arrows, potions, and food. The Goblins might not have attacked at noon so far, but it doesn¡¯t mean they couldn¡¯t change their tactics. Because in essence, Goblins are monsters that are active even in daytime. The commercial activities around the royal capital have also been greatly affected, and if this situation continues for a long time, there is no doubt that the economic loss will increase. That is why they have to think of an effective countermeasure urgently. Volume 3 - CH 9 Chapter 9 ¨C Suicide Squad1 When Eto and his party returned to the inn after having a night battle against the Goblins, a guild staff was waiting for them there. He was there to inform Eto that the Grand master requested him to visit the guild in the early afternoon. And since he seems to be exempted from the defensive battle that night, Eto decided to accept the call to the guild and rested until noon. As he entered the guild guided by the guild staff, Eto saw the higher-ups of the kingdom such as the knights¡¯ captain, leader of the magic corps, the general of the army, and the leader of the garrison gathered inside. But what made Eto more surprised is that even prime minister Bismarck, who was the top civil official who supported the king, was also there. Although Eto only got acquainted with him when he was still in the Hero¡¯s party, it is rumored that Bismarck is a very talented man with a strict personality to the point he was called the unparalleled prime minister. ¡°So, you¡¯ve come. Eto-kun, you and your party can sit there.¡± From the way how serious Trie looked, Eto knew that the situation clearly had become more urgent. Eto was worried whether it was fine for him to be in that place alongside those important people, but since he was told to sit, he thought it would be rude to reject it, so he sat down as instructed. And his party members also sat next to him. It seems among the people who were gathered there, Eto¡¯s party was the last to arrive. Sitting near them were two A-class adventurer parties whom he had talked a little to in the guild before. Yes, the two A-rank parties and Eto¡¯s B-rank party are currently the best adventurers the royal capital had. Because of the Goblin¡¯s raid, all routes that connect the other towns and the royal capital were closed. Although the Goblins didn¡¯t attack during the day, with hordes of Goblins lurking in the immediate vicinity, even adventurers couldn¡¯t go anywhere. Only two A-rank parties happened to remain in the royal capital when the raid happened. Although there are other B-rank parties, only Eto¡¯s party has a fighting power equal to that of an A-rank party. ¡°The reason we gathered everyone here was because we have a proposition to end the Goblin¡¯s raid. I¡¯m sure everyone already knows that hordes of Goblins have been attacking the royal capital for a week in a row since their first attack. Even if they didn¡¯t attack in the day, if this continues, the royal capital will surely be paralyzed. The exhaustion of the defensive side also has reached a level that cannot be overlooked. Thus, to end this situation, we proposed to form a suicide squad.¡± With a grave expression, Trie explained the reason why he called them there. Needless to say, the prime minister and the other leaders of the kingdom probably already knew about Trie¡¯s plan beforehand. Every one of them was looking straight at them in silence, maintaining a wait-and-see attitude. ¡°Are we adventurers the only ones participating in that suicide squad?¡± Zenith, the leader of an A-rank party ¡ºArrow of Light¡», asked. He squinted his eyes, as if trying to determine the true intentions of the big shots attending the meeting. And that expression was telling them that he couldn¡¯t accept the fact that only adventurers were sacrificed in that plan. ¡°The purpose of the suicide squad is to subjugate the leader of the Goblins. For that, the core of the team would be made of adventurers, who are already accustomed to subjugating monsters. Besides the adventurers, the knights corps will also send 10 elites, while the magic corps will send five elites to the team. In addition, the knights and the Royal Army will form a 2,000-member cavalry to pave a way for the squad to go straight to the leader of the Goblins.¡± ¡°And the adventurers who will participate are us ¡ºShrine of Aragami¡», ¡ºArrow of Light¡» and them?¡± Aram, the leader of ¡ºShrine of Aragami¡», who was known for using a large shield, asked. And his sight was fixed on Eto and his party. ¡°That¡¯s right. Although Eto¡¯s party is a B-rank, they have the power equal to that of an A-rank party. And I think you guys know about it too. I mean, I am sure you guys have never heard a B-rank party that could wipe out a Wyvern herd unscathed before. Fufu, I hope they could give their party a name that we can easily say, though.¡± Trie said, loosening his cheeks while looking at Eto and his party. ¡°I understand what Trie-sama wants to say. And since the objective of the suicide squad is the leader of the Goblins, please tell us about the information that we currently have regarding it.¡± Eto put his answer regarding the participation of his party to the suicide squad on hold. That was because he felt he needed to get as much information as possible about the white-skinned goblin, as they didn¡¯t have enough information to devise a plan to subjugate it. Then, Trie and Sidrake explained to them about the red-eyed, white-skinned goblin that the investigation team had seen. And it seems, they already named the said goblin ¡¸Red-Eye¡¹. Red-eye never showed itself in the night raids, and its existence was confirmed only by reports from the investigation team. Other than that, Sorano was also asked by Puke to talk about the folklore of elves. However, even if they knew that it could use powerful magic, they still have no way to counter it without knowing what kind of magic it is. With that, it confirmed that they didn¡¯t have enough information to devise a plan. ¡°In other words, we only have little information about Red-Eye. I know it is very irresponsible for the guild to one-sidedly give the adventurers a subjugation request of an enemy that even we don¡¯t know much of. However, if this situation continues, the royal capital will be doomed. And in the middle of a situation where we didn¡¯t know how many Goblins are waiting out there, defeating their king is undoubtedly one of the most effective strategies to end this. Because of that, I won¡¯t say something annoying such as this is the obligation of you guys as adventurers. I just want you guys to think carefully about how you can increase your chances of survival before deciding. The rewards for this mission will be 5 million per person, and an additional 10 million per person if the mission is successful.¡± As if excited, the tone Trie used while saying that became cruder. Probably because his sense of when he was still just an adventurer has reawakened. And hearing what Trie said, the adventurers were surprised at the high reward the guild provided for that mission. However, as expected of A-class adventurers. They began to discuss the risks and rewards of joining the suicide squad, and what would happen to the royal capital if the situation continues. "" When Eto looked at his party members, all of them just stared into his eyes and nodded. Seeing that, he thanked the reliable party members he had from the bottom of his heart. ¡°We will participate. If this continues, the damage may spread to our hometown, after all. With the help of the higher-ups of the kingdom, we have to defeat the Goblins as fast as possible.¡± Aram announced the participation of his party to the suicide squad. Eto have heard that the hometown of Aram and his party is a small village in the west from the royal capital before. And Aram said that there was a place where a local God called Aragami was enshrined there, and that¡¯s also where he got his party name from. ¡°We will also join the suicide squad. Because at this rate, the situation will gradually worsen, and as A-class adventurers, there is no way we would run from that.¡± Zenith also said, following Aram. The other members of his party have also made up their minds. ¡°My party will also join the suicide squad. Hence, I think it is better to have the members of the suicide squad to experience my support magic in advance to have them get used to it. As long as I raise everyone¡¯s power with my support magic, I¡¯m sure our breakthrough power and survival rate will increase.¡± Eto also announced their participation in the suicide squad. Although the risk will be high, if they just wait, the situation will definitely worsen. Thus, Eto thought that as long as the knights and army still had plenty of soldiers, they had to try any plan to end the raid. Volume 3 - CH 10 Chapter 10 ¨C Audience The higher-ups decided that the suicide squad would begin their mission three days later in the morning right when the hordes of Goblins retreat to the forest around the royal capital. Because of that, Eto and his party spent busy days checking the consumables that they¡¯re going to bring to the mission and having other members of the suicide squad try out the effects of Eto¡¯s support magic. And the day before the decisive day, the main members of the suicide squad will be gathered at the royal castle to have an audience with the King. Incidentally, the last time Eto had an audience with the King was before the hero¡¯s party embarked on an adventure outside the royal capital. That time, they vowed in front of the King to subdue the monsters for the sake of the well-being of the citizens. And the King likely also knows that Eto has left the Hero¡¯s party. Therefore, without knowing what the King thought of him, Eto felt very restless even before the audience started. On the day of the audience, the members of the suicide squad who were summoned to have an audience, met in the waiting room. There are a total of thirteen adventurers, four from Eto¡¯s party, four from ¡ºArrow of Light¡», and five from ¡ºShrine of Aragami¡». From the knights, there are a total of ten elite knights who are proficient at close combat while also being able to use magic. From the magic corps, since the weakness of the Red-eye is still unknown, they sent five advanced magic users among the magicians who can use the four major elements, which are fire, water, wind and earth. Puke, who was the leader of the magic corps, is also among those five magicians. Yes, Puke, who can use every attribute of magic, in the end, joined suicide squad, despite the opposition from the surrounding people1. However, regarding Puke¡¯s participation on the mission, Eto thought it was more because he was interested in the rare species of Goblin rather than a sense of obligation. Although for many, it was unbelievable to risk one¡¯s life for the sake of satisfying one¡¯s own curiosity, Eto knew that it was just one of his traits. After waiting for a while, prompted by the guide, the members of the suicide squad left the waiting room and entered the audience hall. As they entered, Eto felt a bit nostalgic looking at the soft red carpet leading to the throne. Eto recalled that when he came to the royal capital and met the King for the first time, he was surprised at the softness of the red carpet. He also remembered that Lana, who walked next to him, also nervously stepped on the carpet. Having arrived at the designated area, they immediately got on one¡¯s knee and lowered their head. Then, by the words of the Prime Minister Bismarck, the members of the suicide squad lifted their head. There, Eto can see the dignified figure of the King sitting on his throne, just like a few years ago. At that time, looking at the nervous Eto and Lana who came from the countryside, the King just laughed and gave them words of encouragement, saying, ¡°Thanks for your hard work. Do continue doing so.¡± And after that, they were able to spend their time in the royal castle comfortably without being discriminated against for being commoners. Remembering that, with apology and determination Eto said in his heart, ¡®His Majesty, please forgive me for not being able to meet your expectation and leaving the Hero¡¯s party. I hope I can repay the kindness of His Majesty even a bit by joining the suicide squad this time.¡¯ Just like that, the King continued giving the words of encouragement to them, and the audience was approaching its end. But right before they left, the King turned his gaze towards Eto. ¡°Long time no see, Eto.¡± The king¡¯s eyes narrowed gently, and his tone was as gentle, just like speaking to an old friend. As those remarks were totally unplanned, the Prime Minister Bismarck tried to say something to the King, but the King stopped him with his gaze. ¡°I know that I already put Eto in a lot of trouble. That¡¯s why, I really wish you can live peacefully after that, but it looks like I ended up troubling you again.¡± Saying that, the king¡¯s expression returned to a dignified expression he showed when they were still having an audience. ¡°Please, it wasn¡¯t trouble, your Majesty. Rather, I just wasn¡¯t able to meet your Majesty¡¯s expectations before. Thus, for the sake of people¡¯s well-being, I would like to do my best to help this time.¡± Being able to say what he had in mind, Eto¡¯s stiff body and mind unknowingly loosened. ¡°I see. Looks like Eto remembered your vow to me. Please do your best.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Hearing that, Eto teared up, as he felt that His Majesty just eased the guilt he had for leaving the hero¡¯s party. Volume 3 - CH 11 Chapter 11 ¨C Offense On the morning of the decisive day, after having breakfast at the inn as usual, Eto and his party headed to the east gate which was set to be the meeting place of the squad. Yes, they didn¡¯t want to break the rhythm by doing something different from usual. On the way, they asked the soldier guarding the city regarding today¡¯s raid, and it seems the Goblins just disappeared into the forest when the sun was rising after attacking all night long just like the previous days. As they arrived at the square in front of the east gate, ¡ºArrow of Light¡» and ¡ºShrine of Aragami¡» had already arrived, waiting for them. They lightly greeted each other, and then waited for the other members of the squad to come. And from the gathering place, they could see many knights and soldiers moving around in a hurry. Apparently, a strict order prohibiting citizens near the east gate from going out was given today. That was because the gate will be opened once. Hence, the kingdom has to raise their vigilance even if the Goblins never attacked during the day. At any rate, not long after that, the knights and the magicians led by Puke finally arrived. Behind them, 2,000 cavalrymen lined up on the main street in front of the east gate, making the sound of horse hooves echo through the area. Prime minister Bismarck then delivered the words of encouragement from the King, and right after him, the knight¡¯s captain also gave some words to encourage the members of the suicide squad. The reconnaissance unit, which has already begun searching for any enemies outside the walls, also reported that there were no abnormalities found in the immediate vicinity. Which means, it was time to open the gate. And as soon as the gate opened, the 2,000 cavalrymen were immediately stationed outside the castle walls. After the cavalrymen, with ten knights at the front, the thirteen adventurers and five mages of the suicide squad went out of the gate. Although everyone was riding a horse, Kohaku, who had little experience in riding one, sat behind Amou. Incidentally, it seems, every member of A-rank parties in the squad is skilled in riding horses. As the main members of the suicide squad arrived at the center of the cavalry, the signal for the sortie was finally given. Until now, the kingdom could only defend against the onslaught of the Goblins, but today for the first time, they finally will carry out a counterattack. Albeit nervous, the knights and soldiers shouted to increase their spirits for the battle. The squad also began to move, and as they gained the momentum, they slowly marched into the forest. The forest near the royal capital has its trees logged by humans, making the distance between trees wide, and there are also not many small trees around. In other words, it was an environment easier for horses to pass compared to a natural forest, allowing the squad to be able to steadily go deeper into the forest. Their objective is the entrance of the newly appeared dungeon. However, around halfway to the destination, the left side of the cavalry was attacked by the Goblins. Even so, the cavalry never lowered their speed and just focused to move forward in order to send the suicide squad to the destination. And since then, the Goblins kept attacking from every side, reducing the number of the cavalry each time. Still, the speed of their advance did not show any sign of slowing down. The cavalry members sacrificed themselves for the sake of delivering the main members of the suicide squad, who were saving their stamina for the final battle, to their destination1. Unluckily, as they were about to arrive at the entrance of the dungeon, numerous Goblins began to flood them from both sides. Seeing that, the cavalry captain immediately divided the army into two sides and ordered them to attack the Goblins right away. Subsequently, he led a small group of cavalry to attack the hordes of Goblins that were attacking them from the front. Thanks to the cavalrymen, who were prepared to die, the hordes of Goblins are crushed. However, the fact that they were outnumbered still doesn¡¯t change, and soon, the cavalry gradually lost their momentum. ¡°Please proceed without us!¡± The captain of the cavalry shouted and ordered his group to form a wall to protect the squad from the enemies on the left and right. Following their captain, the other cavalrymen each also took charge of an area and stopped the Goblins. ¡°Sorry! We¡¯ll go ahead!¡± In response to the captain¡¯s words, one of the elite knights said, before rushing through the hordes of Goblins. Then, as if detonating the power they have saved, the leading knights sped up their advance, slaying Goblins after Goblins. Eto promptly gave Strength, Magic Force, and Haste buffs to the squad. With his buffs, the vanguard led the squad at the frontline, while the rearguard reduced the surrounding Goblins with magic and arrows. However, the numbers of the Goblins were just too much for them, causing the speed of their advance to slow down, and they were gradually flanked by the Goblins. But when everyone thought they would be doomed, Eto casted Dark, a debuff that blocked the visions of the surrounding Goblins around the squad. ¡°Lift your swords!¡± After seeing that the pressure from the Goblins weakened a little, Eto shouted a predetermined signal that they had decided in advance. Hearing that, the vanguard quickly lifted their swords and spears, and Eto enchanted all of those weapons with fire magic. While Eto cast his enchantments on the vanguards, the rearguards attacked the Goblins in the front with their arrows to buy some time for them. Then, knowing that this was the crucial moment for them, the knights and adventurers whose attack power has been increased by Eto¡¯s enchantment, immediately tried to increase the speed of their advance by force. Support magic uses a large amount of magic power depending on the number of the humans and weapons it buffed. Hence, it couldn¡¯t be used like that many times. That is why, at this moment, with a mana potion in his mouth, Eto could only hope that they could pass through the hordes of Goblins. ¡°We made it!¡± Suddenly, Eto heard a shout from the knight in the forefront. Following that, the knights who managed to pass through the hordes of Goblins also loudly reported their situation. Shortly after that, Eto, who was near the very rear of the squad, also managed to pass the horde of Goblins. In the direction of their destination, there was an open area with only a few trees left. And beyond that, they could see the entrance of a cave, as if the ground rises into a little mound at that spot. That was undoubtedly the entrance of the newly appeared dungeon. Even from a distance, every member of the squad could sense a strong magical power floating around it. And as if blocking the entrance of the dungeon, there stood a white-skinned Goblin. Its blood-like red-eye shined, and its mouth distorted, making a creepy laugh. The size of its body, however, is the same as a normal goblin. The white-skinned goblin didn¡¯t hold any weapon, and just stood there creepily staring at the squad. However, the amount of magic power felt from its whole body was by no means normal. Without letting his guard down, Eto also stared at the white-skinned goblin, preparing himself for a fierce battle that will soon begin. Volume 3 - CH 12 Chapter 12 ¨C The Clash ¡°Oh spirit of the earth, listen to my wishes and destroy the evil before me, Earth shaker!¡± Puke, who had been preserving his magic power until now, cast an advanced-level earth magic towards the horde of Goblins chasing them from behind. And then, the ground behind the squad began to tremble violently. The tremors became more and more intense, causing the Goblins to be unsteady on their feet and collapse to the ground. Following Puke, the other high-level magicians immediately cast advanced fire, water, wind and earth magic towards the Goblins, creating a flame storm that swirled right behind the squad, burning every Goblin on sight. Subsequently, on the left, a big tsunami swallows the Goblins one after another. Meanwhile on the right, the Goblins were cut into pieces by wind blades, and in a large area including outside those magic, spiked stones popped out from the ground and skewered the Goblins. With this, they would be able to buy some time before another horde of Goblins came, that¡¯s what Eto thought. However, that also means that the squad couldn¡¯t engage in a long battle against the Red-Eye, as the longer they fight, the more probability they would get attacked by a horde of Goblins from behind. The only way for them to survive is to defeat the Red-Eye as soon as possible and retreat the moment the Goblins lose their control because of the loss of their leader. Thus, with that in mind, the knights who were the vanguard of the squad directly attacked the Red-Eye, the adventurers and the magicians also followed them. However, the moment the knights raised their spear and tried to swing it down to the Red-Eye, the Red-Eye disappeared from their sight. ¡°Captain-!¡± Hearing the magician¡¯s scream, Eto looked back and saw that Puke, who was in the rear, had his chest torn, causing blood to sprout from there. Although there were other magicians around Puke, no one seemed to notice the Red-Eye approaching. ¡°What was that? That wasn¡¯t at the level where it could be called high physical ability! It¡¯s too fast!¡± Zenith, the leader of A-rank party ¡ºArrow of Light¡», shouted. His gaze was carefully following the Red-Eye, raising his alert level of the enemy before him as a very dangerous enemy. Eto promptly approached Puke and applied Slow, which was considered a debuff. ¡°This will slow and reduce your bleeding. Quickly recover yourself with potions!¡± Saying that, Eto left Puke to the magicians and stared at the Red-Eye, which had already returned to the entrance of the cave. The Red-Eye just attacked Puke, who was the strongest in the squad. And Eto¡¯s intuition told him that there is no way that was a coincidence. Eto then slowly advanced his horse until he was just behind the knights and cast Dark to the Red-Eye. Eto¡¯s support magic doesn¡¯t require any chant like other magicians. He only needs to say the word ¡®Dark¡¯ to apply the debuff within plausible range. Needless to say, the short-word Dark, was the fastest debuff the current Eto had. However, at that moment, Red-Eye once again disappeared from their sight. As the members of the squad were looking around, searching from the figure of Red-Eye, a muffled voice was heard behind Eto. When Eto looked back, he could see the long claws of Red-Eye had pierced Amou¡¯s left arm. And the tip of the claws was aimed at Eto¡¯s neck. In other words, had Amou not used his body to protect Eto, his life would have been gone in an instant. ¡°Father!¡± Seeing that, Kohaku, who was riding the same horse as Amou, shouted. And as if attracted by that voice, Red-Eye turned its sight at Kohaku and grinned creepily1. Judging that it would be dangerous to Kohaku, Eto once again cast Dark towards Red-Eye. This time, it seemed to be effective, as Red-Eye displayed a sign of being inflicted by an abnormal condition. ¡°Slow! Gravity! Pain!¡± Knowing that it was his chance, Eto immediately cast debuff after debuff toward the Red-Eye, and brandished the one-handed sword that was enchanted with fire magic in his hand, towards the Red-Eye. However, the moment the sword was about to reach the Red-Eye, it once again disappeared in an instant. And then, a grunt could be heard near the cave where the Red-Eye formerly stood. Yes, that¡¯s where the Red-Eye moved to. ¡°T-that, was¡­.. teleportation, magic¡­.2¡± Puke, who managed to heal his wound with potions, suddenly muttered, and Eto promptly released Slow from him. ¡°Puke-sama, did you just say, teleportation magic?¡± ¡°Aa. That¡¯s definitely not Haste3¡­ After it disappeared, right before it reappeared, I felt a faint fluctuation of magic power in the space. It fits the characteristics of the legendary teleportation magic.¡± Puke stared directly in Eto¡¯s eyes and said. From there, Eto could see a sense of crisis in his expression. Volume 3 - CH 13 Chapter 13 ¨C Teleportation Magic ¡°A Goblin that can use teleportation magic, you say? How can we even kill such a monster!¡± One of the magicians shouted. That was inevitable. As an expert in magic, he naturally knew how abnormal teleportation magic is. Knowing that, while grasping his quivering shoulders with his hands, the magician¡¯s heart seemed to be about to break from despair. On the other hand, the adventurers never loosened their vigilance. And Zenith, the leader of A-rank party ¡ºArrow of Light¡», spoke to the trembling magician. ¡°Magician-san, we don¡¯t have to have a magic showdown against Red-Eye. Besides, not just Red-Eye, other monsters can also use various skills. That¡¯s why all we have to do is find a countermeasure, and trap it.¡± ¡°Impossible! Our enemy could use the legendary teleportation magic, you know?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about whether it is possible. If we want to survive, we have to do it.¡± While talking, Zenith¡¯s eyes are still vigilantly staring at Red-Eye. Until suddenly, Aram from ¡ºShrine of Aragami¡» joined the conversation. ¡°Do you guys understand what was the fluctuation of magic power that captain Puke said?¡± Hearing that, the magicians looked at each other, seeming unconfident. ¡°We don¡¯t¨C¡± ¡°I think we understand.¡± Sorano, who was listening to the conversation near them, said while her eyes still fixated on Red-Eye. Zenith immediately looked at Sorano, before directing his gaze to Eto. Following him, Aram also stares at Eto. ¡°Do you mind if I become the one who gives the instruction from now on?¡± When Eto asked them, the two promptly nodded. ¡°Do use us well.¡± Returning his eyes back to Red-Eye, Zenith only answered him with a smile on his mouth, showing his agreement to Eto¡¯s suggestion. ¡°Yosh! Sorano, if you feel the fluctuation of magic, shout, ¡®Hai!¡¯, and shoot your arrow right at that place. The rearguards also follow her and shoot your magic and arrows at the place she aimed at. For the front-liners, go close the distance and attack the Red-Eye as soon as Sorano detects it. This will be a short decisive battle. We will defeat the Red-Eye without missing a moment of chance!¡± Eto gave every member his instruction in quick succession. Hearing that, the adventurers and knights shouted and readied themselves for the decisive battle. The magicians, who were late to answer, also readied their wands with caution, as fighting spirit returned to their eyes. Subsequently, Eto looked at Puke, who was standing supported by a magician. Sensing the gaze, Puke merely smiled at Eto and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡®Yosh, time for round two.¡¯ With that in mind, Eto stared at Red-Eye, who also fixed his gaze at Eto. It seems, the effect of debuffs that Eto inflicted on the Red-Eye has already expired. Monsters with high magic resistance can cancel debuffs by themselves. And Eto thought that Red-Eye was one of those types of monsters. However, the movement of Red-Eye was still slow. Which means, although the effect of Dark has already expired and Pain has no effect on it, the effect of Gravity and Slow seemed to continue. As Eto looked at Red-Eye, the figure of it suddenly seemed to sway slightly. Right after that, Sorano¡¯s shout can be heard as she shot her arrows a meter above Eto. At the same moment, Eto could feel that the magic power that flowed from the dungeon seemed to be stagnant in the area where Sorano shot at. Without a moment of delay, Eto pointed to that place and instructed the squad to attack, saying, ¡°There!¡±. Hearing that, Amou, whose arm was already healed thanks to the potions, promptly thrusted the great sword in his right hand into the spot. ¡°GIGYA!¡± Along with creepy cries, Red-Eyes then appeared in the air, with its shoulder cut, slashed by Amou¡¯s greatsword. An expression of agony appeared on the face of Red-Eye as green blood spewed from its shoulder. Without a break, the magicians and the archers shot a barrage of magic and arrows at Red-Eye. Probably judging how dangerous its current situation is, Red-Eye retreated to the entrance of the dungeon, weaving its way through the squad while holding the wound on its shoulder with its left hand. But because of that movement, Eto came to know that it was highly possible that Red-Eye couldn¡¯t use its teleportation magic continuously. ¡°Eto-kun, look at that.¡± Puke pointed at the area above Red-Eye. Magic power overflowing from the dungeon swirled above it, and was slowly sucked into the body of Red-Eye. ¡°Red-Eye most likely¡­ is able to use teleportation magic¡­ by gathering the magic power overflowing from the dungeon. And I think, currently, it can¡¯t use it¡­ the biggest reason is naturally because it doesn¡¯t possess enough magic power to use that¡­ just like the results of research described.¡± As his wound hasn¡¯t completely healed, Puke explained his view to Eto, out of breath. With that, the clues to defeat the Red-Eye have gradually become clear, as even the place where it teleports could be detected by Sorano. And if Puke¡¯s assumption is correct, the Red-Eye can only use teleportation magic near the dungeon. In other words, if they keep attacking like this, they would be able to defeat the Red-Eye, that¡¯s what Eto thought. And that¡¯s most likely what everyone had in mind too. Hence, the squad lost their initial desperate atmosphere, and they regained their spirit and calmness like when they accept a normal subjugation request. However, it seems, they have spent too much time fighting against the Red-eye, as the cries of Goblins can be heard from behind. Which means, the effect of advanced magic released by the magicians had already disappeared. And if they got swallowed by the horde of Goblins, there would be no way for the squad to survive. Knowing that, Eto exhaled and made a big decision. ¡°I will deal with the horde of Goblins. Amou and Kohaku come with me, while Sorano continues to detect the Red-Eye. In the meantime, I want the knights to guard Sorano and the magicians, while the adventurers go attack the Red-Eye with your party. Does anyone have any other opinions?¡± Without any complaint, the squad accepted Eto¡¯s instruction. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s fire ourselves up for the last round.¡± Saying that, Eto wheeled his horse towards the horde of Goblins. Volume 3 - CH 14 Chapter 14 ¨C Awakening ~First Part Eto dismounted his horse and stared at the hordes of Goblins heading towards him. Numerous familiar green-skinned Goblins are lined up at the front with Goblin Archers and Mages mixed up inside. Behind them stood light brown-skinned Goblins with bodies twice as large as normal Goblins, the Hobgoblins. They hold a club in their hands, pushing the normal Goblins forward. And the hordes of Goblins not only covered the plains before Eto, but also the forest far off from there. ¡°Eto! Should we also get off our horse? Or is it better for us to fight while riding the horse?¡± Kohaku¡¯s voice was shaking as she asked. It was inevitable. As not only Kohaku, anyone would be nervous facing numerous Goblins in front of them. The fact that she hasn¡¯t lost her fighting spirit even after seeing that showed how Kohaku has a talent as a warrior. Eto then glanced at Amou and Kohaku with a troubled face. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ I can only say that there were more Goblins than I had expected. But for now, stay in a place where you can easily escape to the squad. And if you have leeway, please hunt the Goblins that are able to pass through me. That is only if you have leeway, of course. And if the numbers are too much for you, don¡¯t hesitate to retreat.¡± However, Kohaku couldn¡¯t understand what Eto intended by giving them that instruction. ¡°Un? What do you mean by that? Do you mean you are planning to deal with the Goblins alone?¡± ¡°To put it simply, yes.¡± ¡°Wait a minute! I don¡¯t want something like when we fought against Manticore to happen again!¡± ¡°I know. However, the situation and my psychological state are different from that day. Right now, I am going to fight because I have to.¡± As soon as he said that, Eto ran into the horde of Goblins. ¡°Eto!¡± Although Kohaku tried to stop him, Eto never halted his feet. He casted Battle Spell, which strengthened his physical ability, and stacked Strength, Haste, and Magic Force on top of that buff. Not only that, he also enchanted his sword with lightning magic, a magic descended from wind magic, which not many magicians mastered. The one-handed Mithril sword imbued by lightning shined, attracted the eyes of Goblins. And attracted by that light, the Goblins that ran in the front headed directly towards Eto. Eto lifted his sword and swung the blade filled with magic power to the side, causing about 10 meters of sharp lightning to extend from the sword and cut the Goblins within range one after another. Of course, there is no way he stopped just like that. Eto then swung the lightning enchanted sword right and left, slaying every Goblin that went towards the area in an instant with the impact of the lightning. ¡°Amazing¡­¡± That¡¯s the only word Kohaku can utter to describe the scene before her. It goes without saying, she knew that Eto was strong. He has also shown the lightning-imbued sword to them. However, she never imagined that buffs and enchantments could allow him to achieve this level of power. ¡°Did you know about this, dad?¡± Kohaku asked Amou while still keeping her eyes on Eto¡¯s battle. ¡°Aa, I know. But, regarding Eto, I can only say that ¡®the tomorrow¡¯s him is stronger than today¡¯s.¡¯ He has always been training his sword technique and magic day by day. In other words, he is now in a completely different league from himself half a year ago. That¡¯s why dad is also surprised.¡± Amou was also amazed at Eto, who slaughtered the Goblins with his lightning magic. ¡°However, I¡¯m sure it is tough even for Eto to continue such a battle for a long time. First, I think Eto intends to reduce the momentum of the Goblins. And after that, he likely is thinking to buy time for the squad to finish their battle. That¡¯s why, let¡¯s go to a place where we didn¡¯t disturb him and reduce the number of Goblins to help him.¡± ¡°Un, understood!¡± With a Mithril dagger in her hand, Kohaku replied to Amou with spirit. Volume 3 - CH 15 Chapter 15 ¨C Awakening ~Last Part After some time spent trying to sense the figure of Red-Eye, impatience began to attack Sorano. She thought there was no way Eto, Amou, and Kohaku could stop the horde of Goblins by themselves. Eto and the two were betting their lives by accepting that role. And everyone understood that. That¡¯s why Sorano thought that she had to defeat Red-Eye as soon as possible to help Eto, but the more she got impatient, the more her heart stirred, making her unable to detect the fluctuation of magic caused by Red-Eye. She couldn¡¯t concentrate even if she wanted to. And she knew why. She never imagined that the existence of Eto, Kohaku, and Amou had become so big to her. ¡°Ugh!¡± But because she couldn¡¯t determine where the Red-Eye would appear, the knight who was guarding her was injured. As Eto was gone to intercept the hordes of Goblins, Red-Eye began to target Sorano, as she was the only one who seemed able to detect it. Of course, the adventurers are also moving around, trying to surround the Red-Eye. But in the end, they were always led around by the nose by the white goblin with its teleportation magic. Thinking that she has to detect the destination of Red-Eye as fast as possible, Sorano deepened the wrinkles between her eyebrows. ¡°Sorano-san. The calmness of one¡¯s mind is the most important thing to detect magic power,¡± said Puke. Of course, she wanted to say that she already knew that. However, her mind is incapable of staying calm while thinking about the safety of Eto and the others. ¡°Do you not believe in Eto-kun?¡± As if to provoke her, Puke asked. Although Puke¡¯s face was sickly pale because of blood lost from the wound, the way he asked that sounded like a joke. ¡°What are you saying? I trust Eto and the two more than anyone else. And it¡¯s not like I need you to understand that¡± Feeling annoyed from what Puke said, Sorano said, as if to brush it off. ¡°Then, why is your heart thrown into disorder? I wonder what Eto-kun would think if he saw the current Sorano-san. Maybe he would think you are a good-for-nothing elf who lost her composure and couldn¡¯t even do what she had to do.1¡± Puke laughed, with his pale lips. ¡°Shut up, worthless magician. I don¡¯t want to hear a complaint from a man who was about to die after being attacked early in the battle.¡±2 Of course, Sorano understood that Puke tried to inspire her by saying unpleasant things to her. However, his words still made her angry. ¡°Look, you lost your composure again, fufufu.¡± Puke repeated his words to make fun of her, as if there is no sense of urgency in front of a strong enemy. ¡°What do you want?!¡± And Sorano finally shouted and angrily gazed at Puke. ¡°Silence! There are many people here who need you. There is no way for us to defeat the Red-Eye unless you sense the fluctuation of its magic. Really, Eto-kun is wasted for someone like you who has high abilities but can¡¯t fulfill her own responsibility.¡± With a strong tone that was unlike usual, Puke said. And his face sternly stared at Sorano. While the two disputed, Red-Eye kept accumulating magic power at the entrance of the dungeon, and when the adventurers tried to close the distance, it disappeared. It keeps repeating this action while aiming at Sorano over and over. The blood that flowed from its right shoulder also has almost stopped. Everyone thought it would be bad to let the Red-eyes rest and recover its magic power, but they couldn¡¯t find a solution to stop it. ¡°Eto-kun instructed Sorano-san to detect the teleport destination of Red-eye, right? Then, don¡¯t you think meeting his expectation will be the highest repayment you could give to Eto-kun?¡± Once again, Puke spoke to Sorano, whose face looked down and sank into silence. ¡°Every one of you, always saying anything you want!¡± Until suddenly, Sorano who had been staring at the ground as if she had forgotten about Red-Eye, finally shouted to spit out the feeling she had locked up so far. She then took a deep breath and stared at Red-Eye that sits in front of the dungeon. With a bow in her hand and several arrows in the other hand, Sorano fired two of the arrows in rapid succession. It goes without saying, Red-Eye activated its teleportation magic without hesitation, to escape from her arrows. ¡°There!¡± However, one of the arrows shot by Sorano pierced the right thigh of the Red-Eye. And while the Red-eye falls to the ground, Sorano shoots two more arrows towards it. One hit its flank, and the other one hit its left shoulder, making the Red-Eye squirm as arrows struck its body. Seeing that, the front-liner of two A-rank parties immediately attacked it. Although the Red-Eye was able to move its body and managed to avoid fatal wounds, blood was still bleeding from wounds all over its body. The formerly white body of its now was covered in sticky green blood. Naturally, there is no way it stopped its movement and allowed itself to get killed just like that. As it has absorbed a lot of magic power from the dungeon, the Red-Eye keeps teleporting to many places around the dungeon. ¡°It¡¯s there!¡± Unfortunately for the Goblin, Sorano once again detected the destination of its teleportation and thrust her Mithril dagger into the space in front of her. The dagger crushed the skull of Red-eye and shredded it vertically up to its nose, making the Red-Eye scream of agony. And shortly after that, the powerful blow from Sorano¡¯s dagger successfully killed the Red-Eye. Confirming that her enemy was already dead, Sorano took a deep breath to relieve her tension and glanced at Puke. ¡°I will bet my life anytime for the ones I can trust. That¡¯s my ambition. Do you understand now, black-belly magician?¡± Sorano said, proudly. Volume 3 - CH 16 Chapter 16 ¨C Thank You For Your Hard Work After the defeat of Red-Eye, Sorano and the two A-rank parties left the investigation regarding the dungeon to Puke and headed to Eto. Having lost their leader, Red-Eye, the hordes of Goblins have likely dispersed, including the hordes that came towards them. ¡°Please somehow be safe Eto, Kohaku, Amou.¡± With such prayer in her heart, Sorano urged her horse forward. ¡°What the heck is this?¡± As soon as they arrived, Zenith muttered. But, nobody could answer his question when they saw the sight before them. On a flat land where trees were sparsely growing, they could see numerous corpses of Goblins scattered around. Did Eto and the two do this? Did reinforcement come? Or maybe a powerful monster appeared here? Many possibilities came to everyone¡¯s mind, but none led to an answer. ¡°Eto! Where are you! Kohaku! Amou! Where are you guys!¡± Without a moment of delay, Sorano increased the speed of her horse and shouted, calling the names of her party members. ¡°No way¡­ everyone, where are you! Don¡¯t leave me alone please! Eto! Kohaku! Amou!¡± Sorano kept calling the names of the three while tears flowed from her eyes. The adventurers who came along with her also tried to call the names of the three and searched around the area. However, no matter how much they searched, they couldn¡¯t find their figures, nor hear their voices. Even so, there is no way they could say that to Sorano, who keeps searching for them with tears in her eyes. ¡°Oi, look at that. Isn¡¯t that Eto and the two!¡± Suddenly, one of the adventurers pointed at the forest. Beyond the numerous corpses of Goblins, Amou was there, pulling a horse from the depths of the forest. And on horseback, sat Eto and Kohaku. From the looks of it, Eto seemed to be quite exhausted as he leaned his neck on Kohaku¡¯s shoulder, as if he was being carried on her back. ¡°You guys! You guys are alive! I¡¯m glad¡­ I am really glad.¡± Seeing the figure of the three, Sorano dismounted her horse and ran towards them straight away, hugging Kohaku who was still on horseback. Although surprised at the tears in Sorano¡¯s eyes, Kohaku in the end merely laughed and gently stroked Sorano¡¯s hair. ¡°I¡¯m glad Sorano is safe too.¡± Naturally, Eto and Amou also look relieved knowing their comrades, including Zenith¡¯s and Aram¡¯s parties, were safe too. After crying for a while, Sorano, who had already calmed a little, stared at Eto. Although his wounds seemed to have been already healed with potions, the blood stains on his clothes were terrible. The wyvern leather armor he wore was equally full of scratches. It was undoubtedly proof that Eto worked very hard in order to hold the hordes of Goblins. ¡°Eto, we¡¯ve defeated the Red-Eye.¡± There are many things Sorano wanted to say to Eto at that moment, but in the end, that¡¯s the only thing she said. ¡°I see¡­ Thank you for your hard work, Sorano,¡± Saying that, he smiled at her. It was just a simple and powerless smile, as he was already at the height of his fatigue. Nevertheless, that one smile made Sorano happy. Volume 3 - CH 17 Chapter 17 ¨C Return After defeating Red-Eye, the main members of the suicide squad had conducted a simple investigation of the new dungeon before they returned to the path they came from to rescue the survivors. Incidentally, the dungeon itself was sealed by Puke¡¯s barrier magic to prevent monsters from entering and exiting. There were no casualties among the main members of the suicide squad who fought against Red-Eye. But that was mainly because the cavalry sacrificed themselves to pave the way for them. Therefore, two knights from the squad had gone ahead of them to report to the royal capital, and requests for reinforcement to rescue the cavalry were also included in their reports. As the party headed for the royal capital while saving the cavalry members who are still alive with potions, they came across a group of knights who came after receiving the report. The knights subsequently informed the squad that they already sent their peers to search for the injured to treat them. Then, Puke asked some knights to accompany him and the magicians back to the dungeon to continue their investigation. It goes without saying, Puke was the only one who was happy with it, as the other magicians seemed to want to take a rest. They probably felt complicated feelings in their heart for having a very active boss who was still going for the investigation despite having just recovered from a fatal injury. However, it is true that the reason for why the Goblins only attacked during the night is still unclear. And as long as the investigation regarding the dungeon reveals even a part of that secret, it might become the key to solving the mystery of the Stampede. At any rate, after Puke and the magicians left, Eto and the squad took a little rest at a camp in the woods created by the cavalry to search and treat their companions. That was natural. Just like Eto, the knights and the adventurers, especially those who act as the front-liners of the squad, were also exhausted, after all. The moment they ate the rations and drank warm boiled water, they were finally able to actually feel that they had survived from a hell-of-a-battle. Still, although the Red-Eye have been defeated, nobody could assuredly say that there won¡¯t be any attacks that night. With that in mind, Eto and the squad returned to the royal capital before sunset while the knights who continued to rescue their comrades also returned to the royal capital before the sun went down. And after finishing his report to the guild, Eto and his party returned to the inn. However, Eto¡¯s mind was unable to calm down. Because if the goblins still attacked the capital that night, they would have to revise their plan once again. He couldn¡¯t even sleep after laying his tired body down, and eventually he decided to go to the east gate together with Amou. As the two arrived at the east gate, Eto and Amou found that several members of ¡ºArrow of Light¡» and ¡ºShrine of Aragami¡» also came to that place, and they laughed at each other, thinking they had the same idea as them. When they told the situation to a garrison soldier, he escorted them to the top of the wall and said that they could be there as long as they wanted. The three parties stayed on the top of the wall until morning, but in the end, no attack happened that night. That was, of course, a good thing. Because that means, the goblin raid that caused many casualties, was finally over. Hence, Eto and Amou returned to the inn, had breakfast, and were finally able to sleep at ease. Eto then woke up in the evening and immediately headed to the dining room on the first floor, and saw Kohaku and Sorano were eating there. According to them, a messenger came from the royal castle while Eto and Amou were asleep, explaining the audience with his Majesty the King that will be held three days later. It seems, a carriage will be sent to pick them up at the inn that day. ¡°I see, thanks for dealing with the messenger.¡± AD ¡°Come to think of it, I couldn¡¯t ask this because many things happened recently, but does Eto know the King? And that black-belly magician! What¡¯s his name again? The leader of the magician¡­ Ah, right, it¡¯s Puke-sama! He said that you left the hero¡¯s party, right? What does that mean?¡± Apparently, Puke¡¯s image has become a ¡®black-belly magician¡¯ in Kohaku¡¯s mind, which made Eto surprised. Well, Sorano did inform them about how she hates Puke, so that might be what influenced her. ¡°Aa, speaking of which, I haven¡¯t told you guys yet. It is a story about the time before I met you guys. And it definitely isn¡¯t a pleasant story, even so, do you want to hear it?¡± All three of them nodded, telling him that they wanted to hear it. They likely have been restraining themselves to ask about that all this time for his sake. Thus, Eto told his party members how he was once a member of the Hero¡¯s party, how he was unreasonably discriminated against, and how he was fed up with them and decided to leave the party. ¡°After that, I got a pretty good sum of money from the wyvern subjugation reward, the unpaid reward when I was at the Hero¡¯s party and the compensation for being unfairly treated. With that money, I was able to renew my equipment and add you guys to my party.¡± Eto felt a little dejected as if a pathetic secret of his that he had hidden so far had been revealed. ¡°Somehow, I don¡¯t know if I should describe Eto as someone who experienced many ups and downs, or just simply a pitiful person.¡± Of course, Eto knew that Kohaku wasn¡¯t trying to make a fool of him. She said that merely because that¡¯s what she thought. And honestly, her honest impression made Eto feel at ease. ¡°Is it okay for the Hero to have that kind of personality? Is it okay, humanity?¡± Hearing Eto¡¯s story, Sorano seems to harbor a doubt about the existence of the Hero. ¡°But the fact that they gave compensation means the royal castle and the church also admitted the wrongdoing of the heroes. What happened to them after that?¡± Amou asked Eto. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened to them. And to be honest, I¡¯m not really interested in it. But I think the higher-ups didn¡¯t openly announce that they¡¯re the ones responsible for my matter. The impact will be huge if they do that, after all. Some higher-ups might have already scolded them, though.¡± Eto casually replied, showing his disinterestedness towards the matter. He knew that there was no way the Hero, who was the only one in the world chosen by the goddess, would be punished for such a trivial matter, after all. That is why, Eto thought it¡¯s better for him to forget about his unpleasant past and just focus on his adventure. ¡°Not getting involved with the Hero¡¯s party anymore is already the best reward for me. If I was ordered to return to that party, I might have fled to another country. I absolutely do not want to meet the Hero and the master magician ever again. It will be unpleasant for me if I meet him again1.¡± For Eto, the Hero¡¯s party was just a thing that was already over. Although the feeling of frustration from being banned from using support magic is still lingering in his heart, at this point, he held no more hatred towards Ronaldo or Mirei. The only thing he felt was just a repulsive feeling that made him not want to get involved with them ever again2. ¡°How about the sword saint? She is your childhood friend who came from the same village as you, right?¡± ¡°Regarding Lana, I did feel really disheartened when I knew she believed in the Hero more than me, her childhood friend. But now that I think about it, I should have talked to her more about my problem. In truth, I know why I didn¡¯t do that. I was simply embarrassed. Not only that, but I felt really pathetic to be discriminated against by the Hero. And I didn¡¯t want Lana to know that, so I built a wall to avoid her,¡± Recalling his past, Eto sighed deeply. If he could talk with Lana just like how he talks with his current party member, they might have a different ending by now. ¡°That¡¯s simple. You just have to talk with Lana the next time you meet here again, right? I don¡¯t think it is too late.¡± Kohaku said, showing her concern towards Eto. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Although he didn¡¯t know when such an opportunity would come in the future, Eto thought that he would properly talk to her then. Volume 3 - CH 18 Chapter 18 ¨C The Audience And Reward The next day, the audience at the royal castle was held without a hitch. Every member of the squad was given compliments and rewards by the King. Not only that, they were also publicly acknowledged for their efforts to protect the royal capital, which will greatly lead to the trust of guilds and customers for the three adventurer¡¯s parties. In Eto¡¯s party¡¯s case, since all members of his party are slaves, all their achievements were also Eto¡¯s achievements. Each member of his party made a great contribution for that operation, like Sorano, who was the one who detected the fluctuation of magic power and finished the Red-eye off. Needless to say, Eto, Kohaku, and Amou¡¯s achievements were just as great as Sorano. They were able to successfully stall and subdue the hordes of Goblins with just three of them, after all. Hence, if anyone asked who made the most outstanding achievement in this operation, people would undoubtedly mention Eto¡¯s name. Rather, it may be said that their achievements were so great that it made the country difficult to respond. Or at least, Eto, who can be called a small-minded person, felt that kind of atmosphere in the royal castle. That is why, when only he and his party were called after the audience was over, he felt nervous, thinking that they might receive some unpleasant words from some higher-ups. Guided by the servant, Eto and his party found themselves in a small room only with a reception set. Looking at that, Eto was a little relieved as it seems it wasn¡¯t a room used by high-ranking nobles. Although he still didn¡¯t know why they were called, that fact alone seemed to lighten his nerves. As Eto and his party enjoyed the tea and sweets served in the room, the back door suddenly opened, and some people entered the room. The first person to enter is Sybolt, the leader of the imperial guards, who was in charge of the protection of the King. Seeing him, Eto and his party stood in a hurry and bowed to Sybolt. However, apparently, it was still too early for them to be surprised. Because the next person to enter was Frederick Carmine, the King of Carmine Kingdom. At that moment, Eto stood still and stiffened. The other three were equally surprised because the King suddenly appeared in front of them. It was so unrealistic that even Kohaku forgot to close her mouth. ¡°Please be at ease, Eto.¡± Hearing the words of the King, Eto returned to sanity. He tried to bow down on the spot right away, but he was stopped by another voice. It was the prime minister, Bismarck, who had entered the room before they knew it. ¡°Eto, this time I prepared this kind of place at the request of His Majesty. So there is no need for you to be so formal.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Eto then nervously sat back on the sofa he was sitting on before. He listened to the King¡¯s story while feeling at a loss in the situation he is currently in. ¡°Now, regarding the matter of the suicide squad, I would like to give a special reward to you four who have made great achievements.¡± After that, the King gave each member of Eto¡¯s party words of appreciation and shook hands with each of them. And when the King left the room, Eto felt like he lost some strength because of the nervousness of facing the King of his kingdom directly. He even forgot that prime minister Bismarck was still in front of him. ¡°Cough. Eto yo, are you alright now?¡± The prime minister started talking after drawing Eto¡¯s attention. ¡°Forgive me, Your Excellency. It is a great honor to be able to meet and talk to His Majesty in person. Thank you very much for the chance you have given.¡± ¡°Umu. That¡¯s fine, no problem. It was His Majesty¡¯s request after all. His Majesty seems to like you four.¡± With a bitter smile, the prime minister said and squinted his eyes, stared at Eto. ¡°About the rewards. His Majesty said each of you would be given one item you like from the royal treasure. A guide will take you to the treasure room soon, so take your time and choose.¡± After saying that, the prime minister clapped his hands twice. Then, an elderly man with a long white beard that grew down to his chest entered the room. ¡°Bismarck-sama, are these the people?¡± The prime minister nodded. Incidentally, it seems, even Eto, who has spent a year in the royal castle, has never seen the old man before. "" The old man in question then quickly left the room, leaving Eto and his party who didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°Why don¡¯t you follow me?¡± But after a while, the old man once again opened the door and angrily said. As it seems they will be going somewhere, Eto and his party thanked the prime minister and hurriedly followed the old man. Volume 3 - CH 19 Chapter 19 ¨C Gem The old man swiftly walks through the winding passages of the royal castle, which makes Eto feel like he is going to lose his way back. But since it will be embarrassing to get lost in the royal castle, Eto followed the old man closely, so he won¡¯t lose sight of him. Until suddenly, when Eto didn¡¯t even know whether they¡¯re above or under the ground, the old man stopped. ¡°This is the room.¡± The room was equipped with a large double door that was above Amou¡¯s height. The surface of the door is also beautifully decorated with an arabesque pattern. And after the old man hummed something, a clicking sound was heard from the inside of the door, showing how guarded the room was, as they even put a magic mechanism for security measures. ¡°There are more than a thousand treasures owned by the royal family in this room. Although you guys can only see one-tenth of the treasures, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that all of them are highly valuable. The really important treasures are designed only for royal families, after all, so there won¡¯t be any meaning even if an adventurer has it.¡± After saying that, the old man places his hand on the door of the treasury and opens it, which automatically turns the light of the magic tools on, illuminating the treasure in the room. And the first item that caught their eyes was the golden armor and weapon placed on the large table in front of them. Truly, a treasure, that¡¯s what they thought. Meanwhile on the left side, there was a shelf with colorful crystals lined up that stretched all the way to the back of the room, fascinating Sorano and Kohaku. A shelf was also set up on the right side, with many tools placed there. According to the old man, all of them are magic tools. And Amou surprisingly showed a keen interest in those magic tools. Golden armor and weapons, precious crystals and magical tools. Truth to be told, although those items are certainly valuable, they couldn¡¯t pique Eto¡¯s interest. ¡°The four of you can choose any of the items in this room. There were also some enchanted items in the back, you might also want to look at them.¡± With those words, Eto finally found the thing that made him very interested, enchanted items. Therefore, he went to the back of the room without hesitation. He then asked the old man to show the list of the items there, and checked the effect of the magic of the items he was interested in. Regrettably, none of them could surpass Eto¡¯s enchantment1. ¡°Hmm? I thought you were interested in these enchanted items?¡± Hearing that, Eto picked up a sword that he saw and enchanted it with wind magic, saying ¡°Enchant ¨C Wind Sword¡±. And when he places the sword back, the old man can see that there is a wind that envelops the sword, swirling and blowing around the sword. ¡°I can use support magic. And I can also enchant weapons and armor with my magic. Honestly, the effects of my support magic are far more powerful than the items I¡¯ve seen so far here.¡± ¡°Hmmm.¡± Humming, the old man walked to the deepest part of the room and brought a golden ball that was small enough to be hidden in a hand. ¡°This is said to be a gem that enhances the effect of magic. However, apparently, no matter how many times people tried to hold this gem while casting attack magic, there was no effect whatsoever to their attack magic. How about you try it with your support magic?¡± ¡®Interesting.¡¯ That was what Eto thought when he heard the old man¡¯s explanation. And if it doesn¡¯t work, he can just choose another treasure, after all. Hence, Eto gathered his party members and explained the situation, before casting Haste while holding the said gem in his hand. ¡°W-what is this?! My body could move faster?!¡± Suddenly, the old man, who shouldn¡¯t have gotten the effect of Haste, shouted. It was supposed to be only for Kohaku, who was the closest to Eto. But now, everyone including Eto himself, had the effect of Haste. After releasing the Haste, Eto took a step away from the four and reapplied it. Surprisingly, everyone still got the effect of Haste. And according to his party members, the feeling is no different from the usual Haste. After that, Eto gradually made distance from them while repeatedly activating and releasing Haste. That led to one conclusion. It seems, if he uses support magic while holding the gem, the effect of the magic was extended to all humans within range. Although it is still unclear how many people it can exert the effect on, Eto found that the range of the said effect is about two steps with the gem in the center. The magic power consumption is also relatively low. Indeed, Eto still didn¡¯t know the exact amount of magic power it used, but it definitely allowed him to save more magic power than buffing several people at once. The only problem is whether the gem could affect debuffs too or not, but Eto quickly found the solution. Since the range was changed only when he cast his magic with the hand that was holding the gem, he can just simply use his other hand when casting debuff. Most magicians use magic with one hand. Therefore, it may be difficult even for them to cast magic with both hands. Fortunately, since he began learning magic, Eto was able to use magic dexterously with both hands2. ¡°Houhou. It¡¯s like a tool made especially for you.¡± The old man nodded, seemingly impressed by what he saw. ¡°Excuse me, is there any other gem like this? I¡¯m very interested in it.¡± ¡°As far as I know, this gem is the only treasure that has such an effect.¡± ¡°I see. I thought if there are more gems like this, the usage of support magic would be vastly expanded.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t know any other gems like that.¡± In the end, Eto chose the gem, Kohaku and Sorano chose beautiful and valuable crystals, and Amou chose a magic tool that could create a barrier during camp to prevent monsters¡¯ attacks. Needless to say, Eto also thanked the old man for recommending the gem. Volume 4 - CH 1 Volume 4 ¨C Reunion With The Hero¡¯s Party Chapter 1 ¨C Reunion1 After that, the old man guided Eto and his party, who each have chosen an item from the treasure room, to the front yard of the royal castle. ¡°Old man, thanks to you, I was able to choose a good item there. Thank you very much.¡± ¡°No problem, I too, was able to see something interesting, after all. From here you can just ask that knight to guide you out of the castle. Well then.¡± The old man then left just like that, without even giving them his name. Although Eto thought he should have at least asked his name, in the end, because he didn¡¯t know how to act in front of the keeper of the royal treasure room, he chose not to. At any rate, the knight, who happened to be stationed near that place, apparently knew that Eto and his party had played a major role in resolving the stampede and treated them with respect from the beginning. Then, guided by the knight, Eto and his party walked through the beautifully decorated front yard while admiring the historic corridor that was finely carved to every corner and the phoenix room where nobles are regularly gathered to hold a ball. All members of Eto¡¯s party including him are from peaceful countrysides. Except for Eto, who had stayed at the royal castle for a year before, the other three had never taken a closer look at such historical and traditional buildings, causing them to be fascinated by the beautiful work of the walls and pillars supporting the buildings as they walked. Sorano seems to be interested in the paintings and statues that were placed on either side of the long corridor. Meanwhile, Kohaku was fascinated by the many chandeliers hung on the ceiling of the corridor. But maybe because she was lifting her face to look at the ceiling all the time, her feet were slightly unsteady, causing Amou to have to support her shoulders while listening to the history of the royal castle described by the knight. But that was natural, because for commoners who came from a far countryside like them, being able to sight see here is probably the real reward. And just like that, while enjoying sightseeing in the royal castle with a peaceful feeling, the four headed to the exit. ¡°This is the training ground for knights and soldiers working in the royal castle.¡± Inside the building explained by the knights, there was a large training ground that was big enough to make people think it wasn¡¯t indoors. Stones paved the floors of the training ground, with the surrounding area being separated by a two-meter wall. There were also seats for the audience. ¡°What a splendid training ground. Just by looking at this training ground, I can already feel the spirit of training residing in the kingdom.¡± The knight nodded happily at Eto¡¯s words. ¡°The knights and soldiers in the royal castle also hold a kind of tournament several times a year. As long as one plays an active role there, they will be given an opportunity to be selected for a big job.¡± And then, at the recommendation of the knight, Eto and his party entered the training ground where they found several knights training with swords and spears. Until suddenly a group of knights and people wearing everyday clothes appeared there, and when the knight leading them saw Eto, they approached. ¡°You really are going to train right after having an audience? I¡¯m impressed.¡± The man Eto spoke to was a member of the suicide squad who confronted Red-Eye. And as one of the knights, he always acted as the vanguard for them. Just like Eto, the knight also had an audience with the King until a while ago. ¡°Of course not. Some people from my hometown who will join the knights just came to visit me. Since this was already planned, there is no way I can refuse them.¡± With a bitter smile, the knight then introduced each of his soon-to-be comrades to Eto. He also told them how Eto and his party gallantly fought during the suicide squad operation. Apparently, the junior knights also have been told some things about the stampede, which can be seen from how they stared at Eto and his party with respect, not doubting the words of the knight. However, when Eto was about to leave, some people who seemed to be nobles entered the training ground. Maybe because he just saw the way the knights were standing and training, the nobles seemed somewhat sloppy in Eto¡¯s eyes. The axis of their body seemed to be out of shape, indicating how they didn¡¯t move their body much, let alone train. And when they saw Eto and his party, who were dressed very adventurers-like, they blatantly frowned. ¡°Who are you wretches? Who allowed you to show your filthy faces here?¡± The young noble frowned and said as if he just saw something he didn¡¯t want to see come into view. AD ¡®Ah, yes yes. Of course, it would be these kinds of people.¡¯ Thinking that there is no need for him to be angry at such people, Eto looked at the knight who was guiding them, urging him to guide them to leave the place. Understanding the situation, the knight nodded. ¡°These are the ones who worked hard to resolve the Goblin Stampede and were allowed to have an audience with His Majesty. I think a rude act towards them would dishonor the dignity of the royal castle. And since there is a matter we have to attend, please excuse us.¡± The knight probably judged that explaining who Eto and his party were, would be better to avoid a future problem. Thus, after telling the nobles the bare minimum information about Eto, the knight led Eto and his party to exit the training ground. But suddenly, from the center of the group of nobles, a young man wearing pure white armor appeared. Looking at his figure, Eto instantly inhaled deeply and stiffened, seemingly losing strength. He muttered ¡®Ah¡­ I ended up meeting this guy again, huh¡­¡¯ The young man who raised his chin and looked down at them was the hero, Ronaldo, whom he met for the first time in a long time. Volume 4 - CH 2 Chapter 2 ¨C The Two Who Never Change ¡°Hou, so you guys are the ones being called heroes for saving the royal capital, huh. You seem to be quite reliable. Hm? You¡­ Aren¡¯t you Eto, the one who ran from our party! Why are you here?¡± Ronaldo said with many emotions, as if he was performing a drama. And Eto looked at Ronaldo with cold eyes. Although Eto noticed the change in Ronaldo¡¯s way of speaking, he understood that this was probably how he talks to a commoner who is no longer his party member. ¡°Long time no see, Ronaldo-sama. Speaking of which, I¡¯m not running from the Hero¡¯s party, you kicked me out. Or maybe you already forgot about that? And, I¡¯m in the royal castle because I was allowed to have an audience with His Majesty for my achievement of solving the stampede that happened a few days ago. After the audience was over, this knight just happened to kindly guide us around the royal castle when we were about to return.¡± After giving a brief explanation, Eto once again glanced at the knight. Seeing Eto¡¯s signal, the knight immediately judged that staying there would only cause more problems for them. ¡°Well then, please excuse us.¡± The knight then took Eto and his party to exit the training ground. ¡°Ara, even though it¡¯s been a long time since we last met, what an unkind attitude you got there, Eto-san. Or maybe I should call you Eto, the Hero?¡± That voice undoubtedly belongs to Mirei, who speaks out from behind Ronaldo. Naturally, Eto knew it was Mirei¡¯s voice even without looking at her, but he felt that the way she spoke was more vulgar compared to when Eto was still in their party, which sounded like she always had the high ground. Eto then turned his gaze at Mirei and slightly bowed his head. ¡°Long time no see, Mirei-sama. By the way, I¡¯m not someone fit to be called a hero. I was simply just an adventurer who finished the job I was asked to do. Besides, not only us, many other adventurers, knights, soldiers, and magicians also participated in that operation. And we were only able to remove the threat to the Kingdom thanks to their sacrifices. That is why, rather than me, everyone who participated in the operation are the real heroes.¡± Although Eto thought that answer was a little too exemplary, he knew he couldn¡¯t show any weakness when facing those people, so he gave them a perfect response. Besides, that was what Eto truly thought. Hearing his response, Ronaldo and Mirei glared at Eto with a frustrated look on their faces, probably because they also wanted to be called heroes by solving the stampede. When Ronaldo noticed the gazes from the surroundings, he immediately smiled, as if he had been preparing to. ¡°That¡¯s truly remarkable, Eto-kun. Looks like you have been doing your best for the Kingdom after leaving our party. I¡¯ve heard the rumors too. It seems you¡¯ve been using your slaves very well.¡± Saying that, Ronaldo looks down at Eto. And Mirei, who had a grim look until then, started laughing as if she had regained the high ground. ¡®Ah, I remember these gazes.¡¯ At that time, Eto still believed that the Hero is a man of character. For that reason, he never blamed Ronaldo who was always looking down at him, but he genuinely felt that he was the one responsible for whatever it was. But now that such belief has been completely removed, the only thing Eto felt when receiving such gazes was just unpleasantness. ¡°Even if you said stampede, the opponents were merely Goblins, right? If Ronaldo-sama and I were in the royal capital at that time, I¡¯m sure we wouldn¡¯t even need the help of Eto-san and his friends. Truly regrettable.¡± From those words, Eto can clearly see how Mirei seemed to have regained her previous attitude that thought herself as superior. ¡°I¡¯m sure numerous Goblins pose a slight threat. So, those who defeated the Goblins are, without a doubt, heroes. Besides, we could just get more achievements by exterminating more powerful monsters, right?¡± And the words Ronaldo uttered clearly didn¡¯t show any respect for those who fought with their lives on the line for the royal capital. Volume 4 - CH 3 Chapter 3 ¨C Sorano¡¯s Worries When Eto tried to utter some words to manage the situation without making a fuss, a knight who was listening to their conversation at a distance suddenly came and stood in front of Ronaldo and his group. ¡°Hero-sama, I very much understand that this is rude, but please allow me to say it. My name is Kirigan Hartfield from the first division knights. And in the stampede that occurred a few days ago, I joined the suicide squad along with Eto-dono¡¯s party and purged deeply into the enemy¡¯s territory. Hero-sama earlier mentioned that the hordes of Goblins are just ¡ºa small threat¡», right? But did you know that in order to send us to the enemy¡¯s leader, 2000 cavalrymen dispatched by the knights and kingdom army put their lives on the line themselves just to open a way for us to reach the enemy¡¯s leader? And from those 2,000 cavalrymen, more than 600 of them lost their lives or went missing during the operation. Although we did try to rescue them, some of them are still on the verge of life and death. Besides that, many others are also seriously injured or lost their limbs, making it difficult for them to work as a knight or soldier. That is why, does Hero-sama really think ¡ºa slight threat¡» will cause this many casualties? With all due respect, the words that Hero-sama said are an insult to those who sacrificed their lives to defend the royal capital.¡± The knight spoke while sternly staring at the Hero and his group. Eto, of course, understood that there were many casualties in that operation, but it was the first time he heard the specific numbers. Thus, the knight¡¯s words also strongly resonated in Eto and his party, who survived the operation. Subsequently, the knights and soldiers who were training in the training ground also gathered and lined up next to Kirigan, directing a silent pressure at the nobles. In front of such pressure, Ronaldo seemed to falter for a moment. But, probably because he felt the gazes of the nobles behind him, he daringly smiled, as if showing his composure. ¡°No, no. I¡¯m sorry if you guys misunderstood. I didn¡¯t intend to question your devotion towards the kingdom. But, as a former party member, I just wanted to complain about Eto-kun, who gained some fame by using slaves.¡± Needless to say, there is no way the knights, who consider Eto and his party as benefactors who saved the royal capital could be convinced by such nonsense. But as the knights tried to speak, he heard a familiar voice from behind Eto. ¡°Is this guy crazy?¡± Hearing that, Ronaldo wrinkled his eyebrows and glanced at the source of the voice. However, the speaker didn¡¯t seem to care about Ronaldo¡¯s gaze at all. ¡°Let me ask again, is this guy really the Hero? Really, human? Now this makes me worried.¡± Sorano continued to speak in a tone that sounded like she really couldn¡¯t understand the reason. And Kohaku, who was unable to hold her laugh, finally laughed out loud, making the wrinkles between the Hero¡¯s eyebrows become even deeper. Meanwhile, Eto shook his head and thought, ¡®Ah, they¡¯ve done it.¡¯ Even so, Sorano didn¡¯t stop there. ¡°In the first place, does this guy know Eto¡¯s strength?¡± ¡°Eto-kun¡¯s strength? When he was still in our party¨C¡± When Ronaldo was about to speak, without hesitation, Sorano interrupted him. ¡°No, I¡¯m not really interested in your story. I¡¯m talking about his current strength. If you have a complaint, you can just try to fight him here.¡± However, Ronaldo didn¡¯t seem to get what Sorano said right away, as he stared at Sorano for a while. ¡°Fufufu¡­¡­.hahahaha. I see¡­Eto-kun¡¯s strength, huh! I think not just me, everyone here wants to know about that, right? Yosh, in that case, I¡¯ll be your opponent. Are you fine with that, Eto-kun?¡± Saying that, Ronaldo stared at Eto, sharply, as if he wouldn¡¯t allow Eto to say no. Even so, Eto was still wondering how to turn him down, before once again, Sorano began to speak as if to pour oil into the fire. ¡°Eto, isn¡¯t it fine? It¡¯s all about experience. Let this guy experience it himself.¡± ¡°Knights, can you make room for us? Please prepare some training swords too. Mirei, take everyone up to the audiences¡¯ seats. Well then, Eto-kun, let¡¯s test each other¡¯s skills.¡± Without minding Eto¡¯s reaction, Ronaldo prepared for the mock battle right away. Yes, it was as if he didn¡¯t intend to give Eto a momentary grace. Eto then looked at Sorano with a troubled expression, but he knew she just said what she thought. Next to him, Kohaku is giving him a light punch and said, ¡°Go for it, Eto!¡±. Even Amou, who has the most conscience in the party, just nodded and looked at Eto with compassion. Thus, thinking nothing could be done, Eto sighed deeply and went to choose a training sword prepared by the knights. Volume 4 - CH 4 Chapter 4 ¨C Mock Battle Eto faced Hero Ronaldo who stood at a distance. When Eto was still in the Hero¡¯s party, Ronaldo was the symbol of strength for him. He could defeat any monster with just a single swing of his Holy Sword and rarely suffered any injuries. And right now, even though it is just a mock battle, Eto is going to fight against such a person. Eto swung the training sword that he holds in his right-hand several times to check the condition of his body. Apparently, there was no stiffness in his body due to the tension, which was actually weird even for Eto. But, he thought that as long as he could muster every bit of his strength, he had no complaints. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Eto-kun? Are you getting scared now of all times?¡± ¡°Strangely, I don¡¯t seem to be scared of you at all.¡± ¡°Wha! Looks like you got a bit overconfident in your power. But that¡¯s fine, you will soon be unable to say something like that.¡± The knight who acts as the referee then asks Eto and Ronaldo whether they¡¯re ready for the mock battle, which Eto replies by nodding, expressing his readiness for the battle. As the knight waved one hand and said, ¡°Begin!¡±. Ronaldo once again tried to speak, but unfortunately for him, Eto didn¡¯t think there was more to talk about anymore. While casting Battle Spell, a magic that enhances one¡¯s physical ability, Eto closes his distance and strikes Ronaldo. However, the basic statuses of a hero were already high from the start and Eto naturally knew about this. He calmly judged that his raw power wouldn¡¯t be able to do much to Ronaldo. And just as he expected, even when facing Eto¡¯s attack, Ronaldo seems to have an advantage. It can be seen from how he easily deflected Eto¡¯s slash while laughing mockingly at Eto. ¡°Eto-kun, was that all?¡± Ronaldo says with a triumphant look. ¡°I just wanted to try something.¡± ¡°Hou, and that is?¡± ¡°It is the support magic that you forbid me to use because you deem it useless.¡± Just as he said, Eto decided to try the variety of support magic he can use one by one. First, he casted Haste, a speed strengthening buff, to himself. However, Eto doesn¡¯t increase his speed to the maximum at once. He gradually increases his speed while checking Ronaldo¡¯s ability. ¡°Kuh! What is this?!¡± Gradually, Ronaldo¡¯s expression, who had the high ground while handling Eto¡¯s attack until then, became serious. Since Eto cannot move around at maximum speed for a long time, he decided to stop increasing his speed at a level below maximum and swung his sword towards Ronaldo. From their exchanges, Eto judged that it seemed that his current speed is a little faster than Ronaldo¡¯s. The next support magic that Eto is going to try is ¡®Strength¡¯, which of course, strengthens his power. With that, Eto¡¯s sword attack became heavier each blow. ¡°Ugh¡­ something like this!¡± Ronaldo clenched his teeth and deflected Eto¡¯s sword. Although it seems he was still able to cope with Eto¡¯s power, his blabbering mouth has become quiet. Gradually, the sound of two training swords clashing against each other also became more powerful. And the knights witnessing the battle between them surely have felt that Eto¡¯s speed and power had increased exponentially, approaching that of Ronaldo¡¯s. However, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that if Ronaldo was holding the Holy Sword, he would be able to use the sword¡¯s power for himself. If that happens, Ronaldo¡¯s power should be higher than it is now. And Eto, who had the upper hand in this fight, also wanted to try facing that power someday. ¡°Eto! Where did you get this much power?!¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t I told you before? It is from my support magic. The power that I originally had, just like the hero title that you have.¡± Then, after giving Ronaldo a powerful blow, Eto took a few steps back. He already tried the power of his buff. Now, what¡¯s left is testing the power of his weapon enchantment. Although Ronaldo tried to speak again, Eto ignored him and cast Magic Force to empower his magic attack. Subsequently, he also enchanted his sword with fire magic, covering the surface of the sword with magic power before it morphed into burning flames. Eto instantly closed his distance and swung his sword toward Ronaldo, who reacted quickly and brandished his sword to parry it. By looking at the course, the two swords are definitely going to collide. But, before the two swords were even able to collide, Ronaldo¡¯s training sword was melted by Eto¡¯s ¡®Enchant ¨C Fire Sword¡¯. Promptly after that, Eto thrusted his sword at Ronaldo¡¯s neck, making the flames covering the sword burn Ronaldo¡¯s skin. ¡°Hero-sama?¡± ¡°¡­ M-my loss.¡± With that, Eto pulled away his sword and released the fire magic he enchanted to the sword. Ronaldo, who has shown his intention to surrender, hangs his head in shame with his knees on the floor. ¡°Winner, adventurer Eto!¡± When the referee announced the winner, Sorano, Kohaku, Amou and the knights cheered. On the other hand, Mirei and the nobles on the audience seats had lost their words. ¡°That¡¯s cowardly, Eto!1¡± Until suddenly, Ronaldo¡¯s voice echoed in the training ground as if to drown out the cheers. Volume 4 - CH 5 Chapter 5 ¨C The Conclusion ¡°That¡¯s cowardly, Eto!1¡± Suddenly, Ronaldo¡¯s voice echoed through the training ground as if to drown out the cheers. And when Eto directed his gaze at Ronaldo, he found Ronaldo glaring at himself while grasping the training sword. ¡°What do you mean by that, Ronaldo-sama?¡± Saying that, Eto casually gripped the training sword in his right hand. Truth to be told, he is no longer surprised at whatever Ronaldo says. He just felt like listening to it, of course, without letting his guard down. ¡°It was cowardly to use an enchanted sword in a mock battle! That made me unable to block your sword. Thus, this mock battle is invalid!¡± ¡°Funny. My specialty is neither sword nor attack magic, but support magic, you know? What¡¯s wrong with a support magician enchanting his sword?¡± When Eto questioned him, Ronaldo noticed that the odds were against him, making him clench his teeth and shut his mouth. In the end, the mock battle left a bad aftertaste for Ronaldo, but Eto thought even if he said that to him, nothing would¡¯ve changed. Hence, he began cleaning up in order to leave the training ground as soon as possible. ¡°I won¡¯t admit it. I won¡¯t admit it, Eto! Let¡¯s fight again!¡± Ronaldo suddenly screamed and went to pick up the Holy Sword that he put in the corner of the training ground before pointing it at Eto. Ronaldo¡¯s face was flushed, his breathing also became rough, and he doesn¡¯t seem to be able to make a calm judgement right now. However, looking at such Ronaldo, the only thought Eto had at that time was just, ¡®Really troublesome¡¯. But that¡¯s natural. Because, even though he just wanted to enjoy sightseeing in the royal castle with his party and return to their inn after that, for some reason, he ended up fighting with the Hero, which made him sighed deeply. ¡°You bastard! Are you mocking me?!¡± Perhaps thinking of Eto¡¯s sigh as an insult to him, Ronaldo screamed and poured his magic power to the Holy Sword. A wave of magic power then emerged from the Holy Sword and shot towards Eto. Moreover, there are knights behind Eto, who were likely to be injured if Eto avoided the strike. Thus, Eto quickly casted ¡®Enchant ¨C Fire Sword¡¯ and swung it, while pouring more magic power to power up the sword. The fire blade that released from Eto sword then collided with the wave of magic power released by the holy sword, illuminating the entire training ground with dazzling light. Fortunately, when the light disappeared, Eto found that no one was injured because of the clash. In other words, Eto¡¯s attack managed to completely erase the Holy Sword¡¯s magic power. ¡°You bastard! Until when you are going to hinder me!¡± Eto could no longer understand what Ronaldo was saying. A part of him really wanted to point something like ¡®You are the one who hindered me from fulfilling my role in the hero¡¯s party, though¡¯ to Ronaldo, but decided not to. ¡°To think I actually admire someone like this before¡­ Really unpleasant¡± Thinking that it would be annoying if he didn¡¯t do anything, Eto quickly closed his distance and casted some debuffs at Ronaldo. ¡°Slow! Dark! Gravity!¡± And Ronaldo, who was prepared to be attacked by a sword, was surprised. But before he was able to do anything, the debuffs that Eto casted on him in quick succession made him unable to move his body in an instant. His body was unable to move because of ¡®Slow¡¯, and his sight was stolen by ¡®Dark¡¯. For the finisher, ¡®Gravity¡¯ made his body stuck to the ground. ¡°Ronaldo-sama, this is my support magic. I decided to go on my own adventure using this power. So, please don¡¯t disturb me anymore.¡± ¡°Ugh, Eto, you basta¨C¡± Then, having completely blocked Ronaldo¡¯s movement, Eto lifted the training sword that was enchanted with ¡®Enchant ¨C Thunder Sword¡¯ and brandished it at Ronaldo, who was still stuck to the ground. And Ronaldo, whose body was pierced by the lightning from Eto¡¯s sword, immediately lost his consciousness. Volume 4 - CH 6 Chapter 6 ¨C What I Couldn¡¯t Say That Day ¡°With this, that man should have noticed how small he is1. It¡¯s all about experience.¡± The mastermind who pulled Eto into a mock combat with the Hero said in a good mood. Looking at such a happy Sorano, Eto could only sigh, worrying whether it would become a problem in the future2. Fortunately, when he asked the knight who was watching the fight about it, the knight said that there wouldn¡¯t be an issue since it was just a mock battle. Rather, the Hero, who tried to attack him with the Holy Sword, was more at fault here. At any rate, as Eto and his party exited the building, he heard a nostalgic voice calling his name from behind. Eto then looked back and stared at his childhood friend¡¯s face. ¡°Lana¡­ Long time no see.¡± Even after not seeing each other for a long time, her short trimmed silver hair, tanned skin, and a pair of dark brown eyes still manage to capture Eto¡¯s eyes. But it seems, his childhood friend, whom he met for the first time in a year, had a slightly matured atmosphere right now. ¡°Un, long time no see¡­. Your mock battle with Hero-sama¡­ Although I only saw it from the middle of the battle, you¡¯ve become strong, Eto¡­¡± ¡°You saw it, huh.¡± ¡°Your movement was, of course, more skillful than before. But on top of that, the power of your enchantment was really amazing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I couldn¡¯t show my strength when I was still in the Hero¡¯s party as they banned me from using my support magic.¡± ¡°I.. didn¡¯t even know about that¡­ I didn¡¯t even know why Eto¡¯s fighting style changed during the trip.¡± Lana looked down as she said that. And that unreliable appearance of her, was far different from the Sword Saint Lana, who was one of the main members of the Hero¡¯s party. ¡°After Eto left the party, I came to know many things. I couldn¡¯t do anything for Eto¡­¡± ¡°I felt really ashamed for being discriminated against by the Hero¡¯s party. And I would be ashamed to have Lana know about that. If Lana knew about it, I wouldn¡¯t be able to face you because of how pathetic I was. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t tell you the truth.¡± ¡°You did try to tell me about it in our last conversation. When I was waiting for Eto to come back to the stables at the inn¡­¡± ¡°Aa. Even though I¡¯ve been hiding it, in the end, I ended up telling you at that time. Although part of it was because you caught me coming back after finishing my job at the guild, the biggest reason was probably because I was already at my limit.¡± ¡°Even though we¡¯ve been together, I didn¡¯t even notice¡­. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Lana bowed deeply. The current Eto didn¡¯t feel like blaming Lana for anything that happened before. Because he knew, even if they¡¯re childhood friends, it doesn¡¯t mean they knew everything about each other. Besides, if he wanted Lana to understand his pain, he should have talked to her before. Not a short exchange like their last conversation, but a long conversation with them properly facing each other. That¡¯s what Eto thought, however, there is only one thing Eto couldn¡¯t accept. ¡°Why¨C¡± Eto tried to say something but stopped, until Lana stared at Eto¡¯s face. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you listen to me at that time? Did you trust the Hero that much?¡± A year ago, in front of the stables at the inn, Eto confessed to Lana that he didn¡¯t get any rewards from the subjugation. Although he did hide it from Lana before, after actually saying it, Eto truly hoped his childhood friend would believe and understand him. However, Lana didn¡¯t believe Eto¡¯s story at all. She even blamed Eto for lying that Hero-sama wouldn¡¯t give him his reward. And even when Eto tried to call out to Lana who was about to leave, she entered the inn without even looking back at him. That scene is still lingering in his mind even now. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ve been hearing bad rumors about Eto from everyone. Like having a woman problem in various towns, having lost his sense of mission and responsibility as a member of Hero¡¯s party, or that you yourself were the reason your relationship with Mirei-sama was getting worse3.¡± ¡°Who was saying such nonsense? Is it Hero-sama?¡± ¡°No. It was the people who did our chores. Bad rumors about Eto were circulating among them, and the source of those rumors was the liaison between the royal castle and the church.¡± Volume 4 - CH 7 Chapter 7 ¨C With Your Own Eyes ¡°Why did the liaison tell such lies? There should be no point for them in doing that.¡± That was the first time Eto heard about it. Even the investigation report that Adventurer Guild gave him didn¡¯t inform him about that. ¡°Apparently they have a huge debt because of gambling. And they deliberately took Eto¡¯s rewards and travel expenses to pay off their debt1.¡± ¡°What? No way¡­¡± ¡°Of course, they were severely punished after their deed was revealed. Incidentally, Ronaldo-sama and Mirei-sama seem completely unaware about that matter.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think Hero-sama might have imposed his sin on them? After all that happened, they claimed to be unaware of that? There is no way I could believe it.¡± ¡°I, too, couldn¡¯t believe it at first. When I was told that all the bad rumors about Eto were lies, I suspected that Ronaldo-sama and Mirei-sama had done it to get Eto out of the party. However, I found that the two don¡¯t really care about where the money goes to. So, I don¡¯t think they would do things in such a roundabout way.¡± Hearing that, Eto recalled the face of a sharp-eyed woman who happens to be the liaison for the royal castle. She is the one who Eto asked to give him his reward many times. She was also the one who said that if Eto was troubled because he didn¡¯t get any reward, he just has to hunt monsters for food, while looking down at him. Her boss and the church liaison also agreed with her opinion. ¡°I see¡­. Still, even though they¡¯re the culprit, I don¡¯t think Hero-sama really didn¡¯t know anything about this. It is a fact that he thinks of me as a hindrance, after all. Besides, that party revolves around Hero-sama. Wasn¡¯t the liaison discriminating against me because of following that person¡¯s intention?¡± ¡°¡­ This is just what I felt, but if the liaison was really influenced by someone to make Eto a target of discrimination, I think that person is Mirei-sama. Mirei-sama always looks down at Eto every time, right?¡± ¡°Aa¡­¡± ¡°I thought it would be better to keep Eto and Mirei-sama apart by eating at different places, rather than eating in the same place and bickering every time. Mirei-sama¡¯s attitude towards Eto was just that noticeable, after all2.¡± ¡°If you say that, how about the fact that Hero-sama forbade me to use my support magic? I think that¡¯s the biggest problem here. Although I admit I was immature and naive before, forbidding me to use my support magic is just pure harassment.¡± ¡°Indeed. I understood very well from the mock battle that Ronaldo-sama decided for himself that Eto doesn¡¯t have the ability to be in the same party as him and imposed his own value on Eto.¡± Eto closed his eyes, took a deep breath and exhaled repeatedly. The blood in his head gradually calmed, and he regained his composure. He judged that it seemed improbable to reveal the real truth there. Because Lana¡¯s story may or may not be true. Although he wanted to know the truth to why he was discriminated against, there is only one thing Eto wanted to ask Lana right now. ¡°Even so, does Lana still believe in Hero-sama?¡± ¡°Ee¡­ I believe that only Ronaldo-sama can save the world when it¡¯s in danger.¡± Lana said while staring at Eto¡¯s eyes, who also looked back at her. What Lana said about the Hero was, in fact, also what Eto once believed. That the only person who can save the world from crisis is just the Hero. It all started from an admiration towards the Hero told in the legends, and that feeling strengthened by actually seeing Ronaldo¡¯s conduct and fighting prowess. Then, the feeling increases further when they learn that the Heroes of the past have saved the world from crisis many times during their training in the royal castle. But, the hope and trust towards the Hero that Eto had already abandoned, was still lingering in Lana. ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°Un¡­ Sorry.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. No matter what people say, we just have to judge that after seeing it with our own eyes. And that¡¯s the answer Lana found, right?¡± ¡°Un;¡± When Eto thinks about it again, perhaps, he never faced Lana and properly talked about what each other thought until now. That is why, Eto was glad he was able to this time. Volume 4 - CH 8 Chapter 8 ¨C Amou¡¯s Dream Several days have passed since Eto and his party visited the royal castle. Although they had begun to continue their adventurer¡¯s activities, Eto¡¯s party decided to decrease the amount of quests they took for a while as they¡¯re still exhausted both physically and mentally by the Goblin Stampede. And now, in the inn room, Eto was writing a memo with one hand, while Amou was trying out the barrier magic tool that he received as a reward. Eto¡¯s party usually only rents one room if a room with four beds is available, but when such a room is unavailable, they often rent two rooms, splitting between men and women. Thus, Eto and Amou were able to spend their time leisurely without needing to mind the girls. ¡°Amou, do you like magic tools?¡± Eto remembered Amou¡¯s reaction when he was looking at the magic tools very enthusiastically in the treasure room. ¡°Aa. A relative of mine has a magic tool that produces hot water, and I¡¯ve always been interested in that. And I¡¯ve always wanted to be a magic tool craftsman when I was a kid.¡± ¡°Heee, so it¡¯s like that. What kind of skill does a magic tool craftsman need?¡± ¡°First of all, magic power. If someone can¡¯t enchant items like Eto, it is impossible for them. Though some people who just design the magic tools and leave the production to the enchanters did exist, that¡¯s only possible because they are familiar with the mechanism of magic tools. One of the reasons I gave up on being a magic tool craftsman was because the place where I lived wasn¡¯t an environment where I could study such a thing, and the other reason is simply because I had less magic power than other people.¡± Surprisingly, Amou was much more talkative than usual. That shows how much attachment he has towards magic tools. Amou¡¯s magic power is said to be on the lower end even among Ogres. Since there is not much difference in magic power between Ogres and Humans, it seems that the amount of magic power of an Ogre could be judged with the same basis. And it would be tough for someone to be a magic tool craftsman unless they have at least an average amount of magic power. ¡°Come to think of it, I¡¯ve never casted Magic Force to strengthen your magic attack before. The effect of ¡®Magic Force¡¯ is to stimulate the magic power inside one¡¯s body, so one would be capable of controlling the magic power that they have never used before. Well, the amount of the magic power might not be much, though. Nevertheless, do you want to try it?¡± ¡°Eto, did you say that because I talked about wanting to become a magic tool craftsman? If that¡¯s the case, I don¡¯t think it would be successful.¡± Amou reservedly answered. But that was understandable. Because if a support magic can make someone become a magic tool craftsman, no one would have a hard time becoming one. ¡°No, well, of course I know that. But, it¡¯s free to try, right? It¡¯s not like it is bad for your body anyway. Let¡¯s try it!¡± Eto then a bit forcefully told Amou to stand in front of him and begins to cast Magic Force. Actually, the moment Amou said that he has low amount of magic power, there is something that made Eto wonder. And that is, ¡®Can he even swing around such a big sword with a little amount of magic power?¡¯ Even if Ogres¡¯ natural strength is stronger than that of a human, Eto thought just that alone couldn¡¯t explain it. That is why he decided to try this method, as Eto would be able to feel the magic power residing in Amou¡¯s body while controlling the support magic. He poured his magic power, trying to collect magic power from every corner of Amou¡¯s body. Suddenly, the two black horns growing from Amou¡¯s forehead began to shine. ¡°Amou, for some reason your horns are shining dimly, is that okay? Is it fine to continue?¡± Eto hurriedly asked Amou to confirm it. ¡°It is a sign that my magic power gathered in the center of my body. In other words, there is nothing wrong here. Please do continue as it is. I will also try to control my magic power to follow the flow of magic power Eto made.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± With that, Eto strengthened the power of the buff. And at the next moment, Eto felt a lump of magic power suddenly descending towards Amou¡¯s belly, as if a heavy load fell off a shelf. Even Amou was surprised by that. Immediately after that, the same feeling was repeated, which made Eto carefully manipulate his magic power and then looked at Amou. ¡°Although I don¡¯t know what that was, it seems there is nothing wrong with my body. Please continue.¡± After getting a confirmation from Amou, Eto continued to control his magic power. Subsequently, Amou¡¯s black horn had also lost its shine. And at that moment, Sorano and Kohaku suddenly entered the room. ¡°What happened! Are you two okay!?¡± "" Kohaku sprinted toward them. ¡°Sorano felt there is an increase of magic power from this room. I thought it was an enemy¡¯s attack, so I came in a hurry, but¡­what the heck are you two doing?¡± Understanding that there is nothing wrong with them, Kohaku asked for an explanation from the two, as if to blame them for worrying her. Volume 4 - CH 9 Chapter 9 ¨C Ogres¡¯ Horns ¡°Actually, I also thought it was strange. No matter how powerful dad was, there is no way he could swing such a big sword lightly. He doesn¡¯t even seem tired after a long battle.¡± While having dinner on the first floor of the inn, Kohaku expressed her view on her father¡¯s magic power. ¡°There was a difference between the amount of magic power that I usually feel from Amou than the one that I feel during battle. However, I always thought it was just the uniqueness of Ogres. Turns out even the person himself didn¡¯t realize it, huh.¡± Sorano said exasperatedly while looking at the two black horns extending from Amou¡¯s forehead. ¡°Looks like I had been subconsciously using my magic power to raise my own physical strength all this time.¡± Listening to the two, Amou said with a convinced expression. After Eto tried to stimulate Amou¡¯s internal magic power with support magic, the amount of magic power Amou had was tripled in an instant. This has been confirmed by Sorano, who has excellent ability to detect magic power. Apparently, Ogres stored a lot of their magic power in their horns, and they used that magic power subconsciously to raise their own strength during battle. ¡°But from now on Amou has to consciously use that magic power that he used subconsciously before, right? Will there be a problem?¡± ¡°Amou said he was able to feel the movement of his magic power. In that case, he just has to train his magic power control. Then he could learn skills and magic after that.¡± Sorano explained, while looking at Amou. ¡°No problem. If you can¡¯t, you just have to train until you can. Like I¡¯ve always done before.¡± Hearing that, Amou looked at Eto and laughed. Even Kohaku and Sorano are also grinning looking at Eto. Although Eto wasn¡¯t sure if he is being praised or ridiculed, nevertheless, he feels a little embarrassed by that. ¡°Cough. That¡¯s right. Anyway, trying is the start for everything. But, don¡¯t overdo it. The fact that the amount of your magic power was tripled means the difficulty to control it also increased three times, after all. So, you should be aware that the risk of injury is also increasing.¡± Eto said to Amou, just like a party leader. ¡°I wonder if my horn is also filled with magic power? Can you feel something from here, Sorano?¡± ¡°Aa. Kohaku¡¯s horn is also filled with magic power. But, it doesn¡¯t change that much even during battle. I think Kohaku has always been using your magic power all the time.¡± ¡°Too bad, even though I am expecting my magic power to double as a bonus.¡± Kohaku said, regretfully, while squinting her eyes, looking at the amber horns that extended from her forehead. ¡°Kohaku is someone who has a lot of magic power from the start. If it¡¯s doubled, you will become a dangerous person.¡± Sorano said while pointing at Kohaku¡¯s face. ¡°Alright, hear me for a bit. The rewards from the goblin stampede have been stored in our guild¡¯s account. After this, I¡¯d like to check the rewards that each of us received. Thus, I want Kohaku and Sorano to come to our room later.¡± There is something that Eto wanted to tell them about the rewards. Volume 4 - CH 10 Chapter 10 ¨C Reward Distribution ¡°First of all, I don¡¯t think this request could have been completed without any of you. So, I think it would be unfair to you guys who made great achievements at the risk of your lives if the rewards aren¡¯t on par with that. That¡¯s why, just for this request, I will add 10% of the total reward we got to each of your savings.¡± ¡°Oo, amazing!¡± Kohaku shouted while applauding. ¡°The reward of this request is 15 million gold per person. And ten percent of that is 1.5 million gold. If you add that to your savings, your savings will exceed the purchase price of Kohaku and Sorano.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± When Eto explained while smiling, the two stiffened with their mouths open. That is understandable. Because even Kohaku didn¡¯t expect her savings to reach her purchase price so quickly. ¡°Although I can¡¯t immediately release Sorano because you are a criminal slave, as stated in the contract, I intend to go to release Kohaku¡¯s slave crest tomorrow. Of course, the remaining reward will be given to each of you. Other than that, as I said in advance, each treasure you guys chose in the treasure room is naturally yours. And if Kohaku wants, you can sell your treasure, and with the remaining money you got, you can release Amou too. However, I advise you to not sell the treasure you got from the treasure room at a cheap price, as it is quite valuable. You can consult Amou about that. Lastly, it¡¯s about our activity from now on¨C¡± ¡°Wa-wait a minute!¡± As Eto tried to continue, Kohaku suddenly interrupted him. ¡°Err, what should I ask first¡­ Being released from slavery, releasing dad, and then¡­¡± Kohaku said while holding her head, seemingly confused about what Eto said. ¡°After Eto releases Kohaku, what will happen to this party?¡± Sorano asked with her usual expressionless look, but Eto was able to feel her seriousness. ¡°That¡¯s right! What about that?!¡± Kohaku stared at Eto. ¡°Un. Of course, I want to continue being a party with everyone. After releasing you guys from slavery, I intend to make a contract with each of you and decide the reward distribution of the party from now on. For the time being, I¡¯m thinking that 50% of our reward will continue to be reserve funds for our party, and if Amou¡¯s debt still remains, 5% of it will be used for that purpose. Then, the rest will be distributed equally to those who have finished rebuying themselves. Although Sorano is still a slave, I intend to give her the reward equally.¡± ¡°Distributed equally¡­ Does that mean Eto¡¯s share will be the same as ours?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± There are many ways to decide the reward distribution in a party. But Eto thought that the best way that could prevent a quarrel among a party is to divide the reward equally. After that, the three tried to tell Eto that it would be unfair for him as his share will be decreased, but Eto still stood by what he said, saying the easiest way is the best choice. ¡°If you still have something to say, I¡¯ll listen tomorrow, so let¡¯s just rest tonight.¡± Hearing that, Kohaku and Sorano returned to their room. Looking at the two, Eto thought, ¡®After sleeping comfortably, the two¡¯s excitement should calm down.¡¯ After the two girls left, Eto wiped his body with a wet towel, before going to bed. However, suddenly, a big shadow appeared from behind. And when Eto turned around, he saw Amou, who stood beside his bed while casting his eyes downward. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Amou?¡± ¡°Eto¡­I sincerely think having Eto buy us is our greatest fortune¡­ Thank you very much.¡± Saying that, Amou bowed his head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. You guys have been helping me so much too, so it is mutual. Anyway, you should go to bed early.¡± ¡°Aa, understood.¡± Eto then goes to bed and closes his eyes. It¡¯s been half a year since he met Amou and the two at the slave firm. From now on, will their relationship with Eto change as they are released from the slavery? Eto wondered about that. But, Eto really doesn¡¯t know the answer to that question, because even the Hero party chosen by the Goddess herself had various problems. However, Eto intends to cherish the trust that they have built over the last six months. That is why, Eto reminded himself once again to never betray their trust. Volume 4 - CH 11 Chapter 11 ¨C Release From Slavery The next morning, Kohaku appeared on the first floor of the inn with a sleep-deprived look on her face. She then went over to where Eto and the other two sat while rubbing her half-opened eyes. By the way, Sorano is just the same as usual. After breakfast, Eto sent a letter to Tamara¡¯s Slave Firm, asking him to release Kohaku. In the royal capital, when making such a contact, it was common to have an orphan or a child from a poor family to carry one¡¯s letter and pay them with pocket money. Therefore, even in the inn where Eto¡¯s party stayed, although there was no contract involved, there were children who were ready to take such a job. Thus, Eto asked a boy whom he knew to send his letter and have him wait for a reply. And in less than an hour, the boy returned with a message from Tamara, informing Eto that he can come to the firm anytime. With that, Eto left the inn at 10 o¡¯clock and headed to the slave firm. Incidentally, perhaps because of getting a little sleep after breakfast, Kohaku looked better than in the morning. ¡°Are you nervous?¡± ¡°Hmm. Somehow it doesn¡¯t feel real.¡± Kohaku, who walks with her eyebrows and shoulders slumped down, seemed to really have no idea what should she do. Even Amou had to support her shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s because in the end, nothing changed between us. The only change is that what Kohaku can do has increased.¡± ¡°What I can do?¡± ¡°For example, after you are released, Kohaku can take Amou and Sorano to the guild to make a request. Although you do need my consent, I have no problem with that. Besides, if Kohaku wants, you can even go to school. You can learn how to read, write, do arithmetic, and even make friends with someone who is the same age as you. Even if you don¡¯t want to go to school every day, I think you can also have them teach you while you are free after completing requests. Of course, it doesn¡¯t mean you have to do that. To put it simply, you can have more choices in the future.¡± ¡°More choices, huh¡­ I don¡¯t really understand.¡± Kohaku looked at the sky and muttered. At any rate, while having such exchanges, they arrived at the slave firm and were welcomed by Tamara, the owner of the said firm. Tamara then promptly praised Eto¡¯s party for their achievements of solving the stampede and the wyvern subjugation. ¡°Well then, is only one person being freed from the slavery today?¡± ¡°Ee. It¡¯s Kohaku. Please take care of it.¡± ¡°When Eto-sama came here for the first time, I asked Eto-sama some questions, right? One of them being why Eto-sama wanted slaves to be members of his party instead of adventurers. Do you remember?¡± ¡°Yes, I remember it well.¡± Tamara stared at Eto firmly. It wasn¡¯t as intimidating as the Grand Master of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, but it was the eyes of a merchant who won¡¯t miss even a slight change in Eto¡¯s expression. ¡°Eto-sama answered that he wanted to protect himself with the slave contract. But today Eto-sama is going to release his slave. Does that mean Eto-sama¡¯s concerns are gone now?¡± ¡°Well, who knows. But, I¡¯ve been working as an adventurer with this party for more than half a year. And at the Goblin Stampede, we literally left our backs to each other, protecting each other. Hence, I judged, if it¡¯s them, I¡¯m sure we can have an adventure on an equal footing. Even if we fall into a crisis, I believe we can survive together.¡± ¡°I see¡­. That¡¯s really, really wonderful.¡± Upon hearing Eto¡¯s words, Tamara laughed happily with deep wrinkles crinkling at the corners of his eyes. After that, the procedures for liberating slaves went smoothly without a problem. And then, just by chanting and holding her hand, Tamara easily erased Kohaku¡¯s slave crest, leaving no traces. ¡°Errr, with this, I¡¯m not a slave anymore?¡± ¡°Yes, Kohaku-sama. Since you already signed on the document, the slave crest is also successfully erased. With this, Kohaku-sama has been freed from slavery.¡± Tamara replied with a smile on his face. ¡°Kohaku-sama¡­ As expected, it feels weird to be called with ¡®-sama¡¯¡­¡± Kohaku sighed deeply. ¡°This is Kohaku who has just been freed from slavery. Please treat me well from now on.¡± Kohaku said with a cheerful smile, as if to put her previous feelings behind and move on. After that, the situation became very troubling, as Amou suddenly started crying. Although surprised, Eto and the other three tried to calm Amou, but they failed to stop Amou who couldn¡¯t stop crying. That was until Kohaku snapped. ¡°Dad! Kohaku hates crybaby! Just calm down already!¡± Hearing Kohaku¡¯s scream, Amou immediately stopped crying. But Eto understands that Amou, who had to sell his daughter alongside himself as a slave in order to pay his debt, must have been holding back his feelings alone all this time. Volume 4 - CH 12 Chapter 12 ¨C Request For Re-Investigation Actually, when Eto asked the slave firm to release Kohaku from slavery, he also wrote another request in the letter. It is a request for a re-investigation regarding the event that made Sorano a criminal slave. Since the time he first met Sorano, Eto knew she wasn¡¯t the kind of person who can easily lie for her own benefit. Besides, he also believes that there is no way Sorano would hurt someone for no reason. That is why, Eto wanted to prove Sorano¡¯s innocence by requesting a re-investigation regarding that matter. ¡°Tamara-san, honestly, I¡¯m not used to this kind of thing. I will pay the cooperation fee and investigation fee to Tamara-san, so can you please teach me how to do this?¡± Saying that, Eto bowed his head. ¡°No, please, Eto-sama, I can¡¯t let the Hero of the kingdom bow his head to me. Truth to be told, we also have some thoughts regarding Sorano-san¡¯s case. However, the ones involved in the case were a powerful noble called Margrave Erven, and a slave trader who happens to be his prot¨¦g¨¦. Eto-sama might receive a strong backlash if you try to mingle in their matters half-heartedly. But if Eto-sama still wants to proceed with the re-investigation, please let us cooperate.¡± Tamara looked at Eto with a determined expression. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Eto shook hands with Tamara. And he vowed to find the mastermind who unreasonably made Sorano a slave. Besides those hired by the Tamara Slave Firm, Eto thought it would be desirable to talk to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild and the Merchant¡¯s Guild regarding this request. Although consulting this matter to the guild would increase the risk of information leaks, it could also make them less prone to getting crushed by the nobles. Moreover, this time it was a request from the Hero of the kingdom who resolved the stampede. Thus, Eto judged that there aren¡¯t many people who would flatly reject Eto¡¯s request. Later, Eto made an appointment with the Guild Master Sidrake in the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. And after Eto explained Sorano¡¯s circumstances to him and asked for his cooperation, Sidrake told Eto that he will introduce someone who excels in such investigations. After that, Eto promised to come back to the guild two days later, and returned to the inn. As soon as he returned, a message from Tamara had arrived at the inn. Apparently, Tamara has met with the Guild Master of the Merchant¡¯s Guild and succeeded in gaining his cooperation. Fortunately, those who they needed the cooperation of were supportive of Eto. With this, Eto felt their fight had begun. Two days later, Eto¡¯s party, Tamara, and the Guild Master Sidrake gathered at the Adventurer¡¯s Guild¡¯s meeting room. It seems Tamara and Sidrake already talked about this re-investigation request before gathering here. Eto then asked them to confirm the risk, the flow of the investigation, and the fees to the two. And once all the agreements were completed, Sidrake left the meeting room and brought back a man and a woman. Sidrake then introduces them as the investigators who would take the request. The man introduced himself as Narl and the woman introduced herself as Nii, which probably were just aliases, and they didn¡¯t seem to try to hide it. And after telling them to contact Eto as soon as there is progress, they disband. ¡°Somehow, it became a big matter¡­¡± On the way back to the inn, Sorano muttered with an apologetic look on her face. ¡°It is natural. It¡¯s about Sorano, after all. I hope they can find the truth.¡± When Kohaku said that, Eto and Amou nodded. ¡°Sorry¡­ No, thank you, everyone.¡± Sorano stopped and turned to Eto and the two, and thanked them. That night, Sorano wrote a letter to her village, explaining the situation in detail. Until now, Sorano hasn¡¯t written a single letter to her village, thinking nothing would change even if she wrote one as a slave. However, Tamara and Sidrake told her that when the investigation started, they needed the opinion of a third party who remembered the event. Hence, Eto wrote her first letter since leaving the Elven village, explaining about the re-investigation and her recent status with Eto and the two. Volume 4 - CH 13 Chapter 13 ¨C Fallen Hero Mirei and Lana were heading to the mansion of Marquis Killingworth where Ronaldo stayed. They¡¯re guided by Ronaldo¡¯s butler, who keeps glancing at them while walking in the front. Earlier, the old butler wearily asked the two to refrain from visiting Ronaldo for the time being. But when they asked the reason, the old butler only answered that Ronaldo wasn¡¯t in the condition to meet guests. ¡°Is Ronaldo-sama injured?¡± Hearing that, Mirei¡¯s expression paled, and she asked. ¡°No, that¡¯s not the case.¡± ¡°Then, is he sick?¡± ¡°¡­ Hero-sama isn¡¯t sick¡± ¡°Are you making fun of us?¡± A dense magic power suddenly leaked from Mirei, that made even Lana feel suffocated, let alone the butler in front of them. ¡°Since that time, Ronaldo-sama has been¡­ How should I explain this¡­¡± The old butler hesitated. ¡°Just say it properly! We are Ronaldo-sama¡¯s party members, you know!? We¡¯re not like those acquaintances he has!¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Of course, I understand that. What I wanted to say is that Ronaldo-sama¡¯s behavior has become¡­ rough. He also seems to be unable to suppress his emotions.¡± ¡°And that has been happening since that day, huh.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The day that they¡¯re talking about was, of course, the day Ronaldo fought Eto and lost. When Ronaldo was awoken in the Knight¡¯s medical office, he asked the knights whether his memory was correct. And when he confirmed that he had lost to Eto, he gave a self-deprecating laugh to Mirei, who was following him to the medical office. ¡°Pathetic¡­¡± On his way home, Ronaldo only uttered that word. And Mirei, who was with him, couldn¡¯t say anything. It has been three days since then. The butler guided the two to a sunny south-facing room. Inside the room, there was Ronaldo, sitting on the sofa by the window. He didn¡¯t respond to the knocking sound, and just looked out the window. ¡°Ronaldo-sama, how are you?¡± Mirei asked, while hiding her nervousness. Ronaldo was dressed as if he had just woken up, with messy hair and an unshaven beard. His white shirt was wrinkled, and there were stains of spilled drinks. The two can see a glass and a bottle of alcohol on the table beside him. Ronaldo then glanced at Lana and Mirei, and drank a glass of alcohol. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± That¡¯s the only words Ronaldo uttered to them. ¡°I was worried that your injury hasn¡¯t healed, so I came here with Lana. But, looks like it was just a needless worry. If you are already well, how about going out for a change? I happened to find a restaurant where you can eat delicious Wyvern meat.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°¡­ Lana also likes Wyvern meat, right?¡± ¡°Yes. I love it. Ronaldo-sama also likes it, right?¡± ¡°¡­ Aa. But, I don¡¯t have an appetite right now.¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s a shame. Well then, let¡¯s eat it next time.¡± ¡°Mirei, Lana.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I lost to Eto. I, the Hero, lost to the Sage, whose sword skill and magic are measly! I am not qualified to call myself the Hero! I¡­ I can no longer continue this journey¨C¡± ¡°What are you saying!¡± Mirei shouted, as if to drown out Ronaldo¡¯s words. And her face seemed to be filled with anger and frustration. ¡°Only a fool would give up after just one loss. Was that the first time Ronaldo-sama lost in a mock battle?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not the case¡­¡± ¡°Then, what¡¯s the difference?!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m going back today! I¡¯ll be back again, so please cool your head by then! Let¡¯s go, Lana.¡± ¡°Yes. Ronaldo-sama, we¡¯re a party. Even if you lose or make a mistake, I believe we can move in the right direction by supporting each other. Forgive me if this is brazen. Please excuse me.¡± From where Ronaldo sits, he could see the passage to the exit. He could see the figure of Lana who was chasing the angry Mirei, until the two walked away together. ¡°¡ºWe are a party¡», huh¡­¡± Ronaldo silently muttered. Volume 4 - CH 14 Chapter 14 ¨C Lana and Instructor Musik That day, Lana went to the knight¡¯s training ground alone. This is the place where she learned swordsmanship for half a year when she and Eto first came to the castle. After having sword training with the knights who were stationed at the castle by chance, Lana took a break on the upper floor where she could see the whole training ground. Until suddenly, the Captain of the Order of the Knights, Musik, appeared. ¡°Long time no see. I¡¯m sorry I haven¡¯t gone to see you for a long time.¡± Lana bowed to Musik. ¡°Umu, it¡¯s truly been a long time. Looks like you have been training our knights.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s me who is being taught by them.¡± Since Lana¡¯s power as the Sword Saint awakened, and she gained a higher level of swordsmanship, the number of knights who could match her decreased. It¡¯s like, even though they were able to match her yesterday, they were completely unable to match her the next day. Since then, there are rarely knights who challenge her. Although one of the reasons was because the difference in their abilities was so big, which made it dangerous for the knights, the biggest problem was that challenging her could make the young knights lose their confidence. Thus, during that time, the one who got appointed as Lana¡¯s instructor was Musik, who was the vice captain of the knight¡¯s order at that time. Thanks to him, Lana was able to swing her sword freely, and she also opened up to Musik, whom she respected. ¡°I heard about Eto-dono.¡± ¡°I see¡­. The other day, I met Eto for the first time in a long time. He was as lively as he was in the village. Furthermore, he became so strong after we were separated.¡± ¡°Umu. I also felt a kind of aura that I didn¡¯t feel from him before. It feels like someone who overcame a big mountain before him. Did Lana-dono ever think of leaving Ronaldo-sama¡¯s party and joining Eto¡¯s?¡± Lana felt uncomfortable being called ¡®Lana-dono¡¯ by Musik, because when they¡¯re student and instructor, he directly called her by her name. However, after she and Eto got chosen, Musik probably couldn¡¯t call the Sword Saint and the Sage chosen by the Goddess with their name anymore. ¡°In fact, the other day, Eto introduced me to his party members, and I like the atmosphere between them very much. That made me think maybe fighting together with Eto and his party doesn¡¯t sound too bad.¡± ¡°Then, why didn¡¯t you join him?¡± ¡°Because I decided to support Ronaldo-sama.¡± Lana looked straight at Musik. And that strong gaze of her shows her determination. ¡°Ronaldo-sama sometimes did decide things on his own without consulting anyone. And that often leads to big problems later. But, from what I can see, Ronaldo-sama himself believes what he did was really necessary.¡± ¡°All he did was necessary?¡± ¡°Yes. Although this might be rude towards Eto, Ronaldo-sama believes the Hero¡¯s party should be strong enough to reassure the people. That is why at that time he didn¡¯t admit Eto¡¯s existence, who wasn¡¯t strong enough in his eyes.¡± ¡°Fumu.¡± ¡°And I think Ronaldo-sama also believes that since Eto was chosen by the Goddess-sama as the Sage, he has to contribute to the party by doing what he can. At least at first, he probably really thought that it was natural to forbid Eto to use the support magic that he deemed ineffective and help the party in other ways. And that was the thing that later led to an attitude of looking down on Eto.¡± ¡°Continue.¡± ¡°At that time, I didn¡¯t blame Ronaldo-sama or help Eto, and I was just swept away by the situation and believed in the bad rumor about Eto. I am the worst.¡± Musik just silently listened to Lana¡¯s story, while occasionally nodding to reply. Because he felt that Lana wasn¡¯t asking for words to console her. ¡°But precisely because of that experience, I think I have to do what I can do right now. I am Lana, the Sword Saint of the Hero¡¯s party. It is my job to support Ronaldo-sama.¡± ¡°From what I can see, Ronaldo-sama seems to be mentally unstable, more than before. You might receive the discrimination that Eto received there, you know?¡± ¡°Musik-sama, the thing is, Ronaldo-sama has been mentally unstable for a long time. I noticed that immediately when we first met. Mirei-sama also agreed with me on this.¡± ¡°Is that so? At least in my eyes, he didn¡¯t seem so before, though?¡± ¡°But I think Ronaldo-sama is fine right now. I believe the bond that we made from training in the royal castle to the journey to subjugate monsters is already solid. Although I do understand that what happened to Eto is indeed our sin, I believe at least Ronaldo-sama, Mirei-sama, and I have a feeling of comradery for each other.¡± ¡°I see. Looks like you are already determined.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°In that case, there is nothing for me to say anymore.¡± ¡°Thank you for your concern.¡± ¡°At any rate, since it¡¯s been a while, let¡¯s go to the training ground. I will practice with you.¡± ¡°Yes, Instructor Musik!¡± ¡°I hope you can stop calling me instructor, though¡­¡± ¡°You never told me to call you vice captain, after all. For me, you are Instructor Musik, who taught me swordsmanship!¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll allow you to call me that only when we¡¯re training.¡± Musik loosened his eyes and went to the stairs leading to the training ground with Lana. Volume 4 - CH 15 Chapter 15 ¨C The Application of Gem and a New Magic After Kohaku was released from slavery, Eto¡¯s party went back to their usual routine. Have breakfast, head to the Adventurer¡¯s guild, and receive subjugation or collection requests near the royal capital. The Goblin Stampede has caused great damage to the eastern side of the royal capital. Many villages have been destroyed and forest resources such as herbs, mushrooms and animals are said to be devastated. Presently, the Royal Army is conducting a large-scale goblin extermination operation to prevent the damage from spreading to other areas. Even the Adventurer¡¯s guild also issued goblin subjugation requests for C-rank or lower adventurers. Their plan is to reduce the number of goblins by offering higher rewards than usual. At any rate, right now, Eto¡¯s party are heading towards the forest on the west side of the royal capital to collect various herbs. Of course, they¡¯ve encountered a few goblins on the way, but looking at the state of the forest, it didn¡¯t seem to be affected that much, unlike the forest on the east side. The party just extracted the magic stones of those goblins, incinerated their corpses, and continued to finish their objective. Suddenly, Sorano, who had been scouting ahead, returned and reported that there were three Forest Wolves with two Orcs chasing them ahead. Hearing that, Eto immediately gathered his party members, grabbed the gem that could spread the effect of his support magic, and cast Strength, Haste, Protect buffs for everyone. Protect is a support magic that Eto recently tried along with Shield. Protect is an anti-physical attack buff, and Shield is an anti-magic attack and a weak physical defense buff that can be deployed around the body of the target. ¡°Amou and I will stop the Orcs. And you two go chase after the Forest Wolves and kill them. If either one of us finishes first, don¡¯t forget to support the other. Alright, operation start!¡± With that, Sorano and Kohaku immediately ran weaving between the sea of trees. Meanwhile, two Orcs with a rugged club in their right hand approached Eto and Amou. Making use of the surrounding trees, Amou then guided the right Orc away to separate them. Soon after that, Eto jumped out of the shade of a tree in front of the Orc that was left behind, causing it to swing its club in panic. Having judged that it was just a weak blow, Eto decided to try the effect of Protect by deliberately receiving the blow with his body. As a result, the club was deflected by a transparent wall created by Protect, and even erased the impact that should have been created from the clash. ¡°Yosh, this is pretty useful.¡± The Orc seemed to be overwhelmed by the fact that its attack didn¡¯t work at all, but it was only for a moment, as it immediately lifted its club to the top of its head and swung it down powerfully using all its weight. Finding the chance to test the buff again, Eto took a step further to receive the blow with his left shoulder. Once again, the effect of Protect appeared, deflecting the club alongside both hands of the Orc. Thinking the test was enough, Eto promptly cast Dark and Slow on the Orcs. And then, he cut the neck of the Orc, who could only move slowly because of the debuffs, with Enchant ¨C Wind Sword. Eto then left the corpse of the Orc and headed to Amou, and saw that the Orc who had lost its neck had fallen at the feet of Amou, who was near it. But, Amou didn¡¯t look at the fallen orc, he looked at the top of the tree. Following him, Eto also looked at the top of the tree and saw the head of the Orc that was caught on a branch three meters above. Apparently, this happened because Amou cut the head of the orc with a powerful swing of his greatsword. It seems it is still difficult for Amou, who can use more magic power than before, to adjust his strength. The two decided to leave the Orc¡¯s head and corpse for the time being, and headed to support Kohaku and Sorano. But when they arrived, Eto and Amou saw the two came out from the bush with a big bag in their hands. They then reported that they had completed their task. Then, as soon as the party went to their original place, Sorano climbed the tree and dropped the Orc¡¯s head down. ¡°That¡¯s amazing, Sorano! As expected of an elf!¡± ¡°Fufunnn, it¡¯s simple.¡± Sorano proudly said while standing on the branch. It made the three once again surprised by her incredible sense of balance. And Eto also thought that Sorano¡¯s tree climbing skills and sense of balance might be useful someday. After that, Eto and his party skinned the corpses of the monsters and their job was done for the day. ¡°My whole body feels so sore¡­ Doing a job after a long rest was really tough as expected.¡± Kohaku says something that isn¡¯t fit to be said by a thirteen-year-old girl. ¡°My shoulders are also stiff. As expected, training and actual battles are different.¡± Sorano agreed to Kohaku¡¯s statement. ¡®Kohaku who is still growing is getting muscle pain while Sorano has chronic fatigue, huh.¡¯ At a moment, Eto thought like that, but he wasn¡¯t stupid enough to talk about age to women. ¡°What?¡± "" But suddenly, Sorano, whose intuition was sharp, asked Eto. ¡°Un? I didn¡¯t say anything, though?¡± Of course, Eto feigned ignorance. At any rate, after reporting the completion of the requests and selling the materials to the guild, Eto¡¯s party returned to the inn and got ready because they have a dinner appointment with Lana tonight. Incidentally, they¡¯re going to eat at a restaurant that is famous for their stewed dishes recommended by Kohaku. Volume 4 - CH 16 Chapter 16 ¨C Dinner With Lana When Eto and his party arrived at the restaurant, they found that Lana had arrived at the restaurant earlier than them. ¡°My bad, did we make you wait too long?¡± Lana shook her head to Eto who apologized. ¡°No, I just arrived too. It seems you already reserved a private room for us. Thank you.¡± Tonight, Lana wore a shiny black dress, and she also has make-up on her face, though it is very thin. ¡°Waaa, so cute.¡± Kohaku praised Lana¡¯s dress. The dress that Lana wears was embroidered with black thread that made the dress look like it had flowers appearing from the inside. With that as the start, the conversation between girls is started, making Lana relax. The five then fully enjoyed the restaurant¡¯s recommended menu, such as Orc meat and vegetables stewed in a rich sauce, and steamed Wyvern meat. And then, while eating dessert after a meal, they talked about the release of Kohaku from slavery. ¡°Hee, only Kohaku-chan? How about Sorano-san and Amou-san?¡± ¡°Amou said he wanted to continue being a slave while saving money with this pace. Naturally, I will release him when his savings have exceeded the price I bought him. As for Sorano¡­ there are circumstances.¡± Eto wanted to say something but hesitated. ¡°I am a criminal slave. Money alone can¡¯t release me.¡± But of course, just like usual, Sorano answered without hesitation. When Lana heard the place Sorano was enslaved was in Margrave Erven¡¯s territory, Lana frowned and asked Sorano about the event in detail. ¡°That¡¯s pretty suspicious. Margrave Stainbolt has been undergoing medical treatment for a long time because of his illness, so his son, Riesenbolt, was chosen as Acting Lord of his territory. But, he has a pretty terrible reputation.¡± Apparently, before returning to the royal capital, the Hero¡¯s party has been defeating monsters in remote areas. During their stay in the Margrave Erven territory, Lana heard that the Acting Lord and the influential nobles around him caused many problems for the commoners and silenced them with power. ¡°If the slave trader was close to the Acting Lord, then it is not strange to suspect him of using forceful means to enslave Sorano.¡± ¡°But is that allowed? Isn¡¯t the treatment of slaves strictly regulated?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. But, we can¡¯t absolutely say that national laws will be obeyed by everyone, right? Even more so if it was between a noble and a commoner. There are times when money and power can twist the rule, after all. Besides, that Acting Lord really can¡¯t be trusted.¡± ¡°Have Lana ever met the Acting Lord?¡± ¡°Ee, in fact, he quarreled with Ronaldo-sama. Ronaldo-sama has a strong sense of justice, after all. Especially if the person concerned is a vulnerable woman.¡± Lana continued with a bitter smile. According to Lana, when the Hero¡¯s party returned from a party hosted by a local noble, Hero Ronaldo stopped Riesenbolt, who was persistently trying to make an advance on a young lady. After the young lady had thanked him and left, Ronaldo scolded the Acting Lord, saying that such an advance wasn¡¯t likable to anyone. But in response to that, Riesentbolt just made an excuse, saying that he had only invited the girl on a trip. Naturally, there is no way Ronaldo believed that. Because from what Ronaldo can see, Riesenbolt seemed to be trying to force the girl into the carriage. But Riesenbolt doesn¡¯t lose his smile and just said that Ronaldo might be mistaken. And then, thinking that at this rate there won¡¯t be an end, the quarrel finished with Mirei¡¯s mediation. ¡°If Riesenbolt was merely trying to dodge the question, I don¡¯t think I would remember him because there are many people like that. But he was a little different. I mean, the one he faced was Ronaldo-sama, you know? Even if they¡¯re not in the situation where he would be attacked by Ronaldo-sama, he should have been capable of sensing the heroic aura coming from Ronaldo-sama, and he should at least know that it is unwise to turn Ronaldo-sama into an enemy, right? Despite that, he still has the guts to not admit his mistake and keep quarreling. I really felt a bad feeling from his shamelessness, also felt a menace from the way he does everything without thinking about the future. Because of that, I consulted with Mirei-sama and decided to leave that town as soon as possible.¡± Volume 4 - CH 17 Chapter 17 ¨C The Reason Lana Fight Pleasant times quickly passed, and the group decided to disband after making another promise to have dinner together again. And now, they are gathered behind the restaurant where a carriage that will send Lana to the royal castle is waiting. ¡°Thanks for today, Eto. It was really fun to talk with Kohaku-chan, Sorano-san, and Amou-san. Next time it will be my treat, so let¡¯s go eat some delicious food again sometime.¡± Saying that, Lana walked toward the carriage, but immediately stopped and looked back at Eto. ¡°Eto, about the previous matter, I did some investigation about it.¡± ¡°Aa. I also asked some people who might have some information regarding that.¡± Eto wanted to find out whether it was Ronaldo who ordered to not give Eto his reward, or the liaison between the royal castle and the church, as Lana said. It¡¯s because Eto thought it was better to find out about the truth rather than having a weight on his shoulder. And the person Eto asked about that was Trie, the Grand Master of the Adventurer¡¯s guild. It is meaningless to ask the information about the Hero to someone of a lower position, after all. Hence, Eto concluded that the only ones who know the truth are the higher-ups of the kingdom. ¡°As expected, I don¡¯t think Hero-sama was the real mastermind. In fact, I also asked Hero-sama himself. He even swore in the name of Goddess-sama that he didn¡¯t do something like that. I understand that for Eto, it is already too late, though¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the case. Besides, what Lana told me before was exactly the same as what I heard from the person I asked. Looks like Hero-sama truly didn¡¯t know anything about that.¡± Yes, Trie also told Eto that the Hero didn¡¯t know anything, and the ones who do such unreasonable acts against Eto were the liaison between the royal castle and the church. Of course, Eto asked to Trie whether he himself could believe it or not. After thinking for a while, Trie answered by telling Eto his views about Ronaldo, which said he is just like a child who possessed a power that didn¡¯t suit his age. Which means, if he wanted to get rid of Eto, Ronaldo might have kicked him out directly rather than using a bullying-like method like stealing Eto¡¯s reward. After Eto¡¯s visit, Trie also confirmed the fact in the liaison¡¯s investigation record. Inside the record, there was no testimony revealing the involvement of the Hero there. Even Guild Master Sidrake, who read the record with Trie, also clearly stated, ¡®There is nothing suspicious here.¡¯ And Eto decided to believe the two, because he knew there would be no end if he kept doubting people¡¯s words. Thus, he decided it was the time to stop. ¡°Lana, this definitely made me feel a little better. However, it seems for the current me, Hero-sama¡¯s involvement in that matter doesn¡¯t matter anymore. In the end, being in the Hero¡¯s party was just suffocating for me, and I couldn¡¯t stand it. On the contrary, now, I am free to use my support magic and able to have an adventure with dependable companions. I realized this was exactly what I was looking for all this time.¡± Eto said while looking at his party members. Now, he could proudly say they were his companions. ¡°I see¡­ I wish at that time I properly listened to Eto¡¯s story. But, now, it looks like Eto was able to meet his true comrades¡­¡± Tears flowed from Lana¡¯s eyes. But, she immediately wiped it with her hand, and smiled, as if trying to brush it off. ¡°What is Lana going to do from now on?¡± ¡°As always. I want to go to areas that are suffering from monsters and help them. Although we¡¯ve been subjugating plenty of monsters in the kingdom, compared to what Eto did by stopping the Stampede, what we did can¡¯t even be called accomplishments. We are chosen by Goddess-sama, after all. So it would make me feel bad if the name of Hero¡¯s party is merely decorative.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Although I understand that Eto doesn¡¯t have a favorable impression on Hero-sama and Mirei-sama, compared to the nobles who can just talk in the royal capital, I think the two who are fighting monsters on the front line are way better. That is why I wanted to use my power as the Sword Saint to support them.¡± ¡°Un, I know. I was once a member of Hero¡¯s party after all, so I know what Lana wants to say. I can¡¯t go with you, but I think Lana should just go as she believes.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± After that, Eto¡¯s party had the opportunity to have dinner with Lana again. And then, as she said, she continued her journey to subjugate monsters as a member of Hero¡¯s party. Although Eto and his party couldn¡¯t see her off, at that dinner, they had promised to meet again someday. Volume 4 - CH 18 Chapter 18 ¨C A Woman Who Does Not Reflect ¡°Mirei-sama, the other day I talked with Eto. It seems that his misunderstanding about Ronaldo-sama has been resolved.¡± Lana reported. ¡°That¡¯s natural. In the first place, there is no way Ronaldo-sama stole Eto-san¡¯s rewards!¡± ¡°Mirei-sama, I think you are a bit too loud¡­¡± Lana brought her index finger in front of her mouth and said. The two are currently at a caf¨¦ in the town. It is a caf¨¦ that even ordinary people with a bit of leeway in their income can afford. Apparently, despite her status, Mirei liked this kind of casual shop. ¡°Cough! Excuse me, I got a little excited. Why did Eto-san try to carry everything on his own to begin with? Although consulting such a matter with me probably would have been useless, Lana is his childhood friend, right? Really, what was he thinking?¡± ¡°Mirei-sama, your voice is getting louder again.¡± ¡°Indeed. Looks like I always get a little excited when talking about Eto-san.¡± Mirei then took a deep breath to shift her emotions and ordered another cup of tea and sweets. Strangely, despite eating so many sweets, Mirei can never get fat at all. And when Lana asked about that to her before, she said, ¡°Magic is about physical fitness.¡± ¡°The one who didn¡¯t give Eto-san his reward wasn¡¯t me, after all. Why do I have to be questioned like I was the mastermind?¡± ¡°Well, well, it¡¯s already over.¡± "" ¡°That¡¯s true, but because of that, there are some people with a sense of justice who started telling me to apologize or change my attitude. Who on Earth did they think they were? They just believed the information others gave without even suspecting it. It made me think they¡¯re merely perverts who feel joy from despising others.¡± ¡°Ee. I, too, was suspected of being brainwashed by Ronaldo-sama.¡± ¡°If they have that much time to say something like that, why not go back to their territory and think of measures to reduce the damage caused by monsters. The words of those who don¡¯t do anything and just find fault in others are just annoying.¡± ¡°You are really strong, Mirei-sama¡­¡± ¡°For me, Eto-san is my rival. An opponent I had to defeat in order to become the leader of the magic division. If there wasn¡¯t the matter about not getting any reward, at the point Eto-san left the party, it was already my victory! In the first place, why didn¡¯t Eto-san talk to anyone about his situation?¡± ¡°Eto seems to have been discriminated against by the escorting knights and mages. Regarding Ronaldo-sama and Mirei-sama, Eto probably felt that the difference in your status is too high, and he also likely felt I was unreliable to consult. I¡¯m sure it was difficult for Eto to overcome such a situation alone.¡± ¡°Why did the escorting knights and magicians even do such things? Did they also accept the liaison¡¯s lie without questioning anything? It¡¯s really incomprehensible.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Does Lana have an idea about it? Do tell me.¡± ¡°This would be disrespectful, but when I look back at it again, I thought they¡¯re¡­¡± ¡°Ee. I don¡¯t mind, say it.¡± ¡°Alright. I think the reason our so-called escorts including the escorting knights and magicians changed their treatment towards Eto without any resistance was mainly because of Mirei-sama¡¯s words and behavior.¡± ¡°My words and behavior? Humph, continue1.¡± ¡°Yes. Besides, of course, influenced by the lies of the liaison, everyone started to look down on Eto because they saw how Mirei-sama treated him.¡± ¡°Such a thing¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Mirei threw sugar candy into her mouth and sank into her thoughts. She stayed in that posture, as if time had stopped. And then, she opened her eyes and grabbed Lana¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Lana, I¡¯m sorry if I made you, who was Eto-san¡¯s childhood friend, sad. But this is me. I will fight those who I recognize as my rivals. I don¡¯t make any conspiracy and will always fight alone against my rivals. And I¡¯ve always won so far!¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Lana said with a smile. ¡°Why are you smiling?¡± ¡°I really can¡¯t bring myself to hate that part of you, Mirei-sama.¡± ¡°Ara, what a coincidence. I also like myself.¡± ¡°Fufufu, I didn¡¯t say I like you, though.¡± ¡°I wonder¡­¡± The two enjoyed sweets to their heart¡¯s content, as if to relieve their muffled feelings. After that, they went to the Killingworth¡¯s mansion to see Ronaldo. Volume 4 - CH 19 Chapter 19 ¨C Someday Eto, who was proudly staring at his party members, was full of confidence. And being able to meet and talk with Eto also made Lana feel a little better. Of course, a part of her felt lonely knowing the road they will take will clearly be separated by this. There is also frustration and regret that she couldn¡¯t support Eto when he was suffering. But more than that, Lana felt happy that Eto finally got comrades that he could trust and started his adventure. On the other hand, looking at her own party, it could be said that her party is currently in a shabby state. Although Ronaldo already decided to continue his journey to subjugate monsters, he clearly still is not in his usual condition. It seems he still cannot think clearly when it was about Eto, just like what happened immediately after their departure. The trigger was that a young knight called Eto a fraudster. ¡°Did you guys hear about Eto¡¯s achievements during Stampede?¡± Ronaldo quietly asked. ¡°I did hear about it, but it¡¯s just a hoax, isn¡¯t it? There is no way such a useless man could do¨C¡± ¡°Oi, you, what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Y-yes. I¡¯m Tar Cornelius from 2nd division.¡± ¡°Tar, huh. You can go home.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I said you can go home.¡± ¡°Haha, please don¡¯t make such a joke, Hero-sama.¡± Ronaldo then silently pulled out his Holy Sword and pressed it against the knight¡¯s neck, causing a small amount of blood to flow from the knight¡¯s neck. ¡°Hii.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not joking. Eto is the Sage chosen by Goddess-sama. Aren¡¯t you, the knight, here as our escort in the first place?¡± ¡°Y-yes. But¡­¡± ¡°But, what? The reason you look down on Eto is probably that you were influenced by the liaison¡¯s lie, right? It is a publicly acknowledged fact that Eto¡¯s bad rumor shed by the liaison was a lie. This has been resolved. Or maybe because at that time, his power wasn¡¯t enough? Don¡¯t you think he has proven his power by saving the royal capital? If you still can¡¯t admit it after all that, it means you are also denying His Majesty¡¯s compliments. And yet, you still haven¡¯t changed your view towards Eto?¡± ¡°But, Hero-sama too¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Hero-sama challenge him in a mock combat because Hero-sama can¡¯t recognize that man?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The superior of the knight silently hit the knight¡¯s head. And as the young knight was still trying to say something, his superior continued beating him until the knight fainted. No one tried to stop them. ¡°I am very sorry, Hero-sama. I will make sure this person returns to the royal capital as Hero-sama ordered. I will also make sure he won¡¯t show his face again, so please forgive him.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want him to have a grudge too.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you very much.¡± Since then, Eto¡¯s name has become a forbidden word in the Hero¡¯s party. Because of that event, Lana realized that her party was still too immature. And she knew that if they didn¡¯t grow, the difference between them and Eto would only widen. From now on, they have to learn various things, that¡¯s what Lana thought. ¡°And then, someday¡­¡± Lana wished one day she would be able to proudly work together with Eto and his party. Volume 5 - CH ss - 1 Gossip: Sarah¡¯s Curiosity Having been sold to the Tulle Slave Firm and rated as second grade slave, Sarah was given a clean and well-furnished room for herself. Even her meals are better than those of the servants of the firm. Although it is indeed a lot less than her previous daily life, there is nothing she can do as she still hasn¡¯t got a master who could pay for her. All in all, Sarah wasn¡¯t dissatisfied with her current treatment. Although she is worried when thinking about where she is going to be sold to, she has a habit to stop thinking about things that she can do nothing about. And the fact that she is on slightly unstable grounds is nothing new to her. ¡°I guess this is better than being killed.¡± Sarah muttered, remembering when she was sold. That time, the wife of her master showed up and hatefully stared at her. If she could even hate Sarah, who had lost everything, she probably wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill Sarah at that time. At any rate, at the Tulle Slave Firm, Sarah wasn¡¯t only evaluated for her appearance, but also the etiquette and education she had learned over the three years. ¡°Your etiquette and education can be a weapon to help you. So be sure to take good care of them.¡± These were the words of Tulle, the owner of the factory. And Sarah answered him with a simple ¡®yes¡¯, thinking that if it can become the factor to sell herself at a high price, she will make full use of them. In the days of going back and forth between the store and the warehouse, Sarah was introduced to a youth who can¡¯t speak. The youth was called Mouthless. Although she thought the way they named him was awful, she wasn¡¯t particularly interested in it. Since then, Mouthless began to be the one to prepare meals for Sarah and pick up and drop her off at the store. While spending time with Mouthless, Sarah realized that he never look at her sexually. And she didn¡¯t think the youth wasn¡¯t interested in women. But every time Sarah tries to get closer, Mouthless will pull himself back with a shy look on his face. And that reaction was fresh to Sarah. Because she knew, any man would have given her a dirty look after seeing Sarah¡¯s appearance and knowing her record as a former mistress. When she was still with her former master, some guests even tried to invite her with a blatant attitude. The men who work at the firm are no exception. Fortunately, since the treatment of slaves are strictly ruled, she didn¡¯t feel any danger toward her body. Still, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that she felt some unpleasant gazes on herself. In the middle of such a situation, Sarah was interested in the attitude of Mouthless, who is attentive to women. Mouthless was a hard worker. He did the job he was instructed to, and never tried to skip out. Besides, the meals Mouthless made are tastier than others. ¡°Mouthless-san, how could your meals be so delicious? Did you use some secret ingredients?¡± Sarah once asked. Then, Mouthless silently shook his head. And tilted his head, as if saying that he didn¡¯t even know the reason. ¡°I¡¯m sure it was because Mouthless-san always made it with care. Thank you very much.¡± When Sarah said that, Mouthless had a shy face and bowed his head many times. One day, when Sarah opened the small window in her room, she found that Mouthless who brought her meals was looking into her room for a moment. ¡°A pretty good room, right? Apparently, they thought that if they lowered the standard of my living, the etiquette and education I¡¯ve learned might rust, and those happen to be the factors that raise my price. Is Mouthless-san by any chance interested in furniture?¡± Curious about Mouthless¡¯ attitude, Sarah asked. And Mouthless shook his head in a hurry. ¡°Well then, are you interested in my room?¡± When Sarah asked in a long breath, Mouthless shook his head violently and quickly left to escape. ¡°Looks like I teased him a little too much. But, Mouthless-san seems to be looking for something, I wonder what it is?¡± A few days later, news about a large typhoon approaching the royal capital came. For that, repair work was being carried out at the warehouse. While being fed up with the sound of hammers that had been going around the warehouse all the time, Sarah was looking up at the sky from the window. From the window of Sarah¡¯s room, she can see a narrow alley between two buildings. The sky beyond that was so clear that she couldn¡¯t believe that a typhoon was approaching. At that time, Sarah happens to see Mouthless enter the back alley. When Sarah stared at his figure while thinking, ¡®Ara, what is Mouthless-san doing there?¡¯, after checking his surroundings Mouthless opened his mouth. Immediately after that, a magical light covered Mouthless¡¯ body. Sarah was surprised that Mouthless can use magic. She thought that if he could do that, he should be able to live without having to work under the slave firm. ¡°Capable of using magic¡­ Mouthless-san, I wonder who you truly are, fufufu.¡± At this moment, Sarah looked like a child who found something she was interested in. Sarah thought that Mouthless was probably looking for something inside the Tulle firm. She also heard that Mouthless was sent from another firm with which Tulle Slave Firm is now collaborating from other servants. However, she still felt a little strange. She didn¡¯t think that a spy would be so defenseless toward the opposite gender. Even the spy who served her former master behaved without giving any openings to both men and women. The way they act was completely different from how Mouthless act. ¡°He really is an interesting person. Not being able to figure out his true identity made me want to explore it.¡± Thus, Sarah began to think if there was a secret in the firm. As far as Sarah sees, the working environment for the servants was not bad. And she thought that the treatment of slaves, including herself, is also proper. ¡°And although he is too rough, Dent-san is not a bad guy. Even Tulle-sama seems to trust him¡­ Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t seen that brother and sister again.¡± When Sarah was brought from Saltgar to the royal capital, she got acquainted with a brother and sister who happened to be in the same carriage as her. Sarah talked to the two frightened siblings and even asked the servant of the firm to give sweets to the two. At that time, she thought she would be together with the siblings until they arrived at the royal capital, but the brother and sister were transferred to a different carriage on the way. The men in the carriage that will transport the brother and sister also wore a different color of coats. And the people of the Tulle Firm also seemed to try not to get involved with them as much as possible. That was exactly the only moment she felt there was something hidden ever since she was being taken care of at this firm. She understood that both her and those pair of brother and sister are slaves. She didn¡¯t know when and where they would be sold. So, including herself, Sarah had already given up regarding those matters. However, it was certain that she was worried about that brother and sister because of how the men wore different colors of coats to that of Tulle¡¯s firm. ¡°I wonder where that brother and sister were taken? Let¡¯s ask Mouthless-san next time.¡± Sarah loosened her cheeks, imagining the reaction of Mouthless when she asks that. Volume 5 - CH ss - 2 Gossip ¨C Dent¡¯s Intuition ¡°He is Mouthless-san from Tamara-san¡¯s firm. Although he can¡¯t speak, he can hear pretty well, and he is also able to read and write. I¡¯ll leave his guidance to you, Dent-san.¡± Tulle said, placing his hand on the youth¡¯s shoulder. ¡®He seems to be a blockheaded youth.¡¯ That¡¯s what Dent thought at that moment. And as a person who is chosen to be in charge of teaching the youth, Dent couldn¡¯t help but to feel exasperated that he is forced to teach such a useless person. However, as it is a request from Tamara, he knew that he had no option to decline. ¡°Yes, understood. Then, we¡¯ll immediately head to the warehouse. Oi, you are called Mouthless, right? Follow me.¡± Dent stood up and started walking. As they rode the carriage next to the store, some children jumped out of the alley, and one of them was about to hit Mouthless. But, Mouthless just moved his body and easily avoided the child. He then quickly supported the child, who had lost his balance and was about to fall, with one hand. That was truly an instant reflex. His footwork is also quite good. Then, after releasing the child, Mouthless stared at Dent. ¡°Tch, what a creepy bastard. Get on the carriage quickly! You brats also don¡¯t wander around, or I¡¯ll put you on the carriage!¡± Hearing that, the children ran away, screaming ¡°Waa!¡±. Mouthless also nodded to Dent¡¯s words and sat next to the coachman. When the carriage arrived at the warehouse, they began unloading the luggage. They first brought out the slaves and then unloaded the food for the servants and slaves and brought them inside. Eto also brought a heavy wooden box in his hand without using a physical strengthening buff. As Eto carried the wooden box while staggering, on a floor that he thought was flat, there was a bump. It goes without saying, he tripped. The moment Eto tripped and was about to fall to the ground, the only thought he had in mind was just that he absolutely can¡¯t make any sound. And as he fell, some vegetables in the wooden box also fell to the ground. ¡°Ah, I forgot there is a bump in that exact place. I should have mentioned it. Anyway, let¡¯s pick up the vegetables.¡± One of the servants said and helped him to pick up the vegetables. Eto nodded and reached for the fallen vegetables. But unfortunately, Dent who saw the scene didn¡¯t just stay put, he hit Eto¡¯s left cheek and his butt with a stick. ¡°What are you doing, bastard!¡± Dent shouted sharply. The people around them also stared at Dent with a surprised expression, as they thought it wasn¡¯t necessary to hit someone just because he tripped on a bump. Eto then stood up slowly and bowed toward Dent, before once again starting to pick the vegetables. ¡°Tch, as expected I don¡¯t like this brat!¡± Dent said, as if to spit at Eto. In truth, Dent wanted to test Mouthless¡¯s footwork. However, it seems the person himself wanted to hide his power. Of course Dent knew that there are many people with various circumstances who also work there. He also has no intention of snooping others¡¯ pasts, but as a manager, he wanted to know his subordinates¡¯ power. Mouthless is someone sent by Tamara¡¯s Firm. Since he still didn¡¯t know Mouthless enough, he wanted to know if Mouthless has any animosity such as rebellion and hostility toward the firm. And looking at the reaction he showed before, Mouthless doesn¡¯t seem to have an emotional personality. But, Dent thought that he still couldn¡¯t judge yet without observing him a little more. All in all, Dent never even once imagined that that Mouthless would save his life. On the night of the typhoon, a part of the ceiling in the office was blown away by a windy rain, and rubble unfortunately fell on Dent. One of his legs was caught in a fallen shelf, rendering him immobile, unable to move. Not only that, another shelf and rubble also fell onto that shelf, which definitely wasn¡¯t something that he could do something about by himself. ¡°Oi, is there anyone!¡± Dent shouted, but the rain and wind coming in from the ceiling drowned out his voice. He knew that there should be about ten people in the office before the rubble fell from above. But, he couldn¡¯t hear even a single voice from his place. Looking at the perforated ceiling, the wreckage of the peeled roof tilted and was about to fall in the room. The roof of the warehouse is quite heavy. In other words, if he was hit directly by even a part of it, it would be fatal. ¡°Shit! Is there anyone!¡± Dent shouted once again. At the same moment, disturbed by the wind, a piece of the roof fell from the ceiling into the room, producing an ominous sound. ¡°Damn, someone!¡± In fear, Dent closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. As the sound of the falling rubble stopped, Dent slowly opened his eyes, and saw the tip of the wreckage of the roof pierced into the room and stopped as if it was stuck in a hole in the ceiling. Had it fallen, the place where Dent had fallen would have been buried under the roof. Although Dent managed to narrowly escape from death, the ceiling still can collapse anytime. ¡°I¡¯m here! Can someone hear me!¡± Dent shouted as much as he could, but he got no response. It was probably because his voice was drowned by the rain and wind, unable to reach the outside. But when Dent¡¯s was about to turn into despair, he noticed the figure of Mouthless nearby. And seeing that Dent¡¯s feet were pinned under the shelf, Mouthless immediately tries to lift the shelf with both of his hands. ¡°Mouthless, you can¡¯t do it alone! Bring someone else¨C¡± Ignoring what Dent said, Mouthless put more strength into his arms and this time, the shelf was gradually lifted. Mouthless then stared at Dent. ¡°A little more. I¡¯m still stuck, and I can¡¯t get my leg out!¡± Mouthless nodded, and crouched down, putting more strength into his arms. Then, the shelf was lifted more than before, while Dent struggled desperately to pull out his leg. Pushing the floor with both of his hands, Dent somehow tried to lower his body. And then, after Mouthless squeezed his power, the gap was finally widened, and Dent¡¯s leg finally was pulled free. ¡°We did it! Good job, Mouthless! You are my lifesaver!¡± Hearing that, Mouthless smiled with a tired expression and lent his shoulder to Dent and took him to a safe place. Later, Dent heard that he was the only person remaining in the room, while the other colleagues were rescued by Mouthless. In the end, the wreckage of the roof stayed on the ceiling and didn¡¯t fall into the room. But, when they saw the disastrous scene of the room that was messed up by the rain and wind, everyone had the same thought, which was that they were glad that Mouthless helped them at that time. Still, regarding giving Mouthless the role of delivering food to the old castle, if Dent was more opposed to that idea, Tulle might have changed his mind. Because although it would be quite difficult, it is indeed possible for Tulle to hire other people only for that day while giving them a condition to not say anything unnecessary. However, in the end, despite trying to oppose it, Dent soon followed Tulle¡¯s intention. Because Dent himself understands that it would be difficult for him to be suspicious of Mouthless after he rescued them regardless of the danger. Volume 5 - CH 1 Chapter 1 ¨C Investigation Report When Eto and his party went to report the completion of the caravan escort request that they took to the guild, they saw the members of ¡ºShrine of Aragami¡», who fought together with them in the Goblin Stampede incident, eating in the guild¡¯s bar. The party greeted them and sat at the same table. Apparently, they also just finished an escort quest. Aram, the leader of ¡ºShrine of Aragami¡», asked Eto about the movement of the goblins that survived the stampede. ¡°We didn¡¯t see any Goblin during our quest. Recently, we haven¡¯t even encountered any Goblin along the road. How about you guys?¡± ¡°We are the same. Thanks to the Kingdom Army continuing the Goblin extermination operation, the damage around the royal capital is also reduced.¡± ¡°Aa. But come to think of it, a few Goblins appeared in our village.¡± ¡°Are the people okay? If I¡¯m not wrong, it¡¯s close to the royal capital, right?¡± ¡°Aa. But, in the end, they¡¯re just Goblins. As long as the numbers aren¡¯t high, the village guards are enough. I¡¯ve also told them to retreat and inform the Guild if a Hobgoblin or a Goblin Mage appeared.¡± ¡°That¡¯s probably for the best.¡± Since the Stampede, the Royal Army has deployed large troops to wipe out Goblins. Besides them, the Adventurer¡¯s Guild also encouraged their adventurers to take the Goblin subjugation requests. Thanks to that, some areas around the royal capital have returned to their original state before the Stampede. Eto had heard that the hometown of Aram and his party, located in the west of the royal capital, was safe when Eto met them before. That was mainly because the damage caused by the Stampede was actually concentrated on the eastern side of the royal capital, and it seemed it would take more time for the reconstruction of that area. ¡°Eto-san, may I have your time for a bit? The Guild Master is calling you.¡± Suddenly, Sally, the receptionist, approached and said. ¡°Just me? Or should my whole party go?¡± ¡°The Guild Master has something to talk to everyone about.¡± ¡°Understood. Aram-san, I¡¯m sorry, but we¡¯ll go first.¡± After apologizing to Aram, Eto and his party headed to the Guild¡¯s meeting room guided by Sally. ¡°I wonder why we were called? If it¡¯s about Sorano¡¯s matter. Isn¡¯t it too fast?¡± Kohaku said and drank the tea Sally brought for them. Actually, two months have passed since Eto requested Tamara and Sidrake to re-investigate Sorano¡¯s case. And it takes two months to reach the Margrave Erven by horse-drawn carriage from the royal capital. Even if they rent a horse-drawn carriage and head there in a hurry, it should still take more than half a month. Thus, Eto¡¯s party thought that the results of the re-investigation wouldn¡¯t be available so soon. ¡°It¡¯s only been two months since then. I think they¡¯ve just arrived and are about to start their investigation. But, I can¡¯t think of any other matter that will cause us to be called by the Guild Master, though.¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s about an urgent subjugation request?¡± Sorano said. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me there is another Stampede? I have enough of that! You have no idea how I didn¡¯t even want to see Goblins for a while after that!¡± Kohaku frowned, showing her dislike towards the Stampede. While the party was talking, Sidrake and Tamara entered the meeting room. The two lightly greeted Eto¡¯s party and told them that they already got the first report from the investigators. It seems they sent the reports using the fast horse that regularly runs between cities for emergencies. According to Tamara, the usage fee is quite high. And when Eto nervously thought they would be charged for the terrifying expenses later, still with a serious face, Sidrake told him that since this matter might lead to an incident that the kingdom cannot overlook. All expenses are on the guild. Sidrake then explained that the confirmation of the facts and evidence in the report was not that detailed due to the short investigation period. Even so, the investigator decided to send only the first report of the urgent report as they deemed the urgency of this information. The content of the report was suspicion that the Acting Lord of the Margrave was collaborating with slave traders to do illegal slave trading. ¡°The slave trader that the investigation mentioned is a man named Kabs, who also enslaved Sorano-san. They have been conducting slave trading through the slave firm affiliated with the royal capital from Veil, which is the center of that Margrave territory. And the Tulle Slave Firm where I bought Sorano-san is also one of their partners.¡± Apparently, Tamara was also an acquaintance with Kabs. ¡°Is it a legitimate business?¡± ¡°There are particularly no bad rumors about Tulle, the owner of the firm. He also happened to be the first of his family that expanded the firm as a capable slave trader.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Allow me to ask Tamara-san straightforwardly, but do you think Sorano was enslaved by that illegal slave trading deal?¡± ¡°At this point, there is nothing I can say. As I said to Eto-sama before, Sorano-san¡¯s slave certificate is official. Unless there is evidence of any illegal business, I can¡¯t heedlessly make a judgement. However¡­¡± Tamara wanted to say something, but stopped. Instead, he looked towards Sidrake. ¡°Ee. As Tamara-san said, her slave certificate seems to be an official one. However, the report from our investigators raises the suspicion that the certificate itself might be issued by illegal means.¡± ¡°The certificate might be issued by illegal means? What does that mean?¡± Eto leaned forward, as he thought it seemed to have something to do with Sorano getting enslaved. ¡°It is possible that the person who issued the certificate was also deeply involved in the crime. If that¡¯s really the case, they would be able to issue a slave certificate at their own convenience.¡± ¡°What? Such a horrible thing¡­¡± Eto stared at Sidrake, unable to believe the thing that Sidrake said. Volume 5 - CH 2 Chapter 2 ¨C Collusion Having been summoned to the meeting room of the guild, Eto and his party along with Tamara were listening to the report from Sidrake. ¡°The reason Kabs and his partner-in-crime are able to freely issue slave certificates was because they have a senior judge on their side. But I guess in order for you guys to understand that, it seems I have to first explain the current state of Margrave of Erven.¡± The Margrave of Erven is a distance from the royal capital and has a responsibility to protect the border at its own discretion, so the Kingdom granted some degree of autonomy to them. And administration of justice is one of the autonomies granted to them. Normally, a judge would be dispatched from the royal capital to a territory, and the judge has to make a judgement in accordance with the Kingdom Law. However, in the Margrave of Erven, the Lord was allowed to appoint a senior judge by himself. And that senior judge is in a position to supervise the judges in the Margrave territory. As Margrave Stainbolt is still in bed due to a chronic illness, Riesenbolt, his son, who was appointed as the Acting Lord of his territory is now the one in charge of appointing a senior judge. In the investigation report, the collusion between Riesenbolt, Kabs, and Terrero, the senior judge, was regarded as a big problem. ¡°The investigation report described a case in which the three parties were suspected of collusion. There was an accident in which a horse-drawn carriage of a noble family near Riesenbolt went out of control and hit a commoner woman. But, as soon as the case passed through the court, it became obsolete.¡± The woman hit by the carriage was gravely injured and died at the hospital. The husband of the woman then filed a charge to the said noble in court. But, before the case was accepted, the husband and his two children suddenly disappeared from the city. After that, the accident was arbitrarily judged to be caused by the woman, who jumped out onto the road all of a sudden, letting the noble get away scot-free.Because there were no traces discovered in the disappearance of the husband and his children, the investigators suspected that they were kidnapped by those accustomed to doing such a crime. And looking at the course of the case, it is also suspected that the family¡¯s information was leaked from the court. ¡°Besides that, in the territory of Veil, there have been many disappearances of young women since last year.¡± Sidrake said with a bitter look on his face. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that case is also related to the Acting Lord and Kabs?¡± ¡°Our investigators indeed have pointed out that possibility. They also have confirmed that there was a carriage transporting many young women leaving the slums of Veil and stopping next to the Kabs Slave Firm. One of the people in charge of escorting the carriage is a man who earns money in the slum, who also happens to be a former adventurer. And our investigators are in contact with this man and have been gathering some information from him.¡± ¡°Then, why can¡¯t we just report the evidence of the kidnapping? If we let them loose, there will be more casualties!¡± "" Eto couldn¡¯t control his emotions. Because he knew that if they let the slave traders run loose, the number of victims would increase. ¡°Actually, that former adventurer just saw a carriage with many women on it. Hence, we cannot easily conclude that they are the victims of kidnapping. The reason we thought that the disappeared women were actually kidnapped was because of that hit-and-run incident I mentioned earlier. And we came to suspect that those kidnapped women have been enslaved and sold by slave traders because of the story we heard from Sorano-san here.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s possible to forge slave-related documents with the cooperation of a senior judge in the Margrave. And because those documents are considered official documents, they can always evade us even if we fill a charge towards them. They also have the cooperation of the Acting Lord, after all.¡± Tamara said and stared at Eto with a difficult face. In fact, if there is evidence, there is no way Guild Master Sidrake will leave them alone. Since they can¡¯t do anything in the current situation, Kabs and his partner-in-crime aren¡¯t detained. Knowing that, Eto looked up at the ceiling and took a deep breath. ¡°Sidrake-sama, please let me sort out the information a bit.¡± Having calmed his temper, Eto said in a gentle tone. ¡°Ee, of course. This information is something related to Sorano-san, after all.¡± ¡°In conclusion, in that Margrave territory, the Acting Lord Riesenbolt, the Slave Trader Kabs and the senior judge are involved in illegal trafficking, right?¡± ¡°Although right now it was just a suspicion, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Those kidnapped women are put up for sale by Kabs. And the senior judge issues a slave certificate to justify the act.¡± ¡°Yes. It seems they are also avoiding selling slaves in their hometown, Veil. Moreover, the Acting Lord was probably backing them to prevent these misconducts from being known to the public. Presently, our investigators are also beginning to look into their sales route.¡± The way they did things was so bold that Eto couldn¡¯t determine if such a crime was really possible. With just a small breach, the case is likely going to the court. ¡°Is Margrave-sama, who is said to be ill, involved in this case?¡± Tamara asked Sidrake. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know. He is said to be someone trusted by His Majesty, but I don¡¯t know what kind of person he is.¡± ¡°I see¡­.¡± ¡°There is a continuation of the report.¡± Then, Sidrake continued to explain the report sent by the guild investigators. Volume 5 - CH 3 Chapter 3 ¨C The Authenticity of The Case ¡°Apparently, shortly after our investigators had entered the town of Veil, there was a rumor about a certain nobleman spreading in the town. The rumor was about the disappearance of a daughter of an Earl when she had visited the town for sightseeing and her worried brother who entered the town of Veil to look for her.¡± Guild Master Sidrake explained while checking the contents of the report from the investigators. The brother of the said young lady is said to have begun a large-scale search not only with the investigators and adventurers that he brought from his territory, but also the people from the town of Veil. As a result, it was confirmed that the lady, who was dressed like a commoner, and her friend went missing when they were enjoying a walk in the city. As a last hope, the brother also began to collect information from Veil security personnel such as knights and soldiers by himself. And a few days later, the body of the lady was found floating on the Yuxed River, which flows from the east to the west through Veil1. They determined it was her body by what she wears, however, what puzzled them was that the jewelry she wore, was not stolen and was left as they were, as if to reveal the identity of the noble daughter. It is said that almost no expensive jewelry was lost. Moreover, the friend who was with her remained missing. ¡°Our investigators suspected that the Earl¡¯s daughter might have been kidnapped because she was dressed as a commoner. The investigators also added that the culprit might try to seal everyone¡¯s mouth before the problem gets bigger.¡± ¡°What the heck is that?! That Acting Lord really does all he wants!¡± Sorano, who had been listening to the explanation with her emotion suppressed, shouted. ¡°They dare to kidnap whoever they want and kill anyone who gets in the way? They really are worse than beasts!¡± ¡°Calm down, Sorano. It is still a suspicion, not yet confirmed.¡± Eto tried to calm Sorano. However, Sorano seemed unable to suppress her anger, as she gritted her teeth and stared at an empty space incessantly. ¡°Sidrake-sama, from what you explained, I do think the Margrave of Erven is very suspicious, but from the report, we can only hear about a few cases that can¡¯t be used as evidence. You mentioned earlier that it may develop into a case that the Kingdom cannot overlook, but may I ask what is the basis for thinking so?¡± Eto asked what he still didn¡¯t understand after listening to the report. Eto understands very well that they couldn¡¯t judge the crime of the Acting Lord by the information spoken by Sidrake alone. That is why he wanted to know the reason the Royal Capital¡¯s Adventurer¡¯s Guild decided to move. ¡°Yes, this report alone may not be enough to make us decide to broaden the scope of the investigation. And normally we would have ordered them to continue their investigation and wait for a while. But this case is different. We have a witness who became a crime slave after being unjustly sentenced in a trial in the Margrave of Erven. Yes, we¡¯re talking about Sorano-san. As you know, we have already confirmed that the slave trader Kabs and the senior Judge Terrero were involved in the case. And logically speaking, if those two are involved, the Acting Lord also doesn¡¯t seem to be irrelevant to the case. To put it simply, the authenticity of the case mentioned in the investigation report has increased because of Sorano-san¡¯s case.¡± ¡°I see. However, that is only if Sorano¡¯s testimony is proven to be correct, right? Do we have any other credible evidence?¡± Eto looked at Sidrake with a serious expression. The testimony of Sorano, who is a criminal slave, is too weak to be the basis for advancing the investigation. And Eto understand that. The reason Eto asked is that he suspected that Sidrake had other important evidence, which he hid from them. If Eto and his party makes an uproar there, it may hinder Sidrake¡¯s plans. With this thinking, Sidrake decided to not reveal any information that could incite the anger of Eto and his party, and he will likely make it public when things had progressed to some extent. That¡¯s what Eto thought of what Sidrake¡¯s plan was. Even so, if the said evidence could prove Sorano¡¯s innocence, there is no way he could stand if they hid the information from them. ¡°Please don¡¯t be too angry, Eto-san. We just simply want to believe the words of the heroes who saved the Kingdom. No, sorry, that statement might cause a misunderstanding. Let me explain it. The achievement of Sorano-san can be testified by the adventurers, knights, and magicians who fought together in the Stampede. In addition, Eto-san, who has an extremely excellent track record since he started his adventurer activities in the royal capital, fully believes in Sorano-san¡¯s story. Because of those facts, we decided to start the investigation with Sorano-san¡¯s story as the basis. As a result, we managed to find those cases mentioned in the report. And looking at the reaction of our investigators, I think it is highly possible that the Acting Lord and the slave trader are truly committing a crime.¡± Sidrake didn¡¯t seem to lie or try to deceive them. Rather, Eto could feel his trust toward them. ¡°Our plan from now on is to grab evidence of the collusion between the Acting Lord, the slave trader, and the senior judge and bring them to the court. At the same time, we also have to investigate the slaves sold in Kabs Slave Firm to see if they¡¯re the victims of that kidnapping case. Since frequent buying and selling of slaves makes it difficult to follow, we also have devoted a lot of personnel to investigate that matter. Thus, let me apologize in advance, but I would like to stop the re-investigation of Sorano-san¡¯s case for a while.¡± Although Sidrake did ask, he said that as if explaining what had already been decided. And hearing that Sorano¡¯s matter was put off, Eto couldn¡¯t immediately reply. ¡°I don¡¯t mind. As long as those people still have control, they could erase the truth of my incident anytime. And helping those kidnapped girls is more important right now.¡± Sorano answered him without hesitation. Even if rescuing the victims of kidnapping is urgent, it is difficult to make a decision to put oneself off. But, Sorano did it without hesitation. ¡°Sorano-san, thank you very much. The Adventurer¡¯s Guild promises to do everything we can to send a good report to you.¡± Sidrake stood up from the chair he was sitting and bowed deeply towards Sorano. Volume 5 - CH 4 Chapter 4 ¨C Emergency Contact Having returned to the inn from the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, Eto felt terribly tired. He wasn¡¯t physically exhausted, but the suspicion of the large-scale crime led by the Acting Lord was something that Eto couldn¡¯t handle. The other members of his party were also the same, so they only said a few words during dinner. That night, Eto gathered everyone in the room and told them that since there might be additional reports from the investigators, Eto decided that their party will only take requests near the royal capital for a while. Two days later, Eto¡¯s party once again was gathered in the guild¡¯s meeting room. When they entered the room, the party saw Slave Trader Tamara and a man wearing silver-rimmed round glasses sitting inside. The man seems to be about fifty years old. He had a calm atmosphere, and his eyes looked at Eto and his party, whom he met for the first time today, with great interest. With the introduction of Tamara, the party and the man greeted each other. The man, in fact, is the Guild Master of the Royal Capital Commercial Guild, Nizel. And apparently, just like Eto¡¯s party, Tamara and Nizel weren¡¯t told why they were called this time. At that moment, the door was knocked, and Sally, the receptionist, pushed in the wagon with the tea set. Following behind her was the Grand Master Trie, the Guild Master Sidrake and the Kingdom Knight¡¯s Commander Musik. The fact that some higher ups of the kingdom came together means the situation has become more serious. After Sally had served the tea and left the room, Trie thanked them for gathering here and promptly said he had received an emergency contact from the investigators in Margrave territory. ¡°Our investigators found that Kabs, the slave trader, is currently heading towards the Royal Capital bringing several slaves on his carriage. They left the Margrave territory twenty days ago and are expected to arrive two or three months after. So we decided to take this opportunity to confront Kabs in the royal capital.¡± Kabs was suspected of selling the people he and his collaborator kidnapped in the Margrave as slaves. Hence, at this opportunity, the Adventurer¡¯s Guild and the Knights of the Kingdom will send some intelligence agents to Kabs to check whether his slaves match the characteristics of the missing person sent by the investigators. And in case of the slaves that have already been sold, they also have to keep track of where they are sold to. The kingdom also sent another division of knights to join the investigators to continue the secret investigation towards Acting Lord Riesenbolt, senior Judge Terrero, and Kabs¡¯ slave firm. The kingdom ordered the knights to not make contact with the local adventurer guild and the commercial guild there as they still don¡¯t know if they were allies at the moment. So, regarding contracts and books that require commercial expertise, it was decided that they will bring some staff members of the Royal Capital Commercial Guild to check them. ¡°The information obtained will be sent to the royal capital one by one and shared with those who gathered here. I will also cast a non-disclosure contract magic in order to prevent information leakage, but before that, if there are any of you who don¡¯t want to participate in this operation, please tell me now.¡± Sidrake said, while looking at the people gathered in the meeting room. "" By staying silent, everyone expressed their intention to participate in this operation. With this, a multi-objective operation will be launched to attack Kabs, who is heading for the royal capital, and Riesenbolt and Terrero in the Margrave of Erven. ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll have everyone here work hard to catch the mice. Although we can¡¯t reward you publicly, we intend to reward you all under the pretext of various things.¡± Trie said with a pleasant smile. ¡°Grandmaster, please stop saying improper things in this kind of place. Please do not take it seriously everyone. Of course, we will reward you for your help.¡± Sidrake immediately corrects the words that the Grandmaster said. ¡°I think you¡¯re saying the same thing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s about the way to say it.¡± ¡°Cough!¡± Hearing such a barren exchange, The Knight¡¯s Commander Musik decided to chide in. Eto, who was able to release the tension thanks to their exchange, thought that these three people seemed to be quite compatible with each other. But in the middle of that, there was a person who raised his hand wanting to ask something, it was Nizel. ¡°May I ask something?¡± In response to Nizel remarks, Trie nodded and expressed his confirmation. ¡°If we carry out a large-scale multi-objective operation, isn¡¯t there a risk that it would be known by the enemy because of the magnitude of the movement? If you see a group of knights running around on the road, I¡¯m pretty sure the merchants who do business while moving from town to town will try to gather information about what happened. As a result, the number of the knights and where they are headed will soon become a rumor, and people will start to talk about their purpose. Don¡¯t you think it is safest to target only the Slave Trader Kabs first?¡± As Trie turned his gaze on Musik, he unwound his arms and began to speak. ¡°Hero-sama and his party are currently conducting their activities in the frontier. And the Kingdom Knights are planning to send thirty fully armed knights to the frontier as replacements for the knights who accompany the Hero¡¯s party. We will announce this to the public. I¡¯m sure a bunch of armored knights could be a distraction. Around the same time, two to three units of knights wearing adventurer-like equipment will be sent to head for Kabs and the Margrave territory.¡± Hearing that, Eto managed to avoid laughing, as Musik said he would use the heroes as a decoy or distraction for this operation. Looks like Musik, who has a muscular body and is one of the strongest in the kingdom, also has a flexible thinking. ¡°If they¡¯re really conducting a crime, then it is the duty of knights to crack down on the culprit to protect the well-being of the people. That¡¯s why the Kingdom Knights will fully cooperate in this operation.¡± A strong feeling for this operation can be felt from Musik as he said that. Volume 5 - CH 5 Chapter 5 ¨C A Newcomer in Tulle Slave Firm ¡°Oi Mouthless, come here!¡± A boy who has a blue bruise on his left cheek nodded and sprinted to the man. He then bowed his head to the person who yelled at him. ¡°Keh, wait there! Oi you guys, gather here for a moment. I will introduce a new face to you.¡± Hearing the shout, all the men scattered in the warehouse gathered. Some of them dressed like a merchant with thin shirts and trousers and vests, while the others dressed in thick outfits that were hard to tear like a laborer. ¡°Dent-san, is he the new face?¡± ¡°Ou, that¡¯s right. This guy is from the firm that we¡¯re going to work together with. It seems since he can¡¯t speak, he is called Mouthless. Haa, really, I can¡¯t laugh at that.¡± ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, the firm that we¡¯re going to work together with is Tamara¡¯s Remio Firm, right? Will it be fine? You even gave him a bruise on his cheek.¡± ¡°Because he didn¡¯t reply no matter how much I called, I hit him. But then I realized this guy couldn¡¯t speak. Wahahaha¡± ¡°¡­ I guess we just have to teach this guy how to do things?¡± ¡°Ou, that¡¯s right. Apparently, he can read, write, and listen to others pretty well. Let him start from doing chores in the warehouse.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± When the men looked at the newcomer, the boy called Mouthless bowed his head many times. Although the bruise on his cheek looks painful, without that, the boy had black hair and a plain face without noticeable characteristics. ¡î¡î¡î ¡°Don¡¯t forget, Eto-kun, please do not overdo it.¡± Sidrake had given Eto the same warning several times. ¡°I know. I¡¯m in charge of collecting information, right? I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Eto replied with confidence. ¡°Will it really be fine? If a part of the royal capital is torn down, I can¡¯t imagine how much we have to pay to compensate for that¡­¡± ¡°At that time, I¡¯ll leave it to the guild.¡± ¡°Eto-san!¡± ¡°Hahaha, just kidding.¡± Next to Sidrake who sighed deeply, Eto casted Silent on himself. Then, he checked whether he could use his support magic even in that state. Although Eto indeed could use magic without chanting, it is still difficult for him to cast magic without chanting the name of the magic as the keyword. This is because he has been practicing repeatedly so that by just chanting that keyword, his magic power would move to activate the said magic. However, when he is affected by Silent, even though his brain recognizes when he chanted the keyword in his mind, the voice is not actually heard by those around him. In other words, he would be able to activate his magic without saying anything. ¡°Still, how could you even notice something like that? I¡¯ve never heard of someone who could activate his magic under the effect of Silent debuff before.¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s the influence of Puke-sama. Trying various kinds of magic actually has become a habit of mine. Although buffs such as Haste will make the target¡¯s body emit light immediately after being activated, since there are no such effects for debuffs, I can use it anytime.¡± Eto, who had released Silent, said. Since Hero Ronaldo forbade him from using support magic, Eto has tried various ways to use his magic. That was because he wanted to get out of his status as a chore guy of the party as soon as possible and use his support magic to contribute to the party. Though that wish didn¡¯t come true until the end, the experiment he did at that time seems to be useful now. Precisely because of this ability, he was able to convince Trie and Sidrake to let him infiltrate the slave firm. ¡°That¡¯s the disguise, huh.¡± Tamara entered the room and looked at Eto, who wore the attire of a servant of a firm, from top to bottom. ¡°Un. That¡¯s fine.¡± Looks like Eto¡¯s disguise got a passing mark from him. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look weird at all. You really look like a young man working at our firm.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should feel happy hearing that¡­¡± ¡°No, well, Eto-sama is usually a modest person, after all¡­ hahaha¡­¡± Eto never thought that the day his plain face and impression would become useful would come. At any rate, with the introduction of Tamara, the arrangement for Eto to sneak into the Tulle Slave Firm is finished. All he had to do now is to use magic in silence to find the evidence of their crime. Eto wasn¡¯t satisfied with just waiting for the knights and the guild to finish their investigation. It wasn¡¯t his intention to borrow Sorano¡¯s words, but just like Sorano, he also thought that the way they kidnapped anyone they wanted and killed anyone who got in their way made them less than a beast. That¡¯s why he is fully prepared to crush the Tulle Firm had they been found to be one of the collaborators. And perhaps knowing what Eto thought, Sidrake was suspiciously staring at Eto¡¯s face. However, in front of that gaze, Eto just pretends to check the comfort of unfamiliar clothing with a composed expression. ¡°Well then, shall we go?¡± Tamara said to Eto, who silently nodded, after checking his disguise. Volume 5 - CH 6 Chapter 6 ¨C Every Man To His Trade ¡°Oi Mouthless, what are you looking at! Do you want to get beaten again!¡±, Dent shouted. ¡°Dent-san, isn¡¯t he the newcomer brought by Tamara-san?¡± A middle-aged man dressed in a neat suit turned his face. ¡°Yes. Although he remembered his work quickly, I just don¡¯t really like his eyes.¡± ¡°Eyes? There is nothing weird about his eyes, though?¡± The man in suit then looked at Eto¡¯s eyes. This man is Tulle, the owner of the slave firm. He is a fashionable man who always pays attention to his clothes, both inside or outside the room. ¡°How is it? Have you gotten used to working here?¡± Tulle asked Eto. And Eto, who is supposed to be unable to speak, shakes his head many times to replace his words. ¡°When we start a joint venture with Tamara-san, I¡¯m sure he will find you, who knows how we work, useful. So, if you do your best now, I think even a successful life will not be a dream for you.¡± ¡°Tulle-sama, I don¡¯t think you should give such sympathy to a kid like him.¡± Dent stared at Eto with a bitter face. ¡°Dreaming is a privilege of young people, isn¡¯t it? Even Dent-san had such a time, right?¡± ¡°Well, yes¡­¡± After telling Eto to do his best, Tulle left. And when Eto was thinking that Tulle was not a simple man, he gets his ass kicked by Dent. ¡°You better not misunderstand! Someone like you would definitely make a mistake as soon as you get carried away!¡± Having said such a thing as if to spit on Eto, Dent leaves. Apparently, this man named Dent was a former C-rank adventurer. It seems he got into a fight with ordinary people and was fired from being an adventurer. And now, he is in charge of managing subordinates as an aide of Tulle. For some reason, Dent hated Eto from the beginning. If the reason he hated Eto was because he was suspicious of Eto, then Dent may be a man with a sharp intuition. It¡¯s been a week since Eto lived and started working at the Tulle Slave Firm. By the way, his main job is managing slaves in the warehouse. Slaves were moved back and forth between the stores and warehouse, depending on the customers and the best-selling ones. And Eto¡¯s job is to help bring in and out the slaves according to his boss¡¯s instructions, and also took turns preparing meals for the slaves. And at night, Eto begins collecting information, which is his original purpose for working there. The place Eto stayed in the firm is a lodging made for servants in the warehouse. Of course, he isn¡¯t alone in the room. Thus, to the colleague who lives in the same room as him, Eto cast Dark on him just in case, and then put sleeping pills in a small bottle that the guy drank before sleeping. Even if by chance the guy couldn¡¯t sleep and just closed his eyes, his vision would darken until he woke up in the morning. He would make him think that he fell asleep before he knew it. Eto also used the same method that he used on his roommate to incapacitate those who were on guard duty that night. Besides that, he used Silent to erase the noise he made when approaching them. But in the first place, those on guard duty who were paying attention to intruders from the outside were completely vulnerable to Eto, who approached them silently from inside the building. Hence, Eto was free to move around in the warehouse at night to collect information. ¡î¡î¡î ¡°I thought with how easy it was, we would be able to get the information we needed in less time, but this time too, there is no yield.¡± Eto hung his head in frustration. "" ¡°Understood.¡± And the guild¡¯s investigator nodded. The one Eto talked to was a young man who had been introduced as a liaison in advance. He appears out of nowhere when Eto goes out shopping to exchange information in the back alley with no eyes around them. There was no important information found in the warehouse office. Although Eto was able to see the information of some slaves held by the Tulle Slave Firm, no one seems to be brought from the Margrave of Erven, where Kabs conducted his operation. Eto also didn¡¯t find any hidden room in the warehouse. Yes, unfortunately, despite walking around the warehouse every night, days with no yield continue. Eto also heard about Kohaku and the other two from the investigator. It seems that they earn a lot of money by getting work from the guild, centering on Kohaku who was released from slavery. The fact that the disappearance of him, who was their party leader, doesn¡¯t hinder their work is proof that they have enough power. But, that also nearly made Eto lose confidence in his seemingly worthless work. ¡°And now I¡¯m going to tell you what we found. There is an old castle on the south part of the forest in the west side of the royal capital. Half a year ago, Tulle bought the old castle from a wealthy man. There is evidence that the owner of the old castle was intentionally hiding his identity by using several intermediaries between him and Tulle. And the other day, we confirmed that the carriage owned by the Tulle Slave Firm entered the old castle.¡± ¡°Do you think that old castle is their hideout?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know yet. But if we look at the amount of food that they brought, there could be quite a number of humans in that castle. We suspect that perhaps they hid the slaves that they cannot show in public in that castle.¡± ¡°Amazing! You guys even figured that out. Compared to that, I¡­¡± ¡°Of course, we have been using Eto-san¡¯s information too. Such as the number of personnel and fighting power of the firm, or even the fact that there seems to be no valuable information in the warehouse is also important information for us.¡± ¡°Haa, if you say that, I feel a little relieved.¡± ¡°Then, please continue with the investigation.¡± ¡°Yes. Thanks for your information.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. There is a message from the guild master. He said to remember to not overdo it.¡± ¡°¡­Understood.¡± After being comforted by the investigator, Eto had to admit that the words ¡®every man to his trade¡¯ is true. Even the idea of trying to use a slightly forceful way was also read by Sidrake. It made Eto begin to think of a way to get information. Volume 5 - CH 7 Chapter 7 ¨C Second Grade Slave Sarah Two weeks after Eto infiltrated the Tulle Slave Firm, there is a report that a large typhoon was approaching the royal capital. The typhoon is moving from the south to the north of the continent and is said to have caused enormous damage to the towns it passed. Some even witnessed the sight of carriages and houses being blown away by the strong winds. When such damages spread through merchants¡¯ information networks, Tulle promptly ordered his men to reinforce his stores and warehouses. Under the command of Dent, the windows are tightly blocked by wood, and sandbags are piled up high in places where water is likely to enter. Eto also secretly cast strength buff on himself and worked hard to pile up the sandbags. ¡°Yosh, I guess that¡¯s it for now. Now, let¡¯s eat, you lot! Since Master Tulle will be treating us today, look forward to it. However, you will be guarding the warehouse, Mouthless! After feeding the slaves, you too go eat what you like with this.¡± Dent said and gave Eto a lot of money just for one meal. And as Eto bowed his head, Dent snorted and left. While thinking maybe his work today was finally recognized by Dent, Eto put the money he received into his pocket. With that, Eto began to cook meals for the slaves in the kitchen of the warehouse. There are actually grades for slaves. First of all, there is the lowest grade, fifth grade slaves, which sells like a mountain. Next is the fourth grade slaves, which are slaves with some practical experience. The third grade are slaves who have a special ability, while the second grade are slaves with an ability that made them more special than others. And last is the first grade, which are slaves with a high ability, which are extremely scarce. Since there are grades, of course, the quality of meals provided to the slaves are different depending on their grades. The reason was probably because the slave firm itself may not be able to afford to give a good meal to slaves who cannot sell very well. In the cases of female slaves, since there are various other factors such as appearances, apparently it is up to the skill of the slave trader to decide the grade of the slaves. By the way, Amou, who is a former B-rank adventurer is a second grade slave, Kohaku was fifth grade because she had almost no practical experience, and Sorano is third grade because she is a criminal slave. In the warehouse where Eto works, when new slaves are brought in, some of them who seems to be in demand by the customers will be taken to the store, and if they do not sell for a certain period of time, they will be returned to the warehouse again. If that¡¯s the case, they might be sold to other slave firms, or they will be sold at a lower grade. Yes, the change was more intense than what Eto had imagined. Currently, the finest slave in the warehouse is a second grade female slave. The woman is a mistress of a wealthy man, but looks like anything that can be sold when her master¡¯s business began to tilt was put up for sale. And one of them happens to be her. As Eto knocked on the door of the room, the sound of footsteps approaching from inside was heard. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± A small window for delivering meals opened, showing the woman¡¯s face. ¡°Ah, so it¡¯s Mouthless-san. Fufufu, thank you for your hard work.¡± Her name is Sarah, eighteen years old, the same as Eto. She was bought when she reached adulthood at the age of fifteen, and for the next three years after that, she had to learn etiquette, common sense, and how to treat men. She has light golden hair like dandelion fluff and clear green eyes, which made anyone convinced that she was indeed a second grade slave. Eto bowed his head and handed the meal to her. ¡°It looks delicious.¡± Sarah smiled at him, but Eto just nodded at her. ¡°I wonder when did Mouthless-san become unable to speak?¡± Sarah said, intending to chat with Eto. Hearing that, for a moment, Eto blanked out, but when he understood the meaning of Sarah¡¯s words, he stared at her with a vigilant look. But, she paid no attention to Eto¡¯s gaze. ¡°Because whenever I ask something, your throat and chin always move, after all. People who haven¡¯t talked for a long time won¡¯t do that, don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°¡­¡± "" ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just hard for you to get rid of old customs? And thank you for the meal.¡± After saying that, Sarah placed a tray of food on the table in the center of the room, which is away from the door. ¡°That¡¯s right, Mouthless-san, how are those kids?¡± Sarah looked back and asked, and Eto tilted his head, as if asking, ¡®Who are you talking about?¡¯ ¡°Before I was brought to the royal capital, I stayed at Saltgar for a while. That was also the time when my master¡¯s business went wrong and made madam angry. Because of that, my master tried to hide me there for some time. Well, it was a waste of resistance since I was sold in the end, though.¡± Sarah said while giggling, as if it was someone else¡¯s story. Eto was scratching his head, not knowing how to react to her story. ¡°Fufu, anyway, when I was brought from Saltgar to the royal capital, a brother and sister were brought with me. The name of the brother was Neil, and the sister was Myuu.¡± Eto was actually familiar with the names of those two. It was in a case in which those who filed a lawsuit in the Veil disappeared, and the names of the siblings who disappeared at that time should be Neil and Myuu. Remembering that, Eto opened his eyes widely. ¡°I want to see them again because they were really cute. Too bad they were moved to a different carriage on the way. It was just before we arrived at the royal capital. I wonder if they were sold to a nearby village?¡± On the way from Saltgar to the Royal Capital, there is an old castle that a guild investigator informed Eto about. As expected, that old castle must be the place where the slaves who cannot be shown to the public were trapped, that¡¯s what Eto thought. As Eto summarized his thought, he felt a gaze from the door. And he saw Sarah looking at him through the grid with interest. ¡°Fufu, if you happen to know if those kids are doing well, could you tell me? I am curious.¡± Eto nodded at Sarah¡¯s words. Volume 5 - CH 8 Chapter 8 ¨C Night of The Typhoon The big typhoon arrived at night after the sandbags were piled up to protect the warehouse. A strong wind began to blow in the evening, and a warning rang throughout the royal capital after midnight. The stores of Tulle Slave Firm are using wood throughout the stores to board the doors and windows against typhoon. Furthermore, in case of unforeseen situations, Tulle also assigned some servants who could stay overnight to stay in both the stores and the warehouse. Of course, Eto will be one of the people who will stay in the warehouse as usual. Heavy rain and wind blowing outside, causing the roof of the warehouse to creak. The servants couldn¡¯t sleep, and gathered in the office. And since they¡¯re technically still on duty, they also couldn¡¯t distract themselves by drinking alcohol. Thus, they could only wait for the typhoon to pass while playing card games and chatting. When Eto, who went to check the conditions of the slaves, returned to the office, he heard a terrible noise from the ceiling. As he and his colleagues looked up at the ceiling with a curious expression, with a roaring sound, a part of the ceiling was blown away, and a large amount of rubble fell into the room. ¡°Uwa¡ª!¡± Then, a scream could be heard from inside the room. Fortunately, those who were close to the exit were able to escape the room, but as for the rest, their escape route and sight were blocked by the rubble caused and the heavy rain and wind blowing through the holes in the ceiling. Not only that, the rubble also pushed down the shelves lined up in the office, pinning some people below it. And Eto, who was just about to enter the room, could see the situation in detail. When he counted the number of people who were able to escape and were still in the room, he found that there were four people left behind in the room. After confirming the number of people who couldn¡¯t escape, Eto immediately entered the room and cast buffs that strengthened his physical ability from Battle Spell, Haste, Strength, and Protect after confirming that there was no one around him. Because of the rubble, the visibility of the room was quite bad. Nevertheless, Eto began rescue work by pushing aside the scattered rubble and office supplies while recalling who were in the room. He then brought the unconscious people out of the room and left the treatment to his colleague who was able to escape. Then, after circling inside and outside the room, Eto finished rescuing three of the four people who were left behind. While the remaining one, Dent, is still left behind. As he searched for Dent, Eto saw that a part of the roof was about to fall from the ceiling with a big hole. And when Eto began to feel impatient as he does not have much time before the roof falls, he felt like he heard a voice from the corner of the room. When Eto headed toward the source of the voice while blocking the rain and wind with one hand to ensure his field of vision, Eto found Dent fallen by the wall. Apparently, one of his legs is caught between the shelves and rubble, which made him unable to move. After confirming the situation, Eto puts his hand on the shelf and pulls it up by force. "" ¡°Mouthless, you can¡¯t do it alone! Call someone¨C¡± While screaming in his head saying, ¡®shut up a little, I¡¯ll help you now¡¯, Eto puts more strength into his arms. With a creaking sound, the shelves and the rubble lifted little by little. Eto then looked at Dent, as if asking whether this is enough for him to pull his leg out. ¡°A little more. My leg is still stuck, and I can¡¯t get it off!!¡± Eto nodded and crouched a bit and once again put more power into his arms. The shelves then lifted further, opening a gap between them and Dent¡¯s feet. ¡°A little more, a little more.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Finally, Dent¡¯s leg was pulled out. ¡°Yes, I managed to pull out my leg! Good job, Mouthless! You are my lifesaver!¡± Dent shouted happily. ¡®Finally, huh.¡¯ Eto, who saved Dent by the flow, then laughed powerlessly while thinking, ¡®why did I have to risk my life to save someone like you.¡¯ ¡î¡î¡î Apparently, the typhoon passed through the royal capital in the morning, and the windy rain gradually weakened. Around noon, Tulle appeared in the warehouse when the servants were exhausted due to preparing countermeasures against the typhoon and the cleanup after the typhoon passed. Those who were stationed in the store also followed him, bringing something that smells good in the tray in their hands. ¡°Thanks for your hard work, everyone. Let¡¯s have a meal first. Those who are injured can stay where they are, we will bring the meal to you.¡± As soon as Pure said that, the people from the store began to prepare tables and chairs. Only for this once, even Eto really wanted to have a hefty meal, especially a warm soup that seemed to soak into his exhausted body. When Eto and his colleagues ate until they¡¯re full, Tulle and Dent headed to the office. By the way, Dent¡¯s injury has been completely healed by the potion brought by Tulle. Although those who work next to danger like Adventurers recover their health using potions, normal people often only improve their healing process with medicinal herbs. In other words, potions are expensive things. Even this time, only Dent was given a potion, while others were given ointments made with medicinal herbs. Still, it can be said that Tulle made a reasonable decision as the owner of a firm. ¡°What a horrible spectacle. Even the ceiling is broken¡­. I wonder if there was a defect when it was built?¡± Most of the rubble in the office has indeed been removed, but it doesn¡¯t change the fact that the windy rain destroyed it. A good thing is that the piece of roof that was about to fall from the hole in the ceiling has been fixed temporarily by being tied to a rope from the outside. ¡°When the ceiling fell, it seemed the surface was also peeled off by the wind, making a terrible ripping noise at that time.¡± Dent explained the situation at that time. ¡°I see. That just means the wind was just that terrible. Then I guess I should be grateful that no products were damaged and none of you were seriously injured.¡± ¡°Yes. But, there is something that might be troublesome. Today is the day we have to deliver food.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. Do we have enough manpower?¡± ¡°To be able to finish restoring the stores and warehouses, preparing for tomorrow¡¯s business and delivering food, I think we need at least 15 more people.¡± The servants who stayed in the warehouse since last night had been working on the restoration without sleeping. And the firm has to restore the warehouse as soon as possible while letting the servants rest in turn. Although Dent and Tulle wanted the staff that stayed in the stores to help to clean up the warehouse, that would hinder the preparations for resuming the business. In that case, they don¡¯t have enough personnel to bring in the food delivered today. ¡°We also can¡¯t bring the handmaid to deliver the food, after all. I think we could also hire people temporarily only for today and manage them strictly so as not to show unnecessary things.¡± Dent said with a worried look. ¡°Speaking of which, Mouthless-san seems to be doing good here. I heard that he did a good job last night.¡± ¡°¡­Ee. He seems to be stronger than he looks.¡± ¡°How about letting him deliver the food? We could also get help from the people in the old castle. I¡¯ll have Dent-san bring my letter to them. Since this is an emergency, I¡¯m sure they will cooperate.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it too early for Mouthless?¡± ¡°However, there are no other people we could order. And it would be difficult to hire someone new. I¡¯m sure Dent-san also understands that, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The old castle where they will deliver food to is the place that Dent wanted the involvement of Tulle Slave Firm to be kept as secret. Hence, Dent hesitated to give the information to Mouthless, who is a newcomer. ¡°When I met Tamara-san the other day, he seemed to know what we were using that place for.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Well it is near the highway, after all. Besides, there may be witnesses, and if a big merchant like him is interested in it, there is no way he doesn¡¯t have a way to know who owns that castle. But, isn¡¯t this a good opportunity? It seems Tamara-san also wants to start a joint business including such business with us.¡± ¡°Haa, if that¡¯s the master¡¯s judgement, there is nothing I can say.¡± ¡°Then it will be four people including Mouthless-san. I know Dent-san is tired, but please go with them and give instructions.¡± ¡°Yes, understood.¡± Volume 5 - CH 9 Chapter 9 ¨C The Old Castle Currently, Eto is in a field warehouse near the west gate of the Royal Capital with Dent and the others. Besides the people from the firm, Dent has also recruited some laborers, who are in the middle of bringing the wooden boxes one after another to the Firm¡¯s carriage. The boxes contain every kind of foodstuffs such as vegetables, meat and flour. ¡°You don¡¯t have to help them. I hired them for that, after all. Still, you sure are fit physically, Mouthless. Did you do any martial arts by chance?¡± Dent squinted his eyes at Eto, trying to confirm something. And looking at that, Eto judged that lying there would create another suspicion on him. Thus, he mimicked a sword with his right hand and swung it down from the top. ¡°Swordsmanship? I see, so that footwork and strength were that of swordsmanship, huh.¡± Dent nodded, convinced by Eto¡¯s answer. ¡®Footwork, huh.¡¯ Eto thought. No matter how careful he is, there are times when he would react in reflex. If someone with good intuition saw that, of course he would raise his vigilance toward Eto. Even Sarah seems to have found something about him, so the undercover investigation may be reaching its limit soon. After loading the boxes into the carriage, they left from the west gate and proceeded along the highway. Incidentally, the firm didn¡¯t hire any professional coachman, and just used two people from the firm as the coachmen, while Eto and Dent were sitting on the hooded wagon. Having taken a nap in the afternoon before they departed, Eto didn¡¯t feel tired at all. So, while looking at the scenery from the loading platform, Eto thought that he was finally going to do something very undercover-like. The carriage on which Eto rides then entered the side road to the south from the highway. That side road was a narrow path through the forest that was only used by people who knew about it. After a while, the carriage wasn¡¯t speeding on the dirt road anymore, as the road turned into a stone paved road. It led to a stone bridge that crossed the stream, and soon the carriage reached the castle gate. As the carriage stopped in front of the gate, two men who seemed to be the gatekeepers came out from inside. They were not armed, but the two just had a bad-looking face, which was accentuated by how they put their hands in their pants pockets and looked at the carriage with a scowl. Then, following Dent, Eto gets off from the loading platform. And perhaps because they are wary of a new face, the two men stared scrutinizingly at Eto. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this guy is here at Tulle-san¡¯s order. Besides, we don¡¯t have enough manpower due to the typhoon. So I want you to help us bring the luggage in.¡± Dent said to the gatekeeper. ¡°Haa, that¡¯s your job, right? Not our problem.¡± One of the men said, as if to spit at him. ¡°¡­This is a letter from Tulle-san. The things that I just said are also written in there. Show this to your leader.¡± ¡°Tch! If you have such a thing, hand it over from the start!¡± One of the men then roughly snatched the letter from Dent and began reading. ¡°Understood. As usual, go to the back of the castle. We¡¯ll also send someone to help you guys.¡± After finished reading the letter, the man reluctantly said. ¡°Aa. Please do.¡± ¡°Heh! Go on.¡± The two gatekeepers let the carriage pass by their side. Irritated, one of the men spit as the carriage passed them. ¡°Remember, don¡¯t ever think about who they are. We just have to leave these things to my master and Tamara-san. Understood?¡± Having returned to the loading platform, Dent said to Eto. Eto then answered him with a nod. The two gatekeepers who seem to be people from the other side of the society also seem to have a strife with the people from the Tulle Firm. Still, Eto doesn¡¯t know what kind of development it will bring in the future. But, if they really don¡¯t work well together, that¡¯s likely to be a chance for Eto. The old castle was more like a magnificent stone mansion than a castle. Looking at the exterior, it looked like a three-story building, and it was hidden very well behind the trees in the forest as it was not so tall. In other words, it is probably the right place to be made into a hideout if someone has something to hide. Then, with the carriage parked to the back of the castle, people begin to bring the wooden boxes into the castle. From inside the building, five men with tough bodies also appeared to help the Tulle¡¯s people bringing in the boxes. At first glance, Eto knew that the five have quite high combat prowess. Although he didn¡¯t know what kind of weapon they used, they are likely to be adept in close quarter combat inside the castle. ¡°Oi, brat. The place for meat is here, follow me,¡± One of the men called out to Eto. Eto nodded and followed him. As Dent already told them that Eto couldn¡¯t speak, the man started walking ahead, without being suspicious toward Eto. And as the two went down the stairs, Eto felt that the temperature suddenly had dropped a lot. Stuffs that easily rot are probably stored underground where the temperature doesn¡¯t rise easily. ¡°Put it inside here. Don¡¯t touch anything unnecessary.¡± The man put his box down and quickly left the room. Following him, Eto also lowered the wooden box he brought and headed for the stairs to the top. At that time, suddenly, he heard a horse¡¯s neigh from the deepest part of the basement. The sound of trampling on the stone floor also echoed from there. After confirming that no one is on the stairs, Eto goes to the direction where he heard the sound. The first thing he saw around the corner was a long passage with prisons on one side. The sound of the horse¡¯s neigh came from there. As he approached, Eto saw two eight-legged war horses, Sleipnir, were chained in a prison. The hair and mane that covered the skin of the two Sleipnir was jet black, to the point it assimilated them with the darkness of the basement. The two Sleipnir were scratching the floor with their hooves, as if complaining about something to Eto. These Sleipnir must be stolen objects, that¡¯s what Eto thought. And since they¡¯re not something that can be handled with regular transactions, they had to be kept in prison until they found a buyer. ¡°Those two love cleanliness. If you keep them in a prison that has never been cleaned for a long time, they will begin to act violently.¡± "" From one of the prisons in the distance, Eto heard a voice. And Eto, who went to the source of the sound, saw something different from his imagination, making him unable to withhold his voice. ¡°A beastman¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, brother? Is a beastman that rare to you?¡± The lion beastman laughed fearlessly. Volume 5 - CH 10 Chapter 10 ¨C Basement ¡°What¡¯s wrong, brother? Is a beastman that rare to you?¡± The one who called Eto from inside the prison was a lion beastman with a muscular body. Thick chains were attached to both his hands and feet, yet the beastman didn¡¯t seem to care about it. He was sitting deep in the prison, leaning his back against the wall. When Eto, who had already broken his disguise by speaking, tried to speak to the beastman, he heard a yell from the corner of the passage. ¡°What are you doing there!¡± The man, who happened to be the same person that came down to the basement with Eto earlier, glared at him. The man then took big strides, grabbed Eto¡¯s nape and dragged him back toward the stairs. Eto tried to bow his head and express his apology, but the man kept ignoring him and didn¡¯t stop his feet. Thus, Eto, whose collar was grabbed by the man, had no choice but to follow him. ¡°Oi, brother. Perhaps you can¡¯t speak?¡± The lion beastman asked in a carefree voice. Hearing that, the man who was dragging Eto stopped and looked back. ¡°This guy can¡¯t speak. I don¡¯t know what you said to him, but shame on you.¡± ¡°Ha, I didn¡¯t say anything, though. I just told him that if those Sleipnirs were kept in an unclean prison, they would go wild and wouldn¡¯t be fit for sale.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°And since the Sleipnir also has been kicking the floor in the middle of the night, it looks like the kids in that prison can¡¯t sleep either.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t seem to understand your position yet.¡± The man said in a low dreadful voice, but the lion beastman just laughed scornfully. ¡°You bastard!!¡± ¡®I guess this is good enough. There seems to be no more information here.¡¯ Since it seems all the slaves are trapped in this basement, Eto thought that if it¡¯s just these guys, he can deal with them alone. With that, Eto blocked the man¡¯s view with ¡®Dark¡¯ and immediately cast an attack magic, Thunder. However, as the man was still conscious, Eto increased the output of Thunder. And then he brought the now immobile man to the end of the passage, then approached the beastman¡¯s prison. ¡°Color me surprised. Who are you, brother?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m usually an adventurer, and one of my comrades was enslaved because of these guys¡­ Err, I bought her after she was enslaved, and now I want to know the truth¡­¡± ¡°What are you talking about, brother?¡± ¡°To put it simply, I am these guys¡¯ enemy.¡± In the end, Eto felt it was troublesome to explain it in detail. ¡°Ou. Then you are my ally, too.¡± The lion beastman laughed while showing his fangs. According to the lion beastman who called himself Gaios, every ¡®commodity¡¯ in this basement were indeed products that can¡¯t be shown to others. Which means, Eto¡¯s assumptions were correct. ¡°Well then, why can¡¯t they display you?¡± ¡°Brother, you really have no restraint¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s an emergency, so please forgive me.¡± ¡°I came to this town as a ship escort, but I was swindled at the gambling house in the port town. Then, I got pissed off and went on a rampage. And when I came to my senses, I was already in this state. Well, lion beastmen are rare, after all. I was brought here because they thought someone with a weird taste might be interested in me.¡± ¡°Which means, you are a debt slave?¡± ¡°No, selling beastman slaves itself is banned on this continent. So, yeah, this is an illegal slavery.¡± ¡°I see. Understood. For the time being, I will take a look at the children.¡± ¡°Ou. The key to the prison is in the room on your right at the end. There are a bunch of them, so you¡¯ll know right away.¡± ¡°Thanks for the information.¡± As Eto walked through the passage, he saw about ten children, with boys and girls divided into several prisons. They are huddling together and staring at Eto. Probably because of the loud noises and voices from earlier, they were holding their breaths and observing the situation. And Eto could see fear and anxiety in their eyes. ¡°Are there any children named Neil and Myu here? By the way, they are from Veil.¡± Eto asked in a gentle voice as much as possible. The children were looking at each other, but naturally, their gazes went to a brother and sister pair. ¡°Are you guys Neil and Myu? I¡¯ve heard about you two from Sarah-san.¡± Eto then gave the name of Sarah whom he met at the slave firm, as she said she was in the same carriage with Neil and Myu when they were brought to the royal capital. Hearing that, the brother and sister stared at Eto in surprise. ¡°Onii-chan, do you know Sarah-san?¡± The sister asked. ¡°Un. Onii-chan is Sarah-san¡¯s friend.¡± ¡°Is that so? Sarah-san was really kind, she even gave us sweets.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Because Sarah-san wanted to see you two, Onii-chan came here to pick you two up.¡± ¡°Can we get out of here?¡± ¡°Un. And not just you two. All of you can get out of here. Leave it to Onii-chan, okay?¡± The children then cheered. Although the older children seem half-convinced, Eto could see the feeling of anticipation in their eyes. And looking at their expressions, Eto couldn¡¯t help but be angered at the men in the castle. Because of that, Eto began to think it was something that cannot be helped even if he broke the guild master¡¯s instruction and overdid it a little. Volume 5 - CH 11 Chapter 11 ¨C Trampling After using the keys to free Gaios and the children, Eto confirmed what he should do from there. First of all, he knew that escaping with the children right now was risky. So it seems it is better if he had the children and Gaios hide in the room where the key was placed and try to reduce the strength of the old castle as much as possible. ¡°Gaios-san, what is your adventurer rank?¡± ¡°C-rank.¡± ¡°Are there any opponents that Gaios-san thinks will be difficult to fight here?¡± ¡°There is one. It¡¯s the guy called ¡®Aniki¡¯. He is probably a knife user and is pretty good at it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Eto, a B-rank adventurer. I¡¯m thinking of letting the kids wait in this room while I go clean the castle. What about Gaios-san?¡± ¡°Understood. Then, I will be guarding the children here.¡± ¡°Are you fine with that? I think you can escape when I¡¯m causing a distraction here.¡± ¡°Fun! If I do that, I won¡¯t be relieved. At least let me protect the children. Rather than that, will you be fine, Eto-san?¡± ¡°In case of emergency, I will blow away this castle without holding back.¡± ¡°¡­Who are you really?¡± Gaios looked at Eto with an astonished expression. On the other hand, Eto was also surprised that Gaios easily believed his words. ¡°Do you believe what I just said?¡± ¡°The quality and quantity of your magic power. And the thunder magic and magic control that you showed earlier. To be honest with you, my danger signal has been ringing since that time.¡± Gaios said while pointing to a long whisker extending from his nose. ¡°Hee, I never knew beastmen had such a useful ability. By the way, there are other doorways in this basement, right? I think considering how big their bodies are, those Sleipnir won¡¯t be able to use the staircase, don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°Aa. There is indeed a carry-in entrance leading to the outside in the passage on the other side of the stairs. After you finished ¡®cleaning¡¯, it might be good to exit from that carry-in entrance. And after we reach the outside, as long as we follow the wall, we will soon be at the gate.¡± As Eto and Gaios were talking in the back room, a voice was heard from the corridor. Apparently, someone came to pick up Eto and the other man who hasn¡¯t returned back up for a while. Eto immediately broke the tip of a cleaning brush and mop to make several wooden sticks. He held one of them and gave the rest to Gaios and the older children. ¡°I will reduce the number of enemies. Don¡¯t worry. You will know when you see it.¡± Saying that, Eto left the room. Eto ran through the long passage, reducing his distance at once, then smashed the thunder-enchanted wooden stick, attacking the men¡¯s bodies with a lighting strike that generated from the tip of the stick. And the next moment, they stopped moving and fell to the ground. Among them is also a servant of Tulle Firm, as no distinction could be made at that time. Eto wasted no time and put everyone in a nearby prison and had Gaios lock them up. ¡°Well then, I will go.¡± ¡°Ou, be careful!¡± The children are also staring at Eto with high expectations. Looking at them, Eto nodded firmly and went up the stairs. But as soon as Eto arrived at the first floor, an arrow approached him from his blind spot, and was deflected by Protect. It seems they have noticed the turmoil in the basement and waited on the first floor to ambush whoever attacked them. Arrows flew one after another toward Eto, but none of them were able to hit him. Judging that there were no professional archers among the assailants, Eto ran to the center of the room while ¡®Protect¡¯ deflected the arrows launched at him. As soon as he arrived, Eto rotated the thunder-enchanted wooden stick overhead, generating a whirlpool of thunder that struck the people around him. And no one was wearing armor nor any defensive equipment, so they had no choice but to fall prey to the thunder. After that, Eto began his rampage like a typhoon. However instead of rain and wind, thunder and a storm of magic power blew through the old castle. No one even got into a proper battle with Eto, as they lost consciousness immediately due to the impact of the approaching lightning. Thus, in just tens of minutes, no one could stand before Eto. Eto also saw Dent had fallen in the hallway. He doesn¡¯t seem to be injured and just fainted. And perhaps because Eto had saved his life once, he was a little relieved that Dent didn¡¯t die. Volume 5 - CH 12 Chapter 12 ¨C Stupid Choice Eto returned to the basement with two swords for Gaios and himself. After knocking the door of the room and telling the ones inside who he was, Eto saw Gaios¡¯ face through the thin gap of the door. ¡°Eto-san, you¡¯re done with the ¡®cleaning¡¯!¡± Gaios then opened the door vigorously. ¡°Ee, it¡¯s mostly done. Let¡¯s hurry to the carry-in entrance.¡± ¡°Oi, Eto-san did it!¡± Hearing Gaios¡¯ shout, the children responded with cheers. Apparently they¡¯ve already developed a mutual understanding in this short time. As they passed through the Sleipnirs¡¯ prison, one of them screamed at Eto¡¯s group. And according to Gaios, it seems it wanted to be taken with them. ¡°Do you understand the words of monsters?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t. It¡¯s just intuition. But I¡¯ve indeed been familiar with horses since I was little. I think at least both of them don¡¯t think of us as enemies. And they want to get out of this prison.¡± If that¡¯s the case, there is no way they can leave them alone, that¡¯s what Eto thought. Thinking that, Eto unlocked the prison and left the two Sleipnir to Gaios. ¡°Isn¡¯t this Mouthless-san?¡± From near the stairs, Eto heard a voice calling him. And as he turned his body, Tulle, who was his boss until just before, stood there. ¡°I see, so this is the reason. As expected it¡¯s all about Kabs. So the joint business with Tamara-san was also a lie, huh¡­.¡±, said Tulle regrettably. ¡°Tulle-san, I¡¯m Eto, a B-rank adventurer. You¡¯re right, I was infiltrating the firm to investigate about the slave trader Kabs.¡± ¡°Eto¡­ I see. That elf archer, I think her name was Sorano-san, right? Looks like I made a terrible person into an enemy. However, I really didn¡¯t notice anything since I didn¡¯t detect any sign of a spy at all.¡± ¡°Ee. This is my first time, after all. In the end, I didn¡¯t get any useful information.¡± ¡°Fufufu, then it¡¯s not weird you didn¡¯t get any.¡± No emotions such as impatience or anger were seen from Tulle. He still normally talks with Eto as if he was just talking about work, allowing Eto to ask for his reason. ¡°Why did you do this?¡± ¡°Do you mean becoming an accomplice of Kabs and doing an illegal slave trading?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Because to be successful in the royal capital, where the competition is intense, doing things the proper way is not enough.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t your business profitable enough even before you got that impatient?¡± "" ¡°I have so many goals in the royal capital, after all. Take for example, Tamara-san. It will probably take another hundred years for me to become a merchant like him. And that hundred years could only happen if I continue to work as I do now, having luck on my side, and bringing in reliable comrades.¡± Hearing that, Eto thought that being quick-witted and having sharp eyes to see things might not always be good. Even Tulle, an excellent merchant, saw his limits because of that. Which also made the hundred years that he assumed he needed to catch up with Tamara seemed unbearable for him. ¡°I think that thought has been in my mind in the last few years when my business has been stable. I know this sounds selfish, but I wouldn¡¯t let the servants working in my factory do kidnapping or illegal trafficking. However, I think it would be fine if I just received some profit if the one who did that was a powerful person and in the Margrave territory, a place far from the royal capital. Even if it¡¯s not us, someone else can get that profit anyway, so I thought why not use it to have our firm grow.¡± Saying that, Tulle sighed deeply. And his face suddenly looks older than before. ¡°Looks like it was naive thinking. Now that it¡¯s all over, it seems so.¡± It is certainly a very naive thought. Because there is no doubt that it was thanks to Tulle that Kabs could get a way to sell those slaves, increasing the scale of illegal trafficking. And that sin would be as heavy as Kabs. However, Eto couldn¡¯t bring himself to expose Tulle¡¯s sin here. Because although he only worked in Tulle¡¯s firm for two weeks, Eto knew very well that Tulle was a boss who was good to his subordinates. Thus, with an unbearable feeling, Eto holds up his sword, then stunned Tulle with thunder magic. Then, as he receives the collapsed body of Tulle, Eto muttered, ¡°You made a stupid choice.¡± Volume 5 - CH 13 Chapter 13 ¨C Slave Trader Kabs The slave trader Kabs brought a mug of ale to his mouth and drank half of it at once, making him subconsciously leak out a satisfied sigh. The two month journey from the Margrave to the Royal Capital was about to end. After passing the town of Ment where their caravan will rest for the night, the Royal Capital is already within a stone¡¯s throw, and they should be able to arrive at the gate of the Royal Capital by tomorrow morning. However, Kabs couldn¡¯t find his subordinates whom he was supposed to meet in this town, and that made him think ¡®What on earth are they thinking by making me wait like this? Just try to make me waste my time. I¡¯ll turn you all into slaves.¡¯ Feeling irritated, Kabs bit into the fried horned rabbit meat and poured the remaining ale into his throat. ¡°Isn¡¯t this Kabs-dono?¡± It was at that moment someone called out to him from behind. As Kabs turned his body, he saw a familiar slave trader staring at his group. ¡°Tamara-dono, long time no see.¡± Kabs stood up in a hurry and extended his right hand, which was then shaken by Tamara. ¡°As expected, it¡¯s really Kabs-dono. Long time no see. I didn¡¯t expect to see you in this kind of place.¡±, Tamara said with a smile. For Kabs, Tamara, who was a successful slave trader, was an object of jealousy. He has a mansion that looks like a noble¡¯s mansion in the center of the royal capital, and many of his customers are high-ranking nobles, successful merchants, high-ranking civil officials, and military officers. Let alone doing business with the local nobles, even getting a letter of introduction to Tamara is already difficult for him. Besides, Kabs has never done business with Tamara. His first encounter with Tamara was just at the level of exchanged greetings at the merchants¡¯ round-table conference which was held a few years ago, and it was also because he was introduced to Tamara by a merchant that he knew. Since then, he has come to several similar gatherings, and exchanged short words with Tamara each time. ¡°I¡¯ve heard from Tulle-dono. It seems you two are about to conduct a joint venture next time.¡± Kabs then showed Tamara the information he was holding. ¡°As expected of Kabs-dono, you sure have sharp ears. I just thought maybe I could handle a different product.¡± ¡°I see. If that¡¯s the case, I think I can take part in a consultation.¡± ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, Kabs-dono is having a partnership with Tulle-dono, right? I¡¯d love to join that partnership.¡± ¡°That¡¯s something that I wished too. For now, let¡¯s order more sake and food.¡± In a good mood, Kabs called the clerk. At that moment, even the feelings of irritation that his subordinates didn¡¯t appear have been blown away. Because he knew if he can do a joint business with Tamara, besides getting more profit, he will also be able to gain personal connections in the Royal Capital, which was a one-off opportunity for Kabs, whose activity was based in the Margrave of Erven which is far from the Royal Capital. At the recommendation of Kabs, Tamara then takes a seat. Although Tamara didn¡¯t say anything concrete, apparently he was thinking of doing business that only introduces products that are difficult to obtain through the regular route to trusted customers. Hearing that, Kabs couldn¡¯t even imagine how much profit he could get if he can sell the products to customers selected by Tamara. ¡°Well, well, looks like I just heard something good. It was really fortunate for me to meet Tamara-dono here. I would love to join that new business, too.¡± ¡°Kabs-dono sure has a keen intuition. The fact that you were able to understand immediately after hearing what I said means your wavelength is also suitable. Having the same policies is important in order to develop a new business together, after all.¡± ¡°I felt that way too! What a great night. To think we were able to understand each other this much, I¡¯m glad.¡± ¡°I, too, think this was a good discussion. Besides, I also thought I had to repay Kabs-dono someday.¡± ¡°Repay me? I don¡¯t remember doing something that makes Tamara-dono have to repay me, though?¡± Kabs became confused. Even if he tried to recall when he met Tamara before, nothing came to his mind. ¡°Although you weren¡¯t helping me directly, do you remember? About the product that Kabs-dono sold to Tulle-dono.¡± Tamara said, while mimicking pulling a bow. ¡°To Tulle-dono¡­. By chance, are you talking about the criminal slave elf?¡± Kabs asked in a low voice. It was common sense for slave traders not to declare that they¡¯re selling slaves when there was an unspecified number of people around them. However, that custom is mainly just for precaution, not an obligation or something strict like that. ¡°Ee, ee, that¡¯s right. That product has been bouncing around place to place until it arrived at me. And we were introduced by a certain person to a young and energetic adventurer who, in the end, bought it. Who do you think that adventurer was, Kabs-dono?¡± Tamara asked with a big smile. ¡°An adventurer, huh. He should be a famous person, right? And that elf was the catalyst for the connection between that adventurer and Tamara-dono. Hmm, who is it? No one comes to mind.¡± Kabs said while opening his arms, as if surrendering. ¡°Actually, that person is the hero who protected the Royal Capital from Stampede, Eto-sama.¡± Needless to say, Kabs also has heard the rumors about that adventurer. He is said to have come to the royal capital like the wind and had the power to subdue a Wyvern alone, and in Stampede, he brought his slave party members and made a great achievement with them. As he thought that one of the slaves mentioned in the rumor was that woman, Kabs eyes became grim. ¡°Kabs-dono, Kabs-dono, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Tamara asked in worry. Realizing that he had forgotten Tamara¡¯s existence for a moment, Kabs hurriedly replied, ¡°Nothing.¡±. Even after parting with Tamara, Kabs remained in the bar, vacating the mug with a grim face, thinking about a certain female elf in his head. Volume 5 - CH 14 Chapter 14 ¨C Urgent News After leaving the restaurant, Kabs went to see the situation of the subordinates whom he ordered to take care of the slaves. Before entering the Royal Capital, it is necessary to clean the slaves and the carriage. For that reason, Kabs rented the warehouse of the Tulle Firm for the night. As Kabs entered the warehouse, he looked at the slaves in the cages. Their hair and bodies have been cleaned, and they also wore clean simple clothing. Which means the preparation seems to be finished. Meanwhile, his subordinates were currently washing the carriage in the back. ¡°Oi, have the people who are supposed to pick us up been contacted?¡± When Kabs yelled, his men approached him in a rush. ¡°Kabs-sama, since when did you arrive?¡± ¡°Just now. How is it?¡± ¡°Those people haven¡¯t shown up yet. The strange thing is that I don¡¯t even see any people from the Tulle Firm. Even though at least one or two of them usually came to greet us¡­.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Perhaps something happened?¡± ¡°Umu¡­ Let¡¯s wait until noon tomorrow, if they still haven¡¯t come by that time, we¡¯ll leave. When the gate opens in the morning, order one person to take the lead and contact the people in the old castle.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Also, about the female elf who was enslaved in Veil¨C¡± At that moment, the door of the warehouse opened, making a great noise. Curious, Kabs and his subordinates turned their gazes at the door and saw one of his subordinates, who was supposed to come to pick them up, out of breath and unable to move from the floor. ¡°You are¡­ Tar?¡± Kabs asked with a doubtful expression. The man¡¯s clothes were conspicuously dirty and torn in various places. Everyone could even see the underwear the man¡¯s wearing. Besides that, the small injuries on his face were also very noticeable. ¡°Kabs-sama, I¡¯m glad I could find you here.¡± Tar then fell on his knee. ¡°What happen, Tar?¡± Tar drank the glass of water handed out by one of Kabs¡¯s subordinate at once and looked at Kabs with a grim expression. ¡°Kabs-sama, the hideout in the old castle is no longer usable.¡± ¡°What? What do you mean by no longer usable?¡± ¡°The knight order is conducting an inspection on the side road leading to the old castle. Fortunately, I was able to go past them by pretending to not know anything and took a detour around the woods before arriving at the old castle. And as soon as I arrived, I saw many knights guarding the old castle. The atmosphere was really terrifying.¡± "" ¡°Why are the knights in the old castle!¡± ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know. I only happened to know a place where the old castle walls had collapsed, and I got inside the castle from there. After that, I infiltrated from there and observed the surroundings for a while. I couldn¡¯t get inside the building, though¡­.¡± ¡°I see. How was the situation inside the wall?¡± ¡°I saw the two Sleipnir, the lion beastman, and the kidnapped children that we previously placed in the basement. They seem to be under the protection of the Knight Order.¡± ¡°What?! What happened to those who work in the old castle?!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. They are either escaped safely or captured by the knights¡­. After confirming that, I thought I had to tell Kabs-sama about this, so I went through the forest in the middle of the night. And when I entered the town, I used the back route. Incidentally, a man is waiting outside, so may I ask Kabs-sama to pay the toll?¡± ¡°Umu, pay it right away. You too, thanks for the information. Go take a rest.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you very much.¡± Kabs thought about the aim of the knights. As long as Acting Lord Riesenbolt is alive, the kidnapping and slave trading conducted by his group in Veil are unlikely to come to light. For that reason, Kabs has no idea why the knights decided to move. In addition to Kabs¡¯s subordinate, the old castle was also used by the people from Tulle Firm and the guards he employed from the other side of the society. ¡°The hoodlums from the slums of the royal capital indeed can be thrown away at our convenience. That¡¯s why, I thought it wouldn¡¯t hurt making a connection with them, but if we¡¯re talking about the ones who might leave a trace, I think it can only be them¡­.¡± Kabs muttered. No matter how much he thought about it, there is too little information at this point. At dawn, Kabs sent his subordinates to the Royal Capital and began gathering information, as he thought carrying slaves in this situation was too risky. When the sun went down, the subordinates who had been sent to the Royal Capital returned. And they passed the collected information to Kabs. ¡°Tulle slave firm has been closed. There was no sign of a clerk coming in or out. I also went to the warehouse, but it was locked, no one replied even when I called.¡± ¡°Did you find the whereabouts of Tulle?¡± ¡°I asked a merchant who has a relationship with him, it seems that the warehouse and store of the Tulle Firm was damaged by the typhoon. I think that¡¯s the reason his store has been closed for a while.¡± ¡°By the typhoon?¡± ¡°Yes. A big typhoon passed through the Royal Capital a few days ago. It seems many parts of the Royal Capital were damaged, and now the Royal Capital is in the middle of restoration work.¡± ¡°Then why did the Knights move to conquer the old castle in such a hectic situation?¡± ¡°¡­ Does Kabs-sama think the knights may have a clear reason to move?¡± ¡°Umu¡­¡± The information gathered by his subordinates wasn¡¯t good enough. But above all, it was a miscalculation for Kabs to not be able to contact Tulle. At the moment, Kabs wondered whether Tulle was detained by the knights or was he on the run. Because it is strange for a big merchant like him to close his store due to a typhoon. Hence, Kabs thought he had to be careful here, as if he chose a wrong choice, danger will befall on him too. Volume 5 - CH 15 Chapter 15 ¨C Disgusting Person ¡°Kabs-sama, I think it would be difficult to secure another place for the slaves to sleep at this time¡­.¡± One of Kabs¡¯s subordinates hesitatingly said. Kabs wanted to leave the warehouse he rented from the Tulle Firm as soon as possible. Because he knew that if the knights managed to track them, he and his group wouldn¡¯t be able to run and would be caught at once with the number of slaves they brought. The problem is, even after sending his subordinates to some several inns, they still couldn¡¯t secure a place for the slaves to sleep. ¡°It cannot be helped, we will stay in this warehouse tonight and return to Saltgar early in the morning. At any rate, we have to regain our footing and check the movement of the Knight¡¯s Order.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Saltgar is a large town which also happens to be the capital of the territory of Giral. That is why Kabs thought that if it¡¯s there, they would surely be able to secure accommodation for many slaves in a less conspicuous way. Besides, there were stores of the slave merchants whom he has a relationship with in Saltgar. In case of emergency, he can sell the slaves and escape to the Margrave territory by themselves. As Kabs handed the arrangements for tomorrow to his subordinates, the door of the warehouse opened vigorously and knights poured in one after another, fully equipped with silver armor. ¡°Kabs-sama, it¡¯s the Kingdom¡¯s Knight¡¯s Order!¡± The subordinates who happened to be near the entrance rushed to give the information to Kabs. ¡°Don¡¯t make a fuss! You lot, don¡¯t ever talk about unnecessary things. Leave this to me.¡± Kabs then waited for the knights¡¯ movement to subside. The knights brought out a magical tool that emits intense lights into the warehouse, illuminating the appearance of Kabs and his subordinates. Eventually, a tall knight stepped forward and opened his mouth, looking at Kabs¡¯s group. ¡°Where is the slave trader named Kabs?¡± ¡°¡­ I am Kabs, why is Knight-sama looking for me?¡± ¡°You are suspected of being involved in illegal human trafficking. I¡¯ll have you come with us.¡± ¡°Illegal human trafficking? Does Knight-sama have any evidence for accusing us like that? We came from the Margrave to the royal capital purely for business. And the slaves that we brought have official slave certificates. Shall I show you?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to, Kabs-dono.¡± A man appeared from the wall where the light didn¡¯t reach. ¡°You are¡­ Tamara-dono. Why are you here¡­¡± Tamara walked straight to Kabs and looked at the carriage that Kabs used to trap the slaves one by one. ¡°The slaves that you brought from Veil are all in the carriage, right? Kabs-dono, to tell you the truth, the fact that you forced many people into slaves by kidnapping them has already been revealed by the Knights and the Adventurer¡¯s guild. I think you should obediently admit your sin.¡± ¡°No way¡­ All I did was just buying and selling slaves, th¨C¡± ¡°An old castle in the woods, southwest of the Royal Capital. There is also no village nearby, and it is a forgotten place. You sure found a good hideout.¡± ¡°Tamara-dono¡­did you sell me out?¡± ¡°Please, I just can¡¯t let someone who was involved in illegal trafficking freely conduct such a criminal act. I was working with the authorities from the beginning.¡± ¡°Wha! Then the talk about the joint venture was?!¡± ¡°Ee. A lie to keep you and Tulle-dono off guard and gather information. However, that turned out to be unnecessary. If I had to say, your method was, at best, fearless, and at worse, sloppy. As the authorities began to seriously investigate, signs of criminal acts were found one after another.¡± Kabs glared at Tamara, as if wanted to curse him. However, Tamara continued to talk as if he doesn¡¯t care about such gazes. ¡°But well, if Sorano-san wasn¡¯t a party member of the hero Eto-sama, the truth regarding the official slave certificates that you guys made would have likely been suppressed by the power of the Acting Lord, though. A criminal slave like her doesn¡¯t have the right to be the witness, after all.¡± ¡°That female elf¡­¡± ¡°However, Sorano-san¡¯s testimony is just the beginning. We already know that some of the slaves that you brought here were civilians that you kidnapped in the Margrave. Our investigators have delivered the characteristics of the missing person from the Margrave while you were in the middle of your travels to the Royal Capital. In other words, you have been under the watch of the authorities all this time. You can¡¯t escape anymore.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Speechless? We also have heard a lot of information from your subordinates. It seems the brother and sister who were trapped in the basement were kidnapped at your order.¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s just nonsense! How could it be like this¡­ I just¡­ moved as ordered. That¡¯s right! It¡¯s all at the command of that¨C¡± ¡°Oh We will also interrogate ¡ºThat person¡» that you are talking about. You don¡¯t have to worry about it. After all, we know who it is.¡± As Tamara turned his gaze to the knight, the tall knight nodded deeply. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Kabs groaned and sat down on the ground powerlessly. He hung his head down and muttered something incomprehensible. ¡°Kabs-dono, do you understand what you have done all this time?¡± ¡°What¡­ have I done?¡± Kabs lifted his head, looking at Tamara. ¡°Slave merchants are those who buy and sell humans on a daily basis. That is why they are obliged to manage the slaves under strict rules. And that is also why, kidnapping someone and forcibly enslaving them is outrageous! Such a person cannot be called a slave trader! I¡¯m sure you will be remembered as the most disgusting person in our industry for a long, long time1.¡± Tamara glared at Kabs with sharp eyes that made people unable to think of him as a merchant. And glared by such gazes, Kabs stopped moving, and turned his face down in silence. Volume 5 - CH 16 Chapter 16 ¨C Last Conversation Sorano walked behind a knight in a dimly lit corridor leading toward the interrogation room of Kabs. And at the end of the corridor, she saw a wooden door. ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± The knight who guided her stopped and stared at Sorano. ¡°Please open it.¡± ¡°Will you be okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just want to talk.¡± Nodding to Sorano¡¯s words, the knight took out the key ring, opened the door, and then went inside the room first. Prompted by the knight, Sorano also went inside the room. And since she was currently in a dim corridor, the bright light of the magic tool seems more dazzling than usual. ¡°It¡¯s you, huh. It seems you have become successful.¡± Sitting on the chair, Kabs said. Kabs that she¡¯s seeing right now was no longer the same Kabs with eyes full of desire that Sorano met before. The current Kabs looked at Sorano with a tired look, likely because of the harsh interrogation from the knights. Sorano then sat across the table on a chair opposite to Kabs. There is also a writer whose job was to record the conversation during the interrogation sitting in the corner of the room, while the knight who guided Sorano was standing by the door. ¡°I requested them to let me talk to you.¡± ¡°Talk to me? I guess you have something to ask?¡± Sorano nodded and stared at Kabs. ¡°Why did you enslave me? If your objective was to take revenge on your son, you could have killed me.¡± ¡°Because you can become money.¡± Kabs answered immediately. ¡°It¡¯s not because I killed your son?¡± ¡°He is just a child of my mistress, not someone I have a blood connection with. I just used him because he wanted to help with the business, and I didn¡¯t think he would make such a mistake. Since then, the elves has increased their vigilance, making me suffer a big loss because I can¡¯t get an elf slave that sells at a high price.¡± Kabs laughed scornfully. For Sorano, that answer was very anticlimactic, because she always thought that Kabs enslaved her because she killed his son. Knowing that she had been put in such a humiliating position just because of money, Sorano¡¯s heart filled with anger. ¡°You enslaved me just for such a reason?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t make a profit unless I enslave you, don¡¯t you think so? Making a slave certificate in court costs money, after all. At first, I was thinking of finding a suitable buyer for you, but there was an annoying noble who wanted to kill you. You know him. He is the man whose cheek was ripped out by you. When I said that I couldn¡¯t kill you anymore because you had already signed a slave contract, he told me to expel you from the territory. Although he is just a small fry, his family is not. Since I couldn¡¯t ignore it, I brought you to the Royal Capital and sold you.¡± ¡°So the only things that you deemed valuable were just the money and the order of the noble, huh.¡± ¡°I am a man who has risen from someone with nothing but my own body, to a merchant employed by the great nobles. Of course, I obeyed the orders of the nobles because it will definitely lead to more money later. What¡¯s wrong with a merchant trying to make money?¡± ¡°And now you are a prisoner.¡± ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t that because you became the slave of a Hero-sama and is living a good life? That¡¯s why our position has been reversed. Where did you learn the tricks of deceiving a man?¡± Kabs exposed his gums and showed a mean laughing face, seemingly trying to irritate Sorano. However, Sorano just silently stared at the distorted face of Kabs. ¡°Hah! Looks like you aren¡¯t willing to answer the grumblings of a loser!¡± Kabs said as if to spit Sorano off. ¡°I just found people I can trust. You could never shake me with your words.¡± ¡°Oh, what a praiseworthy attitude. Sorano, didn¡¯t you hate humans? You even killed my son and bit a noble¡¯s cheeks. Can you even trust someone who was a mere stranger a while ago? I¡¯m sure in your mind you think that humans are just ferocious beasts that you resent. It¡¯s no use pretending to be a disciplined dog. Because I know your true nature.¡± ¡°I am astounded.¡± ¡°What!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let your delusions grow. You think I thought of humans as ferocious beasts that I resent? Do you perhaps want to become a dramatist?¡± Hearing Sorano¡¯s words, Kabs¡¯s face turned bright red in an instant. ¡°Sorano, you bastard!¡± ¡°Kabs, I think this will be the last time I see you. That¡¯s why I wanted to know your thoughts. Because I did kill your son.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Now I am satisfied.¡± Sorano then stood up from the chair, gave a signal to the knight, and then headed for the exit of the room. And Kabs didn¡¯t say a word until Sorano left the room. Volume 5 - CH 17 Chapter 17 ¨C After Story ¡°Sorano, have you talked to Kabs properly?¡± Eto asked Sorano who just came out of the Knight¡¯s Order headquarters. ¡°Un. With this, I¡¯m done.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯m glad for you.¡± ¡°Un.¡± ¡°What did you two talk about?¡±, Kohaku asked. ¡°The reason for enslaving me.¡± After being asked by Kohaku, Sorano explained the content of her last conversation with Kabs. And as the explanation progressed, Kohaku¡¯s expression changed into anger. ¡°What¡¯s the problem with that guy! How dare he speak such nonsense! In the end, he is just a small person!¡±, Kohaku said in a loud voice. ¡°Sorano¡¯s attitude is also praiseworthy.¡± Amou praised Sorano¡¯s attitude and put his hands on Kohaku¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m sure we won¡¯t meet anymore.¡± Although Sorano¡¯s expression was lacking as usual, her face looked somewhat refreshed, as if a weight was gone from her shoulders. According to Guild Master Sidrake, Kabs will undoubtedly receive a death penalty. Regarding Tulle, although he has indeed colluded with Kabs, apparently he was spared from the death penalty. The reason for that is because it seems the slaves that Kabs and his group brought this time were the first group of kidnapped victims. In other words, Tulle had not yet sold those who were illegally enslaved. The only exception was Sorano that he sold to Tamara. However, at that time, Tulle and Kabs had only formed a partnership and there was still no talk about a joint venture. For that reason, Tulle¡¯s position was the same as Tamara, who sold Sorano to Eto, and was not guilty. The specific charges that Tulle received were that he had detained the kidnapped children and beastmen in the old castle which was their hideout, and that he was trying to engage in illegal trafficking as a collaborator of Kabs. Since the latter is still categorized as an attempt, it is likely that he will be sentenced to imprisonment for up to 10 years and labor-punishment as a slave. As for his subordinates such as Dent and the veteran clerk, who knew the situation to some extent, were guilty. It is said that they will likely receive imprisonment as their punishment. And it seems, those who were not directly involved in the crime do not seem to be charged. Regarding the slaves, the pair of brother and sister kidnapped in Veil have reunited their parents. Although their father was about to be sent as a slave to a mine near Saltgar, the Knights who were watching Kabs¡¯s movement were fortunately able to protect him. And the Knights will be responsible to bring the three who reunited in Saltgar along with the other children who were kidnapped back to their homes. Meanwhile, the lion beastmen, Gaios, was about to be deported to his homeland. In consideration of the relationship with the nation of the beastmen, the Kingdom concluded that they will only expel the troublesome person who went into a rampage in a gambling place. After Sidrake informed Eto that, Eto reported that it was thanks to the information Gaios gave him that he was able to take control of the old castle faster than he expected. In addition, Eto also told Sidrake that Gaios was protecting the children while Eto was fighting. And thanks to these achievements, Gaios was spared from disgraceful treatment such as deportation and guaranteed free action within the kingdom. The other day, Eto saw off Gaios who was going to return to the southern port city. And Gaios, whose face was wrapped with a cloth and wearing a robe that covered his body, asked Eto for a handshake. ¡°Eto-san, I¡¯m really indebted to you. I don¡¯t know what would happen to me without you. And it seems that it was also thanks to Eto-san that I wasn¡¯t deported to my country.¡± ¡°Gaios-san has also helped me in the old castle, after all. So, we¡¯re equal in this regard.¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking of looking around the southern town for a while. If you have something to do there, please do look for me. I¡¯m sure I can at least be a guide. If you tell the Guild, I¡¯m sure they will tell me your message.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll trouble you at that time. But, Gaios-san, I hope you haven¡¯t been deported yet when I somehow sent a message.¡± ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯ll try to gamble moderately so that it doesn¡¯t happen.¡± As Gaios said that, he jumped into a carriage heading south. Incidentally, it seems Tamara will buy all slaves that Tulle had in his firm. And Eto, along with his party, undertook an escort request to transfer the slaves to the Tamara Firm. The slaves will be put on a carriage to the firm and warehouses owned by Tamara. While the slaves were escorted to the carriage, a second-grade slave, Sarah, came out from the doorway of the warehouse. And when she saw Eto, she approached with a smile. ¡°Mouthless-san, can you tell me your real name?¡± ¡°My name is Eto.¡± ¡°Eto¡­ The hero, Eto?¡± ¡°Haa, come to think of it, some people indeed call me that.¡± ¡°¡­ Fufufu, ahahaha. Interesting! It is precisely because this kind of thing can happen that I think this world isn¡¯t all bad. I see, so you are Eto-san.¡± Sarah stared at Eto intensely, as if the feelings that she had been holding onto until then were released. ¡°By the way, I decided to work at Tamara-sama¡¯s firm. It¡¯s all thanks to Eto-san for telling them that I was your informant.¡± Eto has heard that from Tamara. It was Sarah who told Eto that she had witnessed the brother and sister that were kidnapped in Veil. Thanks to that information, Eto came to a conclusion that it is highly possible that the said brother and sister were confined in the old castle. Tamara was interested in the story when Eto told him about that, and expressed his intention to hire Sarah as his subordinate. It seems that he asked Sarah if she wants to buy herself back with her salary. And Sarah seems to have accepted that offer. ¡°Good for you. The information Sarah-san gave me really helped, after all. Besides, you also know that I had some purpose, right? That sharp intuition is surely suitable for business.¡± ¡°Fufufu. Thank you, Eto-san.¡± Sarah brought her face closer to Eto and gave a light kiss on his cheek. Then, while looking at the perplexed Eto, Sarah said, ¡°I wish I could meet you again somewhere.¡±, and boarded the carriage prepared by Tamara. ¡°E-t-o, what was that? What were you doing when we worked our ass off!¡± Kohaku approached Eto with a scary face. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything, okay! That was¡­. I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one who doesn¡¯t understand, though! We were worried, you know?! So, who was that woman?¡± ¡°She is Sarah-san, a second-grade slave¨C¡± ¡°A slave? Did you seduce a slave while infiltrating the slave firm? You¡¯re the worst!¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t say something misleading. I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°Then, what was that? You seem close to her, though?¡± ¡°No idea?¡± ¡°Hah! What do you think about a woman¡¯s kiss!¡± ¡°Alright, whatever¡­¡± In response to Kohaku¡¯s strict pursuit, Eto raised a white flag. Volume 6 - CH ss - 1 Gossip ¨C Hero Party¡¯s Problem The people who had been accompanying Hero Party on their journey always had clear affiliations such as the Knights Order, the Magic Division, the officials who acted as liaisons to the royal castle, and the priests who acted as ties to the church. Perhaps because of that, it was natural for them to move to maximize the profit of their own organizations without crossing each other¡¯s territory, which means, it is rare for them to cooperate beyond that boundary. This can be seen from how their treatment toward Eto began to change to discrimination since Hero Ronaldo didn¡¯t acknowledge Eto¡¯s power and took a blatant attitude toward him. There are even times when Eto asked the liaisons to the Royal Castle to give him the subjugation reward, as his money went into meals and lodgings. Even so, the knights and the magicians who accompanied them didn¡¯t move at all. Although some of them might do that following the Hero¡¯s attitude, they were, in fact, just danced by a lie about Eto and eventually decided to act as if it was not related to them or act as if they had not seen anything. Eto is the Sage chosen by the Oracle. In other words, he was originally someone who they had to help even if they had to risk their lives. Despite that, Eto ended up being treated unreasonably and eventually got kicked out of the party. That act was reported by Eto, who returned to the Royal Capital, and became a big problem. Of course, the fact that Eto proved his ability by solving the Goblin Stampede was also one of the biggest reasons it became a big issue. Because that just showed how the Kingdom ended up letting go of such a powerful person because of their own mistake. And then, after Eto completely beat Ronaldo in the mock battle, the voices blaming Hero¡¯s Party culminated. Under these situations, the upper brass of each organization felt a sense of crisis. Not only have the value of their existences been questioned, even the value of the Hero, who is said to be the only one who can solve the crisis of the world, has been reduced. And if the Hero loses the support of the masses, no one can be the leader in an emergency and face the crisis. For that reason, those higher ups planned to renew the people who accompany Hero¡¯s Party. Influential people in the organization and next-generation executive candidates have been sent in as support members of the Hero¡¯s Party. The will to change themselves was also felt from the members of Hero¡¯s Party. And the Sword Saint Lana was the one who showed the most change among them. In order to improve the strength of the Hero¡¯s Party, Lana listened to the issues that exist in the Hero¡¯s Party from everyone regardless of status, position, and occupation. That act itself, however, may have been possible because before being the Sword Saint, Lana was a commoner. Because if it was the question asked by the Sword Saint, even a person with a status couldn¡¯t ignore it. And someone with low statuses was also able to tell everything to Lana because she was the same as them, a commoner. Then, Lana found that one of the issues about battle was that Ronaldo plunged into the enemy lines too much, causing the overall balance of the party to be disturbed. Depending on the situation, having Ronaldo in the back as a trump card would make the battle stabilize and also reduce the risk of being attacked by monsters from other directions. In addition, other than the battle aspect, it was also found that there was an issue that there was not much cooperation with local forces in defeating the monsters. The local forces that are mentioned are the Knights of the Kingdom, the private army of nobles, and the adventurers dispatched to various places. Of course, the situation where rampaging monsters that are running from their flock can easily be dealt with by the Hero¡¯s Party alone. However, when there is a group of monsters nesting near a village or town, it is difficult even for Ronaldo and his party, who have extraordinary powers, to annihilate them all at once. For that reason, they have dealt with such situations each time by requesting support from the knights in the area or hiring adventurers. Even so, even if that solved the problem, it is still difficult to maintain a medium to long-term surveillance system for monsters after the Hero¡¯s Party leave the area. Who is the person in charge? What kind of title will he get? Which organization will bear the cost? Who will bear the responsibility when a problem arises? Just like that, when the big existence called Hero disappeared, such issues became apparent. As a result, the Hero Party often has to repeatedly subdue monsters on an ad hoc basis. Although they indeed might be able to do it by sharing some information, some felt that there should be a more efficient way to do it. Lana made these opinions anonymous and consulted with those who were allowed to participate in the battle, starting from Ronaldo, Mirei, and then the knights and magicians. And since the discussion was held, the issue will gradually be resolved. Firstly, Ronaldo began to refrain from plunging into enemy lines except when he really needed to. He started to take a high-angle view of the entire battle and become aware of how to use his strength as the Hero. Regarding the cooperation with local powers, the group is trying to find a clue to the solution by building personal connections. Because if the Hero¡¯s Party can play a role in connecting the local powers in each region, information sharing will definitely become more advanced than it is now. If that happens, Ronaldo and his party will be able to maximize their power with less wasteful movement. And in the middle of such efforts, the Hero¡¯s Party heard that the Acting Lord of the Margrave of Erven had barricaded himself in the southern fort, and rushed to the scene as soon as they learned that information. Volume 6 - CH ss - 2 Gossip 2 ¨C Mirei¡¯s Whim ¡°Thank you very much, Mirei-sama. It was thanks to Mirei-sama¡¯s help that Eto was able to give his opinion at the strategy meeting.¡± Lana bowed her head. ¡°Lana understands my intention, huh. Lana has told me many times about that, after all, so it¡¯s just a small matter. However, I hope Eto-san can at least thank me with a glance. Is he an ungrateful person?¡± ¡°Fufu, I¡¯m sure Eto-san understands your intention too.¡± At that time, the Commander didn¡¯t bother hiding his anger at Eto¡¯s direct words. Which means, there is no way for them to have a calm discussion at that time. But as Eto¡¯s childhood friend, Lana knows that even from when he was a child, Eto has always been someone who wouldn¡¯t pull back once he made up his mind. But, when Lana was worried that the discussion would end up in a quarrel, Mirei asked Eto to tell them if he had a plan, not just complain to the Knights. Although Eto¡¯s proposal to prioritize the safety of the hostages was eventually opposed by the Commander, at least it was effective in changing Ronaldo¡¯s mind. Because at dinner that evening, Ronaldo acknowledged Eto¡¯s calm analytical power. ¡°As Lana says, I guess it is necessary to listen to what other people say sometimes.¡± At a strategy meeting where the main members of the Hero¡¯s party participated, Mirei often interrupted the talks of the Knights and magicians to begin speaking her opinion. When Lana gathered opinions about the issue in the Hero¡¯s party, many were dissatisfied with the attitude of Mirei. So Lana took the opportunity to question Mirei about this. ¡°Mirei-sama always listens to my talks. And yet, Mirei-sama sometimes interrupts or even does not listen to what other people say. With all due respect, I don¡¯t think it is good for Mirei-sama.¡± ¡°Their speeches are just too long. Besides, I can already see what they¡¯re trying to see.¡± ¡°Still, the ones getting ignored may resent Mirei-sama, you know? Isn¡¯t it a loss for Mirei-sama, who stands on top of people and also aims to be the leader of an organization of the Kingdom, to make an enemy in the mood at that time?¡± ¡°Hmm, well, I do understand what Lana is trying to say, but¡­¡± ¡°I know Mirei-sama is a smart person, so you are very quick to judge something. Once you think this person is no good, or this opinion is no good, you won¡¯t listen anymore. But you see, Mirei-sama. Not everyone is good at speaking. Some people have to get rid of their nervousness to talk to finally be able to express their opinions. If you judge too early, you will end up ignoring all the opinions of those people, you know? Isn¡¯t it wasteful?¡± ¡°That might be true¡­¡± Lana patiently appealed to Mirei. The place of the strategy meeting is not only a place where Ronaldo and Mirei give orders from above, but also a place to gather opinions from the knights and magicians. If all they did was just give a one-sided order, that just means the party has not changed at all. Lana wanted to create an open relationship that would prevent misunderstandings by increasing the interaction between everyone in the party. She wanted to change the closed-ness of the Hero¡¯s party that caused the lies about Eto to spread. This time, Mirei was trying to conclude the discussion by gathering Eto¡¯s opinion, which was unthinkable before. It may have been influenced by the fact that Eto is no longer her rival for the leader of the magic division position, but it was still a big change. Lana stared at Mirei, who was drinking the tea in her hand. Even if her consideration toward Eto was just a whim, Lana could feel that Mirei¡¯s mind was changing little by little. ¡°Mirei-sama. I, too, wanted to change.¡± ¡°Yes? I think Lana is pretty enough as you are now, but if you want to change, I will give you a new dress after we take the fort.¡± ¡°No no, it¡¯s about the inside.¡± ¡°The inside? It is just tiring to use your nerves for such invisible things. Lana, let me tell you, humans have a hard time even in managing the visible part of life. Improving magic skills, making good relationships, and trying to walk on the stairway of success. Everything needs time and effort. So, I advise you to think about the matters on the inside after you¡¯ve accomplished something.¡± (T/N: Damn, pretty realistic.) ¡°Fufufu.¡± ¡°Why are you laughing? I am seriously¨C¡± ¡°I know, Mirei-sama. Whenever I discuss something with Mirei-sama, you always give me a clear answer, and I think it is very amazing. But before, you didn¡¯t seem to be aware of something like ¡ºMaking good relationships¡».¡± ¡°¡­Even I think a lot.¡± ¡°The gradually changing Mirei-sama is also wonderful, though.¡± ¡°Ara, you sure said something that made me happy. Alright, I¡¯ll give you two new dresses.¡± ¡°I think dresses are hard to wear, though.¡± ¡°Lana, what you lack is actually the etiquette of a lady. If you continue to act as the Sword Saint, you will eventually join the ranks of nobles. If you always act like a commoner, the one who will have a hard time will be yourself, you know? Firstly, you¨C¡± While laughing bitterly at Mirei¡¯s lecture, Lana thought about how she should change herself. Volume 6 - CH ss - 3 Gossip 3 ¨C Lana¡¯s Consultation ¡°Ronaldo-sama, Mirei-sama, could you two make time for us to talk after this?¡± Lana said to the two with a nervous look. Actually, after encountering Eto and his party in the Commander¡¯s tent, Lana felt strongly that she had to discuss things properly. Otherwise, they might make the same mistakes as before. Mirei soon noticed Lana¡¯s seriousness. So, she stared at Lana¡¯s eyes and nodded, before she began to speak to Ronaldo. ¡°Ronaldo-sama, I have no qualms about that. I also think it is important to discuss the future of the party, but what do you think?¡± ¡°¡­ Indeed. Then, let¡¯s have dinner together. Come to my room.¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it. Well then, see you at dinner, Ronaldo-sama. Let¡¯s go, Lana.¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you very much, Ronaldo-sama. Please excuse me.¡± ¡°Aa.¡± When the party saw Eto inside the tent, Ronaldo clearly lost his composure. Eto¡¯s attitude toward them was also terrible, he seemed unwilling to listen to what Ronaldo said at all. Because of that, Ronaldo became more and more upset. After Eto left the tent, he was all about responding to the Commander¡¯s story in a few words. Lana hoped that Ronaldo and Eto would be on better terms. Because she thought it was not good for Ronaldo to have feelings that couldn¡¯t be expressed in a single word, whether he was angry, hateful, or felt pitiful of himself. If that feeling keeps rising, the sparks may hit Eto again. Needless to say, it would be unfair for Eto to suffer any further disadvantages than he already had before, and if that really happens, Ronaldo will probably be severely punished this time. And Lana wanted to avoid that situation. So, she decided to talk with Mirei and asked Ronaldo to give their party time to have a discussion. At dinner, Lana only suggested one thing to Ronaldo. That is she just wanted Ronaldo to listen to Eto¡¯s suggestion properly. ¡°This may be rude, but Ronaldo-sama often becomes emotional when it comes to Eto.¡± Albeit hesitant, Lana clearly said. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I have to admit that.¡± Ronaldo nods to Lana¡¯s opinion, wrinkling his eyebrows. ¡°Just one time. Please listen to Eto¡¯s suggestion seriously. Eto has always been good at thinking about strategies. Even in the lecture that we got at the Royal Castle, he was praised many times by the Knight who became our teacher. Please use Ronaldo-sama¡¯s abundant knowledge to judge whether his suggestion is possible or not.¡± ¡°Lana, does that have any meaning?¡± ¡°Yes. I believe Ronaldo-sama can overcome the status quo and be on better terms with Eto.¡± ¡°¡­ I see. That time, if Lana and Mirei didn¡¯t save me, I might still have stayed in the mansion in the Royal Capital. So, if Lana says that there is a meaning in being on better terms with Eto, then I¡¯ll try to follow it.¡± ¡°Ronaldo-sama¡­ thank you very much.¡± Lana thanked Ronaldo for accepting her opinion. Volume 6 - CH ss - 4 Gossip 4 ¨C Ronaldo¡¯s Disappointment Ronaldo was glad that he decided to hear Eto¡¯s strategy. That was thanks to Lana¡¯s suggestion in advance. Without it, Ronaldo probably wouldn¡¯t even want to see Eto¡¯s face. Eto¡¯s strategy is a strategy that prioritizes the safety of the hostages over the capture of the fort, which is the problem that has always been discussed at the strategy meeting. However, so far, no one has proposed a plan that prioritizes the safety of the hostages as clearly as Eto. Although bold proposals such as a ceasefire agreement or giving food to the enemy were rejected by the Commander, it allowed Ronaldo to notice how inflexible his thinking was. The strategy of the enemy, which is to earn time by using the hostages as a shield, was so annoying that Ronaldo¡¯s heart and mind were dominated by the thoughts of how to capture the fort as soon as possible. And it wasn¡¯t just Ronaldo, even the Commander and the Captains on the scene were the same. Therefore, Ronaldo appreciated Eto¡¯s calm analytical and judgment skills. Furthermore, the attack power of the elf archers brought by Eto was amazing. Even the Commander, who opposed them saying that the elves can¡¯t be trusted, immediately realized their usefulness and welcomed them easily, like turning his palms. Ronaldo also heard that the elves entered the war just to repay Eto. And it just matched the ideal that the Hero¡¯s party have been aiming for these days, which is to fight in collaboration with local forces to strengthen their connections. However, Ronaldo¡¯s evaluation toward Eto changed completely after the siege battle began. The support magic Eto casted for Ronaldo and Mirei gave them a tremendous effect. Mirei¡¯s maximum magic, Hell Flame, indeed has enough attack power to annihilate the guards on the first gate with a single shot. However, that power was amplified by Eto¡¯s support magic, destroying the gate including all the guards there. It was even more astonishing for Mirei, who casted the magic. Eto¡¯s support magic also greatly affected Ronaldo¡¯s attack power. When he swung his Holy Sword to blow away the collapsing wall from the Hell Flame, all the nearby walls that had lost their foundation and became unstable were also blown away and sank into the lake. To put it simply, Ronaldo¡¯s attack power was much higher than what he intended it to be. That made Ronaldo so shocked that he couldn¡¯t move for a while, thinking that the support magic that he belittles was actually this powerful. ¡®If it¡¯s like this, no wonder I couldn¡¯t do anything in the mock battle.¡¯ The one thing he can use with a training sword is his own power. So there is no way he can beat Eto, whose power has been raised by multiple support magic, even if he tried to fight him for 100 times. Even if he had his Holy Sword, Ronaldo also doesn¡¯t know how the match would be. ¡°This is the reality¡­¡± Since the siege battle still continued, he was not allowed to stay still at that place. Thus, Ronaldo rushed to the second gate, forcing himself to shake off the negative emotions swirling in his heart. The development after that was just as smooth as silk. Thanks to Eto¡¯s strategy, the Knights were able to gain the control of the second gate, and they were able to capture the Acting Lord Riesenbolt without much resistance. When the function of the fort gradually recovered and the subjugation of nearby monsters began, Eto returned to the Veil with the rescued hostages. And Ronaldo didn¡¯t know how to deal with Eto, who came to say goodbye to them. He did think that he should apologize immediately. The way he banned Eto¡¯s support magic, the way he belittled it, and the action he took at the training ground, all of those acts are something that Eto didn¡¯t deserve to get. And Ronaldo, who witnessed the true value of Eto¡¯s support magic, fully understood that. However, the only thing Ronaldo could say was, ¡°See you later¡±, which were the words he uttered to deceive his confused heart. That made Ronaldo disappointed with how small he was. Volume 6 - CH 1 Volume 6 ¨C Fierce Battle in The Margrave of Erven Chapter 1 ¨C In The Middle of Travel Eto looked at the clear autumn sky from the coachman seat, thinking that if he could leave his body to the rhythm of the swaying carriage, it must be a pleasant afternoon where he can let himself have a wonderful nap. ¡°Don¡¯t you think she is terrible, Eto-san? Even though I love her so much, she said there is someone else that she loves!¡± ¡°Ee. Tommy-san, you told me this story earlier. Yes yes, she is terrible, isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you understand me! What should I do from now on¡­ My friends always told me to find a new person, but I don¡¯t think I can do that before this broken heart is healed. Eto-san thinks so too, right?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°Besides, those who tell me to find a new person right away must be those who don¡¯t know what is love¨C¡± Tommy, the coachman, has been endlessly talking about the story of his heartbreak. And Eto, who sits next to him, is getting tired of adapting to the story. At first, Eto thought Tommy was a reserved man by the way he bowed to Eto and his party and told them his name when they were about to leave the Royal Capital, before refusing to actively join into any conversations during travel. But that attitude changed completely from today¡¯s lunch. While the group were taking a break to have lunch on the highway, Eto was talking about Sally, the receptionist of the Royal Capital¡¯s Adventurer¡¯s Guild to Amou. Because the job that Eto¡¯s party accepted was decided all of a sudden, Sally had to quickly finish the expense reports that had accumulated. With that reason, Eto began to talk about her for a bit to Amou, until suddenly, Tommy turned his gaze toward Eto as if he was going to challenge something and said, ¡°Did you just say ¡®Sally¡¯?¡± After listening to Tommy¡¯s story, it turns out that the woman that Tommy had a broken heart with and Sally, the guild receptionist, were different people. However, Tommy didn¡¯t stop talking even after the misunderstanding was resolved. Like a broken tap, he began to talk about his feelings for his ex-girlfriend. It continued even after the group finished their lunch and got into the carriage. ¡°Of course, I know that my job is just a mere coachman. But, as long as people still move between towns, a coachman will never lack a job. So, I¡¯m sure I can support her, and yet¡­. Why, Sally! Which part of me that you didn¡¯t like!¡± Even the horses that pulled the carriage seemed to be uncomfortable, probably because Tommy, the coachman, was very emotional right now. ¡°Tommy-san, look, the horses are uncomfortable. And the distance to Erven is still long. I will listen to Tommy-san¡¯s story, so let¡¯s calm down a little.¡± Eto sighed while trying to calm Tommy down. Half a month has passed since the slave trader Kabs was captured by the knight¡¯s order. Kabs also seems to understand that he already has no hope to survive, so he obediently answers their interrogation. Thanks to his testimony, the investigation in the Margrave of Erven is also progressing nicely. Apparently, the knights are going to tighten the noose around the Acting Lord and his group, so they can catch them at once. So far, Eto and his party have no plans to participate in the knight¡¯s operation. They just received an escort request from the knights to escort those who had been kidnapped and enslaved to return to the Margrave. There are a total of thirty slaves brought by Kabs, and eight of them were kidnapped victims. Those people only have the clothes that they currently wore, and no money. And since they wanted to go home as soon as possible rather than rest in the Royal Capital, the knights rented two carriages, hired a coachman and asked Eto¡¯s party to escort them. The Knight¡¯s are quite generous this time, as they even lent three knights dressed as adventurers with horses to escort those ex-slaves. Eto¡¯s group of four rode the two carriages separately with the men riding on the coachmen carriage, and the women riding on the passenger carriage while checking everyone¡¯s condition as they continued their journey. Since the horse-riding Knights are guarding the carriages from left and right, Eto can just monitor what¡¯s ahead of them. ¡®If it¡¯s like this, I think we could safely reach our destination even if I slept on the coachmen seat.¡¯ Eto thought. Without Tommy¡¯s turbulent story of heartbreak, Eto would have been able to enjoy the sight of the sky while traveling with a relaxed feeling. Eto even thought that if he was able to go back in time to before lunch, he wouldn¡¯t have said Sally¡¯s name. Incidentally, Musik, the leader of the Knight¡¯s order, also took careful consideration for this carriage travel. "" It seems Musik feels a strong responsibility for not being able to prevent the kidnapping incident and not being aware of the case until Eto and his colleagues investigated it. Although he didn¡¯t intend to make this trip to atone for his sin, he did his best to accommodate the victims to return to their hometown in the most comfortable environment possible. He even lent three knights to escort them. Besides that, Eto also heard that it is Musik¡¯s idea to have them always spend the night in towns and villages during the trip because it is undoubtedly safer to stay in town or village than in a camp. They can even sleep in a comfortable bed. Of course, all those accommodations and meals are paid by the knights. Just like that, Eto and his group headed for Cyril, the capital of the Margrave where Knight¡¯s liaisons are waiting for Eto¡¯s group to arrive. They will be deciding whether to enter the territory or stay in Cyril, depending on the progress of the investigation in the Margrave territory. If the Acting Lord and his group are detained and brought into the court, the kidnapped victims will be the witnesses to prove their crime. If that happens, they might try to silence the mouths of the victims. That is why Eto intended to act together until the safety of the victims were confirmed even after they are able to safely arrive at the Margrave territory. ¡°Ugh, Sally, which part of me do you not like¡­¡± Meanwhile, Eto sighed again, thinking that he had to do something about this coachman too. Volume 6 - CH 2 Chapter 2 ¨C Uneasiness The journey from the Royal Capital to the Margrave territory was just approaching the halfway point. The group could see the mountains standing on the north side of the highway. The iron ore and Mithril from the northern mountains can be used to produce weapons, armor, and ornaments. Because of this, so many skilled craftsmen who are good at metal processing set up shops in the territory of Saltgar that it is said that the sound of metal clashing never stopped from there. Eto and his group arrived at Saltgar before sunset and immediately entered the inn secured by the Knights who arrived in advance. After having supper, Kohaku and Sorano visited Eto and Amou, who were relaxing in their room. There seems to be something they wanted to talk about the kidnapped victim. ¡°After being kidnapped and forcefully made into slave, they have to wait in the Royal Capital which is far from their home after they¡¯re saved. That¡¯s why they¡¯re happy to go home at first. But, as we gradually approached the Margrave territory, the atmosphere of the women seemed to get darker.¡± It seems Kohaku was particularly worried about the condition of the female victims. ¡°They don¡¯t know if their family or close friends could accept them even if they returned. So, they become uneasy.¡± Sorano also explained the state of mind of those victims that she felt. ¡°I know this isn¡¯t a problem we can solve, but I just hope we can change their mood even a little. Or else, some people might get sick.¡± When Kohaku said that, Sorano nodded deeply. Of the eighteen people traveling with their group, fifteen were young women. And young female slaves can sell according to the needs of the buyers, from becoming a servant of a wealthy family to a prostitute who sells themselves in brothels. Originally, their slave contracts should have been severely restricted depending on the amount of debt or crimes they did, but because the Acting Lord and senior judge had colluded with the slave trader, the information on their contracts could be freely rewritten by the slave traders. In other words, they become good products that are easy to sell for slave traders. "" Even if a slave wanted to prove their innocence at the place where he or she was sold, the probability of the owner who purchased the slave will bother to investigate and confirm the truth is extremely low. Besides, the court documents related to the slave contract are, in fact, an official one issued in the Margrave territory. Thus, even if the owner really decides to investigate it, they will only conclude that the slave was lying. The female victims were indeed rescued before they were sold, so they were not in the worst situation. However, even if they return to their home and explain the situation to their family and close friends, none of them has the confidence to say that their family will accept them. Some may even leave when they hear that their friend had become a slave. And they might also bring trouble to their family if their situation becomes a rumor in the neighborhood. For that reason, thinking about the future, Eto fully understand the uneasiness of the victims. After discussing ways to get rid of the women¡¯s uneasiness, Eto went alone to the knights¡¯ room and asked about the treatment of women who become victims of a crime. And according to the knights, normally, they will just be sent back to their home as it is, and there won¡¯t be any special action done. The reason for that seems to be because although the Knights¡¯ job was indeed to protect the Kingdom and crack down on crime, it is difficult if they also have to support the victims. Eto also asked what would the Knights do with the explanation to the victims¡¯ family and what kind of compensation would be given to the victim if the Acting Lord was found to be involved in the case. He also requested the knights to consider helping those victims as soon as possible. When Eto returned to the room, Kohaku and Sorano were still there. ¡°I don¡¯t think the Knights¡¯ order alone can handle the future of the victims. I¡¯ve also made a suggestion, but if I am asked if it is the job of the Knights, I, too, think it isn¡¯t.¡± Eto talked about what he heard in the Knights¡¯ room. ¡°Then, what should we do?¡± Kohaku asked with a serious expression. ¡°I think there is no choice but to create some kind of mechanism to support the victims. And the one who made it has to be someone who understands the circumstances of the victims and knows the Knights¡¯ order very well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s us!¡± ¡°Un. Looks like we¡¯re going to stay in the Margrave for a while.¡± The female victims of the kidnapping incident fortunately trust Eto¡¯s group, who participated in the rescue operation. Thus, there seems to be something that only they could do this time. If they can help the victims, whom they are linked by fate with, to be able to live the way they used to, Eto think it might be a good idea to stay in the Margrave for a while. Being able to work anywhere as long as there is a guild and a client is the advantage of the job called Adventurer, after all. Besides, they also have a big purpose, which is to free Sorano from being a criminal slave. They might be able to find a breakthrough by staying in the Margrave territory where the people involved in the case are gathered. ¡°How do you intend to create the mechanism to support them?¡± Sorano asked. ¡°Un, I¡¯ll be using the title of ¡ºHero of the Kingdom¡». I would like to talk to relevant parties about the need for protection and support for the victims, and eventually create a system that will be assisted by the government. And even if that is not possible to realize, the compensation for the kidnapped victims has to be collected from the Margrave.¡± ¡°That is if we could do that, but¡­¡± Kohaku said with a worried face. ¡°It is undoubtedly difficult to move the Margrave, but if even the current us can¡¯t do it, who can? That¡¯s why I want to do it. Although an adventurer¡¯s job is not easy, it could help people in trouble, that¡¯s why I chose this job. And now, those girls need someone to support them.¡± ¡°I think so too.¡± As Kohaku said that, Eto looked at Amou and Sorano. The two also nod strongly and show their consent. Of course, it doesn¡¯t mean Eto has a clear vision to support those kidnapped victims. Therefore, he thought even small things are fine, they can start with what they can do. ¡°Yosh! Let¡¯s move according to that purpose. And now, as we continue our journey, is there anything we can do to help them change their mood?¡± Then, the four of them exchanged their opinions until late at night. Volume 6 - CH 3 Chapter 3 ¨C Cooking Class ¡°Well then, what we are going to make today is a deep-fried hollow bird. Deep frying is a common cooking method in villages near the Royal Capital, and it is pretty easy to make. Put battered meat and vegetables in hot oil, and fry them until crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. By the way, deep-fried hollow bird is one of the most popular deep-fried dishes, so I advise you to remember it.¡± In front of the gathered women, Eto explained how to cook the said dish with the help of Kohaku and Sorano. A few days ago, Eto and his party discussed what they could do to help the female victims improve their mood. And the result of that discussion is what is happening right now. They opened a cooking class. It all started from Kohaku, whom Eto didn¡¯t know where she heard it, began to say that the way to a man¡¯s heart is through his stomach. According to Kohaku, the women might be able to find happiness if they have lovers after returning to their hometown. Still, it made Eto a bit worried because the reason might be too indecent. However, when Sorano and Kohaku talked to the women about opening a cooking class when traveling, they seemed to be quite enthusiastic about it. Thus, the group consulted the knights and got permission to do that in order to improve the mood of the victims. Although the dish that they are going to teach hasn¡¯t been decided, the main ingredient is the hollow birds that they catch in the forest. But since that alone wasn¡¯t enough, they bought enough ingredients in this town. Deep-fried hollow bird is normally made by heating a large amount of oil in a pan. And since the Kingdom produces an abundant amount of cooking oil, it can be made at home at low cost. However, those who are not accustomed to making a deep-fried dish may have trouble processing the oil after cooking. Hence, Eto decided to introduce a cooking method that uses a frying pan to reduce the amount of oil. Incidentally, the one who came up with this idea was Tommy the coachman, who apparently cooks as a hobby. Not only does he have a regular job as a coachman, but he can also cook. Although he is indeed quite grumpy, he is earnest and his personality isn¡¯t that bad, which made Eto wonder why Sally broke up with him. It also made Eto think that the thing called romance is really difficult. All fifteen women were currently in the kitchen, which the group rented a bit unreasonably from the innkeeper. They divided into several groups and worked together to cook the dish that Eto taught them. Tommy also participated as the cooking instructor. The thing is, when Tommy complained about the story of his heartbreak to Eto, the women were having lunch nearby. At that time, Tommy was so pitiful that even the Knights were hesitant to stop him. Although Eto didn¡¯t know how the women saw Tommy as a man after that, their vigilance toward Tommy seems to have dropped considerably. ¡°Before frying, don¡¯t forget to season the meat. It will add more flavor to the meat, making it taste good. Also, it is common to use garlic to make the dish more fragrant. None of you seem to be bad with garlic, but if you do, salt and pepper are enough.¡± Since Tommy is a coachman, he is probably not bad at socializing. Adding the fact that they¡¯re talking about his hobby, which is cooking, Tommy seemed excited. ¡°I always make deep-fried dishes with a frying pan because it requires less oil than frying in a pot.¡± Tommy put a bite-sized hollow bird covered with flour in a frying pan filled with hot oil, producing a frying sound that invites people¡¯s appetite. Following that, Kohaku also fries the hollow bird using a frying pan. ¡°Do be careful as the oil splashes.¡± Kohaku, who had been cooking for her sick mother since she was little, seemed accustomed to handling kitchen knives. Meanwhile, Sorano was also cooking by herself while assisting Kohaku. She was able to do everything, from hunting for prey to eating, since she¡¯s almost self-sufficient even in her hometown. Although Eto has less cooking experience than the two, when he was still traveling with the Hero¡¯s party, he has dismantled and cooked many monsters and animals. Thus, he assisted Tommy, so he can cook comfortably. While the group were busy with cooking, Amou, who is left alone, stared at the cooking from behind the women with his big body. But when they¡¯re hunting the hollow birds, Amou¡¯s way of handling the birds made people certain of his long story as an adventurer. Among the women, those who grew up in the town had no experience of hunting animals to eat. When they saw the hanged hollow bird moving even after its neck was cut, they had an indescribable expression. But after that, they seemed to be serious and enjoy learning to cook, and making a new dish. Eventually, the fragrant smell spreads throughout the kitchen, and a large amount of deep-fried hollow birds are completed. After that, they invited the knights, male victims, and the husband and wife of the inn who they rented the place from to eat. And then, the women smiled as they ate the food they cooked together. Even those who haven¡¯t talked much with the others seem to continue the conversation after talking about cooking. The knights were also surprised that the expression of the women had changed, and they were impressed that there was such a way to change their mood. Since then, the popular cooking class is being held on a regular basis, and the male victims also participated in hunting, which was also able to change their disheartened mood. The acceptance treatment they will get in the Cyril town has also been reviewed, and it is said that female knights will be handling the female victims in order to reassure them. Also, if they wish, a knight will be present when they explain the situation to their family. It should be less burdensome to them if the Knight is the one who explained rather than explaining on their own. Kohaku and Sorano then shared this information with the victims in the carriage. Of course, Eto understand that the women are still uneasy. Because their lives haven¡¯t improved at all. It will only start when they return to the town and regain their normal life. However, at least in the carriage, it has become an environment where they can talk about things that are difficult to tell others, such as the situation when they are kidnapped and the uneasiness about returning to their families. With that, Eto thought they might have successfully helped them get out of the situation where they have to hold onto their feelings alone. Volume 6 - CH 4 Chapter 4 ¨C The Great Frederick Bridge Eto and his group went along with their travel plans smoothly and were about to reach the Margrave in a few days. Right in front of them was the Yuxed River, which flows from east to west through the kingdom. The people of the Kingdom have long used the Yuxed River and its tributaries for drinking and agriculture. For that, people have built temples and churches in various places, with a Goddess enshrined as an incarnation of the large river, to thank the river for its grace. Here, Eto was thinking about the Goddess who chose him as the sage, while looking at the shining surface of the river illuminated by the sunlight. He thought about why the Goddess selected him as the sage. But, having not a single clue about the answer to that question, Eto turned his sight to the bridge across the river. On the Yuxed River, which is over 200 meters wide, there was a magnificent stone bridge that was big enough for two carriages to easily pass through. That bridge is called the Great Frederick Bridge, a bridge that took over 20 years to build and was completed by the current King of the Kingdom, King Frederick Carmine. It is said in the past, the Yuxed River often flooded the area, causing great damage to the surrounding towns, villages, and corps. As a matter of course, the flood also washed away the bridge built on the river many times. To improve that situation, the King set the construction of a great bridge as a national project. Then, he also promoted hydraulic control by revetment work and construction of a bridge using a new construction method. With the completion of the Great Frederick Bridge, the traffic between the Royal Capital and the Margrave of Erven became more active than before, leading to a turnaround in the Kingdom¡¯s economy. Because thanks to the bridge, for merchants, the distance from the center of the country to the frontiers has shortened, greatly expanding the possibilities of business. ¡®Well, Kabs was also trying to sell those who were forcibly enslaved in the Royal Capital by taking advantage of that close distance, though.¡¯ Eto thought. ¡°Eto-dono, the formalities are over. Let¡¯s cross the bridge.¡± ¡°¡­ Understood.¡± Eto nodded and boarded the coachman¡¯s carriage. With that, the two carriages crossed the great Frederick bridge. The wooden door of the carriage was also opened, and the passengers were curiously looking at the outside scenery from there. That is natural. Because they probably couldn¡¯t afford to enjoy the scenery when the slave trader brought them to the Royal Capital. Everyone could see people fishing from their fishing boats and cargo ships for carrying cargo in the river. They could also hear someone say that the river shrimp is a specialty of this area from the carriage. Meanwhile, Eto shrugged his shoulders at the cold wind blowing over the river. The atmosphere was peaceful, to the point he could even hear a white bird singing far above the sky. Until suddenly, When their carriage was about to cross the bridge, a thunderous roar reverberated from behind the group. ¡®Is that an explosion? Or maybe a magic attack?!¡¯ Thinking like that, Eto ordered Tommy to stop the carriage. Immediately after that, Eto¡¯s and Tommy¡¯s bodies floated in the air for a moment due to the strong vibration spread to the bridge. Not long after that, the screams of the women also echoed, and the neigh of the horses pulling the carriage were heard here and there. ¡°Tommy-san! Are you okay?¡± ¡°T-that was¡­ Won¡¯t this bridge collapse?! In that case, we have to leave here quickly¨C¡± Although Tommy was able to stop the carriage in the spur of a moment, it seems that the trembling that caused their bodies to float has not stopped yet. ¡°Tommy-san, let¡¯s calm down first.¡± ¡°B-but, Eto-san? I am c-calm. We have to leave this place right away.¡± Saying that, Tommy tried to control the reins with his trembling hands. And while looking at Tommy, who was agitated, Eto took a deep breath as if he had made up his mind. ¡°If you are like that, Sally-san will laugh at you, you know? Are you fine with that, Tommy-san?¡± When Eto said the name of his ex-girlfriend, Sally, Tommy looked at Eto with a surprised expression. Eto then grabs Tommy¡¯s shoulder and looks into his eyes. ¡°Tommy-san, I¡¯m sorry for saying Sally-san¡¯s name. But, please calm down first. Trying to move the carriage at this time will only make the horse become more agitated. So please keep in step with your surroundings and soothe the horses first so we can leave anytime. Can you do that?¡± ¡°Aa¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Eto-san. I lost my composure for a moment¡­ And ee, if it¡¯s about horses, leave it to me.¡± Despite still shaking, the agitation that Eto saw in his eyes earlier had disappeared. Thus, Eto nodded deeply to reassure Tommy. ¡°Please.¡± ¡°Understood. Where are you going, Eto-san?¡± ¡°I will check the situation behind.¡± Eto got off the carriage and observed the situation behind, and saw a huge amount of smoke spreading in the sky to the point that he couldn¡¯t see the opposite shore. For a moment, he was stunned by the magnitude of the smoke, but soon came to his senses when he saw many people running toward the shore with their luggage. However, the danger has not passed yet. Many stones that were part of the bridge scattered around there. For that reason, Eto thought it would be dangerous to let the passengers get out of the carriage and walk to the shore. Leaving the bridge as soon as possible while riding the carriage would be the better choice. After asking the knights to watch the surroundings, Eto headed to the place behind their carriage with Amou. Of course, Kohaku and Sorano also came down from the carriage to follow Eto. Hence, Eto immediately used the Jewel to cast Protect and Shield to his party members. ¡°Amou, wait behind the carriage and knock away any stone that flies toward you.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Kohaku and Sorano, you two go to the left and right side of the carriage, and be wary of suspicious people.¡± ¡°Leave it to me.¡± ¡°Roger that.¡± After giving his instruction, Eto returned to the knights alone. ¡°There is something I want to discuss. Can you please tell the carriages that are stopped at the vicinity of the bridge to move? We still didn¡¯t know if the previous explosion was just a one-time thing. Thus, I don¡¯t want our carriage to stay longer on this bridge. And since this is an emergency, you can also move with the identity of the knights of the Kingdom.¡± ¡°Understood, we will try to.¡± Two of the three knights then went to the vicinity of the bridge on horseback, while the remaining one continued to protect the carriages. After a while, Eto could see the front most carriage start moving ahead. And just like that, the line of carriages slowly began to move as the angry roar flew around. By the time the carriage of Eto and his group crossed the bridge, the smoke that had covered the center of the bridge was washed away to the downstream. The two knights who went ahead to the riverbank and watched the situation reported that the center of the bridge had completely collapsed over several meters. And Eto, who confirmed the scale of the explosion from the report of the knight, thought it was an explosion made by detonating a magic circle. Volume 6 - CH 5 Chapter 5 ¨C Sudden Turn of Event Cyril, a city in the territory of Rasun, is located just across the Great Frederick Bridge. Right now, the large gate of Cyril is opened, and knights and soldiers continuously pour in and out of the town. There are also long lines of people waiting to enter the town, and yet, there is no sign of progression, likely because the situation in the town has become chaotic due to the impact of the previous explosion. While lining up in that line, Eto and his group were cautiously observing the surroundings. Eto didn¡¯t think the Acting Lord and his group were the ones who blew up the great bridge to seal the mouth of the victims. That was because even if by chance the information of their journey was leaked from the Knights, one of the main culprits, the slave trader Kabs has already been detained. Which means, anything they do to the victims can only buy them some time or threaten the Knights. However, if they are really trying to do something like that by blowing up the great bridge bearing the name of the current King, it is just equivalent to suicide. And there is no way the nobles around the Acting Lord weren¡¯t aware of it. Nevertheless, no matter who committed the crime or for what purpose, the ones who can cause such an explosion are dangerous. In other words, the threat still remains, and a second or third explosion may occur. Therefore, as an escort, Eto and his party still couldn¡¯t let their guard down. Amou walks in front of the first carriage, and Sorano and Kohaku walk in front of the second carriage. Meanwhile, Eto follows the carriage from behind while observing the surroundings. As of the Knights, one of the knights went ahead to the town as a liaison, while the other two are guarding the left and right side of the carriages. Until suddenly, a young man approached the carriage with a silent step that made people couldn¡¯t sense his weight. His head is wrapped in a blue cloth, and his mouth is also covered with a cloth of the same color, so nobody knows his countenance. But, when the Knights were about to move, Eto stopped them. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Narl-san.¡± It was Narl, an adventurer¡¯s guild-exclusive investigator who is supposed to be infiltrating the Margrave. Guided by Narl, Eto and his group were able to successfully enter the town through another gate. And Narl, who rides on a knight¡¯s horse, accompanies Eto and his group to the facilities of the Knight¡¯s order. Apparently, he has already contacted the Knight who went to the town in advance. As the group entered the facility, several female knights were already waiting for them, and they guided the kidnapped victims to a nearby building. Although the women were uneasy, Kohaku and Sorano reassured them by saying that it would be fine because they will also be in the same facility. Eto and his party were also guided to a room where the branch leader who oversees the Knights in Cyril, Jerome, was waiting. They exchanged a light greeting then proceeded to talk about the explosion in the Great Frederick Bridge. Eto then talked about what he had seen, and expressed his view that the explosion was likely to be a detonation technique using a magic circle. ¡°I think it is difficult to create such a powerful explosion in a way other than magic. However the problem is, I didn¡¯t feel any fluctuation of magic when the explosion occurred. And when a magician uses great magic, it should be difficult to hide the fluctuation of the magic power.¡± Saying that, Eto turned his gaze at Sorano, who had excellent magic power detection. ¡°I, too, didn¡¯t feel anything. Is that not magic?¡± ¡°I also don¡¯t think they cast magic from that place. I¡¯ve read about detonation techniques in a book before. It seems it will indeed explode suddenly without any fluctuation of magic power.¡± Sorano frowned and made an unpleasant expression. ¡°I see. That¡¯s why Eto-san pointed out the possibility of a detonation technique.¡± Branch Leader Jerome said. ¡°Yes. We happened to be on the bridge when the explosion occurred. It¡¯s hard to imagine we won¡¯t feel any magic power at that distance. Which means, they might use some kind of ways to hide it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. It seems we have to take that into consideration.¡± ¡°I never imagined that I would be involved in such an explosion. And if Narl-san is here, does that mean there is something happening in the Margrave territory?¡± After confirming with Jerome, Narl shared the information with Eto and his party. ¡°Last night, Acting Lord Riesenbolt, who had been under house arrest in the Margrave¡¯s castle, fled the territory and barricaded himself in a fort in the south. And the fort is defended by the cooperators of the Acting Lord, including some nobles and their private soldiers. Narl indifferently explained about the event that signaled the sudden change in the situation. Looks like things started to move as soon as Eto and his group approached the Margrave. ¡°How many forces are in the fort?¡± Eto asked Narl. ¡°It is unknown. But it shouldn¡¯t be that much, as there are only a few people siding with the Acting Lord at this stage. The problem is that the kidnapped victims are trapped in the fort. Currently, the Knights and soldiers have been surrounding the fort, but the enemy seems to prevent the invasion of the attackers by using the hostages as shields.¡± ¡°They are really rotten. Over time, the kidnapped victims will be exhausted. I know this is impertinent, but if the enemy¡¯s force is small, I think attacking them at once with several times more force is also an option.¡± Hearing Eto¡¯s remarks, Jerome showed a stern look. ¡°We, the Knights Order, can¡¯t just gather our troops to attack that fort. Considering the possibility of the empire taking advantage of the turmoil in the Kingdom, we still have to keep some troops on the western border. And as the Great Frederick Bridge was blown up earlier, we can no longer expect support from the Royal Capital for a while. The situation is just getting worse.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think the escape of the Acting Lord to the fort and the bombing of the Great Frederick Bridge happening at the same time a coincidence, right?¡± ¡°¡­ It certainly doesn¡¯t seem coincidental, but I don¡¯t think the Acting Lord could draw such a plan.¡± ¡°In that case, does Narl-san think there is another mastermind?¡± ¡°Well, these things happened when we¡¯re just about to ask the Acting Lord about that¡­.¡± It seems the information that Eto could obtain from here was just this much. And looks like allowing the Acting Lord to escape is a fatal mistake for the kingdom. Then the conversation turned to the suggestion to let the kidnapped victim in this town until the situation of the Margrave improved, as they didn¡¯t know what kind of incident or accident will happen to them if the group still decided to take them to the territory of Veil, which is the home of the enemy, in the current situation. With that, Eto¡¯s party¡¯s escort request ended here, and they received a completion stamp from the Branch Leader Jerome. In exchange, Jerome asked their party to deliver some documents to Commanding Officer Andrea, who resides in the castle of Margrave. And since the request will be officially made via the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, Eto decided to accept it. ¡°We will be responsible for the victims that Eto-san and his party escorted here.¡± ¡°About that, there is something I¡¯d like you to help me with.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°We are planning to start an initiative to support the victims in the Margrave territory in order to give them a stable life just like before the incident. For that reason, I would like to consult with the relevant parties and create a support framework. When that happens, can I ask for the cooperation of the Knights?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a great initiative. If it¡¯s the heroes of the kingdom who saved the Royal Capital from the Stampede move, there is no way we wouldn¡¯t cooperate.¡± ¡°Thank you. But first, we have to put the situation under control.¡± ¡°Ee. If things have calmed down, I think I will be heading toward Veil too, so let¡¯s talk about this again at that time.¡± With that, Eto and Jerome shook hands firmly. Volume 6 - CH 6 Chapter 6 ¨C Margrave or Erven The next day, before leaving Cyril, Eto and his party met with the kidnapped victims and explained the situation in Margrave. As they have been traveling together for a while, a relationship of trust has been built between them. Especially when the women heard that Sorano and Kohaku were going to leave, they couldn¡¯t hide their anxiety. To that, the two explained Eto¡¯s initiative to help the victims, and reassure them that they will definitely meet again. Meanwhile, the three knights who were also traveling with them will be staying in the town of Cyril for some time. They were also given a room in the Knight¡¯s facility and promised to take care not to bother the victims. Then, Eto shook hands with the knights and thanked them for their care during the trip. ¡°Eto-san, it seems you are going first.¡± Saying that, Tommy extended his right hand, which was then grasped by Eto. ¡°Yes. My party was asked to deliver a letter to Veil, after all. Besides, I also want to go there as soon as possible to see the situation. And it would be dangerous to go there by carriage.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Although the trip from the Royal Capital feels like a while, it was actually a short while, and was a valuable experience to me.¡± ¡°It was also a valuable experience for me, especially with Tommy-san¡¯s cooking and storytelling skills.¡± ¡°Storytelling skills? Ah, so it¡¯s about that! I know I ended up troubling you by telling you about the story of my heartbreak, but at that time¨C¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Thanks to that story, the women were able to accept Tommy-san, after all. And if you didn¡¯t start telling me your story, I might not have been able to ask you to help with the cooking class. It seems, thanks to that, we were able to make connections with many people happily.¡± ¡°Making connections happily, huh. Haha, I see. But, if it¡¯s like that, then the fact that I was rejected is also a part of that happy-way to make a connection¡­ No, no, as expected, there is no way it was.¡± "" Tommy¡¯s words were so strange that it made Eto subconsciously laugh. And Tommy, who complains to Eto by saying, ¡°You¡¯re terrible for laughing at that¡±, also smiled. ¡°For me, I think I will wait for instructions from my boss while watching the situation here for a while. Thus, I hope I can see Eto-san again somewhere.¡± ¡°Ee. Since we, adventurers, are in a profession that requires traveling, I¡¯m sure we can meet again somewhere.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. I will do my best so at that time I won¡¯t be telling you my heartbroken story, but a love fulfillment story.¡± ¡°I will be looking forward to that.¡± ¡î¡î¡î Four horses are running on the highway, heading west. Since Kohaku couldn¡¯t ride one by herself, she was clinging to Sorano¡¯s back. The other horse is ridden by Narl, who volunteered himself when Jerome¡¯s chief asked one of the knights to guide Eto and his party. And since it seems he was originally planning to return to the territory of Veil, he could subsequently guide Eto and his party. The area surrounding the road leading to Veil was filled with cultivated lands. Sadly, the wheat field has already been harvested in the fall. If the group were a little earlier, they might be able to see the scenery of vast golden wheat that spread endlessly. The distance from Cyril to Veil is something that can be reached in less than half a day by a fast horse. However, since Jerome¡¯s letter was not an urgent one, Eto and his group stayed overnight in a village along the way, so they wouldn¡¯t put more burden on their horses. Then, in the next morning, they arrived at Veil. The territory of Veil is like an ancient city on the border, even a stone pavement seems to have a long history. As the group was running their horses to the castle where the Margrave stayed, they saw many passers-by talking secretly while giving them side glances. Liveliness couldn¡¯t be felt in the city, and the inhabitants seemed to just want to hold their breath and wait for the storm to pass. Upon arriving at the castle, Narl simply showed his guild card and went all the way to the inside. Meanwhile, Eto hesitated whether it was okay for his party to follow him. ¡°What are you doing? Come here.¡± "" ¡°We are outsiders, though¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. If you don¡¯t come, I¡¯ll leave.¡± Hurried by Narl, Eto¡¯s party immediately followed behind him. As they went straight down the corridor inside the castle, another guild investigator, Nii, appeared from a side passage and naturally joined Eto¡¯s group. Nii nodded to Narl, and muttered, ¡°It¡¯s been a while¡±, to Eto and his party. The appearance of Nii is similar to Narl, but the cloth wrapped around the head and the cloth covering the mouth were both orange. Eto wondered whether it was their native dress, but feeling that they wouldn¡¯t answer, Eto decided to keep silent. After being led to a small room and waiting for a while, a man in his late thirties wearing knight clothing entered the room. The man seems to be commanding officer Andrea, who is temporarily entrusted to manage the knights of Veil. Seeing him, Eto couldn¡¯t help but feel sympathy, as even though Andrea was still young, it would probably be difficult for him after letting the Acting Lord escape. Eto then handed the letter he had received from Jerome, Cyril¡¯s branch leader, to the commanding officer Andrea and asked about the situation at the fort. After looking at Narl and confirming he could tell Eto, Andrea told Eto and his group about the current situation in detail. That made Eto think that Narl might actually be someone with a great status, but since it might bring unnecessary trouble, he pretended to not know it. Because if it is necessary for him to know about that, they will naturally tell him at that time. The southern fort was a castle floating on a lake. After the Acting Lord barricaded himself inside, the bridge connecting the fort was sunk to the bottom of the lake. And after they asked Margrave who was still on the sickbed, it seems it was indeed possible to operate the bridge from inside the fort. The enemy also tied the hostages to a wall made of wood and brought them to the front, completely blocking arrows and magic attacks. Although the Hero¡¯s party who was on a journey to subjugate monsters also participated in the siege, the situation remains difficult to approach, said Captain Andrea. ¡°Ge, the Hero is there?¡± Kohaku muttered in a small voice. She seems to hate the Hero Ronaldo a lot, to the point she has a weary look on her face. Because it looks like Eto¡¯s party has come to the Margrave territory to chase the Hero¡¯s party. Commanding officer Andrea then told the group to take any room in the castle to recover from their exhaustion after the long trip. However, since Eto¡¯s party thought staying in such places will make their shoulders stiff, they declined and wanted to search for an inn in the city. However, Narl said that the inhabitants are currently wary of the people from other territories, so they might not be able to get an inn easily. In the end, the party decided to rest in the castle as they had no other choice. Then, after having dinner with the knights, Eto and Amou entered a double room. After a while, a tall butler came and told Eto that Margrave asked Eto to visit him. Judging that he couldn¡¯t refuse, Eto told the butler to come again ten minutes later after he finished his preparation. In the meantime, he called Kohaku and Sorano to his room and told them to be ready to move. Although it is unclear how far Margrave himself was involved in this incident, there is nothing wrong in preparing for the unprecedented. Guided by the butler who returned exactly ten minutes later, Eto headed to the room where Margrave Stainbolt was waiting. Volume 6 - CH 7 Chapter 7 ¨C Margrave Stainbolt In the room the butler guided Eto to, there is a large bed with a canopy in the center, and the scent of air freshening incense spread all over the room. Although there are several candlelights placed in some areas in the room, the room is still dim because of how large it is and the lack of light magic tools used in the room. In the middle of that, Eto approached the bed through the smoke of incense and met Margrave Stainbolt, who raised his upper body. ¡°Excuse me for dressing like this.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Margrave then put a gown on his thin shoulders and turned his emotionless gaze toward Eto. It may be due to his illness, but his face is deeply wrinkled and looks quite old. However, it didn¡¯t look like he is bedridden all the time. Tightly packed back muscles, white hair combed down on his back, and the neatly trimmed white beard seemed to indicate that Margrave¡¯s spirit was not weakened by illness or old age. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the rumors about you. The hero who saved the Royal Capital from the Stampede. And one of the key figures who exposed my son¡¯s crime.¡± Although Margrave¡¯s facial expression or tone didn¡¯t change even a bit, hearing his words, Eto became even more alert. Eto was, undoubtedly, one of the key figures who cornered the Acting Lord Riesenbolt, the son of Margrave. Because had Eto not requested the re-investigation of Sorano¡¯s case, this matter would never have been known to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild or the Order of the Knights. Also, if the slave trader Kabs was not detained, the evidence of the crime wouldn¡¯t lead to the Acting Lord. That is why, Eto¡¯s actions are indeed the beginning of everything. However, he only did all of that to restore Sorano¡¯s honor. Because he felt that it is unforgivable that the Acting Lord and the other guilty people are left unchecked while Sorano became a criminal slave for a crime that she might not be done. In addition, Eto¡¯s pursuit of the incident also helped to save eighteen victims who were kidnapped and made into slaves. That is why, although Eto did feel sorry for the Margrave who was in bed, he will never regret his actions. Eto thought this wasn¡¯t about an apology or an excuse. However, he felt that it was also wrong if he decided to make Margrave take the responsibility for his son¡¯s action. Thus, having decided not to say anything here, Eto silently stared into the eyes of the Margrave. ¡°You have good eyes.¡± After staring at each other for a while, Margrave looked down and muttered. His eyes also seemed to be laughing faintly, but as he raised his face, his face returned to be expressionless. ¡°Take this.¡± Margrave handed a darkened key to Eto. ¡°What key is this?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the key to control the bridge that connects to the fort. There is a small building that looks like a hunter¡¯s hut on the east side of the lake. Go there and check the shelves right in front of you when you enter. It is the only shelf that is integrated with the building, so I¡¯m sure you will know which one is it immediately. Insert the key into the keyhole at the top of that shelf and turn it to the left to raise the connecting bridge. After that, if you push the key in and pull it out, no one should be able to operate the connecting bridge even from inside the fort.¡± Margrave seemed to be out of breath as he said that, likely because it was hard for him to talk for a long time. ¡°I know this is presumptuous, but for the people in this territory, I hope you stick to the justice that you believe.¡± Saying that, Margrave stared at Eto with tranquil eyes. ¡®Even if it would result in the death of your son?¡¯ Eto asked the Margrave in his heart. However, there is no need for Eto to say it. Because Eto was sure that Margrave entrusted the key to him with such things included in his mind. ¡°I will do my best.¡± Eto bowed, leaving only those words. After leaving Margrave¡¯s bedroom, Eto passed the path he had taken previously, guided by the tall butler. Then, he and the white haired butler smoothly passed through the corridor. The butler is likely in his mid-fifties. And from the first time Eto saw him, the presence of the butler was just like that of a military man. Eto can see the sense of spring balance as if pulling a bow to the limit, mixed with the beautiful conduct of serving his master. He is probably able to do martial arts similar to those who are in spy-like professions. Of course, there is no way for Eto to know to what level it was. But Eto wanted to talk a little with this butler. ¡°I heard that Margrave has been bedridden for a long time, but to what extent?¡± Hearing that, the butler stopped and turned to Eto with a flowing movement. ¡°Good conditions and bad conditions come alternately. Master said that as he was getting old, his old injury started to reawaken. Stainbolt-sama experienced the war against the empire, after all.¡± The butler replied with an expressionless expression that was as good as his master. ¡°War against the empire, huh.¡± ¡°Yes, about forty years ago. Since then, Stainbolt-sama has been openly and covertly protecting the Margrave from the pressure of the empire.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Eto had no more words to the butler¡¯s words. It is not clear what the end of this kidnapping case will be. Eto didn¡¯t even know if Margrave will be held responsible for the case or not. However, it is inevitable that this incident will be a stain for the Margrave who has been devoting himself to the kingdom for many years. It is easy for people to say ¡®take care of your child properly¡¯, but Eto heard that the Acting Lord Riesenbolt is already in his forties, which definitely wasn¡¯t the age where he can ask the parent to be responsible for his child¡¯s sins. ¡°Even so, it¡¯s been a long time since I saw Stainbolt-sama smiling so happily like that.¡± ¡°Is that so? I¡¯m sure he found something interesting.¡± ¡°¡­ Stainbolt-sama was smiling when he talked to Eto-sama, you know? I¡¯m sure he liked Eto-sama.¡± ¡°Eh, is that true? It doesn¡¯t seem like that¡­ Are you talking about how his eyes were slightly relaxed?¡± Eto asked in bewilderment. ¡°Ee, that¡¯s right. That¡¯s how Stainbolt-sama smiled. He hasn¡¯t been the type who likes to laugh since he was young, so it is hard to understand.¡± The butler smiled at Eto, like a child who just did a mischief. ¡°Well, I wonder. But that was, certainly¡­ a smile. No doubt about it.¡± Not knowing how to answer, Eto convinced himself that it was indeed a smile. Hearing that, the butler smiled kindly, before changing his attitude in an instant, as he bowed at Eto deeply. ¡°After everything is over, please meet Stainbolt-sama again and tell us about the siege battle. Please.¡± ¡°Ee. I will definitely return the key. At that time, I will have butler-san pick me up again, okay?¡± Saying that, Eto smiled at the butler. Volume 6 - CH 8 Chapter 8 ¨C To The Battlefield Having returned to the room where his party members were waiting, Eto told them that he had been entrusted with the key to control the connecting bridge by Margrave. ¡°What¡¯s that! Isn¡¯t that a secret key?! To think there is something like a key to move the bridge that sank to the bottom of the lake, that¡¯s just like in a story!¡± Hearing Eto¡¯s story, Kohaku seemed to be greatly interested in that, especially with the secret key. ¡°Actually, there are things on the battlefield that I don¡¯t want to show to Kohaku, who isn¡¯t an adult yet. To be honest, I¡¯d like Kohaku to wait here.¡± Eto said. ¡°No way. Absolutely no way. I will go with everyone.¡± Eto can see in Kohaku¡¯s eyes that she intends to go with them no matter what happens. At that moment, Eto regretted that he had spoken the things in the wrong order. Because of that, it surely would be difficult to convince Kohaku, who is excited after seeing the secret key, to stay. Wondering what he should do, Eto looked at Kohaku¡¯s father, Amou. ¡°Kohaku would be fine. If there is something wrong approaching her, I¡¯ll keep it away.¡± Amou said. ¡°I will also protect Kohaku.¡± Saying that, Sorano placed her hand on her chest, as if taking the stance of taking an oath. Among many adventurers who are accustomed to fighting monsters, there are many of them who avoid killing other humans. However, during escort requests, they will still have to fight against people even if they tried to avoid it when the caravan they escorted was attacked by thieves. For that reason, Kohaku will eventually need to get used to it, but Eto thought that being on a battlefield all of a sudden will be tough for her. As Eto was thinking about that, Amou stood up. ¡°Eto, it¡¯s not like we are sent to a fierce battlefield, right? We just have to use the key to control the bridge and then help the siege as much as possible, right?¡± ¡°Aa, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Then, it would be fine. Or rather, why is Eto more overprotective of Kohaku than me, her father?¡± ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s true. Understood. Then, shall the four of us go to the battlefield?¡± Eto looked at his party members, who nodded at him. ¡°No, it¡¯s six people.¡± Suddenly, someone¡¯s voice can be heard from somewhere. Hearing that, Eto stiffened for a moment. And Kohaku, who reached out her hand to see the key that Eto had, froze in that position. The only thing that made Eto not ready for battle was because he was familiar with the voice. ¡°Narl-san, peeping is bad taste, you know?¡± Then, Narl and Nii appeared silently from behind the window curtain leading to the balcony. Even Sorano was surprised by their sudden appearance as she couldn¡¯t detect their presence. Narl then casually pulled out his right hand, which was in his pocket. Looking at that movement, Eto thought that it is highly possible that Narl is hiding a magic tool in his pocket. And that magic tool should be able to erase their presence and noises. Otherwise, it is probably impossible for them to hide in the room without being noticed by Sorano. ¡°We will accompany you. Best regards.¡± ¡°Best regards.¡± Saying that, Narl and Nii bowed to Eto and his party. ¡°I¡¯m fine with that, but can you please not enter our room without permission?¡± Eto said to Narl and Nii, but they didn¡¯t nod. The next day, Eto went to meet Commanding Officer Andrea and explained about the key he received from Margrave. Then, Eto told Andrea that since he was entrusted with it, he and his party intended to go to the battlefield and cooperate in the siege. Andrea then wrote a letter of introduction to the Commander at the battlefield and bowed to Eto¡¯s party, requesting them to help resolve the situation. That same day, Eto, Kohaku, Sorano, Amou, Narl, and Nii rode horses to the southern fort and arrived at the destination around noon the next day. When Eto showed the letter of introduction written by Andrea to the knights, they were immediately guided to the Commander¡¯s tent. The Commander was a bearded man with a beautiful bald head. He is a little taller than Kohaku, and moves a lot even when talking. And that movement was so funny that Eto wondered if he had the talent to be a comedian throughout the meeting. Because if he didn¡¯t think about something like that, silently listening to the Commander¡¯s story would be a hassle. ¡°Hoo, so you received the key to move the connecting bridge! In that case, do give it to us.¡± Saying that, with his face flustered with excitement while gripping his fist, the Commander tried to pick the key from Eto¡¯s hand. ¡°I am very sorry, this key was something that Margrave directly entrusted to me. I also have been told to return it after using it, so I can¡¯t give you the key. However, as long as the Commander orders, I will use the key to raise the bridge.¡± In response to Eto¡¯s reply, the Commander stopped moving, but soon the toes of his feet began to move, as he stroked his beard. ¡°You can¡¯t give it, huh. This is troubling.¡± The Commander said, as if to show his displeasure. Naturally, Eto wasn¡¯t told by Margrave to return the key, but because he had a feeling that the key wouldn¡¯t be given back to him if he gave it to the Commander, he lied. Because Eto wanted to properly return the key to Margrave. The Commander seemed to be exasperated at the unresponsive Eto, even though he had shown displeasure toward him. Then, he became more and more displeased with Eto. In the end, judging that it would be useless no matter what he said, the Commander seemed to give up. ¡°I will tell you when to use the key later. So do stand by until then.¡± The Commander said and then unilaterally stopped talking. As Eto and his party were about to leave, a military attach¨¦ entered the tent and reported, ¡°Hero-sama has arrived.¡±. And almost immediately, the Hero¡¯s party entered the tent. ¡°Why are you here¨C¡± When Hero Ronaldo saw Eto, he tried to say something with a surprised expression. But thinking that it probably wouldn¡¯t be a worthless exchange, Eto interrupted him halfway. ¡°Long time no see. We came to the Margrave territory at the request of the Knights Order, and that request is related to the crime committed by the Acting Lord Riesenbolt. And we are here at the request of Margrave Stainbolt himself.¡± ¡°You are the one¨C¡± ¡°We have no intention of disturbing Hero-sama, so please allow us to participate in the war.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need¨C¡± ¡°Allow me to make it clear, we are here at the request of Margrave Stainbolt himself. We hope you will keep this in mind.¡± Eto declared his position to interrupt Hero¡¯s voice. Then, leaving the Hero, who was at a loss for words, Eto and his party leave the tent after exchanging greetings with Lana with his eyes. ¡°Fuu, I¡¯m tired.¡± Eto sighed. ¡°Fufu, Eto was more like the bad guy there.¡± Amber said with a laugh. Volume 6 - CH 9 Chapter 9 ¨C What is a Hero That night, in front of the two tents that Narl secured through negotiations, the six people who came together from Veil gathered and had dinner together. In addition to the portable food provided by the knights, the group ate a simple vegetable soup made by Kohaku with the ingredients they brought. Besides that, Amou was also in the middle of grilling the meat of wild birds he caught in the daytime on a skewer, producing a fragrant smell that permeated into the surroundings. ¡°Eto, why do you think the Hero has such an attitude toward you?¡± Kohaku suddenly said as she remembered that topic in the middle of conversation. ¡°Un? Even if you asked, he has always been like that as far as I remember, though.¡± ¡°Before I heard Lana¡¯s story, I actually thought he was just an asshole with a bad personality who did something terrible to Eto.¡± ¡°Aa.¡± ¡°But, the one who robbed Eto¡¯s rewards was actually another person, right? Although it seems the Hero thought Eto was underpowered, he should have fully understood that he was wrong after the mock battle. And yet, he is still saying bad things about Eto.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. I didn¡¯t hear it at all today, though.¡± ¡°Un. But, the Hero is the leader of his party, right? Doesn¡¯t he feel responsible?¡± ¡°Do you mean about me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I wonder. I think it is difficult for him to change his thought toward me once he deemed me as an incompetent. I mean, look, his attitude toward Lana is completely different from his attitude toward me. Actually, he also thought of me as a comrade chosen by the Goddess at first.¡± Eto recalled the first time he met Ronaldo. At that time, he thought how could there be a man with a beautiful heart like him. Eto¡¯s heart even soared when he was told let¡¯s do their best together by Ronaldo. ¡°Have Eto seen the Hero apologize to someone before?¡± ¡°Ronaldo-sama apologizes to people? You mean seriously apologize to people? I haven¡¯t seen such a scene. That person is the first son of a Marquis family, after all. Although it seems he won¡¯t be inheriting his family since he was chosen as the Hero, I think he has never apologized to people since he was a kid.¡± ¡°I wonder if every noble is like that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true. There are various types of nobles.¡± Narl, who had been listening silently until then, said. Hearing that, Eto looked at Narl, but didn¡¯t know how much he could say to him. Because Eto thought that Narl is probably not a commoner. But if someone asked if Eto thought Narl was a noble, the question as to why he became an investigator in the Adventurer¡¯s Guild would arise. In any case, he must have his reason. Unless the person himself decided to speak, Eto thought he shouldn¡¯t thoughtlessly ask about that. ¡°Is Narl a noble?¡± However, without minding Eto¡¯s hesitation, Kohaku asked straightforwardly. ¡°¡­ Right now, I¡¯m not.¡± Narl replied after a pause. And Nii who was sitting next to Narl sighed deeply. ¡°Looks like the Hero of this generation may have a slightly twisted personality.¡± Nii expressed her view of the Hero to restore the topic of the conversation. ¡°In the first place, what is a Hero? What is it chosen for?¡± Sorano asked Eto. ¡°Are you not taught about that in the elf village?¡± ¡°¡­ At that time, I was only interested in bow and swords.¡± Looks like it was the reason Sorano was more skillful than her peers, because she spent her time differently. ¡°Well, I learned this in the Royal Castle, but the Hero seems to be an existence who can save the world¡¯s crisis and bring peace to people. But now that I think about it, it is a bit vague.¡± ¡°That¡¯s actually the only truth.¡± ¡°Are you familiar with the concept of a Hero, Nii-san?¡± ¡°When I¡¯m working behind the scenes in the guild, information is a weapon that can help me, much less in this generation that is called the age of the Hero. To be prepared for what¡¯s to come, I think the knowledge about the Hero is important.¡± ¡°The age of the Hero, huh.¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s been about 200 years since a Hero was chosen. And in the era when the Hero appears, a big disaster often occurs. And the only one who could prevent that disaster in the past was the Hero who had the power of the Holy Sword. Although the Sword Saint, Master Magician, the Saint and the Sage are also chosen as the members of the Hero¡¯s party, their job is said to be only to assist the Hero.¡± Nii continued while looking at Eto. ¡°Ee. The fighting power of Ronaldo-sama indeed had a tremendous increase when he held the Holy Sword. Even at the mock battle at the Royal Castle, he lost because he lost consciousness due to a sudden blow. But, even though that was more than 200 years ago, is there even an accurate record about Heroes?¡± The current Eto is different from when he was a kid who admired the existence of the Hero and acknowledged Ronaldo¡¯s power. Right now, Eto didn¡¯t know how much he could trust the story of the Hero told at the royal castle. ¡°The origin of the record of the Heroes is the Goddess religion that told its story to the world. It is written in ¡ºThe book of the beginning¡», which is also the doctrine of the church.¡± ¡°It is a folklore that said the Goddess appeared on the earth and gave us her words directly, right? I only thought that was just a legend.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t deny that legends and historical facts are mixed. However, it seems the Goddess religion indeed has a detailed history of how the Heroes saved the world from crisis. It also describes the great demon beast that was defeated by the Hero or the specific phenomenon that caused the disaster, but they restricted ordinary people from viewing the record, so they do not misunderstand and make a fuss about it.¡± It was the first time Eto heard about this story. If the historical facts remain, Eto would like to know not only about the Heroes but also the Sage of the past. According to Nii, all records are kept in the great temple of the Goddess in the Royal Capital and the Margrave of Erven. ¡°In conclusion, the Hero is the one and only person who can save the world from crisis. And if a big disaster occurs in this era, we have to rely on the Hero. Is that what you mean?¡± Sorano asked Nii with a bitter expression. ¡°Ee, that¡¯s right. But it seems there are also some Heroes that reached the end of their lives without such a crisis, though.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t Goddess-sama choose a more decent person?¡± ¡°Sorano-san, I advise you not to say that outside. It could be perceived as blasphemy to Goddess-sama, after all.¡± ¡°¡­ Aa, I know.¡± ¡°I have a different opinion with everyone. I think this Hero is unexpectedly decent. Because he never said ¡®if you want to save the world, listen to my order¡¯, right? He also never tried to do anything he wanted with his tremendous power. The only thing he actually did is hunt the monsters and sometimes take a break in town.¡± ¡°If he is a problem child, there is no way he is allowed to get out of the Royal Castle because he is dangerous, right? But even the Hero himself doesn¡¯t feel like it, the people around him can also be harmful, after all.¡± Eto, with the help of the Hero, remembered the ugliness of those who spoke more terrible things than the Hero himself. ¡°Although Eto-san may have a hard time in the Hero¡¯s party, given the power of the Hero and the uniqueness of his existence, he should be able to do more unreasonable things. And looking at the achievements of the Heroes of the past, the Hero of this generation will definitely become stronger and stronger from now on. Thus, even if the Hero runs out of control, I think we have no choice but to tolerate it as long as the damage is contained to some extent.¡± ¡°In order to deal with the world¡¯s crisis, huh¡­. I understand that, but I can¡¯t really obediently nod to that since I am the victim.¡± ¡°No wonder. But Eto-san seems to have overcome the past, right?¡± ¡°I wonder. I even ignored him before.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that fine? The Hero also mysteriously showed a different reaction to Eto-san.¡± ¡°Ah, I hope he can spare me from that.¡± ¡°To me, it looks like the faces of you guys are intertwined with them, though?¡± Hearing Nii¡¯s words, Eto feels like the power of his body is weakened. He wanted to get out of that fate right away. But in the end, he has no choice but to continue his adventure. If in the middle of the adventure of his party he comes across the Hero¡¯s party like this again, he just has to deal with it each time. In other words, there is no need to think harder about that. ¡°Even so, Nii-san. You sure were talkative.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nii then covered her mouth with the orange cloth she had previously removed and stared at Eto. Beside her, Narl glanced at Nii¡¯s face and his face became relaxed. Although it is hard to see from the light of the bonfire, Nii¡¯s face seemed to be reddened. Volume 6 - CH 10 Chapter 10 ¨C Ascending The Connecting Bridge The commander ordered Eto to use the key the night after he and his group arrived at the battlefield. ¡°Please wait, let me do it.¡± Kohaku enthusiastically requested. She spread her right hand toward Eto, urging him to hand over the key. Margrave said to Eto that it was a hunter¡¯s hut-like building on the eastern side of the lake, and just as he said, there was a hut right next to the lake. At the entrance of the hut, there were about three guards dispatched by the small mustached commander. Incidentally, Eto and his group were also being watched by two knights, which made Eto think, ¡®What conscientious attention.¡¯ As Eto tried to hand over the key to Kohaku, the knights that watched them glared at him, seemingly saying ¡®don¡¯t let a child touch such an important key.¡¯ But, without minding the knights¡¯ gazes, Eto handed the key to Kohaku. Needless to say, the Knights who were watching it tried to stop Kohaku from entering, but right before they were able to succeed, the two B-class adventurers behind Eto released their aura. And that aura was so intense that it even made Eto, their ally, feel a burning sensation on his back. Like that, Kohaku evaded the knights who couldn¡¯t move and quickly entered the hut, followed by Eto and the others. ¡°Errr, if I remember correctly, it is the shelf in the front, right? Un, it must be this one! This is the only shelf that is integrated with the building. And there is a keyhole at the top of this shelf.¡± Kohaku confirmed the method to use the key she heard from Eto one by one, as if playing a riddle. ¡°This is it! I will insert the key here, okay?¡± ¡°Aa, go on.¡± ¡°Rotate it to the left.¡± As Kohaku rotated the key to the left until it couldn¡¯t go any further, the group heard a roaring sound as if many monsters roared simultaneously from the bottom of the lake. Hearing that, Kohaku and Sorano rushed out of the hut, leaving the key intact. Meanwhile, Eto looked at the lake illuminated by magical lights from the window of the hut. And then, the surface of the lake in the center slowly rises, making a large amount of water fall down like a waterfall. The wind generated by the spray of water blew up to the hut. And when the roaring sound from the lake stopped, there was a bridge connecting the fort that wasn¡¯t there before. ¡°Amazing! Amazing! Eto and Dad saw it too, right?¡± Kohaku excitedly ran into the hut. ¡°Aa, I saw it.¡± Amou said with a smile. ¡°Kohaku, I¡¯ll push the key in if you don¡¯t, you know?¡± ¡°No! I will do it!¡± Kohaku slipped past Eto and went back to the shelf. ¡°Push the key to the back and¨C¡± When Kohaku said that, Eto noticed that magic power had moved behind the key. He didn¡¯t feel anything earlier, but maybe it was because the mechanism when pulling out the connecting bridge and leaving it in that state is different. ¡°¨Clastly, pull out the key.¡± As Kohaku pulled out the key, the movement of magic power that Eto felt from inside the keyhole stopped. With this, the bridge should now be fixed on the lake. ¡°It¡¯s a night raid, night raid!¡± Until suddenly, the group heard a scream from the outside. Although they were prepared for battle, they heard no footsteps approaching the hut. It seems, the one who moved in a hurry was the soldier on the enemy side. Apparently, the allied knights launched a night attack with the appearance of the connecting bridge as the signal. Subsequently, the knights who were watching Eto and his group also disappeared. ¡°If they plan to do a night attack, why don¡¯t they tell us first!¡± ¡°Well, isn¡¯t it fine? Let¡¯s just forgive them because it was fun.¡± When Eto complained about the knights, Kohaku, who fully enjoyed the appearance of the connecting bridge, made a generous remark toward the knights. Thus, just like that, Eto and his group returned to the tent and found that neither Narl nor Nii had returned, probably still gathering information outside. The next day, the group heard from Narl that the night attack by the knights was unsuccessful because of how hard the gates of the fort were. ¡î¡î¡î Eto and his party climbed a hill overlooking the battlefield and watched the knights attacking the fort. Eto didn¡¯t think that the ¡°Battlefield tour¡± that he joked about before going out would become reality. Being disliked by the commander, Eto was not called to the strategy meeting and was ordered to wait after using the key. Looks like the effects of the ¡°Hero of The Kingdom¡± title wasn¡¯t exhibited there. The southern fort actually has a first gate at the entrance of the lake, blocking the way to the connecting bridge. And even if the knights managed to cross the connecting bridge over the gate, the second gate will prevent them from invading the fort. And currently, the attackers are having trouble capturing the first gate. ¡°Sorano, about the first gate, if I¡¯m not wrong, there is a magic barrier applied on it, right?¡± ¡°Un, no doubt. I don¡¯t know whether it is reinforced with magic tools or the gate itself is a magic tool, but it¡¯s a quite powerful physical and magic barrier.¡± ¡°Do you think it can be destroyed with the Knights¡¯ battering ram?¡± Saying that, Eto turned his gaze to the battering ram waiting near the first gate. The knights carried a log with a thick rope tied to it, and around it there is also a shield unit blocking magic and arrows from the walls. ¡°With only that, it would be difficult. They just used the trees they cut down as it is, without reinforcing it at all.¡± Sorano shook her head. There is a possibility that the knights only tried to show that they¡¯re attacking the gates to the enemy while they had a separate corps moving from behind, but from above, Eto can only see that they were repeatedly attacking the gate forcefully. And that only unnecessarily increases the damage to allies. Even if they somehow manage to break through the first gate, there will be the new issue of how to cross the connecting bridge. There is no place the knights can hide on the connecting bridge. Therefore, from the point of view of the enemy mages and archers from the wall of the second gate, they will be easy prey. Which means, when the attacker is trying to cross the bridge, it will be essential to make a long-range attack to the second gate to reduce the casualty as much as possible. However, the enemy lined up hostages that couldn¡¯t move to use as a shield on the second gate. Even from where Eto and his group stood, they could see the hostages tied to a large board made of wood. In short, unless the knight deals with this problem, it will be difficult to attack the second gate, even if they somehow manage to break through the first gate. "" For that reason, Eto held a doubt about the way the knights attacked the gate. Because from there, he couldn¡¯t see any intention to use strategy or tactics at all. It is said that the strength of the allied knights is several times that of the enemy, so to continue attacking as it is may be a way to win, but it will definitely cause more casualties to the allies. And Eto¡¯s biggest concern was whether the Commander was thinking of ways to rescue the hostages with minimal damage or not. There are two things that Eto was asked by Margrave. One is to operate the connecting bridge using the key, and the other is to stick to his own justice for the people in his territory. That is why, rather than just watching the stalemate continue, Eto decided to ask the Commander about his doubt. Volume 6 - CH 11 Chapter 11 ¨C Stalemate Having decided to say his thoughts, Eto wanted to meet with the Commander, but was refused because he was busy. And after being turned down for the third time, Eto consulted with Narl, who immediately left after saying just one word, ¡°Understood¡±. And that night, it seems Narl had straightened things so that Eto could meet the Commander. When Eto¡¯s group of six, including Narl and Nii, visited the Commander, they found that the Hero¡¯s party was also in the tent. Soon after bowing and greeting the Commander, Eto asked the Commander the doubts he felt while watching the Knights fight. ¡°Commander-dono, you seem to be having a hard time breaking through the first gate, do you have a plan to break through the magically protected gate?¡± ¡°Of course! As long as we annihilate the enemy soldiers at the castle gate, the gate can be destroyed by our battering ram.¡± ¡°With all due respect, I think it is difficult to break that gate with that battering ram. Or at least, I think it will surely be tough if you don¡¯t reinforce the battering ram, and increase the number of personnel.¡± Hearing that, the Commander¡¯s face turned red and began to get angry. ¡°Who are you to say that! Our Knights are elites. It will be easy for them to destroy such a gate!¡± ¡°In other words, you don¡¯t have any plans besides that battering ram.¡± ¡°Like I said, it is unnecessary!¡± Unable to hold his anger, the Commander finally shouted. ¡°Alright. Suppose your Knights managed to break the first gate. Then, when you want to cross the connecting bridge, how do you intend to prevent the attacks of enemy archers and mages on the second gate?¡± ¡°They are using the hostages as a shield to block the attacks from our side.¡± ¡°Ee, I know. At this rate, our side will be attacked by the enemy without being able to defend when crossing the connecting bridge.¡± ¡°Umu, it is as you say. However, we, Knights, will never flinch at the enemy¡¯s despicable deeds. We will prevent everything from the enemy¡¯s arrows and magic with our shields.¡± ¡°Are you perhaps planning to enchant the shields?¡± ¡°There is no such thing!¡± ¡°Then, are those shields magic tools?¡± ¡°There is no way we can use such an expensive shield-type magic tool in this kind of place!¡± ¡°It is difficult to block arrows and magic barrage with ordinary shields. It will cause many casualties, you know?¡± ¡°You¡­ are you trying to dishonor the pride of the Knights because you chickened out?!¡± A blue streak emerges on the Commander¡¯s forehead, as his bright red face shakes. The Commander may have pride as a Knight, but he seems to lack the intelligence and calmness to think about how to deal with problems. ¡°The last question. Let¡¯s say you broke through the first gate and crossed the connecting bridge with minimal damage,¡± ¡°That will absolutely happen!¡± ¡°Do YOU have a way to rescue the hostages at the second gate?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Commander-dono?¡± The small-mustached Commander hatefully glared at Eto, but refused to answer anything. ¡°Commander-dono, do you have a way to rescue the hostages?¡± ¡°We, Knights, will do our best to rescue the hostages. That¡¯s it! In the first place, there is no way we can say something like that to an outsider like you!¡± The Commander¡¯s anger seemed to have reached its peak, and with that momentum, he was about to drive Eto and his group out of the tent. From the Commander¡¯s reply, Eto found that he had almost no strategy in capturing the southern fort and rescuing the hostages. The Commander apparently will only try to push in with raw power. Of course, Eto didn¡¯t deny that it was also one of the effective strategies due to the large number of allies. Because even if they are unable to capture the fort, as long as the stalemate continues, the enemy¡¯s supplies will be exhausted first. And the siege battle cannot be continued for a long time without supplies. Plus, looking at the situation on the battlefield, the Commander¡¯s approach is, indeed, not so wrong. However, if the battle continues just like this, the casualties in the allies will surely be increased. And the biggest problem is that the odds of the hostages being saved are definitely low. It¡¯s not just because of the danger of being involved in the battle, resulting in them losing their lives. But also if the supplies in the fort are reduced, the hostages will surely be the first to be discarded. Eto didn¡¯t know how much the hostages, who were exhausted physically and mentally, could endure this situation. Which means, in order to minimize the damage to the hostages, it is a bad idea to prolong the attack. ¡°Eto-san, do you have a plan? Just complaining will not improve anything.¡± Then, Master Magician Mirei, who had been listening silently until then, spoke to Eto. Although she said it while putting on airs like usual, this time, she seems to have the intention to hold a discussion with Eto. Eto wondered if he could propose a strategy by answering Mirei¡¯s question, with that, the Commander might listen to what he says. ¡°Let¡¯s see. First of all, you can acknowledge that we are currently in a stalemate, right?¡± As Eto said that, the Commander immediately tried to argue. However, to Eto¡¯s surprise, Ronaldo stopped him. ¡°Aa, I admit it. Please continue.¡± Ronaldo¡¯s expression seems to be really trying to listen to what Eto wanted to say. And at this time, Eto didn¡¯t care whether he had a hidden plan or not. Because it was great that he was given the opportunity to express his opinion. ¡°The Acting Lord Riesenbolt wouldn¡¯t be able to defend this fort, this is a fact. In other words, the few and unreliable army he had, will soon be besieged by us. If they couldn¡¯t move out of the fort, they soon would be annihilated. Which means, our priority should be the lives of the hostages.¡± Saying that, Eto looked at Ronaldo and the Commander. Apparently, they share the same thinking so far. ¡°So, I propose to sign a ceasefire agreement and ask for the release of the hostages. Of course, it is unlikely that the enemy will accept it. Because if the hostages are gone, we will be able to attack the second gate. With that, I will make a second suggestion. We can request them to let us send a medical team to check the health condition of the hostages.¡± Ronaldo put his hand on his chin and began to think. Meanwhile, the Commander glanced at Eto with scary eyes, while glancing at Ronaldo¡¯s reaction. ¡°I think it is a good idea to ask them if we can take care of the hostages with extremely poor health here. Since this is about the hostages, giving them food is also one of the options. Because if the hostages are weakened, the enemy will also be in trouble. If that¡¯s the case, I think it would be an acceptable proposal for both parties. The trend of war is already on. So, it would be wise to choose a method that causes as little casualties as possible.¡± Eto stared at the Commander. Because the one who has the power to decide things on this battlefield was not Ronaldo, but that small mustached Commander. However, the Commander in the end vehemently opposed Eto¡¯s proposal. He even accused Eto of being a spy who wanted to send food to the enemy, and argued that the enemy was entirely responsible for the hostages. He also screamed that if they showed any weaknesses, the enemy would only take advantage of it. Then, Eto and his group were kicked out of the tent by the Commander who was furious that he didn¡¯t want to hear such a weak proposal. In the end, Eto¡¯s proposal ended in failure. Volume 6 - CH 12 Chapter 12 ¨C Brotherly Affection To Sister Sorano, who was sleeping in a tent in the camp, woke up in the middle of the night. She lifted her upper body and looked for a presence in the surroundings and found there was no sense of discomfort in particular. Suddenly, she heard the cry of a bird from the outside. It was the cry of a rare Hollow Bird. At that time, the face of a certain elf came to Sorano¡¯s mind. Hence, Sorano left the tent carefully so as to not wake up Kohaku and the others. Early that morning, Sorano took Kohaku to visit Eto¡¯s tent and told Eto and Amou to follow her as there was something that she wanted to say. It was, in fact, rare for Sorano to say such a thing. Because of that, Eto wanted to ask what happened to her, but for the time being, he decided to just do what she said. Eto and the two then followed Sorano into the woods on the eastern side of the camp. As the group went deeper into the woods, they were able to find mushrooms, edible wild plants, and medicinal herbs. That was natural. Because this season where autumn was about to change to winter is the time to be thankful for the blessings of the abundant forest. But today, Sorano, who usually collects ingredients astutely, just goes deeper into the woods without paying attention to those things. After walking for a while, the group arrived at a place where the trees were separated, just like a little square. ¡°Sunny.¡± Stopping in her steps, Sorano looked up at the top of the tree and called the name of someone. And then, a big shadow fell from the tree towards Eto and his group. Without minding the surprised gazes of Eto and the two, the shadow quickly raises his body. The true identity of the shadow was an elf man who looked good with his short golden hair. He has a well-structured face. His muscular body and agile movement that he showed earlier allowed the group to feel the extent of his fighting power. There was a bow hanging on his left shoulder and a sword on his waist. He wore black sleeveless clothes that fit his body and dark brown trousers with a wide hem. Then, the elf called Sunny looked at everyone there with his green eyes. ¡°So you are Eto, huh.¡± Sunny then approached Eto while giving him a strong gaze, which made Eto and the other two become more vigilant in an instant. That was until Sorano smacked the man¡¯s back of his head in a flash. Then, the man collapsed forward violently, while saying ¡°My neck, my neck¡­¡± ¡°I told you many times last night. We have caught the human who enslaved me. Eto and the other two have been re-investigating my case and are working to free me from being a criminal slave.¡± Sorano grabbed the man¡¯s long ear and spoke right outside his ear. ¡°Eto, this guy is my brother, Sunny. He came to find out what was happening at the fort, because south from here is the territory of the elves.¡± Relaxed after hearing Sorano¡¯s explanation, Eto thought, ¡°They don¡¯t look alike.¡± ¡°Sunny. This is Eto, Kohaku, and Kohaku¡¯s father, Amou. Say hello properly, it¡¯s embarrassing.¡± Sorano then began to introduce the members of their party, with her face slightly reddened. ¡°Uu, alright. I am Sunny, Sorano¡¯s brother. Eto, thanks for saving my sister and working to free her from being a criminal slave. Really, thank you. And I want to pay back this debt of gratitude even if I spend my whole life doing it. However, my sister is still a child, so as her brother, I won¡¯t accept you dating my sister!¡± After Sunny excitedly said something like that, Sorano once again struck Sunny¡¯s back of the head. And this time, she hit him harder than before, to the point Sunny hit the ground with his face, making Sunny hold his nose in tears. ¡°What are you talking about, Sunny. I am not a child.¡± That¡¯s not the problem, that¡¯s what Eto thought, but that exchange made Eto know that they¡¯re good brothers and sisters. After that, the group had breakfast with Sunny in the woods using the ingredients they had. Apparently, Sunny has been looking for Sorano when he heard Sorano had been taken away when he was away from the village. ¡°I made a request to human adventurers to gather information about Sorano, but all I knew was that Sorano has become a criminal slave and that she had trouble with a noble and was not in the Margrave territory. If she really was with a noble, I¡¯m sure I can get her back even by force.¡± Sunny said with sharp eyes and gritting his teeth. Still, Sunny didn¡¯t give up and requested for continuous investigation, but the difficulty will increase if the scope of the investigation expanded to other territories. Thus, in the end, he got no further information about Sorano. At that time, Sunny was already in Veil, but he was at a loss because he had no clues about Sorano¡¯s destination. ¡°You have no idea how relieved I was when we received a letter from Sorano last month. I thanked Goddess-sama for granting my wish.¡± Sunny seems to be truly grateful that Sorano was alive and well. He also seems to have tried to pick Sorano up at the Royal Capital immediately, but was stopped by their Chieftain. After reading the letter from Sorano, the Chief found out that Sorano was looking for a witness who knew about the incident and herself well. He also knew that there was a schedule for the trial procedure. That is why the Chief convinced Sunny that he should be ready to respond in the village when Sorano wants to get in touch with himself or Sunny. ¡°I was told that Sorano would be troubled if I wasn¡¯t there when you wanted to get in touch with me. So I was told to stay in the village until the next letter arrived.¡± And yesterday, a villager who was observing the situation of the knights attacking the fort reported that he saw Sorano there. After Sunny asked if it was really Sorano, he ran out of the village without even hearing the Chief who was stopping him. Upon arriving at the knights¡¯ camp in the middle of the night, Sunny sent a signal that they had decided when he played with Sorano when she was a child. And that signal was the cry of a Hollow Bird. ¡°I always thought Sorano would surely understand that signal.¡± Saying that, Sunny¡¯s face burst into a smile. ¡°There must be a better way to call me.¡± Sorano sighed and stared at the forest behind. ¡°So, how long are you guys going to eavesdrop?¡± As Sorano called out into the depths of the forest, the figure of elves appeared from behind the trees. They carried a bow on their shoulders and a dagger on their waists, just like Sunny. Eto saw that Kohaku didn¡¯t notice the presence of the elves, and not only that, even Amou immediately shook his head. ¡°The woods are the territory of elves. Those who are easily found are not allowed to leave the village.¡± Sunny said with pride. And it was very similar to the gesture that Sorano often does. ¡°Eto. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be able to repay our gratitude to you with this, but we, eleven elves, will help you attack the fort.¡± Sunny said with a grin. Volume 6 - CH 13 Chapter 13 ¨C The Participation of The Elves Having the elves¡¯ archers on the battlefield was like foul play. They don¡¯t even need Eto¡¯s buffs or enchantment. They have a longer range and higher accuracy than the guards at the castle gate. Although it doesn¡¯t sound that much, the power that the elves showed when they silenced the guards at the first gate in a blink of an eye was just that overwhelming. When Eto asked the Commander to let the elves participate in the battle last night, the Commander always tried to make problems for Eto by saying that he couldn¡¯t trust them or that they might be planning something. And when Eto was wondering what he should do, surprisingly, it was Ronaldo who came to calm the Commander and told him that he just had to let Eto and the elves do what they could. Well, although grateful, that also made Eto want to ask what Ronaldo was planning. After that morning battle, no matter how stupid the Commander is, he should be able to realize the usefulness of the Elven Archers. He even held Sunny¡¯s hand and invited him to join the Knights. And next to him stood Ronaldo, who was talking with the other elves with a smile. Even among the elf archers, Sunny¡¯s shooting skill was one of the best. And when Sunny fired an arrow, the sound of the strings being pulled was abnormal, likely because he is using a pretty strong bow. The accuracy is also outstanding, and he can also fire his bow continuously. Even the enemies on the wall fell into disorder when one of their Captain was slaughtered by Sunny¡¯s arrow. Then, the other elves besides Sunny calmly shot the enemy soldiers that had fallen into disorder. Seeing such coordination from the elves, no one probably wants to turn them into enemies. The Knights, who are gaining momentum with the participation of the elven archers, are preparing to start the battle to break through the first gate in the afternoon. This time, the Knights reinforced the battering ram with metal, and the personnel who used shields to block arrows and magic attack were also incorporated into the battering ram team, leaving only a few soldiers with shields to protect them. In other words, this time they used this tactic in anticipation of the power of the elven archers. However, in the afternoon, just before the battle was about to begin, things beyond the expectation of the attackers occurred. Three hostages of one man and two women were hung at the second gate on the fort side with both of their arms tied. And a man wearing full-body armor stood on the castle gate. ¡°Listen, the insolent persons who invade our land! How preposterous of you to use elven archers in a noble battlefield! Every time an elf shoots an arrow, we will cut their ropes! If you are okay with that, go on!¡± The man shouted at Eto and the Knights. The man actually pulled his sword from his waist and brought the sword closer to the rope tied to one of the hostages. Eto and every one on their side can see even from a distance that the male hostage is afraid, making Eto irritated of himself who couldn¡¯t do anything. First of all, if the hostages are dropped from the height of the castle gate, they probably couldn¡¯t be saved. Even if they lived by chance, they will eventually lose their lives from a serious injury. This gives the Knights two options. Either abandon the hostages and let the elven archers show their full potential, or seal the elven archers. And the Commander, in the end, chose the latter and the afternoon battle was canceled. In the tent for the operation command, the Commander, the Hero¡¯s party, the Knight¡¯s Captains, Eto, Narl, and Sunny were called in to hold a strategy meeting. One of the Captains stood up at the beginning of the meeting. He is a man with a slender face like a stage actor. ¡°Currently, we are in a situation where our enemy¡¯s used hostages as a shield, causing the Elven Archers to be unable to participate in the war. In that case, just like the original strategy, let us Knights break through the first gate by ourselves!¡± The man lifted his right arm up, as if he was drunk on his own words. Some showed their agreement to the man¡¯s words, but the majority just listened to him with sour expressions. Sure enough, not even the Commander can agree with the man¡¯s words. If there is no way to break through the two gates while ensuring the safety of the hostages, even the Commander couldn¡¯t see the ending where they can capture the fort. In addition, given the physical strength of the hostages, they don¡¯t have the time to try strategy after strategy again. ¡°Hero-sama, do you have the skill to directly destroy the castle gate?¡± The Commander asked while being ashamed. ¡°Mirei and I indeed have a way to destroy the gate with a single blow.¡± ¡°Oo! By all means, please use that skill to open the castle gate¨C¡± ¡°However, if we use that method, the lives of the hostages brought to the walls will be in danger. If the hostages are gathered in one place we might at least be able to do something about that, but it is impossible now that they have their limbs tied up and hung.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°Ee. I think we should use our strength as a last resort. You can understand what I¡¯m saying, right?¡± Ronaldo looked at the Commander with a strong gaze. ¡°Y-yes. I understand.¡± Hero Ronaldo says he will release their power when the Commander decides to sacrifice the hostages. That made Eto surprised, because he never expected Ronaldo to make such a harsh decision. In addition, Ronaldo said he and Mirei could destroy the castle gate, which has excellent physical and magic resistance. In other words, they can destroy it with a single blow using skill or magic. "" When Eto still belonged to the Hero¡¯s party, the two didn¡¯t have that much power. And when he looked at Lana, she nodded lightly in reply to him. ¡®Hee, so they really have such a skill.¡¯ Eto thought. It seems that the Hero¡¯s party weren¡¯t spending their time aimlessly. The decision to sacrifice the hostages surely wasn¡¯t something that could be decided at a moment of notice, thus the discussion became stagnant. ¡°Eto, do you have any suggestions?¡± When the place was about to calm down, Ronaldo asked with a serious expression. However, Eto couldn¡¯t help but suspect that Ronaldo might have an ulterior motive by asking that. Because Eto thought there was no way Ronaldo needed his opinions, and Eto thought Ronaldo probably wanted to shame him by jumping on his mistakes. ¡®Besides, since when does this guy address my name casually? I don¡¯t really mind, but¡­ I feel like the way he spoke to me also changed.¡¯ When Eto thought about something like that, the Commander yelled at him. ¡°Hero-sama is asking for an opinion from an adventurer like you! Answer him immediately!¡± The Commander had his face flushed in anger. ¡®An adventurer like you, huh, what a downgrading way to say that¡¯ Thinking like that, Eto stared at the Commander. And perhaps finding Eto¡¯s gaze unpleasant, the Commander was about to yell again, saying, ¡°Y-you bastard!¡±. That was until Ronaldo raised one hand in front of the Commander. ¡°How is it, Eto?¡± It seems Ronaldo wanted to hear Eto¡¯s opinion no matter what. Thus, Eto sighed in his heart. ¡°Well then, Hero-sama said that you and Mirei-sama have a skill that can destroy the castle gate. If you don¡¯t mind, can you tell me what kind of skill it is? If you can destroy the gate for sure, there is a strategy I would like you to try.¡± Eto regained his calm and began to speak his proposal. Volume 6 - CH 14 Chapter 14 ¨C Eto¡¯s Suggestion ¡°My aim is to bring the second gate to get under our control as quickly as possible and minimize the sacrifice of the hostages. To achieve that, I propose to form three new special units.¡± Eto then began to talk about the strategy to capture the fort that he had in mind. It was a strategy that made full use of his own support magic, centering on Ronaldo¡¯s and Mirei¡¯s skill. And he decided to show the effect of his support magic to the Commander and Captains who are doubtful of its power. The first special unit proposed by Eto are the twelve elf archers with the addition of Sorano. The members who were attending the strategy meeting were taken to the outskirts of the camp. He also asked Sunny and the elves to join them. ¡°Sorano, how long do you think the distance from the top of the cliff overlooking the southern fort to the second gate is?¡± Eto asked Sorano. ¡°It¡¯s about a thousand meters. It¡¯s like the distance from here to¡­ that cedar tree that you can only see at the top.¡± ¡°Well then, I¡¯m going to cast support magic on you, so try aiming at that tree.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Sorano nodded as if it was a usual occurrence. Meanwhile, the elves, who were listening to Eto, stared at Sorano with dubious expressions. ¡°Sorano, my sister, I know that you are a talented archer. However, that cedar tree is too far. How can you aim at it? Or do you perhaps have a special attack method?¡± Sunny asked on behalf of everyone. ¡°There is no such thing. I will just shoot an arrow to that cedar tree.¡± ¡°Like I said, there is no¨C¡± ¡°Shut up and see.¡± Sorano casts a physical strengthening buff on herself before making a stance with her feet. Then, Eto added another physical strengthening buff and enchanted her arrow with wind magic. As the preparation finished, Sorano slowly brought her bow and an arrow over her head. She then aimed her left hand toward the target and pulled the bow with all her might and lowered her hands. When both of her arms were in the shooting position, silence engulfed the area. And at the next moment, with a light squealing sound, the arrow shot by Sorano flew toward the cedar tree in the distance. The wind magic applied to the arrow wrapped around it, minimizing air resistance. ¡°Mu, the arrow speed doesn¡¯t drop?¡± Sunny is staring at the flying arrow. The other elves also have serious expressions. The arrow continued to fly straight as if tearing through the air, and then hit the tip of the cedar tree. ¡°Oo!!¡± The voices of surprise and admiration leaked from those who were there. ¡°That¡¯s my support magic. I want the elves to attack the enemy soldiers on the walls of the second gate. Can you all do the thing that Sorano had just done?¡± Those words seemed to fully stimulate the pride of the elves. Every one of them showed a warlike smile and asked Eto to let them try it too. Although the Commander and Captains were skeptical about Eto¡¯s support magic at the strategy meeting, the demonstration in front of them seemed to have earned some of their trust. Next, Eto brought the group to the horse field in the camp where the battering ram was placed. As they arrived, Eto saw a metal-reinforced battering ram on the side, and a wooden wall for training at a distance. ¡°Sorry to keep everyone waiting. You¡¯re from the battering ram units, right?¡± Eto asked the knights in that place. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. We were ordered to wait here.¡± The Captain of the unit replied. ¡°Ee. I was the one who asked you to. I¡¯d like you guys to try my support magic with my party member, Amou.¡± ¡°Support magic?¡± ¡°Yes. Proof is better than theory. So, let¡¯s try it on that wooden wall.¡± ¡°Haa, we can try it, but even if the strength of one person increases, the destructive power of the battering ram won¡¯t be increased dramatically, you know?¡± ¡°Ee. But you¡¯ll never know unless you try it, so please.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± First, Eto had the Knights attack the wall alone. He didn¡¯t cast any support magic on them and asked them to move as usual. As a result, the wooden wall that was hit by the battering ram trembled violently with a loud noise, but it didn¡¯t seem to be particularly damaged. After that, Eto cast Strength buff on top of their own Battle Spells. In addition, he also casted Earth magic ¨C Hardening the battering ram. It is the most basic magic that hardens the object. ¡°Well then, please do it again.¡± The members of the battering ram unit didn¡¯t seem to understand what they were trying. So, they just hit the battering ram against the wooden wall, as Eto told them to. Then, an explosive sound that has never been heard before reverberated throughout the horse field. Because of the sound, the horses in that place neighed in surprise. Meanwhile, the Knights who made that noise didn¡¯t seem to understand what had happened. ¡°Let¡¯s do it again, everyone! Come on, quickly!¡± When Eto said that, the Knights looked at each other and struck the battering ram against the wooden wall again, generating another explosive sound. This time, the surface of the wall that was struck by the ram cracked, leaving a clear mark of the battering ram. ¡°Amou, join them. It seems matching the timing is important for this.¡± ¡°Aa. Leave it to me.¡± As Amou joined them, the position was changed. Now, Amou was on the right side of the front row, and Taro, the largest Knight in the battering ram unit, was on the other side of Amou, to match the body size of Amou. Along with a light shout, the battering ram hit the wooden wall. In just the first try matching their timing, the wooden wall was distorted and stuck in that condition. The Knights couldn¡¯t hide their excitement on their faces, as if thinking that they, who haven¡¯t been very useful, suddenly gained a great power. ¡°I want to do my best for the next blow.¡± Amou looked over the Knights, and every one of them nodded with determination. ¡°Let¡¯s show them our power!¡± Taro shouted. ¡°Oo!¡± Then, the next blow that they did with all their might easily broke through the wooden wall and even smashed the thick stakes that supported it. When Eto used his support magic on the elf archers and the battering ram, the Commander and Captains were surprised at the magnitude of the effect and finally became enthusiastic about the operation. After that, the group returned to the tent and listened to Eto¡¯s speech. ¡°The confirmation of the support magic for the elf archers and the battering ram units plus Amou is over. The last is the assault unit responsible for capturing the second gate. Before that, regarding destroying the gate, can I ask Ronaldo-sama and Mirei-sama?¡± Eto¡¯s suggestion was based on the premise that Ronaldo and Mirei had the skills to destroy the gate with a single blow. ¡°Aa. No problem. We also don¡¯t need support magic.¡± Ronaldo said. ¡°When you cast it on me before, it wasn¡¯t very effective. Maybe it is less effective for those who originally have high fighting power?¡± Mirei also seemed skeptical about the effect of support magic. ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you to decide whether to use it or not.¡± Unlike when he was still in the Hero¡¯s party, Eto now didn¡¯t seem to care and left the decision to the two. ¡°Eto, please cast your support magic on me. You¡¯re going to join the assault unit, right?¡± Lana said. ¡°Aa, understood.¡± ¡°Since this is a rare chance, can you cast it to us too? Eto-san also said that you will never know unless you try, after all. How is it, Ronaldo-sama?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really mind. Do whatever you like, Mirei.¡± ¡°Well then, please, Eto-san.¡± ¡°Yes, understood.¡± The detailed strategy is like this. After the destruction of the first gate, Lana, Kohaku, Narl, Nii and six Knights¡¯ scouts will run through the connecting passage to the second gate. This unit has the fastest possible members. Eto also plans to give them Haste, Strength, Protect and Shield buffs. The Commander, Captains, and members of the Hero¡¯s party who witnessed the effects of Eto¡¯s support magic seemed to have already decided to carry out the operation. The talk was so smooth that Eto wondered if it was a trap. Volume 6 - CH 15 Chapter 15 ¨C Siege Before the start of the operation, Eto was on a hill overlooking the southern fort. A breeze is blowing at his front. Although that means the elf archers had to shoot their arrows against the wind, the arrows are less likely to shift compared to shooting them from the side. In other words, the wind direction was not bad for long-range shooting. Sorano and the elves, who are checking the condition of their bows in the immediate vicinity, have already been buffed with Eto¡¯s support magic. Near the first gate, was Amou and the battering ram unit and assault unit with Kohaku and Lana inside. Eto has also finished buffing them. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s start the operation. Ronaldo-sama, Mirei-sama, I haven¡¯t buffed you two yet. First, please cast Battle Spell magic on yourself.¡± Ronaldo and Mirei nodded to Eto¡¯s words and cast Physical Abilities Strengthening magic for themselves. Looking at that, Eto couldn¡¯t help but marvel at Mirei¡¯s magic control. ¡®Why does a person who performs such a delicate and precise magic control have a bad character?¡¯ Eto thought without showing any expression. ¡°¡­ Yes, that¡¯s fine. Haste. Strength. Magic Force.¡± Eto then does his work uninterested. ¡°You, did you just apply buffs to us with one cast¨C¡± ¡°Alright, done. I¡¯ll leave the rest to you.¡± Mirei said something with a surprised expression, but Eto immediately interrupted her with words. He expressed his unwillingness to answer that question. And when Mirei saw it, she made a bitter face and turned away without saying anything. Eto held a jewel in his right hand. That jewel has the power to deliver his support magic over a wide range, and anyone within that range can obtain the buff effect. And Eto was not willing to explain to Mirei about the tactically important tool, the jewel. After such exchanges, Ronaldo and Mirei gripped their hands to see what the difference was in their bodies. ¡°Mirei, let¡¯s go!¡± As Ronaldo shouted, the two rushed toward the gate. In a blink of an eye, Ronaldo arrived at the first gate, holding his Holy Sword and repelling arrows and magic that came toward him from the walls. Behind him, Mirei, who was gathering a terrifying amount of magic power in her body, extended her right hand. ¡°Burn the world, Hell Flame!¡± When Mirei finished her chant, a jet-black flame covered the first gate. Mirei¡¯s maximum magic didn¡¯t only destroy the gate, but also annihilating the enemy soldiers along with the walls. Everything was burned till nothing was left, and there was almost no smoke. The stones that formed the castle gate then collapsed toward the connecting bridge, but they were blown away by Ronaldo¡¯s sword skill, causing many heavy stones to fly up in the sky and sink into the lake. ¡°It¡¯s now, Lana, don¡¯t miss the timing!¡± As Ronaldo shouted, the assault unit who had been waiting immediately ran through the connecting bridge. Thanks to Mirei¡¯s maximum magic, Lana, Kohaku, and Nii were clearly visible even from the hills where Eto was standing. For that unit, speed is life. Because if they didn¡¯t run, they can¡¯t save the hostages hanged on the second gate. With the movement of the assault unit, the elf archers also began to move. Since they now can see the second gate clearly because Mirei¡¯s maximum magic almost causes no smoke. Just like that, their ultra-long range shooting quickly silenced enemy soldiers at the second gate. ¡°Sorano, Sunny-san, it¡¯s about time.¡± Eto said to the two. ¡°Un, leave it to me.¡± ¡°Ou, take a good look at my skill.¡± Sorano and Sunny then took an arrow that was about twice as thick as normal. It was a special arrow made by the elves, and given multiple enchantments by Eto. That arrow they shot went through the first gate and pierced deep into the wall of the second gate. ¡°Yosh, it¡¯s a success.¡± Eto gripped his fist and nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s continue!¡± ¡°Un, I¡¯ll match Sunny.¡± Two, three, the thick arrows pierced the walls with intervals. Arrows were added to the walls one after another, leading to the top of the wall. Seeing that, Lana and the other members of the assault unit ran up the scaffolding made by arrows in the walls with the momentum running through the connecting bridge. Lana, who was the vanguard, climbed onto the wall in a few steps and slashed at the enemy soldiers who had been hiding from the elves¡¯ arrows. ¡°Kohaku-chan, lower the rope. Narl-san and Nii-san, hold down the enemy soldiers on the left!¡± ¡°Roger that!¡± After tying the rope tightly to the ledge of the wall, Kohaku shouted to the people down the wall and threw the rope down. And then, she stared at the figure of Lana, who was fighting the enemy soldiers. The sword that Lana held was very slender. It was to the point that if the enemy hits her sword with all their might, it¡¯s likely to break. However, in the first place, no attack can reach Lana at all. Lana slips through the enemy soldiers, like the wind that blows through the grove. Immediately after that, the enemy falls to the ground one after another. And Kohaku couldn¡¯t figure out how Lana defeated the enemy. ¡°So this is the swordsmanship of the Sword Saint¡­¡± Kohaku muttered. ¡°Kohaku-chan, please secure a position for us!¡± Lana returned with the hostages. ¡°Yes, understood!¡± After watching Lana¡¯s fight, Kohaku¡¯s tone suddenly became formal. ¡°Fufu, don¡¯t worry, Kohaku-chan. The enemy is not in the condition to concentrate their strength here. So, quickly.¡± Thinking that Kohaku was nervous because of the atmosphere of the battlefield, Lana smiled to reassure her. Meanwhile, Ronaldo with his Holy Sword stood in front of the second gate. After confirming that Lana and the others had secured a position on the wall, he took a step and looked at the gate in front of him. ¡°I also have to play my part.¡± Ronaldo took an oblique stance and pulled the silver-white Holy Sword back. ¡°O Holy Sword, heed my request and become a blade that pierces my enemy, Light Needle!¡± At that moment, a sharp light was emitted from the Holy Sword that was aimed at the second gate. That light pierced the gate in an instant and even pierced the stone walls beyond the gate, creating a large hole in the wall. "" ¡°What power¡­¡± The Knights, who were desperately chasing after the Hero, muttered with a stunned expression. Ronaldo then went inside the gate and knocked the remaining enemy soldiers down. It was just as Lana said, the enemy was not in the position where they could reclaim the second gate. Because Ronaldo had already destroyed the troops near the gate. ¡°I¡¯ll widen it a little so that other soldiers can easily go through the gate!¡± Amou, who rushed to the second gate, shouted. ¡°Ou!¡± Everyone in the battering ram unit responded and immediately struck the wreckage of the gate. Eto, who was watching the scene from the hill, exhaled as with that, the climax of the siege battle had passed. Ronaldo also seemed to use something different from the sword skill he was talking about at the strategy meeting. He probably judged from Mirei¡¯s maximum magic and the feeling he had when swinging his sword that the sword skill that he originally planned to use would be too powerful. That made Eto think about how good his natural senses are. ¡°Now is an opportunity to attack! Follow me!¡± Ronaldo lifted his Holy Sword and raised his voice. ¡°Oo!¡± The Knights and soldiers who had successfully crossed the bridge screamed wildly and rushed into the fort following Ronaldo¡¯s back. Volume 6 - CH 16 Chapter 16 ¨C Taking Control of The Fort The Knights and soldiers, led by the Hero Ronaldo, in the end, managed to take control of the fort. All nobles involved in the kidnapping case, illegal slave trafficking, and barricading themselves in the fort, including the Acting Lord Riesenbolt, were arrested. When the Knights surrounded them, they no longer had the spirit to fight for their lives. And because the fort was located in the center of the lake, it was not possible for them to run away. The Knights also managed to save a total of 57 kidnapped victims who were held all over the fort. The victims were in poor health when the Knights and soldiers found them, and those who were used as shields were assaulted routinely and were in danger if not treated immediately. With that, the medical team brought by the Knights immediately began giving first aid to those victims. At the same time, they also requested the support of medical personnel from the territory of Veil. ¡ª Sorano, who went through the second gate from the large hole made by Ronaldo¡¯s attack, went up to the wall using the stairs in the rear. There, she found the garrison soldiers that she and the elves defeated with their bow scattered around. Large and small pieces of destroyed wall are also scattered, and Sorano proceeds to the center of the second gate while avoiding them. When she arrived just above the gate, she found a man in full-body armor lying down looking up at the sky. Sorano looked at the man for a while, until suddenly, she knelt down and lifted the man¡¯s helmet. The man¡¯s left cheek was unsightly and distorted as if it had been scooped out by something. ¡®As expected it was him, huh.¡¯ Sorano thought. Yes, that man was the man who hung the hostages at the gate and made the stupid statement to the Knights. When she heard his voice before, Sorano had already thought maybe the man was ¡®him¡¯. There was a nobleman who tried to violate Sorano, who had just been made into a criminal slave. At that time, Sorano bit at the nobleman¡¯s left cheek and bit it off. And the man who was dead in front of her right now, was definitely that nobleman. Now, she didn¡¯t feel any anger or sympathy toward the man whose name she didn¡¯t even know. However, she thought that her actions might have driven the man mad. And the man¡¯s madness might be the thing that created such a kidnapping case and made the hostages suffer. ¡°But, there was nothing I could do except that at that time.¡± Sorano muttered, keeping her eyes on the man¡¯s left cheek. ¡°Sorano. So you are here. Eto is calling for you.¡± Kohaku¡¯s voice was heard from behind. Hearing that, Sorano looked away from the man¡¯s face and relaxed her mouth. Kohaku said that it was a coincidence that she found her there, but it was actually difficult even for Sorano to reach the place Sorano found the nobleman. So, Kohaku must have been worried about Sorano, so she went to look for her. ¡°Aa, I will go now.¡± Sorano replied to Kohaku and gently returned the man¡¯s helmet back to its place, thinking that she probably won¡¯t even remember the man again. With this, Sorano felt that the series of events that made her a slave had finally come to an end. ¡ª While exploring the fort, the Knights found several dead bodies in an underground prison. It seems they were offhandedly thrown into the prison, and there are traces of torture on their bodies. Normally, the Knights would inquire about their identity and the body would be handed to the bereaved family, but as their bodies already decayed, it was decided that they will only take some remains of the body and cremate them. After that, the interrogations will be held to identify the person who tortured them, which will definitely result in severe punishment. After that, Eto and his group remained in the fort for a while to take care and be the advisories to those who had been held hostages. And since most of the hostages were women, the presence of Sorano and Kohaku, who had experience escorting victims of kidnapping, was very helpful. Eventually they will also be sent home, but that will have to wait until they recover both physically and mentally. Sunny and the elves disappeared when the fall of the fort was confirmed. It is a wonderful way to leave, like the saying ¡°a bird does not foul the nest it is about to leave¡¯. Eto also hasn¡¯t thanked Sunny yet, but, even without any proof, Eto believes that he would meet Sunny again soon. The same goes for Narl and Nii, the investigators of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, who disappeared. Right after the fall of the fort, they told Eto and his party that they were going to leave because they had other work to do, and just like that, they were gone the next day. As the days went by, doctors, pharmacists, and priests were dispatched from the territory of Veil, and they set up a medical system in the fort. Many of the victims wanted to leave the fort, which became a dark memory for them, and go home as soon as possible. Therefore, Eto and his party decided to return to Veil with those who wanted to go back. The day before their departure to the territory of Veil, Eto and his party greeted the people who took care of them while they were staying in the fort. Apparently, Kohaku became friends with the Knights¡¯ scout who were with her in the assault unit, and was taught how to hide her presence and detect the enemy. That made Eto think, what a terrifying thirteen-year-old girl. For some reason, Amou was relied on by the men of the battering ram unit, and led them to clean the fort. On the other hand, Sorano exchanged greetings mainly with medical personnel, as she was helping the victims together with them. Meanwhile, albeit reluctant, Eto decided to show up to the Commander and Ronaldo. Because in the siege, his strategy wouldn¡¯t have been possible without their cooperation. The Commander was in a good mood from the beginning to end, thanks to their victory. He praised the swordsmanship of the Hero and the maximum magic of the Master Magician, and also spoke loudly about the achievements of the Knights. Apparently, he completely forgot about Eto and his group¡¯s achievements, but as Eto thought it would be troublesome if he got in a bad mood, he just matched the Commander¡¯s talk. When Eto headed to Ronaldo¡¯s place, Mirei and Lana were also in the room. ¡°Thank you for your help this time.¡± Mirei said to Eto with ¡®reluctant but at least I should say it¡¯ expression. Next to her, Lana shook her hands together, as if saying ¡°Sorry.¡± Ronaldo and Mirei¡¯s attitude toward Eto have become a little milder, probably because Lana has helped clear the obstacles. Thus, Eto thought that the next time they met, he had to treat her to something to express his gratitude. After greetings, Eto suddenly thinks about something and takes out a golden jewel from his pocket and shows it to Mirei. ¡°What is that jewel?¡± ¡°A jewel that was saved in the Royal¡¯s Treasury. This was a reward for solving the Goblin Stampede, but if you grab this jewel and use support magic, you can cast wide range support magic with one cast.¡± ¡°What! Such a thing¡­ Show me a little more.¡± Eto lifted his hand holding the jewel so Mirei could see it easily. Mirei brings her face closer to the jewel and examines it carefully. As Mirei was about to extend her hand to touch the jewel, Eto stored the jewel back into his pocket. ¡°This jewel has no effect on attack magic. It also has no magic amplification effect. It can only be effective with Support Magic. I think it is something that is useless for Mirei-sama.¡± ¡°Fun! That¡¯s true. Jewel, is it? I will remember it.¡± The power of Mirei¡¯s maximum magic was tremendous. She played an important role in Eto¡¯s operation. Since she already showed that much, Eto thought he would just reveal how he applied his support magic in a wide range with just one cast. Finally, Eto also greeted Ronaldo. ¡°See you.¡± Ronaldo stared straight at Eto and told him to greet his party for him. ¡°Ee, see you again somewhere, Ronaldo-sama.¡± When Eto heard Ronaldo¡¯s words, Eto thought ¡®Are, does he think of me as a friend or something?¡¯, but he wouldn¡¯t complain if Ronaldo treated him in a friendly way. So, he replied adequately. Volume 7 - CH 1 Volume 7 ¨C Birth of Temporary Civil Affairs Officer Eto Chapter 1 ¨C Return to Veil and Returning The Key When Eto decided to leave the southern fort, he wrote a letter to Captain Andrea, who was managing the Knights of the territory of Veil. The content of the letter is that at the request of the Knights, Eto and his party will send 28 kidnapped victims, so Eto requested them to be ready to accept them. As for specific requests, first of all, Eto asked to have a female Knight on standby in order to reassure the female victims who were extremely exhausted mentally. If Sorano and Kohaku, who helped to take care of the female victims at the southern fort could explain the symptoms of the victims to the female Knights waiting in the Veil, the worry of the Knights taking over them should be reduced. The other requests Eto made in his letter was to have doctors and pharmacists on standby. That was because some victims are experiencing symptoms such as the sudden resurgence of fear and anxiety due to the shock of the incident. A doctor and a pharmacist were also accompanying them during the transfer from the fort to Veil, and needless to say, they also had to exchange the information they knew about the victims to the doctor standby at the Veil. Because, even the victims could probably consult without hesitation if the doctor or pharmacist has some understanding of their condition. An early reply came from Captain Andrea, saying that Cyril¡¯s branch chief, Jerome, had given him some instructions regarding accepting the victims, and he also said that they¡¯re ready to respond to Eto¡¯s requests. The Knights of Cyril are now protecting the kidnapped victims that Eto and his party have escorted from the Royal Capital. So, it indeed would be easier if the people in charge of these two cities worked together. With many people, the carriage trip took four days to reach the territory of Veil. After passing through the south gate of Veil, Eto and his group headed straight for the Knight¡¯s facility. As requested, three female Knights were waiting in the facility, and they told everyone that they would be checked by a doctor after they took a rest in the building. After that, Eto and his party left the rest to the Knights, and his party went to see Captain Andrea to give a report. Captain Andrea asked the details about the fall of the southern fort, and Kohaku and Sorano explained the condition of the victims who had been held hostage. And when the report was finished, the Captain suddenly stood up and bowed to Eto and his party. ¡°I can¡¯t thank Eto-dono enough. You and your party caught the Acting Lord that I let escape. Without Eto-dono¡¯s party, the damage surely would have been greater than it is now. I would like to thank you as someone who has been entrusted with the management of the territory of Veil. Thank you very much.¡± ¡°No, please don¡¯t bow your head. We just received your request, so you don¡¯t have to give excessive gratitude toward Adventurers like us. Rather than that, I am grateful that you responded to my request regarding the preparation of the acceptance of the victims.¡± Eto also stood up in a hurry and bowed to the Captain. ¡°Without Eto-dono¡¯s party, I¡¯m sure we wouldn¡¯t be able to capture the southern fort yet. We also couldn¡¯t imagine how terrible the damage to the hostages will be¡­ ah right, I haven¡¯t given you the sign that the request has been completed.¡± The Captain then took out a stamp from the desk drawer and stamped the guild¡¯s documents to mark the completion of the request. ¡°With this all the requests from the Knights are completed. And according to what I¡¯ve heard from Jerome, the chief of the Cyril branch, Eto-dono and his group want to start an activity to help the kidnapped victims.¡± ¡°Yes. We had a bit of fate with the kidnapped victims, as they came to trust us, who were involved in their rescue operation. There are many victims, especially the females, who are mentally hurt. I¡¯m thinking of staying in Veil for a while and creating a mechanism to support them.¡± ¡°I see. Does that mean Eto-dono intended to do it voluntarily, not at the request of the kingdom?¡± ¡°Ee, that¡¯s right. Do you think it is a little rash?¡± Captain Andrea took a deep breath, seemingly looking for his next words. ¡°I wonder. If the one who said that was some other people, I might have thought so, but if Eto-dono was the one who started it, then I have high expectations for it. If that¡¯s the case, please let us cooperate. For your stay in Veil, you are free to use the Knights¡¯ facilities.¡± Hearing Andrea¡¯s suggestion, Eto felt overwhelmed. ¡°No, there is no way I can use the Knights¡¯ facilities even though I didn¡¯t receive any request from the Knights. Besides, we will continue our adventurer activities. If such people can use the Knights¡¯ facilities freely, a problem might arise later. So, thank you, but please allow us to reject your kindness.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, there won¡¯t be any issue. In the first place, we¡¯ve heard about Eto-dono from Commander Musik. Besides, there is also the achievements of Eto-dono¡¯s party this time. If I were to do something such as abandoning Eto-dono and his party, I would definitely get scolded.¡± ¡°But¨C¡± ¡°Eto-dono, I have expectations of what Eto-dono and his party will do in Veil. I don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ll be tasked to manage Veil. However, at least until that time, please let me aid the support activities that Eto-dono and his party will start.¡± Saying that, Andrea bowed his head. Even Eto couldn¡¯t say anything with such heartfelt words. Thus, Eto decided to accept Andrea¡¯s kindness gratefully. After that, Eto and his party were guided by a Knight to a quadruple room with two bunk beds, and the Knight said it was fine to use that room with Amou. Meanwhile, Kohaku and Sorano were given a room in the girls¡¯ dormitory. It seems the Knights will also provide three meals a day for free, which they can get in the cafeteria. That made Eto want to thank Captain Andrea again for the warm reception he gave to his party. That night, Eto went to Margrave¡¯s castle because when he told Margrave that he wanted to return the key lent by Margrave, he was told to come to visit that night. And as Eto arrived at the castle, a tall, white-haired veteran butler was waiting next to the Knights, who were protecting the castle from intruders, and when the butler saw Eto, he gave a deep bow. ¡°Eto-sama, allow me to express my pleasure on your safe return.¡± ¡°No, I think that it was thanks to the key entrusted to me by Margrave that we were able to minimize the number of victims. That¡¯s why, thank you very much.¡± ¡°Please keep the key for now. I will guide you to Margrave¡¯s room, please follow me.¡± The butler stood ahead of Eto and began to walk. And Eto thought that his manners were as good as ever. Volume 7 - CH 2 Chapter 2 ¨C Shadow of The Empire Apparently, the butler guided Eto to the office of Margrave. As soon as they entered the room, Eto found a sofa set, which Margrave sits alone there. And there is also a solid office desk in the back. Eto then sat down on the sofa opposite of Margrave as suggested by the butler. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Margrave-sama. Thank you for accepting my request for the visit.¡± Eto thanked the Margrave for giving him some time to have a visit. ¡°No, I was the one who troubled you for accepting my reckless request.¡± Margrave lightly said. Margrave seems to be in a good condition today, as his face is redder and his breathing is calmer than when Eto talked to him in the bedroom the other day. ¡°Without delay, this is the key Margrave-sama entrusted to me.¡± Eto took out the key out of his pocket and put it on the table. Margrave glanced at the butler who was waiting near the door to have him receive the key. And then, the butler put a white bed that was tied with a gold string in front of Eto, like it was an exchange for the key. ¡°That¡¯s the reward for the request. I want you to receive it.¡± Hearing that, Eto hesitated whether he should receive it or not, but when he thought it was natural for adventurers to receive some rewards after completing his job, he decided to take it. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± ¡°Umu.¡± Margrave nodded, as if he understood even Eto¡¯s momentary hesitation. After that, Eto began to talk about what he had seen at the southern fort, but apparently, Margrave already knew about how the fort fell to some extent, which was probably reported by his own information network. Besides that, Eto also told Margrave that after the fall of the fort, the Acting Lord Riesenbolt was also taken as a prisoner. ¡°So he couldn¡¯t even fight and die, huh¡­¡± Margrave muttered. Eto couldn¡¯t guess from the expression of Margrave whether the word came from anger or sadness toward his son. ¡°Thanks to the effort of your group, I am sure this territory will gradually stabilize. Thanks for your hard work. This should make it difficult for the Empire to attack us.¡± ¡°The Empire?¡± ¡°Umu.¡± Margrave nodded and stared at Eto¡¯s face, giving him a dubious look. ¡°What? Is there no one who suspects that it was the Empire that bombed the Great Frederick Bridge?¡± Not only that, Margrave even grasped that the explosion of the Great Frederick Bridge was most likely caused by a magic circle. And he said he also had an idea about the said magic circle. ¡°More than 40 years ago, when my grandfather ruled this territory, a war between our Kingdom and the Empire began. Of course, even before the war started, there had been skirmishes near the border, but at that time, the skirmishes happened to happen at the same time. Gradually, both sides were cornered to the point where they couldn¡¯t retreat from the war.¡± Saying that, Margrave looked far away, as if remembering the old days. ¡°At that time, I was just a Captain in the Order of the Knights. I was also taught to hate the Empire, so I ran around the battlefield to increase my achievements.¡± At a moment, Margrave¡¯s eyes relaxed a little when remembering those days, but soon it returned to his usual expressionless expression. ¡°And what we were most wary of at that time was the detonation formula used by the Empire. Because it can cause an explosion in a timed manner, and you can¡¯t even feel the increase in magic power like when a magician uses magic.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like¡­¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s very similar to the situation when the Great Frederick Bridge exploded.¡± Margrave also said that the detonation formula itself was a technology that the Empire had independently made. ¡°Even now, our Kingdom is still unable to imitate the Empire¡¯s detonation formula. Rather, it¡¯s probably because only a few people actually experienced its power in the war, so news of its usefulness hasn¡¯t reached the capital. Because, forty years ago, the war was flashy only at the beginning, and after that, the stalemate continued and the ceasefire negotiations began.¡± It was the first time Eto heard that the detonation technique using a magic circle was the Empire¡¯s unique technique. That was also the reason he didn¡¯t think the Empire was the culprit when he encountered the explosion in the Great Frederick Bridge. ¡°How much do you know about the detonation formula?¡± ¡°There are a few characteristics of the detonation formula written in the book about magic circles. It is said that it is hard to detect the magic circle with magic power detection, and it can be installed and detonated anytime, so it is often used for traps. However, I didn¡¯t know it was made by the Empire and unique only to them.¡± ¡°I guess this is how the era has changed. People nowadays can¡¯t instantly associate the situation where the Great Frederick Bridge was blown up and the detonation formula used to explode it with the involvement of the Empire. Which means, not many people knew about the war 40 years ago, huh.¡± Margrave said, as if speaking to himself. Eto was staring at Margrave for a moment before asking. ¡°Is the Empire going to attack this Kingdom?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. No war has happened for forty years now. However¡­ Let¡¯s see, for veteran Knights and Knights on the border, that detonation formula will only remind them about the Empire, which is pretty inexplicable. For a military operation, blowing up the Great Frederick Bridge with that method is just bad. If the Empire was really going to use such a bold plan, it would have been worthless if the large army of the Empire had not attacked this territory.¡± ¡°It would be worthless effort?¡± Eto asked because the way Margrave put it was interesting. ¡°Yes. Because that will only warn the Kingdom unnecessarily. If the involvement of the Empire becomes clear, it is obvious that they will be at a diplomatic disadvantage. So, such a bold strategy would be a worthless effort unless they took at least one fort of the Kingdom.¡± From the Empire¡¯s point of view, it would certainly be a loss if they only got a little gain after causing such an unnecessary turmoil. ¡°In other words, someone is trying to make us think that the Empire was involved in that?¡± ¡°I wonder. It seems this kind of incident also happened before when the young Emperor was newly enthroned. Unfortunately, I also didn¡¯t know about this since it was a story that I read in a history book.¡± ¡°That just shows that there is that much history between the two countries.¡± ¡°Aa. A long history of war.¡± As Margrave said with a sigh, he suddenly started coughing. And as the butler who was waiting on the gate trying to help him, Margrave stopped him with his hand. ¡°If you¡¯re interested in history, you can browse this castle¡¯s collection as you like. Kamaran, did you hear that?¡± Margrave looked at the butler. ¡°Eto-sama, please don¡¯t hesitate to tell me when you want to visit the library. I will guide you there.¡± The tall, white-haired butler said while bowing deeply. ¡°Thank you very much. Please allow me to excuse myself here. Thank you for telling me such a valuable story today.¡± Eto bowed to Margrave and proceeded to leave the room. Volume 7 - CH 3 Chapter 3 ¨C Castle Library and Butler Kamaran Eto contacted Kamaran, Margrave¡¯s butler, and made an appointment to have the butler take him to the library. He also told his party members to do something on their own for a while because he wanted to do some research in the castle library. It seems they will be taking a job in the guild with Kohaku as the leader today. Just in case, Eto also gave a letter of authorization and a letter explaining that they¡¯re allowed to work to Kohaku, so if the guild staff feel suspicious of them, they can deal with it by showing those letters. If the Empire really was involved in the bombing of the Great Frederick Bridge, it is possible that they were also behind the siege at the southern fort triggered by the former Acting Lord. That is why Eto wanted to collect as much information as possible on the Empire. Upon arriving at the Margrave¡¯s castle, Eto was immediately greeted by Kamaran and headed straight for the library. Kamaran also handed him a permit to use the library. It seems that the permit will allow Eto to use the library when he can¡¯t contact Kamaran. That actually made Eto quite surprised about the safety standard for that castle. He¡¯s never heard of an adventurer being able to come to the library in the deepest part of the castle without any special inspection. However, it seems that the permit was exclusive to Eto and was signed by the Margrave himself. According to Kamaran, the permit also has no expiration date, so he can use it forever. ¡°Kamaran-san, I don¡¯t think I can receive this much special treatment. There is no way I can take this permit lightly.¡± Eto tried to give the permit back, but Kamaran refused to take it. ¡°Eto-sama, please take that permit. I will be scolded if Eto-sama doesn¡¯t take it because I¡¯m told by Stainbolt-sama to make it easier for Eto-sama to enter the library.¡± Even if the opponent is Margrave, Eto doesn¡¯t think this butler is a person who can be scolded easily. However, if the person himself said that, Eto couldn¡¯t say anything about it. Eto wondered what he should do. The reward he received when he returned the key last night was already exceptional. Of course, Eto has no intention to negotiate with a noble, but he thought receiving that much treatment is pretty scary for later. "" Watching the hesitating Eto, Kamaran smiled. ¡°Eto-sama, I do think that Stainbolt-sama has some thoughts. But today, could you please believe this Kamaran and receive that permit?¡± ¡°¡­ alright. But, I¡¯ll give it back when I am done. Can you accept that?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll take care of it at that time.¡± After interacting with Kamaran, Eto was finally able to enter the library. Immediately after entering the library, Eto saw large wooden tables were lined up, and bookshelves were installed around them. There is a short staircase in the back leading to a higher floor, and bookshelves were also lined up at regular intervals there. Every bookshelf was packed with books. Even at first glance, Eto can see that there is a considerable collection of books there. Light magic tools illuminating the room brightly, and some of the windows that are used to transmit light were colorful stained glasses. Eto intended to find out about the history between the Kingdom and the Empire, but he suddenly thought to look for a book about a magic circle that had the magic detonation formula used by the Empire written on it. Because up until now, he never thoroughly investigated the detonation formula. Kamaran, who even went into the library with him, then asked about what kind of books he needed. And as soon as Eto said that he wanted to read a book about the detonation formula, Kamaran said he would immediately bring some. That made Eto think once again about how good of a butler Kamaran is, as he even remembered the arrangements of books in the library. Kamaran recommended three books to Eto, ¡ºEmpire¡¯s Magic and Magic Circles¡», ¡ºThe Mechanism of Detonation Formula¡», and ¡ºMagic Circles Used On The Battlefield¡». This time, as Eto didn¡¯t really need that deep of a knowledge, he roughly browsed through the three books. Apparently, although the Kingdom already knows the shape of the magic circle used by the Empire, they still don¡¯t know the materials and magic power control required to draw the magic circle. Because in the end, it is a matter of efficiency and specialized knowledge about that, such as what kind of material is used in what combination, and what kind of technique is used when creating the magic circle, and also how much magic power should be put in when drawing the magic circle. Without the accumulation of such knowledge and experience, only a deteriorated version of the magic circle can be made, and the performance will significantly differ from that of the Empire. It will be fatal in a war if the performance of weapons used in a war is clearly lower than that of the enemy. In that case, it is better to look for another way to deal with enemy weapons. And the option that the Kingdom chose was to train their magicians. In terms of quality and quantity of magicians, the Kingdom is far superior to the Empire, and that became a deterrent to war. Looking at the years the books were published, Eto found that all the books were written more than ten years ago. "" ¡°Excuse me, Kamaran-san, is there a newer book about detonation formulas?¡± ¡°There is, but I don¡¯t think it is worth reading. Because research on detonation formulas in the Kingdom has almost stopped around that point.¡± ¡°Eh, so it was like that. Hmmm, then if Kamaran-san knows, I¡¯d like to ask something. Is there any research on how to release the detonation formula once it has been set up?¡± ¡°It seems there is indeed such research. But as far as I know, I haven¡¯t heard of any remarkable results.¡± ¡°I see. Hmmm, what should I do.¡± Eto ended up in a deep thought. He never thought that the Kingdom was this guardless against the detonation formula. Perhaps there is research about that going on in secret, but it would have been the same if Eto couldn¡¯t get that knowledge. Because, after experiencing the explosion of the Great Frederick Bridge, Eto wanted to have some means to counter that detonation formula. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll stop asking about the detonation formula for now. I¡¯ll bring the book back to the shelf.¡± ¡°Please let me. Is there anything else you would like to find out?¡± ¡°I would like to read a book that gives a good understanding about the history between the Kingdom and the Empire, which is my original purpose for coming here. And since I wasn¡¯t educated from an early age like nobles, I¡¯d like a history book for beginners. Do you have any recommendations?¡± ¡°Please wait for a bit.¡± Kamaran once again selected three books in a short time: ¡ºHistory of The Carmine Kingdom¡», ¡ºHistory of the Middle Ages¡», and ¡ºHistory of War of The Carmine Kingdom¡». Looking at the speed of Kamaran¡¯s work, Eto once again thought that an occupation called butlers are amazing. However, looking at Kamaran, who sat next to him showing no openings to attack at all while smiling, Eto began to think that this person might be a special one even among butlers. In any case, Eto, who didn¡¯t know what a butler was, couldn¡¯t reach an answer. Volume 7 - CH 4 Chapter 4 ¨C History of War The Carmine Kingdom and the Erven Empire were founded at the same time, about 200 years ago. However at the time of its founding, the Erven Empire seemed to be called Wastitus Empire, which meant desert. At that time, it was an era of rivalry between many small countries. And such a crazy era where countries were invaded many times ended twenty years later, leading to the birth of two great powers. The Carmine Kingdom in the east and the Wastitus Empire in the west. Although the two big countries had skirmishes on each other¡¯s border, they established themselves as continental leaders and began to adopt policies that would contribute to the stability of the region. Looking at the map about 100 years ago, Eto can see that the two countries were lined up as regional powers. ¡°Huh? Kamaran-san, can I ask something? Looking at the map 100 years ago, it seems the current Margrave of Eeven used to be the territory of the Empire.¡± At first Eto thought it was a mistake in his vision, but no matter how much he looked at the map, it seems that the territory of Margrave of Eeven did indeed belong to the Empire. ¡°Ee, that¡¯s right. About 100 years ago, there was a country called the Principality of Eeven in the area where the current Margrave was located. As a result of the warring states, the Principality of Eeven, which was a pretty weak country, tried to survive by merging with the Empire.¡± ¡°Can a country survive if it¡¯s merged with another country?¡± ¡°It seems that the Principality of Eeven was very prosperous as a center of the Goddess Religion. From that time on, Goddess religion became widespread in the Kingdom and the Empire. For that reason, I think that the influences of the Principality of Eeven were never small. However, in terms of military and economic power, it was definitely not comparable to that of great countries.¡± ¡°I see. To put it simply, the Empire wanted to take the influences of the Principality of Eeven for themselves. Which means, they decided to negotiate as long as there is a mutual benefit, huh.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. It is said that the influence of the Goddess Religion was strong especially in the Empire. The royalty and nobles of the Empire are made up of tribes from the desert, and it seems the only way for them to survive was to overcome the harsh natural environment and invasions from neighboring countries. And the Empire, which eventually became a great power, deeply worshiped the Goddess Religion as their state religion, with an image of precious water in the desert, and preached the reconciliation and unity of their people.¡± ¡°I kinda understood why. When a country becomes a great power, they need to take measures against domestic skirmishes. By making the Goddess religion their state religion, the upper brass of the Empire likely wanted to tell the small countries in the empire that they are seeking reconciliation and unity.¡± And then, emphasizing the influence of the Goddess Religion, the Empire changed its name to the Erven Empire after adding the Principality of Eeven as part of the Empire. It is said that ¡®Erven¡¯ is how they pronounced ¡°Eeven¡± in the Empire. ¡°So the origin of the word ¡°Erven¡± Empire is Eeven? Hee, I didn¡¯t know that. The Empire at that time sure made an outrageous decision. I mean, a country with the larger national influence abandoned their name and took the name of a country with smaller influence. I¡¯ve never heard of such a story even when small villages merged.¡± ¡°Fufufu, that¡¯s true. At that time, the Empire had already become a regional power, so it may not have been necessary for them to emphasize the influence of the Goddess Religion to the extent of changing their name. Even so, it is said that the biggest reason they decided to do that was because of the intention of the Emperor at that time. It is said that the Emperor had extreme faith toward the Goddess Religion.¡± ¡°The territory of Eeven is said to be the land where the Goddess descended to the earth and preached, after all, so the Emperor may have had the joy of adding such a sanctuary to his territory.¡± The remains of the Principality of Eeven still remain here and there even today, when it already became the territory of the Carmine Kingdom. This territory is called the Margrave of Eeven, and even the family name of its lord, Margrave, is also Eeven. The Margrave¡¯s household is said to be a descendant of the Principality of Eeven. Although for a short time Eeven region once became the territory of the Empire, it was the Carmine Kingdom that didn¡¯t acknowledge it at that time. It is natural for the Kingdom to feel threatened when the Empire, which was as powerful as them, took the sanctuary of the Goddess Religion, which is also widely worshiped in the Kingdom, as their territory. In addition, the Principality of Eeven was located between the Kingdom and the Empire, which means it was also a buffer zone for both countries. It was obvious even for Eto that if the area were to be incorporated into the Empire territory as it was, there would be friction along the border. Refused to allow the Principality of Eeven to join the Empire, the Carmine Kingdom declared war on the Empire with countering invasion of friendly nations as the reason. For 107 years¡¯ history of the Kingdom, the history book described a lot of the conflict between the two countries that occurred about 100 years ago. The war between the two countries that is written in the first to fifth chapters in the book is called Eeven Recapture War in the Kingdom. The war broke out with the Carmine Kingdom as the superior one. In the Eeven area, because of the existence of Yuxed River and its tributaries, the roads and flatlands are often divided. Therefore, the Kingdom took advantage of that and sent numerous ships into the Eeven area, sending more and more soldiers, horses, and supplies for the war. From the beginning, the Carmine Kingdom had large coastal territory on its territory, and had superior shipbuilding technology than that of the Empire, which had a long history as an inland country. On the other hand, the strength of the Empire was focused on its cavalry, however, the river and the poorly drained wetlands tightly restricted the movement of their horses. Without being able to fully demonstrate the true value of their army, the Empire, in the end, got their bases taken away one after another by the saturation attack strategy of the Kingdom army. Although the Eeven recapture war was often interrupted due to the flooding of the Yuxeed River, the Kingdom came out victorious and successfully took the territory of Eeven, which is called Veil right now. Since then, the Empire has always sought to recapture the Eeven region. The Empire was also the one who declared war first for that reason. For the Empire, it was like the region where the name of their empire derived from remains stolen from them. It is said that the nobles of the former Principality of Eeven are also living in the Empire even now. That is probably the reason just because they were defeated in the war, they couldn¡¯t recognize that region as the territory of the Kingdom. Regaining what was robbed from them was always the reason for the Empire to wage war against the Kingdom. After reading the books, Eto understood why the Kingdom and the Empire were always in conflict. Since the Eeven region became the Kingdom¡¯s territory, there have been many large-scale military clashes between the two countries. It is written in the history books that there were many casualties every time it happened. In the end, the Goddess Religion, whose basic philosophy was reconciliation and the unity of people, became the cause of the conflict between the two great powers. And the Eeven region stood in the center of that contradiction. Eto wondered what kind of existences the Hero, Sword Saint, Master Magician, and Sage chose by the Goddess in the eye of the Empire. He didn¡¯t know whether the Empire thought they¡¯re just fakes the Kingdom created on its own, or whether they respected them as people chosen by their Goddess. Volume 7 - CH 5 Chapter 5 ¨C Eto¡¯s Party¡¯s Goal ¡°In front of my dual wield, Wolves are nothing. Isn¡¯t that right, dad?¡± Kohaku said with excitement. ¡°Aa, that was a splendid swordplay.¡± Amou smiled and showed his agreement. ¡°The swordplay that defeated wolves was indeed wonderful, but you need to study battle instructions.¡± Sorano said. Hearing that, Kohaku groaned, ¡°Ugh¡­¡± and shut up, with her face slightly reddened. Eto, who returned to the Knights¡¯ facility from Margrave¡¯s castle, was welcomed by the three. It seems they just succeeded in defeating wolf-type monsters. And to celebrate their success on completing the guild¡¯s request, Eto invited the three to have dinner outside. ¡°Battle instructions? Did Kohaku give the instructions?¡± ¡°Un. Like Eto always does. Amou and I tried to hunt down the prey according to Kohaku¡¯s instructions, but it seems the wolves are smarter.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the case!! The wolves are indeed smart, though¡­ It¡¯s okay because we defeated them in the end.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re learning how to give instructions in battle, don¡¯t jump into the battle with a sword in both hands. You have to be a little patient.¡± Although Sorano¡¯s words are harsh, Eto knew that she said that for the sake of Kohaku. Because if the battle instructions are half-assed, not only Kohaku, but Sorano and Amou will also be in danger. ¡°If you want to give instructions, give them properly until the end. If you want the party to fight at their own discretion, instruct them to. You should decide the plan of the party.¡± Sorano emphasized. ¡°¡­ Un, understood. I¡¯ll be patient next time.¡± Kohaku accepted Sorano¡¯s words and acknowledged her mistakes. ¡°Un, that¡¯s good.¡± When Sorano and Kohaku agreed with each other, ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting.¡±, such a bright voice echoed in the room. The two clerks carried the specialties of the Margrave territory with both hands full. In the center of the table, a stir-fried river fish with vegetables was placed, generating the scent of garlic that invites people¡¯s appetite. Eto immediately took the fish to a place and tried a bite. Eto thought the taste of the fish was going to be more muddy, but the scent of garlic and tomatoes passed through his nose instead, making him able to taste the deliciousness of the fish. Next to that was a place with plenty of salt-boiled river shrimp. The shrimp was thick, yet soft enough that the meat would burst in just one bite. The saltiness is also exquisite, making the party unable to stop their hands from taking the shrimp. Amou and Kohaku threw the river shrimp with their shells intact into their mouths and chewed them just like that. It was a way to eat that was a bit unbelievable for Eto, making him wonder whether the mouth of an Ogre is just that sturdy. It is said that dishes that used edible wild plants delivered from neighboring villages inside are often eaten in Veil. And at the restaurant that Eto¡¯s party is currently in, it is popular to eat thin bread made from wheat flour with stir-fried meat and edible wild plants. Sorano was the first who tried that dish, saying ¡°It¡¯s similar to an elf¡¯s dish.¡±. Besides those dishes, there are also skewers of wild boar meat that are familiar to Eto and his party. Not only that, the soup served to everyone contained river shrimp and several kinds of vegetables, giving the dish a beautiful color. While eating, Eto talked about the history between the Kingdom and the Empire that he learned from the castle library. Eto and his party, who experienced the explosion on the Great Frederick Bridge by themselves, take seriously the fact that the Empire might be aiming for the Margrave of Eeven. ¡°There seems to be no evidence in the involvement of the Empire yet, though.¡± Eto said then poured the food in his mouth with ale. ¡°We also still don¡¯t know how to release the detonation formula, right?¡± Amou asked with serious expression. ¡°Aa.¡± ¡°Then, is there no other choice than responding to it after it explodes?¡± ¡°There is a possibility that the Empire might be involved in everything happening recently, from the explosion on the Great Frederick Bridge to the siege of the southern fort. If that¡¯s really the case, we, who were deeply involved in the capture of the fort and triggering the uncovering of the crime of the former Acting Lord, would be an eyesore to the Empire. Well, since it was still a possibility, you don¡¯t have to be worried that much, but I want you guys to keep that in mind.¡± ¡°Somehow there are a lot of hypothetical stories.¡± Kohaku said with an exasperated face. ¡°But it¡¯s better than not knowing anything.¡± Eto also had to admit that he was only talking about a ¡®what if¡¯ situation. After swallowing the edible wild plants that she had filled in her mouth with a gulping noise, Sorano asked about the victim support activities that they were about to start. ¡°How do we plan to proceed with the support activities?¡± ¡°I think there is a limit to how much we can imitate doctors and pharmacists. Rather, I think connecting the organizations and groups necessary for the support activities are way more suitable for us.¡± ¡°What kind of organization is needed for that?¡± ¡°First of all, the Knights¡¯ order. The job of the Knights is cracking down on criminals and protecting the victims. In other words, by having them under our banner, we can create a place where the victims can feel at ease.¡± ¡°Being protected in the Knights¡¯ facility indeed works.¡± Kohaku agreed. ¡°Aa. Also, I want to get support from the church. Having entities like pastors who can listen to the consultation of the victims is big, and I think the cooperation of the church is needed to convince the authorities to support the activities.¡± ¡°Speaking of authorities, are you going to talk to someone about that?¡± Amou shook his head. ¡°If possible, I¡¯d like to ask Margrave-sama, but I don¡¯t know how much he would agree to our request with just our previous achievements. I think it¡¯s better to have people listen to our intentions through other people after laying the groundwork.¡± ¡°It seems we have no choice but to grope our way forward more than we imagined.¡± Sorano said. Even if they wanted to connect the existing organizations, each organization already had their own territory. If newcomers such as Eto¡¯s party move aimlessly, it might create unnecessary friction with them. So they will have to earn the trust of each department while spreading some rumors about the activities. ¡°But we¡¯ve found a goal we can aim for.¡± ¡°A goal?¡± ¡°Aa. It seems there is a group called the self-help group in the church. It seems to be a group where crime victims get together and discuss their experiences with each other. I heard there are pastors and civilians who are cooperating with them free of charge, to help the victims of crime get out of difficult times by helping each other.¡± ¡°The same thing that we are about to do?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. With that self-help group as a goal, I think we can create such a mechanism with the cooperation of authorities and the Knights, we can support the victims from various aspects. Well, for now, it¡¯s just a mechanism that only exists in my head, though.¡± ¡°If Eto can see the prospect of that, then I¡¯m sure it will be fine. I will also do it with you.¡± ¡°Aa. I¡¯m counting on you.¡± Volume 7 - CH 6 Chapter 6 ¨C Salina Ashbelt The next day, Eto¡¯s group of four went to the kidnapped victim¡¯s accommodation set up in the Knight¡¯s facility. That was because they wanted to hear the requests of the victims for the support activity. As Eto and his party entered the facility where the victims were, one of the female knights approached them and asked about their business. Apparently, of the twenty-eight people who returned to Veil from the southern fort, those who had a house in Veil had returned home by yesterday. Although Eto had heard about the plan of the Knights to send the victims home one after another, he was still surprised at the speed of the plan. ¡°This is, after all, just a temporary home for them. However, if the victims showed any signs of aftereffects, he/she will be asked to enter this building no.5 again.¡± The female knight explained to Eto. When the victims return to their home, a Knight will be accompanying them to explain the incident and compensation to their families. Some families were angry at the Knights for not being able to stop the kidnapping, but fortunately, most said they were happy to be able to meet their families again and thanked the Knights for rescuing them. ¡°Then, the ones that remained here are the people who live in the towns and villages near Veil, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. There are six people in total.¡± All six were women, who came from small villages scattered around towns and borders north of Veil. Apparently, they were kidnapped on their way to Veil for errands or in the city of Veil. Needless to say, the Knights have contacted their families, however, they are not at a distance where they can come to see the victims soon. Also, it is difficult for the Knights to escort each of them and send them home until the situation within the Knight¡¯s order has subsided. Right now, the Knights residing in Veil are still facing the escape of the former Acting Lord, the battle at the southern fort, and the support and treatment for the victims. Adding to that, there are still a lot of people in the southern fort, so it is no wonder that the Knights don¡¯t have enough manpower. It is also inevitable that the Knights couldn¡¯t secure enough personnel to escort the victims to their home. Besides, if the victims returned to their homes, which is in a village on the border and experience an aftereffect, they will not be able to return to Veil immediately. In that case, it may be better for them to stay in the Knight¡¯s facility to have a consultation with a doctor until they feel more calm. ¡°In truth, we would like to send them to their families as soon as possible, but it has been postponed due to the situation of the Knights.¡± The female Knight said with a painful expression. She said to Eto that she has seen many women suffering from crime. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. I think just having you here gives them a sense of security.¡± After saying that and smiling at the female knight. If she pressed herself too hard, this female Knight may also be distressed, that¡¯s what Eto thought. Because even on the journey from the royal capital to the Margrave, a male victim who became the consultation partner of a victim woman became depressed. ¡°I¡¯ve seen a lot of women become victims of crimes, I just think it is too unfair for them, who don¡¯t have to suffer, to receive such a treatment¡­ To think that not only us, but Eto-dono even thinks of collaborating with doctors, pharmacists, and pastors, I think many people will be saved if this activity is realized.¡± ¡°Excuse me, but can I ask for your name?¡± ¡°Yes, I am Salina Ashbelt.¡± To realize the support activity that Eto and his group are going to start, Knights who are responsible for cracking down on crime, medical professionals such as doctors and pharmacists, priest and pastors who can listen and guide the words of believers, and the cooperation of lords and officials who can set a budget and decide the appropriate support method was indispensable. That is why Eto thought that Salina, who empathizes with the victims, may be able to help them. As Eto and his party were having lunch with the women who remained in the facility, the mother of a victim who returned home yesterday appeared, guided by a guard. The mother said she had a consultation about her daughter, so Eto¡¯s party and Salina decided to move to another room to hear her story. Upon settling in the room, the mother began to say that her daughter suddenly screamed late at night and jumped out of her bed. After that, she regained her composure at once, but the same thing happened many times until the morning. ¡°It is actually not uncommon for some victims of crime to suffer mental injuries and take such actions.¡± Salina said. ¡°No way¡­ Is there any way to cure my daughter? If that continues, I¡¯m afraid no one would take her as a bride. Please, I beg you, please help my daughter.¡± The mother prayed to Salina and asked for help. ¡°Your daughter was just involved in a serious incident. It also hasn¡¯t been long since she was rescued. For some people, the memory of such incidents will gradually fade, and such symptoms will also disappear gradually. Hence, I think it¡¯s better for your daughter if we look at her condition for a while than doing something that might even hurt her more right now.¡± ¡°Then¡­ does that mean you wouldn¡¯t do anything¡­.? That girl is suffering, you know?! Why won¡¯t you do anything for her!¡± After hearing what Salina said, the mother seemed to be hanging her head down for a while, but perhaps her emotions controlled her, so she began to ask for help in a strong tone. Tears flowing from her eyes, as her face is distorted in sorrow. The mother was so set off that she couldn¡¯t breathe well. Salina immediately walked up to the mother and gently grasped her quivering hands with both of her hands. ¡°If the condition of your daughter continues, please bring her to the Knights¡¯ facility. We will have a doctor to see your daughter¡¯s condition and give her some medicine. Still, you also have to pull yourself together first. Because the only one who can support your daughter is you, the one closest to her.¡± Salina held the mother¡¯s hand and continued to speak until the mother¡¯s breathing calmed down and her quiver subsided. Then, the mother who had regained herself apologized for the disrespect and bowed before she returned to her home. And Salina was staring at her back until she disappeared from sight. Volume 7 - CH 7 Chapter 7 ¨C Meeting With Captain Andrea Early in the morning, Etou, Kohaku, and Amou were engaged in a mock battle at the Knights¡¯ training ground. To improve his basic physical ability and swordsmanship, Eto doesn¡¯t use any support magic in that mock battle. So, Kohaku and Amber had to attack Amou, who was as strong as a B-rank adventurer, together. Eto narrowed the distance and attacked Amou with the training sword in his hand. He didn¡¯t finish his attack with just a single slash, but he hit Amou many times while changing angles, causing the high-pitched sound of wooden swords hitting each other to echo through the large training ground. All of Eto¡¯s slashes were blocked by Amou. But if he stops there, he will give Amou the chance to attack. So, Eto keeps slashing at Amou, changing his attack, so it doesn¡¯t become monotonous, while looking for an opportunity to attack Amou¡¯s weak spot. As Eto kept attacking Amou from the front, Kohaku came and slashed Amou from the side. It was a sharp blow, but Amou quickly took a step back and evaded Kohaku¡¯s assault. With that momentum, Amou rushed forward and grabbed Eto¡¯s sword, as if he wanted to take it. By the time Eto realized, the training sword that was supposed to be in his right hand was already flying in the air. And before the sword fell to the floor, Amou¡¯s sword struck Kohaku¡¯s neck. ¡°Haaa, we still can¡¯t win even with two people. You should distract Dad more, Eto.¡± Kohaku said, vexed. The surprise attack that Kohaku launched from the side was indeed evaded easily because Eto¡¯s distraction wasn¡¯t enough. ¡°Ah, my bad. But, to think you can read my move that much.¡± Eto remembered his match against Amou. Although Eto knew that there was a difference in ability between Amou and him from the start, the difference simply widened after Amou became able to use the magic power stored in his black horn. In other words, Amou, who had become better at using magic to strengthen his physical ability, can now fight freely by converting his magic power into power and speed. ¡°It was good that Eto was trying to use a different way to slash, but I think it¡¯s better to not only change the angle but also be aware of the strength that you used. You still couldn¡¯t make it clear which attack was just a feint or which was real. That makes it easier for those who receive your attack.¡± Amou pointed out the things that could be improved in Eto¡¯s swordsmanship. ¡°The problem is, it is honestly pretty difficult to adjust the strength. Can you show me an example of a feint attack?¡± Amou then swung his sword twice. The first one aimed at Eto¡¯s left shoulder, while the second one aimed at Eto¡¯s belly. Although Eto was able to respond to the first slash, his response toward the second slash was delayed. ¡°Just like that, it is also necessary to make the opponent move as you want him to be. Eto is rather accustomed to fighting against monsters. I think you should also learn the offense and defense that could deceive the opponent in the battle against humans.¡± ¡°Dad, how about me?¡± ¡°Kohaku relied too much on speed. It¡¯s easy to read when you launch your assault.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it because the opponent is you?¡± ¡°There is that, but once you show your opponent that surprise attack, I think it will not work the second time.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Also, you can narrow down the options of your opponent by letting your opponent receive your attack.¡± Saying that, Amou suddenly slashed at Eto, which he blocked in a hurry. After that, Amou continued to attack and Eto continued to block them. However, when Eto blocked Amou¡¯s slashes, he noticed that his posture gradually crumbled. Then, the next time Amou slashed him, Eto already knew that he couldn¡¯t handle it. Sure enough, Amou flipped Eto¡¯s sword with his slash and stopped it right before it reached the defenseless Eto. ¡°Just now, I read Eto¡¯s movement from a few moves away and attacked. Every time I slashed, there were fewer ways to deal with it, right? In short, it is important not to be drawn into the opponent¡¯s pace.¡± Suddenly, Sorano, who had been in the shooting ground next door, returned. And then, the four repeatedly conducted mock battles while changing the combination. Although Eto¡¯s buffs and enchantments can significantly increase the fighting power of the party, if their basic abilities are low, they might lose to the force of strong monsters or the strength in numbers. Which means, for Eto to become stronger, he had to improve his basic ability and swordsmanship from now on. After having breakfast and resting for a while, Eto headed to the Knights¡¯ facility to meet Captain Andrea. And when he told his matter at the reception desk, the receptionist immediately guided him to where Captain Andre was because the receptionist had already informed of Eto¡¯s visit. ¡°Thank you for giving me some of your time for my visit.¡± ¡°No, no, please don¡¯t be that reserved toward me. Please sit down.¡± Andrea immediately moved from the office desk to the sofa. After sitting facing toward Eto, he immediately instructed the receptionist who took Eto to the room to bring them drinks. Eto then thanked him for not only providing his party a place to stay, but also food. However, Andrea just waved his hand, saying ¡°Absolutely not.¡± He also told Eto that without Eto and his party, they might still be in the middle of a siege battle at the southern fort, which would have increased the casualties of the Knights and hostages. As it might have happened without Eto¡¯s party, the things that he provides for Eto and his party doesn¡¯t seem to be a big deal, Andrea added. As the topic about the hostages came up, Eto began to talk about the support activity. He asked Andrea if one of the female knights, Salina Ashbelt, could be their contact person. Eto told Andrea his intention to let her become the liaison to the church and officials when they¡¯re going to have a cooperation. ¡°Salina Ashbelt is one of the female knights who are guarding the victims, right? Can I ask Eto-dono why you chose her?¡± ¡°When I went to see the condition of the victims, I had the opportunity to talk to her a little. I had the impression that she was a person who could get close to those whose mental health has been weakened due to becoming the victims of a crime. I think if it¡¯s her, she would be able to think what the victims needed, by thinking from the victim¡¯s point of view.¡± ¡°I see. Well, Salina¡¯s origin is also clear, so if she wants, I¡¯m sure she will be the right person. Her position will be something like crime victim protection officer in that case. Since I also have to get in touch with various places involved in this matter, can Eto-dono leave telling her about this to me?¡± Andrea seemed to know Salina, who was supposed to be just a knight under him. Then, before Eto realizes, they¡¯re already talking about creating a new position and leaving it to Salina. That made Eto have the feeling that she would become a contact person with external organizations in the name of guard knight, so in that case, it might be better to have her serve just as a full-time knight. ¡°Yes, please. And if she is thinking of another way, please tell her that she can decline this offer.¡± ¡°Ee. It will be fine. I¡¯ll proceed after confirming the person¡¯s intention, so please don¡¯t worry about that.¡± Just like that, Captain Andrea accepted Eto¡¯s request. Volume 7 - CH 8 Chapter 8 ¨C Veil Cathedral It was decided that the talk about giving the position of the contact personnel of the Knights in the kidnapping victim support activities to the female knight Salina will be handed to Captain Andrea. The reason being that although Eto can¡¯t say anything about a personnel within the Knights order, Captain Andrea should be able to do something about it in a way that suits his request. And until the Knights had a contact personnel, Eto intended to act as a bridge between organizations. The thing that they have to think about is the contact with the church, which will be one of the pillars that supports the support activities. For that, Eto was heading to the Veil Cathedral in the center of the town to meet Pastor Teilhard, whom he met during the initiative. Veil Cathedral is one of the symbolic buildings of this town with a long history. A pilgrimage route to the holy grounds where the followers of the Goddess religion can go was also placed there, and many believers visited it and prayed there. It also plays a role in unifying the churches in the Margrave territory and is the center of the missionary work of the Goddess religion. Just like before, Kohaku and the other two were also out of the town to complete the guild¡¯s request. That made Eto seriously worried that if he is the only one away from the adventure, he might become a burden in the actual battle. It was also because of this sense of crisis that Eto put a lot of effort in morning and evening training. Still, Eto was surprised when Amou began to say that he would be guarding Eto during this morning¡¯s training. Apparently, it was because of the talk that there was a shadow of the Empire in the bombing of the Great Frederick Bridge. Of course, Eto was sure it would be safe to have Amou followed him as a guard. However, he also felt it was shameful for an adventurer to be afraid of walking alone in the city just because he is afraid of the shadow of an invisible enemy. Thus, although he was grateful for Amou¡¯s suggestion, Eto decided to decline it. However, if even a calm and collected man like Amou said he will escort him, that just means that the situation was that dangerous, which made Eto worried. Because of that, even though he was able to walk around the city without thinking about much until yesterday, today Eto chose a busy road while still paying attention to the surroundings. Earlier, Eto even hid in the shadow in response to the shadow of a bird so much so that an old couple behind him looked around their surroundings, seemingly asking what happened, but, there is no way an arrow will fly toward him in the middle of such a busy city. In the end, Eto apologized to the old couple, while enduring the embarrassment. Even after that, Eto was tired because he was so guarded to the point he was surprised by a child who jumped out of the alley and was overly cautious of a passerby with sharp eyes walking from the front. ¡°This is because Amou suddenly said he will guard me¡­¡± Eto whispered as he walked. However, he was relieved that his party members didn¡¯t see his pitiful appearance. Once he arrived in the center of Veil, Eto followed the main street leading to the Margrave¡¯s castle. Along the way, he can already see the Veil Cathedral with many spires on his sharp left. The Veil Cathedral was built more than 100 years ago, when this territory was still the territory of the Principality of Eeven. Although the rule of Veil was transferred from the Erven Empire to the Carmine Kingdom after, the Veil Cathedral has continued to gather believers from the three nations. Each spire was built using the donations of Royalty and Nobles who ruled Veil at that time. Some spires were donated by the Nobles of the Principality of Eeven, while others were specially ordered by the Emperor of Erven Empire at that time. Even after becoming the territory of the Kingdom, construction of a new spire continued. As Eto stopped in front of the grand staircase leading to the Veil Cathedral and looked at its majestic appearance, Pastor Teilhard came down the stairs from the entrance. Looks like he has been waiting for Eto for a while. However, Eto stopped him with his hand and gave him a sign saying that he will be going up the stairs. There was a considerable distance between Eto and the Pastor, so he refrained from shouting, as the Pastor might not hear it. Fortunately, the Pastor nodded and gave Eto some gestures telling him that he would wait there. But when a tall, lean and long-limbed Pastor like him does that, his appearance was like a scarecrow that gained a will and began to move. ¡°Welcome, Eto-san.¡± From the first time Eto met the pastor, he had the impression that the Pastor was more like a researcher than a Pastor. The brilliance in his eyes reminded Eto of the leader of the Kingdom Magicians, Puke, which actually relieved Eto that Pastor Teilhard wasn¡¯t as greedy for knowledge as Puke. Otherwise, he would be worried about leaving the victims to him. Eto had already told Pastor Teilhard about the reason for his visit, which is to ask for cooperation in the victim support activities and to ask about the self-help groups in the church. After that, Eto stepped into the Cathedral under the guidance of the Pastor. Long benches are lined up all the way to the end, and he can also see a huge circular stained-glass at the top of the front. A picture of a Hero who bowed his head in front of the Goddess was drawn there, which is actually a typical religious painting in the Kingdom. Looking up at the high ceiling, there was also the figure of the Goddess who appeared in front of people, giving them grace and mercy. Rather than the meaning of the religious paintings, Eto was more fascinated by the essence and artistic beauty of human-made architecture. ¡°What wonderful stained-glass. Isn¡¯t it quite rare for Goddess-sama to be drawn so colorfully?¡± ¡°Ee, that¡¯s right. People who go on a pilgrimage to the holy ground also pray enthusiastically in this chapel before embarking on their pilgrimage journey. There is also a large statue in the prayer area of the Great Temple, which is said to be one of the parts worth seeing along with the stained-glass of this Veil Cathedral.¡± ¡°A part worth seeing? You said it as if you were a traveler.¡± ¡°Pilgrims are also human beings. Of course, they will be delighted to see interesting and wonderful things. I think it¡¯s important to bring the heart of faith from there.¡± ¡°What a suggestive sentence.¡± Eto liked the way Pastor Teilhard was thinking. It may be the Priest¡¯s way of controlling himself by the doctrine and customs, but Eto thought if a Priest wanted to be close to people and guide them, having such a flexible way of thinking like Teilhard might be desirable. ¡°Oh no, Eto-san, please come here. Priest Francesco-sama is waiting.¡± Pastor Tailhard then brought his feet along the right wall of the chapel. ¡°Ano¡­ Pastor Teilhard. Am I really going to see Priest-sama?¡± ¡°Yes. At first, I was going to explain to Eto-san, but Priest Francesco-sama seemed to really want to meet Eto-san. Is it troubling?¡± ¡®If you asked whether it is troubling or not, I could only say that it¡¯s always troubling to meet someone with high status, which I don¡¯t want to, but¡­¡¯ However, Eto knew that he cannot be selfish when he came there to ask for their cooperation. So, even if he has to force himself, Eto thought he should accept it with a smile here. ¡°No. I would love to see him. By the way, that Priest Francesco-sama is this Veil Cathedral¡­¡± ¡°Yes. He is the person in charge of the Goddess Religion in this Veil Cathedral and the territory of Veil.¡± Pastor Teilhard said, as if it was a normal matter. Volume 7 - CH 9 Chapter 9 ¨C Priest Francesco ¡°Sage Eto-sama, right?¡± After exchanging greetings, Eto, who sat down at the prompting of the other party, was asked by Priest Francesco. The eyes of the Priest are shining with joy, like a child meeting the Hero he longed for. ¡°Yes. Yes?¡± The priest nodded deeply, without minding Eto, who gave a half-hearted answer. ¡°As expected! I¡¯ve seen you in the Royal Capital before. Are you here with Hero-sama?¡± The Priest asked Eto something that he didn¡¯t want to talk too much about. ¡°No. I am now distancing myself from the Hero¡¯s party¡­ that¡¯s why it¡¯s troubling if you called me the Sage¡­¡± ¡°I see. Some time ago, there were indeed rumors that couldn¡¯t be discerned whether it was a truth or not about that, but¡­ looks like there were some circumstances.¡± The priest said and immediately stopped talking about the Hero and his party. ¡°Regarding the support activities for the victims of the crime, we at the Goddess Church are also forming a self-help group by gathering people who cannot return to their daily and social lives.¡± This time, the Priest no longer had the light tone like the previous exchange, but he showed a thoughtful expression as a responsible person. And while being perplexed by how the Priest¡¯s expression switched so quickly, Eto nodded to the Priest¡¯s story. ¡°Is that self-group a group where victims can talk to each other?¡± ¡°Ee. But as expected, it is difficult to tell someone else their unpleasant story, so people such as Pastor Teilhard will intervene and create an environment where it¡¯s easy for them to talk to each other. And by talking about their experiences to each other, it will create a sense of solidarity and trust. If the self-help group becomes akin to a safe place for them, more and more people will be able to talk about their painful memories to others. The most important thing is that by repeating these meetings, they will be able to control their emotions even when they look back at the incident.¡± Pastor Teilhard nodded deeply next to the Priest. When the meeting of the self-group is held, Priests and Pastors always participate and watch over the situation. Besides the Priests and Pastors, those who have participated in self-help groups in the past and have recovered also participated, and seem to be taking on the role of coordinating the meeting. By setting a guide for the meeting, the dialogue of the participants will be guided in the desired direction. And Eto was interested in the fact that those who have overcome difficult situations in the past cooperated with the activities of the self-help group. ¡°The collaborators are civilians, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Yes. They offered their cooperation for free as gratitude for saving them as the reason. It¡¯s all thanks to their cooperation that we are able to carry out the self-help group activities until now with a few people.¡± ¡°I see. We are also trying to build our own support activities in the Knights¡¯ facility that aim to be like the church¡¯s self-help group, which is also because of the large number of victims of this incident.¡± ¡°May I ask how many people became the victims of the incident?¡± ¡°The total number of kidnapped victims, including those who are still missing, may exceed 100.¡± ¡°That many, huh¡­¡± Hearing that, the Priest¡¯s face clouded. Even in church organizations that operate throughout the Veil, their self-help group is just one of many activities. It will be difficult for them to accept more than a hundred victims. ¡°Ee. This time, because the former Acting Lord was deeply involved with the incident, the authorities probably cannot ignore it. The Knights are also supportive of our activity. My idea is to take this opportunity to create a kind of mechanism to support the kidnapped victims. So, may I also ask Priest-sama for your cooperation?¡± ¡°I have heard about Eto-sama and his support activities from Pastor Teilhard. Of course, we, the church of Veil, would like to cooperate as much as possible.¡± ¡°Thank you very much!¡± Eto then shook the Priest¡¯s hand and thanked him. The Priest says that when Eto creates his own self-help group, he will send a pastor to provide advice and consultation. It was also decided that Eto¡¯s self-help group will have a cooperation with the church¡¯s self-help group in the future. In addition, the Priest also said that he will introduce the members who play the main role among the civilian collaborators. However, Eto also began to wonder why the priest was too friendly to him; he even wanted to meet with Eto. And at such times, Eto also worried that there might be a trap. ¡°Ano, this is a little difficult question to answer, but are you cooperating with our support activities because I¡¯m the Sage?¡± Although he doesn¡¯t know when, Eto eventually will leave Veil. He knew that if his existence becomes too large in that support activities, it may be disassembled when he disappears. That¡¯s why Eto thought that this was something he has to confirm now. ¡°Of course I won¡¯t deny that it was one of the reasons. It is natural for us to cooperate in something that the Sage chosen by Goddess-sama wanted to do. But that¡¯s not all. Eto-sama¡¯s plan is indeed important to many people, but it is also very difficult to realize without a key person. Because, you see, if we had more cooperation from the Lord and the Knights, we would have been able to increase the number of people involved in our self-help groups. We would be able to obtain budget, information, authority, and people who have knowledge and experience of handling the victims. It¡¯s hard to get what we need for the activity. So, in that sense, I have great expectations for Eto-sama¡¯s activities.¡± As far as Eto sees, the Priest wasn¡¯t someone with two-faces, and seemed to decide his actions according to his words. On the side, Pastor Teilhard is also staring at Eto with a smile. ¡°Thank you very much, Priest Francesco-sama. I will do my best to make this activity a success.¡± Eto stood up and bowed deeply. ¡°Ee. I¡¯m looking forward to working with you.¡± Saying that, the Priest looked at Eto with calm eyes reminiscent of a quiet river surface. ¡°Oh, I have another request.¡± ¡°A request? What is it?¡± ¡°Can you stop calling me with ¡®sama¡¯? If Priest-sama calls me Eto-sama¡­ it would be troubling.¡± ¡°Hahaha. Alright. I¡¯ll call you Eto-san from now on.¡± For a moment, the Priest seemed to be taken by surprise, but he listened to Eto¡¯s request while laughing. Volume 7 - CH 10 Chapter 10 ¨C Ms. Lurie After meeting with Priest Francesco, Eto was walking around the town with Pastor Teilhard. As they went south of the main street that runs through the north and south of Veil, they entered a section where shops are lined up. ¡°Eto-san hasn¡¯t arrived in Veil for long, right? From this area to the south gate, there are shops of various sizes, from large firms to street vendors, so you can buy most of the things you need here.¡± ¡°Having a lot of shops lined up, very convenient. Well, for now, my party and I are staying in the Knights¡¯ facility, so there is nothing I need.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. There is a collaborator¡¯s shop just around the next corner.¡± Pastor Teilhard is going to introduce Eto to a woman named Lurie, who is one of the collaborators of the self-help group. According to the pastor, she is a calm woman in her forties, trusted by the victims, and plays a main role in the self-help group. So, for Eto, who wants to make the self-help group activities a pillar of victims¡¯ support activities, her cooperation would surely be a big help. Pastor Teilhard guided Eto to one of the stores along the street. It is a fairly large store, and probably is considered a medium-sized or even a larger store in Veil. There are beds, mattresses, futons and pillows, and seemingly good quality sofa sets placed in the store. An elderly clerk who noticed Pastor Teilhard approached and asked for their business after giving a polite greeting. ¡°Today, we came here to talk with Ms Lurie. May we meet her?¡± ¡°Ee. Madam is indeed here¡­ Excuse me, but may I ask who this person is?¡± The clerk is watching Eto with caution. Apparently, the clerk was being on guard toward Eto. Even though it¡¯s not uncommon to see a man dressed like an adventurer, Eto started to feel uncomfortable, wondering why the clerk was so vigilant toward him. Eto don¡¯t even remember meeting the clerk somewhere. Even after Pastor Teilhard introduced Eto to the clerk, his attitude didn¡¯t change. Pastor Teilhard and Eto then were sent to the drawing room, where they were greeted by a woman with a gentle smile on her face. ¡°Welcome, Pastor Teilhard-sama. And nice to meet you. My name is Lurie.¡± She then bows her head, showing the white hair that stood out in her hair. Eto thought it was natural since she managed a store this big, of course she must have had a difficult time. Her hair was a mix of dark brown hair and white hair, the color was like pouring milk on black tea. The two then sat down on the couch as urged by Lurie and waited for the clerk to make tea. Then, as if lured by her hair, Eto poured milk into the tea served in front of him. And as he stirs the tea lightly with a spoon, the milk swirls and becomes entwined with the tea, which becomes more and more like her hair color. ¡°Many guests who come to see me also add milk to their tea, just like you.¡± Lurie, who should have been having a conversation with Teilhard, suddenly said. Eto was startled, thinking that she seems to have found out what he is thinking. So, he put down the spoon that was stirring the tea and slowly looked at Lurie¡¯s complexion. Subsequently, Lurie smiles softly at him. In front of Lurie¡¯s attitude, which seemed to see through everything, Eto felt the difference in their wits. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Did my gaze make you feel uncomfortable?¡± ¡°No. Fufufu, I do think it¡¯s better to be thought of as milk in the tea than as an elderly.¡± Lurie laughed cheerfully. After that, she listened enthusiastically to Eto¡¯s explanation about the initiative he is going to make. Eto also told her that the Knights and the Church will give their support to the activity, and he would also talk to the authorities about the initiative. ¡°If our initiative goes smoothly, we intend to actively accept those who became victims of crimes. And we hope to help the victims more than we ever could. Next, I heard that Lurie-san plays a main role in the church¡¯s self-help group. For that, I would like you to cooperate with our initiative.¡± The number of kidnapped victims currently protected by the knights is 75, including those in Cyril and the southern fort. Although some of them may be able to start their normal lives right away, for those who find it difficult to regain their normal lives, they need to be prepared to accept being a part of the self-help group. Of course, Eto knew that it is difficult to run a self-help group with only a Pastor, escort knights, and his party alone. The number of victims may even increase further in the future when the missing persons are found. Hence, at least until the self-help group has gotten on the right track, Eto wanted someone with experience like Lurie to cooperate. ¡°Ee, of course I will cooperate, but I think it will be difficult to get the cooperation of the authorities. Because this initiative needs financial resources. And you are about to talk to the authorities soon, right?¡± ¡°Yes. I will do my best, so I can give a good report to Lurie-san. At this time, Eto noticed that the male clerk who was standing near the wall was no longer guarded toward him. ¡°He is just overprotective toward me.¡± Lurie said while looking at Eto apologetically. ¡°You see, I was kidnapped when I was young. Because of that, he seems reluctant to let me see an armed man I met for the first time. Even though it is normal for an adventurer to bring a set of equipment. At any rate, I apologize if he made you uncomfortable. I am very sorry.¡± Saying that, she bowed her head. Even though Eto really just glanced at the clerk, she responded as if she could read what Eto thought. And then when Eto looked at the clerk again, he too, bowed his head with an apologetic look. ¡°I don¡¯t really mind. It wasn¡¯t that unpleasant, just a little worrisome.¡± Thanks to Eto¡¯s words, the atmosphere of the place became gentle. Earlier, Lurie easily told Eto that she was a victim of a crime. That made Eto think that to make the victims able to do that was a major goal in the support activities. Volume 7 - CH 11 Chapter 11 ¨C Trauma After leaving Lurie¡¯s shop, Eto separated with Pastor Teilhard and headed back to the Knights¡¯ facility. The sky is already dark, and cold crosswinds are blowing from the gaps in the alleys, which made Eto huddle under a thick coat and raise his collar to block out the wind. Autumn is almost over and winter is coming. Eto had heard that it doesn¡¯t snow much around Veil, but the cold seemed to be severe. Which means, the support activity from next year will change depending on how they survive the winter. ¡°It will be a crucial moment from now on.¡± Eto quietly muttered ¡ª- A knight approached as Eto tried to pass the entrance to the Knights¡¯ facility. ¡°Eto-dono, a woman who was a kidnapped victim, fainted in the middle of the city and was brought here. If Eto-dono wants to see her condition, she is being protected in Building No.5.¡± ¡°How was the woman? Did you see her when they brought her here?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t, because she was brought inside alongside the carriage that brought her. I think it¡¯s been about one hour since she was brought here. What I¡¯ve just informed you about was something that was taught by others who saw the scene.¡± The knight looks apologetic for not being able to answer Eto¡¯s question, but Eto was grateful for the information the knight gave him. So, Eto thanked the knight and immediately brought his feet to Building No.5. Upon entering the building, Eto saw Salina, the female knight, talking to a male doctor. After talking, the doctor bows to Eto and walks away, while Salina approaches Eto with fast steps. ¡°Eto-dono, one of the female victims, was brought here earlier. Her name is Natalie. She fainted in the city and was brought here in a carriage with her mother, who happened to be with her at that time.¡± ¡°Ee, I¡¯ve heard it from a knight at the guard station. Can you tell me a little more about the situation?¡± ¡°Yes. The mother told us that Natalie suddenly screamed when they were walking down the road. According to her, it may be because there was a carriage that stopped near them, but the real cause is not clear yet. And because of the turmoil, the nearby knights rushed toward them. After hearing the situation from the mother, the Knights took them on a carriage and brought them to Building No.5.¡± Despite the emergency, Salina was calm. She is trying to fulfill her Knightly responsibility to protect the victim. ¡°I see. It was fortunate that the Knights were able to bring her here immediately. How is Natalie-san¡¯s condition right now?¡± ¡°We tried to have her sleep in the room in the back, but it seems she woke up earlier. I think there is no need to worry for the time being because the doctor and her mother are there with her. Kohaku-dono and Sorano-dono are also waiting near the room.¡± Kohaku and Sorano had said to Eto that they would go see the female victims if they finished the guild¡¯s work early. And if those two are there, Eto thought there is nothing to worry for the time being. As Eto listened to the continuation of the story at a nearby table, a woman¡¯s scream echoed from the back of the building. ¡°Noo!! Don¡¯t come!!¡± Hearing such a sorrowful scream, Eto stood up and looked at the end of the corridor. There, he saw Sorano holding a rampaging woman from behind while Kohaku is trying to calm the woman while blocking the corridor. ¡°No, I¡¯m scared. I don¡¯t want to feel something like that anymore. Mom, the carriage stopped. And then a hand suddenly stretched from outside¡­. NOO!!¡± ¡°Calm down Natalie-san. It¡¯s already okay.¡± However, Kohaku¡¯s words never reached Natalie. Seeing that, Eto quickly approached Natalie and gave her Slow debuff, making her movement slow down. ¡°I think it¡¯s better to restrain her or let her smell a sleeping drug in this chance. Because she could get hurt at this rate.¡± Eto swiftly said to the doctor that stood at the entrance of the room. After that, the doctor gave Natalie a sleeping pill and the situation was settled for the time being, as Natalie, who lost consciousness, was carried on a stretcher into the room. Near the room where Natalie jumped out, a familiar elderly woman stood and bowed to Eto and the others. ¡°I¡¯m the one who came here for consultation before.¡± Since Salina already told him about the situation, Eto also remembers the elderly woman. On the other day, the elderly woman had consulted Eto and Salina about her daughter waking up in the middle of the night and screaming, which worried her. And apparently, Natalie was the daughter that she was talking about at that time. Eto then asked the doctor about Natalie¡¯s condition. It seems after being brought into Building No.5, the doctor tried to ask her story. However, she suddenly remembered something and in a state of confusion, pushed the doctor away. Then, when the doctor fell to the floor, she tried to escape from the room. It seems she couldn¡¯t even see her mother who was by her side. It was fortunate that Kohaku and Sorano were waiting outside the room. Sorano, who was more alert about loud noises, was able to catch Natalie immediately. As the situation has settled for the time being, that night, Eto and his party returned to the dormitory, leaving Salina, who said she is going to guard Natalie to watch her condition. ¡°Even after this much time has passed, she still became like that all of a sudden.¡± As Kohaku said that, the other three were quiet. The voice of Natalie, who is screaming frantically, still remains in their ears. Thus, Eto felt that he needed to be ready to accept the victims as soon as possible. ¡ª For some time after that, Eto met with the members supporting the church¡¯s self-help group with the introduction of Pastor Teilhard and Lurie. Eto knew that their cooperation was indispensable for making the victims accept their situation. He asked about the things they lack to make the support activity, and also filled in the requests to the authorities. The suggestions of those who have supported the self-help group for many years were all concrete and persuasive. Eto intended to consult the petition to the Veil authorities to Kamaran, the butler of Margrave Stainbolt. Because according to Pastor Teilhard and Captain Andrea, Kamaran is not just a butler, but also a right-hand man of Margrave. It seems when Margrave¡¯s condition is not good, Kamaran may also act as the contact person to the Margrave. ¡®And I asked such a person to guide me to the library¡­ I even had him select and bring some books for me.¡¯ However, as this was very important, Eto had made an appointment with him so that he could rely on him at this chance. Volume 7 - CH 12 T/N: As you guys already realized, our upload schedule is a mess (Not that we have an exact schedule, though. Just the amount of chapters per week). Unfortunately, this will continue until at least a week after the fasting month ends. Hope you guys understand. Chapter 12 ¨C Labolt Raven The meeting place designated by Kamaran was the library in the Margrave castle. What Eto wanted to know by requesting the meeting was how to talk to Margrave and authorities regarding his victim support activity. ¡°First of all, regarding Eto-sama¡¯s support activity, we have already received Steinbolt-sama¡¯s approval. As long as Eto-sama doesn¡¯t ask for a ridiculous amount of money, you can proceed with the initiative.¡± Kamaran immediately answered the thing that Eto wanted to ask the most. Eto then showed Kamaran the data he had compiled over the last few days and asked him to confirm an estimate of the cost that would be needed once the initiative began. ¡°This shouldn¡¯t be a problem. Still, you sure have done a lot of research, Eto-sama.¡± ¡°This is something that I summarized from what I heard from Priest Francesco and Pastor Teilhard of Veil cathedral, those who participated in the church¡¯s self-help group, and the knights who often come into contact with the victims of crime. And since they work in the actual location, the proposal is detailed.¡± Kamaran nodded with a face that looked like he was convinced with the explanation while looking through the data Eto gave him. ¡°Well then, allow me to tell Eto-sama the person you must talk to regarding this matter. They are Labolt Raven, who became the temporary Acting Lord, and Treasury Secretary Meyer, who is in charge of the finances of the Margrave. Although the fact that Eto-sama has already obtained the approval of the Knights and the Veil Cathedral is big, I think these two would be quite difficult opponents.¡± Now that the former Acting Lord, Riesenbolt, has been detained, the sick Margrave has summoned a distant relative, which happens to be Labolt, to act as a temporary Acting Lord. Although Eto finds it hard to understand why there are ¡®temporary¡¯ and ¡®acting¡¯ in the title, since it was an emergency, that title seems to be approved. ¡°Treasury Secretary Meyer is someone I¡¯ve had a long friendly relationship with. He is a fair person, so if he judged that Eto-sama¡¯s proposal is something that will result in something, I think he won¡¯t refuse the proposal. And may I bring this plan?¡± ¡°Ee. Please bring it. If there is something unclear, please send it to the Knights¡¯ facility.¡± ¡°Understood. Then, I¡¯ll bring the talk to Meyer.¡± Just like that, Kamaran took the task of persuading Treasury Secretary Meyer, which made Eto once again think it was great to have a person named Kamaran on his side. Eto would also have to thank Margrave for allowing it. ¡°The problem is the other one, I think Labolt-sama is a little difficult to handle.¡± Kamaran said with a stern face, which Eto had never seen before. ¡°May I know why?¡± ¡°It is the fact that we can¡¯t determine what action he will make at the next moment. Usually, he will move according to profit. He will move after clarifying whether it will be a loss or a gain for himself. But when I thought he would only move because of profit, he also did something that risked himself for someone with the spirit of righteousness. The fact that he acts as the temporary Acting Lord of Veil proves that.¡± ¡°Risking his life for someone?¡± ¡°Yes. According to the current situation, if not only Riesenbolt-sama but also Stainbolt-sama is accused of crime, Labolt-sama, who is a relative, will not be able to continue being the Lord.¡± Saying that, Kamaran made a bitter face. ¡°Is that so? Wasn¡¯t he a distant relative?¡± ¡°Ee. The thing is, if a relative of Stainbolt-sama aims to be the next Lord of Veil, he will stay away from Veil until everything has been resolved. That would make the impression that he has nothing to do with the incident, which means, the position of the Lord might become his. Because if the higher-ups of the Kingdom don¡¯t want the influence of Stainbolt-sama to remain, Labolt-sama is likely to be deprived of the chance to be the Lord.¡± ¡°I see. This time, the higher-ups of the Kingdom will also be serious about it.¡± The Knights of the Kingdom have made great movements because of the crime of the former Acting Lord. So, if the incident wasn¡¯t solved thoroughly, not only the face of the Knights but also the face of the Kingdom will be destroyed. ¡°Ee, in fact, we also expected that. And even if the Lord¡¯s takeover is done in a relaxed manner, that¡¯s right, for example, because his title was that of a temporary Acting Lord, he would be asked to finish his role. Of course, it doesn¡¯t mean Labolt-sama made a mistake, but it will still leave a bad impression that he was forced to resign. This is a typical talk in social circles. In addition, if Labolt-sama made a mistake in dealing with it, it would be a scandal that will follow him all his life.¡± ¡°Why did Labolt-sama accept something that is unprofitable for him?¡± Eto thought that besides Labolt, there must have been relatives involved in the politics of the Margrave. So even if everyone refused to take over the title, there shouldn¡¯t be any reason for Labolt, who is a distant relative of Margrave, to take over the title. Hearing that, Kamaran started telling an old story about Labolt. ¡°When Labolt-sama was still young, he was adopted by a distant relative who had no children. And I¡¯m sure it would have been hard for a small child. And when Labolt-sama came to Veil with his new parents during the social gathering season, he had the impression of being someone who thinks too much despite his small body.¡± Kamaran¡¯s gaze stayed in the air, seemingly remembering those days. ¡°At that time, Stainbolt-sama summoned Labolt-sama to show him a full-body armor that boys usually like, and a book with adventures written on it. Eto-sama might find this unexpected, but Stainbolt-sama is a person who loves and likes to spoil children.¡± To be honest, Eto couldn¡¯t imagine the scene where Margrave petted a child at all, but since Kamaran had said so, Eto forcefully convinced himself that it was the case. ¡°Labolt-sama was very pleased and told me that he didn¡¯t want to go home even after the social gathering season ended. It seems that Labolt-sama was looking forward to coming to this castle every year since then. So, I think the fact that Labolt-sama took on the role of temporary Acting Lord was likely because of the memories of that time.¡± A man named Labolt who dared to risk himself by taking the role of temporary Acting Lord now when the Margrave was in trouble because he couldn¡¯t forget the favor he received when he was a child. For Eto, the information about the man, who knew only the title of temporary Acting Lord, seemed to be gradually fleshed out. Then, Kamaran smiled as if he remembered something. ¡°No matter what he did, Labolt-sama is not in a situation where he can become the Lord of Veil, but if he can become the Lord as it is, I think it would be a big profit for him.¡± Kamaran¡¯s smile looked sad, which means, it may not be very likely that Labolt will continue to be the lord of Veil. ¡°He sounds like an interesting person.¡± ¡°Ee, I also think he is quite an interesting person.¡± If Labolt was such a person, Eto thought it would be a good idea to tell his intention straight without beating the bush. Volume 7 - CH 13 Chapter 13 ¨C Persuading Labolt Five days later, Eto was finally able to meet with the temporary Acting Lord Labolt at the castle. In actuality, it is unusual for a person to request a meeting with a Lord and get it realized in just five days. Or in the first place, a Lord is not a person that an adventurer like Eto can easily meet. That fact alone shows how big Kamaran¡¯s existence is. Because of that, Eto decided that he will never make Kamaran his enemy. Upon arriving at the castle, Eto was guided to a room inside the castle by Kamaran. Looks like he is going to act as a butler forever, Eto thought. There was a large table in the center of the room, while the walls and the room itself were modestly decorated, which made Eto think that it may be a room that is usually used as a conference room. Eto sat down near the entrance of the room and saw Kamaran started preparing tea for him, but he refused, saying it¡¯s better to wait until all attendees were here. A few minutes later, a man who seems to be in his late fifties to early sixties entered the room. The man has a medium build and brown hair, which was a characteristic often seen in the inhabitants of Veil. When the man stared at Eto, Eto almost got into a stance, as the man¡¯s gaze was sharp enough, as if it could see through him. ¡°Eto-sama, this is Treasury Secretary Meyer.¡± Kamaran introduced the man. As Eto looks at Meyer again, he can see that the man isn¡¯t capable of martial arts. However, the sharpness of his sight and the oppressive feeling oozed from the man was quite something. That was likely because the person who is responsible for managing the finance of a city must have the ability to read people. Thanks to that, Eto once again braced himself. After Kamaran had Meyer sitting in the seat on the left side of Eto in the back of the room, Labolt finally appeared. Eto had heard in advance that Labolt was in his mid-40s, but his youth was fresh to Eto, who had only met older people at that castle. The appearance of him gallantly walking with his long brown hair tied behind also looks pretty nice. Labolt quickly sat down in the back of the room and calmly asked Kamaran for tea. Incidentally, Labolt was seated in a position facing Eto. The eyes of Labolt, which are staring at Eto for a moment, were that of bluish green color, which is the same as Margrave and Riesenbolt. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about your request. It¡¯s about the support for kidnapped victims, right?¡± Labolt said, as if encouraging Eto to start the talk. The way he talked didn¡¯t seem to be eager or anything, as if they¡¯re making small talk. With that sign, Eto stood up and bowed, before explaining his plan to support the victims. ¡°Today, thank you for giving me your time to hear my explanation about the kidnapping victim support project. Allow me to explain our plan immediately. The number of victims of the crime that happened in this territory is 75. Twenty-eight of them are protected in Veil, twenty-nine in the southern fort, and eighteen in Cyril. However, the victims protected in the southern fort and Cyril will eventually return to Veil. The number of victims who were assaulted when they were in captivity were not small. Some even suffer from those painful memories. This is, in fact, common symptoms of victims involved in crime, and until now the church has provided support to help them in the form of a self-help group. And in this plan, we are suggesting not just relying on the support from the church, but also the Knights, doctors, pharmacists, and the government to work together to create a more comprehensive support system.¡± Eto then handed the documents for the plan to the attendees. ¡°To be more specific, I would like to ask doctors, pharmacists, and pastors to order the patients according to their symptoms, and request the authorities to subsidize the cost of medical examination, treatment, and medicine according to the order. I also would like to request to dispatch some female knights to participate in the self-help group where the victims talk about their experiences.¡± ¡°Looks like this support will not end only with the people involved in this case. In other words, the more victims join that circle of support, the more subsidiary aid needed. Do you intend to request assistance without an upper limit?¡± After reading the documents for a while, Meyer asked Eto with a stern look. ¡°Before answering that question, Secretary Meyer, I would like to ask you what kind of support the authorities are planning for the innocent kidnapped victims.¡± ¡°¡­It is currently under consideration.¡± Meyer replied with deep wrinkles between his eyebrows. ¡°In this kidnapping case, it is clear that the former Acting Lord is the mastermind. So, if the compensation for the victims is delayed, the anxiety of the people will not be resolved and the distrust toward the authorities will increase, don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°Like I said, the countermeasures are under consideration.¡± Meyer emphasized and stared at Eto. ¡°Which means, Secretary Meyer agreed to create a support system as soon as possible, right?¡± ¡°¡­ Ee. However, as I said earlier, I cannot approve the request for subsidiary aid without setting an upper limit.¡± ¡°Of course, if the financial situation would be under pressure because of the subsidiaries for the treatment and medicine, we may need to cap the subsidiaries. However, if we start this project as soon as possible, we might only need a smaller budget.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± Eto urged the attendees to see another page of the handed documents. ¡°According to those who had many opportunities to interact with crime victims, many of them suffered from insomnia. It has already been confirmed among the victims of this case that even if they could fall asleep once, they would dream of the incident and suddenly wake up in the middle of the night. And if their mind and body are weakened by insomnia, it will probably be difficult for them to live their life. According to past cases, many ended up drinking more to be able to sleep, which also made the number of victims who get alcohol addiction not small.¡± Eto stopped his words for a while and stared at Labolt and Meyer. He was worried whether nobles like them would understand the suffering of common people or not, but they seemed to be listening seriously to Eto¡¯s words. ¡°Responding before such cases happen will speed up the recovery of the victims, which should also reduce the burden on doctors, pharmacists, Pastors, and Knights. Wouldn¡¯t it be better for society as a whole to have more people who can work than to have more patients suffering from insomnia and alcohol addiction? This is the advantage of giving subsidiaries for this victim support activity early.¡± Labolt and Meyer seemed to think about what Eto said while looking at the documents. ¡°I believe I can understand regarding deciding on the outline of the budget early, but I haven¡¯t gotten an answer regarding the subsidy limit yet.¡± Meyer seemed to acknowledge some of what Eto was saying, but he still seemed concerned about how much the budget would grow if there is no limit. ¡°The people we currently want to save are the victims of the kidnapping incident. The number of victims that are already confirmed was 75, and even if we include those who are still missing, it should be around 100. As shown in the document, it is unlikely that the financial burden will increase sharply in the early stages. However, if we want to accept crime victims widely in the future, we will do it slowly while observing the situation.¡± ¡°Fumu. So what you mean is we should try it with them first, right?¡± Hearing Eto¡¯s story, Labolt nodded several times and asked, while looking at the documents. ¡°Yes, exactly, Lord.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to call me that. You can call me Labolt.¡± ¡°Well then, Labolt-sama, regarding the total amount of subsidies, how about we, who are managing the support activity, and the authorities side regularly negotiate and decide the budget amount for the next year?¡± ¡°Meyer, is that possible?¡± ¡°Yes, there is no problem.¡± ¡°Now it¡¯s about the self-help group. Do we have to dispatch some female knights?¡± ¡°Yes. The purpose of the self-help group is to encourage each other to get used to remembering their painful memories in order to control emotions such as anxiety, anger, and sadness by sharing each other¡¯s painful experiences and stories to each other. There, it is important to give them a sense of security to make them think they are in a safe place, which could be realized by dispatching priests and collaborators who have been active in such a group for many years. However, some female victims are afraid of the men they meet for the first time. So, I think dispatching female knights will be ideal in that aspect.¡± ¡°I see. I understand.¡± Labolt deeply nodded. Then, he asked Eto a question as if he was adding a little. ¡°By the way, why is an adventurer trying to help the victims of a crime? Eto yo, what is your aim?¡± The previous attitude of understanding Eto¡¯s story had disappeared, and Labolt¡¯s gaze changed to something like a bow aiming at its prey. Volume 7 - CH 14 Chapter 14 ¨C Eto¡¯s Thoughts Sensing a strong intent in Labolt¡¯s eyes, Eto knew that he wouldn¡¯t be convinced with a sloppy explanation. Apparently, this is the real question that Labolt wanted to ask. ¡°Excuse me, does Labolt-sama perhaps not find any meaning in our victim support plan?¡± However, Eto also knew that it was dangerous to carelessly answer his question without knowing his intention. Because Eto might get himself bound into a situation where he cannot refuse the demand of the other party. So, he chooses to answer it with questions to probe and to ask Labolt¡¯s opinion about the support plan. ¡°Un? No, I agree with the victim support plan you presented. And I heard Margrave Stainbolt also agreed with that. Besides, I have to make up for the folly of someone from my relatives. What I wanted to hear is your true intention, Eto. You¡¯re not from Veil and you don¡¯t seem too intent to bury your bones here. Even so, why do you choose to do this? That¡¯s what I don¡¯t understand.¡± Eto stared at Labolt¡¯s eyes. Apparently, it only meant exactly what he said. Even if there is a trap in his words, Eto couldn¡¯t notice one. In that case, Eto thought he just had to answer honestly what Labolt wanted to know. With ¡®This would be a long story¡¯ as a preface, Eto began to talk about how he was oppressed at a certain party, omitting the name of the Hero¡¯s party. After hearing that he got no rewards, no lodging or food, Labolt asked how Eto lived his life while he was at the party. Eto answered that he alone went to subjugate monsters and collect herbs and exchange them for money at the Guild while the party members were resting at the inn. As Eto finished answering Labolt, Meyer also asked why Eto didn¡¯t immediately leave such a party, which made Eto actually wonder why. ¡°There were some circumstances that made me unable to leave the party. However, in the end, it may be just because of my feelings and expectation from the surrounding people. I wanted to be of use to the party and I didn¡¯t want to betray the people who had expectations toward me. Even so, there was something that made me unable to stay in that party any longer. I¡¯m not going to go into too much detail, but I ended up leaving the party. Even now, I am glad I made that decision.¡± Labolt nodded and silently urged Eto to continue his story. Meyer also silently stared at Eto. ¡°Before I left the party, I received terrible treatment from the members of the party for about half a year. The requests I took in order to secure living expenses often took me until near morning to complete. I also participated in goblin settlement subjugation requests with other adventurers and couldn¡¯t quit in the middle of the quest.¡± Eto sighed as he looked far away to remember those days. ¡°After finally finishing my subjugation request, I hurriedly returned to the stables of the inn. Yes, I rented a corner of the stables at a cheap price to sleep. However, even if I lay down to sleep, I couldn¡¯t sleep because of tiredness and tension.¡± Eto laughed bitterly, as if he was laughing at himself. ¡°At the time of departure, I dragged my heavy body and followed my party members, joining the busy shopping street in the morning. When I raised my head due to the high-pitched voice of a child, I saw people who bought and sold things, people who walked on the street in proper clothes, or adventurers, yet nobody walked in broken armor that is forcibly tied together like I did at that time. Was it because of the air in the morning? But somehow everyone seemed to shine brightly in my eyes. They seemed to be in a far better situation than me, respected by others, and seemed to have composure.¡± Saying that, Eto¡¯s eyes, which are looking down a little, seemed to be hallucinating the scene of that time. ¡°I wanted someone to save me. Being in that party was suffocating and no one appreciates anything I do. Yes, when my pride and beliefs have been shattered, I had no money, and no place to go home. I sincerely hoped that someone would save me. That is to the point I thought that ¡®if it¡¯s you who walks in front of me with a shining appearance, you may be able to save me without much trouble¡¯ However, there is no way such a person would appear¡­. On that day, I couldn¡¯t move my body that much due to the tiredness and made my party members angrier than usual.¡± Eto¡¯s expression returned to his usual calm. Then he took a deep breath to switch his feeling. ¡°It is hard to explain the feeling of loneliness and helplessness that I felt at that time in words. Of course, the situation at the party didn¡¯t change after that, but thanks to continuing to receive requests at the guild, my rank went up, making the rewards from the guild increase a little. Thanks to that alone, it became a little easier for me.¡± Surprisingly, Labolt and Meyer listened to the story of an adventurer enthusiastically while occasionally nodding to the story. ¡°After that, I¡¯m lucky enough to get out of such a terrible situation, and I think I¡¯m pretty fortunate now. I now have reliable party members and since our rank has risen, we can get enough rewards to eat. That is why, at least, I wanted to help those whom I had a connection with. Those who are genuinely seeking help, just like me at that time.¡± Saying that, Eto stared straight at Labolt. ¡°I think that with just a little help, people can be saved to a large extent. Besides, in the first place, this case was made public by the investigation request that I made. So, I think I will follow this until it is fine for us to go.¡± With that said, Eto ended his long story. Volume 7 - CH 15 Chapter 15 ¨C The Start of The Support Plan ¡°Eto, I¡¯ll leave this matter to you. Please report it through Kamaran in detail.¡± Saying that, Labolt leaves the room with Treasury Secretary Meyer. With how sudden the event turned out, Eto wondered whether everything would be fine, but looking at Kamaran¡¯s expression, it seemed that his meeting with Labolt had a good outcome. ¡°The support plan must have been approved from the beginning.¡± Kamaran said with his eyes squinted. ¡°So what¡¯s left was about me, huh¡­¡± ¡°Ee. Labolt-sama knew who Eto-sama was from the start. That too, and I think he also thought it would be a problem if there is a strife in Veil. However, if we look at how Eto-sama entered the Margrave territory, I am sure Labolt-sama also knew that Eto-sama is not a person who wields his power unnecessarily, so this meeting probably was just a final confirmation.¡± Eto somehow felt that Kamaran¡¯s eyes probably contained laughter. ¡®Are, then, isn¡¯t it fine if I didn¡¯t talk long about such embarrassing things?¡¯ That¡¯s what Eto thought, but since the result was a great success, he had no complaints. Because Eto knew that the only way to get a person who has a higher position than himself like a lord to understand his thoughts was to speak honestly. Eto thought at least they could understand what kind of person he is. ¡°Then, from now on, we just have to gather the people and proceed to trial and error.¡± Eto said to brace himself. Along with a sense of relief that the support plan could finally start, Eto also felt anxiety due to not knowing what kind of difficulties were waiting for him. After that, Eto, who returned from the Margrave¡¯s castle to the Knights¡¯ facility, told the people involved in the plan that the crime victims support plan had been approved by Margrave Stainbolt, Temporary Acting Lord Labolt, and Treasury Secretary Meyer. Hearing Eto¡¯s explanation, Salina the female knight expressed tears and joy knowing that many victims will be saved. She also told Eto that the other day, Captain Andrea asked if she could be the one in charge of protecting the crime victims, and she agreed. With this, regarding the knight, while getting the cooperation of Captain Andrea, the plan also made a system with Salina as the contact person. Doctors and pharmacists surely will also be chosen from those who are friendly and credible to the Knights. As for the self-help group, building no.5 of the Knights¡¯ facility was set as the headquarters of kidnapped victims. On top of that, the applicants will also be able to participate in the self-help group conducted by the church. The reason for that is so that they can choose one that is easy to go from their home or work place. Moreover, rather than lengthening the period where the victim cannot attend the meeting due to traveling distance, with giving them a place that is easy for them to attend, they would be able to frequently attend the meeting and consult their problems with the group. However, those with severe symptoms will continue to receive nursing care from a doctor or pharmacists in building no.5. On the church side, Priest Francesco will be the guardian, and Pastor Teilhard will be responsible for the protection and support of the participants. Eto also plans to have some pastors dispatched to the self-help group meeting held in building no.5. Eto also asked for the cooperation of Lurie and others who have been involved in the church¡¯s self-help group for years. At first, they will be asked to participate in the meeting and instructed on how to make the arrangements, how to proceed with the meeting, and the follow-up after that. Eventually, the goal is to have the self-help group running with the victims playing a center role. For diagnosis and treatment by doctors and prescription of medicines by pharmacists, subsidies will be paid from the budget they got from the Margrave according to the symptoms of the victim. And in the first year, it seems the funds reserved as reserve funds will be used as financial resources. Needless to say, for those whose symptoms were severe to the point of making it difficult to conduct daily activities, the full payment will be exempted, however if the symptoms are light, the payment will be increased slightly to reduce the financial burden of the group and at the same time encourage their rehabilitation. Adding to that, in order to accurately grasp the condition of the victim, Eto thought of referring not only to the diagnosis by doctors and pharmacists, but also to the stories of pastors who participated in the self-help group. ¡î¡î¡î A few days later, the kidnapped victims who reside in Veil once again gathered at the Knights¡¯ facility. Doctors, pharmacists, and pastors will be asking the victims in turn. Eto also explained the support plan and encouraged them to join the self-help group. ¡°How is it, Salina-san? Have you gotten used to the work of the case officer?¡± The other day, Salina was officially appointed as a crime victim protection officer belonging to the Knights. Currently, her works are managing the female knights who act as the guards, and also listening to the consultations from the victims. ¡°Regarding the work I¡¯ve done so far, there is no problem. However, regarding the information exchange with the church, I feel that my authority was too big.¡± In this crime victim support plan, Salina¡¯s job as the contact person for the Knights is to share some of the victim information that the Knights had so far with the self-help group of the church. ¡°I can¡¯t help but wonder how much information I should disclose. Although confidentiality was strictly enforced in the Knights, I think giving victim information to the church may help in some way. And right now I am so busy that I can¡¯t check the current situation of each victim.¡± ¡°I heard the Knights have been providing information to the church even before this plan started, is it any different?¡± ¡°No, we still do that. However, it was, in fact, just us asking for help from the church to handle those with severe symptoms.¡± To put it simply, rather than sharing information, it was more like the Knights relied on the church when there are victims they are unable to handle. However, now that Salina has become the contact person for the Knights, even those with mild symptoms can be encouraged to join the church¡¯s self-help group. And the problem is that since it was not possible for the church to support all the victims, she had troubles on who to choose and how much information she could share to the church. ¡°I know that I have no choice but to fumble my way for the first time in anything. So, if there is a kidnapping victim applying for a subsidy or has a problem within a self-help group, please feel free to bring them to me. It may also be better to leave the management of the guard knights to someone you can trust. That way, Salina-san can focus on deepening cooperation with the church and other related parties.¡± ¡°Understood. Thank you very much, Eto-san.¡± Hearing that, Salina had a motivated look on her face. That was probably because although until now she has been able to solve and deter crimes as a knight, the only thing she can do for the victims of crimes was just return them to their families. And now, she can reach out her hand and help them. ¡°From now on, we will create a mechanism to support crime victims. Which means, we will be busier than we are now, so be prepared.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Although Salina is enthusiastic, it would be a problem if she strained herself. Thus, Eto thought that in order to disperse the amount of work, it was necessary to gather more people who could be entrusted with supporting victims. Volume 7 - CH 16 Chapter 16 ¨C The First Step As this time Eto and his group formally gathered the kidnapped victims, they also asked Lurie, who had been supporting the church¡¯s self-help group activities, to participate in the gathering. The clerk who was wary of Eto when they met for the first time also followed her. Although Lurie indeed said he was overprotective of her, Eto thought it seemed to be true after seeing the clerk also come with her this time. ¡°Thank you for coming today, Lurie-san.¡± ¡°Hello, Eto-san. To think you got the consent of the lord this quickly, what did you do?¡± ¡°Well, it seems he was sympathetic to me when I talked about painful stories of the past.¡± ¡°I see. That means you wanted to save people in similar circumstances, right?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ well, that¡¯s right.¡± When Eto suspected that Lurie could really read people¡¯s minds, a serious expression suddenly appeared on her face. ¡°I think there are some victims who are enduring by themselves even though the memory of the incident still lingers in their minds. It would be best if the symptoms do not worsen as it is, but if they showed even a bit of anxiety, I think we should have them participate in the treatment and self-help group as soon as possible. We must not overlook anyone who is still in pain and suffering. Although I am originally only planning to visit today, may I participate in greeting them?¡± ¡°Of course, by all means.¡± After that, Lurie, Pastor Teilhard, and Salina¡¯s officers kindly asked the participants to talk honestly about their pain and suffering. One of the girls that Lurie enthusiastically approached was a girl named Shuri. Apparently, Shuri came from a remote village and came to Veil to get a job appraisal at the church. It seems since Eto was recognized as the Sage, the number of parents that made their children undergo job appraisal in the remote villages has increased. And Shuri was kidnapped in Veil when she was separated from the people from her village. Shuri was very thin. She was just sitting on a chair at the corner of the venue while looking down in low spirits. Sitting right next to her is Natalie, who is also the victim of the kidnapping. She was the woman who collapsed in the middle of the city and was brought to building no.5. Nowadays, the symptoms where her emotion suddenly rises are almost gone, and she is now also listening to the consultation of other victims. ¡°I see, so Natalie-san also has some after-effects remaining.¡± Lurie said with a sorrowful expression. ¡°You see, I was kidnapped when I was about your age.¡± As Lurie said that, Natalie looked surprised and Shuri raised her face, bringing her eyes to look straight at Lurie. ¡°Even now, I still remember many times when I was kidnapped and trapped in a dark room. Even though I want to forget that memory, I can¡¯t get it out of my mind.¡± ¡°Ee, I understand that very well.¡± Natalie nodded deeply. ¡°Then, why¨C¡± Shuri swallowed the words she wanted to say. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Shuri-chan?¡± Knowing that Shuri might be hesitant, Lurie said with a gentle smile. ¡°How¡­how did Lurie-san become fine with it? I¡­I can¡¯t forget that memory no matter what I do¡­¡± Shuri once again cast her eyes downward and grasped her hand tightly, as tears dripped on her hands. Lurie immediately got up from the chair and crouched down in front of Shuri and firmly held her hands that were wet with tears. ¡°Shuri-chan, I could never overcome the past by myself. The pastors and those who suffered similar injuries as me helped me take the first step. That is why Shuri-chan too can ask for help whenever you¡¯re in pain.¡± Tears flowing endlessly from Shuri¡¯s eyes. As Lurie gently hugged her, Shuri¡¯s cry grew louder, as if the emotions that she had suppressed until now gradually emerged from her heart. ¡°Lurie-san, why don¡¯t you talk in a separate room until Shuri calms down?¡± Putting her hands on Shuri¡¯s shoulders, Natalie said. ¡°Ee, that sounds good as there are a lot of people here. Shuri-chan, let¡¯s talk more together.¡± ¡°¡­ yes.¡± Lurie asked Eto for confirmation before leaving the room with Shuri and Natalie. ¡°I hope today can be the first step for Shuri-san¡­¡± Salina said to Eto. ¡°Yeah, you are right.¡± The victims of kidnapping who still have some symptoms will have to walk a long way to recover. And that journey likely will be mentally distressing for many. With that in mind, Eto renewed his determination and thought that he had to urgently build a solid framework in order to help the victims.