《The Sage Summoned to Another World: The Cheat Items of the Unneeded Storage》 Volume 1 - CH prologue 1 At this moment, I am standing in a seemingly endless field of grass. In all directions, as far as the eye can see, it is grassland. And I am still wearing the same clothes and robe as before. ¨D¨DHow did this happen? The clock bell rang to signal the end of day¡¯s work, its chime echoed through the office. ¡¸Done for today, time to quickly get home and do some gaming¡¹ The name¡¯s Kisaragi Touya, I am 35 years old and neither married nor dating. I am a salary man like any other. Normally this is how I spend my days, commuting straight home after work to play an MMO; a very competitive MMO that I am hooked on. My hurry to get home is to prepare for the war, which starts at 9 p.m., between countries battling it out to expand their territories. This MMO game is called ¡°Pandemic World¡± it is a battle-type MMO where three countries have nightly wars. It is a seven-day game, meaning a player can hunt in the field for a whole week to gain a lot of experience points. There are rare materials available and to level up quickly, players choose to align themselves to countries and live every night in battle. I belong to Generate Kingdom and the other two countries are Lunette Empire and Ciffancy Empire. Generate Kingdom and Lunette Empire every night are at war, and Ciffancy Empire supports either nation as mercenary. This only applies on weekdays. On weekends, there is an event to subjugate a large monster; in such cases the three countries expunge boundaries and fight together to complete the event. My avatar in the game is massively muscular and somehow resembles an ogre; he is the highest level warrior: a Berserker. My Berserker avatar wears an armour made from mithril, he wields a two-handed sword with a length that exceeds his own height, and he is always on the front lines every day. As a working bachelor I have a decent amount of savings. Thanks to that fact, I can spend money however I choose and I have equipped him with some of the best gear. He came to be known by some as the strongest avatar in the game. 999 is the maximum level that a player can achieve and only 700 players out of thousands are above level 500, which is less than 1% of players. The war lasted for about an hour, it is then I can finally take my hands off the keyboard keys and stretch my back. ¡ºWell done Touya! ¡»¡ºWe won today! ¡» The conversation log will turn into a grand party log for winning the war. ¡¸Finally it¡¯s over. We won! I wonder if anyone would like to go hunting with me. For a change let¡¯s check out Din in Ciffancy ¡¹ It is not against any rules to create separate accounts in this MMO in order to work in other countries. But if the player uses multiple accounts during the war, the game¡¯s system board can expose said player. I logged out of the Berserker account and logged in again into a different account. This different account¡¯s avatar is from Ciffancy Empire. I chose not to level this avatar up, and merely use it to store material for my Berserker and hold conversations with my Ciffancy Empire friends. I received a wand and a high-class magician outfit after I had completed the event. The weapons and tools that are useless for Berserker are stored in this avatar¡¯s inventory along with some money. A face of a man is displayed on the screen. This avatar has silver hair and I had decided to make him 16 years old. His job is Recovery Priest. It is refreshing to have a different kind of character from my Berserker main character. After logging into this account, my avatar is placed in the main square of the town of Deliruta. Given that the war has just ended, the square is full of people who are logged in, I opened a tab to check if my friends are online. The person whom I am looking for, is on my friend list. ¡¸There you are. Now let¡¯s give him a shout.¡¹ I clicked on the name¡ºDin¡»in the list to open the chat. ¡ºGreat job today ¡» ¡ºHey dude. You came over for a visit? ¡» ¡ºI¡¯m going hunting. Thought I should check if you wanted to come. Are you up for it? ¡» ¡ºSounds great, I¡¯m hanging out in front of the church north of the square ¡» ¡ºGot it! I¡¯m on my way ¡» I closed the chat and ran from the square to the church. With Din, there were a total of three people at the meeting place. ¡¸Congratulations on winning today ¡¹ ¡¸You were great today, Touya ¡¹¡¸Nicely done ¡¹ There were four of us at the gathering, myself, my friend Din, who is a High Black Magician, Russell, who is a High Thief, and Melilla, who is a High Recovery Priest. ¡¸We were missing a Warrior class player. You came at the right time ¡¹ Up to five people can organize parties in this MMO. With me joining Din¡¯s party, the party is well balanced. ¡¸We¡¯ll hunt in Loralka cave, right? I¡¯ll change back to Berserker, and I¡¯ll wait for you at the entrance ¡¹ ¡¸OK¡¹¡¸Alright ¡¹ Everyone¡¯s avatars are bowing and waving, but in Din¡¯s case he is still sitting. As I am about to logout, a magic circle appears around my avatar. ¡¸What is that?¡¹¡¸What? ¡¹¡¸This is¡­ whooa ¡¹ Everyone is confused, so am I, by the magic circle that is glowing and rotating, that has appeared around my avatar. The screen gradually turned white. ¡¸What¡¯s this?¡¹ The light emanating from the display spread into the room. My mind drifted off into darkness with me sitting in front of my computer. The field of pure white slowly filled my vision and I opened my eyes to see a completely different ceiling from my room. The first thing I notice is that it is 10 meters high and there are pictures like the ones on the ceilings of museums and churches in Italy I have seen online. ¡¸Success! ¡¹ ¡¸Her Highness, as expected! How incredible to succeed on the first attempt ¡¹ The applause echoed in the hall with me still confused and I sat up to see what was happening. ¡¸What the hell is this¡­¡¹ Sitting on the floor, I see a beautiful girl standing in front of me in a very gorgeous dress. She has beautifully groomed blonde hair that flows down to her waist and a tiara on her head. Around her, there are men in fancy outfits and knights in armour who had their swords at the ready. ¡¸I do apologize for the inconvenience. I am the First Princess of Generate Kingdom, Sharon von Generate. My kingdom of Generate is at war with our sworn enemy of the Lunette Empire which has already taken 20% of our territory. Therefore, we have decided to summon you, Hero, using one of our country¡¯s hidden treasures, the summoning treasure ¡¹ I do not understand anything of what she is talking about. ¡¸With what you¡¯ve said, I don¡¯t know why I am here, I¡¯m just a thirty-five years old ordinary salary man¡¹ ¡¸Salary man? I am not familiar with the term, but from how I see it, you don¡¯t look thirty-five years old. Does your race have a prolonged lifespan? Although from your appearance you look human¡¹ ¨D¨DWhat is this girl saying? I know I look thirty-five. I casually brush away the bangs from my eyes. And I see silver strands of hair¡­.. Eh, silver? Why is it silver? I quickly inspect my body and realize that I am wearing a robe and clothes not my own. My belly fat that had begun to show is now tightened as if I had gone to the gym. I have my clothes rolled up, to observe my stomach and the knights begin to berate me on my behaviour. ¡¸What are you doing in front of Her Highness?!¡¹ The knights have their swords pointed at me. ¡¸No, no!¡¡I didn¡¯t mean to! ¡¹ I quickly pulled down my clothes, to evade trouble. ¡¸Since you were summoned out of the blue, it¡¯s no surprise you¡¯re confused. If you open your status, you¡¯ll see that the title says Hero. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able see it. Even if you don¡¯t say it aloud, it¡¯s no problem if you can picture it in your head ¡¹ Does she mean a status like from a game? ¡ºStatus ¡» I pictured it in my mind. A translucent panel appears in my mind and I check to see what is written on it. But Hero is not written anywhere on it. ¡¸Perhaps it¡¯s in the title¡­¡­¡¹ The princess with an anxious face looks desperately at me. ¡¸¡­¡­..No, it doesn¡¯t say ¡°hero¡±. The title says ¡°Summoned One¡± ¡¹ ¡¸¨D¨DThat is¡­¡¹ After I say this, everyone, including the princess, have their shoulders immediately slouch in disappointment. ¡¸I didn¡¯t expect it to fail¡­..¡¹ The sighs that I hear from everyone around me for some reason make me feel regretful. ¨D¨DCould it be my fault? What am I supposed to do with how I look? Will I be able to go back to my world? ¡¸Can you send me back to my world¡­ ¡¹ I call out to the now depressed Princess. The Princess looks at me apologetically. ¡¸Even if there is no title of ¡°Hero¡±, we hear that all the summoned people are high level. You should have already exceeded level 100, which is said to be the breaking limit? ¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m at level 1 ¡¹ With that statement I crushed whatever remaining hope that the Princess had into fine dust. ¡¸Eh, it¡¯s one? Really? ¡¹ A middle-aged man, who appears to be an aristocrat, starts to yell as if to block my words. ¡¸How unfortunate. I¡¯m sorry for summoning you. The Summoning Jewel is the counterpart to the Repatriation Jewel. It is said that it is possible to send a summoned person back to their original world. However, may I use the Summoning Jewel treasure one more time first? I can only do the summoning today when the moon is full. With my remaining magic power, I can only perform the summoning one more time. So we¡¯ll perform the repatriation ceremony tomorrow ¡¹ The princess with a regretful expression suggested. ¡¸I understand ¡¹ Knowing that I will be able to return home tomorrow and wanting to check on my body¡¯s current state I nod at the Princess¡¯s suggestion. A knight ordered me to move away from the magic circle that is drawn on the floor. I am actually looking forward to watching the summoning ritual as I stand at the edge of the room. The summoning ritual then begins. There is a ball, said to be a Summoning Jewel that is placed in the centre of the magic circle, and the Princess starts to pour magic into it. The Princess began chanting spell-like words and the magic circle began to glow around the treasure ball. The light intensified with the continuation of the spell. ¡¸The light is stronger than before. Could this be¡­? ¡¹ The hall gets swallowed up by the bright white light, the same as the one I saw before I was summoned here and the Summoning Jewel shattered into pieces. The light is unbearably bright forcing me to shut my eyes to block it out. The light gradually disappears and the room returns to normal. When I opened my eyes, there was a young man with blonde hair lying on his back where the jewel had been placed. The young man is wearing fancy white and silver armour, he wakes up and there is a look of confusion on his face. The knights who are surrounding him are in awe at the young man¡¯s luxurious armour. ¡¸What is happening?¡¡Why are you here?¡¡I was in the middle of fighting a monster¡­ ¡¹ The young man looks to be 20 years old, and is a beautiful man from all angles. In fact he is more beautiful than the Japanese idols, he has a face that looked like it had been created using CGI. In contrast to her depressed and defeated look, the Princess approaches the young man with rosy coloured cheeks. ¡¸I apologize for the inconvenience, Hero. I am the First Princess of Generate Kingdom, Sharon von Generate, and¨D¨D¡¹ She tells him the same thing she said to me. The young man is told to check his status, and he does as instructed. ¡¸The titles are listed as ¡°Hero¡± and ¡°Holy Knight¡±¡¹ The hall erupted with words of praise at the young man¡¯s mention of his two titles. Volume 1 - CH prologue 2 I was instantly forgotten when the actual Hero was summoned. The nobles and knights were filled to the brim with excitement over his arrival. They were cheering, shaking hands and patting one another¡¯s shoulders in jubilation that hope had been found. The Princess with pink-kissed cheeks in the midst of all this excitement clasped the hands of the young man, who is said to be the Hero, and cooed,¡¸Hero-sama¡­¡­¡¹. The celebration continued for a few minutes and then the noise finally subsided. The Princess, having forgotten about me, cleared her throat, straightened her posture, and spoke to the Hero. ¡¸I¡¯m going to have an audience with my father, His Majesty. Please come this way so that I can show you around ¡¹ The Princess walked out of the hall with the Hero in tow and the nobles followed suit. The royal knights in their fancy armour also followed, and the rest of the knights began to tidy the hall. Huh? What about me, what do I do? I called out to one of the remaining knights in a panic. ¡¸Excuse me, what do I do?¡¹ The knight looked troubled and approached one of the maids. ¡¸Show this person to the drawing-room. We¡¯ll be back tomorrow. And¨C¡¹ The knight whispered in the maid¡¯s ear and she nodded silently, and she had me follow her. The maid led me through the corridor from the ceremonial hall to one of the rooms in the royal castle. The corridor was heavily decorated with obscure carvings and paintings. I continued to trail the maid as I observed the building that I have only seen similar pictures of online. ¡¸You may use this room. The restroom is in the door at the back of it. I will bring you your meals ¡¹ The room I was led to was unimaginably too simple in comparison to the lavish corridor we had passed. The room¡¯s floor was laid with eight tatami mats and had a bed, table and chairs, a small closet and one door at the back, and oddly there was no window. This is not a guest room from the looks of it. ¡¸This is the guest room? Really? ¡¹ I looked at the maid¡¯s face waiting for confirmation. I mean this room was completely different from what I had expected. The maid simply nodded. I entered the room and without warning the maid shut the door behind me. Click. Huh? Is that the sound of the door getting locked? I gave up on the door that did not open regardless of how much I pushed or pulled and decided to lie down on the bed. ¡¸What I don¡¯t get is why I in particular was summoned and why in a different appearance¡­¡¹ No answers came to me, so I let those thoughts go and went to open the bathroom door. Inside there was a toilet and a basin¡­ There was also a mirror. It was not a modern mirror like the one from back home but a mirror made of shiny metal. I looked at my reflection in the mirror, the face looked familiar. It was the priest avatar I used in ¡°Pandemic World¡±. I looked decent but not as good as the Hero who was summoned earlier. ¡¸That¡¯s right¡­¡¹ Even if it¡¯s only for one day, it feels good to be young again. Tomorrow I plan to return to the original company stock. I lay on the bed with thoughts of what excuse I will use tomorrow to explain my abrupt absence from work. Time passed without a single knock on the door. I decided to go to sleep after drinking water from the bathroom to try to fool my hunger. The next morning, I woke up to the sound of the door being unlocked. The door was opened and the maid who led me to this room yesterday entered the room while pushing the cart that was probably carrying my meal. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry!¡¹ Still half asleep I could not get mad at her as she set the cart next to the table. ¡¸I¡¯ve brought you your meal. I¡¯ll leave the cart here ¡¹ Then the door was closed again after her. ¡¸I want to leave the room, but first I need food. I¡¯m seriously starving¡­¡¹ I quickly got out of bed and removed the lid of the tray that was on the cart. ¡¸You¡¯re kidding¡­¡¹ What was on the tray was bread and cold vegetable soup, which were obviously leftovers. But as they say, hunger is the best spice right? Even though the bread was too hard and the soup only had cold scrap vegetables in it, it was the perfect treat for me in my current situation. The food was in my stomach in the blink of an eye. As I was busy drinking water to supplement for the lack of food, the door was opened. An old man in robes and a few knights entered the room. ¡¸We will now begin the repatriation ceremony. The Princess is currently attending to the Hero; that is the reason for me taking her place. Although I am not as talented as Her Highness, as a Court Mage my magic power should be enough for the task ¡¹ I see¡­.. So the Princess is busy with the summoned Hero and the repatriation will be handled by the Court Mage, there is no problem with that arrangement on my side. I put on the robe I was wearing when I got summoned here. The knights were walking beside me as we followed the old man in robes. I could only assume this was to prevent me from escaping. I want to return to my world nothing else and all I have to do is to follow this old man. We arrived shortly in the hall where the summoning ritual was performed yesterday. ¡¸Stand in the middle of the magic circle. I will use a Repatriation Spell to return you to your world¡¹ I stood in the centre of the magic circle as I was told. The Court Mage began to chant the spell. As the incantation continued for several minutes, the light glowing from the magic circle I was standing in began to spread through the hall. ¡¸¨D¨DO lost man who has descended to this land. Return to your world ¡¹ As I heard those words, the magic circle was at the same time covered by a brilliant white light which blinded my eyes. Volume 1 - CH 1 What¡¯s in Dimensional Storage The piercing white light disappeared and my vision returned. At first I thought I was back at home, but a field of grass lay before me, spreading all around, and I was standing all alone in the middle of it, baffled. ¡¸Eh¡­ The Repatriation Spell was supposed to send me back to my world¡­¡¹ ¨CI don¡¯t think I was returned to my world, this doesn¡¯t look anything like it. Looking up at the sky and seeing two suns ¨C a small sun shining beside a big sun, further confirmed what I was already thinking, that this was not Earth. I brought a strand of my hair to my view with a pinch, the silver was still there and I was still wearing robes. I was still in the game avatar¡¯s body. In this tall grass that reached my knees, there was a rock big enough for me to sit on, I sat on it and pondered on what I should do next. The events that have unfolded up until now were troubling. It does not matter how young I have become; to be thrown in an unknown world and forced to live without any guidance is beyond confusing. ¡¸How am I supposed to live here? And then there is my job, which no doubt I am currently missing¡­ I¡­¡¹ I realize that I have no family who would worry over my disappearance, as my parents are already gone, and I lived by myself. ¡¸If this is something like the game, it would help if I could use Dimensional Storage¨C ¡¹ Suddenly a screen-like window popped up in my head as soon as I uttered the term¡º Dimensional Storage ¡». ¡¸Whoa! That¡¯s freaky! ¡¹ Although I was still taken aback, I turned my attention to the screen, there was armour, tools, in-game currency, and other items that were displayed. These were all from the storage of the Priest avatar. ¡¸Does this mean¡­ ¡¹ I increased my focus on the bread icon that was also on the display, a loaf of bread in an instant appeared in my hand, and the number on the screen for the bread changed from¡º99¡»to¡º98¡». The bread had a freshly baked warmth to it and I eagerly took a bite. ¡¸Delicious ¡¹ My appetite had not been stopped by the lacking breakfast that I was served when I woke up, so I took out several loaves of bread from Dimensional Storage and gobbled them up. I ate about five, which finally satisfied my hunger and calmed me down.¡¸I¡¯m full, at least for now, but what will I do for a means of support here on out? Can I even use the currency from the game? ¡¹ I withdrew some game currency as a reminder. A number of gold, silver, and copper coins materialized in my hand. I had transferred some of the money from my game main account to this sub-character. There was 20 million gil of currency, which I did not know if it was a lot or not. I was also uncertain of whether it could be used in this world. ¡¸It¡¯s no use fixating on it. I have to at least find a city¡­ There are items I need to look over before that though¡­ What else can I do? ¡¹ Sitting on the large rock I browsed through the contents of Dimensional Storage. There were weapons I had used as a low level warrior, the Priest¡¯s wands, robes, and various other items. ¡¸Okay, I think I¡¯ve got the hang of it. All that¡¯s left is- uh, how I get to a town¡­ Not sure if magic is something I can use, I need a weapon just in case ¡¹ I took out a low-level warrior weapon ¨C the Buster Sword. It was made from black iron and equipped with more attack power than any ordinary iron weapon. ¡¸It¡¯s been some time since I last used it¡­ Talk about nostalgic ¡¹ I swung the sword with one hand, taking note of how realistic it felt; a different feeling from graphics. The Buster Sword does not look good on the Priest compared to my Berserker character though. The Summoned Person title may have affected the Priest¡¯s status, as I was able to wield the sword without hurting my muscles. ¡¸I also need¡­ Clothes¡­ ¡¹ The several robes I took out screamed of chuunibyou. Among them there was a plain white robe made from monster materials, and I put it on and examined how I looked. ¡¸This will do for now¡­ It is really light. Now to find a village or city ¡¹ I searched for means of transportation in the Dimensional Storage and I found a horse icon. I remember I used a horse until level 100, and then transferred it to the sub-character after an item payment allowed me to change my riding creature to an Earth Dragon. ¡¸A horse¡­ So far everything is like the game¡­ Let¡¯s try it out¡­ ¡¹ I imagined pressing the horse icon, and a beautiful black haired horse appeared. It was a truly magnificent horse; I guess its size was too magnificent. ¡¸Heeheen, burrrrrrrr¡­.. ¡¹ And for some reasons not known to me, the horse began to bite my head. ¨CThis can¡¯t be right¡­ You are not a normal horse are you? I have seen a thoroughbred at a racetrack before, but this horse was too large, and had excellent muscles and legs. The horse seemed to understand what I was saying and bent over with its legs folded to make it easier for me to climb on. I got on its back, grabbed onto its mane and talked to it. ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s go ¡¹ The horse took off running on those words. Its speed was unlike that of any known horse. ¡¸Hey! Too fast! Slow down a little! ¡¹ Perhaps understanding my cries, the horse slowed down. After running for about thirty minutes, I could see a road. There were no people on it, but I was suspecting that if I took either direction, I would reach a city. ¡¸Get on the road. If you take any direction there should be a city. We need to find out where we are¡­ ¡¹ I went down the road, riding the horse at a steady speed. ¡¸This is about as comfortable as it gets¡­ ¡¹ I rode in one direction and up the hill of the size of a small mountain, and there it was ¨C a carriage being attacked by a group of monsters. Volume 1 - CH 2 About thirty monsters were surrounding the carriage and three people holding swords and a wand were protecting it and trying to keep the monsters at bay. I was talking to the horse, not sure if it understood me but with a single¡¸Hee hein ¡¹, it picked up speed towards the pack of monsters. ¨CSuch incredible speed. ¡¸Stop! ¡¹ My yelling did not slow it down, the horse charged into the monsters, sending them flying with a kick as it went. The monsters¡¯ size is smaller than an average person, they are two-legged creatures and wear only crude waistcoats, and wield makeshift clubs in one hand. Calling these monsters goblins would be correct. The goblins were landing about ten meters away as if hit by a truck and rendered motionless. I was still on the horse¡¯s back as it ran around kicking the goblins into the air. I thought my neck was going to snap. It was a few minutes later that it stopped. I could barely raise my head¨C ¨CBodies of goblins brutally hit by the horse were lying still on the ground. The ones that were flung off and trampled by it were already dead with splattered blood around. In shock, I looked at the people who were guarding the carriage and they looked back at me. I managed to hold back the sick feeling surging in my stomach. How was the horse? The only word it said after all this was¡¸Burr ¡¹. I dismounted from this unusual horse breed and gave my neck a rub on the back and called out to the bewildered people. One was a swordsman with red hair wearing leather armour. Another was brown-haired and was also wearing leather armour and carrying a sword and shield. The other was a woman with green hair wearing a robe and carrying a wand. All three looked to be about twenty years old. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry. But this guy refused to listen to me¡­ ¡¹ The three were breathing heavily from what had just transpired and pointed their swords and wand at me in caution. I raised my hands to let them know that I was unarmed and they let their guard down and lowered their weapons with some expression of relief. The red-haired swordsman of the trio was the one to step forward. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry to point my sword at you. Thanks to you, we are saved¡­.. Even so, it¡¯s surprising to see a person riding an Obsidian Battle-horse¡­.. ¡¹ I was hesitant to respond and the horse began to bite the back of my head. ¡¸Ha-ha it looks very fond of you. So who are you¡­? Uh, I¡¯m sorry, I should have given you a proper greeting first, I¡¯m Krada, the warrior behind me is Mirga, and the one with the wand is Nina ¡¹ The two people bowed their heads at their respective introductions. I also introduced myself. ¡¸I am¡­ Touya. I¡¯m a bit lost¡­ I¡¯ve been searching for a city and found you guys getting attacked and I felt like¡­ well¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Lost!? In such a place, it¡¯s the middle of nowhere¡­ And how can an Obsidian Battlehorse be so friendly towards people? ¡¹ It was difficult explaining that I had been unconscious and that when I woke up, I found myself in the meadow and the Obsidian Battlehorse next to me. I further told them that my memories from before that were hazy. I nodded at his suggestion, seeing how it will be good to have company with me in this half a day journey to the city. ¡¸Hunt-san, the monsters have been taken care of. Everything is okay now ¡¹ The brown-haired Mirga called out to the person in the carriage, and the door opened and the person appeared in haste. ¡¸Oh that¡¯s a relief. Even if there were just goblins, there were too many of them. I couldn¡¯t stop shaking in the carriage! So¡­ who is he? ¡¹ He seemed concerned about me having an Obsidian Battlehorse, which was clearly larger in size than the two horses pulling the carriage. Krada began to explain what had happened, and when I offered to accompany him, Hunt replied that there was no problem at all. Moreover, since the monster eradication size was of this level, he even promised to offer me a reward. When we finished introducing ourselves to each other, Krada asked me a question, as we were about to leave for the city. ¡¸Touya, don¡¯t you want to get subjugation proof? ¡¹ ¡¸Subjugation proof? I am not really an adventurer, so I don¡¯t know how¡­ ¡¹ Krada explained it to me since I did not understand. ¡¸If it¡¯s a goblin, you take the right ear. The monsters of this class do not possess magic stones ¡¹ I didn¡¯t even have a knife with me, and Krada sighed and decided to cut out subjugation proof for me instead. ¡¸Well, we could have managed somehow, but with this number we could have been seriously wounded. Let us do this much ¡¹ Nina was standing guard as Krada and Mirga cut the goblins¡¯ right ears with knives and put them in a bag, which after they were done was given to me. ¡¸This is your yield. Take it to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild and cash it. If we don¡¯t make it to the city before nightfall we will have to spend the night outside of the gate, so let¡¯s get going ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, thank you very much ¡¹ Krada and Nina returned to their seats at the front of the carriage, Mirga sat at the back of the carriage on the luggage compartment to keep a watchful eye on the rear. I called out to the Obsidian Battlehorse to give me a ride. It looked at me, responded to my words by bending its legs and lowering its body to the height of which I could easily climb on. ¡¸I think it¡¯s better if I gave it a name, that way it¡¯ll be easy to call¡­ It¡¯s pitch black¡­ What about Kokuyou? Is that alright with you? ¡¹ To that question, the Obsidian Battle-horse, Kokuyou happily let out a¡¸Bururu ¡¹. We then proceeded to the city. We reached the city before nightfall. The city was surrounded by a stone wall about four meters high. They said we first need to check in at the gate to enter the city. ¡¸You are not a registered adventurer¡­ are you? Do you even have your citizenship papers? If you don¡¯t, it¡¯ll cost you ten thousand gils to enter the city, do you have it? ¡¹ I pulled out gold, silver, and copper coins from the Dimensional Storage out of my pocket, and asked Krada if they were acceptable. ¡¸Hey! Don¡¯t show me your gold that easily! Single silver coin is enough to get into the city. If you walk around showing off your gold like that you could get attacked ¡¹ Krada¡¯s response made my shoulders stiffen, he also looked uneasy. One by one people went through the gate, and our turn came. ¡¸Next! ¡¹ The three of them and Hunt issued their documents and I told the guard that I had none. The gatekeeper looked surprised at me for having an Obsidian Battlehorse but explained to me. ¡¸If you have no paperwork¡­ It¡¯ll cost you a silver coin this time. If you register with the Adventurer¡¯s Guild you can enter the city for free. It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s a commercial guild. Based on your appearance, you are an adventurer right? And since you have an Obsidian Battle-horse with you, you should register it as a familiar at the guild ¡¹ ¡¸I was planning to register with the guild. But what is the familiar registration¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸You don¡¯t even know that? Well, when you register at the guild, they should be able to explain it to you ¡¹ ¡¸Okay, thank you ¡¹ I paid a silver coin to the guard and went through the gate. Krada¡¯s group were to accompany Hunt to the Chamber of Commerce at once, and I asked them where the guild was first. ¡¸I¡¯ll be heading to the guild, see you later ¡¹ The three of them and Hunt bid me farewell and drove off through the city in the carriage. When the carriage was out of sight, I began to also walk with Kokuyou into the city. Volume 1 - CH 3 We made our way through the busy streets. Walking down the main street of the city of a rather reasonable size, we came upon the sign that was described to me, of crossed swords. So far in our walk, I have been the centre of attention because of Kokuyou, who was walking by my side. Despite the annoying stares, we arrived at the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. I told Kokuyou to wait for me outside and he replied¡¸Bururu ¡¹, so with a peace of mind I opened the door and went inside. Inside the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, there were several bulletin boards lined up on the right wall, and several reception areas in the front. On the left side was a waiting room and at the back of the waiting room was a tavern, where noisy voices of those who were probably drinking could be heard. I went straight to the reception counter and gestured to the available receptionist to draw her attention. ¡¸Welcome to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild Fendi Branch. What can I do for you? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯d like to register as an adventurer¡­¡­ and ¡­¡­ register my horse as a familiar ¡¹ ¡¸I understand your request to register as an adventurer. But¡­. You don¡¯t need to register a horse, okay? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s an Obsidian Battlehorse¡­ An acquaintance of mine had told me to do it ¡¹ ¡¸¡­?! It¡¯s an Obsidian Battlehorse? A B-ranked monster? Then it will need to be registered¡­.. So where is it? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s waiting outside the guild at the moment ¡¹ ¡¸I understand. Now, please fill out this form to register as an adventurer first ¡¹ I looked at the paper that was handed to me which I could read, although it was not in Japanese. There were only four details to fill in: name, race, age, and job, which were listed on my Status as: Touya, human, sixteen years old, and Recovery Priest. I handed it back to the receptionist after filling it out. I had written in Japanese but the letters naturally took form. ¡¸Is this alright? ¡¹ The receptionist confirmed the contents and nodded, and placed a crystal and a needle on the counter. ¡¸Touya-sama, this seems to be in order. Also, could you give me a drop of blood so I can register your card? ¡¹ As I had been told by the receptionist, I pricked my fingertip with the needle and put it on the crystal where the blood was coming out. The crystal glowed a little, and after the receptionist confirmed it, she took out a card. ¡¸This is your guild card. Be careful not to lose it. You will need 10 silver coins to reissue. When you touch the card, your information will automatically be written on the card by absorbing the magic from your body ¡¹ I took the iron-coloured card while wondering about the unfamiliar word¡¸magic¡¹. I felt a sensation of something being sucked out of my right hand which was holding the card, and then letters emerged on the card. ¡ó¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¡ó [Name] Kisaragi Touya [Race] Human [Age] 16 I shook my head as I looked at the card. The receptionist nodded satisfactorily and began to discuss another matter. ¡¸Then let¡¯s talk about the familiar registration ¡¹ She took out a bangle, a necklace, and a sheet of paper and placed them on the counter. ¡¸Please fill out the form, Touya-sama as the master will wear the bangle and your servant will wear the necklace. The necklace is a magic item and its length automatically adjusts, so there is no problem even if it is a large familiar. Place it on its body where others can easily recognize it as a familiar. There have been cases of people fighting over familiars because familiars were not wearing the necklace ¡¹ I received the three items and filled out the form. On the form, there was a section to write only the master¡¯s name and the race of the familiar. I wrote Touya and Obsidian Battlehorse respectively and handed the form to the receptionist. ¡¸That¡¯s all you have to do to register. Next, would you like me to explain how the adventurer ranking system works? ¡¹ I nodded at the receptionist and asked her to explain. ¡¸Alright, it¡¯s like this. I have already described the rank of requests you can accept. There are F ranks to S ranks and the type of card changes depending on the rank. First, the F-rank and E-rank are iron-coloured cards called ¡°Fledgling Iron¡±, D-rank and C-rank are copper coloured cards, B-rank are silver coloured cards and A-rank are gold coloured cards. The guild does not interfere with the quarrels between adventurers but may take severe action such as demoting an adventurer¡¯s rank or depriving them of their adventurer status if they violate the law. Other than that¨C ¡¹ After several minutes of listening to the receptionist I began to get anxious because of Kokuyou waiting outside. ¡¸¡ªthat¡¯s all. Do you have any questions? ¡¹ I shook my head and said¡¸Thank you. I¡¯ll ask again if there¡¯s something I don¡¯t understand ¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­.. Is there an inn where my familiar can stay? He is larger than a normal horse ¡¹ ¡¸In that case¡­¡­ ¡¹ The receptionist took a piece of paper from a drawer and gave it to me. ¡¸This is the inn that accepts familiars. Please ask for rates when you get there ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you for everything receptionist¡­ er¡­ ¡¹ I said with a smile, the receptionist flushed a bit having forgotten to mention her name. ¡¸Pardon me. I¡¯m Milia, a receptionist at this adventurer¡¯s guild. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Touya-sama ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you, Milia-san. If there is any more confusion¨C ¡¹ At that second, the door was flung open with a loud blast, and a person flew in with such force it was as if they were kicked by a horse¡­¡­.. ¨Cas if kicked by a horse¡­? ¡¸It can¡¯t be ¡¹ I thanked Milia-san and opened the door as quickly as I could and stepped outside, and a scene greeted me ¨C Two adventurer-like men were spread on the ground and beside them a very agitated Kokuyou. I stroked his neck to calm the excited Kokuyou down and he let out a¡¸Bururu ¡¹and rubbed his body against mine and calmed down. ¡¸Kokuyou, what happened? ¡¹ The stall owner behind me told me, as there was no way Kokuyou could answer my question. ¡¸That big horse is special, ain¡¯t it? Those adventurers lying there tried to put a rope on it and steal it. But the horse rampaged and the three of them ended up like that. They are up to no good on a daily basis, so they got what they deserved. Kid, you¡¯re the owner? That was fun to watch, so I¡¯ll let you have one of the skewers I¡¯m selling here for free! ¡¹ The smell of the sauce tickled my nostrils as he began to grill the skewers at his stall. The guild staff came out to check the situation because the adventurer who flew in had just got kicked out by the guild. ¡¸What the hell is this¡­¡­? ¡¹ Two adventurers were passed out on the ground and Kokuyou was with me. The staff¡¯s eyes naturally were drawn to me. A male employee then asked me for details of what happened. ¡¸Can you tell me what happened here? ¡¹ I explained the story as I had heard from the stall owner while the delicious smell of the skewers he had given me filled my nostrils. It was imperative that I fight the urge to eat them and resolve the matter first. As hard as it was, I did. Volume 1 - CH 4 Reward The situation turned into some sort of hearing, but with the help of the receptionist, Milia, who explained my circumstance, I had an early release. It was then I had the freedom to eat one of the two skewers the stall owner gave me. Its sauce soaked into my tastebuds and the taste of the meat sizzled and spread through my whole mouth, the sensation made me grin like a toddler. ¡¸Old man, this tastes fantastic! ¡¹ ¡¸Of course! This is where my stall is every day, come around. I¡¯ll charge you next time though! ¡¹ The stall owner replied with a laugh while looking at me engrossed in eating the roasted skewer. Kokuyou out of the blue took a huge bite of the other skewer I was holding. ¡¸Hey! Not so fast! ¡¹ Half of the skewer was already in his mouth. I had no choice but to bring the rest of the skewer closer to him, and he happily chewed on it. ¡¸I thought horses were¡­ herbivores¡­ ¡¹ I ate the rest of my skewer leisurely next to Kokuyou. The guild staff had explained to me that the situation earlier happened because Kokuyou did not have the proof of a familiar, as such I decided to put the necklace I was given on him. ¡¸Kokuyou, this is something like an evidence of a contract with me. Can I put it around your neck? ¡¹ To prove he understood what I was saying Kokuyou lowered his head so that the necklace would be easy to put on. I placed the necklace around his neck and the necklace automatically adjusted its length. I brought the bangle on my left hand to the top of the pendant on the necklace; the pendant glowed a little and with that the familiar registration was completed. ¡¸Okay, that should be all. It¡¯s almost evening, let¡¯s go to the inn I was told about ¡¹ I lightly stroked Kokuyou¡¯s neck and walked with him trotting behind me. The inn Milia told me about was on the same side of the city as the guild and faced the gate. The inn is called¡º Fox¡¯s Tail Pavilion ¡»and has a sign with an image of a fox¡¯s tail hanging above its door. When I opened the door and stepped inside, there was a dining room and a reception, and an elderly fox beastman. (There are even beastmen here¡­. This might be the most exciting thing about this world) ¡¸Come in. Are you dining? Or staying the night? ¡¹ ¡¸Staying the night please. And I¡¯ve got a familiar with me ¡¹ ¡¸Familiar huh? There¡¯s a beast house in the back- Oh, Ramey, show him the way¡¹ The voice of the beastwoman at the reception desk made a beastwoman waitress of the same kind, who is in her teens, in the hall to look up. ¡¸Yes, mom. Ah, mister, I¡¯ll show you around ¡¹ I walked out with Ramey, who is in her mid-teens, and she is astonished to see Kokuyou. ¡¸Oh! It¡¯s an Obsidian Battlehorse, are you a high-ranked adventurer mister? ¡¹ ¡¸No¡­. I just finished registering as an adventurer earlier¡­ ¡¹ I replied with a chuckle, Ramey smiled at my words, as she stroked Kokuyou. Kokuyou did not seem to mind the pleasant rub. ¡¸I¡¯ll give you a place to sleep over here and I¡¯ll make you a nice dinner later ¡¹ Ramey led off and Kokuyou followed her obediently, perhaps understanding her words. I was walking with him behind her, and we came to a beast house for about four animals, and no one else seemed to be around. I nodded in affirmation to Ramey, who explained with a smile. I honestly didn¡¯t understand¡­.. The two of us returned back to the inn and Ramey notified her mother. ¡¸Well then, please check in. With a familiar, it¡¯ll cost you one silver coin and fifty coppers per night ¡¹ ¡¸¡­I¡¯ll be staying for ten nights for now, please ¡¹ I placed the fifteen silver coins I had taken out of Dimensional Storage, inconspicuously, on the counter and she handed me a key and a notebook in exchange. ¡¸I am going to need you to book me every day. Your room is at the far end of the hall. Dinner will be ready soon. Drop your stuff and come downstairs ¡¹ I wrote down Touya in the ledger, and when I received the key, I replied lightly before heading upstairs, to the room number depicted on the key. The room wasn¡¯t that big, but the bed was covered with clean sheets and a closet was provided. I got back from my room quickly because all of my stuff was already stored in Dimensional Storage. I went down to the dining room. A few people were already there, eating and having drinks. I sat down and Ramey, who was waitressing, came over with a tray. ¡¸Touya-san, today¡¯s special is orc stew. Basically, meals are served in the morning and at night. But the drinks are not included! Do you want some alcohol? ¡¹ I received the menu list from Ramey, but I did not understand the food items on it, so I asked for a pluck to go with the ale which was listed at the top. An ale and a small plate were placed on the table soon after and I took a sip of the ale right away. I was still anxious about living alone in this world where I had no one to turn to and no acquaintance. Tomorrow¡¯s expenses will not be a problem since the money from Dimensional Storage can be used as it is. I¡¯ll have to take a request at the Adventurer¡¯s Guild¡­. If I don¡¯t earn money for provisions, I¡¯ll eventually run out. As I was thinking about all this while sipping a bit of ale in my lonesome, a plate of food and a loaf of bread was placed in front of me. ¡¸Oh! This is delicious! Very tasty ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right~ It¡¯s our pride and joy. I¡¯ve already served your familiar a meal as well ¡¹ Ramey smiled after I praised the food, and walked with a skip in her step to the kitchen. I enjoyed the meal and before I knew it, the plate was empty. After gulping down the last of my remaining ale and paying for it, I returned to my room. When I got back to my room, I took off my boots and dove into bed and further thought about what I was going to do. ¡¸I¡¯d like to take a bath but they say only the nobles can use baths¡­ I¡¯ll have to do a little market research, too. Currently I don¡¯t know how much money I have is worth¡­. Also I need to figure out what to do with the stuff I have in Dimensional Storage. If it comes down to it, I¡¯ll have to sell it, in case I need money¡­ I don¡¯t want to stand out too much though, but I guess it¡¯s just the way of life ¡¹ While looking at the contents of the Dimensional Storage, and thinking about the materials I had collected in the game so far, my consciousness faded. The next morning, after eating, I went to the guild right away. I asked Kokuyou to stay behind and I headed out on my own. I couldn¡¯t help but stand out if I had an Obsidian Battlehorse that was several times larger than a normal horse with me as I looked around the shops and checked the market prices. I entered the Adventurer¡¯s Guild and looked at the request form posted on the bulletin board for the E and F ranks, which I could take, and I was suddenly called out from behind. When I turned around, I found Krada and his companions who had come with me to the city. ¡¸Hey Touya! Looks like you made it through the adventurer registration process without a hitch. Are you looking for an early request? Did you already get those goblin ears cashed in? ¡¹ I shook my head, realizing at Krada¡¯s words that I had not submitted them yet. ¡¸What? You haven¡¯t turned them in yet? The goblins are supposed to be on the request all the time, so you can take them straight to the counter. Look, it¡¯s free right now, go ahead ¡¹ Krada took me to the counter where there was a different receptionist from Milia who had helped me yesterday. ¡¸Help this guy redeem the reward for the goblins he defeated please ¡¹ Krada told the receptionist and quickly went to the bulletin board, I was left alone and I put the bag of goblin ears on the counter. ¡¸I will also need your guild card ¡¹ As I was told I took out my guild card and put it through the reader, while the receptionist was checking the quantity of the materials. ¡¸You must be Touya-sama. I see thirty goblin ears. This will promote you to E-rank. There are five goblins and fifty coppers in a regular request so the total amount is three silver coins ¡¹ ¡­Eh? Isn¡¯t that too much? The receptionist explained to my dumbfounded self. ¡¸Touya-sama, you were F-rank so the request to subjugate goblins, which is an E-rank request, gets you double points. That¡¯s an amazing achievement for your first subjugation! But since you don¡¯t have a party at the moment, please don¡¯t do anything rash, also from now on, you can take requests for D-rank ¡¹ I felt bad as the receptionist flashed a smile at me, since I did not do anything, Kokuyou was the one who trampled all of them¡­¡­. I was given three silver coins and the card, and when I held the card, letters floated onto it, it was now indeed changed to E-rank. However, thanks to Kokuyou kicking the life out the monsters, my level was still at 1. I then returned to the bulletin board to see about a new request. Volume 1 - CH 5 The Little Sage I realized looking at the list of requests posted for each rank, that most F rank requests centred on city errands and material collection, and that the subjugation requests were for E rank and above. Furthermore, there were always low rank requests which were not necessarily put on the bulletin board. I met with Krada¡¯s party again before I left the guild and made a promise to drink with them next time. I aimlessly went around looking at the butchers, vegetable stands and other stalls, and had lunch at some stall before making a stop at the weapons shop. I have a deep admiration for weapons. That¡¯s the reason I had chosen to play as a Berserker. When I entered the shop, I was excited to see swords, spears, and armours that were on display. However, there wasn¡¯t anything in it that caught my eye. ¡¸Welcome. I haven¡¯t seen you before, are you new in the city? ¡¹ I was disappointed to not find the kind of weapon I wanted. I approached the man sitting at the counter talking to me, who looked to be in his twenties. ¡¸Something of that sort, I just registered as an adventurer yesterday¡­. ¡¹ ¡¸You look like a Mage, are you not? There aren¡¯t many mage weapons in here¡­¡­ Perhaps you should try the magic shop. The only weapon here you can use could be a dagger, I suppose ¡¹ I then remembered that Krada and his companions had used daggers to carve materials. I asked the shopkeeper to bring out daggers that were suitable for carving, he obliged and brought out several different types of daggers. ¡¸If you are looking for a durable one, I suggest this one on the far right. It¡¯s two pieces of silver, but it¡¯s strong and easy to handle ¡¹ I was relieved that it was inexpensive and I bought the recommended dagger. I asked for the location of the magician shop, and learned it was nearby so I thanked him and headed there. ¡­¡­I¡¯ve never had a magic job before, I wonder if I can use it. I have never even used recovery magic¡­. With that thought running through my head, I walked into the shop that had the staff symbol painted on the door as it was described to me, and found wands, robes, and spell books laid out. ¡¸Hello there. Can I help you to find something? ¡¹ The woman, speaking to me, looked like a Mage elf, she was wearing a black robe, had her pale green hair cut to her shoulders, and had pointed ears. ¨C However, she did look like a little girl at first glance. ¡¸¡­.. I¡¯d like to tell you right now, that I am much older than you are, human. I just have slow growth! I am a full-fledged adult! ¡¹ The little girl shopkeeper shot me a drilling stare as she said this. ¨CDid my face give it away¡­¡­ ¡¸No, no, you¡¯ve got it wrong¡­¡­ ¡¹ I apologized as the cold sweat dripped down my back. ¡¸Whatever. So what are you looking for? What will it be? ¡¹ ¡¸I am looking for a spell book¡­. My job is Recovery Priest but I don¡¯t know what magic I can use yet¡¹ My words seemed to trouble the little girl a bit, despite that she put three spell books on top of the counter. ¡¸These are the spell books for Recovery Priests: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. But they will cost quite a fortune. Ten silver coins for the beginner level, fifty silver coins for the intermediate level, and two gold coins for the advanced level ¡¹ The market research I had done, had given me a rough estimate of the amount of money I have. A copper coin is worth about a hundred yen, a silver coin is worth ten thousand yen, and a gold coin is worth one million yen. There is also a white coin that is called a white gold coin, but it is rare to see anybody use it. ¡­¡­..Anyway, a hundred thousand yen for a beginner and two million yen for an advanced spell book¡­¡­ That¡¯s expensive, but I still have about twenty million yen left. Taking the uncertainty of the future into consideration though; it might be beneficial for me to buy them now. I gave my name, Touya, to the pompous little shopkeeper who was sticking out her utterly infantile chest. ¡¸Touya huh¡­. I¡¯m Natalie. It¡¯s Natalie the Sage. You can proceed to worship me ¡¹ I let out a snicker, and Natalie narrowed her eyes at me when I put the amount of money she told me on the counter. ¡¸You have Dimensional Storage? ¡¹ I thought taking the money out in the midst of our conversation would hide it, I was a little alarmed at being spotted but Natalie didn¡¯t seem particularly bothered by it. ¡¸Don¡¯t look so nervous, it¡¯s a rare skill, but that doesn¡¯t mean it doesn¡¯t exist. Look, I have it too ¡¹ She then took out a bottle of blue potion out of thin air. ¡¸I am not called a Sage for nothing. I have a dimensional storage that can hold up to 5000 kilos ¡¹ I was impressed by Natalie¡¯s boldness. Looking at my materials and equipment in my Dimensional Storage, that size does not come close to mine. There are several types of weapons, a variety of armour, and as for food items, there are ninety-nine of each. As expected, I¡¯ll have to keep quiet about mine¡­¡­. Since I have been exposed, I didn¡¯t mind and put the three books I received into the Dimensional Storage. I saw wands and robes, but nothing in particular that I wanted and told Natalie I was leaving. The little girl grinned and after saying that, I in return gave a simple chuckle. ¡¸I¡¯ll come back if there¡¯s a need ¡¹ With that statement, I exited the store. I wanted to read the spell books immediately, so I headed to the inn instantly. On the way back to the inn, I made a single stop at the stall near the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. ¡¸Thanks for yesterday, old man. I¡¯m your customer today, I¡¯ll take three ¡¹ ¡¸Oh, you¡¯re that kid from yesterday! That¡¯ll be six coppers for three, I¡¯ll give you a discount of one copper, so five coppers will be fine. I¡¯ll roast it for you right away ¡¹ I handed the old man five copper coins, and he dipped the skewers in the sauce before starting to grill them. The smell of the sauce cooking began to waft around us. I swallowed my spit and waited for the grill to finish. ¡¸Here you go ¡¹ ¡¸Thanks, old man! ¡¹ I received three skewers and headed straight to the inn. When I got to the beast house in the back, Kokuyou looked up grumpily as he heard me coming. ¡¸You don¡¯t look so happy Kokuyou¡­ Look here, I got you a skewer ¡¹ I offered him one of the skewers and he quietly bit into it. Sitting next to him in the beast house, I took another skewer out and ate it, and by that time Kokuyou had already finished his. He gave me the look that read¡¸Bururu, give me more ¡¹, I sighed and handed him the other one. And in the same way, he bit into it. ¡¸You¡¯re a gourmand too¡­¡­ ?¡¹ I casually stroked the eating Kokuyou and then told him¡¸We¡¯ll be going on an adventure tomorrow ¡¹and he looked at me and gave a single¡¸Bururu ¡¹. I then went to the front of the inn, when I got into the inn, I found Ramey cleaning up, and made her aware that I had returned and headed to my room. I then laid out the three books on the table, and began to read them starting from the beginner¡¯s level. The spell book described how to feel the magic, from there, the names and effects, spells and diagrams of magic were written. Not only was it about Recovery Magic but it was also about the four basic attributes of Attack Magic, which kept me intrigued. ¡¸I can¡¯t do the request tomorrow without at least learning some recovery magic¡­. ¡¹ As I turned the pages, somehow the information felt familiar to me and I absorbed it one after the other, as if I had already known it. ¡¸What is going on¡­.. ¡¹ When I finished reading the beginner¡¯s level book, I continued onto reading the intermediate level and then the advanced level. ¡¸This is incredible¡­ It might be possible for me to be able to use advanced magic already¡¹ I then imagined my hand being filled with magic and my palm began to turn white. ¡ºAdvanced Healing ¡» I cast an advanced recovery spell, and my right hand glowed dazzlingly white and ¨C just like that ¨C I passed out. Volume 1 - CH 6 The morning sunshine gently woke me up from my sleep. I pushed myself out of bed and opened the window and a cool breeze ran through my body. After giving my back a little stretch to fully awaken, I locked my room and in my feathered robe I went down to the dining room. I found the other guests already having breakfast together and Ramey noticed me enter and flashed me a smile. ¡¸Oh, Touya-san good morning! I was worried last night when you didn¡¯t come down to eat, are you okay? ¡¹ I took a seat at the counter¡¸Looks like I might have been more exhausted than I thought and dozed off ¡¹I said to Ramey. Breakfast which is bread and soup, was soon placed in front of me. ¡¸You didn¡¯t eat yesterday, so I made you a lot, alright? ¡¹ The soup poured in a bowl that was larger than the other guests¡¯, alongside three pieces of bread were placed on the table. My portion was nearly double the amount compared to what everyone had. ¡¸¡­¡­¡­. Thank you for the food ¡¹ I gave a slight chuckle, scooped up the bowl of soup and poured it in my mouth. It tasted very gentle and full of vegetable flavours. Perhaps the hunger had been enough motivation for me to eat plenty, but the meal that was placed in front of me, was all gone within ten minutes. After I finished eating, I put my hands together, uttered¡¸Thank you for the food ¡¹and Ramey nodded her head. ¡¸That¡¯s a strange praise. Is that a way of giving thanks where Touya comes from? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ Yes¡­ That¡¯s right¡­. ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re really strange Touya¡¹ Ramey went back to serving the other guests with a smile. I casually waved at her on my way back to my room. I lay on my bed and took out my guild card to examine it. It has the country where I registered written on it. ¡¸The country I was summoned to is called the Generate Kingdom, right? It¡¯s the same country that was in the game. This is the Kingdom Of Sarandir and this city is called Fendi¡­ I¡¯ve never heard of those names in the game before¡­ Is this the same world as the game or a completely different one? But the fact that I can access my Dimensional Storage here¡­¡­ Ahhh¡­ I don¡¯t understand! ¡¹ I racked my brains, but no viable answers came. I put the card away in Dimensional Storage and thought more about my future plans. ¡¸Do I look for a way to get back to my old world or¡­.. Maybe live here permanently¡­? It might not be bad ¡¹ A young body and a face makeover of a character that I put a lot of effort in creating, I can¡¯t begin to compare it to my previous life. ¡¸First what I need to do¡­ is to build myself a house¡­¡­ Come to think it, I haven¡¯t thoroughly inspected the items of Dimensional Storage, which has become so useful to me ¡¹ In the game I had randomly packed weapons, equipment, and other somewhat rare items that used till about level 300. I searched for the names of those items in my mind, as I recalled them. ¡¸This¡­ hmmm. This could work¡­. ¡¹ Lined up one after the other, I spread the items from Dimensional Storage out on the bed. I carefully selected the physical and magical enhancement rings, necklaces and bangles after checking their effects. ¡¸This is¡­¡­.. ¡¹ The ring I was holding in my hand was silver and had a red stone inlaid into it, it is a beginner¡¯s recovery ring. Its effect is that it can multiply the experience points of a character of level 100 and below by a hundred times. In the game there was an increase in the number of high-level characters, and the power imbalance to new players prompted the game¡¯s management to distribute these rings as an adjustment. ¡¸Wonder if I can use its ability here too¡­¡­. It might work¡­.. ¡¹ I cleared my throat and put the ring on my finger cautiously. I took the other equipment that I suspected will become of use to me, such as the bangles and necklaces, and left the room. I asked Ramey to let Kokuyou out of the beast house¡­ I guess he must have been bored in the stables because he immediately started to chew my head pleasantly when we met. ¡¸Stop that¡­. Were you that bored? I¡¯m going out now, want to come along? ¡¹ Kokuyou¡¯s eyes narrowed, showing satisfaction as I rubbed his neck¡­ he then went back to biting my head. I wiped my drool-covered head with the sleeve of my robe as we headed to the gate. I gave the gate guard a casual greeting and went out of the city. Yesterday, I was told about the forest where monsters frequently appear. I happily gave Kokuyou the freedom of running in the direction of the forest, after I hopped onto his back. Kokuyou raced down the road at an unimaginable speed, totally superior to any ordinary horse. I was told that it will take me an hour on a horse to get to the forest but in less than half an hour, I arrived at the entrance of the forest. ¡¸We¡¯re here in a flash¡­. That¡¯s Kokuyou for you¡­.¡¹ Snorting and wagging his tail, he gave me a look that read¡¸How was that? ¡¹, I patted his neck and gave him a¡¸Good job ¡¹remark. ¡¸I¡¯m going into the forest to hunt monsters. I want you to stay here, for the time being. Look, here¡¯s some water ¡¹ I took a tub out of Dimensional Storage and used life magic to pour some water into it in trickle fashion. Life magic was described in the beginner¡¯s magic book I read last night. I was able to chant the magic spells from the books without difficulty. Kokuyou quickly lapped up the water and took off into the meadow with enthusiasm and I got myself prepared for battle. ¡¸Life magic is convenient, but I still can¡¯t use attack magic¡­ A weapon it is then¡­ ¡¹ I held up the Buster Sword which I had pulled out of the Dimensional storage and I lightly swung it to get a good feel of it. ¡¸Feels all right¡­.. I¡¯m still level 1, so I¡¯ve got to pace myself. Even if I can use recovery magic¡­ ¡¹ The forest in front of me was lined with trees over ten meters high, and there was a thick gloom behind it. I took a step in. Carefully advancing into the forest, it was not long before I spotted a group of monsters. They were goblins like the ones Kokuyou had killed. The three goblins were thrashing with their clubs through the bushes looking for prey. I hid behind a tree to study them from a better angle. They walked past me, oblivious to my presence. And then¡­ Tightly gripping on my sword I hacked at the goblin from behind¡­. Slash. In a flash, the goblin¡¯s shoulder was chopped off and the goblin was dead. The two remaining goblins let out an odd cry and readied their clubs at an enemy they did not expect, who had suddenly appeared. I slashed and thrust at the both of them at once, ending their lives in a second. I looked down at the three fallen goblins and let out a sigh of relief at being able to defeat them. I felt the corners of my mouth crack into a smile. ¡¸This is¡­ This is different from the game¡­ This is real¡­ Disgusting¡­ ¡¹ In that instance, I felt strength surge through my entire body. I quickly checked my status on the spot. ¡ó¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¡ó [Name] Kisaragi Touya [Race] Human [Gender] Male [Age] 16 [Occupation] Recovery Priest [Title] Summoned One [Level] 6 [Special Skill] The Divine Eye, the ability to use magic for all attributes, and the ability to acquire all skills [Skill] Swordsmanship ¡ó¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¡ó The level has gone up. ¡¸Three goblins have raised my level by five¡­ Is this because of the ring¡¯s effect¡­? ¡¹ I looked at the experience enhancement ring on the middle finger of my left hand and grinned further. ¡¸That¡¯s right, haijin¡­. Don¡¯t mess with a haijin¡­ ¡¹ With that said I cut off the subjugation proof ¨C the goblin¡¯s right ears, and put them in a bag, tossed it in the Dimensional Storage and proceeded deeper into the forest. [TL Note: haijin is a person who plays online games 24/7] Volume 1 - CH 7 ¡¸Phew¡­ I should go back¡­ Kokuyou must be waiting for me¡­.. ¡¹ I have wandered around in the forest for two hours, defeating a number of monsters that I came across. I made my way along the path of trees I had marked, towards the forest exit, and within half a minute, I arrived at the entrance. Freed from the dark lit forest, I stretched my back and looked at Kokuyou as the sun shone down on me. Kokuyou looks a little happy to see me. However, at Kokuyou¡¯s feet ¨C quite a number of monsters are scattered around. ¡¸¡­¡­.Kokuyou¡­. Where did these come from¡­..? ¡¹ Kokuyou gives me a proud face of¡¸ What do you think? ¡¹and kicks the empty tub of water up at me. I can¡¯t help but chuckle. I use my life magic to refill the tub with water and place it near Kokuyou. With a satisfied expression, Kokuyou begins to drink the water. ¡¸Okay, okay, so monsters still come out to the entrance ¡¹ I look around, patting Kokuyou¡¯s neck as he lapped the water, thinking I would spot other monsters. But there is no sign of any other. ¡¸I¡¯ll have to deal with these guys too¡­.. ¡¹ I cut out the subjugation proof from the monsters that were sprawled around crushed as if they had been run over by a dump truck. The number of goblins that I cut out their ears is over thirty. Once I was done with that, I gathered all of the monsters¡¯ lifeless bodies together in a pile and used life magic to set them ablaze. I took a loaf of bread out of Dimensional Storage and casually bit into it while watching the burning monster carcasses. I was already planning to leave after defeating enough monsters, but not before I checked my status. ¡ºStatus ¡» ¡ó¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¡ó [Name] Kisaragi Touya [Race] Human [Gender] Male [Age] 16 [Occupation] Recovery Priest [Title] Summoned One [Level] 35 [Special Skill] The Divine Eye, the ability to use magic for all attributes, and the ability to acquire all skills [Skill] Swordsmanship ¡ó¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¡ó ¡¸Ohh!!! ¡¹ My level has risen by this much already? It is in the thirties, which means it is equivalent to that of a B-rank at the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. I grinned like I used to in my haijin days. ¡¸I¡¯m sure I will get to 100 in no time if I put my back into it¡­. ¡¹ Looking at the experience enhancement ring on my finger, I wonder about the possibilities that await me. ¡¸At any rate, I¡¯ve got some money and an inn where I can stay with Kokuyou, so I¡¯m sorted for the most part¡­.. I¡¯ll have to raise my adventurer¡¯s rank a bit though and get some information on the surrounding countries. I need a map¡­.. ¡¹ In my head I sort out what my next course of action should be. And Kokuyou as per his habit was chewing on my contemplating head sweetly. I climbed on his back and rode back to the city. Kokuyou¡¯s back has no saddle, I note this as his unhorse-like speed almost throws me off. I desperately fight to stay on and I somehow safely make it to the city, where I will have a saddle made for him. We arrived at the gate and I stepped down from Kokuyou when we got to the entrance, and I walked in with him after I displayed my guild card to the guard. It actually is free to enter the city as long as I have the citizenship card or guild card. I head to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild since that is what I think I must do before anything else. As I open the door and enter the guild, gazes focus on me for a minute, but quickly disappear. There are a few receptionists at the reception area today, and Milia is also there. I lined up in the queue and my turn came in a few minutes. When I stood in front of Milia, she looked up and smiled when she noticed it was me. ¡¸Nice to see you again, Touya-san. Are you taking orders? Or making submissions¡­.? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a submission please. By the way¡­ There is plenty of it¡­ ¡¹ I said with a wry smile, and as I had hoped, she led me to a private room. I sat down across from Milia, and she was the first to speak. ¡¸After what happened last time, I suspect this will cause a commotion. So¡­ how much¡­ is it this time¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯d say it¡¯s about two hundred goblin ears and ten orcs. And wolves ¨C ¡¹ ¡¸Wait a minute! ¡¹ Milia interrupted my explanation, with a raised hand. ¡¸That¡¯s how many you killed since yesterday?! You are reckless. There is a limit to how far you can go! Especially for you, Touya-san¡­ You have no party. Right? ¡¹ I continued to nod over and over again at Milia, as she lectured me. ¡¸¡ªSo please use common sense. But, are you really a Recovery Priest!? I would totally say you are a Berserker. Seriously¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Milia¡­. There is a job title of Berserker!? ¡¹ I ask Milia, excited over the mention of the job of my main avatar. ¡¸It¡¯s more of a legend really. It is said, it¡¯s more than just being a warrior¡­ It¡¯s a warrior beyond¡­. level 100, even though that is said to be the limit¡­ ¡¹ My mouth drops a bit making Milia to tilt her head at me questionably. (I might manage to do it with this ring¡­ I¡¯ll change my job at level 100) ¡¸All right. Thanks, that was helpful. So where I do I put the monster materials¡­.? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s right. I will guide you to the dismantling area. By the way, Touya-san you¡¯re empty-handed, did you leave them outside? ¡¹ Since she¡¯s the guild girl who has been taking care of me until now, I risk taking the bag of goblin ears out of Dimensional Storage in front of her. ¡¸¡­..!? Touya-san, you have Dimensional Storage? That makes sense. But¡­ don¡¯t show it to people too much, okay? It¡¯s a rare skill, after all, and as adventurers, they will be down your throat. There are many people who will want it for their parties. If they knew¡­.. ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t want that! I need to be solo for a little while. Plus, I¡¯ve got some things I want to check out, so I don¡¯t want to go hunting everyday ¡¹ I cannot display my haijin play in front of other people. Moreover, I am not even capable of playing the role of a Recovery Priest if I was in a party. I was thinking this while I followed Milia into the dismantling area. The place I was led to was about the size of a gymnasium and several people were working on the dismantling of monster materials. Milia approached the person who seemed to be in charge. ¡¸Darok-san, I¡¯m bringing in materials, where do you want me to put it? ¡¹ Darok is a human male in his late thirties, who is a bit stocky and thick, and is wearing an apron. After I was provided with a placement for my monster materials, I slowly took out materials from Dimensional Storage, and placed them as I was told. I had already taken out ten orcs and more than thirty wolves when I was abruptly told to stop. ¡¸Hold on! We can¡¯t process it all at once! We¡¯ll do the rest later. You have Dimensional Storage it won¡¯t hurt the material if you keep them for now ¡¹ When I was stopped, there was a small mountain that had already formed, and the staff dismantling some other materials had stopped their work to look on. ¡¸All right. I¡¯ll bring the rest to you later since I won¡¯t be going hunting anytime soon¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸If you bring this much every time, I won¡¯t be able to do any other work. But still, kid, you don¡¯t look as high ranked as you are¡­.. ¡¹ His eyes widened when Milia standing by his side told him,¡¸Actually he¡¯s E-rank ¡¹. ¡¸A good greenhorn on our hands? ¡¹ With a wide grin Darok gave me a mighty smack on the back. I returned to the reception room with Milia, who explained that the assessment on the material would be done by tomorrow. ¡¸Touya-san, please come back tomorrow afternoon. I think the assessment will be done by then. And¡­¡­. Maybe you¡¯ll be promoted in rank as well. Because if Touya-san is at E-rank, that would be an imbalance in the ranking ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, all right¡­. I¡¯ll leave that to you. See you tomorrow ¡¹ After leaving the guild, I walked to the inn with Kokuyou. On the way, I bought the usual skewers and walked the road snacking on them. ¡¸I¡¯m back¡¹ ¡¸Oh, Touya-san, welcome back¡­.. ¡¹, she replied but her expression was dull for her words. I ask her if something is wrong and she answers,¡¸Well¡­ actually¡­ The other guests¡¯ horses have been frightened of Kokuyou and complaints have been coming. So¡­ sorry, can you stay here only until tomorrow¡­. ¡¹. Coming back from the hunt, exhausted, I am confronted with the fact that I will be out on the street tomorrow. Volume 1 - CH 8 ¡¸Eh¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Is it¡­¡­ decided¡­¡­?¡¹ Ramey nodded with a sorry expression when I asked nervously. ¡¸Touya-san I am sorry¡­¡­I would like for you to stay¡­¡­ But it would be troublesome to the other customers¡­¡­ There are people who will leave because of this¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸In that case¡­¡­ I guess it can¡¯t be helped then¡­¡­¡¹ With the reason given, I could not argue, I went up to my room while thinking about where I¡¯ll stay tomorrow. In the evening the other dwellers stared at me throughout dinner. It was a completely different atmosphere compared to yesterday. Even though Kokuyou¡¯s job is similar to that of a normal horse, because he is categorized as a high ranked monster, he is still seen in a negative light. To me he¡¯s a harmless pal, who on occasions likes to bite my head, that¡¯s all¡­¡­ ¡¸I¡¯ll have to look for an inn tomorrow¡­ But where ¡­¡­ The guild is a good place to start I guess¡¹ I fell asleep with relief, thinking it would be easy to get information from the guild. Thinking how it would especially be helpful if that information came from someone in a similar situation to me. The next day¨D¨D ¡¸Touya-san I am sorry¡­¡­¡¹ I opened the door and entered the guild, with Kokuyou remaining at the guild stable. The people inside glanced at me for a moment, and then went back to their business. I went to queue in the line leading to the reception desk, of someone I recognized, Milia. A few minutes later it was my turn. ¡¸Welcome to the guild. Ah, Touya-san good morning. Are you perhaps here¡­¡­ to take another request? I thought I told you about limits. I also do not think the assessment for your previous submission is complete even¡¹ Milia protested, about the absurd requests I have been taking, with a pout. ¡¸No, no. I am here because I need a new place to stay¡­¡­. I got evicted because Kokuyou intimidates the others around. Do you have any suggestions?¡¹ Milia sighed, after I ended my explanation. ¡¸I see but ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t know how any other inn I recommend wouldn¡¯t lead to the same situation ¡­¡­ If inns are out of the question ¨D¨D the alternative would be to rent a place from the Merchant Guild? ¡¹ ¡¸Merchant Guild? There is such a thing here huh. I will have a word with them¡¹ ¡¸By the way the assessment should be done around noon, please do come back by then¡¹ ¡¸Got it. I will be back later¡¹ I thanked Milia, left the guild, going down the street with Kokuyou towards the Merchant¡¯s Guild following the directions she gave me. Guards whom I asked for a place where I can leave Kokuyou stood at the front gate. I headed to the stables they pointed out, which were at the back of the Merchant¡¯s Guild building, and left Kokuyou there. Stepping through the main entrance, a number of tables for holding discussions can be seen at both sides of the hall with the counters at the end of the hall. I approached one of the unoccupied counters. ¡¸Welcome to the Merchant¡¯s Guild Fendi branch, my name is Samy. How may I help you?¡¹ The receptionist behind the counter has red hair which is tied up at the back of her head, she wears glasses, and is an intellectual-looking lady. ¡¸I would like to rent a house. I heard at the Adventurers Guild that this is the place where I can rent one¡­¡­.¡¹ She gave me a curious look, probably unsure of a young person like me renting a house; she nonetheless took out some real estate documents and placed them on the table. ¡¸It is quite rare to see someone so young renting a house. Adventurers who¡¯re around your age would normally be staying in an inn¡­¡­Well anyway, what type of house are you looking for? We have houses with sizes ranging from mansions big enough for nobles to huts small enough for rabbits ¡¹ I told Samy my vision and she flipped the files on the table. ¡¸A house with a stable?¡­¡­ A house with a stable would have to be quite big as well. It would normally go for 500 thousand gils monthly? If you¡¯re fine with that, I can arrange it immediately¡­¡­¡¹ As expected, it is expensive. The money I have on hand is more than enough but living alone with such an expense seems like a waste. ¡¸That is quite steep¡­¡­¡¹ Samy took my response as a no and continued to flip the pages of the documents. When her hand stopped, she showed me one of the pages. ¡¸The rent is 150 thousand gil monthly for this mansion with a stable but¡­¡­ it is quite a special case, the owner is staying in the town but the mansion is only for rent under the condition that the dwellers are allowed to rent only after they are acknowledged by the owner. I can arrange the meeting, if that is fine with you. Under normal circumstances a house of this size would cost around 1 million gil a month¡¹ I was amazed by the blueprint of the house. ¡¸Please let me meet with the owner! I want to stay there if possible¡¹ Samy leans away from my frantic request and agrees with a nod. ¡¸If you¡¯ve settled on it, let¡¯s go meet the owner now. Please give me a moment.¡¹ Samy went in a room further in the back, probably to check with a higher up, and then walked out from behind the counter. We walked out of the Merchant¡¯s Guild and retrieved Kokuyou from the stables, whom Samy did not hide her astonishment of his size when she saw him. ¡¸?! A familiar¡­¡­ On top of that, quite a high rank one¡­¡­.This is no doubt an Obsidian Battlehorse, am I right? It is my first time seeing it though, what a rare sight.¡¹ I nodded simply while patting Kokuyou¡¯s neck. The streets clear up for us because of Kokuyou, most likely because of his huge figure. But a great deal of them moved out of the way with frightful stares. Samy came to a stop in front of the store after our fifteen minute walk. ¡¸This is it. The owner of the house is the shopkeeper here¡¹ I sighed looking at the sign outside the store. It¡¯s the same magic item shop I came by a few days earlier. Samy went ahead and entered the store without acknowledgement of my reaction. ¡¸Natalie-san are you in here? I brought someone who wants to rent the mansion~¡¹ The one and only little girl, Sage, from the other day came out from the backroom towards us. ¡¸Again Samy? You brought someone again¡­¡­ You are quite a persistent one¡­¡­ Who is it this¡ª y-you eh? ¡¹ Natalie wore a grin on her face as she looked up at me. ¡¸I remember you¡­.. If I am not mistaken you are Touya ¡­¡­. Well, shall we go and see it?¡¹ Natalie began to pack up the few items in the store as she spoke, locked the front door, and walked pompously ahead of us in the street. Another fifteen minutes of walking, we slowly shifted into a high class residential area, passing mansion after mansion, each with vast yards surrounding them. Am I really going to live in one of these¡­¡­ Such a question made its way into my mind while following the little girl, Natalie. Natalie finally stopped in front of one of the mansions. ¡¸This is the mansion¡¹ An elegantly built two-story mansion stood behind a grinning Natalie, in the middle of a vast plot of land. Volume 1 - CH 9 ¡¸Is this really it¡­¡­here?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s all up to you if you want to stay here¡­¡­¡¹ Natalie smirked before opening the gate and entering the estate. We walked through a beautifully maintained front yard to the door. Natalie then took out the key and unlocked the door. ¡¸Follow me¡¹ She beckoned me to be by her side as we went into the mansion. Inside the house, there was no sign of anyone living in it but the mansion was incredibly spotless and even giving off some sort of holy ambience. ¡¸Are you¡­¡­ Sure there is no one staying here¡­¡­?¡¹ Natalie reacted with a meaningful smile. ¡¸Ferris are you here?¡¹ I looked at her quizzically as she spoke to an empty hall. Then, suddenly a white haze appeared, forming into a humanoid shape. After the mist disappeared, a young girl stood in its place. She is around twelve years old, wears a frilly dress, and her silver hair flows down to her waist. Having emotionless and soulless eyes, she¡¯s almost like a doll. ¡¸I-It came out of nowhere¡­¡­ Is it a ghost¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸What is a ghost? Ferris is a house spirit. She is one of the spirits who settle down in old buildings and no one can live in such buildings without approval from them, you know? It is basic common sense¡­¡­ Which rural hole did you crawl out of?¡¹ First time hearing about such a thing in this world¡­¡­ Natalie did not press further on my ignorance and talked to Ferris. ¡¸Oh Ferris. I am going to rent this house to this man. How do you feel about it?¡¹ Ferris took a thorough look at me, from head to toe and locked eyes with me. After some minutes of Ferris silently staring at me had gone by, she broke eye contact and nodded calmly to Natalie. This reaction made Natalie laugh. ¡¸Fufufufu¡­¡­ is that so!? You are fine with this man? Alright then, Touya, I am renting the house to you¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ What on earth just happened? What was that all about?¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s go, Samy is waiting for us. Ferris, we¡¯ll back later¡¹ Ferris nodded and disappeared. Confused, I followed Natalie out of the house. We found Samy waiting outside a bit worried. ¡¸It¡¯s decided¡¹ Those were the only words that came from Natalie. ¡¸No way¡­.., Touya-san you are amazing! To think that you have been acknowledged by a house spirit! This mansion has been empty for more than 10 years¡­.¡¹ I still cannot fully grasp what just happened. The only thing I got from the being in this mansion is questions running through my head. After parting ways with Natalie, Samy and I went back to the Merchant Guild where we sat at the table like earlier. ¡¸Now you can sign the contract. Please sign here. The rental will be 150 thousand gil per month. Touya-san, do you have your Adventurer¡¯s Guild card with you? Will you be withdrawing from it?¡¹ ¡¸Hold on. I can deposit money into my guild card? I did not know that¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Seems like they did not explain it to you at the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. Since there is a Merchant Guild in every city, we have a banking service too. You can deposit here, should I register you right now?¡¹ I took out my Adventurer¡¯s Guild card from my pocket and handed it to Samy. Then took two million worth of gold coins from the money I have on hand and placed it on top of the table. ¡¸Please do. And also, deposit this too¡¹ Samy looked surprised to see the large sum of money. ¡¸Touya-san, don¡¯t you think it is dangerous to casually walk around with such a large sum of money? Normally other adventurers use cards when making large purchases, please be careful¡¹ Samy took the gold coins and card, went to the counter and started the registration process. The registration did not waste time, she returned to the table in under five minutes. ¡¸Here, registration is completed. The rental for this month will be deducted soon. Please be aware that the rental for every month will be charged at the starting of each month. Also because the mansion is always kept clean by the house spirit, you can move in today¡¹ After I was given the keys, I left the Merchant Guild and went to the mansion I just rented with Kokuyou. I stood outside the gate for a little while gazing at the elegant mansion. I sighed; just for the sake of the stable for Kokuyou I have to live in such a house. Kokuyou swung his tail in satisfaction, whipping my head as if saying ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go¡±, and went through the gate ahead of me. After I opened the stable railing, Kokuyou inspected the inside then started to relax in the stable¡ª his own domain. ¡¸Haaa¡­.. With the money I have, the rent should not be a problem but having to live alone in this mansion¡­¡­ Wait, I won¡¯t be alone, there is a house spirit Ferris huh¡­¡­. You know, there would be no hassle if you could stay in the Dimension Storage¡­¡­.¡¹ I ramble on as I pat Kokuyou on the neck; just as I finish talking Kokuyou vanishes on the spot. ¡¸¨D¨D Eh?¡¹ I check the Dimensional Storage in a panic. The horse icon has reappeared. I know that living things cannot be stored inside Dimensional Storage, but it looks like Kokuyou is treated as an item. ¡¸Then, this huge mansion¨D there was no need to rent it in the first place¡­¡­?¡¹ From the empty stables, I stared up at the sky, thinking of how this was unnecessary indeed. Volume 1 - CH 10 Still at a loss, I unlocked the door to the mansion with the key I have been entrusted with and entered. The place is unbelievably clean, with no speck of dust in sight. ¡¸I will be living here alone huh¡­¡­ Ah, not alone¡­¡­I guess¡­¡­¡¹ Ferris immediately showed herself from the white haze, in front of me. ¡¸My name is Touya. I will be in your care starting from today. Nice to meet you, Ferris ¡¹ I unconsciously lowered my head, probably because of the habit of having lived as a Japanese. I thought I saw Ferris smile just a little, when I lifted my head back up. When we left the mansion earlier, on our way to the Merchant Guild, Natalie explained that Ferris, like all House Spirits, cannot speak. She further explained how with no warning, House Spirits settle down in a house and then take care of it. Remarkably the house with a House Spirit will not deteriorate in any way. ¡¸House Spirits are completely harmless¡¹, she said,¡¸ they however can be tricky to deal with since they choose who gets to live in the house they occupy and no one can move in as long as they are not acknowledged by the House Spirit ¡¹. It is rare though to find a house inhabited by a house spirit, in this city there are only three confirmed cases. This mansion stands apart from those houses by that in more than ten years, a lot of people have come forth hoping to live here but all were rejected. This is the first time that someone has been accepted since Natalie became the owner of the house. House Spirits are able to understand when spoken to but of course their responses are always nonverbal. Somehow though, living in this large mansion by myself, I don¡¯t think it would hurt to talk to her in a normal way. ¡¸Where would my room be? ¡¹ Ferris responded to my question by slowly going up the staircase as if saying¡¸Follow me¡¹ then opened the door of the innermost room on the second floor. I entered, after Ferris, into a room which is about thirty tatami mats in size where a big king size canopy bed and even a sofa were placed. ¡¸Just like the mansion this room enormous¡¹ Ferris stood at the door quietly watching me as I looked around the room. This room, too, like downstairs is kept in a clean state. According to Natalie this is normal for a house with House Spirit, maybe again because of my Japanese background, emotions of gratitude emerge inside me. ¡¸Ferris, thank you for keeping the mansion clean. I would like to look at other rooms as well, can you give me a tour of the house? ¡¹ She seemed to have loosened up a bit after I said that but instantly left the room for the tour. It¡¯s going to take time getting to know her. She showed me the rooms such as the study and guest rooms on the second floor. Opening the bathroom door from the changing room, steam hit me in the face hard. When it dissipated it was then I noticed the spaciousness of the bathtub which honestly would be able to fit ten adults easily. The water kept pouring into it out of a lion head sculpture. ¡¸B-by any chance¡­¡­ can I use this whenever I¡­¡­ want?¡¹ Ferris nodded emotionlessly when I turned to look at her. I raised my arms triumphantly in the air yelling ¡¸Yes¨D!¡¹, with every inch of my body celebrating. Ferris tilted her head supposedly wondering about the excitement over a bath. She just does not know how much this is a necessity to a Japanese person. I held back the urge to strip down and take a bath immediately and followed Ferris out even if it felt as if some force was pulling me from behind. After the general tour, I sat and relaxed on the sofa in the living room. ¡¸Ferris, thank you for showing me around. I¡¯ll be in your care from now on¡¹ Ferris nodded and disappeared with no emotional response after I expressed my gratitude. ¡¸Food should not be a problem¡­¡­ I can cook for myself¡­¡­ For now I need a steady income and to continue raising my level. I should also test out the items of my Dimensional Storage¡­¡­But first¡­¡­¡¹ I stood up from the sofa with one destination in mind ¨C the bathroom. I disrobed in the changing room and tossed them aside as fast as I could before entering the bathroom where the steam engulfed my whole body. ¡¸This is really a blessing, to get to use such an amazing bathroom everyday¡­¡­¡¹ I washed my body and entered the bathtub feet first. ¡¸Huuuuu. Feels so gooood¡­¡­¡¹ I relaxed peacefully in the spacious bathtub, in which I could even fully stretch my legs and roll on my stomach without any problem. I got out before the urge to stay longer entirely took over. My clothes that I had left scattered about in the changing room were folded neatly in a basket and towels were prepared in it as well. And ¨D¨D Ferris was standing beside it. ¡¸Wha-!!¡¹ I reached for the towel and wrapped it around my naked waist. House Spirit or not, she looks like a girl to me. Ferris did not seem fazed at my mortified yelp until I had to request her to wait outside. She obliged and disappeared right then and there. Left alone, I dried my body with the towel and changed into clean clothes I took out from my Dimensional Storage. To my surprise the folded clothes in the basket, which were dirty when I left them, were already cleaned. ¡¸These have been cleaned¡­¡­ Ferris must have done it for me¡­¡­. I should thank her later¡¹ I put away the clothes in Dimensional Storage and returned to the living room. I did not feel like cooking on my first day in my new home so I decided to take out some ready-made meals from my Dimensional Storage for my dinner before I went up to my bedroom upstairs and lay on the bed. ¡¸Tomorrow I must take on some requests and level up too¡­¡­¡¹ Sleep claimed me quickly enough thanks to the comfort of the bed, which in this world was the first of its kind I have slept in. Volume 1 - CH 11 Adventurer¡¯s Duty I woke up feeling the pleasant sunshine on my face and took a minute to look around the fancy room. ¡¸It wasn¡¯t a dream after all¡­. ¡¹ After I was convinced I was not dreaming and that I have actually rented a mansion, I changed clothes and went downstairs to the dining room. ¡ª¡ªThe bread in Dimensional Storage is great but I would like to eat something I have prepared for myself. I have yet to even use the kitchen here. I took a loaf of bread from Dimensional Storage and chewed on it as I thought this over. It frankly tastes better than anything I have had to eat in this world. The bread at the inn was not really bad but it is not as good as this. The remaining ¡¸92¡¹for the bread count is displayed in Dimensional Storage making it obvious that it will run out in a few days if I solely rely on it as my food. ¡¸ I¡¯ll have to make do with the food here somehow¡­¡­ Otherwise in no time I will run out¡­¡­ I¡¯ll make this my emergency food¡­¡­¡¹ I grew curious as to the gaze I felt and turned my head in its direction, and found Ferris standing in the corner silently looking at me. ¡¸Morning, Ferris ¡¹ I smile at Ferris as I greet her. She makes a small nod and vanishes. When I was done with my breakfast, I put on my robe and prepared to go to the guild. This time I plan on taking a request to venture deep into the forest and push myself on levelling up. ¡¸Ferris ¡¹ I call out her name in the empty hallway and Ferris¡¯ form takes shape from the white haze in front of me. I give her a smile and inform her that I¡¯ll be leaving on a request. ¡¸I¡¯m going on a request that¡¯ll probably take me a few days. I will be counting on you to take care of the house while I¡¯m gone¡¹ She looked a little sad as I said this. It was a very slight shift in her expression that if I had not been paying attention, I would have missed it. ¡¸You don¡¯t have to worry about me, I¡¯ll be back I promise. I might not look it but I am strong!¡¹ Grinning widely at her as I said this, she seemed to ease up. I left the mansion, locking the door behind me and walked to the guild. I plan on taking Kokuyou out from Dimensional Storage once I am outside the city since he stands way too much in the crowd. I did not waste any time when I arrived at the Adventurer¡¯s Guild and went up to the bulletin board to check the requests that were put up. Their rank categorization is helpful as always and I browsed the E rank and D rank requests now that I have become an E rank. ======================== Request: D rank Description: Orc Subjugation Collection: Orc Right Ear ¡ª¡ªSeems orcs aren¡¯t the only monsters in that part of the forest ¨C goblins, wolf-type monsters, and the occasional C rank or higher bear-type monsters are found there as well. Dimensional Storage is handy for these sorts of requests as I can carry the monster materials in their original state and get a bigger reward. I left the guild having picked my request and headed towards the western gate. I showed the gate guard my card and exited the city. I walked a bit to a secluded place to get Kokuyou out but when he came out he looked to be in a foul mood and started to thrash my head with his tail. ¡¸Alright. Sorry, sorry. You can stay in the stables when we get back to the mansion. Can you help to get to the Western Woods for now? ¡¹ I got on his back for a ride, and the hour long trip for a typical horse-drawn carriage for me was a blur and in ten minutes I had arrived at the forest. ¡¸Thanks, Kokuyou ¡¹ I got off Kokuyou¡¯s back and gave him a pat on the neck and he, feeling proud, bit my head as usual. I wiped his spittle from my head and told him I am going into the forest, to which he decided to tag along for today. When I asked him if he wanted to get back into Dimensional Storage, he shook his head and walked ahead. As soon as I entered the forest a few goblins appeared. ¡¸Kokuyou, goblins. Be careful ¡¹ Kokuyou leapt towards the goblins and trampled on their scrawny bodies with his big hooves. The four goblins were dead in a minute without any contribution from me. ¡¸¡­¡­¡­. ¡¹ My body, for some reason, felt hot, even though I had done nothing. I opened my status curiously. ¡ó¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¡ó [Name] Kisaragi Touya [Race] Human [Gender] Male [Age] 16 [Job] Recovery Priest [Title] The Summoned One [Level] 36 [Special Skill] The Divine Eye, the ability to use magic for all attributes, and the ability to acquire all skills Thinking about the difference between then and now, the answer is immediately obvious. It has to do with the familiar registration ¨C last time I had not registered Kokuyou as my familiar. ¡¸How much experience can I get if I let Kokuyou be the one to kill these guys..¡­.? ¡¹ I grin deviously imagining it. ¡¸Okay, Kokuyou. Let¡¯s level up! ¡¹ ¡¸Heeheen!¡¹ Kokuyou gave a quick whine to my exuberant command. I slung my two-handed Buster Sword over my shoulder and we eagerly proceeded deep into the forest Volume 1 - CH 12 Job Change Three days have gone by since I entered the Western Woods and I continue to dive deeper into the forest. I take occasional rests in the [tent] I took out from Dimensional Storage, which interestingly when I am inside it, the monsters do not approach. This was also its effect in the game. The inside of the tent is about 10-tatami-mat space occupied with only a bed and a sofa. My hunt so far has been pumped up with the vigour of a haijin gamer like that of my MMO days. But as expected, this is reality and I have to sleep in order to recuperate from the mental and physical fatigue. For my meals I feast on skewers, which I had bought a ton of for this request. As per the other requests from the bulletin board, orcs are not the only monsters here, and I have defeated an assortment of them using my Buster Sword. My two-handed Buster Sword is the best when it comes to crushing and burying any monster that appears. From ogres to forest bears to forest wolves, I crush them all. All the defeated monsters go into Dimensional Storage with ease. With the load of monster bodies thrown into it, the Dimensional Storage however is nowhere near full and its weight has not given me a problem. The blood although dulls the sword, it is easy to clean up with Dimensional Storage by putting the sword back into it and pulling it out again. The robe too can be freed from the stench and grease of the monster blood the same way. Feeling burned out, I opened my Status to check for change in my level. ¡ó¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¡ó [Name] Kisaragi Touya [Race] Human The real target is level 100, and it¡¯s incredibly close. When I reach it I should be able to change jobs. The cheat ring has been a major assist in my levelling up, for every monster kill I get 100 times the experience. Seeing my goal so close in sight, I feel even more motivated. I picked up my sword and cut down further monsters that were unfortunate to cross my path. I won¡¯t stop till I get to level 100! And it came to pass, after much monster butchering; I finally reached it ¨C level 100. I felt the odd yet natural sensation of my whole body pulsing with energy when I killed the last ogre. I hurriedly put the monster away in Dimensional Storage and opened my Status with high anticipation. ¡ó¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¡ó [Name] Kisaragi Touya [Race] Human [Gender] Male [Age] 16 [Job] Recovery Priest [Title] The Summoned One [Level] 100 [Special Skill] The Divine Eye, the ability to use magic of all attributes, and the ability to acquire all skills [Skills] Swordsmanship, Martial Arts [Magic] Holy Magic [Familiar] Obsidian Battlehorse Do you want to change jobs? YES /NO The [Yes] button seemed more distinct than any other thing written on the screen and I tapped on it boldly. ¡ó¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¡ó [Job change to] Mage High Recovery Priest ¡ó¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¡ó ¡¸Eh¡­.. Noooo¡­¡­. ¡¹ The only thing here I will not argue is the primary job of [Mage]. What is wrong is the secondary job of [High Recovery Priest]. My knees gave out and I dropped to the ground. ¡¸Seriously¡­..Only magic jobs¡­.. ¡¹ Feeling depressed I decided to stop hunting earlier than usual and retreated to my tent. It¡¯s either I choose to change to a Mage or I do not, but if I choose not to, I will not be able to level up further as a Recovery Priest. This is because the level limit for any job is 100. ¡¸What should I do¡­¡­ The only magic I can use is Recovery Magic¡­¡­ Should I choose the secondary job then¡­¡­ Or should I try being a Mage for a change?¡¹ I sat down crossed-legged in the tent and pondered on what to do next. ¡¸It doesn¡¯t matter what job I have, as long as I can use my sword, it¡¯s all the same, isn¡¯t it..¡­. ¡¹ I caught myself laughing and opened my Status and selected my new job. I got up, put on my robe and exited the tent holding onto my Buster Sword, and began to wander the forest in search of my next monster to pulverize. ¡ó¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¡ó [Name] Kisaragi Touya [Race] Human [Gender] Male [Age] 16 [Job] Mage [Title] The Summoned One [Level] 1 [Special Skill] The Divine Eye, the ability to use magic for all attributes, and the ability to acquire all skills [Skills] Swordsmanship, Martial Arts [Magic] Attribute Magic, Holy Magic [Familiar] Obsidian Battlehorse Volume 1 - CH 13 Contents of Dimensional Storage After a few more days of mowing down monsters, I finally made it back home with Kokuyou. I unlocked the door and entered the mansion. ¡¸I need a real bath¡­¡­ Cleaning with life magic is convenient but it¡¯s not for me¡­¡­¡¹ Ferris emerged from the white haze as I walked into the hallway muttering to myself. ¡¸I¡¯m home¡­ Ferri ¨C ¡¹ I choked on my words when I saw Ferris¡¯ saddened face. It¡¯s as if at any moment she¡¯ll burst into tears. The tenant, who¡¯s been acknowledged after more than a decade, suddenly did not return for several days. That must have worried her. ¡¸¨C Ferris, I¡¯m sorry I am late ¡¹ It¡¯s a new experience for me to apologize to a House Spirit, but I do what is customary in an apology and bow my head, and say sorry. ¡¸Oh¡­ I¡­ I¡­.. Am¡­. Glad¡­.. ¡¹ A small bell-like voice came from Ferris, taking me by surprise Ferris faded away leaving my question unanswered. ¡¸Ferris! Wait a minute! ¡¹ I shouted loud enough that my voice echoed down the hall, but Ferris did not reappear. I sighed at her stubbornness and I walked to the bathroom, which is always empty since I sort of live alone. I took off my clothes, washed myself, and then sunk my body into the tub. ¡¸This is it¡­. This is how a Japanese should bathe¡­. ¡¹ Stretching my legs in the wide tub, I let my body sink up to my chin, and I let my mind wander on what my next course of action should be. I guess the new goal now is to take the Mage job to level 100 and change jobs, and then choose a secondary or a primary job that is in the Warrior class. So I will need to learn more magic¡­. The Little Sage, Natalie, must have some Holy Magic spell books that I can buy. I should go to the guild tomorrow and sell the materials, and visit her shop afterwards. I got out of the bath, got dressed and relaxed in the living room, and before I knew it, I was asleep from the strain of hunting. When I woke up in the middle of the night, I realized that a blanket had been draped over me, which made me smile a little. In the empty room I said words of gratitude and got up to go to my bedroom to sleep in my bed. The next morning, Ferris softly appeared as I was having breakfast in the dining room. ¡¸Ferris, good morning! Thanks for the blanket last night ¡¹ Ferris blushed a bit and replied in a very small voice. ¡¸¨C Good¡­ morning ¡­.. ¡¹ I decided to tell her my plans for the day, in case she would worry again. ¡¸I¡¯m going shopping in town today and then to the guild. Can I ask you to take care of Kokuyou. He gets pretty pissed off when he¡¯s stuck in Dimensional Storage ¡¹ She smiled widely and nodded. ¡¸Thank you, that means a lot to me ¡¹ After breakfast, I changed clothes and went into town. Kokuyou before I left, looked like he wanted to follow me, but when I explained why I could not take him with me, he understood and calmed down, and went into the stables. I bought some delicious-looking foodstuffs at one of the open stalls. The stall owner was worried about how I was going to carry the sheer amount of items, but I simply told him¡¸I¡¯ll be okay¡¹, and with a large bag in each hand I walked into the alleyway and put them away in the Dimensional Storage. When I arrived at the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, I joined the line to the reception desk. After about five minutes of shuffling behind the other adventurers, my turn came and I stood in front of the receptionist. ¡¸Welcome to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. How can I help you today? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m delivering monster material¡­. It¡¯s a bit much though¡­. ¡¹ I tapped the bag in my hand and as I guessed, I was led to the material storage area. The material storage area is a building next to the guild building and is as spacious as a gymnasium. The receptionist called out to the staff member who was doing the dismantling. ¡¸Singlet, I am bringing in material ¡¹ ¡¸Okay, put it the empty space over there ¡¹ The receptionist came over to me and showed me where to put the material as told by the dismantling supervisor. ¡¸Please follow the instructions of that staff member. You¡¯ll be given a delivery list form which you¡¯ll turn in at the counter ¡¹ ¡¸Okay. Thank you ¡¹ I thanked him and he smiled and bowed, and went back inside the guild. I took out the monster bodies one after another from Dimensional Storage and placed them where I was told. In the midst of pulling the carcasses out, the staff members who had been watching from the side as they worked stopped working and had eyes like saucers. I continued to unpack the carcasses one by one until the supervisor came running to stop me. ¡¸Wait, wait, wait!! That¡¯s too much! There is still¡­.. more!? ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ve gotten half of it out yet¡­¡­ ¡¹ He gasped at my reply, which I gave with some level of unease. I had placed the monsters into three piles. I thought by dividing the monsters up into different types: orcs, forest wolves, and forest bears, that they would be easier to handle. I had also brought out about three bags of goblin ears. There are ogres and an Earth Dragon that looked a lot like a larger version of a Komodo dragon also, but they are still stowed away in Dimensional Storage. ¡¸I can¡¯t handle this much quantity at once. Hey, someone run to the guild and get the chief! ¡¹ At Singlet¡¯s command, a young staff member halted their work and ran to the guild. I was told to just stand there and wait. Volume 1 - CH 14 C Rank Ten minutes later, a man in his forties led by the young staff member came into the warehouse. He was stunned when he saw the pile of monster bodies. ¡¸Are you the one who brought this? ¡¹ ¡¸Well¡­. Yes¡­. ¡¹ I nod at the man and he smiles back. ¡¸I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve met. My name is Efland, I¡¯m the sub-guildmaster. How long have you been in town¡­.? I assume you are a high rank adventurer. Our guild is always happy to have elite adventurers in our midst¡¹ He thinks I am a high rank huh¡­¡­ ¡¸My name is Touya. I am new to the city and I just signed up as an E rank the other day¡­.. ¡¹ Efland raised an eyebrow at me in disbelief. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but¡­ Can you repeat that? Did you say ¡°E rank¡±¡­.? ¡¹ I take out my guild card, which is a fledgling card with E rank written on it, and hand it to him. He stares at it and makes an incredulous face at me. ¡¸A¡­ a Recovery Priest!? Registration¡­. Was made in this city! This was not a party¡¯s effort, but one person¡­.? ¡¹ Efland grins at me as I nod. Efland grabs me by the arm and pulls me along. The room I am led to is the sub-guild master¡¯s office. He offered me a seat on the couch and I took it as I roamed the room with my eyes. Efland sat across from me and began to speak. ¡¸I didn¡¯t expect an adventurer of your calibre to register in this city¡­. We must raise your guild rank to C-rank after this. That subjugation size should be reflected in your rank. I¡¯ll have your card updated ¡¹ After saying this Efland pressed a button that was on the table, and not long after, there was a knock on the door and a staff member came in. ¡¸Sub-guildmaster, may I come in? Touya-san? ¡¹ The staff member turned out to be Milia. ¡¸What? Milia you know Touya? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I was in charge of his registration. Is there a problem? ¡¹ I hand her my card, and with a smile Milia accepts it and leaves the room. While we were waiting on her return, Efland served me a cup of tea. When I quizzically looked at it, he laughed lightly and said¡¸It¡¯s a hobby ¡¹. Another knock came at the door and Milia came in. ¡¸Sorry for the delay. I updated your card¡­. Nice going ¡¹ ¡¸Nice going¡­.? What do you mean? ¡¹ ¡¸If you look at the card, you¡¯ll see what I mean¡­. ¡¹ Milia hands the card to Efland first, who looks at it in disbelief as he reads the contents. As I wondered what could warrant such a reaction, he placed the guild card on the table for me to see. ¡¸Unbelievable¡­. ¡¹ I picked up the card and looked at the contents. Written on the card was ¨C ¡ó¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¡ó As I was already imagining which job I would choose once I got to level 100, Efland¡¯s shocked voice snapped me back to reality. ¡¸This level¡­. Written here¡­. Is it real¡­.? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s right. Is there something wrong with it¡­..? ¡¹ ¡¸¨C I can believe it¡­. There are actually adventurers of this level buried out in the field¡­.. ¡¹ I nod my head, although unsure as to what I was nodding at. ¡¸By the looks of it, you don¡¯t seem to know what it means¡­.. Milia, you should join us. This will be an important matter within the guild ¡¹ Milia sat down beside Efland and Efland began to explain. ¡¸This level is, well¡­. In terms of adventurers, it corresponds to an S-rank¡­¡­ There are certainly some A-rank adventurers in this town. But I¡¯ve been an adventurer for 20 years and level 42 is the best I have ever seen¡­¡­. Is that clear enough for you to understand? ¡¹ Whoa¡­¡­ This must have be because I was using a cheat item to explosively level up. But now that I think about it, there aren¡¯t many items that give 100 times of experience points. I laugh nervously and nod, and Efland continues to speak. ¡¸If the country finds out about this, Touya will certainly be called up to the royal castle and will serve the country as a king¡¯s guard. In particular, the city¡¯s guildmaster is the second son of the viscount. He will be happy to report you as if your level came as a result of his effort. You understand? ¡¹ I remember what happened in the country I was summoned in. It sickens me just remembering the princess and the nobles who treated me like trash. I immediately shook my head and told him I had no intention of serving the country. ¡¸So I¡¯ll keep it to myself. Milia, you will be Touya¡¯s personal receptionist, that won¡¯t be a problem right? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­. Yes¡­.. I understand¡­¡­ ¡¹ Milia nodded her head in acceptance of the situation. ¡¸All right Touya. ¨C That¡¯ll be all¡­. ¡¹ Efland then gazed at me with the eyes of a predator that had found its prey and grinned widely. Volume 1 - CH 15 The Greedy Sage Only the materials that I had already taken out could be handled today, as for the rest they will be taken care of another day. Before I left the guild, Eveland had told me to come back tomorrow. As of now, I am standing in front of a particular shop. ¡¸This is the only place to come to¡­.. ¡¹ I open the door and step inside. Natalie, the one and only Little Sage, is sitting at the counter. Noticing that I was the customer, she smiled at me. ¡¸Oh, it¡¯s you Touya. What will it be today? You bought Recovery Priest spell books to an advanced level last time. Do you need a potion? ¡¹ ¡¸Actually¡­ I¡¯m looking for Holy Magic and Mage spell books¡­. ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s odd. You are a Recovery Priest, aren¡¯t you? Do you really need those? Of course the books are available, from beginner to advanced. But I also choose my customers, if they can¡¯t use the items, what¡¯s the use of selling them? ¡¹ I pause for a moment, finding it hard to explain my situation. It was just described to me at the guild, the normal levels of this world, which makes it more difficult to tell her. However, seeing as how I won¡¯t be able to buy the books as things remain, I decided to tell Natalie about what was going on. ¡¸ ¨C Job change huh¡­¡­ I¡¯ve only heard about it ¡¹ ¡¸!? You know about it¡­..? ¡¹ ¡¸Who do you think I am? I am Natalie the Sage. So you changed to Mage, I take it ¡¹ I gave her an honest nod and she gave an approving smile and placed three books on top of the counter. The Holy Magic spell book had a white cover while the Attribute Magic books were covered in the black one. ¡¸These are the spell books. But¡­ I have a condition on selling them ¡¹ ¡¸Condition¡­.? What is it? ¡¹ Natalie nodded and suggested something I never expected her to. ¡¸Become my apprentice, young priest ¡¹ ¡¸¡ªI refuse ¡¹ I answered immediately. Even though she claims to be a Sage, she still looks like a little girl. I don¡¯t want to be an apprentice to a little girl. Natalie retorted rather exasperatedly. ¡¸Then I won¡¯t sell them to you. I, who in my past travels was called ¡°The Sage of Twilight¡±, I have had the taste of the delicacies from all over the world and gained many experiences. If that¡¯s the young priest¡¯s response, I have a choice to deny him also! ¡¹ Delicacies from all over the world¡­.. Then perhaps¡­¡­ ¡¸ ¨C Natalie, if I give you something good to eat that you¡¯ve never had before, would you sell them to me? ¡¹ I knew right away, she would take a bite into the¡ºsomething good to eat that you¡¯ve never had before ¡» taunt. I spat out that line and exited the store. Of course I am confident. This will be fun. With a grin and oozing confidence I hurried to the mansion. When I got to the compound, I spoke to Kokuyou for a few moments in the stable before entering the mansion. On cue Ferris emerged in the front of me as I walked into the hall. ¡¸I¡¯m home, Ferris ¡¹ ¡ºOh¡­.. Wel¡­come¡­.. back¡­. Touya¡­¡­.. ¡» What did she say? ¡¸Ferris, did you just call me¡ºTouya ¡»?¡¹ Ferris turned away and disappeared to avoid my question. ¡¸Ferris said my name¡­.. ¡¹ I felt relieved. I had been told by Natalie,¡º The house spirits do not speak. They do not change facial expressions. They just maintain the house ¡». But Ferris shows some expression, albeit slightly, she can also speak ¨C which makes me really happy. ¡¸Oh¡­ That¡¯s right¡­. I¡¯ve got to prepare food for Natalie¡­. ¡¹ I darted into the kitchen. ¡¸What will it be¡­.. I¡¯m pretty sure if it¡¯s Japanese cuisine, she¡¯s never had any¡­ ¡¹ I laid out the ingredients from Dimensional Storage as I crossed my arms wondering about what to cook. I have salt, sugar, and pepper which I had bought from the stall. The pepper costs a lot more than the other ingredients, but it is a definite necessity for my taste buds, which are accustomed to Japanese cuisine, so I bought it anyway. But I could not find anything like soy sauce. ¡¸Wait a minute¡­. I only need to satisfy her with one meal¡­. ¡¹ A plan came to mind which made me smirk, and I waited for Natalie, the Little Sage to arrive. The sun had set and I was beginning to relax when Ferris showed up. ¡º ¨C C¡­ ome¡­.. ¡» I open the door and greet Natalie. ¡¸It¡¯s the landlord. You¡¯re here already? ¡¹ ¡¸Mm. Get out of the way. ¨C You know what to do ¡¹ ¡¸Of course I do. Prepare yourself ¡¹ I invite Natalie into the dining room and offer her a seat. ¡¸Wine? ¡¹ ¡¸Mm. That¡¯s fine. I¡¯d like a drink ¡¹ I set down a glass and take out a bottle of red wine from Dimensional Storage, wondering if it¡¯s acceptable to give Natalie, who appears in many ways to be a little girl, alcohol. I uncork the bottle and pour it carefully into the glass half full. ¡¸Give me a minute. I will bring you your food ¡¹ Once I¡¯m out of sight, I take out the food from Dimensional Storage. This of course is the food from the game. ¡¸I can¡¯t wait to see her reaction¡­.. ¡¹ With a grin on my face, I took the plate of food and went back into the dining room. Volume 1 - CH 16 The Cheat Meal I had excused myself for a bit from the table, and when I got back in the dining room, Natalie, the Little Sage, was impatiently waiting with her fork raised. I sighed at this behaviour and set the plate of food in front of her. ¡¸What is this? It¡¯s just pieces of meat! Don¡¯t think you can trick me with different kinds¡¹ ¡¸Just eat. Complain afterwards! ¡¹ ¡¸Mm¡­ Well I won¡¯t give you the books if I¡¯m not satisfied with it! ¡¹ I sat down to face Natalie and watched her as she stuck her fork in the meat and cut off a bite-sized piece with her knife. ¡¸What¡­. It¡¯s easily cut! And these juices spilling out of it, what are they? ¡¹ Natalie¡¯s eyes looked ready to pop out of their sockets after gobbling it up. I made a guts pose under the table. ¡¸What kind of meat is this? The meat should be chewier. But¡­. This is definitely meat. What are these other ones? ¡¹ This is a dish called ¡°mixed grill¡±. A hamburger steak, teriyaki chicken and sausage, with potatoes and corn on cob as a garnish. The game had a hunger gauge, this is an item used to restore it. In front of the meat-obsessed Natalie, there are also two pieces of bread. The bread is another hunger recovery item. It¡¯s not very restorative, but it¡¯s still better than any bread found in the city. There are only a few of these items left, but as long as it is this much for today, it should not be a problem. ¡¸Eat the bread as well. All right? ¡¹ ¡¸I thought it was all meat ¡¹ My stomach growled. Watching her eat has made me hungry. I took out the same dish for myself. ¡¸Delicious..¡­. ¡¹ This is the taste of modern Japanese cuisine, seasoned with a variety of spices. I silently ate my meal until I was finished. Natalie on the other hand was muttering to herself as she stuffed her face. She was wriggling her tiny mouth like a little girl, putting her title of Sage to shame. Having finished my meal, I took a sip of my drink and waited for her to be done. ¡¸¡ªYou got me. I¡¯ve never eaten anything like this before¡­ I am satisfied! ¡¹ Natalie breathed heavily as she admitted her defeat and took out the three spell books from her Dimensional Storage and placed them on the table. I took the spell books and put them away in my Dimensional Storage and placed a plate in front of Natalie in their stead. ¡¸This is a gift from me. Consider it my way of thanking you for the spell books ¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s this white and red stuff? ¡¹ ¡¸Just try it, it¡¯s very good ¡¹ I grinned at her as I passed her a new fork. She looks at me curiously as she receives the fork, and takes a bite-sized piece of the shortcake. The moment she puts the cake into her mouth, she looks overwhelmed, but gradually her mouth forms a dopey smile. Her tenacious hand zooms back and forth from the plate to her mouth, and in a few seconds the cake is gone. Natalie looks at the now empty plate with sadness in her eyes. She stares at me with a pleading look for a refill, but in this world where I am uncertain if I can recreate them, I cannot freely serve the limited items I have. ¡¸¡ªYou¡¯ve had enough ¡¹ At my refusal, she slumps her shoulders disappointingly and looks desperate and relentless. I shake my head. ¡¸I have to have it¡­.. If I have something to trade you for it, will you give me? ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea¡­¡­ Besides there is not much left¡­.. And there is a chance I won¡¯t be able to remake it¡¹ ¡¸Anything, I¡¯ll give you anything! I¡¯ll give you another higher-ranked spell book as well. So¡­¡­. Let me eat the thing you gave me again¡­. ¡¹ ¡¸No no no no. Don¡¯t you hear what I am saying? ¡¹ When I stick to my refusal, Natalie crosses her arms and comes up with a plan. She then blindsided me with an offer. ¡¸¡ªOkay. All right, I¡¯ll put in the book and this house. How about it? ¡¹ I¡¯ll be grateful just for the spell book, but she¡¯s offering me the mansion as well!? ¨CI still have 98 left of shortcake¡­¡­ ¡¸Okay. You have a deal. Just one ¡¹ I¡¯m the one who appreciates it¡­.. I brought out another plate of shortcake and held it out to Natalie. ¡¸This is the one! The sweetness of the white, the softness of the dough, and the sourness of the red stuff is the best thing about it ¡¹ Natalie began to eat the shortcake, only this time slowly to savour it. I watched her in amusement. I have Ferris here, and I like living here¡­¡­ Someday, I¡¯ll live in this mansion with my wife¡­¡­ I let my imagination run wild in my head and while I was building up my fantasy, Natalie had finished her cake. ¡¸I¡¯m satisfied. I will give you the house as promised. I didn¡¯t bring it with me today, but I¡¯ll give you the book tomorrow. The Merchant Guild will take care of the name change of this house. I¡¯ll be there tomorrow before noon¡¹ ¡¸Okay, well I¡¯ll be grateful for the use of this house ¡¹ Natalie ate and left, satisfied, and I went for a bath and got into bed. I spoke looking up at the ceiling in the empty room. ¡¸Ferris, I¡¯ll be getting the house tomorrow. Keep up the good work ¡¹ I closed my heavy eyelids and fell into a dream. Volume 1 - CH 17 Buying a House When I opened my eyes in the morning, I came face to face with Ferris. She apparently had been leaning in to stare at my sleeping face. Perhaps startled by my sudden rise, she hurried to the sanctuary at the corner of the room. ¡¸Good morning Ferris ¡¹ ¡¸Go¡­ Good¡­ Mor¡­ning¡­ To¡­. Ya ¡¹ Despite the House Spirits known to be expressionless, Ferris has become a bit expressive. Or, it could just be my imagination. I am uncertain whether she is embarrassed or uncomfortable with the fact that I woke up whilst she was gazing at me or that I was staring at her, but whatever it is, Ferris vanished. ¡¸At least now she can greet me¡­¡­ ¡¹ I got dressed and left the bedroom, and went into the kitchen. I prepared breakfast with the ingredients I bought yesterday at the market. It is clear I cannot rely only on the items from my game days forever. I took out the eggs and meat, which I think is supposed to be bacon, and cooked them in the frying pan on the magic stove. The magic stove is a typical home appliance in this world, and this mansion has one as well. To use it, you pour magic power into the built-in ore which stores the magic power. The ore can be used repeatedly, so in a sense, it is eco-friendly. I was thinking about the working of the stove as I prepared the food, after which I carried the finished dish to the dining room. I clasped my hands together in a form of a prayer, in front of the food for one person at the table, before digging in. I¡¯ll have to redeem the rest of my reward at the Adventurer¡¯s Guild today. And study more about this city and country afterwards. ¡¸Are you here Ferris? ¡¹ I called out to her in the room which would be empty if I were not present, and naturally Ferris materialized before me. ¡¸I¡¯m going out today, though not for requests, I¡¯ll be doing some research for a few days ¡¹ Ferris nodded and smiled a little. After I was done with my breakfast, I passed the time by checking the contents of Dimensional Storage. I am familiar with the names of the items, but there are some which I cannot know their effects unless I take them out. Besides I cannot be expected to remember all the items of the unneeded storage. ¡­¡­ It¡¯s a good thing I have other items besides the Berserker equipment¡­¡­ I can use them before I get the Warrior job¡­¡­.. I grasped the various items as I was thinking about it. It was a little before noon when I decided it was time to head to the Merchant Guild. I notified Ferris that I¡¯d be back in the evening and asked her to look after Kokuyou. When I arrived at the Merchant Guild, I found Natalie the Little Sage already in a meeting with Sammy. She smiled at me when she saw me enter. ¡¸Touya!¡¡Over here ¡¹ I took an empty seat next to them, and Sammy began to explain. ¡¸I understand..¡­. You want to hand over the mansion to Touya. I¡¯ll bring the title change documents for you, so please wait a moment ¡¹ Sammy excused herself and Natalie placed a book on the table. ¡¸Here¡¯s what I promised. Though I don¡¯t think you are ready to use it yet¡¹ ¡¸Thank you. I¡¯m going to¡­..¡¹ ¡¸Here you go! ¡¹ I was in the middle of thanking her when Sammy came back with the papers. ¡¸Could you both sign this? Also, as a fee for the title change, we receive 50,000 gil as the Merchant Guild¡¹ I placed five silver coins on the table, assuming this was similar to a brokerage fee like in Japan. ¡¸Since the house is yours now, I¡¯ll be paying you more visits for a change¡¹ ¡¸¡­.. Don¡¯t overdo it¡­.. Also I won¡¯t give you ¡°that¡± though¡­. ¡¹ ¡¸Mmmm ¡­.. Don¡¯t do that to me¡­.. ¡¹ Natalie cried, seems she cannot get over the taste of yesterday¡¯s food, no surprise. Sammy simply nodded her head at the exchange between me and Natalie and then continued to explain. ¡¸I¡¯ll take this fee. The Merchant Guild also keeps one of these documents for administration of the property ¡¹ The three documents were split between the three of us: The Merchant Guild, me, and Natalie. Sammy walked behind the counter again with the document. And quickly returned. ¡¸This concludes the title change process¡¹ ¡¸Well, then I¡¯ll take my leave ¡¹ I was the only one who got up from my seat and was immediately stopped by Sammy. ¡¸Touya-san, Touya-san there are some other formalities to attend to¡­..¡¹ Besides the title change, I did not have any other requirement here¡­¡­ Nonetheless, I settled myself back into the chair. ¡¸Since you¡¯ve purchased the house, you¡¯ll have to pay taxes on the mansion. This is called land property tax ¡¹ ¡­¡­.. Tax huh¡­¡­ I¡¯ve never had to pay it in Japan since I lived in a rental house, but I remember a colleague of mine complaining about it after he bought a house. I nodded, thinking it was part of the deal. ¡¸This year it¡¯ll be ¡ª2 million gil, please ¡¹ ¡¸!?¡¡¡­¡­..2 million gil!¡¡That¡¯s crazy¡­¡­..¡¹ The sheer mention of the amount of money made me jump to my feet. It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t pay it. Even so, this is far too much. But¡­¡­.. I don¡¯t know the house market prices here. For that mansion, I might concur though¡­¡­.. ¡¸For a normal house it would be an incredulous amount. However, it¡¯s not a big amount of money for someone who owns a mansion of that size¡­¡­.. Until now, Natalie has been paying for it ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. And there was no one to live in it, so there was no money for rent. I was almost in the red. That¡¯s why when Ferris acknowledged you. It was in the nick of time ¡¹ Natalie grins. Meaning if it was rented, it would cost 150,000 gil a month and if it was rented for a year, it would cost 1.8 million gil. Because I bought it, I will have to pay two million gil a year in taxes. I thought about it and came to a conclusion. ¡¸¡ªI have been tricked¡­¡­. ¡¹ Sammy further explained. ¡¸Even if you wish to sell it, if it¡¯s a house where a House Spirit lives, you can¡¯t make a sales contract unless the House Spirit approves it. In Natalie-san¡¯s case¡­¡­..well¡­¡­.well¡­¡­we signed the contract a long time ago, so there weren¡¯t any such covenants at the time¡­¡­. ¡¹ A house that had been without a tenant for decades and it was now the House Spirit acknowledged and decided upon one. It¡¯s not a stretch to say that the process of finding the next owner will be a nightmare. On the plus side though, I have come to like Ferris. I surrendered to my logic and emotions and put two gold coins on the table. Volume 1 - CH 18 The Archive Room After paying that hefty amount of money I left the Merchant Guild and headed to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. Knowing that I have Ferris around in the mansion does make me feel a lot better about it. ¡¸If I complete a request, I¡¯m sure I can get by¡­. I¡¯ll take up a request similar to last time ¡¹ I went through the door with my head down after checking the decreased currency that is displayed in my Dimensional Storage. Last time I was here I was assigned a full-time receptionist, who is Milia. I looked for her and found her sitting at the counter at the end of the room. There is no line today, so I walked up to her counter. ¡¸Hello, Milia. I¡¯m here to pick up yesterday¡¯s portion¡­¡­. ¡¹ Milia, who had been looking down at her work, looked up and smiled when she saw my face. ¡¸Hello, Touya-san. You¡¯re here ¡­¡­ I will show you to the private room ¡¹ Milia then guided me to the private room. She tells me to sit on the couch and wait, and she leaves. When she came back in a few minutes Milia was not alone, she had the sub-guildmaster, Efland, with her. ¡¸Oh, Touya, here. This is for yesterday. And it¡¯s a lot ¡¹ The bag made a jingling sound as the coins scraped against the table. I stretched the bag open and looked inside and saw that it contained only gold coins. ¡¸There is 3.5 million gil in total in there. That¡¯s a lot of money all at once¡­¡­.. Just hold off on making any additional submissions for a little while. As you can imagine, the dismantling team is complaining about not being able to process it quickly enough¡¹ I nodded as I put the bag of gold coins away in Dimensional Storage and watched as the amount of currency displayed increased naturally. When I was about to get up to say my business here was done. Efland gestured at me with his hand to stop. ¡¸Well, wait a minute. You¡¯re not going to do another request right now, are you?¡¡I have a request I need you to do for me ¡¹ ¡¸What do you want me to do for you? ¡¹ I sit back in my seat and listen to Efland¡¯s story. ¡¸I would like to hire you as an escort¡ª ¡¹ ¡¸No¡¹ ¡¸Aren¡¯t you too quick to say no? ¡¹ Efland was taken aback by my immediate refusal. The thing is, I don¡¯t want to be away from the mansion for a lot of days after seeing the sad look on Ferris when I returned after a few days last time. ¡¸I have planned on not taking any requests for a while. There are some things I want to check out¡­.. ¡¹ There are many things I want to find out about the geography of this world. I was summoned out of the blue then sent here, I want to know more about it. ¡¸¡ªWell ¡­¡­¡­Depending on what you want to find out, I would like to help. Let me know if you need anything ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m looking for where I can find a map of this country and other countries, history and all that ¡¹ At my words, Milia, who had been listening in quietly, spoke up. ¡¸That sounds like the guild archive.¡¡There are no specific maps of other countries, but I think you could at least find out where they¡¯re located ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s what I am looking for! ¡¹ I smile. And Efland grins. ¡¸There is a charge to use the archive room, since there are rare papers and many valuable items kept in there for safeguarding. I could get you a free pass for the whole year if you were to take one escorting job ¡­¡­ what do you think? ¡¹ It would certainly be costly to pay for every time I went to the archives, and I don¡¯t know how many times I would need to use it. An escort request is something I was bound to take up at some point. Right? I weigh the options in my head and reach a conclusion. ¡¸I¡¯ll take the escorting job. But give me a week or so. I need to go through the material first ¡¹ Efland smiled further and nodded. ¡¸Okay, that¡¯s fine.Once I¡¯ve ironed out the details, I¡¯ll have Milia call you. You can use the archives from today ¡¹ Efland was satisfied and left the private room, saying he had some work to do. ¡¸Thank you, Touya-san. I¡¯ll inform the other staff that you can use the archive room for free. Also in case you didn¡¯t know ¡­¡­. The entrance fee is one copper coin¡­¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸¡­One copper¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes¡­¡­..There aren¡¯t many adventurers who study the materials, you know. It¡¯s true that there are valuable books, but they¡¯re only copies¡­. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Did I just get tricked then¡­? ¡¹ Milia smiled comfortingly. ¡¸No, you weren¡¯t . We¡¯re counting on you, Touya-san ¡¹ ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó I followed Milia to the archive room, which is the first room upstairs. ¡¸This is the archive room. It is also a place to read, so feel free to do so. However, you aren¡¯t allowed to take anything out ¡¹ Milia left for her work, leaving me at the full use of the archive room. ¡¸The first thing I need to look into is geography¡­¡­¡­ Here it is ¡¹ I found a roll of parchements with the word ¡ºMap ¡» inscribed on it. I took it out and placed it on the table, unfolded the map and read out the names of the countries. ¡¸¡ªOh, no¡­..¡¹ I doubled checked what I just read and I sighed heavily. On the map, there is a country: ¡ºGenerate Kingdom ¡». The name of the country that summoned me. Volume 1 - CH 19 This World The Generate Kingdom¡ª that¡¯s the country that summoned me, Lunette Empire, which is the country that was mentioned at the time of my summon, and the Ciffancy Empire are all inscribed on the map. ¡¸Does this mean¡­¡­. The Repatriation spell ¡­¡­. Is just a Transference spell¡­¡­.? The arrangement of these countries is the same as in the game¡­¡­.. The same¡­¡­. ¡¹ Fendi, the city which I am in, is located in Salandir Kingdom, and faces the Lunette Empire on one side. The other side of Salandir Kingdom is depicted as the Generate Kingdom. I quickly unrolled the other maps to confirm the positions of these countries. ¡¸If I return to Generate Kingdom¡­¡­. Could I possibly be sent back to my original world¡­¡­..? No, wait. There¡¯s no guarantee that I can go back. Even if I did return to Japan, with the amount of time I have been missing, I would be surprised if they haven¡¯t fired me from my job. With that said¡­¡­. I¡¯ll have to live the rest of my days here¡­¡­. ¡¹ I rebundled the open maps as I made up my mind. Here I have a mansion for a house, and a House Spirit that is always there to keep it clean. Also I have a body of a 16 year-old and I have a good amount of money, though not enough. Moreover, I have numerous cheat items. I give my mind a break and convince myself that there is no better blessing than this. I put away the items I had on the table and left the room. I greeted Milia on my way out and returned to the mansion. I opened the door and was immediately welcomed by Ferris. I have a feeling that Ferris is smiling vaguely at the fact that I returned early. ¡¸I¡¯m home, Ferris¡¹ ¡¸Welcome home¡­. To¡­¡­ Uya ¡¹ Ferris can only speak one sentence, but she is beginning to speak it fluently, if only a little. I went to my room to change wondering if it had to do with me living here and then headed to the kitchen. I took the ingredients out of Dimensional Storage to start cooking. ¡¸As the only person in this mansion¡­¡­.. There is some loneliness to it¡­¡­. I¡¯ll hire someone when I¡¯m a little more settled¡­¡­ ¡¹ I cut the vegetables up and throw them in the pot of water one by one, as I fry the meat in another pot. Then I pour the grilled meat into the vegetable pot. As the meat and the vegetables are stewing, I add seasonings I bought at the market for taste. ¡¸And done¡­¡­ ¡¹ I poured the soup into a bowl and ate it with some bread which was also bought at the market. ¡¸I knew it¡­. Item meals are better, but I¡¯ll have to get used to this ¡¹ After I was done eating, I moved to my office, and took out the spell books Natalie gave me and placed them on the desk. ¡¸This is¡­¡­.. ¡¹ What was described in it was a theory on non-attribute and space-time magic, as opposed to attribute magic. It is more like a research document than spell book. Obviously, I was intrigued. ¡¸This is interesting¡­¡­..Let¡¯s see¡­¡­.. ¡¹ It was written not as a finished magic, but as a theory of¡ºmagic yet to be proven ¡». I¡¯m especially interested in what was written about transference in space-time magic since I was sent to this country by a summoning jewel and a magic circle in Generate Kingdom. In hopes of recreating that magic with my own magic¡ª I felt determined to read it. On the last page¡­¡­. There is the author¡¯s signature. The author¡¯s name is written in the book as ¨C Natalie the Sage. ¡¸Isn¡¯t that that little girl!? ¡¹ I quietly closed the book. ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó The following day I went to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild again and holed myself up in the archive room. Milia enthusiastically said as she handed me a card,¡¸ With this, you can use the archive room as much as you want!¡¹ but I chuckled wryly, thinking just how petty the one copper or 100 yen fee was to me. The archive room houses various materials related to adventuring. I read what I could find on ¡°requirements of an escort¡±, which is in regards to the nature of the request I was about to undertake. I then took a look into the relationship between the countries and their history. It was the first time I learned that although there is no slavery in this country, in some countries there is. And the country with a lot of slavery is the Generate Kingdom. The Generate Kingdom regularly wages war against the Lunette Empire. And repeatedly just in the nick of time, the Lunette Empire would retaliate. ¡¸In the game, I belonged to Generate Kingdom¡­¡­ but the more I read this material, the more rogue it appears to be ¡¹ That¡¯s the impression I got. A week went by as I continuously visited the archive room to study the archives and absorb its information as much as I could. In this world, six days constitute a week, and there are five weeks in a month and twelve months in a year, and a year has three hundred and sixty days. There is one day off considered as a basic rule, but that does not apply to adventurers. As an adventurer, you pick your requests and decide on your own holidays. Adventurers are either those who have the ability to earn money or not, but either way they are people who work without break or die in the process. C-ranked adventurers are treated as full-fledged veterans, while A-ranked adventurers are valued as elite adventurers. As an adventurer it is a good idea to get a discount at the guild affiliated lodgings, but that does not apply to me as I already have a mansion for when I do take up requests in this city. There is also a nomination request for B-ranked adventurers, where the guild has the right to pick requests for them. ¡¸Well, that can¡¯t happen to me since I¡¯m still C-ranked¡­¡­ ¡¹ Right now I¡¯m sitting across from Efland in the reception room as the deadline has arrived. Milia is also present, sitting next to Efland and holding a document in her hand. ¡¸I¡¯ll explain the escort request ¡¹ Efland began to explain the details of my very first escort mission. Volume 1 - CH 20 Escorts ¡¸You will be escorting a merchant to the city of Dumbler, which is three days west of here by horse-drawn carriage. Of course, I can¡¯t expect you to do it by yourself. I¡¯ll be sending you along with a group of adventurers. Understood? ¡¹ I saw the mention of that city on the map in the archive. I nodded at Efland and he continued to explain. ¡¸So, Touya, you will be part of two parties. The path you¡¯ll be taking is through a forest, where monsters and bandits may appear. The request is to escort a merchant and his carriages to Dumbler. You will stay in that city for about two days and then escort the merchant back here. They leave in three days. The payment for the escort is 400,000 gil. Is that fine with you? ¡¹ The reward of 400,000 gil for an eight day mission¡­¡­. Honestly, sucks. That¡¯s because if I hunt in the forest, I can earn a lot more than that. My dissatisfaction did not go unnoticed by Efland. ¡¸I know for you, making money is not a problem even without taking up escort requests. But as an adventurer it¡¯s good to have experience of this sort. That¡¯s why I think this is a good opportunity for you¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll be ready by then ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s good. You know Touya, you¡¯re very calm and collected that it¡¯s hard to believe you¡¯re sixteen years old¡­¡­¡¹ Well, that¡¯s¡­¡­ Because I¡¯m actually a middle aged man. Of course I did not say that. After Milia handed me the request form, I left the guild quickly and went out of the city to the forest. The reason being ¨C to practice the attribute magic and the theoretical magic of Little Natalie. ¡ºSearch ¡» I cast my magic power around me, feeling it stretch out thinly into the surrounding area. Although I have changed jobs and my level has dropped, the magic power in my body is far more than average since I had reached level 100 with my Recovery Priest job. ¡¸About 200 meters¡­¡­ ¡¹ I close in the distance to where I felt movement coming from. I continue to follow the direction of the reaction to my Search and come across a boar-shaped monster. This is what is called a Forest Boar, and its meat is delicious and will make any person beg for seconds. It seems to have caught a prey and was in the middle of eating it. I decided to shoot a spell at it while it was still distracted. ¡ºAir Cutter ¡» The crescent beam shot from my right hand straight towards the Forest Boar, by the time it noticed the attack, it was too late, and the beam sliced it in two. ¡¸A beginner¡¯s magic is that powerful¡­¡­ I have to be careful. If it hits someone¡­¡­. ¡¹ With a disturbing picture in my mind, I throw the Forest Boar into Dimensional Storage. I can use Search continuously with little consumption of my magic power. Once it¡¯s cast its effect lasts for an hour. There was another reaction to my Search, this time a few huddled responses, so I headed towards them. I stopped and peeked from the shadows of the trees. There were four adventurers, in a battle with several goblins. The battle ended in about five minutes, and I saw as the adventurers divided themselves up into two groups: one was on guard and another was stripping off the goblin materials. After watching them undetected, I decided to return to my training. ¡¸A party¡­¡­.. Might not be so bad¡­¡­.. ¡¹ I felt a smile form on my face. I then went in the direction of where the other reaction occurred and annihilated the monster. ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó The day set for the escort mission arrived in no time. After testing out my attribute magic and satisfied with the results, I bought and arranged items I might need during the escort into Dimensional Storage. However, the difficult part came when I had to explain to Ferris about my escort request. I had told her the day I was briefed about it, but she did not take it well and disappeared instantly, and refused to come out even when I called her. Finally, today as I am about to leave, she appears. ¡¸I¡¯m leaving, Ferris. I¡¯ll be back in eight days, or at most ten days. I leave the house in your care ¡¹ ¡¸¡ªTouya¡­¡­ come back¡­¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸Sure, I will be back as soon as I can. I¡¯m off ¡¹ Ferris saw me off, with a sad look hanging on her face. I walked with Kokuyou to the front entrance of the guild, which was the meeting place. There, several carriages were ready, and there were some merchants and several people who appeared to be adventurers who were ready to head out. ¡¸I¡¯m a C-ranked Recovery Priest, Touya, who¡¯ll be your escort. It¡¯s a pleasure to work with you. And this is my familiar, Kokuyou ¡¹ Efland had explained beforehand that it¡¯s better to tell them my rank when I introduce myself. The guild¡¯s reputation is also tied to the adventurers¡¯ ranks; if it is C-rank, it is taken as the realm of veteran¡¯s and is trusted by the merchants. ¡¸Whoa, a C-rank at such a young age, that¡¯s something ain¡¯t it? I¡¯m sure there won¡¯t be problems this time either ¡¹ Unlike the merchant who was smiling, four adventurers walked towards us a bit stiffly. And from a closer look, I realized that it was the party that was fighting against the goblins in the forest the other day. One of them stepped out to me, dressed in leather armor, with a one-handed sword hanging over his shoulder, the way he was dressed was in the likes of a warrior. He looks older than me. I can sense a bit of hostility coming from him. ¡¸I am Dai, I¡¯m also part of the escort. Those are the members of my party, the Fang of the Prairie. The one with the bow is Kite, next to him is Milka the thief, and the one with the wand is Akina. We are all D-ranked ¡¹ It is a good combination of a Warrior, Archer, Thief, and Mage. Recovery Priests are rare, and many of them end up in churches, so it is valuable to have them as adventurers. Recovery Priests do not carry any offensive power and this makes a basic rule for them to join a party, but since I wield a double-handed Buster Sword, soloing is no problem for me. ¡¸I¡¯m Touya, a C-rank¨CRecovery Priest. Nice to meet you ¡¹ I could have called myself a Mage, but we¡¯ll be escorting as a group, I¡¯m sure there won¡¯t be much to do. Even if something does happen, I can use the excuse that I can only use Recovery Magic, so calling myself a Recovery Priest is fine. ¡¸Tsk¡­¡­ A C-ranked leech as part of our group¡­¡­ ¡¹ Dai spits out that line and returns to his party. I prefer being a soloist actually. I think it, but don¡¯t say it. ¡¸All right, I see you¡¯re all ready to go. I¡¯m Lumina, B-rank and I¡¯ll be the leader of this escort party for now. Nice to meet you ¡¹ Another adventurer arrived. Or rather should I say she¡¯s my party. I think Lumina is a Warrior. No ¨C I am sure she is. She is a female Warrior wearing a peculiar piece of equipment, bikini armor ¨C a very mysterious piece of equipment. How does it offer her any form of protection? She has a flair that would make anyone have a hard time not looking at her, her skin is tanned to a healthy degree, and her red hair, which has grown to her waist, is blowing beautifully in the wind. And has¡­¡­ two melons that were really hard to miss. Seems that Dai and the other men¡¯s eyes were glued to her as well, and Akina, with her wand bonked two of her party¡¯s men on the head. It was after everyone had introduced themselves and discussed their positions, that a signal to leave was given. ¡¸Alright, let¡¯s get going! ¡¹ The carriages began to move at the sound of Lumina¡¯s command. Volume 1 - CH 21 Escort Mission Our group made its way through the western route to the city of Dumbler, making occasional stops along the way. Alongside me,who is on Kokuyou, is Lumina, who is also straddled on a horse and leading the way. My gaze unconsciously fell upon her melons, which were bouncing in harmony with every jerk the horse makes¡­¡­ Who cares about the horse right? Don¡¯t blame me, I¡¯m only a man. Lumina, who must have noticed me staring at her, started a conversation with me. ¡¸You have a very fine Obsidian Battlehorse. Even though you¡¯re a Recovery Priest, riding one adds to your status as an adventurer. I want one for myself someday ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s just a coincidence that I got it, you know¡­..¡¹ I humoured Lumina; the real circumstance that Kokuyou is an item from my Dimensional Storage cannot be said. During our trip thus far and amidst our conversation, I had Search activated to watch the area. There was nothing out of the ordinary to be found, and we safely arrived at a campsite for our first day. The merchant and his servants took out tents from their carriages and set them up, and provided us, escorts, with two smaller tents. I could have taken one out for myself from my Dimensional Storage, but the merchant had provided one, so I indulged him. Due to the proximity of the forest and the possibility of monsters coming out of it during the night we needed a night watch, so Lumina explained the order in which we will be night watching. ¡¸The night guards will be in pairs, in three shifts. The first will be Dai and Milka, the next¡ª me and Touya, and the last will be Kite and Akina ¡¹ By declaring the formation of the pairs in advance it was to avoid any problems that could arise regarding the job titles. Lumina¡¯s plan was that since I am a Recovery Priest, albeit a C-rank, I will need someone willing to defend me if monsters appear. Yeah, I can use attack magic very well and wield a two-handed sword with ease but I understand her sentiment. As such there is no need to argue with her. Everyone was fine with formations and nodded. It¡¯s quite a drag being on a second night watch, but I¡¯m paired up with a B-rank so that makes up for it. Escorts are basically supposed to prepare their own meals. However, in some conditions they can also purchase foodstuffs from the merchants. The meals I have prepared for this mission are in Dimensional Storage so I don¡¯t have to fret. I took out a loaf of bread that I had bought in the city and then a bowl and a skillet of soup that I had made. The broth was still steaming, owing to the fact that Dimensional Storage freezes time for all the contents stored in it. I scooped the soup into a bowl, and took a sip of the broth produced by the meat and vegetables that were cooked to perfection. ¡¸Delicious¡­¡­.. ¡¹ I nodded my head at the wonderful taste, and a voice from behind me called out to me. ¡¸You¡¯re eating something that looks pretty good huh¡­¡­¡­.. ¡¹ When I turned around, Lumina was standing there with bread and dried meat in her hand. The other four escorts¡¯ eyes were on me as well while holding onto their own dried meat, and they were more attentive to my skillet. ¡¸¡ª Shall we share it¡­..? ¡¹ Lumina¡¯s face beamed at my offer, she nodded quickly and sat down next to me. The foursome also gathered around me, expectantly. I gave a small sigh, and took out bowls from Dimensional Storage for each one. Lumina¡¯s eyes narrowed at that action. ¡¸¡ª Dimensional Storage holder? No wonder you can become a C-rank despite being a Recovery Priest. If you¡¯re C-ranked at your age, you can easily become part of an elite party someday ¡¹ ¡¸The capacity is not that great, though¡­¡­ But it is convenient to have ¡¹ I scoop the soup from the skillet into the bowls and serve them out to everyone. Everyone, well except Dai, smiles and thanks me as they receive them. Dai on the other hand is hesitant to accept his, as if I am trying to poison him. When I persistently offer it to him, through gritted teeth he exclaims¡¸I¡¯ll take it! ¡¹and accepts the bowl. ¡¸Delicious! ¡¹ ¡¸This is some really nice broth ¡¹ They sipped on the soup and shared their thoughts on it. I listened to them and finished my bowl of soup with the bread I had. When we were all done with eating, I washed the bowls with water magic and threw them straight into Dimensional Storage. ¡¸We¡¯ll stand guard in the order mentioned. Make sure to keep the fire alive ¡¹ We nodded at Lumina and everyone went into their gender specific tents for a nap, except for Dai and Milka ¨C the first sentry. I entered the tent, laid down on the mat I had pulled out of Dimensional Storage secretly, and quickly fell asleep. ¡¸¡­¡­ Hey, get up. Your turn¡¯s up ¡¹ I was woken up by the raspy voice of Dai. It¡¯s time to switch, it seems, and I got up and left the tent, rubbing my tired eyes. Lumina was already up, and I joined her around the fire. ¡¸Normally it should be hard to sleep on your first escort mission¡­ ¡¹ I¡¯m sure of it, I mentally agree to what Lumina with a murmur has pointed out. The only reason I can sleep here with ease is because of the mat I lay on. We distracted ourselves from the drowsiness by continuing to chat. In the meantime, I have Search active. There had not been any indication of a monster, and we continued to feed more wood to the fire. ¡¸It¡¯s about time¡­¡­.. ¡¹ Time flew by quickly, I note as I look at the hourglass at the mention of time by Lumina. We got up to go to the tents; I woke Kite up because I can¡¯t go into the women¡¯s. And I dove into the tent to get some more sleep. Morning came with no incident to speak of. We continued on our way, only camping once more on our second day. On the early afternoon of the third day, the city of Dumbler finally came into view. The city like Fendi is surrounded by a stone wall about three meters tall and Lumina explained to me that the city¡¯s wall was designed to protect against monsters that frequently come out of the nearby forest. ¡¸We¡¯re almost there! Don¡¯t let the distance discourage you now ¡¹ We nodded. Oddly till now there was still no sign of monsters¡­¡­.. We arrived at the city about an hour later after we had seen the city in the distance. At the gate as per custom we presented our guild cards to enter the city. After escorting the merchant to the Chamber of Commerce and being dismissed by him, we headed to the designated inn. Together with Lumina, we left Kokuyou and her horse at the beast house and checked into the inn. The cost of accommodation was part of the escort reward, and it only paid for one room per party. Due to the obvious reason I chose to rent my own private room. After changing out of the dusty clothes, I took a deep breath feeling a little tired and checked the contents of the Dimensional Storage. ¡¸¡­¡­.I¡¯m glad they gave me a tent. I can¡¯t take this one out, can I? ¡¹ There is a label on Dimensional Storage of¡ºhouse ¡». If I pull this thing out, I¡¯m sure it will raise questions from people about the capacity of my Dimensional Storage. Deciding to seal it up and only take it out when I really have to, I leave my room and head to the dining room. Volume 1 - CH 22 Adventurer¡¯s Guild After locking the door to my room I went down to the dining room, where the other escort members were already gathered. ¡¸Touya, you¡¯re late! ¡¹ I bowed to Lumina and the others and took an empty seat at the table. The orders had already been made and ales were soon distributed to everyone at the table. Lumina stood up and gave a toast after confirming that everyone had ale in their hand. ¡¸This is for making it safely to Dumbler! Worry not about tomorrow, it is a free day, we drink today! Cheers! ¡¹ ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸Cheers! ¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹ A toast was made, and each of us chugged down our ales. But it tastes terrible¡­.. The temperature of this ale is normal in this world, but it¡¯s not for me. I am more accustomed to the chilled beer in my previous life. So I snuck my mug under the table to chill it using magic before taking a sip. Cold ale goes down better, after all. Lumina caught my satisfied look, and was quick to question me about it. ¡¸Touya, what¡¯s that look about, what are you doing over there? ¡¹ That made everyone else¡¯s attention on the table turn to me. The mug was still under the table, that is bound to make everyone curious¡­.. ¡¸No¡­¡­..it¡¯s¡­¡­.it¡¯s nothing? ¡¹ Lumina, with the speed that would put a cheetah to shame, snatched the mug from my hand as I brought it out. ¡¸You ¡­¡­ what¡¯s this ¡­¡­ in the mug? ¡¹ Lumina, astonished by the freezing mug, curiously takes a drink. She looks even further overwhelmed as the chilled ale touches her lips. And then ¨C silently, she pushes her own mug towards me. ¡¸¡ªOkay¡­¡­.. ¡¹ I concurred to the obvious request and cooled her mug. Lumina eagerly tastes her now chilled ale and looks pleased but still queries the change in its taste. ¡¸What the hell did you do!? ¡¹ The others at the table were also keenly waiting for me to chill their mugs, why wouldn¡¯t they be. They all looked at me with anticipation with their mugs laid out in front of me. As I had done for Lumina¡¯s, I cooled their nastily warm ale. ¡¸What¡¯s this!? Incredible! ¡¹ ¡¸It tastes so much better when it¡¯s cold¡­.. ¡¹ We gulped down the ale along with the food we¡¯ve been served. The ale was easier to quaff down now. And was speedily consumed. Two hours elapsed and we were all ready to turn in for the night, and Milka drunkenly proposed. ¡¸Touya!¡¡You should tag along everytime!¡¡And chill the ale for me! ¡¹ As for the jovial Lumina, she held me in a headlock. I can¡¯t help but laugh at her recklessness. After a while the group disbanded, with everyone staggering to their rooms. I was out the moment my face hit the pillow, one of the results of the heavy drinking I had done. The bright light from the morning sun entering through the window woke me up and the other effect of heavy drinking, a hangover, came into effect, making my head ring in pain. I slowly and tenderly got up from the bed and cast two magic spells on myself: Detoxification Spell to cure my hangover and Body Cleanse as a form of a bath. Body Cleanse is the only form of bathing known in this world, and is a life magic that anyone with the smallest amount of magic can perform. ¡¸This magic is useful, but it¡¯s not a bath¡­¡­. I can¡¯t wait to get home¡­¡­¡¹ I went down for breakfast and chose to explore the city since it was a free day. None of my drinking buddies from last night woke up for breakfast. I silently laughed when I remembered last night. I told the innkeeper that I am going out in case anybody comes looking for me and I left the inn. The city of Dumbler is significantly smaller than Fendi, with a population of only three thousand. It is a trading post between the city of Fendi and the southern city. I walk around the city, admiring the different products on display on the stalls. They have the same signage as in the streets of Fendi and the Adventurer¡¯s Guild¡¯s symbol of a shield and sword came into view. I don¡¯t intend on accepting any requests, but curiosity of what kind of requests they have listed got the best of me and I went inside. The internal structure of the guild is identical to the Fendi branch but smaller in size. It is filled with adventurers looking to take early morning requests. I leisurely look at requests posted on the bulletin board. As expected, since the forest is right next door, the main requests are focused on material gathering and escorts. Young low-ranked adventurers in front of me are also examining the requests. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¡Are you lost? ¡¹ ¡¸Oniichan you¡¯re a Recovery Priest, right¡­?¡¡My sister is not well. But I need money to help her. I don¡¯t know whom to ask¡­¡­ ¡¹ I pat the boy¡¯s head as he asks me for a favour with tears in his eyes. ¡¸¡ª I understand. I¡¯ll help you. Can you lead me to your sister? ¡¹ ¡¸What?¡¡ Really!? ¡¹ I stood up, smiled and nodded, and the boy wiped his tears away and gave me a big smile. But suddenly he grabbed my arm and shrunk behind me. ¡¸Oi oi, don¡¯t be dealing with slum brats in here. And you ¨C you don¡¯t look familiar, you new? ¡¹ When I turned to face the owner of the voice, and the source of discomfort that has made the boy take cover in my shadow, there stood a trio of mean-looking adventurers. Volume 1 - CH 23 Small Clients ¡¸Can I help you? ¡¹ My nonchalant question immediately garnered contempt from the three adventurers. ¡¸You got something in your ears? I¡¯m saying get the slum brat outta here, got it? ¡¹ The boy was cowering behind me as the brute adventurers stood tall with flaring nostrils. ¡¸I don¡¯t need you guys to tell me what I should do though¡­.. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­ You¡­ You got a problem mage¡­? ¡¹ Before a fight ensued, we received an urgent warning from a guild staff. ¡¸Fighting within the guild is forbidden. I will expel you from the guild or arrest you if I must? ¡¹ The receptionist¡¯s presence was enough to settle the place back down. The three brutes made a threat as they were walking out of the guild, ¡°This is not over mage¡±. I did not expect it to end so quickly¡­¡­ But it helped. I would not lose against them because of our levels, but I did not think fighting them would be worth losing my guild access, especially since it is the one thing I¡¯m good at in this world. Relieved, I thank the Guild receptionist. ¡¸Don¡¯t pay those kinds of people any mind. But be careful ¡¹ She walked back into the other room, to her counter. ¡¸Now that is over, can you show me the way to your sister? But first, my name is Touya. What¡¯s yours? ¡¹ With Leol¡¯s guidance we leave the guild. We saunter through the busy streets for a while until we come to a desolate part of the city ¨C the slums. I can feel the stares on me as I walk behind Leol. Perhaps they are curious to see an adventurer accompanying him. About ten minutes¡¯ walk in the slums, we finally stopped in front of a particular building. ¡¸This is it. This is where I live¡­¡­ Everyone quick, come and see! I¡¯ve brought someone who can heal ¡¹ At the command of Leol¡¯s voice ¨C children pour out of the building. ¡­¡­¡­Is this an orphanage or something¡­¡­ They were boys and girls who were younger than Leol. ¡¸Onii-chan is going to heal onee-chan! ¡¹ The small girl looks up at me with hopeful eyes. ¡¸First, let¡¯s check on your sister ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, come this way ¡¹ I followed Leol and the other children behind him. In the room we entered there was a sleeping figure of a girl in bed. Looking closer at her, I noticed that her face was flushed and I brought my hand to her forehead to get her temperature, she was burning up. ¡¸High Heal ¡¹¡¸Antidote Magic ¡¹ I chanted the magic spells over the girl¡¯s body, and the light from my hand engulfed her. Heal spell alone might be enough, but to ensure it did not fail I cast the Antidote spell as well. The light faded and the flush on the girl¡¯s face receded and she began to breathe calmly in her sleep. She is about 16 years old ¨C my age here. She is a beautiful girl with golden hair that reaches her chest and her beauty is apparent even as she sleeps. ¡¸I think she¡¯ll be fine now. She should just take it easy and eat properly¡­ ¡¹ The children smile and their faces light up at my words. Which is good, this is the way the faces of children should always be Grrrrrrrr¡­.. The stomach growling broke the mood. I look at the little girl beside me and she looks a little embarrassed. The children are the only ones here. The sleeping girl must have been the one cooking for them. ¡¸Would you like me to make you guys something to eat? Where¡¯s the kitchen? ¡¹ ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸Food!!! ¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹ The children all squealed in delight. I followed them as they led me to the small kitchen. The ingredients¡­¡­¡­ Zilch¡­¡­. I took out the ingredients out of Dimensional Storage and placed them on the table. The children all¡¸Ooh! ¡¹as they watched me from behind. I cut up the vegetables and meat and put them in a pot that I also took out of Dimensional Storage and filled it with water using Water Magic. Then I poured magic power into the stove¡¯s ore to light it up and let the pot simmer. ¡¸How many of you are here? ¡¹ ¡¸There are eight of us. And our big sister ¡¹ ¡¸All right, well, then we¡¯ll just¡­¡­ ¡¹ I took out some bread that I had bought in the city for the escort request and cut it up into several equal pieces. ¡¸It¡¯s almost ready, take the bread with you ¡¹ The children all take a piece of the bread. Meanwhile the pot is bubbling; I season it, and take a taste. ¡¸Yeah. Nice ¡¹ After the pot was finished cooking I put it away in Dimensional Storage, hot as it was. The children awed as the pot of such a big size all of a sudden disappeared. ¡¸Alright, it¡¯s done! Let¡¯s go and eat ¡¹ We moved to what was the dining room and I took the pot out again and poured the soup into the bowls the children had prepared. I ensured before we ate that everyone had their serving. ¡¸This is so good! ¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s meat in it! ¡¹ ¡¸Really?¡¡I haven¡¯t had meat in a long time ¡¹ The children are sipping the soup as they take a bite of the bread. Their smiles are a joy to behold. I was not hungry, but I took a drink of the little soup that I had poured for myself. ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s good ¡¹ I learned from the children while we were chatting that this place is indeed an orphanage. It was originally run by the parents of the girl who¡¯s sleeping in the other room, but they died and the girl took over and is now the caretaker of the children by herself. While we were talking, the door of the bedroom opened. ¡¸What is this¡­? ¡¹ I spun around and saw the girl who had been sleeping standing there. Volume 1 - CH 24 Little Angels The young lady gave a dumbfounded look at the children who were eating food. ¡¸Onee-chan woke up!!¡¹ The children surrounded the young lady. ¡¸What happened¡­¡­. And where did these food come from ¡­¡­?¡¹ Leol was the one to answer the young lady¡¯s questions. ¡¸I¡­¡­ I went and placed a request at the Adventurers Guild for someone to heal you onee-chan. And then¡­¡­Oni-chan came for us¡¹ ¡¸¨D¨DN-no way¡­¡­the Adventurers Guild¡­¡­with that all our savings will¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸But, you got well immediately! Oni-chan even used [High Heal] and [Cure] for us. He also cooked for us too.¡¹ ¡¸Hi-high Heal¡­¡­now with that we cannot even pay any of our expenses¡­¡­.on top of that these food also¡­¡­¡¹ I stood up and tried to calm the young lady down. ¡¸I am the one accepting the request from Leol not the guild. I decided to share these foods with them because I was hungry too. I have plenty of ingredients so that was fine.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah! Because I even paid you the request fee as many as 3 copper coins I saved up!¡¹ Leol interjected. The young lady gave a surprised look at the mention of the request fee. Under normal circumstances, no adventurer would accept a request for 3 copper coins. The young lady walked up to me and lowered her head, deeply. ¡¸Thank you for going along with Leol¡¯s unreasonable request. And also thank you for the Recovery magic¡­¡­. As you can see clearly the condition we are in, we cannot afford such¡­¡­¡¹ I smiled at the young lady, who had teary eyes while expressing her sincere appreciation. ¡¸First let me introduce myself. My name is Touya. Adventurer from Fendi, I came to this town on an escort mission. Leol found me by chance when I was at the guild. I took the request because I have some free time on my hands.¡¹ She realized that she had not introduced herself yet after my self introduction, she then proceeded to introduce herself while having red glowing cheeks. ¡¸I am so sorry¡­¡­ silly me. My name is Saya. I look after the orphans in this orphanage. Thank you very much.¡¹ ¡¸For the time being, how about some food? There is still some in the pot, there is bread too¡¹ Maybe because of the smell, I can also hear growling noise coming from Saya¡¯s belly. With the noise, Saya¡¯s cheeks glowed even more red. ¡¸¡­¡­Then, I will have some too¡­¡­¡¹ I dished up some soup and bread and placed the servings in front of Saya who had sat down in one of the chairs. Saya was surprised at the amount of ingredients in the soup. ¡¸So much soup¡­¡­.¡¹ She scooped the soup with a spoon, she smiled for a moment when she put it in her mouth. ¡¸Delicious¡­¡­¡¹ I too smiled, and continued eating my food, while the children were on their second servings. When I finished my food with a satisfied expression, the pot was already emptied. ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸I¡¯m full~~!!¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹ I smiled looking at the children with full bellies. Saya also had a satisfied look. I washed the dishes with the children after we finished our meal. The children also washed the dishes happily, when I filled the pots with water magic. After they were done, they went out in the yard to play. Saya came and sat beside me, while I sat looking at the scene. ¡¸Thank you for everything today¡­¡­. even providing such a wonderful meal¡­¡­I feel sorry for being unable to pay you¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s okay. The kids are happy. Children¡¯s smiles are nice things don¡¯t you think so¡­¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Indeed¡­¡­because of their smiles, that is why I can work hard even by myself¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Aaa©`©`! Oni-chan and Onee-chan are making out!!¡¹ ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸Oooo!!¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹ Hearing the children¡¯s voices, I scratched my head a bit. Saya¡¯s face was glowing completely red. ¡¸Geez! Don¡¯t say such things!!¡¹ Saya stood up and started to chase the children. ¡¸Onee-chan is completely red©`! lovey-dovey!!¡¹ The sun was setting as I watched Saya play with the children. Only Leol and Saya were still awake when I had to return to the inn, and both of them looked lonely as I left. ¡¸Oni-chan will you come here again?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, this time I came because of an escort mission, we are returning to Fendi town tomorrow but, I will come and visit if I come back to this town again ¡¹ As Saya tried to smack him but Leol dodged. ¡¸I will come again, see you soon. I will leave these for you. Share it with the children¡¹ Saya was surprised when I took out a pot suddenly from Dimensional Storage. It was filled with the soup I had made back in Fendi. ¡¸©`©`Touya-san, thank you very much.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s okay because I still have a lot. See you soon. ¡¹ The two waved their hands at me until I was out of sight. As I walked towards the inn from the slums, there were once again, gazes on me. I did not pay them any mind until a voice from behind me startled me. ¡¸Found you¡­¡­¡¹ As I turned around, the adventurers who had picked a fight with me at the Adventurer¡¯s Guild were standing there grinning. I sighed heavily knowing what was to come from their grinning faces. Volume 1 - CH 25 Berserker? No, I¡¯m a Mage ¡¸¡­¡­You guys again¡­¡­¡¹ The three men spread out to surround me when I asked with my head tilted. ¡¸We will lose our touch if we let a mage disrespect us. We are in the slums now¡­¡­No one would care, if one adventurer goes missing here.¡¹ ¡¸Kukukuku¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸You got some nice equipment huh? If you sold them it would bring in some good money right? But you won¡¯t be needing those anyway after you become a corpse. We will help you to utilize it fully.¡¹ I sighed heavily after hearing their words. ¡¸So¡­¡­.? What exactly do you want from me¡­¡­.¡¹ PvP¡­¡­, I have never done it before in real life. But almost everyday in MMO¡­¡­. And I kept playing that game only because of the PvP. I got excited gradually as memories of those times are coming back to me. ¡¸Oh, you wanna fight?¡­¡­Apparently you don¡¯t even have a weapon, fighting us with bare hands huh¡­¡­ You are quite full of yourself huh¡¹ They drew their swords and pointed them towards me. On the other hand, I pull out a two handed sword with a length around my height from the storage. ¡¸¡¸¡¸Wha-!?¡¹¡¹¡¹ They were surprised when I swung around the two-handed sword easily with one hand and I put the sword on my shoulder while grinning at them. ¡¸©`©`©`What did you say about fighting with bare hands¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Tsk¡­¡­a magician holding such a weapon¡­¡­¡¹ At that moment, I dashed instantly and place my sword against the man¡¯s neck ¡¸©`©`©`©`making fun of a magician huh?¡¹ From that position, I swung fully with the body of my sword against the man. The man was thrown a few meters away and fainted after crashing into a wooden hut. I dashed with the momentum towards the other two, who were stunned, one by one, hammering them into the wooden hut. It was all over in an instant. ¡¸I still prefer swords¡­¡­ after all. Berserker really fits my style¡¹ I put my two handed sword back into the storage while nodding, agreeing to myself, and thinking about what to do next. ¡­¡­if I left them the same incident will happen again. Ok¡­¡­. I will just bring them with me. I tied all the men who were still unconscious with ropes, and dragged them along through the slum with one hand. Anyone who saw it was surprised with their eyes opened wide and turned away immediately. After leaving the slum, I passed through streets with people, directly walking towards the adventurer¡¯s guild. I opened the guild¡¯s door, entering inside at the same pace. Of course, I gathered a lot of attention while walking and dragging the three tied up bodies along. Everyone who was in the hall held their breath watching. The guild receptionists also rushed out from the counter impatiently after noticing the unsightly scene. ¡¸What on earth happened!?¡¹ I answered by explaining to the female guild receptionist¡¯s question. ¡¸You see, I got attacked in the slums¡­¡­. They warned about attacking me in the guild during the day, it resulted in me bringing them like this. So, what should I do with these guys¡­¡­¡¹ Even ignoring the condition they were in, unconscious and bloody, their equipment was all worn out badly after all the dragging. They probably look a lot worse than the time I beat them. ¡¸Please get someone with healing magic immediately! Also prepare the detention cells!¡¹ The female guild receptionist standing in front gave orders after orders. A male guild receptionist also came out and carried the still tied up men inwards. ¡¸With that, can you please explain what happened again in a private room?¡¹ ¡¸Sure¡­¡­¡¹ I followed a female guild receptionist entering a private room. There is a table and six chairs inside, a place for serious discussions. I was prompted to sit before the female receptionist sat down. ¡¸Please. Well then, can you please start from the beginning?¡¹ I explained thoroughly starting from when they picked a fight with me in morning at the guild, having food at the orphanage in the slum, and getting attacked on the way back to the lodge. I reacted because of the talks about killing and looting, they also drew their swords too. I brought them back to the guild because of the feeling of not leaving them in the slum. She took notes on a memo and nodded while listening to my explanation. ¡¸©`©`Ok. I understand what happened, the three of them had a bad reputation but nevertheless they are still D rank adventurers. From your appearance you are a magician right? Can you please show me your guild identification card?¡¹ When I handed my card to her, she was surprised with her eyes widened after reading the details of the card. I don¡¯t blame her after noticing the level¡­¡­. ¡¸©`©`©`©`I-Is this¡­¡­real!? level 57¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yea¡­¡­Well¡­¡­As you can see there¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t believe you are still a rank C even with this level¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸That is because I just joined recently¡¹ The receptionist groaned with her arm crossed, when I explained with a forced smile. After a bit of contemplating, she opened her mouth. ¡¸Ok. Those guys will have their name removed from the guild under attempted robbery, attempted murderer and also will become criminal slaves as punishment. Unfortunately, they were on the loose until now because of a lack of evidence but this time we have a first hand witness.¡¹ I felt a cold chill down my spine when she grinned. What have those guys done before¡­¡­. Of course I have no intention to know more about it. I left the guild and headed towards the lodge, after I was released from giving a statement. Adventurers at the hall were staring directly at me because of the shocking incident just now. It was already dark outside, when I walked in the dark alley powerlessly. There were a lot of people eating food at the lodge canteen. Lumina waved at me when they noticed me. ¡¸Hey. Where did you go until such a time? We finished our meal already¡¹ I ordered some food and sat beside Lumina who was holding a jockey. Dai and the other three already had their meal, and went back to their room early because of preparation tomorrow, while Lumina drank alone at the counter. ¡¸Something came up¡­¡­. I had to go to the adventurer¡¯s guild¡¹ ¡¸Hmmm. Please don¡¯t cause any problem? We are on an escort mission¡­¡­. And also©`©`make this cold¡¹ The half full jockey was placed in front of me. I sighed while I used magic to cool it, then returned it to her, she took and shook the jockey and gave a satisfied look after looking at the cold ale. I start to eat the food I ordered. The menu was stewed meat with two pieces of bread. I cooled my ale and drank a mouth full from mine. We are heading back to Fendi the next morning again. I finished my food fast and returned to my room then collapsed on the bed. Volume 1 - CH 26 ch 1 ep 26 Natalie¡¯s Past The young lady wearing a robe ©`©` no, the self proclaimed Twilight Sage, Natalie was walking down the street powerlessly. Unable to get over the addiction from the delicious dishes by Touya, she went to the mansion looking for a hit but he was not in, then she found out by asking that he left for a secret escort mission with the adventurer¡¯s guild. Natalie returned to her shop, the place you could even say was her home, she had her elbow on the counter lost in her own thoughts. ¡¸After everything, that meal, that personality loved by the spirits, nostalgic¡­¡­.¡¹ ¡ó¡ó¡ó ©`©`Ten years ago ¡¸©`©`You want to retire from the court mage post¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Any time now, the young ones are learning and catching up too. I want to step down and relax.¡¹ At that time, Natalie was serving as the leading court mage in the Lunette Empire over a long period of time, she was talking to the emperor©`©`Gannett Von Lunette about leaving her post. Sitting on his throne, Gannett with a well kept goatee sighed heavily. Natalie¡¯s ability and competency was considered exceptional within the wizards from the empire, she sat in the position of the lead court mage over a period of a few decades. She also trained a few disciples, and served her best for the development of the empire. The royal blood line in Lunette empire are humans but, there were no discrimination between human, long ear tribes and the beast tribes, even the empire is protecting the long ear tribes who have a cute appearance and the beast tribes. In the Lunette empire, the empire regards any capable person highly, it is a common sight for them to sit in important office positions. Like Natalie who is skillful in magics, served as the lead court mage and sat in an important office position in the empire. ¡¸Is that so¡­¡­Natalie-dono, you have served well for this empire over a long period of time. Since¡­¡­the time when I was just a child¡­¡­.right¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. I have watched over you since you are a snot-nosed kid, you have grown up well I see. I was worried about you ruling as the emperor but, the empire is doing well currently. Meddling from Generate Kingdom also slowed down, If I wanted to retire, this would be a good time.¡¹ Ganette nodded while having a forced smile after being called a snot-nosed kid. ¡¸So, what is your future plan¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. I think I will travel around, looking for a quiet place and open a shop. You see, I have not spent the wages I earned until now¡¹ ¡¸Is that so¡­¡­I hope you relax well in the future¡¹ After Natalie left the room, she walked around the castle which she served in over the decades. ¡¸Ah, Natalie obaa-chan!¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t call me obaa-chan!! I have told you to address me as onee-chan!!¡¹ A young girl who just turned 5 wearing a pink color dress talked to Natalie with a smile. Blue pupils, deep blue colored chest length hair, a cute young girl almost certain to grow up to be a beauty in the future. ¡¸But, father told me you were already in this castle since he was a child¡¹ ¡¸Doesn¡¯t matter, I am still a onee-chan!! O Charl, you are a princess, who had an important role to play in this empire. Please grow up well. You are loved by the spirits. Without a doubt you will be able to use spirit magics¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­? Ok¡­¡­I understand¡­¡­Natalie obaa-chan¡¹ ¡¸I said onee-chan!!¡¹ Natalie tried to catch Charl©`©`Charlotte Von Lunette but she dodged it smoothly. After chasing Charlotte around, a young lady ran towards them from the hallway. ¡¸Charlotte-sama~! You are here, in such a place~! I found you~!¡¹ A young lady slightly older than Charlotte, with blonde well kept hair to her shoulder in knights clothing with the characteristic sheep with spiral horns growing from its head. Altoria Von Milda was out of breath while sprinting towards the two. ¡¸Ah~! Al found me~!¡¹ ¡¸Geez, Charlotte-sama. Ah, Natalie-sama, good day to you¡¹ ¡¸Al¡­¡­being Char¡¯s playmate is quite the hard job huh¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yes¡­¡­she has turned 5 years old, she should really become less playful soon¡­¡­.¡¹ ¡¸She is just 5 years old. That said, humans do grow up fast¡­¡­¡¹ Natalie was lost in her own thoughts then Charlotte opened her mouth as if she remembered something. ¡¸By the way¡­¡­ Natalie oba- I mean onee-chan. People in the castle has been addressing one-chan as (The Loli Sage), I wonder what is the meaning of¡­¡­?¡¹ After hearing those words, a block of matter with fire floats above Natalie¡¯s hand. ¡¸©`©`Who is saying those words. I, myself must educate those who said those words¡­¡­¡¹ Charlotte and Altoria think they had messed up big time after seeing Natalie let out an evil grin. They remember the last time Natalie had that expression, she forced her disciples who were court mages to a training trip and in the end they were all completely worn-out and collapsed. ¡¸Ah, I remembered something. I had to go now. Natalie©`¡­¡­obaa-chan, see you soon!!¡¹ Leaving behind those words, Charlotte escaped and ran away. ¡¸Natalie-sama, please excuse me too. Charlotte-sama~!¡¹ After being left alone, the fire mass floating on her hand spread and dissipated, then she let out a big sigh. ¡¸Like I said¡­¡­address me as onee-chan¡¹ Natalie murmured to no one at the castle hallway. After a month, Natalie left the court mage position and went on her trip. She went to towns within the empire, then opened a shop in Fendi, a town in the neighboring Salandir Kingdom. Through connections, she bought the mansion with a low price but, a house spirit had settled down, she did not get the approval from the house spirit but, she did not get completely rejected by it, so she settled down in her shop. Selling items such as spell books, healing potions and once in a while have a chat with some of her customers. The business is not turning a profit but she had a large sum of savings that she could not spend in her lifetime, so she didn¡¯t really care. Running a business as a pastime activity, that was her experience that time. ©`©`And 10 years passed. ¡¸I wonder Charlotte is growing up to be a fine lady¡­¡­¡¹ Having her elbow on the counter, she was lost in nostalgic memories while sighing. Volume 1 - CH 27 ch 1 ep 27 The Assault I woke up to the morning light shining through the window. This has become a common occurrence since I came to this world. I rise up together with the sun, lie down together with the sun. Since the cost of light sources from magic items will pile up quickly. Naturally waking up together with the sun has become a habit of mine. ¡¸I can¡¯t believe I actually woke up at this time¡­¡­¡¹ I equipped myself with my equipment that I took out from storage and left the room. Lumina was already having her meal when I came down to the dinning hall. ¡¸Good Morning, Lumina-san. You are quite early today¡¹ ¡¸Oh it¡¯s you, Touya. Because after I finish my meal, I have to go to the merchant guild. Wearing my equipment is going to take some time. So, I have to get my food early and do those earlier.¡¹ If I remember correctly, Lumina was in casual clothing after we reached here. As you expected, she was not always in the usual©`©`©`bikini amour. It is quite a shame but I will save the feast for my eyes later. I sat on the seat beside her and took my breakfast too. As I was eating, Dai and the other three woke up after us. After we greeted each other and finished our food, we gathered in front of the Inn and headed towards the guild for our return trip. There were four wagons in the middle of being loaded one after another in front of the merchant guild. Lumina went into the guild as our representative while the remaining members decided to help out the loading process. ¡¸Thank you for helping. This is going to be quite the amount of payloads. Putting that aside, you¡¯re a magician right? You have quite the strength huh? ¡¹ As I was loading the payloads from the merchant guild, a middle-aged man talked to me. Even without considering that I am a magician, there is a difference in level compared to a normal adventurer. I am not going to give him any explanation but, I responded with a smile and continued to carry the payloads. Due to an increase in the number of people loading, the loading process was finished fast. Then, the person in charge of the caravan came forward. ¡¸Please take good care of us on the way back too. Well then, let¡¯s head back¡¹ Lumina and I led from the front, leaving the town of Dumbler behind. The returning trip was also fine and we reached the campsite for the first time. As the tents were erected and the time for dinner preparation also started, for some reason attention was gathering on me. And then Lumina sat down beside me. ¡¸Touya,©`©`©`of course you still have that right?¡¹ She had eyes full of expectations. As I looked around, Dai and the other three were also looking at me with the same expectation. I took out a pot with soup after I sighed heavily. ¡¸It seems this was unavoidable¡­¡­. Please at least use your own bowl¡¹ ¡¸Nice one Touya!! You are very considerate~¡¹ Lumina grabbed my head towards her, burying me in her chest. The sensation of the bikini amour was¡­¡­.painful actually! Ouch! The sensation behind the single sheet of clothing must be something soft but, the covering clothing was something stiff. The escorting party had their dinner around the fire while I was handing out the soup. Dai¡¯s attitude was getting soft on our way back which had saved me a lot of trouble. After we finished our dinner, the order for the look out was also decided one by one similar to the way we came. Same as the way we came, I was on the second phase with Lumina. Then our turn came, Kokuyou came towards me when I was chatting with Lumina surrounding the fire. Bllllllluh¡­¡­ Kokuyou neighed¡­¡­ and bit softly on my head. ¡¸C, come on. What are you doing¡­¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Hahaha. It seems you are also loved by the battle horse.¡¹ While Lumina was busy laughing, as I wiped the saliva on my head with my sleeves, Kokuyou¡¯s head was facing towards the forest. ¡¸Kokuyou¡­¡­Is something coming towards¡­¡­.us?¡¹ There was no movement yet on my search. There was nothing showing in the 200m search range. ¡¸But, you probably did sense something¡­¡­.¡¹ Lumina took up the sword leaning beside her and stood up. I stood up too and focused my search towards the forest. ¡¸Wha!!¡¹ The search range increased slightly as I focused my search on a single direction. Then©`©`I saw movements in the tens. On top of that, they were heading straight towards us. ¡¸There are signs of creatures! The amount is in the tens! Heading towards us!! ¡¹ ¡¸What!? Wake up everyone!! The creatures are attacking!!¡¹ Hearing the voices of Lumina and I, Dai and the others jumped on their feet and prepared their equipment. The merchants also nervously came down from the wagons and followed Lumina¡¯s instructions. Maybe because of habits, the merchants¡¯ movements were in order even though they are nervous. Gathering in a single wagon and hiding inside it. ¡¸I will lead in the front. You guys are in a party, get in your formation to protect the merchants! Touya, you are a priest right? Please support us in the back!¡¹ I shook my head to Lumina¡¯s instruction and stood beside her. Then I took out the©`©`two handed sword from my storage. Lumina looked at the sword with the length about my height with her eyes widened. ¡¸Touya! Can you even use that!?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I am used to this the most¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ok. You are the only one with recovery spells. Please don¡¯t push it too far¡¹ I nodded to her and checked the distances from the creatures. The distance between the forest from here was around 100m, we should be able to see them any time now. Then, the creature in the front shows itself. The creature had an obese body with a pig face holding a club in its hand. It¡¯s height is around 2m, a height I have to look upwards. An omnivorous creature who eats animals and other creatures. Of course, humans are not an exception. On top of that, orcs even kidnaps female humans and had a habit of using them as a seedbed. One of the natural enemies of humans. ¡¸A group of orcs!¡¹ I put up my sword after Lumina¡¯s voice. Dai and his party were holding in their formation, bracing for the impact. And then, the orcs who found us let out a strange noise as if they were asking for reinforcements. Responding to the noise, groups of orcs were swarming out from the back. ¡¸No way¡­¡­.This much¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸We have never faced this large amount of creatures before¡­¡­¡¹ Dai¡¯s party was trembling in fear due to the orcs sheer numbers, while the orcs more than 30 in strength were grinning as if they had found their prey. Then, one of the orcs in the pack roared and they rushed all together at the same time towards us. ¡¸Give everything you got!! Don¡¯t you dare die by yourselves!! ¡¹ Lumina¡¯s voice echoed and the battle of 6 to 30 started. Volume 1 - CH 28 Combat Dai was not the only one disheartened by the position we were in, the other four shared his pessimism. Lumina did not say a word but it was clear to see that she had also lost confidence in her survival against this many as she stood motionless. I suppose if it were a few orcs, these guys would have been able to defeat them with less difficulty, but today it was a horde of orcs, more than thirty of them. Realizing that it was the only thing he could do to let the merchants escape, he drew out his sword. ¡ª Among the adventurers there was one who was optimistic. Yes, this sight was all but too dull of a threat to a man named Touya. What¡­¡­? Are we just going to stand here? ¨C-They¡¯re only orcs¡­¡­ I run out from the group towards the pack of orcs. ¡¸Wait! ¡¹, the voice behind me yells, but I don¡¯t need to wait for such small fries of opponents. Due to the foul smell of blood, the merchants vacated to a place further from it. They erected their tents in a different spot and took a rest there. However, everyone¡¯s blood was still pumping from the battle earlier and could not sleep. I and sleep have never been enemies so I caught some shut eye. The following day, Lumina and I were in the lead though the quiet road, making our previous battle seem like it was all a dream. Since last night, Lumina and the other guys have been acting distant towards me. I wonder if perhaps I went overboard. ¡¸I can finally see the city! ¡¹ The city of Fendi came into our line of sight. Volume 1 - CH 29 Episode 29 The Return The orc attack on our way back was the only hiccup in our travel and we arrived at the gates of Fendi without another. Before entering the city we showed our guild cards to the guards and were let through. We then completed our escort mission by accompanying the merchant to the front of the Chamber of Commerce. It was there that Lumina being the leader of our escort party, received the signature from the merchant on the request form which we took to the guild. ¡¸This confirms that the request is complete. Thank you all for your hard work¡­¡­ Um, Lumina, I need to talk to you ¡¹ I went to the warehouse to make the orc delivery, Lumina had a meeting, and we were to meet Dai¡¯s party at the guild¡¯s attached tavern for a farewell party. In the warehouse the guild official filled the submission note with a twitch in his eye as I kept throwing the orc bodies into a pile. The guild staff have been made aware of my Dimensional Storage¡¯s capacity as being more than average so this kind of submission from me was not something new to them, but they still received my submissions every time with a dry smile. Of course, the information about my ability is kept under wraps from the public and is only known by the guild personnel. I took the submission note from the guild official and went back to the guild hall to deliver it. Milia beckoned me over to her counter when she saw me. ¡¸Touya-san, I¡¯ll take the submission note. And, your guild card as well please ¡¹ I was puzzled as to why she would need my card however I gave it to her willingly. ¡¸Please wait a minute ¡¹, Milia said before she disappeared behind the counter. When she returned in a few minutes, she placed the silver-coloured guild card on top of the counter. ¡¸Touya-san, you have been promoted to B-rank. You could have been promoted a long time ago, but you needed experience as an escort for that ¡¹ When I looked down at the card, there was indeed a ¡°B¡± marked on it. She also placed three fat cloth bags that were tightly fastened next to it. ¡¸This is for the orc delivery. The meat was undamaged, therefore highly rated. And since it¡¯s a party of three, I divided the reward up equally ¡¹ I nod at Milia who smiles and I thank her before leaving for the tavern. Dai¡¯s party had already reserved a table, and Dai called me over to join them. Lumina had also finished with her meeting and was already seated. ¡¸Sorry to keep you waiting. I¡¯ve received the orc reward ¡¹ I said placing the three bags full of silver coins in the centre of the table. Lumina also placed three bags of escort request reward and divided it among our parties. ¡¸So everyone gets an equal amount¡­¡­ ¡¹ Dai was the one to refute my words. ¡¸Usually we¡¯d share it equally amongst ourselves. But¡­¡­ Touya, you were the one who defeated almost all of the orcs. We didn¡¯t do much. So it¡¯s fine with us if you keep all of the reward ¡¹ I simply nodded with a smile at him, noticing how his demeanour has mellowed unlike when we met. ¡¸I appreciate it ¡¹ I put away both Lumina¡¯s and Dai¡¯s party¡¯s share into Dimensional Storage. ¡¸And I¡¯m sorry. When we met, I called you a ¡®C-rank parasite¡¯. I now understand what you¡¯re capable of Touya ¡¹ Dai bows his head to me and the rest of the party smiles and bows their heads slightly too. ¡¸Don¡¯t sweat it. I¡¯m still only a Recovery Priest¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, one who wields a hell of a weapon¡­¡­ ¡¹ Dai muttered under his breath. It was at that moment that ale arrived at our table. And Lumina stood up to give a toast. ¡¸To the escort request being successfully completed, despite the surprise of the orc attack. Also¡ª ¡¹ She stopped speaking and looked down at me. What she said next almost knocked me out of my chair. ¡¸Chill the ale¡­ please¡­ ¡¹ I chuckled and nodded and inconspicuously chilled our ales. ¡¸Again!¡¡To everyone¡¯s safety. Kanpai! ¡¹ We bumped our mugs together and chugged the ale. ¡¸The cold ale is sure great ¡¹ The farewell soir¨¦e full of laughter and drinking continued deep into the night. ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó A little while back. After Lumina was called by Milia at the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, she was ushered into a private room, where she was told to sit and wait. The door opened moments later and the person who entered was the sub-guild master, Efland. Lumina abruptly got up from her chair, but was immediately urged to sit back down. Efland sat down as well and faced Lumina. ¡¸What the heck¡­¡­ What do you want? Why is a sub-guild master here¡­¡­.? ¡¹ Efland only smiled at the anxious Lumina. ¡¸No, no, no need to be so nervous. What I wanted to ask is¡ª regarding Touya. How was it escorting with him? ¡¹ Lumina¡¯s face turned from worried to serious. ¡¸¡ª Touya huh¡­¡­ Who is he¡­¡­. I saw him fight¡­¡­ He was freaky strong. His Obsidian Battle Horse is also unbelievably stronger than any monster I¡¯ve seen ¡¹ ¡¸So that¡¯s how it went¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸How is he a C-rank!? He¡¯s way stronger than that. He should be A-rank¡­¡­ Or even S-rank¡­¡­ ¡¹ Lumina retorted thinking back on the fight with the orcs. Efland sighed. ¡¸Okay, well¡­¡­ Thanks. That¡¯s all I wanted to know. You must be tired from being on escort duty. Go home and get some rest ¡¹ Lumina quietly bowed and left the room, leaving Efland alone to his thoughts. ¡¸One hell of a newcomer¡­¡­ ¡¹ Efland sighed once more and looked at nobody in particular but the heavens. Volume 2 - CH 1 Fateful Request It has already been three months from the time I was an escort to Dumbler. Since then I have completed a few requests and the guild seems to want to make me an A-rank as quickly as possible by recommending more difficult requests. But I turn them all down because requests of high degree of difficulty usually take several days or even weeks to complete. I have spent the majority of my time instead going to the archive room and back to the mansion, and occasionally having dinner with Natalie. But today, I¡¯m in the tavern grabbing a drink with three adventurers I haven¡¯t seen in a while. ¡¸I can¡¯t believe that a kid from back then, is now B-rank ¡¹ Krada laughs intensely as he refills his mug. He is my benefactor, one of the three adventurers who brought me to this city. ¡¸I know¡­¡­ I was given a request and before I knew it¡­¡­ ¡¹ I laugh as I scratch my cheek. ¡¸Oh yeah, Touya, have you heard? The war between Generate Kingdom and Lunette Empire has started up again ¡¹ ¡¸No, I haven¡¯t heard about it¡­¡­ Up until now, Generate Kingdom has been invading and the Lunette Empire has been on the defence, right? Generate Kingdom don¡¯t give up do they¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Well this time¡­¡­ They were using the¡ºHero ¡». The monster that has already decimated several cities of the Empire¡¹ ¡¸¡ªHero¡­..? ¡¹ Is he talking about the man who was summoned right after me that time? He did say that he had the title of¡ºHero ¡» at the summoning. But the scoundrel, that princess claimed that her country was being invaded when in truth it was her own country doing the invasion. I¡¯m glad I got out of that country¡­¡­ I may not be back on Earth, but this is the best possible place to be sent. I continued to listen to Krada¡¯s explanation. ¡¸That¡¯s right, the Hero. The Lunette Empire is right next door. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to make the most of your time if you join us. If¡ª ¡¹ ¡¸Krada! Stop it. It¡¯s not even decided yet. They have the most powerful Knight Commander in the Empire, so they won¡¯t lose so easily ¡¹ Nina interjected. ¡¸Right! I¡¯ve only heard that myself, but it¡¯s rumoured that the Knight Commander of the Empire is a powerhouse, so I guess you¡¯re right. Anyway, let¡¯s stop this gloomy talk and have a drink! It was luck that we met Touya ¡¹ Nina and the rest of us stopped talking about the buff. It¡¯d surely be a bad omen to talk this way about the war that had just begun. We continued our sesh well into the night. A day passed and the conversation we had in the bar was forgotten. ¡¸Touya-san, I beg of you, will you accept this request? ¡¹ I was about to take a subjugation kind of request, and Milia was hell bent on me doing her a favour. ¡¸¡ª But I was about to accept a subjugation¡ª ¡¹ Honestly speaking, a subjugation request is more lucrative for me than any request since I have Dimensional Storage. I have been asked before for other escort missions. But yeah, I decline them all. After all, Ferris was worried about me taking them. Her face was heart-breaking when I came back from my first escort mission. And as such I have refrained from taking any more and any request that will force me to be away from home for long periods of time. ¡¸The Northern Woods are seeing a rise in the appearance of monsters as of late. So please, can you go there just to investigate¡­¡­ It could be related to war in the north, but a lot of newcomers are coming back with serious injuries ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ So it¡¯s just a survey? I will do it if you¡¯ll be willing to take the material I come back with ¡¹ This could work in my favour, if there are a lot of monsters there is no reason as to why I would refuse such a fruitful request. ¡¸Yes! That¡¯s all right. The guild will reward you for the survey and the monster materials you deliver ¡¹ ¡¸Then I¡¯ll do it ¡¹ Satisfied, she gives me a big smile. ¡¸That¡¯s a relief¡­¡­ Lately, all of the elite adventurers have been adventuring out of town and there was no one else I could ask with a peace of mind¡­¡­ The sub-guild master only told me¡ºLet Touya take it ¡», so if you didn¡¯t well¡­¡­ ¡¹ I chuckle as Milia¡¯s words trail on. But this is one of Efland¡¯s requests¡­¡­ I feel a bit uneasy about it. After Milia gave me the request form for the survey mission, I returned to the mansion at once. The Northern Woods are a day¡¯s ride away by carriage. With Kokuyou, I should arrive there in a few hours, but it¡¯s not a day return trip. This is the reason why I rushed back to the mansion to tell Ferris that I would be taking an overnight request. When I got back at the mansion, Ferris appeared immediately to greet me. ¡¸¡­¡­ Touya, welcome back? That was fast ¡¹ ¡¸Ferris, yes I am back. Just came to tell you I¡¯m going to be away for a couple of days on an assignment from the guild. I¡¯m going to the Northern Woods for a survey mission ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Will¡­¡­ You be back soon¡­¡­? ¡¹ I smiled at her, at her saddened face, and assured her¡¸I¡¯ll be back soon ¡¹, and left the house. I walked alongside Kokuyou through the city streets until we were outside of the city. Right after passing through the gate, I climbed on Kokuyou. ¡¸Let¡¯s go Kokuyou! ¡¹ Kokuyou is clearly happy to be able to run at full speed, he whines as he takes off running. The forest was dense and had a single path in its midst that ran through it. This is the road that leads to the neighbouring country of the Lunette Empire. There is a checkpoint at the end of it, which I was told is the border. For smugglers it is a guaranteed getaway route, they can smuggle as much as they want, but it¡¯s a route with dangers of monsters at every turn, which will be extra difficult to go through with a carriage. Bandits and others like them may with some sheer luck make it out of the forest but merchants importing and exporting wares usually take a safer route. ¡¸Kokuyou, let¡¯s head deeper into the forest ¡¹ I signalled to Kokuyou and we slowly proceeded down the single road. I did not neglect to keep Search active in case of trouble. With every step I took, the presence of monsters could be sensed everywhere in the forest a little away from me. ¡¸There are more than I expected¡­¡­ They did say there won¡¯t be that many high level monsters, so it should be fine ¡¹ Fifteen minutes in the forest with Kokuyou I stopped to check my equipment and made our way further into the forest. ¡ª Oblivious to the fateful encounter that awaits me ahead¡­¡­ Volume 2 - CH 2 Escape ¡¸We¡¯re almost out of the woods!¡¡Char!¡¡Hang in there ¡¹ A couple of young girls, both in their early adulthood, were running through the dark forest. One girl wore a thin muddy silver-white amour, held a sword in one hand and with the other, she was pulling the other girl¡¯s hand. She was dressed as a knight and her face was also muddy but she did not seem at all bothered by it. They both were beyond exhausted; their chests were pumping air as fast as they were running. The forest in their eyes seemed to stretch out with no end. ¡¸Al¡­¡­ Let me take a break¡­¡­ I can¡¯t take another step¡­¡­ ¡¹ The other girl, Char, was wearing a ragged dress that was torn below the knee as its original length made it difficult to run in. Her rapid breathing was testament to the urgency of their destination. Al was her guide, holding her hand cautiously through the forest. ¡¸Alright¡­.. ¡¹ They sat down and leaned beside one of the trees. Al, the silver-white knight, kept her eyes wide on their surroundings and was ready with her sword. (If only we could get to the city¡­¡­ If only we could find Natalie-sama¡­¡­) Al catches her breath as she dwells on the thought. They have been through a battle in which they have lost their entire luggage and only Al¡¯s Magic Bag remained. She took out a water bag from it and handed it to Char. Char quenched her thirst, and returned the water bag to Al, who also drank some water before putting it away in the Magic Bag. (I didn¡¯t expect my father ¨C to lose¡­) Al looked hopeless as her frustration grew. ¡ª ¡ª A month ago The invasion by the Generate Kingdom arrived without any warning. The Generate Kingdom, was once more waging war on the Lunette Empire. The past few years, there have been skirmishes, but not an all-out war. The differences between the two countries made it impossible for them to make peace. Generate Kingdom is a human supremacy country where all non-human races are enslaved. Upon receiving word of the imminent invasion, soldiers, including knights and mages, were immediately called in to defend the country. However, after a few days ¨C the soldiers were defeated to the point of being completely wiped out, and the cities they were defending were breached by Generate Kingdom. Lunette Empire¡¯s imperial capital is only about twenty days away from the border between it and Generate Kingdom. With every passing day, the Emperor received reports of defeat and ultimately made a decision. ¡¸¡ªGarrett¡­¡­. I¡¯d like¡­¡­. ¡¹ ¡¸Your Majesty, I¡¯ll ride for you ¡¹ The one responding to the Emperor¡¯s incomplete order is a knight standing by his side in the most luxurious silver-white armour. The silver-white knight, Garret von Myrdal, is the head of the Kingsguard which is responsible for protecting the Emperor. Garret is known as the strongest knight in the Lunette Empire and has the trust of the people. The knights and the other top strength poured out of the castle off to war and they were led by Garret. ¡ªA few days later though, it was announced that Garrett had been defeated by the one called the ¡°Hero¡±. The Emperor received the news in secret and decided to send Princess Charlotte and Garrett¡¯s daughter Altria to take refuge in Salandir Kingdom escorted by some knights. It was at the same time, he approved the letter requesting support from Salandir Kingdom which left the country with his diplomat. ¡¸I¡¯ll fight with you, Father , in defending this country! ¡¹ He sighed loudly to an exasperated Charlotte and gave instructions to the knight. ¡¸Altria, I¡¯m leaving you in charge of Charlotte and it¡¯s imperative you get her to Natalie-dono ¡¹ ¡¸I will deliver her as you say ¡¹ ¡¸I didn¡¯t expect this to happen, I¡¯m truly sorry for you¡­¡­ ¡¹ Altria impatiently tells the Emperor, who has bowed his head to her, to raise his face. ¡¸Your Majesty, my father has only done his duty¡­.. But it is frustrating¡­¡­ ¡¹ Altria, who has a sorrowful expression so as to not spill tears, bows, and then follows the two knights who grabbed the appalled Charlotte and carried her away. ¡¸¡ªPlease take care of Charlotte¡­¡­.. ¡¹ The carriage carrying Charlotte and Al was heading to Salandir Kingdom, but the Generate Kingdom¡¯s soldiers were hard on their heels. The escorting knights took on the role of shields to fend off their pursuers and give a chance for the princess to escape. By the time they abandoned the carriage and reached the forest, Altria was the only remaining escorting knight. ¡¸I can¡¯t do this, Al¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Your Highness! No, Char! You can¡¯t say that ¡¹ ¡¸But we don¡¯t even know where Natalie-sama is in Salandir¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸You can¡¯t give up. Remember the soldiers who fought for this country, the knights who served as shields to help you escape¡­¡­ For everyone¡¯s sake, Char, you have to survive and meet Natalie-sama ¡¹ ¡¸¡ªYou¡¯re right, for the sake of all of us. Al, we must make it to Natalie-sama¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Yes! I¡¯ll make sure to get you to her ¡¹ They smiled at each other and nodded and then stepped into the thick forest. Volume 2 - CH 3 Fate? Charlotte and Altria have spent several days advancing through the forest day and night in hopes of reaching Salandir Kingdom sooner. In that time they have been found and attacked by their pursuers, but Altria as a member of the Kingsguard, only lacks in combat against a few soldiers of the Empire. She led the way through the forest while at the same time protecting Charlotte from occasional monsters such as goblins. With her body which has been trained daily she can take on low level monsters like goblins with ease. However, the series of battles has taken its toll on her. And little by little fresh wounds on her body are increasing. ¡¸Al ¡­¡­ Are you okay¡­¡­? ¡¹ She wiped her face which was stained with splattered blood with her hand and smiled at Charlotte who looked worried. ¡¸I¡¯m fine, Char. Don¡¯t worry I will protect you and get you to Natalie-sama ¡¹ Charlotte tore her dress further and wrapped the cloth around Al¡¯s injured arm. ¡¸I can only do so much¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you, Char¡­¡­ Okay, let¡¯s go ¡¹ They got up and soldiered on deeper into the forest. The forest was also made harder to advance faster because they disregarded the set path and were walking through bushes and by the time ten days arrived all their strength was gone. The two girls, who had just finished their last few battles of the day were resting amongst the giant trees, with their bodies covered all over in wounds. For Altria, being a trained knight this was bearable, as for Charlotte, who had grown up behind the regal doors of the castle, she was at her breaking point. You cannot blame her though. ¡¸Let¡¯s keep going, we¡¯re almost there. Salandir Kingdom shouldn¡¯t be far now ¡¹ At Altria¡¯s words, Charlotte stood up, her breath a little calmer. They journeyed further into the trees without an end in sight. A few hours into their progress they took turns taking naps along the way, sharing what little food and water they had and continued on into the forest. They arrived in an open part of the trees. Where the sunshine reached them and their eyes could see, giving them hope once more. ¡¸Char! We¡¯re almost out. I can see a break in the forest over there. It could be the exit ¡¹ Charlotte raised her tired face at Altria¡¯s enthusiastic words and looked in the direction she was pointing in. Sure enough, the forest seemed to be opening up in her eyes as well. ¡¸We¡¯re almost there¡­¡­ ¡¹ Their legs felt lighter because of the glimmer of hope before them. They summoned the last remaining strength in their bodies and ran towards the break in the trees, passed through it and were free. Their liberation was ¡ª A collection of shoddy houses. They were shabby to the point that they would crumble down if a gust of wind was to pass by. Their liberation was ¨C an orc colony. A few meters away from the two girls there were a dozen orcs. Some were devouring their prey, others were sprawled on the ground sleeping, and others were orc children running around. ¡°Things¡± like humans are nothing to orcs but food. The orcs were feasting on the torn off arms and legs of people¡ª prey. There was some group of orcs raping a woman who once was an adventurer. Her spirit was broken and she did not seem to be conscious anymore. It was hard to tell whether she was alive or dead. The two girls were petrified by the scene. Their sanity broke at the sight. ¡¸Kyaaaaaaaaaah!!!! ¡¹ Charlotte was the one to scream at the hellscape in front of them. Quickly, Altria covered Charlotte¡¯s mouth with her hand, but it was too late. The orcs¡¯ big gazes fell on them. It was the gazes of new found prey. Orcs, like goblins, are capable of interbreeding with a wide variety of races, and female humans are the best targets. Males are food and females are used as nurseries for the growth of the race. This is a well-known fact in this world. A hunched-over Charlotte backed away, wetting the ground. ¡¸Stay back, stay back¡­¡­ ¡¹ She held her sword, but the tip of her sword was trembling. Not only was it the tip of the sword, but Altria¡¯s entire body was trembling with fear. Their bitter future was coming for them. She knew this, but she did not want to admit it, she refused to give in to that kind of end. In the meantime, the orcs that had spotted them bellowed out in a call for the other orcs. The other orcs heeded the call and more orcs gathered and strode towards them. As the despair in front of them got bigger and closer, something unexpected happened. ¡¸I thought there might be a colony here, but there were even people too. Thank goodness. It looks like you¡¯re both still safe¡­¡­ ¡¹ The girls¡¯ heads jerked in the direction of the startling human voice. There, stood one boy in a robe without a care in the world and with no weapon in his hands. Volume 2 - CH 4 It is Fate A little while ago. I headed out of the city mounted on Kokuyou to investigate the Northern Woods. The day¡¯s journey by carriage was less than two hours for me on the legs of my trusted companion. The forest was in front of us, with a single road in it, wide enough for a carriage to pass through, which I was told was used for trading with the Lunette Empire. Before I left the guild I was reminded,¡¸Adventurers have no borders, but please refrain from crossing the border ¡¹. This advice was for the safety of the adventurers since the Lunette Empire was currently at war against Generate Kingdom. For me though, I have Ferris waiting for me at the mansion and I don¡¯t have a slightest interest to cross over there. If by any chance I do meet Generate Kingdom one day, it¡¯d be out of curiosity to find out if it is possible to return to Japan. But knowing the nature of that country, I doubt it. ¡ª There is also that ¡°Hero¡± business. If I went there, they¡¯ll probably pretend to not know me, they may even try to get rid of me. ¡ª That¡¯s more reason for me to stay in my cosy little city. Also back in Japan, I was already without parents, I was single¡ªno wife nor children. By now the company would have retired me since I left without notice. In that case¡ªNo, it might be too soon to tell. I pushed those thoughts out of my head and activated Search to explore the forest. There¡¯s¡­¡­ a lot of them. I took out my two-handed sword from Dimensional Storage and carefully moved through the forest towards the monsters. The monsters in this forest seem to roam at most in packs. ¡¸Oryaah! ¡¹ This again? I shook off the blood-stained sword. Goblins, already carcasses, lie beneath my feet. The monsters I encountered were goblins, forest wolves, boas, and the occasional orcs. The smell of the slain monsters attracts the other monsters to me leading to a cycle of subjugation of monsters. They¡­¡­ However, they are really weak. For the request which I was tasked with in such desperation, only low-level monsters came out. Is there any need for me to even take this¡­¡­ ¡¸I have to find a colony or something¡­¡­ I can¡¯t go on like this ¡¹ I tossed the defeated monsters into Dimensional Storage and went further into the forest. The monsters that appeared though were also weak no matter how deep into the forest I went. With a single swing of my sword they dropped like flies and the cycle continued. I was sure I would find some speed in the forest wolves, but their movements are predictable. And they are also a lot slower than me. More goblins came out, but they were a joke. The only decent monsters that came out were orcs, despite their sluggish movements; they at least come out in large sizes. The further along I went, the larger the response on Search I got. ¡¸There¡¯s dozens of them¡­¡­ Is it a colony¡­¡­? Definitely¡­¡­ ¡¹ I ran out at once. Finding the sword in my hand as a distraction, I chucked it away into Dimensional Storage and chose to use magic for fighting. Since this is the forest I used wind magic as opposed to fire magic, and cast attack magic spells on monsters I zoomed past. ¡¸Have to hurry¡­¡­ ¡¹ I zigzagged through the field of trees and kept the momentum, until I reached the break in the trees. I whooshed into the open and was met with a striking scene. It was orcs or dozens of them. They were surrounding and hungrily staring at their prey ¨C a pair of girls. Among the enclosing orcs, there were also a high orc species. ¡¸I thought there was a colony here, but there are even people here too. Thank goodness. It looks like you¡¯re both still safe¡­¡­ ¡¹ I was relieved. There were people still alive. The two girls, probably my age, were ragged and shaking all over. ¡­¡­ Anyway, let¡¯s get this over with. I pulled out my Buster Sword again from Dimensional Storage and placed it on my shoulder. ¡¸Hold on a minute. Don¡¯t move from there ¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡­¡­.? ¡¹ Perhaps they did not expect that kind of instruction or perhaps it was out of fear. But that was the only reply that they gave me. The orcs that surrounded the girls reacted to my voice by spreading out to surround me with clubs and other makeshift weapons in their hands. I strengthened my body by dispersing magical power throughout my body. ¡¸Let¡¯s go then! ¡¹ I readied my Buster Sword and started speeding towards them instantaneously. I slashed down an orc in the front and with a single swing I flanked the orc beside him. The rest of the orcs were now riled. At the sound of the dying orcs, all the orcs that were in the village came towards me carrying weapons. I swung my sword at the nearby orcs, slayed them into the ground, and shot wind magic with my left hand in the direction of the orcs in the distance. As I mow down the colony, I see a corpse of a human lying on the ground. Anger rose within me as I looked at the adventurer who had been swarmed by orcs and turned into a nursery and had her life taken with her eyes wide open. ¡¸Prepare yourselves¡­¡­ I¡¯m not going to miss a single one of you¡­¡­ ¡¹ I thrust my sword into another orc. As I was cutting every other orc that stood, a large orc emerged from the back. Next to it, there were three other orcs that stood larger than the normal orcs and were equipped, albeit poorly. ¡¸High-level orcs ¡­¡­ These must be the Generals, meaning the bigger one is¡­¡­ an Orc King¡­¡­ ¡¹ We¡¯re taught at the Adventurer¡¯s Guild that in an emerging colony, there will always be a higher-level species, and depending on the size of the colony, there may be a ¡°king class¡±. In that case, we¡¯re reminded to always retreat and report to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild to gather a few dozen people to subjugate it. This is not the time for it. The Orc King looked down at his fallen men, his face filled with rage, and he let out one of the loudest cries. Done. The five-meter tall Orc King was doomed in an instant. At the sight of this, the remaining orcs fled with their metaphoric tails tucked between their legs. But I won¡¯t let them escape. I slayed the cowardly orcs as they attempted to escape, the other orcs that were out of reach of my sword I cut them into pieces with wind magic. After the ten minutes of orcs bellowing in agony, the area was filled with silence. The place was littered with orc carcasses like a true hellscape. I stored away my sword and exhaled heavily. ¡¸Phew¡­¡­ That was a lot of them, wasn¡¯t it? I hadn¡¯t expected there to be a king class. Oh¡­¡­ That¡¯s right¡­¡­ ¡¹ I remembered the two girls I had saved. I forgot about them when the Orc King showed up. I moved closer to them and talked to them, the two girls had their mouths stupidly wide open and an incredulous look on their faces. ¡¸¡ªAre you guys okay ¡­¡­? ¡¹ My considerate words were met with¡ª ¡¸Kyaaaaaaaaaah! ¡¹ A screaming of the pair of girls. What? Did I miss an orc? Volume 2 - CH 5 Fate? Perhaps an Annoying Encounter Their screams confused me. I did just save them¡­¡­ I did right? ¨CBut the answer was apparently all over me. They shuddered and pointed at me. I looked down at myself¨C I was covered in orc blood. My white robe was dyed bright red, my hands were also bloodied, and when I wiped my cheek with my hand, more blood stuck to it. That¡¯s right ¨C my whole body was filthy red. ¡¸Oh, sorry ¡­¡­ ¡¹ I took a little distance from them, unrobed and washed my face and hands with Water Magic. Girls my age were watching all the while, but this is nothing to be embarrassed about. I took off my robe, checked it, then took out another robe and put it on. I checked my appearance again. Okay, there should be no problem now. When I turned around, I found their cheeks blushing. I spoke to them again. ¡¸¡ªSo, is it fine now¡­¡­? ¡¹ Their faces turned serious from being taken aback. ¡¸Oh, yes, thank you¡­¡­ for helping us out ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you so much¡­¡­ it¡¯s over ¡¹ Looking closer at them, I see that one of the girls has light blue hair cascading down to her waist and had the same shade of blue eyes. She appears to be my age. The other girl is scruffy, wearing armour, with blonde hair cropped at her shoulders and sheepish horns sticking out on either side of her head. The monsters had been defeated, the beastly knight had thanked me, but she was still showing wariness. She was clearly trying to protect the other girl. I thought it was inevitable under the circumstances, so I spoke to them while keeping a little distance. It¡¯s a good thing¡­¡­ To give them some moment. I have something else to do¡­¡­ I have lived as an adventurer for a few months and have come across the deaths of people many times. I did not want to get used to it, but as long as I am an adventurer, it is a must. As I put the orcs away into Dimensional Storage, I mourned for the bodies. After kneeling in front of the corpses and laying my hand on them and praying for their repose, I fished through tool bags and other items to check for guild cards. I spread out a white sheet and placed the bodies on it and wrapped it up before putting it into Dimensional Storage. ¡¸¡ªOkay, that¡¯s about it! ¡¹ I¡¯ll deliver the bodies of the adventurers to the guild, and if they have living relatives, they will be handed over to them. If they have none, they will be buried in a communal cemetery. If they had been found by a non-Dimensional Storage holder, only their relics would be retrieved and their bodies buried here. When I was done with my business, I looked over to the girls and saw them stunned stiff in one spot. ¡¸¡ªAnd you guys are¡­¡­? I¡¯m going back to town now, however I¡¯m going to¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I¡¯m sorry for being rude. I am a knight of the Kingsguard of the Lunette Empire¡ª ¡¹ ¡¸Al! ¡¹ The knight-like girl was about to introduce herself when the blue-haired girl behind her tried to stop her. ¡¸Ah¡­¡­ I¡¯m Al and the one behind me is Char. We were on our way to Salandir Kingdom for a personal reason, and we ran into this¡­¡­ ¡¹ You just mentioned¡¸Knight of the Kingsguard ¡¹¡­¡­ I sense trouble. Not to mention the girl in the back looks like a noble. No, the fact that she is with a Kingsguard knight can only mean¡­¡­ She¡¯s royalty. ¡¸Well¡­¡­ My name is Touya, I am an adventurer from the city of Fendi in Salandir Kingdom. I was on a forest survey mission as a request ¡¹ ¡¸!? ¡­¡­ Salandir Kingdom¡­¡­ Then¡­¡­ Please take us with you to the city, by all means, Natalie-sama¡ª ¡¹ ¡¸Oh, you made it this far. Hey! I¡¯ve found them! ¡¹ A voice came from behind me, and when I turned around, several men who appeared to be soldiers emerged out of the darkness of the forest. They were wearing identical armour and carrying one-handed swords, stained with blood splatters, their appearance spelled wartime. Not paying attention to me, the soldiers¡¯ eyes were on the two girls. ¡¸We¡¯ve had it chasing after you. Do you know of the trouble you put us through?¡ªWho the hell are you? In any case you won¡¯t be leaving here alive ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right! We¡¯ve already crossed into Salandir territory. If they report us to the state, we¡¯ll be in trouble ¡¹ The men drew their swords and pointed them at me. There were ten soldiers that had appeared, including the ones that had come out from behind me. And they were about to lose their lives here¡­¡­ I took out my Buster Sword from Dimensional Storage and braced myself. To be honest, I only have experience in non-human combat. But¡­.. This is the ¡°If I don¡¯t kill them, they¡¯ll kill me¡± kind of situation. ¡¸That person has nothing to do with this! You just want us! Run away! ¡¹ From behind me, the girl who said her name was Al, readied her sword to protect Char. But she looks too tired, barely holding onto the hilt. ¡¸As I have already said¡­¡­ There will be no witnesses! ¡¹ The soldier swung his sword at me as soon as he shouted. I blocked and swatted it to the side with mine. ¡­¡­That leaves me with no choice then¡­¡­ In the game, I have fought against people before. But that¡¯s a game. It¡¯s not real. My heart was pounding so hard like it was about to burst. But I can¡¯t let my face show fear. I took a deep breath and pointed my two-handed sword at the soldier. ¡¸Hmph, just a brat¡­¡­ You guys, let¡¯s deal with this one first! ¡¹ That one soldier¡¯s command prompted the rest to surround me. ¡ªAnd so my first non-monster battle began. Volume 2 - CH 6 Unexpected Ending I covered and strengthened my entire body with magical power and threw the first attack. When I slashed at the first one, the soldier¡¯s body made a thud as it hit the ground, and probably because of strengthening, split apart into two. ¡¸Damn it, take it seriously! ¡¹ The faces of the soldiers were more inflamed, now that one of their squad has been killed. It would be easier to fight if I had¡­¡­ More room¡­¡­ I withdrew my sword from the ground, brought it up and down once more in a vertical slash on another soldier. Then I looked for my next victim. I did not have to look far, and I swiftly planted my Buster Sword in the nearby soldier and braced myself again. ¡¸¡­¡­Seven to go ¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Damn it, you two cut off at the same time! ¡¹ ¡¸¡¸Aye! ¡¹¡¹ Three of us swung swords at the same time, two of them swung theirs, and I retaliated with mine. One soldier ducked and another blocked my sword and grabbed onto my wrist with his left hand. I kicked the soldier who had a hold of my wrist and I struck my sword and slashed at him before I cut down the other soldier in a sideways attack. ¡¸That¡¯s it! ¡¹ I looked at the source of the voice behind me and saw Al had her sword flicked off and a sword on her neck. ¡¸Don¡¯t you care what happens to this woman? ¡¹ The soldier grinned nastily and Al shouted edgily. ¡¸Forget about me! You can leave me here! Run! ¡¹ ¡­¡­ What should I do? I know I can win against them. Although¡ª There¡¯s only one thing to do. I stabbed my Buster Sword into the ground, then let go of the hilt, and raised my hands. ¡¸That¡¯s good enough¡­¡­ Move away from the sword ¡¹ Al and Char both looked at me with teary eyes as I did so. ¡¸Hmph, that¡¯s enough. You actually give a damn about what happens to a woman you hardly know? You are one hell of a sweetheart ¡¹ The soldier then removed his sword from Al¡¯s neck. ¡ª Here¡¯s my chance. ¡ºAir Bullet! ¡» The air bullet shot from my hand and smashed the face of the soldier who had come at me with the sword and ripped his head from his neck. ¡¸What!¡¡Magic? ¡¹ I pulled out my sword, which I had stabbed into the ground and started to thrust and slash at the surprised soldiers. In a few minutes, the match was over with me as the victor. The lifeless bodies of the soldiers were sprawled around me. This was my first¡­.. First time, my first time killing a person ¨C people¡­.. Not like the game. In the game I have killed people before but did not feel anything. This made my chest tighten. My stomach could not hold it in ¨C and I threw up. ¡¸Ick¡­¡­ geh geh ¡­¡­ ¡¹ I was on all fours, retching, and I could feel the vomit gushing from the back of my throat. ¡¸Thank you¡­¡­ For saving us¡­¡­ ¡¹ I looked up at the owner of the words and saw a face with a gentle smile and tears streaming down on it ¨C Char¡¯s face. Char stroked my back considerately until the vomiting stopped. ¡¸Thank you. I¡¯ve calmed down now ¡¹ I stood up and inspected the area. ¡­¡­ There¡¯s no turning back now. God, tell me why I came to this world. If it¡¯s a light novel or something similar, where a person gets sent to a different world, usually there is a being that shows up and declares,¡¸I am God ¡¹ , and tells the person the reason for it. I was about to consider the consequences, but I quickly concluded that there was no point in thinking about it now. ¡¸First of all, how do I deal with these soldiers¡¯ bodies¡­¡­ ¡¹ I can¡¯t exactly make the decision in regards to them on my own. I¡¯ll have to throw the whole matter at the guild I suppose¡­¡­ I stored the soldier¡¯s corpses in Dimensional Storage, the whole group of them. The robe I had just changed into was stained with blood again from the battle with the soldiers. I took another new robe and put it on. ¡¸¡ªSo, I just have to take you to the city in Salandir Kingdom, right? We got distracted there. Follow me ¡¹ I said with a smile, and Char gave me a wider smile. ¡¸Yes! Thank you. Now we can look for Natalie-sama ¡¹ ¡­¡­ Huh? ¡­¡­ Natalie ¡­¡­? ¡­¡­ Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡­. ¡¸¡ª By Natalie-sama, you mean¡­¡­ Loli Natalie¡­¡­? The one who refers to herself as a¡ºSage of the Twilight¡»or something like that¡­¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸You know Natalie-sama? That¡¯s right. I haven¡¯t seen her in a decade, but she was small sized back then¡­¡­ ¡¹ I looked up at the heavens instinctively. I can¡¯t shake the feeling that this is the beginning of trouble for me. After all, that Loli Natalie girl is involved. ¡¸Yeah. I know her. She is in the city where we¡¯re going. She owns a magic shop there ¡¹ Char smiled at me with the brightest smile as if my words had rekindled hope in her. ¡¸¡ªTruly this is a miraculous encounter. I thank Goddess Tiltaria ¡¹ Char folded her hands and closed her eyes and said a prayer. ¡°Tiltaria¡± is that the god of this world? Come to think of it, I have not been to the church in the city because I couldn¡¯t afford it. When I get back to the city, I¡¯ll have to pay it a visit at least once. Where is Al¡­¡­? She¡¯s been quiet all this time. When I looked at where she was standing, her eyes were sparkling and her cheeks red. ¡ªAnd she opened her mouth, as if embarrassed. ¡¸Touya-sama, do you have¡­.. a mating partner? ¡¹ That stunned me, I¡¯ll admit. Volume 2 - CH 7 The Game Item was a Cheat, After All ¡ªI was confused. I couldn¡¯t understand where the Al girl¡¯s question was coming from. Mating partner? I do know what it means. Is that her way of popping the question to me, a stranger and saviour she just met? I chuckled a bit. She is a beautiful girl, but she¡¯s¡­¡­ ¡¸¡­¡­No, I don¡¯t, but do you think that¡¯s relevant right now¡­¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t be offended by Al, Al¡¯s race only finds life partners in strong individuals. I¡¯m sorry about this, after you have saved us ¡¹ Char explained to me on behalf of Al. Char¡¯s cheeks were stained, but she was not bothered by it. She shook Al¡¯s arm to get her back to her senses. Al gave me a look and bowed her head very low. ¡¸Aww, sorry¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­ My beastly blood tingled so much I could not help myself¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ I was made aware of that. I¡¯m heading back to town now, are you guys coming?¡¸ ¡¸Yes, of course we are¡ª ¡¹ Grrrrrr¡­¡­ The sound of her stomach interrupted her. The growling made Char¡¯s cheeks turn red and she averted her gaze from me. ¡¸¡­¡­ I guess, we can first have some food. I have some soup with me, give me a minute ¡¹ I took out a pot from Dimensional Storage and poured it into two bowls. I also brought out a simple table and chairs and set the soup and some bread on it. ¡¸I can only prepare this much for you in the place like this¡­¡­ ¡¹ I led them both to their seats and sat them down. Al looked at Char and looked at the soup, swallowed saliva, and scooped up her bowl and spooned the soup into her mouth. ¡¸Mmmmmm¡­¡­ It¡¯s really good. It¡¯s warm and delicious¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸It is really pleasant¡­¡­ ¡¹ The girls bit into their bread and finished their food. ¡¸Now I¡¯m full¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve had such a warm meal ¡¹ I smiled at them as they looked satisfied. ¡¸Alright, let¡¯s get going now. The city is a long way off from here ¡¹ ¡¸Yes ¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you for your help ¡¹ I put all the items back into Dimensional Storage and prepared to leave empty-handed. ¡¸This way. Follow me ¡¹ I led the way and walked slowly towards the city, using Search to spot the locations of monsters. I killed a minimum number of monsters and avoided as many of them as possible. ¡ªThree hours later. ¡¸We finally made it out of the forest! ¡¹ I couldn¡¯t help feeling excited when I saw the meadow outside of the forest. The sky had started to turn red perhaps because I was walking slowly because of the girls. When I looked at them behind me, they were crying. ¡¸Char, we¡¯re finally out¡­¡­ At long last¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, we will now look for Natalie-sama and find out about your father¡­¡­ ¡¹ I try not to listen to them whispering to each other and start to think. ¡­¡­ By the time we reach the city the gates will already be closed. It¡¯s probably best to camp. We can camp out near the city, but it won¡¯t be wise for too many people to see my tent. ¡ªMuch less Kokuyou. But I can¡¯t let these kids sleep outside. ¡­¡­ Then I¡¯ll just make sure they keep it quiet. ¡¸You guys have some time to kill. We can¡¯t go back into town now, the gates are closed. I think it¡¯ll be better to spend the night here and enter the city tomorrow ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ Okay, we understand Touya-sama. We¡¯ll be in your care ¡¹ I made sure they both nodded and I continued to lead the way. I told them we¡¯d be camping some distance away from the forest. ¡¸I¡¯ll need you guys to promise me one thing. Don¡¯t say a word about my Dimensional Storage or its contents okay? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ Okay, I promise ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I understand ¡¹ I ensured that they nod again, and I took out the tent from Dimensional Storage. Externally it looks like a normal tent. ¡¸You two sleep in it. I¡¯ll stand guard outside ¡¹ ¡¸Oh no¡­¡­I can¡¯t let you do that for us after all your help ¡¹ I cock my head to the side at Char¡¯s remark. ¡¸I can¡¯t let you guys sleep in the swamp. You¡¯ll see inside, you¡¯ll have plenty of space ¡¹ Intrigued by my words, the two of them peeked into the tent and entered. ¡¸What is this?! ¡¹ ¡¸Wow! ¡¹ The tent has a couch and a bed, unlike what it looks like from outside, it¡¯s spacious inside. They both showed disbelief as expected. ¡¸Touya-sama are you¡­¡­ a highly respected adventurer? I¡¯ve never seen a tent like this before. I did not think it was a magic item¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Me neither¡­¡­ ¡¹ I told the two awestruck people to rest in it and began to prepare dinner. Even the firewood is taken out of Dimensional Storage and assembled and magically lit. I took out the table and chairs and the pot and bowls again and arranged them on the table. ¡¸Sorry for the simple stuff, but this is all I have ¡¹ ¡¸No ¡­¡­ We can¡¯t thank you enough, Touya-sama, for giving us a warm meal in a place like this ¡¹ They sat down and folded their hands in a prayer before they began to eat. I thought of asking them something, but decided not to pry into the matter, as I¡¯m only their chaperone to Natalie, and I don¡¯t want to involve myself. The tent is designed to keep the monsters away and they will never go near it. I add more firewood and lay down on the rug. ¡¸I¡¯ll have to get up early tomorrow¡­¡­ ¡¹ Thinking about this, I drifted off to sleep. The brilliance of the morning sunshine burned through my eyelids waking me up. I laughed to myself wryly, thinking how it¡¯s been the rhythm of my mornings since I got here. The girls were both still asleep in the tent. I got up and washed my face and did my business before they woke up. ¡¸Time to come out Kokuyou ¡¹ I get Kokuyou out of Dimensional Storage along with¡ªa carriage. I had seen its icon but never took it out. Because of my two companions, this is the right first time to do it. The carriage had a coachman seat and it seats six passengers. As expected of a game item, it has shock absorbers attached and tyre wheels. Is it too showy¡­¡­ I chuckle nervously at the deluxe carriage which could be suited for a noble. As I laugh, I stroke Kokuyou¡¯s neck who had already started to bite my head sweetly as usual. ¡¸What is this! ¡¹ I turned around to see Char and Al with shocked looks on their faces. Volume 2 - CH 8 Status ¡¸¡ªCarriage ¡¹ I turned around to face them and gave an obvious answer. No, I am not blind. I can see it myself that this is not an ordinary carriage. The shock absorbers, the tyres, and the Japanese finish of the exterior and interior were tell-tale signs. But I will play my clueless card. ¡¸¡­¡­ You must be a nobleman of some kingdom to have such a magnificent carriage¡­¡­¡¹ I shook my head at Char and denied it. ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m only an adventurer. Remember what I asked you yesterday to keep as a secret? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes¡­¡­ Yes. I won¡¯t pry into it any further ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll appreciate it. Let¡¯s get some breakfast ready. I¡¯m sorry to say, but it¡¯s soup and bread again¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯re very grateful just to have a warm meal¡¹ We stopped talking and I served the food on the table. I could see more than Char, Al was itching where she stood to say something. ¡¸What¡¯s up ¡­¡­? ¡¹ When I prompted her to speak, Al spoke with a glint in her eye. ¡¸Oh¡­¡­ That¡¯s an Obsidian Battlehorse isn¡¯t it¡­¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸Sure is¡­¡­ That¡¯s my pal¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I knew it! It¡¯s a dream for a knight to ride an Obsidian Battlehorse¡ª Oh, I mean, it¡¯s a dream shared by all knights in our country¡­¡­ ¡¹ So she thinks she¡¯s disguising herself, but it¡¯s too late. She has taken off her armour and is now dressed crudely, however her demeanour is that of a knight, and even yesterday she referred to herself as a ¡°Kingsguard¡±. I chuckled, but listened and nodded in agreement. Even after we had taken our seats and started to eat, the questions from the two of them did not stop. ¡¸You look about the same age as us, Touya-sama, but you seem quite calm ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s what I thought, too. But when I saw him fight with the orcs¡­¡­ ¡¹ Al¡¯s cheeks flushed again as she referenced yesterday¡¯s fight. Giving the truth that I¡¯m long pasty thirty is out of question, not like they¡¯ll believe it anyway. ¡¸Maybe it¡¯s because I have been adventuring on my own for a long time. I have been through a lot as well¡­¡­ ¡¹ As if my words had given me away, Al changed the subject to spare my feelings. ¡¸Even so, Touya-sama must be pretty high level. You had no problem dealing with that many orcs and soldiers. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re a highly respected warrior ¡¹ ¡¸Al, Touya-san is a mage. He used wind magic that time when he saved you, Al ¡¹ Al and Char look at each other as they disagree. ¡¸No, I¡¯m a Recovery Priest ¡¹ ¡¸What? ¡¹ They look at me in disbelief and I take my guild card out of my pocket and place it on the table. They pick it up and look at it, and look even more surprised. ¡¸He really is a Recovery Priest¡­¡­ And he¡¯s still level 17!? ¡¹ Oh, my level must have risen in yesterday¡¯s fight. ¡¸I can¡¯t believe it ¡­¡­ You are lower than me. But yesterday¡¯s fight¡­¡­ it doesn¡¯t make any sense¡­¡­. ¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t thank you enough, Touya-sama, for confronting that many orcs and soldiers to protect us with this level¡­¡­ ¡¹ They were blown away by how my level was lower than they imagined. Al was perplexed and Char was horrified. I shook my head as I tucked the card back into my pocket. ¡¸No problem, I¡¯ve always fought alone ¡­¡­.Although, it was my first time killing another person ¡­¡­. ¡¹ I was expecting my first human kill to be more of a drag, but after a night¡¯s rest, it felt natural. Perhaps it¡¯s because as an adventurer, I might find myself in a similar situation someday. It is imperative I accept it now. Once we finished eating and sorting our stuff, we prepared to leave. They were impressed with the ride of the carriage as they settled inside. ¡¸This carriage ride might be better than the carriage of a nobleman, or even a royal family¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸It really is¡­¡­ ¡¹ I was glad they liked it, so I hooked up the carriage to Kokuyou. ¡¸Kokuyou, take us to town ¡¹ I stroked his neck and he agreed with a nicker. I got on the coachman seat and signalled to Kokuyou, and the carriage slowly started to move forward. It may be because he was pulling the carriage, or it may be because he was carrying passengers, but the carriage was only mildly faster than a normal one. On the coachman seat I opened my status. ¡ó¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¡ó Name] Kisaragi Touya [Race] Human [Gender] Male I looked at my status and let out a sigh. When I raised the Mage level to 100, the same job change screen appeared. I had thought this time I would find a ¡°Warrior class¡±, but the job displayed was a tertiary type in the game, the highest level of the magic job alongside the Berserker. With no other alternative, I chose it, I chose the Sage job. However, after becoming a Sage, the 100x experience items in my Dimensional Storage were no longer usable, and had become antiques in my Dimensional Storage. I took out my guild card, and it sensed and displayed my level and magic power but my job was still the same as when I registered. Meaning no one will know about my job change. I don¡¯t even know if anybody besides me can raise their level to 100. And once again, there is more reason for me not to show people my status. ¡­¡­ I wonder if I can actually become a Warrior. The carriage continued on the dirt road with these thoughts running through my head. And after three hours of travelling, the city of Fendi came in sight. Volume 2 - CH 9 The House is Ready ¡¸There¡¯s the city! ¡¹ At my announcement, the small window behind the coachman seat opened and Al, or should I say her face appeared. ¡¸The city of Fendi, that¡¯s where we will find Natalie-sama¡­¡­ ¡¹ But will you be able to enter the city as you are? I thought to myself. I don¡¯t think they even have anything on them to prove their identities. That said, I can¡¯t vouch for them by saying something like,¡º They come from the Lunette Empire, please let them in¡». At least they sound as if they have brought some modest clothes with them, and are getting changed. While I was thinking of a plan, we arrived at the city gates. The guard was at first wary of the carriage being dragged by Kokuyou, but soon relaxed when he saw my face. ¡¸What the hell, Touya, since when do you drive a carriage? ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t kid around. I was on a request when I came across it and man, it looks like they were attacked by bandits. Their horses were killed, so I offered to pull it for them since they have an acquaintance in town. Can I go through? ¡¹ ¡¸I was just asking. Anyway as standard procedure, I will need to inspect inside¡± I climbed down from the coachman seat and opened the carriage door. Inside, the two were cuddling and sobbing. I had instructed them beforehand to play damsels in distress, but I did not expect them to play it so well¡­¡­ I muffled a laugh. The guard looked to have fallen for it too. ¡¸Since there is no identification for the both of them; it¡¯ll be two silver coins ¡¹ I handed the two silver coins from the sachet I pulled out of my pocket to the gate guard. ¡¸Here you go. I¡¯ll drive them to their friend¡¯s place now. Thank you ¡¹ ¡¸Oh! Take care of them ¡¹ I got on the coachman seat, thanked the gate guard once more, and went through the gate into the city. After a short drive in the city, I opened the small window behind me and spoke to the occupants inside. ¡¸It¡¯s all right now. We¡¯re going straight to Natalie¡¯s ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you. But still, I can¡¯t believe we had to do that performance ¡¹ Char remembers the theatrics they pulled off with a hint of embarrassment. I drove the carriage through the city and pulled up in front of Natalie¡¯s shop. ¡¸Here we are! This is Natalie¡¯s shop ¡¹ I got off from the carriage and opened the door for them and they came out. I told Kokuyou to wait for me and we went into the shop. At the sound of the door being opened, Natalie came out from the back room. ¡¸Welcome¡­¡­ It¡¯s you Touya. What¡¯s up? ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯ve got guests¡­¡­ ¡¹ Char and Al both walked out from behind me. ¡¸¡ªNatalie-sama¡­¡­ ¡¹ Natalie wore a look of shock as she laid her eyes on them. ¡¸Char¡­¡­? Al is also here ¡­¡­ Why are you guys here ¡­¡­.? ¡¹ There is a long pause as they both look at each other and then at me. Char had tears in her eyes and looked ready to bawl. Perhaps sensing the mood, Natalie spoke up. ¡¸I can feel this is a long story¡­¡­ Whatever it is. Let¡¯s go to Touya¡¯s house ¡¹ Why my house¡­¡­? This is where I am supposed to leave them. ¡¸I want some of ¡°that¡±. You know..¡­. ¡¹ As she said this, she placed a book on the counter. ¡¸This is a new spell book for you. What do you think? Is this enough persuasion? ¡¹ ¡­¡­ Spell book, sure I want it. I have already exhausted the attribute magic up to the advanced level book. I¡¯ve also gone through the book discussing magic written by Natalie, this is a chance to learn more new magic, and I can¡¯t let it pass me by. ¡¸¡­¡­ All right. Can we go right now? Since the carriage is here, I¡¯ll give you a lift ¡¹ ¡¸Let me close the shop first. Wait for me outside ¡¹ The three of us walked out of the shop and I told the pair to get in the carriage. Natalie came out as well, and closed up the shop. ¡¸We¡¯re all set. This is a very fine carriage. So this is how much the Empire has grown¡± Char, from inside the carriage, shook her head at Natalie. ¡¸This is Touya-sama¡¯s carriage. He¡¯s been very courteous¡­¡­ ¡¹ Natalie again looked confused. ¡¸¡ªYou¡¯ll have to tell me everything, okay? ¡¹ Natalie smiled reassuringly and climbed into the carriage. I got onto the coachman seat and Kokuyou pulled the carriage to the mansion. Soon, we reached the mansion. I parked the carriage in front of the mansion and opened the carriage door and the three women walked out. Char and Al stared at the mansion, a mere adventurer¡¯s mansion, open-mouthed. ¡¸Touya-sama, could it be that you are the son of a nobleman¡­¡­? ¡¹ I shook my head at the question and looked at Natalie. ¡¸This house, you see, was mine which I had to give to Touya because I lost in a game of chance ¡¹ Natalie, with her flat chest, laughs out loud, knowing well I am the one who has to pay the higher taxes than any rent because of it. I opened the door and entered the mansion. Ferris immediately appeared from sensing my presence. ¡¸I¡¯m home ¡¹ Perhaps because there were new guests, Ferris smiled and nodded a little without saying a word. ¡¸Forgive my rudeness¡­¡­ Is that a house spirit Touya-sama!? You have a house spirit in this house!? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, as you can see¡¹ With a glint in her eye, Char slowly approached Ferris. Ferris looked at Char as she approached and¡ª nodded. ¡¸As expected¡­¡­. ¡¹ ¡¸Natalie, what¡¯s going on? ¡¹ ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll tell you about it later. In the meantime, I want ¡°that¡± thing ¡¹ Natalie strode into the dining room cockily as if it were her house. After showing Char and Al to the dining room, I excused myself and said I was going to take Kokuyou into the stables. This was my way of giving the three of them a little time to themselves. I went out, stowed the carriage in Dimensional Storage and took Kokuyou to the stables. I then put another manger down and gave him a quick pat before returning inside the mansion. ¡¸Sorry to keep you waiting ¡¹ When I walked into the room, I saw an angry Natalie and the other two in tears. It¡¯s hard to say anything when you have no clue what caused these sorts of emotions in people. I thought about what I could do, and settled on making tea for everyone and gently placed a cup in front of each of them. And sat down in a nearby empty seat. ¡¸¡ªTouya, my young lord, please hide them in your house for a little while ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ Huh? ¡¹ I had no immediate reply at this new twist of fate she was suggesting. Volume 2 - CH 10 A New Spark Natalie went ahead and explained her off-the-wall proposition. ¡¸Look, there¡¯s plenty of room in this house, don¡¯t you think? Besides it¡¯ll be impossible for the three of us to live in my house. And¡­¡­ ¡¹ Natalie and Char shared a look, and Char nodded silently. ¡¸Char is a¡­¡­ noble and Al is a knight assigned to protect her. It¡¯s only a matter of guessing what might happen if that is discovered by other people. Also Ferris does not seem against them ¡¹ That¡¯s true, Ferris did give Char a nod earlier. That was a sign that she has no problem with them being in the mansion. But ¡­¡­. ¡¸Touya-sama, if possible, could you please let us live in this house for a while? I promise to do household chores in return ¡¹ Char¡¯s request accompanied by her determination to help out is hard to refute. As such, a weak Japanese man in me came out at the sight of the beautiful pleading woman. ¡¸¡ªOkay. If you¡¯ll be living here, can you both register as adventurers? It will make moving in and out of the city a lot easier ¡¹ ¡¸Yes! ¡¹ ¡¸I understand ¡¹ They nodded without hesitation. ¡¸I have work to do, you know. This would be the perfect time to go fetch¡­¡­ ¡°that¡± thing ¡¹ ¡­¡­ The serious conversation concluded with that. Sighing, I pulled out almond pudding from Dimensional Storage. ¡¸This¡¯ll be different from last time. You only get one serving today ¡¹ In advance I warn Natalie because if I don¡¯t she¡¯ll definitely cry for a refill. ¡¸What is this¡­¡­? ¡¹ Both Char and Al tilt their heads down at what they were suddenly offered, but Natalie¡¯s eyes light up as she holds the pudding plate in her hands in anticipation. ¡¸Sweetness, go ahead and try it. I can¡¯t just serve it to Natalie alone ¡¹ Cautiously, they pick up the spoons that I had provided and while still being wary, they scoop up a bit of the fresh cream of the pudding and bring it to their mouths. At that moment, a wave of emotions showed on their faces: surprise and pleasure. ¡¸Sweet¡­¡­ I¡¯ve never had anything this good in my life, not even in the Empire¡¯s city¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s really good¡­¡­ I can¡¯t think of a time I¡¯ve had anything this sweet¡¹ Natalie nodded at the two surprised girls with cr¨¨me de la cr¨¨me of desserts in their mouths. ¡¸You¡¯re right. I lost my house to this sweetness ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, don¡¯t misrepresent what happened! ¡¹ Sure, I won the bet, and got the mansion as a prize, but it¡¯s more costly than rent in terms of tax and that is a bitter part of the whole thing. I criticize mentally; even the tea I¡¯m sipping is making no difference. The neatly decorated sweets were gone at some point and all six eyes stared at the empty plates and then turned to me covetously. ¡¸No! If you eat too much of it¡­¡­ You¡¯ll get fat, get it? ¡¹ That managed to shut Char and Al¡¯s greed down. They placed their spoons on the plates with disappointed expressions. Natalie also gave up and got up from her chair. ¡¸Touya, please take care of the two of them. I will go prepare for what I must do. I¡¯ll be going back home for a short while ¡¹ She placed the spell book she promised me on the table and whispered something in Char¡¯s ear before leaving the mansion. With Natalie gone, I called out for Ferris. Ferris instantly appeared. ¡¸I¡¯ll be around the house for a while Ferris, these two will also be living here. Is that fine with you? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ Yes¡­¡­ ¡¹ I confirmed with Ferris, who nodded and looked at them, they were both stunned. ¡¸The house spirit spoke¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸I know, how¡­¡­? ¡¹ Yes, Natalie had the same reaction. But I don¡¯t really know how to explain it myself since this is also new to me. The two of them crowd me, but I have questions of my own. When I can¡¯t give them an answer, they both sigh heavily. ¡¸I understand that Touya-sama is substandard in some ways, it¡¯ll be wise of you not to talk about this matter to anyone else. If word gets out that there is a house spirit here that can talk¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sure there are nobles who will try to take the house away from you ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s right¡­¡­ ¡¹ It felt like something got stuck in my throat at their words. Who would have thought I have gotten attached to this mansion that much. I led them to their rooms upstairs after our talk. I explained to them that the room on the far right of the hall was my room and told them they could use any of the other rooms. Every room in the house is clean, thanks to Ferris¡¯ presence. It was decided that Char would use the large room at the far end facing mine and Al would use the one next to it. Even the room Al was using is bigger than the apartment I had in Japan, I sighed remembering that. We took a tour of the mansion afterwards. They were impressed by the bath, which they could use at any time. When we were done, I told them I¡¯m going to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. We put off registering the both of them until tomorrow considering the exhaustion of coming to this city. I told them they were free to take the bath, and left the mansion. When I arrived at the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, I called out to Milia who was at the reception desk. ¡¸Ah, Touya-san, welcome back. Have you finished your investigation? What is your report? ¡¹ ¡¸About that, there¡¯s something I need to talk to the sub-guildmaster about ¡¹ Sensing the seriousness in my voice, ¡¸Wait here ¡¹, she said and went into the back room. In a few minutes, she came out with Efland. I and Milia were led to a room where about six people could have a meeting and sat down. ¡¸So how was the North Woods¡­¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸I found an orc colony which had an Orc King ¡¹ Efland stood up at that statement. ¡¸What the hell? There is an Orc King out there!? I¡¯ll rally the adventurers as soon as I can ¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯ve already taken down the King, so it doesn¡¯t matter. More importantly¡ª ¡¹ I took out the two adventurers¡¯ cards and placed them on the table. ¡¸These are the cards of the adventurers who were captured. Unfortunately, it was too late¡­¡­ I brought back the bodies too ¡¹ ¡¸Well, thank you for your help and your time ¡¹ Sighing and sitting back down, Efland picked up the cards and after checking the names handed them to Milia. ¡¸And there¡¯s one more thing. Take a look at this ¡¹ I placed an armour on the table. ¡¸I engaged in battle with soldiers from the¡ª Generate Kingdom ¡¹ ¡¸What? ¡¹ ¡¸What did you say? ¡¹ They both stood up with more vigour than Efland did before, almost flipping the table over. Volume 2 - CH 11 The Hardship of Being a Guild Staff Efland stared at the armor after he sat down, and then turned to face me. ¡¸Why did the engagement happen? Can you please explain it to me?¡¹ The look on his face was extremely serious. ¡¸That is because when I was fighting the orcs©`©`©`©`©`©`¡¹ I continued to explain the events after I rescued the two young ladies who were about to be attacked by the orcs, about the soldiers showing up, and about them trying to kill me to hide the fact that they had crossed the border illegally. I also explained that I currently have the soldiers¡¯ bodies in my Dimensional Storage. Of course I have no intention of telling him that they were here because of Char and Al. Efland sighs and lays back in his chair. ¡¸¡­¡­I see, it can¡¯t be helped then¡¹ ¡¸But, sub master, what if¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Hm, it seems there is a need to let the lord and the guild master know about this. I can¡¯t just play dumb and let this incident go unnoticed.¡¹ Efland opened his mouth after a moment of silence. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, please just hold on to the bodies of the soldiers for a bit longer. I will try to sort things out with the higher ups in this town. For now we will take the bodies of the adventurers. ¡¹ ¡¸Ok. I can take them out immediately if you show me the place¡¹ After the conversation ended, Efland left his seat and I was guided to the basement by Milia. ¡¸Please put the remains here¡¹ I nodded to Milia and took out both bodies. They were wrapped in with white sheets but the sheets were covered with red spots from their blood. ¡¸Thank you very much, Touya-sama. Their body will be handed to their relatives if they still have their guild cards on them. If they do not have it, they will be buried in the public cemetery¡¹ ¡¸Ok. So¡­¡­how about the materials from the creatures? I have quite a lot on me¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Those will go to the warehouse¡­¡­you might be yelled at again¡­¡­¡¹ Milia let out a bitter smile instinctively. Because I was stopped by them before for bringing too much material from the creatures I hunt. When I followed Milia to the warehouse, the warehouse does not seem to have that much material in at the moment. But Darok, who was at the warehouse, had a terrified look when he saw my face. ¡¸Oi, Milia¡­¡­Don¡¯t tell me is he¡­¡­¡¹ Milia nodded to him after hearing that. ¡¸Heyy! You guys! Stop whatever you are doing now and come here¡¹ Three of his staff gathered here after hearing his words. ¡¸Now, Touya, you can take it out now. There is no need to worry. The guild staffs here are able to keep things secret¡¹ I nodded and took out the creature material from my storage one after another. ¡­¡­Firstly the material from the last battle. While I am at it, why not also the ones from last time. I was thinking about my storage management while lining up the creatures one by one, then I heard the voice of ¡¸Oooo, amazing!¡¹ by the staff when the materials were stacked up to a small hill. But, Darok interrupted when I finished stacking up the third hill. ¡¸Wait! Stop right there! No more!! How much do you even have¡¹ The staff were also dumbfounded because it was much more than they expected. ¡¸Milia, that is the limit for today. Hey, you bring some of the magic bags here! And you guys will be working overtime for awhile!¡¹ I pretended that I could not hear any of the complaining voices by the staff at the time. One of the staff was running to get the magic bags. ¡¸Ah I just remembered, I will just take out these last few¡¹ After saying that, I took out the orc general and the orc king which was already sliced in half. ¡¸That is all for now¡¹ I felt satisfied, when I looked towards Darok and he had a few twitching nerves above his eyes. ¡¸¡­¡­This is a general and king¡­¡­. Touya, di-did you fight these, all by yourself¡­¡­?¡¹ Darok sighed heavily after I nodded. ¡¸Milia, the documents for the harvest are going to be after tomorrow. We have to deal with this first. Guys, we start the sorting now!¡¹ ¡¸¡¸Let¡¯s do it¡¹¡¹ Milia guided me to a private room after seeing the staff had started their work. ¡¸Touya-sama, please give us some time for payment. Because of that amount¡­¡­.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t mind. I am not in a situation where I need that money urgently¡¹ ¡¸As for that incident, I will let you know when the response of the guild is decided, please come by again¡¹ ¡¸Sure, I was planning to take a break but, I will come by the guild now and then¡¹ ¡¸Understood, thank you¡¹ I said my farewell and left the guild. Since the residents in the mansion increased I should stock up on the food storage. With those thoughts on my mind, I detoured to the market before I returned to the mansion. ¡¸I¡¯m back¡¹ Ferris was the first one to come out and meet me when I arrived at the mansion. ¡¸¡­¡­Welcome back, Touya¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m back, Ferris. Are those two still in the dining room? Or are they in their rooms?¡¹ Ferris pointed towards the dining room silently. ¡¸Dining huh, thank you¡¹ I entered the dining room after Ferris nodded as a response. ¡¸I¡¯m back¡¹ ¡¸Welcome back, Touya-sama¡¹ ¡¸Touya-sama, welcome back!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You are late, Touya¡¹ Natalie who left earlier was back at the dining room. ¡¸Natalie you came back. I reported to the guild. Because all in all, that was still an investigation quest.¡¹ I poured myself a cup of black tea and sat down because they were all having their black tea. ¡¸Is that so, how did the guild react?¡¹ ¡¸I reported to them anyway. Only the part of running into soldiers from Generate Kingdom who crossed the broader and got into a fight because they tried to leave no evidence behind¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­If so, there shouldn¡¯t be any problem. By the way, I decided to stay in this mansion too¡¹ I spouted out the black tea from my mouth from the unexpected words from Natalie. Volume 2 - CH 12 Freeloading Lodgers ¡¸Is there any special reason that you need to stay in this mansion¡­¡­?¡¹ I ask Natalie while wiping the tea that I spouted out. ¡¸This mansion is the best place to protect these two. There are a lot more reasons too¡­¡­¡¹ It is true that there are still a lot of empty rooms, and Ferris will not drive anyone out of the mansion as long as I am the owner, so there should not be any problem. As I was worrying about different things, Char stood up and lowered her head towards me. ¡¸Touya-sama, I am also asking for your permission to let her stay. Can you please let her stay in this mansion?¡¹ At the same time, Al also lowered her head towards me. I couldn¡¯t help but give my permission by nodding because as a Japanese man, I couldn¡¯t refuse being asked so politely by two girls. ¡¸Ok¡­¡­. The room should not be a problem since there are a few empty ones, but what are you going to do about the shop?¡¹ ¡¸For now I will probably go to the shop from here. And then I will be©`©`no, I will let you know when everything is ready. For now you can think of me as the surveillance on you to not let you do strange things to the two girls¡¹ ¡¸ I wasn¡¯t going to do anything to them!¡¹ I immediately deny Natalie¡¯s accusations. It is true that both of them are good looking. Considering my current age and theirs, some might say it would be a good match. ¡¸For now you can just make yourself at home. I going to take a bath¡¹ I left the kitchen after I said that. ¡¸Fuwaaaa¡­¡­This feels good¡­¡­¡¹ Soaking in the large bathtub removes all my tiredness. I think about what I should do next while soaking myself. ¡­¡­It seems like I will not be able to return to the world I came from. I murdered someone else with my own hands©`©`. Even if I was able to return to Japan, that feeling will never fade away. I might be exposing myself too close to ¡®death¡¯. I sank into the bathtub up to my mouth while thinking about those things. ¡ó¡ó¡ó After Touya headed to the bathroom, the three girls left in the dining room were sitting face to face across the table with a serious expression. ¡¸So¡­¡­how are things in the kingdom?¡¹ Both of them had a pale expression after hearing Natalie¡¯s question. Natalie¡¯s expression gets worse and worse gradually as Al explained the events happened in the war bit by bit. ¡¸©`©`©`©`Is that so, Garrett passed away too huh¡­¡­. He was quite a good and competent man. If there is anyone who could surpass him, then there would not be any problem now¡¹ Natalie drank a mouthful of tea after letting out a big sigh. ¡¸Father did everything he could to help me and Al and then instructed us to head to Natalie-sama¡¯s place immediately. I also do not know the details¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I wonder what kind of person that ¡°Hero¡± might be¡­¡­. I©`©`want to get them back for what they did to my father¡¹ Char gently places her hand behind Al and pats her back while she is holding her fist and shedding tears full of regret. ¡¸I could not do much by myself alone. That said, this kingdom will probably not take any action about that. Things might be different if we have someone who has a greater influence and strength on our side¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸©`©`©`©`Touya-sama. If we ask Touya-sama to help us, we might¡­¡­¡¹ Natalie tilted her head after hearing Char¡¯s words. ¡¸Nothing much is going to change with just Touya¡¯s help alone right? He is just a human after all. His help would reach its limit facing at most 10 opponents¡¹ ¡¸No, even I can not tell how far his full strength is. During that fight, I could tell that he was still concealing his true strength¡¹ ¡¸©`©`What? Can you give me more details on Touya¡¯s fight?¡¹ Natalie pounced on Al¡¯s praise. Even Natalie also felt that Touya is hiding something in her own way. He had a lot of knowledge that Natalie did not know about, especially knowledge about food. Al started to explain what happened in the fight from her memory. ¡¸©`©`To that extend huh, Touya¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yes¡­¡­. On top of that he said that he was just level 17 even with that strength. I could not believe what I had witnessed¡¹ Remembering the fight scene from her memory and judging from a knight¡¯s opinion, his fighting style did not match his level at all. It is certain that the level shown on his guild card was low. Even lower than Al¡¯s level. There was probably no one from the royal knights who could win a fight against him. Moreover, it was common knowledge in this world that no one was able to fake information on a guild card. But still after seeing his fight against the ogres and the soldiers, there is no way Al could believe that his fights match his level. ¡¸It is certain that Touya-sama is very strong¡­¡­. to the point even Al proposed marriage to him instinctively¡¹ Char was smiling when she talked while Al was blushing to the point her face was completely red. ¡¸He is that strong to the point where a demi human proposed to him instinctively huh¡­¡­. Hm, that might be good for us. He is also quite a good and competent man. Even I could be the one who pulls him to our side but it seems that I do not appear attractive to the humans. Why do humans not get attracted to me¡­¡­even though I have all this charm?¡¹ Char and Al were trying back away from Natalie after hearing that. Because they heard from their parents that she was old enough to treat their parents as ¡°little children¡±. But after meeting her for the first time after 10 years, their impressions were still exactly the same. ¡¸That aside, I do think that Touya-sama is indeed attractive. He seems very mature for his age, on top of that he has strength. If I was not tied to the royal family even I will¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Eh©`©`!? Char too!? You did not show any signs about that though!¡¹ Al raised her voice in surprise to the blushing Char. ¡¸You two are getting ahead of yourselves. If Touya was to choose one, that would be me! By my charm as a adult!¡¹ ¡¸¡¸Not even a one in a million chance!!¡¹¡¹ ¡¸Whyyyyyy!?¡¹ The girls were having a blast while Touya was taking a bath. Volume 2 - CH 13 The Sage¡¯s Concoction I got used to living with four people in the mansion after a month. The day after Char and Al started to stay in the mansion, both of them also registered as an adventurer. Because that would be convenient for them, especially for entering and leaving the town. Both of them were good looking even though they were in their casual clothing. They attracted a lot of attention when we walked on the street, like the time when they went to the guild to register, they received a lot of invitation from other parties here and there. Because of Milia getting fed up with the unending list of invitations from other parties, we followed what she suggested, and became a party of three people. At that moment, the men in the guild all turned their bloodlust at me. ¡­¡­I tremble every time I remember it. And Natalie, despite being the eldest person among us, became the person who required the most caretaking. A lively household might be good for me as well. When I was in Japan, my routine would be back and forth between work and home, when I returned home, I would play online games. I enjoyed the time sipping the black tea while chatting with the other three. ¡¸Touya! I am the most attractive right!? More than these two immature kids!¡¹ I spouted out the black tea from my mouth unintentionally. I had a bitter smile instinctively without giving a clear cut answer, did not agree to it and also did not disagree with that at Natalie who had a triumph expression. ¡¸Touya-san! I should be the one who is more attractive right? Compare to this flat and smooth loli!¡¹ ¡¸Who are you referring to as flat and smooth!! Don¡¯t make me burn the horns of yours with my spell!¡¹ ¡¸Well, well calm down you two¡­¡­Touya-sama also seems bother by it too¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡¸Shut up, you stick!!¡¹¡¹ In the time of one month, Char address me same as before as ¡ºtouya-sama¡» but, Al changed hers to ¡ºtouya-san¡». I felt relieved to the gradual change of expression from a gloomy expression to a brighter one. At that time, there was a call from the guild. ¡ó¡ó¡ó ¡¸Touya, thank you for coming all the way here. It is about the armor you brought¡­¡­¡¹ Efland opened his mouth who was sitting opposite of me. ¡¸Yea, what happened to those¡­¡­?¡¹ After hearing my response, Efland had a bitter expression as if he swallowed an insect. And©`©` ¡¸It seems the emissary from the Generate Kingdom paid a visit to the lord. They requested that we hand over 2 of the members of the royal family to them if they were found fleeing to here. You¡­¡­do you think the two you¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸They are probably not¡­¡­ the members of the royal family. Because I also asked Natalie about the identities of the noble ladies. What if, they are indeed the members of the royal family?¡¹ ¡¸That would¡­¡­mean a discussion between the lord and Gilmas. Having a alliance between Lunette empire would be nice but, there is, there is a possibility that the Generate Kingdom will invade us¡­¡­the worst of all would be¡­¡­¡¹ He stopped talking at that point. ¡¸©`©`I have no plans of handing them over¡¹ I responded with a firm answer. ¡¸Is that so¡­¡­, I will try to work something out. But, you have to be careful as well. There is the possibility that even Gilmas or the lord would save themselves in the end¡¹ ¡¸Ok. I will be careful on that¡¹ ¡¸For me, I would do as much as I can to keep you in this town. You are probably the top earner in this guild. There is no reason for me to let you go other place¡¹ Efland had a smile when he was talking and I replied with a smile as well. After I left the guild, I walked on the streets while thinking about the conversation. ¡­..I should restock the food in my storage just in case. Because I cannot predict what is going to happen from now on. I was on my way heading back to the mansion, then I switched direction and headed to market to stock up on food. After finishing my shopping and returning back to the mansion, the sun was already setting. ¡¸I am back¡¹ Ferris came and welcomed me back when I returned to the mansion. ¡¸Welcome home, Touya¡¹ Ferris became able to talk normally on some easy phrases. Natalie said ¡¸This is new to me¡¹ but also enjoyed talking to Ferris in some casual conversation. As I entered the dining room, it was the usual scene of the three sitting at the table. ¡¸I am back, guys¡¹ I tried to ignore the last sentence and entered the kitchen after saying ¡¸Alright, alright I start cooking now¡¹. I took out all the ingredients needed and started the cooking. I cut the ogre meat into mince and mixed it with other ingredients such as spices and eggs. And lastly I cut the bread into smaller pieces. I heated one side of the bread, flipped it back on top, added some alcohol and water to it then finally covered it with a cap. In the meantime, I made some salad from a few of the vegetables I took out. ¡¸Ok, It¡¯s done¡¹ Hamburgers, salads and the usual soup with bread were arranged on top of the dining table. ¡¸Hamburger!! My favorite!!¡¹ A tiny flag was erected on top of Natalie¡¯s burger. I did that before to her as a joke but she seems to like it a lot and urging me to put it on every time afterwards. It seems to me that she was the most childish person among us¡­¡­? After finishing our dinner, as we took some black tea as dessert, I decided to tell them what happened today at the guild. ¡¸I have something to tell you guys, is that okay? It was about what I was told at the guild today©`©`¡¹ ¡¸Before that, how about we get some alcohol while you talk about that? I got my hands on something nice¡¹ Natalie took a bottle out from her storage. Al nodded to Natalie and went into the kitchen to get some wine glasses. Al lined up 4 glasses and the alcohol was poured into each of the glasses. ¡­¡­I didn¡¯t drink a lot back then. It was a rare occasion for me¡­¡­. Having those thoughts in my head I accept one of the glasses that was passed to me. ¡¸Well, we should cheer first I guess. Cheers¡¹ ¡¸¡¸¡¸Cheers¡¹¡¹¡¹ All of us raised our glass and sipped the alcohol. Alcohol here was something expensive, but the sweetness from the alcohol spreads in my mouth. It has a completely different sensation compared to the ale I drank usually. I drank a lot to the point I asked myself that, Hmm, did I drink too much? ¡¸This, tastes good¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Of course. Because this is something special I brew by myself. Of course it would taste good¡¹ Natalie said with a big smile. ¡­¡­Wait, what did she just say? ¡­¡­She brewed this herself? ¡¸Natalie, what did you©`©`¡¹ My mind went blank before I could finish my sentence. Volume 2 - CH 14 Morning Chirp ¡­¡­ A bright light. Huh? I fell asleep. Yesterday, I had drinks with the girls and¡ª. That¡¯s it! I drank the ale Natalie made. My body feels heavy. Must be the hangover¡­¡­ I try to get out of bed, gripping on the bed sheet to peel it off. ¡­¡­ Grope. ¡­¡­ Huh? ¡¸Ah¡­¡­ ¡¹ Instead of the sheet of bedding, there is something firm in my hand. I turn to face the source and find the face of the sleeping Char, who is sleeping soundly and smiling dreamily. ¡­¡­ What is going on? Volume 2 - CH 15 One Special Training Few hours ago. I sat at the table facing Char and Al, who have recently started to live in the mansion with me and are newly registered adventurers. Natalie had already left in the morning in order to open her shop early. ¡¸Touya-sama, I would like to go with Natalie-sama to save our country¡¹ ¡¸I get it, but how are you going to save your country when you fled to this city for your life? Counting Al, Natalie and you, that¡¯s only three people. That¡¯s not enough to save a country. Also, Char can you actually fight? ¡¹ I confront Char, who looks determined about her plan, with the brutal reality of her situation. ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s ¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸I will protect you! ¡¹ Al stood up exasperatedly, but that does not solve the problem I want to make clear to them. ¡¸How many soldiers can you take on by yourself, Al? Ten? In the event of war, you¡¯ll be facing off a thousand soldiers, whom you can¡¯t solely rely on normal tactics ¡¹ Al looked defeated as she sat back down with nothing but a ¡¸But¡­.. ¡¹ from her lips. ¡¸So I have a suggestion. Before that though, what are your levels? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m 37, thanks to my knight training ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ I¡¯m 5¡­¡­ ¡¹ Al responds proudly and Char apologetically. Even if Natalie is strong enough to be called a Sage, I don¡¯t think the three of them are anywhere near being able to defeat a whole country. ¡¸I don¡¯t intend to be part of the war, but if it¡¯s okay with you two, I can train you. There are a lot of things I can offer¡­¡­ ¡¹ Their eyes light up at my words. ¡¸Touya-sama, thank you, thank you, that would be incredible. I want to save my country and my parents ¡¹ ¡¸Me too, please. Though, my mother and brother perhaps are safe¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸All right, all right. I¡¯ll help you guys raise your levels. I want you to prepare for a retreat in the forest tomorrow ¡¹ ¡¸Yes! ¡¹ The two of them get ready for the forest retreat while I go out to the market to get the ingredients for our meals in the forest. My habit of buying foodstuffs in bulk is now known to the shopkeepers and they have given up trying to accommodate them for me. That¡¯s why I take a large bag with me every time and pour the items in there and head in the alleyway to store it in Dimensional Storage. With the large amount of food that I bought, I made several variations of soups and other dishes when I got home and stored them as well. Natalie arrived later after that, and I told her we would be holed up in the forest for a while to level up. ¡¸¡­¡­ Well, you¡¯re both going to have to work hard. I¡¯m going to stay in the shop for the time being. Pity I won¡¯t be able to eat any of Touya¡¯s food though ¡¹ ¡­¡­It¡¯s all about food with her! I nodded with a chuckle. The following day, early in the morning, the three of us along with Kokuyou made our way out of the city to the forest where monsters roamed. A little further from the city, I took out the carriage out of Dimensional Storage, they climbed inside, I got on the coachman seat, and Kokuyou pulled us, and we arrived at the entrance of the forest in about two hours. ¡¸You are going to save your country, aren¡¯t you? Can you save it by shrinking down like that? ¡¹ I called out to them, and they gritted their teeth and nodded vigorously. On the way, we stopped in an open area in the forest. ¡¸¡ªThis is¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, this where the orc colony used to be. We¡¯ll be using this place as a base for your training. First let me do this¡­¡­ ¡¹ Walking to a flat ground, I took out a house from Dimensional Storage. It¡¯s a typical Japanese two-story house. ¡¸This is our base of operations, right? This where you¡¯ll both¡ª ¡¹ Their jaws dropped to the ground, this is not the normal way to be surprised, I was also taken aback by it. ¡¸¡­¡­ Al, have you ever seen anybody put a house in Dimensional Storage¡­¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ Never¡­¡­ I have never seen that before ¡¹ I called out to the two perplexed girls, who were amazed by the house materializing in front of them. ¡¸Both of you, get inside for now. We¡¯ll talk inside ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes¡­¡­ ¡¹ They followed me into the house. ¡¸Oh, leave your shoes at the door over there, no shoes allowed inside ¡¹ ¡¸Okay¡­¡­ ¡¹ They took off their boots and stepped into the house barefooted. On the first floor, there is a kitchen, a water closet, a dining room, and a living room, and up the stairs to the second floor, there are four western style rooms of about six tatami mats. I let out a sigh as I walked into the living room, a Japanese house that was completely untouched by the otherworldly elements. The two following behind me seem out of their element though. There was no particular decoration, the wallpaper is plain white, and there are no artefacts in the house. The dining room and living room are about twenty tatami mats in size. I motioned for them to sit on the chairs that were already set. I sat down in the chair, opposite to Char and Al¡¯s, who sat side-by-side. ¡¸¡­¡­ First, as before, don¡¯t mention anything about this house to anybody either ¡¹ They nod, and I continue to speak. ¡¸Now what we have to get your equipment ready. I will lend you mine. But you¡¯ll have to return it once we get back to town. I just want you to understand that ¡¹ ¡¸Okay ¡¹ ¡¸For equipment, Char since you¡¯re a ¡­¡­ Spirit Mage? That¡¯s the same as a regular Mage right? ¡¹ When they registered as adventurers, they had received their job titles as well. Spirit mages are rare, and I recall Milia was surprised as well. In the game, there was no such job, but I can understand the idea of what it is. I know that there are spirits in this world, and I have a grasp on that subject by having a house spirit Ferris. ¡¸Yes, there is not much difference, in my case I ask the spirits to help me bring out the same effect as normal magic ¡¹ If that is so¡­¡­ Then this will do. From Dimensional Storage, I pull out a robe and place it on the table. ¡¸This is a piece of equipment that will reduce your magic consumption. It also has plenty of defence ¡¹ These are the robe and wand that I got after the event in the game. The robe halves the amount of magic consumptions and the wand has the effect of power enhancement. The white robe is decorated with a golden thread, and it¡¯s an abject that can be recognized as high-class item by anyone who sees it. However I got it when I was less that level 100, it was not useful to me, so I kept in the storage avatar, me. However, when she heard of the effect of the equipment, Char¡¯s jaw hit the floor. It goes without saying that Al, sitting next to her, was the same. Volume 2 - CH 16 Misunderstanding ¡¸For Al, I have the warrior gear, that won¡¯t be a problem right? ¡¹ I don¡¯t wait to hear Al¡¯s response and take out the equipment. It is a shiny silver amour and a one-handed sword along with a decorated shield. ¡¸The armour has a lightweight effect, the shield has amplified attribute magic resistance, and the sword is as sharp as any sword you can get. All made from magical silver mithril¡¹ Al¡¯s eyes widen when I mention the¡¸magical silver mithril ¡¹. And retorts, ¡¸Magic silver mithril equipment¡­¡­ I never thought I¡¯d see it.¡­¡­ ¡¹. Char¡¯s equipment is from an event and Al¡¯s equipment is what I used when I was a low level player in my 100s. They are now just a waste of space to me. ¡­¡­ For their training this will be enough. The two of them are enthralled by the equipment and are stroking it fondly. ¡¸The last thing is¡­¡­¡¹ I place two rings on the table in front of them. ¡¸Al take the green one and Char the red one is yours¡¹ These are rings I used recently until I became a Sage. Since becoming a Sage, the highest magic job, they were ineffective and I no longer need them. The ring I gave to Char is the 100 times experience enhancement ring and Al¡¯s is the 30 times. Though they can¡¯t be used both at the same time by a person, each of them is a guaranteed way to level boost, even Char with her very low level, will have a high level in no time. ¡¸Eh ¡­¡­.Are you sure ¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸The other one is for me?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I need you guys to do your best¡¹ More than when they saw the equipment, there was more emotion on their faces, their cheeks flushed the brightest red, their eyes water as they picked up the rings and slipped them on their fingers. ¡¸I think that should do it. We¡¯ll start levelling up tomorrow morning. The house is monster-proofed, so you should be able to sleep well. The bedrooms are upstairs, I¡¯ll show you¡¹ I rose up from my seat and led them up to the bedrooms. The rooms were simple, with only a bed and closet, but the girls looked satisfied with them. This house is actually an item I acquired at an event also. It feels nostalgic, like I am back in Japan as I turn on the lights and let the water run. The whole principle of how these features worked here, were a mystery to me. However, this is a completely unusual house to the two girls who were surprised further when they saw the bathroom, muttering, ¡¸There¡¯s even a bath¡­¡­¡¹. For dinner, I used the familiar Japanese kitchen to prepare the meals. I¡¯ve missed¡­¡­ this feeling. My consciousness quickly faded thanks to the feeling of the nostalgic bed. ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ¡¸He gave me a ring ¡­¡­¡¹ Char looked down at the ring on the ring finger of her left hand. ¡¸Yes, me too¡­¡­¡¹ After Touya had gone to bed, Char and Al were in their bedroom, facing each other and talking. Both of them had rosy cheeks as they looked at the rings Touya had given them. ¡¸Touya-sama has unimaginable power. This house is proof of that. I¡¯m sure my only responsibility will be to be a maid¡¹ ¡¸No! You¡¯re helping to save the Empire, Al also he has given you a ring too¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Char you¡¯re the Imperial Princess, it¡¯ll be an easy decision to make¡­¡­ I have an older brother, so I know Touya-sama might just be marrying a commoner because it¡¯s won¡¯t be hard to do¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ But¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡ªIt is what it is¡­¡­ Touya-sama is mild mannered, a bit odd, but he looks¡ª¡¹ Recalling the said man, her cheeks burned a deeper shade of crimson. Due to his lack of understanding, Touya has proposed to the two girls. It¡¯s a custom in this world that a ring is only given to a partner as a form of a proposal. For nobles, commoners, and ¨C even royalty this was the norm. Touya had just unknowingly gotten himself in another mess. Needless to say, the conversation of the two girls went on for quite a while without a resolution. ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ¡¸Okay you two, it¡¯s time to go¡¹ They both responded to me, by rubbing their sleepy eyes as I spoke to them cheerfully. They already had put on the equipment I gave them yesterday and were fully prepared, but they really looked tired. I was a little worried but I diverted my focus on casting a Search spell. ¡¸Search¡¹ I used my Search magic to confirm the location of monsters. After confirming some monsters a short distance away, I proceeded in that direction followed by the two of them. After a few minutes of silent advance through the forest, I gestured with my hand for them to stop. The two nod their heads at me and each hold their weapon at the ready. Slowly, they go ahead of me and take off running towards the monsters. In front of them were a pack of goblins. I¡¯m sure the goblins thought they had found a suitable prey because with grins that reached their ears they slowly gathered around the two. Al stood in the lead, sword and shield in a ready position, to protect Char. ¡¸Let¡¯s go!¡¹ They pranced onto the goblins, Al brought down one goblin with a single slash. Char cast spirit magic and the wind like a blade chopped the goblin into pieces. The ten goblins that stood ten minutes ago had fallen to the ground in less than five minutes. ¡¸All good. Let¡¯s go a little further ¡¹ Al is at a reasonable level and can deal with stronger monsters, but Char needs to raise her level by a lot. I nod at the pair, acknowledging their fight, and cut off the ears of their subjugation. Then, under the name of training, the levelling up process continued. Volume 2 - CH 17 Three Wicked Ones ¡¸Finally home¡­¡­¡¹ More than two weeks have gone by and the girls have dutifully levelled up in the forest. I watched over them for most of the time, except for the time a rare high level monster appeared and the three of us had to take it down. Once they had reached satisfactory levels we decided to return home. But before going to the mansion, we stopped by Natalie¡¯s shop to tell her we had returned. When Natalie saw the duo she nervously swallowed her spit. ¡¸The two of you seem to have had a pretty¡­¡­ good couple of weeks¡­¡­¡¹ They both looked exhausted, but to Natalie¡¯s surprise, they displayed confidence of radiating strength. ¡¸Yes¡­¡­ It was all worth it¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸We did our best¡­¡­¡¹ Natalie nodded at their responses. ¡¸Well good, I¡¯ll be staying at the mansion again today, so make sure to prepare some of your delicious food¡¹ ¡¸So, here¡¯s to the fact that we¡¯re all safe and sound¡¹ ¡¸¡¸Cheers!¡¹¡¹ Volume 2 - CH 18 The Three Begin The proposed day arrived. ¡¸Would you guys mind if we shared a drink? I have a good one with me ¡¹ Natalie took a bottle out from her Dimensional Storage, prepared four glasses, and poured the liquor in them before distributing them to Touya and the other two girls. ¡¸A toast first. Cheers ¡¹ ¡¸¡¸¡¸Cheers ¡¹¡¹¡¹ They all raised their glasses and drank up the alcohol. The three ladies sipped their liquor while keeping a watchful eye on Touya. The toxicity of the alcohol was high but the sweetness was tempting. It was so good that the three ladies couldn¡¯t help but drink plenty. ¡¸This is really good ¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a special recipe just for you, no wonder it¡¯s good ¡¹ ¡¸Natalie, what did you do¡ª ¡¹ Touya¡¯s head hit the table before he could finish his question. ¡¸What¡­¡­ Natalie-sama isn¡¯t this¡­¡­ Supposed to be a love potion¡­¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸Hmmm, that¡¯s strange. He should have been smitten with us the minute he drank the potion¡¹ The unconscious Touya¡¯s body was lifted from the chair by Al. ¡ª¡ªTheir cheeks flushed as they looked at Touya¡¯s face. ¡¸Has Touya-sama always looked this dreamy¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸I am touching Touya-sama¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Touya¡­¡­¡¹ The three of them carried Touya¡¯s body and laid him down on the bed in his room. Touching him made them each feel a wave of confusing emotions. ¡¸Now¡­¡­ What do we do¡­¡­ Al do you know? ¡¹ ¡¸What? I was raised as a knight all my life so I don¡¯t know anything about this¡­¡­You also don¡¯t know Char¡­¡­ What about you, Natalie-sama? ¡¹ Natalie smiled proudly at the two inexperienced girls. ¡¸Little girls I¡¯ll tell you what we will do. Let¡¯s see. We will get naked and then get into bed together¡¹ ¡¸¡¸Natalie-sama!? ¡¹¡¹ ¡¸Um¡­¡­ We will have to take Touya¡¯s clothes off too¡­¡­ ¡¹ Char was beet red at the thought of touching Touya¡¯s skin although her cohorts were no better as they stood shoulder to shoulder, staring down at the sleeping figure of the man they had drugged. As they watched Touya¡¯s face, their hearts grew more restless with emotions that overwhelmed their minds. ¡¸Mmhmm¡­¡­ Let¡¯s take off our clothes and get into bed ¡¹ The two Imperial girls nodded at Natalie¡¯s command, and the three of them slowly began to undress. As they set aside their clothes and stood beside the bed nude, their faces were as red as their burning commitment they had set for themselves and they crawled into bed and started removing Touya¡¯s clothes as well. With his underwear being the last piece of clothing removed they took in all his manly anatomy. Their temperatures flared up as their eyes ran across his well pronounced abs and chest. ¡¸Oh my¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸This¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­¡­ ¡¹ The three ladies collapsed on top of his hard body with it being the last thing on their minds. ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó I sighed with relief after I heard the story from Natalie who had apparently lost her mind to even think of something like this. ¡­¡­It¡¯s a good thing they did not know its working mechanism¡­¡­ Although I did not expect Natalie to be na?ve as well. I took a sip of tea and decided to educate them on the matter. ¡¸Don¡¯t get it wrong; what we did is not what sleeping together means ¡¹ They were startled and jumped up from their seats. ¡¸¡¸What? ¡¹¡¹ ¡¸Are you being serious? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry but you two were misled by Natalie. To really sleep together means¡ª ¡¹ I deliberately whispered its real meaning to them. When I was done with my explanation, the three of them turned bright red and covered their faces with their hands. ¡¸Oh, to think¡­¡­ such a thing! ¡¹ ¡¸Really? ¡¹ ¡¸No one told me that! ¡¹ I smiled and nodded at the three of them, who were dismayed to learn the truth. I might not have experience in this body but I did have my fair share at a certain age while in Japan. It was not a lot but it is experience nonetheless. Telling them the true meaning of the deed was a form of a payback but their reaction was not what I expected as they ultimately smiled at me. As we were talking about this, Ferris appeared behind me. ¡¸Touya, someone¡¯s here ¡­¡­ ¡¹ I gave her a nod and left the three girls writhing in their own foolishness to go open the door. When I opened the door, Milia, the guild receptionist was standing there. ¡¸Ah, Touya-san, you¡¯re back. It¡¯s an urgent requirement. The sub-guild master is calling for the three of you ¨C Char-san, Al-san and you. Can you come right away? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ All right. I¡¯ll be on my way as soon as I finish breakfast ¡¹ ¡¸Thank goodness I found you. I came over a few times, but you weren¡¯t home. I¡¯ll be waiting for you at the guild then ¡¹ After seeing her leave, I returned to the dining room where the trio were still struggling with the truth. ¡¸The guild is calling us urgently. Maybe¡ªyour identities have been exposed. Three of us will go to the guild to hear what it is about ¡¹ With that said, their mood was replaced with sheer intensity. ¡¸Do you think something is¡­¡­ wrong? ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, sub-guildmaster Efland is all right. He¡¯s supposed to be on our side. The one I¡¯m worried about is the guildmaster, who is the lord¡¯s son ¡¹ ¡¸Well¡­¡­ This might mean we¡¯ll have to leave sooner than we thought ¡¹ I nodded at Natalie¡¯s words. I took bread and soup out from Dimensional Storage and we had a short breakfast before getting dressed. I told Char and Al to put on the gear I had given them and advised them to be ready for whatever may come. Then the three of us headed to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. Volume 2 - CH 19 Spirit Crystal When we arrived at the guild, we were immediately greeted by Milia. ¡¸Touya-san, he¡¯s already waiting for you. Follow me¡¹ We trailed Milia to the private room where she knocked once and a voice came from the inside giving permission to enter, and she opened the door. Inside, Efland was alone and sitting in a chair. We took our seats across from him. ¡¸Sorry to call you out in this manner¡¹ ¡¸No, no. It¡¯s not a problem¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll cut to the chase. Yesterday, I told them about that armour. And they have been pressuring me to hand over someone from the Lunette Empire even if they are not the royal family. If they are not delivered¡ªforceful measures will be taken¡­¡­ So those two are the ones?¡¹ The girls tensed up at Efland¡¯s inquiry. ¡¸As I said yesterday. I will not hand them over¡¹ Efland smiled a little. ¡¸¡­¡­ Not like I¡¯m surprised that you¡¯d say that.¡ª Just a heads up though, the lord and our guild master are planning on sending out troops to capture the two of them¡¹ ¡¸Are you sure it¡¯s fine for you to be telling us this?¡¹ Volume 2 - CH 20 Natalie¡¯s Level I now feel ready to tell them about what I came up with. ¡¸I think it¡¯s better if you leave the city right away. You have raised your levels enough. I¡¯ve also decided that I¡¯ll be travelling with you back to your country¡¹ They are naturally surprised. ¡¸Do you mean it?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I¡¯ll be coming with you¡¹ They stood up and lowered their heads deeply. ¡¸Thank you, Touya-sama ¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Thank you, Touya-san¡¹ We will be leaving tomorrow but first we had to gather some supplies for the journey, on top of the other items I already have like tents. As I was ready to turn in early, in preparation for tomorrow, Natalie called me. ¡¸Touya, first of all I would like to thank you and also give this to you. This is something I have studied for years but still cannot decipher¡­¡­ Maybe you can find a way¡­¡­¡¹ She said so as she took out a book and placed it on the table. Volume 2 - CH 21 Unwanted Guests She had climbed on top of me again and like before, I had to calm her down. But this time her temper was higher than ever. ¡¸They have surpassed me in levels¡­¡­!? How did they surpass me in just a few days!? Touya! What did you do to them!? It¡¯s not fair! You¡¯ll have to teach me as well¡ª! ¡¹ ¡¸Okay, okay, first you¡¯ll have to calm down¡­¡­¡¹ She inhaled sharply and took a minute to calm down. ¡¸Fine, I¡¯m calm. So go ahead, explain¡¹ Should I tell her they only killed monsters¡­¡­? ¡¸Natalie-sama, Touya, for the past few days, had us fight monsters and have mock battles, but¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ Yes¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Touya-san also lent us a great deal of equipment that can increase our statuses, and¡­¡­¡¹ Char looks at her left hand and her cheeks turn pink. ¡¸I think it was also the power of love¡¹ ¡¸The power of love¡­¡­?¡¹ Al nods. She agrees with Char? Natalie turns to me with wide eyes. ¡¸Young priest, you gave both of them rings, and slept with them¡­¡­ Were you already planning on taking them as wives?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Eh?¡¹ This is ridiculous. What is she talking about? ¡¸Why do you look stupefied? You only give a ring to the one who is to become your wife. It¡¯s a symbol of marriage here¡¹ ¡¸I didn¡¯t know¡­¡­¡¹ They avert their gaze when I look at them. ¡¸You guys knew about it¡­¡­ Is that why you were acting so weird¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸How can you not know that¡­¡­? If you want to dissolve the marriage, all they have to do is take off the rings. Do you mean to tell me you will annul both a princess and a noblewoman, young priest?¡¹ I stare blankly at Natalie. ¡¸Hmmmm¡­¡­ I said before I will help you guys. Now, if after the Emperor is rescued, he gives us his blessings I will marry both of you¡¹ I¡¯ve already decided to help them. Even though they kept this from me, I am not going to change my mind now. Char and Al gleefully smile at me. ¡¸Only two of them¡­¡­? You are not including¡­¡­me? I was part of the bedroom session. You will have to take responsibility and take me as a wife too¡¹ I sigh as Natalie grins at me expectantly. I take out another ring from Dimensional Storage. Char and Al keep watching me with smiles. I took out a 30 times experience enhancement ring just like the one I gave Al. After she receives the ring, Natalie has a bigger smile on her face than before and happily slips the ring on her ring finger. ¡¸Now that is sorted¡­¡­ Let¡¯s get ready for tomorrow¡¯s departure¡­¡­ We need to stock up on food and¡ª¡¹ Volume 2 - CH 22 Escape Quivering before us, the guildmaster yelled,¡¸What are you waiting for? Capture them! Dead or alive!¡¹. The soldiers who had been frozen in place, drew their swords at his command and prepared for a fight. I will not kill them since they are this city¡¯s soldiers. However, I brace myself and wait to see their reaction. Three of them come at me, slashing at once, I retaliate, throwing a blow to one¡¯s gut while I give the second a boot to the face and he rolls onto the third soldier. ¡¸All of you attack!¡¹ The guildmaster ordered once more, but no one moved. I guess now they see the difference in our strength. Kokuyou kicked two soldiers away, and I floated a fireball again menacingly in my palm. ¡¸I won¡¯t play nice anymore. You guys aren¡¯t against dying, are you?¡¹ The soldiers take a step back on account of my question. ¡¸Damn it. We will retreat for now!¡¹ Galan¡¯s statement relieves me, but I don¡¯t let it show outwardly. ¡¸Don¡¯t forget those bastards, lying there. Kokuyou might trample on them if you do¡¹ Volume 2 - CH 23 City of Dumbler ¡¸I¡¯m getting tired of being surprised¡­¡­ ¡¹ Natalie says as she drinks tea in our temporary home. If I was in her shoes, I think I¡¯d feel the same way. ¡¸Seems my Dimensional Storage is special¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸The word special does not begin to describe it¡­¡­¡¹ I left the dumbfounded Natalie to go and start dinner in the Japanese style kitchen. The three other people relax in the living room. Everything seems to work the same as in Japan, the water, the electricity, even though I still don¡¯t know how. I convinced myself that this was a different world specification and continued my cooking. When the meal was prepared, we sat around the dinner table and discussed what we¡¯d do when we leave here. ¡¸I think we should head to Dumbler tomorrow for shopping and then go through the forest to the Empire¡¹ The three of them nodded. ¡¸I want to level up too! I won¡¯t be beat by the little girls¡¹ I had explained the effects of the ring to Natalie and she just couldn¡¯t wait to start using it. I laughed at her enthusiasm, however, it is important that she levels up quickly to ensure she can stand a chance against the Generate Kingdom. After our dinner, the four of us took turns taking baths and prepared to sleep. I showed Natalie her room, which hadn¡¯t been used yet, and she was very pleased with the soft bed and the light, warm duvet. She was pleased to the extent that she claimed, ¡¸I want to live in this house forever¡¹. The toilet and shower were a cherry on top for her experience. There¡¯s certainly no denying that Japanese houses are well thought out, and the environment is comfortable. Nothing is needlessly luxurious but in fact functionally efficient. I went into my own room and changed clothes for bed, and then I grabbed the necklace crystal and called out Ferris. ¡¸Ferris, do you think you can come out in this house?¡¹ The crystal began to glow and Ferris appeared in front of me. ¡¸Hm. It¡¯s fine. It feels like a mass of magical power and it¡¯s comfortable. But being in the crystal is best¡¹ The next day after a light breakfast early in the morning, I hooked up the carriage to Kokuyou and prepared to leave. When everyone was outside, I stored the house back into Dimensional Storage. ¡¸No matter how many times I see it, I can¡¯t but feel like that¡¯s outrageous¡¹ The other two nodded at Natalie¡¯s statement, but I chose to ignore them After they were settled in the carriage, I got on the coachman seat and signaled Kokuyou to leave. The carriage moved slowly and gradually picked up speed. Travelling down the road at a speed twice that of a normal carriage, we arrived at the city of Dumbler early in the evening. A little before, I stowed the carriage in Dimensional Storage and we entered the city on foot. Thanks to the fact that Natalie had also registered with the Adventurer¡¯s Guild when she was in the Empire, the reception process went smoothly. However, there¡¯s no telling when they¡¯ll be pursued to this city. After taking lodgings, we gathered in a room and discussed what we will be doing tomorrow. ¡¸We¡¯ll be doing shopping tomorrow, since Natalie and I are the only ones with Dimensional Storage, we will split ourselves into pairs¡¹ Char was the first to raise her hand vigorously. ¡¸Oh, I¡¯ll go with Touya-sama¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not fair¡¹ Looking at her level now, she can take care of herself from bandits and some soldiers without any problem. But I doubt that will happen in this city. But with Al in amour, there is less chance that anybody would pick a fight with them. ¡¸Okay, Char you¡¯ll be with me. Al, go with Natalie, and make sure you have everything you need¡¹ Volume 2 - CH 24 The Dawn of Battle After finishing our breakfast, we left the inn and headed out to the market. Natalie and Al were tasked with buying the household items, while Char and I went to buy food. Char, walking beside me, looked to be in a good mood despite having to be in constant worry of our pursuers. We walked through the market and bought a large amount of food items that even the stall owner was impressed by the quantity and questioned, ¡¸Are you sure you want all of these? ¡¹. When I explained to him that I was a Dimensional Storage holder, he understood and sold the large purchase to us. Dimensional Storage is a rare skill, but not unheard of as Natalie had explained to me before, so it was a relief when the stall owner understood me. I went into an uncrowded area, and put away the purchases into Dimensional Storage. ¡¸You have a lot of storage space huh? ¡¹ ¡¸Not really, it¡¯s already full ¡¹ I fooled the stall owner with my words and we went ahead to other stalls to buy more ingredients. ¡¸This is my first time walking in the streets like this ¡¹ ¡¸Oh, yeah? ¡¹ It¡¯s imaginable that being in the position of an imperial princess, she would be unable to walk the streets so casually. ¡¸¡­¡­ But I¡¯m sure that the citizens of the Empire were¡ª ¡¹ Char¡¯s expression darkened. ¡¸We¡¯ll save them¡­¡­ ¡¹ Char nodded and smiled at me. ¡¸You¡¯re late! ¡¹ That was our welcome greeting when we arrived at the meeting place. ¡¸That¡¯s right. Natalie-sama¡¯s Dimensional Storage got full and I had to carry such a heavy load by myself¡¸ Natalie started and Al followed suit on the complaining. Next to them was a small pile of items that they had shopped for. Char and I both chuckled at the sheer volume. Although it might be a small load from my perspective, this is still a lot for an ordinary person to carry, Al¡¯s improved status because of her high level must be the reason she could carry it all. If we had met up in a public place, this large purchase would have attracted attention as they carried it, I thought, as I put the load in my Dimensional Storage. Volume 2 - CH 25 An Old Friend ¡¸Go! Seize the women! You can kill the man! ¡¹ At the guild master¡¯s command, the soldiers and adventurers drew their weapons. Some of the adventurers were people I had only seen at the guild. I¡¯m sure there are probably some I know personally too ¡­¡­ If possible, I didn¡¯t want them to be part of this. ¡¸You three¡­.. ¨C if possible, don¡¯t kill the adventurers. But the soldiers of Generate Kingdom are a different story, kill them all ¡¹ The three girls nod and readied themselves. I keep my Buster Sword fixed on my shoulder. Char has her wand out and ready to cast spells. Al held her shield and sword in front of her. Natalie has her wand up and is preparing her spells. I raised my left hand and made about twenty fireballs of the size of my head appear from it. The flames are pale, burning, high-temperature balls of fire. They¡¯re a result of a quick application of chemistry that I had tried in private. When a soldier saw the colour he had never seen before, he squealed in surprise and backed away. I had usually created them at the size of a fist, but as a Sage, that¡¯s not my limit. Volume 2 - CH 26 Into the Woods We Go The first to flee at my threatening query were the adventurers. ¡¸It doesn¡¯t matter how many of us die, it won¡¯t be enough to defeat these monsters! ¡¹ When that one adventurer ran away shouting, they all followed him one after another. Adventurers value mostly their lives, and won¡¯t just sacrifice themselves simply because they are asked to. Lumina had served as a sort of representative for all of them. The remainder of our enemy were barely a dozen soldiers, the guildmaster, and the man from Generate Kingdom. ¡¸Damn it! I¡¯ll remember this!! ¡¹ As the man from Generate Kingdom said this, he turned his horse around in hopes of escaping, but I ran over to him in an instant and grabbed hold of him. ¡¸Let me go, fiend! ¡¹ I struck a blow to the neck of the shouting man, knocking him unconscious, several of the Generate Kingdom soldiers who still remained came at me with their swords in the attempt to rescue him. ¡¸You¡¯ll have to forgive me but I have no mercy to spare for you guys ¡¹ I slashed away at each of the soldiers who were raising their swords at me with a single strike. It did not take long for all the soldiers to be laying lifeless on the ground. The guildmaster and the Fendi soldiers who were serving as only his guards, after seeing this, turned pale and took off running in the opposite direction on their horses. I grabbed the unconscious man by the collar and dragged him to Natalie and the other two girls. ¡¸Touya-san, your strength still astonishes me¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸¡ªI did not have much of a role in this fight¡­¡­ ¡¹ Char looked impressed and Al was a little disappointed. Volume 2 - CH 27 To the City of Lian A week has passed since we entered the forest, and at Natalie¡¯s request we have been fighting monsters to improve our levels as we go. We were impatient to reach the Lunette Empire as soon as possible, but we also knew how important it was to improve our abilities. If there is a chance for us to get stronger, we have to make use of it. We even had mock battles as well, and luckily through these few days there had not been any sign of further pursuit from the city. We met some adventurers at the entrance of the forest after our battle, who had apparently been spectating. They all looked pale, and seemed to want nothing to do with it, so I told them to go back to the city and also gave them a few silver coins for them to dispose of the bodies. The adventurers took off running as if they were being chased and there was a yelling of, ¡¸Yes! Right way! ¡¹ when they were in the distance. That takes care of the bodies. ¡ó¡ó¡ó ¡¸I can¡¯t get over the comfort of this house¡¹ Natalie was relaxing on the sofa in the living room with a cup of tea in her hand, she had just finished with her bath. Earlier she had been the most violent in a fight with the monsters, unleashing all her magic at them. She went on in her fight against the monsters, shouting, ¡¸I will not lose to you two! I will not lose to you two! ¡¹ as she released her magic all over the place. The other two just pulled a face. She really must have been humiliated from being outclassed. In the dining room, I unfolded the map to confirm our destination. Volume 3 - CH 1 Our Destination ¡¸We should be able to see the city soon ¡¹ I nodded at Al, and let go of the reins so Kokuyou could run free, in anticipation. When we got to the top of the hill, the scenery below was¡ª a swarm of soldiers like ants, all heading to the city. ¡¸!? Everyone! The city is under attack! ¡¹ My words as they should, startled the three passengers in the carriage and they peeked out through the small window. There were thousands of soldiers, perhaps even close to ten thousand. There was still some distance before they could reach the city gates but that was only in a matter of time. Within the city walls, citizens were lined up at the gate, ready to defend themselves. The difference in their numbers was too great though and the Generate Kingdom soldiers will break the gate in less than half a day. ¡¸Touya-sama! The city of Lian! ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I know! ¡¹ Char shouted in a panic, as I tried to come up with what our move should be. Can the four of us make it through this many soldiers¡­¡­? It might be possible if we really put our minds to it but there¡¯s also the possibility it will do more harm to us. It¡¯s not like we have an endless supply of magical power to deal with this many soldiers. I looked down at the soldiers as they rushed towards Lian, troubled. A little further back, there were a group of about a hundred soldiers who had taken position to watch the battle. ¡­¡­ That is it. It must be there. ¡¸That¡¯s where we will attack ¡¹ I pointed at the group of soldiers that was in the back. ¡¸But the gate will be¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸We can¡¯t take on that many at once. That¡¯s why we will have to hit the commander over there¡¸ ¡¸You mean take the head ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s right ¡¹ Al was a little unconvinced, but Natalie understood immediately. I took out our gear. We can¡¯t afford to leave anything to chance so I took the best equipment I could think of from Dimensional Storage and told the three of them to equip themselves. Natalie¡¯s eyes widened as she noticed the equipment. ¡¸This equipment¡­¡­. Touya¡­¡­ Who the hell are you really¡­¡­.? ¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s not worry about that at the moment ¡¹ I drove Kokuyou down to a hidden place from the soldiers and in five minutes we were prepared to attack. ¡¸Natalie, you take the left side of the commander¡¯s podium, Char, you take the right. Al, you hold the reins of Kokuyou. Don¡¯t worry about Kokuyou, he¡¯ll be fine. If you two are under attack take cover ¡¹ ¡¸What about you Touya-san? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll be¡­¡­ shooting my magic from right here ¡¹ I pointed to the top of the carriage. Any other person might be knocked off by Kokuyou¡¯s speed. I said to Kokuyou as I patted his neck, ¡¸I am counting on you bud ¡¹. Kokuyo looked excited, as if he could not wait to overrun the soldiers who spread out in the field down the hill. ¡¸If you¡¯re hurt, tell me right away!¡¡I¡¯ll take care of your healing ¡¹ ¡¸¡¸Yes !¡¹¡¹ ¡¸All right, then. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve been in a war. I¡¯ll show them why I was called The Sage of Twilight ¡¹ Everyone was ready and in position. ¡¸Kokuyou, you¡¯re up! ¡¹ With that signal, Kokuyou began to run. His speed increased with every step and he continued in a single direction towards his goal. Down the hill he went. The soldiers heading for Lian had not noticed us behind them. ¡­¡­ Almost there. I put magical power into my hands. I¡¯ll hit them with a big attack and let Kokuyou plunge into them in the confusion. The commander in the rear had noticed our carriage running down the meadow hill, and his soldiers hurried into a formation. They all had weapons and were busily preparing to attack us. The distance between us and the soldiers began to close. ¡¸I¡¯ll attack first!¡¡Take care of the confusion! ¡¹ ¡¸Yes! ¡¹ ¡¸Leave it to us! ¡¹ Although the soldiers had their weapons they did not seem to be coming for us, perhaps they were unsure whether we were friend or foe. When the distance was no more than a hundred metres, I unleashed my magic. ¡ºFlaming Tornado: Firestorm ¡» A tornado of flames about 20 metres high enveloped the army of soldiers. The soldiers went into a frenzy when they were suddenly engulfed in flames. ¡¸Touya, you can already use that advanced spell!? You are indeed a Sage. I will not lose though! ¡¹ ¡ºAt my command, flames gather and burn the enemies before me. Flame Thrower ¡» ¡¸My turn! ¡¹ ¡ºSpirits of Fire. Lend me your strength and vanquish the enemy before me! ¡» The two of them also shot out fire magic. Combined with their panic and now two more advanced attack spells, the soldiers had no chance of escaping. They were wrapped in flames and they collapsed one by one. ¡¸Kokuyou!¡¡Run them through! ¡¹ Kokuyou followed my command and proceeded to step over the fallen soldiers. And then I saw him. The commander in an exceptional armour screaming his head off. There were only a few guards around him. I create about twenty fireballs and shoot them at the soldiers around him. ¡¸Take care of the rest. I¡¯ll go get the commander! ¡¹ I jumped down from the carriage, took out my Buster Sword, and ran through the soldiers who were already doomed from my magic attack. Only three of them had guarded themselves with their shields, but I easily cut them down with my sword. Then the commander was left exposed. ¡¸You people must be insane!¡¡I¡¯m ¡ª ¡¹ With a kick to his chest that sent him flying I cut his speech short. He rolled over and tried to stand up, that is when I stomped on his back and put my sword to his neck. ¡¸You¡¯re the commander, aren¡¯t you? If you keep quiet, I won¡¯t take your life¡­¡­. However, if you resist ¨C ¡¹ I put the tip of my sword to his neck and cut it lightly. He was terrified, maybe because of the pain, he quickly nodded his head several times. ¡¸Well, let¡¯s get the soldiers out of here first, shall we? ¡¹ The commander¡¯s expression darkened as I smiled at him. Volume 3 - CH 2 Triumphal Return I urged the man to get up, with my sword held tight against his neck. And the man slowly gets up, trembling as he does. ¡¸Do you have any idea who I am!? I am Bernard von Galzine, Marquis of Generate Kingdom! ¡¹ I can¡¯t help but smile at Bernard¡¯s toughness. ¡­¡­ He¡¯s an excellent hostage. To be honest, this sort of hostage is all I could ever want. Char and the others have taught me about the ranks of nobility, and I know that the position of Marquis is of some high rank. ¡¸¡ªThen, if you are a big shot as you say you are, order the troops to pull back. If you can¡¯t¡ª then you¡¯ll just end up like the rest of your men here ¡¹ His face scrunched up at my demanding words. ¡¸Alright, alright. I¡¯ll get the troops out of here right away! Will you just spare my life!? ¡¹ I took out a rope and handed it to Al, who in turn tied Bernard up with his hands behind his back. ¡¸Touya-san, we¡¯re good to go! ¡¹ I gave her a nod. Looking at the soldiers that were attacking the city, I realized some of the troops in the rear had noticed our attack on their commander, and about a hundred of them were coming towards us. I fired a spell at them as a warning. ¡¸Stop right there! We have your commander! If you do anything stupid he¡¯ll lose his head in a heartbeat ¡¹ I shouted to the soldiers, while holding my sword to the commander¡¯s neck. The soldiers kept their swords pointed at us, but stopped and watched from a distance. ¡¸Eeee! Idiots! Pull back immediately! Can¡¯t you see my life is at stake here!? ¡¹ At Bernard¡¯s words, one of the soldiers took out a whistle-like object and blew into it. In response to what is perhaps the signal to retreat, the soldiers that were ahead and close to the city fort stopped their march and turned around. Al guarded us while we got on the coachman stand with Bernard, with my sword pressed against his neck. Just to be safe, I had Char and Natalie go inside the carriage. And we slowly made our way towards the soldiers and went through them. As expected, the soldiers were helpless with their commander taken hostage. ¡¸Hey, tell them to pull back ¡¹ As I increased the pressure on his neck with my sword, he nodded and shouted for the soldiers to stand back. ¡¸All of you pull back at once! As a marquis, I command you! ¡¹ ¡¸He¡¯s right, if you do anything even slightly strange¡ª ¡¹ Bernard¡¯s face turned pale as I made a pose of cutting his throat. As the carriage slowly but surely breaks out of their wave, the soldiers keep their distance. And we approached the fort surrounding the city of Lian. When we had passed the leading soldiers, I gave Bernard further instructions. ¡¸For now, let¡¯s have the soldiers leave this place. We can¡¯t have them hanging around here, can we? Isn¡¯t there anyone who can be our messenger to the Kingdom? ¡¹ ¡¸Well, my aides¡­¡­ who you¡¯ve killed ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right, we did. But you must have someone under you who leads these soldiers, right? Call him ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ Okay¡­¡­ Hey you there! Call the battalion commander!! ¡¹ At Bernard¡¯s order, the soldier moved hurriedly, and then another soldier wearing a more distinguished armour, who is much bigger compared to the other soldiers emerged from the cluster of soldiers. ¡¸¡ªYour Excellency¡­¡­ I, the Battalion Chief, Gard, am at your service ¡¹ Bernard gave Gard, who was kneeling a little further away, seemingly afraid to come any closer, instructions as I had given to him. ¡¸Men retreat! We will return to the garrison and await His Highness¡¯ orders ¡¹ ¡¸Understood! ¡¹ At Gard¡¯s call, the soldiers began to withdraw from the area. As I watched them leave, I heard a loud cheer from the top of the fort. When the soldiers were out of sight, Bernard sighed. ¡¸That should do it. Now you can let me go as you said¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸No, I won¡¯t¡­¡­ Think about it, man ¡¹ ¡¸What the hell? But that¡¯s not what you said before!! ¡¹ ¡¸No, I never said anything about releasing you. If we were to let you go, we¡¯ll get attacked again, you know that. That¡¯s why you¡¯ll serve as a hostage for the time being ¡¹ I tell Al to drive the carriage up to the gate, leaving Bernard in disbelief. When we got to the gate, a man shouted from above, with soldiers around him holding bows pointed down at us. ¡¸Who the hell are you people!? ¡¹ I looked at Al, who stood up and said to the soldier on top of the gate. ¡¸It¡¯s me! Altria von Milda, daughter of Garret von Milda! Her Royal Highness princess Charlotte is also here! ¡¹ Al¡¯s declaration was met with an outpouring of cheers from the soldiers of Lian. The soldier who had called out before looked taken aback, even the hostage Bernard had a look of astonishment on his face. ¡¸Her Imperial Highness? The gate will be opened immediately. Please wait a moment ¡¹ After a few minutes of waiting, the closed gate was slowly opened. As soon as the gate opened, she signaled Kokuyou to drive the carriage into the city. Inside we were met with a group of soldiers who were ready for battle. In that moment, the door of the carriage opened and Char, wearing a pure white robe decorated with gold threads, stepped out. When the soldiers saw Char, they all let go of their weapons and dropped to one knee, with their heads bowed. Volume 3 - CH 3 Some of the soldiers were on one knee in front of Char¡¯s royal figure, while others were in tears. But all in all, everyone had joy written on their faces. It must be the sign of a royal family that is adored by many in the country. Char told the soldiers to stand up. ¡¸Thank you everyone for protecting this city. I had been away in Salandir Kingdom to find The Sage of Twilight, Natalie-sama. And¡ªI found her and she has come here with us for the sake of saving Lunette Empire¡¹ ¡¸It is I, Natalie. With me here, you don¡¯t have to worry about any enemies attacking this place. Besides¡ªwe have a powerful ally ¡¹ Natalie softly glances at me. At the same time, a loud cheer rang out. ¡¸Natalie-sama is a legend! ¡¹ ¡¸Natalie-sama is known to have won every battle she¡¯s fought! ¡¹ ¡¸We can win this one with her here! ¡¹ The soldiers shouted with joy. ¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t know she was that renowned. No matter how I look at her, in my eyes she is a penchant loli glutton. I let out a small chuckle as I watched her strut around with her flat chest out. She must have heard me laugh, because she turned her gaze to me. In the midst of all this, the wolf beast soldier who was in command at the gate approached us. He is in his thirties and has a well-trained body and an air of dominance that exceeds that of the other soldiers. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s their captain. He stood in front of Char, knelt down, and bowed his head. ¡¸Your Highness, Princess Charlotte, your safety is a blessing to us¡ª I am Laird von Linax, commander of the city¡¯s forces¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Linax-kyo, you¡¯ve often protected the city of Lian in times of need, thank you again. I have heard that the Imperial Capital has already fallen into the hands of the Generate Kingdom. I wish to use Lian as our base to reclaim it¡­¡­ ¡¹ Char clenched her fists tightly as she spoke. One could only guess that she had thoughts about the safety of her parents and people running through her head. ¡¸First of all, you must be tired from your long journey, have a rest¡­¡­. So, who is he? ¡¹ Laird looked at me as I was still holding onto my hostage, Bernard, with my sword on his neck. ¡¸This person is Touya-sama, he is the one who saved our lives. And¡ª ¡¹ Char¡¯s cheeks turned red. ¡­¡­ Is she about to say something ridiculous? If she says it at a time like this it¡¯ll only cause confusion. ¡¸¡ª¡ª¡ªhe¡¯s my betrothed ¡¹ She said it. Char said exactly what she was not at all supposed to say. Laird¡¯s eyes widened at her words and he placed his hand on his forehead and looked up at the sky. ¡¸¡­¡­ Oh, I see¡­¡­ Then I will have you escorted right away. Hey, someone take the hostage away! ¡¹ Although seeming a little upset, Laird instructed his soldiers, and a few of them stepped forward to face me and I handed Bernard over to them. ¡¸You guys saved Lian. We¡¯re truly grateful ¡¹ The soldiers bowed their heads to me before taking Bernard away. ¡¸My house is this way, let¡¯s go ¡¹ We headed to Al¡¯s mansion, which will be our base of operations in this city. Al and the soldiers boarded the coachman, and Char and Natalie boarded the carriage. When I tried to get on the coachman as well, I was told,¡¸We are your royal escorts, you can¡¯t be the one sitting here ¡¹. So I got into the carriage. ¡­¡­ Royal escorts ? I sat down facing the two girls in the carriage,my head tilted, while I pondered on what that meant. I had never ridden in a carriage before, but the vibrations were absorbed and the seats were comfortable. Al led the carriage through the city, and we arrived at the mansion in about twenty minutes. When the door was opened and we got out of the carriage, we saw a magnificent mansion in front of us that was so massive in height that we had to bend our necks backward to look up at it. It was several times larger than the mansion I had lived in in Fendi, and my mouth dropped open in awe. ¡¸¡­¡­ What? This is Al¡¯s house? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes it is! My grandfather and brother live here ¡¹ ¡¸Grandfather¡­¡­ ? ¡¹ Al¡¯s mansion is the biggest amongst the rest around here. ¡¸Yes, her grandfather is the lord of this city. He rules over it with her brother ¡¹ Since she¡¯s a kingsguard, I thought her family were all knights, but this is something unexpected. Our arrival had already reached the house and at the front door stood an old man with enormous sheep horns, beside him was a young man, and around them were maids. The old man was dressed as a Warrior, and his muscles were obvious through his clothes. Al stood in front of the old man and bowed her head. ¡¸Grandfather, it¡¯s been a long time since I have seen you. I have returned with Her Highness Princess Charlotte ¡¹ ¡¸Well, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re both back and safe. I¡¯m very glad to hear that Her Highness Princess Charlotte is safe. Please come inside, everyone, make yourselves at home in the villa ¡¹ The old man looked at us from the corner of his eye as he replied in a kind voice. Kokuyou was led by a soldier to the stables, and we were led by the maid to a large reception room. Thirty minutes later I was holding a sword in the middle of a training ground, with several knights pointing their swords at me. ¡­¡­How did this happen? Volume 3 - CH 4 Let¡¯s revisit what happened a little while ago. The four of us were ushered into the reception room by the maid. We sat down together on the couch side by side, and the maid placed cups of tea in front us. I picked up my cup, took a sip, and sighed with relief. ¡­¡­ I had no idea Al was also from such an established family. Char is an Imperial Princess, Natalie is a former head Court Mage, and Al is the daughter of the head of the Kingsguard. ¡ª¡ªWhat am I doing here again? I feel so out of place here. As I was thinking about this, the door opened and Al¡¯s grandfather and brother walked in. I tried to excuse myself, but with a gesture of a hand, Al¡¯s grandfather stopped me, and he and Al¡¯s brother sat facing us. ¡¸Before we begin, I would like to thank you all for getting the enemy to retreat. From the bottom of my heart thank you. I am Gaulus von Milda, ruler of this city. The one next to me is my grandson, Raul, who is also Altria¡¯s brother ¡¹ ¡¸I am Raul von Milda ¡¹ ¡¸I am Touya. I¡¯m an adventurer ¡¹ I bow lightly to the both of them a little nervous as Natalie munches on a plate of sweets. ¡¸Gaulus, how I¡¯ve missed you. I¡¯m surprised to see you still alive ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s what I was about to say to you, Sage. You have not changed a bit¡­¡­ ¡¹ It seems that Natalie is older than the mature Gaulus in front of us. ¡¸I am more relieved that Her Imperial Highness is safe and sound. The imperial Capital has already been subdued and no detailed information has come in. If you don¡¯t mind, can you tell us what has happened so far? ¡¹ Char nodded and began to tell the story starting from the reason for her escape from the Imperial Capital. When Gaulus heard that Garret, the commander of the Kingsguard knights had been killed, he frowned sorrowfully as expected. After she had escaped the Imperial Capital with Al, they wandered through the forest, met me at an orc colony, and took refuge in Fendi, in Salandir Kingdom. That¡¯s where they found Natalie, and stayed in my house for protection. Later we all had to escape Fendi while we were being pursued by the soldiers of Generate Kingdom and the city of Fendi. After fighting them off, we made our way to the Lunette Empire through the forest. When we came down the hill, we saw the soldiers of Generate Kingdom already heading to the city and we attacked their thinly armed command camp to get them to withdraw. ¡¸¡ªI see. I can only express my gratitude to Touya-dono. You have taken care of Her Imperial Princess and even my granddaughter. I am indebted to you ¡¹ Raul also bowed as Gaulus bowed lightly to me. ¡¸No please, I could not bring myself to leave them when they were in need of help ¡¹ ¡¸But still, you willingly left your peaceful life to help them. If you will like to stay in my territory, I will give you a house of your own. Take some time to relax ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much. But if possible¡ª ¡¹ Honestly, I don¡¯t think any regular house would be as comfortable as my mansion. ¡¸Can you please rent me a vacant land instead¡­¡­? I¡¯d appreciate it more. I¡¯d be grateful for some space to build stables ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t mind giving you land, but is that all you want¡­¡­? You will have plenty of space as you wish then. I¡¯ll have you escorted there later. Though, you surely must be a high-ranking adventurer to own an Obsidian Battlehorse ¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m just an ordinary B-rank adventurer ¡¹ ¡¸Grandfather! Touya-san is very strong. Although he is a magic user, he can also use a sword. He even defeated ten Generate Kingdom soldiers all on his own in an instant. I don¡¯t think if we were to fight him together we would be his match ¡¹ Gaulus¡¯s eyes widened a little at Al¡¯s words. ¡¸Is that so¡­¡­? Altria¡¯s is still young but her level and skills allow her to be in the Kingsguard, hearing her say this about anyone is impressive¡¹ ¡¸And¡­¡­ his magic is probably even more powerful than mine. He can cast advanced magic without reciting, and his power is massive¡­¡­ It¡¯s incredible¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸What!? More powerful than the Sage? ¡¹ Gaulus looks even more surprised than before. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like it, it¡¯s not unreasonable to be surprised at what he¡¯s being told. But it¡¯s also uncomfortable to be praised¡­¡­ too much. ¡¸No, there¡¯s only so much one person can do¡­¡­ ¡¹ I say humbly, but no one is listening to me. Gaulus is amazed, and Raul is beaming. ¡¸¡ª He is also my fiance ¡¹ Everyone froze at Char¡¯s words. As if the gentle expression on his face had been a lie, Gaulus¡¯s stern gaze turned to me. ¡¸¡­¡­Touya-dono. Do you know what this means¡­¡­? Do you understand what it means to betroth an Imperial Princess? ¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s not like that. That¡¯s what they are saying¡­¡­. ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm? They¡­¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸Oh, yes, Grandfather, I¡¯m going to marry Touya-san too ¡¹ ¡¸What¡­¡­? What the¡­¡­ Even you, Altria¡­¡­? ¡¹ Gradually, his stern gaze turned deadly. No, please don¡¯t do it. This old man¡¯s eyes might actually kill me. Then, the last bomb went off. ¡¸I¡¯ve also decided to marry Touya. Since we¡¯ve all already shared a bed together ¡¹ Natalie hammered the last nail in my coffin. A red-faced Gaulus slammed the table and he shouted. ¡¸¡­¡­ You¡¯ve slept together¡­¡­ The three of you¡­¡­ together¡­¡­ Touya!!! Out now!!!!!!¡¹ Volume 3 - CH 5 Out in a training area of the size of a schoolyard, I was holding a mock sword and facing off against a dozen soldiers. ¡°If you are set on marrying my granddaughter, you¡¯re going to have to show me how strong you are¡± Gaulus grinned as he hefted a mock sword that is as tall as he is. Al had heard from her father, Garret, that her grandfather is a former Knight Commander and that the Mirda family has been a militaristic family for the Lunette Empire for ages. ¡­¡­ Well, what to do. Defeating them will probably be easy. To be honest, I even think that Al alone can beat them. They do know that I was the one that caught the commander, right¡­..? I swing my sword lightly to get the feel of it and then brace myself to face the soldiers. ¡°You seem to be ready. Let¡¯s begin!¡± The soldiers spread out around me, pointing their swords at me. And five of them come running towards me with their swords blazing. ¡­.. Attack or defend? I enveloped my body with magical power and strengthened my whole body and instantly moved to cut off the soldiers at my top speed. I slashed one soldier with my mock sword and he collapsed to the ground, blocked two mock swords at once, and kicked the two soldiers to the ground. Not wasting any time, I jumped into a concise position to kick the soldier who looked astonished at my moves and plant my foot on his stomach. If I kick him with serious intent, his internal organs may burst, so I adjust the force in my kick to the bare minimum. The soldiers surrounding me are all in awe. ¡°That¡¯s enough¡± Gaulus who was behind me, called out to stop me, though I had only taken down four of them. I lowered my mock sword and let out a sigh of relief. ¡°With such a difference in ability, the outcome won¡¯t be affected no matter how many soldiers you face, and I can¡¯t afford to have my soldiers injured in a such a critical moment¡± I can use Healing on them, so as long as they don¡¯t die, there¡¯s no problem¡­¡­ The soldiers seem to relax, as if the tension had dissipated. ¡°I¡¯ll take it from here¡± Gaulus was the only one left standing before me. He may be old, but the air about him is different from the rest of the soldiers. The large sword he is carrying might be a mock sword, but a direct hit from it would leave at least a few bones broken. I got serious and readied my sword. ¡°Here I come!¡± He instantly leapt at me with incredible force, despite being stronger than the other soldiers, his speed lacked when compared to Al¡¯s. I easily blocked his sword, pushed him back, and then turned around to swing my sword, stopping it threateningly inches from his neck. ¡°You should stop this¡­¡­¡± Gaulus shuddered a bit from my words and started to laugh. ¡°Ahaha. I see it now! I see why my granddaughter has fallen for you¡± With that the match was quickly settled. It is a good thing he had a quick understanding. I don¡¯t want him to get injured at a time like this on account of him just being stubborn. ¡°All right, let¡¯s continue our conversation inside¡± Gaulus said this in a good mood as he walked back to the mansion. We followed him and the soldiers went back to their training. ** ¡°I did not expect you to be this strong¡­¡­ It¡¯s no wonder you were able to capture their commander even with that many men. And why the three of them are attracted to you¡­¡­ Although I did not expect even the Sage to be¡± I can¡¯t help but smile at Gaulus, who is laughing in front of me. We are all back seated in the drawing room, where we were before. ¡°More importantly, grandfather, what¡¯s been happening in the¡­¡­ Imperial Capital¡­¡­?¡± ¡°The capital has fallen completely. I¡¯ve been told that those who were able to escape on time have fled to the Elven district, and those who could not escape, the humans, are allowed to continue living as residents, while the beast kin, elves and the other subhumans have been reduced to slaves. His Majesty and the rest of the royal family are rumoured to be trapped in the dungeons. But as I said before, information has been hard to come by¡± What he says makes sense since the Generate Kingdom is a human race supremacy. The slaves captured in the Lunette Empire will be transported back to Generate Kingdom after the Imperial Capital has been pacified. We have to take back the Capital as soon as possible¡­¡­ ¡°So¡­¡­ What is going to be done now¡­¡­?¡± Gaulus frowned when I questioned him and clenched his fists. ¡°¡­¡­ Nothing has been decided yet. We¡¯ve had our hands full here, just defending this place. You clearing the army from here helped a lot¡­¡­¡± To be honest, I¡¯d like to know more about the Imperial Capital, but the only people stationed here are beastmen and those who evacuated from there. And only a few can sneak into the Capital. ¡­¡­ There¡¯s no way around it¡ª¡ª. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­¡­ I¡¯ll sneak into the Imperial Capital by myself¡± ¡°What are you saying!?¡± ¡°Touya-san!?¡± My statement was met with a look of surprise from all who were in the room. ¡°The three of you will be able to defend this place as long as the Hero doesn¡¯t show up. Besides¡­¡­ I¡¯m an adventurer from Salandir Kingdom and a human, so I can get in without any problems¡± The commander we¡¯ve captured said that the Hero had returned to the Generate Kingdom. The level of the three girls should already be more than any soldier out there. I can¡¯t have them come with me, Char¡¯s face is recognizable, Al is a beastman and Natalie is an elf. If they are with me, they will surely be caught. However, there is no problem for me. ¡°But no matter how strong¡­¡­ you are, you can¡¯t do it alone¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine as long as the Hero is not there¡­¡­¡± I don¡¯t know how strong Heroes are, but they sound like they aren¡¯t not easily defeated¡­¡­ We all looked at each other in silence for a moment. ¡°¡­¡­ I understand. I understand what you¡¯re suggesting. And please, Touya-dono, if possible, do it¡± Gaulus was the one to break the silence, and he bowed to me. ¡°I would like you to take this with you. It might come in handy¡± From his pocket, Gaulus pulled out a jewelled dagger and placed it on the table. The hilt is decorated with a coat of arms, indicating that it is of high quality. ¡°This¡­¡­?¡± I looked down at the dagger and Gaulus began to explain. ¡°This was given to me by the royal family when I handed over the rank of Knight Commander to my son. Anyone from the Empire should know this seal, it will help you Touya-dono¡± ¡°This sounds too valuable to you¡­¡­ I can¡¯t accept it¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. It is also true that we have to rely on you, Touya-dono. Please take it¡± Gaulus nodded while looking straight at me. ¡°All right, understand. I¡¯ll borrow it then¡± I took the dagger, affirming my decision to help the Empire. Volume 3 - CH 6 I have spent the past two days in Lian studying up on the Imperial Capital. My primary goal in the Capital is to collect as much information about the goings of the war as possible, and if there is a chance, to break into the royal castle to rescue the royal family. Char was the one to teach me about the secret passages in the royal castle. ¡°This is for escaping the castle in case of emergencies, and only the royal family and their entourage know about it, so I think it might be useful for you to know¡± On a piece of parchment spread out on the floor, there was a simple drawing of the layout of the royal castle and its location clearly marked. The detailed plans were not from the royal castle, but were drawn from the memories of Char, Al, and even Gaulus. I gathered the items for my journey together and stored them in Dimensional Storage, and prepared to leave Lian. ¡°Are you sure you can handle this alone ¡­¡­? Gaulus asked, concerned, for he does not know my status. He could not help feeling worried about me going alone. But it¡¯s not me I am worried about, it¡¯s the three. ¡°I feel I do not have to ask, but are you three of you going to be okay¡­¡­?¡± The three of them have indeed raised their levels by a lot. Heck, it¡¯s even possible they can defeat the Hero. But I can¡¯t help feeling worried leaving them. ¡°It¡¯s all right. We are stronger now! My parents in the Imperial Capital¡­¡­ are who I am worried about¡­¡­ Touya-sama, I¡¯m sorry we have to rely on you for this¡­¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ll make sure that Lian here is well protected while Touya is away¡± Both Char and Al looked firm and confident. Natalie on the other hand was¡ª crunching on sweets that had been offered to her by the maid. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± A sigh escaped me. This girl¡­¡­ As I look at her, our eyes meet. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Touya, I am here¡­¡­ You go take care of the Imperial Capital¡± After she had found out that Char and Al had overtaken her level, she worked like a beast to raise her level on our way to Lian. Even after surpassing them on the first day, she did not let up. Well, Natalie seems confident too¡­¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll be heading off to the Capital now¡± Everyone nods their heads at me. When I got out of the house, the soldiers had already got Kokuyou out of the stables and he was waiting for me. When he saw me, he approached me and bit me on the head as usual. I wiped the drool off my face, as Gaulus looked on admiringly. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen an Obsidian Battlehorse show such fondness for a person before¡± I straddled Kokuyou as he said this. ¡°Take care. I¡¯m off¡± ¡°Be safe in the Imperial Capital¡± ¡°Be careful¡± ¡°We leave it to you¡± We exchanged farewells and Kokuyou slowly started to stride. After we passed through the gate of Lian, he picked up speed. It would be easier if we could head straight to the Imperial Capital, but I do that, I might meet the soldiers who had retreated because of us. So we took a short detour that was through the forest. This will not arouse suspicion because I am simply an adventurer from Salandir Kingdom that needs to get to the Imperial Capital. As Gaulus had predicted, we reached the Saladir Kingdom border without meeting any soldiers from Generate Kingdom. From here on, I will have to walk. I will stand out from the crowd if I had Kokuyou in the Imperial Capital, word will quickly spread. There was a possibility that the soldiers of the Generate Kingdom, occupying the Imperial Capital might even try to take him from me. Even though I was in a hurry, I gave him some food and water, took a short break, and then asked him to enter the Dimensional Storage. ¡°All right, I just have to take this path¡­¡­ They said they¡¯ll be a village on the way¡± I walked in a fast pace in the northern direction, following the map of the Lunette Empire I had been given in Lian. It was still early in the harvest season, so there were no signs of destruction. ** After a half a day of walking, I came across wheat fields. It was still early in the harvest season. Past the wheat fields there was a village. The sun was beginning to set and the sky was tinged red. ¡°Wonder if there is a place to stay¡­¡­¡± I got through the village gate, which had no guards. The village is not bustling, but there are people. Dozens of houses are clustered together, and I made my way to the biggest one. As I look around, I notice that there are no young men in sight, only children and old people, and the eyes of everyone is on me. Feeling their gazes on me, I walked even faster to the biggest house. I knock lightly on the door and call out to the occupants. ¡°Excuse me¡± My knock was answered by a ¡°Yes¡¯ ¡® from inside. It was a woman¡¯s voice. The door was opened and a young woman, probably in her late teens, no older than me, appeared. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m on my way to the Imperial Capital. Is it possible for me to stay here in the village for the night¡­¡­? The young woman was a little troubled by my words, but her expression immediately brightened. ¡°There are no inns or houses available, but would you like to stay here?¡¡Grandpa, no, I¡¯ll ask the village chief¡± ¡°I¡¯d be happy to stay anywhere¡± ¡°Well, the village chief is here, too¡± The woman led me into the house and guided me to the innermost room where I found an elderly man writing at his desk. ¡°Grandpa, this man wants to spend the night in this village¡­¡­.¡± At the woman¡¯s words, the old man stopped writing and looked up. He looked at me carefully and then opened his mouth to speak. ¡°You can stay, but we can¡¯t offer you much hospitality because of the war¡­¡­ The young men left the village as soldiers and have not returned ¡­¡­ and are unlikely to return¡­¡­ since¡­¡­¡± The Lunette Empire lost the war to the Generate Kingdom. This village is located close to Salandir Kingdom, so it may not have been directly affected, but the young men volunteered to become soldiers and left the village to defend their country. It¡¯s clear without it being said that they are not coming back. So this is war¡­¡­ It makes me feel a little dark. ¡°I would like to do something for you for letting me stay¡­¡­ How about a meal, I will provide the food¡­¡­ Monster meat¡± The chief smiled a little at my offer. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. We can¡¯t go hunting since the young ones are gone and all we have are vegetables and wheat¡­¡­ I would be grateful if you could provide us with some meat¡± ¡°In that case, I will give the whole thing and you can share with the villagers. It¡¯s the least I can do¡± The girl¡¯s eyes lit up and she smiled when I mentioned giving them the whole thing. ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m going to go gather the people of the village!¡± Oh, yes, yes. Tell them that our guest will be providing the meat. I¡¯ll get the cutting tools¡± The girl and the village chief left the house at once. ¡°So where is the monster meat¡­¡­?¡± He must have thought I had come in a carriage because I was offering monster meat. He tilted his head when he saw me empty-handed. ¡°Oh, wait a minute¡± I took out a whole boar-shaped monster I caught in the forest from Dimensional Storage. ¡°Oh¡­¡­.¡± It was about three meters long, which was more than enough for everyone in this village. ¡°I¡¯d like to thank you ¡­¡­ for such a great catch¡­¡­ uh ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, I haven¡¯t told you my name yet. I¡¯m Touya. I¡¯m a B-rank adventurer from Salandir Kingdom¡± I introduce myself to him. Volume 3 - CH 7 The village chief called out for the other villagers, and those who arrived first began to cut up the Forest Boar that I had offered. The village with this much meat will have some dried meat in reserve, since it is unlikely that the villagers will eat the whole Forest Boar in a day. ¨CThere¡¯s still plenty more where this came from¡­¡­ I have dozens of Forest Boars stowed away in Dimensional Storage. My Dimensional Storage works the same as in the game, the same material can fit up [x99] in a single frame, but does not weigh a thing. I talked about it with Natalie in Lian and she jumped at me with her eyes wide open, saying how she had never heard anything like that. Over the course of the next hour or so, some villagers dismantled the meat and others brought ingredients and prepared supper. For some reason, all the villagers gathered to welcome me. I was a bit against the idea, seeing how I was going to be in the spotlight, but I was told that with the food I had given them, there was no way they would not show their gratitude to me. The village chief handed out alcohol to everyone, and the villagers proceeded to roast the meat and eat. As I looked around, one thing was clear; I was the only man my age in this crowd. There were old men and small boys. As I ate the meal and watched the villagers, the village chief sat down next to me. ¡¸Well, have a drink. It¡¯s been a very long time since we had an occasion to have some.¡ªSo what do you think? Has any girl caught your eye yet? ¡¹ The village chief in an indirect way asked in a suggestive way that I stay because of the loss of all the young men in the village, but I shook my head no, and drank from the cup he had offered. There are many young and beautiful women here, but I am on a mission at the moment and I would not think of jeopardizing it because of such. ¡¸I have a request I must complete¡­¡­ I¡¯ll be leaving as soon as tomorrow ¡¹ ¡¸I see, but¡­¡­. It¡¯s a shame ¡¹ The village chief turned his head ruefully, took a drink of the alcohol he had in his hand and sighed. The most important thing right now on my mind is gathering information about the Imperial Capital. Not only that, but also to confirm the well-being of Char¡¯s parents. After finishing the meal, I pardoned myself from the gathering before I got drunk, and fell into bed in the room prepared for me in the chief¡¯s house. Morning came quick enough. After an early meal and a farewell to the village chief, I left the village. Two days north of here, I should be arriving in the Imperial Capital. I double-checked the map of the Lunette Empire I had been given in Lian and set off down the road at a brisk pace. In all honesty, it would have been quicker if I rode Kokuyou, but he had trampled over the Generate Kingdom soldiers in Salandir, and then again in Lian. It might be dangerous to let him out. I was also told by Natalie and everyone else to not let him out, as he might catch too much attention. That¡¯s why I think it¡¯ll be best if I let him out as the last resort, probably if I have to escape. The fields on sides of the road were ravaged as I got closer to the Capital, scarred by the war. This further opened my eyes to what being in war is like. I continued on my path, and came upon an intersection of several roads that formed a single road to the Capital. I walked a little slower with my dagger hanging lightly by my waist. You can never know who might be watching in a place like this. On the way, a few merchants¡¯ carriages came up from behind me. The adventurers that were escorting them were very wary of me as they passed me by. About half a day of watching carriages pass me by, I arrived in the city of Torres. The city of Torres, which is just before the Imperial Capital , is already occupied and under the control of the Generate Kingdom. The Generate Kingdom flags are hung above the gate. I joined the queue that was for the checkpoint to enter the city. There were several groups of people in line. I held my guild card in my hand, and was ready to pull out a few silver coins in case of emergency. ¡¸Next ¡¹ It was my turn to present my guild card to the gate guard. The silver guild card is a high rank, B rank card, common in all countries. ¡¸¡­¡­ From Salandir Kingdom, what is a B rank¡­¡­ doing here? ¡¹ The soldier¡¯s face twisted slightly. ¡¸I figured I¡¯d get more requests here since the country is under Generate Kingdom now. As you can see, I¡¯m a Recovery Priest ¡¹ I¡¯m just assuming that being a Recovery Priest will garner less suspicion. A normal Recovery Priest in nothing more than a rear guard, supporting the other party members. Unlike me, a Buster Sword using-used-to-be Recovery Priest. ¡¸That¡¯s for sure. Well, there¡¯s no problem for anybody from the Salandir Kingdom entering this city. You may pass ¡¹ I took my guild card from him, casually gave him a wave with my hand, and walked through the gate. I breathed a sigh of relief. I need to find an inn. I should also check in with the guild here¡­¡­ If there is a request to Imperial Capital, that will help me sneak in more easily. The city was not desolate. Torres has many human tribes and a few beastman tribes. The market place was not too busy though, and the owners were calling out to people as they walked by, to try some of their products. I bought two skewers from a stall that sold them, and there, I was told where to find the Adventurer¡¯s Guild and a recommended inn. The inn was close by, and as I entered, I found a middle-aged woman standing behind the reception desk. ¡¸Welcome. Are you staying the night? If you¡¯re here for supper, it is not yet ready ¡¹ ¡¸Staying the night, please. One night ¡¹ ¡¸With breakfast and supper included, it¡¯s only one silver coin. I¡¯m sorry if you find price too high, I had to raise it because of this city¡¯s situation ¡¹ ¡¸I understand, and the price is fine ¡¹ Countries defeated in war can¡¯t help but be exploited in some way. In addition to the exploitation, there are less customers. I took out a silver coin and placed it on the counter. ¡¸Thank you. Your room is on the second floor at the far end ¡¹ I took the key and walked up the stairs, where there were four rooms. I inserted the key into the door of the room that was at the far back of the building and opened the door. The room was quite spacious for one person. It was about eight tatami mats in size. The bed was not a single, but a double size. There was also a closet, a table, and a chair, and for a single silver coin, I had no complaints. Thanks to the fact that I had received a request before I left Salandir Kingdom, my pockets had some heft to them, so this was very cheap. After checking the room, I let the receptionist know that I was going out to the guild, gave her back the key and left the inn. I headed for the guild, thinking how it¡¯ll be fantastic if I could get some useful information about the Imperial Capital there. Volume 3 - CH 8 Alice the Merchant I found the guild immediately, thanks to the directions I was given. The streets were quieter than before, even though the stalls were still open. I opened the door to the guild still puzzled by this, and inside there was no one except for the one receptionist. ¡¸Is the guild here normally this empty¡­¡­? ¡¹ The busiest time for guilds are the early mornings when adventurer¡¯s come in to get requests and evenings when they report in, but even if it¡¯s the middle of the day, I didn¡¯t think it¡¯ll be this empty. When I made the bored receptionist aware of my presence, she looked stunned, as if she had been asleep. ¡¸Sorry, um, welcome to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, Torres branch. What can I do for you today¡­¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸Oh, I¡¯m planning on going to the Imperial Capital, but I¡¯d like to get some information about it, concerning the war ¡¹ I took out my guild card from my pocket and placed it on the counter. The receptionist picked it up and read what was written on it and gave me an astonished look. ¡¸B Rank!? Um, sorry, the information regarding the Imperial Capital is¡­¡­ not much ¡¹ Her expression turned solemn. Maybe not much news from the Capital comes through here. ¡¸Well¡­¡­ Even if it¡¯s not much, I¡¯d appreciate it. I¡¯ll be heading there tomorrow¡ª ¡¹ ¡¸Right now, entry to the Imperial Capital is strictly¡­¡­. Vetted, and oh, by the way! There is one request for an escort to the Imperial Capital. If you¡¯re heading there, why don¡¯t you take it? There is no one else to take it¡­¡­. ¡¹ Frankly, if I¡¯m going to be infiltrating the Imperial Capital, I¡¯d rather not have someone involved¡­¡­ But if the entrance inspection is as strict as she says, if I am by myself as an adventurer, there is a high chance I will arouse suspicion. It might work to my own benefit that I go there as an escort. It¡¯s not like I will need to hide anything from the client, like Kokuyou anyway, since I¡¯ll be in the Capital. ¡¸If they are leaving tomorrow, I can take it. If not then I might have to leave it ¡¹ ¡¸No, the client said it was urgent. If you accept, please come to the guild tomorrow morning ¡¹ Volume 3 - CH 9.1 Volume 3 Chapter 9 Part 1 I groaned unconsciously at Alice, who had a completely different expression now. Alice smiled at me warmly. ¡¸Come on, sit down. I¡¯ll explain what¡¯s going to happen.¡¹ I nodded in response, removed my weapons and stored them in the Dimensional Storage, and leaned against the other bed. ¡¸Incidentally, the couple managing this inn are on our side, so don¡¯t worry.¡¹ In response, I used Search to investigate the status of this inn. I could tell that there were quite a number of people in the upper floors. Perhaps because it¡¯s in the imperial capital, this inn is three floors high. There is a dining hall and a simple shower room on the first floor, while the guest rooms are on the second and third floor. Still, something feels off. Each floor has about four rooms, but there are tens of people on the third floor. It¡¯s too dense for an inn. ¨CThere can only be one possibility. ¡¸¡ª-Alice, who are those people hiding upstairs¡­¡­?¡¹ In an instant, Alice¡¯s smile disappeared. Then her usual smile surfaced. ¡¸¡­¡­I can¡¯t expect any less of you, Touya. Having been occupied by the Generate Kingdom, those who would need to hide¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¨C Would be demi-humans. Beastmen and Elves do not suffer from discrimination in the Lunette Empire. But humans are considered superior in the Generate Kingdom.¡¹ ¡¸Exactly. Many who were unable to escape are hiding in a few of our bases. Of course, not everyone could be saved, and there are many who were captured and treated as slaves.¡¹ Alice clenched her fists and looked somewhat frustrated. There¡¯s no way a normal merchant would know this much information. I was quickly able to get a grasp of who Alice was. ¡¸Alice, are you a spy or something¡­¡­£¿¡¹ ¡¸Hehehe. You¡¯re a sharp one. I¡¯m one of the spies in various locations. But I wouldn¡¯t mind marrying you for real, you know?¡¹ ¡¸Enough with the jokes. Get to the point.¡¹ Alice pouted in response and looked away, then continued explaining. Her explanation continued until dinner time. I ate with Alice in the dining hall, but during that time, there were no signs of those on the third floor coming downstairs. Although few in number, there were a few customers who came just to eat. We, too, continued our meal while talking casually. After taking a shower, I went back to my room, sat on the bed, and looked at Alice. ¡¸We¡¯re short on time, so I plan to move late at night.¡¹ ¡¸Right. I¡¯m fine with that.¡¹ Basically when it¡¯s late at night, I can move without any problems due to my high level. I¡¯m used to mob hunting, so it¡¯s possible for me to keep fighting for a few days with a few short breaks. Alice said she was going to take a quick nap, so I decided to do that too. ¡¸Hey, wake up. We¡¯re heading off soon.¡¹ I woke up to Alice¡¯s voice. She had already changed her clothes, and was wearing black attire with her face covered with a cloth. ¡¸Good morning. You¡¯re all ready now. You really look like a spy.¡¹ I climbed out of the bed and looked for an attire from my Dimensional Storage. I don¡¯t have spy clothing like Alice does, but I took out some blackish clothing, and was about to change ¡ª ¡¸Hey, what are you looking at?¡¹ When I was about to change my pants, I suddenly felt a gaze fixed on me. I turned to the source, which was Alice. ¡¸Come on, we¡¯re a couple, so it¡¯s totally fine.¡¹ I threw a black coat at Alice, who was smiling. ¡¸Use this to conceal your face.¡¹ Saying that, I finished changing and took the coat I threw, then put it on. I didn¡¯t have anything to cover my face, so I concealed my face with a hood. ¡¸You should have no problem wearing that. It¡¯s time to go. We¡¯re going from the back door, so I¡¯ll take you there.¡¹ We went to the first floor and entered the kitchen, opened the back door, and went outside. Just how familiar is she with this inn? Well, I suppose it makes sense, since she did say this was one of the bases of operation. We walked on a narrow path while staying out of sight. After about twenty minutes, we stopped in front of a house near the castle. Alice knocked on the door rhythmically as a signal. The door opened, and a man in his forties showed his face. He silently signaled for us to enter the house. The interior was no different from an ordinary house. The man curtly told us to follow him. We entered the furthest room in the back, where he moved the bed and removed the floorboard. ¡¸We¡¯re going downstairs.¡¹ I peeked downwards and saw a ladder at the side. I followed them down. It didn¡¯t look modest, but it looked like a secret base, making me feel a little nervous. After we all descended, the man lit a lamp. There, it looked like a deep cave, with a passageway that had been dug out for a long time. We opened the door ahead. Beyond it was a number of men and women. All of them were human, and in the corner of the room, there were weapons set against the wall. We were beckoned to sit on some chairs around a large table. There was a map spread out on the table. ¡¸Let¡¯s skip the introductions. Even if we introduced ourselves, we¡¯re using fake names after all.¡¹ The man who led us here grinned widely. ¡¸Yeah, I don¡¯t mind that. It has nothing to do with the request.¡¹ The man pointed somewhere on the map, and started talking. ¡¸This underground passageway is connected to the castle. It¡¯s an emergency escape route. And we¡¯re the ones who have been managing this house for generations. Many generations.¡¹ It was clear that the royalty in this country was well respected. This secret had been protected for many generations, for emergency situations. It could be that such a time would never come, or it could be that it¡¯s purposely not being used this time. I didn¡¯t know for sure, but I got the feeling that the people lived here for the sake of protecting this passageway. ¡¸As I have explained, the fact that this escape route leading from the castle exists also means that you can use it to enter the castle. Though we actually haven¡¯t told anyone yet.¡¹ ¡¸Why is that¡­¡­?¡¹ If they had helped right away, the members of royalty in confinement might have been saved by now. ¡¸Even if we tried to help the royalty alone, the emperor, who has a strong sense of responsibility, will surely insist on staying there. As long as the citizens of the empire here are being held hostage, that is¡­¡­ That¡¯s why we¡¯ve been protecting this secret passageway, waiting for someone who can help.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true¡­¡­ So you¡¯ve been waiting for me?¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re holding the proof, aren¡¯t you? You must¡¯ve received it from Master Gaulus.¡¹ I recalled the dagger with a carved symbol, which I received from Gaulus. I took out the dagger from the Dimensional Storage, and put it on the table. Volume 3 - CH 9.2 ¡¸That¡¯s it. For generations, even among the royalty, we¡¯ve been told to follow the instructions of the one who bears the proof, as the ¡°Guiding Hand¡±.¡¹ Did that old man Gaulus really entrust such an important task to me¡­¡­? ¡¸Also, even if we sent a large force to save the royalty, we would be discovered right away, and we wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything if something were to happen to them. That¡¯s why Guiding Hands are chosen for the task.¡¹ ¡¸And I¡¯m showing you the way. I know the castle interior. A lot has happened, after all.¡¹ Alice cut into the conversation. She knows the castle¡¯s interior? She may be a spy, but she¡¯s a merchant. ¡¸Why do you know the castle interior¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Well, now¡¯s not the time. I¡¯ll tell you about it later.¡¹ Alice¡¯s vague answer made it even more suspicious, but I decided to move on. ¡¸So, when am I going to infiltrate the castle¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯d have liked you to go and save them as soon as today, but I have things to prepare, so maybe ten days later. Right now, there¡¯s the retreat from Lian, and the enemy is rattling about, making it hard to get a read on them.¡¹ It¡¯s true that we should act quickly, whether it¡¯s saving people or confirming their safety. The request given to me was to sneak into the castle with Alice, and save the royalty. Wondering about the difficulty level of the task, I sighed involuntarily. However, I had no intention of refusing it after coming this far, and I doubt anyone else would be able to rescue them. I¡¯m sure I won¡¯t lose as long as I¡¯m in this castle, where the Hero is absent. That¡¯s why I need to do it. ¡¸Alright. We¡¯ll carry it out ten days later as planned. I¡¯ll come here again, around the same time as today.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s okay. This request can only be carried out by you, the one who bears the proof.¡¹ After checking the underground passage, we left the base. There were soldiers patrolling the streets, but we hid ourselves and went through the alleyway, returning to the inn from the rear entrance. We returned to our room. After changing clothes, I turned to Alice. ¡¸It¡¯s going to happen in ten days. I¡¯m counting on you to show me around.¡¹ ¡¸Leave it to me! We¡¯ll walk around town tomorrow during the day again, so let¡¯s get some sleep.¡¹ We lay in our own beds, which were a distance apart from each other. I turned away from Alice, and closed my eyes. I fell asleep right away from the fatigue caused by my nervousness. I woke up from the sunlight coming through the window. I looked at the bed next to mine. Alice had already woken up and left the room. I roused myself and stretched my body, then got off the bed. Since I was alone, I took the chance and changed clothes. ¡¸Where did Alice go¡­¡­?¡¹ I locked the door to the room, then went downstairs to the dining hall. Alice was resting her elbows on the counter, drinking a beverage. When she noticed me, she waved her hand lightly. ¡¸Good morning, Touya. I haven¡¯t eaten yet, so let¡¯s eat together.¡¹ Alice took her own drink and moved to the table. Even though it was morning, there were no other customers in the dining hall. Or maybe there were no other customers at all. I silently used the Search spell, and saw that there were a lot of lifesigns upstairs, as usual. It seemed that other than us, everyone else here were demi-humans. The innkeeper came out not long after, so we ordered breakfast and talked about today¡¯s schedule. ¡¸What¡¯s the plan for today? I was planning on going to the Merchant Guild during the day, but is there anywhere you¡¯d like to go, Touya?¡¹ Honestly speaking, I want to go to the Merchant Guild too. Although it¡¯s operating under commission by the country, it¡¯s basically run independently, albeit with a few diverging opinions. I want to see what¡¯s going on there. ¡¸Maybe I¡¯ll go to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. I want some information on what¡¯s going on. I don¡¯t plan on taking any requests though.¡¹ Upon hearing my mention of the Merchant Guild, Alice¡¯s expression clouded over slightly. ¡¸If we¡¯re going to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, then we¡¯ll go as a couple. We came from another country without bringing a request form, after all.¡¹ She was right. Normally, there is no racial discrimination in the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, but there are many more demi-humans here in the Lunette Empire. I received that information when I was in Lian. Currently, this place was under the occupation of the Generate Kingdom, so there weren¡¯t any demi-human Adventurers. Having only humans trying to sustain their livelihood was an overwhelming lack of manpower, I thought. If any free adventurers were to walk right in there from another country, they would surely be captured. If we went as a couple or as a direct request for an escort, it would probably be safer. ¡¸¨C Alright. Let¡¯s keep it as if we¡¯re in the middle of an escort request. Of course, I plan on saying that we¡¯re a couple only as a last resort.¡¹ ¡¸Then let¡¯s move separately. It looks security has loosened now.¡¹ The food was served to us at the perfect timing. We ate while exchanging small talk. After finishing our food, we went back to our room, and proceeded separately from there. I had asked about the location beforehand, so I left the inn and went straight to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. As expected, I saw many traces of the army¡¯s advance on the wide paths along the way. The Adventurer¡¯s guild was about twenty minutes away from the inn, and I spotted it in no time. I opened the door and entered the building. Although it was early in the morning, it was sparse inside. All of the demi-human Adventurers had either escaped or were captured, or perhaps even annihilated. The building¡¯s construction is basically the same everywhere, but the Empire¡¯s is really impressive. There are more receptionist counters in this one, and each of them is larger than normal. However, many of them are empty. I felt many gazes land on me at once, but they seemed to have dismissed me as a kid, and quickly went away. Well, anyone would think that I¡¯m a new adventurer just by looking at me¡­¡­ I went straight to the request board to take a look, but there were few request forms on it. I approached the counter and called out to a receptionist who looked like she was available. ¡¸I came from the Salandir Kingdom as an escort. How¡¯s things going on here?¡¹ I took out my guild card and left it on the counter. ¡¸Ah, you came from overseas. As you can see, it¡¯s empty here. The high-ranked adventurers have gone to war and have yet to return, and in the current conflict, even the demi-human adventurers¡­¡­¡¹ The receptionist had a grim air about her. However, as she read my guild card, her eyes suddenly opened wide, and she jumped out from behind the counter. Volume 3 - CH 10 ¡¸M-M-Master Touya!? From the Salandir Kingdom!?¡¹ The receptionist sprang out. I subconsciously took a step back and nodded. ¡¸Someone contact the Guildmaster Representative now! And give me a nomination request now! I¡¯m taking Master Touya downstairs!¡¹ The other receptionists, who seemed unmotivated earlier, immediately sprang to action. What just happened¡­¡­? The receptionist I had been talking to suddenly grabbed my arm, and brought me behind the counter. We went down the stairs, and she burst open the door at the end of the stairs. I saw a large field that looked like a training ground of some sort. But most of the injured there were sleeping. Furthermore, they weren¡¯t only humans. There were also many demi-humans. ¡¸This is¡­¡­¡¹ The war should have been over a while ago. Having this many injured during this time was a strange situation in itself. ¡¸Master Touya, I¡¯ve heard mention of your name from the Guildmaster Representative. Now that you have come to this guild, we wish to give you a nomination request and have you treat the injured. Although you¡¯ve come from another country, I assume you know about the situation here?¡¹ I nodded honestly in response. I had heard a lot of information when I was in Lian, and also gathered more information in the town on the way to the Imperial Capital. But I couldn¡¯t believe that the demi-humans who had fled to Lian and other countries knew that much even back then¡­¡­ ¡¸The war is already over, right? Why are there so many injured at this time? And I thought the demi-humans had already escaped¡­¡­¡¹ The receptionist stuttered, then her expression darkened. ¡¸But even if we¡¯re going to talk about this, we need to do something about the injured first.¡¹ I walked towards the injured who were sleeping on a simple sheet. The receptionist looked a little surprised, but caught up to me. ¡¸You may be a Recovery Priest, but you¡¯re just one person. You¡¯ll run out of mana just by treating a few people¡­¡­¡¹ I ignored the receptionist¡¯s concerns and proceed to the middle. The injured who were conscious looked at me, a stranger, as I went on boldly towards them. ¡¸Here should be alright¡­¡­¡¹ I focused magical energy into my hands, and cast a Recovery spell. ¡ºArea High Heal¡» A silver circle of light of about 20 meters in diameter surrounded me, surprising the injured who were awake. The light lasted for about a minute, and as it disappeared, I heard the surprised voices of the injured. ¡¸Hey¡­¡­ My wounds are healing!!¡¹ ¡¸Y-you¡¯re right¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I-I can¡¯t believe it¡­¡­¡¹ I ignored the men who got up, and moved to the next spot where I repeated the recovery spell. It took about six times to heal everyone there. I confirmed that the magic had worked on everyone, then nodded to myself. The receptionist is dumbfounded, with her mouth agape. ¡¸Wh-wh¡­ Th-this is¡­impossible¡­¡­ A high level, area healing spell¡­¡­? And multiple times at once¡­¡­¡¹ Normally if I were to hide my own status, I would have rejected her on the grounds of running out of mana from casting healing magic repeatedly. That might¡¯ve been logical. But I just couldn¡¯t do it. That¡¯s because both humans and demi-humans alike had suffered similar injuries. It was the utmost proof that they hadn¡¯t sided with the Generate Kingdom. Surely they must have done something to warrant such serious injuries. And taking into consideration that the Adventurer¡¯s Guild were in hiding, I think that it was evidence that the Adventurer¡¯s Guild was still seeking protection in the Lunette Empire. ¡¸That should be everyone. Does this complete your request? Also, I¡¯d like to hear the details about what happened.¡¹ The receptionist looked startled, then nodded vigorously. ¡¸Yes, it does. Would you be so kind to follow me to the Guildmaster Representative? He shall meet with you and compensate you.¡¹ The adventurers who were now healed showered me with words of gratitude. I raised a hand in acknowledgement, and left the training ground. I was taken to a private room, which looked rather luxurious. ¡¸Please wait a moment. I shall bring the Representative here.¡¹ The receptionist poured some black tea and left it in front of me, bowed, and left the room. ¡¸I didn¡¯t really want to attract any attention, but¡­¡­ I guess I¡¯ll have to explain it to Alice later¡­¡­¡¹ No matter how I look at it, I didn¡¯t follow her advice to keep a low profile. Even then, I couldn¡¯t help but think that I would¡¯ve acted any other way upon seeing their plight. A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door. The receptionist brought in a man in his forties with a trimmed beard. He looked like a former adventurer. He had a sharp look in his eyes, and I could see the outline of his muscles from his clothes. He sat boldly in front of me, and our eyes met. It must have been a few seconds before his expression suddenly softened. ¡¸The receptionist told me. I thank you for helping my guild in our dilemma.¡¹ ¡¸Well, it was a request for a Recovery Priest.¡¹ I gave a casual reply, to which the man smiled with glee. ¡¸We haven¡¯t introduced ourselves yet. I¡¯m Grucia, the Sub-Guildmaster of the guild here in the Imperial Capital. Perhaps because the former Guildmaster was a noble, he was arrested by the soldiers of the Generate Kingdom, and has already been executed. So essentially, I¡¯m the one running this place.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m Touya, a B-Rank Adventurer and Recovery Priest, from the Salandir Kingdom of the Fendi branch.¡¹ I placed my guild card on the table in case he wanted to verify it. Grucia took my guild card, and whispered something into the receptionist¡¯s ear before giving my card to her. ¡¸We¡¯ll process your card for the guild request. Please wait a while. Until then, shall we talk?¡¹ I¡¯d prefer not to talk about myself, but to be honest, I wanted to ask about the people in the training ground who had been injured. ¡¸You must¡¯ve seen that horrible sight earlier. I suppose I should explain it first.¡¹ The Adventurer¡¯s Guild provides subsidiaries to the countries they¡¯re located in, but they¡¯re strictly neutral. The guild is free to participate in wars according to the members¡¯ own will, but no one is compelled to do so. In contrast to the Lunette Empire¡¯s stance on coexisting with demi-humans, the Generate Kingdom treats humans preferentially, and demi-humans are recognized only as slaves. As for the Adventurer¡¯s Guild here in the Lunette Empire, where there are many demi-humans, they had been supporting their war efforts discreetly. However, the Imperial Capital was occupied by the Generate Kingdom thanks to the unexpected appearance of the Hero. Not every demi-human who lived in the Imperial Capital escaped. Many of them scattered and hid in facilities, the underground, and even in the slums to prevent being found. But somehow the Generate Kingdom soldiers gained some information, and raided the slums where they had set up camp. They were able to escape thanks to adventurers who had protected them, but many adventurers were lost, while others were injured as a result. That was a few days prior. Having listened to Grucia explain all that, I raised a hand. ¡¸Are you sure about telling me this much¡­¡­? What if I were a pawn of the Generate Kingdom? And how did your receptionists know my name in the first place¡­¡­?¡¹ Grucia burst out laughing and slapped his knees in response to my unexpected questions. ¡¸You, a pawn of the Generate Kingdom¡­¡­? Then that emissary of the Generate Kingdom who was in the Salandir Kingdom ¡ª why did you kill him?¡¹ So he heard the news¡­¡­ Tension coursed through my body, but Grucia continued laughing. ¡¸It¡¯s all right. The Salandir Kingdom passes information to its Royal Capital, but in the Lunette Empire, information is gathered here in the Imperial Capital. And this time, I¡¯ve stopped it from going anywhere else. So don¡¯t worry.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­As I thought, the news came here¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yes, the Guild Headquarters in Salandir Kingdom passed the information here regarding the war crime of killing the nobility of the Generate Kingdom. Personally, I think they deserved it. When I heard that the Generate Kingdom noble was killed by an adventurer, I got a kick out of it.¡¹ That means I¡¯ll be okay here in the Lunette Empire¡­¡­ I¡¯m thankful for it. Just then, there was a knock on the door. The receptionist came in. ¡¸Thank you for waiting.¡¹ She brought a tray with a small bag and my guild card, as well as an envelope. ¡¸Touya, your reward is two gold coins. I had wanted to give you more, but we¡¯re in a bad situation. Right now, we¡¯re not getting any subsidies from the castle, as it¡¯s under the control of the Generate Kingdom, so please bear with us. In exchange¡­¡­ Well, take a look and you¡¯ll understand.¡¹ I took the guild card that was placed on the table, and saw that the card was now a golden color. On the card were the words ¡°A-Rank¡±. ¡¸¡­¡­I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve done enough to earn a rank upgrade. Are you sure about this¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I¡¯m essentially in charge of the guild in this country. It¡¯s by no means formal, but I¡¯d like to do things my way until there¡¯s a new Guildmaster.¡¹ ¡¸So then, what¡¯s in this envelope¡­¡­?¡¹ I took a glance at the envelope with no address written on it. ¡¸You see, this is a letter from Efland, the Sub-Guildmaster of Fendi. He¡¯s an old acquaintance of mine. In the letter he wrote ¡ºIf Touya comes your way, please take care of him.¡» He even predicted that if you escaped, you¡¯d come to this country. How thoughtful.¡¹ Efland, huh¡­¡­ He¡¯d always looked out for me in the town of Fendi. I opened the letter with a feeling of nostalgia, and read the letter. He wrote about his concern for me, and also about Char, Al, and Natalie. Feeling a deep sense of gratitude, I put the letter back into the envelope and stored it in my clothes. I noticed that I had been in the guild for a longer time than I had expected, so I told Grucia that I was returning to the inn. Alice would probably be worried if I was out for too long. ¡¸I¡¯m planning to stay here in the Imperial Capital for a while. I don¡¯t know if I can do it everyday, but I¡¯m planning to come to the guild.¡¹ ¡¸That would be helpful. Please tell me which inn you¡¯re staying at, so that I can contact you if anything urgent happens.¡¹ I told him the name of the inn I was staying at, then left the guild and returned to the inn with casual steps. Alice was already in the room when I returned. ¡¸You took some time, Touya. What happened¡­¡­?¡¹ There was no reason for me to hide anything, so I told her about my day at the guild. Halfway through, ther expression looked a little grave, but as I finished my story, she nodded and smiled happily. ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s alright. We can trust Grucia.¡¹ I was a little relieved when I heard her response, but she continued speaking. ¡¸You had no choice this time, but let¡¯s try to keep a low profile as much as possible. To be honest, your magic ¡ª is an anomaly.¡¹ Honestly, I¡¯m aware of it. After all, I had no problem casting such a high level spell continuously. And the other Recovery Priests in the Guild had always told me that they¡¯d run out of mana after a few healing spells. I know that there¡¯s no one else with the advanced job of Sage. ¡¸We need to stay quiet until the Rescue Mission Event.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll also keep a low profile from now on.¡¹ I took out two wine glasses and a bottle of wine from my Dimensional Storage, and poured wine into the glasses. ¡¸Let¡¯s drink to our success.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I¡¯ll just have one cup.¡¹ We toasted and drank the wine. And a few days later, it was finally the night to sneak into the castle. Volume 3 - CH 11.1 It was the day of the rescue mission. It was supposed to be the time for preparations, but I didn¡¯t really have anything to prepare. Alice seemed busy everyday as she headed out, saying that she was going to the Merchant Guild. I went to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild a few times. Each time, I was taken to the private room where I often talked with Grucia. I suppose it was for the best to get a grasp of the Imperial Capital¡¯s current situation. But as I listened, I became more and more disgusted with the Generate Kingdom. I had the urge to talk about the rescue mission and request for his assistance, but as long as Alice didn¡¯t say anything, there was nothing I could tell him. I also didn¡¯t make contact with the demi-humans hiding upstairs at the inn. One time, I asked Alice about the guests upstairs, but she frowned and gave a vague answer, so I never asked again. I took a nap after dinner, after which Alice and I clothed ourselves in black. It was the same clothes we wore when we went to the secret base on the night of our arrival in the capital. ¡¸Are you ready, Touya?¡¹ I looked at her and nodded without saying a word. We left the inn from the back entrance, then moved through the streets without attracting attention. Although it was night time, there were many soldiers on patrol as they were still on alert. Every time we spotted a group of people, we had to move while hiding our presence. When we reached the house which was our destination, Alice knocked on the door with a specific rhythm. Perhaps it was part of the signal, but she didn¡¯t say a word. There was the sound of the door being unlocked. The door opened slowly. It was the man who had led us inside on the first day. ¡¸Welcome. Enter quickly.¡¹ I entered the house after Alice, and we headed to the hidden room underground with the man leading the way. There were already many people sitting at the table. Alice and I sat next to each other. ¡¸Now then, let¡¯s confirm the plan for today. As planned, both of you will infiltrate the castle and save the royalty. If that¡¯s not possible, then I¡¯d like you to at least confirm their safety.¡¹ Essentially, we knew that they were being confined in the underground dungeon, but their status was unknown. I could easily imagine how tight the security was inside. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to get past the security and save the royalty. Even if they were injured, I could just heal them. But if we were to enter combat, we would have to escape while protecting them. ¡¸We plan on creating a diversion in the castle¡¯s downtown area. We can¡¯t tell you who we¡¯re working with, but there will be enough help. All we need is to reduce the number of soldiers in the castle¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Leave the inside to me. I¡¯m more familiar with it than you may realize!¡¹ Alice said so with pride. But even if she were actually a spy, why would a single merchant know the inside of the castle? With such a question lingering, I listened to the rest of the briefing. ¡¸All right, everyone. Move out!¡¹ With the meeting over, everyone left the room and went to carry out their assigned duties. Alice and I headed on the path towards the castle via the passageway. I used magic to light the path in the dark underground passageway. Alice led the way. ¡¸Hey, Alice, why do you know so much about the inside of the castle?¡¹ I asked the question lingering inside me head on. Alice looked back at me with a slightly serious expression. ¡¸Hmm. When I was young, I lived in the castle with my relatives who worked there. That¡¯s why I¡¯m familiar with it. Well, it has been some time since I¡¯ve been there, but it shouldn¡¯t have changed.¡¹ Saying that, she immediately walked ahead of me. The passageway looked the same throughout, but split a few times. Even so, Alice didn¡¯t seem fazed at all, and proceeded without a care. ¡¸The path is split. Are you sure this is the right way¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸I wouldn¡¯t be much of a guide if I didn¡¯t remember the way. The members of royalty have to know it well too ¡ª otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t make it out alive.¡¹ Maybe she was trying to say that if anyone were to go the wrong way, something could happen. Maybe there were traps or something. We kept going for about half an hour before reaching a dead end. ¡¸It¡¯s a dead end¡­¡­ Did we make a wrong turn somewhere?¡¹ Alice looked at me, then smiled. ¡¸We¡¯ve arrived. Give me a second.¡¹ Alice investigated the wall while touching it. It seemed as if she found something, and pressed on it. ¡¸We can enter by pressing this hidden button. Though it¡¯s easier to come this way from inside~¡¹ After she pushed the button, the wall that had been a dead end suddenly turned like a revolving door. ¡¸Ahead is the underground of the castle, so be quiet.¡¹ ¡¸Okay, got it.¡¹ We passed through the door to a food storage. There were wine barrels stacked in a corner of the room, and food rations stored in bags. ¡¸I¡¯m closing the door so we don¡¯t get found out. We¡¯ll be using it again when we return, so don¡¯t forget it. Also, we¡¯ll need to cover our faces from here on out..¡¹ She gave me a black cloth, which I wrapped around my face. We checked on each other to make sure our face coverings were secure, then headed to the door to the hallway, where Alice put an ear on it. ¡¸I¡¯ll confirm the situation. Stay behind me.¡¹ I nodded. Alice tried to open the door, but then I stopped her. ¡¸Hang on a second.¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s wrong, Touya? Hurry up, we¡¯re short on time.¡¹ There was a reason I stopped her. I took out the shining necklace from my neck, and Ferris appeared. ¡¸Ferris, do you know where the royalty is being held?¡¹ ¡¸¨C I can¡¯t identify where each of them is, but¡­¡­ I can confirm that they¡¯re in the dungeon.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s fine. I¡¯d like you to check how many soldiers there are on patrol.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Alright. I¡¯ll be back.¡¹ Saying that, Ferris disappeared. But Alice looked at me with disbelief. Her mouth was half open. ¡¸Alice, please wait a while. It looks like Ferris is investigating.¡¹ ¡¸W-w-wait a minute! H-how are you able to give such precise instructions to a House Spirit!? I¡¯ve never seen anyone do that!¡¹ Although it¡¯s known that House Spirits are able to communicate, I¡¯d forgotten that Ferris was a special case, since I¡¯ve been asking her to do things for me like a normal person recently.. Since I came to this world, I knew Ferris but didn¡¯t know about House Spirits. After talking to her a lot, I discovered the nature of their abilities. Simply put, it¡¯s ¡ºBuilding Control¡». House Spirits are able to get a grasp of everything within a building. Common knowledge says that masters usually instruct House Spirits to do cleaning, manage the hot water supply, and even dispose of the sewage. In short, House Spirits maintain the cleanliness of mansions that people live in. But that wasn¡¯t all. They can grasp all matter within a building, whether it¡¯s an object or a person, House Spirits don¡¯t even leave a speck of dust uncleaned. No matter how many people there are on cleaning duty, it¡¯s just impossible to do that. There are various conditions, but I was surprised when I first learned about it. Still, I could be certain that there was no one else better suited to discern what was going on in a building. And in fact, no one knew that they were able to communicate, so I thought I was given a special privilege. ¡¸Hmm, I found myself able to do that. I don¡¯t know why though.¡¹ To be honest, I still don¡¯t know why I¡¯m able to talk to Ferris. Maybe there¡¯s some reason for it. Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m from another world. Before, I was never able to get a response from her. ¡¸¡­¡­To do it so easily¡­¡­ This has never happened before, you know!? How are you able to do so much!?¡¹ ¡¸Alice, you¡¯re too loud. What if the soldiers on patrol hear you?¡¹ Having been reminded, she put her hands over her own mouth. ¡¸I¡¯ll tell you the details later. But our priority is to save the royalty, right?¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right. I was careless¡­¡­¡¹ Volume 3 - CH 11.2 Just as we nodded to each other, Ferris appeared next to us. ¡¸I found some people entering the dungeon. There are only three people inside¡­¡­ There are a lot more outside¡­¡­¡¹ As we had expected, the security there was going to be tight. ¡¸Got it. Could you show us a way there so we won¡¯t run into anyone?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s impossible¡­¡­to avoid any encounters¡­¡­¡¹ Alice responded after thinking for a while. So combat would be unavoidable¡­¡­ Well, I was already prepared for that fact. It was a request that I¡¯d received, and it was also part of my revenge plan¡­ ¡¸Heheheh. Leave that to me.¡¹ Alice took out a few needles from her clothes, each of about 20cm in length, and smiled. ¡¸I¡¯ve dipped these in very potent paralyzing agents, so they should work quickly¡­¡­¡¹ I confirmed that I could use the Sleep spell, and nodded to Alice. ¡¸Alright, let¡¯s go then. Lead the way, Ferris.¡¹ Ferris nodded slowly to my request. ¡¸¡­¡­Does this mean I wasn¡¯t needed as a guide after all¡­¡­?¡¹ Ah, I would¡¯ve needed her if Ferris hadn¡¯t come out, but honestly she¡¯s a House Spirit who is able to analyze the whole building in a second. To be honest, Alice is now¡­¡­ ¡¸No, and if we¡¯re going to fight, it¡¯ll help if you are around. I can only do so much alone. Come on, we¡¯re short on time. Let¡¯s go.¡¹ Alice looked a little relieved and nodded. She opened the door quietly and checked the situation in the hallway. ¡¸¡­¡­No one in our way for a while. Follow me¡­¡­¡¹ Ferris went straight through the door, and walked down the hallway boldly. We followed Ferris while staying alert. Ferris led us on the right path. We ran into soldiers twice, but Alice¡¯s needles paralyzed them, and I put them to sleep from behind. Just like that, we were able to proceed underground. Alice quietly said that we would arrive at the underground dungeon soon. But before it, there was a room with a lot of soldiers, which Ferris had told us about beforehand. Just a few minutes after we went underground, Ferris stopped before a corner. ¡¸That door leads to the underground dungeon¡­¡­¡¹ I took a peek past the corner, and saw a door at the very end. There, two soldiers sat at each side of the door. Both of them were holding spears upright on alert against improbable intruders. But they seemed relaxed, and engaged in idle chatter. ¡¸Thank you, Ferris. We¡¯re probably about to enter a fight, so please return.¡¹ Ferris nodded and disappeared into the spirit stone on my necklace. ¡¸I can¡¯t believe you even have such a precious spirit stone. You¡¯re too much of a hack¡­¡­ Now that it¡¯s come to this ¨C¡¹ Alice mumbled to herself, but I couldn¡¯t hear the last part of what she was saying. ¡¸More importantly, what should we do about those two¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Yes indeed¡­¡­ My weapon is at a disadvantage against their armor.¡¹ Both soldiers sitting next to the door were fully clad in metal armor. As for the soldiers on patrol, Alice¡¯s paralysis needles worked on them. But against soldiers with metal armor, she could only aim for their faces. And if we were too loud, all of the soldiers behind that door would come rushing out. ¡¸Maybe I¡¯ll try using magic¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸If you use spells here, wouldn¡¯t that make the soldiers come out?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s alright. Just watch.¡¹ My spells have a range of about 10 meters. I quietly placed my hand past the corner, pointed to the soldiers, and cast the Sleep spell. ¡¸¡­¡­Huh, I feel sleepy¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Me too. That¡¯s strange¡­¡­¡¹ Both soldiers nodded off slowly, still sitting on their chairs. ¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡­Hey, they¡¯re actually sleeping, right? What did you just do¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Huh? What do you mean? I just cast a Sleep spell¡­¡­¡¹ Previously, I had tried to use the spells written in Natalie¡¯s spellbook. It worked, so I used it a lot to help Char and the others level up. ¡¸What?! Sleep spell¡­¡­? You say that so easily, but that kind of magic ¡ª doesn¡¯t exist in this world!¡¹ Huh? There¡¯s no such thing as a Sleep spell? That¡¯s just impossible. It was in Natalie¡¯s spellbook¡­¡­ Wait, it wasn¡¯t Natalie who wrote the spellbook. It was the Hero¡¯s diary. Well, that doesn¡¯t matter anyway. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it. Now¡¯s not the time for that. Beyond that door is the underground dungeon, right?¡¹ ¡¸Mm¡­¡­ I feel like you¡¯re just trying to dodge the issue. Yes, behind it is the soldiers¡¯ waiting room and the underground dungeon. There¡¯s just a problem there.¡¹ Alice pondered while tying up the sleeping soldiers. ¡¸Problem¡­¡­? I just need to put the soldiers to sleep like I did with these, right?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s the problem. The walls are covered with anti-magic stones to prevent escape, so you can¡¯t use magic. We¡¯ll have to fight the soldiers, and we don¡¯t know how many there are.¡¹ Honestly, I doubt I could lose to them in magic or hand-to-hand combat. After all, I don¡¯t think they¡¯re a match for me in terms of level. ¡¸Well, we¡¯re short on time. Let¡¯s just go.¡¹ I cast a sideways glance at a worried Alice and put my hand on the doorknob. I opened the door. In the room were soldiers on standby, drinking and playing card games. Even though they were supposed to be keeping watch over the Imperial Family, they probably weren¡¯t expecting anyone to actually infiltrate their way into the underground dungeon, since the security around the castle was tight. They were so out of it that when they saw us enter, they froze with their mouths wide open. Alice and I were clothed in black from head to toe. Obviously we seemed suspicious. ¡¸Th-th-the enemy!¡¹ Just as one of the men shouted, I threw a punch at a nearby soldier. Alice launched paralyzing needles at them one after another, and I put them to sleep. There were about ten of them, but it took less than a minute. ¡¸¡­¡­That was kind of underwhelming¡­¡­¡¹ Although they were supposed to be on high alert, I couldn¡¯t really blame them, since nothing had happened for more than a month. But that worked to our advantage. ¡¸Never mind that, we need to save the Imperial Family.¡¹ Alice reminded me, and I focused my attention towards the underground dungeon. There was a large dungeon cell in the very back. The Emperor, the Empress, and the Crown Prince were chained to the wall, and lay unconscious. Volume 3 - CH 12.1 The three of them seemed to have suffered abuse. The Emperor¡¯s face was discolored as if blood had clotted there, and his legs looked like they had been broken to prevent him from escaping. I couldn¡¯t help but frown at the sight. ¡¸I¡¯ll heal you right now¡­¡­¡¹ I used my healing spell, but nothing changed. ¡¸Oh, right. I can¡¯t use magic here.¡¹ I took out three high quality potions from my Dimensional Storage. Alice and I split the workload and used the potions on him. Potions can work when applied on the body, so we had him drink some and applied the rest on his broken legs and other injured areas.. ¡¸¡­¡­Ugh, wh-what¡¯s going on¡­¡­¡¹ I helped the Emperor to his feet and leaned him against the wall. ¡¸You¡¯re awake¡­¡­? I¡¯ve come to rescue you.¡¹ The Emperor barely opened his eyes and looked at me, but shook his head. ¡¸¨C My people are being held hostage, so we will not¡­¡­no, we cannot escape. However, I thank you for healing me.¡¹ The Emperor looked at the empty potion bottle, then looked back at me before bowing his head. Thinking that it was difficult to convince the Emperor, I glanced at Alice, who immediately ran up to him and knelt down, bowed her head, and removed her hood. ¡¸¡­¡­Apologies for my silence, Your Majesty. I¡¯m Alice.¡¹ The Emperor was a little surprised at first when he saw her, but smiled. ¡¸Ah, I have missed you¡­¡­ I am pleased to know that you are safe. However, I am sorry that you came all this way to save me. I must protect my people. And for that¨C¡¹ ¡¸No, we¡¯re taking you with us. That was Char¡¯s request to us.¡¹ The Emperor¡¯s eyes widened upon hearing my words. ¡¸The fact that you know Char must mean¡­¡­ she is safe. And she must have arrived at Salandir Kingdom safely.¡¹ ¡¸Yes. She was in a bit of danger, but I¡¯ve protected her successfully. And I¡¯ve also met Natalie.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­¡­ I thank you again, but still ¨C¡¹ ¡¸Show it to him, Touya.¡¹ It? What¡¯s she referring to¡­¡­ Ah, I see. The Emperor would never move from this spot if his citizens were being held hostage. However, the dagger compels even royalty to obey me. The royal dagger of absolute authority, which is sometimes used to correct the misguided policies of an Emperor. It¡¯s in my Dimensional Storage. I took out the dagger that Gaulus gave to me, and placed it in front of the Emperor. ¡¸Th-that is¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yes, Gaulus gave it to me.¡¹ The Emperor closed his eyes and gave a long sigh. ¡¸¨C I shall obey your instructions. What must I do?¡¹ ¡¸First, we must escape this place.¡¹ ¡¸However, this thing¡­¡­¡¹ The Emperor looked at the chains connected to his legs. He couldn¡¯t escape if we didn¡¯t break the chains from the wall. ¡¸Who has the key¡­¡­?¡¹ If one of the soldiers we had defeated had it on him, there would be no problem. ¡¸Well, the one who has the key is the prince who is in charge of this occupation.¡¹ It¡¯s not impossible to sneak into the prince¡¯s bedchamber and steal the key, but there was no guarantee that the royalty would be unharmed in the meantime. ¡¸For now, I¡¯ll destroy the chains so that you can escape right now.¡¹ I took out my Buster Sword from my Dimensional Storage, and swung it down on the chains. Even though they were tough, my overwhelming stats and strong weapon were able to break them in one swing. I did the same for the Empress and the Crown Prince. ¡¸Now you¡¯ll be able to escape. It¡¯ll be somewhat inconvenient for you, but I¡¯ll remove the links when we reach the base.¡¹ ¡¸You have my gratitude.¡¹ Having healed them with high quality potions, we took the royalty with us back the way we came in. The cuffs and chains on their legs hadn¡¯t been completely taken off. We didn¡¯t have much time to spare there. We could only remove their bonds when we reached the base. We arrived at the entrance to the underground passage in the food storage without being spotted by anyone. ¡¸We¡¯re safe now that we¡¯re here.¡¹ Saying that, Alice turned the wall to uncover the underground passage. Although they had probably known about the existence of such an underground passage, the royalty seemed surprised, as if it was the first time they had actually used it. Alice led the way, and I took the rear guard. The Generate Kingdom soldiers didn¡¯t know about the existence of this underground passage, so there was no way they could have come after us. Since the passage seemed safe, the expression on the Empress and Crown Prince seemed to relax a little. Alice led us through a few split paths, and we emerged in the room where we had met the others. In the room were a few people who knelt and bowed their heads in tears when they saw the royalty. ¡¸Well done, everyone. I am still here in one piece thanks to you. However, we are currently occupied by the Generate Kingdom. I apologize for being an incompetent Emperor.¡¹ ¡¸No, Your Majesty. It is we who should be sorry for our incompetence!¡¹ The men bowed their heads even lower. The Emperor broke out in a smile. I reminded the Emperor that we needed to proceed. ¡¸First, we have to remove those chains. Please wait a moment.¡¹ I placed my hands on the cuffs at their ankles and cast Dispel. There was a clicking sound, and the cuffs were removed. ¡¸Touya¡­¡­ That spell is¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Huh? It¡¯s just a normal Dispel magic.¡¹ ¡¸You know¡­¡­ Ah, nevermind.¡¹ Alice looked dumbfounded. Even the Emperor seemed surprised. Is this not a normal spell¡­¡­? Other than advanced spells, I only had Natalie¡¯s research notes and the Hero¡¯s written notes. Furthermore, only I who was summoned to this world could read what the Hero had written. I healed their ankles and stood up. The royalty invited me and Alice to sit with them, and we did. The men who were guarding this place didn¡¯t seem keen on sitting, instead standing behind us on standby. The Emperor looked straight at me, but looked a little friendlier than he did when he was captured. ¡¸First, allow me to thank you. Could you tell me about Char, who ran to the Salandir Kingdom¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Alright. I¡¯ll explain what has happened since I met Char¡­¡­ Lady Charlotte.¡¹ I told him about me meeting with Char and Al in the forest, and the battle against the Generate Kingdom soldiers. I told him about how I knew Natalie. I told him about my confrontation with the Adventurer¡¯s Guild in the Salandir Kingdom due to the pressure from the Generate Kingdom, and how we escaped from the forest to Lian. And I told him about how I trained them both along the way. Then I explained how I captured the Generate Kingdom¡¯s commander and forced the soldiers to retreat, and how I came to the Imperial Capital on Gaulus¡¯s request. I just couldn¡¯t explain how many levels the three of them gained. I doubt they would let me do as I wished if I explained the absurd circumstances of it. After I finished my story, the Emperor gave a loud sigh. In contrast, the Crown Prince¡¯s eyes lit with excitement. ¡¸¡­¡­You¡¯re truly a hero¡­¡­¡¹ The Crown Prince whispered to himself. ¡¸¡­¡­I can only say that your actions are deserving of one indeed. I shall reward you for your achievements.¡¹ The Emperor said while nodding. Honestly though, I just did what I did to lead a peaceful life. But also, about half of what I did was for revenge against the Generate Kingdom. ¡¸I was only fulfilling Gaulus¡¯ request. The matter of my reward has already been settled.¡¹ A carefree life with Ferris. There should be no problem if I earn some money by working as an adventurer. Even now, I have saved enough to not have to work for a few years. The main objective now is to retake the Imperial Capital for the Lunette Empire. My request was simply to ¡°save the royalty¡±, and so I have fulfilled it. ¡¸According to what you have said so far, the request given to you was merely to rescue us, am I correct¡­¡­?¡¹ I nodded to the Emperor¡¯s question. This should absolve me from any further involvement. ¡¸¡­¡­Then as Emperor, Touya¡­ I have a nomination request for you.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Huh!?¡¹ ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡­¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹ What the Emperor had said was so unexpected that everyone at the table froze for a moment. I was also shocked. Coming from the Emperor, it was like making a request on behalf of an entire nation. It was unheard of. ¡¸Master Touya, what is your Adventurer Rank?¡¹ ¡¸Um¡­¡­ I just became an A-Rank the other day.¡¹ ¡¸Outstanding for someone as young as you. There are very few Adventurers who have achieved A-Rank at your age. Then there should be no problem.¡¹ Efland had explained this to me during my time at the Adventurer¡¯s Guild in the Salandir Kingdom. Nomination requests are available to B-rank adventurers and above. And requests from royalty are mandated. In exchange for accepting a mandated request, however, the rewards are equally great. ¡¸¡­¡­Coming from royalty, this means a mandated request, right¡­¡­?¡¹ I asked seriously. The Emperor¡¯s face clouded over a little as well. ¡¸¡­¡­Master Touya, I already have much to be grateful to you for when you rescued us. I would appreciate it if you were to refrain from using the word ¡°mandated¡±¡­¡­¡¹ I could be granted land and a building as a reward for such a request. In the worst case, if I only received land, I still have a mansion in my Dimensional Storage, so it shouldn¡¯t be a problem. However, even though I saved the Imperial Family¡­no, because I saved them, the Imperial Capital may be burned to the ground. Would I be able to watch that happen from outside and enjoy my solitude? I¡¯m sure that Char, Al, and Natalie would fight the soldiers of the Generate Kingdom in the front lines. And I¡¯m sure that the Hero would be there too. If something were to happen to the three of them, like what happened to Al¡¯s father, would I be able to stand by and watch¡­¡­? ¡¸Touya¡­¡­¡¹ As I was lost in thought, Alice pulled on my sleeves with a worried expression. I came back to reality and nodded to Alice, then looked the Emperor right in the eyes. ¡¸¡­I¡¯ll listen to your request, then decide after I¡¯ve heard it. If it¡¯s too much, I¡¯ll have to decline.¡¹ The Emperor looked at me delightedly. ¡¸Thank you, Master Touya¡­¡­¡¹ Volume 3 - CH 12.2 ¡¸My request is¡­¡­to retake the capital. I would like your help in restoring the country to a peaceful one, in which humans and demi-humans will live together in harmony.¡¹ ¡¸Alright. And what of my reward¡­¡­?¡¹ In the end, I¡¯m an adventurer. I can¡¯t accept a request that has no due compensation. Otherwise, it would only cause future problems for other adventurers. This too was a valuable lesson that Efland taught me. He had really helped me a lot¡­¡­ ¡¸Your reward¡­¡­will be the position of a count, and a whole town. Or perhaps two. Also, I will allow you to marry Charlotte. You know her, after all.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I don¡¯t want any of that.¡¹ Even though that was all the Emperor could offer, I declined his reward immediately. That¡¯s because my wishes are completely different. I don¡¯t want to become a noble, and I don¡¯t want to govern any territories either. Yet he wants to give me two towns? What a joke. And if Char becomes my wife, Al and Natalie will definitely follow along. I could never imagine living a quiet life like that. Everyone in the room was dumbfounded by my response. ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡­¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹ The Emperor was taken aback, but he had certainly not given up. ¡¸Is that not enough¡­¡­? Then, what is your desire? I will do anything in my power to grant it.¡¹ Honestly, there¡¯s nothing I really want. I already have a mansion in Lian, and I don¡¯t want to rule over a town. Hmm, maybe I¡¯d like a place to stay when I visit the Imperial Capital. I doubt I can return to the Salandir Kingdom after this, and I plan on living here in the Lunette Empire anyway. ¡¸I¡¯d like a mansion in the Imperial Capital, and perhaps a stable to go with it. Also¡­¡­ I think there may be times when I¡¯m not around, so if you could find a caretaker¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that truly all you wish for¡­¡­?¡¹ The Emperor¡¯s mouth was wide open, probably because my request was so unexpected. Alice also looked stunned. ¡¸I just want to live a life that suits myself. I have a house spirit to maintain my residence, so I think I¡¯m alright there.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­¡­ I understand. As Emperor, I shall grant you your reward, Master Touya.¡¹ The Emperor stood up with a smile, and offered his hand. I stood up as well and shook hands with him. Alice and the men waiting behind us were the most shocked. Why is everyone so surprised¡­¡­? Never mind that, we need to let the Imperial Family escape from the capital quickly to complete the request. ¡¸What¡¯s the plan after this? We need to help the Imperial Family escape from the capital, right?¡¹ The men went straight to prepare, as if my words unfroze time. ¡¸Arrangements have already been made. We¡¯ll cause a disturbance on one side of town, and another group of people will assault and open the gates. Soldiers from Lian are already a few days away from here, so please meet up there.¡¹ If we¡¯ve come this far, the soldiers in the Imperial Capital may have seen us. It¡¯s only a matter of time until they uncover our plan, including the Imperial Family¡¯s escape. ¡¸More importantly, the unconscious soldiers will awaken soon. We need to leave quickly.¡¹ ¡¸There is an underground passage that leads to the vicinity of the gates of the Imperial Capital nearby. Allow us to take you there first.¡¹ The men left the house and quickly scanned the surroundings while Alice and I helped the members of the Imperial Family to the house. There weren¡¯t as many soldiers patrolling the area since it was some distance away from the central part of the Imperial Capital. Alice knocked on the door with a specific rhythm. The man showed himself and told us all to enter. The interior was no different from an ordinary house. It was a bungalow with a living room as we entered, and a room at the back. The only thing that distinguished it from a normal house was that there were about five men standing by in the living room. As the Imperial Family sat on the empty sofa, everyone knelt down and bowed their heads. Alice and I were beckoned to sit on the sofa that was in front of the Emperor. One of the men stood up and spread out a map on a table. ¡¸From here, we¡¯ll go through the underground passage and move towards the gates. After that, we¡¯ll coordinate with the ambush and have the Imperial Family escape the capital via carriage.¡¹ ¡¸¨C Very well. I leave the plan to you.¡¹ ¡¸Now then, let¡¯s get going ¨C¡¹ ¡¸Before that, please wait a moment.¡¹ I stopped them. The reason for that was the spirit stone on my necklace, where Ferris resided. ¡¸Please let me use the restroom for a while¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯ll be right in the back.¡¹ I locked myself in the restroom and took out the necklace. Ferris appeared. ¡¸¡­¡­This house smells heavily of blood¡­¡­ And, there are many people who aren¡¯t breathing¡­¡­¡¹ In the restroom, I felt like there were many eyes staring at me through the walls. It smells of blood, and there are many people who aren¡¯t breathing¡­¡­ Could they be corpses? ¡ª Then that means¡­¡­ My brain was running at full speed. I considered all the patterns, and thought about the worst case¨C And I imagined every scenario I could. Volume 3 - CH 13 While considering all the possibilities, I quietly cast Search. I could sense a number of people surrounding this house. Their presence originated from the basement. It was difficult to use Search to investigate the basement, but directing it in one direction made it possible somehow. ¡ª There were many people downstairs. Maybe about twenty? Why were there so many at this time? I looked at Ferris and nodded earnestly. ¡¸Thank you, Ferris. You really helped me out.¡¹ Ferris nodded with a slight smile, then vanished back into the spirit stone. I left the living room acting like nothing had happened, and returned to the living room. ¡¸What took you so long, Touya?¡¹ ¡¸Oh, sorry. I was thinking about some stuff.¡¹ ¡¸Now, shall we depart?¡¹ The men stood up and urged us to hurry. ¡¸No, wait just a moment.¡¹ Once again, I asked them to wait. The men¡¯s faces clouded over, and they seemed pressed for time. I stood up, and stood next to the Emperor. ¡¸Could we change the plan a little? Maybe just use a carriage from here instead of using the underground passage?¡¹ Everyone else, including the Emperor, was dumbfounded in response to my crazy plan change. ¡¸Wait. There¡¯s no way we can change the plan now! We have a safe underground passage for a reason!¡¹ The man looked at me with a hint of killing intent directed at me. The men kneeling were also showing me a glimpse of hostility. ¡¸What are you saying, Touya? You want to change the plan after having come this far¡­¡­?¡¹ Even Alice seemed to have doubts about my idea. ¡¸The request given to me is to allow the Imperial Family to escape and reach their destination safely.¡¹ ¡¸Why then!? We¡¯re short on time as it is!¡¹ I looked at the enraged man. ¡¸Then¡­¡­ Why are there dead bodies in the back room? And why are there Generate Kingdom soldiers waiting in the underground passage, I wonder? This house ¡ª reeks of blood.¡¹ Everyone froze. ¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡­!?¡¹ The man took out a dagger from his pockets, and threw it at me suddenly. I easily grabbed the dagger from midair with one hand, and threw it back. My stats were so high that the dagger flew quickly and struck the man in between his eyebrows, causing him to fall. Alice was able to grasp the situation in an instant. She threw paralyzing needles at the men, rendering them unable to move. The five men were instantly taken out of commission. The man who led us here was taken aback, but seemed to understand what was going on. He quickly raised his hands to indicate his lack of hostility. ¡¸I had nothing to do with this¡­¡­ Whatever you may think, I¡¯m only proud to serve the Empire.¡¹ Since the man didn¡¯t seem to be lying, I stopped Alice before she could do anything. She lowered her hands that were holding the needles. The man sighed and put his hands down. ¡¸The fact that this base was discovered¡­¡­means the others are dangerous too. How are we going to allow the Emperor to escape?¡¹ Alice¡¯s question made me cross my arms in thought. We could break through the gates head on. We would just have to destroy the gates. Most likely, the plan to assault the gates was just a lie, and in fact it could be packed full of soldiers at the gates. ¡ª The only way to escape safely would be¡­¡­ ¡¸¨C We¡¯ll break through them head on. I¡¯ll destroy the gates.¡¹ The members of the Imperial Family were a little shocked. Alice was too, of course. ¡¸Even if you say that, how are you going to escape with the Emperor while fighting?¡¹ It was a logical concern, but I had already prepared for it. I have a horse that¡¯s tougher than a carriage, and faster and stronger than any horse. ¡¸You don¡¯t have a problem with me destroying the gates of the Imperial Capital, do you¡­¡­?¡¹ I looked at the Emperor, who nodded without a word. ¡¸As long as we can escape, there is no problem. I shall listen to whatever you say, so long as you are the Guiding Hand who bears the Imperial Dagger.¡¹ The last man in the room bowed to the Emperor and left the house to return to the base and prepare for the escape. The rest of us opened the door and left the house. I checked our surroundings using Search. Although we were surrounded, they were some distance away from us. ¡¸So¡­¡­ Touya, how do you plan to escape?¡¹ ¡¸By carriage, of course¡­¡­¡¹ I smiled in response to Alice¡¯s question. ¡¸I¡¯m asking how you¡¯re planning to get the horse and carriage. Wait, don¡¯t tell me¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s probably what you¡¯ve imagined.¡¹ I took out Kokuyou and a carriage from the Dimensional Storage. The members of the Imperial Family took a step back from my Obsidian Battlehorse that had just appeared. Anyone would be expected to react that way¡­¡­ I slowly stroked Kokuyou¡¯s neck and simply told him ¡¸I¡¯m counting on you¡¹, and attached the carriage to him. ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s right. They were in Touya¡¯s Dimensional Storage. I was in such a panic I forgot¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sure this carriage will be comfortable. Char and the others seemed to enjoy it. The coach box wasn¡¯t too bad either, right?¡¹ Alice nodded honestly. The ride from Salandir was nice. Char and the others also said that it was a better ride than their own carriage. I also remembered being bombarded with questions from Alice during our trip from Lian, and I couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly. ¡¸We¡¯ll escape the Imperial Capital in this carriage. Please get in.¡¹ I opened the carriage door and called out to the Imperial Family. I told them that I would be the only one driving it, but Alice ended up sitting next to me. ¡¸It seems we¡¯re all ready. Let¡¯s move out.¡¹ I called out from the carriage window. The Crown Prince stuck his head out and nodded meekly. And slowly, Kokuyou began moving towards the gates. ¡ó¡ó¡ó ¡¸I expect we¡¯re all ready?¡¹ There were about twenty Generate Kingdom soldiers equipped and ready to capture the Imperial Family at any time. A few minutes after the Imperial Family had escaped, the soldiers patrolling the castle had begun visiting their friends keeping watch in the dungeons. They had taken up formation in a few places in the castle in case the Imperial Family tried to escape. They had found a few bases and seized the base near the gates, as well as a few other houses connected to the underground passage that led to the gates. The original residents had been tortured and executed as traitors. The Generate Kingdom soldiers took their place and stayed there. When they found out that the Imperial Family had escaped, the Generate Soldiers in the bases were told about it and repositioned. Touya and the others hadn¡¯t discovered them. It wasn¡¯t because the soldiers were near the gates, but because they were posted along the evacuation passageway from the castle. However, the base that led to the gates via the basement had been discovered, and six soldiers occupied it. By the time Touya had gone there, the six of them had received word of the Imperial Family¡¯s escape, and more soldiers had gathered. Five of them were standing by in the house, while one of them went to the underground passage where the armed soldiers were. ¡¸Hmm, they¡¯re not coming down here¡­¡­¡¹ The disguised soldier mumbled. ¡¸Are they spending more time because they¡¯re helping the Imperial Family escape? No, that shouldn¡¯t be the case.¡¹ ¡¸Right¡­¡­ I¡¯ll go take a look. I¡¯m not armed, and I could just explain that I¡¯m a point of contact in the underground passage.¡¹ The man climbed up the ladder and emerged from the floorboard of the private bedroom. He headed to the living room while searching carefully for the presence of the other soldiers, but what greeted his view were the other five men lying on the ground. ¡¸Wh-what happened here¡­¡­?¡¹ One of them had a knife stuck in between his eyebrows. He was clearly dead. The other four were groaning, and were still alive. ¡¸Hey, what happened here!? What happened to the Imperial Family!?¡¹ He tried to wake up the men and call out to them, but they had been paralyzed. All they could do was move their lips a little, and even that seemed to be their limit. He immediately turned back and headed to the basement where the soldiers were standing by. ¡¸Wh-what!? They¡¯ve already escaped!?¡¹ The platoon leader commanding twenty soldiers was enraged. ¡¸One of us is already dead, and the others seem to be paralyzed. They aren¡¯t dead, but I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be of much help.¡¹ ¡¸Mrgh. And¡­¡­the Imperial Family would be headed¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸To the gates. That¡¯s the only escape for them. Although if there were another escape route, that would be a different matter¡­¡­¡¹ The platoon leader nodded. ¡¸Let¡¯s head to the gates right away. Head back through this underground passage. You, contact the other bases and tell the soldiers to gather at the gates.¡¹ ¡¸Understood.¡¹ Having given the orders to the man, he led the soldiers to the gates. ¡ó¡ó¡ó ¡¸Anyway, how are we going to break through the gates?¡¹ Alice was still wondering how we would make our escape. ¡¸Boldly through the front, of course.¡¹ She probably expected me to have a plan of some kind, but I answered with a smile, betraying her expectations. ¡¸Hey! The Imperial Family¡¯s still with us! No matter how strong you are¡­¡­¡¹ Alice looked like she would normally never believe in an impossible plan like this. But it was something only I could carry out. ¡ª Because I carried the title of ¡°Sage¡±¡­¡­ It was late at night, but there were soldiers patrolling. They quickly spotted our carriage. One of the soldiers whistled, echoing in the quiet night sky. ¡¸Ah, they¡¯ve found us. Let¡¯s hurry to the gates. I¡¯m counting on you, Kokuyou.¡¹ Kokuyou responded by speeding up. ¡¸Hey, Touya, what should we do?¡¹ Alice looked at me uneasily. I told her to switch places and drive the carriage. I stood up on the spot and used Search to check the surroundings. After hearing the whistle, I sensed soldiers pouring towards the gates, where I focused my eyes on. ¡¸I¡¯m gonna go a little wild. We don¡¯t need the gates to retake the Imperial Capital anyway.¡¹ ¡¸That means¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯m going to destroy them.¡¹ I answered without mincing words. Alice looked surprised, and I knew why. The gates to the Imperial Capital were made of wood, but the edges were reinforced with metal. They were more than five meters high, and they were made to be rather thick to protect the Imperial Capital. It would be hard to believe that I could destroy them easily. The soldiers stood their ground as we made a beeline to the gates. There were already more than a hundred men. ¡¸Touya!¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I know.¡¹ What was about to happen was a massacre, with the pretext of rescuing the Imperial Family. I told myself that there was no other choice, and silently concentrated magical energy in my hands. The faces of Char, Al, and Natalie came into my head. ¡¸I¡¯ll definitely get the three¡­ no, all four of you out of here in one piece.¡¹ I mumbled while staring straight at the gates. The soldiers must have heard Kokuyou running, and began forming up towards us. We were already about two hundred meters away from them. My spell range is about a hundred meters. The Generate Kingdom did occupy the capital, but if I destroyed too much of the place, it would be a problem when the Lunette Empire retakes it. If a huge fire were to break out, it would hurt the restoration efforts, so I didn¡¯t use fire magic. I converted the magical energy in my hands, and prepared to launch a wind spell. ¡ª I finally got in range. ¡ºAir Cutter¡» A normal Air Cutter spell would be a single blade, but my magic is different. I launched tens of Air Cutter blades at the Generate Kingdom soldiers. It didn¡¯t matter if they wore metal armor or not. Their angry shouts turned into pained screams all at once. Then, I grit my teeth and unleashed another spell. ¡ºTyphoon¡» As the spell turned into a typhoon of a few meters in diameter, the soldiers who fell were sucked into it and blown away, along with the soldiers who were coming at us, as well as a few other houses. Only a few soldiers remained. They were cowering in the face of a spell stronger than they had imagined, and didn¡¯t dare take a step forward. Their swords were pointed at us, but were shaking in the soldiers¡¯ trembling hands. All that remained were the giant gates. I focused magical energy into my hands, and unleashed a spell at the gates. Volume 3 - CH 14.1 ¡ºMeteor¡» It was a spell meant solely for destruction. A single large, burning red meteor fell from the sky, heading straight towards the gates. It would be inappropriate to unleash it on a city due to its sheer size, but it was perfect for destroying large gates. Everyone looked up at the red meteor shining in the dark night sky. By the time the meteor came crashing down with a thundering sound, the soldiers had all run away. As they ran, they threw their weapons while screaming. The meteor landed straight on the gates, which had been evacuated. The sound and tremors of the destruction resounded around the entire capital. Dust rose high into the sky and covered my vision. The overwhelmingly hot winds stung my skin. I couldn¡¯t proceed in a state like that where I couldn¡¯t see. I signalled for Kokuyou to stop the carriage for a while. ¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡­Touya¡­¡­ What¡­¡­who are you?¡¹ Perhaps it was a straightforward question. I had said that I was the only one who could break through them directly, but in fact the spell I had cast was something that was beyond the realm of an ordinary mage. It¡¯s because I¡¯m a Sage that I could bear that much magical energy and withstand the might of such a spell. I had hidden much of my true potential, but I just couldn¡¯t stand to fail my task and regret it because of that. They say that cats often hide their claws, but I believe that there¡¯s no point in losing a game by continuing to hide my own abilities. One should use ample force depending on the situation. I preferred to finish the request as soon as possible and take things easy after that. We couldn¡¯t move on if things went on as they were. I used a water spell to lower the temperature and force the dust away. The flow of the water was so strong that it also carried some of the debris away. What I finally saw was¡­¡­ ¡¸¨C Touya, don¡¯t you think you overdid it¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡­¡¹ Not only the gates, but even the outer walls were destroyed as well. The doors themselves were probably shattered to bits, as I saw no trace of them remaining. All I saw was a mountain of debris. ¡¸How are we going to get through¡­¡­¡¹ Don¡¯t rub it in. Even I think that I might have overdone it, just a little. ¡¸A-anyway, let¡¯s hurry up and get out of the capital.¡¹ I focused my thoughts on our escape, blocking out Alice¡¯s words from my mind. Fortunately, some of the debris had been moved by my water spell. It seemed like there was enough space for a single carriage to get through. I took over the driving from Alice, and made Kokuyou run. The soldiers in front of the gates had already gone, and we were able to pass through immediately. ¡¸Alright, we¡¯ve escaped from the Imperial Capital. Now we just have to head for Lian¨C¡¹ After making through the gates, what greeted our sight was ¡ª ¡ª A garrison of Generate Kingdom soldiers. There were still many soldiers surrounding the gates from the outside, staying on alert around their tents. The soldiers wielded weapons and stood at attention. Even though it was late at night, anyone would wake up from the sound of that impact. There were less than a hundred soldiers. They had gathered and many of them were at the ready. ¡¸Touya¡­¡­ What should we do?¡¹ I nodded to Alice, who was looking at me fearfully. I made Kokuyou run while preparing to fire spells consecutively. Fortunately, there weren¡¯t any spellcasters among the soldiers. Those wielding swords were helpless against Kokuyou. They had come charging against my B-Rank Obsidian Battlehorse, but soon all of them ran away in fear. The crowd had scattered, and we took the opportunity and went through quickly. My Battlehorse was able to pull the carriage with him. We made it through the soldiers without being pursued. ¡¸We¡¯re heading straight for Lian!¡¹ We left the soldiers behind us, and made our way to Lian on the carriage. ¡ó¡ó¡ó We had safely escaped the Imperial Capital, riding the carriage attached to Kokuyou towards Lian at full speed. I¡¯m sure the Emperor would forgive me for the destruction I¡¯d left behind. Kokuyou is on a totally different level compared to normal horses. As if he knew what I¡¯d expected from him, he kept running without pause, closing in a whole day a distance that would normally take a few days. And then, we saw a few thousand troops who had set up camp. ¡¸Touya! What¡¯s that!?¡¹ We could see the soldiers from afar. The flags at their tents were not of the Generate Kingdom, but of the Lunette Empire. ¡¸That¡¯s¡­our allies.¡¹ With my enhanced vision, I recognized the flags as those of the Lunette Empire without a doubt. That¡¯s good. I¡¯m glad that I had asked Gaulus to march the Empire¡¯s soldiers here. However, what the soldiers saw was a Battlehorse pulling a carriage. It was definitely suspicious to them. They seemed to be on guard against us, shuffling towards us cautiously. However, the Emperor was in this carriage. I couldn¡¯t slow down. After about three hundred meters, I slowed Kokuyou down and headed to where the soldiers had gathered. The Lunette Empire soldiers remained on alert, with their swords and spears ready. There was a simple fence surrounding the camp, and there were about a hundred men who came before us. ¡¸Where did you people come from!?¡¹ One of the soldiers called out to us loudly. ¡¸I¡¯m Touya. I accepted a request from Gaulus, and I¡¯ve successfully completed it! The Imperial Family is inside.¡¹ The soldiers cheered in response. The crowd slowly made way for the carriage as if welcoming us, and led us into the middle. We proceeded further and stopped at the biggest tent. Gaulus, Char, Al, and Natalie were all waiting outside the tent. ¡¸Master Touya!¡¹ Char jumped at me with joy. ¡¸W-wait a second!¡¹ I caught Char who embraced me with her arms wrapped around me and her face pressed against my chest. ¡¸I knew you¡¯d come back safely. You¡¯re the best.¡¹ She moved her head back and looked up at me. My heart skipped a beat. ¡¸¨C You¡¯re hugging another girl while I¡¯ve been next to you this whole time?¡¹ Alice looked at me coldly. With Char still embracing me, I stepped off the coach seat and opened the carriage doors. The Imperial Family alighted from the carriage slowly and gracefully. Everyone knelt down and bowed their heads. ¡¸Your Majesty¡­¡­ We¡¯re glad you¡¯re safe.¡¹ The Emperor smiled in response to Gaulus. ¡¸Gaulus, you have my gratitude for your efforts. I was able to safely escape from the capital thanks to you, Alice, and Master Touya especially¡­¡­ How long are you going to embrace my daughter, Master Touya?¡¹ Char seemed to come back to reality, and let go of me. ¡¸¨C I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re safe, Father. And you too, Mother, Eulin¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸You have done well too, Char. However, you seemed more worried about Master Touya than us¡­¡­¡¹ The Emperor said with a smile. Char¡¯s face turned red. ¡¸Oh my. I wonder when that started¡­¡­¡¹ Even the Empress was teasing us. ¡­¡­Please stop that. And what¡¯s with that look¡­¡­? It¡¯s just as if she was looking at me like prey. And Alice seems quiet¡­¡­ Volume 3 - CH 14.2 I took a glance at Alice, who looked like she was trying to slink away. I grabbed her wrist to stop her from escaping. ¡¸Alice, why are you trying to get away¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Well¡­¡­ I think I¡¯m in the wrong place.¡¹ She scratched her head and looked away from me in embarrassment. ¡¸Ooh, Alice! It¡¯s been some time. You¡¯re into your disguises as usual?¡¹ Alice¡¯s shoulders stiffened. She looked at Natalie who was grinning from ear to ear. ¡¸¡­¡­N-Nice to see you¡­¡­ Aunt¡­¡­Natalie¡­¡­¡¹ Natalie¡¯s expression changed in an instant when she heard the word ¡°Aunt¡±. The air seemed to freeze in a split second. ¡¸Alice¡­¡­ I¡¯ve told you many times to call me ¡°Big sister¡±.¡¹ ¡¸B-but¡­¡­ You¡¯re my aunt¡¯s sister. Aunt ¨C¡¹ ¡¸What are you saying, Alice¡­¡­? Do I have to discipline you with magic like when you were young?¡¹ Alice¡¯s mouth was half open. Huh? Alice¡¯s aunt¡¯s sister? Natalie¡¯s an Elf, but shouldn¡¯t Alice be human? Could she be a Half-Elf? ¡¸Huh? I thought you¡¯re a human, Alice. Could it be ¨C¡¹ ¡¸You see, Alice admired humans so much that she used magic tools to transform herself.¡¹ ¡¸Aunt Nat¡­¡­ Big Sis, please don¡¯t say that.¡¹ No matter how you compare them, Natalie looked younger than Alice, so it didn¡¯t feel like she was her aunt at all. Besides, didn¡¯t she seem more immature than Alice? ¡¸You mean¡­¡­if Alice removed her magic tools¡­¡­she¡¯d look like a little girl¡­¡­?¡¹ I asked out loud, and Alice pouted. ¡¸Of course not! It¡¯s just Big Sis Natalie who looks young..¡¹ Alice said, taking off the ring on her right middle finger. Her face didn¡¯t change at all. Only her ears grew longer, like an Elf¡¯s. ¡¸See, Touya? My face is still the same.¡¹ She was right. The style that I like didn¡¯t change at all. The only thing that changed was her ears. ¡¸Still, I cannot believe that Alice and Touya were together¡­¡­ You seduced her with your sweets, didn¡¯t you, Touya?¡¹ ¡­¡­I think I shouldn¡¯t say anything. Alice told me about her sweet tooth during our conversations on the way here. But I never took out anything sweet from my Dimensional Storage. However, the look in Alice¡¯s eyes changed upon hearing Natalie¡¯s words. She looked at me as if she had just found her prey. ¡¸Hey, Touya¡­¡­ What are the sweets that Big Sis Natalie mentioned? Do you have a lot of them hidden somewhere? And by the way, you have many curiosities, don¡¯t you? Well?¡¹ Alice grabbed my arm and put her chest against it while looking up at me. I averted her gaze. ¡¸No¡­¡­ I don¡¯t think so.¡¹ She¡¯s the type of person to eat something endlessly if she got a taste of it. She would eat up all my food if I showed it to her carelessly. ¡¸Are we done?¡¹ Gaulus called out to stop our mutual teasing. ¡¸We¡¯re going to set up a tent for the Imperial Family to rest in. Please feel free to relax here while we prepare yours as well.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much. Then for now ¨C¡¹ ¡¸We don¡¯t need a tent. Touya can just take out his mansion.¡¹ Natalie said, cutting me off. ¡¸Oh, that reminds me. You have a house in your Dimensional Storage, don¡¯t you, Touya?¡¹ Alice added. However, what Alice had seen was the Guild House, not the mansion I had in Fendi. ¡¸We can take a bath there as well. Touya, hurry up and take it out.¡¹ ¡¸Natalie¡­¡­ You¡­¡­¡¹ She said too much for me to give any excuses. To make it worse, she said it in front of the Emperor¡­¡­ But there was no going back. The soldiers took us to an open space. ¡¸There should be no problem with this much space. Come on, take it out now. I want to see it.¡¹ I sighed deeply in response to Natalie. I took out the Fendi mansion from the Dimensional Storage and placed it in the open space. The soldiers became speechless when they saw the mansion suddenly appear before them. I bet anyone would be shocked if they knew I had such a mansion tucked away in a Dimensional Storage. They¡¯d wonder how much capacity my Dimensional Storage had. Even Natalie couldn¡¯t fit a single house in her Dimensional Storage, let alone a mansion this size. Even the Imperial Family was astounded when they saw the mansion. The Emperor¡¯s face twitched. ¡¸¨C I may be owing a debt to an incredible person like you, Master Touya.¡¹ The Emperor mumbled while looking up at the mansion. I smiled wryly. Honestly, I would¡¯ve preferred not to show what¡¯s up my sleeves, but Natalie isn¡¯t concerned about it. She¡¯s the type to dash off while telling me to ¡°just shove everything away¡± if anything happened. I was the first to enter the mansion, followed by the Imperial Family, then Gaulus, Char, Al, Natalie, and finally Alice. The mansion was a little small for the Imperial Family, but at least it was probably more comfortable than staying in a tent. It was certainly much better than the time they spent confined in the underground dungeon, with their legs chained up. I showed the Imperial Family, including Char, into the living room, where I sat them down on the sofa. Gaulus sat next to the Emperor and quietly had a few words with him. Natalie sat on a dining chair without a care, and started bombarding Alice with questions. I called Ferris out from the spirit stone in my necklace. I had a few questions for her. ¡¸Ferris, thanks for showing us the way when we were in the castle. I wanted to ask, is it possible to set up a bath here with nothing around the mansion?¡¹ Ferris nodded her head with her usual lack of expression. ¡¸Water and heat can be produced from the spirit stone. It has my magical energy stored within¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I see, thanks. Would it be okay to prepare a bath now?¡¹ ¡¸Yes¡­¡­Touya.¡¹ After saying that, Ferris disappeared. That¡¯s how our conversations usually go, although it wouldn¡¯t seem normal to any other person. The Imperial Family and Gaulus were speechless. Their eyes and mouths were wide open. ¡¸Master Touya¡­¡­ That was a house spirit¡­¡­ H-how are you able to talk to her¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸By talking normally¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸If only it were that easy¡­¡­¡¹ Because I somehow found myself able to talk to her, I still don¡¯t understand how exactly it happened. All I can do is appreciate the convenience I get from being able to communicate with her. ¡¸Touya¡¯s just like that, boy. You shouldn¡¯t think about it too much. After all, Touya¡¯s a Sa¡ª¡¹ ¡¸Natalie!!¡¹ That¡¯s one thing that I should be careful not to reveal. And although I¡¯ve already accepted that I¡¯m a Sage, I¡¯m ultimately aiming to become a Berserker. The Emperor seemed a little perplexed at first, then clapped his hands as if he had figured it out. ¡¸¡°Boy¡± huh. You used to call me that when I was young, Natalie. And Touya you must be a Sage. that would explain how powerful your magic is¡­¡­¡¹ The Emperor casually said that I¡¯m a Sage. He did, didn¡¯t he? Could it be that he knows about the Sage class? ¡¸¡­¡­Your Majesty, do you know about Sages¡­¡­?¡¹ I sat down on the sofa and looked at the Emperor. ¡¸Yes¡­¡­ It is something of a legend. ¡°The Sage is a job that has trained beyond imagination, exceeding one¡¯s limits and reaching the pinnacle of the ways of magic. On the other hand, Berserkers are those who have mastered the way of the warrior.¡±¡¹ I couldn¡¯t help but feel happy upon hearing what the Emperor said. It¡¯s a job that I really miss. It gave me joy from the belief that I could be myself in this world once again. Strength flowed into my hands. Volume 3 - CH 15.1 ¡¸So ¡­¡­ what more do you know about these jobs¡­¡­?¡¹ Volume 3 - CH 15.2 With the Emperor serving as their banner, the Lunette Empire soldiers quickly gathered at the base. The Lunette Empire soldiers with the Emperor as their source of strength were ready and began to make their way towards the Imperial Capital with much vigour. But the information of their arrival in the Imperial Capital had reached the ears of the Third Prince who was in control of the Capital. He had the Generate Kingdom soldiers scout the surrounding area in anticipation. Steadily advancing towards the Imperial Capital, the distance between the Lunette Empire soldiers and the Capital lessened and only a few kilometers remained. ¡¸Where the hell did Touya-sama disappear to¡­¡­.?¡¹ Char asked in frustration in the tent. Inside, Char, Altria , Natalie, and Alice slept and ate together as they were accompanying the troops to the Imperial Capital. ¡¸Char, Touya is not the kind of man who would run away, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s up one of his scary who-knows-what things¡¹ ¡¸I think so too. I am sure Touya-san is doing something in order to help¡¹ Alice chose to remain quiet as she listened to the three girls. She knew about Touya¡¯s plan to infiltrate the Capital on her own. This plan was known by her and Gaulus only. When Touya had explained his plan to Gaulus, Gaulus had frowned upon hearing it. The risk of failure was high. It is a high-risk, high-return kind of plan but it had next to zero chance of succeeding. Even so, Gaulus could only shake his head in response to Touya¡¯s enthusiasm. Maybe he was betting on Touya¡¯s Sage title. (I hope you know what you¡¯re doing¡­¡­ Especially keeping this from the three of them) Volume 3 - CH 16 The imperial gates lay in ruins. ¡ª It was Alice. Although it was done to let the royalty escape, Touya did destroy the gates. Even after taking a second look, all she could say was¡¸No matter how you see it, he went too far¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸To think¡­¡­that our once beautiful gates were reduced to this¡­¡­ Unforgivable.¡¹ ¡¸This is just too much. I¡¯ll never forgive Generate Kingdom!¡¹ ¡¸These gates that held so many memories¡­¡­ They will pay for this!¡¹ Each person expressed their anger as they saw what remained of the gates. Alice was the only one who knew the truth. Although she could just let them push the blame on Generate Kingdom, there were other members of royalty besides Char who knew about it, so it would come to light later anyway. Believing that it was best to tell the truth, she raised her hand timidly. ¡¸Um¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­ This is hard for me to say¡­¡­ But those gates¡­¡­¡­¡­ Touya destroyed them!¡¹ In response to her words, everyone¡¯s gaze focused on her. Alice felt perplexed as everyone glared at her intensely. Usually, she was full of jokes, but she couldn¡¯t find it in herself to tell any jokes in the face of their stares. ¡¸U-um¡­¡­ He stood alone against 100 soldiers¡­¡­to let the royalty escape. And to run away, he had no choice¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry!¡¹ Alice was not to blame, but she bowed her head profusely in her guilt for having accompanied Touya. ¡¸Heheh, Touya, huh¡­¡­ He would be capable of this¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸That is the extent of Touya¡¯s power? I knew I was right about him¡­¡­¡¹ Gaulus and Natalie smiled with glee and crossed their arms. ¡¸Speaking of Touya, what is he doing now, Gaulus? It seems that you know what¡¯s going on¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know the details, but he should already be inside the imperial capital. Probably going around for His Majesty¡¯s requests, in his own way. He did insist on not participating in the war, after all.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, I see¡­¡­¡¡He is easily influenced, but he is also tenacious. That¡¯s why he¡¯ll become my son-in-law.¡¹ ¡¸Natalie-sama, Touya-sama is my husband!¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. And he¡¯s also my husband!¡¹ Charlotte and Altria raised their voices in protest of Natalie. ¡¸That sounds great¡­¡­ I want to be a part of it too¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡¸NO WAY!¡¹¡¹ Charlotte and Altria shot down Alice¡¯s wish immediately. ¡¸Isn¡¯t it alright, Char? I¡¯m already of age, and yet¡­ I have confidence in my style too, you know¡­¡­¡¹ Alice proudly held up her breasts, to which Charlotte responded with a scowl. ¡¸That¡¯s exactly why you can¡¯t! If Touya-sama becomes mesmerized by your charming body¡­¡­¡¹ Charlotte rebutted, feeling threatened by Alice¡¯s adult charisma. ¡¸That¡¯s enough. We must now focus on the enemy before us.¡¹ Gaulus sighed and chided them. He was dumbfounded at how they were fighting over Touya when they were about to retake the capital, with the enemy present there. Reminded of the situation, Charlotte and the others became silent. With both sides forming up to threaten each other, the soldiers of the Lunette Empire prepared to charge into battle on command. As they waited impatiently for Gaulus¡¯s command, a young man made his way through the soldiers of the Generate Kingdom. Even though this was a battlefield, the young man wore no helmet to cover his golden hair, wore elegant clothes, and did not even have a sword on him. Despite that, he challenged the soldiers of the Lunette Empire with a relaxed expression. ¡¸You have done well to come this far, remnants of the Lunette Empire! My name is Russet von Generate, Third Prince of the Generate Kingdom!¡¹ The young man who commanded the army that occupied the imperial capital was the Third Prince. Gaulus and the soldiers focused their attention on him alone. If they captured him, the war would be over, they thought. ¡¸My, such an intense look in your eyes. It¡¯s true that if I were to be captured, the Generate Kingdom would be forced to retreat. However, I have no intention of being captured so easily, nor do I wish to at all. You there!¡¹ Upon Russet¡¯s words, the commander behind him nodded and gave his orders. ¡¸See? These are the people who defied me and tried to cause a commotion in the imperial capital. The work of a failed conspiracy hatched by mere adventurers!¡¹ Russet smiled wickedly. From behind him, a man walked out while rubbing his hands together. ¡¸It is outrageous to go against the prince. All I have done is impart vital information as the Guildmaster Representative to Prince Russel, the governor of the imperial capital.¡¹ The person over there with his head bowed deeply was the Sub-Guildmaster Grucia, who was now the Guildmaster Representative. ¡¸Thanks to your vital information, I was able to erect this meat wall. Thus, I shall recommend you for the position of the next Guildmaster.¡¹ ¡¸Ooh! I am most grateful, Prince Russet. If you have any further need of me, please give me your orders and I shall carry them out right away!¡¹ Happy with Grucia¡¯s words, Russet laughed out loud. Watching the sight unfold before them, the soldiers of the Lunette Empire were so angry, it seemed as if they could explode in a rage at any time. ¡¸Oh, what¡¯s wrong, members of the Lunette Empire? Do you still intend to invade the imperial capital that I¡¯m ruling over? It may only be adventurers this time, but how many citizens could we take hostage, I wonder?¡¹ Russet meant to take all of the residents of the imperial capital hostage. No matter how high the morale of the soldiers, there was no way they could attack the citizens of their own empire as hostages. Russet became even more pleased as he watched the soldiers become frustrated. And now, he meant to attack the hostages directly. ¡¸¨C Now, who shall become the first sacrifice?¡¹ Understanding Russet¡¯s words, Grucia dragged a young man to the front. His clothes were battered and bloodied, and his silver hair was disheveled and gloomy. Russet went to this young man, who looked like he was yet to come of age, and took a sword from a soldier who was holding the young man down. ¡¸Look closely, remnants of the Lunette Empire. This is what it means to be the victor ¡ª might is right!¡¹ Russet swiftly raised the sword. The soldiers of the Lunette Empire looked on, biting their lips and clenching their fists in helplessness. Not only the soldiers, but Charlotte, Altria, Natalie, and Alice gritted their teeth in chagrin, in their inability to do anything. ¡ª Russet swiftly swung the sword downwards. Volume 3 - CH 17.1 However, the sword did not finish its path downwards. ¡¸¡ª I caught you, bastard Third Prince. This war ¡ª is over¡­¡­¡¹ His gaze had been cast downwards, but now he looked up with a wide grin. Seeing the young man¡¯s face, Charlotte and the others wiped their grim expression and replaced it with a joyful one. It was the one who had accepted the request from the emperor himself ¡ª Touya. ¡ó¡ó¡ó Some time ago¡­ ¡¸Alright, how do I sneak into the imperial capital?¡¹ Although the gates were destroyed, there were even more soldiers keeping watch there. I could break through from the front, but if I were to cause a commotion, there was the possibility of ruining my plan. As I went around to investigate the surroundings of the castle, I noticed the defenses were thinner at the sides, as I had expected. I clothed myself in black and covered my face, then dashed towards the outer wall. ¡¸Let¡¯s see if I can climb this¡­¡­¡¹ Looking up, the outer wall seemed to be about seven or eight meters tall. There didn¡¯t seem to be good spots for my feet or a rope to make it easier to climb. I would have to use my own strength. I cast Physical Boost. With magical energy surrounding my body, I jumped all the way up. I had thought that I would barely make it, but I jumped way above the wall. ¡¸Phew¡­¡­ That was more than I expected.¡¹ I went past the wall, and landed straight in the imperial capital. I took some damage while landing, but cast a healing spell and quickly hid myself in a nearby alley. ¡¸Huh? Was there a sound nearby? You there, go take a look.¡¹ A few soldiers came to investigate while holding torches, but I proceeded further into the alleyway quietly to avoid detection. There was one person who was important to my plan. That person was so vital that my plan couldn¡¯t proceed without him. After I hid myself in the shadows and changed my equipment, I entered the building that had a noticeboard with crossed swords. That¡¯s right. It was the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. I hid my presence and entered the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. Perhaps because it was late at night, no one was supposed to be there. However, there was a man sitting behind the desk with his legs on it, waiting. Noticing my presence, he raised his head and relaxed his cheeks, waving his hand as if greeting a friend. ¡¸Yo, Touya. What¡¯re you doing so late? Still, that was pretty flashy of you¡­¡­ Those gates, it was your doing, right?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m just an adventurer who¡¯s guarding someone¡¯s wife, you know? Also, have you forgotten that I¡¯m a Priest, Gracia¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Ahahaha, you¡¯re right. I¡¯d completely forgotten. Well, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be having any guests at this hour. Wanna have some tea at the back? I¡¯d really prefer alcohol, but we¡¯re still on the job. I guess no one¡¯ll find out, but we¡¯ve got some annoying people¡­¡­ Oh man¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Well, it is pretty late, so I guess I¡¯ll have some tea.¡¹ Seeming satisfied with my response, he beckoned me to the second floor and showed me to a private room. ¡¸This room is¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s the Guildmaster¡¯s room. And the Guildmaster isn¡¯t here. It¡¯s essentially my room now. We¡¯ll be able to talk about everything here¡­¡­ right?¡¹ As he boiled hot water and prepared some black tea, he looked back at me and smiled. No matter how I saw it, it looked like he was plotting something behind that smile. He poured the black tea and placed a cup in front of me, then sat in front of me imposingly, bringing his cup to his mouth. ¡¸So, what kind of plot am I going to be a part of¡­¡­?¡¹ We were smiling at each other like corrupt officials in a conspiracy. My thoughts can be pretty wicked sometimes, but I get the feeling that Gracia will carry it out for me. He was able to conceal an adventurer who had sustained such serious injuries, and I don¡¯t think he bears any hatred towards demi-humans. After hearing my thoughts, he took some time to think, then continued speaking. ¡¸Well, I know that you¡¯re trying to do something. You let the Emperor go, after all. And it¡¯s pretty rare for you to use your Obsidian Battlehorse to act as a carriage horse. I may not have figured out that it was you if it weren¡¯t for Efland¡¯s letter.¡¹ That old man Efland¡­¡­ Just how much about me is he telling people? But Efland is a trustworthy man. And Gracia, who was sitting in front of me, would be a vital part of my plan this time. Without Gracia, I would definitely have zero percent chance of succeeding. ¡¸Actually, I have a request. That¡¯s¡­¡­¡¹ After I finished explaining, even Gracia seemed a bit bewildered, as if it was out of his expectations. If he failed, it would put himself at risk, and his adventurers, his own friends, would be in danger as well. Still, if we succeeded, the return would be great. To put it more accurately, the benefit would be putting an end to it all. Not saying anything else, I reached out for the cup with the black tea. The whole room was dominated by silence for what seemed like a few minutes, then Gracia laughed maniacally. ¡¸You¡¯re great, Touya. That¡¯s fun. If we succeed, it¡¯ll all come to an end. And I¡¯ll officially become a real Guildmaster.¡¹ ¡¸I thought you wanted to be a nobleman, not a Guildmaster?¡¹ He waved his hand with an upset expression on his face. ¡¸Now why would I be interested in becoming a nobleman? By being in this guild, it¡¯s the same as becoming a king of a country. If I were to become a low-class nobleman, I would still have to bow down to the higher ranked nobles. I wouldn¡¯t want that.¡¹ I can agree with how Gracia feels. I wouldn¡¯t want to become a noble either. All I want ¡ª is a life of peace and quiet. ¡¸You¡¯ve said it. Saving up some money for a place to live in, and eating delicious food with a smile is the best.¡¹ ¡¸Yup. And some tasty alcohol to go with it.¡¹ We looked each other in the eyes, and laughed. Having laughed his fill, Gracia drank the tea in his cup in one big gulp, then made a huge sigh. ¡¸I¡¯ll go along with your plan. The chance of success¡­¡­depends on me, huh?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right.¡¹ ¡¸You rely on people too much. If I betray you, it¡¯ll all be over for you.¡¹ ¡¸I trust Efland. I¡¯ll do it.¡¹ It seemed as if my words had improved his mood. Grucia stood up and opened a shelf behind the desk, taking out a beautifully decorated glass bottle and two wine glasses. ¡¸I¡¯m in a good mood, so drink with me for a bit. Since you¡¯re sneaking into the imperial capital, you don¡¯t have a room to stay in, right?¡¹ ¡¸I guess. But are you sure we should drink? You¡¯re still on the job.¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯re still working now, right? Working on the plan to mop up the rats for the Lunette Empire, that is.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll have a glass then.¡¹ Grucia poured the wine, then we toasted to each other before drinking. Although the alcohol was strong, the pleasant taste spread within my mouth. Volume 3 - CH 17.2 ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s delicious, and the bottle looks appealing¡¹ Grucia nodded with satisfaction, and raised the bottle proudly. ¡¸I know, right? This was pretty expensive, you know? I happened to see a foreign merchant sell it by chance, and bought it right there. That merchant was also a beauty, so that was great too. On top of that, the bottle is a work of art. I fell in love at first sight and pounced on the opportunity.¡¹ As if remembering that very moment, Grucia began humming happily and drinking from his glass. The one who sold the wine¡­¡­must be Alice. She does look beautiful. And by the way, the one who sold the wine to Alice ¡ª was me. This wine didn¡¯t exist in this world. It was something I took out of the Dimensional Storage. Once, I let Alice drink it in celebration, but then she threatened me into selling her a few bottles. And she even stripped down to her underwear on the spot¡­¡­ We were in a double room, so she dismissed all reasoning I tried to bring up She relented in exchange for five bottles. Remembering that whole incident, I smiled wryly. That was really scary¡­¡­ That incident made me reassess the danger that the mixture of alcohol and women pose and further made me more cautious especially after Natalie had drugged me with that suspicious ale. ¡¸I could only buy one bottle back then, but I¡¯ll buy more next time if I see it again.¡¹ He continued pouring more wine into the empty glasses. Well, I suppose if Grucia succeeds in this task, I wouldn¡¯t mind giving him two bottles as a gift. We enjoyed the wine while discussing the details of the plan and exchanging stories about Efland. ¡ó¡ó¡ó I grab Russet¡¯s wrists and put in just a little bit of strength, which easily makes him lose his balance. Then, I take out a dagger from the Dimensional Storage and place it at his neck. I put some pressure on the blade, drawing a red line on his neck. Blood begins trickling from it. ¡¸Release everyone you¡¯ve captured. And pull back all your soldiers from the Lunette Empire.¡¹ Russet¡¯s eyes widened in response. He tried calling out for help, but I punched him in the chest to shut him up. The soldiers, who were taken aback by surprise at first, have drawn their swords and are charging at me. ¡¸¡­¡­Are we testing to see if my blade is faster, or if you¡¯ll put me down first? What will happen to all of you if the Third Prince dies, I wonder¡­¡­?¡¹ They can easily imagine the results. The soldiers put down their swords with a frustrated look. ¡¸That¡¯s better.¡¹ With those words, I take out some rope from the Dimensional Storage. One by one, I cut the ropes binding the hands of the Adventurers, who had been acting as hostages. Then, I used the rope I had taken out to tie Russet up. With one person carrying Russet, the fifty Adventurers begin walking to Gaulus¡¯s camp in high spirits. Having pulled it off splendidly, Grucia smiled happily and patted my shoulder lightly. Telling me that the rest was up to me, he went off with the Adventurers. ¡¸The soldiers of the Lunette Empire won¡¯t be able to attack if their own citizens are used as a shield. So if the Adventurers were to be captured and made as a meat shield, the empire would be limited in their options, giving us an advantage.¡¹ Russet suspected Grucia at first, but was convinced when Grucia asked to be made a Guildmaster himself with Russet¡¯s backing in exchange for the information. Convinced that the Generate Kingdom would gain the advantage without losing a single soldier, Russet smiled and shook hands with Grucia. The captured Adventurers, myself included, were then locked in the underground dungeon of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. Other Adventurers who had those captured would act as guards. Russet bought into Grucia¡¯s words, and allowed them to put the wayward adventurers under guard without sparing a single soldier from the Generate Kingdom. In fact, what was in the underground prison was just a simple fence, and there were no changes to the Adventurers¡¯ quality of life. The captured Adventurers were to wear the clothes they were wearing while injured, and their faces were to be covered in mud to make it look like they were badly treated as captives. To be frank, I was a little hesitant to make them wear blood-stained clothes, but there was no other way about it. After that, Grucia urged for Russet to execute one person to make an example when the Adventurers were brought out in the front lines as a meat shield. Of course, that one person would be me. Since Russet understood that he would have the absolute advantage, he quickly agreed. And when I got close to him, it would be a checkmate. Having captured Third Prince Russet, the chain of command was well disrupted. If a member of royalty were to die, it would be hard to imagine how much punishment their commanders and soldiers would have to suffer. Thus, it was easy to have them return control of the imperial capital. Although the Third Prince is relatively low in terms of power, the king favors him the most due to their resemblance, as the First and Second Princes resemble the queen. And the present king had created a system based on meritocracy, in which the successors could gain power depending on the fulfillment of their roles and their accomplishments. After the army of the Generate Kingdom had retreated from the capital, the Lunette Empire soldiers who came from Lian decided to establish a fort in front of the gates. The Generate Kingdom set up a fort a few kilometers away, where negotiations would take place. We demanded them to liberate all conquered towns, initiate a full military retreat, reparations, and the return of all citizens of the Lunette Empire who were made into slaves. However, it would be difficult for the commanders alone to come up with an answer, so we had Russet write a letter. ¡¸Hey, you know what to write for the letter, right?¡¹ In response to my words, he began writing frustratedly. We were in the underground dungeon of the castle. I alone was talking to Russet from the other side of the prison bars. He was in the same condition as the royalty who had been confined, wearing shoddy clothes and with his feet chained to the wall. ¡¸Wh-why¡­¡­ why do I, a member of royalty, have to be locked in a cell in such a manner¡­¡­¡¹ With a face twisted in disgust, he kept writing as I told him. After I read over the letter to confirm that there were no issues, I had one of the soldiers waiting outside come in and guard him in my place. Then I left the dungeon. I called out to another soldier to bring me to the audience chamber, where the emperor, the royalty, and Gaulus were waiting. I sat in an empty chair, and placed the letter that Russet had just written on the table. ¡¸I had Russet write a letter to the Generate Kingdom. I believe this should do.¡¹ The Emperor read the contents of the letter, and looked at Gaulus. He then nodded and smiled. ¡¸Well done, Master Touya. I could never have imagined that you would be able to take back the imperial capital without a scratch. You have my deepest gratitude. I hereby acknowledge that you have fulfilled my request.¡¹ I nodded in response to the Emperor. ¡¸The rest is in your hands, Your Majesty. I look forward to the matter of my reward.¡¹ I stood up and bowed, then left the audience chamber. With that, I was finally free. In such a situation, I wouldn¡¯t expect a reward immediately. After all, it had been a few short days since we took back the capital. I had been using the guest chamber in the castle, but I was planning to stay at the inn at the imperial capital soon. After this, it would be best for the people of this world to give their full efforts themselves. I¡¯m an anomaly within this world, after all¡­ Volume 3 - CH 18.1 After retaking the Imperial Capital, the Emperor announced the recapture of the Lunette Empire to the entire country at once. He immediately sent out delegates on horseback to notify each district. As expected, upon just retaking the Empire, the reconstruction was under way. The only remaining city yet to be returned was the human city which was adjacent to the Generate Kingdom, but it¡¯s only a matter of time. My job here is done. ¡ª- Although I still feel like I could do more to help. ¡¸Hey, Touya-sama, are you listening?¡¹ ¡¸Uhm, yeah¡­¡­ I was just thinking about something¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸You were probably thinking about something unspeakable, weren¡¯t you, Touya-san?¡¹ I was with four women in the reception room. Volume 3 - CH 18.2 When I opened the door, there were not many adventurers, perhaps because it was lunchtime, but everyone looked entertained and the pub sounded lively behind the door that attached it to the guild. There were five receptionists seated at the table who had recently returned to the Capital. The staff was both human and demi human. I presented my guild card to a vacant receptionist and asked her to take me to Grucia. Initially she looked at me suspiciously, but when she saw my guild card her expression instantly changed. She stood upright and bowed, and then she ran to the back and out of my view. Grucia¡­¡­ What did you tell them? Within a few minutes, the receptionist returned, out of breath, and led me to the guild master¡¯s office. The receptionist walked nervously in front of me and knocked on the door to Grucia¡¯s office. ¡¸Guildmaster, Touya-sama is here to see you ¡¹ ¡¸Come in, please ¡¹ When the answer came from inside the room, the receptionist opened the door and led me into the room. The room was the same as the last time. ¡¸I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here. Have a seat. You can go back now ¡¹ ¡¸Excuse me ¡¹ As soon as we were alone in the room, he got up from his desk and sat down across from me. ¡¸It¡¯s been a while since we last saw each other¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it has¡­¡­ ¡¹ Volume 3 - CH 19 Today the Imperial Capital is the most crowded I¡¯ve ever seen. For the past 20 days things have been hectic. Everyday Grucia called me in for requests. Most of the requests were for the removal of rubble, which relied on my Dimensional Storage. I was not working alone of course, even the castle was providing quite a bit of assistance, and I was working with other adventurers to remove the debris. In the few days since I joined, the destroyed gates and the mansions have disappeared, and although there are still some depressing areas, the Capital has recovered enough to hold the ceremony and festival. Merchants from various cities have come in large masses to the Imperial Capital, and the city has become livelier as it worked towards the rebuilding of the Lunette Empire. At the moment though, I am a doll being dressed in an assortment of costumes by the maids. In addition, I have to endure the embarrassment of being watched by Char and Al¡­¡­ ¡¸Touya-sama, let¡¯s try this one next¡¹ From a hanger with a number of clothes, which would normally be worn by noblemen, Char and Al pulled them one by one, and the maids dressed me in them. ¡­¡­ Why is this happening to me¡­¡­? ¡¸Can¡¯t I just wear my usual robe? I¡¯m supposed to be an adventurer after all¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not appropriate for the guest of honour to be dressed like that. You¡¯re receiving the reward after all¡¹ Char and Al have already decided on their outfits, and the fact that I was staying at the inn near the Adventurer¡¯s Guild for the past few days due to a request delayed my fitting. No¡­¡­ it is more likely they refrained from telling me until the last minute to prevent me from escaping, no less¡­¡­. I did as I was told and became a dress-up doll, and at last I put on aristocratic clothes that Char and Al seemed to agree on. ¡¸You look great, Touya-sama. You¡¯ll have no problem going out in public with these¡¹ ¡¸It suits you so well, Touya-san! In fact I¡¯d like to walk beside me in armour¡¹ Char is in a dress and Al being a knight of the Kingsguard, is wearing silver and white armor of the Knights of the Kingsguard that had a pure white cloak. Honestly, this is not me. I¡¯m embarrassed to be seen wearing this¡­¡­ I looked in the mirror at the outfit I was wearing and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, but everyone in the room seemed to have decided on this one. Maybe it¡¯s not so bad. The maids around me seemed to agree as well. ¡¸We¡¯ll be going ahead then. I¡¯ll see you at the ceremony¡¹ ¡¸See you later, Touya-san¡¹ Char and Al left the room. Afterwards, I, along with the butler who was guiding me, headed to the place where the ceremony would be held. Near the venue, there was an anteroom for the nobles who had come to the Imperial Capital, and in the corridor there were a number of people who appeared to be the heads of the nobility. They were all of a certain age, and they were discussing things while looking at me. I probably stood out by being the youngest. Feeling uncomfortable, I was ushered into one of the waiting rooms. When the butler knocked, a voice came from inside. ¡¸Oh, Touya¡­¡­ You look great, by the way. I¡¯m really looking forward to the ceremony now¡¹ I felt as if there was something behind those words, but I chose to think nothing of it and took a seat across from him. The maid who had been waiting for me soon made me a cup of tea to quench my thirst. ¡¸I¡¯m not sure why I need to be dressed like this though¡­¡­?¡¹ Even though I met everyone as an adventurer and could simply wear my usual clothes, Char and Al were adamant in their refusal. ¡¸You can¡¯t blame them. You¡¯re the star of the show, after all¡¹ ¡¸This was just a request, which I am paid for. I¡¯m not even sure if I should participate in this event¡¹ In fact, I have no desire to participate in a gathering of nobles. I haven¡¯t met any shitty nobles in Lunette Empire like those from Salandir Kingdom yet, but it¡¯s only ¡®not met¡¯ and I don¡¯t know what kind of nobles they are. The only people I am acquainted with here are the Emperor and Gaulus. But as a mere adventurer I can¡¯t spend the rest of the event talking to them. While we were chatting and discussing the situations of the reconstruction, there was a knock on the door and a maid entered to summon us. ¡¸Everyone is here¡¹ ¡¸Oh, okay. Come on, Touya, let¡¯s go¡¹ We both left our seats and the maid led us to the ceremony room. I didn¡¯t know where to line up, so I simply followed Gaulus. When we entered the room, the nobles in their formal attire were cheerfully chatting away. There were many demi-humans such as Beastmen and Elves, but the human race was still the most numerous. They all mingled with one another without any bad rapport between their races. When Gaulus entered the room, the chatter stopped all together, and all eyes were on Gaulus and me. I walked behind Gaulus, feeling out of place. Gaulus chose to take a seat near to the throne. ¡¸Touya, you can sit here¡¹ I sat down on the chair that was provided. It was uncomfortable sitting in a hall with basically a few chairs while everyone remained standing and chatting. The nobles began to line up to greet Gaulus. Gaulus also stood up and greeted them, and the more of the nobles began to gather around him. Is he that popular¡­¡­.? ¡¸It¡¯s been a while, Gaulus-san. Impressive feats in the battle as usual¡¹ ¡¸I didn¡¯t do much; it¡¯s all thanks to my men¡¹ ¡¸Well¡­¡­ that¡¯s very humble of you. And the young man next to you is ¡­¡­?¡¹ I bowed slightly to the nobleman who glanced at me while paying attention to Gaulus. ¡¸This young man¡¯s name is Touya, and he¡¯s an adventurer. He¡¯s here because he was part of the war and he was of great help¡¹ ¡¸An adventurer¡­¡­.?¡¹ The nobleman wrinkled his brow and looked dubious. I can guess what he is thinking. The Adventurer¡¯s Guild might have made me somewhat famous in the Imperial Capital, thanks to the information it was spreading. But the nobles don¡¯t seem to have heard of it. And seeing me sitting at the seat of nobility makes them question my presence here as an adventurer. I am confused. But Gaulus did not seem to mind, and introduced me to the nobles who came to greet him. There were so many of them that there was no way I could remember their names. Some were friendly and some were hostile. The friendlier were the demi-human nobles and the more hostile were the human nobles. When the greetings were over, I felt exhausted and sat back in my chair and let out a sigh. Gaulus seemed to be in the same mood, and looked completely exhausted. ¡¸I had left everything to my son¡­¡­. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been this tired¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­. I¡¯m exhausted from just being next to you¡¹ ¡¸Well, this is also the role of a nobleman. Still, Touya, about the reward you are to receive today, accept it graciously¡¹ I tried to understand what he meant by that. Accept everything?¡¡Why is that so important? It¡¯s only a house¡­¡­ Gaulus did not say anything more on that, so I did bother thinking more on the matter. A tune began to play in the hall, and Gaulus left his seat and moved to another spot. ¡¸Touya, stand next to me¡¹ As Gaulus instructed, I stood next to him and waited, and then the royal family entered. Char, the Crown Prince, and then the Emperor, accompanied by the Queen, entered. Seeing that everyone bowed at the same time, I followed suit and bowed as well. After a few moments of bowing, the words ¡¸raise your head¡¹ came from the throne, and everyone raised their heads at the same time. The Emperor wore a crown, and with his imposing appearance, he was truly an Emperor. He had a certain elegance about him. In the same way, Char and the rest of the royal family were also smiling with a different kind of grace. Then, the Emperor spoke up. ¡¸I¡¯m glad that we can all be gathered here in the Imperial Capital again. We were once defeated by the Generate Kingdom, and we lost many of our precious comrades. However, with the help of many, we have been able to regain the capital and rebuild it, for which I am grateful ¡ª-¡¹ The Emperor continued at length to talk about gratitude and the rebirth of the country. Afterwards, the new organization was announced, and to my surprise, Al was to be the new Vice Commander of the Kingsguard. The reason why he wasn¡¯t made the Commander might be because she has to guard Char. It was also announced that Natalie would be reappointed as the First Court Mage. Some of the nobles were surprised to see her reappointed after more than ten years out of office, but no one complained. The reappointment of the ¡¸Sage of Twilight¡¹, whom everyone must have heard about as a child, is a symbol for them of the revival of a powerful nation. When I heard this announcement, I instinctively thought to myself, ¡¸Good luck everyone¡¹. After the announcements of the new organization, we moved on to the awarding. ¡¸First of all, I would like to present an honour to Gaulus, who made a great contribution to the recapture and reconstruction of the Imperial Capital in place of the late Garret, the leader of the Kingsguard. Step forward ¡¹ ¡¸Hai! ¡¹ Gaulus went in front of the Emperor and knelt down on one knee and bowed. ¡¸Gaulus, it was a great cause for you to come from Lian. It is to your great credit that we have reclaimed the Imperial City. Therefore¨C ¡¹ After Gaulus¡¯ achievements were described, he was awarded. He was to rule not only Lian, but another city as well. Since the two cities were so far apart from each other, he would probably have to appoint a deputy, but it would still increase his authority in the country. At the end of his awarding, Gaulus came back to stand next to me. He turned to me and grinned. ¡¸You¡¯re next,¡¹ he said. ¡¸Get ready¡¹ I don¡¯t understand what the big deal is; the reward for the request should just be stated and be done with. ¡¸Now, let¡¯s move on to the first awarding for the recapture of the Imperial Capital ¨CTouya-dono, please come forward ¡¹ When I was called, I followed Gaulus¡¯ example and went in front of the Emperor, knelt down and bowed. ¡¸There is no one else in this Empire who has achieved such distinction in battle as you have. Many of you in the audience may not know what he has done. I¡¯ll have his achievements made known to you today ¡¹ At the Emperor¡¯s words, one of the men beside him began to read the paper on which my achievements were inscribed. Volume 3 - CH 20 I rescued Charlotte and Altria as they fled to the Salandir Kingdom to find Natalie the Sage, and defeated the soldiers of the Generate Kingdom who were pursuing them. I brought the Princess and Altria to meet Natalie the Sage and protected them during their stay in Salandir Kingdom. I defeated the nobles and the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, who, despite being adventurers, had succumbed to the pressure of the envoys from the Generate Kingdom. I trained Char, Altria and Natalie to raise their levels and led them through the forest to Lian. I captured the commander of the Generate Kingdom as they were about to attack Lian, forcing him to give up all his weapons and retreat. I broke into the Capital together with my accomplices, snuck into the dungeon, defeated the Kingdom¡¯s soldiers, and rescued three members of the royal family. I and the Adventurer¡¯s Guild captured the Third Prince, the commanding general, in a ruse to retake the Capital. After the recapture, I worked with the Adventurers¡¯ Guild to help rebuild the Capital. I know my exploits, and more importantly I know I did not achieve them all on my own. I can only say I¡¯m mortified to hear them praise me for all these. I certainly could not have done it alone. On top of this, is the fact that I was only fulfilling requests. Even so, the nobles in attendance sounded impressed by my achievements as they were being read out loud. It is a feat that no one could have done alone. I wonder though, if I were a nobleman, what would be my reward? I¡¯m only asking because I already know what my reward is going to be as an adventurer. After everything had been read out, the nobles applauded noisily. ¡¸ Silence. I will now announce Touya-dono¡¯s award. I hereby knight you Marquis, and betroth you my daughter, Char, and the Vice Commander of the Kingsguard, Altria. In addition, I offer you a residence in the Imperial Capital. You will, however, not be obligated on the duties of a nobleman, of course. At last the provisions for the preparations ¡ª¨C¡¹ I was completely stunned. I had refused to become a nobleman. And now I¡¯m to be married to Char and Al? I¡¯m not expected to carry out my duties as a nobleman though? All of these, is over the top. I looked up at the Emperor and Gaulus, and the both nodded affirmingly. It¡¯d be immature to display my displeasure by revealing my anger and escaping out of the room. I¡¯ll just have to bide my time and wait for an opportunity later. ¡¸¡ª- This concludes the reward for Touya-dono ¡¹ ¡¸¡ª- Oh, thank you very much. I humbly accept this honour ¡¹ He bowed once and returned to Gaulus¡¯ side. ¡¸Gaulus, you knew¡­.. didn¡¯t you ¡­¡­? ¡¹ I asked him without turning my head, but from the corner of my eye I could see him nod slowly. ¡¸Let me explain it to you later. It was going to be a big problem if you didn¡¯t accept ¡­¡­.¡¹ ¡¸A big problem¡­¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯ll explain it to you later. We should focus on the present activity¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸All right. If all these is for some trivial reason, I¡¯ll leave the Empire, understood?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ It¡¯d be a shame if you were to run away¡¹ Then he went silent. Looks like I¡¯m not going to get an explanation here. Even though I¡¯m in a bit of a mood, I get a sense that Char is looking at me intently sitting at the side of the Emperor. I let out a sigh, wondering if I could coldly dodge the teary-eyed look she was giving me with rosy cheeks. After the ceremony was over, the nobles went back to their homes and I was led to the reception room. Inside, the four members of the royal family and a few other noblemen, including Gaulus, were waiting for my bothered self. ¡¸Please have a seat first ¡¹ I didn¡¯t bow to the Emperor, and sullenly sat down. ¡¸Touya-dono, you look unsatisfied. And I can understand why. But, you see, I was in a situation where I was forced to knight you ¡¹ I don¡¯t understand how he could have been forced. More importantly, I did not approve of my marriage to Char and Al. ¡¸To tell the truth, the nobles had already heard of Touya-dono¡¯s achievements to some extent. They knew you were unwed, charming, and above all, powerful. Do you understand what the nobles with daughters thought when they heard all this? ¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­¡­ ¡¹ It¡¯s easy to guess. They will go so far to use their privileges of nobility to have me under their command and have me marry their daughters. It¡¯s the same in every country. ¡¸If you are just an adventurer, I don¡¯t know what some nobles would try to pull. But Touya-dono, you would no doubt easily overwhelm them with your power. And as such the nobles would be in certain danger. That is why I knighted you ¡¹ ¡¸To put it simply, you did all this to protect the nobles¡­¡­. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I guess you could put it like that. Still, there must be some merit to you, Touya-dono. You don¡¯t have to manage a territory or fulfill the duties of a nobleman. In addition, even if a noble were to make a pass at you now, they would not be able to impose on you due to your position as a Marquis. There are only two dukes in this empire that are higher than the rank of Marquis. One of them is Gaulus, one of the families that will become your patron. And since Princess Char is your fianc¨¦e, if necessary, I will also be your patron ¡¹ There are several Counts and Marquises, but only two Dukes in the Lunette Empire. One is Gaulus, and the other is the noble family that rules over the Elven district. The nobles who rule over the cities are the Counts and Viscounts, and there¡¯s no way they can come down hard on me as a Marquis, especially having the Emperor and a Duke as my patrons¡­¡­ ¡­¡­ He seems to have thought this through. He can protect the country¡¯s nobility, and at the same time bind me to the Empire through marriage and status. Well, the point of no nobleman¡¯s duty does alleviate some stress. ¡¸Yes¡­¡­ I understand¡­¡­ If push comes to shove, I¡¯ll only destroy the entire compound of a hostile nobleman¡­¡­ ¡¹ I have to be upfront about this. Actually if anything does happen, I can just put the entire residence of the nobleman in Dimensional Storage. However, the Emperor¡¯s pale face as I mention this, reminds me of the time when we were breaking out of the Imperial Capital and I had to destroy the gate. ¡¸On the other important issue, the mansion has been arranged for you and I¡¯ve already sent maids, so you can live there whenever you want ¡¹ Gaulus interjected to change the subject. That is good news, I have been staying in the castle for way too long and haven¡¯t been able to spend much time with Ferris. When I¡¯m in the castle, she doesn¡¯t like to come out much. I think there is a reason for this, but I don¡¯t know what it is, because Ferris never talks about it. ¡¸If that¡¯s the case, I can go today¡­¡­ I¡¯d like to see it ¡¹ ¡¸I have the carriage ready for you not far from the castle, and I¡¯ll have it ready in no time ¡¹ ¡¸No, it won¡¯t be necessary. I want to take stroll, so just tell me where it is and I¡¯ll be fine ¡¹ ¡¸Even so, since you¡¯re a Marquis now¡­¡­ I¡¯d like you to take the carriage just for today ¡¹ I nodded at Gaulus, who was reluctant that I go on foot. ¡¸Okay, I¡¯ll do that for that reason. Another thing, I¡¯ll be taking it easy for a while, so I might be hole myself up in the mansion. Please contact me if you need anything ¡¹ ¡¸I understand, I will do so ¡¹ When the conversation was over, I left the room and the maid led me out of the castle. Perhaps the servants had already been informed, but a carriage had been prepared for me. It was a carriage for the royal family, and it looked very different from the ordinary carriages. ¡¸It is conspicuous to ride in such a carriage, isn¡¯t it¡­¡­? I¡¯ll have to take out my own carriage when I arrive at my mansion¡­¡­ ¡¹ I climbed into the carriage, and when I, the master, gave the signal, the carriage began to move slowly. In less than ten minutes I arrived at the house. The mansion is ridiculously large, even from the outside. It looked nice and serene, but it was too big for one person to live in. Two guards were standing by to guard the gate, as the carriage went through the gate. It was a long way to the house, which was surrounded by gardens. This is too big for one person to live in¡­¡­ I couldn¡¯t help but mutter to myself when I saw the building stand before me. Few maids were standing in front of the mansion, as if they had already been contacted. I had heard that Gaulus had dispatched a butler and several maids, as well as about ten people in charge of meals, stables, and gardening. When I got out of the carriage, the butler gave a command and they all bowed our heads. ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸ Marquis Touya, we are glad you have arrived¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹ I get an itchy sensation on my back at the thought of being called Marquis. ¡¸¡­¡­ Everyone, I¡¯ll be in your care starting today. Nice to meet you ¡¹ After a quick greeting, the butler showed me around the house. Every room was gorgeously decorated, and the house seemed to be well cleaned, with not a speck of dust. Well, I don¡¯t think this was going to be a problem with Ferris being here. I was taken through the dining room, the living room, the bathroom, the bedrooms and the guest rooms, and finally to the hall where the dinner parties could be held. This will be the place where I will entertain guests at my dinner party. ¡­¡­Not that I intend to hold such a thing ¡­¡­. But who knows. ¡¸This concludes the tour of the mansion. If you have any questions, I will be happy to answer them ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes. I don¡¯t think I have any right now¡­¡­ Oh, and I need to make some introductions, so could you gather everyone in the hall? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll return shortly ¡¹ He immediately excused himself and everyone began to slowly make their way to the hall. After confirming that everyone was present, I called out Ferris. The Spirit Stone on my chest glowed at the same time I uttered my words, and Ferris showed herself. They were not notified in advance about me having a House Spirit, it shows on their faces, although they looked a little surprised. ¡¸Touya ¡­¡­ what is going on? ¡¹ ¡¸This is the mansion we¡¯re going to live in, and these are the people who are going to take care of it¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ Okay, okay ¡¹ With a curt attitude, Ferris took a glance at the servants. ¡¸I got it. I understand ¡¹ Their shock was more apparent now at the fact the House Spirit was having a conversation, than when Ferris showed up. They all froze with their mouths half open, looking at Ferris. ¡¸Oh, Ferris can talk. It¡¯s nice to meet you everyone ¡¹ This is how my life as a Marquis began. Volume 4 - CH 1 I¡¯m currently riding alone in the street on Kokuyou. ¡¸This is insane¡­¡­ ¡¹ Such involuntary complaints have been spilling out of me all day. I am supposed to be a Marquis in name only, with no real authority, but it turns out that the title on its own invites problems. Like¡ª-. ¡¸My lord, I have a daughter of fine upbringing and beauty. Wouldn¡¯t you like to meet her? ¡¹ ¡¸His Majesty and Gaulus have advised that I indulge in such matters after I¡¯ve finalized my marriage to Her Highness Charlotte and Lady Altria¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ Is that so, I see. Then, after that is settled, please do come ¡¹ ¡¸I will keep it mind ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you. That is all I came for¡­¡­ Good day to you, my lord ¡¹ A middle-aged man adorned in aristocratic clothing in front of me finally left the drawing room. I let out a big sigh. The maid who had been standing quietly behind him came forward to brew me another tea. ¡¸How many visits do I have left for today? ¡¹ ¡¸There are two more visits today. Tomorrow you have about three, not accounting for the yet to be scheduled visits¡­¡­ ¡¹ Hearing that number of appointments made me bury my face in my hands. I had been worried that my sudden title of a Marquis would incur spite from the other nobles, but my fears were completely misplaced. On the contrary, the nobles have been so eager to come to market their daughters to me. They had been kept at bay from approaching me since I had been living in the castle up until now. But since I have moved into my mansion in the Imperial Capital, I have been flooded with requests for appointments from nobles who also have their residence in the Capital. As one can expect, the conversations with nobles are extremely tiring. I am constantly on guard that I do not end up saying something that might entrap me in their ploys. Gaulus told me that because Char and Al were my fiancee, the other nobles would not be as forthcoming and this would not happen. But that thought was horribly wrong. The butler had warned me that it was to remain like this for a while and provided me with an idea on how I could escape. ¡¸Why don¡¯t you go to another city for an inspection? That would be a good enough reason for your absence ¡¹ ¡¸!? That¡¯s right! ¡¹ Because I¡¯m constantly holed up here, it warrants their need to visit. If I am not here, then the problem will be solved. Why did I not realize such a simple thing¡­¡­? ¡¸Hey, could you go to the Commerce Guild and call Alice? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I¡¯ll do so right away ¡¹ The maid bowed and went out in a haste to get a squire to go to the Commerce Guild. Alice as a merchant should know the cities well and which possible routes to take. After the war was over and the treaty was signed, all the Generate Kingdom soldiers were released back to their country. The Third Prince was handed over to his country as well, and a ten-year armistice treaty was concluded with a large amount of compensation being paid by his country. On the surface it seems that peace has been formed as even the reconstruction of the recently-seized cities has begun. However, I will not be as na?ve to believe that a greedy nation like the Generate Kingdom will easily obey the Armistice Treaty. I am convinced that there is bound to be trouble. This is only a¡¸suspension of a war ¡¹. If the country is not aware of the actions of its citizens, then the country is not liable. This sounds like a story that Generate Kingdom is more likely to cook up. ¡ª-We can¡¯t be too careful. As long as they have¡ª the Hero¡­.. But it is not like there is anything I can do about it now. The only thing that I can do right now is to get to know the cities of the Lunette Empire. I have only been to Lian and a few other cities so far. At this point, it might be a good idea to take a leisurely trip to each city in order to avoid the constant visits. I¡¯m more interested in seeing the Elf District. It was in the afternoon when the last visit ended, and I was resting when Alice arrived. ¡¸Sorry to have kept you waiting¡­¡­ Touya, you look tired¡­¡­ I guess the rumours are true¡­¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸Oh, Alice, I¡¯m glad you are here¡­¡­ Anyway, what are the rumours¡­¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s been a lot of talk about you getting married ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ Don¡¯t say another word about it ¡¹ Just hearing the word marriage exhausts me further. ¡¸So what was the call for¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸The thing is¡ª ¡¹ I explained to her that I want to leave the mansion in order to avoid the noble¡¯s visits and I thought travelling to another city would be a great idea. Alice understood my predicament and she put her hand on her chin as she thought about it. She then clapped her hands together in excitement after she was done. ¡¸Then why not go to Eerland!? ¡¹ She pulled out a large map from her bag and pointed to a marked location. ¡¸This is Eerland. Because it is very close to the Generate Kingdom, it was one of the first cities to be claimed. I heard the reconstruction has already started as well. It is a popular city and Touya, you might find it to your liking as an adventurer, what do you think? ¡¹ Adventuring is far more enjoyable than being a noble, that¡¯s damn certain. ¡¸Sounds like a place I should go. Are you returning to Salandir Kingdom after this? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s right. I can¡¯t just wander around here forever! Even if I don¡¯t seem like it, I do belong to the Salandir Kingdom ¡¹ Did she say that¡­¡­ If she is going to Salandir Kingdom, I might as well ask her to do an errand for me. ¡¸Alice, since you¡¯re going to Salandir Kingdom, can I ask you to do me a favour? Do think you¡¯ll stop at Dumbler? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I always go through that city. What do you want from that city? ¡¹ ¡¸Oh, that¡¯s great. Actually¡ª- ¡¹ I told her what happened in Dumbler, then put a few gold coins in a small sachet and handed it to Alice. ¡¸I can certainly accept your request! If you¡¯re so worried, why don¡¯t you do something about it now? Marquis ¡¹ ¡¸Well, I¡¯m sure they have their own reasons. If you need anything, don¡¯t hesitate to tell me ¡¹ ¡¸All right! Of course, I am in your care, we¡¯re married after all ¡¹ It¡¯s always amusing when she¡¯s in a good mood. But as a spy, she is capable and can take care of herself. ¡¸I am not going to say anything to that. Thank you for agreeing to do this for me ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes, yes. Leave it to me! ¡¹ Alice walked out of the room cheerfully. ¡¸I hope everyone is doing well¡­¡­ ¡¹ I sipped on my tea silently, remembering everyone I met in Salandir Kingdom. ¡ó¡ó¡ó I left Imperial Capital early after attending my appointments. I had refused any new ones. I took off my nobleman¡¯s garb and placed it in Dimensional Storage and dressed up as an adventurer. I feel nostalgic to go back to Saladir Kingdom, but I can only hope that I am removed from the wanted list thanks to my nobility status. I cannot just force my way into the country. If I do that it might cause an international problem. It was still in the morning when I greeted the attendants at the mansion and left the Imperial Capital. Of course, I told the Emperor about it. The squire is scheduled to deliver the letter today. If I am the one who goes to the castle to inform him, then he won¡¯t let me leave the Capital. So, he¡¯ll receive the after-the-fact report. I walked carefreely through the Imperial Capital and I walked out the gate as an adventurer. ¡¸All right! I am free now! I¡¯ll enjoy being an adventurer to the fullest ¡¹ I rubbed the Spirit Stone in which Ferris resided and began to walk. When I was a little further away, I took Kokuyou out of Dimensional Storage. I thought he had become more docile lately, but he still bites my head as always. I wiped the Kokuyou¡¯s drool off of my head, climbed on him and gave him the signal to leave. ¡¸Kokuyou! Let¡¯s go! We¡¯re going to Eerland! ¡¹ At my signal, Kokuyou squealed and ran off. The wind was pleasant as he galloped toward Eerland, clueless as to who I¡¯d meet there¨C. Volume 4 - CH 2 Five days after leaving the Imperial Capital of the Lunette Empire, the city of Eerland came into view. Eerland is a city which had been the first to be invaded in the war, as it has its territory adjacent to the Generate Kingdom. It has a forest which houses a dungeon, with the road set up for trade by the Commerce Guild, and a customs post at its border with Generate Kingdom. It is a city of medium-size with about three thousand inhabitants, and its main blessings are trade, a dungeon, and agriculture. All these, I was taught by Alice¡­¡­. I gently exhaled at the thought of ending my ride straddled on Kokuyou. Though the ride was not as exhausting since the road he had been running on is properly kept. ¡¸We¡¯re finally here¡­¡­ Now I can relax for a while ¡¹ I got off Kokuyou in a secluded spot off the road and asked him to go back into Dimensional Storage. There are a handful of adventurers who are known to ride an Obsidian Battlehorse, and word could quickly spread if I am seen with one. It is now common knowledge in the Lunette Empire that after the Generate Kingdom had invaded the Imperial Capital, the guildmaster and I had managed to capture the prince of Generate Kingdom freeing the Imperial Capital and the rest of the Lunette Empire. There were bards singing about me being a Hero, who despite being an adventurer had been knighted a Marquis. When the squire at the mansion told me this, I was embarrassed beyond words. ¡¸Marquis Kisaragi, the Hero of Salvation who rides the Obsidian Battlehorse¡¹ This title, at an unbelievable speed, spread all over the Empire. The whole Lunette Empire was quick to adopt it and now there are rumours about me everywhere. If I come riding Kokuyou, I will be immediately surrounded by everyone. I will return to the Imperial Capital after my rest, I do not want that kind of stress right now. Dressed as a common adventurer I walked on the road towards the gate of the city. The entrance wasted no time; I showed my guild card and was let through. I did ask the soldiers at the gate where the guild was and some of the recommended inns, before walking into the city. There are still some scars of the war but the reconstruction work has removed much of the rubble. ¡¸They said it was down this road¡­¡­ Is that it?¡¹ There was a sign of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild near the town square, and although the building was smaller than the one in the Imperial Capital, it was the same size as the one in Fendi. When I opened the door and walked in, the place was lively¡­¡­ or rather, it was noisy. ¡¸Is there anyone here who can use Recovery Magic?¡¹ The guild girl at the reception desk called out loudly to the adventurers who were in the hall. Some of them seemed to be Recovery Priests, but all of them were limp and lying on the tables. ¡¸What¡¯s going on¡­¡­.?¡¹ I inquired at the reception. ¡¸I¡¯ve just arrived in the city. What¡¯s going on¡­¡­? Recovery Priest recruitment?¡¹ Placing the guild card on the counter, the receptionist checked the card and her eyes widened. ¡¸Recovery Priest! Please come with me to the training grounds in the back immediately!¡¹ Upon hearing what the other receptionist said, another receptionist jumped out from behind the counter and grabbed me by the arms. Her eyes were bloodshot, and no matter how much I tried to free myself, she held on tight. ¡¸What the hell!?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s okay, just come with me quick!¡¹ The receptionist using her devilish momentum and both her arms dragged me and led me into the back. The place she brought me was through the corridor and a single door which opened to the training ground. There, there were sheets spread on the ground with injured adventurers lying on them. At least thirty of them. An adventurer wearing a robe, who was probably a Recovery Priest, sluggishly dragged his body to the wall and sat down, leaning against it. Must be because he is out of magic. ¡¸¡­¡­.. What is this¡­¡­.?¡¹ ¡¸No questions please, please just heal them! The reward will be paid by the guild¡¹ ¡¸Okay. I will use range magic. Gather seriously injured people first!¡¹ The adventurers who were caring for the injured moved in order to preferentially gather the patients with the most serious of injuries. ¡ºArea High Heal: Range Advanced Recovery Magic ¡» It will take a lot of time healing them individually. I moved around casting range recovery magic and I was able to heal everyone with five range recovery magic. ¡¸Phew, that¡¯s everyone¡­¡­.¡¹ I noticed that the adventurers and guild staff looked stunned. ¡¸¡­¡­ What¡¯s wrong¡­¡­.?¡¹ Everyone¡¯s eyes were on me. Some of them in awe, others in envy. I suddenly remembered seeing the same faces when I had healed the adventurers who had serious injuries at the guild in the Imperial Capital. ¡¸¡­¡­.Are you okay after using such an advanced recovery magic¡­¡­.?¡¹ One of the receptionists asked me out of concern. I still have enough magical power, so it is nothing to be concerned about. ¡¸It¡¯s not a problem. Are we done? I just came here to check out the guild here, so I¡¯ll be going to the inn to¡ª¡¹ ¡¸Please wait for your reward!¡¹ The recently injured adventurers uttered words of thanks as I and the receptionist left the training ground. I was once reminded in the hall to not leave, so I sat down in an empty chair and observed everyone in the hall. I still do not know why that many people were in that bad state. It is an odd circumstance as such I decided to focus my attention on the conversation of the adventurers nearby to gather information. I¡¯m not sure what to make of this. That¡¯s all we got this time. ¡­¡­ ¡¸¡­¡­ And now it looks like that dungeon is about to flood. That¡¯s what I heard¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸You might be right. If we stay in this city, we will be forced to participate when a full-scale flood comes. It might be a good idea to escape to another city for a while¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, sounds like a plan. We¡¯ll wait for the information in the next city¡¹ From the conversation between the two adventurers, it seems that the dungeon in the forest had flooded. Flooding was an event in the game as well. In the game when the monsters overflowed from the dungeons they would scatter across the map, and if left to roam, they would kill the NPCs and stores would then be closed. The event ended with online players teaming up to defeat the monsters and conquer the dungeon that was overflowing with monsters. This situation sounds exactly like that event. I thought if I came here¡­¡­ I¡¯d be able to take some time-off¡­¡­ But this good timing¡­¡­ Is too convenient.¡­. I feel like I can¡¯t escape. When I return to the Imperial Capital there¡¯ll be a talk of arranged marriages¡­¡­ As I was trying to sort out my thoughts, I was tapped on the shoulder. I turned around and there was the receptionist who I had first approached, she was standing there with a smile plastered on her face. ¡¸Touya-sama. Thank you for your help earlier. So, the¡­¡­ reward will be given to you in the private room, so please follow me¡¹ Normally, adventurers are handed their rewards over at the counter unless the amount is substantial. However, the fact that I am being taken to a private room means that I am most likely to be questioned on how I managed¡­¡­ to do that. They might even about the amount of magical power I have. This was not the kind of discussion to be held in the open like this, so I nodded obediently, stood up, and followed the receptionist. I walked up the stairs and the farthest room, the receptions knocked on the door. ¡¸It¡¯s Maia. I¡¯ve brought Touya-sama with me¡¹ The receptionist opened the door and stood aside to let me enter. ¡¸Touya-sama, please come in¡¹ As I walked in, I was greeted by a human man at the desk at the end of the room. He was still looking through a pile of papers. He must be in his late thirties, he has a physique that is well-built that I could see his muscles bulging through his clothes. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry but could you let me finish this bit of work here. You can sit over there. Maia, get him a cup of tea¡¹ ¡¸Yes, Guildmaster¡¹ ¡ªThe Guildmaster¡­¡­. I do not have a good history with guild masters. No, that includes the sub-guildmasters. Yes, they have been good to me at times but the sub-guildmaster Efland in Fendi forced me into taking escort duties in return for using the archives which turned out that the fee to use it was a measly one copper. He did give me a heads up so we could escape from Fendi though. During the liberation of the Imperial Capital, we did come up with a skit with the Guildmaster to capture the prince. But he also had his own couple of quirks, which are the reasons I cannot help but be wary of him. Even though I was still on my guard, I sat on the designated sofa and took a sip of the tea that Maia had offered me. It was a different blend from the one I had in Imperial Capital. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry to keep you waiting¡­¡­ I am Brittle, the Guildmaster in this city. I heard from Maia about what you did on the training ground. I¡¯d like to thank from the bottom of my heart on behalf of the guild¡¹ ¡¸I just happened to show up at the right moment¡­¡­ I¡¯m glad I could help¡¹ I said to the Guildmaster, who had his head bowed to me. ¡¸Maia, please excuse yourself for a bit. I¡¯d like to talk to him alone¡¹ Maia gave a nod and left the room. After she had left, Blythe¡¯s gaze focused intently at me. ¡¸I¡¯d like to thank you again. I don¡¯t really know what more I could say to you. No, I should correct myself¡ª- His Excellency the Marquis Kisaragi¡¹ ¡ª-He knew¡­¡­ When I was knighted after the recapture of the Imperial Capital, my surname was officially turned into a nobleman¡¯s name. ¡ª- Touya von Kisaragi, Marquis of Kisaragi. The von in the name was a sign of nobility, which I felt was unnecessary but could not avoid. ¡¸You know about me¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Of course I do. I wouldn¡¯t be much of a guildmaster if I didn¡¯t know about Lord Kisaragi, the Hero of Salvation¡¹ Laughing as he said this, Blythe proceeded to drink his tea. I came here to escape the nobility. I only want to take some simple requests and relax. ¡¸Is there anyone else here who knows of my identity? It might mean I have to leave this city¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s okay. The only reason I know who you are is because of the letter I received from the guildmaster in the Capital. You know him, don¡¯t you? It¡¯s because of him¡¹ ¡¸In that case, can I be treated like a normal adventurer? I came to this city to have some rest¡¹ After he seemed to take into consideration what I had told him, he smiled at me and nodded. ¡¸I understand. I¡¯ll call you Kisaragi, or do you prefer Touya-dono?¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s fine. No need to use the honorifics though¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s great. I¡¯m not very good at dealing with nobles. The new lord here is also¡­¡­¡¹ Blythe stopped talking with a chuckle. It might be another troublesome lord. Alice did inform me that there was a younger lord here who had taken over. Best to steer clear of him and focus on adventuring. That will save me from dealing with him. ¡¸Oh, by the way, your reward. Here it is¡¹ Once back at his desk, Braitor brought out a small bag and placed it on the table. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be pleased to know that I¡¯m not the only one. Blythe went through his desk and pulled out a small bag and placed it on the table. Checking inside, I found twenty silver coins. It¡¯s an incredible amount of money for a Recovery Spell that cast in less than ten minutes, but I¡¯ll take it gratefully. ¡¸I¡¯ve heard from Maia that you¡¯re a very skilled Recovery Priest and that you can cast a lot of advanced magic without running out of magic power¡¹ ¡¸I am at a level where that is possible¡¹ The level specified on the guild card is 47, but this number is not the level for the higher job I have. Even though I still have a magic job, the status of the secondary job is much higher than that of the primary job. ¡¸That¡¯s amazing. I think you might have picked up on what¡¯s going on down in the hall. A nearby dungeon had flooded, albeit on a small scale. Thanks to everyone¡¯s help we managed to stop it this time, but it¡¯s in a state¡­¡­ that a full-scale flooding will occur. It would be great if you could help us if you can¡¹ If a small-scale flood was the one to leave them in a state like that, I can¡¯t just abandon them even if I did come here for some peace and quiet. It can¡¯t be helped. I sighed a bit. ¡¸I understand. I¡¯ll help out as much as I can¡¹ ¡¸Great. With that our business here is complete. I¡¯ll make some arrangements for you to stay at the inn. Just wait for me in the hall and I¡¯ll send for someone to show you¡¹ I shook hands with Blythe and left the room. Volume 4 - CH 3 ¡­¡­ I am beginning to get a sense that coming to this city was a mistake¡­¡­ When I stepped out into the hall, the second receptionist I had met was the first to launch herself at me. ¡¸Thank you very much for earlier. We can¡¯t thank you enough¡¹ ¡¸Oh, it is no problem. Besides I even got paid for it¡¹ I smiled back at her and her cheeks turned a little pink. The receptionist thanked me once more and ran back to her work, and I went and sat down in an empty chair. ¡¸¡­¡­ I do hope that the place they refer me to is a good lodging¡­¡­¡¹ As I quietly watched the adventurers in the hall for what seemed like several minutes, I was interrupted by a voice. ¡¸I¡¯ll be the one to show you to the inn¡¹ I looked over to see that it was Maia, the receptionist that had led me to the guild master¡¯s office. ¡¸Oh, I¡¯m counting on you¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s head there then¡¹ Maia is a bit older than I am, and with her brunette hair tied back, I can tell she is definitely a mature beauty. As the two of us walked together, I drew jealous glances from the other adventurers. The gazes continued to follow us till we were out of the guild. ¡¸¡­¡­ The way those guys are staring at us¡­¡­ You must be a very popular receptionist. No wonder, you¡¯re certainly beautiful after all¡¹ Maia gave me a smile. ¡¸I am constantly proposed to by many of them, but I don¡¯t really have the time to date people like that. Maybe Touya-sama, you¡¯re the man I¡¯ve been waiting for¡¹ Her teasing made me feel a bit uneasy as she looked at me with her mature eyes. I have no intention of creating further romantic complications here. The engagement to Charlotte and her close knight Altria combined with the constant visits from nobles offering me their daughters¡¯ hands in marriage was stressful enough to drive me out of the Capital. I walked beside Maia to the inn, exchanging small talk, and in about ten minutes we had arrived. The inn we arrived at is a three-story building, not as big as those in the Capital, but it had a nice appearance. The signboard on it read,¡ºDeep Green Resting Pavilion¡». I walked in behind Maia, and the hall inside could be described as calm. I liked it immediately. Maia went to the reception desk and talked for a bit with the receptionist there, and was given a key in return. ¡¸Touya-san, here is your key. The guild will cover the cost for the lodging, breakfast and supper, but please pay for your own lunch and drinks. This is the landlady here¡­¡­.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m Touya. Please take care of me during my stay here¡¹ ¡¸So you¡¯re Touya-sama. My name is Livin; I¡¯m the owner of this inn. Maia has already explained to me about the expenses, so you can stay here for as long as you want¡¹ Livin-san is in her thirties, has the same kind of brown hair as Maia, which she has tied in a bun, and she has a pleasing face. She smiles at me as she introduces herself. Her smile resembled Maia¡¯s a little, but I kept it to myself. After receiving the key to my room from Maia, I decided to kick-back for the day and visit the guild tomorrow. After Maia left for the guild with a smile, I headed to my room. The tag on the key is 301, which is the room on the third floor and the far end corner. When I unlocked the room and stepped inside, to my surprise, the room was much bigger than I imagined. It has two beds, even though I am alone, and a sofa. There is no bathtub, instead there is a shower and toilet. ¡¸I guess the guild got a bit excited, this is a very nice room¡¹ This better not be a way to buy my favours¡­¡­ My plan is to have some time to myself and do as best as I can to operate as an adventurer, incognito. The Guildmaster Blythe knows who I am, but Maia does not, it must mean that he does intend to keep a tight lid on it as discussed. That means I¡¯ll be able to take some simple requests and participate in the subjugation of the flooding, playing as small a role as possible. After changing out of my usual adventurer¡¯s robe and into plain clothes, I decided to take a walk around the city, and left my room immediate;y. I left the key with the receptionist, asked what time the dinner was, and left the inn. As expected of a trading town, despite its medium-sized population, the streets are packed with people. The ceasefire may have led to even more prosperity for the stagnant trade. As I was walking around the marketplace, I bumped shoulders with a person walking in the opposite direction. ¡¸Oh, I¡¯m sorry¡¹ I quickly apologized, but the other person, who was an adventurer, had a sullen look on his face. ¡¸You¡¯re in my way!¡¹ He was glaring at me with intensity aimed at intimidating me but he was not scary at all. He looks a bit older than me¡­¡­ ¡¸Galt! Stop it! It does not matter how bad of a mood you¡¯re in. You shouldn¡¯t harass other people¡¹ ¡¸Damn it. Liese and your love for random nobodies. What a pain in the ass¡­¡­¡¹ It is a party of four, two men and two women. All of them are around twenty years old. One of the two women walked up from behind Galt, the man who had bumped into me. and rebuked him and after a round of arguing, a swordswoman named Liese looked at me. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry. He is just a little upset about something¡¹ ¡¸Oh, that¡¯s okay. I wasn¡¯t looking ahead either¡¹ Liese¡¯s straight red hair, which reaches to her waist, is well groomed for an adventurer and her armour is also made of excellent materials. I think she looks more like a noblewoman than an adventurer. Well, I can just let this issue settle easily since I am in plain clothes, despite being a Marquis. ¡¸Just when we thought we were going to make some money off of the flooding, they tell us we can¡¯t go into the forest until the survey is done¡¹ ¡¸Of course, we have to wait. What if by going into the forest we cause another flood? There were so many injured people in stopping the last one. How many people do you think would have died if I wasn¡¯t for the high-level Recovery Priest rumoured to be at the guild?¡¹ So it has turned into a rumour¡­¡­ It¡¯s probably because I used Area High Heal in succession. ¡¸Yeah, I heard he¡¯s an incredible Recovery Priest. Why don¡¯t we ask him to join our party?¡¹ ¡¸Huh. A Recovery Priest? He¡¯s just a guy who hides at the back of the party. We don¡¯t need someone who can¡¯t even attack¡¹ The one called Galt is a Warrior, Liese is a swordswoman, the flirtatious-looking guy looks like a Thief. The other woman looks like a Mage, with a robe and a wand. ¡¸You don¡¯t understand, Jill. If we have a healer, that means we last longer in a fight. It also reduces the chances of dying¡¹ ¡¸Shut up, Myra. If you¡¯re a man, you¡¯re supposed to fight, that is all¡¹ Jill is the one who looks like the Thief and the Mage¡¯s name is Myra. I quietly take note to stay as far as possible from them ¨C they look like a pain. ¡¸Just leave there¡¹ The girl, Liese, broke off the conversation, and I was finally released. Galt still glared at me, but I paid him no mind. After the four left, I continued with my leisurely stroll through the city and decided to head back to the inn when I felt like it was time. ¡¸Welcome back. It¡¯s almost time for supper¡¹ When I returned to the inn and went to pick up the key, Livin welcomed me back. ¡¸I¡¯ll be right back, I just have check on my room¡¹ Once I was in my room, I cleaned myself up with magic and went downstairs. I wanted to take a shower but that will wait until after dinner. In the dining room on the first floor, several people were eating, and I sat down at the bar and ordered an ale. As I am waiting for my drink to arrive, I look around at the other guests and note that most of them are merchants who are staying at the inn. Perhaps this inn is a bit expensive for adventurers. ¡¸Thank you for waiting¡¹ Livin brought me some snacks and the ale, which I took and sipped for taste. The alcohol is lukewarm as suspected. I used my magic to cool it down inconspicuously, and then took a sip again. ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s more like it¡¹ As I was enjoying the ale and snacks, my meal was brought to me. ¡¸Here you go, It¡¯s stew today, and some bread¡¹ The stew, two loaves of bread and a salad were served. The stew was served in a very hollow bowl and had a lot of meat in it, and its smell was appetising. I scooped up the stew with a spoon and sipped it. It has a nice broth in it too. As I was engrossed by the stew, I heard a familiar voice coming from the entrance. ¡¸Hi, can I have something to eat too¡¹ ¡¸Welcome home. Help me serve food when you¡¯re done¡¹ ¡¸Alright¡¹ I looked at the source of the voice and saw it was Maia, my guide to this inn. ¡¸Oh, Touya-sama, may I join you?¡¹ ¡¸She just welcomed you home. Is it¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s right. This is my parents house. That¡¯s my mother at the receptionist¡¹ No wonder they look alike. Maia seems to have finished her work at the guild and has come home to help out. ¡¸Can you stop calling me ¡®sama¡¯? I think people would start question the reason¡¹ ¡¸Hmm¡­¡­ Then I¡¯ll call you Touya-san, is that fine?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯m fine with that¡¹ I took a sip of my ale and gave my reply, but Maia¡¯s food seemed to take some time to arrive. ¡¸Um¡­¡­ Touya-san, I¡¯m thirsty, can I have just one sip of your ale?¡¹ When Maia asked me while looking at me with a pleading look, I nodded a little confused. With a big smile on her face, Maia took my mug and brought it to her mouth, holding it in both hands. Oh, I forgot I had chilled it¡­¡­ After taking a sip, Maia looked at me with wide eyes, and down at the mug. ¡¸¡­¡­ Touya-san, what is this¡­¡­. It tastes better when cold¡­¡­.¡¹ She appreciated the taste of the chilled ale, ¡¸I¡¯ll go get more¡¹, she said and left her seat. When she came back she had two ale mugs in her hands. ¡¸I¡¯ll give you one. So¡­¡­¡¹ I could only nod at Maia¡¯s expectant gaze. I drank the remaining ale in my mug and chilled the other two mugs, handing one to Maia. Maia smiled widely as she had her ale. I resumed my meal. ¡¸My, Maia. What has gotten into you, why are drinking so much?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s nothing. Just that the ale tastes delicious today¡¹ She replied cheerfully to Livin¡¯s concerned question, her gaze flickering to me. ¡¸¡­¡­ Is that so? I¡¯m sorry if she¡¯s being a bother to you¡¹ I chuckled a bit at Livin, who smiles, puts food in front of Maia and leaves. Livin was still confused¡­¡­ Maia¡¯s smile is only thanks to the cold ale. ¡¸Nothing is wrong, Mother¡¹ I had to scratch my head as Maia tilted her head with a smile plastered on her face. As I finished my meal and headed to my room, I heard Livin ask, ¡¸Why don¡¯t the two of you spend more time together?¡¹. I informed Maia that I would visit the guild in the morning. I decided to take a shower and go to bed early. Volume 4 - CH 4.1 Morning came and I took my time getting up. When I opened the curtains I found the sun already shining bright. I went ahead and put on casual clothes before I went downstairs for breakfast. ¡¸Good morning. Can I please have some breakfast¡¹ I called out to Livin, who was manning the reception desk, and she gave me her usual big smile. ¡¸Oh my, you¡¯re taking it easy today, aren¡¯t you? Maia has already left for work, you know¡­¡­¡¹ I felt a chill run down my back as she stared at me intently. I think she might be misunderstanding something, but I felt embarrassed to ask in case I was wrong. I sat down at the bar as I had done yesterday. There were several people eating, but none of them looked like an adventurer. My breakfast came¡ªsoup, bread, and salad. I was wary of what Livin might say if I ate slowly, so I finished quickly and went back to my room. I returned to my adventurer¡¯s attire, left the key to my room, and left the inn. ¡¸Hmm. I hope they don¡¯t give me any strange requests¡­¡­¡¹ After ten minutes of taking my time getting there, I arrived at the guild. When I walked in, I immediately attracted a lot of attention. Some of their attention fleeted quickly but some of the adventurers looked at me more passionately A few adventurers who had noticed my presence, got up suddenly and rushed to bow to me. ¡¸Thank you for healing me yesterday. Thanks to you, I¡¯m still alive¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much¡¹ The adventurers in their twenties and older, bowed their heads in gratitude to me. ¡¸It was sort of a request that I was offered, so you don¡¯t have to feel obligated to thank me. Are you feeling well though?¡¹. ¡¸Of course, even my previous wounds have healed up nicely. You have my deepest thanks¡¹ After shaking hands with a group of adventurers, I headed for the counter. There were several receptionists, I saw Maia too, so I got in line for her service and within a few minutes I was at the front of the line. ¡¸Oh, Touya-san. Good morning, did you sleep well?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I did. Thank you for introducing me to such a nice place. The food is delicious too¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m glad to hear that. I hope you¡¯ll continue to stay with us while you¡¯re in town¡¹ I did not have any complaints, so I nodded honestly. ¡¸Today, I am here for¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Oh yes. The Guildmaster wants to see you. I¡¯ll take you to him right away¡¹ I followed Maia up the stairs to the guild master¡¯s office. When she knocked on the door and announced that I had arrived, she was immediately given permission to enter. As soon as I entered the room, I found him sitting in his seat, silently looking over some documents. ¡¸Have a seat¡¹ I sat on the sofa and Maia prepared a cup of tea for Blythe and I, in the corner of the room. As I was sipping the tea, Blythe stopped his work and came and sat on the other sofa in front of me. ¡¸Sorry to keep you waiting. Maia, show them¡ªto the waiting room¡¹ ¡¸Yes sir¡¹ Maia bowed and left the room. ¡¸I¡¯m sure by now you have some idea of what¡¯s going on in the city, right? So I¡¯d like to ask you to investigate the forest. Our top adventurers we have here are just B-rank. I¡¯m afraid I have no choice but to give them this request, but that does not I can give it to them and look away¡¹ ¡¸Are you asking me to look after those B-ranks¡­¡­?¡¹ Blythe nodded. ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s right. The four of them are still young, but they certainly do have some amount of skill. They are essential to this city, that is why we can¡¯t afford to lose them¡¹ ¡¸Are you sure you want me to be the person to babysit them? Don¡¯t you think I might be taken as an arrogant liar?¡¹ If they are B-rank and elite adventurers in this city, and I look as young as I do and claim that I am A-rank. I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll believe me. ¡¸I¡¯m sure you are right. Leave it to me¡¹ As a guildmaster, he should be able to convince them. Come to think of it, the guild masters and sub-guildmasters in every city I have been in are always smooth talkers. I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle when I remembered how many times I had been played into their hands. Just then, there was a knock at the door. Maia came in to report that she had taken the four adventurers to the waiting room. ¨CThe four adventurers I¡¯ll be escorting. ¡¸Let¡¯s go, then¡¹ Maia led the way, and Blythe and I followed her into one of the waiting rooms. The adventurers seated inside were two women and two men¡­¡­. Oh, these are the guys from before¡­¡­ ¡¸Guildmaster, why aren¡¯t we allowed to investigate the forest? Is there nothing you can do to change that?¡¹ These four people waiting for us in the room were the same four people I bumped into yesterday in town. They were clearly irritated. It was the swordswoman who raised her voice upon our entrance¡­¡­ Liese, I believe that is her name. They all then seemed to notice me and looked at me with a surprised look. ¡¸Ah, you¡¯re from yesterday¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s right. Thanks for saving me yesterday¡¹ I slightly bowed my head in affirmation at Liese and took a seat next to Blythe. ¡¸I called you here to give you a conditional permission. Not a bad, right?¡¹ The four of them seemed to relax a bit at Blythe¡¯s words. ¡¸And what is that condition? Could it be¡­¡­?¡¹ The four of them, their eyes shifted towards me. ¡¸That¡¯s right. I¡¯ll give you a special permission if you let Touya-dono, sitting next to me, accompany you on your forest investigation¡¹ ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸¡­¡­ Eh¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹ Volume 4 - CH 4.2 The two men gave me a firm stare but I pretended not to notice. Their names are Galt and Jill if I remember correctly¡­¡­ Blythe noticed the looks they were giving me and let out a sigh before continuing. ¡¸I¡¯m aware of your reluctance, but I think having a Recovery Priest will benefit you. You know, Touya-dono is the one who single-handedly healed the injured in the training grounds the other day¡¹ Blythe¡¯s statement seemed to soften their gazes on me. Liese and Myra, in particular, gave me a more appreciative look. ¡¸¡­¡­ Are we supposed to do our investigation while babysitting him? You¡¯re underestimating us¡­..¡¹ Galt was not convinced by Blythe¡¯s words and turned hostile. ¡¸No, in fact it was I who asked him to escort you for your safety. I want you to follow his instructions, since he is more experienced¡¹ The faces of Galt and Jill turned red at once listening to Blythe finish his sentence. They were blatantly agitated and clenched their fists as if they were about to hit him. I do not think it is wise to stir things up like this, but maybe Blythe has an idea of what he is doing. ¡¸You¡¯re gonna let this little turd babysit us? You¡¯re mad¡¹ ¡¸Oh, that¡¯s right. You¡¯re also right about Touya-dono being younger than you, but I¡¯ve taken his A-rank status¡­¡­ into consideration. Now what do you say? Are you above A-rank?¡¹ ¡¸A-rank!? This kid is an A-rank!?¡¹ Galt and Jill looked at me in disbelief, so I took out my guild card and placed it on the table. ¡¸I¡¯m Touya, an A-rank adventurer and a Recovery Priest. Nice to meet you¡¹ Liese picked up my guild card and checked what was written on it. She wore an incredulous look on her face as she held the card in hands. ¡¸¡­¡­.No way¡­¡­ It¡¯s real¡­¡­ and¡­¡­ level, 47!?¡¹ Myra, who was peeking in from behind Liese also had an astonished expression on her face. Galt and Jill looked at me dumbfounded when they heard my level. ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡­¡­¡­.¡¹¡¹¡¹ The waiting room turned quiet for a minute. I don¡¯t blame them for being in shock. How can a kid who is barely an adult be one of the elite adventurers in the country? ¡¸Are you¡­¡­ an elf¡­..?¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m a normal human and I¡¯m 16 years old, as it says so there. I¡¯ve been adventuring for a few months now¡­¡­¡¹ When I answered the question posed by Myra, explaining how I am just a normal person, she looked even more confused. Then again, it¡¯s not like this is possible to achieve easily for everyone. If it wasn¡¯t for the 100 times experience cheat item, I don¡¯t think I would have been able to achieve the¡ºSage ¡»job. ¡¸¡­¡­ I can¡¯t¡­¡­ believe it¡­¡­ How¡­¡­¡¹ I picked up my guild card, which had fallen from Liese¡¯s hands and onto the table, and placed it back into my pocket. Blythe decided to add to what he had already said, and this time no one amongst the four made any argument. ¡¸So what do you think? He¡¯s an A-rank adventurer. Now you know how wrong it is to judge people by appearance alone. Since you now get the picture, I¡¯m sure there¡¯ll be no problem with you guys if he tagged along, right?¡¹ The four of them nodded honestly in response to Blythe¡¯s strong words. Blythe explained the details of the request to the now-docile-quartet. In order to gather adventurers and launch a raid attack on the dungeon soon, the request is for us to investigate the monster situation around the dungeon. It would be ineffective to plan an attack on the dungeon but fail to reach it because of too many monsters surrounding it. He wants us to examine the distribution of the monsters to a certain extent and deal with them if necessary. ¡¸¡­¡­ So, will the guild reward us for the monsters we bring back?¡¹ ¡¸Of course, But just to be clear we do not need materials of low-level monsters, okay? If it¡¯s an orc, sure, the guild would be happy to buy them from you since there is a high demand for them¡¹ Orcs are an essential part of the city¡¯s diet. The fatty meat can be cooked as steak and put into stews. The stew I had at the inn yesterday had meat in it which no doubt was orc. Everyone enjoys orc meat. ¡¸I might be able to help carry the monster bodies. I have Dimensional Storage¡¹ I took out my wand from an empty space to prove it, and continued to explain. ¡¸Meaning you should be able to carry a substantial amount, but of course there is a limit¡¹ I say this even though I can fit virtually as many items as I want into it, since I can store 99 of the same item in my Dimensional Storage. I learned that for buildings, I can only store one building per frame because no two buildings are the same. ¡¸An A-rank¡­¡­ with Dimensional Storage¡­¡­ ¡¹ Myra¡¯s eyes are looking at me strangely but I play dumb. ¡¸¡ª- Okay. As the Guildmaster has advised, we would like to welcome Touya-san to our party¡¹ Blythe nodded in satisfaction at Liese¡¯s words. Galt and Jill raised their eyebrows, but nodded their heads in defeat. ¡¸Let me introduce myself properly, I¡¯m Liese, a Swordswomen¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m Myra, a Mage. Wind magic is my specialty. Nice to meet you¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m ¡­¡­ Galt, I serve as a tank and Warrior. I also attack¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m Jill, A Thief, and mainly a scout. I didn¡¯t expect you to be this strong. Nice to meet you¡¹ ¡¸Nice to meet you too. I¡¯m Touya. I¡¯m actually from Imperial Capital, and I am here on a break. I¡¯m a Recovery Priest, and as I mentioned I also have a Dimensional Storage, so feel free to leave your belongings with me¡¹ One of the biggest problems adventurers face is having to carry a large amount of bags needed for multi-day missions. More and more elite adventurers are going out of their way to buy magic bags, but these bags are a rare commodity that are primarily found in dungeons, and are rarely found in the market. A small bag can be traded for a few gold coins, and a large one can even be traded for white gold coins. Personally, I don¡¯t have to think too much about capacity limits for my Dimensional Storage, though¡­¡­ I don¡¯t know how much capacity I have left. ¡¸I have a magic bag, but it¡¯s full of stuff and does not store that much material. Thank you for offering to help, we¡¯ll need it¡¹ I gave Liese a nod. After we had introduced ourselves to one another, Blythe looked satisfied. ¡¸Okay, we¡¯re all good here. The five of you can go into the forest. Only you five. If any try to enter the forest, don¡¯t hesitate to turn them away¡¹ There are some who would want to enter the forest, even if the guild forbids it, as a source of income. ¡¸So¡­¡­ We¡¯d like to go to the forest tomorrow, if you don¡¯t mind¡¹ To be honest, there is nothing to do in the city, and everything of mine is always packed in Dimensional Storage, so it¡¯s not a problem for me. ¡¸Oh, tomorrow is fine with me¡¹ ¡¸In that case we can meet at the east gate tomorrow after breakfast¡¹ I nodded and Liese smiled happily. ¡¸I¡¯ll get Maia to prepare the request form, and you can pick it up from the reception. We are done here¡¹ Everyone nodded in agreement at Blythe¡¯s words and left the waiting room. In the hall, the party¡¯s representative, Liese, went to the reception desk to receive the request form. ¡¸See you tomorrow. Don¡¯t be late¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s do our best tomorrow¡¹ It does not matter how high my rank is, I have no intention of looking down on the adventurers of this city. After bowing and bidding my goodbyes, I left the guild. I went to the market and bought some food and other items to replenish my supplies, and placed them in Dimensional Storage. And then had lunch at a food stall on the way and returned to the inn early. Volume 4 - CH 5 The next day. After a quick breakfast, I told Livin who had just opened the inn, that I was going out to survey the forest, and left for the meeting place. Within a few minutes of arriving at the spot, Liese and her party arrived as well. ¡¸Good morning. Sorry to keep you waiting, let¡¯s move out¡¹ I gave her a nod and our group headed out of the gate towards the forest, which is an hour¡¯s walk away. Normally, I suspect, the four of them would have been chatting, but perhaps the fact that I was an outsider put everyone on edge, so nobody said much. I checked the vicinity of the road for monsters with Search as much as I could to ensure we were not ambushed by any monster. Galt and Jill did not pay much attention to me but I caught a few glances from Liese and Myra. And then Myra, who was walking by my side, started a conversation with me. ¡¸Can I call you Touya-kun since you¡¯re younger than me, can I? No?¡¹ She leaned into me, giving me an earnest look so much so that I wanted to back away from her. When I told her I did not mind, she smiled blissfully. ¡¸That makes me happy, I thought since you¡¯re an A-rank you¡¯d be against it¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m still fairly a new adventurer. I only recently received this rank¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, is that so? So do you plan on continuing to be an adventurer¡­¡­? With your rank, you might as well work for some noble here, right?¡¹ Hired by a noble¡­¡­ In a sense I do feel I am hired by the Emperor and Gaulus. Speaking of, Char and Al must be pissed that I left the Imperial Capital without their knowledge¡­¡­ while Natalie is pouting for some sweets. Imagining Natalie¡¯s face like that is kind of funny. ¡¸I live in the Capital, so I wonder if it is possible to get hired in another city¡­¡­.¡¹ ¡¸I was thinking that you¡¯d be willing to adventurer here, I guess that¡¯s not the case¡¹ ¡¸Sadly, I can¡¯t. I only came to this city for a break¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t expect to get a request¡¹ She chuckled, and changed the topic, as if understanding how I felt. ¡¸How about the next time we¡¯re in the capital, you show us around? Not that we would impose on you, or your family there¡¹ ¡¸I actually live alone with the maids and¡ª- No, I mean, my house is too small, so I¡¯ll find you a nice place to stay instead¡¹ I can invite anyone I want to the mansion in the Capital, there¡¯s no problem with that. Just that I have recently met these guys. It¡¯s best to not reveal anything about myself. ¡¸¡­¡­ Something fishy going on here. You just said ¡°maid¡± right now, didn¡¯t you? Could you be a noble¡¯s son?¡¹ Dangerous¡­¡­ Myra is quite sharp. I can¡¯t afford any more slip ups. ¡¸If I was, I wouldn¡¯t be a lone adventurer¡­¡­ No, I don¡¯t have a family, and I live in one of the houses that remain standing at the edge of the Imperial Capital¡¹ She had a sad expression upon hearing this. I am not so good at lying, but I hope this throws her off. ¡¸¡­¡­ Oh, I see. That¡¯s sad to hear. Well, while you¡¯re in town, you can count on us!¡¹ With a reassuring light pat on my back and a flash of a smile, Myra ran off to Liese¡¯s side. After that, we arrived at the edge of the forest without incident. We took a short break and began to strategize. ¡¸I¡¯ll take the lead to scout ahead. Liese and Galt will be in the center with Touya and Myra following behind them¡¹ This is a solid formation, although if I were to tell them I can use Search, Jill would lose his role. ¡¸I can fight a little so I¡¯ll do my best to not slow you guys down and I¡¯ll serve as a rear guard ¡¹ I take out my mace from Dimensional Storage. I don¡¯t need the Buster Sword since this is the protection and healing job. I won¡¯t fight unless there is a high level monster. I kept Search active so we won¡¯t be caught off-guard. The path to the dungeon was already laid out, and there were even signs to guide us. This shows how much of a necessity dungeons are in this town. For adventurers who earn their daily bread by gathering materials and killing animals, it¡¯s a matter of life and death if they are forbidden to enter the forest. Those who can go to other cities for escort missions will have no problem, but the low rank adventurers in this city mainly earn their money in the forests and lower levels of dungeon. My Search picked up on monsters roaming around the shallow areas of the forest. If there are this many in close by, there is probably more nearer to the dungeon. ¡­¡­ I was tasked with surveying the area around the dungeon, but this might be a lot of work¡­¡­ I might even have to get serious sooner than I thought. Without hesitation I made up my mind and got ready. ¡¸Let¡¯s go, then¡¹ We all nodded at Jill¡¯s words and went into the forest A few minutes after we entered, Jill seemed to have found something and signaled us with her hand. ¡¸¡­¡­ There¡¯s a swarm of goblins, damn. This far out¡­¡­¡¹ Goblins are an opponent that even low-ranked adventurers can defeat, but they can be a nuisance when they attack in a large number. And in the forest, you never know where they might strike. Search has picked up on the 30 goblins in the forest. They seem to be hiding and watching us. They¡¯re so well organized that they might even have a superior species. ¡¸¡­¡­ We¡¯re already surrounded. Get ready for battle¡¹ At my words, they all huffed and raised their weapons. On that mark, goblins with clubs jumped out one after another from the bushes around us. ¡¸Here they come! Myra be careful!¡¹ Jill held her dagger in both hands and used her speed to cut the goblins down in a flash. Gilt and Liese, protect Myra, handling the attacking goblins with ease. Myra, herself, was using Wind magic to fend off the goblins. Not to be outdone, I swung my mace and crushed the heads of the goblins that had approached me. Not long after, several of the nearby goblins scattered back into the forest, fleeing. ¡¸I don¡¯t know what we¡¯ll be meeting if this is how we¡¯re starting¡­¡­¡¹ Liese sighed as she wiped the blood from her sword with a cloth. I have no doubt that goblins won¡¯t pose a threat for this group, but I suspect a stronger monster is here. To stop the flooding dungeon we need to defeat the boss at the bottom floor, however, with this group I¡¯m worried. I have some idea of their levels from watching their battle right now, I place them in the B-rank range. Their levels probably are in the upper 20s. ¡¸We have to be more vigilant as we go deeper¡¹ Heeding Gilt¡¯s advice we proceeded with caution. And out of nowhere a scream. ¡¸!?¡­¡­. That¡¯s a person¡¯s scream¡¹ ¡¸In the forest!? Let¡¯s go¡¹ We sped up towards the scream. With my Search I could tell the four of them are already caught up in a fight, and around them more monsters are gathering. As I got closer to the group at a fast pace, a man coming from their direction came running towards me in a frantic state. ¡¸Run, run!¡¡Ah, it¡¯s a swarm of monsters!!¡¹ ¡¸Are you alone?¡¹ To Gilt¡¯s question, the man shook his head. ¡¸The four of us tried to fight, but as the number of monsters rose, I left the others behind¡ª- and ran away¡­¡­¡¹ He looked frustrated, but I guess it was his own life that mattered. ¡¸What the hell!? You are in a party!? And you abandoned them?!¡¹ Liese was disgusted by the man¡¯s answer. If one member runs away from a battle that the party was barely fending off, it would be overwhelmed at any moment. Gilt also grabbed the man¡¯s chest, but quickly let go. ¡¸I had no choice¡­¡­ I have a family at home! My wife is pregnant. I can¡¯t die here!¡¹ That¡¯s all the man said as he fled towards the entrance of the forest ¡¸¡­¡­ What do we do? We don¡¯t know how many monsters there are. Shouldn¡¯t we retreat¡­¡­?¡¹ Liese shook her head at Jill¡¯s suggestion. ¡¸We might be able to help! I¡¯m going!¡¹ Myra nodded at Liese¡¯s words. ¡¸¡­¡­ Okay. I¡¯m going to run away as soon as I¡¯m in danger. Is that okay?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, Jill¡­¡­. Thanks.¡¹ Liese gave me a look, I nodded silently. I will join her. ¡¸All right, let¡¯s go¡¹ We picked up speed in the direction of where the battle was. It took us a few minutes to reach the spot. The three men who were fighting were already wounded and could have collapsed at any moment. Their bodies were covered in blood and their arms were bent in an excruciating manner, but they kept fighting. The orcs they had defeated were lying everywhere; the higher species among the remaining. ¡¸We¡¯re here to help!¡¹ Myra unleashed an attack spell to put some distance between the three men and the monsters. And Gilt and Liese stepped to confront the monsters. ¡¸Touya, please heal them¡¹ I quickly applied the Advanced Recovery High Heal spell on the three men. ¡¸It¡¯s going to be fine. Can you move¡­¡­?¡¹ The men were surprised when they saw their wounds had been healed in an instant. They nodded enthusiastically. ¡¸Thank you¡­¡­ for saving our lives¡¹ ¡¸You can thank us later when we get back to town safely. For now, run away as fast possible¡¹ However, one after another orcs appeared on the path of our escape. There are not many, but it looks like they are intending on blocking us. ¡­¡­ There is definitely a higher species. As I was thinking this, the orcs before us shifted to the side, and from behind them came three gigantic orcs. ¡¸¡­¡­General class, huh? ¡­¡­¡¹ An Orc General is equivalent to the strength of a B rank. It basically takes the strength of one party to take down one. Now, there are three of them. And there are dozens of other orcs all around us. Gilt the rest of the party looked on in hopelessness. ¡¸¡­¡­ What should we do? The chances of us escaping are small. We have to break through somehow¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ They¡¯ll catch up to us in no time. Gilt and Jill, take the three of them and run. Touya, you should go with them¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s ¡­¡­¡¹ Gilt was speechless to Liese¡¯s plan. ¡¸¡ª-I¡¯ll stay. The rest of you should run¡¹ All of them were rapt at my words. What they are thinking is valid. What will a Recovery Priest do in this situation all on his own. But if they are here, I won¡¯t be able to go all out. With this many monsters, there¡¯s no telling¡ª- how much experience I can gain. Others might see this as a desperate situation but for me it¡¯s an exciting time. I can¡¯t help but smile. ¡¸What¡­.? Are you insane¡­¡­?¡¹ I choose not to make eye contact with Liese¡¯s sullen gaze and tell them to hurry up and run. ¡¸Okay, okay. Thank you, Touya. Good luck¡¹ ¡¸ Oh, and be careful out there. You¡¯re going to have to treat me to a lot of booze later, okay?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll let you drink all you want!¡¡So don¡¯t you ¡­¡­ die!¡¹ ¡¸Sure, now get out of here!¡¹ As I watched Liese start to flee, I placed the mace in Dimensional Storage and pulled out my actual weapon. My Buster Sword, a sword of almost my height. I placed it on my shoulder and turned my head towards my opponents. ¡¸But still, this many¡­¡­ Don¡¯t mind if I do!¡¹ The monsters show no sign of fear and start to attack me under the Generals¡¯ orders. I fire Air Bullet with my left hand as I swing the Buster Sword with my right¡ªdecimating the monsters within the reach of my sword. I approached the Orc Generals at top speed and decapitated the three heads. The rest of the orcs are unable to withstand the power of my strengthened and boosted body; they start dropping like flies. I swung my sword eliminating the monsters for what felt like little more than 30 minutes. When I stopped and looked around, there were no more orcs around me. I could tell from my Search that there were still more in the forest and were coming for me. Besides that, there was just one thing that ¡­¡­ bothered me. ¡¸¡ª¨C How long are you hiding there¡­..?¡¹ At my inquiry¡ª- Liese quietly showed herself from behind a tree. Volume 4 - CH 6.1 She wore an incredulous expression. I don¡¯t blame her. Monsters¡¯ carcasses were scattered everywhere at my feet, with me standing in the middle of them, covered in their blood, but unscathed. Anyone would be in her state after witnessing such devastation. I had sensed she had returned during my battle. I guess her strong sense of responsibility could not let her abandon me. ¡¸¡­¡­. Incredible. You have this much power¡­¡­?¡¹ I lodged the Buster Sword into the ground, as she muttered to herself, and stuffed the dead monsters into Dimensional Storage. After a few minutes, the bodies of the monsters that were close to a hundred were gone except for their blood that had soaked into the ground. ¡¸I can¡¯t¡­.. believe it¡­.. ¡¹ Her shock doubled as she watched the bodies of the monsters all disappear into my Dimensional Storage. ¡¸Done¡¹ I finally paid attention to Liese after I had stored all the monsters away. ¡¸Who, who the hell ¡ª¨C are you? ¡¹ She was wary of me as she looked at me distraughtly. ¡¸Hmm, what do you mean? This is what any A-rank adventurer can do¡­¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸I, I¡¯ve seen A-ranked adventurers before, but they are not this strong¡­¡­. ¡¹ I guess that lie won¡¯t fly now¡­¡­ Job changing did make me far stronger than the other A-rankers in terms of skills and level. At this point it might be that I can only be defeated by ¡ª- the Hero. But who knows. His status must have some amazing skills of a Hero after all. After he got summoned, I think he said he was in the middle of a battle with a monster when he was transferred to this world. The Knight Commander, Al¡¯s father, said to be the greatest knight in the Lunette Empire, was even bested by him. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s been treated well and his level has risen even further. I should reach a higher level, just in case I am ever to face him one day. As I was thinking about this, I felt a light tap on my shoulder. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it¡­¡­ I¡¯ll be back, okay? ¡¹ The trees and bushes rustled and swayed in the direction I was facing, and a monster peeked out from the shadows. ¡¸Uh¡­¡­ That¡­¡­ ¡¹ Liese¡¯s eyes were filled with horror. She tried to back away, but tripped and landed on her bottom. She then started to shuffle back on the ground. A seven-meter long Earth Dragon with a crocodile-like body and a dragon face showed itself in its entirety. It must have been attracted by the thick scent of the orc¡¯s blood. It looked around for the carcasses of the orcs, however since I have stored them in Dimensional Storage, its gaze fell on me. An Earth Dragon is classified as an A-rank monster, higher than the Orc General. B-rank adventurers are no match for it. Seven of these monstrosities arrived on queue as if summoned. They could easily overrun the entire city with this number. Luckily for me, this is an opportunity to haul in a ton of experience. ¡¸We have to get out of here¡­¡­ ¡¹ She tried to stand up, but Liese, petrified, could not. ¡¸You can wait there. I¡¯ll be done in a minute ¡¹ I assured her and turned to meet the Earth Dragons head on. I unstuck the Buster Sword from the ground and lifted it to my shoulder. ¡¸With this much experience. I might even get a new Job ¡¹ I reapplied Body-Enhancement Boost, zipped to the side of an Earth Dragon, and brought down my sword on its neck with great force. With a clean cut, its head fell off. Now, I just have to repeat this process another seven times. In no more than a few minutes, I had eight headless bodies of Earth Dragons. I immediately put them into Dimensional Storage and let out a breath. ¡¸Okay, that¡¯s enough for today. The smell of blood might attract more monsters, so let¡¯s move away from this place ¡¹ I also placed the Buster Sword in Dimensional Storage, and helped Liese to get up. But her legs gave out beneath her and she fell into my arms. ¡¸¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I feel too weak to walk¡­¡­. ¡¹ I smiled at the apologetic Liese. After a witnessing a fight like this, I suppose it¡¯s natural to get like this. I remember how Char and Al looked at me in disbelief the first time they saw me fight. ¡¸Okay, I¡¯ll carry you ¡¹ My left hand curled behind her knee and my right hand supported her back as I carried her ¡ª¨C in a princess hug fashion. I went back the way we came in, while checking the monsters around me with Search. Liese placed her arms around my neck, but her face was looking down the whole time. I can¡¯t even tell what her expression is, but her ears look flushed. We still have a long way to go before we reach the entrance of the forest, so I suggest to Liese that we take a break. The reason I suggested we take a break was because Liese¡¯s stomach was growling. I put her down, and she nodded shyly and blushed. I took out a table and chairs from Dimensional Storage and set them in the open area. I also took out a loaf of bread and a skillet of soup from the market, scooped them into a bowl, and laid them out on the table. ¡¸Let¡¯s eat ¡¹ I sat down to eat with Liese. She stared blankly at the assortment of food on the table, but she couldn¡¯t overcome her hunger and ate it with gusto. When we finished eating and I had offered her a cup of tea, she seemed more relaxed than before. ¡¸I¡¯ve never thought I¡¯d be able to enjoy a meal like this while on this mission¡­¡­ The tea is so delicious. It¡¯s even better than the one at home¡­¡­. ¡¹ The tea I just served is high quality after all, from the Capital. As we were relaxing, I asked her a question. ¡¸Can I ask you something?¡¡Do you get monsters like this a lot here? ¡¹ It¡¯s incredible that Arkland hasn¡¯t been decimated yet, with A-rank Earth Dragons and B-rank Orc Generals running around. ¡¸No, not at all¡­¡­.. The strongest monsters I¡¯ve heard of so far are the orcs, and they are all D-rank or lower. I have never seen monsters like those before ¡¹ It is said that the monsters in a dungeon are proportional to the rank of the boss that protects its core. No demon is stronger than the dungeon boss. This means that this dungeon¡¯s core is protected by a monster of at least A-rank. There is even a possibility that an S-ranked monster is guarding the core. A lone city can¡¯t defend itself from a disaster-rank monster. There¡¯s also something curious about the location of the dungeon on the map. ¡¸We need to go back to the guild and report this. We may need to call Imperial Capital for support ¡¹ ¡¸Yes¡­¡­. I agree. I think that is the only way we can protect the city ¡¹ I drank the remaining tea and stood up from the table. Volume 4 - CH 6.2 ¡¸Let¡¯s go. I think everyone is starting to worry about us¡¹ ¡¸I bet¡­¡­ But to be honest, I think by now they have given up on us being alive. I¡¯m sure none of them think we made it¡¹ We made our way towards the entrance of the forest after I had stored away the table and chairs. It took us about an hour to get through the forest, but Gilt and the group were not waiting for us. They must have gone back to town to report to the guild. Along the way to the city, we had a light conversation. ¡¸How are you so strong, Touya? You are a Recovery Priest, right? I thought you had joined a party somewhere and got an A-rank like that¡¹ Liese asked me questions as she walked beside me. She, like everyone, had the image of a Recovery Priest being a rear guard of the party and only offering support and healing to the members. They are not known to wield a weapon. ¡¸No, I have been pretty much alone ever since I registered as an adventurer. I have teamed up on occasion with another party for an escort mission, but I¡¯ve always been on my own when it comes to battles¡¹ I have fought alongside Char, Al, and Natalie, but I can¡¯t mention that. They are regarded as the Imperial Princess, the Kingguard, and even the Sage of Twilight after all. ¡¸¡­¡­. I don¡¯t understand how that is possible¡­¡­. But you are impressively strong¡­¡­.¡¹ The questioning Liese, who looked to be thinking hard on the subject, stopped when she saw the city gates. We showed our guild cards and went straight to the guild. When the two of us opened the guild door and entered, the bustling hall suddenly went silent. The hall¡¯s attention was on us. ¡¸What¡¯s going on ¡­¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know, either¡¹ At that moment when we were puzzled as to what was going on, the cheers of the adventurers sprang up. ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸Yeahhhh¡ª-! ¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹ ¡¸They¡¯re back!¡¡They¡¯re both safe! ¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t believe it. They got out of a horde of monsters unharmed! ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m glad Liese is still here¡­¡­. She is still here¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸The town¡¯s idol princess has returned! ¡¹ Maia, who was in the middle of her reception work, dropped the documents in her hands, jumped over the counter and suddenly hugged me. ¡¸To- Touyaaaaa! You¡¯re alive. I¡¯m so happy you¡¯re back safely. ¡¹ I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle as Maia buried her face in my chest and squealed. I caught Liese¡¯s cold gaze next to me. ¡¸Mhmmm, I see? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s¡­¡­. Not what you think. Hey Maia, can we meet the guild master? ¡¹ She pulled her face from my chest, looked up at me and nodded. ¡¸Yes, of course. He should be in the reception room right now with the rest of Liese¡¯s party. Follow me¡¹ Maia led me and Liese to the reception room. Even though we were in the hallway, we could hear angry voices coming from the reception room. Maia knocked, and when she opened the door, we found Gilt up in Blythe¡¯s face. ¡¸We can¡¯t handle the monsters in that forest alone anymore! We only made it out because Liese and Touya sacrificed themselves for us! We need to call in the soldiers! You¡¯re the guild master, so call the damn lord! ¡¹ ¡¸Even if you say so¡­¡­ The current lord is¡­¡­ Maia? What happened¡­¡­?¡¹ Blythe¡¯s mouth gaped and his eyes were wide open when he saw us behind Maia. The same goes for Gilt and everyone. They were all dumbstruck. ¡¸I am relieved you¡¯re both safe. See, Gilt?¡¹ ¡¸Liese!¡¡You are alive! ¡¹ Myra hugged Liese tightly. Liese slowly and gently stroked the head of the bowling Myra. ¡¸It¡¯s thanks to Touya that I¡¯m alive. Thank you Myra, for listening to me¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I knew you would come back. ¡­¡­ ¡¹ Liese and Myra hugged passionately and then they both took their seats. I also took an empty seat. ¡¸What¡¯s the state of the forest, Touya-dono? ¡¹ Blythe was obviously more concerned about this. ¡¸It¡¯s worse than expected. The forest is overrun with monsters. The dungeon might be close to flooding at any moment ¡¹ ¡¸Do you think the city¡¯s adventurers and guards can handle it? ¡¹ It¡¯s impossible to say for sure. I¡¯ve heard that Liese and her party are the best adventurers in the city, but even they are not good enough. With just one Earth Dragon they will be done for. I shook my head. ¡¸We encountered a pack of orcs being led by Orc Generals. Not only that, but we also came face to face with Earth Dragons¡­¡­ I honestly don¡¯t think the city will be safe if they attack ¡¹ ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡­¡­¡¹¡¹¡¹ ¡¸I did not think there were those kinds of monsters¡­¡­¡¹ Everyone¡¯s face turned pale, and Blythe looked as if he had swallowed something bitter. ¡¸I think we need to contact the guild headquarters in the Capital as soon as possible and request the Lord of this city have the Imperial Capital send soldiers¡¹ I think this is the right answer. They can¡¯t hope to protect the city without going to this extreme. There¡¯s only so much they can do on their own. Blythe nodded his head, after he had silently listened to me. ¡¸I understand. I¡¯ll send a message to the Imperial Capital right away. And I¡¯ll request a meeting with the Lord immediately ¡¹ It would be faster if I went to him as a noble, but I have hid my true identity up to this point¡ª I¡¯ll use my noble status if the Lord is too unreceptive on the matter. ¡¸I¡¯ve heard that the lord of this city has recently been replaced, what do you think about him? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ He¡¯s still a young lord. I don¡¯t know how he¡¯ll decide to handle this. Just ¡­¡­ no, take it easy today and get some rest. It would be great if you could show up again tomorrow afternoon ¡¹ That¡¯s all Blythe said to my question. We left the reception room and our group gathered around a table in the tavern attached to the hall. I would have liked to make a toast to their safety, but the information I had given them had left them shaken. Any ordinary adventurer would be in despair at the mention of an Earth Dragon. We ordered ale and it was brought to us in matching mugs. ¡¸¡­¡­ Touya, is it true ¡­¡­ that there is an Earth Dragon? ¡¹ Gilt asked me a question after he had taken a gulp of the ale. All of their eyes were on me. ¡¸Yeah, there were eight of them. There might be even more near the dungeon. ¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸If one of those things comes for the city¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸The city will be destroyed if nothing is done about this situation. Definitely ¡­¡­ ¡¹ After talking a little about our plans following this, we split up, but I was worried about Liese, who was silent the whole time. I went back to the inn, rolled into bed, and thought about what I should do from now on. There was nothing they could do with their current strength. I think I can manage with Char, Al, and Natalie, but it will be impossible for them to leave the Imperial Capital right now and come to this city. The comfortable softness of the bed made me feel sleepy. I fell asleep with tomorrow¡¯s meeting at the guild on my mind. Volume 4 - CH 7 The following day arrived and we were gathered at the guild to discuss our plan in regards to the dungeon flooding. The members of the meeting are the guild master, Blythe, along with his assistant, Maia, and the adventurers, Liese and the four members of her party, and of course myself. ¡¸Let¡¯s start this meeting right away. Yesterday, I sent a letter to the guild in the Imperial Capital with the fastest horse around. I also have a meeting soon with the lord¡¹ It will take the letter to arrive in the Capital several days. Now, including the preparations that will need to be made, it will take at least ten days for them to reach this city. But the city is barely holding it together, and it could flood at any moment. ¡¸We can¡¯t do anything but wait huh¡­¡­ ¡¹ Gilt, who took his strength into consideration, stated in a defeated tone. I don¡¯t know what words of encouragement I can say to them. The strength of this city¡¯s adventurer is not what I can promise will be enough to handle those level of monsters, so I kept silent. No one else seemed to know what to say either. ¡¸I guess we¡¯ll just have to hope that the flooding doesn¡¯t happen until backup arrives¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸We should get the people to evacuate¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t tell you what to tell people. Only the lord has the authority to do that. If the guild were to give notice¡­¡­. I¡¯m afraid the first would be the adventurers who have no connection to the city, right? Only those adventurers based here would be willing to lend me their ear, but I can¡¯t force the adventurers who are visiting this city as escorts. If the lord issues a compulsory request only then would they stay and help¡­¡­ ¡¹ It does make sense that the adventurers who grew up here and have families here would find the compulsion to stay and protect the city. Although, if they are just adventurers with no attachment here except lodging they would choose to leave.. After all, adventurers value their lives more than anything. The same goes for me, but I can¡¯t desert them because¡­¡­ Blythe knows who I am. ¡¸We will hold another meeting tomorrow. I¡¯ll be able to tell you what the lord¡¯s reply is at that time ¡¹ Everyone agreed, and the meeting ended. Liese, who was raised in this city, looked rugged from the beginning to the end of the gathering. ¡ó¡ó¡ó The following day we were gathered in the same way, except Blythe had a grim expression this time. ¡¸Snotty brat. I¡¯ll never forgive him for this! What the hell does he mean by, ¡¸He¡¯s going to the Imperial Capital to call for support ¡¹!? It¡¯s obvious he¡¯s fleeing this city! ¡¹ According to Blythe, he had planned to meet with the lord this afternoon to explain the current state of things and ask him to write a letter to the Imperial Capital for military support, but the lord himself insisted on going to the Capital to ask for support in person. He left the city early in the morning accompanied by a few people in an unhurried carriage. I was stunned when I heard this¡­¡­ Even if he has just been appointed this is outrageous. I have no attachment to this city either but I am here choosing to protect it. The most important person, a lord, doing this, is just¡­¡­ ¡¸So what is the guild going to do¡­¡­? ¡¹ To my question, Blythe glanced a little at Liese before he responded. ¡¸We have no choice but to handle everything as we are. I¡¯ll have the lord¡¯s sister take control for him, to direct the guards. And Touya-dono and I will take the overall command ¡¹ ¡­¡­ Is the lord¡¯s sister still around ¡­¡­? Wouldn¡¯t her brother have let her escape first? ¡¸But can the sister lead? ¡¹ I¡¯ve never heard of a noblewoman taking command. ¡¸About that¡­¡­ I¡¯ll be going to their mansion to talk about it later. Touya-dono, I want you to accompany me ¡¹ ¡¸Of course, I¡¯ll go with you ¡¹ Gilt and Jill left the reception room with Liese and Myra, obviously unhappy about the news, I hung around in the guild master¡¯s office to kill some time until we went to the lord¡¯s mansion. When the time came, Blythe and I took a carriage to their mansion. The lord¡¯s mansion, the Count¡¯s mansion, still had some damages from the war, but it was still livable without any problems. However the mansion was deserted, most of the attendants must have left with the lord to Imperial Capital. The remaining attendant, who had come out to greet us, ushered us to the reception room, where Blythe and I were offered a seat on the sofa. While we waited, Blythe turned to me, ¡¸¡ª¨C There¡¯s something I must tell you. Don¡¯t be too surprised, alright? ¡¹ I looked at him curiously waiting to hear what he had to say. We were interrupted by the knock at the door and an attendant entered the room. The lord¡¯s sister ¡ª- Liese came in, followed by Myra. They were not in their normal adventurer¡¯s attire. Liese wore a dress typical of a noblewoman while Myra was adorned in a white robe, a formal garb no doubt. Liese had light makeup, and combined with her dress, she looked beautiful and dignified. This is what¡­¡­ Blythe was going to tell me¡­¡­ I think due to my mouth hanging wide open, when Liese looked at me, she laughed. ¡¸You seem surprised. Yes, I am the sister of the city¡¯s lord, Lieselotte von Litthardt ¡¹ ¡¸I am Myra, Lieselotte-sama¡¯s attendant ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re being too playful, Lieselotte-jousama. We are here today on behalf of the adventurers¡­¡­. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, you¡¯re right. I¡¯m not Liese the B-rank adventurer today, but Lieselotte the acting lord ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ Does Gilt and Jill know about this? That you¡¯re a noble and that Myra is your attendant? ¡¹ Lise shook her head. ¡¸They both don¡¯t know. Also Myra is my friend ¡¹ After I had come to terms with the new revelation before me, Blythe began to discuss the measures to be taken in regards to the dungeon flooding. Liese and I listened in and added our opinions on the plan and a decision was reached. The Adventurer¡¯s Guild will appoint a few adventurers to monitor the forest. If there is any movement, we will respond as soon as possible, the real intention being to thin out the monsters as much as possible. The idea is to prevent any monsters, especially high-ranked ones, from pouring out of the forest. There is no way of fighting them, if they manage to come outside of the forest, with the current city forces. ¡¸I wish there was a better way to weed out the monsters, even if just a little¡­¡­. It won¡¯t be enough to have just Lieselotte-jousama¡¯s party to thwart them. More importantly, the city needs you to act as lord in this crisis ¡¹ ¡¸That said, there are no parties stronger than ours ¡ª- ¡¹ Suddenly eyes turned to me. Hardly surprising¡­¡­ ¡¸Touya-dono¡­¡­. We need your help. Please help us save this city¡­¡­. ¡¹ Blythe bowed to me in earnest, making both Liese and Myra raise their eyebrows quizzically at this unusual attitude. ¡¸The guild master is bowing to you¡­¡­ Who are you Touya¡­¡­? ¡¹ Myra also questioned me. ¡¸Touya, I¡¯d like to ask you to do the same. I have witnessed your strength, and I know it better than anyone. I am well aware that I¡¯m pushing it, but as the acting lord and a noble, I have a duty to protect this city. If you think of refusing, be aware that I have the power to order you to do so. But please don¡¯t make do that ¡¹ Liese, being aware of my capability, pleaded with me. But I prefer not to be ordered around, even if it¡¯s by the Emperor. ¡¸Lieselotte-jousama, even as a noble¡ª- you can¡¯t give orders to Touya-dono ¡¹ Blythe interrupted her gently. ¡¸¡­¡­. As a noble, I have the authority to give orders to the adventurers through the Guild when the city is in danger, isn¡¯t part of the accord? ¡¹ She is correct, except for man-made wars, the lord can order the Adventurers Guild to intervene in times of natural disasters and monster attacks. However, this only applies for ¡°ordinary ¡°adventurers. Blythe understood this. It¡¯s no use staying silent about this. They¡¯ll find out sooner or later¡­¡­. I sighed a bit, eyeing Liese. ¡¸¡ª¨C I will offer my assistance for the sake of this city, of course, as a noble¡¯s duty. But there is¡ª one condition ¡¹ Blythe¡¯s eyes showed a sign that he understood the intention behind my words and bowed deeply again. ¡¸I thank you for your cooperation ¡ª- Your Lordship Marquis ????¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡¹¡¹ Liese and Myra¡¯s gasped at the same time, taken aback by Blythe¡¯s shocking unveil. I took out the Marquis Certificate that His Majesty had given me from the Dimensional Storage and placed it on the table. ¡¸Marquis Touya von Kisaragi. That¡¯s my official name. ¡¹ Liese and Myra¡¯s eyes shot wide open at the mention of my name. Their mouths were quivering. ¡¸¡­¡­¡­..You are the ¡­¡­ hero that saved the country¡­¡­.? ¡¹ Blythe nods unhesitatingly to Liese¡¯s choked words. It¡¯s an embarrassing title¡­¡­ That¡¯s why I hid my identity coming here. Suddenly Liese, who was sitting across from me, leapt forward and wrapped her hands around mine. ¡¸I, I can¡¯t¡­¡­ believe it! You¡¯re the one who saved our country, Marquis Kisaragi! You¡¯re really him!? ¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t take credit for saving the country, but I am certainly Marquis Kisaragi ¡¹ The look on Liese¡¯f face was total awe. Unlike her usual behavior, her eyes were brimming and her excitement was clear to see as she grasped my hand tightly. I tried to gently pull it away, but Liese was determined to hold onto it firmly. ¡¸Oh, um¡­¡­. Touya-sama¡­¡­. Please lend us a hand to save our city ¡¹ I chuckled a bit at the way Liese¡¯s way of referring to me had changed. ¡¸Lieselotte is a big fan of Marquis Kisaragi,¡­¡­. ¡¹ ¡¸Myra!! ¡¹ Liese turned around to Myra and glared at her for her statement. ¡¸Are you going to, by chance, let go of his hand now? ¡¹ In response to Myra¡¯s inquiry, Liese dropped her gaze to my hand in hers, and upon noticing, she released it with vigor and her cheeks quickly dyed red. ¡¸It¡¯s not like that! I was just so surprised that I forgot I was holding his hand! ¡¹ Liese was blushing intensely and struggling to explain herself, which made her look cute. Blythe and I couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡¸Liese, no, should I perhaps call you Lieselotte-jousama? There are conditions, but I will hunt down the monsters on my own¡¹ Her face suddenly became serious and her mouth was clamped up. ¡¸You can call me Liese if you want. No, by all means, please call me Liese ¡¹ ¡¸All right. The conditions I have are that the monster¡¯s materials I hunt will be purchased by the guild, but if the guild is unable to buy them, then I want you as the lord to purchase them from me. I¡¯m planning on hunting a good number of them, and there¡¯s a chance the guild might run out of funds ¡¹ The amount of monsters that I have hunted so far, that are in Dimensional Storage, is already considerable. I hardly think the guild has enough funds to buy them all. If they run out of money, they may not be able to issue any more requests to other adventurers. I want to avoid that. ¡¸I understand. I can guarantee you that. I¡¯m sure the damage will be much less than the damage to the city ¡¹ Now my hunting will not affect the city poorly. All that¡¯s left is to¡­¡­. ¡¸I¡¯ll be in the forest for the next ten days or so, so don¡¯t worry about me ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­. That¡¯s too dangerous. You can¡¯t spend the night in the woods!! ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. Lieselotte-sama will not help but worry ¡¹ ¡¸I disagree. It¡¯s too dangerous. It¡¯s too dangerous and I can¡¯t accept it as a guild master ¡¹ They all have dissenting opinions. But I¡¯d say sleeping in the guild house in the forest is just as safe as being in the mansion. Should I tell them that¡­..? ¡¸You know how big my Dimensional Storage is, right? I also have a sleeping aid that has the ability to repel monsters. So don¡¯t worry about it¡­¡­ ¡¹ I can safely leave the guild house out in the forest where it can¡¯t be seen, and have Ferris out as well. I¡¯ve been so busy lately that I haven¡¯t had the chance to let her out, so this will be my chance to. ¡¸Are you certain the monster repellent will keep the monsters away!? If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll go with you, Touya-sama! ¡¹ ¡¸If Lieselotte-sama is going, I¡¯m going too ¡¹ No! Why!? I restrained myself from freaking out. However, Liese needs to stay here and direct the soldiers. ¡¸¡­¡­. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible¡­¡­ Liese, you have some work to do as acting lord of this city¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Bu, but¡­¡­.¡¹ She seemed to be considering my words and saw how sensible they are, nonetheless she did not seem willing to accept them. I just have to convince them that I will be fine. I can¡¯t have them worrying about me while I¡¯m in the forest. ¡¸¡­¡­ Okay. How about you accompany me for one night, Liese, and if you are satisfied with my stay in the forest, you can come back and give an update to Blythe of my living arrangements ¡¹ For some reason what I said made her happy. She smiled broadly. ¡¸I understand!¡¡I¡¯ll get it ready right away! ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­. I¡¯m sorry, Touya-sama. Lieselotte-sama can be stubborn sometimes. I¡¯ll go get ready as well ¡¹ Myra bowed her head and then left the room. ¡¸Since it¡¯s just the two of us, let me be forward; are you really okay with this¡­¡­? ¡¹ Blythe seemed uneasy. He probably thinks we¡¯ll be staying in a tent or something. ¡¸It¡¯s fine really. I have proof. Princess Charlotte, herself, has stayed in it before. She has never had any complaints about the facilities. You can rest assured about that¡¸ If the Princess has stayed in it and she did not complain, then surely it must be okay. ¡¸¡­¡­. Okay. Please take care of Lieselotte-jousama ¡¹ I nodded at his request. Volume 4 - CH 8 The attendant entered the room, refilled the tea and brought teacakes for us, while Blythe and I continued our conversation. About an hour later, there was a knock on the door, Liese and Myra came back in in their adventuring clothes. ¡¸Thank you for your patience. We¡¯re ready to go. Let¡¯s leave right away¡¹ Certainly, it is a suitable time to leave for the forest in order to set up the guild house. I got up from my seat and we left the mansion together with Blythe. We saw Blythe off as he rode in his carriage. ¡¸Touya-sama, are we going to walk to the forest? I have a carriage that can take us there¡­¡­..¡¹ I don¡¯t necessarily have a reason to hide this anymore, now that they know my identity. ¡¸No, we¡¯ll take my carriage. We can reach the forest faster¡¹ I took out the carriage and Kokuyou from Dimensional Storage. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry you had to stay inside for so long,¡­¡­. Cut it out! ¡¹ Kokuyou had started to bite my head. Not sure if it¡¯s because he is happy to be let out after all this time or that he was in a foul mood since I had taken this long to take him out. ¡¸¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡¹¡¹ The two girls were looking up at the carriage and the Obsidian Battlehorse that were just brought out with their mouths agape. ¡¸As I am sure you¡¯ve heard by now from the rumors, this is my trusted horse, Kokuyou¡¹ I introduce Kokuyou to them as I wipe the drool on my head with a towel pulled out of Dimensional Storage. ¡¸¡­¡­. We have heard of the rumors, yes, but this is the first time seeing an Obsidian Battlehorse¡­¡­.. You seem very fond of it ¡¹ They no longer look scared, but they still seem surprised and stunned. ¡¸Ah, yeah, we¡¯ve been together for a while now. Come on, get in the carriage. I¡¯ll attach Kokuyou to the carriage and we¡¯ll be on our way ¡¹ I urged them to get into the carriage, and I tied the carriage fittings to Kokuyou and went up on the coachman platform. ¡¸Please, let¡¯s go, Kokuyou ¡¹ As I pulled on the reins, Kokuyou slowly began to drag the carriage forward. I also cover my head with my hood to prevent from being recognized on the platform. My identity should be kept under wraps from the general public as usual. Kokuyou stands out like a sore thumb, and the crowd will no doubt spread a word about him. There is also a possibility that other adventurers will see me. We slowly made our way through the city, stealing the gazes of the people. Twice the size of a normal horse, Kokuyou made even the adventurers stand clear of him. The stares followed us till we had left the eastern gate. It was at this time that we sped up. Even though the forest is full of monsters, the path to the dungeon is well maintained and clear. And from my previous survey I knew that there was enough room for the carriage to go through. The goblins that would be stupid enough to show themselves will be easily handled by Kokuyou. It took us a few minutes to arrive at the forest, and while we did slow down a bit, the carriage continued through the forest. A few goblins that appeared in our way were trampled and crushed by Kokuyou without wasting any time. Orcs also showed themselves here and there, but I took them down with magic in the distance, clearing the path. Soon we reached the place where we had fought the Earth Dragon last time and stopped. ¡¸Stay in the carriage while I fix us a place to stay in ¡¹ I called out to them through the small window from the platform, and asked Kokuyou to guard the carriage. I released a spell, to cut down the trees, to clear the area. The trees that had fallen, I stored in Dimensional Storage, while their roots were dragged away from the ground using earth magic, and in approximately ten minutes the space to set up the guild was ready. I wiped the small sweat on my face and took out the guild house from Dimensional Storage. ¡¸Will this do? ¡¹ I walked over to the carriage; stroked Kokuyou¡¯s neck gently, thanked him, and asked him to return to Dimensional Storage. ¡¸You can come out now. It¡¯s ready ¡¹ I opened the carriage door for them. They both came out looking around warily, but when their eyes landed on the guild house, their mouths completely dropped open. ¡¸Th, th, this is¡­¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸This is a¡ª- house ¡¹ It¡¯s the same guild house that I always use, which has several bedrooms and a bath. It also acts as a monster repellent. ¡­¡­. It¡¯s not from this world¡­¡­. Though, I don¡¯t need to mention that. I encouraged them to enter the guild house after I had put away the carriage back in Dimensional Storage. I opened the front door for them. ¡¸Welcome to my ¡®temporary house¡¯. You¡¯ll be staying here for the night¡¯ ¡¹ I led them into the living room and had them take a seat. They were still in a daze, as if their minds were overworking to make sense of the circumstance. I boiled water in the kitchen and prepared tea. As I poured the tea into the cups and offered it to them, I thought how nice it is to finally relax like this after living in the inn for so long. ¡¸Here¡¯s some tea. It was given to me in the Imperial Capital; it¡¯s quite good ¡¹ Both of them froze up, as if they couldn¡¯t keep up with their thoughts. I picked up a cup of tea too. The aroma tickled my nose, and its taste permeated my whole mouth. ¡¸It¡¯s delicious. You two, have some before it gets cold ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­. Thank you ¡¹ Liese is dressed as an adventurer, but she takes a sip of tea like a noblewoman. ¡¸¡­¡­ It¡¯s really good. I¡¯m not sure I know where to find such delicious tea. Where do you get ¡­¡­ such delicious tea leaves? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s delicious. It was given to me by His Majesty while I was in the Capital ¡¹ ¡¸What ¡­¡­ His Majesty ¡­¡­? ¡¹ Myra who is sitting beside Liese blurts out, while Liese pulls a face and looks down at her cup. ¡¸¡­¡­ Touya-sama, who are you exactly¡­¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸Well, you can think of me as a slightly stronger adventurer than most. And since I am an adventurer now, you don¡¯t have to use ¡®sama¡¯, okay? The other people will find that strange. Especially Gilt and Jill¡­¡­ ¡¹ I won¡¯t be comfortable in this city if people unnecessarily know that I am a noble. I want to keep my identity a secret as much as possible. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t want to get mixed up in trouble by revealing too much in case I am coerced into using my noble status for anyone¡¯s gain. ¡¸¡­¡­. I¡¯m very grateful, I understand. Then I¡¯ll call you Touya, as I always have ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll introduce you to one more person, Ferris ¡¹ The stone around my neck responded to my call with a glow, and Ferris appeared. She stood behind me and looked down at Liese and Myra. ¡¸Eh? ¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸No way¡­¡­ ¡¹ Both of them, their eyes were visibly stunned. I¡¯m not sure how many times I have seen them like this now¡­¡­. ¡¸This is a house spirit, Ferris. She¡¯ll be taking care of cleaning and stuff while we are staying in this house. I¡¯m sorry you¡¯ve been caged for so long, Ferris ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Touya, I¡¯ve missed you. ¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Sorry, I¡¯m going to be using the guild house for a few days, okay? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, okay¡­¡­. ¡¹ Ferris nodded and disappeared into thin air. ¡¸The House Spirit can speak!? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ Unbelievable¡­¡­. ¡¹ Well, that¡¯s what people usually think, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯ve told Ferris that she is free to talk to me as she pleases when I am in this guild house. I am sure these two will get used to it. ¡¸I¡¯ve given up on thinking about the reason behind it. I¡¯m going to prepare dinner now, so just relax. After you¡¯ve eaten, you can take a bath¡¹ ¡¸We can use the bathroom¡­¡­.? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, Ferris will prepare it for you. I¡¯ll show you how to use when I show you to your bedrooms later ¡¹ I left my seat and went into the kitchen to prepare dinner. I have a large amount of steak meat, and some soup. I bought a lot in the Capital as well, so I have enough. I lit the stove and started cooking the seasoned meat. I put the bread in a bowl, took out a skillet of soup, and scooped it into the bowl. The kitchen was filled with the delicious smell of roasting meat. I sliced the meat into bite-sized pieces and placed them on plates. ¡¸It¡¯s ready. The meal will be served in here, so can you come ¡¹ I laid out the food I had prepared on the dining room table. The two immediately sat down at the table. When they saw the food arranged on the table, they gulped. ¡¸I didn¡¯t expect you to be able to cook so much¡­¡­. As a noble, you are supposed to leave such things to the servants¡­¡­. ¡¹ ¡¸Even though I am a noble now, I was just an adventurer not so long ago. I was only knighted because of my achievements in the war. I would have refused if I had the option, but there is a lot on my plate ¡¹ I answered as I poured a glass of wine. I was told by Gaulus to accept it, but I am still not completely comfortable with this decision. Since I have become a noble of higher status and Char and Al have become my fianc¨¦s, the nobles didn¡¯t force me into marrying their daughters, but I still received many offers of arranged marriages. I wonder what would have happened if I had been just an adventurer¡­¡­¡­ Doesn¡¯t matter now, there¡¯s no use thinking about it. ¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡­You didn¡¯t want to become a noble¡­¡­¡­¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸A lot of things happened in the Capital¡­¡­. But let¡¯s not get into that. The meal will get cold ¡¹ I raised my glass of wine and made a toast. We began to eat; I chewed on a piece of meat and savored the taste. It tastes good, well cooked and delicious. I was satisfied to hear the two of them say ¡¸delicious ¡¹ as well. As I expected from a noble and her bodyguard, their eating posture was clean and they were eating well. We proceeded to eat while having a light chat. The main topic of conversation was about Liese and Myra since they became adventurers. Liese and Myra, perhaps encouraged by the alcohol, became talkative and began to share about how they secretly became adventurers at Liese¡¯s request after they came of age. Liese trained daily with a wooden sword to become stronger as an adventurer. I learned that Myra has been with her since she was a child because her parents were the attendants of the lord. We also talked about how they met Gilt and Jill. They had apparently received the same request at the guild and hit it off as they are close in age, and ended up forming a party. Our conversation continued to the point where we talked about how Gilt has a crush on Liese and Jill on Myra, but since the two girls are hiding their true identities, they didn¡¯t want to get into a love affair, so they rejected them. I felt a bit sorry for Gilt and Jill¡­¡­. After the meal was over, I showed them to their bedroom. They were both satisfied with the fluffy bed, and I explained how to use the shower in the bathroom. Ferris had already prepared the bathtub for them, so they went straight into the bath. I cleaned up the dishes, made myself a cup of tea and sat down on the sofa, where Ferris appeared and sat down next to me. It¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve had this kind of time together. ¡­¡­ I¡¯m going to be hunting tomorrow during the day, but I¡¯m planning on staying here for the night. ¡¸It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve relaxed like this¡­¡­. I¡¯m going hunting tomorrow during the day, but I¡¯ll be back when it gets dark ¡¹ ¡¸Mm¡­¡­. okay ¡¹ Ferris looked happy; maybe because she was with me. After spending some quality time with Ferris, the two girls got out of the bath and into the living room. ¡¸The bath, the toilet, the¡­¡­.. What the hell is this house!? It¡¯s so comfortable I want to live here! ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s more comfortable than a mansion ¡¹ I don¡¯t know what exactly this house is, just that it¡¯s an item from my gaming days. At least they look satisfied which is important. ¡¸So you can trust me to be safe here, right? Tomorrow I¡¯ll take you back to the city, I¡¯ll be staying here while I subjugate the monsters¡¹ No one can enter this house without my permission and the monsters can¡¯t attack it, and Ferris is here to take care of me. I can hunt with a peace of mind. ¡¸¡­¡­.. That¡¯s the thing¡­¡­. Can¡¯t I just stay here while you do? I¡¯m worried about leaving Touya alone in this forest. I would be less worried if I can stay close in case something happens¡­¡­.. ¡¹ Liese suggested with a demanding look. But she¡¯s supposed to take the place of her brother, as the lord, who ran away. ¡¸Liese the city and the guildmaster need you¡­¡­. You¡¯re the acting lord ¡¹ She raised her eyebrows with his mouth open, she can¡¯t deny the truth. Looking at my serious face, Liese dropped her shoulders and sighed, probably remembering her position. ¡¸¡­¡­ Yes, that¡¯s right. I understand. I¡¯m sorry for being so selfish ¡¹ I let them rest early for tomorrow, and after I took a bath, I went into my bedroom. I took a bath and then went to bed. I relaxed in my bed and before I knew it I had fallen asleep in the comfortable softness. Volume 4 - CH 9 ¡¸Thank you very much¡¹ After breakfast the next day I took them back to the city. I dropped them off at the city gate to prevent unnecessary commotion that might be caused by the carriage drawn by Kokuyou. ¡¸I¡¯ll be holed up in the forest for the few days, take care of the city, okay¡¹ ¡¸Yes, please be careful ¡­¡­.¡¹ Liese looked a bit forlorn as she answered. I pulled on the reins and Kokuyou took off at top speed back to the forest. I went to get my gear at the guild house and asked Ferris to watch over the house. ¡¸I¡¯m going hunting; I¡¯ll be back in the evening¡¹ ¡¸Un¡­¡­. Take care¡¹ Holding the Buster Sword in my hand, I walk out into the forest and use Search to locate monsters. ¡¸This way¡­¡­.¡¹ I chose to concentrate first on the areas where the monsters¡¯ numbers were greater. The monsters were close to overrunning the forest at any moment. I found myself surrounded on all sides, with only my sword, which was not enough. I gathered some magic in my other hand and shot attack magic at the monsters. The said monsters ranged from goblins to orcs, ogres, and forest wolves. Mixed in, but with few numbers were the Earth Dragons. Most of the monsters were C-rank and lower. I got tired of their numbers and focused on unleashing large-scale magic in succession. I stored the fallen monsters in Dimensional Storage to the point where I had 99 of each monster filling more item slots. ¡¸With this much materials, the city might go bankrupt¡­¡­..¡¹ My mind drifted to Liese and Blythe, who were coordinating the city. I spent my days in the forest continuously locating and subjugating monsters as they came. I ended up feeling overwhelmed mentally with the routine, but being able to rest at the guildhouse at the end of the day and having Ferris to talk to was recuperative in a sense. Even with the prospect of grinding levels, doing the same thing repeatedly day in and day out can take a toll on a person. For seven days, my routine was pretty much the same: search and subjugate monsters. On the tenth day, I decided to return to the city. I felt I had taken care of a significant number of monsters. I didn¡¯t risk eradicating them completely for the sake of the other adventurers¡¯ welfare. I asked Ferris to go back into the Spirit Stone and placed the guild house back into Dimensional Storage after I was satisfied I was done eliminating monsters on the path leading to the dungeon. I was bathed in brilliant sunlight as I rode back to the city after being cooped up in the dark forest for what seemed like an eternity. It felt good. However, as we approached the city, we came across a field full of soldiers. There were about one hundred of them. They had a number of tents erected to guard the city. When they saw Kokuyou, they started blowing their whistles and moved in a hurried fashion. Did they mistake him for a monster¡­¡­.? Soldiers with spears stood in the road with soldiers with a bow lining behind them. Not that we¡¯re in any danger, but best to explain myself. I stopped Kokuyou and got down. I could see some soldiers¡¯ vigilance relax, perhaps because they could see me. A few soldiers approached us with caution. ¡¸May we have your name? Why were you in the forest? No one is supposed to go in there¡¹ ¡¸My name is Touya. I was thinning out the monsters at the request of Leiselotte-ojousama, the acting lord of this city¡¸ When they heard this, the soldiers fell on their knees on the spot and bowed their heads. ¡¸¡­¡­..We apologize, you must be Marquis Kisaragi. Please follow me¡¹ If they know me, then they must be soldiers from the Capital. ¡¸Ah, yes. Thank you¡¹ The soldier led the way into the largest tent, where Princess Charlotte the vice knight commander Altria, and the first court mage Natalie and Lieselotte were gathering. Myra is also attending Liese. And all of them were dressed for battle. ¡¸¡­¡­.. Why are you all here¡­¡­.?¡¹ Char, Al and Natalie¡¯s expressions were firm. They seem to be overtly angry. ¡¸¡­¡­. More importantly, Touya-sama, don¡¯t you have anything to us¡­¡­.? You disappeared at a critical time from the Imperial Capital and came to this city¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, Touya-san. When Char found out that you were in this city, she ran off without disregarding His Majesty¡¯s word, and of course Natalie-san didn¡¯t hesitate to accompany her¡­¡­. The Imperial Capital is in a weakened state right now! Do you have any idea how difficult it was for me to be here?!¡¹ I immediately get lectured by Char followed by Al. What can I tell them? I did tell Gaulus where I was going in advance and left a letter for the three of them. And in addition I did instruct a servant to deliver the letter only after I had left the Imperial Capital. I was feeling tired because of all the unending meetings from the nobles and their constant badgering trying to fix me up with their daughters. I wanted to relax, that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t tell them where I was going. If I say that it would only make things worse, won¡¯t it¡ª¡ª-? ¡¸Sorry¡­¡­. The nobles were constantly proposing matchmaking¡­¡­ Despite the fact that I don¡¯t need any of that, every single day they came¡­¡­. So I thought I¡¯d get out of the Capital and take a break¡­¡­.. But I ended up getting caught up in this whole thing. I¡¯m tired, I¡¯d like to eat something sweet¡­¡­ but I¡¯m not sure if I can even eat it¡¹ It¡¯s the only way I know how to get them in a good mood! I placed a number of sweet treats on the table that they were sitting around. Three kinds of cake: shortcake, cheesecake, and chocolate cake will set their mood right! On cue their expressions changed. ¡¸¡­¡­ Touya-sama¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Touya-san¡­¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Touya¡­¡­¡¹ Liese was taken aback by the sudden mood swing from the three. I pulled out forks enough for everyone and set them in front of them. ¡¸You can eat as much as you want!¡¹ I put my hand on the table and bowed. The first person to pick up a fork was Natalie. ¡¸Mhohoho! It¡¯s been some time I¡¯ve had any sweets! I¡¯m sure you both understand¡¹ Natalie picked up the shortcake in front of her, cut it into pieces with her fork and brought it to her mouth. ¡¸This is it! It¡¯s delicious as ever¡­¡­.. What¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s wrong with you two? If you don¡¯t want them, I¡¯ll¡­¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Okay! I¡¯ll have some too!¡¹ ¡¸Me too!!¡¹ Char and Al who were hesitant at first, also gave into temptation and picked up their forks and each took a piece of cake and popped it into their mouths. ¡¸You can eat it too, Liese¡¹ ¡¸Oh, yes. Let¡¯s see¡­¡­.¡¹ She picked a fork and pulled a plate of cake towards herself. She stared at the bite-sized cake she had cut with her fork and meditated as she stared at it as if in doubt. And with one swift move she gobbled it up. In an instant her face mellowed. ¡¸What is this!? This is sweeter than anything I¡¯ve ever tasted¡¹ Liese began to eat with much gusto after the first taste. I called out to Myra, who was looking at the other girls with a tinge of envy. ¡¸Here, Myra. There¡¯s still some left¡¹ I pointed to the empty seat and placed a cake and fork in front of it. ¡¸I¡¯m just an attendant¡¹ She replied, however, she reluctantly sat down and picked up the cake and placed the small piece on her fork while paying attention to the blissful Liese and the other girls with a sideways glance who were seated on the same table. Much like Liese, her tense face quickly went away immediately after putting the piece of the cake in her mouth. ¡¸¡­¡­ It¡¯s delicious. This is the first time eating something like this. ¡­¡­¡¹ Myra clutched on the plate in front of her, as if someone would take it from her, and began to savour the treat. ¡­¡­.. Okay, they should all be fine now. After this, I might be in the clear. I activated the magical tool in the corner of the tent, boiled some water, and prepared tea for everyone. In this situation, I was more of a servant than a noble. It doesn¡¯t matter, so long as the three of them are pacified. I poured the tea into cups and served it to them, taking care not to interrupt them. Now all I have to do is to get out of there while I still can. I slowly made my way to the tent exit in the attempt to disappear. ¡¸¡ª- Touya-sama?¡¡You¡¯re not trying to escape, are you? I stopped amidst my attempt to flee due to the question from Char that came from behind me. I cautiously turned around to find the gazes of five of them on me ¡ª¨C they had finished eating their cakes. ¡¸Touya-sama, sit down for a moment. We have much to talk about. I¡¯ve heard a lot from Leiselotte-sama, but I think you also need to explain yourself, don¡¯t you think?¡¹ When I first met Char, she was so modest and docile. But now she was more upfront now that she was embracing her role as the imperial princess. She looked imposing as she looked at me with a smile. I let out one short sigh, and sat down without resistance. ¡ó¡ó¡ó I threw myself on the bed in the guildhouse house, tired. Ahh, and I tried not to think about what had happened earlier. I had to explain to Char and the other two girls everything that had happened up to this point and in this city. When I tried to give them an abridged version and try to censor some of the stuff, Liese was there to correct my mistake. Since she and Myra are one of the longest acquaintances I have in this city. Char and Liese were in synch and began to bombard me with questions, as expected of one from the royal family and a noblewoman. After being made to explain everything, I headed to the guild to give another report. And because they didn¡¯t want to leave my side, I had everyone accompany me to the guild. Liese was dressed in her adventurer costume, and was fine, but Char was wearing dress armour and Al was wearing the Kingsquard armour. In short ¨C they couldn¡¯t help but stand out. The amount of murderous stares I received when I entered the guild with five women in tow was immeasurable. I found Maia at the counter, and she immediately led me to the reception room. Blythe came rushing afterwards, but when he found Char and the other two girls; he kneeled down on the spot and bowed his head. He was obviously unprepared to find the princess with me. This was supposed to be a meeting to discuss the state of the monsters in the forest after all. When I read out the number of monsters that I had in Dimensional Storage, Blythe and Liese¡¯s faces looked troubled. As for Char, Al and Natalie, they simply looked dumbfounded. The number of monsters that I had defeated and stored away was over a hundred. The guild and the lord were initially supposed to split the amount of monster materials they each purchase, but Liese chose to take more. ¡¸¡­¡­.. If the guild takes too many, it will put pressure on the city¡¯s finances¡­¡­..¡¹ There were tons of D-ranked Orcs, and over 100 of B-ranked monsters. The reward for a B-ranked monster alone would be enough to sustain an average person for about three months. The total amount they would have had to spend would have been a tremendous amount of money. But thankfully Char was present. I gave her a look and nodded. ¡¸What you can¡¯t take. I¡¯ll bring back with me to the castle¡¹ With this, Char, Blythe, and Liese looked relieved. However, they seem to forget that more materials will be needed in preparation to subjugate the dungeon. The monsters will not stop pouring out unless the dungeon is conquered, which is by removing the dungeon core located on the lowest floor, the guardian¡¯s room, out of the dungeon. The core controls the entire dungeon, supplies it with magic and produces the monsters. However, in the guardian¡¯s room, as the name implies, means there is a monster, a guardian, protecting the dungeon core. And it is necessary to defeat it. This dungeon reminds me of a dungeon I once conquered in the game while playing as a character from Generate Kingdom. If this is the same kind, then I might know what kind of monster guards the core. Volume 4 - CH 10.1 ¡¸Hey, Blythe, do you by any chance know what kind of monster guards the dungeon core? ¡¹ Blythe shook his head, announcing his ignorance on the matter. ¡¸No one has ever managed to get to the bottom level. So I don¡¯t know. Though, I have heard that in another country, they managed to conquer one, but I haven¡¯t been able to get any detailed information¡­¡­¡­. ¡¹ Well¡­¡­. I might be able to find out the rank of the monster if I mention it by name. ¡¸Okay but¡­¡­ What would be the monster rank of say, a ¡ª¡ª Dragon Hydra? ¡¹ Everyone in the room froze up at my question. The reason I inquire about this is because I¡¯m certain that it¡¯s a Dragon Hydra at the bottom of that dungeon. It is a monster that normally requires a raid by a high level party. Even at my level I am not entirely convinced I can take it on by myself. However, I might be comparing the situation to the game; it could be different in the real world. That said, if I was to face it off and unleashing my magic to its max against it did not bring it down, I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to flee for my life. ¡¸Touya-sama¡­¡­, do you by any chance know about the monster at the bottom floor ¡­¡­? ¡¹ As I was folding my arms and meditating on the thought, Liese called out to me. Even though the whole ordeal was similar to the game world for me, for the people of this world, this is¡ª the only reality they know. So I can¡¯t just talk about my gaming days here¡­¡­.. ¡¸I can¡¯t say for sure, but since even Earth Dragons are overflowing from the dungeon, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising that the guardian is a higher rank. So I have a feeling it might be a monster of that high rank. This is just my speculation though¡­¡­ ¡¹ I tried to explain, slurring over my words a bit. ¡¸If it is a Dragon Hydra as you say, it will be classified as a SS-ranked monster. You can think of it as a natural disaster class¡­¡­. No, but it couldn¡¯t be¡­¡­. ¡¹ Blythe sullenly answered my previous question. The rank of such a monster is far beyond the abilities of the adventurers in this city. To defeat even an S rank monster, they will need support from the country¡¯s military. I¡¯ve heard that this is how they normally treat such a threat of the likes of a dragon. ¡¸I¡¯ve brought my soldiers with me, but it may be difficult for them to conquer the dungeon. The best they can do is to keep an eye on the surrounding area and deal with the monsters that come out of the forest¡­¡­. ¡¹ Soldiers are soldiers, and adventurers are adventurers. Soldiers do sometimes dive into dungeons for training, but only for gaining experience and leveling up. They are not expected to understand the intricate details of conquering them. ¡¸In that case, I¡¯ll raid the dungeon with a small group. All I need is for the dungeon entrance to be guarded so no monsters escape¡¹ After they all had nodded, I proceeded. I¡¯ll dive in with Char, Al, and Natalie, making us a group of four. The three of them can keep up with my fighting just fine. Adding more people will only slow us down. I looked over to the three of them, seemingly understanding my plan, and they nodded. ¡¸All right, Char, Al, and Natalie, will dive with me. Everyone one else will hold the fort around the dungeon to keep the monsters from overflowing ¡¹ ¡¸It can¡¯t be! You are going with Her Highness and only the two of them to go into the dungeon? ¡¹ Liese is aware of the strength of Al and Natalie, but she is oblivious to the fact that Char is as strong as they are. ¡¸Ah¡­¡­., Liese don¡¯t worry. The three of you, please tell her your levels¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m 87¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m 89¡¹ ¡¸Hmph, I¡¯m 90. Been slaying monsters whenever I can in my spare time ¡¹ Natalie declared smugly. ¡¸¡­¡­!? Really¡­¡­¡­? I can¡¯t believe it¡­¡­.¡¹ These are levels considered to be of legends. The cheat rings that I gave them boosted their experience gain; otherwise it would have been impossible to reach these levels. Liese was stunned. But as if she remembered something, she turned her gaze towards me. ¡¸If all three of you are at such levels¡­¡­.. Touya, what level are you¡­¡­..? ¡¹ Having been in the forest recently, my current job ¨C Sage level has risen to 52. Having reached level 100 on my previous jobs ¨C Recovery Priest and Mage, this is my level now. I don¡¯t need to compare myself to the three of them. But Liese might assume that my level is inferior to theirs, if I don¡¯t give her an answer¡­¡­ ¡¸Lieselotte-jo-yo, you can¡¯t judge Touya¡¯a strength by his level. He is off the scale ¡¹ Liese did not seem satisfied, but she nodded nonetheless to Natalie¡¯s explanation. ¡¸Um¡­¡­¡­ can I come with you? I¡¯m B-rank. I won¡¯t slow you down¡¹ Liese raised her hand and spoke up, albeit in a rather shy manner. She will slow me down; there is no other way to say it. I can protect them to some extent in the dungeon, but it will be difficult if she was in our company during the boss battle or when we are in contact with a fierce monster. Unlike in the game, once you die here, you can¡¯t come back to life. This is different from grinding levels as well, which is done at a slower pace. ¡¸Frankly, I¡¯d like you to be in charge of the fort, Liese. I¡¯ll have soldiers guarding the entrance of the dungeon. Char, Al and Natalie, will be diving with me, so I want to leave that role to you as a noble¡¹ Liese was disappointed to hear this, but she did not complain to me since I am a high-ranking noble, she reluctantly nodded. Volume 4 - CH 10.2 I had planned to return to the inn while the soldiers were making preparations to set up the fort at the dungeon¡­¡­.. But for some reason I ended up staying at the lord¡¯s mansion. And naturally, Char, Al and Natalie were with me. After learning that they had planned on staying in the tent for the next few days, they were invited to stay with Liese. At the mansion, despite Liese¡¯s brother, the lord, having not returned, the remaining servants were hard at work. Liese is generally popular with the people and I believe that¡¯s why the servants were diligently doing their jobs. ¡ª It has been decided that we will raid the dungeon in two days. In preparation for the raid, I borrowed the kitchen and packed as much food as I could make into Dimensional Storage. In the blink of an eye, the time came for the raid, and I was standing with Char and the others in front of an assembly of soldiers. ¡¸We are going to the dungeon to stop the source of the flooding. The soldiers are tasked with securing the fort at the dungeon entrance and taking care of the monsters that might escape. Please follow the commands of Lieselotte-jo, the acting lord ¡¹ They responded in a loud cheer to my speech. We boarded the carriage to be drawn by Kokuyou, which was surrounded by the soldiers on either side, to guard it, and set off for the dungeon. Even though the monsters were previously thinned out a few days ago, their population was increasing with every passing day, and we encountered a few monsters on the way to the dungeon. The skilled soldiers worked together to kill them without much of an issue though. I was impressed as I watched them confront the monsters as groups. ¡¸They are well-trained¡­¡­. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, the lingering pain of having lost the Imperial Capital motivated them to come up with a new training regiment. It was more efficient for them to level up by battling monsters ¡¹ The soldiers are trained to protect the country from attacks from humans, but the monster extermination is outsourced to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. It seems they found a way to increase their levels by battling monsters without taking the job from the adventurers. Even in the Lunette Empire, there are a few adventurers in the outlying areas making it hard to exterminate monsters in time. Information was gathered on such places and soldiers were sent to deal with the monsters there. The soldiers were divided into small groups as an effective way to train them in teamwork. The direct gratitude from the residents served as a boost to their morale as well. My Search was active as the carriage moved steadily towards the dungeon. If any monsters appear and are too overwhelming for the soldiers to handle, I¡¯ll jump in. If they are injured, I can heal them easily, but death is impossible to reverse even for me. In the game, there was resurrection magic. However, despite being a Sage now, I can¡¯t use it. Perhaps there is a condition I must meet for me to be able to use it, but I can¡¯t be holding out on such hopes. When we were a little further from the dungeon, the soldiers suddenly stopped. ¡¸The dungeon should be a little further than this. What¡¯s going on¡­¡­..? ¡¹ As I posed this question, a knock came to the carriage door. ¡¸Sir, at the dungeon entrance, there are¡­¡­. Generate Kingdom soldiers¡­¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸What!? ¡¹ Everyone in the carriage got tense. There might be a truce in place currently, but that does not change the fact that they are still a hostile nation. The dungeon does not fall under either of the country¡¯s territory, nonetheless, it is unexpected to find them here¡­¡­. ¡¸And¡­¡­. Their commander wants to meet those in authority from our side¡­¡­¡­ ¡¹ Char and I exchanged glances and nodded at each other. It would be right for Char, the Princess, and I the Marquis to go. ¡¸Ahh, okay. I¡¯ll go with Her Highness Charlotte. Al, you¡¯ll be our escort ¡¹ The soldier saluted and ran off after saying, ¡¸I¡¯ll deliver this news to the other side ¡¹ ¡¸To think we¡¯d find them here¡­¡­. ¡¹ Liese looked miserable, and it was obvious, as much as she tried to hide it, that her body was trembling. This reaction is more than warranted, after all, the fact that their country was invaded and moreover that her parents were executed by the Generate Kingdom soldiers cannot be forgotten. The compensation that Liese and her family had received from Generate Kingdom, no matter how hefty it was, was not enough to make her forget. Besides, the majority of it was spent on reconstruction of the city. There were also payments made to the families of Lunette Empire soldiers that fell during the war, which did not make any of the pain subside. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re here for you ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, we¡¯re here ¡¹ Char wrapped her hands gently around Liese¡¯s and smiled. ¡¸Yes¡­¡­.. Thank you very much, I am fine now ¡¹ The carriage, which had been barely moving, came to a complete standstill as if it had reached its destination. The door was slowly opened and we exited the carriage. There were around a hundred soldiers from the Generate Kingdom waiting in formation. They were all wearing the same type of armour. I could sense a bit of hostility from them, but I dismissed it as quickly as it came. ¡¸Liese can you secure the tent? Natalie, you go with them ¡¹ ¡¸I understand. If I go with you, I¡¯ll just scare them off ¡¹ ¡­¡­. Natalie has been their long sworn enemy as the ¡¸Sage of the Twilight ¡¹ after all. We followed the soldier who came to pick us up and entered the Generate Kingdom fort. We made our way to the largest tent in the compound, surrounded by a simple fence. ¡¸Excuse me. I have brought representatives of the Lunette Empire with me ¡¹ ¡¸Come in ¡¹ Once permission was granted, the entrance to the tent was opened and a soldier led the way inside. Inside the tent, there were several soldiers, adventurers and ¡ª- Hero. The Hero¡¯s face has not changed much from the time he was summoned after me in the Generate Kingdom. ¡¸These¡­¡­. are very young representatives. It seems the Lunette Empire is running short on manpower, as they leave such matters to the women and children ¡¹ A man in a particularly extravagant armour smirked as he took a side glance at us. The three of us in our teens, even though we¡¯re all adults, might seem like a bit of a shortage from the perspective of other countries. But here we are ¨C the Imperial Princess, Char, the Duchess and Kings Guard knight, Al, and I, the Marquis. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s no problem with our positions here. ¡¸Well, let¡¯s discuss the dungeon matter shall we? Please take a seat over there ¡¹ We sat opposite to our hosts. Al as an escort sat behind Char. ¡¸¡­¡­ The two of you are in charge, is that correct? Let me introduce myself first. My name is¡ª¨C ¡¹ The soldier who introduced himself as if looking down at us was the vice-commander of the Knight Guard of the Generate Kingdom. The adventurers seated together with him also introduced themselves, and finally the Hero stood up from his seat. ¡¸I¡¯m only a rookie adventurer, but I¡¯m here because my abilities are up to the task ¡¹ The Hero¡¯s name is Larx¡­¡­ I could tell he was indeed strong in his own way. Our eyes met once but he quickly cut the contact and sat down. ¡¸So, why don¡¯t you introduce yourselves? ¡¹ Char was the first to get up from her seat. She was distinguished that even the Generate Soldiers let out a gasp. ¡¸I¡¯m Charlotte Von Lunette, Princess of the Lunette Empire. ¡¹ No way, the princess!¡¡The deputy¡¯s face was clearly saying that. It seems that they can¡¯t hide their surprise that an imperial princess has come all the way out to a dangerous place like the dungeon. I stood up from my seat, bowed lightly, and began to introduce myself. ¡¸My name is Touya Kisaragi. I am the Marquis of the Lunette Empire ¡¹ The vice commander again looks astonished. From his standpoint, I must look like an average adventurer. ¡¸The guard behind me, by the way, is Altria von Milda. She¡¯s the daughter of the former commander of the Kingsguard and is the current vice commander of the Kingsguard ¡¹ Since Al is a guard, she doesn¡¯t introduce herself, so I do. Al bowed her head lightly as I introduced her, and returned to her original posture with a blank expression on her face. When I introduced Al, only Larx¡¯s expression shifted for a moment. Larx stood on the front line as the Hero and went toe-to-toe with Al¡¯s father. In other words, he could be said to be her family¡¯s enemy. Al doesn¡¯t realize it, but it¡¯s probably best to keep quiet about it. Now that the introductions were done, I asked the first questions. ¡¸So why are you from the Generate Kingdom here?¡¡Is it about the flooding¡­¡­.? ¡¹ When I inquired, the dumbfounded vice commander coughed lightly and began to reply. ¡¸I didn¡¯t expect the princess to be here as well¡­¡­. My kingdom has also suffered damage to its territory due to the flooding. And it cannot overlook this. We will conquer the dungeon; therefore there is no need for the people of the Lunette Empire to get involved. You can all return to your country ¡¹ It¡¯s clearly not up to him to decide that¡­¡­.. ¡¸The Lunette Empire cannot afford to overlook this as well, for that reason we will be challenging the dungeon with our most powerful force. Having said that, the people of Generate Kingdom should pull out ¡¹ Char responded, again, in a dignified voice and smile. ¡¸¡­¡­The powerful force, eh¡­¡­ ¡¹ The vice commander whispered, glancing at Larx, and grinned. ¡¸Then, what about each country send a group with the best strength? Each country can decide how many people it wants to send ¡¹ I smirked and made a suggestion to the vice commander. The most powerful person in this group is probably the Hero, Larx. But it seems that they don¡¯t intend to let people know that there is a Hero here. Volume 4 - CH 11 ¡¸¡­¡­.. Mhmm, that is fine. In the meantime none of us will interfere with the dungeon. Let¡¯s honour the truce between our countries and agree on this, irksome as it is ¡¹ The vice commander and I stood up and shook hands in agreement. As I took charge, Char, who had a superior position as the princess, kept her composure and made no intention to say a word. After leaving the Generate Kingdom¡¯s tent, we went quietly to where our own soldiers were. The soldiers had cut down the trees and cleared the ground with magic to set up the tents. I had told them beforehand to just leave an open space in the back for us. The space they made for us was satisfactory and out of sight of the Generate Kingdom soldiers. I took out the guild house from Dimensional Storage and fixed it upon the prepared land. ¡¸I have missed this house¡­¡­¡­. ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, it really¡­¡­. Has been some time since then¡­¡­¡­ ¡¹ Char and Al were being nostalgic as they looked at the house. We could have used the tent to keep a low profile, but Ferris wouldn¡¯t be able to come out if we did, plus we wouldn¡¯t be able to take a bath. Liese already knows about the house, so I didn¡¯t have to explain it to her. She and Myra have spent the night in it before, and they entered it with us without being unfazed. At the dining table it was the six of us: Char, Al, Natalie, Liese and Myra. Liese was fidgety seeing as she was not used to the other girls¡¯ company yet. ¡¸Our raid now starts tomorrow. I¡¯ll be leaving this house out here, so Liese and Myra you can use it if you want. Ferris will be coming with me though, so you¡¯ll be taking care of the house on your own ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­. I¡¯d like to come too, if that is alright¡­¡­.. ¡¹ Liese had not given up on wanting to accompany us¡­¡­. In order to gain experience points, it¡¯s wiser to have up to five people in the party. If I let Myra and her come with, it will be six and it will not benefit us in that regard. Not to mention, there¡¯s still that wide gap in our levels, which I have a suspicion will be a drag. ¡¸But I thought we agreed¡­¡­ You¡¯ll take command of the fort here¡­¡­¡­ Do you suggest we leave this place without a noble in charge of it? ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t see a problem with that ¡¹ Al raised her hand and interjected. ¡¸No problem? Are you sure? No one in charge? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, Lieselotte-jo is only an acting lord. Besides we can have the soldiers that usually guard her be in charge. She is not capable of commanding¡­¡­. To begin with¡­¡­. ¡¹ I know Al is to be Commander of the Kingsguard in the future, but that sounds like a bad idea. She is still young though. I guess I have to bring the two along. ¡¸Um, okay. Liese and Myra, you are welcome to join us. Just keep close to us at all times ¡¹ ¡¸Yes! We have been in dungeons many times and we won¡¯t get in your way. We just haven¡¯t been to the lowest levels ¡¹ Come to think of it, this is my first dungeon in this world. In that case, it means Liese and Myra are my seniors. If it is the same as in the game, I won¡¯t have a problem recalling the important details, but if it is different it won¡¯t hurt to hear from Liese and Myra¡¯s experience. ¡¸Liese, can I ask you to tell me about the dungeon¡¯s interior? ¡¹ ¡¸Of course! Myra fill in if miss anything ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I understand ¡¹ ¡¸First of all, the dungeon¡ª¨C ¡¹ Liese began her explanation with Myra making some additions here and there. She said that the dungeon has a total of 15 levels. There are guardians on the fifth and tenth floors which have to be eliminated before diving to the subsequent levels. Liese and her party had dived to the 12th floor, but they had to retreat because the monsters had become too powerful to handle on their own. The dungeon has a nucleus from which the monsters are born. Even if the nucleus is destroyed at the lowest floor, a new nucleus will appear again in a week or so. The dungeon rank will be lowered from previous and the strength of the monsters that are born from it will be weak as well. If left to grow for a year, the nucleus will return to its original size and the dungeon and monsters will return to their original strength. So regardless of the final guardian being defeated and the nucleus removed from the dungeon, the dungeon is unlikely to disappear for years to come. That is why adventurers are important. It is with them that dungeons rarely flood. The current flooding may have occurred because adventurers left the city due to the war, and the dungeon was neglected by both countries. ¡¸¡ª- something like that ¡¹ I thanked Liese and Myra for their explanation when they were done. If the dungeon here has the same structure as in the game ¡­¡­. My suspicion is not yet confirmed but I might have a secret plan for tomorrow¡¯s raid. Each of us took our leave for our rooms for a good night¡¯s rest, and welcomed the next day with fresh eyes. In the living room, the group members, who had finished their meals and were fully equipped, gathered. Turns out during the night Char tried to sneak into my room but because of Ferris she was unsuccessful. Ferris had locked the door to prevent any intrusion. Of course, I was sound asleep and did not notice. In the morning, I almost burst out laughing when Ferris told me this, thankful that she was there. Char, who was in the living room getting her equipment ready, was a little disgruntled, but I chose to not think much of it. ¡¸Char, what¡¯s wrong? You¡¯ve been in a foul mood all morning¡­¡­. ¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing. I was just a little nervous and couldn¡¯t sleep ¡¹ Char was being disingenuous as well. ¡¸Time to pack up the house. Ferris, you can return now ¡¹ Ferris gave me a nod before disappearing, in a suction motion, into the necklace around my neck. After checking our gear, we exited the guild house and found the soldiers already lined up. When I confirmed everyone was out of the house, I put the guild house away into Dimensional Storage. The soldiers were taken aback to see such a spectacle. ¡¸Our raid starts now. As discussed, the job of handling the monsters that escape out of the dungeon is yours ¡¹ The man who was in front, whom I assume to be the captain, nodded. The entrance to the dungeon is a few minutes¡¯ walk from the fort. On the other side of the dungeon entrance was the Generate Kingdom fort, and their soldiers were monitoring the entrance to the dungeon. The Generate Kingdom looked ready to enter the dungeon as well. Larx and his men were slowly making their way toward us, all equipped and prepared to go. I could sense some hostility from some of them which none came from Larx. Larx himself seemed unconcerned by anything. ¡¸Are you also about to go in? I apologize, but in the prestige name of the Generate Kingdom, we will go ahead and conquer it first ¡¹ The Generate Kingdom has assembled five people: two adventurers, two soldiers, and Larx. This was in plain contrast to our side which had all women except me. Not to mention it had Natalie, the little girl. The two soldiers looked at them with a lecherous glare and chuckled. ¡¸They are so short-handed; this is all they have¡­¡­. ¡¹ ¡¸It must be considerable. A party of one man and five women. Look, one of them is just a kid ¡¹ ¡¸They can¡¯t be serious. The Lunette Empire must be getting desperate ¡¹ The soldiers¡¯ remarks pissed all of us off. ¡¸Touya, can I burn them all? They are even ignorant to who I am ¡¹ Natalie¡¯s right palm glowed with some magic as she spoke. Considering her current level she can kill all of them in an instant, except for the Hero. However, we can¡¯t restart the war that was only stopped recently. That said we won¡¯t allow ourselves to be underestimated by the Generate Kingdom either. I took note of the soldiers and decided to appease Natalie. ¡¸Natalie, don¡¯t do it. Let the howling of the¡­¡­ mongrels slide ¡¹ I deliberately chose for them to hear me. ¡¸¡­.. You bastard!! ¡¹ The soldier was about to clutch his sword when a hand reached out from his side to stop him. ¡¸This is not the time; we are in the middle of a ceasefire with the Lunette Empire. The princess is here too. Are you trying to cause trouble? ¡¹ It was one of the adventurers who stopped the soldier. He must be a man of some ability. The soldier nodded quietly through clenched teeth. ¡¸We are here as a commission. We are not going to help you get your country into trouble ¡¹ The other adventurer, who was aware of what was going on, spoke. ¡¸Hmph¡­¡­.. ¡¹ The soldiers clicked their tongues and walked toward Larx. The adventurers were not hostile to us. As adventurers they are only competing to conquer the dungeon, and due to the guild rules they are forbidden to fight directly for it. Doesn¡¯t matter if the adventurers are from a different country, the adventurers¡¯ organization is basically the same. If they are prosecuted, they will be stripped of their guild memberships. And since we have the princess here, we have an advantage of being in the right. ¡¸Excuse me. We may be nobles but we are also adventurers. Let¡¯s do our best to have decent contest, regardless of our host countries ¡¹ I said as I smiled at the adventurers. ¡¸Ah, yes, let¡¯s do our best. Of course, we will conquer it before the Lunette Empire ¡¹ I shook hands with the two adventurers before walking away. I beckoned Char and the other girls to come closer, and they all approached. ¡¸Alright, we¡¯ll go into the dungeon after the Generate Kingdom. Let¡¯s take a short break ¡¹ ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸What!?¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹ They all exclaimed in surprise. ¡¸I understand your unwillingness¡­¡­. But there is a reason. I can¡¯t tell you in detail, but we can certainly get ahead of their party ¡¹ ¡¸Is that true? ¡¹ Liese was in disbelief. It is possible, especially if the Generate Kingdom¡¯s guys make wrong turns in the dungeon. This dungeon has been conquered to some extent except for the lower floor, and maps are available. I had checked the map, and my suspicion was confirmed. ¡ª¡ª¨C It is the exact dungeon as in the game. Comparing it with what I remember, the map showed the same construction as the one I had seen on the computer screen. That is why I know I can outwit the Generate Kingdom. We will hide the route by going after them. ¡¸¡­¡­.. Please explain to us later¡­¡­.. But I believe in you, Touya-sama ¡¹ Everyone nodded at Char¡¯s words and then took a rest in the tent. The soldiers stationed to watch the entrance to the dungeon reported that Larx and his group had entered the dungeon. It was an hour later that our time came for us to go in. Volume 4 - CH 12 ¡¸It¡¯s time to go¡­¡­.¡¹ Everyone stood up in a quick fashion as if they had been waiting for me to speak. ¡¸Finally. My first dungeon¡¹ Al with clenched fists and with glistening eyes, declared. Well, I guess I¡¯ll just have to apologize¡­¡­ Later¡­¡­ I sighed and walked in the lead to the dungeon. At the entrance, soldiers from the Lunette Empire and Generate Kingdom were tenting, watching for any monsters coming out of the dungeon. When Lunette Empire soldiers noticed us, they adjusted their postures and saluted us. ¡¸Take care of the entrance ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, sir!¡¡Not even a single monster will escape! ¡¹ I nodded and led the way into the dungeon. The dungeon was oddly well-lit. This was only for the first floor and starting from the subsequent floor we had to secure our own light. Fortunately, three of our members could use magic. I was in front, with Char and Natalie walking right behind me. Liese and Myra were walking behind them, and Al was in the rear. Al¡¯s strength will be enough to respond physically to any attacks that might come from behind. Liese, being a swordswoman as well, could have been in this position but the difference in ability between her and Al was significant. She looked doubtful as to why she was being protected by Char and everyone, but she was persuaded by Char with a shake of her head. That is the difference in status between royal and noble daughters. Liese and Myra, who have been here before, are probably going to open a map and guide us along the way in an attempt to be useful. But there is no need for them to do so. I followed my memory and turned around a few corners. ¡¸Touya, you¡¯re going the wrong way! The stairs should be this way¡­¡­. ¡¹ ¡¸Just follow me. I¡¯ll explain later ¡¹ We arrived at a dead end. In front of us was a fixed wall. ¡¸The map also shows this is a dead end. Why did you come this way¡­¡­.? ¡¹ I went toward the wall and slowly placed my hand on it. My hand was sucked into the wall ¡ª- and disappeared. ¡ª as I had expected¡­¡­. I walked through the wall until I came out the other side, where I saw a spiral staircase. When I came back through the wall, they all looked horrified. ¡¸Touya¡­¡­. What the hell happened¡­¡­? ¡¹ Liese was the most surprised, I guess it¡¯s because she¡¯s been in this dungeon many times and never knew about this. ¡¸It appears as a dead end but there is a hidden passage here. We¡¯ll go down this way ¡¹ Once again, I slipped through the wall, and everyone else followed suit. They all salivated at the sight that unfolded when they came out. ¡¸It¡¯s real¡­¡­. There is a place like this¡­¡­. ¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t believe it. ¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Well, Touya¡¯s strangely been less than surprising for some time now¡­¡­¡­ ¡¹ Liese and Myra were dumbfounded, while Char and Al looked somewhat understanding. ¡¸Where does this spiral staircase lead to¡­¡­..? ¡¹ In the game, this is right near a guardian¡¯s room on the tenth floor. I can¡¯t really say that now, since I¡¯m not entirely certain. ¡¸I don¡¯t know yet, but I¡¯m pretty sure we¡¯re ahead of the Generate Kingdom¡¯s party already ¡¹ I took the lead down the stairs. The route was free of monsters. I need to ensure this feels like a team effort despite knowing I can make it to the bottom on my own. The only monster that might give me a challenge might be the Dragon Hydra, if it¡¯s the one guarding the dungeon core¡­¡­. The monsters I¡¯ve fought so far in this world are weaker than they were in the game. It is impossible in the game to defeat an Earth Dragon with a single, but it is possible for me here. Unlike in the game though, once you die here, you can¡¯t come back to life. I guess that is what makes people more cautious, and therefore find it more difficult to raise their levels than in the game. Twenty minutes or so after descending down the stairs in silence, we arrived at the bottom of the stairs. ¡¸How do we get out of here¡­¡­.? ¡¹ I didn¡¯t give an answer because I have no proof either. I just walked slowly towards where I assumed it was the exit. I walked straight through the wall, which looked pitch black. The place where we came out was just as I assumed. ¡¸What, this is¡­¡­. ¡¹ ¡¸Like I had thought. Right there is the guardian room of the tenth floor ¡¹ ¡¸Unbelievable¡­¡­¡­ This has been here the whole time¡­¡­¡­?¡¹ I can understand her frustration. Normally, the only way to reach this point of the dungeon is if you¡¯re a seasoned adventurer that has fought tough monsters to gain experience and have a reached a certain level. That is the only way you can stand a chance against a guardian. However, we can¡¯t waste time, my priority is to defeat the Hero, Larx, and outwit the Generate Kingdom in this raid. I also want to raise my level, but that is beside the point. I put my hand on the large door of the guardian room to open it. Inside, the room was built as an arena with a magic circle drawn in the center. Once everyone was inside, the door closed, and at the same time the magic circle began to glow. The tenth floor guardian is supposed to be the Orc general with some few orcs. That is what Liese told me. ¡¸Let¡¯s get this done and over with¡­¡­. ¡¹ Just as Liese had said, a single black-skinned Orc general, two times larger than a normal orc, along with three orcs appeared. I ran toward the Orc general, whose attention was on me as it loudly bellowed. I pulled out my Buster Sword from Dimensional Storage and in one instant it went through the Orc General¡¯s neck. The battle was over in less than a minute. ¡¸Even the general is no match for him. ¡­¡­ ¡¹ Myra muttered quietly to herself, but I heard her. ¡¸Ah, Touya! My experience! What are you doing killing him on your own? ¡¹ Natalie was on a different page as usual. She was all about leveling up, and she was planning on leveling up in this dungeon as well. ¡¸There are no shortcuts from here on out, so I¡¯ll leave the next ones up to you ¡¹ I picked up the magic stones left behind by the monsters and placed them in Dimensional Storage. No shortcut means we have to be ready to face off hordes of monsters. Everyone understood this as we opened the door leading down to the level where we found a passageway that resembled a rugged mining tunnel. ¡¸The ones that come out on this floor are Rock Lizards. I remember having a hard time with them when I came here before¡­¡­. ¡¹ Liese laughed wryly. Maybe as a swordswoman she had trouble with them. Rock Lizards are bipedal lizards with rock-covered bodies on their head and back; their backs being particularly tough to pierce. It attacks prey by squatting on all fours and pouncing on it. They are not necessarily large creatures, only standing at about two meters. Their attacks on the other hand do pack a punch, making them troublesome opponents. However, they are weak against magic to the point where they are as good as sitting ducks against those with powerful magic. ¡¸Al and Liese support Natalie, Char and Myra as they launch the main offense ¡¹ Everyone nodded at my words and proceeded with caution. I used Search which was limited to a range of a few dozen meters since we are in a narrow space. But that¡¯s enough; as long as we don¡¯t get caught by surprise our group will be able to handle any attack. As Liese led the way, I immediately got a response. ¡¸There are five of them a little further ahead ¡¹ Liese is the first to react to my words. ¡¸How¡­.. Do you know? ¡¹ Liese and Myra do not know about Search yet, the magic which Natalie and I sort of created from Natalie¡¯s research material. ¡¸I can use it too! I can¡¯t detect as widely as Touya though¡­¡­. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ teach me ¡¹ Natalie puffed her little chest out and laughed cockily as Myra begged enviously. As expected, five Rock Lizards appeared before us. They let out a painful cry when they spotted us, probably to alert the other Rock Lizards. They flicked their long tongues out with their eyes on us. The Rock Lizards brought their front legs down to the ground and launched themselves towards us at once. ¡¸Here they come! Attack with magic! Liese, Al, protect the three of them ¡¹ The two girls readied their swords, and the other three shot magic at the Rock Lizards with unyielding force. ¡¸Burn them up, Fire Arrow! ¡¹ ¡¸Vacuum Blade Air Cutter ¡¹ ¡¸Spirits of the earth, pierce through them ¡¹ Myra can use shortened chanting although not completely chantless, while Natalie the Sage can do chantless casting. Only Char¡¯s Spirit Magic cannot be chantless due to it being magic that asks spirits for magic assistance. The five rock lizards were defeated before Liese and Al could intervene. ¡¸They are strong¡­¡­.¡¹ ¡¸They are far stronger¡­¡­.¡¹ Liese was in awe of Char and Natalie¡¯s magic, while Myra was astonished at the difference in power between herself and them. The cheat ring items I had given the three have set them apart from normal people in terms of power. It is also the result of¡­.. their efforts. Like the time we trained in that soggy forest. The remaining five floors had monsters which ranked from B to A, but they were no match for Char and the others. Liese and Myra also put up a good fight; however it was apparent that they lacked ability. Even so, they seemed to have raised their levels by fighting against stronger monsters. They were both in mixed-feelings when they looked at their cards. It took us some time but we finally arrived at the last floor. Volume 4 - CH 13 Along the way we took small breaks. Liese and Myra were especially affected by the trail. We came upon a door with a different aura to it, more threatening than the previous ones. ¡¸Finally. I need a little break ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, indeed¡­¡­ Those were a lot of fights¡¹ Liese and Myra were out of breath. Char and the other two seemed to be fine, however there was less chatting amongst them now, so perhaps they were a little fatigued. We faced more monsters than we had expected. Monsters would just show up amidst our ongoing battles. I dealt with them as they came, so we were never in a pinch but we were fighting all day. ¡¸Then what about we take some break and eat? We¡¯re making good progress ¡¹ I took out the tent out of Dimensional Storage. Once it was outside, I placed the four beds in the tent and exited. ¡¸I¡¯ll keep watch, so you guys can get some rest. I¡¯ve prepared the beds for you; feel free to take a nap after you finish your meal ¡¹ I pulled out a table and chairs from Dimensional Storage, set down a small bowl of soup on the table and began to serve the meal. The girls gathered around and started to whisper to each other as they watched me deftly prepare the food. ¡¸He¡¯s more organized than we are, isn¡¯t he¡­¡­. ¡¹ ¡¸He prepared everything all on his own¡­¡­.. ¡¹ Liese and Char let out a sigh. I pretended not to hear them, proceeded with the preparations and called out to them after I had laid out the meal on the table. ¡¸It¡¯s ready. Let¡¯s eat quickly and take a break¡¹ ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸ Yes¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹ Everyone took a seat and dug in. I couldn¡¯t imagine eating at a table surrounded by five women such as these when I was in Japan. I felt a tinge of nostalgia for my life in Japan, however I am still aware that there is no going back. I am ready to spend the rest of my life in this world, where I have the status of an adventurer and a noble. Besides, I live a better life here than I did in Japan. There is no television or technology like I was used to, meaning for things such as information, I have to ask people directly to get it, but that is nothing to fret since I have gotten used to it. ¡¸I wanted to ask, where was Touya born¡­¡­.? You¡¯re so strong, but up until recently we haven¡¯t even heard of you ¡¹ Liese asked casually. Char and the other girls¡¯ faces froze up even more than mine. They know of my peril. They are aware that I was not born in this world, and they know how I came to be in this world. She is justly curious. I do have a number of items that could be considered divine artifacts whose make-up is not of this world. Not only that, but I was also recently knighted as a marquis. Nobles went out of their way to form connections with me. Desperately, they offered their daughters to me as their concubines despite me already being betrothed to Char, the Princess. ¡¸¡­¡­ Well, I lived in the Salandir Kingdom. But after meeting Char and Al, I moved to the Lunette Empire. ¡­¡­ ¡¹ I have avoided going into much detail, but not to say I lied. I¡¯m not ready to trust Liese and Myra with my identity yet. So far, the only people who know of the truth are the royal family and Al¡¯s family. I am a foreigner in this world, just like the summoned Hero. No, I¡¯m kind of different as well to the Hero. Unlike the Hero who was summoned with his original body and abilities, I have a number of cheat items. When I arrived in this world I was a mere level 1, which got me repatriated from Generate Kingdom. Wonder what would have happened if I had been Berserker, the level 700+ warrior. I think I would have had a whole different response in Generate Kingdom. I would have been put on the front lines in a heartbeat. The levels of the human race are all low in this world. I can¡¯t imagine the heaps of corpses I would have made with just a swing of my sword. It is probably a good thing that I was summoned as this Mage character. Perhaps sensing that my words were a bit stilted, Char explained on my behalf. ¡¸Touya-sama saved us from monsters and also from soldiers of the Generate Kingdom while we were heading to the Kingdom of Salandir to look for Natalie-sama. He has been with us since then ¡¹ ¡¸I see ¡­¡­. So that¡¯s why your name didn¡¯t reach this city ¡¹ Liese seemed to be more satisfied with Char¡¯s explanation. After finishing their meals, they each crawled into the beds prepared in the tent. I¡¯m certain they would have liked to take a shower; sadly the tent does not come with one. Being able to sleep in beds is a luxury as it is, right now. As I lay outside the tent, my mind drifted to Larx and his party. I doubt the monsters will give Larx trouble. I bet by the time they get here, his level would have risen even higher. If I had to guess, I¡¯d say I am stronger than him. However, Larx being a Hero his stats are probably higher than mine. I¡¯m sure he can exceed the level 100 limit as well. Well¡­¡­. It doesn¡¯t matter right now.¡­¡­. I closed my eyelids to rest my body for the next battle. ¡ª- Three hours later, after taking a nap and recovering from exhaustion, albeit barely, the members of my group gathered. ¡¸The next one is sure to be the guardian of the dungeon. I don¡¯t know what will come out, so I¡¯ll be on the front. I¡¯ll be looking to you guys for support ¡¹ ¡¸Mhmmm¡­¡­. I¡¯d like to fight too¡­¡­ If it¡¯s a strong monster, I¡¯ll be able to raise my level ¡¹ Natalie has been obsessed with leveling up since she heard from me about the requirements to becoming a true Sage. ¡¸You can assist with a few magic attacks, but be careful not to become a target. Natalie, Liese, please cover Char and Myra ¡¹ ¡¸Okay ¡¹ ¡¸Understood! ¡¹ When we were ready, I put my hand on the door where I thought the guardian would be. ¡ó¡ó¡ó The door opened, and what came to view was a kind of arena. However, I could not find the dungeon core that should have been present. I was taken aback. ¡¸Is this the lowest level ¡­¡­?¡¡Surely the fifteenth floor should be the lowest ¡­¡­ ¡¹ I thought back to my gaming days. This dungeon should have 15 levels for a beginner¡¯s raid. And the guardian is supposed to be a Dragon Hydra. ¡¸Let¡¯s proceed with caution ¡¹ As we all entered the room, the door behind us slowly shut. As soon as the door closed with a thud, a magic circle spread across the floor of the arena. ¡¸Ready everyone! ¡¹ The magic circle, more than 10 meters in diameter, radiated light beneath our feet, and a monster gradually emerged from it. Its body was covered with rocks all over its back, and its height was about 10 meters. It looks like an Earth Dragon but with a far larger body. ¡¸No way, I can¡¯t believe ¡­¡­ it¡¯s a Rock Dragon ¡¹ Liese gasped. She and Myra were shaking in fear. ¡¸I didn¡¯t really believe there would be any¡­¡­. S-ranked monsters here. There¡¯s no way we can win ¡¹ They both seem to know about this monster. ¡¸Liese, Myra, do you know about this monster ¡¹ They turned their frightened gazes to me. ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s called a Rock Dragon, and it¡¯s a higher species of an Earth Dragon. Due to its rock hard body it takes less damage even to magic. If it got out, it could easily destroy a city or two¡­¡­. ¡¹ Rock Dragon¡­¡­. Yeah, I recall it was in the game, one of this dungeon¡¯s guardians ¡­¡­. I did defeat it¡­¡­. ¡ª¨C Oh, I remember now. I thought of it as a minor obstacle. ¡¸Listen, Al and Liese are of little use to us in this battle. So the two of you should protect Char and Myra when it comes to it ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, okay ¡¹ ¡¸Also, Char, Natalie, and Myra, come over here ¡¹ The three of them approached me. ¡¸The three of you will ¡ª¡ª ¡¹ ¡¸If that is okay with you¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸If Touya-sama says so, then ¡­¡­. ¡¹ ¡¸I get it. I¡¯ll give it my all. ¡¹ Everyone agreed to follow my plan. After the summoning of the Rock Dragon, a small magic circle appeared, from which four Earth Dragons also emerged. ¡¸All right, now. Let¡¯s go! ¡¹ They nodded at my command and we all started to run towards the Rock Dragon. It took notice of us and let out a growl. The Earth Dragons responded to that cry by aiming for us. ¡¸These guys are in our way ¡¹ I held the Buster Sword in my right hand and sped towards the Earth Dragons. With a single swing, I cut off the head of one of the Earth Dragons. ¡¸¡­¡­ Messed up¡­¡­ ¡¹ I heard Liese mutter to herself. The defeated Earth Dragons slowly disappeared, leaving behind magic stones in their place. ¡¸Okay, are you ready? Now! ¡¹ At my signal, wind magic flew from Char and advanced fire magic from Natalie and Myra. The target was the Rock Dragon¡¯s neck and around its feet. The fire burned vigorously, burning the Rock Dragon from the neck to the bottom of its feet. Guooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! A scream-like roar echoed in the arena. ¡¸Now all that¡¯s left to do is ¡­¡­ this ¡­¡­¡ºFlaming Tornado: Firestorm¡»¡¹ A tornado of flame, much larger than Natalie and the others¡¯ magic, shot from my hand to strike the Rock Dragon. Its screams filled the arena. Just like in the game, the Rock Dragon has slow movements. If attacked with a sword, it will retaliate with its tail, bite, and rock gravel that it shoots from its mouth. So we just had to repeat the process of burning it with magic from a little distance in the game. After about 10 minutes, the Rock Dragon¡¯s body fell apart and disappeared. ¡­¡­ I never thought that this technique would work in this world. ¡­¡­ I gave this trick the name of ¡°BBQ¡± in the game. Basically it means we¡¯re barbecuing it with fire magic. I walked up to the magic stone. The ground had not changed even after it was hit by high level fire magic. All that was left was a single magic stone larger than the palm of my hand. ¡¸Okay, that¡¯s it¡¹ I put the magic stone in the Dimensional Storage and turn around. ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡­¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹ Char and the others were looking at me with inquiring eyes. ¡¸¡­¡­ Hmmm?¡¡Is something wrong ¡­¡­? ¡¹ I tilted my head and Liese let out a loud sigh. ¡¸Now I truly understand¡­¡­. Touya is not normal. I didn¡¯t think there was a way to beat it¡­¡­. Something that shocking¡­.. ¡¹ ¡¸I too¡­¡­ feel like an idiot for being in despair in the face of an S-ranked monster¡­¡­..¡¹ Myra let out a big sigh as well. Volume 4 - CH 14 Volume 4 Chapter 14 ¡¸¡­¡­You knew exactly how to beat such a monster¡­¡­.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡¹ Natalie had her hand on her chin as she pondered, but I did not bother to entertain her, I moved on with other matters. ¡¸¡­¡­This room is supposed to be the guardian¡¯s room¡­¡­. ¡¹ At that moment, the wall at the back of the room slowly slid down, revealing a passageway to the back. ¡¸I didn¡¯t think there was a pathway beyond this one¡­¡­. ¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s just carry on. You¡¯re not that tired, are you? ¡¹ Our last attack consumed a lot of magic; even walking might be a challenge for them I suppose. We each carry our own magic potions for such occasions. Myra was the only one to reach for her¡¯s and drink it to recover. Char and Natalie didn¡¯t seem particularly bothered. I led the way into the passageway that appeared. The passageway was laid with bricks, with torches burning on both sides, giving it a different atmosphere from a cave. After about 10 minutes, we came to a staircase leading down to the bottom. I kept a watchful eye as I continued to lead the way down the stairs. When we reached the bottom, there was a more striking door than the doors we had encountered. It was about five meters high and carved with a strange, but not vivid, pattern. ¡¸I didn¡¯t expect to find a new layer¡­¡­. ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, and more importantly, it has a more magnificent door than to the boss¡¯s room we just left¡­¡­¡¹ Everyone had a serious look on their faces. This might be it, the last guardian¡¯s room. If it¡¯s the same as in the game¡­¡­. We should prepare to face a Dragon Hydra. We have to keep in mind to avoid friendly fire during this battle, a direct hit will cause damage and possibly death unlike in the game. A single mistake could potentially lead to death. ¡¸I won¡¯t let anyone die¡­¡­. ¡¹ I made up my mind and placed my hand on the door. With a light pressure, the door slowly opened. ¡¸Be on your toes everyone, we don¡¯t know what kind of monster will appear ¡¹ ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸ Yes! ¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹ Behind the door was a large arena. And at the back of it, our objective, the dungeon core, was placed on a pedestal. But just before it, as I expected, a SS-ranked monster ¡ª more vicious than the Rock Dragon we encountered moments ago, the Dragon Hydra, was asleep. It has seven heads and a tremendous regenerative ability, even if its head is cut off, it is soon regenerated. Each of its heads can release a wide variety of magic, which works to confuse adventurers. ¡¸¡­¡­. It is a Dragon Hydra after all¡­¡­. ¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t believe it, there¡¯s a Dragon Hydra in this dungeon¡­¡­. ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve never seen an SS-ranked monster before¡­¡­. ¡¹ My words were followed by the sound of Liese and Myra¡¯s terrified voices. But there was only one person who was thrilled ¨C Natalie. ¡¸Oh, Touya, it looks incredible. It should bring me closer to becoming a Sage ¡¹ I couldn¡¯t help smiling at her excitement. ¡¸To defeat it, we have to cut off all its heads. Be careful because the heads can regenerate, and each head shoots a wide range of magic ¡¹ Everyone nodded. This is way above the level of monster Liese and Myra can face. Even though Al is the strongest knight in the Lunette Empire, she does not stand a chance against a Dragon Hydra. As we all entered the room, the door promptly closed, as it was before. ¡ª In that moment, one of the Dragon Hydra¡¯s heads rose and had us in its line of sight. With a huge body, over 10 meters long, its heads must be several meters thick each, about the thickness of a log. I thought nothing about it in the game, but seeing it live, I was almost cowering in fear. ¡ª-This is a real raid battle¡­¡­. I gritted my teeth and gripped my sword tightly. ¡¸Liese, please cover Myra. Al, cover Char and Natalie too. Don¡¯t get too far ahead!¡¡You guys use magic to keep it in check!¡¡I¡¯ll take care of it! ¡¹ I gave everyone instructions and rushed toward the Dragon Hydra with my sword. Its seven heads were scanning for prey. Two of them spotted my approach. Without holding back, I applied boost to myself and swung my sword hard at one of the heads. Despite the neck being as thick as a log, my sword of excellent making that I used to use when I was Berserker, within a split second, had sliced off the head. With a deafening scream, the rest of the heads came at me. Quickly, I put some distance to evade their attacks. But that was unwise. The base of the neck of the decapitated head was bubbling up and slowly but surely the head was regenerating. It took less than a minute for the complete regeneration. ¡¸¡­¡­ That was faster than expected¡­¡­. Then as I thought, there is only one way¡­¡­. ¡¹ In order to defeat the Dragon Hydra, the base of the neck needs to be cauterized to prevent regeneration. ¡ª The simultaneous use of swordsmanship and magic is the way to defeat this mythical creature. It is a method that probably only I can do. I regained my grip on my sword with my right hand and accumulated magic power in my left. Same as before, I ran towards the beast. The other heads were somewhat injured by the attack magic from Natalie, Char and Myra, but they were far from being fatally wounded. Upon being at close distance, I cut off one head with my sword and burned the base of the neck with fire magic. Ggahhhhhh! A scream unlike any I¡¯ve heard erupted from the Dragon Hydra. I simply dodged the erratic heads that were intending to snap a bite of me. Unlike before, having burned its neck, no regeneration had occurred. This time, however, instead of being distracted, it recognized me as an enemy, and the six remaining heads focused their attention on me. The Dragon Hydra was getting serious. The remaining heads, with wide mouths, released fireballs, blocks of ice, and vacuum blades in a ceaseless attempt to take me down. I cast Water Wall to block all attacks. In that instant, a magic shot from a particular direction landed on one of the faces of the Dragon Hydra. ¡¸With your eyes fixed on Touya, allow me to attack you with all my might with my magic! ¡¹ Natalie laughed proudly at the monster as she unleashed her magic. Myra and Char were also shooting magic at it, and perhaps feeling vexed from the magic attacks from the three girls, it began to move its heads unpredictably. This was our opportunity. As I began to attack, Al and Liese were right behind me. After taking one other head down and burning the base with magic, I looked at them and saw them teaming up, and slashing at the other head. However, their attack was insufficient and they could not take it down. I jumped in to assist them to cut it completely and burn the neck. I immediately signaled the two girls and we at once jumped away. A fireball shot from the Dragon Hydra and scorched the place we had been. ¡¸Now there are only three left ¡¹ ¡¸My attack can¡¯t completely take it down like Touya¡¯s¡­¡­¡± Al looked a little frustrated, but not dismayed. After all, she is dealing with a monster that could be called a superior monster. It did not take long for us to take down the three remaining heads. And the huge headless body collapsed with a thud. With glowing particles, the body disappeared, leaving behind a monster stone larger than other monster¡¯s. ¡¸We did it¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸We really defeated¡­¡­ the SS-ranked monster ¡¹ Liese and Myra were shuddering with emotion at the thought of having defeated the guardian of the dungeon. We were all relieved. Char and Al had taken a break and were sitting. I put the magic stone, which filled both my palms, into Dimensional Storage. And then I went ahead and took the large round dungeon core, about one meter in diameter, displayed on the pedestal at the back of the room, and placed it in Dimensional Storage. With this, the dungeon will produce a smaller core and start growing. It will be years before it can flood again. I let out a small sigh. Right on cue, the door slowly opened. ¡¸Hey ¡­¡­ How did you arrive before us ¡­¡­? ¡¹ Five people entered the room. The one who inquired loudly was Larx; he and his group had arrived. Volume 4 - CH 15.1 Act III: The Generate Kingdom Dungeon Conquering Force The royal capital of the Generate Kingdom received word that the dungeon which is located in the northern part of the buffer zone between it and the country it has recently been at war with, the Lunette Empire, was showing signs of flooding. A countermeasure meeting was immediately convened, as any damage caused by the flooding to the villages adjacent to the Lunette Empire would be detrimental if a new war was to begin. ¡¸¡ª This is the state of current affairs. It is therefore most crucial that the dungeon cores be procured to replenish the kingdom¡¯s resources¡¹ The civilian official finished his report to the king in his drawing room. The king put his hand on his chin and mulled it over for a minute. ¡¸Is it correct to assume that the Empire is in a similar predicament?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, Your Majesty. It is expected that the Empire will also deploy adventurers and soldiers to conquer the dungeon¡¸ ¡¸How difficult will it be to suppress?¡¹ ¡¸The dungeon has a high degree of difficulty, but adventurers of A-rank should manage to conquer it without issues¡¸ The king thought for a moment and gestured with his hand when he had arrived at an idea. ¡¸How about letting the Hero go? There should be nothing keeping him busy here¡¹ Now that the war was over, Larx had no work to do as a Hero, and spent his days training and attending to the princess. The king thought he could make good use of him, since he was nothing more than a drudge in the end. ¡¸That is possible. We have concluded cease-fire mediation with the Empire and¡­¡­¡¹ The king sighed, interrupting the official who looked uncertain of the idea. ¡¸Stop mentioning it. It was stupid of him to get captured. He is still my precious son, though.¡¹ The king had seized the Lunette Empire, but due to the blunder of his son, the third prince, Russet, he had to cede all its territories and pay a large sum of compensation. Furthermore, for the sake of his son¡¯s freedom, who takes a close likeness to him and whom he adores the most, he agreed to all the conditions set forth by the Lunette Empire. Upon returning he was confined to his room in the royal castle under the guise of resting. The civil officials felt his blunder was punishable by death, but they knew better to make such a suggestion to the royal family or they would be the ones to lose their heads. ¡¸I¡¯ll inform the Hero right away. I will also put in the request at the Adventurer¡¯s Guild for cooperation to have them send out a few people¡¹ The official bowed and was about to leave the room when the king stopped him. ¡¸Hold on. Select some knights who have experience in dungeons. If there is only the Hero, the adventurers may be in control. Have the knights accompany them to the dungeon¡¸ ¡¸¡­¡­ Yes, sir. Of course¡¹ The official bowed again and left the room. ¡¸If we let only the adventurers go on this expedition, we will have to award them handsomely when the treasury is already strapped. Knights¡¯ award can simply be a promotion¡¸ The king with a whisper of a voice muttered to himself in the empty drawing room. ¡ó¡ó¡ó ¡¸Is this a dungeon expedition¡­¡­.?¡¹ ¡¸Yes., exactly. Have you any experience¡­¡­?¡¹ In one of the rooms, which were given to Larx, Larx and the civil official were sitting on the sofas facing each other. As ordered by the king, the official visited Larx to inform him of the dungeon raid. ¡¸There were no dungeons in my previous world. There were usually monsters on the surface, though. I had experienced them several times before being summoned¡¹ Understanding that it varies from world to world, the civil official continued on his point. ¡¸The flooding of the dungeon has caused damage to more than a few villages facing the Lunette Empire. The kingdom needs to minimize the damage at all costs. Therefore, His Majesty has decided this would be worthy experience for you, Larx-sama¡¹ Larx had also actually stayed in one of those villages during the invasion of the Lunette Empire. Recalling the memories of that village, Larx nodded. ¡¸I understand, Even though I lack experience at the moment, I will give it my all¡¹ The civil official continued to talk to Larx, who was determined to complete this expedition. ¡¸His Majesty has also ordered that you be accompanied by the best of the country¡¯s adventurers and knights so that they can help Larx-sama this time, so leave the preparations to the adventurers. And train with a peace of mind and work hard to conquer the dungeon¡¹ ¡¸I appreciate it. I will not disappoint the faith of the people of Generate Kingdom¡¹ Larx believed every word from the royal family. He truly believed that demihumans are evil beings. Everyone, the civilians and the officials all said the same thing. He did have a moment of doubt during the invasion while he fought, but when he heard that the prince was captured through the dirty tricks of the demihumans he realized he was right about them. He had no way of knowing that the prince was deceived by Touya and the subguild-master. After the official left the room, Larx was feeling anxious about his first dungeon raid. He tried not showing this expression in front of Princess Sharon. But it showed somehow, because Sharon whispered softly in Larx¡¯s ear. ¡¸Larx-sama, I¡¯m certain you will be fine. You¡¯re a Hero, remember? You gain good experience from this¡¹ ¡¸Your Highness¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Please don¡¯t call me Your Highness. I have told you many times to call me Sharon¡¹ ¡¸I know. I¡¯m sorry, Sharon¡­¡­¡¹ Sharon¡¯s cheeks were painted red when Larx called her by her name, and she turned to Larx, pressing her breasts against his arm. Larx¡¯s face turned red as well from feeling embarrassed by this display. ¡¸I understand. I¡¯ll do my best for this country¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s the spirit. I¡¯ll be here praying for your safe return, Larx-sama¡¹ Volume 4 - CH 15.2 Translator: vysio_seth Volume 4 Chapter 15 Part 2 A few days passed, and five people were assembled for the raid, two knights and two adventurers, and of course, Larx. Larx was advised by the adventurers to limit the number of members to less than six, in order to benefit from experience gained from defeating monsters. Up to five people can gain 100 percent of the experience, any more would drop the percentage and the leveling-up will be slower. That is the prime reason why the adventurers¡¯ parties usually have a maximum of five people. The two adventurers are Thief and Warrior, and the knights can use elementary level magic and are used to fighting on the front lines. At first glance, their party seems unbalanced, but the dungeon is not that difficult, and Larx even proposed that he will assist with magic if need be. The adventurers in company are A-ranked also, and have recently conquered the dungeon except for the lowest floor. They were confident in their ability to conquer it completely this time. The knights were also the strongest out of all the knights of the Kingdom, and one of them was their Vice-commander and prided himself on his skills. To conceal his identity as a Hero, Larx registered as an adventurer before departing from the royal capital. He left for the dungeon accompanied by troops of close to a hundred, who were tasked to set up the fort and transport materials. Upon arriving at the dungeon by carriage from the royal capital, the soldiers unloaded the materials they had bought and began setting up the fort. The entrance to the dungeon looked more like a cave, and several of the soldiers put up a fence at its entrance to block any monsters coming out. The largest tent in the fort was assigned to the five who were to conquer the dungeon, so they could hold meetings. ¡¸His Majesty has ordered us at all cost to conquer the dungeon before the Lunette Empire ¡¹ Larx and his party nodded in agreement with the Vice-commander¡¯s words. As the five were reconfirming various precautions regarding the dungeon, one of the soldiers burst into the tent, looking rattled. ¡¸I have an urgent report; soldiers who appear to be the Lunette Empire¡¯s dungeon raiding force are making their way here ¡¹ ¡¸We knew they¡¯d come¡­¡­. Well, that¡¯s fine. It will be fun to finally meet again. Let them through to this tent ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, sir! Understood, sir! ¡¹ The soldier who came to report, saluted and rushed out of the tent. ¡¸We¡¯re going to have to strategize here¡­¡­. ¡¹ ¡¸I agree. If they had come three days later, they would have found us already finished with the job¡¹ In one of their prior meetings, they had concluded that it would take three days to reach the bottom of the dungeon. That is why they made haste to arrive before the Lunette Empire¡¯s raiding party¨C they were after the dungeon core. Unfortunately, the Lunette Empire¡¯s raiding force appeared a day before they even entered the dungeon. ¡¸Let¡¯s just see what kind of strength they have on their side ¡¹ One of the knights spoke up. They were stunned when the other party¡¯s representatives showed up. It was a young adventurer-looking man and two girls who were still in their teens. It was truly a shocking reveal that it made one wonder if the Lunette Empire was serious about the raid. But, this meant the Generate Kingdom needn¡¯t worry about them. ¡¸These¡­¡­ are very young representatives. It seems the Lunette Empire is running short on manpower, as they leave such matters to women and children ¡¹ The Vice-commander said with a sneer. But his impression quickly changed with the introduction of a girl with an elegant touch and appearance¡­¡­ ¡¸I am Charlotte von Lunette, Princess of the Lunette Empire ¡¹ The Princess herself has come out on the dungeon expedition. ¡­¡­ Seriously? The Lunette Empire¡¯s military strength has dwindled to the point where it has the Princess leading the expedition? Those on the Generate Kingdom¡¯s side wondered. ¡¸My name is Touya Kisaragi. I am the Marquis of the Lunette Empire ¡¹ Next, they were startled by the introduction of the adventurer-looking man. He apparently is the head of a Marquis household, while just being a boy who probably just came of age. Everyone started to assume that perhaps he had lost his parents in the last war and had taken over the reins of his family. They all thought, ¡¸The Kingdom is assured victory in this raid ¡¹, and smiles crept up on their faces as they listened. The meeting was dissolved with the ending consensus being that both countries will not interfere with the dungeon for some time being and with each other. It was also established that only one team from each country would raid. The Lunette Empire¡¯s side left the tent and the discussion continued. Those who remained were feeling rather elated. ¡¸I don¡¯t know what the Lunette Empire is thinking of sending this sort of group on a raid¡­¡­ A Princess and a Marquis? I think they are extremely underestimating the dungeon ¡¹ No one argued with what the adventurer said. But who knows, there might be some strong members in their group. Although, it was groundless fear to assume. The next day, before entering the dungeon, Larx sighed as he watched the raiding team on the Lunette Empire¡¯s side. Except for the Marquis, all of them were women in their teens, and one of them was even a child who had not reached adulthood yet. ¡¸Impossible¡­¡­ The Lunette Empire is seriously going to raid¡­¡­? ¡¹ Larx unintentionally let his thoughts slip out. No, that is what everyone was thinking. Sure enough, some of the soldiers made their thoughts known about the Lunette Empire¡¯s raiding party. ¡¸They are so shorthanded; this is all they have¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸It must be considerable. A party of one man and five women. Look one of them is just a kid ¡¹ ¡¸They can¡¯t be serious. The Lunette Empire must be getting desperate¡¹ The voices of the two soldiers were heard by those of the Lunette Empire. The youngest girl¡¯s eyes became stern. Others did not notice the magic power in her hand, but Larx did. (That¡¯s dangerous¡­¡­. Advanced? No, it is filled with super-class magic power. If it is released in a place like this, it would be¡­¡­) Death is certain for everyone. ¨CExcept for him. Larx felt it. But the boy, the Marquis, stopped the girl¡¯s hand. ¡¸Natalie, don¡¯t do it. Let the howling of the¡­¡­ mongrels slide ¡¹ He easily stopped the girl, who can manipulate super-grade magic. Larx was curious as to the power the boy was hiding. ¡¸¡­¡­!!! You bastard!!!! ¡¹ Just as the soldier was about to clutch his sword in anger, a hand reached out from the side and stopped him. ¡¸This is not the time for this, and we are in the middle of a ceasefire with the Lunette Empire. We have the Princess here, too. Are you trying to cause trouble? ¡¹ Thanks to the adventurer with them, the day was saved. Larx broke out in a cold sweat when he thought about what would have happened if a battle had ensued. The Lunette Empire¡¯s party returned to their tent, saying they would take a break before going into the dungeon. ¡¸We¡¯ll go in first then ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be overrun by Orcs before long ¡¹ ¡¸Ha-ha-ha. They have retreated to their tents ¡¹ After confirming that the Lunette Empire¡¯s raiding party had returned, Larx and his team entered the dungeon. Because the dungeon has been explored to some level, they proceeded into the dungeon, relying on the map ordered from the guild. As a precaution, one of the adventurers, the Thief, was leading the way. The adventurer would detect the monsters in advance and signal his companions, and Larx and the rest of the party would handle subjugation of the monsters. This was how they continued on in the dungeon. And being the elite gathered by their country, they advanced without difficulty. ¡¸The level of the monsters is higher than before, but still about the same. We can conquer this dungeon in just a few days. Easy job, ain¡¯t it? ¡¹ The other adventurer made light remarks as they went. When the kingdom requested him to accompany Larx via the guild, he could imagine the size of his reward. If they were to succeed in finishing this mission in a few days and receive the reward, he knew he would not have to work for the next few months. His eyes glimmered with excitement. When they reached the boss¡¯s room on the tenth floor, they opted to take a break before opening the door. Inside was an arena occupied by several orcs and an Orc General. They were mere fodder for Larx and his party. The two adventurers led the Orcs on as bait and Larx and the knights launched attacks on the monsters. Within minutes, what remained of the orcs were magical stones. ¡¸There are five floors to go. We have come so far, I don¡¯t think those guys will reach this point any time soon, don¡¯t think we even need to rush ourselves ¡¹ Larx shook his head at the remarks of the adventurer. ¡¸We should keep up the pace. The sooner we conquer the dungeon, the less damage there will be from the monsters ¡¹ Everyone including the adventurer nodded at Larx¡¯s input, and after a short break, they resumed their expedition. On the eleventh floor, however, monsters were far stronger, and it delayed their progression to the next floor. After a round of battles with the monsters, they took a break at the end of the passageway. ¡¸The monsters are getting stronger. I didn¡¯t think they could get this powerful¡­¡­ ¡¹ The adventurer, who was stowing the Earth Dragon magic stone in his Magic Bag, let out a small grumble. He had to return to the Kingdom with the Dungeon Core to get his reward. The two adventurers were drinking and chatting about how they would be able to live a reasonably wealthy life when they got back to their home country. After a short rest, Larx and his party carried on. The monsters were strong and time taken to defeat them lengthened in response, but they arrived at the next guardian¡¯s room without major injuries, thanks to the presence of the Hero of the Generate Kingdom. ¡¸This is the guardian¡¯s room. The monster waiting inside is a Rock Dragon ¡¹ The adventurer explained while recalling his past memories. The Rock Dragon is a large but slow-moving monster. Attacks, especially to its back, are ineffective since it is covered by a solid rock. He further explained that it is more efficient to attack its legs and belly. Everyone formulated their strategy, prepared themselves, and proceeded to go inside. The large door slowly creaked open, and waiting for them in the center of the room was ¡ª- nothing. ¡¸There is nothing here¡­¡­ How is that¡­¡­ Possible? ¡¹ No monster emerged even after they entered the room. Larx tilted his head and made a discovery. ¡¸Hey, there¡¯s a passageway in the back! ¡¹ It was then they all spotted the tunnel. ¡¸Don¡¯t tell me that the party from the¡­¡­ Lunette Empire ¡­¡­ is ahead of us? ¡¹ One of the knights snickered at the words the Larx unconsciously uttered. ¡¸No way, that¡¯s impossible. They planned to raid later, and besides there is no indication that we were overtaken. It could just be that the guardian¡¯s room has moved ¡¹ Certainly, Larx was confident that no one had overtaken them in the dungeon. Combined with their ability to defeat the monsters at reasonable speed and the fact that there was no hard-fought battle in which they were seriously wounded; he doubted that they were overtaken. ¡¸Let¡¯s keep going ¡¹ Nodding at the adventurer¡¯s words, Larx and his team proceeded down the passageway that had appeared in the back of the room. ¡¸I wonder if it¡¯s a newly formed layer¡­¡­ Still, no monsters have appeared so far, what¡¯s going on? ¡¹ As the Thief adventurer blurted out and led the way, a door, more radiant than they had seen, stood in front of them. ¡¸¡­¡­ This seems to be the guardian¡¯s room. I¡¯ve never heard of a guardian¡¯s room moving¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸That doesn¡¯t matter! Let¡¯s get on with it and get back to the kingdom ¡¹ A knight lashed out. ¡¸Hey, hey. I understand ¡¹ The dazed adventurer retorted, putting his hand on the door. The door opened and upon entering, a shocking scene unfolded. The Lunette Empire¡¯s raiding party, which had entered after Larx and his men, was sitting back and resting. Volume 4 - CH 16.1 ¡¸Didn¡¯t think it possible for them to beat us to it¡­¡­¡¹ One of the adventurers by Larx¡¯s side, muttered. Having been exhausted from the battle with the guardian, we were resting in the arena. Liese and Myra were especially out of breath. Taking advantage of our composure, the knights of the Generate Kingdom entered the arena. ¡¸So what kind of a weak monster was this guardian? Doesn¡¯t seem like it gave you guys any trouble ¡¹ The girls raised their eyebrows at the snickering knight. The battle against the Dragon Hydra required everyone¡¯s full cooperation. It is not something to sneer at. ¡¸¡­¡­ You guys finally arrived. Looks like you¡¯ve wasted your time though. As you can see we¡¯ve already dealt with the last guardian and obtained the Dungeon Core. Guess you have nothing to do but return to Generate Kingdom as you are ¡¹ The knight¡¯s face turned beet red with rage when I taunted them. ¡¸Don¡¯t get churlish. Any monster you can defeat is no doubt weak. Enough of that¡­¡­. Give us the Dungeon Core and Magic Stone¡ª- ¡¹ What did he just say? Give them the Dungeon Core and Magic Stone? I found myself harboring incredible contempt for what he said. I turned to the adventurers that were with him. ¡¸Do you agree with this? If so, I¡¯ll have to report this incident to the guild when I return¡¹ The adventurers chuckled nervously. They knew they could get censured in some way if we returned and reported this case. Adventurers are notorious for their altercations amongst themselves, and considering that we are in a dungeon, it is likely they will hide evidence of their involvement to avoid repercussions. This was not as simple as that though¡­¡­ The knights were involved and we have the Princess here too. If things go any further, this might turn into a diplomatic issue. ¡¸The Dungeon Core and Magic Stone in our possession are ours. Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re not aware of such common sense; is the Generate Kingdom that barbaric of a country? ¡¹ Char could not keep silent any longer. The knight, knowing he was now being confronted by the Princess, bit his tongue, his face red with anger. However, they were not satisfied to leave empty-handed and they proposed a bargain. ¡¸¡­¡­ How about a deal then? For the Dungeon Core and Magic Stone, we will reward you with an equal amount of compensation¡­¡­ ¡¹ The second knight was the one who made the proposal. Although, it was pointless of him to even try. ¡¸Of course, we decline. The Dungeon Core is a valuable asset for a country to have. Not to mention that it was not as simple to obtain ¡¹ The Hero could have prevailed against the guardian and obtained it, but that matters not anymore. Larx himself seemed confused, as if he had not expected the knight to make such a suggestion. ¡¸If we are done talking, we would like to take a short rest before we go back; you guys can go on ahead ¡¹ I pointed toward the entrance as I confronted the knights, but there was no sign of movement from them. ¡­¡­ Do they want the Dungeon Core and Magic Stone that badly? ¡¸I have another idea¡­¡­ Let¡¯s have a match between your representative and ours, if we win, you hand over the Dungeon Core. If your representative wins, since you already have the Dungeon Core, we will prepare a reasonable payment for you ¡¹ I was taken aback by the knight¡¯s persistence. Why should we accept the match? We have completed our raid, why should we subject ourselves to this game? Yes, we might have used some shortcuts to get here, but still. Moreover, their confidence stems from the fact that they will have the Hero, Larx, as their combatant. ¡¸¡­¡­ I don¡¯t see any merit for us to accept your proposal¡­¡­ ¡¹ It seems that Char has no intention to indulge their foolish ploy. I was a little relieved. ¡¸Then how about a prize of 100 million gils just to have the match. If the Kingdom loses, that prize will be doubled, to 200 million gils. Does that seem like a worthy merit? And of course we will also compensate you for the Dungeon Core¡¹ 100 million¡­¡­ That¡¯s a tantalizing offer. The reconstruction of the Lunette Empire is still in need of huge amounts of money. ¡¸¡­¡­. 100 million¡­¡­. If we had that much, we could rebuild the cities¡­¡­.. ¡¹ Liese¡¯s heart seemed to be in turmoil as she muttered. Although her city has made some progress in reconstruction, there are still many places that remain largely devastated. I caught Char¡¯s gaze, and she slowly nodded her head. I believed she would stand firm and decline. I really don¡¯t want to fight the Hero if I can help it. ¡¸¡­¡­. We will accept the 200 million gils to hold the match. If our representative wins, double the payment to 400 million gils ¡¹ ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. Eh? What the hell? Why would Char accept the match? If the Hero is the one to step forward¡­¡­. Oh no¡­¡­.. She does not know that Larx is the Hero¡­¡­. I held my head in my hands. The knight smiled after hearing a verbal commitment from Char. ¡¸I understand. That is acceptable. One representative per party, please ¡¹ ¡­¡­. Got them. The knight must certainly already feel like a victor. I suppose it¡¯s no surprise, since Larx is with them. The match was scheduled to commence in 30 minutes, and the two parties each gathered to discuss amongst themselves. ¡¸¡­¡­. Why did you accept? ¡¹ That was my initial reaction. There would have been no problem whatsoever if we had refused. I get that if we win, the Lunette Empire is to receive 400 billion gils, which can fund the reconstruction, other than that there was no other reason to have accepted. ¡¸Because I can¡¯t imagine Touya-sama losing. Whoever they send out, you can easily defeat them, won¡¯t you? ¡¹ Char and Al both seem to be thinking the same thing. Liese was mumbling to herself, ¡¸Where shall I start with making repairs? ¡¹ Natalie, on the other hand, seemed uninterested and was preoccupied with the snacks she had brought with her. ¡¸You know, it¡¯ll be bad if Larx is the one I have to fight¡­¡­¡­. ¡¹ I turned my attention to the Generate Kingdom¡®s side. Larx was repeatedly nodding at whatever the knight was saying. Pretty sure they are pumping him full of outrageous ideas. ¡¸Even if he¡¯s strong, he¡¯s just an adventurer, right? Touya-sama can¡¯t be defeated by such a person¡­¡­. ¡¹ Char remained adamant. Should I tell her that Larx is actually the Hero? If they knew though, a real battle might erupt. Al¡¯s father was struck down by him after all. ¡­¡­. I don¡¯t have a choice. I¡¯ll have to go along with this decision. ¡¸May we begin? ¡¹ One of the knights called out to us. ¡¸Alright. I¡¯ll be right there¡¹ ¡¸Just in case, may I ask you to take out the Dungeon Core and Magic Stone? ¡¹ I nodded, took out the Dungeon Core and Magic Stone from Dimensional Storage and placed them on the ground. I heard those of the Generate Kingdom¡¯s party voice their amazement, ¡¸Oh¡­¡­. ¡¹. I do not intend to lose any of the two, of course. Even if the other party does have the Hero. ¡¸Good luck, Touya-sama! ¡¹ ¡¸Good luck, Touya-san! ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t lose, Touya! ¡¹ ¡¸Get it over with so we can celebrate with something sweet as soon as possible ¡¹ As usual Natalie made me chuckle¡­¡­. Larx came forward. And we met in the center of the arena. ¡¸Hmm, are you certain you want to send out a Mage? Our representative over there is¡ª- quite strong, you know? ¡¹ The knight snickered. Having Larx, surely has given them an ego. Larx himself probably does not think he will lose either. After all, he is said to be the most powerful of all human beings as a Hero. And even more so because he believes he will be fighting a Recovery Priest. Volume 4 - CH 16.2 ¡¸And are you positive you want to have him as your combatant? Don¡¯t go back on your word when I win¡¹ Larx chuckled and scratched his cheek as I spoke up to the knight. ¡¸I guess you¡¯ll be the one I¡¯m facing. Before we start I¡¯ll have you know that I¡¯m¡ª- level 75. Knowing this, are you still going to challenge me? You might die¡¹ ¡ª- Level 75. I¡¯m impressed he managed to get to such a high level in such a short time. Without any cheat items to assist him, unlike me, he definitely has worked hard. That¡¯s why I can respect him. ¡ª- But not enough for me to lose. ¡¸Incredible¡­¡­. ¡¹ Liese¡¯s face was pale, but Char, Al and Natalie seemed nonchalant in the face of the Hero¡¯s level. That¡¯s because the three of them have higher levels than him. Although there may be a status advantage depending on his job, I do believe the three of them can defeat him if they play their cards right. And as a high-level adventurer who¡¯s already capped his level twice, despite my job being inferior to that of a Hero, I seriously doubt I can lose in terms of skills. I also have my Berserker avatar¡¯s fighting style burned into my head. My use of the Buster Sword is proof of that. ¡ó¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ó [Name] Kisaragi Touya [Race] Human [Gender] Male [Age] 16 years old [Job] Sage [Title] Summoned One [Level] 52 [Special Skills] The Divine Eye, the ability to use all attribute magic, and the ability to acquire all skills [Skills] Swordsmanship, Martial Arts, Search, Concealment [Magic] Life magic, Elementary Recovery Magic, Intermediate Recovery Magic, Advanced Recovery Magic, Super Recovery magic, Elementary Attribute Magic, Intermediate Attribute Magic, Advanced Attribute Magic, Super Attribute Magic, Special Attribute Magic [Familiar] Obsidian Battlehorse ¡ó¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ó I checked my status before we began. One of the knights acted as the officiator, and was standing in the middle of the arena, waiting for us to get ready. I pulled out my favourite Buster Sword from Dimensional Storage, and those from the Generate Kingdom¡¯s party looked somewhat surprised. Bet they didn¡¯t expect a Recovery Priest to wield a Buster Sword. ¡¸This¡¯s unexpected, didn¡¯t think you used a weapon like that ¡¹ ¡¸Oh, yes, this is one of my favourites from long ago. I have mine out, when are you planning on taking yours out? ¡¹ I asked him jokingly. The sword he has been carrying is a fine piece of work for a common adventurer, but it is no means a weapon of a Hero. I can expect nothing less than a Hero wielding a Holy Sword, a national treasure. Since he¡¯s concealing his identity, I guess he can¡¯t use that, but if he does lose, they still have to pay. ¡¸Yes, this is enough for me. A regular weapon will be enough ¡¹ ¡¸Oh, I see. Don¡¯t make excuses after you lose ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you for your concern, although it is unnecessary. I never lose¡­¡­ ¡¹ While Larx and I were conversing, the knight who was refereeing coughed and urged us to begin. ¡¸It¡¯s time to start. ¡ª¨C Begin! ¡¹ Instantly, Larx leapt towards me with his sword ready to strike from above. And I couldn¡¯t help being impressed by his speed, befitting a Hero status. In terms of speed, he could be faster than Al. I swiftly evaded the attack by retreating. I retaliated with a swing of my Buster Sword aimed for his neck, catching him off-guard and only missing him by a few inches. ¡¸You are stronger than you look¡­¡­. It looks like I might have to get serious ¡¹ As Larx spoke, I created some space between us and applied Physical Enhancement Boost on myself. I can¡¯t be careless. Larx also whispered some incantation-like words, probably applying Physical Enhancement Boost on himself as well. He is a Hero, magic should not be a problem for him to use. I gripped my sword tightly again and prepared to defend. Larx slashed with his sword from a short distance away. ¡­¡­. Eh? And a Vacuum Blade came flying toward me. He has started using skills huh. I deflected the attack while I thought about this. ¡¸You¡¯re even using skills, you¡¯re relentless¡­¡­. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, the prestige of the Kingdom is at stake in this battle ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry to hear that¡­¡­. ¡¹ ¡¸Then again, you don¡¯t seem surprised to hear of my level, and are able to cancel my skills, what kind of training do you do? By the way, may I ask of your own level? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­. 52 ¡¹ As a Sage. ¡¸How is that possible? The Knight Commander can¡¯t fight on equal terms with me at that level¡¹ Ah, that¡¯s true. The Knight Commander of the Lunette Empire, Al¡¯s father, was no match for him. But what is he doing? Has he forgotten he¡¯s masquerading as an adventurer? ¡¸I¡¯m honored you think that. But I won¡¯t be losing this battle¡­¡­..! ¡¹ It was my turn to attack. I held my Buster Sword in my right hand and shot a fireball with my left. I¡¯m guessing being a Recovery Priest who can use attribute magic is not what he was expecting. But Larx was quick on his feet and avoided the approaching fireball and just as quickly parried my sword. As if in a stalemate, my sword and Larx¡¯s clashed. ¡¸You can also use magic¡­¡­. Are you really a Recovery Priest? ¡¹ Our strength was evenly matched. Larx is truly a Hero, as expected, he¡¯s strong. Swords clattered against each other. ¡¸Ah, want to look at my adventurer¡¯s plate? It¡¯s got Recovery Priest written all over it ¡¹ We finally broke apart and put some distance between us. ¡¸I was not aware of Recovery Priests who are this strong. Why were you missing during the war? ¡¹ Because I was in Salandir Kingdom at the time. Again, Larx, you¡¯re forgetting yourself. ¡¸How is he equally matched with Larx-sama¡­¡­..? ¡¹ The knight was astonished. However, I shouldn¡¯t let my guard down yet, Larx possibly has a trick up his sleeve. ¡¸Hang in there, Touya-sama! ¡¹ I could hear the cheers from Char and the other girls behind me. ¡¸Let¡¯s try this! ¡¹ I closed in on him, about five meters, and brought my Buster Sword down on him. Larx, however, caught it firmly with his sword. ¡­¡­ Crack. Larx¡¯s sword cracked at the point of impact. ¡¸Touya-sama has already won! ¡¹ His sword will shatter into pieces from one more attack from me. The match will be over. ¡¸With the state of your sword, you won¡¯t make it. Why don¡¯t you just admit defeat? ¡¹ I urged him to surrender, but Larx gritted his teeth and looked at the knight as if seeking something. ¡¸We can¡¯t afford to lose¡­¡­ Take it out ¡¹ The knight gave his permission. Promptly, Larx tossed the cracked sword aside and took out another sword from his Dimensional Storage. Volume 4 - CH 17 Volume 4 Chapter 17 The sword he drew out is superbly crafted and made of glimmering silver. It left one impression on me when I saw it. That it is¡ª¡ª a Holy Sword. I felt deep admiration for it, it is a beautiful weapon. ¡¸¡­¡­ Is that allowed, to switch weapons mid-bout like that¡­..?¡¹ In a typical tournament, it is common knowledge that once your weapon is destroyed it is a ¡°loss¡±, and there is no such thing as switching it midway. Of course the rules do not apply in the time war, but this is just a match for the Dungeon Core. The refereeing knight interjected. ¡¸¡­¡­ Larx-dono, do you think it wise to do that? The Generate Kingdom will be labeled as a country which can¡¯t adhere to the basic rules of a match¡­¡­ ¡¹ Larx raised his eyebrow and gritted his teeth. ¡¸I don¡¯t recall any rule like that being placed before our match, was there? ¡¹ Larx gripped his Holy Sword and stared at me waiting for confirmation. His sword shimmered brightly. It looks to be made from silver mithril and forged by an expert blacksmith. It can no doubt shatter an ordinary weapon in just a few blows. The Buster Sword I am holding, even though it is made of black iron, I¡¯m not confident it can withstand it. ¡¸¡­¡­. I see, I get it. I¡¯ll allow you to switch weapons ¡¹ ¡¸Touya-sama! ¡¹ ¡¸Touya! ¡¹ I looked at the two girls who were shouting at me, Char and Liese, and smiled and gave them a small nod. ¡¸It¡¯ll be fine. I won¡¯t lose ¡¹ My opponent is a Hero wielding a Holy Sword, but I will absolutely not lose. Larx, since the start of our match may have thought he wouldn¡¯t either. ¡¸¡­¡­. I can¡¯t lose either. For I am¡ª¡ª the Hero¡­¡­..¡¹ And he flat out exposed himself. He has cast his pretense aside. I suppose now that he has drawn out the Holy Sword, they don¡¯t intend to carry on with the charade. The knights were smiling ear to ear the whole time. Is this the length they are willing to go to obtain the Dungeon Core? ¡¸¡­¡­.. It can¡¯t be. He¡¯s the Hero¡­¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ That¡¯s my father¡¯s killer¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸No way! Then, could that sword be¡­¡­. The Holy Sword¡­¡­.? ¡¹ The expressions on the faces of the girls changed all at once. It is to be expected. They were looking at the source of the Generate Kingdom¡¯s power that allowed it to invade the Imperial Capital, to defeat the Kingsguard commander, and decimate Lunette Empire cities. They glared at Larx, but he was intentionally avoiding eye contact with them. ¡¸The wait is over. Time to finish this ¡¹ I thrust my sword straight into the ground. ¡¸Mind if I change my weapon as well? ¡¹ I pulled out another Buster Sword from Dimensional Storage which made everyone gulp as they laid their eyes on it. It is black from the hilt to the tip of the blade, twice as long as the Buster Sword I usually wield, and much sturdier. It is decorated with ominous symbols which were too ostentatious, and would raise questions for an adventurer to have. It is a sword designed specifically to cut down large prey. It is made of metal harder than mithril, adamantite, it is virtually indestructible. Been too long¡­¡­. The name of this Buster Sword is ¡°The Giant Slayer¡±, and it is a weapon I used in the game until I reached level 500. It has two special effects. In the game it could unleash miasma and reduce the enemy¡¯s agility. ¡¸¡­¡­. Impressive sword¡­¡­. It makes my body tremble just from looking at it¡­¡­. ¡¹ Liese remarked on her fears about the sword. It was the same with Char and the other girls. They tried not shaking out of fear, but their faces gave them away. The same reaction came from the Generate Kingdom¡¯s side. The knights and adventurers were trembling with fear as well. Unlike in the game, the miasma being released affected both friends and foes¡­¡­. It is my most powerful weapon of all in my Dimensional Storage. It should be able to handle Larx¡¯s Holy Sword. I swung it with one hand to get the feel of it. It was lighter than my usual Buster Sword due to its lightweight attribute. As in the game, agility is affected by status and equipment. Heavy equipment will negatively affect agility, lowering it. The Giant Slayer is a legendary weapon that applies enhancement to the wielder and deals damaging effect to the opponent. I got accustomed to having it in my hand and turned my gaze to Larx, unlike everyone he did not seem bothered by the effect. ¡¸¡­¡­ As expected of the Hero ¡¹ He is not called that for nothing, he has ¡°bravery¡± in him. He can somehow overcome the sword¡¯s special effect. ¡¸Thank you for waiting. Let¡¯s continue¡¹ Larx became tense all of a sudden. ¡¸I¡¯ve never seen a formidable sword like that before¡­¡­ Who the hell are you¡­¡­.? ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll tell you if you beat me. I¡¯ll even tell you my history with your host country ¡¹ I finished my sentence already swinging my sword and bringing it down on Larx¡¯s head. He reacted quickly and blocked it with his. ¡¸¡­¡­ Ugh ¡¹ The ground beneath Larx¡¯s feet began to break. My sword is light for the wielder but ¡ª- not for the opponent. It is a powerful weapon that can easily decapitate a dragon with single swing, hence the name Giant Slayer. I might not have the skills of the Berserker, but I can still as easily swing a sword. I swung it again with great vigour at Larx. ¡¸¡ª- How is this possible¡­¡­.? ¡¹ The knight on the sidelines questioned. He didn¡¯t expect that there was a chance the ¡°Hero¡± could be defeated. Larx may have been summoned and trained. But I have 10 hours per day of gaming in my arsenal. The moves of my game avatar are imprinted on my mind. And I can trace those moves. That¡¯s why it is unlikely¡ª¨C for me to lose. Once he broke away, Larx wore an incredulous look on his face. ¡¸No, how can you be this strong¡­¡­.? Are you really level 52¡­¡­.? I can¡¯t¡­¡­.. afford to lose. I am the Hero! ¡¹ ¡ºVacuum Blade¡» Countless Vacuum Blades came hurtling toward me, cleaved horizontally, from the Holy Sword. I could use the same skill to cancel them out if I wanted. But I decided to use¡ª¡ª ¡ºEarth Wall¡» I created a wall of clay with intermediate attribute magic to catch all the Vacuum Blades. Larx looked surprised at the sudden earth barrier. As a Sage, magic is my forte; I can invoke any magic with ease. I¡¯m not a Recovery Priest as he believes. I released the clay wall, raised my sword once more, and pointed it at Larx. ¡¸For Lunette Empire I will not be overwhelmed even in the face of the Hero¡¹ I gripped my sword tighter than before and swung it down in one fluid motion. In his haste, Larx caught it with his Holy Sword again, however ¡ª-. ¡ª- Clank. The Holy Sword snapped in half. I stopped the tip of my sword right against his neck. ¡¸Now this settles it, right? ¡¹ I smiled at Larx. He looked at his sword in utter disbelief, and then lowered his head. ¡¸I¡¯m done¡­¡­ I¡¯ve lost¡­¡­.¡¹ Hearing his submission, I withdrew my sword. I turned to the referee who had frozen up with a stupefied face. When our eyes met, he snapped back to his senses and ended the match. ¡¸That concludes the match¡¹ I returned the Giant Slayer, that¡¯s been emitting miasma, to Dimensional Storage. Char and the other girls ran up to me not hiding their excitement. ¡¸Touya-sama! Amazing! It¡¯s amazing how you easily defeated the Hero¡¹ ¡¸Touya-san is Touya-san after all¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t believe it. He¡¯s stronger than the Hero¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸It really is unbelievable¡­¡­.¡¹ Natalie, slowly walking behind Char, Al, Liese and Myra, looked very satisfied. ¡¸I am not close to being a ¡°Sage¡± it seems. But I¡¯ll catch up soon¡¹ I didn¡¯t think Natalie¡¯s determination to become a Sage could get bigger. She looked even more certain than ever. ¡¸Unacceptable. It¡¯s impossible! The Hero shouldn¡¯t lose! You two take him down! ¡¹ The other knight instructed the adventurers. The adventurers, however, shook their heads, not even making a slight reach for their weapons. ¡¸That¡¯s not happening¡­¡­. Even if we took him on as the whole party, there is no way we could win. We aren¡¯t dying that foolishly¡¹ ¡¸Hmph, useless adventurers! We can take him on as just the three of us, Larx-sama, get up! ¡¹ With the knight holding his arm, Larx reluctantly stood up, but without any desire to fight in his eyes. ¡¸It¡¯s just one man; three of us should be enough! ¡¹ At that moment five women stood in front of me. ¡¸Really¡­¡­ Are you forgetting about us? It¡¯s not just Touya here¡­¡­.. Now you have to deal with Sage of Twilight¡¹ Natalie identified herself by her nickname which was infamous in the Generate Kingdom. The Sage of Twilight, for decades in the history of the Generate Kingdom has been its bitter nemesis. She stands as the protector of the Lunette Empire, and can ravage the enemy with one spell. Just her appearance on the battlefield can change the course of the war. ¡¸¡­¡­.. How could it be¡­¡­. Even the witch is here? ¡¹ The knight, too, crumbled to his knees, helpless. ¡¸¡­¡­.. It¡¯s because you are looking at the Lunette Empire¡¯s best¡­¡­.. Blame your ignorance. And for your boorish behavior and attempt to attack our nobleman, I¡¯m certain you will offer a reasonable apology and compensation, yes? ¡¹ Char spoke up as well. Attacking me, the Marquis of the Lunette Empire, can be seen as a sign of them inciting war. Guess the 200 million gils will not be enough. I chuckled at how much Char has grown up and become more confident in politics. Volume 4 - CH 18 Once we were back on the surface, negotiations resumed. The vice-commander, who had been waiting at the fort, was furious to learn of what had transpired in the dungeon. Initially, he looked like he had forgotten to breathe and was at any moment going to burst, and then he protested that there was no way that a preposterous agreement like that could be met. His mind was soon swayed when Char explained, ¡¸This will mean that your country¡¯s dishonor will be made known to all countries. I will also require the Kingdom to pay the damage reparations in lump sum as opposed to the agreed installments¡¹. The amount they were currently paying for the Lunette Empire reparations was a mere trifle. If they were made to cough it up in a single payment it would cripple their nation¡¯s operating funds. The vice-commander, no doubt will be placed with blame. The knights from the dungeon had already been seized and escorted away. ¡¸Co, compensation will be made as agreed¡­¡­¡¹ The vice-commander was completely out of options. There was nothing he could do; fighting was out of the question, seeing as I¡¯m stronger than the Hero, Larx. Not to mention, Natalie is also present. He did underestimate her at first, but when one of the knights confided in him Natalie¡¯s true identity, his attitude instantly changed. If you pay attention to his legs, you could see that they were shaking. Perhaps he has first-hand experience of Natalie¡¯s power from previous wars. In the end they agreed to pay the 500 million gils in full, not forgetting the reparations. With this amount of money, they must want all this put to rest. It is an increase of 300 million over the original deal. Of course, they did not have this large amount of money on hand. It was to be brought later on, by an envoy. Three contracts were to be drawn up and split between the Lunette Empire, Generate Kingdom, and the Commerce Guild in the Ciffancy Empire. The Ciffancy Empire is largely responsible for handling agreements like this one between nations. It is where the Commerce Guild headquarters is located. If one of the parties breaks the contract, the Commerce Guild headquarters has the power to step in as the mediator. The Ciffancy Empire is mainly controlled by the Commerce Guild and the Mercenaries Guild, with the Commerce Guild having branches in various countries which act as intermediaries where contracts are involved. Every arrangement made at the Commerce Guild branch will be forwarded to the headquarters in the Ciffancy Empire. Although there is a reasonable fee to be charged for its services, the compensation to be received is more than enough to cover it and then some. The contracts were signed in the Generate Kingdom tent, with me, Char and Liese signing on behalf of the Lunette Empire, and the vice-commander and Larx on behalf of the Generate Kingdom. This was a firm request from us. Even though they are not the country¡¯s nobles and did not need to sign their names, the fact that Larx is the Hero made it an exception. If the Generate Kingdom decides to back-pedal on the deal, the name of the Hero will be invoked. His name is a precautionary measure. They had tried to refuse, but when the condition of holding Larx in custody until payment was completed was put on the table, they obliged. After all, the Generate Kingdom would be helpless if the Hero, their most powerful piece, is locked away. Furthermore, Larx¡¯s indoctrination of the ¡°evil¡± Lunette Empire might be dispelled when he gets to witness life in the said country. Worst of all, he might even defect to the Lunette Empire. The vice-commander looked defeated as he watched Larx sign his name. After receiving the copy of the contract we left the tent. ¡¸Finally, it¡¯s over¡­¡­.¡¹ Those with me smiled and nodded, sharing my sentiment. ¡¸¡ª¨C I never got to take a break in the end¡¹ I whispered to myself. The prime reason for visiting this place was so I could have a vacation, but instead I had to conquer and even fight the Hero. Including the negotiations¡­¡­ I feel like I have done more work than if I didn¡¯t come here. However, if I hadn¡¯t come, the damage caused by the dungeon flooding might have been much worse. I had been greeted by injured adventurers when I arrived. So many lives would have been lost if I hadn¡¯t come. Guess the trip wasn¡¯t entirely pointless. ¡¸Shall we go back now and take a bath? ¡¹ ¡¸Good idea. And get some rest¡¹ ¡¸But I must have something sweet first! ¡¹ Natalie, as usual, is the one with the sweet-tooth. ¡¸Yes, yes, got it. I¡¯ll give you a special treat, just for today ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not fair! I want some too! ¡¹ By the time we arrived at our camp I had promised all of them confections. Sweets might be an allure for all women, I think. ¡ó ¡ó¡ó¡ó I knew the ladies missed their baths. So we stayed in the guild house for a day after returning from the dungeon. ¡¸At last I feel refreshed¡¹ The girls emerged in the living room, while wiping their hair. I immediately looked away as I caught the sight of them. ¡¸Why are you dressed like that!? ¡¹ They had taken a bath together and came out wearing only oversized shirts. ¡¸We were too lazy to put on clothes after the refreshing bath. It¡¯s all right since it¡¯s only Touya-sama here ¡¹ No, even if I¡¯m the only one here¡­¡­ ¡¸To be honest, I¡¯m a little embarrassed looking like this¡­¡­. ¡¹ Liese was the only one bashful, apparently. Char probably suggested she put it on. I let out a sigh. ¡¸Look, don¡¯t dress like that, hurry up and change. I¡¯m preparing food ¡¹ ¡¸Nooo! Why can¡¯t we tease Touya-sama a little? ¡¹ Char was puffing her cheeks and sulking. But this is neither the time nor place to be dressed like that. They did go back to their rooms and changed while I continued cooking. After the meal was prepared and laid out on the table, the five of them returned once they were decent. I took a bottle of wine from Dimensional Storage when we were all gathered around the table. ¡¸Thank you all for you hard work. We managed to obtain the Dungeon Core, so the dungeon matter should be settled ¡¹ The dungeon will take a month or so to spawn a new Dungeon Core. For a while, the monsters will be inactive and pose no threat. In addition, no new monsters will be spawned. There used to be cases where adventurers hunted monsters in the dungeon at the time like this because they believed it would be a breeze. However, when new monsters are spawned, they are more vicious, and now the Adventurers Guild has prohibited anyone from entering dungeons during the time when the Dungeon Core is re-spawning. This is a strict regulation by every Adventurers Guild branch in cooperation with the respective countries. The reason for this tight control is simple: There is a written history of a country that once was decimated by monsters because of monster hunting in the dormant dungeon. It was flooded by newly spawned vicious monsters. The joint effort between Adventurers¡¯ Guild and the neighboring country¡¯s military, exterminated the monsters, re-conquered the dungeon, and calmed the situation down. Since then the Adventurers¡¯ Guild and the countries have reached an understanding and settled on the regulation as it stands now. ¡¸It certainly has. Now Arland is safe ¡¹ ¡¸I hope so, but now we just have to see how¡­¡­ Generate Kingdom responds¡­¡­¡­ ¡¹ When Al mentioned ¡°Generate Kingdom¡±, the room went silent for a moment. ¡¸¡­¡­. So that was the Hero we¡¯ve heard so much about¡­¡­ ¡¹ The Lunette Empire has suffered a massive loss just because of him, Larx, the Hero. Al¡¯s father, the Kingsguard commander, was put to death, with Char and Al only being saved because they escaped to Salandir Kingdom. Liese also had fled from the city and her parents were executed. Bringing up Generate Kingdom opened wounds that have yet to heal. ¡¸Thankfully now the Lunette Empire has Touya-sama, who exceeds the power of the Hero. There will no more attacks from the Generate Kingdom ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s for sure. The Lunette Empire can¡¯t be underestimated with Touya around ¡¹ ¡­¡­.. Both Char and Liese are mistaken. I¡¯m not going to be part of any war. I can lend a hand wherever I can, but I have no intention of being used as a soldier or anything like that. The rescuing of the Imperial family and the recapturing of the Imperial Capital, was only done as a request¡­¡­. As an adventurer. I am only a noble, a Marquis just to avoid being controlled by other nobles as suggested by Al¡¯s grandfather, Gaulus. But if I take a minute to think about it, that means I also have obligations as a noble. His Majesty, the Emperor, told me that I don¡¯t have to perform any routine duties. Although, I don¡¯t think I can overlook a war when it is in front of me, can I? The matter of fact is that the Generate Kingdom can¡¯t afford to go into another war. They still have a huge debt of the reparations hanging over their heads for the next 10 years. I would like to think that they won¡¯t do anything stupid. ¡¸I really hope there is no war. ¡­.. ¡¹ My mind drifted off to Saya and the children at the orphanage, who I met when I was in Salandir Kingdom. Those children were sent to that place because their parents had perished as adventurers or soldiers. I had secretly left some money for their immediate needs, and made a request to Alice to provide for them. I would like them to live without any problems. But that place is a slum. Saya is still far too young, it would be careless to wait until something happened to her. I have asked that Lumina look out for her, but I can¡¯t sit on my hands, I think I will take a visit there one of these days. It would be soothing to see the faces of the beaming children. ¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡­ Touya-sama, are you listening? ¡¹ I was brought back to the present by a voice calling my name. I had zoned out and reminisced about my time in Salandir. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry. My mind was somewhere else ¡¹ Even though I apologized, Char slightly puffed her cheeks out, and reiterated. ¡¸Tomorrow, we will return to Arland to hold a meeting about future plans. I have sent word to my father that we will return to Imperial Capital as soon as the matter in the city is settled. We will report to him about the compensation to be paid by Generate Kingdom then ¡¹ I still had to go back to the Imperial Capital at some point, didn¡¯t I? I rather deal with monsters than the balck-hearted nobles¡­¡­¡­ ¡¸Touya if it is fine with you, you can stay in Arland for as long as you want ¡¹ Liese spoke with a slight blush on her cheeks. Myra put her hand over her mouth as she held back her laughter. ¡­¡­¡­. Am I missing something? I hear Liese¡¯s suggestion, but my fianc¨¦e, Char, will not allow it. Since I played a role against the Hero, I am obligated to report to His Majesty. ¡¸Yes, I had planned to, but I have to go to the capital and explain everything to His Majesty¡­¡­.. ¡¹ My vacation¡­¡­.. never happened. After the meal, everyone was putting their feet up in the living room. ¡¸Tomorrow after breakfast we leave. Everyone rest up in your rooms ¡¹ We all disbanded after Char ordered. I went to my room, called out Ferris, had her lock the door, and crawled into bed. Sleep soon came. Volume 4 - CH 19 The next morning, after breakfast, we informed the soldiers about our next move, which is to have the army pull out gradually since there is still an abundance of monsters running amok in the forest from the last flooding. The plan is to have the soldiers assist the adventurers of Arland by forming several platoons for thinning out the monsters. Afterwards, I got Kokuyou and the carriage out, and the girls got inside while I sat on the platform. ¡¸Kokuyou, take us to the city, will you? ¡¹ Kokuyou being a B-ranked monster, trampled over the low-level monsters along the way. We soon arrived at the city of Arland in the afternoon, having been traveling on a carriage faster than any that is drawn by an ordinary horse. We were greeted by soldiers in a formation, as if they were expecting us. There was a young man standing in the centre of the formation, he looked about 20 years old, and was dressed in a noble¡¯s garb. ¡­¡­. Could he be Liese¡¯s brother, the lord of this city? There is uncanny facial resemblance between the two. I slowed the carriage down and stopped it in front of the man who I guessed to be Liese¡¯s brother. ¡¸We¡¯re here. Liese is that your brother¡­¡­.?¡¹ Liese peered through the small window, and recognizing the young man, she raised her eyebrows and glared at him. ¡¸¡­¡­ That is my brother. My stupid big brother. He has the nerve to show his face here now that he thinks the crisis is over¡­¡­.¡¹ She was acting differently than usual. ¡¸Let¡¯s all just get off, for now¡¹ I got off the platform and opened the carriage door. Char, Al, Liese, and Myra disembarked. The young man came closer to us when he saw Liese. ¡¸Oh, Liese, I¡¯m so glad you are safe. Princess and Altria-sama, I am deeply grateful to you for coming to our aid. Hey, you adventurer there, move the carriage out of the way¡¹ ¡­¡­ Is he referring to me¡­¡­? An ¡°eh¡± sound escaped my mouth. ¡¸Hey, don¡¯t make me say it twice. What kind of adventurer dares to raise his head on the same level as the Princess and the lord? I¡¯ll have you arrested for your disrespect! ¡¹ His words stunned everyone. Liese smiled deviously as if planning something. ¡¸Brother, you have arrived a bit late. Thanks to the help of Her Highness, we have successfully conquered the dungeon. There was some trouble with the Generate Kingdom, but that too has been resolved¡¹ She did not refer to me in any way. I was told by the guildmaster how much Liese despised her brother. She often referred to him as ¡¸That bastard¡¹. He¡¯s the type to flee in times of trouble and return when convenient¡­¡­. ¡¸Hmmm, I had a lot to ask from the Imperial Capital. I have been engaged with the nobles there discussing how they can help us rebuild from destruction caused by the war. It was more than you could bear. I have even asked the Hero of Lunette for assistance¡¹ Typical noble. He even asked me? I held back a chuckle. The two were completely different, Liese was thinking firmly and working hard for the city¡­¡­ This could not be said for her brother. ¡¸I¡¯m certain you are right. Thanks to your efforts, brother, Her Highness has come to our aid. Still, I did not expect you to arrive after Her Highness¡­¡­. You were not by any chance hiding away in the Imperial Capital, were you? ¡¹ Liese, asked her brother in a mocking tone. His mood grew more and more sour, before he turned his attention to¡­¡­. Kokuyou. ¡¸Hmmm. I¡¯ve been busy with other things, too. Anyway, hey there, adventurer, does this carriage belong to you? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it is mine¡¹ The carriage alone is attractive to look at, it is an item of fine quality and comfortable to ride in, and now combined with the fact that it was attached to an Obsidian Battlehorse, it looked even better than that of the Emperor. Of course he would be interested. His eyes shone for a brief moment when he learned that I was the owner, and he smiled. ¡¸I¡¯ll buy the whole thing from you, including the horse. How does three gold coins sound? That¡¯s a lot of money for any adventurer to drool over. You have no complaints, I believe¡¹ Again, everyone was shocked. I, too, was amazed. But it was expected, to the point that it was quite amusing. ¡¸I¡¯ll have to decline. I have no intention of selling you Kokuyou or the carriage¡¹ He looked taken aback by my refusal. His attitude suggests that he believed that anything he said because he¡¯s a noble, any adventurer will follow¡­¡­ Liese sighed and stepped in front of me as her brother¡¯s face turned red with rage. ¡¸Liese, get out of the way! You there, adventurer, do you know who I am¡ª¡ª-¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s enough, brother. I haven¡¯t introduced you yet. This is Marquis Touya von Kisaragi. As you no doubt have heard, he is the Hero of Lunette. He is also the person who played the major role in conquering the dungeon¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡­Eh? ¡¹ The lord¡¯s mouth hung open, he then looked from Liese to Char, who were silently watching. His face, which was bright red, turned to blue, and by the time his eyes met mine, it was ghostly white. I gave him an assuring smile and his entire body trembled as he stood erect. ¡¸Nice to meet you. I am Touya von Kisaragi, as Lieselotte has explained. Good to finally meet you. ¡¹ I greeted him, held out my right hand, and he grasped it with both of his palms eagerly. ¡¸Ha, ha, it is a pleasure to meet you! I am thrilled to meet the esteemed Marquis Kisaragi, the Hero of Lunette¡¯s salvation! Oh, ah¡­¡­. About what I said before¡­¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Well, everyone makes mistakes. That said, many adventurers were gravely injured protecting this city during the flooding. So, treat them with a better approach than you did this time¡¹ ¡¸Ha, yes, of course! I will be careful in the future! ¡¹ Char giggled as he frantically shook my hand. ¡¸Brother, how long do you intend to keep Her Highness waiting? We just came back from the dungeon, please, it is best we go to the mansion¡¹ Liese advised her brother, who after remembering, hurriedly invited us to the mansion. They climbed into my carriage, and we slowly made our way through the city. At first, when I sat on the platform, the lord balked, but seeing how I am the only one who can control Kokuyou, he folded. Upon arrival at the mansion, I was given a private chamber to rest in. I accepted the gesture, since there was no reason to refuse. But truth be told, I am more comfortable in my own mansion. When I asked Ferris to come out, she refused, saying, ¡¸I don¡¯t like this mansion¡¹, and immediately returned to the Spirit Stone around my neck. It is something she has never said about my item house. I don¡¯t know what the difference is, however, I did not bother to question it as I laid down on the bed. I¡¯ll be staying here for about a week, with nothing to do. The soldiers and adventurers were still hunting monsters around the dungeon. I have to hang back here until the Adventurers¡¯ Guild and the lord declare the city safe, before returning to the capital. I had planned to go into the forest to level up, but¡­¡­. ¡¸I¡¯m not going to let Marquis dirty himself with monsters! ¡¹ The lord, Eid, was the one to stop me, and made it a point to check on me every day, so, I can¡¯t sneak out whenever I want. The reason why he is so dedicated to come to my room every day is because he wants to hear the stories about His Majesty¡¯s rescue and the recapture of the Imperial Capital. It¡¯s fine that he enjoys listening to me with a twinkle in his eyes every time, but having to retell the same stories over and over again is exhausting. It was too much hassle, so I decided to take refuge in Char¡¯s room. She shares her room with Al, and because of her position as the Princess, her¡¯s is the biggest room in the mansion. ¡¸I¡¯ll make you some tea, Touya-sama¡¹ ¡¸Yes, thank you¡¹ I was lounging on the sofa while Char made me a cup of tea herself. I reached for the cup and savored the aroma of the tea. ¡¸Un, it¡¯s delicious. Speaking of which, where is Natalie? ¡¹ ¡¸She¡¯s currently hunting with the adventurers. She wants to improve her level¡¹ Natalie is a renowned Court Mage as the ¡°Sage of Twilight¡±, but she is not a noble. So, she has freedom to hunt with adventurers as much as she wants. ¡¸I wish¡­¡­. I could have gone with her¡¹ I¡¯m tempted to deal with the stress of Eid through hunting. ¡¸If you did that, Touya-sama, there will be no monsters left for others¡¹ Char chuckled as she sat opposite me and elegantly held her cup of tea. She is a Princess through everything she does. Even Eid was too shy to come into this room. ¡¸I came to this city to unwind, but I never thought I¡¯d want to hunt this much instead¡­¡­.¡¹ I got caught up in a lot of trouble, but now that it is over, I strangely feel empty. Humans are strange creatures. I thought as I drank my tea. ¡¸It¡¯s supposed to be over in a few days, so let¡¯s just wait until then. We haven¡¯t had the chance to be together so far in the Imperial Capital, so on the contrary; I¡¯m happy on my side¡¹ It¡¯s true that we have had a hard time these past few months. Maybe it¡¯s not bad to spend time in peace like this¡­¡­. If only Ferris could come out in this mansion. I reached for my cup as I thought about taking shelter in this room again for a period of time until we returned to the Imperial Capital. Volume 4 - CH 20.1 Three days passed, and the Adventurers¡¯ Guild and the lord assured the city of complete safety. ¡¸It is time we go back to the capital¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes¡­¡­.¡¹ If there is one thing I dread about going back to the Imperial Capital¡­¡­ Is the constant matchmaking offers I get from nobles. For the residents of this world, especially for nobles, it is common practice to wed multiple wives. But being originally Japanese, my sense of morals is hard to ignore. I¡¯d cheer, ¡¸Yay! A harem! ¡¹, whenever I saw it depicted in games and novels, but being in the thick of it yourself is a difficult position. The complexity of human relationships makes it uncomfortable. In my case still, Char and Al are officially my betrothed¡­¡­. If you rule out Natalie. They are both well-intentioned girls, which gives me some level of comfort. But I do not wish to add more if I can help it. I have to ensure it doesn¡¯t happen. I sighed out loud thinking about it. Maybe I can go hide in obscurity in Salandir Kingdom¡­¡­.. I¡¯m sure I have been removed from the wanted list by now. While I was leisurely thinking in my room, a knock came from the door. ¡¸Everyone is already waiting outside¡¹ I stood up after receiving the report from the maid who entered. The time has arrived to return to the capital. It wouldn¡¯t just be me and the girls, but also the soldiers, on this trip. Unless something drastic happens, we will not be allowed to act on our own. When I came out of the mansion, I saw the three girls waiting in front of the carriage which was displaying the Imperial coat of arms. It seems they still have to show their position as nobles. I rather ride in my own carriage¡­¡­. Eid, Liese, and Myra, including the servants of the mansion, were there to see us off. And, the Adventurers¡¯ Guild guildmaster was also amongst those to wish us a farewell. I shook hands with the guildmaster. ¡¸I am truly thankful that the Marquis came to our city. I can¡¯t imagine how much damage would have been suffered without you here. I am truly grateful ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m just glad I had the chance to meet you. From now on, please keep close contact with Eid and take care of the guild¡¹ When I told him in a roundabout way that he should get along with Eid, the guildmaster looked a little repulsed. I didn¡¯t think he hated¡­¡­ Eid this much¡­¡­ ¡¸Eid. From now on, you have to learn to take the guildmaster¡¯s opinion into account. The Adventurers¡¯ Guild is a necessary part of the city ¡¹ It felt like I was admonishing a child saying this, but Eid nodded quite honestly. ¡¸Of course, I¡¯ll do as the Marquis says ¡¹ ¡¸And listen to what Liese also says, alright? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡­ Yes¡­¡­. ¡¹ He is likely to reject Liese¡¯s input, even though, as far as the town is concerned, I feel it is safe with Liese being in charge. As an adventurer, she is considered elite, and the guild has the highest faith in her. Not to mention the residents adore her. ¡¸I¡¯d like to also thank you, Liese. Thanks to you, we were able to save this city ¡¹ She was dressed as a noblewoman for our sendoff. She still has not told Eid about her double life as an adventurer. ¡¸I¡¯m the one who¡¯s most grateful. Please come back and visit us. I will also visit you when I have a chance to go to the capital ¡¹ I controlled myself and did not laugh at her different way of talking. I coughed to cover my grin and shook hands with her and everyone in turn. After that, as we were heading to the carriage, I whispered to Char. ¡¸Can I go to Salandir Kingdom for a bit, by myself? ¡¹ The second these words left my mouth, both my arms were caught by Char and Al. ¡¸Absolutely, not ¡¹ I got into the carriage with my arms held tightly to prevent my escape. ¡­¡­. I still don¡¯t understand how this is acceptable. I suppose I can see their objection; there are some matters to be taken care of in the capital. The contract to be sent to the Commerce Guild in Ciffancy Empire needs to be confirmed by His Majesty. And I also need to check the letters that I have a feeling are piling up at the mansion. ¡­¡­. I guess I¡¯ll bide my time. I¡¯ll just have to find the right time to escape from the Imperial Capital again. ¡¸Oh, by the way, Touya-sama, there is a portrait of you at each gate to prevent you from leaving the capital alone. So don¡¯t think it will be easy to escape as before ¡¹ ¡­¡­. What¡­¡­? Why wasn¡¯t I told that before? Char planned this? ¡¸You know, Touya, I¡¯m looking forward to see what you cook up on this journey¡¹ ¡­¡­. Natalie¡¯s unconcerned interjection caused everyone in the carriage to burst out laughing. ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ó Volume 4 - CH 20.2 The trip to the Imperial Capital was without any drama to speak of. We arrived on time and immediately went to the castle for an audience with the Emperor. Normally it would take several days to see him after setting an appointment, but the concerns this time around were of the dungeon flooding and the encounter with the Hero of Generate Kingdom. His Majesty was eager for the report as soon as possible, so he canceled his other plans to meet with us. Inside the large chamber in the royal castle, several key figures were in attendance. Including the Emperor, all of them were involved in the governing of the country. Char, Natalie, and I joined them at the table, while Al in her Kingsguard¡¯s armor took her place behind Char. ¡¸¡ª¡ª¡ª That¡¯s about it. And these are the documents¡¹ I briefed them about the events that had taken place in Arland and brought out two contracts from my Dimensional Storage. One was of this country and the other was to be submitted to the Commerce Guild headquarters. I placed them both on the table. ¡¸¡ª- I never expected you to cross paths with the Hero¡­¡­ More so that you are stronger than him, Touya-dono¡­¡­.¡¹ The officials who were present also looked incredulous. They were aware of the power the Hero possessed. He easily defeated the Kingsguard commander, Al¡¯s father, who was the symbol of power of the Lunette Empire for many years. Even though my contribution to recapturing the Imperial Capital was well known, I had used a lure to capture the prince. The only ones that were aware of my strength were His Majesty and the three girls who bore witness when we escaped from the capital. Oh, and Alice as well¡­¡­ ¡¸About the 500 million gils to be paid by the Generate Kingdom¡­¡­¡¹ Char began to express her curiosity about the allotment. ¡¸It has already been decided on how the compensation will be apportioned. 300 million gils will cater for the reconstruction of Arland. 100 million gils will pay for the Commerce Guild fee and the administrative costs of the state. The remaining 100 million gils will be the reward for¡ª- Marquis Kisaragi. Does anyone object? ¡¹ No one seemed to express any objection to the Emperor¡¯s proposal. Frankly, I don¡¯t mind if they give all of my reward to the city of Arland¡­¡­. ¡¸I see no one has any objection. Then please arrange it that way¡¹ ¡¸Yes, Your Majesty¡¹ The person who I believe is the treasurer, nodded, and made a note of it. ¡¸Still, when you keep stacking up achievements like this in such a short period of time, it is quite difficult knowing how to go about rewarding you¡­¡­ What do you reckon? Would you like to become a Duke? ¡¹ ¡¸I must decline! I mean I am fine as I am now¡­¡­¡¹ His Majesty responded with a laugh, but his eyes were not smiling. If my refusal is poorly received, there is a possibility I will be knighted as a Duke as he wishes. ¡¸But, you brought the dungeon flooding to a halt, and also made the Hero of Generate Kingdom taste defeat. We can¡¯t just do nothing. ¡ª- I wish there was something else I could offer you¡­¡­¡¹ Rewards can range from bestowal of nobility, to money, and in some cases, the reward can be just a medal of honor. A medal has no monetary value, but it is an honor that is made known to the public. ¡¸In that case I will be grateful for any reward you see fit¡¹ If I remained against receiving any reward, we would not be able to proceed. I really just want to return as quickly as I can to the mansion so I can spend some time with Ferris. After the lengthy meeting was over, we parted. I held a private talk with His Majesty because he was interested in hearing more details about the events that occurred in the dungeon. So, I ended up staying at the castle longer than intended. When the sun was close to setting, His Majesty arranged for a carriage to take me back to the mansion. I thanked him when he dropped me off right in front of the gate, and took my time walking around my mansion. ¡¸Maybe now I can relax for a little while¡­¡­¡¹ I stretched out my back and as I was about to take a much needed rest, a voice suddenly called out to me. ¡¸¡­¡­ Is that you Touya¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡ª¨C A familiar voice. I turned around to face the owner of the voice¡ª¡ª Lumina. Lumina was standing there at the gate, wearing her usual bikini-armor. ¡¸It is you, Touya! I did hear after arriving in the Imperial Capital, from the guild, that you had become a noble. I didn¡¯t really believe it¡­¡­ No, I have something to say before that. I am sorry about that time¡­¡­¡¹ Lumina suddenly bowed deeply. The last we saw each other was during our fight, when I was fleeing from Salandir Kingdom. ¡¸Lumina, please raise your head. That is all in the past. More importantly¡­¡­ About the favour I asked of you¡­¡­¡¹ I had asked her to take care of Saya and the kids at the orphanage. Could it be¡ª¨C Lumina raised her head enthusiastically with a grin on her face. ¡¸Yes! That¡¯s the reason why I came to see you, Touya. I have been keeping an eye on them at the orphanage like you asked. I lived with them for a while even¡ª¨C¡¹ I cut her off before she finished. I felt uncomfortable having her standing at the gate dressed as she is. ¡¸Why don¡¯t we continue inside the mansion, follow me¡¹ ¡¸Oh, alright, if that is fine with you, Touya. To believe you actually live in such a huge house. Life sure is different when you are a noble¡¹ I chuckled a bit as Lumina looked up at the mansion. I told a maid to show Lumina to the reception room while I went to my room to change out of my noble attire and into my casual clothes. ¡¸What is Lumina doing all the way here¡­¡­ Is something wrong¡­¡­?¡¹ I was a little apprehensive, but I went to the reception to talk to her. After knocking lightly on the door, I entered the room and found Lumina pacing around the edge of the room, seemingly unsettled. ¡¸Lumina, you can relax¡­¡­¡¹ Lumina noticed me and a tiny blush appeared on her cheeks. ¡¸No, I had no idea that you would be living in a mansion larger than the city lord¡¯s¡­¡­ I can¡¯t help feeling weird¡¹ I gave a wry smile and suggested she sit down on the sofa. When she did, I immediately got to the point. I just wanted to know what was going on. ¡¸So what brings you to the capital, Lumina-san¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸The thing is, I moved to Dumbler and frequently checked up on the orphanage like you asked me to, but being the slums and all, I was often ambushed in the street. Of course I can handle myself, so that was nothing. Eventually though, it got out that I made visits to the orphanage, and there was an attack on the building. I did catch the culprits and gave a firm smacking though¡¹ Lumina laughed out with a cackle in her throat, she no doubt can handle herself seeing how she is a solo B-rank adventurer. But she was walking in the slums in bikini-armor. That spelled trouble. It is something I overlooked. I covered my face with hands as I reflected on my foolishness. ¡¸Because of all the skirmishes, the lord asked us to move the orphanage. When I discussed with Saya about where to move them, the merchant named Alice you had asked to look after them happened to be there at that time, and she said¡ª- ¡ºWhy don¡¯t you go to the capital in Lunette Empire, where Touya lives? ¡» Saya agreed, so we all came here with the children¡¹ ¡­¡­ Alice¡­¡­ No, I¡¯m happy I get to see the kids, just wasn¡¯t expecting it to be this sudden! I¡¯m not even sure where I¡¯m going to have them stay¡­¡­ Oh, I do have this place. It has plenty of rooms, I guess I don¡¯t mind if they stay here for now. ¡¸Where are Saya and the kids at¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, with the money you left with me, I found a place for them to stay today. I just came alone to give you the heads-up¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll send for a messenger tomorrow. You can live here starting tomorrow. We have plenty of extra rooms. I think we will need some extra bedding though¡¹ ¡¸They¡¯ll be here tomorrow. I now know my way around here ¡¹ I¡¯ll have to make arrangements right away. Well, they are small, so I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t be a problem to have them stay with me for a little while until we get them properly settled in. ¡¸Then tomorrow around noon, I¡¯ll have lunch prepared for you ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯ll be okay. You really have become a noble, huh, Touya. It¡¯s hard to imagine that we were once on an escort request together, but well, when we were attacked by a pack of Orcs and you showed your abilities, I did think you¡¯ll eventually be hired by some noble ¡¹ After this, she told me how life has been in Dumbler, and I saw her off before dinner. When I tried to send her off in a carriage, she refused for some unintelligible reason that it was kind of embarrassing for an adventurer to be riding in a carriage. I got around to asking her about Alice¡¯s whereabouts, to which she told me that Alice has business in another city and had left the capital. I¡¯m sure she left in a hurry because of what I just heard. I¡¯ll get her the next time I see her¡­¡­ I told a servant that I was expecting a number of visitors tomorrow and asked him to prepare bedding and other things for them. He declined to take funds I was giving him, saying that because of my position as a Marquis, he has received a large amount for support from the treasury. At the end of the long day, I crawled into bed thinking about the children I hadn¡¯t seen in a long time. Volume 4 - CH 21 ¡¸Touya-san! ¡¹ ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸ It¡¯s oniichan!!¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹ The kids overtook Saya and came rushing toward me. I embraced them as they jumped on me one after the other. ¡¸Hey, I¡¯ve missed you guys! How have you been!? ¡¹ ¡¸Fine! The boob lady has been living with us¡¹ ¡­¡­ Boob lady¡­¡­ Is that supposed to mean Lumina? Ah, it fits. Saya came trailing behind the children. ¡¸Touya-san, it¡¯s been a while. Thank you so much for all the support you have given us. I was able to provide for the children thanks to you. They are growing healthy and strong as you can see¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m glad to hear that you are doing well, Saya. I heard from Lumina about the trouble that has befallen you because of me. Sorry¡­¡­¡¹ I bowed lightly and she hurried to make me stop, ¡¸That¡¯s not true¡¹. ¡¸Lumina-san helped take care of the children and has been really helpful. It¡¯s because of her that there were no more bad characters around the orphanage¡¹ But it¡¯s easy to surmise that the ruffians found a way to get back at Lumina by attacking the orphanage. I am glad though that everyone, especially the kids, are safe. ¡¸Well, I¡¯m relieved¡­¡­ If that is the case¡­¡­ So¡­¡­¡¹ I looked over to the kid tugging at my sleeve. ¡¸¡ª- It¡¯s been a long time, Leol. Have you been good? ¡¹ He smiled even a bigger smile when I called him by his name, showing I still remembered him. But how could I forget? When I met him, he was desperately trying to help Saya. With only three copper coins he wanted to put up a request at the Adventurers¡¯ Guild. If it wasn¡¯t for him, I wouldn¡¯t have known about the orphanage. ¡¸Yes, onii chan. We got to eat a bunch of food¡¹ Volume 5 - CH 1 After the successful battle in the dungeon against the Generate Kingdom and returning to the Imperial Capital, I was awarded with a medal decorated with a Spirit Stone, and a new mansion located not far from the castle. ¡­¡­ And the said mansion has a House Spirit. This can be perceived as either an extra reward or an imposition, I am yet to find out. Ferris in my opinion is more than enough. And I don¡¯t see the point of me having two mansions, but I can¡¯t just put the mansion I received from the Emperor up for sale. I sighed as I looked at the mansion that was standing in front of me, more grandiose than the first. ¡¸If I¡¯m in a crisis of any kind, you¡¯ll be able to assist swiftly¡¹, that¡¯s what the Emperor said. But it is honestly too big for one person, even if I hire servants. It is more than twice the size of the other one. It so happens that Saya, Lumina, and the children are staying at the first mansion for the time being. If it was up to me, I would have them live with me permanently, but as a rule, it is forbidden for commoners other than servants to live in the nobles¡¯ quarter. As a special exception, they are allowed to stay with me for a certain period, but eventually they will have to move to the commoners¡¯ quarter. It is unavoidable for security concerns. As a new noble, I have a lot to learn. The Emperor introduced me to a courtier who was teaching me on a daily basis. ¡¸¡­¡­ But what I should do with this mansion? Eh, Kokuyou? ¡¹ He just replied with a neigh and pushed me from the back with his nose, egging me on to enter the grounds. ¡¸Alright. Time to meet with the House Spirit¡¹ I opened the gate, which was a little rusty, a sign that it hasn¡¯t been opened for a long time. I stepped inside the courtyard which had the remnants of a fountain in the middle. The House Spirit is capable of managing the grounds if it has recognized a master, if not it can only do the bare minimum of maintaining the mansion. It is unclear why this condition is the way it is, but asking a House Spirit, which is unlikely to answer, is useless. However, there is Ferris, who when I questioned her about it, replied, ¡¸I don¡¯t know¡¹. This is not something that was part of the game¡¯s system. So I don¡¯t know either. I put my hand on the door as I thought this over. The door opened with ease. The inside was nicely kept in order and clean. In the entrance hall, a white whirlpool appeared in front of me, and then the House Spirit ¡ª- a small girl. She looked about 10 years old, with hair that reached down to her waist, the same as Ferris. She has blue eyes and a butterfly hair clip of the matching colour. She stared at me and tilted her head curiously. ¡¸I¡¯m Touya, the new owner of this house. Nice to meet you¡¹ I greeted her politely and smiled. The young girl, the House Spirit, tilted her head the other way, again looking curious. ¡¸I wonder if Ferris can help here¡­¡­ Ferris, please come out¡¹ The Spirit Stone on my necklace around my neck glowed and Ferris emerged from it. The small girl suddenly¡ª- smiled at Ferris who just appeared. In the same way, Ferris smiled back and held out her hands, and the young House Spirit embraced Ferris. ¡ª¨C Huh? She can express emotion? Ferris can, but it was not this quickly. Once the young House Spirit parted from Ferris, she looked at me again and nodded openly. Apparently, I was now recognized as the master of this mansion as well. The civil official who was with me to show me the mansion looked astonished. ¡¸Amazing¡­.. Two House Spirits living together in the same mansion¡­¡­¡¹ It is not unprecedented, I heard a long time ago a similar thing happened. I mostly just want her to get along with Ferris. And so, having successfully received the mansion, a new point in my life has been marked. Volume 5 - CH 2 Volume 5 Chapter 2 I decided to hold a meeting with Dalish, my retainer, in the office of my new grand mansion. My top priority is to find a suitable home for Saya and the children. I was confident that Dalish, despite being in his mid-twenties, would be able to provide valuable insights, as he is a capable person who possesses smarts and is very familiar with the city. ¡¸Dalish, I plan to build an orphanage in the common district, and I¡¯d appreciate it if you could assist me¡¹ ¡¸For Saya-sama and the children? I believe there are already several established orphanages in the Imperial Capital. If possible, I wonder if they can join one of them. I heard that Saya-sama has experience managing one herself, and I think with some people to lend her a hand in case of emergencies, she will be fine¡¹ I nodded in agreement, recalling my first time encounter with Saya. She was ill and needed assistance. Having just one person responsible for the well-being of so many children would be a constant source of stress. Dalish continued, ¡¸If you want a registered orphanage, you should definitely consider making a visit to one. They¡¯re subsidized by the country, after all¡¹ ¡¸Yes, a registered orphanage would be ideal¡¹ It is important to ensure that the staff are of good character, and that they will get along with Saya and the children. There is also a concern that there might be tension between the children already residing there and Saya¡¯s. A negative environment could have disastrous effects on the children and the facility itself. ¡¸When you visit, it is best to go incognito, as an adventurer instead of a noble. If they know that you are a nobleman, they might be intimidated, and the managers may have their own reputation to uphold¡¹ Dalish informed me that there are nobles who hold significant power and responsibility within the Empire¡¯s orphanages. They do not only provide subsidies to each orphanage, but they also have the final say in all decisions related to funding. With the recent war taking a toll on the Empire, the number of children in need of care has skyrocketed, which might pose a problem. ¡¸Since there are many children affected by the last war, we need to confirm whether they will be accepted or not¡¹ I nodded, remembering the dire state of Lunette Empire during the war. Many soldiers had lost their lives and countless children were left orphaned. Some of the compensation received from Generate Kingdom is being used in the subsidies. ¡¸Tomorrow, I¡¯ll visit the orphanages, and gather information¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll have a map ready for you by then¡¹ ¡¸Yes, thank you¡¹ After the meeting, I headed towards my old home, eager to visit the children. At first, I planned to walk there, but Dalish strongly advised against it, suggesting that it would not be appropriate for a marquis to walk alone in the noble district. ¡¸It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t handle myself¡­¡­. I bet I can handle any danger that may come my way¡¹ In fact, I am confident enough to take on any number of attackers. ¡¸For once I¡¯d like to be a normal adventurer¡­¡­¡¹ Gazing out the window at the opulent streets of the noble district, I muttered to myself. ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ¡¸It¡¯s Touya-oniichan!¡¹ The children¡¯s excited voices filled the air as I stepped off the carriage and approached the house, all ready to welcome me. ¡¸How are you all doing?¡¹ The children all looked up, cheerfully, at me. ¡¸Great! This house is huge and we get to eat lots of delicious food!¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m so glad to hear that. Is Saya here?¡¹ ¡¸She¡¯s over there!¡¹ She was sewing with a couple of small girls. ¡¸Saya, I came to visit¡¹ She stopped sewing, turned around to greet me with a big smile. ¡¸Welcome, Touya-san¡¹ She excused herself from the girls with, ¡¸I¡¯m going to leave you for a while¡¹ The children were all playing in the garden now, as I and Saya sat facing each other in the reception room. ¡¸So? How are you?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m still a bit nervous, but I feel safe here and I¡¯m grateful to you. However, I know I cannot stay here forever¡­¡­..¡¹ It¡¯s a delicate situation, to be sure. I would love for them to be able to stay here in the mansion. Unfortunately, the reality is that their stay here is only temporary. The strict rules of the noble district dictate that even a simple walk outside could lead to their arrest. Because I am a marquis, some concessions were made, but I know that these privileges are not afforded to everyone. My accomplishments in the Empire have earned me some leeway, but it¡¯s not enough to please everyone. There are some murmurings of discontent from some nobles. I have to accept that this is how things are done. After all, I am known as the ¡°Hero of Lunette Empire¡± . I cannot very well be seen complaining about my problems. ¡¸I¡¯m currently looking to see if I should build a new orphanage for you or you can join one of the existing ones, so can you give me some time?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s fine with me, Touya-san¡­¡­¡¹ Saya¡¯s demeanor around me has become a bit distant since she arrived in this country. In the past, she would have greeted me like a friend, but now, her eyes seem guarded when we are together. It¡¯s not just because I have become a marquis, one of the highest noble ranks, I suspect it was also because of the abrupt change from being an adventurer she knew. I have not had the chance to talk to her about my newfound status, but I am sure she has heard about it through the mansion¡¯s servants. After all, who does not know of the ¡±Hero of Lunette Empire¡±, who brought an end to the war between Generate Kingdom and Lunette Empire¡ª- It is understandable that she might feel intimidated to talk to me normally. Thankfully, the children have not changed their behaviour towards me and still treat me the same way they used to. Saya and the children seemed to be doing fine, I gave them enough food and money to get by, and before leaving I spent some time chatting with Saya. ¡¸I¡¯ll have to find them a place to live as soon as possible¡­¡­¡¹ With a sigh, I gazed out the window of the carriage as it slowly made its way down the road. Volume 5 - CH 3.1 Volume 5 Chapter 3 Part 1 ¡¸I have marked the locations of the orphanages on the Imperial Capital map for you¡¹ I looked at the map given to me by Dalish. I felt relieved as I saw the marked areas, mostly near the outer walls of the Imperial Capital. With this, I will not wander around. ¡¸Thanks, I¡¯ll be leaving now¡¹ I declared, putting on my usual adventurer¡¯s robe and tucking the map away in my Dimensional Storage. I did not have a need for an escort as I may very well be the strongest person in the country. The hero himself could not faze me now. But if I do decide to bring someone along, I think Lumina would be a great companion. With my feet as my trusty transportation, I set off through the commercial district and beyond the noble district until I reached the first orphanage near the outer wall. The building was not much to look at, with patchwork repairs evident all around. But as I got close, I saw children playing in the yard, their faces alight with happiness despite the ragged clothing they wore. Boys were kicking a ball-like object that was held together with patches, laughing and shouting as they played. The children noticed my sudden arrival and looked at me with curiosity. I went up to them to talk to them. ¡¸Hello. I¡¯d like to take a look around. Is there someone in charge?¡¹ ¡¸Yes! Yes, there is. Wait here! Sister! There¡¯s a strange man here!¡¹ ¡­¡­ Strange man? Moments later, a nun in an apron emerged from the door. She appeared to be in her thirties and while she may have looked a bit weary, she looked well. ¡¸What can I do for you? I¡¯m not sure why you¡¯d want to look around a struggling orphanage like this¡­¡­¡¹ I flashed a warm smile as she suspiciously looked at me. ¡¸The truth is, I have a friend who is looking to run an orphanage here, and they wanted to know how other orphanages worked¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­¡­ That would be helpful, I am sure that every orphanage in the Capital is at full capacity by now. Many of the children here have lost their parents to the war¡¹ ¡¸Yes, but I have heard rumours that His Majesty is increasing subsidies to such facilities. It should bring some relief¡¹ I heard it straight from His Majesty that he has ordered for more subsidies to be put in place. And a considerable amount of money has been raised from the reparations from the Generate Kingdom. ¡¸Is that so? Our orphanage did receive some small increase, but it is barely covering our expenses¡­¡­ Anyway, please come inside¡¹ The nun welcomed me and showed me around the building, which was in desperate need of repair. I had my suspicions that although a lot of subsidies were supposed to have been alloted, they were not being used for their intended purposes. I was taken to a simple reception room and made myself comfortable on the old sofa, which let out a creaky sound as I sat down. ¡¸I apologize for the sudden visit. My name is Touya, an adventurer right here in the Capital. As I said earlier, I am here on behalf of a friend who¡¯s planning to open an orphanage of their own. I just wanted to have a look around and see how things are done¡¹ ¡¸I see, but you showed up at a difficult time. A few years ago we had a good amount of grants and donations, but after the war ended, the grants were lowered at once, and this small orphanage is not even able to provide enough food for the children¡­¡­.¡¹ The nun looked down apologetically. It seemed she was also barely eating, as her cheeks were sunken. The nun not only manages the orphanage but also selflessly takes care of the children. ¡¸We are responsible for twenty children here, which is the capacity of this building. When they turn fifteen, they either become adventurers or merchants, and we receive some support from them. But unfortunately, we lost contact with some of them during the last war¡¹ As the nun spoke, I felt tightness in my fists. I feared that they might have lost their lives in the conflict. The war had already reached the Imperial Capital by the time I became involved, and the number of casualties was incalculable. I imagine that some of the children from this very orphanage were among them. ¡¸¡­¡­ I understand your pain. This may not be much, but I hope it will help with the children¡¯s needs¡¹ I said, placing a small bag containing three gold coins from my Dimensional Storage on the table. ¡¸Thank you. With this, we can provide the children with a decent meal¡¹ The nun made a sign of the cross and bowed deeply to me, and placed the bag on the small altar in the reception room. ¡¸It¡¯s almost noon, may I borrow your kitchen to prepare something for the children?¡¹ ¡¸Of course, but it looks like you have no supplies¡¹ ¡¸No worries, I have Dimensional Storage¡¹ I pulled out some large loaves from the market and placed them on the table. The nun¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, but then she lowered her gaze, made the sign of the cross again and bowed deeply in gratitude. ¡¸I have nothing but gratitude for you, Touya-san. Please follow me, I¡¯ll show you around¡¹ I followed her to the kitchen, which was simple but well-equipped for cooking for the children in the orphanage. ¡¸You can use this place freely¡¹ ¡¸Okay, the food will be ready in moment¡¹ I took out two hot and steaming pots from my Dimensional Storage and placed them on the table next to the mountain of bread. ¡¸¡­¡­.!? So much?¡¹ ¡¸This is all I can do¡¹ ¡¸Thank God for your generosity¡¹ The sister said as she got down on her knees and started to pray. I felt a bit embarrassed, knowing that this was all I could do to help. I helped the sister up with a hand. ¡¸Please, don¡¯t thank me too much. I¡¯m just doing what I can. Let¡¯s just serve the children¡¹ ¡¸Oh, yes, of course¡¹ Just then, voices echoed from outside the kitchen. ¡¸Mmm, something smells delicious!¡¹ The children gathered at the kitchen entrance, eager to see what was cooking. ¡¸Wow, look at all that bread!¡¹ They were getting more and more excited by the second. ¡¸Please, children, behave properly¡¹ said the sister. ¡¸Go wash your hands before helping me set the table¡¹ ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸Yes¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹ they replied, scampering off to do as they were told. ¡¸I apologize for their behavior¡¹ ¡¸No need to apologize. They¡¯re just full of energy. Let¡¯s get everything ready¡¹ The children helped carry the plates and bread to the dining room and got everything ready. They were all eager to see what was in the pots. It was a creamy stew filled with monster meat and vegetables. I served it to the children, who were absolutely beaming with excitement. I passed the bread around, making sure everyone got a piece of bread, and there was still plenty left over. ¡¸Touya, the adventurer, prepared this meal for us today,¡¹ said the sister. ¡¸Let¡¯s all thank him¡¹ ¡¸Thank you, onii-chan!¡¹ ¡¸¡¸¡¸Thank you!¡¹¡¹¡¹ Words of gratitude from the children echoed in the dining room. ¡¸Now let¡¯s say grace,¡¹ the sister added. I joined in, even though I don¡¯t actually believe in God. But I didn¡¯t want to ignore their sincere prayers. ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸Thank you for the food¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹ And then we started to eat. The food was delicious, a result of the hard work of the mansion¡¯s cook. Every time I asked him to make a lot of food, only to store it in the Dimensional Storage, I felt guilty. I should tell Dalish to give him a raise¡­ but I¡¯m not sure he would agree. ¡¸This is so good!¡¹ The children kept praising the food as they ate, with smiles plastered on their faces. They had lost their parents to war and other circumstances, but they were all so full of joy and life, thanks to the loving care of the nun. ¡¸There is plenty to go around, eat as much as you like¡¹ The children¡¯s voices raised at my words as they rushed to have some more. Soon the bowls were empty, but the children were smiling, satisfied with their meal. Just looking at them made me happy. After the meal, I washed the dishes with the children who were on duty and put the now-empty pots away in Dimensional Storage. They still had plenty of leftovers for later. ¡¸I cannot thank you enough¡¹ My plan is to visit other orphanages, so after our meal I left. ¡¸I¡¯ll come back to visit if I have time¡¹ ¡¸Come visit us again, onii-chan!¡¹ ¡¸Bring another delicious food!¡¹ The children all waved goodbye as I left. Volume 5 - CH 3.2 ¡¸Next stop¡­¡­.¡¹ With the map in hand, I set off for the next orphanage. The next one was similar to the previous, with the children playing and enjoying their time in the yard. After a brief conversation with the priest, I left a donation of a small bowl of stew, a loaf of bread, and a small bag with a gold coin in it. The priest, who initially thought the coin was silver, was taken aback by the contents of the bag and thanked me repeatedly. It appeared that all the orphanages were struggling to make ends meet. The smiling children and the grateful priest bid me farewell as I headed to my next destination. ¡¸The next one is¡­¡­. This one is more centrally located¡¹ Unlike the other orphanages, which were located on the outskirts, this one was closer to the city center. As I approached, I couldn¡¯t help but look up at the grand building. ¡­¡­ Why does this one look so good? It stood out from the other orphanages, having been renovated and larger in size. Moreover, there was one major difference. ¡ªI couldn¡¯t hear the children¡¯s voices. Without second thought I used Search and soon discovered that the children were all gathered in one spot in the building. ¡¸I wonder what they¡¯re up to ¡­¡­.¡¹ As I entered, a young nun came to greet me. ¡¸May I help you?¡¹ She was dressed in white robes, exuding sex appeal. My cheeks felt a little warm. ¡¸I know someone who wants to run an orphanage, and I wanted to tour the facilities here in the capital to see how I can help them get started¡¹ ¡¸Oh, I see. The priest is here too. I¡¯ll take you to him, please follow me¡¹ As I followed the nun who was voluptuous and sensually walking in front of me, she stopped at the door, which was as grand as a nobleman¡¯s estate, and knocked. ¡¸Father, there¡¯s a visitor here to see you¡¹ After receiving permission, she opened the door and led me inside. The room was luxurious making me question if I was in an orphanage. ¡­¡­ Is this really an orphanage? The others were not like this. Why is there such a drastic difference ¡­¡­? I pondered this but refrained from speaking my thoughts, and sat on the sofa in front of the priest as guided. The priest was a large man who looked like he lived a life of luxury, and he wore a ring decorated with a large gem on his finger. ¡¸It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. Welcome to our orphanage. I¡¯m Kamala and I run this place¡¹ ¡¸My name is Touya, and I¡¯m an adventurer here in the capital¡¹ I told him I was taking a tour of the existing orphanages in hopes of helping a friend who plans to run a new orphanage. ¡¸Is that so? Our children here receive vocational training from a young age so they can start working as soon as they reach adulthood, rather than playing. They¡¯re currently working hard in the workshop¡¹ That explained the lack of noise. The children were already receiving training¡­¡­. It¡¯s not a bad thing, so I couldn¡¯t interfere. ¡¸I see. I wondered why it was so quiet; but I imagine it¡¯s hard for them to start vocational training so young¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it is. But the orphanage is made possible by generous donations from the nobility and the Chamber of Commerce. The items created by the children are also managed by the Chamber of Commerce¡¹ The priest replied with a slight smirk on his face. ¡¸Is that so? That¡¯s why the building is so well maintained?¡¹ I had a bad feeling about this priest. ¡¸Yes, we have to entertain our donors sometimes. So, we have to keep up appearances¡¹ The ring he wore carried little credibility. If it pained him, he wouldn¡¯t have donned it. ¡¸If it¡¯s alright with you, may I see the children?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, of course. I just might not be able to keep you company since I¡¯m occupied with work¡¹ The priest rose from his seat and I followed suit. We strolled down the hallway and entered one of the spacious rooms where a group of children were sitting and busy with something. ¡¸They¡¯re being trained for various trades here. Once they come of age, they¡¯ll have job opportunities through the Chamber of Commerce and other organizations¡¹ Gazing at the children, they were working quietly at a table, but their faces held a sullen expression, unlike the bright and cheerful expressions seen in other children¡¯s homes. A closer look revealed that dirt covered not just their clothes, but their bodies as well. ¡ªCould it be¡­¡­. As I frowned, the priest stood in front of me with a grin, obstructing my view of the children. ¡¸They¡¯re in a middle of work now, so perhaps you could come back and take a look later¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I understand¡¹ Back in the reception room, the priest¡¯s demeanor shifted back to good-natured as I handed over a gold coin for a donation. ¡¸Thank you, Touya-sama, now the children will have a proper meal¡¹ ¡¸I might return for another visit¡¹ I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something wasn¡¯t right with this orphanage. ¡¸Maybe I should look into this¡­¡­¡¹ With that in mind, I decided to return to the mansion. ¡ó¡ó¡ó ¡¸This is strange¡­¡¹ I shared my concerns about the orphanage with Dalish upon returning to the mansion. He looked grim. ¡¸It¡¯s unlike any of the other facilities. There could be something fishy going on there. I could ask His Majesty about it, but I don¡¯t want to single out one place for investigation¡¹ ¡¸I know there are donations, but it¡¯s the Viscount¡¯s responsibility to provide equally for the orphanage¡¯s needs¡¹ ¡¸It looks like there is bias and it¡¯s clear to me that the children there aren¡¯t well taken care of like in other orphanages. They seem to be mistreated¡¹ I considered the idea of building a new and better-equipped orphanage and having Saya manage it. With her hard work, I thought it would be wise to hire more staff to help her out. And if needed, I was willing to raise funds myself. It may seem like I¡¯m playing favorites, but I have to do what¡¯s best for the children. As I took a sip of tea, I decided that I would consult with His Majesty after all, to get a better understanding of the situation. Volume 5 - CH 4 Turns out I do not need an appointment to meet with the Emperor. While this sort of privilege is typically reserved for dukes and higher titles, my position as a marquis is overlooked due to me being the hero who saved the country. I can therefore meet with him at any time. In the morning I discussed with Dalish to find potential real estate opportunities in the Imperial Capital. And in the afternoon, I headed up to the castle. ¡¸I apologize for the sudden visit¡¹ ¡¸No, no need to apologize, Touya-dono, you¡¯re my son-in-law after all, you may visit whenever you please. I am looking forward to seeing my grandchildren very soon¡¹ I chuckled at his forwardness. Char is still only my fiance, and as of late, I have not seen her and the others much. After all, the city is still in the process of reconstruction, and she is fulfilling her role as a princess by providing encouragement in many areas. After a bit of catching up, we got down to business. ¡¸The reason I am here is that an acquaintance of mine is planning on opening an orphanage in the Capital¡ª¨C¡¹ As I explained yesterday¡¯s situation to His Majesty, he placed his hand on his chin and pondered for a moment. ¡¸As I recall, the orphanages are managed by¡­¡­ Viscount McGrath. The increase in the number of orphans has no doubt caused a budget shortfall, but this blatant disparity is alarming¡­¡­ I will personally investigate this matter further. By the way, if you, Touya-dono, will help in the running of the orphanage, I will grant you permission right away¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much. I am currently searching for a suitable property and will inform you as soon as I have found one¡¹ ¡¸I see. I feel I should also apologize for not being more aware of things happening right under my nose¡¹ After thanking him, I left the castle with the thought of finding a suitable building in my mind. At the mansion, I found Dalish finishing up a meeting with a guest. ¡¸Right on time. I have just been shown a property I think you will be interested in. Luhan-san, this is His Excellency Kisaragi¡¹ Luhan, whom I was introduced to, looked to be a real estate agent. He was a bit taken aback when he saw me, probably by my youth, but being a businessman, he quickly composed himself. ¡¸It is a true honour to meet His Excellency Kisaragi, our country¡¯s saviour. I have prepared a property as requested, and thought you should immediately see it¡¹ I greeted Luhan, who in turn bowed with some grace before spreading out the documents he had just shown Dalish on the table. ¡¸This is the property I recommend the most. It originally was an inn, but due to the recent war, it went out of business¡¹ On the sheet of paper spread out on the table is a simple floor plan. On the first floor is a dining room, kitchen, office, and bathroom. While on the second and third floors are guest rooms, and each floor has its own toilet. It is big enough for an orphanage. There is plenty of room for all the children currently under Saya¡¯s care, and even if there are more children in the future, they can be accommodated easily. Perhaps sensing my approval, Luhan continued with his explanation. ¡¸It is in a safe part of the district, and although the garden is not extensive, there is one in the back of the house. The building itself has been preserved over the time since it was an inn after all. This is by far the most preferable property¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I don¡¯t see any problem with this site or floor plan. Dalish, you can carry on with the negotiations¡¹ ¡¸Th, thank you very much!¡¹ I decided to leave the rest of the meeting to Dalish, the only requirement from me will be the signature on the final sales contract, so after our introductions I went back to my room. I have given him some funds for renovations and getting the orphanage ready. So he should be fine. Leaning back into the sofa, my thoughts drifted to one particular orphanage I visited yesterday. I felt there was something afoot going on behind the scenes over there. The faces of those children spoke volumes. Should I maybe go check it out on my own¡­¡­? As I was deep in my thoughts, Ferris and Till appeared, concerned about me. ¡¸Touya, is something wrong? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Till did not say anything, as she never does¡­¡­ I did not worry much about her as Ferris is always with her. ¡¸Yes? I was just thinking. I¡¯m fine, it¡¯s nothing to worry about. Thank you for your concern, Ferris ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s good to hear ¡¹ Ferris nodded with a smile, and Till simply tilted her head to the side. The gesture brought a smile to my face. I could not think of anything else to do at the moment. So, I decided to visit more orphanages and study them until the new one was ready¡­¡­ For the next few days I went around visiting different orphanages, but all were in similar conditions except for that single one. This furthered my suspicions of that orphanage run by that money-grabbing priest. I¡¯m going back there¡­¡­ I have time since the contract for the purchased inn is done, and I am currently just waiting for renovations to be completed for it to be ready for use as an orphanage. I strolled through the city to my destination, a certain orphanage. When I got there, I once again marveled at how it seemed that a sizable fund was used for it. From the size of the grounds to the size of the building. Arriving at the gate, I saw a man dressed in government official attire exit. He was a visitor. ¡¸Then, as planned. I¡¯m looking forward to it ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, of course. As always thank you for your continued patronage, Superintendent ¡¹ The priest was rubbing his hands together as if it was a performance as he spoke to his visitor, about to see him off. Our gazes met with the man who came out. His expression changed from what it was a second ago and he threw me a glare with a raised brow. ¡¸¡­¡­ What are you looking at, adventurer? Don¡¯t you know who I am? I¡¯m the Senior Superintendent ¡¹ A Senior Superintendent is a high-ranking position among many bureaucrats in the service of nobility. I have only heard of it. In my previous world, it would be Department Head. That being said, it does not give him any right to have such a nasty attitude. ¡¸Superintendent-sama, this is the adventurer who said something about opening a new orphanage¡¸ ¡¸You mean¡­¡­ He plans to open an orphanage¡­¡­Hmmm. I see¡­.. ¡¹ In order to open an orphanage, a permit has to be granted by the government. With the right connections, approval can be made quickly, otherwise it takes a considerable amount of time. In my case, I have already received permission from His Majesty, meaning I do not need to go through the authorities now¡­¡­ I guess I should continue to play along in order to get a chance to explore this place further. I need to find the reason behind why this orphanage differs from the rest. ¡¸¡­¡­ Actually, it¡¯s a friend of mine who previously owned an orphanage in another city, and now thinks of opening a new one in the Imperial Capital ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so, I suppose more orphanages are needed after the war¡­¡­ But still, at such a young age. Anyway, I¡¯ll be the one to talk to if you need anything. Of course, there are some arrangements that need to be made¡¹ ¡¸I understand. Thank you very much. I will appreciate your assistance ¡¹ ¡¸All right, then ¡¹ The Superintendent raised one hand, cutting our conversation short and left. After seeing him off, the priest and I stood facing each other. ¡¸So, what can I do for you today? Didn¡¯t we have a tour the other day? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, just that, there is something different about this orphanage from the others, it is really well managed, so I was wondering if you could give me some tips ¡¹ The priest seemed to mellow when I played the similar trick on him like he had done to the Superintendent earlier. ¡¸Oh, I see. Just tell me what you need to know. Also, I¡¯m on good terms with the Senior Superintendent as well as you have seen ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, thank you ¡¹ I followed the priest into the orphanage. It was as luxurious as ever, others could not begin to compare. No matter how many donations were made here, this looked nothing like an orphanage. I walked down the hallway looking at the ornaments, and was led to the reception room where I sat down as told. ¡¸Well, in order to run an orphanage well, you have to have a good reputation with the nobles and the superintendents who manage the orphanages. You see, I believe you get the picture, right? ¡¹ The priest poured some wine into a glass and began to gulp it down. Bribery as I suspected¡­¡­ But that does not explain everything, if it was just bribes, the orphanage would be running out of money. I need to figure it out. Even if they profited from selling the children¡¯s wares to the Chamber of Commerce, it would still not be sufficient¡­.. I have not heard a single child¡¯s voice for a few minutes now. There is more to this orphanage that makes it different from the others. The priest rambled on, obviously trying to show off, tiring me out. In the end I felt I had no choice but to donate a gold coin. I now knew my way around, so I left the priest in the reception room to go check on the children. I proceeded down the hallway and peered into the room where the children had previously been working. Inside, dozens of children were working silently at a table. But none of their faces showed a smile. Looking closely, their arms were covered in bruises. ¡­¡­ It seems like it. When I entered the room, the children eyed me. ¡¸Everyone be quiet ¡¹ I held up my index finger to my lips as a sign, and the children nodded their heads in understanding. ¡ºArea Heal¡» I spread my focus across the room and casted a healing spell. The children¡¯s bodies began to glow. They were surprised to see this happen to them, and pain they had been enduring seemed to leave their faces. I smiled and waved to the children before leaving the orphanage, hoping the staff would not notice. ¡¸Are they actually being abused¡­¡­? ¡¹ I have to do something about it, but it is hard to do anything since I have no proof. Their wounds have been healed for now with the Recovery Magic I used. I just have to monitor the situation more carefully from now on. With this in mind, I decided to return to my mansion. Volume 5 - CH 5 The orphanage, which had begun renovation after I had signed the contract, was handed over without issue. Right now, I am with Saya and the children on our way to see their new home. ¡¸Touya-san, what kind of place are we going to live in!?¡¹ ¡¸Is it bigger than the one in Salandir Kingdom?¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t wait to see it. You¡¯re being too slow, Saya-neechan!¡¹ ¡¸There is no need to be hasty, the place is not going to run away!¡¹ The children took her by the hand, dragging her as they ran. She let them, with a smile. This will be the first time they all see the orphanage. I hope they like it¡­¡­ By the way, I heard recently that Lumina was considering living with them, so I had single rooms ready for a couple of adults. We made our way through the main street, and soon we arrived at the new building. I turned to the children who were looking up at the three-story building. ¡¸This is where you guys will be living from now on¡¹ ¡¸Oh, it¡¯s so huge. Wow!¡¹ ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸Wow¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹ The children all ran into the building, even though Saya tried to stop them. They all excitedly disappeared into the building. ¡¸Touya-sama, I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸They seem to be happy. We should join them¡¹ I gently pushed her towards the building so we could enter as well. The first floor has a hall at the entrance, a cafeteria, a kitchen, and an office. On the second floor, is where the children¡¯s and single rooms for Saya and Lumina, are. The children ran around checking each room, trying to find the ones that they liked. ¡¸Hey, Touya, when can we start using this building? Because I¡¯m planning to move in here too¡¹ Lumina spoke up, as she slowly made her way behind us. Well, the building is completed, what remains is for the application for its use. Also, there are government subsidies, I heard about, which need to be applied for as well. However, considering my assets, I do not see a problem even if the orphanage does not get a subsidy, but I think it is also wise to plan ahead. ¡¸There is no problem with using it now actually. I¡¯m only the patron in regards to the application to the Empire. Saya is the one in charge here¡¹ ¡¸Oh, no, I can¡¯t¡­¡­ Touya-san you did everything for us¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Think nothing of it. From here on out, you will have to carry responsibility for everything around here¡¹ ¡¸Then, Saya, I think this weekend we can move, right? I¡¯m honestly uncomfortable in living in the noble district¡¹ Saya, Lumina, and I enter the building. Inside, we can hear the sounds of the children running around. Saya¡¯s eyes lit up like that of a newborn as I showed them around the rooms. When we reached the third floor, the children had already picked out their rooms, which all had beds. ¡¸Oh, it¡¯s Touya-niichan! Ne-ne, is it really true we are going to live here?¡¹ The children with hopeful gazes asked me, and I gave them a nod to assure them. ¡¸That¡¯s right guys, we will be moving your stuff here this weekend. So make sure to help Saya, okay?¡¹ ¡¸Sure! We will take care of Saya-neechan¡¹ The children¡¯s replies made me smile. Their smiles were contagious, after all. After the tour, Saya and the children returned to the mansion to pack for the weekend move. I went back to my own mansion and asked Dalish to make arrangements for the move. Even though they do not have that much luggage, since there are only two adults, they still need a carriage. I went to my office, where I filled in the form for the official opening of the orphanage with Saya as my representative. After the successful move over the weekend, I had to take the report documents to the municipal office together with Saya. We did as required and submitted them at the counter. ¡¸Please wait a moment¡¹ The woman at the reception desk took the documents to her supervisor who was in the back. The supervisor came out holding the documents. ¡¸Thank you for your patience. Please come in here, there are some few details to iron out¡¹ I followed the man, who was the supervisor, into a private room. As told, Saya and I sat down facing the man. ¡¸We have checked your documents, and I have a few questions to ask you. It says here that you, Saya-san, are the representative, and that you have, let¡¯s see, twelve children. Will you manage by yourself?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I have Touya-san as support, and there is also a B-rank adventurer who often helps me with taking care of the children¡¹ The man¡¯s gaze turned to me. ¡¸Is Touya-san, you?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it is me, and I am a A-rank adventurer¡¹ I could have mentioned my nobility, but chose not to in order to have the supervisor us without fuss. Moreover, orphanages are under the authority of another noble, so I should avoid causing a stir. ¡¸I see. There are no problems with the funds for the time being. Now the we will prepare paperwork for approval by the director and the nobleman in charge, but it may take some time¡¹ ¡¸When you say time, how long do you mean¡­¡­?¡¹ When Saya posed the question, the man folded his arms and seemed to think for a moment. I understood what needed to be done, Even if he is a government official, some bribes are necessary. It might be unethical, but if push comes to shove, I can just gloss over it with my position as a Marquis. ¡¸I would appreciate it if you could speed up the process if possible, thank you¡¹ The man checked the contents of the sachet that I had just passed to him under the table, apparently not expecting gold coins because his eyes widened before he smiled and nodded eagerly, tucking the sachet into his pocket naturally. ¡¸Leave it to me, We will try to respond as soon as possible. There will be an inspection though, after which we will give you the go-ahead¡¹ ¡¸I understand. Thank you for your help¡¹ I bowed lightly, and Saya did the same. After exchanging some pleasantries, we left the municipal office. As Saya and I walked to the orphanage, Saya spoke up, a little troubled. ¡¸Touya-san, was that the right thing to do?¡¹ I did intend on feigning ignorance to what she was referring to. ¡¸Well, you could say it is necessary evil. True, it could be perceived as wrong, but it is not illegal for a noble to reward an official. Besides, if I were to reveal that I am a Marquis, the end result will be the same¡¹ It is known that from time to time, nobles make requests to officials, and they reward them some money. Conversely, officials are sometimes known for bribing their way up the ladder. Thankfully, I don¡¯t have to involve myself in these sort of transactions since I am a noble in name only. ¡¸¡­¡­.. I understand. Touya-san, you have been very kind to me in so many ways, and I don¡¯t know how I can repay this favour¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸It doesn¡¯t matter. I mostly did it for the children¡¹ ¡¸Thank you¡¹ I smiled and nodded at Saya, whose face held a big smile. The two of us stopped on the market on the way to the orphanage to buy a large amount of food which I proceeded to place in my Dimensional Storage. On getting back to the orphanage we found some children running around in the garden and others playing in the dining room. ¡­¡­ Exactly how kids should be. I prepared the meal as my thoughts once again drifted to one particular orphanage I had visited. I put the bread in a basket, before I started cooking meat and veggies, making stew. Once finished I placed the pots in Dimensional Storage, and went to the dining room to take them out, dishing out the plates for the children. After the serving, Saya said some few words on behalf of the children. ¡¸Thanks to Touya-san we have a comfortable place to live now, a new orphanage. Let¡¯s all thank the gods and Touya-san, and let¡¯s start eating. Thank you for the food¡¹ ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸Thank you for the food¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹ And they started to have their first meal in their new home. A beginning of their new life. Volume 5 - CH 6 Translator: vysio_seth Volume 5 Chapter 6 A week into the new life at the orphanage, and we were being audited. The audit is to take place before noon and I was feeling particularly worried, so I decided to head to the orphanage straightaway after breakfast. When submitting the application, the audit was explained as the checking of the books and the living conditions of the children. So far the orphanage relies on donations, primarily from me and Lumina. However, Lumina¡¯s contributions only cover for her lodging, so it is fair to say that I am the only one keeping the place afloat. And that is what has me concerned. If I was making donations under my peerage, it would not be scrutinised, but I cannot afford to expose myself and cause any issues, since the orphanages are under the authority of another noble. I have no choice but to donate as just an adventurer. After arriving at the orphanage, I started preparing lunch, which consisted mainly of soup and bread. I placed the bread in a basket as the soup simmered in the pot. While I was busy in the kitchen, Saya came in. ¡¸Touya-san, um, there are some men from the government office who have arrived, I¡¯d like for us to meet them together¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I¡¯m coming¡¹ Saya seemed anxious about handling them on her own. It was just the two of us here as Lumina was at the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. When we went to meet them at the gate, there were three men waiting. One looked familiar. He is the Superintendent I met at the Kilian orphanage. ¡¸Welcome, sirs, it is a pleasure to have you today¡¹ I bow a little and Saya follows my example. ¡¸Mhm, I think I know you. We met the other day. So is this the orphanage you were referring to?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that is right. I look forward to working with you today¡¹ ¡¸Fine, show us around¡¹ ¡¸Of course, this way please¡¹ Saya led the way, as they checked the office on the first floor, then the dining room and kitchen, before leading them up the stairs to the children¡¯s rooms. They explain how they have to check the children¡¯s rooms to ensure that there is no overcrowding of children in small rooms. ¡¸There seems to be no problem with the rooms. The building is well done. Now we have to check the catering, but before that we have to check bookkeeping¡¹ We all proceed down to the office. As they checked the ledgers on the table, they seemed to notice what had me worried. ¡¸Regarding the donations. They all seem to originate from Touya-san, is that correct?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that is so. The donations we receive from Touya-san cover most of the costs¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ I see. You are Touya-san, right? I have to ask, what exactly do you do for a living¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ I¡¯m an adventurer in the Capital¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ I see¡¹ The man checking the accounts, his face twitched a bit. I had a good reason to be worried. Being an adventurer is a profession where you can make money to support yourself, and you can make a load of money if you are skilled enough. But this world is uncertain. There is a chance of being mauled to death by monsters. What the authorities are looking for is a stable and continuous donor. It would be acceptable if I ran a trading company or something. That is better than being an adventurer. ¡¸That is not good¡¹ The Superintendent spoke up. ¡¸I understand that Touya-san is a capable adventurer from the size of the donation. But we need you to have more sources of income. Is there any chance of that?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ That¡¯s¡­..¡¹ Saya was troubled by the question from the man checking the books. I think it is possible to raise more donations if we asked for them. But I can¡¯t think of any right now. And, if I mention Char, Al, or Natalie¡¯s name it will arouse suspicion as they are high up in the Empire, and do not want my connection to them being questioned. When we were both at our loss for words, the Superintendent smiled. ¡¸Well¡­¡­ it¡¯s up to us that you get a permit. How about we become your patron?¡¹ Just another way of saying you want a bribe. I suppose a few gold coins are a small price to pay in order to get subsidies in the future, and we were advised to get them when we applied. ¡¸That would be highly gracious of you¡¹ I took out a sachet containing gold coins, and shook the Superintendent¡¯s hand, covering the exchange. I want to wrap this shady deal quickly. And if by any chance down the line he should insist on anything else, I might have to reveal my identity. The Superintendent turned around at once to check the contents, then he turned back with a smile. ¡¸Mhmm¡­¡­. This should be enough to audit the documents. The remaining thing to check is the children¡¯s diets. Expect a call if there should be any issue, but I am certain you will receive the permit without incident¡¹ ¡¸Wonderful news! Thank you very much¡¹ Saya thanked the Superintendent for the assuring words. ¡¸May we see the children¡¯s meal then?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s already prepared and just needs to be warmed up a little¡¹ ¡¸Saya you can stay here, I¡¯ll go get the food ready for the children¡¹ I went into the kitchen to heat up the soup before going to set the bread in the dining room. All the children were already waiting for me there. ¡¸Touya-niichan, I am so hungry¡¹ ¡¸Give me a minute. I¡¯ll serve you now¡¹ I scooped the soup for each of them. In the centre of the table was a basket of bread for the children to help themselves. When everything was ready, Saya brought in the auditors. The children looked askance at the arrival of strangers, but they started to eat after Saya gave the word. The auditors observed the scene of the children eating their meals, as they slurped down the soup in their small bowels, and smiled and nodded in satisfaction. ¡¸There seems to be no question about their eating habits. The children look cheerful¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m glad to hear you say so¡¹ ¡¸Well then, we¡¯ll leave you to your work¡¹ ¡¸Let us escort you to the gate¡¹ I watched as the three men who were our auditors walked out the gate. I sighed at the thought that it was finally over. ¡¸Touya-san, are you sure it¡¯s okay¡­..? I know you want to keep your identity a secret, but um¡­.. If they knew who you are, you would not have to bribe them¡­..¡¹ ¡¸If only that was possible. I¡¯d like to keep my identity secret if I can help it. Well, if something happens that warrants me revealing myself as a noble, I will do so¡­..¡¹ Of course, if the children or the orphanage are in danger, I will not hesitate to use my position as a noble. But I do not think that anything will happen with Lumina staying here at the orphanage. ¡¸Let¡¯s go back, the children must be waiting for us¡¹ ¡¸Yes, they probably are. I¡¯m starving now that I¡¯m relaxed¡¹ Saya and I exchanged a smile and went back inside, to have a meal with the children. Volume 5 - CH 7 Translator: vysio_seth Volume 5 Chapter 7 Inside the office of the noble in charge of the municipal office, a man of nobility is looking at documents and making decisions. This is the position that he has inherited from his late father who died in the recent war. He has since stepped up to fulfil his role. The documents he has been busy with have already been checked by the senior official, and so far he has only been stamping them with the seal of approval. That was until his hand stopped at one of the application forms. ¡¸Hey, is anyone there?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, you called?¡¹ An official comes rushing into the nobles office. ¡¸Explain this to me¡¹ He handed the application form to the official, who in turn looked at it and nodded. ¡¸The superintendent is here, I will come him for you¡¹ The official left the room and went to call the superintendent in question. Shortly after, the superintendent walked in. ¡¸I heard you wanted to see me¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ah, it¡¯s about this new orphanage. How are things proceeding?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, we actually just came from auditing it, and although there are some concerns about the income, we did not see any another problem, so we have given the go-ahead¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­. Concerns about income? Tell me more¡¹ ¡¸Actually¡­¡­¡¹ The superintendent began to give details of the visit to the site. Listening to the explanation, the noble¡ª Viscount McGrath looked somewhat pleased. ¡¸This will mean that the adventurer¡¯s demise would mean the end of funds for the orphanage, do I have the right idea?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­. This is certainly true. Although, he is still young, he could be of high rank and have some assets ¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­¡­ Our business, you see, has garnered some excellent reputation. I have received requests for more¡¹ ¡¸Viscount¡­¡­ Are you thinking of using this orphanage as well¡­¡­? If we expand too much, there is a chance of being found out¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Shut up. So long as it remains profitable, there will not be any problem. I¡¯ll leave the arrangements to you as usual¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ Yes, I understand. I¡¯ll get on with it¡¹ The superintendent bowed and left the office. He went over to his seat and buried his head in his hands. Looking back on the past, he could not be described as ever being a decent person, but he also knew there were limits. But he could not simply say no to the Viscount after he had been coaxed by him and promoted to his current position through various dealings. He was well aware that if the matter came to light, he and the Viscount would both face the extreme repercussions. However, once he was entangled in the dirty business, it seemed impossible to escape. Now, he is stuck having to respond to Viscount McGrath¡¯s requests one after the other. Surrendering to his predicament, the superintendent let out a sigh and left his seat. Stepping outside the municipal office, he was on his way to make arrangements as instructed. Because I am a Marquis without any responsibility to speak of, I could visit the orphanage every day. Saya has informed me that the permit for the orphanage will be granted soon and that the subsidy will not be far behind. The amount will not be enough to run the orphanage, but as long as I continue with my donations, it should be able to continue to operate without any issue for a foreseeable future. I have just had dinner at the orphanage and was walking in the dimly-lit streets of the city, while having a thought about how I think it was time to take up a request at the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, when I felt a gaze on me. ¡­¡­. Someone is following me? Using Search to refrain from looking back, I picked up on the number of people going about their business on the street. I continued to feel the gaze behind me as I took the long way around instead of going straight back to the mansion. There were five of them following me. ¡¸I guess I can¡¯t go straight home, can I¡­¡­¡¹ A few people know that I am a noble, many only know me as an adventurer. Besides that, I cannot ignore the fact that they have been tailing me since I came from the orphanage. Since I have no idea why that is¡­¡­ I¡¯ll have to ask them directly. I take a turn from going to the noble district and head towards the slums. The streets are desolate, and I quickly dash into an alley I come across. And I find myself at a deadend. I can hear the sound of people running getting closer. ¡­¡­ This is it. The five adventurer-like people enter the alleyway. All of them are armed. They¡¯re wearing armour made of leather, but filthy. ¡¸You¡¯ve been wandering all over the place. Only to end up in the place like this¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Let¡¯s reward ourselves for the trouble he has put us through¡¹ The two men leading the group were grinning at each other. ¡¸What do you want from me¡­¡­? I¡¯ve never seen your faces before¡¹ They seem to be low rank adventurers, nothing to worry about. One of them furrows his brow at my demeanour. ¡¸We¡¯re about to give you an early retirement from adventuring¡¹ ¡¸Hahaha. That¡¯s for sure. A permanent retirement¡¹ ¡¸¡¸¡¸Gyahahaha¡¹¡¹¡¹ A sigh escaped me as they were mouthing off. Either they have grown too accustomed to this sort of work or they already believe themselves stronger. Despite how I may look¡­¡­ I am still an A rank. ¡¸I think you guys need to check yourselves¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Bossy for a brat, aren¡¯t you? No wonder you¡¯ve made enemies. Strolling in a place like this with no weapon. We¡¯ll be taking what you¡¯ve got on and all your money¡¹ ¡¸Is it¡­¡­ a request from someplace¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Come on. Enough with the questions. Let¡¯s just get the job done¡¹ They all drew their swords. Three of them held longswords, two carried daggers. They slowly began to close the distance between us. ¡¸Take out his arms first¡¹ ¡¸To think we¡¯d be dealing with an unarmed kid¡­¡­ What an easy job¡¹ There is no doubt about it being a request from somewhere¡­¡­ I waste little time and pull out my Buster Sword from Dimensional Storage and point the tip at the brutes, ¡¸Now, who did you say is unarmed? I have more questions for you guys¡± The group took a step back from the sudden appearance of the Buster Sword. ¡¸Where did you get that from¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s a Warrior type¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Doesn¡¯t matter, if the five of us surround him, we can take him easy. Let¡¯s go¡¹ The five of them come running to me in an instant. The first one went down with a swing of my Buster Sword, the second crashed to the ground from an Air Bullet from my left hand. Positioning myself where the two had fallen, I swiftly boot the third one, leaving myself to face off against the two with daggers. I hurried past them to block their retreat, the roles were now reversed. ¡¸Just the two of you remaining now? You guys still have to spit the name of your client, so no one escapes¡¹ Holding onto my Buster Sword, I close in on them. The two are shaking, they seem to have surrendered in a way, but I have no intention of letting them go. They have to tell me about their client. And then after I can have them arrested. In quick succession, I hit them both with a sword¡¯s hilt in the stomachs, knocking them unconscious. ¡¸Hmm, what should I do with these guys now¡­¡­ I could go get the guard from the main street, but I don¡¯t know¡­¡­ I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be safe here¡­¡­¡¹ These are the back roads of the slums. A person found passed out is either mugged or killed. ¡¸There is no other way. I¡¯ll take them with me¡­¡­¡¹ I take out a rope from Dimensional Storage and tie them up in a row. I throw the weapons lying around in the Dimensional Storage. Holding the end of the rope that ties the men, I use Body Strengthening magic and exit the alleyway dragging the men behind me. Even though we are out of the downtown area, there are still a good number of pedestrians. My figure dragging five men by the rope was bound to attract attention. As I walked toward the downtown area, feeling a little embarrassed, a few people came running toward me. They were guards with swords in their hands. I finally let go of the rope, feeling I could relax a bit. ¡¸What the hell is going on here?¡¹ The two of the four guards came to question me, while the other two went to check on the five unconscious men. ¡¸I was walking along when I was ambushed by these guys, but I managed to turn the tables on them. Thought I should hand them over to the guards¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ Five of them, by yourself¡­..?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I know that I don¡¯t look it¡¹ ¡¸You look like an adventurer, do you have any proof of identity?¡¹ ¡¸Oh, here you go¡¹ I take out my A-rank adventurer card from my pocket and show it to him. ¡¸A-rank¡­¡­? Bet they found out late they picked the wrong opponent¡­..¡¹ I guess if they had known my rank, they might have thought twice about attacking me. By the way¡­.. ¡¸Come to think of it, these guys said they were hired by someone. There is perhaps a client involved¡¹ When I said this, the man I assume to be the captain of the guards folded his arms and looked deadly serious. ¡¸A requested attack on an adventurer¡­¡­? But they did not know that the target was A-rank¡­¡­ Ah!¡¹ The captain¡¯s expression changed and he straightened his posture. ¡¸Um¡­¡­ Are you perhaps Marquis Kisaragi, the hero of our country¡­¡­?¡¹ At the captain¡¯s question, the faces of the other guards seemed to freeze. I am aware that my fame as an adventurer has spread throughout the Empire. Being the guy who turned the tide of the war has that effect. Not to mention the topic of me besting the Hero is on everybody¡¯s lips in the Empire. I suspected that they might recognize me when they noticed my name ¡°Touya¡± and rank ¡°A-rank¡±. Already thinking of the inevitable, I took out my nobleman¡¯s certificate and presented it to him. ¡¸Oh, sorry for not saying sooner. I am Touya von Kisaragi. As you can see I¡¯m dressed as an adventurer at the moment, so please take that into consideration¡¹ The eyes of the guards lit up when it was confirmed that I am the country¡¯s saviour. ¡¸Oh, I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m meeting our hero! I am a fan!¡¹ A young guard launched himself in my direction and was stopped by the captain grabbing him by the scruff of the neck. ¡¸Show some respect. He¡¯s Marquis Kisaragi! Marquis Kisaragi, I beg your pardon¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s fine. If possible, it would be helpful if you could let me know the identity of the client behind this¡¹ ¡¸I understand! I¡¯ll personally question them. Take them to the station!¡¹ I handed the weapons they were carrying to the captain and watched as they took the assailants away. ¡¸But still, who could it be¡­¡­ If they knew me personally, they wouldn¡¯t have hired adventurers of that low rank¡­¡­¡¹ So it is not someone who knows me. Then who¡­..? ¡¸I wonder if we¡¯ll find out in time¡­¡­¡¹ With this thought in mind, I finally headed to the mansion.