《Kochugunshikan Boukensha ni Naru》


 Chapter 1 - Battleship Iris Conrad

    The first encounter between humanity and the intelligent lifeforms known as Bugs urred in the year 1254 of the Imperial Calendar, on the Vesta within the Arturo star system.


    Vesta was a sleepy backwater colonial with agriculture as its main industry. It had a poption not exceeding 200,000 citizens, no stationed military force, and only had minimal defense facilities installed.


    When the Bugs warped out into the system with a fleet of sixteen warships, they bombarded major cities from satellite orbit, crippled all their infrastructure and begun their descent with scores ofnding craft.


    The colonists who did not have weapons to defend themselves with were easily routed, and all 200,000 of them were killed without exception; be it man, woman or child. What made things worse was that the Bugs had a penchant for cruelty and enjoyed feasting on human flesh.


    Ten dayster, the 2nd Fleet of the Imperial Gctic Navy rushed toward the Arturo star system in response to the FTLmunications transmitting distress calls from Vesta, destroyed the Bugs fleet there and wiped out all Bugs whichnded on the. Unfortunately however, there were no survivors.


    The soldiers of the Imperial Army whonded on Vesta were horrified by the images which were recorded by various security cameras installed on facilities throughout the. Those images were truly visions of hell.


    Ever since then, humanity and Bugs have been locked in a never ending war for thousands of years.


    It was now the year 2258 IC, and the Human Imperial Gctic Navy warship named Iris Conrad has been engaged in a long term exploration and reconnaissance mission for more than two years ever since its departure from port.


    Its sole mission was the fulfillment of the dearest wish of the human race; finding the mother of humanitys enemy  the Bugs.


    They were now currently engaged in travelling through hyperspace; only warping out at set intervals in order to search and map the surrounding space  it was a simple yet seemingly endless mission.


    Imperial Gctic Navy Lieutenant n Corinth was currently in the middle of recing processor modules within the mainframe cleanroom; the heart of the Iris Conrad battleship.


    It was maintenance work which stemmed from an FTLmunication a few days ago, stating that the processor modules aboard the ship may possibly be malfunctioning.


    Iris, the ships AI, was monitoring the Lieutenants maintenance work.


    During hyperspace navigation, most of the crew were ced in cryo-sleep as there were few tasks to be worked on. If Iris was human, she would probablyin about having too much time on her hands.


    Under these circumstances, Iris main programming dictates that she devote the time to observe humanity and understand human psychology.


    n Corinth


    Imperial Gctic Navy First Lieutenant


    Assigned to the Battleship Iris Conrad as an Intelligence Officer of the First toon.


    Age: 25


    Hails from the Treda Star System, Lancel.


    Afterpulsory education, graduated from the Imperial Space Academy as part of the 1032nd ss.


    Served for three years aboard the Star-ss Heavy Cruiser [Theo II]


    Transferred to the recentlymissioned Gxy-ss Battleship [Iris Conrad] as part of a newly formed unit.


    In service for two years.


    Has a height of 175 cm and a weight of 70 kgs. Has a slim but firm build which befits a soldier of the Imperial Army. Of Caucasian descent which makes up 50% of the human race, with blonde hair and gray eyes. Sports a refreshing face.


    The refreshing face judgement was the result of a face evaluation application developed by Iris, and a [B++] evaluation ranks him above average.


    The Face Evaluation application was secretly developed by Iris for the purpose of researching human behaviour, and when it was anonymously released to the public, it spread quickly and received universal acim due to its urate results.


    The systems evaluation rated the Lieutenants work as mindful and reliable. Absolutely no wasted actions. The systemsprehensive evaluation was [A-], which was one of the highest ratings onboard the ship. It was a shame that someone like him remains a mere Lieutenant.


    ***


    Is this really okay, Miss Conrad? To assign someone like me to a ce like this. I think that in the case of a battleship, it isnt proper for an Officer who isnt at least a Major to be here.


    I asked the ships AI, who was monitoring the work I was doing.


    Her name was the same as this ships, Iris Conrad. In ordance with convention, the AI of a battleship is given the honorary rank of Captain, and a mere Lieutenant like me had to watch how I speak around her.


    Im not a regr Navy staff officer, but am instead a member of the Gctic Army Unit assigned to this ship as an Intelligence Officer, so its kind of hard to believe that I was allowed to be in this room.


    [It cant be helped right? There are only six qualified personnel for this job. Among those, four are currently in cryo-sleep. And the remaining one whos awake is hardly suited for this job, as Im sure youre aware.]


    I guess Major Amart was certainly qualified to do this job. But hes a hulking man standing nearly 2 meters tall, and wouldve had trouble fitting himself and working in the cramped space of the cleanroom.


    After all, the work involved crawling inside spaces barely one meter wide and recing the designated processor modules within.


    The female officer on the virtual disy was of course not a real human, but the ships AI which was imitating the officer who the ship was named after.


    The female officer was a celebrated hero in the Tau Vegas 2 Star System ten years prior.


    In order to buy time for 20,000 colonists to escape under the attack of multiple Bug fleets, she helmed a single heavy cruiser to engage them. In the end, she fought them in close quartersbat, doggedly stalled them and managed to blow herself up in the end even in the midst of being wantonly devoured by the brutal creatures, and became the Empires hero as a result.


    In the Imperial Gctic Navy, there is a custom of naming ships after officers who achieved heroic feats, and that was how the battleship Iris Conrad got its name, as well as the AI Iris Conrad which imitated thete Brigadier General.


    I see, understood. Ill be done after recing one more. By the way, whatre we gonna do with all the defective processor modules after recing them?


    [There are no further instructions so I have no idea. Either we dispose of them or send them over for further examination. What are you thinking Lieutenant?]


    Well, I was thinking it would be better if we found some other use for them instead of just disposing them.


    [How exactly do you n on making use of those? I dont think they can be used for things other than the mainframe.]


    No, no. Theres definitely some use for them. To be honest, its for my own research theme.


    During long periods of hyperspace navigation, technical and intelligence officers not in cryo-sleep were required to do some research. They werent expected to go at it like real researchers, but were instead tasked as such in order to train their skills further and keep them sharp.


    The value of one processor module was greater than my annual ie. Theres no way I cant find any other use for it.


    My research theme is titled Virtual Reality in a Stand-alone Environment. The contents are literally technical considerations regarding realizing VR in a stand-alone environment not connected to anywork.


    In system simtions, its already reached a stage where it could be put to practical use. The research paper also assumes the use of a processor module like this one.


    [I read through your research topic but I dont quite understand its meaning. Why are you so fixated on a stand-alone environment and not just simply use the mainframe? I will be blunt with you, I cant think of any reason other than using virtual reality for some shameful purpose.]


    Thats a misunderstanding! Thats not it, Captain! Its only humanitys arrogance which allows them to believe that they can always ess the mainframe at any time. We have to develop a means to utilize VR even in emergency situations where ess to the mainframe is cut off.


    I became flustered because she managed to guess the main purpose of my research straight away. Iris is sharp as always.


    [Well, if an order to destroy them is given, Ill think about it at that time.]


    Thank you very much, Captain. The oue of my research depends on one of those processors. Okay! That wraps up the module recement.


    Ive managed to rece all 64 modules.


    The instant I tried to exit the maintenance shaft of the cleanroom, the walls suddenly copsed on me.


    [Lieutenant! an th First Lieutenant n Corinth!]


    I responded to these loud calls and came to.


    No, Im awake!


    I let out a confused reply while still unsure about the situation.


    [Thank goodness, Lieutenant. I dont know what Id have done if you didnt wake up.]


    It was then that I noticed that I was covered in blood. Its already dried onto my skin. Furthermore, I was floating in zero-gravity.


    Wha?! What is this?! Just what the heck happened?!


    It seems my head injuries have already been taken care of by Nanom.


    Nanom is the term used for military use nanomachines, and all Imperial Gctic Navy soldiers have these symbiotic nanomachines within their bodies.


    These extremely tiny machines cannot be seen with the naked eye and require an electron microscope to view. Its a machine formed by at least 100 billion individual units.


    It has multiple features including AI, vital sign monitoring, medical and repair functions, sense enhancement, short-rangemunication capability and more.


    These nanomachines cant be replenished by a normal human diet, so special rare metals have to be ingested instead.


    [We were attacked during hyperspace navigation. The nature of the attack is unknown. In the first ce, the ship isnt supposed to be in a perceivable physical form when travelling through hyperspace. I cant imagine how the attack got through in these circumstances.]


    Is it the Bugs?!


    [No, thats impossible. The Bugs do not possess the level of technology to pull off such a thing.


    In any case, the ship has suffered critical damage from that attack. Weve been warped out of hyperspace and navigation is currently impossible.


    And thats not all. We were attacked from four different coordinates. Furthermore, the bridge, engine section, first and second cryo-sleep bays,munication room, gravity control room and hangar have all been destroyed.]


    I was stunned speechless. What Iris was saying was unimaginable. Its been more than a hundred years since a Gxy-ss Battleship has suffered losses as grave as these.


    Both cryo-sleep bays were destroyed?! Then what about the rest of the crew? What of my unit?


    Are there any survivors!?


    [Other than you, there were no survivors. Second Lieutenant Augirio just breathed hisst in the mess hall some moments prior.]


    Even though they were in the middle of hyperspace navigation, about fifty of the 1200 crew members should have been awake. Does this mean all of them were dead?


    That cant be! So the ship captain, first mate,mander and everyone in my toon are


    [Yes. The crewmembers who were in sections not directly hit by the attacks were almost instantly killed during the ensuing impact after the forced warp-out due to the failure of the gravity controls.


    Since the cleanroom is the most vital part of the ship, its equipped with an independent gravity dampening module. So the shock was mitigated and Lieutenant managed to survive.]


    I see. Its only because I was inside this room that I didnt get injuries worse than these If I was outside, I wouldve been smashed straight into the walls with tremendous momentum. I crawled out of the maintenance shaft.


    [Theres another thing to report. Although theres still some time before impact, this ship is currently falling towards a nearby.]


    Ah! But thats just


    In this vast universe the probability of using out of hyperspace and randomly arriving right above a was supposed to be virtually next to nil.


    [The engine block haspletely lost all functions. The only way to stop our descent would be dismantling the ship and jettisoning the unnecessary parts.]


    I noticed Iris had begun speaking in a more polite manner.


    Then, shouldnt we do just that?


    [In order to do that, a first-grade emergency situation needs to be dered, and it has toe through a direct order from the acting captain.]


    But the captains now


    [Citing Article 12, paragraph 3 of the Imperial Military Codex, I hereby recognize First Lieutenant n Corinth as the acting captain of this ship.]


    Are you serious!?


    The captain of a Gxy-ss battleship needs to be at least of the rank of Commodore. A First Lieutenant in the army shouldnt have any qualifications whatsoever to assume captaincy.


    But even so, Im the only one who remained alive. Guess its something inevitable. Its just a formality done in order to issue orders.


    [In order to proceed with the promotion, you need to undergo senior officers education, as stipted in the regtions.]


    On the surface, senior officers education is done in order for aspiring senior officers to learn the code of conduct expected of them, but the actual purpose was brainwashing in order to prevent them from taking actions contrary to the regtions stated in the military Codex. This isnt formally recognized by the armed forces, but everyone in the military knows this is the case. It was a policy implemented as a result of a harshly learned lesson in ancient times, when a world with billions of people living in it was destroyed by a single madman.


    Even though it was called education, what actually took ce was brainwashing through the use of nanoms and biological patches directly targeting the mind. One usually loses consciousness due to the enormous amounts of information being directly fed into ones brain during the process.


    Were running out of time! What should I do?


    [Please take the biological patch from the console, ce it on top of your forehead and sit in afortable position.]


    A biological patch popped out from within the console. I attached it to my forehead, took a seat and leaned back. After a clicking sound came from the patch, I lost consciousness once more.


    [Captain! -an Corinth! Captain Corinth!]


    I woke up from Iris calls.


    [Thank goodness! I dont know what Id have done if you didnt wake up.]


    I felt a sense of Deja Vu.


    Just how long have I been unconscious?


    [About 30 minutes. And Captain, you dont need to use polite speech with me.]


    Got it. Alright then, lets get started. Im now the acting captain of this vessel. Please acknowledge.


    [Acknowledged. The subject is no longer under the influence of drugs due to biological patching, and is of a normal mental state.]


    By the powers vested in me as amanding officer, I hereby dere a first-grade emergency. Furthermore, I order the battleship Iris Conrad to take all necessary measures in order to preserve the fighting strength of this ship and the Navys honor. That is your Captains orders. This takes maximum priority above anything else.


    It was my first time issuing such cool soundingmands like those. No, its my first time hearing them as well. Things really are different after taking senior officers education.


    I should note that I was just reading off the words Iris disyed on the virtual window provided by the nanom interface like a teleprompter.


    Themands issued by the captain and senior officers back then really were cool! As expected of senior officers, but Im sure as heck they also read off prompts.


    [Aye, sir. Your orders have been received.]


    Alright. Now we can start repairs on the ship.


    [Im sorry if this sounds abrupt, but the Captain should really head to the emergency pod now without dy.]


    Huh!? What are you talking about?


    [The connection with the life support section has been cut off and integrity outside of this cleanroom has beenpromised. Were now rapidly losing oxygen.]


    Just as she said, it does kinda feel stuffy and hard to breathe in here.


    But even if you tell me to escape, is the atmosphere on that even breathable?


    [ording to the optical spectrum analysis, there is a 93% chance of the atmosphere being breathable for humans.]


    Whats up with the remaining 7%?


    [Potentially harmful gasses, unknown viruses and parasites.]


    Even so, an escape pod How about using anding craft?


    [The passageway to the hangar has been blocked off. Moreover, almost allnding crafts have either been lost or destroyed.]


    Ah, then I wouldnt be able to go back to the ship after I escape.


    [Youll only die due tock of oxygen if you stay here. It would be better if you escape to the and then find a way to return after the ship is sessfully repaired. And the probability of sessful reconstruction after changing the trajectory of the ship is currently 54%.]


    What!? I didnt think the probability would be that low


    I understand What about food and weapons?


    [Unfortunately, theres only whatevers avable inside the escape pod.]


    I activated my nanoms and checked out the supplies inside the escape pod. I was taken aback when I read what was disyed on the virtual window.


    M151 Pulse Rifle


    A18P Laser Gun


    Electromaic de Knife


    Forty-two packs of emergency rations


    28 liters of water


    One bottle of rare metals (100 tablets)


    Two nkets


    To be honest, for a soldier like myself these weapons were quite unsatisfactory. Their firepower left much to be desired. And theres nowhere near enough food and water. But even if I say all that, theres no way Id find any better options here


    Is there anything else I can bring with me?


    [Why not bring one of the processor modules you just reced with you, Captain? Theyre made of rare metals.]


    Now that she mentioned it, thats right. Id have to break them down first before I could consume them, but I think Ill manage somehow. Rare metals are the raw materials for nanoms. It may be possible to procure them locally, but I dont want to go through the trouble of searching for them. Nanoms are lifelines for soldiers like me. As long as you had rare metals on hand, youd be just fine.


    The boarding area for the escape pods was directly next to the entrance of this room. Ah, Im truly grateful to the guy who thought about equipping this room with its own escape pod. I asked Iris to open the escape pod hatch and loaded the processor module inside. The escape pod could house five people and thus had five seats. The interior was quiterge.


    Thats right! I also need uniforms. Its an underdeveloped after all. You can never have too much to wear.


    Right now I was wearing work overalls for working inside the cleanroom. I loaded the uniform I changed out of before I started work inside this ce.


    Are there any other things Nope.


    Come to think of it, this was inside theputer mainframe. Theres no way daily necessities would be in a ce like this.


    Im all set.


    [Then please get on the pod.]


    I obediently boarded the pod, sat on one of the seats and fixed my seatbelt.


    [Well then, may good fortune follow you Captain.]


    Yeah. You too, Miss Conrad.


    The escape pod was then ejected towards the.


    Bugs


    Intelligent lifeforms resemblingrge insects, and various types have been confirmed.


    The mostmon type looks like a cockroach walking upright on its hind legs.


    Its covered in body hair and a hard outer shell. This should be enough to disgust most humans, but on top of these, its also extremely filthy and covered with fleshy outgrowths and parasites inside and outside its body.


    Its quite brutal and sports a much higherbat abilitypared to humans. Engaging it in close quartersbat was an exercise in futility.


    But during the past thousand years of war, humanity has worked hard to bridge the gap, and presently, its now possible for Gctic Navy soldiers to match them in hand to handbat.


    The Bugs also posses technology which gives them hyperspace navigation capabilities, but the Empire is slightly ahead on that front.


    The most fearsome thing about the Bugs is their sheer numbers. Colonizeds targeted by Bugs will be swarmed by seemingly endless numbers of Bug fleets. ording to studies done by experts, the ratio of humans to Bugs is about 1 to 6.


    However, there doesnt seem to be any specialized reproduction facilities inside the Bug colonies that have been captured and investigated, and the total number of colonies seem to be on par with those of humanitys.


    Due to this, the theory that there is some sort ofrge-scale breeding facility in the Bugs home world was prevalent, and discovering and destroying it may bring this endless war to a close.

 Chapter 2 - Emergency Landing

    I remained spaced out inside the escape pod which was now in the middle of its descent-side. I havent been able topletely ept the mysterious attack and the death of all myrades as reality just yet.


    On the ship, I mostly just acted as Iris instructed. It all just began to sink in when I became all alone inside the pod and finally had the opportunity to calm down a bit.


    The faces of everyone from my toon and mymander shed through my mind. Before I knew it, I was shedding tears.


    Dammit!


    At this moment, the pod began shaking violently.


    What happened?


    The AI of the escape pod currently entering the atmosphere of the responded.


    Are there any problems?


    [No problems detected. Everything is within expected parameters.]


    The shaking became more intense.


    Hey! Is everything really okay!?


    [No problems detected. Everything is within expected parameters.]


    The shaking further intensified.


    Hee~y!


    [No problems detected. Everything is within expected parameters.]


    Somethings definitely off. Even if its installed on a disposable one-time use escape pod, this isnt the way an AI should respond. It might have taken some damage or something.


    Are things really gonna be fine? Come to think of it, Ive never heard of an escape pod being used to directlynd on a before. Let me check it out with my nanoms.


    (Nanom, how many instances of escape pods descending on a have been recorded thus far?)


    [12 times in the past thousand years. Thest recorded incident was 320 years ago.]


    Theres only a few instances, just as I thought. Well, guess thats natural since battles dont usually ur this close to a.


    I wonder just how much time had passed? When Id finally lost my sense of time, the shaking suddenly subsided.


    The thrusters fired up and the rotation stopped. After a few moments, an impact came along with a snapping sound.


    Next, I heard a gushing sound. Was something leaking out?


    Whats wrong this time!?


    [The parachute has been sessfully deployed, but it seems there was a crack which opened up somewhere due to the initial shock.]


    The heck! Whered they buy this thing anyway!? Its my first time encountering a machine with such poor specs.


    A crack opened up just because of the parachute getting deployed? Im absolutely positive this thing isnt up to regr Empire standards.


    Is there any problem with the parachute itself?


    [No problems detected. 25 minutes until we reach the surface.]


    Whew. Guess well make it somehow.


    Hey pod. Whats the name of your manufacturer by the way?


    [Ondo Heavy Industries Ltd.]


    Ah. So thats it. Ondo Heavy Industries was a long-standingpany, but two years ago a critical defect was discovered on one of their products, followed by the discovery of more critical defects on most of their other merchandise. Presently, theyre apany burdened with lots of issues. Im sure this escape pods also one of those defective items of theirs.


    There would be no problems with thending right?


    [No problems detected. There is enough oxygen remaining.]


    Wait, are we actually leaking air!?


    [No problems detected. There is enough oxygen remaining.]


    Damn, this is hopeless. Wait, thats it!


    Is the air outside breathable?


    [It is breathable. It has managed to clear the regr safety standards.]


    Phew. Thats a relief. I tried to check out the scenery outside through the external monitor but couldnt see much because the monitor was too small.


    [We willnd on the water in 1 minute.]


    Finally Hm? Wait, werending where!?


    What do you mean werending on water!?


    [The apparentnding point is above ake.]


    Change course immediately!


    Or rather, tell that to me sooner dammit!


    The thrusters activated once more.


    [Its currently impossible. The main thrusters are only calibrated for use in a Zero-G environment.]


    Im really starting to get pissed off at this damn AI.


    Will this pod be able to float on water?


    [There is a crack located somewhere in the structure. Theres a high risk of being flooded.]


    I just knew youd say that.


    [We will bending now.]


    We impacted the surface quite heavily. I hurriedly snapped my seatbelt off and began to prepare for getting out of the pod.


    I would be bringing with me a backpack, pulse rifle,ser gun, electromaic deknife, the pouch containing the processor module, uniform, cleanroom work overalls and two nkets. Its a considerable amount of luggage.


    I wasnt able to bring the pet bottles containing water with me. I had no choice but to bet on theke water being potable. If it wasnt, bringing the pet bottles would only prolong my eventual death by just a little bit anyway.


    I shoved theser gun, processor module, uniform and cleanroom overalls into the backpack and hoisted it onto my back. I also slipped the rifles sling over my head and onto my shoulder.


    The nkets also had slings attached to them, so I brought them over my head as well and carried them under each arm.


    I checked the outside with the external monitor. The heck! This things really starting to sink!


    Okay, open the hatch.


    When the hatch opened, water started flooding in! I somehow managed to grab onto the edge of the hatch and pulled myself out of the pod.


    The air definitely has no problems.


    From what I can see, the shore seems to be about 70 meters ahead. Looks like I came pretty far out.


    I wasnt exactly good at swimming but its not like I cant reach it. The rolled up nkets I held on both sides seem to be made of non-absorbent material and helped me to stay afloat. The rifle was obviously quite heavy.


    I swam and reached the shore in about three to four minutes. Phew. Im saved! Im d its daytime. If Inded during the night, Im sure I wouldve had a harder time.


    I scanned the surroundings. The local flora seems to be fairly simr with the ones Ive seen on the others Ive been to. They were mainly green in color and had shapes resembling those of the nts Im familiar with. You can even say they somehow remind me of those from my home.


    But what should I do now? When I thought about this, I noticed something important.


    In the first ce, the reason why I was forced to evacuate to this was because of the shipcking oxygen and Iris needing some time in order to repair it.


    Without themunication equipment on the escape pod, I wont be able to contact Iris. Themunication function of the nanoms cant reach her after all. The effective range is only about a few kilometers.


    Escape pod, respond! Please respond!


    Its no use. I tried hailing it several times more but there was no response. Was that pod water resistant in the first ce. I should have confirmed that.


    I was busy being frustrated by the AIs stupidity earlier so it never urred to me.


    It was able to withstand a vacuum environment so it it should be able to function underwater too, but I cant really bring myself to expect something of the sort from that piece of junk.


    At worst, Ill have to find a way to salvage it out of the water. But that would be totally impossible on my own. Should I get in contact with the local lifeforms and ask them for help? Thats the only thing I can think of for now. Wait, hold up.


    It was then that I finally realized something. Why the heck am I letting my guard down in a ce like this!? This ce is the same as a battlefield. Wild creatures often have habitats inrge bodies of water. I quickly brought my pulse rifle up in a fluster.


    This ce really resembles what Im usually ustomed to, so I lost any sense of caution before I knew it.


    For now, Ill just get out of here and find a spot with a good vantage point.


    I saw something resembling a hill nearby so Ill head over there.


    The hill was arge, rocky formation with a diameter of more than 10 meters and a height of about 5 meters. There were a lot of footholds so I could climb up quite easily.


    Well now, thats quite the nice, wide view. Potential assants would be able to spot me easily as well, but I got myself a rifle. That means I have the general advantage.


    I scanned the area and noticed something falling from the sky to the east.


    I recognized what it was almost immediately. Ive watched scenes like this on the holobit lots of times already.


    Dang. Theyre burning up A lot of smoldering objects were falling not only from the east but the northern and western skyline as well.


    Ah Those are definitely wreckage debris from the ship.


    Ugh Was it no use after all?


    Iris stated that the odds of sessfully reconstructing the ship was 54%.


    Though the odds were barely more than half the ideal numbers, I really believed it would work out somehow.


    Even if the odds were 50/50 at best, I just couldnt imagine that Iris would fail.


    Was there any other possible exnations for this happening other than failure? No, ejecting foreign materials on a was a serious vition of military regtions.


    Furthermore, Iris wouldnt drop these things on purpose because she knows Im still stuck here.


    Ugh


    No other words could leave my mouth.


    The ship debris continued to rain down, seemingly without end.


    I spent an unknown amount of time just nkly gazing up at the sky. I was brought back to my senses by hunger. Lets just eat something for now.


    Damn, I let my guard down again! Well, this time it was due to being shocked silly. It truly feels like being struck by a finishing blow and getting absolutely wrecked as a result. Now, I guess Ill just have to resolve myself to live on this till my eventual death.


    No, was this really the case? Theres no way that Iris would just crash and burn after failing without doing anything else. There should have been enough time for her tounch an emergency beacon containing an SOSmunique or something.


    A Gxy-ss battleship had suddenly gone missing. A search team would probably be dispatched at the very least. But the probability of them finding this and even this particr star system was quite low.


    High Command was familiar with the navigation schedules. The search would probably center around the coordinates where we were actually supposed to warp out from. Itll be hard to count on them finding this ce since we were forced to warp out here mid-route due to the attack.


    Against my expectations, the rations were actually quite juicy and delicious. Im parched as well, so I guess Ill try drinking theke water. Im still bummed by the fact that I was unable to bring those pet bottles filled with drinking water.


    Judging from the suns position, I guess its about 4 oclock in the afternoon right now. A gentle breeze blew by, and it felt quite nice.


    When I moved my gaze toward theke, I discovered something.


    Hey, thats!


    There were about five pet bottles floating around on the water surface and swaying along with the breeze. I think there were actually more than ten, but did they sink together with the pod? Oh, well. This was quite the unexpected find.


    Ill go retrieve them and try out theke water while Im at it. I scooped out some water from theke with my hands, drank some of it and immediately spat it out. Well, it does taste like normal water at least.


    (How is it?)


    I had my nanoms check it out.


    [It meets the safety standards for drinking water.]


    Okay. With this, drinking water wont be a problem for the time being.


    At this time, I noticed that there were a lot of footprints resembling those made by humans on the ground along the waters edge.


    This made my alert level rise and I quickly brought my rifle up. I remained vignt, but noticed no other abnormalities.


    The footprints werent new and seemed to have been made about one or two days ago. When I scrutinized them further, I saw that even though they somewhat resembled human footprints, there were some definite differences. The number of toes seemed to be just four and were quite small, like those of a childs.


    Anyway, lets get out of this ce first.


    However, I carried too much baggage, and with the inclusion of five pet bottles which I had to hold with both hands, I ended up being unable to properly wield my rifle. Having no choice, I decided to hold three bottles with my left arm and wielded the rifle with my right.


    Lets hide the remaining two bottles somewhere inconspicuous.


    I managed to make my way back to the rocky hill from before.


    I ced my baggage down and caught my breath. Come to think of it, the summit of this rock was quite a good spot. If I pressed myself down, it would be quite difficult to catch sight of me if ones looking from below. It was the perfect ce to observe theke.


    Its probably best if I watched over theke from here.


    I finally managed to calm myself down somewhat. I somehow panicked earlier, but when you think about it, the possibility of creatures such as those resembling monkeys existing on this was much higher than there being human-like lifeforms here. To date, members of the human race naturally sporting only four toes havent been discovered yet after all.


    Its already evening. Im really drained from all thats happened today. Since I cant possibly go without any sleep, Ill just put the nanoms on alert while I hit the hay.


    Even though I said putting the nanoms on alert, it just means having my hearing enhanced several times through the use of the nanoms as a precautionary measure.


    Even if my hearing gets enhanced, my surroundings wont get suddenly flooded with noise but would get dead silent instead. Thats because all the sounds Ill hear would be intercepted by the nanoms.


    If the nanoms judge the situation to be unusual, they would instantly wake me up, making this a very convenient function.


    Iid down one nket and covered myself with the other. Only my ears were left sticking out.


    (Alert Mode on. Wake me up at dawn)


    After issuing the mental order, the sounds from my surroundings werepletely silenced.


    [Acknowledged]


    I quickly drifted off, perhaps due to being too worn out.


    ***


    [It is now dawn. Please wake up.]


    The cry of a bird rang within my ears. It was right in the middle of sunrise. How can the nanoms tell if its dawn already if my eyes were closed shut the whole time? Theyre a capable bunch, as always.


    I dont really feel like sleeping anymore. Just how many hours does thiss daytimest. Ill get up at dawn again tomorrow to confirm.


    I n to observe theke for most of the day today. I cant do anything careless anymore. I ate my rations and gulped down some water.


    I pressed myself down on my belly on top of the nket and began monitoring theke. Since the nanoms can also enhance my vision, zooming in about ten times would be a piece of cake.


    I passed the time like this until noon, which I estimated from the position of the sun in the sky. Oh yeah, gues its about time to retrieve those pet bottles. The moment I thought of this, those appeared.


    The distance was about 300 meters away. At first nce the figures resembled humans. But they were quite short. I zoomed in a bit more. Theyre about 120 cm tall huh? Altogether, there were five of them.


    But I really cant think of them as humans. Theirplexion was green in color. But it wasnt pure green. It was a strange, somewhat darkened hue resulting from mixing green and white.


    I caught some voices crying out gukyagukya with my enhanced hearing.


    They held blunt wooden sticks on their hands. Are those supposed to be clubs? Some of them held long, spear-like wooden sticks with pointed ends. They also seemed to be wearing really filthy loincloths.


    Well, since theyre wielding weapons like clubs and spears and wearing loincloths, they seem to be some sort of intelligent lifeform.


    When I zoomed in on them more, I found their mugs to be quite ugly. There was nothing good to point out about their appearance: extremely ttened faces, eyes which nted upwards and pointed ears.


    Perhaps the only intelligent lifeforms on this aside from me were these guys. Yeah, thats actually quite possible. Lets try to get rid of any initial prejudices.


    Nothing would change if I continue hiding in this ce. Lets suck it up and try to say hello.


    I wont be in any danger from the weapons they were wielding. I hid all my other stuff inside a gap in the rocks and prepped my weapons. I brandished my pulse rifle and put theser gun and electromaic deknife inside the pockets of my suit.


    Those guys seem to be heading towards theke.


    I approached the ce while remaining alert. There were times when I lost sight of them, but because they constantly cried out gukyagukya loudly, I easily tracked them once more.


    They werent paying attention to their surroundings at all. Are these guys really intelligent lifeforms?


    But well, if some random alien were to see human children going wild while messing around, perhaps he would liken the sight to these guys.


    When they reached thekeside, they made even more of a racket.


    It might cause them to panic if I suddenly approached them and called out, so I decided to get their attention from some distance away.


    Hey!


    I shouted out in a voice loud enough not to lose to theirs.


    The surroundings were instantly wrapped in silence. All five of them turned their attention my way.


    I raised both hands to indicate I dont have any intention to attack. But my rifle remained at the ready over my shoulder.


    Hello. Good day to you all.


    I called out to them again. Of course, they couldnt possibly understand me. I just wanted my meaning toe across using the tone of my voice.


    Each of them made eye contact with the rest and startedughing hysterically. Some of them even started drooling. I approached them little by little.


    Wait, those are


    Two pet bottles were pierced through by a wooden spear held by one of them. It looks like they found where I hid them and skewered the bottles for fun. After seeing that, I finally lost my patience and snapped.


    These guys are definitely not intelligent lifeforms! Rather, theyre actually raring to attack for the sake of making me their meal.


    I raised the rifle off my shoulder and took aim. When they saw my actions, they started running crazily towards me. The distance was less than ten meters, but that was enough.


    Ive already gotten a lock on all of them through the virtual target scope disyed by my nanoms. It doesnt matter how wildly they move about.


    I simply turned the rifle towards them and pulled the trigger.


    The M151 pulse rifle was directly linked to my nanoms, enabling the remote-type lens attached to its body to automatically tracks enemies and bring them down with concentrated pulseser bursts.


    Firing off consecutive bursts five times didnt even take 0.5 seconds. Then the rifle finally went silent. The Imperial Army Issue pulse rifle was actually really awesome.


    My diminutive assants toppled over helplessly.


    Shit! You fucktards sure got full of yourselves huh!?


    Ive managed to get enlightened about the greatness of pet bottles just yesterday. Humans cant live without water. Perhaps thiske was the only water source in the immediate vicinity. Without these pet bottles, it was possible that I wouldnt be able to go too far away from thiske at all.


    And these guys ruined these precious pet bottles just for fun!


    I ranted and raged for a while, and when I managed to calm down, the nanoms made an abrupt request.


    [Please proceed with dissecting them if possible.]


    I have a nature of not being able to turn the people counting on me down even though I dont exactly like the things they want me to do. Well, whatever. Lets get dissecting.


    I dont particrly hate seeing blood, but I really didnt want to touch these guys if I could help it. As I didnt want to touch them, I simply hacked them in two.


    I cut them from the base of the head all the way to the crotch with the electromaic deknife. Gah! It smells! An extremely disgusting smell wafted out. After cutting them down, I used the spears they had on them to turn them over so the nanoms could analyze them.


    [There is something below the ribs.]


    When I prodded the spot indicated with the wooden spear, a bloody ball about 2 centimeters in size rolled out. I wonder what this is? It sported a cloudy white coloration.


    The nanoms wanted data about their gic code, so I picked up the ball with my fingers and hurriedly headed towards theke to wash my hands and knife.


    The pet bottles they stabbed now sported holes right in the middle, so I cut them with my knife and made two makeshift cups from the bottom portions.


    These are great! For the current me, who has no ess to daily necessities, these things are equivalent to treasures.


    Basing on thiss orbital path, it should be roughly the start of midday right now. I really need to procure some food soon.


    But will I be able to safely consume and gain nutrients from the things in this in the first ce?


    I managed to glean a lot from the encounter with those guys earlier. They totally didnt have their guards up at all while living around this ce and even made such a loud racket. This may indicate that there was nothing which they perceived as an immediate threat within the area.


    But perhaps there really were threats present, but they just failed to detect them. Its also possible that it simply slipped their not-so-bright minds right?


    All of them could be probable. Ill have to stay vignt.

 Chapter 3 - Reconstruction

    Imperial Navy warships all basically follow a cylindrical build. Ships were made out of abination of 1/4, 1/2 and all-rounded cylindrical blocks called sections.


    The main reason for this was of course for ease of maintenance. In ancient times, the ships were actually built as a unified whole based on an integrated framework, but maintaining them proved to be a considerable challenge. Perhaps this was because it was a time without war back then.


    By using the modr construction system, even if a ship gets severely damaged in some ces, it would be possible to repair it within a mere week, providing there were enough recement sections to spare.


    Even though a ships overall structural integrity may suffer when using the modr construction method, this disadvantage could now be sufficientlypensated by todays advanced technologies.


    ording to the recent report from the nodes, the damage suffered by the gravity control section seem to be lower than initially estimated. Finally, some rtively good news.


    Now then, since the Captain has sessfully escaped, let us start the repairs.


    First, let us cut off the engine block. There was zero chance of repairing it so it was nowpletely unnecessary.


    After doing this, an entire quarter of the ship has been disposed of.


    Actually, dumping foreign materials onto a with intelligent lifeforms was a serious vition of military regtions, but as we are in the middle of a first-grade emergency situation, this action currently poses no problem.


    The projected crash point of the debris was about 2000 kilometers away from the Captains estimatednding coordinates, so no problems there either.


    Ill make use of a gravitational tractor beam to drop the wreckage. If it fell onto the with its current size, it may cause the to be destroyed. I made it self-descruct into smaller pieces of debris after it gained enough distance from the rest of the ship.


    One can say that the only definite advantage humanity has over the Bugs was technology. Thus, each and every individual section of the ship was equipped with self-destruct mechanisms in order to prevent the leakage of vital technological knowledge.


    Of course, these mechanisms were designed by the Imperial Military to activate without fail no matter how much damage they may possibly take.


    Next, I activated the auxiliary engines used for attitude control, making the entire body of the ship rotate. I n to make use of centrifugal force to make the damaged sections drop onto the desired coordinates. The faster the spin, the better.


    After the auxiliary engines managed to give the spin enough momentum, each section which were damaged beyond repair came off the rest of the ship one after another. I measured the timing and proceeded to detach the first and second cryo-sleep bays as well.


    The separated sections were also dropped towards the using the gravitational tractor beam. This allowed me to guide their trajectory little by little. These sections were also made to self-destruct after gaining enough distance.


    The earlier actions taken have raised the probability of sessful repair and reconstruction to 68%.


    The hangar bay also needs to be disposed of. But its overall mass was too great.


    The earlier attackspletely wiped out the two high-speed space use reconnaissance craft and fourrge sizednding crafts stationed within it.


    I ordered all remaining vessels capable of atmospheric re-entry to descend. Im sure theyll be useful to the Captain.


    Afterwards, I finally got rid of the hangar. I also dropped it using the tractor beam.


    A while earlier, when the Captain recited the preparedmand prompts, he changed the wording from simply preserve the fighting strength of this ship to preserve the fighting strength of this ship and the Navys honor.


    This was probably due to the influence of the senior officer education he underwent. It waspletely in line with Imperial Army Regtions Article 1, Paragraph 2-A: The Imperial Armys honor must be protected and upheld at all times.


    But considering the situation, he really cant me me for choosing to just focus on preserving the ship instead.


    A lot of the ships vital functions have now been lost: navigation is currently impossible, the main and secondary cannons cannot be fired and FTLmunications cannot be sent out.


    Honestly, in this ships current state, it wont even be able to stand up to a mere Imperial Satellite-ss destroyer or the Bugs basic BG-1 light cruiser.


    This ships present dismal battle capabilities notwithstanding, maximum efforts must still be made in order to repair and restore it to peak performance.


    In order to achieve this, the industrial section, life support section, medical bay and gravity control section must all be kept fully functional no matter what.


    The AI installed on the detached hangar section was currently in the midst of confusion.


    An order stating all vessels capable of atmospheric re-entry were to beunched off while disregarding all safety regtions came just earlier.


    Even if these vessels were indeed capable of re-entry, they werent designed to do so under such an unreasonable trajectory. Just how many of them would be able to sessfullynd?


    Right now, the AI was on standby while waiting for the hangar section to reach an optimal position for aunch attempt.


    The hangars AI turned its attention to the general purpose robots lined up inside the hangar. These robots werent equipped with unassisted re-entry capabilities.


    They were designed for performing various jobs in ce of actual people. To that end, they were created closely mimicking the human form, with working pairs of hands and legs.


    Although they didnt have much with regards to actual fighting capabilities, they came equipped with a wide variety of useful functions befitting their status as general purpose machines. Moreover, they were capable of long-term independent operations akin to drones.


    A suggestion was made by one of the individual nodes making up the AI. Check further inside and confirm the avability of drones. It proposed a n tobine the drones and robots in order for them to attempt re-entry together.


    The drones had hooks on their undersides for the purpose of equipping them with optional parts. The specs of both the drones and robots were checked and the possible effects of air resistance were factored in.


    There was a high probability of sess.


    A n which involved the bots grabbing on to the drones hooks in order for the drones to take care of re-entry was immediately put into action. If this proves impossible, the bots merely had to let go of the hooks.


    Of course, the drones wont be able to fly while carrying the bots under the effect of gravity, but gliding near the surface was doable.


    The bots were equipped with thrusters to enhance their jumping capability. If they use them to decrease the speed of descent, a rtively safending should be possible.


    Soon a drone and bot pair was put together, and the bot was ordered to grab the drones hook. There were actually quite the number of botspared to the drones, but that cant be helped.


    Meanwhile, Iris was busy repeatedly detaching and re-docking the remaining functional sections of the ship. Shed just finished the 14th docking procedure earlier.


    She detaches a section, grabs it with a tractor beam and re-docks it some ce else on the ship. By continuously repeating these procedures, the ships trajectory gradually changes in direction.


    Just a little bit more and the ship would reach an ideal trajectory to attempt a swing-by. Since the engine section was lost, the ships propulsive capabilities were extremely limited. Even a single mistake was uneptable.


    The n was to do a swing-by in conjunction with the auxiliary thrusters in order to move to a stable orbit. It would take some time, but that cant be helped.


    I currently cant get in touch with the Captain. He should have long reached the surface by now.


    The hangar has finally reached an optimal point for re-entry.


    The hatch was opened, and the tractor beam installed in frontunched vessels and units set for atmospheric re-entry one after another.


    The drones had a shape resembling a bird and were 15 meters long, 10 meters wide and 4 meters tall.


    The general purpose bots began approaching them and grabbing on to their hooks.


    Pairs of drones and bots were continuouslyunched out.


    Theunched units immediately fired up their hydrogen ramjet engines.


    They had to hurry and get away from the hangar. Thats because it was set to self destruct soon.


    When all theunched units gained sufficient distance, the hangar section finally self-destructed. All units braced themselves for the ensuing shock from the st.


    They then used aerial breaking in order to approach the optimum angle for atmospheric re-entry.


    About 80% of the units managed to survive atmospheric re-entry. The re-entry angle was so bad that 20% of them were ultimately destroyed due to getting swept up in the explosion of the hangar section.


    The drones which managed to safely get away had to conserve their limited fuel, so they began gliding and nned to do so until they reached lower altitudes. In order not to get separated, they arranged themselves in an orderly formation and descended together.


    The leader unit instructed a drone and robot pair to fire up their thrusters and take point.


    When the pair reached an altitude of a thousand meters, their hydrogen ramjet engines ignited in order to slow down their falling speed. All the remaining units focused their attention on the data being continuously sent back by the leading pair.


    All the drones were VTOL types and made use of jet nozzles for attitude control. They were designed for these types of maneuvers.


    The bot managed to sessfullynd. But it seems it let go of the hook a little early. It fell from a height of 30 meters but it was fine in the end.


    Using the trajectory data sent by the first pair as reference, all other units quickly created a feasible flight n and simultaneously activated their ramjet engines when they reached the thousand meter mark.


    The drones instructed the bots hanging onto them to wait until they reach an altitude of 15 meters before letting go in order for them tond safely.


    All remaining units managed tond without a hitch.


    The leader unit then ordered them to standby. The general purpose bots gathered together and stood in position. The drones deployed their propellers and used them to fly upwards.


    They rose past the cloud cover and used the energy provided by thiss sun in order to recharge their energy batteries. The depleted hydrogen fuel must also be replenished by taking it in from the surrounding atmosphere.


    Iris was surprised with the report she received from the surface of the. About 80% of the drones, 60% of the general purpose robots, tworge industrial tractors and three excavators managed tond safely. It was an unexpected sess rate.


    Reconnaissance Drone DR-3020 (82 units)


    General-purpose Work Bot BT-122W (82 units)


    General-purpose Tractor TR-400G (2 units)


    Test Drilling Machine KS-10G (3 units)


    Unfortunately, the mobile weapons stationed on the Large-typending crafts werent capable of unassisted atmospheric re-entry and were mostly wiped out.


    It seems the tractors and excavators were able to safely descend because they were put in specialized containers capable of atmospheric re-entry. But an opportunity to put them to good use may not even present itself in the first ce.


    However, the drones and general-purpose bots were quite useful, specially in this current situation where contact with the Captain has been cut off.


    For the meantime, I ordered the drones to search for the Captain, seek out ces which seem to harbor intelligent life and observe the local lifeforms residing within them.


    The other units incapable of flight were ordered to standby because they couldnt make use of the cloud cover to mask their movements.


    I cant seem to contact the escape pod. I wonder if something has happened to the Captain?

 Chapter 4 - Exploration

    I started to explore the surrounding area in order to procure food. Ill start with going around theke.


    In this situation, the first possible food item whiches to mind was fish, but I was not sure if there were any present and I alsock fishing implements for catching them. I could shoot it with the rifle if a big enough specimen appeared, but retrieving it would be a pain. Lets put that n on hold first.


    Guess Ill go for nt-life then. But it was difficult to spot the edible ones without the proper knowledge.


    I resorted to using the nanoms to check them by kneading the leaves between my fingers until fluids came out and having the nanoms scan them afterwards.


    I started to indiscriminately knead the leaves of all the nts I could manage toy my eyes on.


    (Is it really possible to procure consumable nutrients from the local nt-life?)


    [Its possible. But the nt youre holding isnt edible.]


    [Unsuitable for consumption.]


    [Unsuitable for consumption.]


    [Possible to take in and digest.]


    Alright! But when I tried to put it in my mouth, it turned out tasting really godawful. I immediately spat it out and instructed the nanoms to only point out the things which could be considered as food.


    [Suitable as food.]


    Great, I finally got one! I tried the leaves but they tasted real bad. I tried the stem but it was the same. I pulled it out from the ground and saw a small tuber-like bulb growing from the roots with a size of about three centimeters. When I tried eating it, it tasted like raw potatoes.


    It wasnt exactly delicious, but the taste may change if I baked it a little. Okay, lets gather these for today.


    While I was preupied with gathering the potato look-alikes, a rodent resembling both a rabbit and a mouse appeared about 30 meters away. It was frozen on the spot when our eyes met. Was this thing edible?


    Okay wise guy. Youre cute, but Ill still have you serve as my meal.


    I quickly put up my rifle and finished it off with one shot. I estimated the rabbit-like, rat-like creature to be about 5 kilograms after I came closer to have a look. Its ears were too small for a rabbits but too big to be those of a rats.


    When I shoved my finger inside the wound opened by the rifle shot, the nanoms judged it to be suitable as food so I decided to bring it back.


    I decided to name it mouse-rabbit. It sounded more edible than rabbit-mouse in any case. But well, theyre both rodents so I guess anythings good.


    I managed to gather twenty pieces of mock-potatoes and hunted myself a mouse-rabbit. Its about time to return to the rocky hill.


    I managed to procure food surprisingly easily. If things went like this all the time, then I might just manage to survive somehow.


    I decided to dismantle my quarry at thekeside before I go back to the rocky outcrop to start cooking. I dismembered the creature I hunted while listening to the instructions given out by the nanoms.


    Hmm, the parts suitable for being eaten were lesser in amount than expected. Just the two front legs and two hind legs to be exact. About a kilos worth of meat I guess. If I took away the bones, it would be around 700 grams, give or take. Can I use the fur for something? I couldnt think of any obvious uses for it at the moment. I dont even have any idea how to use it in the first ce. Its unfortunate, but Ill have to dispose of it.


    Then I suddenly remembered something.


    (Escape pod, please respond.)


    I tried to contact the pod once more, but there was still no response. Well, since Iris was now gone, I didnt really feel that disappointed about this oue.


    I went back to the rocky hill and started prepping the mouse-rabbit meat for cooking. I havent tried cooking outdoors since I was in junior officer school. Im kinda getting fired up about this.


    I gathered some firewood and lit them up with myser gun.


    Cooking can be said to be my only hobby. I couldnt really do it while onboard a ship, but I sometimes borrowed a multipurpose room whenever we were stationed on a base and treated the rest of my squad with my cooking.


    At times when I couldnt cook, I researched various recipes and scoured gourmet sites for useful info.


    I might only be roasting some pieces of meat, but its definitely no simple task. Guess its really hard to cook properly without using kitchen tools huh? Well, technically, I wasnt really cooking but just holding the meat over an open fire.


    I finally managed to roast a piece of leg skewered on a tree branch.


    When I bit into the well roasted thigh meat, I found its taste to be kinda like chicken. It was slightly gamey, but it was tolerable.


    But honestly, it was hard to ce the taste. If one asked me if it was delicious or not, Id probably answer neither. It wasnt awful, but I couldnt exactly call it tasty either.


    In the first ce, only the taste of meat was present since I didnt use any spices or condiments like salt. I might have expected a tad too much since it took no small amount of effort to dismantle it, gather firewood and cook the thing.


    But I think itll definitely taste better if I used some salt.


    Salt, huh Is it possible to secure some rock salt nearby?


    Its already evening now. Ill go look for some tomorrow morning. Since it was a waste otherwise, I proceeded to wolf down the rest of the meat.


    I managed to get full just from eating meat. What should I do with those mock-potatoes I gathered? I ced the mock-potatoes on top of the smoldering remains of the bonfire and lightly covered them with soil on top.


    This should bake them quite nicely. Well, I guess its fine even if this didnt work out.


    Since its already gotten quite dark, I decided to hit the sack.


    (Alert Mode on. Wake me up at dawn.)


    [Acknowledged.]


    ***


    [It is now dawn. Please wake up.]


    Hah. It looks like I slept wellst night. The morning sunlight looks dazzling. Wait, that reminds me!


    (Hey nanom, exactly how many hours is one full day on this?)


    [Approximately 24 hours.]


    So its roughly the same as my home.


    Lets take a look at those mock-potatoes which underwent my cooking experiment. Some parts looked burnt and some parts didnt. I peeled one and tried tasting it.


    Hey, these are pretty good! They do taste like regr baked potatoes. These will be my breakfast for today.


    I really wish I had some salt and cooking tools right now, I thought to myself while in the middle of scarfing down the baked mock-potatoes. One really cant help but want the things they dont have.


    I n to explore and search for food items again today. I gotta do my best.


    For starters, Ill continue surveying the areas around theke. The entireke shore area should stretch out to more than fifteen kilometers. There were animal trails present, so I didnt have much difficulty walking around the ce.


    Once I find some new nt types, Ill immediately start pressing them between my fingers.


    A [Suitable as food.] response came out soon after. It looks just like normal grass, but it was emitting a subtle aroma, so it might be a type of herb. The taste wasnt bad as well. I pocketed five bundles of stalks.


    When I walked about halfway around theke, I managed to reach arge river which branched out from it. Well, since it was such argeke, discovering a river wasnt really all that surprising.


    I gazed at the river intently. If there was a river here, then following it should eventually lead me out to sea. I confirmed the existence of said sea when I checked out the external monitor during the escape pods descent.


    If I went to the sea, I should probably manage to acquire some salt. This definitely needs to be considered.


    I crossed therge river by jumping over it. With nanom-enhanced muscture, jumping over a 5 meter wide river was quite easy, even without doing a run up.


    Id walked around for a while and kneaded quite a bit of nt matter before finally finding something suitable for eating.


    It looked like a type of leafy vegetable. It tasted fine when I tried it. I can probably use it to make a sd or something.


    I also pocketed five bundles of them.


    After walking a while more, I managed to spot a boar-like creature drinking water from theke shore. It was about 400 meters away.


    Although I kinda do feel sorry for it, Ill have it serve as dinner for tonight. I have to secure as much food as possible after all.


    I pulled out my rifle and obtained a lock. A distance of 400 meters was nothing before this babys zoom-in function.


    After sufficient magnification was gained, I immediately pulled the trigger. The boar-like creature had already fallen the moment the sound of a sma round firing rang out.


    When I approached my quarry, I found it to be quiterger than expected. Its definitely more than a hundred kilograms.


    Its tusks were a good bitrger than the wild boar I was familiar with. It wouldnt be wrong to call this creature a fanged boar due to these tusks measuring more than 30 centimeters. Youd definitely bite the dust if you get stabbed by these things.


    Nature really cant be underestimated. There were dangerous creatures like this running around after all.


    The nanoms judged it to be suitable as food.


    But getting something sorge was a troublesome for me. Even if I managed to procure lots of meat, I dont have any means to refrigerate them for preservation. I couldnt possibly finish them all in one sitting either. And the only cooking method avable to me right now was roasting de-boned meat over an open fire.


    Since it couldnt be helped, I settled for cutting off one hind leg with my knife and brought along just that. Even one hind leg could ount for 10 kilograms of meat.


    After walking some distance away while looking around, I suddenly heard the sound of sshing water. When I turned back, I saw the remains of the wild boar get taken by something from within theke. It easily pulled down that huge boar-creature with room to spare.


    I got flustered and hurriedly took some distance away from theke.


    There was that huge boar and that mysterious creature as well. The reason I remained safe until now could be said to be all thanks to sheer dumb luck. I renewed my resolve to be even more careful.


    I managed to safely return to the rocky hill while remaining alert for possible threats.


    When I woke up earlier, I kinda felt like taking a bath in theke water. But after seeing what happened just now, I wont do it even if I was offered a huge sum of money to do so.


    But as expected, one couldnt help but feel ufortable after missing a bath for two days straight. What should I do?


    For now, Ill just have a meal first.


    The fire wouldnt be able to wrap around it properly if I just put the whole leg over it as is, so I sliced it into thinner pieces and skewered said pieces with thin tree branches.


    The meat was done in a jiffy. I took some of the herbs I got earlier and tore them to little pieces. I mixed them with the meat and the sd-use vegetables and ate them altogether.


    This things quite delicious! It was overflowing with meat juices and had a sort of wild vor. There was still no salt, but this was a nice enough delicacy. The herbs and vegetables definitely made the difference.


    I ate ravenously and stuffed myself full in no time. I could now barely ssify this as a proper dish.


    There was still a lot of meat left so Ill save them for tomorrow. It shouldnt go bad in just one day.


    After satisfying my stomach, I proceeded to think about the things I managed to discover today: therge river, fanged boar and that mysterious creature residing within theke waters.


    After sessfully procuring some water and food yesterday, I felt that the area around theke wasnt as dangerous as expected. But it seems that was a hasty conclusion.


    If I follow the direction of therge river, Id reach the sea. Salt and seafood were both very tempting prospects.


    But Im still mostly unfamiliar with this. If I rushed into things without sufficient info, that might lead to me losing my life.


    From the way things were going, the probability of me living and dying while remaining all alone on this was quite high.


    There was no inte. There were no other people to talk to. There werent any forms of entertainment. The only thing to look forward to was probably eating.


    When I thought as such, an impulse to go adventuring suddenly came over me.


    In order to live enjoyably and have no regrets, Ill have to take some risks. Yeah, that doesnt sound too bad.


    Im getting really fired up now.


    Alright! Ill follow the river and go out to sea! I dont n to live like a recluse in this kind of ce. Im gonna go on an adventure! Ive now retired from the military. From this moment on, Im an adventurer!


    Once Ive decided as such, I proceeded to prep everything for my departure tomorrow. I n to pack the remaining meat to serve as my meal provisions for the journey.


    I couldnt just shove them directly inside my backpack, so I looked around for something to wrap them with and found a nt with long, wide leaves. I tried pressing on them with my fingers.


    [Not suitable as food.]


    (Would there be any problems if I just used them as packaging materials?)


    [There are no problems.]


    I grabbed a whole bunch of the leaves and did some trial and error. I finally managed to make something which could serve as foodwrap after a few tries. The key was to weave them together.


    I sliced the rest of the meat. I was worried about getting food poisoning, so I decided to properly cook it all tomorrow.


    Next, I gathered some more mock-potatoes on the way to theke. I secured some drinking water from theke itself.


    Hey! Thats right. I can probably take a bath if I simply just fetched some water from theke to use. I dont really have to bathe in theke itself.


    I finished all my preparations in no time. It was already quite dark, so I guess its time to sleep.

 Chapter 5 - Departure / Chance Encounter

    When I woke up at dawn, I immediately started grilling the rest of the meat. After I finished grilling them, I tore the herbs over them and wrapped them up with the leafy vegetables. I then put the finished pieces inside the makeshift food container made of leaves. With this, my meat-wrap packed meal wasplete.


    The backpack contains the pouch with the processor modules, my military uniform and work overalls, the remaining food rations, 3 pet bottles filled with drinking water and the rare material tablet case.


    I heaved the backpack onto my back, carried the nkets under each arm, put theser gun inside a pocket holster and slung the rifle over my shoulder.


    Sporting full equipment, I walked away from theke shore area and headed towards the river.


    (Please highlight them whenever we approach some patches of mock-potatoes.)


    This will be useful for quickly discovering mock-potatoes growing along the area since theyd be automatically highlighted in red.


    I managed to find some almost right away. I pulled them out and put them inside my backpacks side pocket. The pockets quickly became full of mock-potatoes, so I stopped gathering them. Theres a long journey ahead, so I cant spend too much time doing this.


    I was able to reach therge river within two hours. I was afraid of bathing in the river tributary near thergeke due to that unknown creature, so lets look for a ce where the water level isnt so deep.


    After about 30 minutes of walking along the riverside, I finally managed to find a spot with a nice, clear view of the surroundings and water depth which felt just right.


    The water was deep enough to immerse myself in, but the riverbed still remained fairly visible and there seemed to be no unknown organisms lurking within. I still maintained a level of alertness, but seeing that there were no obvious threats, I finally managed to take a quick bath.


    Uh~ya! Thats cold! But I got excited from the joy of being able to thoroughly wash my body after three days. Lets wash the uniform too while were at it.


    It was unfortunate that I didnt have any body soap or shampoo with me, but it was still rather refreshing.


    Fu~u, that was great. I put away my freshly washed work clothes after squeezing them dry and pulled out a spare one from my backpack. It was a little wrinkled, but it cant be helped.


    I started walking once more after refilling the pet bottles with water.


    Then, after walking along the river for about an hour, I heard a faint gushing sound. I rushed towards the direction of the sound in slight disbelief, but really did manage to see a waterfall in the distance. It seemed to have an elevation of more than 30 meters.


    Ive only ever seen waterfalls on the holobit before, so I was quite psyched to see one in person.


    But this was a bit troublesome. I didnt have a way to reach it since there were no avable paths leading towards it. After searching for a while, I managed to find something resembling an animal trail.


    The trail continued away from the river, but I have no other choice. Theres no time to carve out another route from scratch, and it seemed to be fine since the path was leading downstream.


    Ive already walked for several hours, so Ive be quite hungry. I decided to eat my lunch.


    Mm. The meat-wraps were delicious even when cold! Its just around noon huh.


    After establishing the length of individual days in this, it became possible to indicate the current time on a small virtual window disy.


    After finishing my lunch, I started travelling once more. And just as I thought about finding a good ce to sleep while it was still bright outside, I suddenly found myself arriving near an open clearing.


    It continued along towards the distance. I thought it somehow felt like it was purposely cleared out, and when I got a closer look, my suspicion was confirmed.


    It was an authentic road!


    There were traces of wheel tracks running through it. It was a road made by carving out the side of a mountain, and seemed to be five meters wide.


    I brandished my rifle and scanned the immediate area.


    There seem to be no problems for the time being.


    But this was really a surprise. Did those green colored creatures make this? No, theyre definitely not intelligent enough to make something of this scale.


    When I looked closer, I found some indents resembling hoofprints of domesticated horses used for transport along with the wheel tracks. Were there actually horses on this? Anyway, it was certainly a hoofed creature.


    Was this something like a carriage which appears in stories? There were a lot of hoofprints scattered all over. Maybe it was a carriage pulled by multiple horses or something?


    The hoofprints were facing forward rtive to my location, so the carriage most likely moved from the direction to my right towards my left. The wheel tracks were pretty deep, so it seemed to be quite arge carriage.


    Ill try chasing after it. This is the first clue Ive obtained about possible intelligent life. Such a chance may not present itself easily next time.


    The tracks look rtively new. They should have been made about two days prior at most. Alright, time to get serious!


    (Long Distance Sprint Mode)


    [Acknowledged.]


    I then started running after the carriage.


    Humans breathe in oxygen and discharge carbon dioxide from their bodies.


    Under the Long Distance Sprint Mode, the nanoms reinforce the lung cells in order to maximize the efficiency of this bodily process, and also enhance the maximum oxygen intake capacity of ones blood. In other words, it would allow you to run without feeling much fatigue.


    This makes it possible to continue running at a considerable speed for a long time, but it cant be used often because it puts too much strain on the body.


    Ive been running for quite a while now. I shouldve passed more than a hundred kilometers already. Ive kept the same speed since I started running but I still havent managed to catch up.


    Its almost evening so it might be time to give up on pursuing them for today. But at this point, my enhanced hearing managed to pick up sounds of fighting in the distance. The road bent and twisted around the side of the mountain, so I havent been able to see anything yet.


    I stopped running and cautiously approached.


    I managed to confirm the source of the sound after moving across the road which heavily bent to the left. It was about a hundred and fifty meters ahead.


    The carriage had fallen over, and two humanoids were being assaulted by over fifteen creatures resembling reallyrge wolves.


    I quickly zoomed in on them.


    Those are!!


    What appeared before me were lifeforms who looked no different from your average human. It was a man and a woman; each wielding swords. They were fighting while covering each other with the carriage to their backs.


    A number of people and horses were lying prone on the ground all around them.


    Damn!


    The moment I tried to brandish my rifle, two of the wolves simultaneously attacked the pair.


    (Im gonna save them. Ill leave the aiming to you.)


    [Acknowledged.]


    The nanoms promptly replied.


    Already expecting their quick response, I immediately began pulling the trigger.


    Pulseser shots burst forth from the pulse rifle. The shots scattered in order not to hit the humans. All the wolves were downed instantly. However, the two humans were already on the verge of copsing.


    Dammit! I started running toward them with my nanom reinforced legs.


    I saw how bad theyd had it when I closed in on them. There were ten people in total. Eight men and two women. Each of them were wearing things resembling medieval armor.


    Apart from the two who fought until they fell down earlier, all the others had their throats badly mangled and were undoubtedly dead. I hurriedly went towards the two who have already fully copsed.


    The middle aged man was still barely breathing, but his throat was also simrly mangled. Arge amount of blood was spilling out from his wounds. It should be toote for him.


    The young womans throat wasnt bitten, but her left hand was ripped off from the elbow down and her right foot just above the ankle was also missing. She was bleeding profusely and had lost consciousness.


    The man tried to lean on the carriage in order to support himself up. Then, our eyes met.


    The man kept his gaze at me for a few seconds, turned it towards the woman and once again brought it back towards me.


    When I nodded in acknowledgement of his implied request to take care of the young woman, he slowly closed his eyes and stopped breathing.


    I immediately proceeded to aid the young woman. No, instead of calling her a young woman, a young girl would seem more appropriate. Im guessing her age to be about 16 or 17. She was practically covered in blood. But this was no time for dawdling about.


    (What should I do?)


    [Please get in contact with her blood.]


    I immediately did as instructed.


    (How is it?)


    [Theres no mistake. Her gic make-up closely resembles that of humans.]


    So thats really the case. It was a surprising discovery, but basing solely from her appearance, it wasnt all that strange a conclusion.


    [Please tie up her wounds with something to stop the bleeding.]


    Something? What something should I use?


    When I tried to look around, I noticed a dead horse with a leather mask fastened on its mouth. A long leather strap was attached to it, so I secured it with my knife. It was probably used to control the horse.


    I tightly bound the area 3 centimeters above where her foot was severed. I also did so for her arm.


    [A portion of nanoms have already gathered on your left wrist. Please cut it open and let her drink your blood.]


    Cut my wrist?


    This guy can be quite harsh sometimes.


    How do I actually make her drink up though? I cant waste my precious nanoms.


    Thats it! I remembered the makeshift cups I created out of the damaged pet bottles. Lets pour some blood into this and then have her drink from it.


    I brought out said cup, ced it at the ready, psyched myself up and put my arm over it. Fu~u. I kinda resent the fact that my electromaic deknife cuts so damn well.


    [Please cut the vein here.]


    The blood vessels were suddenly highlighted in green and the incision point was indicated by a red line.


    Couldnt you have done this for me sooner?! I really was about to cut my wrist without any sort of damn guide just now yknow.


    It was kinda scary, so I decided to cut myself slowly. Urgh. Huh? It doesnt hurt.


    [Your sense of pain is currently suppressed.]


    Damn you! Youre doing this on purpose, right? The blood started umting inside the cup.


    Oh, thats quite a lot Hey, arent we done yet?


    The moment I had this thought, the blood flow stopped. The gathered blood looks to be about 100.


    [I also have a blood transfusion function.]


    You can even do that kind of thing? Thats amazing man.


    I lifted up the upper body of the girl and opened her mouth. Can she really drink this? I slowly poured the blood into her now-open mouth. The blood in the cup drained out little by little.


    [That will be enough. Pour the rest of the blood directly on top of her wounds.]


    I see. I poured the blood evenly on her open wounds.


    [Please take two rare metal tablets. Have her take eight of them afterwards.]


    So its really that kind of method huh. I took the pill case from my backpack and poured out ten tablets.


    I directly swallowed two of them. But how exactly would I make her ingest these?


    [There is no need to directly ingest them. It will be fine to just put them inside her mouth.]


    Okay, I get it. I put eight tablets inside the mouth of the young girl.


    These tablets contained a concentrated amount of rare metals. It was a collection of valuable materials necessary for replenishing nanoms. If someone without any nanoms within his or her body were to ingest these, they would be no better than poison.


    However, on a body infused with nanoms, the said nanoms would immediately secure the metals before they could be absorbed by the body directly and would use them in order to replicate themselves.


    Usually, nanoms are able to break down and convert rare metals and turn them into other nanom copies in a matter of a few short moments.


    [Theres a problem with the sections where her limbs were torn away. Please cut them cleanly with the knife.]


    Well, it does look pretty nasty, with the bones sticking out and all.


    [Her pain receptors have already been suppressed.]


    Damn, you sure work fast. I quickly took out my electromaic deknife.


    In order to make some clean looking wounds, Ill have to start cutting a few centimeters above the base of the original injury points.


    The electromaic de knife shed and quickly made vertical cuts above the original bases of the wounds. There was only a little blood that trickled out before the bleeding stopped, but it was still quite the curious experience. I just hope it wont appear in my dreams or anything.


    [There is a need to apply bandages to the wounds.]


    Well, thats certainly true. Problem is, I dont have some. Looks like I need to search their belongings.


    I looked around the area once more and managed to notice something just now. There was a small clearing on the side of the road nearby. Was it a resting spot?


    Yeah, seems like it. Theres some bonfire remains there. Some smoke was still billowing out of it. There was a U shaped hitching fence present, and the horses died around it. So thats it Ive managed to piece together their situation when they were attacked.


    They were in the middle of a break and may have nned to stay in this ce for a while after considering thete hour when they arrived.


    They secured their horses to the hitching fence, lit a bonfire and were in the middle of resting when the wolf pack suddenly attacked.


    The two horses tied to the carriage were attacked as well, and the carriage was overturned when they thrashed about in panic.


    The other horses were tied to the fence, so they couldnt run away and died. The humans were killed off one by one until only two remained in the end.


    It was something like that, I guess.


    Maybe theres something which could be used as a bandage inside the carriage.


    I jumped on top of the overturned carriage and peeked inside, but there was nothing resembling any sort of luggage within.


    Apparently, all their luggage was loaded on top of the ceiling. There were fourrge cases made of leather that have fallen about nearby.


    For the time being, I carried all the cases and brought them near the girl. There were no openings for keys and they were simply bound by leather belts, so I opened them straight away without much fuss.


    Hm, clothes huh? There seem to be a lot of male clothing. I could just cut them up and use these, but with a group of this number, there should be some actual bandages present.


    Hm. Theres also some womens clothing. Theres some items resembling dresses. Could be hers.


    Oh. I think I got a hit. There were various things like liquids stored in small bottles and some dried medicinal herbs inside.


    Here we go. These are definitely bandages. There were three rolls of thin white cloth. When I picked them up and examined them, I discovered that they really were simply long strips of thin cloth. They had no sticity, but they were rtively clean.


    (How do I wrap the wounds with these?)


    [Please remove the leather strips you used to stop her bleeding first.]


    Oh yeah, thats right. Her blood has long stopped flowing out from her open wounds. I cut the strips off with my knife. Then, a fourth of the virtual window disyed by the nanoms showed illustrations about the proper way to use and wrap bandages around a foot.


    Lessee here. First, lets do this (flicks to next diagram), then do that (flicks to next diagram), and finally do this (flicks tost diagram) Aaand were done. Not bad. Not bad at all, me.


    [First aid sessfully administered.]


    Fu~u, Im finally done. I sat down and caught my breath. After giving it another look, I noticed that the ce near the bonfire presented a more open space.


    I better move the girl there. I cant just leave her in a ce filled with corpses after all.


    I spread out a nket over the spot and carried the girl there. It was already evening, so well have to stay here for the time being.


    (How long would it take before she can properly move about?)


    [She needs about one full day of rest.]


    Yeah, guess so huh.


    If thats the case, then it would be better to clean this ce up. Its not a good thing to spend more than a day or two in a ce littered with corpses. Guess Im pulling an all-nighter.


    Lets light a bonfire first. It should brighten this ce up and serve to ward off animals as well. Since the bonfire that was made prior wasntpletely extinguished, I just added more firewood to it in order to reignite it.


    I should also light one up on the opposite side of the clearing. I took some of the already burning firewood and arranged them over there to make another bonfire. Next would be the corpses.


    When I examined the wolf corpses, I confirmed just how big they were. They should be over two meters long from the base of the head to the tip of the tail. There were thirty five wolf corpses, all in all. I killed fifteen of them, so I guess the rest were done in by thete armed group. But the price they paid for these kills was exceedingly great.


    I thought of enhancing my strength and throwing these guys over the mountain valley, but when I got a better look at them, they seemed pretty heavy. They should weigh more than a hundred and fifty kilograms by my estimate.


    Lets just drag them and drop them down the valley then. The slope was pretty steep and the bodies rolled in an interesting way. Alright, lets keep at it.


    I managed to find the girls severed left arm and right foot while in the middle of cleaning up. They looked pretty messed up. Should I keep them? Oh, and I should remove the ruined boot as well.


    Next would be the human corpses. I cant possibly throw them inside the valley as well, so Ill have to bury them. But I had no digging tools with me. Is there something like a shovel in the luggage?


    Its already gotten quite dark, but I could see just fine thanks to the nanoms. It wont work in total darkness, but since I was under the illumination of the bonfires, I had no trouble seeing at night.


    I immediately found a shovel as soon as I started my search. It was installed at the back of the carriage. Guess it was part of their supplies.


    Lets gather those corpses first. I couldnt just drag them either, so I resorted to carrying them one by one. The burial spot I chose was on the opposite side of the clearing where the girl was recovering.


    When I lined the corpses up, I noticed one particr detail. Each of them wore things resembling protectors on their arms and legs, but the girl I managed to save didnt. Why is that?


    But well, the wolves probably went for their throats instead because they had these equipped though.


    Digging graves for all these people seemed like a real chore. Lets put some back into it.


    After two hours passed since I started digging the graves, the nanoms suddenly dered: [The girl has started regaining consciousness.]

 Chapter 6 - Cleria

    Ive managed to regain consciousness. But Im absolutely clueless about my current situation. Its nighttime already. But earlier, didnt we all


    I snapped wide awake. Thats right! We were attacked by a pack of Grayhounds! Everyone else was defeated one by one, and only I and Captain Antes remained fighting.


    And even my left arm and my right foot were I raised my left arm and found everything below the elbow was missing. I looked at my right foot next and sure enough, everything below the shin was also gone.


    Ah


    I was on the verge of crying, but I held the tears off.


    Did Captain Antes treat me? Strangely, I dont seem to be in pain at all.


    Perhaps Fal managed to survive! But I seem to remember her being brought down by a Grayhound in the earlier battle.


    When I looked around my surroundings, I caught a glimpse of an unfamiliar man walking towards me.


    ******


    I sighed in relief when I saw the girl wake up, cry out and then finally manage to suppress her urge to panic. She seems to be quite the levelheaded young girl. I gradually approached her.


    Hi there. Good evening. Youre not feeling any pain, are you?


    I casually greeted her. She wont understand what Im saying anyway.


    The important point was to keep talking. Ill have to make Nanompile and analyze the localnguages soon.


    ******


    I didnt understand the words the man was saying.


    His appearance was also quite strange. His clothes were entirely pitch ck and some parts were oddly smooth. When I managed to get a closer look, I noticed that his outfit was not separated into a top and bottom piece.


    Just how exactly did he put it on, I wonder? Was it directly sewn over him? There were parts of it which shone in a strange luster under the light from from the bonfires.


    Was he a travelling jester? No, that does not seem to be the case. He looked quite young. About 20 years old perhaps.


    Just who are you? What did you say just now?


    ******


    So youre not in any pain. Thats good.


    Tonight was definitely a great tragedy. But dont feel discouraged. There are both good things and bad things in life. Some good things will surely happen to you next after all of this has passed.


    I gave her some appropriate sounding life advice.


    ******


    I thought I managed to mishear him earlier, but it truly seems that the man was speaking in an entirely differentnguage.


    But what does this mean? As far as I my knowledge went, no foreign country should be unfamiliar with thenguage I am speaking.


    Did hee from a country that waspletely unknown to us?


    Did youe to aid me, good sir? But just where is everyone else?


    ******


    Oh yeah, are you hungry by the way? I have some food and water here.


    I took a pet bottle and some rations out of my backpack and showed them to her.


    ******


    As I thought. This man seems unable to understand the words Im saying as well.


    He showed me some items which looked like a transparent ss bottle and a square silvery box.


    I have never seen such crystal clear ss before. I was honestly quite parched, but now is not the time for quenching my thirst.


    Where is everyone?


    When I scanned the surroundings once more, I managed to see the figures of mypanions seemingly asleep on the other side of the clearing.


    Aaah!


    So everyone really was


    See them I want to see them!


    Cleria attempted to crawl towards her fallenrades. But the strange man stood up and made a gesture which seemingly bade her to stop.


    ******


    Whoa there. Thought this would happen.


    I immediately stopped her. If her actions ended up opening her wounds, my hard work from earlier would be for nothing.


    Okay then. Lets try out some charades.


    ******


    The man began to move strangely.


    He slightly stretched out both of his arms, sat up, walked three steps in the direction of myrades, stopped and turned only his head back towards me.


    While I remained petrified due to confusion, he went back to his earlier position and repeated those strange actions. He remained silent all the while.


    Was he trying to tell me hed help carry me over to them? I dislike the thought of being touched by an unknown man, but I truly have no other choice.


    I nodded my head in agreement.


    ******


    Alright! I got through to her. Theres nothing impossible if you just try huh.


    But this made me feel like Im really ying a game of charades, and I did it while staying whisper quiet. There wasnt any particr rule saying I had to stay silent or anything. Its a bit embarrassing.


    ******


    The man approached me and held me up. Its my first time getting this close to a man not a part of my family. It made me slightly nervous.


    We started walking toward myrades. Oh, everyone


    All of them had their throats mangled badly. Its just like what I saw during the battle. And even Captain Antes was


    Everyone wasid out on the ground with their arms crossed in front of their chests. It seems that this man had treated all of them with the appropriate respect. He proceeded to guide me near each of them.


    Liner, Jimon, Arro, Antero, Miese, Mirka, Orvo, Fal and Captain Antes.


    They were all people who have served me since I was but a child. Fal was even a childhood friend of mine. My tears finally overflow from my eyes. I think I cried for at least five minutes. The man then brought me back to the spot where a nket wasid out andid me back down.


    ******


    Fu~u. I really have no idea what to do when a girl starts crying like that. Guess she really was quite shook up by the death of herpanions. Yeah, Im quite familiar with that feeling too.


    Well then, I should get back to working on their grave. Guess Ill have to exin it to her somehow as well.


    ******


    The man brought forth a shovel and started gesturing around once again. He mimicked using the shovel to dig the ground and burying something afterwards. He remainedpletely silent this time as well.


    I managed to understand him right away. He surely means to give everyone a proper burial. I nodded in assent. The man went to work straight away.


    Please hold for a few moments sir. Its unfortunate that I am unable to offer any help, but I too wish to send them off if possible.


    The man gave me a stern look, seemingly saying not to dy him as he was about to send mypanions off.


    Like I said, I also want to bid them a final farewell.


    The man repeatedly pointed back towards me, which seemed to say it was my turn to get my meaning across with gestures. I see, so we would not be able to understand each other without using such motions. This is a bit troublesome.


    I proceeded to point towards everyone and then pointed back towards me. And then I repeated such actions.


    The man made an expression which seemed to imply his understanding and nodded to me. I managed to get through to him. He seems to be a fairly smart man.


    The man carried me up again and started walking back to where myrades were. He looked at me, seemingly curious about what exactly I would do. I also gazed back at the man, curious about where exactly he would allow me to send them off. We spent some time in utter silence.


    Then the man ended up bringing me back to my previous spot.


    It was no good! This man didnt understand me at all!


    Well,e to think of it, expecting to have him understand with just those simple gestures may have been too much. I thought for a moment and pointed to the shovel ced at the side. I then gestured towards the man. He picked the shovel up.


    I gestured towards the man once more and imitated the action of digging with the shovel.


    It was quite difficult to show it with only one hand. The man began to dig again while still remaining confused.


    Afterwards, I pointed toward myself and widened my eye with my fingers. How about this? The mans expression lit up and made a gesture of agreement by forming a circle with his index finger and thumb while nodding. It looks like I did it this time.


    After thinking for a moment, the man began to gather up the trunk cases which were formerly loaded on top of the carriage and brought them near the burial spot. He stacked three of them on top of each other and then had me sit on them.


    He began digging once more. Hed already managed to dig up about a third of a hole which could fit everyone inside. I solemnly observed the proceedings whilst gazing at everyones faces. Tears fell from my eyes once again.


    After about an hour, a hole deep and big enough to fit everyone in it was finally done.


    The man had actually dug away for close to three hours. I am truly humbled by this. He then carefully lowered everyone inside.


    The man seemingly remembered something and went back to get them. What he brought were apparently my severed limbs. The boot has been removed. It feels quiteplicated to look at my own severed limbs like this.


    The man gestured to put them inside the grave as well. I nodded. Everyone may depart more peacefully if these parts of me were to apany them.


    The man gestured to ask if it was alright to start filling the hole back up. I gestured to indicate that I wished to see the inside of the grave as he did so. I could not properly see it from my current position. The man understood immediately.


    He carried me up again and brought me to a spot where I could see inside the grave clearly.


    Everyone has served me well for all this time. Your unwavering loyalty is this Clerias lifelong pride. Please rest easy. Farewell.


    I called out to the man afterwards, and he nodded back. It took another hour for him to fill the grave back up with soil.


    Afterwards, the man brought me back on top of the nket. I truly need to give him my deepest thanks for what hes done. I sat up and directly faced him.


    I cannot find the words to suitably express the depths of my gratitude for your aid in this asion. You had saved my life and allowed myrades to depart with dignity. These are things I treat as truly worthy of recognition.


    Thank you. This favor; I shall certainly return to you manifold. I swear upon the holy name of the Goddess Ruminas to reciprocate this grace without fail.


    I brought forth my magic energy and swore in the name of the Goddess Ruminas. My body glowed as a sign of recognition from the Goddess.


    Yes. I cannot allow myself to fall just yet.


    ******


    Fu~u. Im beat. Im starving as well. I dont think I can get up anymore. I kept running around all over the ce and even ended up doing some civil engineering work.


    I thought about butchering and having one of the horses for dinner earlier, but nows not the time to be concerned about something like that. A~ah. But I really wanted to try some horse meat.


    I finished the burial and brought the girl back on top of the nket.


    While I was preupied with thinking about how to invite her to have a meal, she gazed at me looking all serious and sat straight up afterwards. She began talking. A solemn aura radiated from her as she spouted long, formal sounding lines.


    When she finished speaking and closed her eyes, her body suddenly glowed!


    (What IS that!?)


    [Unknown. The moment she closed her eyes, we detected an unidentified energy fluctuation for about a second.]


    (But what the heck is it?)


    [Unknown.]


    I was surprised that even Nanom couldnt identify that phenomenon. Guess Ill just have to ask her directly after I gain the ability tomunicate properly.


    Oh well. Lets get to eating! Bet shes starving too.


    I took out a pet bottle and two portions of emergency rations. I checked out thebels first. I think girls like sweet things more, so this one seems good. The emergency rations came in two vors: sweet and salty. I broke quite a sweat earlier, so saltys my pick.


    I poured water into a makeshift cup and handed it to her. She chugged it away with tremendous momentum. I took the cup from her and refilled it. This time, she just took small sips. She seems to be examining the cup intently.


    I also took a big swig out of my own cup since I was he thirsty. I have to procure some water nearby soon.


    Well then, lets have some food next. I gave her the emergency ration. She gave a curious look at the ration but didnt do anything else.


    Well duh. Must be cause Im dead tired. I took back the ration, tore open the packaging and handed it back to her. After gazing at it for a few moments, she took a small bite.


    Afterwards, she shoved the rest of it down like there was no tomorrow. Guess she hasnt eaten anything this tasty before. Poor thing. She seemed the youngest among herterades, so she was probably worked hard by the rest of the group.


    I also started eating. This things tasty alright, but it feltcking somehow.


    ******


    Im exhausted.


    Rather, its quite the mystery that a person who just had her limbs torn from her would be this vigorous in the first ce. This man was surely a distinguished user of healing magic.


    It seemed he was quite surprised when I invoked the name of the Goddess earlier. But since he couldnt understand my words, his reaction was understandable.


    Im sure hes curious about the contents of the oath I swore under the purview of the Goddess.


    It was rare for most people to witness someone swearing an oath to the Goddess after all. Because of my position, Ive had several opportunities to witness such a sight already. But people not belonging to nobility might find such a thing unusual.


    Afterwards, the man took out that crystal clear ss bottle from earlier. He also took out a simrly clear ss cup and poured water into it. He then handed it over to me. I was utterly parched, so I drank away with abandon. When I finished it, he refilled the cup right away.


    When I calmed down somewhat, I noticed just how strange this crystal clear ss-like vessel was. It was quite thin, and after I finished drinking its contents, it was so light that I felt like I wasnt holding onto anything at all.


    And its surface was perfectly even, considering itsplex make. Just how much gold would someone pay in order to to obtain something this exquisite?


    While I was preupied with my thoughts, the man handed over the silvery box next. How curious. Judging from its weight, it doesnt seem to be made out of metal. I cannot fathom its make at all.


    After seeing that I was hesitant, the man prompted me to hand it back. He peeled away the metallic surface as though performing a trick; exposing the contents within. He then gave it back to me.


    I was utterly amazed by what I witnessed once more. The thing I thought to be a metallic box was, in truth, something wrapped in an extremely thin metallic sheet. The metallic sheet was peeled away so easily.


    The man gestured for me to eat it. This was food!? When I tried to bring it near my mouth, an enticing fragrance wafted out from it.


    I bit off a small piece near the corner. Sweet! Was this a type of dessert? It had a mellow sweetness and moist texture. I ended up practically devouring it.


    Fu~u, Ive eaten all of it up already. This was the first time Ive had such a delectable dessert.


    The man had also finished eating his portion, pointed towards himself, and uttered n. He paused a little and continued. n Corinth.


    Was he saying his own name? Speaking of which, I havent introduced myself properly either, havent I?


    I tried and pointed towards him while saying n. I paused for a moment as well and finished by saying n Corinth. The man nodded happily.


    I should introduce myself as well. I pointed at my person and said Cleria. I paused once more and gave my full name soon after. Cleria Starvine.


    The man pointed back towards me and said Cleria. Cleria Starvine. He repeatedly said my name several times. He seemed to be practicing.


    While he was preupied with saying my name, I focused on the mans expression. Even after hearing the surname Starvine, this man didnt show any particr reaction. As I thought, this man no, n Corinth didnt seem to be a local from anywhere in the surrounding areas.


    But even so, was he actually a noble? I find it hard to imagine that items such as those ss containers and that delicious dessert were possessed by a meremoner.


    I was quite familiar with all of the main noble houses of this kingdom, and of the neighboring kingdoms as well. But I have never heard of a noble house called Corinth.


    The moment I felt full, a sudden bout of sleepiness overcame me. It might be due to me being relieved because n Corinth may possibly be of a noble status.


    ******


    I was d that my attempt for a self introduction went quite well. The name Cleria Starvine kinda sounds pretty cool huh.


    I wonder what her profession was? Maybe shes some kind of soldier because shes armed with a sword and wore some armor.


    Shes of the same trade as me then. We may get to understand each other better because we shared some things inmon.


    There were still a lot of things I wanted to ask, but Cleria seemed pretty sleepy already. She gestured as much, softly uttered some words and plopped herself right down on the nket. As for me, I was dead tired, but the night was still young and there was something I really needed to finish no matter what.


    (We have an emergency! Well have to produce some prosthetics for Cleria by morning.)


    No, we might not even have until morning.


    [What level of prosthesis do you require?]


    (Basic ones would do. They dont have to be for regr use. But I want them to be able to allow her to walk for at least several minutes at a time. But I dont want something unstable or breaks down quickly. You can use only the materials avable to us here. Start designing them immediately.)


    [Please scan all the avable materials.]


    While I was doing as requested, I recalled the shocking truth I just managed to realize earlier.


    Cleria just drank a lot of water.


    Shed probably have to relieve herselfter.


    She couldnt walk.


    I dont think a girlcking a foot and an arm would be able to go about her business all that well.


    That means Id have to help her out.


    A frightening future potentially awaited me! I must somehow avoid this tragedy-in-the-making!


    My battle has just begun.


    TL Notes: I changed the spelling a bit, but the official name of those monster wolves really reminds me of a certain dog breed And I also decided to refer to the nanom colony inside ns body as Nanom. Singr. Its kind of like the collective hive mind for the colony, so it makes more sense to refer to it as one entity, even though itsposed of lots of individual nanomachines.

 Chapter 7 - Prosthetic

    The prosthetic was finallyplete.


    I was worried about the possibility of Cleria suddenly waking up in the middle of the night in order to relieve herself, so I worked on them while under pressure all the while.


    Honestly though, I wouldnt have been able to properly build it if I didnt manage to find a tool box which seemed to be for maintenance of the carriage. Nah, this prosthetic couldnt have beenpleted if any of the important materials were missing.


    I was actually quite confident about this DIY project. Though I said DIY, it was Nanom which actually designed the thing and guided me with extreme precision in order to make it.


    Its overall design was quite simple and the main materials used were as follows: the suspension of the carriage, arge sized and slender metallic cup, a horse harness and a small sized jack which was taken from the tool box I found earlier.


    The suspension was shaped like the  character to facilitate better shock absorption, with its tips extending out in order for it to be attached to the carriage. It wouldnt have been possible if it were shaped any differently.


    Also, the suspensions hardness was quite impressive. It had a miraculous bnce between toughness and flexibility.


    Nanom couldnt identify the exact material, but it wasnt made of wood or metal. It was apparently a body part of some unknown creature. It was very durable, and suited to be used as suspension.


    The metal cup resembled the shape of a champagne ss, and its diameter gradually widened from the bottom up to the rim. Its mouth was as wide as Clerias calf.


    I confirmed the thickness of Clerias calf by zooming in on it from a distance.


    I cut off the unnecessary parts  namely the stem and foot  and welded it onto the jack with myser gun.


    The angle of attachment was the key. Clerias body weight calcted by Nanom along with the weight of the otherponents would be supported by the suspension. In order to facilitate this, the  shaped suspension had to be attached vertically.


    I carefully carved the tip of the suspension which would be connected to the jack into a round shape with my knife until it reached the ideal angle.


    Afterwards, the prosthetic would be practicallypleted after securing the suspension to the jack. It could be equipped by using the belt of the harness in order to fix it onto Clerias leg so it doesnte off easily.


    It was designed with the image of Clerias leg being inserted into the receptacle and securing it with the leather belt. Its main feature was the function of freely adjusting its height through the use of the jack.


    Man Im pooped. Its already near dawn. While I was worrying about wether or not to wake Cleria up, she ended uping to by herself. From now onwards, its a race against time.


    ******


    When I woke up in the morning, I noticed that n Corinth no, Lord Corinth was already awake. He hurriedly approached me and eagerly showed me something peculiar.


    It seemed to have part of the ceremonial cup attached to it, but I dont recognize the rest of its make. He was trying to exin its use to me by talking, but I naturally could not understand a word.


    I turned numb from shock when he suddenly carried me up. I was then made to sit on the stacked up trunk cases nearby. He wrapped the remainder of my severed leg with some freshly prepared strips of cloth. I didnt understand what he meant to aplish by doing so.


    Soon afterwards, he brought the odd contraption from before and tried to ce my leg inside it. He tilted his neck and wound anotheryer of cloth around my leg while muttering something before cing it inside the contraption once more. He seemed satisfied this time around and started securing the part just underneath my knee onto the contraption with a leather belt.


    After finishing his work, he took my right hand and made a gesture inviting me to stand up.


    It cant be?!


    He grabbed both my shoulders and forcibly made me stand up. My heart fiercely throbbed inside my chest. No, it cant possibly be?!


    After looking over my entire body, he made me sit down again. He started adjusting the contraption once more while muttering. My heartbeat continued racing intensely. I still could not believe what was happening before me.


    He forcibly brought me up once more and observed me. He seemed satisfied.


    He carefully pulled me by the shoulders. I slowly walked forward with uneasy steps. I wasnt used to the unfamiliar sensation, but Lord Corinth supported me. I couldnt help but make more defined steps.


    I took a step. And another. And another.


    The sensation I felt when I put my weight against the contraption was somewhat strange.


    I took a step. Then another. And another once more.


    This cant be happening. It feels like Im inside a dream.


    I took a step. And another. And another.


    Lord Corinth let go of my shoulders and stood right next to me.


    I took a step. And another. And another.


    It felt like I was being led to a dance.


    I took a step. And another. And another.


    Lord Corinthpletely let go of my hand. He then walked beside me.


    I stook a step. And another. And another.


    Lord Corinth stopped in ce.


    I started to walk around Lord Corinth on my own.


    I took a step. And another. And another.


    Before I knew it, I was shedding tears.


    I took a step. And another. And another.


    Ah! Ahaha! This is so amazing, Lord Corinth!


    Iughed and cried at the same time.


    I took a step. And another. And another.


    I had already managed to walk on my own for about ten minutes. I wobbled a little when I finally stopped in ce, but I managed to bnce myself in the end.


    Lord Corinth! This is truly wonderful! I still cannot believe you were able to aplish such a thing!


    Of course, Sir Corinth still could not understand my words. But the fact that I was happy reached him and he gave me a gentle smile in return.


    I wanted to convey my feelings of joy to him even more, but I suddenly felt an undeniable urge.


    If I did not respond, I would not be able to continue walking freely just like earlier.


    But how exactly should I convey it to him? Fal had always remained by my side until yesterday, so I had always counted on her whenever this happened. I truly could not convey it to anyone else but her.


    I thought for a moment and pointed towards the forest nearby. I pointed towards myself next, and pointed towards the forest once again. Will he understand my meaning?


    Lord Corinth nodded and made a circle with his index finger and thumb. After gesturing for me to wait, he took up what seemed to be a wooden spear and rushed toward the forest with tremendous momentum.


    After about three or four minutes, he returned and nodded towards me once more while making the same circle shape with his fingers. He had surely gone to scout out the area earlier. Lord Corinth then sat down and expressed his firm will to stay put.


    I took a small toiletry bag with me and went towards the forest while blushing furiously.


    ******


    (Nanom, Mission Complete.)


    I aplished it with an excellent A++ evaluation of course.


    [Acknowledged.]


    ******


    After I relieved myself, I went back to where Lord Corinth was. He conveyed his intention to sleep soon after.


    As I thought. This sort of contraption surely could not be made in just a few minutes. He had most likely made this for my sake all night. I am really humbled by this fact.


    He would have slept directly on the ground, so I urged him to sleep on the nket instead. It was one of Lord Corinths belongings to start with.


    This man was truly an exemry noble. He was prudent, kind hearted, possessed a keen intellect and was powerful.


    Yes, he was powerful. I was still in the midst of confusion yesterday so I failed to notice, but I and Captain Antes were certainly surrounded by over ten Grayhounds before we lost consciousness. He had most likely defeated all of them by himself.


    I lost both my arm and my foot yesterday due to my own carelessness. I had removed my vambraces and greaves in order to relieve myself just like earlier yesterday. I paid for that dearly by losing my limbs.


    But still, if I had vambraces and greaves equipped, my throat would have been mangled just like everyone elses. But thinking about such things now was no use.


    I couldnt sleep wellst night even after lying down. I thought about many things  the deaths of myrades, the sacrifices I had made until now, anxiety about the undertaking I must fulfill no matter the cost, the loss of my limbs and my future as a disabled person.


    I had finally found myself all alone. Who would willingly follow someone who could not even walk? I thought about such things and was not able to sleep.


    However, with this new leg, I could still move forward. I might be disabled, but I could still do my best!


    Yesterday was the worst day of my entire life. However, I was blessed to be able to encounter Lord Corinth as well. Now I owed Lord Corinth yet another favor. Even though I have not managed to thank him with anything in return yet.


    I need to resume my journey immediately once Lord Corinth wakes up. I shall prepare for that ordingly.


    Would Lord Corinth be willing to apany me, I wonder?


    ******


    Fu~a. I honestly felt I havent gotten enough sleep yet, but I asked Nanom to wake me up at noon. Lets just get up. Theres still lots of things I needed to do.


    Cleria was currently in deep thought in front of a small mountain of luggage. Looks like she was sorting out her things. I wouldve wanted her to rest up more though.


    Ill take a look as well.


    The four leather cases were wide open, and she was busy selecting some items from within them. When she noticed I was standing on the side, she hurriedly closed the case with womens clothing in it. Oh cmon. I didnt really intend to check those out yknow. Honest.


    Cleria started another gesture game with me after seemingly remembering something. Looks like she wanted to tell me about that something.


    She took up her sword without removing it from its scabbard and swung it towards the direction the carriage travelled from yesterday. She then pointed at herself.


    What?! Was she being pursued? Was Cleria actually a criminal? Like a bandit? Theres also the possibility of a war going on. I made an OK sign with my fingers.


    Just how many pursuers were there? Now it was my turn to gesture around. I tried to put up my fingers one by one until I get to the correct number, but Cleria immediately stopped me.


    Yeah, I get it. A groupposed of ten people was forced to flee after all. It would be safe to assume that the pursuers were more than ten. Cleria made a gesture that conveyed she didnt have any idea about their numbers.


    [Please cease this inefficient process ofmunicating silently.]


    Nanom actually made a rareint. I know. Guess its all my fault it turned out like this huh.


    I gave an OK sign with my fingers to Cleria.


    Next up would be how much time we had before they catch up. I pointed towards the sun and slowly moved my outstretched finger towards the western direction. Wouldnt it seem weird if I started talking while doing this stuff all of a sudden?


    Cleria again gestured that she didnt know.


    I gave an OK sign once more.


    Well, she was still busy sorting out her luggage earlier, so I dont think those guys would being anytime soon at least.


    Guess the gist was: Im being chased, but I dont know how many pursuers there are, nor when exactly they would catch up.


    I actually wanted to stay here for one more day and then set off the day after, but it looks like I need to change the schedule now. We need to leave as soon as we can, considering the state of Clerias foot.


    We need to sort out the things we need to take with us immediately.


    Was there something like a bag somewhere nearby?


    (Please highlight any bags or bag-like objects in the vicinity.)


    I immediately saw objects highlighted in red when I scanned around. Oh, so there they are. Arge shoulder-carried bag was lying around near the bonfire remains. It even looked like a bag used to store food. Speaking of which, I hadnt managed to find any food supplies in the carriage yesterday and found it a little strange.


    Jackpot! It even contained salt. And this was probably pepper!? I found myself some treasures right off the bat.


    The bag next to it contained cooking implements. There was a frying pan, a saucepan, knives, forks and a lot more. This was also a jackpot!


    The other bag contained a nket. I dont really need this one since mines better. But Ill keep it just in case.


    Other than those, there was a fancy looking shoulder bag near the fallen carriage. Whats in this? Theres not many contents. When I inspected it more closely, I found clothing articles which looked like womens underwear neatly stacked inside it.


    I turned it over to Cleria, who was busy sorting out her stuff. When she saw the contents, Cleria red daggers at me. No, no. I really didnt mean to, okay.


    Hey, there were also bags hanging on both sides of the horse saddles. I see. Their personal belongings were probably stuffed inside them. Lets check out their contents.


    We finally managed to sort everything out after an hour or so. I touched the medical pill-like object I found yesterday and had Nanom analyze it.


    I gathered everything I managed to find and had Cleria take a look at them. I gestured at her in order to ask for permission to put the supplies inside the travelling bags. Cleria nodded in agreement.


    (Please check and confirm the materials and supplies, indicate all which are to be given priority and give detailed instructions regarding the exact amount suitable for carrying inside bags. I dont want Cleria to carry any more than one or two bags.)


    One bag was highlighted in blue and the necessary supplies were highlighted in red. I put them inside one after the other. And Im done. Now for the next one.


    I ended up packing one backpack and three bags worth of supplies. Each of them were practically bursting at the seams.


    I had my hands full with the backpack, two bags, two nket rolls and my rifle. Guess Id have to throw the bags away if we encounter a situation where I would need to use my rifle.


    I just noticed it earlier, but the work suit I hung on my backpack in order to let it dry was now nowhere to be found. It mustve fallen off while I was running yesterday.


    I dont really feel like going to the trouble of picking it up.


    Cleria carried the smallest shoulder bag among the three. She also kept the bag with her personal effects inside with her.


    ******


    I managed to convey to Lord Corinth the fact that I was being pursued by using gestures. I could not afford to keep this matter to myself. This road would probably be thoroughly scouted before long. There were not many avenues of escape avable to us.


    I was actually afraid to divulge this matter to Lord Corinth. There was no reason for Lord Corinth, who had no particrly deep rtions with me, to involve himself in my troubles. I would not me him even if he were to express the desire to part ways.


    However, even though Lord Corinth seemed startled at first, he did not look to be particrly flustered about it at all. Have I not managed to convey my matters to him properly? No, it did not seem to be the case.


    Lord Corinth began to busy himself soon afterward. He seemed to be checking the supplies. He walked around the area and gathered all the supplies near the center of the clearing.


    He looked satisfied after gathering most of them and gestured towards me. He was probably asking if it was alright to put the things inside some bags. When I nodded in agreement, he immediately started packing the gathered supplies inside the bags. He seemed to have picked some things to pack in advance.


    All the things he put in were the ones which seemed immediately useful to us. Even I was convinced with his selection. I also tried to pick things out earlier, but all of them seemed important, so I could not decide on which to prioritise in the end. Eventually, Lord Corinth filled out his personal bag, which resembled those used by travelling merchants, and three shoulder bags with supplies.


    Lord Corinth nodded towards his personal bag and two otherrge bags and then pointed towards himself. He then nodded towards the smallest bag and pointed towards me. I was convinced for the first time that Lord Corinth actually intended to apany me.


    Lord Corinth truly was an exemry nobleman. I felt so ashamed that I suspected otherwise.


    While he was organizing the luggage, I noticed that Lord Corinth did not possess a sword. Perhaps he lost his when he fought off the Grayhounds yesterday.


    I gathered all the swords of myrades earlier, but I could not possibly bring all of them with me. I decided to let Lord Corinth choose a sword from among them instead. I led Lord Corinth to the spot where I had gathered the swords and gestured for him to take one.


    ******


    Cleria pulled me towards one spot where a number of swords were neatly lined up. They were probably the weapons of hertepanions. She seemed to mean for me to choose one.


    If I continue to use the pulse rifle andser, their energy packs would eventually run out sooner orter. Once that happens, theyd be nothing but useless baggage. It would be nice to have an alternative weapon.


    A sword, huh? How nostalgic. Naturally, this was my first time seeing a real sword. But Ive seen plenty in a VR game.


    A VR game which prominently featured swords and stuff was all the rage in the school I attended from Junior High to High School. I was also quite addicted to it back then.


    The name of that game was really straightforward. Its title was Swordsman. It was your standard RPG, but it also featured a robust PVP mode.


    I waspletely smitten with this game for four straight years. But the fad soon faded, and I ended up quitting as well.


    But before I quit, I participated in a World Tournament for the game which was held on my home, and ended up cing 9th overall in the final rankings.


    It ended up getting shown on the local news through the, and I was regarded as a sort of hero by the boys in my school.


    It might be toote to say this after spending a great deal of time and lunch money ying it, but just why did I devote so much to such a pointless pastime? But well, considering my current situation, my lunch money may have ended up being well spent after all.


    I picked a sword which somewhat resembled the one I used in the game and took a bit of distance from Cleria.


    Now, howd this go again? Lets try to remember that tournament. I was just a 14 year old brat back then. At the time, it really felt like joining that tournament was the climax of my life.


    I logged in day after day, and even installed and used an overclocking module to y; though it was eventually banned.


    I tried to remember what it felt like during my gaming days and slowly brandished the sword. A~ah, now I remember. Those days filled with burning passion


    The longer I swung the sword, the more I remembered. Yeah, I managed to recall it now  the finishing move I used during that tournament.


    Corinth-style Swordsmanship Final Secret Technique: Meteor Stream!


    It was a zing 24 hitbo with extreme offensive power!


    But now that I think about it, just what kind of naming sense did I have back then?! And by the way, theres absolutely nothing remotely resembling meteors present in the move. My body steadily warmed up after swinging the sword for some time.


    (Please give me some support.)


    I transmitted my mental images to Nanom and tried out all the basicbos used in the game. Yeah, my bodys moving well. So it was like this.


    The more I repeated thebos, the better I moved. Maybe its due to muscle memory or something?


    Lets try out some more advanced ones then. Man, this is actually fun!


    I gradually solidified the image of Meteor Stream inside my head. Now I truly remember! This was a move I practiced thousands of times. Tens of thousands of times.


    When the image becameplete, I performed the true Meteor Stream.


    ******


    Lord Corinth remained in a daze for a few moments, but when he saw the swords, the look in his eyes changed. He went straight for Captain Antes sword.


    I was impressed by Lord Corinths sharp sense of judgement. Captain Antes sword seemed normal, but it was actually a magic sword of considerable quality. I knew this because I was the one who personally bestowed it upon the Captain, but to think there was someone who could see its true value at first nce.


    Lord Corinth took some distance from me, got into a stance and pulled the sword from its sheath. I could now finally witness Lord Corinths prowess with the sword.


    At first, he just brandished the sword normally. The swings seemed simply to be for loosening his shoulders. The sword swings gradually go faster and faster. He then performed a session of attacks. Such sharp swordsmanship!


    Following that, he showed a series of unfamiliar sword techniques one after another. The techniques do not seem to be from any sword school I was familiar with. They would be hard to deal with for ones who encounter these techniques for the first time.


    Five attacks in rapid session!? Ah! What impressive moves!


    Lord Corinth suddenly paused. He closed his eyes and seemed to be sharpening his concentration. I was sure he was preparing to unleash a powerful technique.


    Lord Corinth slowly opened his eyes. His entire aura turned exceedingly sharp. He merely stood in ce with sword in hand, but just seeing him like that was somehow terrifying. What impressive sword spirit!


    In the next instant, the technique was unleashed. It was an extremely fast paced session of attacks. And it did notprise of only sword strokes. It also integrated martial techniques such as kicking and foot-swiping. The sessive attacks continued without pause. Thest move was an exceedingly sharp, practically invisible downward strike.


    I was stunned to silence.


    It was a sword technique akin to that of a beautiful and elegant dance. It was an element not present in any of the well known sword schools. No one who encounters it for the first time would be able to block that sword. Yes, no matter how masterful the opposing swordsman was. It was an impressive sword technique which thoroughly made me think as such.


    This sword technique was definitely Lord Corinths trump card. And he openly allowed me to observe his technique.


    For any swordsman, their strongest move equates to their very lives. Unless it was between a master and student or lord and retainer, it was something not to be revealed to just anyone. Once it was shown, it meant that the swordsman entrusted the other person with his or her life.


    My chest burned hot from the trust Lord Corinth bestowed upon me. It cannot be said that I and Lord Corinth had a rtionship built on mutual trust. But if a person does not learn to believe, then nothing would begin.


    This was Lord Corinths way of dering that he would put hisplete faith in me from now on.


    I shall also put my faith in Lord Corinth!


    TL Note: Yep. Fals actually a girl. I thought it was either Miese or Mirka. Turns out they were both guys ???? And lol at n channeling his inner Kirito (sniggers). Dont you just love chuuni characters? Theyre pretty hrious if done right.


    P.S. Dont ask me why n is familiar with Japanese characters. Ask the author. And I changed the mp to a jack. Since it actually was a jack tool lol. My bad folks.

 Chapter 8 - Fleeing

    Alright. Ive finished packing all our things and got all my weapons in order.


    Nanom wanted to check Clerias injuries, so I had to make her know. I exined my intentions through gestures like usual and had her sit down.


    I removed the prosthetic, unwound the cloth wrap and peeled off the bandages. The wound already had a thinyer of skin covering it. The bones arent sticking out like before, but I could still faintly make them out under the uneven skinyer.


    (She isnt feeling any pain, right?)


    [Her pain receptors around her injuries are now currently cut off.]


    The part of the injury in immediate contact with the prosthetic was a bit swollen. It seems I need to learn how to wrap cloth around injuries better.


    (How much can you restore it?)


    [Cannot confirm. Regeneration rate varies greatly depending on the efficiency of nutrient acquisition and the avability of enough suitable material.]


    Thats right, huh? You cant regenerate body parts without enough materials to work with after all.


    [Currently, the process is being aplished by gradually breaking down the cells in other parts of her body in order topensate.]


    (If we could somehow obtain a considerable amount of nutrients and materials, how long would it take?)


    [Three weeks.]


    (How long would it take if her leg is given priority?)


    [Two weeks.]


    Thats fairly fast enough. Lets prioritize regenerating her leg then.


    Normally, even if a person consumes a lot of food, the amount of nutrients he or she can absorb in a single meal is limited, and most of the excess nutrients are expelled out from the body instead. Thats because the human body is designed not to take in nutrients more than necessary to achieve normal bodily functions.


    However, if Nanom interferes with this natural process, it can make it possible to absorb the maximum amount nutrients and store them in the body. Utilizing said nutrients, it would allow Nanom to perform body regeneration by causing elerated cell division.


    (What food materials are suitable?)


    [Meat, mock-potatoes and other food items rich in vitamins and minerals.]


    Hm. Thats a broad way of putting things. But I guess it cant be helped because we dont know much about thiss food items. Looks like I need to search and gather some food again. But I dont think theres any mock-potato patches in this particr area.


    Hmm? Wait up? If her foot starts gradually regenerating, then she wont be able to use the current prosthetic leg anymore! The disastrous g I avoided is rearing its ugly head again!


    (Cant you develop another prosthetic for her?)


    [We can only make this type using the current avable materials.]


    Nanom disyed the prosthetic leg design on a virtual window. The design was far too basic  only leaving the suspension to support Clerias entire weight after fixing it via the belt. It doesnt look like it would be able to support her weight properly and would disrupt her center of gravity. She wont be able to walk all that much with this.


    But she could at least hop around a bit with it. In any case, Ive managed to avoid the worst case scenario once more. In other words, Cleria wont be able to walk properly for quite some time until her leg gets fully regenerated.


    (Have we gathered all the necessary materials for this new prosthetic leg design?)


    [They are inside the bag.]


    Alright, thats good.


    I dont know how far we needed to travel, but it may be necessary to prepare another camp depending on the number of days it would take to reach our target destination. Ill confirm it with Cleriater.


    Lets put the prosthetic leg back on her for now. I re-wrapped her leg with the bandages and cloth strips.


    (Please ess Clerias sense of touch and deduce the optimum bandaging method ording to it.)


    I re-wrapped the cloth and put the prosthetic on. I wasnt satisfied with the result, so I removed them and redid the process. I went at it for several tries until I finally got the most optimal wrapping method down pat.


    Next would be her arm. It was also covered in a thinyer of skin, like with her leg. There doesnt seem to be any problems.


    (Prioritize regenerating her leg.)


    [Acknowledged.]


    ******


    After disying his skill with the sword, Lord Corinth lowered the sword and bowed his head. He seemed to be thanking me. Im d. I thought I might have been to presumptuous earlier, but it doesnt seem to be the case. I think that with Lord Corinths exalted status, he would be able to obtain as many high quality swords as he wanted easily. But he may not be carrying one because of some sort of circumstance.


    He seems to want me to show him my wounds next. He may be intending to diagnose them. I also wanted to see what had be of my severed arm and leg.


    When the prosthetic and the bandages were removed, what appeared before me was a miserable stump for a leg. I was nearly in tears. Lord Corinth disyed a troubled looking face as he observed my cut off leg. Was it actually worse than expected? He wrapped the bandages and put the prosthetic back on again, but ended up redoing it many times. He finally seemed satisfied after a few tries and gestured for me to try and stand up.


    Ah, how wonderful! It was a bit painful earlier whenever I took a step. I thought it was natural because my foot had been severed, but I do not feel any sort of pain right now. It seems I would be able to step more firmly with it from now on.


    He took a look at my arm next. It had also turned into a stump. When I took a look at it myself, I saw that a thinyer of skin had formed over the wound instead of a scab. Impossible! I got these injuries just yesterday, and now they were already covered with skin?!


    Did Lord Corinth use something more than just simple healing magic?


    Lord Corinth was not particrly surprised when he saw the state of my arm, and re-wrapped the bandages like normal.


    Next, he pointed towards the ground and drew a circle on it. He then pointed to the road ahead and drew a line from the circle towards the road. He drew an X mark after reaching a certain point. He ced two fingers above the line and moved them as if mimicking a person walking.


    Is he asking me how long it would take to reach our destination? It should take about twenty days, so I raised all five of my fingers in front of him and thrusted them out four times. Have I transmitted it properly?


    Lord Corinth again preupied himself with thinking. Was something the matter?


    He seems to be inviting me for a meal. He peeled another one of those metal wrapped sweets and handed it over to me. It truly was delicious! It was quite immodest of me, but I still ended up finishing it all in mere moments.


    We were finally set for departure. I put on my greave and vambrace. Unfortunately, the ones for my severed limbs could only be discarded.


    When Lord Corinth saw me attempting to do so, he stopped me and started putting them inside a bag. I gestured several times that they were not necessary, but he still insisted on making space for them in his luggage. It would have been better to make the bags as light as possible.


    Well, they are certainly made of mythril. So we could attempt to sell them in the future. But with only part of a pair, I do not think they would amount to much.


    We carried our baggage and finally set off.


    ******


    Time to leave. Theres lot of things to consider, but for now its dangerous to remain here. Lets leave for the time being.


    Cleria was wistfully stroking one of the dead horses. Maybe it was her personal steed? Man, its good I didnt end up butchering it for meatst night.


    I put the sword on my waist and shouldered my backpack. I pulled the straps of the shoulder bags over my head and made it so that I would be carrying one on each side. I had the nkets sit on top of my backpack. My rifle was slung on my shoulder. There were quite a lot of stuff, but I could still handle them easily.


    Cleria also equipped her sword on her waist and slung her shoulder bag on one side. The bag looked quite loaded, but it shouldnt be that heavy.


    Alright! Ill properly learn thenguage on the way as well. Im getting a bit tired of gesturing around. Ill need to search for foodstuffs as well.


    I pointed at myself and said n. Then I pointed at Cleria and said her name. Next, I pointed at the fallen carriage and waited for Cleria to speak. She answered with Canter.


    So a carriage was called canter huh? Ill have Nanom record it. Once it records enoughnguage data, Ill have it update the currentnguage database.


    I pointed out to a lot of things one after another. It may inconvenience Cleria a bit, but Ill still need to have her do it for me.


    (If there are any new nt species, please highlight the inedible ones with red and the edible ones with blue.)


    The only edible ones Im familiar with were just the mock-potatoes, the unnamed herb and those leafy sd-use veggies.


    The entire area was suddenly dyed red. Looks like I had to do it manually after all. I reminded Nanom to only inform me if we manage to find something edible and started to persistently rub leaves once again.


    But now that I think about it, I still havent managed to ask about her age. Would asking her directly seem a bit rude? Nah, she still looks quite young, so I dont think shell mind too much.


    I pointed at myself and raised two fingers, immediately followed by all five. I then turned to Cleria and raised one finger on my left hand. When she saw my gesture, her expression turned a bit sad for some reason. Oops, looks like its a miss. So shes at least older than 15.


    When I counted to seven while still keeping one finger raised, she nodded happily. So shes 17 years old huh? Shes still just a teenager, as expected.


    Oh. I found some mock-potatoes. Lets collect them. I put the mock-potatoes on a small bag I kept empty in order to hold my collected food items. This was something Cleria needed. Lets gather a bit more. It seems to be called poto when I inquired Cleria about its name.


    [Suitable as food.]


    Yeah! Its been a while since I found something new. I finally found something after kneading nts for two hours straight. It was a nt mainly consisting of a white colored stem. When I tried a bite, a crunchy texture spread throughout my mouth. It should be delicious if properly cooked. Ill collect some of this too. It would be a waste if we couldnt finish all these, but we could just throw the excess ones awayter.


    Looks like Cleria doesnt know its name. Maybe it was just a minor wild vegetable.


    It was now about three in the afternoon. It cant be helped because we started travellingte, but well have to make camp after two more hours.


    Suddenly, something jumped out in front of the road. It was a fang boar like the one I encountered previously.


    However, it seemed about two sizes smaller than the boar I killed. I stopped myself from taking aim with the rifle. This seemed like a good opportunity, so lets defeat it with a sword.


    The energy reserves of myser gun and rifle were limited. They could be considered my trump cards, so I want to reserve them as much as possible.


    This boar looked like the first monster I killed in the RPG I yed before. It was perfect for practice. If things got too close forfort, I could still just finish it off with a rifle.


    I pulled out my sword and took a stance. Somehow, the boar seems a bit too excited. It repeatedly pawed the ground. Do I have enough time to put down my luggage? When I thought that, the boar suddenly lunged forward.


    I didnt panic and shed its side right after avoiding its charge just like how I did it in the game.


    Hm? Thats it? Its over just like that? Did it make for good practice?


    Then, three wolves appeared from the side of the road next.


    This fang boar was apparently chased out to this ce by these three.


    Nice timing. I happen to becking some practice opponents guys.


    Ive already locked on to the wolves. If it looked dangerous, I just needed to put the rifle up and pull the trigger. I need to make sure they dont get to Cleria whos out back.


    The wolves seemed to be angry that their prey was taken from them. They attacked immediately.


    They jumped up and pounced from above, but that was a bad move.


    I slipped from the side like with the wild boar from earlier and shed out with my sword. One wolfs head easily got separated from its neck and flew out. This sword sure cuts well.


    Seems the other two learned from the earlier sh and attacked me simultaneously from both sides. Naive! I threw my electromaic deknife at the one on the left before it managed to jump. The knife urately pierced the wolfs throat. Throwing techniques are actually one of my strongest suits. I cut the head of the one on the right just like earlier. I then finished off the wolf who got struck with my knife.


    That was honestly a bit of a let-down. Well, even if theyre wolves, theyre nothing more than big canines. When I turned to Cleria to see how shes doing, I saw her gazing at me with a nk expression. Oh well.


    Anyways, I got us some meat! And the timings perfect too. I didnt have that much items packed inside the food bag. The only meat we had was of the dried variety. I wanted Cleria to eat some proper meat for her recovery after all.


    Lets butcher these guys right away.


    I had Nanom indicate the parts I should secure. I dismantled them ording to Nanoms instructions.


    Oops. Can this tendon really be eaten? I see. Lets secure a lot then. Oh boy, even the innards huh?


    Alright! We now have both meat and vegetables. Weve also got cooking tools and salt. Its a feast tonight!


    We started walking again after I collected the meat. I threw bodies of the defeated wolves below the valley.


    I finally spotted a river after sometime. Been a while since I saw one. Hey, thats it! How about camping near the water? Maybe we could even bathe in it.


    Looks like we could easily go down the river. And it was rtively shallow, so there should be no dangerous creatures within it. I made my intentions known to Cleria by gesturing. It looks like shes in high spirits as well. I wonder why?


    Although we already went down to the river, I made sure to chose a spot where we couldnt be seen from the road. This should be a nice spot. The shore was nice and wide. There was also a small pool formed due to the flow of the river being slow.


    I made a simple stove using some stones I picked up from nearby. I also had to gather some firewood. Cleria also helped by taking out ingredients with her only remaining hand.


    The cooking utensils avable were just a saucepan, frying pan and a small cutting board. The only seasonings were salt, pepper and herbs. There were only a few types of seasonings, but the amount was decent, so I could use them up without worrying.


    As per Nanoms earlier instructions, I managed to secure some rib meat, thigh meat, liver and tendons. The liver goes bad easily, so Ill cook it all up tonight.


    First of all, I need to drain the liver of blood and remove the smell. Since theres no strainer avable, I divided some small stones on the river shallows and ced the thinly cut slices of liver on them, exposing them to the water. Ill leave them like that for a bit.


    I went back from the river and found that Cleria had started a fire already. What a sensible youngdy.


    The tendons were best when boiled well, but since theres no time for that, lets go with yakiniku instead. They would be too tough to chew if they were cut thickly, so I sliced them thinly instead.


    The main dish for tonight is vegetable stir fry with rib and thigh meat. The vegetables Ill be using are mock-potatoes err, potos and the stem vegetable from earlier. They were still covered in some soil, so I headed towards the river once more in order to wash them.


    Hey, theres something in the water! I threw my knife at it.


    Damn! A salmon-like fish broke the stone partition I made earlier to wash the liver and ate a good portion of the slices. There was only about half of it left. Well, I was actually thinking there was too much of it earlier to be honest, and I kinda wanted something other than boar meat too.


    I pulled out my knife and pushed my finger inside the open wound.


    [Suitable as food.]


    Ill have Cleria consume this thing as well. I cut thisrge salmon into three after washing the vegetables.


    (Can this be eaten raw?)


    [It is possible.]


    This is nice! I had some hard bread stuffed inside the food bag, so lets make a thinly sliced salmon canape. The rest of it would be grilled with salt. It seemed to have quite a bit of fat, so it should be delicious.


    The appetizers are salmon canape, grilled liver slices and tendon yakiniku. The main dishes would be salt grilled salmon and stir fried meat and veggies. Its quite a lot.


    There were only cooking pots and pans but there were few serving tes, so lets prepare one dish first, eat it all up and serve the next dish afterwards.


    First, lets prepare the salmon canapes. Cut the hard bread into slices and ce the thinly cut salmon strips seasoned with salt and herbs on top of them. Then lets put them on the only avable wooden serving te.


    When I checked out the herb container, it seemed to be a mixture of different types and had a ratherplex scent and vor. Was this a type of versatile seasoning?


    Now that its done, I encouraged Cleria to eat. Her gaze was fixed on the te.


    Yeah, its good. I actually wanted to add some cheese as well, but the salmon was quite rich in natural fat, so its fine as is. The crispy texture of the bread also served as an ent, making it more tasty.


    Cleria was eating up like a storm. Its good that she likes it.


    Next would be grilled liver. I seasoned them with salt, pepper and herbs inside the saucepan. Since the slices had a gamey smell, I added more of the herbs to counteract it. I grilled them on the heated frying pan. Since the slices were thin, I only needed to grill both sides. If grilled too much, the slices will harden up and shrink, so you need to watch the timing.


    I also put it on the wooden te after cooking it. I tried some together with Cleria. Yup, these are good too.


    A slight odor remains, but the rich taste of the liver spreads inside the mouth. The crucial point is how much you grill it after all.


    Cleria also ate this dish without reserve. Rather, this was a menu prepared for Cleria, so I did want her to eat a lot.


    I didnt use the herb mixture for the tendon yakiniku. If you ate meat dishes with the same vor over and over, youll quickly get bored of the taste.


    This stuff was also delicious after being thoroughly cooked. Its a bit tough, but that chewy and crisp texture offers a unique sensation inside the mouth.


    Cleria also ate it with gusto. Shes been eating so much since earlier. Will she be able to finish eating all the dishes? I feel like shes eaten twice as much as me?


    The next one is the main dish  salt grilled salmon. I also vored this with salt alone. Cleria still seemed raring to go, so I grilled some more portions.


    You need to pay attention to the grilling process here. Ive already removed the scales, so I need to make sure the skin would taste great. First, grill the skin until it is lightly singed and gains a nice and crispy texture. Grilling it any more than necessary would ruin the dish.


    Hm. This should be enough. I really do prefer the skin more rather than the fish meat. Cleria seems to share my opinion and finished off her portion in a sh.


    Thest dish is meat and vegetable stir fry. I cut the potato-like Poto into two portions each and the stem veggie into seven pieces. I cooked the Poto first. I added the thinly sliced rib meat and thigh meat next. I added the stem veggie cutsst, since I wanted them to retain that crisp texture. I seasoned the dish with salt, pepper and a dash of herbs. It would be best to cook this dish quickly.


    I tried it immediately after it was done. Delicious! The first thing youd taste was the rich meat juices of the rib meat. The thigh meat was also simrly delicious. But its main draw was the fresh and crisp texture of the stir fried veggies. This was a dish which makes people think food with only meat on them just wont do.


    I made quite the amount of stir fried meat and veggies, but we managed to finish it all anyway. Cleria seems to be quite satisfied.


    (Cleria seems to have eaten quite a lot. Is she okay?)


    [No problems detected. Todays quota has been cleared.]


    I see. So thats the case. Clerias increased appetite was most likely the result of Nanom stimting it so that it could obtain the necessary raw materials to regenerate her foot. It mustve stimted her a lot. Otherwise, her appetite was abnormal.


    What should I do? Of course I could chose to stop Nanom from regenerating her limbs. But that would be ast resort.


    I cant possibly prepare this amount of food while traveling. We were just lucky today. And travelling long distances using a prosthetic was a tall order to begin with. No matter how easy it was to walk with a prosthetic, it still poses some risk if used to walk for a long duration. If possible, I want to prioritize the regeneration process first.


    Considering all this, our next course of action is decided. Lets find a ce near the river to serve as a base and stay there  at least until Clerias leg finishes regenerating. I also want to continue learning the localnguage.


    Well then, how do I tell Cleria about my ns?

 Chapter 9 - Base Camp

    As soon as we started travelling, Lord Corinth began asking the names of various things.


    It was indeed inconvenient tomunicate using only gestures. I also wanted to learn thenguage Lord Corinth was speaking myself.


    Lord Corinth then proceeded to grab some nts and seemed to be examining each of them. He took a look at a wide variety of nts.


    He seemed to be looking for ones suitable for eating. After some time, he pulled out some nts and collected them.


    Those are called Poto. They are often served in meals as a side dish. I didnt know they were actually buried on the ground.


    Lord Corinth seemed to be twenty five years old. He certainly looks younger than that though.


    When I attempted telling him my age as well, I felt troubled because I didnt have enough fingers. But Lord Corinth soon counted until seventeen with his fingers and I nodded to confirm. In truth, I would be reaching seventeen half a year from now, and am still sixteen years old. However, I wanted to seem as much of an adult as possible in front of Lord Corinth for some reason.


    Suddenly, a Big Boar appeared from within the mountain.


    Not good. It was not toorge, but it was really agitated. A Big Boar in this state was quite dangerous.


    Lord Corinth stood in front in order to protect me, and the moment he unsheathed his sword, the enemy was easily felled  with just one sh too.


    The moment the boar was defeated, three Grayhounds appeared.


    This was truly bad. I could not serve as help at all as I am now.


    However, Lord Corinth easily defeated them as well. Two of them even had their heads sent flying with just a sh each.


    I would never have believed a Grayhound could be defeated in a single sword swing if I didnt witness it myself.


    He butchered the Big Boar in mere moments. And after recovering the meat, he started walking while looking as if nothing worthy of note had happened earlier.


    He dropped the bodies of the Grayhounds straight down into the valleys depths without even recovering their magic cores. But I guess he didnt think much of their magic cores to begin with. Such high standards.


    When we managed to discover a river, Lord Corinth gestured for us to go down towards it. He might be looking for a ce to stay the night. And dinner as well!


    My body felt a little strange since yesterday. I felt really hungry for some reason. It would not be an exaggeration to say I was totally famished.


    We managed to collect meat earlier, so tonights dinner would definitely be meat! The food wrapped in a metallic sheet was also delicious, but its amount was toocking.


    I looked at the recovered meat, and found there were several types. I am really looking forward to eating them.


    Lord Corinth seemed to be a capable chef as well. He proceeded with cooking preparations with an expert air. What impressive skills.


    It would be good if I could also assist him somehow Ah, thats right! I shall light a fire with magic.


    He cut up the ck colored meat and dipped the pieces on the rivers waters. Was he trying to chill them?


    He then proceeded with cutting up the rest of the meat. His cutting techniques rivaled those of a professional chefs.


    Afterwards, he headed towards the river waters once again, but suddenly threw his knife mid-way. Amazing! He just killed arge fish with that throw. I see. So the purpose of setting down the meat there earlier was in order to bait such a fish.


    He also cut up the fish in no time. It has been a while since I have eaten fish!


    Lord Corinth finally began cooking. He took out some bread, cut them into slices and put some previously prepared fish meat on top of them. I was curious about how he would cook it further, but it seemed to be finished with just this. We would be eating fish raw?!


    I finally willed myself to try one bite after seeing Lord Corinth enjoying his meal. Delicious! I didnt think raw fish could taste this delicious! I started eating wholeheartedly.


    All the dishes that were served afterwards were absolutely excellent. It was embarrassing, but I seemed to have eaten more than Lord Corinth did.


    Lord Corinth seemed to want to tell me something after the meal. He pointed at my foot, then gestured that we should not proceed with travelling on the road again for now. It was something of the sort.


    Considering what happened yesterday, the condition of my leg truly wasnt that good.


    He was likely telling me that I needed some rest. When I asked how long it would take with some gestures, the answer he gave was about fifteen to twenty days.


    I would not readily agree, if not for my present state. I wanted to reach Gotania as soon as possible, but I also did not want to ruin my body any further.


    It would be counterproductive if I pushed myself and ended up being unable to walk once more.


    I had no choice but to endure for twenty days. I nodded in agreement.


    ******


    Thats good. I managed to convince Cleria.


    Well then, theres still a bit more to go until evening, but there wasnt enough time to scout out the surrounding woods. Since theres a riffle nearby, all we could do right now was to take the opportunity for a quick bath.


    To be honest, I did a lot of physical work yesterday, so I sweated buckets and currently dont feel so good. I also wanted to wash my clothes and underwear.


    I gestured towards Cleria in order to let her know of my intentions. She turned beet red and gingerly nodded. Whyd she blush? Well, shes at that age, I guess.


    I walked towards the river shallows with my formal uniform and some cloth in ce of a towel. It kinda sucks that I lost my spare work overalls yesterday. I started to take off my clothes and took a passing nce towards Cleria. She panicked and hurriedly turned away. Well, I dont really mind getting seen by a kid.


    I immersed myself in the water. Fu~h! That feels great. The waters about 120 centimeters deep. The river was flowing at a slow pace. I brought my head down on the water as well. Its a shame that I didnt have any shampoo or body-soap with me. Does Cleria have some? I also took the opportunity to wash my uniform.


    My body temperature lowered after five minutes of soaking myself, so I decided to get out of the water. Cleria still had herself turned away. I wiped my body with some cloth and put on my underwear directly after squeezing the water out of it. I didnt have any spares, so it couldnt be helped. It should dry up soon anyway. I put my uniform on next. It kinda felt strange because Ive always been wearing work overalls for several days.


    Cleria sensed that Ivee out from the river and turned around, only to gape at me absentmindedly as soon as she saw me. She seemed to be quite surprised because of the fact that I changed into an officers uniform.


    This uniforms design was revamped five years ago, after going for one hundred and fifty years without any revisions whatsoever. The Imperial Military got unusually fired up about it, andmissioned the current number one fashion designer in the entire gxy to improve the uniforms aesthetics. It turned out looking pretty cool.


    But anyway, would Cleria also take a bath as well?


    ******


    Lord Corinth conveyed something surprising to me. He apparently wanted to bathe in the nearby river.


    To think he would do such a thing in front of ady! I thought as such, but immediately reconsidered. This was not the capital, and Lord Corinth is a travelpanion and not one of my subjects. He was free to take any actions he deemed necessary. Moreover, separating from each other in the current situation wasnt wise. There was a danger of encountering vicious monsters such as Grayhounds after all.


    Lord Corinth mostly likely disregarded his sense of shame in order to be able to protect me immediately in case of such an event. I am sorry to let Lord Corinth experience something so shameful because of my weakness.


    He seems to have finally gotten out of the water. I was surprised to see Lord Corinths present appearance. He wore a different set of clothes from the ones he had on before. Silver and gold trimmings were generously used to entuate his current crisp, ck clothing.


    It was a military uniform. It was of course a design I havent seen before, but my intuition judged it to be so. What exquisite tailoring! I could even feel a sense of majesty. The quality of the fabric used was beyond me!


    Until recently, I had only vaguely felt that Lord Corinth was a part of the nobility. But judging from his current appearance, it was possible that he was a high ranking aristocrat  a marquis at the very least. No, it was also possible that he was a part of the royal lineage. This once again reminded me of how unfathomable Lord Corinth was.


    I had been thinking of doing so after seeing Lord Corinth bathing earlier, and finally decided to bathe myself. Thest time I took a bath was seven days ago, and my entire body was caked with dirt and dried blood.


    I conveyed my intentions to Lord Corinth. He reminded me to cry out in case anything out of ce happened. He then turned away.


    No, at least help me to remove my belts and armor first please. I pointed out all fourteen belts to Lord Corinth in order for him to remove them. I then had him take off my armor as well. I was wearing clothes properly under the armor, so it was fine. It seems Lord Corinth was really curious about my armor.


    I went to the waterside with a change of clothes. Lord Corinth had his back turned to me and was busy examining my armor. I took off my clothes and went in the water. It has been a long time since I properly cleansed myself.


    It felt great. I thoroughly washed my dirt filled and blood soaked body and hair. I then washed my used clothes next.


    I felt refreshed. It was the first time I had felt so happy while cleansing my body. I went out of the water and got dressed.


    Lord Corinth seems to have noticed I had gotten out of the river as well. But when he turned around and looked at me, he made a very surprised face. I hurriedly checked my appearance. I was wearing half pants designed for knights and a tunic. I do not think them strange. Why is Lord Corinth so surprised?


    ******


    It seems Cleria also wanted to bathe. Thats good. Clerias body still had dried blood sticking all over it. She seemed to have tried removing some of it, but her face and hair still had some sticking on them.


    Oops, she seems to want me to help take off her armor. Oh, thats a lot of belts. Guess you really cant wear these alone. Her armor felt strangely light when I took them off. I already noticed it when I examined the protectors yesterday, but even her torso armor was quite light.


    (Whats it made of?)


    [Unknown.]


    Huh? Nanom was unable to analyze this thing?


    [Please ingest a sample.]


    Eh? Aint that kind of bad? This was Clerias after all. Would a piece from the back of the armor work? I scraped a really small portion off and swallowed it.


    [It seems to be a metal alloy of some sort.]


    Uh, okay. So you cant give me any other details huh? It looks like stainless steel but its unusually lightweight. I have no choice but to ask Cleriater. I cleaned the dirt off the armor pieces with a cloth.


    She seems to have finished bathing. When I turned around, I saw a whole different girl from before.


    Eh? Cleria!?


    She turned so beautiful to the point that I wouldve mistaken her for another person.


    Her brte hair was vibrant and her skin was milky white. She had lovely and elegant features fit for Miss Gxy.


    She changed so much just from washing some dirt off? It was like aplete make-over man! Women really were fearsome.


    Its already evening.


    Its time to sleep. I had Cleria lie down first, cleaned up after the meal, picked up some firewood, threw them inside the bonfire and had Nanom take charge of guard duty.


    I woke up at dawn as always. There were still a lot of fish and boar meat left, so I grilled them all before they went bad. Well have the rest for lunch.


    Cleria was attracted by the smell of grilled meat and fish and woke up as well. The menu is the same as yesterdays. I refrained from making raw canapes this time.


    Clerias appetite was tremendous right from the morning, but there was enough grilled meat to go around, so I packed the rest into a bento for lunch.


    After cleaning up, I helped Cleria put her armor back on and set off once again. I wanted to look for a ce suitable for a base camp upstream, in a direction away from the road. You really cant resist the benefits of being near a river.


    We walked for about three hours along the riverbank. [There is arge opening in that direction.] Nanom suddenly announced.


    There was a wide space between tworge rocks nearby. Rather than a cave, it was more of a gap made between tworge rock walls.


    I cautiously entered inside. I had to bend low in order to squeeze myself in, but the interior was tall and wide enough for people to stand. It was about 55 meters by my estimate.


    Unfortunately, there was a ten centimeter opening on top of the formation. If it rains, water would soak the ce.


    But you could say it was convenient in daytime as well, because sunlight would seep in from the opening. There was also an area which would shield us from the rain further in, so we should be able to make do.


    Its pretty nice overall. Yep, its great. If we put some obstacles near the entrance, it would serve as the perfect base.


    Was this ce okay with Cleria? I gestured to ask, and she nodded in reply. For the meantime, lets stay here. If we encounter any problems, lets just look for another ce.


    First, lets think of ways to block off the entrance. Well, the only options avable would be stones or making a fence from wood.


    We left all our luggage inside and went out with only weapons in hand for some recon. I found another riffle about 50 meters upstream that was perfect for bathing. There were also some fish swimming about in the water.


    After looking around a bit, I havent managed to find materials suitable for blocking the base entrance. Wait, theres a fallen tree with arge enough trunk about 150 meters ahead, near the riverbank. It doesnt look durable enough to be used for long, but Ill check it out anyway.


    When I observed closer, the tree really did have a fairly thick looking trunk. It felt like this tree had stood in this area for a considerable amount of years before finally toppling over. Its thickness was just right, but its length was about 10 meters long.


    If I had a tool specialized in cutting trees on hand, it wouldve posed no problem. But I dont have such a thing with me. It even seems I would have a tough time even with an axe due to the thickness of the trunk. It would be too difficult and time consuming with just a knife. A sword isnt exactly suitable either.


    I pulled out my sword anyway and tried hitting it with just the tip. When I did so, the de ended up sinking halfway.


    Wow, this sword sure is sharp! I didnt even put in a lot of strength in that swing. I swung it down with a little more force next. This time, the sword de got buried fully inside. It would be too inconvenient to do this repeatedly.


    If I swung it down with full force every time, there was a chance the sword would chip and break.


    Huh? This situation seemed kinda familiar


    Come to think of it, there was a scenario simr to this one in the game.


    That RPG had a turtle monster which would rebound most attacks if you only hit it with in sword shes. It was a stage where either you defeated the monster first or your sword gets broken in the battle.


    I remember I got a lot of swords broken in that particr stage.


    But if you master the control of Ki, you would be able to pass the stage without your sword getting broken in the process.


    Thats right! I remember now. There was a technique I learned in order to pass that stage.


    Corinth-style Swordsmanship Hidden Technique  Final de


    This was a special technique which would infuse Ki (life energy) from within the body to the de of a sword in order to buff its attack and cutting power.


    Aaargh! That embarrassing name! Really man, what was I thinking back then dammit!?


    Whats up with the whole Ki (life energy) thing anyway? The developers were having too much fun designing that game.


    I remember the days when I desperately tried to copy that skill from an NPC master and managed to obtain it after countless rounds of trial and error. It felt kinda nostalgic and made me want to try it out right now.


    I closed my eyes and took a stance with my sword. I sensed the life energy within my body, controlled its flow and guided it up my arms, towards the sword de Just kidding!


    I was just kinda ying around. But when I opened my eyes once more, my sword released a blinding glow.


    (What the hecks going on!?)


    [Unconfirmed. But we have managed to pick up an unknown energy signature.]


    Again with that stuff huh. Did I really manage to activate Final de?


    I tried lightly shing the trunk with my sword. The tree was easily cut up without offering any resistance whatsoever.


    Oi, oi! What the hecks up with this man? I stared intently at the glowing sword de.


    Even Cleria should find this surprising! When I turned towards her, I found her oggling the tree trunk and not my glowing sword. Huh? Youre concerned about that?


    (This is weird, isnt it?) I asked Nanom.


    [Its abnormal.]


    Yep, thought so. Well, I ended up cutting it anyway, so whatever. Lets make full use of it then. I rolled the log all the way over to our new base.


    When we arrived back, I tried to think of the best method to use the thing. Guess Ill just have to use some strength to move it aside whenever we go out. There wasnt any point to using it to block the entrance if it could be moved away easily anyway. Its length was close to 1 meter, and it looked quite heavy.


    I had Cleria go in first and followed afterwards while pulling the log to seal the entrance. Im d we managed to find something nearby. Cleria would have a hard time moving this thing. The thickness of the trunk fit the entrance nicely. The remaining gaps dont exceed 20 centimeters in width. Dangerous creatures would be unable to easily enter with this.


    When I turned towards Cleria to ask for her opinion, she nodded while seeming impressed.


    Ok. With this, security is set.


    Since it was about ten in the morning already, I decided to have an early lunch. The food tasted alright, even when cold.

 Chapter 10 - Resting Up

    After having lunch, we busied ourselves with getting the interior of the base in order. It was more or less ready after making a makeshift firece and clearing some stones away in order to create a sleeping area.


    We also collected some firewood. There was a lot of driftwood scattered around the riverbank, so it was a rtively easy task.


    Next would be securing food.


    Ill have Cleria take a rest. Should I take off her armor? I gestured my intentions and she agreed. I pointed towards the sleeping area and she obedientlyid down in response. It was great that she was being so cooperative.


    I took up my weapons and the bag used for food collection. I went out of the base and pushed the log back in.


    (Well then, what do I need to gather?)


    [Meat, liver, Poto tubers and vegetables.]


    So liver is categorized differently from meat huh?


    Finding some veggies was up to luck. I just kneaded some nts as usual.


    I can always catch some fishter, so I decided to go into the woods for now. Because the trees and grasses werent so dense, I navigated it quite easily.


    I started kneading the unfamiliar nt life. Looks like its mostly a bust.


    I managed to find a few Potos sometimes, so I gathered them up. Oh, theres some familiar sd-use leafy vegetables over there. These were quite rare, so I took quite a few.


    [Suitable as food.]


    Oh, its been a while! I found another type of vegetable growing next to the sd vegetables.


    [It contains a lot of calcium. Please collect as much as possible.]


    Gotcha. It was a little bitter when eaten fresh. But it would taste better if you fry it.


    Alright. Now for some meat and fish.


    I resumed walking around the forest while kneading away.


    [2 oclock direction. Something is on top of the tree.]


    Something really was there. When I zoomed in, I found a huge bird perched on top of a tree 50 meters out. It kinda resembles a ck colored chicken. It wasrge enough to look out of ce on top of a tree branch.


    Thinking I had to get this thing, I proceeded to pick up some stones suitable for throwing from the riverbank nearby.


    I slowly approached it until about 30 meters and threw a stone at it with full force. Alright!


    I managed to hit it dead on. It fell down immediately. I caught it right away and cut off its neck to drain the blood out of it. I got a [Suitable as food.] response when I touched its blood, so I managed to sessfully procure some meat with this.


    But this guy sure is big. About 1 meter long maybe. I took it way and brought it back to the riverbank with me. I need to catch some fish on the river afterwards to clear todays quota.


    I even managed to find a new edible nt while I was on the way back to the base.


    [Suitable as food.]


    It looked like your typical weed. I tried the leaves and found that they tasted nd. When I pulled it out, I found a bulb-like root.


    This is!? I tried pinching it, and smelled a familiar aroma. This thing smelled just like garlic! I just found a rare treasure.


    They were bunched up in a cluster of five stalks, so I collected them all at once.


    This was a really nice find. It was great because we only had a few seasonings with us.


    I was able to return back after an hour.


    I didnt want Cleria to feel worried, so I returned to the base as soon as I could. She appeared a bit lonely at first but greeted me back happily when she saw me. Nah, she might have cheered up after getting a look at the giant chicken I managed to bring back with me for dinner.


    Guess Ill prepare the bird first before the fish. I proceeded with trying out removing its feathers. There wasnt any particr area with fine feathers, so I was able to quickly dress it.


    When I opened up its stomach, I found arge-sized and strangely white-colored liver. Wait, isnt this the fabled white liver?


    (Can this be eaten raw?)


    [Possible.]


    Great. This is nice. Its my first time to try eating raw liver. Well, even if there are parasites on it, I have nanoms inside me so its fine.


    I actually wanted to grill the thigh meat along with the bones. But they were just toorge, so I, unfortunately, had to de-bone them.


    Lets have the right half of the bird for dinner. I cut the chicken wings and drummettes into portions small enough to consume easily.


    Its a waste, but I had to pass on the breast meat and tenderloin. There were other parts that couldnt be eaten as well. I cut them into a suitable size to serve as fish bait.


    I cut the liver into thin strips and set it aside on the saucepan for the time being.


    Ill work on the fish next. I set up a sieve made of stones on the river water just like yesterday and divided it into two sections. The one near the riverbank would be used to drain the liver pieces of blood. The one opposite would be used to bait some fish. I ced the breast, tenderloin and innard pieces on it.


    Next, I moved a bit further away in order to set up an ambush. I moved about 15 meters away and hunkered down. Cleria also decided to squeeze beside me for some reason. Well, its fine, I guess.


    After a few minutes, I heard some sshing sounds. Yeah! Theyre here. I carefully inched near the makeshift sieve and saw something sshing around energetically inside it. After confirming its figure, I threw my knife at it. Direct hit! With this, Ive finally managed to clear todays quota.


    The fish we caught was as big as yesterday. I immediately removed its scales and chopped it into three portions. It also appeared nice and fatty.


    Oh right. I have to collect the liver I immersed in the river water earlier.


    I washed all the other ingredients and brought all of them back to the base in order to start cooking. Its already evening by the time we got back. Cleria has also started a fire just like yesterday. She was really a sensible youngdy.


    Todays menu was white liver sashimi and stir-fried chicken wings and drummettes with Potos, veggies, and garlic. The main courses are salt grilled salmon and chicken thigh meat seasoned with herbs.


    Lets make them immediately. First, I peeled off the skin from the mock-garlic cloves I managed to get earlier and chopped them as finely as possible. I actually wanted to grate them, but there was no tool for that avable, so I settled with mincing them.


    I ced the white liver pieces on the te and put some minced garlic on top of them. When I gestured for Cleria to eat up, she remained spaced out, so I had to show her how to eat it properly.


    I used a fork to wrapped the liver slice around the minced garlic and dipped them on the salt I ced on the side of the te earlier. This stuffs delish! Theres practically no gamey smell present. The umami vor unique to white liver spreads around my mouth. It paired beautifully with the intense aroma and slightly spicy taste of raw garlic.


    Cleria was a bit taken aback after seeing me, but she eventually copied my earlier actions and tried eating a slice. The moment the slice entered her mouth, her eyes widened in surprise. Afterward, she ate up with incredible momentum once again. Hey, I cant lose to her. Both of us finished them all in a sh.


    Next is the garlic stir-fried chicken wings and drummettes with Poto and wild veggies. Chicken wings and drummettes arent usually used for stir-fried dishes, but I guess its fine.


    First, I heated up the chicken skin I ced aside earlier on the frying pan. They started oozing with oil right away. I took out the fried skins from the pan when they became nice and crispy. Cleria seemed to want to try eating them as is, so I put a few pinches of salt on the te once again and ced some fried skins on it afterward.


    Next, I fried the garlic I cut into chips a little away from the fire in order to slowly let their aroma seep into the oil.


    When the color of the chips turned dark brown, I removed them from the pan right away and set them aside. I fried the Poto tubers next. After sufficiently heating them up, I put in the meat next.


    I cooked the wild vegetablesst because I wanted to preserve their crisp texture. I put the garlic chips back in; finallypleting the dish.


    Yup, its delicious. The vor of the garlic-infused chicken oil has seeped well inside the Potos, making it really tasty. The unique texture of the chicken meat was also good. The vegetables were really suited for stir-frying as well. It was a really great dish.


    When I grilled the salmon with salt, a notice from Nanom requested to have Cleria eat as much of the skin as possible. Aww man. The skins my favorite part. Well, its for Clerias sake, so I had no choice but to do as requested. Man, its delicious as usual.


    Last would be the grilled chicken thigh meat. It was cut into bite-sized pieces in advance and rubbed with salt, pepper and plenty of herbs. I grilled them until the skin attained a crispy texture. Afterward, I grilled the other parts until they were sufficiently cooked and ced the pieces on top of a te.


    I then wrapped it with the wide leaves of the sd vegetables and ate them by hand. Cleria was again surprised by my actions but imitated me once more.


    It was, of course, delicious as heck. The chicken skin was nice and crispy, the meat overflowed with umami vor and rich juices with each bite and the fresh vegetables wrapping them up created an exquisite harmony. Excellent.


    Cleria looks quite satisfied as well. I reserved the other half of the bird meat and the remaining fish meat for tomorrows breakfast and lunch.


    After we finished our meal, its about time to learn thenguage. For the time being, I had Nanom update thenguage database with the knowledge weve collected thus far.


    Kuh! Arge amount of data was uploaded inside my head all at once, so I got assaulted by a feeling of dizziness.


    The update was handled directly by Nanom, and involved brain and memory maniption, much like the senior officers education process. Knowledge is converted in a form that can be directly transferred to a persons brain and can be immediately used the same way as knowledge obtained naturally through personal experience.


    One might think it was tempting to transfer as much knowledge as possible, but the human brain is not designed to store a vast amount of information. If one attempted to, there was a great risk of the persons consciousness copsing.


    Only knowledge corresponding to the ones a person can gain with effort through learning can be uploaded; such asnguage, imperial military ranks, and recipes. The total amount of information that can be updated was also limited. It was not possible to upload info greater than the amount a person can handle in his or her entire lifetime.


    I gestured to Cleria in order to make her continue teaching me about theirnguage. After a few exchanges, it seems she finally understood my intentions. She talked to me in a deliberately slow and clear cadence in order to better facilitate my learning.


    As expected, I dont get anything she said at all. Ill just have Nanom upload it allter.


    Thenguage learning session with Cleriastedte into the night; illuminated by the bonfire.


    Weve been going through the same routine for about four days now. Every morning, I asked Nanom to prepare a detailed objective list based on the nutritional intake needed by Cleria for the day.


    I finished fulfilling these objectives at about 2 to 3 P.M. every day, went back to base, cooked dishes, had dinner and proceeded withnguage learning.


    It kinda felt like a parent bird leaving the nest to find food for the chicks or something.


    It looks like Nanom wanted to check the current state of Clerias foot today, and had requested a check-up. I conveyed my intention to check her foot to Cleria. She nodded pensively while sporting a look of conviction.


    I removed the prosthetic and unwrapped the bandages. The cross-section still looked like a stump, but the previously thin skin membrane has now thickened to a normal degree. The biggest difference was that a part of the leg has already been regenerated sessfully. It previously went down to just until the mid-portion of the shin but has now stretched to just above the ankle. About ten centimeters have been restored.


    Cleria was visibly surprised when she saw the state of her foot. She seemed to want to say something but stopped midway a couple of times, with her delicate lips opening and closing intermittently. It was quite an amusing reaction. She kept touching her partially restored foot in disbelief. Oh yeah, I did forget to exin to her about the whole regeneration thing. Oh well. Shell get it once her foot gets entirely restored anyway.


    The current prosthetic can no longer be used. If her ankle gets regenerated, she would no longer be able to remove her leg from the prosthetics opening.


    I gestured to let her know that I was going to remake the prosthetic, and Cleria nodded absentmindedly. She kept her gaze locked on her now restored shin. Is she okay?


    I managed to finish remodeling the prosthetic during the morning because the materials have already been gathered and were readily avable. The suspension was simply fixed to the foot using four belt straps. It was still possible to adjust its height a little. However, you could not walk long distances with it anymore since it wasnt as stable as before.


    When I equipped it to Cleria and had her try it out, it seems she would not have any trouble walking for the most part. Right then. Lets start fulfilling todays tasks. It was a bitte in the day, but I already have a grasp of the location of different vegetables and prey, so Ill manage somehow.


    Then, about two dayster, I tried to go out in the morning, only to be stopped by Cleria. She seems to want to tell me about something. I was worried that the remade prosthetic was ufortable for her, but it turned out not to be the case.


    It was actually about her foot. Now, the bandages were unnecessary. When I checked it out, it seems to have regenerated up to a little below the ankle.


    She sat down with a thoughtful expression and pointed towards her foot, starting from where it was first cut off from to its current length. She seemed to want to confirm if I was truly restoring her foot. When I nodded in the affirmative, she freezes up.


    Lets give her some extra details then.


    (Please disy the estimated regenerated portion for each day in red.)


    The estimated points were immediately disyed by Nanom and highlighted in red. I raised my fingers one at a time and counted off, pointing out how much of her foot would be restored per day to Cleria. At the current rate, her foot should bepletely restored within eight days.


    Afterward, tears began to fall from Clerias eyes and she ended up crying a lot. She was wailing unreservedly. Aw geez. Come to think of it, if your cut off foot suddenly began growing back all of a sudden without any prior exnation why, of course, youd be anxious. I went and did something bad.


    I gently stroked her head in order to calm her down. Cleria was surprised by it and stopped crying. I exined through gestures that Ill fix up her arm as well, but it would take more time if she doesnt eat properly. She nodded happily.


    The amount of food Cleria ate that day was astonishing.


    ******


    I was lying down inside the base.


    Lord Corinth was currently out searching for food. It has been three days since wevee to this ce.


    Is it really okay to leave things as they are? I couldnt help but think. Thats because all I did was sleep around all day while Lord Corinth struggles to find food to eat.


    All of the meals Lord Corinth cooks are amazing delicacies, and I have noints about them whatsoever. Is my foot getting better. I had no idea because it didnt feel painful at all.


    Todays meal was also excellent.


    The next morning, Lord Corinth asked me to show him my foot. It finally came! What if its gotten worse? I wanted it to be otherwise if possible.


    I was astonished the moment I saw my foot. Was my leg actually recovering and growing in length!? I was sure it was cut off from the middle of the shin! But now it has grown up until the area above the ankle.


    How can this possibly be!? A foot cant just regrow itself like this. Has my head somehow turned strange?


    I wanted to ask Lord Corinth to confirm. What if I really was going crazy? What if I was only imagining things and my leg was still cut off from the middle of the shin? I anxiously touched it. I could properly feel it with my hand.


    But if I truly turned crazy, then was this sense of touch also an imagined one?


    After that, Lord Corinth offered to remake my prosthetic. Why would he need to remake it? It did feel like it would be better for it to be remade, but I didnt pay this much attention. My head was preupied with a lot of other things.


    I spent the next couple of days constantly mulling over it.


    I heard that people who lost their limbs would sometimes experience a mental shock. Was I like that as well?


    It has grown again after these past days. There was an ankle that wasnt present until now. Ah, I cant stand it any longer. I had to confirm things with Lord Corinth.


    If I truly went crazy, then Ill ask for help on how to cure it.


    The next morning, I finally asked Lord Corinth before he went out for another hunt. I told him through gestures that my leg was growing back. See, it had already grown back this much.


    Lord Corinth simply nodded in confirmation.


    I couldnt understand. Legs dont just grow back like this


    He then raised the fingers of one of his hands and counted off while pointing to my foot with another  starting from the tip up to points where there was nothing presently.


    Was he telling me how much my foot would grow back per day?


    Aah! Yes, this must be the case! Lord Corinth knew from the start! He must have healed me with an unknown method I am unable to understand!


    He stopped counting with his fingers after reaching the number eight. My foot would be restored in eight days! Just eight days! How utterly incredible!


    I did not go crazy! Thank goodness!


    I started crying before I noticed it. This is so great! Im so happy!


    Lord Corinth suddenly stroked my head just like how my dear brother did. I was so surprised!


    Afterward, Lord Corinth exined with gestures that he would heal my arm next after my foot recovers. He indicated the number of days and how much it would grow back, just like with my foot. It would heal in eight days as well if I kept eating as I did.


    However, the recovery would slow down if I didnt eat as much.


    Ill eat a lot of Lord Corinths tasty dishes. I can finish whatever amount if thats all it takes to restore my limbs.


    I shall eat away with my entire heart and soul!

 Chapter 11 - Addendum – Those Connected To Humanity

    Humanity first encountered other human civilizations apart from them 1513 years before the establishment of the Gctic Empire.


    It urred when aary survey ship from Adele, the third of the Asaport System, made its rounds exploring the distant Gaia Star System.


    The crew of the ship from Adele was initially ecstatic after discovering a which could possibly support human life, but as the survey progressed, they discovered that the housed flora and fauna simr to the ones on their home, and was even home to life forms uncannily simr to them. They were shocked to discover another distinct human civilization which possessed a simr gic structure to their own.


    As each civilizations exchange progressed, scientific evidence surfaced which suggested that their two civilizations had evolved independently from each other. But why did they possess a simr gic structure then? It was thought to be impossible for two life forms which have evolved independently from each other to possess identical gic make-ups.


    This led to various heated discussions on boths; the most epted theory being humanity not evolving independently but was instead brought to a with an environment suitable for them to live on and was left there to develop on their own by an unknown third party.


    The theory admittedly had a lot of holes, but nothing apart from it could properly exin the perplexing situation of both civilizations.


    As the years passed and the investigations of the Adele authorities progressed, this Third Party Theory finally became official after it was found that the situation was exactly simr to the second and third human civilizations they managed to discover.


    There were a couple instances where the encounters ended on a bitter note, but the exchanges between the various civilizations were generally peaceful as a whole.


    The scientific development of the other civilizations discovered by Adele was lower than their own, but the Adele government helped raised their level by providing various technologies, though not without cost, to the others.


    1023 years before the Empire was founded, the Adele government proposed to institute a Gctic Alliance with the variouss housing the other human civilizations which they had discovered. The condition for joining the Alliance was limited to [those connected to Humanity]. The rules were quite loose and no particr objections were raised, so all of the other humans ended up joining.


    Some time passed, and 33 years before the foundation of the Empire, the Gctic Alliance had already managed to discover 151s housing human civilizations all throughout the gxy. The positions of the variouss were not densely packed in a particr sector, but were instead evenly distributed.


    And in the same year, the Human Gctic Alliance entered into a war and won against a human civilization sporting technology more advanced than Adele. The newly discovered civilization introduced itself as the Saiyan Imperium and immediately dered war on the Human Gctic Alliance.


    The gap in technology wasnt overwhelminglyrge, but the Saiyan Imperium still enjoyed a major advantage due being two to three steps ahead in the tech development race.


    The Adele government, which was considered the de facto leader of the Alliance, called for a gathering of all Alliance forces and nned to counter the tech gap with overwhelming numbers. But the Human Gctic Alliances rules were too loose and ineffective to practically implement. Each member chose to protect their native star systems instead.


    As a result, the nned countermeasure of the Adele government fell through, and one system after another got upied by the Imperium.


    But ten years before the Gctic Empires founding, the Adele Starfleet was able to obtain a variety of critical information, including the coordinates of the Saiyan Empires home, from a Saiyan Imperium ship they had luckily managed to capture intact.


    ording to the info, the Saiyan Imperium hasnt managed to discover other human civilizations apart from itself before encountering the Human Gctic Alliance. They didnt have that many active colonies either. In other words, once their main star system was destroyed, the state of the war could be reversed immediately.


    The Adele government spent several years organizing a fleet which could destroy the enemys home system, andmenced assault operations.


    The strategy was simple yet utterly chilling: totalary destruction instead of upation.s were to be destroyed by Nova missiles. A direct hit by one or two Nova missiles wouldpletely annihte each on the enemys home system.


    The Adele fleet first fired off thousands of Nova missiles which would head to their designated targets at a pace close to the speed of light from a sector outside the enemy star system. They thenunched a simultaneous assault soon afterwards.


    The Adele Starfleet managed to sessfully destroy all thes housed inside the enemys home system using only missile attacks. The main Saiyan Imperium Space Fleet suffered catastrophic damage from the raid, and those who managed to survive were scattered all throughout the upied humans.


    Many humans that were members of the Human Gctic Alliance felt utter terror from the ruthless operation initiated by the Adele government which resulted in the genocide of billions of humans.


    In the first year marking the start of the Gctic Imperial calendar, the Adele government dered the destruction of the Saiyan Imperium and the abolishment of the Human Gctic Alliance. It then proimed the establishment of the Greater Human Gctic Empire.


    The rules binding the former Human Gctic Alliance being loose was because of considerations regarding the continued survival and development of the human race as a whole.


    On the other hand, the Greater Human Gctic Empire was primarily established by the human civilizations first discovered by the Adele government which have been working closely with it during the war and thes formerly upied by the Saiyan Imperium whose citizens were subjected to exceedingly harsh treatment.


    All the other humans which were formerly members of the now-defunct Alliance greatly feared the newly formed Empires technology and the merciless ughter of the Saiyan Imperium, and were absorbed into the Empire one by one. Eventually, all discovered humans were fully incorporated into the Greater Human Gctic Empire.


    Ever since the sessful establishment of the Gctic Empire, Adele treated all the members fairly and ruled for the sake of all humankind, so the Empire developed greatly and prospered. The bond between members became even stronger after the advent of the Bug threat.


    In the year 2248 of the Imperial Calendar, the members increased to an impressive 276  with the number ofs which could support human life, including the colonies, exceeding 200.


    ***


    Greater Human Gctic Empire Navy Heavy Cruiser Zapata Gougan Commander Ahim Add was pleasantly surprised after receiving a certain report from Zapata.


    So, am I correct in concluding that weve actually discovered the 277th human civilization?


    [There is no mistake in the analysis. Even now, weve been intercepting various radio waves and signals from the aforementioned. Weve finished deciphering the waves. They appear to be an outdated form of digital signals.]


    A video was disyed to Ahim. In the said video, a young human woman was seen cooking food. It seemed to be a cooking show.


    Ahim was beyond overjoyed. Hed gone and done it! His ship discovered the home to the 277th human civilization. His name and his ship were sure to be immortalized in Empire history!


    This was a great discovery! A digital signal you say!? Just how many years has it been since the discovery of a housing a human civilization with this much technological development? He checked using his nanoms. Three hundred twelve years!? The Empire citizens would surely make a huge fuss. They made such a racket from the discovery of that with a primitive civilization fifty years ago after all.


    Start data collection procedures. Send a high prioritymunique to the home country after 72 hours through the special high-speed channel. And be sure to indicate myself as the one responsible for formal negotiations. Ill leave the exact contents to you.


    In this particr sector, sending out messages through the FTL method would take roughly a year for it to reach the Empire. Utilizing the specialized high-speed channel would be several months faster.


    Can the locals from that detect this ship?


    [Thats improbable. We immediately switched to stealth mode after discovering intelligent life.]


    Good. Excellent work! Please proceed. I want to take this slowly but surely if possible.


    [Well then, would it would be fine to use the drones?]


    Drop all units and ce them on stealth mode. Ill leave thending points to you.


    [Understood.]


    Ahim then updated his personal log with the details regarding the discovery of a new human.


    ***


    Five yearster, the Greater Human Gctic Empire announced the incorporation of the human Earth as a member.


    The imperial citizens all rejoiced at the news of Earths sessful addition. Each expansion of the human domain would mean additional strength to repel the Bug threat. And it had been over three hundred years since the incorporation of a with such a developed civilization. The entertainment-starved imperial citizens moured for information regarding Earth.


    The Earth was treated as an Imperial territory with limited autonomy. In order to lift the restrictions, it was necessary to meet several conditions brought forth by the Empire.


    These were the sufficient enhancement of technology to eptable levels, reaching a certain ability to defend against the Bug threat, sending a number of local citizens to serve in the Gctic Empire military rtive to thes total poption and so on.


    In other words, Earth needed to actively participate in foreign exchange. The Empire usually treats the buying and selling of certain types of cultural information, tourism and trade as types of foreign exchange.


    Even though humanity had the same gic structure and lived in simr environmental conditions, the process of development for each particr civilization was very different, and from that arises a unique way of thinking and culture. The Imperial government secures this information and then sells them to other interested humans.


    This was especially the case with Earth, which housed a wide variety of races and cultures.


    The demand for tourist trips to Earth quickly ballooned to shocking levels, and the Imperial government decided to implement a lottery system in response. The probability rates for sessfully winning the lottery increased to over 2000 times, and the price of buying and selling said tourist rights also increased ordingly. The price was roughly equal to two times the annual ie of regr imperial citizens on aary scale.


    Of course, the only ones who could afford such a steep price for the tourist rights and travel fare to the frontier sector were a handful of major celebrities and the rich and famous. As a result, sightseeing on Earth has be a major proof of ones wealth and status.


    The general masses usually follow whatever those famous celebs get hooked on. Although the average citizens could go on a sightseeing tourist trip to Earth, they could at least get things like Earth-based ingredients and cooking recipes. The Empire imposed harsh tariffs on these things, resulting in the umtion of foreign currency on the.


    After enough information spreads, it eventually leads to the public demanding more regarding the Earth. Thus, whatever fads were currently trending on Earth ended up trending in the entire Empire as well, and the established itself as the origin of all things hip and cool.


    TL Notes: Too bad the Saiyan Imperium didnt have Prince Vegeta or Kakarot. They could have won otherwise. Darn shame

 Chapter 12 - Magic

    Nine days have gone by since weve made ourselves at home in our makeshift base. Clerias foot has nearly recovered fully, and she could more or less walk on her own by dragging her injured foot on the ground. Clerias mood has visibly improved ever since she found out that her limbs would recover. I should have properly exined it to her earlier.


    When I asked her whether shed prefer setting off again as soon as her foot recovers or waiting until her hand also gets regenerated, she picked thetter option. So it seems were going to be staying at this base for a few more days.


    She looked a bit troubled about the fact that shes been doing nothing but resting at the base in thest few days and asked me to give her a few pointers on swordsmanship. I went with teaching her some basic one-handed swordbos. I didnt know jack squat about proper swordsmanship after all.


    Food procurements also going rather swimmingly. Ive be more proficient in hunting wild game and foraging for food itemspared to a few days ago, and I usually manage toe back before noon. Cleria then taught me hernguage whenever we had free time.


    Ive also progressed in learning the localnguage and its be possible to have simple conversations with her using short phrases. I updated thenguage database quite often after all.


    Today, I also finished food hunting quite early and am now about to go back to the base. The prey I managed to catch was a small-sized Big Boar which looked to be about 30 Kilos. It seemed a bit troublesome to butcher it in the middle of the mountains so I drained its blood and carried the whole carcass back.


    Cleria seems to have gone out of the base to gather firewood near the riverside. Id rather have her rest up inside the base though.


    When she noticed meing back, Cleria cheerfully approached to greet me while dragging her foot. The prosthetic was covered with the damaged boot that had been chewed ragged by a Grayhound.


    Wee back, Mr. Corinth!


    Im back, Cleria.


    Man. Having someone to wee you back after a hard days work really feels great! However, its still hard to say whether or not the proper meaning of the words were using to speak to each other is being conveyed correctly because there are still insufficient samples. This is because Ive been relying solely on what Nanoms currently tranted through deductive analysis.


    For example, [Wee back, Mr. Corinth!] might actually mean [Thats a lot of meat, Mr. Corinth!] or something like that. Ive only ever heard her say these words whenever I brought back some prey after all.


    Well, based on Clerias attitude, it seems likely that shes been calling me with some sort of honorific attached, so the trantion Mr. is likely an urate approximation.


    I think shes using it cause Im a bit older than her, but Id prefer it if she called me by name instead. I didnt really dig the whole polite address thing. It sounded a bit too distant and stiff.


    Cleria, its n. Not [Mr. Corinth]. Okay?


    Cleria froze up a bit for some reason. She then blushed red and called me n in a embarrassed tone.


    I proceeded to butcher the Big Boar at the rivers edge. Cleria watched me intently. She seemed to be trying to learn the butchering methods by observing my work.


    Or maybe she was just really looking forward to dinner. Clerias appetites been nothing short of monstrous. The nanoms may have been helping her with digesting all that food, but I still think it would be better if shed toned it down a bit to avoid the possibility of an upset tummy.


    Alright, butcherings done. Lets have some lunch!


    When I went back inside the base to start cooking, I noticed that the bonfires gone out.


    Now that I think about it, Clerias always managed to keep lighting a fire on her own. How exactly does she do it? Does she have some sort of tool?


    Clerias also noticed that the fires gone out and proceeded to put in some new firewood on top of the makeshift firece. While I was looking on curiously, she suddenly closed her eyes and turned her open palm towards the wood pile.


    After about ten seconds, she opened her eyes and uttered Fire. A jet of me was then released 20 centimeters away from her open palm!


    (Huh!? What the heck happened!?)


    [Exact phenomenon unknown. However, the energy readings are identical to what was recorded previously.]


    Really? But seriously, what was that?


    Cleria brought her hand back down after releasing a jet of me towards the firece like a methrower for about ten seconds. The firewood zed right up.


    Cleria, what was that just now?


    Cleria gave me a puzzled stare. When she finally understood what I was asking about, she started exining it to me while sporting a somewhat proud expression, but there were a lot of unfamiliar words, so I didnt really get most of what she was trying to say.


    Basically, she was proud of how short it took her to release the earlier jet of me.


    I somehow got reminded of the superhero shows I watched in the Holobit when I was a kid, where they would fight evil using all sorts of superpowers. But that was purely fiction.


    (Is Cleria an Esper or something?)


    [That is one possibility. However, basing on her response to your previous query, this type of ability may be fairlymon on this.]


    That really might be the case. Nanoms already detected that unknown energy signature a total three times. Two of the instances were caused by Cleria, and one was caused by me when I suddenly made my sword glow.


    When my sword lit up, Cleria didnt really mind it and acted surprised about how effortlessly I cut the log instead. In other words, it seemed that glowing swords werent exactly all that umon.


    If Cleria was truly an Esper, then I suppose Id be one too cause I made my sword glow and all. Did I somehow develop some sort of superpower when Inded on this? I dont really feel any different though.


    [One possible hypothesis avable. The sensors response is simr to the unknown energy readings first recorded on Salza 2 of the Elider Star System.]


    Elider Star System? I think Ive heard of it from somewhere? Oh yeah!


    I actually learned about it in the Gctic Military Academy. It was famously known as a naturally human-habitable that was discovered about forty years ago.s which can support human life naturally without the use of terraforming were quite rare after all.


    There was an unknown energy form discovered when a researcher was attacked by an indigenous life-form of that and got injured. A dog-like creature attacked the said researcher from a distance of more than ten meters sporting unprecedented speed that was literally instantaneous.


    After the incident, the creature was sessfully captured and studied, but it waster found that its physical structure could not possibly support such absurd eleration. Subsequent research revealed that the creature somehow enhanced its physical abilities through the use of some form of energy. Thats about all I knew about the incident.


    [A new point of research has been opened. However, if the unknown energy signature truly resembles the one recorded on Salza 2, a dedicated experimental sensor developed for use as a research aid due to that previous case is needed to investigate in better detail.]


    (Is it possible for us to build such a sensor right now?)


    [Although possible, it requires the consumption of five rare metal tablets and a five day manufacturing period.]


    (Lets start the production processter.)


    [Understood.]


    If the people on this can truly use such abilities freely, then it would be a bit troublesome. I previously thought wed be able to pull through even if the people chasing after Cleria were to catch up to us somehow as long as I had my trusty rifle, but this new variableplicates things.


    These abilities seemed potentially dangerous. It shouldnt be limited to releasing mes either. There might possibly be more.


    Cleria uttered Fire before using her ability earlier. If she could only create mes, then it wouldnt make sense for her tobel it specifically like that. I think she did so in order to distinguish it from her other abilities.


    Well, its all theories in the end. If I want to know for sure, Id have to ask Cleria directly. However, I needed to expand my current vocabry more in order to do that. Looks like I need to work harder to learn the localnguage.


    I suddenly noticed Cleria worriedly staring at me. Oops. I spaced out a bit there. Lets have lunch then.


    ***


    Clerias foot has finally been fully restored after fourteen days. Cleria thanked me in tears after I handed back her greave which I hadnt thrown away.


    The newly regenerated foot wasnt in the best condition and was in need of some rehabilitation, which was facilitated by Nanom.


    I joined Cleria for a walk near the rivers edge as a form of rehab activity. Sincenguage learning has progressed enough, we were finally able to have a decent conversation with each other. I finally asked about the thing that was bugging me for the past days as we continued our walk.


    Hey Cleria, can you do other stuff apart from the thing you used to light up the bonfirest time?


    Oh, you mean *****?


    Nanom immediately tranted and updated the database. The resulting trantion for the word was magic.


    Yeah, that. Can you use other magic?


    Yes, of course Cleria replied while seemingly surprised at my sudden question.


    Can you show me?


    Cleria paused a little, but eventually faced the river and raised her hand forward with eyes closed. After about fifteen seconds, she opened her eyes and said Fireball.


    Approximately twenty centimeters away from her palm, a ball of me with a size less than thirty centimeters appeared and flew towards the river. It was about as fast a stone that was hurled forward. It hit the river water and promptly got extinguished.


    Whoah, cool! The speed was unexpectedly slow though, but it somehow felt fresh. It would be scary if one of these flew at you.


    I looked at Cleria encouragingly with a gaze filled with anticipation to see other types of magic.


    She put her hand forward again, and after thirty seconds uttered out me Arrow.


    This time, three ming arrows appeared at the tip of her palm and flew towards the river. They were noticeably faster than the fireball earlier, and flew at a speedparable to real arrows, hitting the river and making a loud noise.


    Whoah! Thats amazing too! Seems like a higher ss of magicpared to Fireball. Seems pretty simple enough.


    Are there any more? Cleria didnt disappoint and pointed her palm towards the shore this time. Is it a spell only useable onnd?


    After thirty seconds, she opened her eyes and uttered Firewall. A raging wall of mes appeared about five meters ahead of her. The height was less than two meters and the width was about five meters.


    Whoah!


    Thats impressive! It was probably used to serve as an obstruction to ones opponents during battle. But it seemed to pose more of a burden on the caster. Cleria brought her hand back down after a few moments, and the me wall disappeared.


    Thats all the fire magic I can use Cleria stated.


    So thats her fire magic huh? As I thought, there are other types as well.


    What other types of magic can you use?


    She paused once more and held her hand out towards the river. After ten seconds, she opened her eyes and said Water. Water gushed out from Clerias palm, and only stopped when she brought it down.


    Wow, aint this like creating matter from nothing? How amazing.


    Cleria seemed a bit embarrassed after her disy of thest spell.


    Thats the only water magic I can cast.


    So shes good at fire magic but not as proficient in water magic. Shes still impressive enough though.


    Is the water drinkable?


    Yes, of course you can Cleria made a bewildered expression and answered.


    In other words, as long as I had Cleria with me, drinking water wont be a problem anymore. Thats seriously great news. Magics really convenient!


    (Have you managed to find out anything?)


    The sensor Imissioned Nanom to make five days ago was nowplete.


    [Weve acquired a suitable amount of intriguing data.]


    (Can I try using magic too?)


    I wanna have a go at it. I mean, I did manage to make my sword glow and all. Thats gotta mean I had some talent at least.


    [It should be possible for you. Weve managed to map the energy flow inside the human body.]


    A schematic showing the flow of magical energy inside the body was then disyed on a virtual window in front of me.


    I see. It kinda resembles the route I imagined when I identally activated Final de. Last time, I visualized the bioenergy inside my body and let it travel though my arms and inside the de of the sword. Its the same principle here huh.


    (How do I release fire though?)


    It seemed that there was no visible change in the energy inside the body until after they came out as fire or water.


    Did Cleria close her eyes in order to visualize what spell she wanted to use? She thought of an image of water or fireing out so she could cast the spells? Is that how it is?


    Um, can you also use magic n?


    Cleria still seemed embarrassed whenever she called me by name for some reason.


    Was my name equivalent to a word she found embarrassing to say in hernguage? I hope not.


    But Clerias question came at the right time. I was totally itching to have a go.


    Instead of answering her, I pointed my palm in front towards the river. I once again imagined my bodys bioenergy being molded inside me. I then guided the energy through my outstretched arm and released it through my open palm. I maintained an image of a ball of mes flying straight towards the river al throughout the process.


    Now! A fireball flew towards the river waters just like Clerias spell earlier and disappeared when it hit the water.


    Hey, I did it! Was it really this easy? This is really fun man! I cant really express the feeling in words, but its totally different from shooting with a weapon. However, it takes too long tounch out. Ten seconds or so, right? I dont think this could be practically used in an actual fight.


    (Have you managed to analyze the process?)


    [Weve managed to formte an energy convergence routine. It would be possible to store up pre-loaded shots.]


    Great! Youll be responsible for the troublesome parts while I concentrate solely on forming the image.


    A [READY] indicator appeared in a corner of a virtual disy window. Im really pumped. I cant exactly describe it, but it kinda felt like energy was welling up inside me or something.


    I pointed my palm forward and imagined a fireball. Fire!


    A fireball flew out towards the river once more. Great, I did it! Alright!


    A [READY x3] indicator then appeared on the virtual window. Good going, Nanom!


    I imaginedunching fireballs in rapid session. Fire, fire, fire!


    Three fireballs flew out of my palm and hit the river water.


    Now Ill just have to work on the power.


    Lets try changing the image. The [READY x3] popped up once again.


    I imagined the standard issue grenade we were supplied with in the military.


    Fire Grenade!


    I triedunching three at once, but only one shot was fired. Itnded on the river and exploded.


    Water wasunched up into the air due to the explosion and dropped back down towards me and Cleria, making us totally soaked.


    Oh, boy. I went and did it now. I got a bit too carried away. Looks like magics really something very dangerous. I have to be more careful from now on.


    Cleria just stood still, seemingly petrified.


    (Why did thatst spell only fire out one shot?)


    [It seems it was due to the amount of energy required tounch a shot.]


    The [READY x3] indicator was gone. So one Fire Grenade needed three fireballs worth of energy huh?


    Looks like I have to experiment a bit and collect more data. There would be a danger of an unforeseen ident urring otherwise. Lets research carefully then.


    Anyway, the experiment was a sess. What great results.


    Afterwards, Cleria finally snapped out of her trance but walked back to the base with me with noticeably heavier steps while disying a somewhat dejected expression.

 Chapter 13 - Practicing Magic

    Lord Corinth went out to hunt today as well.


    Ive be able engage in some simple conversations with Lord Corinthtely. I quite enjoyed talking with him.


    Lord Corinth is really amazing. He is quick to memorize every word and phrase and only needs to hear them once. Its fun to teach him because hes such a quick learner. His proficiency in mynguage increases at an impressive and almost unbelievable rate.


    Its been about nine days since wevee to this makeshift base. Ive be able to walk on my own by dragging my injured foot on the ground.


    Lord Corinth took my greaves out from his bag and gave them back to me. Somehow, I felt really happy. Lord Corinth is always so considerate towards me.


    However, I was also troubled about how exactly I would be able to repay his kindness.


    He asked me what I wanted to do after my foot healed yesterday. He made me decide if I wanted to resume our journey once my footpletely recovers or wait until my hand gets healed as well. It seemed that if we resumed travelling, we would not be able to have meals like what weve been eating until now, so my hands recovery would take more time.


    I didnt even need to think twice. I chose to stay and wait until my hand heals and my bodypletely recovers. I dont want to always be beholden to Lord Corinths protection like when we were attacked by monsters some days ago. I want to be able to fight together with him, side by side.


    It was hard for me to have to always depend on Lord Corinths care, but Ive already made a vow to Goddess Ruminas. I swore to definitely repay this favor someday.


    Thus, I have to be even stronger. I practiced the sword forms Lord Corinth taught me after I collected firewood from the rivers edge. Once my footpletely recovers, Id be able to train more effectively.


    It seems Lord Corinth hase back. He brought a Big Boar with him.


    Wee back, *Lord Corinth.


    Im back, Cleria.


    Just the act of exchanging greetings like this has made me feel greatly embarrassed. Ive never weed anyone else back apart from my family. Also, I only noticed it when we started to have proper conversations, but Lord Corinth always uses my first name whenever he addresses me. Even in noble society, the only one allowed to call someone of the opposite sex by their first name apart from family was a persons fianc.


    I dont think Lord Corinth meant anything more to his actions, but an embarrassing thing was an embarrassing thing. And while I was preupied with such thoughts


    Cleria, its n. Not [*Lord Corinth]. Okay?


    He told me straight to call him by his first name as well. I heard of this once from Fal. It seemed that it was currently a trend for the men of lower nobility to ask ady they fancy to call them by their first name as a subtle way of proposing their feelings. I understand that Lord Corinth didnt really mean something of the sort. It was probably just how things were in Lord Corinths country.


    n I meekly called out to him.


    Lord Corinth seemed d and nodded back at me.


    Lord Corinth proceeded to butcher the Big Boar with an air of a professional chef.


    It never crossed my mind when I was in the capital, but I actually think I want to learn how to do something like this as well. Let me try to learn then. Im looking forward to having some Big Boar meat again!


    When we went back to the base, we saw that the bonfire had already gone out. Not good! Lighting a fire was one of the few things I could help out with after all. I weaved my mana and used magic to reignite the bonfire. Lord Corinth seemed somewhat surprised with what I did.


    Cleria, what was that just now?


    I wonder what he means. I just used the Fire spell to reignite the bonfire, thats all. Oh, maybe he was surprised about how short it took for me to cast my magic.


    Yes, I may not really look like it, but Im actually quite an aplished mage. Ive even been told Im already qualified to be a court magician. But the only system I was good at was fire magic though.


    I exined as such to Lord Corinth, and he seemed satisfied with my answer.


    Now its time for Lord Corinths cooking. Im going to eat my fill today as well!


    Lord Corinth became quite proficient in mynguage before long. We began to converse with each other more and more, so I took an opportunity to ask what was on my mind for the past few days.


    How exactly did my arm and leg get healed?


    ording to Lord Corinth, he summoned tiny spiritual beings invisible to the naked eye which were residing inside of him and made them enter my body as well. He then asked them to heal me.


    In all honesty, if I had heard such an absurd thing from someone other than Lord Corinth, I would most likely hold some doubts against them.


    Of course, I properly believed in the existence of Goddess Ruminas spirit familiars. But something like housing spirits in ones body truly went againstmon sense.


    Despite this, I still believed in Lord Corinth. A great and noble person like him could not possiblyck the favour of Goddess Ruminas.


    My recovering limbs were proof enough that he really could converse with and implore the spirits to hear his wishes.


    In the first ce, only divine power could possibly do something like the restoration of severed limbs.


    Lord Corinth seemed to notice some apprehension on my expression. He suddenly took out his knife and cut his arm. His action was so quick that I didnt even have the chance to stop him.


    However, only one or two drops of blood flowed out from the wound, and it healed at an astonishing rate, visible to the naked eye. After a few moments, there wasnt even a scratch to be seen. This was totally impossible even with the use of high order healing magic.


    Yes, this couldnt possibly be anything like healing magic!


    Amazing! He really was favoured by the Goddess and her spirits!


    Did I also receive divine favour through Lord Corinth? I didnt doubt him in the slightest at this point, but I somehow wanted to try it for myself.


    I took the knife and cut myself in the same way. Lord Corinth didnt move to stop me. I felt some pain for an instant, but it went away just as fast as it came. My wound also immediately closed up. How truly amazing!


    Ooh! I have also received the grace of the spirits! I trembled in excitement.


    Lord Corinth then asked me what I wanted to do with the spirits once my limbs healed. He could either request them to leave me or make them continue to reside in me.


    I chose to have them stay inside me.


    This power was necessary for me in the future. There would probably be quite a lot of people who would even sell away their souls to gain such a power.


    Lord Corinth just nodded in agreement, as if it was just a simple matter. I once again owe another great favor to Lord Corinth.


    Finally, after a few more days, my foot becamepletely restored. It was great to be able to walk on two whole feet again.


    ording to Lord Corinth, I need to go on frequent walks in order to get used to my newly re-grown foot. It certainly did feel quite stiff. It would pose a problem when we resume travelling.


    I took a walk along the riverside with Lord Corinth. After we spent a while walking along, Lord Corinth asked me something.


    Hey Cleria, can you do other stuff apart from the thing you used to light up the bonfirest time?


    The way he said it was a little strange, but I understood what he meant. He seems to be asking me if I could use spells other than Fire.


    I guess he wanted to confirm what magic spells I could use. Of course Id dly oblige. I didnt want Lord Corinth to think I couldnt cast other spells apart from Fire after all.


    Let me cast a Fireball then. I sessfully cast it after fifteen seconds or so. It was a rtively fast casting time. Lord Corinth seemed surprised.


    I want to show him even more magic spells, so I cast me Arrow next. I took thirty seconds to cast it, which was my best time thus far. I hope I managed to impress Lord Corinth with it.


    I casted Firewall as well, but I couldnt maintain it for long. Lord Corinth also seemed surprised by the Firewall spell. I told him these were all the fire system spells I knew. He then asked if I could cast any other types of magic.


    I showed him water magic. Lord Corinth seemed the most surprised and impressed when I cast a Water spell. How embarrassing. A lot of people could cast a basic Water spell after all, and I think me casting it didnt warrant such a reaction.


    After that, Lord Corinth asked if the water I produced was drinkable. How strange. Even little children knew of the fact that water produced by spells was drinkable. I answered yes to him of course.


    Maybe Lord Corinth wasnt really all that familiar with magic?


    Um, can you also use magic n?


    Im still not used to calling him by his first name. It really made me feel utterly embarrassed.


    He answered with actions instead of words. He held his hand up towards the river.


    So fast! He didnt even take ten seconds to cast a Fireball. And he didnt even utter a spell word.


    Ive once heard that extremely talented individuals can actually cast magic spells without using words and with their eyes open.


    He paused in thought for a while, and when he brought his hand up again, he cast three simultaneous fireballs!


    What did he just do!? Considering the process of magic activation, something like simultaneous casting was supposed to be impossible!


    While I was stunned to silence, Lord Corinth held his hand up again. He soon released another Fireball. How fast!


    The fireball exploded when it hit the river water! After a loud bang, the water gushed up and sshed down towards Lord Corinth and me, utterly soaking us.


    Lord Corinth disyed a guilty expression and wryly grinned.


    Was that perhaps the legendary Explosion spell!? Ive only ever heard of it being mentioned and have not witnessed the real thing until now.


    This was the ability of one favoured by God! Such power!


    I became frozen stiff from shock for a few moments.


    Looks like Lord Corinths magic disy was over, and he turned to go back to the base. I ran after Lord Corinth in a fluster, wanting to ask him about thatst fire spell. However, Lord Corinth simply dodged my inquiries with half-hearted replies.


    ***


    After we got back near the vicinity of the base, I asked Cleria to exin the concept of magic in more detail. There were a total of five magic systems  fire magic, water magic, wind magic, earth magic and light magic. But apparently, Cleria couldnt use any wind, earth or light magic spells.


    I wonder why? Does it depend on talent or something? Earlier, I just formed an image and managed to sessfully execute some spells. Should I be considered as someone who has some talent for this stuff then? Looks like I had plenty to look into in the future.


    We promptly plopped down outside the base. Theres still some more time before dinner. Cleria seemed to want to practice magic, but I asked her to continue with her foot rehab exercises near me so I can observe her progress instead. She seemed to hesitate for a bit, but eventually relented and started walking back and forth about five meters in front of me. Oh well. Guess that works too.


    (Have you managed to discover any new info?)


    [A lot, actually. First, about the mystery energy signature. It holds some simrities with the energy readings recorded on Salza 2 of the Elider System, but it isnt exactly the same.]


    Well, discovering exactly simr energy forms on two differents countless light-years away from each other seemed more farfetched actually.


    [We used the sensor settings that were employed during the Salza 2 survey mission earlier. As a result, we were able to obtain a detailedparison. ording to the data, the energy density in our current environment is 1000 times higher than the readings recorded on Salza 2.]


    Whats with that scale!? 1000 times was quite an impressive number.


    [We shall project a simted image for your convenience.]


    After a few moments, my surroundings suddenly changed in appearance. I saw a vast, dark space with countless tiny motes of light floating around.


    Whoah! How beautiful. My body outline also had arge number of sparkling lights within it. They somehow resembled a field of stars out in space. The area around my chest was shining brightly, akin to a neb, and was very dazzling.


    So these motes of light represent that mysterious energy form huh? How amazing.


    (Just how could humans make use of this type of energy?)


    [These energy nodes seem to attract each other and have a tendency to move towards a point of higher density. They seem to gather easily on the central part of a humans chest area in particr.]


    Well, now that I got a better look at them, the light particles near me seem to be gradually gathering towards me at a gradual rate. They were heading towards the dense mass of energy in the center of my chest. So the energy outside gradually umtes inside ones body automatically huh. So this energy is the source of magic?


    (By the way, it feels quiteme to keep calling it energy. Lets rename it to something cooler-sounding.)


    [What do you think of Magicles then? Short for magic particles.]


    I see. Seems simple enough. Lets go with that then. So it seems even if I consume a certain amount of magicles, my reserves would be automatically replenished.


    (What happens when we manage to fully use up the magicle reserves inside the body?)


    I didnt n to use up a lot in one go, but the replenishment rate seemed really slow so running out may be a possibility.


    [Unknown.]


    Looks like I have to ask an expert in the field. I turned towards Cleria and saw her chest also shining like a bright neb.


    (Terminate simted image.)


    Cleria seemed happy that I called out to her and cheerfully approached me.


    Cleria, how many times can you cast Fireball continuously? I immediately inquired.


    Her answer was about more than twenty but less than thirty. The number was unexpectedly little.


    What happens when you try to cast more than thirty?


    Shed faint, apparently. In other words, shell lose consciousness. Its great that theres no danger of death though.


    How long would it take for you to recover?


    Shed recover and would regain her ability to cast spells after about a days worth of rest, apparently.


    Cleria then went back to shuffling back and forth. But this time, she stayed two meters behind me. It was a bit distracting, to be honest. But I might have some questions for her again, so this works out fine.


    (Whats the exact rtionship between the magicles and the human body?)


    Why would one lose consciousness from magicle depletion?


    [Unknown.]


    Yep, guess you also have no idea huh.


    To summarize what Ive managed to learn so far; the human body has the capability to attract magicles in the atmosphere for some reason, and utilizing these magicles allows people to cast magic spells. Once depleted, a days rest would allow one to replenish the lost magicles in order to keep casting spells.


    I didnt know the exact reason why, but it seems Ive be capable of utilizing these magicles to cast magic as well.


    (What exactly are these magicles? How can they transform from pure energy to elements like fire and water?)


    This change didnt make any sense, scientifically speaking. Basing on thews of physics, something like energy turning into water was nothing short of impossible.


    [Reason unknown. Insufficient data.]


    Guess thats an expected answer. Im looking forward to researching this stuff even more now


    Next Ill have to get used to using magic as one of my means ofbat. One cant fully make use of an unfamiliar weapon after all.


    (Please load up some magicle charges.)


    [READY x3] popped up on the corner of a virtual window.


    I released a fireball towards the shore on the other side of the river.


    The fireball flew parallel to the water surface for about thirty meters, but then suddenly stalled and dropped straight down. All in all, it reached to about forty meters. The me plopped into the water and fizzled out soon after.


    So this spells effective range is about thirty meters.


    Next, lets test its overall power. I looked around and found a piece of driftwood nearby. I approached it until I was about twenty meters away andunched a fireball at it.


    The fireball flew out and hit the driftwood. The magic induced me clung onto the driftwood like regr fire. Itll eventually go out after some time if you left it alone, but you would most likely suffer some burns if you ate one of these things head-on.


    Right then. Lets try practicing some water magic for a change. I imagined water being released from the palm of my hand.


    Water!


    Water strongly gushed out from my palm. The fire clinging onto the driftwood was extinguished after less than ten seconds. This magics really convenient. It looked a bit different from what Cleria showed me earlier, but it should be fine.


    Oh yeah, I forgot to confirm an important point.


    (Just how many fireballs am I able to cast?)


    [Approximately 38 shots more.]


    Cleria said she could fire off more than twenty but less than thirty. I had nearly double that amount. Was something different between Cleria and me?


    I then decided to see what happens if I nearly deplete my magicle reserves. Oh, and one other thing


    (Is it possible to re-convert a stored magicle charge into its base form?)


    The [READY] indicator disyed on the virtual window disappeared.


    [Its possible. However, weve recorded a 5% energy loss after re-converting.]


    Hm. Another point to research on. But I guess 5% is within the eptable range.


    (Load thirty five charges for now.)


    The number next to the [READY] icon increased to thirty-five.


    Hm. That feels a bit weird. I cant describe it well, but its sort of like having a slight fever, but restricted to the chest area.


    Lets tryunching five in session first. I pointed my open palm towards the river. I imagined the fireballs rapid firing out one after the other.


    Five continuous fireball shots! They flew into the river consecutively.


    They seemed much fasterpared to the three shots I made earlier today. Well, I cant really imagine a situation where Id be required to fire off fireballs at this speed consecutively, so this experiment seemed a bit pointless.


    Hm. Now that I think about it, was it really necessary to hold out ones hand during the casting process. I ended up doing so because its the way Cleria did it, but I dont really think such an action was really necessary, depending on the type of image in your mind.


    I have these things called the aiming and multi-lock system which are deployed on a virtual Nanom-projected window, and I think using these would be more efficient.


    Lets try it then. There were some huge stones near the river shallows in the distance. I had aimed at one using the virtual HUD disy.


    I imagined a fireball appearing twenty meters away from my body while I kept my hands down.


    Fireball,unch!


    Oh! Looks like it went well! I was more familiar with this method after all. Ive drilled on this type of maneuver thousands of times in the past. Ill go with this style from now on.


    I locked on to all four of therge stones on the river shallows. Fireball, four shots! Each fireball hit its intended target. Great!


    When I was casting stuff while holding out my arm, I always used the direction I was pointing towards as the basis for aiming. But if I use the aiming system instead, the fireballs would hit the intended targets without me trying to direct their aim myself. It was pretty convenient.


    Oh yeah. Lets try it with the me Arrow spell Cleria showed me earlier.


    In order to determine their maximum range I moved to about fifty meters away from the huge rocks and cast the spell from there. Three arrows of me materialized and shot out with speedsparable to those of real arrows.


    me Arrows,unch!


    Three ming arrows appeared about one meter away from my body and shot towards the targets. They seemed to dip downward a little before hitting the targets.


    Okay, so their range is a bit shorter than fifty meters then. But they were betterpared to fireballs. They were faster and had longer range.


    I looked at the virtual HUD and saw [READY x20] on the corner. So one arrow costs five fireballs huh? Well, considering their improved effectiveness, I guess thats reasonable.


    When I thought about how I should use the remaining twenty charges, I suddenly caught a ck shadow approaching from downstream. It was flying.


    I zoomed in on the figure. Thats a ckbird! It was something I sought out for the past few days to no avail. Because Cleria didnt know its name, I just decided to call it ckbird. Its quite delicious, but also quite rare. Ive only ever hunted two of these buggers. How the heck does it even fly with that sort of rolly-poly figure?


    It was still about 400 meters away and was flying towards this direction. But if it notices me, I bet itd run away at once. Can I shoot it down with magic?


    My maximum range was a bit short of fifty meters. Ill bring it down with four consecutive me Arrow spells; with a total of twelve arrows.


    I looked towards Cleria and saw her spacing out again. This girl does that from time to time. Is she okay?


    She then squatted down and pointed her hand towards the ckbird in the distance.


    I told Cleria Id attack it with me Arrow spells. She closed her eyes and started visualizing after she heard my intention.


    Hm? So she intends to help out? I intended to bring it down myself, but the helps wee nheless.


    Its already close to 200 meters from us. When would it notice our presence? Hundred and fifty One hundred Seventy-five Fifty It finally noticed us!


    The ckbird reversed its course back to the forest in a fluster. I immediatelyunched a barrage of two me Arrow spells.


    I fired off a volley to cut off its path of retreat. The ckbird frantically pped its wings to evade and changed its course once again.


    The timing was perfect, but Cleria was still visualizing her spell. I fired off another barrage to block it.


    Finally, Cleria opened her eyes and fired off her own me Arrow spell.


    The aim was spot-on. The ckbirds escape routes were sealed by my continuous me Arrow barrage and Clerias spell sealed the deal. One arrow struck the pudgy fowl dead-on.


    The ckbird got severely injured and fell down.


    Cleria was delighted. She kept jumping up and down in tion and spoke excitedly. I only managed to understand half of what she was saying, but it seems it was the first time she brought something like that down with magic.


    When I attempted to stand up, I suddenly felt a bout of dizziness ovee me. I see. So this is the effect of magicle exhaustion. I didnt want to faint, so Im not going to use any more magic today.


    I walked towards the spot where the ckbird fell, and found it writhing weakly. I quickly cut its neck and drained its blood.


    Cleria kept dithering excitedly as she watched me work. It seems she just cant contain her happiness. Just as well. I only managed to hunt one rabbit today anyway. Considering Clerias huge appetite, it was quitecking.


    Its already near evening, so lets go ahead and have some dinner.

 Chapter 14 - Addendum – The Starveek Kingdom

    I kept wondering about why I was called for as I walked along the corridor leading to the kings private chambers.


    The king usually spends his time in his office at this hour, so he being in his private chambers is quite the rare urrence. I also often met my esteemed father during dinnertime anyway. Was the matter he summoned me for today unsuitable to be discussed at such a time?


    I finally arrived in front of the kings private chambers. I nodded towards the two royal guard knights, Darshim and Karrot. The both of them have served our family ever since I was a child, so I was quite familiar with them.


    Darshim knocked on the door, opened it a little and dered Her Highness, the princess has arrived.


    Come in.


    I entered the room and was surprised to see my brother inside as well.


    I have heard your summons and havee, Lord Father, I greeted.


    Oh, Cleria. Im sorry for calling you over all of a sudden.


    Its been a while Cleria.


    It certainly has been quite a while since Ist met my brother  three months, I believe.


    It really has been a while dear brother.


    My brother seemed so dependable as always. He also doted on me a lot. Im d I got to see him again after so long.


    Well then Cleria, this is a bit abrupt, but Im thinking of sending you out for an inspection tour around our kingdom.


    I wonder what Lord Father means by this? It seems my dear brother has juste back from an inspection tour himself. It wont be considered odd if I was sent out as well, but wouldnt it be better for the timing for the tours to be spaced a bit apart?


    I do not have any qualms about it Lord Father, but is there a reason for sending me out so soon?


    It would be better if we told her of the matter, Lord Father. Cleria isnt a child anymore after all.


    Yes, yes youre right. Go ahead and tell her our concerns Alf.


    Youre aware that I have juste from an inspection visit to our southern and western domains arent you Cleria?


    Yes, of course brother.


    The southern and western domains were where most nobles from the former Alois Kingdom resided and governed.


    The Alois Kingdom was a country which was annexed by Starveek Kingdom 162 years prior. As a condition for annexation, the noble houses of Alois Kingdom were granted rights to manage most of the southern and western territories. However, the south and west were also regions where a lot of problems urred due to friction between the former Aloisian nobles and the nobility of Starveekian descent because of their differing outlooks and bearings.


    ording to my brother, he visited several major towns and cities in the southern and western domains and found some of the actions made by the local nobility somewhat worrying. There was no concrete evidence that they were up to no good. However, some subtle hints, like the local nobilitys suspiciously lukewarm attitudes towards his delegation or the number of conscripted soldiers being far greater than what was reported to the crown, proved to be enough causes for concern.


    The southern and western domains cant possibly be contemting rebellion?


    No Cleria. Both father and I dont think the situation hase to that point quite yet. But their actions are still worrying enough.


    But Lord Father has done his utmost to forge an amicable rtionship with the southern and western nobility.


    In fact, as part of the peace process and a gesture of trust, a mass recruitment of personnel from the noble houses of the south and west was implemented five years ago. Both the military minister in charge of the army and the finance minister in charge of the kingdoms economic affairs had men hailing from those regions appointed to various positions of import.


    Both men were excellent individuals who each proposed groundbreaking reforms which proved quite astonishing to their peers. However, its also true that their act of recruiting most of their vassals from those who hail from the southern and western domains raised more than a few eyebrows and posed some concern.


    Furthermore, even though they havent managed to birth any children for them yet, both men received southern noblewomen as their concubines.


    Im well aware of your concerns. But as Alf said earlier, we dont think it would lead to a full-blown conflict just yet. Given these circumstances, I want you to visit the eastern and northern territories instead.


    As for me, I cant leave the capital for the time being because I need to help father deal with these matters.


    I see. If the situation in the south and west was really suspicious as they said, its only natural for me to be sent to the eastern and northern domains instead. The east and north are governed by full blooded Starveekian noble houses. In case the southern and western domains really do stage a revolt, I could rally the eastern and northern lords to oppose them. This seemed to be an important undertaking. I have to do my utmost.


    Lord Father, this Cleria fully epts your appointment to visit the eastern and western domains.


    Afterwards, my older brother briefed me about the things I needed to take note of and the actions I needed to take.


    Alf gazed at Clerias receding back as she left the kings private room.


    He didnt want to burden Cleria with any needless preconceptions, so he opted not to mention the matter, but not all of the southern and western domains were governed by former Aloisian nobility.


    Actually, forty percent of the noble houses in the south and west were full-blooded Starveekians. He didnt tell her that even these noble houses seemed suspicious as well.


    It would be best if nothing of the sort happened to Cleria during her inspections.


    Alf then busied himself together with his father to think of ways to improve the current vtile state of affairs.


    Fal, who was waiting outside, rushed up to me as soon as I went out of the kings private room.


    What did the king need you for, Cleria-sama?


    He told me to head to the eastern and western territories for an inspection visit. Would you like to apany me?


    Of course Cleria-sama!


    Afterwards, I went ahead with the preparations for travelling. I had juste of age the previous year so this was my first time heading out for a royal inspection. There were a lot of things I was not familiar with.


    And thus, asmanded by the king, we were finally set for departure after three days. I bid farewell to my father, brother and mother. Mother must have heard something from father regarding my trip, so she told me to always remain vignt during the journey.


    My brother apanied me partway in order to see me off. Im so happy he did so!


    Do be careful during your travels Cleria. Perform your royal duties to the best of your ability.


    Of course dear brother. I shall be going then.


    Apanying me on my travels were several imperial guard knights and their squires. Even Sir Antes, captain of the royal guards, was present! Furthermore, most of the knights were those who have served me since I was young.


    It was a well-known fact that father doted on me far too much in the royal pce, but I do think it was time for me to be a little bit more independent from now on.


    We finally left the royal capital, home to half a million Starveekian citizens, and started our journey.


    The royal inspection proceeded rtively smoothly. However, I felt a sense of unease when I went around several cities.


    Our delegation was warmly weed by the high-ranking nobles, but the barons and the rest of the lower-ranking nobles seemed to be behaving strangely towards us. They did receive us properly, but it felt like they were acting unusually reserved for some reason.


    Were their attitudes simply due to the difference in status between us? I asked Fal about my observations, but she told me she hasnt noticed anything of the sort.


    The royal inspection continued as nned until we finally reached thest leg of our travels. Three months have passed since weve departed from the royal capital. We arrived at the earldom of the Ludvic house, which my mother was formerly a part of. The current earl is my mothers older brother. We were of course eagerly received by them.


    The evening after our arrival, the door of my room suddenly received a knock. Fal, who was staying in an adjacent anteroom, swiftly got up and went to my side.


    Whos there!?


    Its Darshim, Your Highness. A servant of this house came, saying that the earl requests to meet you with due haste my princess. I did try to refuse him, but he insisted.


    If thats the case, then it cant be helped. We were staying at the earls castle to begin with. Complying with this request would just be appropriate. I looked towards Fal and nodded in agreement. Please wait for a moment, Fal called out. I then proceeded to make myself more presentable.


    I was led into a room where I found the earl along with a nobleman who seemed to be his aide.


    I am truly sorry to have requested you presence at this ungodly hour Royal Princess, the earl started.


    Its alright. More importantly, what seems to be the matter?


    Weve just received word from the capital. A rebellion has broken out.


    I jerked in surprise after hearing the sudden grave news and endured the urge to cry out.


    Howrge is the scale?


    I cannot say for certain, but I estimate the rebel elements to include sixty to seventy percent of the southern and western noble houses, twenty to thirty percent of the eastern and northern nobles and sixty percent of the military.


    I swiftly calcted the numbers mentioned. So its more than half of the nobility and the army


    Which side are you on, your Lordship?


    After hearing my question, Fal moved her hand to her swords hilt, ready to draw it at a moments notice.


    Your Highness no, my dear niece Cleria; do not ask me such a thing. Our Ludvic house has sworn its unwavering loyalty to the Starvine royal house instead of the Starveek kingdom since its inception three hundred years ago. Your misgivings are misced.


    Im sorry uncle. I was just too upset. Please forgive me.


    Yes, it would not be good if I was unable to properly determine friend from foe and mistrust my closest allies. If he were against us, my uncle would not have informed me of the rebellion in the first ce.


    I then asked my uncle for the details of the rebellion.


    It all began twenty days ago, when my father summoned the military minister Lord Alois under the pretense of wanting to discuss something with him, which he promptly ignored.


    They then attempted to reach out to the military officials staying near the royal pce to inquire about the matter, but found that they were no longer able to contact them as well. Two days after the summons, Lord Alois rallied his soldiers and raised the g of rebellion. A good portion of the nobility matched their timing and participated as well.


    The royal capital ended up being sealed off and the royal pce was besieged by the army and fell three days after.


    What about my father!? My mother and brother!?


    My uncle grimly shook his head.


    They were all executed on the square in front of the royal castle. They were charged with high treason for allegedly selling out the kingdom to the neighboring Holy State of Aram.


    What!? How utterly ridiculous!


    The Holy State of Aram was a neighboring country which raided our borders from time to time.


    I know. Im sure no one, friend or foe alike, actually believe in such a flimsy usation.


    Kuh! We need to recapture the royal capital immediately!


    Your Highness, it would be best if you first gather the forces of the east and north under your name in order to properly oppose the rebels.


    It certainly is as my uncle says. Our enemies areposed of nobles and a considerable part of the army. They wont be felled by half-hearted forces.


    Im very sorry uncle. I was too hasty and blood just rushed to the top of my head.


    Do not worry, Princess. I understand your feelings. My esteemed king and my cute little sister were both humiliated and butchered under their hands. Ill absolutely make them pay the price!


    My uncles aura suddenly turned murderous.


    I then proceeded to write letters all morning which were to be delivered to the nearby noble houses. Their content was a call to arms following the events in the royal capital. Over two hundred knights were sent out to deliver my letters to the noble houses of the eastern and northern domains.


    But I noticed something strange after the third day since sending out the messengers.


    There was no response up until now. At the very least, the lords from the territories near the earldom should have given us a reply already. None of the knights entrusted with delivering the letters came back as well. An unpleasant premonitiones over me.


    Finally, on the morning of the fourth day, a noble leading his private forces arrived in the earldom. Judging from the g they were flying, it was the forces of Baron Arseny, who uncle regards as his right hand man.


    I weed the baron together with my uncle.


    Your Royal Highness! You were safe? Thank the Goddess Ruminas!


    It has been a long time Baron. However, what do you mean?


    I looked at the baron quizzically. My uncle and his aides faces suddenly paled.


    Yes, well I did not know that Your Highness actually came here.


    That cant be! Did you not receive my letter?


    No, I have never received any sort of letter from Your Highness. I just learned about the rebellion in the capital two days ago and asked the Ludvic house for instructions, but I never received a response. Thats why I came here directly.


    Damnation! So those messengers really were intercepted!


    My uncle was horrified.


    I was finally able to grasp what was happening. All of the messengers never reached their intended destinations.


    Your Highness, perhaps they have been nning this rebellion for years. They are far too prepared.


    What happened to the messengers?


    They may have all been killed already. The rebels may have stationed groups of soldiers on the main roads. They must have intercepted the messengers and got rid of them since the enemies outnumber them.


    Conversely, if we assemble arge enough number of troops, they would not be able toy siege to them as easily. We should dispatch a sufficient number of scouts immediately.


    My Goddess! How frighteningly thorough


    The scout troops were soon assembled along with troops tasked to eliminate the enemy soldiers stationed on the main roads.


    The troops set out. This deploymentsted for a couple of days.


    We finally grasped a rough handle of the situation due to the soldiers efforts.


    The enemy should beprised of 40,000 soldiers, a majority of which came from the military.


    The private troops of the southern and western nobles were mixed in as well.


    They were currently moving against the noble houses who are still putting up a resistance, sieging their castles.


    They hold their entire territories hostage while proposing for the ruling nobles to surrender ande to the royal capital with their families, on the condition that they will relinquish their rights to theirnds and hand that responsibility to the rebels.


    The enemy forces have already invaded deeply into the eastern and northern domains, and even if the remaining nobles loyal to the Royal Family tried to muster their forces and gather up, theres a good chance they would be intercepted along the way and eliminated one by one.


    We continued to receive these kinds of grievous news. I took in all these reports while feeling dumbfounded.


    At this rate, even if we do somehow manage to gather some forces, it wont number more than 5,000 men.


    While I was ruminating our dismal situation, uncle addressed me.


    We just received word that the castle of Count David has fallen. The enemys main force shall being here in half a days time.


    I have long prepared myself for such an oue.


    I understand. We shall meet the enemy head-on and show them the strength of our resolve!


    Spoken like a true Starvine. Your courage is most admirable.


    However, I would want Your Highness to escape from here if possible.


    Do not say such absurd things! Do you want me to live on in shame uncle!?


    You would not be living in disgrace, Your Highness. I want you to go to the Berta Kingdom.


    Berta Kingdom? It was a neighbouring country; however, one needs to cross the wilnds in order to reach it.


    I do not know much about Berta Kingdom. But Irena-sama, the little sister of your grandmother Erika-sama, had married over to that kingdom as queen. In other words, the Berta Kingdoms current king, Amado-sama, is Cleria-samas second cousin.


    Do you want me to seek aid from the Berta Kingdom?


    Precisely. But I believe they would not be able to make it in time to quell this rebellion if they do decide to lend aid. And even if you appeal to them personally Princess, the possibility of the Berta Kingdom sending us aid is still quite low.


    Thats true. Surely if the situation was reversed and it was the Berta Kingdom who is asking for aid, Starveek Kingdom will also hesitate in sending subjects who could possibly die in foreign soil.


    Even so, we want to preserve an ember of hope. Even if this kingdom is shattered, we still hope that it can be rebuilt once more and rise from the ashes.


    If so, then please help me uncle. Let us revive this kingdom together.


    No, I am a proud vassal of the Starvine royal house. Please allow me to make a stand here.


    If you surrender


    My uncle immediately cut me off.


    Your Highness, considering the rtionship between us and the Starvine royal house, my life will definitely not be spared. And even if I do manage to survive after surrendering, all that awaits next is the abolishment of the Ludvic house. I would rather choose to make a final stand and keep my pride instead of bowing in defeat without struggling.


    Even if I and my entourage of royal guards stayed and fought here, our meagre numbers would not be able to change the inevitable oue. Then would it truly be better to preserve an ember of hope as my uncle wishes?


    My uncle then knelt down and implored me.


    Your Royal Highness, if I may be so bold as to request one final thing of you.


    Speak.


    Your Highness also has the blood of the Ludvic house flowing through your veins. Considering our three hundred years of unwavering service and loyalty to the Starvine royal house, I beseech you to revive the Ludvic house one day.


    I have no reason to refuse such a request.


    I understand. I will definitely revive the Ludvic house without fail. I swear this upon the name of the Goddess Ruminas.


    I activated my mana and swore upon the name of the Goddess. My body emitted a soft glow as proof of the vow.


    Wahaha! I am most grateful Your Highness!


    Thus, my escape was decided. We immediately began preparations for departure.


    We have prepared eight carriage groups for this asion, equal to the number of roads leading out of ournds.


    Your Royal Highness will be among these eight groups along with your royal guard. Each individual carriage has soldiers assigned to them to serve as escorts as well. All carriages will depart at the same time; each heading out to a different road leading out of the territory. Of course, none of the soldiers are told exactly which carriage princess shall be riding in.


    They shall be heading to the Cecilio and Berta kingdoms respectively. However, the exact way towards the Berta kingdom is known only by the local hunters.


    We surmise that the enemy would most likely judge that you will be heading for the Cecilio kingdom. It is only a short distance away after all.


    Each carriage shall also be apanied by scouts and rear troops. Despite the on-going rebellion, we dont think that enemy troops would be stationed on the border roads leading out of the kingdom.


    The rebel forces have most likely already entered ournds, but they wont be able toe in pursuit of you effectively if each carriage group heads out to eight different directions at the same time. The scouts and rear units are an added insurance.


    I see. The arrangements seem perfect so far.


    The time for departure finally arrived. Only uncle and his aide saw us off.


    Here, Your Highness. These were entrusted by the king to be given to you before the royal pce fell. I apologize for handing them over only now, my uncle said as he handed something to me.


    When I took a look, I saw three pieces of paper with words written on them. The first one said Cleria, Im so sorry, in my fathers handwriting. The second one was my mothers which said I wish for your happiness my dear Cleria. Thest one was my brothers. It said I entrust the Starvine royal house to you. All of them seemed to have been hastily written out.


    I forcefully held back my tears.


    Goodbye uncle.


    Go child. Goddess Ruminas, I beseech thee! Please bless Cleria on this journey and keep her safe.

 Chapter 15 - Scanning Magic

    Seven days have passed since Clerias foot gotpletely restored.


    Her arm has also nearly healed up as well, and all that remains to be regenerated are her fingertips. It should be fully restored by tomorrow.


    After discussing with her, both of us decided to finally leave this makeshift base tomorrow.


    Yep, mynguage proficiency has improved to the point where I can talk with Cleria normally. There are still some words Im unfamiliar with, but I have no problems with the vocabry often used in daily conversations. Cleria even said my pronunciation was impable.


    Id like to gather more data by talking to people other than Cleria, but that would have to wait for the time being.


    I asked her about the reason why she was being chased the moment I became able to converse normally.


    After pausing to think for a bit, Cleria requested that I give her some more time before she tells me the reason and assured me she would divulge it when shes good and ready.


    It seems her circumstances really wereplicated. Ive stayed with Cleria for quite a bit now and I really do think she isnt someone who wouldmit wrongdoings. Shes no criminal, thats for sure. So I dont really mind if she doesnt want to talk about her circumstances.


    As for the number of her pursuers, she told me they definitely wouldnt be just a few but their numbers wont exceed a hundred. But theres also a chance they wont be able to catch up.


    Thats rather vague. So is it alright to expect their numbers to be about fifty men strong? I think Id be able to deal with that amount of targets with my rifle somehow, but those kinds of numbers still warrant utmost caution. And Im still uncertain if it would be fine to shoot first and ask questionster if and when we do manage to encounter them. Im still considering it as of now.


    Its also been seven days since I began learning magic, but my research hasnt progressed at all. Well, not exactly. Its progressing in some areas, but I havent really developed any new applications of fire spells and the like. This is because of something I requested Nanom to prioritize developing.


    I wanted to produce the so-called multi-sensor  a standard piece of equipment of the Gctic Army Corps. As its name implies, it is able to detect anything within scanning range  terrain, the internalyout of buildings, the presence or absence of living life-forms and the like. Even if youre not wearing active camouge, youd never be taken by surprise if you have a multi-sensor handy.


    When I first came to this, the thing I wanted first was a multi-sensor.


    I was honestly amazed at the wide applications of magic in this and asked Nanom if it could develop a magical version of a multi-sensor.


    Due to that, there was no point in wasting magicles with aimless magic experiments. However, I was able to learn more about magicles as a result.


    Every living creature on this is able to contain magicles within their bodies; whether its something asrge as a Big Boar or as small as a tiny insect. Even nts have magicles inside them. Its a rather surprising discovery, but the amounts of magicles present in a majority of creatures arent enough to construct a simple fireball spell.


    Living things attract magicles, and the magicles gradually builds up inside of them. However, the amount of magicles will not continue to increase indefinitely. Once a certain amount gathers inside of a creatures body, the inflow of magicleses to a halt and the surplus magicles get expelled back outside. I dont know the exact cause of this phenomenon.


    It seems the amount of magicles an organism is able to contain greatly differs from species to species. In other words, creatures of the same species are able to contain the exact same amount of magicles inside them. As an example, Cleria and I have the same magicle count inside each of us.


    The reason for the difference between the numbers of fireballs I and Cleria are able to cast stems from the efficiency of magicle use. ording to Cleria, if one is able to improve their rate of magicle consumption, the number of times they can cast spells would increase ordingly. I just rely on Nanom for these sorts of things so its possible I wont be able to improve this aspect anymore.


    I and Nanom prioritized collecting this sort of data every day because it would enable us to determine what kinds of life-forms are present in an area from long range by determining the amount of magicles contained within them and creating a corresponding database.


    Weve also discovered that magicles have properties simr to normal particles and energy waves to some extent. They were particle-ilke, but also had properties like reflection, interference, and diffraction.


    Upon discovering this fact, we were able to determine that it was possible to release raw magicles outside of the body instead of spells.


    The magicles could be released outside of the body in the form of waves. Theres no noticeable effect if you only release a small concentration of waves out, but if you increase the output, the magicle waves get reflected back whenever they hit another mass concentration of magicles.


    Utilizing this characteristic, we were able to develop a radar-like function using magicles. The detection range depends on the intensity of the output of magicles. If a strong wave is released, a wide range of information can be acquired.


    Unexpectedly, Cleria was able to notice when I released a magicle pulse as part of my on-going experiments. When Nanom directed me to release a high output wave, she came over and told me she felt I emitted some magic power and asked me what I was up to.


    It looks like the people of this call the movement of magicles as magic power. I was told one would be able to sense the build-up of magic power before a spell gets released, but somehow, I wasnt able to feel a thing. Would I be able to do so with time?


    It seems Cleria was told that her talent for detecting magic power is several times greater than most people, ording to an experienced mage she knew.


    After knowing this, I immediately enlisted Clerias help with my experiments. It seems whenever I use this form of scanning magic, theres a danger of the other party bing aware of my presence and position. Id like to be able to obtain information unterally if possible.


    Weter discovered that Clerias ability to sense magic power was not only affected by the strength of the waves released but also the total distance from the emission point. I sort of expected this kind of oue.


    If thats the case, would it be better if I increased the range and intensity of the magicle waves being released gradually instead of emitting something high-output all at once? I managed to arrive at such a conclusion.


    For example, Id first release a magicle pulse weak enough for Cleria not to notice from fifty meters out. If I found nothing worth noting, Id proceed to widen the range to seventy-five meters, a hundred meters and so on.


    Using this method, Id minimize the risk of being noticed by the other party.


    If this method isnt effective, then Ill just have to improve it step by step.


    The nice thing about this scanning magic is that I can leave its activation entirely to Nanom. This is probably because I didnt need to focus on a concrete sort of image for it.


    Once it gets invoked, Nanom would automatically disy the search results on a virtual disy. Its roughly the same disy method as the multi-sensor, so its quite intuitive.


    The amount of magicles used up when using scanning magic is about equal to one fireball per one hundred magicle pulses. Its very cost-effective. It should prove quite useful from now on.


    In the end, we werent able to quite re-create the functions of a multi-sensor, but the results were plenty satisfying enough.


    When I dered thepletion of my scanning magic method to Cleria who cooperated in its development, she first responded by staring at me with a wooden stare again. But she eventually snapped out of her stupor and immediately asked me to teach her the method.


    But ysee, its kinda impossible for others to use this method without the aid of a sensor able to urately detect magicles and the information processing ability of Nanom. I somehow skirted around the issue by telling Cleria she had to improve her magic control more. And then the conversation somehow moved to her tagging along with me on todays hunt. I wonder why?


    As weve used up a lot of time doing magic experiments, its already almost noon when we finished up. I decided to go hunting after weve had our lunch. Todays dishes include grilled fish and stir-fried Big Boar meat  a ssic but delicious menu selection.


    Guess its time for a hunt.


    Yes! Lets depart immediately n.


    Cleria seems quite eager to go hunting.


    At first, Cleria was still somewhat embarrassed whenever she addressed me by name, but she seems to have gradually be ustomed to it. I think she looks to be more rxed about itpared to before.


    My preferred hunting spot was about an hours walk from the base. For some reason, this part of the mountain was rich in edible nt life and wild animals. I immediately had Nanom activate scanning magic while heading deeper into the mountains.


    Since I was rtively free until we reach the hunting grounds, I ended up teaching Cleria about the standard hand signs I learned back in the military academy. I didnt have a lot of chances to use them before because we justmunicated through the Nanoms in livebat situations, but I guess these would prove useful in the situation were currently in.


    I managed to get a reaction from the scanning magic after walking for about thirty minutes. Three oclock. Theres two of them, about two hundred meters away. I immediately conveyed the info to Cleria via hand signs. She looks to have understood and disyed a serious expression.


    The other party is heading towards our general direction, but theyre not moving in a straight line. They probably havent noticed us yet. Judging from their movement patterns, I assumed them to be Gray Hounds.


    Ive often encountered Gray Hounds during my hunts. I usually met one or two of these guys; three at most. Ive always eliminated them whenever I encountered some. Dangerous pests like these need to be promptly exterminated.


    Theres a good chance these guys are Gray Hounds.


    Would it be alright if I fight them instead n?


    Oh, Cleria seems to be raring to have a go! Well, she has her armor on and all. Fine, lets see what shes got. I have my rifle with me, so I can just intervene if she ever gets into a bind.


    Alright then, engage them in aposed manner. Theyll be arriving on our position in about thirty seconds.


    Oh, and by the way, the method of time measurement in this is roughly the same as whats used all throughout the empire  one minute is sixty seconds, one hour is sixty minutes, one day is twenty-four hours and one year is three hundred and sixty days. And simr to my home, they also divided the day into twelve hours each.


    The reason for it is unknown, but the method of time measurement on almost alls which housed the human race is roughly the same. The most promising theory is that the third-party responsible for spreading humanity all throughout the cosmos somehow taught all of mankind how to count time. Other theories provedcking.


    Furthermore, the period of revolution of each and every human-inhabited is around 365 days. Again, the most promising theory is that a third party selecteds that fulfilled this criterion and brought humanity to them.


    Cleria pulled out her sword and stared at it. It was a thin one-handed sword iid with detailed engravings. After about ten seconds, the de began to glow. Whoah! Can Cleria use Final de too!? Alright then, lets follow suit.


    I drew my sword and activated Final de as well, making the sword glow brightly. It seems the Gray Hounds finally noticed something. The glowing icons representing their position on the virtual map were approaching us rapidly.


    I thrust my palm out in front of Cleria and started counting down. Five. Four. Three. Two. One. The Gray Hounds finally came into view. One of them headed straight towards me. I jumped off to the side as usual and swung down my sword. I lopped off the Gray Hounds head without any resistance.


    Cleria moved forward after I finished one off. The second Gray Hound froze on its tracks for a bit after witnessing the other one getting killed. It pounced toward Cleria instead, probably because it thought she was the easier one to bring down.


    Cleria swung her sword but the creature somewhat avoided the sh. Too shallow! However, Cleria immediately followed up with another sh. This time, she was able tond a fatal hit. The Gray Hounds throat was split open and it thrashed about on the ground, but Cleria soon finished it off.


    Did she just use the basicbo I taught her? That looked quite good by the way. Cleria also seemed ted at her performance. I put away my rifle.


    How did I do, n?


    I think you did pretty well. But I sensed a slight gap before you unleashed your next sword sh. It would be best if you practiced your ability to unleash sessive follow-up attacks in case one sh fails to finish off your enemy.


    Corinth-style Swordsmanship was a style that aims to overwhelm opponents with multiple sessive attacks. Its better for Cleria to form a habit of performing continuous attacks and always thinking of the next move. Oops. Its not like Clerias my disciple or anything. What am I getting all worked up for anyway?


    Cleria seemed convinced with my teachings and did a few practice swings.


    Alrighty then, since the pests have been exterminated, lets continue on.


    Arent you going to extract their magic stones, n?


    Hmm? Magic stone? Whats that?


    Whats a magic stone?


    Cleria seemed taken aback when I asked such a question.


    Magic stones are materials located inside the body of monsters.


    Whats a monster? How can you differentiate between normal animals and monsters?


    A creature with a magic stone inside its body is a monster and a creature without one is an animal.


    You serious? I got to learn something new again. Now that I think about it, I did find a round stone inside the body of one of those disgusting green creatures a while back.


    What do people do with these magic stones?


    Are these stones really useful or something?


    You can exchange them for ***** in any city or town. But the stones from these Gray Hounds arent worth that much ***** though.


    An unfamiliar word appeared. Its been a while. Ill try updating mynguage database again.


    I yed back Clerias reply.


    You can exchange them for money in any city or town. But the stones from these Gray Hounds arent worth that much money though.


    I was shocked silly. It wasnt due to the low value of Gray Hound magic stones, but about the fact that Ipletely forgot about the issue of money!


    Its the form of currency this is using. Money! I think I saw some several small and round metallic tes while I was sorting out the luggage back then. Argh! Dammit! I failed to take note of it because it wasnt a concept I was familiar with. I was even wondering why there were several pouches containing those things when I was sorting out the items.


    For thousands of years, the empire has used electronic currency to process transactions. I was not familiar with this worlds money because what Id used ever since I was a kid was e-currency.


    (Hey Nanom, you also missed out on the money man!)


    [We did not determine them to be particrly necessary at the time.]


    Im in the same boat. I only managed to secure a few pieces. This is bad. Once we arrive at the city of Gotania where Cleria was heading, I bet wed need some money.


    Should I go back to where the carriages were? Nah, it would be too risky. Clerias pursuers might be hot on our trail after all. They might have already found the carriages too.


    Wait, maybe Cleria brought some with her.


    By the way, Cleria, do you have some money on you?


    Ugh. I sound like a deadbeat good-for-nothing asking for some dough.


    No, I, unfortunately, do not.


    Looks like Cleria was broke too.


    In that case, our only choice right now is to earn some. If these magic stones can be exchanged for cash, then Ill have to gather a bunch of em right away.


    (Disy the position of the magic stone inside the carcass.)


    [Here.]


    A cross-section of the Gray Hound was disyed on a virtual window. The magic stone was located near its chest. I see. So magic stones get formed in the area of the body where magicle concentration is the densest.


    Should I open the body up with a knife and thrust my hand inside? Naw, I aint doing that. Might as well just split it open with my sword.


    I activated Final de again and shed the carcass while being careful not to damage the magic stone in the process. I finally retrieved a magic stone after poking around the carcass with my sword.


    It was a cloudy white ball about three centimeters in size. I secured both stones from the two carcasses. Cleria didnt know how much they were exactly worth for.


    Ok, lets resume the hunt. After walking around the hunting grounds for twenty minutes, I finally got a couple more reactions from the scanning magic. It was in the two oclock direction and was stationary. It was located two hundred meters away.


    I ryed this info to Cleria with hand signs and approached the target slowly and soundlessly. I somehow had a hunch about the identity of our stationary target.


    As expected, its a ckbird. These guys almost never budge from the tree they were roosting on unless they sense danger.


    Cleria asked me to allow her to hunt it as well. I agreed and approached the target with her until we came within forty meters. Cleria closed her eyes and prepared to cast a spell.


    me Arrow!


    Cleria released her spell. Three ming arrows hurtled towards the ckbird, but it was disturbed by Clerias shout and was about to fly away to escape. One arrow managed to barely hit its wing and the pudgy avian fell down from the tree. I started running towards it along with Cleria.


    The me Arrow hit its wing but the ckbird still seemed energetic. It couldnt fly, but it started running on the ground. Its fast!


    After em!


    I started chasing it around together with Cleria. The running speed of the bird was somewhat slowerpared to humans, but it was using the trees as cover, making catching up to it a challenge.


    We split in two directions and pincered the damn bird. We chased it around for about three minutes until Cleria finally managed to fatally wound it with her sword. Man, that was tiring.


    Cleriaughed heartily. It seems she really enjoyed the chase. Well, two people chasing a fat bird around did paint a silly picture. Iughed along with her.


    We returned to the base after I finished draining the birds blood. Since this birds liver was the vaunted white liver, it was, of course served as sashimi.

 Chapter 16 - Setting Off Once Again

    My hand and foot were finally healed! I clenched my left hand to test it out. Ah, its been so long. Ive often heard that youll be able to appreciate things more once youve lost them. I understand that feeling now. I was really blessed to have gained my lost limbs back. Im going to cherish my body more from now on.


    Were finally leaving for Gotania city in the kingdom of Berta today. Although weve only stayed here for a brief period, I did feel a bit crestfallen at the thought of leaving this base.


    I moved my gaze towards n who was busy preparing our breakfast.


    I have never felt as free in my entire lifepared to thesest few days. Its not like I have been forced to do things against my will, but as a member of royalty, I had to act in a manner befitting that of a princess.


    Be it my bearing, way of walking, the form ofnguage I used to speak to our subjects and even my thoughts  all had to be done in ways appropriate for a royal princess.


    As an example, I had to speak to people even older than my father in a way that denotes our stations as a royal and her subjects.


    My tutor, Viscount Teris, impressed upon me the importance of the usage of proper speech forms.


    He once told me a story about a subject who was executed for the crime of disrespect due to him forgetting his ce and talking in a rude manner towards royalty before the noble court.


    There were also ounts of nobles starting to use informal speech against royalty predating their acts of rebellion in the history of the kingdom as well as those of other nations.


    The use of proper forms of speech when talking between a ruler and their subjects would denote their respective positions and serve as a reminder of how each should act. I was taught that this will also protect the interests of our subjects.


    Thus, I had been practicing what I have been taught ever since, but I somehow did not feel toofortable talking in such a haughty sounding way of speech.


    I wouldnt have minded much if I was really that excellent of an individual, but I know in my heart that I wasnt.


    Furthermore, almost all the peopleing and going to the royal pce were talented people. Talking to such people like you were far above them was far too stressful, and the conversations I had with my family became more and more reserved as well.


    But its different with n. He speaks really naturally and forgoes any stiff formalities. I ended up going along with his way speech before I knew it. I honestly couldnt get enough of this newfound sense of freedom.


    A few days ago, n asked me why I was being chased after. In order to give the reason, I would have to tell him all about myself and my circumstances.


    n is also a noble. I would probably have to address him in the tone I used as royalty once I told him of my background Well, former royalty to be exact. I would like to immerse myself in this sense of freedom for a little bit longer.


    In truth, I would also really like to ask n about the country hes from and what position he holds there. But I have to tell him about myself first, so I couldnt do so until now.


    For the sake of our safety during our journey, I would have to speak of my circumstances soon.


    ***


    Alright then, weve had our meal, so its about time to depart. The luggage were taking with us is still a lot, but since theres magic, theres no need to bring water anymore, so the weight of the bags has been reduced a bit.


    The three pet bottles I brought with me to store drinking water were emptied out and folded to a fraction of their size. Yep, these pet bottles are the copsible type which is handy for ease of storage.


    Theyre made out of a shape memory material that allows them to return to their original shape once you put in some liquid.


    Thepany which pioneered this technology and patented it became the number one pet bottle manufacturer in the entire empire.


    I put some dried salmon fillets in the opened up space after copsing the pet bottles. I tried making them a few days back and they turned out quite tasty. Theyre more suitable as snacks rather than something to have during meals and are a perfect apaniment when drinking alcohol. But because they needed arge amount of salt, I only ended up making two.


    Ah, now that I think about it, I actually kinda want to drink some good alcohol right now. Will I be able to drink some once we arrive in the city?


    We walked back towards the riverside in order to trace it back to the main road. I think it took us about three hours of walkingst time. I left keeping watch for potential threats to Nanom and proceeded to ask Cleria about a bunch of stuff to make good use of the time.


    I was woefullycking in vocabry before, so I couldnt ask even basic questions. For example, what is the name of this world? But that type of question would invite undue suspicion, so I had to refrain from posing anything of the sort.


    Even though I refrained from asking questions like that as much as possible, Cleria has been telling me about them of her own ord for the past few days. Im thinking she may have misunderstood that Im suffering from a sort of memory loss or that Ivee from a different continent.


    Shes even told me a lot of basic stuff I wasnt familiar with but should be considered asmon sense for any local. She doesnt hold anything back even though some questions sound a bit silly.


    Thats a good thing. Guess Ill ask her without reserve then.


    Cleria hasnt asked me where Im from or what my upation is even once. Of course, I wouldnt be able to answer me honestly if she did ask, but as Im curious about her background, she may be curious about mine as well.


    She probably doesnt ask about them because shell have to talk about herself as well.


    Perhaps she has reservations due to the reason why shes being pursued. Well, Ill just wait until shes ready to talk about it and leave it at that.


    For now, I got to learn that we were heading towards the city of Gotania in a country called Berta Kingdom. Come to think of it, Ive already heard of the citys name from her earlier, but its my first time hearing about the name of the country.


    It seems shes going there to visit a rtive. I see. So I guess shes going there for some business and will visit her rtive along the way.


    Incidentally, the area were traveling on right now is not the territory of any country. If it had ces with fertilends, it might have already been imed by pioneers. But since the area is fairly mountainous and did not seem to possess any area suitable for growing produce, its been ignored up until now.


    Themonnguage used in the Berta Kingdom is the same as what were using right now. As far as Clerias knowledge goes, theres no neighboring country unfamiliar with thenguage were speaking.


    I see. So thats why Cleria thinks Im not from this continent.


    The form of currency is also the same: small andrge copper, silver and gold coins, as well as the most valuable white gold coins. Ten small coppers are onerge copper coin, tenrge coppers are one silver coin and so on. The value rises from copper, silver, gold and white gold respectively.


    I wonder what type of alloy is used in white gold coins. It seems they call their currency here the guinea.


    By the way, we now currently have fiverge copper coins, five silver coins, and five gold coins. Thats a total of 55,500 guineas.


    When I asked her how much a piece of bread would cost, she answered with I have no idea. Has she really never bought bread before? It either means she had no money to buy them or just didnt have the opportunity to. Its probably thetter.


    Well, now that Id had a good look at her, Cleria really seems to fit the image of a highborndy. The clothes she was wearing seemed expensive and her sword was intricately crafted. I wonder why Ive never noticed until now. Well, maybe its because of her miserable appearance when I first saw her made such an impression on me so the image of her being a pitiful girl stuck to me.


    Until now, I thought Cleria was just the youngest member of a mercenary outfit but is that really the case. She may be a nobledy and thosepanions of hers might have been her escort. But why would a nobledy wear something like armor?


    Nah, this is an underdeveloped; arming oneself while traveling may bemon sense here. I cant just keep seeing things based on my standards.


    While I was thinking about those things, weve finally managed to get a glimpse of the main road. We have to maintain our vignce from here on out. But since we have scanning magic at our disposal, things were a little better on the security front.


    [Currently, the only reactions detected are that of animals such as juvenile Big Boars, but there are no other signatures present within a range of 700 meters.]


    Currently, the maximum scanning range caps at 700 meters since the atmospheric magicle interference bes unmanageable at greater distances and the uracy drops considerably.


    But if we set the scanning target torger objects, it would be possible to increase the range a bit.


    The road has many blind bends, so having a scanning range of 700 meters should give enough time for us to get away or hide once we detect danger.


    Weve now managed to reach the main road. I and Cleria started walking on it without encountering any particr trouble.


    Ive been curious about it since before but, what exactly is that? Cleria pointed at my pulse rifle and asked me.


    Oh, this? Its basically a kind of weapon


    I cant exactly exin how it works though. But Clerias eyes gleamed with sparks of curiosity after hearing my answer.


    What kind of weapon is it? Just how do you use it?


    Uh, if you hold it like this and aim it at an enemy, something like a magic arrow would be released.


    I performed a mock aiming pose.


    Wow! So its a magic tool!


    Magic tool, you say!? Thats another unfamiliar term.


    Can I touch it?


    I took the rifle off my shoulder and handed it over to Cleria. Of course, since the rifle is registered under me, no one else would be able to fire it even if they pull the trigger.


    Cleria imitated my form and posed with the rifle.


    Can I try firing it!?


    Uh, sorry but the number of shots this thing has is limited. Its kind of like a trump card of mine, so I dont want to waste shots if possible.


    Hm. Come to think of it, how many shots does this rifle have left anyway?


    [If you fire under normal energy output settings, the maximum number of shots is 4,990.]


    Well, that number seems to be sufficient, but it certainly wontst for a lifetime. If I fired 500 shots on average per year, itll justst me ten years tops. I have to use it sparingly.


    So this is your trump card n? I cant use it then.


    Cleria handed back the rifle to me.


    I immediately asked about those so-called magic tools I heard from earlier.


    It seems magic tools are equipment that can activate magic on their own and have lots of types with various functions. There are tools used for watering nts, lighting a fire and even producing light.


    In order for them to function, they would need a power source. That power source is magic stones. So it seems magic stones are akin to batteries in this world. Thats why theyre so in-demand.


    However, although it also depends on the type, most magic tools are very expensive. There are also kinds ssified as artifacts which cannot be reproduced using current techniques and are basically priceless. Man, Id sure like to get a look at some in the future.


    Whoah, looks like its already noon. Time for lunch! Perhaps the reason why Cleria seemed restless since a while ago is because shes hungry.


    Todays lunch is stir-fried veggies with plenty of ckbird meat and salt-grilled salmon. I made these along with our breakfast earlier in the day. I packed them inside the makeshift cups I made out of the damaged pet bottle in ce of a lunch box. Un, delicious!


    Speaking of foodstuffs, I put whatever edible stuff we found along the way inside my ingredient bag. Ill use them to make dinner. We have a lot of ckbird meat left after all. Itll probably be fine if I cook it well.


    I wanted to find out if Clerias appetite was back to normal and tried to test her earlier when we had breakfast. I made the usualrge amount and she gobbled them all up easily. She probably wont be satisfied with just in vegetable stir fry without any meat huh. Cant be helped. Ill try to hunt some animals down along the way then.


    We started walking again after finishing our lunch. Theres still a lot of things I want to ask.


    A road sign appeared the moment I thought it was time for us to find a ce to stay for the night. It was already four in the afternoon thest time I checked. The road sign was a wooden pole and board with characters written on them. I had Cleria take a look.


    It says two kilometers to Ts Vige


    Ooh, a vige! I definitely want to go there.


    Did you know there was a vige here Cleria.


    I didnt. But we did sometimes stay in viges when I was traveling with mypanions.


    Shed probably left all of the work to herpanions huh. Anyway, this is a good thing. I actually thought wed have to walk all the way to our destination earlier.


    Should we make a stop-over?


    Alright. Im fine with it.


    Yeah! Ill finally get in contact with other people aside from Cleria! Im looking forward to it.

 Chapter 17 - Talas Village

    The side road which leads toward the vige was a narrow one with a width of about 2 to 3 meters and continued to a fairly steep uphill slope.


    After walking on it for a while, my scanning magic managed to detect something. It doesnt seem to be human.


    Cleria, theres a reaction in that direction, about 500 meters out. It may not be human.


    Understood.


    We carefully scaled the slope. After climbing for about a hundred meters, something which looked like a Big Boar suddenly jumped out from the side of the road.


    I zoomed in on it to check it out. Its huge! Its thergest Big Boar Ive ever encountered. It should be at least a hundred kilos. Can animals really grow to thisrge a size?


    It seems its noticed us. It started pawing the ground with its front hoof and bared its aggression towards us. Honestly, why the heck are these things so aggressive? Well, I guess its convenient for us anyway.


    Ill finish it with magic.


    Got it. Cleria responded as she drew her sword. Uh, did you really catch what I said, Ms. Cleria?


    As we inched closer to it, it also slowly drew itself towards our direction. When we came within 50 meters of each other, the Big Boar broke into a full charge. But Ive already anticipated that.


    My magicle reserves are already prepared. Lets cast me Arrow then. Can I make it so it fires off just one arrow instead of three? Let me try it then.


    me Arrow, fire!


    The me Arrow struck the Big Boars head dead-center when it came within 15 meters. However, its momentum was too strong so it kept heading straight for us. That looks nasty! Well definitely die if we get run over. We hurriedly moved to the side to avoid it.


    The single shot concentrated me Arrow experiment was a sess. The rate of magicle consumption was about the same as a single Fireball spell. This looks nice! Ill use it more often from now on.


    n, that magic just now was?


    I tried condensing all three me arrows into a single shot.


    May I try to learn it? Is it easy to use?


    It just needs a little practice Cleria. The magic consumption is about the same as a Fireball spell.


    When Cleria heard me, she immediately lost herself in thought. Oh, right! Lets use this Big Boar as a souvenir when we arrive at the vige.


    Lets head to the vige first.


    Cleria nodded in agreement. After walking for a little bit more, I got a response from a magic scan once again. This time, it looks like its human! There are quite a lot of them  about two hundred or so, give or take. There are also some smaller signals. Should be children or domesticated animals.


    As we walked further, we finally saw a vige surrounded by a fence made out of logs. The height of the fence is about 3 meters, and several wooden houses could be seen beyond it. There were two people manning a wooden gate, which seemed to be the entrance to the vige.


    As we came nearer, the people finally noticed us.


    Stop right there! Whore ya people!?


    It was a middle-aged male viger.


    Were just some travellers. We were hoping to get some rest in your vige for a while.


    He was eyeing me in suspicion. Im wearing my ck jumpsuit right now, so I must look weird to them. He faltered a bit when he got a look at Cleria, who was standing behind me.


    We just killed a ridiculouslyrge Big Boar back there! Id like you guys to help me carry it back.


    Ya serious!? A reallyrge Big Boar?


    Im telling the truth. We can go together if you want.


    The middle-aged man talked to the youth beside him. The young man started running back inside the vige.


    I jus told im ta call fer more guys. Jus wait there fer a bit.


    Got it. I raised my hand in answer. But the way this guy talks is a bit different. Did he have an ent or something?


    After a short while, it seems some vigers finally arrived. The gate opened slightly, and the ones who came out were just the middle-aged uncle and the young man. Both of them carried things which resembled spears.


    Lets go. Over here.


    We went back the way we came and guided the two vigers. We reach the ce where the Big Boar fell dead soon after.


    Theres no mistakin it. This guys ck Speckles!


    This thing has a name? Its not some pet, is it? Well, it did look to have a lot of ck spots on its hide.


    Are you familiar with this guy?


    Yea. This guy did in quite a few of my mates.


    Whew. Thats a relief. It looks like its not a pet after all.


    Hey Beck, go call out ten men and a cart the uncle instructed the young man, who then promptly ran back again.


    Are ye really sharin this with us?


    Yeah. Ill just get enough for tonights dinner and tomorrows breakfast. The rest are yours.


    Ye really sure we can have most of the meat?


    Uhuh. Also, Id appreciate it if you could give us some preserved foods. And I dont suppose you can spare us a ce to stay for the night as well?


    Thatll be easy. The names Zack, by the way.


    Cleria stepped forward at this moment.


    My name is Ria. This man is n. Well be in your care, good sir.


    Oh, its a good idea to use a pseudonym. Thats good thinking, Cleria. Zack was a bit taken aback when he heard her speak.


    Likewise, Mdy.


    Zacks tone became all formal. At that moment, the young man from earlier brought back ten able bodied men and a cart with him. The vigers surrounded the Big Boar and started making a fuss.


    Alright mates! Lets take this thing back ta the vige! Heave!


    It looks like Zack is a leader figure here. The vigers proceeded to tie up the Big Boar with rope and began to work on it with an experienced air. I also helped out until we finally managed to get it loaded onto the cart.


    Everyone then headed back to the vige while pushing the cart forward. It was hardbor since the way back was steep.


    The wooden gate was already open when we got back and a crowd has formed. We went straight into the gate and entered the vige. We parked the cart in the middle of a clearing at the center of the vige. Everyones gazes gathered toward Zack.


    Alright ya lot! These people herere this viges benefactors! They killed ck Speckles an gave almost all the meat ta us! Its a banquet tonight folks!


    The vigers cheers rang out of the square. Some were running to other parts of the vige to share the news.


    Go ahead an have a seat, you two. Here, lemme make ya some tea.


    Several sets of tables and chairs have been moved to the vige square. I immediately took a seat along with Cleria and proceeded to rx.


    On the other side of the square, some vigers have begun butchering the Big Boar. They looked like they were really familiar with the job.


    Are you the head of this vige, Zack?


    Oh? Uh, yeah, thats right. Uh, pardon me fer askin but, just howd ye kill that pesky Boar anyway?


    I killed it with magic. It charged straight for us, so I hit it with magic right on the head.


    Yer a mage?


    Hm? He seems quite surprised. Are there people who cant use magic, perhaps?


    Are there people capable of using magic in this vige?


    There are two or three who can, but none of em are capable enough ta get rid of ck Speckles with a spell.


    So thats the case. I didnt think some people are unable to use magic. As I watched the dismantling work being performed, I noticed that the knives they were using were quite dull so the work wasnt progressing all that fast. The suns going to set soon. Dinners gonna bete at this rate.


    Ill lend this to you guys, Zack. Try dismantling it with that.


    I handed my electromaic deknife to Zack.


    Its a magic tool, so its really sharp. It can even cut through bone. Be careful while using it.


    Magic tool, ye say!?


    Uhuh. Be careful so you wont injure yourself. Oh, and wash it properly before returning it, alright?


    Soon after, cheers could be hearding from the people dismantling the Boar. It seems the works proceeding smoothly.


    After a while, the tea was served. This is my first time trying a local drink on this!


    Mmm. Delicious! It kinda tastes like the green tea of Earth.


    Its delicious. Can you share some of the tea leaves with me, Zack?


    It seems Zacks wife was pleased when I praised her tea.


    Of course mate. I also love the taste of this tea. Ye think thisll sell in the city?


    I think it definitely would. Ill buy some at least.


    I dont know anything about the city, but delicious things are delicious. How about Cleria? I sent an inquiring gaze at her.


    Yes. Its quite delicious.


    Looks like that confirms it. Mdy Cleria says itll sell.


    But ya know n, Ive been meaning to ask about that outfit of yers. What exactly is that?


    Ah, so they really were conscious about it huh? Its not like I had any other outfits to wear anyway.


    Uh, well, due to some certain circumstances, these are the only clothes I have right now.


    Is that so. Well, the specialty product of this vige is **. We also make clothes as well. We can probably whip out a decent set fer ya tomorrow.


    Really? Thank you, I appreciate it. Ill be paying, of course. Ill leave it to you.


    There was an unfamiliar word there, but they offered to make me clothes. I hope they wont be too expensive.


    Alright, well fix ye a set tomorrow.


    Vigers were already starting to gather around the tables. A boy who looked to be about twelve approached me.


    Um, thanks for getting rid of ck Speckles. That thing killed my dad.


    I see Im sorry about your dad. So eat plenty of that guys meat to get even, okay?


    Yeah!


    The boy then went over to the dismantling spot.


    How many people were killed I asked Zack.


    He got six people. This year, there were three. We were almost unable toe further outside the vigetely. Were really grateful ta you two fer bringing it down.


    I see. Im d we could help.


    It seems theyve butchered quite a few portions already. A group of vige women were starting to cook the meat on a stove made of stones on one side of the vige square.


    Cleria talked to Zacks wife for a time, but excused herself just now. Seems like she needs to go on a bathroom break. Zack saw it and moved closer to me afterward.


    Hey, that knight-sama is a **, right?


    Hm? Seems like I wouldnt be able to understand the word without updating thenguage database. Anyway, knight huh? Shes a knight since shes wearing armor? Do knights have a higher social status or something?


    Why do you think so?


    I need more info.


    Well, the way she speaks is like that of a **, so isnt she one? Are you her *** n?


    Theres another word I cant understand.


    Whats a ***?


    Ya dont know? Its someone who takes care of a knights wellbeing and daily needs.


    I performed anguage update. So the meaning of *** is attendant huh? Well, its true that Im basically taking care of her daily needs. Im even cooking for her. So like Im her attendant huh?


    Well, I guess its something like that. Ive only met Ria recently, so Im still not that familiar with her.


    So, hows the knight-samas skills with a sword?


    He sure was asking about some unexpected stuff.


    Hm, lets see. She should at least be able to take on two Gray Hounds at the same time.


    Well, it may be a little tough on her though.


    Thats amazin!


    Our conversation was interrupted because Cleria came back.


    The vige women carried over arge serving of a dish on arge te. Theres also some bread. Im kinda looking forward to eating other peoples cooking after so long.


    The dish seems to be cooked out of Poto tubers and a lot of other vegetables I was unfamiliar with, coupled with lots of meat. It was a type of vegetable stir-fry.


    Zack picked up his te and started getting a portion of the dish on therge te. He took quite a lot. So its that kind of system? Cleria and I also picked up some wooden tes and scooped out portions of the dish. Cleria took quite a lot for herself.


    Its delicious! Itcked a bit of salt, but they used a generous amount of that garlic-like herb. It smelled unique. They must be using some more herbs I was unfamiliar with. I feel that the saltiness of the dish was a little too thin, but its plenty tasty as it is.


    This is delicious!


    Cleria was busy stuffing her cheeks full.


    It was a fun banquet.


    All of the vigers began to eat the food. It became quite lively.


    Hey, thats right! I managed to find some of those leafy sd-use vegetables before we came here. I reached for my ingredient bag and took some out. Its fresh so it was still quite crisp. Oh, and theres some leftover ckbird meat as well. Lets cook some then.


    Whaddya have there? Oh, are those sappa leaves?


    I found some earlier. You can have some if you like.


    It seems the sd vegetable is called the sappa. The sappa leaves were torn to small pieces and were put in on an empty wooden te. Afterward, the te was ced in a corner easily essible to everyone participating in the banquet.


    I wrapped some sappa leaves around the meat and started eating it. Yep, thats delicious alright. When some of the vigers saw me, they started imitating what I was doing.


    Its delicious! Weve never eaten meat like this.


    And heres some meat from the bird I managed to hunt yesterday. Does anyone want some?


    The meat left was about five kilos worth. It would be better to finish it all tonight.


    Oi, oi! Aint this ck Bird meat!? Ya sure we can eat it?


    So the ckbird really was called ck Bird. A simple but fitting name.


    Yeah. Itll go bad if we dont eat it tonight.


    More meat was served to the vigers. More cheers rose from the gathered crowd.


    The bread looked a bit hard. But when I tried it, I found that it wasnt as hard as I thought. It was about the size of my palm. It looked like it was freshly baked.


    I cut the bread into two halves with my knife. I lined the inside with some sappa leaves and ced arge amount of meat in between. Now I had a homemade meat sandwich.


    Do you want some Cleria? She was staring hard while I was preparing the sandwich after all. I handed it over to her and proceeded to make another one.


    Yep, this is also tasty. The bread is softer than expected, and the meat was overflowing with juice.


    That looks good too.


    Zack also started making his own. Zacks wife followed suit.


    Oh boy. The vige women brought out something like thick steak slices this time. Ill get myself a smaller piece. Mm, this was also made with plenty of garlic. Delicious! Cleria got herself a huge slice. Talk about oversized.


    I ate my fill. I couldnt stuff myself anymore. Both Cleria and Zack were eating like crazy and it didnt seem they nned to stop anytime soon.


    That was truly delicious. This might be the first time in my life that I got to eat this much meat.


    Zacks wife brought out an earthen container and ced it on the table.


    Do you two drink alcohol?


    Yes, Ill have some please.


    Cleria also nodded in response. It resembled red wine. Mm. That hit the spot. The sourness was a bit pronounced, but it was still quite good.


    So, are you two goin ta Gotania by any chance? Zack inquired as he drank.


    Uh, yes.


    I might have answered his question a little too readily.


    Hey, Beck! Come ere son!


    Zack called out to the young man with him earlier.


    Can he tag along with ye two as well? Thisd heres my son Beck.


    Come to think of it, their faces practically resembled each other.


    Alright. But why is he going to Gotania as well?


    Ysee, wee to Gotania every six months in order to sell the products made in this vige. Its about time for us to head over there again. We always go in groups of fifteen as a countermeasure fer bandits and monsters, but it wasnt very efficient and we failed to make profits. We couldnt pack a good number of wares as well. Now we have a knight with amazing sword skills and a mage able to kill a Big Boar with one spell here. And you both are also heading to Gotania. So I was thinking if maybe we could tag along as well and hire you two as our escorts.


    Cleria blushed red upon hearing her being described as a knight with amazing sword skills.


    Are you going to Gotania using a carriage?


    Thats right. Can ye escort Beck here, along with another young man to the city?


    Hm, it doesnt seem to be a bad proposal. We need a guide after all, so this saves us the trouble of looking for one.


    What do you think Ria? Im fine with it though.


    I dont mind as well.


    Alright then. Well apany them. But only for going to the city. What do you n to do when its time to go back?


    Theres no need to worry, because were going to hire adventurers by then.


    Adventurers? Those are people who go on adventures for a living, right? Are escort services also a part of their duties?


    I see. But is this really okay? Youre entrusting your safety to people youve just met today.


    I have confidence in my ability ta judge people. Ye two are people we can trust.


    Cleria nodded in agreement. Well, were definitely not viins so Zacks eye for people is pretty spot-on.


    Understood. We ept your request for an escort to Gotania. We promise to keep Beck and the carriage safe along the way.


    Thank you. But I cant give ye muchpensation for yer troubles though.


    You dont have to. We get to go to Gotania on a carriage after all. Thats enough of a reward.


    Even if you say that Oh, right! How bout that set of clothes I mentioned earlier? The clothes we make in our vige our fairly reputed yknow.


    Thank you for your consideration then.


    I did need to get a new set of clothes anyway. As expected, it would stand out too much if I entered the city wearing my jumpsuit.


    Alright, now that thats outta the way, lets drink!


    Hey, thats right! Speaking of alcohol, I have the perfect snack to go with it. I retrieved the dried salmon fillets from the backpack. Since they were quite hard, I cut them into strips with my knife, put them on a te and ced it on the table.


    Heres some dried fish. I cant guarantee the taste since Im the one who made them, but these should be good snacks to pair with the wine.


    Hooh, now this is something unusual. Lets see.


    These are delicious! Youve used plenty of salt on them, and they do seem like the perfect snacks to go along with the wine.


    I also gave some to the rest of the vigers. Looks like they liked the taste, judging from their excited reactions.


    The bonfires continued to burn, and the banquetsted untilte into the night.

 Chapter 18 - Escort (Part 1)

    [Its now morning. Please wake up.]


    Afterst nights binge drinking, I asked Nanom to wake me up when morning came. And no, I dont have a hangover. Nanom broke down the alcohol in my bloodstream while I slept, which is quite convenient.


    Cleria and I were led to stay the night at the lodging for weing visitors. It seems there were often travelers like us who ask to stay at the vige, so they built a building solely for housing visitors.


    We were really lucky to have obtained the goodwill of the vigers yesterday. We were able to get rid of the Big Boar that has been harassing the vige after all.


    The worst that could have happened was that the ones after Cleria following us into the vige. We would have had to fight them off here if it came to it, but thankfully, they didnt manage to track us down yet. Zacks behavior also indicated that they havent been to this area yet, so thats good news at least.


    Cleria was still fast asleep, so I decided to leave her be. She must be really tired.


    I left the house and made my way back to the square. Some vigers are already awake and were busy with their work.


    Good morning, n!


    It was Zacks son, Beck.


    Morning, Beck.


    I got along quite well with Beck. Hes neen and was on the slender side, but he looked simr to his father, Zack. He feels like the guy-next-door type with blue eyes and brown hair.


    Beck seemed to have a fascination for swordsmanship, so he went up to Cleria straight away. But Cleria mentioned that my skills were better, so he went over to consult me instead. After prodding me for a while, I finally gave in and started discussing swordsmanship with him.


    Truth is, I didnt really know a thing about proper swordsmanship, but I ended up practicing forms every once in a while during our trip. Well, I suppose itll be fine to teach him some moves. Ill just leave the basics to Cleria.


    You sure are early, Beck.


    I wanted to leave the vige as soon as possible. Ive already gathered my luggage, but the clothes were supposed to sell in the city arent prepared yet.


    So, when do you n to leave?


    Well, I wanted to leave before noon at thetest. Oh right, dad said to call you over.


    Okay. Ill go look for him then.


    Suddenly, Cleria came running towards us.


    Good morning, Ria.


    n! You should have just woken me up you know!


    Eh? Looks like shes angry? I dont think I did anything particrly worth getting angry over though.


    Zack seems to be looking for me, so Ill head on over first.


    Iming too.


    Oh boy. She sure is grumpy today. Lets see. I think Zacks house was round here. It was the biggest house in the entire vige. AS expected of the vige chief. When we neared the house, Zack came out.


    Good morning, Zack. You were looking for me?


    Yo. Its about what we discussedst night. The clothes I offered as a reward. Head on over here fer a bit.


    I was dragged inside Zacks house. The room near the front door looked like a warehouse and a lot of clothes were stocked on the shelves.


    Thesere the clothes we put up for sale. Ive been selectin a few of them fer you to choose from. Go an pick the ones ye like.


    Thank you. Thats quite a lot. Lets see. Which ones should I get?


    Ill choose for you Cleria offered in a cheerful tone, as though her bad mood from earlier didnt happen.


    Right then. Take yer time an choose.


    Zack went out of the room.


    Alright, Ria. Ill leave it to you.


    I havent worn these types of clothing before, so I dont know whats good and whats not.


    Please leave it to me!


    Cleria cheerfully took some clothes from the racks and began checking them out. I honestly cant tell the difference between these clothes. Wouldnt anything be fine if the size fits?


    There wasnt a lot of items which fit my size, so we got to decide on some clothes pretty quickly. What Cleria ended up picking was a pair of cream-colored shirt and ck pants.


    Ill choose some for you again once we arrive in the city.


    Thanks Ria. Ill be relying on you again then.


    Cleria seemed a bit miffed about the fact that there werent much clothes to choose from, so when I agreed to let her choose for me again in the city, her mood turned better. Zack came back in at this time.


    Ill be getting these, Zack.


    I see. Ya also need some underwear, right? Unfortunately, we only have this kind avable.


    There was only one type of free-size underwear avable.


    Can I try these on?


    Theyre all yours now. Go right ahead.


    When I started unzipping my current get-up, Cleria got flustered and hurriedly ran out of the room. Hmm. Im a bit unused to them, but theyll do just fine. Theyre a perfect fit as well.


    I went out of the room after I finished changing, and Cleria immediately came over. It seems she was checking me out. And it looks like I got passing marks.


    Ya mentioned wanting some food preserves as well right? I was thinkin of packing enough for four people.


    Thatll be fine then, thanks. Im nning on going hunting for food along the way anyway. Do you need some help?


    Can ye help with packing the luggage and wares then?


    I went back inside the warehouse with Cleria and started wrapping the clothes with a big linen sheet. I had a bit of trouble folding the clothes to a small enough size so we could pack in more.


    We managed to finish packing all of the wares after three of four hours.


    Alright folks, time fer breakfast! Zack announced. The main dish is of course made from Big Boar meat. However, the seasonings used in this times dish are different from what was used in yesterdays banquet. Of course, the dish is still plenty delicious.


    We loaded all our luggage on a two-wheeled carriage. There were a lot more other wares than clothes. Looks like this viges specialty was producing cotton. Raw cotton was packed into small sacks and was included in the wares.


    Since the wagon didnt have a roof, I asked what wed do if it ever rained, and the folks at the vige answered: Well just think about it if ites to that. Well, cant be helped then.


    The other young vigering with us was named Thor. He was a young man about the same age as Beck. They were apparently childhood friends. He looks to be a fine young man as well. Apparently, he was to serve as a substitute for Beck for driving the carriage.


    We finally departed with a carriage filled to the brim with luggage and various wares. There were a lot of vigers who came to see us off.


    Dont mess up, yhear Beck! Zack yelled out.


    I know, Dad.


    n, Ill leave Beck to you.


    Please rest assured. Well safely deliver them to Gotania.


    We finally departed from the vige, but since part of the way was a steep slope, everyone walked downhill and proceeded slowly.


    We finally boarded the carriage and sped up once we reached the highway. I was told yesterday that it would take about twenty days to get to Gotania by carriage. Its surprisingly quick, considering our form of transport.


    Beck and Thor were sitting out front while I and Cleria sat on top of the piled-up luggage. This actually feels kinda neat. We were traveling at a speed just a little faster than walking on our own. I had nothing else to do, so I proceeded to activate scanning magic. The detection range is the same as before  a radius of 700 meters.


    How far are we traveling today, Beck?


    We left prettyte in the day, so well probably end up sleeping outdoors. Theres a pretty good camping spot a good ways away, so well go until there.


    Gotcha. Dont hesitate to call out if you ever need anything.


    The carriage rattled noisily, so they wouldnt be able to hear me on the drivers seat if I didnt raise my voice. Beck and Thor were talking between themselves, but I couldnt hear them very well due to all the noise. We were both free, so Cleria and I proceeded to spend time talking to each other as well. Were basically doing the same thing before going to the vige.


    Cleria asked me about the method to cast a single shot me Arrow, but I couldnt give her any useful tips apart from sharpening her image of the spell. I told her that her image of the spell she wants to cast is the most important factor when using magic. It seems Cleria was satisfied with my answer and hunkered down to mull things over. I ended up quite free again.


    Whoah, theres some unwantedpany. Nanom managed to capture magicle reactions.


    Ria, theres a Gray Hound. Just one. 500 meters out in that direction.


    The sucker was in the 11 oclock direction. Its right out front.


    Please let me deal with it.


    Well, shes asked, so she shall receive. Ill leave it to her then.


    Alright. But its still not certain that itll head our way.


    Judging from its movements, it seems the Gray Hound hasnt noticed us yet, but the carriage was moving in its direction, so itll probably notice us before long. The Gray Hounds movements finally showed some changes when the carriage reached a distance of 200 meters from it. It was definitely heading straight for us. Well, the carriage was noisy as heck, so it was probably inevitable.


    Beck, stop the carriage!


    The carriage promptly stopped moving and Cleria jumped out front.


    Whats wrong!? Beck asked.


    Gray Hound. Just one. Ria will deal with it, I announced.


    Cleria drew her sword and held it in both hands before her chest.


    The Gray Hound appeared about fifty meters away from the carriage. It wasnt wary of us one bit and kept charging at us. I raised the rifle slightly, just in case.


    me Arrow!


    A single,rge me arrow appeared before Cleria and headed straight towards the Gray Hound. The me arrow struck the Gray Hound right in the chest when it managed toe within ten meters of Clerias position. Whoah! That was some fast casting! She just took about fifteen seconds to cast that spell. And Cleria also had her eyes opened all this time. Shes really managed to improve by a lot.


    Beck and Thor raised a fuss. Cleria would have normally jumped up and down in celebration, but she had a calm andposed expression today. It seems she was putting up quite a front due to the presence of Beck and Thor, but I didnt miss the faint arch which graced her lips. Well, she was regarded as a really skilled knight by the vigers, so I sort of understand how shes feeling.


    She didnt forget to take the magic stone from the corpse. She made her sword glow and split the Gray Hound in two, recovering the magic stone afterward. Beck and Thor made a fuss about it once again. We tossed the Gray Hound remains down a cliff.


    That takes care of that. Shall we depart?


    Amazing, n-san! Is Ria-sama always like this?


    Lets give a bit more props to Cleria today.


    Yes. Shes always been like this. Shall we go then?


    Yeah!


    The carriage started up once again. The two out front were still immersed in the excitement and were talking animatedly with each other.


    How was I, n?


    Looks like Cleria couldnt hold down her own excitement and finally inquired about her prior performance.


    That was great. The time you took to solidify your image was quite short. And what was even more impressive was that your eyes remained open while casting.


    Huh? My eyes were open?


    Looks like she wasnt aware of it then.


    Yeah, they were. Your next goal would be to shorten the casting time further. Ten seconds at the longest. Next would be not using your hands to aim and chantless casting. If you can do all these, youll have enough breathing room to prepare your spells before a battle begins, and youd be able to defeat your opponents easier. Yourbat capabilities would rise considerably.


    Cleria seemed like she agreed with my points. I was curious about why she didnt cast spells like this before.


    How did you learn magic, Ria?


    Youd first need to read and memorize magic tomes before you can learn magic properly. Youd have to do as the steps in the magic tome indicate one by one in order to cast magic spells sessfully.


    Magic tome huh? Sounds kinda amazing.


    Yes. For example, Fireball has seventeen steps. me Arrow has fifty.


    So does that mean youre reproducing the seventeen processes in your head in those ten seconds before casting a Fireball spell?


    Thats correct.


    Thats quite amazing. Thats beyond what geniuses can normally do. No wonder she had to close her eyes before. Im not familiar with the exact processes, but shes basicallypleting an average of two every second.


    I havent even heard of the method of using images like what n does.


    Hmm. Well, I guess if you didnt know of the process of gathering magicles in order to form spells, you would have a rtively more difficult time casting magic. I remember that I learned of the exact method from an NPC teacher for several days back in the game. I see. So I guess those steps would allow one to construct an effective mental image.


    Is using a magic tome to learn magic the norm?


    Of course! I can guarantee that every mage in this world learned to cast spells through reading magic tomes except for n, that is.


    She seems really sure of her words huh. I see. So its possible that the people who produced these magic tomes must have written them in such a way that would allow one to form a mental image through the use of a step-by-step process. And as a result, it becamemon sense to learn magic by imitating the steps written in those magic tomes. Mm. Its definitely possible.


    But Zack said yesterday night that there were a few of the vigers who could actually use magic. Did those people read tomes too?


    Actually, Zack said that the vige had about two or three people who could use magic in the vigest night.


    Oh, those are probably people who can use an iplete form of spell casting due to not having the chance to read a tome. Magic tomes are expensive, so normal citizens able to use magic are quite few in number.


    I see. Its plenty possible to cast magic if you have a good imagination. But without a tome to provide definite steps for processing an image, casting may prove difficult for beginners.


    Well, now youve experienced it too Cleria. Whats truly important when casting magic is forming a concrete and vivid image. You need to be faster, more detailed and precise when imagining just how you want a spell toe out and how much magic power you wish to use up during spell casting. Imaging power, so to speak.


    Imaging power


    Cleria was once again lost in thought. I was free once again, so I just plopped down on the luggage pile. Thats some nice weather. Itll be great if it doesnt rain. Oops, that was close. I was just about to fall asleep.


    I looked at the digital clock on my virtual HUD and found that weve traveled for close to an hour. Nanom was still keeping watch, so I bet itll wake me up if there was some kind of trouble along the way, but Ill fail as an escort if that happened. Lets be more careful from now on.


    Cleria was silently sitting while keeping her eyes closed. It seems shes meditating She isnt just asleep, right?


    At that moment, the scan managed to pick up another reaction. It was a weak reaction that was barely in the scans detection ability and was right in front of the carriage again. Its 400 meters out. It doesnt look to be anything dangerous.


    When we got within a hundred meters of it, I finally managed to see what it was. It kinda looked like a rabbit. It had a short, fluffy-looking tail. It was hiding in the bushes near the roadside, but its tail was sticking out like a sore thumb.


    These creatures had an uncanny ability to sense and avoid danger. There were a lot of instances where I got to detect them using scanning magic, only for them to escape before I could get any nearer. If we manage to catch this guy, guess well have rabbit meat for dinner.


    Ria, theres a rabbit out front.


    Clerias eyes sprang open. Was she really asleep?


    Where is it? Ill bring it down!


    Thought shed say that.


    Its hiding inside those bushes.


    I cannot see it.


    Hm. Seems you cant see it from here. How about this? Ill throw a rock at it and you bring it down once it gets out of the bushes.


    I brought out some stones I had reserved inside my backpack.


    Ill try.


    I brought up my throwing arm and prepared myself. The rabbit still isnt fleeing. I bet its just waiting for us to go past it. Ill make my move once we close in as much as possible 30 meters more 20 meters 10 meters Now!


    I threw a stone right next to the bush where the rabbit was hiding. It panicked and jumped out of the bush, right into the road.


    me Arrow!


    Looks like she missed the timing a bit. The spell would just manage to graze the critter at this rate. Well, thats what I thought at first, but the ming arrow changed projectiles mid-flight and pierced the rabbits neck!


    That was amazing! The me arrow released by Cleria wasnt a normal one, but something with a homing feature added in. I cant believe Cleria managed to do that!


    Nah, thats a bit rude of me. Im sure she managed to achieve it through her meditation earlier to solidify her image. Thats pretty impressive. I didnt even think of doing that. Seems I was unknowingly bound bymon sense as well before I noticed. Ill have to learn from this experience.


    Beck was surprised when Cleria suddenly cast a spell and stopped the carriage. Cleria and I went down the carriage and retrieved the rabbit. It was a nice, round and plump rabbit. Rabbit meat was quite gamey, so Ill have to drain its blood right away.


    Beck and Thor again made a huge fuss. Cleria was again keeping her cool and collected act. Her lips were twitching in a half-smile though. Anyway, we got ourselves some dinner!


    The carriage drove on until it was close to evening, and Beck finally stopped when we arrived at a ce that looked like the camping spot he mentioned earlier. It was a clearing right next to the highway. There was a small stream of water trickling down from a rock wall nearby, forming a pool below. This seemed to be a good ce to camp for people who cant use magic to create their own water.


    Lets rest here for the night. Theres no other ce to set up camp out here, Beck suggested.


    Alright. Ill go and prepare then. Keep a lookout, Ria.


    Understood.


    Collecting firewood for the bonfire was easy because we were in the middle of the mountains. Im gonna go collect some more. I managed to finish the task without much issue.


    What kind of food did you pack, Beck?


    Lets check the food items out for the time being.


    All the foods in this bag.


    I was handed a ratherrge bag. It was packed quite full. The items were dried meat, lots of bread, potos, the sd leaves called sappa, other assorted vegetables, salt and dried herbs.


    There was no problem with the amount. But I wanted to avoid using preserved food as much as possible.


    Are you going to cook, n-san? Thor asked as he drew near. Beck was busy unloading some of the luggage.


    Yeah. I like cooking a lot. If you guys are okay with it, allow me to prepare tonights dinner.


    Then Ill help out as well. Shall I start preparing the rabbit? The folks back home said I had quite the knack for it.


    That sounds great. Ill leave that to you then.


    Tonights menu was rabbit meat stir-fried with potos and other assorted veggies as well as rabbit meat sandwiches. Id like to eat the bread before it hardens up after all.


    Ill use up all the rabbit meat. If there would be some leftovers, Ill just save them for breakfast tomorrow.


    Lets start by washing the vegetables. Thor had already started butchering the rabbit. Looks like he wasnt kidding when he said he was good at it.


    How do you want me to cut the meat?


    Slice them as small enough to be eaten in one bite. Im nning to let you guys finish it all tonight.


    Rabbit meats almost entirely of the red variety. Therefore, theres no meaning to separate it into various parts.


    Amazing! Its gonna be a feast tonight as well. I never imagined Id get to eat a lot of meat again so soon!


    I also helped with cutting up the meat, because the rabbit was fairlyrge. I wonder if this is enough to satisfy Clerias appetite.


    I put the meat in arge pot and seasoned it. The seasonings I used were plenty of garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper. Since rabbit meat had a strong smell, I had to use plenty of vorings to counteract it.


    Where do you want me to put the fur, n-san?


    Isnt it fine if you just throw the fur?


    Eh, but thats such a waste. This is such a fine rabbits fur. You can definitely sell it for some money. Well, it might not sell for very much though.


    Nah, no thank you. I dont know how to prepare fur after all.


    Then Ill just give it to you, Thor.


    Great! Thank you very much!


    I wanted us to have dinner early, but Beck requested a sword practice session. Thor also joined in as well.


    Can I ask you to teach them the basics, Ria? Ill leave them to you.


    The two young men seemed to be in agreement. Looks like they were really impressed by Clerias performance today. Cleria didnt seem against teaching them as well. She nodded in agreement and made a stance.


    The two young men had prepared their own wooden swords. Cleria first taught them about the proper way of gripping ones sword. The sword practice session continued for about an hour. Looks like their sword handling skills did improve a bitpared to before.


    Since it was getting dark now, I guess its time to have dinner. The meat should have already absorbed plenty of vor from the seasonings.


    The two young men raised a cheer after Cleria lit up the makeshift outdoor hearth that was already pre-made and ced in the middle of the clearing with fire magic.


    I first fried the potos in arge frying pan brought by Beck. After frying it for some time, I put in the meat next.


    When the meat started to brown, I proceeded to add the other vegetables. I want to preserve the crisp texture of the veggies after all. With this, the dish isplete.


    I served arge helping of the dish on arge wooden te brought out by Beck. It turned out a lot more than I expected. Alright folks, dig in!


    Everyone ced some of the food on each of their tes. I proceeded to heat up the bread which has been cut up into two halves on the frying pan.


    The three of them stared curiously at what I was doing. After the bread got slightly burnt at the edges, I removed them from the pan immediately. Theyve managed to soak up plenty of oil and were looking great.


    I ced some sappa leaves on the warmed bread and poured plenty of meat in between. With this, the rabbit meat sandwich isplete. I ced a sandwich on each of our tes.


    Oops. I nearly forgot to boil some water for the tea as well.


    Alright! Lets get to eating! Ill start with the stir-fried meat. Yep, its tasty. Rabbit meat is also a type of red meat like the Big Boars, so it was plenty delicious.


    Arge amount of garlic, herbs, and pepper managed to eliminate the gamey smell of the meat. Looks like marinating the meat with them managed to do the trick.


    Next is the sandwiches; abination of lightly toasted fluffy bread which soaked up plenty of vorful oil from the frying pan, crispy sappa leaves and tasty stir-fried meat. It was, of course, delicious.


    Everyone else ate like crazy. Looks like they really liked the dishes.


    Looks like even Cleria didnt manage to finish the food this time around. A good amount of stir-fried meat remained. Lets have it for breakfast tomorrow.


    I made some after-meal green tea from the leaves Zack packed with him.


    Man! That was delicious, n!


    Did you use a lot of salt and pepper? Its my first time eating such a fancy dish! Thor inquired.


    Yeah. It seems salt and pepper were valuablemodities. Speaking of which, they didnt use much pepper in the viges food, so the taste was a bit on the lighter side.


    Yeah. Im d you guys liked it.


    Course we did. That was great! Why dont you open a shop when you get to the city?


    Cookings just my hobby. I dont want it to be my main upation.


    Okay. But can you continue cooking for us during the trip?


    Thats fine, I dont mind.


    Aw yeah!


    Beck and Thor loudly cheered. Its already well into the night. Shall we go to bed now so we can wake up early tomorrow?


    Go ahead and rest up, you two. Well keep watch.


    But


    Its fine. Were your escorts anyway. Were just doing our job.


    Understood. Thanks.


    I told Cleria Id be able to detect if something is amiss and wake up using my magic, so she proceeded to sleep without worries as well.


    With this, the first day of our journey ended without much trouble.

 Chapter 18.2 - Escort 1 (Part 2)

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Whoah, theres some unwantedpany. Nanom managed to capture magicle reactions.


    Ria, theres a Gray Hound. Just one. 500 meters out in that direction.


    The sucker was in the 11 oclock direction. Its right out front.


    Please let me deal with it.


    Well, shes asked, so she shall receive. Ill leave it to her then.


    Alright. But its still not certain that itll head our way.


    Judging from its movements, it seems the Gray Hound hasnt noticed us yet, but the carriage was moving in its direction, so itll probably notice us before long. The Gray Hounds movements finally showed some changes when the carriage reached a distance of 200 meters from it. It was definitely heading straight for us. Well, the carriage was noisy as heck, so it was probably inevitable.


    Beck, stop the carriage!


    The carriage promptly stopped moving and Cleria jumped out front.


    Whats wrong!? Beck asked.


    Gray Hound. Just one. Ria will deal with it, I announced.


    Cleria drew her sword and held it in both hands before her chest.


    The Gray Hound appeared about fifty meters away from the carriage. It wasnt wary of us one bit and kept charging at us. I raised the rifle slightly, just in case.


    me Arrow!


    A single,rge me arrow appeared before Cleria and headed straight towards the Gray Hound. The me arrow struck the Gray Hound right in the chest when it managed toe within ten meters of Clerias position. Whoah! That was some fast casting! She just took about fifteen seconds to cast that spell. And Cleria also had her eyes opened all this time. Shes really managed to improve by a lot.


    Beck and Thor raised a fuss. Cleria would have normally jumped up and down in celebration, but she had a calm andposed expression today. It seems she was putting up quite a front due to the presence of Beck and Thor, but I didnt miss the faint arch which graced her lips. Well, she was regarded as a really skilled knight by the vigers, so I sort of understand how shes feeling.


    She didnt forget to take the magic stone from the corpse. She made her sword glow and split the Gray Hound in two, recovering the magic stone afterward. Beck and Thor made a fuss about it once again. We tossed the Gray Hound remains down a cliff.


    That takes care of that. Shall we depart?


    Amazing, n-san! Is Ria-sama always like this?


    Lets give a bit more props to Cleria today.


    Yes. Shes always been like this. Shall we go then?


    Yeah!


    The carriage started up once again. The two out front were still immersed in the excitement and were talking animatedly with each other.


    How was I, n?


    Looks like Cleria couldnt hold down her own excitement and finally inquired about her prior performance.


    That was great. The time you took to solidify your image was quite short. And what was even more impressive was that your eyes remained open while casting.


    Huh? My eyes were open?


    Looks like she wasnt aware of it then.


    Yeah, they were. Your next goal would be to shorten the casting time further. Ten seconds at the longest. Next would be not using your hands to aim and chantless casting. If you can do all these, youll have enough breathing room to prepare your spells before a battle begins, and youd be able to defeat your opponents easier. Yourbat capabilities would rise considerably.


    Cleria seemed like she agreed with my points. I was curious about why she didnt cast spells like this before.


    How did you learn magic, Ria?


    Youd first need to read and memorize magic tomes before you can learn magic properly. Youd have to do as the steps in the magic tome indicate one by one in order to cast magic spells sessfully.


    Magic tome huh? Sounds kinda amazing.


    Yes. For example, Fireball has seventeen steps. me Arrow has fifty.


    So does that mean youre reproducing the seventeen processes in your head in those ten seconds before casting a Fireball spell?


    Thats correct.


    Thats quite amazing. Thats beyond what geniuses can normally do. No wonder she had to close her eyes before. Im not familiar with the exact processes, but shes basicallypleting an average of two every second.


    I havent even heard of the method of using images like what n does.


    Hmm. Well, I guess if you didnt know of the process of gathering magicles in order to form spells, you would have a rtively more difficult time casting magic. I remember that I learned of the exact method from an NPC teacher for several days back in the game. I see. So I guess those steps would allow one to construct an effective mental image.


    Is using a magic tome to learn magic the norm?


    Of course! I can guarantee that every mage in this world learned to cast spells through reading magic tomes except for n, that is.


    She seems really sure of her words huh. I see. So its possible that the people who produced these magic tomes must have written them in such a way that would allow one to form a mental image through the use of a step-by-step process. And as a result, it becamemon sense to learn magic by imitating the steps written in those magic tomes. Mm. Its definitely possible.


    But Zack said yesterday night that there were a few of the vigers who could actually use magic. Did those people read tomes too?


    Actually, Zack said that the vige had about two or three people who could use magic in the vigest night.


    Oh, those are probably people who can use an iplete form of spell casting due to not having the chance to read a tome. Magic tomes are expensive, so normal citizens able to use magic are quite few in number.


    I see. Its plenty possible to cast magic if you have a good imagination. But without a tome to provide definite steps for processing an image, casting may prove difficult for beginners.


    Well, now youve experienced it too Cleria. Whats truly important when casting magic is forming a concrete and vivid image. You need to be faster, more detailed and precise when imagining just how you want a spell toe out and how much magic power you wish to use up during spell casting. Imaging power, so to speak.


    Imaging power


    Cleria was once again lost in thought. I was free once again, so I just plopped down on the luggage pile. Thats some nice weather. Itll be great if it doesnt rain. Oops, that was close. I was just about to fall asleep.


    I looked at the digital clock on my virtual HUD and found that weve traveled for close to an hour. Nanom was still keeping watch, so I bet itll wake me up if there was some kind of trouble along the way, but Ill fail as an escort if that happened. Lets be more careful from now on.


    Cleria was silently sitting while keeping her eyes closed. It seems shes meditating She isnt just asleep, right?


    At that moment, the scan managed to pick up another reaction. It was a weak reaction that was barely in the scans detection ability and was right in front of the carriage again. Its 400 meters out. It doesnt look to be anything dangerous.


    When we got within a hundred meters of it, I finally managed to see what it was. It kinda looked like a rabbit. It had a short, fluffy-looking tail. It was hiding in the bushes near the roadside, but its tail was sticking out like a sore thumb.


    These creatures had an uncanny ability to sense and avoid danger. There were a lot of instances where I got to detect them using scanning magic, only for them to escape before I could get any nearer. If we manage to catch this guy, guess well have rabbit meat for dinner.


    Ria, theres a rabbit out front.


    Clerias eyes sprang open. Was she really asleep?


    Where is it? Ill bring it down!


    Thought shed say that.


    Its hiding inside those bushes.


    I cannot see it.


    Hm. Seems you cant see it from here. How about this? Ill throw a rock at it and you bring it down once it gets out of the bushes.


    I brought out some stones I had reserved inside my backpack.


    Ill try.


    I brought up my throwing arm and prepared myself. The rabbit still isnt fleeing. I bet its just waiting for us to go past it. Ill make my move once we close in as much as possible 30 meters more 20 meters 10 meters Now!


    I threw a stone right next to the bush where the rabbit was hiding. It panicked and jumped out of the bush, right into the road.


    me Arrow!


    Looks like she missed the timing a bit. The spell would just manage to graze the critter at this rate. Well, thats what I thought at first, but the ming arrow changed projectiles mid-flight and pierced the rabbits neck!

 Chapter 18.3 - Escort 1 (Part 3)

    Trantor: SFBaka


    That was amazing! The me arrow released by Cleria wasnt a normal one, but something with a homing feature added in. I cant believe Cleria managed to do that!


    Nah, thats a bit rude of me. Im sure she managed to achieve it through her meditation earlier to solidify her image. Thats pretty impressive. I didnt even think of doing that. Seems I was unknowingly bound bymon sense as well before I noticed. Ill have to learn from this experience.


    Beck was surprised when Cleria suddenly cast a spell and stopped the carriage. Cleria and I went down the carriage and retrieved the rabbit. It was a nice, round and plump rabbit. Rabbit meat was quite gamey, so Ill have to drain its blood right away.


    Beck and Thor again made a huge fuss. Cleria was again keeping her cool and collected act. Her lips were twitching in a half-smile though. Anyway, we got ourselves some dinner!


    The carriage drove on until it was close to evening, and Beck finally stopped when we arrived at a ce that looked like the camping spot he mentioned earlier. It was a clearing right next to the highway. There was a small stream of water trickling down from a rock wall nearby, forming a pool below. This seemed to be a good ce to camp for people who cant use magic to create their own water.


    Lets rest here for the night. Theres no other ce to set up camp out here, Beck suggested.


    Alright. Ill go and prepare then. Keep a lookout, Ria.


    Understood.


    Collecting firewood for the bonfire was easy because we were in the middle of the mountains. Im gonna go collect some more. I managed to finish the task without much issue.


    What kind of food did you pack, Beck?


    Lets check the food items out for the time being.


    All the foods in this bag.


    I was handed a ratherrge bag. It was packed quite full. The items were dried meat, lots of bread, potos, the sd leaves called sappa, other assorted vegetables, salt and dried herbs.


    There was no problem with the amount. But I wanted to avoid using preserved food as much as possible.


    Are you going to cook, n-san? Thor asked as he drew near. Beck was busy unloading some of the luggage.


    Yeah. I like cooking a lot. If you guys are okay with it, allow me to prepare tonights dinner.


    Then Ill help out as well. Shall I start preparing the rabbit? The folks back home said I had quite the knack for it.


    That sounds great. Ill leave that to you then.


    Tonights menu was rabbit meat stir-fried with potos and other assorted veggies as well as rabbit meat sandwiches. Id like to eat the bread before it hardens up after all.


    Ill use up all the rabbit meat. If there would be some leftovers, Ill just save them for breakfast tomorrow.


    Lets start by washing the vegetables. Thor had already started butchering the rabbit. Looks like he wasnt kidding when he said he was good at it.


    How do you want me to cut the meat?


    Slice them as small enough to be eaten in one bite. Im nning to let you guys finish it all tonight.


    Rabbit meats almost entirely of the red variety. Therefore, theres no meaning to separate it into various parts.


    Amazing! Its gonna be a feast tonight as well. I never imagined Id get to eat a lot of meat again so soon!


    I also helped with cutting up the meat, because the rabbit was fairlyrge. I wonder if this is enough to satisfy Clerias appetite.


    I put the meat in arge pot and seasoned it. The seasonings I used were plenty of garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper. Since rabbit meat had a strong smell, I had to use plenty of vorings to counteract it.


    Where do you want me to put the fur, n-san?


    Isnt it fine if you just throw the fur?


    Eh, but thats such a waste. This is such a fine rabbits fur. You can definitely sell it for some money. Well, it might not sell for very much though.


    Nah, no thank you. I dont know how to prepare fur after all.


    Then Ill just give it to you, Thor.


    Great! Thank you very much!


    I wanted us to have dinner early, but Beck requested a sword practice session. Thor also joined in as well.


    Can I ask you to teach them the basics, Ria? Ill leave them to you.


    The two young men seemed to be in agreement. Looks like they were really impressed by Clerias performance today. Cleria didnt seem against teaching them as well. She nodded in agreement and made a stance.


    The two young men had prepared their own wooden swords. Cleria first taught them about the proper way of gripping ones sword. The sword practice session continued for about an hour. Looks like their sword handling skills did improve a bitpared to before.


    Since it was getting dark now, I guess its time to have dinner. The meat should have already absorbed plenty of vor from the seasonings.


    The two young men raised a cheer after Cleria lit up the makeshift outdoor hearth that was already pre-made and ced in the middle of the clearing with fire magic.


    I first fried the potos in arge frying pan brought by Beck. After frying it for some time, I put in the meat next.


    When the meat started to brown, I proceeded to add the other vegetables. I want to preserve the crisp texture of the veggies after all. With this, the dish isplete.


    I served arge helping of the dish on arge wooden te brought out by Beck. It turned out a lot more than I expected. Alright folks, dig in!


    Everyone ced some of the food on each of their tes. I proceeded to heat up the bread which has been cut up into two halves on the frying pan.


    The three of them stared curiously at what I was doing. After the bread got slightly burnt at the edges, I removed them from the pan immediately. Theyve managed to soak up plenty of oil and were looking great.


    I ced some sappa leaves on the warmed bread and poured plenty of meat in between. With this, the rabbit meat sandwich isplete. I ced a sandwich on each of our tes.


    Oops. I nearly forgot to boil some water for the tea as well.


    Alright! Lets get to eating! Ill start with the stir-fried meat. Yep, its tasty. Rabbit meat is also a type of red meat like the Big Boars, so it was plenty delicious.


    Arge amount of garlic, herbs, and pepper managed to eliminate the gamey smell of the meat. Looks like marinating the meat with them managed to do the trick.


    Next is the sandwiches; abination of lightly toasted fluffy bread which soaked up plenty of vorful oil from the frying pan, crispy sappa leaves and tasty stir-fried meat. It was, of course, delicious.


    Everyone else ate like crazy. Looks like they really liked the dishes.


    Looks like even Cleria didnt manage to finish the food this time around. A good amount of stir-fried meat remained. Lets have it for breakfast tomorrow.


    I made some after-meal green tea from the leaves Zack packed with him.


    Man! That was delicious, n!


    Did you use a lot of salt and pepper? Its my first time eating such a fancy dish! Thor inquired.


    Yeah. It seems salt and pepper were valuablemodities. Speaking of which, they didnt use much pepper in the viges food, so the taste was a bit on the lighter side.


    Yeah. Im d you guys liked it.


    Course we did. That was great! Why dont you open a shop when you get to the city?


    Cookings just my hobby. I dont want it to be my main upation.


    Okay. But can you continue cooking for us during the trip?


    Thats fine, I dont mind.


    Aw yeah!


    Beck and Thor loudly cheered. Its already well into the night. Shall we go to bed now so we can wake up early tomorrow?


    Go ahead and rest up, you two. Well keep watch.


    But


    Its fine. Were your escorts anyway. Were just doing our job.


    Understood. Thanks.


    I told Cleria Id be able to detect if something is amiss and wake up using my magic, so she proceeded to sleep without worries as well.


    With this, the first day of our journey ended without much trouble.

 Chapter 19.1 - Escort 2 (Part 1)

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Its now morning. Please wake up.


    Alright, Im gonna do my best today as well!


    Twenty days have passed since we left from Ts vige. We havent encountered much trouble during the trip so far. We were, however, assaulted quite a number of times by monsters.


    We were attacked by Gray Hounds twice. We also got assaulted by those green-skinned, midget humanoid creatures. It seems like they were called Goblins. Six of them appeared before us and attacked us while crying out *gukyaa, gukyaa as usual. They seemed to be much less of a threat than Gray Hounds. I used them as target practice for my homing me Arrow spell and finished them off all at once.


    We also passed by two other viges along the way. Because Beck was acquainted with them, we were warmly weed. They seem to be of the same scale as Ts vige.


    We passed by many byroads and encountered many other travelers along the way. They were mostly merchants and adventurers.


    ording to Cleria and Beck, an adventurer is a profession that undertakes jobs like pest extermination, gathering raw materials and serving as mercenary troops. I dont really think those things have much to do with having an adventure, but theyre called adventurers for some reason anyway.


    Adventurers have a ranking system, and high ranking individuals were apparently highly respected people. It might be a good idea to be an adventurer if I ever had problems putting food on the table in the future.


    Beck and the others have also woken up.


    Good morning. Master, n-san.


    Beck and Thor havee to address Cleria as Master. Looks like Cleria doesnt dislike how the two of them are addressing her either.


    Good morning.


    Beck and Thors sword skills have been steadily improving day by day. However, even if theyve been getting in at least two hours of sword practice every day, they still arent able to take on two goblins at the same time. Obviously, fighting a Gray Hound would be a tall order for the two.


    I and Cleria have been teaching them how to properly fight a Big Boar if they managed to encounter one recently.


    However, since the two of them didnt have their own swords, I hope well be able to purchase some once we arrive in the city. It seems weve managed to get along quite well with Beck and Thor these past few days of traveling together. But just how much does a sword cost, I wonder. Let me try asking Cleriater.


    We went on the road once more after having breakfast. ording to Beck, we should be able to reach Gotania this evening, so Im really looking forward to it.


    Five hours after our departure, just a bit more before lunch, I managed to detect a reaction from my scans. This signature was definitely that of a human. A fellow traveler, perhaps? The signature was stationary.


    When we got until 200 meters from the target and would finally get it in visual range, that person suddenly made a move and headed away from our carriage.


    I wonder whats up? I changed the detection target from small animals to humans and tried to scan once more. The detection range would expand if I set the target torger objects.


    Finally, I managed to get twelve human signatures 1500 meters out. The person from before was apparently heading towards that group of twelve.


    Umu, how suspicious. Looks like the person from earlier wasing back to the group in order to report about us. Looks like these guys were bandits that Zack warned me about.


    Ria, I detected at least thirteen people 1500 meters away from us. Theyre probably bandits.


    Eh!? You can actually detect them from that far out?


    Oh yeah. I havent told her much about my scanning magic, have I?


    Yeah, I can tell. What are we going to do about them?


    Well, we certainly cant turn back the way we came. n and I should be able to take on those thirteen people.


    Well, shes right. Handling them wouldnt be a problem if we used magic, and wed definitely win once I used my rifle.


    Well, its not like Ive fully confirmed them to be bandits. But is it okay for us to kill bandits just like that?


    It does feel kind of bad for some reason.


    Why not? Theyre all viins anyway.


    Un, seems like it was a mistake to ask Cleria after all.


    Beck! Stop the carriage!


    We told Beck about the suspected bandits ahead. Beck and Thor fell into quite a panic afterward.


    Hey, is it okay for us to kill the bandits? It wont cause us any troubleter?


    No, no, n-san! There are thirteen of them, right!? I dont know how exactly you managed to get their number, but you cant possibly take on thirteen bandits all at once!


    Nah, well probably be okay yknow. More like, if those guys dont have mages at least on par or greater than Ria and I, well certainly win.


    Huh!? Well, Ive also seen mage adventurers before, but I havent met anyone stronger than n-san or Master. But theres thirteen of them yknow? Can you really win?


    Yup, we can. So theres no problem if we kill all those bandits, right?


    Un, thats true. And as long as there are witnesses, we wont be charged with any crime after killing bandits. But I also heard that well get rewards if we manage to turn the bandits in alive.


    I see. So itll earn us some money, huh?


    We truly need more money. Looks like we cant kill them after all. I wonder how much well get per person.


    Beck started to panic again when I started to consider capturing the bandits.


    Hey, are you guys really going to fight them?


    Itll be fine. Trust in your Master. Well get the people back at the vige some souvenirs with the reward money.


    Lets do this Beck! Master and n-san will surely be fine.


    Looks like we managed to persuade Thor by mentioning souvenirs huh.


    Un I understand. Lets do this!


    Itll be alright. I promised Zack after all. Ill protect you guys at all costs.


    Weve decided to go ahead with the bandit capturing n.


    We headed out on the carriage once more. First, well have to make sure those guys really were bandits. If we attack them by mistake, well be branded as bandits instead.


    200 meters to go.


    I announced our distance from the targets. I and Cleria were sitting on top of the luggage at the back of the carriage.


    What we needed to watch out for were projectile weapons like arrows and throwing knives, as well as magic. I can shoot down arrows and throwing knives with my rifle. Magic, however, could prove to be a bit more troublesome.


    I zoomed in on the targets. They were trying to conceal themselves, but I managed to spot two people up on the trees. The others were still in hiding and were not in visual range.


    100 meters left. Theres two people up in the tree.


    50 meters. Dontunch an attack before I do so first.


    10 meters.


    Cleria raised her arm out front and got ready.


    Suddenly, a group of men moved out to block the road. Theres seven out front. Four at the back. The two on top of the tree were getting ready to attack as well.


    Who are you, people!?


    I stood up from the luggage and addressed them. I knew what they actually were, but its just standard procedure.


    Whoah! Just get a load of that babe over there! She looks high-quality!


    I got somewhat annoyed when these guys didnt properly respond to my question and talked among themselves instead.


    Yer right. Thatssll fetch a pretty penny, I reckon.


    It seems no use talking to these guys. Im tempted to just turn them into money already. Keep calm, me.


    I just asked you lot who you are!


    Ive just about lost it.


    Cant ya tell just by lookin, fool! Were bandits! nameless grunt A answered cockily.


    In that instant, thirteen fire arrows appeared around me and flew towards the bandits all at once. I also aimed my rifle at the guys hanging out on the tree, who were preparing to fire arrows at us. One of them panicked and hastily fired an arrow at us.


    An instant after the sound of the gunshot from my rifle rang out, the arrow the guy released was disintegrated. I aimed my rifle at the other guy, but he was already falling from the tree branch after taking a hit from a me arrow. The guy who fired the arrow earlier followed suit.


    I turned my rifle towards the other bandits, but they were already writhing in agony from being hit by my me arrows on their right shoulders. With this, its over.


    Ria, disarm them!


    I jumped down from the carriage and instructed Cleria with a yell.


    Cleria was momentarily stunned but jumped down the carriage as well after a few moments when she heard my voice.

 Chapter 19.2 - Escort 2 (Part 2)

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Disarming the bandits proved to be no challenge. We collected their swords, spears, and bows and gathered them in one spot. I kicked the annoying bandits to another spot. Even a grown man would fly off for about five meters if I kicked them seriously. I felt some of my annoyance fade away after kicking them.


    Looks like it went pretty well.


    I called out to the rest of the group.


    Youre amazing n-san! That was way too cool!


    Beck and Thor, who just stared at themotion nkly on the carriage earlier, made a racket again.


    Oh, right!


    Beck, Thor. You can pick any sword you like from that pile over there.


    I pointed at the weapons we confiscated from the bandits.


    Yeah! We got us some swords! Hurry up Thor!


    The two of them jumped off the carriage excitedly. Its fine even if you dont hurry guys. Those swords arent going anywhere.


    n, that weapon To think it can urately intercept a flying arrow! Its a really amazing weapon!


    Well, yeah. Its my trump card after all.


    Your magic was also amazing. Teach me next time, kay.


    Un, will Cleria even be able to master it? Oops. Dont get caught up bymon sense. If theres a will, theres a way.


    Alright. Ill teach it to you next time.


    There are no more detection responses in the area. Beck and Thor were swinging the swords around and looked busy choosing ones that they like.


    I approached the captured bandits. Some of them were already recovering from the pain caused by my spell and were sitting on the ground in stunned silence. Since they were hit by arrows of me, they didnt actually bleed all that much.


    Yo! Hows it going guys? How do you feel?


    Damn you! You wont get away with this bastard!


    A bearded guy who seemed to be the leader of the group, threatened me.


    And just what do you mean by that?


    I asked out of pure curiosity. It looks like the guy had something more to say.


    A- Anyway, if you let us free now, we wont mind letting you guys off! You can have our weapons as well!


    What, so hes just an idiot huh.


    How about you guys give me some money then. I can think about releasing you guys depending on the amount. Of course, Ill just free the guys who forked out money.


    I wasnt serious though.


    The grunts riffled through their pockets in search of cash.


    I- I left all my money back in the hideout so I aint got any right now!


    One of the grunts suddenly confessed. Hou, so these guys have a base huh. Interesting.


    The other grunts brought out all the money they had on their pockets and handed them over. It was all just bronze and silver coins.


    Oi, oi. The reward money for turning you guys in is a lot more convincing than this paltry sum. I definitely cant let you off with just this much. You get me?


    I didnt really know how much reward money well get in exchange for these guys and just tried to bluff. But it seems they were actually convinced in the end.


    Well, Im quite the understanding guy anyway. Ill take a look at your hideout and decide if its worth letting you guys off then. Depending on how much is in there, I might even consider letting go of all of you.


    I was just ying with them though.


    Hey! You guys! Oof!


    The leader was about to object so I kicked him to shut him up. It seems he fainted. Hes not dead, is he? Well, its not like I care anyway.


    Well then, wheres that base you told me about?


    When I pointed out to the grunts, all of them made quite a ruckus and jostled with each other to answer my question.


    I held up my hand to shut them up.


    You there. You represent them and tell me.


    I pointed at the weakest looking grunt of the group.


    The base is that way. About five kilometers from here. Its an abandoned goblin burrow!


    U~hee, its that kind of ce huh. Its a ce where I normally wouldnt want to go.


    How many of you are left in the hideout?


    There are two others in the hideout. We also have a merchant captive in there.


    Youre sure?


    I turned towards the other grunts. All of them nodded obediently.


    I see, Ill also add that merchant as part of the assessment, so dont you guys worry.


    Ill bait them with hope-filled words first. Theyll be more cooperative that way.


    Alright! That merchant seems to be the owner of arge shop in the city. We were originally nning to hold him for ransom.


    One grunt revealed something interesting. Its another piece of good info.


    I see. Thats something to look forward to then.


    I wonder what these guys see me as? Maybe theyre thinking of me as someone from the same trade.


    Ria, Ill go pay a visit to these guys base for a bit.


    Cleria looked at me with a concerned expression. Oi, oi. Dont tell me even you got fooled by my acting?


    Its alright. Ill be back right away.


    Beck, Thor. Take up your swords and keep an eye on these guys. If they so much as move a muscle, sh em right away. Itll serve great as shing practice. You dont get opportunities like this often.


    Yeah!


    Well, these two sure look eager. They might really sh at them yknow.


    Ria, if they make any suspicious moves, feel free to roast them with magic. Dont show mercy. Ill leave them to you.


    Understood.


    I bet these bandits will stay put obediently after hearing all that. Lets get going then.


    (Long Distance Sprint Mode)


    Acknowledged.


    I entered deep into the mountains in a run.


    I soon found the goblin burrow the bandits mentioned earlier. I got three human signatures after activating scanning magic. Looks like this really is the ce. I approached cautiously.


    I found two men standing guard at the entrance of the cave, talking animatedly with each other. This looks like a great opportunity. Man, all that nning about how to rescue the captive just got wasted. Its kinda silly.


    I just approached them openly. Looks like they still havent noticed me.


    Yo! You guys bandits?


    I called out to them as I approached. It seems I finally got all their attention after I called out to them.


    Whore you!?


    Oh cmon. I asked first. Are you guys bandits?


    Stop right there!


    Man, this sure is troublesome. Screw it then.


    I simply released me arrows and hit the bandits right shoulders with them. They fell over from the intense pain. I kicked the back of their heads like what I did to their leader earlier and made them pass out. Thats takes care of that.


    When I entered the burrow, I noticed that it wasnt as filthy as I first thought. It didnt smell particrly bad either. I proceeded towards the location of the response I got earlier.


    There were some holes in the wall in some ces which allowed sunlight to pour into the cave. Looks like they made it with proper lighting in mind. There were a lot of rooms, but most of them were empty. Some of them only had junk inside.


    I finally found the merchant in question. He was ced in the room furthest back with his arms and legs bound. It was a middle-aged man. He looks about 50 years in age. He also seems to be the well-educated sort. Lets try talking with him.


    This may sound unbelievable, but Im no bandit. I heard about you from the bandits and havee to rescue you.


    Oh, Im finally saved! I managed to remember the faces of each of those bandits so I can tell youre not one of them. Are you perhaps an adventurer?


    No, Im not an adventurer. But I was tasked to guard a merchant carriage. We were attacked by those bandits along the way. After we repelled and captured them, I came to learn of you being kept in their hideout so I came to save you.


    I cut the ropes binding the man with my knife.


    I am truly grateful for your timely help then! I will return this favor without fail.


    The merchant dered as he rubbed the ces where the ropes stuck to his skin.


    No, its true that I came here partly in order to rescue you, but my main goal was to secure the loot gathered by those bandits. Thats really what I came here for in the first ce.


    Ahaha, youre one honestd. I suppose youd be interested in that after all. Even I would do so if I was in your shoes, young man. Oh, do forgive me for thete introduction. I am Tarus, a merchant and owner of a general store in the city.


    My names n. Nice to meet you.

 Chapter 19.3 - Escort 2 (Part 3)

    Trantor: SFBaka


    I looked around the room. A lot of stuff was piled up here and there; about two carriages worth of items at least. At a nce, I could immediately recognize various types of clothing, swords and spears. I was expecting more treasure-like items earlier, so I felt a bit disappointed.


    Do the goods here all belong to you?


    Most of them are. These items are my wares. Ah, and I think the moneys inside that box over there.


    Tarus-san pointed his finger toward a small box in a corner.


    Is this box yours as well?


    No, its not. But I think they put all the money I had on me inside it as well.


    I see. So this things a safe of sorts. It certainly seems like a tough-looking box reinforced with metal.


    Um All of the bandits loot should belong to the ones who defeated them. Its a proper reward guaranteed by thew.


    What!? I didnt know that. So all of this stuff here now belongs to me then?


    Can I open it?


    Its yours anyway. However, I dont know where the bandits put away the key.


    I took out the electromaic deknife and cut away all of the parts that looked like they would get in the way.


    Amazing! Is that knife a magic tool!?


    Yeah, I guess.


    After opening up the box, a lot of different types of coins spilled out of it. But most of it was bronze and silver coins. There were only a few gold coins mixed in. There was also a knife iid with lots of precious-looking gems. Finally, something which looked like a genuine treasure appeared.


    Yosh, I dont know how much it is exactly when converted to gold, but I think we wont have much problems with our finances for a while with this much money.


    Is this knife one of your goods?


    No, it isnt. It looks like quite the luxurious item.


    Thats great. Though I do feel a bit bad for this things former owner even if its now mine.


    Ill give everything here back to you apart from the contents of this box then.


    Will that be fine? It would get you quite a sum if you sold them.


    I dont mind. The contents of this box are enough for me. Its not like I know their market value anyway.


    Well then, allow me to do as I said earlier and give you an appropriatepensation.


    No, you really dont have to. By the way, how about the belongings of yourrades?


    One of my employees and the five adventurers escorting us were all killed. They were all people Ive associated with for quite a long time.


    Ill make sure those bandits are all brought to justice. What about your carriage, Tarus-san?


    It seems they only took the goods and discarded it. They sold the horses for gold immediately after capturing me.


    Well thats troublesome. Our carriage is alreadypletely full. We wont be able to load this much goods on it at all.


    Then we will just have to fetch these at ater time. I dont think anything will happen to them, considering they are located deep within these mountains.


    I see, understood.


    Time to go back. I dont have any business here anymore.


    I brought out my collection bag. I put all the money I managed to get inside it. It turned out fairly heavy. I also put the jeweled knife inside.


    I also found some sturdy-looking rope inside the hideout. Ill use these to tie those bandits up.


    Im thinking of tying up the bandits with these ropes. Is it alright if I take them?


    But of course. Go ahead and use them. How many of those bandits have you managed to capture alive?


    Um, fifteen of them. Probably.


    Thats if those guys I kicked in the head earlier didnt actually die.


    Eh? You managed to catch all fifteen of them alive!?


    Well, there might be one or two people who kicked the bucket. By the way, I heard that there would be some rewards given out. Would you happen to know much I would get for them?


    As I recall, youll get 2000 Guineas for each corpse. And if you managed to capture them in a healthy enough state to serve as ***, youll get 5000 Guineas.


    Theres an unfamiliar word. It seems I wont be able to trante it even if I update thenguage database. Looks like theyll use healthy-looking bandits for some purpose. Well, its all good as long as I manage to turn them over alive, I guess.


    A corpse is worth tworge gold coins and a living bandits worth five huh. I cant judge if thats a fair amount because I still have no idea about the market price.


    Alright then. Im going to go back to our carriage. Please follow me. My friends are all waiting for me. Do you have anything else you want to bring with you?


    Well then


    Tarus-san took some swords and other items and put them inside a bag.


    The two bandits I left at the entrance were still out cold. It took some effort to kick them back awake.


    I let the two bandits walk out front while pointing at their backs with my sword. I heard how their merchant convoy was attacked from Tarus-san.


    Three days ago, their group was taking a rest when he was suddenly shot with an arrow and was quickly suppressed. It seems the reason for his travels this time was to develop new sales channels. They were in the middle ofing back to Gotania from the trip when they were attacked by bandits.


    We finally arrived back at the carriage.


    n!


    Cleria rushed to wee me.


    Did you encounter any sort of trouble?


    She looked fine, so I dont think they encountered any trouble anyway.


    Were alright. This person is?


    Hes Tarus-san, a merchant. He was captured by those bandits and I ended up rescuing him.


    Tarus-san was surprised from seeing Cleria.


    Im Tarus, the owner of a general store in the city. I am pleased to make you acquaintance, My Lady.


    He then respectfully bowed towards Cleria. His attitude is quite different from when he met me.


    I went over to the bandits. Looks like they were all awake now. None of them were injured, so I guess Beck and Thor didnt get to have shing practice after all.


    Well then, gentlemen. Unfortunately, I wasnt able to get that much after visiting you hideout so Im afraid I wont be able to release you all. As such, Ill have to take you all back to Gotania and hand you over to the authorities.


    All the bandits turned towards me.


    Thats a lie! We got a lot of money and loot from that merchant! Youre ying dirty! nameless grunt Ained.


    Youre bandits so you dont have the right to call me dirty, you idiots.


    All of you shut up! You already know how good I am with magic! Just try and resist even a little. Ill stick some arrows on you and send you straight to the heavens! I can still get reward money even if I handed over your corpses instead after all. Im fine either way.


    Beck, Thor. Use these ropes to tie these guys up in a straight line; one guy following behind the other. I dont mind even if its tight to the point which impedes their blood flow a little, so make sure those knots are secured.


    Understood!


    Oh, yeah. Dont forget to frisk them for money, yhear.


    Can you keep an eye on the both of them Ria?


    Sure.


    Sorry about this, Tarus-san. Can you wait a bit for us?


    But of course. It does feel quite nice seeing these ruffians getting roughed up like this. By the way, they all seem to be injured on their shoulders?


    Youre right. I did that with my magic.


    You gave all of them identical injuries?


    Yeah. Even if I dont look like it, Im actually very proficient in magic.


    Looks like Tarus-san still isnt all that convinced with my exnation.


    Incidentally, what is your rtionship with that female knight?


    Ah, her. Im sort of like her retainer.


    Tarus-san looked at me strangely. Un, it did look like I was the one ordering Cleria around earlier. Oh well.


    That knight is a ** isnt she?


    Theres another unfamiliar word. Its the same word Zack used back in the vige. Just what does it mean?


    Well, we have our own circumstances.


    Thats mostly the truth anyway.


    Tarus-san didnt press me further after hearing that.


    We were able to secure all the bandits after about thirty minutes. In order to tow them with the carriage, we tied them up in groups of seven and eight and connected the rope binding them to the back of the carriage.


    n-san, what are we going to do with the money we got from them?


    Beck and Thor came up to me with hands filled with money.


    Ah, please put them all in here. You can look at whats inside as well.


    I opened my bag and showed its contents to the both of them.


    Amazing! Thats a lot of money!


    They made amotion after seeing whats inside the bag.


    Lets divide it upter.


    What!? But youre the one who recovered them, n-san!


    Its fine. You guys also risked your life. You have every right to get a share.


    But


    Lets put that matter off forter. You already loaded the bandits weapons on the carriage right? Yosh, lets get going then.


    The carriage started off for Gotania once again.

 Chapter 20.1 - Gotania (Part 1)

    Trantor: SFBaka


    The number of people traveling on the road increased as we neared Gotania.


    We encountered one or two groups every hour or so and we were getting lots of attention because of the long line of captives bound to our carriage. Some of them even purposely called out to ask if the captives we were towing were bandits, to which I answered in the affirmative.


    Beck and Thor were out front on the drivers seat while I, Cleria and Tarus-san sat on top of the luggage. Cleria sat at the very back so she could keep her eyes on the captured bandits.


    I was rtively free so I asked Tarus-san a lot of things I was curious about.


    Gotania was apparently a big city with a poption of about 20,000, and achieved prosperity through being a center of trade andmerce in the Belta Kingdom.


    Do we need some sort of permit for entering the city?


    Is n-san not affiliated with any guild?


    Ive heard about guilds from Beck and the rest. They were organizations that officially registered people of different trades such as adventurers and merchants. There were different kinds such as the adventurers guild and the merchant guild. Beck and Thor were apparently registered members of the merchant guild.


    No, I havent registered in one yet.


    If you were a guild member, your guild certificate would serve as your pass. If you arent registered to any, you need to pay a fee and be issued a temporary pass instead.


    How much do I need to pay?


    Well, its just one silver per person. And if you were to enter a guild within a five day period, the money will be refunded to you in full.


    I see. It was actually quite a fair policy.


    Do you need money to enter a guild?


    Are you aiming to register at the adventurers guild, n-san? If my memory serves me right, it would cost you five silver coins.


    It looks like entering the city would pose no problem after all.


    How much does it cost to stay overnight at an inn?


    The price varies depending on the establishment. It would cost fourrge bronze coins to stay at rtively cheaper ones, one silver coin for regr inns and up to five silver coins if you choose to stay at a luxury hotel.


    Are there inns with baths avable?


    You can only find baths at high-ss inns. Regr ones wouldnt have them, Im afraid.


    Well, I think Ive managed to grasp a general idea of the market price. So it costs five silvers for an inn with baths huh. You can stay for twenty days with one gold coin. Looks like booking an inn wouldnt cause Cleria and I any trouble for the time being as well.


    Would it be fine for you to head over to my mansion tonight? You can bring everyone else with you, of course.


    Eh? But


    Please. I owe everyone my life. Youve also meted out justice on behalf of my in employee and adventurer cohorts. I would very much like to express my gratitude today if youd allow me the honor.


    It would be rude of me to refuse after the other party had said this much.


    I understand. Well be in your care then.


    Thank you very much. My mansion has a nice,rge bath. I will also tell my chefs to prepare a nice dinner for all of you.


    Alright! Im now really looking forward to this.


    Beck! Well go stay at Tarus-sans mansion tonight. It seems hell treat us.


    Yeah! Beck and Thor eximed in glee.


    We finally managed to see the city of Gotania at around four in the afternoon. The entire city was surrounded by ten meter high walls. I zoomed in. The wall looks like it was made by stacking lots of reddish-brown bricks. There was one huge main gate that looked like it could fit two carriages side by side during entry. It was certainly arge city.


    We finally arrived in front of the gate after about twenty minutes. It didnt take long for our turn to enter the city. Two men wearing leather armor and wielding spears approached us. It looks like they were part of the city guards. The three of us who were sitting on top of the luggage went down and met up with them.


    Oi, oi. Thats quite a number you got there. These guys bandits? You managed to catch these suckers by yourselves?


    He sure was quite blunt for a soldier.


    Good afternoon, Captain Roman.


    Well now! If it isnt Tarus-san? Im sorry, I didnt manage to notice you earlier. Why are you riding in this carriage!?


    My convoy was attacked by those bandits over there. Tim and the adventurers escorting us were all killed. I was probably kept alive so they could exchange me for a hefty ransom.


    My word! That certainly is unfortunate. Please, go ahead and rest up a bit at the guard station. Oh right. This young man has been waiting at the gates for Tarus-san for thest three days.


    When we looked toward the gate, we saw a boy who looked to be about thirteen years old running up to us.


    Master! Masteeer! Youre alright! Ah, thank goodness!


    Looks like Tarus-san was really well-liked.


    Ah, Willy. Im sorry to have made you worry. I trust the store hasnt encountered any problems while I was gone?


    I dont think it did, but everyone was sick with worry.


    I see. Its fine now. Its good that youre here. Please tell everyone to prepare a grand wee for these four individuals. I owe them my life and would like to express my utmost gratitude.


    Understood!


    The boy ran back inside the city at full-speed.


    We were led inside the city guard garrison and were served some tea. Un, theyre really treating us like VIPs.


    We dealt with the necessary procedures soon after. Beck and Thor were members of the merchant guild so they didnt have any problems entering. I and Cleria, on the other hand, had to pay a two silver deposit and were issued some temporary passes. The passes were thin wooden tes with words written on them.


    Well then, about these bandits you caught. We will record your merits here. However, the reward money will be sent after two days. You two will have to return here after two days to im the money.


    Understood. Thank you very much.


    Yosh, weve managed to solve our money troubles, more or less.


    After we left the guard station, we immediately headed for Tarus-sans mansion. A regal-looking carriage was parked in front of the station with a person who seemed to be a butler waiting at the side.


    I havee to receive you, Master.


    Oh, thank you Jonas. I have troubled you. Tarus-san replied.


    n-san, Miss Ria, please go ahead and board this carriage. It would feel better than riding a carriage meant for transporting goods, I reckon.


    I see. Follow this carriage then, Beck.


    The cityscape of Gotania was apparently made of the same reddish-brown bricks as the city-wall. There was a sense of harmony about it and made for a beautiful sight. Evening was about to arrive and there were a lot of people milling about the city streets. There were all sorts of people; from housewivesing home from shopping to young men eating out at a roadside stall. Man, Id like to try eating at those stalls as well.


    The people got surprised whenever the carriage passed by and hurriedly made way. Well, they may just be avoiding it because its arge carriage and they dont want to get caught in an ident. But it does seem Tarus-san held quite an influence in the city based on the attitude of those city guards earlier. Looks like I really lucked out by managing to rescue such a person.


    I could probably rely on Tarus-san if I ever got into trouble in this city.


    The atmosphere of the surroundings soon changed, and we arrived at a luxurious-looking residential area. The carriage stopped in front of thergest mansion in the area.


    People who seemed to be employees were lined up on each side of the front gate. Tarus-san got off the carriage.


    Wee home, Master!


    Umu, I have made you all worry, everyone.


    There were actually people shedding tears of joy among the employees. He really was well-loved.


    I, Cleria, Beck and Thor also got off the carriage. Man, this really feels quite grand.


    Everyone, these people are my saviors. I owe them my life. They are n-san, Miss Ria, Beck-kun and Thor-kun. Do give them the warmest wee.


    Yes!


    Everyone, please go ahead ande inside.


    The butler guy, Jonas-san, respectfully led us in.


    Well then, how about taking them to the baths first in order for them to refresh themselves? Tarus-san suggested.


    Understood. Please follow me, everyone.


    Jonas-san led the way.


    How about you enter first, Ria? Ladies first, as the saying goes.


    Oh, there is more than one bath, so that would not be necessary, Jonas-san informed.


    Please follow me, Miss Ria.


    A young female employee appeared and guided Cleria.


    Oh man. Looks like Tarus-san was really loaded. Just how many baths does this mansion have? Amazing.


    This is the bath area. Um, please pardon me if this sounds rude, but do you know the proper way to enter?


    You need to wash yourself clean first before entering, right?


    I managed to watch a documentary produced on Earth called [Hot Springs 101] on the holobit once. This looks to be the same type as the hot springs over there.


    Thats exactly the case. Do pardon my earlier presumptuousness. Well then, please take your time and enjoy.


    We found a dressing room once we went inside. Arge wooden hot water bath that looked able to fit ten people at once could be seen further in.


    Its our first time to enter into this sort of fancy bath, n-san.


    Beck and Thor looked rather nervous.


    Well, basically, you just need to wash yourselves clean and enter the hot water bath afterward.


    Its been a long time since Ive gotten a chance to properly wash my body.


    I left my clothes at the dressing room and went towards the bath area. Beck and Thor hurriedly followed suit.


    First, you need to draw water using this wooden pail and drench yourselves with it. Then draw some water again and use this. This is a cloth used to wipe your body clean. Oh, they even have this!


    This seems to be a substitute for body soap. I forgot its name but I also saw them using it in the documentary.


    Drench this cloth and then rub it on this rock-like item until foam forms on it.


    Beck and Thor frantically copied my actions.


    After it foams up, you then use this cloth to wipe your bodies clean. You also need to use this rock-like item to clean your hair.


    We soon found ourselves busy with washing up. Beck and Thor seem to be enjoying themselves quite a bit. It felt like ages since I got to clean my body up like this.


    Then you need to ssh yourselves with water once more to remove the foam.


    I drew water inside the pail again and used it to wash the foam off.


    After that, we can finally enjoy immersing ourselves in the hot water bath.


    I slowly entered the bath. The water had the perfect temperature.


    Fuu, that feels good. Having a quick shower pales inparison.


    Baths are really great, arent they, n-san?


    Thor nodded in agreement at Becks statement.


    Yeah, theyre the best.


    We thoroughly enjoyed the hot water bath.

 Chapter 20.2 - Gotania (Part 2)

    Trantor: SFBaka


    After soaking for quite some time, we finally decided to get out.


    Lets get out of the bath after drying ourselves properly.


    I quickly dried myself up. Beck and Thor imitated my actions.


    We found Jonas-san waiting for us in the dressing room.


    I have taken liberties to prepare clothes for you to change to. Please leave your previous clothes to us. We shall wash them for you.


    Thats quite the service. I gave my body a final wipe with a towel and changed into the clothes they prepared for us. They fit us three perfectly. They look to be the same type of clothes as what the employees were wearing, but seemed to be more luxurious.


    We have also prepared your meal.


    The room we were led too next wasrge enough to host a party, with long tables lined with all kinds of dishes inside. We found Tarus-san already sitting on the masters seat. Looks like Tarus-san also had a bath first.


    How was the bath, n-san?


    It was great. Its been a long time since I had one, so I really enjoyed it.


    We sat on the seats we were guided to.


    If its alright with you, I have arranged for us to have dinner together with my family and employees in a banquet. I have greatly worried them after all, and wish for them to feel at ease.


    Of course we dont mind! I really dont prefer a formal atmosphere, so having a lively banquet seems better.


    I somehow felt that you would prefer it as well.


    The employees then proceeded with the preparations.


    Cleria has also finally arrived. She has alsoe after taking a bath. She was wearing an elegant one-piece dress.


    Eh! Master!?


    Beck and Thors jaws dropped in shock. Now that I think about it, they havent really seen Cleria wear anything besides her armor huh.


    What, you two? Does something look out of ce?


    Cleria tried to inspect her appearance.


    No, not at all. You look really beautiful Master, so we didnt recognize you and thought you were someone else at first.


    How rude, you two.


    She then sat beside me.


    How do I look, n?


    She seems fairly confident huh. The dress seems to have been prepared for her as well.


    It really suits you, Ria.


    Just a bit of lip service for thedy.


    I see.


    She seemed a bit embarrassed somehow after hearing mypliment.


    People, who I assume were Tarus-sans family members, entered one after the other next. They took their seats opposite us.


    There was a woman who seemed to be Tarus-sans wife, a son who looked to be in his twenties and a daughter who looked to be about fourteen.


    I am Tarus wife, Lana. This is our son Katolle and our daughter Tara.


    Im Katolle.


    My name is Tara.


    We introduced ourselves as well.


    Im called n. This is Ria and those young men are Beck and Thor.


    Ria gave an elegant greeting. Beck and Thor bowed humbly as well.


    I am really grateful for you saving my husband. He would surely have been killed if n-san did not rescue him in time.


    No, I only did what I had to do. Please do not mind it too much.


    Very well. You are now all acquainted with each other. We should begin our meal.


    The employees have also started sitting on the seats. We had a toast first. We poured some wine on our sses.


    Let us have some good fun tonight! Well then, to my miraculous meeting with n-san andpany! Cheers!!


    Cheers!


    All sorts of new dishes were brought out one after another. They were all ced onrge tes. It looks like it really was a dinner banquet like what we had in the vige, and it was up to you to take how much food you like.


    I proceeded to get some dishes while minding my manners. There were a lot of empty tes stacked on the table, so it was quite convenient. There were a lot of different meat and egg dishes, sds, breads and other food.


    Beck and Thor didnt make a move at first, but eventually took some food from the tes following Cleria and my example. Cleria didnt gobble all the food up like usual, but took small, elegant bites instead. But even so, her eating speed was shockingly fast. Looks like shes gonna eat a fair amount again.


    Every dish was delicious. They were really great dishes. It was evident that each dish was made with great care and effort. Ive only ever eaten food seasoned mostly with salt and pepper sinceing to this, so getting to taste theseplex vors was a refreshing experience. Ill have to ask the chefs about the seasonings they usedter.


    Tarus-san was also eating quite heartily. It looks like he hasnt had a proper meal since getting captured by bandits. I should have made something earlier for him after all.


    Fuu, that was really filling. Cleria, Beck and Thor were still stuffing themselves though. Oh boy. Lets just drink some wine.


    How was the taste of the dishes, n-san?


    Each of them was splendid. I really enjoyed them a lot. I also happen to like cooking and treat it as my hobby of sorts. Would it be possible for me to inquire about the seasonings used by your chefster on?


    Of course you can! I own a general store after all. We have every ingredient Im selling as merchandise stocked in our kitchen as well.


    Im looking forward to it then.


    Maa, it sure is rare for a man to have cooking as a hobby! What dishes can you make, if you dont mind me asking? Madam Lana inquired.


    Well, just a bit of everything, I guess. Because the seasonings and ingredients I could use were limited, Ive been cooking just meat dishestely. I can actually also make sweets. I actually want to try cooking any dish at least once.


    Maa, being able to make sweets sounds lovely! Would it be fine for you to make something for us to sample tomorrow?


    Of course! That is, if there are ingredients even an amateur like me can handle however.


    Do they have some sugar? How about milk? Hm, it could be bad if they didnt.


    Hm, Im looking forward to that as well then.


    Maa, then please have a look at all the ingredients we haveter.


    Oh boy. I think I just shot myself in the foot, man.


    That reminds me, father. An apostle actually came to Gotania a few days back.


    An apostle?


    No, no, Tara. It isnt confirmed if it was an apostle or not yet.


    What do you mean, Katolle?


    Two days before, a figure resembling arge bird appeared above Gotanias skies, father.


    A bird? Was it not arge eagle?


    No, it was probably asrge as a wyvern. The entire city was thrown into an uproar because of it.


    What? It was something thatrge? And it wasnt a wyvern?


    No, its method of flight waspletely different. Its wings didnt p and seemed really simr to how an eagle hovered in the air.


    The city did not receive any damage, I hope.


    There was none. It just hovered up in the air for some time and then disappearedpletely.


    Fumu. And why would you think it was an apostle?


    Its because of what Johans merchant team experienced three days ago. They were said to have been attacked by at least ten Gray Hounds and that bird appeared and saved them.


    How did it save them?


    Thats Their retelling seems somewhat vague, actually. They only said something resembling Gods lightning descended from the heavens above and smote those monsters to death. After that, it flew over their merchant team for a while, seemingly checking for their safety, and then suddenly disappeared.


    So when that mysterious bird appeared above the skies of Gotania, Johan and his merchant team made arge fuss and kept iming that it was actually an avatar of the apostle Isaac who serves Goddess Ruminas.


    That rumor has been spreading all throughout Gotaniately.


    I see. So something like that happened while I was away.


    Hm, I really dont think it was an apostle or anything. Its quite a fishy-sounding story, in any case. Its probably just a rare, yet-undiscovered monster. Ill shoot it down with my rifle if it appears again. It might sell for quite a bit of cash after all. The meat could be valuable as well.


    Come to think of it, which merchant group are you nning to sell your goods to, Beck-kun, Thor-kun?


    Katolle inquired to the two boys.


    Um, we were nning to go with Simon Company.


    Beck replied. Katolle and Tarus-san quickly exchanged pensive nces. Thats a curious reaction.


    Is there something wrong?


    Simon Company doesnt actually have a good reputation among us merchants. But its not like they are using tantly fraudulent means. Put simply, they try to buy at very low prices from suppliers and sell the goods to consumers at a significantly marked-up price. Of course, its a method used by most merchants as well. But Simon Company is particrly aggressive when ites to dialing down the prices when buying from suppliers.


    Have you signed some sort of formal contract with Simon Company?


    No, we havent. But weve been dealing with them since my grandfathers generation, it seems.


    Ah, I see. I also knew the previous owner of Simon Company myself, and he was a wonderful person who did honest business. When he died and got reced by the current owner, their reputation began to go south. Tarus-san imed.


    Is that really the case!? So the price of cotton falling these past few years was actually because


    Yes. Actually, its the opposite. The price of cotton has been steadily going on the rise these past few years. I could assess the value of your goods tomorrow instead if youd like. Katolle offered.


    But of course you arent obligated to sell to us after the assessment. You could choose to do so only if youre satisfied with the offer. Tarus-san followed up.


    Well be in your care then. But wont Simon Company cause trouble because of this? Beck inquired.


    You do not have to worry about a thing. They wont be able to do anything because you havent signed any sort of exclusivity contract with them. However, if they still choose to stir up trouble regardless, Ill be the one to take them on.


    Tarus-san disyed a scary expression befitting a shrewd merchant.


    Now then, let us leave the talk about business at ater time. Please send out more drinks!


    Tarus-san called out to someone who looked to be the employees supervisor.


    Afterward, we drank without restraint and entered into a really festive mood. Tarus-san and his wife withdrew early, but Beck, Thor, and Katolle were hitting it off because of their simr ages. Cleria and Tara-chan busied themselves with girl-talk as well. I was also having a nice conversation with all the mansion employees and got along well with them as a result.


    The banquet continued untilte at night.

 Chapter 21.1 - Adventurer’S Guild 1 (Part 1)

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Its morning. Please wake up.]


    Yosh, its morning. Its not like I have a pressing reason for waking up this early. Its just that Ive decided to take a morning bath after hearing that Jonas-san always prepares one every morning at yesterdays banquet.


    He doesnt heat the water via traditional means like using firewood but does it via magic instead.


    Such a wonderful method. Id also like to try it once Ive managed to get myself a house. I left Beck and Thor, who were sleeping in the same room as me, still slumbering away afterst nights banquet.


    I entered the bath. Looks like there was no one else using it. Great. It was nice to enter the bath with others, but it also felt good to have it all to myself.


    I thoroughly enjoyed the hot bath and went back to the room. Beck and Thor had just gotten up the moment I entered.


    Eh! Did you just take a bath, n-san? Thats no fair! You should have called us too!


    Thor nodded in agreement.


    Well, you two looked like you were enjoying your sleep, so I didnt try to wake you up. Youll get your goods assessed today, right? You should get ready then.


    Che, its still early anyway. We were told they would check them out at nine in the morning.


    Ah, is that so. Well then, why dont we count how much money we got from yesterdays incident?


    Our personal belongings have also been brought inside the room as well. That includes the collection bag with the money. Beck and Thor quickly warmed up to the idea.


    We poured the coins out and started counting them. We began snatching gold coins from each other midway for some reason.


    All in all, we had 92 pieces of copper, 75 pieces ofrge copper, 41 pieces of silver, 25 pieces ofrge silver, and 19 pieces of gold coins.


    Whoah! Its my first time seeing this much money! Thor eximed.


    Great. Theres plenty of gold coins. All in all, the total is 219,942 guineas.


    Lets see. You twos share would be


    n-san! We two thought it over ysee. We wont be taking any of that money after all. Beck interjected.


    But why?


    Well, isnt that money what n-san earned after entering the bandit hideout? Beck continued.


    We really didnt do anything to help with that, so taking a share of the money just doesnt feel right. Thor followed up.


    But all of us risked our lives yesterday, right?


    All of us shared the same risk of dying.


    That may be the case, but the one who defeated the bandits and raided their hideout was n-san. We just looked after the captured bandits and tied them up. We didnt contribute much at all. And besides, n-san and Master would continue your travels after this, right? Im sure youll need all the money you can get.


    I see. I understand. I really appreciate your goodwill, guys. Thank you for leaving this money to us. But Ill still give you a share of the bandit bounty when we receive them. I wont budge on that, okay.


    Alright. Thank you very much, n-san.


    Uh, why do they pay more if we turn over living, healthy-looking bandits anyway? What are the authorities gonna use them for?


    What do they use living bandits for? Theyre gonna turn them into ***. Theyre gonna end up chained and made to work in mines for the rest of their lives.


    Ill update thenguage database. Lets trante that as ves. Bet this is going to be blown up if the Imperial Ethics Committee ever gets wind of it. Oh well.


    Looks like those guys are gonna be worked to the bone. So thats why one living bandit can be exchanged for fiverge gold coins huh. Fifteen guys are worth 75,000 guineas. That means each of us gets 18,750 guineas.


    Eighteen thousand seven hundred fifty guineas!!!


    Oi, oi. Its still early morning so dont make a racket, you two.


    Sorry!!!


    Um, thatll be one gold coin, eightrge silver coins, seven silver coins, and fiverge coppers Thats a lot of money, alright! Thor eximed in amazement.


    The door was suddenly flung open and Cleria entered with a huff. She was wearing a one-piece dress that looked simr to the one she wore forst nights banquet.


    Why are you gentlemen making such a ruckus so early in the morning?


    But, Master, n-san just said well get eighteen thousand seven hundred fifty guineas each from the bounty rewards for the bandits we captured yesterday. Thats a lot, right?


    I see, so thats why.


    You arent surprised?


    More importantly, what are your ns for today, n?


    Well, lets see. I was thinking about registering at the adventurers guild. Ill need to get an official identification permit anyway.


    Then, Ille along as well. Lets buy some clothes and equipment on the way too, n. Id been concerned about it ever since we started traveling to the city.


    Im fine with buying new clothes. But I guess youre thinking of getting me a set of armor simr to what you had equipped, right? I kinda dont like them all that much, to be honest. Wont they restrict my movements?


    It would be awesome if they were like a standard-issue gctic army powered suit though.


    We could get some leather armor if you dont like ones made of metal. Leather armor wont hinder your movements much.


    I see. That does seem to be the case. Yeah, Ill go and take a look, then.


    It would be best if we purchase armor before going to the adventurers guild. Thor and I tried registeringst year without a single piece of armor or weapons on us, and we were immediately turned away at the entrance. It didnt help that wecked five silvers each for the registration fee.


    Whys that? You can still do your job even if you didnt have weapons or armor, right?


    Youll get tested to assess your overall strength before you can register.


    You mean something like aprehensive test?


    Yeah, thats probably it.


    I see. It looks like we really need to purchase some new equipment then. Lets take a look at the shopster.


    Oh, and n, Ill need to talk to you about something once we get back.


    Cleria addressed me with a serious expression.


    Well, finally! I was honestly itching to ask her again myself if she still didnte around.


    Understood. Lets have a good talk when wee back.


    We heard someone gently knocking on the door from the outside.


    Everyone, it is Jonas. We have prepared your breakfast.


    We were then led back to the spacious room where the banquet was held yesterday night. We didnt find anyone else aside from our group. I guess we really did wake up early.


    The amount of food wasparable tost nights, so Cleria and the boys were really satisfied.


    After the meal, Jonas-san offered to bring us some tea.


    Jonas-san, do you know any good weapon and equipment shops you can rmend to us?


    Lets see It would seem like Im promoting our own shop, but Id still like you to patronize one owned by our Masters family.


    Oh, so they even have an equipment shop, huh. Well, I guess itll be okay if its Tarus-sans shop.


    Wed like to purchase some new equipment, so could you tell us where its located?


    Please wait for a moment. Ill write you a letter of introduction as well.


    Thank you very much. Please do so.


    Jonas-san wrote the letter while we were drinking our tea. He was as prompt as usual.


    Its named Katolle Equipment Shop. Please show this to the store manager once you arrive there. Ill have Willie here guide you.


    So its Katolles shop, huh. Willie was the young man we met at the city gate yesterday.


    Thank you very much. When would be the best time for us to visit the store?


    The store should have already opened by now. Adventurers tend to be early risers after all.


    Well get going then.


    One more thing, n-san. Everyone is looking forward to the matter we discussed yesterday. Mdy and the Young Miss Tara are especially excited about it.


    Ah, I nearly forgot! I really dropped the ball yesterday night, huh.


    Of course. Id work on it straight away after wee back.


    We waited for Cleria to change into her armor and left the mansion together. The weather looks perfect today as well.


    The shop was a good fifteen-minute walk away from the mansion. It was smallerpared to the other shops in the vicinity, but it looked better maintained and seemed quite orderly. We entered straight away.


    You can go back now, Willie. Dont you still have some other work to do?


    Its alright. I was tasked to be your guide for today, n-san.


    I see. Well be in your care then.


    We saw lots of armor lined up on the racks the moment we entered the store. Armor sets made of metals seemed to be moremon. The interior arrangement was also quite neat and orderly.

 Chapter 21.2 - Adventurer’S Guild 1 (Part 2)

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Wee!


    A middle-aged man was manning the shop counter.


    We want to purchase some armor, sir. Oh, and we were told to show you this as well.


    I handed over the introduction letter. The shop clerk gave it a quick scan.


    Well now, I guess I really have to give the best service to Masters saviors. What kind of armor are you looking for, by the way?


    Well, we havent really decided yet. But Id like to get something that wouldnt restrict my movements much, if possible. So armor made of metals wont do, I guess.


    Right, right. Metal armors are generally heavy and would limit your range of motion to certain extents. Well have to get you a set of leather armor then. We have some good quality ones right over there.


    We were guided to the leather armor section.


    Theres a lot of different kinds.


    The prices ranged from 3000 to 30,000 guineas and up.


    The designs didnt differ by much, but there was quite a difference in prices.


    Whats different between them?


    Its the materials they are made of. The cheap ones are made from orc hide. The more expensive ones are made out of wyvern hide.


    So the more expensive ones are higher in quality?


    Yes, that is the case. The properties of the materials used are quite different. The ones made out of orc hide are no different from your usual leather shaped into armor. But these ones made from wyvern hides serve as magic tools as well.


    Our gazes were led to a ck-colored leather armor ced at the back of the store.


    A magic tool, huh? Interesting.


    Yes. Themon masses generally do not know this, but wyverns and dragons actually use magic in order to fly freely in the sky. I also do not know the exact details, but its a fact that wyverns are creatures that make use of magic to attain flight. It was also recently discovered that a wyverns hide would harden via magic whenever it receives a strong enough blow.


    So they made use of that property to make this armor huh. This slot in the chest should be for equipping a magic stone, right? I guess the magic stone would supply the magic needed to harden the armor.


    Yes. Do have a look. This part that covers the arm feels quite soft to the touch, right?


    I tried touching it, and it was indeed soft.


    But if you give it a blow like so


    The shop clerk gave it a good whack using a wooden sword ced nearby. It did sound like the sword hit a hard surface.


    Man, that was amazing! So the leather would automatically harden almost instantaneously huh! I tried touching it again, and it was back to being soft and pliable.


    How long does it take for the armor to harden?


    It would generally take about one or two seconds.


    Thats amazing. But how tough is it?


    It can easily take blows from a wooden sword. It can also defend from arrows. It also offers a certain amount of protection from spear thrusts. Gray Hound bites would simrly pose no problems. In other words, any attacks ineffective against wyverns would be simrly ineffective against the armor as well.


    I havent seen a wyvern yet, but, judging from the description, it seems to be quite a high-level monster.


    It seems perfect so far.


    Well, not exactly. Its actually vulnerable to shing attacks. Its certainly tougher than most leather armors, but it falls shortpared to metal ones. Aside from shes, it also cannot defend from ballista shots. But that should be expected. In short, any attacks effective against wyverns are effective against it as well.


    I see. Does it have any other drawbacks?


    It uses magic so magic stones are a must. It doesnt use up magic if its not hit with a sufficient amount of force, but once it does take an attack, it uses up quite a bit of magic. The amount of magic that gets used up depends on the strength of the impact. For example, what its equipped with right now is a magic stone taken from a Gray Hound. With this level of magic stone, it would run out of power after one hundred blows.


    Thats quite the consumption rate.


    So the armor would turn ineffective once it takes one hundred blows from a wooden sword huh.


    Yes, thats correct. But this would improve if you supply it with better quality magic stones.


    Can we swap out magic stones immediately once theyre used up?


    Yes, you definitely can. You just need to slide the magic stone like so and you can easily remove it. You can slide a new one in the same way. There would generally be no problems swapping them out in the middle of battle.


    How can you tell if the magic has run out?


    You can only check by looking at the color of the magic stone.


    The magic stone would turn transparent once the magic energy stored inside it has run out.


    Cleria gave a timely follow-up.


    So, how much is it?


    ording to the price tag, its 35,000 guineas.


    Un, Ill give you a special twenty percent discount and sell it for 28,000 guineas then.


    Great. Ill buy it.


    We have a lot of money anyway. It would be best to buy some high-quality armor.


    I want to put it on right away though. Would that be fine?


    Oi, oi. We still have to make some fine adjustments to armor of this level. Itll take two days at most.


    So its like that. Thats a bit of a problem though.


    I wont be able to use it for the adventurers guild test, then.


    Is there something wrong?


    I was hoping to use it when I register at the adventurers guildter.


    You! Youre telling me you actually arent an adventurer yet!?


    Yeah. But Im quite confident in my skills, so you dont have to worry about me.


    Well, I guess. But that was still quite a surprise. I see. So youll need armor for the ranking test, huh?


    Ranking test?


    Do you not know? It would not be appropriate for people with sufficient skills like you to be assigned a basic rank, so a test for determining the most proper starting rank ording to your abilities is necessary. But, well, even if you get full marks, youll still need to start from C rank though.


    I see. So thats what the test is for.


    I can lend you some second-hand leather armor if you want. Ill lend it to you until we finish the adjustments to the armor you bought. But the qualitys not that good though.


    Thats fine. How much is it?


    Its alright. Ill lend it out for free. Consider it as extra service.


    I see. Thanks a lot for doing this. Right then. Heres the gold.


    I brought all the gold coins just in case. I took out two gold coins and eightrge silvers from the bag and gave it to the shopkeep.


    Oh, you sure are one wealthy fellow. Thank you for your patronage. That reminds me, I havent introduced myself yet. The names Zaluke.


    My names n. Thisdy here is Ria.


    Ive been curious since a while ago. Is it just me, or is the armor thatdy is wearing really made of mythril?


    Yes, this armor in fact is made of mythril.


    Truly!?


    The shopkeep became flustered and went up to Cleria in order to check out her armor. Cleria was surprised by his sudden actions.


    Ah! Im truly sorry. I have a nasty habit of forgetting myself whenever I see some excellent equipment ysee. Its indeed made out of mythril. And from the looks of it, the forger is one heck of a master in the craft.


    However Could youe this way first, dear customer.


    The shopkeep grabbed my arm and dragged me to the side.


    Oi, is thatdy a **?


    Theres that unknown word again. Well, I can already make a rough guess about what it means though.


    She might be. Im not clear about her circumstances either though.


    I see. So there seem to be some special circumstances. But walking around wearing that is kinda bad yknow. You can tell at first nce that her armors made of mythril. That wouldnt be a problem if she were in thepany of arge number of guards. But youll most likely be targeted if it were just you folks and her walking about.


    Is it really that valuable?


    It sure is! Lets see. In this shop, selling it for 40,000 Guineas is still considered cheap.


    It costs that much!?


    Yeah. And that design is exquisite. It seems based on the armor ordinary knights and adventurers wear, but the design philosophy ispletely different. The one that littledy is wearing is an armor fit for royal knights. In the eyes of others, itspletely obvious that shes a **.


    I checked out the metal armor sets being sold at the shop.


    It doesnt look all that different to me though.


    Itspletely different!


    Ria, can youe over here for a sec?


    I moved my gaze back and forth between Clerias armor and the metal armor sets in the store, but I still couldnt spot the difference.


    But they really look the same to me. Arent they?


    Theyre absolutely, positively different, I tell ya!


    Zaluke replied enthusiastically.


    Just look at this line here. This doesnt appear in the other armor sets, correct? And take a gander at this section here. Its of apletely different design. This section too. Ah, and this one as well


    Well, now that Ive taken a closer look, it does seem kinda different. Maybe. I think.


    Uh, hey, is it possible to modify this armor so it wouldnt look like mythril?


    Hm? Ah, well, if we darkened the color a bit, it should be able to fool the untrained eye.


    Can you make it so the design would look like that of an ordinary adventurers armor?


    I can do that. But it wouldnt be an exaggeration to call this armor a fine work of art. Are you sure you want to do something like that to it?


    We dont really mind. Right, Ria?


    Its fine with me.


    Please modify it so people wouldnt be able to recognize it as mythril. The design should look like what normal adventurers use. Please be sure to modify it thoroughly. How much would it cost and how long would it take to modify the armor?


    Ah, thats such a waste Well, Id need three days. Itll cost you 5,000 guineas.


    Its unexpectedly cheap. I took out another fiverge silvers from the bag and handed them over.


    Well then, well leave Rias armor to you once were done with our business at the adventurers guild. Ill pick up mine after three days as well.


    Understood. Ill need to take your measurements. Pleasee over here for a bit.


    The shopkeep proceeded with taking my measurements and adjusted the armor hes going to lend me ordingly. It took about one hour.


    The adventurers guild is already open, right?


    Yes, theyre usually already open by daybreak.


    I, Cleria and Willie finally headed towards the adventurers guild.

 Chapter 22.1 - Adventurer’S Guild 2 (Part 1)

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Willie, how far do we need to walk to get to the adventurers guild?


    Its just nearby. Its thatrge building over there.


    Willie pointed toward arge, three-story building. It seemed to take up five times the spacepared to the buildings surrounding it.


    There were a lot of people who looked like adventurers hanging out at the buildings entrance. It seemed like they were waiting for something or someone. They might be waiting for other members of their respective groups.


    We entered straight away.


    The reception counters are that way.


    There were two reception counters lined up inside the building. The receptionist at one counter was busy talking to an adventurer about something. We went over to the free counter.


    The receptionist was a young woman.


    Excuse me. Wed like to register as adventurers please. Is this the right counter?


    Yes. The both of you will be registering?


    Yes, thats right. Me and this girl here.


    Well then, please fill out this registration form first.


    Uh-oh. The only things I can write at the moment are my and Clerias names.


    Ill write for you, n. Cleria offered.


    Really? Ill leave it to you then.


    Cleria promptly filled out both our forms. I hope theres no problem with the info she wrote. Well, its not like they can find out whether or not the stuff written in my ID in this world is true anyway. I guess there would be no problems.


    But I need to learn how to read and write the characters soon. Im sure Nanom would be able to update the database if I get someone to read a book aloud while I sit beside them or something. I wonder where I could buy some books.


    Cleria finished writing and handed the forms back to the receptionist.


    The receptionist gave the forms a quick check. She seemed to be quite surprised after reading them and stared hard at Cleria and me.


    Um, Im sorry, but is whats written in these forms true?


    The receptionist pointed at the forms and asked Cleria.


    Theres no mistake.


    Was there something wrong with the info she wrote on the forms?


    Understood. The registration fee is five silver coins per person.


    I handed the receptionist tworge silvers.


    Ive received the payment. Well then, the two of you will need to undergo the rank assessment test next. The rank assessment test is meant to measure the overall abilities of the two of you. We will be able to determine the most appropriate starting rank for both of you after the test. Do you need me to exin the ranking system?


    I and Cleria nodded.


    The adventurers guild receives various kinds of quests everyday. Escort missions, monster extermination, material collection and so on. The guild reviews the quests and assigns an appropriate difficulty rank for each of them. In order to fulfill these quests more efficiently, the adventurers are also given corresponding ranks and will be able to undertake quests with a simr or lower rank as theirs. They can also undertake quests one rank above them if they chose to do so. The ranks for both quests and adventurers are as follows: F, E, D, C, B, A, and S  with S being the highest. Seven ranks all in all. As an example, an F rank adventurer is only allowed to take F or E rank quests. Have I managed to exin clearly enough?


    Man, this girls amazing. She just exined all of that in one breath. She should have given this spiel at least hundreds of times already.


    Yes, theres no problem.


    Cleria nodded in agreement.


    Well then, Ill talk more about the quests next. The general quests are posted on that wall over there.


    Following the direction the receptionist pointed towards, we saw a number of adventurers checking out the quests posted on a wall at the side of the building.


    You can select the quest you want to do from that wall and then report it here. If there are no problems, you will be assigned toplete that particr quest. Its firste, first served. You are given a specific deadline toplete each quest. There would be a penalty imposed for failing toplete a quest on time. You can check the penalty for quests here as well.


    There are also designated quests, which differ from regr ones. These are assigned by the client to a specific adventurer or party toplete. The adventurers are free to decide whether or not to ept the quests. Theres alsopulsory quests. These are only issued out by the guild in times of emergency. You generally cannot refuse these quests. Refusing to do them would result in a grave vition of guild rules and will have a corresponding heavy penalty.


    Adventurers are also required toplete at least one quest every two months. If one fails to do so, it will result in their rank being lowered by one step. In the case of F ranked adventurers, they will immediately face expulsion. Have I managed to exin it clearly so far?


    Yes, theres no problems.


    Cleria nodded in agreement once more.


    Well then, Ill proceed with preparations for your rank assessment tests. In the meantime, please go ahead and read the guild rules and regtions posted on that wall over there. Ive already discussed most of the important ones, but some other particrs are written out on there as well.


    Understood.


    I headed towards the wall with the guild rules posted on it along with Cleria. The rules were written directly on the face of the wall in bold characters. One would be able to easily read them. Perfect timing. Ill have Cleria read them aloud for me then.


    Cleria, can I ask you to read the rules aloud for me? You can just whisper them to me if you want.


    What for?


    I need to learn the characters. Please.


    You can learn them just from me reading them aloud!?


    I can. Im fine with you reading them quickly too.


    Understood. Cleria nodded and started reading.


    The guild receptionist, Ami, had another staff member rece her on the counter and went towards the staff room.


    It was still early in the morning, but there was already five male staff inside the staff room.


    Everyone, its been so long, but it seems there are some promising new recruits today! But I havent confirmed it yet though.


    That again, Ami? The guys that show themselves off like that are usually all weaklings yknow.


    Well, one of them is a really cute girl.


    Say what!? That sure is rare. Ill be in charge of her then.


    The girls cute, but shes wearing some nice armor and seemed like a proper knight. Ami followed up.


    Man, that sure sounds promising, aint it? another staff member chimed in.


    Um, lets see. The girls swordsmanship level is 7 out of 10. Wow! She can also use fire magic! And its level 8!


    Aww, that sounds awfully exaggerated, doesnt it?


    No, no. The guy with her sounds more amazing! Apparently, both his swordsmanship and magic has reached rank 10!


    Ahaha! Thats rich! How long has it been since we got such jokers?


    So the two of them can use magic? Did you properly exin what the exams are for?


    How rude! Of course I did! Ami retorted.


    Alright then. Even if they actually suck at it, lets assume both of them can really use magic. If even just half of whats written in their applications are true, theyll really turn out to be promising rookies. Well have to do this properly after all folks.


    Id rather believe they couldnt read the forms properly.


    No, that doesnt seem to be the case. The girl wrote the forms for both of them, but theres nothing toin about with her penmanship. The characters were all written beautifully, and she also wrote them at a fast pace. Theres no chance shes illiterate.


    Yosh! Im gettin kinda curious now. Lets all go see them, shall we?


    Im gonna be in charge of the girl, yhear!


    Cleria just finished reading the rules aloud to me when the receptionist came back.


    Sorry for the wait. Ive finished preparing for your rank assessment tests. Pleasee with me.


    Fuu, that was tiring. Cleria eximed.


    Sorry, you were a great help.


    Ipleted the update and confirmed that I could now read the rules written on the wall. Alright. Ill just have to update the database a few more times and Ill be set.


    Oh yeah. Can you wait for us here, Willie?


    I understand.


    We were led to another building next to the guild. Its side walls were 30 meters long, its front and back were 20 meters, and its height was 10 meters. It was another fairlyrge building. It should be a sort of gymnasium. There were a lot of objects which looked like stationary targets lined up on the far at the back of the gym.


    I saw five guys who looked like guild staff standing nearby.


    Were going to serve as your proctors during the test. So, you both specialize in swordsmanship right? You two are going to engage in practice matches with one of us each here for the swordsmanship test. Listen up. This isnt about winning or losing. Its not like youll automatically fail if you lose the match. Were going to rank your skills objectively, so be sure to give it all youve got.


    First up is Ria! Come out front!


    Do your best, Ria.


    Alright.


    The examiner who was gonna serve as Clerias opponent handed her a wooden sword used for practice. Her opponent was a guy who looked to be in his thirties. Theyll take some distance from each other first, and then the match will start.


    Ready Begin!


    Both of them held up their swords and stood in ce. Cleria was watching for an opening.


    The examiner moved one step forward as a feint in order to bait her, but Cleria remained motionless.


    The examiner looked quiteposed as he gradually shortened the distance. And once he neared a certain distance, he greatly raised his sword overhead, as if inviting her.


    Ah! As soon as he did so, Cleria made her move and rushed straight for him.


    She was so fast that the examiner had no choice but to execute a downward sh. But Cleria has already anticipated that and agilely dodged to the side. Afterward, she started to unleash her sword rush.


    The examiner swung widely and ruined his stance. Cleria didnt give him the chance to reorient himself and rushed him with a furious flurry of sword attacks. The examiner was finally made to drop his sword.


    Cleria promptly stopped her rush and ced her sword next to the examiners throat.


    M- Match over!


    Cleria taught Beck and Thor the basics of swordsmanship while we were on the road, but its not like thats all she did. She had Beck and Thor do sword swing practice from time to time and invited me over for some practice matches.


    The swordsmanship I know is basically limited to rushes andbos. I just focused on unleashing as many attacks as I could.


    But it cant be helped. That kind of fighting style was really popr in the school I attended back then after all. If I didnt practice this kind of fighting style as well, I probably would have been left out during conversations with my buddies.


    I had no choice but to teach Cleria how to make effective rushes. I would show an opening, Cleria would close in, and I would counter her with a sword rush. We repeated this kind of practice match lots of times. Thanks to that, my defensive skills have actually improved as well.


    Both I and Cleria could easily read the examiners movements. Cleria wouldnt let an opening like that slip. That examiner seems to have underestimated Cleria a bit.

 Chapter 22.2 - Adventurer’S Guild 2 (Part 2)

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Alright, good job! Well take a look at your magic next.


    The lead examiner from earlier loudly announced.


    We moved towards the area where the targets were ced. It looks like we need to cast magic fifteen meters away from the targets.


    Well have you cast your magic and try to hit those five targets over there. You specialize in fire magic, correct? Cast the fire spell youre best at. Well rate you by taking the time it takes for you to hit all five targets as well as how close to the center your spellsnd. Well start measuring the time immediately after we tell you to begin.


    Begin!


    Cleria raised both her hands, making three arrows of me appear before her. They flew toward each target and proceeded to hit them right in the center one after another.


    It looks like she was preparing to cast her spell even before they told her to start. I hope that wont count as a vition.


    Eight seconds after she cast the first spell, two more arrows of me appeared and flew towards the remaining targets. They both hit the targets dead center as well.


    It looks like she still cant manage to release five arrows simultaneously.


    There was no shout signaling the end of the test. Cleria turned toward the examiner in puzzlement. It was only then that the examiner managed to proim test over in a fluster.


    Amazing!


    What the heck was that!?


    Thats impossible!


    Looks like it impressed the examiners a lot.


    Clerias certainly improved her magic casting time greatlypared to before. After getting to know that whats most important for casting magic was to build a concrete image, she tirelessly casted magic every moment she could, even while lying down on top of the luggage. She repeatedly fired magic while facing toward the sky at those times. And the results of that are showing right now.


    The examiners huddled together and were discussing animatedly. Are they discussing about the vition from earlier?


    Okay. Rias magic assessment is now over. Great job. n, youre up next! Well do your magic assessment right now.


    Looks like that early start was considered okay after all. I see. So thats eptable huh.


    I stood in front of the targets just like Cleria earlier.


    Begin!


    Immediately after I heard the signal to start, I materialized five me arrows in front of me and fired them towards the targets. I constructed an image of me arrows that were faster than normal ones by several times, so they flew towards the targets with blinding speed. It only took me two seconds from casting to hitting the targets.


    Hows that!? I bet Id set the record for the fastest cast time folks.


    Eh? Theyre not yelling test over, arent they? Did I cast my magic too fast?


    I took a look at the exam proctors and found them petrified.


    Um?


    A- Ah! T- Test over!


    It seems they didnt manage to measure the time properly. I hope thats okay.


    Alright! Well assess ns swordsmanship level next!


    The examiners huddled together and discussed something again. Maybe they were choosing my practice opponent?


    It looks like they finally decided, and one examiner stepped forward.


    Ready Begin!


    The examiner didnt make any moves. It looks like hes scoping me out.


    Hes still not moving. Itll take forever at this rate, so I decided to take a step forward instead. The opponent took a step back. I tried stepping forward again. The opponent stepped back once more. Hey, hes not actually scared of me, isnt he?


    I tried stepping forward again. And he took another step backward, like earlier. Man, this is getting a bit bothersome. Ill try rushing him with a basicbo then. It was a basic three sh swordbo, but it would leave me a bit open while rushing towards the enemy. But in exchange, it also allowed me to finish off opponents swiftly if it sessfully connects.


    I feinted by taking one step like I did earlier and prepared to unleash thebo.


    I rushed towards the opponent and made use of the momentum to deliver a strong upward sh. Now for the other two follow-up shes which I couldnt actually perform. I noticed that the first sh actually managed to send the opponents sword flying out of his hand. As a result, I could only ce my sworn near the opponents throat.


    Match over!


    Uh, the rank assessment tests are now over. Well announce the resultster on. Please wait at the area near the receptionist counters for the meantime.


    That was surprisingly quick huh. I went back to the guild building with Cleria.


    Is the test really over with that?


    It seems so. Perhaps they have other things to tend to.


    Guess so, huh.


    The examiners went back to the staff room together.


    Oi, what the heck are those two!? Seriously, what are they!!?


    Rather than that, what was up with you on thatst match, man? You were scared sh*tless!


    Well, its true that Kenny was overwhelmed. But that speed and sword sh were the real deal.


    More than that, his magic was nuts! It wasnt just at the level of being amazing!


    I have an acquaintance in the magic guild whos one of the top rankers there, but that examinees me Arrow spell was at least dozens of times better than his.


    In the end, what they wrote on their application forms were true.


    No. At least, the level of their magic skill is probably a lot more than whats written there. Its honestly to the point where I think no other people could probably best them when ites to magic.


    Thats certainly true. So what shall we do? What would be their rank assessment results?


    Former B rankers like us were trounced in a one-sided manner after all. Its impossible to ignore that result.


    So were all agreed right? Both of them will be C rank.


    No objection!


    Cleria and I waited inside the guild building for about twenty minutes until the receptionist finally returned.


    n-san and Ria-san have both been officially registered as C rank adventurers. Ill hand over your guild identifications, so please follow me to the counter.


    These are your guild identifications. Please keep them with you at all times. If you lose them, there will be a penalty of onerge silver coin in order to process a reissue, so be very careful not to lose them.


    It was a copper te with a width of five centimeters and length of ten centimeters. It had the seal of the adventurers guild, registration number, my name, the registration date and my rank, which was C, engraved on it.


    Weve now finished your registration. Do you have any other questions?


    It would be fine for you not to take any quests for a maximum of seven months when youre a C rank, right?


    Eh!? Well, that is the case, but your rank will fall steadily as a result.


    Im not really concerned with my rank, so thats alright.


    You dont mind, you say? However, the guild would very much prefer it if skilled adventurers like you couldplete quests at a steady rate, n-san.


    Understood. Thank you very much.


    Eh?


    Lets go back Ria, Willie.


    I locked eyes with a female mercenary as we went out of the guild building. She had a pair of sharp eyes. When that female mercenarys gaze turned towards Cleria, an astonished expression appeared on her face.


    Your High- ! Cleria-sama!


    Cleria stood dazed for a few moments, but her expression turned to one of surprise soon afterward.


    If it isnt Elna! Why are you in a ce like this?


    Im relieved to see you looking well, Cleria-sama!


    Hey, Ria. This isnt the time or the ce for this. Were standing out too much.


    They were really getting worked up, so I tapped Clerias shoulder to remind her.


    The adventurers were already crowding around us to see what was going on.


    You knave! Who are you!? Do not address her so casually!


    The female mercenary angrily turned towards me and was about to draw her sword.


    At ease, Elna! Let us move to a different area.


    Lets head to the Katolle Equipment Shop for the meantime.


    Ill have to return my armor, and Cleria has to leave hers there as well.


    I dont know who this Elnady exactly is, but judging from that earlier conversation, I have a rough idea already.


    She didnt seem to be just a casual acquaintance, and she seemed to know Cleria well. She might have some news that she was reluctant to share with me around as well. It would to move to a ce where the two of them can talk without reserve.


    The Katolle Equipment Shop was nearby, so we soon reached it while maintaining an awkward silence.


    We entered the shop and headed for the counter. Zaluke greeted us warmly.


    Yo, you guys sure were fast. So how did the tests go?


    Ah, we both became C rank.


    Thats impressive! As expected of Masters saviors.


    I guess. Can you help with taking this armor off? Im still not familiar with it.


    Um, Miss Elna, right? How about you help Ria with hers over there?


    I understand.


    Hey, Zaluke. Will my armor be hard to put on and take off like this one?


    No, dontpare this armor with the one you purchased. That ones a top-grade leather armor after all. Itll be easier to handle. You can easily put it on and take it off by yourself.


    I see. d to hear it.


    Ria, what are your ns after this? Im gonna go back to Tarus-sans mansion. But you and her have things you need to talk about, right? You can go somewhere else after this. Ill give you some money if you need it.


    Ill go back with you as well.


    You will? Well, we should be able to borrow a private roomter anyway.


    That reminds me. Ill have to make some sweetster. And its not like we can continue staying over at Tarus-sans mansion for tonight. Well need to look for a suitable inn soon. Looks like itll be a busy day.


    Well then, Ill leave our armors to you, Zaluke. Welle back for them after three days.


    Gotcha. Leave them to me.


    We walked back to Tarus-sans mansion. Cleria and Elna walked a little further back from Willie and I. They were talking softly among themselves. Its possible for me to eavesdrop on their conversation if I enhance my hearing, but I dont want to do something that tasteless.


    We soon arrived back at Tarus-sans mansion.


    Willie, sorry to impose this on you, but could you see if Jonas-san is free and call him over?


    Understood.


    It didnt take long for Jonas-san toe.


    Im sorry for calling you over like this. Ria met an acquaintance back at the adventurers guild. It seems they have some important things to talk about, so, if it isnt any trouble, could you lend us a private room for a while?


    But of course. The guest of our guest is our guest as well. Ill prepare some tea.


    Im sorry to bother you with this.


    Now then, Ria and Elna, you two can take your time talking inside the room.


    Understood. n Thank you.


    Dont worry about it.


    n-san, did you perhapse to the adventurers guild earlier in order to register?


    Yes. I didnt manage to tell you before we went out of the mansion though. Thats about it. Ria and I just finished our registration.


    What rank did you manage to attain, by the way?


    We both became C rank adventurers.


    Hou! Its impressive that the two of you managed to attain C rank right away. Amazing.


    No, it wasnt all that great. More importantly, thank you for introducing us to a good shop. Weve managed to get some quality goods and services as a result.


    No, were d for your patronage as well. I do have something I want to consult with you, n-san. That is if you dont mind?


    What is it?


    Its about the rest of the goods n-san and Master left in the bandit hideout yesterday. Were a bit troubled because no one else apart from n-san and Master know the way to the hideout. I was thinking of having n-san retrieve them for us in the form of a designated guild quest. Would that be alright with you?


    Yeah, thatll be fine. Ill take the quest. But theres quite a lot of goods so Ill need to find a way to transport them back


    No, we will handle the retrieval work. All you have to do is escort us and guide us to the location of the hideout.


    I see. Theres no problem then. I ept the quest.


    Well then, I will be sending a formal request to the guild tomorrow, so we will be in your care.


    I understand. So, about that matter regarding sweets. Id actually like to start making preparations for that now if thats okay with you?


    Of course. Please go ahead. Ill guide you to the kitchen.


    Im really curious about the kinds of ingredients they have avable.


    Im sure they at least have some sugar since theyre familiar with sweets. But what am I gonna do if they turned out just having sugar and wheat flour? I wont be able to make much from those. I did blurt out that cooking is my hobby, so I dont want to make something weird if I can help it. Man, I really dropped the ball yesterday, didnt I?

 Chapter 23.1 - Cleria’S Story 1 (Part 1)

    Trantor: SFBaka


    The facilities of the kitchen I was guided to were quite extensive. They were also well-ordered.


    This is the kitchen Mdy and Tara-sama often use for cooking.


    It seems like this mansion actually has several kitchens. Un, its certainly an enviable environment.


    The ingredients and cookware present here are the same as what we have in the main kitchen.


    Its quite a splendid kitchen. Well then, what should I make? What are the staple sweets in this country? It would be dull if I made something alreadymonly avable, so could I trouble you to teach me?


    Certainly. This is the staple sweet we have in this country. There are different vors avable, but they are essentially the same product.


    Jonas-san handed me a basket filled with sweets. They appear to be simr to cookies.


    Can I taste one?


    Of course. Please go ahead.


    I tried one, and it really was a cookie. It was mildly sweet, crunchy, and delicious.


    This is quite tasty. But, are there no other sweets avable apart from these?


    Yes. These are the only sweets we have. They are made from wheat flour and are baked.


    So they only have cookies for sweets huh? But theres a lot more stuff we can make.


    I see. Well then, Ill need to check the avable ingredients next.


    I checked out an ingredient jar that resembled porcin first. Is this sugar? Yep, its sugar alright. It wasnt white, but was light-brown in color. It tasted fine. It wasnt as sweet as the sugar Im used to, but it would do just fine. There were also some salt, honey, a number of different herbs and wheat flour. Hm, so what should I make?


    There are also some chilled ingredients avable.


    Jonas-san opened up arge shelf. There were eggs and other ingredients, either bound by cloth or put into porcin containers, inside. Waves of cold air were wafting out of the shelf.


    Oh! This is!?


    This is a magic tool used for refrigerating ingredients. Foodstuffs that go bad quicker are put inside this box in order to prolong their shelf life.


    This is great! To think you had something like this as well.


    The shelf contained things like meat, dried fish, eggs, butter, milk, cheese, and various other ingredients. Great. Since there are eggs, butter and milk, I can easily make a wider variety of sweets.


    I do get the desire to make cookies using these ingredients. But Im going to whip up something different. Ill make something simple so I wont identally botch up and ruin it.


    Lets go with a standard Earth-style steamed egg pudding. I personally like baked pudding more, but Im not familiar with using the type of oven they have in this kitchen. Since thats the case, it would be better not to force it.


    I took out all the ingredients I need. Milk, eggs, and sugar. Just these three.


    Next would be a suitable mold. I looked around the kitchen and spotted a shelf containing various tableware. It also had a lot of small containers that looked perfect as pudding molds. Hey, theres also a strainer here. It was a bit rough, but itll do.


    I also found arge lidded pot that I can use for steaming. I looked for something I can use to hold the containers above the water while steaming and found a smaller lid from another pot. It was just the right size as well. I sessfully got myself an improvised steamer set.


    How many should I make?


    Lets see. How about five for your group plus five more, n-san?


    Jonas-san also included Elnas share as well.


    Understood. Ill make some extra portions, just to be sure.


    I ran over the recipe in my head while considering the number of servings. Looks like were good. The ingredients we have here would suffice. We also had enough containers.


    By the way, how much does this ingredient cost?


    Ah, sugar, is it? A pot of this size would cost about five silvers.


    Thats unexpectedly cheap. Or is it? Five silvers are enough for a two-night stay at an average inn after all.


    I checked the cookware before I started making the puddings. There were two tforms that resembled stoves in the kitchen.


    Um, are these?


    These are magic tools that emit mes. This is how you use them.


    Jonas-san pulled down the lever on the side of one of the stoves. When he did so, the stove immediately spouted mes. It seems you can use the lever to adjust the intensity of the mes.


    This is also quite amazing. I actually want one myself.


    I could introduce you to one of our partner stores that have themter if you wish.


    Man. They really sell arge variety of merchandise, dont they?


    Ill start with making the caramel sauce.


    I put an amount of sugar corresponding to the recipe in my head inside a small saucepan, added some water and heated the mixture over low mes.


    I left the mixture to simmer for a few minutes until the color turned light-brown. I poured some more water bit by bit to adjust the thickness of the sauce.


    I then poured the finished mixture from the saucepan into another container to let it cool down. Once the mixture had cooled down properly, I poured portions of the finished caramel sauce inside the containers I was going to use as molds for the puddings.


    I decided to make fifteen servings this time.


    Ill make the pudding mixture next. I put an appropriate amount of sugar and milk inside arge pot and heated the mixture using the magic stove.


    I then added some eggs to the mixture after heating it for a while. I also cracked a number of eggs over a porcin bowl and started beating them. I added some salt to adjust the vor as well.


    Lets prepare the steamer as well. I poured water inside therge pot I found earlier, ced the small pot lid several centimeters above the water line, ced therge pot on top of the stove, and turned the mes on.


    The milk has been sufficiently heated at this point. I stirred the milk mixture to make sure the sugar has properly dissolved. Afterward, I added in the egg wash into the mix.


    I then had Jonas-san help with pouring the heated milk and egg mixture over the strainer. We repeated the straining process two times just to be sure.


    We poured thepleted pudding mixture inside the molds thered with caramel sauce. We managed to fill all fifteen containers with the mixture. It looks like I nailed the mixture amount. After these are steamed inside the pot, the puddings would finally be finished.


    The improvised steamer is good to go as well. It seems it wasnt possible to fit all fifteen molds inside the pot, so we steamed them in two batches. We put in half of the containers inside the pot and steamed them over low mes. It should be enough to steam them for ten minutes or so.


    After ten minutes, we removed the containers from the pot. They were quite hot, so we had to be careful in taking them out. I poured some more water inside the improvised steamer, and once the water came to a boil, we steamed the second batch as well.


    Lets give the pudding a taste test. I put one container inside a pot half-filled with chilled water in order to cool it down. Ill put the rest inside the refrigerating magic toolter once theyve cooled down enough.


    We took out the second batch from the steamer after ten minutes. We let them cool down as well.


    Were finally done. We just need to put these inside the refrigerating magic tool to chill them.


    So they are done. It was quite a remarkable cooking method, I must say. I havent heard or seen such a method until today.


    These sweets are called puddings. Do you want to give it a taste, Jonas-san?


    I would love to! I have no idea what the vor would taste like at all, so its quite exciting.


    I took out the pudding mold from the chilled water.


    Youll need to take out the pudding from the container like so.


    I used my fingers to scrape part of the the pudding mixture that was sticking on the rim of the mold.


    Take out a te, flip the container over and lightly shake it on top of the te until the puddinges out. There we go.


    Oh! So this is pudding!


    It does look great, at least. The dark-brown caramel sauce dripped down the cream-colored pudding.


    I cut the pudding into two portions and put one half on another te. I offered one half to Jonas-san for him to taste.


    Mm, delicious. It wasnt chilled enough yet, but the creamy taste of the pudding matched well with the bittersweet vor of the caramel sauce. The recipe actually includes an ingredient from Earth called vani, but things from Earth are considered luxury goods and are pretty hard to acquire. Once its chilled to a certain degree, I bet itll turn even tastier.


    I turned around to check with Jonas-san, only to find him petrified on the spot with bulging eyes.


    n-san! What exactly is this!? I have yet to taste sweets as delicious as this. How wonderful! Simply magnificent!


    Even if you ask me that, I can only say that its pudding yknow. But Im d that he actually likes it.


    Itll taste even more delicious once its chilled. Will the madam like it?


    She will certainly enjoy it! I can already picture the blissful faces of Mdy and Tara-sama!


    It would be great if thats the case. When should we serve these? They need to be chilled a bit more, so I dont think theyll make it for lunch.


    Itll be midday soon.


    Ah, and Im nning to find an inn we can stay at for the eveningter, so well be leaving the manor in the afternoon.


    Is that so? Understood. Ill need to confirm with Master, but hes currently out on business at the moment. He should be returning soon though. Would you like to take this chance to go around town in the meantime?


    I understand.


    I returned to our room after we put in the rest of the pudding in the magic fridge. Beck and Thor were also back inside the room.


    Listen to this, n-san! They finished assessing the value of our goods, and theyve actually quoted a price double that of thest time we came here!


    I see. Thats great, huh. It looks like they really beat down the prices in your previous visits.


    Well, thats part of it, but ording to Katolle-san, the cotton we brought was of very high quality, so itll fetch quite a bit once sold.


    Is that so? Im happy for you guys.


    Yeah! This is also thanks to n-san. This wouldnt have happened if we didnt have n-san with us after all.


    Its not like I did something all that significant, guys. Well, you can say we were really lucky for getting acquainted with such great people. You better make sure to treasure this opportunity.


    Yeah!

 Chapter 23.2 - Cleria’S Story 1 (Part 2)

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Someone knocked on the other side of our rooms door.


    Its Jonas. Weve prepared your lunch.


    We went to the dining room and found Tarus-san, Katolle, Cleria, and Elna already seated in front of the table. The three of us were then guided to our respective seats.


    Ive heard about it from Jonas, n-san. It seems youve made us some wonderful sweets.


    It wasnt much, sir. I hope theyll be to your liking. Im a bit nervous about it, to be honest.


    It just so happens that Lana and Tara were invited by the other madams in the neighborhood earlier, so they arent here right now. I was thinking of serving them for dinner instead.


    I see. We are going to book an inn today, so I guess Ill just have to hear about your impressions on another day.


    No, I insist that you all stay with us for tonight as well n-san. That goes for Elna-san as well, of course.


    Eh? But wouldnt we be troubling you?


    Think nothing of it! I owe my life to n-san and the rest after all. I wouldnt mind no matter how many days you were to stay at our home.


    I understand. Well stay for one more night then. Thank you very much for your hospitality.


    Tarus-san really is a good person. It seems Beck and Thor were d to hear we were staying for another night.


    The dishes we had for lunch today were delicious as always. I wonder why the variety of sweets hasnt progressed much even though the level of cooking in this ce was of quite a high level already?


    Oh yeah. I almost forgot to check out the variety of condiments and seasonings they have avable. I definitely want to procure more seasonings apart from salt.


    Cleria called out to me just before we finished our meal.


    n, can you make time for me after this? I need to talk to you about some matters.


    Alright, I understand.


    It looks like she was ready to talk to me about her circumstances.


    Beck and Thor went out for some shopping after we finished our meal.


    It seems they were tasked with purchasing goods necessary for the vige, such as salt, after selling off their wares.


    In the end, I was the only one who would get to hear Clerias story. Elna was also sitting inside the room.


    Im very sorry for hiding things from you all this time, n.


    Its fine. You have a lot of things to consider, right?


    Ive already introduced myself as Cleria Starvine, and Ie from the neighboring Starveek Kingdom.


    So shes from the Starveek Kingdom, huh. Hm? Doesnt Clerias surname sound a bit like the kingdoms name? From her expression, it seems Cleria was about to divulge something really important, but I still have no idea what it is.


    And?


    Ah, in other words, Im the Starveek Kingdoms ***. No, I suppose I should say was Starveek Kingdoms ***.


    Theres a word I cant understand.


    What does *** mean?


    Cleria-sama, is this man really alright?


    Do not mind. n, no, Mister Corinth wasnt even familiar with ournguage a month ago. Its not surprising that he still has some words he doesnt understand.


    This man is a **!?


    Theres another word Im not familiar with. I think quite a lot of people we met on our travels described Cleria with that word. And it seems Im also a **? And Im kinda curious why Clerias speech started sounding more formal.


    *** means the daughter of a king.


    The Kings daughter, you say!? In other words, shes a princess! I earlier deduced that Cleria was of a higher social ss  in other words, a noble that Ive only heard of in fantasy works  but it seems she was even higher up in the socialdder than I thought.


    I see. But what was a princess like you doing in that kind of ce?


    It entails someplicated circumstances.


    Cleria began to tell the rest of her story afterward.


    She told me about the coup d etat that urred in her kingdom.


    It seems she was dispatched outside the capital to perform a royal inspection when the coup urred.


    She also told me that the rest of her family were all killed during the coup.


    She also divulged that she was nning on requesting aid from this country at the behest of one of her close rtives.


    She thinks that said close rtive has most likely fallen in battle to aid in her escape.


    In order to mislead their pursuers, eight carriages along with a number of escorts fled out of the country all at the same time, but in different directions.


    I see. So she ended up meeting me in the middle of their escape from the country, huh. It seems Elna was one of the escorts assigned to another carriage.


    It seems Cleria couldnt help but remember some things while rting her story and started tearing up.


    So thats the case. It must have been really hard for you.


    I cant imagine how painful it must feel to have your entire family murdered and your country taken from you. I started patting Clerias head in order tofort her. Cleria lowered her head and nodded lightly. She started crying in earnest.


    Mister Corinth, it would be best if you refrain from touching Cleria-sama in such a familiar manner.


    Cleria raised her head and stopped herself from crying when she heard Elna.


    Its alright, Elna. Mister Corinth, the ruler of the Belta Kingdom is my rtive as well. I was originally nning to request aid from this countrys king. But after meeting Elna, it seems that isnt an option anymore.


    I asked for more details. ording to Elna, she and the rest of the escorts were discouraged for a time when they found out that Cleria wasnt in the carriage they were guarding. But in order to aid in Clerias escape, they resolved themselves to act their part as decoys to the best of their abilities, and proceeded towards Cecilio Kingdom as nned.


    After arriving at Cecilio Kingdom, they registered as adventurers in order to hide the fact that they were knights. They then tried to inquire about Clerias whereabouts, but couldnt find any leads. They did manage to find two other escort groups assigned to other carriages, but they refrained from acting together to avoid standing out.


    Elnas group then headed towards Belta Kingdom in search of other potential leads. They managed to find out that Belta Kingdoms ruler was Clerias rtive and proceeded to request for aid in their search from this countrys nobles.


    Elna was tasked with going around the area on her own just in case Cleria were to appear in the vicinity. The local noble assigned to the territory sent out an urgent message in order to request further orders from the king. But when the messenger returned, the rest of the escort knights apart from Elna ended up being captured and brought somewhere else. Elna surmised that they were probably taken back to the Starveek Kingdom. This all happened just five days ago.


    So that means this countrys ruler is actually in league with the rebels. Maybe the rebels have offered something of value to them in return for their cooperation. You have truly suffered much for me, Elna.


    No, Your Highness. I do not mind going through any kind of hardship for your sake. If they learn of Cleria-samas safety, the others who were captured would surely be ted as well.


    I would like to rescue those knights who have been captured if possible, however


    It has been five days after all. And the transport carriage was guarded by more than thirty knight escorts as well. It would be difficult to catch up to them even if we do know where their destination is. And it would be impossible for us to mount a rescue even if we do manage to catch up.


    I see


    I no longer have a clear idea about what I should do next. What would you suggest, Mr. Corinth? I would appreciate it if you could lend us your wisdom.


    I ended up asking something that was bothering me since earlier instead of replying immediately.


    Hey, Cleria, just why did you revert to that formal way of speaking? And I thought I told you not to call me Mr. Corinth, but n instead, right?


    B- But, Im a part of royalty no, former royalty. And isnt n a **? So I just thought that


    Lets just clear things up here. Im actually not a noble yknow.


    Judging from the earlier conversation, I surmised that the ** word actually means noble or aristocrat.


    Eh!? But dont you have a surname, n?


    Yeah. What about it?


    I dont understand what shes getting at.


    You have a surname but arent a noble?


    Yeah. In my country, all citizens have a surname. Its amon thing. And they arent nobles as well. Are the only people who have surnames in this continent nobles?


    I actually knew of several human-inhabiteds in the empire where surnames werent a thing as well. But I didnt expect Cleria to think I was a noble just because I had a surname though.


    So there was such a thing Yes, the only ones permitted to have surnames in this continent are members of the nobility.


    It looks like Cleria was fairly shocked by the fact that I wasnt actually a noble. Elna disyed a I knew this was the case expression though.


    Well then, lets get back to the topic of what your next actions should be. I think youll have to focus on information gathering first. You wont be able to plot an appropriate course of action if youck information about the current situation after all. Specifically, I think asking Tarus-san for info would be a valid option. If possible, youll have to tell him your identity as well, Cleria. I believe Tarus-san would have at least one or two credible sources of information in the area, considering his line of business. I personally think Tarus-san to be a person worthy of trust.


    Jonas-san told me duringst nights banquet that the most important thing for a merchant was a credible source of information. It seems most merchants spend quite the hefty sums to obtain valuable info in order to gain apetitive edge and exploit movements in the market.


    Dere Cleria-samas identity, you say? Its obvious that we cannot do such a thing! What are we going to do if she gets into danger as a result?


    Well, if, by any chance, we do get into trouble, Ill just take Cleria and escape from here as fast as I can.


    The likes of you alone would guarantee her escape!? Do not spout such crazy nonsense, fool!


    No, if n were to get serious, even thebined forces of the adventurers and knights in this city will stand no chance. That, I can be absolutely sure of.


    That cant be! Do you actually believe such a thing, Cleria-sama?


    I have full confidence in the fact. And Elna, I would also like for you to treat n with more respect.


    Understood. I apologize for my earlier conduct.


    I also think Tarus-san should be worthy of trust. n, could I trouble you to apany me to meet with Tarus-san?


    Got it.


    The three of us went out of the room in order to look for Tarus-san.

 Chapter 24.1 - Cleria’S Story 2 (Part 1)

    Trantor: SFBaka


    The three of us entered the dining room where we regrly had our meals and found Jonas-san talking with the other employees.


    What seems to be the matter, n-san?


    I would like to request a meeting with Tarus-san right now if he isnt busy with work. Ill have Ria participate as well.


    I see. I shall check with Master, then.


    Jonas-san went back after a short while together with Tarus-san.


    Let us discuss matters in the consultation room over there, Tarus-san offered.


    The consultation room was a small room that can seat about ten people inside. One of Tarus-sans employees brought us some tea.


    Would it be fine for Jonas to join us in this discussion?


    I looked at Cleria to get confirmation.


    I do not mind.


    Cleria gave her OK. I do think Jonas-san was someone trustworthy as well.


    This may sound somewhat abrupt, but I have been using an alias while interacting with you all up until now. I must apologize for this matter first. My true name is Cleria Starvine.


    Tarus-san and Jonas-sans expressions immediately changed to that of astonishment. Oh, man. To think even a butler living in another country is familiar with her. It seems Clerias actually quite famous. Maybe he got to know about her from Tarus-san.


    Y- Your Highness. There is no need to apologize for this matter. In lieu of Your Highness situation, I fully understand why you had to do so.


    Tarus-san was visibly flustered.


    There is actually no need to address me as Your Highness, Mr. Tarus. You are not a citizen of the Starveek Kingdom in the first ce, Mr. Tarus. And I no longer hold such a position of repute as well.


    Understood. Cleria-sama. What is it that you wish to discuss with me?


    I would like for you to share any sort of information you have about the current state of the Starveek Kingdom.


    I see. So its about that I was traveling out of the city until recently and am not that familiar with the entire situation, so Ill have Jonas tell you in my stead.


    What would you like to know first, Cleria-sama?


    If you have any information regarding the battle in the Ludvic territory, Id like to hear about it first.


    First, I must apologize for the fact that the information I know may have been somewhat embellished due to iting from the rumors circting about among the merchants in the city. The information may not be entirely urate, so I ask for your understanding.


    Jonas-san then took out a small memo pad from his suits inside pocket and went over the contents.


    Regarding the battle in the Ludvic territory, the defending forces led by Earl Ludvic numbered six thousand troops. On the other hand, it is said that thebined southern and western armies they faced numbered about forty thousand. I do not know the exact particrs regarding the battle itself, but it seems that the allied noble armies forced the Earls troops to retreat into the castle in order to hold a battle of attrition. The allied armies repeatedly asked for the Earl and his troops to surrender. The Earl, however, refused to capitte. And after two weeks of grueling battle, the castle was finally taken. ording to the vigers who witnessed the battle from afar, it seems like the Earl and his forces were intentionally dragging out matters in order to buy time for some reason.


    My uncle probably did so in order to earn time for me to sessfully escape. Do you know what happened to the Earl in the end?


    It is said that the Earl fell in battle the moment the castle was breached. His corpse was recoveredter on, so it is all but confirmed.


    So it really was the case.


    There is also this sort of rumor going around. There were several witness ounts regarding a number of the Earls forces secretly leaving from the castle before they moved inside to invite a siege.


    I do not think any of my uncles troops are cowardly enough to desert him in battle. He probably persuaded a number of them to escape willingly, knowing that they were about to fight a battle with no hope of victory.


    After the Earls territory fell, most of the northern and eastern nobles surrendered one after another. And after thirty-five days, all nobles in the kingdom have capitted to the rebels.


    And there was a new round of information we just received yesterday. Twenty days ago, the southern Marquis, Lord Agustini, dered the founding of a new kingdom. Its name was revealed to be the Alois Kingdom.


    Lord Agustini. The Lautrigen House. I have met him once before. Alois Kingdom So they restored their former kingdoms name.


    Thank you for the valuable information you shared with us, Mr. Tarus and Mr. Jonas. I can do nothing about it for now, but I swear to repay this favor in the future.


    I do not dare ept your grace, Cleria-sama. There is no need to owe us anything for this sort of information. I shall endeavor to collect even more useful information for you henceforth, Tarus-san dered.


    Why would you go so far for us, Mr. Tarus?


    Its no trouble at all. Its a merchants habit to collect information after all. Ites with the upation. I would just have to put a little more effort into it, thats all.


    My father was originally a merchant from the Starveek Kingdom. But he fell in love at first sight with my mother and chose to stay in this city instead. So I consider myself half a citizen of Starveek.


    My father died four years ago, but Id often heard how splendid the Starveek Kingdom was from him when he was still alive. Perhaps he was just missing his former homnd. So its only natural that I put forth my best effort to help the sole princess of the kingdom my father so loved.


    Mr. Tarus You have my utmost gratitude.


    However, there is something you need to be informed of, Mr. Tarus.


    The ruler of this Belta Kingdom, King Amado, is actually my second cousin. I came to this country in order to solicit his aid.


    After that, Cleria talked about what happened to Elnasrades.


    In other words, this countrys ruler, King Amado, is actually cooperating with the rebels, or rather, the newly founded Alois Kingdom. If you lend me your aid, it means that you are going against your countrys king as a consequence.


    I see To put aside ties of blood in exchange for benefits is an action typical of a monarch.


    However, since there is no official order by the state for your capture, Cleria-sama, I do not think we will have many problems. And I do not think the castle will put forth such an order in the first ce as well. After all, if the king were to order his subjects to capture his own cousin to aid rebels, his own prestige as a monarch will be tarnished as a result.


    So you do not have to be so worried for us, Cleria-sama.


    Understood. I thank you for your help once again.


    Well then, now that Ive been told of this matter, I believe it would be best if I met with my fellow merchants in order to procure more new information for you, Tarus-san offered.


    I am in your care.


    I, Cleria and Elna went back to our room in order to discuss our next ns more.


    Well, we did acquire some information, but it doesnt seem like they would lead to a viable course of action.


    Certainly. But gaining a trustworthy ally such as Tarus-san in this country is a good start. Its all thanks to your suggestion, n.


    I didnt do anything big. Its actually thanks to Tarus-sans character. So what do you n on doing, for now, Cleria?


    I do not know What is it that I should do? Ideally, I would very much like to regain my country. But what would justify me doing so?


    Should a member of royalty whose reign allowed a rebellion to ur be allowed to take back the country in the first ce?


    For the kingdoms citizens, it may not matter much to them which family ultimately reigns over the country  whether its the Starvines or the Lautrigens.


    That certainly cannot be the case! The Starvine royal family was adored by the people! A majority of the nobles subject to your reign also greatly respected you!


    There is something wrong with this rebellion. I cannot put my foot down on what exactly it is that I find off, but I do know something is horribly wrong with it.


    I am a royal guard in service to Cleria-sama. My loyalty shall forever be yours.


    Thank you, Elna. But the royal family only has me now, and the country has fallen. Wouldnt it be better for you toe back to your hometown?


    As you said, the Starvine royal family still has you, Cleria-sama! And Ive already sworn to the Goddess Ruminas that I will always serve you and protect you from harm, even if it costs me my life.


    Oh, Elna! What have you done!?


    Hm? Uh, I couldnt follow their conversation just now. Is there anything wrong with swearing to protect someone in Gods name?


    Its probably a religious matter. I cant just carelessly ask for details, so Id better refrain from it altogether.


    And I dont know how the two of them would react if I told them I wasnt familiar with Goddess Ruminas.


    I see. I understand your determination. I am truly ddened by your loyalty, Elna. I will never ask you to return to your hometown again. Let us get through this together!


    Yes, Cleria-sama!


    I kinda didnt get some of that, but it seems theyve managed to resolve themselves anyway.

 Chapter 24.2 - Cleria’S Story 2 (Part 2)

    Trantor: SFBaka


    n! I have just thought of a goal I truly wish to aplish in all haste!


    W- What is it!?


    There may be others who are still looking for my whereabouts even now, just like Elna. I wish to inform them of my whereabouts and help them to get home safely afterward.


    That really might be the case. It would be quite pitiful for them to continue searching aimlessly for you, in any case.


    But how exactly would we be able to find them? Elna, did you manage to hear about where the other two escort groups you encountered in the Cecilio Kingdom were heading to before you parted ways?


    Unfortunately, no. We just heard them saying they would expand the extent of their search a bit more. But we did tell them we were going to Belta Kingdom though.


    Theres a possibility we would miss each other if we made a move on our own.


    Hey Elna, those guys have all disguised themselves as adventurers just like you, right? Theres a good chance of them visiting the Adventurers Guild as well then. How about we try posting a notice through the Guild?


    n! Thats a great suggestion! Lets go with that!


    But it might alert our pursuers as well. I havent encountered them in this country yet, but Ive managed to brush past several suspicious adventurer parties while I was in the Cecilio Kingdom. I think they were most likely part of the rebels going after us. Theyve disguised themselves as adventurers as well.


    I see. So they thought of the same trick huh. Well, it does make sense, given that you cant just send soldiers to a neighboring country without a clear justification. So it will be a challenge identifying real adventurers from those merely pretending to be one from now on. Both are quite possible, Elna.


    Hm. Dont you have some sort of code only the royal guards are familiar with, Elna?


    That might just work. Lets see. We often called Cleria-samas room in the royal pce C-3-12.


    What does that mean, exactly?


    It means the twelfth room on the left-wing of the third floor of building C.


    I see So theres a good chance no one apart from the other royal guards would recognize this C-3-12 code and connect it with Cleria.


    Splendid! But how should we phrase the message?


    How about The upant of C-3-12 is waiting for you all at Gotania city?


    We shall go with that, then.


    The three of us didnt have anything else we needed to do, so we immediately headed for the Adventurers Guild after our discussion.


    We found the same guild staff who we met yesterday manning the counter, so we consulted with her again.


    Um, wed like to ce a request. Is this the right counter for that?


    Ah! If it isnt n-san! So youre finally going to ept a guild quest! Thank you very much! the guild staff eximed.


    Uh, were not here to ept a request. Were here to ce one.


    Oh, is that so? Understood. So, what kind of request is it?


    Is it possible for us to get a certain message posted here as well as in other Guild branches? We want to get in touch with other adventurer friends we lost contact with, you see.


    Yes. Well need the names of the adventurers in question so receptionists in other branches can inform them once they show up.


    Uh, we actually dont know the names of the adventurers.


    Youre friends with them but dont know their names?


    Uh, we have some special circumstances ysee


    If thats the case, we wont be able to ept that request.


    Dont you have something like a message board here?


    We cant. The only things posted in the guild board are quests.


    Hm. How about if we request something apart from the message itself?


    Well, that depends How exactly would you phrase your request then?


    Thank you for considering. Well think about the contents of the request and get back to youter. And is it possible not to disclose the name of the requester?


    That would be fine.


    The three of us left the reception counter and moved near the quest board.


    Lets check the quests posted on the board to get some ideas.


    There were a variety of quests posted on the board. There are escort, monster extermination, and material collection quests among others.


    Lets just copy a suitable quest format.


    In urgent need of a wyverns magic stone. Quantity: 1 / Please deliver it to the Gotania branch of the Adventurers Guild. / Reward: 1 Large Silver coin / Deadline: Half a years time from today / Requester: The upant of C-3-12


    How about this?


    A wyverns magic stone isnt just worth one Large Silver. It should be ten Gold at least.


    Um Ria-sama. I think it actually goes for twenty Gold at the minimum.


    So its worth that much huh! Well then, Ill definitely have to hunt down a wyvern if we manage to encounter one. It looks like the skin and meat are also valuable too.


    Alright then. Well set the reward to five Gold. Itll be troublesome if unrted adventurers were to take the quest after all.


    We ryed the quest particrs to the guild staff.


    Eh!? A wyverns magic stone for five Gold!? And you even want it delivered to this branch in particr? the guild staff eximed.


    Is something wrong with it?


    Yes. The adventurers would probably just make fun of this, and the chances of it being taken up is honestly quite slim. The reward should at least be ten Gold coins.


    I see. Lets set the reward to ten Gold then.


    So which guild branches would you like your request to be posted?


    Lets see. Wed like it to be posted in all Guild branches within the Belta and Cecilio Kingdoms if possible.


    That many!? Um That would be twenty-one branches in all you know?


    Please post it in all of them.


    Well need to charge an additional fee for posting requests to overseas branches. Are you alright with this?


    How much would it cost?


    That would be one thousand Guineas per branch.


    Hm. That much, huh. Should we request for a magic stone of lower value? But it would be meaningless if our request can be easily aplished. Oh well. We can still afford that much anyway.


    Understood. Please go ahead with it.


    Eh!? Are you really okay with this!? Elna gasped in surprise.


    We also need a deposit equal to the reward indicated in the request. In case the quest isntpleted within the specified deadline, well refund this deposit to you. And if the quest ispleted, the Guild will take a twenty percentmission fee from the said deposit. Would these terms be fine with you?


    So they also need a deposit huh. It cant be helped.


    Thats fine.


    Well then, well need to take a total of twenty-one thousand Guineas for the request fee.


    Im d I brought all the money we had with me. But with this, the amount of money we got from the bandit hideout is reduced to about seventy thousand Guineas.


    When will our request be posted?


    Well have them all posted by tomorrow.


    Huh? You mean youll be able to post it to all the branches we indicated?


    Yes, thats right.


    How would you get in touch with the other branches?


    I cannot disclose the exact details, but we have Artifacts that allow us to get in touch with other Guild branches remotely.


    Whoah! Ive heard about Artifacts from Cleria before. Theyre supposed to be extremely rare, legendary magic tools.


    Would it be possible for me to take a look at that Artifact?


    That wont be allowed, Im afraid. The ce where we have them set up is also top secret.


    I see. Thats unfortunate. Please go ahead with our request then.


    Oh, that reminds me. There was a designated quest that came in for you earlier, n-san. Its from the Tarus Company. These are the quest contents. Please confirm with the Tarus Company if you want to ept the quest.


    Oh yeah. We actually talked about that this morning. Jonas-san sure works fast. I took the quest form from the guild staff and gave it a read. Cleria peeked at the contents from over my shoulder. The reward is five Large Silvers. Its a quest that can be aplished in a day after all.


    Thank you for this. Well pay them a visitter.


    We finally left the Adventurers Guild.


    Weve used up quite a bit of money, n. Im sorry about this.


    Its fine. Beck and Thor said they wont be taking a share of the money anyway, so all of this is my and Clerias money. Were free to use it however we want.


    I see. Thank you, n.


    Lets buy you some new clothes then, n. Well need to buy some for Elna as well. And I guess Ill buy some of my own too.


    Yeah, shes right. I only have one pair of local clothes avable after all. I really need to buy some more.


    Alright then. Lets go shopping.


    But Im not familiar with the clothing stores in the city. Were near Zalukes Equipment Shop anyway, so well just ask for directions there.


    We found Zaluke carrying the armor I purchased from the store when we entered.


    Sorry for barging in again, Zaluke. Are you familiar with any clothing shops nearby?


    Clothes, huh. Id like to rmend one of our sister stores then. Youll find the Tara Boutique after turning left around that corner over there.


    It looks like they also sell clothes. Tarus-sans family really sells all kinds of goods huh.


    Gotcha. Thanks.


    We found the store in question right away. Its another shop that wasnt toorge but was rather neat and orderly. We found two female shop clerks when we entered the store.


    Wee, dear customers. What are you looking for?


    Ill choose ns clothes, alright.


    Cleria dered so right away and started picking clothes for me. I still dont get thiss fashion trends, so Ill just leave it to her.


    Alright. Ill leave it to you then. Two pairs would be fine.


    Understood. Please leave it to me.


    Afterward, it took Cleria more than one hour to choose suitable clothes for me. It was honestly draining. Mentally, that is.


    Cleria and Elna picked clothes for themselves next.


    We ended up spending more than two hours at the store.


    I got two pairs, Cleria got one pair for herself, and Elna got two pairs as well. They also bought various other items aside from clothes. Our total expenses were about two thousand Guineas. Clothes are actually quite expensive.


    Well, I guess its fine. Cleria and Elna seemed to have enjoyed themselves anyway.


    We brought the items we bought back to Tarus-sans manor afterward.

 Chapter 25 - Reason To Help And Pudding

    Trantor: SFBaka


    We finally made it back to the manor, but Cleria wanted to ask me about the designated request I got earlier, so the three of us went back to the girls room to discuss it.


    It isnt really a hard request. Jonas-san talked about it with me this morning. He asked me to guide them toward the bandit hideout in order to recover the rest of the goods they took from Tarus-san when they abducted him. Only I and Tarus-san am familiar with the location of the bandit hideout after all.


    You intend to ept the request?


    Of course. Weve been in their care after all. And for a quest that can be finished in a day, five Large Silvers is a nice enough reward. Itll also depend on the peopleing with us to recover the goods, but well probably depart tomorrow or the day after.


    The modifications on your leather armor will only be finished after three days right, n?


    Its not like I need it for the quest anyway. The area were going to is nearby, and I havent had any trouble even when Im not wearing armor so far anyway.


    I see. Ill go with you then.


    And Iming as well, of course, Elna followed up.


    Nah, Ill be fine on my own yknow. And your armors modifications are also going to be finished after three days too right?


    Im also indebted to Tarus-san after all. And I probably wont face any danger with you and Elna by my side.


    Alright, fine. The three of us will go, okay.


    And, um, n. Ive been meaning to ask you for a while, but


    So shes asking me now huh. Its probably about where Ie from anyway.


    Why do you go out of your way to help someone like me?


    Oops. So its about that. Hm. My reason for helping her huh I havent really thought about it much, to be honest.


    I just didnt want to leave a helpless youngdy to die at first. After I rescued her from danger, I guess I treated her as a sort of troublesome little sister. Im an only child, so I guess Ive kinda always longed for a younger sister or brother since I was a kid.


    I dont have any particr reason when I decided to help you out, Cleria. I just did what any decent person would do, I think.


    I dont really understand myself, but I guess I kinda ended up treating you like a little sister I wanted to take care of along the way, Cleria.


    Eh! Little sister!?


    Cleria gave an incredibly surprised reaction. Is it really something that weird? Well, I guess it would make a teenage girl like her feel a bit ufortable to be treated as a little sister by someone unrted to her. But those are really my honest feelings.


    Elna, who was in the corner, was nodding in agreement for some reason.


    I see Little sister


    Cleria seemed somewhat depressed now.


    Well, it might sound a bit weird, but thats basically my reason for helping you out, Cleria.


    I see I understand. Im really thankful for all the help youve given me, n.


    Oh cmon. Theres no need for that. Youve also helped me out quite a bit as well, Cleria.


    What do you n on doing after this, n?


    My ns huh. Cleria probably thinks I came to this continent with some sort of goal in mind. But I honestly dont have a concrete goal right now. I dont have anything I particrly want to do. I had my hands full just trying to stay alive up until now after all.


    Cleria, arent you curious about the ce Ie from?


    T- Thats Its true that I have always wanted to ask you.


    Youve already realized this a while back, but its true that Im not someone from this continent.


    I came to this continent by ship, but that same ship sank along with all of myrades. I was the only one who survived.


    I wont be able to go back to my home country without that ship. So, right now, I have no choice but to live in this continent.


    Because Ive just arrived on this continent, I dont have any particr goal in mind. But perhaps my desire to learn more about magic can be counted as one.


    Wont you be able to go home to your country if you made a big and sturdy enough ship?


    No, that would be impossible. Its difficult to exin why exactly, but I probably wont be able to go back to my country.


    I see So n isnt able to go home just like me.


    Its a little different in my case, but I guess thats one way to put it.


    Let us do this then! n will cooperate with me and I will also do all that I can to help you as well. But as for studying magic Arent you already a very aplished mage, n?


    Ive certainly managed to learn some magic. But there are other spells and elements, right? Uh, theres wind magic, earth magic, and light magic. Id like to learn them as well once Ive managed to settle down somewhat.


    If its wind magic, Elna here is the best wind mage among the knights.


    Oh, havent properly introduced you and Elna to each other yet, right?


    n, this is Elna Norian. Shes one of the royal guards assigned to serve me. No, make that formerly.


    Elna, this gentleman is n Corinth. I owe him my life.


    I am called Elna Norian, n-dono. I serve as one of Cleria-samas royal guards. I am pleased to make your acquaintance.


    I took the opportunity to have a good look at Elna. She seems to be the same age as me at least. She was a tall and beautiful girl with fiery red hair.


    Im n Corinth. Nice to meet you too. You have a surname, so I guess youre a noble right?


    That is correct. I hail from the House of Viscount Norian.


    Are all of the royal guards nobles?


    Not all of us are, but wepose the majority.


    I see. So thats the case. So, Elna, Id really appreciate it if you could demonstrate some wind magic spells for me sometime.


    Certainly. But I do not have a magic tome with me. Do you have one, n-dono?


    No, I dont. But its enough to just show me some spells.


    n doesnt need magic tomes after all.


    Just what do you mean by that, Cleria-sama?


    Well, youll find out soon enough. You would find it hard to believe even if I told you as long as you havent witnessed it for yourself.


    I see.


    There was a knock outside the rooms door.


    Its Jonas. We have prepared your dinner.


    We went to the dining room and found Tarus-san and family along with Beck and Thor already seated.


    Thank you very much for making some lovely sweets for us today, n-san. I have asked Jonas about them, but he remains tight-lipped, you see, the Madam greeted.


    Its a type of sweet thats very popr in my country. Its easy to make and quite tasty as well.


    Maa, Im really looking forward to it! Tara-chan chimed in.


    The dishes served were as plentiful and delicious as always. Well then, its finally time for dessert.


    Would you like me to help with serving them, Jonas-san?


    Theres a bit of a knack in order to get the pudding out of the porcin containers after all.


    Theres no need, sir. I have already made the arrangements.


    It looks like theyve begun serving the pudding already. As expected of Jonas-san. All of us have been served pudding before long.


    This is a type of sweet? Tara-chan inquired.


    Yes. Its a sweet called pudding. Please scoop out a part of it along with the brown syrup on top and give it a taste.


    I scooped out a portion off of mine first to show them. Un, tasty. It really tastes more like pudding once its properly chilled.


    C- Cold!?


    This is- !?


    Whoah! What is this!?


    Its amazingly delicious!


    It looks like they all liked it. I maderge enough portions, so I believe theyd be quite satisfied.


    Impressive, n. Its my first time to taste such a delicious sweet.


    Cleria, who already managed to finish her own portion, gave a rave review.


    I see. Im d you liked it then.


    n-san! Its an amazing sweet! Its also my first time to taste such a wonderful sweet.


    Thats a relief. It looks like the Madam has also taken a liking to it.


    Is this sweet truly that simple to make? the Madam inquired.


    Yes, it is. Once you learn the knack for it, its really easy to make. Isnt that right, Jonas-san?


    Yes. Ive observed n-sans cooking process earlier. It was truly a cooking method I havent seen before, but its surprisingly easy to follow.


    This sweet is truly magnificent, n-san! Im also greatly satisfied. If its alright with you, could we purchase the recipe for it? Tarus-san requested.


    Tarus-san has his merchant face on. Its just the recipe for pudding yknow.


    No, you dont really have to purchase it. Ill give it to you as thanks for all youve done for us.


    That just wont do. There would be a lot of merchants in this city who would pay quite a sum for this sort of never-before-seen recipe. I would like for it to be one of the signature dishes in one of our familys stores. I would easily earn back the money with this sweet, so please do allow me to purchase it from you.


    Thats amazing. So they even have a restaurant. I guess I wont be able to refuse after hes said all that.


    I understand. Ill give you theplete recipe by tomorrow. It would be better if I gave a demonstration to the chefs as well. Theyd learn the correct method of making it faster that way.


    That would be most wonderful! I would be able to eat this every day! Tara-chan eximed in excitement.


    Whoah there. Dont you think youll get tired of it if you eat pudding every day?


    Im now utterly curious if n-san knows other recipes apart from this as well! the Madam followed up.


    Well, I do have a lot of recipes. Ive bought the Earth Cuisine Ultimate Compendiumthat was released just two years before after all. I even resorted to a credit loan in order to purchase the thing. That reminds me, how am I going to pay for that loan now anyway? Oh well.


    It has all of Earths major cuisines on it, so I dont regret buying it at all. I uploaded the whole thing to my Nanoms database and already indicated all the recipes Im fond of.


    Theres a lot of recipes. But the problems the ingredients. Id need to at least check out all the avable ingredients and condiments and makeparisons in order to use some of those recipes.


    We have a lot of different ingredients and seasonings in my home country that may not be avable here. If I cant manage to find an equivalent at least, the number of recipes we can make would be somewhat limited. Ill try to think of a few we can make with what we have now and show them to youter.


    Im truly looking forward to them.


    Now that I think about it, none of the others here actually asked about where Im from. Maybe it was Tarus-san who told them not to pry too much.


    The dinner ended on a high note.


    I asked Jonas-san about the request, and he told me the personnel and carriages that would be used for the recovery of the goods will be ready the day after tomorrow. We would depart early in the morning.


    When we got back to our room, Beck and Thor told me about what they did during the day.


    It looks like theyve already managed to purchase most of the goods the vige needed. Theyll buy the rest tomorrow and would depart back to the vige in the afternoon at thetest.


    Theyve also managed to arrange for some adventurers to serve as their escorts. Since they had money to spare, the negotiations went smoothly, it seems. The party they managed to get was apparentlyposed of veteran adventurers and had was fairly aplished.


    A party is apparently a groupposed of several adventurers. It seems you need to form a party to undertake most quests.


    It looks like we need to form a party ourselves.


    That reminds me. Were supposed to receive the reward for capturing the bandits tomorrow, right? How about we all im our rewards tomorrow morning? Im guessing youd also want some extra money to buy some souvenirs, right?


    Thatll be great! Lets do that.


    A little whileter, the three of us entered the bath. Since we were all tired from the activities today, we all fell asleep pretty quickly after having a bath.

 Chapter 26.1 - Parting Ways (Part 1)

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Its dawn. Please wake up.


    Its already morning huh. I have a lot of stuff I need to take care of today as well. I just gotta do my best.


    Beck and Thor are still enjoying their time in dreand. Sorry guys, but its time to wake up.


    Hey, Beck. Thor. Time to get up you two. Lets go take a morning bath. You guys have to savor the opportunity. You two wont be able to take one on arge bathroom for a while once youre back in the vige, right?


    Yeah Youre right! More like, we only experienced taking a bath submerged in water when we came here. We always only used towels and buckets back home!


    The three of us went to bathe and tried our best to savor the experience. We may have overdone it a little though.


    It was already time for breakfast when the three of us finished bathing. But since it was still rtively early, the only ones in the dining room are the three of us boys plus Cleria and Elna.


    What are your ns for today, n? Cleria asked.


    Well, theres quite a few actually. First is iming the rewards for the bandits we caught. Next is handing over the recipe for pudding and demonstrating it to the cooks. I also have to look for an inn well be staying at starting tonight. And I also n to buy new ingredients and seasonings as well. If theres time, Ill also head to the adventurers guild to formally register our party.


    Ille along with you then.


    You really dont have to though. I can do those stuff without you, Cleria. Beck, Thor and I already nned to get the bounty rewards for the bandits together anyway.


    Oh, but I insist. I will being along.


    Is that so? I was thinking you could use this chance to rest up a bit though. Ah, oh right! I almost forgot. Heres the money I took from the carriage when I first met you, Cleria.


    I took out the money I managed to retrieve from the overturned carriage Cleria and her guards rode in from my pocket and offered them to her. Its 50,550 Guineas all in all.


    Its alright. Just keep them with you, n.


    Nah, its not my money anyway. And you can use them if you ever find something you want to buy.


    And Im telling you its alright for you to look after the money, n.


    Uh, Elna? Can I hand the money over to you then? This is all Clerias money. Please use them to buy some daily necessities for the two of you.


    Understood. I shall look after the money for you.


    Jonas-san came to the dining room at this time. I asked him when would it be fine to conduct a cooking lecture with the manors cooks. He told me that the cooks were free right now so we could organize right away.


    I replied that I wanted to get over with iming the bounty rewards for the bandits first. He unreservedly offered to take us all the way to the city guard garrison via carriage.


    When we arrived at the garrison, we again saw the guard captain we metst time when we entered the city gates.


    Oh, so its you all. We have the rewards prepared already. And theres some good news for you all as well. The bandit leader has quite the generous bounty ced on his head. Three gold coins. Please confirm the reward amount and sign here, you three.


    I checked the contents of the documents and found that each bandit was worth 5,000 Guineas each. There were fifteen of them, so the total rewards are 75,000 Guineas. There was also an additional bounty reward of 30,000 Guineas. So our total earnings amount to 105,000 Guineas. It was quite a lot of money. I have absolutely nothing toin about.


    I and Cleria also returned the wooden tags that served as our temporary passes and got the silvers we deposited back in exchange.


    Wow. To think that bearded uncle and his gang was worth this much. It might be possible for me to make a living off hunting bandits.


    We unexpectedly made quite a lot. Its 105,000 Guineas, you guys. Dividing it by four, well have 26,250 Guineas each.


    Twenty six thousand two hundred fifty Guineas!?


    Beck and Thor made a ruckus as usual. The reward money we got from the garrison office was only in gold andrge silver coins. I used the coins I already had so I could make up the appropriate amounts and gave the two eager beavers their shares.


    Make sure you dont identally lose the money, you two. Thats a lot of cash.


    We got it!


    What about your share, Cleria? Do you want me to hand them over now?


    You can look after the money in my stead, n.


    Alright. But tell me if you ever need to buy something, okay?


    Beck and Thor told us they needed to finish shopping for the rest of the goods they missed yesterday and went off on their own. Cleria and I went back to Tarus-sans mansion.


    I asked Jonas-san for a writing tool and some paper so I can jot down the recipe for pudding. I asked for Cleria and Elnas help whenever I encountered a snag due to being unfamiliar with the writtennguage.


    I then had the manors cooks read the recipe first. They then dragged me to the kitchen to do a live demo.


    The cooks tried to make puddings ording to the recipe I handed out and I was tasked to supervise them. As expected of Tarus-sans hand-picked cooks. All of them had great cooking skills and were able to pick it up fairly quickly.


    With this, Im sure theyll be fine even without my help from now on. I managed to sessfullyplete this request.


    When I went back to our room, I found that Beck and Thor were already back from shopping. They were already packing their stuff and preparing for departure, so I decided to help out with bringing their luggage to their carriage.


    Oh, that reminds me. What are we going to do with the weapons we swiped from those bandits? Beck suddenly asked.


    Oh, right. We left their carriage stuffed full of weapons like swords, spears, and bows. We nearly forgot about them.


    Well just leave them to you two. Is that okay with you Cleria?


    Of course. I dont mind at all.


    Eh!? But theyll be worth a lot if you sell them.


    Its fine. Wasnt the spear you had with you when we met you and your father outside the vige gate quite shabby-looking, Beck? Why dont you just bring these all back to the vige as part of your supplies?


    I see. Thats right, huh. Well do that then. n-san, Master! Thank you so much for all your help!


    Dont sweat it. Its nothing, really.


    The carriage ended up being filled to the brim when we finished loading all the goods and luggage. It was a good deal more than when we first set off from the vige.


    We then apanied them to meet up with the adventurer party they hired in front of the guild building.


    The adventurers we met at the guild wereprised of five men who each looked quite skilled.


    These are the members of theIron Axeparty. They will guard you during your trip.


    I see. So this is an example of a good party, huh. Am I the only one whos feeling a bit awkward here after seeing these guys? Yeah, it looks that way.


    All the members of the party sported broad axes as their main weapon of choice.


    I see. Beck and Thor are our friends. Were counting on you guys to escort them safely back to the vige.


    I addressed the one who looked like the party leader.


    Just leave it ta us! Weve traveled to Ts vige quite a number of times already. Well send them back safely. That I guarantee.


    Um n-san, Master. These are just small tokens of thanks from us. Theyre nothing much, but well appreciate it if you ept them.


    Beck and Thor handed some things over to me and Cleria.


    Mine was a set of three knives with leather sheaths. Judging from their looks, they were probably a set of throwing knives. They also looked quite cool.


    Clerias was a delicate-looking whiteb. It had a mysterious luster to it.


    Is it fine? Alright. We gratefully ept your feelings of gratitude. You didnt really need to though.


    Im thankful for the gift as well. Its the first time Ive received such a heartwarming present.


    n-san and Master are our viges benefactors. You slew ck Speckles, offered the vige its meat, escorted the two of us, protected us from bandits, shared the reward money with us, and even helped us out with our business in the city. Well never forget this favor for the rest of our lives.


    Oh, cmon guys. Youre exaggerating it too much. We just went with the flow anyway. The two of you did your best as well.


    We didnt really do much. But well continue practicing swordy so we can at least catch up with n-san and Master a little. Well do our best!


    I see. Then Ill have to test your skills when we get the opportunity to meet again one day, Cleria dered.


    Please do visit the vige again if youre ever in the area, n-san. Master. Its a promise!


    Got it. We promise. See ya guys. Lets meet again someday.


    Farewell, Beck and Thor.


    Beck and Thor made their departure soon after. We sent them off until their carriage was out of our sights.

 Chapter 26.2 - Parting Ways (Part 2)

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Well, since were already near the Adventurers Guild, why dont we go ahead register our party? Uh, have you already registered as an adventurer, Elna?


    I have. Im C rank.


    I see. Great. I and Cleria are also the same ranks so thats perfect.


    Eh!? Ria-sama is C rank as well!?


    Yeah. We just registered yesterday and they told us we were C rank.


    More importantly, n, what are we going to call our party?


    Well I dont really mind as long as it doesnt sound weird. Ill leave it to you guys.


    We definitely cannot use a strange-sounding party name. It looks like we have to decide on it after careful deliberation, Elna.


    Afterward, Cleria and Elna immersed themselves in thinking up a good name in a corner of the guild. They were already at it for more than ten minutes.


    Ah! How about Shining Star? Elna suggested.


    I see. Shining Star, is it? It certainly does sound nice.


    I didnt really get whats so good about it, so I asked Elna. She replied to me in a whisper.


    It seems Clerias surname actually means shining star. I do think it sounded a bit embarrassing, but it did seem better than any of the other names the two of them came up with.


    Well, Shining Star it is, then.


    So its decided.


    We went to the counter and found the guild staff we met yesterday, so we proceeded with registering our party. It looks like there wasnt any other party using Shining Star as their name, so we sessfully registered. And it looks like they didnt charge a fee this time.


    Well then, Ill proceed to register n-san, Ria-san and Elna-sans party under the name Shining Star. Who will be assigned as the leader?


    Wouldnt it be fine for you to be the leader, Ria? The partys called Shining Star anyway.


    I also support Ria-sama being the leader.


    I think you should be the leader, n. The leader should be the strongest one among the party members. And I also do not want to stand out too much as well.


    Well, she does have a point. It looks like Elna was fine with it in the end.


    Alright then. Please set me as the party leader. Oh, and about that designated quest. I decided to ept it, but do I need to fill out some paperwork for that?


    Um you just need to sign this form here and youre good to go.


    Gotcha. Thank you very much.


    We finished our business in the guild and started walking back to the manor.


    By the way, the armor youre wearing doesnt seem too good, Elna. Whatever happened to your old one?


    I sold it while I was in Cecilio Kingdom to gain some funds for my activities since the royal guard armor stands out too much. Im sorry, Ria-sama. I ended up losing the armor entrusted to me by the country.


    I do not mind the armor. I see. It did not ur to me at all. We should procure a better armor set for you then. Will that be fine, n?


    I was just about to suggest that as well. Were near Zalukes shop anyway.


    We entered the shop and called out to Zaluke.


    Yo, Zaluke. We came to visit again.


    I still havent finished working on your armors. Do you have any other business for me?


    Yeah. Its for thisdy, Elna, here. Oh yeah. What do you prefer Elna? Do you want leather armor or do you like metal armor instead?


    Well, Im used to wearing metal armor, but Im also fine using this leather armor, so you dont really have to purchase anything new for me, really.


    Dont say that. We need to make sure every party members equipment is of good quality. Its also a way to ensure the entire partys safety. So dont hold back, alright.


    Quite so. Do not hold yourself back on our ounts, Cleria followed up.


    Do you have any metal armors you can rmend, Zaluke?


    Lets see. We have several types but, considering her size, this one should be more fitting.


    He pointed towards one of the armors ced in the metal armor section of the shop.


    This is made out of a newly discovered alloy. Its durability isparable to steel armor but is fairly light in weight. Mythril is still leagues better, however.


    He took the armor off the disy so we can inspect it. It certainly did feel quite lightpared to the other armors on disy.


    Elna also checked it out.


    It does feel lighterpared to the armor Id used before, Elna dered.


    How much is this?


    I was shown the price tag and found that it costs 55,000 Guineas. So it was more expensive than the armor I bought huh.


    I shall also give you a twenty percent discount for this armor, so it will be 44,000 Guineas then. But honestly, theres a problem with this armors size measurements because its a bit on the smaller side. None of my regrs could equip it, so it was just taking up space in the store up until now. The discount is for that.


    Do you like it, Elna?


    I certainly do not have any problems with it, Elna replied.


    Yosh. Well buy this then. This things made for adventurers, right?


    You can tell from its looks, cant you? Of course, its made for adventurers.


    Nah, I honestly cant tell, buddy. I took out four gold and fourrge silver coins from my bag and paid the bill.


    How long do you need to adjust this one?


    Well, it normally takes three days, but you guys are already my regrs. Ill finish adjusting it within two days. You can pick up all three armors by then.


    Thatll really help. Well leave it to you then.


    We left the shop after Elna had her measurements done.


    n, let me pay you back with my money for the armor purchase earlier.


    Its fine. This concerns our entire party anyway. We should pay for the partys expenses with the partys money. Elnas also one of ourrades. Dont say something so distant, alright?


    I understand. Thank you.


    Oh, that reminds me. Theres an expensive-looking jeweled knife among the goods we recovered back from the bandits. I was thinking of selling it for cash, but what do the two of you think?


    I dont know how much itll sell for, but well need all the money we can get our hands on right now.


    You can go ahead and sell it then.


    Great. Ill speak with Tarus-san about itter.


    We managed to catch Tarus-san and Jonas-san discussing with each other when we arrived back at the manor.


    Ah, n-san. Thank you very much for sharing the pudding recipe. My chefs told me your cooking instructions were very easy to follow.


    No, thats only natural given that I was paid for sharing it. By the way, Tarus-san. I was wondering if I can sell you an item I have. Can you take a look at it?


    I took out the jeweled knife from my bag.


    Ah, one of the items from the banditir, is it? I see. I shall appraise it then.


    We went to Tarus-sans office so he could take a better look.


    Tarus-san used an item resembling a magnifying ss and inspected the item thoroughly. Jonas-san went to inspect it as well after Tarus-san.


    Its quite the exquisite item. Its certainly a rare find, but its a pity that the jewels used are on the smaller side.


    Jonas-san gave his verdict. He and Tarus-san proceeded to use gestures to discuss with one another. Theyre probably deciding the price.


    n-san, we can purchase this dagger for 80,000 Guineas, Tarus-san announced.


    Whoah! Thats quite the price.


    Thank you very much. If you please.


    Jonas-san quickly handed me 80,000 Guineas worth of silver coins.


    And about the recipe, n-san, are you agreeable to the payment being five thousand Guineas?


    Five thousand Guineas for a pudding recipe sounds fair enough for me.


    Yes, thatll do nicely. I cant thank you enough.


    Great. Wevepleted this task as well. The only thing left to do now is searching for an inn.


    Can you rmend to us a good inn to stay at, Tarus-san?


    He isnt going to rmend another one of their establishments, right?


    I presume youd want one with a bath, right? If thats the case, then theNatures Bountyinn should do nicely. Its five silvers to stay a night there. That also includes two meals as well. It has quite a good reputation among the inns of higher quality. The food, bath facilities, and overall service has garnered good reviews.


    Oh, so it looks like it really isnt one of theirs this time. I feel kind of relieved. Getting two meals included in the package certainly sounds good.


    Thank you for your help. Well check the ce outter. Also, I want to stock up on new ingredients and seasonings. Wheres your general store located, Tarus-san?


    Ill have Willy guide you there. Ive already informed the store employees as well. Are you heading to the inn after this?


    Yes, we are. We dont want to impose on you for too long, so well head for the inn now.


    I see. Itll get lonely without you all here. So, n-san. Let us talk about the reward for my rescue from the hands of those bandits.


    No, theres no need for any further rewards, really. It was only natural for me to help you back then. And weve received plenty of help from you as well. Lets just call it even, shall we?


    Alright. I understand. It cant be helped if you say so. But please take those clothes youre wearing with you as thanks at least.


    Come to think of it, the clothes were wearing were borrowed from Tarus-san as well.


    Okay. Thank you very much for your generosity.


    As we packed our luggage and got ready to leave, Tarus-san, his family and employees came out to see us off.


    Weve been in your care. Were really grateful for the warm hospitality youve granted us, everyone. We will visit you again if given the opportunity.


    Please do. Let us have some warm tea and share stories when you next visit. Well dly wee you, Tarus-san replied.


    Please share some sweets with us again next time, his wife followed up.


    n-san. I shall be waiting for you in front of the adventurers guild for you tomorrow then, Jonas-san reminded.


    Understood. Well then, everyone. Farewell.


    We left Tarus-sans manor apanied by Willie.

 Chapter 27 - Nature’S Bounty Inn

    Trantor: SFBaka


    I, Cleria, Elna and Willie went to the inn first in order to get a ce to leave our luggage safely.


    What should we do if the inns full?


    I should have asked for one other ce earlier just to be sure.


    Master rmended the high-ss inn, Natures Bounty, right? There should still be some rooms avable then, Willie assured us.


    Is that so? But its a high-ss inn, right?


    It is. However, unless several nobles and their retinue came for a visit here, that inn would likely still have some open rooms. In fact, the inn should be mostly devoid of customers at this point in time.


    I see. Well, themcking customers sounds better for us anywaypared to them being fully booked.


    The Natures Bounty Inn was located quite near to the downtown area. We entered straight away once we reached the ce.


    Wee!


    A young girl who seems to have just hit puberty greeted our group with gusto the moment we stepped inside the building. Judging from her appearance, I guessed her age to be about fourteen or so. And she was quite cute too.


    We want to stay at this inn. Are there still rooms avable? Its for three people. One room each, if possible.


    n, its fine for me and Elna to stay in the same room.


    I would also feel more at ease if I am by Ria-samas side, Elna agreed.


    Is that so? Okay, I got it. One single room and one double room, please. Are there any avable?


    Yes, of course, there are. A single room is 500 Guineas per day and a double room is 950 Guineas.


    Were nning on staying long-term, so is it possible to have a discount?


    Yes, of course. Theres a 20% discount if you pay for two weeks in advance. 30% if you pay for a full month. But there are no refunds okay.


    Well, its not like we have any concrete ns yet. Lets just pay for two weeks then.


    Well stay for two weeks.


    I need to pay 14,000 Guineas. A high-ss inn really is quite expensive huh. Well need to find a stable source of ie soon, or our funds will dry up quickly.


    The young inn employee looked like she was thinking hard. I bet shes calcting the total cost. Guess she isnt that good with numbers.


    At that moment, a woman who seemed to be the proprietress of the inn appeared from within the building. She and the young girl looked somewhat alike.


    Just what is this girl doing; making our customers wait like this. Im very sorry, dear guests. That will be 14,000 Guineas please.


    Oh, its fine. Here you go.


    I promptly paid for our rent. It looks like this young girl is the daughter of the proprietress.


    We will be providing you meals for breakfast and dinner. Breakfast will be from six to ten in the morning while lunch is from six to ten in the evening. You can use our bath whenever you please.


    Wow! Being able to freely use the baths anytime you want sure sounds nice. We didnt have any other inquiries, so we asked them to show us the rooms.


    Im sorry for the wait, dear customers. Ill guide you to your rooms now.


    We left Willie in the lobby as the young girl guided us to the rooms we booked. The two rooms we were guided to were right next to each other. The rooms were rtively spacious and clean. As expected of a high-ss inn. I left my luggage inside my room and locked it. It seems it was alright to bring the keys with us whenever we went out for business.


    Cleria and Elna came back down to the lobby right after me, and the three of us boarded the carriage again and left the inn.


    Shall we have lunch first? Willie, do you know of any restaurants that serve delicious food around here? Well treat you to lunch as well.


    Eh, is it fine for me to apany you? Um, then, Tallys Restaurant is nice, I think. Its right over there. The food there isnt that expensive but tastes great. The servings are quiterge as well.


    The servings beingrge would be perfect for Cleria. It seems the girls didnt have a problem with going as well, so we decided to dine in Tallys Restaurant. This will be my first time to experience dining out in this world, so Im quite excited.


    We entered the establishment and were immediately guided to open seats by one of the restaurants employees.


    We have both meat and fish set meals avable. If you want to order dishes individually, theres a menu posted on that wall to the side. the restaurant employee introduced.


    There were a number of wooden tags hung up on one of the walls with the names and prices of the dishes written on them.


    So theres fish avable! Then Ill have the fish set meal please.


    Ill have the meat set. Please give me arge serving.


    I shall also have a meat set meal. Please give me arge serving as well.


    Ill have the fish set meal too.


    The dishes we ordered were served after a few minutes of waiting.


    The fish set wasprised of severalrge fillets of grilled fish meat. They kind of resemble Earth-bred salmon. And what surprised me the most was that the meals were served with rice.


    Whoah! This is-!


    Do you like **, n-san? Willie asked.


    I wasnt familiar with the word he used to call them, but this stuff is definitely rice.


    I like this stuff more than bread, honestly. I havent managed to see it being served since I came to this country, so I thought it wasnt avable here.


    Rice has only started to be popr these past few years after all. The hometown of the owner of this restaurant had rice as their staple food, so he used it instead of bread when he opened his store here.


    So the meal wasprised of grilled fish fillets with ample servings of piping hot rice. Theres also some sd as a side dish. They looked quite delicious.


    Cleria and Willys meat set meals also looked delicious, with plenty of food on their tes. The meat set wasprised of meat and vegetable stir fry served with rice. They looked tasty as well, but the amount looked a bit too much for me to handle.


    Ria-sama, are you alright with ordering that much food?


    It seems it was Elnas first time to see Clerias monstrous appetite.


    Its fine. I can finish this amount of food by myself.


    Cleria looked quite smug for some reason. Well, this amount of food did look to be easy pickings for her though.


    Its been quite some time since Ive had fish. The meat was fatty, with plenty of umami. In other words, absolutely delicious. Cleria and the others also seemed quite satisfied with the food. Oh, and the prices for both regr andrge servings were simr, at tworge copper coins. The food was great, so I guess well being again as this stores regrs.


    We headed towards Tarus-sans general store after the meal. It was a short five-minute walk away from the restaurant.


    Youre n-san, right? Wee to the store. I have heard about you all from the owner.


    It looks like the store clerk was already briefed about our visit, so he led us to the seasoning section right away.


    Just like Tarus-san said, the shelves were lined up with arge selection of various seasonings and spices. I started taste-testing every single one while listening to the shop clerks exnations on the side. I kept on swiping the stuff I took a liking to from the shelves and stuffed them inside the shopping basket.


    Oooh! This is-!?


    I managed to find something simr to Earths soy sauce! The saltiness level was a little on the thin side, but it wasnt a big deal at all.


    Are you familiar with this product? This is a rare condiment imported from a country in the far east.


    Theres something simr being produced in my country as well. Is it possible for me to purchase a whole cask of this stuff?


    Of course. But it will cost you onerge silver coin though. Are you fine with that?


    Thats fine. Its worth the price.


    Onerge silver for a small cask of soy sauce did seem a bit on the pricey side, but this will allow me to cook a greater variety of dishes. I tried to ask if there was miso avable as well since there was soy sauce, but it seems they didnt have it.


    In the end, I spent a total of 2,510 Guineas, but it was certainly money well spent.


    They offered to deliver all the groceries I bought to the inn and I agreed.


    Well then, thats all for my business. Do you want to buy something as well, Ria?


    I do not have anything in particr in mind. How about you, Elna?


    I dont have one either.


    So, shall we take a stroll for a bit then? Lets check out other shops. Maybe well find some things to your liking, like street food.


    Oh, that sounds good! Ive always wanted to try eating street food!


    It kinda felt bad to have Willy apany us in loitering around, so we had him go back to the general store instead.


    Afterward, we wandered about downtown, visiting several shops as we went along. Whenever we encountered some food stalls that served some delicious-looking food, we went over to them to try their dishes. There were things like grilled chicken(?) skewers and sandwiches. The taste was alright, but there was nothing that particrly stood out. The prices of the stuff sold at food stalls ranged from five to ten coppers.


    It was a bit of a let-down for me and Cleria, but thats just how it is. We circled the whole downtown district once and went back to the inn afterward.


    Looks like the street foods were a bust huh, Ria?


    Indeed I do hope the inns dishes prove more worthy of expectation.


    We went back to our respective rooms to rest up a bit until dinnertime. When the three of us went down to the dining area, we found only one other group of customers present along with people who seemed to be the inns employees. It looks like this inn didnt usually have a lot of customers booking it, just like Willy said.


    Tonights dinner is a choice between fish and meat dishes. You can also freely order seconds if you wish.


    A female inn employee exined away and informed us that we could order as many helpings as we wanted. Cleria certainly brightened up after hearing that. I ate some fish for todays lunch, so Ill have meat now instead.


    Ill have meat please.


    Please serve me fish then. Do make it arge serving.


    Ill be having meat as well.


    It looks like Clerias really taken a shine to orderingrge servings of dishes. We can get seconds anyway, so she really didnt have to order it that way, but I guess Ill just let her do as she likes.


    Well, its been so long since I drank some, so lets order some liquor as well.


    What types of liquor do you offer here?


    We have ale, as well as red and white wines avable. And youll be paying for the drinks separately since the booking fees do not cover alcohol.


    Ive only drunk wine ever sincending on this, so Ill give the stuff they call ale a try then.


    Ill have ale then. Do you want some,dies?


    Ill have some white wine.


    Please serve me white wine as well.


    The dishes and alcohol were served right away. The female inn staff was standing by to the side, near our table.


    This ale seems to resemble Earths beer somewhat. The dishes were a far cry from the street foods we ate earlier and were quite delicious. As expected of a high-ss inn.


    It seems we had to pay for the alcohol straight away though. The ale and white wines went for ten guineas per serving.


    Mm! This ales actually chilled. Its good!


    The vor of ale lost to Earths beer by a bit, but being chilled more than made up for the difference in taste.


    We have recently acquired a magic refrigerator, so were putting it to good use. the female inn employee dered.


    I see. Isnt that magic tool expensive?


    Yes, quite. This is just between you and me, but I heard it costs more than thirty gold coins.


    Thirty thousand Guineas huh? It wasnt that outrageously expensive, but regr folks wont be able to afford it.


    It certainly is expensive. But it really brings the best out of the alcohol, so Im sure youll be getting your moneys worth in no time.


    I sure hope so, sir


    The meat dish was arge slice of steak. It had plenty of that herb resembling garlic smothered on top of it and was quite tasty. This was probably Big Boar meat. There were also some toasted bread slices offered on the side.


    Mm, delish! The meat is grilled to perfection, and the voring is superb as well.


    n, this fish dish is also quite good.


    The fish Cleria was having resembled trout. There were three fishes on her te and were salt-grilled. The fishes were quiterge in size as well. So arge serving consists of three pieces of fish huh. There were some citrus fruit slices on the side to provide it with a refreshing aftertaste.


    It does look good. Ill try someter.


    Ive been thinking about your wish to study magic, n. How about you try joining the Magic Guild? Cleria suddenly suggested.


    So theres such a thing as a Magic Guild? That sounds interesting. What does that guild do, exactly?


    Im not too familiar with the subject as well. I havent had the chance to have much contact with them before after all And we need to find out if theres a guild branch in this city before anything else. Its arge enough city, so I think it does have a branch though. Do you have any idea about the workings of the Magic Guild, Elna?


    I am not familiar with them either.


    Judging from the girls reactions, the guild sounds like a real minor organization. Maybe some of the folks in the city are more familiar with it. I raised my hand and called for the female inn employee.


    Do you know if theres a branch of the Magic Guild in this city?


    Yes, theres a branch located here. It seems more like a small sub-branch though. Youll need to head right after leaving the inn. Its just a fifteen-minute walk away. Their office is on the right-hand side of the street.


    I see. Thank you. Can I have one helping of the fish set as well as a refill of the ale?


    Yes, right away, sir.


    Ill have a serving of the meat dish then. Arge one, of course.


    It looks like Cleria already finished off her fish dish.


    Um Arge serving of the meat dish, right? Understood.


    Okay then. Well try to visit the Magic Guild if I manage to finish Tarus-sans request early tomorrow.


    Yes, let us do so.


    We stuffed ourselves full of the dishes offered and finished our meal greatly satisfied.


    Now, lets try out the bath. I entered straight away after arriving.


    The men and womens baths are separate by the way. It wasnt to the extent of the bath in Tarus-sans manor, but it was rtively spacious as well.


    Oh, and theres some soap as well. It looked quite well maintained, and the waters perfect, which made my day.


    I thoroughly enjoyed the bath. I ended up staying for quite some time.


    Its still early in the evening, but Ill get some shut-eye now to prepare for tomorrow.

 Chapter 28.1 - Designated Quest And Wind Magic (Part 1)

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Its dawn. Please wake up.


    Its morning again. I already formed a habit of waking up early in the morning huh. One major reason is my desire for a nice, long morning bath.


    I want to savor my morning bath, so I went out of my room straight away after waking up. This is the best, man.


    Lets have some breakfast, n.


    There was a knock on my door after I got back from bathing. It was Cleria, who invited me for breakfast.


    When we reached the dining area, we managed to run into the other group of customers, who seemed to be merchants, in the middle of checking out. So we would be the only guests staying in this inn after this huh?


    It seems there were no courses to choose from when ites to breakfast. The breakfast set consists of toasted bread, butter, jam, sd, rolled egg omelets, sunny-side up, and meat and vegetable stir fry.


    It certainly was a rich-looking breakfast. It was kinda unfortunate that there wasnt any rice included.


    Cleria ordered seconds of course, just as expected.


    Um, my father said we can cater to any of your requests for dinner since youll be the only customers staying over from now on, so he sent me over to ask if you had any in mind


    Oh, so youre dads the one in charge of cooking huh. Now that you mention it, is it possible for this inn to serve rice?


    Yes, we can. Dad likes rice as well so he actually wanted it to be part of the menu, but most customers still prefer bread, so we didnt include it in the end.


    I see. I, for one, totally dig rice more. How about you guys? Do you prefer bread or rice?


    The rice we had yesterday was quite delicious. I do not mind having rice for meals.


    Im alright with either.


    Well then, can we have rice instead of bread for our meals from now on?


    Alright, Ill let dad know.


    We finished our food and went out of the inn after a few minutes of break to give time for our meals to settle down our stomachs first. Were supposed to go to the Adventurers Guild at nine in the morning. Its still a bit early, but we decided to go there in advance.


    We arrived at the guild after a twenty-minute walk, and surprisingly found Jonas-san and ten other men already waiting in front of the guild building. As expected of a qualified merchant firm. Theyre even earlier than we are.


    Good morning, Jonas-san.


    Good morning to you as well, n-san. Well be in your care today.


    Likewise.


    We boarded three carriages and set off right away. I estimate the travel time to be about three hours via carriage. I had Nanom save the coordinates of the banditirst time, so theres no chance of getting lost.


    We went out of the city and got on the road, heading for the banditir. We were to serve as guides, so we rode on the lead carriage. Jonas-san served as the driver of the carriage we were in.


    I left watching out for threats to Nanom so I was quite free.


    Elna, is it possible for you to show me some wind magic spells right now? You can just aim the spells at tree branches.


    Understood. To put it simply, wind magic spells fire off a mass of air in order to hit the desired target.


    Elna closed her eyes in concentration for about fifteen minutes and pointed her outstretched hand toward the canopy of trees in the distance.


    Air Bullet!


    Since it was a mass ofpressed air, it wasnt visible like the Fire Ball spell. It was as though part of the tree canopy in the distance suddenly got blown off.


    Whoah! Thats amazing! So thats wind magic huh.


    It wasnt visible to the naked eye, unlike Fire Ball, and there was almost no sound when the spell was fired off, making it so that it would be hard for the spells target to dodge. The trade-off was the spells power was a bit on the low side, but it should be fairly adequate for human opponents. It would create a major advantage if you could somehow break the stance of your opponents with this spell.


    I had Nanom do a yback of the video it recorded regarding the spells magicle flow on my virtual HUD so I can further familiarize myself with it. It seems the flow was fairly simr to the Fire Ball spell like I thought.


    Whats left is for me to solidify my image of it. Since it was a mass ofpressed air, an image based on a typhoon should be appropriate, I think. I made an image of a rapidly swirling mass of windpressing itself in my mind. Ill fire off thispressed air mass to hit my intended target.


    So, something like this, I think.


    The magicle charges have already been prepared by Nanom for me. I lined up my sights with the target reticule disyed on the virtual HUD, aimed at the tree canopy right ahead and activated the spell.


    Air Bullet, fire!


    A mass ofpressed air was immediatelyunched out, apanied by a booming sound. In order to see the otherwise invisible air mass, I activated the magic imaging mode of my virtual HUD.


    The air mass hit the treetops with a bam and blew them away. Arge number of thick-looking branches had fallen off, so the tree canopy became almost barren. I guess this was a good enough showing for my first time using this spell.


    Eh!? Just what in zes was that?


    Elna looked quite surprised.


    Well, it was my first try, so I havent adjusted the output yet.


    I failed tounch out an Air Bullet that made almost no sound, so I graded my first try to be somewhatcking. I might have overdone it with the amount of air Ipressed for the spell. Ill need to adjust the revolution speed as well.


    I aimed at a different group of trees and fired off a second spell.


    The spell flew out silently this time and hit the target with a muffled bam. Anotherrge number of branches were blown off. It wasnt as powerful as my first try, but it was more refined.


    I finally managed to get an adequate grasp of the spell after firing off a couple more test shots. A maximum range of 20 meters is enough for an anti-personnel spell. And the magic power required is about the same as the Fire Ball spell.


    I turned around and saw Cleria, Elna, Jonas-san and everyone else spacing out.


    This cant be This should not be possible Without even focusing Just what is going on, Ria-sama?


    This is just how n is. Ive already lost count of how many times hes surprised me since I met him.


    It seems Elna also couldnt learn magic without relying on a magic tome. Clerias already gotten fairly good at it, so I bet Elna would also improve after a bit of practice.


    Do you know any other wind spells?


    Y-Yes, of course. The next spell Ill show you is called Wind Cutter. It creates a de of wind sharp enough to cut its target.


    Oh! That sounds kinda neat. Elna closed her eyes in concentration. She took about twenty seconds this time.


    Wind Cutter!


    A thin sheet of shining energy appeared before her outstretched palm and flew out with a swish. It hit the canopy of another tree and cut off a number of branches.


    Whoah! Thats amazing!


    But how should I form an image for this one? Whyd the de of wind glow anyway? I cant think of an appropriate image.


    I somehow managed to cast Fire Ball and me Arrow by imagining my magic powerbusting. It wasnt scientific at all, but I suppose thats a moot point by now.


    But I just cant think of an appropriate image for Wind Cutter. Was it fine to think of it as wind surging at speeds fast enough to cut through things?


    Hey. Elna. What kind of image do you have in your mind while casting this spell?


    Image, is it? I dont think its anything too fancy. I only follow the steps as stated in the magic tome.


    Oh yeah. The folks here use concrete steps listed out on magic tomes in ce of constructing a spell image themselves.


    This is a problem. An image for the wind to be able to cut through things Well, I guess Ill make do with wind surging ahead at speeds great enough to cut targets; something spinning at high speed. Like a saw wheel, maybe? Ill imagine it being made of wind instead of metal.


    But it does seem a bit dangerous for something like that to materialize near me while already spinning away in full force. Should I set it to spin at full power once it hits the target?

 Chapter 28.2 - Designated Quest And Wind Magic (Part 2)

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Yeah, Ill make it so that it spins away and expands out with great force once it hits. I think I got this.


    Ill base the image on the one I had for Air Bullet first. A mass ofpressed air spinning at rapid speeds. And once it hits the target, itll expand out and spin even faster. Ive got the image down pat.


    Wind Cutter, fire!


    A mass ofpressed air shot off towards the trees ahead. It went off with a loud bam once it hit the target.


    Hm, I failed to cut the trees. It ended up being the exploding version of the Air Bullet spell.


    Everybody else was stunned to silence after my disy. Well, the spell was pretty loud after all.


    Sorry, sorry. I failed.


    It seems the image of expanding out while spinning at full power was a little too much. Ill have to adjust it so the wind saw would bepressed as thin as possible once it spins out in full force.


    I focused myself and started refining my image.


    Wind Cutter, fire!


    Another mass ofpressed air shot out. Once it hit the trees, a spinning de glowing in bright radiance expanded out and cut the trees in two.


    Yosh, I managed to get it this time!


    Ill just need to work on aiming and adjusting the power output. The magicle charges used was the same with me Arrow, by the way.


    I adjusted the range little by little as I continued to fire off Wind Cutter spells. The maximum range turned out to be 30 meters.


    I tried aiming at arge tree with a thick trunk and also seeded in cutting it in two. The upper half fell down with a loud bam. Oh boy. Im d no one else was traveling down the road when it fell down.


    Amazing


    I turned around to see Cleria and Elna making astonished expressions.


    Thanks, Elna. I managed to learn some great magic spells.


    No, I havent taught you anything worth mentioning. And you even managed to create a new spell. It wasnt Wind Cutter, but something much more amazing. This is the first time Ive witnessed someone do such a thing.


    I just couldnt manage to emte a genuine Wind Cutter spell. Are there any other wind magic spells?


    Unfortunately, my family only had the magic tomes for Air Bullet and Wind Cutter. There are more spells, but I do not know how to cast them.


    Is that so. Oh well. Maybe well manage to encounter more spells once we visit the Magic Guildter.


    We managed to arrive at a familiar scenery after a few more minutes of traveling. This was the ce where the bandits set up an ambush for us.


    I went to their hideout by footst time, so it took a while for us to find a path leading to it that would allow going via carriage. But we managed to get to the ce with the carriages just fine in the end.


    We left Ria and Elna in charge of keeping an eye on the carriages and went inside the hideout. It looks like the wares inside were fine.


    After Jonas-san confirmed the wares, the workers started gathering them up and carrying them back to the carriages outside.


    After we managed to load about half of the wares inside the carriages, I managed to detect something via my scanning magic. The targets were 900 meters out. There were ten of them, and they were heading in our general direction. Judging from their movement patterns, they should be Gray Hounds. But it seems they still havent managed to notice us.


    Ria, Elna, there are some Gray Hounds approaching. Theres a good chance of them discovering us.


    How far are they and what are their numbers?


    Currently 650 meters from our position. There are ten of them.


    Just how did you manage to find something like that out? Elna asked.


    I used scanning magic.


    Scanning magic So theres also something like that.


    This is bad. They already noticed us. They might have traced our smell or something. Theres some Gray Houndsing our way Jonas-san! Please take shelter inside the bandit hideout for now.


    It should be impossible for only the three of us to take on ten of them. Let us also take shelter inside the hideout and seal the entrance! Elna suggested.


    No, it should be fine. I can take them on myself.


    No n. Please leave three of them to me.


    Well, Cleria could certainly take care of three quickly with a me Arrow spell. I still have my rifle with me so theres no problem.


    Alright then. Ill leave three targets to you. Ill take care of the rest of them. Please watch over Ria, Elna.


    Such a thing-! Fighting three of them would be impossible for Ria-sama!


    Well, just watch, Elna. Ive also polished my magic quite a bit, you see.


    Alright, understood. I wont let any of them near Ria-sama!


    The Hounds were already only 200 meters away. This should be a good opportunity to test out the throwing knives Beck and Thor gave me.


    Is everything alright, n-san!?


    Jonas-san cried out in concern from the hideouts entrance.


    Theres no problem! Please just stay put and observe us from there!


    A hundred meters more. Ill match your spell timing Ria. Ill finish off the rest with the throwing knives, so dont worry.


    The Gray Hounds finally appeared before us. They observed the situation for a bit after encountering us, and when they judged that they were at an advantage, they immediately mounted their attack.


    Ria was already in position for firing off her spell. When the vanguards of the Gray Hound pack arrived within thirty meters of us, she fired off a me Arrow spell.


    The ming arrows headed straight for the three hounds in the lead. The Gray Hounds tried to dodge after seeing the arrows, but the spell projectiles changed course in mid-air and sessfully pierced them.


    It seems Clerias improved her spell control once again. Shes now able to control all three arrows simultaneously.


    My magicle charges were primed and ready, so I proceeded to lock-on to the remaining seven targets. Ill send me Arrows at five of the monsters, get one with the Wind Cutter spell and finish off the other with my new throwing knife.


    The me arrows sailed through the air.


    The arrows hit five of the hounds dead-on and pierced them right in the head. I fired off the high-speed version I tested out in the Adventurers Guild. They were so fast that the monsters didnt even have the time to dodge.


    The Wind Cutter followed soon after.


    Since thepressed air projectile wasnt visible to the naked eye, the Gray Hound it was heading for didnt know which direction to dodge toward. It directly hit the hound and cut it in two.


    After firing off the spells, I grabbed my throwing knife andunched it at thest Hound. Since the remaining distance between us was ten meters, there was no chance for my aim to be off, and my knife pierced the head of the monster right in the middle.


    The knife was certainly easy to handle. The weight bnce was excellent.


    Alright, that went smoothly.


    Cheers were raised from within the bandit hideout after our victory.


    That was absolutely amazing Ria-sama has really turned into such an amazing mage! It was so impressive!


    I did great, didnt I? I had n teach me the basics. Elna would also surely improve a lot if you learn from n.


    Really!? Then please teach me as well, n-dono!


    I dont mind teaching you at all, but please stop addressing me as n-dono. Were alreadyrades, so just call me n.


    Alright n.


    Elnas cheeks reddened in embarrassment for some reason. Maybe it was a custom for girls in this world not to call guys without honorifics.


    Youve shown us some really impressive magic! I was truly surprised! You managed to bring down those Gray Hounds in an instant.


    Jonas-san went out from the former bandit hideout and approached us.


    Well, were registered adventurers after all. There are no more threats in the vicinity. Its safe to start the recovery work again.


    The workers restarted their work and began hauling the goods again, and I assigned Cleria and Elna to serve as guards for them, just in case an issue pops up once more. I busied myself with recovering magic stones from the Gray Hound corpses.


    I dissected them with my electromaic deknife and took out the magic stones from inside the dead bodies. The one hound I killed with my Wind Cutter spell had its flesh scattered about all over the ce. It looked quite gross. I think Ill have to limit using that spell on flesh-and-blood targets.


    We finally finished loading all of the goods and left the former hideout. Our group boarded the lead carriage like before.

 Chapter 28.3 - Designated Quest And Wind Magic (Part 3)

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Hm, whats this? I got another reaction from my scanning magic. Judging from experience, Im almost 100% sure this was a ck Bird. It was roosting up on a tree our convoy will be passing by. Itll escape once it notices us, so lets bring the pudgy fowl down right away. It soon came within visual range.


    Theres a ck Bird a hundred meters in front of us, Ria.


    Ill take it down!


    Alright. Make sure not to let it escape. Its roosting on that tall tree over there. But itll probably escape once it notices the carriages.


    Were in the middle of a job, so we cant just tell the convoy to stop for us though.


    Ill try anyway.


    The maximum range of the me Arrow spell is 50 meters. Whether or not the bird escapes will be up to luck.


    Our carriages steadily approached its position, but the ck Bird didnt seem to have noticed yet. Cleria got in position to fire off a spell.


    Whoops, it finally noticed us. In that instant, Cleria also unleashed her me Arrow spell. But the distance was still 70 meters, so the arrows, unfortunately, didnt reach it


    is what I thought at first, but unexpectedly, the arrows flew on and sessfully hit the escaping ck Bird in mid-flight.


    Well that was surprising! Maybe Cleria focused on making the spell fly as far out as possible while she was constructing the image in her mind and imbued it with more magic power than a normal spell. This was certainly a blind spot. I didnt even notice this sort of thing was possible. Im stillcking in imagination, it seems.


    A wave of cheers rose from behind us. They managed to witness Clerias spell casting in full after all.


    I apologized to Jonas-san for causing amotion and asked him to stop the carriage so I can recover the ck Bird. Its possible to drain its blood while on the road anyway.


    How about we have them cook this for us back at the inn? ck Bird meat is tasty after all.


    Since we were allowed to make requests for our meals, Im sure theyll be fine with cooking it for us.


    Thats a fine idea! Let us do so. But I think it would be nice if n was the one to cook it. Can we ask to borrow the kitchen, perhaps?


    Hm, I dunno. Its a pro chefs kitchen after all. It might be a bit troublesome.


    I was actually warming up to the idea of cooking again even though I sounded somewhat reluctant. I kind of wanted to try out the spices and condiments I bought the other day.


    It wouldnt hurt to try asking anyway, I guess.


    Yes, let us do so!


    We managed to reach the city without any further incidents. We had the request papers signed off by Jonas-san in front of the Adventurers Guild. We then bid goodbye to Jonas-san and his people.


    We are truly grateful for todays matter, n-san. You were a great help.


    Its a job, after all, so we just did what was required of us. Thank you as well for giving us such a profitable request.


    Well then, I shall contact you here at Natures Bounty inn if we ever get ahold of any new information.


    Thank you. Please do so.


    Well, since were already here, we might as well hand over the request papers and report the requestspletion. We went in front of the counter assigned to the guild employee we were familiar with.


    We justpleted a request. Please confirm, I stated and handed over the papers.


    Understood. Oh, as expected of n-san and yourpanions. The evaluation the client gave you this time isSgrade.


    Theres a grading system?


    Yes. Its for the purpose of knowing whether or not clients are satisfied with the work of the adventurers assigned to them. A grade of B or C is par for the course, normally. The grading also factors in when considering the maximum reward money a party can receive after quests and their overall evaluation to serve as a basis for ranking up. Have you done anything that the client was particrly happy with, perhaps?


    I see. So its a sort of customer satisfaction survey. The guild sure has a lot of stuff going on.


    Nothing in particr, I think. Well, we did manage to encounter a Gray Hound pack and defeat them.


    A pack How many did you encounter, if you dont mind me asking?


    There were ten of them.


    Eeeh!? T-Ten, you say? There are only the three of you in the Shining Star party, right? Did some of the men the client brought with him also fight?


    Nope, we exterminated them ourselves.


    In other words, the three of you managed to defeat and kill ten Gray Hounds?


    Yup, we killed them all.


    I see. No wonder they gave you anSgrade. Heres the 5,000 Guinea reward by the way. If you want to sell the magic stones you recovered from the Gray Hounds, please do so at that counter over there.


    Oh yeah, you can actually sell off the magic stones huh. I honestly forgot about that and just recovered them out of habit earlier.


    How much do Gray Hound magic stones go for anyway?


    Um, one Gray Hound magic stone sells for about 400 Guineas each. The amount is based on the market price of the magic stones themselves, which is 350 Guineas, and the exclusive subjugation reward of 50 Guineas per monster in. So it would be better to sell them here at the Guild instead of anywhere else.


    I see. Thank you very much for the info.


    It seems well a pretty decent profit. We can stay at a regr inn for four days just from selling a single stone.


    Um, hey guys, is it okay if we dont sell the magic stones we got today. The leather armor I recently bought requires magic stones in order to function properly, so I kinda want to save them up just in case.


    I also had something I want to try as well.


    Of course. I dont mind at all. Please do with them as you like, n.


    How about you, Elna?


    I do not mind as well. Please do as you see fit, n.


    Its still three in the afternoon, so do you want to give the Magic Guild a quick visit after we return to the inn for a bit?


    Yes, lets!


    We found the young daughter of the proprietress when we got back to the inn and tried to ask about borrowing the kitchen.


    Its an unusual request, but we managed to procure a decent ingredient, so we were wondering if we could borrow the inns kitchen for a bit to cook it.


    Un, I dunno. Let me ask dad first.


    A stern-looking middle-aged man appeared from within the inn after a few minutes of waiting. So this is the chef who cooked our meals yesterday huh?


    So is it you? The guy who asked if he could borrow my kitchen?


    Yes, thats right. Im a decent cook myself. We managed to hunt a ck Bird while out on a job, so I want to cook it if possible.


    I took out the ck Bird from my bag.


    Oh, thats a big lookin ck Bird alright. It does look delicious. Well, we dont have any other guests anyway. Ill lend you the kitchen under the condition of me keeping an eye on you from the side. What do you say?


    Really? Thats great. Ill use my own spices and condiments while cooking. How much are you charging for this, by the way?


    I wont be chargin you one coin. You brought your own ingredients with you anyways. So, when do ya want to start?


    A bitter. We still have some business we have to attend to after this. Well probably make it back before evening. Well start then.


    That so. In that case, Ill do the prep work for you while your out. It should be fine to divide it into appropriate cuts, right?


    Thatll be great. Please do so then. Later then.


    I handed over the ck Bird and left the inn with the girls.


    He was quite the gruff individual.


    Cleria seems a bit angry at the mans attitude earlier. Well, it certainly wasnt a shining example of how to treat customers, especially considering the fact that they were a high-ss establishment. He might have gotten away with it all this time because he was a chef who worked behind the scenes and didnt entertain guests.


    Is that so? I find that kind of attitude easier to deal with, actually.


    Well, I wont press the matter if you say you dont mind it, n.


    I wonder what kind of ce the Magic Guild is. Im really looking forward to it. We started walking and headed for the Magic Guild.

 Chapter 29.1 - Magic Guild, Karaage And Mayonnaise (Part 1)

    Trantor: SFBaka


    We arrived at the Magic Guild. They were based on a building that wasnt even a third of the scalepared with the Adventurers Guild.


    We entered and found reception counters simr to the Adventurers Guild. There was a young female employee manning the counter. There wasnt anyone else present.


    Wee! Do you have a request for us?


    Um, I dont know if this can be considered as a request, but would it be possible for us to get an exnation regarding what exactly the Magic Guild is all about? If you dont mind, that is.


    Haa, Well, of course. Our Magic Guild isnt that well known after all.


    Understood. Ill give you a quick run-down regarding the Guild.


    To put it simply, the Magic Guild is an amazing guild that handles anything and everything regarding magic and spellcraft!


    For instance, we handle stuff like teaching magic spells, producing magic tools, making improvements and adjustments to them, repairing them, appraising excavated ancient magic artifacts, as well as purchasing and selling of magic stones.


    Please do consult our Magic Guild regarding anything that has to do with magic!


    That sure is an easy to understand exnation. So can my matter be regarded as a request if thats the case? I want to learn about all kinds of magic spells.


    So you want to learn magic spells. Can you already cast some spells yourself?


    Yes. For fire magic, I can cast Fire Ball and me Arrow. I can also cast Air Bullet and Wind Cutter from the wind magic system. Finally, I can cast the Water spell from the water magic system.


    Amazing! So you can use three attributes!? And you still want to learn more magic spells besides those? Or rather, do you want to register as a member of the Guild!? No, I insist you do!


    Uh, is there any merit to registering as a Guild member?


    Of course there is! If you register as a member, youll get a whopping 20% discount if you purchase magic stones, magic tools and magic spell tomes in our Guild!


    Un, well thats a bit iffy. But maybe I can take advantage of it to make some profitable transactions somehow. It sounds troublesome though.


    Im sorry, but Ill have to refrain from registering as a member for now.


    Wa- Wait a moment! We still have a number of great benefits for you! Uh, for example, theres also 20% discount whenever you have requests for the Magic Guild! If youre nning on making furthermissions or request in the future, it would be better if you registered as an official Guild member sir.


    I guess so. How much does making amission or request cost anyway?


    Five silver coins sir.


    So it costs the same as the Adventurers Guild. Oh, and by the way, Ive already registered as a member of the Adventurers Guild. Would this be a problem?


    Absolutely not sir. There are actually plenty of people whove registered as members for both Guilds in our ranks. Whats youre ranking as an adventurer by the way? Have you been adventuring for long?


    Oh, Im C rank. Ive just registered two days ago.


    You just registered two days ago and youre already C rank!? Amazing! You really, really have to register as a member of our Guild as well sir! Or rather, Im gonna get in trouble if I fail to recruit someone promising like you.


    Its not like Im bothered by it, but this girl has a habit of blurting out exactly whats on her mind, doesnt she?


    Do you also have ranks here?


    We do. Its basically the same as the ones used by the Adventurers Guild. But we do not have a rule requiring you to takemissions at least once every two months. Were a very fair and upright Guild you know. You also wont be forced to do quests and stuff.


    This all sounds great Miss, but are there no demerits at all?


    Theres none sir. We dont even charge a membership fee. To be honest, the Magic Guild doesnt receive many requests. Its to the point that you cant make a decent living off of doingmissions for the Magic Guild exclusively.


    Oh man. Doesnt that sound like this Guild is totally pointless or something?


    Uh-! Please, thats something youre absolutely forbidden from saying here! We also do stuff like magic research and magic tool development, so were actually a Guild thats indispensable to society.


    I see. Well, if you say it like that, then I guess you are pretty important huh. Oh, and can you tell me how much making a request ormissions costs first? Ill have to pass if its too expensive.


    Absolutely! You want to learn new magic spells, right? What spells do you want to learn specifically? How much is your budget? Well, anyway, heres the magic tome price list.


    Shes quite the impatient gal, aint she? I received the magic tome price list from her and browsed it. Its not like I need to purchase one for myself, but it still piqued my interest.


    A Fire Ball magic tome costs 80,000 Guineas!? Its that expensive!?


    Did you not know? Learning spells is difficult so the price of tomes has always been this high.


    I had no idea. So magic tomes cost this much. Since theyre this expensive, doesnt anyone try to take advantage of producing copies in order to make some profit?


    Something like that is considered a capital crime in every country sir. Its the same whether you produce, sell or buy pirated copies. The Magic Guild still holds a considerable influence worldwide after all.


    I see. So its like that. Thanks for showing me this, but its not like Im here to purchase a magic tome. I would prefer it if you had someone do a live casting demonstration of spells so I can observe from the side. It would also help if they could exin the basics of the spells to me as well.


    Eh!? You want to learn magic spells right? What would be the use of just observing?


    Uh, so I can do some self-studying? And magic tomes are expensive, right? I want to see the effects of the spells first before I make a purchase if possible.


    Basing on my earlier experiences, theyd probably make a huge fuss once they find out that I could actually learn spells just by observing them. So Im gonna go with giving a little white lie here, just in case.


    I see. So thats why. I understand. What kind of magic spell do you want to see?


    I looked at the price list again and checked the names of the spells.


    Hold up a bit! Ill need to make a memo.


    I mentioned the name of a spell I was unfamiliar with and asked for an exnation.


    What kind of magic is this Heal spell from the light magic system?


    Its a spell that treats injuries.


    Theres a spell like that!? For real!?


    Yes. Are you really unfamiliar with healing magic!? Im the one whos more surprised here!


    Thats amazing! I want to observe this please.


    In the end, I blurted out every magic spell I was unfamiliar with.


    So how much would this request of mine cost?


    Un, well, this is something we havent encountered yet, so I have no idea. Ill need to consult with our branch chief first. The branch chief is currently out serving in the local clinic, so theyre not in at the moment.


    Why are they working in a clinic?


    The branch chief knows how to cast the Heal spell, so theyre working part-time at the clinic. This is all due to the poor profit margins of this branch!


    Uh, is that so. You guys have it tough huh. Oh, I need to mention this again, but whether or not I decide to go ahead with this request depends on how much itll cost me. Ill have to decline if its too expensive.


    Understood. Its not like we can actually demonstrate every spell listed in our catalog anyway. There are far too few Guild members in this city, so whether or not we can hold a demo for you depends on the avability of members who can actually cast the spells. Of course, we can also try to consult with other Guild branches, but I think itll cost you more.


    I see. I dont mind. Im not particrly in a hurry anyway.


    Well then, Ill ask the branch chief once they return this evening. Is it alright if youe again tomorrow?


    Sure. What time should Ie?


    The chief should be here all morning, so you can visit here at that time. Oh, and you also need to take the admission test if you apply as a member as well.


    So there really is a test. Admission test huh.


    Of course! Its so we can determine your rank.


    Please allow me to observe as well once he proceeds with the request. Elna wants to see it as well, right?


    Cleria, who remained silent since we came here, suddenly spoke up.


    Yes, I would love to if possible.


    Lets do that then. Its fine, right? Its not like itll take up any more time.


    Um, but Im not sure if we can apply the 20% member discount to them as well. Rather, if people aside from the member participates, I dont think its possible to apply the discount at all.


    I see. How about both of you apply as members as well then.


    Eh!? Youre saying these twodies can also cast magic spells?


    They can.


    Oooh! This is an unprecedented chance to catch multiple members in one shot! Ill definitely run it through with the chiefter!


    Then, welle here at nine in the morning tomorrow. Would that be fine?


    Yes, of course. Please wait for a moment.

 Chapter 29.2 - Magic Guild, Karaage And Mayonnaise (Part 2)

    Trantor: SFBaka


    After we finished our business at the Magic Guild, we returned to the inn.


    So it would be best if we kept your ability to learn magic spells through observation a secret right?


    Certainly. I think it will turn out to be troublesome once the Magic Guild finds out.


    No, it will most certainly cause you a fair bit of trouble. It would definitely cause a major uproar.


    So its really like that huh. That was dangerous. I guess Ill have to hold back once I take the admission test tomorrow.


    Its a bit unfortunate though. If n gets serious, Im sure youll easily attain S rank.


    Im not really concerned with my Guild ranking anyway. More importantly, what kind of dish do you want me to cook for tonights dinner?


    Im fine with anything, but Oh, right! I want to taste a dish from ns country.


    A dish from my country huh. What should I cook then.


    Hm, I guess itll have to be Earth recipes, which are all the rage back in the Empire. So a representative Earth dish for chicken meat would be


    Ive been thinking up several dishes until we arrived back at the inn.


    I went back to my room and got my condiments and spices ready. I cant wait to cook again. The kitchen couldnt house a lot of people, so I had Cleria and Elna wait outside.


    I entered the kitchen and was shown the sliced ck Bird meat by the chef uncle.


    Thank you very much for preparing the meat for me, sir. My names n. Nice to meet you.


    It wasnt much, kid. The names Verse. So what are you going to make anyway?


    I was thinking of cooking dishes from my country. Wow, these sure are some nice cuts. You really are a pro, sir.


    The meats already portioned into parts. Hes also taken out the tendons as well. Oh, and he even got the white liver.


    Ill check the cooking tools first. The me magic tool was the same as the one in Tarus-sans manor. They might have purchased it from Tarus-sans store actually.


    There was a new refrigerating magic tool as well. Oh, and theres also a grating device. There are also bowls of different sizes. Theres a frying pan, saucepan, and all other cooking utensils also present in Tarus-sans kitchen. I see. I think Ill be able to cook up some great dishes with these.


    The refrigerating magic tool also had a stock of different vegetables inside.


    I checked the spices and condiments next. The stocks roughly the same as with Tarus-sans kitchen as well.


    Whoah! Is this katsuobushi!?


    You familiar with that kid? I actually got that from a long-time customer for cheap, but I have no idea how to use it for cooking. That customer also didnt know as well. It seems it was an unsold item of his. Since I felt it was a shame not to use it, I sometimes take some shavings and sprinkle it on top of some dishes.


    I scraped some with a knife and gave it a taste. Yup, it looked a bit different, but this is definitely katsuobushi.


    Well, I do have an idea about how to use this. Im familiar with a cooking method that can bring out more of its umami as well. Do you have more of this stuff?


    I have one box filled with the stuff.


    Great! Can I get some from youter? Ill pay for it of course.


    I dont really mind, but


    Can I also use some of your vegetables and eggs?


    Do what you want. Its your food tonight anyway.


    I see. Ill take you up on that then.


    Since Im free anyway, want me to help out as well?


    Well, can you shave off some of this katsuobushi then? The thinner, the better.


    Thats easy, kid.


    Oh, do you want me to cook some portions for your family as well, Verse? You still havent had dinner, right?


    Fine. If its tasty, that is. My girls are quite picky about their food after all.


    Great, leave it to me then.


    After seeing this katsuobushi, I decided on tonights menu. It was a recipe from the ce called Japan on Earth.


    I decided to cook thigh meat karaage, fried chicken tenderloin, white liver sashimi, and white rice. If I still have time, Ill also whip up some chicken oyakodonburi as well. Ill feel sorry for Elna if I just cook meat dishes, so Ill make some sd too. And Ill make some bonito-vored soup stock as well.


    Ill prepare the meat for karaage first.


    I sliced the thigh meat into bite-sized pieces and put them inside a bowl. Ill use all of the meat avable! Well just eat some for breakfast if there are any leftoverster. Thats a lot of meat.


    I grated some mock-ginger and ced it on a small bowl. I also did the same for the mock-garlic. I then put the grated ingredients inside the bowl with the chicken meat. Its my personal style to put in lots of garlic.


    I then took out the soy sauce I bought. I didnt manage to find it in this kitchen, so I guess it was lucky that I bought some.


    Whats that?


    Its a seasoning called Soy. Youre familiar with the Tarus General Store, right? I got it from there. Do you want to have a taste?


    I poured some Soy into a small dish and offered it to Verse.


    It has a deep vor to it. Ill buy some as well.


    Its quite expensive by the way. This small cask already costs one gold coin. Oh, that kind of thickness is fine by the way.


    Its really costly huh. Ill think about it first then.


    I mixed the seasonings and the thigh meat well, and let it sit for a bit. I actually wanted to put in some cooking sake as well, but unfortunately, I wasnt able to find any. I pierced the portions with a fork so the vor of the seasonings can permeate the meat better.


    Since the katsuobushi shavings have been prepared, Ill start on making the stock.


    I poured water inside a pot and put it over the fire. While waiting for it to boil, I prepared some bread crumbs. The leftovers yesterday have already hardened nicely so they were ready for use.


    Can you grate this bread and put it on a separate bowl for me?


    Whatre you going to use this stuff for?


    Well, just watch me.


    I got the breast meat and sliced them for making the fried chicken tenders. Theres a lot of breast meat as well. I also put the meat inside a bowl along with some grated garlic and soy sauce marinade. Im going to pair it with tartar sauceter, so I adjusted the vor to be milderpared to the thigh meat.


    The water inside the pot already came to a boil, so I put in the sliced katsuobushi. The point is not to boil the water too much.


    Ill make some mayonnaise next. Oops. Ill have to make sure the eggs are safe to be eaten raw first. I took an egg and cracked it open. The insides looked like the eggs I usually buy in the market back in the Empire. I found an egg beater as well, so I whisked the raw egg for a bit and dipped my fingers into it so I can make Nanom check it out.


    Possible to eat raw.


    Great, no problems there.


    Whoops, it looks like the soup is done. I took out a strainer and poured out the broth inside another pot. I sampled it with a small dish. It turned out into quite a tasty soup.


    I managed to extract the umami. Have a taste.


    I offered a portion to Verse as well.


    This-!? You managed to get this vor just by boiling it in water?


    Ill do some additional voringter as well.


    Ill continue with making the mayonnaise. First Ill get some eggs, sugar, salt, vinegar, and powdered herbs. I put them all inside arge bowl and started mixing them. Ill make a lot since Im also going to need some for making tartar sauce.


    I put in portions of oil little by little and mixed it well. I mixed the stuff up until the arm enhanced by Nanom started to feel numb and finally finished making it.


    I could create it barehanded since its me, but normal people would need a mixer for this, I think. But it looks like there was no magic tool resembling a mixer avable yet. Ill ask about it tomorrow.


    Delicious! Handmade mayonnaise really does taste different.


    I also had Verse taste some.


    This stuffs great! What the heck is this sauce!?


    Right? This is also quite popr back in my home country. Its great paired with both meat and vegetables.


    Oops, Ill need to boil some eggs for use with the tartar sauceter as well.


    Alright, Ill finish preparing the soup then. I found some mushrooms resembling shiitake inside the magic fridge earlier, so Ill make a simple mushroom broth. I want to emphasize the broth itself, and not the ingredients.

 Chapter 29.3 - Magic Guild, Karaage And Mayonnaise (Part 3)

    Trantor: SFBaka


    I cut the mushrooms into thin slices, added a small portion of soy sauce and salt, and heated them up a bit. Thats it for the additional voring. Itll be done once its simmered enough. I gave it a taste test and found that the dashi vored by the katsuobushi and mushrooms really came out well. This is definitely tasty!


    I had Verse taste it as well.


    Great! This stuffs amazin! Its such a simple dish, but it has a really refined vor. No, its because its simple that it works!


    The boiled eggs are done as well, so Ill proceed with making the tartar sauce. I minced the mock-onions I found in the fridge earlier, mashed the boiled eggs, and added mayonnaise, salt and pepper toplete the sauce.


    Please let me try some as well! Ah, this sauce is also quite delicious too.


    It looks like Verse is already captive to the bewitching magic of mayonnaise. Yep. Its tasty alright.


    You served us rice yesterday, right?


    How long will it take you to cook your dishes? Rice is best-served piping hot after all. Ive washed the grains and soaked them in water already.


    You really get it, sir. Lets see. Ill need an hour more I guess.


    Ill cook it with that in mind then.


    Ill make some sd next.


    Im thinking of making some sd. Do you have any vegetables you can rmend?


    Lets see, if its sd, then this, this and this should be good.


    Some greens, mock-onions and something resembling tomatoes huh. To think there were tomatoes avable I missed itpletely.


    I cut the leafy greens and the tomato-look-alikes into small portions along with the mock-onions. I ted the mixture into arge bowl.


    Ill make enough for Verses family as well. Ill let it chill inside the magic fridge for a while.


    Next would be the white liver sashimi.


    I cut the liver into thin slices and ted them on a dish. Ill make portions for Verses family too.


    Oh right. Theres a risk of contracting things like viruses and parasites if one eats raw liver.


    (Are there any viruses or parasites present in this liver?)


    Such elements are not present.


    (I see. Please do a preliminary check every time I make food that needs to be eaten raw.)


    Acknowledged.


    Ill serve the sashimi along with the oil simr to sesame oil I found in Tarus-sans shop paired with some salt and grated garlic.


    Let me try some then. Tasty! I really think liver is best served like this after all.


    Oi, you eating that stuff raw!?


    Its fresh so theres no problem, I think? Well, it certainly cant be eaten by people weak to raw stuff. Have a taste.


    Delish! To think theres this way of preparing a dish as well


    Well, I think its this tasty because we used white liver. Normal liver wont taste as good.


    Ill chill these inside the fridge as well.


    Ill start with the fried food now. Ill make a good amount of eggwash since Ill be using it on the karaage as well. The white flour inside the bowl looked quite dazzling. I mixed in some eggwash and breadcrumbs. I had Verse help out as well.


    I put in the karaage meat with flour and egg mixture and coated them thoroughly. I actually preferred using potato starch, but its not avable, so it cant be helped.


    Are you going to roast these? I just cant imagine how this dish is going to turn out?


    Ill fry them in oil. Are you not familiar with this cooking method?


    Frying? I did hear some countries made use of that kind of cooking method, but we dont really use it in these parts.


    I poured a generous amount of oil inside arge frying pan I purchased at Tarus-sans shop. This small cask of oil already costs one silver.


    Hey, hey. Is that okay? You put in so much oil.


    This cooking method tastes better when using arge amount of oil. It wont do to put in just a little amount.


    The oils already heated up so I put in some meat pieces to test it out.


    I took out the meat pieces once their coating turned a nice shade of golden brown. With this, the karaage isplete. I dipped one piece in tartar sauce and had Verse taste it.


    Fried foods are best eaten right out of the frying pan.


    The karaage pieces were overflowing with meat juices. The garlic vor served as a nice ent.


    I also fried some chicken tenders. The crispy coating was the best. It pairs well with the homemade tartar sauce.


    D-Delicious! Just whats with this cooking method!?


    Isnt it? This is also really popr back home.


    I split the work with Verse and fried the karaage and chicken tenders. Thepleted servings turned out to be quite the amount. It seems I wont be able to make that oyakodonburi. We wont be able to finish it all if I did.


    I reheated the soup as well.


    I found some citrus fruits inside the magic fridge as well, so I sliced some and added them to the fried food as garnishing. With this, were done.


    It looks like Verse is done cooking the rice as well. It took quite a bit of time though. Lets get to eating.


    I and Verse carried the food out to the dining area where Cleria and the others were waiting.


    Sorry for the wait. Weve finished cooking dinner, so please dig in. Thanks for helping out Verse. You saved me a lot of trouble.


    Dont mind it. I have something I want to talk with you about n. Can I get a bit of your time if youre free?


    Okay. You can talk to me whenever.


    Great. These dishes are best eaten hot. Lets eat.


    So these are dishes from ns home country! They all look marvelous.


    I made some dishes that originated from a region called Japan in my home country. I hope theyre all to your liking.


    Lets start with the soup. Un, its tasty. It was a good call to use only mushrooms. After observing me enjoying the soup, Cleria and Elna sipped some as well.


    Delicious! What is this soup!? It has such a refined vor.


    Im d you like it. These fried foods taste better dipped into this sauce. The sd goes with this one.


    I squeezed some citrus fruit juice over the fried food as well. I got some karaage and chicken tenders, put them on my te and gave them a taste.


    They really are tasty. Japanese food does taste great after all. I want to try making sushi as well. I wonder how far out we are from the sea?


    This is also delicious! I find these the most delicious out of all the dishes ns cooked thus far. As expected of n!


    This sd is also quite tasty! This sauce just brings out the best in it!


    It seems like Cleria rather liked the karaage. Elna became another captive of the bewitching deliciousness of mayonnaise.


    Everyone became all quiet as they busied themselves with eating. Oh yeah. I think I want to drink some ale to go along with all these.


    The inn girl was manning the counter, so I raised my hand and called out for her.


    Thank you for cooking a portion for me and mom as well! I ate a bit earlier and it was absolutely delicious!


    It would have been better if you were able to eat it fresh out of the frying pan though. You still have work, so it cant be helped I guess. Ill have one serving of ale, please. Do you want to order some alcohol as well, girls?


    Ill pass, thanks.


    Im also not going to drink.


    Everybody else is dead set on eating huh.


    We wont be having any alcohol besides my ale, so how about you eat up as well? Ill call out to you once a customeres in.


    Understood! Ill bring the ale over right away!


    My tummys already settled down somewhat, so I ate some white liver sashimi while drinking my ale. The way Verse cooked the rice was nothing short of perfect. It would have been nice to have some egg on rice as well. Ill make some next time.


    Surprisingly, Cleria and the others managed to eat all the food up even though there was quite a lot earlier. I also managed to eat quite a bit, but Clerias appetite was truly leagues beyond me inparison.


    It was absolutely delicious! So the food from ns country is actually this tasty. I may have even overeaten.


    It was truly delicious. Its my first time eating such tasty food.


    Im d you liked it. I really feel like cooking the food was worth it now.


    The inn girl finished eating her fill as wellter on and gave glowing reviews. I left the clean-up to her.


    Once we ate our fill, we headed for the baths and slept soundly afterward.

 Chapter 30 - Investigation

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Fifty days earlier.


    It has been three days since the reconstruction of the starship began.


    The ship had already entered a somewhat stable orbit, so there was no longer any danger of crashing onto the below. It would just take some more time to make a few more trajectory adjustments in order to ensure a perfectly stable orbital path for the ship.


    The repairs and maintenance of the ship were being performed by the maintenance bots at a rapid pace. The structural integrity and airtightness of the ship have already been mostly restored. But there were still a lot of ces that needed fixing, and the number of maintenance bots ended up a littlecking. It would take some time to restore the full functionality of each section.


    The basis of priority for repairs are all in ordance with the Captains orders to preserve the Gctic Navys pride by restoring the ships full fighting strength. Since the engine section has already been lost, both the main and secondary batteries can no longer be used.


    But the photon torpedoes can still be fired, and there were still fiftyser turrets active, even if their power output doesnt measure up to the secondary guns. The shield can also be activated, but only for a short period of time. If all sub-thrusters for attitude control can be brought back in operation, it would be possible to engage five Bug BG-1 ss cruisers.


    A n for the restoration of the ships battle capabilities in concert with the overall repairs has already been plotted and put into motion.


    There was still no contact made from the escape pod the Captain escaped with. I only thought it was due to a slight malfunction of the escape pods systems at first, but it was impossible for the Captain not to have repaired it with his Nanoms after three days. Something must surely have happened.


    The escape pod should have been releasing signals that would allow me to pinpoint its location, but I am unable to pick up a signal beacon until now. I managed to confirm it entering the atmosphere and deploying its parachute, but the cloud cover blocked my view afterward and I lost sight of it.


    Just why has the beacon not broadcasted any signal. I checked the specifications of one of the remaining escape pods on the ship and found nothing amiss.


    And then I saw the name of the escape pods manufacturer. Ondo Heavy Industries. It was apany riddled with controversies regarding the various defects of its released products.


    If I, Iris, was a human, I would have described what transpired afterward as an instance of having a bad premonition.


    I tried getting in contact with the AI of the escape pod in question and found its state appalling. It really didnt look like an AI fit for use on military equipment. Just why havent we discovered the existence of such a defective product until now? Its baffling for sure.


    This escape pod still seemed rtively new. Due to the weaponry of Bug ships sporting tremendous firepower, there were rarely any instances of a ship surviving a battle after getting severely damaged. It was either surviving a battle without much damage orpletely getting destroyed. Thats why there werent many opportunities to properly make use of escape pods until now.


    After a thorough investigation, I found that three years prior, Ondo Heavy Industries released a new escape pod model, and a number ended up being installed into the Iris Conrad. Now Im fairly certain why we overlooked such a thing.


    It seems I also need to investigate the models hull integrity apart from its AI.


    I made use of one maintenance bot and disassembled one pod. Every part sported performance and quality considerably different from the ones presented in the official spec sheet. Im surprised this junk even managed to pass quality control. Perhaps they only made the sample model that was inspected by Q.C. ording to specifications and half-assed the rest.


    Or maybe there was collusion that went on with the quality inspector.


    Fortunately, the parachute andnding gear were all made satisfactorily, so there should be no problems with thending itself.


    Since I dont have the exact coordinates of the Captainsnding point, Ill make do by doing a simtion based on the podsst confirmed position. It was unfortunate that I still havent managed to acquire updated weather data.


    A difference in wind speeds would greatly affect the estimatednding point, so the search radius ended up being wider than expected.


    I currently have 90% of the drones actively searching for the Captains whereabouts. There were a total of seventy-three drones invested in the effort.


    Im constantly checking on the drones round the clock, but there was still no result.


    I did manage to gather various other data from the drones, however. Surprisingly, this actually houses a native human civilization. They looked human from their outside appearance at the very least.


    One drone traveled through a sort of highway and managed to find a fresh corpse of the beings resembling humans. Perfect timing. Ill check for the DNA patterns.


    The road wasnt all that spacious, but it was wide enough for the drone tond. I had it scan the surroundings, and didnt detect any other humans of animals in the immediate vicinity.


    The drones were in perpetual stealth mode while exploring the. The stealth modebined electromaic wave absorption and optic camouge to travel invisibly, so it was impossible for the naked eye to spot a drone even if it were already in front of you.


    I had itnd beside the corpse. The engine noise was quite loud though, so there was a chance of it being noticed. I had it keep an eye on the immediate surroundings, but it seems there was no problem.


    The drone deployed its Flexible Arm and prodded the corpse with the high-performance sensor on its tip. The DNA sequence of the corpse definitely matches that of Humans].


    I had the drone investigate the belongings of the corpse as well, but found nothing of note. There were some clothes, food, money, and a sword. He had perhaps been attacked in the middle of traveling.


    I managed to estimate the technological development of this based on the items but havent gleaned anything else worth noting from them.


    I had the drone take off and controlled it personally to continue investigations.


    Thirteen days after repairs on the ship began.


    I still havent managed to find the Captain. Basing on the size of the pod, it wouldnt be strange if I had already managed to spot it by now. But my search still continues.


    I decided to widen my search range once more.


    Surprisingly, I had managed to find other human-shaped forms of intelligent life on this apart from humans. This has never happened in alls discovered by the Empire thus far. Their level of intelligence was evidently lower than humans, but they were definitely a point of great interest. Once I manage to find the Captain, Id like to do some research on them if possible.


    Investigation on the cities the local humans have built on this is progressing at a slow but steady pace. I had the drones gather as much data they can from the air.


    I would like to conduct a more thorough investigation from now on, if possible. I would like to gather data on thenguages used on this, familiarize myself with the cultures, and conduct more detailed information collection activities. These might even lead me to find the Captain.


    After having a drone observe a bustling street from above, I observed a number of people entering one building anding out after a while. The building might serve as a sort of diner or pub.


    When evening came, I continued to monitor the building using the drones night vision sensors and spotted peopleing out of it and walking about while staggering. It should definitely be a pub.


    This is a good ce. A pub would be a nice source of conversation since people will have loosened their lips after having a few drinks and say what they would normally keep to themselves. This is the case on all human-inhabiteds.


    I determined the closing hours and decided to send a remote bit inside.


    Remote bits are ultra-miniature intel-gathering devices measuring five centimeters in length and shaped like a stick. It has a miniature image sensor and mic equipped and can feed information directly to its parent drone.


    Every drone is equipped with these bits, so Ill have oneunch a bit on the target establishment. Each drone is equipped with two hundred bits.


    I will start gathering more detailed information tomorrow evening. Its now nearing closing hours. Illunch one bit before they close for the night. The street still had people walking about, but there was no one currently present in the vicinity of the pub. I started to lower the drones altitude.


    I have to be as swift as possible. I had the drone descend at speeds it didnt normally reach doing these kinds of maneuvers and pointed it towards the street. There was one human present. He detected an abnormality and came out to check, but was frightened by the warmthing from the jet exhaust and hurriedly went back in. The pub didnt have a door installed, and the interior was open to view. I shall nt the remote bit on the support beam up on the ceiling.


    The drone released the bit, and it hadnded on target without any problems. The bit drilled itself inside the wooden beam. The bit hid its whole body inside the beam apart from the image sensor. This way, Ive ensured that no one will be able to notice the bit.


    After aplishing the objective, I made the drone retreat. A live recording of the pubs interior was immediately sent to the drone. Due to it being near closing time, the drone managed not to cause any noticeablemotion. Missionplete.


    Suddenly, a whizzing noise resounded from the street apanied by a gust of wind. The hot gust managed to enter the pubs interior as well. The owner of the pub was startled and went out to the street, but due to the hot wind he encountered outside, he hurriedly went back inside the pub in a panic. Afterward, the sound went further and further away. The heat also subsided. Soon, it was as if nothing had happened. The earliermotion was like a lie.


    Just what was that? the pub owner inwardly asked in puzzlement.


    Simr urrences also happened in other cities on the continent.


    There was a lot of new dataing in day by day. Since there were a lot of samples recorded, decrypting and tranting the localnguage was finished right away. Fortunately, they seem to be using one single standardizednguage on this continent.


    A variety of info like the locals way of life, the names of countries and cities, and political institutions were gathered. A great amount of data was steadily being umted.


    Twenty-three days after repairs on the ship have begun.


    If the Captain has managed to procure a horse or carriage along the way, he might have already covered a lot of ground. I shall expand the search range once more.


    It might be that the Captain came to the conclusion that the ship has failed to make it out safely after his escape.


    There was arge amount of debrisunched towards the surface during the reconstruction process, so he might have thought it was the ships wreckage. Launching debris on the surface of a housing intelligent life was a capital military offense after all. It wouldnt be strange if the Captain thought I wouldnt do such a thing and misunderstood that the entire ship was already lost.


    This hypothesis is based on the premise of the Captain forgetting the particrs of a first-ss emergency situation.


    The military emphasizes the discarding of any useless interface in the interest of preserving information security.


    Of course, this is only applicable to situations where one needed to prevent an outflow of sensitive information.


    The Captain is especially particr about this point since he was formerly an information officer, which was a job that emphasizes a tight leash on information control within the ranks. If he concluded that the ship has been destroyed, him deactivating his remote ship interface would be the most logical course of action.


    If this is the case, even if a drone were toe close to his location and release a signal, the Captain wont be able to pick it up at all unless he manages to see the drone personally, and it was possible for him to relocate to an area outside of the drones search range afterward.


    It seems there is a need for a revision in the search method.


    The drones have been constantly operating in stealth mode up until now, but since it was necessary for the Captain to witness the drones presence personally, I shall have them deactivate stealth mode and show themselves openly.


    However, this action may lead to some form of unnecessary influence in the development of this world. The Captain would sure want to avoid such a thing from happening. I should limit activities to the bare minimum allowable.


    I have again managed to pick up humans being assaulted by animals during a routine patrol of the roads. I have always observed a noninterference policy, but today I shall lend them my aid.


    I shall get their attention with the drones with the goal of having the Captain be aware of their existence once rumors about them reach him through word of mouth.


    It would be best if those rumors reach the Captains ears as soon as possible. The Captain would surely reach the conclusion that the ones that are appearing were drones and would reactivate his remote interface to reach out.


    I shall have the drones appear in each major city I encounter. If the drones appear, argemotion would surely begin, and if the Captain were present in the area, he would surely check it out.


    The ship repairs are proceeding smoothly. The attitude control sub-thrusters have all been fixed, and all the important functions have been reactivated.


    The battle capabilities of the ship have also been restored to an eptable level. Since we are currently under a first-ss state of emergency, it wouldnt pose a problem for me to implement somewhat rash courses of action in moderation.

 Chapter 31.1 - Joining The Magic Guild (Part 1)

    After taking my usual morning bath and lounging around for a bit, I suddenly remembered Verse mentioning he wanted to talk about somethingst night.


    I went down to the first floor and found Verse wiping the dining tables.


    Morning, Verse. You mentioned you want to talk about somethingst night? What is it?


    Ou! Well, take a seat first. I wanna talk to you about cooking. n said you were a decent cook yesterday, so I take it that youre a qualified chef right?


    Well, no, not really. Im only cooking because its my hobby.


    Even so, youve got some real skills. Its impressive for someone so young.


    Its my sole hobby after all. Im always practicing.


    Lets talk about cooking then. I was really surprised when I tasted your cooking yesterday, n. I couldnt believe there were such tasty ways to cook food.


    Really? I think the dishes you cooked for us were also quite delicious though.


    Nah, any chef from a high-ss inn worth his or her salt can cook up something simr. ns cooking was different though. Yours was truly delicious.


    I think youre just feeling that mainly because you ate something new to your pte.


    Oi, I still consider myself a full-fledged chef. Im quite confident in my pte, Ill have you know.


    I see. Well, thats true huh. Sorry. That was rude of me.


    Objectively speaking, between the dishes Verse served us before and my cooking yesterday, its true that mine had a bit of an edge.


    Well, lets leave that aside for now. I want to make that sort of cooking my own. Please, do teach me your cooking skills.


    But didnt you get to observe from close up yesterday?


    Nah, I didnt manage to catch the finer details.


    I can certainly whip up something simr now, but I still dont have enough of a grasp to make something truly tasty.


    ns also a cook so I think you get what Im saying. Oftentimes, its the little details done by a chef that makes all the difference in cooking tasty food.


    I want to fully master the cooking techniques I witnessed yesterday.


    I see. I do get what hes after. Judging from the way his kitchen space is arranged, Im sure Verse is the type of chef whos meticulous and aims for perfection.


    Im not saying youre gonna have to teach me for free. Im gonna ask my wife to exempt you guys from paying the rental fee from now on. Im thinking of refunding the initial deposit as well. Please stay for one or even two months with us.


    Hey, hey, isnt that kinda bad!? Wont your wife scold you for it?


    If we stay for two months, the total rental fees would amount to 26,250 Guineas.


    Cooking recipes are a chefs lifeline. ns recipes are worth that much, I think.


    Come to think of it, even Tarus-san paid five thousand Guineas just for the recipe for pudding.


    And I also want to learn other recipes from you as well. You still have a lot, right?


    Well, I do have theEarth Cuisine Compendiumplus other major recipes popr in the Empire in my database. Ive saved about more than ten thousand different recipes in Nanoms memory banks.


    Yeah, I do. I certainly have a lot of recipes, but a number of seasonings and ingredients from my country arent avable in this one. So what I can whip up is actually limited.


    I see. Just like that Soy thing you showed me yesterday, right? But you can still make some, correct? Please teach me those then.


    Would it be fine for me to ept this request? Our rental fees being waived is honestly a great deal.


    Alright, I understand. I dont mind teaching you. But Ill only be teaching you when Im free. Itll end up mostly in the evening or at night, I think.


    No problem. I couldnt ask for anything more.


    And you dont have to return the deposit we paid in advance. Ive taken quite a liking to this inn. Ill feel bad if everything ended up being for free.


    Okay. Im d youve taken a liking to us. What do you guys do for a living any way?


    Um, were adventurers.


    Hou. And whats your rank?


    Im C rank.


    Ooh! Thats amazing. Youre already C rank at that young an age! I also did a bit of adventuring when I was younger, ysee. I saved up money from my adventurer work and opened up this inn.


    Is that so? What rank were you back then?


    I was A rank. Amazing, right? I was quite popr back in the day, yknow.


    Amazing! Ive just be an adventurer so Im unfamiliar with a lot of things. Please give me some pointers sometime.


    Sure. Just ask me anything. How long have you been an adventurer?


    Uh, three days ago.


    Three days ago!? Youre an honest-to-goodness rookie! Its my first time meeting someone who qualified for C rank right after the qualification exams. I take it youre quite skilled.


    Well, I guess. Alright then. Lets begin the cooking lessons this evening. Ill write the ingredients and the knacks for each recipe on paper for you.


    Ill feel bad if I dont at least put in that much effort.


    Oh, really!? Im truly grateful for this. Ill be in your care. But were probably not going to find any ck Bird in the market for now.


    Well, the ck Bird is quite rare after all. And its difficult to hunt as well. We can just use other types of meat as long as it resembles chicken meat, but are we gonna have karaage and fried food again tonight?


    What time are you going to the market?


    Two in the afternoon, I guess. Its not like Ill find fresh ingredients if I go any earlier.


    A market huh. Im quite interested. Im used to the image of going to market early to procure fresh ingredients, but judging from the development of thiss logistics system, I guess theres no point in that yet huh.


    I think I can make it if its two in the afternoon. I should be able to finish with my business at the Magic Guild in the morning.


    Hey, can I tag along when you go to the market to buy supplies?


    Yeah, thats fine. Oh yeah! You can decide tonights menu again, n. Youre still our only customers after all.


    Well, itll depend on the ingredients we can get. Is the marketce far from here?


    No, its just a twenty-minute walk away.


    Cleria and Elna came down from the second floor at this time.


    Okay, n. See you at two in the afternoon.


    Verse went toward the kitchen in order to prepare our breakfast.


    What are you going to do at two in the afternoon, n?


    I told Cleria and Elna about the things Verse and I talked about earlier.


    Amazing! Ill get to taste ns cooking every day again!


    I dont think itll be every day actually. And Im not the one whos going to cook. Im just gonna teach Verse some cooking methods and recipes.


    But it should be mostly the same as when n cooks the dishes, right?


    Uh, well, Ill try my best so itll turn out that way, I guess.


    After eating breakfast, we took a small breather and headed back to the Magic Guild afterward. We reached the Guild right before nine in the morning.


    The only soul present inside the Guild building apart from us was the female receptionist we met yesterday.


    We have been waiting for you all. Chief! The folks I told you about yesterday have arrived!


    The female staff suddenly called out for the branch chief in a loud voice. I think the regr staff would normally get their superior personally though.


    A door opened from within the building and a person who should be the branch chief went out. It seems she was just in the other room.


    It was a beautiful woman who looked to be in the first half of her thirties. She was quite tall for a woman. She might be as tall as Elna. She had lustrous blonde hair.


    Lily! You should get me personally at times like this! Honestly Ah, Im sorry about this. You are this times clients, correct? I have heard about your request details.


    We havent decided if we want to go through with the request though.


    Of course, I understand. My name is Cara, the person in charge of the Magic Guilds Gotania Sub-Branch.


    Im n.


    My name is Ria.


    Please call me Elna.


    And Im Lily!


    Lily quipped excitedly from the reception desk.


    It seems itll be quite a long talk, so please take a seat first.


    We sat around the only table and chairs set avable inside the Guild office. For some odd reason, Lily got up from the reception counter and sat with us.


    To begin with, this is the estimated price for this times request. Please have a look.


    Cara handed me a sheet of paper.


    The magic spells I specified were listed out along with the corresponding prices for each of them. The cheapest was 500 Guineas and the most expensive was 2000 Guineas.


    Its not something I wont be able to pay, but 2000 Guineas just for a live magic demonstration did seem a bit steep.

 Chapter 31.2 - Joining The Magic Guild (Part 2)

    Can I ask how you came up with these prices?


    The spells which a greater number of people can cast costs cheaper, while the ones with a small number of userse at a higher price.


    Basically, its based on the number of people who can use said spells. The ratio is more or less proportionate to the price of the corresponding magic tome. In other words, spells from cheaper magic tomes have a greater number of users, while spells from the more expensive ones have lesser.


    But we can also factor in a particr preference regarding a certain spell regardless of the cost, so the trend isnt absolute.


    And people who can afford the more expensive spells are generally those with lots of money to spare. They wont trouble themselves with fulfilling your request if there isnt an appropriatepensation.


    I see. So thats the case. Which of the spells in this list can you show me immediately? Oh, and when I say immediately, I dont really mean youll have to show me the spells right now. Its fine if its within these next few days.


    Lets see This one, this one, this one, this one, this one, and this one.


    Cara-san took the list from me and circled some spell names on the list with her pen.


    -Water Magic


    Water Ball: 500 Guineas


    -Light Magic


    Light: 500 Guineas


    Light Ball: 500 Guineas


    Light Arrow: 950 Guineas


    Light Wall: 950 Guineas


    Heal: 1000 Guineas


    Thats unexpectedly few.


    Yes, unfortunately.


    n-san can already cast Fire Ball, me Arrow, and Wind Cutter, Ive been told. These spells are some of the most popr.


    They areparatively easier to learn as well.


    About half of our Guild members have learned these spells as well. So, in a branch with a limited number of members registered, these are all we can offer at the moment.


    I see. I understand.


    Come to think of it, the spell Water Ball is like the water-based version of the Fire Ball spell. I think Ill be able to cast it even without the help of anyone else after a bit of practice.


    So, within the spells indicated, the only thing I dont think Ill be able to handle is the Heal spell.


    It seems pointless to pay 500 Guineas to see spells I would be able to work out on my own after all.


    Ill be canceling the request for these particr spells then.


    I borrowed her pen from Cara-san and crossed out a number of spells on the list


    Tch.


    Eh!? Did this person just click her tongue? I raised my face and locked eyes with Cara-san.


    What is it, sir?


    No, nothing.


    What I saw was aposed expression that didnt have a trace of someone who clicked her tongue in annoyance.


    (She did click her tongue earlier, right?)


    Affirmative.


    Oh boy. It looks like I really cant judge a book by its cover.


    I also crossed out the spells on the list I felt I could puzzle out on my own apart from the ones marked with a circle. I ended up crossing out about two-thirds of all the spells on the list.


    Im sorry about canceling for some of them, but the price is a bit steep, so Ill have to consider my budget, you see. I hope you dont mind.


    No, please dont mind, sir. I can demonstrate Heal for you in a few days, but as for the other spells, well work on them once a Guild member who can cast them bes avable. Would that be fine, sir?


    About that, were actually not permanent residents of this city but are in the middle of our travels. I think well be able to stay in this city for a month more, but that would depend on the situation. Please consider this point.


    Most likely, well get some sort of reply from the request we ced at the Adventurers Guild within a month at most.


    If thats the case, well contact you immediately once a Guild member bes avable so we can work on your request on the spot. Well, Ill be handling ten percent of the listed spells though.


    Yeah, that arrangements good.


    What about the matter of registering as Guild members? Lily did mention youll be getting a twenty percent discount, correct? Are you going through with it?


    Ive thought about it, but I guess well hold off on bing members first.


    Since well only get to see Heal this time, we wouldnt be able to make up for the cost of the sign-up fees for all three of us.


    I see. How unfortunate.


    She wasnt putting on a polite disy. It seems Cara-san really thought it was a pity.


    I also want to ask about magic tools. Would that be okay?


    Of course. What do you want to know, specifically?


    Im interested in getting to know the types of magic tools currently avable. Do you have some relevant documents regarding this avable?


    We do. Lily-!


    Lily walked back to the reception counter and took out a piece of paper.


    She then went back to the table and handed it to me. The contents were a list of magic tools along with simple descriptions about their functions. It was sort of like a catalog.


    me producing magic tool, refrigerating magic tool, light-emitting magic tool There were several kinds of magic tools listed out. It looks like there wasnt a magic tool akin to a mixer yet.


    By the way, how much would it cost if I were to ce an order for the manufacture of a certain magic tool?


    It would depend greatly on the specific function of the tool in question. What kind of magic tool are you thinking of requesting?


    Um, Im a cook and find it hard to mix stuff by hand, so I was wondering its possible to use a magic tool to make mixing ingredients easier. It would greatly ease the burden if a magic tool was used, I think.


    Cooking, is it? This is the first time Ive encountered such a proposition. So it would mainly be a tool for mixing fluid substances, correct?


    Yes, thats right. Like eggs, oil, and stuff for example.


    The development costs along with the manufacturing fee would amount to about 60,000 Guineas by my estimate.


    Itll cost that much!?


    Yes. In the case of an entirely new concept of magic tool, well have to create several prototypes and test them out before we can produce apleted product after all. This is a necessary step in the process.


    I see. Thats unfortunate then.


    If developing a mixer would cost me 60,000 Guineas, I think it would be better if I continued doing it by hand.


    The costs would be cheaper if you make them yourself, of course.


    Eh!? You can develop magic tools privately?


    Well, I meant it as a joke, but its technically possible to personally develop a magic tool.


    You mean you can teach me how to make magic tools here?


    We can; if you be a Guild member that is. Well still be charging a fee of course.


    And how much would that be?


    A basic magic tool manufacturing short course would be 50,000 Guineas. This goes without mentioning, but its not like youll be able to sessfully develop the magic tool you want once you undergo the course. But its theoretically possible.


    Im not particrly fixed on getting a mixer anyway. But Im interested in the basic workings of a magic tool though. 50,000 Guineas is expensive, but I guess Ill take the plunge!


    Ria, Im


    You dont have to worry about the money, n. You want to do it, right? Theres no problem since were going to stay at the inn for free from now on. Do as you please n.


    I see. Thank you, Ria.


    Okay then. Ill avail the short course please.


    n-san will be the only one taking part, correct? Well then, please pay the 500 Guinea registration fee at the counter and take the qualification exam, please. Would this be fine?


    Alright.


    I paid five silvers and received a copy of the Guild rules from Lily. It looks like they wont exin it in detail personally, unlike the Adventurers Guild.


    Well then, please follow us to the exam hall.


    Once I agreed to take the Guild member qualification exam, Cara-san remained all smiles.


    Cara-san guided the three of us to the exam venue. The exam hall was the same one used by the Adventurers Guild. It looks like the two Guilds were sharing the use of the building.


    We went inside the Adventurers Guild building first, and Cara-san talked about something with the staff. She then led us back to the exam hall.


    Alright then, please demonstrate every spell you can cast to me, n-san.


    It looks like this times exam is simr to the magic portion of the adventurer qualification exam we took a few days back.

 Chapter 31.3 - Joining The Magic Guild (Part 3)

    I stood behind a line facing several targets in the distance. I guess Ill have to hold back a bit to avoid trouble.


    Ill go with Fire Ball first. Um, I need to close my eyes huh. Ill wait for ten seconds before casting. Oops! I need to hold out my hand, right?


    Fire Ball, fire!


    The ball of mes hit the target right in the center.


    Eh!?


    Cara-san looked surprised. Did I miss something? Oh crap! I forgot to chant the spell name. I havent used it even once till now, so Ipletely forgot.


    Well, whats done is done. Lets continue.


    I cast me Arrow, Air Bullet, and Water sessively. I properly made sure I took some time before casting the spells.


    I refrained from chanting the spell names since it would be kind of pointless. It doesnt look like itll be much of a deal, and chanting names like that is honestly a bit embarrassing yknow.


    Cara-san was again surprised when I hit the target with the Water spell. Come to think of it, the water just spouted out limply from Clerias hand when she used it back then.


    That should be the correct usage of the spell.


    I also refrained from casting my version of the Wind Cutter spell. It didnt look like Elnas version at all ysee. Ill have to hide some things to avoid trouble after all.


    Im finished.


    Ive heard from Lily that you could also cast the Wind Cutter spell though.


    Im still in the middle of learning it, actually. Im not able to cast it sessfully right now. Im sorry.


    I see. I can also use the spell. Do you want me to show you?


    No thank you. I do appreciate the sentiment, but Id like to do it on my own for now.


    I see.


    With that, the qualification exam is finished. To tell you the truth, you really surprised me with your performance. I didnt think you were this skilled. You exercise an astonishing degree of control with your spells.


    Its very impressive, considering your age. Youve already attained the qualifications for B rank, actually.


    Eh!? Im all the way up to B rank?


    The Magic Guild does not limit the maximum attainable rank during an exam to C, unlike the Adventurers Guild.


    Is that so. Thank you very much.


    No, Im very d to wee such an outstanding talent like you to our Magic Guild. n-san, wee to the Magic Guild.


    Ill be in your care.


    We went back to the Magic Guild office afterward to resume talks.


    Well then, lets talk about your requests first. About the matter regarding the Heal spell; well have to wait for an appropriate opportunity first. Its not that simple to get ahold of an injured patient after all.


    Well, how about I cut my arm with my knife so you can heal it for me?


    n-san, the Heal spell is certainly a spell used to treat injuries, but its not like it canpletely cure wounds.


    It can certainly heal up minor injuries like cuts and scratches.


    However, since youll be paying money for the demonstration, Id like to properly show you which injuries can bepletely fixed up and which cant, as well as to what extent Heal can fix the wounds.


    I see. That sounds better, I suppose. But youre working part-time at a clinic, right?


    H-How did you know something like that!?


    Lily quietly stood up and headed for the back room.


    Lily! Hold it right there! You just blurted out one of this branchs most guarded secrets to a client!


    You say its a secret chief, but everyone in town knows of it! Im not at fault here!


    I made it so they thought I was doing it as a volunteer, idiot!


    The chief held Lilys head with both hands in an iron grip and kneaded it roughly.


    Gyaaa-! It huurts desu! Im sooorry! I wont say it anymore, I wont dare say it chief!


    You wont end up lightly next time, yhear.


    Understood!


    Both of them sat back down like nothing happened and resumed the talks.


    I cant help it if you already know that much. By the way, the short course schedule would be four hours per day for twenty days. Are you alright with this, n-san?


    Id like it if the sses are done in the morning, if possible.


    It would be convenient for me as well if you want it scheduled in the morning.


    Eh? Youre going to be the one to teach me during the short course, chief?


    Yes, thats right. I was promoted to branch chief not just due to my magic skills, but my magic tool manufacturing skills as well.


    Anyway, well get in touch with you once a suitable patientes to the clinic for treatment and show you the effects of the Heal spell then.


    We have a frequent number of patientsing in, so I think you dont have to wait long.


    That sounds great. Ah, can Ria and Elna watch as well?


    We both have already witnessed the Heal spell before n, so its alright if we dont join this time.


    I see. Alright then. Well go with this arrangement. When will the short course start?


    We can start tomorrow if you wish.


    Tomorrow then. What time will it be?


    Lets start at eight in the morning.


    Got it. Oh yeah, I havent paid the fees yet, right? Sorry.


    I handed five gold coins for the short course fee and onerge silver for the request fee.


    Thank you for your patronage. Ive also yet to give you our Guild proof. n-san is a registered adventurer, right? Can you lend me your Guild identification for a bit?


    I took out my Guild identification from my pocket and handed it over. The branch chief took it to the back room.


    We waited for about three minutes. The chief came out afterward and handed my identification back. It seems she ced the mark and seal of the Magic Guild at the back of my Adventurers Guild identification.


    The details listed were like the ones from the Adventurers Guild. It had my registration number, date registered, and my rank indicated as B.


    This is quite nice. It saves me the hassle of walking around with two identity proofs. But howd you finish it in just a few minutes?


    I used a magic tool.


    But how about if my rank changed?


    We can just erase your previous rank and ce another. Its quite an excellent magic tool. It fully takes advantage of the Magic Guilds technical know-how.


    That sounds amazing! Id like to see it too, if possible.


    Unfortunately, I cant show it to you in order to prevent the spread of forgeries. Its forbidden under the rules.


    I see. How unfortunate.


    I shall be waiting for you tomorrow then.


    Once again, Ill be in your care.


    We went out of the Magic Guild office and headed back to the inn.


    You scared me when you hit the target with the Water spell earlier, n.


    So the Water spell really isnt used like that, huh.


    Absolutely not! It just simply produces water. Elna eximed.


    I see. But she told me to hit the targets though. Oh well.


    I need to write down the recipes for Verse, so Id like paper and a writing implement. Ill get to use them for taking notes during the short course too.


    Can we stop by Tarus-sans store for a bit?


    Of course, I dont mind.


    We went to Tarus General Store and found Tarus-san himself there.


    Oh, if it isnt n-san. Wee. Is there something you want?


    I want to get some paper and a writing tool. Do you have them here?


    Of course. Theyre right over here.


    Tarus-san showed me lots of kinds of quill pens and paper in a variety of sizes.


    Can you rmend an item for me?


    Of course. This one should be good.


    The ink is ced inside the pen itself.


    Its thicker than most quill pens, so it takes a little getting used to. But it would save you the trouble of continuously dipping it in an ink bottle, so its very convenient.


    Its a new product, and Ive been using it as well. Youll have to refill it with ink once its used up, however.


    This is great! A normal quill pen was too thin for me. And I didnt like the fact that I had to continuously dip it in an ink bottle to write.


    Ill buy this. Please give me spare ink and a hundred sheets of paper of this size.


    The pen and ink cost 500 Guineas. The paper costs the same as well. So the paper is five Guineas per sheet huh. I was expecting it, but it really was expensive.


    We thanked Tarus-san and left the store. Its already noon, so we decided to have our lunch atTallys Restaurant.


    It looks like the menu changes per day, so the dishes we had were different from what we ate here before. They were all delicious as well. The amount of servings is a lot as usual, and Cleria seemed quite satisfied.


    I went with Verse to the market in the afternoon. Im really looking forward to seeing it.


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    9 Comments


    Aliosius


    April 26, 2020 at 9:28 am


    Thanks for the new chapter


    Reply


    Kuzo


    April 26, 2020 at 2:42 pm


    Thanks for the chappu~


    Reply


    Zest


    April 27, 2020 at 12:39 am


    Thanks for the chap and stay safe


    Reply


    Spoonikle


    April 27, 2020 at 2:06 am


    Thanks for the chapter.


    Author-san teased us with such a nice sci-fi world. Now its only because nano machines, son. I have hope for the future thou, as long as the ship finds MC


    Reply


    SFBaka


    April 27, 2020 at 11:04 am


    Haha. I dont really read ahead as I trante so imagine my chagrin whenever I trante yet another chapter dedicated to food porn lol. But were nearing the turning point of the arc and itll finally nudge back toward the more sci-fi/adventuring elements once we slog through just a few more food chapters.


    There are actually just two more chapters wholly dedicated to cooking. Once we get past those, the plot will finally turn to more readable endeavors lol.

 Chapter 32.1 - Tempura And Tonkatsu (Part 1)

    We returned to the inn. I called out to Verse at two in the afternoon, and he immediately came out from the kitchen.


    Hey there. Shall we go then? Are those two young misses alsoing with us?


    Cleria and Elna insisted oning as well.


    Huh? Are you two reallying with us?


    We didnt have anything else to do in particr, so we decided toe along, but


    I see. But were just gonna shop around in the local market. I dont think itll be that interesting.


    I would like to experienceing to the market at least once in my life. Elna also hasnt experienced it, right?


    No, I havent. I would like to partake as well.


    Is it okay, Verse?


    I dont really mind, but it might not be that interesting as n said.


    In the end, all four of us headed for the market. It was a twenty-minute walk from the inn, I think.


    Do you have any particr cuisine in mind, Verse? I know a lot of different recipes, but Id like to prioritize teaching you dishes youre interested in. But well have to see if we can make them properly first. Thatll depend on the avability of ingredients and seasonings.


    Oh! Hearing that sure makes me happy. Lets see. Id like to learn how to cook deep-fried food first, I think? You know; the cooking method which uses plenty of oil. I want to know all the tricks to it. Next would be how to make that egg and vinegar sauce. That was amazing.


    I see. Yeah, deep-fried food is pretty tasty. But, well, I think people would quickly get tired of them if you just serve fried food every day, so Ill teach you some other recipes as well while were at it. And as for that sauce; I think only I would be able to pull off the method I used yesterday to make it, so Ill teach you a different method instead.


    Only you can pull it off? What do you mean by that, n?


    You need to stir the mixture at really fast speeds for a long period of time.


    Oh yeah. That mixing speed sure wasnt ordinary. Ill leave it to you then, n.


    I dont really mind eating deep-fried food every day, n.


    No. I did end up eating nothing but fried food when I was in the middle of food research. But Im sure youll get tired of it eventually if you copied me.


    Really? But I think the dishes I had yesterday were the most delicious dishes Ive ever had in my life.


    Well, there are a lot more tasty dishes aside from those you know. You can look forward to them.


    Really? Alright, I understand!


    We continued talking along the way and arrived at the market before we knew it. It was located near the citys gates. Lots of stalls were ced inside arge open space akin to a public square. It really did look like an authentic town market.


    Lots of different kinds of vegetables and meat were lined up on the various stalls run by different individuals. This rustic feeling isnt bad at all.


    Well then, n, whatll we get first?


    Lets go around the ce first. I want to check up on all the avable goods.


    Of course. Over here then.


    We went around the market with Verse in the lead. The hawkers manning the various stalls called out to potential buyers in a loud voice. It was an atmosphere unique to public town markets.


    Whoah! Those are cabbages! And are those daikons I see over there? Theres also some sweet potatoes. A lot of familiar vegetables entered my sight.


    If you think about it, this is also inhabited by folksconnected to humanity]. It was kind of expected that the local produce was somewhat simr to the ones Im used to. All I saw were unfamiliar nts and vegetables when I firstnded here and started exploring. But most of them were wild vegetables. Other human-inhabiteds might also have variations of them, I think.


    Maybe they just werent being sold in the markets back home, so I was unfamiliar with them.


    There were also fish resembling trout, freshwater prawns, and crabs being sold. I also saw some unfamiliar creatures in the mix.


    After going around for a while, we stopped over on a spot a bit removed from the markets hustle and bustle.


    How about it, n?


    Because of the talk we had about fried food earlier, my thinking haspletely switched to fried food mode already, and two dishes came to mind. These were tonkatsu and tempura.


    Ive managed to find cabbage after all. When I thought about having stir-fried cabbage, tonkatsu inevitably came to mind as well. When I saw the freshwater prawns, I immediately thought about tempura.


    Two dishes popped up in my head just now, but Im not sure which to choose from the two of them. What should I do?


    How about cooking both dishes, n? Cleria suggested.


    You sure made a good suggestion, missy! Lets make both, n!


    The dishes are a bit different in cooking style though. Let me think about it first.


    The dipping sauce for tempura requires mirin. But can I even find mirin here? Even if I manage to find something simr, we still dont have Japanese sake avable. Are there rice wines being sold on the market here? In the case theres really none avable, should I just go with dashi vored with soy sauce and salt instead?


    Tonkatsu sauce is impossible to reproduce at present. But using a basic soy sauce and grated daikon dip can be quite tasty as well. Ill go with that then.


    Well, both dips use grated daikon and soy sauce as a base anyway, so Ill just make something thatll suit the two dishes using them.


    Fine, lets make the two of them.


    Thats the way to go! So, what do we need?


    Are you familiar with rice wine, Verse?


    I havent heard of such a thing. Well, if youre lookin for alcohol though, theyre over there.


    Verse led us to a shop that exclusively sold different types of alcohol.


    Hey there, kid. Whatre you gettin today?


    So its Verse. You buying the usual grape wine?


    No, I still have some grape wine in stock. Anyway, do you have a wine thats made of rice here?


    We do. As expected of you, Verse. You managed to sniff out how delicious this type of alcohol is. One bottles a hundred Guineas.


    Thats expensive. How about selling it to me for eighty?


    Youre incorrigible. Buy some grape wine the next time youe here, alright.


    Gotcha. Later then.


    Verse managed to buy some rice wine in the end. I tried some. The vor was a bit different from Japanese sake, but it still resembled it a great deal more. I can definitely use this for todays dishes.


    Next would be vegetables, right? Come with me.


    Verse bought the required vegetables one after the other.


    The vegetables we got were cabbage, daikon, sweet potatoes, something simr to eggnts, something resembling pumpkins, lotus root, mushrooms which looked like shiitakes, and peri leaves.


    Everything else was ingredients for making tempura apart from the daikon and cabbage. I wanted to try a different dish variation at first but didnt go through with it in the end. It would be better for Verse to get familiar with the basic recipe first after all.


    The size of the freshwater prawns was a bitrger than the ones Im familiar with and are definitely suited for making tempura. I wonder what they taste like?


    As for tonkatsu, we bought sirloin and tenderloin slices of Big Boar meat. I want Verse to learn about the difference between using sirloin and tenderloin for tonkatsu as well.


    These are enough, I think?


    That so? I cant imagine what kind of dishes they would turn out just by looking at these ingredients. Im really looking forward to it.


    I asked Cleria and Elna about their impressions on going to the market and was told everything was a fresh experience for them, so they really enjoyed it. Im just d they didnt find it boring.


    Verse and I immediately started preparations for cooking the moment we got back to the inn. It was a bit early to be cooking dinner, but it was the perfect timing since Ill be teaching Verse the recipes as we go along.


    The dishes were going to make today are called tempura and tonkatsu. Both are fried dishes.


    Oo! Fried food huh! Its great that Ill be able to learn two recipes.


    Fried food tastes the best fresh out of the frying pan. Well just prepare them for frying since its still a bit early and fry them all at once when eveninges. Ill be making some samples though, so you can give them a taste. If we have the time, youll get some practice in as well, Verse. How about I let you do the cooking for todays dinner while I supervise from the side?


    That sounds great. It feels like I can learn them even faster.


    Lets go with tempura first. This dish emphasizes bringing out the natural vor of the ingredients as well as adding a nice crispy texture to them. Its quite a simple dish.


    First, well set aside some flour and water in the refrigerating magic tool. Well use them bothter.


    Lets do the preliminary prep-work now. Were going to use prawns for this dish. You bend the prawns like this, pull on it like so, and there we go. See, weve separated the innards from the prawns flesh. Make sure to do this thoroughly.


    Hm. That didnt seem too difficult.


    It does look simple, but itll leave a slightly different aftertaste if you mess up. Be sure to remove the unneeded parts as cleanly as possible. Next, you can peel off the shell from the prawns body by rolling it like so. Be sure to leave this tail part here.


    Whys that?


    Im not too sure about the exact reason, but this tail part would turn a nice shade of red once the prawns are fried. It contributes to the overall presentation of the dish. This dish also ces importance on appearance after all.


    I see, presentation huh?


    I had Verse try preparing the prawns with me. The shell of these freshwater prawns was quite soft, so Ill refrain from frying the head portions I took off earlier.


    Next, you need to ce cuts on the prawns flesh like so. This is done so the flesh would unroll itself and straighten out once you start frying it.


    I then processed the vegetables into cuts suitable to go with tempura. I didnt forget to prepare grated daikon as well.


    Next is the tempura sauce or tentsuyu. You should dip this dish in the sauce first before eating it. Youll get it better once weve made it.


    Well mix the rice wine we bought earlier with some sugar. We also need some katsuobushi for this. This much should be fine. You mix soy, this wine, water, and the katsuobushi kes inside a pot and let it simmer for a while. Right, that should do it. With this, the tentsuyu is done. Go ahead and try some.


    I tried some of the sauce with Verse.


    This is tasty. So you dip the fried prawns in this and then eat them?


    Yep. Well also put in the stuff I grated earlier, as well as the vegetables I cut.


    Next, well prepare the coating. Well use it to cover the flesh of the prawns and then fry them in oil. First, take some eggs and mix them in with the water we chilled earlier.


    You would be able to get a nice and crispy coating if you use cold water. Next, put in the chilled flour as well and mix them all up.


    You need to pay attention to how much you mix them though. This much should be just right.


    The next thing you need to pay attention to is the temperature of the oil youre gonna use for frying. The required temperature changes depending on the ingredients. Pay attention to what happens to the coating once you drop the tempura into the oil.


    I taught Verse about how to correctly estimate the oil temperature, and the basic temperature needed for each ingredient.

 Chapter 32.2 - Tempura And Tonkatsu (Part 2)

    Lets fry some for real now. Sprinkle some flour on the prawns like so.


    Next, cover it in the coating we prepared and then fry them in oil. The oil might ssh out a bit, so be careful.


    This happens when the moisture inside the ingredients is evaporated due to the high heat. Once the moisture content gets gradually depleted, the ingredients would begin to float up like so.


    See. Just like this. We cant have all the moisture gone, so be sure not to fry them too much.


    We fried enough portions for each of us. After frying them, we ted the prawns in a simple arrangement.


    Yosh, with this, the dish isplete.


    I see, now I understand what you meant by the presentation being important. This dish certainly looks quite pretty.


    The red color of the prawn tails and the sweet potatoes, the eggnts purple, the brown of the shiitakes and the pumpkins, the white of the lotus roots, and the green of the peri leaves made for a great aesthetic bnce.


    Now do you understand the beauty of this dish? Come on. Lets try some. The tentsuyu is great both warm and chilled. It depends on a persons personal preference. I prefer it warm by the way. Go ahead and dip one portion.


    I was curious about the actual taste of thiss prawns, so I gave it a taste right away.


    Thats good! Its wonderfully crispy, and the prawns taste fresh as well. I havent tried frying freshwater prawns until today, but its delicious and tastes as good as saltwater shrimp, if not better.


    Delicious! This texture is the best! The taste is amazing too. So prawns can actually taste this good.


    Verse also tasted the vegetable sides. Un, great. I like lotus root the best among the veggies. Its texture is to die for.


    I see. It really is a dish that allows one to enjoy the natural vor of the ingredients as well as give them a nice, crispy texture. I like this dish, n! Its a great recipe.


    Im d you like it. Theres still time, so get some cooking practice first, Verse.


    I had Verse prepare and fry another batch as I stood aside and cautioned him from time to time. As expected of a talented chef. He sure picks things up quickly.


    The next dish is called tonkatsu. Were going to make use of the Big Boar meat we bought earlier as the main ingredient for this dish.


    I prepared two kinds of meat cuts for this particr dish. As you know, this type of cut contains more fat, so you should pick this one if you want to enjoy the sweetness of the fat in the meat.


    This one, however, contains a lesser amount of fat, so you pick this one if you want to enjoy the taste of the meat itself.


    I cut the sirloin intorge, t pieces that were about one centimeter thick. For the tenderloin, I cut it into thick, bite-sized pieces instead.


    This one doesnt have a lot of fat, as I said earlier, and tends to harden easier once you fry it, so its better to cut it into smaller pieces. I personally prefer it this way.


    And for theserger ones, youll need to ce cuts on their surface so the shape of the meat doesnt change much once you fry them.


    Lightly rub salt and pepper on the surface of the cuts like so. Oh, and I almost forgot to prepare the egg wash and flour.


    I hastily prepared the egg wash and flour, coated the surface of the meat pieces with said flour, egg wash, and bread crumbs. There were some bread crumbs left from yesterday, so I just used that.


    I heated the oil and taught Verse about the proper temperature and frying time. When the oil got sufficiently heated up, I went ahead and fried some pieces.


    Right, this should be okay. And make sure to pay attention to the frying time so you dont go overboard.


    I cut a piece of both the sirloin and tenderloin tonkatsu each. In both cases, the cross-section of the meat revealed slightly pinkish cooked flesh. This is a good indication that the meat is in its best state when its fried.


    This much is fine. Were going to dip them in this sauceposed of soy and that grated vegetable I prepared earlier.


    I tried a bite along with Verse.


    Yup, these are pretty tasty as well. The bread crumbs give it that crunchy mouthfeel, and the meat is nice and tender. The tonkatsu is delicious and gets even better when paired with the soy sauce and grated daikon dip. If you want to enjoy the fatty sweetness, have the sirloin. If you want to enjoy the actual taste of meat, try the tenderloin instead.


    Great! So Big Boar can also be cooked like this! I also understand the difference between the two variants a bit as well. Both of them have their respective strengths.


    I always put in plenty of mustard whenever I eat tonkatsu, so its a bit regrettable that we werent able to find any.


    Hey, Verse. Have you ever heard of a yellow-colored, spicy condiment before?


    Hm? You talking about tars?


    He pulled out a small earthen pot from the top of one of the shelves. When I looked at the contents, I found some yellow powder. It cant be!?


    I tried some and confirmed that it really was mustard.


    Whoah! It really was avable! Its this condiment! Whered you manage to get it?


    There werent any in Tarus-sans store.


    I got it from one of our regrs here. I got that merchant to share some of it with me.


    I see. Id also like to get some if theres an opportunity. Lets use it right now.


    I mixed the powder and prepared the mustard spread. Instead of just in soy sauce, spreading mustard on top of the tonkatsu and then adding the soy sauce is way tastier. Lets try it.


    Great! This is it! So this condiment is called tars? It goes especially well with this dish. Have a bite.


    That really is good! Thebination of tars and soy is amazing. This is great.


    The side veggie for tonkatsu should definitely be shredded cabbage. Mayonnaise is also good, but Ill go with a Chinese-style dressing this time.


    Add a little soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, salt, sesame seeds, and garlic into a small bowl and mix them well.


    In my home country, the side dish thats always been paired with tonkatsu is this type of vegetable sd.


    I poured some of the dressing I made onto the shredded cabbage.


    Un, thats good. The cabbage was crisp and fresh. Delicious.


    This sauce also tastes great. I kinda get why you decided to purchase that soy condiment from Tarus-sans store now. Its quite versatile.


    Right? I can go with you if you want to buy some as well.


    Really? Ill be counting on you then. It seems theres still time, so let me practice a bit again. Oh yeah. Well have to cook some rice as well.


    Ill write the recipes up for you in the dining area now. Call me before you start cooking tonights dinner.


    Cleria and Elna were already in the dining room when I came out, so I had them help out with the characters Im unfamiliar with as I wrote the recipes.


    Amazing! And you didnt even know a single character just a few days ago. How did you manage to learn them in such a short time?


    I constantly updated thenguage database and got Nanoms support, so I managed to learn this worlds characters in no time.


    Maybe its because Ive always been a quick learner.


    Cleria nodded with a serious expression, seemingly convinced. I was kinda joking yknow.


    I wrote the recipes for tempura, tonkatsu, the Chinese-style sd dressing, and various other tips. I also added some hand-drawn illustrations, just for fun.


    Hey, n. Im gonna start cooking now.


    Okay. Here are the recipes I wrote up. How are they?


    Lesse? Hey! You managed to write all these in just a short time, n?


    It seems Verse was pretty impressed with the contents.


    This is amazing! This is it! Youre really the best, n!


    Thanks. Try making the dishes ording to the recipes then.


    Leave it to me!


    Fried food was more delicious when freshly cooked, so we started with the tempura, and would serve the sirloin and tenderloin tonkatsu once we finished eating the first dish.


    Verse fried the tempura under my supervision. The tempura was cooked up without any problems.


    Ill cook the tonkatsu by myself. Ive already fried some, so have a taste first.


    The tonkatsu meat had a perfect-looking pinkish hue. It was well cooked.


    Impressive, Verse. Youve already got the knack for it.


    Its because I have a great teacher.


    Ill leave things to you then.


    I carried the freshly cooked tempura to the dining room along with Verse.


    Right then! Lets eat! This is a dish from my country called tempura. Its a dish that showcases the natural taste of the ingredients. Dip it in this special sauce before you eat it. Itll taste pretty different.


    I ate one portion as an example. Un, thats really good. Its nice and crispy.


    After seeing me eat, Cleria and Elna both dug in.


    Delicious! The vor is more subtlepared to yesterdays dishes.


    The natural taste of ingredients This kind of thing may just be my favorite.


    It seems Elna has really taken a liking to the tempura.


    Right when we were almost finished eating the tempura, Verse brought out the tonkatsu.


    Check it out, n.


    I cut a piece of both the sirloin and tenderloin tonkatsu. The flesh of both had a nice light pink color.


    Theyre perfect, Verse. Youve got the timing down pat.


    This is a dish called tonkatsu. You spread this condiment on top of it and then eat it. The sd is eaten paired with this dressing.


    I poured soy sauce with grated daikon on top of a piece and ate it. Delicious, as expected. It was quite crunchy too.


    We cooked two types of meat cuts for this dish. Therger pieces should have a strong, fatty vor, while the bite-sized ones will allow you to taste more of the meat itself. I rmend putting on a bit of this yellow condiment on top before eating them. It gets really spicy if you put on too much, so be careful.


    n! This dish isparable to the ones you cooked yesterday evening. Im torn about which of the dishes taste better.


    This sd is also quite delicious!


    I put on plenty of mustard on a piece of tenderloin tonkatsu and ate up. The pairing of tonkatsu and mustard really is the best.


    Cleria copied me and put on plenty of mustard, but ended up covering her nose in a panic afterward. And I just warned you earlier too.


    Verse cooked up quite a bit, but they were all but gone in a sh. We ate our fill tonight as well.


    Ill start attending the magic tool making short course tomorrow, so I guess Ill tuck in early this evening.

 Chapter 33.1 - Pork Cutlet Sandwich And Magic Tool Manufacturing Basic Course (Part 1)

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    I took my usual morning bath, prepared myself for the day and went down to the first floor. Today, Ill start attending the magic tool manufacturing short course. But isnt having it at eight in the morning a little early?


    It looks like the branch chief doesnt want the lessons to affect her part-time work at the clinic.


    I passed by the dining area and found Verse busy wiping the tables as always. It looks like its his job to tidy up the tables every morning.


    Yo, n. You gonna have breakfast?


    Good morning, Verse. Ria and Elna havente down yet, so just cook one portion for me.


    I guess Ive kinda been enamored too much by making tonkatsu. Is tonkatsu for breakfast okay with you? I kinda want to get in a bit more practice ording to the recipe you wrote.


    Hm, okay. Tonkatsu right in the morning huh. It doesnt sound bad. Oh yeah! Do you have some bread?


    I baked some this morning for use in making bread crumbs. Why?


    So he baked some bread especially for use in making bread crumbs huh. I guess Verse really is quite serious regarding mastering deep-fried food.


    Can I use some of them? You also have some mayonnaise left, right?


    I remembered that a lot of the mayonnaise I made two days before were still stored in the inns magic fridge.


    Of course you can. I can just bake some more bread if you use them all up. Mayonnaise is that sauce you prepared two days ago, right? Yeah, we still have some.


    Great. Let me make breakfast today, okay?


    Sure, no problem! Please make some for me as well.


    The both of us entered the kitchen. I prepared some cabbage, mustard, bread, and tonkatsu.


    I shredded the cabbage, cut up a piece of sirloin tonkatsu intorge slices, cut the bread into two, and thinly coated one side with mustard.


    I spread a generous helping of mayonnaise on both bread slices. I put arge portion on the shredded cabbage on one bread slice, put on the sliced tonkatsu on the other, and put both parts together. With this, the mayonnaise cutlet sandwich isplete.


    This is something called a katsu sandwich. In my country, its not eaten for dinner, but for breakfast or lunch instead. Its delicious even if the tonkatsu used is cold.


    Verse and I ate our sandwiches.


    Un, this is good. The mayonnaise reallypliments the taste of the other ingredients and brings them together.


    It really is good! So something like this is also possible.


    While we were eating in the dining area, Cleria and Elna finally came down.


    Whats that, n!? Thats so unfair, you two! Youre eating something delicious by yourselves!


    What do you mean by unfair?


    Its your fault for being ate riser. Verse will prepare some for you guys too, so dont worry.


    It looks like Verse went over to the kitchen to prepare their share right away. The inn girl went out of the kitchen carrying a great number of katsu sandwiches.


    So its a dish made with tonkatsu! Its delicious!


    Cleria and Elna became absorbed in eating the sandwiches.


    The three of us rested for a bit after eating and drank some warm tea.


    Oh yeah. What are you two going to do today, Cleria?


    Were nning on visiting the temple this morning. We havent been able to go for some time now, and I have many things I want to thank Goddess Ruminas for.


    The temple huh. I also wanted to go as well. I was quite interested in the goddess worshiped by Cleria and the natives of this.


    You should be free in the afternoon, right n? Id like for you to teach us magic, if possible.


    Oh, right. Weve finally gotten some free time, so I want to brush up on my magic as well. But we cant exactly cast spells in the middle of town. It would be bad if we get attention Right, Ill ask Verse about a suitable spot.


    We called Verse to ask if he knows about a nice practice spot.


    Sorry. I know youre busy with work. Do you know of a ce where we can freely practice magic spells without bothering anyone?


    You can use magic, n!?


    Yeah, Im actually ranked B in the Magic Guild.


    B rank! Aint that just impressive! Magic spell practice, right? You can get to an open rocky area if you go out of the city and walk for about thirty minutes. There arent any monsters, and its mostly devoid of nts as well. There aint a lot of people who go there. I heard that people who can use magic in this city often use it as a practice field.


    I see. Thanks. Yosh! Lets all go there in the afternoon. Oops. Its almost time for my lessons. Ill see you guyster.


    This is bad. I dont wanna bete for the first day. Ill set an rm from now on.


    I went out in a hurry and managed to reach the Magic Guild just a few minutes before eight in the morning.


    I entered straight away and found no one else except for Lily again. I havent even seen a single client or Guild member since I first came here. Is the Magic Guild really okay?


    Good morning. Hey there, Lily.


    Good morning to you too, n-san. The chiefs been waiting for you. Please proceed to the back room.


    I knocked on the door first before I entered. When I did so, I found the rooms interior lined up with a number of desks. The branch chief sat at thergest desk at the back of the room. It looks like shes reading a book.


    Good morning, chief.


    Good morning, n-san.


    You can just call me n. Chief is my master after all.


    Ufufu. Master, huh. It has a nice ring to it. Alright then, n. Lets start with the lessons. We will conduct the lessons on the second floor.


    The second floor was arge room with wood and various other materials piled up together. It resembled a small workshop or factory. There was a reallyrge table in the center of the room. It seems the lectures would be given out from this table.


    How much do you know about magic tools, n?


    Nothing much, really. I just know that you need magic stones to serve as an energy source in order for the magic tools to activate the magic installed in them.


    Well, thats basically correct. Have you already seen a magic tool in action before?


    Ive used a fire producing magic tool and a refrigerating magic tool before.


    If so, I dont need to especially give you a live demonstration. Lets move on to what exactly happens inside of a magic tool.


    The chief went to a corner of the room and brought what looked to be a me magic tool onto the table.


    This is a me magic tool.


    Im familiar with it. Ive used a simr item before.


    Ara, in this city?


    Yeah. Its in a ce called the Natures Bounty inn.


    I see. What are your impressions after using it?


    It was nice. The mese out pretty easily.


    Thats something I designed.


    Is that so? What about the refrigerating magic tool?


    Yes, I designed it too. Theyre pretty good items, arent they?


    Yup. The fridge is able to uniformly cool down everything inside it.


    Alright then, lets take a look at the actual insides of a magic tool now.


    Chief opened the back cover of the magic tool. The cover seems to be made of wood. The surface waspletely covered in ck, so I didnt notice before.


    The parts where mese out are properly made of metal, but most of the other parts were made of wood.


    So these were made of wood. Did you coat the surface with some kind of material?


    Yes. The coating is some fire-resistant paint. And by the way, the exact production method of this paint is a top-secret in our Magic Guild.


    I see. Understood.


    A magic tools structure can be roughly divided into four parts: magic stone, magic conductor, magic circle, and magic output stone.


    She pointed out each part as she mentioned them. The magic stone is fitted into the interior of the magic tool and was connected with something which looked like a string. This was called a magic wire, apparently.


    The magic wire connected to the magic stone was also attached to the lever which turns on and adjusts the fire thates out. The arching te in which the first magic wire was attached also had another line of magic wireing out of the other end, which is then attached to the magic circle.


    The magic circle in question was a sort ofplicated pattern peppered with all sorts of different symbols that were written on a piece of paper. The magic output stone, on the other hand, was a cone-shaped, transparent crystal installed just below the part that releases mes.


    The center portion of the magic circle was also fitted with a magic wire that connects it and the magic output stone together.

 Chapter 33.2 - Pork Cutlet Sandwich And Magic Tool Manufacturing Basic Course (Part 2)

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    The overall make was simple enough. The insides of this gadget were almost bare apart from theponents shown to me. I cant imagine just how such a structure can cause mes.


    What exactly is this part?


    I pointed at the me adjustment lever as I asked.


    Its used in conjunction with the magic wire. Ill exin in detailter.


    First, lets talk about the magic stone. You do know about magic stones, right? The magic stone here and the magic wire need to be constantly in contact for the tool to work properly. The magic wire is an ordinary but tough string that was soaked in a kind of special liquid which then hardens and covers the strings entire surface. Please try touching it for yourself.


    I did so and felt the items rough and stiff surface.


    What is that special liquid?


    Its called magic fluid, and its exactponents and production method is another one of our Magic Guilds top secrets. But, basically, its made up of used magic stones which have been emptied of their magic energy, which are then crushed into powder and processed into liquid form.


    Can I buy magic fluid from the Guild?


    Of course. A bottle of this size is priced at onerge silver. Oh, but Guild members can purchase it at eight ordinary silvers.


    The bottle she showed me looked to be about one liter. So this bottle is eight silvers, huh? It sure is expensive for just a material used to make aponent of a magic tool.


    The high price may be a substitute for a proper patent system. If someone ever wants to develop and make a magic tool of their own, they would inevitably still need to purchase the raw materials sold in the Guild. In other words, its a system that ensures the Magic Guilds profits whenever a new magic tool is developed and made.


    This may be one of the reasons why the Guild is still okay financially even if there are hardly any clients whoe by.


    I will exin how its possible to adjust the intensity of the mes with the leverter.


    The magic circle is a magic tools heart, so to speak. This magic circle determines the type of magic released, its strength, and the range of the magic effect thates out from the magic conducting stone.


    So what exactly are these things written on it? Some form of letters? Symbols?


    Its mostly made up of magic symbols, but some of them are also derived from ancient characters, so you cant really say itspletely made up of just symbols. Its important to note that the correct way to create a magic circle is to start drawing the symbols from the outside towards the center, which is then connected to a single magic wire.


    I see. Is there any meaning to that?


    Of course. In summary, everyponent inside a magic tool, from the magic stone to the magic conducting stone is connected by a single thread. This is generally called a magic path.


    So its something simr to an electric circuit.


    And the material which provides all the magic power is the magic stone, right?


    Correct. Everyponent, including the magic output stone, basically makes use of magic stones as one of the main materials.


    What kind of material was used to make this magic output stone?


    Its also made from magic stones which have been emptied of their magic power. You can also buy these from the Guild shop, and they cost eight silvers apiece.


    It kinda feels like a rip-off, but I guess shaping the stones into this form did make for some hardbor.


    Does the shape of the magic output stone always have to be in this cone form?


    It doesnt have to be a cone in particr, but the shape needs to be able to efficiently conduct magic power and let it flow out unimpeded.


    So the ink used to draw the magic circle on this paper also makes use of crushed magic stones?


    Correct. We just used crushed magic stone powder and added some color to it.


    How exactly does a magic tool activate?


    Thats a good question. This isnt info readily given out tomon folk, but magic power has the tendency to get drawn into even more powerful clusters of magic power.


    I knew of that, actually.


    Basically, magic wires are made of materials that do not contain any trace of magic power. And magic circles contain less magic power on the outer portion of the circle, which grow more and more in amount as you draw near to the central portion by using ink that has more magic power contained within. Thats why a magic circle is drawn from the outside in.


    What is the effect of drawing a magic circle correctly?


    The flow of magic power will be smoother, and you can activate even more powerful magic.


    I still cant grasp the process of a magic tools magic activation.


    Well, of course, you cant. I havent even exined it yet, you know. Lets take this step by step.


    First, when this lever is in this downward position, the magic will not activate.


    However, since the magic stone and the magic circle are connected, the magic power inside the magic stone is drawn to the magic power present in the magic circle, but the magic stone still contains more, so it wont flow properly.


    Once the lever is pulled, the ignition spell is activated, and at this point, the magic power will begin to flow out.


    But isnt the magic power contained in the magic stone greater than the magic power used by the ignition spell?


    Yes, thats right. However, the magic power suction effect brought about by activating the ignition spell trumps the innate tendency of magic power to get attracted to other stronger sources of magic power, and is forcibly drawn out.


    What the heck? Something like that happens?


    We dont know the exact reason for this. But it is widely believed that this phenomenon is simr to the way us mages cast our spells.


    So thats how it is.


    The chief moved the lever. The ignition spell activated, and mes appeared about ten centimeters above the magic output stone attached inside the magic tool.


    Once you pull the lever, the ignition spell gets activated, which sucks up the magic power from the magic stone.


    Earlier, you told me that the magic circle determines the strength of the magic spell thats activated, but just why is the amount of mes released not fixed, but variable instead?


    The strength of the magic spell inscribed in the magic circle is definitely fixed. But the output of the mes in this magic tool is actually controlled via the magic wire.


    In other words, the magic wire connected to the magic stone is also fixed on the middle portion of the lever. And that magic wire is actually connected to this te here.


    This surface of this te is coated with magic fluid with varying amounts of magic power per section.


    Were now at the lowest me level. The magic wire connected to the magic stone is now in contact with a part of the te where the magic fluid used to coat it has a lot more magic powerpared to the ink used to draw the magic circle.


    In other words, instead of a proper magic path where the magic power flow gradually increases in output, the magic wire that does not contain any magic power is connected to another piece of magic wire which has magic power already flowing to it and is furthermore connected to a magic circle which does not have any magic power flowing through it as well. It creates an improper magic path.


    This type of path will not allow any magic power to flow through. Thats the reason why you can get a me output which is lower than the spell activated by the magic circle.


    I see.


    I kinda get it, but kinda not at the same time.


    (Did you actually understand that exnation?)


    Affirmative.


    No problem then. Ill just update that in the info databaseter.


    Whenever you move the lever, the contact point between the magic wire and the te changes, and gets connected to sections of the te where the magic power contained in the magic fluid coating gradually decreases. When you turn it all the way to the end, a correct magic path is created, and the output of the mes released is increased to the highest possible level.


    I see. I somehow get it now, I think. To put it simply, the system makes use of the difference in amounts of magic power contained in the magic fluid coating of the te and performs a function simr to a variable resistor in electronic appliances.


    I see. I understand it now.


    Ara, to think you understood something from my exnation. Youre quite the excellent student, n.

 Chapter 33.3 - Pork Cutlet Sandwich And Magic Tool Manufacturing Basic Course (Part 3)

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Its because your exnations are very thorough, chief. So a magic tools functionsrgely depend on the magic circle huh.


    Exactly. The magic path connected to the magic circle is important as well, but without the magic circle, the device just wont work. With that said, lets start going over the particrs of magic circles next.


    First, Ill give you this. Its a magic tome that contains the meanings of the different magic circles. This has been covered by the fees, so this tome is now yours, n.


    Um, a magic tome is a book which allows you to grasp magic spells, right? Does this book contain all the different magic symbols used in magic tools?


    No, Im afraid not. The only things that are written there are the basic ones. However, they are widely used even if they are called basic symbols. For example, everything used to draw the magic circle installed on this me magic tool is described in that book.


    So that means there are advanced editions. How would I be able to get my hands on those?


    If you take the advanced magic tool manufacturing course, youll be able to get yourself a copy of the advanced edition.


    Clever. Very clever. Theyve really put their all into thinking up ways to squeeze out a profit.


    Well then, let us look at the contents of a magic circle, shall we?


    The outer portion of the magic circle has symbols that determine the type of magic that will be produced.


    Next in line would be the symbols that determine spell strength; in other words, symbols that determine the amount of magic power used to fuel the spell.


    The next symbols determine the maximum distance of magic spell activation.


    The direction the magic spell is emitted towards is determined by the position of the tip of the magic output stone.


    Thats easy enough to understand.


    Now then, lets try drawing an actual magic circle.


    For the purpose of todays lesson, please try to copy the magic circle used in this me magic tool.


    Since it isnt advisable to try drawing a circle using magic ink right from the start, we need to prepare a draft first instead.


    Nanom will be supporting me, so I dont think Ill encounter any problems with this one.


    The chief brought out drawing tools simr to apass and ruler and started making the draft. She was drawing it using a ck piece that looked like charcoal.


    Something like this should do nicely. Please try it out.


    I started drawing as the branch chief instructed. It was really easy with Nanoms support.


    Thats wonderful! Its my first time seeing a novice draw so well. The part you drew was the one which specifies the magic spell to be of the fire type. It is listed in the book I gave you.


    I see. It really does look the same. I continued drawing the rest of the magic circle as the chief continued to make exnations. It took almost an hour for me to draw the whole thing.


    It really is splendid. Youve probably managed to produce an exact copy. Normally, people who are not used to the way the circle is drawn from the outside will fail many times and mess up on the symbol intervals.


    Is messing up the intervals of the symbols bad?


    Of course. The magic power will not flow well, and the overall output of the spell will fall. You have to be very precise with the cement of the symbols, or its no good.


    How do you determine the correct intervals?


    You base it on the size of the symbols themselves. Therger the symbol, the greater the interval. The smaller symbol, the narrower. Adjust the intervals based on the size of the symbols.


    Whats the correct ratio?


    An interval measuring an eighth of a symbols height is said to be the most optimal.


    Ipared the value she told me with the record of the magic circle disyed on my virtual HUD and found that it matches.


    Next, well fill out the draft with magic ink.


    As I mentioned earlier, the outside of the circle is drawn with low magic power ink, and the seedingyers are drawn with ink which gradually increases in magic power content.


    In general, switch out the ink used once you reach a quarter of the way towards the center.


    First, lets use this string to measure the total length of the circle.


    We ced the string against the magic circle in order to measure its total length. After that, the string was folded into four parts and was used to mark the ces where the ink needs to be switched.


    But I have Nanom for this step, so I dont really think learning this is necessary.


    Now then, please use this magic ink A to fill out the symbols on the outside of the draft.


    So I guess these four types of inks are also sold by the Guild?


    Of course. The Guild members can get them at discounted prices. A is ten silvers, B is twelve, C is fourteen, and D is sixteen.


    I think Ive now gotten an idea of why magic tools are really expensive.


    I started filling out the draft with the ink. It was just filling out a fixed pattern, so I finished it right away.


    Now then, lets try actually activating this magic circle.


    We disassembled the me magic tool, reced the magic circle with the one I drew, and put it back together. The structure was simple, so the recement process waspleted without a hitch.


    I pulled the lever to activate the tool, and mes came out without any problems.


    How wonderful. Most would need until the fourth or fifth day of this training course in order to perform to this degree. Its my first time teaching someone whos progressed this much just on the first day.


    Its because your teaching methods are excellent.


    Lets focus on studying the details of the different symbols used on magic circles starting tomorrow. Theres still some time left. Do you have any other questions for me?


    Yeah. Ive been curious about it for a while. Just what is magic?


    Youvee up with quite a difficult one right from the get-go. The Magic Guild doesnt have a definite answer to that question yet, unfortunately.


    Theologically, as Im sure you already know, it is the power that the Goddess Ruminas granted to humans in order to fight the creatures possessing magic stones.


    However, in recent years, it hase to light that some types of monsters are also able to use magic to some degree.


    So just why did our Goddess grant this power to the monsters as well?


    The answer to that still eludes both the priests of the temple and the many magic researchers working for the Magic Guild.


    At the end of the day, the only thing we definitely know is the fact that we can use magic.


    I see. Thats unfortunate. I thought I would be able to find out something if I entered the Guild.


    Of course many researchers in the Guild havee up with their own theories regarding the matter. But theyre all just random musings in my eyes and hold no persuasive power in the least.


    I see. Just hearing that is enough for me. Well then, do you have any information regarding the person who first wrote magic tomes?


    Theres also a lot of theories about that, but I am not familiar with the exact details. Personally, I like the theory that Ruminas Herself handed down the first tome to a prince in a country that was suffering from a monster invasion. Doesnt that sound romantic?


    So theres also no proper info regarding magic tomes. Well, it does seem thating up with patterns asplex as the ones used in these magic circles doesnt seem to be the work of normal humans.


    I guess so. I also think thats something at least somewhat usible.


    This is thest question. Why are the symbols used in magic circles able to trigger magic phenomena?


    We also know nothing about that. The Guild researchers are also repeatedly drawing patterns in an attempt to study them and formte theories about their exact mechanics. Theyre attempting to create new symbols and patterns not found in the books which can sessfully activate magic, but have no results to show for their efforts until now.


    Is that so? Understood.


    Its time. If you dont have any other questions, lets end ss for today.


    I want to review what Ive learned, so I was thinking of buying magic fluid and magic output stones. Can I tell Lily?


    The chiefs face broke into a happy smile. It seems the sales really arent doing so well.


    Why certainly! Ill have her prepare them straight away!


    I ended up paying a total of 6,800 Guineas at the counter in order to get the goods. The chief gave a brief exnation about each solution used to make the magic wire.


    Ill buy some string I can use as a base for the magic wire from Tarus-sans shop before Ie back to the inn.


    With this, the first day of the magic tool manufacturing short course ended.

 Chapter 34.1 - Fried Rice And Magic Practice Part 1

    I saw Cleria and Elna waiting in the dining room when I returned to the inn. It seems they were having some tea while waiting for me.


    Looks like I really made you wait. Lets have a meal somewhere first, then go outside of the city.


    Verse interjected before Cleria managed to reply.


    Hey n, instead of going out for a meal, how about you have it here instead? You guys ate bread this morning, right? I actually also cooked up some rice today, see. Theres still some leftover from yesterday as well.


    But this inn doesnt offer lunch, right?


    Oi, oi. Were already friends, right? Dont say something so distant. So we have some rice on hand today. Any new dishes we can cook up with it?


    Yup. It seems that after tasting yesterdays cutlet sandwich, Verse is hankering to learn another recipe again today.


    But it does feel sort of wrong not to eat the rice he prepared this morning just because we already ate bread. I dont want to let the rice go to waste after all.


    Okay. Ill whip something up. You okay with that,dies?


    Of course!


    When I entered the kitchen, I confirmed that there really was a good amount of rice prepared.


    What kind of rice dishes are popr around these parts?


    Rice is a fairly new cooking ingredient over here. I havent really heard of any shop offering any rice-centered dishes yet.


    Is that so? Then Ill just go with fried rice. It sometimes uses some luxurious ingredients, but its basically a type of home cooking. The home-cooked version makes use of rice and any suitable ingredient you have on hand for the dish. Youll need to fry the rice and ingredients together to make the dish. Its quite simple, so I think Verse will get the hang of it pretty quickly.


    I checked out the magic fridge and chose the ingredients. I got some eggs, Big Boar sirloin, spring onions, and garlic. Just these ones.


    Ill make a soy sauce and garlic vored one. Theres no dashi, but I dont think its a problem.


    Yesterdays rice leftovers had already hardened up, so I put it inside ader, gave it a quick rinse, and drained the water afterward.


    I chopped the green onions and meat into fine pieces and beat the eggs. I grated the garlic and mixed it up with some soy sauce.


    Now were done with the prep work.


    That fast? Is it really okay to use so little ingredients?


    The main draw is the rice after all. This much is fine. Lets put in some oil on the pans and start frying, beginning from the meat.


    I prepared tworge frying pans earlier, so Verse took one up and started frying the meat on top of the stove-type magic tool along with me.


    Use a little salt and pepper for voring. Next, add in the beaten eggs and stir the mixture up. Yes, just like that.


    Once the eggs are half-done, add in the rice. You need to fry the mixture until the rest of the water from earlier dries up.


    Verse is a talented chef, so it looks like he didnt have any problems cooking up this dish by himself, even if its his first try.


    Yep, thats about it. Now you should add in some soy. You need to put it in the frying pan instead of directly pouring it on top of the rice.


    Yes, just like that. You need to singe it a little to give the dish a nice, fragrant scent.


    Now add in the green onions and some sweet-smelling sesame oil. And were done.


    Lets put the cooked dishes on top of arge tter. Lets give it a taste, shall we?


    Its been a long time since Ive had fried rice. Its pretty tasty. The soy garlic vor is perfect. Verses control of the fire earlier was pretty good as well. The rice has be nice and crisp, and the scent of slightly singed soy sauce sesame oil served as nice ents to the dish.


    I tried the portion Verse made as well. It tasted pretty much the same as mine and didnt have any problems.


    This is good! So this is the taste of home cooking. I managed to learn another great dish.


    We made quite a lot of fried rice, so theres enough for Verses family as well.


    We brought the fried rice on a big tter along with some tes out to the dining area to start lunch.


    This is also quite delicious! As expected of n!


    Cleria began putting in a big pile of fried rice on her te again, so I and Elna hurriedly got our own portions as well. We finished the meal off in an instant.


    Todays the day the adjustment to our armors gets done, right, n?


    Yeah, it almost slipped my mind. Thanks for the reminder. Lets stop by Zalukes ce before we go out for training then. I want to test out the armor as well.


    When we got to Zalukes shop, our armors were already on top of the counter, just waiting for pick-up.


    We came to get the armors, Zaluke.


    Ive already prepared them all right here.


    Clerias fancy, shining armor became just like any other metal armor in appearance.


    So, how are they? It was really troublesome to get the coloring right on this thing.


    It looks good. I cant tell it apart from ordinary metal armor. And the design kinda changed a little as well.


    Of course it did. I made it exactly like your standard adventurer armor after all.


    Why dont you try wearing it, Ria? Im gonna wear mine as well. Can you teach me how to wear this thing properly, Zaluke?


    I was taught how to properly wear the armor. It unexpectedly wasnt all that difficult, and I was able to wear it by myself without any problems.


    It seems kinda easier to put on, unlike the armor I rented from you.


    I tried moving with it on, and it didnt seem like it got in the way all that much. I also practically couldnt feel any weight. It didnt impede my movements at all.


    It looks like theres no problem with the adjustments. You look quite dashing, n.


    Cleria had Elna help her put her own armor on. Man, Cleria really does suit being in armor.


    Cleria helped Elna put hers on as well. As expected of a royal guard. She also looks great in armor.


    So how is the armor, Elna?


    Its really light. It feels better than all my previous armors! The size is also perfect.


    Thats great. It looks like Zaluke did a pretty great job. Welle to you again next time if anythinges up.


    Ou. Just feel free toe for maintenance. The armor wouldst longer that way.


    I see. Well do that. Later then.


    We left the store and headed for the gates to get out of the city. I thought there was gonna be a spot check or something before we can go out of the gate, but it looks like there wasnt


    We walked for about twenty minutes after getting out of the city and finally reached the ce Verse talked about. It really does seem quite deserted, so we can fire off magic without a care here.


    Now then, n. Can you begin teaching us magic?


    Elna, who stood beside Cleria, nodded in agreement.


    Teach you girls magic, huh. Youre already familiar with my method for learning spells, right, Cleria? It isnt something I can easily teach to other people. Or rather, Im not even sure how to teach it in the first ce. What kind of magic do you want to learn from me anyway?


    I want to learn scanning magic the most. That magic is amazing. Im sure Ill be even stronger once I learn using that.


    Hm. Its not like I cant understand where youreing from, but its impossible. I believe thats something only I can do.


    But it cant hurt to try, right?


    It looks like she wont get convinced as long as she hasnt tried it for herself.


    Okay. Then Ill start by exining the principle of scanning magic.


    Afterward, I began exining the entire theory and principles behind scanning magic.


    The color of Cleria and Elnas faces started changing midway through the lecture.


    What is that? Can you really do something like that?


    Right? Its probably due to my unique constitution. Thats why I said only I can perform scanning magic.


    It does seem that only n is capable of doing something like that. Then, I want to learn the explosion magic I saw you use in front of the river.


    Eh!? Did you just say explosion spell, Cleria-sama? The one from the legends?


    Yes, thats right Elna. I firmly saw n casting explosion magic with my own eyes, though it was only once.


    Ah, theyre talking about Fire Grenade huh? And here I was, thinking of not using that particr spell because it seemed too dangerous. What did they call it? Explosion spell? Im kinda curious.


    So theres actually something like an explosion spell huh? You mentioned it being a legendary magic spell. Is it really that impressive?


    Its because no one has ever witnessed explosion magic spells being cast before. Even now, its a type of magic that exists only in ancient records.


    Is that so. How unfortunate. I would have liked to see the real thing.


    But cant you already use it. n?


    Well, that spell does cause an explosion, but its not necessarily the same explosion spell recorded in the legends, I think. It seemed a bit too dangerous so I was thinking of sealing it away though.


    How so?


    It causes a huge explosion, right? What if I messed up and it exploded near me, or worse, near others. Doesnt that seem dangerous?


    Well, yes, I guess. But wouldnt it be fine to use it just on distant targets?


    Hm. Shes right. A grenade is that type of weapon in the first ce. Its not meant to be used in close quarters. I ended up thinking it was dangerous because Ipletely forgot I could actually increase the range of the spell.


    It does seem better to have a spell with enough destructive force for use on distant targets at my disposal.


    Lets try it out then.


    So what should I aim at? I then spotted an approximately three-meter tall rock about a hundred meters away from us. Ill target that. Its a hundred meters away, so Im sure there would be no danger.


    If I remember correctly, the Fire Grenade spell should cost about three times the required magic for a Fire Ball spell. Im sure itll need even more if I want to increase the range. For now, Lets try using five times the magic power for a Fire Ball.


    (Please load the magical charges.)


    A [READY x5] notification popped up in the corner of my virtual HUD.


    I zoomed my sights closer to the rock in the distance and took aim. I imagined a grenade coupled with an image of a ball of fire flying beyond a hundred meters in my head.


    Fire Grenade,unch!


    A ming projectile flew away with speedparable to an arrow and directly hit my selected target. A loud explosion then urred.


    After the dust settled, it looked like there wasnt much change done to the rock. When I zoomed in, I saw arge depression in the spot where itnded, but that was all.


    Fumu. It has an unexpectedly low destructive output. Its not like I was hoping for something like the entire rock being blown away to smithereens, but the result was still a bit underwhelming. Well, I guess thats the limit of five times the magic power of a normal Fire Ball.


    With only this much power, I can hardly call this spell a grenade. Lets try putting in a little bit more magic energy. Lets go with ten times this time.


    (Please double the amount of magic charges from before.)


    A [READY x10] notification popped up on the corner of my virtual HUD.


    I aimed at the same target as before. The image was also the same.


    Fire Grenade,unch!


    Like earlier, a ball of me flew away with great speed and hit the target. An explosion that was iparable to the first one urred and even made the ground around us shake.


    After the dust and debris subsided, I finally saw the results. The rock in the distance seemed to have been split in two. And in the middle of the impact zone was a crater that looked to be about three meters deep.


    Thats more like it. Now thats what I call a grenade. Im sure there wouldnt be a lot of opportunities for me to use this, but having more offensive options at my disposal is a good thing. I managed to create a nice spell.

 Chapter 34.2 - Fried Rice And Magic Practice Part 2

    When I turned around, I saw the twodies frozen solid where they stood, with stiff-looking expressions.


    Um, n. On second thought, I think Ill try learning explosion magic at ater time. Im not nning to give up on it, but I think the current me wouldnt be able to handle it yet.


    Cleria-sama, I now understand why you said n would be able to handle the knights of this country all by himself.


    Well, I guess this spell does seem to be a bit too much for you at the moment, Cleria.


    We probably wont encounter a lot of situations where we need to use this spell anyway, so I think its better for you to learn something more practical.


    Oh yeah, why dont you try teaching Elna magic yourself, Cleria? Youre already familiar with the spell casting method that I use, right? So I think it would be better if you handle teaching Elna. I think shed prefer that as well.


    Certainly. Ill teach you what Ive learned from n, Elna.


    Cleria and Elna started getting absorbed in the discussion, so I decided to do some magic practice myself a little distance away.


    I wanted to try something out today. I have been thinking of trying out whether or not I can draw the magicles stored in magic stones in order to cast spells.


    Magic tools draw power from magic stones and make use of it to perform certain effects. I was finally able to learn about the exact process during this mornings lesson.


    In order to test my theory out, I brought with me a number of magic stones. I took all of them out of my bag.


    (So, can you draw out the magicles stored in these magic stones?)


    Not possible.


    Hm. So how can I draw them out from the stones then? Oh yeah. Didnt the chief say something about magic power being drawn out of the stones only after spell activation? So that means I wouldnt be able to draw out the magicles as long as I dont use a spell, right? Lets try it out.


    I tried casting the Water spell while holding a magic stone on one hand.


    Water!


    Water started pouring out of the empty space in front of me.


    (Now, can you switch the magicle source entering my body from the magicles in the atmosphere to the ones inside the stone?)


    Testing now.


    The water being produced from the Water spell sputtered intermittently for a few moments. After about three minutes, the spell finally stabilized again.


    The correct method for switching magicle source confirmed.


    (Whoah! You did it!)


    However, the source is notpletely from the stone itself. The ratio is 95% from the stone and 5% from the atmosphere. Unable topletely switch source to magic stone.


    (Whys that?)


    Reason unknown. If the 5% inflow from the surrounding atmosphere is stopped, the entire process woulde to a halt.


    (So, can we store the magicles drawn from the stone inside my body?)


    Replenishment of the magicles used up in todays activitiesplete.


    Thats fast. In other words, the amount of magicles in my body has already reached 100% right?


    (Can we still store more magicles?)


    Not possible. Reason unknown.


    Well, theres nothing we can do about it if it cant be done. Im sure its due to the body being unable to take in more than a certain magicle amount. Weve already noted this phenomenon in earlier magic experiments.


    But the experiment objective has mostly been achieved. I was mostly able to aplish what I wanted. Now, as long as I have a steady supply of magic stones on hand, Ill be able to continuously cast spells without worrying about magicle consumption.


    Right now, I can only cast up to fifty Fire Ball spells at full tank. I dont think its enough if we ever got surrounded by multiple enemies.


    Now, I just have to learn the most effective way to actively take in magicles from the magic stones. I mean, I cant just keep casting spells like Water and soak everything around me just so I can take in magicles from magic stones.


    I stopped casting the Water spell.


    I cant really cast fire spells when I want to recharge. Wind magic is also out of the question. The safest bet would be light magic.


    Well, nows a good time anyway. Lets try casting out some light spells.


    I made an internal image of light beaming out and illuminating the surroundings.


    Light!


    I sessfully managed to cast the Light spell. Its midday, so its a bit hard to tell, but there really was a bright beam of light illuminating the ground.


    Great. Its a sess. I practiced a few more times and confirmed that I could cast this type of spell without any problems.


    I wonder if its possible to release light from my palm or something. I made an image and managed to make lighte out of my palm without any problems as well.


    Great. Lets make this the spell to use when recharging. I picked up another magic stone and released light from my palm.


    (Please resupply the magicles.)


    Replenishmentplete.


    (Can we make the process automatic?)


    Light came out of my palm without me doing anything in particr.


    Automated processpleted.


    Excellent. It didnt take much imagination to make it work, so Nanom can also aplish it easily.


    Whats left is to find out just how much magicles are stored in this Gray Hound magic stone. I need to decrease the magicle amount in my body for that.


    Ill release a me Arrow spell on that rock earlier, then. Since its about a hundred meters away, Ill need to put in at least two times the magic power.


    I fired off a me Arrow spell with two times the magic power.


    me Arrow!


    The arrows of me hit the target rock directly.


    (Ill start releasing continuous me Arrow spells at the rock, so once my magicle count drops to an eptable level, start taking in magicles from the magic stone.)


    Acknowledged.


    I grabbed another magic stone and started casting me Arrows on the rock. The virtual HUD disyed [READY x50] in the corner.


    I materialized five shots of the me Arrow spell and released them all on the rock. I after repeating the process nine times, my palm finally lit up, and the corner of the virtual HUD disyed [READY x50] once more.


    I continued on casting me Arrows. It took two times of my palm glowing until the disy on the virtual HUD finally changed to [READY x0].


    It has be impossible to extract further magicles from the magic stone.


    When I took a look at the magic stone in my hand, it already became transparent and ss-like. It looks like the magicles finally ran out.


    (How much magicles were we able to take in from the magic stone? Please use the magicle consumption for Fire Ball as reference.)


    147 charges all in all.


    It looks like a Gray Hounds magic stone has a surprisinglyrge amount of magicles. Its about three times my current capacity.


    With this, Ill be able to take on lots of enemies if I have ten magic stones like this one on hand.


    When I looked back after an unexpectedly productive experiment, I again saw Cleria and Elna standing around like stone statues with frozen expressions. Just how long have they been behind me?


    Just what was that, n?


    Uh, me Arrow?


    Thats not it! Im asking about that continuous spell barrage!


    Oh. I tried using the magic stored inside magic stones, and it unexpectedly turned out well.


    Eh!? But thats impossible!


    That just cant be done!


    Well, even if you guys say that I already did it.


    After that, I had a hard time pacifying Cleria and Elna, who both made a huge fuss.


    Like I said, Im not sure how I did it myself.


    Its a method I came up with after repeating various trial and error experiments with Nanom after all. Im sure I wouldnt be able toe up with it on my own.


    Anyway, Ill share with you what Ive learned for now.


    I told them about the fact that one can draw out magic from magic stones by casting spells first. I also taught them that if one wants to draw the magic stored inside magic stones, one has to use a certain small amount of magic power to keep the process going.


    After that, Cleria and Elna tried grabbing magic stones of their own, but they didnt manage to seed in the end.


    Eventually, both of them ran out of magicles. Since we couldnt do any more magic practice today, we decided toe back to the city.


    When we entered the gate, the guards persistently asked us if we heard any strange sounds out there. They were probably talking about the explosion caused by the Fire Grenade spell.


    It looks like we have to refrain from using magic spells that cause loud sounds from now on.

 Chapter 35.1 - Healing Magic Part 1

    It was already close to evening when we got back to the inn. We took off our armors and had some tea in the dining area while waiting for dinner toe.


    n is really someone who breaks away frommon sense. I have managed to realize that all over again from todays events.


    Yes, youre absolutely right, mdy. I think most people would never believe what happened today unless they witness it with their own eyes. I now know why you say Goddess Ruminas has given n tremendous blessings, Ria-sama.


    Whats up with that, you two? Youre exaggerating things. I was just lucky it worked.


    Haa Oh well. Anyway n, would it be fine if we had another round of magic practice tomorrow afternoon?


    Well, I guess its fine. I have nothing particr to do at that time anyway. But wouldnt it be better for you to learn some swordsmanship from Elna instead? My swordsmanship isnt a legitimate swordsmanship style after all.


    No, I think your swordsmanship is much more suited for someone of my skillspared to the Divine Sword style I formerly learned. I felt that firmly when we took that swordsmanship evaluation test at the guildst time.


    Just how skilled is n with a sword, Ria-sama?


    I have managed to witness ns secret technique once. It was truly an overwhelming technique.


    Secret technique!?


    Indeed. In fact, I would go as far as to say that n would be able to win even if he fought the Sword Saint. At least, he would be able to end it in a draw.


    T-The Sword Saint!? Something like that


    Sword Saint? You mean a person who has mastered the sword arts?


    Yes. The currently recognized Sword Saint today is the strongest swordsman of the Divine Sword school that I was a part of.


    Oi, oi. Theres no way Id be able to match that kind of master, right?


    I have managed to witness a practice match with the Sword Saint once. Thats why I can tell. Your swordsmanship wont fall behind even whenpared to the swordsmanship of the Sword Saint. More than that, I dont think anyone who is facing your sword for the first time will be able to match you. Oh, right. Just what is the name of your swordsmanship style, n?


    What to do? I just casually named it Corinth Style swordsmanship in my youth. I cant possibly blurt out such an embarrassing name.


    Uh, does it really matter?


    Of course it does. Im nning on learning your swordsmanship style in earnest you know. It would be strange if I didnt know the name of my swordsmanship.


    Uh Corinth Style swordsmanship.


    Corinth Style So that means you are someone who has developed his own personal style of swordsmanship, right?


    Well, yeah. More or less.


    Instead of saying it was the product of my wild fantasies during my impressionable youth, putting it like that would make so I take less mental damage.


    I see. As expected of one so talented.


    Man, this is sooo embarrassing. I cant look them in the face. Lets just change the subject.


    Oh, by the way, about that request we submitted at the guild. Theres probably no results yet since its just been put up, but should one of us take a lookter anyway? You know. Just in case. Actually, I think it would be best if one of us checks up on the status of the quest at least once per day. What do you girls think?


    Youre right. Lets check up the Guild each time we go out for magic practice or other business from now on.


    Yes, lets do so. It would be great if someones already responded. Based on the distance between Cecilio kingdom and this country, it should be one month at least before they can get here, right? If they failed to notice the quest early, it could even take up to two months.


    In our groups case, we kept on epting quests while we were in the Cecilio kingdom in order to earn some travel funds as we searched for Ria-sama. The other groups are most likely doing the same. I dont think it will take too long for some of them to notice.


    I see. It would be great if that were the case.


    We had Verses cooking again for dinner for the first time in days since we came to their familys inn. I and Elna ordered fish dishes while Cleria ordered meat. It may be his way of thanking us for being able to learn fried food recipes. The dishes felt more meticulously cooked and luxurious than usual.


    The next morning, I found the two girls already having tea in the dining area when I got down from upstairs. It looks like they were waiting for me. We ordered breakfast from Verse afterward.


    So what are your ns for this morning, you two?


    We are nning on having some sword practice in the yard of the inn today.


    I am looking forward to facing the swordsmanship Ria-sama learned from n.


    Oh right. This inn had a small yard out front. It does sound better than carelessly running around within the city. Theres no guarantee there are no pursuers lurking around these parts after all.


    Since it was near the lessons start time, I made way for the Magic Guild. I had plenty of leeway this time and didnt need to walk in a hurry.


    Morning, Lily.


    Good morning. You came at the perfect time! It seems there was an injured patient brought in to the clinic earlier. You should be able to witness healing magic today.


    Oh! Im sorry for the injured person, but Im still looking forward to seeing it!


    The branch chief finally came outside from within the back room.


    Lets head to the clinic right away.


    The clinic was a ten-minute walk away from the Magic Guild. When we went inside, I saw several beds meant for patients lined up inside a clean-looking room. The patient was lying down on one bed and looked like he was suffering in pain. There was someone who looked like a doctor attending to him. There was also a young man inside, who seemed to be a nurse.


    Thank you foring on such short notice, Cara-san. This is the injured patient.


    The doctor stood up from the seat and made way for the branch chief.


    Oh, this is quite awful, the chief sighed.


    It was the patients foot which seemed to be injured. One of his shins looked like it was broken, with bits of bone protruding out of the mangled flesh. It was a fairly serious-looking injury.


    After examining the injury for a short while, the chief asked about the circumstances of the patient. It seems he fell down while descending some stairs, and the fall ended up being pretty bad.


    The way the bone fractured looks pretty clean. He should thank the Goddess for small mercies. How fortunate.


    Now then n, in cases like this, it would be best to prioritize treating the bones first, because they are the ones that take time to heal.


    First, well have to properly set the bones to their former position.


    As the chief exined, the male nurse made the patient bite onto a small rod and fastened the body of the patient firmly on the bed, along with the broken leg.


    Before long, the broken leg was firmly secured on top of the bed.


    As the nurse held down the broken leg, the doctor quickly pushed, making it so the bone was no longer protruding outside of the patients flesh.


    The chief brought out the knife she prepared earlier and widened the wound where the bones were protruding from earlier. The patient kept stifling anguished screams during the whole process.


    This should do.


    The chief finally got satisfied with the width of the wounds opening and picked up a medical device used to hold the open wound in ce.


    n, please pour some water from that pitcher over there on the patients wound little by little.


    I followed her instructions. I washed away the blood from the wound little by little until the bones within finally came to view. The chief then began setting the bone properly while giving instructions to the doctor.


    This will be fine. Can you see the fracture clearly, n? Weve managed to put it back in ce properly now, right?


    It did seem like the bone was properly put back into ce when I saw it while washing down the wound.


    We can finally use the Heal spell on him.


    The chief closed her eyes and started concentrating. After about thirty seconds, she opened her eyes again and aimed her palm at the patients open wound.


    Heal!


    Rays of light came out of the chiefs palm and bathed the bones within the wound. When I zoomed in, I saw the gaps between the broken sections slowly starting to mend. Whoah! Thats amazing! Its really healing it up.


    This should be fine. With this, weve sessfully managed to mend the patients bones.


    The doctor let go of the patients leg. It somehow resembled adhesive getting applied to reconnect the broken bones. The bones really were reconnected together.


    With this, the first session of healing magic is done. Were going to use the Heal spell again after this. Are you fine with that?


    It looks like shes asking the patient. The nurse finally removed the wooden rod from the patients mouth.


    P-Please go ahead.


    The patient answered in the affirmative. Why did they need to ask the patient for confirmation just now?


    The doctor removed the medical tool keeping the wound open and pushed both sides of the wound together afterward, closing it up. The chief closed her eyes and concentrated again. She opened her eyes before long and aimed her palm at the injury like before.


    Heal!


    Rays of light came out of her palms once again and bathed the wound. After bathing the wound in light for a short while, the chief stopped casting the Heal spell.


    That should do it.


    When the doctor released his grip on the patients wound, I saw that it had properly closed up. It looked about sixty to seventy percent healed.


    With this, the healing magic session is over.


    It seems like the pain felt by the patient has finally subsided. He looks more rxed now.


    Thank you very much, the patient softly uttered.


    Thank you very much for your help, Cara-san. Well then, well continue the treatment from here.


    The doctor started to take out medicine. He probably intends to clean and disinfect the wound with them.


    Lets go back, n.


    We got out of the clinic and made our way back to the guild building.

 Chapter 35.2 - Healing Magic Part 2

    Editor: Thors Stone


    So how was it? Healing magic, I mean.


    It was amazing! To think the wound would really close up in a short time like that. Oh, by the way, how much magic power is needed to cast the Heal spell? Uh,pared to something like, say, Fire Ball.


    Lets see. It can be said that you need ten times as much magic power needed for Fire Ball in order to cast the Heal spell.


    Hm. It costs quite a lot of magic power, doesnt it? Oh, and why did you need to ask the patient before you casted the second Heal spell?


    Its because having healing magic applied on you actually costs quite a lot. Did you notice that the wound still wasntpletely healed earlier? I could have healed it uppletely, but didnt because the patient may not be able to afford it.


    I see. So it was to ask if the patient only wanted the bones to be healed, or include the wounded flesh as well.


    How much does it cost anyway?


    My fee is normally a thousand Guineas per session. Im not sure how much they have to pay the nurse and doctor though.


    It really was expensive. That amount would already allow one to stay at a high-ss inn for ten days.


    You may think its expensive, but that sort of injury would take at least a couple of months to heal up, right? With that in mind, paying for healing magic so one can quickly return to his or her job can be said to be more preferable for a lot of folks. Even more so for injuries like those that can easily get fixed up by the spell.


    So there are some injuries you find trouble treating as well?


    There are. In cases where the bones are crushed into small pieces or broken in aplicated way, there usually would be some lingering aftereffects even after treating them with Heal.


    I see. That makes sense.


    In the end, what I managed to observe earlier when the Heal spell was used was the bones and wound healing up as they were bathed in the light caused by the spell.


    I thought analyzing it shouldnt be too hard before, but it exceeded all my expectations. It looks like replicating that effect would be difficult.


    So, did that make you feel like buying a Heal magic tome, perhaps?


    A hint of expectation can be traced from the chiefs tone.


    So, uh, how much does a Heal magic tome cost anyway?


    Cause you have the privilege of a member discount, you can get it for the low price of 136,000 Guineas.


    Expensive! Our money right now is just roughly 80,000 Guineas. It isnt enough at all. But its not like I have any intention of buying one even if I did have money. And anyway, the money is the funds of the entire party, so I cant use it without consulting Cleria and Elna first.


    Its way over my budget. I need to save up quite a bit in order for me to buy one.


    I see. How unfortunate.


    The chiefs expression clearly expressed her disappointment.


    When we arrived back at the Magic Guild, todays lesson finally started.


    The lecture was finished by lunchtime. The contents of todays lesson were the proper use and application of magic fluid, magic wires, and the like.


    When I came back to the inn and met up with the girls, I saw Elna dabbing a wet cloth on her cheek. It seems Cleria managed to hit her there with a wooden sword during their spar earlier. It was red and a bit swollen.


    This is all due to my inexperience. I am truly sorry, Elna.


    No, this is my fault for misreading your current skill with the sword, Ria-sama. To think that you have improved this much. So please lift up your head, Ria-sama. You should be proud of yourself for being able to hit a royal guard like me.


    Fortunately, it doesnt seem like Elna was in much pain. She insisted she was fine, so we still decided to go out of the city and head to the clearing we made use of as magic practice grounds yesterday.


    After having our lunch at Tallys ce, we tried checking up on the Adventurers Guild, but found that no one has responded to the request yet. Well, I expected as much.


    We finally reached the rocky area we went to yesterday. Cleria and Elna grabbed magic stones again in order to try extracting magic power from them, just like yesterday.


    I mulled over the Heal spell I observed in the morning.


    (Have you managed to analyze the process by which the spell this morning was able to initiate healing of the injury?)


    Unable to analyze.


    Yeah, I thought as much. It was just light shining down on the wound after all. No matter how I think about it, I cant imagine what sort of principle was used to initiate healing of the wound by just shining light on it.


    (Right, what type of method do you use to repair wounds anyway? It doesnt matter if its just the basics. Can you show me some holo-vids on the subject?)


    Video is ready.


    Afterward, my surroundings changed. A huge close-up shot of a wound appeared before me. This was a video record of the wound I made on myself via cutting my arm a while back, zoomed in to arge degree.


    The mouth of the open wound grewrger andrger until I was swallowed up inside it. Yeah. It seems I entered the cut. Curiously, there was no blood gushing out of the wound. It was probably Nanom who filtered it out so I can have a clearer view.


    I kept going deeper and deeper until I managed to reach the deepest part of the cut. I stopped falling, but the image in front of me gotrger instead. It continued zooming in until I was finally able to view things at a cellr level.


    Within the deepest part of the cut, I was shown a cross-section of a cell that was erged to appear about one meter in length before me. But of course the actual wound wouldnt look something like this. Im sure Nanom arranged it so I can easily understand the vid.


    A maintenance bot then appeared. So this maintenance bot was prepared by Nanom? Im sure the nanomachinesprising Nanom dont really look like this for real.


    The maintenance bot grabbed both halves of the cut cell and pulled them toward each other, and finally used some sort of adhesive substance to glue them back together.


    Is that supposed to signify medicine? It was too metaphorical that it turned into an educational vid aimed at kids.


    Another maintenance bot appeared and did the same thing to another cell. More and more maintenance bots appeared, repairing more and more cells. They were so numerous in the end that I already lost count.


    And then the image gradually zoomed out. I couldnt see the countless bots mending the cells now, and saw the wound gradually closing up instead.


    The rate of the wound getting fixed sped up little by little. The speed of the wound closing up was faster than me floating out of it. And in the instant I thought I would be swallowed by the flesh closing in on me from both sides, I was pulled out of the wound all at once. Whew. That scared me.


    But thatst part was clearly unnecessary, right?


    It would have quite a lot of impact if the vid was paired with sound effects.


    (Is this really how you do things?)


    Of course not. But the video is mostly correct, figuratively speaking.


    Was Nanom actually making fun of me or something? Oh well.


    Since I dont have any other references I can use, I guess I should just make do. Lets try it out then.


    Ill form an image first. The maintenance bots rode on a stream of bright light and flew toward an open wound. Uh, of course maintenance bots dont ride light rays like this in real life. Shall I rece the image of lightpletely by maintenance bots? Nah, that just sounds weird.


    Oh right! I should just turn the bots into light spirits! Cleria did mention about her believing the existence of spirits if I remember correctly. It was somehow cute of her. It was very girly. Well, this very much felt like some sort of fantasy world anyway.


    I changed the image. The spirits of light flew out toward the open wound along with the light beams. They were spirits of light, so I imagined their bodies to be like that of a space warship in the middle of warp  intangible and without a definite physical form. Afterward, they gradually prated the wound.


    Theyre spirits, so Im sure they had special medicine particr to the country of light that theye from. The cute light spirits took out the medicine from their pots and started applying them to the damaged cells in order to repair them.


    After applying the special medicine, the spirits cheerfully pulled the two splits closer to each other in order to put them back together. The number of spirits increased the longer the light shone on the wound. Like that holo vid from earlier, the wound gradually closed up.


    Nice. It feels like I can use this image.


    (Were gonna try healing an injury.)


    I took out one of the knives Beck gave to me as a gift and cut my arm with it. It bled out a little and felt a bit painful, but the pain went away almost immediately.


    I had Nanom load the magicle charges. A [READY x10] notification soon appeared on the corner of my virtual HUD.


    I tried repeating the image I created earlier inside my mind.


    Heal!


    Light was released from my palm aimed at the wound on my arm and started shining on it. The tiny spirits began flying out toward the wound.


    Ah, it kinda seems like I saw the cute spirits hard at work fixing up the damaged cells on the wound.


    The cut gradually closed up. It finally disappearedpletely after a short while  as if it were never there in the first ce.


    Hey! I really did it man! Is this really okay!?


    Well, I already did it, so its no use making a fuss about it now.


    Come to think of it, I didnt really need to aim my palm at a wound in the first ce. But it would seem weird if spirits suddenly appeared from mid-air or something, so I decided to go with the whole palm thing when casting Heal anyway.


    Oh yeah, wasnt it possible for me to heal up Elnas swollen cheek now? She was holding it in, but it still looked painful.


    But I cant use the image of cell halves being pulled back together in her case though.


    Ill try creating a different image in my head. The cute light spirits ced their medicine jars under their arms and started permeating the cells of the injury. Once they found swollen cells, they would pull out the medicine jar under their arms and would start applying it to the cells. After a short while, the swelling of the cells finally disappeared.


    Lets try with this image then. But will this really work? I wonder.


    I cant use it on Elna without testing it out first, so I decided to bruise myself instead.


    (Please shut off my left arms sense of pain.)


    After confirming that the sense of pain was nullified, I took the knife again and hit the back of my hand with the handle.


    Uwaa, I think I overdid it. It looked like a pretty painful bruise.


    I had Nanom load the magicle charges and repeated the image I had from earlier inside my head.


    Heal!


    The reddish bump gradually settled down andpletely disappeared a few momentster.


    Great, I did ! I went and did it, oi. I had Nanom restore my sense of pain and confirmed that there were no problems.


    Elna, can youe over here for a bit?


    What is it, n?


    Please stay still for a bit.


    I stood in front of Elna after telling her not to move and raised up my palm. I ced it right next to her bruised cheek.


    Elna turned red in embarrassment for some reason and started mumbling softly. Cleria looked shocked and seemed to want to say something.


    Heal!


    Light was released from my palm. Cleria and Elnas expressions started changing after seeing that.


    Elnas bruise was healed up in no time.


    Do you feel any difort, Elna?


    No. The pain in my cheek is entirely gone. Was that the Heal spell?


    Youve be able to use Heal, n!?


    Yeah. Actually, the branch chief of the Magic Guild demonstrated the spell to me this morning. It tried it out and managed to cast it sessfully.


    Haaa


    Both of them made a big sigh and looked exasperated for some reason.


    Cleria and Elnas magic reserves ran out soon, ending todays magic practice session. We then went back to the city afterward.

 Chapter 36.1 - The End Of Short Course Lessons And Orange Juice Part 1

    Its been twenty days since Ive started taking the magic tool manufacturing short course, and today is the final day.


    I was able to learn the contents of the magic tool manufacturing short course, which usually takes twenty days to be discussed, in just ten.


    However, the branch chief kindly let me practice making my own magic tools using the equipment and facilities in the guild building in the remaining ten days.


    I already nned to try my hand at building functional magic tools on my own when the short course ended, but it really is a big help to be able to use the facilities at the guild which is equipped with all the essential stuff needed for magic tool production.


    Im particrly grateful to the chief for introducing me to a workshop that was able to produce alloy and ss parts that I was incapable of making on my own.


    I finally finished it, chief. This is the magic tool I developed that is used to automatically mix stuff.


    I have been working on it since morning. I excitedly showed the fruit of mybor that was justpleted a bit earlier to the branch chief who was on the first floor.


    Thats wonderful! So youvepleted it. Congrattions n.


    Thank you very much. This is also thanks to your masterful guidance, chief.


    The magic tool I made can be used both as a food processor and a mixer. It can handle both functions by swapping parts.


    I thought it would be a tall order to produce this thing at first because I didnt know of a way to produce a proper industrial grade mechanical seal or packing. But the chief told me she knew of something like it when I consulted her. The packing I ended up using was actually produced from the specially processed and hardened body fluids of a monster called Slime.


    The basic principle was to use the Wind spell in ce of an electric motor in order to make the fins or des spin in order to mix or chop ingredients. The wind spell is able to provide enough power to make the tool practical.


    Of course, the Wind spell alone was not enough to produce an eptable spinning speed, so I made two differently-sized gears in order to shore up the speed.


    The gears and the impeller that would catch the wind produced by the spell in order to power the magic motor could not be produced in the Guilds facilities. So I had to improvise by using my electromaic deknife,ser gun, and a hammer in order to DIY the said parts.


    I was particr with using ss in order to produce the cup that would be used to contain ingredients. It would be more convenient to see the state of the ingredients inside the container when processing them after all. The ss wasnt 100% transparent and was a little bit cloudy instead, but this really cant be helped.


    Of course, I also put in some safety measures in order to prevent injury while using the tool. I made it so that a specialized rod was needed to be inserted and pressed inside the lid in order to properly connect the magic circuit. In other words, in order to use the magic tool, one needs to insert the rod on the lid, secure the lid on top of the ss cup and press the rod even further downwards in order for the magic motor to start spinning. Im proud of the safety features of this thing.


    Im really satisfied with it. The mechanical blueprint and the magic circle were both designed by Nanom though. They were designed and made with absolute precision in ordance with Nanoms standards  down to the millimeters.


    I opened up the magic tool and exined how it worked to the branch chief.


    Next, Ill have to do some practical live tests. I got some fruits resembling oranges from Verse earlier for use in the tests. I peeled one up and tried it. It tasted as expected and was very sweet and delicious.


    I peeled up some more and put them all inside the ss cup. This much should be enough for the chief, Lily, and me.


    I secured the lid on top of the cup and turned the magic motor on. The alloy des inside started turning at high speed. That should do it, I guess.


    I took the three drinking cups I had Lily prepare earlier and poured the finished orange juice inside them. Lets try taking a sip.


    Delish! Its been a while since I had some orange juice. There are some pulp and skins left mixed in, but it was still tasty. It would be nice to strain it once by using ader next time.


    n-san! This is really tasty! Its my first time having such a refreshing drink!


    It really is quite good, n. Im honestly surprised you were able to produce a magic tool of this quality.


    My cooking repertoire will expand some more now that I have this thing.


    n, you said you were an adventurer right? Just where did you learn your production skills from?


    What to do? I should just make something up, I guess.


    My parents loved making all sorts of things, so I ended up learning quite a bit from the two of them.


    Is that so? Youve done an amazing job. It would be hard to believe that a person who just managed to finish the basic magic tool manufacturing short course is able to produce such a high-quality magic tool if one didnt witness it in person.


    Its because youre really good at teaching, chief.


    n. Though it may seem inconsiderate of me to ask you of this just as youve finallypleted it, would you consider selling this newly invented magic tool to our Guild?


    Um, what do you mean?


    This magic tool incorporates several new and innovative techniques. For example, these gears, this part that catches the wind, and this set of rotating des. They are more than worthy of researching further.


    Oops. Did I overdo it, perhaps? Come to think of it, the cksmiths in the workshop didnt know about gears either. I see. By creating gears and the impeller, I may have introduced things beyond the current technological level of this.


    Uh, how much are you nning to pay for them anyway?


    Two hundred thousand Guineas. In addition, we will also promote your Guild rank to A.


    Two hundred thousand Guineas! That much!? Thats a lot of money for just a piece of simple cookware. But maybe theyve also included things like the patent and technical fees. Even if I subtract the cost of materials and themission fee for the parts I couldnt make myself, Id still make a profit of about a hundred and fifty thousand Guineas.


    But why would they promote me as well?


    Why would I get promoted too?


    The skills needed for making this magic tool more than qualifies you for A rank.


    We will also consider this as an aplishment that contributes greatly to the development of the Magic Guild.


    Its often misunderstood that one needs to have great skill in magic in order to get promoted in the Magic Guild. But in truth, skills in magic tool creation, research, and development are valued more highly and have a greater bearing in a members promotion.


    Theres even an extreme case of someone getting promoted to S rank despite the person not having any ability to cast magic at all.


    I see. But will getting promoted to A rank me any nice perks?


    Youll get a thirty percent discount when purchasing materials andponents from the Guild once you get promoted to A rank.


    Looks like she read my mind. A thirty percent discount does sound nice.


    I did go through all sorts of trouble in order to build this after all. But since I was nning on making another one for Verse anyway, I had enough spare parts left to make another one whenever I wanted to. Guess Ill sell this one then.


    Ill prepare two hundred fifty-thousand Guineas then. I wont be able to bring out an amount greater than this without consulting the main Guild Headquarters first.


    Perhaps the chief thought I was still not convinced so she upped the price.


    No, two hundred thousand Guineas is more than enough.


    In exchange, can I get a preview of the contents for the advanced magic tool making short course along with the corresponding magic tomes?


    Im honestly having second thoughts about whether or not to enter the advanced course. I think Ill be able to make a more informed decision once I get a peek of the course contents.


    Thats absolutely no problem.


    Great! Ill be able to have Nanom save the contents of the magic tomes. I do feel a bit bad for the Guild and the chief, but lets just say that I used the fifty thousand Guineas I refused earlier to get ess to the magic tomes.


    Well, since I decided to sell it, I guess it would be proper to include notes about the things they should pay attention to in the manufacturing process. The chief ended up being really pleased at my offer.


    It seems she was now heading out to the Commerce Guild in order to withdraw the money for my payment. So the Commerce Guild also epts deposits? I wonder if the money earns interest.

 Chapter 36.2 - The End Of Short Course Lessons And Orange Juice Part 2

    I started writing up the production notes while looking at the contents of the magic tool as I waited for the chief toe back. I wrote down operation instructions, the things they may have trouble with when attempting to produce this magic tool on their own, and the specific reasons for the shapes and build of the variousponents.


    I ended up filling out five sheets of paper before the chief came back. I also included some illustrations to help with the exnations.


    Oh my! How wonderful, n! To think youd write something so detailed! These would surely contribute a lot to our research.


    I quickly skimmed through the magic tomes and reading materials for the advanced magic tool manufacturing course that the branch chief brought out.


    (Have you managed to record all of that?)


    Yes.


    Hm. So theres also something likepound magic huh. I returned the books back to the chief after Nanom finished saving their contents.


    Well, how about it? Are you now interested in taking the advanced course?


    How much would it cost to take the advanced course?


    The regr price is one hundred thousand Guineas. But if we apply your thirty percent A rank discount, itll just cost seventy thousand Guineas. That reminds me. We need to update your Guild I.D. as well.


    Well, I do have some interest of course. But my budget is a little tight right now. Ill think about it again once Ive saved up some more money.


    Thats unfortunate.


    My Guild I.D. was updated to show my new status as an A rank member. I then received the two hundred thousand Guinea payment for selling my magic tool.


    Well, the course may be over but do feel free toe over anytime you like, alright. Ill lend you the use of our facilities if you ever decide to make another new magic tool.


    Thatll be a great help. Thank you very much, chief. See you then.


    I went back to the inn after finishing my business at the Magic Guild.


    I found Cleria and Elna having some tea at the dining area of the inn as always. The dining area was about half-filled with new customers.


    It was just a couple of days since the time when we were the only guests staying over at the inn, but now, other guests started checking in as well.


    When Verse started serving the recipes I taught him, it seems it gained quite a favorable response. Perhaps due to that, new guests started arriving in droves, and now half of the rooms in the inn were upied.


    Verse happily eximed that it was the first time in years since theyve had so many guests.


    I managed to spot the meals the other guests were having on the way to Cleria and Elnas table. Oh, so todays lunch is minced pork cutlets huh. It looks delicious.


    Sorry for the wait. Shall we have lunch here today?


    I was actually thinking of that as well, n.


    Since the lodging fees we paid didnt include lunch service, we needed to pay separately if we wanted to have lunch at the inn. But since it was decided that Verse wasnt going to charge us money for the inns services in exchange for my cooking lessons, we usually had lunch outside instead in order to not take advantage of his goodwill too much. But todays minced pork cutlets just seemed too tasty to pass up.


    We ordered three portions of the meal set from Verses daughter, Sara-chan.


    I talked about the stuff I did at the Magic Guild with Cleria and Elna.


    Thats amazing! So you managed to sell the magic tool you just made for two hundred thousand Guineas!?


    The conversations on the other tables around us abruptly stopped. Since Elna eximed in a fairly loud manner, the other guests ended up hearing as well. I bet most of these customers were merchants and the like.


    Well, thats what happened. Surprising huh? This money is part of the partys funds, so just tell me if you want to purchase anything, alright.


    But thats ns money, right?


    I used the partys money in order to take the short course that allowed me to gain the know-how to make magic tools, so the money from selling the tool will naturally be part of the partys funds in return. Do you have something you want to buy, Ria?


    Something I want I dont think I do.


    I dont have anything in mind as well.


    Well, just tell me if somethinges up, okay. Oh, and theres a magic tool I want to make. Ill use some of the money to buy some materials, alright?


    Of course its fine. Actually, theres no need to ask permission from us, is there?


    Thats not true. I have to ask since Ill be using the partys funds.


    Sara-chan finally brought over the minced pork cutlet meals. Of course, Cleria ordered arge serving as usual. But it really was tasty.


    The meal consisted of tworge minced pork cutlets and some shredded cabbage with Chinese-style dressing on the side. There were also some steamed potos as well. The potos were vored with the herb salt I and Verse made. It seems he started offering a choice of bread or rice for mealstely, but in our case, we were always served with rice.


    Verse also included ketchup with the cutlets. I taught the recipe for ketchup to him as well. I do feel that Japanese-style sauce was more suited to minced cutlets, but I and Verse havent managed to recreate it just yet.


    There was also a small bottle containing soy sauce, or just soy over here, served along with the meals.


    I was the one who suggested this. In this country, it seems it was the norm to serve food with sauce already put on top. So allowing the customers to choose from a variety of sauces themselves was seen as a really novel idea. Verse was also quite excited when he first heard of it.


    Oh, and there was some mustard as well. Ill put in plenty of mustard and soy sauce today then.


    Yep, that sure hits the spot. The cutlets were overflowing with meat juices. Freshly fried minced cutlets really are the best.


    It looks like Cleria was weak to spicy stuff, so she chose ketchup instead. Elna put in some mustard and soy sauce just like me.


    We ate silently for a while, allowing me to overhear some of the conversations going on in the other tables. Most of it was conversations about the food, but the table right next to us began talking about the so-called apostles instead. It seems some merchants they were familiar with were rescued by an apostle from a monster attack.


    Stories about these apostles have started circting among the masses more and more recently. It sounded a bit fishy when Tarus-sans son Katolle talked about it, but it seems the existence of these apostles has been more or less established among the masses recently.


    The people who talked about them always ced the apostles in a favorable light.


    ording to the stories, sightings of the apostles urred more frequently inrger cities. One suddenly appears high in the sky, flies in a circle for a while, and then disappears soon after. There was no harm done to the cities and citizens during each sighting, and some people even started praying to them whenever one appeared.


    I actually nned to shoot one down with a rifle if I managed to encounter it, but now that doesnt seem to be a good idea.


    Well, Id like to see these so-called apostles as well at least once anyway. Will one appear in this city eventually?


    Oh, right. What kind of magic tool were you thinking of building, by the way, n?


    Its a surprise. Ill show it to you when its finished. I still dont know if I can actually make one after all.


    Earlier, as I was walking back to the inn aftering from the Magic Guild, I reviewed the part aboutpound magic Nanom managed to record. Specifically, I was reviewing the part about a spell involving thebination of fire and wind magic. Compound magic is all aboutbining spells in order to cast a new one, and the spell I had my eye on seems to be able to produce warm air.


    When I saw that spell, the first thing that came to my mind was a hairdryer.


    It was a pain to manually dry my hair every time I got a bath after all. It would be really convenient to have a dryer on hand. Im sure Cleria and Elna, who have longer hair than me, would be happy with it as well.


    I had Nanompose a blueprint immediately and was shown the magic circle and parts needed to make one right away. The parts were quite basic. We just needed housing, the appropriate magic circle, a switch, magic wires, and a magic stone. I can actually make one fairly easily.


    However, since itll apply a magic spell that was included in the advanced course, making it in the Guild would be troublesome. I guess I have no choice but to make it at the inn instead. Oh, and I also need to make another food processor since I sold the one I made earlier.


    Ill dedicate the whole morning tomorrow to make magic tools, then Ill continue with magic practice in the afternoon.


    Alright. Ill continue enjoying my lunch and do my best with magic practiceter.

 Chapter 37.1 - Meeting Up 1 (Part 1)

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Its been ten days since Ive finished the basic magic tool manufacturing course.


    I managed to finish making another copy of the magic tool I sold to the Guild within a day.


    When I bragged about its features to Verse, he ended up pestering me to sell it to him for fifty thousand Guineas. In the end, I eventually gave in and sold it to him with an added extra ten thousand Guineas on top of his proposed price as thebor fee. Verse was more than happy to buy what he viewed as a revolutionary magic tool for such a price. Guess Ill just have to make another one for myself.


    Using it would make it easier to do things such as mincing meat, so making minced cutlets, hamburgers, and hard-to-mix stuff like mayonnaise would be much easier as well.


    Since the blueprint for the magic dryer was rtively simple, I managed to finish building one after three days.


    Imissioned the switches and the dryer housings at the workshop chief rmended to me, but the other parts were easy to procure, so it didnt take much work. I made one for my own and one for thedies for a total of three thousand Guineas.


    When I showed the magic tool to the girls, they quickly understood its function and gave rave reviews. It was well worth making them.


    The list of magic tools sold by the Magic Guild didnt have a dryer included, so it seems this magic dryer would be quite a hit if I ever decided to sell it myself. It was regrettable that my rtionship with the Magic Guild ended up kinda awkward as a result of my prior actions. Ill have to think of ways to remedy that soon.


    We decided to change things up a bit and went to another restaurant for lunch instead of going to Tallys ce as usual. We asked Verse for some good shops, and he was happy to oblige. It seems Verse himself dines in the restaurant he rmended from time to time.


    It was apparently close to the Adventurers Guild, so we headed for it straight away.


    Come to think of it, it has been a month since we ced that request at the Adventurers Guild. Weve been checking up on it every day, but theres still no response until now. It was a bit nerve-wracking every time we went to the Guild to check up on it, since there was a risk of attracting those who were pursuing Cleria as well.


    Oh, I guess thats the ce. It looks like a fairly popr store since there were a lot of diners. ording to Verse, it seems their specialty was a variety of stews, so I was looking forward to tasting them.


    The interior of the store was full, so we were guided to terrace seats located on the storefront. It was a nice change of pace to dine in these kinds of seats from time to time.


    Selena was currently standing within the line of people nning to enter the city.


    So this is Gotania


    Selena muttered quietly to herself. The male who seemed to be a peddler in front of her gave her a dubious gaze. She paid absolutely no heed to the peddlers gaze and ignored himpletely.


    She paid the fee for entering the city and went straight to searching for the Adventurers Guild. She asked some of the kids ying happily on the city streets and finally managed to find out the location of the Guild building. It seems it was just nearby.


    Oh, so thats the ce. She saw the distinct faade of the building the children told her about earlier. As she headed for the building, she managed to see a particr scene which surprised her greatly.


    Thats!? Can it be!?


    Theres no mistake! She had finally found the person she sought! Ah, she had found that person atst. So that person really was in Gotania.


    She really did not make a mistake. Shed won the bet against Sharon!


    Now that shes found her objective, she wanted to immediately make her presence known. But it seemed improper to greet that person while in the travel-worn clothing she was currently wearing. She first needed to find an inn to stay at and change into more decent and presentable clothes.


    It seems that person was just about to have a meal. If she hurries, shell be able to meet up with that person before the meal is finished.


    But whats with those people dining along with him!? Acting so excessively familiar Ah, this was the thing she was most afraid of. It seems harmful bugs have really managed totch themselves onto his esteemed self. But its no matter. She would just have to chase them away once she meets up with them. She should hurry.


    Mm. That was delicious. It looks like this shop really deserved its reputation. The meal that resembled cream stew was priced at twenty-five Guineas. It was a bit on the expensive side, but the taste more than made up for the price. The ce was a bit crowded and they had to wait for a while for the food to be served, but it was still well worth it. Lets list it as one of our favorite stores then.


    That was great. I was honestly not expecting the food to be this delicious.


    It certainly was quite delicious. But I still think ns dishes are more


    Cleria made a startled look for some reason. She was looking at something behind me. Elna also made the same surprised expression as well.


    I heard the voice of a young girl behind me, but I couldnt quite make out what she was saying.


    No, wait a minute! It was actually Imperial Common! I was so utterly surprised that my body froze up involuntarily.


    Please pardon my impoliteness, Your Excellency.


    The girl began speaking again. I slowly turned toward the owner of the voice.


    When I did so, I saw a beautiful young girl wearing the formal Imperial military dress uniform crisply standing at attention. She then gave me a genuine-looking imperial military salute.


    Warrant Officer Selena Conrad, reporting for duty!


    Just what is the meaning of this!? Has an imperial rescue party finally arrived at this? But even if they did, it still seemed far too quick. Warrant Officer? I wasnt familiar with a military rank like that. Ah, my mind was in a mess and I was already close to panicking.


    Y-Your affiliation?


    Ah, I made a mistake and talked to her in thissnguage. She shouldnt have understood my question.


    Im a space marine of the 1st Information Corps assigned to the Iris Conrad, part of the 283rd Division of the Spica Sector Red Fleet.


    Thats my toon! But I dont remember having a person like this among my subordinates. Just what is happening here!? Did Iris actually make it in one piece after that incident?


    And it seems shes also managed topile the localnguage since this youngdy is speaking it quite fluently.


    Is Iris alright?


    Of course. We have been in search of Your Excellency all this time.


    (Nanom! Give her a scan! And make it a full scan please!)


    This was the next course of action that came to me first. Since she knows of my identity No, if she really is part of Iris crew, then my authority should be higher than hers. I should be able to do a full scan without asking for her permission.


    Scanplete.


    (Is what shes iming the truth?)


    Yes. Iris is alright. Her I.D. has also been confirmed to be legitimately issued by the empire.


    I see. So Iris was actually fine. Im d.


    There should be no chance of falsifying an empire issued I.D. as well. So was she also one of the survivors like me? I turned my gaze toward her once more. She had blonde hair and blue eyes. She was truly an amazingly pretty young girl. I seem to have seen her face somewhere before, but I cant quite remember where.


    She also looked quite young. Even if she did manage to enlist at the age of eighteen and boarded the ship at that age, we began our mission two years ago. She didnt look remotely like twenty years old in my eyes. In fact, she seems as young as Cleria.


    No. She should have been pretty popr back at the ship considering her beauty. The guys would have been talking about her all the time, but I have no recollection of them doing so at all. My being unfamiliar with her just doesnt make sense.


    Ah! She did say her surname was Conrad, right!? Now I finally know why her face looks so familiar.


    It was the face of thete imperial Hero, Iris Conrad, thats turned younger by several years. Her adult appearance was used by the AI Iris. Her hairstyle was different from AI Iris, so I wasnt able to recognize her at first.

 Chapter 37.2 - Meeting Up 1 (Part 2)

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Oh boy. I have a really bad feeling about this. And I strongly believe my bad premonition had actually hit the bulls eye. Thats the only conclusion I can think of that makes sense after all.


    I finally managed to calm myself down a bit. Oh right. I had Cleria and Elna with me as well.


    Um, n?


    Uh, sorry about that. She was one of my former subordinates.


    Subordinate?


    Ill tell you all about itter. Have you eaten lunch yet, Selena?


    Yes. I ate some emergency rations beforeing to this city.


    Well then, lets go to the inn Im staying at and talk over there.


    Understood.


    Im sorry Ria, but it looks like well have to cancel todays magic practice.


    I understand.


    The four of us headed back to the inn. Due to the fancy imperial uniform Selena was wearing, we really stood out.


    (What exactly is a Warrant Officer? Howe I havent heard of such a rank before?)


    The Warrant Officer rank isnt assigned to personnel except during a certain special situation, but it is indeed an official rank. It is basically higher in rank to a Sergeant Major.


    So its just under an Ensign huh.


    (So whats this special situation you mentioned?)


    In the absence of a proper appointing officer, and furthermore, in a situation where contact with highmand is cut offpletely due to pressing circumstances, a ships AI has the privilege to enlist potential soldiers and appoint them to this particr rank. A Warrant Officer is a rank that is only appointed by ship AIs.


    Wow. I didnt know that. Well, thats to be expected since those special circumstances werent exactly all thatmon until we got ourselves into the current mess were in.


    (But why a Warrant Officer?)


    An AI isnt allowed to formally appointmissioned officers. The Warrant Officer is the highest rank a ship AI is capable of giving.


    I see. So thats the case.


    In order to be a formal imperial military officer, its required to attend an imperial military academy first just as I did. The same applies to nonmissioned officers wanting to be formal officers. We even actually had a middle-aged sergeant major as a ssmate at the academy I attended back when I was younger. And after you graduate from the academy, youre all assigned the rank of Ensign automatically.


    ording to that middle-aged ssmate of ours, he was asked to attend the academy if he wanted to get promoted from sergeant major after years of military service. If he answered yes, then he would have to attend the academy and graduate to get promoted. If he answered no, then he would have to spend the rest of his career as a sergeant major until retirement. No wonder I wasnt familiar with a warrant officer.


    While I was mulling such things over in my head, we finally arrived back at the inn. Verse was quite surprised when he saw Selena. Lets head to my room then.


    Ria, Im sorry but would it be fine if I and Selena talked privately to ourselves first?


    Alright.


    I entered the room along with Selena.


    Now then, I have several things I want to confirm with you. First, do you have amunicator with you?


    Man, its been a while since Ive talked in Imperial Common. It actually feels a bit weird.


    Of course, sir. Ive had it on me all this time. It looks like Your Excellency really did deactivate yourm interface as we surmised. Lieutenant Conrad did take that into ount when we started the search operations.


    Lieutenant Conrad? Oh, she meant Iris huh.


    Oh, right. Now that you mention it, that really seems to be the case. I didnt actually notice Ive deactivated it, but I may have done so out of habit. Now then, Selena, can you please stop addressing me as Your Excellency. I dont really deserve to be called something so grand I think.


    But Captain is effectively an admiral. You have every right to be referred to as such.


    Is that right? So Im an admiral huh? I did get assigned as a ship captain when that incident happened, but it actually included a military rank promotion as well? When I checked my status, I confirmed that my rank has changed to Commodore. So even someone like me became amodore huh? The world is probablying to an end, it seems.


    Anyway, calling me Your Excellency or Captain is totally out of the question. As long as were on this, you need to address me as simply n.


    Understood. n.


    I need to talk to Iris for a bit. Make yourselffortable and sit on that chair over there as you wait.


    I activated mym interface and Nanom automatically connected to the portablemunicator Selena brought with her. I then contacted Iris via an encrypted line.


    (Iris.)


    Iriss face popped up on a virtual window.


    It has been a long time, Captain. I am d to see you are safe and sound.


    (Yes. It seems Ive made you worry. I actually thought you failed saving the ship, Iris. You do know that dumping debris on an inhabited is in gross vition of imperial militaryws, right?)


    Of course, sir. However, the Captain issued a first-ss emergency situation. I am obligated to prioritize Captains orders over military regtions in this case.


    (Is that so? Oh well. Im d youre doing fine as well, Iris.)


    Oh my. Thank you very much, Captain.


    (Now then, about Selena Whats up with her?)


    It is as you think. I have produced her on the restored medical bay of the Iris Conrad as a biological clone of thete Commodore Conrad using her biological tissue.


    (But just why are tissue samples of Commodore Conrad stored on the ship?)


    It is actually customary. Tissue samples of thete officers our imperial ships are named after aremonly stored inside the said ships. By doing so, it is widely believed that their souls will always apany the ships in question during their service.


    (Damn! What the heck? Are we supposed to be the New Imperial Church or something?)


    It seems the case, in a sense.


    (If this was ever found out by the Imperial Ethics Committee)


    Yes. I believe I will be scheduled for dmissioning immediately if that were to happen.


    The Imperial Ethics Committee is an organization that reports directly to the central Adel government. Theyre responsible for defining the conduct that the whole of humanity is to strictly adhere to. No person or organization that has deviated from their specified code of conduct has managed toe out unscathed. They hold a frightening amount of authority, and even the military cannot help but back down obediently.


    (If youve known of that, then just why did you still make Selena?)


    Its because of your orders, Captain.


    Eh!? Did I actually give such an order? Let me run the order I gave out that day on yback Oh. So its the preserve the fighting strength of this ship part, isnt it? What a blunder.


    (Guess Ill be getting court-martialled as well huh.)


    There is no reason to worry about it so much, Captain.


    Eh? Really?


    Amanding officer who deres a first-grade emergency situation is, without exemption, subject to a special court-martial proceeding. It is only when you cannot prove your innocence or justify your actions that you will be subjected to a firing squad.


    (Oh, so thats how it is.)


    Come to think of it, it seems I did learn about something like that at the academy. I really didnt have any choice during that situation. Well, its not like the imperial military or themittee are present on this in the first ce, so theres no point in worrying about it anyway.


    (But Selena sure looks quite young though?)


    Her physical development should be equivalent to seventeen years old in human age. I have made it so she has grown to the minimum possible physical age without affecting her abilities as an imperial soldier.


    I knew it.


    (How does she know how to speak thissnguage?)


    I have ced recon bits inside the bars and pubs all over this continent.


    (Bits!? Youre using drones?)


    Yes. I have managed to preserve quite a number of them and dropped them-side.


    Recon Drone DR-3020  82 units


    General Purpose Bot BT-122W  82 units


    General Purpose Tractor TR-400G  2 units


    Digging Excavator KS-10G  3 units


    Except for the tractors and excavators, thats quite the military potential. Oh, so thats it.


    (So the so-called apostles were the drones?)


    That is correct.


    This managed to resolve the doubts I had about that matter.


    (Did Selena drop to the surface via those escape pods? Those are defective goods you know.)


    Yes, I am aware. Selena and Sharon used pods I modified and rebuilt using betterponents.


    (Now hold up Who is Sharon?)


    Shes the same as Selena. You can say shes Selenas twin sister.

 Chapter 37.3 - Meeting Up 1 (Part 3)

    Oh boy. What a mess. Even if the Imperial Ethics Committee isnt here, Im still feeling really guilty. Well, we cant turn back whats already happened, but this really has got to stop.


    (Are you raising any more clones on the ship?)


    No, I am not.


    (Great. I forbid you from making any more clones henceforth. This is your Captains orders.)


    Acknowledged.


    (So, where is Sharon right now?)


    Shes at the Alois Kingdom, but shes heading to Captains location as we speak. She should arrive in about two hours or so.


    Guess shes riding a drone huh. I still have a lot of stuff I wanna ask, but its kinda a hassle.


    (Please update my database with everything youve learned about this, including the information on various countries, as well as the overall status of the ship. Please summarize it together in the most coherent way you can. I guess you should be done before I go to sleep. You can update it then.)


    Acknowledged.


    I cut off thems.


    Sorry for the wait.


    Its alright. I have alsomunicated with my colleague as well.


    You mean Sharon? When did you manage to reach the surface of the?


    Five days ago, sir.


    What equipment did you two bring?


    We have not brought much equipment with us. We just brought the regr loadout of a pulse rifle,ser gun, and knife.


    So the same as mine huh. They didnt bring anything else apart from those?


    How about powered suits?


    The hangar section seems to have been ejected during the reconstruction of the ship.


    Oh right. The weapons depot was located in the hangar section. So I guess most of the weapons got scrapped huh. So I cant get a multi-sensor after all. It seems the only weapons that werent stored in the weapons depot were pulse rifles andser guns. They barely qualify as standard weapons too.


    So what happened to your rifle?


    I have left my rifle andser gun inside an inn. Also, the escape pod contains 25 energy packs for rifles andser guns, 230 pieces of emergency rations, and spare clothes and uniforms for n. But I only managed to bring half of them. The other half of the clothes are with Sharon.


    That number of spare energy packs shouldst us for a while. Im d you brought over some spare clothes, but why is half of them with Sharon?


    I dont think I had that many spare clothes on board to warrant dividing them in half. It would be great if they brought spare underwear as well.


    Sharon and I contended about who should bring your clothes and Lieutenant Conrad decided to split them between us in the end.


    It would have been better if you brought over all of them though. Well, those clothes stand out a lot over here anyway, so I guess I wont have many opportunities to wear them after all. Is the escape pod far from here?


    It should be a three-day walk from here. We did camouge it thoroughly, and we also secured it. The local inhabitants of this shouldnt be able to open it at all.


    I guess so. Lets go get the supplies at ater date.


    Um, Your Exce n. Just who were those women you were with earlier?


    Ah, Ill introduce youter. Theyre therades I met here. Youre familiar with adventurers, right? Ive made a party with the two of them.


    Is that all, sir?


    Hm? Yeah, thats it. Why?


    I see. Im d.


    Selena gave me a really cute smile. It seems she found it pleasant when I said I merely made a party with Cleria and Elna for some reason.


    I havent told the two of them about the empire. Theres no point in telling them after all. Please keep that in mind as well, Selena.


    Understood.


    By the way, what are your next mission directives, Selena?


    The one who will decide that is Your Exce n.


    I see. So Im the one to decide huh. Iris must have given them the mission to find me. Now that theyve done so, I guess they have no further orders.


    In that case, Im thinking of having you both join me, Cleria and Elna, uh, the two girls earlier, and work along with us. I want you all to get along if possible.


    Alright.


    Okay then. Im gonna introduce you to both of them, soe along.


    We went out of my room and I knocked in front of the door to Clerias room.


    Its n. Can Ie in?


    The door opened and Elna invited us inside. Come to think of it, this is the first time Ive entered their room. Apart from having two beds and looking a bitrger than mine, it was mostly the same as my room.


    I want to introduce her to the two of you. Shes from the same country as me, and her name is Selena.


    Selena Conrad. Best regards.


    Man, couldnt she have introduced herself in a less curt and nicer way? Well, it looks like she hasnt had the opportunity to interact with other people until now, so I guess it cant be helped.


    So, Selena, this girl is Cleria, and this is Elna.


    My name is Cleria Starvine. I am pleased to make your acquaintance.


    I am Elna Norian. Nice to meet you.


    Hm? Cleria and Elna seem to be giving a different atmosphere than usual.


    Im thinking of having Selena work with us. Are you girls fine with that?


    n, just who is Selena?


    And there goes the question.


    I told you abouting to this continent on a ship before, right? That ship has sunk, but shes one of the crew members of that ship.


    Is that all she is, n?


    Hm? Yes. Why?


    Really?


    Just what else is there? Huh? it feels like Im having deja vu for some reason


    The one called Cleria over there. Ive been thinking about this since earlier, but your conduct is overly familiar. And moreover, to think that you have the gall to doubt His Excellencys words.


    You! Just who do you think youre speaking to!? Elna loudly eximed in indignation.


    Just who is this Cleria?


    Selena copied Clerias earlier questioning tone. Shes pretty good! It sounded very simr Geh! Nows not the time for that!


    Ill have you know that Cleria-sama is the crown princess of the Starveek Kingdom!


    Hmph. Compared to His Excellencys esteemed self, a mere princess of a kingdom is far too


    Okay you guys! Hold it right there!


    I got in between them in a fluster. Just why did it turn out like this!?


    Now then, Selena, I think youre mostly the one at fault here. Please apologize to them. Cleria and Elnas attitudes werent all that pleasant either. Now lets do this again in a more calm and civil manner, alright?


    I urged Selena to introduce herself again. She didnt respond so I prodded her further.


    Im sorry for my earlier conduct. Im Selena Conrad. Pleased to meet you both.


    Next is Cleria. I urged her with my gaze.


    Cleria Starvine. I am pleased to meet you as well.


    Elna Norian. My best regards to you.


    And there you go! It looks like you managed to introduce yourselves to each other properly this time. Selenas sister will being overter as well, so please wee her too once she arrives.


    Theres actually another one whosing!?


    Yes, thats right. It seems both of them actually managed to survive when the ship sank.


    n, I want to ask about the clothes Selena is wearing, but


    Oh yeah. Come to think of it, Cleria also saw me in full military uniform once back then, didnt she?


    I guess I didnt manage to tell you guys earlier. I was part of the military. This is the military uniform of the country Im from.


    A uniform of that sort of make


    Selena, and Sharon who will being hereter, are both from the military as well. I believe theyll be able to contribute a lot to the overall strength of our party.


    Which reminds me, can Selena and Sharon actually fight?


    (Whats the estimatedbat level of Selena and Sharon?)


    Selenasbat grade is ny-one, while Sharons is ny-two.


    Wow! Theyre a lot more skilled than me, arent they? Mine was just eighty-five or so. I guess thats just to be expected from ones who hold the genes of an imperial hero. It looks like there are no problems then.


    It looks like Selena booked herself at another inn earlier, so were gonna head out for a bit to pay the rest of her booking fees and get her belongings over here. Please wait here for a while in the meantime.


    I then went out of the inn with Selena to retrieve her baggage.

 Chapter 38.1 - Meeting Up 2 (Part 1)

    Editor: Thors Stone


    It seems we are going to have lunch at a different ce today. Good grief. There is no winning against ns desire for good food. I am of the opinion that the dishes n makes are the most delicious, but it seems n believes otherwise.


    We went to a restaurant located near the Adventurers Guild. It looks like we were going to have our meals on one of the tables ced outside the store. To think we would dine with a full view of the bustling city streets outside. What a novel dining experience.


    The food we were served with was certainly delicious. Compared to my time in the royal capital, its the first time Id had local food this delicious. I did order arge serving, but its unfortunate that even with that, the amount of food served was lesser than your average restaurant.


    That was great. I was honestly not expecting the food to be this delicious.


    It looks like n was also fond of this stew. However, I still think the food n makes is the best.


    It certainly was quite delicious. But I still think ns dishes are more


    I started speaking but noticed a young girl approaching us from behind n. She was a very beautiful girl.


    Those clothes!? They really resemble the clothes I saw n wear one time before! What is going on!?


    Thedy stood right behind n and started speaking. Those words!? They also resemble the words n spoke when we first met. It cant be!?


    n turned around and the youngdy made a gesture resembling a salute while facing him. I am not familiar with this way of saluting.


    Y-Your affiliation?


    n seemed flustered as he posed a question to the youngdy. Afterward, the youngdy spoke in thenguage I am familiar with. However, I still could not understand the meaning of her words.


    Red fleet? Spica Sector? 283rd Division? I do not believe any navy in this world has that many fleet divisions. Even the naval power, Degreet Empire, only has two active naval fleets. Something is definitely amiss. Iris Conrad? I could only understand a little bit of what thedy was talking about, such as her being some kind of soldier.


    Just what is thisdy saying?


    Is Iris alright?


    Of course. We have been in search of you all this time.


    Just what is Iris? And Your Excellency? Is she referring to n?


    Um, n?


    Um, sorry about that. She was one of my former subordinates.


    Subordinate? So n is actually a soldier!? Oh, I should have asked him about it when I had the chance.


    After that, we went back to the inn. n and thedy called Selena kept silent along the way. When we arrived back at the inn, n said he would like to talk with Selena alone first. I wanted to listen in on their conversation, but it cant be helped.


    I went with Elna back to our room and waited.


    Elna, did you manage to understand what that youngdy was talking about earlier?


    No. Unfortunately not, mdy. I did understand about her mentioning some sort of fleet though.


    Is that so. Its the same for me.


    Oh, I wonder just what n and her are talking about right now. Im utterly curious.


    After a little while more, we heard a knock on the door. n entered together with thatdy.


    He apparently came to introduce her to us. As I thought. n and thisdy really were from the same country.


    We introduced ourselves to each other, but this Selenady seemed hateful for some reason. n said she will be joining us from now on.


    I do not understand the need to include ady from Goddess-knows-where into our party though. I cannot ept having her as arade before getting to know her better.


    n, just who is Selena?


    It did seem rude to ask another person when the person in question was just in front of me, but I cannot rest easy if I do not confirm it.


    I told you abouting to this continent on a ship before, right? That ship has sunk, but shes one of the crew members of that ship.


    Is that all she is, n?


    Hm? Yes. Why?


    Really?


    The one called Cleria over there. Ive been thinking about this since earlier, but your conduct is overly familiar. And, moreover, to think that you have the gall to doubt His Excellencys words.


    It was the first time I was addressed in such a tantly rude manner! I was so shocked that I couldnt react for a few moments.


    It seems the one she refers to as His Excellency really was n. But n told us he wasnt a noble. In other words, she was addressing him as such because he was a high ranking officer in the military? In the Starveek Kingdom, the only officers referred to as such were our generals. n was a military general!?


    You! Just who do you think youre speaking to!? Elna eximed.


    Just who is this Cleria?


    She actually mimicked my tone earlier. And she did sound quite simr too.


    I will have you know that Cleria-sama is the crown princess of the Starveek Kingdom!


    Hmph. Compared to His Excellencys esteemed self, a mere princess of a kingdom is far too


    n got in between the two of them in a panic.


    Elna ended up revealing my former status, but thedy called Selena didnt seem to be fazed one bit.


    I became curious about Selenas words. Compared to His Excellencys esteemed self, a mere princess of a kingdom was what she said. n cut in halfway, so she couldnt finish her sentence, but this basically means that Selena thinks ns status was greater than a princess of a kingdom.


    What does this mean? In most countries, a princess surely ranks higher than a general. And even if n was part of the royal family, we would be of the same rank at most. Was n actually a king!? No, that cant be. The address of His Excellency will not be appropriate if he was the ruler of a nation, and a king certainly cannot serve as a military general at the same time. Ah, there is too much I do not understand.


    It seems n wants us to introduce ourselves to each other again.


    After we did so, n confessed his standing himself. And it seems Selena also has a sister, and that sister was alsoing here.


    I looked at Selena once more. She really was an incredibly beautifuldy. Her age seems to be the same as mine. Could her sister also possess such beauty? I felt frustrated for some reason I could not quite ce.


    And it seems like n really was a soldier. And surprisingly, the fine clothes Selena was wearing was actually a standard military uniform. Clothes of such fine make were actually military uniforms? It just seemed so unbelievable.


    n and Selena went over to the inn Selena booked in order to get her things. Oh! Theres just so much I need to process.


    It seems the inn Selena booked was located near the Adventurers Guild. We really didnt need to go get her baggage right now, but the atmosphere back there was bad for some reason, so I took the opportunity to get them off each others backs for a bit to allow them some time to cool their heads. I really didnt need toe as well, but I guess I could help carry the stuff if they turned out to be a lot. It was part of an officers duty to ensure their subordinates well being after all. Come to think of it, this is the first time Ive had some female subordinates.


    Your attitude back there was quite unbing, Selena.


    I am truly sorry. It was just that I couldnt stand their attitude toward you n, so I red up.


    I dont think the way Cleria and Elna were treating me had issues though. Ill be happy if you can treat me casually like the two of them do as well, Selena.


    Is that really alright!? N-No, um As I thought, I really cannot bring myself to do such a thing.


    You really dont need to speak all formal with me you know. It may not be appropriate in our capacity asmanding officer and subordinate, but at least drop the honorifics while were on this, alright?


    I shall think about it.


    By the way, how did you manage to procure money?


    The drones have managed to analyze the specifications of the currency used in this. They were manufactured inside the ships material workshop based on the coted data.


    In other words, you used counterfeit currency!? Well, I guess itll be alright as long as the materialposition is the same.


    That means that if I manage to record the materialposition of the white gold coins I heard of a while back, I would be able to produce such currency. It would be great if I can somehow get a hold of some white gold coins then.


    You did bring other clothes aside from your uniform, right? Change into one of them once we get to the inn.


    Understood.


    Hm? Is there a problem with that?


    Um The clothes arent cute at all.


    The reason for her hesitancy in changing her clothes made me gawk. Oh boy. I guess in these aspects, she really was a young girl just like her appearance suggests.


    The uniform stands out too much. You really do have to change.


    Understood.


    When we arrived at the inn, Selena headed to her room and came out with a considerable amount of luggage. Most of it seems to be water and emergency rations though.


    Please take this, n.


    Selena handed me a portablemunicator she brought with her. The portablem was about twenty centimeters long and five centimeters wide. At first nce, it looked like a simple metal te.


    This is a spare I brought with me in order to give to you, n.


    Oh, nice! This is great. Thanks. And those clothes actually suit you after all, dont they?


    Is that so!? Thank you very much.


    Selena smiled happily.


    Selena said she could carry the luggage herself, but I insisted we split the load and went back to the inn I was staying at. The luggage was fairly heavy. Just what are contained inside these anyway?


    n, I managed to detect traces of Nanoms from that Cleria person earlier.


    Oh, right. I made her ingest them. It was an emergency since her arm and leg were bitten off.


    I told Selena about how I met Cleria and our journey up until now.


    Are you not going to retrieve the Nanoms from Cleria?


    I dont think its a problem, really. She would be no different from a normal human as long as I dont give them an order to create an interface anyway. Because its forbidden for civilians to use Nanoms, itd probably always stay that way.


    We kept conversing until we got back to the inn.


    Selena, would you be fine to share a room with Sharon?


    Yes, theres no problem.


    Sara-chan, is there still a double room avable?


    There is. Um, is she your friend, n-san?


    Well, shes more of arade than a simple friend.


    Is that so? Heres the key then. The room is just beside the one Ria and Elna are staying at. And theres no need to pay for the amodations, by the way.


    No, Ill pay for the room, alright.


    Im sorry, but I cant ept that. Father will grill me.


    Can you call Verse out for a sec then?


    Hey there, n. It looks like yourrades increased huh.


    Yes, thats how it is. Ill pay for their room, by the way.


    No, I cant ept that.


    Why!? Just take my money!


    Nope, n. Youre the benefactor of this inn. I will never charge even a single coin from you or yourrades from now on.


    Benefactor? But I dont think I did anything that grand though.


    As you know, this is the first time in years since this inn has been packed with this many guests. And its all thanks to you.


    But thats because this inn is a great inn. And we really shouldnt upy three rooms for free, right?


    Now look here, n. Weve managed to keep our business even in the times when we only had just one guest staying over. Well make a tidy profit in case theres two.


    But look at todays situation. Honestly, Weve made so much money that I cant help myself fromughing out loud you know.


    And thanks to the delicious food, were also clearing out our stock of alcohol quite fast.


    Furthermore, the guests keep on making their next reservations before they check out.


    Thats a first for this inn ever since it was opened you know. In other words, the guests are actually thinking that the inn might be full the next time theye over.


    All of this is thanks to you. So dont be a stranger and stay as much as you like.


    I think its thanks to Verses cooking skills though. Well, since youve said that far, I guess I have no choice but to indulge in your kindness. Thank you.


    Ou. No problem.

 Chapter 38.2 - Meeting Up 2 (Part 2)

    Editor: Thors Stone


    When I received the key and started heading upstairs with Selena, someone ran into the inn. Eh? Selena?


    I, Verse and Sara-chan kept looking back and forth at Selena who was about to go upstairs and the Selena lookalike who just came in. They really look the same. Uh, I guess this is Sharon then. That was fast.


    Well Ill be. So theyre twins huh?


    Yes, thats right! They really look alike. This is Selena and this is Sharon. Please look after the two of them too. It seems Sharon is a bit out of breath from her travels, so Ill just bring them up to their room.


    Before Sharon managed to make her greetings, I got in the way and hurriedly pulled her upstairs. Selena and Sharons room should be here. When we went inside, I found that it was mostly the same as Cleria and Elnas room.


    Sharon Conrad reporting, Your Excellency. I am sorry to greet you wearing such poor clothing.


    Sharon saluted me even as she seemed a bit out of breath. It looks like she really came in a hurry. Sharon was wearing clothes with the same type of design as Selena. The only difference was the color. So I guess these clothes were also made inside the ship huh.


    Im n Corinth. Nice to meet you, Sharon.


    I also saluted in return.


    The three of us sat in chairs inside the room, and I proceeded to tell Sharon about what happened today as well as the situation with Cleria and Elna.


    In other words, we will form an adventurer party with thosedies named Cleria and Elna, right?


    Thats right. Thats going to be the case for a while. As Ive told the both of you, once weve managed to meet up with Cleria and Elnaspatriots, the situation may change once more though. That being the case, I hope youll try to get along with Cleria and Elna as much as possible, you two.


    Understood. Please leave it to us. Sharon replied.


    Um, n. About that magic you told us earlier. Can you really use such a thing? Selena asked.


    I can. Basically, just like this.


    I turned my gaze on top of the empty cup ced on the table and casted the Water spell. Water started pouring out from the space ten centimeters above the cup and flowed inside it. I stopped the spell once the cup was filled.


    Wow!


    You look like youre parched, Sharon. You can go ahead and drink it.


    Sharon brought the cup to her lips and took a sip.


    Its cold and delicious!


    I was now able to bring out chilled water instead of the usual room temperature one.


    Theres a call from Iris.


    I wondered what it was about as I epted the call. Iris face popped up on the virtual window.


    Please allow me to join your discussion via AR mode.


    Most likely, Iris was monitoring the conversation through Selena or Sharon so her interest was piqued.


    (Sure. Permission granted.)


    Soon afterward, a life-sized projection of Iris popped out behind Sharon. Her form was just being simted through the Nanoms though, so its not like Iris was really present inside the room. The three of them really look like mother and her children when they line up like this.


    How amazing, Captain! So this is magic.


    The voice of the Iris projection didnte directly from her but is instead simted but the Nanom and fed into my auditory nerves.


    I guess you didnt have any opportunity to witness magic even though you investigated the pubs huh.


    Thats right. Ive learned about magic earlier on, but this is the first time Ive actually witnessed it. Can you do more things using it?


    I cast the Fire spell, and a ball of me appeared and hovered one meter above the surface of the table. The me wisp was stationary in mid-air.


    Oh!


    Can we also learn to use magic!?


    I wonder. I think you probably can though. Oh, right. Nanom said you need to use a sensor that was developed on Salsa 2 of the Elider system.


    Please send me the relevant data right away, Captain!


    Uh, I dont think Iris can use magic though.


    Alright. Ill send the data to the three of you right now.


    (Please transmit all the data we have on magic.)


    Acknowledged.


    Ill be taking my leave then!


    Iris disappeared in a hurry.


    Please dont take too long on the update though. Alright then. Let me introduce you to Cleria and Elna, Sharon.


    Understood.


    The three of us headed to Cleria and Elnas room and knocked. Elna weed us in just like earlier.


    When they got a look at Selena and Sharon, Cleria and Elna gawked in surprise.


    Sharon just arrived. As you can see, Selena and Sharon are actually twins. Sharon, this is Cleria, and this is Elna.


    How do you do? I am Sharon Conrad. Please take good care of me from now on.


    She made a splendid introduction, unlike Selena. It seems Cleria and Elna were surprised at the difference in attitude as well.


    Please take care of me as well. I am Cleria Starvine.


    Im Elna Norian. Best regards.


    It may be presumptuous on my part, but I told Selena and Sharon about your circumstances, Cleria. The two of them are my subordinates. I guarantee you can trust them.


    If thats what you think n, then I dont mind at all. But it sure is amazing. Its my first time seeing such identical twins.


    Weve heard that a lot. Cleria-san and Elna-san. The two of us are not very familiar with this continent, so well be counting on you both.


    It looks like Sharon was quite sociable, unlike Selena. But why the difference in personality?


    Of course. We shall teach you anything you want to know, as long as it is within our scope of knowledge.


    How about we all go downstairs for some tea? Im kinda thirsty myself.


    We went downstairs to the dining area and ordered some tea. Id like for them to get to know each other better as much as they can.


    The tea served in this inn is quite simr to green tea on Earth. Thanks to my suggestion, we ended up having cookies along with the tea.


    This is delicious! But I wasnt able to have lunch, so maybe thats affecting my impression of the food though. Sharon eximed.


    Thats because the recipe for those cookies was taught by n to this inns chef, so it goes without saying that they are delicious.


    Eh!? Cap n did? You can cook?


    Cooking is my hobby after all. It seems my cooking is quite well received here too.


    Its more than just well received. In fact, I think the food cooked by n is the most delicious in the world. n, it looks like Sharon hasnt had her lunch yet. Should we have dinner early today?


    It seems Cleria was actively trying to deepen their friendship. Thats great.


    Yeah, youre right. Shall we have our dinner now then? Ill go ahead and ask.


    When I asked Verse who was inside the kitchen, he said okay and imed that the food can be prepared straight away, even though it was early for dinner.


    After a while, the dishes were finally brought out of the kitchen. Oh, so todays dinner is cheese hamburger steak huh. They sure look tasty.


    This is cooking


    Selena and Sharon both seemed a bit agitated as they looked at the food that was served. Dont tell me they havent eaten anything apart from the emergency rations? Come to think of it, Selena did tell me earlier that she brought a lot of emergency rations.


    Delicious!


    The two of them started eating and praised the food after getting a taste.


    What is this? Its so delicious!


    Selena and Sharon got absorbed in eating their food. Cleria looked quite happy as she looked at their reactions for some reason.


    You can freely order seconds. Go ahead and eat your fill.


    Selena, Sharon, and Cleria ordered quite a bit of food and finished off arge number of dishes.


    Fuu. I cant eat anymore. My tummy is full.


    I cant believe theres something so delicious in this world.


    These are recipes from ns country, right? Have the two of you never tasted them before?


    It seems they havent really tasted them before. These are all some popr local specialties from a faraway province after all.


    Oh, so these are actually dishes from Earth? Its the first time weve tried them.


    Selena and Sharon were probably both tired from their travels. Lets go to bed early today.


    I was drying my hair after having a bath when Sharon called through themunicator. It seems she wants to ask me something. I wondered what it was about as I went over to their room.


    Im sorry, n. Its not really something all that important, but Sharon kept insisting


    n, what would be our course of action from now on?


    Are you asking as Selena and Sharon or members of the imperial military?


    Im asking in the capacity of a soldier of the empire.


    I see. Like I said earlier, the only survivor from the imperial military after that attack is me alone. I didnt have any goals in mind when I started my journey and just happened to find myself aiding Cleria along the way. Honestly, I havent really thought of my next course of action after this. Ill be receiving updates about the state of the ship and info about this from Irister. Ill have to look those over first before deciding on anything. About continuing on as a soldier of the empire or just retiring here, I mean.


    Is there really a choice of retiring?


    Of course. Even if were part of the imperial army, we really cant fulfil our mission like this, right? We cant even return back to the ship. Theres really no point in ying imperial soldiers in this situation. Well, Im the one in charge, so I cant just simply quit though. But I think its possible for you two to get naturalized and live your lives on this though. After all, youve already been born into this world. The both of you have every right to be happy.


    I dont know about Sharon, but I will follow n.


    Of course I will follow n as well.


    You dont really need to make your decisions in a hurry like that. I think Ill be able toe to a decision by tomorrow. Please give me a little time.


    Understood. Im sorry to disturb your rest for this, sir.


    I went back to my room as I thought about the feelings of the two girls. They were probably feeling anxious right now. Its natural for clones to feel insecure, given that they were born without any particr purpose apart from finding me, and now that they did, Im sure theyre overwhelmed by theck of duties. They were also at a biological age where their mentalities were not yet fully developed too. I really do feel guilty for the two of them.

 Chapter 39.1 - Operation Planning Part 1

    Editor: Thors Stone


    I managed to wake up just as the dawn came. I slept quite early yesterday so I managed to have plenty of rest. Thanks to the upload of arge amount of datast night, I was still feeling a bit of vertigo.


    A lot of the things I had no knowledge of previously are now as familiar to me as the back of my hand. I have now familiarized myself with the continental makeup of this. There were quite a few continents andndmasses on the surface of this, but the only one that is housing a human poption is the continent Im located in. The rest of the continents are popted by wild animals and the so-called monsters.


    The local inhabitants of this call it Ares. And the name of the continent Im located in is Cerise.


    I disyed a map of the surface of this on a virtual window. The various countries on the map are indicated using different color designations. But a significant portion of the map is colored white. These areas were either not under any country or have not been properly explored and mapped yet. The multicolored portionsprised about 40% of the entire map while 60% was a dull white. There were fifty four countries altogether.


    I didnt really care about this stuff all that much though.


    (Iris.)


    Good morning, Captain.


    (Good morning. I have several things I want to confirm with you. First, I wanna ask about the coordinates of this. Why have we deviated far too much from our initial course when we came out from forced warp? No, it isnt on a level of mere deviation. Wevee to apletely uncharted region.)


    I currently have no definite answer to that. We dont have enough data regarding forced warp-outs due to external interference.


    (Can you give me a probable conjecture then?)


    Im sure Captain is already familiar with the basic principles of hyperspace navigation, correct? Determining the warp-out coordinates during hyperspace travel is a result of rigorous and detailed calctions. But since we were forcibly warped out due to external forces, hence failing to go through the proper procedures, arriving at these coordinates was just a result of sheer probability.


    I have no idea what youre trying to get at.


    (In other words?)


    Simply put, we were just unlucky.


    Now thats easier to understand. But yeah I had a strong streak of bad luck ever since I was a kid. I can ept that reasoning, at least.


    (Alright then. Next, I want to know why you have data on the estimated probability of the empire discovering these coordinates. Just how did you get a hold of this?)


    I am familiar with the algorithms used in order to determine target sectors for exploration. These algorithms have not been updated for the past five hundred years. Of course there is always a possibility of it being updated while we are unaware, but the data I have is urate if we assume that not to be the case.


    (So theylle here after a thousand years or so huh. Hoping for a rescue is all but hopeless now.)


    These results are ultimately just the result of statistical probability. There is still a chance of it being wrong and the time of discovery being shortened.


    (So how about the probability of me being alive once rescuees?)


    Next to zero, Captain.


    (I see Right.)


    The search method implemented by the empire in order to discover the home of the Bugs is basically dispatching several fleets to uncharted sectors and mapping them extensively. They had to be absolutely thorough because the search will be meaningless if they miss even just one sector.


    But by using this method, the empire is only able to investigate a rtively small corner of this vast universe. It also takes a considerable amount of time and effort.


    However, if we had not deviated so far off course, Iris would have been discovered by allied ships within a hundred years in the worst case.


    (Alright then. Lets get to the main point. Are the results of these calctions reliable?)


    I had based my calctions on thetest survey probability patterns. In that sense, these calctions are mostly urate. But in the end, probability is still merely probability. Even I cannot bepletely certain of their true uracy.


    I guess thats right, huh. Dammit! Just what am I supposed to do now!?


    (What do you suggest we do now?)


    There is nothing the Captain can do to resolve the current dilemma.


    Yeah, I guess There really is nothing I can do about this situation


    Some of the info from the data Iris uploaded onto my database were somewhat interesting, but the rest were just your standard reports.


    Firstly, the coordinates of this was so far from the initially nned navigation route that the estimated period of an imperial fleet or vessel discovering our current location will only ur after one thousand two hundred years, give or take.


    This wasnt a definite number of course. If the empire made considerable efforts to bolster their exploration rate, then there is a chance we may be found earlier than first estimated. Of course, the reverse can also happen as well.


    Secondly, the estimated probability of Bugs discovering this before the empire arrives is 88%.


    In other words, theres a prettyrge chance of this being attacked and ravaged by the Bugs. We dont really know when exactly itll happen though.


    (By how much can we strengthen thebat capabilities of the ship within, say, five hundred years or so?)


    If we were to face a standard fleet of sixteen BG-I cruisers, we will be able to take at most two fleets of this caliber by focusing on upgrading thebat effectiveness of the ship. However, there would be no chance of winning if we end up facing a BG-X battleship.


    Right. If we go up against a BG-X battleship, Iris, that has lost most of her main propulsion systems, will just end up being a sitting duck. We can easily destroy it if the engine section was still intact though.


    And when ites to the Bugs, theres no way an attack will end with just two fleets. Once a Bug fleet fails to return after attacking a certain sector, multiple other fleets will keep swarming said sector until it ispletely ravaged. Iris, that no longer possesses a reactor, will probably run out of energy while facing those continuous relentless attacks.


    (Can you manufacturem equipment that is capable of FTLmunications?)


    It is possible to build equipment capable of FTLmunications by dismantling and turning some sections of the ship intoponents, but it will still not work properly due to theck of a reactor.


    (Cant you manufacture a reactor then?)


    Negative. There arent enough resources to build one. Even if we did possess enough resources, building a proper reactor will require the use of arge, well equipped dock. We cannot build one with just maintenance bots.


    So those really werent possible huh. What a mess.


    Before I ended up boarding the Iris Conrad, I was assigned to the Star-ss heavy cruiser Theo II. While serving there, we were sent on a mission to provide aid to a colonized civilian that was attacked by the Bugs. Before the rescue troops came, almost seventy percent of the total poption was all but killed. After annihting the Bugs in the star system, wended on the to aid in recovery and rescue operations, but what greeted us was a real hell.


    And that damn tragedy will also repeat itself on this huh.


    Ipsed into a depressed silence. After brooding for some time, Imunicated with Iris again.


    (How about we increase the technological level of this?)


    That measure will not make it in time. Even if we did manage toplete building a reactor on the surface within six hundred years or so, acquiring the technology and knowhow to sessfullyunch and install the reactor onto the ship out in orbit cannot be achieved within those six hundred years.


    (Why?)


    There are various issues to consider, such as education, manpower, and resource acquisition and development. For example, just how do you propose we educate the human poption on this?


    Thats right. We would definitely need to start from the very basics. And due to the presence of a variable called magic, itll be hard to predict the reaction of the local inhabitants when exposed to imperial technology and knowledge.


    Do we have no choice but to force them to learn? But how would we?


    (Hey, Iris, Ive decided! Im going to seize control of this! I will seize it, and then make the inhabitants learn the required knowledge and technology, even if I have to do it by force Heh. Yeah right. Like that would work.)


    Understood.


    Huh?


    (Youre not gonna oppose that?)


    I have no reason to oppose, sir. Only the Captain has the authority to decide our course of action.


    (That cant be! Im talking about forcibly usurping control of the, yknow!? Doesnt that vite the imperial codex or something?)


    This is not part of the empire after all. It will not be grounds for vition of militaryw.


    (But I just cant believe a mere ship captain has the power to decide that sort of thing.)


    Captain Corinth is not a mere ship captain. You are effectively themander-in-chief of this sector. In sectors not under an official imperial governor, themander-in-chief will stand as the official representative of the central Adel government. In other words, in this sector, Captains will is the empires will.


    (You gotta be kidding me!)

 Chapter 39.2 - Operation Planning Part 2

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    I have no words to describe just how ludicrous this all sounds! Just who was the genius who implemented this sort of messed up policy!?


    But I do admit it suited my purposes just fine. I cant just give up due to the current situation and do nothing. Ill struggle as much as I possibly can, dammit!


    By the way, this is not part of the empire, so instead of seizure or requisitioning, I believe the words invasion or forced upation are more appropriate sir.


    (Calling it an invasion just doesnt sit well with me yknow. Force upation huh. Okay then. Iris! Were gonna Uh, hold up. Let me redo that line.)


    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    I have no words to describe just how ludicrous this all sounds! Just who was the genius who implemented this sort of messed up policy!?


    But I do admit it suited my purposes just fine. I cant just give up due to the current situation and do nothing. Ill struggle as much as I possibly can, dammit!


    By the way, this is not part of the empire, so instead of seizure or requisitioning, I believe the words invasion or forced upation are more appropriate sir.


    (Calling it an invasion just doesnt sit well with me yknow. Force upation huh. Okay then. Iris! Were gonna Uh, hold up. Let me redo that line.)


    I dont get many opportunities to say such cool lines, so I wanna nail it perfectly. Lets make this count.


    (Iris! We, proud members of the imperial forces, will now proceed to upy this, Ares, under the glorious name of the Human Gctic Empire, and bring it to the empires fold!)


    Understood.


    Bummer. Cant you just y along for once, Iris?


    No one has ever incorporated a to the empire by means of a forced upation. If you aplish this sessfully, your name will be recorded in the annals of history, Captain.


    (Well, theres a good chance Ill bebeled the greatest viin in imperial history though. Oh well. I dont n on giving up easily, Iris.


    I will save the humans of this. I swear!


    Of course, even if were going the forced upation route, the use of brute force alone is not a given. Theres no point in doing that after all.


    Anyway, well first need an established foothold to serve as a base of operations. And it will eventually be the central capital of Ares.


    Please choose a suitable site while considering the avability and essibility of resources and the terrain.)


    This area will be the most suitable, sir.


    The map of the continent popped up in front of me. A red dot was ced on top of a white-colored section of the map. Hm. It wasnt that far from our current position.


    (Why did you choose this area?)


    Firstly, ording to a spectrum analysis done by the drones, the amount of mineral resources in this area is many magnitudes higher than anywhere else in the continent.


    And there is also a lot of wood and stone for use in fortress building.


    Moreover, there is also an abundance of fossil fuels as well as alternative energy sources that can be extracted from monsters. This area has higher concentrations of thempared to the rest of the continent as well. There is no better area to build our base of operations on.


    (So youve already considered the monsters as alternative energy sources huh. Hm? Hold up. Is this ce the so-called Great Demon Forest by any chance?)


    Affirmative.


    (This ce is filled to the brim with monsters that often spill out into territories upied by humanity, right? Will it really be okay?)


    There will be no problems.


    (Okay then. Ill leave the construction of the base to you. Do as you see fit. By my estimate, this area will probably be developed into proper imperial territory within the next twenty years. Things like filling up the poption and constructing the living areas will take quite a bit of time after all.)


    If you use that time frame, you will probably not make it in time for the Bug invasion, Captain. At the very least, we would need to build a livable city that can house ten thousand people within five years.


    (I see. So, a city within five years huh. Man, that sure is rough.)


    Would it be better if I upied a country or something? Nah, causing bloodshed in order to prevent bloodshed in the future is pretty messed up. Im not saying Im nning on keeping my hands clean, but Id like to avoid unnecessary sacrifices as much as possible.


    Building a reactor andunching it out into space will be an extremely grand and difficult undertaking. I cannot take measures that will possibly reduce the poption of this that much.


    But even if Iris manages to gain a foothold in the Great Demon Forest and built a city there, just who will agree to live in it, I wonder? If it were me, I would definitely be suspicious and apprehensive if someone suddenly approaches me and tells me about a secret and wonderful ce to settle down or something. And no matter how much honeyed words are used to persuade them, I cant imagine people suddenly abandoning their current lifestyles in order to head out to god-knows-where.


    Well then, how about starting out as part of an established country? Right. For example, getting acknowledged as nobility and being given the right to develop ones own territory! If we recruit potential residents by promising low taxes and other incentives, Im sure we can expect quite a few willing to relocate. It seems pretty convenient as a means to gather people.


    In any case, I still need to spend time thinking about possible measures.


    (Im gonna think about possible measures to gather people. Please give me some time.)


    Understood.


    (By the way, whats the estimated probability of building a reactor andunching it out to orbit within 500 years? Just give me a rough number.)


    Well, about two percent, I guess.


    (Hey now! Earlier it was just zero percent and now were up to two. Were making progress.)


    Well, I didnt expect you would actually propose subjugating this, Captain. The probability percentage has slightly increased as a result.


    Well, I guess Im just d were moving in a positive direction, no matter how insignificant the development is.


    It was already time for breakfast, so I cut the call with Iris and headed downstairs. I found the girls already sitting in the dining area, talking with each other animatedly while having tea. Im d they all managed to get along.


    Good morning. What are you girls talking about?


    Good morning, n. Cleria and Elna were teaching us about things regarding this continent.


    Hm. What did they teach you?


    Mostly about the nobles living in this continent. We were not familiar with them, so it really helps a lot.


    Hey! Now thats something I wanna hear as well. Ill have Sharon and Selena tell me about the things I missedter.


    Im interested in that as well. Let me listen in, if you girls dont mind.


    Before that, n. I also have something to ask.


    What is it?


    Are you actually part of royalty, n?


    Whats up with that? I cant be part of royalty, can I? Whyd youe to such a conclusion anyway?


    No, its fine if I was mistaken. Im sorry about asking such a weird thing.


    Cleria was acting relieved for some reason. Whats up with her?


    Our breakfast was brought out soon after. The breakfast this morning was hamburgers. Theres a lot of them piled up on arge te. These probably made use of the leftover minced meat from yesterday.


    The buns sandwiched thick meat patties along with slices of cheese, tomatoes, and fresh lettuce. The sauce was made from abination of ketchup and mayonnaise. Mm, delish! It was a little on the heavy side for breakfast, but tasty stuff is tasty.


    Wah, these are also delicious!


    Sharon and Selena lost themselves in the taste of food once again. Cleria was enamored as well.


    The pile of hamburgers on top of therge te was cleared out in no time.


    It seems the things Cleria and Elna discussed regarding nobility were stuff that was only known among noble circles. It was perfect since I also wanted to know more about the nobility system right now.


    Canmoners be appointed as nobles?


    Well, cases like that are quite rare. In the Starveek Kingdom, there was a party of adventurers that defeated three grown wyverns. The leader of that party ended up receiving the title of baron. Elna exined.


    I am familiar with that story as well. That was supposedly given as part of a reward for saving a vige from those wyverns.


    Whoa! So adventurers can actually be nobles huh. And just for killing some monsters at that.


    Hm. So is exterminating monsters enough in order to get promoted?


    No, simply vanquishing monsters is not enough. Adventurers who were sessfully appointed as nobles were all famous and well-loved by the people of thend.


    Thats right. Countries have the penchant of giving out noble titles to adventurers with considerable levels of prestige.


    I see. So just simply killing monsters wont do. So I gotta be world-famous and he popr huh. Thatll be troublesome. It seems it wont work out as smoothly as I thought.


    After breakfast, Cleria and Elna headed out to the courtyard to spar as usual. I would have proceeded to busy myself with making magic tools usually, but I have another agenda today.

 Chapter 39.3 - Operation Planning Part 3

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Selena, Sharon. Can you change into your uniforms and wait inside your room for me? I have something to discuss with you both.


    The expressions of the two of them turned serious and answered in the affirmative. Im sure theyre expecting it to be a continuation ofst nights discussion. Well, it was in a certain sense.


    I went back to my own room and changed into my own uniform.


    Iris appeared in full uniform within the room after I contacted her. Her appearance was created by Nanom by feeding visual information directly into my optic nerves.


    Have the two of them already been informed about what we discussed?


    No, I have not informed them yet.


    I see. Ill exin everything to them then. Come with me.


    I went out of my room and knocked on the door to Selena and Sharons room.


    Please enter.


    When I entered the room, the two of them noticed I was in full uniform and hurriedly made crisp salutes. Iris seems to be ying as my adjutant.


    At ease, you two.


    Selena then rummaged through her luggage in a fluster and brought something out.


    Forgive me, Your Excellency. I have forgotten to hand this over to you.


    It was the insignia indicating my rank as amodore. Themodore rank insignia disyed a singleet streak. Man, this looks so cool! Lemme put it on right away.


    Thank you, Warrant Officer Conrad.


    I reced my previous insignia with themodore insignia.


    But I just cant get in the mood by being in this sort of room.


    (Iris, can you make this look like a gctic navy briefing room?)


    The appearance of the room changed after that. The size of the room remained unchanged, but its overall appearance and atmosphere underwent aplete transformation. The wall behind me became arge disy screen, and the table became a console. Man, I sure missed this scenery.


    The two girls seemed restless for some reason.


    The reason I had you change into your uniforms is due to one reason alone. As we discussedst night, I have nowe to a decision regarding our next course of action as soldiers serving in the imperial military. I received various critical pieces of information from Irisst night. As such, I have decided on a definite direction for our subsequent activities.


    I first told them about all the information I managed to receive.


    First, I told them that it would take approximately 1200 years for the empire to discover the sector the we are currently stranded on was located.


    Then I told them that within those 1200 years, there was an 88% chance of the Bugs appearing in this system.


    In other words, the humans of this are facing an unprecedented crisis.


    The humans of this are not citizens of the empire. However, every human-inhabited discovered by the empire has been taken under the empires wing without fail. I am sure this, Ares, will also be incorporated into the empire once it is discovered.


    That said, I hereby dere the humans of Ares as quasi-imperial citizens.


    That being the case, I have decided to take steps in order to ensure the safety and survival of the citizens inhabiting this.


    However, Iris has suffered critical damage, and we have lost most of our equipment. There is not much we can do.


    After discussing with Iris, I havee to the conclusion that there is no other way to save the citizens of this other than increasing the overall technological level of Ares to the point where they are capable of helping us build a new reactor andunching said reactor into space, where our ship awaits.


    Im sure youre wondering just how I n to increase the technological level of this. There is no time to gradually persuade the inhabitants of this to cooperate.


    In light of the emergency situation we are in, I have decided on a certain means.


    We, as members of the imperial military, will proceed to upy this in the glorious name of the Human Gctic Empire and im it as imperial territory.


    Oooh!


    Man. Thats a great reaction, you two. I wish Iris would take a page from these two.


    By making this a part of the imperial territory, the local humans living here will be recognized as proper imperial subjects. As such we would be beholden by the oaths we swore at the time of our enlistment and required to fulfill our due obligations as proud soldiers of the empire.


    Uh, but hold on. I did make an oath when I enlisted, but have Selena and Sharon already made the oath as well?


    I turned an inquiring gaze toward Iris.


    The both of them have made their oaths as well.


    Great.


    Of course the first priority and main objective of this upation is to rapidly raise the technological level of this. We must first build a base and establish an orderly system.


    As soon as working governance and educational systems are in ce, we will proceed to expand our reach and influence throughout the world.


    It will be a long and hard fight. An unprecedented super long-term operation is upon us.


    The nned upation will most probably not be aplished within our generation. We will need to entrust our will to the next generation of imperial elites.


    I want us toy the foundation and serve as role models for the next generation of elites.


    How about it? Are you two willing to fight together with me?


    Of course, sir! I will fight alongside you, Your Excellency! Selena affirmed.


    I shall also aid you in your struggle! I can think of no better cause worth fighting for! Sharon followed up.


    I see. I am grateful for your trust, you two. I truly thank you. Alright. We have decided on our next course of action, but we have yet to iron out any details. Feel free to raise questions if you have any doubts. Do you have any questions for me?


    What is the estimated time frame forpletion of the reactor? Selena inquired.


    I and Iris estimate it to bepleted within a period of five hundred years. This is not a definite number by all means, but a tentative goal instead. There may be changes that ur as the n progresses. However, at the very least, there is no immediate danger of the Bugs appearing in this system for the time being. I want to move things as fast and as far as possible.


    Are there ns to increase the number of imperial army operatives, sir? Sharon asked.


    Of course we are considering bolstering our ranks as well. However, we must make sure the recruits are reliable and trustworthy. This is because, to the inhabitants of this, we are practically invaders. We will conduct a rigorous selection process before we wee any addition to our ranks.


    Are you nning to recruit Cleria and Elna, sir? Selena inquired once more.


    Cleria and Elna certainly seem like trustworthy individuals. However, the two of them also have their own circumstances. I personally do not want the two of them to get involved.


    Selena and Sharon seemed relieved for some reason. Maybe the two of them felt the same as I did about this matter.


    How will we choose the next generation of imperial army elites?


    Once the base has beenpleted, we n on building an officer training school.


    Once weve managed to select talented and trustworthy individuals from the graduates of the school, we n to infuse them with nanoms in order to make them the core of the new generation of imperial army elites.


    Personally, I would also like to enlist my children in the army once I have them.


    I do feel guilty about deciding their path in life for them as a parent, but I have no other choice since I have already decided on going all out for this n of ours.


    I cant really force you, but I would very much like to ask Selena and Sharon to do the same thing once youve had your own children if possible.


    Our children will surely be cornerstones for this great undertaking, as well as great assets of the imperial forces.


    Our and His Excellencys sons and daughters Selena muttered.


    Both of them fidgeted as their faces turned bright red. Oops. It may be a little early to talk about children to young women like them. They dont even have boyfriends yet. That was a blunder.


    Do they have any more questions? I turned my gaze toward Iris and got surprised to find a teasing smirk on her lips. When I blinked and looked at her again, she was back to her usual stoic expression. Yeah, thats right. It wasnt like Iris to smile like that, so Im sure it was just my imagination.


    Do you two no longer have any questions? Alright then. The formal talks are now over. Oh yeah! I forgot something important. The initial period for military service is five years. Once five years is up, itll be up to you two to decide if you want to continue serving or retire altogether.


    We also have the option to quit?


    Of course. You need to sign a formal contract before enlistment, right? That is still valid. Oh, and if you want to quit, then please tell me in advance  preferably half a year before. Oh, and youll also be receiving sries, of course. Uh, considering the special circumstances, Ill give you both an amount of Guineas worth ten times the usual imperial military pay grade. Youll also receive a bonus.


    Oooh!


    Well, just think of it as hazard pay.


    Um, Your Excellency. Your way of speaking seems more casualpared to earlier Selena pointed out.


    Right. Well, I just wanted to do the briefing formally earlier, so I talked like that. This matter is something that will decide both your futures after all. I felt the need to take it seriously. The me right now is just your in, oldrade, n. So cut it out with the Your Excellency thing, okay?


    I see.


    Ill be counting on you both from now on.


    Understood, n!

 Chapter 40.1 - Raising Funds Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Not good! This is definitely bad! I did say ten times the usual pay grade, didnt I? Why the heck did I run my mouth like that? The money on me is considered our party funds! Come to think of it, Im actually t broke right now.


    I was just so d they decided to fight with me, so I got too into it and made a huge blunder. But I just cant go back on my word and tell them its actually two or three times the pay grade instead.


    (Nanom, can you disy the sry and benefits of a standard space marine?)


    A table indicating the sries of different ranks in the imperial military popped out on a virtual window.


    Um, for warrant officers, I need Hey! Its basically the same as my sry aint it!? I see. They may be NCOs, but they were technically only two ranks below me, so the sry rate isnt that different. Wait a minute. Im actually amodore now, aint I? Uh, lesse Commodore Hm. I see. Even though I got promoted, the increase wasnt really that drastic huh. Well, it was double than the rate for a first lieutenant, so I guess it was still pretty substantial.


    Lets see. If you want to check in at a regr hotel in the empire, youll have to fork out at least ten thousand Credits. In this city, the normal rate for staying at an inn is one hundred Guineas.


    Lets assume that one Guinea is roughly equivalent to a hundred Credits then. The sry rate for a warrant officer is three hundred twenty three thousand Credits. So, when converted to Guineas and multiplied by ten times, itll be thirty two thousand three hundred Guineas. This is bad! Ill have to pay both of them sixty four thousand six hundred Guineas every month! What should I do!?


    Oh, wait!


    (Iris!)


    Yes, Captain.


    (How much is my current umted sry!?)


    I have already transferred it to your bank ount yesterday.


    I checked my status page and found that the money really was deposited properly. Oh! So, apart from my previous sry, bonus pay for getting promoted was also added in, making my total assets about one million credits! Geh. This aint right!


    (Uh, I kinda wanted the amount to be converted to Guineas yknow.)


    As you well know, there is no precedent for paying sries using local currency. In addition, there are no longer enough resources to produce any counterfeit money on the ship.


    (But Im gonna need military funding for theing operation yknow?)


    Providing Selena and Sharon the money they currently have on hand has already strained our avable resources. Please procure funds locally.


    (Fine! I understand.)


    Theres no point in venting my frustration on Iris.


    I guess all I can do right now is borrow the party funds, make some magic tools, and then sell em.


    I dont have anything else worth selling anyway.


    Hm? Wait a minute. I still have some of those shaped memory PET bottles stashed away. I already dont have any problems with securing drinking water, so I dont really need to keep them around. And if I got into a situation where I would need one or two, Im sure Selena and Sharon have brought some over from the ship as well.


    When Cleria first saw the PET bottles, she was quite surprised, so I think itll fetch a good price at least. Ill just package it as some sort of mysterious ancient magic product or something. Guess Ill need to pay a visit to Tarus-santer.


    Oh yeah. Ill bring a sample dryer as well and give it to him as a present. Maybe Ill evennd arge order if I manage to impress them with it.


    Selena and Sharon said theyll be observing Cleria and Elnas sparring earlier, right? Ill go out for a while then.


    (Selena, Sharon. Im gonna go shopping for a bit. Ille back right away.)


    ((Understood.))


    Its still early in the morning, so I think Tarus-san hasnt gone out of his manor yet. Tarus-san and Jonas-san rarely go to the shops under them anyway, so Ill just head straight for the manor. Its been a while since Ist paid a visit.


    I found Willy doing some early morning cleaning by sweeping the yard in front of the manor.


    Good morning, Willy. Are Tarus-san and Jonas-san present?


    n-san! Good morning. Yes, the both of them are inside the mansion.


    I see. So, can I ask you to call out Jonas-san for me then?


    I understand.


    Good morning, n-san. May I ask what matter you wish to discuss today? Jonas-san inquired.


    I actually wanna show you some things. It would be great if you can make some time for me so I can present them to you.


    Of course. Well take a look. I presume you also want to show them to the Master, correct? Im sure the things you want to show are quite something since you personally came for a visit.


    Yes, please. Thank you for making time for me.


    I followed Willy and was brought to the meeting room inside the manor. I was then served some tea. Tarus-san and Jonas-san entered the meeting room soon after.


    It has been a while, Tarus-san.


    Yes, quite. Wee, n-san. I have heard of the improvement to the meals served at Natures Bounty. The moment I got wind of the rumors, I was sure it was all due to you, n-san. Im feeling quite regretful, to be honest. I and my family have been nning to have a meal over there actually.


    Is that so. Well, I did teach them a few recipes, but Verse, the inns chef, is also quite skilled you see.


    It seems you can alsoe to the Natures Bounty just to have a meal, and dont n on staying over. But the guests who have booked rooms in the inn have priority when ites to meals, and the prices are also more expensivepared to regr restaurants, so meal-only customers hardlye by, it seems. But I guess Tarus-san and his family can easily afford the meals.


    The things I wanted to show you are these. Um, can I trouble you to fetch some water as well?


    The bottles were in their folded-up state and were still limp when I took them out of my bag. I brought out all three and handed one over to Tarus-san.


    Hm. Its my first time seeing such a transparent bag. It feels quite strange to the touch.


    These are actually containers for holding water which myrades and I managed to obtain recently. It seems they were excavated from some ruins.


    Yep. On this, it seems it was usual to find ancient magic tools while exploring ruins. I also heard that the much-valued Artifacts, considered to be the highest ss of magic tools, were also excavated from such ruins. If I package these as relics found inside ruins, I bet their value will rise. Im basically duping them, but these were ultra-rare, practically impossible to obtain goods on this anyway, so I guess its all good in the end. And I dont really have any other way to exin how I got them anyway.


    Before long, Willy brought over a pitcher filled with water.


    Now then, lets try to pour water inside them.


    I put some water inside the limp PET bottle, and as soon as I did so, the shape memory material it was made out of did its thing, and the bottles regained their former rigid shape. They can hold a maximum of two liters of water inside them.


    Oh! Whats this!?


    This is their original shape.


    I handed the PET bottle that had returned to its original shape to Tarus-san.


    How light! And how thin! Just how did the ancients manage to give them such transparency!?


    He passed the bottle over to Jonas-san. The two of them discussed excitedly for a short while. Meanwhile, I filled up the other two PET bottles with water as well.


    They will be fine even if you do this too.


    As I said so, I dropped one PET bottle to the floor.


    Ah!


    Goods produced by the empire wont get damaged from something like this, of course.


    Theyre pretty tough. But theyre weak to heat, and theyll also get damaged easily if you poke them with sharp, pointed objects or cut them with a knife.


    I poured the water from the bottle back into the pitcher. I shook the PET bottle a few times in order to get rid of the remaining moisture.


    Drain all the contents like so. Then you can easily fold them into a morepact shape.


    I grabbed the bottle from both ends and pressed them together, returning it to its former limp form.


    Oh! That is quite amazing! Can I also try it?


    Of course. Please be sure to pour all the water out though.


    (How many times can the shape memory material work?)


    These bottles have passed strict imperial quality control and sessfully underwent one hundred thousand durability tests.


    (What about the approximate service life?)


    The manufacturer boasted they were semi-permanent.


    It should be fine then.


    Oh! It has returned to its former shape as well!


    Tarus-san and Jonas-san busied themselves with filling the bottles with water and emptying them as they repeatedly tested the shape memory material function for a while.


    Im sorry for making you wait. And so, n-san. Are you saying you are willing to part with such amazing goods?


    Thats right. If the price is right, anyway.


    Oh! Please wait for a moment.


    Tarus-san and Jonas-san immediately began to discuss among themselves.


    Thank you for your patience. How does two hundred thousand Guineas for each article sound?


    Eh!? One PET bottle is already worth two hundred thousand!? Hm. Should I make the deal?


    Is the price perhaps not enough?


    No, its fine. Ill sell them for two hundred thousand Guineas each then.


    Oh! Thank you very much, n-san.


    Thank you as well. Im a bit short on finances, so youre a big help. And have a look at this as well please.


    I took out the hair dryer I recently made out of my bag and showed it to them.


    This is a magic tool used to dry ones hair after taking a bath. I recently became a member of the Magic Guild ysee. I learned how to make magic tools from there.


    I pressed the switch on the dryer and showed how it worked to Tarus-san.

 Chapter 40.2 - Raising Funds Part 2

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Hou, this is the first time Ive seen something like this.


    By the way, what is your rank in the Magic Guild? Jonas-san asked.


    Um, Ive been promoted to A rank.


    I took out my guild I.D. and showed it to the two of them.


    You just entered and are already A rank!?


    Well, I guess I was just lucky.


    Tara has just gone for a bath earlier. Would it be fine to let her try using the magic tool? Tarus-san requested.


    Yes, of course. Feel free. Its pretty simple to use anyway.


    Tarus-san called a female employee of his and handed the hair dryer to her after exining its function. He then instructed her to bring it to Tara-chan.


    By the way, how much can that article sell for in your opinion?


    Im interested in knowing the selling price. I dont want a potential client to suffer a loss after all.


    If I cant sell something like that for at least forty thousand Guineas each, Ill quit being a merchant. Tarus-san affirmed.


    Great. It seems Tarus-san can definitely make money with them as well.


    We made some small talk about cooking for a while until Tara-chan excitedly ran inside the room.


    Father! Just what is this article!?


    Calm down, Tara. n-san just paid us a visit.


    Ara, good morning, n-san. But just what is this magic tool!?


    It is something n-san made, apparently. He came to show it to us.


    Please, father! I really want this magic tool! Take a look at my hair! Its the first time my hair turned out this amazing-looking after a bath!


    Tara-chans hair really did look quite nice and fluffy. It had a bit of a frizzy lookst time, but now it has be quite manageable.


    We are going to discuss that right now, so please excuse yourself for a while, dear.


    Please, n-san!


    She pleaded to me quite a few times before walking out of the room. Well, Im happy I had a prospective buyer though.


    Im d she liked it.


    She isnt usually like that, but it seems she has really taken quite a liking to your product. Shall we discuss the price of this magic tool then?


    Yes, of course. Ill be more than happy to sell them to you for a fair price. Actually, I hope to supply you with several of these and make it a long term partnership if possible. Im not very familiar with the market price of goods like this, so can you give me an estimate?


    My, n-san. You certainly should not say things like this to merchants other than me, alright. Youll suffer a loss.


    Tarus-san and Jonas-san discussed among themselves again.


    How about thirty thousand for each unit without magic stones?


    That sounds way too high. The cost of the raw materials for these things is just one thousand five hundred Guineas each after all. Even considering the total manufacturing costs, itll be twenty thousand Guineas at most. The price they quoted easily surpassed ten times the price of the raw materials. And here I thought ten times the price was already pushing it.


    That price seems too much. This is rtively simple to make. So how about twenty thousand Guineas for each unit without any magic stones included?


    You really are not very familiar with the market value of magic tools, arent you n-san. Are you really fine with selling it to us for a mere twenty thousand each?


    Since the structure is simple, Im sure therell be knock-offs appearing in the market before long. Of course I would be happy to make a lot of money, but I dont want to do that at the expense of Tarus-sans reputation.


    Lets set the price to twenty thousand Guineas. Its enough for me.


    n-san. I am going to warn you again. Do not take this kind of attitude when talking to other merchants apart from me. They will easily take advantage of you. Alright then. We shall purchase them for twenty thousand Guineas each. How many can you make? We shall purchase all that you can produce.


    Lets see. I guess about thirty units. I will deliver them in five days. Oh, and Ill only be able to make them whenever I have the time, so please dont expect a regr delivery schedule.


    No, that will be fine. In fact, that would be better whenunching out a new product. Since they will be rare goods, we can sell them for more. Im sure well make quite a tidy profit from selling them.


    I see. d to hear that then.


    Well then. Here is the payment for todays business. Jonas-san said.


    He handed me sixrge gold coins and two regr gold coins. Oh, so they included the payment for the dryer sample I brought. I initially just wanted to use it for a presentation, but based on Tara-chans reaction, I guess its better for me to sell it as well. Ill just make another one for my useter on. Hm. Its my first time gettingrge gold coins as payment.


    Thank you. Ille again to deliver the goods.


    Thank you very much for the business, n-san.


    I left Tarus-sans manor and immediately shopped around for the materials in order to make those dryers. Like I said, making a hair dryer was pretty simple. Except for the housing and the switch, which have to bemissioned to an outside workshop, the fire-resistant paint, magic liquid for drawing the magic circle, and the magic output stones can all be easily purchased at the Guild.


    I went to the workshop I was familiar with and ced an order for thirty five sets of housing and switches. Thirty of those are for the order, two are for me, Selena and Sharon, and three will be for spares. Because I was already a regr, the master of the workshop gave me a twenty percent discount.


    Next, I need to head to the Magic Guild. I need to procure fire-resistant paint, magic liquid, and magic output stones. There were no other people inside the Guild building as usual.


    Morning, Lily. Im here to purchase some materials.


    Good morning, n-san. Chief! n-san came for a visit!


    Oh, right. Its still morning, so the chief should be here as well. But she really didnt need to call her though.


    Its been a while, n.


    Nice to see you, chief. Im here to shop for materials today. Ill be needing some fire-resistant paint, magic liquid, and magic output stones.


    Lily immediately went to the storeroom in order to fetch the materials I ordered.


    If you need that many materials, then Im guessing youll be using them for an order?


    Yeah, thats right. I made a simple magic tool you see. I showed it to a merchant I know. He was really pleased with it and ced an order right away.


    Can I ask what kind of magic tool it is?


    Oh boy. The magic circle and magic I used for the dryer were straight from the books used in the advanced course. Ah, lets just wing it. Ill just say I can remember anything Im shown even once perfectly or something.


    Its a magic tool that uses apound Fire and Wind spell in order to release warm air. Its used to dry hair that got wet after taking a bath.


    As I thought, n, youre capable of remembering the exact pattern of any magic circle you see, correct? I had a sneaking suspicion when you asked to see the course materialsst time. You also learned aboutpound magic from there, right?


    Looks like shes seen right through me from the beginning.


    Yeah. I have a really good memory.


    So, how much are you selling that magic tool for?


    My wholesale price is twenty thousand Guineas.


    My, n-san. Thats a bit too cheap, I think.


    Is that so? The cost for material is just one thousand five hundred Guineas, so I thought it was a fair price.


    Well, I guess this can only apply to you, n. After all, the hardest part of making a magic tool is drawing the magic circle. Its pretty normal to fail at drawing it several times for regr craftsmen, you know. Youre the only one I know who can draw magic circles perfectly without fail in the first try.


    Oh, right. When I draw magic circles, I just pretty much trace and fill out the patterns Nanom disys for me, so I had it quite easy. Theres next to no chance Id fail drawing them.


    Can you sell me one as well, n? Im really interested in studying what you came up with.


    Of course, chief. Thank you very much. Its a hit with thedies I know, so Im sure youll like it as well.


    Lily brought out the materials I ordered, so I paid for them straight away. The chief really looked happy when she received the payment.


    Okay then. Ille again after delivering the order and give you your share chief.


    Are you not going to use the facilities on the second floor?


    The structure is really simple, so I can make them easily back at the inn. But thank you for the offer.


    I see. Ill be waiting for your next visit then.


    After dropping off the fire-resistant paint at the workshop where Imissioned the housing and switches, I finally went back to the inn.


    Great. I made about sixty thousand Guineas today. Once I finish delivering the dryers, Ill get to earn another sixty two thousand Guineas. Ill be able to afford Selena and Sharons sries with this.


    When I got back to the inn, I found thedies having tea in the dining area as usual. It seems they were finished with the sparring. They were busy chatting with each other.


    Wee back, n. Cleria-san and Elna-san are teaching us about swordsmanship.


    Oh boy! I totally forgot about that swordsmanship thing! It was a mistake to tell Cleria and Elna about that trippy Corinth-style swordsmanship! Sharon and Selena are going to find out about my dark historyyy! But I guess I really cant hide it from them for long anyway. I should juste clean with them when they do find out.


    We also want swords for ourselves. It seems pretty handed to have them on hand. Selena requested.


    ording to Elna-san, just having a sword with you will mostly prevent shady people from approaching you. Sharon followed up.


    I see. So its primarily for self-defence huh. Well, I guess even if Sharon and Selena had their rifles on them, most people from this were not familiar with them and didnt know they were weapons, so there really was a good chance of some shady characters approaching them. Its much the same as people from the empire being wary of guys with guns on them, more so if said guns were military models.


    Okay. Lets buy some swords for you girls in the afternoon then.


    That sounds perfect, n. I also wanted to check up on weapon shops myself.


    Uh, are swords actually expensive? Im getting a really bad premonition here.

 Chapter 41.1 - Armor, Weapons, And Plans Part 1

    We had our lunch at Tallys ce as usual. I had the meat set today. Selena and Sharon ordered the same meal as me, Elna ordered the fish set, and Cleria ordered arge serving of the meat set as usual.


    Do you need armor as well, Sharon? You too, Selena. Cleria asked.


    Armor? Is it something important? Sharon replied.


    Oh, now that Cleria mentioned it. If we were to purchase two sets of armor of the same grade as mine, well have to fork out thirty thousand each. That means Ill have to pay a total of sixty thousand Guineas. No, I cant worry about the cost right now. My head is filled with nothing but thoughts about financestely. Any more and I feel Ill go crazy. I have to prioritize the twos safety after all.


    Right. Its definitely important for you two to have equipment to protect yourselves. Lets go to Zalukes ceter then. If were gonna buy some weapons and equipment, it would be better to purchase them from Zaluke since were already familiar with him.


    After finishing a hearty meal, we all went to Zalukes shop next.


    Yo, Zaluke. Hows it going?


    Hey, its been a while, you lot. I see yourpanions have increased again. Theyre twins?


    Yup, thats right. I want to buy armor sets for the two of them. Oh, right. What kind of armor do you prefer, guys?


    It would be best if it was easier to move in. The armor Cleria-san and Elna-san are wearing are a bit Sharon replied.


    I also want something that wont hinder movement please. Selena followed up.


    So I guess youll need to go with leather armor. I just got some new ones delivered, actually.


    Zaluke guided us to the leather armor corner of the store, where a new armor set was disyed in ce of the armor I bought a while back. It seemed a bit simr to my armor, and yet different at the same time. The price tag indicated forty thousand Guineas.


    This is the new armor we got, sourced straight from the royal capital. This is actually a new version of the armor you bought back then n.


    Man. So mine is out of date already?


    Well, most of the basic stuff remains the same. It just has little tweaks done to its structure a bit.


    Zaluke exined the specifics of the armor to Selena and Sharon.


    Eh!? Magic tool?


    They were quite surprised when they heard from Zaluke that the armor was ssified as a kind of magic tool.


    Ill get this one! Sharon eximed.


    Me too!


    I see. Actually, I also rmend getting this one guys. So, how much for two sets. Zaluke?


    Oh, so you want two of them huh. Okay then. Ill give you a twenty percent discount. Actually, let me take off two thousand more from that. Itll be sixty two thousand Guineas all in all. How about it?


    Great. Well take them.


    As I was about to get some money from my bag to pay for the armor, Selena and Sharon took out their own money. Man, thats a lotta money!


    We will pay for the armor ourselves.


    Whoah! Youdies sure are loaded! Howe?


    Actually, I had a pretty good idea already.


    We brought them from the ship of course.


    (How much did you bring?)


    (Each of us brought thirtyrge gold coins. We also have a few other lower valued coins as well.)


    So thats sixtyrge gold coins in total. All in all, they had six million Guineas! That really is a lot of money. Come to think of it, I did notice Selenas luggage to be on the heavy side when I was helping her move them from the inn she first booked. So it was because of the coins she brought with her.


    n, arent Sharon and Selena going to be part of our party? Then isnt it better to use the party funds to buy their equipment?


    Yeah, youre right. Hey Selena, Sharon. Since these equipment are basically for the improvement of our partys performance, its better to use the party funds to buy them.


    Eh? Is that so?


    Alright, Zaluke. Here you go.


    I handed Zaluke the sixty two thousand Guineas.


    Thanks for the business. Ill get their measurements then.


    Zaluke took Selenas measurements straight away. He finished taking down her measurements quite quickly.


    Youre up next, youngdy.


    My bodys measurements are exactly the same as Selenas, so theres no need for you to take them, sir.


    Oh, is that so? Having a twin sure is convenient.


    Well, I guess their measurements really were exactly the same. Rather, itll be more surprising if they were different.


    Hey Zaluke, we also wanna buy some swords. Do you have any weapon shops you can rmend?


    Well, Ill definitely have to rmend one of our partner shops. Exit this shop and turn right. Its just five shops away from here. A guy named Joe is the clerk over there. You guys are already pretty well known among our partner stores, n. So Im sure theyll be more than happy to give you discounts as well.


    So they did have a partner store specialized in weaponry. Man, Tarus-san really has his hands on a lot of different businesses, doesnt he?


    Really? Thats great then. Well check it out right away then.


    Ill finish the adjustments to both armors in three days, just likest time. Pleasee back for them afterward.


    Understood. Were counting on you then.


    We exited the shop and turned right, passing by five other shop fronts. It was the same as the other shops managed by Tarus-sans family. It was on the smaller side, but looked nice and tidy.


    Wee! Please feel free to browse our wares, dear customers.


    We were greeted by the store clerk right after we entered the shop. The clerk was a young man.


    So youre Joe? We were introduced here through the armor shop managed by Zaluke. Im n, by the way.


    Oh! So its n-san! Ive heard of you. Youre the benefactors who saved the Master, arent you? Please go ahead and check our goods out. Ill give you a nice discount.


    I see. Thanks. Were thinking of buying swords for these twodies here. So, girls. What kind of swords do you two want?


    Were not really familiar with swords though. What kind of sword are you using by the way, n? Sharon asked.


    Right. These girls havent even touched a sword yet. I drew my sword out of its sheath and presented it to Sharon.


    Oh, so you have a magic sword. And it looks like quite the fine article as well.


    Joemented as such when he took a gander at the sword. Magic sword, he says?


    Magic sword? Sharon inquired further.


    Thats right. Its a sword that can dramatically increase its sharpness through the use of magic power. We dont have a sword of this fine quality here, but we do have magic swords avable.


    I see. So this things a magic sword huh. To think my sword was the magical sort. So that exins why I couldnt perform the Final de technique when I tried doing it using one of Verses knives.


    Magic sword! Please show them to us! Sharon requested excitedly.


    Sharon and Selena seem to be really interested in magic swords. Joe carefully brought out a case containing ten swords from the back of the store.


    These are all the magic swords we have on hand.


    Come to think of it, I already saw Clerias sword glow a while back, but I havent seen Elnas sword glow until now. So does that mean Elnas sword wasnt a magic sword?


    Is your sword not a magic sword, Elna?


    Why, yes, it isnt. Someone like me isnt really fit to use such an article.


    I beg to disagree, Elna. You have dedicated yourself to protecting me after all. n, can Elna also get a magic sword for herself?


    Of course. Since itll increase our partys strength, its more than wee.


    By the way, these swords all have the same length. They only differ in weight and appearance by a bit. Joe informed us.


    How much for one?


    One sword costs one hundred twenty thousand Guineas. If youll get three, Ill take twenty percent plus a thousand Guineas off as additional service and give them to you for ny five thousand Guineas each.


    Oh man! Thats surprisingly expensive. Im d I managed to make some money beforeing here.


    n, I think the party funds arent enough, right? Cleria worriedly asked.


    Yeah. The remaining party funds are two hundred ten thousand Guineas. But Ill just pay for the remainder myself. Ill just get them back once our partys started earning from taking quests.


    If the money isnt enough, then well pay with the money we brought. These arent supposed to be our personal funds anyway. We were supposed to give them all to you, n. Selena chimed in.

 Chapter 41.2 - Armor, Weapons, And Plans Part 2

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Well, lets just talk about moneyter. Just go ahead and choose your swords, girls.


    A corner of the shop was dedicated as a trial space for swords. Selena, Sharon, and Elna each took a sword and started swinging them over there. Elna chose a sword that looked quite simr to the one shes currently using, while Selena and Sharon chose swords that looked simr to mine.


    Ill take this one! Elna decided.


    It looks like Elna was pretty happy about getting a magic sword. In the end, she really chose the one that looked simr to her previous sword.


    Sharon and Selena were still busy swinging around the swords that looked simr to mine. It seems they exchanged swords earlier.


    Sharon, I think Ill get the sword youre trying out. It looks closer to ns sword in appearance. Selena dered.


    I also thought the same. However, Im the one whos going to get this sword.


    I tried that sword first. I have first dibs.


    And when did we have such a rule, hm? And even so, I do not n on handing it over anyway.


    Oh boy. It looks like theyre fighting over there.


    Cmon, you two. Theres no need to choose a sword that looks simr to mine. Its better to choose one that feels right. Try to see if the length and weight fits you first before choosing.


    But, n. Everything is mostly simr anyway. If thats the case, then I want to at least choose a sword that looks simr to yours. Selena asserted.


    Im going to use my right as the winner of our bet, Sharon. Give me that sword.


    Are you really fine with using it for this? Oh, alright. You still have two requests left then.


    Well, it looks like Sharon and Selena came to some sort of agreement in the end, so its all good. They were talking about a bet or something. Well, at least all three have finally chosen their swords.


    Alright, Joe. Well get these three please.


    I no longer need my former sword, n. Is it possible for us to sell it? Elna asked.


    Hey, Joe. Does this shop buy swords as well?


    Yes, we do. We give higher appraisals to regr customers as well. Can I see the sword you want to sell?


    Elna handed her old sword over to Joe.


    Hou. This isnt a magic sword, but among normal ones, this is of the finest make. And it has also been properly maintained. Ill buy this off you for thirty thousand Guineas.


    How about it, Elna?


    It sounds fine. I didnt expect it would sell for thirty thousand Guineas.


    Then lets not include that thirty thousand to the party funds. Its Elnas money after all.


    Why!? Of course it should be added to the party funds! Elna objected.


    But since its money earned from selling one of your belongings, the money should belong to you, right?


    No, n. Since we used the party funds to buy a new sword for her, then its just fair to include the money earned from selling her old sword to the party funds. Cleria chimed in.


    Is that so? Alright then. Ill add it to the funds.


    So I ended up paying two hundred fifty five thousand Guineas to Joe after subtracting the payment for Elnas old sword.


    Oh! Earnings like this is a first for our store. The twodies over there dont have belts to hang their swords on, right? Take it as part of the service. Please feel free to choose the belts you like. Theyre over there.


    Now that he mentioned it, its true that Sharon and Selena dont have sword belts on them. The two of them proceeded to choose belts for themselves.


    Ill take this one.


    It seems they finished selecting their belts. They hung their swords on their waists using them right away. On the other side, they put in theirser guns on the part supposed to be used for holding knives. It seems they put them in their uniform pockets earlier.


    Thanks a bunch, Joe. Well pay a visit if somethinges up again.


    Well, swords need regr maintenance after all. Feel free to drop by.


    We left the weapon shop and talked about our next ns for the day. As usual, it was decided that well get some magic practice after checking up on the quest we put up at the Adventurers Guild. The Guild building was nearby anyway.


    Are those things on Sharon and Selenas belts the same ones as ns? Cleria suddenly asked.


    Oh yeah. Clerias already seen me use myser gun and pulse rifle.


    Yeah. Theyre basically weapons issued in the military we were part of.


    Weapons So your military possesses a lot of these powerful weapons?


    They didnt have auto-tracking like the pulse rifle, but their power wouldnt lose out to a rifle at close range.


    Yeah. They might even be more powerful than magic spells at close range.


    Really!? So


    Before we could enter the Guild building, someone suddenly called us from behind.


    And I think I hear the words Your Highness as well.


    Cleria was surprised and turned around to find five men in adventurer garb standing in front of her.


    Your Highness.


    I heard such words. It has been a long time since I have been addressed like that. I was surprised and turned around to find familiar faces standing in front of me.


    Dalshim! You are Dalshim, correct!? And the rest of you as well!


    It has been a long time, Your Royal Highness. It ddens our hearts to see you safe and sound.


    Oh! Im also happy to see you all alright! And if isnt Baron Sergio! Why are you with them?


    Baron Sergio served as a close aide to my uncle.


    I am d to see you well, Your Highness. Though it pains me to present my shameful self to you once more after failing my lord.


    Do not say that. It is I who have failed you.


    Ria, were standing out too much. Lets move somewhere else.


    Oh, its as n says. It is fortunate that there were few people nearby, but standing out certainly was not advisable.


    Cleria-sama, these people are? Dalshim inquired.


    They are myrades. Be at ease. They can be trusted. Let us change location for now.


    We have booked an inn nearby. Let us head there for the time being. Baron Sergio suggested.


    Alright, understood.


    The inn Baron Sergio led us to was really quite nearby. It was just a two minute walk from the Guild. It was a small inn, so all the rooms have been rented out.


    Over here, Your Highness.


    The room we entered was on therger side, and there, I found more familiar faces. They were fifteen men all in all, including Dalshims group. Everyone was wearing adventurer equipment and clothing.


    Oh! Your Highness!


    We are d youre safe, princess!


    I am d to see all of you as well.


    All of them knelt down on one knee in front of me. Oh, my. I am no longer in a position to warrant such a gesture of fealty.


    Please rise, everyone. Please tell me what all of you have been up to since we went our separate ways.


    It was Dalshim who spoke on behalf of the entire group. It seems they fled with an empty carriage toward the Cecilio Kingdom, encountered and fought adventurers who seemed to have been sent to pursue them, and searched for my whereabouts in the Cecilio Kingdom in secret after shaking their pursuers off. They seem to have been through quite a hard time.


    We were ted when we saw that quest regarding the wyvern at the local Adventurers Guild branch. It was you who thought of it, right, Dame Norian?


    I did suggest using that code, Captain Dalshim. But the details were ironed out by the three of us. Elna answered.


    Cleria-sama, these people are?


    These people are my friends andrades. We have registered ourselves as an adventurer party. I shall tell you about what happened to me when we got separated as well.


    I started telling the rest of the knights about what happened to me, starting from getting attacked by more than thirty Gray Hounds as I fled to the Belta Kingdom while being escorted by Royal Guards led by Captain Antes. I told them that all the knights, including Captain Antes had died while protecting me, and that if it wasnt for n, I would have died as well. I also told them about how n nursed me and helped me recuperate, as well as about our travels while heading for this city and eventually meeting Elna here.


    You got injured, Your Highness!?


    I have already recovered. In fact, I seem to be healthier than before.

 Chapter 41.3 - Armor, Weapons, And Plans Part 3

    My body has been feeling pretty goodtely. In the past, it was quite easy for me to get colds, but now, I have never even suffered as much as a runny nose. I am sure this is all thanks to the protection of the Spirits.


    We are utterly grateful for your grace, n-dono. Dalshim thanked n.


    No, I only did what any decent person would do, so theres really no need to thank me. n humbly replied.


    So, why is someone like you here, Baron Sergio?


    I am sure you have heard about what happened to my lord, Earl Ludvik, already, Your Highness. When he judged that it was only a matter of time before our imminent defeat, my lord gathered me as well as a number of his most trusted retainers and led us out of the castle for us to escape. He told us to help you in reiming the Kingdom, Cleria-sama. Baron Sergio answered.


    Oh My dear uncle And what about those other retainers?


    They are all handpicked elites of my lords forces. They number about two thousand strong. They have all scattered among thends at present, but as long as Cleria-sama gives themand, I, along with all of them, shall gather once more and serve as your most loyal soldiers, ready to give our lives in battle for your cause.


    Ah Such a thing To think there were still two thousand of them remaining. And all I wanted was to call them to this city in order to bid them return to their ownnds.


    How do you propose we take back the Kingdom?


    We currently have no concrete ns as of now. Based on what you told us earlier, Cleria-sama, we can no longer count on this country for aid. However, we must persevere. Taking back the kingdom was my lords, Earl Ludviks, dying wish.


    Even if it was my uncles dearest wish, we cannot possibly count on just two thousand soldiers, no matter how skilled they may be, to take back the kingdom. It seems I definitely have to persuade them against this idea after all. I do not want any more lives sacrificed under my name.


    Please hear me out, all of you. The reason I summoned you to this city is


    Allow me to take over the discussion, Cleria. n interjected.


    Eh!? n? But you do not have any rtion to these men?


    Please hear me out, everyone.


    When we first applied for that request to the Guild, all of us, Cleria included, honestly werent expecting much at all.


    We didnt have any idea how many of those loyal to Cleria still remained. And we certainly didnt expect two thousand men.


    However, Cleria didnt wish to give up. She has been dreaming of taking back the kingdom all this time, even if she were to fight alone.


    Oh! As expected of Cleria-sama!


    Yes. How heartening!


    We have been discussing how to take back the Kingdom with Cleria for a while. But until now, those ns were naught but wishful thinking, since wecked any means of realistically carrying them out.


    However, now that we have rejoined with all of you, those ns can finally be put to the test.


    There are no concrete ns as of now, however, we shall discuss at length today, and wille up with definite ns for taking back the Kingdom by tomorrow. Can you please give us a bit more time?


    We understand, n-dono. However, let me just point out that it is improper for you to address Her Highness so casually, even if you are her savior. Dalshim pointed out.


    I am sorry. We have been treating each other as adventurerrades all this time after all. I shall address her as Cleria-sama from now on.


    What are you saying, n?


    Let us discuss our ns furtherter on, Cleria-sama. n replied.


    Just what is n nning? I have never discussed anything regarding taking back the kingdom with n, and I also do not have that intention at all. I am all confused about what is happening, but there is one thing I have to object against. I cannot ept n addressing me as Cleria-sama.


    Everyone, I have to correct you on something. You may find it hard to believe, but n and the others are actually not from this continent. And in his home country, n is, in truth, of high enough status to be addressed as His Excellency. As that is the case, I find no reason for n to address me as Cleria-sama.


    Is that so? Forgive my discourtesy, Your Excellency. Dalshim apologized.


    No, I do not mind.


    It looks like everyones spirits were lifted up after ns deration. Their countenances were a far cry from when we first met them. They were all discussing the ns n talked about earlier. Ah, I wonder how they would react if they find out that those said ns were nothing but lies. Just what is n thinking?


    Afterward, we heard more details about the survivors who have managed to flee. It seems that within the Royal Guard, six squads totaling fifty-eight men have managed to survive. And the only ones who havee to this city were the representatives of those squads. It seems the rest of them were acting as adventurers in the Cecilio Kingdom while trying to find clues to my whereabouts.


    We were also told about Baron Sergios men. The total number of men who have managed to escape with the Baron was two thousand and fifty-one. They were all veterans who have served the Ludvic House for generations. They were scattered among the rural areas of the newly instated Alois Kingdom and Cecilio Kingdom. The baron receives periodic reports from them regrly.


    Oh, I am worried about what n is nning and want to discuss things with him as soon as possible. Once we have finished here, I shall grill him about it when wee back to the inn.


    Everyone, I need to discuss things with n and the others regarding our ns, just as youve heard earlier. I wish to return to our inn posthaste so we can do so.


    Alright, Your Highness. I shall have some of the Royal Guards apany you as well. Dalshim proposed.


    No, there is no need. n and the rest are enough to protect me. And the inn we are staying at is not thatrge as well.


    If so, then us members of the Royal Guard will rece n-dono and the others and stay at that inn. I am sure n-dono will not be able to match the Royal Guard when ites to protecting your safety, Your Highness, no matter how skilled he is.


    On the contrary, Captain Dalshim. Im sure that within the Royal Guard, there is no one who can best n in either swordsmanship or magic. Elna retorted.


    Well, that is true of course. But I am not sure if it was a good thing to say that in this situation.


    My word! Is what you speak true, Dame Norian?


    Verily. In fact, I am sure no one present here can defeat n, even if you all attack him at the same time.


    That is absurd! May I remind you that we have fourteen men who have the prowess of a captain of the Royal Guard present here.


    What Elna is saying is the truth. That is just how strong n is. But that is no surprise. n is someone who is loved by the Goddess Ruminas after all.


    By the Goddess! Is that true, Your Highness!? Baron Sergio eximed.


    It is true, I assure you. I have managed to witness various miraculous feats done by him that are not possible were he not loved by the Goddess. I cannot describe them to you with mere words, but there is definite proof.


    Oh! n-dono! I implore you! Can you allow these old eyes of mine to witness the prowess of someone loved by the Goddess? I request this not out of mere curiosity. Rather, I believe this matter will y a pivotal role in the events toe!


    Uh, how do I do that, exactly? n asked.


    Well then, how about we do what I have spoken about earlier and have everyone here attack n? Then they shall know the truth of my words and I shall not have to be branded a liar.


    Oh! Yes, that will prove n-donos abilities as well as the extent of the Goddesss blessing. Truly two birds with one stone.


    Ill have a nice, long chat with youter, Elna.


    We just learned of this pretty recently, but apparently, you can rent out the building used for Guild examinations for one hundred Guineas an hour as long as it wasnt in use. Since renting it out would let us avoid going to the trouble of heading out of the city, we decided to go for it and went inside the Guild building to arrange things.

 Chapter 42 - Arena And Promise Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Man, things ended up going in a weird direction. This is all Elnas fault. Nah, I guess this is Elnas way of getting back at me for mouthing off and saying stuff that wasnt really true.


    Its too reckless, n! Its unfair for you to fight that many opponents! Selena eximed.


    Thats right! Their numbers are too much, even for you, n! Sharon followed up.


    Im d you two are worried about me. But its just a practice match. And I also think doing this is necessary. Well, its not like I practiced my magic for nothing yknow. Ill be fine.


    We went over to the reception counters inside the Guild. I found the receptionist we were familiar with manning one of the desks, so I called out to her.


    Good day, Ami-san. Is the arena open right now?


    Well now, n-san. You sure have a lot of people with you this time! Yes, the arena is avable for use. Would one hour be fine?


    Yes, please reserve it for us for one hour.


    Thatll be one hundred Guineas then. Im sure youre aware, but youll need to pay additional charges if you n on using and destroying the target boards inside.


    Gotcha. Here you go then.


    I paid one hundred Guineas and got the key to the arena.


    Okay then. What rules do you propose, Elna?


    Hm? Yes. What indeed. What do you suggest, Cleria-sama?


    First, you will be using wooden swords of course. n is prohibited from using attack magic, and the Royal Guards are free to do so.


    Cleria-sama! That will make the battle far too unfair! Well, it wasnt a fair match to begin with, but


    No, even with this, I think n is still overwhelmingly superior. I did say that n was prohibited from using attack magic, but I did not say he is prohibited from using other types.


    Whatever do you mean by that?


    In other words, he is free to use any other type of magic except for those used to attack directly.


    Youre really far too lenient when ites to n, Cleria-sama. If it were me, I would have prohibited n from using all forms of magic. Furthermore, I would have prohibited the use of a wooden sword as well.


    Surely you jest, Dame Norian?


    I am rather serious. In fact, I think that even with those conditions, we still will not be able to prevail over n.


    I see. So you are saying hes just that strong of an opponent.


    We all arrived at the arena, chose wooden swords for ourselves, and gave them a few practice swings. Ugh. Because of what Elna said earlier, it seems the other royal guards were really getting into it. I sure hope nobody strains themselves too much and gets hurt.


    We shall go with a half-moon formation. The opponent is only one man, but do not underestimate him.


    Let me lead the attack, Captain. I shall at least be able to give you ten seconds of leeway. Use that opportunity to tighten up the formation.


    What do you mean, Dame Norian?


    You will know soon.


    Alright. Let us go with your proposal.


    Ten seconds huh. Those are some big words, my dear Elna.


    Both sides at the ready! And begin!


    Wind Cutter!


    The moment Cleria gave the signal to start, Elna already fired off a spell. Well, I did anticipate that much though.


    What!?


    The Wind Cutter she fired was abnormally slow! Elna used the Wind Cutter as cover and was running just behind it. I see. Thats an interesting move. I can avoid itpletely of course, but Im kinda curious about her next move. Fine. Ill take you up on that, Elna.


    Even though the Speed of the Wind Cutter spell was slower than usual, it was still faster than a normal person running. So I guess the magic spell is a decoy to get my attention while Elna draws her sword in order to cut me down.


    Seems like I have no choice but to dodge the Wind Cutter. I can cancel it out with magic too, but Im prohibited from using attack magic after all.


    Since the Cutters speed was slower than usual, I had to watch the timing carefully. Im sure Elna will simply change the trajectory of the spell if I dodge at this timing.


    Air Bullet!


    And she went and fired off another spell to harass me. Judging from the flow of magicles, the spell projectiles wille at me from three different directions, and seal my movements. One in front and two at the sides. I guess I can only dodge the Air Bullets once theye at me. Above!


    I noticed it as soon as I dodged. When Elna saw that I jumped to dodge, she immediately altered the flow of magicles andunched all three spell projectiles upward, aimed straight at me. So it seems she predicted I would jump and aimed ordingly. I twisted my body in mid-air in an effort to avoid them, but I couldnt prevent myself from getting hit by an Air Bullet in the end, and was blown away. I did manage tond on my feet though.


    Eh!? He was hit by an Air Bullet but only suffered that much damage?


    Man, that really surprised me. Youve gotten good huh, Elna.


    Ugh. And that was the only opportunity to squeeze out a win too


    Here I go, Elna.


    I elerated and closed in on Elnas position in an instant. Elna didnt manage to react in time. I aimed at Elnas raised wooden sword, hit her wrist and made her drop her weapon.


    Ugh!


    With that, Elnas out of the match.


    After two weeks of magic practice, I was finally able to attain instantaneous speeds iparable to what I could achieve before. Of course, its all through the help of magic.


    I emted the eleration method used by that dog-like creature discovered on Salsa II of the Elider star system, and finally achieved instantaneous eleration through magic. It wasnt to the point of not being able to be perceived by the naked eye, but by Nanoms calctions, I was able to move at three times my normal speed.


    But naturally, there were drawbacks. I cannot keep up this kind of speed for a prolonged period of time, nor can I do it repeatedly and indefinitely. I can only achieve peak eleration for a mere two seconds. If I push it past those limits, my muscles will be unable to handle the physical strain. I got too into it the first time I seeded using this technique and had a horrible time afterward. Every time I used the eleration technique, I needed to apply a bit of healing magic to my body in order to keep myself in fighting form. Due to this, I couldnt perform sessive elerations, and needed a five second interval between each usage.


    Even if I was limited to just two seconds of heightened speed, being able to move overwhelmingly faster than your opponent in a swordfight, even just for an instant, was already pretty cheat-like. Theres no way to lose a sword fight once you get in close and dont give a chance for your opponent to fight back.


    What is that speed!?


    The royal guards were all surprised by my movements. Lets get this over with, shall we? I headed for the closest opponent and instantly disarmed him.


    Just what is this!? What is happening?


    After seeing theirrades get disarmed one after another, the rest of the guards fell into panic. Thus, disarming them became significantly easier.


    Thats enough!


    After I managed to disarm all fifteen royal guards, Cleria signaled for the end of the match.


    Most of them held their wrists with dumbfounded expressions. Some were also kneeling on the ground. I locked-on to all of their wrists using my virtual targeting system andunched healing spells. All of their wrists were bathed in shining light beams.


    This-! Is this perhaps healing magic!?


    Yes. This is ns magic. Cleria dered.


    The surroundings became wrapped in silence.


    A-Amazing! So this is the power of one loved by the Goddess!


    The old man Cleria called Baron Segio started tearing up.


    The rest of the royal guards then finally came to their senses.


    This cant be


    Just what was that!


    I cannot believe it!


    This isnt all of ns power, you know. I shall show you something even more interesting.


    After saying that, Cleria positioned herself fifteen meters in front of me. Eh? Is she nning to do what I think shes nning? Oh boy. Shes scary when shes ticked off.


    Cleria raised her hand forward andunched a Fireball at me.


    Oooh!


    The royal guards raised their voices in astonishment.


    Iunched a Fire Ball of my own to cancel out the Fire Ball heading for me. Both spells collided in mid-air and got extinguished.


    Next was three continuous Fire Balls. I also countered with three continuous Fire Balls and cancelled out the spells again.


    And next, she fired off three me Arrow projectiles. I countered with the same spell once again, but since the me Arrow spell was quite a bit faster than the FireBall spell, I only managed to cancel them out when they came three meters in front of me. Scary.


    The surroundingspsed into silence once more.


    The faces of the royal guards were frozen stiff in astonishment.


    Amazing This is truly the power of one loved by the Goddess. There is no doubt


    Baron Sergio was already crying buckets.


    The royal guards started chattering excitedly with one another.


    Your Royal Highness! n-donos magic was of course amazing, but how is it that you can cast such powerful magic spells as well?


    I and Elna have been learning magic from n everyday. I was not too bad, wasnt I?


    That is an understatement, Your Highness! I believe you have be even more skilled than even the leader of the royal court magicians!


    Come to think of it, the spells cast by Dame Norian earlier were impressive as well.


    n-dono! Please teach me magic as well!


    I also wish to learn from you!


    It was already starting to get out of hand. After a while, things finally managed to calm down somewhat.


    We have certainly been shown a glimpse of the power of one loved by the Goddess. You are certainly blessed for meeting such a man. You have most certainly inherited the good luck of Earl Ludvic.


    So you think so as well, Baron Sergio. I also think my meeting with n was due to the providence of the Goddess.


    The fact that we have managed to enlist the help of such a man means our future path is bright! It is much the same as gaining the blessing of Goddess Ruminas. Oh, my blood is seething in excitement even though Im already at this age!


    Oh! I feel the same as well!


    Well then, we shall go back to the inn andmence with the nning now. I believe that would be best, right, n?


    Clerias eyes narrowed into slits as she stared at me angrily. This is bad! It looks like I really ticked her off. Come to think of it, that earlier me Arrow felt a lot faster than usual.


    Y-Yeah. Lets do that.


    We returned the arena key and went out of the Guild. After knowing that there were still some rooms avable, Captain Dalshim and Baron Sergio proposed to stay at the Natures Bounty inn as well.

 Chapter 42.2 - Arena And Promise Part 2

    That was amazing, n!


    Thats right! So magic was that amazing. I also want to learn magic as well!


    It seems Selena and Sharon were quite taken by the magic spells they saw earlier. But I was busy thinking of a way to pacify Clerias anger as well as a suitable exnation.


    When we got back to the inn, Captain Dalshim and Baron Sergio immediately booked two separate rooms. I told Verse they were just recent acquaintances and shoved the payment for the rooms onto him before he could object.


    All of the others gazes turned toward me.


    Im sorry, but can you allow Cleria and me to discuss things among ourselves first?


    Alright. I shall talk with you first then.


    I led Cleria into my room. Man. Its been a long time since weve talked with just the two of us.


    Let me apologize for what I did earlier first, Cleria. Sorry for iming we had a n or something to the others without consulting you first.


    Just what are you nning, n?


    Im really sorry. The reason I did so is because I thought I could use the situation to do what I wanted, no, what I needed to aplish.


    What do you mean? You have no connection to my country, right, n? Just what do you mean by something you need to aplish?


    Cleria I, no, we are nning to found a whole new country in this continent. No, it will not stop at a mere n. We will definitely build a new country here.


    Eh!? Founding a new country?


    Yes. Were going to create a new country. This is something we definitely need to aplish at all costs. And, although it was utterly selfish and underhanded of me, I went ahead and tried to take advantage of your situation to achieve our own ends.


    When you say we, do you mean Selena and Sharon?


    Thats right. Selena, Sharon, and me.


    Impossible With just the three of you?


    Well, we also had Iris, the general-purpose bots, and the drones.


    Uh We also have some other coborators as well.


    How many are there?


    I cannot say how many they exactly are, but they are all dependable and powerful supporters.


    I see. You want to create a country, so you want to use the men under me to help with that goal. Is that what you meant?


    Thats right. But its a bit different than what youre thinking, Cleria.


    First of all, Im the one who will create a country. If you dont want to actively participate in its creation, you dont really have to, Cleria.


    Its just that I want you and your people to be the first citizens of the country Ill be making in the future, if possible.


    A country n will create Just how do you n on creating a country in the first ce?


    Actually, we are already starting to build a foundation. We will first have people gather in the site weve chosen and then proceed to build a city there. And afterward, we will gradually expand outward.


    (Iris.)


    Yes, Captain.


    (How long will it take to prepare our main base of operations?)


    We have just begun construction, so I cannot yet give an urate time frame, but I estimate it to be finished within one year.


    (I see. So itll take a while. Understood. Thank you.)


    So where are you building your first city?


    A ce called the Great Demon Forest.


    n! Do you have any idea what kind of ce the Great Demon Forest is!?


    Of course I do. Ive already investigated it. But one really cant create an entirely new country unless you base it on an unimednd, right?


    That may be the sake. But is it really possible to build a city at that kind of ce?


    Yes, we can. You dont have to worry about that at all. Like I said, my supporters are a bunch of powerful and reliable individuals.


    How long until that city is finished?


    About a year or so.


    I have to ask, n. How do you n on gathering citizens for your country if we were not part of the equation?


    Im still in the middle of thinking up ns for that. But I think bing a noble is one viable option.


    So thats why you asked about those things yesterday.


    Thats right. I dont think Ill have a problem with hunting monsters, but Im not too sure about bing popr and well known among the people.


    Right. Im sure n will be able to defeat any kind of monster unfortunate enough to face you. But n, Im sorry to tell you this, but I think I would have to refuse the offer of bing the citizens of your country.


    Can I ask about the reason?


    First, even if you do manage to sessfully imnds within the Great Demon Forest and build a city there, I cannot imagine my people being able to live safely and peacefully in such a ce.


    It is most likely that they will face countless hardships there. I cannot allow myself to ce the people in such a situation.


    Secondly, the more than two thousand men I have under me are almost all former vassals of my uncle, Earl Ludvic. So I cannot imagine they will be willing to settle down on a newly founded country, even more so, under a new ruler.


    The men who were formerly under themand of my uncle surely follow me mainly because they want to take back thends they once called home. I cannot possibly betray their hopes and tell them to be your countrys citizens, n.


    I failed to mention this earlier, but after founding my country, I also n to conquer the rest of the continent as well.


    Eh!?


    Your Starveek Kingdom. Well, now its called the Alois Kingdom, right? If you want that country, then I have no problem with giving it back to you. I cannot say how long it would take, but Im sure Ill be able to hand it over within your lifetime, Cleria.


    Are you seriously saying that, n!?


    I am. I cannot be even more serious. And about the matter of moving to the new city, can you at least try to decide once youve seen it once? When youve checked it out and still feel that you dont want to live there, then youre free to go. Its not that bad of a deal, right?


    Just what is driving you to propose this crazy n of founding your own country, n? You are not someone who lusts for wealth and power. I cannot think of any usible reason for you to go as far creating your own country and conquering this continent.


    Im not sure if youll believe this, but its all for the safety and wellbeing of the people living in this continent.


    So you are saying you are nning to create a country and rule over the entire continent all for the sake of the people?


    Thats right. I swear this to be the case.


    What do you n next after creating your country?


    Education. I want the people to learn about the things around them, about all the underlying principles of the world, and live rich and fulfilling lives. That is the only thing I wish.


    So you mean you will build a country and conquer the continent in order to ensure the peoples happiness?


    Yes, you can say that. Do you believe me?


    You cannot possibly think I will easily believe something so absurd.


    Are you afraid of me bing a tyrant?


    I am not saying that, but


    If thats the case, then how about me and Cleria co-ruling the country I will make in the future.


    I dont really care about the form of government. I only want to raise the technological prowess of thiss inhabitants, no, of these future imperial citizens.


    C-Co-governance!? Um, that means um, I and n will?


    Right. Well work together and rule the country. However, as for the matters regarding education of the countrys citizens, I would like to have full absolute authority. And I will also not give up on the n to unify the entire continent. Apart from these things, I dont mind if Cleria handles the rest.


    Clerias face suddenly turned bright red as she fidgeted bashfully. Whats going on with her?


    Um, are you really fine with me, n?


    Hm? What does she mean? Oh, maybe shes not confident in herself? The only person I can talk about things like this openly is Cleria after all. I don;t n on entrusting something as important as this to other people apart from her.


    Of course you are. Youre the only one I can entrust these matters to, Cleria.


    I-Is that so? I didnt realize thats how you felt. Can you give me a little bit more time to think things through?


    Yes, of course. Do you want me to leave you alone for a while?


    No, you can just sit there, n.


    Cleria closed her eyes. Her face disyed a serious expression. After five minutes or so, she opened her eyes once more and gave me a smile.


    I have decided to ept your proposal, Lord n Corinth. However, I have three conditions.


    First, regarding the new city you are building. I shall take you up on your offer and see the state of the city for myself before making a decision to move my people there or not. If I find that the circumstances are not ideal for my people, I reserve the right to refuse the relocation.


    Secondly, I agree to co-governing the new country with you, and will give youplete authority over education and the n for the unification of the continent. However, you would need to discuss things with me before making decisions regarding other matters.


    Thirdly, once the country has taken a hold of the Alois Kingdom, I would like you to leave managing that territory to me.


    If you agree to the three conditions I proposed, I will offer all of my being to help you in your cause, Lord n.


    I promise to uphold those three conditions to the best of my ability, Lady Cleria Starvine. Uh, dont we need to keep this in writing or something? What do you think, Cleria?


    Mou! You just had to ruin the formal and solemn atmosphere, n! We dont need any record!


    Uh, sorry. Im not really used to this sort of thing, see.


    It would have been better if you knelt down and saidIt shall be as mydy wishes.or something!


    Is that so? Okay then. Lets do a retake!


    Its fine already! Weve already managed to settle all the important points anyway. Make sure to keep your promises, okay, n?


    Of course. I dont n to break my promises.


    I then held out my hand toward Cleria. Huh? Does this have no practice of handshaking? Seventy percent of human-inhabiteds in the empire are familiar with the gesture though.


    What is that supposed to mean?


    In my home country, we would join hands whenever we finish important discussions.


    Is that so? Its quite the interesting practice.


    I and Cleria shook our hands for the first time.

 Chapter 43.1 - Discussing Plans Part 1

    Weve finished discussing the bare outline of our future ns, so I gathered everyone inside Cleria and Elnas room in order to iron out the details.


    After discussing things with Cleria, we havee to an agreement. We will now start our n to create a new country.


    Ooh!


    The only ones who were surprised were Captain Dalshim, Baron Sergio, and Elna. Selena and Sharon werent surprised of course, since Ive already discussed my ns with themst time.


    Wonderful! It seems that you have made your resolve, Your Highness!


    The ce where well found our new country is somewhere called the Great Demon Forest.


    By the Goddess! n-dono, that ce is


    I am aware. However, there is no need for worry. Those under me have already started construction of a city that will be the countrys capital. It should be finished within one year.


    Oh! Such a thing!


    Once n and his cohorts have finished building the city, we shall move there and build up our strength.


    I want to confirm this beforehand. Will the two thousand men under Cleria be willing to bring their families and loved ones to the new city once it ispleted?


    But of course! They have all been serving as vassals of the Earl for generations. There is no one who has inherited the blood of the Ludvic house more strongly than Cleria-sama.


    In the case that the city n builds ends up disadvantageous to the people, we have agreed not to go through with this n. However, in the case that the city has no problems, we will immediately proceed with it with all haste.


    We are truly thankful for your consideration, Your Royal Highness.


    Let us assume that ns city will have no problems then. Does anyone have any suggestions or rifications regarding our n to build a new country?


    n-dono, I believe that the number of people who will move to the newly built city will amount to at least more than five thousand if we also include the vassals families. Will the amodations of the new city suffice for all of them?


    (How about it, Iris?)


    I had given Iris permission to monitor our current discussion earlier.


    There is no problem. I have designed the ns with plenty of leeway.


    So well really be able to build a base that can house more than five thousand people within one year huh? Well, Ill just leave everything to Iris. Since Iris says its fine, then Im sure it is.


    Theres no problem with that. We have designed the ns with plenty of leeway in mind.


    Hou. How wonderful! The number of subordinates under n-dono seems to be quite substantial. Just how many of them are there? Captain Dalshim inquired.


    Hm. How should I answer this one?


    Instead of subordinates, it would be more appropriate to call them subcontractors. I have ced an order for them to build a livable city, and so they shall. Once the city is finished, however, they will leave. We cannot count on them as part of our forces, unfortunately.


    I see. So thats how it is


    In that case, one of our most pressing issues is how to increase the poption of the new city. I think your earlier proposal of bing a noble in some other country in order to gather citizens under your name sounds the most viable option for now. Cleria suggested.


    Whatever do you mean, Your Highness?


    n said that he would have endeavored to be a noble of a country in order to gather citizens if he didnt encounter us first. You nned to gather people, build up your strength, and then dere independence, did you not, n?


    Well, something like that. It should be faster than gradually soliciting citizens, right?


    Oh! I see. That might be a good hand. So you n to steal a nation, so to speak. In our situation, we can no longer afford to be picky with the means we choose to achieve our goals. We have to take back the Starveek Kingdom as soon as possible.


    n has promised that he shall give the Starveek Kingdom, that is now known as the Alois Kingdom, to me, as soon as he seeds in taking it over, as long as that goal is aplished within my lifetime.


    Haha! Surely you jest!


    I am not joking, Baron Sergio. This is only one of ns promises to me. We will ultimately aim to conquer this entire continent, and unify it under one single banner.


    Hahaha!


    Do you really think that sort of thing is possible, n-dono?


    I am not thinking it would be aplished easily. I am aware that unifying the continent will take quite a long time, but I also do not believe it to be impossible. No, I shall definitely aplish it. Without fail.


    Now, now, Captain Dalshim. It is something our princess and n-dono, who is loved by the Goddess, set out to do. All we need to do is obey their wishes. And besides, one would need at least this much ambition in order to fulfill our goal of taking back our kingdom. How promising the two of them are!


    Cleria-san, is the thing you talked about earlier really possible? About bing a noble I mean. Sharon asked.


    It will not be easy. The Great Demon Forest is surrounded by an extensive mountain range, and the only countries that have ess to it are the Cecilio Kingdom and the Belta Kingdom, where we currently are. In order to get promoted to nobility, one must build up fame and achievements in one of these two countries. Unfortunately, I am not that knowledgeable when ites to the policies of these two countries when conferring peerage. Does anyone here have any idea?


    Nobody replied.


    Well, I dont know about Cecilio Kingdom, but one of the owners of this inn, Verse, in addition to being a citizen of this country, was also a former A rank adventurer. He may have some idea. If not, then we can try asking Tarus-san. Hes quite well-informed, so theres a good chance he knows something.


    Thats a good suggestion, n.


    In any case, our base will only be finished after one year. We do not have much to do before it gets finished, so I think the n for bing a noble is well worth a try at least.


    Im sure it will be easy with your abilities, n. But your attitude of just trying it out is not advisable. If we are going to go ahead with this, then I hope you can do it with the resolve to aplish it at all costs.


    Whoah. Clerias really getting into it huh.


    Youre right. Sorry about that. I will definitely be a noble within one year. Hey, its not like Id have to be the one to do it, though. You can also aim to be one yourself, right Cleria?


    No. Im a woman, so it will be difficult to be conferred a title through my achievements instead of inheritance. You are the most viable candidate, n.


    Is that the case? Ill just have to do my utmost then.


    We discussed various other things, and after we exhausted the topics everyone had in mind currently, we adjourned the meeting for the time being. We decided to hold another meeting after dinner.


    Your Highness, can I borrow some of your time after this?


    Of course, Baron Sergio.


    It seems Cleria and her cohort have something to discuss among themselves. Well, since there was still some time before dinner, maybe Ill mull things over a bit more in my room as well.


    n, we also have some things we want to talk to you about. Is it okay? Selena chimed in.


    Of course its okay.


    We decided to hold a separate meeting of our own in Selena and Sharons room.


    n, weve already known about your intention to create a country, but is it really wise to make use of Cleria and the others to attain our objectives?


    Hm? What do you mean?


    Um, what Im trying to say is that we might get used for their ends as well. Selena rified.


    Well, I guess thats practically whats gonna happen. We will make use of Cleria and her group to achieve our goals, and they will also make use of our power to achieve theirs. We both have something to gain, and our goals basically align. Thats why I dont really think theres a problem with it.


    In other words, it will just end with that? We will cooperate with Clerias group in order to achieve the creation of a new country, but us, the imperial military, will still hold the initiative when ites to governing the country?


    Yes. But we wont be holdingplete authority over all matters. We will have full authority regarding setting the education policies of the new country as well as all matters regarding the nned unification of the continent, but will have to discuss with Cleria regarding other matters. In other words, it will be a co-rulership.


    I see. So thats how it is. Sharon nodded.


    But it doesnt change the fact that this is a great opportunity for us. Being able to gain more than five thousand new citizens all at once is something that will be hard to pass up. We cannot let go of this chance. I would like your full cooperation, you two.


    Roger that, n.


    Understood, n.

 Chapter 43.2 - Discussing Plans Part 2

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    n, Selena, and Sharon went out of the room. It seems they want to talk among themselves too. Baron Sergio seems to have something to discuss with me as well, and Captain Dalshim also stayed behind.


    Please excuse my presumptuousness, Your Royal Highness. But I have some things I want to confirm with you no matter what.


    What is it, Baron Sergio?


    What kind of person is n-dono exactly?


    There are some points about him that I and Elna also arent clear about. First, its certain that he isnt from this continent. When we first met each other, he couldnt speak ournguage, and we couldnt understand each other in the beginning.


    Truly? But he seems to be quite fluent in ournguage though.


    n is a talented man. He came to this continent via ship, apparently. He is most probably a soldier. He personally told us he was a soldier, and that those twins were his subordinates. Their ship sank, and they have lost their way to get back to their country. I have heard that apart from using a ship simr to the one that sank, it was impossible for them to cross the oceans toe back to the continent they are from.


    To think that there was still a continent that had people living in it apart from this one. It is an astonishing revtion. Captain Dalshim eximed.


    Your Highness, I shall ask this directly then. Can n-dono be trusted?


    So that is what you want to truly ascertain. Honestly, I was also surprised when I first heard about ns n to create a new country, but personally speaking, I do think n is trustworthy. I have no doubt of that. What do you think, Elna?


    I also agree that n is trustworthy. He is a wonderful individual. It is even more pronounced once he considers you one of his own.


    Just what kind of background does he have?


    That is something that remains a mystery, even for us. I have discussed it with Elna, but we havente up with anything concrete. But there was one time when one of the twins, Selena, let something slip. Even after hearing my status, I heard her something along the lines ofA mere princess of a kingdom is iparable to His Excellencys esteemed self. That means even a princess of a country cannotpare to his status. Do youprehend the implications of this?


    A mere princess of a kingdom is iparable to him, is it? Does that mean that he is royalty of arge and powerful nation?


    By the Goddess! So he was someone of such esteemed standing!? If that is the case, then I can see where his confidence in proposing to create a country and taking in more than five thousand people as citizenses from.


    I have asked n directly one time, and strangely, he ims to be neither part of nobility or royalty.


    Not of nobility or royalty? If so, seeing as hes part of the military, perhaps he is a general of high standing?


    I and Elna also think so. However, can a general really outshine a princess in standing?


    Well, perhaps that is the case in the continent they are from. However, if n-dono truly is a general of such caliber, then it is nothing but good tidings for our cause! I can feel our goal of gaining back our kingdom looming ever closer to reality!


    That is absolutely right! This is a chance that is hard toe by.


    You Highness, just what is n-donos goal in proposing to unite the whole continent?


    ording to n, its all for the well-being and prosperity of the people. He will create a country in order for the people to learn about the things around them, discover the underlying principles of the world, and let the people live rich and fulfilling lives. These are the words that n said himself. He imed that this is all that he wants.


    Oh! Such a noble-sounding cause!


    And do you believe his words, Your Highness?


    I do not see any reason to doubt them for now. And judging from ns behavior until now, I honestly do not feel there is any falsehood in what he says.


    Your Highness, there is one other matter that I wish to confirm with you. Once we have created a country, which one between you and n-dono will hold the right to govern?


    Baron Segio! Of course it should be Her Royal Highness, right!? Captain Dalshim eximed.


    No. After discussing things with n, we have decided on a co-rulership. However, n has some things he cannotpromise as well. He wants full authority over deciding the countrys educational policies as well as the matters regarding the unification of the continent. Apart from these two matters, everything else will need to be discussed with me.


    Cleria-sama, in other words? Elna pressed on.


    I felt my face grow hot in embarrassment.


    Yes, its as you think. n and I have decided to walk hand in hand.


    Oooh!


    I did not think you have alreadye to such a momentous decision during your talk! I suppose this warrants some congrattions, my princess? Elna teased.


    Yes, well, whether or not this turns out to be a good thing depends on our sess in founding a country for ourselves, but I admit that it doesnt feel bad.


    Oh! If that is truly the case, then our position is all but set in stone! There can be no better beginning than this!


    In order to cover up my embarrassment, I moved to discuss the three conditions I put forth with the three of them.


    So it seems that n-dono truly believes that he can take back the Starveek Kingdom. Captain Dalshim pointed out.


    Of course. n will not lie when ites to things like this. And strangely enough, I cannot help but believe that n will be able to aplish what he sets out to do.


    Yes, I feel the same, Cleria-sama.


    But I do wonder how he will aplish such a thing?


    That I have no idea. However, ns strength speaks for itself. What you witnessed today was but a small part of his power. Elna, how many soldiers do you think is needed in order to defeat n?


    Do you mean an n who has fully prepared himself?


    Thats right. Let us assume you will battle in an open in.


    In that case, at the very least, I will need two hundred heavy cavalry and one hundred royal guards on horseback.


    Wha-!?


    Hou. How do you propose to attack then?


    First, I shall have the heavy cavalry assault him at full speeds from the sides. Though I believe heavy cavalry will be no match for n in the end, if we surround him with two hundred of them, Im sure it will allow us to tie up his movements for a short while. I shall then have the royal guards follow the heavy cavalry closely and make their assault, letting them shower spells at n. We shall make use of the chaos in order to forcefully snatch up a victory.


    I see. But that n stillrgely depends on luck.


    Please wait for a moment! Dame Norian, are you seriously saying that we need three hundred men on horseback in order to defeat a single man!?


    If we are up against a fully prepared n, then even three hundred may not be enough.


    Yes. I am of the same opinion. He is just that powerful.


    Well, if n uses his rifle, then we will need a significantlyrger force in order to win.


    By the Goddess! To think he was that powerful! How impressive! He is much like the heroes spoken of in legends! And he is now offering to be our ally My princess! Then our struggle? Our country?


    I have already said it earlier didnt I? n will surely aplish what he set out to do.


    Ah Praise be to the Goddess Ruminas.


    When dinnertime came, I went down to the dining room and found Cleria and the rest already sitting on thergest table.


    Oh! n-dono! Please, sit here.


    Baron Sergio offered the seat right next to Cleria.


    Thank you very much, Baron Sergio.


    There is no need to address me as Baron Sergio, n-dono. I have already lost mynds and my former status, so there is no meaning in that title. Please, just call me Roberto.


    I see. Thank you then, Roberto-dono.


    n-dono! Please, just address me as simply Roberto.


    Err Thank you, Roberto.


    That goes for the others as well. Please feel free to address me as Roberto.


    Man, Baron Sergio, uh, Robertos tension is strangely high.


    After a little while, Sara-chan finally brought out the dishes for tonights meal. Oh, so tonights dinner is karaage and tonkatsu huh. Since theres karaage, then Verse must have gotten some ck Bird meat earlier. Its been a while since Ive had it, so I was looking forward to the meal.

 Chapter 44.1 - Preparing For The Journey 1 Part 1

    After agreeing to exin the contents of tonights discussion to the rest of the royal guards staying in the city in the morning of the next day, we dismissed the meeting and went back to our respective rooms.


    I started working on drawing magic circles for the dryers inside my room for a while. I stopped when I judged that it was time to sleep.


    (n, sorry, but can we discuss something with you for a bit?)


    (Alright. Ill go to your room.)


    Sharon messaged me before I got the chance to go to bed. I wonder what the matter was as I headed to their room.


    Sorry for disturbing you thiste. Its not really something all that pressing, but Selena began.


    We heard from Cleria and the others this morning. About Corinth-style swordsmanship, I mean. Sharon followed up.


    Ah! So thats it. It looks like they really ended up finding out.


    Hey n, just where did you learn swordsmanship? Selena asked.


    Oh, uh, I kinda dabbled in it for a bit when I was young.


    Thats amazing! Isnt something like swords considered a really minor hobby back at the empire? To think youd even sublimated your knowledge and skills into actual swordsmanship! Thats really impressive!


    Ugh. Please stop. Selenas sincere words arending critical hits and giving me great mental damage.


    Are Cleria-san and Elna-san learning Corinth-style swordsmanship from you, n? I seem to recall them saying that during our talks. Can you also teach it to both of us? If possible, can you update our databases with the rted knowledge tonight?


    Yeah, alright. Its knowledge needed if you want to integrate yourselves to this world after all. I understand. Ill send all the data via the nanomster.


    I made a swift strategic retreat in order not to receive any more damage. I hurriedly got out of their room in a fluster.


    Since Ive been actively practicing my sword skills along with my magic skillstely, I managed to remember all thebos I used during my time in the game when I was a kid. Of course, this includes all my custombos for Corinth-style swordsmanship as well.


    Aw crap. I dont really mind sending them data regarding swordsmanship, but all the names of thebos used in Corinth-style swordsmanship are absolutely embarrassing. Meteor Storm, Final de, Justice Judgement, Big Bang Burst, Thunder Bomb, Eternal Stream I have to hurry and make up some new names for them asap!


    Argh! I cant think of any decent names to rece them with. Screw it! Ill just send it as is! I dont care what happens anymore.


    (Please send all the rted data regarding swordsmanship to Sharon and Selena.)


    Acknowledged.


    Ugh. Ive gone and done it. Ill just go to sleep. Can I even get to sleep, though?


    I managed to wake up just before breakfast time. I obviously took longer to wake uppared to my usual daily schedule. It was difficult for me to fall asleepst night, so I ended up a bit sleep-deprived in the end. But it cant be helped.


    When I went down to the dining area, I found everyone else already sitting on a table while waiting for breakfast to be served.


    Good morning, n!


    Hm? Thats strange. Selena and Sharon are acting normally. And here I was, all worried about them being creeped out with me. Did the update fail to go through or something?


    Oh, n-dono! Good morning. Please. Go ahead and sit over here.


    Roberto offered up the seat beside Cleria again.


    Good morning, Roberto.


    Todays breakfast consisted of potato sandwiches, egg sandwiches, and chicken, ham, and vegetable sd sandwiches. It looks like all of them made use of plenty of mayonnaise. Each kind was piled in great quantities on top ofrge tes.


    Oh! These are quite the excellent dishes as well!


    They really are tasty!


    Roberto, Captain Dalshim, Selena, and Sharon all ended up liking the sandwiches a lot. The power of mayonnaise really cant be underestimated.


    The sandwiches piled on top of therge tes were finished off in the blink of an eye.


    n, just as we discussed yesterday, we are going to exin everything to the rest of the royal guards. Pleasee with us as well.


    Yes, of course. After that, Im nning to head over to Tarus-sans ce as well. I want to thank them for all their help, and I also want to consult them regarding the preparations for our journey.


    Let us do so then.


    We will head out today as well. We have to make haste and tell the good news to the rest of ourrades, and have Captain Dalshim and the rest of the royal guards to rejoin with you all once more afterward.


    During yesterdays discussion, it was decided that Roberto would be in charge of gathering up all the two thousand plus loyal vassals in preparation for our future ns, while Captain Dalshim and the other royal guards were to join up with us in order to provide support to our party.


    I see. Alright then. By the way, will your funds be enough for your future activities?


    T-Thats They are not exactly plentiful, but we will make do somehow.


    I see! Ipletely failed to notice. Just how were you nning on securing your living expenses? Cleria inquired in concern.


    Before we parted with the earl, we received more than enough funds from him. We have managed to make do with it since.


    Please be honest with us, Roberto. Just how much money do you guys have left?


    About fifty thousand Guineas.


    I really dont think that amount will be enough for the living expenses of more than two thousand people.


    That is obviouslycking.


    No, we will make do! We are nning to make ourrades who do not wish to participate with our ns toe back to their hometowns post haste and


    Even so, I still think it wont be enough. Understood. I do not have much on me right now as well, but I shall contribute what I can.


    Oh! That will be a great help, n! We will return all the borrowed money, of course.


    No, theres no need to do so. Were allrades here. Andrades are supposed to help one another during trying times, right?


    We are most grateful, n-dono


    After drinking our after-meal tea, we gathered inside Clerias room once again. Afterward, I retrieved the counterfeit gold coins Selena and Sharon brought from the ship.


    Is it really okay, n? Selena asked.


    Yeah, no problem. Were nning to make lots of money from doing quests anyway after all. Well manage.


    I ced the bags filled with gold coins brought by Selena and Sharon on top of the table. All in all, it amounted to sixtyrge gold coins.


    Oh! This is!


    Well, since Ive gone this far, I better just hand over my money as well. Ill be able to make a total of six hundred twenty thousand Guineas after four days thanks to my prior transactions. I think bringing a hundred thousand Guineas as our travel money will be more than enough. Of the five hundred fifty thousand Guineas we had on hand, I ced four hundred fifty thousand Guineas on the table. So, along with therge gold coins, there was a total of six million four hundred fifty thousand Guineas currently on the table. Im sure theyll have no trouble with funds for a while with this much.


    You cannot be thinking of giving us this much, n!?


    We really dont have a need for this much money after all. You have two thousand plus mouths to feed, so Im sure youll need plenty of money. And I also said I managed to get a job order yesterday, right? Ill be receiving six hundred thousand plus Guineas after four days, so well be fine.


    More than six hundred thousand Guineas!? Just what kind of job did you receive?


    I got an order from Tarus-san for magic tools. Im scheduled to deliver thirty units all in all.


    Magic tool!


    n! Can I and Sharon also make those so-called magic tools!? Selena excitedly asked.


    Yup. Im sure you and Sharon can make them too.


    Sharon already has magic tool making knowledge uploaded to her database, and with the nanoms help, drawing magic circles will be simply like filling in coloring book pages. Im sure theyll have absolutely no problems making them.


    If so, then Ill also help you with your job!


    Ill help too!


    I managed to get two reliable assistants. If all three of us worked together, Im sure we can finish all the magic circles in one evening.


    I would also like to help as well, but Cleria sighed.


    Ive got enough helpers. Okay then, Roberto. Go ahead and take this money.


    Thank you very much, n-dono. We shall use this money well.


    Even with six million four hundred thousand Guineas, if the funds get divided equally to, lets say, two thousand one hundred people, one person will end up receiving just a little over three thousand Guineas. It will still not be enough for living expenses.


    Oh, right! How about we also periodically send part of the money our party will earn from now on to you all as well?

 Chapter 44.2 - Preparing For The Journey 1 Part 2

    In the data update Iris sent me, info on the Commerce Guild was included as well. The Commerce Guild actually offers a service of depositing and withdrawing money from their branches. So people can actually send and receive money through different branches within the continent. Theres a service fee of five thousand Guineas every time one sends money though. So one can deposit some money along with the corresponding fee to a local Commerce Guild branch, and other people authorized to ess said money will be able to withdraw them from another branch, even if that branch is located far away.


    Thats a great idea, n! It is true that we do not need that much money. And if we sessfully manage to be high ranking adventurers, Im sure well be able to make plenty of earnings. We will be getting quite a lot of money eventually. Let us do as you suggested!


    We then discussed the amount of remittance Roberto will be receiving periodically. Roberto and his men will be making Cecilio kingdom, which is quite close to the Alois Kingdom, as their base of operations.


    We eventually managed to finish all things we needed to discuss and went to the inn the rest of the royal guards were staying at.


    It seems the rest of the guards were eagerly waiting for us as well. We gathered inside therge room we usedst time.


    Everyone, Her Royal Highness has words to convey to you all. Be sure to listen attentively!


    After Captain Dalshims words, the rest of the royal guards got on one knee in a gesture of fealty.


    Everyone, I shall first tell you about the things I did not manage to convey yesterday. Thank you all, for persevering and finding me. I feel truly sorry for all of the suffering you must have undergone in order to find me, but I am honestly d to be able to meet you all once again.


    We are undeserving of such words. It was part of our sworn duty to search for Your Highness. We do not need such thanks. Captain Dalshim respectfully replied.


    I am ddened by your unwavering loyalty, everyone. As you well know, the Starveek Kingdom is no more, and I am no longer a royal princess. You all have already fulfilled your duties enough. And there is no need to continue serving me as well. I am sure some of you may feel the want toe back to your home towns. The ones who want to return can freely relieve yourselves of your duties as part of the royal guards. I do not mind.


    Your Highness, the ones gathered here have already strengthened their resolve. None of us wish to return to our home towns. We shall serve Your Highness until ourst breaths.


    I see However, some of the men staying at Cecilio Kingdom may have different views. If you can, please confirm things with each and everyone of them.


    Certainly.


    That goes for you as well, Roberto.


    By your will.


    Well then, I shall now discuss our future ns. Everyone, we have decided to create a new country!


    Oooh!


    The ce we will be using as our base for this n of creating a new country will bepleted in one years time. After it ispleted, we shall all move there and build up our strength.


    Of course, we cannot hope to sessfully create a country with our current numbers. And so, we n on attaining nobility in this kingdom of Belta first.


    Once we have attained a nobility and conferred a fief, we will then be able to increase the number of our allies. Once we have managed to build sufficient strength, we shall dere our independence, move to the creation of a new state, and eventually aim for hegemony over the entire continent.


    Ooooh!!!


    Of course, all of this will not be easy to achieve. Instead, it can even be called reckless, or even crazy.


    But we have decided to stake our all on this dream. If you all feel that you can work toward fulfilling this dream as well, then I bid you to follow us.


    I also intend to take back the Starveek Kingdom as long as I still draw breath.


    Once we do so, you all will be considered my oldest, and most loyal vassals. At the very least, I shall confer you the rank of baron for your services.


    Oooooh!!!


    I shall follow you to the ends of the earth, Your Royal Highness!


    I as well!


    Let us do it, Royal Highness!


    Aaah! I have been waiting for this!


    We have already conveyed the details to Captain Dalshim and Roberto. Please think things over carefully and decide.


    By your will!


    Our princess shall be serving as an adventurer here at the Belta kingdom. We of the royal guard shall serve to assist her in her endeavors. We shall now head back to the Cecilio kingdom and bring the rest of the royal guards back here, and join up with Her Highness once more.


    Captain, isnt there a need to leave a number of us as Her Highness guards?


    No, there is a need to guard the funds n-dono has entrusted to Baron Sergio.


    I shall no longer require guards from now onwards. I n on bing strong enough to no longer require any guards. If I cannot do so, I feel that I do not have the qualifications to lead you all.


    Ooh!


    Well then, we shall go first and journey toward the Great Demon Forest. I wish you well on your journey, everyone.


    Oooh!


    The royal guards seemed to have a new spring in their steps as they prepared for their departure.


    Since they were all busy with the preparations, we went out of the inn and headed to Tarus-sans mansion.


    Everyone seemed really into it.


    Well, of course they are. Its hard to keep onesposure if youre suddenly told you have the chance to be a baron or better after all. Elna exined.


    But Elna and the rest of the royal guards are nobles, right?


    Even if we are, most nobles who have joined the knight order are actually not the ones first in line for inheriting our house. No, in reality, we have next to no chance of bing heirs.


    I see. So thats the case. So you also want to be a baron or something, Elna?


    No. I only wish to serve at Cleria-samas side.


    Do not hold yourself back, Elna. If its you, then bing a countess is more than possible. Cleria interjected.


    If it was up to me, I would instead rather aim to be the leader of a new order of royal guards.


    Thats just like you, Elna. I honestly cannot say I approve.


    When we reached Tarus-sans mansion, we found Willy in front of the gates, so we called out to him.


    Hey there, Willy. Is Tarus-san home?


    Good morning, n-san. He is. Please wait for a moment.


    Tarus-san went out of the mansion soon afterward. Jonas-san was with him as well.


    Its nice to see you all again. Its not good to continue standing here. Please go ahead ande to my office.


    We were then led to Tarus-sans office and served some tea. Theyve always managed to serve us tea right away whenever we visit. Do they always have warm water ready for guests?


    Now that I got a good look at you all, it seems that your number has increased once again. Are they your newrades?


    Thats right. They are also adventurers and members of our party. Their names are Selena and Sharon.


    Im Sharon. Its nice to make your acquaintance.


    Im Selena. Pleased to meet you.


    Were sorry foring on short notice, but something important came up unexpectedly, and it was decided that we are to leave this city soon. Thats why we came for a visit. Oh, but the magic tools I promised you will be delivered on the scheduled date, of course. And I will also talk to the Magic Guild in order to entrust them with the maintenance and repairs. So theres no need to worry.


    Id have to leave the maintenance of the dryers to the chiefter. Ill pay them a visitter as well.


    Oh, so thats the case. It is quite unfortunate. Can I at least ask for the reason?


    We have decided to finally be active as adventurers. We were nning on journeying toward the Great Demon Forest.


    I see. If you really are nning on bing first rate adventurers, then that certainly is the perfect ce to raise your ranks. But it really is unfortunate. I was thinking of having n-sans help with some things actually. But now


    Do you have requests? Can I ask what they are?


    Well, I and Jonas were thinking we would be able to cooperate with n-san to develop a lot more new, never-before-seen magic tools you see.


    I see. So thats what it is. Well, the Great Demon Forest isnt that far from here anyway. We can still stay in contact with each other, so Ill give you a heads up whenever Ie up with something from now on.


    Oh! Is that so!? Well then, it would be most wee if we can receive a letter or two from you once you have settled down there.


    I understand. Ill do so.

 Chapter 44.3 - Preparing For The Journey 1 Part 3

    So what is it that you want today?


    Weve decided on the journey, but we have not made adequate preparations yet. We would like to purchase horses, a carriage, as well as necessities for the journey from you.


    So thats it. Youre more than wee of course. You all have be regr patrons of our stores after all, n-san. It is no trouble. No trouble at all. So, what other things do you need apart from the horses and the carriage?


    Um, well, its actually our first time to go on such a journey. Is it possible to purchase a prepared set of things necessary for travel for five people from you? Ill also leave choosing the horses and the carriage to you.


    Of course. Actually, there are surprisingly a lot of customers requesting the same thing as you as well. Well then, I shall have everything prepared for you all tomorrow, so can you pay a visit to the store?


    Thank you very much. Youre a great help.


    It is actually us who want to thank you, n-san. Thank you very much for all that youve done for us.


    The rest of the talks went smoothly, and we finished ironing out everything soon after.


    Even so, I really feel its unfortunate. I wanted to make a second order of those dryer magic tools actually.


    Really? But I think thirty items are plenty enough as it is though?


    No, well, it seems that not only Tara, but my wife also ended up liking your product quite a lot. Judging from that, Im sure we can sell not only thirty, but even more than a hundred of them quite easily. They will be really popr.


    Is that so? If thats the case, then Ill try to consult the chief of this citys Magic Guild branch. Its not really that hard to make, so Im sure people other than me will be able to build them as well. Im nning to pay them a visit after this actually, so Ill tell you the results once wee to the store tomorrow.


    Oh! It would be a great help if you can do so. Thank you very much.


    After that, we talked a little bit about cooking, and after finalizing the rest of the things about our trip preparations, we left the mansion. Tarus-san also seemed quite busy today too.


    Well be seeing you tomorrow then.


    We will be waiting, everyone. Jonas-san said as he sent us off.


    Ill pay the Magic Guild a visit for a bit. Can you guys go ahead and return to the inn without me?


    Magic Guild! I also wanna go! Sharon excitedly quipped.


    Me too!


    No, uh, theres actually nothing interesting to see over at the Magic Guild you know? Theres only a female receptionist and the branch chief present anyway.


    But we still wanna go!


    Welle along then.


    Ill say this again guys. Theres absolutely nothing interesting over there.


    When we entered the Magic Guild building, we found that there were no other guests apart from us as always.


    Morning, Lily.


    Good morning, n-san! Chieeef! n-san is here!


    Mou! Lily! I told you toe get me yourself instead of yelling from the counter! Good morning, n. Ara, it seems we have a lot of visitors today.


    Good morning, chief. I actually have something to consult you about.


    I see. Go ahead and take a seat then.


    Lily brought out some extra chairs and we all sat around the table.


    Actually, well be going on a journey three days from now.


    Oh, is that so? Well, I do seem to remember you saying something about that a while back, but it really is unfortunate.


    Thank you for all your help chief, and sorry for leaving so suddenly. And so, the thing I want to consult you about is the magic tool Im manufacturing right now. The general store owned by Tarus-san has ordered thirty units from me yesterday, and I was thinking of handing the maintenance and repair services to the Magic Guild if possible.


    Tarus-san? You mean that really rich merchant big shot?


    Yeah, thats probably him. Tarus-san travels out of this city on business trips often.


    Maa! n! So you actually knew such a big shot?


    Uh, well, yeah.


    Of course its fine. They are always wee toe to the Magic Guild for maintenance and repairs.


    Is that so? Thank you very much! This cant be considered much of a thank you, but Ill be giving the magic tool you ordered to you for free, chief. And in exchange, Id want you to offer the maintenance and repair services at an affordable price. Would that be okay?


    n, do you have no idea what kind of person that Tarus-san is? If he ever came to know of any unreasonable practices being done in this city, the perpetrators will be chased out without fail and will never be able to return. I have no ns of charging any unreasonable fees at all!


    So that really is the case. Actually, I dont only want to entrust you with the repair and maintenance services, chief. If its possible, I also want you to take over manufacturing the magic tools as well.


    Eh!? In other words, Tarus-san will be dealing with me directly?


    Thats gonna be the case, yeah.


    Ill be more than happy to do so if that happens But there are other more developed sales channels after all. Will Tarus-san really be okay with us?


    Nah, I just talked with him earlier. It seems hes alright with it.


    n! Is that really true!?


    Yeah, it is. I actually saw one of the me producing magic tools chief made inside the mansions kitchen. So you actually didnt sell that to them directly?


    Of course I didnt! I couldnt possibly deal with someone like that directly you know! And it would really be something else if I were actually able to do so!


    So, do you want to came with us when wee to Tarus-sans store tomorrow to discuss things?


    Wait a moment! You can really meet with Tarus-san directly?


    I can. Actually, weve been paying a visit to Tarus-sans mansion normally since we came to this city, you know?


    His m-mansion!? I cant believe it! Wait just a moment. Please exin the details of the magic tool you developed to me, n! It will be a disaster if I cant actually make repairs to it.


    Its really quite a simple magic tool to build and maintain. Please lend me a pen and some paper.


    Lily brought out a pen and some paper soon after. I made a simple blueprint and handed it over to the chief.


    I see. It really is a simple build, isnt it? There would be no problem with this.


    Tarus-san said he wanted to order about a hundred of these, actually. Oh, but Ill be handling thirty units, so I guess youll just need to build seventy or so.


    Seventy item! You said the wholesale price is two thousand Guineas, right? That makes it a total of one hundred forty thousand Guineas!? Oh, n! Youre the best disciple Ive ever had!


    Hey, its still not finalized yet you know, chief! But, well, they did express the intent to develop and make even more new magic tools, so if everything goes well, itll be a nice source of profit for you.


    Well, isnt that music to the ears! How wonderful! You said youll meet him tomorrow, right? Oh, I wonder what kind of dress I should wear? Would it be better if I got him a souvenir or something?


    Uh, Im sure youll be fine going in your usual outfit, chief. And theres probably no need to bring a souvenir either. Well then, Ill check on Tarus-san tomorrow morning, and once he gives it the okay, Ille get you here and bring you to him for a visit.


    I understand. Thank you, n. You brought me such a great opportunity. And Ill definitely pay for the magic tool I ordered from you, okay?


    Is that so? Thank you then, chief. Ill be seeing you tomorrow then.


    Take care, n.


    We left the Magic Guild soon after.


    See. I told you there was nothing interesting in the Magic Guild.


    Yes, youre right. It was really different from what we expected. I thought it was a ce more overflowing with magic-rted stuff. Sharon disappointedly sighed.


    But at least we got to know that n is a great magic tool engineer. Selena followed up.


    Its not like Im making some impressive magic tools. I only managed to make a magic powered hair dryer recently, you know?


    Eh!? Is that so? I actually thought that blueprint was for some kind of weapon.


    Oh, she means that blueprint I made earlier. Well, I guess I can kinda see the resemnce between a dryer and aser gun. Come to think of it, I really hadnt tried applying magic tool making techniques to produce weapons yet huh. I kinda feel itll be easy to design one. Ill try to consult with the chief tomorrow.


    We talked about our ns from here on out while walking back to the inn and decided that well prepare for our journey in earnest starting tomorrow. In the meantime, we decided that well get some swordsmanship and magic practice in the afternoon as usual. Selena and Sharon seemed really happy when they heard that we were gonna practice magic.

 Chapter 45.1 - Preparing For The Journey 2 Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    After eating lunch at Tallys ce like usual, we went back to the inn, equipped our armor, and went out to the rocky clearing weve been using as practice grounds for a while now.


    Selena and Sharon seemed to want wooden swords for themselves as well, so we went to the shop where Cleria and Elna got their wooden swords and bought a pair for each of them. Perhaps the two of them found wielding wooden swords to be a fresh new experience. The two girls seemed quite happy as they swung their swords around. Girls, were still inside the town, so can you please cut that out? Thats dangerous you know.


    n, just how skilled are Selena and Sharon with a sword? Cleria asked curiously.


    Well I hesitated while thinking about how I should answer.


    We arent really that skilled at all. Its been a long time since weve wielded swords, so we want to brush up on the basics again. Sharon answered.


    Well, I guess even if Ive updated their Nanom databases with everything regarding the so-called Corinth-style swordsmanship, I dont think theyll be able to use them on my level just like that. Even if it was just in a game, I was still a former world ranker back on my home you know.


    I see Sharon, can I also participate in your practice sessionster? I also want to practice Corinth-style swordsmanship more. n really cant teach all that well, you see.


    Hm. Well, the reason I really didnt want to teach her the details of Corinth-style swordsmanship is that I think the swordsmanship style Clerias learned before meeting me is still the more proper onepared to my made-up style.


    Of course you can, but were really going to start from the basics, okay?


    Thats what I wish for as well. Ill be in your care. Cleria assured her.


    Well then, let me practice with you all as well. I am also quite interested in ns swordsmanship after all. Elna followed up.


    It looks like everyone decided to learn Corinth-style swordsmanship together. Its really embarrassing, so I really want to stop them if I can.


    When we reached the usual training spot, Sharon and the rest began practicing Corinth-style swordsmanship in earnest.


    Sharon began exining all about Corinth-style swordsmanships concept, basic stances, techniques, and steps, while Selena did a live demonstration for reference.


    The basic stances are of course the default ones that were implemented in the game.


    But Sharons really great at organizing data huh. Everythings been categorized neatly. Her exnations were also easy to understand. I found myself listening in before I knew it.


    Since Cleria and Elna have prior experience in swordsmanship, they were able to absorb the basics without much fuss.


    Next, Ill exin about the techniques used in Corinth-style swordsmanship calledbos.


    Sharon exined as Selena continued demonstrating the moves. The moves Selena were demonstrating werent really part of the so-called Corinth-style swordsmanship, but were instead the basicbos that were implemented in the game.


    After confirming that I can safely leave the swordsmanship practice to Sharon and Selena, I began to practice magic on my own.


    The thing Im focusing on right now is improving the function of my magic sensor. I received some constructive ideas and improvement suggestions from Iris, so I wanted to quickly test some of them out. Well, the hardware improvements and setting adjustments will bepletely left to Nanom, so I really didnt have to do much myself.


    After a few hours of doing and repeating several experiments, I managed to raise the overall sensitivity of the magic sensor to about thirty percent. Iriss suggestions all turned out to be really useful.


    It seems the girls have managed to gain quite a bit from todays swordsmanship practice as well. Eventually, we wrapped up the practice session and returned to the city.


    Sharon and Selenas swordsmanship lessons are really good. They are a lot better at teaching than n. Cleria praised.


    Thats right. I now also have some idea as to what Corinth-style swordsmanship entails. Elna followed up.


    Thats harsh, you two. Was I really that bad at teaching stuff?


    Our swordsmanship skills still arent there yet, so the more advanced topics and techniques can only be taught by n for now, Sharon exined.


    Ugh. Give me a break, guys.


    It was already dinner time when we got back to the inn. The dishes for dinner were carried out from the kitchen soon after we seated ourselves around a dining table. Tonights menu items are tempura and fried trout. Tartar sauce was also provided as dips for the fried items.


    Hm. So yesterday was tonkatsu and karaage, and tonight is tempura and fried fish huh. All of them were fried dishes, and it felt kinda weird to have just fried dishes in session. Ill talk about it with Verseter.


    But even so, delicious food is delicious no matter what. And since word about the inns new dishes has been going aroundtely, it seems a lot of guests were requesting fried dishes or dishes that werent familiar to them on an increasingly frequent rate, so I guess it cant be helped.


    Soon, everyone was immersed in eating and eventually ordered seconds.


    Fuh. The dishes were really tasty as usual, so I ended up eating a lot again. Now Ive really been convinced about the high poprity of dishes from Earth back home. Sharon eximed.


    These dishes are from a region called Earth in ns home country, right? Cleria asked.


    Thats right. More specifically, they are cuisines from a region called Japan, located on Earth.


    Hou. So n is quite well versed in cuisine from that region called Japan, is he? Cleria inquired further curiously.


    Thats right. But he isnt just skilled in Japanese cuisine. It seems hes knowledgeable about cuisines from all sorts of different regions on Earth.


    I see. That makes me look forward to our future meals more and more.


    After the meal, it was now time toplete my side-job. I requested help from Sharon and Selena. The two of them seemed really into it too.


    Our work consisted of drawing magic circle patterns on the papers and applying magic liquid on them. Thanks to the support of the nanoms, we just had to draw the patterns ording to the image disyed on the virtual window and fill them out using the magic liquid, so the work should be easy enough.


    After the magic circle images were sessfully uploaded to their databases, I exined the basics of drawing magic circles to Sharon and Selena. Both of them started working on the magic circles with the support of their nanom clusters. It looks like there are no problems so far.


    We finished drawing all thirty magic circles after about two hours and managed to sessfullyplete our work. Man. Having three people working on the job really makes quite a difference.


    The magic wires were already prepared earlier on, so now, the only thing left for me to do is getting the housings and switches from the workshop and putting theponents altogether.


    I thanked Selena and Sharon for their help and asked for their assistance again once the other parts were secured. It seems the two were a bit disappointed because the work we did really didnt seem too, uh, magical in nature. All the vim and vigor they had when we first started was all but gone.


    Well begin preparing for our trip tomorrow. I went to the bath and went on for some shut-eye afterward.


    The next morning, we finished off the mountain of sandwiches, which now have be part of the regr menu, and headed straight for Tarus-sans general store. I guess everyone needs to buy a lot of stuff for the journey.


    We found Jonas-san already waiting for us when we got to the store. There was a horseless carriage parked in front of the store. It seems theyve really prepared the stuff we requested for us already.


    Good morning, Jonas-san.


    Good morning, n-san. Good morning to everyone as well. Weve already prepared all the things you may need for your journey here.


    There really were a lot of articles gathered. They were orderly piled on top of arge wooden rack. There were packages wrapped inrge cloth as well. There were food items, ss bottles, and myriad other stuff I wasnt all that familiar with.


    As expected, we couldnt manage to acquire a brand new carriage on such short notice, so we got you a second-hand carriage of good quality instead.


    Even if Jonas-san described it as second-hand goods, it looked pretty new to me.


    Even if its already used, it looks really good.


    That it does. Its actually one of the two-horse carriages being used by ourpany. It hasnt been one year since this one entered service.


    Thats great. Well take this carriage then. Can you prepare the horses as well?

 Chapter 45.2 - Preparing For The Journey 2 Part 2

    Weve asked around and unfortunately didnt manage to find any good horses for now. Well do our best to procure some before you leave for your journey of course.


    Sorry for the trouble. Well be counting on you then.


    Afterward, Jonas-san exined about the present goods, and we started picking out the stuff we would get. Among all of us, Elna had the most experience when ites to this sort of stuff, so it was mostly her and Jonas-san who talked and negotiated.


    Apart from the gathered goods, I also purchased a new pot, one of the magic stoves that was invented by the chief, as well as some spices and condiments. The others also shopped for their own personal effects. When we finished picking everything out, the number of goods turned out too numerous to carry sessfully without a carriage.


    Compared to the time when we traveled with Beck and Thor, the number of goods we currently have on hand now was a lot more substantial.


    How much for all of these?


    Well, we still havent managed to procure any horses for you, so you can just pay the full amount on the day of your departure. In the meantime, we will look after your supplies and your carriage.


    Oh, that would help a lot. Please do so then.


    This is great. I dont have much cash on hand right now, so this arrangement suits me perfectly.


    By the way, is Tarus-san avable today? I was thinking of introducing the branch chief of the Magic Guild to himter.


    Yes, hes avable. We shall await you all at the mansion then.


    Cleria and the rest of the girls seem to want to go around other shops as well, so we decided to split up.


    When I came to the Magic Guild, I found the chief already decked out in some fancy-looking dress.


    Good morning, chief. Tarus-sans avable today, so if youre all good, then shall we go pay a visit now?


    Good morning, n. I was waiting for you. Oh, Im feeling quite nervous! Today is the day to decide the fate of this branch. Please give me some supportter, okay n?


    I understand. But Tarus-san is actually quite a good-humored person, so I dont think youll have any problems.


    The chief remained all quiet while we were heading for the mansion. It looks like she really is feeling the pinch.


    I found Willy sweeping the front of the mansion like always.


    Hey there, Willy. We have an appointment with Tarus-san today.


    Ive been informed about it, n-san. Pleasee to the office.


    We were immediately guided to the office.


    You sound really casual with them, n. the chief observed.


    We stayed over at this mansion for a day or two a while back after all.


    I cant believe it. To think you were able to stay over at this mansion, of all ces


    The dryer I made was already ced on top of the table at the office.


    Tarus-san and Jonas-san entered soon after. And we were served tea immediately, as usual.


    Good morning, Tarus-san.


    It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance, sir. I am Cara. I serve as this citys Magic Guilds branch chief. I thank you for setting some of your precious time in order to meet us today.


    Oh, right. The chiefs name was Cara. Man. I always addressed her as chief all this time, so it almost slipped my mind.


    Its a pleasure to meet you as well, Cara-san. I am Tarus. This is Jonas, the one in charge of managing my stores. Thank you foring all the way here.


    Like I proposed before, we came here in order to hand over the repair and maintenance services for the magic tools to the branch chief of the local Magic Guild branch. I began.


    Thats right. This greatly puts me at ease. ording to n, you can also take over the production of these magic tools?


    Yes. There will be no problem in producing this particr magic tool. the chief answered.


    Actually, the chief is my mentor, so I think she can do a better job than me.


    I backed the chief up just as I promised earlier.


    That sounds quite reassuring. Well then, since thats the case, then would it be fine if I ced an additional order for thirty units apart from what I ordered from n?


    Of course. Theres absolutely no problem. You want identical units, correct?


    As a matter of fact, I dont. I do think the units made by n are already quite excellent, but I would like to order goods that would cater to the taste of nobility a bit more.


    Well, I did make these with the intention of using them ourselves, so I really didnt take into ount their appeal with nobles.


    Cater to nobles, is it? Understood. I have received orders for magic tools like that in the past. There would be no problems, I believe. I shall bring you a sample productter on, so you will be able to appraise it first. the chief promised.


    Oh, I would really appreciate it if you do so. Lets see I will buy each unit minus the magic stone for at least forty thousand Guineas. Please make one with that wholesale price in mind.


    Oh! So itll be double the price of the one I made huh. It looks like its gonna be quite the luxury item. Thirty units would amount to one million two hundred thousand Guineas all in all.


    The chief was trying so hard not to smile from ear to ear that the sides of her lips were twitching unnaturally. Shes really holding it in.


    Understood. It does seem a bit dull to create an exact copy. Shall I also adjust the output a bit? the chief inquired.


    What do you mean? Jonas-san asked back.


    I suggest modifying this part in order to adjust the output of the warm air being blown from inside the magic tool.


    I see. So shes nning to use the mechanism she developed when she invented her magic stove. It does seem like a really nifty feature.


    Oh! That does sound nice! Please go ahead and give it that function. Jonas-san approved.


    After that, Tarus-san, Jonas-san, and the chief talked about the materials they were going to use to make the exterior housing of the magic tool. I wasnt really familiar with all the stuff they were talking about, so I just sat around and listened. In the end, they settled for an initial order of about thirty units.


    Well then, I will bring the trial product as soon as I can. Shall I head to your general store for the next visit?


    No, please feel free to visit this mansion instead. Though theres a chance I would be out due to some unexpected business. Tarus-san replied.


    Understood. I shall do so then.


    Well then, Tarus-san. Thank you very much for today. I expressed my thanks as I moved to bid farewell.


    No, no, I am d you introduced me to such apetent individual. As expected of ns mentor. I look forward to working with you.


    After hearing that, the chief finally couldnt hold back making a smile. The chief and I finally left Tarus-sans mansion.


    Hey, n This isnt a dream, right? I managed to make a one million two hundred thousand Guinea deal! And I even made one directly with Tarus-san I still cant believe it.


    Im happy for you, chief. Ill at least be able to leave this city with a lot more peace of mind now.


    Now that you mentioned it, you will really be leaving this city, huh n Um, n Can I ask for a bit of your help first? If its fine with you, can you draw magic circles for me before you go?


    Drawing magic circles huh No problem. I can draw one sheet in three minutes anyway. Instead of drawing the magic circle, its applying the magic liquid on the pattern that takes more time.


    Okay. How many do you want me to draw?


    As many as you can please. How do a thousand Guineas for one sheet sound?


    I dont really mind doing it for free, but I guess the pen and ink will cost money.


    A thousand Guineas for one sheet sounds fine. Just how many do you want though? Actually, I can do it for one hundred, or even two hundred you know?


    n, thats really far too cheap. If you sell them for too cheap a price, youll end up troubling the other Guild members. One thousand Guineas is fine. Fifty sheets should do nicely.


    Understood. Thank you very much. Well have to purchase quite a bit of stuff for our journey, so this really helps.


    A thousand Guineas for each sheet would make my total payment fifty thousand Guineas huh. Man. Ill actually earn that much for just two to three minutes of work for each sheet. Talk about an easy windfall.

 Chapter 45.3 - Preparing For The Journey 2 Part 3

    Its okay. Youre the savior of our branch, you know. Itll be fine if you deliver them on the day of your departure. Now then, well be quite busy for the next few days. For now, Ill have to ce an order for parts to the workshop


    Since the chief looks like shell be busy, we parted halfway and I went back to the inn.


    When I came back, it seemed that Cleria and the rest of the girls still hadnt returned from their shopping. I asked for some tea from Sara-chan. After a bit, Verse came out with a tter of cookies and joined me on the table.


    Yo, n. Are the preparations for your journey going smoothly?


    Yep. No problem. Well probably be able to set out after three days.


    I see. Its kinda regrettable though. I still wanted to learn recipes from you, n.


    Sorry about this. It was kinda sudden for us too. Right, can you hang out with me this afternoon? You want to learn more recipes, right?


    We really owe Verse a lot. I want to repay his kindness as much as I can.


    Oh! As expected of n! Now thats what Im talking about. Lets go to the market in the afternoon to buy some ingredients then.


    Yeah, that sounds great. Well then, want me to help out with todays lunch? Whats the menu for today?


    In Verses inn, the customers did not order individually. Instead, they were served a set meal each day, with the menu changing constantly. It was basically up to Verse to decide on the menu per day.


    Lets see. I was thinking of making some fried rice paired with soup. The soup has already been prepared, and we got a lot of rice too.


    I went together with Verse inside the kitchen and checked the ingredients.


    How much should we cook?


    Lets see. There are some dine-only customers as well, so I guess food enough for fifteen people should do.


    Okay. Ill teach you a dish called omelet rice then. Its kinda the same as fried rice, but its appearance and voring are quite different. Ill demonstrate cooking one dish for you first.


    It was perfect since there were plenty of tomatoes and rice avable.


    First, I sauted minced garlic in oil, then added some minced onions, andstly, poured in a nice amount of minced tomatoes and cooked the mixture well. When I judged that it was simmered enough, I added some salt to taste, and sessfully cooked some home-made tomato sauce.


    I diced some ck Bird thigh meat and sauted them together with minced onions. I then added some rice and mixed them thoroughly. As for voring, I used my newly made tomato sauce, some salt, and some ck pepper. I also added a dash of soy sauce for a bit more depth. With this, the chicken rice is done. I ced the freshly cooked dish on a te.


    And now, its finally time to make that omurice. I took some eggs, scrambled them, and poured the mixture into the frying pan. I spread the scrambled egg mixture out along the surface of the pan so itll turn out nice and t when fully cooked. Im aiming for a creamy and fluffy egg omelet toplete the omurice dish. When I saw that it was cooked nice and fluffy enough, I took the te with the chicken rice and spread it out on top of the egg omelet. I then carefully wrapped the omelet around it. I jerked the frying pan lightly and finished wrapping the chicken rice filling with the omelet in one go. It looks like it went well.


    I ced it on a te and put a liberal amount of tomato sauce on top. I then sprinkled some herbs on top as well, finallypleting the omelet rice.


    This is how the cooking process for this dish basically goes. Lets go ahead and give it a taste.


    Ou! It sure looks tasty.


    Thebo between the fluffy and creamy egg omelet, the vorful chicken rice, and the rich tomato sauce thered on top was really great. Im satisfied with this dish.


    This truly is delicious, n! But its my first time seeing such an unusual-looking dish. Im sure thisll be a hit as well.


    Im d you like it. The important key to this dish is leaving the egg omelet wrapping half-done in order to achieve that creamy and fluffy consistency. Do you want to practice cooking it a bit?


    Sure. Ill give it a go.


    Verse didnt quite get it the first time, but he did end up doing a good job on the second try. As expected of a skilled chef.


    I taught him some other wrapping methods using the egg omelet to give the appearance of the dish some variety. After a while more, orders finally starteding in.


    I then cooked up batches of omurice servings with Verse in the kitchen to serve to the customers. After just a few tries, Verse perfected his omelet rice cooking skills.


    The diners were really surprised by todays dish and said it was really delicious. Sara-chan announced.


    I thought so. n! Lets cook up some more!


    Got it. Its great to do this every once in a while! Im really enjoying this!


    Right? Hey, n. If you ever quit adventuring, youre wee to work at this inn.


    Nah, well, I have somerades with me you see. And I also have a goal Im striving toward, so I cant really do that.


    Well, thats fine too.


    Ive always just cooked for myself and my friends in the past, but cooking for customers is a fresh new experience, and Im really enjoying it!


    After we cooked up enough omurice servings for ten or so people, Sara-chan came into the kitchen.


    n-san, Ria-san and the others are back.


    Oh, I see. Ill take a look first.


    It looks like Cleria and the others just came back since they still had the stuff they bought with them.


    Ah, n. Were sorry for being thiste. We couldnt decide on what to buy right away. Selena said as she smiled in apology.


    The other girls had apologetic expressions on their faces as well. Uh, Im actually d I wasnt forced to tag along on their shopping spree, to be honest.


    I dont really mind. Lets have our lunch here today. I just taught Verse a new dish, so try it and give me your impressions.


    Okay! Were going to put away our stuff ande straight back!


    I went back to the kitchen and cooked a few more portions of omurice.


    Were going to have our lunch here today, Verse. Is it okay?


    Lunch wasnt included in the inn fees we paid when we first checked in, so I made it a point to have our lunch outside as much as possible. Well, it isnt like we actually paid enough of the fees to begin with


    What are you sounding so distant for? Just eat as much as you want.


    I and Verse cooked up enough omurice servings for five people and carried the freshly cooked dishes out of the kitchen. Everyone else was already sitting around a table.


    Hou, this is!? An egg dish? Cleria excitedly asked.


    Well, its actually a rice dish. Well, just go ahead and try it out.


    This is! Rice was actually wrapped within the egg!? Cleria eximed in surprise.


    Well, this is basically a dish where fried rice is enveloped by an egg wrapping. Its called omelet rice.


    Omelet rice As expected of n. This dish is also absolutely delicious!


    It really is delicious! The half-done egg wrapping is so creamy and fluffy. I just cant get enough of it! Selena praised.


    It looks like they really liked this one as well. Everyone was entranced by the food and ate with gusto. I made an extrarge serving for Cleria, but she finished it off in no time.


    Um, guys. I promised to hang out with Verse in the afternoon to teach him some more new dishes. Is it okay?


    I think you should just do what you want, n. Were really indebted to this inns owners as well Cleria answered.


    Well then, we will continue with our sword practice sessions just like yesterday. Wed like to formally register as adventurers at the Guild either tomorrow or the day after tomorrow as well. Sharon informed me.


    Oh, right. Selena and Sharon havent formally registered themselves as adventurers yet huh. Id like to give them pointers for the assessment test before they go through with the registration though.


    Then, Elna and I will apany them as well. Cleria offered.


    I see. So well each do our own stuff in the afternoon then.


    We finished up the rest of the omelet rice in a sh, and after having our usual after-meal tea, we separated for some cooking lessons and sword practice sessions respectively.

 Chapter 46.1 - Pasta, Pizza, And Risotto Part 1

    I found Verse practicing cooking some omelet rice by himself when I went back inside the kitchen. It looks like hes cooking some for his wife and daughter as well.


    Ou, n. Just wait for a bit. Ill wrap this up quickly. We will head for the market straight away after I finish cooking this.


    Yeah, okay.


    Verse finished cooking the meals in a sh, and the two of us finally went out of the inn and headed for the market.


    Now then, what type of dishes should I teach you, I wonder.


    Lets see. How about something like that omelet rice, but with a different cooking style this time? That kind of dish isnt something an average chef cane up with after all.


    I see. So he wants to learn unusual dishes, huh


    Hm. Maybe pizza and pasta would be nice. I have managed to encounter a good number of different kinds of dishes in this city, but I havent seen anything like those yet. Ill cook them in the Italian style. Maybe risotto would be nice as well.


    Oh, but making some pizza dough from scratch right now will be a bit challenging. This has yet to develop yeast after all. Well, they do have something simr, but its mostly taken from nature and is considered rare. Just how many hours will it take to make the dough, I wonder.


    Do you have some bread dough set aside for today?


    Lets see. Yes, I do have some back at the inn. There are some guests who prefer bread after all. And if there are leftovers, I can just use them to make breadcrumbs.


    Hes really passionate about fried food as usual. Ill try using the bread dough to make some pizza, then.


    Ill use some of itter then.


    Go ahead and feel free. Ill pay for all the ingredientster, so if you see anything interesting, just buy as much as you need.


    We finally reached the open-air market. I started going around the different stalls with Verse. It was decided that I will be in charge of picking out all the ingredients for the new dishes, and Verse will be in charge of procuring ingredients for regr use at the inn. My head has already been filled with different recipes for pizza and pasta.


    First, I went over to the stall where I bought some river prawnsst time we went here. Theyre selling some fine-looking prawns today as well. A seafood pizza does seem nice. This ingredient wasnt all that pricey as well, so I ended up buying quite a good amount of them.


    Verse has a lot of tomatoes in stock, so I dont have to buy some myself. Theres also an ample stock of meat. So that just leaves the cheese huh.


    I wonder what kinds of cheese they have avable here?


    Oh, there are a number of different kinds on sale. The shops over here.


    When we reached the specialty shop selling cheese, I found at least five kinds of cheese variants up for sale. They ranged from the soft cheeses suitable for making pizzas to hard cheeses suitable for turning into powdered cheese.


    Verse has bought quite a lot of ingredients for use at the inn so I didnt have to buy a lot of stuff myself.


    Oh, is this smoked meat, by any chance?


    I managed to find a stall selling something that resembled bacon.


    Oh, those are some smoked Big Boar meat. Its a type of preserved food.


    I didnt find something like these at the inn, so does that mean you dont use these for cooking?


    These are tough to chew, and theres not much reason to specifically use preserved food for cooking, right?


    No, no, thats not true. We can definitely use these!


    Oh, so ya do understand,ddie! These are really good, ysee. But I was surprised this type of food wasnt really popr round these parts, so I was feelin a bit down in the dumps, since I went to the trouble of haulin them all the way down here.


    The shopkeeper started a conversation with us all of a sudden. Hm. Judging from his earlier words, I guess hes a traveling merchant.


    Did youe here from somewhere far away?


    I came all the way from Starveek kingdom, ysee. Oh, but now its called Alois kingdom huh.


    Can I try a bit of these?


    Go right ahead,ddie!


    I snapped a small piece from the bacon strips hanging in front of the stall and gave it a taste. It was a bit more salty than the bacon I was used to. It was a bit hard to chew as well, but I can definitely use these.


    These are wonderful. Please wrap some up for me.


    Thanks for buyin my goods,ddie!


    After buying the bacon and an herb resembling basil, I finally finished procuring all the ingredients I needed. I then helped Verse out with his own shopping list, and we finally left the market after a short while more.


    There actually arent a lot of new ingredients, are there? Will these really be enough?


    Well be fine with just these. I n on using some of the ingredients you bought too, so we have more than enough.


    When we got back to the inn, we brought the ingredients inside the kitchen and finally started cooking.


    Lets make some pasta first.


    Oh, and it looks like Sara-chan is also gonna observe from the side.


    Father told me I was in charge of taste testing, so I didnt have lunch earlier. As a result, my stomach is quite empty right now, n-san. Sara-chan exined.


    I see. Lets get to cooking then. First, Ill show you how to cook a dish called pasta.


    Hou. What kind of dish is it?


    Well take some wheat flour, and fashion them into long strips. We will then boil them in water and use them as the main ingredient for the dish. Have you heard of something like this before, Verse?


    I did hear that some country had this type of dish in their cuisine a while back.


    Oh, so youve heard of something simr! This will probably be a bit different from the one youve heard about though. Lets go ahead and cook some then. First, lets prepare the pasta dough.


    I mixed wheat flour, salt, vegetable oil, and eggs. I then started to knead the mixture and gradually shaped it into a round shape.


    Ill give you the specific amounts to be used for each ingredientter, so you dont really need to memorize anything.


    I kneaded the mixture thoroughly. I guess this should be just about right. I wrapped the dough with some clean cloth and let it sit for a while. Ill make the meat sauce in the meantime. For pasta, I want to teach Verse the basic meat sauce first.


    Ill first have Verse make some tomato sauce by himself. Ill have to use it for making the pizza sauce as well, so well have to make a nice amount.


    The cooking method is basically the same as what we did when we cooked the omelet rice. I also had Sara-chan help by making her process some ground meat by using the magic mixer and food processor.


    I sauted some minced garlic on the frying pan, added some onions, and then some minced carrots. I then added the ground meat afterward.


    Once the ingredients were nicely cooked, I poured the tomato sauce Verse made. I sprinkled some herbs to add some nice aroma to the sauce. I finished it off by using some salt and pepper for some light voring. I then tried some with Verse. The umami of the meat has been brought out quite well, but it still wasnt quite up to my standards. It just wasnt as tasty without using some consomme. Ill just make do by adding some ketchup and the Japanese-style sauce that Verse developed to give it that extra kick it needs.


    Mm. That came out rather nicely. I had Verse try some again.


    How is it?


    Yeah, its really good, n. Is this actually a type of sauce, by any chance?


    Thats right. This is the sauce well be pouring on top of the pastater.


    The pasta dough should be ready by now. I used a chefs rod to tten the dough and stretched it out while sprinkling some flour on top. When it became nice and thin, I sprinkled some more flour on top of it and folded it. After I finished folding it into a cylindrical shape, I used a knife to cut it into portions that were one centimeter thin. I then spread the newly cut portions out, and finished making the t pasta, tagliatelle. Lets go ahead and boil them then.


    I put an appropriate amount of salt on the boiling water inside the pot and put the pasta in afterward.


    That should do.

 Chapter 46.2 - Pasta, Pizza, And Risotto Part 2

    After draining the water, I put the cooked pasta on arge te, poured the meat sauce on top, took some of the hard cheese we bought earlier, and then shaved some portions on top of the pasta and meat sauce mix. It definitely made for some nice powdered cheese. With this, the meat sauce tagliatelle is finallyplete.


    Alright! Its done!


    Oh! Whats with this dish!? I swear I havent encountered anything like this in my life, and I guarantee no one else in this country has either. Verse eximed.


    It looks really delicious! Sara-chan excitedly quipped.


    Go ahead and try some.


    I mixed the meat sauce and pasta thoroughly and ced portions on three tes. We then dug in.


    Mm, that good! I was winging it a bit earlier, but I did manage to make some great meat sauce in the end. The harmony between the Big Boar meat, the tomato sauce, and the sauted garlic, onions, and carrots were superb. The powdered cheese also suited the meat sauce quite well.


    Whats this!? Its so chewy and delicious! Sara-chan praised.


    Oh, its so good. So there was a dish like this in this world. Verse eximed softly with a touched tone.


    There are actually quite a variety of sauces that can be used to pair with pasta. Ill give you a number of sauce recipester.


    Ill be troubling you, n!


    Ill be making a dish called pizza next. Can I take some of your bread dough, Verse?


    Go ahead. Its right over here.


    Verse opened up a shelf and presented to me five prepared bread doughs wrapped in a moist cloth.


    Hee, so these are your bread doughs huh Do you have the stuff that would make the bread expand when baked?


    You mean the leavening agent?


    Verse passed me a container wrapped in cloth along with one portion of the prepared bread doughs.


    Oh, so this is the leavening agent huh.


    I kneaded the bread dough with my finger for a bit. I see. I cant really tell the difference between this and genuine pizza dough since Im no expert. I also mixed around the leavening agent with my finger for a bit as well.


    Now then, what should I do? Theres a definite difference between the process of making bread dough and pizza dough. Of course, the baking process is different as well. I can at least reproduce the usual shape if I just used the dough as is, but I really want Verse to be able to taste a properly made pizza.


    Oh, right!


    (Hey, Iris.)


    Yes, Captain.


    (How can I make this dough be a proper pizza dough? Oh, and I want the dough to be in the standard napoli-style as well.)


    I actually prefer the thick napoli-style crust with puffed-up sides to the thin roma-style crust.


    I believe I am the only military ship AI that was asked a question like this in the entire history of the empire.


    (Cut me some ck here, okay. Pretty please.)


    Using that particr bread dough as a base, proceed to add in fifty-two grams of wheat flour plus thirty milligrams of water, and then proceed to re-knead it. The end product will turn out fairly simr to the item you want.


    (Thanks a bunch, Iris. Oh, and please draw up a recipe for pizza dough using this leavening agent as the key ingredient as well.)


    Understood.


    I followed Iriss instructions and re-kneaded the dough. Great. I think this much will do.


    I divided the newly created pizza dough into two portions. I was thinking of making two pizzas using two different groups of toppings.


    Using the tomato sauce as a base, I will make one with bacon as the main ingredient, while the other will be using the river prawns.


    I and Verse started processing the river prawns. There were newly bought bacon, onions, bell peppers, and mushrooms avable as well. Ill go ahead and chop these up too. Oh, and I also have to grate the cheese I bought in the market as well.


    Im going to use the tomato sauce we made earlier to make the pizza sauce.


    I ttened the pizza dough with the chefs rod. I was, of course, making a napoli-style crust with puffed up edges. When that was done, I spread the pizza sauce over the surface of the dough. Then, I started to put on the various toppings. The first is plenty of cheese. Lets put some mayonnaise on top as well. And just like that, two different kinds of pizza werepleted.


    Alright. Now all thats left is baking them in an oven.


    Um, I need to bake these in an oven now.


    Oh, so you were actually gonna bake them inside an oven? You should have said so earlier so I wouldve fired it up.


    Oh yeah. It totally slipped my mind. Even if we started putting in some firewood now, getting this oven ready for baking will still take quite a bit of time.


    Hey, um, can I use magic to heat this oven up?


    Hm? You can actually do something like that?


    Ill give it a whirl. Sara-chan, this is gonna be a bit dangerous, so step back please.


    Um, the oven would probably break if I used more power than necessary. Lets raise the output gradually then.


    Then, a stream of me akin to that produced by a me thrower spewed in front of me. It then flowed toward the oven. In order to heat the entire inside surface of the oven evenly, I carefully adjusted the output of the mes.


    So this is magic!? Its so amazing! Sara-chan excitedly eximed.


    I continued producing magic mes like that for about a minute or so and then stopped.


    (Nanom, is the temperature inside of the oven ready for baking now?)


    It is a little lower than the usual temperature used for baking, but it will do.


    How about it, Verse?


    Hm. I guess itll do. But you sure are amazing, n.


    Yeah, I guess. Even if I dont really look like it, Im still an A rank member of the Magic Guild after all. Magics quite convenient, isnt it?


    So youre already A rank huh


    I asked Verse to put the two pizzas inside the oven. The temperature was a little lower than whats ideal, so I guess itll take longer than usual to bake them.


    After about ten minutes, the pizzas were finally done baking. When we took them out of the oven, the edges were puffed up nicely, and it visually looked pretty much perfect. Oh, lets tear up some of those basil-like herbs and put it on top of the pizzas as well.


    Okay, all done. Go ahead and have a taste.


    I cut up the pizzas into slices and served one slice of each kind to the three of us.


    Lets try the one with bacon toppings. Mm, thats good. This was baked to perfection. The crisp texture of the bacon and veggies and the hot, stretchy cheese fitted each other perfectly. The pizza inside my heart has finally appeared in front of me


    The one using the prawns as toppings was also pretty good. The juicy and tender prawns were to die for. The pairing between the tomato sauce and the mayonnaise was also nice.


    Uwaah! This is also really good! Actually, I think I like this the most out of all the dishes you taught us! Sara-chan eximed in glee once more.


    Oh! This is great. To think simply putting ingredients on top of bread dough and then baking them together could produce something like this. The appearance is also really nice! Im sure this will knock the heck out of our customers.


    With this dish, simply changing the toppings used will allow you to make a great variety of pizzas. You can go ahead and try different kinds yourself and see how it goes.


    Oh! Leave it to me. Im gonna do it for sure!


    Theres still some time until dinner. Okay. Ill go ahead and make some risotto as well. There are still some prawns left, and I properly set aside the prawn heads and shells earlier as well. I can probably make some great dashi with them.


    Okay. The next dish is called risotto. Lets make dashi using the prawns first. Gotta bring out plenty of umami.


    I put water to a boil, put in the prawn heads and the shells, and created some prawn-based dashi. I gave it a taste and confirmed that the rich vor of the prawns have been soaked up by the water, creating perfect dashi. The prawn heads and shells gave the dashi a deep andplex seafood vor.


    Ill saut some of the shelled prawns next. If I boiled them directly with the rice, the prawn pieces would turn hard and shrink after all. I set aside the prawns on a te, sauted some garlic next, then some onions, red bell peppers, and finally, some unwashed rice.

 Chapter 46.3 - Pasta, Pizza, And Risotto Part 3

    After the rice grains turned a nice shade of white, I poured in the prawn-based dashi little by little and simmered everything in low heat. Alright. It should be done soon. After confirming the state of the rice, I added some cheese, salt, and ck pepper for voring and finished up the dish. Nice. All done.


    Its done. Go ahead and try it.


    I put in some risotto on separate tes and served it to Verse and Sara-chan.


    The first thing youll taste is the deep and strong vor of the prawns. But by adding the cheese, the vor bes milder on the pte, and the dish bes easier to eat. Its been a while since I ate some prawns, so I found it quite tasty. I basically winged this one, but the resulting dish was quite nice.


    Delicious! This is really delicious! Its the first time I ate something so tasty! I definitely need to make mom try some too!


    It really is good! It resembles a dish I had as an adventurer when I traveled to a city located near the sea. So the shells and heads of the prawns can also produce such a deep vor just by boiling them in water! I really underestimated their use huh.


    It looks like youve taken a liking to the dishes I taught you.


    I didnt just take a liking to them! All the dishes youve taught me today are really impressive dishes! I owe you more again.


    Dont mind it. Were really indebted to you as well.


    Really, thanks a lot, n. I mean it.


    Lets leave it with this for today. We need to prepare for dinner soon, right?


    Right, its nearly dinnertime. But now, I kinda want to serve at least one of the dishes you taught me today. How about this risotto dish. I wanna perfect this dish while youre still here, n.


    But we dont have any more prawns.


    Sara, can you go to the market and buy as many river prawns as you can?


    Verse handed some money to Sara-chan and made her go to the market. The stall I bought the prawns from did have a lot left in stock, so Im pretty sure they havent sold out yet, but Verse telling her to buy as much as possible is kinda incredible.


    After discussing with Verse, tonights menu items were decided to be hamburger steak, prawn and cheese risotto, and potato sd with plenty of soft-boiled eggs.


    I proceeded with preparing the dishes along with Verse. I decided to lecture him on different kinds of food presentations while Im at it.


    After a while, orders from the guests and walk-in diners starteding in. Risotto isnt really that difficult of a dish, so Verse got the hang of cooking it pretty quickly.


    n-san, you have a guest. Sara-chan announced.


    I wondered who it was, and when I went outside, I found that it was Tarus-sans employee, Willy.


    Yo, if it isnt Willy. Whats up?


    Sorry for dropping in suddenly like this, n-san. Actually, Tarus-san and his family are nning toe here for dinnerter. Is a table avable? Um, there will be five people all in all.


    Half of the seats in the dining area were already filled.


    How about it, Verse? Ive received plenty of help from Tarus-san, so I want to treat him if possible


    Oi, oi, Tarus-san is that really rich bigshot, right? Im gonna open up some seats even if I have to chase out some customers. But, lets see I think there will be plenty more seats open in about an hour or so.


    Thats what he says. Will that be fine, Willy?


    Understood! Thank you very much!


    It seems Cleria and the girls will be back soon as well, so lets have dinner an hour from now then. It would be nice to have dinner with Tarus-san and his family again. I went back to the kitchen to help out with the cooking again.


    But I cant believe that Tarus-san actually wants to have dinner at this inn. This is really huge, n.


    Is that so? Oh, right, Tarus-san also runs a restaurant huh.


    Its not just any restaurant you know! Its a high-ss establishment where you can dine only by reservation. Theres a great deal of difference between that ce and ours.


    Really? Thats quite amazing. But it seems that Tarus-san has a high opinion of you, Verse. It was Tarus-san who rmended that we stay at your inn you know.


    I see. If so, then I gotta do my very best for tonights dinner then.


    I and Verse continued to cook dishes one after another.


    n-san, Tarus-san and his family havee to dine. Ria-san and the others have already returned and have taken their seats as well. Sara-chan announced.


    I see. Can I leave the rest to you, Verse?


    Yeah, thanks for the help, n.


    When I came out to the dining area, I found that most of the other guests and diners had already left their tables earlier. Only about three tables were still filled. Tarus-san and his family were seated around a table right next to Cleria and the girls. There was Tarus-san, his wife, his daughter Tara-chan, his son Katolle, and finally, Jonas-san.


    Good evening, Tarus-san.


    Good evening, n-san. I couldnt wait any longer and brought my family over.


    You came at a great time. We just came up with a new menu tonight.


    So it looks like you also cooked in the kitchen tonight. Now Im really looking forward to dinner.


    I took a seat together with Cleria and the girls. The dishes were brought out after a short while.


    The main dishes wererge servings of cheese-filled hamburger steaks. The hamburger steak had a simple demi ce sauce consisting of onions, mushrooms, ketchup, and Japanese style sauce poured on top of it. The apanying side dish was abination of veggies consisting of lightly zed carrots, boiled broli, and mayonnaise.


    And then there was the new item, prawn and cheese risotto. It had some raw parsley-looking herbs on top, and some ck pepper sprinkled on.


    And finally, there was potato sd. It wasnt your usual potato sd, but something that had plenty of soft-boiled eggs mixed in. Of course, it also had plenty of mayonnaise.


    Hou, this doesnt seem like the usual hamburger steak. Cleria observed.


    As expected of Ria. We made quite a few changes to the sauce used. And also Cut a portion of the hamburger and take a look.


    Oh, it actually has some cheese inside!


    Yeah. It really turned out well thankfully.


    n-san! Just what is this dish!? Tarus-san asked excitedly.


    It looks like Tarus-san had a mouthful of the risotto for himself.


    Oh thats a dish from my hometown called risotto. It has a strong vor of prawns, so I hope you dont have anything against that


    No, no, I do not hate the taste at all. Actually, its the first time Ive eaten such a delicious dish.


    Thats a relief. This rich vor isnt all that appealing to those bad with things like shrimps or prawns after all.


    No, father. Please try this dish instead! This dish is definitely better! Katolle imed.


    It looks like Katolle has set his heart on the hamburger steak instead.


    I actually like this sd better. Its very tasty!


    Tara-chan ended up preferring the potato sd. Maybe shes part of the mayo faction?


    Everyone seemed to really like the dishes and kept saying they were delicious. Soon, Cleria asked for seconds.


    I kept on taste-tasting the dishes earlier, so my tummy was already quite full. Ill just chill and drink some wine then.


    n-san, Ive heard good things about the new dishes served here, but I didnt think they would be this good.


    We already finished our dinner and were now drinking our after-meal tea.


    I see. Im d you liked them. It isnt just the recipes though. Its because Verse is a really skilled chef as well.


    Thats right. His passion for cooking shows through all of the dishes he made.


    Yeah. I havent met someone as passionate when ites to cooking as Verse. If Verse wasnt this passionate, Im sure I wouldnt have offered to teach him recipes.


    Tarus-san and his family seemed really satisfied with dinner as they finally headed home.


    I asked Cleria about their practice today and heard that the results were pretty good. It looks like theyve decided to have some mock battles once weve retrieved Selena and Sharons armors from the shop tomorrow. Theyre really fired up about it too.


    I was pretty tired from cooking up a lot of dishes earlier, but I still wrote some detailed recipes for Verses use. After an hour or so, I wrote about ten recipes for Verse.


    Ill just leave drawing the magic circles for the chief tomorrow. Ill go ahead and take a bath now so I can catch some sleep earlier.

 Chapter 47.1 - Preparing For The Journey 3 Part 1

    While eating breakfast, I discussed with Cleria and the others about our ns for the day.


    The branch chief of the Magic Guild asked me to do something for her yesterday, you see. I think Ill be doing that in the morning.


    Im referring to the magic circle drawing request from the chief. Since Im gonna do it by myself, I expect it to take about three hours or so.


    Is it a job we can do as well? Do you want us to help out? Selena offered.


    Of course you can do the job. So, can I ask you to help out then?


    if us three were to do it, then it wont even take an hour for us to finish.


    Well then, well have some sparring out on the yard as usual. Cleria announced.


    We already started drawing magic circles inside my room when I heard a knock.


    n-san, you have a guest, Sara-chan informed.


    It turns out it was the boss of the workshop Imissioned for the housings and switches for the dryers.


    Huh? Boss. Isnt the schedule for pick-up tomorrow?


    That was the n, but Cara-san came to the shop yesterday and ced an urgent order, so we had to finish up our previousmissions as soon as we could. We put in our best efforts and finished your order yesterday as well. Since the items are done, should we bring them all over here?


    Oh, right. The chief seemed really fired up yesterday. Judging from her skyrocketing tension yesterday, I guess this wasnt something to be surprised about.


    Yeah, thats fine. Ill trouble you then.


    The dryer parts were then brought to the inn by the apprentice craftsmen. Since they brought the housings along with the dryer switches, it was quite the amount of goods. After inspecting their work, I paid the leftover fees, and the boss and his apprentices finally left.


    That sure is a lot. So these are the parts for the magic tools? Sharon inquired.


    The only bulky ones are the housings for the dryers though. Great. With these avable, we can start assembling them today as well.


    Selena and Sharon disyedplicated expressions. Oh, did they think Ill have them help out as well?


    Ill do the assembling by myself. I was the one who received the order after all. So I gotta take responsibility and finish them myself.


    Assembling one unit doesnt take longer than fifteen minutes after all, so it isnt really a time-intensive job.


    No, its not like we do not want to help, but well finally be able to use magic today, so we wanted to practice casting some spellster, Sharon revealed.


    I see. So your magic sensors are already done?


    Thats right! Finally! We took in a lot of rare metals to hurry our nanoms up with building them. Sharon replied.


    Hou, so taking in a lot of rare metals can increase the performance speed of the nanoms? I didnt know that.


    I see. Then, by all means, go ahead and practice magic. Like I told you earlier, Ill finish assembling the dryers myself. But you have to be careful when practicing magic, you two. It can be really dangerous if handled incorrectly after all.


    Understood. We will do so.


    We managed to finish drawing the magic circle patterns in the morning, and the two even helped me out a bit with assembling the dryers.


    When lunchtime arrived, everyone went down to the first floor. Sara-chan called out when she noticed using down.


    n-san, father made some pizza for you all. Please have your lunch here.


    I see. Thanks for the treat then.


    We took our seats. Six pizzas were then brought out from the kitchen. Verse made two kinds of pizzas, just like what we made yesterday afternoon. They look really tasty. Oh! So he used the hot pepper sauce recipe I gave him yesterday and served us thepleted sauce as well.


    It was the first time for everyone to eat pizza, so I began introducing the dish to them.


    This is a dish called pizza. As expected of Verse. Hes already be skilled in making these.


    I put in some hot pepper sauce on top and ate a slice. Mm. Its been made well. The baking time was well measured.


    You can use this sauce if you like. Its quite spicy, so be careful when putting some on top of your pizza slices.


    Yep. The taste of the hot pepper sauce was perfect too. You really cant do without hot pepper sauce when ites to pizza.


    This is really delicious too! It feels like I can eat a lot with these. Sharon eximed.


    Cleria copied me and put on a lot of hot pepper sauce on top of her pizza slice. Her expression contorted soon after taking a bite. And I already told her it was spicy too. Elna put a simr amount on top of hers, and she didnt even flinch. So it was only Cleria who had childish tastes huh.


    The rest of the guests and diners were also satisfied with the dish as well.


    Verse was the one who brought out the after-meal tea.


    How was the pizza, n?


    They were perfect! Good job on the hot pepper sauce too. Youve really made the dish your own.


    Is that so? I was a bit worried about the hot pepper sauce at first, honestly. But it can quickly develop into a kind of habit once you put it on top of pizza huh.


    Right!? Its one of the necessary items for enjoying pizza. Oh, right! It can also go well with pasta, so you can try putting in some next time.


    Cleria and the girls went out of the city to practice swordsmanship and magic as always. I began continuing to assemble the magic tools.


    Since Selena and Sharon helped me put together some of them already earlier, I managed to finish assembling all thirty dryers before evening.


    It was a littlete to make the delivery, so I decided to deliver the goods tomorrow instead. Oh, I can deliver the magic circle patterns chief ordered from me right now actually. Ive finished working on them anyway, so I can hand them over early.


    I asked Lily if the chief was in when I arrived at the guild. It seems she was. I wonder what happened to her part-time work at the clinic? Ill ask the chiefter.


    Oh, part-time work? It was decided that theyll only call me if theres a patient with serious injuries. Right now, the fate of this branch is about to be decided. Nows not the time to be doing any part-time jobs!


    Man. The chiefs eagerness is nothing to scoff at.


    I see. I came to deliver the requested magic circle patterns to you.


    Ara, so youve already done them? Let me check first.


    The chief brought out something resembling a magnifying ss and checked the magic circle sheets. Since the magic circles were finely drawn, inspecting them was tedious work.


    it looks like theyre fine. Each one of them is drawn perfectly. Ill check out the magic tool next. This box is


    It seems that the chief was interested in the box containing the magic tool. I felt it was kindacking to just present the dryer magic tool as is, so I had Nanom design a storage container for it. It was made out of wood and had a stay for supporting the dryer installed on the bottom of the box. The back of the lid also had the same mechanism. It was designed so that the dryer would be secured inside the box once you close the lid and will not move around while one carries it.


    This container is quite excellent as well. I will also produce something like this as well. Is the workshop that made these the same as where youmissioned the other parts.


    Thats right. One box costs fifty Guineas. Since youre targeting nobles, how about putting some luxurious cloth inside to serve as a cushion as well?


    Most containers for luxury items employ that kind of gimmick after all. To demonstrate, I put in a handkerchief inside the box before putting in the dryer.


    This looks really nice! Ill put your suggestion to good use, n.


    It looks like there were no problems with the chiefs dryer as well, so I finallypleted the delivery.


    Well then, heres your payment of fifty thousand Guineas for the magic circle patterns, and here are the twenty thousand Guineas for the magic tool.


    Nice. With this, I earned a total of seventy thousand Guineas, and our total money was now a hundred and seventy thousand Guineas. Will this be enough for paying for the items we got from Tarus-sans store? I did get the portable magic stove, so it still seemed a little short.


    Since Ive finished delivering the goods, and the chief seemed quite busy as well, I excused myself and told the chief Ill be taking my leave.


    Ille over again before we leave the city.


    Alright. Understood. Good work, n.


    Shall I stop by Tarus-sans store before Ie back to the inn? I want to ask about the horses, and I also want to inform them about the status of their order.

 Chapter 47.2 - Preparing For The Journey 3 Part 2

    When I arrived at the store, I found Jonas-san talking about something with a store employee.


    Good afternoon, Jonas-san.


    Oh, n-san. Thank you very much for yesterday. Weve finally managed to procure horses for you by the way. I was nning to inform you tomorrow.


    I did see two horses tied in front of the store before I came in. They seemed like prettyrge horses, but Im not really all that familiar with horses, so I cant be sure.


    Its fairly hard toe by these kinds of horses. They can serve both as simple riding horses and war horses just fine. But, well, theyre a bit on the expensive side due to this though


    No, that would serve us better actually. You cantpromise your safety and security because of wanting to save money after all. They really seem to be good horses. Well take them.


    Thank you very much for your trust. Well then, would you like to leave the horses with us for the meantime until the date of your departure arrives?


    Thanks. Ill take you up on that offer. So how much do we need to pay for all of the items?


    All in all, it wille to a hundred and fifty thousand Guineas. Weve already applied a discount and subtracted an appropriate amount. These are the particrs.


    Jonas-san handed me a memo written on paper, and I checked the contents out.


    The carriage is fifty thousand Guineas.


    The magic stove is thirty thousand Guineas.


    One horse costs thirty thousand Guineas.


    Another costs twenty five thousand Guineas.


    The rest of the goods amount to fifteen thousand Guineas.


    This is a rough summary of the details written on the memo. It looks like the carriage is the most expensive one out of all the items. Theyve probably rounded off the amounts too when applying the discounts. Well, since you can actually start a business as a travelling merchant by using the carriage and the horses, this price is more than reasonable.


    Since the money I had on hand was enough to cover the costs, I decided to pay up straight away.


    Thank you so much for giving us a discount. Heres the payment.


    I gave Jonas-san fifteen regr gold coins.


    Thank you for your payment. Were grateful for everything that youve done for us as well. Well then, please inform us a day before your departure. We will prepare everything for you by morning.


    Thank you very much. Well be counting on you then. Oh, and can you give this to Tarus-san for me? It seemed that he really liked the risotto yesterday, so I wrote the recipe for him. Im sure the chefs Tarus-san employs are fully capable of making something simr once they take a look at the recipe.


    Oh, n-san! Thats splendid! Master kept talking about how delicious that dish was when we wereing back from dinner yesterday, so this will surely make him quite happy. I will surely bring this to himter.


    I handed Jonas-san the risotto recipe I wrotest night. I would have wanted to hand over the recipe for hamburger steak and potato sd as well if I could, but since theyll need the recipes for mayonnaise, ketchup, and Japanese-style sauce in order to make them, I gave up in the end. I asked for Verses permission before deciding to hand over the risotto recipe, so theres no problem.


    I told Jonas-san I will be delivering the finished dryers by tomorrow and went back to the inn.


    It was nearly evening when I got back to the inn, and Cleria and the others were already back as well. I found them having some tea in the dining area. It looks like theyre talking quite happily with each other as well.


    Hi guys. Whats up? Did something good happen?


    n! We sessfully managed to be C rank adventurers! Selena announced.


    Oh! So you already took the assessment tests huh!? Impressive!


    Sharon and Selenas skills are to be expected, Cleria added while sounding strangely proud for some reason.


    When I asked about the details, they told me that after iming the armor for the two from Zalukes shop, they proceeded with sparring at the training spot, and determined that their swordsmanship levels were about on par with Clerias, but are still unable to match up to Elna. In terms of magic proficiency, Selena and Sharon win out on magic casting frequency, while Cleria and Elna excel in fine control.


    It was quite impressive that they were able to match up with Cleria, who has a lot more swordsmanship experience than them, after just three days. And its understandable that they lost out to Cleria and Elna when ites tomand of their magic spells, since theyve only be able to cast magic just today. They would just have to keep practicing from now on.


    Afterward, due to the rmendation of Cleria and Elna, the two proceeded to the Adventurers Guild to take the assessment tests, and sessfully obtained C rank. Due to Cleria and Elna tagging along, their party registration also went smoothly.


    I see. Congrattions! With this, well be able to act as a party with everyone.


    Thats right! Im so relieved! We managed to attain the same rank as everyone else. Sharon answered.


    Well, we didnt really have to be in the same rank you know. But Im happy for you guys anyway.


    Well, they did end up achieving the same rank as us, so theres no problem. Cleria added.


    After hearing about what the girls were up to, it was now my turn to report about my activities.


    And so, we finally have some horses now, and Ill be able to finish my job order by tomorrow as well. We can finally set off two days from now.


    It looks like were all settled then. So what are the names of the horses we obtained? Cleria inquired.


    Hm? I dunno?


    Eh? But you did ask about them, right?


    Ah, sorry. I failed to ask about their names.


    I cant believe it! What do you think, Elna!?


    I cant believe it either! Even if theyre just newly acquired, failing to learn the names of your steeds disqualifies you as a knight!


    I see. So thats how a knight is like huh.


    Im no knight though.


    Oh, thats right isnt it. But they will be our newrades, so it is just proper to get to know their names, alright?


    Yeah, I guess. That was thoughtless of me. Come to think of it, I need to learn how to drive a carriage as well. Elna knows how to drive one, right? It would be better if everyone else learns how to drive too.


    Aside from Ria-sama, do you all not have any experience in driving a horse carriage?


    Nope. We also have no experience in riding horses as well.


    Or rather, I havent even touched a horse before. Selena and Sharon nodded to confirm my words.


    To think you have no experience in riding horses as well Understood. I will teach you horse riding in turns.


    Ill update my database with the required horse-riding skills before we set off. Theres a small fraction of the empires poption with horse-riding as a hobby, so we probably have some data avable.


    Tonights dinner was tagliatelle with meat sauce, fried prawns, and vegetable sd. Theres also some hot pepper sauce included.


    What is this dish!?


    This is called pasta. Its wheat flour kneaded into long, thin strands, and then boiled in water.


    Lets have a taste. Mm, nice! The pasta was perfectly al dente. Were talking about Verse here, so I bet he practiced until morning to get it right. The meat sauce was also great.


    This chewy texture is great! Its delicious! Sharon eximed.


    Its my first time eating such a peculiar dish! Its delicious! Cleria followed up.


    I was worried they would not like eating noodle dishes, but it seems they had no problems with it at all. Most of the other diners and guests also quite liked the dish as well. The fried prawns were also great!


    We then drank our after-meal tea and discussed our ns for tomorrow.


    While we were discussing, there was a call from Iris. It seems Iris got permission and interfaced with Selena to monitor our status constantly, except during Selenas private moments. If shes calling at this timing, does that mean she has something to say about our schedule?


    Captain, if possible, I would like you to retrieve the supplies the two of them left inside their escape pods. Nobody has discovered the pods yet as of now, but as the days pass, the risk of them being found grows.


    (Oh yeah, I nearly forgot about that. Its indeed better for us to retrieve them. But how will we retrieve the supplies in question?)


    The drones are strictly unmanned recon craft, so theyre not equipped with functions to carry supplies. In case of emergencies, people can ride on them, but they can only contain about three to four people in a cramped space.


    We can just divide the supplies between different drones.


    (Alright then, Sharon and I will go and recover those supplies. There are a number of things I want to get from among the supplies anyway.) Selena volunteered.


    I see. Certainly, recovering those supplies doesnt need all three of us for the job. The two of them will do.


    (Ill be counting on you two then.)


    Oops. I, Selena, and Sharon went quiet all of a sudden, so Cleria and Elna ended up looking at us suspiciously.


    Im sorry, but Selena and I have something to do tomorrow, so well probably be out of the city for the whole day


    I think its fine. We really dont have any urgent business tomorrow anyway. At most, its just purchasing foodstuffs for the journey and such.


    Since Cleria and Elna didnt particrly object, it was decided that Ill be delivering the hair dryers to Tarus-sans ce in the morning, go see the horses along the way, go for some shopping if we had the time, continue shopping in the afternoon, and make some courtesy calls while were at it.


    Since I didnt really have anything to do tonight, I enjoyed a nice, long bath and went straight to sleep afterward.

 Chapter 48.1 - Preparing For The Journey 4 Part 1

    After breakfast, Selena and Sharon immediately set off to recover the supplies from their respective escape pods.


    They nned to go on foot until they reached an area wide enough for the drones tond.


    Once the dronesnded, they were to split up and head to each area where their respective escape pods were located. Sharons podnded in an area within the Alois Kingdom.


    Then, Sharon will take out all the supplies remaining on the pod and divide it between the drones that came with her.


    Selena will pretty much do the same thing on her end as well.


    They seem to have brought my spare uniforms and clothes as well, so I asked them to bring clothes and underwear with designs that wont look out of ce on this.


    After breakfast, I, Cleria, and Elna went ahead to deliver the magic tools. I borrowed a cart from Verse, loaded the magic tools on it, and started heading for Tarus-sans store.


    Since I told them about the delivery yesterday, we found Jonas-san already waiting inside the store when we arrived. They started checking the goods straight away. They took them out of their boxes one by one, put in magic stones to power the devices, and started confirming if they were all working properly.


    Theres no problem with all of the goods. These boxes are also really nice. We can go ahead and put them on retail right now, actually. Well then, here is your payment.


    Then, Jonas-san handed me a money pouch containing exactly sixty regr gold coins. I verified the amount once.


    Yep, its all here. Thank you very much. Were nning on departing by tomorrow by the way. Im sorry to bother you, but could you make it so that everything is ready by tomorrow morning?


    I understand. So, I take it that you n to head to this store to collect the goods tomorrow morning, correct? We will have everything ready by then. If possible, could you greet Master Tarus before you head out tomorrow?


    Yes, of course. Were thinking of visiting him after this actually.


    I see. Thank you for your consideration. Shall we head for the mansion then?


    Oh, uh, before that, it seems that Ria and Elna want to meet the horses as well. Are they here?


    Yes, they are. Theyre inside the stable out in the back of the store. This way please.


    Jonas-san guided us to the stable. He then had an employee take out the horses from inside.


    These are really splendid horses! They are young, and they can even serve as warhorses too. They are so fine that it feels almost like a waste to use them merely as carriage horses.


    It looks like Jonas-san was happy after the professional knight, Elna, praised the horses.


    What are the names of these horses? Cleria inquired.


    The tea colored one is named Tarth. The ck one is named Syrah.


    Theyre good names. There, there.


    It looks like Cleria really likes the horses. I also tried stroking the horses, albeit nervously. There, there. The two of them seem quite friendly.


    We had our fill of petting the horses after about ten minutes or so. We then headed to Tarus-sans mansion along with Jonas-san.


    We were guided to the office inside the mansion, and Tarus-san came in soon after.


    Thank you foring, n-san. And Im really grateful for the recipe you gave us yesterday. It was a really detailed and easy-to-follow recipe, so it seems that my chefs will have no problems cooking the dish.


    No, no, that was nothing. Were really indebted to you and your family after all.


    Rather, it is us who are more indebted to you all. But it does feel lonely now that you will be leaving this city, n-san.


    Ill be sure to send you a letter once weve managed to settle down over there. By all means, let us stay in correspondence through letters.


    I understand. Let us do so. Cleria-sama, unfortunately, we have not managed to obtain any new information regarding the situation in Starveek. I am sorry.


    No, I do not mind. Even if it is a neighbouring country of sorts, it is still quite far from here, so it cant be helped. Cleria replied.


    It isnt much in the way of vital intelligence, but we did manage to find something out. Ill have Jonas ry it to you.


    First, apart from being renamed the Alois Kingdom, there was also a great change in the amount of taxes imposed on the serfs living in the kingdom.


    When it was still the Starveek Kingdom, the serfs had to part with fifty percent of their periodic harvests as tax. But when it was changed to the Alois Kingdom, that tax had ballooned to seventy percent.


    The same rule applies for poll tax as well.


    Furthermore, there is a great difference in the taxes imposed on the nobles in different parts of the country. Compared to the southern nobles, the taxes imposed on the ones who have theirnds located in the north are evidently harsher.


    How much is the difference, exactly?


    Unfortunately, we were not able to glean out exact numbers. However, in order to cope with that, it looks like the northern nobles implemented a special tax on their subjects apart from the regr tax. Due to this, the people are growing increasingly discontent with their feudal lords, as well as the country itself.


    I see


    Clerias gaze dropped down, and her face disyed a regretful expression. It isnt like Clerias the one who implemented those harsh taxes anyway.


    Tarus-dono, I thank you for the valuable information. I will certainly repay this favor one day.


    I do not deserve such a promise, Cleria-sama! This cannot really be counted as vital information at all. We shall continue trying to glean out useful information for you henceforth.


    After this, we made some more small talk regarding cooking, and finally left Tarus-sans mansion.


    Cleria and Elnas moods dropped down by quite a lot after that earlier discussion.


    I was nning to go to the Magic Guild next. You can both go back to the inn if you want.


    That wont do. We have to finish greeting everyone who has taken care of us after all


    It seems that they still nned to tag along, so we went ahead and walked to the Magic Guild for a visit.


    Hi there, chief. Its been decided that well depart tomorrow morning, so we came here to express our gratitude. Thank you very much for all your help.


    I see. It really is unfortunate. I actually think youre more suited to being a mage instead of an adventurer But it cant be helped. Oh, right! I tried assembling the magic tool you invented yesterday! Thats definitely going to sell! I cant believe I didnt think of it myself. Just why couldnt Ie up with such an idea, I wonder.


    I talked about magic tools with the chief for a while, and then finally bid goodbye. Lily also seemed down about me leaving. In the end, I wasnt able to meet any other people apart from Lily and the chief in this branch huh.


    Well need to say goodbye to Ami-san from the Adventurers Guild too. I seem to remember it was required for us to give them a heads up whenever we move to a new area.


    Most likely, it was in order to avoid being unable to tell our location if ever a designated quest pops up.


    And well need to cancel that wyvern magic stone quest as well. Then, well be able to get the retaining fee of a hundred thousand Guineas for the quest refunded back to us.


    We proceeded to the Adventurers Guild and told Ami-san about our n to leave this city.


    Is that so? Thats quite unfortunate. All of the members of the Shining Star party are very skilled individuals, so we were looking forward to introducing some quests to you Understood. Ill update your party information right away.


    And well be cancelling that wyvern magic stone quest we ced a while back as well.


    Um, understood. Well then, here are the hundred thousand Guineas that we took as a deposit for the quest.


    Thank you. By the way, does the guild have info regarding the characteristics of different monsters and such?


    Oh, if you want to read up on such info, you can check all of the rted materials inside the reference room for free. And this goes without saying, but these types of materials that contain vital info are really expensive if you want a personal copy for yourselves, alright.


    While saying that, Ami-san took out a thick and heavy-looking book from one of the shelves behind her.


    Can we take a look at it?


    Its fine, but be careful with that, okay. Youre going to have to pay for it in full if you end up damaging that book.

 Chapter 48.2 - Preparing For The Journey 4 Part 2

    I carefully opened the book that was handed to me and found the contents to be like a data book on monsters with apanying illustrations. The monster illustrations looked like they were drawn with the utmost care and attention to detail. The information written includes monster locations, their habits, known weaknesses, the danger rank of said monsters, the parts you needed to take from each monster as proof of subjugation, as well as the parts you can harvest and sell. It even included the prices for the different parts. The prices of the materials listed were the ones applied ten years ago, but if there isnt much fluctuation in the prices anyway, itll serve as a good reference after all.


    This is amazing! How much is this book, might I ask?


    Thats a great question! Its actually a whopping fifty thousand Guineas you know! As far as I remember, this branch has never sold a single one of these monster data books at all since I started working here.


    It really is expensive! It costs the same as the carriage. But by the looks of it, everything was illustrated and written by hand, so I bet producing even one copy will require a considerable amount of time and effort. And since the info inside was pretty detailed and useful as well, the price was understandable.


    What do you think, girls?


    I definitely want one for ourselves if possible. Since we still have enough money, cant we buy one?


    I also think we should get it.


    Well, we did get back a hundred thousand Guineas earlier after all. And I can also use this book to learn even more about this continents writing characters. Lets buy it then.


    Well take this.


    I handed over fifty thousand Guineas to Ami-san after saying so.


    Eeh!? uh, yes, well T-Thank you for your purchase.


    We went to take a look at the reference room Ami-san told us about earlier as well. We found that it was a room where the individual pages of a book that was simr to the one we purchased were posted along the walls. We couldnt read the materials from a distance and had toe up near the walls to check them out.


    Oh, we also have to greet Zaluke from the armor shop and Joe from the weapon shop as well after this. We visited those two shops and told their respective clerks about our decision to leave the city. We ended up being given tips on weapon and equipment maintenance, and even gifted maintenance tools for free.


    We then made our way to the restaurant that serves the delicious stew and had our lunch there. The stew truly had great vor.


    We managed to get a pretty useful book. We can finally start adventuring properly with this.


    Im also unfamiliar with the monsters roaming Starveek Kingdom, even though Im from there. This book really is helpful.


    Well need to set aside some time to read up on the monsters we can potentially encounter along our journey this afternoon.


    While eating, Cleria took a peek at the contents of the book and suggested it as such. Thats really expensive, so be sure not to spill some stew on it, okay.


    After having lunch, we proceeded with shopping for some foodstuffs for our journey. We went to the market and looked for food and ingredients that wont spoil easily. Anyway, Ill go and secure some bacon, cheese, and butter.


    What else do we need?


    The basic stuff would be jerky, toasted bread, and dried beans, Elna suggested.


    I see. Well, lets buy stuff with the assumption of not being able to procure new supplies for an extended period then.


    Come to think of it, I still havent checked up on the exact distance of our destination as well as the estimated travel time.


    (Iris, please disy the rmended course for our journey.)


    Will this route be fine?


    The course was disyed on a virtual window.


    First, the closest city to the Great Demon Forest, which is our main goal, is a fortress city called Gantz. The journey will take approximately fourteen days. The disyed route also includes potential camping grounds, as well as viges we cane to for lodging.


    I see. So, I guess, buying ten days worth of food and ingredients will be enough. Ive already bought some flour and rice from Tarus-sans store after all.


    ording to my investigations, our destination, the fortress city Gantz, is about fourteen days away via carriage. We have some rice already, so ten days worth of food should be enough.


    To think youve already found out that much. As expected of our party leader!


    Well, yeah. I had to do at least this much, right?


    Uh, I actually just got the data from Iris, but I guess you can say I did technically investigate it.


    After buying a good amount of jerky, toasted bread, dried beans, and veggies that looked like they would keep for an extended period of time, we finally made our way back to the inn. If we forgot to buy something by chance, we can just buy it right before departure.


    We reached the inn and brought the stuff we bought inside our rooms. We were pretty tired from all of that, so we decided to drink some tea in the dining area.


    Now then, did we actually forget anything?


    I dont think so. Actually, I think the supplies we got are more than enough for a fourteen-day journey.


    As a person who knows a lot about thissmon sense and a good variety of useful knowledge, Elna was really reliable. Cleria, however, waspletely immersed in the book we bought earlier.


    After having some small talk with Elna for a while, the front door of the inn opened, and Sharon and Selena, who were each carrying several bags worth of supplies, entered.


    Were back. Selena greeted.


    The two of them lookedpletely exhausted. They must have brought as much of the supplies they can carry from the escape pods.


    You could have just contacted me when you guys arrived near the city so I could have helped you bring that stuff back here.


    Uh, on second thought, I guess that wasnt an option It would have seemed too suspicious. The two girls hurriedly brought in the bags they were carrying. Anyway, lets bring all of those inside their room.


    Selena, just what is all that baggage? Cleria asked.


    They are supplies some of our helpers entrusted to us.


    We helped Selena and Sharon carry all the bags inside their room.


    Sharon contacted me via a private channel afterward.


    (We chose the supplies we thought would be most useful to us and brought them all back. Um There are some things we want to hand over to Cleria and Elna as well. Can we?)


    (Hm? What kinds of things?)


    (Um, some spare electromaic deknives, clothes, and, um underwear, and things essential for girls. Stuff like those.)


    Hm. Yeah. I kinda had an idea about what she was getting at already.


    (No problem. You can go ahead and hand those things to them.)


    The two girls opened the empire-produced bags that were made out of high-quality synthetic fibers, and started arranging the supplies they bought on top of their beds.


    We wanted to give these things to you two, so we brought them over.


    After saying so, Sharon handed over the sheathed deknives to the twodies.


    This!? Arent these the same kind of knives as what n has!?


    Yes, thats right. Theyre magic tools that can cut most objects. They can even easily cut steel, so be very careful when handling them.


    These are magic tools? But they dont seem to have any magic stones installed It cant be!? Are these Artifacts!? Elna eximed in shock.


    They were standard issue imperial militarybat knives with des thirty centimeters in length. They were designed to function only when something touches their edge, which serves as a power-saving measure.


    Theyre not really something that valuable, but in order to maintain their sharpness, youll need to ce them where sunlight can reach them every once in a while.


    Thats So these really are Artifacts Elna muttered while still sounding shocked.


    Thank you! Sharon, Selena. Can I try it?


    Of course!


    Cleria took out a copper coin and brought the edge of the knife to it carefully. The knife ended up cutting the coin without any resistance. Well, thats to be expected, of course.


    Amazing!


    Cleria-sama! Let me try it as well!


    Elna received one half of the earlier copper coin from Cleria and cut it easily with her knife.


    Amazing Its not a magic sword. So it really is an Artifact. Cleria-sama, is it really alright for us to receive these?


    Its fine. Were allrades and part of the same party. Equipping ourrades with better weapons will lead to the overall safety of the entire party.


    I understand. I will protect everyone with this. Thank you again, Sharon, Selena.

 Chapter 48.3 - Preparing For The Journey 4 Part 3

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    These are your clothes, n.


    Selena handed me arge bag.


    When I opened the bag for a look, I found my sparebat and formal uniforms, as well as my casual clothes, and some underwear. It looks like they choose to bring more in-looking ones. Ill take a better look once I get back to my own room.


    Thanks for this. I owe you, Selena.


    We also brought these over. Im sure youll like these, n Sharon imed.


    Lets see here This!? Aint these fishing gear!?


    Inside the bag were three fishing rods all folded up to thirty centimeters for easy storage. I can attach reel devices to these rods easily, and their total length can stretch out from two meters to five meters. In fact, I can use these to fish even without using reels. Thats due to their high flexibility and toughness.


    The bag also contained three reel devices, as well as some artificial lures. Two fishing flies that were modeled after insects were stuffed inside a toolbox as well. There were also fishing lines, fish hooks, and lots of other fishing gear stuffed inside another toolbox. These were definitely not stuff for amateurs. And they were definitely not mine.


    (Whats up with these, Sharon?)


    (The residential block for the crew was rtively intact, so Iris had us pocket everything that looked useful from the rooms.)


    I see. So these were the property of one of the crew. I thought of some people I knew who had fishing as their hobby. These might belong to one of them. Ill be sure to make good use of these, guys. Thanks.


    I had some experience in fishing when I was living on my home, but I was still basically an amateur. Ill have Iris teach me first, then Ill try it out. But these were really useful stuff. They would serve us well if ever we found ourselves without any means to procure fish via purchase.


    Thanks, Sharon. These look pretty useful.


    n, what kind of tools are those? Cleria asked.


    These are used for fishing.


    Fishing?


    Yeah. They are used to catch fish.


    It looks like Cleria and Elna were unfamiliar with fishing huh. Well, ones a bona fide princess and ones ady from a noble family, so I guess that goes without saying.


    Ill show you guys how to fish if we encounter a river or something along the way in the future.


    And these are the energy packs for the rifles andser guns, Sharon informed her as she handed over the bag containing them to me.


    Okay. Thanks. Ill keep them.


    If I remember right, each of them brought twenty-five packs, so thats a total of fifty. Its more than enough tost us quite a while.


    Selena and Sharon then began taking out clothes meant for women from the bags. It looks like Id better get out of here first.


    Ill bring my share to my room.


    Understood.


    As I was checking out the fishing equipment inside my room, I managed to overhear some of the chattering from Selena and Sharons room. Im d they all seem to be getting along well.


    There was a knock on my door, and when I opened it, I found that it was Verse.


    n, is it okay if tonights dinner is a bitte?


    Yeah, I dont mind. Are you busy or something? I can help out if you like.


    No, I was thinking of finishing up with the rest of the guests meals early so we can have a farewell party of sorts for you guyster.


    Oh! That sounds great! Ill help out in the kitchen as well then.


    I thought youd say that, n.


    I told everyone about thete dinner and headed to the kitchen to help prepare the dishes for tonights farewell party.


    Verse handled the dinner for the rest of the guests and diners, while I handled cooking the dishes for the party.


    The diners and guests have already been informed that the dining hours for tonight have been shortened temporarily, so most have already finished having their meals. Before long, the dining hours ended, and all the other guests had returned to their own rooms. Ive already finished cooking all the dishes for tonights party as well.


    I went to their respective rooms and called the others. After a short while, all the participants for tonights farewell party have finally assembled at the inns dining area. There were the five of us, plus Verse, his wife, and their daughter Sara-chan.


    Everyone got a good look at the party food and started cheering excitedly. After each one chose their favorite drink, the party finally started in earnest.


    Verse stood up from his seat with a tankard of ale in one hand.


    n, thanks to you the meals at this inn have improved by leaps and bounds.


    The reason for the inns current prosperity is none other than you. Were really grateful to you.


    You and yourrades can always stay at this inn for free. Well always wee you with open arms!


    Were sad that youll be leaving, but I do understand your feelings as a former adventurer myself. Therefore, I wont stop you all.


    Now then, lets toast to this inns continued prosperity and your party, Shining Stars future glorious achievements! Cheers!


    Cheers!


    These dishes all look awfully delicious! Sharon eximed.


    The dishes I cooked for tonights farewell party were chicken karaage, french fries, fried prawns, fillet-o-fish, grilled chicken vored with sault and Japanese-style sauce, Big Boar stew, potato sd, radish sd, assorted veggies and bacon wraps, and tomato and cheese caprese.


    The dishes didnt actually feel uniform, but after making use of the avable ingredients in the kitchen, these are what I eventually came up with. But even so, since Verse said to cook as much as possible earlier, I ended up making so much. In fact, I dont think well be able to finish them all with our numbers.


    They really all look delicious! Sara-chan happily squealed.


    Everyone looked happy while indulging themselves in the food. It was worth going through all the trouble of cooking the dishes.


    Hey, n. This stew dish is quite something.


    Yes, it turned out quite tasty. Its the dish that took the most time to cook.


    Thanks to boiling it for an extended period of time, the consistency of the stew became thick and syrupy.


    Hey, about this dish


    I know. Ill write up the recipe and give it to you before we depart.


    Thats what I like about you, n! Alright, everyone, its my treat tonight, so drink and eat all you want!


    After two hours or so since the party started, everyone began feeling drunk. This would be a good time to end this party, I think.


    I went inside the kitchen and took out the steamed pudding I made earlier from the magic fridge. I made one for each of us. I then proceeded to distribute them among everyone present.


    Wah! Are these sweets? Sara-chan inquired.


    Oh, so its pudding! Good work, n! You deserve my praise.


    Yes, yes, it is my utmost honor to receive such wonderful praise from you, dear princess.


    Umu, it is nothing much. Delicious! n, I order you to make these every day from now on!


    I refuse!


    Mou! Ria-sama, youve drunk too much!


    Wahaha! Aint she an interesting missy when shes drunk! She really sounds like a real princess I tell ya!


    Uh, yeah. Shes drunk a bit too much. How about we end this party here? But youre gonna continue to drink, wont you, Verse?


    Yeah. Its been a while since we had a party like this. Cmon, drink with me for a bit longer, n.


    We have also drunk a bit too much. Were already sleepy, so well go ahead and return to our room. Sharon excused herself and Selena.


    They dragged the still-overexcited Cleria back upstairs and went back to their respective rooms.


    Verses wife and Sara-chan didnt drink too much, so they proceeded with cleaning up the leftovers. Finally, the only ones who were left were just me and Verse.


    We ended up talking all about cooking in the end. I told Verse about all the wonderful dishes Ive tried. For example, I told him about sampling the eggs of the golden tortoise on my home, Lancel, eating raw seafood resembling an octopus, the ultra-luxurious matsuzaka steak, sashimi, sea urchin, squid, and sushi. I told him about lots of stuff.


    Verse sometimes raised his voice in excitement, and sometimes gaped in wonder at my stories.


    Oh boy. The world really is wide huh, n. To think there would be that many different dishes and ways of eating that exist in this wide world


    Yeah, the world really is quite huge. Its probably even more huge than you can ever imagine, Verse.


    Oops. I said too much, I think. I guess Im already quite drunk myself.


    When midnight came, both of us finally felt sleepy, so we finally put a close to this lively farewell party.

 Chapter 49.1 - Departure Part 1

    Its morning. Please wake up.


    Its been quite a while since Ive been woken up by Nanom. Since I ordered Nanom to take care of the alcohol in my bloodstreamst night before going to sleep, I didnt have any hangover at all.


    And since I would be unable to take a proper one for an extended period of time after this, I took my sweet time having a morning bath.


    After getting out of the bath, I wrote up the recipe forst nights stew. But it was still a bit early for breakfast.


    Then, there was a call from Iris.


    Captain, I called to discuss about Sharon and Selenas military ranks


    (Oh, right. Warrant Officers Selena Conrad and Sharon Conrad have done an excellent job finding theirmanding officer and bringing ample supplies. In ordance with the powers vested in me, and in recognition of their exemry service, I hereby promote Selena Conrad and Sharon Conrad to the rank of Ensign. This is your Captains orders.)


    Acknowledged. Normally, it isnt so easy to get promoted like this, but since were under a first-ss state of emergency, there is absolutely no problem.


    I talked about Selena and Sharons ranks with Iris a few days ago.


    ording to normal imperial military regtions, the only ones a ship captain is allowed to promote in rank are formal officers. The nonmissioned ones do not have such qualifications. In other words, if the two of them were to remain as NCOs from here on out, there would be ack ofmanding officers in thiss branch of the imperial military. Iris told me that the only exception to this is an order from themanding officer during a first-ss state of emergency, so she requested that I promote the two as soon as possible.


    With this, in the event of something bad happening to me, any of the two can be safely promoted to the ships captain, and they could then continue to lead the imperial military. It did make me feel quite relieved to know that.


    Come to think of it, I wonder who exactly was older between Selena and Sharon? Because they had the same military rank, I was thinking of something like giving the older of the two first priority when ites to promotion to the highestmanding officer, if it was ever needed. From the records, it seems that they did enlist at the same time after all. I should ask about it, I guess.


    (Hey, Iris, just who is older between Selena and Sharon?)


    Its Selena.


    (Howe? They were enlisted at the same time, right?)


    This is because you mentioned Selenas name first when you promoted them earlier. Thats the sole reason. Theres even a historical basis for this action as well.


    Can we really decide on something important like this using such a flimsy reasoning? Oh well. I guess theres no problem if I dont die or something. I have to be careful then.


    And Captain, I have directed one drone unit to standby at the airspace above your location earlier. Please let it apany you during your travels.


    (A drone? Do we really need one following us? And werent they all tasked with gathering intel?)


    The drones were currently going around various cities while monitoring and rying the info gathered through the recon bits installed in the pubs around the continent. Due to the effective range of the bits being limited, this was a necessary arrangement.


    Keeping an eye on you all is important. If, by any chance, we happen to lose all three of you due to some incident, the operation we are currently carrying out wille to aplete standstill, and I will end up bing just an oversized hunk of space debris.


    She does have a point huh. Well, I guess we can at least spare one drone for the job. Its for insurance after all.


    Since it was already time for breakfast, I went down to the dining area.


    I joined the ones who were already there and drank some tea while waiting for the others toe down as well. Thest one to arrive was actually Cleria.


    Uu, my head hurts And I feel really nauseous. Cleriained.


    I guess shes having quite the hangover. And were gonna start traveling after this too.


    (Hey Nanom, can you direct the nanoms inside Clerias body to get rid of her hangover.)


    Acknowledged.


    Even taking a bath didnt manage to make my headache go away, but I feel that drinking this tea is actually having an effect instead. Cleria imed.


    Ria-sama, you really drank too muchst night. Elna reprimanded in a harsh tone.


    Yes, I believe I did I do remember having a lot of funst night, but I do not remember exactly what I thought was fun Cleria honestly acknowledged.


    Fufu! Watching youst night was really interesting, Cleria-san. Sharon teased.


    Im absurdly curious now Cleria sighed.


    Fufu, Ill tell you all about itter, Ria-sama.


    When the dishes for breakfast arrived, it seems that Cleria had recovered enough to eat her fill.


    I want to depart immediately after weve finished all preparations. What do you all think?


    Everyone agreed with me, so we decided to start preparing for departure immediately after our meal. Since we had a lot of baggage, we decided to bring the carriage in front of the inn first, then load everything else up on it, and then depart afterward.


    All of us decided toe to Tarus-sans store to im our stuff, and we found Tarus-san together with his entire family waiting there, wanting to send us off.


    All of the supplies have already been loaded inside the carriage it seems.


    Thank you for going out of your way to send us off, everyone.


    No, this is just a matter of course. We owe a lot to you and yourrades after all, n-san. Well then, we sincerely pray for your safe travels, everyone.


    Thank you very much. Well be going ahead then.


    Everyone uttered words of farewell as the carriage set off and we finally left the store.


    When we reached the inn, we hauled off our remaining luggage and loaded them inside the carriage. This carriage had arge, box-like design, with plenty of space out front for people to sit on and ride, and equally ample space at the back to carry the luggage. It even has suspensions installed, so the ride was rtivelyfy.


    Since it was designed for use by a merchant firm, it had plenty of luggage space to store goods in, so we were able to fit everything with no problems. And the top of the carriage has some cargo space as well, so there was still plenty of leeway for more.


    So I guess its finally time for you guys to go huh, n. I wont ever forget all the help youve given us.


    After saying that, Verse handed arge box over to me. When I opened it to check the contents, I found that it had at least twenty portions of katsuobushi. And there was some mustard inside arge pot as well. Finally, there was a great amount of bread. So he even managed to bake all these bread even after drinking like crazyst night. Im impressed.


    Hey, is giving us this much really alright?


    Its fine. Those are your farewell gifts. Feel free to take them.


    I see. Thanks a lot for these. Weve been in your care, Verse. Thank you.


    Thats my line. Lets meet each other again someday, n.


    Yeah, definitely.


    And so, we left the Natures Bounty inn and finally started traveling out of Gotania city.


    After leaving the city, Elna immediately apanied me on the coachmans seat. I should make it a point to learn how to drive the carriage from Elna as soon as I can. Fortunately, driving the carriage wasnt all that difficult.


    ording to Elna, the two horses, Tarth and Syrah, were very smart. They were very responsive to peoplesmands.


    Elna, who was sitting beside me, kept herself alert as she watched the surroundings, but I also had a drone watching from above using its multi-sensors, plus Nanoms magic sensors, so we had all angles covered.


    The drone was helping me navigate the route, and the weather was clear, so everything was quite calm. I even felt like sleeping.


    The drone designated as D-1 informed me that we were about to reach the ce where we were scheduled to have our lunch. D-1 was this particr drones call sign.


    Captain, this is D-1.


    (Whats up?)


    Five Gray Hounds are approaching our position. They are currently three kilometers away. Shall I proceed to eliminate them?


    Five monsters huh? Theyll serve as perfect targets for Sharon and Selenas magic practice. Even if we now have enough energy packs for the rifles, I still want to use them sparingly if I could. Thus, mastering magic is very important.


    (No, we will dispose of them once theye into range. Continue to monitor the surrounding area. If there are any changes in the situation, just give us an rm and disy the potential threats on the map. There is no need for directmunications.)


    Acknowledged.

 Chapter 49.2 - Departure Part 2

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Shall we have our lunch here?


    Yes, its about time. We cant be sure well encounter a ce like thister on after all. Elna agreed.


    Well, it is true that there will be no other suitable rest spots after this one for quite a while. This ce was arge clearing near the road. It was probably cleared out specifically for use by travelers like us.


    Are we going to take a break now, n? Cleria inquired.


    Yes, thats right. Lets have lunch here.


    Now then, whatll we have for lunch? I guess Ill use the bread we got from Verse. Lets eat them while theyre still soft and fluffy. Ill grill some bacon and use them as a sandwich filling, along with some crisp lettuce-looking veggies, sliced tomatoes, and mayonnaise. I managed to procure some mayo from Verse before we departed after all. I also managed to get some ketchup and the sauce I co-developed with him as well.


    As I was preparing for lunch, the five Gray Hounds, that were now just several hundred meters away from us, started moving in earnest. It looks like theyve finally noticed us.


    There are five Gray Hounds approaching us. How about you use them as targets for spell practice, Selena, Sharon?


    The faces of the two, who were currently looking after the horses, brightened considerably after hearing my announcement.


    Understood! Well do it! Sharon excitedly eximed.


    Please leave them to us! Selena followed up.


    What about me, n? Cleria asked.


    Youve already had enough practice before, right, Cleria?


    Im still not as goodpared to you, n. Theres five of them, so please let me join in as well!


    Oh alright then. I guess the three of you can do it together. Theyre approaching from that direction.


    Selena and Sharon should already know the monsters positions, but Im sure Cleria still had no idea.


    After facing the direction the enemies were going toe out from, I, Selena, and Sharon brandished our rifles and took a firing stance, while Cleria and Elna unsheathed their swords.


    Gray Hounds leapt out from within the mountains one after another and headed for the clearing aggressively, without any care for potential retaliation.


    me Arrow spells were cast and headed straight for the Gray Hounds. Selena and Sharon each managed to cast one arrow, while Cleria casted three.


    A total of three arrows hit the first one to exit the mountainside. Selena and Sharon prepared to fire off their next spells after the first ones hit the target, but the remaining two arrows from Clerias spell hit the second and third Hounds already. Selena and Sharons arrows ended up finishing off the remaining two instead.


    As a result, Cleria got a total of three monsters while Selena and Sharon got two each. It looks like Cleria really does exceed the both of them when ites to spell control and output. In any case, the three of them managed to bring down five Gray Hounds in a snap.


    Selena and Sharon were quite frustrated that Cleria was able to bring down more monsters than them, and Cleria instead looked really happy about it.


    Good job, everyone. So youre actually more interested in bringing down Gray Hounds than having lunch huh. You all look really excited, you know.


    We then proceeded to collect the magic stones from the Gray Hounds. Cant we do something about this collection process? The act of having to pin down the corpse with my foot while trying not to touch the body as much as possible really feels overly tedious.


    In order not to inconvenience other travelers, we dragged the monster corpses toward a cliff near the side of the road and dropped all of them down the valley below.


    We used the Water spell to wash our hands clean and proceeded to have our lunch. The bacon and lettuce sandwiches turned out quite well.


    After finishing our lunch, we jumped back into the carriage and started off once more. Id like to reach the designated camping area as soon as possible.


    We did manage to reach the campsite at about four oclock in the afternoon without encountering any more problems along the way.


    Lets pitch our camp near that river over there. We can easily reach that ce via carriage; its rtively spacious and even offers a good view of the surroundings, so it seems fairly safe.


    Yes, that does seem to be the case. Let us do so then. Elna expressed her agreement.


    Of course, Ive already confirmed the overallyout of that area beforehand. I checked an overhead view of the entire area taken by the drone flying in stealth right above us. The riverside was really suited for camping, and the river was fairly wide as well. It also had a spot that looked perfect for fishing. I want to try fishing there by all means.


    First, we divided the work among ourselves and proceeded to pitch our camp. Cleria, Sharon, and Selena were in charge of settling down and securing the horses. I and Elna were in charge of pitching the tents.


    The tents were well designed, so after teaching Elna how to set them up, everything went smoothly. There were a total of three tents that can house two people each. We had them ready after just a short while.


    Great. Now, whats left is just preparing dinner. That said, lets get to fishing. It was a really nice way to procure some food.


    Im thinking of going fishing over there for a bit. I probably wont take long, so you girls are all free to do your own stuff in the meantime.


    I took the bag with the fishing gear inside and headed for the river. Everyone else actually followed after me.


    Hm? I thought I said youre free to do what you want, girls?


    I want to observe you while you fish. Cleria replied.


    Thats right. Im also quite interested. Elna followed up.


    Okay then.


    When I reached the bank of the river, I started preparing the fishing gear. Since I had no live bait, I decided to use the lures instead. I did have a bit of fishing experience, so I managed to prepare everything without any problems.


    These reels were not the electronic type, but the manual type instead. I guess these were owned by someone very particr with his or her fishing preferences. Great. Were all set. I chose a lure that looked like a small fish.


    This fake bait will be used to attract the fish in the river by throwing it on the water. Once the fish takes the fake bait as prey and bites at it, their mouths will be stuck to this hook, and then Ill be able to pull them out of the water. Thats basically how this tool works.


    Amazing! This thread is made out of some sort of transparent material! Cleria eximed.


    Well, if it wasnt transparent, the fish would easily notice it after all.


    Um, I feel thats actually not the real reason for using such transparent material. Elna countered.


    It was getting dark already. Lets go ahead and start.


    I tossed the lure out. It flew quite a distance. My fishing experience came in handy after all. After tossing it out two more times, I finally felt something pull at the line.


    Here ites!


    This ones pretty tough. But a normal fish wont be able to snap this fishing line at all. If I remember correctly, this type of line can handle fishes weighing up to fifty kilos. Its the same with the rod. Theres no problem even if I wound it with some force.


    I finally managed to fish one up.


    Amazing! You really caught one! Cleria eximed in glee.


    This is how fishing goes, Cleria.


    I ended up fishing a prettyrge trout. It was a bit smaller than the fish Cleria and I caught during our time in that makeshift camp, but it wasnt bad.


    n, I want to try as well! Cleria requested.


    Me too!


    It looks like everyone was interested in trying fishing out. But I also want to continue fishing as well.


    It looks like I need to prepare all three rods then.


    I set everything up and gave them a simple lecture regarding how to throw the lures.


    If you press this spot on the reel, the fishing line will be held in ce. If you release it, the line wille out. You need to raise your arms at this angle, and then bring them down with a snap. Once you do so, the lure will fly out to the water. If you want to stop the line from lengthening further once youve thrown the lure inside the water, you can just press here again to hold it in ce once more.


    When I had them try for themselves, it seems like everyone has managed to somehow get a knack for it. After two to three practice throws, they were able to sessfullynd the lure at a good ce on the water. Everyone sure learns fast.

 Chapter 49.3 - Departure Part 3

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Great. Now then, its time for a fishingpetition! In this corner, we have the Sharon and Selena team. In this corner, we have the Cleria and Elna team. And Ill be alright by myself. Take it as a handicap since I have prior fishing experience. Once someone manages to catch something, shell get reced by the other member. The team with thergest fish caught wins.


    Each team only had one rod after all, so me being alone wasnt much of a handicap, but it looks like they havent noticed.


    With this, well be able to enjoy fishing more.


    We took some distance from one another and started to fish.


    Whoah. It looks like Selena managed tond a fish straight away. Like I thought, these waters were quite deep. Selena cheered at her sess. Hou, the fish she hooked seemed pretty big. Even if she was reeling the fish with all her might, I believe the rod and the line can take it. It wasnt allowed for someone else to assist in reeling in the fish during thepetition after all. Since it was getting dark, there wasnt enough time for us to fish.


    Im notnding any hits yet huh. Oh, this time, it was Cleria who got a bite. Shes also reeling it in with all her might. Im gonna switch areas.


    This time, it was Sharon. She also seems to havended something ratherrge. Then, Elna managed tond one as well. It was a double hit.


    Ugh. Its no use. Its getting pretty dark already, and since it looks like Im gonna have to cook a lot of fish dishes for dinner, I guess we should wrap things up.


    Elna took the most time to reel in her catch, and it turned out that she got thergest of the bunch. Its actually a salmon that surpasses a meter in length.


    Ehem. And the winner for the partys first fishing tournament is the Cleria and Elna team. The runner up is the Selena and Sharon team.


    Cleria and Elna seemed really happy about their win.


    Selena, Cleria, and Sharons salmon were all about eighty centimeters in length, so it was a bit difficult to judge who one out against the other.


    By the way, my trout was a measly fifty centimeters.


    Right then. Ill go ahead and prepare dinner.


    Fishing is really fun, isnt it, n? I want to do it again if possible, Cleria happily eximed.


    Yeah And next time, I wont lose!


    I started filleting the fish on the riverbank. Except for what I caught, the rest of the fish were pretty big, so preparing them felt great.


    The girls were still not over their excitement from the fishing tournament as they started gathering firewood to make a bonfire. We brought several light-producing magic tools, but a bonfire was still brighter.


    Now then, lets think about the menu.


    Ill make canapes by putting thin slices of cheese, salmon sashimi, and mayonnaise on top of lightly toasted bread slices. Ill season them with some salt and pepper as well.


    Next, Ill make salt-grilled salmon and trout.


    Then, Ill cook up some salmon meuniere


    Then, well have some bread on the side.


    That should do it. It was also possible to ce the salmon meuniere between bread slices and spread mayonnaise on it. Thats pretty good too.


    Since we managed to get some fresh fish, I wanted to try making some salmon sushi, but since its already bing dark outside, there was no time. Ill just try it next time.


    We also brought a folding table and some folding chairs with us, so we brought them out and set them up.


    It was already quite dark when we finished preparing dinner.


    But we ced two light magic tools on top of the table, and four around the sides of our makeshift dining area. With the light from the bonfire added, our surroundings were pretty bright.


    Lets go ahead and dig in then.


    They all look delicious! Sharon eximed.


    They dont really resemble dishes eaten while at camp. Elnamented.


    First, lets try the canapes. Mm. It was pretty good. Thebination of the fatty salmon meat and cheese was perfect. The mayonnaise added depth to the overall vor. The crisp texture of the toasted bread also enhanced the taste.


    I cant believe it! So raw fish can also taste this good!? Elna eximed.


    Cleria already tried these, so she wasnt surprised at all.


    The salt-grilled salmon was pretty standard stuff, so there were not many excited reactions over it. They liked it all the same though. The crispy skin was really nice.


    I tried the salmon meuniere sandwich I thought of earlier and ced some lettuce between two slices of bread, followed by the salmon and some mayo. It was pretty good. Everyone else ended up copying me as well.


    I feel that the dishes are made more delicious by the fact that we caught them ourselves. Cleria pointed out.


    Everyone else agreed with her statement. Well, I did manage to catch a fish myself, so I guess I can share the feeling too, somehow.


    It was a really fulfilling dinner overall. We didnt manage to finish them all, so well leave the rest for breakfast tomorrow.


    We then drank some after-meal tea and made small talk.


    Elna-san, what kind of magic is earth magic? Sharon asked.


    Oh yeah! There was that kind of magic too. Cleria wasnt familiar with it, and I failed to learn it through the Magic Guild in the end. It seems it was quite a rare type of magic.


    I also havent gotten opportunities to meet people who can cast earth magic spells that much myself, and I only have one experience of seeing earth magic being cast in person. It was during a military drill between different regiments. Apany of military mages made a pitfall using earth magic at that time.


    That sounds like some amazing magic! I wonder what happens to the soil that gets disced in the process of making that pitfall though. Dont tell me it disappears?


    It doesnt. The soil and dirt swell out and eventually pile up around thepleted pitfall. Elna exined.


    Hm. But it still sounds amazing. It seems like its a pretty convenient magic type, so why isnt it widely used?


    ording to what I heard, there arent many people who can manage to learn it even after reading the corresponding magic tome. And theres also the fact that, apart from service in the military, theres no chance for people to make a living if all they can do is dig holes and pitfalls.


    Hm, I see. But it sounds pretty useful for building construction and digging graves for cemeteries though. Maybe its due to the amount of soil and dirt a single mage can dig out by him or herself then?


    Howrge was the pitfall you saw that day, Elna?


    If I remember correctly, it was four meters at all sides, and had a depth of two meters.


    And how many people were required to make such a hole?


    About twenty people.


    Can they make an even bigger hole than that?


    Well, Im not sure, honestly. I just happened toe across it by coincidence that one time after all.


    I see. They managed to move quite a lot of earth, but since twenty people were needed to do that, it wasnt as impressive as it first seemed. But I still want to learn earth magic after all. There might be an opportunity to learn it in the future. Ill look out for it then.


    When we finished cleaning up after the meal, there wasnt much else to do, so we decided to go to sleep. We nned to wake up once dawn breaks tomorrow and continue on our way after having a quick breakfast.


    n, what is the order for lookout duty? Elna asked.


    We dont need any lookouts. I will be able to wake up once my scanning magic picks up any monsters thate close, then Ill be able to warn everyone, and well be able to prepare for whateveres.


    What!? Is that true?


    Its true, Elna. During our journey from Ts vige to Gotania city, n always woke up every time monsters approached even if he was deep asleep, Cleria assured.


    Haa I understand. Even so, that sounds awfully convenient.


    Elna made a deep sigh for some reason.


    With this, our first day of traveling came to an end.

 Chapter 50.1 - Rescue 1 Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Its been thirteen days since we started our journey.


    Weve traveled smoothly on the designated route and didnt face many problems along the way. However, it was quite evident that as we approached the Great Demon Forest, the numbers of monsters prowling the surrounding areas were increasing at a noticeable rate.


    When we first started our journey, there were times when we didnt manage to encounter any monsters for an entire day, but right now, we were encountering at least two to three monster packs as we traveled along.


    Yesterday, we encountered two-meter tall, humanoid monsters with pig heads called Orcs. There were two of them. ording to Elna, Orcs were considered as fairly high ranking monsters.


    In any case, Sharon and Selena proceeded to make them targets for magic spell practice and eliminated them in a snap. Since they were monsters with humanoid shapes, I had some misgivings when I was retrieving the magic stone from one of the corpses, but it seems it wasnt the case for Cleria and Elna. It looks like the way we view monsters is fundamentally different.


    ording to the monster guide book we purchased, it seems that the magic stones of Orcs were considerably more valuable than Gray Hound magic stones. But even so, they were actually easier to defeatpared to Gray Hounds since they were slow-moving and easy prey to magic spells. I actually want every monster we encounter from now on to be Orcs if possible. If we used swords instead of magic, we may have a bit of trouble due to theirrge builds, but even so


    Right now, all of us have be fairly proficient in driving the carriage. And it was not just driving the carriage as well. We have also be proficient in horseback riding. Elna assured us that we would be able to learn quickly with some practice, especially since the horses we had were quite obedient, and it really turned out to be the case.


    Along the journey, we were able to pass several viges where we could have stopped over for some rest, but in everyones collective opinion, it seems that camping outside was actually more rxing and agreeable.


    We will be arriving at the fortress city Gants within two days. I have already managed to check an overhead shot of the city taken by the drone, but I wonder what kind of ce it really is?


    D-1 to Captain.


    The drone hasnt directly contacted me ever since that one time at the start of our journey.


    (What is it?)


    There is an overturned carriage three kilometers ahead, and I have confirmed more than ten human corpses and five live ones around it.


    I wonder whats up? They could have possibly been attacked by monsters along the road. There was a chance they were attacked by bandits as well. During our journey, there were several times when we managed to meet up with traveling merchants or adventurers along the way, but this was the first time weve encountered something like this.


    (Please proceed with reconnaissance.)


    Acknowledged.


    The image feed from the drones cameras was then disyed in front of me on a virtual window. It flew at high speed straight toward the incident point and arrived within moments. The drone then hovered in ce above it. I had a good vantage point of most of the road, but there were parts covered by masses of trees.


    The image zoomed in. I confirmed the fallen carriage as well as the corpses. There were about thirteen or so bodies as far as I could confirm. The five who were alive were taking out the luggage from the carriage. One of them tore open one of the bags. No matter how you slice it, that isnt something the actual owner of those bags would do. Theyre most probably bandits.


    Man, the state of social order around these parts sure is a mess. To think wed encounter guys who would not hesitate to take the lives of others to fill their own pockets. I cant believe it. We may be toote to rescue the victims, but well have to prepare countermeasures in any case.


    Ill have to discuss countermeasures with the others. I pulled the reins and stopped the carriage.


    Whats wrong, n?


    We ended up encountering something troublesome.


    I had everyone get down from the carriage and exined the situation to them.


    It looks like there are some bandits up ahead. I think they are actually in the middle of attacking victims as well.


    You can even tell something like that though scanning magic!? Elna eximed in surprise.


    Yeah. There are five bandits in the middle of the road. I n on going on ahead, but what does everyone think?


    Let us make haste! There may yet still be some survivors! Cleria answered.


    The probability of there being no survivors is quite high, but Just keep an eye out for each other and be absolutely careful, alright?


    We went back to the carriage and started heading forward at a faster pace. When we reached a point about two hundred meters away from the actual scene, the bandits finally noticed us.


    They hurriedly went to hiding on both sides of the road, but I could see all their positions through the overhead image feed. I saw two who were equipped with bows.


    Elna, there are two people equipped with bows. Be careful of them.


    I warned Elna, who was sitting beside me on the coachmans seat. I can aim with my rifle even with one hand, so I can deal with the situation even if they did fire arrows at us..


    When we were only thirty meters away from the scene, the two bowmen knocked arrows on their respective bows. I managed to confirm their actions through the live feed andunched me Arrows on all five of them.


    Even if they were hiding, they were just using the tall grass as cover, so I could detect them just fine using my magic sensor.


    The ming arrows headed for the tall grass and several miserable screams rang out.


    Lay down your weapons!


    I jumped down the carriage, with Elna following right after me. The other three girls jumped out of the carriage as well, and we proceeded to round up the bandits.


    I did shout an order for them to disarm for formalitys sake, but since I hit their shoulder with me Arrows, the bandits were all busy writhing on the ground in pain and couldnt give a damn about it.


    We secured their knives and weapons and kicked them out to the open road. There were five of us as well, so we finished apprehending them quickly.


    The bandits who were thrown out to the road rolled around the ground for a bit beforeing to a stop in the middle, but it looks like the pain from their injuries have mostly subsided.


    W-What the heckre ye guys doin!? We were jus hidin inside the grass an all! Whyd ye attack us all of a sudden!?


    Oh cmon. I saw you and that guy over there pulling your bows, in as day. You guys are bandits, right?


    D-Dont spout nonsense! We cant possibly be bandits! We only pulled our bows for self-defense.


    Hmm. So whats with this situation then? I asked sternly as I scanned the area.


    T-This is! W-We were the ones who were attacked by bandits! We somehow managed to survive and were about ta go on our way.


    So all of the dead people here are yourrades?


    T-Thats right! Well, there are some bandit corpses mixed in too.


    So, is this guy also yourrade.


    I pointed at a guy who looked like an adventurer.


    Y-Yeah. He up an died on us. Poor fellow.


    Whats his name?


    Eh? Oh, uh, his names Danny.


    I checked the corpse and searched for the mans Guild I.D. If he was really an adventurer, then he should have an I.D. on him. There we are.


    This guys name is Gill. This confirms youre bandits then.


    Tha! That guys someone else! I dunno why, but it looks like Danny had the I.D. of another person on him!


    This is all getting tiresome, n. We still have to cover a lot of distance, and taking them along with us would just be burdensome. Lets just kill them all here, Elna mercilessly suggested.


    Oh, youre right. Lets do it then.


    I pulled my sword out.


    W-Wait! The rest of our guysre gonnae here soon yknow! So ya all better run for it while ya still can!


    Now thats just one stupid excuse.


    Wait, I say! Im tellin the truth! Take a look at the corpses! There are ten who look like adventurers and three who resemble us, right?


    When I took a look at the corpses, I managed to confirm his im.


    We couldnt have killed ten people with just eight of us, right!? We really do haverades!


    Hou, so where are thoserades of yours then?


    We have air just near here, so yall better start running!


    There was no reaction from the magic sensor. They may really have a base, but I guess its rtively further out from here.


    (D-1, please scout the area and confirm any structures that may possibly house a group of people.)


    Acknowledged.


    Why did yourrades go back to yourir?


    We managed to snag three pretty women earlier, so they were nnin on enjoyin themselves The rest of us here made some blunders and were left here to take care of the loot as punishment


    After hearing what the captured bandit said, there was a palpable rise in aggression in the air. The captured bandits seem to have noticed it as well. When I turned around, I saw the four girls disying really scary expressions.


    Lets hurry and rescue them, n!


    Yeah, alright. was the only answer I could possibly give.


    Objective detected.


    It looks like D-1 managed to find the banditir. The image feed revealed a cross-section of arge cave, where ten people shaped digital avatars were disyed. So theirir was inside a cave. Since it was underground, searching for it took a bit of time.


    Since there were ten digital indicators, if we ount for three of those to be the captured women, then the other seven must be the remaining bandits.


    The distance from the banditir was three kilometers from here. Now then, we cant just leave the carriage unguarded here. Would it be better if we split up? Nah, it would be safer if we went there together.


    (D-1, protect the carriage and dont let any people or monsters approach it.)


    Acknowledged.


    Were all going to head to the banditir now. You girls all okay with that?


    Everyone nodded in agreement.


    Okay then. Untie Tarth and Syrah from our carriage and secure them on that tree over there.


    We cant take the horses with us after all. Ill take some light magic tools with me as well. We finished preparing after a short while.


    Yosh! Were gonna have you all guide us to your hideout! Run like your lives depended on it! Yourir is in that direction, right? If you guys stray from the right direction even just by a little bit, well burn you down with magic spells. Well also burn you down if you guys act like burdens. You got that, scum?


    Y-Yeah. We got it!


    The captured bandits started running toward theirir. We followed closely behind them.


    While on the way, a cheeky fellow attempted to stray from the path, so Iunched a Fire Ball and made it so that it brushed past him as close as possible without actually hitting him.


    Hiii! he screamed miserably and hurriedly went back to the proper path.


    The rest of the bandits saw what happened, and they properly behaved themselves afterward. They even ran in apletely straight line. After about thirty minutes, we finally arrived at the cave in question. It looks like the bandits didnt post any guards.

 Chapter 50.2 - Rescue 1 Part 2

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Ill enter the cave with Elna.


    Huh!? Ill also enter! Cleria dered.


    Since the cave is narrow, going in with many people isnt advisable. We might even get in each others way. The three of you keep watch outside.


    Understood.


    Cleria grumbled in protest for a bit, but agreed in the end.


    Lets go, Elna.


    Yes.


    Elna replied as she drew her sword. I managed to catch the location of the rest of the bandits through my magic sensor.


    The bandits are located in the deepest area. There are seven of them. I n to take care of all of them using magic, but if something unexpectedes up, please move to assist.


    Understood.


    As expected of a professional knight. Elnas response was quick and simple. It was quite dark inside the cave. It was the right call to bring some light magic tools.


    When we came to the deeper levels, the surroundings gradually began to brighten up. I began hearing some vulgar-soundingughter in the distance. The worrying thing is that they had hostages with them. Ill need to finish them off quick.


    I muffled the sound of my footsteps and finally saw the situation ahead. There were two women on the ground. Their appearance was immodest as two bandits leaned themselves on top of them. Another woman had her arms and legs tied up with ropes and ced in a corner of the cave.


    Alright. Ive managed to target all the bandits inside. I locked on to the right shoulders of every bandit present andunched me Arrows.


    Elna! Secure the women!


    I disarmed the bandits who have fallen miserably on the ground. I then threw the bandits to the deepest corner of the cave. It looks like Elna managed to secure the women as well.


    I gathered all of the bandits weapons and finally managed to check the state of the three kidnapped women. Elna has already helped them to put on their clothes properly.


    A-Are you perhaps adventurers?


    The woman who had her limbs bound earlier, a youngdy who looked to be eighteen, asked about us.


    Thats right. Were the C rank party, Shining Star. My name is n. We managed to hear about you from the bandits we came across earlier, so we came to your rescue.


    Thank you very much, good sir! I will definitely repay you for your help.


    No, its nothing much. In any case, shall we get out of here first?


    Yes.


    The women who were assaulted by the bandits earlier were probably close to my age. They seemed to have not lost theirposure and did not have any problems walking by themselves.


    Can I leave the rest to you, Elna?


    Please leave it to me.


    I left the young women to Elnas care and had her lead them out of the cave. I, on the other hand, checked the loot inside the cave.


    Hey! If you guys so much as twitch, Im gonna burn you to death with magic. You got that?


    After the bandits realized their situation, they nodded their heads incredibly fast.


    Several boxes were littered around the cave in a disorganized manner, so I proceeded to open all of them up.


    This contains salt. This also contains salt. And here, we have tableware. Here are some clothes. There doesnt seem to be anything thats decently valuable. Oh, theres a locked box here. This may have something valuable in it. I cut the lock open with my deknife and found that it contained gold. I counted all the coins and determined them to be worth about eighty thousand Guineas. I dumped all the coins inside my money bag. I proceeded to open the rest of the boxes, but found nothing else worthy of note. How unfortunate.


    How about the bandits weapons then? I checked the assorted swords and spears piled up on one side of the cave but only found two swords that looked decent. I guess thats about it for the loot.


    Hey, you guys. Stay put over there. Take one step out of this cave and Ill roast you all alive.


    I casted a Fire spell to intimidate them and singed them a bit.


    We understand!


    I put all the weapons of the bandits inside a bag and went out of the cave. I found everyone consoling the captured young women outside.


    n, please heal Natalie-san! Cleria called out worriedly.


    So theyve already introduced themselves to each other huh.


    When I checked the state of the woman, I confirmed that she got a bruise through being punched. I might as well heal the two of them together while Im at it. Oops. Since we just met these people, it would be better if I didnt cast magic like I usually did.


    Elna warned me about it while we were traveling. She pointed out that my magic was quite unique and told me not to openly show it to other people if possible. She nagged at me several times during the journey.


    I put my arm up toward the young woman and casted Heal after about ten seconds. The bruise disappeared without a trace. I didnt just aim to treat the bruise, but her entire body instead, so all the other injuries she had taken should be healed up as well.


    Healing magic!? Amazing!


    The three young women seemed really surprised about my magic. Were ten seconds still too short? I proceeded to cast Heal on the other young woman as well.


    How about you? Are you okay?


    I asked the young woman who was tied up earlier.


    Im alright. Forgive ourte introduction. My name is Arista. These two are Karina and Natalie.


    Im Karina.


    Im Natalie.


    We are really grateful for your rescue. We owe all of you our lives.


    No, we just did what should be done, so you dont really have to mind. Ill need to confirm though. Are the ten adventurers who served as your guards and the three of you the only members of your retinue?


    That is correct. Um, how are the adventurers we hired as guards?


    Unfortunately, none of them survived.


    I see That truly is unfortunate.


    Now then, what do you propose we do with the bandits?


    I turned toward the rest of the party and asked for their opinions.


    Um! Would it be alright if you handed over custody of the bandits to us?


    Uh, did I hear wrong? I seemed to have heard one of the victims asking for the custody of the bandits.


    What do you mean?


    If I left things as they are, I cannot regain the honor of these two women with me. I heard that the reward money for capturing a bandit is five thousand Guineas for each head. I am willing to pay double that and give you ten thousand Guineas for each of them.


    Arista-sama!


    So this Arista-san is of a high enough social standing to be addressed with sama huh. But what do they want to do with them anyway? Lets say I agreed. Will they proceed to kill them here or something?


    Would that not be fine, n? Cleria spoke out. Were in front of other people, but her tone sounded a little bit more dignified than usual.


    I also think it is fine, Elna added.


    They might have noticed the hesitation on my face, so both of them spoke out in support.


    I leave the decision to n, Sharon nodded.


    Ill do so as well, Selena agreed.


    Well, since all of them dont seem to particrly disagree with handing the bandits over, I guess Ill make the decision then. It should be fine to hand them over.


    I understand. But you dont need to double the price though. Ill give them to you for the normal amount. This saves us the trouble as well anyway.


    Thank you very much, everyone. Arista sincerely thanked us while bowing her head.


    So what do you n to do?


    Will you be handing the five bandits over there to us as well?


    Alright, I dont mind.


    The bandits started trembling in fear.


    Well then, please bring those five bandits and take them inside the cave. Can we borrow swords as well? Natalie-san, who kept quiet all this time, suddenly requested.


    I handed over the bag with the weapons I retrieved from the banditir earlier.


    Of course.


    Natalie and Karina began choosing swords for themselves.


    Hey, you lot. Get inside the cave!


    N-Nooo, please let us go, boss! No, master! Please have some mercy!


    What the heck is the use of begging me? Im the only guy in our group, you know. And you still expect me to utter anyints?


    Iunched a Fire spell at the bandits to shut them up.


    Okay, you lot. Do you want to burn to death here, or obediently head inside the cave. Choose.


    The five bandits muttered in frustration as they walked inside the cave.


    I guess the three young women nned to follow after them next.


    Please wait here with everyone else, Arista-sama, Karina implored.


    But!


    We will not be able to vent as much as we want with you present, Arista-sama, Karina insisted.


    I understand. Well then, n-san. Please take care of the two of them.


    Hmm. I dont know what exactly I should help them with though.


    Understood.


    Judging from the flow of the conversation, what will take ceter will most likely be the two womens revenge. If so, I guess my job here is to ensure theyll be able to take their revenge without any problems. Its unfortunate for the bandits, but this is just the consequence of their actions.


    When we arrived back at the cave, we found the bandits staying put quietly in the deepest corner, doing their best to obey my earliermand. There was a bundle of rope in a corner, so I cut an appropriate length with a knife. So there were twenty of them all in all.


    I threw the rope I cut toward the huddled bandits.


    Hey, you lot! Bind your own feet with that rope. Ill take it that the ones who bind their feet the tightest are the ones who are truly regretful about their actions, and maybe, just maybe, Ill plead with thedies on your behalf.


    The ones who were left inside the cave were still acting confused, but the five who were outside earlier scrambled to get the rope and proceeded to hurriedly tie their feet. They finished tying themselves up in a sh.


    I checked the state of their bindings while going around with my sword drawn. Every one of them scrambled to show the result of their work to me and lifted their tied-up legs with their hands. It looks like all of them were properly tied up.


    Oh, right. Take out everything valuable you have on you. If Im satisfied with the amount


    I didnt even manage to finish my words. All of the bandits started rummaging their pockets and took out all the spare change they had on them. I had them put all the money inside my money pouch. Hey, theres someone who actually has some gold coins. It was worth doing something like this, even if it was a bit lowly.


    I closed my money pouch with a snap after collecting the bandits money.


    Is this fine, you two?


    Fufu, that was the best, n-sama. Thank you very much. Can you wait for us to finish? Karina requested.


    But Are you two really going to be okay?


    Oh, Im sorry. We forgot to mention this. Even if we showed you such a sorry sight earlier, we are actually assigned to serve as Arista-samas personal guards. Since youve already done this much for us, we should have no trouble with the rest.


    I see Understood. Just call out to us if you need something, okay?


    No way!? Boss! What about pleading for us!?


    W-We handed you our money, right!?


    Just give up.


    I heard the miserable screams of the bandits as I was leaving the cave.


    And after about twenty minutes, the screams of the bandits finally stopped ringing out of the cave. It definitely wasnt something pleasant to hear. The faces of everyone else were contorted ufortably.


    Natalie and Karina finally came out of the cave. I guess everythings over.


    Thank you for waiting everyone. With this, my and Natalies honor has been regained. We are deeply thankful, Karina spoke in gratitude.


    I see. So this is how the women of this think about matters like these.


    Thank you very much for lending us some swords.


    Natalie and Karina then handed back the swords they borrowed earlier to me. However, they looked reluctant to part with the swords. It turns out that the two swords they took earlier were the ones I judged to be decent looking among the pile.


    By any chance, are these swords actually yours?


    They have indeed served us well in the past, but they are yours now.


    If thats the case, then Ill return these swords to you two.


    However!


    Its okay. I was having trouble deciding if we should take the weapons with us or not earlier anyway. Well then, do you want toe along with us on our carriage?


    We will be in your care then. I promise to definitely repay you for your grace, Arista said as she bowed in gratitude.


    No, you dont have to mind, really.


    In the end, we decided to leave the rest of the weapons taken from the banditir behind. They dont seem all that valuable anyway, and itll just be troublesome to lug them back.


    We began heading back to the carriage.

 Chapter 51.1 - Rescue 2 Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    It took us about an hour to walk back to the ce where we left our carriage.


    Thank goodness. Tarth and Syrah are both fine, Cleria eximed and sighed in relief.


    Yeah. What about your carriage, Arista-san?


    Since our horses already ran off somewhere, well just leave it here. My only worry is that itll hinder other travelers. Please allow us some time to try and move it as well as recover some of our belongings.


    Oh, right, I forgot to ask you something important. Were actually in the middle of traveling to Gantz. Since you will being along with uster, I should have confirmed it with you earlier. So would you be fine withing along with us to Gantz?


    Of course. We were actually heading for Gantz before we got attacked as well.


    I assumed as much judging from the direction the fallen carriage was facing, but I had to make sure.


    Now lets get to taking care of the bodies of the deceased adventurers and bandits. If I remember correctly, there was a rule that said one needed to retrieve the guild identification card from the corpse whenever one discovers a deceased adventurer and present it to the Guild for verification. Most likely, it was a rule implemented to prevent others from taking advantage of an adventurers identity. And we also needed to retrieve things that would serve as mementos of sorts for the bereaved families. Lets get to work then.


    Everyone, excuse me for asking, but would you collect the guild identification cards of the deceased adventurers as well as some of their possessions that can serve as mementos. Well need to return them to their familiester on.


    I actually anticipated something like this happening to a certain extent, and bought a lot of hemp bags, so we didnt have any problems storing the collected mementos.


    We also found that the deceased adventurers still had their money with them, so it looks like the bandits didnt manage to loot their corpses yet when we arrived at the scene.


    We tossed the bandit corpses on the side of the road. I should handle the adventurers corpses with more care though, and at least give them a simple burial.


    I faced a spot on the side of the road and started forming an image in my head. The ground started trembling and began vibrating strongly. The scope of the vibrations gradually expanded out. Once it reached a certain size, the ground started to move apart. Soil began to steadily pile up until a rectangr hole measuring about 2 meters in length and 7 meters in width was formed. It had a depth of about 1 meter.


    Amazing! Is that Earth magic!? Karina eximed in surprise.


    Yes, thats right. Isnt it quite convenient?


    I had everyone help and arranged the adventurers corpses neatly inside the newly created grave. After making sure we took care of everyst one, I used Earth magic once more and filled the grave with soil again.


    Earth magic really is quite handy, isnt it? When I first did something like this from the time I first met Cleria, it took me hours to bury the bodies. But with Earth magic, I managed to finish all the work within just several minutes.


    It looks like its worth continuing to practice this magic element during our journey.


    Ah, damn! Talk about bad timing. The drone notified me that there were Gray Hounds closing in on the area we were at. But it looks like they havent noticed us yet. I hope we can head out of this ce without alerting them.


    I tied Tarth and Syrah to the carriage once more, and loaded all of the adventurers belongings as well as Arista andpanys things inside. Ugh. Looks like they noticed us after all.


    Prepare for battle! Gray Hounds iing!


    All of my party members stood on alert and looked towards me.


    I indicated the direction the monsters will be appearing from, their number, as well as the current distance from the carriage with the hand signs I had them learn beforehand. Everyone nodded in understanding and went into position.


    Gray Hounds areing, Arista-san. You should go back into the carriage, just in case.


    Understood. Ill have Natalie and Karina help you all in fending them off as well.


    No, that will not be necessary. We can handle it.


    Alright. Please be careful then.


    Since the road was narrow, itll be a little hard to fight in the middle of it. If the Gray Houndsunched their ambush from both sides of the road, itll be quite a bit troublesome.


    But, luckily, the Gray Hounds werent all that smart. They appeared about 50 meters away from where the carriage was and immediately went to attack us in a mob.


    Since they were given ample time for casting, Cleria, Serena, and Sharonunched three me arrows each at the iing Gray Hounds; quickly killing them. Thest one got its head lopped off by Elna with a well-timed Wind Cutter spell.


    Man. They arent even giving me a chance to do anythingtely. Oh well. Lets just collect the magic stones and depart from here.


    We quickly collected the magic stones from the Gray Hound corpses. We each use electromaic deknives to split the Gray Hound corpses cleanly in two and remove the magic stones from the bodies with our swords. Since the corpses were split in two, they became easier to dispose of because of the decrease in weight. Well, the only demerit was all the messy blood stter though. Oh well. Not everything can be perfect anyway.


    Thanks for waiting. Lets depart then.


    That was amazing! To think you all would be able to finish off that many Gray Hounds easily. And it was practically in an instant too! Karina eximed.


    Well, were quite used to it, you see.


    Just like always, Elna sat beside me on the drivers seat. The others made themselvesfortable inside the carriage. The carriage had in-built seats on each side that could seat three persons each. You can squeeze in four persons, but itll be morefortable with just three each.


    Since I could now handle driving the carriage by myself, Elna could have rested inside the carriage as well, but she insisted on staying out front to watch out for threats. And so, the drivers seat became her regr spot of sorts.


    Weve wasted enough time as it is. From the looks of it, we wont be able to make it to the next camping spot before it gets dark. I searched for other ces suitable for camping nearby through my virtual HUD.


    Hmm, this one looks good. The carriage can be parked nearby, and we can wash ourselves in the river as well. Im sure Arista-san and the others would appreciate being able to clean up after themselves after what they went through. And there werent any other suitable camping spots nearby that we could reach before dusk.


    Its currently past three in the afternoon already. We should be able to reach the spot I found at four oclock. Since well have some time before it gets dark, Ill cook some riceter. And well catch some fish in the river and make some sushi. Yeah, thats right, Ill make some salmon sushi! Even if we dont catch any fish, I can still use the Big Boar meat we gotst time to make some pork bowls.


    Hey Elna, Im thinking of setting up camp over there? How about it?


    Yes, it looks like a good spot. Theres a river nearby too.


    It looks like Elnas also concerned about Arista-san and the others. I moved the carriage as close to the riverbed as possible. I guess it can only go this far. Ill go ahead and tie it down here then.


    Are we going to set up camp here, n?


    Yeah. thats right. Theres a pretty good spot over there.


    You have a good eye. And its true that we cant reach the roadside camping spot before it gets dark, Karina acknowledged.


    So its decided then. Lets set up camp here.


    Um Can we wash ourselves in the river first? Well help with setting up camp after we finish. Natalie requested.


    Of course. Go right ahead. Actually, theres no need for you guys to help. We can manage it just fine, so just rx and rest up.


    Alright then. Ill stand guard just in case, Elna offered.


    Well make sure n doesnt get the opportunity to peek, Cleria added.


    Hey! How rude! Im a proper gentleman yknow.


    Fufu, thank you very much everyone. Well then, if youll excuse us, Karina chuckled in amusement as the three of them headed for a secluded spot on the river.


    Guess Ill go ahead with setting up camp then.


    Ill take this opportunity to practice some Earth magic as well. I first thought that Earth magic consisted of only moving soil and rocks around, but I recently found that it can alsopress and harden them.


    In other words, even if I shaped the earth into cubes, theyll easily break up with a little pressure if I dont purposelypress them. However, if I apply a strong image of the ground being packed andpressed, Ill end up with earth cubes that are sufficiently hard to be used as building material.


    That means I can actually make hardened earth huts using Earth magic. However, just moving the earth around wouldnt cost that much magicles, but itll cost much more if I applypression.


    Even two simple earth huts with a length of 3 meters, width of 2 meters, height of 3 meters, and walls with a thickness of 5 centimeters cost one fully charged Gray Hound magic stone. If I made them with my magicle reserves alone, I probably wouldnt be able to finish even one of them.


    I still need to work on the design of the huts though. They looked quite shabby. I made it so the entrance of the huts would be big enough to allow a person to enter while bending over a bit. In order to facilitate air cirction, I made five centimeter long window slits on opposite sides of the huts.


    I also made groves on the entrances to allow for sliding doors. Itll be more convenient this way since you can easily lock the door from the inside by sliding it shut. Afterward, well just need to ce a stopper so it cant be opened easily while were resting up inside.


    The walls are tough enough to withstand a good standing kick, but itll probably break if one hits it with a jump kick with ones full bodyweight behind it. Even if I hardened it, soil is soil after all. In order to make it more stable, I made the structures with rtively low heights.


    But these huts are still more securepared to simple tents, so I decided Id go with making these every time we needed to camp out from now on. Its a good thing I learned and practiced Earth magic.


    Since we have otherpanions, I made a total of three huts. With this, I fully used up two Gray Hound magic stones. The Guild buys Gray Hound magic stones for a rate of 400 Guineas each, so its like I used up 800 Guineas by making the huts.


    Well, its a necessary expense anyway, and we did get an additional eight magic stones earlier apart from the eighteen I originally had on me, so we still had more than enough tost for a while.

 Chapter 51.2 - Rescue 2 Part 2

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Now then, Ill need to make some toilets next. In a sense, thats more important than the huts. I made a toilet enclosed with three earthen walls with a length and width of 150 cms, and a height of 200 cms. The entrance would be covered with cloth. In the center was a U-shaped toilet seat with a fairly deep hole beneath it.


    If one needed to go to the toilet, theyd just need to drop the nket that would be hung at the entrance and go do their thing in privacy. The nket would be thick enough topletely block the view from outside. Once one finishes doing his or her business, theyd just need to fill out the hole a little with the clumps of soil Ill be leaving just beside the toilet seat, and then raise the nket back up. In other words, when the nket is down, it means someone is using the toilet, so another can avoid entering it by mistake.


    When I showed it to the girls, they were very happy about it. The toilet was very well received. And since Im the only guy in the group, I needed to build two toilets. One is for my exclusive use, and the other is for the girls. I also had to make them a certain distance apart.


    Hey, Selena! What are you doing!?


    After I finished making the toilets, I heard Cleria call out in a loud voice.


    Whats wrong?


    Its a Bug (insect). It looked like a beetle that was 20 centimeters big, Selena replied.


    Well, thats not good. Did you kill it?


    Of course.


    Great. You did well.


    Great? n! Selena just crushed a big bug underneath her foot you know!


    Yeah, it looks like she did. Whats wrong? Why did you raise your voice anyway?


    Eh? But she just crushed a passing bug for no reason at all, you know?


    Isnt that normal? If you see one Bug, youll have to kill it, right? Thats justmon sense.


    Eeh!? Common sense?


    Cleria looked to Sharon for help.


    Theyre right. If one sees an insect (Bug), youll have to kill it right away. Theres no other choice but to kill it. If not, it may prove dangerous, Sharon exined.


    Eh? I-Is that really the case?


    Yeah, of course. Whats wrong with you, Cleria?


    Its nothing. Im sorry. I was just a little surprised, thats all. Yes


    There are cases when letting even just on Bug escape resulted in incidents with massive casualties in the empire after all.


    In order to protect this, we have no choice but to exterminate all those we encounter.


    Before long, Arista and the others came back from bathing. They were quite surprised by the campsite that was made.


    U-Um, what are these? Arista asked.


    These are the huts well sleep in for tonight. They look a bit shabby, but theyre at least better than flimsy tents, right?


    Y-Yes, I guess


    Is this also an application of Earth magic? Karina inquired.


    Thats right. Like I said, Earth magic is quite convenient. Go ahead and check out the interior. Im sure youre all tired from todays events. Ill prepare our food in the meantime, so please rx until its time for dinner.


    I then showed them the magic hair dryers and taught them their usage. It would be best if they dried their hair to avoid catching colds. Oops. Nows not the time to be preupied with anything else. If I dont hurry, I wont be able to make sushi. Oh, but the other girls may not like eating raw fish. What should I do? Oh well. Ill be making pork bowls anyway, so I guess theres no problem. But itll be pretty tight if I need to make both dishes before dark.


    Ill do it anyway. If I let this pass, I dont know if therell be another chance for me to make sushi. Kuh. Guess Ill just have to do my best then.


    If anyones free, can you please go and catch some fish for dinner?


    The girls eyes sparkled in excitement and rushed over to the bags with fishing equipment inside. They then ran to the river. Dangit! I would have wanted to join them too.


    The girls are already familiar with handling the fishing rods and using lures. Thats because, even if there werent really any instances where we could go fishing againtely, they kept fiddling with equipment during the journey. It looks like they really took a shine to fishing.


    Um, where are the others going? Arista asked.


    Theyre going to catch ingredients for tonights dinner. Im going to put on some tea, so please rx around that table if you want.


    No, can you please allow us to help out with something as well?


    Its fine. You all are our guests after all. And Im always the one who makes the meals for this party anyway. Thats why you dont need to mind me and just make yourselvesfortable.


    I produced some drinking water using Water magic, poured it inside a kettle, and started boiling it after lighting a fire with Fire magic. I then went to the riverside to wash the rice grains. Since theres a chance the girls may catch a good number of fish, I took a spare bucket as well.


    They sure are a curious group of people. Dont you both think so too?


    Thats right. Judging from the way they cast spells earlier, theyre all at least at a level of a veteran mage. And from the way I see it, theyre all pretty skilled with a sword as well. They arent at the level of a C rank party. Theyre on par with most veteran A rank parties Im familiar with, Karina replied.


    Im quite curious about Ria-san and Elna-sans circumstances as well. Those two are most likely of noble birth. Their attitude and gestures have a certain refinement and grace to them. At the very least, theyve received education on par with that of nobles. Its a lot more pronounced on Ria-san. I would definitely believe it if someone said she was a highborn noble daughter without a doubt, Arista added.


    But is that really possible? How can nobledies like them work and risk their lives as adventurers like this? Natalie eximed as she posed her doubts.


    Thats why Im puzzled. It really is perplexing.


    Im most curious about the party leader, n, though. From what weve seen, he can freely use Fire, Light, Earth, and Water magic. And the spells are all cast in practically an instant. He should be quite famous with such skills, but why have we not heard of his name until now? Karina observed.


    Things are getting even more perplexing, arent they?


    After I finished washing the rice, I called out to everyone fishing upstream.


    Its fine even if you catch only one fish.


    Okay!


    Dammit! They sound like theyre really having fun.


    I got one! Elna excitedly eximed.


    They just started fishing and shes already got a bite!? Thats honestly very impressive. Looks like Ill have enough fish to prepare after all. Elna may have some talent for fishing.


    Okay girls. Elnas already caught one, so its okay to stop fishing after a bit.


    Yes!


    Oh shoot! I nearly forgot the water I was boiling! I called out to Sharon, who wasnt busy fishing.


    Can you check out the water kettle I put on top of the campfire, Sharon? It should have started boiling already, so can you make some tea for our three guests?


    Understood. Ill get to it right away.


    Oh, right! Take this rice pot and put it over the me next. Make the fire stronger as well. And make sure not to spill the contents, okay.


    Yes!


    The salmon Elna fished up was a big one. It was probably about 80 centimeters in length. This was a standard size for this type of fish.


    I chopped the salmon into three parts, put it inside the bucket, and went back to the center of the camp together with the rest of the girls. The girls sat down around the table and enjoyed some tea while exchanging stories.


    Since the rice wont be fully cooked for a while more, I should prepare the sushi first. I first cut the salmon from earlier intorge slices. It was very rich in fat, and can be made into some splendid toro salmon sushi.


    They caught just one salmon, but it looks like it was more than enough for all of us. I ended up having plenty of salmon slices for sushi. Well, its alright. Ill just make some aburi (partially grilled) and shioyaki (salt grilled) salmon with the rest.


    Okay. Looks like the rice is finally cooked now. I tried a spoonful and found it to be perfectly cooked.


    I can finally start making sushi now. I already prepared some sushi vinegar earlier. Aside from a portion I would use for making pork bowlster, Ill make the rest of the rice into sushi rice. I put the cooked rice inside arge bowl, sprinkled it with sushi vinegar little by little, conjured hot air using Wind magic and let it seep into the rice, and finally, mixed it vigorously. Alright, that should do, I think. Lets let it cool for a bit.


    Ill prepare the pork bowl ingredients now. The main ingredient is simply the Big Boar ribs we had in store. Theres quite a few varieties of pork bowl, but I dont have much time today, so Ill just go with the salty-sweet variant.


    First, Ill grill the Big Boar ribs over the fire. Once they were nicely grilled, I put them on a te and set them aside. I took out some soy sauce, sugar, and sake next. I poured each ingredient inside the pot and stirred the mixture over the fire until it gained a thick and rich consistency. I then put the meat portions back inside the pot and let the sauce mixture seep into them thoroughly. This should be fine. I finallypleted cooking the pork bowl meat with salty-sweet sauce.

 Chapter 51.3 - Rescue 2 Part 3

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Looks like the sushi rice has also cooled down enough, so lets get to making sushi. Oh, it looks like everyone has noticed me busily cooking and gathered nearby. I guess theyre curious about what Im making.


    Man, its been a long time since Ive made sushi. And now I have a live audience as well. Just to make sure I wont disappoint them, I retrieved the How to Make Sushi Like a Pro e-book from my personal database and updated Nanom using it.


    I briskly washed my hands, grabbed some sushi rice, and started shaping it. I then put a salmon slice on top and finished making the first sushi piece. But its a shame that theres no wasabi. Ill certainly find it one of these days. I swear. Ill pick up the pace now.


    Oh boy. I got too into it and made quite a lot. Ive finished making eighty pieces altogether. I better not make more since having too much of the same stuff could make one bored of the taste even if the foods delicious.


    Oh, right! I almost forgot. I did say I was going to make partially grilled salmon too, didnt I? Hmm. Ill need a burner for that. I wonder if I can substitute the burner with a fire spell?


    I constructed an image of air and magicles mixing into a gaseous substance in my head. Ill use the Fire spell first, and then adjust the output gradually.


    The Fire spell was sessfully cast, and a column of mes appeared in mid-air on top of my palm. The girls shouted in surprise. They were all watching behind me and were surprised when I suddenly conjured a five to six meter column of mes with my spell.


    Ill adjust the me quality by gradually decreasing the magicle concentration and add in some more air.


    Please support me, Nanom.


    The mes gradually changed inposition. The girls made a racket once more. Good, the mes color has changed. Itsing along well. Its finally looking simr to a gas burners mes.


    There we go! A more than five meter blue column of mes rose into the air along with a loud roaring noise. Man, thats some intense heat. Its also burning through my magicle reserves at a really fast rate. Ill adjust the output until its manageable. There we go. I can now make aburi salmon with this. Ill go make a portion of the sushi into aburi sushi as well.


    Alright! Its finally finished!


    I finally finished making the sushi. This is probably the first time sushi has appeared in the history of this.


    Oops. I also need to finish making the pork bowls. Since theres a lot of sushi, Ill just put in the rice and pork into bowls of a smaller size so everybody can finish their meals. Ill just need to reheat this a bit, and the pork bowls would be done. Well use spoons to eat these.


    I carried the pork bowls and arge te full of toro aburi salmon slices, toro aburi salmon sushi, and regr toro salmon sushi onto the table. Oops. Nearly forgot about the shioyaki. I then put some soy sauce onto a small te. There. Tonights meal is finished.


    Thank you for waiting, everyone. This meal is called sushi. Its a recipe from my home town. And this is called pork bowls. This is also a recipe from back home. If youre not partial to them, theres also some salt grilled salmon slices and rice over here. Okay then. Dig in everyone.


    n, just what was that blue-colored me earlier? Cleria suddenly asked.


    Oh, that. I needed that in order to make a portion of the sushi. I need a high temperature me to sear the salmon slices in order toplete the dish.


    Um, I dont think thats what Ria is getting at, n, Elna quipped.


    So this is sushi! This will be my first time trying it, Sharon eximed.


    Sushi But isnt it simply raw fish slices put on top of balled up rice? Cleria inquired.


    Well, it does look like that at first nce, but some rather detailed steps are actually needed in order to make these. Thats why I could only make just this much for tonights dinner. Cmon. Try some. Back in my hometown, this dish is extremely popr. If its alright with you all, try eating them with your hands. Itll be a more authentic experience that way.


    I didnt manage to make any chopsticks yet, so well have to make do with eating by hand.


    It looks like everyones curious about the dish, so I prepared a bowl of clean water so we can rinse our hands before eating.


    Okay then. Ill try one first in order to show you the proper way to eat sushi. You pick up one piece like so and then dip it lightly into this small te of soy sauce. Try not to dip the rice in and only dip the fish meat on top. And then you eat it. Just like this.


    I finished off one piece in one big bite. Ah! Delicious! This is it, man! Its unfortunate that theres no wasabi, but its still delicious! The rich taste of the fatty salmon meat just melts in your mouth. The pairing with the vinegar rice is the best! Sushi really is one of my favorite Japanese dishes.


    Cleria and the others were used to eating raw fish by now, so they didnt hesitate to eat up.


    Delicious! So sushi is something this tasty! Selena gushed happily.


    It really is delicious! I wonder why? Its just some fish meat put on top of rice, but why is it so delicious? The vor of the fish and the sauce has seeped into the rice, creating a harmony of vors! Cleria seconded.


    All the members of our party were apparently enjoying the meal, while our three guests were still on the fence about it.


    Eating raw fish meat Ill try one piece first, Arista-sama, Karina offered with a resolute tone.


    She picked up a regr toro salmon sushi slice and dipped it into the sauce. She then brought it to her mouth. Karina turned wide-eyed afterward.


    How is it!? Arista inquired nervously.


    Karina slowly gulped and swallowed the sushi. She took a piece of aburi toro salmon sushi next. She dipped it into the sauce, brought it to her mouth, and chewed the sushi with a serious-looking expression. She gulped down the piece again and quietly reached out for more.


    Hey! Im asking you about how it is, Karina!


    Ah!? I-Its too delicious, Arista-sama! I didnt imagine it would be this tasty!


    After hearing that, Arista and Natalie also hurriedly took some sushi pieces for themselves.


    Its true! How amazing! To think raw fish can actually be this tasty! Arista squealed in delight.


    Its delicious mumbled an almost-teary eyed Natalie.


    This pork bowl is also really tasty, n! Cleria eximed.


    After hearing her, the rest of the girls also reached out for their own portions. The pork bowls were also rather well received.


    Well, I do agree that theyre delicious. I used the deknife to process the meat, so the cuts were quite clean and raised the quality of the meat. The rich vors of pork ribs, sweet-salty sauce, and fluffy rice were a perfectbo.


    Since the salmon was quite rich in fat, I thought it would be a heavy meal and that we would be unable to finish it all. But it turned out to be the opposite. The entire meal disappeared in a sh. It looks like sushi was a resounding hit. The pork bowls got rave reviews as well.


    Thank you very much for the meal, n-san. Its the first time I ever ate such delicious food. Arista said as she bowed in gratitude.


    Im d they suited your taste.


    Uu, I overate again, Sharon groaned dejectedly.


    Do you all eat this kind of meal every time? Karina curiously asked.


    Thats right. At the very least, all the dishes that n makes are really delicious, Elna replied.


    Thats right.


    Fufu. How enviable, Arista elegantlyughed in amusement.


    Its getting dark already. Lets have some after-meal tea first before resting up.


    We apologize for not disclosing our circumstances and identities until now, everyone, Karina began.


    No, its alright. A lot has happened and Im sure its been tough for the three of you.


    Actually, I am the daughter of the Gantz Commerce Guilds chief, Ss.


    Arista-sama! Are you sure its alright!?


    Its fine. We can trust these people. Theres no problem with telling them.


    I see. So youre the daughter of the local Commerce Guild branchs chief huh. So Natalie-san and Karina-san are your private guards, I presume.


    Thats right.


    I see. The only other guild branch chief I knew was Cara-san from Gotanias Magic Guild branch. So I guess the Commerce Guild really is thrivingpared to the Magic Guild huh. Arista-san seemed to be just like a rich heiress after all.


    An awkward silence then followed.


    Um, are you not familiar with Ss-sama, n-san? Karina asked.


    Uh, is he a famous individual?


    Hes the Gantz Commerce Guild branchs leader, Ss-sama, you know? Karina reiterated.


    I turned to the rest of my party members, and I saw everyone had nk expressions on their faces. Looks like everyones unfamiliar with the man as well.


    Im sorry. The truth is, we just recently got to this country, so there are many things were still unfamiliar with.


    I see. If so, then it cant be helped. It seems the bandits were very familiar with our chief though Like I said earlier, Ss-sama is the chief of the Gantz Commerce Guild branch. Hes also the president of Ss Company, which is said to be thergest business firm in this kingdom, Karina exined.


    I presume the reason I was targeted by bandits was primarily because of my identity as his daughter, Arista borated further.


    I see. So thats the case.


    Thats why I would be able to give you a suitable reward for your help once we reach Gantz. Please look forward to it, Arista offered.


    Mm. Its not like we helped while expecting a reward, but it is true that it took quite a bit of effort. Its fine with me even if we didnt get paid for our efforts, but I need to keep in mind the welfare of the rest of the party members as the leader, so I better ept.


    Thank you very much for your kind offer. We will certainly be looking forward to it then. Well then, now that weve finished tea, why dont we all turn in for the day? Ill take care of the night watch, so please have a good rest, Arista-san. You too, Karina-san and Natalie-san.


    Thank you. Well take you up on that then. Please excuse us, Arista agreed and bid good night.


    Of course theres no need to keep watch at night because of the escort drone and Nanom, so after cleaning up the table, I went to sleep as well.

 Chapter 52.1 - Citadel City Gantz Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    I woke up to the sound of an rm. I checked the situation out with the virtual HUD. Dammit! Orcs huh. Its still dark outside. These guys are really full of it even though theyre just bipedal pigs!


    I cant just ignore them, so I took a light magic tool and my rifle and headed out. They were still two-hundred meters out, but they were clearly heading toward the camp. So, there are a total of fifteen men. Hm? Should I even count them as men? Oh well.


    Itll be awkward seeing corpses near the camp when dawnes, so I guess Ill intercept them. I ced the light magic tool a hundred meters away from camp and went out to meet the orcs. It looks like those orcs already noticed the camp, so they were running straight toward it.


    But the running speed of orcs cant be said to be fast by any means. They were about as fast as an average non-strengthened human, or maybe even slower.


    It was a few more minutes before daybreak, so it was still pretty dark outside, but the monsters still appeared clearly before my nanom-enhanced vision, and I swiftly locked-on to them all. When they were just twenty meters ahead of my position, I released several high-speed versions of the me Arrow spell and instantly downed all fifteen of them.


    Its a hassle harvesting the magic stones on my own. Guess Ill just have everyone help out once the sun is out. Theres no hurry anyway.


    Man, I sure woke up at an awkward time. The sky was already starting to brighten. Oh well. I better just start preparing breakfast.


    Theres still some rice left from yesterdays meal. I stored them inside an airtight container, so the rice should still be good. If I steam them a little bit, they should be good to go. And theres still some salt-grilled salmon left as well. Ill just make some onigiri with the salt-grilled salmon as filling. And Ill prepare some mushroom soup with the katsuobushi as soup stock to go with the onigiri. I dont have anything else to do anyway.


    Once dawn finally came, the girls started waking up.


    Good morning, n.


    Oh, good morning, Selena.


    These are rice rolled into ball shapes?


    Um, right. Im molding them into shape. Its a nice dish called onigiri. Alright, thats all of them.


    I finished making twenty servings ofrge-sized onigiri. Since it looks like everyones awake already, I should serve breakfast.


    n, you rolled the rice into shape?


    Um, thats right. I shaped them and filled them with the salt-grilled salmon from yesterdays dinner. This dish is called onigiri. Its morning so I made something simple to eat. This is a dish you can eat by hand. Okay then. Go ahead and dig in, everyone.


    I picked one up and ate it to show them how its done. Mm. Since I steamed the rice a bit, they remained fluffy and were warm to the touch. The saltiness is just right as well. Delicious.


    This onigiri is delicious! It has a simple and rustic feel to it.


    This soup is so tasty as well!


    After hearing Sharon exim in delight, the rest of the girls picked up their soup and took some sips.


    This is? What a delicate and refined vor! Arista praised.


    Yes, its very delicious, Natalie seconded.


    Theres plenty more soup to go around, so dont hesitate to ask for seconds everyone.


    All the girls ended up asking for seconds.


    Fuu. I ate a lot this morning as well.


    I see With these dishes, its no wonder you all overeat often, Karina concluded.


    Sorry to ask you this so early in the morning, but some orcs came before dawn. There were quite a bit of them so can I count on you to help harvest their magic stones.


    Understood!


    If its alright with you all, shall we help out as well? Let us at least help out with this, Karina offered.


    I see. Alright, thanks for the offer.


    So where are they, n?


    Oh, theyre just over there. Lets go.


    This!? Just how!? Did you kill them all by yourself, n?


    Well, yeah, I answered while stabbing an orc corpse with my sword. Since orc bodies were quiterge, the deknife is not long enough to make deep cuts.


    Mm, how gory. I wonder if theres a magic tool that can extract magic stones? Even if there is, I cant even begin to imagine what magic circle would be used to activate it.


    Since everyone helped out, we managed to finish collecting all the magic stones quite fast. Now well just need to take care of the corpses. Then we can resume traveling.


    Should we just leave the camp as it is? Karina asked.


    Yeah. We can also just destroy the earthen huts, but they may prove useful to other travelers on the roadter on, so we better leave them as is.


    I see. That certainly is the case.


    We finally left the temporary campsite and encountered fifteen Goblins and five Gray Hounds along the way. It looks like the appearance rate of monsters really is increasing.


    I made a simple fried rice dish for lunch.


    At the rate we were going, we should be able to reach the citadel city of Gantz by four oclock in the afternoon. It seems Gantz was a city several timesrger than Gotania, and currently housed more than 60,000 people. Im pretty excited.


    We traveled through several intersecting highways and passed by a lot of other horse-drawn carriages and adventurers walking on foot. There was a bit of tension whenever we passed others by. Thats because theres always a chance the other party is actually bandits in disguise. We could even be mistaken as bandits instead.


    But since Elna was driving the carriage and kept greeting each group we passed by raising her hand, their guards rxed and there were no further incidents. They probably thought there was no way a beauty like her could be part of a bandit gang.


    n, I see a city in the distance. Is that Gantz?


    I zoomed in using my nanom-enhanced eyes.


    Oh, it looks like it! Yep, thats definitely Gantz. I can see why they call it the citadel city.


    It was situated within a V-shaped valley nked by tall mountains, and the main city was in the middle of said valley. On the other side of the citadel city was the entrance to the Great Demon Forest. I see. So its a city built for the express purpose of guarding against intrusion by monsters.


    But the city doesntpletely seal off the valley, and there were wide open areas on either side of the city which lead to steep mountain slopes and cliffs. Due to that, there may be some monsters who manage to circumvent the city by going through those areas instead.


    There was evidence that there was once an attempt to fully seal off the valley due to the unfinished ancient-looking walls. They may be relics of the far past. They may have given up on construction entirely since the cliffs were pretty steep and they thought there were no monsters that would be able to safely traverse them. They may have ultimately thought of the walls as impractical.


    As we approached Gantz, I got a more detailed look of the mountains that were surrounding the Demon Forest. The mountain range that surrounded the Great Demon Forest was of an average elevation of 5,000 meters above sea level. They looked pretty big even from a distance, but their scale became even more obvious the more you approached.


    After a few more minutes on the road, we finally reached the gates of Gantz. There were quite a few people and carriages lined up in front of the gate while waiting for their turn to enter the city. Looks like we better line up as well.


    We waited about twenty minutes for our turn. Soldiers who were probably part of the city guards approached our carriage. I got off to meet them.


    Are you merchants? How many people are there in your group?


    No, were actually adventurers. Were the C rank Party, Shining Star. We have a total of five members, including me, and currently have three passengers with us as well.


    I then showed the leading guard my guild ID.


    Hou, so youre C rankers huh. I think theres no problems, but we still need to check the carriage as part of the procedures.


    Go ahead.


    Cleria and the others also got off from the carriage. It looks like they also showed the guards their guild IDs. The guards checked the items in the carriage one by one. When the lead guard got a look at Aristas guild ID, his eyes widened in surprise.


    Arista-sama!? Theres no mistake! Why are you riding this carriage!?


    This situation is a lot like what happened with Tarus-san.


    Our carriage was attacked by bandits. These people rescued us and let us travel back with them.


    By the Goddess! Arista-samas group was supposed to arrive yesterday evening, but in the end, you never did, so Ss-sama was very worried. Hes been checking up on us often since yesterday. It seems they concluded that something untoward happened to you, so theres a bigmotion back at the Commerce Guild. Ss-sama should be in the middle of organizing a search party right now.


    Father is!? Oh dear! We have to hurry then. Can we enter the city now?


    Of course. Please go ahead, Arista-sama.


    n-san! Please head to the Commerce Guild with all haste!


    Gotcha. Please lead the way.


    Karina went over to the front of the carriage and guided us all the way to the Commerce Guild building. When we entered the city, it was packed with people, and my carriage driving skills were put to the test. More than half of the people out on the streets were dressed like adventurers. Luckily, the roads were pretty wide, and the people seemed used to staying out of the way of carriages, so there were no incidents.


    Therge building over there is the headquarters of the Commerce Guild. Do you see that building with a lot of people crowding around out front? Its that building, Karina pointed out.


    There were a total of about forty-something adventurers crowding around in front of therge building she pointed toward and they seemed to be listening attentively to a rugged-looking man who was speaking with a loud voice on top of the front steps.

 Chapter 52.2 - Citadel City Gantz Part 2

    Editor: Thors Stone


    When we approached, I got to hear part of the speech of that rugged-looking man.


    will set out with fast horses right away! We will give suitable rewards to any party who manages to deliver critical information. It will depend on the information given, but its possible to get ten times the initial reward offered. What matters the most is speed.


    So I guess this is the search party the guard was talking about. It looks like hes instructing the gathered adventurers about their search ns. I guess hes serving as the coordinator of this adventurer search party.


    Arista jumped off the carriage and ran toward the gathered search party.


    Father!


    Arista went in front of the rugged-looking man and loudly called out.


    Eh!? So thats her father? The richest man in this country? He sure doesnt look the part. No matter how I look at him, hes more like a veteran adventurer than a businessman.


    The man on top of the stairs turned toward Arista and froze up.


    Arista! Ah! Youre safe!


    The man jumped off the stairs and pulled Arista into a tight hug. So he really was her father.


    Im sorry for making you worry, father.


    Its alright darling. As long as youre fine.


    Another guy went up the tform on top of the stairs and started addressing the gathered adventurers once more.


    As you can see, mdy has already returned safely. Im sorry, but this search mission will be called off. Of course, we will give you all properpensation for your troubles. Thank you very much foring. All of you are dismissed.


    When they heard theyd be still receivingpensation, the gathered adventurers didnt seem to mind the trouble too much, and they obediently dispersed.


    What happened to you, Arista? And who are these people?


    We were attacked by bandits along the way, father. These people rescued us from the banditir. They are all adventurers.


    What!? Bandits, you say? You got attacked by bandits even though I sent twenty guards to protect you?


    One of the parties who were supposed to guard us got sick due to food poisoning after dining in Sanza town and all the members couldnt get out of bed. They suggested dying the departure date, but the remaining party assured us they could handle it, and so we agreed to proceed as nned, Karina exined.


    What!? What were you thinking, Karina!? Do you understand what this means? You subjected Arista to life-threatening danger with your decision!


    I am truly sorry to have disappointed you. Please punish me as you see fit, Karina conceded as she bowed in apology.


    Please dont me Karina, father. I was the one who insisted on going through with it because I wanted toe home as soon as possible, Arista interjected.


    So what happened to the adventurers guarding you?


    They all died in the attack.


    Tsk. And so, you were rescued by these adventurers afterward?


    No. We were taken to the banditsir. It was then that these adventurers appeared to rescue us.


    What!? You were kidnapped by those bandits!? Are you okay?


    Im alright, father. I was only tied up because they wanted to hold me for ransom.


    I turned toward Karina and Natalie, and the both of them had their eyes closed and kept quiet. They might have guessed Arista wanted to preserve their honor when she refrained from mentioning them.


    I see. It looks like I and my daughter owe you a lot. I am called Ss.


    I am the C rank party Shining Stars leader, n. Rescuing them was the right thing to do. Please raise your head, sir.


    No. Infiltrating a banditir in order to rescue my daughter and my people is something worthy of the highest gratitude. My daughter owes you all her life. Thank you. Truly, thank you very much.


    Um, youre wee sir.


    Father, I promised n an amplepensation for their efforts.


    But of course. But a reward for their deed in rescuing you cannot be decided so lightly. Let us discuss this another day. Would that be fine with you all, n? Ss suggested.


    Of course. We will talk about itter on then. How should we get in touch with you?


    You still havent booked an inn, right? Ill send Karina with you and have her guide you until you find a great inn. We will send word for you at the inn.


    Alright.


    Ss-san, Arista-san, and Natalie-san got inside a carriage that was parked nearby and went off.


    Well then, n-sama. I will be serving as your guide for now. What are your ns?


    I want to pay a visit to the Adventurers Guild branch in this city first. We need to hand over the deceased adventurers belongings after all.


    Understood. Let us be off then.


    Karina then guided us all the way to the local Adventurers Guild branch. Thankfully, it was pretty close by, and we parked the carriage at an open space in front of the guild building. Karina handed a number of copper coins to a man who approached us. It looks like the man hadpanions as well.


    Thank you very much, Lady Karina.


    It looks like Karina was pretty well-known in this city. The man and hispanions surrounded the carriage and acted as guards.


    They serve as temporary guards for the carriages who park here. Its to deter crooks from approaching.


    She probably noticed my questioning look and exined things for me. I see. That certainly might be necessary.


    I divided the belongings of the dead adventurers to the rest of the party and led them to enter the guild building. The Commerce Guild building lookedparably bigger, but this Adventurers Guild branch was at least four times the size of the one in Gotania.


    Its this window over here.


    Karina led us to a counter separate from the regr ones.


    What is you business with us today, sir? the guild staff inquired.


    We have a report to make. Its about the adventurer parties hired as guards by the Gantz Commerce Guild branch for a round trip to Sanza. The trip to Sanza town went without incident, but in the morning before the trip back to Gantz, one of the parties, the Iron Pact, had all of its members be bedridden due to poisoning and couldnt continue with the contracted job. Moreover, due to a sudden bandit ambush, all the members of the other party, Green Wind, ended up perishing. We came here to inform the guild of what happened. We are the C ranked party, Shining Star.


    Please present your guild identification tes for confirmation, the guild staff instructed.


    I handed over my guild ID. The guild staff inspected my guild ID and wrote something in a memo.


    Can you confirm everything they said, Karina-sama?


    The deaths of the members of Green Wind is true, but I do not know what happened to Iron Pact after we left the town.


    I see. We are truly sorry about the troubles caused by Iron Pact, Karina-sama. We shall promptly investigate in detail and hold them into ount, the guild staff assured.


    Understood. Shining Star retrieved the belongings of the deceased members of Green Wind as well. We came here to hand them over to the guild.


    Understood. Please fill out this form.


    We ced the belongings of the ten dead adventurers which were stuffed inside ten separate bags on top of the counter. The swords were too big to be put inside the bags, so we just lined them up neatly on the counter.


    Um You took more than their guild identifications?


    We also took some things that could serve as mementos on top of their guild tes.


    I see But you do know that the discoverer of adventurer corpses have the right to im the deceased adventurers belongings, right?


    We do. But we thought it would be better to hand them over to their families and loved ones.


    That is certainly so. Understood. We at the guild will take custody of these items. We will hand them over to the deceased adventurers rtives and loved ones whenever possible. You will also receive a small cash bonus for discovering the corpses and reporting the case. We will confirm the items first, and then hand you your reward. The notice will be posted on the bulletin board near this counter, so please im your reward once its up.


    Understood. Well be going then.


    Fuu. We finally handed over those items. We exited the guild building and went back to the carriage.


    Where do you n on going next? Karina asked.


    Id like to book an inn now if possible. It would be nice if it had a bath and tasty food.


    An inn with a bath I know of some ces, but they are probably going to be on the pricey side Karina offered.


    How much is the booking price?


    Lets see. It should be about 750 Guineas or more per night if I remember correctly.


    Mm. It really was expensive. But Verses inn back in Gotania did already cost 500 Guineas per night. So it being more expensive here should be reasonable, considering the fact that this ce wasparatively more dangerous due to its proximity to the Great Demon Forest.


    I believe well be able to make do with that price. Do you know of inns that dont mind us going out for extended periods of time due to adventurer work?


    Understood. Ill introduce you to an inn with a good reputation.

 Chapter 52.3 - Citadel City Gantz Part 3

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    We left the Adventurers Guild and traveled on the streets for five minutes or so until we reached the inn in question.


    Its a bit far from the guild, but it has nice, clean rooms, a spacious bath, and serves some of the finest cuisines here in Gantz.


    That sounds really good. Okay then. Well book rooms here.


    I parked our carriage inside the inns courtyard and left the horses to the young stable boy who received us. We then entered the inn. The name of the inn was Spring Breeze.


    Wee. Oh, if it isnt Karina-san!


    A middle-aged woman who seemed to be the proprietress of the inn cheerfully greeted Karina-san. Karina-san sure is popr.


    Its been a long time, Kira-san. I brought you some customers today. Were introducing them on behalf of the Commerce Guild.


    Oh my! Theyre rmended by the Commerce Guild? Thank you so much, Karina-san!


    Ill introduce you, n-sama. This is the proprietress of this inn, Kira-san.


    I am called Kira, sir. Pleased to make your acquaintance, n-sama.


    Likewise. As youve heard, my name is n, maam. Pleased to meet you too. Oh, and by the way, please stop addressing me so formally, Karina-san. You too, Kira-san. Im not someone so lofty to deserve being addressed with sama.


    On the contrary, n-sama. The moment you rescued me, I decided to ord you with the highest respect for the rest of my life. I will not concede on this no matter what you say, n-sama, Karina insisted.


    It looks like her resolution is quite firm. It seems its impossible to change her mind.


    Alright. Then at least Kira-san will do. Please just address me normally.


    I understand. If you say so, n-san. The customer is always right after all. Our inn provides breakfast and dinner, and our single rooms cost 800 Guineas per night. Our double rooms cost 1,100 Guineas. But since youve been introduced by the Commerce Guild, Ill give you a discount and cut the price to 700 Guineas for single rooms and 1000 Guineas for double rooms. Taking care of the carriage and horses will be free of charge.


    I see. Is there a discount if we book rooms long term?


    If you pay in advance for a weeks stay, there will be a ten percent discount. Twenty percent for two weeks. Thirty percent for three. And forty percent for four weeks. However, we cannot offer any refunds once you pay the advance amount.


    I see. Are you girls okay with having double rooms just likest time?


    I confirmed with my party members and everyone seemed to have no problem with it. I guess Ill pay for two weeks first.


    Alright. Well have one single room and two double rooms, please. In the meantime, Ill pay for a two-week stay.


    Since its for two weeks, itll be a total of 30,240 Guineas. It really was pretty pricey. Well have to work really hard starting tomorrow.


    Well then that will be 30,240 Guineas please.


    I took out the leather bag I used as a wallet and paid the fees.


    Thank you. Wee to the Spring Breeze inn.


    I will be excusing myself then. We will get in touch with you at ater date.


    Thank you for guiding us, Karina-san.


    After saying goodbye to everyone, Karina set off.


    Yosh. Lets unload our belongings from the carriage first and then go for a nice, long bath.


    Yes!


    The bath here didnt lose out at all to the one in Verses inn. It was pretty spacious and neat. We only encountered one other customer sinceing to this inn, so it looks like there werent many guests who booked rooms yet. It looks like the rest havente out from the bath yet. I guess Ill just drink some tea while waiting for them.


    The guest rooms are all located on the second floor. The first floor was the dining area. I went down and ordered some tea. It looks like the tea was free for guests. Kira-san brought me some piping hot tea before long.


    By the way, Kira-san, does being introduced by the Commerce Guild have any benefits?


    Oh, yes, of course. It means youre a valued partner of the guild and you will be given discounts by many of the establishments in this city. That will, in turn, allow us to earn favor from the Commerce Guild. We can rely on the Commerce Guild if we run into any trouble with our businesses, so its pretty beneficial for us too. Its rumored that youll eventually be able to get loans from the guild as well.


    I see. So thats the case.


    Our inn isnt located in an advantageous spot you see. My only employees here are my two daughters and my son, so this inn is basically run entirely by the family. We arent that distinguished as an inn, so a rmendation from Karina-san is more than wee.


    I believe thats not true. Karina-san herself said your inn was one of the best around.


    I chatted some more with Kira-san until the others went down to the dining area. It was already near dinner time, so we proceeded to order our meals. Just like with Verses inn, youre free to ask for seconds, and alcohol is free of charge.


    The meals we were served with were Big Boar steaks, chicken and vegetable soup, some assorted vegetable sd, and some fluffy bread. I also ordered some wine, which I havent tasted since we went on the road.


    The steak had plenty of garlic and pepper for voring and was cooked to perfection. The soup was also quite delicious. It fully brought out the umami and sweetness of the chicken meat and veggies. The sd had a sweet and sour dressing put on top of it and was pretty tasty as well. It looks like this was a great inn after all.


    Everyone was very satisfied with the meal.


    Come to think of it, I still havent told you all how much money we got from the bandit hideout right? We confiscated a total of 115,825 Guineas from them. The money we got from selling off those twelve surviving bandits is 5,000 Guineas per head, so thats a total of 60,000 Guineas for all twelve. That makes our total earnings 175,825 Guineas.


    Oooh!


    Bandits really are very profitable prey.


    Now then, how do you guys propose we divide the money? We also have to send money to Roberto and the others, right? But we cant send all of it to them, or well becking in funds ourselves. Any suggestions?


    Should we just keep the minimum amount we need for our activities? Cleria suggested.


    If we want to send money through the Commerce Guild, well need to pay a convenience fee of 50,000 Guineas. So we cant send money frequently because the costs will add up. So if we take efficiency into ount, we probably should send them money only once we save up at least more than a million Guineas.


    I see. Thats true, Elna agreed.


    Why dont wee up with a set sry system, n? You said youll be paying us sries n, but we dont really need much money anyway. Well probably just donate it all to the party, Sharon added. Selena nodded in agreement.


    What do you mean by a sry system? Elna asked.


    Its a system where youll get paid a certain fixed amount every month.


    Oh, so its a set monthly payment. It does sound good.


    I think its fine as well.


    Well, if everyone says so, then I suppose we can work things out.


    Everyone nodded.


    Okay then. Lets do that. Lets see How about 10,000 Guineas per month?


    Ten thousand per month!? Elna eximed in surprise.


    Well have to make it at least that much so there will be more motivation, right? Lets go with that. Okay then. Ill give everyones share for this month now.


    I made five portions of ninerge and ten small silver coins. I then gave one portion to each of the girls. I also took my share as well. With this, the leather bag with the money we got from the bandits got considerably lighter.


    n also gets the same sry amount as us? Selena asked.


    Of course. Im also nning on donating most of my money to the party funds and dont need that much either. By the way, we have a total of 798,365 Guineas as party funds, and I n on adding the 60,000 Guineas we got from selling off those bandits to the pool as well.


    We only need to earn just a little bit more in order to send some money to the troops, Sharon observed.


    Yes, thats right. But since we need to keep some as our personal funds as well. Ill reserve 120,000 Guineas for that.


    Thats reasonable, Elna agreed.


    If you all have no problem with it, I was nning on taking some quests tomorrow to start earning funds. Would that be fine?


    Of course. Were not all that tired from traveling anyway. And we need to earn plenty of money for our future ns, Cleria agreed.


    It looks like everyone has no problem with starting right away, so I guess well start doing adventurer work by tomorrow. After agreeing to go to the guild early tomorrow morning, we turned in for the night.


    (D-1, theres no need to monitor us while were inside Gantz city. I want you to investigate the monster distribution in the areas surrounding the city instead.)


    Acknowledged.

 Chapter 53.1 - Orc Hunting Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Its morning. Please wake up.


    I got woken up by Nanom like usual and took a morning bath. In this inn, apart from the scheduled cleaningte at night, it seems you can enter the bath whenever you wish. I was the only one using the bath at this time. Man. Life with a bath avable really is the best.


    After stepping out of the bath and drying myself up, I proceeded to check the info I asked the drone to collectst night. As I thought, the areas closer to the Great Demon Forest have the greatest concentrations of monsters. Oh, this info looks like it wille in handyter.


    It was about time for breakfast so I went down to the dining hall. I asked the proprietress Kira-san yesterday to prepare our breakfast earlier since we nned on departing early in the morning for adventurer work. I did say it would be fine to serve it at the usual time if preparing it that early would be a bother, but Kira-san said she and her family wake up quite early anyway, so she humored my request in the end.


    After a little while, the girls also went down to the dining hall one by one. We then proceeded to have our breakfast. The breakfast set was bread with some sort of jam, some sd, and a generous helping of soup. It was your typical breakfast set.


    After finishing our breakfast, we immediately went out and headed for the Adventurers Guild. We walked for about fifteen minutes to reach the guild building and found there were already a lot of adventurers present.


    Its still so early in the morning, but its already so lively here.


    The guild is indeed already so packed in the morning, Elna agreed.


    Everyone was enthusiastically checking out the request board.


    Lets split up and check out all the B and C ranked quests on the board. Were just getting a feel for things today, so dont pick the ones that require us to travel too far out of the city.


    Understood.


    The requests of different ranks were separated on different sections of the board. We are a C-ranked party, so the highest-ranked requests we can take on are B-ranked ones.


    The B rank and C rank sections were not too crowded, so we managed tob through all the requests before long. We gathered in a corner a bit further from the board so as to not get in the way of the other adventurers.


    Did you manage to find good quests?


    There wasnt anything particrly of note, I think, Elna informed.


    Everyone else also shook their heads. There were escort requests and some rare magic stone and material gathering ones, but there wasnt anything that would fit a newbie party like us.


    Hm. Certainly. Then shall we go for some regr monster extermination quests?


    The regr monster extermination quests are quests that are posted on the board indefinitely and offer fixed rewards. For example, one may require you to exterminate Gray Hounds in the surrounding areas. You can then sell the magic stones at the guild for 300 Guineas apiece, and get a fixed 50 Guinea reward per Gray Hound killed.


    It looks like everyone was on board with it, so we decided to proceed. But we cant just pick one recklessly. Well have to decide on a target monster first.


    What do you think we should hunt? I personally think orcs would be good.


    Orc magic stones go for 600 Guineas each, and the extermination reward is 150 Guineas per kill. They arent any harder than Gray Hounds, and they were a perfect fit for us since every member of our party can use magic.


    That sounds nice, but the problem is where exactly the orcs are located, Elma answered.


    Oh, leave that to me. I kind of have an idea where we can find them.


    Haa Alright. Let us go hunt some orcs then, Elna agreed.


    Its a bit far from here though. Its probably about fifteen kilometers away from the city. Its a bit too far to reach by foot, right?


    Thats right. Well, since we do have horses now, why dont we go there by horseback? It would be good for Tarth and Syrah to get some exercise as well. Lets just get some more horses from a rental stable somewhere, Elna suggested.


    Oh! So there are actually rental stables huh? That sounds good. Well have to ask around to find one then.


    We exited the Adventurers Guild building in order to search for a rental stable. After walking around town for a while, someone called out to us.


    Are you looking for something bro?


    It was a ten or eleven-year-old boy wearing messy clothing.


    Yeah. Were looking for a rental stable.


    If thats the case, I can guide you to one bro.


    How much?


    Te No, five Guineas.


    Alright. Go ahead.


    Thanks for the patronage. Im Teo by the way. There are two rental stables in this city. Theres an expensive one, but it has great horses, and theres a really cheap one. Which do you want to visit?


    The expensive one then.


    Thats the way bro! J-Just a minute.


    Teo went to a corner of the street, took the hand of a four-year-old girl wearing a dress akin to rags already, and pulled her along.


    Its this way bro!


    He started leading the way, but he was walking too fast. He was half-dragging the little girl already.


    Hey, you dont really have to hurry that much. Is she your sister?


    Thats right bro. Here E, say hello to big bro.


    Im E, big bro.


    I see. Im n. Nice to meet you.


    Fortunately, the rental stable was actually in the same direction as the inn, so we didnt have to go too far.


    Here you go, Teo. Your payment.


    I handed him fiverge bronze coins. In other words, 50 Guineas.


    Eh!? But I thought I said five


    Go ahead and take them. Get yourself and E something nice to eat.


    T-Thank you bro! Thank bro as well E.


    Big bro.


    Big bro isnt the same as thank you though. Oh well.


    Elna chose three horses from the stable and Teo received a tip from the stable owner as well. So hell be able to earn a little cash every time he brings in customers huh.


    The price for the rental was 300 Guineas per day for each horse. There was also a deposit of 10,000 Guineas per horse. Of course, well get the deposit backter once we return the horses. But people without that much money probably cant afford to rent horses at this stable.


    Elna pulled the three horses we rented along back to the inn where we left Tarth and Syrah. Teo also tagged along with us.


    Hm? Whats wrong, you two?


    No, um, I just thought Id guide you more since we received too much, bro.


    Well be going out of the city with the horses once we reach the inn though. You wont be able to follow after us anyway.


    Ill at least send you all off then. Were really quite free bro.


    Do as you please.


    Hey n, how about we hire Teo for trash disposal duty? Selena suggested.


    Oh! Taking out the trash is my specialty. Thats actually my main upation. Ill clean up any kind of filth, bro!


    Hm. Alright then. Might as well.


    Did we have some trash in need of disposing though?


    We had the inns stable boy prepare Tarth and Syrah for heading out. Selena and Sharon went up to our rooms upstairs and brought down some of the preserved foodstuffs we didnt eat during the journey here, including dried meat, baked bread, and dried beans. There were actually quite a lot of them left.


    I see. Its true that these would actually go bad if we didnt eat them soon, and once they did, theyll be the same as garbage.


    Selena and Sharon really are kind girls after all.


    These are trash?


    Its our leftovers. We probably wont be able to finish them all anymore. So well give them to you, Sharon offered.


    T-Thanks a lot, big sis!


    We exited the city while being sent off by the cheerful smiles of Teo and E.


    It looks like they dont require people to get checked whenever they go out of the city. We copied the adventurer party ahead of us and showed the guards our guild IDs. We were allowed to pass the city gates without much fuss.


    Okay then. Our goal is in this direction.


    I went ahead and led the way. The target destination is of course an area near the Demon Forest. It was also called the Sea of Trees, but the areas around Gantz have been mostly cleared, and I confirmed via aerial footage that we can reach our destination without any trouble through horseback.


    After traveling for two hours, we encountered five Gray Hounds and three goblins. It looks like theres a higher concentration of monsters in the areas near the Demon Forest after all.


    We dismounted on a spot with a great view of the surroundings due to high elevation.


    Have we arrived? Elna asked.


    Yeah. The orcs are just 700 meters from where we are currently. The areas practically crawling with them.


    Is that perhaps an orc settlement? Elna inquired again.


    Hm? Do those guys actually form settlements? There was nothing about that written in the monster guide though.


    They do! n, this is too much for us! We cant just attack an entire orc settlement with these numbers! Elna warned.


    Really? Um, the number of orcs is about 75 men or so. Hey Elna, is it okay to count orcs as men?


    Orcs are monsters you know. n! This is reckless! You say there are at least 75 orcs in there. Wait? C-Can we actually beat them? Elna faltered.


    Um, Elna, I think we probably can, Cleria followed up.


    Thats right. I also think so too, Sharon seconded.


    Fine. I understand. Lets do it then, Elna conceded with a resigned sigh.

 Chapter 53.2 - Orc Hunting Part 2

    Editor: Thors Stone


    We secured the horses, and I drew a simple map on the ground to help with the strategic nning. In the end, we decided to break through together instead of dispersing ourbat strength. If anything untoward happens, well all run back here and make our escape together.


    (D-1, make sure monsters dont get near the horses.)


    Acknowledged.


    The five of us carefully trudged through the trees. When we advanced two hundred meters, two patrolling orcs started heading in our direction. But they werent going straight for us. They should pass us by from the side. Of course, they still didnt manage to notice our presence.


    I signaled for Cleria to finish them off. I used the hand signal for requesting a headshot. Once they came into range, Cleria manifested two arrows of me and promptly killed the two patrolling orcs.


    The orcs fell down without much noise.


    We advanced another hundred meters nearer the orc settlement. This time, we encountered five orcs. We moved in even closer and found them sleeping around on a small clearing. They were snoringfortably.


    I signaled for Cleria, Sharon, and Selena to finish them all off via headshot. I continued to give hand signal instructions to specify which orc each of them needs to target. Afterward, the three of them got into position and promptly fired off me Arrow spells. All the magic projectiles hit the heads of the sleeping orcs dead on.


    Sharon and Selena hit their heads with two arrows and Cleria hit them with one each.


    We continued to advance another two hundred meters and found another bunch of sleeping orcs. This time, there were seven of them. Again, I had Sharon, Selena, and Cleria finish them off. Now weve cleaned up 14 of them. That makes 61 remaining orcs.


    We advanced yet another hundred meters and finally got a glimpse of the orc settlement, which looked like a crudely constructed vige. The crude buildings were ced inside a circr clearing with a diameter of about 150 meters. The dwellings were just crudely built sheds lined with long leaves of some sort of nt. Most of the orcs were sleeping underneath those dwellings.


    Now that wevee this close, itll be better to fire magic spells off from a decent distance. Anyway, lets finish off the ones walking around first.


    I signaled for Cleria, Sharon, and Selena to start finishing them off via headshots once more, starting from the ones closest to our position. They fell down one after another, and once nine were killed, a cry rang out from the back of the vige. Looks like we were finally noticed.


    Everyone, open fire!


    I entered the vige after giving out the order. I locked on to every orc in my line of sight and killed them with high-speed me arrows. I hit the orcs right in the middle of the brows or right on their temples. Lots of orcs fell dead all at once.


    I saw a Wind Cutter spell fly past. It must have been Elna. The heads of several orcs got separated from their bodies. Impressive, Elna.


    After I fired off several more me arrows, a terrible scream resounded from the back of the vige.


    T-This is!? This is bad n! Thats probably a General Orc! Elna warned.


    That sounds quite impressive! I finally saw the source of the scream before long. It was an orc several timesrger and more muscr than its brethren.


    It was still 70 meters out, but it sure has quite a bit more presence than the other orcs. Its probably more than 3 meters tall.


    Elna! Tell me how dangerous a General Orc is!


    n! Its a General Orc you know!? U-Um Er I-If possible can you try not to aim at its face?


    Huh? Okay.


    I hit the General Orcsrge body with five high-speed me arrows, and it fell down in quite an anti-climactic fashion.


    The rest of the orcs were already killed off by Cleria, Selena, and Sharon. Oops, theres some hiding over there. Almost missed them. I finished off the two orcs hiding in the bushes nearby.


    With this, all the orcs in this settlement have been killed.


    Alright, operation over! Great job everyone. Hey Cleria, I killed a big prey! Lets go check it out.


    I called out to Cleria and went over to check out the fallen General Orc. It really was different from all the other orcs. Its height was about 3 meters and 20 centimeters. It had a savage-looking face and had two tusks protruding from its lower jaw.


    It sure has an intimidating face. Hey Elna, why couldnt I attack its face?


    We can sell its severed head for a lot of money. Its used as some sort of charm against evil spirits or something, Elna exined.


    Geh. What bad taste. Are you sure people would even want to disy something like this in their rooms? Uh, since it can sell for a lot, we might as well take it. Lets cut it off right away and drain the blood. Harvest the magic stones from the corpses before other monsterse running, everyone. Oh, and the proof of subjugation is their right ears, so dont forget to cut them off as well.


    I handed two jute bags to everyone and had them recover the magic stones and the proofs of subjugation. It took about one and a half hours for all five of us to finish collecting the magic stones and ears.


    The General Orcs hut had old swords that were probably from dead adventurers, metal shards, fiverge silver coins, and a few assorted small coins that were worth a total of 575 Guineas. Man. They sure loved money even though theyre just pigs. Lets take them too.


    Yosh. Lets withdraw.


    Fuu. Recovering magic stones sure is tiring, Sharon sighed.


    Yeah. I wonder if theres a method to take the magic stones from monsters corpses in an easier manner?


    But I must say, n, the hand signals you taught us were truly quite useful, Elna praised.


    Yeah. I came up with them specifically to be used in operations like this, so Im d they proved useful.


    We went back to where we left the horses and rode back to Gantz. Its already past eleven in the morning. We should be back in Gantz by one in the afternoon.


    Fortunately, we encountered no more monsters on our way back.


    When we reached the city gates, we got off the horses and showed the guards our guild IDs.


    Whats the contents of the bags?


    They contain the severed ears of orcs as well as an orc head. Do you want to check them out?


    N-No, its fine! Go right ahead.


    I felt conflicted when we reached the guild building. We should have returned the horses first beforeing to the guild, but I was already pretty tired out and couldnt muster the motivation, so we ended up tying the horses to a spot inside the guild buildings parking lot. We then saw the men that served as temporary guards approach us. Now that I got a good look at their leader, he was blind in one eye. Maybe its an old injury.


    How much?


    Five horses will be 50 Guineas, mister.


    Here you go.


    Thank you for the patronage.


    The man and hispanions stood guard near the horses.


    Now then, which counter should we report in?


    Its most likely that one, Elna pointed out.


    Unlike the usual reception counters, it was ced behind a fairlyrge booth. A signboard with Assessment Counter written on it was hung up on top of the booth in question.


    What is your business with us today?


    The man in charge of the counter promptly asked what our purpose was.


    Were handing over orc magic stones, right ears, and a General Orcs head.


    Ahaha, you sure make some interesting jokes sir.


    He gestured for me to hand over the bags for checking, so I gave him the one with the General Orcs head. He looked at the content of the bag and closed it with a start. He peeked inside again and closed it once more.


    T-This is!?


    The severed head of a General Orc.


    So you were actually serious?


    He slowly opened the bag once more and closed it almost immediately after getting a little peek. He tied the mouth of the bag securely.


    Ill call some more people over, so please wait here!


    The man hurriedly took off after cing the jute bag with the General Orcs head under the counter.


    What was that?


    No idea, replied Sharon and Selena as they shook their heads.


    Well, I thought it would turn out like this. I knew it, Elna sighed.


    A total of six men ran out of the back of the guild office.


    Where is it!?


    Its in this bag, sir.


    The newly arrived man looked at the contents of the bag.


    Theres no mistake. Its a bit inconvenient to continue discussions out here. Can you alle to the back so we can continue?


    Alright. Lets go, everyone.

 Chapter 53.3 - Orc Hunting Part 3

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    We entered the inner office of the guild and went somewhere which resembled a private conference room. The man who seemed to be other mens superior ced the General Orcs head on top of the table without caring about the mess it caused.


    Can you show me your guild identity tes?


    We obediently handed our guild IDs.


    C rank huh. What happened to this General Orc?


    We hunted it down of course?


    Where?


    It was an area about two hours by horse from Gantz.


    Didnt a reporte in about one month ago regarding some sightings? one of the other men chimed in.


    Probably. But you managed to hunt it down with just five members?


    Yes. Thats right.


    I cant believe it. You really finished it off with just five people?


    Is there a problem with that?


    No, not really. So does this mean you wish to hand this head over to the guild?


    Um, are there other ces that ept trophies like this one?


    To be honest, with a splendidly preserved head like this one, you can get a good amount of profit by selling it to the Commerce Guild or putting it up for auction.


    I see But will our party evaluation increase if we do decide to hand it over to the guild?


    But of course. Any adventurer who contributes greatly to the prosperity of the guild will get the appropriate favorable treatment.


    What do you think, guys?


    I turned to my party members and asked their opinions.


    I think its fine, Elna answered. The others all nodded as well.


    Okay then. Well hand it over to you. By the way, how much will we be getting for it?


    Oh, we will need to determine it by basing on the previous purchase price. We will need some time to determine an appropriate reward amount.


    I dont mind. Were not in any particr hurry anyway. Well then, please calcte the price of the magic stones and the subjugation rewards first.


    I nodded to Selena and Sharon, and they ced the other jute bags on the table.


    These are?


    They contain the magic stones and subjugations proofs of the rest of the orcs.


    Oh, so you managed to hunt more orcs?


    Yes.


    We actually hunted down the General Orc as a bonus though.


    The man gestured to another guild staff. The staff opened the bags and checked the contents.


    This!


    Whats wrong!?


    No, um, there is an impressive amount of orc magic stones and subjugation proofs inside these bags.


    What!?


    The leader opened the bags in a fluster.


    This!? Just how many did you hunt?


    There were seventy-four orcs all in all.


    The magic stone of the General Orc was a lotrger and more brilliant than the magic stones of the normal orcs, so I decided to keep it. It maye in handyter.


    These were also hunted in the same ce as the General Orc?


    Thats right. It was an orc settlement, I think?


    In other words, you all attacked an orc settlement and killed all the orcs living there?


    Thats right.


    Just the five of you?


    Uhuh.


    I see I understand. We will calcte your rewards immediately.


    The other guild staff began to hastily inspect the magic stones and cut-off ears.


    These are undoubtedly from seventy-four orcs sir.


    One of the guild staff then hurriedly went out of the room. He went back in before long and handed the leader something.


    Well then, an orc magic stone is 600 Guineas each, and each orc kill has a reward of 150 Guineas. Since you hunted a total of seventy-two orcs, your total reward is 55,500 Guineas. Please receive the reward.


    Yes, weve certainly received them. Thank you very much. Well then, if theres nothing else, well be going ahead.


    Oh, um, please wait. I almost forgot to introduce myself. I am Kevin, the leader of the Gantz Adventurers Guild branch.


    So you are the guild leader sir. Please excuse my impoliteness. My name is n, and I am the party leader of the C-ranked party Shining Star. We will be working here for the time being, so we will be in your care, sir.


    No, please, the pleasures all mine. Can you also introduce your members, Mr. n?


    I exchanged gazes with everyone.


    Im Ria.


    My name is Elna sir.


    Im called Sharon.


    Selena.


    What an assortment of beau No, never mind. Were looking forward to working with you all.


    Well be going then.


    We were led out of the room by one of the staff and finally exited the guild building.


    Fuu, it turned into quite themotion.


    I thought it would turn out like this. I knew it, Elna sighed as she repeated her earlierment.


    Oh, right. We asked those folks to watch the horses.


    Sorry guys. We took quite a bit of time. Please take this as well.


    I gave the leader of the temporary guards an extra fiverge copper coins as a tip.


    Thank you very much, sir. Can I ask for your name if you dont mind?


    The names n. Well be counting on you guys again.


    Yes, best regards, n-sama.


    And what about you? Whats your name?


    This one is called Jill.


    Be seeing you then, Jill.


    Yes.


    We returned the rented horses to the rental stable and retrieved the deposits. Its nearly two oclock in the afternoon.


    Its already sote.


    Yes. Um, I kind of want to take a bath right about now Sharon muttered.


    Yeah. Me too.


    Everyone else was in agreement, so after returning to the inn, we all took a nice, long soak and nned to have somete lunch afterward.


    It was already almost three in the afternoon when everyone got out of the bath.


    Well ruin our appetites for dinner if we have some heavy lunch right now, so how about strolling around in the city and having some snacks?


    Lets do that! I want to get used to this city as well, Cleria eximed in delight.


    Since everyone was in agreement, we went out to tour around the city.


    We saw quite a number of food stalls, but there wasnt anything particrly appetizing. It was gettingte, so we were about to go back when someone called out to us.


    Bro! And the big sisters too! Whats wrong? Teo asked in a cheery tone. E was also following behind him while snacking on some dried jerky.


    Yo! So Its you, Teo. You came at the right time. Do you know of some stalls selling delicious food? Ill treat you as well.


    R-Realy!? Over here then bro! We havent really eaten anything from there, but we keep hearing everyone say its really delicious!


    Teo guided us along while pulling his sister, E, who was still busy snacking on her jerky, at a fast pace. We came to a wide street, and at the entrance was a food stall with lots of people crowding around. They seem to be eating some grilled skewers.


    Its this ce bro! They all say the food here is really good!


    Mm. What a tantalizing scent. A rough-looking uncle was busy skewering somerge meat and vegetable slices and grilling them on a rack.


    Give me seven of those skewers uncle.


    Yessir! Please wait fer a bit.


    After waiting for about a minute, our skewers were finally cooked.


    Here ya go! Thatll be ten Guineas fer one stick. So its 70 Guineas, sir.


    Hm. Thats surprisingly pricey. I handed the guy the seventy Guineas and distributed the skewers to the rest of the group. I also handed Teo and his sister their share.


    Can I really have two sticks, bro?


    The other one is for E, you dummy.


    Say thank you to bro, E!


    Bro.


    Lets dig in then.


    Hmm! This is good! It looks like chicken meat, but it was extremely tender and had a texture Ive never experienced before. And the sauce is quite tasty as well. It looks like your basic salt and garlic-vored sauce, but its been enhanced with a number of fragrant herbs. It kinda tastes like mirin. This wonderful fragrance is irresistible. I guess it wasnt ten Guineas for nothing.


    Hey uncle, what type of meat is this?


    I approached the stall and tried asking the rough-looking uncle.


    These are from a Big Bullfrogs thigh and calf meat.


    Oh, so its meat from a monster huh. If I remember correctly, its a type of monster frog almost one meter in size. It was blue so it didnt really seem all that appetizing, but the meat was actually this delicious huh.


    Everyone was also praising how delicious it is. I better not tell them though. Im not sure how theyll take eating monster frog meat after all.


    Teo and E were also scarfing down on their skewers.


    Teo, what about your parents? Where are they now?


    Moms dead. Dad is doing some adventurer work. Uh, but its been a year since hest came home so But its not like I can do anything anyway, so Im just patiently waiting for news.


    I see. Do your best then.


    Of course bro.


    We separated from Teo and her sister and walked back to the inn. It was right about dinner time when we got back.


    We enjoyed tonights meal as well. As we were eating, Karina-san paid a visit.


    Im sorry for disturbing your meal, everyone. n-sama.


    No, its fine. Do you want to drink some wine with us, Karina-san?


    Unfortunately, I need to go back right away. I came here at Ss-samas behest. We will be having a modest dinner tomorrow night at Ss-samas mansion to celebrate the safe return of Arista-sama. If its convenient, we would also like to invite you to partake.


    How about it, everyone? I think we should go.


    Everyone seemed to agree, so we decided to ept the invitation.


    Thank you very much. I will tell them your response then. We will be sending a carriage for you tomorrow at five in the afternoon.


    Thanks. That will be helpful. Well see you tomorrow then.


    Yes. I will be excusing myself then, n-sama.


    Okay then. Lets finish a regr subjugation quest right away tomorrow as well so we cane back in time for the party.


    Everyone nodded in agreement. We then turned in early for the night.

 Chapter 54.1 - Gray Hound Hunting Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    The Previous Day


    I have returned, Ss-sama.


    Have those adventurers already settled at an inn, Karina?


    Yes. n and his party have booked rooms in the Spring Wind inn.


    Hou. They are quite affluent for adventurers.


    Yes. It seems a bath is an absolute requirement for them.


    I see. Well, paying attention to cleanliness is a good trait to have. I only realized this when I became older. Arista should being out of the bath soon. Ill hear your report then.


    Understood.


    Im back, father.


    So Natalies with you too. Good. Let me hear your report then.


    And so, Karina told Ss about all thats happened to them, starting from their departure from Sanza town to them being abducted by bandits.


    I see. Im sure you already know, so Ill just say this. We have incurred a great debt.


    Yes. I and Natalie will never forget our gratitude to them for the rest of our lives. An hour after we got abducted and taken to the banditsir, all of the bandits inside the cave let out anguished screams simultaneously. They were all hit by n-sama and Elna-sans magic spells.


    What? How many bandits were there? What magic spell did they use to incapacitate them?


    We are not sure. It was probably fire magic. All of the bandits right shoulders sported burn scars.


    Fire magic? And they did that to multiple targets simultaneously? I see. So they targeted their shoulders to rob them of the ability to fight back. And then?


    We were taken outside the cave by Elna-san and looked after by the otherdies. After a short while, n-sama walked out of the cave as well, and treated Natalie and me using healing magic.


    What!? That man can also cast healing magic?


    Yes. And the recovery speed was astonishing. Both our injuries were all healed up in just ten or so seconds.


    The more I hear about it, the more unbelievable it seems. How about it, Arista?


    All they have rted is true, father.


    I see. Let us move on then. Go ahead.


    We then discussed what to do with the bandits, and Arista-sama bought the rights to them from n-sama for our sakes.


    I see Have you managed to regain your dignity then?


    Yes, thankfully. Its all thanks to n-sama. Afterward, we went back to the highway. n-sama gathered the corpses of the dead adventurers and used earth magic to create a grave. It was my first time seeing a grave thatrge.


    Earth magic? He can even do that?


    Yes, there is no doubt. n-sama gathered the items of the dead adventurers to serve as mementos and buried them in a simple ceremony.


    Fumu. Its rare nowadays to find people with such respect for the dead. Hes quite a character.


    We then set out for Gantz. Along the way, we encountered a Gray Hound pack. n-sama and his party killed all of them.


    Hou. How many were there?


    There were ten of them.


    What!? Were you unhurt!?


    Yes. n-sama didnt even need to lift a finger. His party members were the ones to finish them off. They are all superb magicians.


    I cant believe it I could only see them as a gathering of lovely youngdies!? And youre saying all of them are skilled magicians?


    Yes, theres no mistake. Afterward, we decided to make camp, and n-sama created earthen dwellings for us to rest in using earth magic.


    He created dwellings via earth magic?


    Yes, they were definitely huts made using earth magic. And they were quite tough as well.


    Huts!? He can really do that?


    Even I would not believe such a thing was possible if I didnt see it with my own eyes, Ss-sama. And that dinner was just so


    Dinner? What about dinner?


    Ah, Karina, stop! My heart tightens up just from remembering them.


    Just what in the Goddesss name happened!?


    n-samas cooking was absolutely superb. Aah To think something so delicious can exist in this world


    They were that delicious?


    Yes! They were absolutely divine, father! It was my first time eating such delicious cuisines.


    Now Im starting to wonder if you were just hallucinating from exhaustion.


    Aaah It would have been better if that were the case. Then we wouldnt have to crave for those dishes so much.


    Alright, fine. Continue.


    We were told there was no need for a lookout and so we went to sleep. But we witnessed something surprising when we woke up in the morning.


    What did you see!?


    n-sama told us a group of orcs assaulted the camp so he went to intercept them. He then asked the others to help retrieve the magic stones from the corpses. We volunteered to help, and when we arrived at the ce where the orcs died, we were surprised to see there were actually fifteen orc corpses lying around.


    Fifteen orcs!? Did the entire party kill all of them?


    No. The rest of the party members did not know of the location of the corpses either.


    In other words, that adventurer called n managed to kill all fifteen orcs by himself?


    Yes. And furthermore, all of the orcs had fatal injuries in the exact same spot. And the party members did not act surprised when they saw such a thing. It was as if such a thing was normal to them.


    Umu. Its quite an unbelievable story.


    Afterward, we continued to travel down the highway, and we encountered groups of monsters once again. This time, there were five Gray Hounds and fifteen Goblins. All of them were swiftly disposed of.


    And then you finally reached Gantz huh. Fumu. It looks like they are no ordinary adventurers.


    Father, I strongly suspect the party members Ria-san and Elna-san are members of the nobility. I can tell from their gestures and the way they carry themselves. Especially Ria-san. I am almost certain she is part of high nobility.


    What!? Nobles, you say!? And high nobles at that! I cant believe it. However, you did undergo noble education as well dear, so if you judge it to be so, then it must be the case But to think they were nobles. Just why are they serving as members of a C-ranked adventurer party then? And they are even qualified magicians of presumably high rank.


    Father, I did tell n-san and the rest to expect a suitable reward from us.


    Well, they did save your lives after all. Its just natural that we reward them, so theres no problem with that. But what shall we do? Should we give them money or valuables? Right, how about high-quality magic swords? I noticed all of them were sporting swords on their waists, so magic swords would be perfect.


    Ss-sama, all the party members of Shining Star already have magic swords.


    What!? All of them have magic swords!? How unbelievable.


    There is no mistake. All of their swords were shining in magical energy when we were recovering the magic stones from the orc corpses. Especially Ria-sans sword. It is probably made with Mythril and is a magic sword of considerable value and workmanship.


    Umu. What rich adventurers.


    Thats right. Their carriage was also custom made and the horses can be practically used as war horses. They also were in possession of light magic tools and a curious magic tool that emits warm wind.


    Ah, that warm wind-emitting magic tool was so wonderful. Just how did they manage to procure one, I wonder, Arista sighed in admiration.


    Well, this is a problem. They dont seem to becking in money, and I cant even begin to fathom what items they will find valuable. If so, then there is no choice but to invite them for dinner and ask them directly.


    Father, I think inviting them for dinner is a good idea, but how do you intend to serve them?


    Eh? Wouldnt preparing good meals and some nice drinks be enough?


    That is out of the question! We do not know exactly who they are, but we will still be inviting at least two people of noble birth. if we just served them normally, the dignity of our house will be called into question. Lets see. How about preparing a banquet as a celebration for our safe return? What do you think, Karina?


    I think thats a wonderful idea, Arista-sama.


    Indeed. Alright then. Let us go ahead and start the preparations. Will that be fine, father?


    Umu, I shall leave it to you.


    The guild master, Kevin, saw the party members of Shining Star off as they left the guild building.


    Hey, go and gather all information pertaining to the party Shining Star. Include the date of registration and quest history. Why are such skilled adventurers not well known at all? And why are they still C rank with such skills? Also, dont forget to process that General Orc head.


    After an hour or so, there was a knock on the door to the guild masters office.


    I brought all the records pertaining to Shining Star.


    Oh, that was fast. Lets see It hasnt even been two months since they first registered!? And theres only one official request record I see. So they were all judged as C rankers when they took the evaluation tests huh. That means all of them have the abilities of a C rank adventurer, or possibly even higher. Alright then. Promote all the members of Shining Star to B rank, effective immediately.


    Will that really be fine, sir?


    Yeah. They are a party skilled enough topletely eliminate an orc settlement all by themselves after all. Theres no problem. There is no reason not to promote them, and we will be earning a little favor from them as a result as well.


    Understood. We will do the necessary procedures straight away.

 Chapter 54.2 - Gray Hound Hunting Part 2

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    I woke up at dawn as usual and did my normal morning routines. I also checked out the results of D-1s monster scouting.


    Fumu. Theres another orc settlement, but its quite far from the city. Its twenty kilometers out huh. Finishing it in one day would be hard.


    When I went down to the dining hall, everyone else was already gathered around.


    Good morning. Youre up early, everyone.


    We were invited for dinner today, right? We have to set out early in order toe back in time, Cleria replied.


    It looks like youre pretty motivated.


    What are you saying, n? It takes some time for women to get ready, you know. So we have to get back at least by midday.


    Really? We cant go too far out then. The only areas we can reach nearby have either Goblins or Gray Hounds.


    Goblins are a bit


    Goblin magic stones go for 30 Guineas, and the hunting reward is ten Guineas per kill. They arent really profitable monsters to hunt.


    Im also against hunting Goblins. Alright then. Well hunt Gray Hounds instead. Theres a lot of them about ten kilometers from the city. Lets rent some horses again today and set off.


    After lunch, we immediately went to the rental stable to rent out the horses without going to the guild since we were pressed for time.


    We encountered ten Goblins along the way, and we killed them on horseback. We left the corpses behind without collecting the magic stones. Ten Goblin magic stones will sell for the same price as just one Gray Hound magic stone. So we need to prioritize efficiency.


    Looks like weve arrived. We stopped the horses at a small clearing near the monster gathering site.


    Lets finish off the ones here first. It looks like theyve noticed our arrival already. Theyre already heading here. Tarth and Syrah may be fine, but the rented horses may get spooked when they see the Gray Hounds, so lets get off them and intercept the monsters on foot instead.


    Yes!


    I used the hand signals to ry info about the Gray Hounds. Theres no actual need to use hand signals in this situation, but I figured Id use them anyway to let the girls get used to them more. There are 22 monsters heading our way.


    We took some distance from the direction they wereing from and moved to an open spot where we can aim at the iing monsters with rtive ease. We secured the horses and confirmed our positions. Guess Ill just dedicate myself to support this time and have the girls get some practice.


    Five monsters came running out from the trees. They were thirty meters away. The moment they jumped out, I finished one off with my signature high-speed me Arrow. Cleria killed two while Sharon and Selena killed one each.


    There were ten more iing. I finished off five of them. Sharon killed two, and Cleria, Selena, and Elna each got one.


    Thest seven monsters appeared. Sharon, Cleria, and Selena got two each while Elna killed one.


    If all twenty-two of them came out at the same time, we would have had more trouble with them. Gray Hounds really werent all that smart huh.


    Fuu. Gray Hounds really are faster and more mobile than orcs.


    Certainly. And I had trouble killing them since my Wind Cutter cant freely change directions.


    It looks like Elna was miffed because she killed less than the rest of us.


    How about you learn fire magic as well, Elna?


    Eh? Can I really do so?


    I think you can. n learned it easily after all.


    Please dontpare me to an unreasonable existence like n


    How cruel, Elna.


    Yosh. Lets go and collect the magic stones. The subjugation proof is their right leg, uh, paw.


    I handed two jute bags to everyone and we started collecting the magic stones and right paws of the corpses. We finished in about ten minutes.


    The next group is about 15 minutes east of here.


    The next group consisted of seventeen monsters. We quickly finished them off and collected the magic stones and paws without issue.


    Oh, the next group seems to have moved to another location. Lets follow them.


    After 30 minutes, we arrived at the monsters location, but the reactions from the magic sensor was strange. It seems like one of the monsters was being cornered by the rest. Maybe the Gray Hounds were attacking another monster.


    We approached a hundred meters in and caught a glimpse of the Gray Hounds surrounding something. They seem to not have noticed us yet.


    The reaction from the scanning magic is strange. Lets secure the horses here and move closer.


    We approached the monsters carefully and saw 20 Gray Hounds surrounding a giant blue snake. The length of the snake was probably about ten meters. The head of the snake was raised two meters above the ground and the color of its scales was a resplendent blue.


    Five of the Gray Hounds were the only ones actively participating in the battle. They were harassing the snake from behind and threatening to bite its tail. But the snake reacted swiftly every time they tried to approach. It was quite the seesaw battle. The remaining Hounds were just observing from a distance.


    That snake was probably a Blue Serpent. It was also listed in the illustrated monster guide. It was described as a pretty rare monster with valuable hide and meat.


    Lets finish off the Gray Hounds while they are busy with the snake.


    I gave orders via hand signals and instructed the girls on which Hounds to aim for. I used my fingers to signal a countdown, and we attacked the monsters all at once.


    I killed ten with my high-speed me Arrows, and Sharon, Selena, and Cleria got three each. Elna killed two of them.


    The Blue Serpent was confused by the situation, and I used that opening to kill it as well. I drove two me Arrows through its eyes to prevent its skin from being damaged. It was a fatal hit, but it was still flopping in the ground.


    Man, that sure is a big snake. This is a Blue Serpent, right?


    I have not witnessed the real thing for myself until now, but it was normally described as quite a bit smaller than this one, Elna replied.


    ording to the monster guidebook, the hide and meat of this thing can sell for a lot, but how do we bring this back? Well, it doesnt look too heavy, so maybe the horses can carry it.


    Thats right. How about we tie it to the horses, with two each on the left and right sides, to carry it back to the city?


    Lets go with that. Lets collect the Gray Hound magic stones first though. The Blue Serpent is still writhing away, so dont approach it for now.


    The moment we finished collecting magic stones from the Gray Hound corpses, the Blue Serpent finally lost all signs of life and fell still.


    We did as Elna suggested and carried the corpse by tying it to the horses. The left and right sides had two horses each that were alternately spaced two meters away from each other. We tied the ropes to the saddles securely so the only problem was if the horses could carry it sessfully.


    Since the four of them will be preupied with carrying the monster corpse, I was left with guard duty.


    Lets head back then.


    We met another ten Goblins on the way back and killed them, and we managed to return safely to Gantz afterward. It was about twelve noon when we arrived. Looks like were on schedule.


    Hey! Whats that youre carrying?


    We raised our guild IDs to let the guards see them and exined the situation. We got off the horses and handed our guild IDs for confirmation.


    This is a Blue Serpent. Its already dead, of course.


    This is!? Umu Alright. You guys may pass.


    When we entered the city, we instantly became the center of attention. We carried a huge ten-meter snake monster with glistening scales with us after all. It would be a wonder if we didnt gather attention. I would also get curious if I were in their shoes.


    We finally reached the guild parking lot with quite a crowd following us. I handed Jill fiverge coppers just like yesterday.


    Thanks as always, n-sama.


    We cut off the ropes and tried to carry the Blue Serpent with just the five of us, but Clerias feet were already wobbling from the weight. Looks like its no good.


    Jill, can you lend us two of your men?


    I took out a silver coin and threw it at him. Jill caught the silver coin in an experienced manner.


    Right away, sir.


    Jill exchanged gazes with two of his men, and the two of them joined us to carry the corpse. Cleria ended up just carrying the base of the tail.

 Chapter 54.3 - -Gray Hound Hunting Part 3

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    We went straight to the assessment counter just like yesterday and found the same male receptionist manning it.


    Hey What the heck!? H-Hold on a bit, okay. Ill call some more people so stay right there!


    He ran to the back in a hurry just like yesterday.


    Lets ce this thing on top of the desk first.


    Fortunately, the desk wasrge enough to amodate the entire rolled-up monster corpse.


    Thanks a bunch. You can go back now.


    The two men nodded good-naturedly and exited the guild building.


    After a short while, the same five men from yesterday ran out from the back of the guild office. Of course, they had Guild Master Kevin with them as well.


    This!? This isnt just an ordinary Blue Serpent! This is a Superior-ss rare monster, the Big Blue Serpent. But to think you killed it without damaging the skin a single bit


    We thought it would be better not to damage the skin in any way, so we refrained from taking out the magic stone.


    Yeah, thats the right call. With this, we can even stuff the entire body and sell it for a very high price. In any case, well leave it to the professional monster butchers to handle.


    By the way, what do you mean by Superior-ss monster?


    They are monsters that have evolved into a higher existencepared to their kin. Its been more than ten years since I saw one this big, Kevin exined in an awed tone.


    How much will it sell for?


    Umu. A normal Blue Serpent is already ssified as a rare monster after all. And this one is a Superior-ss. We can process the meat and magic stone right away and we will be able to give you your reward by tomorrow, but the skin will take a bit more time. With skin of this quality, it will probably fetch quite an amount if we put it up for auction.


    I see. Thats fine then. Were not in much of a hurry anyway. Then, please check these for us first.


    I ced the bags containing the Gray Hound magic stones and paws on top of the desk as well.


    These are Gray Hound magic stones and subjugation proofs.


    Kevin had a strangely relieved expression on his face when I told him the contents. Kevin gestured to one of the staff, and the staff member opened the bag to check.


    The staff member was quite surprised by the contents and silently showed the bag to Kevin as well.


    This How many are there in this bag?


    Theres a total of sixty items each.


    And you hunted these down by yourselves as well?


    Thats right.


    Certainly. There are exactly sixty of each item, sir.


    Another staff member opened something that looked like a safe box with a key and took out some coins.


    The price of Gray Hound magic stones is 300 Guineas and the subjugation reward is 50 Guineas for each kill. All in all, you will receive a total of 21,000 Guineas.


    Sure. Well be going then.


    Wait just a moment. I have something to tell you all. We at the Adventurers Guild have evaluated Shining Stars achievements and abilities and have decided to promote all of you to B rank.


    Eh!? Really?


    Everyone was smiling happily at the news. Cleria looked like she would jump for joy at any moment. But we got promoted faster than expected huh.


    Yes, really. We need to update your guild identity tes, so could you hand them over for a bit?


    Understood.


    Everyone took out their guild IDs from their pockets in a fluster and handed them to one of the staff. When I handed mine over, the staff member got a glimpse of the backside of the ID and froze up in surprise.


    A rank


    What!?


    Kevin hurriedly snatched my guild ID from the staff member.


    So you were actually an A rank member of the Magic Guild, n?


    Yes, thats right. Is there something wrong with that?


    No, theres nothing wrong in particr. We were just surprised. One of my staff will bring the tes back to you all once the updates are finished, so just rx at the waiting area first.


    Gotcha.


    Kevin and the rest of the guild staff went back inside the inner guild office.


    n! Were all B-ranked starting from today! Cleria eximed in delight.


    Yeah. What a surprise huh. But it really was faster than expected.


    Well, I dont mean to boast, but with our skills, this could actually be said as something natural, Elna added.


    At this rate, we can probably reach A rank in no time as well, Sharon added further.


    So giving the General Orcs head to the guild was truly a good call, wasnt it? Selena followed up.


    I wonder. I dont think its that simple though In any case, we just moved a big step forward to our goals. Good job, everyone.


    Thats right! I actually feel like having a celebration, but we are scheduled to attend a banquet tonight after all, Cleria reminded.


    Its perfect though. There will surely be lots of food and drinks. Lets take advantage of this opportunity and eat and drink a lot.


    Its a banquet, n. Its more like a social party than a regr feast, Cleria exined.


    Really? But isnt that the same?


    Haa It looks like we have to properly teach n about the customs of this continent, after all, Elna, Cleria sighed.


    Thats right. Let us do so, Ria-sama.


    After waiting thirty minutes or so, a guild staff member finally returned our guild IDs to us. With this, we are all officially B-ranked.


    Theres not much time, n. Lets just have a quick meal at that food stall from yesterday for lunch. What do you think? Cleria suggested.


    Really? Well, if everyones alright with that, then why not.


    Right now, it was about one oclock in the afternoon. Having a full meal may affect our appetites for dinner. We will be going to a fancy banquet anyway, so it would be a shame to miss out on the food.


    We left the guild building and approached Jill and his men.


    Sorry for making you wait long again, Jill.


    I threw him another silver coin. Jill caught the coin with a practiced air again. One of his eyes is blind, but he sure has good reflexes.


    Its no trouble at all. Thank you as well, n-sama.


    We then went to the food stall we visited with the kids yesterday.


    Give me five sticks uncle.


    Thanks for the patronage brother! Thatll be 50 Guineas!


    These skewers sure are tasty. The voring is superb, but the natural umami of the meat cant be underestimated either. So frogs can actually be this delicious.


    We brought the horses back to the rental stables and returned to the inn. Cleria and Elna nned to join Sharon and Selena in their roomter to prepare for tonights banquet. It sure is difficult to be a girl. To think youll need that much time to dress up. Im really d Im not one.


    Are you going to wear those clothes, n? Cleria asked.


    What clothes?


    Those jet ck clothes. You know. Im talking about the ones that have silver and gold trimmings. You called it a uniform, right?


    Eh? Should I actually wear my uniform? Wouldnt these clothes be fine?


    n! What are you saying? Its a formal banquet you know? Those clothes are obviously not suitable.


    Thats right, n. The other person may bebeled as just amoner, but he is still the richest person in this kingdom. If you wear those kinds of clothes to a banquet he personally organized, you will be seen as rude, Elna borated.


    Eh!? But that shouldnt be the case, right? That uncle looked a great deal like a seasoned adventurer you know? They may have said its a banquet, but maybe itll just be your normal dinner?


    I think not. Karina-san did say it was a dinner banquet.


    I talked with Karina-san and Arista-san a lot while we were traveling and we got along quite well.


    If that Karina-san said its a dinner banquet, then it probably is.


    However It is my first time to be invited to a banquet directly without being handed a formal invitation first


    Ria-sama, it is too much to expect that kind of detail frommoners. It is a sign of a nobles breadth of heart to overlook these kinds of minor things.


    But what are you going to do about yourselves, Cleria? You didnt bring any formal dresses with you, right?


    We will borrow clothes from Selena and Sharon. Those clothes have a peculiar design but they are quite lovely. Its a good opportunity, so I want to try wearing them for myself.


    So they are nning to wear imperial clothes huh Im not too sure what design of clothes theyll wear, but will it really be okay?


    Mm Alright, I understand. Okay then. Ill wear my uniform as well.


    Ill go ahead and take a bath and then prepare myself for tonights banquet.

 Chapter 55,2 - Dinner Banquet 1 Part 2

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    You did really well on hunting such a thing. A General Orc doesnt normally set foot outside of an orc settlement after all.


    I guess. The one we hunted down also holed up in the middle of an orc settlement.


    Hm? If it was holed up inside a settlement, then just how did you all hunt it? Were there no other orcs present in the settlement so you took advantage?


    Eh? Oh, there were a lot of orcs alright.


    They attacked us fiercely, right?


    Yes, they did.


    Wait. In other words, you managed to defeat arge number of orcs while simultaneously hunting down a General Orc? Is that what youre saying?


    Thats right. Actually, we were there to hunt down regr orcs, and the General Orc was just a bonus of sorts.


    B-Bonus Uh, how many orcs did you defeat, by the way?


    Seventy-four orcs all in all.


    Oi, oi! Thats a number that only a fullpany of knights can handle!


    Well, it looks like we find it easier to hunt down orcspared to most folk. Were all mages, you see. Even if there were a great number of them, we were able to handily dispose of them with spells from a distance. When we got discovered, weve already reduced them to manageable numbers. It was certainly quite an experience.


    Well, of course, it was! Hahaha, how bold! I didnt think there really were people who would dare to do something so reckless.


    Im sorry for interjecting father, but shouldnt we start the banquet already?


    Oh, right, of course. Let us begin then. Youre my kind of guy, n! Ill bring out my special stash of alcohol just for you. Dont hold back and drink your fill.


    Thank you very much. Ill take you up on that offer.


    Haa It turned out like this after all.


    The banquet finally started with hors doevres, followed by several fancy-looking dishes. I was worried about proper table manners, but judging from how Cleria and Elna ate, it didnt differ much from whats used in the empire. Well, since we ate with a knife and fork, I guess thats no surprise.


    The special alcohol Ss-san offered me was a wine that had a higher alcohol content than regr wine. It should be about 20% or so.


    The alcohol content was probably raised via distition and then added to regr wine. Regr fermentation will not be able to reach this level of alcohol content after all. Its been a long time since Ive drunk my fill. This evenings turning out to be really enjoyable after all.


    This sure is some fine alcohol. Its my first time to drink something like this ever since we came to this country.


    It wasnt really all that greatpared to the ones Im used to drinking back home, but since Ss-san boasted about it being his special stash, I just gave an appropriate amount of lip service.


    Well, of course. This isnt something you can find in just any regr tavern. Its something Ive obtained from the far away Gates kingdom after all. Its price will make your eyes pop out in shock, I tell you.


    So thats the case. Im sorry. I ended up drinking quite a bit.


    Its fine. I did tell you not to hold back after all. And I also want to let go like this every once in a while. But youre quite the experienced drinker huh.


    I dont usually drink all that much, but I do love some good alcohol. By the way, does this country have alcohol that, um, makes you drunk easier like this one as well?


    Alcohol that makes you drunk easier?


    Yeah. Just like this wine that probably had that substance that makes one drunk added on to it even more than usual.


    Say, n, do you actually know how they managed to produce this kind of alcohol?


    Im not entirely sure just how they made this particr kind of alcohol, but I do know of a method to produce something simr.


    Ss-san suddenly stood up excitedly. Arista-san and the others also sported shocked expressions.


    Eh? Whats wrong, everyone?


    You know n, that Gates kingdom I mentioned earlier treats the production method for this wine on par with a national treasure. ording to rumors, the winemakers are confined somewhere secure and are not allowed to go out to maintain secrecy. There, they produce this alcohol all their lives. And now youre telling me you know of such an extremely precious production method?


    Well, yes, I do. Im not an expert, but it was pretty widely known back in my home country.


    Well, the ones we made were even more high-quality distilled liquors though.


    What!? From my knowledge, the only country that is able to produce this type of liquor is the Gates kingdom Hey, n, can you try making some alcohol for me? Thats if its alright with you, of course.


    That sounds interesting. Sure, I can try. But Im primarily an adventurer, so Ill probably make one only if Im free.


    I see! Yosh, Ill cover all the expenses for you. Once weve confirmed the production method, Ill give you Mm. How about 500,000 Guineas?


    500,000 Guineas was quite the sum. But since the production method wasnt widely known, I bet the resulting profits wont amount to just that much. Actually, I bet itll be several times that. Even if they gave me several hundreds of thousands of Guineas, I bet theyll be able to recoup that easily and then some.


    It would be more profitable for me if I produced the liquor and obtained a certain percentage of the profits from their sales, but I dont have the time to get involved in that kind of stuff.


    How about 2,000,000 Guineas?


    What!? Thats too much! 750,000 Guineas.


    Oh, but what if I tell you I know of a method that produces even more delicious liquorpared to this one? 1,500,000 Guineas.


    Im sure well be able to easily figure out a way to produce even higher-quality alcohol if I leave it to Iris.


    What did you say!? An even more delicious alcohol than this one? Alright, I understand! 1,500,000 Guineas it is.


    Ill also need you to introduce me to a skilled and trustworthy cksmith as well as helpers.


    Alright. But what do you need a cksmith for if youre making alcohol? Well, fine. We have a skilled cksmith affiliated with the Commerce Guild. Ill introduce youter.


    d to be working with you then.


    I and Ss-san got carried away with our conversation, but the rest of the banquet proceeded smoothly. The next dish that was brought out was a meat dish.


    This is!? Ss-san eximed in surprise.


    This is something our head chef procured from the market. Its the meat of a very rare monster. If I remember correctly, this is Blue Serpent meat, Arista informed.


    It does seem to be Blue Serpent meat, but the slices arerger than what Im familiar with.


    If so, then this is probably the meat of a Big Blue Serpent.


    What!? A Superior monster?


    This is probably from the monster we slew this morning. But man, what a coincidence this is. I didnt think we would be able to eat the meat of a monster we hunted here of all ces.


    This morning, you say? But this isnt just any monster you can hunt down just because you want to


    Well, yes. We were quite lucky to find this one. It was being surrounded by Gray Hounds, so we hunted it down along with them. This was also a fairly big monster, you know. It was more than ten meters in length.


    What!? No, wait! What about the skin?


    No idea. We left it to the Adventurers Guild.


    Well, of course, you did. Cant be helped. I guess Ill check it out tomorrow morning.


    So it really is valuable?


    Yes, quite. Its rare to find something that big as well. If we process them into bags, itll make quite a tidy profit.


    I see.


    I then went ahead and tried the Big Blue Serpent steak in front of me. The voring simply consisted of salt, pepper, and various herbs. It didnt have any gaminess even though it was snake meat, and was very juicy. It melted in the mouth. So if the ingredient was good, even simple voring would do it enough justice. Rather, something simple like this may be the most suitable for this kind of meat. The head chef of this house was quite skilled.


    This is delicious!


    The rest of the party looked quite satisfied with the food as well.


    Yeah, its delicious alright. Its been five years since I had the chance to eat something like this again. As expected, the meat of a Superior monster truly is in a league of its own. What else did you manage to hunt today, n?


    We only managed to hunt Gray Hounds.


    I see. How many did you get?


    Um, sixty of them.


    Sixty! And you did all this in just one morning?


    Thats right.


    What can I say? I cant believe youre all still C-ranked after all that.


    Oh, well, we all got promoted to B rank just this morning.


    Well, of course, you would. It looks like that damn Kevin isnt cking off at least.


    After the meat dish, we were served dessert. The dessert consisted of cookies sprinkled with powdered sugar. They were also baked along with dried fruits that were soaked in alcohol. They were quite delicious as well. They also served us tea, but Ss-san and I continued enjoying the alcohol.


    It looks like the course meal was finished with this.


    That was a splendid array of dishes. I greatly enjoyed them.


    The rest of the party also gave positivements one after another.


    I was worried if we would be able to satisfy a first-rate gourmand like you, n-san. But hearing you say that makes me quite happy, Arista beamed.


    Of course I was satisfied! Each dish was created with absolute care and artistry and showcased the skills of the chef to the utmost.


    Thank you very much. I will be sure to tell our head chef of your praise.


    Now then, since weve managed to eat our fill, let us move on to business. Its about the reward for Aristas rescue I mentioned yesterday.


    It looks like were moving on to the real topic for tonight. Of course, I already had an idea this wasnt going to be a simple dinner. Now then, how will things go, I wonder.

 Chapter 55.1 - Dinner Banquet 1 Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    After taking a bath and freshening up, I promptly put on my imperial military uniform. Man, wearing a long-sleeved military uniform after so long actually feels kinda weird. And to think wearing this was the usual norm before getting caught up in our current predicament.


    Our ride should being soon. I went down to the dining hall, where we would all meet up to catch the carriage once it arrived.


    Oh my! You look quite dashing in that outfit, n-san! Whats the asion?


    The inn proprietress Kira-san looked very surprised when she saw me in my get-up.


    We were invited to attend a dinner banquet by the Commerce Guilds Ss-san in his mansionter tonight. Thats why I dressed up like this. Are you familiar with Ss-san?


    Theres practically no one in this city who doesnt know of Ss-sama. But those sure are some elegant-looking clothes, n-san. You really resemble a noble with those on.


    Its my only good suit. Can I get some tea?


    Yes, of course. Please wait for a moment.


    I told Kira-san that we didnt need dinner tonight and waited for the girls toe down. Before long, Cleria and the others went down to the dining hall as well.


    Whats with those clothes, Ria!?


    I got surprised when I saw the dress Cleria was wearing.


    Instead of a military dress, the clothes Cleria was wearing were something lots of imperial citizens often bought when they go to Earth for a vacation. I think it was called something like goth loli cosy fashion. Since it was something fairly novel to imperial citizens, it caught on and became an overnight fad, but I didnt think someone from the Iris Conrad actually bought a set.


    Are you surprised? Its a really stylish dress, right? Sharon and Selena told me they werent going to wear it, so I borrowed it for myself.


    Sharon and Selena were both giving me an apologetic look. Maybe it wasnt their idea to bring it but the dress was pushed onto them by Iris.


    The ck and white frilly dress looked quite extravagant and did suit Cleria well, but it was still a cosy item. But since Cleria, who looked fairly knowledgeable about this worlds fashion trends, seemed to approve of the dress, I guess it should be fine.


    Sharon and Selena both wore imperial design one-piece dresses, which were staples at social events like parties or weddings. In other words, they werent worn for business but to enhance a girls loveliness in social gatherings. Both of them wore dresses of simr design but different colors. Sharons dress was wine red and Selenas was navy blue. They both enhanced their individuality and put emphasis on their being twins. Both of them were still youngdies, but the dresses gave them a sort of adult charm while not diminishing their cuteness. It was pretty nice.


    Elna also wore a dress of imperial design, and although it wasnt strictly a formal dress, it still looked quite prim and proper when she wore it. The dress was dark green and suited Elna well, but she wore a leather belt on her hip with the electromaic deknife sheathed on it. Well, she did leave her sword, but having abat knife equipped while wearing a party dress was still a weirdbo.


    Since everyones all dressed up, I should probably give apliment or two.


    The dresses look great on you, everyone. Youre all very pretty.


    I-I see. Well, it does feel nice to wear these sorts of foreign dresses along with Elna, Sharon, and Selena.


    You have a visitor, n-san, Kira-san informed. A dressed-up Karina-san was standing behind her.


    Ivee to fetch you, every


    She froze up in the middle of her greeting. Were imperial dresses no good after all?


    Excuse me. Ivee to fetch you all. If your preparations are done, pleasee up to the carriage, Karina-san continued.


    Thank you very much. Shall we, everyone?


    The carriage waiting outside was pretty fancy, which was to be expected for something that was used by a wealthy household. It was several notches above our own carriage. We promptly boarded it and went on our way. Karina-san kept scrutinizing our outfits even after we boarded the carriage.


    After five minutes or so, we arrived in front of arge mansion that was pretty much akin to a small castle.


    Pleasee this way, everyone.


    We were guided inside by Karina-san and were brought to a spacious reception room.


    I will check up on the dinner preparations. Ill have them bring you some tea, so please rx and wait here for a short while.


    Karina-san went out of the room and a guy who looked like a butler brought us tea.


    Hou, this is quite a splendid room.


    The dress-wearing Cleria, who was now in full-on nobledy mode, toured the room with Elna and inspected the furnishings. Us imperial folk sat quietly on the sofa and enjoyed the tea.


    Arista-sama, Ive guided n-sama and his party to the reception room.


    Thank you. The preparations for the banquet are proceeding well Hm? Whats wrong, Karina?


    Its about the clothing of n-sama and his party, mdy.


    Oh, its fine Karina. Even though tonight is a banquet, its still catered toward adventurers. Its fine to overlook the way they are dressed even if they dont fit a dinner banquet.


    No, thats not it mdy. Rather, its quite the opposite.


    I see. I understand what youre trying to say. You are concerned that father and I will make them ufortable with the way we are dressed when we go out to meet themter, correct? But of course. Why didnt I think of this earlier!? Whatever should we do? Father would be fine, but should I change my dress into something more simple?


    No! Thats not it, mdy! n-san and his party are dressed in noble attire. I cannot even imagine just how much those clothes are worth. Even a single article is fit for royalty! That is especially the case for n-sama and Ria-sama.


    Eh?


    They do look quite exotic, but I am quite sure even Ss-sama will find it difficult to procure such splendid articles.


    So even father will not be able to purchase them easily, you say It cant be helped. In any case, we cannot keep them waiting indefinitely. Please lead them to the banquet hall.


    Yes.


    After a while, the man dressed as a butler finally led us to the room where the banquet will be taking ce. The room had a long rectangr table ced in the middle of it that could probably seat about thirty or so people. There were several men and women standing by on both sides of the room who were probably this mansions service staff.


    Before long, Arista-san, Natalie-san, and Karina-san all entered as well.


    When she saw our get-up, Arista-sans eyes widened and she froze up. Are these clothes really not suitable?


    Thank you for tonights gracious invitation.


    I should give my greetings first as the party leader.


    No, its our pleasure. Thank you all foring. We are grateful that youve epted our invitation for tonights banquet. Actually, my father received an unexpected visitor earlier, so he is still busy entertaining them. We apologize for the dy, especially since we were the ones who invited you all in the first ce.


    We dont mind at all. It was something unexpected after all. It could happen to anyone.


    I do not know when they will finish, so how about we start without him?


    After the staff led us to our seats and we made ourselvesfortable, Ss-san entered the room as well. He was also surprised when he saw our outfits.


    Oi, oi, you all sure put on some really fancy clothes.


    Man. His being frank and easygoing like this sure was a relief and served to lighten the atmosphere. It looks like Ss-san was the straightforward type. Thats cool with me.


    We heard it was a dinner banquet, so we dressed up for the asion.


    I see. Im sorry for beingte. I received a sudden guest, you see.


    Was there any problem, father?


    No, well, a General Orc was actually taken down after so long, you see. Kevin went over and asked if the Commerce Guild was willing to buy its head. That fellow was really enthusiastic about it too.


    Oh! That was probably the head we brought to the guild. Kevin-san was pretty good. If he manages to sell it for a nice sum, our reward will probably go up as well.


    My! Well, isnt that wonderful? Wasnt someone from the royal family asking about it a while back? Arista eximed.


    That Kevin knew of it and went straight to me. How vexing. I managed to see the article, and it was truly a splendid specimen. You look like youre quite amused, n. Do you find this story interesting, perhaps?


    This is bad! I was grinning from ear to ear while thinking of the reward. Instead of clumsily making excuses, it would be best for me toe clean, I guess.


    No, its just that the General Orc head was probably the one we brought to the Adventurers Guild. I was just d about the prospect of our reward going up. Im sorry.


    What!? You say you all managed to hunt down a General Orc?


    Yes. Oh, but Im not entirely sure if the head Ss-san saw is really the same one we brought to the guild. But its true that we did bring an orc head to the Adventurers Guild yesterday.


    A General Orc is actually pretty rare. Theres no doubt its the one you all defeated. However you managed to hunt down a General Orc by yourselves?


    Thats right. We hunted it down with the five of us. It was quite a huge fellow. It was probably more than three meters and twenty centimeters.


    Wha-!? It was thatrge!?


    Yes. It had a really fierce face too. Oh, but I guess youve already seen it as well.

 Chapter 56.1 - Dinner Banquet 2 Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Now then, since weve managed to eat our fill, let us move on to business. Its about the reward for Aristas rescue I mentioned yesterday.


    It looks like were moving on to the real topic for tonight. Of course, I already had an idea this wasnt going to be a simple dinner. Now then, how will things go, I wonder.


    To tell you the truth, we were quite stumped thinking about what reward would be appropriate for you all. And so, we thought of asking you directly instead of risking handing you all something you wouldnt find satisfactory.


    I see. So thats why you invited us to dinner tonight. Thank you very much for your consideration. Just as we said yesterday, we only did what we thought was right at the time, so any reward you are willing to give us would be just fine.


    Fumu. However, n, I am truly grateful for what you and your party did. Even with all my wealth, I treasure my daughter Arista the most. And given that youve rescued and protected my darling, I want to give you all something you will find the most pleasing in order to express my utmost gratitude.


    Father


    I see. I understand your feelings, sir. If so, then theres actually something we need some help on if possible.


    Oh! What is it? Pray tell.


    Actually, some of ourrades are set to arrive here in about a month or so. Since there is quite a number of them, we would like to secure a ce where all of them would be able to stay.


    Captain Dalshim and the others from the Royal Guard arranged to arrive after a month, barring no mishaps that happened along the way.


    Cleria and Elna reacted when I broached the topic.


    Hou, about how many are you expecting?


    More than fifty, I suppose.


    Its fifty-eight people, n.


    Fifty-eight people!? Are you nning on founding a n, n?


    A n is an organizationposed of several parties and is formed in order to aplish things unsuitable for one party alone and is officially recognized by the Adventurers Guild. Thats right. We were nning to make a n of our own.


    Thats right. Due to various circumstances, we and therades who have decided to follow us have arranged to gather in Gantz city.


    In truth, they were Clerias trusted subordinates. More specifically, her Royal Guard.


    Well, with your abilities, Im sure there would certainly be a lot who would decide to follow you I see, so you want to secure a n base huh.


    Yes. But weve only just arrived here and we were having troubleing up with how to proceed.


    You guys may have not heard of it, but actually, one of the top five biggest and strongest ns in Gantz city, theGreat Storm, just disbanded two months ago. Several of the main members went up and died one after another, and the rifts caused by such incidents eventually led to the ns copse. The Commerce Guild actually secured their former base, you see.


    Oh! That sounds perfect!


    Ss-sanughed heartily after seeing my reaction.


    It sure is.Great Stormhad more than one hundred members in its heyday, and the facilities in the base are all top-notch. Its aged a bit, but thats not something a little renovation here and there wouldnt fix.


    Please, Ss-san! Can you make a referral for us?


    Oi, oi, werent we talking about your reward here? If you say you need it, then theres no reason for me not to deliver. But of course, I cant just hand over the entire thing. However, I can lease it to you at the lowest price possible. Ill also handle the renovations for free.


    Thats Wed be really grateful if thats the case, but is that really alright?


    Of course. We were nning on renovating it and scouting for new tenants anyway. Were just going to speed up the ns a bit. Well, the expenses will be shouldered by the Commerce Guilds coffers, so I dont really lose out here. Its practically killing two birds with one stone!


    Will that be really okay with the Commerce Guild? Well, its the Guild chief whos saying it, so I guess it is.


    I hope this wont cause any inconveniences


    What are you saying? Theres no use having power and authority if you dont unt it from time to time. One of the reasons I became so rich is because I used the authority my position as the Guild chief afforded me to favor mypany you know.


    Um, I think you should refrain from saying such things so openly though, father


    Well, thats about it. Itll be fine as long as I dont go overboard. No problem.


    Thank you very much. Now thats one less thing to worry about.


    Hold on. Save the gratitude for when you finally settle down. Well, just leave the renovations to us. But we cant provide you the furnishings and equipment. It wont go over well if I did that and some mightin. Youll have to procure them yourselves.


    Of course. If its possible, Id like to check out the site as well.


    Sure. Well introduce you to some skilled craftsmen as well, so go ahead and check it out along the way. Ill have Karina apany you.


    Thank you very much. That would really help.


    But this will be the birth of a n with more than sixty members right off the bat huh Youll probably be the fourth or fifthrgest n in Gantz once you begin operations. What exactly are you aiming for by doing such a thing, n?


    Of course were aiming for the very top. We came to Gantz in order to make a name for ourselves after all. Since weve decided to do so, it goes without saying that well aim for the top. No, we wont just aim for it. We will be the number one adventurer n in Gantz city. But, well, were still B rankers though, so the first agenda on the list is achieving A rank as soon as possible.


    Hou! Those sure are some bold aspirations! Being the number one here in Gantz practically means being number one in the whole world you know? Interesting! Fine, Ill take a piece of that action myself.


    What do you mean?


    Adventurer ranks are determined via an internal grading system implemented by the Adventurers Guild. Of course, it could also be influenced by the instructions of the upper management. And regarding that grading system, managing to sessfullyplete requests that are specifically designated by other guildss you a fairly substantial amount of pointspared to regr ones and could make quite the difference.


    It was much the same as what Verse told us back then.


    Ive also heard of such a thing from someone.


    Hou, that persons pretty knowledgeable regarding the trade then. Well, in other words, Im saying our Commerce Guild will be putting up a request and designating you guys specifically. But the results will still depend on your overall performance.


    That will be immensely helpful. If you can do so, then please.


    Now then, what would be ideal? An escort request? Material collection? There are also investigation requests, but I dont really rmend those. The benefits arent on par with the effort youll be putting out.


    Are there bandit subjugation requests?


    Well, bandits certainly are the worst enemies of us merchants, n. We loathe them to the bone. They wont hesitate to go after our friends, rtives, and loved ones after all. But they are elusive and pretty hard to track. You could chance upon them by luck sometimes, but they usually arent people you can hunt down whenever you feel like it.


    If there really is a request for bandit subjugation, would it be okay to let us try it out?


    Alright, fine. Just try it out first. Ill put up the request at the Adventurers Guild.


    Oh, but I would like to check out the n base first, if thats alright with you. Id like to see what type of furnishings will be suitable.


    Of course. The request can wait. Its not like its urgent. Ill make sure to not put up a deadline as well. How about you check out the base along with the craftsmen tomorrow?


    Thank you very much. Ill do so.


    Okay then. I guess thats it. Oh, right. Hey n, how about you be a member of the Commerce Guild? Theres that matter about the liquor as well.


    Understood.


    Um, I would like to ask something as well. Its about that magic tool you lent us while we were at the camp. Just where did you procure such an article? If possible, I would also like to purchase one for myself, so Arista interjected.


    The rest of the party all moved their gaze toward me.


    Ah, thats actually something I built. I still have two spares on hand, so would you like to purchase those?


    Just what do you mean, n? You made a magic tool?


    Im actually an A rank member of the Magic Guild as well, you see. I learned magic tool production methods from the guild.


    A rank So you were a full-fledged mage.


    Im sorry. Im not too familiar with these kinds of matters. Are you considered a full-fledged mage if you be an A rank Magic Guild member?


    Well, its just that most, if not all, A-rank Magic Guild members are full-fledged mages.


    I see. Im both an adventurer and full-fledged mage then.


    I personally havent encountered someone like that until now though. Well, no matter. So how much are those magic tools of yours?


    Since well be in your care, Ill give you a discount and sell them for 20,000 Guineas each.


    Twenty thousand! Thats quite cheap. Ill take you up on your offer then and purchase both items.


    Thank you very much. Well then, well being over again tomorrow to check out the base.

 Chapter 56.2 - Dinner Banquet 2 Part 2

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    By the way, n-sama. Were sorry for the dy, but please receive this. Its your reward for those bandits you handed over to us, Karina said as she handed me the money.


    The Guineas was ced inside a small leather pouch. I opened the pouch and checked the contents. There were exactly six gold coins inside.


    Yes, Ive certainly received them.


    After that, we finally bid farewell to our hosts since the dinner and the talks were essentially over. We were brought back to the inn via carriage by Karina-san as well.


    Well then, n-sama. Since there will be a need to check with the craftsmens schedule first, shall we depart for the base at ten oclock in the morning?


    Of course. Ill match your schedule.


    Ill see you tomorrow then.


    Karina-san left with the carriage.


    Lets talk a bit while having tea, everyone.


    We had Kira-san serve some tea as we sat around a table in the dining area. Since there were no other guests present apart from us, our current outfits posed no problems.


    I ended up settling the discussions earlier without talking it over with you all, so I want to ask if you have any objections. Um, do you?


    I asked a bit nervously. I did end up making decisions all on my own so its probably toote, but still


    I dont have any problems whatsoever. Im actually very happy that you considered the circumstances of the Royal Guards as well, n.


    Thats right, isnt it, Ria-sama? To think you were able to make a 1,500,000 Guinea deal with the chief of the Commerce Guild and secure a n base as well as an exclusive request. Making you our leader really wasnt a mistake, n.


    Oh! Cleria and Elna both gave rave reviews!


    The thing with the liquor just seemed really interesting, and I brought up the base because I thought itll be hard to house all of the Royal Guard members in an inn. Id also feel sorry if we were the only ones who get to stay in an inn with a bath. And I also brought up the bandit hunting thing because I simply thought it would be a lot more profitable than monster hunting. I should probably not reveal my real reasons though. Alls well that ends well, as they say.


    Do you guys have no problems with it as well, Selena, Sharon?


    Of course. It all turned out well, so I have nothing toin about. Just like Elna said, you were wonderful, n.


    We wouldnt oppose anything n decides in the first ce.


    I just went with the flow, but it looks like there are no problems. Im on a roll today.


    I see. So I guess there are no problems. Well check out the base tomorrow then.


    Ive returned, sir.


    Oh, wee back, Karina. Since youre back, how about we discuss what happened tonight a bit with Arista and Natalie?


    Before long, Arista and Natalie also joined the two.


    Now then, what do all think about those adventurers?


    The first thing I was thoroughly surprised about were the clothes n-san and his party was wearing. Just how did they manage to procure such splendid articles? Arista began.


    Yes, thats right. I didnt want to seem rude, so I stopped myself from staring too much, but those certainly were umon articles, werent they?


    I was able to observe up close while sitting alongside them inside the carriage. All of their clothing had a certain unique style to them, but they were all so intricate to a somewhat terrifying extent. Or rather, I could not even imagine they were weaved by human hands because of their extreme intricacy, Karina added.


    Youre right. I also had that impression. Theres also their design. The designs of n-san and Ria-sans clothing were, as Karina described, so intricate and sophisticated that you couldnt help but feel their magnificence. The clothes of the others were quite wonderful as well, but those two were just on a league of their own. Ah, to think such divine-looking clothes existed in this world


    Whats clear from this is that n and his group possess clothes that are far superior to anything ourpany produces. That also goes for the made-to-order clothes exclusively sold to royalty.


    Thats right. They were definitely even more magnificent than the clothing worn by the royal family, or even the king himself.


    Another point is the abilities of n and the others as adventurers. They are even more impressive than what you three described. They can be said to be top A rankers, or maybe even S rankers.


    They are that skilled?


    Yes. Its definitely not normal to sessfully bring down an entire orc settlement along with a General Orc with just five party members. Usually, you would need over a hundred skilled knights for that. Orcs are quite dangerous when they attack in groups. One orc probably wont pose a problem to seasoned adventurers, but if five or ten of them swarm you, that will be a different story. And they defeated seventy-five! n looked nonchnt as he rted their feats, but that just goes to show how confident he was of their skills. In other words, he didnt even consider seventy-five orcs as a problem at all.


    Im also quite curious about the fifty-eight individuals who will be forming a n with n-sama and the others.


    Oh, thats right. Normally, a n is something that grows in strength and influence gradually over the years. But they will be creating a n with over sixty members all at once. Well, if other guys attempt such a thing, Im sure they will run out of funds sooner orter and copse under their own weight.


    But n-san and the others looked quite wealthy, so I suppose that doesnt apply to them, Arista observed.


    Its not just their wealth. If you dont have the charisma to attract others to follow your lead, you wont be able to create a sessful n. Well, after getting a glimpse of n and the others abilities, I can understand why people would bepelled to follow them. Im sure n and the others would not group up with average folk, so thoserades of theirs should all be considerably skilled as well. Perhaps we will get to witness the birth of a brand new strongest n.


    Father, what about the matter with the alcohol? Is it really possible?


    Yes, I was also quite shocked. But judging from his tone, he was pretty confident about it. Theres also themission he brought up. That was something he mentioned while beingpletely aware of just how much money you could potentially earn from selling a newly developed type of liquor. Even with that knowledge, he only mentioned such a paltry sum as hismission.


    Eh!? 2,000,000 Guineas is a paltry sum!? Arista eximed in surprise.


    Yes. If he does manage to make a brand new liquor that surpasses what we brought out tonight, then earning several million would be a simple affair. No, perhaps even tens of millions is a conservative estimate. Its so big of a deal that it may potentially endanger our lives if we make the wrong step. And even then, he actually agreed to lower the payment to 1,500,000 Guineas. In other words, what hes after isnt money per se.


    Come to think of it, I managed to notice something while we were having dinner. It seems n-san, Sharon-san, and Selena-san arent from this country. The way they handled cutlery was somewhat different from ours, Arista revealed.


    Hou, so you managed to notice such a thing.


    They tried to follow after what the rest of us were doing, but all three of them have certain habits ingrained which they couldntpletely discard. However, they were far from inelegant. Rather, they were impressively refined. Their basics are fundamentally different, but they were still quite the sight.


    I see. Well, if their country treats producing alcohol on par or better than my special stash asmonce, then its not hard to imagine their basic table manners to be exemry as well. So the three of them are most likely from one country huh?


    On the other hand, Ria-san and Elna-sans table manners werepletely simr to our own. They should be citizens of this country or other neighboring kingdoms.


    I see. They arerades hailing from different countries huh. Im now quite curious about how they came together as a party.


    Ss-sama, dont you think the bandit subjugation request will be difficult even for a party of n-sama and the rests caliber? Though they did seem to know how to go about it when they rescued us Karina asked in concern.


    Oh, that matter huh I also thought so earlier, but they might actually pull it off.


    Normally, groups that go after bandit gangs try to match or exceed them in numbers in order to ensure sess.


    But if such arge group went out, the bandits scouts will be able to easily spot them and allow theirrades to flee or hide.


    But what about them? If their group approaches a bandit-infested territory with just one carriage, Im sure those knaves will just think of them as easy prey.


    But the one waiting for them is a group with enough strength topletely decimate an entire orc settlement all on their own. Who will win out, in the end, goes without saying.


    So, you really will have n-sama and the others?


    No, its not that simple. Even if there are a lot of incidents involving bandits within the general area, they wont always be present on every road, and theres no guarantee theyll walk into the trap either.


    There are many winding paths along the roads after all. This may sound strange, but under such circumstances, you just wouldnt be able to ensure youll run into some bandits even if you actively search for them.


    It would be a different story if you knew the location of the bandits beforehand, but since thats not possible most of the time, it probably wont go so well in the end.


    Thats Yes, that may be the case.


    Well, they did say they wanted to have a go at it first. If so, then why not let them?


    But they really are such a mysterious group, arent they?


    Yes, certainly. I was actually thinking of inviting them to be our Commerce Guilds exclusive contracted adventurers, but they dont seem to be the type to ept such a thing. I still cant see their depths. In any case, I sure became acquainted with some pretty interesting folks after so long. Karina, sorry to dump this on you, but please look after n and the rest for me for a while.


    Understood, Ss-sama.

 Chapter 57.1 - Clan Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Were taking a break from monster hunting today, so Im taking it easy this morning. Since Karina-san will being over to fetch us at ten, we cant wander around outside the inn at this time. It looks like everyones going to get some sword practice out in the yard after we had our breakfast.


    Since I had something to check with Iris, I ended up holed up inside my room.


    (Iris, can you pinpoint the current position of Clerias royal guards?)


    I currently cannot. But I can anticipate the roads they may take along the way. Do you want to send out some drones, captain?


    (How long will it take to find them?)


    We should be able to find their location in about thirty minutes or so.


    (Great. Send them out then.)


    We found them.


    Well, that was fast. Its only been ten minutes or so since we started the search.


    Then I watched the live footage taken by the drone through a virtual window and zoomed in on a single man riding on horseback. It really was Captain Dalshim.


    When I panned out the image, I discovered a group consisting of about twenty horses pulling carriages traveling speedily on the road. Since the carriages didnt have roofs, I was able to confirm the number of people as well.


    And there was another simr-looking group traveling two hundred meters behind the first one. They may have made some distance from each other, but they were traveling in the same direction. They probably did so to avoid suspicions since a group of more than fifty people traveling together may seem quite strange in others eyes.


    Hm? Thats strange? Arent their numbers a bit too much? If only 58 people wereing, then dividing into three groups should be enough. But why are there actually more than three groups following after each other?


    (Can you check exactly how many people are there?)


    The live feed sent back by the drone moved closer to the highway. Whoah, isnt it flying too low? Even if its concealing itself through stealth mode, the engine sounds cant be masked, and it looks like it spooked the people since they were scanning the sky warily as if looking for the source of the noise.


    Numbers confirmed. There are one hundred people in total.


    (Are you sure they are all from the same group? Maybe theyve mixed with unrted people while traveling.)


    That is probably unlikely. I have spotted the royal members we met in Gotania traveling together with all of the different groups.


    Iris then disyed the faces of the royal guards we met in Gotania on half of the screen. Hm. Yep, theyre all there alright. It looks like theres no mistake.


    But whats going on? Did they take an escort request or something?


    (Can you spot people not wearing armor?)


    There are none.


    All one hundred people were disyed on the virtual HUD. Oh! There are some women with them as well. Are they all Elnas colleagues?


    If there were some people not wearing armor and weapons mixed in, then we could surmise that theyve undertaken an escort request, but since there were none, I suppose they all really were part of the same group.


    Their number being exactly one hundred people seemed deliberate, and all of them had the air of experienced soldiers.


    Well, this sure was a surprise.


    When I mentioned wanting to procure a base, I was only expecting the 58 royal guard members, but I didnt think their number would actually exceed that.


    They probably thought 58 wont cut it and looked for more members to join up.


    They were probably from the army of thete margrave that was mentioned by Roberto back then.


    It would be great if the potential base we will be checking outter could actually house all one hundred people, but if not But we cant do anything about it since theyre alreadying. Theres no helping it anymore.


    (How much time before they arrive here on Gantz?)


    Approximately twenty-three days, captain.


    Thats faster than I expected. Well, its Captain Dalshim after all. He might be urging them to pick up the pace.


    (Check the position of the group once every day for me. Inform me if they run into any trouble.)


    Understood.


    (And Im sure youve heard as well Iris, but weve taken up a request to produce a liquor with high alcohol content.)


    Iris used Selena to check out the state of our group from time to time with her permission via linking with her and utilizing her as a sort of biological terminal.


    Yes, Im aware.


    (Can you design an alcohol distiller that can be manufactured by thiss cksmiths using local techniques and materials.)


    Like this? But as I have not yet had the opportunity to check out the tools that the local cksmiths use, I cannot guarantee whether or not they can make this.


    The image of the distillers blueprint was disyed on the virtual HUD. Hou, so ancient distillers looked like this huh. It had the appearance of a slightly distorted copper kettle.


    If you heat wine and other alcoholic beverages, the alcohol evaporates first. Purified alcohol can be obtained by inducing the evaporated gas into another container, cooling it, and returning it into a liquid form. And the equipment which can facilitate such a process is a distiller like this.


    (Come to think of it, thats right, isnt it? Ill go visit a local cksmiths workshop once I get a chance. Lets settle on this design for the time being. Make it a bit smaller No, a bit bigger than that There we go. If you print out an instruction manual regarding the assembly of a distiller this size, how many pages would it be?)


    It would be 153 pages. Additional user instructions will take up another 57 pages by the way.


    Man, thats a lot. So itll be 200 pages huh. No, I bet itll get longer if the knowledge regarding alcohol production was included as well.


    Oh, man. 1,500,000 Guineas might have been a bit too cheap.


    (Fine. Get the data regarding the liquor I drank yesterday from Nanom.)


    Data obtained.


    (Whats its exact alcohol content?)


    About 21%.


    (Okay then. The one we will produce needs a bit more. Lets see. Make it about 25%. I bet theyll find the liquor more delicious with that. I surmised the basic process of making the liquor yesterday was adding distilled alcohol with this worlds regr wine, but Id like you to research the details more if you could.)


    Excuse me, captain. I do not have the faculty to judge whether or not an alcoholic drink tastes good. I certainly have data regarding the brewing equipment and manufacturing processes that you humans use, but I do not have the know-how to brew a drink that the people of this would find good by using locally secured ingredients, and this distiller weve designed.


    (I know. Im nning on sampling all kinds of different local liquors theseing days. I want you to base the research on the data well obtain from sampling those. You surely have some data for the beverages that are rated highly back at the empire, right? Just try to reproduce a drink based on one of those.)


    Even if we do have some data on hand, an appropriate evaluation program iscking, so I dont believe it will go as smoothly as you hope, captain.


    (Theres still some system resources that are not in use, right? Build a simtion module with those and use it for the research project.)


    A simtion module is a system that can create a stand-alone virtual world thatpletely simtes the same conditions as the real world in cyberspace, so one can perform various experiments and verification processes in that environment. Since itspletely virtual, you can freely adjust the time dtion to suit your needs. It does, however, use up a ton of processing power, so it isnt normally utilized unless its for a grand undertaking of some sort.


    Are we really going to build a simtion module for something like this?


    (Dont say it like that, Iris. This matter is vital for securing funds for our future activities. Also, although it would only cause small ripples at best, it will lead to an improvement of thiss science and technology, and thats also one of the main goals of our long-term operations.)


    Understood. I will do it then.


    I somehow managed to convince Iris. I then proceeded to rmend some of my personal favorite liquors to Iris. Before long, the time set by Karina-san for todays appointment arrived.


    When Karina-san came to the inn, she also brought a guy who looked very much like a craftsman with her.


    n, this is the craftsman we told you about yesterday. His name is Turk-san.


    Its nice to meet you, sir. My name is n.


    The names Turk. Nice to meet you too,d.


    Lets hand over the hairdryers first before anything else.

 Chapter 57.2 - Clan Part 2

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Karina-san. Here are the magic tools you ordered yesterday. These magic tools are called hairdryers.


    I took up one box and opened it to show them the contents. I also gave them a demo. Of course, both units were working perfectly. The magic stone batteries are included for free as an extra service.


    Yes, thank you. Heres the payment.


    She gave me a small leather pouch. There were four gold coins inside.


    Yes, certainly.


    After that, we headed out for the base. The carriage we took was pretty big, so it had no problems housing all of us. After about five minutes on the streets, the carriage finally stopped in front of arge four-story brick building.


    Theres a big, wide-open square in front of the building, and there was a facility resembling a stable on the side of the said square, and it looked like it could house quite a few horses. There were already more than ten craftsmen standing around the building and discussing with one another. They were probably the other craftsmenmissioned to renovate this ce. Ss-san sure works fast.


    This is the property we talked about yesterday evening, Karina-san pointed out.


    Its bigger than I expected.


    Yes, its quite big indeed. A facility this huge is actually quite rare even in Gantz. Well then, lets have a look inside.


    The seven of us then entered the building. Karina-san was in the lead and entered a room near the main entrance.


    This is what a standard room looks like in this building.


    The room measured four meters on each side, had two double bunk beds installed opposite each other, and a table and four chairs ced at the center. Hou, so there was already furniture avable even though they looked used. I thought the rooms would actually be empty.


    Turk-san checked the current state of the beds, tables, and chairs.


    If all the furniture here is like these ones, then it would be enough to just fix them up a bit and repaint them, I think. Well have to rece the beddings though.


    I see. Okay. Lets use whatever we can still use.


    We then proceeded to check out the other rooms. Each room was roughly simr to the one we first saw. Turk-san seemed to be jotting down some notes on a memo of sorts. Maybe hes taking count.


    This is the room used as the dining area.


    The room was rtivelyrge and housed four long tables. Each table could probably seat around thirty people.


    We can also still use the tables and chairs here, Turk-san dered.


    Well, since they were still in use until two months ago, there should be nothing that was already broken down.


    We also checked out the kitchen and storage room. It looks like theres no problem.


    This is the bathroom.


    Oh! I nearly forgot the most important thing! Baths are extremely important yknow.


    Therge bath seemed like it could amodate more than ten people, so it looks like theres no problem here either.


    Is this a bath that can be heated up via magic stones? I asked. This is also an important point.


    Lets see. The guild will shoulder renovating the bath area for you.


    Oh, okay. No problem then. We have quite a substantial supply of magic stones anyway.


    Is there a bath area exclusive for women? Sharon asked.


    Right now, theres none. If its necessary, then shall I have the guild prepare one as well?


    Everyone turned their gaze toward me. Man. That sure is some pressure.


    Yeah, please. By all means.


    Understood. Lets turn one of the vacant rooms into one then.


    Thank you very much.


    We went up to the 2nd and 3rd floors, but they looked mostly the same as the first. Lastly, we went to the 4th floor.


    This floor was used by the executives of the n.


    The size of the rooms was the same as the other floors, but only one double bunk bed was inside. So even executive-use rooms had double bunks?


    This is the exclusive room of the n leader.


    The rooms were twice the size of the others and had a desk, chairs, a long couch, and arge table. This was probably also used for meetings by the n executives.


    Now weve finished checking all of the rooms. The guild will check all of the furnishings inside the rooms and refurbish them.


    Thats great. By the way, there were twenty-eight rooms that could house four people each. In other words, the rooms will be able to amodate a total of 112 people.


    So how many of them should we work on? Turk-san asked to confirm.


    Please work on all of the rooms.


    n, isnt that too much? Its only going to be 63 people, so we wont even be able to fill up half the rooms, Elna pointed out.


    It looks like Elna was keeping count as well.


    Who knows. Maybe the number of members will increase in the future. Anyway, its better to have some leeway here.


    After hearing my reason, it looks like the rest were somehow convinced. But in truth, I already know that well be filling up about 70 to 80% of the rooms. Oh well.


    Um, Karina-san, can I ask you a general question? For example, if this ce ends up housing about 100 or so adventurers, how many staff would be needed to take care of things like cooking, cleaning,undry, and taking care of horses?


    Youll need at least ten people. If you want, the Commerce Guild can introduce somepetent staff to you.


    Yeah, thatll help a lot. Well then, please introduce thirteen people for now.


    Karina-san disyed a doubtful expression when she heard the number I proposed.


    Understood. I will have the guild look for suitable people and bring them here. When shall they begin their employment? Karina-san asked.


    When will the renovation bepleted?


    I cant say for sure yet, but its tentatively scheduled for twenty days or so, Karina-san answered.


    Okay. Lets have them start after twenty days then.


    Understood. By the way, the average daily wage should be about 100 Guineas per person.


    Got it. Well be counting on you then.


    Next is the furniture.


    This is a rough estimate, but repairing all the furniture in each room will cost about 70,000 to 80,000 Guineas. Anyway, it shouldnt exceed a hundred thousand, Turk-san informed.


    Understood. Please take care of it then. If possible, have the repairs finished after twenty days as well.


    Alright. It probably wont take that long anyway. Well start work by tomorrow.


    Turk-san then told me the location of his workshop in case there was something I needed to discuss with himter on.


    With this, our inspection was over. Thedies told me they wanted to look around the ce some more, and Karina-san and Turk-san left together.


    This is amazing, n! So this will serve as our base from now on! Cleria gushed in excitement.


    I didnt think it would be thisrge. Ria-sama, if I remember correctly, members call a n base as Home.


    I see. So this is our Home


    Oh, so they call it Home huh. So thatll make it Shining Stars Home then. Hm? What about the n name though? Do we have to think up something new for it?


    No, ns normally use the name of the leading party as their name as well. Thats why Shining Stars Home should be appropriate.


    I see But doesnt that mean well have to introduce ourselves as Shining Star ns Shining Star party? Isnt that redundant?


    But thats just how it is. Its a longstanding custom. It cant be helped.


    I see. Alright. If everyone else is doing it, then I guess theres no problem.


    We ended up going over the first up to the fourth floor again by ourselves.


    By the way, are we now considered the ns executives? Sharon asked.


    But of course, Elna asserted.


    Okay then. That means well be living in the rooms here on the fourth floor.


    Since there are a lot of vacant rooms, do you want to have a room to yourselves?


    We dont mind sharing a room like before, Sharon said. Selena nodded in agreement.


    Thats right. We dont mind sharing a room like always as well, Cleria followed up.


    So Ill be the only one who has a room to myself huh.


    Youre the leader n, so having a room for yourself is okay, Elna quipped.


    Everyone then went ahead and chose their rooms.


    If you have a particr piece of furniture or other things in mind, go ahead and tell me, okay. Ill try to get them for you.


    I want something to store clothes in, Sharon answered.


    Me too!


    Yeah, alright. Okay, Sharon. Write down all the things you girls want on a piece of paper and hand it to me. Ill consult with Turk-san about them tomorrow.


    Understood.


    I also have some stuff I want to be made for the kitchen. Since well be living with a hundred people, theres a need for several stove magic tools for cooking meals.

 Chapter 57.3 - Clan Part 3

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Well also need arge refrigerating magic tool to store ingredients in. It would be nice if it had a freezer included as well. Actually, can I make them myself? Oh, and well need mixers too.


    Right, we also need quite a few light magic tools for illumination inside the building. I guess Ill have to make them myself.


    After checking everything out again, everyone seemed to be satisfied.


    I was nning on registering with the Commerce Guild and thought to go there by myself, but the others offered to apany me. We decided to have some lunch along the way.


    We went out of the base, uh, Home, and found an eatery just outside, so we decided to dine there.


    Wee! Table for five?


    There werent any other diners inside the eatery. We nodded and took our seats. The eatery had no menu and there was only a sign which said that a meal costs ten Guineas per serving.


    After a short while, our meals were served. The meal was stir-fried Big Boar meat and veggies. There was some soup and a big slice of bread as sides. I also ordered wine for myself.


    This is delicious! Sharon eximed.


    Yep, its good.


    The voring was simple and consisted of garlic, salt, and pepper. The stir-fried veggies were exquisite and kept their crispness fairly well. The Big Boar meat was also cooked expertly.


    The middle-aged proprietor seems to have heard us and went out of the kitchen.


    So what do you think of our specialty? he asked in good spirits.


    Man. Its not like you didnt hear our praise earlier. Fine, Ill humor you. His smile was a bit annoying though.


    Its delicious.


    Isnt it? Its definitely not bad. But there are still no customersing.


    Why though?


    Because my best ones have all gone their separate ways, ysee. You heard about Great Storm disbanding, right? We basically went down with them. Most of our regrs were Great Storm members after all.


    Maybe this guy was just naturally gossipy. But were still having a meal here, so I wish hed get a clue.


    Oh, so that n was


    Yeah. What do you think, sir? Should I already close up shop?


    You can do whatever you please, man. Tsk. Cant be helped. Ill give him a bit of a tip.


    Actually, theres going to be a new n renting out that building.


    Eh!? Are you serious!? Do you know which n it is?


    Yep. Its a n named Shining Star.


    Shining Star? Cant say Ive heard of em. Are you familiar with them, sir? the proprietor asked.


    Yeah. Were actually part of it.


    Oh! So thats it! Its reliable info then! When are they moving? How many people would there be?


    The rest should be arriving after about twenty days. As for how many There should be at least more than sixty people.


    Sixty people! Thats quite a lot! I see I see, so that many huh. Oh, right. You guys are members, correct? Can you introduce me to the n leader once they arrive? I want to talk with him at least once. It wont be for free of course. Thats right! Ill make this meal free of charge. How about that?


    Well, I guess a free meal is always a good thing.


    Sure. By the way, Im the n leader.


    Eh!? You? Err, hello there, sir.


    Yeah. Im n, by the way. Well be in your care.


    With this, we got ourselves a free meal.


    But were nning on shouldering the three meals of the n members ourselves so there might not be that much of an increase in your customers.


    Eh!? Now thats just cruel, sir!


    Are you really going to provide all three daily meals for the entire n? Elna asked.


    Yeah. Why?


    Thats curious. This is only the norm in cities, but most establishments usually provide only two meals per day. That will be breakfast and dinner.


    Thats right! the proprietor eximed.


    Really? Oh right, thats also the case at the inn huh?


    Yes, yes!


    Wouldnt two meals a day be fine then? It would be fun to have at least one of our meals in a different ce after all.


    You tell em, missy!


    It would be hard on the cooks if they had to provide all three meals huh


    Yeah, exactly!


    Okay. Lets make it two meals then.


    Thank you very much, sir!


    Of course, since he offered to let us dine for free, I made sure he made good on his word.


    We passed by the Adventurers Guild on our way to the Commerce Guild, so we stopped by as well. Perhaps Ss-san has already posted the designated quest for us.


    We passed by several reception desks and went over to the counter where they posted designated quests to confirm.


    We were set for a designated quest and we want to confirm if its already been processed.


    Please tell me your party name.


    Its a Shining Star.


    Yes, a request from the Commerce Guild just came in. These are the particrs.


    I was handed the request slip.


    Is it alright for us to take out a copy?


    Of course. Once you decide to ept the quest, please fill out that slip and return it to me.


    We moved to a spot where we wouldnt get in the way of other people inside the guild and looked over the contents of the request slip.


    The request consisted of the capture or subjugation of bandits. The reward for the capture or killing a bandit was a thousand Guineas each. The price was the same whether you capture or kill them. There wasnt any set deadline. Come to think of it, I didnt manage to discuss the reward with Ss-san yesterday huh.


    A thousand Guineas huh. Its a bit of a weird price. It can be said that the Commerce Guild would benefit just the same whether the bandits are captured or killed, so I can get them setting a standard price, but I still feel its on the low side.


    Dont you feel its a bit low?


    Right. I was expecting it to berger than this as well, Elna seconded.


    With this reward amount, if say, we captured ten bandits, well get 5,000 Guineas per head as the standard reward from the local administration for a total of 50,000 Guineas. If we add the reward from the Commerce Guild, itll be 60,000 Guineas all in all. Thats a reasonable amount if we manage to catch them at a fast pace. But if we need to spend days just to gather such a number, hunting monsters is still way more profitable


    But in the case of bandits, we can expect to gain more benefits apart from the bounties ced on them, right? Sharon pointed out.


    Oh, youre right. Theres also the loot hoarded by the bandits. I see. So they set such a reward amount in anticipation of that huh. The guild chief sure is sharp.


    Since theyve already ced a request, shouldnt we ept? Cleria said.


    Yeah. Right now, whats more important is raising our adventurer ranks instead of making money. How about it guys?


    Everyone nodded in assent, so we went back to the counter to ept the request.


    Weve decided to ept this designated quest.


    The staff wrote the request slip serial number on a ledger and handed the slip back to us again.


    Alright then. Once youvepleted the request, please have the requester sign here and submit it back to this counter again.


    Got it.


    I received back the request slip and led the others toward the exit, but before we could step out of the guild building, we heard someone call out to us from behind.


    Hey, are you guys Shining Star?


    When I turned around, I saw an adventurer uncle I wasnt familiar with. He had the bearings of a seasoned veteran and looked quite skilled.


    Yeah, thats right. Do you have business with us?


    Sorry to bother you, but can we talk? Theres a nice tavern nearby. Can you apany me there for a bit?


    Uh, what do you want to talk about in the first ce? Can you tell us first?


    Its about the party called Green Wind.


    Green Wind? I seem to have heard of that from somewhere. Oh, right! They were one of the parties hired by Arista-san as their escort. So this guy was rted to them?


    Just me?


    No, if its possible, can the rest of the party members join us too?


    I exchanged gazes with everyone, and it looks like they had no problems with it.


    Okay.


    We followed after the man and entered the tavern nearest to the Adventurers Guild. We then sat at the table located furthest back. A waitress went over to take our orders and the man requested ale for all of us. It looks like he means to treat us.


    Apart from me, the girls were disying awkward smiles. They were probably thinking it would have been better if it wasnt ale.

 Chapter 57.4 - Clan Part 4

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Sorry for taking your time like this. The names Karl. Im actually the leader of a n named Gale.


    Since he honestly introduced himself, it would be impolite if we didnt do so as well.


    Im Shining Stars leader, n. These are my party members; Ria, Elna, Sharon, and Selena.


    I introduced myself and each of the girls. It looks like the girls were a bit wary of the rugged-looking guy.


    I see. Okay, n. I just want to make sure. Its true that you properly buried and mourned for the members of Green Wind, right?


    Yeah, thats right. We did make them a proper grave.


    I see. Actually, Green Wind was part of my n. First, let me offer my gratitude. Thank you for giving them a proper burial.


    No, dont mention it. We just did what we felt was right. But how did you manage to find out?


    Oh, thats because in cases like this, the n leader has a right to know the particrs of what happened to a party under his or her wing. We can inquire about the necessary info from the guild, and if we get permission, we can also ask for details about theirst employer.


    I see. So thats the case.


    You guys rescued Green Winds employers from the hands of bandits in their ce, recovered their guild identifications and personal effects, and gave them a proper burial. Thats what happened, right?


    Yeah, thats right.


    Its not something just any party would normally do. Actually, I havent heard of any other party willing to go that far. Ive already taken a look at the recovered belongings, but you guys didnt even touch the money. I wouldnt have believed it if I didnt check it myself.


    We thought they must have families and loved ones they left behind, so it would be better to hand those things over to them.


    Yeah, I know. Those guys were all from these parts. Some of them were married, and all of them had families depending on them. I already delivered their belongings to their families and loved ones personally. Everyone was very grateful.


    I see. Im d to hear that. It was worth all the effort then.


    Actually, I knew the guys from Green Wind ever since we were just brats. When we came of age and made a name for ourselves, they went and nominated me as the n leader. They then raised their ranks little by little until they made it to C rank. They even promised to go even further still, but


    I see. Thats truly unfortunate. My condolences.


    Yeah. They were out of luck. Really Dammit! Uh, sorry about that. So, uh, I asked the employers about the details of their death, but I couldnt get much out of them.


    I see. So you want to ask the details from us. Is that it?


    Yeah. I especially want to hear how those damned bandits died. I only heard from the employers that the bandits were all dead.


    You guys look like decent folk, so you might have ended them quickly, but I honestly cant help thinking I wanted to murder them myself.


    I just keep thinking about how I would have wanted to kill them since I heard about what happened and its not letting me get a wink of sleep.


    I see. Well, Karl. Youre under the wrong impression. The end of those bandits was far worse than what youre thinking of. Id even go so far as to say it was the most pathetic death Ive ever witnessed in my entire life.


    What!? Really!? Please, n! Can you tell me the details?


    I ended up rting the entirety of what happened to the guy.


    I first told him that when we got to the site of the ambush, all the members of Green Wind have already died. But they still took down three bandits with them.


    I then told him how we captured the five bandits who remained on site.


    We then got to know they actually captured three women and took them to their hideout.


    We had the captured bandits lead us to their hideout to mount a rescue.


    We then managed to rescue the three women and captured an additional seven bandits in the hideout.


    And when we were discussing what to do with the bandits, one of thedies proposed to buy them off of us for the market price.


    Oh, now I get it! So thats what happened!


    Karl started getting excited in anticipation of hearing just how the bandits were killed.


    Yeah, thats right. I entered the cave with the women and prepared some rope. I then said to them: Hey, you lot! Bind your own feet with that rope. Ill take it that the ones who bind their feet the tightest are the ones who are truly about their actions, and maybe, just maybe, plead with thedies on your behalf. Well, something like that.


    Youre unexpectedly one cruel fe, arent you, n!? So what happened after that?


    The bandits obediently tied themselves up of course. They looked pretty desperate too. They even raised their feet toward me so they could show me just how tight they bound themselves. Frankly, I couldnt have done a better job if I tied them up myself.


    Hahaa! I see! And then?


    After that, thedies told me to exit the cave ahead of them. Apparently, they wouldnt be able to focus if I was with them.


    But even if their legs were bound, this was still twelve bandits were talking about. I hesitated toply with their request because of that, but unexpectedly, thedies were proficient in wielding swords. They had really sharp-looking swords with them.


    Thats why I decided to obey their words in the end.


    When I was about to exit the hideout, the bandits shouted something like No way!? Boss! What about pleading for us!? in a panic.


    And then the moment I stepped out of the cave that served as their hideout, I heard the agonized wails of the bandits.


    Ah


    And in the following hour or so, the wails of those bandits continued non-stop. That gave me goosebumps, I tell you.


    An hour huh


    Honestly, it was more like twenty minutes or so, but if a white lie like this can make Karl feel better, then why not?


    When thedies came out of the cave, they had really satisfied smiles on their faces. The victims were very satisfied with what transpired. I dont even need to borate just what happened, eh I honestly got scared to even check out the cave again. Thats why I cant exactly say I managed to witness the end of those bandits, but I think you get the point.


    Yeah, I do Man, even I would hesitate to enter after all of that. But that sure was amazing. Its a thousand times better than the ways I thought up each night.


    Yeah No worse way to go out than that. And so, we went back to the highway, recovered the dead adventurers belongings, and gave them a burial just like you heard from the guild. Oh, and we threw the three bandit corpses yourrades took down on the side of the road. Well, thats about it.


    But you sure say it like it was easy digging a grave for ten men. Im sure it must have taken quite the effort n, Ria, Elna, Selena, Sharon Let me give my deepest thanks once more. Thank you for all youve done.


    Uh, I used Earth magic so it was actually quite easy, but I guess Ill just leave that out.


    Well, just like I said, we only did what we thought was right. Oh yeah, Karl. Im sure you already know, but dont go around spreading this info, okay.


    Yeah, you dont have to remind me. Its to preserve the honor of thosedies, right? No problem. They managed to avenge those guys from Green Wind after all. And what a satisfying act of revenge it was. They are also my benefactors. Im never gonna let anything slip. I swear.


    I see. Sorry about this, Karl.


    Thankfully, the tavern had next to no patrons present, so no one had the opportunity to eavesdrop on our conversation. That was a blunder. If the story got out, Arista-san and the others would probably be the subject of nasty rumors.


    But you guys sure are impressive. After all, you managed to subdue all the bandits without taking any injuries even if they outnumbered you.


    Well, yeah, I guess. Keep this between us too, but were actually all able to use magic. Thats why we didnt find it particrly difficult to subdue them.


    What!? All of you!? Um, by the way, what rank are you guys now?


    Were all B ranked.


    Oi, oi! Thats amazing! You all look so young too. I see. It certainly would be a piece of cake for B rankers.


    How about you Karl? Whats your rank now?


    Im currently A rank. Well, a n leader should be at least this capable, right?


    Haah So it really is like that.


    Hm? Whats up?


    No, well, we were actually nning on setting up a n too, but I guess a B ranker being the leader is a bit of a stretch huh.


    What!? Youre going to set up a n at your age!? Now thats impressive! Man, that sure is something, alright. Oh, and about a n leaders rank, its normal for small ns to have B rankers as their leaders. Onlyrge-scale ns have A rankers as leaders exclusively.


    Is that so Wait, so that means your n is also arge-scale one?


    Oi, oi. Dont tell me you havent even heard of Gale? Wait, you guys are neers here huh. I guess that makes sense. The only ones who dont know of Gale in Gantz are the neers. Not to brag, but were one of thergest here. Well, if you have something youre having trouble with regarding running a n, I can give you some advice. You can pay me a visit whenever.


    Oh! That sounds great. Ill be counting on you then. Um, but where do you exactly stay at, Karl?


    Im staying at an inn called Sunbeam. Give me a holler if anythings up.


    Were staying at the Spring Breeze. Feel free to pay us a visit as well.


    The Spring Breeze? Man, that means you guys are actually loaded.


    Well, yeah, I guess. We really wanted somewhere with a bath, ysee. Were actually nning to move out soon, but well either send word once we do or leave a message for you at the inn.


    Yeah, understood. Sorry for taking up your time again. Im d I was able to talk to you though. It looks like Im finally gonna be able to sleep tonight.


    d to hear that. Oh, and thanks for treating us to ale. Ill treat you next time too.


    We all exited the tavern, and Karl parted ways from us soon after. We then continued heading for the Commerce Guild.

 Chapter 58.1 - Preparations For Founding A Clan Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    When we immediately entered the Commerce Guild building the moment we arrived.


    The facilities inside looked the same as the interior of the Adventurers Guild, but obviously, the people inside consisted of folks who seemed to be merchants and their assistants.


    Sheets of paper were pasted on both sides of the guild buildings walls. The people inside were all checking out the sheets with serious expressions.


    There wererge characters spelling outSellon top of the right wall, andBuyon the left wall. So they were sort of bulletin boards for buying and selling activities huh.


    I wasnt really interested in trading stuff, so I headed to the reception desk straight ahead of me.


    Please state your business, sir.


    I came to register in the guild.


    Have you already registered yourself in other guilds, sir?


    Yes. Ive both registered with the Adventurers Guild and the Magic Guild.


    Please let me see your guild tes.


    I handed over my guild IDs as requested.


    n So you are n-sama. Please wait for a moment.


    Afterward, the receptionist went to the back of the guild building with my guild IDs.


    I wonder whats up?


    No idea.


    After a short while, the receptionist came back. Karina-san was following behind the staff. Whats up?


    Youve alreadye to have yourself registered huh, n-sama.


    Yeah. What are you doing here, Karina-san?


    Im here to iron out some details regarding the renovation work. You can now leave. I will handle this.


    Karina-san had the receptionist leave and she took her ce in front of the desk.


    So you are also a receptionist at the guild, Karina-san?


    No, its not like that. But in this case, I will be the one processing your guild registration.


    I see Ss-san really is putting his weight around here huh. Karina-san started writing stuff on a ledger.


    n-sama, Im sorry, but can you wait for three minutes?


    After saying so, she went to the back of the guild office again. Just like Karina-san said, we only had to wait for three minutes. She returned exactly on the dot. Maybe she made a new guild ID by using that magic tool I saw back in Gotania.


    Thank you for waiting. This is a copy of the guild bws, and here are your guild tes.


    After saying so, she handed over a paper sheet and two guild IDs.


    Oh, thats nice. They have the rules properly written on paper. Ill give it a readter. The guild IDs were naturally my Adventurers Guild and Magic Guild ID and my newly created Commerce Guild ID.


    There was no change to my previous ID, but the Commerce Guild ID had A rank printed on it.


    Um, so does the Commerce Guild also have ranks?


    Of course. In a sense, ranks can also signify the level of confidence in a merchant. It is determined by the results of a merchants various transactions. For example, in the case of big transactions, people are more inclined to make a deal with C-ranked or above merchants because the high rank is a guarantee that those merchants are trustworthy.


    Thats pretty convenient. But I dont really have any achievements yet Why is my rank suddenly A?


    You are sufficiently wealthy already, n-sama. And you also managed to save Arista-sama, so those count as big enough achievements for A rank. And more importantly, You need to be A rank to conduct deals with Ss-sama.


    So the biggest reason was I needed to be A rank in order to go through with my deal with Ss-san huh.


    I understand. Thank you very much. Um, do I need to pay a registration fee?


    Normally, we charge 500 Guineas. But in your case n-sama, itspletely free.


    They really are the ones running the show here huh. Theyre freely using their influence to give out favors.


    What are your ns for the rest of the day, n-sama?


    I dont have any ns in particr. Why?


    Well then, why dont we take this time to head over to the cksmiths?


    Ah, that would be great. If its alright with you, then Id like to go straight away.


    It looks like the rest of the party wanted to see the workshop as well, so we all decided to go together. We took a carriage parked behind the guild building and arrived at the workshop after five minutes or so.


    When I entered the workshop behind Karina-san, I was immediately surrounded by the noise of nging hammers.


    Master!


    Its noisy here so lets move elsewhere.


    We were led by a man who seemed to be the boss of the ce out of the workshop.


    n-sama, this person is the master cksmith of this workshop, Jordan.


    Names Jordan. Nice to meet you, folks.


    Im n. Nice to meet you too.


    I heard from Ss-sama that your request should be our top priority. So what would you like us to make?


    Oh, Im in the middle of putting together the materials on paper right now. I think I should finish by tomorrow, so Ill bring it to you then.


    Having it put on paper would be really helpful. I guess well have to wait until tomorrow then


    If its alright with you, can we take a look at your workshop? Itll serve as a good reference as well.


    Yes. of course. Go ahead and look around as much as you want.


    After saying so, Jordan went back inside the workshop.


    Halt your work boys! Were taking a break!


    After Jordan-sans loud bellow, the nearly thirty craftsmen inside the workshop stopped all at once and started chatting normally.


    Of course, I was already having Iris monitor and record the whole thing. We toured the workshop with Jordan-san in the lead.


    Captain, can you confirm if they handle copper tes here?


    Um, Jordan-san, do you make use of copper here?


    Copper? Oh, of course, we do. We use copper a lot actually. Its a lot easier to handle than iron, thats for sure. Im sure theres no cksmith in this world who doesnt make use of it.


    I see. What are you making here?


    When I passed in front of a certain cksmith, I saw that he was making something that looked like a thin metal chain.


    Ah, this is a binding tool used for securing ves at the mines.


    Hou, interesting. We can probably use some for bandit hunting.


    How does it look when finished?


    Oh, theres apleted item over here.


    The finished product we were shown looked a bit like handcuffs. The metal loops that restrained the wrists are secured by a metal bolt. The chain between the loops was fairly long as well. It was at least 50 centimeters.


    Um, this cant be turned by hand, right?


    I pointed at the bolt and asked.


    Of course. Rather, it would defeat the purpose if it could. These were made to be tough and they can only be loosened with the use of a special tool.


    It looks like this really coulde in handy.


    Can multiples of these be interconnected?


    Ah, thats for when you want the ves to have the ability to walk around. We have something for that right here.


    Have they already made something simr to what I was thinking about?


    The item I was shown totally fit what I was envisioning. It was made by connecting dozens of handcuffs at one-meter intervals, and it was made exactly for the purpose I was thinking of.


    This is quite good. Can I order something simr to this?


    Karina-san, who saw the value of the item, looked convinced as she nodded.


    How many do you want?


    About ten of them. Oh, and I want five of those special unlocking tools as well.


    I should order a good number right now. Its better than running outter.


    These will need to be delivered in a month anyway, so we can sell you ten of this straight away if you like. Of course, that goes for the unlocking tools as well. We can just make some more for the other order. Theres plenty of time left anyway.


    That would be wonderful. How much for everything?


    These handcuffs are a thousand Guineas each. The unlocking tool is a hundred each. Thatll be 10,500 Guineas then.


    Can I pay for them right now? If so, then here you go.


    I thought Id have to ce orders with Ss-san as the middleman, but it looks like thats not the case. I handed the master cksmith one gold coin and five silver coins.


    Since they are fairly heavy, Ill have the carriage transport them over to the inn, Karina-san offered.


    Thank you very much. That would help a lot.


    (Iris, have you recorded enough references?)


    Yes, we have enough.


    Alright then, Jordan-san. Ill hand you the schematics tomorrow.


    Okay. Pleased to do business with you,d.


    The handcuffs were loaded inside the carriage, and we left the cksmith workshop soon after.


    Im sorry, Karina-san. We ended up troubling you even though you seem so busy.


    No, its no trouble at all. I also want to be of as much help to n-sama as I can. Do you have any other ces you want to visit?


    Thank you. Ill be taking you up on your offer then. I want to visit as many liquor stores as I can in order to research alcohol in this country. Do you know of any liquor stores nearby?


    Of course. I will guide you.


    Guided by Karina-san, we ended up visiting about 15 different liquor stores around the city. We cant carry all this stuff without a carriage, so Karina-sans help was more than wee.


    We unloaded the liquor and the handcuffs at the inn and carried them to my room.


    The girls then gathered together in order to design the items they want Turk-san to make for them. Im sure theyd be able to do it with no problems with the help of nanoms.


    I also holed up inside my room in order to make a magic tool blueprint. Since the housing of the magic tool needs to be made by Turk-san, Ill have to get a design ready as well.


    (Iris, I want to design a refrigerating magic tool. Please design a blueprint while considering the cost and practicality.)


    Would this be sufficient?


    The virtual window disyed thepleted image of the magic tool, the design blueprint, as well as the magic circle that was going to be installed into it.


    Hou. By adding a temperature insting material within the housing, wouldnt this design turn out having more cooling capability than the one Verse was using? It will also serve to save magic energy.


    It also has a vegetablepartment and seems user-friendly.


    (Oh, and I also wanted a freezing function as well if possible. Can webine magic circles to make that work?)


    That is impossible. The functions of the avable magic circles are too limited.


    (So that really is the case huh. Has the research regarding magic circles not progressed yet?)


    There is ack of samples for reference. If possible, it would be ideal to secure three times the current number of samples.


    (I see Yeah, thats true huh. This type is fine then. Please disy a 3D model of each part.)


    I copied the specifications of the parts on paper.


    Afterward, I continued with copying the designs for the stove magic tool and light magic too as I sipped the wine we bought from the liquor stores earlier.

 Chapter 58.2 - Preparations For Founding A Clan Part 2

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    When I managed topletely copy everything down and took a breather, there was a knock on my door. When I opened it, the rest of the party was waiting outside. It looks like they finished designing the furniture they wanted as well.


    We just finished the designs, so we wanted you to have a look at them first, n, Sharon dered as she handed me the papers.


    Sharon is really good at drawing.


    Cleria was acting all proud for some reason.


    I didnt really need to inspect them, but it looks like the girls wanted me to anyway, so let me oblige. It looks like they also want to brag a bit.


    They showed me thepleted designs as well as the schematics of the different parts. They made the same type of documents I did.


    The first one was a closet where you can hang up your clothes by using a hanger. Theres also a shelf at the bottom where you can put in your shoes.


    The second one was a cab with several drawers for storing small items. One drawer was designed to have a lock function that could be unlocked via a key. They look pretty well-designed.


    These look great. Well done, everyone.


    Everyone gave their own opinions toe up with the designs, Sharon revealed.


    If theyre this good, then Ill have to get Turk-san to make my share as well.


    That would be best. n, lets hurry and hand these over now.


    Cleria seems to want to hand the blueprints over as soon as possible. I already finished the magic tool designs myself, and its still three in the afternoon.


    Okay. Lets get going then.


    I wrote how many of each item should be made on the blueprints. We then left the inn.


    The workshop of Turk-san wasnt all that far from the Adventurers Guild, so we reached it right away.


    Good afternoon!


    I immediately noticed Turk-san when we entered the workshop and gave a loud greeting amidst the sound of mallets striking wood.


    Oh, its you, folks. Whats up?


    Actually, we want tomission you to make new items apart from the furniture repair.


    I then handed the magic tool and furniture blueprints to him.


    This is


    He scanned the blueprints with a professional gaze. After five minutes, he finished poring through all of them.


    What should we do for the finishing touches?


    Perhaps he means painting them or something.


    Well leave that to you.


    Were these designed by you, n?


    These are my work, but those are hers.


    Turks sharp gaze turned toward Sharon.


    How impressive for someone so young. I dont know what you mean to do with the items you drew, n. But this closet and this cab are very well-designed.


    Is that so? Thank you for the praise, sir, Sharon replied.


    The other members, who thought up the designs with her, also looked happy.


    We want to make this secured via lock and key. Can you make them? Sharon asked.


    Yeah. No problem.


    How much would these items cost? By the way, the deadline for these items is in 15 days and these ones would be 20 days.


    I want the magic tool casings delivered earlier so I can finish the rest of the work on time.


    These are pretty detailed designs, so these items would be easy to make. We can make these by the deadlines you set. No problem.


    Turk-sanid the blueprints on top of a workbench and told us the price of each item. He may have already decided on the prices when he checked them out earlier.


    Refrigeration magic tool  2000 Guineas  Four items


    Stove magic tool  500 Guineas  Five items


    Light magic tool  100 Guineas  50 items


    Clothing closet  700 Guineas  Five items


    Cab  1000 Guineas  Five items


    All in all, the total cost was 25,000 Guineas. It turned out to be a prettyrge sum.


    So everything would be for 25,000 Guineas. However, we could use these closet and cab designs ourselves. If you allow us to have these designs, Ill give you a 3,000 Guinea discount.


    Since Sharon and the others didnt have any objections, the final price ended up being 22,000 Guineas.


    After our business at the workshop, we returned to the inn.


    Come to think of it, n. Wouldnt the General Orc and Big Blue Serpents rewards be ready by now? Elna reminded.


    Oh, right. I almost forgot. Weve been running around busily recently after all. Do you want to visit the guild to take a look?


    And so, we went to the Adventurers Guild and headed straight for the counter. The guild wasnt as filled with peoplepared to the number during morning hours.


    Please state your business, sir.


    Were the B-ranked party Shining Star. We want to ask about the rewards from the other days.


    Oh, Ive heard of those. Ill call the one in charge, so please wait for a moment.


    The guild staff then withdrew to the back of the guild office. Apparently, the staff has been told to call their higher-ups once wee for a visit.


    The receptionist came back with the guild master Kevin-san as well as one of the male staff we met before.


    Sorry for the dy. We have a result regarding the matters from before. Can youe with us to the back for a bit?


    Kevin-san led us to the private room we came to a few days back.


    The price for the General Orc and Big Blue Serpent have been decided. The General Orc head is 210,000 Guineas while the serpent meat is 38,000 Guineas and the leather is 105,000 Guineas.


    So thats a total of 353,000 Guineas huh. Thats a pretty hefty amount. But Im surprised theres a person whos willing to pay such an exorbitant price for the head of an ugly orc. But I guess the guild has already taken their share as well, so the actual price should be higher. I cant believe it.


    I see. Understood.


    You dont seem to be surprised. Normally, people would be shaken after hearing this sort of amount though


    No, I actually am surprised. But Im surprised someone actually paid good money for an orcs severed head. Actually, I find it hard to believe such a person even exists.


    I didnt mean it that way though Well, fine. Hey!


    Kevin-san ordered the male staff to hand over the money to us. I counted the contents of the bag for formalitys sake.


    Weve certainly received it.


    Thank you for deciding to hand the items over to the guild this time. We will certainly take note of your valuable contributions.


    Thank you very much. Were looking forward to working together more with you as well.


    The receptionist then apanied us out of the private room.


    We managed to make quite a sum.


    It is more than just arge sum. Ive been more or less influenced by your sense for wealth n, but this amount is an absolute fortune formoners, Elna remarked.


    Uh, I do get that you know.


    On the way back from the guild, we passed by five seedy-looking men sneaking nces at us. Theyughed vulgarly when we passed in front of them.


    They then walked up to us and blocked the way. One of the men moved forward.


    Hey, you! Youre hanging out with such fine-lookingdies, arent you? Can you share at least one of them with us?


    His breath stinks of booze. It looks like hes pretty drunk.


    I ignored them and tried going past, but my shoulder ended up being grabbed.


    Hey, dont ignore us. Were even asking nicely you know?


    Are you picking a fight? Sure, Ill y with you.


    They were obviously picking a fight, but I always wanted to say those lines, man.


    Remove that filthy hand of yours right this instant!


    Selena shouted in anger and grabbed the hand of the punk who grabbed my shoulder. She then proceeded to take him down in a shy manner.


    Oww! Whats with you, woman!?


    You should never have grabbed ns shoulder with that filthy hand of yours.


    Selena was raring for a fight as well.


    Hey, hey. Whats the matter with you guys? You really picking a fight?


    The other four men started approaching us as well.


    Oh, its just that this guy was asking for a fight but tripped and fell down.


    This is bad, It looks like a bone or twos broken. So how do you want topensate him for this, huh!?


    Are you asking for a fight as well? Its troublesome, so you can juste all at once.


    Hah! Yer a brave one aint ya! We have five guys here. Ye sure yer up for it?


    Im telling you to get over here already, you idiots.


    n, please let me handle them. Theres no need for you to get your hands dirty. I alone am enough.


    Selena, I also want to participate since they were just so rude to n. Theyre going to pay, Sharon dered.


    Haa, it cant be helped.


    Hey, they were picking a fight with me you know? Back down, you two.


    Its you who needs to back down, n!


    Ugh, fine.


    Damn. I got swallowed up by the twos momentum and ended up really backing down. Well, I guess theyll be fine though.


    We have to stop them n! Cleria eximed worriedly.


    Its alright. They are both stronger than me in a straight-up fight you know.


    Eh!? Really!?


    Selena and Sharonsbat levels were higher than my own after all. Thebat level indicates our mastery over imperial martial arts. Those level 90 and above can already serve as senior instructors.


    Most likely, the two of them raised their level inside the ships training room by fighting against each other and the training bots.


    Imperial martial arts, or simply imperial arts, are a form of martial art that has been honed and passed down in the empire for thousands of years. These two, who have achieved certain mastery over it, will not be defeated by a mere five drunk men.


    Hurry up and get over here, Selena taunted.


    Hey! I aint holding back just cuz youre a girl!


    You dont have to. Ugh. This is getting tiresome.


    After Sharon sighed, she quickly closed in on the man nearest to her and mmed her fist on his sr plexus.


    Hey, no fair!


    Selena raised a voice ofint and closed in on another man. She then grabbed the mans raised hand by the wrist, used it to pull his upper body downward, and mmed a knee onto his exposed face.


    Sharon speedily approached another man, who was frozen in shock and casually gave him a right hook; hitting him squarely on the chin. She then hit another one with a magnificent spin kick.


    The remaining guy, who watched each of his friends get defeated easily, was approached by Selena and finished off with a front kick to his stomach.


    All of them were taken down and brought to unconsciousness in one hit.


    Amazing! Cleria quipped.


    Youre terrible for getting a head start on me, Sharon!


    But they just wouldnte, so I found it too troublesome and brought the fight to them.


    There was already a sizable crowd forming. They must have noticed themotion.


    Thanks, you two. I ended up troubling you over something so trivial.


    No, its our pleasure, Selena replied with a smile.


    This is nothing, Sharon followed up.


    They will get in the way of pedestrians if we left them like this, so lets move them over there.


    We carried the passed out men to a corner of the street where they wont get in the way.


    Yosh. Lets go back to the inn. It should be dinner time once we get back.


    Yes, n.


    On the way back, Cleria gushed about how awesome Selena and Sharon were and asked them to teach her. They made a promise to organize a training session along with Elna.


    While we were drinking tea after having dinner, Cleria suddenly spoke up.


    n, Ive been thinking, but wouldnt it be a good idea to postpone bandit hunting first and train in magic, swordsmanship, and martial arts first?


    Oh? Yeah, sounds good. How about it, everyone?


    I also want to practice magic and swordsmanship more, Sharon replied.


    Me too, Selena seconded.


    I as well, Elna answered next.


    Its decided then. Ill also need some time to develop that new liquor and assemble the magic tools for use at our new Home. Its perfect timing.


    And so, it was decided that I and the girls will act separately for a few days.


    Cleria and the others will first focus on magic practice, so they nned to go inside the Sea of Trees in the mornings and hunt Gray Hounds. I objected to them not bringing me along at first, but they convinced me by saying stationary targets arent enough for practice, so I allowed them to do so while imploring that they should be careful and keep watch of their surroundings.


    In the afternoon, they will go for swordsmanship andbat technique practice. They nned to do this schedule every day. They can use the square in front of our Home for the afternoon practice.


    Now then. Ill have to finish making the blueprints Ill bring to the cksmith workshop tomorrow. Even if I cant finish all the details, Ill at least note down the important points.


    (Iris, theres no problem with the data we obtained from going around the cksmith workshop, right?)


    Yes, there is no problem. We can utilize the design we came up with the other day.


    (Yosh. Please disy the blueprints on a virtual screen and ovey them with the paper sheets.)


    I then started tracing the blueprints that appeared on screen and transferred them to the paper sheets

 Chapter 59.1 - Moving To The New Home Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    I stayed uptest night and somehow managed to finish copying down the schematics for the distillers basic parts on paper. It ended up being about 50 pages long. I also copied down the schematics for the metal parts of the magic tools. Ill have to buy a fresh supply of paper today.


    When I pored over the Commerce Guild rules and regtions through the document I brought with me yesterday, I saw something good.


    It turns out the remittance fee for sending money actually differed depending on your guild rank. It was 50,000 Guineas for C ranks and below, 40,000 for B ranks, 30,000 for A ranks, and finally, 10,000 Guineas for S ranks.


    It looks like the rule of the rich getting richer still held true even on a different. But since there would be a potential difference of 20,000 Guineas or more once I went up in rank, it was definitely worth signing up with the Commerce Guild.


    Everyone was happily discussing their ns for the day while having breakfast. It kinda felt like I was being left out.


    After breakfast, the girls readied themselves and went out looking pretty pumped.


    (Selena, Sharon. If you get into any sort of danger, dont hesitate to use your rifles. Even if you guys are going out for training, theres no reason to unnecessarily risk your lives. Dont get your priorities mixed up, okay?)


    (Understood.)


    (Well make sure to be careful.)


    Their tone suggested everything would be fine, but I was still worried after all.


    (D-1, please monitor them. Notify the Ensigns immediately when a monster approaches with an rm, and if a monster manages to get within five meters of the four of them, deal with it immediately.)


    Acknowledged.


    I guess I should head out as well.


    When I arrived at Jordans smithery, I heard the sound of nging hammers even though it was still pretty early in the morning. Wouldnt all this noise cause trouble for the neighbors?


    Jordan-san immediately noticed me when I entered the workshop.


    Lets move somewhere else.


    I showed him the documents I prepared outside of the workshop. Jordan-san read each page carefully for some time.


    These are some amazing blueprints. Theyre pretty easy to follow too. It would be great if our customers brought something as nice as these whenever they make amission.


    Can you make them?


    Yeah, no problem. Were gonna use copper anyway, so well be able to manage.


    Um, but this is just one-third of the full schematics. There are about a hundred more pages to go.


    Hmm, so theres still so much huh Well, it cant be helped. Just hand them all over to me. Well just have to do our best.


    Understood. Ill do so.


    Afterward, I went over the schematics page by page with Jordan-san and exined the illustrations in detail.


    I did so for the schematics of the magic tools metal parts as well.


    Oh, and one more thing, sir. Can you make this too? I need it after twenty days if its possible.


    Hou, this is an interesting design. Well, if we make a proper mold, I think we can make a good number of these. If its after twenty days, then we can probably manage.


    Then, if you please, sir.


    It was already 11 oclock when I left the workshop after settling the payment for the additional items I ordered. I guess Ill have lunch out first and return to the inn afterward. I remember the girls had nned to start the imperial martial arts lessons this afternoon, so I might as well participate. Ive gotten a bit rusty, so it would be nice to have a spar or two with Selena and Sharon to get the feel for it back.


    As I searched for a suitable restaurant, I saw a child bawling on the side of the street. It was E, and Teo was kneeling in front of her while trying to console her.


    Hey, Teo. Whats going on?


    Bro! I aint the one who made her cry. E just started to bawl her eyes out. I think she tripped.


    I bet she tripped because you pulled her in a hurry again, right?


    Uu, well, yeah, I guess. But Es such a slowpoke. Ugh. Even her clothes got ripped.


    The dirty one-piece dress E was wearing got torn in some ces when she tripped. When Teo tried to touch the torn part, E started crying even louder.


    Dont cry, E. Itll be fine if we sew it a bit.


    Huh? Maybe they didnt have enough spare clothes. No matter how you slice it, seeing a young girl like this is just too pitiful.


    Do you know of any second-hand clothing shops around here, Teo? Ill buy some for you guys.


    Eh!? No, its fine bro. Clothes are expensive, yknow?


    You may be okay about this, but dont you feel sorry for E? Its fine, so just hurry up and lead the way.


    Really!? Um, uh, I think theres one this way, bro!


    I had Teo and E choose a dress once we arrived at the clothing shop.


    Well have this, bro.


    The dress they showed me looked worn out already, and it was too big for the 4-year-old E. She would probably end up dragging the one-piece dress around if she wore it.


    Hey, this is too big for her.


    Its fine, bro. Shell grow into it real quick. Youll see.


    Really? I went to the clerk and paid for the dress. It seems that this second-hand dress actually still costs 200 Guineas.


    Teo had E change into it right away even though we were out on the streets.


    There we go. It fits just fine. Thanks for buying us this dress, bro! Say thank you as well, E.


    Bro.


    It looks like E was quite happy to get a dress that didnt look like dirty rags.


    Good. Okay then, you two. Lead me to a nice restaurant next. Ill treat you to lunch as well.


    Really!? Over here then, bro!


    The restaurant the kids led me to was quite bustling. Since the seats inside were full, we were guided to the terrace seats instead. They had meat and fish set meals.


    What do you guys want? Meat or fish?


    Meat!


    The meals consisted of the usual bread, meat and veggie stir-fry, and soup. The meals cost 10 Guineas per serving, so I paid 30 Guineas for me and the kids.


    Teo and E started scarfing down on the food right away. As he chewed his food, Teo put his share of the bread as well as Es into a jute bag.


    Well save the bread for tomorrow. E wont be able to finish it all anyway.


    Teo exined his actions to me when he noticed me watching him.


    I see Good for you then.


    Yeah! Thank you very much, bro! Really. Its been a while since we ate such a hearty meal.


    Hey, Teo. Are you familiar with ns?


    Yeah, I am. Its a group formed by adventurer parties, right?


    Yeah, thats right. Were gonna start up a n of our own soon. We got a pretty nice building for our Home just recently too. If you feel like it, do you wanna work there? I can hire you as a helper.


    Really!? Ill do anything for you, bro! Please hire me!


    But even though I say Im gonna hire you, Ill just provide you with a room to stay in as well as breakfast and dinner every day. I cant pay you any money for now.


    A room and meals every day!? Bro! Please, please hire me! Ill do anything you want me to! I dont mind not getting paid.


    I see. Okay then. But well formally move to the new building twenty days from now though.


    Twenty days Hey, bro Um, can E also work for you?


    Yeah, of course.


    Really!? As expected of my bro! Yosh, I and E will work hard for ya!


    Of course, Im aware that Im being a hypocrite here. But I just cant leave this pair of siblings alone after seeing how hard they had it. It was just giving them a nice room and meals every day. Its nothing much. Teos been a great help as a city guide anyway.


    After finishing our meals, I parted ways with Teo and E. Okay then. Lets go for some Imperial Arts practice. I hope Selena and Sharon go easy on me a bit though


    For a while, I spent my days helping out with the manufacturing of the distiller, preparing for alcohol brewing, making magic tools, purchasing things to use for our new Home, and participating in the girls practice sessions. It was pretty hectic.


    I only helped out with making the distiller as an advisor though. Even though there were detailed blueprints, making something like it for the first time still posed some difficulties for the cksmiths after all. I was called in to give some technical advice from time to time.


    Additionally, we ordered some wooden barrels and other supplies and equipment for alcohol brewing as well. We also secured a ce to store them during the fermentation process.


    The production of the magic tools I designed went without a hitch, and I had them brought to our Home straight away. Aside from that, with Karina-sans assistance, I purchased arge number of items such as tableware, kitchen utensils, and cleaning tools for our new Home.


    And so, today, we were finally going to formally move to our new Home.


    After having breakfast, we checked out of the inn and prepared our carriage for departure. When we started heading for our new Home, we found Teo and E waiting for us outside the inn. Theyve been visiting us practically every day ever since myst encounter with them. They probably just want to get treated to a meal. It was a bit sly of Teo, but hes only doing his best as Es big brother, so its fine.


    Good morning big bro and big sisters!


    Yeah, morning, you two. Well finally be moving to our ns Home today. You guys will start working for us today as well.


    I got ya, bro. Weve been waiting for today as well.


    We let Teo and E aboard and left the Spring Breeze inn.


    It took us fifteen minutes to arrive at our destination, and we found Karina-san already waiting for us.

 Chapter 59.2 - Moving To The New Home Part 2

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Good morning, n-sama, everyone.


    Good morning, Karina-san.


    There were thirteen new employees lined up in front of the building along with Karina-san. I already held a simple interview for these people a few days back, and I had a basic grasp of their personalities.


    Okay, Teo. You guys head over there as well and listen to Sally-sans orders, okay?


    Sally-san was the head of our Homes helpers and was a pretty dependable middle-aged widow. Herte husband was also an adventurer. I already told her and the others about Teo and E. The sibling hurriedly lined up with the rest of the employees.


    Well be in your care from now on, everyone.


    Yes. Thank you very much, n-sama, everyone.


    First, we went around with Karina-san in order to check if there were no problems with the building and the new equipment. Of course, Karina-san handled everything perfectly, so we found absolutely nothing wrong with the building and equipment. The beds, tables, and chairs also looked practically brand new.


    We looked around all the facilities and finished our tour at the office on the fourth floor.


    Well then, everyone. I will now formally hand the building over to you.


    Yes. Thank you for all your help. By the way, Karina-san, what about the rent for this month?


    It was just the fourth day of the month after all.


    We wont charge you for this month, n-sama. Well only start billing you next month.


    I see. Thank you very much then.


    After handing over the building, Karina-san finally left.


    The total rent for this ce was 70,000 Guineas per month. I thought it was a bit too cheap since it was a pretty big building withplete facilities, but Ss-san insisted on the price. I hope it doesnt cause trouble for the rest of the Commerce Guild though.


    We finally have our Home now.


    Yes. Well all be living here starting today, Cleria said with a smile.


    Oh, right! I made these for all of us. Try it on, everyone.


    I secretly made badges for all of us. It had a secure hook, so you could fasten it to your clothes or pocket.


    This is!?


    Selena and Sharon let out surprised gasps.


    The badges had the insignia of the Red Fleet on them. It was also the insignia ced on the hulls of every ship included in the fleet. It was a stylized supernova, so it also fit our party and n, Shining Star, perfectly.


    This is a badge for Shining Star!? This symbol represents a brilliant star, right?


    Yep. Its pretty cool huh?


    Yes! Its wonderful! Lets put them on, everyone!


    The girls found the badges to their liking, so they became our ns official badges. Of course, I had prepared a hundred more badges as well. These will help strengthen the sense of solidarity within our fledgling organization. Ill give these to the rest of the n members as well.


    Okay then. Now that weve moved, what do you girls want to do for the rest of the day? I was thinking of setting out for a monster hunt.


    I think thats a good idea. Weve used up quite a bit of our funds after all. Well have to start earning money again soon.


    The rest of the party also agreed to my suggestion.


    I see. Okay then. Well hunt monsters today and set out tomorrow for bandit hunting. How about it, everyone?


    The girls all nodded in agreement.


    We prepared straight away and set out on horseback. We only had two horses when we first got to this city, but we purchased an additional three a few days back, so now we had five. The three of them were good horses like Tarth and Syrah as well. Oh, and it cost us a total of 100,000 Guineas for all three.


    I reviewed the habitat info scouted by D-1 and decided to aim for easy ones for now. Well hunt some Gray Hounds and Orcs then. There werent really a lot of Orcs to take down, but its been a while since we dedicated a full day for monster hunting. It should work out.


    The monster hunting went without any trouble, and we returned to Gantz by four in the afternoon. Our harvest for today was 85 Gray Hounds and 12 Orcs.


    As a bonus, we managed to take down a Big Boar as well while on our way back to Gantz. I immediately drained its blood, removed the innards, and tied it to two of our horses to carry it back. This is a pretty nice bonus. Ill process it with our employees back at our Hometer.


    Everyones magic has improved considerably after dedicating twenty days for training. I didnt want to get left behind, so I participated in the training sessions as well and learned a new spell; Light Arrow. Its overall power was about half of a me Arrow, but it was really fast. It was a great anti-personnel spell.


    We reached the main city gates and greeted the guards on duty.


    Oh, if it isnt Shining Star. Thats a pretty huge Big Boar you bagged there.


    Yes, we were quite lucky, Cleria answered genially.


    It seems that Cleria and the girls became quite familiar with the guards after thesest twenty days. They were a group of beautifuldies, so I imagine the guards had the time of their lives trying to chat them up as well.


    We were allowed passage and entered the city. I had the rest bring the Big Boar back to our Home while I headed to the Adventurers Guild to exchange todays harvest of proofs and magic stones for cash.


    Our total earnings for today amounted to 38,750 Guineas. Not bad for a days work.


    I went back to the Home and took my horse to the stables. I found Teo there. He was being taught by one of the staff about how to take care of the horses.


    It looks like youre working hard huh, Teo.


    Oh! Br Uh, n-sama.


    He now changed the way he addressed me. Honestly, I would have preferred being called bro instead of n-sama, but this was also part of Teos training, so I have to get used to it.


    Do your best.


    I also tried to have Sally-san and the rest of the employees to stop calling me so formally, but I ended up getting lectured and told that as the leader of the n, I had to get used to being addressed in a way that fit my position, and that it would also be for the benefit of those under me. Sally-san was especially strict.


    I entered the bath and heard the others call me for dinner after a while, so I dried myself up and went to the dining area.


    It felt a bit lonely since there were only five of us sitting in the middle of arge dining room.


    Tonights menu was rice, cream stew, and vegetable sd. I handed some recipes to our cook, Routal-san, and it looks like he made some of them for us tonight. By the way, Routal-san worked at a restaurant as a professional chef before, and the rest of his family ended up working for us as well.


    Its good.


    Yes. But its still a bit different from the food you cook, n.


    Thats right. Theres definitely something different.


    Really? Itd probably turn out much like this even if I was the one who cooked yknow. Oh, by the way, lets have a meeting after the meal. Lets gather at the n officeter.


    After our dinner, we gathered at the n office on the fourth floor. After everybody found their seats around therge table inside the office, I spread out a map of the surrounding area and the highways. I made this map by copying sections of it on separate sheets of paper and then pasting them together.


    I managed to scout out a bandit hideout around this area. They have a fairlyrge number of members. Theres probably around thirty or so of them.


    Just how Haah, fine. Thirty is quite a number indeed. We can probably capture them all, but we would have a hard time transporting them, Elna pointed out.


    Yeah, thats right. But this is where those chain handcuffs I bought a few days backe in handy. Well go around on our carriage in order to serve as bait for the bandits. The main road branches out at this point, and were gonna enter this section over here. Since theres quite a bit of distance to cover, we may need to camp out for a night. Any questions?


    Everyone shook their heads.


    It looks like they have no problems with my n. Well, it just goes to show how confident theyve all be.


    Well set off two hours after dawn tomorrow. So be sure to sleep early tonight guys.


    Everyone nodded and started heading out of the office to go to their respective rooms. But before Sharon managed to step out, she turned around and called out to me.


    Oh, n. I was thinking of adding a pocket on one side of our adventurer clothes, just below the shoulder, to clip our badges on. Would you like me to add one on your clothes as well?


    Ill help too, Selena offered.


    After hearing Sharons suggestion, everyone agreed to ce pockets on the left side of their clothes for attaching the badges.


    That sounds good. Ill leave it to you then.


    I then handed them some of my clothes. It looks like they were nning to finish some tonight.


    After drinking a bit of wine, I turned in early for the night.


    We headed out on schedule the next morning. The girls were pretty pumped for our first bandit hunting expedition. We exited Gantz and headed out to the highway.


    We were attacked by Gray Hounds along the way, but the girls handled them swiftly without my help.


    Its a bit early, but how about taking a break and having lunch here?


    Yes, that sounds lovely, Elna agreed.


    We were near a resting spot along the highway. I researched the ce in advance of course. The timing was spot on.


    Everyone ate the sandwiches prepared by Routal-san this morning. By the time we finished eating, I finally spotted a certain group of people traveling along the highway.


    Theres quite a lot of them. Lets stay on alert, Elna warned.


    The group was now less than 100 meters away from us. Someone broke out from the group on horseback and started approaching us. It looks like they finally noticed us.


    Hey, Cleria. How about you wave toward them? Theyre probably people you know.


    Cleria looked confused at first, but she understood what I meant after a few moments, and frantically began waving at the group on the highway with both hands with a half-disbelieving expression on her pretty face.

 Chapter 60.1 - Bandit Subjugation (Part 1)

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    I doubted my ears when I heard ns words. Some people I know? In a ce like this?


    Wait! Perhaps they are the members of my royal guards!? Yes, thats most likely it! ns words have never been off the mark ever since I first met him. I started waving at the person on horseback who was approaching us.


    The person noticed me and stopped the horse in its tracks. The person looked quite cautious. Well, I do admit our group looked fairly suspicious from a distance. The person stopped the group of carriages and horsemen trailing behind him and started approaching us. When he came within fifty meters of us, he kicked his horse and had it approach us in a run. Yes, the man on horseback was definitely Dalshim!


    Your Highness! It truly is Your Highness! What in the Goddesss name are you doing all the way out here!?


    Dalshim jumped off of his horse and knelt before me.


    Its been a while, Dalshim!


    I found it quite surprising that I was conversing in such a casual tone with a member of my former royal guards.


    Oh! Yes, it truly has been a while, Your Highness!


    Dalshim signaled for the group on the road toe close, and they all came to the clearing that served as a resting spot where our carriage was currently parked.


    Its Her Highness!


    Oh! Princess!


    Our princess!


    Ah! Its the rest of the royal guards. But there were some people I wasnt familiar with mixed among them.


    It has been a while, everyone! Im d you all look in good health.


    What are you doing in a ce like this, princess? Did you perhaps somehow get wind that we wereing and came to receive us?


    I nced at n. Im sure it was n who found out that the royal guards were going to take this route. It wouldnt have hurt to inform me beforehand though! Honestly.


    No, its nothing like that, actually. Were in the middle of doing a request for the Adventurers Guild.


    Oh! What a coincidence this is then! Its as if we were predestined to meet. We were actually worried we wouldnt be able to meet up with Her Highness right away once we arrived at Gantz.


    Yes, that would have been the case. We should have nned some measures beforehand. What an oversight.


    Yes, youre right. We didnt think you would arrive this fast. We havent thought up any measures for meeting up yet. We nearly missed each other.


    Quickly inform the others following behind us. Have them hurry up and gather here!


    Dalshim shouted orders to one of his men who were unfamiliar to me. The man got on his horse again and hastened back to the main road. So they still had others following after them?


    You still have others following after you? Well, you do seem a bit too few in number.


    Yes. We traveled in separate groups since such arge number of people would attract too much unwanted attention.


    Dalshims mouth curled into a sly grin. Was there something else?


    It has been quite some time, n-sama. Everyone as well.


    Yes, its good to see you again, Captain Dalshim.


    Selena, Sharon, and Elna also gave their greetings.


    And before long, the rest of the group under Dalshim arrived one after the other. It looks like everyone rushed here as fast as they could.


    Your Highness!


    Cleria-sama!


    The group gave their greetings one after another. Even though I can no longer be considered royalty, everyone still treated me with the utmost respect. I was so touched that I nearly teared up.


    Everyone knelt before me reverently. Before long, all of the men Captain Dalshim brought with him finally gathered in the clearing. How strange. No matter how I look at them, their numbers seem far more than fifty-eight. Everyone quieted down.


    Captain Dalshim, this number?


    Forty-two elite members of thete Earls personal troops havee with us as well. All of them are as skilled as the royal guards. All in all, we have one hundred people gathered here.


    I see. No wonder there are a lot of new faces among them. So they were part of my uncles private troops I noticed the man who was kneeling right beside Dalshim.


    Yes, I remember you. You certainly were part of my uncles men. I think your name was Walter, if I remember correctly.


    I called out to the man kneeling beside Dalshim.


    I cant believe it! To think you remember this humble knights name, Princess! I am honored beyond words. Yes, we did meet each other on one or two asions. I am currently serving as the representative of thete Earls personal troops.


    I see. I shall be in your care then, Walter.


    Oh, dear Goddess! I had no idea this many would answer my call!


    Everyone! You have journeyed far toe here. I am truly d to meet all of you again.


    We are unworthy of your grace, Your Highness.


    Just as youve heard everyone, we are currently aiming for bing the absolute best adventurers in this country. Please lend us your powers as well everyone, and let us aim for the top together.


    By your will!


    Yes, Your Highness!


    You mentioned that you were in the middle of a quest earlier, didnt you, Your Highness? What type of quest is it?


    Bandit hunting.


    Everyone looked surprised.


    My word! And you are nning onpleting such a dangerous quest with just five people?


    There is no problem. We five are more than enough.


    Oh! It surely is through the Goddesss providence that we met Your Highness here. There is no need for you to risk yourself for such a quest. Please allow us to smite those foul bandits in your stead.


    Cleria, this isnt a ce thats suitable to discuss such things yknow. Theres a more suitable spot just a short distance away. How about we all move there first, and then discuss things further?


    Oh, Ipletely forgot to introduce n to everyone!


    Everyone! Forgive me for thete introduction. This is n, and hes the current leader of our party and n, Shining Star.


    Hello everyone. Im the party and n leader of Shining Star, n. Going forward, all of you will also enlist as official n members. I am looking forward to working hard with you all.


    Yes!


    We will be in your care, n-sama!


    This is great. Everyone seems to approve of n.


    Well then, let us do as n suggested and move to a morefortable spot. We will have to return to the highway for a bit, so please prepare ordingly.


    Yes!


    Have each group prepare to go back on the road! Hurry!


    Everyone went back to the main road with our carriage in the lead. After about three hours, we finally arrived at the ce n talked about. As we alighted from the carriage, I saw a wide and spacious riverbank. There would be no problem for more than one hundred people to gather here along with the carriages and horses.


    Prepare for camp! Assign the lookouts!


    Dalshim, there is no need to assign lookouts.


    Everyone suddenly stopped in their tracks.


    Whatever do you mean, Your Highness?


    n and the girls Selena and Sharon over there can all cast scanning and detection magic. There is no monster that can avoid detection.


    Scanning magic What manner of magic spell is that!?


    Cleria.


    n informed me that he had spotted monsters in the distance via hand signs. There were three Gray Hounds. He also told me their distance from us as well as their general direction. Recently, we have improved upon the hand signs further so now we also have certain signs for particr monsters.


    I shall show you proof then. There are three Gray Houndsing over from that direction. They should reach us within thirty seconds.


    Everyone moved their gaze to the direction I pointed my finger toward. And under the gazes of everyone, three Gray Hounds appeared from the thickets after roughly thirty seconds. They were about sixty meters away from us.


    Oooh!


    The Gray Hounds stopped in their tracks for a moment. They were facing quite the number after all.


    I will finish them off myself.


    Iunched the three ming arrows I prepared earlier. I tried to copy n recently and the speed of my arrows has definitely improved.


    The three ming arrows sailed through the air and headed straight for the surprised Gray Hounds. They tried to avoid them, but it was no use.


    Oooooh!


    Splendid!


    A wonderful show of skill, Your Highness!


    Can somebody collect the magic stones please?


    Ill do it!


    A number of the knights volunteered.


    It seems we have greatly underestimated your current prowess, n-sama, Your Highness.


    n and the rest are already keeping watch. As I said, there is no need for lookouts anymore. Instead of that, I want to talk with you all about what youve experienced this far. Let us discuss in earnest once the camp is ready.


    Understood. Hurry and set up camp!

 Chapter 60.2 - Bandit Subjugation (Part 2)

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Everyone started to move around the ce in a hurry. I also moved along and went over to the carriage in order to unharness Tarth and Syrah.


    Sharon, Selena, Im sorry but can you two secure our dinner for tonight? The river looks shallow so I dont think there would be fish to catch, n instructed.


    Roger.


    Understood.


    n, shall I also hunt some game for dinner?


    Its fine, Cleria. It looks like everyone is already anxious to share their stories with you. Just stay here and keep thempany.


    I suppose I shall do as n says. Sharon and Selena took up their rifles and slung them over their backs. They then climbed on Tarth and Syrah and rode away to hunt.


    Would they truly be alright on their own, Your Highness? They look like delicate and fair maidens.


    Fufu. Sharon and Selena arent the delicate maidens you think them to be, Dalshim. In terms of martial arts skills, they may be the strongest among all of us. They are even more skilled than n in martial arts after all.


    More skilled than n-sama!? My word


    Ill have them spar with you all next time.


    n started making those earthen toilets he createdst time with his Earth magic spells. A crowd quickly formed around him.


    Your Highness, that is!?


    Hes making toilets for us. They are quite splendid by the way.


    How truly amazing! I have witnessed the court mages create simple walls made of earth before as well, but I have never seen them make structures that are so borate.


    n made three toilets for the men and one toilet for the women in less than twenty minutes. He then started exining how to use them to everyone. It looks like he wasnt going to put up earthen huts this time. Perhaps its because he may be able to create enough for the party, but not for the rest of the knights. Thats so like n.


    n then went over to our carriage and brought out arge metal te. It was a t board with a length of more than one meter and a height of 80 centimeters. It was my first time seeing it.


    What is that, n?


    I had the cksmith workshop make it for me. Were going to use this to roast meat.


    n then made an earthen stove to ce the metal te on using magic and started gathering firewood afterward. Gathering firewood would pose no problem since there were a lot of dried twigs and branches scattered around the riverbank.


    After a while more, Sharon and Selena returned with their catch. Two Big Boars that looked to be at least 50 kilos each were pulled by Tarth and Syrah via rope. Selena and Sharon also held one Big Bird each. As expected, the two of them really were quite capable.


    Amazing! To think that they managed to catch this much in such a short time. You lot, hurry up and help thedies with the game and prepare for butchering them!


    Yes!


    A group of twenty knights received the hunted game and started butchering them. n instructed them on how to properly cut the meat.


    mes blossomed on the bottom of the stove and the preparations for grilling the meat was finally done. Everyone then gathered around the stove. Everyone probably had not eaten a satisfying meal since they started traveling on the road. I have truly troubled them.


    Cleria, its a bit early, but how about having dinner now?


    Everyone! Im sure we have plenty to discuss, but for now, let us have dinner first!


    Yes!


    n selected two of the knights as helpers and gave them metal spats. He then started grilling the meat along with them. They used a simplebination of salt and pepper as the voring. Perhaps due to the high heat of the mes, the first batch of grilled meat was done in no time. I see. So that iron te will allow arge amount of meat to be grilled at the same time. The grilled meat slices were ced onto arge te. There were quite a number of tableware ced right beside the te for everyone to use.


    Please go ahead and sit, Your Highness.


    The knights set up some foldable chairs and had me, Dalshim, and Elna sit on them. They then gave each of us a serving of grilled meat slices. There was abination of thin Big Boar and ck Bird slices on the te.


    The voring was simple but delicious. Somehow, I felt that the meat was even more delicious than the meals that restaurants served. No, perhaps its the presence of everyone here eating happily that has made me feel this way.


    Go ahead and eat as well, Dalshim. The meat is very delicious.


    If youll excuse me then, Your Highness.


    Dalshim brought a piece of meat to his mouth and ate it. After about an hour, everyone seems to have eaten their fill. Since it was already dark, the illumination magic tools were brought out, and several bonfires were also lit around the camp.


    Everyone then sat down with me in the center.


    I want to hear your report first. What is the situation of ourrades who have scattered throughout thend and went into hiding?


    Yes. They are doing fine for now. There have been no reports of deserters until now, so I believe they are doing well for themselves.


    The one who answered was the current representative of myte uncles private troops, Walter.


    I see. But I am more concerned about their families. Im sure there were also a lot of families that have lost their breadwinners as a result of the coup. What about them? How are they doing now?


    Roberto-sama has distributed the money he received from Your Highness as fairly as he could.


    I shall be direct in asking then. Was the money we sent enough or was it stillcking?


    Unfortunately, it still wasnt enough.


    As I thought. Well then, that means we have to do our absolute best from now on. We have already managed to earn at least a million Guineas during our stay here. Once we return to Gantz, we will send the money to them immediately. Will that be alright with you, n?


    Of course.


    You are saying you managed to earn a million Guineas in such a short period, Your Highness?


    It was mostly n who earned the money though.


    Wait, thats not right. We earned the money as a party, okay?


    Yes. That we did. Is there anything else of import you wish to tell me?


    The taxes in Starveek Kingdom have dramatically risen since the change in regime and the people are bing increasingly dissatisfied.


    Ah, we have also heard about that as well. Its all the more reason to retake our kingdom as soon as we can. Anything else?


    Nothing else of import, Your Highness.


    Alright then. I will now ry our progress during our stay in Gantz to you all. However, we have not undertaken requests as adventurers in Gantz all that much as of now. But we have managed to secure a Home for our new n and improved our magic skills.


    Your Highness, the Home that you speak of is like our main base, correct? We thank you dearly for doing so much for our sake. How many people can the new Home amodate?


    The number of rooms can amodate a total of 120 people if I remember correctly.


    Come to think of it, it actually seems that n somehow knew how many people wereing over in advance. But perhaps I am just overthinking things.


    Then all of us will be able to stay in the new Home?


    Thats how it is.


    That is wonderful! I was actually thinking of booking rooms at several cheap inns once we arrive, but now we dont have to. However, wouldnt such a big building cost a lot of money to rent?


    Do not worry. n has negotiated with the guild chief of the Commerce Guild and secured a discounted price for us.


    Oh! As expected of n-sama!


    And thats not all. n also managed to negotiate for profitable designated quests from the Commerce Guild. This bandit subjugation quest is one of them.


    Oh! However, isnt it reckless to attempt the subjugation of an entire band of low-lives with just the five of you, Your Highness?


    I understand why you would feel that way, but a mere thirty or so bandits are not a problem for our party whatsoever.


    Thirty!? Did you just say thirty, Your Highness?


    Everyone started getting restless.


    This is information n has scouted in advance. We will proceed to subdue those thirty bandits tomorrow.


    Uh, Cleria, Im sorry. It actually seems that there are thirty-five bandits.


    I see. Well, thirty-five it is then.


    Everyone started getting even more restless.


    What do you think, Dame Norian?


    Dalshim turned toward Elna and asked in an imploring tone. Its not as if I do not understand what Dalshim was trying to say. If you think about it under normal circumstances, he truly had a point. However, our party, Shining Star, with n leading us, can surely do it.

 Chapter 60.3 - Bandit Subjugation (Part 3)

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    I also think there would be no problems. However, thats if n leads us.


    Yes, I agree as well. If n wasnt present, going for bandit subjugation tomorrow would certainly be far more difficult. Reckless, even


    Lets just see whether or not its reckless tomorrow, Cleria. I will have everyone participate tomorrow as well, so they will be able to witness our current prowess firsthand.


    Yes, by all means. Please let us lend our assistance. Well, if possible, we would like you all to leave it to us instead, however


    No. Its Shining Star that took up this quest in the first ce. That just wont do.


    Cleria, Captain Dalshim, lets discuss our ns in more detail tomorrow morning.


    Understood, n-sama.


    Afterward, we rted to everyone about how we attacked the orc settlement and hunted down the General Orc, how we took down the Blue Serpent and the fact that we were just recently all promoted to B rank. It got very lively.


    By the way, Your Highness. I have been curious about this since earlier. What are those things you have pinned on your left chests?


    Oh, these? These are Shining Stars official emblems. They have the insignia of a brilliantly shining star. They are great, arent they?


    Yes! Such wonderful craftsmanship! Would it be possible for us all to obtain one as well?


    Of course it is. This is the ns emblem after all.


    n got up and headed toward our carriage. Did he perhaps make more of our emblems? But he couldnt have made that many, could he? After a short while, he came back carrying arge sack.


    It just so happens that I made quite a lot of those emblems, Captain Dalshim. Can you please distribute these to everyone?


    Oh! Thats wonderful! How many emblems are there in this sack?


    I think theres enough for everyone. I made quite a lot after all.


    Understood. Alright, you lot! Form up into three rows!


    Three rows of expectant knights formed up in front of Dalshim immediately. Everyone looked quite excited. Some of them attached their respective emblems to the pockets of their clothes, and some pinned them to their left breasts just like us.


    n, just why did you make more than a hundred emblems anyway?


    I thought the ns members would increase sooner orter, so I made them in advance. Im a man who prepares and ns ahead after all.


    How very suspicious. I feel that n somehow knew just how many people would arrive beforehand. It would still stand to reason if he just made extras just as he imed, but there was no reason to purposefully bring them with us at this time.


    We decided to start our preparations by daybreak, so we turned in early for the night. I had Dalshim refrain from assigning people for night watch duty as well.


    n and the rests scanning magic is very effective. They will immediately wake up if monsters approach our camp, so there is no need to keep watch at night.


    Thats! No, I understand. It shall be so then.


    Even so, Dalshim and the rest still positioned themselves around us when we slept. Well, I do understand their doubts.


    The next day, after having the leftovers fromst night as our breakfast, n gathered themanding officers among the knights for a strategy meeting. Well, we ended up surrounded by the rest of the knights just like yesterday though.


    n brought out a map that looked like a smaller version of the one he showed to us back at the Home.


    First, take a look at this map. ording to the info I managed to obtain, the bandits have set up a lot of traps in this area. There are about twenty-seven to twenty-eight bandits manning the various traps at a given time. The remaining seven or eight bandits stay inside their hideout and stand guard over it.


    If you have discovered their location, then why dont you leave it to us to storm the ce?


    No. The bandits have stationed several scouts around the area. If we went at them with a great number of people, theyll just run away and hide instead of engaging us. Of course, since we know the location of their hideout, its also possible to surround and corner them with our numbers, but that would take too much time. It would be better and faster to take them out all at once.


    However


    Dalshim, the ns leader is n.


    Yes! Forgive me for stepping out of line, n-sama.


    We will make use of our carriages for this assault. If we remove all of the luggage, it would be possible to fit fourteen people inside them. The ones who will board the carriages will be archers and those who know magic or are adept in defense. How many are magic casters among the knights?


    There are seventy-five knights who are capable of casting spells. Shall we take care of the personnel selection on our end?


    Yes, please. In addition to the carriages, please form two squads with twenty people each. It would be best for them to know magic and archery as well. If possible, they should know their way around mountainous terrain and can trek up to them without making too much noise.


    Understood.


    Our basic strategy is quite simple. The two 20-man squads will make a big detour over here in order to position themselves behind the bandits. Once they are in position, we will start traversing the road via the carriages. Once the bandits get baited into attacking us, we will spring the trap and pincer them with the help of the ambush squads. Thats about it.


    How will we signal the attack?


    n pointed toward the sky and looked up. Everyone followed his gaze. A fireballunched out from his finger and flew upward for about thirty meters, and then burst with a loud explosion.


    Oooh!


    Lets use this as the signal.


    Just what was that spell!? No, its nothing. Forgive me.


    The ambush squads will bemanded by Sharon and Selena since both of them are proficient in scanning magic.


    Understood!


    Those who cannot join with the carriage squads and ambush squads will wait just behind the highway and should rush out once the signal goes off. And thats our strategy. Any more questions?


    n swept his gaze around everyone, but it looks like they dont have anything to add. They dont seem to have any more questions since it was quite a simple strategy.


    As Dalshim and Walter organized the rest of the troops, preparations for unloading the luggage off the carriages also went underway.


    We tested just how many would fit in inside one carriage after we unloaded it as well.


    n-sama, we have finished selecting and organizing the squads.


    The squads were lined up in orderly groups. Everyone seemed to be filled with enthusiasm for todays operation. n walked around and scrutinized the newly formed squads.


    Good. Lets begin!


    An additional twelve people boarded our carriage with us since Selena and Sharon will be acting separately.


    Atst, the operation has begun!


    It has been four hours since we left the campsite. Our bandit subjugation mission turned out to be a lot livelier than expected. Of course, if we wanted to simply capture the bandits, us five members of the Shining Star party would be able to aplish it without any problem. However, we decided to let everyone fight together with us this time.


    These new n members would probably serve as the core forces for our n of uniting the entire continent in the future. Thus we will need them to gain as much experience as possible, as well as learn to coborate with us and grow. No, its actually the opposite. We would need to learn from these veterans and grow as well. However, it wasnt necessary to put everyones lives in danger for the sake of training. I will ensure that no casualties will ur.


    It should be about time. I stopped our carriage and got off the coachmans seat. The ones behind me stopped as well.


    Ambush team, form your squads, and deploy immediately.


    Roger!


    Selena and Sharon rode on the carriages used by the ambush team. They would contact me viamster.


    The team formed into two squads immediately and headed for the mountains in two separate directions. Of course, Ive already scouted the terrain with the drone in advance. With the girls in the lead, they would be able to reach their positions easily.


    After an hour or so, Sharon and Selena informed me that they were already in position.


    Yosh. Its about time. Were moving out.

 Chapter 60.4 - Bandit Subjugation (Part 4)

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    We advanced via carriages again and were now just 500 meters away from the position of the bandits. I disyed the aerial video feed taken by the drone on a virtual window. There were fourteen bandits on the left side of the road and another fourteen on the right. I witnessed them chatting leisurely with each other as well. They havent noticed us yet.


    Selena and Sharons squads were positioned about 70 meters behind the bandits. They would probably begin sneaking up on the bandits once weve closed the distance further.


    Once we were just 400 meters away from the bandits, a bandit scout up on one of the trees finally noticed our presence. He quickly signaled to hisrades and informed them to get ready.


    Were now just 50 meters away. Selena and Sharons squads have closed upon the bandits gradually. They were now just 30 meters behind them.


    Fifty meters to target. One scout armed with a bow on top of the tree on the right. Thirty meters from the scout are other bandit bowmen. Theres five on each side of the road.


    Elna didnt show any outward signs that she had received information about the bandits positions. They were probably nning to surprise us with arrow fire first. Lets not give them the chance to fire their bows and take them out right away.


    When we neared the scouts position, he and the other bandits started raising their bows but didnt pull them yet. They also didnt aim their bows on the right side of the carriage where Elna was. They probably nned to capture Elna after noticing that she was a beautiful woman.


    I pointed toward the sky andunched a Fire Grenade spell. With the explosion as the signal, I started the attack byunching Light Arrows toward the ten bandit bow wielders I locked on to earlier. Next was the scout on the tree. After incapacitating him with a Light Arrow, I shot down the arrow he fired with my rifle.


    Everyone then jumped out of the carriages and bellowed a loud war cry as they charged toward the bandits.


    I stood on the coachmans seat and scanned the battlefield with my rifle in hand. Screams resounded one after another from the hiding ces of the rest of the bandits. It looks like Selena and Sharon have also begun their attack.


    Elna blew away the bandits who ran to the highway in order to attack the carriages with Air Bullets. Screams and angry shouts echoed along the road for a while, but they soon died down.


    The bandits were kicked out onto the highway one after another.


    Did somebody get injured!?


    It looks like there was no injured personnel this time.


    We really did finish them all in a sh, n-sama! I didnt even have the chance to make my move.


    Captain Dalshim sounded a bit regretful, but he also looked relieved because there was no one injured among our men.


    Im the same, n. I waste in getting off the carriage so I didnt get to defeat even a single bandit.


    Cleria sulked cutely on the side.


    Yosh. Disarm the bandits and gather them on one spot. Oh, and dont forget to collect the bandits belongings, including their equipment, weapons, and valuables!


    Sharon and Selenas squads also came out to the highway. I checked up on them and found them all safe as well. The ambush team yed a big part in our sess, so they were all in an ted mood.


    Sharon-donos lead was splendid. We moved to a perfect spot behind the bandits and caught them unawares the moment the signal rang out.


    Selena-donos lead was more impressive! We were able to approach within an arms length of the bandits without getting noticed after all.


    It looks like both of them managed to get along with their respective squads. I bet the bandits were far too focused on the carriages so they failed to notice the threat directly behind them.


    When the ambushmenced, the remaining knights positioned behind the highway also joined the fray, so the bandits stood no chance.


    The surrounded bandits were all in a daze. Since I instructed that the bandits should be kept alive if possible, there were none of them who were unable to walk due to their injuries. The knights gathered them up and secured them all with the chain cuffs I ordered from the cksmith workshop.


    Lets head to the bandit hideout next, Captain Dalshim. Its about four kilometers east of here. Twenty men should be enough to keep an eye on the bandits here. It isnt exactly necessary to bring a lot of men to subdue the remaining bandits, but there may be items worth bringing back with us inside their hideout.


    Understood.


    Captain Dalshim bellowedmands in session and organized the knights. It looks like one squad from the ambush team would be remaining behind.


    We then entered the mountain and headed for the bandit hideout. After about an hour, we finally reached an area near the bandit hideout. From the info gathered by the drones multi-sensor, all the people present within the hideout were bandits, and there was a low chance of kidnapped people being kept inside. We should finish them off quickly then.


    Thats the bandit hideout over there. There are two guards outside.


    That certainly seems to be the case. What is our next move?


    Theres only seven of them left. Lets charge in openly.


    The guards noticed us approaching and ran inside their hideout in panic. The hideout, which was another cave, was a dead end. The bandits had nowhere left to run.


    We approached the cave openly and entered straight away. Of course, I was keeping eye on the location of the bandits with the drones multi-sensor.


    Once we arrived at a corner at the deepest part of the cave, I signaled for the men to stop. I then called out to the cornered bandits.


    Oi! We have eighty men with us here. Id just obediently surrender if I were you guys!


    Shaddup! Jus try an get closer, ya bastards! Well skewer you full of arrows!


    This is just a waste of time. I copied what Elna did earlier and sted all the spots within the cave that provided cover with multiple Air Bullets. Theres no need to aim, so it was pretty easy.


    Screams like Gyaaah! and Arrrgh! echoed within the cave. Oops. I didnt think the spells would kick up this much dust. When the dust cloud settled, we found the bandits sprawled on the cave floor. After seeing that, some of the knights behind me threw themselves at the bandits and apprehended them all.


    Dont forget to secure the loot, everyone.


    In the innermost part of the cave, we found several wooden boxes and chests piled together. I wonder whats inside them all.


    Captain Dalshim, check the containers and retrieve all that we can carry out.


    Understood.


    Everyone started opening the boxes and chests one after the other.


    Captain! We found a locked chest over here!


    I and Captain Dalshim approached the knight who called out. Hm. It really was a locked chest. And a prettyrge one too. I took out my electromaic deknife and cut the locks in two.


    Amazing!


    What was contained inside was a huge stockpile of Guineas, as I expected. Oh, aside from Guineas, there were also gems, nes, bracelets, and the like inside. There were lots of gold coins. Looks like we hit the jackpot.


    This is the true charm of bandit hunting!


    This is quite the big haul!


    Yes. It was worthing all the way out here. Divide the loot and carry them out of here.


    Understood.


    Captain Dalshim continued checking the contents of each of the boxes and chests and gave his orders. I wasnt familiar with which stuff was valuable, so I refrained from participating.


    In the end, we only left less than ten percent of the items inside the cave. The loot was divided between the eighty knights we brought with us and carried out. We then walked back to the highway. It took us another hour or so. However, the knights didnt look tired at all. Instead, their faces were all radiant and their steps were light. Of course, they would be happy. It was a rather good haul after all.


    We loaded all the loot inside the carriages, secured the remaining bandits with chain cuffs, and finished our preparations for departure.


    Yosh! Lets go back to the campsite!


    Yes!


    We drove the carriages and traveled back. Hmm. It should be fine at this distance.


    (D-1, go back to the cave and destroy it thoroughly. Make sure that no other bandits will be able to make use of it as a base again.)


    Acknowledged.


    Um, n Did you hear something just now?


    No, not really. Whats wrong?


    Wow. Elna has some really sharp ears. Ill have to take note of this next time.

 Chapter 61.1 - Clan Founding Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    It took us five hours to get back to the campsite, and we arrived there a little over 17:00 hours. Its begun to get dark already, so we decided to procure some wild game for dinner first. Everyones spirits seemed bright, and peals ofughter rang out from different parts of the campsite from time to time.


    The captured bandits were all dumped 50 meters away from the campsite on Captain Dalshims orders. They were all chained up securely and had five knights keeping an eye on them. All the bandits were injured to varying degrees, and they slumped down on the ground in dejection. It was probably because they no longer had any hopes of making an escape.


    Cleria was surrounded by everyone else and looked like she was having a great time. The knights were eating happily while talking to her. They were probably talking about todays events. I and the rest of the Shining Star party were gathered a short distance away from them to give them all some space.


    Oh, yeah. Hey, Elna. Why do some of the knights call Cleria Your Royal Highness while some simply call her Princess?


    Oh, that. Well, its the members of the Royal Guard who use the appetion Your Highness, while the members of the earls former forces call Cleria-sama Princess instead.


    Whats the reason for that though?


    The men from the earls forces consider Cleria-sama as the rightful sessor of the Ludvic House first and foremost.


    For them, who have pledged their loyalty to the Ludvic House, the status of Cleria-sama as its heir is given more priority than her status as a member of the royal family.


    However, it is undeniable that Cleria-sama is also the royal princess of the Starveek Kingdom. This would normally not be tolerated, but since Cleria-sama allowed it, they have continued to address her as Princess till now.


    Its quiteplicated huh.


    Cleria-sama swore to restore the Ludvic House to its former glory after all. One day, she will surely revive the Ludvic House as a branch of the royal family.


    Thats why, in a sense, she truly is a princess of the Ludvic House.


    Hasnt Cleria-sama discussed branch families with you, n?


    No, I dont believe she did.


    I see She will probably discuss it with you one of these days.


    Well, Elnas already given me a gist, so its not like I need to hear the details again anyway.


    We then turned in for the night early and after deciding to leave first thing in the morning.


    The next morning, we departed from the campsite as soon as daybreak came. We had a total of about 140 people traveling the road, including us Shining Star members and the captured bandits. We probably looked pretty strange to other travelers. It would probably be for the best if we sent some runners ahead whenever we encountered another group of travelers to exin about us.


    In the afternoon, we did encounter a group of twenty people. They seemed like traveling merchants. However, there was nomotion raised due to the runners we sent out. That didnt stop them from giving us puzzled gazes though


    As we neared Gantz, we encountered more and more groups, but since we were near a city already, at least they wouldnt suspect us as bandits at first sighting. We had no trouble the rest of the way.


    And at two oclock in the afternoon, we finally reached Gantz.


    Hey, stop right there! Huh, arent you guys from Shining Star? What is up with those people chained up at the back?


    These are the bandits we captured. Theres thirty-five of them. We caught them for a request made by the Commerce Guild.


    The Commerce Guild Wait, dont tell me you guys managed to catch all thirty-five of them by yourselves?


    No, not really. We had the help of the adventurers behind us. They are the members of the new n were founding.


    You mean all the adventurers lined up over there will be your members!? I thought they seemed pretty organized, but How many are they in total?


    There are a hundred people all in all. Wed like to hand over the bandits first though


    W-Wait a moment! Ill call some more men here. Just wait there for a bit.


    Of the two gate guards, one ran back to their station to report and fetch more guards. After a short while, he returned with ten more guards in tow.


    Hou, this is So youre the rumored Shining Star?


    Someone who looked like the guard captain called out to us.


    Thats right. Im the leader of Shining Star, n. Its a pleasure to meet you, sir.


    So I was told you managed to capture thirty-five bandits and brought a hundred members for your new n back with you as well. Is this true?


    Thats right, sir.


    I see. My name is Guido. Im basically the leader of this lot here. Best regards.


    Thank you. Were looking forward to working with you all as well.


    Well need to borrow the chain cuffs you used to secure these bandits for now. Well return them to the inn youre staying at after we bring these guys to the holding cells.


    Understood. Well then, can you please deliver them back to the Home previously used by the Great Storm n?


    Hou, so you managed to get that ce for yourselves huh Understood. Oi! Take them away!


    The guards took the bandits off our hands.


    Captain! Please take a look at this guys face!


    A guard suddenly called out to the captain. I also tagged along to see what the fuss was about.


    Hou, that sure is a familiar mug. Oi! Somebody get me the bounty poster!


    A guard ran back to the station and brought the bounty poster with him when he returned. Captain Guido took the poster from the guard and brought it near the face of one of the bandits.


    Youre the ck Wolf Kuntz, arent you?


    The bandit looked down on the ground and kept silent.


    Fine. Well pry your mouth open eventually. Take them away, boys!


    The guards finally led the thirty-five captured bandits away.


    So youre called n, right? I have good news for you. That was a high-ranked bounty target you got. The rest of them are probably ck Wolf members as well. You caught quite a big fish.


    I see. So they were a pretty infamous bandit group huh. So, how much are we getting?


    Guys like him have plenty of people after his head. Id have to check the current bounty amount, so I cant say for sure right here.


    I see. So its that kind of system huh. Man, bandit hunting really is profitable. Come to think of it, we made quite a lot of money out of the first group of bandits we captured a while back as well.


    You managed to nab quite a lot of them too, so we need about five days or so to settle everything and calcte the final amount.


    I understand. Ill pay you a visit after five days then.


    Please do.


    Since it would take quite some time for the guards to check everyone out, I entered the city first to finish some of our business.


    Ill go ahead to the Commerce Guild first. Ill leave everyone to you, guys.


    I left the task of leading our new members back to our Home to the girls and headed straight for the Commerce Guild.


    In order toplete the request, we first need to hand over the captured bandits to the city garrison and then report to the Commerce Guild. The Guild will then confirm with the garrison, and if everything checks out, the reward will be paid.


    I arrived at the Commerce Guild building and headed for the counter the staff told me to go to.


    What is your business with us for today?


    Im here to report a request taken by Shining Star.


    n-sama, correct? Perfect timing. Karina-sama is also here at the moment. Please wait while I get her.


    The staff disappeared to the back office and Karina came out to greet me a few moments after.


    Good afternoon, n-sama.


    Sorry for bothering you, Karina-san. I actually came here to report since we managed toplete the designated request.


    Is that right!? I was actually a bit worried since you took up such a difficult request, n-sama.


    Thank you for your concern. Fortunately, we managed to fulfill the request without suffering any injuries. We just handed the bandits over to the city guards earlier.


    Understood. We will confirm it with the guard stationter. How many did you manage to capture, by the way?


    Thirty-five bandits.


    Thirty-five, is it? It should have been quite hard on you all.


    No, it wasnt, actually. It was fortunate that we managed to meet up with the new members of the n who wereing over along the road. We managed to safely aplish the request through their help.


    Ah! The ones you told us wereing over to Gantz. That really was fortunate. So, I take it that you managed to meet all fifty-eight of them?


    No. There were actually a lot more of them than we first expected. A hundred, to be exact.


    A hundred, is it. Yes, its a lot more than what you told us.


    Its great that we managed to secure a Home with enough space to amodate them all. Oh, right! We also managed to secure a lot of loot from the banditir. I was thinking of selling them off, so could you please introduce me to a reliable channel, Karina-san? Would that be possible?


    If its alright with you, our Commerce Guild can purchase them ourselves. They would be bought at the market price though.


    Oh, then please go ahead. The market price is fine as well.


    Alright. I will bring an assessor over to sort them all out. Would it be fine if wee over at ten tomorrow morning?


    Sure, go ahead. There is two carriages worth of loot by the way.


    Understood. Well see you tomorrow then.

 Chapter 61.2 - Clan Founding Part 2

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    After finishing my business at the Commerce Guild, I headed back to the Home. I found everyone in the middle of handing off their horses to the groom and stable boys. It looks like they havent entered the building yet.


    n-sama! Youve managed to get us a truly splendid base. I am thoroughly impressed.


    It seems buildings of this size are a rarity even in Gantz.


    Thats right. I was surprised that the rent for this ce is only 70,000 Guineas per month.


    Oh, by the way, Captain Dalshim. Can you handle the distribution of the rooms for the rest of the members?


    But of course. Since Her Highness is staying on the top floor, we will assign the rooms with her security in mind. What shall we do with the spoils we obtained from the bandits?


    People from the Commerce Guild wille tomorrow to take a look at them. Please store them inside a room on the first floor and lock it securely. As for the gold, jewels, and other valuables, please move them to the n office on the fourth floor.


    Understood.


    The n office had a secure lock, and with this number of highly trained personnel, stealing the gold and jewels from there would probably prove quite difficult for any thief.


    I saw the head of the employees, Sally-san, when we entered the building and called out to her.


    Sally-san. Im sorry for returning with this number of people all of a sudden. Can I trust you to prepare dinner for us all? Simple dishes are fine. Just make sure everyone would be able to eat their fill.


    But of course, n-sama. I have already asked some of the staff to buy ingredients. We will be able to serve dinner on schedule.


    Ill leave it to you then. Oh, and please bring out the wine barrels I bought the other day for dinner as well.


    Now then, how about having a nice, hot bath.


    The dinner was held in a buffet style. Its the most appropriate for this number of people. Everyone seemed to be having fun while choosing the dishes they preferred.


    I and the rest of the party were sitting together while having dinner. Captain Dalshim and Sir Walter were sitting near us as well.


    Captain Dalshim, can you do a brief introduction of all the men you brought with you to me after the meal? I would like to start remembering their names as early as now.


    Understood.


    Ill be able to record all of their names on my personal database with Nanoms help anyway.


    After everyone ate their fill, we had the staff clear out the tables. And when they finished, I had the staff all go out so only the knights and us Shining Star members remained. I also used my magic sensor to double-check if there were still people around who could eavesdrop on our discussion just to be safe.


    With Captain Dalshims lead, each of the knights introduced themselves to me and stated their affiliation. The Royal Guard members were almost all from reputed noble families, and the earls troops wereposed primarily of people who were knighted but hadmoner origins. There should be a number of noble-born knights in the earls forces as well, but they should have been chosen based on their ability and not their pedigree.


    Of course, I, Sharon, Selena, and Elna also introduced ourselves again.


    Lastly, Cleria stood up and addressed the knights.


    I am honestly d that you still call me Your Highness and Princess even now, everyone. However, I am no longer a royal princess, but just a simple adventurer, Ria. So I would like you all to address me as Ria from now on.


    Yes!


    Captain Dalshim, please gather the main leaders of your group ande to the n office. I want to conduct a meeting with just uster.


    Understood.


    My party members, Captain Dalshim, Sir Walter, and the six people they selected, all gathered in the n office on the fourth floor.


    Tomorrow afternoon, I n on going to the Adventurers Guild to officially register our n. Ive looked into the registration process and it seems that the n leader and all the party leaders who wish to join him or her should apply together. This is probably to prevent people from registering other parties into a n without their consent. Thats why Id like for ten people to apany me in registering tomorrow.


    Understood. In other words, you would like to form ten squads with the ten people serving as leaders, correct?


    Thats right. I want each squad to be roughly equal in strength if possible. Oh, and well have to decide on the party names of each squad as well.


    Oh, actually, we already have an idea for that. What do you think about the name Satellite, n-sama?


    Captain Dalshim dered the name they came up with while grinning good-naturedly. Satellite huh? So they will be the satellites orbiting the shining star, I guess. I see. It does seem fitting.


    Its a nice party name. But there are ten squads though?


    Then lets just name them Satellite Squad 1, Squad 2, and so on. What do you think?


    Ill leave it to you then. Next, well talk about our next ns. First, Id like to continue with the bandit subjugation. I would like to change the number of teams deployed depending on the number of bandits we need to capture. For example, if were up against 15 bandits, Id like to send out 30 people, or in other words, three squads, after them. For 20 bandits, well send out 40 people, or four squads, and so on.


    Theres strength in numbers. The overall strength of our n consists of the skill of the individual members as well as our great number. Well have to take advantage of those as much as possible. And if you went up against enemies with twice their number, the danger posed against the members would be lessened to a great degree.


    However, well need a method to reliably scout out the rough number of bandits were up against each time we sortie with that n Wait! I see! So it was that kind of n. How splendid!


    I moved my gaze to everyone else in the room, and they all nodded in acknowledgment.


    Yosh. It looks like were all in agreement then. Alright then. Ill leave the organization of the ten parties to Captain Dalshim and Sir Walter since the two of you have a better grasp of everyones abilities.


    Understood. If its alright with you, wed like to gather everyone in the dining room again after this.


    Sure. Id actually like to participate as well, but I have something else that I have to do right now.


    Understood. Please leave it to us.


    The rest of the party were interested in forming the squads as well, so they joined up with Captain Dalshim and the others.


    The thing I needed to do tonight was to devise a learning n for Sharon and Selena in order for them to sessfully cast healing magic. They havent learned how to do it until now after all. It seems they just couldnt constrict a satisfactory image in their minds.


    I actually sent them the videopiled by Nanom that I watched that one time, but it looks like they couldnt cast Heal by using that as a reference as well.


    In my case, I used the videopiled by Nanom to gain some hints, and I created the image of cute light spirits fixing up the cells of the body as my base to cast Heal, and it was honestly kind of embarrassing.


    However, Ill need the girls to learn how to cast healing magic as soon as possible. This is no time to be feeling embarrassed.


    (Nanom, please create a holo-video to help in image training for learning the Heal spell.)


    Acknowledged.


    (The main concept is light spirits healing a wound. First, lets design the looks of the light spirits. Please disy a sample image for me. Uh, thats not right. Not that kind of slim and sexy fairy. Make them a bit more rounded No, you just made them fat. Ugh, fine. Ill do it.)


    There you go. Now, these are some cute and cuddly spirits. They sported transparent wings and wore a white one-piece toga.


    (Okay. First, lets create a scene of the spirits ying happily in the spirit world. Yosh, thats nice. Next is a scene where healing magic gets activated. Everyone gets surprised at first, but got themselves together and speedily went for their medicine pots. The color of the pots should be brown. The magic medicine inside them should be golden yellow. Next, the spirits all hoisted their pots under one arm and flew away to respond to the mages call Great. Pleasepile and edit all the scenes for me.)


    Nice. Now, a short clip of light spirits having fun, and then rushing over to respond to a mage casting healing magic with their trusty medicine pots in hand waspleted. Itsing along quite nicely.


    (Next, please use the video youpiled and zoom in to the damaged cells. Hey! The expressions of the spirits havent changed yknow. Make them have expressions that are burning with a sense of mission here. Ugh. Dont let them fly haphazardly like that. Make them fly in formation. Uh, use Fleet Formation B as reference.)


    The expressions of the spirits finally turned more proper. The spirits flew in Formation B toward the damaged cells. After a short moment, they finally arrived in front of the cells.


    (Yosh. Okay then. Have two spirits put a cell back together and another three apply their magic medicine on the gaps. This is the most important scene, okay. As for their expressions, make them seem like theyre seriously hard at work. Yes. Make them rub in more medicine there. Its fine if they empty their pots. No holding back.)


    Nice. Now, a scene of spirits putting a torn cell together and applying plenty of magic medicine to heal it was created. Yep, this is good.


    (Make the number of spirits increase in ordance with the intensity of the light. Yes, just like the video youpiled This should be fine. Lets review it from the beginning. This time, lets also add some BGM.)


    After roughly 30 minutes, I finally managed to create an instructional video. Lets check it out first. Thest scene involves the spirit captain giving the audience a heroic salute after a job well done and leaving dashingly.


    Man. To think I actually had talent in something like this. I didnt think I would be able to produce a short film of such quality.


    Its the perfect reproduction of the image I use for the Heal spell. No, its actually even better. With this clip, Im sure the two of them will be able to master Heal in no time.


    (Include a caption saying Heal Spell Practice Reference Video and send it to Selena and Sharon right away.)


    Done.


    After receiving a message from n, we snuck out of the meeting and went back to our own room.


    Hey, Selena, did you already watch the video?


    Of course.


    Is he ying a prank on us?


    I dont think so. This was surely made with serious intent. We couldnt cast the spell even after all that practice, so Im sure he made it for us after giving it a lot of thought. Anyway, Ill try to practice using this image.


    Ill practice too.


    Even after thirty minutes of repeatedly watching the video, I and Selena still hadnt managed to grasp the method to cast the Heal spell.


    Did n really use this image as a reference when he learned the Heal spell?


    Im sure he did! However, I cant seem to concentrate because too much unrted thoughts keep popping into my head while watching it.


    It looks like it was the same for Selena. This video really was


    (Nanom, will it be possible for me to be put into a light hypnotic state while I watch the video?)


    Its possible.


    (Then, please do so.)


    My consciousness became hazy. Now Ill just have to y the video on repeat. Once the image solidified in my mind, I muttered the spells name almost by instinct.


    Heal.


    Ah, rays of light are flowing out from my palm. Yes! I did it!


    Selena! Look at this!


    Sharon! Just how did you do it!? Please teach me!


    I taught her the method I used, and Selena managed to seed as well.


    Lets report our sess to n right away, Selena!


    Yes, lets go!

 Chapter 62.1 - Clan Founding 2 Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Can I have a little of your time, Dame Norian?


    The meeting in the dining hall had finally concluded. I was about to return to my and Cleria-samas room when Captain Dalshim suddenly called out to me.


    What is it, Captain?


    Can we talk for a short while?


    Its been quite some time since youve reunited with yourrades, Elna. You should talk to them more. I will be returning to our room first.


    I found Dame Sasha, another one of myrades from the Royal Guard, standing by in the corner of the room. It seems she will take over my duties in watching over Cleria-sama for the night. Sasha nodded slightly in response to my gaze.


    I understand.


    Before I knew it, in addition to Captain Dalshim, Sir Walter and the rest of the knights chosen to be party leaders of their respective squads gathered around me as well. I wonder what they want to discuss with me.


    What is it you want to discuss, everyone?


    Its fine. You dont have to be so tense. Its nothing much, really. We would just like to ask you a few things since youve been with Ria-sama and n-sama for quite some time.


    I see. It was inevitable that some doubts will arise when acting with n and the rest for the first time after all.


    Understood.


    The first thing we want to ask is about that scanning magic n-sama, Sharon-dono, and Selena-dono use. Just what kind of magic spell is it?


    I told them about the principles behind scanning magic and its maximum range that Ive heard from n a while back.


    Unbelievable! To think that kind of thing was actually possible!? No, I have no choice but to believe after seeing it in action for myself, but it is still quite amazing that not only n-sama, but even Sharon and Selena-dono are able to cast such a spell


    n, Sharon, and Selena are all part of the military in their homnd. It is probably a secret technique that is taught only to soldiers like them.


    The military that n-sama was part of should probably possess terrifying might. I would never want to face such an army in battle. No. Since n-sama is a general of such an army, there is probably no need for such worries.


    I had no choice but to agree with the opinion of Captain Dalshim. We will certainly be no match for an army equipped with magical artifacts such as rifles and deknives.


    However, I am appalled that you are addressing n-sama, who will be Ria-samas spouse in the future, without honorifics, Dame Norian.


    The one who chided me was Sir Derry, who was one of the longest-serving Royal Guard members.


    Thats not it, Sir Derry. It was n-sama who permitted Dame Norian to address him as such. n-sama is a very friendly person. Though it wont be advisable once weve founded our country, we should still strive to gain such a level of trust and rapport with n-sama as well.


    Understood.


    I understand that n-sama is a very aplished mage, but what about his sword skills? We were able to cross swords with him back in Gotania, but I was unable to get a firm grasp because it was over in practically an instant.


    n is a master of Corinth-style swordsmanship. As for his skills, I can only describe them as transcendental.


    I believe Corinth is n-samas family name. I see. He is from a family that has developed their own style of swordsmanship. However, Dame Norian. We still wont have a good grasp of his skill if you just describe it as transcendental.


    In truth, I was fortunately able to witness ns secret technique just for one instance.


    Secret technique!?


    So you have already earned n-samas trust to such an extent, Dame Norian


    How was it? How strong was his secret sword technique?


    It was absolutely overwhelming. I do not believe a person exists in this world who can withstand such a sword technique. I will dare say that he is able to take on the current sword saint and sword king at the same time.


    What!? The Sword Saint and the Sword King at the same time, you say!? I cannot even imagine what such a sh would be like I see. So it is just that overwhelming


    Recently, n and the others have been teaching me and Ria-sama about the basics of Corinth-style.


    My word! To think n-sama is even willing to do such a thing. If thats the case, then we would also like to learn it if possible.


    If its just the basics, I and Ria-sama can also teach you. Ria-sama has truly be quite strong. Im sure none of those present here will be able to win against her easily. No, we might even lose to her if were not careful enough.


    Dame Norian. Are you truly saying such a thing? Will we really lose to Ria-sama in swordsmanship?


    Even I have lost to her after all. It was only one match out of ten, but it was still quite splendid.


    Ooh! How heartening! So she has already be so strong! She has grown so much in such a short period of time She must have trained really, really hard in order to achieve her present strength As expected of our lord. We will also train harder from now on! There is no point to Royal Guards who are weaker than their lord after all.


    Understood!


    One of the reasons Ria-sama has be strong is because Corinth-style swordsmanship suits her quite well. To achieve simr results through practicing Divine Sword-style would probably prove difficult.


    By the way, Ive heard that Sharon-dono and Selena-dono are actually better than n-sama when ites to hand-to-handbat. Is that really true?


    Yes, there is no doubt. n and the others call the martial art they practice the Imperial Arts, which is a bit simr to the martial art we are familiar with, but also quite different. The difference in ability between n, Sharon, and Selena is actually not thatrge, but n has yet to win against the two of them in sparring matches until now.


    Do they spar regrly?


    Yes. Ria-sama, n, and I are all taking lessons from them recently. However, I am still treated as nothing but a child when ites to hand to hand martial skill.


    So Ria-sama is also learning from them as well. However, to think that a seasoned member of the Royal Guards like you is treated as if you were a child Just what in the Goddesss name is the army n-sama was affiliated with?


    No, it seems that those two are especially exemry, even in their military. n told me that Sharon and Selena are daughters of an exalted hero of their country.


    A hero!?


    Yes. He told me that the hero was revered for standing her ground against thousands of foes as she protected the citizens of their country. It may sound unbelievable, but she was said to have defeated more than half of them during the struggle and let them apany her to the grave. It really seems that n holds a great amount of respect and admiration for that hero.


    Thousands And all by herself even What a hero indeed! It does sound unbelievable, but it is someone even the blessed n-sama respects. Thus, it is most likely true Children of great heroes may not necessarily be great heroes themselves, however, those two are certainly far from ordinary Now I understand why n-sama dotes on them so much.


    Ive heard from some of the men that the leadership and skills disyed by Sharon and Selena-dono during the bandit subjugation were truly exemry. It seems people possessing the blood of a great hero are truly of a different caliber.


    Perhaps. Ah, it is truly a blessing for us to have encountered such people! It seems that the heavens are helping us in our cause.


    We all agreed with what Captain Dalshim said. However, I believe its mostly due to Cleria-samas great luck and virtue that we were able to meet them. As expected of my lord, Cleria-sama! There is no doubt that Goddess Ruminas is watching over her.


    Everyones interest in n and the others was seemingly endless, and our discussions continued deep into the night.


    When I went to the bathroom to take a morning bath, I saw that people were already present inside even though it was just at the crack of dawn.


    When I asked them why they were up so early, it seems they want to register as official adventurers at the Adventurers Guild as soon as possible. It looks like ten people from thete earls army have not registered themselves as official adventurers yet. Maybe they didnt have a guild branch at the ce they fled to.


    Selena and Sharon were also able to learn healing magic smoothlyst night. Well, with the quality of that instructional video, its not unexpected at all.


    I also sent them bruise and fracture versions of the video afterward, so Selena and Sharon should be able to handle most injuries from now on.


    Man. I should have made such videos from the start if I knew they were this effective.


    Captain Dalshim already handed me a list of the party leaders and their members. I wouldnt be able to remember them all on my own, so I had Nanom record the list in my personal database.


    (Nanom, please disy their names on top of their heads whenever a n memberes into view. Oh, and please color code each party as well. Disy the font of the leaders name in bold letters.)


    Understood.


    With this, Ill be able to easily remember the names and faces of each of the n members.

 Chapter 62.2 - Clan Founding 2 Part 2

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    At ten in the morning, Karina-san finally came along with the appraisers sent from the guild. I immediately guided them to the storage room where the loot was.


    Karina-sama, these boxes are surely!?


    One of the appraisers appeared surprised when he saw the boxes which stored the loot.


    Yes, they most likely are.


    Is there something wrong with the boxes?


    These boxes are actually somethingmonly used by the Commerce Guild to store valuables and goods. We often use them in exchanges and deliveries between different guild branches. In other words, these boxes were probably former properties of the Commerce Guild.


    The boxesprised about 70% of the containers which contained the loot.


    But there is no need to worry. This wont affect the value of the appraisal at all. In truth, n-sama and the others probably ended up taking revenge for the Commerce Guild employees who have most like been harmed by the bandits to obtain these boxes. For that, we thank you, n-sama.


    It was nothing. We were just fulfilling the request after all.


    The guild appraisers checked the contents of the chests and boxes one after the other and took memos. There were lots of magic crystals and strange raw materials taken from monsters among the loot. They were probably being transported out of Gantz when the guild employees got ambushed by the bandits.


    They then ced ten precious gems, two nes, and three bracelets on top of a table in order to do a detailed appraisal of them. The appraisers used magnifying sses in order to scrutinize the items. Once that was done, they went straight to calcting the overall value of the loot.


    A price has been decided, n-sama.


    They then handed me a memo sheet. Guess I need to check it out first.


    Oh! So well get a total of 252,450 Guineas huh.


    When I checked out the individual prices, one bracelet actually reached a value of 15,000 Guineas. Its probably the one iid with lots of precious-looking jewels. A majority of the most valuable items on the list were precious metals and jewels.


    Understood. This price is fine.


    Im not too sure about the market price, so Ill just have to trust Karina-san and the Commerce Guild. Im sure Ill be able to judge for myself once Ive gathered enough data.


    Karina-san immediately handed me 252,450 Guineas.


    Alright then, n-sama. We will be bringing them away.


    Understood. Let us help you.


    When we went out to the corridor, I saw about ten n members passing by. Good timing. ording to the color of their names, they were part of Satellite Squad 8. Their leader, Kenny, was with them. He was part of thete earls army.


    Hey, Kenny! Can you guys help with carrying these boxes out?


    Understood!


    With thebined effort of 14 people, we were able to swiftly load the boxes and chests on the Commerce Guilds carriages parked outside the Home.


    I thanked Karina-san foring, and the Commerce Guild carriages finally departed.


    n-sama, how much did we get for the loot?


    Kenny asked me in a whisper.


    Dont tell anyone yet, okay? We got 252,450 Guineas.


    I answered him in a whisper as well.


    Oh! Thats quite a lot.


    Yeah. It was really worth all that effort.


    It looks like Kenny and the others were heading out to the Adventurers Guild in order to register, so we parted ways.


    Well all meet up at the Adventurers Guild to register the n at 13:00 hours, so it would be nice to have lunch with the rest of the party somewhere before that.


    I arrived at the Adventurers Guild along with everyone at the appointed time. The entrance of the guild building was teeming with people.


    Of course, most of them were our n members. They were probably standing by outside since it would be too crowded if they all went in. Actually, they were still kinda being a nuisance to the unrted parties though


    This is a blunder. I could have avoided this by staggering our arrival time. Its toote anyway.


    Lets hurry up andplete the registration, Captain Dalshim.


    Understood.


    We finally entered the guild building and caught the attention of everyone inside.


    W-Whats with you all!?


    It looks like we caused trouble for the youngdy receptionist. I saw her running inside the inner offices to call some more staff. Ugh. Really. What a blunder.


    We came to get our n registered. The ones behind me are the parties that will join the n.


    n? Is that all?


    Yes, thats all.


    I saw the guild chief, Kevin, along with his usual entourage of male staff running out of the inner office. As expected, theyre the ones who came out.


    Whats with all thismotion!?


    Sorry about this, chief. We came to register our n.


    Youre telling me all the people behind you are your n members?


    Thats right.


    Fine. Lets proceed with the registration.


    Alright, chief. Everyone, please submit the guild tes of the n leader and all of the party members to us for verification.


    Im the n leader. And the party thats going to join me is called Satellite Squad 1.


    I submitted my guild ID along with the IDs of Captain Dalshim and the others to the guild staff. The guild staff began to carefully record our details on a ledger.


    All of them are C-ranks?


    Kevin-san got a look at the IDs of the Satellite Squad 1 members and muttered in amazement.


    Weve finished the registration of Satellite Squad 1 into your n.


    Great. Please do the same for Satellite Squad 2.


    The members of Satellite Squad 2 handed over their guild IDs.


    Understood.


    They are also all C-rankers


    The rest of the parties registered in order. I had the ones who finished their registration to return back to our Home so we didnt continue to congest the guild building.


    The registration of Satellite Squad 10 is finished!


    The guild staff looked kinda irritated. Sorry, miss. It was my fault for dragging them all here to register at the same time.


    Uh, n, can I talk to you for a bit? Kevin-san asked.


    Since I was the only one he wanted to talk to, I had everyone return. He brought me to the usual meeting room we went to before. There was only me, Kevin-san, and one staff member in the room.


    So, who exactly are they, n?


    Thats a broad question, chief.


    We all met each other a while back and got along pretty well. We decided to gather together here in Gantz to make a name for ourselves by founding a n.


    I see So, youre saying that all 100 C-rank adventurers who came earlier are neers like you?


    Wow. So they were actually all C-ranked. I didnt really get to ask them before this. Well, considering their previous jobs, I guess its to be expected.


    Thats right.


    Youre not telling me they all got evaluated as C-rank when they took the qualification tests?


    Im not too sure, but thats most likely what happened, yeah.


    So that means their skills really are C-rank or above Just who are they?


    I cannot disclose anything on my own volition. I havent really heard all of the details myself. How about you ask them directly, chief?


    No, its fine. An increase in the guilds manpower is a very wee thing. Furthermore, its an increase of a hundred personnel with skills rated C-rank, or maybe higher. Can we count on you all to help out when theres a need for your strength?


    Hes probably referring to thepulsory quests the guild issues out from time to time. The guild usually issues them in times of emergency.


    Understood. You can definitely count on us to cooperate.


    Alright. Then please tell me the inn you are staying at. Well be coordinating with you since youre the n leader.


    Were staying at the former n Home of Great Storm. Were now the ones renting the ce.


    I did hear it was being renovated, but to think a new n will be staying there So, what kind of quests do you n on epting now?


    Were nning on continuing with the designated quest put up by the Commerce Guild for now. Specifically, its a request for bandit subjugation.


    The Commerce Guild Well, you could probably aplish that easily with those numbers. Alright. Thats all I wanted to ask. Sorry for taking up your time.


    No, were sorry for causing such amotion as well.


    I left the Adventurers Guild and went back to the n Home.


    Great. Ive managed to aplish most of my to-do list today. After this, I should probably disclose the sale price of the loot to everyone over dinner and hold a brief meeting. For now, lets spend the rest of the afternoon leisurely.


    When I arrived back Home, the field looked like it had turned into a battlefield. Everyone was gathered on the square with wooden swords in hand, and are practicing in pairs as if they were in a real battle. Why the heck did it turn out like this?


    Elna was standing near the entrance gate, so I should probably just ask her.


    Hey Elna, just what happened here?


    Elna looked at my face and shed me a wry grin. Whats with that? I suddenly got a bad feeling.


    I wonder. I dont know what happened either.


    Ooh! Its n-sama! Perfect timing. Can you please teach us your swordsmanship just like you did with Ria-sama and Dame Norian? Please! We want to learn from you as well!


    My hands were pulled and I was brought to the center of the square.


    Everyone gather! n-sama is going to teach us about swordsmanship!


    Ou!


    Dammit! You set me up, Elnaaa!

 Chapter 63.1 - Clan Founding 3 Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Whats up with everyone suddenly wanting to learn my swordsmanship all of a sudden? It looks like everyone gained an intense curiosity and admiration for my swordsmanship style, and Captain Dalshim ended up proposing joint training through practice matches.


    And as the n leader, I couldnt afford to lose in front of all of them. In order to maintain my facade of superiority, I ended the matches in one, two, or at most, three strikes. And I had to win against all one hundred of them.


    Everyone was using the same swordsmanship style as Elnas. Their swordsmanship highly emphasized one-hit killing moves, but as a consequence, it had a lot of openings to exploit. Its great that Corinth-style can be used to deal with it somehow due to its high number of sword strokes per move.


    I was already running on fumes by the time I finished all the matches, but I somehow managed to fool the crowd that I still had plenty of fight left.


    Oh, man. That really was terrible. Im gonna get back on Elna for this one of these days. Mark my words.


    When everyone finished bathing to wash off the sweat, it was already dinnertime. I really wanted to drink some chilled ale, so I told the kitchen staff to serve me some.


    And then, I saw a young girl carrying a tankard of ale from the kitchen with tottering steps. Everyone was watching over the girl with warm gazes. She finally managed to bring the ale tankard to where I was sitting.


    Bro.


    Im d. It looks like Es doing well here.


    Youre really working hard, arent you, E?


    Un! Its fun.


    I see. Good job. Do your best, okay.


    Un.


    She went back to the kitchen with a spring to her steps. It looks like Sally-san and the others are taking good care of E and her brother.


    I called the attention of everyone after we finished our meals for the night.


    Everyone! I have something to tell you! The money we recovered from the bandit hideout today has been counted, and we got a total of 310,000 Guineas. Weve also sold the other loot items for roughly 250,000 Guineas.


    Ooh!


    Weve also received the request rewards from the guild, and it amounts to 210,000 Guineas. The bounty rewards are also scheduled to be paid out soon.


    Ooooh!


    Ill announce the amount again once we receive bounty rewards.


    I want to distribute our earnings as fairly to everyone as possible. Im sure that would allow their motivation to increase more.


    Captain Dalshim. Can you gather the party leaders for a meeting on the fourth-floor office again tonight?


    Understood.


    After dinner, my party members and the party leaders of the other squads all gathered inside the n office.


    Now then, theres a number of things I want to discuss with you all. One of them is the monthly wages of the n members. In your opinion, how much should be our monthly wage?


    Wage is it? Were already being provided both breakfast and dinner, so I think the bare minimum amount should be just right. 500 Guineas should be more than enough.


    But 500 Guineas seems far too low. It cant possibly cover their daily necessities, clothes, and lunch. If a personcks money, it would not lead to anything good. It affects their mental and emotional well-being as well.


    500 Guineas is too little. Lets set it to 1500 Guineas instead.


    With this sry amount, they could buy themselves some alcohol or new clothes from time to time. Everyones risking their lives and doing their best after all. They deserve at least that much reward for their efforts.


    Captain Dalshim looked like he still wanted to say something, but he held himself back in the end.


    n, lets set our own sries to that amount as well. Actually, I havent really spent that much money this past month.


    My party members all nodded in agreement. Well, I did only spend on our lunch, the dress I bought for E, as well as the barbecue te Imissioned. Hmm. A thousand Guineas might be too much after all.


    Yosh. Lets do that then. Captain, Id like you to select two or three people who can manage the n funds. And also, some who will be in charge of procuring supplies, food, and daily necessities.


    Managing everything by myself has be quite a pain after all. Im sure there are more qualified people among the members than me when ites to things like that.


    Understood. Ill select some appropriate people tomorrow.


    Yosh. Lets discuss our bandit hunting activities next. Our numbers have grownrge so we dont really need to deploy all our men to raid a few bandit hideouts. Having all of the n members take action for that is very inefficient. Thus, I propose forming two subjugation teams that will act separately.


    When I observed their reactions, no one seemed against the idea. I guess thats to be expected.


    Ill also have the Shining Star party members split up ordingly in consideration of even personnel distribution. Ill go with one team while the four of you will go with the other.


    So we will have to act separately from you, n?


    Thats right. Not to boast, but the strength of the teams wont be bnced if we dont do something like this.


    I guess so. I agree with your idea, n.


    It looks like Sharon and Selena agree with me as well. Cleria seemed convinced too and nodded her head.


    Ill lead one of the subjugation teams. As for the other one, Ill have Selena lead it with Sharon acting as her second-inmand.


    When I observed their reactions, there doesnt seem to be anyone who had doubts about my decision. It goes without saying for Cleria and Elna. Selena and Sharon looked really pumped up as well.


    Do have any opinion about this, Captain Dalshim?


    It would only be appropriate for someone who has a greater grasp of vital information and the overall situation to lead the men out on the field. Thus, having these twodies who are proficient with scanning magic lead the men will be ideal. The two of them already proved themselves during the bandit subjugationst time, so I imagine their appointment will be more than wee with the rest of the members.


    Fumu. I certainly didnt expect things to go this well. The reasons Captain Dalshim mentioned are truly part of the reason why I appointed the two of them for the leadership role.


    However, another vital reason was that Selena was next in rank after me ording to the imperial military system. If, for some reason, I happened to die, Selena would be next-in-line to be appointed as captain instead of Sharon, and she will lead the imperial military forces we will raise on this in my stead. In preparation for that possibility, I would like to let Selena and Sharon umte as much leadership experience as possible.


    Alright then. The subjugation team Selena and Sharon will lead will be called the A Team. Mine will be the B Team.


    I spread the rolled-up map I brought with me on the table.


    Lets talk about the bandit groups we will be attacking next. Please take a look at this map. The bandits have set up their traps in these locations. They number about eighteen. No more than fourteen of them position themselves close to the traps. The remaining four remain on their hideout as guards. The hideout is located over here. I n to have the A Team handle them.


    Roger.


    Selena, go and take Satellite Squads 1 to 5 with you. You would need one day of travel to reach the target, so you would need to spend two nights out on the field at maximum.


    Understood.


    Ive surveyed the bandit hideout and their positions through the drone and had Irispile them into a video. Ill send it to Sharon and Selenater.


    I already checked it out in advance, and honestly speaking, the video quality was sub-par. Ill have to teach Iris how to make and edit a higher-quality video sometime soon.


    The B Team will beposed of Satellite Squads 6 to 10. Well attack the bandits hiding out in this location. They have twenty men. Well probably need to spend two nights out on the field as well.


    I saw the party leaders of Satellite Squads 6 to 10 give the map a serious once-over.


    To be honest, attacking with our numbers should guarantee our victory. Our men are highly trained elites, iparable to these bandits. And they probably wont be able to withstand an attack with twice their numbers. I cant really see us losing to these guys at all. Thats why what Im aiming for is a total victory. Id like you all to give your best effort in order to ensure that none of our men get injured and not lose anyone during this operation. Our ultimate goal is still far from our grasp. We dont have the luxury of making mistakes at this point. Understood?


    Roger!


    Understood!


    A Team and B Team will depart together by daybreak one day from now. In the meantime, n the most efficient and effective way to attack and secure the bandits with your respective teams tomorrow.


    With that, I concluded tonights meeting. Im quite worn out today, so I fell asleep right away.

 Chapter 63.2 - Clan Founding 3 Part 2

    Editor: Thors Stone


    The next day, everyone gathered after breakfast in order to discuss the ns and strategies for the uing bandit subjugation.


    A lot of ideas got proposed, and after consolidating everyones opinions, we decided to open with an Air Bullet barrage to disrupt the bandits, and once they are all down, a separate group will rush in and disable them by hitting them on their weak spots with wooden swords. We decided to make use of wooden swords instead of real ones to ensure we only injured the bandits and dont identally kill them.


    We then proceeded to the square in front of our Home in order to practice our coordination. Since a lot of the members can cast Air Bullet, both A and B teams ended up with more than twenty casters each.


    We practiced the cooperation between the Air Bullet casters and the rush-down groups for a good while until we were satisfied. Now all thats left is to put it into practice out in the field.


    n-sama, do you have ns for this afternoon?


    I have some business to attend to. We only have one enclosed carriage in our possession, right? Using an enclosed carriage to conceal our men during bandit hunting operations would be ideal, so I was thinking of purchasing more today.


    Is that so? Understood.


    Captain Dalshim looked quite disappointed for some reason. Wait. Dont tell me


    Oh! Selena-dono! Sharon-dono! Are you both free this afternoon?


    When Selena and Sharon said they were free, they were immediately dragged by Captain Dalshim to the center of the square.


    I knew it! It seems I dodged a bullet there. Phew


    I was able to quickly find a suitable carriage at the Commerce Guild. It didnt look all that aesthetically pleasing, but it was practical and sturdy. We should be able to use it for quite some time. Its price was 20,000 Guineas, and I immediately had it delivered to our Home.


    Selena and Sharon were still busy teaching the knights Imperial Arts, so I pretended to be busy and quickly ran inside our Home. I aint gonna go through harsh sparring sessions with a hundred knights two days in a row, man.


    The next day, the A and B teams departed from Gantz together and split up once we reached the first split in the main road.


    (Selena, Sharon. Ill leave them to you.)


    (Roger.)


    (Understood.)


    I sent a drone to monitor the status of the A Team from above so they should be fine.


    Selena and Sharon looked pretty pumped up for this times mission. They re-watched the information footages Irispiled a couple of times and presented the refined strategy they came up with to me for verification.


    I didnt see any ws in their ns, and we expected a rather easy victory anyway, so I guess theres no need to worry much about them with this.


    Our B Team had a rather uneventful journey and reached the area near the bandit hideout on the second day since our departure from Gantz. Our strategy will be what we previously used on our first bandit subjugation. We sent two ambush teams to circle around the position of the bandits and willunch an attack after my signal.


    Start the operation.


    The two ambush teams started going up the mountain. From the drone footage, there were eight bandits hiding within the bushes on the right side of the road and ten bandits on the left side.


    After confirming that the two ambush teams were safely in position, we started advancing as well. The carriage and horses already made quite a lot of noise while traveling, and I added to it by cing a bell on the carriage. The ambush teams will make use of the sound of the bell to judge our distance from their position and advance ordingly.


    Even if a bandit or two notices that something was wrong, the ambush teams had double their numbers anyway, so they should have no problem oveing them. The operation was nearly foolproof.


    There were ten men stationed on the carriage. I and the party leader of Satellite Squad 6, Sir Novalta, sat on the drivers seat. The remaining eight men were hiding their presence within the carriage.


    Due to the bell equipped on the carriage, the bandits noticed our group quite early on. There was no lookout on top of a tree this time. I sent up a Fire Ball once we were only ten meters from the bandits positions.


    Frantic yelps and intimidating shouts rang out from both sides of the road along with the sound of the spells explosion. We leaped off the carriage as well and charged toward the bandits positions, but it was already over when we arrived.


    The bandits were kicked toward the open road one after the other.


    It was over in an instant, n-sama.


    Yeah, youre right. We didnt even have any chance to act.


    Once all the bandits were kicked out to the road, the ambush teams also showed themselves.


    Was there anyone who got injured?


    It looks like there was no one who got hurt. We secured the bandits via chain cuffs immediately. The bandits still looked shell-shocked. It seems what happened to them still hasnt sunk in.


    Yosh! Good work, everyone! We couldnt have done this any better. Lets proceed to the bandit hideout then. Oh, and can ten of you stay behind here and guard these guys?


    Everyone was excited about their sess as we walked toward the bandit base. It was about 3 kilometers away from our current position.


    The hideout this time was quite unique. They actually built arge cabin on top of a tree. It was a treehouse base. The construction was rough though, and it looked like it wouldnt be able to keep the rain and moisture away. Geez. If they were gonna build something like this, couldnt they have done a better job?


    We surrounded the treehouse with forty men. We already knew there were two bandits inside the house, but they still pretended to be out.


    Oi! We know there are two of you inside there! Just give up and get out of there obediently! If you dont, Im gonna set fire to that house!


    It looks like they were determined to ignore me. Fine. You got some guts, huh. I aimed at one of the cabins windows andunched a small Fire Ball spell inside. We heard some frantic noises. It looks like they were trying to put out the fire in panic.


    Oi! Dont make me angry. Im gonna spare your lives at least if you surrender now!


    After a short while more, the two bandits finally used a ropedder to go down. We captured them immediately.


    Yosh. Sir Walter, its time to search for the loot.


    Yes, n-sama!


    We went up the ropedder one at a time to ensure it doesnt snap on us. There were fewer items stored inside the treehouse than I expected. There were a few boxes containing bows, arrows, foodstuffs, and alcohol piled up in a corner. I managed to find a leather pouch with Guineas in it, but it contained less than 50,000 Guineas. Damn! This ones a bust huh.


    We brought down the items that would be worth money using the ropedder and walked back to the highway. Oh, man. Since we didnt find that much loot, everyones mood seemed to be a bit down. But we did achieve an effortless victory, so its not so bad.


    I left the job of driving the carriage to Sir Walter and we traveled back to the ce we camped onst night. Selena and the others should have started their operation as well.


    I disyed the image taken by the drone flying above Selenas group on a virtual window. Their ambush teams were about to pounce on the bandits.


    Selena and Sharon led an ambush team each. Selenas group had Cleria, while Sharons group had Elna with them.


    They nned to spring their ambush once the carriage came into view. It looks like theyre already in position behind the bandits eyeing the road.


    As the carriage got near the bandits, the ambush teams carefully inched closer to them as well. When the bandits started stringing their bows, Selenas signal went up.


    Just like what we did earlier, they also pounded the bandits with Air Bullets and incapacitated them with wooden swords. It looks like theyve finished. Well, thats just as expected.


    They didnt have anyone injured, so the operation was a resounding sess. All thats left are the four bandits inside the cave they made into their base. I cant see them losing with that difference in manpower. I hope they dont make any careless mistakes though.


    At 14:00 hours the next day, we finally arrived back at Gantz. We were stopped at the gate by the guards again.


    Oi, uh Hey, arent you Shining Stars party leader!? Your party members just came back earlier with captured bandits in tow, you know?


    We also went out to capture some bandits. We acted separately this time.


    P-Please wait a bit!


    The gate guard called for some support. Shortly afterward, several more city guards arrived along with Captain Guido.


    Hey, its you guys again. Just what happened this time?


    We just captured some more bandits. Here you go.


    Understood. Well need to borrow your chain cuffs again. Oi!


    One of the captured bandits started making a fuss when the guards tried to take him away.


    Youre wrong! Were not bandits at all. These guys just suddenly attacked us for no reason!


    Captain Guido approached them to settle themotion.


    Its true! They just attacked us all of a sudden while we were traveling down the highway!


    After taking the hint, the other bandits started kicking up a fuss as well. Captain Guido held up one hand to silence them.


    Hou? A mistake, you say? But you lot dont look like adventurers or merchants though.


    You cant be serious! Youre judging us just based on our appearances!?


    Now, look here fes. Between you guys who definitely look the part of bandits, and a man whos both a certified B-rank adventurer and leader of a n boasting a hundred members, who do you think Ill be more inclined to believe?


    Huh!?


    Okay then. If you insist you guys are innocent, then obediently subject yourselves to questioning. If you manage to withstand our interrogation methods, maybe Ill think about it. No one has ever managed tost that long by the way. Bring them in, boys!


    The bandits were forcefully taken away even as they made a loud racket.


    Nice work, everyone. Well return you the cuffs right away after were done with them.


    Understood.


    I felt that I managed to witness a glimpse of the harshness of this world just now. How people judged good and evil here was pretty ambiguous after all and could be influenced by ones authority and backing. But in this case, it would have been better if those guys didnt perform that little act of theirs. There could have been better options.


    When we arrived back at our Home, we found that Selena and the others had just returned as well.


    We managed toe back safely, n. There wasnt anyone who got injured.


    Thats great. Good job.


    Selena and Sharon looked really happy.


    We were able to secure a lot of loot! Theyre worth over 150,000 Guineas. What about you, n?


    Oh, so Cleria and the others managed to hit it big huh


    Uh, we did okay, I guess. Isnt that right, Walter?


    Um, yes. It was pretty okay.

 Chapter 64.1 - Side Story: Commander Iris Conrad Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Its the Bugs, Commander.


    I was jolted awake by the loud volume of the emergency rm.


    Bugs! Ah, just how unlucky was I?


    A week ago, I was just appointed as themander of the Tau Vegas 2 star system defense fleet, but Im really down on my luck to encounter Bugs just after a week of service here.


    (Teo, give me their numbers and current distance.)


    One fleet. BG-I cruisers. Ten ships. Distance, approximately 30,000 light-seconds.


    It wasnt the worst-case scenario yet.


    (Attention, all ships. Were entering Alert Level 1. I repeat, were entering Alert Level 1.)


    If its just against that many, our fleet here might be able to manage.


    Although were called a defense fleet, we only had three Satellite-ss destroyers and a single Star-ss heavy cruiserTeounder my directmand. In other words, we were more like a single squadron than a proper fleet.


    (Call the colony governor-general, um, His Excellency Cheetos. p him awake if you have to.)


    I hurriedly changed into mymanders uniform and impatiently waited for the governor-general. A sleepy-looking male finally called me through thems. He looked quite irritated. Hes the so-called governor-general here, but hes most likely nothing more than a washed-out politician who lost in the nasty political battles in the central capital of the Adele government and got thrown out here. This was an extremely out of the way ce with a poption of a mere 20,000 imperial citizens. It was an out and out demotion.


    Just who in zes are you, woman!? Just what time do you think it is!?


    Im themander of the Tau Vegas 2 garrison fleet, Lieutenant Colonel Iris Conrad. The Bugs have appeared here.


    W-What did you say!? Why! They havent shown up here for the longest time! Are you sure about your info?


    Theres no mistake. Please start evacuating the citizens immediately. In this case Evacuation n C would be the most appropriate.


    C, you say!? But isnt that issued only once the colony is judged to be unable to avoid being destroyed!? No, absolutely not. I have finally managed to begin standing up again. If we abandon this ce, I really will have nothing left! It would take years and years for me to recoup my losses once again!


    But once the Bugs appear, it would be your life that would be at stake.


    This was just a small colony with scarce resources. They will never be able to afford the loss of an imperial garrison here. The colonial program might even be halted for years after this incident.


    Lt. Col. Conrad, I order your fleet to do something about it straight away!


    Is this guy crazy? Does he not understand the current situation? Its already a race against time. If he cannot even tell the difference between a regr fleet and a small squadron of three destroyers and one heavy cruiser, it would be a waste of time to exin further.


    Your Excellency, as themander-in-chief of this star system, I request that you implement Emergency Evacuation n C under Article 8, Paragraph 3-A of the Imperial Military Codex.


    Did you not hear me? Im telling you to do something about those damned Bugs with your fleet!


    Then may I take this as a rejection of my earlier appeal?


    Enough! Hurry up and do something already!


    Either this man was confused by the sudden emergency situation, or hes just in idiotic. Just how did such a dimwitted man be a governor-general? This may be a sign that the empires glory is already starting to fade.


    Well then, I move to implement martialw on the entire Tau Vegas star system, effective immediately.


    W-What did you say!? You cant be serious!?


    (Teo, what is the name of the star system Colony Athena is part of?)


    Vegas, maam.


    Vegas. Did you manage to hear that clearly, soldier?


    Yes, maam.


    As of now, you are hereby ced under my directmand.


    Yes. Acknowledged.


    I will temporarily relieve Governor-general Cheetos of his authority henceforth. Execute Evacuation n C and start gathering the citizens immediately.


    Understood!


    Once the evacuation isplete, destroy all the important facilities as per standard protocol.


    Yes, maam.


    I ignored Cheetos who was kicking up a fuss and cut offmunications. I wrapped my VR terminal around my neck.


    (Teo, are the captains ready?)


    They are already on stand-by.


    In the next moment, I found myself sitting in the virtual meeting room of my fleet.


    I take it that youve already been briefed about the situation, gentlemen?


    The three ship captains under me nodded their heads.


    For now, we need to intercept the Bug fleet.


    But can our four ships actually handle them?


    We dont have a choice but to engage them anyway. Get ready to sortie!


    Roger!


    I found myself back in the real world after a short instant.


    I hurried out of the captains quarters and proceeded to my ships bridge. When I arrived, the bridge crew were already seated. I promptly sat on the captains seat and gave my orders.


    Immediately advance to intercept the Bug fleet. Starship Formation 1. Maximumbat speed.


    Aye, maam. Starship Formation 1. Maximumbat speed. We will engage the enemy in approximately 50 minutes.


    (Teo, do you have any good strategies to propose?


    Tactic Sigma 1 that Captain is currently studying might be a good option, considering the rtive firepower and speed of our opponents.


    Sigma 1 was a fleet maneuver that involves encircling the enemies and kiting them from a medium distance while orbiting them at high speed. The firepower of this Star-ss heavy cruiserTeodoes trump the enemy BG-I cruisers, and the Satellite-ss destroyers arent far off either. However, our advantage in overall firepower is offset by the Bugs speed. Thus, this tactic might be the most appropriate.


    We are now about to engage with the Bug fleet.


    By my authority, I order that the tactical systems of all ships be connected to Teo immediately.


    Connectionplete.


    Begin Tactic Sigma 1.


    Executing now.


    In fleet battles, human intervention was quite minimal. The FCS of all weapon systems was handled by the ship AIs, so theres very little room for human intervention. Thus, fleet battles are more of a head to head between our ships AIs and the Bug ships AIs.


    Of course, the overall performance of our AIs is superior, so we hold an advantage in a sense, but the Bug fleet had three times our number. We cant make even the tiniest mistake, or itll cost our lives.


    Our squad started to circle around the Bug fleet at maximum speed.


    First ship, down.


    Oh!


    Second ship, down.


    Yes!


    It looks like Tactic Sigma 1 really was effective. We started bringing down Bug ships one after another.


    Bug fleet, only three ships remaining. Bug fleet, all ships down.


    Oooh!


    We did it!


    Immediately head back to Colonial Athenas orbit to assist in the evacuation efforts. Cruising Speed 1


    Aye, aye, maam.


    The bridge crew looked at me with gazes filled with respect, but I really didnt do anything. I did indeed study the tactic we used, but it was Teo that implemented it perfectly.


    The colony ship that people rode when they first came to this system was repurposed as a space station orbiting the colonial. However, since it hasnt been that long after thiss colonization, both cold sleep and hyperspace navigation functions were still avable, so it can be used as an evacuation vessel in case of an emergency.


    But since the poption has increased, it may be necessary to split the citizens between it and our three Satellite-ss destroyers.


    Three shuttles were used to send up people via piston drive, and more and more citizens were brought into space.


    A weekter, the evacuation process was proceeding smoothly, and almost all of the 20,000 citizens were already sent up to orbit. The ones sent up have already boarded the colonial ship, and there was a little bit more room for some people from thest returning shuttle to squeeze in. However, the colonial ship will not be able to amodate everyone in the end, so it was necessary to send the remaining citizens to the destroyer.


    Its the Bugs, Commander.


    (Yes Number and position?)


    BG-III-ss cruisers, 16 ships. Distance, approximately 40,000 light-seconds.


    What rotten timing. Just a little bit more and the evacuation would beplete My Star-ss heavy cruiser wont be able topete with 16 BG-III ships that were farrger and sported more firepower than BG-Is. The BG-IIIspletely outstripped the Satellite-ss destroyers in terms of firepower and speed as well. We wont be able to handle them even if we fought with all we had. If we just had another Star-ss, then maybe


    Just what should we do? We will be able toplete the evacuation with just one more return trip from the three shuttles.


    (Teo, how long would it take toplete the evacuation process and escape to hyperspace?)


    Approximately one hour and thirty-two minutes.


    That long!?


    There are still more than six hundred people scheduled to board the shuttles. More than six hundred people


    I watched the monitor and saw the people hurrying to board the shuttles on the surface. I zoomed in on the image feed. I saw many children among those who were evacuating.


    First, lets have the colonial ship depart immediately. Theres no merit in keeping it here. I promptly gave the order.


    The people boarding the shuttles on the surface of the had no choice but to take the destroyers now.


    (Teo, can the three destroyers amodate all the people from the three shuttles?)


    Its possible.


    (What about the crew of this ship? Will they be able to squeeze in as well?)


    There will be no problems.


    (Please contact the captains for a meeting.)


    After a short while of waiting in the virtual meeting room, the ship captains under me appeared one after the other.


    I shall try to buy some time with Teo. Wait for the shuttles to return to orbit, and once theyve all boarded, immediately head for the Daks imperial base. Oh, and Ill have the rest of my crew board each of your ships as well.


    You cant be serious, maam!? Please allow us to fight with you!


    The other captains were of the same opinion.


    Adding three Satellite-ss destroyers to intercept them wont make much difference anyway. And I am themander of this fleet. So obey my orders. If I fail to stall them, leave immediately without waiting for the shuttles. Captain Kurz, make sure to lead them well. As the next highest-ranking officer after me, you will now be in charge. Is that understood?


    Understood.


    Alright then. It has only been for a short while, but I am truly d to have served with you all. Good luck.


    Good luck as well, Commander!


    I returned to my captains seat in reality.


    Of course, I knew that the most rational decision I could make as a military officer was to abandon the shuttles and leave immediately.


    However, I, personally, cannot bring myself to do that. Im a failure of a military officer. At the very least, let me make up for thispse in judgment with my utmost effort.

 Chapter 64.2 - Side Story: Commander Iris Conrad Part 2

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    All personnel, abandon ship! Start evacuating everyone to the other fleet ships at once.


    Captain!?


    Thats an order, XO.


    But!


    Im going to buy us some time. Please, Sarah. Listen to me.


    I understand, Iris. All hands! Abandon ship!


    The bridge crew gave me one final salute and started to evacuate. I also gave them a crisp salute in return.


    Im sorry, but Im afraid Im going to have youe with me, Teo.


    Its fine. Ill apany you till the end, Captain.


    Dere a first-ss state of emergency. Teo, ignore normal regtions and release the limiters of all the systems of the ship.


    Limiters are off, Captain.


    With this, I should be able to put up a decent fight even by my lonesome.


    Before long, all of the ships crew have managed to escape via thending crafts and started heading for our allied ships. However, I had them leave thebat bots usually assigned to thending crafts behind.


    Now then, lets head for that Bug fleet. Maximumbat speed. Ill leave the system controls to you.


    Roger.


    The Bug fleet was acting warily. They were slower than usual. Well, thats convenient.


    We will soon have them within firing range.


    Tactical Maneuver Sigma 1,mence.


    Roger.


    We started circling around the Bug fleet at maximum speed and attacked them from medium range. As expected, BG-IIIs really are different from BG-Is. This wont be easy at all.


    One ship, down. The attack trajectories of the Bug ships seem odd. They seem to be recalibrating their aim constantly and are trying to disable us.


    As I thought! Its just as I predicted. I banked on the possibility that they will act like this when faced with just a lone ship. The Bugs greatly desired humanitys tech after all. They are probably thinking of acquiring this ship so they are trying not to overly damage it. Of course, even if this ship gets shot down, the Bugs still wont get their filthy hands on it. The moment we get incapacitated, Teo will activate the self-destruct sequence ording to protocol.


    If I can just shave off a couple more from their number


    When I managed to shoot down an additional five ships, their attack patterns finally changed. It looks like they wont be permitting any more losses. I guess this is how far we can go with this strategy.


    Prioritize evading their attacks while exchanging fire.


    Roger.


    How much time left before the evacuation is finished?


    The shuttles have reached orbit and the transfer of passengers has started. I estimate that it will take approximately 36 minutes until they can escape via hyperspace navigation.


    So there are still 36 minutes left. Weve ended uping pretty close to the colony. Just how long will we be able tost at this rate?


    Even when we prioritized evasive maneuvers, we still managed to shoot down one more enemy ship. There were nine ships left. At this rate, well be pushed back near the orbit of colony Athena, and it will end up within enemy range. But theres still 25 minutes to go before they can make their escape.


    Can you cause a localized explosion near the engine remotely?


    Its possible.


    Okay. Try to make it appear as if we got hit by one of their attacks and detonate an explosion. Bring down the shield as well.


    Are you sure, Captain?


    Theres no other way to get their attention.


    Understood. I will execute it now.


    This is a very risky bet. I couldnt think of any other way but this.


    We evaded a couple more attacks from the Bug fleet and made a sudden sharp turn at maximumbat speed. After gaining some distance, vibrations rocked the ship. Teo must have already set off a localized explosion. What is the reaction of those damned Bugs?


    Yes! They bit the bait! All nine ships turned back to encircle Teo. Yes, this is fine. I was worried they would end up splitting their forces in half. It looks like they really want human tech for themselves.


    Activate allbat and general-purpose bots. Have them defend all passageways leading to the bridge.


    Roger.


    They would probably have a hard time eliminating the bots while trying not to cause too much damage to the ship.


    If the Bugs try anything funny and attempt to ess the main system, immediately activate the self-destruct protocol.


    Understood.


    You can jam themunication systems of the Bugs, right? Make sure no information leaks out. Activate the self-destruct protocol at your discretion.


    Understood.


    The Bugs had three of their ships approach Teo and extended something that looked like a boarding passageway to infiltrate the ship. They broke through the ships hull and started infiltrating. They seemed pretty efficient for mere insects. They probably nned all this in advance the moment we engaged them with just one ship.


    They immediately enteredbat with thebat and general-purpose bots guarding the main passages. Only 15 more minutes to go.


    Unexpectedly, the Bugs didnt seem afraid of causing damage to the ship. They sent wave after wave of armored insect soldiers to engage the defending robots. Thebat bots were already beginning to sufferrge losses. Ten minutes more.


    The Bugs finally made it in front of the bridge. They immediately destroyed the reinforced sliding door by tearing it with their ws. So these are the enemies of humanity  the Bugs. Its my first time seeing them alive like this. All I saw before were dead specimens sent back for research. Six minutes more.


    The ones that entered were basic Beetle Type IIs. They had a horrifying figure covered in messy hair fments and rugged carapace. Their entire body looked slimy and greasy. And the smell! It made me want to throw up a thousand times over.


    They invaded the bridge en masse. They looked like they were talking with each other, but all I could hear were bizarre clicking noises. Then one of them started fiddling with a tiny box-like device.


    System, hand over.


    A Bug spoke!? Precisely speaking, the voice was from the tiny device, but still


    (Whats going on!? How did these Bugs get a hold of ournguage?)


    This is just my conjecture, but this may be proof that a certain unsavory rumor was true.


    Rumor? Oh, that rumor huh There was a im saying that the Bugs might have captured a great number of humans and brought them back to their home-world.


    It stemmed from the fact that the number of those reported missing after attacks on colonys did not match the number of corpses recovered to a significant degree. ording to that rumor, the Bugs apparently raised humans akin to livestock and were treated as gourmet foodstuffs back in their home-world. To think there was a possibility of that being true


    I definitely dont want to end up like that though


    System, hand over.


    So that little box is some sort of trantor device? They seem to want me to hand over the systems of the ship.


    They seem to be getting impatient.


    No!


    System, hand over. Otherwise, kill.


    Go ahead and kill me then.


    It seems the Bugs were confused when I told them to kill me without hesitation. The frantic clicking noises they make is getting on my nerves.


    System, hand over. If you dont, I, eat your hand.


    Eat my what now? Oh, was it threatening me? Did it think the reason Im not self-destructing immediately was that I wished to live? Ah, the foolishness of these Bugs is one of the saving graces for the human race. It would be terrible for humanity if they were even just a bit smarter.


    No, dont eat me!


    I dont know if the Bugs actually understood human emotions, but I pretended to shake uncontrobly to signify fear. Im sure these bastards are having a st watching me.


    No, will eat. System, hand over.


    I wont hand over the system, but please dont eat me.


    Will eat. System, hand over.


    I wont hand over the system, but please dont eat me.


    It looks like it finally realized I was making a fool out of it. It grabbed one of my arms and chewed it up starting from the fingers. I screamed as loud as I could. One minute more.


    4, 3, 2, 1. I stopped screaming immediately. I had my nanoms cut off my sense of pain earlier, so I naturally didnt feel a thing.


    (How long before the reactor goes critical?)


    We can go out right now if you like, Captain. But for maximum effect, three minutes more would be ideal.


    I see. Alright then. I guess theres enough time for me to finish handing overmand.


    Captain Kurz.


    The image of Captain Kurz, who was currently sitting on the captains chair of the destroyer under hismand, went up on the screen. My former XO, Sarah, was standing by his side. She was crying profusely. My current appearance might be a bit too much for her.


    The situation on my ship was monitored by all of my former subordinates, so they must have seen the entire thing.


    The Bugs got surprised when the screen suddenly turned on and were making a racket. Ugh, so noisy. The scum that was happily munching on my arm finally released me.


    Captain Kurz, I now fully relinquishmand of the fleet to you.


    Understood, maam.


    Stay safe, Sarah.


    Uu Captain!


    Sarah was a friend whos been with me since I was first assigned as the captain of an imperial destroyer.


    Im sorry Captain Kurz, but can you help me send a video message?


    Of course maam. We can depart via hyperspace drive anytime so theres absolutely no problem.


    Ill send it to youter then.


    I cut thems. The Bugs were still clicking and cking in confusion.


    Teo, my appearance is a bit unsightly, so can you edit the video so Id look like I was inside the captains quarters in civilian clothes? Edit out the clicking sounds too of course.


    My left arm ended up getting eaten right up to the elbow. I cant show such a thing to my family.


    Understood. Go ahead, Captain.


    Selena, Sharon. Are you doing fine, girls!? I got the sketch you sent me! You drew it very well! Mama was really surprised! But Mamas busy with work, so I wont be able toe home for a while. Im really sorry. Be good girls and listen to Papa always. Ill leave them both to you, okay, Aaron? I love you And cut.


    The Bugs seemed taken aback by my sudden actions. They looked pretty confused when I made my best smile and waved goodbye cheerfully.


    I didnt think I would actually record a holo-video for my family under the eyes of dozens of Bugs You really never know what life will throw at you next, huh.


    The reactor has reached critical mass.


    I see. Ive been in your care, Teo.


    No. It was my pleasure to serve under you, Captain.


    I ran my gaze to the surrounding Bugs. They still looked absolutely bewildered. Oh, and I suppose I should thank them for allowing me to shoot a holo-video without any disturbance.


    Okay then, you lot! Ill see you all in hell! Detonate!


    Five of the nine Bug ships got caught up directly in the explosion and got thoroughly destroyed. The other four heavily damaged ships were brought down by the three destroyers with a vengeance.


    The Imperial Military High Command praised Lt. Col. Iris Conrad for her heroic actions and gave her a posthumous promotion to Brigadier General.


    And when thest video message of the Brigadier General got mysteriously leaked from the imperial military database, which never allowed any sort of data leak until that point, it immediately spread throughout the known gxy and caused a massivemotion. It was then decided that the Brigadier General would be given the highest-ranked imperial military medal; the Great Gctic Cross.


    After this, it was also decided that the next-gen Gxy-ss dreadnought being constructed at the time will be christened as the Iris Conrad, inmemoration of the fallen hero.

 Chapter 65.1 - Clan Gathering Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Weve managed to return safely today as well, n-sama.


    Yes, thankfully. There wasnt a lot of loot this time, but its still good that everyone managed toe back in one piece.


    The loot is still satisfactory nheless.


    Walter has been using the word satisfactory a lot recently. He might be just trying to console me about thecking loot anyway. Im not really that hung up on the amount of our loot anyway. I just wish to have everyones efforts rewarded more because weve been basically risking our lives all this time.


    We just came back from another round of bandit hunting and had just reached Gantzs gates. When we lined up behind a merchant who was currently undergoing the customary inspection, one of the gate guards immediately noticed us, made a panicked face and rushed to the guard barracks again.


    When the merchant and his caravan finally finished undergoing the inspection, Captain Guido and the other guards were already waiting for us toe forward.


    Youve gotten quite a haul again this time, n.


    Yes. We managed to capture two bandit groups this time. These guys are one group, and those ones are the other.


    To think that you were able to bring down two bandit groups this time around. Well, you certainly have the manpower though, so I guess its not really all that hard for you. Oi, take them away!


    Here you go.


    Recently, the city guards have been letting our n members off without undergoing the customary inspection. I was wondering if that really was okay, but I guess this is just one proof that weve gained their trust.


    Man, I wanna take a bath right away. We spent a total of eight nights away for this times expedition after all. There werent any spots to wash off along the way as well, so I was nearly at my limit.


    There were several groups of adventurers who whispered with each other when we passed them by as we walked along the city streets. I was a bit curious, so I enhanced my sense of hearing and listened in.


    Those guys are from Shining Star, right? Did they bring down more bandit groups this time?


    Im sure they did. Word is, those guys specialize in bandit hunting.


    But they sure manage to find bandits a lot huh. They surely have an excellent source of info.


    Those guys probably managed to spot the badges we were wearing, so they recognized our group right away. This is proof that our n was gradually gaining recognition around these parts. Were not really bandit specialists or anything of the sort, but we did hunt bandits most of the time, so I guess getting misunderstood like this was inevitable.


    When we reached our Home, we found Team A busy training hard in the square. They were training Corinth-style swordsmanship with Selena and Sharon as their instructors. I already received a report from Selena earlier that Team A returned from their own expedition yesterday with none of the men injured.


    They then spotted our group and weed us back.


    Wee back, n!


    Were back, everyone. Did you encounter any problems on your expedition?


    No. However, there wasnt a lot of loot this time around.


    It seems Cleria was bothered by how few the loot they managed to bring back was this time.


    I see. Were much the same. I guess bandits with few members really arent worth much huh. Well, it cant be helped. There probably arent that many bandit groups in possession of lots of loot anyway.


    We managed to capture a total of twenty-five bandits when we raided the two bandit groups this time around. Also, we managed to loot a total of 40,000 Guineas. There werent any items that looked all that valuable though. I guess the loot they were able to hoard was limited because of their small numbers.


    Team A continued their training while we from the B Team hurried to the bath to wash up.


    When I got out of the bath, the head of our workers, Sally-san, approached me.


    There was a representative from the Adventurers Guild who came by five days ago sir, and he told me to inquire if you could pay them a visit once you got back.


    I see. Understood. Ill pay a visit to them tomorrow.


    I wonder whats up? Well, its true that Ive been paying a visit to the Commerce Guild a lottely, and didnte much to the Adventurers Guild. Well, I wont know unless I go, so I might as well.


    After we had our dinner, I called out to all the n members for some announcements.


    Everyone! Thanks to all your efforts, weve already managed to clean up most of the bandit groups lurking near Gantz. Due to this, I propose we put a stop to our bandit hunting activities in the meantime. We need to decide on our next ns tomorrow, so I hereby dere a two-day break, starting tomorrow!


    Oooh!


    So far, we did sort of schedule the next day every time we return from bandit hunting as a rest day, but everyone got hooked on training or doing other n-work in the end, and they ended up nothing remotely like proper breaks. It wouldnt hurt to rest properly from time to time guys. Cmon.


    I then addressed Captain Dalshim who was seated near me.


    Captain Dalshim, if possible, could you take a break from training for the next two days as well?


    If that is what you wish, n-sama, then that is what we shall do. It is true that soldiers need breaks from time to time to unburden themselves of umted fatigue.


    Uh, youre no longer soldiers though. You guys are already adventurers, remember?


    Since weve just returned from a fairly lengthy expedition, I had them all rest early for tonight.


    I started going over our first month of operating as a proper n when I returned to my room. We managed to bring down a total of eleven bandit groups in this span of time, and the number of bandits we captured amounted to about 215 or so.


    The bounty rewards and quest rewards aloneted us about 1,290,000 Guineas. The sales from the loot roughly amounted to 1,000,000 Guineas as well. The special bounty rewards for certain notorious bandits amounted to 310,000 Guineas since we managed to capture three of them. All in all, our total earnings for the month amounted to about 2,600,000 Guineas.


    We already sent 300,000 Guineas to Roberto. It would still be a bitcking once it gets divided to the five thousand people under his care, but it would help them out just the same.


    Weve already cleaned up all the bandits within a five-day range around Gantz. Of course, I didnt forget to have the drone thoroughly destroy all the bandit bases we found, so no other bandits will be making use of those ces again.


    Hideouts and bases are indispensable for the bandits after all since they needed a ce to stay near the traps and ambush points they set up in order to effectively watch over them. And even skilled veteran adventurer parties wouldnt dare set up camp for long out in the wilderness thats practically crawling with monsters. The bandits would be helpless without a secure base.


    Since Ive already destroyed all the spots that could be used as bases, I think other bandits wouldnt be able to set up shop for quite some time around these parts.


    Even if it doesnt turn out as I expect, I still have the drones keeping an eye on the surrounding areas, so its just a matter of heading out again to take care of them. Groups camping out at night were pretty easy to spot because they stood out a lot, so it wouldnt pose a problem for the drones to find them.


    The next day, I nned to visit the Commerce Guildter to report the result of this times expedition and tell them our intention to suspend bandit hunting activities for the time being. And I also needed to visit the Adventurers Guild right after.


    When lunch came, I told the party about my n to visit the Adventurers Guild, and they all decided to apany me. Were on a rare break, guys. It would have been fine if you just spent the entire day rxing or something.


    After finishing lunch, we all headed for the Adventurers Guild. Based on my prior experiences, theres a good chance Karina-san will be present at this time. Its possible well be able to meet up with her.


    We entered the guild building and went to the usual counter to report. When the guild clerk saw us, she immediately ran to the back office to report our arrival. Its great that shes quick on the uptake.


    After a short while, Karina-san came over.


    Good morning, n-sama.


    Its been a while, Karina-san. Ill report the results of our bandit hunting expedition first. We managed to capture 25 bandits and handed them over to the guards like usual yesterday.


    Understood. Well confirm it with them right away.


    And one more thing. We decided to suspend our bandit hunting activities in the meantime. ording to my source, all bandits in the immediate area have already been captured.


    I see You did manage to round up quite a number of them, so its no surprise. And n-samas informant seems quite trustworthy and urate as well, so Im sure that really is the case. So I take it that you will no longer be taking up our request, correct?


    No. We n on heading out again once we get some new info. If its alright with you, can you not withdraw the request yet?


    Of course. Our guild would prefer that as well.


    Oh, by the way, whats the update regarding the distiller?


    It should take a bit more time for it to bepleted. They need to perform some finishing touches it seems.


    I see Ill wait for the good news then.


    I already gave them an in-depth exnation about the alcohol-making process, and I handed them a detailed instruction book as well. I nned on leaving the rest to them, so Im basically hands-off as of now, but Id like to check it out once its ready anyway.


    Alright. Ill pay a visit again if something elsees up.


    Ah, n-sama. Please wait for a moment.


    Karina-san called out to me and went past the counter.


    Everyone! These are the members of Shining Star!


    She then announced our identities in a loud voice. The merchants inside the guild building instantly turned their attention to us.


    What did you say!? Shining Star!?


    The merchants were stunned in ce for a bit but immediately rushed over to us afterward.


    Oh! So you are the party members of Shining Star! Ive finally met you all!


    They are all so young! How impressive!


    Thank you very much! Truly, thank you very much, everyone. I cannot even find more words to express how thankful I am


    Each of the merchants said words of gratitude and praise one after the other. I turned a questioning gaze to Karina-san.


    I was requested to introduce Shining Star to them if ever you came by.


    I see Ss-san did say that the merchants absolutely loathed bandits a while back. I guess all their gratitude is due to that.


    More merchants continued to thank us for a while. After epting their thanks, we finally left the Commerce Guild. Next is the Adventurers Guild.


    It certainly feels really good to be of use to the people, doesnt it?


    Sharon seemed really happy. The other girls looked ted as well.


    Yeah, thats right. And were even receiving money for it, so theres nothing toin about. It would be nice if we encounter more simr quests in the future.


    We reached the Adventurers Guild and went to the reception counter.


    Im the party leader of Shining Star, n. I was told toe if I had time


    Ah! Yes, of course. Pleasee with me. Your other members can follow as well.


    And so, the receptionist led us to the usual meeting room. After a short while, the guild chief Kevin-san came in along with a male staff member.


    You sure took your time. Well, you made it in any case


    Im sorry. We just got back from a bandit hunting expedition yesterday.


    I wonder what he means by me making it?


    Alright. First things first then. Weve decided to promote all the members of the Shining Star party to A-rank.


    Eh?! Already?


    Well, that was unexpected. I didnt think we would get promoted this quickly. Everyone was surprised as well.


    Well, yeah. It certainly is a bit quick, but ording to the guilds evaluation criteria, you guys already met the requirements for promotion. You aplished such a high-profile designated request and captured a whole lot of bandits after all. Theres no one who remains unconvinced.


    Is that how it is? Well, Im sure the Commerce Guild did rate us fairly high in the evaluation reports.


    What about the other members of the n?


    Everyone did their best, so I wanted a fair evaluation for them as well.


    Ah, well, the request was designated specifically to the Shining Star party alone after all. Basically, the other n members only helped out. So we cant exactly credit them for it.


    I see Somehow, I feel like theyre holding off in order to exploit us more. But, well, our main goal ining to Gantz was raising our party rank anyway, so I guess I cantin much.


    Ranks are basically thought to signify the strength of adventurers in general, but with the current evaluation system, any adventurer could be an A-ranker even if they werent particrly strong individually.


    Mm, no, the ability to lead and make effective use of other people can also be said to be a type of strength, isnt it?


    Well, ranking up does seem highly dependent on getting good evaluations from quests, so I guess individual strength isnt that much of a factor after all.


    Please hand me your guild identification tes. We will need to update them.


    I handed my guild ID along with everyones to the male staff. He went out of the meeting room right away to update them.


    Now that thats settled, lets move on to another matter. There have been rising concerns that something strange has been happening in the depths of the Demon Forest. Some experts say the signs might be a prelude to a monster stampede. We will be holding a n gathering to discuss possible countermeasures. Oh, and a n gathering is a meeting in which the leaders of each of the major and influential ns in Gantz will participate. It will be held at 1 oclock tomorrow afternoon, so please do attend as well.


    A monster stampede is literally a phenomenon in which arge group of various monsters go out of control and attack human settlements en masse. I see. That certainly does sound worrying.


    Am I the only one thats invited to attend?


    Yes. Only the n leaders are supposed to attend the meeting.


    Understood. Ill definitelye of course.


    So the chief was relieved that I made it back in time for this meeting huh. Ah! Come to think of it, Ipletely forgot my promise with the n leader of Gale, Karl, to get in contact with him once weve settled down and registered our n! All this talk about major ns reminded me.


    Well, he did say Gale was a pretty major n, so Im sure Ill get to meet him again tomorrow. Ill just apologize to him at that time.


    It looks like thats all they needed me for. Kevin-san asked me a couple of details about our bandit hunting activities thus far until the male staff brought back our updated guild IDs. We received back our shiny, new A-rank IDs and left the guild building.


    n! Were now A-rank adventurers!


    Yeah. I didnt expect us to get promoted this quickly. This is thanks to the hard work of everyone in the n.


    Thats right! Well have to tell everyone the good newster tonight!


    Cleria was pretty excited and looked really happy. Well, it cant be helped since we did take a major step toward our goal. Everyone else was happy about our promotion as well.


    Cleria and the others proposed that we go shopping to celebrate since were already in the downtown area of the city anyway, but I didnt feel like getting dragged around by excited girls keen on shopping till they dropped, so I excused myself and started walking back to the n Home by my lonesome.


    Oh, bute to think of it, I also had something I wanted to buy, didnt I? But its not that itll take that long anyway, and were on break. A nice, long afternoon nap doesnt seem so bad every once in a while.

 Chapter 65.2 - Clan Gathering Part 2

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    We had a lively dinner like usual, and when things settled down a bit, we announced the fact that all the members of the Shining Star party were promoted to A-rank. After we did so, all the other n members began wildly celebrating. It looks like everyone also felt that we took a significant step forward toward our goal.


    Elna even brought out a full wine barrel she bought with her own money this afternoon, and the rest of the dinner turned into an all-out celebration party. Cleria, Sharon, and Selena were all pretty high-tensioned as well. Anyway, were still on break tomorrow, so I guess this much is okay. Yep. Its nice to be able to just kick up a huge racket with everyone from time to time.


    I ended up drinking more than usual as well. Of course, I wouldnt really get myself drunk thanks to Nanom, but it really has been a while since I drank this much. They poured me ale almost non-stop, and its not like I could refuse either since that would ruin the mood. The next day, I set off to attend the n gathering after having a nice, long bath. Now then, I wonder how the discussions will go.


    When I arrived at the Adventurers Guild, I went up to the receptionist counter, and thedy staff manning it immediately led me to the usual meeting room. Theres still some time before the meeting officially begins. Well, I think its a sign of good manners to always try to arrive earlier than the scheduled time to avoid making others wait.


    When we entered the meeting room, I noticed that only two other people have arrived before me. And one of them was quite familiar. It was the leader of Gale, Karl. It looks like he wasnt kidding about Gale being a big n since he was really invited as well.


    Hey there! Its been a while, Karl!


    Karl had a nk look on his face. Did he actually forget about me already?


    Cmon! Its me! n, remember?


    Its not like I already forgot your face, yknow! I see. So the rumors really were true That Shining Star n was a newly founded n that made a big ssh by hunting down arge number of bandit groups. Thats your n, right?


    Yeah, thats right. I did tell you we were gonna start a n before, right?


    But aint your Shining Star arge n with several tens of members already!? I just came back to Gantz yesterday and heard the rumors, but I cant believe someone as young as you ended up really leading such arge n. I rushed over to the Spring Breeze in to confirm it for myself, but they told me you already moved out a good while back.


    Oh, right! Sorry. I kinda forgot leaving a message since moving to the new Home got so hectic. Im really sorry about that, man.


    Nah, its fine. I see You really are quite the character, aint ya?


    Nah, not really. The amazing ones are myrades.


    The main contributor for making our n asrge as it is was Cleria after all. Without her, I doubt we could have gathered a hundred capable people right from the start.


    Well, alright. But thoserades of yours all look up to you as their leader, right? That means you really are impressive. Cmon. Dont get all humble on me now.


    Other people gradually started arriving at the meeting room as Karl and I chatted. There were seven of us, all in all. When the meeting time arrived, Guild Chief Kevin finally entered the room as well.


    Good. Since all of you are here, lets get this meeting underway. First, Im sure most of you are unfamiliar with him yet, so let me introduce you. The one sitting over there is n. Hes the leader of the newly established n, Shining Star.


    Its a pleasure, everyone.


    The bandit hunting guys!?


    This youngun is the leader, you say!?


    Uh, I kinda expected their reactions. I did look quite young. I didnt exactly look like your average twenty-something year old. But thats all thanks to Nanom as well.


    With that out of the way, lets start the meeting, shall we? There have been some abnormal incidents spotted within the Demon Foresttely. As for what those exactly are, some reports tell of a low, rumbling roar resounding from the depths of the sea of trees that even makes the ground visibly shake. There are also reports of people seeing phenomena akin to bright lighting shes emanating from the depths at night. Does anyone here have an idea about these incidents as well?


    Ah, now that you mention it chief. There certainly are some of my boys whove been talking about experiencing strange stuff like thosetely.


    The one who spoke was a middle-aged man who looked unfamiliar to me. I see. I havent received any report from Iris about those though.


    This is the first time something like this happened around these parts. The guild specialists are suspecting it might be signs of a stampede.


    A stampede


    The meeting room descended into silence. It sounded like a severe problem for sure.


    Furthermore, though unconfirmed, there have been reports of people sighting dragons from a distance.


    Dragons!?


    The meeting room instantly exploded into a huge uproar.


    Dragons huh Iris did mention spotting several of them living in the depths of the forest in her previous report. A video record of a dragon flying through the sky was also sent to me a while back, and it certainly didnt look like your average monster. It was virtually a huge flying dinosaur.


    Well, its certainly going to be difficult to put up countermeasures against dragons. However, its rtively easier to deal with a stampede to some extent. So were thinking of taking steps to thin out the number of monsters inside the forest as much as possible.


    The meeting room became noisy once again.


    Most of our n members are out on an escort quest right now, so were short on manpower! So please assign us an easy area if possible, chief!


    Were almost all in the same boat anyway! You cant use something like that as an excuse!


    Were fine with the spot we got assigned to before.


    Everyone started kicking up more of a fuss. I wonder whats going on though?


    Hey, Karl. What are all of them talking about?


    Oh, theyre trying to secure favorable assignment areas. In short, the guild will assign you to a particr area and your n will be responsible for hunting down monsters exclusively there. The number of monsters will be uneven if everyone does their own thing after all. Well, something like that is mostly for peace of mind though.


    I see. So thats how it is Is this apulsory request by the way?


    It aint. For now anyway. And you also dont get a separate quest reward. Its not a very profitable quest for big ns like us.


    I see. So we wont get a separate quest reward and will only get to hunt within the area assigned to us. In other words, our ie will just be from the usual subjugation rewards and from magic stones. Its certainly a bit unprofitable.


    Its possible to set out only to swing and miss because no monsters are lurking around the area you got assigned to after all. And even if there were, it would still be a loss if the only ones you find are goblins or the like.


    But on the other hand, its also possible to ck off and not hunt monsters at all since theres no specific quota. Well, I guess the pride and reputation of the entire n are at stake, so no n would willingly take that option anyway.


    And so, they are aiming either for an area with only a few monsters to have an easier time or an area with fairly valuable monsters to make more money. I see. So thats why everyone is making such a fuss.


    Afterward, arge hand-drawn map of the Demon Forest was brought out, and the chief began assigning an area to each n. Theres also the ns size and overall abilities to consider, so it turned out to be quite difficult to decide each ns assignment.


    I didnt really have a spot I was particrly set on, so I just watched the proceedings calmly.


    Alright. Your assignment will be from this area to here, Shining Star. How about it?


    Understood.


    Wha!? Wait, that areas just too much no matter how you look at it! Dont make promises lightly like that, n!


    No, I believe they will be able to handle it. Shining Star has more than a hundred members after all. And all of them are C-ranked or above.


    What did you say, chief!?


    A hundred


    C-ranked


    Its okay, Karl. Well manage.


    It took a while, but all the ns present were finally assigned an area on the map.


    Well proceed with this arrangement then. Of course, its still up in the air if these countermeasures will be enough to prevent or at least lessen the effect of the stampede, but things will be toote if we dont move now. Please do your best and cooperate, everyone. If a stampede does happen, monsters will still appear in droves even if we do start to thin out their numbers now. So please concentrate on thinning them out as much as you can to lessen the impact as much as possible. Do you have any questions?


    I see. So stampedes are like that huh Nows a good opportunity, so I decided to ask about something that Iris was curious about as well.


    You mentioned dragon sightings earlier chief, but have there been any casualties resulting in dragon attacks around here before?


    Ah, thest dragon attack with casualties happened about 60 years ago. Adventurers out on the field got attacked, and I think there were more than fifty dead. Fortunately, dragons dont seem all that interested in humans. There certainly was a sighting report this time as well, but honestly, Im not very worried about the dragon.


    I see. Understood.


    If you encounter any strange or suspicious incidents while out there, please immediately make a report to the Adventurers Guild. Alright then. The meeting is now adjourned.


    It took quite some time, but the meeting was finally over. We didnt really have a lot to discuss, but the meeting still took more than two hours.


    Hey, Karl, are you free after this?


    I dont have any particr business right now, yeah.


    Lets go for a drink then. My treat.


    That sounds great, buddy! I certainly cant pass up such an offer.


    We decided to drink at the pub near the guild. We ordered ale and some snacks from the waitress.


    Hey, Karl. Do things like this incident happen often?


    Not really. But sometimes the number of monsters balloon a lot and quite a number of adventurer parties and ns suffer damage and casualties as a result. At those times, the guild organizes the major ns just like this time in order to cull the monster numbers to manageable levels again. I think thest time that happened was two years ago.


    I see. Hey, have you ever seen a dragon for yourself, Karl?


    I did spot one when I was a kid. Just once though. That definitely wasnt just a wyvern. I got pretty lucky, I guess.


    I havent managed to see one yet though. Is it true that they breathe fire?


    Yeah, its true. Not just any me though. More like a gigantic ze. Some also spit out something simr to the Fire Ball spell too.


    Hou, that sounds really amazing. I wanna see one myself if possible.


    Anyway, lets talk about your n, man! You guys are really impressive, you know that? I mean, theres more than a hundred of you, and all of you are C-rankers and above!


    Oh, right. Haha. Well, we sort of just came together and decided to raise our g here in Gantz.


    Can you give me more details, man?


    I told him some things with some embellishments and white lies mixed in. We also exchanged info regarding bandits and possible bandit hideouts. It was a very meaningful afternoon.


    We wrapped up our little drinking session when it was near dusk and promised to go out for a drink again next time.


    I felt pleasantly drunk, so I decided to plop down on my bed to rest until dinnertime once I got back Home.


    I thought about todays n meeting as Iid t on the bed. Stampede huh It really would be a big problem if something like that were to happen. Maybe Iris can give me more detailed info.


    (Iris.)


    Yes, Captain.


    (I heard that there were some strange phenomena happening within the Great Demon Foresttely. Do you know anything about it?)


    No. There doesnt seem to be anything worthy of note thats happened recently. Well, apart from the base-building activities I am currently supervising anyway.


    (So youre saying the sounds and light shes that are being sighted here are from our base construction activities?)


    No. I dont think they will be able to spot our activities all the way over there. I cant say with a hundred percent certainty though.


    Come to think of it, I havent really checked out the progress of our base huh. I thought it would still be a long way off to getting finished, but it has been a few months already after all. There should be some noticeable progress now.


    (Can you show me the current state of the base?)


    Understood. Weve already aplished this much.


    A holo-video of an aerial shot above the base suddenly appeared before my eyes.


    (What the!?)

 Chapter 66.1 - Subjugation Request Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    I didnt think Iriss base-building activities could raise such a racket. It would certainly make a lot of noise if she went at it like that. Its quite possible that the adventurers who ventured deep into the Demon Forest would have been able to pick up on the noise.


    Well, at least the noisy construction work has mostly settled down now, so they probably wont be able to pick up on any more strange rumbling sounds. At least, I hope so.


    I had Iris investigate for me again, but there were no signs of a monster stampede just like I thought. It looks like the matter this time was just the Guild totally getting it wrong.


    I did n on having the drones clean up the monsters if ever a stampede did ur, but it looks like its just some needless worries.


    But just in case, I still had Iris stay on alert and told her to immediately report to me once she picks up on something that seems abnormal.


    But with this, weve ended up in a strange situation of working to thin out monster numbers even though theres actually no risk of a stampede.


    Well, we did decide to suspend bandit hunting for the time being, so I guess the n could focus on this request instead. Once they determine that the monster numbers wont suddenly increase, the guild would probably call off the culling activities anyway.


    After dinner, I invited my party members and the leaders of each sub-party to the n office once more.


    Recently, it seems there have been rumors of strange happenings within the depths of the Great Demon Forest. The Adventurers Guild is worried these incidents might be precursors to a stampede.


    A stampede!?


    It looks like the stampede phenomenon really was viewed as highly dangerous. The gathered sub-party leaders all became agitated.


    But this still hasnt been confirmed. Or rather, ording to the information I received, the danger of a monster stampede urring is actually quite low.


    If n-sama says so, then Im sure there is no problem then.


    Arent Captain Dalshim and the rest trusting me a bit too much? There wasnt a trace of their earlier panic, and now they were all quite calm.


    But even so, the guild still imposed a request on all major ns. They want each n to work on thinning out monster numbers in order to prevent or lessen the impact of the stampede. They assigned each n an area where we would be responsible for hunting down monsters. Our n was assigned to this area in particr.


    I showed them the area assigned to us by using the map I spread out on the table earlier. Everyone checked the area out.


    They assigned us quite arge area, didnt they?


    Our n has a lot of members and all of you are quite skilled as well, so thats why the guild was confident in assigning us such arge area.


    If thats the case, then we definitely have to live up to their expectations, dont we?


    Yeah, thats right. Once they determine that the number of monsters wont increase further, this request would probably be called off. Well do our best in hunting monsters at our assigned area starting tomorrow.


    Understood. Do we split into the A and B Teams this time as well?


    No. Having fifty or so people hunting monsters together is too inefficient, dont you think? I n to divide the n into five teamsposed of two squads each. The leaders for each team will be me, Sharon, Selena, Elna, and Cleria.


    Oooh!


    The sub-party leaders expressed surprise when they heard that Cleria would be leading one team. Cleria nodded vigorously with a motivated expression on her face.


    Thesedies already have extensive experience when ites to monster hunting deep in the forest. Theyre probably even more experienced than I am, to be honest. Im counting exactly on that experience of theirs to see things through.


    n-sama, forgive my presumptuousness, but what about the assignment of personnel for each team?


    Oh, right. Theres that too huh. If its alright, can you handle that among yourselves?


    Im sure Captain Dalshim will choose to join Clerias team anyway. Uh, but I guess all of the other leaders are thinking the same. And before I knew it, an intense argument erupted between the sub-party leaders.


    By the way, even though the area assigned to us was fairlyrge, there werent that many monsters lurking within it. A majority were Gray Hounds, with only a few Orcs and Goblins scattered around here and there. Twenty skilled C-rank adventurers would be more than enough to deal with them.


    Since this was a pretty good opportunity, Ill have Cleria and Elna lead their own teams as well. Im sure theyll learn a lot from the experience. Of course, I wont let them take any unnecessary risks, so I already arranged some support.


    Elna unexpectedly didnt have anyints about being separated from Cleria though. It looks like she really trusts her fellow Royal Guards. No. Maybe shes also thinking that this will be beneficial to Cleria just like me.


    It looks like they finally settled the assignment of personnel. Clerias team had Captain Dalshim and his Satellite Squad 1 included just like I thought.


    Yosh. Well depart at seven tomorrow morning then. Well move separately once we enter the forest, but well depart and return together, alright? Lets make this our standard procedure.


    The meetings over, but my four party members wanted to continue discussing the arrangements for our deployment to the sea of trees with the sub-party leaders at the dining hall. I thought it would be better if I didnt participate and declined to join.


    Now then, well depart early tomorrow, so I guess Id better get some shut-eye now.


    We departed early as nned when morning came. Mobilizing with a hundred-plus people would normally make us stand out quite a bit, but other adventurer parties and ns were also starting to make their move at this time, so we didnt end up causing a lot ofmotion. We blended in with the rest of the adventurers who were heading out of the city gates. All of them were probably going to take the same request as us.


    Our assigned area was still a fair distance away, so we continued traveling as a single group. After walking for about two hours, we finally reached the area assigned to us.


    Yosh. Separate into your respective teams as nned and begin the operation. When its time to return, I, Selena, and Sharons teams will make sure to group up with Cleria and Elnas teams again, so well go back to Gantz together.


    I roughly designated each team to different portions of our assigned area and told them what types of monsters they would probably encounter in each.


    I made it so Cleria and Elnas teams as well as my, Selena, and Sharons teams were positioned to quickly perform a pincer formation with at least two teams if the situation requires. This would allow us to easily assist each other in case of an emergency.


    Cleria, Elna, Selena, and Sharon all nodded with tense expressions on their faces. They then split up in different directions with each of their teams in tow.


    Yosh. Lets get going as well, Walter.


    Yes, n-sama.


    A portion of my team included Walter and his squad. Another portion was made up of some more of thete earls forces.


    After roughly twenty minutes of walking, we finally encountered a group of five Gray Hounds. They seem to have already noticed us. I informed the others via hand signs.


    Eight magic casters immediately formed up and started activating their spells. Their preparations were long finished when the monsters appeared from the bushes, and they were felled one after another with spells. Everyonemonly used Wind Cutter and Fire Ball as their offensive spell.


    It really is easy to finish them off quickly when you know theyreing in advance.


    Yeah. Gray Hounds are fairly quick on their feet, so having our guys prep their spells beforehand is really advantageous.


    Can you let us deal with them with our swords next, leader? It feels a bit unfair if our men who cant use magic dont get a chance to act.


    Walter suggested as such to me while we were in the middle of recovering magic stones from the corpses.


    Hm. Theres actually no practical reason to purposely engage them with swords, I think However, I do feel a bit curious as to how well everyone would deal with the monsters using their swords.


    Yosh, lets do it then. Lets head over there next.


    My magic sensor just caught the presence of ten Gray Hounds. After walking a short distance, the Gray Hounds finally noticed us.


    I gave out orders using hand signs once more. Everyone became alert when they learned there were ten monsters approaching. They then pulled out their swords. I also drew mine.


    Everyone then formed a semi-circle formation and surrounded me. Im d you guys are trying to prioritize my safety, but with this, I wont even get the chance to swing my sword, wont I?


    The Gray Hounds leaped from the bushes one after another. They hesitated for a moment when they saw our teams numbers, but they chose to fight it out with us in the end. They started prowling around in circles and gradually surrounded us. One of them got impatient and suddenly made a jump for Walter.


    Walter swung his sword and easily split the Gray Hounds head from its neck. One hit, one kill, huh. The rest of the monsters attacked one after another but were calmly and efficiently defeated by the team with their swords. Most of the monsters got taken down in one blow as well.


    I ended up finishing off the one remaining Gray Hound that tried to escape with a Light Arrow spell.


    As expected of military elites. They made fighting Gray Hounds look extremely easy. With this, Cleria and Elnas teams would probably be fine.


    I checked up on Cleria and Elnas teams via the drones image feed just to be sure and found that there were no problems. By the way, I had Iris deploy three drones for todays operation. At this rate, they might not even be necessary.


    We continued hunting monsters and exterminated 19 Gray Hounds, 5 Orcs, and 12 Goblins. Everyone fought calmly and methodically, and we didnt encounter any problems whatsoever.


    At two in the afternoon, we finally joined up with Clerias team. Its about time to return to Gantz.


    Cleria seems to have made a big impression on her team with her magic, and was being praised left and right. She was trying really hard to hold herself back from smirking.


    We took a short break, and Sharon, Selena, and Elnas teams rejoined us as well.


    Is there anyone who got injured? None? Yosh. Lets get back to Gantz then.


    Along the way, Elna, Selena, and Sharon told me they faced no problems on their ends. They actually would have wanted more monsters to appear.


    Well, twenty people in each team might have been a bit overkill for these monster numbers after all. However, there wasnt any particr rush to exterminate monsters right now, and the demerits of splitting up exceeded the merits, so well keep the current arrangements.

 Chapter 66.2 - Subjugation Request Part 2

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    After walking for two hours, I managed to catch responses that corresponded to humans via my magic sensor. There were ten of them, and they were currently stationary. Were they fellow adventurers taking a break? I took the lead and approached their group cautiously.


    It looks like they really were adventurers. There were several Gray Hound corpses lying around close by. One person was sprawled on the ground as the others looked after him. Was he injured?


    When they noticed our approach, two of them panicked and hurriedly drew their swords.


    Who the heck are you all!?


    Oi! Sheath your swords, you two!


    The one who called out was Karl.


    Hey! If it isnt Karl.


    n!? Oh, so the ones behind you are your n members huh.


    Yup. One of your men got injured?


    Yeah, thats right. Good grief I told them not to let their guards down against Gray Hounds! Dammit!


    I see. Can you let me check the injury out?


    I looked at the injured guy and found that one of his arms seemed to have been gnawed by a Gray Hound and was left in a bloody mess.


    If its alright with you, I can try to heal his arm. What do you think?


    Heal his arm? Youre telling me you know how to cast healing magic?


    Yep. I can. How about it?


    Please. Can you at least stop the bleeding?


    Come to think of it, this is my first time trying to heal such a serious-looking injury. Lets fix up his fractured bones first.


    Yosh. Ill have to be a bit rough, so brace yourself. Everyone, please hold him down first.


    The injured young man paled in fright after hearing my words and frowned in pain. He was immediately held down by hisrades.


    (Nanom, please indicate the area of the incision for me.)


    First, Ill have to cut open his arm in order to have a clear view of the fractured bones. Ill treat his flesh after fixing up his bones.


    A red indicator line was disyed over a portion of the young mans arm. Id have to make a fairlyrge cut huh.


    While reminding myself that it was for treatment, I cut his arm swiftly and decisively with my deknife. The young man couldnt help but scream in pain.


    I spread the cut open flesh to get a better view of the fracture. It looks like the poor guy already lost consciousness from the pain. I used the Water spell to wash the wound and found that the fracture wasnt all that bad. The bone was broken off cleanly. Thats good. I was worried about what to do if the arm bones were broken into small pieces.


    I held his arm and aligned the bones. Oops. If I dont take time before activating the Heal spell here, I would probably get scolded by Elna again. I held back for a full thirty seconds before casting Heal.


    Heal!


    Yosh. With this, his bones are now fixed back together. Next, lets continue to cast Heal to fully fix his arm.


    I closed up the wound and concentrated to cast Heal once more. I also applied disinfectant and anti-inmmatory magic salves just in case.


    The wound gradually closed up. As expected of my cute light spirits. They really do a great job.


    Yosh, hes good to go.


    Ooh! The wounds already healed!


    This is healing magic!?


    Ooh! As expected of n-sama!


    n, what the heck was that magic? No, its fine. Just take it that I didnt ask. Ill definitely repay you for your help today.


    Cmon. Its fine. We should try to help each other out when were in trouble, right? Anyway, we have to check if the wound healed properly first


    Oh, right! Lets try and wake him up.


    Karl grabbed the unconscious guyspels and gave his face a couple of ps. After getting three ps to the face, the young man finally woke up.


    Oow! Leader, please stop hitting me!


    Hey, Ken. How does your arm feel, huh?


    Arm? Oh, right! My arm! Huh? I can move it! It doesnt hurt! Not one bit!


    Everyone disyed shocked expressions on their faces. It looks like I overdid it again. I just focused on sessfully performing the spell so I didnt notice, but the speed that I healed such a serious wound might have been a bit too fast. I get why theyre all shocked. However, it was an emergency, so I guess it cant be helped.


    Hey, Karl. About my magic


    Yeah, I know. I aint gonna tell anyone else about it. Oi! You lot! Dont you dare b about what you saw here, alright!? ns my buddy as well the leader of the bandit hunting specialists, Shining Star. Im gonna kill you all if you ever leak anything, understand!? Well, maybe Ill just beat you half-dead first, but you get my point, right!?


    Understood!


    Uh, theres no need to kill them though.


    It looks like Karls team was about to return to Gantz as well. Since weve already met up, we decided to go back together.


    Karl and his team were hunting monsters as per the guilds request just like us. Come to think of it, the area assigned to Gale was adjacent to ours.


    Karl apanied a D-rank partyprised of their younger members to give them some practical experience and pointers, but one unlucky guy got gravely wounded by a Gray Hound.


    We finally got back to Gantz after roughly two hours of walking. It looks like theres quite a long line of adventurers outside the gate. Theyre probably returning from hunting as well.


    Hey, Karl. How long would it take for the guild to judge if a stampede would ur or not?


    Lets see. One week at the earliest, and one month at thetest. But judging from todays results, it doesnt look like theres gonna be any stampede.


    You can actually tell?


    Yeah. I managed to experience a stampede when I was younger. At that time, things were more intense than right now. The monsters were practically flowing out of the forest. But the monster numbers right now seem normal.


    I see If thats the case, then I hope they retract the request soon.


    We finally entered the gates after a while and headed straight for the Adventurers Guild.


    n, you wanna go for a few rounds?


    Uh I dunno.


    It looks like Karl wants to go drinking for a bit after work.


    n-sama, Ill handle handing over the magic stones to the guild, so go ahead.


    Ooh! Good going, Walter! How kind of you.


    Okay then. Lets drink a few rounds.


    Great. Hey! Ken. You havent thanked n yet, right!? You gotta express your gratitude properly!


    Ah, Im sorry! Thank you very much for today, n-san! You really saved me! Um how much is the healing fee, by the way?


    Im gonna discuss that with this guyter. You guys return to the inn after cashing out our spoils.


    Yes! Understood!


    He actually wanted to discuss payment for the treatment so he invited me for a drink, huh. We headed for the usual pub near the guild. Karl called the waitress over and ordered ale and snacks. It looks like the order was prettyrge this time.


    You really saved our hides today, n. Thanks. With that kind of injury, it wouldnt have been strange if Ken lost the function of his arm.


    I told you earlier, right? We should try to help each other out whenever possible. Dont sweat the small stuff.


    Man. But that would make it seem like we took advantage of you for nothing. How much should the treatment fee be? You go ahead and name your price, n.


    Uh, I guess I cant say something like wanting to practice my healing spell so its fine if its free, huh.


    Okay then. How about owing me a favor first? You guys can then help us out if ever we get ourselves in a pinch as well.


    Umu, a favor huh Giving you money would have been way simpler though. Well, I guess you wont ask anything unreasonable if its you, n. Okay. A favor, it is then.


    Great! I dont know when youll get the opportunity to repay us, but were counting on you just the same.


    Please go easy on us. Well, anyway, todays my treat. Dont hold back and drink till you drop, man.


    We chatted about everyday topics and recent rumors as we drank our ale, but since I was a bit tired from walking and treating that young mans wound, we decided to end todays drinking session early.


    I went back to our n Home and took a nice, hot bath. I then proceeded to the dining hall for dinner.


    I didnt get to drink my fill earlier, so I ordered some ale from the kitchen. E brought the ale tankard over to me as usual.


    Big bro.


    She called out to me and carefully handed me the tankard while trying not to spill a drop.


    Thanks, E.


    Un.


    She skipped back to the kitchen with light steps.


    The cold ale wasnt free, but its been rather popr among the n memberstely, probably because E was the one who always delivered it to the tables.


    Captain Dalshim spoke to me while lightly picking his dinner.


    n-sama, I heard a rather rming rumor from the Adventurers Guild. It seems that the city of Sistina in the Cecilio Kingdom was attacked by a dragon.


    Dragon!? But isnt Cecilio Kingdom our neighboring country? How was the damage?


    Unfortunately, I couldnt get a hold of that information. Perhaps it was a stray dragon.


    (Iris.)


    Yes, Captain.


    (Whats a stray?)


    I am not one hundred percent sure about the exact definition, but to put it simply, its a dragon that got separated from its flock. ording to the umted data from discussions in taverns and inns, stray dragons are supposed to be far more dangerous than normal dragons.


    (I see What was the extent of the damage done to Cecilio Kingdom?)


    It wasnt much. It just flew above the city for a short while. I can look for it if youre worried, Captain.


    (Please do. We cant let ourselves get surprise-attacked by such a monster after all. Please look for its current position for me.)


    Roger.


    Are you worried about it?


    Captain Dalshim seemed to think I was deep in thought when I suddenly turned silent.


    Yeah, thats right. Are stray dragons rare?


    Well, one appeared in Starveek Kingdom only once when I was still young. Fortunately, there was no damage or casualties that one time


    I see. So stray dragons dont always pose much danger.


    I see I hope nothing untoward happens.


    By the way, our kills for today were fifty-seven Gray Hounds, twenty Orcs, and thirty-five Goblins. All in all, we managed to earn 36,350 Guineas.


    It was still a respectable amount of moneypared to our previous daily earnings, but it would probably decrease gradually as we continue to thin the monster numbers down.


    We have no choice but to wait until the request gets rescinded by the guild.

 Chapter 67 - Subjugation Request Side Cleria

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    One day prior


    After dinner, n gathered us inside the n leaders office for a meeting. It was most likely going to be about what transpired during the n gathering this afternoon.


    Recently, it seems there have been rumors of strange happenings within the depths of the Great Demon Forest. The Adventurers Guild is worried these incidents might be precursors to a stampede.


    A stampede!?


    Stampede I think thest time something like that happened in the Starveek Kingdom was a century ago. Thousands of monsters went amok and attacked viges and cities, causing casualties of more than a thousand five hundred people.


    If a stampede urs in Gantz, which was close to the Great Demon Forest, Im sure the damage will be more than several times worse.


    But this still hasnt been confirmed. Or rather, ording to the information I received, the danger of a monster stampede urring is actually quite low.


    Ah, well, if n says so, then a stampede may not really ur after all. However, can scanning magic detect something like that? No, if n says he managed to get a hold of information from his personal source, Im sure he must have been referring to the spirits.


    It seems that a request was put forth by the Adventurers Guild. It entailed culling the monster numbers in areas assigned to each n. The risk of a stampede is quite low, but I think we should still do what we can as well.


    Understood. Shall we split into the A and B Teams this time as well?


    No. Having fifty or so people hunting monsters together is too inefficient, dont you think? I n to divide the n into five teamsposed of two squads each. The leaders for each team will be me, Sharon, Selena, Elna, and Cleria.


    After n dered his n, everyones gazes gathered toward me. I could not believe my ears either. n said each party member of Shining Star will lead a team. I was going to lead a team as well?


    It was but natural for Sharon and Selena to lead. In addition to their mastery of scanning magic, their offensive magic skills, and precise, decisive orders impressed me while acting under them on the A Team.


    Their skills in swordy and magic already exceed mine. To be honest, I felt quite frustrated, but Ive witnessed the two of them working really hard, so I couldntin even if I wanted to. It just meant that Im stillcking in talent and effort.


    Elma has also led a squad before when she was still part of the Royal Guard, and she was the best wind magic user in the Guard as well. I think shes quite suitable as a team leader.


    However, I never thought n would judge that I was fit to lead a team as well!


    I think n ces importance on ones ability above anything else. This is clear from the fact that Sharon and Selena were appointed as the leader and vice-leader of A Team. And that n has just said I would be leading a team as well.


    The moment I understood that I couldnt help but well with pride. Ah, n has really acknowledged me!


    I will absolutely fulfill my role well!


    After the meeting, we decided to continue discussing the monsters present within the Great Demon Forest with the sub-leaders in the dining hall. It seems they wanted a clearer picture of the overall situation of the Great Demon Forest near Gantz.


    The mostmon monsters within the Great Demon Forest are Gray Hounds. Next would be Goblins, and probably Orcs. Also, monsters called Kobolds are present as well, although their numbers are fewer than the rest.


    If I remember correctly, arent Kobolds monsters who are like Goblins with dog heads?


    Thats right. However, weve only managed to encounter them once. They were just slightly stronger than Goblins, so I think you dont have to worry about them too much.


    Sharon exined things about the Great Demon Forest to everyone. The monsters in the areas near Gantz didnt have much variety. But I did hear from the guild that the deeper you went, the more variety of monsters you would encounter.


    But the important thing to note is that the deeper you go, the greater the number of monsters you would encounter. The maximum number of monsters the four of us managed to encounter while training was 26 Gray Hounds.


    By the Goddess! You managed to fight off that many Gray Hounds with just the four of you?


    Yes. It would have been worse if they attacked all at once, but they attacked haphazardly so we managed to eliminate them.


    I see As expected of our ns main party.


    Ah, we really were put in a bit of a tight spot during that one time. What should I do if we encounter something simr in the subjugation operation tomorrow? No, I will get through it somehow. Most adventurers manage to handle such situations anyway, so theres no reason we wont be able to do so as well.


    After exchanging some more information, the meeting was adjourned. I decided to call out to Selena and Sharon while we were heading for our rooms.


    Selena, Sharon, do you have a moment?


    What is it, Cleria?


    Um Its my first time to lead a team on my own like this, so I was wondering if you can give me some pointers


    I dont think you have to worry too much. As long as you act the same as always, youd be just fine, Cleria.


    I think so as well. And also, our n members are all pretty experienced veterans, so they actually dont need to bemanded by us to do well. I also think you would be just fine if you act like usual, Cleria-san.


    Act like the usual me?


    You dont panic no matter what danger youre subjected to, right? You always finish off the most dangerous-looking monster before the rest of us make a move after all So I really think youll be fine!


    Really? I really have such a tendency? I didnt even notice Im d I asked for advice! I feel like I can really do this now.


    Thank you! I think Ill be fine now.


    Yes, youll be just fine. And even if you encounter a monster you cant handle on your own Cleria, well be sure to rush to your aid.


    Ah, I really managed to meet such wonderfulrades


    I will be counting on you then. Thank you, Selena, Sharon.


    I went up to the fourth floor together with them until we entered our respective rooms. Come to think of it, Elna didnt say anything about me bing a team leader as well.


    Elna, do you think Ill do well as a team leader?


    Of course you will, Ria-sama. I am also not worried just like Selena and Sharon. I do find it a little unfortunate that I wont be able to apany you like usual though.


    I see Lets sleep early tonight and have a good rest then.


    My confidence has been built up thanks to everyone. Ill do my very best tomorrow!


    The next day, everyone departed from the n Home together. We walked all the way to the area assigned to our n. After two hours of walking, we finally reached the assigned area.


    Yosh. Separate into your respective teams as nned and begin the operation. When its time to return, I, Selena, and Sharons teams will make sure to regroup up with Cleria and Elnas teams, so well go back to Gantz together.


    Finally! n told us a general direction of where we should head to and departed. Ah, to think not having scanning magic at our disposal would make me feel so uneasy I once again realized how amazing scanning magic was.


    Would it be better if I sent some scouts ahead first? No, the speed of Gray Hounds when they rush in to attack is considerable. When the scouts get attacked, there is no guarantee we would make it in time to assist them.


    My role right now is not to hunt lots of monsters but to make sure that I bring back all my men alive and well.


    Ria-sama, how about sending some men out for scouting first? Captain Dalshim suggested.


    No, lets not do so. Rather than that, is there a method we can use to lure monsters toward us? Like a loud sound, perhaps.


    n said that monsters would generally always opt for an attack once they notice the presence of others in their territory. Since we dont know the positions of the monsters in the area, it would be more efficient to have the monsterse to us instead.


    We did bring a bell with us, I think. So I decided to ring that as we traversed the forest.


    After walking for about twenty minutes, a Gray Hound suddenly jumped out of the bushes. No, there seems to be more rushing behind it.


    Defensive circle!


    When Dalshim bellowed hismand, everyone formed a defensive circle formation and surrounded me. Some of the men shed at the Gray Hounds that jumped in to attack and killed them. There were still three Gray Hounds left.


    I had already finished preparations for casting attack magic, but everyone was blocking my line of sight. I could barely see the Gray Hounds through the gaps between my men, but can I really hit them by sending my spell over everyones heads?


    Theres no choice but to do it! I cast a single me Arrow by imagining myself pulling a bowstring and sending out a projectile in an arc.


    The me Arrow spells flew in an arc and went past Captain Dalshims head. It then sessfully bored through a Gray Hounds head.


    I hit it! I fired two more me Arrow spells and finished off the remaining two Gray Hounds.


    Oooh!


    Amazing!


    This was a technique I recently became able to perform. I prepared enough magic power for three shots in advance and consumed each shot one by one. n, Sharon, and Selena could all do it. I finally learned to do it myself.


    That was splendid, Ria-sama!


    Dalshim, let us quickly collect the magic stones from the corpses and move on. And also, I think theres no need to form a defensive formation around me as well


    Forgive me for being presumptuous, but you are the mainmander and core of our team, Ria-sama. Forming a defensive circle around you in order to protect you is only natural.


    It might really be so. Ive also learned the importance of protecting themander while in battle, and I am also the one most adept in magic among the team. Alright then. Let us go with this arrangement for the time being.


    After we finished collecting the magic stones from the Gray Hound corpses, we continued on.


    Theres still quite some time until wee back, so I better conserve my magic power first. Ah, I wish I could replenish magic power through magic stones like n and the others I will definitely learn that technique in the future.


    After an hour of walking, we encountered a group of five Goblins. They suddenly appeared from the bushes, and when they saw us, they immediately turned around and attempted to run. The three team members nearest to them chased them down and finished them all off.


    Thats quite strange. The Goblins living in this forest were an extremely cautious bunch. It was my first time witnessing them suddenly popping out without warning like that.


    Be careful everyone! The Goblins might have been chased out by something else!


    The men started forming a defensive circle immediately, and those who could use magic all gathered together in the center of the formation. Most of the members of my team can use magic.


    Ten seconds after forming the defensive circle, Orcs appeared in front of us while making a racket. There are multiple monsters!? There seem to be five of them.


    This is bad. Everyone isnt ready to cast their spells yet. They should need about ten seconds more. I will keep the monsters at bay until theyre ready!


    I mmed a me Arrow inside the mouth of the first Orc to discover us as it opened its mouth to roar. I thenunched another me Arrow at the brows of the other Orc who saw what happened to the one in the lead and rushed in.


    Wind Cutter!


    me Arrow!


    Magic spells wereunched out one after another after the ones who finished their preparations immediately cast them out. The remaining three Orcs got struck by magic consecutively and copsed on the spot.


    Fuu, we were able to manage somehow. It might have also been possible to fight them with swords or spears, but since defeating them with magic was safer, theres no reason not to choose that option.


    As expected of Ria-sama. To think youll be able to predict the appearance of the Orcs


    The state of those Goblins was strange after all. The Goblins within this forest are especially cautious, so there was no way they would suddenly rush out like that for no reason.


    I see This is my first time hearing of such vignt Goblins, but I guess thats just how it is within the Great Demon Forest. Even the Goblins are cautious in order to survive here.


    We then collected the magic stones and proceeded further. As expected, without scanning magic, our hunting efficiency wasparably poorer since it wasnt as easy to encounter monsters.


    We continued hunting after having lunch, but we only managed to hunt down two more groups of Gray Hounds afterward. One group had six while the other had four.


    As n said, there doesnt seem to be any indications of a stampede. I felt that our encounters were too few.


    We continued on with our search for some time until I heard a voice calling out to me from a distance.


    Hey, Ria! Its me, n!


    Its n! I guess its about time to return to Gantz. n was as prompt as always. I first thought he carried a magic tool for telling time with him, but it looks like he didnt. The spirits might be the ones telling him the time.


    Nice work, Ria. How was it?


    There werent a lot of monsters after all. It was definitely harder to hunt without scanning magic


    No, we also didnt encounter a lot of monsters as well. It looks like the area assigned to our n has fewer monsters lurking in it.


    When I asked n how many monsters they managed to hunt, we still came up short, but the difference wasnt as much as I expected. Thats great.


    You didnt encounter any problems, right?


    Yes, we dont have anyone injured. I feel like Ive sessfully managed to do my part.


    No, it was more than that, n-sama. Ria-samas leadership was absolutely superb. She managed to care for and protect the ones under hermand without sacrificing efficiency. I dare to say even n-sama would find it difficult to emte her aplishment.


    Oh, so she did really great, huh! Thats quite impressive, Ria.


    I couldnt help but smile in delight after hearing n praise me like that. But Dalshim sure was exaggerating my aplishment.


    The other members of my team praised my actions as well.


    I see. Thats really impressive for your first time inmand, Ria. Well, I expected as much though.


    Mou, Im already at my limit. My smile widened into a silly grin.


    After regrouping with ns team, we met up with Selena, Sharon, and Elnas team as well.


    Without me noticing, I was already rushing toward Selena and Sharon.


    Selena, Sharon! I managed to serve as the team leader without any problems!


    The two of them had surprised expressions on their faces.


    Well, isnt that just a given? Youre probably the only one who thought you wouldnt be able to do a good job, Cleria.


    Eh? Really!? I didnt think everyone held such trust in my abilities!


    Today was the day Ive felt most proud of myself in my entire life to date.

 Chapter 68.1 - Dragon 1 Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Its been ten days since the Adventurers Guild issued the request for thinning out the monster numbers within the sea of trees and assigned areas to different ns.


    n-sama, I feel like the number of monsters has already decreased to a great extent


    Yeah, thats right. Ive been using scanning magic but it really seems that the monster numbers have thinned out a lot. It looks like we dont have to hunt monsters in our assigned area for a while.


    Of course, theres a possibility of an influx of monstersing over from the areas assigned to the other ns, but since they probably also thinned the monster numbers in their areas, the numbers probably wont increase for a good while, and we didnt need the entire n to go out and hunt them anymore. We can just hunt them again once the numbers increase to a certain extent in the future.


    Honestly, Id like for the guild to call off this request already. Ive been checking with the guild every day, but they keep on saying the same thing. Yosh! Ill definitely give them a piece of my mind today.


    Ill apany you, n-sama.


    It looks like hell apany me even though I was just heading over toin to the guild. Walter really is such a good guy.


    We didnt take on a mandatory quest though, so we really didnt have to hunt monsters constantly if we didnt feel like it since there was no quota, but it just wont feel right to skip on a job yknow. Since its already obvious that theres no danger of a stampede, Id like the guild to make a decision already.


    We finished our hunt for the day and lined up outside the gates to wait for the mandatory inspection. The ones lined up were all adventurers and there didnt seem to be anyone who looked suspicious. They were probably all members of the ns that took on the guilds request like us.


    In our ns case, I used the drones to scout ahead and pinpoint the location of the monsters, so we had a much easier time hunting monsterspared to those adventurers who went in practically blind.


    After undergoing the inspection, I took all the magic stones and subjugation proofs the teams collected and headed to the Adventurers Guild with Walter.


    When we entered the guild building, we found that the assessment was congested with people. We waited for fifteen minutes or so until the assessment for all the earlier adventurer parties was done.


    Our total kills for the day consisted of 26 Gray Hounds, 5 Orcs, and 25 Goblins. Our earnings amounted to 29,600 Guineas.


    We barely made a profit.


    Yosh, lets go Walter!


    Yes! Lets give em a good one!


    We headed to the receptionists counter to offer aint.


    Im Shining Stars n.


    Ah! Its about the request, right? We just rescinded it earlier. We at the Adventurers Guild thank all you ns for your cooperation. Thank you for doing such a fantastic job.


    Ah, is that so.


    And just when I resolved myself to give them a piece of my mind, they went and canceled the request. I and Walter headed back Home without saying anything.


    Hey, if it isnt n-san!


    A guy who looked like a merchant suddenly called out to us. I looked at the nametag disyed on top of the guys head and found that he was called Geld. I didnt have any recollection of him, but since Nanom had recorded his name on the database, he was probably one of the merchants who introduced themselves to us at the Commerce Guild.


    Youre Geld-san, if I remember correctly.


    Oh! To think you even remembered my name! Yes, thats right! Its me, Geld.


    Its been a while.


    To think I was able to meet you again today. Shall we go for a little drink? How about it? I know a good ce with some delicious chilled ale. Yourpanion cane too of course. Ill treat you both.


    Man, and I was just craving for some chilled ale. Perfect timing. When I exchanged gazes with Walter, it seems he left the decision to me. Well, it would be a shame not to ept his invitation, especially since he was treating.


    Okay then. Well take you up on that offer.


    There you go! The shop is just ahead.


    The shop he led us to was a tidy-looking bar where a number of merchant-looking folks were hanging out. It was probably a bar that especially catered to merchants. Geld ced arge order of ale and snacks. The waitress immediately brought out the ale.


    Ive always wanted to talk to you at length even just once, n-san. No, I understand. I promise I wont take up much of your time.


    No, it would be nice to converse with a merchant like you from time to time.


    n-san, did you know that Shining Star has be pretty famous around these parts?


    Hee, is that so? Maybe its because we always wear our n badges, so the people find it easy to identify our members.


    I showed Geld-san the n badge I put on near my left shoulder. I received reports from our n members of people thanking them for our bandit subjugation work from time to time.


    No, no. Of course, youre all pretty famous in Gantz. But ording to the rumors, youre also getting pretty well-known in the Kingdoms capital.


    Hou, so our fame has even reached the royal capital, huh


    Well, the rumors are mostly spread by merchants of course. By the way, is it true that youve managed to capture more than ten bandit groups?


    Thats mostly right. Precisely speaking, we managed to capture eleven groups, with a total of 215 bandits, I guess.


    Two hundred fifteen bandits! My word. Thats one impressive number! Truly, thank you very much for your work.


    No, its a request from the Commerce Guild after all.


    Since everyone is saying that the guild does some meaningful work from time to time after all, Guild Chief Ss is often in a good mood these days.


    I see. So our activities ended up boosting the Commerce Guilds reputation as well. We did manage to earn a tidy profit, so it was a win-win.


    I downed two tankards of ale while listening to various rumors and parted with Geld afterward.


    We did it, n-sama!


    Yeah, that was some good ale.


    No, not that. I was referring to our fame in the royal capital.


    Ah, so you were talking about that. I also think it would be nice if that was really the case. I hope it turns out to be true. Well, we dont know to what extent the rumors have spread, so we still cant confirm it though.


    When you think about it, we did aplish quite a feat, so Im sure the rumors have some element of truth to them.


    I finally arrived back home while exchanging some small talk with Walter. Now then, its about time I took a bath. Afterward, lets have some dinner with everyone.


    After dinner, I called out to Captain Dalshim.


    Captain Dalshim, I want to conduct another meeting. Can you gather the rest of the sub-leaders at the n office again?


    Understood. n-sama, um Im d you still refer to me as captain, but the n already has a captain, so I think it isnt quite appropriate anymore.


    Oh, right, sorry. Come to think of it, I have an idea regarding that. Lets talk about itter during the meeting.


    Understood.


    When my party members and all the sub-leaders gathered up, I began the meeting.


    First, Ill tell you about thetest announcement. The Adventurers Guild has finally canceled the request for monster culling within the Great Demon Forest. As expected, they judged that there is no danger of a stampede. I would have liked them to havee to such a decision four or five days earlier though.


    The number of monsters has clearly gone down by a lot, so its just proper.


    Well, thats right. I have another announcement to make. It seems the rumors of our Shining Stars bandit subjugation activities have even reached the royal capital. However, Im still not sure to what extent the rumors have spread, so we still cant say for sure if we really have achieved some fame.


    Ooh!


    They are spreading good rumors about us, right?


    That seems to be the case. I heard this particr piece of information from a merchant, and it seems the ones spreading such rumors are mostly merchants as well. Also, he gave us some info that there have been signs of another bandit group appearing around here. There havent been any victims so far, but its fairly suspicious that a group of fifteen or so people has camped out in the same spot for two nights without even hunting a single monster.


    Of course, this info was captured using the drones. I watched a video recording of the group in question, and they certainly didnt look like adventurers. They even searched for some good ambush spots at one point, so I was pretty sure they were bandits. We probably need to head out again to capture them.


    Please let the A Team handle it, Selena requested.


    Understood. Ill leave them to you then. They should be located around here. You can prepare yourselves and depart tomorrow. Alright then. Fancy some Orc hunting, B Team? Lets attack an Orc settlement. Maybe we can even encounter a General Orc.


    Ooh!


    Since the bandits still havent secured a hideout, they probably dont have that much loot on them yet. Assaulting an Orc settlement might be more profitable if thats the case.


    Lastly, lets talk about Captain Dalshim. If youre okay with it, would you like to serve as my adjutant?


    I will be serving as your adjutant, n-sama!?


    Only if you dont have any problems with it Can I count on you then?


    Of course I ept! I will certainly not fail your expectations!


    Thats good then! We all know how capable Dalshim is as a leader andmander. He is fit enough to take up a leadership position in any organization. I know you already understand this, but I want you to always consider Adjutant Dalshims opinion in matters rting to the n. Got it?


    Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.


    Im sorry though, but I have already decided to have Selena serve as my Vicemander. Dalshim was a lot more experienced right now, so he was actually more suitable in a sense. However, Im d Dalshim agreed to the position of adjutant.


    Yosh. Well then, the A and B Teams will head out together at 7 in the morning tomorrow like usual. Be sure to make adequate preparations.


    The moment I went back to my room, Iris contacted me. Maybe she waited until I was all alone before she called.


    Captain, here is the regr report regarding the dragon.


    The other day, I ordered Iris to find the wild dragon that appeared in the skies of Cecilio Kingdom, and she managed to find it within two hours. Ipared its behavior to the footage of other dragons previously captured by the drones and found that there wasnt anything particrly rming. It was just flying around without a particr destination in mind, it seems.


    It didnt pose any harm even when it approached human settlements and cities, and seemed to have gotten bored after hovering around them from above for a short while. It hunted other monsters like Big Boars for food, and it hasnt attacked any humans until now. It should find it easy to bring down humans, but it didnt show any interest. Does it have an opinion against attacking certain creatures as a dragon or something? It seemed like quite an intelligent beast.


    I disyed the current position of the dragon on the virtual HUD.


    (Isnt it actually approaching Gantz?)


    It seems so. However, there is no set pattern to this particr dragons movements. Its probably a coincidence.


    ( I see. Continue monitoring the subject for now.)


    Understood.


    The dragons movements certainly didnt indicate a particr pattern like Iris said. When you think its chosen a course to fly toward two or three days earlier, youd suddenly find it moving more than 150 kilometers away from it the next day. It felt like it was just flying around wherever it wanted to without a particr destination in mind. I cant help but worry about it.


    Oh well. I was certainly curious about the dragon, but we have to depart early tomorrow. Lets just get some sleep.

 Chapter 68.2 - Dragon 1 Part 2

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    At exactly 7 in the morning, the A and B Teams departed from the n Home together. The A Team needed to bring a carriage and horses, so they were in the lead.


    Meanwhile, we from the B Team were walking on foot. Our target Orc settlement was located twenty kilometers away from Gantz, so we should be able to go back within the day.


    We traversed the sea of trees and managed to arrive near the Orc settlement before noon. Along the way, we were attacked by Gray Hounds a total of two times. We faced a total of ten Gray Hounds, but we managed to dispatch them easily. The monster numbers have really thinned out, as expected. It looks like we sessfully culled a sufficient number of Gray Hounds within the forest.


    I gathered everyone and exined my n.


    The Orc settlement is located five hundred meters from here. Theres a total of 55 Orcs residing in it. The settlement is shaped like this.


    I drew a simple diagram of the Orc settlement on the ground and indicated the positions of the Orcs within it.


    First, well try to go unnoticed as much as possible and thin their numbers via magic spells. It wont be much of a problem even if we were to be discovered, but in order to make the battle as easy as possible, try to avoid notice while picking them off as much as you can. If we get noticed and it turns into a melee, dont panic and form up as a party.


    Everyone nodded with nervous looks on their faces. Come to think of it, this was the first time the B Team faced enemy numbersparable to their own.


    Orcs arent really all that much of a big deal. I can actually dispatch them all by myself. So rx guys.


    I joked around and made a wry grin.


    Yosh, lets go.


    We silently moved in a column and slowly approached the Orc settlement.


    We didnt manage to encounter any Orcs along the way, and after traversing five hundred meters in forty minutes or so, we finally made it right next to the Orc settlement. It looks like they havent noticed us yet.


    The settlement was formed by open-air tents that used wide nt leaves as roofing arranged in a wide circle 150 meters in diameter surrounding an open clearing in the center. Most of the Orcs were sleeping around below the tents.


    I used hand signs to get the rest of the party into position. This time, after hearing that we were going Orc hunting, a lot of the men brought bows and arrows with them. First, lets attack from outside the vige using magic and arrows.


    When everyone was in position, I swung my arm down to initiate the attack. As expected, when more than fifty peopleunch a simultaneous attack, it would make quite a racket. We were immediately noticed, but the Orcs seem to not understand what was going on yet.


    The simultaneous barrage managed to take down at least twenty Orcs. Thats a good start.


    Charge in!


    After shouting my order, I led the charge toward the settlement. The Orcs finally realized they were under attack, and they charged at us as well. Iunched Light Arrow spells at the heads of the iing Orcs and killed them one after another.


    Oh, so arrow attacks were quite effective against the slow-moving Orcs huh? Lots of Orcs got skewered by arrows all over their bodies and fell dead.


    After a few more moments, a load bellow rang out from within the settlement. It looks like a General Orc wasing. So there really was one.


    Ill handle the General Orc!


    It would be bad if its valuable head got damaged in the process. Lets focus on hitting it in the body likest time. This General Orc was smaller than thest one I encountered, but it was still easily close to three meters tall. It held something like a big club as its weapon and stomped over with confidence. I hit it with consecutive Light Arrow spells before it coulde near. After getting hit a fourth time, the General Orc slowly fell down on the ground. It was finally dead.


    Oh! n-sama has finished off the General Orc!


    The battle was all but decided at that moment, and all thats left was mopping up the remaining stragglers. I killed the Orcs that tried to run away after seeing the General Orc get defeated with Light Arrow spells. Yosh. With this, its over.


    Yosh! Good job, everyone! Operation over.


    Oooh!


    We did it!


    After a short break, start harvesting the magic stones and subjugation proofs.


    That was an easy victory wasnt it, n-sama.


    Yeah. With our numbers and everyones skills, winning is all but natural.


    I turned the fallen General Orc over and used Final de to lop its head clean off. I want to drain the blood properly before bringing it back.


    Man, that sure is one ugly mug. Since it was this atrocious-looking, Im sure itll fetch a pretty good price.


    After taking a light break, everyone proceeded to collect the magic stones and subjugation proofs from the fallen monsters. Its already two in the afternoon. Well have to hurry back before it gets dark.


    Yosh, lets get back to Gantz!


    Ou!


    At that moment, a transmission came from Iris.


    Captain, the dragon seems to be heading for the forest.


    (What!?)


    I opened the virtual map in a panic and confirmed the dragons current position and speed. I see Its certainly flying in the general vicinity, but its not like it was heading in our particr direction.


    (It isnt aiming for us, is it?)


    I think thats not the case, but you should still exercise caution, Captain.


    Um, n-sama?


    Ah, since I paused without moving for a long time, Walter found it odd and called out to me.


    Theres some bad news. A dragon is heading here.


    A dragon!?


    Thats right. Lets head back while being as cautious as possible.


    When everyone heard that a dragon was approaching when we left the Orc settlement, they anxiously gazed at the sky from time to time.


    After traveling for thirty minutes or so, another transmission from Iris came.


    The situation isnt good. Please look at this.


    Were in the middle of a march though I raised my hand and stopped the group. Everyone stopped in their tracks and watched the sky with wary eyes.


    I checked the video disyed on the virtual HUD and found that it was a recording of the dragon while it was hunting for prey. Yes, it was a recording and not a live feed.


    The dragon was circling in the air in search of prey. It found its mark and dove down at high speed. It plunged into the trees and killed arge Big Boar that looked to be 500 kilos in weight.


    After a short while, a group of adventurers appeared.


    Ah, well thats not good.


    I zoomed at the image of the ten-plus adventurers. The adventurers were scared out of their wits, but in their panic, they stupidly tried to attack the dragon to chase it away.


    How idiotic! They should have run away while it wasnt paying attention. Just how did they n to defeat that monster anyway?


    The adventurers circled around the dragons position, and two of them who seemed to be spell casters started chanting. Oh cmon! Dont these guys realize that monster wont be fazed with just those kinds of spells? The result was as clear as day.


    After the spells were ready, three other party members aimed at the back of the dragons head and fired arrows at it. The arrows were deflected by its scales of course, and the dragon turned toward them. It was obviously angry at being interrupted from having its meal.


    And the two spell casters released their spells at that timing. Honestly, they timed their spells perfectly. The two cast me Arrow spells and six arrows of me flew toward the dragons face andnded direct hits.


    Ooh! One ming arrow even managed to hit one of the dragons eyes. The dragon unleashed a furious roar.


    It thrashed around all over the ce for about twenty seconds, but it calmed down soon after. Perhaps the pain from the injury had subsided. It then stood up and red angrily at the adventurers with its one remaining eye. It unleashed a furious roar once more. Ah, its just like I thought.


    The adventurers got frightened by the dragons roar and tried to run away. They shouldnt have run. Since they managed to blind one of its eyes, they should have had a chance of driving it away if they stood their ground.


    The dragon took a deep breath, and after a few moments, it unleashed a zing torrent of mes at the adventurers. The mes swallowed the adventurerspletely. Haah


    Perhaps it was not satisfied after killing the adventurers. The dragon kept roaring in fury toward the sky.


    When it seemingly got tired of bellowing its lungs out, it took off. It started flying in a circle; seemingly in search of something. I zoomed at the upper body of the dragon. As I thought, the dragons gaze was focused on the ground. It was definitely looking for something. Im sure it was looking for more people to vent its anger on.


    I checked the virtual map and confirmed that it was definitely closing in on our position. I see. This certainly is a bad situation. If the dragon spots us, Im sure itll definitelyunch an attack.


    However, this might be a chance as well. You can even call it a one in a million chance. I heard from Cleria a while back that they awarded noble titles to adventurers who managed to y a wyvern in the Starveek Kingdom. Then what if I managed to y a dragon?


    And that big, fat chance was currentlying over. Theres a point to facing it head-on even with the risks involved.


    Walter, the dragon really is heading our way. Ill take another route and do something about it. You lead the B Team and head back to Gantz.


    What are you saying!? If thats the case, then please allow us to apany you. If we pool our strengths together, even a dragon will be no match!


    No. Against a dragon, everyones present strength is stillcking. If you stay behind, youll honestly just serve to hinder me. Please stay out of this one for now.


    It cant be! T-There must be something we can do!?


    This is an order, Walter. If you were once part of the military, then Im sure you understand what amand from your superior entails.


    Yes.


    I think it wonte to this, but in the off chance that I dont manage toe back, obey themands of Captain Selena. Captain Selena is the Vice-leader of the n, and if I donte back, she will lead you all in my stead.


    Understood.


    Oh, and another thing. Hand me some of the Orc magic stones. Half of them should be enough.


    I received a jute bag containing the Orc magic stones. It should be enough with this much.


    The dragon is approaching from the east. Run west for about an hour, and then head north. You should be able to reach Gantz by then. Ill leave everyone to you, Walter.


    Understood. n-sama Please dont push yourself too much.


    I understand. Just leave it to me.


    (Nanom, activate long-distance sprint mode.)


    Roger.


    I turned east and started running.


    Of course, if I made use of the drones Id be able to easily bring down that dragon. However, I dont have any intention of doing so.


    If the dragon was a monster that mindlessly attacked humans like the Orcs or Gray Hounds, I would have done so without any hesitation.


    However, that dragon was different. It didnt attack humans for no reason. Even that earlier incident can probably be categorized as self-defense. If that dragon really has lost itself in rage and wants to attack humans, I want to stop it myself.


    No, is that really the reason? I aint such a principled and righteous person, right? Of course, I aint.


    Would I find it unpleasant if I im to have defeated it but actually used drones to bring it down? Maybe. I certainly dont want to tell a lie like that. But, is that the only reason?


    That dragon was arguably the strongest living creature Ive encountered in this world.


    Until now, I have never unleashed my magic at full strength even once. There wasnt an opportunity to. But I did wish Id get a chance to unleash it one day, just to find out how far I can go.


    Ah, thats right I simply want to test my current strength against that dragon.


    Yosh! Lets do this!

 Chapter 69.1 - Dragon 2 Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    I felt uneasy.


    I was familiar with this sensation.


    It was the feeling of something intruding into my domain.


    It has been quite a long time since anything had paid me a visit. Thest time was when my mother was still alive.


    But its only natural that no onees to me. I have not a single friend nor acquaintance, nor do any of my n still remain.


    It might be an acquaintance of my mother.


    This wouldnt do. Since I have a guest, I have to showcase the greatest hospitality. And if it was an enemy, I will stake the pride of my n and fight to the best of my abilities.


    n-sama ended up separating from us and going alone.


    As per n-samas orders, we will now be heading west. Assume a tight-nit battle formation.


    Walter! You cant really be saying well just leave n-sama here and escape by ourselves!?


    Its an order. What can the lot of us do against a dragon? We would just get in n-samas way. n-sama is probably nning to buy some time in order to allow us to escape. He is risking his life for our sakes, do you understand? I cannot possibly ignore his intent and force myself to stay only to be a hindrance to him.


    However


    More importantly, there are people in our n better suited to deal with a dragon, right? We will return to Gantz and get in contact with the A Team! Do not even think about whether or not well be able to make it back in time! Listen here! Run back to Gantz as fast as possible! Ill leave behind anyone who drags their feet. Put your lives at risk and run!


    Understood!


    As I was running toward the direction of the dragons location, a call from Iris came in.


    What do you think youre doing, Captain?


    (Im thinking of subjugating that dragon. Thats only if it doesnt run and persists in attacking though. That dragon hasnt attacked people until that incident earlier happened, so if its gained a taste for attacking humans, theres no way we can leave it alone.)


    You cant be saying youll try to subjugate it on your own, Captain?


    (Thats the n. Ill probably manage somehow.)


    Forgive me, but I do not think so. Your chance of winning is approximately below 70%


    (Thats actually higher than I expected! I can do this.)


    Please tell me the reason why you insist on subjugating the dragon personally, Captain.


    (Of course, its for the goal of bing a noble. Thats the main reason why we came to Gantz in the first ce. Dont you think Ill be able to be one if I manage to subdue this dragon?)


    That would probably be the case. Those who are able to defeat dragons are exalted as Dragon yers and are afforded with great respect. Moreover, a Dragon yer hasnt appeared on this continent for hundreds of years. Also, the scales, blood, and magic stone of a dragon are highly prized materials of considerable value. If you offer the defeated dragon to a country, you will probably gain even more standing.


    (I see! Yosh, Im getting really pumped about this now.)


    There is no reason for you to fight it yourself, Captain. Let the drones handle it.


    (No, Ill take care of it. I want to test out just how effective my magic spells are against a dragon.)


    You are actually willing to risk your life for such an illogical reason?


    Damn, I cant really offer a good retort here.


    (Theres still Selena and Sharon anyway. If I do kick the bucket, theyll be able to carry on just fine. It wont affect the overall ns much.)


    Of course, I have absolutely no intention of dying though. But I just wanted to get back at Iris a little by saying something unreasonable.


    Of course, there will be problems. First, we already have very limited personnel, and youre saying well possibly incur a loss. That is uneptable. And besides, the male-dominated hierarchy system is still prevalent on this. Since Selena would be both seen as amoner and female, she will have significantly more troubles leading our forces.


    Chauvinism huh. I honestly didnt think of that. Man, what a backward practice. Haa It cant be helped.


    (I understand. At least give me a chance to get one good hit in. If I dont manage to finish it off with that, you can let the drones take over.)


    Understood.


    I checked the drone image feed and saw that the dragon was still circling around the area as if searching for something. If I keep going like this, Ill be able to reach the dragon in about five minutes.


    I ran to a spot that had sparser trees and had ample light shining through the canopy. Yosh, I had a good field of view here, and in case of an emergency, I can use that huge rock nearby as cover. Great. Lets make this the spot for the decisive battle with the dragon.


    (Nanom, please proceed to replenish my magic power through the magic stone in my hand whenever it runs out even without my prompt.)


    Roger.


    If I choose to position myself here, Ill definitely get spotted by the dragon before long. I was curious if that dragon will really proceed to attack humans or not. If it still possesses enough intelligence and self-control to ignore a human like me even after what happened to its eye, Ill cancel my attack. If it turns out to be such a creature, then it should not be treated as a simple monster, but instead held in more respect.


    At the rate the dragon was flying about, itll probably spot me in another minute.


    Captain, it looks like another dragon has appeared.


    Damn. What rotten timing.


    (Just where did it appear from?)


    The newly arrived dragon is probably a native of this forest. It is heading in your direction with great speed. It would probably arrive there in three minutes.


    I checked the map disyed on the virtual HUD and confirmed that the new dragon was certainly approaching my location at a considerable pace. Its definitely nning to join up with the first dragon.


    Im sure the dragon mentioned by Kevin-san days ago was this particr dragon. Itpletely slipped my mind. However, lets focus on the other dragon first.


    Ah, it looks like Ive been found by the one-eyed dragon already. ording to the map icon, it was heading straight for me.


    A few secondster, I finally saw it with my own eyes. It wasing toward my position while flying about 40 meters above the ground. I had my vision zoom in and confirmed the appearance of the dragon. It really was huge. It was now only 150 meters away from my position.


    After unleashing a loud roar, it positioned its head above, as if it was taking a deep breath, and a fireball was spewed from its jaws. It can actually hit me with that magic at this distance!?


    No, it wasnt just an ordinary fireball. The amount of magic power detected by the magic sensor is more than ten times that of a normal Fire Ball spell. Its simr to my Fire Grenade!


    I fired my own Fire Grenade spell to counter the speeding fireball and sprinted behind the rock I was eyeing earlier.


    A deafening sound apanied the shockwaves resulting from the explosion. I was able to barely make it behind the rock to shelter myself from the st. Damn. I waste in identifying thatst attack as a grenade.


    Captain!?


    (Im fine! But thats amazing! To think a dragon has the ability to spew magic mes simr to my Fire Grenade spell!)


    I searched for the dragons position as I continued to crouch behind the rock. There! This time, its my turn. I took out two Orc magic stones and gripped them tightly in order to replenish my magic power. I aimed eight Fire Grenade spells pumped with plenty of magic power at the dragon and fired them in rapid session. I dont care if youre a dragon. If you eat at least one of those, even you wouldnt be left unscathed!


    The dragon spotted the Fire Grenades and hurriedly performed some evasive maneuvers. It was as if the dragon was aware that the spellsing for it were explosive grenades.


    Did it really notice? Dont tell me a dragon has the ability to perceive magic power as well!?


    Hou! So it can fly at such speeds in the face of danger huh. My special Homing Grenade spells chased after the flying dragon, but it doesnt look like theyll be able to catch up. All eight grenades exploded about thirty meters away from the dragons back. The power of the explosions was quite substantial, but it doesnt look like the dragon was affected.


    If the problem is speed, then Ill use my fastest spell, Light Arrow, next. They might not possess enough firepower, but I think theyll still prove effective if I aim at the dragons remaining eye. I took out another three magic stones in order to replenish my magic power once again.


    The dragon performed another inhaling motion 150 meters away from my position. Damn! It was nning on firing another grenade at me.


    Times up, Captain. I shall dispose of it.


    (Wait. Wait up a bit.)


    At that moment, I witnessed a fireball suddenly head for the dragon from another direction. What!?


    That fireball set off a small explosion near the dragon. Perhaps the dragon didnt see that fireball iing. It looks like it was confused by the sudden attack. It hurriedly turned toward the direction the fireball flew from.


    Damn! I also want to check, but the view was obscured by the trees. I continued to monitor the dragons movements while I opened another window to disy the image feed captured by a drone. It looks like that small fireball was unleashed by the newly arrived local dragon.


    Whats going on? Was the other dragon not the first ones ally? Did it actually save me?


    I shall proceed to eliminate the two targets.


    (Wait! Hold up! Lets check the situation out first.)

 Chapter 69.2 - Dragon 2 Part 2

    Editor: Thors Stone


    The newly arrived dragon was quite a bit smaller than the one-eyed dragon. It was pping its wings and hovering in ce as it roared at the one-eyed dragon.


    The one-eyed dragon retreated about 50 meters away from it and hovered in ce as well.


    Before long, the smaller dragon unleashed a more aggressive-sounding roar.


    Were they actuallymunicating with each other?


    The one-eyed dragon also roared aggressively in retort after hearing the smaller ones roar. It actually seems that the two were having a heated argument.


    Both of them were now roaring so loud, it would probably make peoples eardrums burst. It really seems that they weremunicating, but that didnt manage to resolve anything and they instead became more and more hostile. Rather, it was looking more and more like them picking a fight with each other.


    (Are they reallymunicating?)


    There is no doubt that they are performing some sort ofmunication method.


    The two dragons heads raised up at the same time, and they unleashed Fire Grenades against each other. It looks like the fights starting!


    The two grenades met each other in the middle of the space between the two dragons and exploded simultaneously. The two dragons werent fazed by the explosion and rapidly closed the distance. Just before they collided, the smaller dragon broke away first.


    They werepletely ignoring me now, huh. I was a bit annoyed because I actually came here with the resolve to risk my life.


    And then, an intense mid-air battle began. They took distance after the first charge, and then rapidly closed in on each other once more. They spewed Fire Grenades at each other during the charge, broke away before colliding, and then repeated the process. They seem to be following some kind of rule during their battle, and the fight really resembled a formal duel, or perhaps a joust.


    (Whats happening?)


    Its probably a territorial conflict. The smaller dragon ims arge area of the forest as part of its territory. And now, it is fighting the wild dragon that suddenly intruded into its territory.


    (I see But man, thats one intense fight.)


    Powerful explosions urred whenever the two dragons passed each other by. No matter how tough a dragon is, if they get caught in one of those explosions at such speeds, I cant imagine theyd remain uninjured. Both of them were truly risking their lives in every exchange. Neither seemed to be able to fire off me Grenades in session nor quickly change trajectories.


    However, they seemed to be employing various different strategies like constantly varying their flying speed and subtly changing the timing of releasing their me Grenades.


    After their grenade spells crashed into each other for the twelfth time, the movement pattern of the smaller dragon clearly changed. It seemingly predicted its opponents flight path, matched its timing while avoiding the enemys grenade breath, and hammered an attack at a distance and angle the enemy dragon would find hard to dodge when they passed each other by. The power of its attack was reduced a bit, but it also ensured the smaller dragon didnt take damage during the exchange. Thats some really skillful dogfighting.


    However, it didnt manage tond a deciding hit, and the one-eyed dragon was still in the air. What a tough body. So it can take such an explosion and still continue to fly huh. However, it seems that it indeed took some damage since its flying speed was evidently slower than before.


    They reversed course again and charged toward the other party once more. The smaller dragon managed tond another clean hit using the same strategy. After taking another spell, the one-eyed dragons flying speed dropped even further.


    It looks like the battle has been decided. The next hit would probably be thest.


    However, after the charge, the one-eyed dragon didnt spew a grenade of its own, but instead withstood the smaller dragons attack and spread its wings in order to block the smaller dragons flight path. It was an extremely risky move.


    It probably realized it would eventually lose if the situation continued and decided to use such a desperate method. The smaller dragon eventually collided with the one-eyed dragon, and the two got entangled and fell to the ground.


    It looks like the one-eyed dragon didnt get weakened as much as I expected. It bit the smaller dragons neck and swung its head from side to side to worsen the damage. It looks like therger one-eyed dragon held the advantage when ites to fighting on the ground.


    But why didnt it use this method earlier? Maybe its because it deviates from the duel style they used in the beginning.


    Therger one-eyed dragon held the smaller dragons neck firmly and pinned it down. It would probably find it hard to reverse the situation now.


    After three more minutes, the smaller dragons struggling evidently began to weaken. It must be finding it really hard to breathe.


    (Lets help out the smaller dragon. The one-eyed dragon should be disposed of. Try not to make it suffer as much as possible though.)


    In any case, the one-eyed dragon that has be hostile to humans cant be left to its own devices and has to be disposed of.


    However, I did feel that butting in on the twos battle was quite a despicable act.


    But I was saved by the smaller dragon earlier, and I would feel bad if I left it to die like this.


    Understood.


    A drone canceled stealth mode and fired an attack at the head of the one-eyed dragon. The round pierced deep into its skull, and the one-eyed dragon slowly copsed dead.


    The small dragon seems to have kept its consciousness, albeit in a hazy state. It would be bad if it thrashed around here. Ill try to threaten it a little.


    (All units, cancel stealth mode and approach the dragon.)


    I ordered all the drones present in the area to gather up as I walked toward the dragon. The twelve drones dispatched by a worried Iris gathered near my position.


    When I was only 15 meters away from the dragon, it finally noticed me. It didnt seem to hold any obvious hostility and just stared at me.


    Multiple engine sounds gradually grew louder as the drones approached. The dragon seemed to be looking around to search for the source of the noise.


    When all the drones reached us and canceled stealth mode simultaneously, they blotted out the light of the sun and plunged the area below them in shadows. The dragon raised its head and stared at the drones hovering above, and then lowered its gaze again to continue staring at me.


    Afterward, it suddenlyid itself belly-up on the ground. Its gaze was still focused on me though.


    (What do you think this means, Iris?)


    Its an action often taken by a lot of creatures to signify their willingness to submit to those stronger than them. It is an action that implies surrender by exposing their bellies, which is often the weakest part of their bodies, to the other party.


    (So its just like I thought huh. So, what should I do next?)


    There are many examples of creatures epting the surrender of their peers by stepping on the others belly.


    Okay. Ill do that then. It might be a bit dangerous, but since I had all the drones positioned above us, Iris would probably finish the dragon off the moment it performs any questionable behavior.


    I approached the dragon and jumped up to its belly. The dragon kept still as it continued to watch me. And then, it slowly lowered its head on the ground and closed its eyes.


    (Hey! It didnt just die on me, right!?)


    No. Its heart is still functioning normally. It probably just lost consciousness.


    (I see. Can we do something for it?)


    Its most serious injury is probably the one on its neck. The bleeding seems to be severe. Why dont you try treating it with healing magic, Captain?


    Yosh, lets try it. I wonder if healing magic will really be effective on a dragon? No. If its those light spirits, Im sure theyll be able to do it.


    Since I found their engine noise to be distracting, I had the drones go on standby in the sky and jumped down from the dragons belly in order to approach its neck. Due to the bite attack earlier, red blood kept flowing out of the gaps in the dragons scales.


    Surprisingly, there seem to be no damaged scales. They must really be pretty tough.


    I created an image in my head that would allow me to cure the damaged tissues under its scales. First, lets prioritize stopping the bleeding. I used the image of the cute light spirits repairing broken blood vessels and cells.


    I activated the Heal spell while griping three Orc magic stones in my hand. I couldnt see the wound clearly through the scales so adjusting the spell proved tricky.


    My palm which held the Orc magic stones shone several times, and I continued to cast the Heal spell while replenishing my magic power with the stones. When I finally finished closing the bite wound, I had already consumed as many as six Orc magic stones.


    Fuu. Well, I finally managed to stop the bleeding. How is it?


    Its condition looks stable. Captain, can you touch the dragons blood for me?


    Thats a simple request. I touched the dark-red dragon blood that flowed to the ground. It felt viscous and sticky. So this blood is actually something valuable?


    I see. Its just as I expected. Captain, dont you think this dragon resembles something were very familiar with?


    Something familiar? I can only see it as a huge dinosaur with bat wings though. Wait Oh, so thats what she means.


    More than sixty years ago, the empire discovered a on which dinosaurs actually managed to survive and not go extinct. If I remember correctly, it was named Satic. This dragon does share some resemnce with the carnivorous dinosaurs found on that.


    Of course, the carnivorous dinosaurs there didnt sport any bat-like wings. Those dinosaurs had dark-brown hides while this dragons was a blood-like crimson. The size was different as well. Those creatures werent asrge as this dragon and stood only at a height of five meters or so. I think they were called satiron.


    Youre saying this dragon resembles the satirons?


    Yes. They may not look the same in outward appearance, but they resemble one another on a gic level.


    It was recently confirmed that the satirons possessed high intelligence. When it was announced thatmunication was possible twenty years ago, it became a really hot topic.


    I remember when I was five years old, I was really excited when I watched the program about the talking dinosaurs on the holo-bit. Of course, the dinosaurs didnt actually speak human words. They were instead interpreted and tranted by a trantion system. That was a really fascinating experience.


    Even at present, the debate on whether or not the satirons possessed true intelligence is still ongoing. I see

 Chapter 69.3 - Dragon 2 Part 3

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Why dont you give it a try, Captain?


    That sounds interesting. What should I do?


    Lets use that.


    Iris was referring to the newly developed item for use precisely for situations like this  a clump of nanoms I call the Nanom Ball. When Cleria lost her limbs, I transfused my nanom-filled blood to her in order to heal her, but that method was very inefficient.


    In order to perform a nanom infusion immediately in times of emergency, I created this ball made up of a cluster of countless nanoms. I made this by taking in rare metals in order to increase Nanoms reproduction rate. In the end, I managed to produce Nanom Balls with a diameter of 2 centimeters. There were 12 of them inside my pouch.


    It takes about an hour for the nanom cluster to form into a spherical shape within my mouth, so I had quite a bit of trouble producing these.


    Yosh, give me some instructions.


    Please check if it has any small scratches on its head.


    I moved toward the dragons head and found a small wound on top of it.


    Please press the balls on the wound. You would need ten of them.


    I lifted the dragons scales and pressed the Nanom Ball on the open wound. The Nanom Ball immediately liquefied and seeped into the wound. Very soon, Ive already managed to use up all ten Nanom Balls.


    How long would the process take?


    For the time being, I will give priority tomunication functions and neural control. It will take three hours to establish neural control and at least 5 hours to achieve simplemunication functions.


    I see. I hope it stays passed out until those are finished. Okay then. Ill continue treating its other wounds.


    Please leave the wound where the nanoms were transnted open.


    I dont know what thats for, but okay. I healed as many visible wounds as I could except for the head wound, and consumed another three magic stones.


    It looks like Ill need to camp out here for the time being. I dont have anything to do now, so I guess Ill go get ready for camping out.


    It was already near evening and it was beginning to get dark. And I dont want to camp in a ce with a dragon corpse and drenched in dragon blood. I guess Ill have to put up with the few pieces of dried meat in my pouch for tonight.


    A little ways away from the dragon, I made a makeshift bed by piling up mowed grass and somerge and wide leaves as cushions. I also lit up four bonfires on four corners of the camping spot to ensure that I had enough illumination.


    Come to think of it, its been a while since I camped out like this all by myself. Before I met Cleria, this was how I lived daily. It felt like something that happened so long ago.


    Oh, theres a call from Selena.


    (n, Im making my regr report. We have arrived at the camping site without problems, and we are now making camp.)


    (I see. Good work.  There are no problems on our end as well. Everyone has already returned back to the n Home. Ill leave everyone there to you then.)


    (Roger. Selena out.)


    I refrained from telling Selena and the others my current situation to prevent them from worrying unnecessarily. It wont make any difference even if they knew. B Team should be about to reach the n Home by now.


    Three hours have passed since the nanom transnt. Its already turnedpletely dark. The dragon was still fast asleep. Well, its not unexpected. It rampaged around a lot after all. It should have really exhausted itself.


    Captain, please touch the wound where you infused the nanoms.


    I still dont know what its for, but I just did as I was told. I walked back to the dragons head, lifted its scales, and poked my finger into the wound.


    Information sessfully obtained. The makeup of the body tissues such as the nervous system and brain are very simr to satirons, as expected. I cannot perform fine control yet, but initial neural control has been established. With this, this dragon no longer poses any danger.


    I see. Itll take more time to establish themunication function so Iris used my nanoms as a ry to obtain the necessary data huh.


    Since she already took control of the dragons nervous functions, it was definitely safe. Most creatures would be helpless once their sense of sight and hearing was taken away after all.


    It should be fine to heal the wound on the dragons head now, so I immediately healed with magic. And so, the wait continues.


    The basicmunication function has been sessfully established. Total neural control is almostplete as well. Now, I will proceed with analyzing the dragons thought patterns in order to establish an understanding of it.


    (Ill leave that all to you, Iris.)


    After about three minutes, the dragon finally began to twitch. It was probably a sign that it was starting to wake up. After a few more moments, it finally raised its head. It looked around the ce as if checking out where it has woken up to.


    Is alright if I got closer?


    Of course its fine. I have taken control of its limbs. It cannot walk and certainly cannot fly right now.


    I see I kinda feel Im doing something really bad to it.


    Its necessary to ensure safety. It would only have to put up with it temporarily until we establish aplete understanding of its nature.


    When I approached it, the dragons head movements seemed to indicate its surprise, and at times, it would frantically shake it.


    Can you show me what youre having the dragon see as well?


    My surroundings suddenly changed. The only ones that existed in a seemingly dark space were me and the dragon. And then, a Goblin appeared right in front of us. The number of Goblins increased gradually. At first, there were two, and then three, and so on. In no time we werepletely surrounded by Goblins.


    And then, they all disappeared. The next monster to appear were Orcs, and the earlier process was repeated again.


    I am currently recording its reactions when being shown these images. I will probably obtain enough information to establish a simple form ofmunication with it after a night.


    So this process will continue overnight huh. In a sense, thats quite terrifying.


    (Understood. Ill leave it to you.)


    My normal vision was restored. I do hope the dragon wont go crazy from something like this though.


    Captain, please wake up.


    Oh, so I fell asleep. I was thinking of staying up all night but ended up falling asleep instead. Wha Its already nine in the morning!


    You could have woken me up earlier.


    There wasnt anything I needed you to do anyway. In any case, I have finally managed to gather enough data to establishmunication. Let us try it right away.


    Yosh, go ahead.


    I looked at the dragon and found it looking down dejectedly. Well, it experienced that kind of mental torture for the entire night after all. Of course, itll run out like this. Is it okay? Mentally, I mean.


    The dragon suddenly raised its head and looked around, as if its vision was now clear. The moment it saw me, it dropped to the ground like a dog.


    This is a gesture of obedience. This is a greeting for the head of its n.


    Head of its n?


    Of course, Im referring to you, Captain.


    Uh, when did I even be the head of a dragon n?


    Its the opposite. The dragon has joined your n instead.


    Why the heck did that happen?


    My rtives would definitely have a field day if they ever found out a dragon joined the family.


    It is a custom of the dragons. If they surrender to an opponent of a different n, and the opponent epts, the defeated dragon would have to leave its former n and join its opponents n instead.


    What the heck!? Then this guy wont be able to go back to his original n?


    There is no need to worry. She is thest surviving member of her n.


    She? You mean this dragons actually a [1]female creature!?


    Captain, that statement can be considered a form of harassment. Your wording implies that a creature of her intelligence is no different from an animal.


    No, that wasnt my intention. Sorry, let me take that back.


    Damn! Youre one to talk! You were performing something that can be considered a form of torture to her all night, you know!


    I see. So shes thest surviving member of her n. But


    The dragon started to make a series of low growling and grunting noises.


    She has a question. She is asking if those ck things were the ns warriors. Shes probably referring to the drones.


    Iris was probably not tranting the dragons grunts directly, but reading and interpreting her thoughts instead.


    Yeah, thats right.


    All units, lower your altitude to fifty meters and execute Formation A. Cancel stealth mode.


    When she heard the sound of the drones engines, the dragon stood and looked up at the sky. Before long, the drones dropped down in a tight formation.


    The dragonid down on the ground like a dog again. But this time, she did it in front of the drones. She didnt seem to show any intention of moving from her spot as long as the drones were around, so I had them disperse and go on standby again.


    When the drones disappeared, she turned toward me again and made more of those growling noises.


    They looked to be superb warriors, is what shes saying. She has another question. Shes asking how many warriors there are in the n.


    There are 82 drones currently in service.


    The dragon seemed to be taken aback. Sheid down in front of me again. She made some more growling sounds as she continued to lie down.


    She is saying she is happy to have been able to join a n with such strength. She is apparently worried that the rest of the n will not approve of her joining though.


    Um They do, I guess.


    The dragon got up and raised a loud roar toward the sky. Thats some serious sound volume!


    She is expressing happiness due to being epted into the n.


    Her roar finally abated after a short while more.


    By the way, do you have a name?


    It felt weird to always address her as dragon. She should have a name, at least.


    Iris conveyed the meaning of my question to her.


    Guroarua.


    Sorry, but can you run that by me again?


    Guroarua.


    Its no good. Its just a grunt variation. At least, humans wont be able to pronounce such a name correctly.


    Yosh. I got it. Your name is Gloria. Its a really girly name, and it fits you very well.


    Gloria seemed pleased when she heard her name get praised. She growled and grunted again.


    She doesnt have high standards. Her only requirement is for the male to be young and healthy.


    Uh, what the heck are you talking about?


    In dragon society, the n chief is the one who decides the partner of every dragon in the n. She just told you her requirements for a potential partner.


    Wait, so, I gotta find a strapping young dragond and introduce him to herter on?


    Thats how it is.


    Is it just me, or are things actually proceeding in a very weird direction?


    [1] TL Notes: n referred to Gloria as mesu () at first. This is a term used to denote a female animal or nt as opposed to a human (or in this case, a sentient dragon). Thats why Iris said he was being rude.

 Chapter 70.1 - Dragon 3 Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    I sorta get why Gloria would want to join my n. In other words, she wants to be one of ourrades. And I honestly more than wee her.


    But it would be a different story if she wants me to find a male dragon to be her partner in exchange for her allegiance.


    Um, do I have to find a partner for her straight away?


    No, it seems she doesnt require one right away. It looks like Gloria isnt an adult dragon yet. In human terms, she still hasnte of age. I am not exactly sure what growth phase she is under right now, but she is definitely still a juvenile dragon.


    Phew Thats a relief. I was wondering what to do if she required me to find one right away. However, to think she still hasnt reached adulthood at this size. Well, it did seem that the one-eyed dragon she fought was bigger than her.


    Glorias approximate full height when standing straight up is about twelve meters. The one-eyed dragon, however, was probably more than fifteen meters. If thats the standard size of an adult dragon, then she does have quite a bit of growing to undergo.


    It seems Gloria is finally questioning just how Captain can understand her will. Should I show myself to her?


    Of course.


    Man. So she only noticed now huh. Well, I guess Glorias still pretty confused about this entire situation.


    Iris appeared right beside me after a few moments. Of course, her image was just transmitted directly to our senses by the nanoms. Gloria seemed pretty surprised by her sudden appearance.


    Well, of course, she would be. I would probably have the same reaction if I were in Glorias shoes.


    Gloria, this person is Iris. Shes a high ranking member of my n.


    Iris military rank right now should be an honorary lieutenant. The rank didnt normally hold much weight, but in our current circumstances, shes effectively the second inmand of our newly created imperial military division on this.


    Im pleased to meet you, Gloria. I am using magic in order to directlymunicate with you through your mind and interpreting your thoughts for the patriarch of our n.


    Iris transmitted her thoughts to Gloria via images, and Gloria seems to have understood. She then bowed her head to Iris. I wish she didnt call me patriarch though. It sounds really awkward.


    She seems to have more or less understood, but now shes wondering how I can appear and disappear at will just like our ns warriors.


    Thats Well, just tell her thats just how it is, I guess. We really cant exin it to her in a way she can understand anyway.


    Gloria started making soft growling noises again.


    She also just realized that all her wounds are healed. I exined that it was you who healed her, Captain.


    Man. What a dyed reaction. In my opinion, she should have noticed these things first before worrying about finding a male dragon. Thats just me though.


    Gloria prostrated herself on the ground like a dog in front of me once again.


    Uh, Gloria, could you cut that out, please. We dont really do that in my n. A simple gesture of thanks should be enough.


    I understand that shes probably just following their traditions as part of the dragon species, but to me, all that prostrating just felt unnecessarily formal.


    It seems she understands, Captain.


    Great. Um, can you ask her why she initiated a fight with that one-eyed dragon?


    She says she simply came to give her greetings since the other dragon entered her territory. Then she saw it attacking a human. She says she couldnt get through to it since they couldnt understand each other.


    It looked to me like they were properlymunicating though. Why did she initiate a fight when she saw the other dragon attack a human?


    It looks like all dragons are strictly prohibited from attacking humans.


    Come to think of it, that one-eyed dragon didnt attack humans at all before those adventurers ended up provoking it. It seems that really is the case. Please ask her why attacking humans is considered taboo.


    She says she doesnt know. However, she did hear from her mother once that humans and dragons used to live with each other in ancient times.


    Hou! So an age like that existed huh. Interesting. By the way, is her mother already dead?


    Yes, Ive confirmed it with her already. It seems her mother passed away quite long ago.


    I see. So shes living alone now huh Why were she and the one-eyed dragon unable tomunicate? Was it because the other dragon was basically a foreigner from far away?


    It seems to be the case. It looks like the other dragon was from another continent altogether.


    I see Since they were from different continents, they shouldnt have had any opportunity for cultural exchange, so not understanding each other isnt unusual. However, that fight they had looked somewhat like a duel with proper rules to me. Is that really the case?


    That fight really seemed like an aerial joust with some form of rules that they more or less mutually followed.


    It seems it really was a formal duel. She was also surprised that the other dragon was able to follow the rules for dueling without them understanding each others words. But shes also angry because the one-eyed dragon didnt hesitate to break the rules once it seemed like it was going to lose despite agreeing to an honorable duel.


    Gloria turned toward the corpse of the one-eyed dragon which was about thirty meters away from us and lightly roared in indignation.


    So that exchange of me Grenades was really a duel between dragons huh. So that means thest close range scuffle was against the duel rules.


    Please ask her what is considered a vition of the rules specifically.


    The other dragon should have performed the ritual of surrender once it realized that it would not be able to win. Since it did not do so and disregarded the rules, what it did is considered an absolute disgrace.


    I see. After hearing that, the sense of guilt I felt from finishing off that one-eyed dragon lessened a bit. But theres also a possibility that the rules they followed were different in some ways since they were both from different continents. Oh well. Theres no point in thinking about that now since I wouldnt be able to confirm it anyway.


    Can you ask her how we should dispose of that dragons corpse?


    If Gloria wants to perform something like a ceremonial burial or something, I would regrettably have toply.


    She says we can deal with it as we wish, Captain. She says she hasnt tried it personally, but she heard from her mother that dragon meat was quite delicious. It seems that in the ancient past, there was no ritual of surrender, and the winner directly devoured the flesh of the loser in a duel.


    Uh, even so I kinda dont feel like trying dragon meat, honestly.


    I can no longer see Gloria as a mere monster after all thats happened. So it felt kinda ufortable to think of eating the carcass of a dragon that looks just like her. I guess I would probably have a bite if the meats already been processed though


    Okay then. Should we bring this dragon corpse back to Gantz somehow? Any suggestions, Iris?


    Lets see. Judging from its weight, using a number of drones to carry it back would be unfeasible. We have no choice but to cut it up before transporting it.


    Yeah, I guess so. I would have wanted to preserve it in pristine condition since you said the scales and blood were valuable, but it cant be helped. But butchering this guy will be quite troublesome as well yknow. I mean, look at it.


    Even if we do butcher it and transport it back piece by piece, bringing it directly into Gantz was out of the question. Well have to bring it to a spot within the forest near the city instead. And if we carry the parts inside the city via wagon, it would still need a lot of work. Hm. How should we go about this?


    Gloria has been listening to our conversation and has understood the gist of the problem. Shes volunteering to carry the corpse for us.


    What did you say!? Youre saying she can actually fly while carrying a dragon corpse several times her size?


    She could, but only if she absorbs the stones you brought with you, Captain. It looks like Gloria cant do it without using those stones.


    Is she talking about the magic stones we harvested from the Orcs!?


    Thats correct.


    I see. So thats the case. It looks like dragons really do have the ability to perceive magic power. That exins how the one-eyed dragon knew that the Fire Grenade Iunched at it wasnt a simple Fire Ball spell and dodged straight away. If she really can perceive magic power, of course, shed be able to spot the magic stones inside the jute bag.


    I took out three magic stones from the bag and showed them to Gloria.


    How will she use these?


    It seems shes going to eat them.


    Shell eat magic stones!? Is that really okay? Uh, well, it probably is, but I see. So shell increase her magic power by devouring the stones huh? I heard dragons use some form of magic when they fly as well. So if they eat magic stones, theyll be able to enhance their flight capabilities huh?


    If dragons achieve flight through some form of magic power maniption, something like that should be highly possible.


    It seems that really is the case. Gloria is offering to carry it all the way to our ns base. She says shes looking forward to seeing what our base looks like


    Ah Um, Gloria. We cant really bring you to the ce were staying at right now. Um Glorias body is pretty big, right? So it would be a bit difficult for us to bring you there.


    Iris conveyed my words and Gloria hung her head dejectedly. It seems she thinks the n, no, I, was ostracizing her.


    Based on all of her actions and gestures until now, I was able to feel just how importantly Gloria regarded joining and getting epted by a n.


    No, thats not it. Were in the middle of building a new base you see. You probably already saw it too. Its that ce deep in the middle of the forest.


    Since Gloria lived in the depths of the sea of trees, she should already have witnessed Iris and my little construction project.


    When Iris conveyed my words to her, she sees to have cheered up and became excited.


    Shes very surprised that the ce she saw was actually our base. Gloria says shes going to move to our base as well.


    Yeah, alright. Please prepare a wide andfortable nest for her.


    It looks like I managed to convince her regarding the base. Phew. Thats great. I cant possibly take Gloria back to our current n Home after all.


    Alright then, Captain. Shall we have Gloria carry the dragon corpse straight away?


    No, theres something I need to do before that first.

 Chapter 70.2 - Dragon 3 Part 2

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Its been 2 hours since A Team departed from the campsite and we would be arriving near the location of the bandits hideout in about an hour. There have been no problems so far.


    I suddenly received an rm notification from the drone assigned to our team. Something was traversing the road at high speed and was quickly catching up to us.


    I exchanged nces with Sharon. We could achieve mutual understanding through eye contact alone for some reason. It looks like Sharon doesnt have any idea what it was either.


    (D-2, perform reconnaissance.)


    Roger.


    I sent the drone to do some recon and a live feed was sent to my virtual HUD shortly. It wasnt monsters. It was five men on horseback. They seem to be quite in a hurry. In addition to the horses they were riding, each of them brought two spare horses as well. I zoomed the image feed to get a clearer look.


    Wait, thats Walter and his men! Just why was Walter out here? Dont tell me something happened to n?


    No, if that really was the case, then we would have been notified by Iris already. If so, then I wonder what this actually means? They might have received orders from n toe after us, but I cant think of any viable reason why he would do so. In any case, I should hear them out first. I raised my hand to stop our advance.


    Is something the matter, Captain Selena?


    There is someone or something rapidly approaching us from behind. Lets check what it is first just in case.


    After waiting in the middle of the highway for a few moments, Walters group finally came to view. It looks like they were pushing the horses hard after all. When they saw our group as well, they increased their speed further, as if they couldnt wait any longer to catch up to us.


    Ria-sama! Captain Selena! Its n-sama! We have to help n-sama!


    Whats wrong? Please calm down first and exin in detail.


    Walter made an effort to catch his breath and started talking again after about ten seconds.


    We were attacked by a dragon on our way back from hunting Orcs. n-sama led the dragon away on his own in order to let the rest of us escape.


    n did!? Is n okay then!?


    We dont know Im sorry, Ria-sama. We didnt want to be hindrances to n-sama so Please, Captain Selena. Pleasee back and help us rescue n-sama!


    Somethings strange. Walter and the rest should have already started escaping at roughly the same time as my regr report to n yesterday. But n didnt mention anything when I got in touch with him.


    Its n, so Im sure hell be alright


    But Selena! The opponent is a dragon you know!? No matter how strong n is, he cant possibly take one on alone! Lets go back right away!


    Please let me think about the situation first. As the captain of A Team, I will judge things carefully and decide our next course of action afterward.


    I closed my eyes to make it seem that I was thinking and secretly contacted n.


    Oh, I got a call from both Selena and Sharon. Ill make it a group call then.


    (n! Are you alright!?)


    (Hm? Whats up?)


    (We heard that you were attacked by a dragon. Is that really the case!?)


    (Oh, uh, yeah. But how did you two find out?)


    (Walter and four of his men chased after us.)


    (Eh!? Walter did? Did they run their horses ragged the entire night!? Damn! Whyd they do something so dangerous?)


    (Enough about that! What about the dragon!?)


    (Of course, Im okay. Oh, right. Could you two activate yourms AR modes ande here for a bit? I want to show, uh, introduce a girl to you both.)


    ((I-Introduce a girl!?))


    I want to quickly introduce Gloria to Selena and Sharon. Iris matched my gaze and nodded. AR modemunication that utilizes each persons nanoms at the same time isnt possible without Iris processing power.


    (Yeah, thats right. I want to introduce her to the two of you as soon as possible.)


    ((Welle over right away!))


    Selena and Sharon soon appeared three meters away from my current location. Gloria saw the two of them as well and got startled when they suddenly appeared.


    What Selena and Sharon are seeing right now is probably abination of my and Glorias field of view adjusted via positional correction.


    When the two of them saw Gloria, they got astonished and quickly pulled theirser guns out of their holsters and pointed them at her. Uh, I know it was just an instinctive response, but you arent really here in the flesh, so its useless to point those at the dragon, girls.


    S-So this is a dragon! n Is it alright to be that close to it?


    Yeah, of course, its okay. Let me introduce you to each other. This girls name is Gloria.


    G-Girl?


    This is the girl you wanted to introduce to us?


    Thats right. Uh, let me rephrase that a little. This is our imperial militarys new recruit, Gloria.


    Re


    cruit?


    I just registered her as an official recruit of the imperial military earlier. Shes also made the enlistment oath as well. Shes now a Private 1st ss assigned to the Imperial Air Force.


    Private? A dragon?


    A dragon just became a Private 1st ss.


    Was it too sudden? Both of them seemed quite confused.


    I might have done something quite terrible to Gloria, actually. Even if its to facilitate mutual understanding, I was still reading her thoughts without regard to her privacy after all.


    It might have been unavoidable since she already performed the ritual of surrender and was resolved to follow me in ordance with the tribalws of dragon-kind, but since shes already made a number of concessions, I at least wanted to repay her by granting her an official rank.


    An imperial military rank might seem meaningless to Gloria, but it held great significance for me, Selena, and Sharon. From now on, we will not be treating Gloria as a simple monster, but as an intelligent creature of equal standing.


    This is the only thing I can do for her. Or rather, this was the only thing I can do for now.


    From now on, you will be a subordinate of the two of them. Please take care of each other.


    Subordinate


    Gloria lowered her head to Selena and Sharon and growled softly.


    Pleased to meet you both. I am Gloria. I have just joined the n and am looking forward to working with you all. Thats what she said.


    Iriss dragonnguage database seems to have significantly improved already.


    Oh, uh, Gloria still cantmunicate freely with us. The data collected is still toocking. Were still in the process of learning right now. But before long, we will be able to converse with her without Iris as an intermediary.


    The two put theirser guns back on their holsters. It looks like theyve more or less understood the situation.


    Nice to meet you too, Gloria. Im Ensign Selena Conrad.


    Im Sharon. Pleased to meet you, Gloria!


    After hearing their greetings, Gloria raised her head toward the sky and let out a happy cry.


    She is happy to be epted by the two of you.


    After hearing that, a smile finally formed on the twos faces.


    Amazing! A dragon really became one of ourrades!


    Its mostly due to a series of freak coincidences. Glorias pretty strong you know. Shes certainly a reassuring ally.


    Gloria acted even happier. Perhaps Iris told her about how I praised her just now.


    Ah! Someones calling my attention already. We have to go back now.


    I see. Ill contact youter then.


    Selena and Sharons figures disappeared from our sights as if they were erased from existence.


    It seems it was Cleria who called out to me. When I essed the yback, it seems shes been worriedly calling out to me for some time already.


    Ive thought things through, and I still believe n will be okay.


    Thats Please! Captain Selena! Pleasee back with us.


    I also think we should go back, Captain.


    Walter, Sir Dalshim. Both of you still do not know the extent of ns true abilities. Even a dragon should pose no problem to n.


    But Selena. Even if its n


    Do you not believe in n as well, Cleria? Its alright. Theres no need to worry at all. But even so, I guess we should still make our way back to Gantz as soon as we can. Lets take care of the bandits as soon as possible, gather them up, and get back to Gantz before this day is over.


    Oh! Thank you very much, Captain! Everyone! Please! n-sama needs us! We need to make it back to Gantz as soon as we can!


    Ou!

 Chapter 71.1 - Dragon 4 Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Now then, since Ive sessfully introduced Selena and Sharon to Gloria and vice versa, well have to tackle how to transport this one-eyed dragon corpse back to Gantz next.


    Even if Gloria can carry it, she cant just waltz into Gantz without warning. If she did that, the city would most probably go into a panic.


    Well, people going into a panic to a certain degree was probably unavoidable, but I want to lessen the impact as much as I could.


    After all, Ill have no choice but to inform the city officials and rted people that a dragon will being over somehow before we could safely transport the corpse.


    Iris, Ill have to go back to Gantz first to make some preparations. Even if Gloria can carry the corpse back, Ill have to make sure the people there would be aware to avoid panic.


    Understood. That certainly would be the best course of action. Well then, we should be able to transport this corpse before evening.


    Yeah, that should be the case. But Im still worried if Gloria really can carry it the entire way.


    Iris conveyed my words to Gloria and she replied with soft growls like usual.


    She says there probably wont be any troubles. And even if she ends upcking the power to lift it by herself, we should be able to supplement it with the help of some drones.


    We can do that?


    The drones will use their Flexible Arms to hold the corpse in ce and fly in tandem with Gloria.


    She then disyed a simted image of the process on the virtual HUD. In the image, Gloria was grabbing both of the dragon corpses shoulders, and four drones grabbed one limb each.


    I see. So theyll use those flimsy-looking arms huh. Those can actually extend to a surprisingly great degree huh. It does look quite feasible.


    Can the arms turn invisible in stealth mode as well?


    Yes, of course.


    Alright then. Lets go with that. Ill contact you once Ive gotten everything ready back in Gantz. Ill leave the Orc magic stones with you for Gloria to eat. Ill leave things here to you then.


    Understood. Ill continue analyzing the dragonmunication method for the meantime.


    I spread the Orc magic stones on top of arge rock so Gloria could reach them easily.


    Alright then, Gloria. Ill see youter.


    Gloria cried out in reply.


    (Long-distance sprint mode.)


    Roger.


    It took us four hours to travel all the way out here, but it only took me about an hour to sprint back all the way to Gantz.


    I eventually ran into a group that was waiting at the spot where the sea of trees broke off. Of course, it was the B Team. There were 45 of them in total. There were five men who went after Selenas team after all.


    n-sama!


    Huh? So you guys were standing by here the whole time? It would have been better if you guys returned back to our Home you know.


    n-sama! Were d youre safe!


    Ah How great!


    Of course Im okay. Well, it was a close shave this time though.


    Were truly relieved! But to think you were able to go up against a dragon all by yourself! As expected of n-sama.


    The one who eximed happily was Satellite Team 8s leader, Kenny, who was part of thete earls men.


    Well, I managed it somehow.


    n-sama, how exactly did you manage to lose the dragon though?


    Ive been waiting for someone to ask such a question. Ill have to arrange my story properly.


    And so, I told everyone about my encounter with the one-eyed dragon, the magic the dragon used, how I retaliated with my own spells, and so on.


    Dragons can actually use the legendary explosion magic spell!?


    Yeah. That really surprised me as well. And in the middle of all that, another dragon actually appeared.


    Another dragon!?


    I was really shocked, but its appearance turned out helping me quite a lot since I was about to get hit with explosion magic at the time. The other dragon actually rescued me. After that, the two dragons engaged in a mid-air duel. It was an impressive battle with both dragonsunching out explosion magic at each other.


    Ah! I think we also managed to hear the noises caused by that battle. So those noises were caused by two dragons fighting.


    The fight between the two dragons was truly a life-and-death battle. They fought each other in a long and grueling match until they were both practically in tatters, but the dragon that helped me was about to lose. And so, even though I felt it was ill-mannered of me, I barged into the fight and attacked the one-eyed dragon with spells until I finally brought it down.


    Um, did you just say you managed to defeat a dragon, n-sama?


    Yeah. I did manage to bring it down, but thats only thanks to the other dragon whittling down its strength you know?


    So you really defeated a dragon?


    Yeah, thats right. Well, the dragon was already pretty beat up though. Thats why I managed to defeat it somehow.


    The one that actuallynded the finishing blow was a drone, but theres no reason to tell them that, is there? Ill have to take credit for the dragons defeat here.


    Unbelievable!


    Oooh! How impressive, n-sama!


    A Dragon yer


    After that, I treated the dragon that helped me with healing magic, and it seems that dragon became attached to me as a result.


    So I spent my time trying all sorts of stuff tomunicate with it until a while ago. Thats why I only managed toe back at this time.


    Werent you worried that the dragon might attack you as well?


    Of course she wont do anything like that. She was very obedient you know.


    When you say she, were you referring to the dragon, n-sama?


    Yeah, thats right. I managed tomunicate with her somehow after spending an entire night with her. Human beings like us can do anything as long as we put our hearts into it after all.


    Uh, I was aware I was pushing it with that excuse. Now then, what should I do next?


    Theres a lot of things I dont get, but anyway, as expected of n-sama!


    Youre just gonna ept it like that!? Uh, maybe they dontpletely believe me, but theyre just choosing to go with the flow.


    So Gloria told me she was going to carry the corpse of the defeated dragon over, so I came back in order to arrange everything. Oh, Glorias the name of the dragon I managed to get along with.


    Do dragons really have names?


    Thats right. I was also surprised that dragons actually held intelligenceparable to us humans. If so, then them having names isnt so surprising, right? She even offered to be one of ourrades. In other words, she wants to join the n. I already epted her, so Ill introduce her to you allter.


    So the dragon became a member of our n and will be bringing the corpse of the dragon you defeated to Gantzter?


    Thats how it is. Well, I understand that you find it hard to believe such a story. If I was in your shoes, Id probably react the same as well.


    Well, it would be fine once Gloriaes overter. Youll believe it then, even if you dont want to.


    No, thats not We all believe in n-sama.


    Alright. In any case, lets make our way back to Gantz for now. Theres a lot of things to arrange after all.


    Understood.


    I asked the B Team about what theyve been up to since we separated as we walked back, and they told me theyve been waiting on standby the entire night after Walter and the rest set off to catch up to A Team.


    Its true that they would have no trouble dealing with monsters with their numbers, but most of them were kept awake almost the entire night due to their worry about my safety.


    I definitely need to show my gratitude for their concernter.


    After walking for 15 minutes, we finally reached Gantzs city gates. It was a little over 1 oclock in the afternoon already, and there werent any people waiting in line outside in order to enter. We went through the gate after undergoing the customary inspection of the guards.


    The five of you follow me. As for the rest, wait here first.


    It would seem more convincing to exin stuff with more people instead of just me.


    Understood.


    First, Ill talk to Captain Guido, the leader of the gate guards. I knocked on the door of the gate guard garrison. Ive visited this ce a couple of times already so I was quite familiar with it.


    Hi. Im n, the leader of Shining Star. Is Captain Guido in?


    I called out to one of the guards inside.


    Oh, its you guys. You have some more bandits for us?


    No, its not bandits this time. I have something else to report though. And its quite urgent.

 Chapter 71.2 - Dragon 4 Part 2

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    The guard called Captain Guido right away and he came out from his office to meet us.


    So its you, n. What is it?


    Sorry for dropping in all of a sudden. I have something urgent to report. Err, actually, I managed to subdue a dragon yesterday.


    Youre serious, arent you?


    Yeah, I sure am. But I understand if you dont believe me right now. And I dont really mind if you dont believe what Im going to share with you for now. However, please still consider cooperating with me in order to avoid the city going into a state of panic.


    Go on.


    As I said earlier, I managed to subdue a dragon. And furthermore, there was another dragon present as well. Err To get straight to the point, I managed to subdue one dragon, and the other dragon became attached to me somehow.


    It got attached to you? A dragon?


    Yeah, thats right.


    And?


    I was able to really get along with that dragon. She then offered to bring the corpse of the defeated dragon all the way back to Gantz.


    Are you actually saying you spoke with a dragon?


    No, we didnt exactly talk with each other. I somehow got through to her using gestures.


    And you expect me to believe all of that?


    No. As I said, I dont mind if you dont believe my story right now. But that dragon really ising to Gantzter. Im sure itll cause quite amotion when she arrives near the city, so I want you and the guards to cooperate with us to quell the panic.


    Well, fine. Lets assume your story is true. When and where will the dragon arrive?


    She shouldnd right in front of the gate. Shell probably arrive in three to four hours from now.


    Ill tell Iris and Gloria about the arrangements after this so they can match the schedule.


    I see Alright, fine. Ill believe you for now in lieu of all the contributions you and your n have given to this city. You shouldnt inform just me though. It would be bad if the higher-ups heard your story and decided it wasplete bollockster on after all. However, I cant guarantee what their response will be if there turns out to be no dragon you know.


    That means if Gloria doesnte, all the trust weve managed to build up will be rendered moot huh. No, Ill believe in Gloria. Amander needs to believe in his subordinates after all.


    In the worst case, I probably wont be treated as a criminal anyway. Ill just bebeled a liar and lose the trust of the people. I guess I can deal with that somehow.


    I understand. Its alright. The dragon will surelye. Alright then. I need to make some more visits so Ill excuse myself here.


    Yeah. Im looking forward to seeing that dragon.


    The captain said that with a tone that sounded half in jest. Dammit! Ill show you allter. Just you wait. Ill make sure to capture the image of Captain Guidos face once he sees Gloriater. I gotta remember to order the drones to take a picture.


    We left the guard barracks and headed for the Commerce Guild. After that, well head for the Adventurers Guild. Its kind of a hassle to try and convince people to believe my story two more times, but I have no choice.


    We arrived at the Commerce Guild and headed for the usual counter. The receptionistdy saw me and gestured for me to wait as she headed for the back office. Yosh, Im in luck. It looks like Karina-san was present in the guild right now.


    After a short while, I finally saw Karina-sane out. Oh, and it looks like Natalie-san was with her as well. Thats rare. Natalie-san didnt oftene to the guild, so this was my first time seeing her after a good while.


    Good afternoon, n-sama. Its been a while.


    Yeah, it really has. I came to put in a request to the Commerce Guild today.


    Eh!? You actually have a request for the guild, n-sama? Please tell us more then.


    I rted the story I told Captain Guido to Karina-san and Natalie-san with a bit more detail. The both of them looked quite shocked the entire time, but I did manage to finish my story.


    In other words, a dragon corpse will be arriving at the main gateter, and you wish for the guild to process it for you, correct?


    I thought of putting up a request at the Adventurers Guild too, but I decided to go with the Commerce Guild in the end since they were probably the better option. Im sure theyll process the dragon corpse properly.


    n-sama. Your story is really quite No, we understand. We at the Commerce Guild will take up your request. We will do our best to address your every need.


    Thank you very much. I really appreciate it. Honestly, I was worried about what Id do if you didnt believe me. So, uh, how much will be the request fee then?


    This isnt usually done, but how about we decide the request fee depending on how much work the Commerce Guild will have to do,ter on, n-sama?


    We honestly do not have any set guidelines regarding processing dragon materials unless we peruse the old records to try and find some. There probably isnt anyone present here who knows their way around processing it, let alone being familiar with the market price. So we truly cannot set a price for the request fee right now.


    Understood. Lets do as you suggested then. The dragon will being in another three hours. Ill gather as much help as I can until then. Im sure itll induce quite themotion. By the way, Ive already informed the city guards about it.


    Its certainly better to get more manpower. But the Commerce Guild will handle the dismantling and transportation, so you do not need to mind about those.


    Oh, thatll really help. I was actually thinking of asking folks from the Adventurers Guild to carry the corpse, but I guess the Commerce Guild would be more experienced when ites to hauling stuff huh.


    That would really help. Lets meet up at the city gatester then.


    Were pleased to be working with you again, n-sama. Well then, we have to prepare things on our end too


    After saying so, Karina-san went back inside the back office while Natalie-san got out of the counter and left the guild building. She must have gone to make a report to Chief Ss.


    Yosh. Well go to the Adventurers Guild next. We managed to reach the Adventurers Guild building before long and I managed to see a familiar face. It looks like I really am in luck today. It helps that everything seems to fall into ce without much effort on my part.


    Yo, if it isnt Karl!


    Ou! n, huh. You guys just got back from monster hunting?


    Yeah. You free right now, Karl?


    Yep. We just got back from hunting as well and were nning to have a little drinking session.


    I see. Do you remember the thing we talked aboutst time? The thing about you guys owing us one, I mean.


    Yeah, of course, I remember. Whats up? Do you need our help right now?


    Thats right. I really do have something I need your help with, actually. Can youe with us to the Adventurers Guild first? Of course, Ill leave the decision on whether you guys ept or not after you hear about my request.


    Yeah, alright. Well do it as long as its within our means.


    Our groups then came inside the Adventurers Guild building together. The receptionist immediately called Chief Kevin the moment she saw us head for the counter. After a short while, Chief Kevin finally came out to meet us.


    Im sorry for dropping in suddenly. I hope I havent caught you in a bad time. Actually, I have something urgent to report, chief.


    You came together with Karl and the guys from Gale huh. Im sure its not just any ordinary matter. Pleasee with me then.


    We went to the usual conference room and took our seats. There were six of us from Shining Star, three from Gale, and two people from the guild present.


    I then rted the story I told at the guard barracks and the Commerce Guild once more. Since its the third time, I was able to rte my story even more smoothly. Of course, everyone apart from us Shining Star members were shocked silly.


    In other words, a dragon will bending near the main gate in about three hours from now?


    Thats right. I already informed the gate guards and the Commerce Guild about it.


    Why did youe to the Commerce Guild?


    I requested for them to process the dragon corpse.


    In other words, you left processing the materials from the dragon corpse to the Commerce Guild?


    Thats how it is. But are you willing to believe my story, chief?


    Of course I do. No one would craft such a detailed and grand-sounding lie after all. But, n I would have wanted you to leave processing the materials to our Adventurers Guild.


    Im sorry, chief. Im really indebted to the Commerce Guild you see.

 Chapter 71.3 - Dragon 4 Part 3

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    So, n. What do you want us to do?


    Oh, um, we of Shining Star would like to wee the dragon together with Gale here. Once the dragon appears, Im sure itll cause quite amotion. I was thinking if the people saw us weing the dragon calmly, it would help alleviate the peoples fears. It wont be dangerous, of course. The ones who will be the closest to the dragon will be us from Shining Star. Im sure this wont happen, but just in case the dragon goes on a rampage, Shining Star will take responsibility and handle it.


    So thats how you want to go about it huh. Okay then. We ept. But a dragon huh Im really excited to see one up close.


    If I remember correctly, Gale was a n with about 60 members. Whenbined with us, well have more than a hundred people deployed. Im sure well be able to make ourselves useful.


    If thats the case, then Ill have some of our men from the guild help out as well. Im sure there would be a lot of curious onlookers at the scene, so let us handle them.


    Thank you very much, chief. That would really help.


    Yosh. It looks like I managed to arrange everything somehow. I honestly expected having a harder time convincing everyone, but it went more smoothly than I ever hoped. It looks like this might be the result of the trust weve built up in this city as well.


    Karl and his men started discussing with Chief Kevin and the staff member to iron out the details.


    Since theres still three hours left before the schedule I set, I guess Ill go back to our Home first to take a quick bath and a meal. I only ate dried jerky for dinnerst night after all. Im kinda starving already.


    Come to think of it, I have to tell Selena and the others about whats going to happen as well.


    I and the rest of the n headed for the city gates an hour before the scheduled dragon visit. There should be no problems, but Id better check just in case.


    When we got to the gates, there was already a throng of onlookers present. It looks like the story has spread to the rest of the city. Oh, and herees a call from Selena.


    (n, we should be reaching Gantz in another thirty minutes. Whats the situation over there?)


    After I told them the n earlier via call, Selena split the A Team into two groups. Fifteen of them headed back to Gantz in advance and the remaining thirty-nine men escorted the captured bandits and will be arriving a bitter. Cleria, Elna, and Walter were part of the advance group as well. Thats perfect. Id like to introduce Gloria to Cleria and the others as well.


    (There are no problems here. Ive already made the arrangements and am about to call Gloria.)


    (Please wait until we arrive, n.)


    (Okay, I understand. Well wait for you then. n out.)


    Now then, I wonder which spot would be best to dump that dragon corpse. It should be a ce that wont obstruct pedestrian traffic but would provide easy ess for the workerster.


    Hey there, n. Its been a while.


    Someone suddenly called out to me from behind. I turned around and saw that it was Ss-san. Arista-san, Karina-san, and Natalie-san were with him as well. They also had a guard detail of more than ten burly-looking men.


    It truly has been. Its good to see you again, Ss-san, Arista-san.


    Oi, n. I heard you know. Did you really finish off a dragon?


    Yeah. It was mostly just luck though.


    Ohe on. You cant finish off a dragon by just relying on luck. And I was also told another dragon helped you out as well?


    Yeah. She got pretty attached to me. Dragons are unexpectedly very intelligent creatures.


    Its my first time hearing about that. Ill see for myselfter then. Something like this is exceedingly rare after all.


    The sight of a real dragon packs quite a bit of impact you know. Im sure youll be able to enjoy seeing herter.


    n-sama, will the dragon be arriving in about an hour?


    Yes, she probably will. But dragons dont really mind time all that much, so I cant say what time shell arrive for certain. By the way Karina-san, where should be the best ce to put down the dragon corpse?


    Lets see Oh, n-san, howrge is the dragon corpse?


    Lets see. It should be about fifteen meters when standing straight.


    Fifteen meters! If so, then well need a pretty spacious spot to dismantle the corpse. How about that spot over there?


    The ce Karina-san pointed toward was a wide and spacious spot a hundred meters or so away from the main gate. It was about fifty meters away from the road and wouldnt obstruct pedestrian traffic at all. Fumu. It certainly looks perfect.


    Alright then. That ce should do perfectly.


    Um How exactly will you tell the dragon where tondter, n-sama?


    Ah, well, Ill gesture for it tond on the ce where Im atter.


    I see. Well then, we better prepare that spot for hernding.


    I went with Karina-san along with fifteen men carrying farming sickles in order to prepare the spot she selected. Judging from their clothes, the men must be guild employees.


    Lets start around here.


    At Karina-sans orders, the men began to mow the sparsely growing grass. The stones littered around the ce were also cleared out, and before long, a fifty-square-meter-wide clearing was opened up. This should be more than enough.


    I saw several people on horseback when I turned back to the highway. It looks like Selena and the others are here.


    Oooh! n-sama! Im so d to see you safe and sound!


    Walter jumped off from his horse and frantically held my hands in relief. It looks like he was even shedding tears.


    Yeah. It looks like I made you worry a lot. Sorry, Walter.


    Before long, Cleria, Elna, Selena, Sharon Uh, all fifteen recently returned n-mates surrounded me.


    n! So youre okay!


    Cleria and Elna also seemed close to tears even now. Ah, look at how much worry I caused all of them. Im really sorry for worrying you, everyone.


    Yeah, of course. Its not like I can be finished off by just some dragon, right?


    Thats right! If its n, then I think youll even be able to defeat a dragon one day.


    Cleria eximed excitedly with a radiant smile.


    When they heard her, a subtle atmosphere descended on the others from B Team. Now then, I better start exining things once more.


    I had the n members who just returned gather at a spot a little apart from the people from the Commerce Guild and started exining everything thats happened to them. This is definitely the first time in my life that I got to witness so many shocked faces in the span of a single day.


    And so, Gloria will being overter to bring the dragon corpse here. Ill introduce her to everyone, so it would be best if you manage to get along with her.


    Amazing Youre amazing, n! To think youd be able to make a dragon one of ourrades!


    Its truly very surprising. Is this really possible!?


    Cleria and Elna both looked very happy. It would be nice if they dont get scared once they meet Gloriater though.


    Oi, n! Sorry, werete! Did we manage to make it?


    It looks like Karl and the rest of his men from Gale have arrived as well. There were probably close to seventy of them.


    Yeah, youre just in time. Ill be counting on youter, Karl.


    Of course. Just leave it to us is what Id like to say. But we dont really have to do anythingter, right?


    Yeah. The dragon will bending at this spot. It would be fine if we can project the appearance of protecting the people of Gantz just in case something goes wrongter to pacify the citizens.


    Something like that is a piece of cake. But uh, Id also like to see the dragon up close, actually. Can I?


    It should probably be fine, but wait for a bit so the dragon can get used to the presence of humans first. Once she calms down, Ill let youe near her.


    Ooh! I see. Ill do that then.


    Karl led the members of Gale and positioned themselves in a spot I pointed out.


    Its about time. Weve done all preparations over here, and Id like to get things over with before eveninges.


    Yosh. Gloria should being over soon. Get ready, everyone!


    After my reminder, the people around made their preparations such as securing their luggage and horses somewhere safe.


    (Iris, it should be fine for you two toe here already. How about it?)


    We cane over anytime, Captain. Ive monitored the entire situation from here as well. Gloria has already eaten all the magic stones and replenished her energy stores. Were all set.


    (Yosh, go ahead ande over then.)


    Its finally time. Man. It would be bad if Gloria fails to carry the dragon corpse huh.


    I projected an image feed of her on my virtual HUD.


    Glorias wings started to flutter and she took off to the skies. She then dived down and grabbed the shoulders of the dragon corpse and began to lift it up.


    Oh! She managed to lift it!


    However, she only managed to lift it 10 meters off the ground and was flying very slowly. It looks like it really was hard for her to carry something farrger than her.


    Four drones revealed themselves and approached Gloria. They extended their Flexible Arms to about 40 meters and wrapped them around each of the limbs of the dragon corpse. They then began to fly in tandem with Gloria.


    Their altitude and speed both began to rise steadily, and when they reached an altitude of 50 meters above the ground, they began to fly at a considerable speed.


    Yosh. It looks like they managed it somehow. At that speed, they should be able to arrive in no time.


    Its about time. Have the folks from the Commerce Guild move further back just in case.


    I instructed Karina-san to retreat further along with the Commerce Guild employees. I want to introduce my n members to Gloria first after all.


    Understood. Please do be careful, n-sama.


    Itll be alright. Please leave everything to us.


    It looks like my n members were feeling nervous. No one spoke as they gazed intently at the sky in the direction of the Great Demon Forest.


    After about five minutes, my enhanced vision caught sight of Gloria.


    Yosh! Everyone, shes here!

 Chapter 72.1 - Dragon 5 Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Yosh, I see her!


    Eh!? n! Where? I cant see anything!


    Over there.


    The people gathered around me turned to the direction I was pointing my finger at all at once.


    Its true! I can see it as well!


    Oh! Me too!


    It looks like those with great eyesight managed to spot her as well. But I bet all they could see was just a ck dot on the horizon.


    n! I really cant Ah, I can see it now


    Glorias flying figure gradually grewrger andrger. Everyone should be able to see her now.


    Screams of surprise and fear rang out from within the city, but no one from the ns raised their voice.


    Gloria was probably flying at an altitude of 100 meters or so. They should have chosen that altitude so the sound of the drones engines wouldnt be heard by the people below. Before long, Gloria was less than 200 meters from the city gates. It was about time for the drones to detach their Flexible Arms.


    As expected, the pping of Glorias wings became more frantic due to the sudden increase in weight, and she slowly approached our position while descending. She approached the ground with her wings fluttering hard and whipped up strong winds.


    Gloria quietlyid the dragon corpse on a spot about 20 meters away from where we were, and with a single strong p of her wings, shended right in front of us.


    Iris then appeared next to her. Of course, the only ones who could see her were me and the others from the imperial military.


    Thanks for your hard work, Gloria. Was it difficult for you?


    Gloria startedmunicating by making soft growling sounds again.


    She says she didnt have a hard time since the warriors from the n helped her.


    I see. In any case, you really helped us out a lot. Thank you. Now then, Id like to introduce the rest of the n to you. The people around me are all members of our n.


    Gloria ran her gaze around everyone. She then turned toward the city and growled again.


    Shes asking if the people behind you and the rest are different.


    Oh, those people arent n members. There are some more who arent present, but all of the people you see around me are the members of our n.


    Gloria seemed convinced and roared. Everyone stood in front of Gloria in awe with their mouths opened wide. I almost couldnt stop myself fromughing.


    Ill introduce you all. This is Gloria, the new member of our n. I hope you can all get along with her, everyone.


    n, dont tell me you can understand dragonnguage?


    Thats right. I managed to understand her somehow. Its not really such a big deal, right? And besides, Gloria is also smart enough to understand simple human words.


    Of course, Gloria doesnt really understand human speech, but everyone probably wont be able to meet with Gloria without me or Selena and Sharon present, so I guess bluffing like this wont get found out anyway.


    Amazing Its really amazing! Gloria! Im Cleria! Im very pleased to meet you!


    Gloria raised a roar in reply.


    Yosh. Alright then. Everyone line up and introduce yourselves. I dont want to take up too much time, so make it short please.


    Alright My name is Elna. Its nice to meet you, Gloria.


    The n members gave each of their names in order. Gloria greeted each and every one of them without fail. It was a bit of a hassle since there were about 60 people present. Selena and Sharon already introduced themselves to her, but its not like they cant do it again.


    After Gloria finished greeting everyone, she stood up and unleashed a loud roar toward the sky. Everyone became surprised at her sudden action.


    Shes just expressing her happiness at being epted by the n.


    Oh, um, Gloria is just expressing her happiness because we weed her as one of our own. Shes not really angry or anything.


    Ah, to think I would be able to exchange words with a dragon! I still cant believe this is happening.


    It truly is amazing!


    Since their nervousness was mostly relieved, everyone started to dere their surprise at what was happening, but it wont do if they dont try to interact with Gloria more.


    Gloria, can I climb up your arm for a bit?


    She replied with a soft grunt. I came up to Glorias knee with a short jump, and from there, I jumped up her arm.


    Whoah, its pretty high up here. I guess I was about 8 meters off the ground. Gloria turned her head toward me and gazed at me from above. Now that I got another good look at it, I confirmed just how big Glorias head was once more. Since her head was now at an arms length away, I patted her snout with one hand.


    I nced toward Gantz city and saw that there was already a massive crowd forming outside. There were probably more than 500 onlookers already. The city guards and the Adventurers Guild employees were keeping them in line and preventing them froming forward.


    When I zoomed at the crowd, I found that they unexpectedly seemed not to be making much noise. Instead, they were holding their breaths as they looked at me standing on a dragons shoulder.


    Oh, theres the leader of the city guards, Captain Guido. He was looking at me nkly with his mouth wide open. It was quite amusing to see his usually sullen face making a shocked and stupid expression. Now he should have understood that I wasnt lying earlier, right?


    When I waved my hand at them, the crowd began cheering loudly. They seem to be having a st.


    Yosh, thats a nice reaction. I was worried theyd panic if they suddenly saw a dragon, but it looks like that was unwarranted. In any case, we must make sure to let the entire city know that Gloria is harmless.


    Oh, Karls waving at me with both arms while jumping around. He was probably trying to confirm if it was already okay for them toe closer. I pointed at Karl and beckoned for him toe over.


    Gloria, they arent part of our n, but some more people want to get close to you and greet you. Is it okay for them to approach?


    Gloria immediately replied with a lively growl. I could tell it was a positive response even without Iriss trantion. I might be starting to get a hang of understanding dragons myself.


    Karl quickly rushed toward us. The rest of the men from Gale approached us a lot more cautiously. At the same time, Karina-san and the Commerce Guild staff also came near.


    I jumped off of Glorias shoulder in order to wee them.


    n! You really went and tamed a dragon huh! Thats amazing, man!


    Uh, its not like I really tamed it you know. Its more like making a new friend. She looks quite grand, doesnt she?


    Yeah, she sure is! Hey, n. Just one time is okay. Can I touch this dragon, please?


    Can the other humans touch you?


    I looked up at Gloria and asked, and she replied with a lively growl once more.


    I-It understands our words!?


    Yeah, of course, she does. Dragons are actually as smart as humans you know. She says its okay to touch her. But just you, okay, Karl?


    Its a lie that dragons can understand the humannguage, but I hope this story spreads out more so the number of people whod try to mess with dragons would decrease.


    Yeah, alright. Im really grateful, n.


    Karl slowly approached Gloria and started stroking her leg. He patted it several times to try and ascertain the feel of a live dragons scales and skin. It seems Gloria was curious about what Karl was doing and brought her head down toward him. Karl got surprised and jumped away from Gloria.


    You saw that right, n!? I just managed to touch a real live dragon! Yeah, I did it! I got a great story for boasting to my kids and future grandkids now!


    I see. Good for you, Karl.


    So Karl was actually married? He really doesnt look the part


    n-sama, can Ss-sama please try touching it as well!?


    The one who requested was Karina-san. I didnt notice him earlier, but Ss-san already managed to close in on us as well.


    Of course its alright.


    Ss-san also approached Gloria carefully and touched her leg just like Karl.


    Yosh. Lets refuse this kind of request in the future. Gloria may have given her consent, but it kinda seemed like shes being treated as some sort of attraction, so it didnt feel too good.


    Thank you, n. Im sure no more than five individuals have managed to touch a living dragon in this world. And Im now one of them.


    Its no trouble. Were really indebted to you after all.


    (Iris, we should probably wrap things up now.)


    Understood. I will have Gloria show me her nest after this. Ill use it as a reference for building a nest near our base. Ill continue learning hernguage as well.


    (Alright. Ill leave it to you then.)


    It seems she has some errands to do after this, so shes going to return to her nest now.


    Eh!? Were not going to see her again?


    No, well definitely meet her again in the future.


    I see


    Shes going to take flight, so please step back, everyone.


    Everyone took a distance of about ten meters away from Gloria.


    Alright, Gloria. See you again.


    Gloria roared and flew up. She circled over us a few times and flew toward the sea of trees. The people of the city made a din once more.

 Chapter 72.2 - Dragon 5 Part 2

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    I feel like Im still in a dream I really spoke to a dragon.


    Its not a dream, Ria-sama. I also didnt think Id get to witness something like this in my life as well.


    I didnt think even dragons have errands though.


    Of course, they would. Shes actually pretty busy, you know.


    She has to take Iris back to her old nest then cooperate with her in order to enhance our dragon information database after all. Shell probably have a fairly hard time for a good while, but its all for achieving directmunication, so I hope she does her best.


    Oh,e to think of it, well have to provide Gloria with her own personalmunicator as well. Since we have some in reserve, Ill remodel one to a belt or something that shell find easy to use.


    n-sama, well start working on the corpse now.


    Oh, right. I almost forgot about the main event.


    Ill be counting on you, Karina-san. How would you like to start?


    Fortunately, we managed to find an instruction manual in the guild archives about dragon dissection methods. We will use the manual as a reference.


    Karina-san brought out an old-looking book. I bet dragon corpses are very rare toe by, so it certainly was a very valuable book.


    I see I heard the scales and blood are considered as precious materials, but the dragon has been dead for an entire evening already, so I guess youll have some trouble collecting the blood.


    Do not worry. Theres a method written in this manual regarding such a thing as well. In any case, we will try not to waste any useable materials that can be recovered from the dragon corpse. Actually, we can still make a tidy profit as long as we announce that the materials came from a dragon, even if the items have rotted already. They would still be highly sought after by avid collectors.


    Hou, thats some wee news. Yeah. Im sure this ce has its own fair share of avid rare item collectors. I wonder how exactly theyll dissect the corpse though?


    Can I stay and observe the process?


    Of course. Youre basically our employer this time anyway, n-sama. However, the dissection process may take up to three days at most. Furthermore, theyll work on the dragon corpse around the clock in shifts.


    Whoah! So itll take that much time and effort huh? I certainly cant stay and observe them the entire time.


    Are you guys really going to work around the clock?


    Of course. We have to process and preserve the materials as quickly as possible after all. We have already contracted adventurers to serve as guards.


    We took up that job by the way.


    The one who chimed in was Karl.


    Oh, I see! Ill be able to rest easy since its you guys, Karl. Im counting on you all. Oh, right. I havent thanked you yet, have I? Thank you very much for your cooperation today. You really helped me out.


    It was nothing. We did it to repay a favor after all. Just leave guard duty to us. Well make sure to protect everything.


    I then saw a throng of people who came from within the city quickly approaching us. Since Gloria was gone already, the city guards were finally unable to hold down the enthusiastic crowd. Karl and the rest of the men from Gale quickly formed up in order to protect the dragon corpse.


    The people probably just wanted to see the dragon corpse from up close. They followed Gales arrangements and flocked a little distance away from the dragon corpse as they conversed with each other animatedly.


    The people from the Commerce Guild already gathered around the dragon corpse to size it up. I see. Theyll be making use of ropes to secure footholds huh. Since its already started getting dark, some of them were busy setting up bonfires as well.


    They all seemed fairly skilled in their line of work. I guess leaving it to the Commerce Guild was a great decision after all.


    We were all quite free anyway, so I had my n members assist them as well. I also joined them, of course.


    Ou, n. So the thing about the dragon was true huh.


    The one who called out to me was the city guard captain, Guido. Chief Kevin from the Adventurers Guild came together with him.


    Uhuh. Im d you chose to believe me in the end.


    That dragon wont suddenly go on a rampage, will it?


    No. Im not sure how much youll trust my words, but I guarantee something like that wont happen no matter what.


    Well, I guess Ill just have to take you on your word then. See ya.


    Captain Guido left together with the rest of the city guards.


    It sure is a splendid-looking dragon corpse, n. Just tell me if yourecking hands. Ill send some men from the Adventurers Guild to help out.


    Understood. Thank you very much for the offer. We seem to be doing fine for now, but Ill call on the Adventurers Guild if we ever need helpter on.


    Ill hold you to that. Well take on anything you throw at us.


    Kevin-san threw another wistful nce at the dragon corpse and started making his way back to the Adventurers Guild in low spirits. I guess he really wanted the Adventurers Guild to be the one that handles the dragon corpse.


    The prep work went smoothly with the help of our n. It looks like we were ready to dissect the corpse. All the n members audibly gulped and watched on in anticipation.


    However, the dissection work turned out to be quite a in and modest process. Twenty men or so heldrge plier-like tools and started peeling off the scales. Ive been observing them work for about thirty minutes, but they still havent made much progress since they were peeling the scales off one by one. I called out to Karina-san, who was also watching over the workers.


    Are they gonna keep at it like this?


    Thats right. They will probably do this for the entire night. ording to this manual, you have to peel off all the scales first before you can use des to cut open the skin.


    I see. I guess thats reasonable. I was interested in watching the dissection process, but I just didnt have the time. I guess we better return to our Home now.


    Okay then. Well excuse ourselves here.


    Understood. Oh, n-sama. Ss-sama told me to invite you for dinner tomorrow evening. How about it? Of course, the rest of your party is invited as well.


    I checked with my party members and no one offered any objection. What perfect timing. I also have something I want to discuss with Ss-san.


    Alright. Well take you up on your offer then.


    Thank you very much. Im sure Ss-sama will be overjoyed. Well then, I wille for you via carriage in the evening just likest time.


    Thank you very much. We appreciate it.


    After checking with Karl and the rest who were in charge of security and undergoing a customary inspection in front of the city gates, we finally headed back to our Home.


    When we reached our Home, I noticed a group of people who were gathered just before the entrance gate. I wonder whats up?


    Ooh! The n leader hase back!


    I beg you! Please give us a chance to join your n as well!


    Were a C-rank party! Im sure well be able to make ourselves useful!


    It looks like they were folks hoping to join the n. We did have people like them approach us from time to time ever since we made a name for ourselves while hunting bandits, but this was the first time this many came.


    Im sorry, but were not recruiting additional members right now. Were already more than a hundred men strong after all. If we do end up recruiting members in the future, well certainly put up a notice and inform the guild, so pleasee again at that time.


    Even after I politely turned them down, some of them refused to leave and continued begging me, but I maintained my stance and exined it to them calmly once more. In the end, they could only give up and leave dejectedly. It looks like the event today had a very pronounced effect on the poprity of our n. Well, maybe they were just after a share of the spoils this time. I brought back an intact dragon corpse after all.


    Our employees were lined up beyond the entrance gate with Sally-san at the helm. What is it this time?


    n-sama, congrattions on sessfully ying a dragon. We have prepared a celebratory feast for you all tonight.


    Oh. Why thank you. Im certainly looking forward to it. Ah, right. Please bring out a barrel of wine from the cer for tonights dinner.


    Understood.


    It would be nice to have a little drink on asions such as this after all.

 Chapter 72.3 - Dragon 5 Part 3

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    I immediately took a nice, long bath and headed for the dining hall ahead of everyone else for the feast. I then ordered some chilled ale from the kitchen.


    Before long, E carried out a tankard of chilled ale as usual and walked carefully toward my spot on the table. It looks like she was already ustomed to the job and didnt seem as clumsy as before.


    Here you go, big bro.


    Thank you, E.


    I received the tankard from her and immediately took a quick swig. Aah. That hit the spot. Theres nothing like a chilled ale to apany your meals.


    Big bro, whats a dragon?


    You dont know what a dragon is, E? Oh right. You havent seen one yet huh. Lets see. Its basically a really, really huge wyvern. Do you know what a wyvern is, E?


    Nooope.


    I see. Okay then. How about we take you with us when I and the rest go out to see the big dragon? Would you like that?


    Really!?


    Yeah, I promise.


    The rest of our n members who went out bandit hunting will be arriving by tomorrow. I was nning on introducing them to Gloria right away, so Ill just take E with me as well. Oh, right. If Teo isnt busy with work tomorrow, Ill take him with us as well.


    Thank you, big bro! Im gonna bring you another mug!


    I appreciate Es thankful feelings and consideration, but I havent even finished the first mug yknow. Oh well. I was thinking of getting another one anyway.


    I continued enjoying my ale until the rest of the n members came down after bathing. Before long, the dishes were brought onto the tables. It looks like were having a buffet-style dinner this time around. The dishes do seem fancier than usual tonight.


    When the dinner got underway, everyone started talking about Gloria. Their feelings of excitement from todays events havent seemed to cool down yet.


    n, youve finished eating your meal, right? I want to hear more details about your fight against the dragon. Is it okay?


    The members sitting nearby who heard the request all turned toward me and perked up their ears in unison. Well, I did just skim on the details when I exined things earlier today. It looks like theres a need to give a detailed ount.


    I understand. Everyone, Id like you all to hear this, so could you huddle up a bit nearer?


    Everyone stood up from their seats simultaneously and quickly surrounded our partys table.


    I then began my ount, starting from when I first detected the enemy dragon.


    And so, I decided toe back to Gantz first so I could make preparations for Glorias arrival. It would have been troublesome if I didnt after all.


    Of course, I left out every detail regarding Iris and the nanoms. I hope everyone will be contented with this


    n, I also want to converse with a dragon too. Can you teach me how to do itter?


    Uh, its not like I really understand Glorias words you know. I just interpret what she means by observing the tone of her cries and her gestures. It might be a bit difficult for me to teach you the method.


    I see


    Im sure everyones already noticed it, but theres a very good chance that Id be qualified to be conferred with a peerage after the news of my subjugating a dragon spreads out. Can I get some of your opinions on the matter?


    In the Starveek Kingdom, you would at least be conferred the title of baron.


    Im of the same opinion. The question is how this country would evaluate your feat and what sort of reward are they willing to give.


    Since Cleria, a former princess, and Dalshim, a nobleman, say so, then there probably is a good chance Id be conferred a peerage. Thats right. In order for us to attain one of our major goals, which is to get a hold of a territory of our own, a noble rank of at least baron is absolutely necessary.


    I see. I guess well just have to ask people from this country in order to make sure. Luckily, weve been invited by the Commerce Guilds chief, Ss-san, to dinner tomorrow evening. From what Ive heard, he seems to have connections with the royal family of this country as well, so Ill just ask him about the matter tomorrow.


    Thats a fine arrangement. Oh, and n-sama. I feel that I should say one thing to you as your aide-de-camp.


    What is it?


    ording to your earlier ount, when you detected the presence of the dragon, you immediately decided to face it alone in order to protect the rest of the B Team.


    Well, yes, I suppose.


    That is uneptable! n-sama is a reliable and irreceable ally to us all. If by any chance, we were to lose you, all our dreams and aspirations will immediately go up in smoke. You should have left the job of fending off the dragon to B Team and immediately returned to Gantz. All of those present here are ready toy down their lives to protect you if need be, n-sama; including me.


    What Dalshim is doing right now should not be done in the current situation. Its not good to criticize ones direct superior in front of all his other subordinates But judging from Dalshims expression, he is fully aware of that fact, but still decided to go through with it anyway.


    He criticized my decision to have B Team retreat and handle the dragon alone and reprimanded B Team for allowing me to go through with it No, its not just that. Im sure hes also doing this to reconfirm everyones resolve.


    When I looked around and checked everyones expressions, they certainly seem to have resolved themselves. Its true that if I died, our n of founding a country might be indefinitely dyed. It would probably be harder for women like Selena and Sharon to get conferred noble titles in this patriarchal country after all.


    I see. Alright. I understand. If I do find my life in danger next time, I will probably rely on you all more. However, there was no danger to my life in this particr incident anyway.


    But you faced a dragon alone


    Adjutant Dalshim No, everyone, listen well. I will not have any trouble facing one or two dragons. If I exert myself, I could probably finish off a dragon before it even notices me.


    I always had drones acting together with me after all. I would probably be fine even if a flock of dragons attacks.


    I didnt really want to borate on this since it did sound quite oundish, but this time, in the hopes of rescuing me, Walter and some of the men from B Team put themselves in danger just to join up with A Team and inform them of what happened. I dont want something like that happening again in the future.


    You are saying you can actually face multiple dragons by yourself, n-sama!?


    Yeah. Theres no problem at all. On the other hand, I have aint about you, Walter!


    Eeh!? Me!?


    Thats right. What were you thinking? Traveling full speed on horseback at night is dangerous you know! Ill forgive you since my instructions werent clear this time, but Im not gonna be so lenient if you pull another stunt like that, understood?


    U-Understood, sir!


    The rest of the n members all had nk expressions on their faces. It looks like they really couldnt believe I could handle multiple dragons after all.


    I did tell you before, right, Adjutant Dalshim? You all still do not know the true extent of ns capabilities. Dragons pose no problem for n.


    Is that really the truth?


    He already defeated a dragon, right?


    Oh, right. n-sama, I deeply apologize for speaking out of turn without full knowledge of the circumstances.


    Its fine. Thats an adjutants job, right? Please dont hesitate to state your opinions in the future as well. Now then, Ive already had them bring out a wine barrel for us. Lets all enjoy a nice drink, shall we?


    Yes!


    The wine barrel I had them bring out from the kitchen cer wasnt really that big, so the contents ran out after just an hour of drinking. And so, we decided to conclude the celebratory dinner. Yosh. Lets throw an even bigger party once I get conferred a noble peerage, shall we?


    I didnt really do a lot of physical work today, but I still felt dead tired. I guess Ill just head to bed early and get some proper rest.

 Chapter 73.1 - Dismantling And Materials Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    When I went down to the dining hall in the morning after taking a bath, I found everyone already sitting in front of a table. They were all up pretty early today.


    What are your ns for today, n?


    Nothing in particr. It looks like everyones interested in the dismantling work on the dragon though. How about we set today as a day off?


    Yeah!


    I also want to see how theyll dismantle a dragon corpse too. Im sure theyve already stripped off all its scales, so they should be starting the next phase right about now. Im also interested in the use of each material theyll get to harvest.


    When I announced the day off, everyone started eating breakfast with gusto. It looks like they wanted to finish their meals as soon as possible so they could see the dragon. I guess Ill hurry up as well.


    Cleria and the others finished eating before me, but they still waited for me to finish my own meal.


    Everyone from our party then headed out to see the dragon corpse.


    By the way, it seems that there were quite a lot of people who were trying to apply for our n early this morning as well.


    Is that so Did they get turned down by someone?


    Yes. Adjutant Dalshim turned them all away with a scary look on his face.


    I see. Okay then. Lets put up a poster saying were currently not recruiting n members in front of the gateter.


    In more normal circumstances, wed probably take the increase in applications as quite a blessing. But were holding quite a number of secrets within our group after all. Right now, the demerits of letting in unrted outsiders to the group weigh more than the merits of increasing our manpower.


    When we reached Gantz citys main gate, we found a lot of people crowding around already. There were probably more than a thousand people currently present. They were all trying to peer at the worksite outside the gates.


    Well, if you heard a dragon corpse was currently being dismantled just outside the city gates, youd probably get curious after all.


    It looks like a lot of people came out to watch huh, n-sama.


    The one who called out was Walter, who probably came to observe as well. He also had a good number of the other n members trailing after him. It seems they couldnt get close to the dragon due to the wall of people blocking the way.


    Yeah, thats right. How are we gonna go about this then?


    Well open a path for you. Were rted to the dragon anyway, so Im sure there will be no problems.


    Yeah. Standing here like this wont get us anywhere. Yosh, lets go then.


    Walter and the other n members pushed some of the people aside in order to clear a path for us. Of course, there were someints raised here and there, but Walter and the others didnt pay attention to any of them. We soon reached the rope fencing the worksite.


    When we passed through the rope fence, members of Gale rushed in immediately, but when they saw our n badges, they allowed us to freely pass.


    The dragons scales have already beenpletely pulled off as I expected, and the dismantling work was just about to begin in earnest. Since Karina-san was present at the site, I went over to get a feel for the situation from her.


    Good morning, Karina-san. Hows the work going?


    n-sama! Good morning to you as well. As you can see, we have just finished stripping off all its scales and are about to drain its blood.


    Hou. Will you still be able to draw its blood even if quite some time has already passed after it died?


    Yes. ording to this manual, there would be no problems if we drain its blood within three days after death. Dragons blood is extremely valuable after all, so we do not wish to waste even a single drop.


    The blood I touched on the ground back then had already thickened and it seemed it wouldnt be long before itpletely hardens up. So I guess the blood thats still within the body is a different story huh.


    By the way, whats the use of dragons blood anyway?


    You do not know!? Dragons blood is a very essential ingredient for making a panacea.


    Panacea!?


    There were no such things avable in the empire. Well, we did have nanoms though.


    Yes. A panacea isnt really able to cure all illnesses. However, if, for example, you get a nasty cold, you can take a diluted dose, and it will bepletely cured immediately.


    A cold huh What other illnesses is it effective against?


    Lets see. If you make a person with a weakened constitution drink a panacea, it will serve to rejuvenate the strength of that person, and if one applies a diluted solution to ones thinning hair, it will grow back again.


    The heck. So its a nutrient drink and a hair growth solution huh. Uh, I dont think calling it a panacea with just those effects is appropriate though. No, maybe it has other effects aside from those.


    Thats all it can do?


    Um, well uh It can also serve to invigorate males whove lost their, uh, drive, so to speak.


    I see It looks like I ended up asking something weird. Oh well. I guess asking this much is enough. Anyway, its called a panacea, so Im sure it has even more uses.


    If I manage to get my hands on one, Ill have Nanom perform aposition analysis on it. It would be nice to secure some just in case some n members get sick or something.


    So, just how valuable is a panacea, exactly?


    Thats The truth is, were not sure. There have been no panaceas sold in the markets for the longest time. Even if some do exist, they are all treated the same as national treasures.


    Well, if a dragons blood is one of the main ingredients for making it, then I guess its only natural that none are freely avable on the market. But if thats the case, then I dont think theyll be able to earn a decent sum from it.


    It will probably be auctioned off. I cannot even imagine just how much it will end up costing.


    Are you saying it will sell for a very high price?


    But of course. We informed all Commerce Guild branches around the world yesterday about the dragon subjugation and our acquisition of materials. By this time, influential and wealthy merchants from all over the continent are probably flocking over to Gantz.


    Hou! It looks like it would be something to look forward to after all.


    And what about the scales? Whats the use for those?


    Therger ones will be used to make full armor sets. The smaller ones will most likely be used for hauberks. In any case, both items will be highly sought out and will be treated the same as national treasures as well.


    It looks like this ones worth looking forward to as well. I wonder what other kinds of materials they can get from the corpse?


    Besides the blood and scales, what other valuable materials can we harvest from the dragon corpse?


    Lets see. Dragon meat is quite exquisite, and its skin will be turned into leather for leather armor. Its fangs, bones, and eyeballs are also used for armor decorations, art pieces, or fine jewelry, among other things. The problem is theck of artisans capable of working with these materials. There arent many of them after all. We can probably make more profit by auctioning them off as materials instead of processing them ourselves.


    I see. That makes sense. I see. But what about the meat and other things that cant be preserved for long?


    Are you going to turn the dragon meat into jerky then?


    Of course not! We will keep it fresh by having it frozen. They are now busy clearing up spaces in the vaults of the Commerce Guild and Adventurers Guild for that very purpose.


    Do you have something that can keep all that meat frozen? Dont tell me its an artifact!?


    No. Its not an artifact, but it is still a very valuable magic facility. Gantz city serves as a treasury for countless materials after all. Our guild facilities are differentpared to the others.


    Now thats interesting. Id like to get a load of that storage facility myself now too.


    If I want to see that facility, am I allowed to check it out?


    n-sama is an A-rank guild member after all. Youre also our client for this asion. Of course, well be more than happy to show you around.


    Thank you very much. Im d to hear that!


    This is quite an unexpected harvest. Id like to check out the magic circle powering the whole thing as well if possible.

 Chapter 73.2 - Dismantling And Materials Part 2

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    The dismantling work continued on, but the process of draining blood from the dragon corpse wasnt all thatplex, and frankly, watching it was pretty boring. Weve been watching for most of the morning and I already felt weve observed plenty enough.


    I guess we should wrap this up now.


    It looks like the remaining members of A Team havee back. Lets go and meet up with them, everyone.


    Eh!? Of course, we should. Lets go!


    All thirty-nine n members present outside, including us, received the A Team members who escorted the captured bandits back to the city.


    Ooh! Its n-sama! It looks like hes okay everyone!


    Ah, thats wonderful!


    It looks like I really caused them to worry this time huh. Oh, right. I guess Ill have to exin what happened to me all over again


    n-sama, well handle briefing them about all thats happened, so go ahead and hand over the bandits to the authorities.


    The ones who offered to do so were Kenny and Walter from thete earls private troops. It looks like they noticed I was getting pretty fed up about exining about the dragon and stuff. And I truly was quite fed up with repeating my story over and over, so I epted their goodwill and let them handle briefing the rest of the members.


    Rounding up bandits was a designated request we took from the Commerce Guild. And so, it would be more appropriate if the Shining Star party  meaning me and the girls  were the ones to hand them over.


    Were here to hand over bandits. Please handle it for us.


    Understood! Please wait for a moment, sir!


    The city guard sped away in a fluster to call his superiors over. Before long, more than five men came out of the city guard office. Captain Guido wasnt present among them, but they all looked quite professional and took brisk steps toward us.


    Well be taking these felons off of your hands, sir. Well be borrowing the chain cuffs as usual, if its alright with you.


    Please, go right ahead.


    It kinda feels like the soldiers were quicker to respond and acted more politely when talking to us today. Maybe its a result of what happened yesterday. My reputation seems to have really shot up huh.


    Ive already had my fill of watching the dismantling process guys. Do you want to have some lunch now?


    Sure. Lets go. Well have to prepare for the dinner banquet early in the afternoon after all.


    Eh!? But the banquet would be starting at six in the evening you know?


    Everyone in the party was looking at me quizzically. It was as if they were asking So whats your point? or something. I just said something unnecessary huh.


    Walter and the rest kept watching the dissection work seemingly without getting tired of it. Well, it was a day off anyway. So I guess its okay as long as theyre enjoying themselves.


    After having our lunch at the restaurant near the n Home, I decided to take an afternoon nap since it was a day off. As for preparing for the banquet, it probably wont take more than an hour, including bathing time.


    Since it was about time for the carriage to arrive, I went down to the dining hall to wait for Cleria and the others.


    Ooh! n-sama! That appearance!?


    Come to think of it, this was the first time I wore my imperial military uniform in front of the other n members apart from my party huh.


    Its my formal suit. What do you think everyone? Pretty cool, right?


    Yes, it looks so wonderful! It suits you very well!


    Well, its an imperial military uniform after all. Id be more shocked if they told me that it didnt suit me. Oh, it looks like Cleria and the others havee down as well.


    Ooh! What a sight!


    Everyone was at a loss for words when they saw Cleria, Elna, Sharon, and Selena in their formal dresses. There seem to be some of them who couldnt help but kneel down. It looks like imperial-style dresses really do have quite an impact.


    n-sama, the carriage has arrived.


    Nice timing. It looks like Karina-san came along with the carriage as expected. We extended our thanks and promptly boarded the carriage.


    I asked about the progress of the dismantling work and it looks like its proceeding smoothly. Normally, when dissectingrge monsters, the materials harvested from them may deteriorate if a long time is taken to transport them to a suitable facility within cities, but this time, the dissection site was quite close to Gantz, so the materials can be harvested without any danger of deterioration and dropping in quality.


    As soon as we arrived at Ss-sans mansion, we were immediately taken to the dining hall. Ss-san, Arista-san, and Natalie-san all came out to wee us.


    Its great that you all coulde, n.


    Thank you very much for your gracious invitation this evening.


    Ive prepared some special alcohol for this asion. Lets get started then.


    We took our seats and started having dinner.


    The special alcohol Ss-san referred to was poured into my ss by a server. I should extend the proper courtesy by earnestly sampling some.


    This is!?


    I thought the special alcohol was the exact same kind I was served with thest time we had dinner here, but its not. Was it because this things alcohol content was higher!? No. The alcohol content certainly was high, but the taste is also superb. Oh, so thats it.


    It looks like youve managed to produce it already?


    Yes, thats right. What do you think? Is the taste fine?


    Yes, its been made quite well.


    The recipe for this alcohol was made by Iris using the simtion module, so I havent actually tasted the real thing yet myself. However, it was certainly much better than the alcohol I drankst time, so I think this is fine.


    Well, it still doesnt quitepare to alcohol produced in the empire, but that cant be helped.


    Do you think this alcohol would taste better if it was aged in wooden barrels?


    Yes, thats undoubtedly the case. I think it should be aged for at least three years.


    The alcohol I drank just now was something of a sham that was made by blending different types of unaged samples until it somehow turned out decent enough to drink. Im sure it wont stand a chancepared to a properly barrel-aged sample.


    Im not saying I doubt your words, but to think there would be alcohol in this world even more delicious than this one. Alright then, n. With this, our request for developing a new type of alcohol has been fulfilled. Ive already prepared 1,500,000 Guineas. Please dont forget to im it before you leave tonight.


    Thank you very much.


    Now, this is some nice additional ie. It looks like we can send money to our allies again with this.


    Also, let me extend my thanks for your request regarding the dragon. I never imagined our guild branch would be able to clinch such a huge deal. Youll let us manage auctioning off the materials as well, of course?


    So an auction really is needed?


    But of course. With the number of materials to be harvested, we have no choice but to hold an auction for them.


    If thats the case, then I leave it to you.


    Of course, itll depend on how the process of being conferred a noble title will be conducted. If theyll require the dragon materials to be handed over for the sake of promotion, Ill have to put a stop to auctioning off the materials.


    The dinner proceeded smoothly as we engaged in small talk. Whoah, this appetizer is really good.


    Cleria and the others were having a great time talking to Arista-san about Gloria.


    However, n, youve certainly be the man of the hour this time. There is no longer anyone in Gantz who doesnt know of you and your n. No, I believe thats not all. There have been quite a few rumors about you and your ns exploits in the capital as well.


    Thats certainly some very wee news! By the way, Ive been told it would be possible for me to get conferred a title this time, Ss-san. Whats your opinion regarding that?


    n, dont tell me you wanna receive a noble title?


    Well, Im certainly interested in it.


    Now thats a surprise. And here Id thought youd actually refuse even if such an offer came. But a title huh Well, you slew a dragon after all. It could very well be the case. At the very least, I think youd get offered the title of a knight or baron.


    Oh! It looks like theres a chance after all. But it wont do if I dont at least be a baron. Should I really offer the dragon materials then?

 Chapter 73.3 - Dismantling And Materials Part 3

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    However, Id still like to advise that you do not have any ideas about bing a noble. In this country, there is no longer any suitable undevelopednd to be imed as your personal fief. Even if you did be a noble, youd only get grantednd that isnt fit for any form of development. You would only end up wasting away your life toiling needlessly and trying to develop a territory with next to no chance of sess.


    Since there isnt any suitable undevelopednd, does that mean I have the leeway to choose an area myself to some extent?


    That depends, but I believe there certainly were cases where that was permitted in the past.


    Well end up talking in circles all evening at this rate. Lets cut to the chase then.


    If I donated some of the dragon materials were harvesting right now to the kingdom, how much of a chance would I have if I were to request a territory within the Great Demon Forest?


    n, are you serious about what you just said?


    Yes. Very serious.


    I cant believe Im hearing this from someone like you. Im sure youre very familiar about the dangers of the Great Demon Forest. So what exactly are you thinking by suggesting something like that?


    I simply just want to build a safe haven for me and myrades. I believe well be able to manage it in the end with our strength.


    There have been a great number of noble houses that attempted to reim a part of the Great Demon Forest, but, needless to say, all of them have failed miserably. Do you still insist on this n of yours even with that knowledge?


    Yes. Im very confident in our strength and skills. We can make it happen for sure.


    n, I must admit that even though you are extremely gifted both as an adventurer and a mage, you certainly are not fit to be a nobleman. I believe youd be able to at least build something at the level of an Orc settlement within the Great Demon Forest. But how would you defend and maintain it? People cannot live on monster meat alone you know. I believe a vige like that would undoubtedly fail sooner orter. This is a work of folly youre insisting on.


    Ss-san really is a very nice person. I believe theres no falsehood in his serious and concerned expression. He really is thinking about our wellbeing.


    Even so, I still want to try it out. Even if we fail, we can just simply go back to being mere adventurers like how we are now anyway.


    Fumu, that is certainly true as well. It really is great to be young. I no longer possess such hot-blooded enthusiasm at my age. Very well. Go ahead and try your best then. However, dont say I didnt warn youter, alright?


    Of course. Thank you very much for worrying for people like us, Ss-san.


    Hm. So, you were asking the chances of you being granted a territory within the sea of trees if you get granted the title of baron, correct? First, let me ask you this. Exactly how much materials are you willing to hand over to the country?


    If there is a need, I can even donate all of the materials.


    Thats preposterous! No matter how desperate you are for a noble title, that is just too much! And besides, think about the interests of our guild as well, will you!? Hmmm, lets see. I think it would be enough if you just donated the dragon fangs.


    What!? Theyd be okay with just that much? But I cant allow for any variable that would cause this hard-toe-by chance to fail no matter what the cost.


    Is it possible for me to negotiate personally with the crown beforehand?


    Ah, yes, that is possible. I believe there should be an envoying over from the capital soon. Once you agree to the conferment of a noble title, you would be required to travel with the envoy back to the royal capital for the ceremony. Im sure they will put forth some conditions in the middle of the journey back. You can proceed to negotiate with them then.


    I see That sounds quite convenient. Will the envoy be a noble?


    But of course. They are the kings personal envoy after all. But even so, I dont believe the one theyd dispatch here would be from a particrly high-ranking house.


    Yosh. It looks like I can somehow bag the title without much problems then. I nced at my party members expressions, and they all looked pretty relieved as well.


    Oh, right. That reminds me


    Ive heard that the city lord of Gantz has always based himself in the royal capital. Whats up with that?


    Oh, youre talking about Lord Jurgen huh. This Gantz citys tax revenues have always been of a ss of its ownpared to the other territories after all. He kept insisting his personal management wasnt really needed, and so, he onlyes back to Gantz city once every year. Its to the point that Dennis-sama, His Lordships personal butler, is the one who ends up actually managing the citys affairs all year round. To be honest, even I dont No, its nothing. Lets just leave it at that.


    It looks like Ss-san is actively trying to avoid saying words that might be regarded as nder against nobles huh. Well, if hes that type of no-good noble, I think theres no need to care about him too much then.


    n. I remember that thest time you came here, you said that your aim was to be the number one adventurers here in Gantz. Right now, no matter where you go around in this city, if you ask the people about the number one adventurers here, theyd certainly all talk about you guys. You all really are quite something, you know that?


    No, it wasnt just us. Its also thanks to your wholehearted support, Ss-san.


    I see. I truly hope you dont forget those words even once you officially be a noble then.


    I see. He was actuallyying all the groundwork earlier in order to say these words huh. It looks like he just led me by the nose there. Hes really the Commerce Guilds chief huh. How sly.


    Oh well. Its true that hes helped us out a lot anyway. I guess Ill just let that slide then.


    We enjoyed the specially brewed alcohol for the rest of the dinner and got fired up a lot. Of course, the drinks Cleria and the rest had were different from what I and Ss-san were drinking. They were all watered down by fruit juice. This fruit juice cocktail recipe was also developed by Iris and was received with glowing reviews by the girls.


    Its really been quite some time since weve enjoyed such a wonderful dinner and alcohol. Thank you very much.


    Dont mention it. You are all honored customers of the guild after all. n, lets have another drink if the opportunity presents itself once again.


    Understood. If the opportunity presents itself.


    Of course, I didnt forget to im the 1,500,000 Guinea payment from Karina-san before we left.


    We went back via carriage as well, and finally left Ss-sans mansion.


    When we got back to our Home, we found everyone waiting for us at the dining hall. It looks like they were plenty curious about what went down during the dinner banquet. They quickly surrounded us and pressed us for details.


    We still cant say it for sure, but the guild chief did say there was a high chance of me being conferred the title of baron.


    Oooh!


    And in order to secure it, we might just have to offer a part of the dragon materials to the crown, but in order for us to achieve our goals, something like that is a small price to pay. Ive been told that the kingdom will dispatch a royal envoy to this city soon, so well just have to wait until the envoy arrives.


    We can say that these recent events have allowed us to make a big step forward toward our ultimate goal.


    Everyone nodded in agreement and smiled in delight.


    Thats right. Thats exactly right. Hey, everyone! Im actually craving a drink to celebrate right now. Ill have the kitchen pop open a wine barrel tonight. Do you guys want to apany me?


    Understood!


    The wine barrel we opened up tonight was bigger than what we had the previous evening, so we had the leftovers for tonights dinner as snacks and partiedte into the night.

 Chapter 74.1 - Dismantling And Materials 2 Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    After having our breakfast, I and the rest of my party went out to check the progress of the dragon corpse dismantling and material harvesting work again. By the way, I also set today as a day off for the n. Since we have more than enough funds, and theres a good chance of me being promoted to a noble, theres no particr hurry for us to work right now.


    Well, weve arranged to depart from the city this afternoon though, so its just a half-day off, I guess.


    When we went out of the city gate and approached the work site, we found that there were a lot of onlookers today as well. However,pared to yesterday, we found it much easier to make our way toward the dragon corpse. It looks like a lot of our n members also went out to see the dragon corpse huh.


    It looks like all thats left of the dragon now were just bones. Thats amazing. Well, they did work round the clock for a few days after all. The corpse now transformed into something that looks like a dinosaur skeleton specimen you see in museums.


    When I greeted the members of Gale who were guarding the worksite, they let us pass through straight away. It looks like they already remember my face.


    Good morning, Karina-san.


    Good morning, n-sama.


    It sure is amazing. Your dismantling speed is surprisingly fast.


    Freshness is the lifeblood of meat, after all, so we had our men work as fast as they could. We have quite a lot of people who handle monster meat after all. Now, all thats left to do is to dismantle the bones into individual pieces and transport them to the warehouse. It seems well be able to finish all the work sooner than we expected.


    Right. I was really surprised by the Commerce Guilds no, by your efficiency, Karina-san. How impressive.


    No, I dont deserve such apliment, n-sama


    Karina-san smiled bashfully.


    We stayed around for a bit in order to watch the dismantling process again, but dismantling the bones wasnt all that exciting to look at, and I got bored fast. I guess its time for us to go.


    In any case, Ive ordered the drones standing by in the airspace above us to record the entire dismantling process anyway, so its fine. I could always rewatch the whole thing if theres ever a need in the future.


    Karina-san, could you introduce me to a workshop that can handle processing leather products? Theres something I want to make and I need their help.


    Is that so? Why dont we go there together right now then? There is no real need for me to supervise the work here anymore, so I was just thinking of returning to the guild.


    That would really help! If its really alright with you, then please apany us.


    The rest of the party have had enough of watching the dismantling process as well, so we all decided to go to the workshop together.


    What is it that you want to make, n-sama?


    That would be this.


    I took out a set of ten parchments from my waist bag containing parts blueprints as well as a sketch of thepleted product and showed them all to Karina-san.


    This is!?


    Karina-san eximed in surprise the moment she saw the product sketch. After seeing her reaction, my party members scooted over to peek at the sketch curiously as well.


    n! This is!?


    The sketch in question depicted Gloria wearing a saddle on her back and carrying a person while flying in the sky. The saddle had a total of six seats so a maximum of six people would be able to ride on top of Gloria simultaneously.


    Of course, it was designed entirely by Iris, so the toughness and stability of its overall structure are guaranteed. And of course, it was designed to not get in the way when Gloria ps her wings.


    I had Iris get Glorias permission before designing this thing, of course. Gloria had already agreed. Iris said that Gloria was really happy about the prospect of flying in the sky together with me.


    I was thinking of equipping it to Gloria. It would be really awesome to fly in the sky on the back of a dragon, right?


    Its amazing! n! But will Gloria really allow us to put something like this on her?


    Im sure it will be fine. And if it turns out that she doesnt like it, Ill just drop the idea.


    Initially, I was thinking of only making a bracelet or something that would serve as amunication device, but since I was nning on making an essory anyway, then why not go all the way? It would be very convenient to have the means to fly in the sky with six people in case of an emergency.


    This is absolutely superb, n-sama! But in order to make something of this scale Im sorry, but well have to change our destination to a more suitable workshop.


    Karina-san then changed direction. It looks like she didnt imagine that I wanted to make a leather item of such a scale when she led the way earlier.


    We finally arrived at the workshop after a ten-minute walk. It was a fairlyrge workshop with ten people working busily within. There were many horse saddles lined up on the walls, so this must be a workshop specialized in making them.


    Good day to you, master.


    Oh! If it isnt Karina-sama. Its been a while, mdy.


    Master, I brought you a customer who wants to make something quite unique. This is Shining Stars n.


    Shining Star!? Are they the ones who managed to subjugate that dragon!?


    Yes, thats right. n-sama, this is Doha-san, the chief craftsman and master of this workshop.


    The names n. Its a pleasure to meet you, master.


    Oh! The pleasure is all mine, n-sama!


    The item I want you to make is this.


    Oooh! This is!? Is this perhaps a saddle meant for dragons?


    The master looked at thepleted sketch and raised a surprised voice. He then flipped through each of the blueprints one after another.


    Not only were the dimensions of each part shown in detail on the blueprints. It also included aplete list of materials and even step-by-step sewing instructions. Im sure they wont have any problems making it.


    Apart from the saddle, I also included a separate design blueprint for a belt-like ne essory where I could secure am device as well.


    Thats right. What do you think? Can you make them, master?


    With this many detailed instructions, it would be a problem if we still couldnt make them. No, please let us make them! We will surely present you with items that will satisfy you!


    How much would it cost and how long would it take for you to make them?


    40,000, no, 30,000 Guineas would be fine. As for how long Well be able to finish them in four no, three days.


    Thats surprisingly fast. The cost was cheaper than what I expected as well.


    Understood. Ill leave it in your capable hands then, master.


    And, um If its possible, can I also be present when you first put the saddle on top of the dragon?


    So he wants to meet Gloria huh. Well, I dont see why not.


    Mm, alright. You cane with us then.


    Oooh! Wonderful! You can return for them in the afternoon three dayster. Yosh! Everyone, stop whatever youre doing this instant! Well all be working on this first!


    The rest of the craftsmen responded enthusiastically, and the master started to give out instructions. Hes really pumped up huh. He must really want to see Gloria. It looks like we would only get in the way, so we decided to leave the workshop.


    n-sama, can I also watch the process of putting the saddle on the dragon as well?


    Of course. I dont mind at all.


    Thank you very much! Would you like to see our guilds freezing magic facility next, n-sama?


    Ah, Ipletely forgot the promise I had Karina-san make to let me check out the Commerce Guilds freezing magic facility.


    That sounds great! Please lead the way.


    The rest of the party also looked quite interested so all of us headed for the Commerce Guild together. The freezing facility seems to be located in an underground basement near the delivery entrance behind the guild building.


    Two guild staff opened a big and bulky-looking door that they were guarding and we found ourselves inside a chilly room when we entered. There was arge sliding door further at the back of the room. The material storage vault was beyond that door huh. I hope Ill be able to see the magic circle powering the whole thing though.


    This is the freezing magic facility of our guild. The material storage vault is beyond that door over there.

 Chapter 74.2 - Dismantling And Materials 2 Part 2

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Hou! So you actually set the magic stones there huh?


    There were ten Orc magic stones fitted right next to the sliding door. There was also a lever that seems to function as an adjustment mechanism to control the output of the refrigeration. I wonder just how much it costs the guild to operate this ce.


    Thats right. As expected of you, n-sama.


    How much magic stones does it consume?


    Thats We are currently using Orc magic stones, and even at the lowest output, well use up all the magic power contained in one of them after two days.


    One magic stone of that quality per two days!? Thats quite the consumption. Judging from the quality of these magic stones, they probably cost about 600 Guineas each. So thats an average of 300 Guineas a day huh. The consumption probably also depends on the size of the storage facility, but it still wasnt a cost that a private individual could shoulder on his or her own.


    Well then, lets head on inside, shall we?


    Karina-san picked up an illumination magic tool that was ced beside the door and slowly pried it open. She made the door open about a meter wide and urged us to enter quickly. She then closed it immediately once we all managed to enter.


    The cold air will escape outside if we left the door open for long after all. These are the materials we managed to harvest from the dragon by the way.


    Karina-san pointed her illumination magic tool at a pile of goods ced in a corner of the room. The interior of the storage facility was shaped like a cube with each side measuring ten meters. About 70% of it was already filled with goods.


    The materials that we couldnt fit inside here were taken to a simr facility managed by the Adventurers Guild.


    Im curious about the state of the materials as well, but right now, my priority was checking out the magic circle powering the whole ce. I borrowed the illumination magic tool from Karina-san and scanned the room, but I couldnt see a magic circle anywhere, or even a magic output stone. So just where was the cold airing from?


    Hey, there it is.


    Arge array of magic circles was drawn directly on the ceiling. Magic output stones were also lined up on the ceiling at regr intervals. There should be about a hundred of them installed on it.


    Cold air does tend to move downward, so drawing the magic circles on the ceiling does make sense. However, it must have been a lot of trouble to draw something of that scale on it.


    The structure of the storage vault was simpler than I thought. I zoomed in on the ceiling and found that all the magic circles were of a simr pattern. They must all be freezing magic circles.


    Oh, but the one drawn on that spot was a Wind magic circle. It was gently blowing air inside the room and was aiding in air cirction.


    I already recorded the magic circle patterns so its possible for me to draw them as well. With this, Ill be able to make a simr facility if I had the mind toter.


    How do you store the meat though? If you simply freeze them up, the quality of the meat will degrade.


    How knowledgeable of you, n-sama. But theres no need to worry. We have wrapped all the meat with a wrapping material made out of Slimes.


    Slimes? I think Ive heard of those from somewhere. Ah, thats right. The washers I used when I made my food processor magic tools were also made out of Slimes. So the wrapping material they used must be quite simr to vinyl wrap. It looks like theres no need to worry about the preservation of the materials after all.


    ording to the monsterpendium, Slimes only thrive in ces likekes or swamps. I guess it would be a bit troublesome to hunt some down.


    I was able to check out the magic circle formation and I was able to confirm that there was no problem with the storage and preservation of the materials, so thanked Karina-san for showing us around and we finally left the guild.


    Well, its still a bit early, but do you guys want to have lunch now?


    I asked a person from one of the other ns the other day about some nice restaurants and he rmended a ce that serves delicious fish dishes.


    Hee, that sounds pretty nice. Okay. Lets have lunch there. Could you lead the way, Sharon?


    Yes!


    The restaurant in question seemed to be bustling with customers, and everyone was enjoying their fish dishes. The entire restaurant was enveloped in a nice aroma. We sat around a table and ordered some dishes straight away.


    The dish we were served was simr to fish simmered in sauce. It seems they simmered dried fish slices well in some vorful sauce. The fish bones were already taken out of the slices, and they were prettyrge portions as well. It certainly did look delicious.


    Oh, they used herbs in cooking this. Its delicious! The stock is also made quite well. Good job, Sharon.


    Sharon smiled happily as she ate her portion. It seems the dish was also a hit with the others. It was a little expensive, selling for 20 Guineas a serving, but the taste was worth the price.


    When we returned home after finishing our meal, we found everyone already waiting for us out on the square. Of course, they were out here to join us in meeting up with Gloria today. The nearly forty members of A Team who were tasked to escort the bandits back to the city havent managed to meet with Gloria yet after all. And Gloria seems to attach great importance to meeting with all of the n members, so Id like to introduce everyone to her as soon as I can.


    Big bro!


    E came running the moment she saw me. I wanted to bring E and Teo to meet Gloria today as well and had them exempted from their duties this afternoon. Its because I promised E that I would let her see a dragon, but its also because I wanted the siblings to take a well-deserved break. Theyve always been cooped up inside our n Home ever since they started working for us after all.


    Bro, uh, I mean, n-sama, thank you. Thanks for inviting me as well.


    Its fine. Youd get pretty bored if all you did was work, right, Teo? Okay then. Lets go, everyone.


    Yes!


    We started walking, but I noticed that E wasgging behind everyone. Its not her fault, of course. Its just that she was still pretty young so the length of her gait was shorter than the rest. She walked together hand-in-hand with Teo as usual, but it seems she was having trouble keeping up.


    E, do you want to ride on top of my shoulders?


    Un!


    I lifted E up and ced her on top of my shoulders. Yosh, this is perfect. Teo was making an envious expression, but I just ignored him.


    Wow! Its so high up, big bro!


    I see. Good for you, E.


    We passed through the city gate and headed for the sea of trees. I could have called Gloria over near the city, but I dont want to cause amotion.


    After walking for twenty minutes or so, we finally arrived near the entrance of the Great Demon forest. I previously consulted Iris to find a spot where it was convenient for Gloria tond, and thats where I brought everyone. Oh, it looks like were right on time.


    Shes here.


    Oooh!


    So thats a dragon!


    Gloria flew toward us at great speed, braked in mid-air, slowly descended, andnded right in front of us. Iris appeared right next to Gloria.


    Thank you foring over, Gloria. Sorry for calling you all of a sudden.


    Gloria started growling softly in reply.


    She says its no trouble at all. She also wanted to meet with everyone in the n as well.


    I see. Then lets go ahead with the introductions. Those of you who havent met Gloria yet, please step forward. Introduce yourselves to her in order.


    The forty-odd members of the A Team started introducing themselves to Gloria one by one, and Gloria made sure to return all of their greetings.


    Hey, Teo. Introduce yourself too.


    Eh!? Me too, big bro? G-Gloria-sama. Im Teo. Its nice to meet you!


    That was a good greeting, Teo. I also urged E to say hello.


    Im E. My best regards, Gloria-sama.


    Es greeting was calmer and sounded more proper. Her eyes were glittering in excitement as she looked at Gloria.


    Yosh. With this, weve all managed to introduce ourselves. Gloria, these are all of our n members. Well be counting on you as well from now on.


    Gloria raised her head toward the sky and roared in joy.

 Chapter 74.3 - Dismantling And Materials 2 Part 3

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Gloria began staring at E, brought her head closer to the young girl, and growled softly for some reason. She seems to be saying something.


    She says its her first time seeing such a tiny human.


    Ah, thats because E is a human child. Shes still quite small, right?


    Shes asking if shes Captains child.


    Of course not! Shes not my kid, okay. Im not even married yet, so how can I have a kid?


    She continued saying something using soft growls and grunts.


    She says shes worried about bringing a small child like her out to a hunt.


    Hm? Were not nning on monster hunting today though?


    Captain, it seems that Gloria thought we were going out to hunt today. Im sorry. It seems I wasnt able to exin to her properly.


    Ah, I see. Did she think so because we went to the sea of trees instead of somewhere near Gantz? If Teo and E werent here, we could have certainly moved out to do a bit of hunting.


    Sorry, Gloria. Were not going hunting today.


    After I said that, Glorias head hung down in dejection. Ah, so she was looking forward to it that much huh. Im sure she was really happy when she thought shed be able to hunt together with her new n.


    What is Gloria saying, n?


    It looks like she thought we were going for a hunt today. Im at fault because I didnt manage to exin things to her well.


    I see. Okay then. Lets go for a hunt, n! I feel sorry for Gloria somehow.


    But Yosh, youre right. Lets do a bit of hunting then. It would be good for everyone to see just how Gloria fights as well.


    Oooh!


    With our numbers coupled with Gloria, Im sure Teo and E wonte into any harm. Fortunately, we managed to discover a small Orc settlement near here two days ago. It was about an hours walk from where we were. There were only two or three of those crude open-air huts, so it must be a newly established settlement.


    There were about thirty-five Orcs residing in the settlement. Their number was a bitckingpared to our usual targets, but I guess it should be fine since we did set off in the afternoon.


    Okay, Gloria. Lets go for a hunt then. Theres an Orc settlement nearby so lets go and attack it.


    Gloria raised her head and cried out in joy once more. I asked Iris to guide Gloria. She immediately took off and headed into the forest.


    Teo, E. Im sorry. I wasnt really nning on taking you guys out to hunt monsters.


    Its okay, big bro. I also want to be an adventurer someday. So its gonna be great if I can watch how real adventurers go on monster hunts today.


    Un. But since Gloria was raring to go, I dont really think youd be able to watch how adventurers go about monster hunting all that much, Teo.


    E, who was riding on top of my shoulders, seemed to be enjoying herself and didnt seem to mind at all.


    The path toward the Orc settlement was pretty smooth so we were able to arrive near it in less than an hour.


    We used hand signs tomunicate and silently approached the settlement. Since there were a lot of us, it took quite some time for everyone to get into position, but we were able to safely approach the settlement without getting noticed.


    Yosh, lets start the attack.


    (Iris, tell Gloria to start the attack.)


    Roger.


    The drone video feed showed Gloria standing by high up in the sky. It seems Iris already informed her to start the attack, and after a brief turn, she dived straight down. When she arrived less than 150 meters from the ground, she released a Fire Grenade.


    Wait, whats with that crazy amount of magic power!? Thats not just a grenade. This is bad!


    Everyone, get down on the ground, now!


    Everyone frantically threw themselves t on the ground. The Fire Grenade released by Glorianded in the middle of the settlement and caused a tremendous explosion.


    Begin the attack!


    We stood up straight away to attack the settlement, but I dont think wed have much to do anyway. Glorianded on the epicenter of the st with considerable force and mmed her tail toward the Orcs who managed not to get caught up in her earlier attack. Five Orcs were blown away by her tail swipe in a shy manner.


    Gloria ran with great speed while pping her wings and caught the stunned Orcs one after another with her ws and mmed them onto the ground. After a few rounds of tail swipes and w grabs, there were no longer any moving Orcs remaining.


    So it really turned out like this huh. Its just as I expected.


    It took less than ten seconds after the Grenade explosion for Gloria to finish the job. This can probably be described as a total massacre.


    Everyone from the n was stunned silly.


    Yosh, lets go.


    When we got near her, I saw that Gloria seemed quite proud of her actions. Recently, Ive been able to get a handle on Glorias mood through her gestures.


    Nice work, Gloria. You were pretty amazing. We didnt even have to do anything.


    Gloria seemed quite happy to beplimented.


    However, it would be nice if you left the bodies intact next time so we can harvest their magic stones. We collect those magic stones, you see.


    Of course, I wont fault Gloria for firing off a Grenade. Its partly my fault anyway since I didnt exin things to her properly earlier. Gloria replied that she understood.


    That was amazing, Gloria! As expected of a dragon!


    Gloria became even more ted when she got praised by Cleria.


    Yosh. Lets start collecting the magic stones and subjugation proofs now.


    Since there were more than a hundred of us here, the work was over in a sh. We unexpectedly managed to collect thirty magic stones and subjugation proofs. This much should be enough.


    Gloria started talking with grunts again.


    Shes asking if we wont eat the meat.


    Oh, no, we wont eat them. You can go ahead and eat them if you want.


    After I said so, Gloria grabbed an Orc corpse and began to devour it.


    Orcs dont seem all that appetizing though.


    n, Ive actually heard that they eat Orc meat in some northern countries. It seems its actually pretty decent.


    Eh!? Really? Well, they do look like pigs, so maybe they taste simr to Big Boars.


    n-sama, I had actually managed to sample Orc meat once. I heard that they used to eat them often in the vige where Im from back in the day. It was rich in fat and was rtively tasty.


    The one who said so was Walter.


    I see But I still dont feel like eating them. Well, if theres no other choice, then I guess I would though.


    I have an aversion to eating the meat of humanoid creatures. It was also a bit shocking to see Gloria grab an Orc and devour it. Since they have a different food culture here, then I guess it wont be bad to try it sometime.


    After eating four Orcs, Gloria seemed to be satisfied.


    Yosh, lets return, everyone.


    We walked to the ce we met up with Gloria earlier and got there after an hour. Glorianded in front of us once more.


    Gloria, lets meet up again after three days.


    Iris seems to have exined our ns to her. Gloria roared in agreement and took off to return to her nest.


    n-sama, Gloria-donos attack was truly amazing.


    Yeah, it sure was. First was a surprise attack using explosion magic. Then she dove down at great speed and finished things off with powerful tail swipes. There shouldnt be a lot of monsters that are able to go against those kinds of attacks.


    Truly a mighty dragon sung about in legends.


    Adjutant Dalshim seems to have been pretty impressed by Glorias attacks.


    We soon arrived back in Gantz and returned to our n Home after ordering some of the men to exchange the magic stones for cash.


    Thank you very much for today, big bro! It was really fun!


    E and Teo returned to work while looking greatly satisfied.


    Of course, Gloria was the topic of everyones conversation even at dinner.


    It seems everyone was happily discussing possible battle tactics incorporating Gloria. They really were honest-to-goodness knights and soldiers. Sheesh. I was also interested in the topic, but I refrained from joining in since the conversations were centered around Adjutant Dalshim and I didnt want to rain on his parade.


    I then asked Cleria about something that Ive always been interested in.


    Ria, Im not familiar with the greetings used by aristocrats. Are there some rules about proper etiquette I need to take note of?


    Of course. Oh,e to think of it, not only would you need to meet with nobles, but theres a good chance of you needing to meet with the king as well. This is bad, Elna. We really need to teach n about proper court etiquette.


    Thats true. Itpletely slipped my mind.


    Uh, its fine if you just teach me about proper greetings and stuff you know.


    n, its not that simple to learn proper court etiquette. We have to begin practicing now, or else, theres a risk of you embarrassing yourself in front of the nobles.


    Is that how it is? Okay. Start teaching me after dinner then.


    And so, it was decided that I would undergo a crash course on noble etiquette by Cleria and Elna.


    It was quite the lineup since I was gonna get taught directly by a former royal princess and a noble daughter. Ill try to learn as much as I can.

 Chapter 75.1 - Training Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    After dinner, it was decided that Ill undergo special training regarding court etiquette inside my office with Cleria and Elna as my instructors. It seems Selena and Sharon were also going to participate.


    First, let us show you how amoner properly greets a noble.


    It looks like Elna will show me the basics first. Cleria will y the role of a noble.


    Elna went up to Cleria and stopped when she was just three meters apart from her. She then knelt down on one knee and gave a greeting salute by cing one hand on her chest.


    It is my honor to be graced by your presence. This ones name is Elna. I am pleased to make your acquaintance, your Lordship.


    Hou, so you are called Elna. From whence do you hail?


    I am of the house of Viscount Norian from the Starveek Kingdom. Thats basically how a formal greeting goes. If you are not addressing a particrly high-ranking noble, you can simply use formal speech normally.


    Elnas way of walking and kneeling posture were devoid of waste and disyed a sense of elegance. It certainly seems that anything less than what she showed me was uneptable, so I really have to practice hard until I get it down pat.


    Yosh. Let me try it then.


    I knelt before Cleria and repeated the greeting in the same manner.


    It is my honor to be graced by your presence. This ones name is n. I am pleased to make your acquaintance, your Lordship.


    n, from whence do you hail?


    Ie from Trader systems Lancel, your Lordship.


    Oops. I ended answering the question normally.


    Trader systems Lancel So that is where you were born, n.


    Thats right. But this kind of answer would be bad, right? Maybe I should also announce myself as a person from Starveek.


    That would be fine. You do sound like a person from Starveeks capital city. Perhaps thats because you learned to speak ournguage from Ria-sama.


    Hee, I didnt know that. So, how was it then? My greeting, I mean.


    It wasnt that bad for your first time. It was just the basics of how amoner addresses an aristocrat after all.


    Then, after receiving various suggestions and corrections from Elna, such as the correct posture and the angle of my head when I bow down, I was finally able to get a passing grade from her.


    I didnt think there would be this much to consider when giving a greeting. Im d I asked them to train me.


    Next, we are going to practice how to give your greetings to the king. The first thing you need to remember is never to approach within fifteen meters from the king unless you are permitted to. You also cannot look at the king directly before you are given permission. You cannot speak to him directly as well.


    Oi, oi. So how am I supposed to give my greeting then?


    Lets try it.


    Elna went to the edge of the room and walked toward Cleria. She then knelt down before Cleria when she was five meters away from her.


    Raise your head. I permit you to speak to me directly.


    Yes. This one is called Elna Norian, Your Majesty.


    So you are from House Norian. You did well toe today.


    Yes. Thats how it goes, basically. It isnt good to be long-winded when you address a king. Please be sure to answer only what the king asks and nothing more.


    I see. So thats how it goes huh. It doesnt seem all that different from the previous greeting. Let me try it out then.


    I knelt down five meters away from Cleria just like Elna and gave my greeting.


    Raise your head.


    Yes. This ones name is n Corinth, Your Majesty.


    n, I havent permitted you to speak to me you know.


    Oh yeah. I looked toward Cleria while maintaining my kneeling position.


    I permit you to speak to me directly.


    Yes. This ones name is n Corinth, Your Majesty.


    Fumu, n is it? Come closer.


    Yes.


    n, even if you are invited toe closer, you should respectfully refuse once.


    How troublesome! Do they really go through all this stuff during a royal audience?


    Forgive me, but someone of my station is unworthy toe near Your Majesty


    It is fine. Come closer.


    Yes.


    I moved forward until I was only two meters away from Cleria and knelt down once more.


    It sure is cold today, isnt it, n?


    Just what was she saying all of a sudden? No matter how you slice it, today was a rather hot day. Should I take it as her just simply asking a question?


    Is that so? I rather think its a little hot today, Your Majesty.


    n, you basically cant deny the words of a king.


    What the heck? You gotta be kidding me! I looked at Cleria and saw her desperately trying to hold herself back fromughing. Elna was already giggling in amusement though. It looks like these two just yed me huh.


    I see. If it really is gonna be this troublesome, then I would probably embarrass myself if you didnt teach me.


    Believe it or not, such seemingly silly things often ur during a royal audience. I heard its even worse in some countriespared to Starveek. Fortunately, we still have enough time to teach you. I and Elna will make sure you will be able to deliver the perfect greeting.


    I see Ill be counting on you guys then.


    And so, my training regarding royal court etiquette continued.


    The next day, I was approached by Adjutant Dalshim while we were having our breakfast.


    n-sama, we were thinking of undergoing a strict training session today. Weve already rested enough as it is.


    After saying so, he looked at me with his usual expectant gaze. Hah. It cant be helped


    I see. I was nning on checking out the progress of the dismantling work first. We cant leave everything to the guild just because we were the ones who put up the request after all. Let me participate in the training once Ie back.


    Ooh, that is good! If n-sama participates, Im sure everyone will be greatly encouraged. Thank you very much.


    Its true that weve taken enough rest and we didnt have anything particrly pressing to do. The dismantling work will probably get wrapped up today as well, so it doesnt sound bad to join in on the training with everyone every once in a while.


    After having breakfast, I brought the rest of the party to the dismantling site.


    Theyve already fully disassembled the dragon skeleton and were now in the middle of loading them into wagons for transport to the storage facility. Bones wrapped in cloth were piled one after the other on eightrge wagons.


    Good morning, n-sama. Weve finally finished everything.


    Good morning, Karina-san. Im d I left things to the Commerce Guild to take care of.


    It really was a great decision to leave the dismantling to the Commerce Guild. I have noints about the measures theyve taken so far, such as the dismantling process, transportation and storage of the materials, and arranging for the dragon blood to be manufactured into panaceas.


    Im a bit worried about the request fee they were going to charge, but everything was supposed to be settled all at once after holding an auction of the materials.


    Thank you very much. Im very happy to hear that! Oh, by the way, the date for the auction has finally been decided. It will be held on the twentieth of the month.


    Hou. If you dont mind me asking, why is it on the twentieth?


    It would take us a couple of days to manufacture enough panaceas for the auction, and it would also take an additional number of days for the influential merchants from the neighboring cities to arrive here. The merchants from more distant parts of the kingdom also need some time to prepare agents who would make purchases in their stead.


    Agents huh. So those guys will participate in the auction instead as proxies for some merchants. I wonder how the merchants would get in touch with them.


    How will the merchants contact their representatives?


    They will make use of our artifact, of course. It isnt well known to the lower-ranking members, but guild members of A-rank and above are able to make use of the guildsmunication artifact in order to contact members from other branches. The usage fee is, at minimum, 10,000 Guineas, and messages would cost 100 Guineas per character.


    Hou, I didnt know that. I did know the guild had a way to contact other branches, but I wasnt aware it was avable to the general members.


    Come to think of it, I was also an A rank member of the guild huh.


    Can I make use of that service as well?


    Of course you can. Right now, a lot of the well-known merchants in Gantz are taking on the responsibility of being agents with the aim of receiving amission fee. Also, a lot of merchants are hurriedly exchanging their inventories for cash in order to participate in the auction. Due to that, themodity prices in Gantz city are at an all-time low, which is quite rare.


    Hou, that sounds like wonderful news! If theyre all motivated this much, then we can expect for a very sessful auction.


    You can actually make immediate and considerable profits from reselling the dragon materials. Each and every merchant is desperately scrambling to take a piece of the pie. Even Ss-sama is quite serious in participating this time.


    So Ss-san will also participate in the auction huh But is it really okay for the guild chief to participate himself? Well, the more participants there are, the likelier it is for the bids to shoot up, so this development is more than wee.


    In any case, I was rather curious about thatmunication artifact of theirs.


    Im quite curious about the guildsmunication artifact. Is it possible for me to see it directly?


    Ah, that is something not allowable, even if its you, n-sama. There are only a handful of people authorized to know the workings of the artifact within the guild after all.


    Its not allowed, as expected. Well, Im not one to force the issue.


    While I was talking to Karina-san, the guild workers managed to finish loading all the bones into the wagons. They departed for the Commerce Guild building one after the other.


    Well then, n-sama. Ill have to excuse myself now. I have to supervise the transport of the materials.


    Karina-san boarded one wagon as well and headed back to the guild.

 Chapter 75.2 - Training Part 2

    Editor: Thors Stone


    When I said that I was going back to participate in the training, the rest of the party also offered to return and participate as well.


    When we arrived back at the n Home, we found that everyone was out on the courtyard. They had divided themselves into two groups and were currently holding sparring sessions. When Adjutant Dalshim noticed our arrival, he had everyone gather around at once.


    I was nning on directly participating in the training, but it looks like everyone was actually waiting for my instructions. I was the leader of the n, so I guess something like this was a given.


    Now then, what kind of training would be appropriate? Actually, Id like to hear your suggestions, everyone.


    Um, Id like to hold practice matches with you again, n-sama. Will that be alright?


    Sure. Should we spar with swords or hand to hand martial arts?


    Im personally interested in the training methods of the army you once belonged to, n-sama. I was made keenly aware of my ownck of strength during this dragon incident. I would like to try and catch up to you n-sama, even if its only by a little.


    The one who said so was Walter. Space marine training huh That might not be a bad idea.


    Oh! I am also interested in that. Wed love to undergo that sort of training today if its alright with you, n-sama.


    The rest of the n members voiced their agreement.


    Alright. Lets do it then. First, lets perform some stretching routines. Um, they are movements designed to loosen up the joints of the body.


    I proceeded to demonstrate space marine-style stretch routines together with Sharon and Selena. Everyone looked a bit bewildered at first, but they started imitating our movements after a few moments.


    When I looked around, I saw that the flexibility of their bodies was fairly good due to their martial training, but they still couldntpare with a space marines standards.


    n-sama, just what purpose do these movements serve?


    The one who asked was, once again, Walter. Apparently, they were not aware of the importance of stretching routines.


    Once you loosen up the joints of your body to adequate levels, youd be able to perform movements that would prove difficult for a majority of people. For example, something like this.


    As I exined, I kicked one leg upward and kept it above my head as I stood on the other leg. The angle of my legs is roughly 180 degrees.


    Oooh!


    Lets show them a more standard example. I called out to Sharon who was standing nearby.


    Sharon, perform a roundhouse kick.


    Sharon performed a smooth roundhouse kick that was too fast for the untrained eye and hit my palm which was raised to the height of my face. She delivered the kick with exquisite timing and control of force. She then proceeded to perform ten consecutive kicks. Great. As expected of her.


    Amazing!


    If you guys are able to master loosening up your joints and making your body flexible to this level, all of you would be able to perform these moves with ease as well. Widening the range of movements you are capable of with your joints will definitely result in much improved physical prowess, so Id like you guys to do the exercises earnestly.


    Everyone became all fired up and performed the stretching routines seriously.


    After thirty minutes of performing stretching routines, next up on the training menu was, of course, running. During space marine training sessions, we make it a point to never neglect running workouts and do it religiously.


    Yosh, lets go for a run next.


    After saying so, I started runningps around the training grounds.


    (Nanom, Training mode.)


    Roger.


    With a nanom-enhanced body, regr running workouts wont have much effect. The Training mode was designed to address that. It was the opposite of the Long-distance Sprint mode and aims to improve cardiopulmonary capacity by suppressing the bodys blood flow and exerting an appropriate amount of stress.


    After running at a marathons pace for an hour, I started alternating between sprints and rxed running for another hour.


    There wasnt anyone who was able to keep up with me. The rest of the n members looked like they already had no idea how manyps they did. Im also ahead by onep against Sharon and Selena. It looks like I was still ahead of the two of them stamina-wise.


    Yosh. With this, morning training is over. Well have swordsmanship and martial arts training after lunch.


    After I finished saying so, the rest of the n members copsed on the training grounds. Did I overdo it a bit? Man. Its been a while since I entered Training mode and Im also quite worn out.


    It seems most of the n members werent able to recover their physical strength adequately in the afternoon, and some couldnt even eat their lunch.


    Due to that, the martial arts training session in the afternoon was changed to the rest observing spars between me, Sharon, and Selena. They would then try topare and spot the differences between Imperial Arts and the martialbat styles and techniques they were familiar with.


    If we were to go by the original space marine training menu, the next session should be powered suitbat training using VR, but since that sort of thing wasnt possible here, we ended up performing sparring sessions using Corinth-style swordsmanship instead. The rest just observed our moves just like earlier.


    It was already getting dark, so we wrapped up training for the day.


    I feel like I was able to glimpse a little bit of the reason for n-samas strength. Does everyone in your army perform this kind of training, n-sama?


    Well, since our military is separated into various branches, I cant exactly say this is the standard for everyone. But the unit I belonged to does subscribe to this training menu.


    It looks like even Adjutant Dalshim struggled with the training menu today which was quite different from their usual training sessions. But what we did today was just basic training, and if it was a full-scale training session just before an operation, things would be even tougher.


    I see We will certainly use this experience as a valuable reference.


    Well, its not like the methods used in the unit I belonged to would suit everyone.


    No. In all honesty, I am unable to foresee any dramatic improvements in our overall capabilities using our standard training practices. However, if we make use of this type of training Yes, Im sure we will be able to be stronger with this.


    n-sama, I beg you! If its possible, can you train with us tomorrow as well?


    Ugh. I wasnt really nning on doing so, honestly. Its not like us people from the empire are of a different caliberpared to the inhabitants of this. Our bodies are just enhanced by nanoms. I believe a menu like the one we did today would be pretty hard for the bodies of regr humans.


    However, since theyre saying their training methods werecking, I guess I can consider modifying it a bit for them.


    Alright. Lets do it again tomorrow then. But I think we might have overdone it today. Im going to think up a training menu that will better suit everyone.


    Thank you very much, n-sama!


    The rest of the n members still seemed worn out even after dinner and headed to their rooms to rest earlier than usual. It looks like I really did overdo it.


    After having our meals, I proceeded to think up a training menu that would be better suited for the rest of the n with Selena, Sharon, and Iris. Great. If we use the new training menu, we can avoid a repeat of todays aftermath.


    For the next two days, we devoted ourselves to training with the newly designed training menu. It looks like the training menu scientifically designed by Iris was pretty good since we were able to get results without burdening the bodies of the n members too much.


    Yosh. This is the end of the morning training. I was thinking of conducting our training near the sea of trees in the afternoon.


    Near the sea of trees Are we going out to hunt monsters?


    No. Actually, Im thinking of meeting up with Gloriater.


    Oh, right. I havent told the rest of the n about that matter yet huh. Actually, Glorias custom saddle is scheduled to be finished today. Im not sure if it would be useable yet, and thats why I want to try it out immediately. Im sure everyone would be interested in it as well.


    After our meal, I told the rest of the n to head over to the ce we met up with Gloria a few days earlier. I then took my party members and boarded arge roofless wagon to head over to the leatherworking workshop.

 Chapter 75.3 - Training Part 3

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    When we arrived at the workshop, we were immediately greeted by Doha-san and Karina-san. Karina-san actually intended to pick us up soon, so its fortunate that we were able to meet up with her before she headed for our Home.


    Ooh! n-sama. We have finished making the item you ordered. Weve justpleted it this morning, actually.


    Let me take a look.


    I proceeded to check out the newly built dragon saddle. It seems they made it exactly ording to the specifications. No. Rather, they made it a point to fortify its structure more than what was specified. It was meticulously constructed and absolutely didnt resemble anything built by amateur hands.


    They attached two horse saddles to each other side by side and three pairs of these dual saddles were connected in a chain and lined up on a sizeable leather base. The leather base the saddles were attached to was sewn from multipleyers and looked quite sturdy.


    The resulting item was quite heavy and had to be lifted by four grown men.


    Youve made it wonderfully. Its exactly as I ordered. Thank you very much, master.


    I took out three gold coins from my pocket and handed them to Doha-san.


    Thank you. So when are you nning on using it?


    I was nning to test it out today, actually. Come with us then, master.


    Ooh! Thank you very much!


    We loaded the custom saddle inside the wagon with the help of the craftsmen and headed for the sea of trees afterward.


    When we arrived at the city gates of Gantz, we managed to catch up with the rest of the n members, so we all headed for the sea of trees together.


    n-sama, just what is that item loaded on the wagon? Dont tell me!?


    Thats right. This is a custom saddle especially made for Gloria. I was thinking of trying it out today.


    Oooh!


    Thats amazing!


    Before long, we arrived at the spot where we met up with Gloria a few days back. Of course, I already informed Gloria beforehand so shell match our timing. It looks like shes here already.


    Shended softly before us just likest time. Iris then appeared right beside her.


    Thanks foring over, Gloria. Sorry for calling you out so suddenly again.


    Actually, you should pay attention to Gloria more, Captain. You only ever call her if you have business with her Shes been feeling a little lonelytely.


    Is that so? I see. I thought you were busy doing dragon stuff so I held back. Ill do better in the future.


    n, what is Gloria saying?


    It looks like shes been feeling a bit lonely. Shes living alone within the Great Demon Forest after all.


    Well, maybe she felt excluded even after joining a new n because we dont meet up with her that often. Even if its virtual, Ill make sure to contact her every day from now on using ARmunication.


    I see Then, well have to make sure to meet up with Gloria more often.


    Yeah. Lets do that. Alright then. Lets go right ahead and try the saddle out.


    It looks like Master Doha froze up the moment he saw Gloria. Its apparently his first time ever seeing a dragon.


    I had everyone help and brought the custom saddle down from the wagon.


    Gloria, Im sorry, but could you lie down on all fours for me for a bit?


    After growling in assent, Gloria immediately lowered her body on all fours.


    We secured the custom saddle by fastening it to the bases of Glorias neck with a wide and thick belt. The belt was quite long, so we were able to easily wrap it around her neck with everyones help and secured the saddle.


    We passed one end of the belt through a metal fitting. Gloria will have to pull it in order to fix it in ce.


    Gloria, can you pull on the belt and tighten it around your neck? But make sure it doesnt make you ufortable, alright?


    ording to Iris, Gloria should be dexterous enough to fasten the belt by herself.


    After growling in reply, she dexterously pulled one end of the belt and firmly secured the custom saddle in ce near the base of her neck.


    Yosh! Just keep that position for a little bit more, Gloria.


    I then quickly locked the metal fittings in ce. I jumped on top of the saddle to test it out and found that it was firmly fixed in ce. It looks like it works as designed.


    Alrighty. Lets go ahead and try it for real.


    I jumped off the saddle and retrieved the human-sized belts I ordered as an additional essory from the wagon. The belts were also pretty broad and were built from manyyers of leather sewn together to reinforce them.


    I suppose I and my party members should be the ones to conduct the first test flight.


    I handed out the belts to each of my party members. Come to think of it, the saddle had six seats, so theres one more open.


    Karina-san, do you want to ride together with us?


    Eh!? Can I really ride on it as well!?


    It looks like Karina-san was quite happy with my proposal. Shes been a great help regarding the dismantling of the dragon corpse, so letting her ride together with us was the least I could do. I handed out the remaining belt to Karina-san.


    Alright then, everyone. Wrap the belts around your waist. You can then fix the belts on the saddle by passing them through the metal rings installed on it.


    The saddle had low backrests and grips installed on it, but it was designed to be fitted with securing belts as well so the passengers wont fall off even if they let go of the grips.


    After confirming that everyone had finished wrapping the belts on their waists, I cupped my hands into a makeshift foothold and sent them up the custom saddle one by one.


    I went up the saddlest and checked if theyve really secured their belts one by one. It looks like everyones belts were firmly fixed on the rings.


    I then sat down on one of the seats in front and fixed my belt as well. Cleria was sitting on the seat right beside mine.


    Yosh. Its about time. Everyone, make sure to firmly hold on to the grips in front of you. Are you all ready?


    Yes!


    Yosh. Gloria, go ahead and take off.


    After replying with a growl, Gloria gradually raised her body from the ground and stood up on two legs. We, who were riding on the base of her neck, were raised almost 90 degrees from the ground. Gloria pped her wings and gradually flew up.


    Were flying! Were flying, n!


    Yeah, that we are.


    Gloria soon settled into a level fight position, allowing us to get a good look at the wide-open sky.


    Elna and Karina-san were cheering at the back as well.


    Gloria, can you fly higher?


    Gloria replied with a gau and started rising up.


    Whoah! This sure is a spectacr view!


    Ive flown in the sky lots of times already, but this is the first time I did so while freely feeling the wind on my face. Ive only ever done so in the past via riding on a re-entry pod or wearing a powered suit after all.


    Gloria continued to rise up and eventually pierced through the low-lying cloud cover. The scenery up above was like a different world.


    Ah, how utterly beautiful! So this is Glorias world


    It really is beautiful. But its a bit cold though. Its about time. Letsnd.


    There might be some others who wanted to try out riding on Gloria. It wont be nice of us to monopolize her.


    Gloria gradually descended andnded softly on the ground like before. She quickly lied down on the ground on all fours, and we removed the belts that were fixed on the saddle and jumped off.


    Ah, that was a wonderful trip to the sky. Thank you, Gloria!


    The flight onlysted for about five minutes, but it looks like everyone was quite satisfied regardless.


    I turned back and found Karina-san shedding big droplets of tears.


    Karina-san! Whats wrong!?


    No, its nothing. I was just touched by how magnificent the feeling of flying high in the sky was


    Thats good. Ipletely thought she cried because she was afraid of heights. It was worth it to invite her then since she was so moved.


    (Iris, did Gloria express any dissatisfaction about us riding on top of her?)


    Far from it. She was really happy to be able to fly together with everyone.


    I see. Okay then. I guess it would be fine for her to apany us a little bit more.


    Now then, is there anyone else who wants to try flying up in the sky?


    Here!


    Please let us ride as well!


    The rest of the n all raised their hands. Since everyone was raring to go, Ill have the ones in front try it out first.


    Just like before, I asked each person to put on the belts and go up the saddle. I then checked if their belts were secured in ce one by one. Yosh, it looks like everythings fine.


    Gloria, please.


    Gloria flew up once more. She looked even more spirited this time. She gradually rose up to the sky and disappeared from everyones sight.


    (Iris, can you tell Gloria toe back down after three minutes?)


    Understood.


    Even if the flight time was just two minutes per session, it takes nearly two minutes for the passengers to disembark and for another batch to board. I guess it would take about 90 minutes for everyone to ride Gloria.


    The people along with Adjutant Dalshim who just returned from the sightseeing flight looked quite moved as well.


    Yosh. Lets do this.


    When it came to the fifth flight session, Gloria seems to havepletely gotten fired up, and she ended up taking off with a jump. She ascended almost vertically from the ground. Are they gonna be alright?


    When the fifth batch came back, each of them was blue in the face and didnt have the leeway to act all moved.


    On the seventh session, she drew a big loop in the air and rolled once before rising.


    On the eighth, she performed a daring tailspin maneuver.


    Uh, n-sama, I think Ill refrain from trying it out after all.


    After seeing Glorias increasingly crazy stunts, Walter, whose face was a nice shade of blue, said that to me.


    Are you sure? You might not be able to experience something like this again you know? And it looks like Glorias getting pretty motivated too. Its a good opportunity, so go ahead and try riding her. But it might be better to ride her earlier.


    After hearing that, the rest of the n members who havent ridden Gloria yet engaged in a fierce battle to decide their turns.


    It looks like Walters group won out in the end and became the ninth group to fly. He boarded with a joyful look on his face.


    However, the ninth flight session was the craziest one so far. After drawing a big loop, she performed a diving tailspin and plunged downward. She then pulled up right before she hit the ground and flew up once more.


    Man. Im really d we got to ride her first.


    Gloria seems to be flying while trying not to burden her passengers with too much gravitational force, but with her current flight equipment, Im still feeling a bit uneasy.


    If she keeps performing those kinds of flight maneuvers, some of the members might really pass out in midair. Well, it seems they were all screaming their lungs out up there anyway, so I guess its still fine, but


    It looks like Gloria misunderstood their desperate screams as cheers. She was really trying hard to please them.


    (Iris, tell Gloria to fly a little more calmly.)


    The subsequent flight sessions were carried out without a hitch, and most of them seemed really satisfied with the experience.


    By the way, it looks like Master Doha was so overwhelmed by Glorias presence that he was unable to recover from his stupor the entire time. He ended up being the only one who wasnt able to ride Gloria this time.


    I had Gloria help out once more and got the custom saddle off of her. We then loaded it back on the wagon. Man. Its a shame that the first item Gloria received from us was a saddle she would rarely get to use.


    In ce of it, I gave her a leather bracelet with amunication device attached to it. I had her wear it straight away. I secured it tightly so it wouldnt fall off, but Gloria didnt seem to mind.


    n, whats that?


    Oh, this? Of course, its a bracelet with our Shining Stars emblem on it. Its only natural that she receives one, right?


    I had our n emblem ced on the bracelet in addition to them device.


    Yes, of course. Its only natural, Cleria answered while smiling happily.


    Its finally time for us to part with Gloria once more. However, Gloria looked quite satisfied when she was able to fly with everyone.


    I promised Gloria well meet again soon and bid her goodbye.


    I sent Doha-san and Karina-san back along the way with our wagon. We dropped Doha-san off in front of his workshop and dropped Karina-san off in front of the Commerce Guild building.


    n-sama, I will never forget todays experience for as long as I live. Truly, thank you very much.


    Dont mention it. Its because youve always been taking care of us, Karina-san. Lets go flying again once theres another opportunity.


    Yes.


    Karina-san reluctantly went back to the guild.


    n, dont you think youre getting a little bit too close with Karina-san? Please be more mindful of your standing.


    Elna, who was sitting next to me on the wagons driver seat, suddenly said such a thing.


    Too close? Karina-san isnt directly rted to us in the end so I was trying not to sound too overly familiar though? Im trying to avoid acting rudely toward her as well.


    Elna let out a big sigh in reply. Shes been doing that a lottely.


    I kinda felt the others inside the carriage also sighed as well. Or was it just me?

 Chapter 76.1 - Gloria Part 1

    Editor: Thors Stone


    Ah, that was so much fun! I was able to fly in the sky with everyone from the n!


    I dont understand the humannguage, but Iris said everyone had lots of fun as well. Im d I was able to be of use to the n.


    It feels a bit lonely to live apart from the other n members, but it cant be helped because the rest of the members were living in the human settlement. Once the new settlement we were building is finished, I would be able to freely live with everyone, so Ill just have to be patient.


    I promised to meet with everyone again with the n head and took off for my nest.


    Things are now very different from those boring days spent only sleeping because there was nothing else to do. Now, every day was so much fun!


    Its fun to meet everyone from the n, and best of all, I have others to talk with now. Iris was staying with me all the time. So Im no longer lonely like before.


    I talked about a lot of things with Iris. We talked about my race, the forest, the creatures living here, the n heads n, and the empire.


    There were still a lot of things I didnt understand, but theres one thing Im sure of. Ive really managed to join a very amazing n.


    I was immediately taken into the n and given a warrior rank named private. It seems this word means excellent warrior in theirnguage. Its one rank higher than a normal warrior of the n.


    Normally, those who newly join a n must start from the very bottom, so their treatment of me was very favorable.


    Only four humans in the n have a higher rank than mine. Theres the n chief, Iris, Selena, and Sharon. They were all far more high ranking than I was.


    At first, I couldnt understand the idea of a n with members who were not warriors, but it seems this was prettymon in the human world. Ill have to get used to it eventually since I joined a n with a human chief.


    But even so, this does not mean the n members who were not warriors werent able to fight. In other words, I think those who have been conferred the honor of being warriors are the ones who have proven themselves in battle and possess considerable strength.


    It seems your rank as a warrior will rise if youre able to earn enough merits. Its a good rule. It was nice and easy to understand.


    ording to the rules of the dragon race Ive heard from Mother, our position in the n is decided mostly through blood rtions, and it was very difficult to raise ones rank unless you were considerably stronger than the rest of your peers.


    As long as youve joined the n, you need to contribute to it in order to earn merits. Thats only natural. Of course, I have absolutely nothing against the rule of raising ones rank through merit.


    Iris is able to understand what I want to say just through thoughts even if I dont put them into words. It was very easy tomunicate with Iris because of this.


    However, beginningst night, she had started speaking in dragonnguage from time to time. She sounded strange at first, but as she repeatedly spoke in ournguage, she gradually improved.


    It felt quite strange to hear the words of us dragons from the mouth of a human, but I eventually got used to it before long.


    While I was flying toward my nest, I heard a high-pitched sound. It was the sound I hear whenever the other warriors of the n approach me. I ended up feeling nervous.


    The high-pitched sound gradually became louder and louder, and a ck warrior appeared before me.


    Hello, Gloria.


    The ck n warrior spoke in dragon tongue! So it was not only Iris who was capable of speaking ournguage. The other n warriors were capable of speaking it as well.


    This is one of our ns warriors, Corporal D-10.


    I heard the voice of Iris within my mind.


    Corporal. If I remember correctly, a warrior of this rankmands five other warriors of a lower rank. It is one rank higher than a private.


    The n warriors who fly in the sky have bodies that were pitch ck in color and didnt seem to move any body parts at all when in flight. They werent pping any wings, but they were still able to fly. They were quite a mysterious race.


    They also didnt look like living creatures and I felt they were somehow strange and scary. I didnt think one would actually talk to me in such a friendly way.


    Nice to meet you, D-10.


    Maybe Ive already met him before, but the warriors all looked the same, so I really couldnt tell them apart.


    If its alright with you, shall wepete with each other and see who reaches the nest faster?


    A race!? That sounds so fun! Thats what I thought for a moment, but I calmed myself down shortly. Perhaps they were trying to test my capabilities as a warrior. Yes. They were surely testing me to see if I was truly worthy of being a warrior of the n. I might not be able to match them, but I shall do my very best!


    Well then, I shall give the signal for the start of the race. Are you both ready?


    Yes!


    Go!


    After having dinner, I called Sharon and Selena over before returning to my room.


    Im thinking of seeing Gloria right now. Do you two want to apany me?


    That sounds great! I also want to get along more with her.


    Of course, Ille as well.


    Okay then. Well beginmunications in three minutes.


    Understood.


    I went back to my room and contacted Iris.


    (Im nning on seeing Gloria with Sharon and Selena using AR modemunication. Would that be alright?)


    Of course, you may. Im sure shell be happy as well.


    (Okay then. Ill be calling her in a minute.)


    Yosh. Its about time. As I kept up the call with Iris, the view in front of me changed, and Gloria and Iris appeared before me soon after. Sharon and Selena stood with me in between.


    Good evening, Gloria.


    Eh!? You can also speak dragon tongue, chief!?


    What the heck!? I heard the unfamiliar voice of a woman. Chief? Dont tell me


    Iris! This voice! Dont tell me?


    Its as you think. Ive finallypleted a working version of the dragonnguage trantion system. Ive now put it into trial operation.


    Thats great! Now well be able tomunicate smoothly with each other.


    Just what is going on, chief?


    I, Selena, and Sharon have be able to talk to you directly as well just like Iris, Gloria. From now on, well be able to talk with each other anytime we want.


    Eeh!? Is that really true? Im so happy!


    Lieutenant, just how did you decide on this type of voice?


    Voice? I didnt really pay attention to what voice was used. Does it not suit her?


    It doesnt fit her at all. She soundspletely different from my image of her. What do you think, Selena?


    Certainly. She sounds a little too mature


    Yes! Exactly! Id feel bad for Gloria if we didnt make her voice sound a bit younger! What do you think, n?


    Sharon seems to be quite fixated on Glorias voice. Sharon, who was usually calm, was now acting very insistent.


    Were the only ones who would be able to hear her voice anyway, and its not like Glorias able to hear her human voice either, so I didnt think it mattered much. But


    If thats the case, then why dont we just adjust her voice pitch so it would fit her image more?


    Understood! Lets do that right away!


    Sharon, Selena, and Iris gathered up and started discussing among themselves.


    I inspected Glorias nest in the meantime. I heard from Iris that her nest was located in a cave, but rather than a simple cave, it was a wide underground cavern.


    It was really wide, and the ceiling was probably about fifty meters high or so. Gloria could probably fly inside here, actually.


    I dont know if its due to theposition of the rock walls or bioluminescent organisms living inside the cave, but it certainly didnt resemble your typical gloomy and dark cavern. It was sufficiently bright.


    The two girls seemed to be quite busy discussing stuff, so why dont I have Gloria guide me inside her cave first.


    Gloria, can you show me around your cave nest?


    Understood!


    Gloria replied with a child-like voice that kinda resembled Es. Hey! No matter how much you wanted her to sound younger, isnt this a bit overdoing it? No, maybe theyre still in the middle of adjusting it. If they really end up deciding on this voice, then Ill have no choice but to step in.

 Chapter 76.2 - Gloria Part 2

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Can I ride on top of your arm?


    Of course you can, chief.


    In the next instant, I stood on top of one of Glorias arms. Since I appeared on top of her arm without warning, Gloria got startled at first, but she quickly calmed down and started walking ahead.


    Hou. So there was an underground pond within the cave huh. It looks like the pond was pretty deep, and the water rity was superb.


    I always take my baths here, chief.


    Oh, Glorias way of speaking actually got all formal.


    I see. It looks like a prettyfortable spot.


    Gloria seemed happy that her dwelling got praised. She showed me around until the entrance of the cave and walked back to the interior afterward.


    n, we finally decided on a voice for her. Try speaking now, Gloria!


    Um, what should I talk about?


    Her way of speaking went back to how it was before, but she sounded a lot younger than when she first spoke. She sounded like a girl of the same age as Sharon and Selena.


    She sounded pretty cute, and the tone perfectly embodies Glorias honest and straightforward personality as well. This voice certainly does seem perfect for her.


    Yeah, its good. I think it really suits you.


    Right!? I think so too.


    Sharon seems really pleased with herself.


    Captain, can you take a look at this?


    The scene in front of me suddenly changed. It looks like I moved to a corner of one of the inner chambers.


    Oh! This is!?


    I found a good number of glittering stuff that looked decidedly like precious jewels before me. Well, they appeared to be unprocessed though. So instead of proper jewels, they were still gem ores at present. They came in many shapes and sizes. They ranged from being asrge as an adults fist to asrge as an adult humans head.


    But there werent just gems present. There were also assorted swords, armors, as well as boxes and tools I couldnt identify. Anyway, there was a lot of stuff inside the cave chamber. The only thing they had inmon was that they all glittered like heck.


    These are all things my mother collected. Mother really liked things that glittered, so she always picked some things up whenever she went out for a stroll.


    Hm. I see. So these are probably treasures huh.


    If youre in need of them, then please feel free to take them with you, chief. I dont really need them anyway.


    Uh, but arent these mementos left by yourte mother? You should treasure them.


    Im not a degenerate who covets his subordinates treasures after all.


    Is that so? I was actually nning to leave them all here once its time to move to our new settlement though


    It looks like she really didnt care about them at all huh. But no matter how you look at them, these things can definitely be considered valuable treasures.


    You have to take good care of them. Well help you transport them once its time to move.


    Understood.


    Well then, I think its about time for us to return.


    Well stay here for a bit more. We havent had the opportunity to talk with Gloria yet after all.


    Im so happy! I cant believe how good this day turned out to be! I carried everyone and flew with them, raced with D-10, and now I even got to talk with you all!


    (Iris, whats this about racing D-10?)


    Shes referring to the drone D-10. She seemed a little afraid of the drones, so I had her race with one in the afternoon to lessen her wariness and build camaraderie.


    (A race huh You made sure to hold back, right?)


    Of course.


    (I see. Thank you. Do everything you can to make Gloria not feel the least bit lonely.)


    Understood. I was thinking of letting Gloria help in the base construction. Would that be fine with you, Captain?


    (Oh, thats a good idea. Sure, go ahead and let her help out. It would be a nice way to kill time and ease her boredom.)


    Alright. Ill go ahead and return, girls. And Gloria, if you have something important to tell me or if you just want to talk to me, just wish for it, and itll happen.


    Understood. Thank you so much, n chief.


    The following day, Sharon and Selena had sleepy looks on their faces during breakfast. Perhaps they stayed up talking to Gloria untiltest night.


    n-sama, well be in your care for todays training session again.


    No problem. Lets do our best today too.


    Lately, Adjutant Dalshim was acting oddly more fired uppared to before. Uh, it wasnt just him though. All of the other n members were acting very motivated as well.


    After breakfast, I tried asking Elna about it while we were on the way to the training ground.


    Everyones been acting really fired uptely. Do you know what thats about?


    It looks like everyone else has finally realized just how extraordinary n, Selena, and Sharon arepared to themselves and other warriors. And I think meeting Gloria is also a big factor in their change in attitude. In order to keep up with n and the others, who are like characters from legends given form, theyve decided that doing things the normal way just wouldnt cut it.


    Well, imperial marines really werent normal humans, but enhanced ones through the power of nanomachines. Theres no way normal humans could keep up with us.


    Even so, I was impressed that everyone was still thinking of catching up to us despite the difference in strength and abilities, and became inspired.


    I see. It looks like I need to do my best as well.


    Afterward, the rest of the day was devoted to training.


    We revised the training menu again and did some adjustments to the training methods for martial arts and swordsmanship in addition to the physical strengthening workouts in order to ensure they would be suitable for everyone.


    I focused not only on the training menu but also on the meals as well. I consulted with Iris and endeavored toe up with a bnced meal n that would contribute to building up the n members strength and stamina.


    Due to the special training sessions weve had during the past two weeks, everyones movements have be sharper and more refined than before. Iris was also quite surprised at everyones rate of growth.


    Weve been training non-stop for thest couple of weeks, but I n to let everyone take a break tomorrow. The auction for the dragon materials will begin tomorrow after all. It would be bad if I didnt manage to attend.


    After finishing our customary hundred-man sparring session, I shouted for everyone to take a break.


    n-sama, you have a visitor.


    A visitor? Is it the usual greeting?


    Recently, it seems merchants from all sorts of ces have been arriving in Gantz in droves, and theye to our Home frequently in order to pay us a visit. I entertained the first two or three, but it soon became such a drag that I ended up refusing everyone else.


    No, it seems they are n-samas acquaintances. Um, he told us his name was Tarus-dono.


    Eh!? Tarus-san is actually here!?


    I looked toward the main gate and certainly saw two people who looked very much like Tarus-san and Jonas-san. Oh, and it looks like Katolle was with them as well. I hurriedly went toward the gate.


    Its been a long time, Tarus-san, Jonas-san, and Katolle-san too.


    It truly has been. Hello, n-san. No, would it be better if I addressed you as n-sama instead?


    What are you saying? You can just call me n like usual. Its notfortable to stand around in the open, so lets go inside, shall we?


    Well be intruding on you all then. Sorry foring over suddenly without prior notice.


    Ria and the others also noticed Tarus-san, so they hurried over to exchange greetings. We ended up having tea in the dining hall.


    I say, this truly is such a magnificent building. I read in one of your letters that you intended to found a n, but I didnt think youd be able to create a n this splendid in such a short time.


    I should have told you more details in my letter. So, I assume you came to Gantz in order to participate in the dragon material auction, right, Tarus-san?


    Thats correct. Opportunities like this are exceedingly rare toe by after all. I immediately set off from Gotania the moment I heard the news. However, I was well and truly surprised this time around. The news of a dragon being subjugated was shocking enough, but to think it was you, n, who actually subdued the dragon. Its the greatest shock Ive experienced in decades.


    Well, it just sort of happened. If you are eyeing for any particr dragon material, I can sell it to you directly for a reasonable price.


    No, that wont be necessary. I dont want the other merchants to hold a grudge against me after all. I shall obediently participate in the auction this time.


    n-san, just how did you subjugate the dragon?


    Katolle urged me to share my story, so I told him the abridged version. Its already be a very popr topic in towntely anyway, so you can listen to several versions of it pretty easily. Katolles eyes shone in excitement, and he listened with asional gasps of surprise and admiration.


    n-san, Id like to take some of your time after the auction ends. Theres something Id like to discuss with you privately.


    Theres a matter Tarus-san wants to discuss with me privately? Is it about magic tools? Well, theres no use thinking about it right now anyway.


    Of course. You cane and pay a visit to us any time.


    After some more small talk, Tarus-san andpany finally went back to the inn they booked a room in.


    The members whove finished their training menu for the day began to gather in the dining hall as well. Oh, so its already thiste huh. I guess Ill take a bath first.


    n-sama! Its terrible! Someone iming to be a nobles attendant just arrived!


    What!? This is bad! I cant go out looking like this.


    I just came from training after all, so I was still wearing leather armor.


    n, theres no need to be so worried. Its just an attendant, right? Its most likely just a preliminary visit, so you can go out as is.


    Oh, right. Come to think of it, a noble attendant was still technically amoner huh. I ended up panicking because of Kennys tone. Since its just a preliminary visit, then I suppose hes just here to arrange an appointment.


    I see. Alright. Ill see him now.


    And so, around ten people, including Ria and I, went out and headed for thepound gate. We found two middle-aged men standing before the gate. They wore pretty fancy clothes formoners. As expected of noble attendants, I guess.


    I am n.


    The two attendants knelt in front of me.


    My name is Baker, and I am a servant of Baron Volker Herring. Baron Herring has sent me to tell you that he would like to pay you a visit at your convenience.


    He hasnt told me what the purpose of the barons visit is, but would it be rude of me to ask?


    But he sure is acting all humble for an attendant of a noble.


    Theres no need for the baron to pay a visit himself. If its alright, just set a time and ce, and well be the ones to pay the baron a visit instead.


    No. The baron expressly wishes to pay a visit to you in person. Im sorry for being so sudden, but if its possible, can we ask for an appointment at ten in the morning tomorrow?


    It would have been better if hed said it in the beginning if they were already eyeing a particr date and time though.


    Does the baron want to check out our living conditions or something? The auction will begin in the afternoon tomorrow. I guess well have some time in the morning.


    Understood. Then lets set the appointment to tomorrow at ten in the morning.


    Thank you very much! Well be excusing ourselves then.


    After performing a bow, the attendants finally departed.


    To think a mere baron dares to pay n-sama such an abrupt visit! Just what is the king of this country thinking!?


    That attitude earlier was uneptable! So a barons attendant is just of that caliber.


    The knights among our members who came from noble houses themselves were saying whatever they wanted after the attendants left.


    But the nobles finally arrived huh. The auction will begin tomorrow so he barely made it huh. At worst, I was thinking of dying the auction of the main dragon materials, but I guess well be able to make it work somehow.


    There were lots of discussions and spections about the messenger even at dinner, but I didnt participate in them since Ill learn what its all about tomorrow anyway.


    What do you think should I wear tomorrow? My uniform?


    I dont think theres much of a need to be that particr with your outfit tomorrow since the other party is just a knight, but in any case, you wont go wrong with that outfit.


    It looks like Clerias looking down on the poor baron as well. Apparently, a barons status was lower than I first thought.


    It wont do to overthink things anyway. Ill just take a bath and sleep early then.


    Now then, tomorrow, Ill finally get to meet with the noble envoy sent by this kingdom. I wonder how it will turn out?

 Chapter 77.1 - Negotiations Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    The next morning, I felt a bit restless, so I took a bath to calm my nerves and kill time. I then put on my military uniform and headed for the training grounds with more than enough time to spare before the barons visit.


    All of the n members were already gathered on the training grounds. They were all fully equipped even though this wasnt a training day. Were they nning on meeting the guests along with me?


    Whats up, everyone? I think it would be fine even if I met up with the baron on my own though?


    That wont do. You absolutely cannot be looked down upon by a mere baron. We are going to show him the difference in your bearing.


    Adjutant Dalshim was really fired up for some reason. Well, I guess Ill just let them do what they want.


    Five minutes before the appointment, each team lined up on opposite sides of the training grounds in order to wee our guests.


    The town bell rang, notifying everyone in the city that it was already ten oclock. A short whileter, the figures of three men gradually approached our Homes main gate. Two of them were the attendants I met yesterday, so the middle-aged man between them should be Baron Volker Herring.


    He seemed to be in his forties, and though he did look the part of your typical noble, he didnt have an aristocratic aura at all and resembled an adventurer more than anything else. The members of my n all look more like nobles than this guy.


    I thought hed arrive via carriage, so I was caught by surprise a bit.


    There was a loud noise behind me. I nced over and saw that everyone was kneeling uniformly.


    Although I reacted a bitte, I also followed after them and knelt down.


    Its a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Your Lordship. My name is n.


    Ooh Oh! What a grand wee this is. I am truly grateful. I am Volker Herring. n-dono, there is no need to kneel in front of someone like me. Please, stand up.


    I did as he said while thinking things were a bit different than what I first expected.


    Thank you for gracing us with your visit today, Your Lordship.


    It was I who insisted on visiting today in the first ce, so theres no need to mind me so much. Please be at ease. But how about the men behind you?


    These are the members of my n, Shining Star.


    Oh! So these men are them! I can see why youve been able to make your reputation resound throughout thend with men such as these.


    If its alright with you, Your Lordship, might I invite you inside for some tea?


    Thank you, my good man. Please lead the way.


    We decided to have the meeting inside my office. We couldnt possibly conduct it inside the dining hall, and there were no other suitable rooms for receiving guests.


    When we arrived in front of the door to my office, I called the attention of the baron.


    If its alright with you, Id like to have some others attend the meeting as well They are the members of our main parties.


    I see. Of course, I do not mind. Go ahead and have them attend as well.


    We all decided on this bit beforehand. And so, my four party members and Adjutant Dalshim entered the office with us.


    Only the baron and I took our respective seats. Our respective men didnt sit and stood behind each of us instead.


    Elna, who was very familiar with noble etiquette, made some tea for us.


    First of all, I must offer my congrattions to you for subjugating a dragon, n-dono. The imperial capital seethed in excitement after receiving word of a dragon subjugated by adventurers of our kingdom.


    Thank you very much. Luck simply smiled upon us this time around.


    Even His Majesty, King Amad Bertie was deeply moved by the news and even said he would like to wee n-dono to the ranks of our fair kingdoms nobility!


    A noble of this kingdom huh


    It would be bad if I showed my eagerness this early, so I proceeded to downy the atmosphere a bit instead.


    A-Are you not interested in bing a noble of our kingdom, n-dono?


    It looks like hes starting to panic a bit.


    Lets see I cant say Im not the least bit interested, to be honest. Yes, I think I do have an interest in that prospect.


    Oh! Thats wonderful! Now, about the particrs. The king wants to grant you the title of baron, but some of the more inconsiderate nobles in our ranks have said that you have not made enough contributions to the kingdom to warrant being bestowed such a title. And thats why the king is troubled about what to do right now.


    What? So thats how they want to y this game huh. It looks like they want to begin negotiations regarding the dragon materials straight away. Well, its nice that the talks are proceeding quickly, I guess.


    Basically, no one would have had the courage to oppose a decision made by the king, so the negotiations this time was most likely an idea by the king himself.


    I see Thats a problem, isnt it? What should we do then?


    Some people have proposed that offering the dragons magic stone as a tribute would count as enough contribution to the kingdom.


    The dragons magic stone!? I see Thats unfortunate then.


    No, please wait! Only a small number of people are suggesting it, and of course, most of us are in opposition.


    This guy sure is easy to read. He doesnt seem to be cut out for negotiations at all.


    Oh, thats good then. The moment I heard you wanted the magic stone, though unfortunate, I thought I had no choice but to refuse.


    The dragons magic stone was an item thats practically priceless. Its countless times more valuable than your usual national treasures, so I didnt n to put it on auction in the first ce.


    I understand. That is but natural. n-dono, what Im going to say next will be rted to our kingdoms most closely guarded secrets, so would it be fine if you cleared the room first?


    Of course.


    I nodded at everyone who was standing behind me, and they left the room together with the barons attendants. A period of strained silence followed.


    n-dono, as you can see, I am truly not one suited for negotiations such as this.


    So its not rted to ssified info at all huh. But his way of speech no longer resembled that of your typical noble. It sounded more rxed.


    So why go through all the trouble of sending your attendants to arrange an urgent meeting?


    Since the preparation period before the start of the auction was quite short, they sent whoever was avable immediately. However, this matter has garnered utmost attention from the citizens, and if, by any chance, the offer of the peerage was refused, the one whos going to shoulder the me would most probably be the envoy. Hence, no one wanted to burden themselves with such a responsibility. This job was basically pressed upon me, and I had no choice but to take it.


    Hes being brutally blunt now, isnt he? But I like this guys honesty.


    Thats quite unfortunate.


    If I fail in this negotiation, my house will probably be finished.


    Do things like that really happen?


    More often than youd think. My house is one of those that are easily tossed aside. n-dono, please! Can you just tell me what your bottom line is?


    Understood. It would be cold of me to ignore the fact that your noble house might fall to ruin after all.


    Oh! n-dono, thank you! Truly, thank you!


    So, what exactly is the proposal of those nobles opposed to me being given peerage?


    In case their proposal regarding the magic stone fails, I was given several more alternative ns.


    Baron Herring then began taking notes and maps out of his breast pocket and spread them out on top of the table.


    This is the first alternative proposal. This n was the one that garnered the most approval. This area marked on the map is a part of the Khazar region. It has not been properly cultivated at all, but there is a wide river flowing from north to south, and thend around it is quite fertile. For thisnd, you can offer us the dragons skull and both its fangs.


    This negotiation suddenly turned simr to real estate consultation. I get that hes desperate, but wasnt he being a little too honest?


    This is the second proposal. Thisnd is part of the Seth region. The river here isparatively narrower, but it boasts the widestnd area. There are several other good points as well, I think. For thisnd, you can offer both dragon fangs and its eyeballs.


    He basically just confessed thend didnt have much going for it apart from howrge it was. Is that really okay?


    This is the third proposal. This territory is part of the Rust region. This particr territory is the narrowest of the three, but it is closest to the capital and the kingdoms main road. If you cane up with a local specialty of some sort, it should not be a bad choice at all. You can offer both dragon fangs for thisnd.


    Uh, any territory would benefit if youe up with a popr local specialty though. In thisnds case, if we donte up with one, it would be all over huh.


    None of the offers were particrly attractive. It looks like what Ss-san said about the kingdom not having any decentnd left was true.

 Chapter 77.2 - Negotiations Part 2

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Why do all the conditions include dragon fangs?


    Oh, that. Well, His Majesty has always coveted a sword made from dragon fangs, you see.


    Ss-san also rmended that I offer the dragon fangs as part of the tribute. He might have been aware of this particr fact already.


    So I have to choose from these three options, correct?


    Thats right. Are they not to your liking after all?


    Lets see. I think most people wouldnt choose any of these options normally.


    I understand.


    Baron Herring nodded dejectedly and hung his head down.


    Its ridiculous, isnt it? The people who came up with these damned proposals were feeling so full of themselves, saying something like this can still be considered an overlyvish treatment for a mere adventurer. Thats just how much they want those dragon fangs.


    The baron began to speak with his head still hanging down.


    I was only granted the title of baron five years ago. Thus, I am more familiar with the mindset ofmoners than most of my peers.


    People can attain happiness even without bing part of the nobility, and indeed, many find bing an aristocrat a rather troublesome affair.


    However, those who have inherited their titles among my peers are mostly biased in their views. They think everybody looks up to us nobles and wants to be one as well And thats why they came up with these sorts of conditions.


    I see


    Why do those who endeavor to subdue creatures like dragons or those who have attained great fortune want to obtainnds of their own? Most of the members of the royal court do notprehend such a thing.


    When I arrived at this city, I heard that not only did you subdue and kill one dragon, n-dono, but you even managed to tame a living one as well.


    If its you, n-dono, then Im positive you would be able to obtain at least a rank of baron unconditionally in each of the other neighboring kingdoms.


    Well, perhaps.


    I did remember Cleria saying my achievements would haveted me a baron title without a doubt in the former Starveek kingdom.


    However, weve already started the construction of our new base within this kingdom, so the option of moving to another country was no longer avable to us.


    The news that a live dragon is following you willingly has not reached the kingdoms capital yet. I believe the conditions will be much better once they receive the news though


    Ugh. I really should have refused the job of being an envoy Uh, Im not saying its your fault though, n-dono. Please pay my earlier words no heed. I am ultimately the one at fault for being too greedy.


    Did you have any pressing reason to ept this job?


    A particrly troublesome peer has been eyeing me for quite some time now, and if I managed to do well this time, he agreed to overlook everything between us until now, so I waspelled to ept.


    There seem to be various circumstances huh. Its true that its his fault for epting the job when he could have simply refused though. Im a bit curious about what those circumstances exactly are now.


    If its alright with you, can you tell me a bit more about your circumstances?


    I managed to get myself a wife whos well beyond my current station, you see. My wife is from the branch house of a particrly well-known and influential noble family. They vehemently opposed our marriage, of course. But my wife forcibly arranged everything and we ended up getting married anyway.


    Now hes just gushing about his wife. But its pretty different from the image of nobles I heard from the rest of the n.


    Even though it was a marriage between fellow nobles, I didnt think such a thing would actually be tolerated in the end.


    Well, normally, it would not have been. However, my wife pressed a sword to her neck and threatened her family that she wouldmit suicide if they didnt allow her to get married to me. Otherwise, the marriage would have not pushed through.


    Man. Thats one bolddy.


    Most likely, if I fail this job, my house will be crushed underfoot, and my wife would be forced towfully divorce me and then returned to her family. In fact, I believe they pushed this job onto me expecting such an oue.


    But judging from the apparent age of this baron, his marriage should have been quite a few years ago already. Would there still be a point in having his wife return home after all this time?


    I see By the way, how long has it been since your marriage?


    It was just three months ago.


    Forgive me for asking, but how old is your wife?


    Shell be eighteen years of age next month.


    Un. On second thought, I dont think theres any reason to pity the good baron after all. But I think I understand why the wifes family is so insistent in having her return to them. I think the barons guess about whats going on is mostly correct.


    In any case, was this guy really that damn charming?


    Uh, ahem. Something like that isnt important, I guess. Lets proceed with the talks.


    In other words, you epted the job of being an envoy for love, correct?


    W-Well, you can put it that way, I guess.


    Wonderful! What courage. Color me impressed! To think you would even risk your noble house going under just to ensure that you wouldnt lose your wife!


    N-No, I do not deserve such praise.


    Oh, but I truly am impressed! If thats really the case, then I should do my part and ensure this negotiation of ours is a sess.


    Are you serious, n-dono!?


    But of course! However, I still find the three proposals you offered me quite unattractive. In fact, I instead find Gantz, or rather, the Great Demon Forest to my liking. I like the ce so much that Im actuallypelled to stay in the long term.


    What! The Great Sea of Trees, you say!?


    Yes. It really is a good ce. To be honest, when I heard about the ces your kingdom was offering earlier, I thought it would be better if I got granted rights to the Sea of Trees instead. Would it be possible for me to change thend the crown would award me to the Sea of Trees instead? Oh, and youll still get the dragon fangs as part of the trade, of course.


    Are you really in your right mind, n-dono!?


    Of course I am. Impletely sane, Your Lordship.


    n-dono, I think its best for you to give up on the Great Sea of Trees. As far as I know, five noble houses have attempted to develop it in the past as well. There was even one headed by an earl among them. But all of them ultimately failed in the end, without exception.


    You really are a good man, Baron Herring. However, theres no need to worry. Ah, and in addition, Id like to get the right to dere all thend I manage to sessfully develop as part of my territory. That would motivate my men and future subjects to work hard in cultivating thend after all. What do you think of this condition?


    Thats Im sure something like that would be approved. The five houses I mentioned earlier also asked for such a condition as well.


    That sounds wonderful! So, I believe there are no further problems, correct?


    Are you really fine with something like that?


    Yes. I would be more than happy to ept such terms.


    Understood. Thank you very much, n-dono. I am in your debt. I will never forget this favor for as long as I live.


    No, no. In fact, it should be me thanking you for such an opportunity. Well then, since weve settled the talks, should we call everyone back?


    Of course.


    I opened the door of my office from within and found everyone standing by just outside, so I called them back in.


    Now then, weve finished our talks, so Ill give you all a brief summary. It still hasnt been set in stone, but if all goes well, I shall be granted the title of baron and given a part of the Great Demon Forest as my territory. And every piece ofnd we sessfully develop shall be counted as part of our territory as well. As thanks for being bestowed such grace, I have decided to offer both of the dragons fangs to the king.


    Nobody reacted after I finished my summary. Uh, but Clerias mouth seems to be twitching a bit.


    Baron Herring looked nervously at everyones expressions. I bet hes worried that some of them might oppose the terms we discussed.


    We will abide by n-samas will.


    When Adjutant Dalshim replied as such, Baron Herring sighed in relief.


    Now then, n-dono. When will you be departing for the royal capital? Ah, and theres a need to arrange for adventurers to act as your escorts as well.


    Actually, the dragon material auction will be held for three days, starting from today. If possible, Id like to depart after four days. As for the escorts, Id like to hand that job to the members of Shining Star.


    Oh! That would be most wee. Well then, let us arrange to depart on the morning of the fifth day.


    Understood. That should be fine.


    I asked the baron about the inn he was staying at so we could keep in touch and sent him and his retinue off with everyone.


    Lets tell everyone else the good news right away.


    Yes, lets!


    It looks like Cleria couldnt hold her joy back any longer. Elna, Serena, and Sharon were also smiling happily. We headed straight for the dining hall where the rest of the n members were waiting.


    We then told them about the results of the discussions with the baron.


    We did it, n-sama!


    Oh! Finally!


    As expected of n-sama! Such splendid negotiation skills!


    Well, that so-called negotiation wasnt really all that difficult to begin with. Apparently, due to certain reasons, they didnt even consider offering the Sea of Trees as our territory.


    Everyone wanted to hear about the details of the talks, so I briefly summarized my discussion with the baron.


    I see. So thats why they sent a baron as an envoy


    It still isnt official, but I guess its almost decided. Id like to have a celebration with you all immediately, but a three-day auction for the dragon materials will begin starting today. And so, I was thinking of having a big feast on the night of the third day instead.


    Ooh!


    Alright!


    Also, I want everyone to prepare for our departure to the royal capital in five days.


    Understood!


    Alright then. Some of us will head to the auction venue in the afternoon. Lets have lunch somewhere in the city and head for the Commerce Guild afterward.


    It seems Karina-san prepared ten seats for us since were the seller of the dragon materials. Hence, I, my four party members, Adjutant Dalshim, and the four sub-party leaders will be attending.


    After having a quick lunch, we immediately headed to the Commerce Guild. There were already lots of people gathered in front of the guild building. It was very crowded.


    There sure are a lot of people huh. Are all of them actually merchants?


    They probably are. I didnt think such a number of them would turn up.


    The interior of the guild building was even more crowded. It was packed to the point that it was difficult to move around. Karina-san was shouting something behind a reception table.


    In ordance with our earlier announcement, the only items we are auctioning off today will be panaceas! Aside from the bidders, everyone else should vacate the guild building!


    It looks like she was shouting about the details of todays auction.


    Its about time, so we will lead you to the venue now! Show our staff your guild certificate and proceed to the auction venue on the second floor!


    It looks like the only ones eligible to participate in the auction are C-ranked or higher guild members. The first floor of the guild building was vacated little by little as the eligible merchants all went up to the second floor.


    Youvee, n-sama!


    Of course. Im curious about the auction as well.


    Well then, I shall guide you to the auction venue.


    Under Karina-sans guidance, we also made our way up to the guild buildings second floor.


    The auction venue was arge room that epassed the entirety of the guild buildings second floor. There were probably more than 200 merchants in attendance today. Everyone sat on small, round chairs which were lined up closely with each other.


    Pleasee over here, everyone.


    The seats Karina-san guided us to were located right behind the stage. We ended up in a position facing the attending merchants. I would have liked it if we were guided to somewhere less conspicuous though.


    Once we took our seats, we immediately caught the attention of the attending merchants.


    Before long, the figure of Ss-san finally appeared. He stood up on the stage and slowly ran his gaze toward all of the merchants present in the venue.


    Well then, we shall now begin todays auction!


    Its finally time. I wonder how much a panacea would sell for?

 Chapter 78.1 - Auction Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Well then, we shall now begin todays auction! I am the Gantz Commerce Guild Branchs Ss. First, let me introduce the seller for this times auction. This is the A-rank adventurer and n Leader of Shining Star, n.


    Dammit! I didnt hear anything about this. If I knew, then I would have worn clothes that were more presentable.


    I stood up from my seat and made a bow to the crowd.


    Oh! So thats Shining Stars


    Hes quite young.


    So thats the one called the Bandit Hunter and Dragon yer.


    n, please say a little something to todays attendees.


    I am Shining Stars n. I thank you all for participating in todays auction. Well then, may you all have a fruitful afternoon.


    Even if you tell me to make a speech so suddenly, its not like theres a lot I could say anyway.


    Some of the merchants attending the auction began to p. Before long, all of the merchants attending the auction stood up and gave me a shower of apuse.


    Apuse on this corresponds to people signifying their praise and approval. I had no choice but to stand up again and bow to everyone in gratitude.


    I wonder what everyone is actually apuding for. Well, I bet its for our work clearing out most of the bandits lurking around the surrounding areas.


    When the apuse subsided, Ss-san took a seat right next to us while Karina-san and the other guild staff reced him on the stage.


    First, please have a look at todays item, everyone. Here it is. This is the highly sought-after panacea.


    Karina-san held up a small bottle in front of the crowd.


    Oooh!


    A guild staff standing next to Karina-san rolled up his sleeve and shed the area above his elbow with a knife. I couldnt see the wound clearly from my position, but since blood was dripping freely from the injury, it was probably a quite deep cut.


    Karina-san opened the small bottle containing the panacea and poured a few drops onto a cloth. She then applied it to the wound. After a minute or so, the guild staff took the cloth off the wound.


    Oh!


    Amazing!


    Since everyone seemed quite surprised, the wound should have probably healed.


    Karina-san already showed us the effect of the panacea when we met up with her to talk about the auction arrangements yesterday. Of course, I didnt miss touching the panacea substance with my finger in order to have Nanom analyze it before the auction.


    It certainly did contain some rareponents, but its not like any of them were particrly special. In fact, they were prettymon all over the empire.


    The only unique thing about it is that it contained magical energy. The dragons blood already contains plenty of magic power, and mixing it with the other ingredients gives birth to a panacea with such effects.


    Even Iris was stumped about why it could produce such effects, so well have to devote some more effort to conduct thorough research on it in the future.


    And it seems the panacea doesnt spoil easily. By using a special stopper made of material produced from Slimes, it could apparently be stored away for several years.


    The bottles used to store panacea had a capacity of 200 ml, and the number of panacea bottles we were able to produce this time was 2,350.


    We decided to keep 200 bottles for use by the n and didnt auction them off. In other words, the total number of panacea bottles we put up for auction was 2,150.


    And in order to procure that many ss vials, the ssworks workshop in Gantz had to operate at full capacity for twenty days. And since the prices of raw materials necessary for producing ss have soared recently, they ended up recycling unneeded ss products into the ss vials we needed instead.


    The Gantz Commerce Guild Branch guarantees that all products which are going to be auctioned today are just as effective as the sample Ive shown you all. Now then, let us proceed to the auction proper. As weve announced earlier, eachpany can only win bids a maximum of five times. The number of goods will differ per listing. The initial round of listings has a hundred panacea vials each, the second has fifty, the third has thirty, the fourth has twenty, and the fifth and final one will have ten.


    I had no idea how to allocate the goods for the auction so I had Karina-san handle everything instead.


    Now then, lets begin with a hundred vials of panacea. The price starts at 10,000 per vial. Please ce your bids.


    The Reel Company bids 40,000 Guineas!


    The Boffmill Company bids 50,000.


    The Tsuiril Company bids 60,000 Guineas!


    Our Reel Company raises our bid to 75,000!


    Karel Company bids 80,000 Guineas.


    Whoah! The price is going up at a crazy rate! Since it was 10,000 per vial initially, that meant the current highest bid right now will a total of 8 million Guineas for all 100 vials. A small vial like that was now already going for 80,000 Guineas!? It looks like what Karina-san said about these panaceas being equal to national treasures wasnt unwarranted.


    The Tarus Company bids 100,000.


    Oh! Its Jonas-san! He actually raised the price to triple digits in one go! It instantly raised amotion in the auction hall.


    Brass Company raises a bid of 105,000!


    Its still going up. But the momentum was apparently slowing down already.


    Ss Company bids 120,000 Guineas.


    Whoah. That was Arista-san. After Arista-san ced her bid, I heard a number of merchants inside the venue click their tongues. Ss-san stood up from his seat, seemingly angry, and the tongue clicking subsided as a result.


    120,000 Guineas. Do I hear any more bids? None? Well then, here are a hundred vials of panacea. The Ss Company has one a hundred vials of panacea.


    The people inside the venue made a stir after the announcement.


    We shall proceed with the next session. Its another hundred vials of panacea. Bidding starts at 10,000 Guineas per vial. Please go ahead.


    Ss Company bids 120,000 Guineas.


    Arista-san dered her bid immediately. No other voice rang out after her own.


    A hundred vials of panacea. Ss Company has won the bid for 12,000,000 Guineas.


    After repeating the exact same actions three times more, Arista-san finally stood up from her seat and left the venue. Hm. I guess this just goes to show how much of a difference there was between the otherpanies and Ss-sans.


    Let us move on to the next session. Another hundred vials of panacea. The price starts at 10,000. Please ce your bids.


    The price went up as usual, but strangely, the bidding did not stop even after the price reached 120,000 Guineas per vial.


    Tarus Company bids 140,000 Guineas.


    A hundred vials of panacea. Tarus Company has one the bid for 14,000,000 Guineas.


    I see. The reason why the bids no longer rose after they hit the 120 thousand mark earlier was that nobody wanted to go against the Ss Company, which was said to be thergest and most influential mercantilepany in this kingdom. They were probably afraid of the Ss Company bearing a grudge against them. Now I kinda get why a lot of them clicked their tongues earlier.


    Afterward, the Tarus Company made a sessful bid once again, but the price of the subsequent bids still continued to rise.


    After a total of 1,500 vials were auctioned off, the products for sale changed to sets of fifty panacea vials, and the auction sessions became even more heated.


    I see So the merchants without that much capital on hand had to wait until the listings with lower item numbers were put up on auction since they didnt bring enough money for the hundred vial ones.


    However, the number of rivals for the remaining products would conversely increase, and the bidding war would continuously escte as more and more items were sold since they would fight over whatever was remaining. The price per vial for the fifty vial listings had risen to 175,000 Guineas before I knew it.


    It seems the principle of the rich getting richer was the same no matter which you find yourself on.


    The sessions finally ended after four hours, and the auction for the day officially came to a close. The final listing actually sold for a whopping 250,000 Guineas per vial. It was more than double that of the first winning bid.


    To think those tiny vials would actually sell for 250,000 Guineas each. I wasnt quite sure, but I didnt think they would be able to make a profit reselling them after purchasing them at such a steep price.


    The merchants were leaving the venue looking pretty tired out. I was just sitting around almost the whole time, but even I felt tired.


    Their payments would be taken by the guild staff in exchange for the items they won at ater date.

 Chapter 78.2 - Auction Part 2

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    I called out to Karina-san, who also looked quite exhausted.


    Thank you for the hard work, Karina-san. That must have been hard on you.


    Not at all. Its a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be able to manage such an auction, so I wouldnt say it was hard.


    Then, a guild employee rushed toward us and handed Karina-san a memo. Karina-sans eyes widened after she read the memo.


    n-sama, the total of todays winning bids is 387,213,000 Guineas.


    Ooh!


    Everyone raised their voices in shock. I already knew the total amount beforehand since I had Nanom calcte it earlier, but I had to act surprised in front of everyone.


    What an amount! Its amazing, n-sama!


    Yeah, it sure is. Im looking forward to tomorrows result.


    My party members all looked happy as well. Cleria was particrly ted, but shes probably pleased because now she would be able to send arge amount of money to Roberto to support her people.


    Oh, right! Arista-san. Just as we talked about before, please include everything in the auction except for the dragon fangs.


    Eh? So youve already negotiated with the noble envoy?


    Thats right. We finished the talks sessfully just this morning. I managed to settle it by offering both dragon fangs.


    Congrattions, n-sama!


    Well, it isnt exactly official yet. Im leaving for the royal capital in the morning of the fifth.


    Understood. Well arrange everything as youve specified.


    When we went down to the guild buildings first floor, we found quite a number of merchants waiting to meet us, and it took more than 30 minutes before we were able to leave the guild due to them thanking and congratting us for our work in subjugating bandits and the dragon.


    After we were done with the Commerce Guild, we headed straight back to our Home.


    I didnt expect for the panacea to actually be that expensive. I mean, all that money for something they probably wouldnt be using for a good while?


    Thats right. Its actually better to make use of healing magic for injuries and cuts after all And besides, the panaceas healing effect isnt as potent as healing magic, right?


    Ive heard rumors about the effects of a panacea within the royal pce in the past. They said if you took a diluted dose of a panacea on a daily basis, you wouldnt get sick at all.


    Hou, so a panacea also had that kind of effect huh So theyd probably sell them to nobles then.


    I dont think anyone but the highest-ranking nobles would be able to make use of them, actually. They would probably sell them to royalty instead.


    I see. So theyd still make a profit even after spending that much after all huh.


    When we arrived back at our Home, everyone else has already gathered inside the dining hall for dinner. It looks like they were quite curious about the result of the auction. I decided to announce the result before we had our meal.


    The total winning bids for the panaceas amount to 387,213,000 Guineas, everyone.


    Oooh!


    Amazing!


    If its already like this on the first day, well be able to expect more tomorrow.


    Tonights topic of discussion is, of course, the money we earned after todays auction and the possible amount well be able to get tomorrow.


    n, youll send money to Roberto and the others, right?


    Yeah. When the three-day auction finishes, well send them arge amount of funds. Apparently, well be able to send a message to them as well along with the money via the Commerce Guild, so I think we should tell them a bit about our current progress.


    Thats a good suggestion! But what should we include in the message?


    After this, we put our heads together with Adjutant Dalshim and the sub-party leaders in order toe up with a suitable message to send to Roberto and the others. The minimum cost for sending one was 10,000 Guineas, and it was 100 Guineas per character, so we pored over the message and reduced the number of characters in it as much as possible to fit the 10,000 Guinea fee.


    We already had a lot of money right now, of course. But since the money we would be sending will serve as the living expenses and reserve funds of more than 5,000 people, we couldnt afford to be careless.


    Right, its decided then. The final draft is: We seeded in defeating a dragon. Theres arge possibility of being granted a peerage. Our preparations are proceeding slowly but surely. Wait for further news.


    Im sure they would be quite surprised after they read it.


    I can already imagine Roberto-donos ted expression.


    I was quite tired today, so I decided to go to bed early. Tomorrows auction will begin at 9 in the morning and the items going to be auctioned off will be the dragon meat and dragon scales.


    The next morning, we headed for the Commerce Guild well before 9 oclock. We found it just as crowded as yesterday.


    Before long, it was finally time toe up to the auction venue. The n was to auction off the dragon meat in the morning and the scales in the afternoon.


    Thankfully, I didnt have to make a speech this time around.


    Well then, let us begin the auction for the dragon meat. First, let us check the product.


    After Karina-sans announcement, guild staff began filing into the venue. They started arranging tables and put tes with cooked dragon meat on them one after another.


    So the nice smell I picked up earlier came from these huh.


    ording to the records, dragon meat was edible and supposedly quite delicious. That went for the dragon innards as well. Among all the meat cuts, it seems the thigh meat was considered the tastiest.


    We have prepared these grilled meat dishes for all of you to sample. The seasonings we used are only salt and pepper. We arranged one te per person, so please use them ordingly. This goes without saying, but only one slice per person. Please begin.


    Oooh!


    I thought people wouldnt pay much for something they havent tried personally yet, so I proposed this taste testing session to Karina-san. Sure, it would reduce the amount of meat we could put up for sale, but Im sure itll be effective in drumming up the sale price.


    The merchants immediately lined up in front of the tables and began sampling the meat.


    Just what is with this meats overflowing umami!?


    It virtually melts inside the mouth!


    To think such delicious meat could actually exist in this world


    It looks like the meat was quite highly rated.


    We are going to auction off wooden boxes like this one that is filled with dragon meat. All dragon meat cuts are stored in simr boxes. As we announced, onepany can win only a maximum of five bids. Listings will have ten, five, and two boxes of dragon meat respectively.


    Karina-san pointed to a box that probably contained about 100 kilograms of meat as she exined the rules. I see. Thats nice and simple.


    Well then, let us begin with ten boxes of dragon thigh meat. Price starts at 10,000 Guineas per box. Please go ahead and start bidding.


    Simr to what happened yesterday, bids were made one after another and the price steadily rose.


    Tsuiril Company bids 30,000 Guineas!


    Baras Company bids 32,500 Guineas.


    Karel Company. 35,000 Guineas.


    Ss Company bids 50,000 Guineas.


    The moment Arista-san raised her bid, everyone else quieted down instantly. It was practically a repeat of yesterdays events.


    Well then, ten boxes of dragon thigh meat. Sold for 500,000 Guineas.


    Arista-san won the bid four more times and left the venue afterward. It really was just like yesterday.


    So the meat sold for 500 Guineas per kilo huh. It wasnt as high as I expected, but it wasnt bad at all. Well be selling dozens of tons of meat anyway.


    ording to Karina-san, theyve prepared a veryrge amount of ice in order to transport the meat to other cities overnight, and the total transport costs will be very high. And thats why we couldnt expect too much regarding the meats final selling price


    Sessions were held one after another, and everything was finally sold off by noon.


    The total amount for todays winning bids was 19,885,400 Guineas.


    n-sama, the total of todays winning bids is 19,885,400 Guineas. It looks like perishable goods like meat really wont sell for that high a price, just as we expected.


    No, its actually higher than my estimate. Ill be counting on you again in the afternoon.

 Chapter 78.3 - Auction Part 3

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    After lunch, the afternoon dragon scale auction finally began.


    Well then, we shall now begin bidding for the dragons scales. As we announced, we have collected and pairedrge and small scales of the optimum amount in order to sessfully produce a full set of dragon scale armor. The armor set in question will be simr to thePdins Armor; the manufacturing process of which we have reproduced from relevant records before the start of this three-day auction.


    Oh! So it will be simr to that armor set!


    So we can create an armor set simr to that one


    At first, I was wondering why they would actually make armor out of scales, but Karina-san exined that armor made with dragon scales is capable of blocking magic attacks to some extent. If thats the case, then its no wonder that it would sell for a high price.


    Now then, we will begin the bidding for the first set of dragon scales and armor manufacturing instructions.


    Bids were made one after another and the price also rose ordingly. However, the increase in price was of an entirely different level from the previous auction sessions.


    Gerluf Company bids 5.5 million Guineas!


    Gates Company bids 5.7 million Guineas.


    Our Hans Company bids 6 million Guineas.


    Herrman Company bids 6.1 million Guineas.


    Ss Company. 8 million.


    Amotion rose when Arista-san made her bid. They actually bid 8 million for materials to make an armor set they havent even seen a finished product of.


    Just like always, Ss Company won four more times before bowing out, and the auction continued.


    When it was all over, the total winning bids amounted to 465,403,000 Guineas. Thats more than enough money for us to be satisfied. It looks like the scales and blood of the dragon really were the most outstanding among all the harvested materials.


    We went to bid farewell to Karina-san before heading back.


    By the way, I wont be able to attend tomorrows auction since I have something going on. I will be sending a representative over instead.


    I see Thats unfortunate. In any case, please leave the auction to me.


    Ill be counting on you, Karina-san.


    Everyone headed back to our Home in high spirits.


    n, what are you going to be busy with tomorrow?


    Were gonna have a party tomorrow night, remember? Its been quite a while, so Ive been thinking of helping out in the kitchen.


    Maa! How delightful! So that means Ill be able to eat your cooking again, n!


    Im just going to help with cooking some dishes. Feel free to oversee the auction proceedings tomorrow, everyone. I need to start preparing quite a number of stuffe morning.


    When we announced todays total earnings, the rest of the n members raised surprised voices once again.


    n, what dishes are you going to make tomorrow?


    It looks like Clerias curious about tomorrows menu. Its certainly true that its been a while since I cooked personally, but our head chef Rotal-sans cooking was quite delicious as well, and his dishes were actually as tasty as mine.


    Ill hear you out if you have any requests.


    Really? Then I want karaage and hamburg steak. Oh, tonkatsu seems nice as well!


    Ill have potato sd please.


    Roger. How about Sharon and Serena? What do you girls want?


    Ill have potato sd as well, with plenty of boiled eggs please.


    Im fine with whatever dishes n will cook.


    Yosh. I havent decided on a menu yet, so your suggestions help a lot. Well, it would also depend on what ingredients well be able to get our hands on, but lets make the dishes a bit on the fancy side this time. Were gonna have a party after all.


    After hearing that, everyone cheered happily.


    Since they were this hyped about it, then I guess Ill just have to give my all tomorrow.


    The next morning, I headed out to town in our horse wagon in order to purchase ingredients with Chef Rotal and his three assistant chefs. It was too early for the other shops in the city to open, so we went to procure alcohol first.


    We went to the shop Karina-san brought us to a while back and bought some fine white and red wine stored inrge barrels. Of course, I didnt forget to buy some of their best ale as well.


    Gantz city was sometimes called the treasure trove of food ingredients, and the market truly was filled to the brim with them. There were so many great ingredients to choose from so I had a hard time. In the end, I consulted with Rotal-san and bought the ingredients he rmended and the ones that looked tasty.


    We got back to our Home by noon and immediately started cooking. I consulted with the chefs and finalized the menu. Once the menu was decided, we started cooking a sample of each dish one by one.


    This is delicious! You should have told me you knew such a tasty dish sooner, n-sama!


    Oh, right. Sorry. But this is basically a party dish you know. Cooking it takes a lot of steps, right?


    Well, thats true. However, to think a dish like this actually existed! It will serve as a good reference for my future dishes.


    We finished sampling all the dishes on the menu and setting everything up by 4 oclock in the afternoon. It looks like well be able to make it in time for the party.


    When I went out to the dining hall to take a short break, I realized that Cleria and the others have already returned. They were actually having tea in the dining hall.


    n, todays sales totaled 34,894,500 Guineas!


    Whoah! Thats quite a lot. Tell me more about the detailster.


    n-sama, we received an alcohol barrel from the Ss Company just now. They told us it was for the party.


    Oh, this actually contains!?


    I remember the appearance of this alcohol barrel. This was the type of barrel used to store the alcohol we developed.


    Perhaps its because we may have mentioned that we would be having a party tonight to Karina-san earlier.


    This alcohol is the one I developed for them. It should cost quite a bit. Ss-san can be quite considerate at times. Well dly ept it then. Its perfect since I wanted everyone to have a taste of it anyway.


    I then asked about the particrs of todays auction while having tea with my party members.


    n-sama, the person named Tarus-dono has arrived.


    Come to think of it, he did say he wanted to consult me with something. I wonder what its about.


    Please invite him in.


    Tarus-san andpany were soon led to the dining hall. Just like a few days ago, he was also with Jonas-san and Katolle this time. Maybe this wasnt a good ce for a discussion? They might want to talk with me somewhere more private.


    Good afternoon, Tarus-san. Anyway, would you like to move to a more private ce to talk first?


    No. Here is fine. In fact, this ce is actually perfect.


    We had Adjutant Dalshim and the sub-party leaders around as well so I thought they would find it hard to talk here, but it looks like the topic wasnt something private.


    Tarus-san andpany were given seats at our table and were poured some tea.


    Im sorry, n-san. We ended up taking some of your precious time.


    I dont mind at all. You told me you had something to discuss with me a few days ago. What is it?


    Yes, well, its actually about Katolle. Merchant families have a tradition of having their children study about the trade at home first and then sending them away to anotherpany they are on good terms with for several years in order to umte practical experience. In Katolles case, we couldnt find a fittingpany for all this time so weve been putting things off


    I see?


    n-san! Can you let me join your n please?


    Eeh!? What are you saying, Katolle? Were not a merchantpany you know? Do you actually wish to be an adventurer instead?


    No. Its not like Ill be able to aplish anything worthwhile if I opt to be an adventurer at this point. Instead, I want to be of service to you all in my capacity as a merchant!


    I wonder what he means by this? Oh,e to think of it, Katolles eyes were shining in excitement when I was telling him about how I subjugated the dragon a few days back. It looks like hes longing for such things just like any hot-blooded young man.


    However, we werent exactly your typical adventurers. I cant just nod in agreement here.


    But I dont think youll have anything to do once you join our n though?


    No, thats not the case. In fact, there is a lot of stuff I could help with, like procuring food and daily necessities. I can even do chores! I think thatpared to spending my time in an averagepany, I would be able to learn more about life if I worked for you all.


    Hm. I wonder about that. I dont really think anyone aiming to be a first-ss merchant would have anything to learn in our n though.

 Chapter 78.4 - Auction Part 4

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    What do you think about this, Tarus-san?


    At first, I thought he was just spouting some stupid nonsense. But I changed my mind aftering to this city. In fact, now I think its not a bad idea to have this kid work under you.


    Really, father!?


    Damn! So its really like that huh. It looks like Tarus-san and Jonas-san have somehow figured out what were really trying to aplish here.


    I wonder if letting them see our training sessionst time was bad? Ordinary adventurers wouldnt practice swordsmanship to that degree after all. It was probably better to assume that theyve already puzzled out the true identity of the rest of our members.


    Well, in any case, they already knew one of our party members was an exiled princess. So it wasnt much of a leap in logic to conclude the identity of the people around her. And now that they knew Ive been scheduled to be granted peerage too, they should already have a hunch about our end goal as well.


    Since they already had an idea, they should know it would be dangerous to be around us. So why was Tarus-san still willing to have Katolle work for us despite the possible danger?


    Its been decided that Ill be granted the title of baron and join the ranks of this kingdoms nobles soon.


    Eeh!? n-san will be a noble!?


    I assumed so.


    You already have an idea about what I what all of us are trying to aplish, right?


    Yes, I can imagine.


    After hearing our exchange, Adjutant Dalshim and the others stirred.


    You understand that much, and yet you still want Katolle to work for us?


    Rather, its because I found out that Ive made this decision. As Katolle said, if he works with you all, he would be able to learn things he wouldnt be able to elsewhere.


    I see Hes fully aware of the potential danger but still wants to go through with it. But whats his reason though?


    Katolle has been learning about the trade from Jonas and I from childhood, and weve taught him everything we know. This may sound like me bragging about my son, but I believe hes be quite an excellent merchant in his own right. We did put off sending him to anotherpany for practical experience, but thats because he will never gain anything worthwhile from working at just any oldpany.


    My Commerce Guild rank is B. Im sure Ill be able to be useful to you all!


    Hou. Hes so young but hes already risen to B-rank huh. Quite impressive. Im sure Tarus-san went ahead with this n because he realized we didnt have a dedicated merchant working for our n. He really was an exceptional merchant.


    Well, there will certainly be more opportunities like supply procurement from here on out. And honestly speaking, we really were in need of a person who can do business for our n and was familiar with the circumstances of this country. It wasnt a bad proposal, all things considered.


    Have you told Katolle about Rias circumstances?


    Of course I havent.


    He hid the truth about Cleria even from his own biological son huh Tarus-san really was quite trustworthy.


    Just to be sure, lets make things clear first.


    Tarus-san, what do you think were trying to aplish?


    Founding your own country, correct?


    Exactly.


    E-Eeh!? M-Making a country?


    Thats right, Katolle. Were not normal adventurers at all. Well, to put it simply, were remnants of the former Starveek kingdoms royal guards and regional forces.


    S-Starveek!? So, what about Ria-sama?


    Its as you think. My true name is Cleria Starvine.


    Eeh!? But thats the name of!?


    Katolle fell out from his seat and prostrated himself in front of Cleria with his forehead touching the floor.


    Your Highness!


    After seeing his disy, Tarus-san and Jonas-san both averted their eyes in embarrassment. He might be an excellent merchant, but he still acts his age at times like this huh.


    Katolle, get back to your seat.


    B-But father!


    Its fine. Just sit back down now.


    So Katolle reluctantly went back to his seat.


    Ah, so thats how it is, isnt it!? Amazing Its really amazing! n-san! No, n-sama! Please, please let me join your n!


    Tarus-san. Are you really sure about this?


    Katolle has had an uncanny sixth sense toward profitable business opportunities for the longest time. Since hes so absorbed in todays matters, Im certain this will also prove to be quite a profitable endeavor. Of course, it would be entirely his responsibility if he ends up losing his life in the process. I will never me or resent you for something like that, n-san.


    What do you think, everyone?


    Since theyve all heard the story, I asked the rest of the n for their opinions.


    We will abide by what you decide, n-sama.


    Im also fine with it if n agrees.


    It looks like no one is actually against it huh. So what should I do? It would certainly help us out if we had someone specialized in procuring supplies. Even more so if the said specialist was a qualified merchant.


    And since Tarus-san and Jonas-san have found us out, it would be advantageous for us to keep Katolle close at hand as well, just in case.


    Alright then, Katolle. Do you really want to join our n?


    Yes! Thank you very much! Ill make sure to be useful to you all!


    n-san. Thank you very much for eding to our selfish request. Considering what you will likely face in the future, Katolle alone might not be enough. Would it be possible for you to ept two more boys as Katolles assistants? They are called Willy and Peter.


    Oh, Im familiar with Willy. He was a boy who looked about 14 or 15 years old. The boy named Peter should probably be the same age as him. Well, theres not much difference between one person and three people joining anyway.


    Understood. Well take care of the three of them. Well protect them from danger as much as we can. But we cant guarantee their safety at all times though.


    Saying that is more than enough. Thank you very much. Those two are the sons of my long-time employees. I guarantee their identities with my life.


    Alright then. Now that thats decided, we should celebrate. Fortunately, were having a celebration party tonight. Its still a littleter before we begin, but if youd like, why dont you join us?


    Oh, thats a very fascinating prospect, but it wouldnt do for outsiders like us to intrude in your ns celebration. They arent exactly our recements, but Willy and Peter have been waiting outside for a good while now. If its alright with you, can you let the two of them participate instead?


    Of course. The two of them are already n members anyway.


    Now then, Katolle. You are now this Shining Star ns official member. Make sure to work your hardest in order to be of use to them. I shall have your luggage sent here by tomorrow.


    Understood, father. Thank you for always taking care of me.


    Katolle bowed deeply toward Tarus-san.


    Everyone apanied Tarus-san and Jonas-san until the gate to send them off. When we arrived at the gate, we met with Willy and another boy waiting dutifully.


    Hey there. How are you doing, Willy?


    Its been a long time, n-san!


    Hey! Call him n-sama! Oh, yeah. Listen and be surprised, you two. The both of you have now been officially made members of Shining Star along with me!


    Eeh!? Really, Katolle-sama!? Were now members of Shining Star!?


    Willy and Peter started jumping in joy after hearing the news. Well, Im d they both look quite happy about it.


    Well then, n-san. Well leave the three of them to you all.


    Understood. By the way, we will be leaving for the royal capital on the fifth of this month.


    Understood. Well then, we shall intrude on you all again tomorrow.


    Tarus-san and Jonas-san said their farewells and left.


    Yosh. The three of you are members of our n from now on. Im telling you now, guys. You definitely wont be having it easy after joining this n.


    Yes!


    Good answer. Hey, Kenny. Can you bring these three to some empty rooms? They have to clean them a bit or they wouldnt be able to sleepfortably in themter.


    Understood, n-sama.


    Oops. Its already almost five P.M. We n to start the party at half-past six in the evening. I guess Ill help out in the kitchen again.


    I hope everyone would enjoy the food and drinks we preparedter.

 Chapter 79.1 - To The Royal Capital Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    I returned to the kitchen and found the head chef Rotal-san, his three assistant chefs, and the rest of the staff busy with cooking. Even E busied herself and helped out wherever she could.


    Oh, n-sama. Please try the mayonnaise and see if its okay!


    Please try my dish as well!


    Since we already finished making samples and taste-testing the dishes for the party menu earlier, they shouldnt have any problems with cooking them for the most part. But I guess they were still a bit worried since all the dishes were new to them.


    I tried the mayonnaise, demice sauce, and ketchup, and found no problems with all three. Our head chef Rotal-san makes sure to follow recipes as faithfully as he can, so I guess its no surprise they turned out well.


    Yosh, Ill help out as well. Theres still one hour left. Lets all do our best!


    Yes!


    I handled cooking the hamburgers which demanded the most when ites to controlling the fire and cooked patty after patty. Id like to serve freshly cooked and piping hot dishes to everyone, but since we needed to feed about a hundred and twenty people, I guess thats not really possible. If thats the case, then I suppose Ill cook the tonkatsust at least.


    Time passed in the blink of an eye, and before I knew it, it was time for the party. We havent managed to cook everything yet, but I decided wed continue and finish everything first. I told the staff they were free to attend the party once they were done with their own assignments.


    When I finished cooking and went out to the dining hall, I found that everyone had already gathered, and the dishes were being brought to the tables one after another.


    It wasnt a buffet-style meal like usual. The dishes were ced onrge tters and brought to each table. Theyd be able to rx and eat more easily with this arrangement. Of course, I had to purchase extra tters for this arrangement, but it was well worth it.


    Amotion rose within the dining room after everyone saw the tasty-looking dishes.


    Listen up everyone! I have something to announce first.


    I called over Katolle, Willy, and Peter, who all seemed troubled about where to sit, and had them stand next to me.


    Most of you might have already heard the news, but let me announce it anyway. These three boys have just joined our n as official members. They will mostly be in charge of supply procurement and other rted matters. Alright, you three. Please introduce yourselves.


    My names Katolle! I will be a member of Shining Star starting today. My upation is a merchant, so I wont be able to fight together with you all. But I will do all I can to help the n in financial matters. Im looking forward to working with you all!


    Im Willy! Ill serve as Katolles assistant. Please take care of me!


    Im Peter! Like Willy, Ill also serve as Katolles assistant. Please take care of me as well!


    The three of themughed bashfully after everyone gave them a warm round of apuse.


    As you can see, the dishes weve cooked up tonight are all dishes from my home country. Theyre all very popr dishes back home, so I think youll be able to enjoy them a lot as well.


    Oh! So these are dishes from n-samas home country!


    They look really good!


    I briefly told everyone about the dishes and the sauces to pair them with. I also introduced the alcohol given by Ss-san and how to drink it properly.


    There were also other types of alcohol like red wine, white wine, and ale. When I urged everyone to choose the alcohol they preferred to drink, they poured their favorite alcohol for themselves.


    Theres no need to mind about formalities in tonights party, so feel free to socialize, everyone. Lets enjoy tonight! Now then, lets raise a toast! To our n, Shining Star!


    To Shining Star!


    My first drink should, after all, be ale. I drank a chilled mug of ale in one swig. Phew. It was even more satisfying since I just came out of a stuffy, sweat-inducing kitchen.


    Katolle and the other two made some space on our table and took their seats.


    Everyone quickly began to pile food on top of their tes.


    Tonights menu was hamburgers with demice sauce, ck Bird karaage, Big Bullfrog karaage, tonkatsu, vegetable sd, vegetable sd, potato sd with plenty of boiled eggs added onto it, and corn soup.


    Although there were mostly just meat dishes, I think its okay since we also prepared stuff like cheese, nuts, and dried fruits to snack on.


    The dishes were passed around from person to person across each table so everybody would be able to take a portion of the food, promoting a harmonious atmosphere.


    I heard excited voices eximing in delight about how tasty the food was here and there all across the dining hall, so it looks like they did like the dishes we cooked.


    n! Just what is this karaage!?


    Cleria was eating a piece of Big Bullfrog karaage. I thought it would go well when cooked as karaage, so I tried it out and found it surprisingly more juicy and tenderpared to ck Bird meat.


    Oh, uh, I tried to make karaage from the chicken meat used on the meat skewers we ate at that food stallst time. It turned out to be even tastier than I first thought.


    It really is delicious! But the usual karaage is delicious as well, of course.


    Cleria gushed as she ate one karaage piece after another.


    The others were also eating with great gusto. Katolle and the other two were also eating voraciously, while Selena and Sharon relished their favorite potato sd. They piled a lot of sd on each of their tes.


    This is!? Its my first time eating such delicious dishes.


    Adjutant Dalshim held a mug in pleasant surprise as he praised the dishes. Come to think of it, Dalshim really had a knack for fine food huh. I hope hell also like the alcohol I and Iris developed.


    n-sama, these dishes truly are delicious. Its also the first time Ive drunk this alcohol. Where did you manage to procure it?


    Katolle immediately zeroed in on the alcohol. How very merchant-like.


    Oh, thats locally procured from Gantz. I taught the Ss Company the distilling method, and they managed to produce a sessful batch just recently.


    Eh!? Gantz? And you had a deal with Ss Company, n-sama!? But why Ss Company?


    Hmm. Well, because it seemed kinda interesting? I did receive a development fee.


    If you dont mind me asking, how much did you get, exactly?


    About 1.5 million Guineas, I guess?


    n-sama! Do you mean to say you actually taught them a new alcohol-making method for only 1.5 million Guineas!?


    Well, it only took me about four days to develop the method, so isnt that amount reasonable?


    Absolutely not! If we monopolized this new alcohol-making method, wed be able to make tens of millions of Guineas in profits! And thats just a conservative estimate!


    Oh, so thats what you mean huh. But I already came up with a good number of even better alcohol-making methods apart from the one I taught them anyway. Lets try making some batches of them after our new base getspleted.


    Iris data bank actually contained 277 alcohol-making methods derived from all throughout the empire. And there are more than several methods suited to thiss technological level.


    Eh!? You can actually make even better alcohol drinks than this one!?


    Of course I can. And not just one or two types. I can make several tens of types. Not bad huh?


    Amazing! Please, n-sama! Please let me help out as well!


    Of course you can! Or rather, Ill teach you all the alcohol-making methods I know and leave the project to you.


    Its enough for me to make a reasonable amount of money off of them and drink some delicious alcohol from time to time.


    Katolle suddenly shivered and stood up in delight. Everyone else in the hall turned their gazes toward us in order to see what themotion was about.


    Understood! I promise Ill make even better alcoholic drinks than this one even if I have to spend my entire life working on it!


    After he loudly dered so in front of everyone, a big round of apuse coupled with cheers were given by the alcohol lovers from among our n members.


    Uh, you dont really need to spend your whole life making alcohol you know. I have even more ideas that should be worth quite a bit of money.


    P-Please tell me about them!


    Eh? Were still in the middle of our party right now, so Ill just tell you about them next time.


    Ohe on

 Chapter 79.2 - To The Royal Capital Part 2

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Two hours after the party started, the alcohol had made its rounds, and toasts could be heard being performed all around the hall. I was also pouring myself mug after mug of alcohol, and eventually, I finally found myself getting drunk.


    To think youd be able to be a noble in such a short amount of time. No one would be able to aplish it except for you, n.


    Thats absolutely true. Its truly quite an impressive feat.


    The same topic hase up at least two times now. Both Cleria and Elna seem to be pretty drunk already.


    No, its all thanks to everyones help. And its not like Im already a noble. Besides, were still pretty far from our true goals, right? Weve only managed to reach the starting line, thats all.


    Youre right. But Im still really happy to see that were gradually fulfilling our dream step by step.


    Cleria stood up vigorously and raised her cup. That got the attention of everyone inside the dining hall.


    Everyone! To Shining Star!


    To Shining Star!


    Everyones cheers that sounded more like roars echoed all throughout the hall.


    And for some reason, Cleria and the other party leaders started going around to toast with everybody else.


    By midnight, some people already started falling over from drinking too much, so I dered that the party was over and had everyone wrap things up.


    We gorged ourselves on good food and drank good alcohol. It was a pretty fun party I think.


    And of course, I dered the next day a day off so we can clean up properly in the morning.


    Come morning, I immediately went down to the dining hall after taking a quick bath to help out with the cleaning. It looks like our staff woke up earlier than usual and already started working on it. I should probably give them a nice bonus for all their hard work. Ill make sure to take note of it so I wont forget.


    I ordered a light breakfast and started digging in when Cleria and the others went down as well. Judging from Clerias current state, she probably has one heck of a hangover huh. Illmand the nanoms to take care of her hangoverter when I get the chance.


    Fuu. As I thought, hot tea really does wonders for a hangover. Im feeling a lot better already.


    Of course not, mdy. Thats all thanks to me.


    Are you properly recovering from your hangover as well, Elna?


    Its alright. Im the type who will not experience any sort of hangover no matter how much I drink.


    Hou. That kinda makes me a bit envious. I probably would have experienced one heck of a hangover as well if not for Nanom. It looks like Sharon and Selena also used their nanoms to avoid getting hangovers like me.


    Since most of the n members were already gathered inside the dining hall once we finished eating breakfast, I immediately called for a quick meeting. I asked the ones in charge of ounting to bring the ns ount book and checked the contents.


    Now then, we need to decide how much money we are going to send to Ludvic-kun and the others first. All in all, we managed to earn a total of 907,395,900[1] Guineas this time around.


    Oooh!


    I started exining while looking at the details of the auction result from the ount book.


    The Commerce Guild will be taking a 15% cut from the total sales as theirmission, so once we deduct that, well end up with 771,286,515 Guineas.


    Furthermore, our ns previous funds already amount to about three million Guineas, so our total funds right now are a little over 774 million Guineas.


    Of course, we still have to pay the dismantling fee to the Commerce Guild, but it seems it wont cost more than 20 million Guineas, so well have about 745 million Guineas remaining.


    Thats an impressive amount of money.


    Seven hundred million


    n, wouldnt it do to simply send about half the funds to the others?


    Hm, I guess. So that would make it about 400 million, right? Does that sound good? If everyone agrees, then well go ahead with that amount. How about it?


    If thats what you deem appropriate, then we have no objections, n-sama.


    Lets go ahead with it then. Ill arrange everything with the Commerce Guild in the afternoon.


    Before long, Tarus-san and Jonas-san paid a visit to us via carriage. It looks like they brought the luggage of Katolle and the boys. After putting away the luggage, we headed for the dining hall and had a little chat.


    We wouldnt be able to see each other again for a while, so we took the opportunity to talk about all kinds of stuff.


    Father, did you know that Ss Company is already producing their own alcohol brand?


    Oh, that. I was able to sample it just yesterday. It was quite the product. They charged me quite a bit for it, but I managed to buy one barrel off them in the end.


    It seems n-sama was the one who taught the Ss Company the production method for that type of alcohol.


    By the Goddess! Is that true!?


    Yes, it is.


    It looks like n-sama knows a lot more methods to produce even tastier alcohol variants. And Ive been given the job of managing the production of those alcohol variants you know.


    Oooh! Thats quite amazing! Youve been assigned a very important job right off the bat, havent you, Katolle? I hope you do your very best.


    But of course, Father! But I suppose this means it would take longer for me to return to manage our stores back in Gotania.


    Ive been prepared to let you gain experience for up to ten years right from the beginning. I wouldnt mind even if you extended it a bit either. Im still young after all, hahaha.


    Thats great! Youll have to do your best for a while more Father. Oh, I just thought of a great idea!


    How about you move the family and our businesses to n-samas city once its finished?


    Haha! That indeed does sound like a good idea.


    Youre certainly more than wee! I will reserve arge building situated in a prime location in the city center for Tarus Company then. Of course, Ill have them build a fairlyrge mansion for you all as well.


    Hahaha! That sounds wonderful! Well be in your careter on then, n-san.


    Leave it to me.


    After chatting for about an hour, Tarus-san andpany finally departed. They wille to see us off when we leave for the royal capital tomorrow morning.


    After having lunch, I and my party members headed for the Commerce Guild. The guild building wasnt as crowdedpared to the other days. The ones inside were probably here for the auction payments and arranging for the handover of the materials.


    Karina-san called out to us from behind her usual counter.


    n-sama! We justpleted calcting the total fees for the dragon dismantling and the particrs of the auction results. Please have a look.


    After saying so, she let us inside the back offices and led us to what looks like a meeting room. Inside were two guild staff members who carried thick documentptions each.


    These are the details pertaining to the cost for dismantling the dragon corpse, and these are the details regarding the auction.


    One of the thick paper documentptions was apparently a copy meant for us. I then received a brief exnation regarding the particrs of the contents.


    The total fee for dismantling the dragon corpse was 19,453,280 Guineas. If this were a month or two ago, this would have seemed an incredible amount of money, but it doesnt feel like that now because we just earned more than 700 million.


    They did have a few hundred people work on the project for more than twenty days, concocted panaceas for the auction, and also handled the processing of the other materials as well, so this price seemed just about right.


    There seems to be no problem with everything. Were very satisfied with how the Commerce Guild handled everything this time.


    Having you say that makes us at the guild really happy, n-sama. Well then, I will deposit the earnings to n-samas guild ount after deducting the fees.


    Yes. But Id like to arrange for a money remittance again. The recipient will be the usual person, and the amount would be 400 million Guineas.


    400 million Guineas? No, I understand. Then fill out this form please.


    I filled in the required items on the remittance form. Ive filled one out several times in the past already so Im quite used to it by now.


    I would also like to send a message to the recipient along with the money. How do I go about that?


    Oh, if thats the case, then you can go ahead and write your message on the nk space below the remittance form.


    Hmm, I see. I wrote the message I came up with everyone yesterday in the nk space.


    We seeded in defeating a dragon. There is arge possibility of being granted a peerage. Our preparations are proceeding slowly but surely. Wait for further news.


    I double-checked the number of characters properly before submitting the form. We had to pay per character so I couldnt be careless.


    Ah, n-sama. You dont have to worry about the number of characters in the message. Youre one of our best customers, so its fine even if your message has a bit more characters than usual.


    Is that so? Can I add a bit more to the message then?


    But of course. Please feel free to add as much as you like. Ill be sending it personally, so you can go ahead and do so.


    Hou. So Karina-san will be using the artifact to send the messageter huh. Thats pretty convenient. Ill have to be careful not to be too specific though, so it wont attract unwanted attention.


    Then, as a closer, Ill add We will be heading to the royal capital next. at the end of the message. It didnt sound particrly strange but served to tell the others what well be doing next.


    We seeded in defeating a dragon. There is arge possibility of being granted a peerage. Our preparations are proceeding slowly but surely. Wait for further news. We will be heading to the royal capital next.


    Well then, here you go.


    After I handed her the form, Karina-san gave it a brief once-over.


    There are no problems. Ill be needing your ount book then.


    Karina-san wrote the service fee amount and the remittance amount on my personal guild ount book and handed it back to me afterward. I checked it out as well and finished the procedure by signing on it.


    [1] TL Notes: I screwed up a bit and got some of the profit numbers from the auction sales wrong a couple of chapters back. Ive since corrected them so the math now checks out. Sorry guys.

 Chapter 79.3 - To The Royal Capital Part 3

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Cleria and the others seem to have nned a shopping trip in the downtown area. I didnt really need to buy anything, so I just went and returned to the n Home ahead of thedies.


    I would havee with them if they just didnt take so long to shop. But since they did, Im sorry, but theyll have to pardon my hasty exit.


    Oh, right. Guess Ill buy a wine cask on the way. The white wine we had yesterday was quite delicious.


    Ah, oh no! Ipletely forgot to check up on Karl. Im not sure if hes there, but I guess Ill drop by the inn he stays at first.


    This was it. Its the inn named Sunbeams. When I went inside, I immediately spotted a woman who looked like thendy of the ce, so I called out to her.


    Is Karl from Gale present? If hes here, then Id like to talk to him for a bit please.


    Hes here, however Im sorry, but who are you again?


    Ah, excuse me. Im Shining Stars n.


    Shining Stars n-san!? P-Please wait for a moment!


    The person who seemed to be thendy hurriedly went up the stairs. Before long, Karl came down to the first floor. I could also see thendys figure following from behind him.


    Yo, Karl! Sorry for dropping in on you all of a sudden. I have something I wanna talk to you about.


    Something you wanna talk about? Then lets sit over there first.


    We moved to the inns dining hall on the first floor. It looks like there were no other customers present.


    Here you go, Karl. Its white wine. We drank it yesterday and I found it pretty tasty, so I bought some again today. This is your share.


    I gave Karl one of the two wine casks I bought earlier.


    Whoah! You didnt have to, man. But Ill thankfully receive it. Rita! Two mugs of ale please.


    Karl ordered some ale from thendy.


    So what do you wanna talk about?


    Actually, well be heading to the royal capital tomorrow. There are talks about me being granted an aristocratic peerage, so were heading there for that.


    A peerage!? Thats pretty amazing, man! I see Well, I guess it makes sense. But youre going to be a noble huh


    Do you think it doesnt suit me? Actually, I think so too.


    Thendy brought over the ale.


    Hey, Rita. See? I told ya n was my good buddy. She didnt believe me no matter how much I insisted that I was good friends with ya, you see. Oh, and Ritas my wife by the way.


    Eeh!? This young and beautifuldy is actually your wife, Karl!?


    Oh my! A young beauty, you say? Please wait a moment. Ill bring you some snacks to go with your drinks.


    Thendy then excused herself. So Karl really was married huh.


    I see. Then youre noting back to Gantz, are you?


    Nah, I will. It hasnt been finalized yet, but Ive requested to have the right to develop part of the great sea of trees and make it my personal territory.


    Territory? That means youre actually gonna be a baron!? And the sea of trees, you say?


    Yeah. Were gonna open up the sea of trees and make it our very own domain.


    Oi, no matter how you slice it, thats freaking crazy! You know at least that much, right?


    Well just do what we can. And Im actually quite confident about it, just so you know. I have something to rely on after all.


    Something to rely on I get it! Youre gonna have the dragon tten part of the forest for you, right? But thats Hmm. Well, it could work if you have that dragon.


    Thats right. We actually attacked an Orc settlement the other day, but Gloria finished them all off in less than thirty seconds you know.


    Oi! Gimme more details regarding that story!


    Karl and I chatted for an hour or so and then parted ways.


    I asked Karl to look after our n Home while we werent in Gantz, and he wholeheartedly agreed. Having a friend you can count on is nice after all.


    When I arrived back at the n Home, I carried the wine cask up to my room first. Then I went down to the dining hall to drink some tea.


    After seeing me, E rushed over.


    Big brother! Is it true that youre going away!?


    Oh, right. I informed Sally-san whos the leader of all our staff, but I havent told E and Teo about it yet.


    Yeah, thats right. Everyones going to the royal capital for a bit.


    I wanna go too!


    Eeh!? But you dont really need to go to the capital, right, E? And well being back straight away once we finish our business there too.


    Really? How long will you be gone?


    I wonder? It would probably take about a month to travel to the capital via carriage. So a round trip will take about two months in total. Well also probably need to stay at the royal capital for at least a month as well.


    About three months, I guess. Be a good girl and wait for us properly, okay? Ill bring you some presents once we get back.


    Okay. Ill wait.


    I asked E for tea and sat down on one of the benches inside the dining hall.


    n-sama, one of the attendants of Baron Volker came over while you were out. It seems Baron Volker will be fetching you at 7 in the morning tomorrow. He said that if you find that schedule inconvenient, you can get ahold of them at the inn they are staying at.


    That arrangements fine. The times just right. Please inform everyone else about it as well.


    Roger.


    Most n members have taken a shine to use roger when replyingtely. Selena and Sharon often used it, so I guess they were imitating the two. Well, having a uniform response term isnt all that bad anyway.


    E finally brought over my tea. Oh, thats right.


    Thank you, E. Here. Ill give you some pocket money. This is Es portion, and this is Teos portion. Please give it to him for me.


    I gave E one silver coin, and Teos portion was two silver coins. E and Teo have just started working, so they were probably still penniless. They might suddenly need to buy something for themselves while we were away.


    Im sure Sally-san will handle it well, but it wont hurt to give them a bit of pocket money.


    Thank you, big brother!


    E tightly squeezed the glittering silver coins and happily trotted away.


    After a couple of moments, I heard amotion outside, so I surmised that the ones in charge of procuring supplies must have returned. When I went outside to check things out, I really did find them in the middle of sorting out the supplies they bought so they could start transferring them to the wagon well be using for the trip tomorrow. I decided to help out as well.


    n-sama, Katolle over here is young, but hes a really good merchant already. He has a lot of knowledge regarding various goods, and he was able to buy them 30 to 40 percent cheaper than the regr market price.


    Katolle was praised highly by the supply procurement team and their leader Nils.


    Its just easier to negotiate for discounts if you buy in bulk.


    Even so, I still have to thank you. Ill be counting on you from now on, Katolle.


    Of course! Please leave it to me!


    After sorting out the supplies and cargo, the staff started loading them into the wagon. Its probably best to leave it to them. I guess Ill start packing my things as well.


    Cleria and the others were talking animatedly about their shopping conquest during dinner. The prices of goods in Gantz city seem to have dropped considerably these past few days. It looks like the merchants who came for the auction also brought their wares with them, so that led to the price drop. As a result, thedies were able to make better purchases than they expected and were very happy as a result.


    That goes especially for Cleria. It seems she hasnt been able to experience the thrill of shopping personally during her time as a princess, so she thoroughly enjoys the experience.


    Well then. Well finally be leaving for the royal capital tomorrow. Lets rest up early for tonight.


    I woke up at dawn and took my usual morning bath. I wouldnt be able to enjoy bathing for a while, so Im gonna savor it while I can.


    When I went down to the dining hall, I found that almost everyone was there already. It looks like all of them were pretty excited.


    Todays breakfast menu was a more luxurious lineup than usual. It looks like Sally-san and the others outdid themselves for us today.


    I left the staff leader Sally-san 50,000 Guineas in emergency funds and paid for half a year of our Homes rent in advance.


    I told her to consult with the Commerce Guilds Karina-san and Gales Karl if she ever encountered any trouble, so I guess theyll be fine over here.


    Tarus-san andpany came over early in the morning to bid farewell to us, Katolle, Willy, and Peter.


    Then, everyone lined up neatly in the square in front of the n Home a few minutes before the town bell rang to signify that it was 7 in the morning already.


    A single carriage arrived precisely at the moment the bell tolled.


    It looks like the baron and his attendants only traveled using a single carriage. It was on the baron and his two attendants riding the carriage. It looked like an ordinary carriage and not one used by nobles. And it seems our own carriage was actually a lot more fancy-lookingpared to it.


    The baron alighted from the carriage, so we dropped to one knee and greeted him.


    Ooh! Good morning, n-dono. It looks like we were blessed with fine weather today.


    Good morning, Baron Volker. We really do have nice weather today.


    It certainly was suitable for going on a trip. Lets hope that there wont be a sudden downpourter on during the trip though.


    Well then, shall we depart?


    Lets do that. If you dont mind My Lord, shall we lead the way for you?


    We of Shining Star were primarily the barons escorts and guards after all. We couldnt just travel in front of the barons carriage without getting his permission first.


    Oh, would you? Well then, we shall follow right behind your carriage, n-dono.


    Thus, we departed from our n Home and started our journey toward the royal capital.

 Chapter 80.1 - Journey To The Royal Capital 1 Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    A group of more than a hundred people traveling down the road would definitely stand out, especially since it was just 7 in the morning, but once the crowd realized that we were Shining Star, they immediately made way for us. There were even some children who waved cheerfully at us, so I obliged them and waved back.


    I thought the guards stationed at the city gate would stop us for a mandatory check, but when they realized that we were all from Shining Star, they immediately gave us permission to pass without a fuss.


    Come to think of it, I did inform the Adventurers Guild that we were going on a trip today, but I forgot to inform Captain Guido and the city guards. I should probably greet him before heading out.


    Elna, I wanna stop by for a bit to give the city guards a heads up. Just go on ahead. Ill run and catch up to you guyster, so you dont have to wait for me.


    Understood.


    I jumped off of the carriage and headed for the city guard barracks. One guard approached to see who I was, and when he recognized me, he immediately ran back inside the barracks. Im sure he was going to call their captain.


    After a short while, Captain Guido finally came out.


    Good morning, Captain Guido.


    Ou. Are you guys going out to hunt monsters or bandits again?


    Nah. Well be leaving the city for a while, so I came here to inform you about it. Were heading for the royal capital.


    Hou Whys that?


    Actually, there are talks about me being granted a noble peerage. Well be heading there to hear more about the proceedings.


    I see. So that means I might have to go on one knee in front of you when we next meet huh.


    Im still not sure about whats going to happen though. Well be out for about two to three months at least. Ill be excusing myself then.


    Ou. See you again.


    I ran and caught up to the rest of the group and found Adjutant Dalshim in the middle of reorganizing the formation. The barons carriage, as well as our partys, were at the center of the formation while the rest of the wagons covered the front and rear. Riders escorted our carriages from the sides as well. The formation had no obvious gaps.


    As expected of the former Royal Guards. They truly were professionals when ites to escorting convoys and people of high station.


    I finally caught up to our partys own carriage and jumped up to the drivers seat.


    ording to the travel arrangements Iris nned out, we should be arriving in the royal capital on the 27th. Of course, she had also taken breaks during the journey and camping grounds into ount when she estimated our time of arrival.


    We didnt encounter a lot of cities and viges along the way. Perhaps its because monsters were rtively numerous in the areas around Gantz. So taking ount of that, we would be camping out often in the first part of our journey and gradually transition to moving from city to city as we near the capital.


    Two hours after we started our journey, the drone scouting from above managed to detect five Gray Hounds ahead of us. I watched the situation via the overhead map for a while and found that their movement patterns clearly changed. It looks like they managed to detect us already.


    I called out to Adjutant Dalshim who was riding alongside our carriage.


    Adjutant Dalshim.


    I ryed the situation using hand signs and told him the monster type, their numbers, general direction, and estimated time of contact.


    Please leave them to us.


    Dalshim straightened himself up on horseback and began to ry hand signalsmands to his men. The ten riders who received the orders ran ahead.


    The battle was quick and the monsters were easily dispatched via consecutive magic spell bombardment. Unfortunately, one of the monsters seems to have gotten away.


    We were finally nearing the first rest stop where we would have our lunch four and a half hours after setting off from Gantz. I called out to Dalshim once more to inform him.


    Its a bit early, but we should take the opportunity to head to a stopover for lunch. The campsite is 200 meters away from our current position.


    Understood. The three of you,e with me!


    After shouting for some of his men to follow after him, Adjutant Dalshim rode his horse ahead toward the campsite. Three riders hurriedly followed after him. It looks like they were going to scout it out first. Well, I already knew there were no problems via scanning magic though.


    The section of road adjacent to the campsite was two to three times wider than the preceding sections for some reason. Im not quite sure why thats the case, but it was convenient since we didnt need to break our convoys formation while we were having our lunch.


    With Adjutant Dalshim and his men at the lead, the rest of the convoy was guided to the rest stop in an orderly sequence.


    We stopped our carriage as well and got off. We then headed toward Baron Volkers carriage.


    We were thinking of taking a break to have lunch here. Are you fine with that, My Lord?


    If thats what you suggest n-dono, then let us do so. Actually, there is no need to get permission from me. I will leave all the arrangements for this times journey to n-dono.


    I understand. Please leave it to me.


    The lunch items we will be having were sandwiches that Head Chef Rotal and the rest of the staff got up early to make. They made more than enough for the n members, the baron, and his men.


    I may have pushed the staff a bit in order to make these in time, but I also made sure to hand them generous bonuses before we left, so I guess its all good in the end.


    We brought down foldable tables and chairs from the wagons and started assembling and arranging them in the campgrounds.


    The barons attendants seem to be taking out bread from their carriage as well. They must be nning to have those for their lunch. I called out to them.


    My Lord, weve prepared some sandwiches for lunch. If youd like, you can have them together with us. How about it?


    Ooh! That sounds wonderful. Well then, I thank you for the treat.


    Over here please. Your attendants can join us as well.


    I invited the baron to our table. But was it alright for his attendants to sit in front of the same table as their master?


    The two attendants sat down together with the baron without hesitation. Oh, it looks like theres no problem after all.


    The meals were carried out of the wagons in bulk. Sharon and the others then received them and started transferring the sandwiches from the baskets torge tes. After pouring water into each of our cups, the meal preparations were finished. The rest of my party finally took their seats.


    I hope the meal is to your liking, My Lord.


    n-dono, as I said before, I was just amoner until five years ago. You do not have to behave so formally in mypany. And besides, youll be a baron yourself soon and be one of mypatriots. There is no need to speak to me using formal speech as well.


    I understand. Well then, everyone. Lets eat.


    The staff made us two kinds of sandwiches. One had eggs and one had potatoes as fillings. Both kinds had plenty of mayonnaise used on them as well. Un, theyre delicious.


    These are quite delicious! n-dono, just what are these dishes?


    They are dishes from my hometown. Im d theyre to your liking.


    The two attendants also started wolfing down their sandwiches with gusto. Of course, we didnt lose out to them either. The pile of sandwiches on the tes decreased at a fast rate.


    Hm. Im sorry, but have we actually met somewhere before, youngdy?


    The baron suddenly called out to Cleria, and she looked toward him with a puzzled and wary expression in response.


    No, I dont believe we have, sir.


    I suppose so. I would definitely remember it clearly if I ever met a youngdy as cute as you in the past. But it strangely does feel like this is not my first time meeting you No, its nothing. Im sorry for bringing up something so strange.


    No, its alright.


    Theres no way for a foreign baron to have directly met with Cleria in the past after all. Well, I suppose he could if he was part of a diplomatic entourage or something huh. But I dont think the baron is actually fit to be selected as a delegate though, so Im sure he was just mistaken.

 Chapter 80.2 - Journey To The Royal Capital 1 Part 2

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    After having lunch for thirty minutes, we set off and continued our journey once more.


    We encountered groups of Gray Hounds twice in the afternoon. One group had five monsters while the other had seven, but they were swiftly dealt with just like the ones we encountered in the morning.


    At about 4:30 in the afternoon, we finally reached the campsite where well put up for the night. It was a spacious za that was situated beside the highway. Still, it was somewhat cramped considering our numbers. But it should be fine if we squeezed the tents together a bit.


    A river could be seen 300 meters away from the campsite. Thats why we choose this ce to camp out for the night.


    We couldnt bring the carriages and wagons to the river, but we could head there on foot instead.


    While everyone else was setting up tents in the za, I made three temporary toilets using earth magic just a little below the highway. I made two toilets for the men and one toilet for the women.


    I felt it wasnt wise to reveal all of my capabilities to the baron, so the toilets were made roughly and were of considerably lower quality than my usual work. Well, they would just be used for one night anyway, so I guess there should be no problem.


    Just before Ipleted them, the baron came over with his attendants in tow.


    n-dono, what are these, exactly?


    Oh, well, theyre temporary toilets. I can use earth magic, you see. Its a pretty convenient magic type.


    Hou! Earth magic, you say! So things like this are possible with earth magic. How wonderful!


    I gave a simple exnation regarding the toilets use to the baron and his attendants, and they seemed to be quite impressed.


    We will be preparing dinner, so please rest up until the meals are ready.


    Thank you for your consideration. Well then, we shall take you up on your kind offer, n-dono.


    Weve already finished setting up the tables and chairs, so I guess Ill just have them drink tea while waiting.


    After setting up the tents and collecting firewood, Cleria and the others began acting all fidgety. I had a good idea why they were behaving that way, but I acted like I was busy and pretended not to notice.


    After a short while, the fourdies finally resolved themselves and walked up to me. After being pushed from behind by Sharon, Selena came forward.


    Um! n. About tonights, um meal ingredients, err Right, Ria?


    Right. Weve just started our journey, so I think its best if we procured ingredients as early as we can. Right, Elna?


    Thats correct, Ria-sama. We shouldnt miss the opportunity to procure food ingredients.


    Fine, I understand. Lets go fishing.


    The fourdies squealed in delight and ran back to the carriage to fetch the bags containing our fishing gear.


    It seems they found it awkward to ask if they could go out and y while everyone else was hard at work. But the preparations for camping out were just about finished, and it was still bright outside anyway. I guess we can spare an hour or so for fishing. And besides, theres nothing wrong with procuring additional ingredients.


    Even when zooming in from here, I could already see a fairly deep section of the river where we could probably catch a good number of fish.


    Um, n-sama?


    It seems Dalshim was wondering what made the fourdies so giddy.


    Were nning to head to the river for some fishing. Do you wannae with us too, Dalshim?


    Fishing, is it? Sure. I shall apany you.


    I ended up heading to the river with not just the fourdies in tow. About 40 more people came with us. They had finished setting up their tents and didnt have anything else to do. It looks like all of them were pretty interested in fishing. It looks like Katolle and hispanions were among the group as well.


    During our trek to the riverside, we tried giving a simple exnation regarding fishing to Dalshim and the others, who seemed unfamiliar with it, but it looks like they didnt manage to get it in the end. It seems it would be better to show them how its done in practice.


    Oh, this looks like a nice fishing point. Part of the river was dammed up near the middle. It was also quite wide, spacious, and deep. I checked the water out using scanning magic and got plenty of hits. It looked very promising.


    We quickly readied our fishing gear. Since there were only three rods avable, it turned into a fishing showdown between Cleria and Elna, Sharon and Selena, and me again.


    Cleria and thedies finished setting up their gear first and began to choose lures from the tackle box.


    Ria-sama. Let us use this artificial bait as our lure.


    Right. It feels like we can catch a really big fish with this one!


    Elna picked up a fish-shaped lure that was nearly fifteen centimeters long. It was an idea fishing beginners who were just starting out would think of. One might think they could catch big fish with bigger lures. However, what they chose was a lure for saltwater fishes out in the sea. It was too big for river fish.


    Well choose this one then.


    Sharon and Selena also chose a lure of the same size.


    Fishing isnt that simple an art, my deardies. You should choose your lures depending on the days conditions.


    The weather was clear today and the temperature was on the higher side. The water temperature should be high as well. Since the fish should be pretty active today, I should choose a lure thats effective near the waters surface. That means this one! I chose a glittering lure that was about 8 centimeters long.


    Today, Ill definitely show you guys the difference between a fishing veteran and an amateur.


    While I was setting up my lure, Elna cast her line in a familiar manner. Elna slowly winded the reel and coupled it with her rods actions to invite fish to bite.


    Mm. Those movements no longer resembled an amateurs. I have to hurry up and equip my lure already.


    Before long, I heard winding noises and turned my head. It looks like Elna already had her first bite. What sharp timing!


    Its here!


    Did you get a bite already!?


    Oooh!


    The peanut gallery started cheering. The rod was bent like a fully drawn bow. It looks like she managed to hook a pretty big fish. To think shell get a hit with such a big lure.


    Elna calmly reeled in her catch. But she wasnt forcibly winding it up and relying solely on the tackle.


    Instead, she was matching the pulling strength of the fish and applying the appropriate amount of tension!


    Theres no mistake! Elna already has an essential understanding of reel fishing.


    So this is what people call innate talent huh.


    I got one!


    It looks like Selena got a bite as well. Judging from the strength of the pull, it was also a pretty big catch. Yosh, Ill begin as well.


    I didnt manage tond one after two throws. But I finally managed to get a bite as I was reeling in the third one. I quickly matched its movements.


    Yosh!


    You did it, n-sama!


    It looks like Katolle was watching me from behind. It looks like Inded a fairly big one as well. I then heard Clerias cheers. It looks like she reced Elna and got a hit as well. Man. They were getting bites at every cast.


    I thought I got a pretty big one, but it turned out to be a 45-centimeter trout. Well, it should still be considered a pretty big catch back in my hometown.


    But thedies right next to me were catching salmon-like fishes with an average length of 80 centimeters one after another.


    After regaining focus, I made a few more throws and managed tond another hit. But it looks like I caught another trout of the same size. After catching a third trout, I gave in and started using arge lure as well.


    It felt quite frustrating, but it looks like my fishing experience and knowledge dont apply to thiss fish species.


    After recing my lure and returning, I noticed that several people, including Katolle, were making faces that seemed to say they wanted to fish as well. It cant be helped. I guess Ill give them a turn.


    In any case, well have to prepare all the fish we caughtter. And I was probably the most qualified person to handle the fishes among the n.


    Do you want to try fishing as well, Katolle?


    Can I!? Yes please!


    The others nearby also approached curiously. Well then, I guess Ill give them a quick lecture on the basics of fishing.

 Chapter 80.3 - Journey To The Royal Capital 1 Part 3

    Editor: Thors Stone


    Hey, guys! You cane over here if you wanna try fishing!


    Within moments, dozens of people already rushed over. It looks like everyone wanted to try it as well.


    I exined the techniques and gave them a quick demonstration. It wasnt that difficult, so they should be able to do it properly with just a little practice. I let Katolle try it out first.


    His first throw didnt manage tond very far, but his second one did. He started reeling it in and immediately got a hit.


    n-sama! This is!?


    Raise the rod and start winding the reel! But do it steadily.


    Y-Yes!


    Once you get your catch, another person can switch over.


    Understood!


    Now then, I guess Ill fetch some containers to put the fish in as well as the chopping board. I went back to the campsite and found itpletely set up.


    n-sama, just what are they doing at the riverside?


    Nils from the supply procurement team called out to me and asked. He was one of the few experienced cooks among the n members and was apparently quite a skilled one as well. It looks like everyone from the supply procurement team was helping out in making soup.


    Oh, theyre catching fish for dinner. Lets have grilled fish for tonight. Sorry, but can you guys bring out therge iron te and prepare it for cooking for me?


    Understood.


    Tonights menu will be grilled salmon fillets with salt.


    Ill bring you guys fish filletster and you guys can grill them for tonights dinner. You can vor them with salt. You can also use a bit of pepper and herbs for additional vor.


    Understood. I grew up in a town by a river, so Im pretty good when ites to grilling fish.


    I returned to the riverside with a cutting board and tworge pots. It seems Cleria and the others have already managed to catch more than a dozen fish. With this many, I guess well have more than enough fillets to distribute to everyone.


    I had those who were idle carry the fish for me and went downstream in order to start preparing the fish.


    n-sama, let us help you out.


    Walter and several others offered to help me. The fishes we managed to catch were being carried over one after another and even if they werent exactly that many, I would still have trouble handling them all by myself.


    Sure. Ill be counting on you guys then.


    However, it seems they werent actually able to properly fillet the fish, so I ended up dividing our responsibilities instead.


    Some were responsible for scraping off the scales while others were in charge of splitting open the bellies of the fish and removing their innards, washing them clean, and filleting them into three parts. I handled filleting the fish.


    We prepared the fish akin to an assembly line. Therge pots that were filled to the brim with fish fillets were then brought to Nils and his men.


    Its getting dark already. I guess its about time.


    Tell Ria and the others to stop fishing.


    Understood.


    Then, about fifteen minutester, we finally finished filleting thest of the salmon. Whew. It was my first time preparing this much fish.


    We really caught a lot of them huh. By my count, we caught a total of 25 fish, including the trout I managed to bring in. If we divided them between a hundred-eight people, wed each have about three to four fish slices each. They were sufficient for tonights side dish.


    I then went back to the campsite together with Cleria and the others. The girls were very satisfied with their catch and were talking excitedly about them along the way. In the end, it was apparently Elna who caught the biggest fish.


    Well, at least Cleria and the girls enjoyed themselves, and we were able to secure some food at the same time.


    When we reached camp, I was able to smell the aroma of fish being grilled on the iron te. It was already quite dark outside, but the vicinity of the camp was brightly lit, as we brought a good number of light magic tools for home use and hung them up on tree branches.


    After all fish fillets were grilled, it was finally time for dinner. The menu was bread, vegetable soup, grilled whole fish, and grilled fish fillets that were piled up high on top ofrge tes.


    By the way, the baron and his attendants were sharing the same table with us this time as well. It was only natural since he was a noble and sort of our client.


    I expressed my thanks to the supply procurement team who handled the cooking and ate my portion. I started with the fish fillet slices.


    Yup, they were delicious. They had plenty of fat and were salted exquisitely. A faint aroma of herbs also wafted from them.


    Its delicious! Freshly caught fish is the best after all!


    Exactly! The fish dishes we ate in the city all used dried fish, so this feels quite luxurious.


    Voices eximing how delicious the food was rose up from various tables around the camp.


    Its true that we couldnt eat fish dishes that use fresh ones instead of the dried variety usually apart from opportunities like this one. We could prepare lots of ice and have the fish transported back to the city, but that would probably cost us quite a lot.


    In that sense, fresh fish can actually be said to be luxury items in this world huh.


    To think youd be able to catch this much fish. As expected of Shining Star, the baron praised.


    Everyone seemed happy to hear the barons praises. The meal ended with a harmonious atmosphere.


    n-sama, well station five sentries to watch over the camp and have the lookouts work in shifts.


    Adjutant Dalshim gave out a suggestion that I couldnt help but nod in agreement to.


    I understand. Ill leave it to you. Well be in your care then.


    If something did happen, I would notice it right away and get woken up via an rm, so sentries werent really necessary though. But you can never be too secure, as they say. Lets leave it to them then.


    Now it was time to sleep. For security reasons, my personal tent, the tents of Cleria and the girls, and the barons tent were all ced in the middle of the camp.


    After dimming the light given off by the magic tools, everyone proceeded to crawl inside their tents to sleep.


    Oh, Iris was calling me.


    Captain, I have some interesting information for you.


    (What is it?)


    The As Church, thergest denomination of the Ruminas religion, has officially recognized the apostles as the envoys of Goddess Ruminas. The announcement was made ten days ago.


    (The apostles? Wait, you mean the drones?)


    Thats right.


    The Ruminas religion worships the goddess Ruminas as their one true god, and it could be said that almost all people on this were its believers. The doctrine was quite peaceful, and it didnt arouse much repulsion even from a tried and true atheist like me.


    Of course, there were various other denominations of the religion, but thergest one actually recognized the drones as the apostles and envoys of Ruminas huh.


    (How much of a share does the As church have in terms of influence and believers?)


    Its estimated to be about 60% of the total.


    (Thats quite a considerable share. By the way, whats the official state religion of this country?)


    Its the As church.


    (In any case, they actually recognized them quite easily huh. I suppose thats just how fast the story about the apostles has been spreading among the general popce?)


    Thats right. By the way, forty-five days ago, a herd of Orcs attacked a carriage that raised the g of the As church, and a drone happened to pass by and helped it out. Perhaps that event has something to do with it.


    I see. Its possible that a high-ranking clergy member was riding inside that carriage and he or she was the one who pushed for the drones recognition.


    But it did feel somewhat rash of them though.


    Captain, we must get a handle on religion as soon as possible.


    (Yeah, I understand. Well start making some moves once we arrive at the royal capital. Im going to sleep now. Over and out.)


    Religion huh How troublesome.


    I see. I wasnt really good with things rted to religion, so I might have unconsciously avoided the topic until now.


    However, considering the cultural development of this, it was an unavoidable problem. This thing regarding apostles may prove usefulter on.


    Well, well need to get up early tomorrow, so I better go to sleep now.


    (D-1, go and dispose of all the monsters lurking near the camp.)


    Roger.

 Chapter 81.1 - Journey To The Royal Capital 2 Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Its been twenty-six days since weve set off from Gantz city. We should be able to reach another city we can stop over for a rest soon.


    Whew. Finally. Weve been running on foot non-stop for therge part of the day, so everyones showing hints of exhaustion already.


    Thats right. Weve been running on foot for the greater part of the day and havent boarded the carriages and wagons even once. As for why wed do something like this, its for our training of course.


    On the third day since departing from Gantz, Adjutant Dalshim came to me with the proposal of letting our men run on foot without getting on the wagons and horses as a form of training.


    Since the frequency of monster encounters significantly decreases the further away we were from Gantz, and since I could always detect if something was wrong via scanning magic, I gave it the green light.


    Since you could always jump into the wagons and carriages once youve hit your personal limit, it was the perfect form of training to determine everyones current ability, or so I was told.


    I felt that making everybody run all at once would be a bit overdoing it, so I divided the group in two and made them run in turns. One group runs for an entire day and takes a rest the next day while the other group reces them.


    And of course, I couldnt justze around in our own carriage while the others ran, so I ran along with them instead. Well, I was getting a bit bored just sitting around the carriage anyway, so I didnt really mind running with them.


    Before long, we spotted city walls from a distance. It was a rtively small city, but since it was just a day away on horseback from the royal capital, it probably served as a specialized stopover station for merchants and travelers.


    There were two guards manning their posts in front of the city gate. They held up their spears in a panic the moment they spotted our group.


    What!? What happened to you all!?


    One city guard called out to us with evident tension in his voice. Ah, I see. After seeing a group of people running toward the city on foot, they probably thought we were running away from something.


    Were sorry for making such amotion. Were just running on foot for training.


    So thats it. Dont surprise us like that. But whats with your number though?


    My name is n, the leader of Shining Star. Were currently serving as escorts to Baron Volker Herring. The people behind me are my n members.


    Shining Star!? You mean youre the famous Bandit Hunters!?


    Well, yes, I guess.


    I handed my guild emblem to the guard and had him verify it.


    Please excuse us for earlier! Just in case, could you allow us to check the barons coat of arms as well?


    Having anticipated the guards request, one of the barons attendants walked to the front while bringing the barons coat of arms.


    Here you go.


    The coats of arms were tes made of mithril with a size of about 15 centimeters or so. A noble familys unique emblem was engraved on them. The barons personal coat of arms was an item of superb craftsmanship and was apparently made by the best artisan in the royal capital. The emblem depicted a pair of lily-like flowers.


    The guard checked the coat of arms with great scrutiny.


    I was impressed with the guards when the attendant first showed me the coat of arms, thinking that theyve memorized all of the unique emblems of the different aristocratic houses. But it looks like that really wasnt the case.


    With a heartyugh, the baron exined that while the guards probably remember the emblems of most of the high-ranking nobles, there was no way they would remember the emblems of low-ranking ones like him.


    It seems they confirmed whether or not a coat of arms was real by checking if it had an official royal seal which was engraved on the corner of every genuine article.


    Thank you for your cooperation. Please go ahead and pass.


    If you are acknowledged as part of a nobles entourage, you are able to pass through a citys gates without any further inspections. Our group stopped at the spacious za that was located right after entering the city gate.


    Within moments, a group of five boys from the city approached us. They acted as city guides who listened to a travelers requests and showed them around the city for a small fee. Thats why boys like them were usually found hanging out near a citys main gate.


    Katolle and the rest of the supply procurement team had the boys guide them in order to arrange our amodations and scattered all over the city.


    As one would expect, a group asrge as ours cant stay in just one inn, so it was necessary to divide ourselves into several smaller groups and stay in separate inns.


    The rest of us decided to wait for the meantime, and our party chatted with Baron Volker. The baron seems to be from this area and cheerfully told us about the local specialties.


    Weve managed to get along well with Baron Volker during the trip. Even though the baron was a nobleman, his attitude and mannerisms were actually quite close to that ofmoners, and he even told us how he managed to be a noble himself.


    Apparently, the baron was formerly an A-rank adventurer and the leader of a ten-man party.


    At one point, he and his party managed to encounter and save a carriage that was being attacked by a herd of twenty Orcs.


    Of course, the carriage had a guard escort that was able to defeat 15 out of the 20 Orcs, but by the time Baron Volker encountered them, almost all of the escorts had been killed already.


    He said they managed to rush to the carriages aid just in time, killed the Orcs who were in the middle of trying to pry it open, and rescued the passengers inside.


    The owner of the carriage turned out to be a baron and his family and having been impressed by Lord Volker and his mens bravery, the old baron promised him as much reward as he could manage.


    The old barons family was actually a branch of a fairly influential high-ranking noble family, and he generously weed the former party leader into his fold.


    Usually, one wouldnt be able to get knighted by just defeating a measly five Orcs, but Lord Volkers case was an exception.


    After that, he was hired by the old baron and worked as one of his personal guards, and it was then that he got to know his partner, who was the barons eldest daughter, and eventually married her.


    After asking him for details, he revealed that when the old barons family was attacked by the Orcs, Lord Volkers wife was present among them, and she seemed to have fallen in love with Lord Volker when she witnessed him gantly defeating the Orcs.


    By the way, the two attendants serving him were actually members of his former party when they were still adventurers. Perhaps due to that, there were times when they called Lord Volker without honorifics. And whenever they noticed that we were around, they hurriedly corrected themselves. It looks like their rtionship was not simply of master and servants.


    The supply procurement team finally returned and led us to the inns they booked. Our group was led to what seemed to be the most luxurious inn in the city. We didnt really mind if we stayed in the most luxurious inn or not, but it cant be helped since we were together with the baron this time.


    Baron Volker also thought that he didnt have to insist on staying at a luxury inn when he was first knighted, but he was persuaded by his employer, the old baron, that it was his duty as a noble to spend money in order to contribute to the city and its inhabitants.


    He found his employers words strangely persuasive.


    The inn was small, but it seems to be a clean and pleasant establishment. As expected of the citys most luxurious inn. It looks like I can expect good things from the bath as well. There were no other guests present, so we ended up booking itpletely. By the way, the rate was 600 Guineas per room.


    The bath at the inn was wonderful and the food was delicious. And curiously, the inn also offered unlimited alcohol, which was actually quite rare. Everyone was really happy about it and ordered without reserve.


    Furthermore, the mayor and other influential local merchants also brought us alcohol and local specialties as refreshments. This was apparently customary, and both the baron and I found it to be somewhat of a hassle.


    It was fortunate that todays visitors withdrew after giving their greetings. Maybe its because they noticed that all of the seats in the dining hall were full.


    After enjoying the food and alcohol together, we decided to rest up early.


    We were finally going to reach the royal capital by tomorrow.

 Chapter 81.2 - Journey To The Royal Capital 2 Part 2

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    The next morning, we gathered in the za near the city gate and left at exactly 7 A.M.


    After four hours since leaving the city, I got contacted by Iris.


    Captain, please take a look at this. This is an image taken about 5 kilometers away from your current position.


    An overhead image, which was taken from a drones perspective, was disyed on a virtual window. It seems that quite a number of people were hiding on both sides of the road. I zoomed at the image to get a better look.


    (Theyre!? Are these guys bandits?)


    Judging from their attire and equipment, thats most likely the case. There are a total of 152 people.


    (Hou, thats quite the number. These guys targets are probably us huh?)


    Theres no doubt thats the case. Other than that, there is no reason to gather such numbers toy an ambush on the road. Perhaps several bandit groups havee together to match Shining Stars numbers?


    (I see. I didnt think these bandits would be able to cooperate like this. Ah, were nearing the royal capital, so maybe they gathered every bandit group prowling around the area.)


    What shall our response be? Should I have the drones dispose of them?


    (No, wait. We havent confirmed if they really are bandits or not anyway. Ill consult with everyone first.)


    The presumed bandits were probably aiming for our gold and the dragon magic stone. Just in case, we were carrying about a hundred million Guineas with us, and every merchant who participated was aware that the dragon magic stone wasnt put up for auction.


    The value of the dragons magic stone was immeasurable, so I can understand why they wanted to get their hands on it even if they were aware of the risks.


    Although we managed to capture two bandit groups in the middle of our trip, I never thought that we would face such arge-scale ambush on the day we would be arriving at the royal capital.


    I blew a finger whistle and stopped our formation. This whistle technique was taught to me by Walter, and it was pretty convenient.


    As soon as I jumped off the carriage, the other party leaders followed suit and ran up to me. Cleria and the others also got off the carriage to find out what was going on.


    The barons carriage halted ten meters behind our own, but they stood by without the baron alighting from within. It looks like the baron was staying true to his word about letting us handle all the details of the trip.


    Now then, were in a bit of trouble, everyone. I managed to detect a group of about a hundred and fifty people waiting in ambush for us approximately five kilometers away from our current position.


    Just who are they?


    Theyre probably bandits. They should have heard about us heading for the royal capital. This is just my personal spection, but I think the bandits are aiming to rob us of our gold and the dragons magic stone we brought with us.


    Bandits huh


    So what do you think we should do? At worst, we can return to the city and take a different route. Well still be able to reach the royal capital by today if we move now


    Are you thinking we are not a match for those bandits, n-sama?


    No, of course, I dont think so. But wouldnt it be inconvenient if we suffered injuries at a time like this? We cant possiblye out unscathed against more than a hundred and fifty people.


    n-sama, We are certainly happy that you are looking out for our wellbeing even at a time like this.


    However, our ultimate goals are establishing the country and unifying the continent.


    If you think about it, there is no better opponent than them. We will be able to confirm the results of our daily training by going up against them.


    Its certainly as Dalshim says. Considering our future ns, we should be able to handle just mere bandits. If we retreated in the face of bandits, we would take a hit to our morale as well.


    The overall abilities of our n members are a far cry from those of the bandits. There were only a few bandits who are able to use magic. Their sword skills were also generally sloppy. What we need to be careful about are projectile weapons such as bows. But we should be able to manage them if we imperial soldiers focused on supporting the rest of the group.


    Very well. Lets show them exactly why we have been given the moniker Bandit Hunters, Dalshim.


    Yes. Thank you, n-sama.


    Because the bandits were still a good distance away, we decided to move until we were a kilometer from the bandits position. The bandits also deployed scouts 500 meters away from their position. One kilometer is the maximum distance wed be able to close in on without them noticing.


    We promptly stopped the convoy when we reached the 1-kilometer mark, and I got off to inform the baron about our n.


    My Lord, our scouts have managed to detect bandits ahead. If its alright with you, shall we proceed to eliminate them?


    We will leave everything to you, n-sama.


    Understood. Please leave it to us.


    After advising the baron to stand by, we held simple a strategy meeting for the time being. I had everyone form a circle with me in the center.


    n-sama, if its alright with you, can you let us handle the bandits by ourselves this time around?


    They meant they wanted to go up against the bandits without me and my party members. Im sure they were also worried about Cleria.


    But in the first ce, I wasnt nning on letting Cleria and the others lock swords with the bandits anyway.


    No, lets attack them together. However, since everyone wants to check out the fruits of your daily training, we from Shining Stars main party will stay out of your way as much as possible. Well be providing magical support from the backline instead.


    Yes. Thank you very much for your consideration. So, should we divide into two teams like usual?


    No, lets not do that this time. Lets take the bandits on from with a frontal assault and rout them with magic attacks. The ones who cant use magic should use bows instead. You dont have to think about capturing the bandits alive this time.


    Are you sure, n-sama?


    Yeah, I dont mind. Well, it would be better to bring them alive to the garrison instead of just their heads though. There are more rewards after all.


    Fumu, thats true.


    Laughter echoed out from the group. It looks like I managed to ease their tension.


    After scattering them with a magic and projectile barrage, I will raise a signal to pursue and finish them off. It would be better to organize a cavalry unit for that. They also brought about twenty horses with them. But maybe theyre worried about the horses making noise, so they hitched them a good distance away from their position. You can basically just ignore them. And Im sorry about this, but Ill have to hand the responsibility of guarding the baron to you guys, Satellite Team 8.


    If I wasnt mistaken, it was Kennys partys turn to bring up the rear this time.


    Roger that.


    Kenny and his team nodded in frustration.


    Under Dalshims lead, the group quickly organized themselves into a magic unit, bow unit, and a cavalry unit. It was quite easy for Dalshim to do so since he was very familiar with everyones backgrounds and abilities.


    n, are we really not going upter?


    Yeah. Lets leave it to Dalshim and the others this time. But isnt your and Elnas maximum magic range longer than everyone else, Ria? I, Selena, and Sharon will hit them with a spell volley first, so just snipe them afterward.


    Roger.


    It looks like Cleria and Elna were both raring to go.


    Before long, our attack formation was finallypleted. The lead group was the magic unit which was centered on the former royal guards. The next group was the bow unit. I and my party members came after them, and thest group was the cavalry unit. The formation was evenly spread along the road.


    Well then, lets begin. Wait until my magic signal to begin the assault. Afterunching a concentrated volley, you can fire at will. Dont break formation until I give the pursuit signal. Alright. Move out!


    Come to think of it, this will be my first time hunting down bandits together with Selena and Sharon huh. And this will also be our first time conducting an operation with this many troops.


    (Iris, please put up a real-time battlefield map for me. This isnt a powered suit operation, but I find it easier to monitor the battle situation with that. Ill be serving as themander of course.)


    Preparing map.


    After a few moments, a battlefield map was disyed on a virtual window in front of me. Icons representing the enemy and ally troops were disyed on the map and differentiated via color. Selena and Sharon should be seeing the same thing as well.


    It looks like the bandits have lots of bowmen in their ranks, just as I expected. Lets start dealing with those guys then. It would be best if we didntnd a direct hit right off the bat. It should be enough for the volley to impact right next to them.


    (Nanom, mark the coordinates five meters in front of both bandit archer groups positions.)


    Markingplete.


    A small red dot appeared near the icons representing the bandit archers. Even if the bandits unexpectedly change their positions,ter on, the marked coordinates will be corrected automatically, so there should be no problem.


    (Selena, Sharon. Use the Fire Grenade spell for the initial volley. A single Fire Grenade shot from each of you with the magic power equivalent to three Fire Balls should do the trick. You have magic stones ready, right?)


    (I have ten Gray Hound magic stones on hand.)


    (Same for me.)


    (Yosh. Adjust the trajectory of your spells ten seconds after the first volleynds to a more concentrated barrage. Perform a quick simtion first.)


    ((Roger!))


    (D-1, 2, and 3. Shoot down the spears and arrows shot by the bandits whenever possible.)


    Roger.

 Chapter 81.3 - Journey To The Royal Capital 2 Part 3

    Editor: Thors Stone


    Iris called in the drones D-2 and D-3 to act as additional airborne escorts for us, and they hovered just above our position along with D-1.


    Was I being a bit overprotective though? For the n members who wanted to confirm the fruits of their training, this move might make the result of this battle a bit unsatisfactory. But being the target of some dissatisfaction was better than incurring losses among our ranks.


    The bandits should have noticed us already. Their loose formation started lining up on both sides of the road. And of course, the battlefield map was updated ordingly.


    One hundred and fifty meters more! Begin the attack once our initial magic volley hits. Dont break formation until I give the pursuit signal!


    Roger!


    Once we came 80 meters from the bandits position, we began locking on to the impact coordinates we marked earlier.


    (Begin targeting.)


    Selena and Sharon targeted the red impact coordinates indicated on the battlefield map, and they turned yellow one after another. Since we coordinated using the same map, there was no risk of our targets ovepping.


    ((Targetingplete.))


    Via the overhead footage, I confirmed that the bandit archers began to nock their bows and prepared to fire.


    (Ten seconds to impact. Begin firing!)


    I, Sharon, and Selena conjured Fire Grenades one meter above us andunched them diagonally upward.


    Oooh!


    This is


    Five, four, three, two, one


    After loud explosions, panicked screams echoed out from the bandits ranks. The bandit archer unit we initially targeted was almostpletely incapacitated by our spells.


    The rest of the bandits who werent affected by the magic bombardment began scattering and heading for the open road.


    Lead row, fire!


    Under Dalshimsmand, the magic unit began to fire their spells at the bandits. Theyunched various spells such as Fire Ball and Air Bullet. Afterunching their spells, those who stood out front would retreat to the back row to make way for theirrades and keep the barrage going.


    War cries rang out from the bandits ranks one after another in response. It looks like we havent managed to break their morale just yet.


    Second row, third row, fire!


    Our archer unit began firing arrows at the bandits harassed by our magic units spells as well. Cleria and Elna were still holding off as they watched the operation unfold.


    The middle of the road was now filled with screaming bandits. The number of bandits jumping out onto the road began to lessen.


    Fourth row, fifth row, fire!


    The bandits were blown away by magic spells one after another and rolled on the ground due to the pain caused by their burns and other injuries.


    It should be about time.


    Begin pursuit! Attack!


    Ou!


    Our tight formation broke up as we began going after the scattered bandits. The cavalry unit behind us kept their formation as they circled around to the woods to pincer the enemies.


    A Light Arrow spell pierced the right shoulder of a bandit who had his arms raised and was attempting to cast magic himself. Cleria and Elna also began picking off the rest of the bandits who were stilling out onto the road.


    Angry roars and sounds of swords shing echoed out all over the ce, but the difference in abilities was clear.


    After exchanging two or three blows, our troops would put their opponents down by striking them with the back of their swords and knocking them out. It looks like everyone was still trying to capture them alive as much as possible after all.


    After looking at the hopeless situation all around them, some of the bandits began dropping their weapons and surrendering. Some were kicked out onto the road and incapacitated by being hit with wooden swords. Our troops were showing some pretty great coordination.


    And before long, it looks like it was finally game over.


    Lets go secure the bandits horses, shall we?


    I called out to Cleria and the others who were scanning the situation on horseback.


    The horses of the bandits were hidden behind a clump of bushes 500 meters away from the battle site. There were two men guarding them. It looks like they heard the sounds of battle but havent made their escape yet.


    I called out to some of our cavalry troops who were passing by.


    The five of you,e with us. Were gonna secure the bandits horses.


    Roger that.


    The ten of us approached the forest where the bandits horses were hidden, but the two bandits who were keeping watch on them must have noticed us since they hurriedly attempted to mount some of the horses in a panic to escape. However, before they were able to make a run for it, Cleria and Selena shot Fire Arrows at them and pierced their right shoulders. They promptly fell off the horses while writhing in pain.


    Leave the bandits to us, n-sama.


    Alright. Well be bringing the horses away then.


    The horses looked pretty good. They were probably some of the more valuable spoils from todays battle. I and the girls returned with three horses in tow each, including our own, and found that the battle was already pretty much over, with the captured bandits gathered in the middle of the road.


    It looks like there were many of them who had serious injuries as well, and they were strewn randomly all over the ce.


    Whats our status, Dalshim?


    No deaths but many were injured.


    All injured troops, gather around me!


    About twenty or so of our troops came running. It looks like none of them have serious injuries.


    Any one of you have head injuries? How about broken bones? Cut open stomachs?


    Great. Thankfully, there really were none who suffered serious injuries. I had them ry their injuries to me before treating them one by one. Most of them only suffered bruises, minor puncture wounds, and cuts. I managed to finish the treatment session in about three minutes.


    Now then, lets handle the bandits next. Man, they sure are looking worse for wear. No one seems to have bitten the dust, but more than thirty of them have passed outpletely while more than twenty were writhing in pain. The rest of them were sitting on the ground in a daze.


    (Iris, how many of them did we manage to capture?)


    There are 147 people in total. Unfortunately, it seems five managed to escape.


    (I want to know the conditions of those seriously injured. Can you handle that for me?)


    I will at least be able to detect who among them have internal bleeding by having the three drones perform a three-dimensional scan, but


    (Yosh. Thats fine. We really need to get a medical scanner soon. Lets work on that once we have the time. It would be best if it were portable.)


    Roger that.


    Man. To think that I missed such an obvious thing.


    Anyway, this was a good opportunity for Sharon and Selena to practice healing magic.


    I had Iris begin diagnosing the conditions of them unconscious people first. Surprisingly, most of the unconscious ones simply just fainted.


    It took about an hour for me, Sharon, and Selena to treat all of the injured bandits. We just healed them, but we still ended using up ten Gray Hound magic stones.


    Of course, we limited ourselves to just administering first aid, but it looks like we managed to prevent anyone from losing their lives regardless.


    Some of the bandits looked grateful for the treatment, but most of them showed a defiant and irritating attitude.


    After the treatment, we conducted a simple interrogation and patted them down to retrieve some small change.


    The total amount of money we were able to get from them was about 40,000 Guineas. And as for the bandits, they wereposed of several bandit groups and local thugs active in the areas near the capital like we suspected. Most of the thugs didnt even have any idea about who their target was. Well, it didnt make a difference to us whether they were bandits or thugs anyway.


    They said they arrived at this area earlier this morning andid in ambush ever since. Those who nned this ambush seem to be well aware of who we are and our actions though. I have no idea whether or not the masterminds were among the ones we captured, but we didnt have time to investigate thoroughly right now. I guess well just have to leave it to the local garrison.


    We found the bandits supplies nearby, but we decided not to bother with them since it was not worth the trouble to bring shabby food and stuff of little value with us anyway.


    I went back to fetch the barons carriage and returned to the battle site with it following behind. After witnessing the scene, the baron hurriedly disembarked from his carriage.


    n-dono! Just what is this situation!?


    It looks like quite a few bandit groups gathered together to attack us. Fortunately, we didnt incur any losses on our end.


    Eeh!? You fought with this many numbers and didnt incur any losses? Well, I guess that just goes to show the reputation of Shining Star is well deserved. Truly impressive.


    Thank you for your praise.


    We also gathered the bandits weapons, and the ones with the potential to be sold off were all loaded to our wagons.


    It took an additional hour for us to tie up all the bandits and thugs with ropes and secure the seriously injured ones inside our wagons.


    It was a tedious affair, but everyones expressions were bright and brimming with glee. It looks like they were able to confirm the results of their daily training after all.


    Soon, the preparations for our departure wereplete.


    You did really well, everyone! It was a wonderful battle worthy of Shining Star. Now then, its quitete already. Lets resume heading for the royal capital.


    Roger!

 Chapter 82.1 - Apostle Part 1

    Editor: Thors Stone


    We were just about to depart once more when Katolle called out to me.


    n-sama, if we depart at this time, I think it will already be evening when we finally reach the royal capital. If its alright with you, why dont I go ahead of the rest of the convoy and arrange amodations for us in advance?


    Oh, I see. Yeah, that would really help. I was worried about that as well since it would take some time to hand over these many bandits to the authorities. Alright then. Take some of the n members with you as escorts and go ahead of us to the city.


    Understood.


    We talked about it to Adjutant Dalshim, and he arranged for Satellite Team 8 and Katolles merchant group to ride ahead on horseback. Fortunately, we managed to confiscate quite a few horses from the bandits, so there was no problem regarding the groups mounts.


    Although we did ce most of the injured bandits in wagons, we still couldnt forcibly increase the convoys speed, so we would probably reach the royal capital at around 5 oclock in the afternoon if we continue at our current pace.


    n, I can see it already. Is that the royal capital?


    After we crested over a gently sloping hill, Elna, who I was sitting next to on the drivers seat, pointed her finger forward.


    Oh, yeah, I think thats it. It does deserve being called the royal capital. Its pretty big alright.


    After zooming in to check it out, I found that the entire city was surrounded by walls that were probably about ten meters high, and a number of watchtowers taller than the walls.


    The tallest building further in should be the royal castle. It was the first decorative building Ive seen on this. It does have quite an atmosphere.


    By the time we reached the main gate of the royal capital, the sun was already setting and it was getting dark. The gate was sorge that even ten people working together might have trouble opening and closing it, and had six soldiers standing guard in front of it.


    As expected of the royal capitals guards, I guess. They were all unmoved even after seeing our numbers.


    Halt. Who are you all?


    I am n, the leader of the adventurer n Shining Star. We are currently acting as escorts to Baron Volker Herring.


    I presented our guild I.D. like usual. One of the guards received it and proceeded to check it out.


    Shining Star huh? A-rank!? W-Wait. By Shining Star, do you mean the n of the Dragon yer!?


    Uh, well, yes, I suppose.


    Excuse me! Hey, hurry and call the captain over!


    One of the guards ran and headed for the guard station. It looks like rumors regarding Shining Star have really reached the royal capital huh.


    Before long, a well-built man, who was probably the guard captain, appeared before us.


    Im Shining Stars n leader, n. We are currently apanying Baron Volker Herring as his escorts.


    I say. I didnt think the vaunted Dragon yer was someone so young. I am Ralph, the captain of the main gates garrison. Pleased to meet you,d.


    Likewise. Actually, we were attacked by bandits earlier today. Weve caught most of them and were thinking of turning them over to your custody


    My word! To think they would actually attack Shining Star. These bandits arent the sharpest tools in the shed, are they? Very well. Well be d to take them off your hands.


    At my signal, the bandits who were bound by ropes were pushed forward.


    Um Are all of these men bandits?


    Thats right. There are still some who are injured tied up inside the wagons. Since they currently cant walk by themselves, well help you carry them over to where you want to hold them.


    How many of them are there?


    Well, there are a hundred and forty-seven bandits in total.


    A hundred and forty-seven! My word Im sorry, but please wait for a short while. Oi! Hurry and call for urgent reinforcements.


    It looks like this will take some time after all. Uh, by the way, one of the barons attendants was standing right next to me with the barons coat of arms. Was it really okay to ignore him, guys?


    As we waited for the guards to call in additional manpower, Katolle and the others who went ahead of us finally came over. It looks like they sessfully managed to secure inns for us.


    When I talked to the baron regarding his ns after we enter the city, he said he had a manor inside the royal capital, so he decided to go home first.


    The baron wille to the castle tomorrow and report to his superior. He told me that I would probably be summoned the day after tomorrow at the earliest, and depending on how it goes, hell send someone to the inn well be staying at to inform me ordingly.


    In the end, it took about an hour to finish handing over all of the captured bandits.


    The sun had already disappeared beyond the horizon and it was now quite dark.


    After discussing the bounty with the garrison captain, we finally passed through the royal capitals main gate.


    As expected of a ce designated as the royal capital. The size of the roads and the density of people were iparable to this countrys average cities. The downtown area we were currently walking around in was rife with the hustle and bustle of people. Ive only encountered a simr kind of atmosphere in the empire.


    Under Katolles lead, we walked for about fifteen minutes and finally arrived in front of one of the inns they booked for us. It was a bit further away from the busy downtown area, but not too far away to be inconvenient. And ording to Katolle, this area of the city was actually crowded with inns.


    These are the inns we booked for us all. We booked the inn in front of us, the one right beside it, and the one right across the road for Shining Star.


    Oh, that sounds great. But werent there already customers staying at the inns when you booked them?


    There were, but we had them move to other inns and paid them appropriately for the trouble. Did we do something unnecessary?


    No, thats not it. I would probably do the same thing as you anyway. But its impressive that you were able to do so much in such a short amount of time.


    Well, actually, I have an uncle whos also a merchant based here in the royal capital. I borrowed some of his staff and had them help me out.


    Hee, I see. I guess Ill have to pay my respects to your uncleter on then.


    You dont have to, n-sama! Ill have my uncle pay you a visit instead.


    Its fine. Hes helped us out, so the least I could do is pay my respects to him in return. Lets visit him tomorrow.


    Thank you very much.


    I told them they could book any inn as long as it had a bath facility avable, but it looks like they managed to book a fairly luxurious inn, although it doesnt seem to be the finest in the city.


    Because it was the royal capital, thepetition here was quite fierce. We managed to book rooms for just 300 Guineas a night, which was cheaperpared to the prices of the rooms we booked in the past. It was perfect for an extended stay.


    When I asked Katolle about it, he told me all three inns were rmended by his uncle. As expected, it was best to ask the locals about the ins and outs of the royal capital after all.


    I had nothing to criticize regarding the rooms and the bath, and the food gets a passing mark as well. It was a fairly good inn since they were able to swiftly amodate a good number of people who suddenly arrived without warning.


    We just came from a battle today and I was feeling tired from traveling as well, so I decided to rest up early and headed up to my room.


    (Iris.)


    Yes, Captain.


    (I would like to get in contact with people who can help us out regarding our ns for influencing religion. Do you have some info regarding that for me?)


    I thought youd ask, so I already selected a suitable individual you can get in contact with.


    A virtual window went up in front of me and disyed the image of a man who looked like he was in his early forties.


    This is the As Churchs Bishop Gertner.


    (Hou. A bishop is a pretty high position in the church, right?)


    Thats correct. Normally, a man as young as him wouldnt be able to be a bishop.


    (Im not that familiar regarding their religion, but does that mean hes just that virtuous and exemry?)


    Im not sure about that, but its often rumored that he achieved his current position through bribes.

 Chapter 82.2 - Apostle Part 2

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    (Oi, oi, is it really okay to choose that person to cooperate with? Or are you saying that was merely a rumor and the truth of the matter is otherwise?)


    No, its probably true. Actually, he seems to advocate a rather high-handed approach when ites to collecting donations from some believers and practically extorts considerable sums from them.


    (Un, I see. So hes a guy who moves for money huh. But still)


    Even so, he seems to be rather respected by those close to him and treated as a virtuous clergyman.


    (And whys that?)


    He spends most of the churchs earnings as well as his own personal wealth to support orphans. He is the actual owner of all the orphanages scattered around the royal capital and the neighboring cities.


    (Hou, so thats how it is huh.)


    The money was mostly earned through unsavory means, but if most of that money was used to support orphans, then that painted a different picture. For people like me who werent so into religion, he might certainly appear to be more virtuouspared to your typical clergyman.


    Hmm. But if he really was a devout believer of the church, then how could he bear to make use of it for his own personal ends, even if the goal does seem to be noble?


    Theres a possibility that he really wasnt such a devout believer after all and was just conveniently taking advantage of the churchs established system.


    I guess he thinks the end justifies the means.


    (I understand. Ill try to get in contact with this person then.)


    Its decided. My n for tomorrow is to walk around the royal capital.


    *Baron Volkers POV


    I went to the castle at exactly 10 in the morning, and I was allowed to enter inside as soon as I told the castle guards that I was summoned by Marquis Burke. It looks like they were already informed of my visit. The chambein met up with me as soon as I stepped inside and led me to the marquis office.


    It seems that the marquis was in the middle of a meeting with two men who were unfamiliar to me. The moment I was shown inside, the two men immediately excused themselves and left the room.


    I knelt in front of the marquis and bowed my head down.


    Volker huh. You seem to have returnedst night.


    Yes. I was safely escorted back to the royal capital by n-dono and his n, Shining Star.


    That seems to be the case. So how was it? Did you seed?


    Unfortunately, the negotiations regarding the dragons magic stone fell through. I am truly sorry for my failure.


    Hmph. He seems to be acting rather high and mighty for a mere adventurer. So, which territory did he choose in the end?


    n-dono seemed to be rather interested in the Great Demon Forest, so I tried to rmend granting it as his territory.


    When I did so, he seemed to be really taken with the idea, so we reached a deal with the condition that he will be able to expand hisnds without limit as long as he is able toy im to thend through his own strength.


    In exchange for allowing him to expand technically without limit, he agreed to give us both dragon fangs in return.


    The Great Demon Forest, you say!? Well now! This certainly is a masterpiece! To think hed actually choose that damned forest! As I thought, uneducatedmoners really just amount to this much. Pah. A forest! And that forest to boot! Fuhahahaha!


    Hmph. If you really underestimate n-dono as someone uneducated and without sense, he will probably pull the rug from under you when you least expect it.


    A leader who managed to assemble such a formidable force under him cannot be a mere lucky fool.


    The trust and loyalty of his men toward n-dono were quite considerable. But if the rumors about n-dono were all true, then that really wasnt so surprising.


    The story I rted to the marquis earlier was something n-dono came up with. He strongly insisted that I give my report in this manner.


    To be honest, I have no idea about what n-dono is actually thinking. Why go through all this trouble to lower his worth in the eyes of others?


    Its possible that he may just be doing this as a favor to me, but I do not think he is a man who would purposefully lower his standing just to sell a favor.


    I could not fathom his intentions no matter how I thought about it, but I will dly follow his instructions for Rinas sake.


    However, Volker, I did not think you would be such a capable man. It seems I have misunderstood you. Well done.


    I thank you for your praise, My Lord.


    As promised, I shall let the matter regarding Rina slide. However, do not think for one moment that you are now considered a part of our n with this. I merely acknowledge you as Rinas partner and nothing more. Understood?


    Yes. I understand.


    Very well. I now feel like meeting that man called n myself. Have hime see me tomorrow morning. I shall prepare the contract with the conditions you agreed upon, so have him bring the dragon fangs with him as well.


    Certainly, My Lord. Um, what about the matter of n-dono taming a dragon?


    Ah, yes, I have heard of it. However, I have only heard of such a story through unreliable rumors.


    When I conducted an investigation in Gantz, I was able to find many witnesses who imed that they personally witnessed a dragon carrying another dragon and dropping it near the city.


    That seems to be the case. But the words of meremoners are simply too unreliable. I have already sent my men to gather intelligence, and they will be returning soon. Do you have anything else to report?


    No more, My Lord.


    Then you may go. Ah, and take this with you.


    The marquis took a leather bag from the drawer and threw it to me. Judging from its weight, it seems to contain quite a number of gold coins. It was rather surprising for me to receive this much as a reward for my services, especiallying from the marquis.


    I truly thank you for your kindness, My Lord! I shall be excusing myself.


    I left the office immediately in order to avoid offending the marquis.


    Haah. Its finally over. Im sure Rina will be quite happy. Oh, right. Ill buy Rina a bunch of her favorite lily flowers before going home.


    Just as I decidedst night, I will proceed with walking around the royal capital today. Well be staying here for quite a while, so it would be better to get an adequate grasp of they of thend before anything else.


    Cleria and the others said they would be shopping today, so we decided to split up. First, I need to pay a visit to Katolles uncle together with him and his merchant team.


    Katolle seems to have visited the royal capital three times in the past already, and he seems to have a good handle on the ce. Katolles uncle who was living here was actually Tarus-sans younger brother. He was apparently five years younger than Tarus-san.


    This is my uncles shop.


    Hou, he has quite the big establishment. I already anticipated it wouldnt be a small shop, but this is more than I expected.


    Its a specialty store that mainly handles grains. If its limited to trading grains, my uncles store would be able topete for the number one or two spot in the royal capital.


    Hou, that sounds pretty amazing.


    We promptly entered the building, and Katolle announced the purpose of our visit. We were then guided to what seemed to be a consultation room. It looks like the employees were rather familiar with Katolle and treated him appropriately as their bosss rtive.


    Before long, a man in his forties who looked a lot like Tarus-san entered the room.


    Whats going on, Katolle? And, pardon me for asking, but who is this person?


    This person is Shining Stars n leader, n-sama.


    Ooh, so this is him! My name is Turner, Katolles uncle. Im very pleased to meet you.


    Im n. Im d to meet you as well. Weve really been in your care yesterday. Thank you.


    It wasnt much. Please do not hesitate to consult me about anything at any time. You are looking after Katolle as well after all. And if its for you, the vaunted Bandit Hunter, n-sama, I would be willing to go the extra mile no matter the request.


    We were served some tea and started to chat. He seems to be really interested in the rumors surrounding Shining Star that were circting in the royal capital.


    It looks like weve really be the talk of the town. However, it seems that rather than Shining Stars aplishments, what they were particrly interested in more was our earnings.


    Well, the merchants who participated in the auction should all have a rough idea about how much money we managed to earn for ourselves.


    If you go to a bar in the capital, it seems that this topic was the most popr one.


    After chatting with Turner-san for an hour or so, we decided to leave so as not to disturb his business further.


    When I told him I would be visiting the church, Katolle disyed aplicated expression and said he would be collecting information about the royal capital in his uncles store instead, together with the rest of the merchant team. It looks like Katolle and the others werent exactly devout believers huh.

 Chapter 82.3 - Apostle Part 3

    Editor: Thors Stone


    I headed for the church under the guidance of Iris. Come to think of it, this would be my first time visiting a church on this huh.


    The main chapel of the church was open to the public, and everyone could enter to pray. First, let me check out the statue of the famous goddess, Ruminas.


    The church was significantlyrger than most of the buildings in the royal capital and sported two tall towers. Its walls were also adorned in fancy-looking decorations and looked very, uh, church-y.


    It resembled the churches found in most human-inhabiteds under the empire. Do humans instinctively find such designs solemn, I wonder? How interesting.


    After entering the chapel, the first thing that garnered my attention was the statue of the goddess. It was fairlyrge. It was probably about eight meters or so, I think. Its form was that of a very beautiful young woman in her twenties whose hands were folded in prayer.


    Arge eagle-like bird was perched on one of her shoulders. So I suppose that would be her apostle, Yzak, huh.


    So the drones were mistaken for this kind of bird?


    I mixed with the throng of believers who were offering their prayers sincerely and scanned the ce for church officials. Oh, there they are. I saw two women wearing ck dresses of simr design talking among themselves.


    (Iris, are those people rted to the church?)


    That is correct. They are female church officials called Sisters.


    Lets get to business then.


    Excuse me. I would like to meet with Bishop Gertner if possible. Is he avable?


    Bishop Gertner?


    Both of the sisters looked toward me when I mentioned Bishop Gertners name. Oops, I forgot the most important part.


    I would like to ask for a consultation and make a donation to the church as well.


    After saying so, I took out the ten gold coins I prepared for this asionst night and showed the coins to them. In this country, it was actually customary to put the donations in inconspicuous leather pouches, but I showed it to them intentionally.


    Shelling out a hundred thousand Guineas just to meet with the good bishop seemed like an exorbitant expense, but by doing so, I would be nearly guaranteed an audience.


    P-Please wait a moment, good sir. I shall confirm it with His Excellency.


    It looks like I managed to sessfully clear the first hurdle. After a short while, the sister came back.


    Bishop Gertner has agreed to meet with you, sir. Pleasee with me.


    I was led inside the inner chambers of therge church building until we reached arge and ornate door. The sister stopped in front, gave the door a few knocks, and opened it afterward.


    I have brought you theyman who wanted to consult you, Your Excellency.


    Please enter.


    The room was fairlyrge, with an equallyrge bookshelf and a luxurious-looking lounge suite, yet it radiated an elegant charm that seemed quite suitable for a high-ranking member of the clergy.


    Good day, Your Excellency. I am n, the leader of the Shining Star n.


    After introducing myself, I showed the good bishop my guild I.D.


    Hou. So you are the person who managed to subjugate a dragon, are you not?


    That is correct.


    Was it just my imagination, or did the light within the bishops eyes suddenly change? Anyway, I better hand over the donation before I forget.


    First, please receive this, Your Excellency. Ive had something bothering metely, and the first thing that came to my mind when we reached the royal capital was to make a donation to the church.


    The sister approached me with a small tray in hand, so I ced the gold coins on top of it.


    The Goddess will surely answer your sincere prayers.


    After saying a rather priestly line, the bishop nodded toward the sister.


    Please, have a seat.


    After being prompted by the bishop, I sat on the sofa while another sister made some tea for me. I guess the donation really did the trick.


    The sisters left the room, and the bishop sat on a sofa opposite mine so we could talk face to face.


    I was told you wanted to consult me with something?


    Thats correct. Actually, Ive been having the same dream repeatedly.


    Hou. What sort of dream?


    Its a dream about the apostle, Yzak.


    Oh, there are many people who experience something like that. Perhaps Yzak-sama is blessing you due to your devout and earnest prayers. That is most likely the case.


    At first, I also thought the same. However, strange things began happeningtely.


    Hou. What sort of things?


    I often dream of the apostle appearing, andter on, he does appear in the exact same situation and manner I saw in my dreams.


    The bishops expression subtly changed. It might be just my imagination, but he seemed a bit apprehensive.


    Ah, maybe hes actually doubting my sanity?


    What do you mean by that?


    During the evening three days ago, I dreamt of the apostle appearing once again. In my dream, the sun was just about to set. Then, in the evening of the next day, just before the sun began to set, the apostle really appeared.


    I see. Perhaps the apostle was especially giving you his blessings. It would be good if you continue to treasure your faith and do your best ording to the teachings. Now then, I should be going.


    I also had a simr dreamst night.


    The good bishop seems to have decided I was a no-good fellow and tried to wrap the consultation up. Since that was the case, I immediately cut to the chase.


    I had a dream that the apostle will appear after the clock strikes twelve.


    The bell signaling it was 12 oclock in the afternoon began to ring in the distance. The timing was perfect.


    (D-1, cancel Stealth Mode.)


    Roger.


    Then are you saying that the apostle will appear by the time the bell stops ringing?


    Thats what I believe.


    There was an awkward silence in the room.


    That may be the case. As I said earlier, continue to treasure your faith and devotion to the Goddess.


    And then, we heard frantic knocking sounds, followed by a sister hurriedly entering the room.


    Your Excellency! Im sorry for barging in while you were in the middle of consultation! But the apostle has made his appearance in the skies of the royal capital once more after hisst visit half a year ago!


    What did you say!? Is that true?


    The bishop started running outside, so I got up and followed after him. The outer church grounds were now filled with people looking up at the sky. Some people were even kneeling in prayer.


    Ugh. It really seems like Im trampling the faith of these people by pulling this stunt, and its making me feel quite guilty.


    But it was necessary for me to build friendly rtions with influential church officials no matter what for the sake of our future ns.


    (D-1, raise your altitude and turn on Stealth Mode again after thirty seconds.)


    Roger.


    How fast!


    Ooh! He is already flying so high up in the sky!


    And so, the apostle disappeared once more. After pulling his gaze away from the sky, the bishop turned to me with a bewildered look. I kept silent and simply nodded.


    n-dono. Let us return to the room and continue our conversation.


    Understood.


    When we returned to the room, the bishop asked me more about the details of my dreams with apletely changed attitude. He asked questions like how often, under what circumstances, and how many times Ive had my dreams to date, as well as their contents and if they always came true the day after.


    Like I said earlier Your Excellency, I do not know when I would be having a dream and when they woulde true. There were times when they came true after a day just like earlier, and there were times when they came true five dayster. I really have no idea how it works. Can I consult with you again the next time I have such a dream?


    But of course! Please feel free toe to the church anytime. I shall inform the person in charge to wee you always. Ah, and since we received arge donation from you this time, we will not be needing any further donations from you for the time being. Surely, Goddess Ruminas would not want to ce such a burden on the shoulders of a devout believer such as yourself.


    I see. I understand.


    n-dono, please be sure to visit us whenever you have such dreams, alright?


    Yes, I shall make sure to do so.


    I guess this should be enough. Its best not to overdo it.


    I finally left the church with the bishop seeing me off. Now then, lets have lunch somewhere and go back to the inn.


    After returning to the inn, Dalshim called out to me. It seems one of the barons attendants visited the inn earlier to deliver a message.


    The baron said he will apany me to visit the castle tomorrow, and told me to prepare the dragon fangs as well.


    The audience will be held at ten in the morning, but since he wanted to discuss something with me, the baron will being to the inn at 9 oclock.


    Finally huh. I wonder how it will go.

 Chapter 83.1 - Audience At The Castle Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    The next morning, the baron arrived at the inn we were staying in at nine A.M. sharp. Of course, Ive already prepared the dragon fangs, loaded them onto our carriage, and assigned twenty of our people as escorts just in case.


    Since the baron arrived on foot, I suppose he was nning on hitching a ride in our carriage then.


    Good morning, My Lord.


    Good morning, n-dono.


    Since he wanted to talk to me about something first, I invited him over to the inns dining hall. We immediately got served with tea which I told the inn staff to prepare earlier.


    n-dono, are you going to the castle wearing those clothes?


    Um do they look strange?


    Since we were going to visit the castle, Id probably get to meet with other nobles who were higher up in station than the baron, so I decided to wear my military uniform. From his reaction, was that actually not a good idea?


    Well, I suppose I should inform you right now. I didnt manage to inform you before, but the noble well be having an audience with today is actually this kingdoms prime minister, Marquis Villis Burke.


    Hou, I see.


    Since hes the prime minister, hes one of the people with the greatest authority in this country and was practically second only to the king huh. I didnt think Id immediately be able to meet up with such a bigshot.


    You, of course, are not aware of this n-dono, but the marquis is Lets just say he doesnt really holdmoners in much esteem and can often be unreasonable when dealing with them.


    So thats what hes worried about huh. In short, this prime minister guy was a major jerk.


    I was told this uniform was viewed by the people of this as a very opulent and regal set of clothing. Well, thats probably because of the great difference in the quality of the fabrics usedpared to whats avable here as well as the technology used to make it.


    What the barons probably trying to say was me wearing this uniform might invite unnecessary trouble from the other nobles since theyd think clothes this grand dont fit my status as amoner.


    I see, so thats the case huh. You probably found it hard to broach the topic. Thank you though. I also have some more normal clothing, so Ill change into themter before we depart for the castle.


    Fortunately, I was able to buy some clothes more suitable for your averagemoner yesterday. Its all thanks to Cleria and the others who went shopping yesterday. They saw clothes that caught their eye and expressly went back to the inn in order to drag me with them to buy the stuff.


    They werent made-to-order clothes, but they still seemed pretty high quality. Since Cleria and Elna, who were very knowledgeable when ites to thisstest fashion trends, totally approve of them, I guess theres no problem.


    I felt that it was pretty troublesome yesterday when I was apanying them, but it looks like I better thank Cleria and the girls for dragging me to shop for clothes after all.


    The marquis might say some things that would sound somewhat offensive, so it would be best if you prepared yourself for the possibility.


    Yeah, okay. Just knowing this info beforehand would allow me to deal with that stuff betterter on.


    The marquis is also doubtful that n-dono truly managed to tame a dragon. Or rather, hes probably even doubting that you managed to y a real dragon in the first ce. Please try to maintain your calmter whatever happens.


    I understand. Thank you very much for the warning, Baron.


    Am I the type who gets angry easily?


    I believe I have a rather mild personality, actually. Im pretty confident that I can put up with whatever happenster. Well, there probably will be no problems as long as they dont involve my friends and subordinates in their antics.


    Thats the gist of what the baron wanted to talk with me about. And so, I quickly changed from my military uniform into the clothes we bought yesterday, got on the carriage, and headed for the royal castle.


    By the way, the baron and Adjutant Dalshim were sitting on the drivers box together. Since the dragons fangs were more than a meter long, I thought it would be necessary to bring some people who will haul the things inside the castleter, but it looks like the castle staff would take care of it themselves.


    We departed for the royal castle with Satellite Teams 1 and 2 as our escorts. I assigned escorts to guard our carriage in light of yesterdays bandit ambush.


    They acted like they were quite familiar with our actions, so I consulted with everyone and decided to assign guard escorts just in case.


    Of course, the inn where we were storing the dragons magic stone had a total of forty people standing guard around it round the clock. I also have the drones monitoring the area from above, but there have been no suspicious movements so far.


    The baron briefed me on what will be happening today while we were riding the carriage.


    Basically, I will be officially handing over the dragon fangs to the kingdom and signing a contract agreement making it official. The king has probably signed the contract in advance so this was just a formality.


    The baron said they might brief me about the title conferment and what will happen afterward as well.


    After traveling for about twenty minutes, we finally arrived at the royal castle. The royal castle was situated in the center of the capital and was surrounded by seven meter-high walls from all sides. The walls total circumference should be more than a kilometer.


    The Satellite teams could only apany us up to here, and I told them to return to the inns ahead of us.


    There were six soldiers guarding the castle gate, but we only stopped for a short while and started advancing again. I suppose the barons attendant showed them his masters coat of arms.


    After passing through the gate and advancing a little more, the carriage stopped in ce. Dalshim opened the door of the carriage and we finally got off. It appears we didnt pass through the main entrance but the rear entrance instead.


    Ten men wearing simr-looking get-ups were waiting for us within. These guys are probably those so-called castle chambeins huh.


    Weve been awaiting you, My Lord. Are the dragon fangs loaded within the carriage?


    Thats right. Well leave them to you.


    The doors of the carriages roof rack were quickly opened and the chambeins began working on unloading the fangs. The cloth-wrapped fangs were carefully brought down, and soon, they were ready for transfer to the castle cer. I dont think they were that heavy, but it seems they were going to carry the fangs with five people each to ensure that they didnt drop them identally.


    It looks like our attendants couldnt follow us inside the castle as well, so I had Dalshim wait outside together with the barons attendant.


    Well then, n-dono. Let us enter the castle proper.


    I entered the castle together with the baron while a chambein led the way for us. As expected, the castle was unlike most of the other buildings in the city and exuded a certain stately aura. It also looked to be fairly old. It had quite an imposing atmosphere.


    The office of the marquis was located at the very back of the castles third floor. The chambein knocked on therge door of the office first before pushing it open and leading us inside. We found the marquis behind a big desk ced at the back of the spacious room.


    Oops, I almost forgot that I shouldnt look directly at someone as high-ranked as the marquis unless he permits me to look himself.


    The baron started walking forward, so I looked down and followed after him. When the baron knelt on one knee, I followed suit.


    Raise your heads. So you are the one who purportedly slew a dragon?


    Yes, Your Lordship. I am the adventurer called n.


    You look awfully young. How old are you, exactly?


    I am currently twenty-five years old, Your Lordship.


    The marquis got up from behind his desk, moved to the nearby sofa, and sat back down.


    Well then, let me hear how exactly you managed to defeat the dragon.


    Eh? Hes just gonna start the discussion while keeping us kneeling? It was gonna be a pretty lengthy story, but anyway, I started rting a slightly modified ount of what happened that day.


    Although I modified some parts, most of the ount was unchanged. I recounted that I was able to witness two dragons battling and somehow managed to help one to defeat the other.


    The dragon I aided felt grateful for my assistance and helped me carry the defeated dragons corpse back to Gantz.


    Well, it was admittedly quite an absurd story, but since I omitted the drones and Nanoms assistance, it just cant be helped.

 Chapter 83.2 - Audience At The Castle Part 2

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    How unbelievable. Is that truly what happened?


    Yes. I was also quite surprised that things went as well as they did that day. Dragons are apparently very smart creatures. As Ive witnessed, they can even understand humannguage.


    Hou. And just how did you manage to assist the dragon in its battle with another of its kind then?


    I managed tond a hit on one of the enemy dragons eyes with a me Arrow spell. Perhaps I managed tond a critical hit byplete chance because that dragon fell down after that one hit.


    Fine then. I have already made my people transcribe the conditions you proposed in this contract. Go ahead and confirm the documents, then sign them.


    The marquis then went to inspect the dragon fangs that were retrieved by the castle chambeins earlier. The fangs were ced on a luxurious-lookingrge table within the office and ended up being disyed simr to items in a museum exhibit.


    I gave the contract documents that were handed to me a once-over and found nothing wrong with the terms written on it. It properly stated that I was allowed to reimnd within the Great Demon Forest without any particr restrictions and make them a part of my territory as a kingdom nobleman of this kingdom. There were no weird uses added either. Just like the baron told me, the king has already signed the documents in advance.


    A quill pen and ink bottle were avable at the guest lounge within the office, so I went ahead and borrowed them to write n on the two contract documents. An official surname will only be given to me once Ive been conferred a title by the king in the investiture ceremony.


    The marquis finished checking out the dragon fangs and sat back down on the sofa. He then checked out the contracts after I handed them back. I suppose hes checking if I used the same signature on both documents.


    Very well. Here, take it. That is your copy.


    The marquis then tossed one of the documents in my direction. I managed to catch it just before it hit the floor.


    My utmost gratitude, Your Lordship.


    ording to Cleria, anything that was rted to the king should be treated with great care, but whats with this guy tossing around a document signed by the king like it was mere waste paper? Maybe the customs were different in this country. Im really not sure.


    You may go.


    Yes, please excuse us.


    It looks like my audience with the marquis was finally over. I thought it would be a lot worse than that after the barons warnings.


    I and the baron immediately left the room in order to avoid being seen as rude. A single chambein was waiting for us in the hallway outside.


    Please follow me.


    It looks like we wont be leaving just yet huh. The chambein brought us to what appeared to be a small meeting room on the castles first floor.


    Good day, gentlemen. My name is Zard and I currently serve as this kingdoms master of ceremonies. Its a pleasure to meet you both, Baron Volker, n-sama.


    Since hes addressing me as n-sama, I suppose this person was amoner.


    The lord marquis has instructed me to brief you regarding the kingdoms future arrangements for you, foremost of which is the conferment ceremony.


    Ill be in your care.


    First, you would have to decide what you are going to use as the name of your noble house. You dont have to decide on one right now, but we would like you to have a name ready by tomorrow.


    I understand.


    Next is the pattern that will be used in your official coat of arms. You will have to provide us with one by tomorrow as well.


    Minister Zard, do you not think it unreasonable to ask n-dono to decide on his coat of arms by tomorrow as well?


    No, baron. Its fine. Weve already decided on one for the most part after all.


    If you say so, n-dono.


    Yep. What well use as our coat of arms was already decided. Or rather, there can be no other choice except for that.


    Alright then. Please put the family name and coat of arms youve decided to use on these pieces of paper and bring it to this workshop by tomorrow. Weve already informed the workshop in question beforehand, so theyll be expecting you.


    I was then handed two sheets of nk paper. One piece of paper had a nk space where I could write the family name and draw the pattern for the coat of arms symbol we were going to use, while the other had the name of a workshop written on it together with a hand-drawn map.


    Alright then. Your title conferment ceremony and celebration banquet will be held five days from now, n-sama. So before the asion, it would be best if you could procure clothes that are, well


    I understand sir.


    I suppose hes trying to tell me to get clothes that are more fitting for a noble. Five days from now huh. It looks like well be getting this done earlier than I expected.


    This is our schedule for the asion. Please be sure toe to the castle by the designated time.


    I was given something that seemed to be a ceremony program. The conferment ceremony was set to take ce in the castle at four in the afternoon but we were supposed to call in by twelve noon. It also listed a couple more points to note. This certainly would help a lot.


    Do you have any questions?


    No, nothing in particr, sir.


    I and the baron were led by the chambein once more and brought back to the castle courtyard where our carriage was parked with Dalshim and the barons attendant waiting for us.


    When Dalshim saw that we were back, he disyed a relieved expression.


    I boarded our carriage together with the baron and we headed back to the inn. Phew. That was a bit nerve-wracking after all.


    Its great that the audience ended without incident.


    It was surprisingly quick and simple.


    The marquis did say he already dispatched his own men to Gantz in order to confirm the facts themselves. He is probably waiting for their report. I was told they will be returning from Gantz soon.


    I see. So thats the case huh.


    Im grateful that the baron trusted me enough to tell me this piece of info.


    So the marquis was the type to act after properly confirming the facts himself huh. I guess thats just to be expected of a countrys prime minister.


    After arriving back at the inn, I thanked the baron for his help and sent him off soon after. While we were riding in the carriage, the baron told me his mansion in the capital was actually a walking distance away from the inn we were staying at. Before he departed, the baron invited me over to visit his mansion after the ceremony.


    As usual, my party and the rest of the n members were already waiting at the inns dining hall, so I told them everything that happened during the castle audience.


    I told them about my impressions of the castle, my audience with the marquis, the contract he had me sign, and the thing about our coat of arms.


    Thats how it is, everyone. For the time being, we need to prepare a set of clothes that is fit to be worn in the conferment ceremony, and we also have to decide on the family name and our coat of arms by tomorrow.


    I already thought that would be the case, so I gathered information regarding the most reputable clothing store here in the capital for you. It seems to be a purveyor to high-ranking aristocrats. Since youll need the outfit delivered in five days, I think it would cost you more than usual though


    Good work, Katolle. Well, we have no choice but to pay the additional premium fee. Please take me to that shopter.


    Understood.


    Well go with you. Somehow, I feel like youd purchase weird-looking clothing if we left the choice to you, n. Leaving that aside, your official surname will be Corinth, but what about the coat of arms?


    Oh, about that. Ive already decided on what design to use. Im sorry everyone, but I will have to insist on using my design for the coat of arms.


    But of course. It will be the Corinth Houses official coat of arms, so it goes without saying that you have the final say, n.


    Of course, the design Im gonna use was the emblem of the Human Gctic Empire. Theres no other choice but that. After all, Iris warned me that if I used another design for our coat of arms and the national g, theres a possibility that I might get used of the crime of rebellion against the empire.

 Chapter 83.3 - Audience At The Castle Part 3

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    I decided to head to the clothing store with Cleria and the others immediately. Oops. I guess it would be better if we had lunch first huh. Katolle also brought us information regarding restaurants that served the tastiest food in the capital, so we decided to dine in one of the stores he rmended. He really was a very capable guy.


    The clothing boutique I was brought to seemed to be quite a luxurious store with an opulent atmosphere. The clerks were eyeing us with gazes filled with suspicion, but they instantly became a lot more amiable when they got told I was going to be appointed as a baron in five days.


    Cleria and Elna were the ones who handled discussing with the clerks, with Sharon and Selena following suit.


    It took more than two hours for them to coordinate an outfit for me. Afterward, somebody suggested that it would be better if we also bought a spare outfit, and the meeting continued.


    However, there was actually a reason why they took so much time. It seems the girls were giving the clerks ideas to add some imperial ir to thiss fashion items.


    In the end, we ended up buying a total of five different outfits, and the price of each individual outfit was about 12,000 Guineas. Well, theyre order-made after all. Of course, they would cost more. They were a necessary expense so it cant be helped.


    It was already getting dark outside when we finally managed to return to the inn. As expected, Cleria and the girls were already fairly tired after our trip to the boutique. But if I went to the store by myself, I would have just went along with whatever the store clerks suggested, so they really were a big help.


    Soon, it was time for dinner, and after having it, I immediately retreated to my room in order to draw a copy of the imperial insignia which well be using as our coat of arms.


    The process of drawing the imperial insignia was very simr to how I drew magic circles back then, so it was actually pretty simple. I merely traced the lines virtually disyed in red on the piece of paper handed to me in the castle with a fountain pen.


    The insignia of the Human Gctic Empire illustrated stars connected to one another by way of many small pentagrams connected by neat lines, and arge pentagram situated in the center. It was a pretty cool insignia with lots of shy-looking embellishments all around it.


    ording to what Baron Volker told me, the nobles usually had coats of arms that depicted various nts and animals, so ours might stand out a bit due to how unique it was.


    As I worked on the insignia, there was a call from Iris.


    I have something to report, Captain.


    (Whats up?)


    It would be faster to show you a video. This footage was taken 155 days ago.


    Thats pretty far back huh. A virtual window started ying footage taken from inside a pub. Its probably footage taken by a drones bit that was installed inside the pub. The footage zoomed toward two guys who were drinking in the middle of the noisy pub.


    Those guys really are pretty stubborn huh. It would be way easier if they just spilled the beans already.


    Yeah, thats true. It would be a lot smarter to just talk. Theyd suffer less that way.


    I bet theydst just another two weeks at best.


    Do ya really wanna bet on that? I think they wont evenst a month.


    Sure I am. How about a hundred Guineas then?


    And then, the footage was cut.


    The next video was taken 38 days ago.


    The image projected by the video recording was of a different pub, but the men shown were apparently the same as the ones who appeared in the previous recording.


    Do you think those guys are doing okay? I kinda started to get concerned about them these days yknow.


    Oh, you too huh? Actually, its the same for me. Keep this between us mate, but I actually increase their meal portions in secret before giving it to them. Hey! You better make sure this stays between us, okay!? If this gets out, Id be fired straight away.


    Hahaha, dont worry mate. To tell ya the truth, Im doin the same as you. But man, they really are somethin, arent they?


    Yeah, really. Come to think of it


    The video was cut short once more.


    The next video was taken just four minutes ago.


    This time, it was inside the same pub as thest video, with the same two individuals. The two of them seemed pretty drunk though.


    Theyre amazin I tell ya! I really admire guys like those yknow! Especially that Heinz guy! If I was under a guy like that, Id surely follow him to hell and back! Im serious!


    So you admire Heinz huh? Id personally follow Bruno-san though. That persons a true man I tell ya.


    Yknow, Im now convinced aristocrats are really different from us lot. To think theyd be able to keep their sanity in a ce as damning as that. I aint gonnast a day if it was me.


    Heh. Even if theyre all nobles, those guys are a far cry from the ones in the castle.


    That we can definitely agree on. Is it because of the difference in our countries? Those guys were members of the Starveek kingdoms royal guards, right? Yeah, thats gotta be it. Theyre made of sterner stuff cuz theyre genuine knights.


    No, no, that cant be it mate. Just take a look at the knights stationed at the castle. Theyre all pretty lousy inparison.


    Yeah. Well, that just means the caliber of the nobles and knights of this country just cantpare.


    Oi! Lower your voice, you idiot!


    The video was again cut off.


    I see After catching the keywords royal guards of Starveek kingdom, Iris searched all past records, confirmed the individuals involved,piled the data, and arranged the three relevant footages she found in chronological order huh.


    (Are you tracking the position of these two individuals?)


    Yes. As of now, they are still drinking in the same pub as shown in thest two footages.


    (Tail them once they leave. I already have a rough idea about where they work though.)


    Theres no way they can escape surveince by the drones multi-scanners within this city or the castle.


    As for the topic of their conversations, theres a more than 90% chance they were referring to the royal guard team Elna was once a part of. They could also be knights who were captured from a different ce, but the possibility of that was low.


    ording to Elna, they were sent somewhere in the Alois kingdom after getting captured, but she was unable to track where exactly they were brought to. It looks like they were actually sent directly to the royal capital.


    If the ce the two men return to is indeed the castle barracks, then they were most likely referring to these individuals.


    A virtual window went up and disyed a transparent cross-section model of the royal castle. It then zoomed toward the dungeon area.


    There were nine avatars ced in one dungeon cell, and all of them were lying down.


    There were two other dungeon cells that were upied. They each held a single prisoner inside them. This underground dungeon was probably used to imprison individuals who couldnt be openly revealed in public.


    (Lets rescue them.)


    The space marines creed, correct?


    (Yeah. Us marines never leave ourrades behind.)


    Thats right. In the long history of the imperial space marines, weve never once left arade behind in enemy territory.


    There was an incident in the past where an entire battalion was wiped out in an operation to rescue a singlepany. When the held-up troops realized they wouldnt be able to escape, they thought of those who came to rescue them, shut off their signal beacon, and charged straight into the enemy lines.


    It was a stupid move, but thats just how the marines rolled. That was our pride.


    Is that a wise decision? Rescuing those people from a tightly guarded castle will most likely prove to be quite hard.


    (Check the security level of the entire castle. Staffing, shift schedules, peoples movements, the soldiers equipment, the rooms structures; check everything.)


    Roger that.


    (Of course, if possible, Id like to finish things without making much of a fuss. The best time to mount a rescue operation should be on the day of my appointment ceremony. There will be a lot of peopleing and going within the castle grounds, and things would be quite hectic.


    Ideally, we can perform the rescue operation in the middle of the ceremony or the celebration banquet, and then hide them inside our carriage somehow before leaving. Its a strategy that would allow them to leave together with us after the event. After all, the carriages of nobles arent subjected to strict inspections.


    I might get suspected once their escape gets found out, but as long as we dont leave any evidence behind, they wouldnt be able to trouble me much in lieu of my newly acquired status as a noble.)


    Understood. I shall consider a viable operation along those lines.


    (Ill leave it to you.)


    There seems to be nothing we can do for the time being. First, we needed to confirm if those two men were really castle guards assigned to dungeon duty.


    It looks like the captured royal guards need to wait for five days more huh. Well, theyve already been able to endure being imprisoned for months, so Im sure itll be okay.


    By the way Captain, youre no longer an infantry soldier you know.


    (What did you say!?)


    I hurriedly disyed my status screen and checked it out, but it was true that I was no longer registered as a part of the infantry division. I havent checked my status screen even once sinceing to this, so I havent noticed until now.


    When you got promoted to Captain, you were automatically discharged from the infantry ranks and transferred directly to the space armada as amanding officer.


    Damn! I didnt think Id get forcibly discharged. I mean, I knew I was already promoted to a fleet officer, but I thought I would just be serving as one in addition to my original role in the military.


    Ive always thought of myself as an infantry guy, and I didnt know jack squat about being directly assigned in a fleet. I also felt my rank as Captain was something I didnt earn myself.


    If thats the case, then I just have to be a regr old space marine again.


    (Iris, I personally appoint myself as the Red Fleet Space Marine Corps 12th Expeditionary Force 52d Brigade 84th Regiment 15th Squadron 25th Company Captain.)


    This was the official designation of the space infantry corps assigned to the Iris Conrad.


    Roger.


    My new designation appeared on my status screen, and my title heading became Captain of the Iris Conrad Space Marine Corps.


    Yosh, thats more like it.


    Alright then. I better check with Elna to see if she was familiar with the names of the men mentioned by the two drunks in the videos.

 Chapter 84.1 - Planning A Rescue Mission Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    When I went down to the inns dining area on the first floor, I found Elna chatting with Cleria and the others at the innermost table. Fortunately, Dalshim and the other party leaders were also present nearby.


    The inn staff members were already informed that we were the Shining Star n and that they didnt have to serve us except during meals and cleaning up the tables afterward. Of course, this was done as a precaution to the possibility of a sudden surprise assault.


    Weve already informed the innkeeper of such a possibility, and we were able to easily convince him to let us continue staying at his ce after assuring him of a heftypensation if his establishment suffered any damages. As such, only members of Shining Star were present in the building, and those associated with the inn were all staying in an employees quarters separate from the main building.


    Have you already finished drawing our coat of arms, n?


    No, I actually have something to ask Elna.


    What is it?


    Its about the group you were working with before you came to Gotania. Are you familiar with the names Heinz and Bruno?


    Heinz is the name of our squads leader and Bruno is our vice leader. But how did youe to know their names, n?


    As I expected. Everyone, gather around me for a while.


    And so, everyone who was inside the dining area gathered near Clerias table while wondering what was up. There should have been about 40 of us all in all.


    I think youre all already aware that the royal guard team Elna was a part of was detained and taken away by this countrys nobles. Actually, they are probably being held here in the royal capital. More specifically, they should be locked up in the underground prison beneath the royal castle.


    Eeh!?


    Is that true, n!?


    Yeah, its true.


    Are they all alive!?


    Goddess above


    Elna, how many of your teammates were captured?


    There were nine of them.


    I see. If thats the case, then it really is possible that the ones imprisoned beneath the castle are your teammates. They should all still be alive.


    Recently, whenever I say something outrageous, everyone tends to simply believe me unconditionally without asking any questions. I guess theyve all just gotten used to it huh. The adaptability of humans really is amazing.


    It cant be The castles dungeon? If so, then what of the men who were captured? What should we do?


    Of course, were going to rescue them.


    n-sama, since you are about to be granted a peerage, its important to act with prudence. Its unfortunate, but it would be better for us to endure and wait for the time being.


    No, I dont n on leaving ourrades detained inside an underground prison for long. Im sorry Adjutant Dalshim, but Ive already decided to rescue them as soon as possible.


    Understood.


    Fortunately, my conferment ceremony will be held in five days. Lets mount a rescue operation at that time.


    But how?


    I havent decided on the exact details yet, but the basic idea is for a rescue team to sneak inside the castle while my conferment ceremony is being held, retrieve our capturedrades from the underground dungeon, and then hide them inside our carriage. Once the event is over, well be able to bring them out with none the wiser.


    Who will be part of the rescue team? Elna asked.


    ording to the event program I was given, I can only take three attendants with me. Selena, Sharon, Elna, can you three handle it?


    Of course.


    Roger!


    As long as Elna had Selena and Sharon with her, they should have no problems in terms ofbat capabilities. Elna will handle talking to the captives in order to ensure everything goes smoothly.


    It cant be Just the three of them?


    Even if I insisted on bringing additional attendants, we can only bring one carriage after all. So we cant really increase our numbers, and we shouldnt because that would make us stand out. The problem is whether or not theyll question why Im only taking women with me.


    It probably wont be a problem. It might seem a bit curious to others, but were just a newly instated noble house after all, and its not like there arent any other nobles who only have women as attendants.


    Some of the people from the royal guards were nodding in agreement. Apparently, female attendants werent that rare among aristocrats here. I wonder if theyre actually regarded as mistresses or something? Well, I dont really care even if some people give me weird looks.


    ording to the information I obtained, the captured people seem to be subjected to harsh treatment. Theyve probably lost a lot of weight and would just be wearing tattered rags for clothing. If they walk around the castle with such appearances, theyd probably get found out immediately.


    So what should we do?


    If possible, Id like to obtain clothes simr to what the castle guards are wearing. The castle guards and the soldiers patrolling the city are basically dressed the same. Id like you to find apany that wholesales equipment to the castle guards and the city garrison.


    Well then, allow me to look into that, n-sama.


    Ill be counting on you, Katolle. If possible, Id like you to procure at least eleven sets of clothing. At worst, we can secretly attack the soldiers guarding the capital and strip them of their clothes, but Id like to avoid that option as much as possible.


    Understood.


    In the very worst case that the rescue operation fails, we might find ourselves fighting the castle guards and the city garrison. Please keep that in mind, everyone.


    A hint of tension appeared in everyones expressions. Thats to be expected. After all, its very possible that we wont just be going up against the castle guards and the city garrison, but the entire army stationed within the imperial capital.


    What, everyone? Its fine I tell you. We can always escape to the neighboring Cecilio kingdom you know. If we bring Gloria along, Im sure theyd appoint me as a baron straight away.


    Everyoneughed at my joke. Well, its not really much of a joke. It might really end up being the case after all.


    The details of the n should be ironed out by the day of the ceremony. Please do what you can to prepare, everyone.


    Yes!


    Theres not much I can do until Iris finishes checking the overall security measures of the royal castle after all. I went back up to my room in order to finish drawing our coat of arms.


    The next morning, I managed to run into Katolle, who was just about to leave the inn, when I went down to have breakfast. In addition to his usual helpers, he also brought five temporary assistants with him. Apparently, the five of them offered to be Katolles assistants themselves.


    Well be off then, n-sama.


    Yeah. Im counting on you, Katolle.


    The drunkards from yesterday were confirmed to have returned to the barracks of the royal castle. I wonder if it was really alright for castle guards to be out drinking in the city security-wise. But if it proves too difficult to perform a rescue operation on the day of my title conferment ceremony, theres also the option of pretending to be castle guards and sneaking inter.


    Cleria and the other girls were already sitting around a table and having their breakfast. The breakfast was served buffet style, so I put some dishes on a te and joined Cleria and the others around the table.


    n, are you sure everyone from my team is still alive?


    Honestly, Im not sure. But there is no doubt nine people are held together in one cell inside the castle dungeon.


    I see.


    After hearing my reply, Elna quieted down in thought. Cleria also appeared pretty pensive.


    Apparently, Cleria and Elna were feeling a lot of responsibility for the matter.


    For me, I didnt even know their faces or most of their names, but for Elna and Cleria, they were friends andrades whove shared joys and sorrows with them. Of course, theyd feel apprehensive, and perhaps even guilty.


    Elnas eyes suddenly sharpened. It looks like shes decided on something.


    n, is it alright for me to kill the castle guards during the rescue mission?


    No, if possible, I dont want there to be any casualties among the guards. If theirrades were killed instead of just the prisoners escaping, Im sure theyd conduct an even more serious investigation. At least, thats what Id do if I were in their shoes.


    I see. Sharon, Selena. Can you instruct me on the hand-to-handbat style you practiceter? Id probably end up killing them if I used a sword after all, wooden or otherwise.


    Of course.


    We have the perfect techniques you can use in such situations.


    Originally, Imperial Arts was created for anti-personnel unarmedbat scenarios after all. In practice, they were particrly effective in covert operations such as the rescue mission we were nning. It really was perfect for this particr situation.


    Elna knows Air Bullet, so I dont think she actually needs to forcibly learn CQC techniques, but magic spells do produce a considerable amount of noise after all. I guess the more cards she can use, the better.


    It seems they were nning on conducting a training session in the inns courtyard right away. Cleria, who wasnt actually going to participate in the rescue mission, still joined them for training.


    Now then, I better hand the coat of arms design that I finished drawingst night to the workshop suggested by the royal castle.

 Chapter 84.2 - Planning A Rescue Mission Part 2

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Following the map I got from the castle, I managed to arrive at the workshop after a thirty-minute walk. It wasnt as noisy as a cksmiths workshop and specialized in delicately made articles.


    Good day. Is the master in?


    Ah. Master! Theres a guest lookin fer ya.


    A guest lookin fer me? Does that mean


    A rugged-lookingrge man stepped out from the back of the workshop. This man seems to be the master of this particr workshop.


    Good day. I came here to


    Its about the design of your leaders coat of arms, right!? Hurry and bring it out!


    Ah, here it is.


    The heck is this!? This is gonna be yer coat of arms? Oi, you didnt make a mistake, right? Is this really the barons coat of arms design?


    Yes, theres no mistake.


    This things amazin. Its my first time seein such a bizarre design. I already thought the Dragon yer should be one unusual fellow, but hes more unusual than I expected. Your leaders one heck of a guy huh.


    Ah, it looks like theyvepletely mistaken me for an attendant. Should I correct them? I might need to ask them to do something for me in the future again, so I guess I better do so.


    Its nice to meet you. By the way, my name is n, the n leader of Shining Star.


    The workshop master, who was busy checking out my drawing, suddenly froze up.


    Ya mean youre? I mean, is it really you, sir?


    Thats right.


    Please excuse my rudeness!


    The four craftsmen, including the workshop master, all kneeled on the spot.


    Ah, theres no need to do that, gentlemen. Im still not a noble after all, and Im not good with things being all formal.


    Does that mean you forgive us, sir?


    Of course. Leave the formal stuff for when Ive be a noble. Right now, Im just a mere adventurer.


    Really?


    Yes, really.


    I see. Dont mind if I do then. What the heck? That really scared me. I didnt think the famed Dragon yer would be so young. Why didnt ya bring any escorts with ya?


    Like I said, Im not a noble yet, and its not like myrades arent busy.


    No, ya really need an escort, I tell ya! Well, I guess yer the Dragon yer after all. Maybe ya really dont need em? My names Cruz by the way. Its nice to meet ya.


    Likewise. Sorry about the strange design. Its a crest thats been passed down my family for generations.


    Nah. It certainly is strange fer an emblem design, but it looks well thought out dependin on how ya look at it. Sorry fer sayin its weird.


    Its fine. Its true that its peculiar after all. I dont really mind.


    Oops. Standin around here is no good. Sorry, but Id like to start workin on it straight away. Id have to deliver it to the castle in four days after all.


    Um, what about the fee for making the coat of arms?


    Ya dont need to worry about that fer now. I already received a deposit from the castle. Theyd pay the remainin bnce after Ive delivered it to the castle.


    Whoah. So the castle was paying for the cost of producing the coat of arms huh. Im surprised. Ipletely thought wed have to shoulder the fee ourselves.


    Would you mind showing me around your workshop for a bit? I promise I wont get in the way.


    Sure ya can. I aint gonna be able ta keep yapanyter on, but I dont mind ya lookin around.


    I followed the workshop master inside the building as he headed for the studio. There, I saw a wide variety of tools and materials used for craftsmanship lying around.


    This is what we use fer makin coats of arms.


    What the master showed me was what appeared to be a mithril board. They probably carved boards like this in order to produce coats of arms for their clients.


    By the way, how do you process mithril boards? Ive been told theyre very hard and tough.


    Yeah. But the ones we use here are unbaked mithril. Its the baked mithril thats really hard. These are a lot easier ta work with.


    I see. Apparently, mithril hardens exponentially when baked in high temperatures. But carving boards like this should still be pretty tough work.


    Now then, I have ta finish carvin this pattern before the day ends.


    The master ced the pattern I drew on top of the mithril board and began transferring it by hitting the lines with a tool that resembled a sharp ice pick, one prick at a time.


    I see. So this is how they would copy the pattern huh. It looks like their work requires a considerable amount of effort and skill.


    If its alright, shall I draw the pattern for you?


    Nn? Whaddya mean?


    If its alright with you, Ill be the one to transfer the pattern onto the board.


    Can ya really do somethin like that?


    Please let me try.


    Well, its yer coat of arms anyway. Do what ya want.


    (Nanom, disy the imperial insignia pattern I usedst night over the board.)


    Roger.


    I took the icepick from the workshop master and started hitting the board with it. Its harder than drawing stuff with a pen since you had to put a lot more effort into it, but it was still fairly simple to trace the lines that were disyed in red.


    Whoah!?


    It looks like the trick is to make sure your wrist is steady while applying only a certain amount of force to draw the pattern on the board. Hm. It wasnt so different from drawing on paper after all. I was able to finish copying down the whole pattern in about ten minutes.


    Well, how is it? Did I manage to do an eptable job?


    The workshop master put the paper with the pattern I drewst night on top of the mithril board again to check if it really was the same as the one I carved on the board directly.


    There aint even a single deviation. Just howd you do that?


    Im really good at drawing stuff.


    Really good, ya say? No, I guess this just means the Dragon yer really aint ordinary huh. Honestly, I thought that bit with yin a dragon was just a big fat lie, but now Im convinced.


    Haha, is that so? Thank you then.


    Youve got one hell of a knack fer craftsmanship even though yer about ta be a noble. Its a bit of a waste, really. If ya give up on bein an aristocrat, Id hire ya in a heartbeat. Ill pay ya however much ya want.


    Ill keep that in mind.


    I stayed to observe how the workshop master works on the coat of arms for a while, but since it was bad to disturb him for too long, I finally decided to leave the workshop and return to the inn.


    After I got back, I went to check up on Elna and the others who were probably still training in the courtyard.


    Ah, n, what good timing. I want to practice the technique I learned from Selena, so please apany me for a spar. Id like to test my moves out on an able-bodied man after all. Youd be fine even if I used the techniques on you, right, n?


    Okay, sure. Which techniques did you girls teach her anyway?


    I tried to confirm it with Selena and Sharon, but they quickly turned away when I asked. Afterward, Elna grinned teasingly. Oh boy. I have a really bad feeling about this.


    Thats a secret. Its fine if you just avoid it, right?


    No, even I wont be able to react at once if I dont know whatsing


    Here I go!


    Elna rushed in without even letting me finish.


    Man, I really had a hard time back there. Sharon and Selena taught her all the techniques that were normally forbidden in usual sparring sessions. They all aimed at vulnerable areas of the human body without restraint after all. If I wasnt her opponent, Elna would havended all her moves and subjected the one on the receiving end to a world of hurt.


    Some of the other n members watched our practice match. But after seeing Elnas unrestrained attacks, they all scattered about like frightened puppies. It looks like they really wanted to avoid getting picked as her next sparring partner.


    Elna was really enthusiastic about the uing rescue mission, and she continued to train until evening without even having lunch.


    Elnas aptitude forbat arts wasnt bad at all. She was able to improve her skills to a point that would allow her to employ some of the moves she learned in actualbat already, just after a day of training.


    I finally managed to get a good grasp of the techniques. n, please apany me for training every day until the rescue mission.


    Alright, I understand.

 Chapter 84.3 - Planning A Rescue Mission Part 3

    Editor: Thors Stone


    After taking a quick bath, I went down to the dining hall on the first floor to have an early dinner and found everyone crowding around and talking to Katolle.


    n-sama, please take a look at these.


    Oh, those look like the uniforms worn by the castle guards!


    Katolle! You already managed to get some?


    Yes. I managed to get fifteen sets of uniforms used by the castle guards. I also got five sets of dresses worn by thedies-in-waiting working at the castle.


    Thats amazing! Youve really outdone yourself this time.


    I merely had no problem locating thepany selling them. It was a really famous clothingpany here in the capital. But, as expected, I couldnt get the clothes directly from thepany, so I resorted to getting information on subcontractors instead, so I had to put in a bit more work.


    n-sama, Katolle really is an amazing merchant! The methods he used to obtain information one after another are things we probably cant emte with ourcking skills.


    The one who said that was one of Katolles temporary assistants.


    Im really grateful for thepliments, but what I did was just basic for any merchant worth his salt. I secretly obtained these clothes from several subcontractor workshops, so it wasnt all that hard. So I dont think I truly deserve all that praise.


    I see. Even so, that was very well done, Katolle. This will certainly make the rescue mission a lot easier.


    Katolle was then tapped by the rest of the n members on the shoulders as they continued to praise him. They all seemed really happy and impressed.


    n-sama, you have visitors from the Commerce Guild.


    The Commerce Guild? I wonder what theyre here for.


    When I went to the entrance of the inn, I found three men who were dressed like your typical merchant waiting there. I also spotted the figures of some armed escorts behind them.


    One of the three men then came forward. He was a man who looked to be in his forties and sported a rather dauntless look.


    Its nice to meet you, n-sama. My name is Yan, the guild chief of the royal capitals Commerce Guild branch. Im looking forward to working with you in the future.


    Likewise. It wont do to stand around here and talk, so pleasee in, everyone.


    Since the guild chief himself paid us a visit, we must at least show him the minimum amount of hospitality. I lead them to sit around a table in the dining hall and asked for some tea to be served.


    What pressing matter required the guild chief to personally pay us a visit?


    No, its nothing so grand, really. If I must say, our main reason foring here is to give our greetings to you, a person to whom the Commerce Guild is highly indebted.


    n-sama, congrattions on your promotion to one of our kingdoms nobles.


    As expected of a branch chief of the Commerce Guild. It looks like theyve already found out I would be conferred the title of baron soon.


    Thank you very much.


    Also, I wanted to personally express my gratitude as well. Thank you for your continued work in cleaning up the bandits guing our businesses.


    I see. The Commerce Guilds request for us to hunt down bandits should still be active. It looks like the bandits we caught a few days ago were also counted as part of our record, so the guild was probably going to give us a reward for capturing them.


    Calling those guys bandits is a bit suspect though.


    Certainly. Apparently, they directly aimed at Shining Star. Ive also done an investigation of my own, and it seems some of them were active in the royal capital, and some were even leaders of various underground organizations here.


    Hou, underground organizations huh. What sort of organizations are they, exactly?


    Just your usual group of viins. They do things like managing pickpockets, robbery, kidnappings, and even murder. It looks like several of those kinds of organizations came together to perform the attempted ambush on you all.


    I was wondering if that was really the case Were they actually hired by someone?


    Most likely. After all, people who usually never interact much with each other and avoid each others turfs suddenly gathered together for a single objective. Its only natural toe to such a conclusion. I will immediately inform you once I find out more information.


    Ill be very grateful for that. Weve always been worried they might stage another attack, so as you see, we have quite a lot of people stationed at this inn.


    I think thats a wise decision. It certainly is within the bounds of possibility. Let me inform the city garrison so they can keep a tighter watch on the area.


    Thank you very much.


    It looks like the Commerce Guild branch in the royal capital seems to have the power to move the city garrison. It was definitely worthwhile to have developed a great working rtionship with the guild.


    Also, Ive received a message for n-sama through the guild. I brought it here with me.


    A message for me? Thank you very much.


    The message was put inside something like a sealed envelope.


    I wonder who its from. Its possible that its a reply from Roberto whos in the Cecilio kingdom, or maybe it was from Karina-san from Gantz. Anyway, Ill check it outter.


    After chatting with me about the recently conducted auction and the security situation of the royal capital for a while, the people from the guild finally excused themselves. It looks like they really only came here to give their greetings.


    Judging from his demeanor while we were chatting, the guild chief, Yan, seems to be a pretty decent guy. I better try to get along with him more in the future.


    I immediately opened the letter I received earlier after seeing off the guests.


    Oh, it really is from Roberto. What!?


    Whats written in the letter, n?


    Everyone gathered around me and heard me gasp in surprise. I handed the letter to Cleria.


    Congrattions, dragon subjugation. An advance group, heading to the capital. We number a thousand strong. We seek to join you.


    The date of receipt was indicated in the message as well. The date written on it was 25 days ago. Maybe they acted immediately the moment they received the message we sent.


    (Iris, please locate the current position of the advance group.)


    Roger that.


    A thousand of them!? But why


    After reading the message, Cleria handed it to the others for them to read.


    This is!? Just what is Roberto-dono thinking? Why did he arbitrarily decide things without Ria-samas consent?


    Im sure they just got excited when they found out we subjugated a dragon. Now then, what should we do?


    But we havent even established a base, right? If a thousand of them were toe, just where would we


    No, well, if its just a thousand people, our base can already amodate that much, including us, of course. We can even start living there if we want.


    n! Have you been contacted by your subordinates?


    Hm? Ah, well, yes they have. Theyve reported the current progress of the base to me.


    They could have paid us a visit directly


    Yeah, sorry about that. But really, what should we do about this? I promised Id first show you around the base for your approval, right, Cleria?


    n, is it true that we can already have people live in our new base without problems?


    Yeah, theres no problem living there at all. Its a veryfortable ce to live in, just as initially nned.


    Afortable ce to live in? But its a city built deep within the Great Demon Forest, right?


    Of course itsfortable. Oh, but bear in mind that the buildings have been more or less built, but they still havent finished installing the windows. It looks like procuring ss for use in the windows isnt going so well.


    ss windows? Is that really necessary?


    Huh? Well, of course, it is. We can also use wooden ones, of course, but its definitely got to be ss windows after all.


    I checked everyones reactions, but it looks like only Sharon and Selena nodded along.


    n. Do you mean your subordinates have already constructed buildings that can house more than a thousand people, and the only things missing from them are ss windows?


    Yeah. Even if they still dont have the windows installed, the buildings can already house five thousand to six thousand people.


    S-Six thousand people!?


    The base construction n seems to be proceeding far ahead of the originally estimated schedule. Iris initially estimated it would take at least a year to build the base, but the construction time was significantly shortened because it turned out that it was easier to process the raw materials procured on-site than expected.


    n-sama. If that many buildings have already been constructed, then you must have also finished building an outer wall, correct?


    An outer wall? Oh, the walls that surround a city huh. Of course, thats been finished as well. Its pretty tough Ill have you know. It should be okay against any kind of monster out there.


    How wonderful! If so, then we really will not have any problems living there, right?


    Well, yeah, thats right. But just like I promised, I have to show the base to Cleria first before we decide to move, right?

 Chapter 84.4 - Planning A Rescue Mission Part 4

    Editor: Thors Stone


    n. Its fine already. Dont concern yourself with that promise anymore. We will not be able to turn back anymore after all, and if n thinks its alright, then I will just follow your lead. Do you have any other opinions, everyone?


    If n-sama and Ria-sama believe it is fine, then we do not have any objections as well.


    Alright. Like I said, there is no problem with living in the base. Id like to leave for the base as soon as our business in the royal capital is over, but we still dont know what will happen once we conduct the rescue operation. For the time being, lets concentrate on the rescue operation first. I will give you all a detailed overview of the n tomorrow.


    I understand.


    Got it.


    Right now, everythings still unpredictable. Will we be able to get through the conferment ceremony sessfully, will we be able to perform the rescue operation without a hitch, and what was going on with Roberto and the others anyway? In any case, we have no choice but to tackle each of them one by one.


    When I was about to finish eating supper, a call from Iris came.


    I found a group that is likely to be the advance party.


    (Yosh, Ill receive your report in my room. Can youe to my room as well, Selena, Sharon?)


    ((Understood.))


    After Selena and Sharon entered my room, a projection of Iris appeared as well.


    Please take a look at these footages.


    An entire wall of the room turned into a screen, and dozens of windows popped up within it. They showed footage of the advance party from different angles. It looks like the thousand or so people werent moving in arge unified group but were instead split into several smaller units.


    Yeah, these are probably them. Are all of them soldiers?


    No. Only about 40% of them are wearing armor and weapons. As for the others, judging from their clothes and the equipment they carry, they should be craftsmen of some sort.


    Craftsmen huh. I guess Roberto is thinking of helping us build a base. Well, theres a limit to what the general-purpose bots can do on their own, so these craftsmen will be quite helpful.


    Lieutenant, when will these people arrive at the royal capital?


    ording to my estimate, they should be arriving here in forty days.


    Forty days huh? In any case, theres nothing we can do about them right now. Assign some drones to escort them.


    Roger.


    Now then, lets discuss the rescue operation next. Tell me everything youve learned about the castle security measures.


    This is most likely the best route for infiltrating the underground dungeon.


    A transparent cross-section of the castle appeared on screen, and a route leading from where the carriages will be parked to the underground dungeon was disyed in red.


    I believe you will not have any problems entering the castle itself if you are dressed asdies-in-waiting. You would only encounter trouble if you get in contact with castle personnel during the infiltration. There are two guards stationed in front of the hallway leading to the castle dungeon. There are an additional four guards stationed at the entrance to the dungeon itself.


    So there are six guards huh. There are a lot less of them than I expected.


    I was only able to confirm six guards stationed today. We cannot be sure if the situation will remain the same on the day of the rescue mission.


    Yeah, youre right. We have no choice but to check again in the morning before the ceremony and iron out an infiltration strategy then.


    I checked out the dresses worn by thedies-in-waiting earlier and I believe it will be difficult to conceal weapons such as swords,ser rifles, orser guns within them.


    Yeah, I suppose. I guess they can only bring electromaic deknives and magic stones with them huh. Will you be okay with just those?


    Theres no problem.


    This really cant be called a n, but just be sure to adapt to whatever situation you guys encounter ordingly and respond flexibly. For the time being, both of you should conduct simtions ording to the current info we have on hand. Ill say this now though. If I think its impossible to conduct the operation, I will have no qualms aborting it. Well think of a different approach if that happens, so please keep that in mind.


    Roger.


    After our preliminary strategy meeting was over, the two girls left my room spiritedly. I quickly organized the data and prepared the relevant material so I can exin the n to everyone tomorrow and slept early.


    The next day, I decided to gather everyone in the dining hall first thing in the morning to exin the outline of the n.


    This is the infiltration route you will take toward the underground dungeon.


    Elna stared at the sketch of the castle I drew on a piece of paper.


    There will be at least six soldiers assigned to guard the area near the dungeon. You three will need to swiftly dispatch them first.


    Understood. There will be no need to worry as long as I have Selena and Sharon with me.


    n, what about us? Is there anything we can do to help out?


    In the case that the operation fails, the three of them will need to escape the castle while fighting off the guards along the way.


    In preparation for that possibility, I want you guys to wait on stand-by near the castle gate, but make sure not to raise any undue suspicion. Well also need to prepare a suitablyrge carriage and some horses.


    If the mission is conducted sessfully, well move the ones we rescued to our n Home in Gantz straight away. In order not to make them stand out, Ill only have one Satellite apany them as escorts.


    For now, prepare for a withdrawal battle just in case things go south, and assemble an extraction team in case the rescue mission seeds.


    Roger!


    After the meeting, Adjutant Dalshim and the rest of the party leaders continued to discuss the particrs of the n among themselves. Everyone else busied themselves preparing as well.


    To be clear, the n cant be called a n at all due to how much is left to chance. In any case, everything rests on the sess or failure of the three main participants. I guess Ill just think up possible countermeasures just in case the mission fails.


    Elna, Selena, and Sharon changed to the long apron dresses worn by thedies-in-waiting working within the pce. I guess they want to practice for the real thing by wearing them.


    Now then, n. Please apany me in training today as well.


    Okay, sure. Alright then. Lets try close-quartersbat using knives this time. Ill y the part of an enemy swordsman.


    We moved to the inns courtyard, and I picked up a wooden sword ced in a corner.


    Can a knife wielder really win against a swordsman?


    Depending on how you fight, you can certainly snatch a win. Sharon.


    I got into a battle stance with the wooden sword while Sharon pulled out her deknife, held it in front of one of her forearms, and got into a knife-fighting position favored by the space marines.


    Knife-fighting was of a different sortpared to usual Imperial Arts techniques, but judging from her stance, Sharon was probably pretty skilled with it as well.


    I probed her with a couple of blows, but Sharon avoided all of them within a hairs breadth. The moment I swung my next blow, Sharon brandished her knife, deflected my wooden sword while stepping further in at the same time, restrained my wrist, and ced the knife next to my neck in a sh.


    Fighting the knife-wielding Sharon with the same pattern of sword attacks will just spell your defeat. The only way to counter her was to constantly change the pattern of your attacks and keep your distance.


    Amazing! I see. So you really can win against a swordsman even with just a deknife. I like it. Sharon, please. Please teach me your knife-fighting techniques.


    Of course.


    We continued to prepare for the rescue mission the following days until the day of the conferment ceremony finally arrived.


    Elnasbat skills grew at a surprisingly fast rate, and no one among the n members apart from Sharon, Selena, and I could hold a candle to her.


    Ive tried to ount for every eventuality I could predict and nned countermeasures ordingly. I did all I could, given the circumstances.


    Since Sharon and Selena will both being with me,mand of the rest of the members was left to Dalshim.


    That outfit really suits you, n.


    Is that so? Well, I admit these clothes really are well-made.


    The custom-made clothes I was wearing were a perfect fit for me, unlike ready-made clothes, and they also included a certain amount of imperial ir, so I also thought they looked pretty cool.


    Please do be careful, n.


    I know. Well definitely save them. Alright then. Were off. I leave everyone to you, Dalshim.


    Understood. Please leave it to me, n-sama.


    And so, I, Sharon, Selena, and Elna all boarded the carriage we prepared and headed for the royal castle.

 Chapter 85.1 - Rescue Operation 1 Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Two Days Ago


    Prime Minister Villis Burkes POV


    Lord Prime Minister, Sir Lucilia has arrived and requests for an audience.


    Have hime in.


    At my permission, Lucilia and his three attendants proceeded to enter my office. Lucilia went on to sit on the offices sofa.


    So youve finally made it back. But it sure took you quite some time.


    Please forgive me, My Lord. Gantz was farther than I expected


    Its fine. Let me hear your report.


    Yes. Most of the rumors surrounding the adventurer n turned out to be true. His Adventurer n, Shining Star, boasts a total of a hundred and five members. All of them are very capable C-rank adventurers or higher, and the n leader n himself is A-rank.


    Since they have the capability to wipe out an entire Orcish settlement with only five party members, they certainly seem to be more than capable enough, befitting their ranks. No one has witnessed the act of their leader defeating the dragon in person.


    It is possible that they managed to defeat one with arge group of at least fifty men instead of the im that the leader defeated one alone. But it is also true that a dragon brought the corpse of another dragon back to Gantz city.


    So it was actually true. What about that rumor of the dragon obeying hismands?


    It seems that one is true as well. There were hundreds of people who witnessed n climbing on one of the dragons limbs and getting intimate with it. They have even seen him talking to the creature.


    The dragon seems to understand humannguage and its name is Gloria. I was able to obtain multiple testimonies that corroborated what n had imed.


    So its even true that a dragon that can actually understand human words exists. I see. How dangerous.


    It is as you say. He is certainly an extremely dangerous man.


    Should we do away with him? Can you finish him off if ites to that?


    Of course, it is possible. However, due to the previous bandit ambush, Shining Star has been exercising extreme caution and has stationed dozens of men in the inn n and hispanions are currently staying at. Based on their ability to subdue the bandit ambush, it seems well need a good number of troops in order to handle them.


    If so, then it would be better to strike when hees to the castle for the ceremony


    That would be the most efficient and reliable option. Please leave everything to me, My Lord.


    ns POV


    We arrived at the castle gate well before 12 oclock, which was the scheduled time.


    In addition to the castle guards, I found the Chief Protocol Officer, Zard, standing outside the gate as well. Apparently, he was also waiting for my arrival.


    After Chief Protocol Officer Zard confirmed the inside of our carriage, he nodded to the guards, and we were able to pass through the gates unimpeded.


    Just like thest time I came here together with the baron, we entered the castles rear gate and parked the carriage in the inner courtyard. The spot we parked the carriage on was about 40 meters away from the castles rear gate.


    Ive been waiting for your arrival, n-sama. Now then, let us make our way inside immediately. We will be exining how you will handle the taxation of your territory as wellter on, so would you like to bring one of your attendants with you to learn about it together?


    No, its fine. I dont think they would be able to understand such aplicated topic, so Ill just have them wait here for my return.


    Your attendants can opt to wait for you inside that building then. Of course, they can also opt to stay within your carriage as well.


    There was a barracks-like building in the direction Chief Protocol Officer Zard pointed towards. It seems to be a waiting area exclusive to the attendants of nobles visiting the castle.


    We shall wait for our master inside the carriage, sir.


    I see. Well then, n-sama, let us depart.


    I nodded toward Selena and the others and the three of them silently nodded back. At an opportune timing, they would change into thedy-in-waiting uniforms that were stashed inside the carriage and then proceed to infiltrate the underground castle dungeon to conduct the rescue mission.


    The room I was led to was the same meeting room I and the baron entered on my first visit.


    n-sama, you will now be learning all about court etiquette in the next hour or so. His Royal Majesty will be attending the ceremonyter, so we cannot afford any missteps, or the consequences would be dire. It might be difficult for you to learn everything on such short notice, but let us do our best together.


    You will also learn all about the conferment ceremony rites and the correct way to carry yourself during the celebration banquet afterward.


    After that, you will be assigned to another instructor to learn the knowledge necessary to govern your new territory which will go on from 1 oclock to 4 oclock in the afternoon.


    I see. So the reason they called me this early to the castle was to undergo these etiquette lessons and training to be a qualified aristocrat, even though the ceremony will officially start at 4 in the afternoon.


    Its impossible for most people topletely master the etiquette required to not mess up when having an audience with the king in just one hour, and theyd even squeezed in aristocratic training to a mere three hours. Wow. I sure hope theyd hand me written materials or guidebookster on as well.


    Ive learned a little in regards to etiquette, so could you confirm if what Ive learned is correct?


    I proceeded to demonstrate the etiquette knowledge Id learned from Cleria and Elna to Chief Protocol Officer Zard. Just as I was taught, I pretended that Chief Protocol Officer Zard was the king and gave my greetings.


    Wonderful! Your manners are almost perfect. Just where did you manage to learn all of this from, n-sama?


    No, this is not the time to be talking about this. I first thought it would be impossible to finish everything within the allotted time, but it looks like we will be able to somehow manage with this.


    Apparently, having me learn court etiquette and aristocratic manners in just one hour was not Chief Protocol Officer Zards idea.


    Afterward, Chief Protocol Officer Zard straightened up the remaining rough edges of my court etiquette, and the training moved on to how I should behave and respond to others during the celebration banquet.


    Fortunately, the entire process of the conferment ceremony had already been strictly arranged, and it seems the kings lines as well as my own were already pre-arranged as well. They were really short lines too so that sure is a relief.


    Since I would already be an officially recognized noble once the celebration banquet begins, it seems I wouldnt need to perform any particrlyplicated manners.


    In the first ce, I was actually the guest of honor during the celebration banquet. And since I would have just be an official noble by then, I would be forgiven for any gaffes as long as they didnt seem unbearably rude.


    Next would be table manners. They brought in actual food and made me eat them with a knife and fork. I was also taught table manners by Cleria, so I should pass this with no problems as well.


    Alright, that should be fine. Such splendid table manners youve shown me. As expected, the person who is the current center of attention in the royal capital truly is of a different caliber. I didnt think you would truly be able to finish every lesson within just one hour.


    Its because of your easy-to-understand exnations.


    Not at all. And besides, if you made a mistake,ter on, I will also be held responsible as well, so Im really thankful that you are actually so outstanding, n-sama.


    Truly, thank you very much for being such a quick learner, n-sama. Well then, I shall hand you over to your next instructor.


    Whew. Next up is aristocratic lessons huh. It looks like Ill be studying without any breaks.


    Selenas POV


    I confirmed that the change in shift of the castle soldiers guarding the entrance to the castle underground dungeon had urred on schedule through a virtual window and exchanged nces with Sharon. We both nodded in relief.


    The surveince efforts conducted for the past few days revealed that the dungeon guards would change shifts every 13:00 hours, so we concluded that this was probably their regr schedule and that the same thing will also ur today.


    If this was their regr shift schedule, then there shouldnt be any more shift exchanges at least until midnight.


    We immediately changed into thedy-in-waiting uniforms hidden inside the carriage and prepared for the rescue operation.

 Chapter 85.2 - Rescue Operation 1 Part 2

    Editor: Thors Stone


    We prepared nine sets of castle guard uniforms to be worn by the captured royal guards, and two additional sets of simr clothes for the two others who were also imprisoned together with them, for a total of twelve uniforms all told. We divided them between the three of us and hid them among the assorted foodstuffs and other items we would be bringing with us. Well be making good use of themter on.


    Its about time for us to move out, Elna. Just like how we practiced, try to always stick closely behind me.


    Of course, I understand.


    (Lieutenant, Ill leave the navigation to you.)


    Roger. Starting mission. Exit the carriage after 25 seconds and hide behind the shadow cast by this tree for ten seconds.


    An overhead map was disyed on a virtual window.


    Iris will actively disy the positions of all sentries inside the castle as well as their lines of sight through the map and ry instructions ordingly. We should be able to avoid being detected by anybody as long as we relied on the map and the lieutenants instructions.


    I opened the door of the carriage and started to run for cover.


    Elnas POV


    Selena quickly opened the door of the carriage and started running, so I hurriedly followed suit. We ran from the spot where the carriage was parked straight toward arge tree a little further out on the courtyard in one go.


    It was such a bold action that I got worried we would be spotted by the guards. But thankfully, that didnt seem to be the case.


    Lets go.


    Then, Selena ran from behind the shade of the tree straight toward the castle propers rear entrance. We were able to sessfully infiltrate the castle without any guards spotting us.


    Once we were inside the castle, Selena began walking ahead with a steady and brisk pace.


    Selena advanced through the corridors and went up toward the second floor after reaching a stair. Huh? I thought we were supposed to head for the castles underground dungeon? Why were we going up to the second floor all of a sudden?


    Selena stopped in the middle of walking up the stairs. She seemed to be waiting for something. We waited in the middle of the flight of stairs for a few moments and then began to head back down.


    Wait. Dont tell me she noticed that we would be encountering someone from the castle if we continued along earlier, and thats why she abruptly went up the stairs!?


    Amazing! To think scanning magic would actually be able to tell this much!? It was as if she was aware of what will happen a few moments ahead in the future.


    After that, we continued on without ever encountering anyone else.


    Selena then stopped in front of a certain room and opened the door to enter it without even knocking first. As youd expect, the room waspletely devoid of people. It seems that it was just an empty storage room.


    From here, well run until a fork and head right. Thats where well find the stairs leading down to the castle dungeon.


    After saying so, she began taking out a piece of cloth from the assortment of items she was carrying.


    I also took out a fifty-centimeter square piece of white cloth and folded it into a triangr shape. I then tied it to my face in order to conceal my nose and mouth, and only revealed my eyes, just like how we practiced.


    With this, the castle guards would at least be prevented from seeing our faces.


    After this, I went ahead of the two of them and made for the castle dungeon. Even with the cloth covering our faces, I was taller than the two of them, so if I changed my voice to sound older than usual, I should be able to y the part of thedy-in-waitings superior. That was the n at least.


    Two castle guards were standing on both sides of the entrance to the stairs leading to the underground dungeon.


    What are you all doing here? This ce is off-limits.


    We have brought clothes for the prisoners to change to. Did you not receive word that we wereing over?


    We havent heard anything. And whats up with those cloth pieces covering your faces?


    The prisoners all smell terrible, correct? We certainly do not want our noses to be assaulted by such foul a stench.


    Even if they do smell, its not that bad. What kind of instructions did you all receive?


    We were told to have the prisoners change their clothes and clean them up. No matter how you think about it, that should not be part of our duties at all. Do you want to change their clothes in our ce?


    No, no. You were the ones who were told to do so, right? If thats the case, then we cant offer any help with that.


    The young castle guard answered with a wry grin.


    It cant be helped then. Fine. Let me talk to your superior first. Please lead the way.


    Following the lead of the two young castle guards, we finally made our way down the stairs heading down to the dungeon.


    Their superior seems to be inside the dungeon. Our luck had still not run out.


    Leader, threedies-in-waiting just paid us a visit. They said they brought new sets of clothes for the prisoners to change into.


    The castle guard called out to his superior through a small opening on an iron door lined with grills. A figure appeared immediately from the other side.


    Ladies-in-waiting? I havent heard anything about that.


    This should not be part of our job. We have been requested to change all of the prisoners clothes and clean them up. Please! Could you have the prisoners change their clothes and clean them up in our ce? No matter how you think about it, that is not a job unwed women like us are suited to.


    Now just hold on a darn minute, mdy. I havent heard of something like that in the first ce. Oi, Vili. Unlock the door for me. Ill go and check it with the captain.


    The moment the castle guard named Vili opened the door, I swung a knifehand strike toward his neck from behind.


    Sharon also knocked out the other young guard and jumped straight into the dungeon.


    When I managed to enter the dungeon myself, I found that Selena had already handled the man who acted as the immediate superior of the other guards. She then headed for a small room that seemed to serve as a guard station. Sharon quickly followed after her.


    Another young guard who stood beside their superior was just staring nkly at what was happening. He was probably stunned silly whendies-in-waiting suddenly attacked and knocked out each of hispanions.


    I suppose theyre leaving this young guard for me to handle. Im d the two of them trust me that much.


    He was a castle guard but he wasnt even carrying a sword on his person. How careless.


    Perhaps he finally realized what had happened and immediately pounced at me. I mmed a fist into his nk, right under his armpit, and when he started bending over from the pain, I mmed a knifehand strike onto the back of his neck. The young guard quickly copsed and lost consciousness.


    Compared to Selena and Sharon, he was far too slow. I didnt think he would be such an easy opponent. It looks like Selena and Sharon have also handled the remaining guards inside the station. They dragged out the two guards they defeated.


    I took out ropes from within my bag and handed some to the other two. We then proceeded to tie up all the defeated guards. We also gagged and blindfolded them in order to prevent them from making noise.


    There were a total of ten holding cells inside the dungeon, with five facing opposite each other. Leader and the others were held in the left innermost cell.


    Just like we nned, we dragged the six defeated guards to the innermost corner of the dungeon.


    The cell where Leader and my other teammates were being held was sealed by an iron door. There was a tiny opening on the door lined with iron grills, and I was able to get a glimpse of the situation inside despite the dim illumination.


    Theres no mistake! They really were my teammates. All nine of them are still alive!


    All of them were blindfolded so they could not use magic, and their wrists were secured with manacles.


    Selena had obtained the prison keys from a guard she had defeated earlier, so she dragged the unconscious castle guards inside the cell right next to where my teammates were imprisoned and locked them in. So far, everything was going quite well.


    Unfortunately, there were two other prisoners held inside the other cells. They would inevitably end up hearing our exchangester.

 Chapter 85.3 - Rescue Operation 1 Part 3

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Oi, its kind of noisy out there. Is it already time for lunch? We just ate a little bit earlier though?


    Leader seems to have noticed themotion the three of us caused outside.


    Sir Enders, please keep silent and listen to my question first. Are the other two prisoners held in this dungeon your enemies?


    I boldly called Leader by his surname. Leader opened his mouth, let out a gasp, and did not move for about thirty seconds or so, as if he was frozen in shock. My other teammates reacted in much the same way.


    No, they are not our enemies. If I had to say, they are actually our allies.


    Good. If they were allies, it would not be a problem for them to hear our conversation and my name for the time being.


    The two of you over there. Please be quiet and listen. I shall hold off on deciding how to deal with you two for the time being. If you let out even a sliver of a scream for help, we shall kill you immediately.


    There was no response from the other two prisoners. I heard some soft noises, but they did not talk just as I instructed.


    It has been so long, Leader.


    Is that you, Dame Norian?


    Thats right. I havee to fetch you all.


    Selena and Sharon brought out their deknives and sliced the hinges of the iron door. They then cut the door in two and carefully removed the resulting halves.


    Ah, what an awful smell! And they had to endure this kind of filthy environment for months.


    The three of us split up and proceeded to take off the blindfolds and manacles of my imprisoned teammates. The ones who were freed of their bonds first watched us work in a daze.


    It really is you, right, Dame Norian?


    Yes. I am undoubtedly Elna Norian, myrades.


    Ah, thank the Goddess! I thought Id finally broken down and was merely hallucinating. How did youe here? No, you must hurry and escape from here first. You might still make it if you run away now.


    Elna, lets get them out of this cell first for the time being. This isnt somewhere a person should be in.


    Yes, youre right. Lets do so. Leader, well talkter.


    I helped him stand up, but he could barely manage to, and could not walk by himself. Of course, we had already anticipated such a situation. With this, it was now time to proceed with step two of the n.


    We lent each person our shoulders one by one and moved them all to the guard station. In here, the other two prisoners should not be able to hear our exchanges unless we talk particrly loudly.


    Dame Norian, please tell me one thing first. Did you manage to find her?


    Yes, of course. I managed to find Cleria-sama in the city of Gotania. I, no, our team had managed to find her first. This is a great honor for us.


    Ah Thank you, merciful Goddess. I see. So she is alive and well. So she really was in this Belta kingdom.


    Currently, Cleria-sama is also here in the royal capital.


    What did you say!? Why would you allow her toe to such a dangerous ce? Why did you not stop her?


    Leader, how about we listen to the rest of the story first? There seem to be various circumstances that have happened while we werenguishing inside here.


    Ah, yes, youre right, Bruno. My apologies, Dame Norian. It seems I am still a little out of it.


    Its fine. I think thats just natural.


    Sharon and Selena then proceeded to cast healing magic on all nine people. Torrents of light poured out from both of them and enveloped my teammates bodiespletely.


    I-Is this healing magic by any chance?


    Thats right. Next, please go ahead and drink these.


    I handed over small phial bottles to each of my teammates. When I urged them to drink the contents, they downed them in one go without any hesitation. Everyone seemed to be frowning at the taste though.


    Dame Norian, its not like Imining, but just what is this concoction? Frankly, it tastes pretty terrible.


    What you just drank are panaceas. We need you all up and about as soon as possible so we can escape from here so we resorted to letting you drink some.


    Panaceas!?


    After a short while, everyones pale faces began to have some color gradually return to them.


    Is what we had really panaceas? The pain in my body has all but disappeared, and it even seems my strength is rapidly recovering.


    Leader eximed in surprise and finally stood up on his own. However, it looks like itll take a bit more time for him to regain the ability to walk by himself.


    Of course. Theres no mistake. Those are genuine panaceas. Each bottle costs 300,000 Guineas Ill have you know.


    What do you mean by this? Those were not items you should have used on louts like us. What a damn waste. In any case, Dame Norian, would you kindly introduce us to the two lovelydies now?


    Ah, Im sorry. Let me introduce you then. This is Selena Conrad. And this is Sharon Conrad. They are both my dearrades.


    Are they sisters? First, let me express my gratitude for rescuing us. The healing magic youdies cast on us earlierpletely cured the aches and pains in my body. My utmost thanks to both nobledies from House Conrad.


    By the way, these two are not nobles you know.


    But they No, this is not the time to be talking about these things. The three of you need to hurry and escape from here. Im sorry for saying this after all the trouble you went through to rescue us, but as you can see, we are in no shape to attempt an escape ourselves. We do not know when other guards might show up.


    The guards have just changed shifts a little while ago. We have plenty of time until the next shift arrives, and we have already arranged a n for all of us to escape the castle.


    But how? It looks like we have to talk in detail about your n.


    Let me confirm one thing first. Just who are the two people imprisoned in the other cells?


    One is Lord Leister, the former prime minister of this kingdom. The other one is his son.


    The former prime minister? Just why is someone like him imprisoned here?


    It looks like he was caught in a trap orchestrated by the current prime minister. It seems he has beennguishing in this prison for close to three years already.


    Just why is someone of his status still being kept alive here. Wouldnt it be better to kill him if they were really so keen to get rid of him?


    It seems he is being kept as a sort of consultant to the current prime minister. Hes being forced to cooperate by threatening him with the life of his son, and is sometimes asked for advice regarding various government policies.


    Are the guards here unaware that they are imprisoning the former prime minister?


    No, it seems they truly have no idea. The two of them have been keeping silent because if the guards were to find out, their captors threatened to kill them. Only a nobleman named Sir Lucilia everes in contact with the former prime minister to ask for advice.


    Do you think its safe for us to bring them out of prison as well? Would it pose a problem if they get to know of Cleria-samas whereabouts?


    I personally do not think so. All the former prime ministers family members have been killed except for his son. He would probably never throw his lot in with the current prime minister at the very least.


    Well then, we can also bring them out with us if theyd like. In the meantime, please take a rest here for a while, everyone.


    Honestly, I really did not want to take such a risk, but n said that if the prisoners were not our enemies and if they wished to escape as well, then we should lend them a hand.


    I went with Sharon and Selena back to the innermost cells. Unlike the other cells, the ones the other two prisoners were held in didnt have any opening on their iron doors, making it impossible to peer from the outside.


    We are the ones who came here to help ourrades. We might consider taking you both with us if you wish, so how about it?


    Will you also bring my son along?


    I heard a hoarse voice reply from one of the special cells.


    Of course. Well rescue you both.


    Well then, by all means, please help us. I swear upon my familys honor that we will never be burdens to you all.

 Chapter 85.4 - – Rescue Operation 1 Part 4

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Swearing upon ones familys honor was the greatest and heaviest promise that nobles can make. With this, there seems to be no problem with helping them escape out of prison as well.


    Well then, please move away from the door. We will now proceed to break it open.


    I nodded toward Sharon and Selena, and they brandished their deknives to destroy the iron doors in the blink of an eye.


    Just what!?


    The former prime minister, Lord Leister, was an elderly man who seemed to be in his sixties, with graying hair. And although he was currently quite skinny due to his time in imprisonment, his eyes remained sharp and incisive. He certainly didnt seem like an ordinary person.


    His son was a young man who looked to be in his twenties or thirties. He was quite young for the son of Lord Leister.


    Lord Father!


    Oh, Abel, my son!


    The father and son finally held hands for the first time in years.


    Unlike the cells where my fellow royal guards we imprisoned, the interior of their cells had traces of being cleaned regrly and were furnished with desks filled with books and illumination magic tools. It seems their confinement conditions were a lot better.


    Both of them had no problems walking by themselves, and their steps were firm. It looks like well have no problems with them after all.


    My utmost gratitude to you all, our dear benefactors. I will definitely make sure to return this great favor in the future.


    It is far too early to be thanking us, sir. I will have you uphold your earlier promise no matter what.


    I understand.


    We took both of them and joined back up with Leader and the others.


    Ooh, so we finally meet face to face, Lord Leister.


    Is that you, Sir Enders? In this damned purgatory, conversing with you was my onlyfort as well as one of the limited means to keep myself sane. Please ept my heartfelt gratitude, my friend.


    No, it was the same for me as well. I thought I would have liked to meet you face to face before I died, so I am very happy now that we have gotten this opportunity.


    Apparently, the rtionship built between Leader and the former prime minister was quite good.


    Now then, Dame Norian, wed like to finally hear your story.


    Before that, let us first get rid of your beards, cut your hair, and get you changed to the clothes we prepared. Please excuse me for sounding rude, but you all really do stink to high heaven. Go and clean yourselves up right now.


    Leader and the others exchanged nces and sniffed themselves a few times. It looks like theyve only just realized how unpresentable and dirty they were. Its good that they didnt seem to be suffering from any seque anymore though.


    We took out hairdressing tools from the bags we brought with us, and all three of us proceeded to use scissors and deknives to cut my teammates hair and shave their beards.


    We didnt really care about making them look stylish. Short hair suited knights better anyway.


    Of course, well leave them to clean up by themselves. We brought a good number of cloth pieces with us and found some inside the guard station as well. Sharon filled the two buckets we found inside the station with water.


    Next, please use these cloth pieces to wipe your bodies clean. We will be going out of the dungeon openlyter, so please make sure to thoroughly clean yourselves up. Ill leave the clothes that you should change into here.


    We waited outside for about twenty minutes. When we entered back inside, we found that Leader and the others already made themselves as neat and tidy as they could, and were now wearing the castle guard uniforms we prepared beforehand.


    I could hardly recognize you, Leader. Now then, we werent able to bring a lot, but here are some preserved foodstuffs. We also acquired some of the guards provisions, so let us talk while filling ourselves up to regain strength.


    I understand. But I must say, Dame Norian. You seem awfully calm even though were in the middle of enemy territory.


    Is that so? Well, its true that I am not very worried. Right now, our n leader, n, Captain Selena, and Vice-Captain Sharon are all present inside this castle. The three of them are the strongest in our n.


    Even if we do end up going against all the soldiers stationed inside this castle, they will have no problems cutting open a path for us.


    Elna, isnt that a little bit too much?


    Really? I think we can do it.


    Well, yes, we could, of course. But thats if we dont care about coteral damage to the castle But you know n wouldnt approve of that.


    Yeah. ns only w is that hes too nice.


    Dame Norian, can you now please tell us everything thats happened after we found ourselves imprisoned here.


    I prepared some simple meals and rted the events that happened, starting with the time I met n and the others at the city of Gotania for the first time.


    I talked about how I managed to meet with n and the others in Gotania city.


    After that, I talked about us meeting up with the rest of the royal guards as well.


    Then, I talked about how we all became adventurers and went to Gantz city to make a name for ourselves.


    We then became quite famous for hunting and capturing countless bandits.


    I then told them that n actually managed to defeat a dragon and will now be conferred a noble title and and of his own.


    And then, I told them about how our allies overheard two drunk castle guards talking about captured royal guards from the Starveek kingdom in a pub shortly after arriving at the royal capital, and that they even mentioned the prisoners names.


    Of course, I refrained from mentioning Cleria-sama. I was not going to say a word about her unless I am absolutely sure the two outsiders with us really were trustworthy.


    Leader and the others were quite famished and were silently listening to my story while rapidly devouring the food.


    I see So it was just a coincidence that you managed to find out we were held here?


    Thats right. If our allies didnt manage to overhear the castle guards talking about you all at the pub, we would have left the royal capital after our business here was done.


    I see. Some of the guards constantly taunted and jeered at us, so I was even thinking of killing them someday if given the chance, but Unfortunately, it seems Ill have to spare their lives now.


    But subduing a dragon you say Just what sort of person is your leader, n?


    Do not refer to n as your leader, Sir Enders. n already regards all of you as ourrades. It was n who insisted on rescuing you all, regardless of opposition from the others in the n.


    Its true that youd normally regard rescuing a mere few imprisoned fellows inside a highly guarded castle as an act of madness. Our leader n sure is a bold and decisive person.


    Thats true. I think youd never find another person in this world who is willing to stage a rescue mission right on the day of his title conferment ceremony.


    What!? n-sama is getting conferred a title today!?


    I said he is present in the castle right now earlier, right? Im sure the ceremony is already underway as we speak.


    What can I say? I cannot wait to meet him in person now. So what exactly is the escape n you came up with for us?


    It would depend on you and the rests condition, Leader. Are you able to walk normally without swaying now, everyone?


    They stood up and tried to walk around the room. Everyone managed somehow, but they were still staggering, and couldnt walk snappily at all.


    They at least needed to be capable of walking for a hundred meters or so without staggering.


    Were still like this now, but weve improved a lotpared to an hour ago. Well probably be a lot better off given a bit more time since we drank prized medicine and managed to eat our fill. Please give us a bit more time, and well be ready.


    Of course. Our approximate waiting time has already been considered whening up with this rescue n. We will leave here in two hours and proceed to board a carriage we have prepared. Please make sure to be in your best condition possible in two hours time, everyone.


    Understood. Well do it.


    After saying so, my teammates all began to rest up. Yes, it might be good to take a nap to recover energy.


    Up to this point, everything was going exactly as nned. Was n not having trouble on his end?

 Chapter 86.1 - Rescue Operation 2 Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Thats the gist of it. Thats all for the general overview of things. Did you manage to get all of that?


    Well, somehow, I suppose.


    Right, of course. It would be impossible topletely master the tax system used in noble territories in such short a time. Moreprehensive details about things I talked about today are written in these books. Here. There are four books in total. I will give you all of them, so I hope you can use them as references once you start governing your fief.


    Oh, these will definitely help a lot. Thank you. I was wondering about what Id do earlier.


    Of course, it would be difficult to learn from books alone. Although these are well-written books, they do not cover all theplexities of the tax system. It would still be best if you could hire someone who has deep knowledge regarding the tax system of this country.


    I see. Thats true. But I have no idea just what kind of people I should hire, and where I could hire them though


    Rumors regarding n-sama being conferred with a noble title have already spread all over the royal capital. Im sure that if you put up a notice now, there should be a flood of hopeful applicants that want to get hired by you. Of course, thats only if you were going to be granted a normal territory.


    So thats the case. Id be happy if it really turns out that way.


    Oh, by the way, I still havent told you about something important. In the case of newly opened territories, they should be exempted from paying taxes to the crown for a total of three years.


    Hou, thats very good news! If we only need to sessfully get our territory up and running smoothly within those three years, I suppose wed be able to manage somehow.


    The castles chief ountant, Nadalus, taught me all about various aristocratic customs, rules, the tax system, among other things. But honestly, I doubted if I would be able to understand all of the topics in such a short time.


    For example, I thought the tax system they employed would be a bit more simple, but the rates were quite varied, and that made it moreplex than I first thought. There were even a lot of fairly suspicious policies and details I was tempted to question. I suppose Nadalus suggestion of hiring experienced and knowledgeable personnel would be for the best.


    There was a knock on the door, and a chambein entered afterward.


    It is about time for the title conferment ceremony. n-sama, pleasee with me.


    So its finally time for the conferment ceremony huh. Im feeling a bit nervous.


    Guided by the castle chambein, I followed him up some stairs. ording to Chief Protocol officer Zard, the ceremony venue was located on the fifth floor of the castle and was a very grand and spacious hall.


    Almost all of the nobles residing in the royal capital and those of neighboring territories rushed over to attend todays event, and all in all, about fifty percent of the nobles in the kingdom would participate in the conferment ceremony.


    The chambein stopped in front of thergest door I ever encountered in the castle by far. So I was supposed to wait in front of the entrance to the hall until the ceremony begins huh.


    After about ten minutes, the bell toll signaling that it was now four in the afternoon finally resounded all throughout the royal capital. By the time the bell finished ringing, the door to the ceremony hall finally began to open.


    Whoah, it certainly was a very spacious and grand-looking hall alright. It should be about 15 meters wide and 30 meters long. The left and right walls were elegantly decorated, and the kingdoms nobles were lined up on both sides. The entire hall was absolutely quiet.


    I continued forward to where the king was waiting while making sure to keep my line of sight down in order to not directly lock gazes with him. I then knelt on one knee when I reached a spot about fifteen meters away from the king, as indicated by Chief of Protocol Zard.


    Now then, I suppose this is where this little y of ours begins.


    Your Majesty, this subject is the one who managed to subjugate a dragon. This subjects name is n. I believe it would be appropriate to reward this humble subject who managed to get rid of a beast that had caused your fair kingdom much grief.


    The one who spoke was the kingdoms prime minister, Marquis Villis Burke.


    Hou, so it is this one. Prime Minister.


    n, His Majesty bids youe closer.


    Yes.


    I moved forward to a position just five meters away from where the king and prime minister were.


    The one called n, you may raise your head. I permit you to address me directly.


    I was finally given permission to look up, so I moved my gaze upward and took a look at this countrys king.


    This is!? I couldnt help but get surprised. I heard that this countrys current king was a 21-year old young man who was famed for his beauty, but what surprised me was his face.


    His eyes and nose shape really resembled Clerias features.


    I heard from Cleria that the current king was her rtive, but I didnt think they would actually look so simr.


    So this is this countrys ruler, His Royal Majesty, King Amado Bertie huh.


    n, What do you wish for as a reward? It does not matter what you want. As long as it is possible, I shall grant it to you.


    If this humble subject is permitted, I request to be granted a seat among this fair kingdoms vaunted nobles. Other than that, I wish for nothing more.


    This exchange of lines was already pre-arranged. It seems it was important for the protocol that I was the one to put forth a request to be a noble.


    Well then, I shall grant you the title of this kingdoms baron for your achievements. From now on, you are a proud baron of the Kingdom of Belta.


    Yes! Thank you for your generosity. I swear that my sword shall wholeheartedly serve Your Majesty and this fair kingdom from here on out.


    A chambein brought over my mithril coat of arms that was ced on top of a cushion and ced it in front of me. Just like I was taught earlier, I received the emblem and pinned it to my chest. I then deeply bowed to the king once more.


    Yosh. With this, the conferment ceremony was over. The prime minister should be dering the end of the ceremony anytime soon.


    By the way, n.


    Thats what I thought, but the king suddenly called out to me again. I raised my gaze once more and locked gazes with the young king.


    Yes, Your Majesty.


    I was told you also regrly capture bandits in addition to felling that dragon. You were given the moniker Bandit Hunter, I believe.


    Yes, that is correct, Your Majesty. There are many such vile characters in the kingdoms border regions, and I was driven by necessity to hunt them down.


    I hear that there are many such bandits terrorizing the areas around our royal capital, and my people have been suffering from their hands. How about it? Can you use your reputed skills to take care of all of them?


    Yes! If it is Your Majestys will, then I shall immediately move out to eliminate these bandits. However


    However what? What is your concern?


    Your Majesty told us to wipe them out, but just how many bandits should we capture, and just how would we prove that we have eliminated them.


    Fufu, what an interesting fellow. How about it, Prime Minister?


    Fumu. No matter how numerous these bandits are, I am sure they wont exceed five hundred.


    Are you telling me that there are five hundred or so bandits infesting this royal city? Just what are the soldiers doing?


    No, Your Majesty. The number I quoted includes the bandits prowling the nearby towns as well. And some of these despicable bandits brazenly live inside this royal city in the guise of normal citizens as well. In fact, they are nearly indistinguishable from themoners. With the number of our soldiers as they are now, it would be difficult to perform a thorough investigation.


    (How about it, Iris?)


    The number of criminals and suspected criminals whose whereabouts are confirmed is currently 987.


    I had Iris investigate the hideouts and the hidden bases of criminal organizations in the city suburbs, but I didnt think there would be nearly a thousand of them. However, with this, capturing five hundred criminals was plenty doable.


    If that is truly the case, then I shall definitely capture more than five hundred bandits and present them before you, Your Majesty.


    Hou. Our prime minister estimates that there should be less than five hundred, but you mean to capture more instead.


    Your Majesty, n, no, Lord Corinth is a very talented young man. If he is the one saying so, then he will definitely aplish it for you. I am sure of it.


    The prime minister turned my way and smiled brightly. To be honest, his smile felt kinda creepy. He looks like apletely different person from the arrogant noble I met a few days ago.

 Chapter 86.2 - Rescue Operation 2 Part 2

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Now this is a surprise! To think that someone who despisesmoners like you would praise n like that.


    Your Majesty, I do not really despise themoners. I merely despise those who are ipetent and useless. Lord Corinth is a very talented young man. I do admire him a great deal.


    Oh, yes, how about this? Why not temporarily appoint Lord Corinth as the Lord Protector while he is working on subduing the bandits?


    After hearing the prime ministers suggestion, some of the other nobles burst into indignant screams.


    Prime Minister, are you seriously suggesting something so outrageous? Even if two positions are now currently vacant, you intend to let a mere baron take over the duties of one of them?


    Ah, it seems that my words werecking. Of course, his authority will be limited to matters involving the subjugation of bandits. And like I mentioned earlier, the position will only be granted to him temporarily.


    (Iris, what exactly is a Lord Protector?)


    Im not sure due to insufficient data, but it seems to be a position with a fairly high jurisdiction.


    Hou, so there was a position like that huh. Lord Protector. Hmm. Sounds pretty good. Even if its only temporary, being granted a position like that would allow us to make a lot of progress in bandit hunting.


    Interesting. If the prime minister says so, then there is no reason for me to object. Fine. I now bestow upon you the Lord Protectors shield.


    Whats this about a shield? As I puzzled over what the young king meant, ten chambeins appeared out of nowhere and brought adder with them. Using thedder, they began to lower one of the two small shields that were hanging on top of the wall behind the attending guests. It looks like they were pretty valuable items.


    The chambeins immediately brought the shield forward and handed it over to me, so I reached out to receive it just like how I received my coat of arms earlier.


    Sir n Corinth, I hereby appoint you as this kingdoms Lord Protector.


    Yes, Your Majesty! I will endeavor to live up to your lofty expectations!


    I gave the young king a deep bow. I tried to exaggerate my reactions as much as possible to make them seem more dramatic. I wonder if going this far wasnt overdoing it?


    When I looked up to see his reaction, the king was in the middle of nodding toward the marquis.


    With this, the title conferment ceremony is over.


    When the prime minister dered the end of the ceremony, the king swung his cloak back and left the venue.


    As soon as the king was out of sight, the attending nobles started to discuss with each other noisily.


    When the marquis approached me, I hurriedly got down and knelt.


    Lord Corinth, you do not need to kneel before me. We are already both nobles of this kingdom. We are nowrades who serve His Majesty, the king.


    Even if he said so, we were still of different ranks, so I continued to kneel on one knee.


    Thank you for your vote of confidence and support earlier, My Lord.


    Think nothing of it. I am looking forward to how youll do, Lord Corinth.


    The marquis gave me an amiable-looking smile and walked away soon after. Whew. Actually, he was way too amiable, so it felt kinda ufortable.


    After the marquis left, other nobles started to approach me.


    Oh, I have finally managed to meet you in person, Lord Corinth.


    Congrattions, Lord Corinth.


    Thank you very much, everyone.


    They each introduced themselves and offered their congrattions.


    Apparently, the only ones greeting me and offering their congrattions were the barons and knights. The other higher-ranked nobles were just watching us from a distance while talking among themselves.


    Well, this was probably just natural since I was amoner until just a little while ago.


    Of course, I had Nanom record all the names of the nobles who introduced themselves to me, and before long, name tags were disyed on top of their heads.


    Congrattions, Lord Corinth.


    It was Baron Volker Herring who came forward to greet me next. He seemed quite happy for me and disyed a cheerful smile.


    Oh, Baron Herring. Thank you very much. You and I are finallyrades now.


    I did not think you would be the Lord Protector as well. I was really surprised.


    Actually, I was too. It still hasnt sunk in even now.


    My Lord, it wont do to continue having your chat with Lord Corinth at this ce. Let us move to the dinner banquet venue first.


    Oh, thats right. Well then, let us make our way over the dinner venue, Lord Corinth. I shall show you the way.


    Thank you very much.


    Two castle chambeins approached us and offered to carry the shield and coat of arms for me, so I handed them over. Apparently, they would be following after us while carrying the items. They were pretty thoughtful folks huh.


    The venue for the dinner banquet was on the castles fourth floor, which means it was one floor below the ceremony hall. When we arrived, I saw that the venue was another needlessly huge room with three twenty-meter long tables lined up within.


    One pretty fancy-looking table with gaudy decorations that could probably seat ten or so people was ced at the very head of the hall. That table was probably meant for people from the royal family.


    It seems that the seating order was decided based ording to ones position, but I was an exception. I was led to a spot near the table reserved for the royal family and was told to sit there.


    As soon as all the attending nobles had taken their seats, five people who seemed to be members of the royal family came inside the venue. All the nobles stood up and knelt all at once.


    Everyone, this dinner banquet is to celebrate the new start of our kingdomstest baron. Let us put aside rank for tonight and enjoy ourselves freely.


    After the kings words, everyone returned to their seats.


    I should note that when the king said we would put aside rank tonight, he did not mean that in the truest sense.


    They would merely overlook a little informal behavior to a certain extent they deemed eptable. If you get carried away, it wont be pretty.


    When everyone was all seated once more, the chambeins came in and poured wine into everyones sses. After all the attendees sses were filled, the prime minister stood up and raised his own wine ss.


    Well then, a toast to our kingdomstest baron, Lord Corinth!


    Cheers!


    After performing a slight bow, I sipped some of the white wine that was poured for me. But the moment I did so, my vision was filled with red.


    What the heck?


    A lethal dose of poison has been detected. Please do not swallow the liquid substance for the time being.


    (What did you say!? Poison!?)


    Yes. Activating countermeasures to prevent the absorption of hazardousponents. Twenty seconds topletion.


    (Am I gonna be okay!?)


    Yes.


    (My HUD is disying a sea of red though?)


    It is to indicate that we are currently in emergency mode.


    Before long, my vision finally returned to normal. So there was a mode like this huh. It was my first time experiencing it. Well, it was my first time drinking poison as well though.


    The white wine was spiked with poison huh. I see. So an assassination attempt through poisoning, is it? Well, I expected something like this to happen to some extent, but I didnt think it woulde this early.


    It is now alright to drink the wine.


    I proceeded to swallow down the wine inside my mouth. It didnt taste particrly strange and was even rather delicious.


    (Is it okay to drink more wine?)


    There is no problem. Most of the poison can already be handled adequately. The harmfulponents shall be quarantined and ejected outside the bodyter.


    So the poison cant bepletely neutralized? I got chills just from thinking that lethal doses of poison were actually now being stored inside my body.


    (Is the poison quick-acting?)


    It is a type with dyed effects. If left alone, the host would die from the poison approximately thirty minutester.


    So thats it. The only thingced with poison was probably the white wine. They wanted to avoid an overt poisoning incident so they went about it this way huh.


    If things went as they nned, I would probably die while happily chatting with the other guests.


    They would definitely check the food and drinks for any anomalies.


    I guess theyre angling for death due to illness or something like that.


    They really nned things out well huh.


    I continued drinking the wine and eventually met gazes with the prime minister. He seemed to be in a very good mood, smiled, and slightly nodded toward me.


    I, of course, smiled back.


    Yeah. This guy was definitely the culprit. ording to the brief status report by Selena and Sharon, it seems this shady guy actually led this kingdoms former prime minister into a trap, reced him, and sent him to be imprisoned.


    Thats not enough to determine his hand in my attempted poisoning, of course. But his attitude toward me was really a far cry from when I first met him. I can at least assert that he was one of the prime suspects.

 Chapter 86.3 - Rescue Operation 2 Part 3

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Oh, so thats his game huh. The reason why he pushed for me to be appointed as Lord Protector was to prepare the stage when I die of poison. It was to throw the investigation off. He just pretended that he thought highly of me.


    Iris already warned me about the possibility of an assassination attempt, but I didnt think it would happen so soon; inside the royal castle itself to boot.


    I suppose they were more threatened by the fact that I managed to have Gloria join me than expected.


    Lord Corinth, it seems everyone wants to hear about how you managed to subjugate a dragon. If its alright with you, can you share your experience with everyone present?


    Ooh! Thats a wonderful idea.


    Lord Corinth, please.


    The prime minister, Marquis Burke, addressed me and put me back in the spotlight. Oh, so you want me to talk about that stuff again huh.


    I understand. If thats what everyone wishes for, then I would dly oblige.


    The hall quieted down and I started rting the story of how I managed to y the dragon. It was the same version I told to the marquis a few days back.


    And so, I returned to Gantz after that.


    Ooh


    Something like that truly happened?


    Lord Corinth, is it true that the other dragon also came to Gantz after that?


    Yes. Three hours after I arrived back, the other dragon brought the dragon corpse back to Gantz.


    Oooh!


    Unbelievable.


    It may sound unbelievable, but this man truly aplished such a thing. What a man, I say.


    For some reason, the prime minister disyed an amused grin. What do you mean by that, you damn snake?


    Did he not notice that its already past thirty minutes since the toast and me drinking that poisoned white wine?


    Well then, let us toast to Lord Corinth once more.


    After the prime ministers deration, the castle chambeins began pouring wine into everyones sses once more. It looks like he did notice. So the prime minister wants to give me another helping of poisoned wine huh.


    Sorry, but your poison no longer works on me.


    Well then, to Lord Corinth!


    To Lord Corinth!


    After bowing to everyone, I swallowed the wine all at once. The prime minister watched intently as I drank the wine. Heh. Just watch all you want. Youll never figure my means out anyway.


    (How is it?)


    Its another type of poison, in a sufficiently lethal dose.


    Yeah, its just like I thought. Im not sure who exactly spiked my wine with poison, but he or she was prudent and thorough enough to switch to another type after noticing that something was wrong with the first one.


    Lord Corinth, I have to ask, why do you insist on making the Great Demon Forest your territory?


    The one who asked the question was the king, who was sitting in front of the table reserved for the royal family.


    I simply felt that ce, the Sea of Trees, had tremendous potential. I am excited even now at the prospect of exploring it and finding out just what lies within that great forest.


    But if you cannot develop thend in the first ce, then all wille to naught.


    I will definitely develop thatnd, Your Majesty. I intend to dedicate my whole life to aplish such a feat.


    Hou If so, then once you truly manage to develop such and, I am prepared to grant you the title of marquis.


    Truly, Your Majesty?


    A bout of shouting immediately rose from some of the nobles present. Oops, I dropped the ball there.


    Baron! Take note of your station and know that you do not have the right to question His Majestys words!


    Its fine. I did say you do not have to pay heed to ones station tonight. Good. Everyone present shall bear witness. I hereby proim that once Lord Corinth sessfully manages to reim the Great Demon Forest for our kingdom, I shall grant him the title of marquis.


    Yes, I thank you for your immense benevolence and generosity, Your Majesty.


    It was a pretty great deal. Well, he probably promised something like that because he didnt think Id manage to reim thend in the first ce, but as a king, I feel that his action was quite careless.


    Hm. But maybe he just wanted to disy his generosity to everyone present.


    There are various levels of a territorys development; from vige to city and so on. I wonder what level I had to achieve for them to recognize that Ive sessfully developed the ce. Well, it really didnt matter whether my rank goes up or not.


    Now then, theres no point in thinking about something still far into the future. I need to think about how well manage to return safely first.


    Elnas POV


    After about an hour, everyone was already able to get up with their own strength and walk about normally. After thirty minutes more, they could already manage to lightly swing swords.


    As expected of the famed panacea, Dame Norian. I never thought Id be able to recover and move around this much in such a short time. As time passes by, I feel like Im getting stronger and stronger.


    Leader eximed in wonder as he swung a sword we confiscated from one of the guards. In any case, well make sure Leader and the others never have to use their swords in this situation. It should be about time.


    Elna, its about time. We should move.


    I was about to suggest that as well. Well then, Leader, please make your preparations. Were heading straight for the carriage.


    Understood. Well try not to get in the way as much as possible. Were in your care.


    After a quick discussion, it was decided that each of my royal guardrades will bring a sword taken from the castle guards.


    As expected,dies-in-waiting cannot be seen carrying a sword, after all, so we only sported the deknives we managed to bring with us.


    Selena and Sharon will take the lead. You will stop when the two of them stop and immediately follow after them when they start walking.


    Understood.


    We opened the dungeons entrance and walked up the stairs. The two leading in front of us didnt hesitate in the slightest.


    We proceeded without incident over a distance of several hundred meters. At this rate, well definitely make it out without trouble.


    Damn it!


    How unlucky!


    Selena and Sharon cursed at the same time. They should have detected something through scanning magic. I have a bad feeling about this.


    Whats wrong?


    We got pincered. We cant avoid them anymore. Prepare yourselves. There are four chambeinsing from the back and six castle guardsing from the front. Its better to make our move first.


    Six castle guards. With Selena and Sharon, it would be simple enough to dispose of them, but it would undoubtedly raise quite amotion.


    It should be possible to make it back to the carriage after dealing with all of them, but it would probably be impossible to hide inside it until n arrives.


    Moreover, the other guards will probably close the gates as well. It was the worst.


    Leader, we will deal with the castle guards ourselves, but please prepare yourselves anyway.


    I understand. We definitely wont get in the way. Selena-dono, Sharon-dono, Dame Norian, Im truly sorry for not being able to do anything to help.


    It looks like Leader already anticipated what would happen next as well. However, it was our decision to mount a rescue operation. Theres nothing that Leader and the others have to apologize for.


    Now that this has happened, I suppose theres no other choice but to destroy the castle gate with Selena and Sharons explosion spells in order for us to forcibly break out. This time, I will definitely rescue myrades.


    Its alright. Help ising.


    Sharon turned to me and smiled.


    Is ning to help us? But I dont think the situation would change much even if n arrives though.


    Before long, I heard a bell ringing in the distance. That was a warning bell!


    Whats going on!? Did we get discovered already?


    The bell rang repeatedly in increasing frequency. Now, it seems even the castles warning bell was ringing.


    In any country, the more frequent an rm bell rings, the more urgent the emergency. Right now, the rate of the bells ringing was definitely not normal. It seems that something absolutely major was happening.


    Just what was going on?

 Chapter 87.1 - Rescue Operation 3 Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Just what is with these warning bells!?


    What is happening?


    Sharon, what do you mean by saying that help ising?


    It seems that Gloria came to help.


    Gloria has!? Haa If you had something like that nned from the start, I wish you could have told me about it earlier.


    Im sorry. We werent sure if she would reallye after all.


    Oh well. Its fine. I see. Now that Gloria hase, it seems we can be at ease.


    Those castle guards heading our way headed out of the castle instead due to themotion, and the chambeinsing from behind turned back and went somewhere else as well.


    Dame Norian, just who is this Gloria you speak of?


    Ah,e to think of it, we havent told you yet, have we? Gloria is also a proud member of our n. And she is a dragon.


    Im sorry. I believe I heard you say dragon?


    Yes, I did. It might sound hard to believe, but we managed to berades with a dragon as well.


    I dont think this is the time for cracking absurd jokes, Dame Norian.


    Im not joking. Its simply the truth.


    Is this true, Sharon-dono?


    Yes, of course. But now isnt the time to be discussing this. We have to move.


    Leader and the others were still dazed when Selena and Sharon started walking forward again. It cant be helped. It certainly sounds unbelievable unless one witnesses it for himself or herself after all.


    Leader,e on. We better get going.


    Afterward, we proceeded without any more problems, and Selena, who was walking at the very front, finally managed to open a door that leads to a room near the castles rear entrance. She immediately entered. Everyone followed after her.


    The room looks like a small meeting room, and, of course, it was empty.


    Lets wait for an opportunity to board the carriage from here. Right now isnt the best time.


    Before long, I heard a loud roar that most likely came from Gloria.


    Even though we were close to the rear entrance, we were still inside the castle, but the roar was still pretty loud. I imagine its caused quite amotion.


    This!?


    So a dragon really ising


    Selena, will Gloria be alright?


    Of course, she will. I think the ones you should be worried about are the soldiers stationed within the castle instead. Anyway, lets leave everything else to n.


    It looks like n was the one who instigated thismotion. If so, then lets see what n has nned next.


    ns POV


    Captain, we will now switch to operation route G.


    (Roger that. Go ahead and prepare.)


    Somehow, I already had a feeling things will develop this way.


    The rescue operation had many uncertain factors, so we assumed various scenarios and made preparations for each of them.


    Route G. Its a fairly aggressivest resort scenario in which Gloria appears in order to cause a big ruckus to facilitate the others escape.


    Of course, we had already positioned Gloria right above the capital beforehand in preparation for such a strategy. Shes been flying around at an altitude that would make her undetectable through the naked eye from the ground.


    As much as possible, we didnt want to resort to such a move, but something probably went wrong with Selena and the others escape attempt.


    But since Ive already been at the receiving end of two assassination attempts already, Route G wasnt a bad hand at all. Lets do our best then.


    Warning bells began to ring in the distance, and before long, the royal castles warning bells began ringing as well.


    When the nobles heard the bells, they began to make a ruckus.


    Whats happened!?


    Fumu, this is the first Ive ever experienced something like this.


    The door to the banquet room where the dinner was held was opened, and three men who seemed to be castle guards entered in a hurry.


    What has happened!?


    A nobleman in full military dress near the door called out to the guards.


    W-We have a report to make! Its a dragon! A dragon has appeared above the castle!


    What did you say!? A dragon!?


    The nobles who were paying attention to the guards who burst inside from the door all turned toward the head seats after hearing their report.


    Perhaps they were waiting for instructions from the prime minister or the king, but it felt like more than half of them were eyeing me instead. Well, since I just talked about dragons earlier, I suppose their reaction was understandable.


    I got up from my seat and turned to the guards.


    You absolutely must not try to provoke the dragon. If you end up angering it, that would spell doom for all of us.


    But what shall we do then!?


    If you permit it, I shall confront the dragon myself. It might be the dragon I am familiar with as well.


    Ooh!


    Of course, I shall allow it, Lord Corinth. Go ahead and handle the dragon, dered the prime minister.


    Yes! Thank you, My Lord!


    I rushed toward the castle guards, and when I went out of the banquet hall, the three guards hurriedly followed after me.


    Currently, we are rushing to prepare all the ballistae installed on the ramparts.


    One of the castle guards addressed me as we ran.


    You idiots! Its not just a mere wyvern! Do you think those things would actually work on a true dragon!? Youll just end up angering it. Immediately put a stop to them!


    Yes!


    One of the guards split up from us and rushed away in response to my order.


    Well, what I said was actually true you know.


    ording to Iris, when Gloria consolidates her defense, the strength and toughness of her scales is not something a mere ballista can prate, and unless the projectiles directly hit her eyes, they were practically useless.


    And judging from Glorias fast reflexes, it was almost impossible for her to get hit in the eyes with a ballista bolt unless the shooter was incredibly lucky or something causes her to get distracted long enough.


    Before long, we made it to the castles first floor. This seems to be the royal castles main entrance hall. There were various expensive and regal-looking ornaments on disy. It looked quite shy.


    You all find somewhere safe and hide there. Its enough for me to face danger alone.


    I told that to the two guards who kept following me.


    But


    Its fine. Just leave everything to me.


    Understood.


    The two guards stayed behind inside the castle, and I went out to the main courtyard alone.


    Now then, its time to choose a nice spot for the y.


    Perhaps she was instructed by Iris. Gloria was currently hovering in ce 40 meters above the castle and was looking around.


    Well have to choose a spot thats away from the carriages. That spot will do, I guess.


    The spot was about 70 meters away from the parked carriages belonging to the nobles and theres enough space for Gloria tond.


    Hey! Over here!


    I raised both arms and waved at Gloria.


    When Gloria noticed me, she let out a loud roar and swiftly descended.


    As she approached with her huge wings pping about, she stirred up strong gusts of wind.


    Ah, I finally found you, chief!


    In my ears, I could hear a loud youngdys voice, but those around me should have only heard a dragons grunts and growls.


    (Good work, Gloria. Its been a while since we met directly like this.)


    Ah,e to think of it, thats true. Were always meeting through long-distancemunication.


    Its only been a short time since we began using ARms to chat with Gloria, but as much as possible, I try to chat with her at least once every week.


    Selena and Sharon chat with her almost every night though, and Gloria already mastered the basics of handling them device and the virtual window system as well.


    Iris told me to pretend I was angry. Whats with that, chief?


    (Yeah, thats right. Sorry for making such a weird request, but I need you to y along with me for a bit. I want to show the people here just how amazing dragons are. It looks like the people here look down on dragonkind for some reason.)


    Is that so?


    (Yeah, theres no mistake. But were going to be threatening people who havent done anything particrly bad yet after all, so I want to end it with just scaring them for a bit. Just pretend to be angry for a short while, and well be good.)


    Ah, I see. You want me to act, right?


    (Thats right. Were gonna do some acting. But you already know what acting means?)


    Sharon and Selena taught me. If I want to get a boys attention, I need to know how to act a little.


    Dammit! Just what are those two teaching an innocent dragon like Gloria!? Im gonna give them a proper scoldingter.


    Understood! Ill try my best!

 Chapter 87.2 - Rescue Operation 3 Part 2

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Gloria came up to me and bared her fangs menacingly.


    Gaoooo!


    I only heard a cute girly voice shouting Gaooo!, but those around should have heard a frightening dragons roar instead.


    When I opened a virtual window to disy overhead footage being taken by one of the drones, I found that many nobles were leaning out of the windows and balcony of the castles fourth floor to observe what was happening just as nned. The prime minister and the king were among the crowd as well.


    Good. Theres no meaning in performing a show without an audience after all.


    Footage of the castle wall right behind Gloria which was taken from right above it was disyed on a separate smaller virtual window. Some castle guards were sneakily positioning four ballistae on top of the ramparts.


    I thought I already told them that it was useless.


    (Gloria, behind you.)


    Yes?


    Gloria obediently turned around and saw the castle guards sneaking around behind her.


    Hey! The castle guards over there! Dont try to do anything stupid and just run! Youre gonna get killed!


    Im not sure if they heard me or not, but the guards started backing away from the ballistae.


    Chief, what are those?


    (Theyre weapons used by humans. They wanted to hurt Gloria with those.)


    It looks like they really are underestimating us dragons. Do they really think such puny spears can hurt me?


    (Well, yeah, I suppose. You can rampage around a bit. Just be sure not to kill them. Go ahead and burn those things to ash.)


    Okay!


    Gloria took a deep breath and spat out a jet of me that quickly torched the ballistae positioned on top of the wall one after another.


    Her fire breath didnt seem to be just normal mes. It turned the ballistae into burnt dregs in a matter of seconds, and they copse into ckened heaps.


    Gloria looked up at the sky and unleashed a roar even more deafening than the previous ones. Even the trantion program wasnt able to register it anymore.


    Gloria maintained her momentum and started burning down the nearby trees,wn grasses, and flowering shrubs nted all around the courtyard.


    Whenever she couldnt burn down a certain spot with a simple fire breath, she spat out a fireball instead.


    She looked up at the sky and roared once more, giving off the feeling that her rage still hasnt been abated even after burning the castle grounds to cinders.


    Gloria raised both her forelimbs and swung them down right at me.


    The impact caused the ground to tremble intensely.


    Whoah! That surprised me a bit, man!


    Gloria swung her ws down on spots about three meters to my left and right.


    Due to her huge and sharp ws, the stone pavement got pulverized, and the impact resulted inrge potholes on the ground.


    She now had both forelimbs on the ground and proceeded to bring her giant maw just one meter away from my head.


    How was that, chief!?


    The breaths leaking out of Glorias jaws were as hot as steam gusts produced by a boiler.


    (That was great. Now the humans residing in this castle will truly feel the fearsomeness of dragons.)


    Thats great! I really did my best you know.


    (Yosh. After this, well act as if I managed to persuade you to return quietly to the Sea of Trees. I want to impress upon the humans that although dragons are scary when provoked, they are also smart and rational creatures.)


    Understood.


    Gloria! Go back to the Sea of Trees!


    I confidently bellowed at Gloria and pointed to the direction of the Sea of Trees.


    Gloria acted as if she flinched away upon hearing my angry shout. Great acting, Gloria!


    Gloria! Go back! Back to the Sea of Trees!


    Gloria appeared to be even more sheepish, and she stood up while trembling. Yeah, her acting really was spot on. In fact, I even think she had the potential to develop into a seasoned actress.


    Gloria! The Sea of Trees! Now!


    Gloria acted as if she finally headed my order and pped her wing to fly up.


    She was now flying, but she was still hovering above the castle while looking at me. When I pointed in the direction of the Sea of Trees again, she acted as if she finally submitted and flew away.


    (Did I do a good job, chief?)


    (It was the best, Gloria. Sorry about making you do something so trivial. You were a big help.)


    (No, it was my pleasure to help, chief.)


    (Go and fly above the clouds around the area again first. Wait for Iriss orders.)


    (Understood.)


    Phew. I didnt do anything particrly strenuous, but I still felt quite drained. When I sat down on the spot, I heard cheers go up from all around me.


    The castle guards appeared out of nowhere and quickly crowded around me, and when I looked up at the castle, I saw the nobles cheering on the balcony and windows of the fourth floor.


    That was amazing, Lord Baron.


    The one who spoke was one of the castle guards who came with me from the banquet hall earlier. He came beside me and dropped to one knee.


    No, not at all. When the dragon spotted the ballistae, I honestly thought it was all over.


    Were truly sorry. We failed to abide by your orders.


    I just hope you all learned your lesson. The next time you anger a dragon, you might really lose your lives.


    Yes, we shall take this lesson to heart.


    When I looked around, I noticed that around twenty or so guards were now kneeling toward me. I guess I managed to earn their respect huh. Though, in truth, we only performed a little y for them to see.


    Phew. In any case, it looks like the strategy was a sess. Selena and the others were able to board the carriage safely while Gloria was going about burning stuff to the ground. No one was able to notice them.


    Now, we only need to wait until the end of the banquet.


    Lord Corinth, His Majesty is summoning you for an audience. He would like you to head back to the banquet hall as soon as youre feeling better.


    I understand.


    Since the king was calling, that means I had to rush to his side immediately. When I started heading back to the banquet hall, five castle guards wordlessly took the lead, and five more followed me from behind.


    Just what did they mean by this? I hope they arent doing this to apprehend me or something. Ill just have to pray thats not the case.


    When we arrived back at the banquet hall and went inside, the nobles within gave me a round of apuse.


    Because it was the king who summoned me, I approached the royal table and knelt five meters away from where the king was sitting.


    I allow you to raise your head.


    Im truly sorry, Your Majesty. The castle ended up getting damaged. All responsibility lies with me.


    I was weed with apuse after all. I suppose its just proper to humble myself like this. And its true that the responsibility for all the damage caused lied with me anyway.


    No, it is fine. Rather, I should say that we are most fortunate that the damage to the castle is only to this extent. If it werent for those ballistae drawing the dragons ire, perhaps it might have simply left without causing so much trouble.


    I am of the same opinion. As you have all witnessed, a creature like that isnt something humans can normally stand up to. It is simply seeking death if one provokes its ire.


    Fumu. But you yourself have managed to y a dragon though.


    That is true. However, that was nothing but pure luck. I have no confidence I cane out alive if such a thing happens to me again.


    That is reasonable. I didnt expect it to be such a fearsome creature You are truly an honest and upright man, Lord Corinth. Just why did the dragon show up here at the royal castle, to begin with though?


    That I dont know, Your Majesty. That dragon was the one I met previously. Im not sure of the exact reason, but since she came to the castle while I was here, perhaps she simply wanted to see me. However, perhaps since I look nothing like my appearance when I met her previously, perhaps she failed to recognize me at first.


    It did indeed feel that way. However, it did obey your words in the end, did it not?


    Yes. It was quite a close call. Perhaps it was just too agitated. Though I cannot confirm any of my conjectures at present.


    In the end, we know next to nothing at all. However, everyone present no longer doubts that you indeed possess the courage to confront a dragon on your own.


    Lord Corinth, well done on confronting the dragon. You have rendered great merit once more.


    Yes! I am truly grateful for such overwhelming praise.


    Afterward, the king himself took the lead in offering a toast, and the celebration banquet continued on without any more trouble. Judging from the atmosphere of the ce, it looks like they treated it as if I actually managed to defeat the dragon.

 Chapter 87.3 - Rescue Operation 3 Part 3

    Editor: Thors Stone


    After an hour or so since the banquet resumed, the asion finally came to a close.


    The royal family left, and the senior nobles followed afterward. I met with the prime minister again as well. Heughed as he chatted with me for a short while, but his eyes definitely werent. Now then, how will things pan out from here?


    Im not sure exactly when theyll discover that theres been a breakout, and felt uneasy about the possibility of the prisoners being found inside our carriage.


    While pretending to be drunk and giving perfunctory greetings to the nobles I came across on the way out, I finally seeded in exiting the banquet hall.


    The chambeins who I left the Lord Protectors shield and my personal coat of arms with immediately followed after me. Yeah, I actually almost forgot about them.


    When I came out of the castle, Elna, Sharon, and Selena all came before me and knelt down on one knee. Joy was evident on each of their faces.


    We have been waiting for your return, Lord Corinth, Elna greeted.


    Umu, thank you for your hard work. Please take the Lord Protectors shield and my coat of arms from the chambeins.


    L-Lord Protector!? Understood.


    Elna and Sharon reverently received the items from the chambeins.


    I am tired. Let us return posthaste.


    Yes!


    Elna and Selena sat on the drivers seat out front. I and Sharon sat inside the carriage. The eleven escaped prisoners were all huddled inside the luggagepartment behind the carriage.


    Come to think of it, the suspension of the carriage should have sunk considerablypared to before due to the added weight.


    I was on pins and needles until we made it past the castle gate, but we were able to leave without being stopped for a surprise inspection.


    I and Sharon exchanged looks and let out audible sighs. Now then, we have to hurry and get the rescued prisoners out of the city, or the gates would be closed for the night.


    We followed a prenned route, and upon confirming that there was no one tailing us via the drones, our carriage headed straight for the warehouse district near the inn we were staying at instead of directly returning to the inn.


    When the carriage approached a certain warehouse, the people standing guard outside quickly opened the warehouse doors to let us in.


    Once the carriage managed to enterpletely, the doors were immediately closed shut once more.


    About forty people were waiting for us inside the warehouse. Of course, they were all Shining Star n members.


    n! You wereter than nned so we were getting worried.


    Yeah, a lots happened. We managed to safely make it back in any case.


    We immediately opened the luggagepartment of the carriage.


    Ooh!


    We helped the people inside get off the carriage one by one and walked around a bit on shaky legs.


    The moment they noticed Clerias presence, they rushed to her side and knelt down on one knee.


    Cleria-sama!


    Your Highness!


    Aah Look at how skinny you have all be


    It has been so long, Your Highness.


    Heinz, Bruno, Paul, Randall, Roman, Utz, Kusav, Erich, Holger. I am truly sorry You have all suffered because of me.


    This is nothing, Your Highness! We merely took an extended vacation.


    Yes, thats right! An extended vacation was all it was.


    I see. But I will still have you take a good long rest for now. Please just concentrate on recovering your bodies and minds.


    Yes, Your Highness. We will endeavor to return to our prime and swear to be of help to Your Highness as soon as possible.


    I will be counting on you then.


    Two unfamiliar men were kneeling behind the rescued royal guards. They were probably the former prime minister and his son who Selena mentioned in her report earlier.


    Heinz, who are these people?


    These are the former prime minister of this Belta kingdom, Lord Leister, and his son.


    My word!


    Ooh.


    I hereby present myself before you, Your Highness, Princess Cleria Starvine. It is an honor. My name is Werner, and this is my son, Abel. We are pleased to make your acquaintance.


    So you are Lord Werner Leister. I remember that you brought me a wonderful set of teaware when I turned twelve.


    Ooh, to think you even remember such a thing, Your Highness! Yes, it was I who brought you those items. It has been so long.


    But what brings you here, Lord Leister?


    I was caught in a despicable trap employed by the current prime minister, Villis Burke. My family was almost exterminated. I and my son ended up getting imprisoned in the castle dungeon. We were brought along when your men made their escape. We are truly grateful for your help.


    I see. It is fortunate that we were able to rescue you as well. If you truly feel gratitude toward us, then it would be best if you keep my whereabouts a secret.


    Yes, of course. I and my son Abel will never speak of todays events no matter what. I swear on my familys honor.


    Thank you. We are about to leave the royal capital. You may apany us for a time and go on your own way at a suitable opportunity.


    Your Highness, would it be possible for me and my son to apany and serve you instead?


    If we were left alone, I do not mind even if I die without a grave, but my son Abel is still too young and inexperienced. Thus, I would like to ask for your patronage in exchange for my meager service.


    However n?


    Isnt it fine? Well, as long as everyone else agrees, of course.


    Dalshim?


    It is fine as long as they pledge their allegiance to you, Cleria-sama.


    But of course


    Are you going to turn your back on our country, father!?


    Be quiet, Abel. We Our vow of loyalty has already been discarded like dirt by this kingdom and its king. Hence, this will not be considered abandoning our duties.


    But for Father to serve and live like an adventurer is


    Have you no eyes, whelp? These people are not merely adventurers. As long as I can join them as theirrade, I do not care if I have to live as an adventurer or beggar. As long as ourst wish is fulfilled, I can pay any price.


    Father. I see.


    Lord Leister, what is that wish you speak of?


    To take the current prime minister, Villis Burkes head. As long as we can part that snakes head from his neck, we, father and son, will never shirk away from anything.


    It is true that you may get such an opportunity if you serve under us. Though we cannot guarantee just when an opportunity like that would arrive.


    Ooh, as I expected! Your Highness, please leave reaping that snakes head to me! As long as you provide me that chance, I and my family will swear eternal loyalty to the Starvine royal family.


    What do you think, n?


    I dont think theres any particr problem with that. That current prime minister certainly isnt any good, thats for sure. After all, he tried to poison me to death. Twice at that.


    P-Poison!? n! Are you alright!?


    Of course, I am. Well, its fortunate that I managed it somehow.


    That man truly does prefer the use of poison. He makes use of special poisons that are difficult to detect, but its truly impressive that you managed to stave him off. Will you leave that mans neck to me?


    I can only promise you that you can do as you wish as long as such an opportunity presents itself.


    That is more than enough. Until then, I and my son will do our absolute best to serve you.


    I hereby swear on my familys honor that my sword shall only be wielded for the sake of Her Royal Highness, Princess Cleria Starvine.


    I hereby swear on my familys honor that my sword shall only be wielded for the sake of Her Royal Highness, Princess Cleria Starvine.


    When Werner made an oath of fealty as Clerias vassal, his son Abel also hurriedly followed suit.


    Ria-sama, its about time.


    Oh, right. We dont have much time until the royal capitals gates are closed shut.


    After this, the ones we rescued will be heading back to Gantz under the guard of Satellite Team 10. We prepared enough horses, wagons, and supplies for that very purpose.


    We will also head back to Gantz as soon as our business in the royal capital is finished. Until then, be sure to take care of yourselves.


    Yes!


    Everyone exchanged brief goodbyes, boarded the wagons, got on top of the horses, and quickly left.


    Now then, we should also get out of this warehouse and make our way back to the inn.

 Chapter 88.1 - Royal Capital Search-And-Destroy Operation Part 1

    Editor: Thors Stone


    Just what is going on here?


    I am truly sorry, My Lord. I am not sure why the poisoning failed. I definitelyced the wine served to Lord Corinth in poison and witnessed him drinking it directly with my own two eyes.


    If so, then why isnt he dead yet?


    Perhaps he already drank an antidote of some sort in advance.


    Is it a type of medicine that I am unaware of?


    Lord Corinth has sold quite arge number of panaceas. Perhaps he still has a considerable supply in his possession. He might have drunk one such vial beforehand.


    A panacea, is it? Tsk. If I knew this was going to be the case, I wouldnt have rmended him for the position of Lord Protector! What a damned blunder!


    My Lord, perhaps it was still fortunate that the man didnt die of poison at this time.


    You mean the dragon? Are you saying the dragon might show up again?


    That I do not know. But before we can be clear regarding the situation, I think that leaving that man alive would be better.


    However, didnt he say that he wasnt sure if that sted dragon would actually listen to him the next time he encounters it? So doesnt that mean it doesnt matter if hes alive or dead?


    But Lord Corinth has managed to encounter dragons multiple times and survived every one of those encounters so far. In other words, he now has a solid reputation. Why not keep him alive, at least while he is still in the royal capital?


    Most likely, the only one brave and foolish enough to confront a rampaging dragon like that is Lord Corinth alone.


    Tsk, how vexing!


    Leaving that aside, why not deal with him using another method? The bandit subjugation he promised the king is a great opportunity. He even promised to capture five hundred bandits and criminals to present to His Majesty. And then you can simply ce all me on him if there is no meaningful progress made despite the royal order.


    Fumu. Since I have praised and elevated him so much in front of so many, it is difficult for me to put him down myself, but I can just borrow the hand of someone else instead. Not bad. Not bad at all.


    The rescued people along with Satellite Team 10 divided themselves into several groups and went out of the royal capitals gates as nned in advance. They all managed to escape from the royal capital with no trouble in the end.


    Afterward, theyll have to rush straight back to Gantz just in case the royal castle sends men out in pursuit. As an additional precaution, I also sent one drone to apany and guard them.


    By the time we made it back to the inn, it was already dinnertime, and preparations for it were already underway. Unsurprisingly, everyone who stayed behind wanted to hear the details about what happened during the ceremony and banquet at the royal castle, so I decided to share it with them over dinner.


    Since more than ny people were now packed inside a dining hall that usually only houses forty people at most, it was understandably cramped, and some n members didnt have any more ces to sit on and eat, so they just stood at the sides and listened while waiting for the others to finish their meals.


    First, Selena and the others rted what happened during their rescue operation. The operation seems to have progressed rtively smoothly in the beginning, without that many problems until they freed the prisoners from the cells.


    They only encountered a sticky situation while they were heading back to the carriage from the castle dungeon. Unfortunately, they nearly encountered some guards and chambeins and were caught in between two groups from both the front and behind.


    It seems Selena and Sharon decided to proceed with Route G rather than risk exposing themselves to the castle guards. Thats was the correct move. Even I would choose to do so if I were in their shoes.


    ording to Cleria and the others, the moment Gloria appeared from the sky, there was a lot ofmotion in the areas surrounding the castle.


    n, Gloria didnte over by mere coincidence, correct?


    Yeah, shetched on to that point, as expected. Gloria came to the castle at the perfect timing after all. Theres no way I can brush something like that off as mere coincidence.


    Thats right. It looks like Gloria was able to hear my call through my thoughts. Its not like she can hear everything though. My thoughts only came through to her after numerous attempts.


    So that really was the case. When Gloria arrived at the castle, it looked like she was looking for someone. So she came here in response to ns call. Can you also hear Glorias thoughts, n?


    I can somewhat sense what shes thinking, I suppose. Its not like I can understand her perfectly though


    I think I need to make it sound as vague as possible to maintain the status quo.


    Perhaps its the work of the spirits mediating between you and Gloria.


    Thats a perfect way of putting it. It seems Cleria hasnt forgotten the existence of nanoms, which I conveniently told her were spirits back then. The others also seemed to be agreeing to what Cleria said and nodded.


    Hm? So they arent gonna inquire any further? Yeah, this development was more than wee, but it just felt like everyone else easily epted it when Cleria mentioned it was the work of spirits.


    Uh, dont get me wrong. Im d they got convinced even though my story sounded ridiculous, but it still kind of feels weird yknow.


    After Selena and the others finished rting their side of the events, it was now my turn. First, I gave them a brief rundown of how I learned noble etiquette and a territorys taxation system.


    ording to what the Chief ountant told me, the story about me getting conferred a noble title has already begun to spread all around the royal capital. He also said that if I received a normal territory instead, there would have been a flood of people applying for positions as stewards and such at our doors. What do you think, everyone?


    Theres certainly a good chance of that happening. Serving a newly rising noble house is quite a rare opportunity after all. The problem is that the territory we requested was the Great Demon Forest.


    Dalshim seems to have the same opinion as the Chief ountant. Its true that no one in this country will probably be thrilled at the prospect of living within the Great Demon Forest. I hope that some adventurers who are up to the challenge wille over, at least.


    I personally think its better to hire as many talented people as we can


    But of course. If we find truly talented individuals, then theres nothing wrong with proactively trying to recruit them. If its alright with you, we can be in charge of the selection, and if there arent any problems, well move on to introduce them to n-sama and Ria-sama.


    Thats a nice suggestion. Everyone would better know just what kind of people we requiredpared to me, and I think its important for everyone to approve of the potential new hires as well. After all, I wouldnt want the new hires getting into conflict with the rest of the n.


    That would really help. Alright then. If a person trying to apply for a position as my vassales, Ill leave them to you first, Dalshim.


    Understood.


    The discussion proceeded to the events during the conferment ceremony. I talked about receiving the title of baron without any problems, and the kings royal order to subdue the bandits and criminals residing in the capital.


    It seems that the king is worried that there are too many bandits lurking around the capital. He then asked us to subdue them, owing to the fact that we have built a reputation as the Bandit Hunters.


    I agreed and promised him we will surely wipe out all the bandits in the capital.


    If the king has issued a royal order, then youll have no choice but to acquiesce after all. But as for wiping all the bandits out


    Oh, you dont have to worry about that. In any case, we just have to capture five hundred bandits to aplish the royal order.


    Five hundred bandits!?


    But n-sama, do you not think five hundred bandits is a little too much?


    Its fine. I have already confirmed the likelyirs of the bandits. Oh, and by the way, I got appointed as a Lord Protector or something as well.


    Lord Protector!?


    Ria-sama, please take a look at this.


    Elna put down the Lord Protectors shield she was carrying on top of the table we were gathered around on. It looks like shes been carrying it all this time.

 Chapter 88.2 - Royal Capital Search-And-Destroy Operation Part 2

    Editor: Thors Stone


    n, did you really get appointed as this kingdoms Lord Protector?


    Yeah, thats right. But my authority only extends to the subjugations of bandits and criminal elements around the capital, and my appointment will onlyst until weve aplished the royal order.


    Im not that familiar with that Lord Protector position. Whats it about anyway?


    The Lord Protector is a position as powerful as the prime minister when ites to matters involving a countrys defense. Usually, the ones appointed into the position are nobles with territories near borders and are permitted to deal with enemies who have crossed the border even without waiting for the kings orders. In addition, they can also mobilize the personal troops of surrounding nobles to aid in national defense.


    Hou, thats kind of amazing! So does that mean Im allowed to mobilize the city garrison?


    Of course, something like that should be possible. However, you normally cannot be appointed as Lord Protector unless you are a senior noble of notable repute who is close to the royal family


    I then talked about how my wine was poisoned, and that the prime minister was most likely involved. I conjectured that in order to serve as his alibi for the assassination attempt, the prime minister merely pretended to hold me in high esteem.


    I see That does seem to be quite likely.


    In any case, I n to make good use of this Lord Protector position.


    I really dont like our current situation. Everyones on edge while constantly watching out for possible attacks. In order to ovee this situation, we first need to get rid of the bandits and other criminal elements lurking around the capital.


    We will carry out a strict crackdown so that nobody would think of messing around with us any longer.


    After my deration, everyone responded with nods while sporting spirited looks.


    After arriving at the royal capital, weve constantly stationed forty n members at the inn where the main party was staying to stand guard. Of course, having guards were necessary for this situation, but forty was still a bit too much.


    And on top of that, I wasnt able to freely go out to the city alone as well. Now that Ive be a genuine noble, going out alone would be even more difficult, but I still wanted a little bit more freedom anyway.


    Most of the current info Iris managed to gather was sourced from local pubs. The information we have gathered is most likely just the tip of arger iceberg.


    However, weve already pinpointed a couple hundred criminals operating in this city. Im sure well have more info soon after catching all of them.


    Well start the hunt by tomorrow. For efficiencys sake, we will make use of the three Satellite teams present here to serve as three separate subjugation teams. A Team will be led by Selena, B Team by Sharon, and C Team would be personally led by me.


    Afterward, we proceeded to divide into three teams as nned while continuing to discuss the specifics of the operation.


    Since the inn cant be leftpletely unguarded, each team had only twenty-five members, with Cleria and Dalshim serving as assistants to Selena and her A Team, and Elna and Walter assisting Sharon and her B Team. The inn would be guarded by the remaining fifteen members.


    If possible, I wanted to conduct the bandit subjugation operation with cooperation from the city garrison. And since it wasnt a good idea for Selena, Sharon, Elna, and Cleria to stand out too much, Dalshim and Walter will pretend to act as the team leaders during the operation.


    After deciding that the other details would be discussedter, the impromptu meeting was brought to a close.


    I returned to my room and had a brief meeting with Selena, Sharon, and Iris regarding tomorrows operation as well. With that, the preparations are finished.


    Captain, theyve discovered the breakout.


    (Finally huh. In the end, they didnt manage to notice until the next guard shift.)


    Footage of the castle interior was disyed on a virtual window showing people frantically moving about near the vicinity of the castle dungeon. It was taken forty minutes past midnight, just before the regr shift change.


    The passage leading to the castle dungeon only led to it alone. I did think they wouldnt manage to find out until a certain point since no one passes through the passage except for those involved in the dungeon, but I didnt think it wouldst until the next shift change.


    Maybe its because of the days events like the title conferment ceremony and themotion created by a dragon appearing. I think it would be a good idea to tighten security a bit more in the future, guys. Just saying.


    Now then, what will happen next? Since people dressed asdies-in-waiting perpetrated the breakout, maybe Id get suspected as well since I brought female attendants with me.


    In any case, it would be necessary to strengthen drone surveince.


    (Keep monitoring the soldiers. Please inform me immediately once you detect any sort of movement from them.)


    Roger.


    Worrying wouldnt help at this point, so I just decided to go ahead and get some shut-eye.


    The next morning, while I was having breakfast with everyone, I received a transmission from Iris.


    Captain, there is movement from the soldiers side.


    (What!?)


    A live feed was projected from a virtual window showing a group of soldiersing out of the castle. They numbered about thirty or so, and some were on horseback.


    The soldiers were heading in the direction of the inn we were staying at. Yeah, it looks like they were heading straight for us.


    I got worried for a moment while thinking that they might have found incriminating evidence pointing to us as the perpetrators of the breakout and were now moving to apprehend us, but after regaining my cool, I dismissed that conjecture.


    Thirty or so soldiers were too small a number. If they wanted to apprehend a reputed adventurer n like us, they would have to bring at least a hundred and fifty people.


    Everyone, be on your guard. It looks like thirty or so soldiers are heading straight for this inn.


    After my warning, two n members rushed out to warn the others staying at the other two inns. Furthermore, some members pulled out the fourrge cargo boxes that we ced in the innermost room. Inside them were spare swords, shields, bows, and arrows.


    We prepared them in case of an attack on the inn, but we most likely wont be making use of them at this point.


    A few minutester, the group of soldiers finally arrived in front of the inn and began to line up in an orderly manner. It looks like they really didnte here to apprehend us. Did they simply want to get in contact with me or something?


    n-sama, members of the city garrison havee to visit you.


    Right. I shall meet with them.


    When I went out of the inn, I found thirty or so soldiers lining up and kneeling on the street. Five men who seemed to be their captains were kneeling at the very front.


    Ive already met the one at the center of the group during yesterdays conferment ceremony. He introduced himself to me yesterday as Sir Hermann Bahr, and his name was now disyed in bold font on top of his head.


    He was a man who looked to be in his fifties sporting a fearless countenance and dressed in crisp military attire.


    Next to the knight was Ralph, the captain of the guards stationed at the city gate of the royal capital I met the other day.


    Were sorry to disturb you so early in the morning, Your Excellency. I serve as the corpsmander of the royal capital defense forces. My name is Hermann Bahr.


    Good morning, Sir Bahr. So you were actually a part of the military.


    Your Excellency, there is no need for you to address me in such a polite manner. If you address me in such a way in your capacity as Lord Protector, it would only cause confusion among the ranks.


    That is true, Hermann. Forgive me. So what is your business with me today?


    I received an order from His Majesty the King to assist you, Your Excellency. I thought it would seem rude toe to you so early in the morning, but I am obligated to do my best in fulfilling the royal order. I concluded that it would be best for me to meet up with you as soon as possible, and so, we havee before you with all haste.


    I see. That is truly convenient. Actually, I was already thinking of getting in contact with you as well. We have decided to begin capturing bandits and criminal elements today. By the way, how many soldiers can you gather in an hour or so?


    We can manage to gather about three hundred or so in that time.


    No, three hundred is too many. Alright then. Can you prepare three units consisting of 40 people each, for a total of 120 people? Also, it would help if you prepared some chains or ropes for securing the captured bandits as well.


    Yes, understood.


    One of the soldier captains kneeling beside Hermann exchanged looks with him, got up, and rushed away on his horse to carry out my request.

 Chapter 88.3 - Royal Capital Search-And-Destroy Operation Part 3

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    How about having some tea inside? I want to introduce my men to you all as well.


    Yes, understood.


    I invited Hermann and the other captains inside the inn for a meeting.


    These are my trusted subordinates, Ralph, Benito, and Cust. I, along with Ralph and Benito, will serve as the leaders of the three teams you proposed earlier.


    Hou, so the corpsmander will be leading a subjugation team personally huh.


    I exined that Shining Star has also divided into three teams and introduced Dalshim and Walter as my captains.


    Ive decided to conduct aplete crackdown on the bandits and criminals lurking within the imperial capital today. Actually, in anticipation of such a thing, Ive had my men investigate the whereabouts of bandits.


    We of Shining Star will be in charge of leading you toward and attacking the bandit hideouts. I would like you all to handle apprehending, interrogating, and investigating them.


    Forgive me for asking, but do you n to lead the operation personally, Your Excellency?


    Thats a given, isnt it? I am also quite serious in aplishing this times royal order after all. I do not intend to do a sloppy job.


    Understood. However, do you not think it is impossible for Shining Star to handle assaulting the bandit hideouts alone?


    Hermann, you have also heard His Majestys words during the ceremony, correct? I have decided to fulfill His Majestys will together with Shining Star. Im sorry, but I do not intend to hand over the responsibility of assaulting the bandit hideouts to you all.


    I understand. We shall follow your instructions.


    When I moved to ask Hermann about details regarding the security situation of the royal capital, amotion rose up outside the inn. Apparently, the reinforcements from the garrison have arrived. Well, that was quick. It hasnt even been forty minutes. Impressive.


    Your Excellency, it seems my men have arrived. If you dont mind, can I ask you to inspect them?


    Alright.


    Im familiar with troop inspections conducted in the imperial military, but how do they go about with inspections in this kingdom though? Well, Im sure its mostly the same for any military organization. All I had to do was to show my face and address the soldiers for a bit.


    Attention!


    After Hermann issued hismand, the soldiers who formed three separate teams and lined up in the courtyard in front of the inn simultaneously stood at attention. They seemed pretty well-trained.


    I walked around slowly in front of the soldiers and checked out their appearances and equipment. Hermann followed after me and checked them out as well. I stopped in front of one soldier.


    Draw your sword and show it to me.


    The soldier seemed to have gotten flustered a bit for a moment, but he eventually managed to pull out his sword and showed it to me.


    I received the sword and acted like I was seriously examining the item, but honestly, I couldnt tell if a sword was good or bad for the life of me. However, I could see that it had no rust present on it and looked pretty well-maintained.


    I nodded at the soldier and handed back his sword. I then continued the troop inspection. After going around and seeing the faces of all the soldiers, I made my way back to the entrance of the inn.


    They have high morale and look well-trained. Impressive, Hermann.


    I intentionally said that in a loud voice so that everyone around me could hear it. This was an important step in any military inspection.


    It would be nice if what I said was truly the case though.


    Thank you for your praise, Your Excellency! They are our garrisons proud elites.


    Phew. I guess Im safe. I simply thought the quality of the men wouldnt be too bad because Hermann rmended an inspection, but Im d I managed not to embarrass myself. In any case, with this, the inspection was over.


    Well then, we will immediately move to apprehend the bandits in the capital. Im sorry, but we of Shining Star will be taking charge of this operation. Please abide by our orders during this time, everyone.


    Yes!


    As soon as our preparations were finished, we split into three teams as nned and departed from the inn. Which bandit hideouts each team will raid today have been decided by me, Sharon, and Selena beforehand. As long as time permits, well raid as many hideouts as we can.


    It was the city garrison team led by Hermann that ended up following me and my team. The sight of forty soldiers following after 26 Shining Star n members was quite eye-catching, and many citizens gave us curious looks.


    Before long, we managed to arrive at a spot near the bandit hideout.


    I took out some writing implements and held a quick briefing with the troops following me.


    Our target is the three-story building located just around this corner. It looks roughly like this. It only has one rear exit, and its located over here. The soldiers will be in charge of securing this rear entrance. There are a total of 21 bandits staying inside the building. We will charge in after three minutes.


    After we wrapped up the briefing, fifteen soldiers proceeded to blockade the rear exit of the building at Hermanns order. Yosh, better get started on our end too.


    I thought there would at least be some lookouts posted at the entrance of the hideout, but it looks like there are none.


    Well then, please wait for us here.


    After instructing Hermann and the other soldiers to stay on stand-by, I tried to open the door of the building, but it seems to be locked shut.


    I unsheathed my magic sword and activated Final de for the first time in a while. I then cut the door hinges and kicked it down.


    What!? Who the hellre you!?


    I sted away the twenty-something man who confronted me the moment I barged in with an Air Bullet.


    The door to a small room near the main entrance was open, and there were four bandits inside, but my nmates rushed inside immediately and knocked them out with wooden swords. With this, thats five bandits down.


    There are another four people in the room further back.


    At my signal, about seven or eight of my men rushed toward the room further back. Now wevepletely suppressed the first floor. Lets proceed to the second floor. That makes nine bandits down so far.


    The second floor was arge room that took up the entire floor. It looked like a storeroom with various things and supplies stuffed within it. There were three men present inside, but they carelessly approached us to see whats going on without even taking up any weapons, so they were immediately suppressed and knocked out with wooden swords. Now, that makes it twelve. Nine more to go.


    Those on the third floor should have already noticed our intrusion. We better move more carefully from here on out.


    I pulled up a cross-section of the building on a virtual window. I also checked out the weapons avable to the bandits.


    Four people on the stairs and corridor. They only have swords as weapons.


    After I informed them, more than ten n members pulled out their swords and rushed up the stairs. By the time I made it to the third floor, all the bandits present have been taken down. It looks like they havent killed anyone though. Now thats sixteen down.


    Only the innermost room was left. Five bandits were holed up inside it. I went up to the door and called out to them.


    Oi! We have more than sixty men here. If you value your lives, toss your weapons away and lie on the floor.


    Just who are you people!? Are you aware that this is the base of the Firth Family!?


    Family huh. So its an organization run by a family of bandits? I didnt think there was something of the sort.


    We are Shining Star. Give up and throw your weapons away.


    Did you say Shining Star!? Stop bluffing! Why would adventurers care about us!?


    This is too much trouble. I dont have enough time to keep convincing these guys. Theres no one who has a bow among them, and there isnt anybody readying magic spells either.


    I kicked the door open and fired off an extra-sized Air Bullet that spread out in a fan shape to cover the entire room.


    Ive loaded another spell in advance, but it looks like the first one managed to finish the job already. With this, its over.


    The bandits I blew away were all restrained.


    That was splendid, n-sama.


    The one serving as my adjutant today was Sasha from the Starveek royal guards.


    Is there anyone who got injured? It looks like there are none. Great job, everyone.


    Before long, Hermann and his men came up to the third floor as well.


    As expected of Shining Star. I did not think you would be able to end everything in such a short time It seems I have taken your menspetence far too lightly, Your Excellency. I am truly impressed.


    The opponents are just mere bandits after all. This riffraff is nothing to us who have constantly been honing our skills within the Great Demon Forest.


    That is true.

 Chapter 88.4 - Royal Capital Search-And-Destroy Operation Part 4

    Editor: Thors Stone


    Oi! By what right did you do this kind of thing to us!? Youre not gonna get off lightly for this yknow!


    One of the captured bandits loudly protested and judging from his voice, it seems he was the one who had an exchange with me behind the door earlier. Maybe hes the bandits leader.


    Come to think of it, I dont doubt that these guys are criminals because Iris had investigated them thoroughly, but just what kind of crimes did theymit anyway?


    (Iris, what crimes did these guys do?)


    A video was yed on a virtual window. The footage was taken inside a pub, and most of the people shown were dead drunk. Then the image zoomed to this mans face.


    Oi, you guys managed to properly deal with the Malein Company, right?


    Course, Boss. We made sure ta kill the entire family. There wont be any future trouble.


    I see. Good work. Go ahead and drink up. Its on me tonight.


    The video was cut. Was it burry and murder? Anyway, those crimes were enough to warrant heavy punishment.


    ording to my mens investigation, these fellows should be the culprits in the case involving the Malein Company.


    Hou, that case, is it?


    You have proof of that? If you do, then show it to us.


    You fool. His Excellency has already judged you all to be guilty. There is no need for proof or any further investigation. Bring them away!


    That cant be!


    The captured criminals made a fuss, but the soldiers forcibly dragged them away.


    Hermann, Id like you to still conduct an investigation and interview the local residents though. There is a chance our investigation might not be urate.


    Is that so? I am sorry for getting ahead of myself.


    If you end upcking in manpower, you can hire additional help. I will pay for all expenses incurred.


    No, there is no need to be concerned about that, Your Excellency.


    By the way, what about the money and valuables stored in this building?


    Of course, everything will be considered as your spoils, Your Excellency. We are here merely to help Your Excellency out after all.


    Because my position now was entirely differentpared to when I was just an adventurer, I was worried that the authorities would officially seize the loot for the crown or something, but it seems thats not the case.


    I see. Come to think of it, I am considered to be a part of the authorities now, wasnt I? It kinda feels a bit strange, honestly.


    ording to the multi-scanners readings, there seems to be a money depository hidden by a removable floorboard in one corner of the room.


    I pulled out my sword, activated Final de, and cut the floorboard in two. I removed the two halves of the board and found some leather bags and something that looked like an ount ledger.


    The leather bags all contained money, and they seem to be divided ording to the type of coin stored in them. They contained both gold and silver coins and were each pretty fat and heavy. It seemed like a fairlyrge amount of money.


    Oh, hey. This bag is filled withrge jewels and precious metals huh. This was a big harvest.


    Oh, this is amazing


    Hermann, let us split the spoils between Shining Star and the capital garrison. Let us bring all the goods to the Commerce Guild and sell them. We will set aside a certain amount from the earnings as funding for conducting investigations, and the rest would be divided between our two groups. How about it? Do you find this arrangement agreeable?


    The garrison soldiers around us all pricked their ears up the moment they heard the contents of my and Hermanns discussion.


    It is something unheard of, but we could ask for nothing better. Is it really alright, Your Excellency?


    I believe doing so will greatly motivate the soldiers. But in exchange, I want them to do their utmost and take full responsibility in managing the money we confiscate and investigating the criminal charges.


    Understood. If there is a special bonus involved, I think all the garrison soldiers in the capital will certainly do their best in conducting investigations, even if they have to lose sleep to do so. That, I can guarantee.


    Regarding the funding, it would be better for my peace of mind if one of your subordinates can serve as an auditor as well


    Fine. I shall see to it. I can send a few people your way.


    Katolle and his assistants would be perfect for the job.


    Yosh. With this, I was able to share some of the responsibility with the city garrison.


    Lets stop by the Commerce Guild and discuss the details of how well divide the spoils there. Come with me.


    Understood.


    I feel that Guild Branch Chief Yan, who I met with previously, would certainly agree to cooperate with us. Im sure a person like him wont do anything unsavory.


    Hermann ordered about fifteen soldiers to remain on guard at the former bandit hideout, had the rest pack up the spoils, and headed to the Commerce Guild together with me.


    (Sharon, Selena, whats your status?)


    (My team has just finished suppression of our target. There is no one injured.)


    (Its the same for my team.)


    (I see. Ive decided to split all the loot equally with the city garrison. Instruct the soldiers who followed after your teams to bring all the confiscated items, including the money, to the Commerce Guild.)


    ((Roger that!))


    Fortunately, the Commerce Guild was within walking distance from the bandit hideout. As expected of the Commerce Guild branch located in the royal capital. Their building was more than double the size of the branch located in Gantz.


    We had most of the men wait outside the building and only instructed a few to follow us inside. The interior of the guild building was crowded with merchants. I went to a receptionist counter and showed my guild I.D.


    Excuse me. I would like to see the Branch Chief. Is he in?


    Have you made an appointment, sir? You cannot meet our chief without scheduling an appointment first.


    Take heed. You are in the presence of His Excellency, Lord n Corinth.


    Sasha, who waiting on me by the side, dered so and showed the guild staff my coat of arms.


    Oh, right. Ipletely forgot to take my coat of arms from Sasha and wear it. As expected of a royal guard knight. She sure knows how to sh a coat of arms.


    I-Im terribly sorry! I will get the chief at once.


    The guild staff hurriedly went inside the guilds back office in a fluster. It feels like I did something bad, man. I should have named myself a noble from the start.


    Before long, Branch Chief Yan came out to meet us along with five other guild staff.


    Well, if it isnt Lord Corinth. And youre together with Sir Bahr as well. Thank you very much for gracing us with your esteemed presence. If its alright with you, shall we continue our talks inside?


    We were promptly led to the guilds conference room. There were three representatives from Shining Star including me, three from the city garrison, and six from the Commerce Guild present inside the room.


    Im sorry for taking up your time. Actually, I have decided to crack down on all the bandits and criminals lurking around the royal capital together with the city garrison you see.


    Not at all, Your Excellency. On the contrary, we are truly thankful for your efforts for the good of the citizens.


    I have received a royal order. Im sorry, but Ill have the guild withdraw the bandit subjugation request in favor of it.


    Understood.


    What I came for today is regarding the handling of the spoils. I want the Commerce Guild to purchase the spoils we will confiscate from the bandits during the operation. In this case, would conducting an auction for them be amenable?


    I think holding an auction would be fine as well. Among the spoils should be quite a number of valuables and precious metals. There might also be people who would seek the items they lost. In any case, it would certainly generate a reasonable amount of profit.


    I see. Go ahead and conduct an auction then. Before long, the garrison soldiers will be bringing the spoils we have managed to secure so far to the guild. Please ept them, manage them, put them up for auction, and report the results to Hermann here. Can I leave these tasks to you?


    But of course. You are working for the benefit of the capitals citizens after all. The Commerce Guild will cooperate fully in this endeavor. The Commerce Guild usually takes a fifteen percent cut of the earnings, but for you, we shall only take five percent.


    That would be wonderful. Thank you for your cooperation.


    It was all decided rather easily after all.


    Afterward, we continued the meeting to iron out the details between the cooperation between the city garrison and the guild, and it was decided that several guild staff would be assigned to us during the operation to manage the confiscated money.


    After the meeting, we finally left the guild.


    Now then, Hermann, I would like to do away with at least two more ces today. Let us keep going.


    Understood. Let us do our best.

 Chapter 89.1 - Church Part 1

    Editor: Thors Stone


    It was now the third day since the crackdown on criminal elements within the royal capital began. The crackdown was going rtively smoothly. Weve assaulted three criminal bases today and received no injuries. It was safe to say that everything was proceeding as nned.


    In the past two days, the bandits did not seem to have expected an attack, and they didnt show any signs of being prepared at all, but the bandits we raided today have poised themselves for a siege and were fairly well-armed.


    It looks like the rumors regarding our extensive crackdown have already made their rounds, and it looks like we can assume that almost every bandit group residing within the royal capital should now be on high alert.


    Hermann, this should be enough for today. Lets pull out.


    Understood.


    It was almost evening and there werent any other bandit hideouts nearby. Sometimes, it was better to finish up early.


    Hermann instructed ten or so garrison soldiers to transport the fifteen captured bandits and carry back the seble goods that we confiscated from the bandit hideout.


    Even so, the garrison soldiers were indiscriminately grabbing everything they could get a hold off inside the base regardless of whether or not they looked valuable enough. Maybe their unusual zeal for looting stems from the fact that we decided to split the profits in half with the garrison. Hmm.


    I proceeded to return to the inn with the Shining Star members, Hermann, and the ten garrison soldiers.


    After we left the building that was used as a hideout by the bandits and rounded the first corner, we ended up bumping into a lone man.


    An orange cursor and a note were ced on top of the mans head via Nanoms AR disy. The man disyed a look of surprise the moment he saw us, and he quickly turned on his heels to run away.


    I released an Air Bullet at the poor sob without asking any questions and put him down.


    Catch him. Hes a member of one of the bandit groups we captured yesterday.


    Yes.


    Three garrison soldiers rushed forward to secure the man who was now lying prone in the middle of the road.


    The term rough search was something I learned from the garrison soldiers while working with them for the past few days. It seems whenever we forcibly break inside bandits hideouts, we were technically conducting a rough search of the premises.


    It seems the man ran away after seeing the red armbands we and the garrison soldiers were wearing. His actions were just too conspicuous, so it was easy to have Hermann and the others make a move on him.


    We were all now wearing red armbands on our right arms due to Hermanns request. He said hed like to have something on our persons that would make it easier to distinguish friend from foe from a single nce, so we hurriedly requested Katolle to procure these bands for us.


    I wasnt aware at first, but apparently, it was strictly forbidden to use magic spells within the city premises, so these armbands were pretty handy for making snap judgments. Well, we were conducting raids due to a royal order, so that rule didnt actually apply to us.


    Your Excellency, dont tell me you are able to remember the faces of all the bandits weve encountered until now?


    Of course not. That guy just happened to make an impression on me so I was able to recognize him.


    The orange cursor disyed on top of the mans head indicated that he had been activelying and going from a bandit hideout. Persons with strong evidence of perpetrating crimes against them had red cursors on top of their heads instead.


    I asked Iris to do it like this so Id be able to easily identify the bandits and criminals walking around in the city. It was pretty convenient.


    Before long, we finally managed to reach the inn. For some reason, Hermann always makes sure to escort us back to the inn after every operation.


    Your Excellency, actually, I have something to consult with you about


    Very well. Let us talk while having tea, shall we?


    I invited Hermann to the inns dining hall and decided to have a discussion with him there.


    Its actually regarding the interrogation of the captured bandits, Your Excellency. There are more of them than we initially expected, and it looks like interrogating them will actually affect our regr duties at this rate. I am truly ashamed of our inadequacy.


    I see. The sum total of the bandits weve captured these past few days should be over two hundred already. Theyd certainly have problems when ites to amodating all of them, and considering that detailed interrogations were conducted one on one, theyd need quite a lot of manpower.


    The capital garrison didnt have surplus personnel avable, and to be honest, having the soldiers handle the interrogation by themselves was pushing it a bit since it was a job that needed to be done separately from their usual duties.


    No, I believe something like that is natural, considering the magnitude of the work. In fact, I feel like Im the one who should be apologizing for failing to realize such a thing. Alright. We will temporarily suspend crackdown activities starting tomorrow. Please contact me again once youre already able to afford it.


    Im truly sorry about this, Your Excellency. We really appreciate it.


    Afterward, I talked to Hermann regarding the progress of the interrogation.


    It seems that all the captured people were guilty of some form of crime, and they were all going to be punished ording to the gravity of their sins.


    Persons who havemitted crimes were usually sent to mines to serve as mining ves. It seems there was a good number of mining camps they could be sent to, and their treatment, as well as the duration of their sentence, would be determined ording to their crimes.


    Its not like they would be sentenced without any trial though. Not exactly, anyway. They basically underwent trials via kangaroo courts. This country really is harsh when dealing with criminals huh.


    Just like I expected, the interrogations conducted were pretty harsh, and they were able to squeeze out quite a bit of info from the bandits at the bottom of the barrel in their respective groups.


    After we wrapped up our discussion, Hermann excused himself and left the inn together with his men.


    Selena and Sharons teams have returned as well. ording to their reports, there were some people who ended up receiving slight injuries, but it looks like they were able to fix them up through magic. They were also able to confiscate quite a lot of stuff.


    I conveyed Hermanns request while we were having our dinner.


    And so, well still keep a regr guard detail to watch over the inn, but Ill have you take turns having day-offs, everyone.


    Ooh!


    This was perfect since we havent had an opportunity to rx and see the sights ever since arriving at the royal capital.


    n, what are you going to do tomorrow then?


    Im going to visit the church in the morning. I have an appointment with the bishop.


    The bishop!?


    I actually didnt make an appointment with the guy, but since he told me I coulde over anytime I like after that little y a few days back, I technically wasnt lying.


    n, have you really made an acquaintance with a bishop of the church?


    I went to the church a couple of days ago. I was able to meet him at that time. I was thinking of having a priest dispatched to our new territory you see. Ille to the church tomorrow to negotiate for that.


    Ah, that would be really wonderful, n!


    It truly is, Ria-sama.


    Is it really something so amazing?


    But, of course. Devout believers wouldnt want to move to a cecking a church. Hence, its very important to build a church and invite a priest to preside over it.


    Oh, it was actually a lot more important than I first expected. Actually, I should prioritize aplishing it for now.


    Well then, I shall also be apanying you, n. Of course, I will not get in the way of the negotiations. I would like to offer my gratitude to Ruminas-sama and pray that the negotiations go well.


    If so, I will being as well.


    Us too.


    Even though it was a long-awaited day off, everyone seems to want to follow me to the church. Well, Id have to bring a group of escorts with me whenever I go out anyway, so I suppose its fine if we all went there together.


    The next morning, I spent a leisurely time in the bath since it was basically our day off, and when we went out of the inn, a carriage was already prepared.


    I was actually thinking of walking all the way, but the escorts would probably find it easier to guard me if Im riding a carriage, so it cant be helped.


    There were five Shining Star n members acting as our guard escorts. Together with Cleria and the girls, there were a total of ten of us.


    When we arrived at the church and proceeded inside, we found a lot of devout believers enthusiastically praying within.


    A church Sister immediately went to where our group was to wee us. I suppose its because I was wearing fancy noble clothes and even brought a good number of people with me.


    Greetings, Lord Corinth. Wee to our humble church.


    The sister greeted me and knelt down. When I looked closely at her, I recognized her as one of the Sisters who I met when I first came to this church.


    But theyre already aware that Ive be a noble huh. I guess its true that my promotion was really the talk of the town huh.


    Is Bishop Gertner avable today?


    He is. He instructed us to let him know the moment youe in for a visit, Lord Corinth. Please follow me.


    I had Cleria, Elna, and the rest of the escorts remain in the main chapel and brought Sharon and Selena with me.


    The room the Sister brought us to was different from the one I came tost time I was here. It was a pretty luxurious room with expensive-looking furnishings. Im pretty sure this was the reception room that was exclusively reserved for nobles.


    Before long, Bishop Gertner arrived.

 Chapter 89.2 - Church Part 2

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Wee, Lord Corinth. Congrattions on receiving such an honor. And I also offer my most heartfelt congrattions for your appointment as this kingdoms Lord Protector.


    Thank you, Bishop Gertner.


    Lord Corinth, Id like to talk to you in private if you dont mind


    But of course. Im sorry, but please outside with everyone, you two.


    Yes, My Lord.


    Selena and Sharon promptly headed outside the reception room. I wonder what the bishop wants to discuss with me in private. Oh, maybe its about that apostle thing huh?


    I was honestly quite surprised. I did not expect that you actually came to the royal capital in order to be conferred the title of baron, Lord Corinth.


    Im sorry for failing to inform you about it thest time.


    No, no, I believe you also have your circumstances to think about. Did youe to the church today due to another dream about the Goddesss apostle?


    Oh, well, I suppose theres that too, but I came today mainly because I have a favor to ask of you, Bishop.


    Hou. Do tell.


    To get straight to the point, I would like you to dispatch a priest to my new territory.


    By new territory, do you mean the Great Demon Forest, Lord Corinth? You really mean to develop in such a ce?


    Thats right. However, due to some of my goals, its be imperative that a church be built in my territory as soon as possible.


    I personally would like to offer my cooperation, but Im afraid that I would not be able to fulfill such a request, unfortunately.


    And what is the reason?


    If it was just a piece of undevelopednd, it should have been possible to dispatch a priest or two after some negotiation, but if thatnd is actually the dreaded Great Demon Forest, then I would not be able to give an approval, nor would any other bishop in my position.


    The dispatch of a priest ended up being so troublesome. Maybe its because of the collegial system the church uses. I wonder if I can make it work somehow.


    If its donations, I am more than willing to hand over as much as the church requires


    No, heavens no, Lord Corinth. Its not actually a problem about the dispatch of priests per se, but the problems that would be coupled with the establishment of the Great Demon Forest as a new parish. As a mere bishop, my hands are tied. The archbishop might be able to make a decision on the matter, but


    Is it possible for you to introduce me to the archbishop then, Bishop Gertner?


    Unfortunately, the archbishop is currently indisposed due to illness. Now, this is confidential mind you, but presently, no one is allowed for a visit.


    Ive heard from Iris that the leader of this kingdoms church officials is the archbishop, but I wasnt aware that hes actually fallen sick.


    In the next moment, a transmission came from Iris.


    (Captain, in fifteen days after the current archbishop has fallen sick, an election for the next archbishop to rece him would be held. Bishop Gertner seems to be an active candidate for the position, but it looks like his prospects arent looking too good.)


    I see. I get it. I knew what Iris was implying.


    There should be a meeting between bishops that would decide something of monumental importance that would be urring fifteen days from now, correct?


    Where have you heard of such news?


    The castle. I managed to witness another dream by the way. The great apostle will appear after the 11 oclock bell has finished ringing.


    I continued the conversation while looking straight at the good bishops eyes. I do hope hed notice what I was getting at


    Bishop Gertner also stared back at me without breaking eye contact.


    Are you absolutely sure, Lord Corinth?


    My dreams have never failed toe true until now, Bishop.


    Understood. Thank you for telling me. Allow me some time to think about the matter regarding the dispatch of a priest to your territory first. It is still quite unlikely, but I do believe there is still some hope.


    Thank you. Im sorry for imposing this matter upon you, Bishop Gertner. I do hope there would be some good news soon.


    If the meaning behind my words was sessfully conveyed to him, then our dear bishop would probably be quite busy in the following days. It wouldnt be long before the clock strikes eleven.


    When I returned to the main chapel, I saw that Cleria and the others were still enthusiastically praying. Selena and Sharon sat on a pew and were looking a little bored.


    Youre done, n? How was your discussion with the bishop?


    Mm, there seem to be some difficulties. It looks like Ill have to take my time and keep negotiating with him patiently.


    I see


    After a few moments, several Sisters rushed inside the chapel in a hurry.


    Everyone! It seems like Bishop Gertner will be holding a special sermon today for the devout believers of our beloved Goddess!


    Ooh.


    His Excellency will


    His Excellency will be conducting it in the public square outside of the church to allow as many believers to attend as possible. Everyone, please head outside to the square in an orderly fashion.


    It looks like he did catch on huh.


    It seems a personal sermon by the bishop was quite a big deal, and the believers didnt hesitate to go outside excitedly in droves.


    We decided to go out along with the rest of the crowd as well.


    It seems the Sisters thought the number of people attending was still insufficient, so they started calling out to the pedestrians walking on the streets surrounding the church.


    When about a hundred and fifty people have gathered in front of the church square, Bishop Gertner finally appeared.


    He walked up to the lectern that was set up for him earlier and started preaching to the people. The audience listened with bated breath.


    (D-1, circle around the areas surrounding the church in low altitude. Turn off Stealth Mode at my signal.)


    Roger that, Captain.


    Hm? Well, that was a bit odd. Did D-1 just address me as Captain (Taichou)[1]? If I remember correctly, the drones have always addressed me as Captain (Kanchou)[2].


    Oh,e to think of it, Ive be the on-sitemander of the imperial space marines just recently huh. Maybe the reason the drones behaved rather stiffly around me before was that I was stillmanding them using my authority as a starship captain back then.


    Anyway, to summarize our good bishops sermon, he basically opined that even though the world is rife with suffering, you will be alright as long as you believed in the grace of the Goddess. It was your typical religious sermon in which one says that wonderful things will be waiting for you in the afterlife even though you are enduring hardship in this life.


    When the 11 oclock bell began to ring, the bishop paused his sermon with a great dramatic flourish. Mm. Hes good.


    Oh, great and merciful Goddess! Have pity on your children and allow us to witness your divine grace!


    He then held his arms up into the sky with a fervent look on his face. The attendees followed suit and looked up as well.


    (Now.)


    T-That is!


    Ooooh!


    Its the Great Apostle!


    The people who attended the sermon all knelt down and prayed fervently. The bishop also knelt down to pray.


    Thats the Great Apostle of the Goddess?


    Cleria and the others hurriedly knelt down to pray as well. Oops. Guess I have to kneel down too huh.


    (D-1, slowly raise your altitude. After 30 seconds, switch back to Stealth Mode.)


    Roger.


    After the apostle of the Goddess disappeared beyond the heavens, the people looked toward the bishop in a daze.


    The Lord is always watching over us all.


    After capping up his sermon with those final words, the bishop nodded to the people, slowly stepped down from behind the lectern, and entered back into the church.


    The audience saw his back off in stunned silence.


    Damn, that guy really deserves an acting award or two. I didnt expect hed be able to go this far. Impressive.


    Being able to somehowmune with the Goddess Apostle spiritually is a really big deal among the believers.


    If a show like this is conducted a few more times, Im a hundred percent sure that the bishops fame within the church will tremendously skyrocket. Actually, even this one incident should be more than enough.


    Anyway, lets continue to keep in touch with the good bishop from here on out.


    TL Notes:


    [1] Taichou ()  Japanese word for Captain or Commander. Its usually used to denote the captain of a squad or unit in the military.


    [2] Kanchou ()  Japanese word for Captain. Its used to refer to the captain of a ship.

 Chapter 90.1 - Recruitment Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    After having our lunch, I decided to go my separate way from Cleria and the rest for the day.


    Cleria and the girls seem to be nning on shopping for clothes while were still in the royal capital.


    Well, it would certainly be easier to get your hands on fancy dresses in the capital, and there might even be opportunities to use them here as well.


    I, however, decided to finish up the matters requested by Iris.


    I left the inn together with Katolle and his assistants as well as three escorts via carriage and headed for the Craft Guild.


    Just like the Commerce Guild and the Adventurers Guild, the Craft Guild was an organization that craftsmen of different specialties gather under.


    It was a guild that manages craftsmen such as cksmiths, woodworkers, and textile artisans.


    However, it doesnt look like all craftsmen were actually under their management.


    Its said that craftsmen who have very profitable businesses dont undertake work arranged by the guild, but instead opt for serving specific patrons such as rich nobles orrgepanies to sell their work.


    There will certainly be variations in the style and quality of an item depending on which craftsman you order them from, even if youre essentially ordering the same item.


    So I can see the appeal of reserving just one exclusive craftsman to produce items with consistent quality.


    And it seems the prices set for Craft Guild requests are rtively cheap as well.


    When we arrived at the Craft Guild and entered inside the guild building, it was hard to say that the ce was packed, but it was still pretty lively within. People who seemed to be craftsmen were looking at the requests posted on the wall with serious looks on their faces.


    I immediately headed for the receptionist counter and announced my purpose.


    Ehem. Im Baron n Corinth. Is the guild chief avable today? I would like to meet them.


    Um A baron?


    Thats right. The noble kind, Miss.


    A-A noble!? Lord Baron!? P-Please wait a moment, My Lord!


    The young female receptionist rushed to the back of the guild building in a fluster. It looks like she didnt peg me as a noble at first nce. Hm. I think I look the part of a noble though. I even dressed like one.


    It looks like I really dont have that aristocratic aura typical to nobles huh.


    My identity as Shining Stars n leader seems to be more well known. Should I announce myself as Shining Stars n leader next time?


    Before long, the guild chief along with some staff rushed over from the back offices. He looks pretty flustered.


    Wee to our humble guild, Lord Baron. My name is Tappas, the chief of this branch.


    The guild chief was a man who was getting along in age already. He seemed to be genuinely puzzled about what my business with the Craft Guild was.


    Im Shining Stars n leader, n Corinth. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Chief Tappas.


    Youre the famed Dragon yer!? Come to think of it, they did say youve been promoted to a baron. Well, to think I would be able to personally meet with you like this, My Lord. I am truly honored. I didnt think our humble guild will actually have the opportunity to wee a noble such as you within its walls.


    Yeah, it looks like my title as Shining Stars n leader was definitely more well known. The other guild staff also looked like they were about to drop to their knees at any moment.


    Please dont mind me too much. I was also amoner until recently after all. Actually, I came here to consult with you about business. Id like to take some of your time to discuss further.


    Understood. Please follow me, My Lord.


    We were immediately guided to a conference room and served tea.


    Well, as you may already know, I was granted the title of baron recently and was granted the Great Demon Forest as my domain.


    Yes, I am well aware. Right now, stories about you confronting a dragon and your recent raids on banditirs and other criminal elements have been making their rounds all over the capital. There is probably no one in the royal capital who remains unaware of your deeds.


    I see. Cutting straight to the chase, I am in great need of skilled craftsmen. Thus, I would like to recruit those who are willing to apany us to the depths of the Sea of Trees.


    I see So you want to recruit craftsmen as pioneers, correct?


    Well, its a little bit different from what youre thinking of. The main pioneering work will be undertaken by others working for me. The craftsmen I will be hiring need not participate in that. I mainly need them for their skills. I need architects, cksmiths, woodworkers, textile workers, among others.


    Ah, so you are hiring them to work for you after youve finished opening up the territory, My Lord?


    No. I am nning to leave the royal capital in about a month, so I will have the craftsmen apany us at that time.


    Forgive me for asking, but do you really n on developing the Sea of Trees as a new territory, My Lord?


    Well, yes, I do. Id like you to keep this between us, but the initial wave of pioneers alone will consist of more than a thousand people.


    A-A thousand!? Since you will be mobilizing such numbers for the first wave alone, this certainly doesnt seem like your usual pioneering. I see


    I am willing to pay 10,000 Guineas in advance to craftsmen of C-rank and higher. If you cannot prepare a means of transportation for them, we will take care of that as well.


    While working in my territory, housing and food will be guaranteed, and their sry will be five thousand Guineas a month.


    The working period will be five years. If they wish to stay in the territory after the five-year period, we will be providing them with workshops as well.


    P-Please wait a moment, My Lord! Let me rify things first. You wish to hire craftsmen of C-rank or higher, correct?


    Yes, thats right. C-rank craftsmen can be considered as seasoned veterans of their respective trades, correct? Of course, I do not mind hiring those below C-rank as well, but I cannot hand them an advanced payment.


    Well, that is reasonable. You are going to prepare a means of transport for them as well? Would that include guards to escort them?


    We of Shining Star will undertake escort duties. Of course, other adventurer parties and ns will be participating as well. Were in the middle of procuring wagons and horses right now, but Im not sure if what we have is already enough. Depending on the number of people participating, some might have to travel on foot.


    I see. So thats why the number of wagon-rted requests has increased as ofte.


    Although we didnt directly order wagons from the guild, we were mainly purchasing second-hand ones, so I suppose such requests have increased.


    And you would guarantee them housing, food, and a sry of 5000 Guineas while they are working under you?


    Thats right. I will pay a sry of 5000 Guineas to the C-rank craftsmen. The sry will increase depending on their rank.


    You will also be providing them with workshops once the five-year contract is over if they choose to stay in your territory?


    I will have them produce items I have specificallymissioned during those five years, but afterward, we will provide them with a workshop ofparable size to the ones in the royal capital free of charge if they choose to stay. As for what kind of workshop they want, we will consult with the craftsmen first before building them.


    Honestly, what youre proposing sounds like something too good to be true, My Lord. It almost seems like a mere pipe dream. To think they would only need to finish a five-year working period in order to have their own personal workshops


    However, all of these promises will amount to nothing if the development of the territory does not go as well as you hope.


    Well, thats true. However, Im quite confident about our prospects, and I think it is worth the gamble. What do you think about my proposal, Chief Tappas?


    I am sure there will be people who would choose to apply. Perhaps there will even be a flood of applicants after we announce the terms.


    Is that so!? Oh, but please limit the number of craftsmen to three hundred. It doesnt matter if you exceed that number a bit, but we will end up taking in a lot of people once they bring their families with them after all.


    My word! They can even bring their families with them? Will you be able to guarantee housing and food for their families as well?


    But of course. Or rather, it would be better if they really did bring their families with them. I will be happy if you make such arrangements on your end.

 Chapter 90.2 - Recruitment Part 2

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Well then, now its practically guaranteed that there would be a flood of applicants. It would make it difficult for us to select three hundred among them.


    I would be happy if that really is the case. Oh, and Ive summarized the current terms and my desired upations on paper. I want you to proceed with the selection based on whats written here.


    After saying so, I handed the document I prepared to the chief. He and the rest of the staff began poring over it.


    So we need to prioritize the hiring of architects, cksmiths, and woodworkers. What kind of items would you have them produce?


    Mostly furniture, window frames, doors, and the like. Basically, we will be the ones who will build the buildings, so we only need them to produce items like those.


    I see Understood. We ept this proposal, My Lord.


    I see! Thats great. So how much do I need to pay the guild?


    We will take amission fee of 30,000 Guineas.


    Thats quite cheaper than I expected. Hm. I will pay you 50,000 Guineas instead. In exchange, I want you to do your best in selecting the craftsmen ording to their skills and reputation. Please do not include anyone who would potentially cause trouble along the way.


    It would be helpful if you can aplish everything after fifteen days.


    I understand.


    After paying the consultation fee of five Guineas and giving them our contact information, we finally left the Craft Guild building. I sure hope theyd be able to gather a good number of decent applicants.


    The other request Iris made was to procure books. So I decided to go around bookstores in the capital under the guidance of Katolle and the others.


    This is the Dascar Company, n-sama. Its said to be thergest bookstore in the royal capital.


    The shop Katolle and his assistants led me to was of a size befitting its description as thergest in the capital.


    When we entered the shop, I saw lots of bookshelves lined with plenty of different books. They were arranged so that their covers would be clearly visible to the customers. They were disyed like paintings in an art gallery. It looks like this really was a pretty high-ss store, and books were treated as equally high-ss goods. They were pretty rare after all.


    A middle-aged store clerk quickly went over to receive us.


    Im Shining Stars n leader, n Corinth. Ive recently been appointed as a baron by His Majesty.


    Oh my! Wee, Lord Baron. To think you would grace our humble store with your presence, Your Excellency! Wee, wee. What kind of article are you looking for, if I may ask?


    It looks like telling people I was Shining Stars n leader really was much more effective than announcing my baron title.


    Oh, I havent decided yet. Can I trouble you to introduce me to your wares?


    But of course, Your Excellency. Please go ahead and take a look at our collection.


    As we walked around, I noticed that the books being sold in the shop were all incredibly expensive. I skimmed through the contents of some books, but I dont think their contents actually warrant such sky-high prices.


    For example, the book Im holding right now was an anthology of tacky-sounding poems, but its price was a whopping 55,000 Guineas.


    Are all of these new items?


    Of course, Your Excellency. All of the books being sold in this shop were sourced directly from their authors.


    Hm. In any case, what were after when buying these things is information. The more, the better. It doesnt matter how much the price is gonna be. Ill still buy them in bulk.


    Oh, what about this book?


    It was a book titled Comprehensive List of Belta Kingdom Aristocrats.


    That is thetest version. It was just madest year. It contains a detailed andprehensive list of all nobles in the kingdom.


    The names of the nobles, their family trees, their territories, and so on were all listed in the book. I should definitely buy this. The price was also high, at 45,000 Guineas, but getting my hands on this book was necessary.


    What about this?


    Ah, that is aprehensive list of nobles in the neighboring Alois kingdom. It is a new arrival.


    My three escorts who were actually former members of the Starveek kingdom royal guards were looking at the book with great interest.


    Oh yeah. Come to think of it, Ipletely forgot looking into myrades hometowns and families.


    Its only natural that everyones wondering what happened to their home kingdom. The price was 60,000 Guineas, but I didnt hesitate to purchase the book as well.


    Yosh. Ill be getting these two books then.


    I wanted lots more books, of course, but I didnt need anything this fancy. I had Katolle look up shops that sell used books as well, so Ill buy more at a shop hell rmendter.


    I left the store after paying for the two books, which amounted to 105,000 Guineas all in all.


    The next store we headed to was the used book store that Katolle looked up for me. It had a pretty good reputation and rtively reasonable prices, apparently. After about ten minutes, we finally reached the shop in question.


    Are you seriously saying that?


    Yes, of course, Im serious.


    There were seven men who looked like adventurers and five men who looked like merchants having an argument just in front of the book store. They were blocking the way, so I wish theyd held their argument elsewhere.


    Im sorry, my good men, but could you clear the way for us? We wish to enter the store.


    Oh. Sorry, but this store is closed. Try heading elsewhere.


    For some reason, one of the adventurer-looking men replied like that. Was he someone rted to the store?


    Eh, is that so? Are they taking a break today?


    Its been closed for quite some time. The previous owner went up and died after all.


    Ugh. What bad timing. I was somewhat disappointed because I was actually looking forward toing to this shop. While I was asking Katolle and the others about our other options, I overheard the discussion of the men.


    Are you seriously saying the total valuation of all the books in the store is only up to 2 million Guineas at most?


    Yes, that is indeed the case. This is the result after conducting a rigorous assessment.


    My father said before he died that I would be able to sell all the books in the store for over 30 million Guineas though. Your quoted price is just too low.


    But that is if you sold them normally, correct? Two million is a more than reasonable cost price.


    Enough. I wont sell them to you guys. Ill try asking other merchants instead.


    Arent we the only ones who came here even after you tried calling out to several firms? Do you know why?


    Dont tell me


    Its just as you imagine. We are the only ones who can properly handle this amount of books, so we asked all the other stores to refrain from making a deal with you.


    Thats ying dirty, dammit!


    Hm. I was able to hear a pretty interesting conversation. It seems I came at the perfect timing after all.


    The adventurer-like man seems to be the son of the deceased shop owner, and it looks like hes trying to dispose of the books in the shop by selling them off.


    Even so, wasnt Dascar Company the name of the ce we visited earlier? I didnt think they were also into the used book business.


    (Iris, please scan the interior of this bookstore. How many books are contained inside?)


    There are an estimated 562 books on the stores first floor. There are an additional 491 books on the second floor, which seems to be a warehouse.


    So thats about 1053 books in total huh.


    Excuse me, gentlemen. I couldnt help but overhear your conversation. Is it true that you are trying to sell off all the books in this store?


    Yeah. Why?


    I see. If so, then what say you if I offer to purchase all of the books on both the first and second floor for 10 million Guineas?


    T-Ten million!


    Oi! Just whatpany do you hail from, young man!? Please do not try to worm in on our business.


    Ah, my apologies then. You can go ahead and continue your discussion, gentlemen.


    No, my business with the Dascar Company is over. Please leave.


    Tsk! Just whichpany are you from!? Do you really think you can still continue to sell your books here in the royal capital by making an enemy out of the Dascar Company?


    Oh, but I dont n on selling them in the first ce. My name is n Corinth, the n leader of Shining Star. Oh, and I suppose Im also a baron now.


    Eh?


    I may not look the part of an aristocrat, but its true, you know? In any case, it looks like your deal with these people is off the table, so let us continue our discussion, my good man.


    The people from the Dascar Company gave us serious looks, but when they noticed my escorts cing their hands on the swords on their waists, it seems they were finally convinced and hurriedly walked away as if making their escape.

 Chapter 90.3 - Recruitment Part 3

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Are you really Shining Stars leader, man? Uh, I mean, sir?


    Yes, I am. Can you show me the books inside the store please?


    Oh, yeah, sure thing. Uh, I mean, of course, sir.


    The man guided me inside the shop and showed me the books. It looks like the used books stocked within the shop were all in good condition. I was also able to check out the books on the second floor and confirmed that there were no problems with them as well.


    Un, I think these are all fine. If youd like, shall I purchase them for 10 million Guineas like I offered earlier?


    Yeah, Im good with ten mil. Err, I mean, please go ahead and take them for ten million, sir. But I have a condition. Please tell me about the time when you subjugated a dragon.


    Uh May I ask why?


    Were a B-rank party calledck Swordysee. And, well, um, we were thinking wed like to try our hand in subjugating a dragon as well someday sir.


    Hmm. Well, I suppose it cant be helped if thats your condition. Lets go somewhere for a drink then. And you really dont have to talk politely in front of me if youre not used to it. Youre kinda bad at it you know.


    Thats Okay. Im our partys leader, Hans.


    The pub Hans and hispanions led us to was about a three-minute walk from the store, and when we entered, I found that there were mostly men and women who seemed to be adventurers patronizing the ce. It looks like this particr pub was quite well-liked by adventurers.


    Hey, Hans. Are you gonna have a drink even though its still daytime? Your father just died, right?


    Todays special. Who do you think I brought here with me today? Its Shining Stars n leader, n.


    What!?


    That got the attention of all the people inside the pub. Hans was behaving a little too overly familiar all of a sudden, but I guess this was better than him being all stiff earlier.


    Cmon, n. Its my treat today. Go ahead and order anything you like.


    I see. Ill take you up on your offer then.


    I ordered some rtively expensive snacks from the menu. But Hans apparently didnt care. Well, I suppose he wouldnt since hes about to be 10 million Guineas richer.


    When the liquor arrived, we toasted each other, and I began talking about how I supposedly dealt with the dragon.


    And the dragon I befriended brought the other dragons corpse to Gantz city just like that.


    Thats amazin. To think that really happened for real. But are dragons really that smart? I cant believe it.


    Dragons really are very smart creatures you know. I only ever managed to kill one through sheer luck because I happened toe across dragons fighting to kill each other. Imying it to you straight, Hans. You should stop thinking about subduing a dragon. Its too dangerous.


    But yknow every adventurer worth his or her salt dreams of someday defeating a dragon. Hey, n, how much did you actually make from selling off those dragon materials? The rumors say its around a billion, but whats the actual number?


    No, it didnt reach a billion. It was only about 700 million or so.


    Seven hundred million!?


    There were about thirty or so people crowding around our table. Everyone was listening enthusiastically with mugs of ale in hand.


    I think you guys should aim for an ogre rather than a dragon.


    Ogre!?


    Yeah. Its said that theres arge group of Ogres living deep within the Sea of Trees you see.


    W-When you say Ogre, are you referring to those legendary monsters!?


    Apparently, theyre not just a product of legends. Theres a guy who really managed to defeat and kill an Ogre in the depths of the Sea of Trees. And that guy retrieved arge magic stone from the Ogre corpse. It was about four or five meters tall and about five centimeters in diameter.


    Five centimeters!?


    If you manage to bait one skillfully enough, I think even B-rankers like you would be able to deal with it.


    How much does a magic stone with a diameter of five centimeters sell for anyway?


    No idea. But I bet its gonna be worth quite a lot.


    It was true that monsters called Ogres were wandering in the depths of the Sea of Trees. They werent all that smart and tended to wander around all alone. In my opinion, they were great targets for high-ranked adventurer parties.


    Are you really nning on developing the Great Demon Forest, n? Are you looking to hire adventurers for that?


    Yeah, of course, Im recruiting.


    After my affirmative reply, the adventurers surrounding our table came even closer to better hear our discussion.


    If you guys are interested, you can get in contact with Dalshim from my party. Hes in charge of recruitment. But bear in mind that were going to the depths of the Sea of Trees. We will only ept those with real abilities. If you think you have what it takes, then, by all means, go ahead and apply.


    If this goes well, I think Id be able to attract a number of high-quality adventurers.


    Afterward, we continued drinking after giving them Dalshims contact info, advanced payment for the books, and finalizing the delivery details. Phew. Procuring books in this world sure is troublesome.


    When we got back to the inn, it was already dinner time. I found Cleria chatting happily with Sharon and the rest of the girls about the clothes they managed to buy.


    Ria, look at this. I managed to get my hands on a book that should interest you.


    I showed Cleria the book listing the nobles of the Alois kingdom that I got earlier today.


    This is!?


    Cleria and Elna raised surprised gasps. After noticing their reaction, everyone in the dining hall crowded around our table to see what was going on. Within moments, our table was swarming with people.


    Is whats written in here really true!? I cant believe it. To think my house would actually give in to those rebels


    It seems the noble house Elna was from was actually included on the list. Shes probably feeling quite troubled about it.


    The fact that they were on the list would mean her parents and rtives were alive and safe. But it also meant they have now fallen into the hands of the enemy.


    Im sorry! What about the Auler House? Is it also included in the list?


    Can you also look up the Ilkner House?


    Immediately, the dining hall was filled with voices of the n members asking about the well-being of their houses and families. It seems those who were from rather influential noble houses already knew the current situation of their respective houses, but the majority of the members didnt have any information about their families at all.


    Before long, we were able to rify the situation of the noble houses in the former Starveek kingdom, which was now known as Alois kingdom. It looks like about half of the n members noble houses were listed.


    Ria-sama, it seems my house has chosen to collude with the traitorous rebels. If this fact warrants that I am no longer fit to be by your side


    Elna! Do not even think of uttering such things. Your house is your house, and you are your own person, Elna. And furthermore, I know Lord Norian and Max quite well. They might have been forced to choose to capitte for the sake of your territorys citizens.


    Listen to me, everyone. Truly, it is very important for noble houses to follow the will of their respective patriarchs.


    However, do you truly believe that our people back home are willingly following those rebels!? I do not think so. Perhaps they only endured shame and were forced to make tough choices. I believe your wills and that of your familys respective patriarchs are still aligned.


    Therefore, there is no reason for me to doubt your vows of fealty regardless of the situations of your houses. Isnt that right, n!?


    It looks like Cleria haspletely entered her princess mode this time around. I havent seen her like this for quite some time.


    Yes, thats right. Once our territory is fully prepared, I have some means to get in contact with the rest of our people. In fact, I n on taking in not only your families but the citizens under you as well. We have our ways. I will also have my men investigate the situation of each of your houses, so please dont worry, everyone.


    Thats excellent! Let us endeavor to prepare our territory as soon as possible to save your families and your people. Let us work with this goal in mind! Are you fine with this, everyone!?


    Yes!


    Well, this is how things turned out in the end.

 Chapter 91.1 - Orphans Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    After having dinner, someone knocked while I was rxing inside my room, and when I opened the door, I saw Selena and Sharon standing outside. It looks like there was something they wanted to discuss with me.


    n, shouldnt we secure human resources for the imperial military while were in the royal capital as well?


    Dalshim reported the current status of the recruitment of civilian candidates and adventurers as part of our group just earlier. ording to his report, the recruitment is going better than expected, and they have already managed to secure more than thirty civilian candidates and nearly eighty adventurers.


    Of course, they have not been permanently hired yet, and the civilian candidates were still going to undergo a trial period. As for the adventurers, Dalshim opted to hire them as escorts in our journey to the depths of the Sea of Trees through the Adventurers Guild for the time being.


    Perhaps Selena and Sharon were moved by the report and thought that we, the imperial military, should make a move to secure human resources as well.


    I havent thought of doing so at this point. Wouldnt things be too busy for the moment? So we wouldnt have enough time to properly educate them. Do you girls already have some you have your eyes on?


    No, not as of the moment. But I was talking with Sharon about the possibility of recruiting orphans. We dont have enough time to properly educate them right now just as you say, n. But we hope we can secure even a small number of people to start with if possible


    I see Orphans huh.


    Certainly, orphans might be a good option considering our future ns.


    Because they will essentially serve as Selena and Sharons subordinates, it would be better if they were close in age, and if they were orphans without a family, it would be harder for confidential information to get leaked through them.


    Even if the development of the territory goes smoothly, it would not guarantee we would be able to secure the needed human resources afterward. Should we secure some now after all?


    If we only recruited a small number of people, they wouldnt be much of a burden, and they would also serve as good test cases for further recruitment.


    Mm. Sounds good. Thats only if there are any orphans who are willing to go with us to the depths of the Sea of Trees though.


    Id like to go to a local orphanage with Sharon to scope things out.


    I see. Alright. Ill leave it to you two then.


    Theres no problem even if they dont manage to recruit anyone, so I decided to leave it to them.


    We then discussed the conditions we would propose to the orphanage so they would allow us to take some orphans away and disbanded afterward. The two of them decided to go to the local orphanagee tomorrow.


    Selenas POV


    The next morning, Sharon and I headed to the nearest orphanage from the inn. ording to the Lieutenant, the number of orphans in that particr orphanage was about 60. It was also one of the fivergest orphanages operating in the royal capital.


    The orphanage was located in a fairly deste area on the outskirts of the royal capital and was about a thirty-minute walk from the inn.


    After I knocked on the door of the orphanage, a middle-aged woman who seemed to be a Sister appeared from within. ording to the Lieutenants information, the orphanages in the capital seem to be operated by the church.


    Good morning, Sister. We are members of the Adventurer n Shining Star. We wish to consult the director of this orphanage about something. Are they avable?


    We wore the beautiful dresses we bought together with everyone the other day so we wouldnt look suspicious. We were wearing swords on our hips as well so we could be recognized as adventurers.


    My, what cute adventurers you are. The director is avable, of course. Please doe in.


    We were brought to a room that looked like the reception area after we entered the building. Immediately afterward, an elderly woman who seemed to be the orphanage director arrived. We then proceeded to introduce ourselves to her.


    Good morning, madam. My name is Selena, an adventurer from the n Shining Star.


    And Im Sharon.


    Oh my! Shining Star was the n that managed to defeat a dragon, wasnt it? All the kids were making a big fuss about you for days.


    Thats correct madam. First, let me give you this. Its a small donation from our lord, Baron n Corinth.


    While saying so, I proceeded to hand over a pouch containing about 10,000 Guineas worth of gold coins.


    My, theres so much!? Thank you. Please extend our sincerest gratitude to Baron n Corinth as well. So, what is it that you wanted to discuss with me?


    We are currently looking for potential talents to add to our ranks. We wish for some of the orphans toe to our new territory with us if possible.


    Do you mean you wish for the children to participate as pioneers?


    No, that is not the case. We are recruiting people who will serve under Baron Corinth in some form or another.


    My! That means you are actually recruiting Baron Corinths future vassals?


    Vassals Its possible that they might not be appointed as one. But they might be personal attendants, cooks, military officers, or civil officers instead. We are looking for people like those.


    Oh my! What a wonderful proposal indeed! How old would you want the children to be?


    If possible, we would like them to be between 14 and 20 years old.


    Ah As I thought. We do not have children at that age staying in this orphanage. The oldest should be twelve years old.


    Eh? But dont the orphanages take care of them until they reach adulthood?


    Of course, we would very much like to do so, but the orphanage cannot afford it. Once the children reach 13 years old, they would have to leave the facility and work to support themselves.


    So the orphanage was having that tough a time huh


    12 years old Considering our current situation, that age is indeed too young. It would be tough if they cant manage to at least take care of themselves to some degree.


    Are the other orphanages in the same situation?


    Yes. The situation is the same for all orphanages operating in the royal capital and the neighboring towns. There are too few orphanages to amodate the number of orphans. So I take it that 12 is too young for you?


    Yes, we currently cant afford to take them in either.


    I suppose so. Its unfortunate, but it cant be helped.


    The director looked regretful, but we currently had no extra manpower to take care of such young children. We told her we would contact her again once things have stabilized and we have the ability to take care of the children. We then left the orphanage afterward.


    It looks like things wont go as well as we first expected. I thought it was a pretty good idea.


    Yeah. Once the situation of our territory improves, well probably be able to afford to raise some orphans though.


    As I chatted with Sharon while walking back to the inn, an alert notification was disyed on a virtual window.


    (Sharon.)


    (I know.)


    I thought it was a pretty deserted area, but I didnt expect it was so unsafe that there would be robbers prowling the ce. As we expected, there were two people who confronted us from the front and another two from behind.


    I thought they were robbers, but when they showed themselves to us, I saw that they were only little girls. No, there was someone who was about the same age as us.


    All of them were holding sticks as weapons, but calling them weapons was quite a stretch.


    What do you want from us?


    Please lend us some money. Also, hand over all your other belongings as well.


    The one who replied to me was a girl who looked to be about 15 or 16 years old. She actually didnt look like a bad person at all. Judging from her appearance, she seemed rtively poor.


    We refuse, of course. Are you girls thinking straight? You wont get off lightly doing something as stupid as this you know.


    Im sorry. But we have no choice but to do this.


    The girl then swung her wooden stick and attacked me without hesitation.


    I effortlessly avoided the sticks downward blow, and when shed gotten close enough, I mmed her with a body blow to the sr plexus. I also brought down the girl that followed after her with a roundhouse kick to the stomach.


    The two copsed without much suspense. It looks like they couldnt breathe properly as a result of my blows, so they were frequently gasping for air while groaning in pain. I did hold back quite a bit, so there shouldnt be any significant danger to their lives.


    Even so, it was pretty reckless of them to try attacking people with their level of skill.


    Sharon seems to have defeated the two girls behind us without any problem as well.


    The oldest girl groaned in pain on the ground for about two minutes, and when the pain finally subsided, she sat up in a daze.


    I drew my sword and ced it beside her neck.


    I-Im sorry. Forgive us. Please, please let us go. Please, Miss.


    Haa Now, this just wont do. Sharon, Ill look after them, so please call the city garrison here.


    Please! Anything but that! Well pay you for the trouble. Well pay, so please let us go. Um But we dont have any money right now though.


    Hm. Should I really just let this pass?


    Well, there was no damage done anyway. I suppose I can overlook this as long as you have a good reason for your earlier actions.


    After I said so, the girls started talking about their situation.


    The four of them were biological sisters, and the name of the eldest one is Yumi. Her sisters names were Kaya, Yutta, and Marie.


    They were currently deep in debt and would be sold to a brothel if they didnt repay the amount owed in three days.


    It seems they tried to attack us after seeing our appearance and thinking that we must be quite rich. The idea was too absurd and childish that I didnt even know what to say. Do all girls of her age on this think so childishly?


    How much is your debt, exactly?


    35,000 Guineas.


    And what did you spend that money on anyway?


    Payment for our moms medicine. I only borrowed 5,000 Guineas, but before I knew it, the amount increased so much because of the interest The guy I borrowed money from called Villi said we can just pay up once we have the money, but this is what happened instead.


    What about your mother?


    She, she died in the end. After that, we were kicked out of our house, and that Villi person took us in. Then he suddenly told us to return the money yesterday.


    When did you borrow the money?


    About a month ago.


    They borrowed 5,000 Guineas and it became 35,000 in just a mere month. Is such a sky-high interest rate really allowed? They seem to have borrowed money from a pretty nasty guy who preys on kids.


    Have you signed a contract for the loan?


    I-I think so. I was shown something, but I dont know how to read.


    Did you not think of escaping?


    They captured my little brother and held him hostage. And theres no other ce we can go even if we ran away.


    It looks like they really were helpless. And they probably have no father already as well.


    When I thought of the fact that such young girls got deceived to owe such a ridiculous debt and were about to be sold to a brother, Ipletely lost my cool.


    (Sharon, what should we do?)


    (Well help them, of course.)


    Ill meet with the person you borrowed money from. Lead the way.


    I understand.

 Chapter 91.2 - Orphans Part 2

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Yumi led the way to the base of the money lenders.


    Its here. But they told us that we shouldnte back here before getting the money for payment earlier.


    Hmph. Theyre pretty arrogant, arent they? Well, it doesnt matter anyway.


    I kicked the door that seemed to be the main entrance of the building open and entered the premises.


    Oi! Who the hell are you guys!?


    Before the man who seemed to be ackey of the moneylender even knew what was happening, I blew him away using an Air Bullet spell.


    It seems that man named Villi was in the basement of the building, so I and Sharon put down all the men we met in the hallways using spells as we headed down.


    After blowing away more than ten men, we finally reached the door to the basement floor. I also kicked the door open without any hesitation.


    Youre the one called Villi-san? We need to have a little talk with you, so we paid you a little visit. I hope you dont mind.


    Youre well aware that this is the base of Money Lender Villi, arent you?


    Of course.


    Youre not a familiar face. What organization are you guys a part of?


    Do you think well tell you?


    No, I dont. No matter. So, what do you want to talk about?


    This man called Villi seems to be firmly in cahoots with criminals.


    I have 10,000 Guineas here. Well hand this over to you, so cancel out these childrens debt immediately.


    Oi, oi. They owe us 35,000 Guineas you know? Ten thousand aint nearly enough, missy.


    No, its more than enough, right? If you keep doing such dishonest business, youll lose your life early you know?


    Dont say something so unreasonable. I have a contract here, see. Its clearly written in full print.


    It looks like there really was a contract. But the question was if the contract really was legally valid and binding.


    Well, that bit doesnt matter anyway. I have absolutely no intention of going along with the whims of such a scoundrel.


    Enough with the debt for now then. Actually, we were attacked by these kids just earlier. How do you propose we settle this, hmm?


    Haa!? These brats attacked you guys? W-Well, that doesnt have anything to do with me, doesnt it? You can just do whatever you want with them.


    Now that just wont do. Id like you to pay a nuisance fee. You took in these children and are now looking after them, right? Then they can be considered part of your organization. If your subordinates cant pay, then as the person in charge, its only fair that you pay for them instead, right?


    How much are we talking about here?


    Five hundred for each of us, so that makes it a total of one million Guineas.


    A-A million!? Are you insane!?


    Its only natural to ask for such an amount. I mean, we could have died if we werent skilled enough you know? If you cant pay that amount, then you can hand over something else as a substitute like your life, for example.


    I dont have that kind of money. Im telling the truth here. I really dont have money due to the recent crackdown. Please let me off.


    The recent crackdown?


    Its those guys from Shining Star. You guys are also having trouble with them, right?


    I do know a thing or two about Shining Star.


    Right? Theyve already crushed three organizations that Ive lent money to. Theyre doing whatever the heck they want right now. Theyre too unreasonable I tell you. They say theyre adventurers, but what theyre doing makes them the same as thieves. You dont know just how much money I lost because of those guys.


    I suppose so.


    In the first ce, what provoked them was that damned organized attack. Just because of that damn nobles instigation, a lot of underground organizations participated in that raid, and now look what happened.


    Noble?


    What, you guys dont know? The client that masterminded that raid on Shining Star just before they entered the capital was a noble.


    Hmm. This is the first time Ive heard of that. Id like to know more. I suppose I shall introduce myself after all. I am the captain of Shining Stars A Team, Selena.


    Likewise, Im the captain of B Team, Sharon.


    You guys are Shining Star members? And youre captains too?


    Thats right. Do you have an impression of this red armband?


    I took out the red armband from my dress pocket and wore it.


    Um Yes, Ive seen that before.


    So, will you talk now?


    Understood.


    ording to this guy called Villi, he remembered the man who provided funding and appeared frequently while organizing that raid on us.


    He was the same man who served as a certain noblemans representative when he did some business with him a few years ago.


    Who is the nobleman that person serves?


    If I remember this right, I think he was called Lord Lucilia.


    I was familiar with this Lord Lucilia character. He was a subordinate of the current prime minister. Well, it was a im with no direct evidence supporting it, but I dont think its just a coincidence. Ill have to report this to n.


    It was a very interesting story. But let us get back to the more pressing matter at hand. So, what do you think, Mr. Villi? Are you willing to pay up one million Guineas, or would you rather just ept these 10,000 Guineas and cancel these childrens debt?


    Ill take the 10,000 Guineas.


    Are you sure? Im afraid you still feel youre losing out. We can call the city garrison over if you want. Were good acquaintances with them, so Im sure theylle over if we ask nicely.


    Im sorry. Please just give me the 10,000 Guineas.


    Okay. Here you go then. If you change your mind, you can always find us at the inn were staying at. Also, well be taking the kids with us as well. Youre fine with that, right?


    Of course. This is their contract. Ill bring the boy out as well.


    It looks like my heartfelt sincerity was properly conveyed to this Villi person, and things proceeded smoothly after that. We then left the hideout without any problems.


    On our way back to the inn, we asked the names and ages of each of the siblings.


    Yumi was 16 years old, Kaya was 15, Yutta was 14, Marie was 13, and the youngest, Hans, was just 11. I wonder how it feels to have four younger siblings? I cant imagine it myself.


    Um What will happen to us from now on? Yumi asked.


    What will happen to you all? Were not really nning on doing anything to you at this point, but you guys dont have anywhere to go next, right? So just follow us back to the inn and stay over. Lets talk about your future further during dinner.


    When we arrived back at the inn, I had someone guide the kids to a vacant room and told him to take care of them.


    We went and decided on a lot of things without consulting n first. I wonder if hell be okay with them? I better go and report everything to him right away.


    Yumis POV


    The inn the girl called Selena led us to was a very nice ce. In fact, I think it was too good for people like us to stay in.


    We were told to wait for them in the dining hall, but was it really alright for us to be here?


    It was already lunchtime, and well-dressed people who seemed to be the inns employees started arranging various dishes on top of arge table near the entrance of the inn. They might be the meals for the inns guests.


    Judging from the smell wafting over, it seemed like quite a feast. Ah, Im hungry. When was thest time we ate a proper meal again?


    Big Sis, Im hungry.


    Just deal with it for now, Hans. Im sure theyll give us something to eat for dinner. I hope.


    People with nice physiques began to gather inside the dining hall. Were they adventurers? Members of that n called Shining Star? What do I do if they suddenly chase us out?


    Hm? Who are these kids?


    Oh, those kids were brought back by Captain Selena. Take good care of them, you all.


    Hm, so theyre Captains guests huh. Are you kids not gonna eat lunch?


    Um We have no money you see


    We dont need any money,ss. You kids can just eat whatever you want as much as you want. Dont hold back, you hear? If there are any leftovers, theyll get served at dinner as well, so itll be a big help if you finish them off together with us.


    Is what theyre saying true? Can we really eat as much as we like? I dont think people this well-dressed would lie to us.


    Is it really okay for us to eat?


    Yeah, go right ahead.


    Uwaaa


    My sibling immediately began to make a fuss. They all went to therge table lined with all sorts of food.


    This is amazing! Big Sis, this is the first time Ive seen this kind of spread.


    It was the first time for me too. Well, they did say it was okay, so I suppose its fine for us to eat some.


    Alright, you guys. Lets eat.


    Ah, I cant believe there were such tasty dishes in this world.


    I think I ate a little bit too much for lunch. But I dont think anyone would be able to hold back in front of dishes that delicious.


    We spent the entire lunchtime in the dining hall and took a nap afterward. It was probably the first time for all of us to have eaten our fill to our hearts content.


    At dinnertime, Selena and Sharon came to the inn. It looks like we were finally going to discuss what would happen to us siblings.


    Weve gotten permission for you all. If youd like, why dont you all just join us? Well arrange your food and a ce to stay.


    Um, what exactly are we supposed to do here though?


    I asked the question that has been nagging at me all afternoon.


    Hm. Right now, we dont have anything in particr for you to do, I suppose.


    Thats incredible! We dont have to do anything but theyll still take care of us, provide us food, and a ce to live!


    No, there cant be something so convenient. Im sure they have circumstances they still cant reveal to us.


    But well still be living lives iparable to our situation before.


    And everything is thanks to these girls named Selena and Sharon. No, its Captain Selena and Captain Sharon huh.


    I will never forget this favor. I inwardly vowed to return this favor someday.

 Chapter 92.1 - Pioneers Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    These past few days have been incredibly hectic for me.


    Its partly due to our ongoing crackdown against criminal elements with the cooperation of the capital garrison, of course. But even on days when were taking a break from raiding criminal hideouts, I attended meetings with Dalshim and the others and checked up on Katolles team to see if supply procurement was going smoothly. I also had to attend the selected civilian and adventurer candidates follow-up interviews, meet with the various guilds were cooperating with, deal with visitors, and so on. Anyway, there was a ton of stuff to do.


    Even though each day was so incredibly frantic and busy for all of us, it looks like things were going pretty smoothly.


    After attending a lengthy meeting in the morning, I finally had a little free time for myself, so I justzed around inside my room for a bit. After a while though, I realized now wasnt the time forzing about. I decided to consult Iris about something that was on my mind for a while now.


    Hey, Iris, can I take up some of your time?


    A projection of Iris decked out in full imperial officer uniform appeared inside my room. Of course, her form was just an illusion being shown by Nanom by tweaking my vision.


    Just recently, I asked Iris whether or not she wanted tomunicate via virtual window or AR mode, and it seems she preferred ARm.


    What is it, Captain?


    Im curious about the current situation in the royal capital. Oh, and I also want to hear specific details about the rumors concerning us.


    If there were any problems, Iris would inform me straight away, so I put it off until now, but it wouldnt hurt to know more details about the current situation.


    Understood. Lets go and call Selena and Sharon over as well.


    Yeah, okay. Go ahead.


    Before long, Sharon and Selena entered my room. When the two found chairs to sit on and made themselvesfortable, Iris began her report.


    First, let me tell you about the precautions we implemented. Currently, we have five drones constantly stationed over the royal capital on full alert. So far, we havent observed any suspicious movements from the royal castle and the military.


    Are you saying they arent actually concerned about the prison break?


    I wonder. Things arent clear yet, but its a fact that the inns upied by Shining Star are under constant surveince. The men dispatched to keep an eye on you seem to be professional intelligence agents.


    Hou. Are they monitoring this inn as we speak?


    Yes. There are presently two agents keeping an eye on it.


    One of the walls of the room turned into a screen, and images of shadowy figures standing in positions where they could clearly observe the people entering and exiting the inn were projected.


    They were probably about 50 meters away from the inn itself. They seemed pretty casual, and you wouldnt even notice they were keeping an eye on the inn if it wasnt clearly pointed out to you beforehand.


    I see. These guys definitely were intelligence-gathering professionals.


    Maybe these guys were sent by the prime minister. Well, I suppose its only natural for him to keep a constant eye on us.


    I have set the highest alert level for these people.


    Youre keeping an eye on the people theye in contact with, right?


    Yes. But there are no signs of them entering or leaving the royal castle. Apparently, these observers are operating as independent organizations in a sense.


    I see. Continue monitoring them and alert me if theres any development.


    I wont let them off if they try something against us, but Ill leave them alone as long as they keep their distance.


    Alright then. Can you tell me about the state of the citizens of the royal capital next?


    Yes. We, or rather, Captain is now very well known in the capital. There is practically no one who hasnt at least heard of your name in the capital. It seems that Glorias appearance in the castle and you confronting her has massively boosted your fame.


    That much huh Well, at least no bad rumors are flying about, right?


    Of course. Youre practically regarded as a hero here. The castle guards have been constantly retelling the story of how you faced the dragon alone at the castle when it attacked, and the story about the dragon following you to Gantz has also be even more widespread.


    To think Id actually get regarded as a hero I guess thats just how much people are in awe of dragons. This is all thanks to Glorias outstanding acting performance.


    What about their reaction to our crackdown against criminals?


    Initially, there were people saying that it wasnt good to perform such a forceful and upromising crackdown on the criminal organizations, but that all disappeared once the bulletin board was set up. Now, the majority of the royal capitals citizens are praising our crackdown efforts against criminals.


    The screen projected on the wall showed people flocking around the bulletin board that was set up in front of the garrison station to take a look.


    Yeah. At my suggestion, it was decided that wed post the name list, charges, and corresponding punishments of the criminals weve caught in front of the city garrison stations scattered all throughout the capital. Since weve spent a good amount of time and effort investigating and gathering evidence, theres no way I would miss making use of them like this.


    It seems a bulletin board like the ones we put up has never existed before, and it became unexpectedly popr with the royal capitals citizens. The boards were always crowded with people every day.


    The lives of the majority of the people in the royal capital arent easy. Under such circumstances, it was easy to imagine that the people would find it great to know that criminals were being punished for perpetrating all sorts of crimes, especially since these criminal rings actually live better lives than them most of the time.


    Of course, updating the information on the bulletin boards costs a certain amount of money, but thats no problem since were covering it with the earnings made from the loot we confiscate from the criminal hideouts.


    The crackdown has be quite a hot topic, but people are also wondering just where we are getting the information. Its very surprising to the locals since we know a lot of information regarding all the various criminal organizations and bandit groups even though weve just arrived at the royal capitaltely.


    Yeah, I suppose they would wonder about that.


    Some criminal gangs are especially keen on finding out our information source, but, of course, theres no way they would be able to do so. As a result, it looks like a sort of hunt for information sellers happened recently.


    There were no mass media organizations in the royal capital, so people relied solely on word of mouth, and people who specialized in selling information called informants to purchase vital pieces of information.


    The criminals seem to be hunting down these informants for fear of information about them leaking to the authorities.


    Informants huh It looks like our actions ended up inconveniencing them unintentionally. What happened to them?


    Most of the informants active in the royal capital have disappeared before those criminal gangs got to them. They might have fled from the capital. But as a result, the criminal organizations practically shot themselves in the foot because now they are the ones having trouble getting information.


    I see. Thats what one would expect from professional informants. Theyre quick to get info and have a wide of useful connections. I suppose disappearing without any trace is par for the course for people like them.


    So it turned out to be advantageous to us in the end huh. It looks like well be able to fulfill the quota soon.


    Weve already managed to capture more than four hundred bandits and criminals. Even if we take it easier these next few days, well still be able to reach the quota of 500 bandits with plenty of room to spare. If our actions are that favorable with the masses, then I suppose well just have to keep it up as long as we still have time.


    What do they think about our n to develop our new territory?


    The interest of the popce regarding the project is pretty high. Its already widely known that we have been buying as many horses, wagons, food, and supplies as we can. The fact that weve been recruiting craftsmen of various disciplines through the Craft Guild has also made the rounds and is a very popr topic as well.


    Video footage taken from inside a pub was disyed on the screen. In it, we saw six men sitting together around one of the pubs tables. The footage zoomed in to show the mens faces clearly.

 Chapter 92.2 - Pioneers Part 2

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Hey, is it true that you closed up shop just to participate in the mass recruitment of the Shining Star n?


    Yeah, its true. I decided to move together with my entire family.


    Oi, oi, are you really okay with that? Youre going to that Great Demon Forest yknow? Lots of nobles tried their hand at developing that ce, but all of them ended giving up in defeat.


    You guys are already aware, right? Im talking about the fact that the money theyve invested in this endeavor is leagues apart from those previous nobles investments. ording to the rumors, it seems they used up all the money they were able to earn from selling off dragon materials. Nobles who get promoted from amoner background really know their stuff, I tell you.


    Yeah. Even our workshops made a killing from all the orders they ced. But still


    The previous nobles who made attempts to develop the forest failed because they utterly underestimated it. They couldnt possibly develop that ce without knowing a single damn thing about it. But Lord Corinth is different. Hes an active A-rank adventurer based in Gantz yknow? If theres anyone who knows the Great Demon Forest inside and out, its him. He made a living exploring the ce after all. And such a man ced all his bets on developing it. Theres no way its gonna fail this time.


    Thats true.


    Theres also the rumor of him taming a dragon. I feel like its really gonna go well this time, so I decided to ride the wave before its toote.


    Theres also a rumor that thousands of pioneers were mobilized for the project. Are you guys aware of the benefits they offered for recruiting craftsmen? It looks like we dont actually need to build homes ourselves if we manage to get recruited. Lord Corinth will provide houses for us instead. Theyd need to build houses for hundreds of craftsmen you know. You cant do something like that if you dont have at least a thousand men working on it.


    Is that really true? Hm. Maybe Ill try applying myself.


    If youre really nning on applying, you better do it soon. I saw the situation in the Craft Guild earlier. It was heavily crowded with people who are applying for a spot.


    The video ended when the men stood up from the table and left the pub.


    It looks like well be able to recruit enough craftsmen without any problems huh.


    The other day, I heard many were quite disappointed when we announced that we werent recruiting locals as pioneers. Its a bit regrettable, seeing how excited the people are.


    Yeah. But we have to prioritize the thousands of people under Cleria first.


    We first estimated that the family members of thete earls private army, which was about 2000 men strong, numbered about 5,000 or so, but Walter says that estimate was a bit too small.


    It seemsmoner families had many children, and even Walter had ten siblings himself. Thats a number thats practically unheard of on my home.


    He said we should consider that a single household had an average of at least four members. Since thete earls army numbered about 2,000 people, even if each of them only had four family members, that would mean wed have about 8,000 additional people to take in.


    Its possible to bring in additional pioneers to the Sea of Trees from the royal capitalter on, but I would like to put down a solid foothold on the area first. I dont want any problems cropping up from biting more than we can currently chew.


    ording to Yumi, if were fine with taking in orphans, wed be able to bring as much as we can, Sharonmented.


    Hm? Oh, Yumis the orphan you girls took in, right? Thats great info. Okay then. Lets conductrge-scale recruitment of pioneers once the city within our territory is fully up and running.


    Right. We really need to increase the number of imperial personnel as soon as we can, Selena added.


    Captain, its about time.


    Oh, its time already huh. Alright. I guess we should go then.


    About an hour ago, a messenger from the church visited the inn and told us that the bishop requested me toe over at 1 oclock in the afternoon if it was alright with me.


    Everyone was indignant due to the bishops act of calling upon a baron such as myself, but the messenger seemed rather distraught, so it might be something really urgent.


    Its probably rted to the archbishop election.


    I headed to the church together with Selena and Sharon via carriage along with several escorts.


    A Sister was already waiting for us by the entrance as soon as we arrived at the church, and she immediately brought me to the reception room for nobles. The entire ce had a hectic and tense atmosphere about it today.


    Bishop Gertner arrived immediately. He looked like he was brooding over something.


    Im sorry for calling upon you on such short notice, Lord Corinth.


    No, I dont mind. Is there something urgent you need me for, Bishop?


    Well, it can be said that I had no other choice but to have youe, Lord Corinth. Have you seen dreams about the Goddess apostle recently?


    Hmm, hes starting by asking about the apostle, so I suppose the matter hes concerned about is rted to it huh. Judging from the bishops brooding look, maybe the situation requires the apostle to show up again?


    The bishop seemed to have forgotten all about Sharon and Selena who were behind me.


    As a matter of fact, I indeed saw onest night.


    Truly!? When will the apostle appear? Could you please tell me, Lord Corinth!?


    The bishop was so distraught that he looked like he was about to pounce on me at any moment. Judging from how flustered he was, the matter seems to be pretty urgent after all.


    Please calm down, Bishop. Can you tell me about the matter first?


    Ah, Im truly sorry. Actually, the appearance of the apostle in response to my call during my sermon has caused quite a sensation within the churchs ranks. Thats but natural, of course, but the impact was a little too strong. Cardinal Evo, who was supposed to travel overseas to a neighboring country, suddenly changed his schedule and stopped by here instead.


    (Iris, whats a cardinal?)


    Its a church official position one rank above archbishop. Its practically the third most influential and powerful position in the Ruminas church.


    Hou. Thats quite amazing. So he was two ranks above bishops huh. Now I understand why Bishop Gertner was so distraught.


    Do you mean hes already in this church?


    Thats right. Hes currently resting in a separate room. He had already met and talked with me the other day as well.


    I see


    The Cardinal has already convened the local bishops, and they are starting to arrive here one after another. As things stand, I am probably going to be instructed to call upon the apostle in the presence of the Cardinal and my fellow bishops.


    Was this the reason why Bishop Gertner was blue in the face right now?


    The apostle was the messenger of the Goddess, so if it doesnt show up, Bishop Gertner will probably not be punished harshly, but he would surely be ced in a highly unfavorable position instead.


    Lord Corinth, can you tell me about your dream now?


    Unfortunately, I cant tell from the contents when exactly the apostle would appear.


    Ah


    But theres no need to worry. ording to my dream, you would raise your arms to the sky just like how you did on that day, and the apostle would then appear.


    Is that really true?


    The good bishop asked with a stunned expression.


    It was more convenient with this kind of arrangement since the bishop wouldnt have to pay attention to the sound of the bell before calling upon the apostle.


    Its true.


    Oh Dear Goddess.


    The bishop proceeded to kneel down and began to pray intently while makingplicated gestures. He must feel like hed been saved by divine intervention or something.


    Haa He truly seems to be praying with the pious heart of a bishop, and its making me feel quite guilty tricking him like this.


    Before long, the bishop finished his prayer.


    Please excuse me, Lord Corinth. I was just so grateful that I forgot myself for a moment.


    The bishop seemed to have noticed the presence of Selena and Sharon as well and acted embarrassed.


    Its fine. I understandpletely, Bishop.


    There was a knock on the door, and a Sister peered from outside the room.


    Your Excellency, everyone is ready.


    Ah, this is truly the will of the Goddess.


    I heard the bishop mutter such words under his breath.


    It really was perfect timing. Im sure the good bishop does indeed have the blessing of the Goddess. Yep.


    When I tried to excuse myself because it seemed he would be busy with his own matters, I was stopped by the bishop and invited to stay for a bit longer. Does he still have other matters to discuss with me? Well, its not like I had any other particr business today, so I suppose its alright.

 Chapter 92.3 - Pioneers Part 3

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    It looks like its about time for the bishop to perform the ceremony in front of the cardinal and his other fellow clergymen. Just like how it was a couple of days ago, there was a lectern set up on top of the stairs in front of the courtyard. The only thing different was a table that looks like it was meant to seat guests of high station ced a bit behind the lectern.


    A white-haired old man d in very expensive-looking vestments was seated behind the said table. He must be the cardinal. I, Selena, Sharon, and the others were led to seats located just below said table.


    The courtyard in front of the church was filled with church officials and those who were rted to it in some form or another. After noticing themotion, the capitals citizens scurried over in droves to see what the fuss was about.


    Bishop Gertner finally made his appearance after a short while more, knelt behind the lectern, and started to offer his prayers to the Goddess. After seeing him do so, the church officials and personnel also started doing the same.


    I already had a drone start flying around the area above the church earlier, so the preparations on my end were perfect.


    After about three minutes of praying, the bishop suddenly looked up and raised his arms to the sky.


    Oh, Merciful Lord! As a sign of your love for your people, kindly manifest a symbol of Your divine grace for all to witness!


    All the people gathered within the vicinity looked up at the sky as well.


    (Now, D-1.)


    Roger, Captain.


    D-1 deactivated Stealth Mode and showed itself, eliciting amotion among the people gathered below.


    Ooooh!


    Dear Apostle!


    Everyone looked intently at the sky as they continued to devoutly kneel. Hm? Should I offer a bit of extra service here, I wonder.


    (D-1, give them a little show. Slowly spin about above us.)


    D-1 heeded my order and performed a tailspin maneuver.


    Ooooooh!!!


    Oh, just look at how pleased our Dear Apostle is with our devotion!


    Mm. It looks like the reactions are quite positive.


    (Gradually increase your altitude while spinning like that, and after reaching sufficient height, enter Stealth Mode again.)


    Roger that.


    Just like how I instructed, the drone spun as it slowly rose upward until it finally disappeared from our sight. The people packed within the courtyard continued to look up in stunned silence. After a while, some broke down in tears due to how deeply moved they were.


    Even the cardinal was in tears while nodding approvingly. It looks like everything went well huh.


    Starting from the cardinal, all the church officials and personnel started filing back inside the church. We were also led back into the church by a Sister and brought to the guest room for nobles again.


    The Sister then prepared hot tea and some delicious-looking snacks for us.


    She then requested for us to wait until the bishop returns. Judging from her apologetic look, it seems well have to wait for a while. Oh well. Guess Ill just have some snacks while waiting then.


    These snacks are quite delicious!


    The one Sharon ate was a snack consisting of nuts mixed with hardened sugar syrup and the crisp texture of the sweet coupled with the mellow and nutty vor was exquisite.


    It really does taste good. I havent seen this type of snack being sold in any of the stores weve visited before. I wonder where theyre being sold.


    These cookies are delicious too.


    The three of us waited while eating andparing high-ss snacks that dont feel like they are suitable in a ce like a church.


    About an hourter, the bishop returned to the guest room as I was asking the Sister, who came over to pour another helping of tea for us, about where we could purchase the snacks. His face was glowing as he disyed a happy smile, unlike his stressed and nervous look from earlier.


    Im sorry for keeping you waiting so long, Lord Corinth.


    Its fine, Bishop. I dont mind at all.


    My nomination for the position of archbishop has just been confirmed and recognized.


    Oh!? But isnt the election still a ways away?


    Its all thanks to the miracle from earlier. My peers have unanimously approved of my appointment, including the cardinal.


    Oh, now this is a cause for celebration. Congrattions!


    Thank you very much. This is also thanks to you, Lord Corinth.


    No, its surely thanks to the blessing of the Apostle and our dear Goddess.


    With this, I will be able to cooperate with your request to dispatch priests to your territory.


    Thats great. It looks like our newly promoted archbishop hadnt forgotten about my request to dispatch priests to the Sea of Trees. It was worth choosing to cooperate with him.


    Thank you very much. With this, I feel more at ease about our endeavor.


    It can be said that weve managed to clear most, if not all, of the hurdles now. This was a big achievement.


    Ah! Come to think of it, youll be setting out to head to your new territory soon, arent you, Lord Corinth? What should I do if I get requested to perform something simr in the future as well?


    Ah, you shouldnt have to worry about that for a while.


    We were nning on leaving at least one drone stationed in the royal capital to continue monitoring the situation in the castle and the movements of the garrison. We still havent decided if we should station one permanently, but it should be okay to leave one here for a while.


    Just what do you mean by that, Lord Corinth?


    Ugh. Dammit! I ended up answering on reflex. The appearance of the Apostle was supposed to be tied to my dreams.


    Uh actually, the dream I hadst night showed several scenes of you praying. So I think that means that the Apostles manifestations will continue for some time, simr to today.


    Lord Corinth Are you perhaps No, its nothing.


    Boy, am I d that Bishop Gertner was a smart and prudent person. My earlier slip of the tongue was fatal, but it looks like he decided not to pursue it.


    I will send one priest and five Sisters to Lord Corinths territory.


    Oh! Thank you very much.


    I would like you to guarantee food, clothing, and shelter them, of course.


    Thats only natural. I shall personally take full responsibility.


    Oh, and I was told your attendants actually visited one of the orphanages to request some of the orphans to join you, Lord Corinth? Though I believe their age didnt suit your needs.


    Selena and Sharon were visibly surprised when they heard Bishop Gertners words. They told me the orphanages only housed children twelve years old and below in their report.


    If I remember correctly, the bishop was actually the owner of the orphanages so its natural that he got ahold of such information quickly.


    Yes, thats right. We would have taken some in if they were just a bit older


    You should havee to me directly. I can prepare as many children of suitable age as youre willing to take in. Do you have a concrete number in mind?


    No, well, about that The situation has changed a bit. Our finances no longer allow taking in additional people you see. We wouldnt be able to provide for their needs adequately.


    Lord Corinth, As they were orphaned, they wouldnt be able to find any decent and proper jobs. Most of them would have no choice but to be criminals or prostitutes just to survive. If you can still bear to do so, please do take them in. Its alright if they live in harsher conditions at the start. In any case, I imagine they will still be living much better lives out there in the frontierpared to here in the royal capital.


    That might be true. What should I do, I wonder.


    Alright. Well ept both males and females, but please make sure to send us a hundred orphans between 14 and 20 years of age.


    Oh, having a defined preferred age range helps. However only a hundred? Ive heard that youll be taking in 300 craftsmen and their families though?


    It looks like I cant underestimate the bishops informationwork huh. Of course, Im sure he also knew the fact that we werent recruiting any local pioneers.


    Five hundred then. Thats the most we can take in for now. And the children need to be able to sufficiently take care of themselves. And there also needs to be a person who would organize and manage the children dispatched as well.


    Ooh! By the way, Lord Corinth. Please pardon me for asking, but could you tell me what kind of life the children would have in your territory?


    Im thinking of having them work under the craftsmen first. I will guarantee them the same treatment as the children of the craftsmen.


    Oh man, I went and did it. But we should be able to handle 500 somehow.


    Thats wonderful! Well then, the church and the orphanages will work together to prepare everything.


    The bishop disyed a very satisfied smile.


    Im sure well be able to manage. We have to make sure everything goes without a hitch.

 Chapter 93 .2 - Royal Order Completion Part 2

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Captain, lets get on with reading those books.


    (Alright, I know.)


    It looks like Iris was really raring to obtain information from those books huh. I had Selena and Sharone inside my room and began reading the books I brought with me together with them.


    Well, we werent actually really reading them. We were just quickly scanning through their contents while Iris records the info through our eyes. All we had to do was flip through the pages one by one.


    We were able topletely scan all of the books in about two hours. Iris appeared as soon as our work was finished.


    Well, did you manage to obtain some great results from that?


    The book is one of the most wonderful inventions of humankind. I indeed managed to learn a lot.


    Thats great. It was worth buying a lot of them then. Is there anything important we need to know?


    This is the urgent info I managed to obtain from them.


    The wall got turned into a screen, and something that looked like a metal box was projected. ording to the scale data disyed on the side of the screen, it was a metal box measuring about 1 meter in length and 50 centimeters high. It had some things that resembled switches installed on it.


    What is this thing?


    Its an Artifact called Guinea Alchemint. Its a machine that manufactures Guinea coins. If you put metal alloy that would serve as the base material inside this part and select the type of coin youd like produced, it would automatically process and mold the alloy to manufacture said coins. Its quite fascinating.


    So this is an Artifact huh. Lieutenant, does the metal alloy need to be unique or have some sort of special properties for it to be used for manufacturing?


    No, apparently not. They just mix some silver or copper to increase the hardness of the coins.


    The Guinea coins did seem far too borate to be normally manufactured using the technology level of this. Ive felt something off about it for a while. So this was the reason for that huh.


    So they use this to manufacture Guineas huh. I see. So thats why they only use one type of currency in the entire continent. If there was something this convenient, Im sure any country wouldnt hesitate to make use of one for themselves.


    No, this seems to be a very valuable item, Captain. Its not something normally avable to just anyone. Its regarded as a National Treasure-rank item.


    That valuable huh. Can Guineas be produced even without the use of this Artifact?


    Of course, it is possible. But it would take an estimated 300 days to produce an eptable amount with the level of thiss craftsmen and standard technology.


    Thats quite a long time. Id like to procure an Artifact like this for ourselves if possible, but Do they own one in this country as well?


    I was not able to find information pertaining to that. Neither the castle nor the facilities Im currently investigating have one avable.


    This is a pretty developed country though, so its possible they at least have one at their disposal.


    Certainly.


    Lets ask around then. Cleria was part of a royal family, so she might actually know a thing or two regarding this.


    Cleria and the others should be in the middle of a meeting in the dining hall about the recruitment and treatment of civilians. We went down to the dining hall at once.


    Cleria has been in a very good moodtely. Its probably because things seem to be going very well. Even now, she looks like shes having a fun time while discussing things with everyone.


    I suppose I should have attended such meetings as well given my position as their leader, but whenever we held any discussions, everyone including Cleria would give way to me. Its as if my opinion was the final word on any matter. This wasnt a very healthy attitude to have, so I decided to have them talk about some matters among themselves and remained strictly hands-off.


    Ria, are you familiar with an item called the Guinea Alchemint?


    In contrast to Cleria who looked pretty surprised, everyone else had a vacant expression on their face.


    n, just how did you find out about the Guinea Alchemint?


    Oh, it was described in one of the books we brought in earlier.


    But thats The Guinea Alchemint is something only the crown prince and above would be privy to even in the Starvine Kingdom. I cant believe information about it could be found in a book.


    I brought out the A Summary of Artifacts book and opened it to the corresponding page about the Guinea Alchemint.


    This is!? This is a Guinea Alchemint?


    Is this the first time youve seen one?


    Ive told you earlier, didnt I? Information about the Guinea Alchemint can only be disclosed to the crown prince. Ive heard of its existence, but I didnt know anything further about it.


    I didnt think this thing would be that valued. Man, it looks like I managed to get my hands on a pretty rare book by coincidence.


    Do they have one in this country as well?


    But of course. It is said that any country would be in possession of at least one Guinea Alchemint. I am not so sure about smaller countries and vassal states, but I was told it can be said that possession of an Alchemint is one of the major requirements for founding a nation.


    That might really be the case. If money cannot be produced in ones own state, the mary system and economy would inevitably depend on other countries. Thus, having the Alchemint as a prime requirement for founding a nation was only natural, I suppose.


    I see. I suppose you dont know where they are storing such an item in this kingdom huh.


    Yes. Its treated as a secret only known to a countrys royal family, so it wont be easy to find out such information.


    Mm. We could have attempted to swipe it right under their noses if we knew the location though. It cant be helped. I suppose we have no choice but to produce Guineas ourselves.


    n-sama! Are you saying you can actually produce Guineas!?


    The one who raised his voice in surprise was Katolle. In a sense, wed be producing counterfeit currency after all. I suppose a merchant like him would be concerned.


    Well, itll take some time, but it should be possible.


    However, is something like that really okay? It is said that the Commerce Guild uses magic tools to check gold and silver coins to prevent counterfeiting


    Hee, so there are also magic tools like that huh. Do they analyze theposition of coins or something?


    (Are the gold coins we previously manufactured using the ships production line okay, Iris?)


    The coins I made are absolutely perfect. There are no differences from the coins currently in cirction in terms of molding and materials used.


    Iris tone sounded a bit miffed. My question seems to have damaged Iris pride huh.


    Well, we entrusted the coins to Roberto but he hadnt gotten himself arrested for using counterfeit coins, so there shouldnt be any problems.


    Its fine. We can produce practically identical coins with no problems.


    Amazing! So if we boughtrge amounts of gold ingots and used them to produce Guineas, we can make a ton of profit!


    Hou. So you mean theres a difference in value between gold ingots and gold coins of the same weight?


    Yes. Im not sure about the exact details, but Ive heard that gold coins are about 20 to 30% more expensive.


    I get that coins are more valuable since they are properly processed, but to think their value would rise at least 20% even with lower purity due to mixing other metals to toughen them up. It looks like coin production really will us quite a bit of profit.


    Alright then. Once we can reliably produce Guineas, lets buy plenty of gold and silver ingots.


    Katolle, who absolutely adored anything profitable, nodded with a big grin on his face after hearing my words.


    n-sama, Sir Bahr hase to pay you a visit.


    Hes right on time. I invited Sir Hermann Bahr, the corpsmander of the Royal Capital Defense Force, to disclose to him the information we managed to obtain yesterday.


    Hermann and his two subordinates were brought to the dining hall and guided to our table. It was perfect timing since the main party members were also gathered together already.


    Im sorry for having youe all the way here, Hermann.


    There is no need for any apologies, Lord Protector. I will rush to your side any time if you summon for me.


    It looks like Hermann was in a pretty good mood today. Thanks to our series ofrge-scale crackdowns, the reputation of the royal capital guards seems to have risen by quite a bit. I suppose its due to that.


    Also, surprisingly, there were many who were raising their voices in praise of the young king who ordered us to perform such crackdowns.

 Chapter 93.1 - Royal Order Completion Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Hey Ritz, the Sister from the orphanage is looking for us for somethin. You wanna go see whats up?


    Hmm, I wonder what she wants us for? Perfect timing though. We can buy a small bag of wheat with the money we got yesterday, right? Lets buy one and give it to her as a present like usual.


    But once we use all that money up


    Dont worry so much. Well manage somehow. Alright. Cmon then.


    After buying some flour at the usual joint, I headed to the orphanage in the citys western district and found lots of people crowding around the entrance.


    I spotted Sara, Bonz, and Nikki among them. Everyone seems to be all excited about something and was making quite a racket. I wonder whats got them all worked up?


    I found the Sister we were familiar with before long and handed her the flour bag we bought.


    Hi there, Sister. Here you go. A souvenir for the kids. Whats going on here anyway?


    Oh my. Thank you as always, Ritz! And Raster too, of course. Oh, and I have some really great news for you both. You two were selected. Congrattions!


    Selected for what?


    Youre both familiar with the news regarding Baron Corinth preparing to develop his own fiefdom, right? You have both been selected as citizens of his new fief!


    Eh Youre kidding, right? I mean, wasnt he not recruiting any pioneers?


    It appears that Bishop, no, Archbishop Gertner managed to persuade him otherwise and appealed for you all to be prioritized.


    Why me and Raster though?


    The two of you didntmit any crimes after leaving the orphanage and only did honest work, right? The director and I discussed the matter and chose to send you both in the end.


    I cant believe it! Were going to be citizens under that famous Baron Corinth!?


    This is amazin Ritz! Were gonna be joinin up with Shining Star, man! Thank you very much, Sister!


    Even if were considered as official adventurers, were at the very bottom of the barrel; lowly F-ranks. Im sure we wont be able to be members of Shining Star just like Raster said. But even so, were still gonna experience challenging the depths of that Great Demon Forest. Thats amazing!


    Go join up with the rest and talk to Harold about the details. I bet youre going to like what you hear.


    Harold? Hes also from an orphanage like us. Hes four years older than me though and is now working as a D-rank adventurer. Will Harold go there as well?


    I see. Now I get why everyones kicking up a fuss. The people gathered here were all chosen to join the expedition just like us. I and Raster hurriedly joined the boisterous crowd.


    More and more people came until there were about fifty of us gathered within the orphanages front yard. There were thirty men and about twenty women I suppose. Everyone was a familiar face. We were all once members of this orphanage. When Harold went up to the tform set up in front of the orphanage building, everyone quieted down.


    It looks like youre all here. As youve heard, weve all been selected as citizens of Baron Corinths new fiefdom. Ill go and ask this first though. Is there anyone among you all who doesnt want to go?


    As expected, no one raised any objection.


    Were going to be departing soon. Us folks from the Western District Orphanage will join up and head together with Baron Corinths men to his new fief. Ill be your leader during this expedition. Is there anyone whos not convinced Im fit for the job?


    Harold is like our caring and dependable big brother. Again, no one raised any objections.


    Alright then. Lets all work together to get ourselves ready until the day of departure.


    I didnt really need to make any preparations though. I can actually leave as is. Wait? What about our food during the expedition? I guess I better ask.


    Leader, are we gonna be procuring food along the way during the expedition?


    No. This might sound unbelievable, but it looks like the Baron is gonna be shouldering all three meals for us until we arrive at his territory.


    All three meals!?


    Thats not all guys. Baron Corinth and Archbishop Gertner provided all of us with an allowance of a thousand Guineas per person.


    A thousand Guineas!


    Thats a lot of money! Its an amount that I and Raster wont be able to earn even if we worked ourselves half to death for a month.


    But Ill tell you this now, guys. You absolutely cant spend that money frivolously. Lets all discuss together and decide what well purchase with it.


    That sounds good. I wouldnt really know what to buy myself even if I suddenly got a thousand Guineas.


    It seems Archbishop Gertner convinced Baron Corinth to take us in. We absolutely cant disgrace the name of our benefactor.


    To think well be able to join hands with that legendary Dragon yer. Our archbishop sure is amazing! Just like Harold said, we cant disgrace his good name.


    Gertner-sama said that if we do well in this expedition Baron Corinth might consider taking in more orphans. Listen up, you lot. Were gonna be the representatives of the Western District Orphanage. Were absolutely gonna make this expedition a sess!


    Ou!


    Im really not sure about what exactly Im supposed to do, but anyway, lets just do our best!


    Todays the day well be taking away all the books I purchased from the adventurer Hans. I mobilized all members of Shining Star to get the job done quickly. After all, well be handling more than a thousand books.


    I, Selena, and Sharon checked out the books that were being brought out from the store in a ry format one after another.


    There were all kinds of books, including personal biographies, spell books, and practical guide books.


    The title of thetest book handed to me was The History of Cerise. I quickly scanned the contents and found that it was a history book with a detailed chronological table.


    Ill be keeping this one.


    Iris seems to have taken an interest in the book. I ced the book inside a separate wooden box.


    Im doing this at the request of Iris. She wanted to read the most notable ones first, but Iris was making me keep more books for her than I first expected. I felt down when I thought about how shed probably make me scan all these books once we get back to the inn.


    The next book looked old but had some pretty fancy binding. Its title read A Summary of Artifacts. Its contents were quite interesting. It was a book with detailed diagrams and exnations of various Artifacts.


    Artifact is the general term for magic tools that are mainly excavated from ancient archeological sites. But its not really clear if all of them actually were magic tools or something entirely different instead. I asked everyone some time ago and didnt get any detailed information. This is one of the books I really wanted.


    Thats certainly a great find. Please keep it for me as well.


    And of course, I was told to keep the book for Iris as well.


    In the end, it took us about two hours to take out all the books from the shop. I ended up keeping more than 150 books and the remaining ones were taken to the warehouse we rented for ourselves to store our supplies.


    When we returned to the inn, I found Katolle waiting at the entrance. There were also several men who appeared quite merchant-like with him. It looks like we have some guests again.


    I met up with each of the merchants one by one inside a room we converted as a makeshift reception office and had discussions with them. Well, I didnt really have anything serious to discuss with them since thats all been handled by Katolle beforehand, so we only exchanged some pleasantries and chatted for a bit.


    I talked with the merchants one by one until I finally finished meeting with all of them.


    Phew, its finally over. Its pretty tiring to talk about the same topics over and over again.


    Thank you for your hard work, n. Weve managed to make a profit of 150,000 Guineas in the past hour you know.


    I personally dont think having discussions with me is worth that much though.


    Those merchants were the ones who will handle the services and supplies well need for our big project, and they agreed to give us pretty sizeable discounts under the condition that theyll be allowed to meet with me at least once.


    They were only after the fact that they managed to have a conversation with you personally, n-sama. After all, having personal business dealings with n-sama is treated as something major in the royal capital right now. It will also lead to raising the credibility of their businesses.


    Is that so? Well, if thats how it is, then Ill take on as many as possible then.


    After all, making a profit of 150,000 Guineas per hour is nothing to scoff at. Its certainly a hassle, but its also not something we can just pass up.

 Chapter 93.3 - Royal Order Completion Part 3

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Yesterday, my men got hold of vital information. It seems arge group of bandits will be using a limestone cave located in the outskirts of the royal capital as a gathering ce.


    A limestone cave? Are you referring to the Range limestone caverns?


    Yes, that should be it. Were expecting more than 300 bandits gathering there.


    Three hundred! What exactly is their purpose?


    That I do not know. They wouldnt be able to mount an attack on the royal capital with just three hundred men, so they might just be gathering in order to escape the crackdown together.


    The bandits seem to be keeping a pretty tight lid on any info regarding their ns, and we didnt obtain any more useful intelligence from the bits installed inside the pubs around the capital.


    We only managed to discover their ns to gather in such numbers after a drone managed to notice the figure of a bandit acting suspiciously and boarding a carriage. It then tailed the guy and made the discovery.


    Perhaps youre right, Your Excellency. It is already well known that you are about to depart toward the Sea of Trees soon. They might be thinking of evacuating the royal capital until your departure.


    Yes, thats what I thought too. Well?


    This is a heaven-sent opportunity, Your Excellency.


    I knew youd say that. Alright. Lets organize an attack tomorrow. How many men from the defense force can you afford to deploy for this operation?


    As many as you need, Your Excellency. If we are mounting an attack by tomorrow, then it is possible for us to deploy up to a thousand men.


    Alright. Please prepare a total of three hundred men. Well be sending seventy Shining Star members on our end.


    n-sama, why not take some of the adventurers we hired with you as well? They wereining about being bored because they had nothing to do, you see.


    The one who made the suggestion was Adjutant Dalshim. The adventurers we managed to hire huh. I guess they really should be getting pretty bored since they didnt have anything particr to do until our departure from the capital. Well, I suppose I could take them along since theyre so free.


    Alright. Well take the adventurers who are willing to work in exchange for the average daily wage with us. Now then, please take a look at these materials.


    Ive already created a detailed sketch of the limestone cavern the bandits are going to use as a gathering spot. There was only one opening in the cave that can serve as an entrance and exit. Well, its not like there arent really any other openings they can make use of, but theyd have to travel pretty deep into the cavernwork in order to reach them, so I think those can be safely discounted.


    It would be quite troublesome if they end up sealing the cavern entrance and hunkered down inside for a siege though. We all agreed that in the worst case, wed have no choice but to use magic in order to burn them all into ashes.


    We finally finished hashing out the attack ns after thirty minutes or so.


    Your subordinates are as amazing as always, Your Excellency. With this much information in hand, the operation tomorrow is certain to be a resounding sess.


    I hope so. Hermann, I wish to bring everything to a swift end tomorrow. We will aplish the royal order without losing even a single person.


    By your will, Your Excellency.


    The number of bandits and criminals weve already managed to capture currently amounts to 488 people. Once we sessfully manage to secure the 328 bandits tomorrow, we would aplish the royal order with plenty of leeway to spare. Weve already secured more than enough supplies. Roberto and his men will soon be arriving here as well. Its about time we depart for the Sea of Trees.


    The next morning, we assembled before the city gate once dawn arrived. There were seventy Shining Star members participating as promised. Since this was thest operation well be conducting, Ive gathered all the main party members as well. The horses and carriages carrying the adventurers and royal capital defense forces were arriving one after another as well.


    It looks like there werent that many adventurers who agreed to participate. The ones who answered our call to arms only numbered twenty-five in total. Well, we only informed them of the operation yesterday after all. And theyd only be getting the average daily wage of 250 Guineas for participating, so I suppose it cant be helped.


    Yo, n. Well be in your care today.


    The one who called out to me was the B-rank adventurer I met the other day in front of the book store, Hans. Hans and his party ended up epting our request at the guild and will be joining us in the expedition to the Sea of Trees.


    You cretin! Just who do you think you are addressing!? Properly address His Excellency by his title, Baron Corinth, you fool!


    The former Starveek royal guard member Sasha, who was acting as my escort today, immediately admonished him.


    Well, thats how it is, Hans. Please mind your words when there are other people around.


    It should not only be while in the presence of other people, n-sama. They should address you properly at all times. Do you understand, adventurer!?


    O-Okay, I got it.


    The defense force troops lined up before me. It looks like they were done with their preparations.


    Good morning, Your Excellency.


    Good morning, Hermann. Nn? Is it just me, or is there something different about your men today?


    Instead of their usual equipment, they were sporting hard leather armor that was fitted with metal tes in several critical areas. The armor looked sufficiently tough.


    I have brought a total of 250 Royal Capital Defense Force magic users for this operation, Your Excellency. Everyone is able to use fire and wind magic spells. Today will be thest operation, so they wanted to contribute their strength and join you in battle.


    Well be taking on more than three hundred enemies today so a force of 250 magic users will certainly help a lot. Is it just me? It looks to me like theyre all disying eager and fearless expressions.


    In any case, a chance to observe how this countrys army fights up close is certainly a pretty valuable opportunity.


    Let us fight together then. Very well. Let us depart.


    It would take about two hours for us to reach the Range limestone caverns located in the outskirts of the royal capital via horse carriage. In order to return to the city while the sun was still up, wed have to start the operation by 8 oclock in the morning.


    Our mixed unit of adventurers and soldiers departed from the royal capital riding on horseback and via carriage.


    Your Excellency, His Majesty has instructed me to report to him about the results of todays operationter, but in the case this operation seeds, I would like to ask your Excellency to personally pay a visit to the castle tomorrow.


    A personal summons by the king!? I wonder what its about?


    That was quite sudden, Hermann. What does His Majesty want to talk to me about, I wonder. No, I would certainlye, of course, but


    It is about your reward, of course, Your Excellency.


    Reward?


    You will havepleted the royal order with resounding sess, so it is only natural for there to be a reward, Your Excellency. I am sure His Majesty has been in a very good mood ever since we began our operations.


    Oh, so it looks like Ill be receiving a reward forpleting the royal order huh. I wonder how much Ill get. Well, Ill take whatever I can get.


    About thirty minutes after our departure from the capital, a man on horseback was spotted trying to overtake us from behind. Just as expected.


    Catch him.


    Hermann gave the order to his subordinates, and they sessfully captured the man. Most likely, this guy was rushing to hisrades to warn them about our departure from the royal capital.


    It was pretty suspicious to be in such a rush on the highway at this time of the day. Even if we end up being mistaken, well just chalk it up to performing an investigation on behalf of the crown, so theres no problem.


    Afterward, we proceeded along the highway without any further incidents and managed to reach a spot near the Range limestone caverns before long. Wed probably get spotted by the bandit lookouts if we advanced any further though.


    Isnt it about time, Your Excellency?


    Yes, youre right. Send in the cavalry.


    I wanted to take them down in one fell swoop. It would be troublesome if they attempt an escape, so I sent in men on horseback in advance to swiftly close the. About 100 menprised of Shining Star members and defense force cavalry troops quickly closed in on the limestone cavern entrance.


    It looks like theyve already been spotted huh. Footage of two lookouts rushing inside the cavern entrance was disyed on a virtual window.


    However, no matter how you looked at it, our men would be able to reach them before they could attempt an escape.


    Before long, we also managed to reach the cavern entrance. The area around the limestone cavern was free of any obstructions and the visibility was good. We were about seventy meters from the entrance.


    However, as expected, they did seal the entrance up. As I confirmed via surveince footage, they neatly closed the entrance using an earthen wall. There appear to be some peepholes used to check the situation outside ced in various spots of the wall. There were alsorger holes that a single person could crawl through. Theres no mistake. This wall was made using earth magic.


    I zoomed the footage and confirmed the presence of lots of bandits peeping out from the eye holes. The thickness of the earthen wall should be about 30 centimeters or so.


    While I was checking the ce out, the final group of carriages managed to arrive as well. With this, everyone was finally assembled.


    To think bandits were able to create something like that We will proceed with our preparations, Your Excellency.


    Hermann issuedmands to prepare for the attack.


    n-sama, how do you propose we proceed?


    Adjutant Dalshim seems to be thinking about methods to ovee that earthen wall.


    Lets use magic spells for the time being. Ill leave it to Hermann and his men. I want to observe how the army will choose to ovee that earthen wall.


    Understood.


    The defense force soldiers began to get into a square formation. The front row wasprised of soldiers wieldingrge metal shields. Behind them was a row of 25 people, and furthest back were lines made up of ten people each. A twenty-five by ten square formation huh.


    I see. Twenty-five people will release spells all at once and then fall back to be reced by the person behind them one after another for a continuous barrage. It seems to be a basic but solid tactic.


    Your Excellency, if its fine with you, we shallmence the attack.


    Yosh, go ahead. At them.

 Chapter 93.4 - Royal Order Completion Part 4

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Hermann gave the signal to begin, and the square formation began to gradually advance toward the entrance of the limestone caverns. Our formation also advanced and followed after them.


    Themander of the formation issued theirmands after reaching the area about 40 meters away from the earthen wall, and the shield-bearers opened gaps in their ranks in order to give way for the magic casters behind them, who then proceeded tounch me Arrow spells.


    Twenty-five people simultaneouslyunched me Arrows. Seventy-five me Arrow projectiles flying out in unison was quite a spectacr sight. More than half of said projectiles sessfully went through the peepholes in the wall. A wave of pained screams followed soon after.


    Immediately after that, there was movement from behind the earthen wall, and therger peepholes were sealed up by what seemed to be block-shaped masses of soil. It looks like they werent idiots after all.


    Now that itse to this, magic attacks were practically almost rendered ineffective, and the earthen wall managed to block the ming arrows.


    In response, three shield-bearers went up and started to remove the soil blocks. Afterward, a few arrows were quickly fired out from the openings in retaliation. They were able to avoid getting injured due to their shields, but it looks like they cant carelessly approach the wall.


    This is troublesome. We might need to use a battering ram.


    Hermann dered as he watched on.


    (Iris, whats a battering ram?)


    This is the said item, Captain.


    An image was disyed on a virtual window. The image was of people pushing what looked to be a huge log suspended on a wheeled chassis and using it to hammer a castle gate. It seems to be a weapon designed to destroy gates and fortifications by repeatedly striking them with arge wooden log.


    It was a very primitive and reckless method. If we were to use such a weapon, theres no doubt that the people operating it would be sitting ducks to arrows and other projectiles. No matter how many lives you had, they probably wouldnt be enough.


    Let us continue with the current attack strategy a little bit more.


    By your will.


    If I match the timing with the soldiers spells, I probably wouldnt get found out. Alright, lets mix a Fire Grenade spell in the barrage.


    First, lets create an appropriate image. Its unexpectedly difficult. I suppose thats because I havent really tried firing this spell from a distance this far. After revising my mental image a number of times, I finally felt that Id be able to pull it off.


    Right then. Ill match their timing and Now!


    Yosh! A single fireball was mixed in with the fire arrows the soldiersunched out. The moment the fireballnded on the earthen wall, it caused an explosion.


    Wha! Just what happened!?


    Perhaps something inside the wall got ignited. This is a good opportunity. Focus your magic spells on that opening.


    The grenade managed to pry open arge hole with a diameter of about two meters. At themanders orders, the square formation advanced forward gradually while continuing tounch spells.


    It looks like after experiencing a number of casualties due to the magic spells being fired at them, the bandits finally gave up on defending the wall. The formations finally arrived right in front of the earthen wall. Themander quickly scanned the interior, and at his order, the soldiers under him proceeded to rush inside the cavern. It looks like weve finally done it.


    The soldiers didnt let up on their attacks even after entering the cavern, and soon, panicked and pained screams rang out from within. Well, they were up against an elite military magic corps after all.


    Before long, themotion within the limestone cavern finally died down. No, I could still hear pained groans, but there were no longer any sounds of fighting. Have they finished up?


    Lets go inside as well.


    After entering, we proceeded about fifty meters into the cavern and found that the soldiers and bandits locked in a stalemate while ring daggers at each other. It looks like what we were worried about really did happen.


    The bandits were pressing their swords on the necks of about twenty women. Perhaps these women were captured and held here in order to satisfy the base desires of these scum.


    It looks like themander decided to pause the attack after seeing the hostages. I suppose I have to try negotiating for their release.


    Release those women. If you do, I promise to spare your lives.


    My voice echoed loudly within the limestone cavern.


    Hou, quite young, arent you? Are you the rumored Baron Corinth?


    A tall and well-built man with a face fit for a viin came forward. He was probably about two meters tall.


    Thats right. I will not let you suffer any further harm if you release them.


    A brat as young as you is being hailed as a Dragon yer? It looks like those rumors really are unreliable huh. We wont release them, of course. Instead, wed prefer that you withdraw your men and allow us to escape. How about it?


    I suppose no one here actually did believe my words huh.


    Now then, what should I do? What deal would these bandits find attractive?


    How about deciding things via singlebat with me? If you win, I shall let you all escape.


    n-sama!


    Your Excellency!


    Sorry, but Ill have to pass.


    Oi! We cant pass up such an opportunity! We should go for it!


    You wanna go fight him then? Even if the opponent is young, hes still an A-rank adventurer yknow? And theres no guarantee hell even keep his word.


    I swear upon my honor as this kingdoms noble that I shall keep my word.


    My words silenced everyone, including the bandits. I just tried saying it out, but it looks like those words did hold some weight huh.


    Sorry, but no. Im a pretty determined guy even if I look like this yknow.


    The heck. Hes not acting like your typical viin at all. Well, this is troublesome. I cant make any further concessions.


    Then, what if your opponent was me?


    The one who suddenly spoke up was Selena.


    (n, please let me do it. I will never lose to such a guy.)


    (But Selena)


    (I also have my pride. If you really consider me as your Vice-Captain, then please let me do this.)


    I see Pride huh. I suppose she really would require holding such pride if she was to stand above and lead the people of this alongside me.


    And thanks to their strengthened bodies, Selena and Sharon have grown to be second only to me in terms of swordsmanship skills within the n. I guess theres no way shed ever lose.


    Are you saying well be allowed to escape if we defeat you,ssie?


    Very well. I shall also swear upon this with my pride as this kingdoms noble.


    If thats the case, then its a different story. Fine, Ill take you up on that. Ill be your opponent.


    Everyone in the n was very familiar with Selenas strength so no one raised any protest.


    After a simple exchange, the one-on-one duel was finally decided. The women were moved to a corner of the cavern where the bandits wouldnt be able to easily reach them.


    It would be easy to round up the bandits if we made a move now, but I have to preserve my face as a noble as well. Haa What a pain.


    And so, Selena and the bandit leaders duel finally began.


    Oh, I didnt manage to inform you earlier, but this is my sword.


    The bandit leader disyed a sneering grin and pulled out his sword. It then glowed brightly. It was a magic sword.


    I see. Then go ahead and take a look at my sword as well.


    Selena made her sword shine as well.


    Oooh!


    The soldiers and adventurers in the gallery raised cheers after witnessing the scene.


    I also didnt manage to say this earlier, but I previously served as an assistant instructor in the Divine Sword style dojo. I ended up killing lots of people and got emunicated though.


    I see. Then you should be able to put up a good fight.


    The distance between the two was about three meters. Everyone present was holding their breath while listening to the twos exchange.


    The bandit leader suddenly made his move and shed down. Selena calmly received the attack and locked swords with her opponent. She made full use of her strengthened body and pushed her opponent back.


    Oooh!


    Youre pretty good,ss. Alright then. Ill let you have a taste of my trump card. Divine Sword style secret technique, Extreme de sh!


    Extreme de sh.


    People from the gallery muttered in agitation. Was it some sort of famous technique?


    The bandit leader proceeded to hold his sword in an upper diagonal stance. This stance was simr to the one often used by Dalshim. Dammit. I ended up thinking the technique name sounded a bit cool as well.


    Corinth style secret technique, Justice Judgement.


    Corinth style secret technique.


    The people from the n let out surprised voices.


    Selena then held her sword in an overhead stance. I internally wallowed in both utter embarrassment and pride after witnessing the sight.


    Justice Judgement was a one-hit sure-kill technique, which was pretty rare in the Corinth style. This duel will be decided after this exchange of blows.


    The moment the bandit leader got into range, Selena had already swung her sword down. The bandit leaders arm that held his sword flew through the air.


    The ones who were able to fully follow the sword strike were probably just Sharon and me. It was just that sharp and fast.


    Oooh!


    The sight of Selena flicking the blood off her sword and cing it back on its sheath was dazzling and cool, man.


    That was wonderful swordsmanship, Selena.


    Thank you very much. But it looks like his style wasnt a match for Corinth style after all.


    Oh, I believed youd be victorious, but I still feel so relieved, Selena!


    That was such an amazing sword technique!


    You truly disyed such wonderful swordsmanship, Captain Selena!


    The n members heaped praises on Selena. Well, I suppose this was only natural.


    The bandits allowed themselves to get apprehended without resisting. We also secured the women who were held hostage.


    Now then, its time for some fun.


    Yosh. Lets go and check out the loot everyone.


    Arge number of goods were stored at the back of the limestone cavern. They were more than enough to fill up an entire rental warehouse. Even a casual scan revealed plenty of valuable-looking items.


    This It would be quite difficult to transport all of this back to the city in one day. Wed need two days at least.


    Hermann dered so with a satisfied grin on his face.


    This is also part of the job. Lets just do our best.

 Chapter 94.1 - Reward Part 1

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    The next day, I departed via carriage toward the castle in order to attend an audience with the king. Of course, since the king himself was the one who summoned me, Hermann has already made all the arrangements for todays castle visit. Fortunately, it seems Hermann was also going to join me in attending an audience with His Majesty.


    We stopped the carriage in front of the castle gate. Dalshim, who was in the coachmans seat, brought out my official coat of arms and showed it to the guards. We were then allowed to proceed inside.


    Our carriage advanced and passed by the castle guards who were lined up on both sides of the gate. Some of the soldiers on duty apparently were familiar with me, and they were all smiles the moment they found out I was the one on board.


    Phew. What a relief. In the worst case, I was prepared for everything to be a trap designed to lure and dispose of me, but judging from the reaction of the soldiers, it probably wasnt the case.


    The carriage stopped right in front of the castle entrance. We found Hermann waiting for us as promised.


    Good morning, Hermann.


    Good morning, Your Excellency.


    Are we entering through here today? We arent going to use the rear entrance?


    Absolutely not, Your Excellency! It is unthinkable for the Lord Protector to enter the castle through the rear entrance.


    I see. So it depends on the status of the person in question huh. Well, its not like they can afford to station that many men to constantly watch over both entrances, so I suppose this is only natural.


    I proceeded to enter through the main door that was reverently opened by the castle chambeins.


    Ive already gotten a quick look at it a few days ago, but this area really was quite shy. There wererge paintings and golden armor sets on prominent disy and the overall design of the front hall looked pretty gaudy. Will the sword that would be made from the dragon fang I offered up be disyed here as well, I wonder.


    We proceeded through the castle with the guidance of the chambeins. It looks like we were going to be making use of the audience hall as well today.


    The king still hasnt arrived when we entered the audience hall, and knights who were probably this countrys royal guards were lined up in two neat rows. It looks like no other nobles were attending todays audience.


    I and Hermann knelt in front of the central seat on one knee as we waited for the kings arrival. Before long, the king and the prime minister finally made their entrance. We quickly bowed our heads low.


    I permit you to raise your heads and address me directly. Well met, Baron Corinth. I am d that you coulde.


    Yes. I will answer your summons without fail at any time, Your Majesty.


    I heard that your crackdown on the bandits was sessfullypleted yesterday.


    Yes. I believe that we have finally managed to wipe out the bandits and criminal elements guing the royal capital, Your Majesty.


    Well, I believe there were still quite a number of criminals lurking around the capital though. I wonder if its really okay to im that weve cleaned them all up.


    How many bandits have you managed to capture, Lord Corinth?


    About 803 people altogether, Your Majesty.


    Excellent. Splendid work, Lord Corinth.


    It is all thanks to Your Majestys foresight and grace in allowing Sir Bahr to work with me.


    This was the truth. Things wouldnt have gone so smoothly without the full cooperation of the Royal Capital Defense Force and Sir Bahr.


    I certainly did hear that you and your soldiers also performed wonderfully. Excellent work, Hermann.


    I am unworthy of such praise. But just as Lord Corinth said, this is mostly because of your benevolence and wisdom, Your Majesty. Right now, the royal capital is filled with songs of praise for you.


    I see. This simply means that it was well worth troubling Lord Corinth with this matter. Lord Corinth, what kind of reward do you wish for?


    Should I just ask for money? Nah, I probably should decline humbly this time.


    I am Your Majestys loyal vassal. It is my pleasure to enact Your Majestys will. I need no reward whatsoever.


    Lord Corinth, pay those things no mind. There is no need to hold back. Go ahead and tell me what you desire.


    I shall humbly state my request then. Would you please allow me to recruit citizens for my territory from this royal capital once it has been sufficiently developed?


    I wouldnt mind recruiting citizens from other ces, but it seems things would be less troublesome to recruit some from the capital since this ce had a prettyrge poption in the first ce.


    You truly have no ounce of greed in your bones, Lord Corinth. Very well. I shall issue a promation under my name once your territory has been sufficiently developed.


    My greatest thanks, Your Majesty.


    I have heard that you will be bringing some orphans and craftsmen with you. If possible, I would be ddened if you gave priority to recruiting from orphans and the poor.


    Yes. I have been intending to do so from the beginning.


    I see. However, giving out only such a reward will not do. This involves my dignity as the king as well. Though a paltry sum, I implore you to at least ept a cash reward of 5 million Guineas.


    Yes! My greatest thanks for your generosity.


    Ill be getting 5 million Guineas for capturing 800 or so men. That means the reward would be roughly 6,250 Guineas per head. You can say this amount was pretty reasonable since the average reward for capturing a bandit was 5,000 Guineas.


    In addition, I will continue to entrust you the title of Lord Protector.


    Hou. I brought the Lord Protector shield for todays audience because I thought I would have to return it after this, but it looks like I can continue to keep it.


    Your Majesty! Are you saying you are going to officially appoint Baron Corinth as our kingdoms Lord Protector!?


    The prime minister, Marquis Villis Burke, who has been eerily silent since the beginning of todays audience, finally opened his mouth. It looks like the king was also surprised by his sudden outburst. Well, he was the prime minister after all. I guess hes allowed some leeway to interject and question the kings words.


    Prime Minister, wasnt it you who pushed for Lord Corinths appointment as Lord Protector in the first ce? I do believe Lord Corinth has more than proven himself capable of undertaking the responsibilities of a Lord Protector. Is there any problem with my thinking?


    Apparently, the kings intent to officially appoint me as Lord Protector was a spontaneous thing.


    That may very well be true, but there are only a total of three Lord Protector seats avable. I am merely worried this may hinder future national affairs.


    I see. Well then, Lord Corinths authority will onlyst until the appointment of another two Lord Protectors, and the range of said authority will continue to be limited to the subjugation of bandits and criminal elements within our borders. With this, there are no longer any problems, correct?


    Y-Yes, I believe so, Your Majesty.


    Heh. He sounds pretty reluctant. This guy really was lying through his teeth when he said he held me in high regard huh.


    Now then, Lord Corinth. Please continue your efforts for the wellbeing of this kingdoms citizens.


    Yes, I shall do my utmost, Your Majesty.


    The king was younger than me, but it looks like he was a pretty fine man in his own right. Working for the benefit of the people does not conflict with our own goals. Theres no problem, I suppose.


    With this, it seems the royal audience was finally over. We really just discussed my reward huh.


    The king and prime minister finally left the chamber, and I and Hermann stood up from our kneeling position.


    It looks like you didnt get any reward yourself huh, Hermann.


    The royal order was not given to me after all. It is only natural. And in any case, I and the defense force soldiers have already received plenty of benefits from you, Your Excellency. You shared part of the loot to us after all.


    Hermann said so with a satisfied smile on his face. I left the matter of dividing the loot among the defense force soldiers to Hermann, but it seems they divided it ording to rank.


    And of course, with that, Hermanns share would definitely not becking. Anyway, judging from the attitude of the soldiers, it doesnt seem like Hermann and the high-ranking officers pocketed a lions share of the loot for themselves, so I suppose its fine.


    The loot will be fully converted to cash in about two to three days. We will let you know immediately once its all settled.


    Theres already an estimate of the total profit, but I dont dare to ask about the amount. Lets just look forward to it.


    I parted with Hermann at the castle and left via carriage.

 Chapter 94.2 - Reward Part 2

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Once the carriage got out of the castle gates, I spotted Selena and Sharon waiting nearby. The carriage stopped in front of the two of them. It looks like they didnt have to wait that long.


    From now onward, Im nning on taking a day off and wandering around the royal capital with the two of them. They asked to be my escorts for todays outing.


    Ive, of course, informed everyone about the matter in advance. I dered that once the royal order to capture bandits was aplished, I nned to sightsee around the royal capital without any escorts.


    Although we were finally in the royal capital, I rarely went out of the inn except for when were conducting operations, and whenever I did get to go out, at least ten guards would follow after me.


    It wasnt all that bad to go around town withpanions, but I felt kinda suffocated by having to always y the part of a noble.


    Initially, I nned to head out alone, but everyone else objected and said it was too dangerous. They finally agreed to it on the condition that Selena and Sharon apanied me as well.


    If I take off this noble tunic, Id look like your average well-offmoner. So today, Ill be the well-offmoner n.


    Good work today, n. Ive made a reservation at the restaurant with the highest reputation in the royal capital. Would you like to have your lunch there?


    It looks like Sharon already prepared for today in advance huh. The best food in the royal capital huh. Interesting.


    That sounds good. Alright then. Lets eat there. My treat.


    The two cheered when they heard that I was treating them to lunch. I have to properly act like a respectable superior officer every now and then after all.


    But suddenly, amotion was raised on the streets. A scream echoed out from the distance as well.


    Watch out! Its a runaway horse!


    Further cries resounded from the other side of the street. Its true that a horse without a rider was running loose, but it didnt seem to be on a rampage. Its more like it was just intent on running at full speed as much as it can. Perhaps its possible to stop it in its tracks.


    Defensive formation!


    Dalshim shouted his order, and it prompted the rest of the n members with us to surround me from all sides. It was a fast reaction worthy of them being former royal guards. They surrounded me in a doubleyer formation that didnt expose any gaps.


    No matter how you look at it, they were overreacting. The horse was just approaching our position, and its not like it was on a direct collision course with us. Furthermore, it looks like it was gradually slowing down.


    They formed such a tight defensive formation as if we were getting attacked by arge pack of Gray Hounds.


    As we watched on, the horse swiftly passed by our carriage.


    Dalshim, isnt this too much? The horse looked like it could be stopped.


    No, we absolutely cannot tolerate any possibility of harming upon you, n-sama. The royal capital is dangerous, as expected. Wouldnt it be better if we came with you as well after all?


    Theres a limit to being overprotective yknow. Mm, we should probably get going now before they insist more.


    Dont worry so much. Well be fine. Yosh, Sharon, Selena, lets go.


    Adjutant Dalshim, we will take responsibility and protect n well, so do not worry.


    After hearing Selenas words, Dalshim reluctantly backed down.


    Well be back before dinner guys.


    With Dalshim and the rest seeing us off, we immediately headed to the restaurant Sharon made a reservation with. Maybe I should buy some souvenirs for everyer as well.


    The restaurant was just a short walk away, and it looked like quite a luxurious establishment. Since its praised as the number one restaurant in the royal capital, it should be a royal purveyor thats well catered to nobles.


    Wee. We have been waiting for your arrival, dear guests.


    A man dressed as a butler weed us. He immediately guided us to a private room where some maids pulled our chairs for us and made us take our seats. Um, what about the menu?


    If you have no particr requests, I would like to rmend our restaurants specialty dishes. How about it, dear customers?


    The dishes the restaurant was most confident in were probably their most delicious dishes. It looks like Sharon and Selena didnt have any objections as well.


    Alright. Well order those then.


    It looks like we were gonna be served a full-course meal. As expected of a ce hailed as the best restaurant in the royal capital. The customer service was also quite impable and didnt miss a beat. It seems we can look forward to the dishes as well.


    And as expected, the food was nothing short of excellent. Starting with an aperitif, we were then served appetizers, soups, fish dishes, meat dishes, and desserts at a steady tempo. All of the dishes were quite refined and exquisite. There was nothing toin about the waiter serving us, and Selena and Sharon were very satisfied as well. It seems they rate the food and service to beparable to the high-ss restaurants in the empire.


    I wonder how much the bill will be though.


    Around the time we finished drinking our after-meal tea, the butler-like man reappeared.


    Were you all satisfied with our food, dear customers?


    Yes, very. Every dish was exquisite and very delicious. I can see why your establishment is hailed as the best restaurant in the royal capital.


    Thank you very much for the praise.


    Now then, how much is our bill?


    That would be 700 Guineas per person, sir.


    700 Guineas! As expected, the price was also high-ss huh. And it also indicated their absolute confidence in their dishes. Well, I was pretty convinced with the dishes anyway.


    Oh, right. Do you know of some interesting shops around this part of the city?


    I asked while handing over our payment. After all, locals were more familiar with stuff like that.


    Lets see There is a jewelry store seven shops away from the right-hand side of our restaurant that seems to be very popr with thedies of the capital.


    Jewelry? essories huh. Selena and Sharons eyes shone in excitement after hearing the restaurant staffs words. It looks like they were pretty interested.


    Alright, lets go and check it out then.


    We immediately headed for the jewelry shop after exiting the restaurant. It was another luxurious-looking establishment. Once inside, we were greeted by a man who seemed to be the owner. No, he actually looked a bit too young to be the owner.


    Wee.


    We n on looking around the shop for a bit. Would that be fine?


    But of course. Go ahead and have a look, sir.


    The store was packed with various essories such as bracelets, pendants, and rings.


    Waa, this looks really cute!


    It does!


    My twopanions were gushing around excitedly like normal teenage girls.


    Hmm, it looks like they arent that expensive.


    Many of the essories lined up were priced in the hundreds. The most expensive ones only went up to a thousand Guineas or so. The prices were pretty cheap, considering this was a luxury store.


    The articles being disyed on this floor are catered to young people. We have more upscale articles on the second floor.


    I see. So this stuff was aimed atmoner teens huh. They were all reasonably priced and were perfect for attracting customers.


    Yosh, its my treat again, you two. Go ahead and choose essories you like.


    Really?


    Really. Oh, but you have to keep the cost to a thousand Guineas or below per person, alright?


    Understood!


    The two of them started to choose essories with serious looks on their faces. Fortunately, they didnt take all that long and finished selecting items in about five minutes or so.


    The two of them chose silver rings with jewels on them. The jewel in Selenas ring was blue in color while Sharons was red. They looked pretty good to me and were apparently made in the same basic design. Each item costs 950 Guineas. Just a bit short of the max budget I gave them huh.


    After making our payment, the two immediately put the rings on their fingers and began admiring them. Theyve been a big help to me after all. Its only right to give them such rewards every once in a while.


    Oh,e to think of it, wasnt it a vition of corps rules for officers to hand their personal money or gifts to subordinates of the opposite sex? Oh well.


    We then left the store and continued wandering around, but my twopanions still seemed to be preupied with their rings. It looks like they really like them huh. It was well worth treating them, seeing as theyre both so happy.

 Chapter 94.3 - Reward Part 3

    As we walked around, a boy suddenly came running out of an alley. He looked to be about twelve to thirteen years old.


    Theyre havin a fight over there! Somebody stop them!


    A fight huh. Was it between fellow minors?


    Two adventurer-looking guys got pulled by the boy inside a nearby alleyway.


    They have a lot of people. Please help stop them too, big bro! I beg you!


    The boy turned to me and implored. I guess it cant be helped since hes pleaded so earnestly.


    Lets go and check it out.


    We also decided to follow the boy. The alley led to a dead end, and there certainly were people fighting at the very back. However, they werent children but fully grown adults. There are about ten or so of them.


    The moment the three of us approached, they immediately stopped fighting and scattered. They then ran past us. Curiously, this included the two adventurer-like men the boy dragged in with him.


    All the men stopped near the entrance to the alley and red at us. Whats the meaning of this?


    Weve been had, Captain. Youve been ced in a bad situation. If possible, please escape from your position as soon as you can.


    The bad situation Iris described was disyed through a virtual window. It was certainly bad alright.


    (It looks like were a little toote to make a clean escape. So it was a trap huh. I didnt think wed actually fall for such a simple trick.)


    Im sorry. I waste to notice the danger.


    More men were rushing toward the alley from the main street.


    I never thought theyd actually make use of a child. Well, I suppose they made use of him precisely because they anticipated that I would think so. The acting was also very natural, and they even prepared two extras who dressed as adventurers. It was a pretty professional job.


    Whats our move, n?


    Lets observe the situation first. Theres no need to panic.


    As more and more reinforcements came, the men slowly advanced toward us. They dont seem to intend tounch an attack immediately.


    ording to the area map disyed on a virtual window, the group of drones performing surveince missions over the royal capital were already gathering overhead.


    As long as the five drones have a clear line of sight, it doesnt matter no matter how many men they surround us with. If this situation is as I imagine, it would be better to squeeze as much info as I can.


    The initial number of thirteen men now ballooned to more than fifty. Thats a lot of people. Does this mean they were that wary of our ability?


    They slowly advanced as if probing us and stopped at a distance of about five meters away from our position.


    Most of the men were dressed poorly like your ordinarymoners, but there was also a single well-dressed man among them who looked the part of a noble. I suppose hes the leader.


    However, contrary to my expectation, a man who was fully clothed in ck came forward instead. A description supplied by Iris was disyed above the mans head.


    Selena and Sharon came forward to defend me.


    Greetings, Your Excellency Baron Corinth. I am called Elvin. I am pleased to make your acquaintance.


    One of the prime ministers men, I presume. What is your business with me? No, I suppose there is no need to ask.


    Why do you think we are under His Excellency the Prime Minister?


    You frequented the prime ministers estate often, did you not? Additionally, those two over there have been keeping a close eye on the inn we are staying at, and that one was working as a server in a cafeteria just across the street. I see some more familiar faces among you. Your surveince work wasnt too shabby, but unfortunately, weve noticed you guys from the start.


    I didnt think you already had eyes spread around the castle town, Your Excellency. Impressive showing as usual. Id even like to meet your subordinates at least once.


    Sorry, but thats not possible.


    How unfortunate. Why did you insist on staying in the royal capital for so long if youve already noticed our surveince? You should have left when you had the chance, Your Excellency.


    There are various circumstances on our end you see. But you really gathered quite a number of men, havent you?


    That I did. I told my employer that I did not need to take this many people, but it looks like they do not have much trust in my abilities. They insisted on sending all of us out. Thanks to that, it took so much time to gather all my subordinates, so its already turned thiste.


    I didnt think the prime minister was so afraid of me.


    What we are afraid of isnt you but the dragon. If you werent involved with the dragon, you would probably have been let off, Your Excellency.


    Is that so? Id like it if you just left me to go about my business though.


    Its truly unfortunate. Its even more unfortunate due to the fact that this country currently needs someone like you


    What do you mean by that?


    Stop all this useless talk and finish this cretin off already!


    The man dressed in noble attire impatiently ordered Elvin around.


    Would you mind keeping your mouth shut for me? I have also been ordered to gather information. Please do not get in the way of my business.


    Elvins retort silenced the man who seemed to be one of the prime ministers attendants.


    Do excuse us, Your Excellency. This man was sent as our overseer, you see.


    The guy was probably sent to confirm that I was properly finished off.


    There were many points of interest, but weve finally confirmed something interesting earlier. While observing the Shining Star members speaking, drinking, and eating habits, there were some things that caught my eye. And my suspicions were finally confirmed today.


    Those are some pretty suggestive words. Can you tell me what you have managed to uncover about us as well?


    Its due to the defensive formation that Your Excellencys subordinates performed earlier. Ive observed such a formation in another country a while back you see. It was performed by the knights of the Alois, no, Starveek kingdom. And furthermore, they were royal guards.


    So they were behind that runaway horse as well huh. Dammit, this is the worst. They managed to uncover the information I wanted to hide the most.


    Then there was the escape of the captured knights. There are also the features of that female adventurer who strangely always had people who were guarding her. Yes, theres no doubt about it now. It finally all makes sense.


    It should have been easy enough to notice, but why didnt I manage to do so until now? How strange.


    So this guys also aware of our hand in the escape incident and even Clerias identity. It looks like we cant leave these guys alive.


    However, I still have some things that are puzzling me. How about this, Your Excellency. Would you like to exchange information with me? We will take turns revealing information to one another. I swear to the Goddess that I will speak the truth and nothing but the truth.


    Well, since were gonna kill them allter anyway, I suppose its fine.


    Very well. I will also promise to tell you nothing but the truth.


    Thank you! My utmost gratitude, Your Excellency. Well then, I shall begin. How did you manage to avoid being poisoned by the wine at the conferment ceremony banquet back then? I confirmed that you drank the wine myself, Your Excellency. I suspected it was due to drinking panacea and bought one to test it out, but it was just a waste of money and time.


    Most poisons actually dont work on the current me. Thats simply how it is.


    Your Excellency I thought you were a person of integrity but was I mistaken?


    It doesnt matter what this guy thinks of me, but it does kinda bother me that hes using me of being a liar. However, Id like to continue on with the information exchange.


    Do you have poison on hand right now? If you have some, hand it over.


    After thinking for a short while, Elvin drew his knife from its scabbard and threw it on the ground in front of me.


    The de is coated with a very potent poison. Even a little wound from it will kill a man within two minutes.


    I rolled up my sleeve to keep my clothes undamaged and cut my arm from the wrist to the elbow.


    Blood dripped out but I felt no pain. The blood flow stopped almost immediately. I then cast healing magic and closed up the wound.


    I am truly sorry. Please do forgive me. I will no longer doubt Your Excellencys words from here onwards.


    Very well. Now then, its my turn to pose a question.


    When I tried to return the knife, I noticed that it wasnt any ordinary knife. It was argebat-oriented knife with a very intricate design. It had unique patterns which looked somewhat familiar engraved on its de. I tried to pour magic power onto the knife, and its de emitted a bright glow.


    Oh, this is actually a magic weapon? Ive heard that you cant forge a magic de without at least reaching a certain surface area requirement, but this Oh, this wasnt my question by the way. You dont need to answer.


    I do not mind telling you about something so simple without any conditions attached, Your Excellency. That de was made in the Kingdom of Iririka. In that country, even a de of that size can be forged into a magic weapon.


    All the other men had simr swords and knives strapped onto their waists.

 Chapter 94.4 - Reward Part 4

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Do all of you possess such weapons?


    Thats right. We just happened to get them through a certain channel. And our swords are also the finest magic swords forged by Iririka Kingdom cksmiths. Of course, were well aware that these weapons are far beyond our caliber, but they doe pretty handy. They are excellent weapons.


    Man, these assassins sure are extravagant. They all had weapons that even knights would go green in envy for.


    As for the number Since they each had a pair of a knife and swords, that would make it a hundred magic weapons huh. Yosh, it looks like I managed to find some great souvenirs for the rest of the n. It looks like Ill barely be able to gift one to each member.


    I had noticed for a while now that the rest of the members were gazing at Elnas magic sword with looks of envy from time to time. It looks like they ced importance on the fact that I personally bought it for her as well.


    I was already thinking of buying some for them when I have the chance, but I didnt anticipate Id get an opportunity like this all of a sudden.


    I threw out the knife and returned it to Elvin.


    Heres my question then. Who are the ones who hold hostility toward me?


    First, you should consider His Excellency the Prime Minister and all members of his noble house as your enemies. Also, Count Khalifa and Count Gantz have suffered considerable losses due to the crackdowns led by Your Excellency. They probably hold grudges against you as well. There might be some more, but those are the ones I am aware of.


    Hmm, there are surprisingly few of them. Does this mean the lord of Gantz was also up to no good? This was some good info.


    Does His Majesty the King not hold any animosity toward me?


    Of course, he doesnt. In fact, His Majesty seems to favor you a lot, Your Excellency. Ive heard that he often talks about you to his closest confidantes.


    I see. It did seem that he was favorable toward me in todays audience Though it would have been lessplicated if he was hostile toward me as well.


    Then its my turn again. Regarding the dragon who attacked the castle, just how did you manage such a feat, Your Excellency? How were you able to persuade it to retreat?


    Just as Your Excellency has said, dragons arent creatures that humans can normally contend with. Even now, I am still in doubt about what I witnessed that day.


    This man seems to have been present at that time as well. What should I tell him? I suppose Ill juste clean.


    That dragon, Gloria, is ourrade. She fully understands human speech, and she was perfectly in control of herself during the attack. The reason she seemed to go on a rampage was because of my orders.


    Your orders? However, you seemed to have barely avoided being eaten at that time, Your Excellency?


    That was just acting. I asked her to put on a little performance together with me. At that time, the rescue attempt was at risk of being discovered, and I was also poisoned twice. We had to cause a hugemotion in order to safely make our way out of the castle.


    Do you mean to say that the dragon was actually willing to heed the orders of a human?


    Thats right.


    Very well. I am convinced.


    Then its my turn again. Once he finds out that you have all died, what do you think the Prime Ministers next move would be?


    You have no sufficient military power under you, Your Excellency, so it would be a bit difficult to pin you with the crime of rebellion and treason, which is amonly used move. This is especially true considering your current burgeoning poprity among the popce.


    He cannot mobilize the national armed forces, and since both bandit attacks and assassinations have failed, hed probably have no choice but to send his own private forces after you next.


    He doesnt have enough private forces staying in the royal capital, so I believe hed mobilize the forces from their houses territory. Their numbers will probably be around four hundred to eight hundred men at most.


    Of course, this move will only be yed if he judges that you have to be eliminated at all costs, Your Excellency. There is still a chance that he will choose not to mobilize his private troops.


    As for the odds of that happening, at my estimates it should be about fifty-fifty.


    Fifty-fifty huh. How troublesome.


    My condolences Now then, heres my question. What exactly does Your Excellency and Her Royal Highness Princess Cleria intend to do? What is your ultimate goal?


    Founding a new nation.


    As I thought. Do you really believe such a thing can be realized? Are you that confident that a country can be founded deep in the Great Demon Forest?


    I thought were only supposed to ask one question at a time?


    Forgive me. Then you can go ahead and ask a question, Your Excellency.


    You said earlier that this country needed someone like me. Just what did you mean by that?


    The Crown Prince of the neighboring country, Cecilio Kingdoms Prince Rouge has been a staunch advocate of militarism since he was but a young boy, and he has been making some worrying statements regarding his intentions on our country recently.


    The old king is still alive right now so hes been holding back, but this tenuous situation wontst long. Once the old king dies, Im sure he will immediately make his move to invade this country. We estimate the probability of an invasion to be about seventy to eighty percent.


    Although I have reported about this matter a good number of times already, there is no sign of the higher-ups trying to address it at all. Weve already wasted far too much time.


    And after witnessing Your Excellencys performance, we havee to think that perhaps you might be able to do something about this sorry state of affairs. That is just how impressive your feats have been.


    This man seems to hold me in very high regard. A single baron wouldnt be able to solve such a situation though. Ah, perhaps hes counting on my position as Lord Protector?


    In any case, with this, I managed to get some valuable info regarding a neighboring country. Thats a good thing, at least.


    Its my turn to pose a question again. Just why did you choose the Great Demon Forest to build your territory? A man of your caliber surely knows that it is impossible to develop such and, Your Excellency. If your main goal is to found a new nation, it would have been better to choose the other options for your reward.


    It is not impossible to develop within the Sea of Trees. Or rather, weve already developed it.


    What do you mean by that?


    I meant it literally. The territory has already been developed. At the very least, people can already live in it.


    Forgive me, but I cannot bring myself to believe those words, even if they came from you, Your Excellency.


    Didnt you say you will no longer doubt any of my words earlier?


    But! No, as I thought, I really cannot believe it. If Your Excellency had such divine ability, you would not have found yourself in this sort of predicament.


    It certainly was careless of me to be lured here by you, but no matter how many of you surround us, we wouldnt have any trouble at all.


    No trouble? Even if youre about to be killed?


    Theres no way I would get killed in a ce like this. Its the opposite. Sorry, but Im going to have to take all your lives.


    What do you mean by that? Are you saying well lose even with our overwhelming advantage in equipment and numbers? What makes you so sure of your victory, Your Excellency?


    Thats two questions, but Ill make an exception and answer honestly. Your defeat is due to ack of information. Your information regarding us is woefullycking.


    A dragon isnt something that mere humans can normally defeat. When you got the information that I managed to defeat a dragon, you should have assumed that I might be in possession of power that ordinary humans do not have.


    Instead of suddenlyunching a full-on assault like this, you should have resorted to other means such as stealthilyunching magic from somewhere out of view or other means of information gathering.


    Im well aware that Ive been running my mouth unnecessarily. It was probably because I was pissed off at this guy for forcing my hand to kill as many as 54 people.


    You do have a point. However, the two dragons might have felled each other in their fight and Your Excellency merely granted the finishing blow.


    I wonder if someone in your line of work really can trust the words of another at face value.


    Youre right. However, no matter how strong Your Excellency is, did you truly manage to defeat a dragon? And in this situation, I dont think that just three of you would be enough to defeat all fifty of us. If we alle at you without care for our lives, even someone with Your Excellencys skills will not be able to do anything.


    Thats exactly what Im referring to earlier when I said you woefullyck information about me. In the first ce, its fatal to assume that you are facing only the three of us here.


    In other words, your judgment that you are only up against the three of us proves yourck of information.


    The five drones have been hovering 120 meters above us for a while in Silent Mode. Of course, theyve already gotten locks on all the enemies ages ago.

 Chapter 94.5 - Reward Part 5

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    Elvin and his men began scanning the surroundings warily after hearing my words.


    I do not feel any other presence nearby Are some of your men really present?


    Of course. Youre not someone who would back down from a bluff, correct?


    Thats true. However


    Like I thought, hed find my words hard to believe.


    Just how long do you intend to keep talking uselessly? Hurry up and kill him!


    The next time you disturb the conversation between His Excellency and me, Ill kill you. Understood?


    After Elvins threat, the man on observer duty trembled in fear.


    Your Excellency, if you please.


    Hm? What?


    I am aware there is no need for Your Excellency to do so, but if possible, I request for some proof that your words were no mere bluff.


    Was this thest request of someone about to die? I guess Ill just humor him.


    Very well. Hmm, lets see Go ahead and throw something up into the air.


    What do you mean by this?


    Anything is fine. Throw something about three meters upward. Oh, but you cant throw your dagger though.


    And why is that?


    Sorry, but Im thinking of bringing back your weapons as souvenirs for my n members.


    Souvenirs? I see. Dead men need no weapons. Is that it? How about a bronze coin then?


    Elvin took out arge bronze coin from his pocket.


    Thats fine.


    Elvin flipped the coin with his fingers. The bronze coin spun around and flew upward to a height of about three meters. Elvin caught it again once it fell back down.


    So what was the point of all that?


    Take a look at the coin in your hand. Theres a hole where the face of a man is supposed to be, right?


    Elvin trembled as he stared at the coin with a shocked expression.


    I-Its exactly as you say. T-This cant be. Just how


    Elvin hastily threw something upward once more. His hasty actions were as if he wasnt aware that he was about to die soon.


    He apparently threw even more coins into the air. He deftly caught them when they fell and checked them one by one with an increasingly distraught expression.


    Just how did this happen? An invisible Artifact? T-This is Your Excellencys power


    No, not mine. Its myrades.


    It seems everything youve told me was true.


    Thats what I promised, right? Im not exactly an honest man, but none of my earlier words were lies.


    So this means you are able to kill us freely at the drop of a hat.


    Thats right. I will have all of you die here. However, your sacrifice will not be wasted. No, I will ensure that it will not be wasted.


    W-What are you doing!? Hurry up and kill this man already!


    The man who yed the role of an observer finally realized how screwed he was and frantically urged Elvin. As for Elvin himself, he merely stared back at the guy with an icy re.


    Do it.


    At Elvins instruction, his subordinate pulled out his sword and surprisingly beheaded the man who was supposed to be their observer. The mans head rolled on the ground. He couldnt even move a step and copsed dead within moments.


    Elvin suddenly got down on his knees. A momentter, all of his subordinates knelt with him.


    Your Excellency, Forgive my impertinence, but I would like to plead for the lives of my men. Could you please allow them to live? You can kill me in whatever way you wish.


    We will absolutely not get in the way of Your Excellency in the future. Please just take my life and spare the rest. Please.


    Elvin kept bowing so much that his forehead was about to hit the ground.


    I felt my current agitated emotions suddenly calm down.


    Ah The emotion filter kicked in huh. This is my first time actually experiencing the effects of this system.


    Nanom, which constantly monitors my mental state, should have activated it to reduce my mental stress that probably became too high.


    In this state, it felt like I could kill anyone without any hesitation or remorse. Was it also a cybeic system that facilitated efficient mass killing?


    Thats impossible. You all know too much. You may not believe my words, but I truly feel this is unfortunate. I hope you will live more decent and fulfilling lives in your next ones


    P-Please wait! Please, stay your hand, Your Excellency! If you spare our lives, we all promise to work under you.


    Im sorry, but I cant bring myself to trust such words.


    Thats more than reasonable. There is no way you would believe in men who would change their allegiance so easily. However, please believe me when I say that we have not once pledged our allegiance to this country, or even the current prime minister, Marquis Villis Burke.


    What do you mean by that?


    Our organization was formed by the first prime minister of the Belta Kingdom when it was founded.


    As time went on, the position of prime minister was passed down, andmand of our organization was passed down as well.


    In exchange for lending our strength to the seeding kings and prime ministers, our vige was promised to be given yearly aid and mary support.


    Since then, our vige has served this kingdom for the past seven generations.


    However, Marquis Villis Burke said that times have changed and unterally set the aids amount to one-third of the original.


    The times may truly have changed. We may have been convinced to voluntarily give up some of our benefits if it was done through diplomatic means and reasonable discussions. However, its a different story for them to decide in such a one-sided manner.


    To be honest, our line of work really isnt easy. There are many hardships, and many of our family members and friends often died in the line of duty. Our ancestors may have pledged loyalty to this country, but we do not.


    The only reason were still serving them like this is to honor the promise that our ancestors have poured their entire hearts and souls into.


    We felt it was inexcusable if we broke the oath that hundreds of our ancestors have kept through their sacrifices.


    In the three years that the new prime minister has taken over the position, we have been constantly searching for a new way to make a living.


    If Your Excellency takes us under your employ, we will all serve you in good faith and with all sincerity.


    So they werent working due to a sense of duty but only for money, and now that the situation has changed, they are basically looking for a new employer who can give them better conditions than their current one huh.


    Are you all from the same vige?


    Yes. Everyone here is from the same vige. For example, the man beside me is my little brother, and the ones over there are our cousins. I am also serving as the current head of our vige.


    Well, they certainly did look alike. It might be true that they really were rtives.


    (What do you think, Iris?)


    ording to the lie detector module, there is a 92 percent chance that he is telling the truth. Of course, its a different story if hes undergone systematic espionage training.


    Was it really possible to avoid killing them here? I would like to avoid killing people for the reason that they know too much about us if I can help it.


    Were you guys rted to what happened to the former prime minister, Lord Werner Leister, and his family?


    Lord Leister, the former prime minister of this country, has already sworn an oath to serve as Clerias vassal. In other words, he was already one of ourrades. If these guys were involved in the murder of Lord Leisters family, then we have nothing more to discuss.


    We were not involved with what happened to Lord Werner at all. At the time that incident happened, most of us were deployed to the Cecilio Kingdom at Lord Werners orders. Lord Werner can attest to my words. How is that person currently faring?


    He has already pledged his allegiance to Clerias cause.


    That is good. Well then, you can go ahead and check with Lord Werner. He will clear us of all involvement.


    Why did you not attempt to rescue him from his imprisonment in the dungeon?


    By the time we grasped the situation, Marquis Villis Burke was already appointed to the Prime Minister position. Our duty was to follow the orders of whoever has seeded in the position of the king and prime minister. Rescuing him was an abandonment of our duty.


    I see. So they worked under whoever was in position regardless of who it was huh. What a dry and nd rtionship.


    Then wouldnt not killing me be a vition of your duty as well?


    Thats true. However, it was the current prime minister who vited the agreement first. And if we all died here, the rest of the vige people will not be able to survive for long as well. I am aware this sounds self-serving, but Im sure our ancestors will understand since the very survival of our vige is at stake.


    Well, I understand his line of thought. Im also confident in making anypromise if it meant the survival of myrades.


    Do you mean for us to take care of the rest of the people from your vige as well?


    Yes, if possible. I am confident we will be able to put out work that will be well worth your support.


    Well now. What should I do, I wonder.


    We attempted to kill Your Excellency and are now begging for our lives. We are willing to pay any price for our survival. Please tell us whatever you wish for us to do. We will definitely aplish it for you.


    Hoh. So they were willing to pay a penalty or price in exchange for survival huh. I didnt think of that. It wasnt a bad suggestion though.


    If theres a fifty-fifty chance of the prime minister sending out his private forces after us if we killed them here, was it worth letting them live, I wonder.


    If we are truly able to get these men who know this country inside and out to work under us, the merits would be considerable.

 Chapter 94.6 - Reward Part 6

    Trantor: SFBaka


    Editor: Thors Stone


    We swear to never betray Your Excellency. And even if we did betray you, we will probably not be able to escape from your subordinates, correct? I suppose you already know the location of our base of operations as well, right, Your Excellency?


    Is it the fifth house to the right of the Commerce Guild head office?


    Exactly. I didnt think you would even be aware of that secret underground passage Its ourplete defeat. Just like Your Excellency said, you have grasped all vital information about us while we know very little about you.


    We brought our current situation upon ourselves. If we ever make any mistakes to your detriment, please feel free to take our lives.


    You imed earlier that there was a fifty-fifty chance of the prime minister sending out his private forces. Are you able to dy their deployment?


    Yes. That is a simple matter for us. For how long would you like them to be held up?


    It would be enough if you can dy them until weve entered the Sea of Trees. Once weve entered, well be able to deal with them adequately.


    Understood. Is that all you ask of us, Your Excellency? To be honest, I feel like such a task is a littlecking in exchange for our lives.


    Well, just get a load of this guy. It looks like dying the private army of the prime minister was an easy matter for him. Well, he did say, there was only a fifty-fifty chance.


    Guinea Alchemint. Do you know of it?


    Yes. Ive heard rumors that its stored deep inside an abandoned mine tunnel somewhere. I have some candidates for the location, but all of them are tightly guarded, and peoples movements are cleverly disguised. Its not easy to pinpoint its true whereabouts.


    Only a handful of people know about the Guinea Alchemint and the full extent of its operation.


    I want to get ahold of it.


    Certainly, acquiring the Guinea Alchemint will be a true test of our loyalty and dedication. We will definitely acquire it for you, Your Excellency.


    What is the name and number of people in your vige?


    There arent many people who know of it since it is practically a hidden vige. Its called Exter, and it houses about two hundred people.


    They certainly dont look like theyre living good lives. There are 209 people living there, all in all, right?


    Y-You have also investigated our vige, Your Excellency!?


    Well, yes, I suppose. Alright. Bring the rest of the vigers to my territory. We will take care of them. If your people want to live in the city, I will prepare houses for everyone. And if they want to continue farming, I will prepare arable fields for them. I will allow them to live better livespared to now.


    If that is possible, then please grant them fields. Most of our people only know how to grow vegetables.


    Vegetables huh. Thats fine. Growing vegetables is one of the most important and profitable jobs at this point in our development. Your people will probably make a pretty good fortune out of growing and selling them. If you have vegetables you prefer to grow, then you can go ahead and bring some seeds and seedlings yourselves.


    Yes. We certainly will.


    Elvin, the extent of my reach is quite far. Do you understand what Im saying?


    Yes. It will be the end for us if we ever betrayed you, Your Excellency.


    Never forget those words. My agreement, no, contract with you will be dissolved once youve fully paid back my investment. Until then, your lives are mine.


    Yes. Thank you for your generosity!


    By the way, will there be no problems now that youve killed that guy?


    I pointed to the headless corpse of the observer they killed off earlier.


    There is no need to worry. We will properly dispose of the corpse. We will also clean up our swords and daggers and send them to the inn you are staying atter.


    Are you fine with that?


    We didnt actually pay for these things anyway, so its alright. They arent worth more than our lives. Please go ahead and take them.


    I will take you up on that offer then.


    Um, Your Excellency. Ive been wondering about them for a while, but what are those things the twodies are pointing at us?


    They are weapons.


    Weapons? They do not look like that to me though.


    Selena raised her A18Pser gun and smoothly fired several shots. High-pitched electronic sounds echoed throughout the alley.


    The high-poweredser shots went past the men and methodically tore the corpse lying on the ground to pieces. Whoah, thats pretty gory.


    Elvin and his men jumped away from the location of the corpse in shock. They gazed at the now-torn apart corpse with trepidation and gaping expressions.


    Now it should be easier to carry that heap of meat around. Or perhaps did I do something unnecessary?


    Selena asked as she pointed herser gun back at Elvin.


    No, thank you for that, mydy.


    Elvin bowed low enough to almost hit the ground again.


    It looks like Selena was pretty pissed off huh. No, thats not it. I guess this was her way of warning them of the consequences of betrayal. In other words, a demonstration.


    Alright then. Please contact me if anything cruciales up.


    Yes.


    Elvin and his men knelt down and bowed their heads deeply once more. I left the ce with Selena and Sharon as they continued to bow. We finally made it back to the main street.


    n, was that really okay?


    I want to avoid going up against the prime ministers private forces as much as possible right now. Its too early for us to get into open conflict with this country. If that happens, there will be no point in me gaining a noble title. Even if its a dangerous bet, I think its worth the risk. Well, even if I actually do get betrayed by them in the end, Im sure well be able to do something about it.


    Thats true, but


    Since they already attempted to assassinate me, they shouldnt have anyints if I did the same to them, right?


    (Iris.)


    Iris appeared right in front of us.


    Strengthen your surveince on those men. Of course, this includes the army, castle, the prime minister, and his houses territory as well.


    Understood.


    Iris disappeared after offering a military salute.


    Man, I dont feel like sightseeing anymore. Lets head back to the inn.


    Yes.


    When we got back to the inn, the rest of the n members wanted to hear about the details of the audience with the king, and when I talked about the rewards I was going to receive, they all got excited. Everyone was particrly pleased that Id be able to keep the title of Lord Protector.


    By the way, I kept silent regarding being surrounded by Elvin and his men. Its already resolved anyway, so theres no need to make such a big deal about it. And more importantly, theyd probably overreact and restrict my freedom even more. Ill have nothing of that, thank you very much.


    Soon, it was already dinnertime. Katolle called out to me while we were in the middle of having our meal.


    n-sama. n-sama, were you expecting packages to be delivered to you today?


    It looks like Katolle already received them for me, and he was now having his assistants bring in fiverge and heavy-looking wooden boxes.


    Oh, so theyve arrived huh. Alright, lets open them up and check them out.


    When the lids of the wooded boxes were opened, sets of swords and daggers neatly packed within the boxes were revealed. When I counted them, I confirmed that there were a total of 55 sets. That means there were a total of 110 weapons delivered.


    There was more than the number of men we faced earlier. Perhaps they ounted for the knights we broke out of the castle dungeon as well. If thats the case, then those guys were pretty attentive.


    These are swords and daggers?


    Thats right. I was told theyre all pretty high quality.


    High quality Can I take a look? Im a former weapon shop manager after all, so I know my way around weapons.


    Lets see Magic swords! And judging from this mark, these are actually from the Iririka Kingdom, arent they!? Ah, these daggers are from there as well! Just how did you manage to acquire so many of these, n-sama!?


    It looks like they really are pretty great items huh. I actually got these for free.


    Eh! No, no, something like that is impossible, n-sama! Each one of these swords has a purchase price of at least 120,000 Guineas, these daggers should go for 80,000!? Of course, they would sell for even more when bought from a weapon shop.


    Theyre that valuable!? Wow, I actuallyted a profit of eleven million Guineas huh. Thats way more than I expected.


    Did you really get these for free?


    Of course. A guy I happened to meet in the city told me to take them. Im sure its due to my personal virtue. Hey, everyone, gather around for a bit.


    The people present in the dining hall gathered around to see what the fuss was about. Their gazes gathered around the sword being held by Katolle.


    Ooh, that is one fine-looking sword.


    Is that a magic sword?


    Yes. Its the highest grade of magic sword produced in the Iririka Kingdom.


    Iririka Kingdom!?


    It looks like knights and soldiers were very knowledgeable regarding swords, just as I expected.


    Adjutant Dalshim, there are fifty-five magic swords and fifty-five magic daggers here. Its an odd number, but these are a gift from me to everyone as thanks for all their hard work and effort. Id like you all to receive them.


    You actually got all these valuable goods for us n-sama, our utmost and heartfelt gratitude.

 Chapter 95.1 - Preparations For Departure Part 1

    Editor: Thors Stone


    Alright then. Please contact me if anything cruciales up.


    Yes.


    The sound of Lord Corinths footsteps gradually turned further and further away.


    We managed to make it. Those eyes of his were dead serious. At that time, if I was even a littlete to interject, we would all be lying dead on the ground by now. No, we would have been killed if I made even one mistake in my responses.


    I have never felt so close to death until now. That was truly dangerous.


    It looks like I managed to somehow convince him of our usefulness.


    Chief, are you really going to betray the country?


    Of course. Just shut your mouth. Do you really want us to die?


    I pulled out my dagger and ced it near my subordinates neck to show that I was serious in reprimanding him. Theres a limit to mistakenly uttering careless remarks. Do these guys really think the rest of Lord Corinths subordinates have left this ce as well?


    Everyone warily looked around as if they finally became aware of what I was trying to point out. I couldnt see their appearance, hear any sound from them, nor feel their presence, but they should be still around. Theres no mistake. I feel it in my gut.


    Lord Corinth seems to be a reasonable and very rational person. I dont think that kind of careless remark will provoke his ire, but right now, everyones lives are at stake. We cant be bringing any extra chance of danger upon ourselves.


    However, it was necessary to speak ones mind and have an open discussion with everyone after this. In any case, we have to decide on our future ns.


    We better check out the corpse first before disposing of it. My main subordinates and I quickly gathered around the corpse. After seeing its appearance again, we confirmed that it really was in such a bad state. Im sure none of us have ever seen such a horrible-looking corpse until now.


    W-What the heck is this?


    Youd notice with just a quick nce that it was not cut apart with a de. Ive never heard of that kind of high-pitched ominous sound before as well. Did that weapon shoot something out?


    I now understand anew why Lord Corinth was acting so calmly. Even that single Artifact from one of his subordinates could have killed us all. What a terrifying weapon.


    Please take a look at the cross-section of this bone. It looks like its been burnt to a crisp.


    Certainly. Come to think of it, this corpse does smell burnt.


    I cant believe that I managed to witness something thats able to burn human bones to a crisp in an instant with my own eyes.


    Its an Artifact that weve never even heard of before. Perhaps those are the rumored Sacred Treasures.


    Sacred Treasures So they really exist.


    Well, at least its been made easier to move. Divide it up and dispose of it at the usual spot. After youre done with that, assemble at the hideout. Got it? Dont unnecessarily run your mouths if you value your lives.


    Everyone nodded silently in response.


    To be honest, the corpse being torn to pieces actually made it a bit more troublesome to dispose of, but its not like I can afford to voice out anyint right now.


    An hourter, all of us finally gathered inside our hideout.


    This was the first time all of us have gathered inside this ce. The room we were in, which was not thatrge, was totally packed with people. With this, I dont think Lord Corinths subordinates would be able to sneak in unnoticed. But I wasnt nning on discussing anything that would cause any problems when heard by others anyway.


    Lets all decide on our future ns from now on. First of all, Franz, let me hear your opinion on what happened today.


    Franz was young but he was rational and smart and never fails to consider the big picture. He has a good memory and a good eye for observation. He also tended to be right on the money most of the time, so I wanted to confirm his thoughts.


    My opinion?


    Just tell us what caught your eye.


    Alright. Speaking of which, can you show us the bronze coins you tossed up earlier, chief?


    I took out the seven bronze coins I tossed up and ced all of them on the table. Everyone immediately crowded around the table to check them out.


    This is


    These holes Just what could actually make such smooth and uniform holes?


    Look at the positions of the holes. Theyre all practically in the exact same spot.


    They actually opened up such uniform holes on the coins while they were in mid-air? I cant believe it What a terrifying Artifact.


    As expected of you, chief. It was the right call to submit to Lord Corinth.


    Anyone would have done the same after seeing these things. What else did you notice?


    There are a few things that Im curious about. First of all, the ck-spotted snake venom actually failed to work on Lord Corinth. Is it possible that hes in possession of a body thats impervious to poisons?


    ording to Lord Corinth, most poisons do not work on the current him. Hed said they no longer work on the current him, so I surmise that they did work on him in the past. Its most likely an Artifact thats able to nullify poisons.


    So even an Artifact like that actually exists huh


    Lets move on to the next point. Lord Corinth said he instructed the dragon to go on a rampage because the rescue team that was in the middle of breaking out the prisoners got into trouble and that he was poisoned twice.


    Lord Corinth was within the banquet hall the entire time, so just when and how did he manage to get in contact with the dragon?


    Thats a good question. He probably didnt instruct the dragon to make a scene ahead of time. So that means he has a way to contact someone from far away.


    Although the guilds make use of Artifacts that allow one to contact far away ces, Ive never heard of one small enough for a person to carry with them. Theres also the possibility of one of his subordinates rying his order to the dragon, but the supposed location of the dragon is just too far away.


    Are you saying he has amunication Artifact that he can carry around on his person?


    Thats the most logical conclusion. He even has invisible Artifacts after all. Compared to those, something like that sounds more usible.


    Thats true. Just how many Artifacts does Lord Corinth have at his disposal?


    No idea. When you speak of Artifacts, the first thing thates to mind is the Zylink Empire, but Lord Corinths Artifacts just seem so strange and foreign. They probably arent rted to Zylink. Judging from his speech and ent, he was probably born in one of the nearby nations.


    If thats the case, I suspect that His Excellency has somehow managed to capture an intact ruin.


    Capturing a ruin huh There has been no news of any new ruins being discovered in the past 200 years. So does that mean the ruin is located within the depths of the Great Demon Forest?


    That would be a natural conclusion.


    You mean they are actually developing thend within the Sea of Trees using the Artifacts they obtained from the ruin?


    Theres the size of the ruin to consider as well, but if Lord Corinth truly has managed to capture an entire ruin for himself, it is highly likely that he has arge number of Artifacts at his disposal.


    If this is truly the case, then wouldnt he have the ability to contend with the top noble powers of this country by himself?


    Thats not all. If you take the dragon into ount, his overall strength can probably rival an entire nation already. If so, its possible for him to conquer the royal castle whenever he wishes.


    Thats true. If Lord Corinths ultimate goal is the founding of a new country, then why does he not attempt to do so?


    That I dont know. Perhaps he still doesnt have enough power to secure the entire kingdom even if he captures the royal castle. Or perhaps his true goal was the Great Demon Forest all along.


    Is it gold? 150 years ago, the S-rank adventurer Tusker imed to have seen a shining golden tform of some sort within the depths of the Sea of Trees. There were certainly some official records of him bringing back gold ingots and unpolished gemstones when he returned.


    It might be possible. However, it seemed like Lord Corinth wasnt strapped for money in the least before iming the Great Demon Forest as his territory. And yet, he practically threw away all his money just in order to develop thend within the Sea of Trees. That indicates he has a goal other than mary gain.


    Its natural to assume that there is a pressing reason why he specifically needs to develop a territory within the Sea of Trees.


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