Chapter 2: Company Trip

Several days passed, with the day of the Naming Ceremony in Gaun gradually drawing close. The last time we were in Gaun was when we defended the Village of Elves from a Trycenian invasion. Since we had returned to Parth directly from the Forest of Crests, it was going to be our first time visiting the beastkin’s capital. After our experience in the Village of Elves, I was expecting the city to be overflowing with greenery. My guidebook had said so too.

“What’s this? Are you lot heading off to Gaun tomorrow already? Didn’t you just get home?” Clare asked.

“I mean, yes, we’re heading off, but technically, it’s just a matter of stepping through the teleportation gate. If anything happens, we can come back immediately. While we’re there, we’ll try to see as many of the sights as we can. Oh, right, what would you like as a souvenir?”

“Oh gosh, you don’t have to go out of your way. But since Gaun has a large number of adventurers and hunters, it’s famous for its large variety of meat. It’d make me happy if you could bring back something rare that catches Efil-chan’s attention.”

“Rare meat,” Efil repeated pensively before giving a firm nod. “I shall do my best.”

At the moment, Efil and I were at the Fairy’s Song with Ruka, who was off the clock. We had come to inform Clare that we would be gone again from tomorrow. We had purposely chosen to stop by between the lunch and the dinner rush, so there was only a smattering of customers.

And in a lucky coincidence, Uld, who was normally out adventuring, also happened to be in just then. He chuckled, “There’s no need to stress yourself over it too much. We’d be happy with whatever Efil chooses!”

“Gosh, honey, would it kill you to give a more serious answer?” Clare sighed before turning to us and shrugging. “Although in this case, he’s right.”

Today was apparently Uld’s day off, and he was already downing mugs of ale even though it was still daytime. While he had finished off quite a few mugs already, he could hold his drink as well as Gerard. I felt like he was slightly cheerier than usual, but his face looked sober.

“Awww, everyone’s heading out again,” Ruka sighed despondently after taking a sip of the juice Clare had served her from behind the counter. “Master, when will you come home this time?”

“Unless something major happens at the house, probably a few w— Oh, I see. It’ll just be you and Ellie alone in the house again, huh?”

Ruka’s dejected face prompted me to consider her thought process. We would naturally have to bring Shutola along with us, as she was under my charge. That being the case, Rosalia and Huba, who were remaining with us as maids in order to serve as the princess’s guards, would be coming as well. That would leave only Ruka and Ellie in the house with a large number of golems. Considering Ruka and Shutola had only just gotten close enough to play together, it was perhaps a bit too cruel for Ruka, who was still young and energetic.

“Ruka, I understand how you feel, but—” Efil began before I cut her off.

“Well, no, hold on. I imagine it’s hard for them to find meaning in their work if the people they’re supposed to serve are always away. And everyone needs a breather once in a while.”

“So you’re saying...”

I racked my brain for a suitable excuse to get Ellie and Ruka out of the house and bring them along. Come on, Parallel Processing! Do your thing!

Parallel Processing was originally a Unique Skill belonging to Miyabi, one of the Heroes of Deramis. I had previously been using it as a copied skill through my gauntlets, Skill Eater, but when I Evolved into a daemon, it had been added as my own Unique Skill. I wasn’t sure of the specific mechanics behind how that had happened, but what I did know was that I could now freely use both sides of Skill Eater to copy other abilities, which had greatly expanded the breadth of what I could do in battle.

“Right! Let’s make this a company trip!”

“Company?”

“Trip?”

While one of my trains of thought was buying time thinking about unrelated things, another one came up with exactly what I needed.

“That’s right! Well, in our case, we’d call it a ‘party trip,’ I guess. We have the golems looking after the house, so it shouldn’t be a problem to leave it otherwise empty for a few weeks. Showing people that you appreciate their work now and then is an important part of being an employer! Yep!”

Ruka leaped out of her chair. “Really?! Can I really come along?!”

“Are you sure about this, Master?”

“It’s a brilliant idea, if I do say so myself. It’d make me look more reputable having servants accompany me at the Naming Ceremony, wouldn’t it?”

Not that I know what the ceremony involves. Ange hasn’t actually explained it in detail yet. But oh well, I’m sure we’ll manage. And in this case, the Naming Ceremony itself is more like an aside, really.

“Yaaaaay! Oh, I’ve got to let mommy know! There are so many things I need to bring along. Shutola-chan can’t sleep without her plushies, so... Master, I’m heading home first!”

“All right, just be ca— Aaaand she’s already gone.”

Looks like Experience Sharing is doing wonders for making her stronger. Or, more accurately, making her faster.

“Uh, did I just imagine it or did Ruka-chan disappear in the blink of an eye?” Uld asked, rubbing his eyes as if he was tired. “That’s just strange. Have I drunk too much?”

“What nonsense are you talking?” Clare scolded him. “All right, that’s enough drink for you today. You should start thinking about your age!”

“I-I suppose so. I do have an early day tomorrow too.”

Since Clare had been washing the dishes and had her back turned, she hadn’t seen Ruka take off. Our young apprentice maid had already surpassed the abilities of Uld, a Rank B adventurer. I had heard that she’d even been able to fire off a few flying slashes during her practice with Gerard lately.

What a reliable maid she’s becoming. Maybe it’s about time to stop calling her an apprentice.

“Thank you, Master. I should have paid more attention to them, being the head maid. I believe Ellie will be very happy about this as well.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m only doing this because I want to. And I’m sure this way, it’d be more fun for Rion and Shutola.”

Efil giggled. “I can already imagine them playing together.”

Now that things are set, I’ve got to get serious about planning our itinerary. I’ve already gathered information on tourist attractions and restaurants in the capital, but Sera and Mel keep going back and forth, so we haven’t finalized anything yet. There’s a ton to think about even just regarding food, with some considerations being the fact that Dahak doesn’t eat meat and Mdofarak’s insistence on sweet pastries. Should I just give up and schedule everything as free time? Hmm, but I can’t stop worrying about Boga and Mdo, both of whom only just learned how to transform into human form...

“I’m not sure I follow, but you look like you’re thinking hard about something, Kelvin,” Uld commented.

“Clare-san, Uld-san, it’s about time for us to head out.”

“You’re already taking off, Kel-chan?”

“I’ve got things I need to go over. I hope you’re looking forward to your souvenirs!”

“Just bring back whatever. I’ll cook it up real nice for you to enjoy!”

“Uh, then whose souvenir does that become? But if that’s the case, I’m gonna have to rely on Efil to pick out something good!”

“Ha ha ha! So you will!”

After exchanging a few more laughs, Efil and I left the Fairy’s Song. We did some quick shopping, then returned home.

“Uh...Efil, I think I see a suit of armor similar to the Hades Knight King in front of our home. Am I just imagining it?”

“No, Master. That is indeed Gerard-san.”

There was a huge figure crouched between the golems on guard, Two and Three. I got the feeling that even they felt somewhat troubled by the situation.

“Gerard, what are you doing here? You’re blocki—”

“MY KING! O MY KING!” Gerard cried, falling to one knee. “Is it true that Ruka is joining us on our trip?! I shall serve you with all my heart for as long as I live!”

I thought I could perceptibly feel his loyalty to me climbing.

Dude, how ecstatic are you about this?!

◇ ◇ ◇

On the day of our departure, Ange once again led us to the teleportation chamber beneath the Adventurer’s Guild. I’d wanted to say hi to Rio before we went through, but he had yet to come back after everything that had happened in Trycen. According to Ange, his work mediating between the different nations was taking longer than expected.

I guess being guildmaster just comes with a busy schedule.

“It’s a bit late to ask this, but nobody forgot anything, right?”

Ruka’s arms shot up into the air. “Everything’s inside Clotho’s Storage, so we couldn’t forget even if we wanted to, Master!”

What, are you making it a point to show me that you aren’t carrying anything? Well, neither am I, and neither is anyone else in our group. Part of the fun of traveling is having bags that grow in size in proportion to how long the trip is, but it’s an entirely different matter with Clotho here. The capacity of Rank S Storage is, for all we know, limitless, and even has perfect sorting capabilities.

“I have my teddy bear!” Shutola cried, holding a plushie aloft. The one she had chosen for today had brown fur and an orthodox design.

All right, now Shutola is guaranteed to sleep well!

“Your group just keeps getting larger and larger,” Ange noted as she looked at the crowd of people chattering excitedly about the plans they had for the trip.

It’s true it was just Melfina and me at the start. Then Clotho joined us, I Contracted with Gerard...and it’s actually gotten really lively now.

“Even I can hardly believe it. And, uh...why’re you wearing casual wear and not your uniform? Aren’t you on the clock right now?”

For some reason, Ange was also shouldering a large bag. In fact, she looked more like someone going on a trip than I did.

“What? Didn’t I mention it? I’m coming along too, as the representative of the Parth Adventurer’s Guild. And since no one will know me in Gaun, I’m in off-duty mode! Though...I might have to split up with you guys for work every once in a while.”

“You never mentioned it. You should have told me earlier!”

Having more people along is a welcome surprise, though. I hope this serves as a good opportunity for her to get close to Shutola too.

“Aha ha ha, sorry, sorry. But that’s how it is, so rest assured you’re in good hands for the Naming Ceremony!”

She waved her hand as if to dismiss the topic and headed for the panel in front of the teleportation gate. Along the way, she muttered under her breath, “With this many lovers around, it wouldn’t be a problem if I tried to blend in with them, right? In fact, it’d seem more natural, right? Ange, you got this!”

I guess having good hearing has its downsides too. I end up picking up things people say without meaning to. I never knew she wanted to go on a vacation this badly. Maybe I should take the initiative to invite her on our next one.

◇ ◇ ◇

When the light from the teleportation gate faded, we found ourselves in a mid-sized room that appeared to be inside a tree, with muscular beastkin guards lining the walls. Most prominent, of course, was Goma, who was standing right in front of the gate in a dress. She bowed regally.

“We have been waiting for you, Kelvin-sama. On behalf of all Gaun, I welcome you and your companions.”

I know she’s a princess, but I got so used to seeing her in adventurers’ garb that this is actually quite refreshing.

“It’s been a while, Goma. Or should I call you ‘Your Highness’?”

The princess giggled, “Oh, please just call me ‘Goma’ as you have been doing, Kelvin-sama.” Suddenly, her elegant demeanor melted away as she leaned forward and stuck her tongue out in a cheeky way. Since she was wearing a dress, this posture caused the upper part of her chest to be revealed.

As a guy, I have to stare, right? But wait...am I just imagining it or is she sexier than before?

::Kel-nii, she feels kind of different from Goma-san, doesn’t she?::

What a coincidence, sister dear. I was just thinking the same thing.

Apparently, even Rion felt something was off with this Goma. As we exchanged comments over the Network, a loud pounding that shook the floor could be heard approaching the room at high speed.

“FAAATHEEEEERRRRR!”

The epicenter of the quaking burst into the room. This was the Goma we knew. Her outfit was not adventuring attire, sure, but it did look like royal attire pared down as much as possible. Now we were staring at two identical Gomas. They even had the exact same Status, according to Analyze Eye.

I finally understood what was going on thanks to that cry of rage, quickly recalling the incredible magic item that the Beast King owned and frequently used.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” Goma’s fist of fury flew forward, boosted with the momentum of her charge. When I saw it, I knew without a doubt that she was the real one. Her punching form was as beautiful as ever, with the fist coming directly from the hip. This was the same fist that had destroyed many a Sabat—

Bam.

Goma’s supposedly unstoppable fist was stopped. What’s more, it was halted by a single hand, with the force of her attack being entirely neutralized. Leonhart even went to the trouble of flashing his underwear for a split second at an angle that only I could have seen. The fact that he managed to move so agilely despite wearing a dress spoke volumes about how frightful he would be in battle.

“Oh no, my body double is rebelling against me!”

“‘Rebelling’?! How can you just... In this case, you’re the body double, father! Argh, this is so wrong!”

“Heh heh heh, it’s your own fault for being late.”

“Shut it! Sabato and I made sure we were ready. You’re the one who gave us the wrong time!”

The fists kept flying even as the verbal tête-à-tête went on. At this point, the rest of my companions had also caught on. The guards who were there to protect the royal family remained stock-still with looks of “This again?” on their faces.

“Um, Beast King. We kind of already understand what’s going on, so can we move the conversation along?”

“Oh, you’ve already seen through my disguise? That’s a Rank S adventurer for you.”

The moment that Goma-in-a-dress—more correctly, the Beast King—turned towards me with an impressed expression, he also speedily put some distance between himself and the real Goma. The latter dropped her fists, understanding that any further attacks were futile, and approached us as well.

“Everyone, I’m terribly sorry, but please pretend you did not see the other version of me just now. In fact, please erase it from your memories, if possible.”

“S-Sure...”

Goma’s face was red with embarrassment. The national treasure that the Beast King used enabled him to perfectly disguise himself as someone else. Even though he was Leonhart on the inside, his physical appearance was a flawless replication of his daughter. In other words, the flashes of her cleavage and underwear that he’d shown were exactly the same as those of the real person.

Rest assured, Goma. I have properly burned your gallant figure into my brain.

“Goma, why can’t you act a bit more ladylike?” Leonhart asked, looking disappointed. “Look at how ladylike Kelvin’s wives are. The difference between you and them is like night and day.”

“Says the person who educates his children by throwing them into dungeons!”

“Oh, so nostalgic! I lost count of how many times you and Sabato came back out carrying Kilto on your shoulders after I threw the three of you inside together. If only Kilto had picked up a fraction of that valo—”

“Ummm...”

Although the topic sounded very interesting, it didn’t seem like it would end anytime soon, so I forcibly redirected things.

“Ah, you have my apologies once again,” the king replied. “I just can’t seem to stop when talking about my children. This room here is within the Castle of the Divine Spirit Tree, the greatest tree in the country of Gaun. As such, there are no windows anywhere. I shall show you our prided capital city. Come with me.”

Goma sighed. “Kelvin-san, my father’s been extremely excited about showing you and your friends around ever since yesterday. I’m sorry, but can you play along?”

“It would be our honor. That said, um...how long is he going to stay in that form?”

“Even I haven’t seen his real appearance in years, and I’m his daughter. I hate it, but I think he intends to stick with that appearance for the rest of the day. Generally, he switches once a day.”

“Sounds like I have to stay on my toes.”

“You really do!” Goma replied emphatically.

So, the Beast King has been training Sabato and Goma this way ever since they were young? Little wonder the two of them are so powerful in both body and mind.

“Come ooooon! If you drag your feet any longer, I’m gonna share one of Goma’s secrets with Kilto!”

“Kelvin-san, please hurry!”

I can see how Goma and Sabato might prefer the open road to being home.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Wow, so incredible!”

“What a wonderful view!”

“Ha! Ha! Ha! I know, right?!”

The place that the Beast King guided us to was a platform close to the top of the Divine Spirit Tree. It was so high up that the clouds above seemed within arm’s reach, and the entire capital was spread out below us.

It was a city filled with greenery, with every building erected in such a way that it left as small of an environmental footprint as possible. Just like this castle, many of the houses were built into trees. The abundance of these constructions made me feel “Ah, now this is a fantasy world!” more than anywhere else I had been so far. On the other hand, there were also more conventional-looking houses in a few wide-open spaces. Clearly, their architectural differences were based on the terrain being built on.

“What’s that large structure over there?” Sera asked curiously. “Efil, can you see it?”

“It is a circular arena that looks like a coliseum. There are two men who appear to be Warriors fighting inside at the moment.”

“Oh, right, wasn’t there a professional announcer from Gaun who commentated on my exhibition match with Sylvia? If I remember correctly, it was ‘Ronove from the Gaun Mixed Fighting Arena.’”

As I recall, it was also the Gaun Mixed Fighting Arena that lent the magic item that served as a loudspeaker. Ugh, and a sound I never want to think about again just came to mind. I won’t say what sound it is, though. Don’t say it.

“Indeed! The arena is our pride and joy,” Leonhart confirmed. “Many of our citizens are rather hot-blooded, you see. I can’t say it that well, but basically, if they don’t get the opportunity to indulge their wild nature as beastkin every once in a while, it builds up. The fighting arena is the best place to fulfill that thirst and give the more powerful among us a place to test their mettle.”

“Sounds interesting.”

Of course, I had done my research on the arena ahead of time. The term “coliseum” might cause people to think of gladiators, slaves who had to fight to the death as a source of entertainment for others. However, that was not how Gaun’s arena was run. Rather, it was a place where soldiers and warriors gathered at regular intervals for tournaments. Social status and past achievements meant nothing—the general attitude towards them was “Go ahead and join if you’re confident in your fighting prowess! It’s your own responsibility if you die!”

In spite of the unreasonable requirements for participation, however, the flow of applicants proved unending.

Not that I can say much about others; if anything, I’m just like them. Honestly, the arena is the place I’m looking forward to seeing most. And hey, who knows, maybe I could participate somehow?

“Heh heh, the profit we’re raking in from sightseers is...one...two...three...”

“Father, please stop smirking and fiddling with your abacus while looking like me.”

I’ve had this thought before, but the Beast King is a serious weirdo, isn’t he? Maybe it’s just my prejudice, but I expected the king of all beastkin to be a simpleminded guy with a straightforward personality who prefers fighting head-on. Like Sabato, for instance. But the first time I met Leonhart, he’d disguised himself as the daughter of the Elder of the Village of Elves, and now he’s calculating something with an abacus and grinning evilly. Um, where did he pull that abacus from in the first place? And dude, this world actually has the abacus as an invention, huh? Look at the way his fingers are flitting over it. Even I can’t move that fast. All things considered, Beast King Leonhart Gaun really is a distinctive individual. As much as Prettia is, I would say. Are all Rank S adventurers beyond saving?

“By the way, Kelvin, the Naming Ceremony will be held in the coliseum too. Make sure to remember its general location,” Ange offered.

“Oh, it’s in the coliseum? Gotcha.” The ceremony for Naming is held inside a fighting arena? I guess you can say it’s just like the Gaunians to do something like that. Do they also consider this a form of entertainment, by any chance?

“Damn, fighting in an arena sounds like fun,” Dahak said somewhat enviously. “I want to see how much stronger I’ve gotten!”

“Haven’t you been losing to Boga more and more in practice recently?” Sera asked.

“S-Sister, you promised to keep that a secret! And that’s because we were fighting without usi—”

Gerard cleared his throat. “Being a poor loser isn’t manly, Dahak. You have been paying a bit too much attention to your fields and love life recently. Make sure to make time for training.”

“Make time for training!” Ruka repeated.

Dahak could not manage anything more than a groan in response, showing that he was at least aware of the issue. It was true that Boga had spent almost every day recently receiving instruction from Gerard, so it was clear who would win when going head-to-head.

“Did I hear that right? Are all of you interested in fighting in the arena? What a coincidence. There just happens to be a major tournament five days from now. I suppose...”

Of course, I did not miss the crooked smile that had come over the Beast King’s—well, Goma’s—face.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Where...are we?”

The Beast King guided us outside the castle. A large number of Gaunian soldiers were furiously exchanging blows using practice swords, sweat glistening on their skin. By all appearances, it was a training ground.

“There are some who might protest your participation until they see you in action. Wait here,” Leonhart said before walking off towards a lion-like beastkin with a splendid mane who was watching the others with his arms crossed. This man, clearly an instructor, immediately grew flustered upon seeing Goma-in-a-dress and saluted stiffly.

Any way you cut it, the guy looks more like a “Beast King,” right?

“That is Jereol, my eldest brother and the one who taught me how to fight,” Goma explained. “He’s said to be the second strongest in all of Gaun, but he can never say no to his wife, Risa-san. That said, the two of them are desperately in love and nigh inseparable.”

Hmm, the second strongest. Definitely gonna have to look into him later.

“Oh, hey, it’s Kelvin! You’re already here?!” a loud voice shouted from among the soldiers training. “I was just thinking it was time I went to get you!”

To my surprise, when my companions and I turned around, we saw Sabato rushing our way.

I raised a hand in greeting. “Hey there, Sabato. Hold on...if both you and Goma are here in the castle, does that mean you’re taking a break from being an adventurer? Or are you back to being royalty?”

“We’re not done being adventurers. It’s just that after everything that happened with the Demon Lord, our old man is allowing us a chance to take on the Gaun name at the coming Naming Ceremony. I’m warming up for it right now.”

“A chance?”

Goma took it upon herself to clarify. “Once every year, there’s a Beast King Festival, and it’s held right before a Naming Ceremony. That’s the ‘major tournament five days later’ my father just mentioned. The Naming Ceremony is held twice every year, just as it is in all the other countries, but this is the only one where members of the royal family can be granted the royal family name. To qualify for the honor, we both have to have produced tangible results during our journeys and prove our strength before the Beast King. Only then do we have the right to add ‘Gaun’ to our names. We don’t actually have to win the tournament, but we do have to at least show that we aren’t pushovers. That’s why I’ve been sparring with Jereol every day since getting back.”

“I do remember you talking about having to accomplish feats in other countries before. So, that wasn’t the only thing? You guys sure have it tough. But now that you’re both Rank A, you don’t really have anything to worry about in terms of strength, do you?”

Rank S was so rare that Rank A adventurers were effectively considered the top of the adventurers pyramid. The vast majority of people in this world could not even dream of landing a hit on—much less beating—one in battle.

“You’d think so, right?”

“I’m afraid things are not that simple.”

Both Sabato and Goma heaved a sigh. The latter continued, “The Beast King Festival is the greatest tournament in all of Gaun. The list of this year’s contestants includes our father, Leonhart Gaun, and the Rank S adventurer Goldiana Prettiana, among others.”

“Not to mention our own brothers,” Sabato added. “That over there is Jereol, our oldest brother, then there’s Yujil, the second oldest. If we’re unlucky, we could easily wash out in the first round. Gah, I should have focused on studying like Kilto did. Then I would have been exempted from this!”

“Sabato, that path is even more impossible for you. Return to reality. This has been your one and only option from the start.”

Did I hear that right?! I’ll have a legitimate reason to actually fight the Beast King one-on-one!

To my delight, Sera suggested, “Hey, Kelvin, you wanna try joining this Beast King Festival? We’d be able to get pretty far, don’t you think?”

That line was such a perfect tug on my heartstri— Did you read my mind?!

“Oh, you raring to go, sister?” Dahak smirked confidently. “Then count me in too! This sounds like a great chance to show Prettia-chan what I’ve got!”

“We can still take part this close to the event? Then I want in too!” Rion cried, her eyes shining with excitement.

In the midst of this ruckus, even Ruka raised her hand and cried, “Me too, me too!”

“Um, Kelvin-san, if your party joins the tournament, our chances of progressing...” Goma trailed off in a troubled tone. “And the participation list has already been confirmed, so...”

In contrast to his sister, however, Sabato seemed excited. “You serious?! Now I’m pumped up like hell! WHOO! Who cares about stingy stuff like participation limits anyway?! If I beat Kelvin, forget earning the Gaun family name, I might even be promoted to Rank S! You get what I’m saying, right, Goma?! Considering how manly you ar—pffft!”

“Shut it, you impulsive idiot!”

Hey, it’s been a while since I saw Sabato go flying.

◇ ◇ ◇

A short while after Goma’s fist of fury was unleashed once again, the Beast King returned.

“Sorry for the wait. I have readied— What are you doing, Sabato? Why are you stuck in the wall?”

“Ha...ha ha... It’s nothing, old man. My sister just loves me a little too much, that’s all.”

“If you say so. Just mind you don’t repeat that sentence in front of Kilto. Everyone, follow me this way.”

You’re gonna just leave Sabato there, even when he looks so beat up? What a Spartan education policy. Is this everyday life for the beastkin?

“So, about that tournament I mentioned... It’s an event eminent enough to bear my title—”

“Ah, Goma gave us the rundown just now. It’s a tournament that decides whether she and Sabato can adopt the Gaun family name, right?”

“Mm, that saves me trouble. If you ask me, I would love to have you and your companions participate. This is our country’s largest event—even without the Naming Ceremony that follows—and, as such, it attracts applicants from both within and beyond Gaun. The preliminaries have been over for a while, and there is no way to change the number of participation slots at this stage.”

“Aww...” Sera, Rion, and Ruka moaned in unison.

Were you actually serious about participating, Ruka? “That’s too bad. But if it can’t be helped...”

“Hold on, let me finish. Our army holds some of the participation slots, four of which have not been confirmed yet. I was originally thinking of having my son, Jereol, choose whomever he saw fit based on how well they performed in training today. Would you all be interested in challenging his candidates for their slots?”

“I knew my old man would pull through! You sure are generous!”

“Father...are you sure about this?”

“All that matters to me is livening up the tournament. I’m sure this would serve as a good motivator for the both of you too.”

Now that’s good luck! I had half given up. We’ve got to accept this!

“Good for you, Kelvin! Now four of us can join the tournament!”

“Sera-san, it’s not been decided yet. If you shout it so loudly...” Efil shot a look at the soldiers who were still training and switched to speaking telepathically. ::See? They are all glaring at us.::

::Doesn’t matter what those small fry think. I can knock them all out right now.::

::Aha ha, calm down, Sera-nee.::

::Should I do them in real quick, brother?::

I watched Rion placate Sera while using Analyze Eye to check out the Statuses of those who seemed likely to be the candidates. As far as I could tell, the strongest soldiers present were only Rank B at best, which meant Ruka actually could have beaten them. But I couldn’t allow her to join a tournament that would feature someone like Prettia.

“Jereol, have you made your choice?”

“Yes, father. You lot: forward!”

In response to Jereol’s shout, four Gaunian soldiers who appeared to be full of confidence stepped up. Every last one of them had bulging muscles and was armed to the teeth. They reminded me of Uld’s party.

“Personally, I support you and your party,” Leonhart said with a casual shrug. “However, these guys won’t just step down if told to. So would you mind showing them what you can do? One-on-one matches. Tournament rules.”

The Beast King handed me a real sword—not a practice one—while speaking loud enough for the soldiers to hear. Although he sounded serious, there was a smirk at the edge of his mouth at an angle only I could see.

In other words, you want me to get this done and over with ASAP. But fighting against such pushovers is just... Oh, right! How about I let Ruka have her fun here?

The Beast King continued, “The rules are as follows: There will be a large variety of weapons—all the same quality—prepared for the participants to use. Participants can choose freely but will have to do so beforehand. Moreover, there is one unique thing about the Gaun Mixed Fighting Arena: all magic is blocked. Contestants must rely strictly on their physical abilities and, if they have any, their Unique Skills.”

“Sounds like pretty tough terms for a mage.”

“But you’re a Summoner, aren’t you?” Leonhart replied. “And Tsubaki of Toraj couldn’t stop gushing about you. Either way, yours is not a class for fighting up close. But that’s what I find interesting about you, Kelvin.”

Oh, right, word did get around about me being a Summoner during the war in Trycen. Little wonder, considering how openly I used my abilities. But that’s water under the bridge. The Adventurer’s Guild is helping me refuse all the solicitations from other countries, and Tsubaki’s about the only one brazen enough to ignore all that and come looking for me directly. That queen’s got more guts than a thousand people.

Leonhart turned to the four Gaunian candidates. “As I said, you will be fighting in matches according to tournament rules. Anyone who loses will forfeit their participation slot to Kelvin and his companions here. Think you can win?”

Can you not purposely phrase it in such a provocative way? Look at them! They’re practically frothing at the mouth. But hey, if he’s going that far, it won’t matter if I pour a little more oil on the fire, right?

“I have a suggestion. Can we present only one person to fight all four of them?”

“Oh?”

“Dear guest, it doesn’t matter who you are—you would do well not to underestimate us Gaunians!”

“We are all officers in our own right! If you confuse us for mere grunts, you will end up paying for it!”

The Beast King looked very interested at my offer, but the soldiers seemed so furious, I almost thought I saw smoke coming from their ears.

Uh, do these officers not know who I am? Wait...

I turned to look at the Beast King, who was staring off into the distance, whistling to himself. That was all I needed to understand that he had purposely not introduced me to the soldiers.

But he called me by name several times now. How come they haven’t connected the dots themsel— Ah, they must all be muscleheads like Sabato. Or am I maybe not as famous as I thought.

“Ha ha ha, that sounds fine too. But then we can’t test the strength of the other participants from your side.”

“We’ll be sending the weakest member of our party. If she wins, we get all four slots. How does that sound? But if you really want to test us all, we could go back to making it a four-on-four.”

“How dare you!”

“Don’t come crying to us afterwards!”

I wasn’t really trying to rile them up, but my words served to turn their faces bright red.

“Mm, there’s no need to confirm. I shall take you at your word, Kelvin. So, which of your companions will be representing your side?”

“Well...Ruka, think you can do this?”

“Wha— My king?!”

As planned, I’ll be giving this to Ruka. I’m sure she’s more than capable of winning at her current level. Gerard, shush.

“Huh? I’m the weakest?! But I’m stronger than Shutola-chan!”

“What are you saying, Ruka-chan?! I’m not a fighter—call me an intellectual!”

Uh, that’s the part that bothers Ruka? Why’s she comparing herself to Shutola, anyway? Shutola isn’t even in our party. There’s no doubt that Ellie and Ruka are the weakest in our group. They’re about even with each other in terms of overall fighting prowess, but Ellie’s build is more magic-based, which makes her less suitable for fighting under the no-magic rule. On the other hand, while I can’t let her participate in the actual tournament, Ruka has the ability and the motivation. She’s been receiving training from both Gerard and Efil, so I know I can entrust her with this exhibition match.

“Ruka, I’m leaving this to you because I have every confidence that you can do it. Ah, you know what? If you win, I’ll give you this mithril dagger of mine. I even strengthened it again recently—it’s now a Rank A item! So, you interested?”

I took out my mithril dagger and dangled it in front of her. The truth was, I had just reforged the weapon I would be using going forward and couldn’t figure out what to do with this one. Giving it to Ruka was a better option than just letting it sit in Clotho’s Storage forever.

“Huh?! I’ll do it, Master! I’ll do it! It can cut ingredients really well, right?!”

“Uh, aren’t there proper cooking knives in the kitchen at home?”

This blade’s been bathed in the blood of quite a few enemies in its time. Should I also forge Ruka her own cooking knife?

Ruka ran off towards the center of the training ground. “I, apprentice maid Ruka, accept the challenge!” she shouted loudly, showing no signs of quailing before the hulking beastkin with faces that would make any baby burst into tears.

“My king! Are you sure about this?! Ruka won’t get hurt, will she?! Ellie, speak to him! Efil, if Ruka is ever in danger, turn all these soldiers into pincushions!”

“Gerard-sama, please calm down! It’ll be fine. Everything is fine. These are not our enemies.”

Gerard, dude, have some faith.

The Gaunian officers, who had been silently watching with wide-open eyes, whirled towards me in unison and glared furiously.

“Are you serious about making us fight a little girl?!”

“How cheap can you be?! Is this your way of forcing us to hold back?!”

So, that’s their angle? Ugh, now they’re staring at me from the front, and Gerard’s still staring at me from the back. What’s this sandwich situation? If anything, I prefer being stared at by girls. Not that I’m a masochist, I swear!

“I’m not a little girl! I so can fight too!”

See? Now they’ve gotten Ruka all huffy. So rude.

“You fools! Would you say the same when standing on the battlefield?!” Leonhart roared, causing the soldiers to snap their mouths shut and shrink in on themselves. In sharp contrast to his earlier jocular atmosphere, the Beast King now emanated a terrible, awe-inspiring pressure that cowed everyone nearby. “Only second-rates and third-rates judge their opponents by their appearance. Don’t disappoint me too much, men.”

“Apologies, sir!” they cried in unison.

“If you want to enter the Beast King Festival, convince me of your worthiness with your fists, not your barks. Have I made myself clear?”

“SIR, YES, SIR!”

The Gaunians now looked confident and sure of themselves. Looks like Leonhart does have what it takes to be a good leader.

“Kelvin, apologies for the disrespect. Those under me tend to get hotheaded at times. And when they do, they end up with tunnel vision. I was already pushing Jereol and Yujil into fighting in arenas and dungeons when they were the same age as your companion there.”

Uh, no, I don’t think that’s normal either. “Thank you for your consideration. In fact, it seemed like they were angry on Ruka’s behalf, so far be it from me to fault them for it.”

“Your understanding is greatly appreciated. Please accept my apologies, young warrior.”

“Mmm...okay! I’ll forgive them! I like you, miss!” said Ruka.

“Thank you! I like you lots too!”

Yeeeeah, I can’t figure this Beast King out.

“All right. Both sides, accept the weapons you indicated.”

Another soldier approached the contestants, bearing the weapons they had each requested. Ruka picked up the Rank D iron dagger as her four opponents grabbed a longsword, greatsword, spear, and brass knuckles, respectively. Their weapons were also made of iron and were Rank D in quality.

“Normally, we’d also get equipment for the participants, but I believe we can do without this time. My men are wearing the leather armor they train in, and your companion is in her maid uniform. Yep, looks fine to me.”

It does?! Wouldn’t a normal person object to this?! But since Gerard’s so worried about Ruka, it probably is best for her to stay in her maid uniform.

“All right, then,” I responded. “Let’s get this done and over with. Ruka, you got this.”

“Mh-hm!”

The rest of my companions and I made our way to the bleachers at the side of the training grounds so as to get out of the way.

“Oh my goddess, oh my goddess, oh my goddess, I’m so worried!”

“Gerard, you’re really not acting like yourself. Come on, man. Believe in Ruka. You know better than anyone how much effort she’s put in, right?”

“Well, yes, but...”

You know the maid uniform she’s wearing was made by Efil, right? Weapons of that quality can’t even nick her clothes, much less cut them. Not that any attack will even get close enough to make contact in the first place.

::Ah! Then I suppose... Ughhh, but what if...::

Sewing was one of Efil’s hobbies, and she liked making us clothes for fighting in as well as casual wear. Like Sera’s outfit, the uniforms worn by our maids were entirely handmade by Efil. The thing about Efil, though, was that she was never satisfied with something even after she was done making it. Every once in a while, she got the urge to upgrade it. “I washed it in the laundry and, while I was at it, I tweaked it a little” was so frequent an occurrence that my party members wouldn’t even blink when it happened at this point. The name of Ruka’s outfit was Apprentice Battle Maid Uniform VI, and it was Rank A. Although honestly, I had no idea what need there was to make the distinction that this was for an “apprentice” maid.

“Honey, they’re about to start.”

“Mm, so they are.” I’m gonna ignore Gerard for now. Let’s focus on the fight.

“I, Jereol Gaun, will be refereeing this match. I am confirming one more time: in accordance with the rules of the Beast King Festival tournament, the usage of magic, items, and all weapons aside from those which were already issued is forbidden. Are both sides ready?”

Ruka’s casual drawl of “Anytime!” cut a sharp contrast to the soldiers’ spirited “Sir, yes, sir!”

Good, she’s relaxed. She’s in the best condition possible.

“First! Commander of a hundred, Captain Gobera! Forward!”

The beastkin holding a longsword walked to the center and stood in front of Ruka.

The heavy tension in the air bothered the girls in my party so little that they even started setting up a bet through the Network.

::How many seconds do you think he will last?::

Sera scoffed. ::Is that a bet, Mel? I call three seconds, with the prize being the right to sleep in Kelvin’s bed tonight!::

::That estimate is too generous, Sera-nee. Ruka’s gotten really strong lately! I’m sure she can end it in two seconds.::

::Oh, you two want to make it a bet? You’re on. But we have to clarify what constitutes a loss. Are we going to wait for the ruling? If so, there will be several seconds of lag.::

::Nah, no need. Just as soon as they lose.::

::Fine with me. Let’s go with that, then.::

::Sera-nee, Mel-nee, I’m not gonna lose!::

Wait, what’d they say they’re betting again?!

“I won’t go easy on you just because you’re a child,” the beastkin growled as he looked down at Ruka. “If you resent that, it’s all on your master’s head.”

“Why would I ever resent Master? I’m grateful to him.”

“You poor thing...”

“Gobera, enough talking. We are now beginning the first match, with the participation slots in the Beast King Festival being the prize. Both sides, ready?”

“Sir, yes, sir!”

“Mh-hm!”

Gobera lifted his longsword and adopted a mid-stance as Ruka held her daggers in a reverse grip and lowered her center of gravity. She looked like the spitting image of an assassin, but in a maid uniform.

“START!” Jereol barked, bringing his hand down to signal the beginning of the fight.

“First to move w—?!”

“Checkmate.”

Gobera had stepped forward at the signal, but he lost sight of Ruka in the same moment. Just as his mind registered that she was no longer in view, her cute voice sounded from beside his ear and he felt cold metal against his neck. What was it he felt? Confusion? Terror? Ruka’s small figure was crouched on his right shoulder, and she was holding her iron dagger against his jugular.

“What just—?!”

“Checkmate, right? Do you give up?” She slowly pressed harder and harder with her dagger.

“I-I give up! I surrender!”

“Match over! Winner: Ruka the apprentice maid!”

“You don’t need to say ‘apprentice’!”

The contestants parted at Jereol’s pronouncement, Ruka in a slight huff and Gobera looking thoroughly stunned. All right, one win for us. I knew she could do it in the blink of an eye. Ruka’s getting really good at applying her forte—speed—with Covert Action.

“So, she really did live up to Kelvin’s claim.”

“Father, can you stop bringing in such overwhelming contestants? That’s the party of ‘Grim Reaper’ Kelvin, a Rank S adventurer like you, right? If that girl is their weakest member, I shudder to imagine what the rest can do. She alone is already faster than our best captain, Guin, whose entry into the tournament we confirmed first thing.”

“Think of this as a present from me to you guys, my complacent children. You’re grateful, right? Of course you are.”

The remaining Gaunian officers Ruka would be facing looked completely bewildered by what had just happened, but the Beast King and the lion prince seemed to have had no issue following along with her movements. Leonhart was one thing, but I had heard that Jereol was also close to Rank S in regard to fighting prowess. Ruka had indeed gotten stronger, but she was still far from strong enough to face those two.

“WHOAAAAA! RUKA WON! Ellie, did you see that?! Did you not burn it into your eyes?!”

“Mm, I was indeed watching, Gerard-sama. It is all thanks to your careful and attentive instruction.”

“That could not be further from the truth! This is purely the result of Ruka’s efforts thus far. Oh, the next match is starting soon!”

Dude, where did your excessive worrying go? But you know what, I’m gonna just let Ellie deal with Gerard. I’ve noticed she’s really good at handling him.

“Next! Commander of a hundred, Captain Bandel! Forward!”

◇ ◇ ◇

“Match over! Winner: Ruka the apprentice maid!”

“That’s the fourth time you called me that even though I told you not to! Are you bullying me, mister?!”

The three matches that followed were also over in the blink of an eye, with Ruka winning them all in quick succession. Her opponents wielded different weapons and stepped into the ring with full vigilance, but it meant nothing because their eyes couldn’t actually register her. The instant the start signal went off, she ended the match then and there. The beastkin were in disbelief, while Ruka was again in a bit of a huff. All the matches had started and ended in the same way. There wasn’t the slightest chance for an upset.

“That concludes all four matches!” Jereol pronounced. “The four participation slots in the Beast King Festival are hereby ceded to Kelvin and his companions. No objections, correct?”

The four Gaunian soldiers remained silent, their ears laid flat on their heads. After losing so completely, there was nothing they could say.

“Hey, everyone! I did it!” Ruka gushed as she ran back to us.

Sera ruffled her hair. “Well done.”

“RUKAAAAA! I’m just, I’m, gahhhh, I’m so moved my tears won’t stop! The tears inside my heart!”

Everyone heaped their praises on the young girl as she latched on to Ellie.

Putting Gerard aside for the time being, it’s true that Ruka did a great job. “Here’s the mithril dagger I promised. Take good care of it.”

“Thank you, Master! I’ll carefully use it when cutting ingre—”

“I’ll make you a proper kitchen knife later, so please don’t use this for cooking. It’s purely for you to defend yourself with, okay?”

As I handed the weapon over, I checked her Status using Analyze Eye.

---

Ruka (10 y/o, Female, Human, Apprentice Maid)

Level: 94

Title: Step-Granddaughter of the Sword Guru

HP: 316/316

MP: 277/277

Strength: 202

Endurance: 134 (+22)

Agility: 390

Magic: 99

Luck: 438

Skills: Sword Mastery (Rank A), Combat Technique (Rank D), Acrobatics (Rank D), Covert Action (Rank D), Service (Rank F), Cooking (Rank B), Sewing (Rank F)

Passive Effects: Concealment (Rank S), Cooking/Large Endurance Increase (Rank S)

---

Ruka was not particularly talented in any way. However, she was now about as strong as Touya was when I first met him. There was no better way to demonstrate the effectiveness of Experience Sharing.

Hey, grandpa, your granddaughter is as strong as a Hero. Please put more faith in her. Wait a moment... Is the reason Ruka’s class is still Apprentice Maid because she’s spending all her skill points on battle-related skills instead of maid-related ones? Or is it because everyone around her has yet to acknowledge her as a proper maid in her own right? I’m pretty sure her abilities as a maid are steadily improving, though...

◇ ◇ ◇

“Well then, we’ll take our leave. We’re looking forward to the dinner tomorrow,” Kelvin said, bowing respectfully to Leonhart.

“As am I,” the Beast King replied.

After obtaining the four participation slots at the upcoming tournament, Kelvin exchanged a promise with Leonhart to join him for dinner the next day, then left with his companions. They were off to enjoy the city’s sights, with Goma and Sabato as their guides.

The four matches had not even lasted ten seconds total—it was truly over in the blink of an eye. For the Gaunian soldiers who had been dreaming of participating in the competition, it had been like getting struck by lightning on a clear day.

After watching the Beast King head back towards the palace in high spirits, the first Gaunian soldier who had lost, Gobera, could not curb his curiosity any longer and turned to ask Jereol, “Sir, who were those people just now?”

“What, did you really not figure it out? And here I was, impressed by how much of a strong front you put up.”

“Ugh... I-I’m sorry, sir...”

“Actually, um, I don’t know either,” mumbled Bandel, the second contestant, timidly raising his hand. The other two also followed suit.

“Oh, that’s right. When Kelvin rose to fame, you were all stationed at the Trycenian border. I assume you haven’t had time to catch up with the reports, although I’m probably as behind as you are.”

Kelvin’s promotion had taken place immediately after he had beaten back the invasion of the Village of Elves. Due to his party’s efforts, the settlement had been saved, and this achievement had confirmed his promotion to Rank S. While he was going through those proceedings, Jereol, Yujil, and Kilto had been dispatched to the Gaun-Trycen border as part of the country’s effort to bolster its defenses. The four beastkin officers who just fought Ruka had been part of that group.

“I’m sure father brought this idea up with full knowledge of who I would select,” Jereol murmured to himself, scratching his head with a troubled expression. “Sabato and Goma, looks like this year isn’t gonna be easy for you...”

“Um, Jereol-sama?”

“Ah, sorry, I was talking to myself. You guys want to know who Kelvin is, right?”

“Uh, yes, sir.”

“He’s a Rank S adventurer, just like my father. After he registered as an adventurer, he shot to the top in the blink of an eye, setting a historic record by reaching Rank S in only three months. His party protected the Village of Elves from the entire Trycenian invasion single-handedly and was fighting alongside the Hero when he defeated the Demon Lord. He can subjugate Rank S monsters by himself, his house has an infinite labyrinth underground, he is in deep with the Oracle of Deramis... Even I don’t know how true they are, but there is no end to the stories about him.”

The officers’ jaws dropped as they found themselves dumbfounded for the second time that day.

“You guys don’t have to look that surprised.”

“I mean...how can we not be?”

“Those have got to be exaggerations. They sound too far-fetched to all be true.”

“As I said, even I don’t know how much is true. But there is one thing I now know for sure: I’m still far from reaching Rank S.”

“His maid was that strong?!”

“Oh no, the young warrior—her name was Ruka, I believe?—I could beat without issue. The problem is those who were watching. Bandel, you’ve fought Dan D’Alba directly, haven’t you? The man said to be Trycen’s most powerful fighter?”

“Ugh, please don’t remind me of that nightmarish memory. Even you didn’t stand a chance against him, Jereol-sama.”

Bandel and his company of one hundred operated under Jereol, who commanded a total of a thousand men. Bandel had been among the soldiers who had attempted to assault General Dan with a spear, but he had been lifted up—spear and all—and thrown at his own allies. The memory was so traumatic that Bandel broke into a cold sweat just recalling it.

“You’re right,” Jereol agreed. “All three of us, along with all our men, were unable to defeat Dan D’Alba. That’s how powerful he is. So I’ll use him as a point of reference to make this easy to understand. Kelvin, as well as each and every one of his companions, is beyond, or at least on par with, Dan.”

“That can’t be!”

“But, that’s... Huh?!”

The four officers could hardly be faulted for their surprise. They had just seen firsthand how easily Ruka overwhelmed them. Then Jereol claimed he could easily beat Ruka. But Dan could easily overwhelm him, and supposedly, each and every person in the group who had been looking on was at least as strong as Dan.

It was commonly said that a single Rank S adventurer was powerful enough to stave off an entire country’s military forces. In this case, however, the analogy would take on a different meaning. Namely, Kelvin, along with the party he led, had enough fighting power to rival the four great nations of the Eastern Continent, never mind the numerous smaller countries that dotted the Western Continent.

I suppose we should be thankful that it wasn’t Kelvin who turned into the Demon Lord. If it was, father would be the only one in our country capable of stopping him. Or could he? I can’t accurately gauge power levels so far beyond my own. Hmm, is father attempting to get a read on Kelvin’s strength by having him participate in the Beast King Festival?

Under normal circumstances, the champion of the tournament would have, in all likelihood, either been Leonhart Gaun or Goldiana Prettiana, the latter of whom had taken home the trophy last year. Now, however, four dark horses had been thrown into the pool, and it was anyone’s guess as to how things would turn out. Jereol deeply sympathized with his two youngest siblings, whose chances at winning the Gaun name had now been practically thrown into the middle of a storm.

“Jereol-sama, are you saying that blonde girl holding the stuffed toy is also as strong as Dan? Is she so strong that I wouldn’t be able to lift a finger if I faced her in battle?!”

“Hm? Ah, that young lady—” Jereol barely caught himself before he told Gobera about Shutola being an exception. Only a select few—the highest echelons in the four major powers on the continent, plus a handful who had been deemed trustworthy—knew about Shutola being under Kelvin’s protection. The public narrative was that she was currently recovering at Trycen Castle. In a split second, Jereol came to the conclusion that the best way to gloss things over would be to pretend that she too was one of Kelvin’s party members.

“—also possesses incredible power. I could feel it very keenly. What else can you expect from a companion of a Rank S adven—”

“So the little girl is that strong! And I would lose to her! She would step on me with her tiny little feet. Oh, no! I would lose my confidence! I would have no words for how I would feel!”

“Uhhh...that’s right. Yes. Um, don’t let it get you too down.”

It seemed as if Gobera had just awakened to something after losing to Ruka. Even Jereol could not hide his alarm.

Wait, Gobera is part of Kilto’s company, right? Birds of a feather do flock together...

He quickly recomposed himself. Thanks to the Beast King’s punishing methods of education, all the children of the Gaunian royal family had impressive mental fortitude.

◇ ◇ ◇

With the start of the Beast King Festival drawing near, the powerful individuals who would be participating began gathering in the city one by one. One of the locations of these gatherings was a small café at the edge of town where two people emanating incredible auras were currently sharing a table. They were in the middle of enjoying a slice of fresh cream cake, a delicacy not very well known in this world.

“Oh my! I’m so touched! I can’t believe how wonderful this sweet is! And to think I’m encountering it in Gaun, of all places!”

Goldiana Prettiana, the previous tournament champion of the Beast King Festival, giggled proudly. “Coming here was the right choice after all, right? This place is my favorite.”

“Oh, for sure! This definitely made the swim from the Western Continent worth it. Is this what they call a fateful encounter?” replied the person sitting across from him ecstatically.

Although this person spoke in a feminine voice, he—no, she was cut from the same cloth as Peach Ogre. She had her hair cut short and was not wearing women’s clothing, but there was no room for doubt that she belonged on “that” side.

“Oh my, Grostina, hon! You know you’re supposed to take a boat, right? Swimming across the ocean is dangerous!”

“How can I not come as fast as I can when you call me, sister dear? You even secured a participation slot for me in the tournament! And with the Demon Lord defeated, the monsters have returned to their previous strength.”

“You’re as confident as ever, I see. Well, that is why I contacted you, my one and only sister disciple, in the first place.”

“And I couldn’t be more thankful! You helped me awaken my true self when I was weak, and guided the powerless noble that I was to the light. So, what are we aiming for this time?”

“Oh, you silly. Do you even have to ask? We’ve got to take the top two spots, of course! When we shine together on stage, our charm will double! No, it will quadruple! I’m sure even that straitlaced gentleman will look my way then!”

“My, oh my! You have a new love, sister dear?! It’s love, isn’t it?! Please allow little old me, Grostina Brujowana, to support you in any way I can!”

Unbeknownst to Gerard, who was currently having a great time, danger to his life was currently developing in a corner of the same city he was in.

◇ ◇ ◇

Ange said she had to show her face at the Gaun Adventurer’s Guild first and headed off her own way. As part of our guided tour of the capital city, Sabato and Goma brought us to Gaun’s largest market. The wide avenue was packed with stands on either side that were cleverly designed to blend into the greenery all around, creating a truly fantastical scene.

“It smells so good! There’re so many stores! But we’re in a forest!” Shutola exclaimed, her head swiveling excitedly.

Rion nodded enthusiastically. “This really does scream ‘fantasy’!”

“Sometimes you say difficult things that I don’t understand, Rion-chan.”

The sight of the younger ones practically bouncing off the walls brought a warm smile to my face. The older girls were fully enjoying themselves at the stalls where vendors were demonstrating how to cook meat, the product that Gaun was most famous for exporting. However, even though it all fell under the umbrella term of “meat,” the exact ingredients and methods of cooking used by the stalls were unbelievably varied. It was almost criminal how many mouthwatering smells were wafting about in the air, tickling the noses of those passing by.

Efil was particularly fired up. Her eyes remained wide open as she attempted to steal all the cooking techniques and recipes that she came across.

Efil, you’re free to concentrate, but you’re being so intense that the chef behind the counter is almost shrinking into himself.

With the Beast King Festival being right around the corner, the roads were filled with a huge variety of races, and the air of the city was charged with energy and cheer.

Visiting Gaun at this time of year was the right choice after all. The mood is just perfect for sightseeing. I don’t have a worry in the world!

Or so I thought.

“Urk...”

“Ack...”

“Ugh...”

All of a sudden, chills ran down my back. Gerard and Dahak also reacted the same way at the same time. We all shivered at something.

“What happened to you three?” Sera asked. “Your faces are pale.”

Efil turned around with concern. “Have you caught a cold, Master? And you two as well, Gerard-san and Hak-chan?”

“No, no, don’t worry, Efil. I don’t feel sick. But I did feel a chill for some reason.”

“Mh-hm, and I felt some incredibly huge danger closing in on me. Something that almost seemed life-threatening.”

“An’ I felt as if I just gained a new rival.”

Sera gave us a weird look. “What’s with those oddly specific hunches?”

My gut tells me that I shouldn’t think too deeply about this but that things will take a bad turn if I do nothing. I have no idea what makes me think that. It’s not any of my detection skills reacting, so I can only chalk it up to intuition, but...

“Honey, honey! That stall over there is incredible!” Melfina grabbed my right hand and before I had time to resist, dragged me over.

“Whoa, wh-what?!”

The issue still hasn’t been resolved...but I suppose there’s not much I can do about it, so oh well. Yay for positive thinking.

“Hey, you sure have a good eye for quality,” Sabato commented, looking somewhat impressed. “Goma and I like this one too. Right, Goma?”

“I do like it, but don’t gorge yourself like you did last time, all right? You’ll upset your stomach again.”

I took a look at what the stall was selling. “Oh, steak cubes on skewers? The size of each piece looks pretty large too.” So, basically barbecue skewers. I can see even one skewer being filling, considering how much meat is on it.

“That’s right! What’s more, it’s even coated in a secret sauce!” Melfina gushed, gulping audibly.

“We’re almost at the restaurant we booked, so...just a bit, then.”

“I LOVE YOU, HONEY!” Melfina enveloped me in a bear hug.

Isn’t it rare to see a goddess this honest about her desires? Anyway, how many should I buy to tide her over?

“Hi, storekeep, give me twenty skewers, please.”

“T-Twenty?! I see you have a large party with you, boss, but the children would find it hard to finish even one.”

“Ah, don’t worry about it. We’ll finish all of it, no problem. Here’s the money.”

It’s true that Shutola and Ruka probably won’t be able to eat a whole skewer by themselves, and it’s true that Rion and Efil don’t eat that much either. But it doesn’t matter, because this is all for Melfina.

“Thank you for your business, boss. Uh, it’s gonna take a while to cook so many. Can you wait a bit, please?”

This stall was the type that would start cooking after receiving an order so that they could serve the food fresh instead of letting it sit out. Efil watched closely to burn every part of the process into her brain. The intense stare by a drop-dead beauty caused this chef, just like all the others, to become somewhat flustered. However, he managed to recover and, with skillful movements, finished skewer after skewer.

Do you actually intend to steal the recipes of every single stall here, Efil?

“Ohhhh! Seeing Mel eat that much makes me want to challen— I’m joking! It’s just a joke, Goma! Please lower that fist! Seriously, I didn’t mean it! You’re gonna put the whole crowd in danger if you punch me here!”

Mel hummed in high spirits, refusing to let go of my arm as she also stared intensely at the skewers coming off the grill. She did not spare even a passing glance at the scene of carnage developing behind us.

Tsk-tsk. What a coldhearted goddess she is.

“Oh, is Mel holding back for once?” Sera asked.

“I’ve got to leave room for all the other dishes being sold on this road,” Mel replied, looking smug as if she were sharing a brilliant idea. “And Efil can make me the same thing again anytime I want.”

“I promise to master this recipe by the time we return to Parth!”

Wait, she has room for more? Dammit, my estimate was off!

“Brother, I don’t see any stalls selling vegetables. It’s all just meat. I want my veggies!”

Dahak was looking around peevishly, seemingly having finished off the vegetable sticks that he usually kept on hand. However, as he had noted, none of the stores close by were selling vegetables.

Maybe Sabato would kn— Ah, never mind, the two of them are still at it.

“The restaurant we’re going to will serve vegetables, so if you can’t eat meat, hold on till we get there.”

“Seriously?! Whoaaa, I’m so touched, brother!”

“Eep!”

I reflexively swept Melfina off her feet while dodging Dahak, who charged towards me for a hug. Melfina, who had been fully engrossed in the cooking process, was taken by surprise and let out a cute little squeal right beside my ear.

“What?! Why did you dodge, brother?!”

“When you do it, it kinda gives the impression that we’re, you know...”

“We’re...what?”

“I don’t really want to think about it anymore, so let’s drop it.”

If you really want to express your thanks, instead of hugging me, just get stronger. Much stronger. Considering their levels, Dahak, Boga, and Mdofarak—whom I’m collectively calling Dragonz going forward—are probably close to Evolving, but they’re already ancient dragons. What would their next Evolution be, dragon kings? Or are there more conditions for that besides level?

“Um, honey...”

“Ah, sorry. I’ll let you down now.”

When I looked down, I realized I had embraced Melfina in the “princess carry” pose. I had done it without thinking, but now that I was aware of it, it was pretty embarrassing. Even though I quickly let her down, Melfina’s face remained bright red and steam continued rising from the top of her head.

Whoa, her temperature’s shooting through the roof!

“Mel! Are you all right?!”

“Ah, I’m, uh, okay. It was just so sudden that I, uh, was a bit surprised.”

“That’s a bit rare for you. You sure you’re not the one with a cold?”

“I d-d-don’t have a cold, at all! Ah, honey, look! The skewers are done!”

Melfina’s the type to be really proactive about making advances, but could it be that she’s weak when she’s on the receiving end? The Demon Lord Obliteration Proposal also came about due to her getting flustered. In short, she’s a glass cannon who’s great at offense but extremely weak at defense. That’s...so cute! All right, Parallel Processing, make sure to burn an image of her current self into my mental photo gallery. Right next to the flashes of underwear that the Beast King showed me using Goma’s body.

“Thank you for waiting, boss.” The storekeeper handed me the skewers I’d ordered, all wrapped in large leaves that gave the steak a faintly aromatic and sweetish flavor.

Wow, this is pretty heavy! I think each skewer has about three hundred grams of meat. This much just might be enough to hold Melfina over until we get to the restaurant!

“Om, nom... Honey, nom... Don’t stare at me so, nom, intensely.”

Hold on, is her eating speed getting even faster?! Is this her hiding her embarrassment?!

In the end, we had to drop by three other stalls to purchase an unbelievable amount of meat before we finally reached the restaurant.

◇ ◇ ◇

It had been a long, long journey indeed. Every step we took, a skewer disappeared. Every other step, a meat bun did too. We stopped multiple times to restock, but the rate at which our companion goddess was going through the food never faltered. By the time we actually got to the restaurant we had booked, I was filled with an incredible sense of achievement. Honestly, I underestimated Melfina’s natural talent.

“But you’re still gonna eat more, right?”

“Do you efen haf fo fas? Of courf I fill.”

“Don’t talk with your mouth full.”

The serving staff visited our table in an unending stream, stacking a mountain of plates in front of us. Our goddess was gorging herself with relish, a smile of sheer bliss permanently on her face and all embarrassment thrown to the wind. This place was famous as one of the best in Gaun, and it was only by going through the Adventurer’s Guild that we had managed to get a reservation. Its menu was loaded with not only meat dishes, which was a given in this country, but also delectable vegetarian options. The chefs were all at the top of their respective fields. Ange, who was still busy with work, had strongly recommended the place. I greatly trusted her taste, as it also had been her who had first pointed me towards the Fairy’s Song.

“Damn, I thought I’d gotten used to seeing it at the Grand Scarlet Canyon, but after being separated for a while, I’m impressed all over again by how huge your appetite is, Mel.”

“Sabato, there you go being rude again.”

“No, Goma, I didn’t mean that sarcastically! I actually am impressed!”

“It’s true that she’s eating more than usual today. Are you that hungry, Mel-nee?”

“I had to expend more energy than usual, so I have to eat more than usual now. But the upside is that I get to eat more than usual, so you won’t find me complaining!”

Mh-hm, that smile makes it very obvious how happy you are. But can you start reeling it in, please? It’s not that we’re running out of money, it’s more that—

“Hey, dude, isn’t that The Smile?”

“You mean the competitive eater who’s rumored to be going around crushing all the food-eating contests in town?”

“Yeah, that’s her! I heard she was given that alias because people say she keeps on smiling no matter what she’s eating. Her record is completely spotless—she’s never lost a contest before. Those in the know say she might be the most powerful warrior to appear in all of history. Even so, that amount is just...”

“Whereas other fighters would gradually slow down, she’s actually getting faster and faster! And there’s her characteristic smile! She really does live up to her name!”

You’re really garnering a lot of attention, Mel!

Dahak, who was taking large bites of raw vegetables, asked casually, “Brother, do you want me to shut them up?”

“Stop. It’s gonna cause an even bigger commotion if you do,” I responded without missing a beat. Your thought process is starting to become similar to Nagua’s, dude. Then I turned to Mel. “By the way, were you up to something I don’t know about, Mel? Did you create another ruckus?”

“Huh?!”

Ah, her smile froze.

“Um, that’s... I was just walking around town, absolutely normal, and I sort of ran out of money, but I was feeling peckish, so, um...”

“Hold on a minute there. Didn’t I give you plenty of cash to spend? What happened to all that money?”

I periodically handed out allowances to all my party members, with the amount being enough to buy the most expensive weapons on sale in stores. Sera poured that money into fishing or instruments, Efil used it to buy cloth for sewing, and so on. However, Mel’s room was quite bare, having a bare minimum of furniture. I footed the bill for all the materials she needed to make accessories with, and everyday necessities didn’t cost all that much.

I honestly can’t think of any major expenses that Mel has that would be such a huge drain on her finances. What is she using her money on?

“I was, uh, buying little bites to eat, and before I knew it, my wallet was empty.”

“You spent all that money on food? How much do you eat out on the daily?!”

“Hey, there are days when I just suddenly feel hungry! I’m embarrassed to admit it, though.”

We have three meals at home each day and she never misses a single one. And it turns out she’s eating even more in between?! But seeing what she’s like today, I’m convinced this just might be true.

“I’m not mad at all, just saying. For stuff like this, tell me. I’ll do something about it.”

“Honeyyyyy!”

I’m sure that for her, this is a matter of life and death. And...well, I’m going to be her, um, husband eventually. As a guy, I’d want her to rely on me. For starters, I’m going to have Efil cook more. If I don’t, I worry Melfina might become famous worldwide as a competitive eater.

“By the way, Kel-nii, have you noticed how the format of our titles seems to have changed recently? There’s not only Mel-nee’s ‘The Smile,’ which the other customers mentioned just now, but mine has also changed to ‘Black Meteor.’”

“Oh, you too, Rion? Mine became ‘Empress’ before I knew it.”

“Mm? Mine has also changed. I’m now ‘Sword Guru,’ it seems.”

“Kel-nii, is this what I think it is?!” Rion looked up at me, her eyes sparkling.

I mean, it probably is. I had noticed everyone’s new titles right after their Evolutions. Chances were they had all been updated while I was asleep. This had happened to Clotho, Gerard, Efil, Sera, Rion, Alex, and Melfina—all my companions who were publicly known. There was one single conclusion to draw from this that seemed significantly more likely than anything else.

“That’s right! It is exactly what you think it is, Rion-chan!”

“WHOA! You surprised me, Ange! Since when have you been here?!”

Ange, who had supposedly gone off to visit the Gaun Adventurer’s Guild, was suddenly standing behind my chair. Although it was true that I hadn’t had my guard up, it really was strange how she managed to sneak up on me again after that time in Parth. The fact that she didn’t possess the Covert Action skill made it even more impressive. She’s much too talented to remain a mere guild receptionist.

“Heh heh heh, Sera-san noticed me,” she giggled mischievously. “Rank S Kelvin-kun, it looks like you still have a ways to go. Ah, waiter, one bottle of wine, please.”

“You really do get it, Ange. Kelvin has a habit of letting the ball drop at the end,” Sera replied in agreement. “Oh, excuse me, a glass of juice for me.”

“One more of the same for Shutola-chan and me, please!”

“Ruka-chan, my tummy’s all full already.”

“Don’t let it get you down, Kelvin! I get taken by surprise every day—almost always by Goma.”

I know Sabato is trying to cheer me up, but that consideration just makes me feel worse.

“Ahem. That was fast, Ange. Is your business at the guild already finished?”

“Mh-hm. Though my real aim was something else. Rion-chan hit it on the head just now, actually. Here, take a look at this.”

“A book? Uh...Adventurer Directory?”

“That’s right! The Adventurer’s Guild issues a new edition right before every Naming Ceremony. It lists all of the most famous adventurers and includes descriptions of them and their party members. This time, you finally made it in!”

I don’t really get it. Is that a big thing?

Sabato clapped my back. “Congrats, Kelvin! I suppose it was only a matter of course, though, now that you’re Rank S and all. Getting into the directory is a huge honor as an adventurer! Rank S is guaranteed, but you have to be really famous as a Rank A to get your own entry!”

“The directory’s released in all the guild branches worldwide, so you might even receive job requests from the Western Continent,” Ange added.

That would mean going to and fro between the continents, right? How would the logistics of that work? Which reminds me, I wonder how the Heroes are doing. They’re probably fine, considering they never did get in touch through the pendant I gave them, but still.

“So, going back to what Rion-chan was talking about earlier. Because of the recent Demon Lord incident, the guild has acknowledged the strength of everyone in your party, Kelvin, and decided on aliases for them all! The directory goes into detail about each name.”

Before Ange finished speaking, Rion had already crawled onto my lap. “Kel-nii, let’s look at it! Quickly! Our aliases!”

Although her Status already reflected what alias she had received, she was extremely excited to find out what the inspiration for it was.

“So, we’re all gonna get introduced in turn?” Dahak asked, looking moved. “I can understand your anticipation, m’lady!”

“Um, I’m sorry, Dahak-san. Back when this edition was written, you weren’t yet known as part of Kelvin’s party, and there wasn’t time to update the manuscript,” Ange interrupted in an apologetic tone.

“O-Okay. It doesn’t bother me a-at all. That’s cool too.”

“I’m very, very sorry.”

The atmosphere cooled down in the blink of an eye. You wanted to get into the book that badly, Dahak?

“Anyway, take a look inside, Kelvin. It’s supposed to go on sale after the Naming Ceremony, but this is basically your comp copy, so you get it ahead of time.”

My companions gathered around me, filled with curiosity, as I cracked the book open. When all was said and done, they were all equally interested. I prayed that everyone else’s aliases were given for reasons less silly than Mel’s was.

As I randomly flipped through the pages, I saw names followed by physical descriptions, explanations of aliases, and so much more. Uh, it says “Danger Ranking,” but...this isn’t actually a bounty list, is it?

“Ah, I knew that part would catch your eye, Kelvin. See, the closer the adventurer is to the top, the more overwhelming their strength is. The Danger Ranking is something we added to warn countries to treat these adventurers carefully and cautiously.”

What are we, bombs?

I cleared my throat to change gears and resumed my page flipping. There was no table of contents, but the book wasn’t all that thick, so I figured I’d eventually find our group. The blocks of text were at times interspersed with simple sketches that, strangely enough, were actually kind of cute.

Suddenly, Rion tapped my shoulder. “Hold on, Kel-nii. Isn’t this page Sylvie’s? It says ‘Ice Princess’ in big letters at the top.”

“It is indeed,” Efil agreed. “It appears she’s been given more page space than everyone else.”

Hey, she’s right. All the Rank A adventurers only have half a page, shared with their parties, but Sylvia and her companions get a fancy two-page spread. There’s even a cute chibi illustration of Sylvia smack dab in the middle, complete with the large head and all. Is this book seriously an official release from the guild?

◆————————————————————◆

Rank S Adventurer: “Ice Princess” Sylvia (Danger Ranking: D)

Major Achievements

Wiped out a nest of high-ranking monsters that suddenly appeared close to Leigant Ice Mountain and defended the nearby villages

Discovered and conquered a dungeon within the depths of Toraj Ocean

Winner of the 43rd Eastern Continent Competitive Eating Championship

Subjugated numerous Rank S monsters

General Description

Sylvia-shi is a young swordswoman who reached Rank S last year. She skipped out on the promotion ceremony hosted in her honor in Gaun, remaining a complete mystery until she showed up to serve as Kelvin-shi’s opponent in his own promotion exhibition this year. Their fight was fierce and furious to the point of destroying the barrier erected by the Oracle of Deramis. Although she ultimately lost the match in what was very nearly a draw, Sylvia-shi more than proved she possesses strength befitting the Rank S title. Despite being a Rank S adventurer, she has a relatively low Danger Ranking of “D,” as she will become hostile only if someone first attacks her or her companions. However, Sylvia-shi does have an airheaded side to her that can sometimes cause harmless comments to spiral into enormous misunderstandings—just a small chance. Maybe.

Alias

Sylvia-shi, whose popularity is steadily rising, bears flowing, silver-colored hair and has elegant features. Her alias of “Ice Princess” is derived from her simultaneous display of exquisite swordsmanship and powerful Blue Magic. She is able to attack both up close and from a distance as the situation calls for, having an incredible knack for snap decision-making and a balanced build that is high in physical attack, magical attack, and defense. Many are looking forward to what this youngest member of the Rank S adventurers will achieve in the future.

Party Members

Rank A Adventurer: Ema (Danger Ranking: E)

Ema-shi is a Red Mage who became an adventurer at the same time Sylvia-shi did. The two have been operating together ever since registering. Her achievements are enough to qualify her for promotion to Rank S, but she herself seems to have no interest in applying. She rarely shows her strength in public, but it is rumored that she is as powerful as Sylvia-shi.

Mercenary: “Brutal Beast” Nagua (Danger Ranking: A)

Nagua-shi is a beastkin mercenary hired by Sylvia-shi in Gaun. He is the party’s attack specialist and goes by the alias “Brutal Beast.” The reason for this alias is because he is both famous for his brutality in Gaun and incredibly well-known as a mercenary in his own right. This man is at the root of ninety percent of the issues caused by Sylvia-shi’s party, so we advise caution when appropriate...

◆————————————————————◆

The description went on to introduce the rest of Sylvia’s party members in turn. Even though this was supposed to be a publication officially acknowledged by the Adventurer’s Guild, there was a distinctly gossipy hint to the pages. Does the competitive eating championship thing even count as an official achievement?

“Ah, that’s because Sylvia-san is a Rank S adventurer,” Ange explained in response to Efil’s earlier question. “Many people are really interested in her right now, so her description is extra long. Ah, don’t worry, your pages received just as much attention!”

“I mean, it’s all the same to me.”

“Hey, Ange, what is this Danger Ranking based on?” Sera asked, pointing to the words on the page. “It’s not strength in battle, obviously. Sylvia is a lot stronger than Dog Man, but she was given a D while he got an A. How does that figure?”

The rest of us, including me, nodded in agreement.

“The Danger Ranking is less about how strong the person is and more about how likely one would be to get into a fight with that person. Everyone who gets a mention in this book is the same in the eyes of us common people in that they’re all so powerful, we can’t even dream of beating them. That is why Nagua-san, who might start throwing fists right off the bat, is considered more dangerous than Sylvia-san, who can be reasoned with.”

“Ahhh...okay, that makes sense.” That is one easy-to-understand example. It’s true that from that perspective, Nagua is much more of a threat.

“Kel-nii, let’s see our own page quickly!”

“Right, right. Um, lemme see...”

“Here, right?” Sera reached out and casually flipped to a random page that turned out to be ours.

“Thanks.” She got it just like that?! I can’t say I dislike the way she casually uses her overwhelming Luck for the most unnecessary things.

◆————————————————————◆

Rank S Adventurer: “Grim Reaper” Kelvin Celsius (Danger Ranking: A)

Major Achievements

Wiped out the Black Wind bandit ring in cooperation with the Heroes of Deramis

Beat back the Trycenian force attempting to invade Gaun

Contributed greatly to the subjugation of Demon Lord Zel

Subjugated numerous Rank S monsters

General Description

Kelvin-shi is a Green Mage who climbed up the ladder and reached Rank S in record time...or so we thought until it was revealed in the recent Demon Lord incident that he is actually one of the few Summoners in existence. Despite possessing a support class, he managed to make huge waves during his promotion exhibition match by claiming victory over his fellow Rank S adventurer, Sylvia-shi. Of course, he himself possesses incredible fighting strength, but what is even more terrifying about Kelvin-shi is that those in his party all possess sufficient strength to take down Rank S monsters on their own.

It is said that Kelvin-shi receives nonstop solicitations from a number of countries in light of his being a highly sought-after Summoner and because of the strength of his companions, but that he, like all other Rank S adventurers, turns down those offers. At “A,” his Danger Ranking is high, making him someone to watch out for. As a certain Trycenian general has proven, attempting to make a move on any of his women is a sure way of earning his ire. No matter how far you run, he will chase you to the very gates of hell, literally taking on the role of the Grim Reaper.

Alias

There is no name more suitable for describing the sight of Kelvin-shi in his black robe, swinging his giant scythe with a fearless grin stretching from ear to ear, than “Grim Reaper.” On the streets, he is also referred to by other nicknames, the most prominent examples being “Battle Junkie,” “Philanderer,” and “War Poet.” For the sake of his honor, however, we clarify on his behalf that only some of these are truly substantiated.

Party Members

Slime: “Everlasting Darkness” Clotho (Danger Ranking: E)

Clotho-shi is a slime that Kelvin-shi employs through his Summoning skill. At first glance, Clotho-shi looks like your common, everyday slime, but do not be misled. Its tiny form can be endlessly expanded and, as the most senior member of the party, it possesses strength even beyond that of ancient dragons, those symbols of calamity said to be walking catastrophes. Its alias of “Everlasting Darkness” was designated in reference to its ability to swallow everything and anything it desires. If the guild were to assign a subjugation level to Clotho-shi, it would be Rank S without doubt. However, as long as you do not attempt to harm it in any way, it is not particularly dangerous.

Knight: “Sword Guru” Gerard (Danger Ranking: D)

This old knight in jet-black armor is, just like Clotho-shi, another senior member of the party. No one has ever seen his true face, though there are rumors of him coming from a line of fallen nobility. His alias of “Sword Guru” was decided based on the way he handily wields his greatsword and shield, both of which are so massive as to be armor in their own right. Cowardly actions such as abusing children are strictly forbidden in his presence.

Rank A Adventurer: “Bombing Princess” Efil (Danger Ranking: F)

This half-elf is the maid who manages everything on Kelvin-shi’s estate. She has a very gentle personality and is extremely cute and beautiful. Her cooking is so remarkable that it is enough to make even the Queen of Toraj groan in bliss and to make all who take a bite burst into tears and fall in love straight away. Furthermore, she possesses incredible skill with the bow and is entirely beyond reproach as a servant. The roaring flames that she shoots through a unique integration of Red Magic with archery contain more than enough destructive power to live up to the alias of “Bombing Princess.” As an aside, she is a slave belonging to Kelvin-shi.

Pugilist: “Empress” Sera (Danger Ranking: C)

Sera-shi is a stunningly beautiful woman whom Kelvin-shi once saved. Although her class is Pugilist, she is a genius who also boasts unparalleled talent with magic and commands great respect from both men and women. There are multiple eyewitness accounts of Trycenian soldiers, who were supposed to be her enemies, faithfully carrying out her orders during the Demon Lord incident. This charisma and authority she possesses, which can convince even soldiers to betray their home country, deserves no less of an alias than “Empress.” Her Danger Ranking is slightly on the high side as she has a tendency to get emotional, but there is only one major thing to watch out for when it comes to Sera-shi: never, EVER allow her to drink alcohol. As an aside, she is Kelvin-shi’s lover.

Spear User: “The Smile” Mel (Danger Ranking: E)

Bearing luscious azure hair and gleaming azure armor, Mel-shi is a rare flash of color within this party that mainly wears black. No matter the occasion, she always has “The Smile” of a holy mother on her face, even as she obliterates enemies with her overwhelming battle strength. Those familiar with her also know that she possesses an incredible appetite. True to her alias, she never stops smiling no matter what—and how much—she’s eating. If you run an eating establishment, you would do well to be wary of her. As an aside, she is Kelvin-shi’s fiancée.

Swordsman: “Black Meteor” Rion Celsius (Danger Ranking: F)

Rion-shi is a dual-wielding Swordsman who is also Kelvin-shi’s younger sister. She is incredibly friendly and amicable, always having a smile ready for anyone she encounters. It is rumored that she is on close terms with the heads of state of all four major powers on the Eastern Continent. She and her shadow wolf partner are often a gallant image on the battlefield, though this might be hard to imagine from her small build and cute appearance. The way she flashes through the sky like a black bolt of lightning, exterminating her enemies before they even see her coming, is truly that of a “Black Meteor.” As an aside, she has a severe brother complex, and Kelvin-shi, in turn, has a severe sister complex and dotes on her heavily.

Shadow Wolf: “Heat Haze” Alex (Danger Ranking: E)

Alex-shi is a shadow wolf that Kelvin-shi brought under his employ through Summoning. Although his massive bulk and overbearing aura might give off a ferocious impression at first, he is actually extremely docile and considerate. He ends up looking even bigger than he is, as he is always right next to his partner, Rion-shi, who has a small build. He can appear and disappear seemingly in the blink of an eye, making him as elusive as a “Heat Haze.” Does not actually use fire-elemental attacks.

※Note that although the Danger Ranking of Kelvin-shi’s party members are generally on the low side, this assessment immediately shoots up to “S” as soon as something occurs that involves one of their companions or those they are close to. As such, we strongly advise caution while dealing with them and to not take these rankings at face value.

Relationship with Each Country...

◆————————————————————◆

The details in the directory were a weird blend of old and new information. For example, Rion and I were listed with our new family name—presumably because this would be released after the Naming Ceremony—but Efil’s race was still described as half-elf. There was no telling if this was because there were too many edits and not enough time or if the guild did not have knowledge of our most recent updates. I did have Rank S Concealment constantly applied to the Status of everyone in my party, after all.

That said, there is a part that I very much want to protest. Being called “Battle Junkie” is fine—it’s the truth, after all. But aren’t “Philanderer” and “War Poet” going way too far?! I’m not a philanderer; I’m a very loyal lover! My love is split several ways, that’s all! And the person who wrote this definitely visited the Village of Elves in person to gather info, even going to the trouble of crossing the elves’ barrier! After all, the battle at the village is the only instance when I did something cringey enough to merit being called “War Poet”!

Rion was elated. “Wow, there’s just as much info on us as there is on Sylvie! Alex, look, look, isn’t this drawing of you just so cute?!”

“Arf?”

“And the illustration of you is simply heavenly, Rion. The person who wrote this sure understands the greatness of my grandchildren!” cried Gerard.

Heyyyy, is no one gonna comment on what was said about me? Wait, do you guys actually agree with those nicknames?!

“Master, this makes public the fact that you are a Summoner. Is that not a problem?”

Ange raised her glass and answered before I could. “Ah, I asked Kelvin for permission beforehand. He said that he’d actually prefer for word to spread about his class.”

Oh, right, I do remember her asking me something along those lines. I had no idea she was working on something like this directory at the time, though.

“At the start, you said you wanted to hide it because you didn’t want to draw undue attention, right, honey? What’s brought this change in attitude?”

“Part of it is because I already used Summoning in front of so many people in Trycen, but the main reason is that I’m hoping this draws the good quests our way. You know how all the monsters have dropped in strength ever since the Demon Lord went down, right? Unfortunately, that means the number of Rank S monsters has dropped significantly.”

The world suffered a terrible loss indeed.

“Aha ha ha, Kelvin, that’s supposed to be a good thing.”

“Shush, Ange. It’s unfortunate for me. And, well, I was originally worried about all the commotion that would arise from countries trying to headhunt me, but the guild’s helping me deflect all that now. So I thought I might as well take the opportunity to get my name out there.”

I had, of course, also made arrangements with the guild so that I would be notified first when information about powerful subjugation targets popped up. With this, I’m going to get flooded with requests! Or at least, I hope so. But I know to keep my expectations in check.

In any case, my top priority at the moment was to forget all the unnecessary info that the directory had included. Oh, that’s right, I can just drink it all away!

“Okay, let’s drink!” I said. “I suddenly really feel like drinking!”

“That’s a strange thing to hear from you, Kelvin. But in that case, I’ll pour you a cup!”

“Uh...make sure to not accidentally have some yourself, okay?”

Just as I was standing up to go have fun, however, a figure sidled up to the directory laying on the table, mumbling, “If it includes information on famous adventurers, then it must say something about Prettia-chan too!”

◆————————————————————◆

Rank S Adventurer: “Peach Ogre” Goldiana Prettiana (Danger Ranking: S)

Major Achievements...

◆————————————————————◆

“No, you don’t need to see it.”

“Hey, old man, you can’t keep the information all to yourself! That’s not fair!”

Dahak and Gerard struggled over the directory, the former wanting to read more and the latter adamant about keeping it shut. The fight between them continued for quite a while.

◇ ◇ ◇

It was now late at night and the crowd of customers in the restaurant we were in was starting to thin. Sabato and Goma had returned to the castle, and Ange had headed off to her own inn. I was thinking about us making our way back as well, but...

“You ’ear me? Hic! I’mma win! So ’eave i’ ta me!”

Sera rambled on with a heavy tongue, slamming her cup on the table repeatedly. Her left hand had snaked around my arm in a vise so tight, my bones were creaking and Danger Detection was raising a ruckus inside my mind.

“Gerard, you—”

“No, no, no! I did not let her drink even a drop! She became like this from the smell alone!”

“’At’s right, I dint drink a’ all!”

Allowing Gerard to sit next to Sera had been the point where everything had gone wrong. Unlike my preferred drinks, Gerard favored very strong liquors. The fumes from the fire wine he was downing had apparently been enough to tip Sera over the edge.

“So, we learned today that Sera can get drunk without actually drinking. Gerard, you are now forbidden from drinking alcohol near her from today onward.”

“My king?!”

“Wha’re you sayin’? Are you no’ drinkin’ the wine I pour fo’ you?”

Clearly, conversation was no longer even possible. For some reason, even though Sera could control her strength so as to not break the cup in her hand, she was using her full strength on me.

“Master, Shutola-sama and Ruka have both fallen asleep. May we bring them back to the inn?” Ellie asked, approaching me with Ruka on her back. Behind her stood Rosalia, who was carrying Shutola, and Huba, who was holding Shutola’s teddy bear.

“Is it already that late? All right, go on ahead. We’ll follow after Sera calms down. Do you know how to get back?”

“Yes, Master. I made sure to learn the way beforehand. Efil-sama, may we be excused?”

“Mh-hm, go on. We will be fine here. Rest up properly.”

“Oh? Would it not be dangerous for several women to walk alone this late at night? My king, I will—”

“You are staying here, Gerard. Even with Herculean Strength, my Strength stat is still much lower than Sera’s. You’re part of the reason this happened, so you’ll be taking responsibility by helping me out. Preferably before my arm is torn off.”

“Whaaat?! But, my king!”

“No buts!”

Gerard sounded very unwilling, but my arm had, as of that moment, taken more than it could stand.

“Um, Master, I’ve been hearing very distinct cracking sounds for a while... Are you sure you don’t need us to stay to help out in some way?”

“Don’t worry about it, Ellie. Both Mel and I have Rank S White Magic. As long as I bear the pain, I’ll be—hng!—fine.” It’s not my first day being Sera’s lover.

“Then I’ll go with Ellie and the others to protect them, Kel-nii. Hak-chan, come with us.”

“Huh, me too? As a guy, shouldn’t I stay here to—”

“Dahak, go with Rion. You’re not quite strong enough yet to help with peeling Sera off me. Worst case, you might die attempting it.”

Rion shared my stiff smile. “Hak-chan, Sera-nee doesn’t know how to hold back when she’s drunk. Let’s leave it to Gramps and Mel-nee. If you try to get involved but aren’t strong enough, getting hurt would be the least of your worries.”

“What’re you two saying?! Even I—”

“Whaaat ish this? Are you tryin’ to take my Kelfin away fro’ me, Dahak?”

“What?!”

Although she didn’t sound serious with her words so slurred, the killing intent that she was emanating showed she meant business. My glass quivered and shattered, sending fragments flying all over. It was faint, but there was a distinctly red tinge creeping into Sera’s eyes.

“Looks like I’m gonna have to pay for this,” I sighed. “But Dahak, you get it now, right?”

“Y-Yes, sir. G-Good luck, brother.”

Dahak finally seemed to get the message, agreeing to leave with Rion and the maids.

“Sera, that’s enough! Get off my king!” Gerard said sternly, trying to pull the demon away.

Sera, however, clung to me even tighter. “Nooooo! I’m gonna sleep wi’ ’im tonight!”

“No, you aren’t. It’s Efil and Rion’s turn tonight,” Mel admonished her. “You have to stick to the agreement we made with each other.”

“Waaaahhhh!” Sera wailed.

“Oh no, Master’s arm is all bent again!” Efil cried, hovering worriedly. “Sera-san, please control yourself!”

Clearly we were going to need quite a bit more time to settle things on our end. The last time I felt like this was during Mel’s hellish training. As in, god this is really painful. Ha ha ha, I’m in trouble. I’ve been maintaining a poker face thanks to Nerves of Steel, but I think it’s about to crack.

“Okay then, we’re heading back first, Kel-nii. Good night.”

“Good night. Be careful out there.”

“Aha ha ha... I hope you manage to break out soon.”

“Trust me, I’m doing my best.”

After bidding us farewell, Rion’s group left the restaurant.

All right, it’s now a do-or-die situation for me. I very much want to avoid having to drop out of the Beast King Festival due to being injured directly beforehand!

CRACK! SNAP! CRACK!

I very, very much want to avoid it...

Please.

◇ ◇ ◇

The night was growing deeper, but with the Beast King Festival so close, the streets of the capital city were filled with people. Ellie and Ruka led the way towards the inn, followed by Shutola and her vigilant guards, Rosalia and Huba.

Four maids with remarkable features walking around at this time of night were bound to draw attention. Add two more cute girls to the mix, one with black hair and one with blonde, and the effect was multiplied several times. Several men made to approach the group with less than savory intentions but then turned right back around as soon as they saw Dahak’s large figure and frightening face.

“Still, if things continue like this, won’t Master end up dead one of these days?”

“You’re worrying too much, Hu-chan. Sera-nee’s apparently been like that since before I even knew her, so I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

“Uh, m’lady, any normal person would worry. Brother’s arm was literally bent in the opposite direction!”

“He was repeatedly being healed right after getting hurt. Is that not a form of torture in and of itse— Oh?” Rosalia cut herself off as Shutola, who had been sleeping on her back, groaned a little and lifted her head, cracking open bleary eyes. “Did I wake you up? I apologize, Shutola-sama. Please wait a while longer. We are currently heading to the inn.”

“Inn? This is...the main road? Mmmm, let’s take the shortcut...”

Shutola’s suggestion seemed to come from a desire to crawl into a warm bed as soon as possible. However, this city was unfamiliar to all of them, and Ellie had only memorized one path. She did not know any shortcuts.

“Shutola-sama, I apologize as well. I only know the way along this main avenu—”

“That way...”

Just as Ellie was in the middle of apologizing to the princess on Rosalia’s back, the girl in question sleepily pointed towards a specific alley as if indicating that they should turn off that way.

“Um, Shutola-sama?”

“Shortcut... Rion-chan showed me...map...yesterday...”

“It’s true, we did look at— Wait, you memorized the whole thing?!”

“Mm...”

The day before they set off, Rion and Shutola had pored over a rather detailed tourist map of the city of Gaun, which had shown even the smaller roads. However, it was only for about ten minutes, and they had been chatting about where they wanted to go or what they wanted to eat the whole time. Being the capital of the country of Gaun, the city naturally dwarfed Parth in size. Shutola’s claim implied that she had memorized every detail of the city within those ten minutes.

“I think this every now and again, but Shutola-chan really is a genius,” Rion murmured.

“It was rumored back in Trycen that the Intelligence stat points of all the siblings might have gone to her,” Huba chortled, earning a disapproving glare from Rosalia.

“Huba, watch your words. Not that I would refute what you just said. Rumors aside, it is true that Shutola-sama could go head-to-head with the Oracle of Deramis. When she was young, she went on exchange to an academy on the Western Continent and completed what was normally a five-year course in a single year. That was when she and the Oracle grew close.”

“So, you mean she basically skipped grades?” Rion asked. “I can’t even dream of that, although I would like to try attending that school.”

Due to being frail and sickly in her previous life, Rion had never fully experienced what it was like to go to school. As a result, she yearned for it.

“Well, let’s trust the girlie and take the shortcut!”

“Sleepy...”

The group turned off the main road and walked into the alleyway.

◇ ◇ ◇

“We actually got back,” Dahak exclaimed in surprise.

“And in no time at all,” Rion added.

Five minutes after weaving through the alleys following Shutola’s instructions, the group found themselves safely back at their inn. The walk that was supposed to take twenty minutes had been shortened significantly.

“Mmm...zzz...”

“Oh dear, it looks like Shutola-sama has fallen back asleep.”

“’Kay, let’s head on in— Whoa!”

As Dahak walked backwards, facing Rion and the others, he accidentally bumped into someone. She stumbled back a few steps, then slowly turned around to glare at him. It was a young girl around Rion’s height with very graceful features. Even while glaring, her almond-shaped eyes looked very cute.

“How about you look properly when you walk, huh? Are those needlessly sharp eyes of yours for show?”

“Huh?! Where were you look—”

Just as Dahak was about to step up to accept the fight the girl was picking, Rion interrupted him. “Stop it, Hak-chan! We’re the ones in the wrong!” She then turned to the other girl. “We’re very sorry about what happened!”

Reading the atmosphere, the maids standing behind her bowed deeply in apology.

“Hmph. Just be careful next time,” the girl said sourly before disappearing into an alley, her long, fire-red hair trailing after her.

“Gah, what was with that girl? Could she be any ruder?! She might be super cute, but I hate those types!”

“Hak-chan, as I said, we were in the wrong too. And that girl...”

“What?”

“Mm...never mind. Come on, let’s head inside. Looks like Shutola-chan’s at the end of her rope.”

As everyone filed into the inn, Rion shot one last look at the alley the girl had entered. She was no longer in sight, of course. During their brief encounter, however, Rion had felt it. That girl was super strong. If I didn’t stop him, Hak-chan might have been in trouble.

What Rion had felt was the unmistakable aura of someone with overwhelming power.