Chapter 1: The Dungeon City, Zenelaus

“We’ve finally arrived, oink...” I groaned.

“Though it might not have been the most comfortable ride, no matter what kind of monster stands in our way, we shall escort our customers to their destinations safe and sound. That is our role, the role of this large-scale adventurer party, the Armed Convoy! Now, our wonderful customers, you may exit the vehicle! Behold, the imposing city standing in the wilderness is our long-awaited destination, the Dungeon City, Zenelaus!”

Now that I thought back on it, I had never traveled for pleasure. Since I was born into House Denning, it was all but certain that I would take command of the army one day, so my strict education was all towards that end.

Even when I left the country for the purpose of inspections, someone had always waited by my side without fail. I’d been hailed as one of the prodigies that would lead the country or something grand like that, and my schedule had always been filled to the brim. There was no way I had any free time.

“Our dear customers! When you feel like returning to Galland City, please don’t hesitate to call for the Armed Convoy! We have our regular service twice a day, but we also accept escort requests with a minimum of four people! If you hired shoddy adventurers as your guards just because they’re cheap, you would perish! This place is overflowing with zombies at the moment, and inexperienced adventurers are utterly useless. For those of you with deeper coffers, we even have a hellish course in which we rush through the wilderness in one night, so please, make sure to consider your options wisely!”

Things had only worsened after I had become the blackhearted Piggy Duke. When I had been living in the Denning lands back then, I had always been a hermit in my room and spent my time eating and sleeping the day away. Since I had been deemed the failure of House Denning, members of my family had been very against letting me outside.

Thus, my trip to Zenelaus could count as my first ever trip for pleasure.

“Wow, I’m in Zenelaus again! This brings back so many memories!” an adventurer gushed. “Back when we just started out as adventurers, we used to venture around here safely all the time, didn’t we?! How many years has it been since I last came back? Wait, I don’t remember this many monsters wandering around out in the wilderness, though...”

“It’s full of zombies,” a man remarked. “I haven’t heard of any new dungeons spawning, though...”

“Oink...” I snorted pathetically after a long pause.

But life never goes the way you want it to... I thought miserably. My stay in Huzak had been harsh, and I had prioritized haste above all else in my trip from Daryth to Zenelaus. I didn’t have any time to properly tour around places on the way.

I probably caused a lot of stress for my traveling companion too. I’m really sorry about this. I really am, I swear!

I felt a pair of glaring eyes drilling into my back.

I hesitated. “Um, Miss Charlotte?” I said carefully.

Of course, this pair of eyes belonged to a girl whom I knew very well. She was glaring at me because we had come here despite all of her objections.

“Charlotte,” I said weakly. “We’ve arrived in Zenelaus, you know?”

“Adventurers!” a voice boomed. “Work your hardest on our special quest to defend this city! The Adventurers’ Guild promises that we will support those who fight for this city as much as we can!”

The Freedom Union was located in the southeastern corner of the continent, while Daryth was located to the northwest in the middle of the continent. It was known as a country where merchants could sell their souls for money and flourish.

Huzak was between Daryth and the Freedom Union, and it was impossible to travel through it now. Thus, the journey from Daryth to the Freedom Union was a long one, taking nearly two weeks.

On top of that, if someone wanted to go to Zenelaus, the capital city of adventurers and the pride of the Freedom Union, the only option they had was to make use of the regular carriage services that departed from Galland City. Galland City was an industrial metropolis where smoke could be seen churning on in the sky endlessly every day.

However, the trip from Galland City to Zenelaus was a very brutal one. You never know what kind of monster you might bump into in the wilderness, so you need expert guides who know the wilds like the back of their hand.

“Only adventures of D-class and above are allowed to participate in the city defenses! Anyone below that can join in as support!”

“Zenelaus may be recruiting all kinds of adventurers, but we’re also recruiting guild staff at all times!”

Zenelaus was a smaller, isolated city that stood as a firm presence against the barren wilderness surrounding it, and was partially encircled by a desolate mountain range. The city itself was located in a barren area where it was impossible to find any green around. The streets were grimy, and its walls looked worn down. Even the paved streets looked chipped and cracked.

I had seen the city from the windows of the Armed Convoy’s carriage, driven by tamed monsters. Zenelaus had seemed so tiny and insignificant compared to the magnificent expanse of wilderness around it, but my impression completely changed once I was actually inside its walls.

“The Eye of the Crimson Lotus was just a hair’s breadth away from crushing that lich! However, a dullahan that was gushing out miasma appeared and got in his way at the last moment! The Eye of the Crimson Lotus didn’t actually lose!”

“City defense is the best! Even if I slack off, I get rewards! It’s not like the guild staff can keep track of everyone, after all. It’s way safer than exploring a dungeon and the pay’s good, so there’s no need to move to any other towns!” a man cackled.

The whole town was filled with vitality and vigor. Perhaps it was because more than half of the residents were adventurers who specialized in dungeon expeditions.

Monsters were on the prowl in the wilderness, and just getting to this city was a risk to one’s life. Yet, everyone was absorbed in their conversations with vibrant faces. Among them, I spotted some adventurers from the Armed Convoy, which had just brought a fresh crowd of merchants and adventurers to Zenelaus.

Everyone was devoted to gathering the latest information. I suppose I should have expected nothing less from a city of the Freedom Union, which loooves anything to do with money.

“But with more and more adventurers showing up every minute,” someone argued, “won’t the rewards decrease sooner or later?”

“No way in hell! Look at how many zombies are loitering outside! No matter how many adventurers there are, the zombies will only increase unless we defeat the root of the problem: that lich!”

Outside Zenelaus, there were twenty-four dungeons in the wilderness that reflected the harsher side of nature.

These dungeons weren’t just the classic holes that led to the underground. Some of these were tunnels in the mountain range, and there were even paths to the peak of the mountain range that turned into dungeons. It was practically a theme park of assorted dungeons.

I finally spoke up. “Charlotte... You saw all those zombies roaming around the wasteland too, didn’t you? There were loads of them. The adventurers are fighting to prevent the zombies from invading the city.”

Charlotte did not reply.

I continued on awkwardly with forced cheerfulness. “See? I was right on the mark with my deduction that something abnormal was going on in Zenelaus. This city is currently in great danger. I-I’m so glad we were able to find out what’s really going on! I was worrying my head off about the situation in this place, you know?”

At the end of my poverty-stricken trip with Charlotte, we had finally, somehow, managed to arrive in Zenelaus, one of the prized capitals of the Freedom Union.

Charlotte’s tone was steady when she finally replied to me. “Master Slowe. May I make one comment?”

“G-Go ahead!”

“Indeed, there are many zombies outside, and I see why you said that this town is in great danger. But this place is practically celebrating the whole thing, isn’t it? You said that it was miserable and needed help, Master Slowe, but it doesn’t feel that way at all. Did we really need to go out of our way to come here?”

“Uh, I mean, you’re right, Charlotte. It doesn’t feel like they’re waiting for aid right now, but... S-Still!” I tried to argue.

“Even someone like me has heard that the dungeon in the Easton Rock Mountain Range is famous for having lots of tortoises that can be processed into precious stones. I know one could earn a fortune there. But even though the dungeon has been occupied by a fearsome lich monster posing a great danger to the city, these people are super cheerful, aren’t they?!”

“Uh, well...” I stammered. “I can’t really argue against that...”

The Easton Rock Mountain Range could be seen on the far side of the wilderness that surrounded Zenelaus. One of the twenty-four dungeons in the area was located there, and it was called the Carapace Temple.

Apparently, a lich had appeared out of nowhere and attacked, causing the dungeon to fall into the monster’s clutches. And now, the lich was probably creating its puppets inside of it. The wilderness was suddenly filled with zombies staggering about, even though they normally wouldn’t be in this area.

These zombies were originally humans, monsters, or a strange mixture of both, and they were all turned into undead puppets by the lich. Large groups of adventurers were currently surrounding the perimeter of the city, dealing with approaching monsters. They had all probably accepted the job from the guild.

No matter how you look at it, Zenelaus is in a very precarious situation, but uh... I faltered.

“That Archflare guy actually took out the elder zombies in one swoop!” a man shouted animatedly. “I was watching nearby, but that Flamberge isn’t anything to laugh about! It might be the luckiest dungeon drop found in these past few years!”

“The dungeon’s occupied by that lich, and the Adventurers’ Guild wants to get rid of that guy as soon as possible! That’s probably why they’re throwing money at the problem left and right! City defense right now can really earn us some great cash! Just defeating a few zombies outside the city brings money into our pockets, after all!”

“Did you hear that, Charlotte?” I asked. “This place is in a festive mood because it’s a city of adventurers. The Adventurers’ Guild seems to be handing out money like candy for some reason, so it’s probably quite the prosperous time... Ah, but I’m serious! This city really is in great danger!”

Charlotte’s silence was chilling.

“Word on the street is that there will be a special quest to fight the lich!” a man yelled. “Whoever takes down that lich will leap right up in rank! Someone even said that you could rise up to A- or S-class! A new S-class adventurer might come out of all this!” The man cheered heartily. “Excitement’s building for the final confrontation! Every day is so fun!”

Even right at that moment, the adventurers were laughing at ease with each other, boasting about the effortless money they had earned by beating up zombies.

I mean, I knew this would be the case, but seriously? Even in the anime, there were tons of people who enjoyed the fight with the zombies, so I expected this... But is this kind of uproar an everyday occurrence to these guys? Being attacked by a lich’s army? Really?

“You know, Master Slowe...” Charlotte began. “You were muttering in your sleep that Zenelaus had it bad and that it was going to be destroyed. On top of that, you even stopped eating properly... Because of all that, I thought this was important enough that I let you come here without returning to the capital! But look at the people here! They’re having the time of their lives! It’s written all over their faces that being attacked by monsters is just another normal day in Zenelaus!”

Like Charlotte said, after I heard that something bad was going on in Zenelaus, I lost my appetite entirely. I had realized that the events of the anime were proceeding steadily even though I had driven Rooney back to where he came from, and it had been too much.

“Charlotte, shush!” I hissed with panic. “Careful, everyone can hear you!”

“The promise you made wasn’t just with any girl, you know! A promise with Princess Carina is a promise with the royal family! It’s essentially a promise with the queen herself!”

I tried to somehow pacify my infuriated little retainer. “I was completely in the wrong. I am sorry.”

If I consider what’s unfolding in Zenelaus right now, though, it’s way more important than my promise with Princess Carina. After all, the conflict in this city is the trigger that will lead to an outbreak of war with the Dustour Empire...

“When we arrived in Zenelaus, the Great Spirit of Wind said they would go off exploring and then wandered off somewhere... How are we going to make ends meet now...?” Charlotte wailed. “Master Slowe, do you understand the gravity of the situation? We’re broke!”

To be honest, I didn’t want to bring Charlotte with me. However, considering that certain future which lay in wait in Zenelaus...I had to depend on the power of the Great Spirit of Wind. This time, my power alone might not be enough to seize command of the situation. I could say that I had brought Charlotte along so that I could borrow the power of the Great Spirit.

I know, I’m a scumbag who always troubles Charlotte for my own selfish reasons. I’m a big bad Slowe who can’t even keep my promise.

“Ah, you’re ignoring me again with that complicated look on your face... I mean, I’ve gotten used to it, but still...”

But, honestly...I’m getting sick and tired of this role I have to play. I’m the only one who knows how important these events are, so I need to shoulder the burden all on my own. Jeez, I’m not a volunteer who works for free, you know? Someone, please take this job off me, thanks! Surely there’s someone with a stronger sense of justice out there!

Charlotte was oblivious to my thoughts, and her ire only grew in momentum... Wait, why’d she freeze like that?!

“Master Slowe! I came up with the most brilliant idea!” Charlotte declared.

“All right, let’s hear it. Charlotte, feel free to say anything you want. I want to take your opinions into consideration as much as I can.”

“I get the feeling that you haven’t given much weight to my opinion up until now, but...that’s in the past,” Charlotte muttered. “So, I was thinking that since we’re here in Zenelaus anyway...we might as well become adventurers!”

The most outlandish proposal known to man came out of her mouth.

“I’ve managed to awaken my magic properly now, and you’re a super-duper strong mage!” Charlotte exclaimed. “We could make a great living as adventurers. We’d go off into dungeons, earn money like there’s no tomorrow, and we can simply move to this country! Luckily, the Freedom Union doesn’t care about one’s origins at all, so it’s perfect for people like us, who broke our promise with Princess Carina, and...”

“Charlotte, the life of an adventurer is really tough, you know?”

“But that’s probably the only choice we have left...” Charlotte muttered dejectedly.

A loud voice cut into our conversation. “There is no need to fear a lowly lich!!! We have the Eye of the Crimson Lotus on our side! The hero who has so many great feats under his belt has our back!”

“Charlotte, be quiet for a moment,” I said.

Charlotte pouted in displeasure.

I listened to the man making a speech. He spoke passionately with a loud voice to inspire the masses...no, the adventurers here in the city.

“After the battle a few days ago, the Eye of the Crimson Lotus stormed into the Easton Rock Mountain Range all by himself! He was able to valiantly get past the scarlet base of the mountains, crowded with zombies... Let me ask you this. Is there anyone else here who has the courage to rush into that place alone?!”

Right now, Zenelaus was under attack from a lich. That was for certain.

Well, they weren’t exactly wrong, but all of this was actually an attack planned by the Dustour Empire. To be more precise, it was an attack ordered by one of the Three Musketeers, Dreibach Steibelt. He was also known as the Living Dead and was a half-human, half-fiend apparition.

It was identical to what happened in the anime, and I slumped my shoulders at that thought.

In Huzak, I had managed to chase the scout Rooney back to the north. Despite that, the Living Dead had still initialized his attack on Zenelaus, just like in the anime.

How in the world had things come to this?

The man continued on. “According to reports from the Adventurers’ Guild, there’s a new dungeon in the area beyond the base of the mountain range. There is an entrance leading to the dungeon overrun with the undead! It seems that the lich has indeed occupied the Carapace Temple! It has stolen our golden goose from us!”

Why hasn’t the future changed at all? In the official guide to the anime, they clearly wrote that if Shuya had chased Rooney away at that point in time, the war wouldn’t have happened!

But that’s not all. Rooney has the favor of Nanatrij, and he suffered a defeat. Under these circumstances, I don’t think Nanatrij would decide to ignore her own plans and start the attack on Zenelaus either...

Charlotte continued to lecture and nag me insistently long after the man’s speech had concluded.

“Master Slowe? Are you listening to me?”

Even though she might not seem like it, Charlotte had actually calmed down quite a lot compared to before.

In the middle of our journey to the Freedom Union, there was a time when Charlotte had broken down and bawled for real, wailing that she could never return to Daryth again. She had cursed me, calling me an idiot.

Whenever one of those episodes had happened, I had consoled her with flimsy lies I made up on the spot, saying that we were actually on a secret mission from Princess Carina. Unfortunately, that had only added fuel to the fire.

In the end, I had revealed the truth to her: something fishy was going on in Zenelaus. Charlotte had asked me what I meant by “fishy,” and oh boy, answering that question had been a big struggle.

“It’s not that I doubt everything you said though, Master Slowe. After all, well... You were right when you said that the Adventurers’ Guild was lying... I would never have thought that the dungeon had actually fallen into the hands of a monster... Ah, I can see it now. So that’s Nemesis... That’s a lot of people.”

Every town within the Freedom Union always had at least one certain establishment you could find without fail: the Adventurers’ Guild.

Daryth took on the stance of crushing dungeons immediately once they spawned, if possible, but this country managed them differently.

The Freedom Union did whatever it took to secure a lasting profit from the dungeons. Preserving dungeons by keeping them in a precarious balance between overflow and destruction was like child’s play to them. The scale and facilities of the Adventurers’ Guilds in this country were also in a whole other league compared to other countries.

However, the Adventurers’ Guild in this town was even more special compared to the rest. This location was known as Nemesis and acted as the guild’s headquarters for the southern half of the continent.

“Please line up for your rewards from the city defense quest! I repeat! Those waiting for your rewards, please line up! Hey, I didn’t say two lines; keep it to one!”

The plaza right before the robust guild headquarters was filled with adventurers. Nearly all of these people gathered here had probably taken on the city defense quest from the Adventurers’ Guild.

Wow, there are so many of them. Burly adventurers flooded the entrance of the guild headquarters, and the line was too long to be contained in the plaza before the building. Here and there, I could overhear complaints about people cutting in line and how long the wait was.

So this is the heart of the Adventurers’ Guild in the south, uniting all of the guilds in this part of the continent, huh? Unlike other guild offices, Nemesis was on a whole other level in scale and in the number of adventurers that made use of it.

Hm? A guild staff member just came out from the entrance and he’s shouting something...

“A reminder to all of those who accepted the city defense quest: don’t forget to prepare the documents filled in by the staff on the scene! Hey, you, over there! Line up properly! In addition, the registration of new adventurers is suspended for today and will resume at a later date!”

Here, the risk associated with a quest was proportional to the reward. On our way here to Nemesis, I heard many adventurers saying that the rewards for city defense were handsome. If the guild was handing out that much in return, it meant that the same amount of danger was involved.

“It’s huge...” Charlotte muttered in awe. “I wonder how many people work here. Let’s head in, Master Slowe.”

“If we want to go inside, Charlotte, it seems that we have to get in line with everyone else,” I said.

Adventurers who came to this city could gain information about monsters and traps in monitored dungeons, and they could steadily grow stronger while exploring within a safety net.

However, adventurers who only earned a living within the confines of Zenelaus without leaving were looked down upon by others, and they were regarded as amateurs. As a result, not a lot of people stayed here for a long time. Most would polish up their abilities, save up money, then leave for wild dungeons untouched by humans.

Zenelaus was an outlet for the desires of adventurers, and it held dungeons that spat out precious items. The adventurers in this city were probably raking in tons of money.

“Let’s...not do that...” Charlotte muttered slowly.

“Yeah, agreed.”

“That aside, you’d never find a city with this kind of feel in Daryth. I’m a little surprised,” Charlotte admitted.

“Charlotte, beware of pickpockets. In a sense, anything goes in this place.”

“Listen to yourself! We don’t even have enough money to steal.”

I whimpered out a snort. “Sorry. It’s all my fault.”

Being poor was painful. At this rate, it’s probably better if we become adventurers like Charlotte suggested. At least that way, we could earn money...

“Back to what we were talking about earlier...” Charlotte paused. “Master Slowe, how did you realize that Zenelaus was spreading fishy information on purpose?”

I hesitated. “Let’s walk while we talk. We’d be in deep trouble if someone from the guild’s staff overheard us.”

I cranked my head up to look at the Adventurers’ Guild building, Nemesis. This adventurers’ headquarters was the one where the so-called “truth” that Zenelaus was under the attack of a lich had originated.

Hundreds, thousands of adventurers lined up in rows and disappeared into Nemesis.

The building was just like a carnivorous plant attracting insects with nectar with how it freely dished out the special city defense quest to adventurers.

“Remember when we tried to find out more about Zenelaus? The information sounded stranger and stranger as we dug deeper. In one town, the rumors said that a new dungeon ruled by orcs had spawned here, but in another, apparently all was right in the world. There was even that ridiculous rumor about a new dungeon spawning, but the Eye of the Crimson Lotus crushed it because it wasn’t profitable.”

“So is it just like what you said in the first place, Master Slowe? The Adventurers’ Guild wants to hide the fact that a lich took over a dungeon?”

“Probably. I think the guild is purposefully spreading false information so that it’s difficult to know what’s actually going on here in Zenelaus. And who would be the mastermind behind all this? It’s obviously the overlord of the city, the Eye of the Crimson Lotus. It would be impossible to control the flow of information like this unless he was involved.”

Charlotte hesitated. “Do you think there’s a reason for all this?”

“If possible, I want to meet him and ask him in person, but unfortunately, we aren’t even adventurers... I hear that the Eye of the Crimson Lotus is a man shrouded in mystery, and that even the Adventurers’ Guild can’t keep track of his whereabouts or what he’s doing at any time. We probably won’t even be able to meet him unless we do something drastic.”

“But the Adventurers’ Guild seems to be asking for help from an extensive range of sources right now. If you said that you’re here to lend a hand, then—”

“That’s our last resort. I’m a Daryth noble, and one from House Denning at that. If I openly cooperate with a guild from another country, things are going to get messy... More importantly, we should probably find ourselves a base of operations first. I really don’t want a repeat of last time, when we went to inn after inn and they were all full so we had to sleep outdoors.”

“You should eat something, Master Slowe. You’ve only been drinking water lately!” Charlotte said worriedly.

“I just can’t stomach food right now...” I muttered.

We had been traveling penniless for a long time. I’ll be frank. Even Charlotte hadn’t believed me at first, and many times, my spirit came to the brink of breaking. To a bystander, my actions would look like a big, fat betrayal towards the faith Princess Carina had placed in me.

In the end, Charlotte had followed me regardless. A whirlpool of emotions in my chest was suffocating me, and I couldn’t work up even a bit of an appetite. I mean, just think about it! A war is going to break out all of a sudden. Zenelaus will fall, and the world as we know it will end. And I’m the only person who knows such a future is creeping in on us. It’s way too heavy of a burden! Of course I wouldn’t feel like eating anything.

“Are you still not hungry at all?” Charlotte asked.

“Yeah...”

Still, the Eye of the Crimson Lotus, huh? I actually don’t know much about that guy. In the anime, he only showed up as the man who dragged Zenelaus into the war, and there wasn’t much else about him. However, many people hailed him as a hero... The guild staff and even the adventurers caught up in the war were oblivious to the truth because he didn’t enlighten them.

The guild master that these people place up on a pedestal as the hero of this city... What kind of person is he really?

I’m just curious because, well, I hear people singing the guy’s praises everywhere in the streets here. My general impression of adventurers is that they’re violent and self-centered, and they love booze. The adventurers of Zenelaus not only fit the stereotype, but they’re even on the extreme end of the spectrum. They’re a very rowdy lot. The Eye of the Crimson Lotus has the absolute faith of these people, so I’m curious what kind of—

A male voice interrupted my thoughts. “Do I have to repeat myself?! I’ve said time and time again that I’m going to remain in Zenelaus!”

“Then when are you coming back today?!” a girl asked, livid. “Think about how I feel, having to wait for you in a run-down inn while worried sick if you were going to come back without getting injured again!”

“Don’t just shove your opinions onto me! Nobody ever asked you to worry about me!” the boy yelled back.

The girl was infuriated. “What did you just say?!”

We were in a city full of adventurers. People were arguing all over the place.

Someone else started to complain as well. “I came here to explore dungeons! Why do I have to fight zombies?!”

Another person consoled them. “You can earn big bucks without much danger involved though. Isn’t that a win?”

“There’s something way more important than evacuating right now!” The boy from earlier continued to argue his point. “The city’s under attack!”

The girl provided her own rebuttal. “You’re not even a citizen of the Freedom Union though!”

The boy grew more passionate. “I’m an adventurer! To adventurers, it doesn’t matter which country you’re from! And I’ve already told you that you can go back to wherever you want since you didn’t end up registering as an adventurer, haven’t I?!”

The girl wasn’t about to step down either. “You...! Ugh! Remember who carried your unconscious body here?! So, when will you be getting back today?! Don’t forget that we have to pay for our stay in the inn every day! Are you going to fight against those zombies until sundown...again... Huh...? Wait, the person who just passed by us... It can’t be...”

I suppressed a sigh. Yeah, it seems that couples and their clichéd lovers’ spats really are everywhere. Just hearing this gives me secondhand embarrassment, you know!

Charlotte tugged on my sleeve a couple of times. “Master Slowe, Master Slowe.”

“Hm?”

“Didn’t those two voices just now sound familiar to you?”

I thought about it for a moment. “Hm, I don’t think so? They probably just so happen to resemble some people we know.”

After all, the pair we know ended up going through some super awful stuff in Huzak. I wouldn’t be surprised if they had decided to call off going to Zenelaus. Actually, that would be the best choice.

Even if they had stubbornly stuck to their original plan and had arrived in Zenelaus, this place is currently under the attack of zombies. If they had found out that this city’s in hot water, even those two would probably have decided to return to Daryth.

“Please turn this way, Master Slowe. Why are you squeezing your eyes shut with that pained look on your face?”

I paused awkwardly. “I-It’s not like I mean anything by it. Charlotte, did you see someone you know or something?”

On our way here to Zenelaus, we had departed from the industrial, smoke-filled Galland City. We were escorted by a great number of adventurers as we made our way to our destination.

During our trip, we spotted many people fighting with zombies, and the adventurers that served as our guides insisted that we not speak of what went on in this city anywhere else. Since one could earn lots of money in Zenelaus right now, they didn’t want this information to spread.

My thoughts stilled for a moment as dread crept up my spine. There’s no way that guy would join the other adventurers and fight the zombies, right? Surely he wouldn’t? He’s technically a Daryth noble, so it’d be ridiculous, right?

And of course, there’s no profound reason why I’m not looking or anything.

“Um, well...” Charlotte trailed off awkwardly.

There was a long, shrill yell of realization from somewhere in front of me. “I knew it was you!”

She’s so loud... And what does she mean by that?! My appearance isn’t so iconic that some random person could just recognize me on sight! I’ve been losing weight like crazy lately, after all. I could even call myself a standard human size now, to be honest. At the very least, I’m not obese. Charlotte also said that in my current state, people wouldn’t start talking behind my back even if I go out in public.

Hm? Wait a minute. Thinking back, that was a very harsh comment...

My thoughts desperately searched for an escape from reality as I slowly, fearfully opened my eyes.

Zenelaus wasn’t a vast city. It was small and packed tightly with people. Thus, if a friend or acquaintance was around, one could easily expect to bump into them within a few days. However, I had only just arrived here. Just what kind of minuscule chance was there to meet someone this fast?

“It’s you, Piggy Slowe! Why are you here?!” the girl shouted. “Aren’t you supposed to be in Daryth right now?!”

Oh, heavens above, I thought helplessly. No matter where I go, I just can’t escape these guys, can I?

Given the choice, I would have preferred to not meet up with these two. They only caused trouble everywhere they went. The pair, Shuya and Alicia, stared hard at my face from point-blank range, scrutinizing me.

Uh, hey. Alicia, just how long are you planning on gawking at me for?!

“Hey, Alicia,” Shuya muttered. “Who are you mistaking this guy for? Are you saying this guy is Denning?! Don’t make me laugh. Denning isn’t this thin for one, and he’s in the capital right now. Hm? But, that punchable face and those eyes that look as if he’s arrogantly looking down on the whole world... I guess if that Piggy Duke did lose a bunch of weight, he’d probably look something like that, yeah.”

I enunciated my threat slowly. “I’m going to send you flying, Shuya. Seriously.”

“His voice! No way!” Shuya, who was standing behind Alicia, turned pale. He even had the nerve to take a few steps away from me.

It was almost as if he had encountered a monster, and I felt my heart crack like glass at that reaction, just a little. Also, this guy just said something incredibly rude, didn’t he? Can I beat him to a pulp? That’s totally fine, right? Okay, time to get cracking.

A man cut into our conversation. “Shuya, who’s this? You know this guy?”

Shuya seemed to stumble over his words. “Mister Zodd! Uh, um... I could kinda call him an acquaintance? No, he is an acquaintance... But well, I just never expected to meet him here, of all places... I’m surprised you recognized that this guy is Denning, Alicia.”

“It took me a moment, but Miss Charlotte is with him too, so it wasn’t too hard,” Alicia said.

“If you guys know him, that means that brat over there is a Daryth noble, huh? Interesting.” The man raised an eyebrow. His tone sounded as if he was belittling me, and I felt a tiny spike of irritation.

The man who spoke up was equipped with light armor, and he had placed one of his hands onto Shuya’s shoulder after the redhead had taken a few steps back. His long, chestnut-colored hair was tied behind his head, and he had a lithe figure. He carried a slender blade with a single edge. He’s a swordsman, I see.

He was exactly like the typical rowdy Zenelaus adventurer I had imagined, and seeing how Shuya was acting so respectful around him, I could tell that the man was an adventurer of higher rank.

“Mister Zodd, it is best to not associate yourself with this guy,” Shuya warned. “He’s from a rather...unique family, and...”

“You mean that his family’s ranking is above yours, at the very least.”

“Well...quite a lot higher...” Shuya muttered.

“But Shuya, you’ve picked up a lot of combat experience here in Zenelaus. At least in that respect, I think you’re better than this brat, who looks as if he only has his family’s social standing going for him.”

Indeed, the man might have been right about that: Shuya felt completely different than when he was back at Kirsch. To be blunt, he was a new man. So he did accept the city defense quest, already having participated in numerous battles with monsters.

Shuya’s clothes were worn out, but the confidence in his face was clear. He also didn’t seem unsure around me, unlike how he used to be. It was clear that he had grown a lot from the whelp he had been.

The flippant-looking man wasn’t the only person behind Shuya though. There was one more person beside him: a woman, who had been staring at me with immense curiosity for a while. She had short, blue hair, and she was dressed in rather revealing... I mean, dressed in the style of a thief, in clothes that allowed her increased mobility. Oh wow, that’s a lot of knives. I wonder how many she has in total.

She started paying more attention to me the moment Shuya had implied that my family’s standing was quite high. It seemed like she was quite the calculating person.

I actually recognized these two adventurers. These guys...they’re from Zylush.

“Say, Shuya. The boy over there looks like he has something to say to you guys, so let’s bring them back with us,” the woman suggested. “We’re just having a meal after this, after all!”

“She’s right. If they’re your acquaintances, Shuya, it’s no problem,” the man said, then turned to me. “Come with us.”

“Uh, but...” Shuya glanced repeatedly at me, trying to gauge my reaction.

Ew, that gives me the creeps. If you don’t want me to tag along, then just say it outright.

He’s already joined up with Zylush, huh? It’s all going according to the anime’s plot, to the bitter end. I see how it is.

After Shuya had arrived here in the anime, he had encountered a high-ranking adventurer named the Archflare. The man was the wielder of Flamberge as well as the leader of the adventurer party Zylush, and he would go on to become Shuya’s master.

In terms of numbers, Zylush couldn’t compare to the Armed Convoy, which had brought us from Galland City to Zenelaus. However, it was filled with people who were each powerful in their own right, and the party upheld the motto of quality over quantity.

Normally, it was a party of six people including the Archflare, but only the easy-to-anger deputy party leader Zodd and the nimble thief Nalita were in Zenelaus at the moment.

“You over there,” the woman addressed me. “If you come along, we’ll treat you to something good.”

“I’m coming!” I immediately replied.

I was broke, so I couldn’t resist a free meal. And not only that, but the moment it was mentioned, Charlotte had grabbed my arm, which was my main motivation.

“Hey, Alicia...” Shuya muttered slowly. “Am I dreaming?”

“Don’t ask me...” Alicia replied just as slowly. “I’m just as surprised as you are.”

“That Denning? Not having an appetite? No way in hell. He’d usually demolish three times what I could eat in a breeze! I’m sure you also remember what happened during the eating contest...”

My journey to Zenelaus hadn’t been so hard that it had been unbearable. I had just had a mental breakdown because my mind was going in circles worrying about the future that would probably come to pass in Zenelaus.

Thanks to that, I hadn’t been able to eat anything for a while. At that moment, I was the thinnest I had ever been since the title of Piggy Duke had been slapped on me.

Alicia looked shell-shocked. “Piggy Slowe not diving into food even when it’s presented to him... He isn’t even a pig anymore... Miss Charlotte, what in the world happened to this guy?”

“Um, well... You could say that Master Slowe isn’t feeling well...?”

Perhaps trying to be considerate, the pair from Zylush gave us a wide berth and sat a distance away from us. However, I knew I couldn’t let them hear a word of what I was about to say next. I cast a minor spell to prevent people near us from hearing our voices.

“Hey Denning, if you’re not gonna eat, then answer my questions,” Shuya demanded. “Why are you in Zenelaus? After that big fuss in Kirsch, you were invited to the capital, right? I know that for sure.”

Yep, I knew Shuya would ask that. It’s way too weird for us to be here in Zenelaus. On top of that, I’m not an adventurer like him, so I have no connections with this place at all.

However, I do have a realistic excuse ready. There was a certain, minor rumor among people who pay attention to those sorts of things, and I happened to hear that rumor on my journey from Daryth to Zenelaus.

“I actually came here to find you two,” I said.

Shuya was puzzled. “Huh? Why us?”

“Shuya, you’re in deep trouble. Alicia suddenly disappeared from Kirsch, so people assumed that you took her somewhere. Technically, she is royalty. A princess studying as an overseas student at Kirsch Mage Institute, at that. They say you brought her outside campus without contacting anyone. What were you thinking?”

Shuya was at a loss for words for a moment. “No way.”

“You two got along well in Kirsch, so people might even think you’re eloping or something.” I shrugged.

“Don’t speak nonsense! Elope?! With Shuya?! That’s absurd! And what do you mean by ‘technically’?!” Alicia snapped.

“If you want to fix it, contact Cirquista immediately and tell them that she’s going to return at once,” I said.

Shuya was fighting zombies in Zenelaus despite being a Daryth noble, and that was an issue, but he wasn’t the only problem. Alicia was also one. In a sense, her case was a lot crazier than his.

You’re a princess, you know? How could you just sneak out of campus as you pleased?! And you’re in Zenelaus, of all places! In the anime, you were given a big talking-to by people from Cirquista after all this... I’ll give you a warning in advance. Try not to cry.

At first, the pair had been knocked off their feet, but they slowly regained their composure.

Alicia summed the situation up. “So, you came all the way here to find us, Piggy Slowe.”

I hesitated. “I guess you could say that.”

I whimpered inwardly. Charlotte’s sharp gaze from beside me dug into me like knives.

“How did you figure out where we were, though?” Alicia asked. “We never told anyone that we were coming here.”

I shrugged. “There was a mountain of books related to Zenelaus in Shuya’s room.”

Shuya squawked in indignation. “You went into my room without permission?!”

“It was an emergency. You should actually thank me.”

I haven’t done that at all, though. I really, really haven’t. So please, Charlotte, don’t look at me with those eyes...

“Getting back on track... You two, and especially you, Alicia,” I addressed them. “Do you even understand what’s going on here right now? It’s a war. Zenelaus is waging a war against a lich, a monster that’s nearly immortal!”

The real reason I had come to Zenelaus was to investigate what was going on in this city. My opponent was the pride of the Dustour Empire, one of the Three Musketeers. In the anime, there had been frequent flashback scenes that suggested the man hadn’t wished for the war to happen. However, he was the one who ultimately caused the fall of Zenelaus, triggering the war itself.

“It’s obvious what’s going on. Of course I’m going to evacuate,” Alicia declared.

“In that case... Shuya, what are you going to do?” I asked.

“I’m going to stay until the end.”

I doubted my ears for a moment. “What? Surely you’ve earned enough money by now. I heard that the rewards are really good.”

“True, I was hooked in by the money at first, but things are different now.”

My impatience seeped through. “What’s so different, exactly?”

“I now know more adventurers, and I even have comrades. They are all people whom I can trust to have my back. I can’t just run away by myself.”

The adventurer from earlier, Zodd, came over. “I don’t want to disturb your conversation, but Shuya, I heard that a problematic bunch of zombies appeared and our leader went out into the wilderness alone a few seconds ago.”

Zodd placed a hand on Shuya’s shoulder. The man seemed to be in very good spirits.

In contrast, I was on edge. I knew this would happen. It’s just like the anime. This guy won’t run away from Zenelaus. If Shuya’s going to remain here though, it means that a certain future would be set in stone.

“Break time’s over!” Zodd declared. “We’re going to crush the zombies on the perimeter, but what about you? You don’t have to force yourself. I wouldn’t mind if you chose to prioritize your chat over here.”

“Please wait!” Shuya stood up in a hurry after Zodd mentioned the Archflare. In the anime, that man had been a reliable ally who would become Shuya’s master. “If the old man is there, then I must go too! It’s so rare for there to be an opportunity to speak to the Archflare himself!” Shuya turned to me. “Denning, I owe you one for coming to find us. But I need to go.”

“That man didn’t say you had to go,” I argued. “There’s no need for you to participate in city defense and put yourself in danger like that.”

Shuya frowned. “It’s like you said earlier, this city is currently under the assault of a lich, and it’s in a very precarious state.”

“But to me, it seems that the adventurers are enjoying themselves. Plus, Alicia said that she’s going to evacuate, didn’t she? Shuya, you should also—”

“I’m an adventurer, Denning. Since I’m here in Zenelaus, I want to help protect this city.” Shuya turned to Alicia. “That’s just how it is. Alicia, I’m going.”

“H-Hey!” Alicia yelped. “Wait, Shuya! We haven’t finished talking!”

Zodd and Nalita had already gone ahead and Shuya trailed after them, leaving the restaurant. As for those of us left here, we were all speechless.

If I had to describe the mood with one sentence... That guy must be kidding me.

Alicia heaved a long sigh as she collapsed onto the table. She held her head in her hands, completely at her wits’ end. “That hopeless idiot...”

Well now, let’s take a moment to put together what I know about Shuya Newkern.

He’s a second-year student at Kirsch Mage Institute. He’s the heir of a baron house, and in terms of his family’s standing, they aren’t too high up in the aristocracy. His family lands are barren, and I can’t say that they reap much profit from them.

At Kirsch, he had been putting time into earning money through divination with his crystal ball and everyone thought he was odd. However, he’s loyal to his friends, and he often gets dragged into all kinds of trouble. He’s on good terms with Alicia, an international student, and he stands out slightly among the students at school.

“Miss Charlotte, don’t you think Slowe has overdone it with his weight loss?” Alicia asked.

“He has... He’s been rapidly losing weight, and...”

“Have you been managing this guy properly, as his retainer?”

“M-Managing?”

“Yes. I mean, I think it’s a good thing for this guy to slim down, but I feel that this pace is too extreme.”

Charlotte was speechless for a moment. “I-I did try to force him to eat! But Master Slowe...”

“Oh, really.” Alicia didn’t sound convinced. “From what I remember, though, I got the vague impression that you were a disaster at cooking, Miss Charlotte.”

“Hey!”

If I’m not mistaken, during the Zenelaus arc, Shuya and Alicia had quarreled the whole time...

Oh well, that’s nothing to worry about myself. The biggest problem is that Shuya is serious about intervening in the fight that’s going to happen here.

If I only considered his abilities back at Kirsch, he would have just been dead weight here.

However, things are slowly clicking into place, and he has been gathering the experience required for him to participate in the coming battle. Those adventurers from earlier are a prime example of that.

“The inn we are staying at is down this street. It’s a little dingy, but I hope you don’t mind,” Alicia said.

“I don’t mind at all, Lady Alicia! As long as it’s cheap, I wouldn’t care even if there are big bugs around!”

“What kind of reaction is that, Miss Charlotte? Are you repulsed at this place or something?”

“N-No, that’s not the case at all!” Charlotte hastily replied. “C-Come on, Master Slowe, let’s head in! W-Wow! The wallpaper’s peeling off, and uh... It really has that kind of antique feel to it!”

Anyone who knew a thing or two about the world of adventurers knew of the Archflare, who possessed Flamberge. People who knew the Shuya back at Kirsch probably wouldn’t believe their ears if they heard that the man had taken a liking to him and invited him into Zylush.

The same thing had happened in the anime. I wonder just what made Shuya seem so interesting to the Archflare.

My thoughts froze. Wait, maybe it’s that thing? The crystal ball that he owns?

Just like Flamberge, that crystal ball was one of the magical artifacts that Eldred had created and dispersed into the world. Did he empathize with Shuya or something because they both owned items that could draw out power from the Great Spirit of Fire?

However, the crystal ball Shuya owned was special. All of the people who had come into possession of that item over the years became addicted to its mighty power and sent themselves down a path of self-destruction without fail. In the end, their bodies were taken over and they exhausted their powers, even against their will. It was a disastrous force.

“Huh? What did you just say, Miss Charlotte? I must have misheard you.”

“Staying in the same room saves us money, so...” Charlotte shrugged. “Plus, it’s nothing new.”

“N-Nothing new? You don’t mean—”

If the true origin of Shuya’s crystal ball was ever revealed, Daryth would probably use any means they had to destroy it, even if it meant utilizing their army.

Eldred was also known as the Devil of Temptation, and his power was dangerous. Furthermore, and unfortunately for Shuya, Eldred had taken a liking to him. If Shuya deeply wished to gain power from the bottom of his heart, Eldred would probably lend him a hand gleefully.

Even though the Great Spirit knew that the consequence would be Shuya’s own destruction.

“So why is our room next to yours, Alicia?” I complained. “I mean, I don’t really care, but still.”

We only rented one room for the two of us. There wasn’t even a single shelf in it, only a bed and a table. The wallpaper was peeling off and there wasn’t any sort of carpet or covering on the barren, cold, stone floor. The lamp sitting on the table would probably barely illuminate the room at night with a dim light.

There were no chandeliers, curtains, or fancy rugs in this dismal room. It wasn’t fit in any way for a girl at the top of the aristocracy like Alicia.

“This place is falling apart,” I commented. “Alicia, are you really okay staying in a place like this?”

“I have my reasons!” Alicia huffed. “Nobody would ever guess that a noble like me would stay in such a run-down place. And, well... I could choose to move to somewhere else at any time, but Shuya would be pretty pitiful if I did.”

“Why?”

“Lately, he hasn’t been consistent with whether he’ll return at night or not. If I disappeared all of a sudden, he’d be lonely when he got back here. I also have the feeling that...Shuya would be even more devoted to his adventurer work if he no longer had a place to return to.”

Alicia could probably move to any other establishment in a heartbeat if she wished. However, this place was where Shuya would return to in the evenings. Alicia deeply cared for Shuya in her own way.

“Yeah, you might be right...” I muttered. “Hm?”

There was an odd-looking cloth on the wall. I flipped it up and found myself staring into a huge hole.

“Apparently, the man who stayed in this room previously opened up a hole in a fit of rage. That’s why it’s so cheap,” Alicia explained.

“That makes sense for them to reduce the price... You know, you’ve become much tougher now, Alicia.”

“What do you mean by that? You’ve seen what Shuya’s like, so I have no choice but to become tougher myself.”

“I guess.” I hesitated. “I said the same thing to Shuya earlier, but you should really get in contact with Cirquista immediately.”

“I know that! You don’t have to be so pompous about it!” Alicia snapped. “And you’re one to talk, Piggy Slowe. I bet you snuck out of the capital without permission.”

I had no good reply to that. “Uh...”

I mean, it was really bothersome. If I had stayed in the capital, I probably could have spent my time being fawned over by everyone, but I had gotten sick of that life in just a few days.

“I don’t know what happened to you, Slowe, but I’ve also experienced my fair share of troubles. Troubles called zombies—you know, those zombies! At this point, who cares about my room being run-down? Miss Charlotte, on the first day of the zombie attacks, it was awful... Nobody batted an eye even though there were monsters all over the city. I knew this place was full of adventurers, but I didn’t expect that! Apparently, it’s a normal occurrence for monsters from dungeons to come here.”

“What?!” Charlotte gasped. “Zombies all over the city?!”

“Yes, Miss Charlotte. After seeing something like that, you can’t do anything other than laugh at that fact, right? Anyway, I have nothing but free time until that guy gets back, so I suppose I’ll explain what went on here...”

After that, Alicia gave us a rundown of everything. Right after they had arrived in Zenelaus, Shuya had dragged Alicia to the guild to register as an adventurer. Alicia had thought the registration was just a small matter, so she agreed.

Her journey through Huzak had probably given her a lot of food for thought. According to her, she had thought that the idea had merit if it meant that she would get better at magic. There were many adventurers who were mages. A noble’s life filled with restrictions and shackles didn’t appeal to everyone.

However, right in the middle of her registration, the Adventurers’ Guild had officially announced that a dungeon had fallen into enemy hands. Not only that, but they had even announced that it was the work of a lich, which was at the top of the food chain of zombie-type monsters.

“Obviously, everyone in Zenelaus was left reeling at the news. The ruin of what was once a grand mage, a lich, had taken over a dungeon, after all,” Alicia said.

“Well, liches usually devote themselves to furthering their magic, so that reaction makes sense. They usually have no interest in fighting with humans.”

“But the Eye of the Crimson Lotus said that the lich in question is very aggressive. He also said that it was changing the dungeon monsters into puppets even at that very moment.”

I paused. “And then, it actually attacked Zenelaus.”

“Right. It was like a living nightmare.” The color drained from Alicia’s face. It seemed that the assault of the zombies was a traumatic memory for her.

The words of the guild master had turned out to be accurate, and the lich began its onslaught. It had brought a vast army of monsters with it—proof that it had managed to turn the dungeon’s monsters into zombies within the span of only a few days. With all that done, it had attacked Zenelaus, the city where adventurers gathered.

“The Adventurers’ Guild ordered the adventurers in Zenelaus to drive back the monsters. The plan was that if the lich appeared, the Eye of the Crimson Lotus would show up to fight it head-on. He’s a hero of the adventurers here, retired from the forefront of battles. He actually was the one who had defeated the famous Wandering Armored Warrior, so everyone was sure that he wouldn’t lose, not even against a lich. However, it seems that he had spent too long in retirement.”

I hesitated. “Wait, did he lose?”

“No, not exactly. I didn’t see it with my own eyes, but word is that he had forced the lich into a corner in the wilderness, and he was just one step away from victory. However, he couldn’t finish the job. The lich escaped, apparently. Things only tumbled downwards into hell after that. The lich then set up its base near the summit of the Easton Rock Mountain Range, and it began to send zombies towards Zenelaus during the day. Meanwhile, the Eye of the Crimson Lotus seems to have been injured relatively significantly, and he hasn’t come out of Nemesis ever since.”

“I cannot believe that’s what happened,” Charlotte muttered. “He was even the hero who defeated the terrifying Armored Warrior, and yet...”

“Miss Charlotte, that’s just how dreadful liches are... And well, now, rumor says that the Eye of the Crimson Lotus is resting himself in preparation for the eventual showdown. While he recovers, the adventurers in this city are taking care of the monsters the lich sends our way daily. Remember how Shuya walked off earlier? Yeah, that’s what he’s doing.”

“But it feels like they’re all excited about all this, aren’t they?” Charlotte asked. “Even though this is a really dangerous situation.”

Alicia hesitated. “Well, that... It’s because the guild is throwing money at them left and right so they’ll join in the city defense effort. That’s why the whole city’s on cloud nine right now. People are getting injured, and there’s even a death toll! However, the guild provides expensive healing medicine to anyone who suffers injuries, and they’re sparing no expense.”

“Why is the Adventurers’ Guild going that far?” Charlotte asked, her voice tinged with a hint of doubt.

“The dungeon the lich took over was the most popular dungeon for adventurers looking to make a fortune, that’s why. The guild is probably suffering some enormous loss in profit right now. As Shuya put it, for adventurers, this battle is to avenge the destruction of a dungeon that everyone knows and loves. Hey, I’m just wondering... Outside of the city, what are they saying about all this?”

“They don’t know a thing. Nobody knows that Zenelaus is under the attack of a lich,” I said.

“No way! The information hasn’t gotten out at all?!” Alicia exclaimed.

“That’s right, Lady Alicia. I haven’t heard any of this... Even on our way to Zenelaus, our adventurer guides told us not to spread information about what we saw here...”

Alicia seemed to sink into her thoughts for a while before she spoke up again. “I see... Zenelaus is currently experiencing an unprecedented economic boom, so people might not want to tell others about such a profitable opportunity. You could earn lots of money here right now, after all... On top of that, the idea that a guild-managed dungeon has suddenly been taken over by an outside monster is so terrible that you can’t even find a lick of humor in it. It’s probably going to be a huge blow to the guild’s reputation.”

“Um...” Charlotte hesitated. “Lady Alicia, is it really okay to stay in this city? We don’t know when the lich might attack, right?”

“We don’t... Zenelaus could fall at any time. It could even be tomorrow.”

Alicia’s hands trembled slightly. Up until now, she had spent her nights in a city with only unfamiliar faces around. She must have experienced a lot of anguish.

She had followed Shuya and come to Zenelaus. In the anime, Alicia had tried all kinds of things to make Shuya leave the city with her, but right now, she probably felt as if she were all alone in the world.

“Alicia... You probably scared yourself by talking about the zombies, didn’t you?” I said. “Ah, that reminds me. When we were kids, you’d immediately start bawling if I told you a scary story...”

“Wh-Who are you talking about?! Stop making stuff up!”

I began telling a horror story relating to a zombie. “Once upon a time, an undead zombie grandma and—”

Immediately, Alicia pursed her lips tight and her face began to look even paler.

“O-Ow!” I yelped. “Charlotte, what was that for?!”

“Please don’t start talking about scary things out of the blue, Master Slowe!” Charlotte exclaimed.

“Ah... Right, these kinds of stories aren’t exactly your cup of tea either.”

“U-Unlike Lady Alicia, it’s not like I’m scared of zombies or anything! Not at all!” Charlotte stammered. “But, Lady Alicia, let’s sleep in the same room tonight!”

“I-Indeed... That’s a brilliant idea, Miss Charlotte. Well, that’s how things are, so, Piggy...” Alicia paused, seeming to mull over her choice of words. “I mean, Slowe, could you please sleep in my room instead?”

“Um... I mean, I don’t mind...” I trailed off.

Zombies, huh? It seemed that Charlotte was also scared of them. Come to think of it, whenever the Z-word was mentioned in Zenelaus, Charlotte always seemed to freeze for a moment or two...

Before me were two beautiful girls, frozen stiff at the mention of zombies. They held each other’s hands tight, trembling from head to toe.

“So, uh... Back to the topic of Shuya,” I said.

“That idiot who’s up to his neck in city defense work? What about him?” Alicia muttered.

“Is he even pulling his weight when he participates? You know, not to be mean or anything, but even back at Kirsch, he was only slightly above average in Practical Magic class.”

“He was.” Alicia nodded. “But he’s become stronger and changed in many ways. Lately, he’s been acting really strange though. His mumbling to himself has gotten even worse than before, and sometimes...it even feels as if he’s actually having a conversation with somebody I can’t see.”

“Tell me more,” I said slowly.

Alicia told us that ever since they had arrived in Zenelaus, Shuya’s habit of talking to himself had become more frequent.

According to her, Shuya had come back from his first city defense battle looking excited about something. Ever since then, his strange habit had only gotten worse. He had bought a glove for his right hand, and he had embedded his crystal ball into it.

It almost seemed to her as if somebody were inside the crystal, and Alicia had interrogated Shuya about whom he had been talking to. Shuya had answered that his conversations were with his alter ego. Alicia had demanded an explanation, saying that his answer didn’t make sense, and after that, Shuya had stopped talking about this mysterious conversation partner altogether.

“Lately, he’s been going around with those people from a party called Zylush, and he seems to think that I’m in the way. On one of the zombie attacks, a famous adventurer took an interest in him, and well... He’s seemed like a completely different person ever since. He doesn’t listen to a word I say either...”

“Master Slowe, you look really pale. What’s wrong?” Charlotte looked at me, worried.

It took me a while before I could speak up again. “It’s nothing. More importantly, Alicia... I see that you’ve been investigating all kinds of stuff in the meantime.”

“Of course I have. Shuya’s life is at stake, after all.”

That made sense. Shuya and Alicia were friends who put each other above all else. Alicia had trusted Shuya enough to follow him, even when he’d decided on the crazy idea of cutting across Huzak as a shortcut to Zenelaus.

“To tell you the truth...” Alicia hesitated. “A lot of things happened on our way to this city. Yet, that idiot... He doesn’t even care about how much he makes other people worry about him.”

It seemed like Alicia wasn’t going to talk about Huzak. I won’t bring it up unless she does. That’s a problem they have to deal with themselves.

That aside, this isn’t good. After the fight with Rooney, it looks like the connection between Shuya and Eldred has become stronger.

The Great Spirit Eldred probably began to force a link with Shuya so that he could protect that guy, since Shuya had been on the brink of death. At this rate, there’s going to be a reenactment of that tragedy in Zenelaus. That’s a huge issue by itself, but it isn’t all I have on my plate.

“Um, Lady Alicia... By that, do you mean that Mister Newkern’s mumbling to himself happens more often than when he was at Kirsch?”

“Miss Charlotte, you already knew about that habit of his?” Alicia asked.

“I don’t mean to be rude or anything, but Mister Newkern is pretty famous for that...”

Alicia sighed. “Really, what should I do about Shuya?”

I hesitated before I answered her. “It would be a bother if you lost even more of his trust by confronting him again. So, uh, let’s put that matter to one side and try to persuade him to evacuate to another town. Shuya’s underestimating the battle that’s on the horizon. In the end, he isn’t some veteran adventurer hardened by experience.”

“Are you going to help persuade him too, Slowe?” Alicia asked at length.

“No way. Think about it. We get along like cats and dogs. Even if I tried to talk some sense into him, it’d have the opposite effect.”

“I don’t think that’s really the case,” Alicia muttered.

The guild master of Zenelaus was clearly suppressing information about the city and not letting a single word get out. On top of that, he was even dishing out money to keep a large number of adventurers here. The situation was very grave. I needed to drag Shuya out of Zenelaus as fast as I could.

Alicia finally spoke up again. “I don’t think Shuya would even listen to what I have to say at this point though.”

“But that’s the only choice you have, isn’t it? The people of Zenelaus are laughing off the whole thing as an everyday occurrence, but it’s not the same for us. Just like you said, a famous adventurer group showed some interest in Shuya and now he’s letting that fact go to his head.”

“What are you going to do then, Slowe?”

“I...” I hesitated. “I’m planning on looking for a way to meet the person in charge of Zenelaus, by any means possible.”