It was some time after we parted ways with Narsena that I saw Aamir running off in a somewhat hurried manner.
I'm not sure if I could get a clear picture of Aamir's face as he was running some distance away, but even so, his face was so lively that I couldn't help but smile at him.

'Narsena, you did well.'

To be honest, Aamir's condition before was too painful.
But the problem wouldn't be solved by me messing with it.
I'm sure you've been in the same boat as Aamir when he was betrayed by the first party he ever had, and I understand that.

...... Whether I tell you that I forgive Armia or not, it's not going to be a fundamental solution.

But, not knowing what to do there, I gave up and Narsena and I were different.

'Can you leave this matter to me? ...... I've never been betrayed by the person I admire before. But I can't bear the pain in my heart just to imagine it. I can't ...... leave her alone.

Narsena told me that after Zeke-san left.
I'm not sure I understand the meaning of those words, to be honest.

It's a good idea to have a good time with your friends.
It is because of Narsena that I was able to recover from the bottom.
I had a premonition that Narsena might be able to do something about Armia.

And it seems that my premonition was correct.
The sight of Aamir running away makes me realize this.
I'm sure that this will put Zeke and the others at ease.

...... Really, Narsena is awesome.

That's what I was thinking, and I was letting those words slip out.
Narsena was different from me, excellent and special.
With that thought in my mind again, I feel a sense of pride for my party members.
And with that refreshed feeling, I start walking to leave the place.

Finally, I've found it!

I'm glad I believed the words of a Guild official: ......

...... Huh?

...... But the next moment the voices of several men that echoed in the next moment made me stop in my tracks.

The voices were not those of anyone I knew.
But for some reason I had a sense of déjà vu and I looked back fearfully.

"............ eh.

And when I saw a large group of adventurers there, I had to make my face twitch.
Without realizing it, the adventurers bowed their heads and began to apologize.

''I'm so sorry, until now!

...... Those adventurers were the people I had previously ignored my apologies and fled.

They began to surround me, inch by inch, and the two words "escape" were scattered around my head at the sight of these vexatious adventurers.

'Please! I apologize and I'll give you all the money I have left. Please spare my life!

...... But when I see the adventurers begging me to do so with a determined look on their faces, I understand that it's impossible.
I'm not sure if I'll ever give up on this look, even if I escaped here and now.
I'm not going to be able to get the best out of them.

...... haha.

Thinking about that, I involuntarily let out a sigh.
For now, I can't leave this place without explaining the misunderstanding of the adventurer in front of me.

...... For now, would you please calm down?

That's what I decided to say out loud: ......


◇ ◇ ◇.


Please! Please, just for life: ......

It had been more than ten minutes since I had decided to somehow clear up the misunderstanding, but the situation hadn't moved at all.
I listen to the words of the adventurer who bows his head in front of me with a twitchy face and open his mouth.

The actuality of this is that I wasn't even thinking about taking a shot at my life .........

No, no! I'm fine! You don't have to be so sure, I will never tell you that you were involved in that case!

'Yes! I will never speak of it!

So, I'll just leave my life at ......

......, but my words never entered the ears of the adventurers.

It's not that I'm thinking of trying to kill you, I just don't remember how many times I repeated that to the adventurers.
But as much as I wanted to say that, my words never entered the ears of the adventurers.

The adventurers looked at me with an unconcealed fear on their faces.
Because of this fear, my words never reached the adventurers.

"...... haha. What a pause. ......

I couldn't help but let out a sigh at the sight of the adventurers.
The reason they are so terrified of me is not only because I ignored them.

Lately, it seems that recently, there have been many cases of mid-level adventurers' parties dying at the upper levels.
To be honest, that's not very common, but it's not something that can be said to never happen in this labyrinth.
It's not so much a problem as a commotion.
It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but I'm sure it's a good idea.

You can give us all the money you have! No, if you don't mind, I'll let me get this armor for you too! So, please don't just strike in the dark in the labyrinth!

......, but for some reason the adventurers in front of me assumed that the death of the adventurers was because I had attacked them in the dark.

Of course, that's just the delusion of the adventurers.
If the adventurers were under normal circumstances, they would not have made such a mistake.

But what the adventurers feared might be an unspoken claim to do back what they had been ignored by me in the guild.

And the fact that some of the adventurers who died in the upper levels of the guild included people who had been abusing me, led me to believe that I had done it.

'Please! I'm asking for a lifetime!

I'm so sorry for everything I've done!

Please, please, please have mercy!

I'll do whatever you say!

That's why the adventurers, who thought I was the culprit, never truly understood my words.
In fear of death, the adventurers, whose faces were mangled with tears and snot, clung to me while repeatedly begging for their lives.

''Ha, ha,''

......... At that point, I could only let out a dry laugh.
It doesn't matter how innocent you claim to be to the adventurers, they won't listen to you, and that doesn't mean that if you take away their equipment from them, you'll have a different problem.
If this was going to happen, I regret not ignoring them in the Adventurer's Guild.

Well, if I had listened to them instead of ignoring them, I would have been crushed by the adventurers for a couple of days, so it's hard to know which one is more troublesome.

But I was now so trapped that I couldn't even make that kind of decision: ......
The needy men coming up to me in tears and the attention that has started to gather in vain.
And I was beginning to think about running away from them, knowing that they would continue to follow me around.

......... Oh,

It was then that I came up with an idea.
It was a last-minute miracle to me, as my thinking had begun to slow down.
Now I could disperse these troublesome adventurers and also help those people.

''Then I have a condition.''

What?

I judged that to be the case, so I told the adventurers with a smile of confidence on my face.
My sudden change in attitude brought a look of confusion to the adventurers' faces.
But I ignored them and repeated my words.

''For three weeks from now, in response to the demands of the people in the city of the labyrinth city, I want you to bring in some middle-tier materials for free. As long as the work is satisfactory, I won't touch you guys and I'll pay you. Of course, if you do violence to the city's people, I will punish you accordingly.

What I came up with, was to have the adventurers labor in the city.
That way, Mary and the others who said they couldn't buy materials from the guild due to the rising prices would be saved, and the adventurers in front of me wouldn't have to follow me around.

''Oh, hey, isn't that a good deal considering it will save your life?''

Yeah, right! Yes! I'll do it!

Oh, me too!

The adventurers who were listening to my words, one after another, decided to join the project.
As I watched them, I was secretly admiring my own idea.
I really didn't think I could make a good situation out of that one.

...... I might be a better player than I thought.

...... But I had forgotten, as I muttered so little, that I had forgotten.
How wary the city's people were of adventurers.

I had no way of knowing an hour later that I would be screaming as I buried myself in the paperwork required to make the adventurers work in the city .........