After the slightest hesitation, I followed my master's back and landed in the passage.
When I landed on the white stone ground and looked up, I saw Master's figure a short distance away, strengthening his body with magical power and raising his defense with magic.
Quickly getting ready for battle, the master takes one look at me and opens his mouth.

''Raust, draw your dagger. From here on out, stay alert at all times.

After saying that unilaterally, the master walked to the back of the aisle.
As I looked at that master's back, I made a small movement of my mouth.

''So that's how it is.''

It was then that I finally understood why I had sent myself with him this time and not Mr. Ronaldo.

Walking slowly in the narrow passage, Master never ceases to be alert to his surroundings.
That attitude of the master was because he assumed that he was going to fight in this narrow passage.

If he assumed a battle indoors, he would be at a clear disadvantage with Ronald-san, who was handling a large sword, or worse, could get in the way of the battle.
It's the same with Zeke-san.
As a martial artist, Narcena would be able to fight in this indoor environment, but in this space, the speed of his best weapon would not be available.
Unlike Master, chanting enters into magic, and as for Aamir, who can't even fight in close quarters, he is only a liability.

Master took those circumstances into consideration and decided to let me accompany him, who is least harmful to indoor combat.

That master's decision was rational.
Rational decisions show the seriousness of the master more than anything else.

And that master's seriousness was what made the man, the branch chief, so unusual.

'What are you, what ......?'

The small words I let out were filled with astonishment towards the head of the Labyrinth City Branch.
Unbeknownst to me, the fact that my master was so wary and recognized that he was a fearful opponent unintentionally increased the tension inside of me as well.

It was when the tension reached its peak that Master, who was walking in front of me, stopped.

'I've found it,'

Huh!

Responding to Master's words, I peeked forward from Master's shoulder and saw a heavy door at the end of the dimly lit passage.
I, who naturally performed magic detection, was unable to detect the end of the door at all and pulled a face.

Despite the fact that I used magic detection, it was as if I couldn't understand anything.
This was a first time for me.
And that abnormality was what told me more eloquently than anything else that there was something beyond the door.

Perhaps noticing my abnormality, my master spoke to me in a small voice.

'You could understand the man's abnormality. I don't know what's going on beyond that one either.

My anxiety spreads further in my chest when I see my master's grim face.
However, I can't stay here forever.
Having made up my mind, I opened my mouth to Master.

Let's go.

After looking into my eyes, as if to confirm that he meant what he said, Master walked towards the door.
Soon we reached the door, and finally Master looked at me.
I nodded silently to him, clutching my dagger.
On cue, Master opened the door and let go of the door.

In the next moment, the door was opened with a loud bang, revealing the interior of the door.
Only a slight light existed in the room, as well as the passage.
What was illuminated by that small illumination was a room that felt somewhat bleak for a person to live in, and Hanzam standing at the back of it.

And then there was an old man in a white robe with long white hair sitting with Hanzam in tow.

''Ha!''

The moment I see that figure, I intuitively understand.
This old man is the one my master is wary of.
This man was the one who was blocking the detection of the magic power.

There was something about the old man that I could instantly understand.
I reflexively understood that this old man was the same grade as my master, and I held the dagger in front of me.

However, even with the dagger pointed at me, there was no change in the old man's attitude.

'You're making a lot of noise. Don't you think you should at least knock?

The old man's words did not sound hostile.
On the contrary, the old man was talking to us in a friendly manner, as if he were talking to his own children.

The old man's good-natured attitude made me even more cautious, as I realized that I was feeling the familiarity of his good-natured attitude.
Despite the fact that I remember my master telling me to be as hostile as possible, I can't lower my dagger.

''It's quite lonely to not even respond to me,''

The old man looked at us and stood up with a small smile on his face.

It was then that a part of the old man's face was clearly exposed to my eyes.

''Nah!''

The tall old man stood up, which further illuminated his face, which still looked neat in his old age.


As a result, my eyes were exposed to ears with a length that was impossible for a human being to have.


I was so upset by the unexpected sight that I just typed out the words as they came into my head.

''Elves⁉︎Why would a race that didn't receive God's favor ......!

The race that did not receive the favor of the gods, also known as sub-humans, was a generic term for several races that were believed to have become extinct long ago.
Each of the sub-humans were able to use power and magic far stronger than humans, but unlike humans, they were not given skills by the creator gods, which is why they died out hundreds of years ago.
I get violently upset because I read about it in books.

But on the other hand, the calm part of my head whispered that this possibility could have been deduced from Master's words.

Master had said that there was an alien technology involved in this case that should have disappeared long ago.
The creator of that alien technology was an elf, a type of subhuman that was believed to have died out hundreds of years ago.

Don't tell me that Master knew from the beginning that an elf was the head of the branch?
When I came up with this idea, I tried to look towards my master.
But the next moment, a voice filled with anger snatched my consciousness.

'Hey, defective healer. Don't use that d*mn name!

When I looked in the direction of the sound of the voice, I saw Hanzam there, glaring at me.
I was surprised by the sudden hostility, and Hanzam continued to say more.

"You are not even close to this man's feet, what kind of a mouth do you have to listen to?

I'm naturally ready to fight as Hanzam begins to turn his killing intent towards me.
In response to this, Hanzam also puts his hand on the hilt of the weapon tied behind his waist.

It's the head of the chapter who calmed Hanzam down.

'Hanzam, calm down. I don't mind. I don't care about it, and in this day and age, you can't afford to blink an eye.

' But!

Hanzam doesn't take his hand away from his weapon, even though he is coaxed by the branch chief himself.
Seeing this, I, too, raise my alertness, and a tense atmosphere, one step before the leader, dominates the room.

However, that air is shattered by Master.

''You can talk about something else later. Do you want to be killed?''

Hanzam, who had described the entire exchange earlier as superfluous, turned his master's hostility on him.
However, the hostility on his face quickly fizzles out.

─ ─ Noticing that Master is building up to the point where he's on the verge of activating his magic and directing it at Hanzam and the branch chief.

''Nah!''

After taking a boring glance at Hanzam, the master turned to the branch chief and opened his mouth.

''Keep in mind that small talk is part of that extra talk. From now on, you will only answer what I ask of you.

It was then that everyone in this room understood.
The reason why Master hadn't uttered a single word until now was because he was getting ready to activate his magic.

''What? Save the battle for as long as you can. ......

Amidst such a situation, I was also performing physical strengthening while getting more than a little upset.
Considering that my master's magic has been completed, it's almost as if the match was decided, but it would be better to be prepared for battle just in case.

Either way, a battle is inevitable.

''d*mn!''

Seeing such an attitude of me and my master, Hanzam pulls out his weapon, even though he knows it's too late.

However, even in such a situation, the only thing that never changed was the attitude of the branch chief.
In the midst of the tense atmosphere, he opens his mouth with a good-natured smile that even feels abnormal anymore.

''Larma, isn't it awful to suddenly invoke magic on this scale?''

It was only then that I realized that the chapter leader's words were full of familiarity with my mentor.
I decided it was just a misunderstanding, and it was right before I tried to quickly shake the idea out of my head that ...... certain possibilities came to my mind.

The first time we walked into the room, the head of the chapter approached us as if we were talking to a child.
I thought it was an act to keep me from getting inside, or to imply that I was nothing more than a child's threat.
But now I realize there is another possibility.

That's right, the possibility that Master and the head of the branch have known each other for a long time.


''──I don't think that's an attitude to direct at Master by mistake.


............ Huh?

The head of the branch tells the master that he is his apprentice.
A good-natured smile is still on his face.

''And one more thing. If you think that this level of magic can stop me, the elves in my home base, then I will be forced to lament the degeneration of my disciple?

...... but I could no longer feel anything other than awe at that smile.