"You're the Falcon and hometown ......?

　I couldn't help but return my surprise at the fact that I had never heard of it before.

　I had known for a long time that Alexia was from a multi-layered city, but I didn't expect that the same was true of the brave Falcon.

　Me and my heroic party's association with the heroic party is exceptionally short compared to any of the adventurers I know.

　I was hired as a scullery maid between breaking through the A-ranked dungeon "Millennium Corridor of the Abyss" and defeating the Demon King, and immediately headed to the dungeon I wanted, and in the middle of the attack, I was forced to clean up the messes of the heroes' mistakes and was cut off - that's all.

　So I have very little information about his private life, like where he was born.

　When I was hired, my name was also in the form of 'Falcon the Brave' and 'Julia the Swordsman of the Brave Party', and that was enough to begin with.

''I'm not afraid to tell you the details, but I don't want to do it in a place where I'm in the public eye too much. It would involve my background. Therefore, may I visit Luke-kun's shop?
...... I'll have to do it. Let's just move on for now.

　Falcon's life and death are still unclear, and the details of Julia's current situation are still unknown.

　Considering the risk of another recrimination, it wouldn't hurt to hear the details of their situation.

''Well then, let's get on with it.

　Alexia grabbed the belt of the coffin-like metal case that held the large crossbow (Scorpion) and lightly carried it up on her back.

　Seeing this, Garnett let out an unexpected voice.

''You have more arm strength than I thought. Is that an enhanced skill?''
'No, in my case, it's [weight reduction]. That's unusual, right?　Right now, I'm full of just lightening up the Scorpion, but it's going to get even more awesome as we move up a level.

　Alexia swings the Scorpion around as if to show it off.

　It's a very dangerous sight, but since the weight itself is reduced, it actually doesn't hurt as much as it looks when you hit it.

　It doesn't look much different than increasing arm strength with a body-strengthening skill, but there are quite a few differences.

　The most obvious difference is that if your possessions are made lighter with 【Weight Reduction】, you don't have to worry about your weight when riding a horse or small boat.

　Basically, 【Weight Reduction】 is a skill that specializes in transporting things, and if it is limited to that point, it is superior to various body-strengthening skills, but it is difficult to apply it to other fields.

　The simplest way to utilize it would be to use it to carry a heavy long range weapon like Alexia.

　-- and in the meantime, we arrive at the White Wolf Store.

　For now, I open the store's front door and invite Alexia into the store, where I'll ask her for more information.

''Well then, let's talk about memories, shall we?

　Alexia made a meaningless coughing gesture and cut to the chase without any unnecessary preliminaries.

''It was roughly about ten years ago that the multi-tiered city of Springfield was incorporated into the Westland Kingdom. Prior to that, as the capital of a certain independent nation, it was engaged in a long, long war with Westland.

　His Majesty Alfred, the current king, ascended the throne twenty years ago.

　Over the next ten years, most of the continent was unified, and the conquest of the multi-storied city was part of that unification.

The multi-storeyed cities of that time were based on a system that differentiated the classes in which people could live according to their status. The upper class was the new, safe and clean upper class, and the bottom class was the old, dangerous and dirty lowest class, and ...... we were from that lowest class.

　The story told is a painful past by any measure, but Alexia's narrative is cheerful and light-hearted, without any hint of seriousness or sadness.

The lower classes, both adults and children, were jerked around anyway. It was hard for me too, carrying supplies to the upper levels. I was given [weight reduction] in that period of time, so God is trying to tell me to work more! I used to think to myself as a child, "What a mean thing to do. It's so mean.

　At the end of the day, he even mixed in a fun laugh with a haha.

　He's not self-deprecating, he's really just laughing it off from the heart and using it as a fodder for banter.

　I silently looked at Garnett.

　It may seem like a serious matter to others, but in his mind, it was long ago sublimated and I wouldn't be surprised if it was a topic that he could easily bring up .......

'It was the Falcon that tried to change that situation. They raided the armory of a walled security force and took out a bunch of weapons.

　Finally, the brave man's name came up on Alexia's lips.

'The person himself said, 'I'm going to make the upper echelon hurt before I die! It was just a flirtation, but in no time at all it developed into a huge riot.
Hey.

　In the middle of the conversation, Garnett interjects.

'You're not going to say that the Falcon was overthrown as it was. As I recall, the multistory city--'
'No way!　We were trapped in a corner, and we were in big trouble. But the Westland general exploited the chaos and took control of the city.
I know. That's the story.

　But Garnett quickly retracted the brunt of his suspicion with a satisfied look on his face.

''So, Falcon was taken back to King's Landing in recognition of his activities by that general, and his girlfriend Julia went with him ...... and was only a little over ten years old at the time, so when I say girlfriend, I mean it was child's play.

　So Falcon was about ten years old or so when he raided the armory and took out a weapon to incite a riot.

　I thought he was a brilliant guy, except for his personality, but apparently he had already demonstrated his talent as a child.

　As I was thinking about this, Garnett sneaked in an earful.

...... That general is the one who recommended Falcon to the brave and the minister who brought charges against you, you know?
'I see. ...... You're the guy I don't want to remember.'

　The suspicion of causing the non-return of the brave Falcon and the illegal manufacture and sale of Mithril products -- and

　I feel like taking out all sorts of resentment on a minister I don't even know the face of.

　However, if it wasn't for that incident, I would never have met Garnett, and when I think about it, I don't think it's possible to 'just pretend' that it never happened.

'By the way, I was picked up by a crafty engineer living in the upper levels, and I rose through the ranks from a menial job to an apprentice, and here I am. Any questions?

　I let out a short breath and asked the most important matter in a straightforward manner.

'The reason you really want to work at my shop is because of the brave man ...... you said that earlier. What do you mean by that?
'Hmm ...... I don't actually have any feelings for the brave ones. Would it help if I told you I'm a friend of a friend?

　I thought I tried to speak with a sense of intimidation in my voice, but Alexia passed it off as if I didn't mean it.

　Maybe I shouldn't have done something I wasn't used to, after all.

'But Julia was my best friend. We didn't even miss a letter back and forth after we were separated. If I can, I would like to help ...... if it's still not too late.

　Alexia declared, looking me straight in the eye.