While doing so, I arrived at the fifth level and stepped into the Hollow Bottom Branch, which was diverted from the Knights' fortress.

　The building that was once a base for the Demon King's War is now very crowded with many adventurers who are exploring the Demon King's Castle Realm, and people who run businesses for them.

　There are so many different types of shops and people walking down the aisles that this entire facility is a microcosm of a commercial district.

...... It's going to be a pain in the ass to find Sakura from here.

　Garnett's mouth twists up as he looks around.

''It's not an urgent matter, so even if you can't find it, you can do it again at a later date. And if you want to know more about the dungeon search plan, it would be easier to talk to the person who invited you, not the one who was invited.
Well, you said you had a clue. Well, given the size of your face, of course you do.

　After fifteen years of being an adventurer, your acquaintances will naturally increase.
　It's not uncommon for someone to rise to a high rank.

　I'm sure you'll find a lot of people who are willing to take the lead in high-risk matters such as deep exploration of dungeons, where there may be more threats than the demon king's army and dragons.

　...... Of course there must be many who would try to get in there on their own.
　If the Golden Fang Knights hadn't been monitoring the entrance to the depths, a good number of adventurers would have boarded the ship.

　It's a good idea to have an adventurer who can be a leader who can convince both the knights and the other adventurers that he or she is worthy of being a leader.

'Noir and Erica are going to take a break now, right? If you see Sakura, tell her I was looking for her.
Yes, sir. I look forward to working with you again tomorrow, shopkeeper.

　For now, I decided to separate from the two of them from here and proceeded with Garnett through the chapter.

　After walking down the corridor for a while, they found a girl they recognized near a store that sold household items.

　She has short black hair and red eyes. She is about the same age as Sylvia and Garnett.
　Such a girl is hiding unnaturally by the wall and peering over the bend.

　I didn't expect to run into this one first if I was looking for Sakura.

''What are you doing, Leila?''
Hiya! ......!

　Leila freaked out with a bare voice and shook herself out, rolling her eyes and looking back at me.

　Beatrix Leila Hyndman.
　A girl who was one of the staff members hired in large numbers when the branch office was opened, and who was asked to work as a fill-in for the main office rather than the branch office.

　Her true identity is the Dragon King's Knights, His Majesty's Kings Kingsguard Corps, and a member of the Hyndman family, one of the clans that make up it.

　She is only a member of the clan, she herself is not a knight, and the reason why she was sent to Green Hollow was also to prepare for the plan to 'marry Luke of the White Wolf Forest to a human of the clan, incorporate him into the clan, and then have him join the Dragon King's Knights'.

　Since I agreed to a different plan, the plan involving the Dragon King's Knights should have been put on the chopping block, but Leila continued to work as a staff member of the White Wolf Store as before.

　I don't know what the Dragon King Knights and the Hyndman family think about it.

　But I do know what Leila herself thinks of it in hand.

''By any chance ...... ah, I knew it.

　I looked over Leila's head, who was bewildered and confused, and when I looked at the end of the bend, I saw Travis there, as expected.

　Travis of Black Sword Mountain.
　A brawny A-ranked adventurer who is even taller than me and equipped with a considerable amount of muscle.

　He is a brave, quite caring and people-oriented man who is admired by many of his peers for his brave and quite caring nature, and he leads a large party that includes many youngsters.

'What is ya, what is still ......!
Travis is the only person you'd have to be upset with to make you look that stupid.

　In the first place, the 'preparation' that Layla had undertaken was to determine whether I was a suitable person to be a member of the Hyndman family and the Dragon King's Knights, and by extension, my own fiancée.

　As a result, I had a now-unique assessment that I lacked physical strength and toughness - but by chance, Travis saved Leila's life with his natural brawn, and Leila met the ideal opposite s*x.

''No, no, this is information gathering. Because it's a case that our Order can't help but keep a close eye on.
The Black Dragon Order of the Kingsguard has nothing to do with it. It doesn't matter if it's the Silver Wings or the Golden Fang.
'The Order of the Dragon King!　How many times I've asked you not to call me by my old name!

　Garnett is teasing Leila with a bad-boy grin as her cheeks flush and she makes bitter excuses.

　Of course, their exchange is kept at a moderate volume, and it's drowned out by the hustle and bustle of the corridor so that no one else can hear it.

It's a good thing that the uptight daughter of the Hyndman family is in love with a thirty-plus muscle man. You never know what you'll find in this world.
He's the same age as me.

　Categorically, Garnett couldn't speak for others, but he couldn't point that out where Layla was.

　Garnett was probably teasing Layla knowingly, but it wasn't clear if he was thinking about what he would do if he revealed the truth in the future.

'...... That's not the point!　You remember that promise you made me!　Oh, we don't need to review the content here!　Don't tell this silver-winged knight anything else!
Of course I do. I know exactly what happened.

　The reason why I had to go to King's Landing - when I learned that Garnett had been ordered by his father to select his fiancée, I enlisted the help of various people to get to King's Landing as fast as possible.

　One of these people was Leila.
　Leila told me about the night party hosted by the Count that Garnett was going to attend, and I used this information to formulate further measures.

　And in return for providing the information, I proposed to introduce Layla to Travis.

''I have an appointment to make and I have some questions I want to ask that guy, so I'm going to go over. Just wait here.

　I made a gesture of raising my index finger in front of my mouth towards Garnett - a gesture that was meant to be silent - and stepped over the bend.

　Garnett told me not to say anything else, but it was actually too late.
　I told him that I had secured Leila's cooperation with such a promise that day when I boarded the nightclub.

　After telling Garnett to keep quiet about it, he calls out to Travis, who is talking to a group of adventurers.

'Travis, do you have a minute?'
Hmm?　Oh, Luke!　You're back from King's Landing!
'Sorry to ramble on, but there are a few things I want to ask you and talk to you about.
I don't mind you. Do I have to pay you guys?
I'm okay with what you want to hear.

　He asked Travis, who was smiling, a straightforward question on the main topic.

''The exploration of the deep realm of the 'Demon King's Castle Realm', you're the one who's leading it, right?　May I ask what the plan is?