As soon as Garnett and I noticed that the knights of the Golden Fang rushed up to us, the loose air we had been in until now was tightened at once.

　It's a good thing that you're not the only one who can't keep up with the sudden change in atmosphere, but the knights didn't even pretend to understand the situation, and went about their business in a clerical manner.

It's good to be on time. Commander Luke, would you have a little time to spare from now on?

　It seems that they heard that we were coming to the branch just in time for an urgent matter to arise, and came to look for us in a hurry.

　If we didn't have a time crunch, they would have sent a messenger to the store later, which shows the seriousness of the matter.

'Is something wrong?　Could it be that you requested an urgent [restoration]?
'No, I don't want to help you with your skills: ......

　The knight who seems to be the leader of the group is blatantly slurring his words while looking at Erica with a sideways glance.

　Erica herself doesn't seem to understand why she is being watched at all.

　But with this gesture alone, I was able to understand what the knights were trying to say to some extent.

''I see. ...... Garnett. I'm sorry to come out of the blue, but I need you to take Erica to the store.
Okay. I'll be right back. Go ahead.
'What?　Um, what's going on?

　Garnett grabbed Erica's increasingly bewildered arm and pulled her gingerly along with her physical ability difference.

It's a good thing that you're not the only one. It's bound to be a protracted case anyway, and if you don't go back to the shop alone, the others won't be able to go for a break either.
'Such an out of the blue ......!　Oh, um!　Mr. Luke!　I'm not sure, but good luck with that!

　I raised one hand over my shoulder and saw Erica hurrying home with Garnett before turning to the Golden Fang knights once again.

　I was hoping to be able to focus on the White Wolf Store for a few more days, but apparently the way things were progressing didn't take my situation into account.

''Sorry to keep you waiting. Well then, let's get going. Is the destination towards Hollow Bottom Fortress?
I'm sorry. We're sorry to have to bother you like this, but at any rate, you can go to .......
"The demon tribe is not the best at dealing with the hands, and they are not the best at serving. That's very true.
...... Did you already see that?

　At a time like this, when the Golden Fang troops stationed at Hollow Bottom Fortress called out to me, I have a rough idea why.

''There was a contact from the Demon King's army, right?　Then it's certainly the territory of the White Wolf Knights. It's probably more convenient for them to narrow down the window to me, too.
'That's great. But I have one additional thing to add.

　The leader of the knights made sure that there was no one around, and then he uttered additional information in a hushed voice.

''The place designated by the Demon King's army is not a fortress, but the ground(s) remains(s) of the first level(s) below(s).










　--The first level of the dungeon "Elemental Ark", formerly known as the "Demon King's Castle Realm", is a long horizontal space with a gentle arc.

　The ceiling, which is much higher than that of an inferior mountain, has a luminescent function linked to the sky above ground and a river of underground water flowing through it, artificially recreating the natural environment of the wilderness and rocky mountains.

　However, that was not the most important part of this project.

　The Hollow Bottom Fortress, located in the middle of the rocky mountain range, is just beyond the underground passageway from the guild branch.

　From there, down the rocky mountain range through the flat wilderness, there is a castle that was once a stronghold of the Demon King's army and a castle town where the dwarves live.

　Conversely, behind the rocky mountainous region is a dragon habitat, and the direct route to the fourth level discovered by Theodore is also wide open.

　But these rocky mountains and wildernesses are not the only sites that the adventurers of the first level are exploring.

Literally, the vast tunnels and unidentified ancient ruins that exist inside the ...... rocky mountains at the foot of the Hollow Bottom Fortress. I've heard that the adventurers are happily riding in and have been mapped out in their own way, but ...... what does the Demon King's Army want to do in such places?

　I tried to hear more details from the knights as I was escorted by the Golden Fang Knights to the place designated by the Demon King's Army.

''I mean, ...... it's not like the Demon King's Army had a free pass up from the fourth level headquarters to the first level (here), is it?''
'No way!　We had a proper force with us and monitored them properly. I've heard that he wasn't acting suspiciously at all. As for your purpose, I heard that you had a single purpose: ...... to talk to Lord Luke.
I'm having trouble identifying what we're going to talk about, because I have too many ideas about what we're going to talk about.

　For my part, it was just a word that I said as a joke, but the Knight of the Golden Fang seemed to be seriously confused as to whether or not it was okay to laugh or not, so he just wore an ambiguous expression on his face.

　The real problem is that I'm being eyed by the Demon King's army in many ways, so there are too many potential reasons for me to be called out, so I'm lost.

'However, if this is the case, it might have been a mistake to send the knight of the guard back. Or maybe I should have waited for him to come back: ......
'I am calling upon the best and brightest adventurers in the Adventurer's Guild branch to serve as Lord Luke's bodyguard. We are fortunate enough to have Master Dustin of the Demon King's Hunt agree to do so.
'Dustin?　If he's there, we'll be safe. We'll be able to handle a demon general's attack like before.

　Hearing that name, even a sliver of anxiety disappears.

　The Demon King's hunter--or the two spearman Dustin.

　If there is that man who is undoubtedly the strongest of the A-ranked adventurers when it comes to single-handed fighting ability, and who is one of the best in the entire continent among the active warriors, then there won't be any major problems if there isn't anything too bad to worry about.

　But if the Demon King Gandalf himself had gone all out in the fight from the beginning, even he would be forced to fight against a considerable disadvantage even if he was Dustin ...... This is indeed too unlikely to be a laughable assumption.

　I'm not going to be able to get a good idea of what I'm going to do with my money.

　This was an underground space that looked like a temple built with advanced technology.

　It's a relic of an ancient civilization where the architecture itself must be of great value.

This way. Please come in.

　Prompted by the Knight of the Golden Fang, I stepped into the hall with a high ceiling.

　What was waiting for me there was an ice demon general who used the body of a dark elf woman - a dark elf woman who is even becoming a familiar face - as a vessel.

''That was surprisingly quick. I thought you would have to wait a little longer.''