'You're out of the party?　Don't be silly.

　At the headquarters of the Adventurer's Guild in the imperial capital, the first-class adventurer party "Heavenly Cry" was in trouble.
　The leader, Johannes, was angry because the party's old magician, Kurt, wanted to leave the party.
　Because the party's old sorcerer, Kurt, wanted to leave the party.
　Johannes was also angry when he said it once before the request, and his friends decided to intercede and discuss it after the request was done.
　The companions may have thought that he would change his mind in time, but Kurt's thoughts did not change.

'I'd like to know why, at least,'

　The priest said to Kurt, as if troubled.

'I can't tell you why.'

What?

　The other members, except for Johannes, show their irritation at Kurt's question.
　If you want to leave the party, you can, but there was an unspoken understanding that you would at least reveal the reason.
　It is only natural that they would be upset if they couldn't do so.

'Which party are you going to be pulled out of, old man?

　Kurt is an old man, but he's definitely a top-notch sorcerer.
　I'm beginning to think that Johannes and the others have seen that he wants any party, and that he has betrayed them by being offered favorable terms.

'No, I'm not going to any other party.

　Kurt slowly shook his head.

'An?　So you're retiring?　If that's the case, I can't say too much about it: ......

　Perhaps it was because he was clearly told that he wasn't going to move to another party, but Johannes' head went cold at once.
　This thirty-year-old dwarf was just an angry guy, but he wasn't that bad.

'I'm not going into hiding,'

Yeah?

　Kurt's next statement once again lights the party members up with anger.
　The old man's straightforward, wasteful and incomprehensible way of speaking has been fondly accepted as a personality.
　But now the opposite is true, with the result of inciting anger.
　They don't like the way his blue eyes are calming down, either.
　Because it makes them feel like an old man making fun of them.

'Over here, Mr. President!

　It was then that he heard the loud voice of a young woman.
　She was one of the receptionists and had gone to call the Guild President who was on the top floor of the building to mediate the situation.
　The members of the 'Heavenly Cry' fell silent in unison as Yereminias appeared from behind her.
　''Every adventurer knows the alias of the 'Roaring Thunder Tyrant' and is considered to be one of the living legends.

''What the hell is going on?''

　The legendary Yereminias threw a calm, powerful voice, and Johannes confided the situation with a huff.

'Listen to me, President. This old man Kurt wants to leave the party. But, you know, he said he couldn't tell us the details, he was just kidding. So I've been listening to what's going on. We didn't do anything wrong, did we?

Yeah.

　Yereminias acknowledges his point.
　However, his next words were too unexpected for the relieved 'Heavenly Cry' members.

''But this time, as a special exception, you have to accept Kurt's side of the story. We'll take care of the procedure.

What?

　It wasn't just the members of Heavenly Cry that were surprised.
　It was the other adventurers and the guild staff as well.
　If such a special exception was granted, a bad precedent would likely be set.

''Don't be silly!　Why? !　Why not?!

　Johannes was furious, and even the guild staff looked like it was not unreasonable.
　Yereminias decided that it was impossible to contain the situation without revealing the situation, so he decided to speak.

''The Emperor's summons should have been long ago, you know. Former Eight God Teru, [Water God] Zelgius-sama.''

...... Huh?

...... Huh?

　Dumb voices could be heard from all over the place.
　Zelgius, the water god, was known to be a master of water magic, second only to Jurgen, the God of Destruction, as a celebrity.
　Zelgius, who had been an adventurer using the name Kurt, didn't take offense and said back to Jereminius.

'I have taken on a difficult request. There were many people in need. It was impossible to accomplish without my help. So I put it off. Yagami Akira has already resigned. He has no right to complain about it.

　The incomprehensible way of saying it was the same, but it sounded different when the speaker was the former Yagami Akira.

''I don't mean to complain, but I would have liked more consideration.

　Yereminias sighs with a resigned look on his face.
　Then he stares at Johannes.

'Do you understand why?　Kurt's identity is the former Eight Divine Brilliance, Master Zelgius. The reason I'm withdrawing from your party is because I'm responding to the Emperor's summons. Do you have any complaints?

'Yeah, uh, no: ......'

　Johannes and the others just looked dumb and made their mouths open and shut.

'Was I allowed to say that?'

　Yereminias chuckles at Zelgius, who raises a question.

''If you had been good enough to get around, though, we could have worked it out without having to tell you.

I can't.

　The old sorcerer who was once known as the Water God answered immediately.

''Are you as bad at talking as ever?''

　Yereminias chuckles and says to those present.

'I don't dare say anything else, but still, be selective about who you speak to.

Don't you need to keep it quiet?

You'll find out sooner or later.

　He cowered his shoulders in response to Zelgius' question.