I guess I'm not that familiar with this town.

　In front of me is the frontier city of Alfilo.

　This time, too, this town was the rendezvous point that Nell had told me about.
　From here we would take a carriage ride to the area of the dungeon we were going to visit.

　I didn't think we'd be coming here so many times.
　I've installed a door that leads here, and I'm sure he'll come back several times in the future.

　And so, as I was heading towards the barrier from outside the city, I could see guys wearing armor that looked familiar to me.

Oh, brother!

　One of them, a girl in light armor - Nell noticed you and waved her hand.

You're looking well, Nell. I heard your voice a while ago, but it's nice to see your face in person like this!

I'm happy to see you too, but I'll get to that later at ......, because you're all there, too.

　Crumpling her head and shyly glancing around as she stroked her head.

　I'm sure she's anxious to see what the other holy knights are looking at.
　He's still shy and cute.

Okay, okay. Okay, we'll do it again later. Enough to make you giggle.

"No, I wish you would stop smiling bitterly: ......

　Nell, with a dumbfounded, but vaguely amused expression, said so.

"This young man is the hero of the masked ......?

　I turned around and took out a mask from the item box, held it to my face and looked forward again.

"Young man?　Haha, I don't know what you're talking about. I'm a dubious masked man of indeterminate age, okay?　It's not good to talk about assumptions.

...... Onii-san, there's no point in fooling around now. ...... or rather, I think you'd be more noticeable wearing a mask already.

　Ah, yes.

　I usually forget about the masks, but ...... well, sure, you're more noticeable when you're wearing the masks anymore?

...... mask, you're still the same.

　I cowered as Carlotta gave me a disgusted grimace, taking off her usual clown face.

Can I ask you to introduce me to some of your people?

"All right. Let's start with the left--

　I exchange brief introductions with the holy knights.

　The holy knights are five others, passing Nell and Carlotta. Two are women and three are men.

　Their status is not as good as Nell's and not as good as Carrotta's, but they're two times stronger than your average warrior.

That's not a lot for a dungeon fighter, is it?

I've got some other business to attend to. One reason is that I'm allocating my manpower to that as well, and the other is that Nell and I and our masks can at least manage the numbers. So, honestly, I'm glad you're here.

Well, the dungeon attack is something I'm interested in too. ...... Oh, is that demon king so strong?

Strong is probably strong . A party of adventurers, specially assembled to defeat the demon king, has come back after failing once. It's certainly not an opponent to be trifled with.

　Law, that's a lot of fun.

...... Onii-san, haven't you brought En-chan with you?

Oh. . this time I had a house sitter.

　Yes, this time, unusually, I didn't bring En with me.

　This is because Nell had told me beforehand that the dungeon wasn't that large.

　En is super strong and super cute, the best weapon, but it's also very long. It really depends on the environment of the place.
　So I thought it would be impossible to wield it to your heart's content in a small space and with other holy knights around.

"What's en?

　To Carotta's question, Nell answers.

The name of your sword. You know, the sword with the longest blade that you had at the time of the crisis in King's Landing.

Oh, that. I did have a sword like that.

　I'm not sure if you met En when we went to the capital a while ago.

I'm not sure if you've ever met her. You are a super cute archangel, I'll let you meet her when I get a chance.

"...... angel?

"No. . . no, it's an archangel.

"...... sword?

"The sword.

"............ Yeah, right. Well, there are people with all kinds of interests.

　Oh, Mr. Carlotta. Don't look at me like that. Everything I'm saying is true.
　Stop looking at me like I'm some kind of loving pervert, giving inorganic matter a name.

　You will surely loosen up your stiff face at the first sight.

...... At any rate, we're all here. I'd like to get on my way to my destination right now, but I'd like to go to ...... mask, okay?

"Okay. Everything is ready on our end.



　I've heard of the dungeon attack, and I've prepared a rough idea of what I might need.
　That's a lot of items.

　Kukkuk, you're a stranger to the devil king. Shiver and wait for me to come to you.

Yes, sir. --Men, ready the wagon.

"Ha!

　At Carlotta's words, the holy knights move in unison and bring two carriages from the other side of the barrier.
　The carriages have the same emblem engraved on the sides as on their armor and are of fine construction.

"Mask, you ride up front. --Masks, you ride in front, and here we go!


　　　* * *


Hey, let me ask you one thing, why did you decide to call me?

　In the rocking car, I ask Carlotta, who is looking at her hand with a frown.

　It's true that Nell is now my family member and we've worked together before on various things, but I'm still an outsider to the holy knights.
　Even if they wanted help, would they ask such an outsider for a job?

"Oh, that's the one. It was originally not intended that we would ask an outsider to help us out, but for some reason we were told by our superiors that we needed to rely on our masks. We knew you were capable of doing that, so we did it. ......

　Carotta also answers that with a puzzled look.

　...... That's pretty much all I could understand from what you just said.

　That's him. That's the old f*ckin' war minister.
　He got in the background and got me to make the call.

...... I said I'd protect him, and now you want me to do my job around here too.

　Of course, I'd do anything for Nell.

　...... I guess I should have killed that old man after all.

What's wrong with you, buddy?

"...... nothing, don't worry about it. --Carrotta, you're up.

"Mm-hmmmmm ...... to get this--what?

"Ah, Mr. Carlotta. You don't make that face, you'll know what you're drawing.

"Hahaha ...... I've never seen Carotta's face like that before. ......

　Nel smiles at Carlotta's condition.

　By the way, that's what we're playing right now, Baba-popping.
　The other members of the dungeon can play any game of cards because they remember all the numbers and patterns, but not Carlotta.

　And eventually, after a few turns, it was Carrotta who lost.

It sounds simple, but it's a very deep game: ...... Okay, I remember which pattern is which number.

"What, really?

　I've only played one game of Baba's Secret Garden: ......?

I've been beaten pretty badly in this game. We've got to make up for it now.

"...... What is this?

Eleven.

　I look at the "J" card I have and answer that to Carrotta.

　Wow, wow, ...... What kind of a brain is this knight?
　It's a good thing that you're a leader of a group of knights, or is this natural?

...... Okay, okay. I'm going to show you that the world of cards is not so sweet, Carrotta!

　We often play games at home, but ...... it's not just a game.

　Inhabitants of other worlds are more highly-specified than people from previous lives.
　You can read your opponent's subtleties, feel his heartbeat and predict his hand by watching his complexion change.

　Whenever Levi and I play a game, it's usually by reading his face.
　Well, he's in your face so easily that he's weak.

　I just want to show you that it's not so easy to conquer!

"Ho, fun!　By all means, let's see the essence of it!

　Carotta grins.

　And then we started the next game--!