From Nagi's point of view.




After killing the pirate goblins.

The 'Wind Spirit Mages' told me about the 'Original Heroic Guild' and the 'Original Heroic Guild'.

''We were recruited by an adventurer ...... while on vacation.

　The adventurer showed his strong magical power and then told me about his previous practice.

　He then told the 'Wind Spirit Mages'.

''In a few months, there could be an incident related to the Demon King's Army. In order to deal with it, I'd like you talented people to help me.

　The adventurer also said, "Beware of the 'Original Heroes' Guild'. That's run by a fake hero." ...... It seems that the adventurer went on to give a warning: "Beware of the 'Original Heroes Guild', it's run by a fake hero.　

"We 'Wind Spirit Mages' were always looked down upon by the adventurers.

I saw a chance to look back. I'm sorry.

　After they spoke, the girls began to weep raggedly.

'We weren't cut out to be brave. ......

''I will work for the port city that received the 'Sea Dragon's Blessing'. Your salary, it's good. ......

''I look forward to working with you in the future!

...... Oh, oh.

　The commander of the regulars who heard the story was troubled by it, but...

Mm. Mm. You'd better be quick about complaining about your job. You're very important to the port city of Irgafa, whose livelihood is based on shipping, and you're very important to them!

"Yes!

　This is how the story was settled.



　By the way, the adventurer who recruited me to the 'Original Brave Men's Guild' was a young wizard.

　His name is unknown. All I know is that he was a tall man with red hair.

　But they said that they remembered him insisting that wizards were the only ones who could save the world from crisis. The 'Wings and Swords' emblem of the 'Original Heroic Guild' means 'Let your sword grow wings and go away', they said.

　It's a guild that prioritizes wizards and ...... countermeasures against the demon king.

　I really don't want to get involved in .......







　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make the most out of your time with us.

　We took a day to relax and, as promised, bathed Reggie, Iris and Fynn, plus we left the next day.

　We boarded the ship again and spent about a day in the 'Northern Town of Hermilt'.







"So this is the 'northern town of Hermilt'?

It's a cooler place.

If it's summer weather at the retreat, it's more like early fall here.

　Next to me, Cecil and Aine murmured.

　The ship has just arrived at the port of the northern town.

　It's a bit chilly here, unlike the year-round warmth of Mishurira.

　Of course, we've taken precautions against the cold. Aine made a list of things we'll need before the trip and sent it to Iris, so we stocked up on everything at the market.

　Now we're wearing our fall jackets. Everything else we need is in Aine's storage skill, "My sister's treasure chest". I've already shared the list of contents with everyone. Sharing information is basic.

'...... is there a ruin up ahead?'

　Beyond the city, I could see a forest and a short mountain.

According to the information from the "Earth Dragon Earthgulls", the "Ancient Elf City" is located beyond that mountain.

　I confirmed the route when I was in the port city of Ilgafa. It's not exactly a difficult place to get to. There's a normal route through the mountains, and apparently the townspeople use it for hunting and trading.

　However, there were no rumors about the ruins. That means they haven't been found yet.

　Since it's the 'Ancient Elves', they may be hiding their existence with some kind of magical trick.

According to the map, we are about a day and a half walk from the town to the ruins. We'll discuss where we can stay during the trip at the inn.

'We have to go to the merchant in this town first, right? Brother.

　I nodded at Iris's words.

　The lord of the port town has asked me to deliver the goods and bonsai to him," I said. I'll do the job for which he gave me a ship. The goods should be waiting for our arrival in the warehouse district at the harbor.

　Right now, the regulars are going through the formalities of entering the city.

　When that's done, we'll get off the ship too.

　Just when I think that's all...

Please wait!

　Suddenly, I heard a loud voice from the harbor.

　When I looked, I saw several soldiers in armor standing in front of the Ilgafa regular soldiers.

'We are the guards of the 'Northern Town of Hermilt'. Before you are sent on land, we have some things to confirm!

'This is the port city of Ilgafa, sent by its lord. What kind of confirmation is this?

　The regular soldiers of Ilgafa answered.

　The blue-armored soldiers cried out in a hushed tone, "Will there be wizards among those who land?

"I wonder if there will be any wizards among those who will land?

What about ......?

''The lord has given us instructions now. All wizards in this town are to be registered and monitored. I'm sorry, but you will have to follow them.

'Wait!　I didn't hear anything about that!

Of course you don't care. The Ilgafa regulars are warriors, aren't they?　On top of that, they are officially employed by the lord of the port city of Ilgafa. They must be very strong people. No, it's wonderful.

　The guards spread their hearts out and said, "The warriors and swordsmen who stand on the front lines and fight in a fair manner are what this town respects.

They said, "The warriors and swordsmen who stand in the front line fairly and squarely are what this town respects. You are trustworthy. But not wizards. They are cowards who use their warriors as a wall and release their magic at the safety of the rear.
We don't need magic. Chanting will create an opening. No matter how hard you try, you're no match for a quick warrior.
I don't trust wizards. They could unleash their magic on the entire city at any moment. Hence why this has been done.

　...... What the hell is that?
　Even the regular soldiers of Ilgafa are stunned. It's like they've never heard of it before.

'What if there's a wizard on the ship and he refuses to register and monitor it?

You are denied permission to land.

　The town guard answers the question of the Ilgafa regular soldier.

The first thing you need to do is to have your magic used in the town. Well, unless you can prove that you're a truly reliable wizard, but how can there be such a wizard?

............ Yeah, I'm sorry.

　The Ilgafa regular soldier looked at me with a troubled face. I know.

　There are some 'wind spirit mages' aboard this ship. And Cecil and Rafilia are ostensibly dark elves and elves. They'll probably get treated like wizards.

　Cecil and Rafilia will be placed under the ...... guard's surveillance. ......?

　It's not a joke. I'm not going to let that happen to you both.

"Cecil, Rafilia, come here for a minute. Aine, too.

Yes, Mr. Nagi. Mr. Nagi, we will take action, won't we?

　I took Cecil, Raphilia, and Aine and hid behind the pile of luggage.

''Aine. Did you hear about the 'registration and surveillance of wizards' going on in this town?

I'm not listening.

　Aine shook her head.

''The 'Northern Town of Hermilt' is the defence base of the country and is home to many mines. We need the power of wizards for defense and mining. It shouldn't be possible to discriminate against them.

　I see.

　That makes me wonder if it's something that just started recently.

　I looked through the gap in my luggage toward the town.

　Beyond the harbor, I saw the main street of the town. The only people walking down the street are people in normal clothes and warriors with swords and spears. There are no people anywhere who look like wizards. Ilgafa should have had normal wizard-like people walking around the recreational area, though.

'Let's disguise ourselves,'

　I looked at Aine.

'I'm sorry, but can you get some spare clothes out of your storage skill 'sissy's treasure chest'?

Okay. What are you going to wear?

It's .............

　I whispered into Aine's ear.

　I don't know if you've brought it with you or not, since you don't need it right now, but...

Of course I'm prepared.

　Aine clapped her hands with a plop.

'Since we're going on a trip, I don't need as many clothes as I can find. I'm bringing those clothes with me too, you know?'

That's my girl.

I'm doing it for you and for everyone. It's for your sake and everyone else's.

　You could cover your ears with a hood - but that would be blatantly suspicious. So, this outfit is better. I'll just do it anyway.

　You can even force your way through when the situation calls for it.

　Iris is pretending to be 'Anshinto Kokoro Yasumaru' and she has Rafilia's disguised cloak. But right now we're in the position of being the Irgapha Lord's messengers. Regular soldiers are watching us, and we want to get through this as legally as possible.

Then, Cecil and Rafilia, hurry up and get dressed. Let's try to convince the guards in a quiet manner.

"Yes, sir!

　And so we began our mission.









　After we finished getting dressed.

　I took Cecil and Raphilia by the hand and got off the boat.

'......mm?'

　The guards looked at me.

"Stop!

　Gasp.

　The guards stacked their spears in a crisscross pattern, blocking our path.

''What's wrong with ......?''

Are you guys ...... adventurers?

　The guards stared at me.

'Hmm. I hear there are no nobles on board this ship. It's a merchant ship. So you must be an adventurer of the escort. So, you're either an adventurer or ...... just an adventurer for hire. I see.

What's the problem with being an adventurer?

You're not a problem for yourself. You wear armor. You carry a large sword on your back, but you are used to walking under its weight. I'm a swordsman. I have nothing to say to you.

Okay.

But!　The two in the back would be an elf and a dark elf!　Both are of a race that is skilled in magic.

I've given you two a dagger.

'It doesn't matter!　If you're a race that's good at magic, you'll definitely use magic. Since you're entering this town, you'll be subject to registration and surveillance measures!

We are here on a mission from the lord of the port city of Ilgafa.

　I said.

'My lord will testify to their identities. And the two here are my dearest companions. I don't see why you shouldn't believe me and trust them.

"It is the policy of my lord, the Earl.

Registering wizards and monitoring them?

Hmm.

'But they're not wizards. They're a race that's skilled in magic, but that's not their job. Because they're my slaves (・・・・), because they're my slaves (・・・・・・).

Oh, yes. As you can see, we are the master's slaves.

　Cecil and Rafilia stepped forward.

　It's a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

You'll be able to find out more about the best way to get the most out of your time.

Slave clothes - to be precise, the kind of crude clothing that Cecil was made to wear in the slave shop.

　It's a simple outfit made of cheap cloth and fastened with an obi.

　Cecil's was in Aine's 'sister's treasure chest' as a change of clothes. Raphilia's was ...... somehow she prepared it as a hobby and had Aine keep it for her. She said it was "for when the ...... master wants to play like that." ...... Huh?　Funny, when I heard that information I would have said that I wanted clothes that I could get dirty in: ......?

They wear a collar. They can't disobey my orders.

So?

Therefore, they don't use magic of their own accord. I'll be on the front lines if I tell them to. You're on the lookout for 'cowards unleashing magic in the safe rear', right?　They don't hit it. Hence, there should be no need for registration or monitoring.

We don't use magic unless our master wants us to, and we're all slaves to love.

　I put Cecil and Raphilia in 'slave clothes' to emphasize that they are slaves.

　By the master-slave contract, the master gets the right to give orders to the slave. A slave cannot disobey that order.

　In other words, by guaranteeing that I, the master, won't let them use magic, I can show them that they are safe.

''With this, I don't think there's any need to monitor them.

...... goo.

　The guard groans.

　But...

'Don't be a pompous prick!　It's only an adventurer!

　The guards poked the ground with a spear stone thrust, cancer, and shouted.

'The wizard cannot be trusted!　That's what this town is all about!

"You believe in warriors and swordsmen, don't you?

'Oh, yes. This town honors swordsmen and warriors who bravely stand on the front lines!

And you have accepted me as a swordsman.

Oh, yeah.

Then why don't you believe me when I say, 'These women are not cowards, they are not allowed to use magic in this town. Why don't you believe me when I say that I won't let them use magic in this town?　They are slaves that I, as a warrior, believe in and control. I'm not going to use magic unless I tell them to, so discriminating against them means they don't believe in me as a warrior, which is a contradiction in terms.

......!

'If you don't trust the dark elves and elves that a trustworthy swordsman trusts, then you're denying your own word that you trust the swordsman, so your word that you trust him is untrustworthy, right?　So what are we supposed to trust in the face of...

'Wait a minute, I'm getting confused!

Before that... as you said before.　'Unless you're a really trustworthy wizard,' he said. Perhaps there are rules like that?'

Uh-uh.

　The guards looked away from me.

　I guess there are rules like that, after all.

　It's impossible to monitor all wizards. Earlier, this guard said, ''My lord's countess. If a nobleman is ruling this town, then naturally other nobles should also come to visit. There's a good chance they have a wizard as an escort.

　If that's the case, there's no way they can monitor the wizards of the nobles' guards.

　There should be some exceptions to the rules.

　And yet ...... wants Cecil and Rafilia to be monitored by .......

　............ Maybe they're looking down on adventurers, after all. You were checking 'Are you an adventurer?' over and over again earlier. I'm not sure if it's a good idea for you to be able to get your hands on it.

''I repeat. You trust the swordsman. I mean, you trust me. And these two girls are my slaves. As slaves, they can't disobey my orders. But I'm not going to let them use magic. It's a good thing that you've got a lot of experience in this field. It's a good idea to have a good time with them. Then you are going against the policy of this town of respecting swordsmen and warriors...

Enough!

　Thud.

　The guards stomped their feet.

'I forgot to tell you!　The people we respect are strong, superior swordsmen and warriors. Not your kind of bastard!　If you're a trustworthy man, then show me your power!

I don't think it's fair to add an extra condition to the list.

Look at this!

　The guards pointed to the warehouses that lined the harbor.

　At the end of it, only a wall remained of the building. It was tattered, with only one outer wall facing the sea.

The northern city of Hermilt is a city that reveres warriors. Hence, we are always practicing. Hey ...... try it.

　The guard who was talking with me called out to an extraordinarily large guard.

　The guard raises his fist wrapped in an iron gauntlet and...



　Thud.



　One of the bricks that had been shaping the wall was blown away.

"[Oh,]

　Me, Cecil and Rafilia screamed.

　It's amazing. It looks like "the town that respects warriors" isn't a lie.

　...... but the fact that they go to the trouble of preparing such a thing, I wonder if they always do the same thing.

"You can borrow the gauntlet. Do it. If you can do this, I'll recognize you as a 'trustworthy swordsman'.

Huh.

You can quit now. You don't look so strong. If you follow our town's policies, you'll forgive me...

"...... (whispering) 'building bang'


　Pow!


　A few bricks that made up the wall were blown off.

What the hell is wrong with you? 'You blew a brick!　With those fine arms! 'I hit the one with the crack too!　A different place! It's a coincidence, of course!　We can't just admit it to this degree: ......

It's just a fluke. I'm just a low-level adventurer.

　I replied.

''But if you fly a brick, you'll be recognized as a 'trustworthy swordsman', right? If that's the case...

　I hold up my fist - and at the same time, I signal Rafilia with True Consciousness Sharing Mind Linkage True.

　And as soon as I hold out my fist....



Master!　You can't do that!



　Snap.



　Rafilia's palm caught my fist.



''Haaaaaaaaaah!



　The guards shouted again.

'A fist that could break down a wall - an elven girl ...... stopping it, you say? I thought those girls were wizards! 'You have the power of a warrior ......?　If that's the case, then we'll treat you like a wizard: ......



'Are you okay?　Raphilia

You too, Master. You're going to get suspicious if you're going this slow.


　We exchanged words in 'True Consciousness Sharing'.

　It was a really light punch, so there's no problem on Rafilia's end.

　The guards are stunned by the stage where I first broke the wall - they probably don't know I was acting. It's because the damage from "striking a building" doesn't go to the person originally.

　The rest is just as we discussed.

I don't think so. No, Master. Your knuckles will get hurt if you hit the wall too hard.

...... but if you don't do this, you slaves will be .......

I'll accept being watched, rather than bothering my master. And the proud guards of the warrior-respecting North Town of Hamilton would never do such a terrible thing.

''Surely respecting warriors and swordsmen means that they take pride in their swords. Those people wouldn't break their word or disrespect an adventurer, would they?

That's impossible.

Not really.

　A quick glance.

　Me and Rafilia looked at the guards.

''He said that those who stand in the front line and fight fair and square are the ones who are noble.

It's all fair and square.

"......u", "......guh", "......guh", "......guh".

　It's working.

　We met their requirements. I don't think they have a reason to complain.　

Would you trust me with this?

　I said.

　The guards are looking away awkwardly. 'One more push.

'If you want, I, the 'trustworthy swordsman', will be watching these girls the whole time and will take responsibility for all their actions. If you can't accept that, then you don't have to land. There's nothing you have to do, even if you have to sacrifice your friends.

...... ugh, ugh.

If it's okay with you, I can make a 'contract' on behalf of the girls that they won't be allowed to use magic in this town.

Oh, how did you end up there: ......

We're family.

　I said.

They are slaves in their own right, but they are both my family. I can't let someone else watch over that precious family, can I? Again, I will take responsibility for them. If this town's policy is to believe in 'warriors and swordsmen', then this shouldn't be a problem, right?

...... Got it.

　The guards slumped their shoulders in disappointment.

''I can't let a messenger from the port city of Ilgafa get to the 'Contract (Contract)'. Besides, ...... we know what you guys are capable of. This town has a policy of trusting swordsmen and warriors. If the 'trustworthy swordsmen' will take ...... responsibility, they will be exempt from ...... registration and monitoring.

Thank you.

　...... haha.

　I lost my strength.

　I think the blood on my hands from being told that Cecil and Rafilia would be watching over me was getting to me. I was going to speak more calmly, but I'm afraid I've become a bit of a ...... prude.

　I'm sure you have a lot more to learn about .......

But please ...... keep an eye on those dark elves and elves.

I understand. In this town, you will always be by my side. Would that be okay with both of you?

Hi, hi. I'd be delighted.

　Cecil and Raphilia's voice comes back.

　This area would be a compromise.

　In any case, we can't let them act alone in a town that monitors wizards.

' ...... I'm sorry to have taken up your time. There's been an incident with a wizard taking over a nearby fort. The lord has put us on high alert.

　...... yeah.

A wizard?

The old fortress at the Western Military Seal, the gateway to the Western Passage.

　The guards pointed toward the mountains.

The wizards have taken over the mountain and are blocking all those who are going along the path, so those who are going to the mines and those who are carrying their goods are not allowed to pass. That's why those who are going to the mine and those who are carrying goods are not allowed to pass.

　I looked at the map.

The location that the Earth Dragon Earthgulls had told me was on the west side of the mountain. I looked up the (approximate) map of this area in the Adventurer's Guild at the recreation area. As I recall, there was a lake near the ruins.

''Then what's the route to the lake?''

'The normal mountain roads are impassable. The only other route left is ...... a dangerous route with demons. You can check it out when you get to the 'Adventurer's Guild'.

Can I ask you one question?

Yeah.

Didn't those wizards wear 'accessories with wings on their swords' by any chance?

You know what ...... is, I think you know.

　The guard shrugged.

　So that's why I'm wary of wizards.

　If it was ......, you should have told me from the beginning.

'I know that such organizations recruit wizards. But there are no such accessories on these kids' slave uniforms. So it's irrelevant.

...... Yeah, right. I'm sorry: ......

　The guards bowed deeply.

　Then, bowing several times, he returned to the port security.

'What do you think?　Cecil, Raphilia?

Cecil, you've lost consciousness.

...... Nagi said to me, 'Family.' In front of other people, he called us ...... family ....... Ehehehe ...... ehehehe.

　When I turn around, I see Raphilia pulling Cecil's hand, which is now bright red.

　For some reason, Cecil is holding her cheeks in a dreamy manner.

　On Rafilia's side, with a cheery smile, nodding again and again──.

A master will stop at nothing to protect his slaves.

Really?

Yes. I'm very excited about it, too. Thank you for the wonderful treat.

You're welcome.

　I didn't mean to say anything that amazing.

'Brother. What was the story you just told me at ......? He said the wizard was doing something bad." "What do you mean by that ......?

　Iris, Aine and Cutlass gather around.

　I nodded to them all and then looked at the ship.

'Let's go back to the ship once. We need to hear from the 'Wind Spirit Mage' again.

　I said.

"The wizard who occupies the fort may be related to the Honest Heroes' Guild.