When Christine woke up, she found herself in a simple wooden room.
　There was a table next to her bed, and a vase of flowers sitting haphazardly on an old mirror stand by the wall.

　She stared blankly at the ceiling, but as time passed, she gradually remembered her current situation.
　She had no memory of what had happened after she had defeated the warrior.
　She realized that she was now in a room at the inn where she had stayed until early this morning.

How did I get here? ...... Oh, Mr. Xelloss!

　You can't help but think that a shady looking mage brought you here.
　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
　Her body had been altered by the rapid leveling up, and she had been reckless and dizzy when she hadn't been optimized.
　She collapsed on the bed again.

"Ahhh~......

　She makes a strange moaning sound and presses her face against the pillow.
　She tried to stand up, but the fatigue came first and she couldn't even move.

(You can thank me tomorrow, right?)

　(I can thank you tomorrow, right?) If I force myself to go and say thank you, I may end up making her afraid.
　So I decided to give priority to resting and getting my body in shape.
　As I put the sheet back on and closed my eyelids, I could hear the laughter of the people making noise in the dining room on the first floor.

　After a while, as if she was too tired, her quiet sleep drifted into the room of the small inn.
　Christine fell asleep again.


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　The next morning, Christine woke up, dressed quickly, and hurried out of the room.
　She went downstairs to the dining room where several mercenaries were having breakfast.
　She saw people she knew there and felt relieved to realize that she had been saved after all this time.

"Christine, are you awake? How is your body?
I was worried when you suddenly disappeared in front of me.
I'm fine, Izzat, Sair. I'm fine, Izaat, Sile. - And Corsa and Socto?
I'd go anywhere to save your daughter.
Yes. Well, to tell you the truth, I was a little nervous.

　She was relieved that the knights in her entourage were safe, but she had another reason for coming here.

"Izzard, who saved me?
The mage?　I don't see him since after he took care of Master Christine. Let's ask his fellow women.

　The young man, who is also the leader of the knights, calls out to the three women who are sitting at the front table eating breakfast.

"Gentlemen. I'm sorry, but do you know where the mage is?　Master Christine would like to thank you.
I'm sorry.　Old man. ...... I don't see him, do you?
Yeah. Is he still resting in his room?
Oh, he's gone, isn't he?　He left last night.
"Huh?

　Iris told them that Xellos had left the village of Arhan last night, and the three of them, who hadn't known, let out an exclamation of stupidity.

"Wait a minute, Iris!　Xellos, when did you leave?
"When I saw you yesterday, you were eating here.
"Then I came here for a smoke and left. After they went back upstairs to rest in their room.
It's half a day to the city of Santor.　That's insane. You're not going to be a good ...... target for bandits. They'll just try to strike back.
I don't think we can beat that old man. He came back from the lowest level of the mine unscathed.　He's no match for most of them.

　Xellos left the village in the middle of the night, but he was still not worried.
　He was too strong for his own good, so he wanted to see if there was anyone he could kill.
　The old man was treated badly even when he was not there.

"Didn't Mr. Xelloss say something?
Did he say anything about being a pain in the ass when it comes to the nobility, or that he was going to disappear sooner rather than later because the scouts would be screaming for him to join their ranks?
"I can't believe I can't say thank you. .... Um, do you know where you live?
I don't know. Isn't your uncle the Vagabond of the Inn?

　The knights don't know what to say to a depressed Christine.
　In the event that you're not sure what to do, you can always ask for help.
　No one knew where the middle-aged mage was.

Mages are a self-centered lot, so don't worry about them.
But he saved my life and I think I should at least thank him. As a human being and a nobleman. ......
But you're Xellos, so I'm sure you don't care much about that.
I don't think you need to be so hard on him, because he seems to be living a very easy life.

　Christine just wanted to say thank you, but her wish would not be granted as long as he was not there.
　No matter how much she tried to calm her down, her words only made her more depressed.


　The middle-aged mage quickly disappeared from the village, leaving only his mood.

　By this time, the old man had reached the gates of the city of Santor.
　He was humming a tune and smoking a cigarette. .......

　As a side note, the abandoned mine in the village of Arhan took some time before it was officially recognized as a dungeon.
　It took three months for a group of skilled mercenaries to explore it, and after a few formalities, it was declared a dungeon.
　It took a few years for the village of Arhan to come alive again.

　By that time, the interior of the abandoned mine had become even more expansive, and many demons had begun to appear.
　The cause of this was the old man's genocidal magic attack, which even he did not know about.

　The demons that were reduced to ashes in an instant were efficiently absorbed into the dungeon and became the food that gave them new strength.
　The dungeon will continue to expand and become a place where many demons and people fight each other and earn a living.

　Until the day the dungeon core is destroyed: .......

　This was a little before the dungeon later called "The Great Labyrinth of Arhan".


　　...


　The time goes back a bit, and the place moves to a tavern in the city of Santor.

　It was a place where men of bad character would gather, order drinks, talk about stupid things, and sometimes start fights.
　In this tavern, which is often under the care of the guards, a few mercenaries are drinking away the morning's woes.
　They were the mercenary who had tangled with Christine, and a few of his friends.
　They had fled after being threatened by Xellos, and had come half a day to the city of Santor.
　Only one of them is still bitter about what happened this morning, and he is drinking himself to death.

"d*mn, that mage... he's still pissing me off!
"Are you still saying that?　You've got to give it up.
The Mithril Sword was a piece of shit too, right?　You just can't use it even if you take it, you idiot. Idiot.
I don't know. I don't know, now that I think about it, it could have been a trick of that guy's.

　There are two reasons why I think this guy is lying.
　The first is that he can't prove that Xellos is an expert.
　The other reason is that when he thrust his sword at him, he told him to give it back and go away.

　The ability to appraise is not known to others even if you declare it.
　The reason is that it is impossible to prove whether or not you actually have the ability without having someone with appraisal skills appraise several things.
　Also, if you think that the sword was thrust at you in order to arouse your fear, there is a possibility that the whole thing is an act.
　If that is the case, there is a high possibility that the story about the appraisal skills is also a lie.

　More than anything else, it was his stinky appearance that made him make such a false prediction.

I'm not a mage," he said, "but even if I were, that thing is skilled.　It's not a mage.
I'm not a mage." "Yeah, well he pulled out his sword before I knew it.
He's not the kind of guy you should be fighting. I don't want to die. I don't...
I know, I know, I know!

　The mercenaries are all of low rank.
　I've been doing this not by seriously raising my level, but by taking the upper hand from the side.
　The merchant guards also follow behind the strong mercenaries to ensure their safety using a technique known as parasitism, while the demons are killed by another mercenary who weakens his prey and takes it from the side.
　They think they are clever, but their actions themselves have made them untrustworthy and prevented them from rising to higher ranks.

　Yet, they resent the mercenary guild and continue to harass them out of desperation and in secret.
　I guess this kind of people exist everywhere.

　A man who was drinking at the counter approached them.
　He was a mage in black robes.

He was a black-robed mage. "You have a very interesting story. Do you think a strong weapon will make you stronger?　You make me laugh.
"What?　Are you trying to fight us?
A mercenary who is defeated by a mage is no match for me. Well, now that you've made me laugh, I'll tell you a funny story.
"Oh?　You're a mage too, aren't you? And what's so funny?
But first, let me ask you, do you want to become stronger than you are now?　If you answer that question, I'll tell you how to get stronger. I'll show you how to be stronger than the rest of them.

　The mercenaries looked at each other.
　The mage I met this morning was also dressed in a fishy outfit, but this one is fishy in a different way because of his good figure.
　And even though it's indoors, he's wearing the hood of his robe very tightly.
　It's no wonder he's so suspicious that he's sending me information just by listening to me talk from the side.

"Ah!　It's not enough to just talk. You have to pay for it, but you don't have any money, so let's just have a drink.
　And that's enough for the subject, including the funny story I just told you.
Are you sure you don't just want us to buy you a drink?
That's rude. I was simply trying to give it to you because I don't need it. You can give it to someone else if you want.　You might get a surprisingly high price for it.



　The mercenaries looked at each other again.
　The mage in front of them seems to be trying to force something on them that they don't need, but they don't know what it is.
　But if you become stronger than you are now, you could make a lot of money.
　They may have been cunning, but they should have been more cautious than to do something so evil...but they were drunk, so they took the offer without thinking too much.

The first thing you need to do is to show us what you've got.
"Yes, sir. Here's the real thing.

　The mercenaries were surprised when the mage suddenly pulled out an object from thin air.
　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

I'm sure you've seen the real thing.　Now you'll have to buy me a drink. Oh, I'll tell you, it's no good just to have it. How to use it is still a secret.
"Hey, hey!　Bring this mage some ale!

　The man shouted, and a moment later, the stout woman put the ale into a wooden mug and placed it roughly on the table.
　Or perhaps it was more accurate to say that she knocked it down with force.
　The table shook with the impact. But not a drop of ale spilled from the mug.

...... How can you stay in business with an attitude like that?
That's the mystery to us, too.
The food's good. The food is good. The attitude sucks, but ......
I hear you're still single.
I almost got pushed down by that woman once ......, naked... it was scary.
「「「「・・・・・・・・・・・・」」」」

　The eyes of pity and compassion focused on one man.
　He looked terrified, as if he was about to cry.

　He was a very well-built, foxy-eyed, Guinness-grade obese woman.
　The floor creaked as he walked, and I wondered how much he weighed.
　To be honest, I don't want to be attacked.

"Well, well, I don't care about this guy. So? How do you use this?
Oh, it's good to have someone buy you a drink. Oh, you mean how to use it?　Simply wear it on your body and let the magic flow through you, it will give you power.
Do you mind if I try it?
May I?　I have no need of it.

　The man squeezes the amulet in his hand and pours what little magic he has into it.

　--Boom!

　Then he felt a different kind of elation and a rush of power surging through his body.
　I felt a rush of power surging through my body.

"Hahaha, this is amazing, I feel so powerful!
Seriously, ......, I want one.
Yes, I do.　There's about three more at .......
"Give it to us!

　The men close in on the mage.
　In the event that you've got a lot of time, you'll be able to take a look at the most effective way to get the most out of your time.

It's time to go. I have work to do, so I'll leave you to it.
"Hey, you're leaving already? I haven't thanked you yet, have I?
It's my job. My boss is always bothering me when I'm late.
Must be tough being a mage at .......
Indeed. We'll meet again if it comes to it.
I'll be earning my keep by then.
...... I hope there is a time.

　The mage walked out of the tavern, leaving the mercenaries behind.
　The mage left the tavern, leaving the mercenaries behind, and the remaining men continued to fool around in this tavern until morning.
　　...
　　.
　　...
　After leaving the tavern, the mage entered an alley in the shadow of a nearby building and met up with some men who were waiting there.

How'd it go?
'Well, it went well, sir. The rest is your business, right?
They're pathetic. They don't know they're being experimented on, do they?
The garbage will do the rest. We'll just sleep on it.
You have some work to do, though.
It's up to you to report back. You'll give me a good report, won't you?　For your country's sake.

　The mage walked down the alleyway with a casual gait.
　It was as if he didn't care about the men's presence.

　The men nodded silently to each other and then disappeared as if they had been erased from existence.

It doesn't matter to me how it turns out. ......



　The mage smiled a cruel smile, muttered quietly, and disappeared into the darkness.
　After that, only silence enveloped the alleyway.


　　...


　By the time Xelloss returned to the city of Santor, the sun was already rising.
　While it was supposed to be a brisk morning, he was unusually agitated in another direction.

(The first thing we need to build is a dryer, then a thresher, then a refrigerator, and then...oh...that.
　We have the mutant species, now we just need the genetic information to set the shape and the ...... other species that would be suitable for creating the artificial eggs?
　Dwarves...beer barrel shape and loli...ethically unacceptable. Beastmen, ......, would be a killer, and also rejected, so I would want genetic information on high elves. I'm hoping for a female, but I won't know until I try to make one, and the odds are about two to one.
　I would like to have someone to help me manage the farm. A humanoid would be good, and its versatility is appealing, but it's a shame that it doesn't have anything special other than that.
　I'll have to wait and see how long it takes for the homunculus to grow.
　Since it was originally a weed, it must have grown a lot in the past two days, and if you think about it, you can harvest seven times in a year... you'll never starve, right?　This country: .......
　Rice should be the staple food in this country. If we don't make sake and koji, we won't be able to make sake, miso and soy sauce.
　Give me sake, give me sake. All the gods!　I do not ask the gods of this world.
　They reincarnated us at the complaint of the gods of the original world, but I don't like the fact that there's no other aftercare. It's a good idea to take a look at the actual information on the web, as well as to make sure you're getting the most out of it.
　(......, what was I thinking?)

　And the situation in his head was hilarious.
　He couldn't seem to get the sake out of his head.

The first priority is to get the right equipment. Otherwise, the sake will be .......

　Sake was a priority for Xellos.

　Perhaps it was because he had spent the night running through the city streets, but his thoughts were a bit odd.
　Seeing him, the young guards waiting at the city gate looked suspicious.

　It's no wonder that they are suspicious of an old man who looks suspicious and is muttering to himself in front of the city gate.
　It is natural that he would be questioned if he wandered around in front of the gate without going through it.
　Eventually, a group of guards walked toward Xellos.

The mage there, would you like to come to the guardroom for a moment and listen to what they have to say?
"What?　I'm ......, aren't I?
Is there anyone else besides you?　You're acting suspiciously in front of the city, you're acting suspicious.
Call me suspicious, but I'm not .... He looks suspicious enough, doesn't he?

　It seems to me that he looked suspicious enough.
　I'm aware of that myself.

"Your appearance is one thing, but your behavior is suspicious!　Just come here!
Wait, wait, wait, wait. You'll understand.
I want to hear your story. Just walk like a man!
Oh, will there be breakfast?　I've been running all night from the village of Arhan, and I'm very hungry.
Old man, you're more brazen than I thought!

　And so Xelloss was led away by the guards.
　It was three hours later that he was released.

　Needless to say, he was treated to a hearty breakfast for his false accusation.


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　On the way home, Xellos went to the magic tool store to sell the magic stones.
　I've only been here once before, but the exterior of the store has changed into so fancy that I honestly hesitated to enter.

The last time I was here, it had a horrifying appearance with a strong sense of horror. ....... What's going on here?

　In the past, the appearance of a witch's dwelling was transformed into something like a coffee shop, or even a maid café with a slight twist.

　When the smelly Xellos hesitantly tried to enter, a waitress wearing an unusually frilly maid outfit peeked out from the door.
　It was Cootie, a rude shopkeeper wearing glasses with large, round lenses. It was Cootie.

"Oh, who was that ...... guy the other day?
I'm not a regular enough to tell you my name.　What's with the ...... look?
"It's just a whim of the manager. He said, "From now on, we should change the atmosphere of the store to meet the needs of our customers.
It's too late to notice. And it's changed too much. ...... There's no trace of what it used to be.
The people from Hanba Civil Engineering did a great job.

　The image of Nagri, the dwarf craftsman, giving a thumbs up with a nice smile came to Xellos' mind.
　They work fast. They work fast, and they always meet their deadlines.


　And the next day, or the day after that, they go to a hotter site.
　They are field people.

When you said "next job," you meant here: ......
By the way, what can I do for you today?　We don't buy stolen magic stones, do we?
You're still saying that: ....... You seem to want to make me out to be a thief no matter what.
Yes!　Yes, by all means.

　I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that.
　I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that.

"Is the manager there?
"Yes, but he was up late last night staring at the ledger. I think he's asleep at the counter.
...... He just came out of the store, didn't he? Didn't you see it?
Didn't you see him?　I saw her drooling and masturbating.

　I'm sure you've seen him.
　The conversation seems to be going well, but there's a slight gap.

It's a good thing if you can buy the magic stones. I've got a lot more than I expected.
You stole them from somewhere else, didn't you?　Turn yourself in, please!
Okay, I'll report you to the manager. Tell him to fire this clerk. ......
Manager, you have a customer!

　He switched as if nothing had happened and immediately entered the store to report to the manager, Belladonna.
　Xelloss walked in with a tired look on his face, and the store was fancy.
　The store looked like something that would make an old man's head hurt.

　There were stuffed animals everywhere, and lacy curtains.
　There are also artificial flowers in the shop, and the girl-chic factor is not too high.
　The inside of the store used to be normal, but now it is pink, just like the outside of the store.

"Manager, please wake up! You've got a customer. ...... Candy~
Who are you?　Who just called out my real name!　My name is Belladonna, it's my soul name!

　In addition to the fact that poisonous plants are the name of the soul, it seems that the manager has a complex about his name and is running the store under a false name.

　He is a mage with the appearance of a high-class prostitute, but his name is awfully cute.
　In a way, she fits the current store.
　I'm talking about something other than her appearance.

"Manager, you have a customer.　It's the thief from the other day.
"You're still saying that, aren't you going to fire him?　This waitress.
Oh, welcome. Long time no see, huh?　It seems you haven't been here for a while. What's wrong?
Manager, the way you say it, you sound like a night butterfly.
I don't like the term "night butterfly. It's just a moth, isn't it?　A poisonous woman who sprinkles her perfume around like scales. I would never do such a thing.

　Inwardly, Xelloss couldn't say, "No, you're enough of a [night butterfly].
　This is because the manager was staring at him with a terrible expression.
　He has a surprisingly keen intuition.

"Are you buying magic stones again?
"Yes. But I'm afraid I'll be bringing in some acquaintances later, and I'd like to sell them so that the value of the demon stones doesn't drop.
"How many demons have you killed? Honestly, I'm afraid to ask.
I'm sorry, but can you adjust the numbers there?　Most of the demon stones are worms and spiders.
Have you been to the mines in Arhan?　Well, ......, how about fifteen worms and twenty spiders?

　The number of items purchased was surprisingly small.
　I have ten times as many magic stones alone, so I'm having trouble finding a use for them.

　For some reason, the command [AutoRecover] was displayed in the status list, and all the demon stones of the defeated demons were being recovered.
　My status was still the same as it was in the game.
　It had become a skill and was collecting the demon stones on its own.

　He realized this when he was detained in the guard station.

"Fine. The deal is done.
"Oh?　I haven't told you the price yet.
I'll trust you on that. I'd be grateful if you'd just buy it.

　Xellos is not obsessed with money.
　What he is obsessed with is alcohol.

　Perhaps that's why he sold the magic stone at a good price to the manager of the magic tool store and got a little money.



　After that, I bought some fried bread with ingredients from a street vendor and went to my favorite tobacco store to buy some cigarettes before heading home.

You need a ...... portable ashtray, too. How could I forget my basic morals?

　I now realize that I have been walking around with a cigarette in my mouth and littering the butts.
　The old man had forgotten his morals.

　I can't stop smoking, even though I'm an adult who can't follow etiquette.


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　Wandering around the city, we entered the old town and came to the front of the association.
　Xellos's house is on the newly paved narrow road next to the church, so we can look into the field behind the church.

　---Shinuuuuu, Shindeshima...GOHHHH!

　There, children were pulling out mandragoras today. 　
　The mandragora is screaming.

　People can get used to any kind of insanity, and the children and Luceris were no longer suffering from the mental damage of harvesting.
　Well, it seems that the children were fine from the start, but they are children and they have grown tired of it, so they don't pull them out just for fun.

　Why do I feel as if I have lost something important as a human being?

Oh, it's the old man!
Hey, old man!
Do you have any gifts for me?
Give me some meat. Give me some meat.

　The children spotted the Xellos and came running towards us.
　Basically, they were looking for souvenirs.

"Here it is. Here's some fried bread for you.
"Wow, thanks. Thanks, Pops.
Thanks, buddy. Let's eat.
"Danke, old man.
Meat... meat... meat... Heh, heh, heh. ...... That'll hold me over for a while.

　He grabbed a paper bag and cheerfully ran off towards the church.
　I don't care what you say, but I really wonder where the last child learned to speak like this.
　Is there an adult nearby with a serious condition?

"Hey, that's rude!　Excuse me, Mr. Xelloss. And welcome back.

　These casual words left Xelloss momentarily speechless.

"Can I help you?
No, it's nice. It's nice to have someone say 'welcome home' to me. .... I'm back, Mr. Luceris. I'm sorry if I caused you any concern.

　As an old man who had lived alone for a long time, this casual greeting made me very happy.

It's a basic greeting and it's natural to worry about someone you know, isn't it?
"I think it's natural to greet people and worry about people you know. Especially for a single person like me.

　In my original world, there was no one to say 'welcome home' to me when I came home.
　He would turn on the lights in his dark house, prepare a bath and a meal, and then watch TV. Such were the days of my life.
　There were days when I did nothing all day long when I was not in the mood, but even so, I would not have felt lonely if someone had been there for me.

　I played online games as a hobby, but the loneliness had a great impact on my daily life.

I'll be happy to help you with something like this.
I'm sure you'll get the wrong idea. I'm sure I'll be misunderstood, especially if a beautiful woman like Luceris calls on me.
"Are you making fun of ...... me again?
No, no, I'm quite serious. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a lot of work to do and a lot of things to prepare for when I get home.
Thank you for your time. If you need anything, you can always call on me, we're neighbors.
If you need anything, I'll be happy to do so.

　Luceris watches Xelloss walk away, his steps somewhat light.
　She breathed a quiet sigh of relief, knowing that even though she was the oldest, she still cared about Xellos.

I'm so glad you're back safe and sound. ......
"Sister, it's love.
Sister, it's love.　You're so stubborn!
Why don't you just be honest with me and kill me?
What are you gonna do with it?　Make it meat?

　Before he knew it, the children were back beside him, giving Luceris advice. "Where did you get those words?

"Where do you guys learn to speak like that...?　"Where do you guys learn to speak like that?
"Neighborhood guy.
The back alley guy.
The bar master.
The withdrawn, dark-skinned brother and the skinny old man who sometimes buys things from him.

　The old town was a bad place for education.
　From that day on, Lucerys would worry about the education of her children.



　The environment around us was too bad to improve.
　More than that, the children's ability to adapt to their environment was too strong.

　The future of the children depended on her education.