Before attacking the fort, let's gather some information first.
　So me, Lisette, and Haruka decided to go to the human town to do some shopping.

　The development of the area around the village is going well.
　And it's getting easier to hunt demons.

　This is because of the wards. Demons cannot enter the wards. So it's as if there is an invisible wall for the demons, and all we have to do is catch up with them against it.
　Then, surround the demon against the wall, and while the enemy is distracted by you, quickly cut it from inside the ward. It's a cheat, but it's the only way to get by with the demons that keep popping up.

　Furthermore, thanks to Harpy's patrols from the sky, I can now see the location of the demons.
　Everyone in the village was happy, "It's so much easier to hunt now! They were so happy.
　The villagers even saw us off on our way out.

"Thanks to the many demons we hunted, we've accumulated magic crystals.
I'll have to convert this into money to feed my brother!
"Oh!

　Lysette and Haruka are also full of spirit.

　We're on the road by the town.
　It's the closest human territory to the frontier, and it's near a town that's ruled by a man called the Kittle Patriarch.

I heard that he himself lives in a castle further south.
He's a worrier. He doesn't feel safe living in a castle with walls like this.
I'm sure this place is well-defended.

　The town is surrounded by high walls.
　Even from here, you can see soldiers with bows and arrows lined up on the walls.
　This town may have a magic circle from the time of the Dragon Emperor, but I don't think I'll be able to use it. You'll have to make me your lord.

"Brother Shoma, aren't you tired?

　Suddenly, Lisette looked into my face.

Lysette was just clinging to you, but you were flying all the time.
I'm fine. I'm not tired. I have plenty of magic left in me.

　It's a bit of a hassle for me to walk for a day and a half (with camping) as a person from another world.
　I took a shortcut by flying through the air with the Shoshu Kakusei.

But I think my sister Liz is cheating.

　I'm not sure what to make of it.

I want to be close to you too. I want to be attached to you, but I'm always the one being carried around by the harpies.
"Well, it was a fair draw, wasn't it?
Is it really fair?
Lysette-Louge would never cheat in matters of state!
Not when it comes to your brother?
...... Lysette-Luge will not be dishonest when it comes to matters of state.

　Hey, hey.
　Why are you averting your gaze? Lysette.

But I think it would be better if Haruka gave you a ride home. It's only fair.
Right. It's only fair.

　Haruka is smiling at me.
　By the way, I've asked the Harpies to pick me up when it's time to go home.
　Until then, I've already asked them to do another 'investigation'.

Well, this is human territory now.

　I'm supposed to be human too, but strangely, I'm more nervous than when I enter the subhuman world.

　Lysette is wearing a bandana in her hair and Haruka is wearing a hat on her head. They are to hide their horns.

　The gates of the town are located on the north, south, east, and west sides, but we decided to go around and enter through the west gate. If you enter from the frontier, the north side, you will be immediately recognized as a subhuman. It is said that if you enter from the north, you will be immediately recognized as a subhuman, and you will be charged a fee to enter the town. There are also such gatekeepers. Of course, there are good people, too.

The gates close before nightfall and open at dawn. You can't enter the town during that time, so be careful.

　The gatekeeper on the west side said this and let us through as usual.

...... So this is a human town in this world.

　Of course, there are more people here than in Hazama Village.
　As soon as I passed through the gate, I entered the main street of the town.
　This area seems to be the most crowded, and there are stalls lining the street on both sides.

　There are soldiers with swords here and there, probably because the Rikaku cult is also rampaging in this area. There are certainly a lot of people, but not much activity. Everyone is gathered on the street, talking with anxious faces. As I walked along the main street, I passed a wagon guarded by more than ten soldiers. The wagon is heading south.

　The townspeople are pointing at the wagon and talking to each other. They say that over there is the castle of the Kittle Patriarch. The castle is surrounded by multiple walls, and he's holed up inside, waiting for the turbulent times to end... that's what they're saying.

So, what are we going to do now?
First, let's convert the magic crystals into money.
That's right. Then we'll go shopping.



　I'll stop in the street and talk to Lisette and Haruka.

"Okay. Here.

　I took out a leather bag from the King's Vessel and handed it to Lisette.
　Inside the bag is a magic crystal.
The King's Vessel is a storage skill. Only I can take out what's in it. It's perfect for storing valuables.

Thank you. Lysette will go and exchange it for cash. What about you, sir?
I'll just hang around here and listen to gossip. I'm just gathering information.
All right. Haruka, escort me.
Yes, ma'am. Liz.

　Haruka said and clicked the sheath of her long sword.
　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for. Haruka is basically a force to be reckoned with, but her overall fighting strength is no different from Lisette's. I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure I'll be able to do it.

"Then we'll meet at noon. The location is here.
Okay. Lysette, be careful.

　Haruka and I parted ways with Lisette and started walking.







You think there might be a dragon vein magic circle in the Rikaku cult's fortress, right?

　Suddenly, Haruka looked at me and said.

I'm not sure. I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but I think it's a good idea.
But we can't just invade at once, can we?
We don't know the enemy's strength. If there are suddenly 100 soldiers in the fort,.......

　...... No, you can just knock them out with a "dragon roar (breath)".
　I'm not sure if that's a problem for me, but I'm sure it's a problem for Lisette and Haruka. I'm sure they'll both come with me.

I need a rough idea. I'd like to get a rough idea of how many people are in the fort, just to make things easier.
You want to go to the mercenary guild?
Mercenary guild?
To be precise, it's where the King and the Lord Keeper gather their soldiers. When there's an evil cult running rampant, like right now, the regular soldiers aren't always strong enough, so they hire other people temporarily.
So it's like an adventurer's guild.
I'm not sure about that, but they can give us information about where we're going to fight the enemy, so maybe we can get an idea of the cult's strength.

　I see.
　That's a good way to gather information.

All right. Let's go. Lead the way.
You got it. Brother.

　And he grabbed my hand.

Make sure we don't get separated. Boss.

　Seeing my curious face, Haruka smiles.

"It's your first time in this town, just in case.
No, there aren't enough people to get separated.
But in this world, it is a rule that a sister-in-law must hold hands with her brother-in-law when showing him the way.
...... Is that so?
It's not good to doubt your sister-in-law. Brother.

　Haruka, you're smirking at me.

I'll have to teach you more about the rules of step-siblings when I get back.

　But Haruka seems to be embarrassed too.
　So we started walking again, brother and sister, hand in hand.
　The Mercenary Guild, as Haruka called it, was easy to find. It faced the main street and was conspicuous because people with swords and shields were gathered around it. There is a sign at the entrance of the building. It says...

We need your strength to fight against the Rikugaku Kyoukai. Volunteer soldiers would be better...?
A volunteer soldier is what you call a "free laborer.
Maybe the townspeople would help.
It's none of our business.

　What we're trying to do is completely self-interested work.

What are you guys, volunteer soldiers?

　One of the soldiers standing at the entrance looked at me and Haruka.
　One of the soldiers standing at the entrance looked at Haruka and I. Unlike the other soldiers, he wore what looked like a coat of arms on the chest of his armor.

He said, "I'm a soldier under the command of Lord Kittle. ...... Hmm. Both of you are too thin to be soldiers. But I think we can be a troop of soldiers transporting food. Are you interested in becoming a volunteer soldier?　The convoys are slow. ...... We're always short on men. We can hire you. I'll even feed you.



　The soldier smiled thinly and said.
　...... You've got to be kidding me.
　You're slow and you're always short-handed. ...... That means you're vulnerable to the enemy.

That's true. ......

　But I pretended to think for a moment.
　Just as well. In my former world, I was a working man.
　I'll use my ability to process reality to extract information.

The battle against the Rikaku cult will be legendary. I'd be honored to be a part of it, though.
"Yeah, in that worm cult, only the top people have the will to fight. The rest are just peasant soldiers. The rest are just a bunch of peasants. They won't stand a chance against a bunch of well-trained soldiers.
But I hear they're holed up in the fort?
Doesn't matter. The soldiers of the great Patriarch Kittle will face them. They can take down a fort of any size in a matter of seconds. More at .......

　The soldier's lips quirked up in a sarcastic smile.

The only ones who will be successful in the end are those like us who have served the Lord Keeper for generations. The volunteers and mercenaries will have to make way for them. That should be honor enough for you.
That's true.
It's amazing.

　Haruka and I nodded our heads in barbed tones.
　That's easy to understand.
　I'm sure you'll be able to understand why.
　In addition, I know from talking to him that the army of the Kittle Patriarch will be attacking the Order soon.
　The fact that they're putting up a sign so openly suggests that the information may have reached the Order.

　But I'm not sure if this soldier has accurate information about the fort.
　According to the harpy, the cult's fort is on top of a rocky hill and is quite small.
　According to the harpy, the cult's fort is on top of a rocky mountain and is quite small in size, with room for a dozen people at most. However, because it is on top of a mountain, it is difficult to attack. In addition, there was only one road to the fort, and it would be very difficult to defend it with soldiers there.

　I'm still asking the harpies to scout the area, so I'll have more information.

So, what do we do now?
Yes?
Volunteers.

　Oh, I didn't know that.

We don't have a lot of volunteers right now. If we're lucky, we might catch the eye of the princess who's in charge of the army. What do you say? Why don't you just write down your name and address...
"Brother!

　Suddenly, Haruka pulled my sleeve.
　She pulled me with all her strength and moved away from the soldiers.






Excuse me for interrupting!

　It was sudden.
　A girl came up behind us and shouted.

You must be one of Patriarch Kittle's soldiers.
"......, yes.
I've got some good news for you.

　The girl shook her light blue hair and said.
　She was a small girl. She looked to be in the upper grades of elementary school.
　She was wearing a tattered robe. She was holding a dagger in her hand. Her hands and feet were covered in dirt, and she looked very tired.
　Still, she looked up and stared straight at the soldier.

...... I am a warrior from the capital, and my name is Yukino. I am a warrior from the capital and my name is Yukino. I've come to see if there's a vessel for that in the Kittle Keep.

　The girl held up a finger and said firmly, "Please.

The girl held up one finger and said firmly, "Please, I beg you to see the Lord Keeper.
　If you accept my plan, I will bring down the fortress of the Rikaku Order in no time at all!

　With his chest outstretched to the fullest, he declared to the soldiers.

　And then...



"Too small. Too thin. What you're saying is unrealistic. And you're too arrogant. If we hire you, we'll have a liability problem. Reject it.

"What?




　Voila.





　The girl was easily thrown out of the Mercenary Guild.