I can't take it anymore. I just want to throw everything away and run away right now.

I sighed as I sat in the Clan Master's office, looking as bad as ever.

It's been a few days since Tino and I went out for ice cream. The situation hadn't changed one bit.
When I got home, I did some research, but all I could find was some kind of bad information, and there was nothing I could do about it.

Or rather, this matter is completely out of my hands.

It seems that Akasha's Tower is a famous sorcerous society, and I don't want to get involved with it because secret societies are usually dangerous to me, but it seems that the organization is doing some pretty nasty things in the name of truth-seeking.

From killing to robbing of rare materials and creatures. They're also involved in mass kidnappings, human experiments, sacrifices to summon ancient gods, and other things that even the mafia wouldn't go this far to do. I feel like puking.

Ark, Luke and the others are nowhere to be found and the other clan members in the Imperial Capital are already working on a request from the Council of Inquiry. There's no treasure trove either.

I don't even know why they were hiding in the rabbit hole, but if it was a magic society, they should have acted like one.
If I had known that it was a dangerous magic society, I would have chosen to run away, but the worst thing that could have happened was that Liz had dared Gark and the others. And the worst part is that Mr. Gark seems to have believed it for some reason. It's a dead end.

I wonder why Mr. Gark doesn't understand my incompetence, even though we've known each other for several years. I'm at a high level, but this level is the level that you guys have certified. It doesn't mean you'll get stronger if you're certified higher.

Eva, who definitely has a better grasp of the current situation than I do, makes me a cup of tea while I'm lazily escaping reality with my legs on the desk.

Oh, I'm sorry. I'm not working, so I don't need tea. .......

'Mr. Cry, is Akasha okay?'

'...... It's not time yet.'

I sigh widely, remembering the hate-stained face of the leader of the Rabbinical Institute.

I didn't think anything of it at the time, but if that was the leader of a dangerous magic society, then it's bad. He would definitely have held a grudge.
I didn't mean to offend him, but that's none of Noto's business.

I'm incompetent, but I've been through so much that I know how to save my own life.
There is only one option left for me now: don't leave the clan house.

This clan house is not only a place for clan members to relax, but also a safe place for me. The reason I built my bedroom here, the fact that it has more facilities than other clans, and the fact that it has a basement are all in preparation for an attack.

The people gathered here are the best hunters in the Imperial Capital. They are professionals at killing monsters.
There is no safer place in the Imperial Capital than here, even if it is a magical society.
It's so secure that even if you were to die in an attack, you'd be forgiven.

That's why I'll never leave this place. I'm sure Tino is a bit inadequate as a guard, and I'd feel a bit safer if Liz were here, but I think it's best not to go out until the culprit is caught.
I'm sure he'll say something like, "Physical attacks are beyond me. I'm not .......

'It's not the right time. ...... When will it be the right time? Mr. Gark seems to be getting a little impatient. ......'

'Hmmm ......, even if you say so, this is all .......'



It's just a coincidence that a slime like thing appeared, and it's also a coincidence that I ran into a member of the Rabbinical Institute. It would be understandable if all those events were calculated, but I've already told you that's not the case.

Isn't it strange that you should understand without being told, but you don't understand even if I tell you?

What do you mean, "let them swim"? ...... The only thing swimming is my eyes.

The only thing swimming is my eyes. What have you been looking at all this time? ......'

I'm helpless. If I go out there, I'll create a treasure house, and I won't be able to stop Liz's tyranny.

On the contrary,............, yes, Sitri.
You can't stop him when he's stigmatized and given the terrible nickname "Deep Black".
I tried to protect him, but I was not strong enough. There was too much pressure from the government. I don't think it's right to penalize people just because they are suspected without any evidence. There must have been some kind of conspiracy because the circumstantial evidence showed that Sitri was as close to black as possible.
Citry-chan laughed and forgave me, but the incident remains in my memory as my biggest mistake since I came to the Imperial Capital. (By the way, my sister was clapping her hands and laughing at that time.

When I remembered it, it made me sick. I complained in a low voice.

'I hope you haven't turned your brain into a muscle.

'...... Cry, you're out of line.'

...... But when you think about it, it's probably understandable that Mr. Gark would misunderstand.

He is a good boy, but even I, who have known him for a long time, sometimes feel that he is out of tune when he talks, and to a stranger who doesn't know him well, he may seem to have a few screws in his head. When I was given a nickname, everyone was convinced except me.
What do you mean by "I'll make sure the culprit is found next time"? .......

...... You didn't really do it, did you?

In the meantime, the big door of the Clan Master's office opened with a bang.
I was sure I heard my blood run cold when the unexpected figure appeared.

'Hey, Cry. Sorry to drop in on you so suddenly when you're busy. ...... I just wanted to check on the situation. ...... Oh, I'm sorry, man. I'm sorry to bother you.

I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to do it, but I'm going to try. The timing is too bad.

I reflexively try to get down on my knees and fall out of my chair because I left my legs on the table.
While I was struggling with intense pain, Mr. Gark came close enough to stop me.
By the time I stood up, holding my aching back, he was already in front of me.

Oh no. I'm scared. I wonder how he heard me. .......

'Oh no, I'm sorry. Cry-kun. I'm a martial artist with a muscular brain, and unlike you who knows everything, I don't know anything unless you share it with me.'

'............'

'My eyes are also weak, you know? I can only see what I can see! I'm not like you! I want to exchange my eyeballs!

It seems that even though he wasn't talking loudly, they could hear everything through the door. This is why hunters are so foreign to me.
I smiled blankly at Mr. Gark, who was looking down at me with a swarthy look.

'Haha, haha............ wish I had bad ears too.

'Are you making fun of me, you idiot!

'Well, well, please calm down! Don't take what Kry says seriously!

'I'm always sorry about my master! I'll tell you later, so please forgive me!

In the meantime, Kaina and Eva, who came in from behind with a wry smile, appeased Gark.


That's what I'm used to. They breathe together like sisters. I'm confident I can talk smack even to Mr. Gark if they're around. I want you to stay with me forever.

I hurriedly joined in the apology.

'I'm sorry. I just said it out loud. I didn't mean it.'

'I know. Oh, I know. That's why I haven't used my only advantage, my muscles!

Gark-san laughs while breathing hard.

Oh no. I've heard that Mr. Gark has become rounder than in his prime, but he's still a former "war demon". You never know when you'll get your hands on him.
An apology wouldn't be enough, he's clearly angry. I quickly and tactfully followed up.

'Well, I think you have a great ...... joke sense and patience!

'Are you mocking me, you idiot?

Oh, no. It's better to keep quiet.

I'm not sure what to say, but I'll try. Eva is looking at me with eyes that say, "Don't say anything else.
If you interrupt in a hurry, nothing good will come of it.

After keeping silent, Mr. Gark finally calmed down, took a deep breath, and slammed a thick document on my desk.
On the cover of the document was written in large letters, "Confidential.

He still had a blue streak on his forehead, but he spoke slowly.

'Your good ears may have already heard this, but it's the result of an investigation by the Exploration Council and the Empire. We found some rooms outside that looked like laboratories. The inside was empty, but the experts are taking a closer look now.

I had heard via Tino that they were investigating, but it's only been a week or so since the investigation began.
I'm not sure if you've seen this before, but I'm sure you've seen it before. The fact that he found a laboratory in such a short period of time shows how serious he is.

'Heh, ......, it's amazing that you found it in such a short period of time.

'............'

'Calm down, Mr. Gark. You're not trying to stir things up, Cry. This is just the way it is, you know?'

Chyna is quieting Mr. Gark, who looks at her as if he's about to shoot her.

'What? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. I just thought it was awesome. ......'

'Krai, please shut up!

I had no choice but to hold my tongue. Am I not even allowed to call something awesome?
What am I supposed to say? Is this what you want me to say? Like a level 8?

'Hmm, this is it--'

'............ Cry? You're testing my patience, aren't you?

See, I'm still pissed. What am I supposed to do?
I sighed deeply and said to Mr. Gark, who was holding in his anger. Let's talk about something constructive.

'Now, now, Mr. Gark, calm down. It's not time to panic yet. I'll have the file for you in a minute. Is there anything else?'

'The ............ higher ups are getting impatient. ...... I want to know where you're going.

Ah, ......, I see. That's what I want to know too. It's a dead end. There's nothing I can do.
But I don't have the courage to say that to an angry Mr. Gark. Maybe I'll stall for time. .......

I nodded my head, pretending to be thinking plausibly, and replied.

'...... Well, I guess I ...... need help, huh?

I think I can handle it if my childhood friends who are on an expedition come back.
They are loved by the goddess of fate. I'm sure they'll be hailed as heroes one day.
Not only are they strong, but they also have, how should I say it, a strong pull. I also have a strong pull in an unpleasant way, but Ark and the others have high problem solving ability in addition to that.

They should be able to handle this case as well. I think I said this before, but if they can't handle it, I can't either.

Mr. Gark's eyebrows twitched at my answer.

'............ help ......? Whose?

Whose? It was a difficult question. I'd like to say all of them, but I'm sure Mr. Gark would never admit that.

The most consistent is, of course, Ark Rodin. He is superior in every way. It is sad that he is not the Ghost of Sorrows.
On the other hand, if we are talking about our members, Luke and Liz are more brainy than Mr. Gark, so they are not suitable for this kind of investigation. Eliza is a bandit, but she's a recent addition to our team, and she won't do what I ask of her.
Lucia and Anthem are always calm and collected, so I can rely on them, but both of them are very conspicuous.

I mean, Citly is my choice because of the slime thing. I want you to come back, Citri. Final answer.
I look at the calendar on my desk and answer.

'It's Citri. ............ Maybe he'll come back soon.

In fact, it's too late. The date I had circled for his expected return had long since passed.
If he doesn't come back, I'll go and check on him. If there was something wrong, I couldn't abandon him.

Mr. Gark made a stern face.

'...... Sitri? ...... Speaking of which, I heard that you and Akasha are enemies. ...... Does it have to be Citry? When are you coming back? If you're talking about needing an alchemist, call some--'



I'm home. I'm home.

I'm back!

With a familiar voice, a familiar figure entered the room.
Mr. Gurk turns around and catches sight of the figure with great surprise.

She had the same pink-blonde hair and eyes as Liz. She is a little taller than her sister, Liz, but she wears a plain-colored cloak and looks smaller than she is, probably because she is not as noisy as Liz.
He carries a large bag on his back, and a potion bag two times larger than those worn by ordinary hunters hangs from his waist belt.
He does not carry a staff. Sitri's role is not combat. She's a commander. She is the one who prepares, cleans up, and gathers information for the Treasure House.

Citri Smart. The hunter I'd been waiting for had arrived.

His appearance was spotless and unchanged from when he left the Imperial Capital. Apparently, he was safe.

'Welcome back, Citri.

I raise my hand, inwardly relieved.

But the timing is incredibly convenient. You weren't listening outside, were you? Maybe you and Mr. Gark should make the door a little more soundproof.

For some reason, Citri comes to me with a mysterious look on his face. He passes by with a small bark in front of Mr. Gark, whose face is tightly knit, and stands in front of me next to Chyna and Eva, who can't say anything, and says with tears in his eyes.

'Mr. Cry, you're being too overprotective. You don't have to do that, I won't let you go!

'？？？？？？？？？ Oh, yes. I'm sorry.

I don't know what I'm saying first thing. Did I do something wrong?

'It's Kry's fault. I was going to persuade him to give up, but ............ I wish you'd cut him some slack. That's ...... going to draw sympathy.'

"What are you talking about?

I didn't understand the situation, but Citri said something I couldn't believe.



'We're talking about the Tower of Akasha.

Mr. Gark's expression froze. He looks at me, but I have no idea why he would be talking about that when he just came back.

In front of me, who can only blink, unable to speak, Sitri takes down his backpack, pulls out a small black bag from inside, and hands it to the stunned Mr. Gark.
I'm not afraid of him because, unlike his sister, he's not overwhelmingly vigorous.

'The main culprit is captured below. If we don't go quickly, he might die.

'Ah! Caina, let's go! Hey, Cry. We'll have plenty to talk about later! Hurry up!

Mr. Gark left the Clan Master's office in a hurry with Ms. Chyna.
It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for and what you can do to help.

...... This is impossible. Too good. What's going on with our team?
I said we need help from Citri, but that's not what I meant. I said he's strong, but I think he's too strong.

Sitri is silent, waiting for me to say something.

I wasn't sure what to say, so I decided to forget everything that had been bothering me until just now.
I stood up and spread my arms wide in front of Sitri.

The magic society and the slime and all that can wait. For now, let's just rejoice in our return.
No matter what they say, all I can do is wait for the hero's return, that's all.

I smiled and said to Citly clearly once more.

'Welcome back, Citri. I'm glad you're okay.

'Yes. I'm back, ...... Mr. Cry.'