After a day of skirting the territory of Count Gladys, we arrived at our destination without incident: Slus.
It was a small town built in the mountains, just as Citri had told us. It was said to be famous for its hot springs, and the whole town had a distinct smell.

I get out of the carriage, feeling a bit woozy. It's been a few days since we stopped in the town, since Arnold and the others were chasing us as we ran.

It's not unusual for hunters to spend several days trudging through a demon's habitat. My survival skills have been honed to such an extent that my outdoor life has been quite fulfilling since we have a good boy named Sitri, but even so, as a half-retired hunter, the forced march of the past few days has been quite tiring for me. It's a pity that I've only been sitting in a carriage for so long.

I like to take a bath. I even like to have a bath in my private room in the clan house. I was too afraid of crocodiles to bathe myself, and I could only wipe my body with a towel dipped in hot water all the time during outdoor activities.
I feel like soaking in hot water as soon as possible. I also want to eat onsen manju. Or chocolate. I want to eat something sweet.

Perhaps because of its fame as a tourist destination, the town of Slus was different from the imperial capital in that there was an abundance of natural features such as rocks and trees, giving it a somewhat exotic atmosphere.
Perhaps it was the wrong time of year, but there were not many travelers. There would probably be no one who knew who I was here. It's a good town to hide in.

The riot-happy Liz might be unhappy, but too much has happened since I left the Imperial Capital. We'll take it easy for a week or ten days. I'm sure Black and Tino will be able to recover from their fatigue here.

Sitri, who had been going through the procedures to enter the city at the gate, came back.

'What do you think? This town is--'

'It's nice, I like it. It's good for a short stay--there don't seem to be many people here, you know.

I like the noise of festivals, but I also like quiet towns like this. In other words, I'm fine with anything as long as it doesn't bring fire down on me.

It was far enough away from the Galest Mountains that had scattered Arnold that there was no chance of a collision.
Liz had dragged Tino off to see the town. Let's hope for a souvenir.

I'm in a good mood," Citri says with a smile.

'I hear that the hot springs here are great for healing ...... and that injured hunters sometimes come here for treatment.

'Hot spring cures,......, that's nice,.......'

I've never been seriously injured, and Anthem has perfectly healed all of Liz's injuries, so it doesn't matter to us, but the mere sound of the word is somehow appealing to me.
It's a privilege for hunters to be able to go to other towns easily. I'm a little sad that Luke and the others are not here, but I'll enjoy it.

'There are no hideouts in this town, so we'll need to rent a place to stay. ...... How many nights do you need?

'Hmm ...... ten days to two weeks. Depending on the situation, it might be a little longer.''

I'm not going back to the Imperial City until the White Sword Gathering is definitely over.
I'm not going to go back to the capital until I'm sure the White Sword Gathering is over.

I'm sorry to occupy busy Citly and Liz, but our lives depend on it. If they can't, they'll say they can't.

'Okay, sir. Then I'll go do the ...... procedure like that.'

Sitri scurried away. I'm sure she does this all the time, even when I'm not around, but the difference between her and my sister is noticeable.
There's still time, and it might be a good idea to pay a little attention to him.

It's finally starting to look like a vacation. ...... Stretch your wings to the fullest and show them off to everyone when you get back to the capital.



I took a walk around the city with Sitri.
It's interesting to see how many hot springs are gushing out all over the city. The whole town is warm thanks to the steam rising here and there, and I feel relieved just by walking around.
Apparently, if you dig up the area, you can easily find hot springs, and it might not be a bad idea to settle in this town when you no longer need to stay in the Imperial Capital after quitting your job as a hunter.

However, there is one thing that bothers me. The whole town is too deserted.
To begin with, the town itself is not that big, but even so, there are so few people that it looks a bit deserted. It may just be the wrong time of the year, but the town is quite well-equipped and could use a little more activity.

We were able to find a place to stay in spite of our sudden long stay. It is an inn for wealthy tourists rather than for hunters, with a reputation for its hot springs and cuisine. Unlike other inns for hunters, which focus on practical use, the inn took great care in its appearance, and I regretted not having my camera with me.

'I was asked if I was a newlywed.

'......'

Citri says, his cheeks flushed and his eyes narrowed. I think that's flattering. A newlywed wouldn't take a room for seven people.
And I probably shouldn't mention that he gave me a look that said, 'Why would he do that to me? It's just hunters and the like. .......

Not only the exterior, but also the interior of the inn did not disappoint.

The room we were shown was spacious and even had tatami flooring. The room was spacious and had tatami flooring, which was also different from those used by hunters.
The inn for hunters, which is covered with blood, grease, and dust, is basically designed for people to enter with their feet on the ground and perform maintenance on their equipment in the room.

Tatami-covered rooms are rarely seen in the Imperial Capital. Before I became a hunter, tatami rooms were my dream.
I have experienced it several times since becoming a hunter, but it is always good to see it again and again.

What's great is that you can lie down and roll around anywhere.
Incidentally, I once thought of having tatami mats in my private room at Clan House, but Eva pointed out that this was a bad idea. Well, I'll get it dirty soon.

By the way, tatami rooms are expensive in Zebrudia. If the price is the same as in the Imperial Capital, it must be about ten times more expensive than an ordinary room. I'm sure Eva will scold me again if she finds out that I rented such a place.

'I'm glad you like it. It was fortunate that the room was available. The price was cheap, and I heard that the rooms are usually booked up.

I was immediately drawn in by the magic of the tatami mat, and Citri looked very happy as I rolled over and over.

'Heh. That's lucky. ...... Is it off season?

'Yes. I heard that all the customers ran away because of the proximity of Gladys territory. ......'

I see. Isn't it off-season because of the proximity of Gladys territory?
Is Gladys territory getting closer or further away depending on the time of year? LOL .

'It seems that there's a group of troublesome bandits running rampant in Gladys territory, and the number of ...... customers has dropped drastically.'

'Well, ...... that's a disturbing story, isn't it?

Well, it's a common story. Zebrudia has a large number of hunters, but the quality of the criminals is also extremely high.
The Knights are in charge of maintaining security, so security isn't that bad, but the criminals that pop up like bamboo shoots after the rain sometimes take a backseat.

It is said that Gladys has a very strong order of knights, so I am sure that the disturbances will soon be over.



'You don't have to worry about that. Well, you're lucky you got a room at all.

'It's just a tourist town, but this town doesn't have much in the way of defense,......, so they must have felt uneasy.

By the way, unlike Elan and Gura, which were surrounded by thick and high outer walls, the outer walls of this town were wooden and quite simple.
It may have been for the sake of scenery, but a powerful demon or human could have done anything to it.

However, I'm too worried.

The bandits chose to attack only peaceful merchants and travelers without guards. Even the smallest town has a certain amount of defense capability, and even if it does, the Zebrudia Empire is a large country. If you attack the town, the country will not stand idly by. There's even a chance that a powerful hunter is staying there. It's just not worth it.

'No bandit group would attack a town nowadays.

'Yes,......, if you just want to destroy the town, you can use a poison potion to do it.

It's just a terrorist attack. .......

Perhaps even Citly does not believe that the bandits are really coming.
He rolls over and goes to the area where Citrie is sitting. I feel like I've been rolling around a lot lately. Maybe I should add this to my list of eighteen.

The tatami ...... tatami is sucking up all my energy. My body is so heavy. I can't do anything else. And I'm sure I'll become one with the tatami before I know it.

When I looked at him, he smiled shyly and slapped his knee twice.

'Here you go.

Thankfully, I borrowed his knee and lifted his head to place it on mine. His knees, wrapped in thin stockings, were a little thinner than Lise's, who fought with her kicks, but they were incredibly soft.
I was trying to take care of her, but she took care of me.

I put my hand on my head and Citri said in a quiet voice.

'I think you have ...... time. Let's take our time to rest and see what happens.

'Yeah, yeah, yeah, ....... ......'

A strong drowsiness washed over me, and my consciousness drifted away.
The last thing that remained in my vision was the gentle smile of Citri.







'......Seriously? ......'

Aei was stunned, squinting at the castle on the cliff. Arnold felt the same way.

The Crimson Flame is looking at you with a pale face.
Gilbert, who had always been unafraid of Arnold, now had a look of shock in his eyes.

As soon as he was within a few kilometers, he felt a strange chill. As soon as it came into view, that premonition turned into certainty.

The Castle of All Demons. It was a level 8 certified treasure house that did not exist in Nebula Nubes, and was far beyond Arnold's expectations.

This is the first time I've ever seen such a thing.

The weather collapsed due to the accumulated mana material, and rain like a waterfall was beating down on the ground. Countless thunderbolts shone incessantly near the many towers that existed, and a shadow could be seen in the thick clouds.
There was no sign of demons around, but that was understandable. There must be no demons that would want to live around such a hell.

The treasure house was clearly out of the proper range of the current Foreign Mist.

One of the Crimson Flames couldn't stand the strangeness of the air and threw up all over the ground. However, the sight does not arouse any particular feeling of contempt.
Even from the perspective of Arnold, who has the highest certification level, this is a treasure house of higher rank. For a hunter of the third level, it would be a glimpse of hell.

'What should we do?

Stingray confirmed with a serious expression. The change in her always aloof demeanor showed how bad the situation was.
I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's a good idea. If the current members of the team were to enter it, they would surely die - or perhaps some of them would be crushed by the pressure and become useless before they met the demons.

The problem is that it must be the same for the Thousand Transformations.
There was a slow learner in the group of the Thousand Transformations as well. The treasure house that I observed from a distance was not something that a single level 8 hunter could manage.

If, hypothetically, the Senhenhenbanka had brought such slow-moving people into that treasure house under the guise of a test, then it would have to be said that they were on a different level.

Remembering the expression on the face of that man who had been defenselessly attacked by Arnold, Arnold stated his decision in a strained voice.

'd*mn it ......, I'm going to go away and make a plan. I'll get back into position. I'm not going to do that.