The "Proof of Defeat" is said to be the ears of goblins.

　Iltimina-san borrows the 'Marl's Fang' from me and slashes the ears of the goblins that fall in the forest with her expert hands.

(............)

　I watched the scene for a while.

Um...Miss Illtimina?
Yes?

　She looks up.
　I said.

''Can I just slash the ears of the goblins I killed?''

　Her crimson eyes look at me in surprise.
　I stare back silently.

"I understand.

　With a small nod, Illtimina-san holds out the 'Fang of Marl' to me.

　Taking it, I approached the goblin I had defeated.
　The goblin that fell on its face.
　Its expression is tainted with fear, and purple blood is spilling from the wound on its neck where I stabbed it.

(.........sorry, I won't say anything?)

　I tell him in my mind and grab his ear.

　It was still ... warm.

　Holding my breath, I hit the blade of the dagger, and the flesh of the ear is easily sliced off.

　Thwack.

　It's taken.
　A patter of purple blood dripped from the severed surface of the ear.

'Good work, Merle.
Yes.

　I return The Fangs of Marl to Illtimina-san.
　The Silver Mark demon hunter starts slashing the ears of the other goblins again, while I stare at the ear in my hand for a while.

　-- this is the proof of the life I have taken.

　Maybe one day I'll get used to the act.
　But it's not now.
　I wrap this one, apart from the other goblin ears, in a waterproof cloth and put it in my pocket.

　Soon, the twenty ears are gathered together.

"Let's go home, Merle.
Yes.

　And so we left behind a wooded area filled with the smell of blood and goblin corpses--.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇.


Thank you very much.

　Our carriage departs after being seen off by the village chief of Krent and the villagers.

　We were not required to report back to them, but we did let the people of Krent Village know that we had defeated the goblins, and they were very happy to see us.
　They were very happy to see us.
　Some of them even cried.

''--Now the dead can rest in peace.

　Saying that, the village chief and the people of the village bowed to us many times.

(...........It's a good thing I took this quest.

　For the first time, I thought that from the bottom of my heart.
　This is the 'work of a demon hunter', I realized.

　With that, the carriage left Krent Village and drove down the street.

　A sudden feeling of drowsiness came over me as my nerves were released.

''Huh?　Are you okay?
Yes.

　I nod, but my strength slips away and I lean on her shoulder.
　She is surprised, and then laughs.

'Huh, fine.'
I'm ... sorry, Miss Illtimina.

　By her white hands, my head is dropped onto my soft thighs and my hair is gently stroked by her white hands.

(.........Maybe it's the first time I've ever had a lap pillow?

　I've been thinking about it for a while now, and I've fallen asleep.

　--I feel like I had a sad dream.

　But when I woke up, I forgot what it was all about.

　And our carriage was stuck in the traffic jam in front of the gates, which is said to be the most famous feature of the royal capital.
　The sky outside the window was already madder red.

I'm going to be late getting home.
Yeah.

　This time, I was able to get into the royal capital, Mulia, in about an hour.

　From there, we headed on foot to the adventurer's guild 'Moonlight Wind'.
　When we arrived at the chalk building that looked like a tower.

Welcome back, Miss Irna, Mr. Merle!

　I was greeted by the red-haired beastman, the guild employee, Qualina-san, with a big smile on her face.

　I felt my heart warmed somehow.
　I smile too.

"I'm home, Qualina-san.
I'm home.
'Yes!　I'm glad you're both okay.

　And so the older sisters immediately begin the reporting and processing of the quest, as they are accustomed to do.
　As they fill out the paperwork.

To my surprise, Merle also killed a goblin.
Really?

　Quarina-san looks at me in amazement.

'It's your first quest, and you're just a kid.......Marle-kun, you're amazing, aren't you?
"Yeah.

　For some reason, Illtimina is smiling more proudly than I am.

　But.

That was a coincidence. I couldn't do anything about it.

　But I didn't want to make them happy, and all I could do was smile back at them in annoyance.

　Eventually, I finish the paperwork.

　Once that was done, we went to the appraisal counter in the back and submitted 20 goblin ears.
　And of course, the ears I had.

　The appraisers were sticking a magic needle into the ears to confirm that they were real.

　Once I got the certificate that it was real, I went back to Qualina's place.
　After filling out the paperwork again and submitting the certificate, Qualina-san handed two red cards to Illtimina-san at the end.

　-- reward vouchers.

　She pointed one of the cards at me.

Merle. Here's your half of the payoff, 500 Lido. --That's your half of the bargain.
Are you sure?

　I haven't done anything wrong.

Of course I will.

　She laughed, and her white fingers held a red card in my hand.

'Merle did as well as he could. It doesn't matter if you're not good enough or not. Now, please accept the price for being an adventurer.
..........

　I stare at the red card in my hand.

(This is my first reward for being an adventurer...)

　sizzling sound

Thank you, Miss Illtimina. Don't cash this in, I'll keep it for good.
Yeah.

　Iltimina-san's white hand gently stroked my head as I clutched the card.
　Quarina-san also looked at us, wagging her curled red tail from side to side, smiling at us with her jade-green eyes narrowed, "You're so new, Marle-kun," she said.

　And so.

So long, Merle, Miss Irna. Good job today!
So long, Ms. Qualina.
So long.

　With a big wave of her hand, Qualina sees us off and we leave the guild.

　The sky is already purple.
　Night is near.

　Iltimina and I walk down the road to the capital.

　We are almost home.

(Solstice, will she be waiting for us?)

　In the note I left, it said I was going to register as an adventurer.
　But it didn't say I was going to do my first job, either.

　No, I wasn't expecting it either when I left home.

(I'm sure I'll be surprised.)

　Yeah, I'm kind of excited to talk to that girl.

　Eventually, up the usual hill, we see the house of Illtimina and her friends.
　The light leaking from the windows illuminates the world this evening.

　The moment I saw it.

(Oh I'm back.)　

　Or so I thought.

　I had returned from the battlefield where I had traded lives with those goblins to that warm, lighted house.
　I felt that strongly.

　Illtimina-san's expression next to me also had a softness to it, as if she was somewhat relieved.

　I couldn't help but walk faster.
　I walked ahead of Illtimina-san and put my hand on the front door knob.

　Gotcha.

I'm home!

　I say cheerfully.
　The front door of the house stretched out in front of me, and beyond it was the brightly lit living room.

'Oh, welcome back,'

　I heard Solstice's voice, and she was sitting on the couch, turning her young beauty to me.
　But on the sofa behind her, there is another figure.

(.........what?)

Am I too late?　Welcome home, Merle.

　A silver-haired beauty with a gentle smile.

　I am transfixed by her unexpected smile.

　A cup of tea is placed on the table in front of Solstice and her.
　Apparently, they were chatting and laughing.

　From beside me as I catch up with her, Illtimina-san also finds the same figure and makes a surprised face.　

'A quilt?　Why are you here?
Yeah. It's a minor setback, but I'm afraid it's a bit of a hindrance.

　The Golden Mark demon hunter lifted his cup and gracefully took a sip of it, enjoying the sweet taste of it as a snack for our astonished faces--.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇.


　You must be tired after having just returned, but Iltimina cooked dinner for us.

'Sorry, even the strawberries,'
Don't worry about it. I bought a lot of food yesterday. It's not a problem.

　And so the food lines up on the living room table.

(Wow, beef stew!)

　The sweet and savory smell tickled my stomach and tempted me.

　Other than that, the mushroom rice with butter-fried mushrooms, steaming seafood pasta, and a salad bowl of fresh vegetables. For dessert, it's a combination of colorful fruit topped with ice cream.

　The eyes behind Solstice's glasses sparkled.

''Hey, hey, what's this!　Tonight is a big night!
Just tonight is a special night.

　Illtimina-san's crimson eyes turn to me as she smiles at me.
　Kilt-san, who noticed.

I see.

　I laughed.
　She looked at me with her cheekbones.

'Sol told me, Merle?　I heard you went to the guild to register as an adventurer.
Uh-huh.
Quite the contrary.

　He chuckles.

(.........aren't you mad?)

　I was sure Mr. Kilt was going to object to this.

So you've stopped signing up?
..........
So?　Then Warawa will have no choice but to accept your decision. You stubborn bastard.

　crumpled

　Roughly, he pats me on the head. Wow?

　Illtimina laughs at our jostling.
　And Solstice, the foodie girl, tapped her plate with a thump with a fork and knife in both hands.

'Oh, enough about the rags!　Can't wait to eat!

　Oh, yeah. You're right.
　It's a waste of time when it's cold.

Shall we eat then?
Yes.
I will.
All right, here we go

　And then we bring the food to our mouths.

(Oh, delicious!)

　The meat of the beef stew is so well-cooked that you can easily bite through it with your teeth. It's as if it melts the moment you put it in your mouth.
　And, of course, it tastes great.

　Both Mr. Kilt and Solstice were engrossed in the delicious food.

　Iltimina looked at the scene with satisfaction, and then, after a short pause, approached their party leader.

'So, quilts?　Why are you here?
Hmm?

　Mr. Kilt, stop eating and look back at Illtimina.
　She wipes the sauce from her mouth with her thumb, licks it, and then

Mm. Actually, I'm delivering the orders from the guild.
"Orders?

　Me and Illtimina-san, who becomes Kyoton.
　And Solstice, with her cheeks puffed out with food, undertakes to continue the conversation, looking a little unhappy.

'It's addressed to me. It's a good idea to make sure that you have the right information. And it's signed by the guild leader?
Well, is this the Mumper's?

　Ms. Illtimina is very surprised.

(I see. Mumpa, you kept your promise.)

　For some reason, the image of a beautiful white beastie making the V-sign towards me comes into my mind.

　I laugh and say to the girl.

'Nice to meet you, Solstice.'
Hey, yeah.

　She responds in a cursory manner.
　But I'm sure she's very kind to the root of the matter, so she'll teach me properly.

　And Solstice, as she suddenly remembered, said

Speaking of guilds, you two came home from the guild a long time ago, didn't you?　Did registration take that long?
'What?　Yeah, no.

　I waved my hands from side to side.
　Then I smiled like a waste of time and told him.

'Actually, you know, after I registered, I went straight to the quest.
Huh?
..........

　Solstice opens her mouth with a pout, and Mr. Kilt's body tilts at an angle for some reason.

　I look at Illtimina-san.
　She looked at me too and smiled happily.

''Yes. It's a quest to defeat 20 goblins. What a surprise, Marle also defeated one of them, right?
No, that was just a coincidence.

　I shake my head.

Ms. Illtimina took care of the rest. And if it wasn't for Illtimina-san, I would be dead. After all, Illtimina-san is strong and cool, isn't she?
Oh, Merle.

　We laugh at each other.
　Solstice looks at us with her spoon in her mouth, then slowly turns her gaze to Mr. Kilt.

　Mr. Kilto closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, as if he had a headache.



　Hmm?
　Mr. Kilt says scowling.

'Did you go on a defeat quest after you registered?　Stay tuned?　On that leg?
Yes.
Yes?

　Now, we said that, didn't we?

　Exhaling heavily, Mr. Kilt stared at us in wonder.
　Out of the corner of my eye, Solstice, for some reason, covered her ears with her hands.

　Then the Golden Mark demon hunter took a breath and

Oh, you great idiot!

　The thunderous rage was violently roared throughout this house -.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇


　Me and Mr. Illtimina were forced to sit upright on the living room floor for some reason.

　In front of me is Kilt-san.
　

　Solstice is looking at us while continuing to mug and eat alone. Hi, I thought it was someone else........

　And then the angry demon princess-sama opened her mouth.

''Irna, you, what do you have in mind?''
What's that?
Merle is just a kid with no training, okay?　And to take him out on a quest to defeat him out of the blue.......are you going to kill him?

　Mr. Illtimina looks out of his mind.

I won't let her kill you.
Hmm, you can say whatever you want. But accidents happen.

　A cold stare and a voice.　
　This time it turned to me.

"Marle, too. You will learn to say no.
But...
To a child's eyes, we are adults. But adults make mistakes too. Take it easy and think for yourselves.

　....................
　Well, there was a part of me that lost the momentum.

(But I have faith in Illtimina-san.)

　So if I'm wrong, I don't think I'll regret it.

　But Kirt-san's gaze was unwavering.

''If you die, just in case you die, Irna will never recover, right?
Um...
'Quilt. Don't blame Merle for this.

　Illtimina, who couldn't see it, interrupted.

''In the first place, I don't think I'm wrong. That's how I did it back then when I became an adventurer, and that's how I became strong through real battles.''
Yeah. You're in luck, Irna.

　Mr. Kilt is scathing.

'But they usually die. And Marle is not a 'demon blood people'. Not with you.
..........
'Not at all I wouldn't have given Mumpa the 'Bright Stone of Life' if this was the case.
...What?

　Mr. Illtimina looks at me in surprise.

'Merle?　Don't tell me you don't have the 'Bright Stone of Life'?
Uh-huh.

　I nodded.

'I gave it to Mr Mumper the day before yesterday.
..........
Hey, are you serious, rags and tatters?　...I wanted to study it!

　Solstice shouts, stopping to eat.

'You are......... You should leave it with me for a day or so before you give it to Mumpa-sama........
I'm sorry.

　I apologized for looking so disappointed.

(Oh, by the way, didn't I say something in the Medis that I wanted to look into?)

　I had forgotten all about it.
　And Illtimina-san also made her beauty pale a bit.

''I see........No, of course, I didn't want to let Marle die, but....... ........But, I see.
..........

　I'm sure they were thinking of it as an insurance policy, just in case.

(Would they have told me in a different, safer way if they knew?)

　I think about it too.
　Seeing us, Mr. Kirt sighed deeply.

"You're not thinking straight.
..........

　But I think.

(Yes, it was dangerous, and it was hard work... but you learned a lesson today, didn't you?)

　I've learned a lot, it's true.

　So I said unequivocally.

But I would like to take another defeat quest tomorrow.
What?
"Merle?

　The two older adventurers look startled.

'Do you have any idea what you're talking about?　Are you really going to die?
I know it's dangerous. But I want to be strong!　As soon as possible!

　I say impatiently.

　Something in my heart appeals to me.

(The six children of light are gone. I'm all alone now.)

　So you have to be strong for that too.
　As quickly as possible.

　--Otherwise, I might not be able to make it in time.

　I stare at Merle's right hand, and squeeze it.

"That eye again...

　Mr. Kilt snorts with a difficult look on his face.

'Your eyes?'
I don't care what they tell me, I will not back down, even if I have to go it alone.

　Yeah, I guess so.
　Iltimina, sitting upright next to me, put her white hand on mine.

'I'll help Merle with that, too.
Mr. Illtimina....
Pfft. I'll be with you on your quest tomorrow, okay?

　She laughed softly.

　Solstice stopped eating and said to Kilt to comfort him.

'Kilt I think it's important to give up.
Don't say it.

　Mr. Kilt's face was bitter and biting.

'As an elder, I cannot allow you two to go to your deaths.　

　That's fine.
　I'll go on my own, even if I'm not allowed to.

　You should have seen the look on my face.

Yeah, you stubborn bastard.

　briskly

　She swears and ruffles her beautiful silver hair with her hands wildly.
　Then she looks up.

Okay, Merle. I'll make a suggestion then. --In that case, I suggest you stop going on quests for a while. Instead, this quilt will give you some practice with your sword tomorrow.
What?
This is the sword of the Demon Princess Kilt. You'll learn a lot more than the quest.

　...Really?
　I look at Illtimina as if to make sure.

　She shook her beautiful hair and nodded widely.

''Indeed, if you're just 'learning the sword', then maybe. Even if it's rotten, Kilt is a Golden Mark demon hunter, you know.
I'm not rotten!

　Kilt-san, I couldn't help but pout.

　Me and Iltimina-san, together, we couldn't help but laugh.
　Solstice cowers her shoulders and laughs bitterly, "I knew it, I gave up.

　I then look at Kilt-san with my blue eyes.

'Is it really true, Mr. Kilts?　Promise?
I'm aware of that. This Kirto Amandes is a man of few words. You have my word.

　Yes!
　I was bang on and happy.

　Mr. Illtimina laughed too, "Good for you," he said.

　And Mr. Kilt sat down heavily on the couch.

Oh dear I see this is not going to be a valuable vacation for the Strawberry.

　He spilled a sorrowful murmur to the ceiling with a sigh - a sorrowful murmur to the ceiling.