For the next half hour or so, Princess Reclear listened to us.

　The events of the past six months or so.

　I was really happy to hear not only the results of those stories, but also the thoughts and feelings that I felt during the process, as if something in my heart had been washed away.

(.........Thank you, Princess Reclear.)

　I am truly grateful to the princess who listens to me without a single disagreeable look on her face.

　By the way, it's mainly me and Kilt-san who are talking.

　Illtimina-san would only occasionally add to our explanations, and the shy Solstice, Columntude, and Poe-chan were just sipping herbal tea.

　Eventually we finished listening to everything.

It's a very superficial result.

　Princess Reclear nodded widely.

(Superimposed...?)

　It sounds like an overreaction to me, but

Especially the oracles we received from the gods at the Caliguar Mountain Range were very important to us.

　I say.

　The princess's fingers tapped lightly on the white table with a ton, ton.

'Until now, I couldn't see the aim of the Child of Darkness. But thanks to the gods, we have found out its purpose. ........Now, we can finally fight on the same playing field.
..........
Most importantly, the 'dark child' doesn't know that fact. That's a tremendous advantage.

　His voice is bouncing and his odd-eyed eyes are shining.

(................like he's enjoying a board game called cupolo.

　That's the impression I get,

　Mr. Kilt asks.

"What are you going to do now?
You know what to do.

　Princess Reclear quickly replied.

''Follow the words of the gods and collect the 'Seven Divine Spirit Stones'.

　And...

(I knew it.)

　I nodded, as I'd expected, and I nodded.

''If we're going to end the fight against the Child of Darkness, this would be the surest move.
..........
As soon as I received the report, I will organize a search party to search the Kera Desert and Lake Shumuria. If you lend me your Exploration Stone Disc, which was entrusted to you by Mael, I'll send a team over there right away.

　Princess Reclear laughed.

　Mr. Kilt looked at me.

"Merle.
Yes.

　I nodded back and took out two of the 'Exploration Stone Disks' that Recto Alice had given me from my luggage.

''Princess Reclear, here,''
Indeed.

　The princess takes the disc I offered her.

　Immediately, Mr. Fedonia came over and took it from the princess and stepped back.

　Princess Reclear looked at us with her beautiful odd-eyed eyes.

We'll find out.

　He promises so emphatically.

　We nodded our heads in trust.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇.


　I heard many stories from Princess Lekria as well.

　The Devil's Corpse, which was transported by sea from Vega Country, has safely reached the Kingdom of Shumuria.

　I heard that the corpse is now being transported to the National Academy of Magic's research facility.

''We're doing everything we can to find something effective against demons and 'demon fragments'.

　He said.

　He also said that he had sent dragon horsemen all over the country in search of traces of the Son of Darkness, but they hadn't achieved much success.

(I see.)

　A bit of a shame.

　But he's a very prepared guy, so it seemed like it couldn't be helped.

　However, as the gods had taught him, they had found some traces of the destruction of the 'Gate of the Divine Realm' for the 'Divine Attendants' to come from the Divine Realm, as expected.

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

　He's a really ... well prepared, jerk.

　After talking to me about that, Princess Reclear also mentioned our future actions.

　First of all.

"The Lord of the Colontude, please go to the Land of Elves.

　I told him.

'I am sending a delegation to you. I hope you will be part of it.
..........
But now that we're not in contact with each other, there isn't much we can do. We'll have to rely on Mr. Colonte's help.
Well, okay.

　Announced, High Elf-san nodded sleepily, unenthusiastically.

　............

　Mr. Colon-Tude is going to head to the dollar continent again with a dragonfly turn.......

(What a double take!)

　Honestly, I feel like it would have been better to go straight from the Arun Divine Kingdom to the Vega Kingdom instead of going back to the Shumuria Kingdom.

　That's what I thought.

It's not that simple.

　Kirto chided me.

I'm sure you're aware of the fact that Columbus Resta is the Golden Mark adventurer who represents the Kingdom of Shumuria. If something were to happen to him, there is a possibility of war between the Kingdom of Shumuria and the Elven Nation.

　War...?

Yes. That's how heavy the title "Gold Mark" is.
..........

(Isn't that an exaggeration...?)

　But Kirt-san and Princess Reclear's expressions were quite serious.

　It's a good thing.

And then there's the relationship with the Vega State.

　Princess Reclear added.

　Ms. Colontude will be going through the Vega Country when she goes to the 'Elf Country'.

　And when something happened to Mr. Colontude, it would be the Vega Country that would actually ask the "Elf Country" to do the work for him.

　Then the Vega Country would be responsible for it.

　There could be problems between the Vega Country and the Elf Country as well.

　If it wasn't done well, the balance of the seven countries of the dollar continent could be upset, and it could become the spark of an even bigger conflict.

　In other words, this case would put a huge burden on the Vega nation.

Lending and borrowing between nations is not an easy thing to do.

　And Kirt.

　It was a story that would affect the amount of money that would be given out by the Shumuria Kingdom to prepare for the decline of the magic stone industry, though.

　...........

　The adult world is difficult........

　Nevertheless.........

I'm gonna go for my best.

　I guess it helps that our Mr. Colonchuad seems to be pretty easygoing.

　The way Poe stroked her head was no different than usual.

　And Princess Reclear's blue and gold odd-eye was directed at the five of us, except for Mr. Colontude.

　Dokun.

　My heart leaps at the intensity of his gaze.

'Master Merle,'
Yes, sir.

　I nodded nervously.

　Looking at me like that.

''Merle-sama and the others will be heading to the 'Dark Continent' in search of another divine spirit stone.

　Princess Lekria said so clearly.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇


The Dark Continent...

　The princess's words were just as Kirt had predicted.

　We're being sent to the Dark Continent.

　It is a mysterious continent that has been wiped out 4 times in the 40 years since it was discovered.

　Maybe it's because Kirt-san told us about it beforehand, but we were prepared for it, and all of us had the same expression on our faces.

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

　Princess Reclear looked a little surprised.

　Then she nodded dependably.

''Of course, it's not just Marl-sama and the others who are headed there.
..........
There will be 12 groups of adventurers selected here, 50 in total.

　Fifty adventurers?

''And there are four dragon knights and fifty temple knights in the Dragon Cavalry, plus three hundred Shumurian knights, for a total of over four hundred men.

　A total of 400 people!

(As many people as there are in Arun, the great nation!)

　Mr. Kilt was also surprised.

''You don't mean half of the Dragon Cavalry?''
Yes, sir.

　Princess Reclear nodded.

''This time, unlike the past, this isn't just an investigation. We must make sure we succeed.''
..........
''And worst of all, if by any chance we fail, we must absolutely bring back local information for the next dispatch. For that reason, the dragon cavalry that crosses the seas and flies through the air is a must.

　............

(I see.)

　If that happens, we'll just have to get the dragon riders home.

　That's a terrifying possibility, but I can't stop thinking about it.

...the Dark Continent........

　An uncharted continent with no survivors yet.

　The air in the place is a little heavy.

　Even so, Princess Reclear's dignified voice echoed in the hanging garden.

We won't be leaving until a month from now, after we hold the departure ceremony.
..........
From there, the Fifth Settlement will sail south on the road in four ships from the kingdom's southernmost port.

　We nodded.

　Originally, we were supposed to be ready to leave, but from the information we got, there's been a delay of about a month due to arrangements to get the other three divine spirit stones and so on.

(.........a month?)

　I've been thinking about it for a while.

'Princess Reclear, while you're at it, may I go to the Great Forest of Aldoria?

　I asked the princess.

　

　Her blue and gold eyes look at me.

The oracle of the goddess Yacour, as you mentioned?
Yes, sir.

　I nod my head in agreement with the princess's confirmation.

　Before going to the Dark Continent, go to the Great Forest of Aldoria, the place where I began, with Illtimina - that's what Lady Yacour told me to do.

　A month was a good time to go.

　Kong, Kong.

　As if calculating something, the princess's dainty white fingers tapped the table in rhythm.

　Eventually.

I understand.

　Shaking her light blue hair, Princess Reclear nodded widely.

''Until the launching ceremony, everyone is free to go about their business. You can feed your heroes or make some preparations, I'll leave it up to each of you to decide.

Oh...

But you will have to make it to the deployment ceremony, won't you?

　I smiled at him.

　The six of us looked at each other.

　And I nodded a big "yes" to Princess Reclear.


　◇ ◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇


　After that, we exchanged small talk, and eventually Princess Reclear had to leave on some other official business.

　We also left the Holy Shumurian Castle.

　When we left the cathedral, which is the gatekeeper of the castle, we had to say goodbye to Mr. Colantude and Poe.

I'll go talk to the guild.

　The girls are now living in their adventurer's guild, The Singing Ears of the Meadow.

　The girls now live in their adventurer's guild, The Singing Ears of the Meadow, to which they belong.

　Kilt-san nodded.

''I see.''
Hmm.... Bye.

　Mr. Colontude parted from us, seemingly without any particular emotion.



　Maybe I won't miss it that much after just traveling with them for about six months.

　Poe, too, toddles and follows along.

............

　Turn around and look at me.

　Sta.

　He raised his hand lightly.

　I quickly turned forward and caught up with the hunched-over Mr. Colon-Tude and walked next to him.

　The two of them disappear into the human wave of the royal capital.

'They're so bland,'

　Kilt-san muttered in dismay.

　

　Me and Illtimina-san look at each other and laugh.

　And.

So what do we do about it, Quilt?

　I asked the party leader.

　'Crumple.'

　He ran his hands through his rich silver hair.

The first thing to do is to return to our guild. Mumpa will be waiting for you.

　And he laughed, as if he had no choice.

　We laugh too.

'Yeah.'
Yes, sir.
Yeah.

　I nodded.

(It's been six months ... huh?)

　I feel nostalgic to meet that all-white beastie, too.

(I wonder what Mr. Kilt would look like if I told him that the prince of the Vega nation had asked him to marry me?)

　I'm going to have some fun.

Well, let's get going, shall we?

　pong

　Mr. Kilt tapped me lightly on the head and started to walk away.
　Wha?

　Solstice soon followed.

　As I was taken aback, Illtimina-san chuckled adorably at me and

Come on, Merle. Shall we go?

　He reached out his white hand to me.

　I stared at it.

Yeah!

　I laughed and squeezed their hands together.

　Then, holding hands, I chased after the two who had gone ahead of me.

　--I'm not going to be able to say that I'm not going to be able to get the job done.