In a rather embracing position, I split into the forest with the sparrow.

　Initially I had planned to harvest the fruit of the Jiriah Ookus before heading to the village of the demon man, but considering the current situation and the feelings of the sparrow, I went straight to the village.

　Then we arrived at the village - or should I say, the village was, as expected, a shadow of its former self.

　What was there were the remnants of houses that once stood there. One house had been burned to ashes and was burned to the ground, and another house appeared to have been trampled down by a large monster. Not a single house was left in its original form.


　The sparrow walked towards the outskirts of the village, looking sadly at such houses.

　She followed him, wondering where she was going, until she came to a small area lined with small stone towers.


　It wasn't until Sparrow kneeled down in front of one of the towers and began to pray with her eyes closed that she realized it was the grave of the demon tribe.


　It was probably the grave of his parents. He had heard that his father had disappeared when he was very young, and his mother had died many years ago.

　It must have been difficult for a child to survive alone in the depths of Titis, no matter how many wards he was surrounded by. I'm sure his mother knew that very well.

　I'm sure she knew that she had to leave her young daughter behind, and she naturally hung her head.



　--And then something unexpectedly touched my senses, and I interrupted my silent prayer to quickly look around.

　Multiple signs and roars rushing in.

　Either they noticed the smell of a human (me) or they reacted to the demon man's (sparrow) magical power like a basilisk. Either way, I can see that the demon is approaching me with a clear intention.

　........If possible, I wanted to let Sparrow continue to report to her parents until she was satisfied, but that was no longer possible.

　I called out to the sparrow, feeling sorry, and before I knew it, the sparrow, who had stood up and looked at me, apologized in a voice that sounded apologetic as well.


''I'm sorry. I knew I had caused you trouble.

Don't worry about it. We can win in plenty of time if we put our minds to it.


　To make the sparrow feel at ease, he tried to act confident at best.

　In fact, he was confident that with the use of his mind-dressing, he could defeat the demons of the deep realm even while defending the sparrow.

　However, he was hesitant to defile the graves of the demon race with the flesh and blood of demons.

　Now that I've accomplished my goal of confirming the abnormality of Titis Forest with my own eyes, this would be a way to escape.

　It's a good idea to be able to set up one of these wards to protect the graves of sparrows' parents, but unfortunately I'm not that handy. I'll bring that next time I come back.

　While thinking about this, I held the sparrow in my arms again and spread the jade all over my body.



◆ ◆ ◆



　Afterwards, I returned with the sparrow to my residence in Ishka, where I was greeted by Lunamaria and the others.

　I was greeted by the Lunamaria and their friends.

　I was surprised to see unexpected faces lined up among the Lunamaria.


'The Master wishes to share some information about the Forest of Titis, he says. I apologize for the inconvenience of your time, but would you be willing to come to the guild?


　It was Liddell, the receptionist of the Adventurer's Guild, who offered me a polite bow.

　I wondered how she knew I had gone to Titis Forest, but when I thought about it, it was only natural that Klau Solas's huge body would be in the public eye.

　Liddell must have learned that Klau Solas had flown off in the direction of Titis and visited my house.



　Who would cooperate with the Adventurer's Guild (you guys) - I'd be lying if I said such a thought hadn't crossed my mind.

　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to get out of there if you need me.

　However, Liddell's attitude was polite (no matter what his inner feelings were), and it's understandable that Elgato, as the guild master, can't leave the guild empty for this unusual situation.

　I'm not sure how much of a difference it would make if I were to weigh the solution to the problem and the revenge of the past, but the scales were always in the latter direction.

　Everyone wishes for peace and quiet in the land where their family rests.


I agree. Should I come to you now?

Well yes. If you do so, it would be very helpful to us.


　When I answered immediately, Liddell rolled her eyes in surprise, then her expression changed as if in a panic.

　Oh, the receptionist, who always has a clear look on her face, is in a hurry.

　She must have expected me to be reluctant to do so. I'm going to be able to get the best out of it," I chuckle inwardly, as I quickly start walking towards the guild.

　The sound of Liddell's footsteps following me at a fast pace, followed from behind.　




　The Adventurer's Guild building that I hadn't stepped into in a long time was crowded with people.

　As Liddell, dressed in the guild's staff uniform, walked ahead, the adventurers who noticed him cleared the way. Some of them were surprised to see me walking behind Liddell, but none of them called out to me.

　I'm not sure who I'd like to see again.

　Liddell, who led me to a room that looked like a guest room, said, "I'll report to the master right away," and left.

　Now, how long will I have to wait, I wondered sarcastically, when there was an immediate knock on the door. It hadn't been more than thirty seconds since Liddell had left.

　As I nodded my head that it was probably too soon, the person who came in was a different receptionist than Liddell.


　I thought to myself that I remembered seeing that face somewhere, and I thought about it a bit. Then I quickly remembered.

　It was this employee who first interviewed me when I came back alive from the Lord of the Flies' nest. His name was Parfait, or was it?


　In contrast to Liddell's calm demeanor, Parfait was a woman who gave me a lively impression. She looks four or five years younger than Lidel.

　Well, whether she was calm or lively, her attitude, which included contempt for me, was the same in both cases. In that respect, it's easy not to have to use different attitudes.

　A cup of steam was placed on the tray Parfait was holding. It seems that they are welcome enough to serve tea.　



　........I can't help but feel cynical when I come here.

　With a bitter smile, I look at the contents of the cup that was served. The tea has a clear amber color, and it is made with very good tea leaves. The baked goods on the side are also very elegant.

　The place where I was kicked out of only a few months ago without being spared, I never thought I would be greeted like this. I wish I could have taught myself back then.

　With that thought in mind, I didn't touch the tea or the pastries.

　It's not that I was vain enough to eat what was served to me - I wasn't vain enough to eat it right away. It's simply that I didn't want to put my foot down on what the guild that had expelled me served.

　It was more of a wilfulness than a vanity. You could add the adjective "boring" to the top.

　Even though I was aware of it, I didn't want to change it.



　And seeing me, Parfait calls out to me cheerfully.


You're not going to be able to get away with it. I haven't heaped a smoke on you.


　Bufu, a strange voice escaped my mouth.

　When I stared at the new receptionist with half an eye, Parfait looked back at me with a chuckle.


''That candy, it's the latest creation from 'Kukri-do', which is very popular with the girls. I abused my receptionist's authority to stock it.


　Parfait holds his index finger to his cheek and says teasingly.

　The tea cakes for guests have to be disposed of when they expire. Naturally, the person who disposes of them is the guild staff. I see, a schemer. It could be rephrased as being mean-spirited.


"A pastry or two would be a small price to pay for the guild's salary.

'Huh, the sweets I buy with my own money and the sweets I buy at work expenses are two different things. The same can be said for the meals that a man buys for me.


　Miss Parfait smiles at me and says such things. That gaze is directed at my face as if to say something.

　

　Unlike Liddell, who is modest in her makeup and hairstyle, Parfait decorates herself as a receptionist with just enough lines to avoid being vulgar. According to Miroslav, he also seems to have a strong desire to rise to the top.

　I'm not sure if I've met Parfait's expectations because I'm a dragon knight and also have a connection with the Duke of Dragunot.

　 You must be planning to flirt with a favor and then make a fool of us when you ask her out.

　Hmph, I'm not playing into that hands!

　Seriously, I wish the demons would only come out of the city!



　Thinking about this, he was about to open his mouth to soothe the other man's words when the door was slammed again.

　The one who came in was Liddell this time.

　Liddell is surprised to see Parfait there and tells me that he's going to show me to the Guildmaster's room.

　Apparently, Elgato gave me some time off as soon as he received the report. He must have decided that if he made me wait even slightly, I might end up leaving.

　For some reason, a feeling of relief rose in my chest as I stood up in response to Lidel's words.