Time has gone back only a few moments since Dariel was ejected...

◆

　The Zebiantes Warriors were developing in the Mithril Mine.

''Nyah-ho-ho!　Overrunning is fun!

　The tornadoes created by her wind magic are a total of eight so far.

　If caught, a single person could easily be hoisted high into the sky and then slammed to the ground.

　It's a threat that cannot be stopped on an individual level.
　Of course, there's no way for Campbell's adventurers, who are not at the level of the average adventurer, to do anything about it.

　Furthermore, Zebiantes could also increase the number of tornadoes even more than this.

''You should be running around like a bug!　The superiority of the strong really feels so good!
''Ah, that woman...?''

　Best Fred looked up at the sky and devoured the figure of a beautiful woman floating there.
　It was a familiar face.

　In the six years since he had been assigned to the Mithril Mine, he had visited the nearest Lax village many times on various errands.
　She was the noisiest woman there.
　Every time he saw her, though, Best Fred could only think, 'There's some poor kid with a head on his shoulders.

　Such a woman is saving him from a predicament now.
　Because the whirlwind magic she unleashes is kicking around the adventurers from Campbell Street like they are devouring them.

'My adventurer's guild!　You coward!

　Shangguan Ritges yells with a hint of desperation.

''Are you out of your mind to have the demon race on your side?　Isn't this a betrayal of the entire human race!　Did the Adventurer's Guild forget its founding ambitions?
''No, wait, I don't know what the hell is going on here either...?

　Bestfred was also baffled by the abruptness of Zeviantes' help.

　It is true that the mithril mine sells mithril against the demon side as well.
　It seems to be an unspeakable act of betrayal against an opponent who is essentially an enemy, but it was also an evacuation measure to keep the world's only mithril mine from becoming a bloody battlefield.

　If the mithril supply was guaranteed, even if it was costly, it would stop the invasion from the Demon King's Army's side.
　I've already obtained official permission from the Center Guild.

　However, that doesn't mean that the demon tribe would come to support us.

''What in the world are you...?　And why...?
'I can't help it if Dariel tells me so. He's cheating because he's so quick to hurt your mother.
'Dariel village chief!'

　Best Fred is surprised that the name has come up, but at the same time, he feels somewhat satisfied.
　Ever since I met him, he has always had an unfathomable atmosphere.
　It doesn't seem strange that he was the first to make such a move.

　If there is a mystery, it's the existence of the man himself.
　The statue of Dariel becomes more and more confusing.

"While I was saying this...

　Zebiantes snapped his fingers, and the tornado that had been rampaging like a slaughterer, another dozen or so, disappeared in a single huff.

　All that was left were the Campbell adventurers who had been crushed by the tornado and turned into dead bodies.

''Well you're not dead, are you?
Dariel would be annoyed if I killed him, so I'm keeping him alive. I wouldn't worry about any broken bones.

　The next moment when it seemed to be hopeless, everything was taken care of.
　Fear of how powerful the magic of the demon race is so far coursed through Bestfred's body and mind.

　And in the center of the fallen human wilderness, there is only one man, who is trembling and unable to move while raising his upper body.

''Litges...?
'He's the worst of them all, isn't he?　They've been untouched by it for reasons of discipline.

　How could they do such a thing?
　In the face of the unfathomable threat of the Zebiantes, Best Fred, while tongue-tied inwardly, steps forward to fulfill his mission as the person in charge of the Mithril mine.

You can't even call it a crime, it's an infringement. The Adventurer's Guild will never forgive you. Prepare yourself.
What do you mean?　The Adventurer's Guild was in collusion with the demons behind the scenes!　I'm going to spread this betrayal around the world and crush you!

　Litges was determined and refused to give in.
　Best Fred is also inwardly troubled, not knowing what this is all about.

I don't care about the Demon King's army or anything else. But if this guy is going to complain, I don't mind giving him a squeeze here and there.
''Heehee!''

　Zebiantes' boisterous proposal scared Litges to the core.
　'You're a coward,' sighed Bestfred.

'No, no. No, he must be transferred to the Center Guild and punished by law. I'd like to hear what happened to you yourself, if that's all right with you?
He doesn't want to have to deal with it.
''You ouch!''

　Zebiantes's selfishness almost cut my blood vessels.

　It's a good idea to be able to have a good time with them.

　It's a good idea to get the best out of it.

''........''
?

　The sudden quietness of Zeviantes was disturbing.
　She had been bothering to talk without talking, but she suddenly stopped uttering a single word.
　It was even bizarre.

''.......What is it?''
'What?　What?
The footsteps. Not just one. Dozens?　Hundreds of people?　No, there could be thousands of them.　Why is such a large army heading towards us!

　And other incomprehensible soliloquies.

　Zebiantes immediately grabbed the hunched-over man (Litges) and lifted him up roughly.
　It didn't seem like a woman's arm strength, but apparently it was assisted by magic.

'It must be you!　I can't believe you're still hiding your cue!
I don't know what you're talking about!　That's an uncomfortable accusation to make!　I'm only a good merchant!

　It was the attitude of Litges, which was not much to say and was bordering on brazen, but it was not an attitude of telling a lie.

　It's a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

''Geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

　He was flying everywhere on the wind.

''Anta!　You must come with us!
'What?　Where are you coming?
I don't know if the humans belong to any of them, so you'll have to decide for me!　Hugs!
''Uh-hyun!''

　I was suddenly hugged by Zebiantes.
　You can't help but feel a thrill when you are in full physical contact with a beautiful woman, but your heart is about to scream even more.

"I'm going up!


　I fly high in the sky with Zebiantes while being held in my arms.
　Is this also the power of magic?

　Could it be that if I let go of Zebiantes' body in this state right now, it will crash headlong?
　The thought made Best Fred more and more terrified, and he clung to that glossy body.

''Kyaaaaaah!　I'm afraid of the tall one!
I saw him!

　Once they had gained enough altitude, the view from above was magnificent, looking out over the horizon.
　Best Fred let out a sigh, thinking how impressive it would have been to see this view without a care in the world.

　But this was not the time to be impressed.
　It was because something more vicious than ever had been transferred to the overhead view seen from above.

''Is that........?''

　There was a blackness that spread like a stain on the earth visible from the sky above.
　That black stain wriggled and gradually increased in size. It seemed as if it was multiplying from beyond the horizon.

''Could that be..., an army?''

　Best Fred said.
　I remembered a swarm of ants I had seen somewhere before that behaved exactly the same way.
　If you looked at them from this high up in the heavens, you couldn't tell them apart in perspective, but those were people who were too far away to look as small as ants.
　They gathered together like a stain.
　There were certainly thousands of them, and it was safe to say that there were several thousand of them.

'Which army...?　I've never seen anything on that scale...?
No, I recognized this one right away. No, I recognized it right away, from the direction it was coming...!

　Demon King's Army.

　An army organized by the demon tribe to protect the Demon King.
　And it's on the march now.

Why is the Demon King's Army on the march?
I'm afraid that's not what I want to know!　...and they're going to...!

　Where the army advances like ink dripping on paper spreading........

　........the Mithril Mine.

''It's coming this way!
Couldn't have come at a better time!

　This is bad, this is bad.

　A murmur from Zeviantes escaped, "This is not good, this is not good.