The next day after spinning the step-up gacha.
　Today I was getting ready to go report to the Adventurer's Association.

''Okura-dono, I don't remember what happened yesterday, but what happened?　I remember up to the point where I ate the cake and before I knew it I was sleeping in my room.

He fell asleep. I just carried him in.

　I went into her room yesterday to put a drunken Noll to bed and the sight I saw there was awesome.
　There were stuffed animals from the mess all over the room, and I was surprised when I walked in.
　They were all brightly colored, ugly-looking things, and the atmosphere was bizarre....

Is that so........I'm sorry. By the way, the cake I had yesterday was delicious, so I'd like to try it again--

No!

Why, sir?

　Noor clasped his hands together and asked for it, but I refused to say no once and for all.
　I still have a few slices left, but I don't want you to get drunk and run off again.

Then I'll go, though I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed.

''Right. That should be enough to get you a B-grade... but I wonder if it's okay?

We've done a lot of things in the past, but this time I'm very nervous about what they're going to say...

　Estelle muttered with an anxious expression, and Noll was also moving her body impatiently, as if she was restless.
　It was like this when I wiped out half of the Frogman's pond, but it's an even more serious problem than that time.
　Honestly, I'd like to run away without going to report this, but I can't do that for the sake of getting a B-rank and having magic stone fever.
　I'll just have to go with my gut here.

''Everyone, take care and have a good day~''

Oh, what's one guy left? Sisgah is coming with you.

No!

　I pulled out my phone and tried to move with the beacon, but Sisha smiled and waved me off.
　Shrewdly trying to escape on his own................There's no option but to leave him behind.

''We are a community of destiny. We're friends who conquered the labyrinth together!

Break off that community!　I still have an F-grade, so you don't have to go!

You'll be happy to know I've taken care of that for you.

It's none of your business!

　She shouted as she gave a thumbs up and appealed to Sisha.
　Unlike Luna, I'll have to have Sisha register as an adventurer.
　You have to be prepared with us here.

●

　I forced Sisha out and quickly came to the Adventurer's Association in the royal capital.
　Luna didn't show any signs of waking up at all, probably because she worked hard yesterday, so I put the alarm and took security measures.
　She's the strongest home guard and I don't think there's anything to worry about, but Sisha looked worried, so it's just a precaution.

'Ah, Okura-san!　Now, is this the report on the accomplishment of your request?

Yes, I do.

You're up early as usual. Oh, Mr. Sisha!　I didn't get to say hello yesterday, but it's been a while!

Yes it's been a long time.

　I walked in and made my way to Widge's reception desk.
　She greeted Sisha, who she couldn't see yesterday, with her usual cheerfulness.
　Sisha replies with a darkness that contrasts with Widge-chan's.
　I feel the same way, so I know how it feels.

''It's amazing that you've already accomplished this yesterday and today, after all, Okura-san and the others are amazing!

Haha.....

Oh, is something wrong?　Everyone seems to be in a bit of a funk, don't they?

　Widge-chan tilts her head as she realizes that our reactions are slow and dark.
　Thinking about what we're going to talk about, I can't help but feel a bit depressed.

''Then for now, the magic light stone as proof of the accomplishment. And please let me check the proof of defeating the demons that were in the ruins.

Yes I'll start with this.

　I'm going to take the demon drop items that I defeated in the ruins to the receptionist.
　There shouldn't be any problems with the demons.

"Sandworm, and mummy. And this is a ...........Fullerum Mommy!　I knew there was an abnormality in the demon inside as well.......

　When Widge-chan checked the submitted proof of defeat, he was surprised to see the yellow-tinted bandages on the Fullerum Mommy.
　The fact that he knows means he's in the Hajino Labyrinth................I don't want to think of the possibility of encountering him in the future.

　Now, do I have to bring out the magic light stone next?
　There's a normal green glowing magic light stone, but I'll have to show you the black tinted one as well......I don't want to show it to you.

''And........here it is.

"...?　Well, where did you get this?

The ruins of Angoli.

　I took out the two magic stones and handed them to Widge-chan, who looked at the black one and said, what's this?　He seemed to want to say.

''It seems that the magic light stone has obviously lost its power.......why did you come to present this to us?

Well, you see... all the magic stones in the Angoli Ruins have turned out like this.

　When I said that, Widge-chan's eyes fluttered and froze.
　'Yeah right...........I have no choice but to react like that.

''........Huh?　What?　What do you mean by all this?

Oh, please calm down!　I'll explain to you how this happened!

　When Widge-chan, who had been in a state of suspended thought, finally started to move, she leaned out from the receptionist's counter and shouted loudly.
　This caused all the other receptionists and adventurers in the association to look in our direction at once.
　In a hurry, I decided to calm her down and tell her what happened.

How many things have you done just yesterday........

I knew it was a bad idea?

I don't want to say it's not good... it's just too unheard of and I'm not sure what to do about it.

　There was a labyrinth in the ruins of Angoli.
　You have conquered the labyrinth.
　After I captured it, the demons that had been occurring abnormally disappeared.
　And I told Widge-chan that the magic light stones had all turned black because of it.
　It's a secret, of course, that the entrance was opened by my phone.

　As she listened, cold sweat started to run down her face at first, then her face gradually turned pale, and finally she propped her elbows on the counter and covered her face with her hands.
　There is not the slightest trace of the cheerful atmosphere from earlier.
　I feel like I'm doing something terribly wrong.
　I'm beginning to get a chill in my bones when I see this reaction.

"Widge,

　The atmosphere was becoming indescribable, but suddenly someone called out from behind us.
　When we turned around, we saw a man with brown hair.
　His face was wrinkled and aged, but he looked young with short, upturned hair and a stocky build.

'Oh, Kyoshi, the head of the association!　Why are you here?

I was just passing by and I suddenly heard this very loud voice. .... oh?　I'm sure you guys are.

Hi. Heihachi Okura.

　Widge-chan, who was covering her face, jolted at the sound of her voice and stood up from her chair as she jumped up and down.
　This is the president of the Adventurer's Association........eh?
　How did you come up with such a big name at this time?
　Give me a break.........

　For now, I quickly bowed my head and greeted them.
　The Noles who were behind me followed suit and greeted me as well.

''I've heard a lot about your exploits from Widge.

Well it's always been a great help to me.

　The head of the association approached me with a smile.
　I don't know what it is, but I'm getting really nervous even though he just called out to me.
　Is it because I haven't met a high ranking person since I came to this world?

　But still, you've heard a lot from Widge....
　What in the world did he say to her?

'So, what did you mean by your voice earlier?

'Well, you see, the thing is...'

　Why did he yell like that?
　When asked about it, Widge-chan gives me a hard look and tells me what she heard from me.
　

''Hmm........this is quite a bit more.......''

I'm sorry!　I didn't expect this to happen...

　After listening to the story, the head of the association wrinkled his brow in thought.
　I couldn't help but apologize when I saw that.

　It wasn't my fault!　I'm tempted to say that, but I can't say that.
　I never thought I'd be sucking magic from the labyrinth, it's called force majeure!
　But now they're going to cancel my promotion to the B rank and my glorious magic stone load.......

''Well, it's past. I'm not going to revoke your B-rank promotion for this, so don't worry about it.

　I was so surprised by the head of the association's statement that my heart almost came out of my mouth, having been hit by the figure.
　This guy..........is he an esper?

How did you know about...

'Ha, you seem to have a tendency to show what you're thinking on your face and in your mood. The ladies in the back not so much.

　I looked behind me and saw that the Noles were looking at me.
　It was as if they were affirming that they were right.
　When I appeal to Esther with eye contact, she smiles and shakes her head yes and no while smiling.
　Seriously.........am I that easy to understand, me?

'For now, it's not so good to talk here as it is. Let's change places a bit. Widge, I'll talk to them later, and you can get a plate for their B-rank.

Yes, I understand!

　Widge-chan took the plate from us and quickly disappeared to the back of the room.

'Let's get going then,'

Oh, yes...

　The head of the association heads for the stairs leading to the second floor of the association, as if to say, "Follow me.
　Hey, hey.......don't tell me you have to talk directly to the head of the association in a private room?

●

　We were led upstairs to the guest room.
　As we entered, there were two sofas across a large table, and we were seated facing the head of the association.
　We sit down face to face with the head of the association. I'm starting to get nervous, as if I'm being interviewed....

''Let me greet you again. You will find that you will be able to find the best way to get the most out of your time here. I look forward to working with you in the future.

'Yes, sir!　My name is Heihachi Okura!　Yo, nice to meet you!

　President of the Association, Mr. Kristoff greeted me and held out his hand to me.
　I responded with a groan, stood up and squeezed his hand back.

'Okura-dono, you are too nervous........ My name is Noor Fanya. It's a pleasure to meet you!

I'm Esther. Nice to meet you.

My name is Sisha Alvi. It's a pleasure to meet you.

Yeah, good luck with that. It's a nice, energetic party.

　Nohl and the others followed suit and said hello... but lightly, you guys are lightly greeted!
　Even though the other party is the head of the association, he still looks the same as usual in his greetings. Especially Esther.
　When I look at Christophe-san, he smiles and doesn't seem to be bothered by it, so I think he's fine, but.......I get freaked out.

''Well, first of all, congratulations on your B-rank promotion.

Thank you.

'I've had my eye on you guys ever since I saw your fight with Dius. Still, I didn't expect you to be ranked B so quickly.

'No, that's thanks to Christophe for recommending me for a B grade, right?

　As Widge said, you really got a lot of attention.
　That's what happens when you do something that flashy, right?
　Well, I'm glad it got me a recommendation because of that.

'Oh, yes. You guys didn't get a lot of requests, but I was able to recommend you thanks to your achievements in the last big defeat.

　It's true that he was only doing the defeats and not taking on other requests from the association.
　I guess that means that the fact that he accomplished the big defeat last time was appreciated.
　If it wasn't for that, it might have been difficult for even the head of the association to recommend me.
　We need to get a few more proper requests in the future.

In addition, this story may help us to understand the cause of the recent upheaval. I'm sure that the people who have actually solved the problem will be able to help you in the future. At that time, it would be more convenient for me to have a higher rank for some reason.

　Christophe then told us about the recent anomalies that were happening.
　Demons that weren't there before have been discovered in various places, and more and more demons are beginning to leave their habitat.
　The number of attacks on people traveling in carriages has increased, and the number of escort requests to the Adventurer's Association has also increased.

　I don't know if the labyrinth is involved in this anomaly, but is it a possibility?
　If that's the case, should I mention the goblin labyrinth in case it's a good idea?

''Actually, there was a labyrinth in Brunne the other day...''

Oh, I didn't expect to find a labyrinth even in Brunne.... Where on earth did you find it?

It's deep in the forest where the goblins and orcs come out. The labyrinth there also went to the deepest part of the forest and collapsed when I defeated the big demon, so it's no longer there, but... this is what the demon from that time dropped.

　I told Brunne that there was a labyrinth and took the behemoth horn out of my bag and placed it on my desk as proof.
　It's something I was going to ask the Society here to look into, but had forgotten about.
　They said they couldn't recognize it at the association in Brunné, so it can't be a demon that's out there.

''This is ... a demon I've never seen before either. Do you mind if I leave it with you just in case?

Yes, that was my original intention.

　Apparently, even Christophe has never seen a behemoth horn before.
　I don't know if he'll give them back to me later, but I was originally going to give him one.
　I was hoping to mix it up in the synthesizer, but I have two and one would be nice.

'But then again, your parties are still interesting.

Interesting...?

　Christophe-san looked at us and muttered something like that.

''When you guys first came to this Adventurer's Society, I was surprised just to hear that a party with an E-ranked mage had arrived.

Oh, you're still very unusual?

　Estelle tilted her head and asked back.
　Come to think of it, there aren't many mages who become adventurers in this world.
　I still haven't even seen any other mages in the world.

''Not only is it rare, I haven't even heard of them since I got involved in the Adventurer's Association. And I'm surprised that a girl like you can do so much magic. Where in the world did you learn your magic from?

'Oh, that's not quite...'

Do I have to tell you?

　Dius asked me before, but he's still wondering where I brought her from.
　Not only is Estelle an unusual mage, but she's strong and also very young.
　In addition, she is an adventurer, which is something she normally wouldn't want to do.
　I don't know how much a normal mage is, but I'm sure it's unusual.

'I'd like to know, but I don't want to be forced to. And I'm just as curious about you as I am about your warrior and your priestess.

Wow, us too?

I'm just a regular priest.

　Apparently Mr. Kristoff may have a hunch that not only Esther is not normal, but also Noor and Sisha.
　He casually says that Sisha is normal, but where's the normal in that!

'Just hearing the reports from Widge is nothing short of magical. It takes less than a day to travel back and forth from King's Landing to the Frogman's habitat. Bringing hundreds of Stinger's shells. Destroying the Great Defeat almost by yourselves. All of this is unbelievable.

　Oho.............Widge, you've told the whole story.
　And you're saying that we almost wiped out the Great Defeat by ourselves?
　The guy from Dius, maybe he told you about the situation during the big defeat?
　All of these stories were played out on the spot, but once again, it's all very unusual when you say it again.

''Who are you at the center of such an unorthodox party?　As far as I'm concerned, that's the one thing that bothers me the most.

　Mr. Kristoff looks me straight in the eye.
　All of a sudden he was talking about me as an object and my liver started to chill.

　I didn't think he thought I was anything in particular, but he said I was the first one he was interested in.
　Oh come on, don't take the head of the association's interest in you personally.
　Oh my god I want to go home.

"Ha, ha, sorry. I tend to ask questions about things that interest me, that's my bad habit. I don't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. Did I make you feel uncomfortable?

'Oh, no, no. It's not true, haha....

　Silence reigned in the room, but suddenly Mr. Kristoff burst out laughing.
　Thanks to that, the tension is broken and the tense atmosphere is gone.

　What the hell is this guy.......I'm scared.
　If I could, I wouldn't want to talk to you like this again in the future.

I almost forgot to tell you. I'm sorry to be so quick, but I have a request for you guys to accept.

　When he finished laughing, Christophe-san placed a sheet of paper on the desk.
　On it, it was written that he was nominated for a B rank or higher, and a request for an escort to the magic city of Queres.