It had been a few days since they found the black magic light stone.

''I knew we wouldn't find anything,''

It looks like the only thing we'll end up finding is a piece of magic light stone from the first day.

　I've spent the last few days scouring the beaches and caves with no success.
　Thanks to that, Luna complained to me about the boo-boo, but if I can find something every time, I won't have a hard time.
　Esther, who is walking next to me, is also tired because of that, she puts one hand on her cheek and lets out a sigh.

'Esther, are you tired?'

Oh, you're worried about me?　Then I'll get my brother to give me a massage after I go home. My feet might be a little sore.

That's about as good as it gets but yes, okay.

　I thought that if I was going to get a massage, I should have Sisha do it for me, but I didn't say that.
　If you've seen me being massaged before, but you're nominating me, that means you want me to do it.
　Unlike Noor and Sisha and the others who were moving higgledy-piggledy even in places with bad footing, Esther always looked like she was having a hard time walking.
　Still, she's been with me for days without complaining, so I should massage her with gratitude as well.

''It's time to cut off the investigation here and go report back to the association once we're done.

'Yes!　Is it over now, sir!

'Let's at least do it until we find a shell with crabmeat in it!

'Your purpose has changed...'

　While exploring the cave, there was a large amount of shells scattered around where Nol and Sisha were gathered.
　It looks like they're looking for the cancers to take down while investigating and looking for any crabmeat in them.
　As I was dumbfounded by Noll and the others, Luna and Freesia, who had been diligently searching for me, approached me.

'Finally it's over, I can't wait to get home.

''Heihachi and the others were doing this even before I was summoned. It's hard work!

'Hmmm, not really. I haven't been asked to do the association's work like this all along.

　I mainly hunted, and the association's requests were just an afterthought....
　I guess it was around the time I was promoted to B-rank that I started working as a full-fledged adventurer.

That's right......... It was harder to help Okura-dono collect magic stones.

'Heihachi made me promise last time, but I didn't understand it...'

There are some things it is better not to know. Freesia, you must keep your promise to Lord Okura.

'Hmm?　I don't know, but if you say so much, Noll, I understand!

　Freesia is convinced by Nol's sorrowful appearance as he speaks, though she tilts her head.
　I made her promise to hunt the magic stone in a half threatening way, but it seems that Nol and the others are more afraid of her than she is.
　Once this investigation has settled down, I'll let Freesia join me and Sisha's magic stone hunting once for experience.

●

　I sent Sisha, Luna, and Freesia home and took Noor and Estelle with me to the Adventurer's Association in Sevalia.
　I was going to send Estelle home as well, but there was also the matter of the black magic light stone, so I'm sorry, but I'm having her come with me.
　I'll have to give her a good massage to thank her when I get home.

　When I told the receptionist that there was progress in the investigation, Bence-san immediately set up a meeting to discuss it.

'This is what I found in the hunting area where the sighting occurred.

　I went to the same upstairs room as before and took a seat with Bence-san.
　She then placed the box of magic light stones that Esther had sealed on the desk and asked her to break the spell and check the contents.
　Apparently there is no problem, and she makes a small circle with one hand.
　While I was at it, I opened the map and told her which hunting ground I found it in.

'Is this the magic light stone that the head of the association said the demon was carrying?　Is it safe to touch?

''Yeah, it's shattered, so it's no longer effective. I sealed it up so that the magic wouldn't leak out, but it doesn't seem to have changed much in the box.

　In response to Estelle's reply, Bence-san poked at the piece with her index finger a few times, then plucked it up and looked at it seriously.
　

I'm not sure I can understand anything by looking at it. I can't believe that such a small stone has caused a mutation.

It's a piece, so it's much bigger than that.



'It was just a stroke of luck. We didn't find anything else.

'Don't be so modest. Even those adventurers who have been investigating before you guys have found no clues until now.

　I really don't mean to be humble....
　It's proof that Diabolus was doing something, but I don't know anything more than that.
　You're going to feel like you're getting sticky, but you're not going to be able to say anything about it.
　Just as I was thinking that, Noll muttered something about it.

''But in the end, we didn't know why that demon was there, did we?

'Yes. Uncle, has anything unusual been reported in that hunting ground?　I didn't know what was wrong with us because I didn't know what we normally do.

'That's where the Cancer Cave is, isn't it?　I don't know if there have been any strange reports in that area so far. We've been restricting access to the area since there was a report of that monster sighting.

　If there's an effect of that magic light stone, something strange should be happening around that sandy beach, right?
　Because of the restriction of entry as soon as you find the diabolus, people who usually go there do not notice anything strange because they do not go?
　The only funny thing is that there was a shell-cancer... but before we get to that, let's ask a whole bunch of questions.

'What's it usually like in the cave?　I found this magic light stone in a cave, so I need to know what's going on inside.

'Hmmm, if you ask me how it's looking. There's nothing unusual about that place, except for Cancer, you know?　Everyone who goes there is there to see the seaweed on the nearby coast.

　Gosh, nothing unusual... hmm?　Do you just have a Cancer?

'Aren't there any demons other than the Cancer?　A rare species or something...

I can get you the blue cancer. The crabmeat from their shells is very good.

Can you get crabmeat?　Then we'll have to go hunting for it!

Yeah, now shut up.

　When he heard the word "crabmeat," he rattled and got up from his chair and grabbed Noll's shoulder to sit him back down.
　Please don't give me an appetitive reaction when we're talking about something serious.
　The crabmeat from the blue crab is a lot of things to me too, but that's not what I'm after right now.
　We haven't seen a single blue cancers on that beach.
　And from the way you talk about it....

Don't you have any shellfish demons?

Shells?　That kind of demon shouldn't have been in that hunting ground.... The only place around here that has shellfish demons is at Cape Solun.

　I knew there were no shellfish.
　What do you mean?　Has the original demon disappeared and other demons started to appear in its place?
　What comes to mind as the cause of that.....the black magic light stone in front of me, right?

''There was also a big canceller with a shell on its back, do you have any idea what that demon is, Uncle?

''I've heard of such a demon... oh, I think there was a report of such a demon rampaging somewhere a long time ago...''

　Apparently, Shellcancer isn't the kind of demon you'd normally see, either.
　They haven't come out at all since we encountered them on the first day, so that one must be the only one that was there.
　It seems that Bence-san also noticed our question, and he opened his eyes and began to waddle about.

''Could it be that this magic light stone is the cause of the strange changes happening in Sevalia as well?　Oh, my God!　I can't believe something like that has already happened!　Call the head of the association now--

Oh, please calm down!

But!

　Surprised at how upset he was, Mr. Bence stood up and tried to walk out of the room.
　Even though I hurriedly stopped her from doing so, she looked pale and confused.
　Hey, it's not going to be possible to talk to him if you keep this up........
　Seeing Bence-san, Esther opened her mouth with a calm voice.

''Uncle is the head of the branch, so let's not panic and think about it. We're here to investigate that, so if there's a slight anomaly, it's something we can deal with. If the person who compiles the information and makes the decision isn't calm, then we who actually work will be in trouble.

'Ugh ... yeah. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you look unseemly.

　Perhaps it was because of what young Esther had told her, Bence-san took out a handkerchief from her pocket and sat back in her chair while wiping cold sweat off her face.
　Huh, I didn't expect the branch chief to be so upset.
　Since you know about the matter of Queres, I thought you would know that there would be a strange change but..............................but when it happens, you can't help but be impatient.
　If I was in the same position, I would probably be suffering from a stomachache and running to the bathroom by now.
　Then I had a discussion with Mr. Bence, who had regained his composure, and promised that if anything even slightly strange happened, based on this case, he would have us contact him immediately and head to the scene.