When the Infinite Circle PT returned to the guild from the Black Gate, they were greeted with cracking cheers. Tsutomu had now broken through the sixty levels, followed by the seventy levels on his first sight. No matter how much he could see the battle scenes of the preceding clans on the divine platform, it was still an extraordinary thing.

　The dragon man on duty at the Black Gate also looked at Tsutomu with a slight glint in his eye. Tsutomu, who had been fighting for about four hours and was in danger of dying, let out a breath of relief at being able to come back safely, and proceeded to wade through the crowded crowd inside the guild where the lights were on.

　Amy and Camille, who are seated in the guild cafeteria, are smiling and clapping, but Garum looks quite dissatisfied. And Silverbeast also seemed to be watching in the guild this time, and Misir approached Tsutomu with a look of surprise on his face that almost made his eyes pop out of his head.


''Hey!　Awesome!　It's your first time on the seventy levels, right?
Yeah, hi.
'Wow!　What an angry face!


　A few of the explorers around them sneered when Misiru couldn't help but say to Tsutomu, who gave a coy smile. Tsutomu stared at Lorena, who was laughing hysterically, and when she noticed his gaze, she stiffened her rabbit ears with a jerk and then whistled deceptively.


''I just want to leave early today, can you let me through?　I'll visit the Clan House sometime and we'll talk at length then.
Oh, really? Well, don't blame me. Hey!　Get out of the way!


　Misir said, turning to a downcast looking Daryl behind Tsutomu and taking the initiative to call out to the searchers to clear the way for them. Tsutomu said sorry and turned his gaze to Garum, who was pinning his indigo dog ears up in an angry manner.


'Garum, your face scares me,'
..........


　Tsutomu chuckled as he checked on Garum, who was looking at Daryl with a swordsman's face and a wry smile. Diniel was smiling and high-fiving Amy, while Amira was being praised by Camille. Hannah alternated between looking at Daryl and Garum to see what was going on.


'Wasn't that a good beginning and middle part of the game?'
But we're screwed at the end.
All's well that ends well.


　Forcing Daryl, who looked like he was about to start crying again under Garum's harsh gaze, Tsutomu left the guild, leaving Diniel and Amira, who still seemed to have a long story to tell.

Hannah was trying to talk to the depressed Daryl to somehow cheer him up, but it didn't seem to have any effect at all. When they returned to the Clan House amidst an awkward silence, Oli, who had a triangle wrapped around his head, greeted the three of them.


''Welcome back. Congratulations on breaking through the seventy levels.''
Thank you. Is that clear to you?
'I heard loud cheers. Besides, I could tell by the look on Hannah's face.
Heh.


　Oli laughed at Hannah, who scratched her head in embarrassment at her loose face, and then looked at Daryl with a worried expression on his face, which he had never seen before. Tsutomu checked with Oli to see if the bath was boiling and then lightly tugged on Daryl's innerwear and took him upstairs to the bathroom.


I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm going to be able to help you out. Then it's time for dinner.
..........
Well I'll be downstairs waiting for you.


　Tsutomu handed Daryl the first bath and closed the door behind him. Then he slumped his shoulders as if he was tired and lowered the magic bag he was carrying and jumped onto the living room couch.


''Huh.''


　As Tsutomu lay down to relax his stiff body, he was wondering how to address Daryl when he was approached by Oli, who was cooking the food that had been prepped.


'Mr. Tsutomu. Is there something wrong with you, Daryl-san?
''Uh, I kind of failed on the 70th level, so I'm kind of depressed about it.


　As soon as Hannah died, Daryl's behavior changed and he stopped moving as usual. So Tsutomu had no choice but to call out to him, but his voice didn't seem to reach him.

　However, Tsutomu knew that Daryl was trying to think and act on his own. In the past, he would definitely ask for and follow Tsutomu's instructions, but Daryl moved on his own and went to earn the Mount Golem's hate.

　As a result, he was unable to make his usual moves because of that, and was immediately caught by the mount golem. This would have been an absolutely impossible mistake for the usual Daryl. And even though he wasn't seriously injured, he hadn't come back to the front lines. Judging from Amira's words and actions, Daryl's heart was probably broken to the point where he was unable to act at that point.


(What's wrong with me?)


　Up until now, Daryl had followed Tsutomu's instructions as long as he gave them to him, and he was fine with the way things were. This is because he felt that he could get around while giving instructions to Daryl. But Tsutomu thought that if this was the case, he would be backward-compatible with Garum, so he thought it would be better to lose that habit and told her that he wanted her to work on her own.

　Tsutomu thought that this was the only place for Daryl to gain experience, as it was unlikely that a PT member would be trapped to death if it wasn't at the seventy level, so this was the only place for him to gain experience. But for Daryl, who had escaped the pressure by hiding in someone else's shadow until now, Tsutomu's words were heavy. Because of this, he failed to do his usual moves in the last half of the Mount Golem fight, and he looked lifeless.


(I can't say that the result is okay because I won, right? I would have wanted to die if I were in Daryl's shoes, too.)


　If it was a game, it would just be a don't-may-care situation, but that's not the case here. Tsutomu let out a sigh, not knowing how to address Daryl, and then sipped the tea that Oli had brought him. Later Hannah came out of the bath in a good mood and Diniel and Amira came back to the clan house.


'Can I go to the launch with Amy?　He told me to bring Tsutomu with me.
'Oh, I'll take a pass. But Diniel can go. We'll have a review session tomorrow while we look at the Solitte article.
Okay. Okay.


　Diniel said and left his equipment in his room and changed into his civilian clothes before leaving the clan house. Amira had come back after she had left her weapons at the Doren Workshop.

　Amira sat down in front of Hannah, who was lying in the living room, and removed the hair elastic that had clothed her red hair and leaned back on the sofa.


'Where did that guy go?'
Daryl?　Then I'm taking a bath.
Oh, yeah?


　Amira's mouth twists abominably when she hears Tsutomu's reply. Tsutomu, who does not hide his annoyance, asked fearfully.


'Daryl, was it that bad?'
"...what?　It's not like it's bad, d*mn it. I'm mad at me for thinking that guy was even a little bit strong.
I see.
"You didn't even get up off the ground without getting hurt.　You got to be kidding me, Dabo.


　I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm not the only one who's been there. It's a good idea to have a good time with your friends.

　Then she knocked on Daryl's room and went in to find him sitting on his bed with a soul-dead look on his face.


'Dinner's ready,'
Oh, yes.


　Daryl replied with a distracted look on his face and then solemnly followed Tsutomu. Once downstairs, Oli looked relieved and then finished the sumptuous dishes and brought them to the table one after another. Amira looked at the expressionless Daryl as if she was about to punch him in the face, but he didn't react.

　Daryl took a seat and looked down at the steak that was making an appetizing sound on the hot griddle. Tsutomu clasped his hands together with his chopsticks and began to dabble in his food, and Daryl mimicked him before picking up his fork and knife.


''There was some good quality Irland beef that was stocked today, so I decided to make a steak. Please enjoy it.


　With Oli's hand held out to him, Daryl cut the steak with his knife, the oil dancing on the griddle. The section of it was still slightly red, the kind of grilling Daryl preferred. He stared at it before stabbing it with his fork and bringing it to his mouth.

　Then Daryl, who had been expressionless until now, instantly raised his eyebrows. He chewed and swallowed the meat, then cut it up again and put it in his mouth. More and more, his hands advanced.


''It's.......delicious.''
Thank you.


　Oli replies to Daryl, whose words have naturally escaped him, with a happy grin. Daryl bids her a quick hello and then tears off the bread and eats it in the gravy-laden sauce.

　After that, Daryl eats at his usual fast pace, the large amount of food in front of him disappearing one by one. Tsutomu watched with a surprised look on his face, as if he was getting more energy every time he ate his food.


''Oli-san. Thank you for the food.''


　Daryl finished his food and wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and bowed to Oli. Then he looked around at the three of them with tight, serious eyes.


'Ladies and gentlemen. I'm sorry about earlier.
..........


　Amira silently stares at Daryl with eyes like she's looking at a prowler, but he stares back at her without fear. Tsutomu and Hannah stared at Daryl with eyes that looked as if they were looking at a different person, and then, as if they noticed, they mouthed out.


'No, I'm totally fine,'
'Yes!　In the end, we won, so it's not a problem!
''Well that's right. They could have defeated the Mounted Golem even without me.
'Oh, no, that's not what I meant!　Don't get me wrong!


　Hannah hurriedly excused herself to Daryl, who smiled sadly and turned his face away from her. But Daryl quickly switched over and turned to Tsutomu.


'Will the review meeting be held today?'
'No, maybe I'll do it tomorrow while I look at the Solitte article.
I see. Well, I'm going to go out and train a little.


　With a crisp movement, Daryl took the dishes to the watering hole and immediately went upstairs to get ready and quickly left.


'....tch.


　Amira looked away from Daryl with a sour look on her face and then she too got ready and left the clan house. Tsutomu and Hannah looked at each other as they left the Clan House.


''Well it looks like it was okay to leave them alone.
Yeah.


　Hannah replied with a kind face. Tsutomu's shoulders slumped as if he was frightened.


'I was going to ask you to do something as a clan leader.
.........When master says it, it sounds like there's something stinky about it. I'm sure there's something behind it.
..........
No, you know what? Why don't you talk like you always do at the review meeting?


　Hanna laughed at Tsutomu, who had a delicate look on his face.


　--Oooh--


　Daryl, who was wearing old equipment that he didn't mind losing, was walking quickly to the guild, his black hair fluttering in the night breeze. As he was about to complete the formalities at the slightly crowded reception desk and head to the magic circle, he was suddenly kicked in the back from behind.


''........Amira-san?''


　Behind Daryl stood a grim-faced Amira with her red hair tied up. She scoffed her chin and had Daryl re-lined up with the receptionist, and they were made to PT together.


'Huh?　What's going on?
Let's go.
What?


　Daryl was taken halfway to the magic circle by Amira, and was immediately transferred to the seventy-one level.

　A snow field with white snow piled on top of it spread out in Daryl's vision. The low temperature made her shiver, but as Amira quickly ran off, Daryl followed her after getting a little lost.





　Daryl looked back at the battle of Mount Golem as he followed Amira as she ran silently through the snowfield. The middle part of the beginning was still good. Thanks to being able to coordinate with Amira, the stability increased. There was no disruption in skill turning either.

　But after Hanna died, it was topsy-turvy. Daryl had stayed behind Garum until now and followed his words all along. And even after he entered the infinite circle, he still followed Tsutomu's instructions. Whenever something unforeseen happened, Daryl has moved on, receiving instructions from others.

　Before Daryl went under the 70th level, Tsutomu pointed out to him that he should think and act on his own. And after Hannah's death, Daryl found himself plunging in, his mind going blank. But Daryl's moves in the panic were terrible, and he was easily grabbed by the mounted golem and thrown away.

　Daryl recalled that he didn't know it at the time, but perhaps Tsutomu had taken the hate and saved him from being crushed in his grip. After that, he couldn't stand up, shaking with fear. When Amira woke him up, all Daryl could do was crouch down with a scraped voice. Then Daryl broke through the seventy levels without doing anything.

　He didn't do anything. It really is nothing. Without Daryl, the four of them broke through the Mounted Golem. I just watched myself. Daryl gritted his teeth and ran incessantly.


''Haha, haha.''


　I kept running as fast as I could after Amira, and I found myself running quite a distance. Finally, Amira stopped, and Daryl let out a white breath and stopped. Then Amira pulled out the great sword she was carrying on her back.


''It's about to come. Get ready.''
Huh.


　Daryl nodded, unsure of the meaning of Amira's question, but his dog ears immediately detected the sound of multiple footsteps approaching from behind. The pack of snow wolves chasing after Daryl and Amira was closing in on them. The lead snow wolf immediately appeared.


''........Combat Cry.


　Daryl made his usual sharp combat cry to make the Snow Wolf hate him, and Amira moved to attack. Daryl received the Snow Wolf's rush with his cheap large shield and began to stand around with his normal movements.

　His body moves freely and the sound of the monster moving can be heard clearly; instead of wearing a helmet that protects his head, which has a thin VIT blessing, using his hearing to secure his vision is a standstill that Garum is good at. That is naturally inherited by his apprentice, Daryl.


(If only I'd been able to do this back then.)


　Daryl bit his lip. It was a pathetic fight, even if he remembered it now. His mind was so blank that he couldn't think of anything, he just plunged into the mounted golem. I fought the battle with a feeling that my vision was narrowed and my ears were deafened by the tension, and I was soon even restrained. He couldn't get up after that, and Amira cursed at him, and he just watched as Hannah pulled the mounted golem to him. Daryl was frustrated. He certainly didn't want to lose to Hannah, who was active with strong Amira.


''........d*mn.''


　Daryl's heart ached as he watched Tsutomu get beaten away by the Mounted Golem, a tank's job is to protect the PT members. If you can't do that, then there's no point in being a tank. He sensed the snow wolf that jumped at him from behind and played it with his large shield.


''Higuh. d*mn.........''


　Even Garum gave me a disappointed look. He had saved his life. That benefactor had hurt the respected healer this time. It was like he had returned the favor. Daryl let his tears fall onto the snowfield as he dealt with the group of snow wolves.


''I want to be stronger, stronger...!


　Daryl was able to stand around when he faced his first snow wolf, moving differently from the end of the seventy levels earlier. While he was attracting them, Amira took down snow wolf after snow wolf, and the pack was gone, turning into particles.

　Daryl sniffed and bent down to retrieve the magic stone, and was kicked from behind to push him. As Daryl buried his face in the piled up snow, Daryl looked up and turned around to see Amira thrusting her great sword into the snowfield and glaring at him.


'You're moving normally, man. Then start from the beginning, you idiot.''
...it's
You're stronger than me, but don't go down on me. I couldn't even beat Diniel in a real fight.　So why aren't you serious and you're depressed on your own, a**h*le?
..........


　Daryl rolled his eyes and looked up at her, and Amira scratched her head as if she was munching, then clicked her tongue and averted her gaze.


''Get up quickly. I need to get used to the monsters on this level quickly.''
Yes.


　Daryl got up on his own and followed Amira as she drew her greatsword and started walking.