The conversation got to the point. I should say I'm back. You said what you wanted to do in the beginning.

"I'm having a lot of questions.

Sure, you can ask me anything you want.

　The drinks were brought in and we waited until the serving staff left.
　Aerial-san took a gulp of the liquor.　

''Um ... who was left out?''

　The party is limited to five people. This is the basic premise.
　The aerial party had a solid five people, so recruiting someone means that someone is out.

'Oh, the Pana guy.

What, Mr. Panacea...?

　Panakea-san is a thirty-two year old [white mage]. She's a beautiful woman who speaks clearly and clearly.
　That's right, she's a 【White Mage】.
　An unfortunate [job title (job)] that is only slightly better treated than a [black mage].

　In fact, the reason I was able to keep it up for seven years before I was halfway through being kicked out of the party is because of Panacare's existence.
　You can become the best in the world even if you have the unfortunate [position (job)] of a support person, and support people are not completely incompetent. It depends on competence and operations. That's the kind of thinking that my colleagues must have had in mind.

　Mr. Panacare is a mutant genius in a different way from me. Of course he's put a lot of effort into it, but the buffing and recovery effects of White Magic are tremendous.
　The play-by-play man on the video board (TV) who belittled me once said that if you're going to put him in anyway, he should be a [White Mage]. That was probably a word that came out of Panakea-san's image, too.

''What happened?''

I'm having a baby.

'Oh--I'm glad. Congratulations on that.

　She's married to [Samurai] from the same party.

'Oh, but you already have two children, right?'

　It's not uncommon for party members to leave temporarily, and some adventurers are hired to be temporary at such times.

'Ah, but the adventurers will travel around, won't they?　He asked me if it was time for me to sit down.

　Indeed. It's a tough choice whether to take them or leave them behind.
　If it's to be by the child's side, I want to support him.
　Apparently, after discussing it with the couple, it seems that 【Samurai】-san will remain at the party.

''Well then, the replacement personnel........''

A fixed member, that is. I'm not a temporary hire.

　It really means that I can be welcomed into the world's number one ranked party.

''........Why me?''

Is that so strange?　Aren't you the [Black Mage] of the fourth place party?

'I couldn't argue with them when they told me to leave because I was incompetent. That's what everyone says.

I didn't think so. I think you can understand that much.

You think I'm as good a messenger as Mr. Panacea?

'Let's be honest, I can't see the bottom of your power. It's not so much that it's bottomless as that I don't even know how to measure it. The first thing that surprises me is that no one has been able to find you since you left. I was worried that there would be a big fuss and you would be uncomfortable. But all that appeared on the video board (TV) were grumpy feniks.

　It was quite a bit of news that I was out.
　The fans are delighted, and they're excited that I'm finally here.
　Alba was very proud of himself and said he'd handed over the reins, and the usually mild-mannered Fenix ignored the camera and microphone. He ignored the cameras and microphones, and tried several times to give an interview, but Fenix remained silent.

　There was a moment when the interviewer made fun of me, and the video was cut off, but I think the camera and everything was burned down.
　People may not like me, but they love Fenix, so there was no sympathy for the interviewer who went too far.
　I scattered them with black magic, but not Fenix. That's why he was the only one on the video board (TV)," he said.

And there were very few sightings. There were only a few places to be observed. Unions and so on. I wondered if he had returned home, but he hadn't. Then it occurred to me. I'm sure that Fenix's assessment of you is justified, and that you are a wizard of black magic beyond the reach of ordinary people. Do you think that's a big leap?　But I clung to the possibility of you being in this city and searched for you.

　Well, if you think he must have disappeared somewhere, you'll have no clue where to search for him. If that's the case, he could use some awesome black magic and hide out, right?　It's more hopeful to think that...............or is it? Maybe.

'As it turns out, you're the real deal. And you did an excellent job of handling the situation right after I walked in. I honestly have no idea what the theory is that no one would recognize me. I was surprised when my magic power for resistance (resist) was cut down all at once with the black magic, which would have been less effective with a larger number of targets.

　That Mr. Aerial appreciates me.
　It's kind of unrealistic, it's amazing.
　But.

"Why do you care about me so much?　I'm sure there are plenty of other candidates at Mr. Aerial's place.

　Mr. Aerial answered stagnantly, as if he had anticipated the question.

'Hmm. One thing is timing. The first and fourth-ranked support members quit at the same time, and you have no problem working. The other thing I'm concerned about is Fenix's trust in you. There's no such thing as incompetence, but your attack was so natural. You just wanted to see how awesome you were. Of course I wasn't going to ask too much into why I couldn't reveal it to the other three.

　

'Also ... ummmm, this was laughed at by my companions...'

　Aerial-san strokes her chin shyly.

''Do you know the Demon King's Castle Prior [Demon King] Lucifer?

Of course it is.

　.........I can't say that he's my mentor.

''I once participated in a raid battle ... a multi-party dungeon attack when I was a rookie ...''

　Ah, it's the one where my master wiped them out.
　He was the master who used black magic against me and mysterious magic during training, but during the [Demon King] era, he used super-aggressive magic to make the cancer adventurers leave the country.

　........Maybe, but it was a hassle for him to be found out as a black magic user and be spotted by the country.
　In this day and age, he wouldn't be killed separately, but he would be under heavy surveillance.
　Even so, he would be popular as a villain if he was on the demon side, but that's not possible on the adventurer side.
　What people want from an adventurer and 'the black magic the Demon King used' are too far apart.

'I shuddered when I saw Lucifer. 'This is a different creature,'

　I was studying under the demon king who later made the man who would become the best in the world think he couldn't win, I was.
　Once again, I am reminded of my master's awesomeness.

''And the first time I saw you, that same tremor hit my body, if only for a moment.

I'm not sure...

　........wow.

　Sharp...

　It's not just because I've done the training that the Demon King imposes on his children.
　There's a reason why you can sense a hint of a master from me, or rather a glimpse of a master.
　But to sense it, even if only for an instant, when it's hidden from you.
　As expected of the world's best.

"We welcome you. We want you to be rewarded, but if you really want to keep your power hidden, we'll help you. But, depending on our strategy, you will soon find out.

　If Mr. Panacea is out of the picture, the total strength of the party doesn't drop, if it goes up or something.
　Everyone would notice.
　''Oh, this [Black Mage] is not incompetent,''

''So, that's why. I'll be staying at the same inn as Fenix and the others. Let's give it seven days. Consider it.

　With that, he stands up.
　Putting down some money as an apology for interrupting him, he slowly heads out of the store.