Well, well Master Citry.

　Ms. Margrette kept smiling, but exuded surprise from between, and uttered her name.

　【Demon of Love Affair】Sitry.
　A petite girl in the form of a dream demon. She is equipped with horns, a tail, and bat wings, and her pink hair is tied in two.
　Her true identity is a sub-beast of a leopard, and she even recreates the target's abilities with her special transformation ability.
　The Four Heavenly Kings have successfully toyed with the adventurers in the raid battles, but usually she is a girl who loves pretty things.

'I'm sorry for tricking you, Maru-chi.

Marucci...?　No, not at all. With Citry-sama's abilities, he can provide a wide variety of assistance depending on the situation. You're more than welcome.

"Ummm, Roo-cha--I'll do my best since I'm here at Maou-sama's behest, but I don't want to not be cute, Citrie, so don't expect anything like before?

　Citry-san wants to be pretty.
　Like being a floor boss in raid fights, he bent his commitment to fight after seeing Carmilla and the others struggle.
　It's good to have something that takes precedence over persistence, but it's not a persistence if you always block it out.

''Well that outfit is different from what you see in defense, isn't it?　No, I don't know much about it.

　Mira said.
　It's true that I'm still in the costume of the subaltern who was transformed just now, so I look mature.

''I wore it just for the surprise~. Pretty clothes are in here.''

　Then he popped his bag from his shoulder.

I'm going to go get dressed, okay?

　Mr. Citry ran to an empty carriage.
　Free.
　Ex-san and Arthur-san also moved away when Merlin-san called them away.

''But to bring Reme-sama and the two people from the Demon King's Castle and others, Fero-sama is very good at what he does.

　Ms. Margrethe put her hand over her mouth and said something like that.
　My eyes meet hers.
　She smiles, and a well-behaved smile is given.

''Is it since we met once at a raid war gathering, Reme-sama?''

'Yes, Mr. Margrethe,'

　Ms. Margrette is a well-bred woman, in fact, the daughter of a large chamber of commerce.
　She has long, plain brown, long hair. Her hair is tied up in a horizontal bun on both sides, and it seems to meet at the back. She has the atmosphere of a deep window lady.

　It seems that she herself has some business acumen, and the magic tools held by the members of the Helvall Party are her personal collection.
　This time too, she was allowed to collaborate with that Fellow to investigate the original dungeon, so her skills are genuine.

''Isn't it Ex-san and the others rather than me?　It's not very easy to pull a second place party.

　Three out of five to be exact, but it's still an amazing thing.

''Uh-huh, that's true. But you're the one who made the raid battle possible,

　Indeed, he's the kind of person who would collect the freshly discovered [Lake Brave] in addition to the first, third and fifth place parties.
　More so, the fourth-ranked party was there to help with the training.

''We high-ranking adventurers are easy to contact ourselves. And if it's an original dungeon, it's usually something that adventurers can collect. On the other hand, since we don't even know where Reme-sama is currently, I thought that unless he was a personal messenger, negotiations wouldn't be possible.

　The more famous a person is, the more people he or she is connected with.
　It may be difficult for the average person to get in touch with them, but when it comes to business, it's not unusual for them to get in touch with people.

　In this case, indeed, I'm here because Mr. Fellows came directly to me and invited me.
　You may be able to get in touch with the Phoenix Party, but when it comes to Leme personally, it's not so easy.
　There may be ways to contact other people, such as Aerial-san, but Ferro-san may have been in a hurry, too.

''Besides, I'm personally concerned about Reme-sama as well,''

　Margrethe came up to me with these words and placed her hands and her cheeks against my chest.
　The soft scent that softly tickled my nostrils, the warmth on my chest. A warm feeling on my chest.
　It's as if a murderous atmosphere was released from Mila.

"I see you've been working out a lot.

　A voice that sounded enraptured, close.

'Um, Mr. Margrethe........'

Please call me Mal.

Mr. Maru, if you'll just, you know, step away...

Oh, my God. I'm sorry, by the way.

I'm sorry?　I'd like to have that explained properly, wouldn't you?　As for me, who is a personal friend of Leme's, yeah.

　Mira said, zipping in between us.
　Her voice was so icy that I wondered if it was snowing.

''I couldn't resist imitating to make sure. Sister Hel said, right?　Master Leme said he was training his body.

　It's time for the raid war members to meet up. The adventurer's side.
　Beside me who nodded, Mira-san was muttering to herself.

''........that Helvall. Well, if it's someone as good as her, it's not surprising to notice it?

　Come to think of it, Mr. Fourcas had noticed it too. That I'm training to the limit in spite of my lack of talent.
　When you become a top-notch person, you may be able to tell a certain amount about the other person just by their appearance.

You can't be sure of that. But because of her personality, she prefers people who are easy to understand and strong. Especially in the case of men. That's why it's my first time.

　Maru-san broke off once there, and after a slight pause, he continued.

''--That was the first time that you showed strong interest in the [Black Mage] lord.

Isn't it a great thing to have a good eye for things?

''Yeah, yeah, that's it. No need to think about it, she was a member of the fourth-ranked party in the world, so she can't be incompetent. However, we are very fond of Sister Helu, so we are curious about her. We want to understand. What was it about you, Leme, that attracted Sister Hel?

　The ones who clearly noticed my identity in the raid battle were 【Storm Hero】Aerial-san and 【Lake Hero】Wraith-kun. And then there's 【Vandalist】 Fran-san.
　If I'm speaking only with my intuition, 【Magic Sword Hero】Hervor-san has probably noticed it too.

　There may be other people who also have a hunch, but I guess I can't be sure.
　Even that Fenix only noticed it after being directly exposed to black magic.
　In Hel-san's case, it's also significant that he fought directly with Verito in a tag team fight.

　Hel-san's example was before she realized her true identity, and I think she was saying it in recognition of my continued efforts, despite my lack of talent.
　But Maru-san - and by we, I mean everyone else in the Helvoor party - still seems to be more than concerned enough.

'I thought that seeing Reme-sama's fight up close and personal might give us a little insight.

Is that why you recommended Mr. Leme?

Of course, that's not all we're going to do. Since you never know what will happen in the original dungeon, we've decided to challenge it with a diverse lineup. Speaking of an excellent [Black Mage], you must be Reme-sama, right?

　Since I'm gathering talented 【Warrior】, 【Magician】, 【Brave】, and other well-balanced human resources, some excellent 【Black Mage】 and 【White Mage】 are also needed among them.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work.

''I see. I understand. But, you know, it would be a problem to approach the gentlemen unnecessarily. It seems that you are the representative of this place, for one thing.

"Mira-sama seems to be very close to Leme-sama.

''Huh, of course. As Reme said earlier, we're close friends on a personal level.

　Did he like that phrase?

'So you know a lot about Master Leme, too?'

Of course. For all I know, there are, at most, two people in the world who could rival my knowledge of the adventurer Reme.

　It would be [Silver Ridge Brave] Nicola-san and the rest of the ones from Fenix.

''I'm ashamed to say, I'm not too familiar with this thing called 【Black Mage】 standing. If you don't mind, I'd like to receive some knowledge from Mira-sama.

　I could feel Mira itching to get her hands on it.

'Shh, auspicious of you, isn't it?'

　I'm an adventurer geek myself, so I know what I'm talking about, and it's a lot of fun to talk about the things I like.
　However, there's nothing more annoying than forcing knowledge on someone who isn't interested in it.
　So sometimes a situation where knowledge of something you like is required is a welcome one.

　Some people may be the type of person who would rather be alone and enjoy themselves, but that is up to each person.
　I think Mila is the type of person who wants to talk.

''Of course, I will be happy to reward you.

'It's unnecessary. The idea of providing a price for knowledge is admirable, but I have no interest in making money off the information I'm guessing.

Oh, I'm sorry.

If you insist on thanking me, you could put Leme in your trade commercial................

Well, I can't promise you that, but I can make sure that you're grateful in some other way than money.

　Maru had the impression of maintaining a calm atmosphere at all times, but she seemed to be slightly pushed by Mira's pressure.

　However, that's to be expected.
　Although I'd like to know more about me, I decided it would be difficult to get a closer look at Mira-san, judging from her appearance.
　I immediately grasped Mira-san's pressure points and pressed them beautifully.
　It's not like what I'm saying is a lie, and no one is unhappy.

''That's right, I have something for you two. I'll have Master Fulkas' stuff ready for you soon, so that will have to wait for a moment.

"Hm.

　Incidentally, Mr. Fourcas took a baked good from the porch and munched on it after he ate the root vegetables. I guess he has no other business, he is at our side.

　Maru handed us a metal plate the size of his thumb.
　It's similar to the registration card we have.

　The registration card is required for adventurers and demons.
　In addition to the name, gender, [Job title (job)], recognition number, etc., it is also required to use the record stone for transfer.
　But what she had was not a registration card.　

It is a permit to fight in the original dungeon and a permit to use magic and skills in an emergency. Please carry it with your registration card, so I can link your permit to the person.

　The reason it's this size would be so that you can hang it together on a chain to hang your registration card on. This way it wouldn't be too bulky.

　The use of magic is half-silent for everyday use, but it originally requires permission.
　Even if you have permission, sometimes you are only allowed to use it in certain places.
　This is also the reason why adventurers go to the union underground and demons train in dungeons.

　It's a good idea to use it in emergencies - when you or someone else might get seriously injured or die if you don't use magic - but even that can be questioned later on.

'Oh, the original dungeon is no ordinary dungeon.

　So the original dungeon is not a licensed facility. It's a naturally occurring thing.
　So you can't use magic without permission. It's important to get permission ahead of time.

''I understand that, but what's this emergency?''

It's to avoid trouble, isn't it? It's a good idea to have this in mind when subduing bandits, for example, when you need to be interviewed by the knights immediately. We can't afford to put the people who are cooperating with us in this investigation through that kind of trouble.

And the bandits?

　Mira doesn't seem to be on the same page.
　Maybe that's what happens when you grow up in the city.

'I get out a lot, you know, bandits.

　I said, and Fourcas-san and Maru nodded.

'I used to hunt a lot when I was a trainee,'

'I'll pretend you didn't hear that, Master Fulkus. In fact, our merchant corps is often targeted and troubled. If it weren't for those evil people, we wouldn't need to hire guards...

　The war is gone, but that doesn't mean every problem has been solved.
　Each of them may have their own reasons for losing themselves to the bandits, but that doesn't mean they can't be ripped off.

''Rheme, you're cool with it too, aren't you?　Have you ever encountered one?

'I hear stories all the time. There was even a merchant who came to the village once and reached the village in tatters.... If you're near a big town, you won't hear much about it because of the knights, though.

　But I don't think he's anywhere near our village. Even if they were there in the past, they're gone.
　And if there was a bandit who tried to target our village even once, he would have been punished by the strongest demon king.

Also, there are a surprisingly large number of people who want to test their strength. It's a good idea to have a good time with them. That's the problem with that kind of thing. There's no way I'll be able to help them.

'Yes, there is. I, for example, change my costume while attacking, so I'm like, 'Are you really going to be completely naked for a moment?　It's not uncommon to be humiliated by 'try it' and so on... it's sad.

A man like that can be stripped naked and rolled out on the street.

　Miss Mila gave him a cold look.

'I don't like it, Miss Mira, I'm not very good at looking at filth.'

'Hmm, I certainly wouldn't want to see that even if you asked me to.

　They laugh happily.

''Well, well, anyway, it's useful when you're involved in that kind of trouble. Normally, we're obligated to report to the knights for every single incident, but then we can't have a trip like this one.

　In reality, it is often cleared up between individuals, but since he's going there on behalf of the state, he's probably following those procedures closely.

''I understand very well. If this is the case, I should have brought those vampire bats (that kid) with me.''

Did you guys leave it behind?

No. Some of them, indeed.

Well, Mila-sama is a [trainer]?

...no, well, I just happen to have the aptitude for it.

'I see. It's great that you have an aptitude for something useful outside of your day job.

　We talked like that for a while.
　Finally, the time to leave came.

　Mira-san and I got into the same carriage as Maru-san. Mr. Sitri, who was dressed in a maid's uniform, also joined us. Mr. Fulkas said he was going to sleep and disappeared. He would be in a carriage somewhere.

　Miss Merlin wanted to talk about magic, so she decided to ride too.
　I think I was relieved, despite what I said.
　I'm sure there are no fools who would attack these members.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find out the difference in strength if there is even one person who can sense the magic power, even though everyone is holding it down.


''Stop, Orac........!


　A few days later.
　I was attacked by bandits.

　Or should I say bandits. And it's quite large. There must be more than two hundred of them.
　I searched for their movements based on their magic power. From the way each of them move, I get the feeling that several bandit groups have recently begun to act together. These things are connected by the rule of following the leader, but I can feel several signs of that leader. As one group, they don't work well together.
　A coalition, I guess.

I know you guys are the original dungeon investigators!　You're strong, but you're no match for us!　You'll never get to play this game again if you die in here!　Just turn it all in and get the rest of it gone!　No, leave the woman behind too!

　Now, where did the leak come from?
　No, we're only additional investigators, that's why the main unit is there.

　The bandits found out that a large amount of supplies, 'cocoons' and other pricey equipment would be brought in out of the Knights' reach. This is a great way to earn money, and several bandits stepped in and joined forces.
　Maybe they were actually planning to attack the main unit. Someone spotted us from a distance and decided to attack us first.

　Well, let's not get into that.
　We were getting off the wagon.
　It was mainly all the adventurers and subhumans.

"Eh, Ex and Arthur?　Well, even Merlin...!

　At the back of the group that blocked our path, the man who seems to be putting together the group shouts out.
　Well, since there are probably no adventurers of such high rank in the main unit, it can't be helped if you think so this time too.......maybe.

''Either way, you guys are going to be in prison. Wouldn't you at least want to save time and get in unharmed?

　Ex-san spoke calmly.

''Zach, don't you dare!　A brave man is a human being.　Don't you dare bark at me, second place (...) in all years!

　----...
　Heh.　

　I channeled the magic into my wand. Merlin-san is the same.
　Fulkas-san carries his spear on his shoulder and Mira-san claws at her own wrist.
　The werewolf man changes to his werewolf state, the orc man holds his club, and the cat subhuman woman draws her sword.
　Arthur-san puts his hand on the hilt, and Ex-san - her shoulders slumped.

''That word hurts me...''

　I say that like it's not a big deal, but it's not.

　There are a lot of people who really want to be in first place. I'm not saying that everyone is, but there are people who are serious about surpassing the Aerial Party.

　The Aerial Party is the undisputed number one.
　Ever since [Indomitable Hero] Altrito-san's party retired.
　And for most of the time since then, the Ex Party has maintained the second place.

　The position closest to the peak, standing for nearly ten years.
　Those aren't days of stagnation.
　It's easy to fall down the ranks when you stop.
　So it's a daily challenge.

　It doesn't matter. The audience will say what they want, and since we're making a spectacle of our strategy, it's part of our job to accept them.
　But we have a heart, too. We get hurt and we get angry sometimes.
　At the very least, one word from the second place is more difficult to say than the fact that you were attacked by thieves.

"Leme, can you make it to the left half?

　The trees are lush across the road. From this side, that side is like a hill.
　The height is on their side. There are more of them on the other side in numbers. This one has some non-combatants and some equipment that needs careful handling.

　Merlin says, "Can you cast black magic on the enemy on the left half of the road - roughly a hundred of them - centered on the road?
　Usually I can't.
　But I didn't hesitate to answer.

''We can all go (...)

　Mr. Merlin raised his eyelids slightly, and then - he smiled happily.

'Good, great.'

　Mila's expression relaxed for a moment, and Fourcas seemed to lift the corners of her mouth a little....
　Mr. Citry said, "He's cute, boy! And cheering?　They did.

　I guess they decided there was no need to move with this group.
　If the enemies come close, they will cast charms on us.

　We've already mastered the magical reactions of all of our enemies.
　Something black gushes out of X-san's shadow(,).

“Negotiation is off. You're only going to get hurt for a little while, and then you'll go to jail.

"Hooray!　Hey, you guys!　Get it done!

　The plundering, which is sure to fail, has begun.