*

　A few hours later - Makoto and the others were heading north on the road.
　The journey was going well, although it was a chilling moment when they found a broken wagon on the way.

'It's a nice day.'

　The weather was calm and the breeze on my cheeks felt good.
　It's been years since I've walked through the forest in such a sunny mood.
　If only nothing would happen like this.
　As I was thinking about this, Liv tapped me on the shoulder.

'Hey, Mako. Are you sure you want to be in the back like this?
Here?
It means you're last in line.

　Annoyed, Liv said with a raised eyebrow.
　By the way, Makoto and the others are at the tail end of the troop merchant.

'Listen. Normally, when you're escorting someone, you're supposed to camp a little closer to them so that your client can remember your face.
'Well, I think it's important to appeal to people too...'
"But?
Look at the road ahead.

　Liv looked ahead.
　Five covered wagons were advancing at intervals, perhaps to warn of an attack.
　The number of adventurers is about fifty, so it is calculated that ten people will protect one car.
　In fact, the manpower is arranged so that ten men can protect one car, but the quality of the equipment is getting worse as they move backwards.
　The forces are too unevenly distributed.
　This means that the rear will suffer heavy losses when they are attacked.

'Ah, I see. I hope you've thought this through properly.''
Well, and...
I didn't know it was still there.

　Liv's eyes widen in surprise.

'No matter how famous Liv is as a mercenary, we're just a team that's just started up.
　We don't want to antagonize the rest of the team.
You should just use your strength to shut him up!

　Liv makes a force bump.
　Then Fene came closer.

'You're still a brainiac, aren't you?
How come I'm not...
It's a lot lighter now that the level is up.

　Fene put the backpack containing four people's belongings back on his back, as if to show off his muscle power.
　I told him that I would share it with him, but Fene didn't give in that he wanted to carry it himself.
　I think he is desperate to be useful outside of combat.

'You look like a snail, not a fox.
Brother, I don't like snails.

　Moo,' said Fene, puffing out her cheeks.

I don't know why I'm going off topic. How can I be a brainiac?
There is strength in numbers.
I don't think it's very often that someone can beat us.
It's hard to get rid of a bad reputation.

　Fene said in a sincere tone.
　It was a line that only she could deliver after being forced to go solo because of her debts.

'Is that how it works?'
That's the way it is. And fighting isn't just about beating each other up. For those who want to dominate their opponents, even if you interfere a little, you're winning.
You've got a lot on your mind, don't you?

　Liv said, impressed, and Fene laughed triumphantly.

'The rest is ssss.'
Is it still there?
I hear that a lot. Honestly, no matter where you are, you can show off your skills if there's a problem that other adventurers can't handle.
Oh.

　Liv gave Fene a small clap.

'How's it going, brother?'
Bingo.

　When Makoto stroked his head, Fene sluggishly lost his composure.

'Well, to tell you the truth, it's best if nothing happens--'
The undead!　The undead are out!

　One of the adventurers shouted faster than Mako could say it.
　He hurriedly looked ahead and saw countless skeletons jumping out of the forest to his right.

''It wasn't my fault, you know.''
I know.
Get your weapon up. You're in a bit of trouble.
It's just a skeleton.

　If you were just summoned to this world when you were first summoned, you'd be a small fry to Mako now.
　It would be the same for an adventurer.

''That's a Skeleton Warrior!
Skeleton Warrior?

　Mako looked at the skeleton again.
　It was called a warrior, and although crude, it was armed with a sword and armor.
　However, to that extent, ordinary skeletons were also equipped with them.
　Well, I had called them Skeleton Warriors for convenience.

'The difference in appearance--ah!

　I yelled out.
　There was a marble-sized magical stone floating on the inside of his ribs.

''That size is about the same size as a ghoul?''
Well, you know.

　With a peck, Liv spat into her palm and grabbed her pole hammer.
　While Mako and the others were muddling along, the other adventurers were getting into action.
　The vanguard position moved to the right flank, with the rear guard holding back behind them.
　The decision itself was brilliant--.

''Flaming bullets (Fire Blitz)!
"Brit!
Holy Brits!
'Spirit!　Please attack!

　Red, green, white - multicolored magic is unleashed on the Skeleton Warrior.
　Some are engulfed in flames, some shatter, and some crumble away in tatters.
　Slightly later, countless arrows are released, but most of them fail to damage the Skeleton Warrior.
　The vanguard clashes with the Skeleton Warrior.
　The adventurers guarding the covered wagons up to the third row were able to support the front line, but not after the fourth row.
　Should I say that the battle lines were half destroyed?
　Half of the adventurers after the fourth line had been blown up the next moment after they had struck up their weapons.

'I'll take the fourth row, and Liv, protect the fifth row!　Yuka and Fene intercepted at will!
Hey!
Okay, okay!

　As Makoto and Liv rushed out, Yuka readied her staff and Fene readied her slingshot.

'Ignition (ignition), convergence (convergence)!

　Makoto pulls out a pullout move on the Skeleton Warrior, who slashes at the fallen adventurer.
　A thrusting finger is inevitable if you do it in the original world, and if it's done poorly you could break a bone.
　However, the Skeleton Warrior's armor, ribs, and even the magical stone behind it are destroyed by the piercing black light.
　The Skeleton Warrior stops moving and falls to the ground in pieces.
　Mako runs straight through and attacks the enemy at hand.
　He pulls out a pull-out move and unleashes a kick.
　Each time he does so, the Skeleton Warrior diminishes in number.
　A touch of armor, a touch of lightning is exactly what it sounds like.
　Makoto stopped and looked at his companions.

''Doriyaaah!

　Liv dove into the dense area of the Skeleton Warrior and swung the pole hammer with force.
　The pole hammer shattered the Skeleton Warrior's head, ribs, and hip bones.
　Some individuals tried to take the attack with their swords, but it was no use.
　The pole hammer easily snapped the sword.
　Of course, there were some individuals who tried to dive through, but they were kicked and blown away by the ribs.
　The Skeleton Warrior was not strong enough to take on a level 40 warrior.

''Konnyaro, konnyaro!

　Fene was incessantly attacking the Skeleton Warrior with sling shots.
　His aim was incomparable and his aim was accurate, and he shot reliably between the eyes.
　However, Fene's rapid advance did not last long.

''Ta, I'm out of bullets!

　Fene stopped moving and let out a pathetic scream.

''Miss, nice to meet you!''
It's not much of a stretch.

　Yuka stood to protect Fene and held her staff at the ready.

'Luno Kesta Agata!　Like a cone through and through, O Periolis, you shall be a cone through my enemies!　Reveal, magic bullet!

　The magic bullet released by Yuka shattered the Skeleton Warrior's head, blowing the individual behind it off its neck and up.
　The Skeleton Warrior ran towards Yuka and Fene.

''Miss!　Next time, please!
"Luno Cuesta Agata!　O Periolis the Imperishable, pierce me like a conglomerate - I'm moving a little too fast!

　Yuka interrupted the spell and shouted.

'Oh, Miss, spell spell spell!
"Luno Cuesta Agata!　O Periolis the Imperishable, pierce me like a gravelly stone.
Oh, no!
f*ck!

　Yuka interrupted the spell and took a full swing of her wand as if she were swinging a bat.
　The Skeleton Warrior's head was blown off.
　Even though he was a wizard, he was level 72.
　He was much stronger than the vanguard that was blown up because he couldn't hold the line of battle.

''Ah, Miss. Wouldn't it be faster to hit him?''
I don't like the idea of fighting in close quarters. You might break your stick.

　Yuka puckered her lips and stroked her wand.
　Wands are not suitable for weapons, as they are used to increase the power and accuracy of magic.
　Anyway, it seems that her friends are safe.

''--Gahhhh!

　Suddenly, a scream rang out. When I looked at the direction of the voice, I saw a man who appeared to be a warrior and was engulfed in flames.
　He rolled on the ground and tried to extinguish the flames, but the fire was so strong that it could not be easily extinguished.
　The man's movements gradually slowed down and eventually stopped.
　A woman, who appeared to be a priestess, rushed over and checked his pulse.
　It seems that the man is already out of it, judging from his somber face.

'Periolis, protect his person from the curse of the Immortal King and receive him into your presence.

　A warm light enveloped the man's corpse as the female priest cut the crosshairs.
　Perhaps it's a magic that prevents undeadness - a magic that makes you become a Buddha.
　Makoto looked around, but he couldn't see the enemy wizard.

''Up?!''

　I looked up at the sky and saw three translucent figures - ghosts floating in the sky.
　A small red sphere hovered in the center of their chests.

''It's a ghost mage!　Shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot!
Magic bullet!
Holy Grail!

　Frank shouts, and the adventurer shoots magic and arrows.
　However, the ghost modified ghost mage easily avoids the attack.
　The speed isn't very fast, but the fact that it can move freely in the air is significant.
　The three ghost mages stick out their arms.

It's coming!

　Someone shouted, and the flames waved.
　There was no way to deal with the flames once they came down like rain, but there were three.
　No need to be afraid.
　As I was thinking that, the flames were aimed - no, they were aimed - at the female priestess.

''Look out!

　Mako shielded the female priest and took the ghost mage's attack in stride.
　The three flames melted together and burned fiercely.

''Achi-tichi-tichi!''

　I scream.
　I don't feel the damage being done, so it's a reflection.
　I hurriedly take off my coat.
　The coat that Sherry mended for me has turned to ashes in a day.
　It's a very unreasonable thing to do, even though Makoto himself is nothing.
　How dare you wear my coat, she glares at the ghost mage.
　It's not a surprise, but they don't care about our gaze and try to release their flames again.
　It seems that they can be defeated even if you use flaming bullets, but is it possible to defeat them all at once?
　Thinking about this, I remember the time I killed the bandit.
　The Ghost Mage releases the flames all at once.

''Ignite!''

　Jet-black flames erupted vigorously and Mako waved her arms in an arc.
　The flames spread out in an arc as it approached the ghost mage, swallowing every magic that was released.
　Knock, knock, knock, the magic stone falls to the ground.

''What about the other one?''
Oooooh!

　Breaking through the thinned flames, the ghost mage approaches at high speed.
　Physical attacks don't seem to work, but--

''Oh?''

　A fist thrust out carelessly into the face of the ghost mage.
　It's like sticking your hand into the water where the flour has been dissolved.

''--!

　The Ghost Mage let out a deafening scream and disappeared into the air.
　I guess 200A isn't worth it for this, Makoto looked at what was his coat and let out a sigh.



　Night--crackle, crackle, firewood explodes in the orange flames.
　They say flames have a relaxing effect, but it's true, Mako squints at it.
　Yuka and Liv are also staring at the fire with a calm expression on their faces.
　Fene is in the middle of cooking - chopping up dried meat and bread.
　Makoto and his friends are in a little square along the road.
　It is said that such squares are dotted along the road and are used as a resting place for travelers.
　They didn't reach the square until much later because of the attack.
　Makoto thrust his cheekbones into his thighs for support and gave a small snort.

''What's going on?''
I'm starting to feel that stare coming on.

　The way the adventurers looked at Mako - Mako and the others, to be precise - had clearly changed since they fought off the attack.

'That's what happens when you do such a great job.
You think so?
That's just the way it is. If you're strong, you're respected. If you're weak, you're not taken seriously. That's the kind of world we live in.

　It's like the world of professional sports - or is it the same in every industry?
　The adventurer's trade is a straightforward way to evaluate one's ability.

What happens to people with bad character?　They'll do whatever it takes to win, or they'll just replace you with another woman.
Don't die if you don't break through.
You're going to die.
You don't get killed very often, but haters can't always get help when they need it.
'I guess I shouldn't get carried away and do whatever I want.

　Of course, I'm not going to start out doing whatever I want.
　It's easy to do bad things, but it's hard to keep doing bad things.
　At least not for a little citizen like Makoto.

'Well, once you get past that, you get a niche popularity, or you get feted for being called charismatic or something.
"....niche popularity.

　Does this mean that you will be able to establish yourself as a character?

'Excuse me a moment.

　With that, Fene moved to the front of the fire and laid out the metal cups.
　The size is slightly larger than a mug.
　Inside the cups were chopped dried meat, bread, and some mysterious grass.

'Achit!'

　Using a tree branch, he takes a pebble out of the fire, places it in a cup, and pours water from a water bottle into it.
　With a sizzling sound, steam rises and a delicious smell of water wafts around you.

"Brother, come in. Miss.........

　Mako takes the cup from Fene and sips the soup.

'Oh?'

　I open my eyes lightly. The soup was salty, but that wasn't what surprised me.
　The taste of the straw-half-finished bread was a little more decent.

'It's good,'
We're not exactly poor.

　Ehehe," said Fene with a shy smile.

''If you're not poor in Date, then you've been eating grass?
Uggh, I wish you wouldn't say that.

　Fene's face twisted as Liv asked as she sipped her soup.

''Heh, it's pretty good.''

　Yuka drank the soup and turned her gaze to Liv.

'Hey, Liv?'
What?
This job isn't worth it, is it?

　Yuka has a serious look on her face.
　It's true that the enemy is too strong for the reward.
　200A per day may be a high amount of money in the world, but it's too cheap to pay for a request that would result in deaths.

''Hmmm, it's not usually like this. It's not every day that a monster comes out, and it's a tasty job.
It's not just a flavor, it's a dry run.
Oh, you're putting it mildly.

　Haha, Liv laughed.

'....I'm afraid so.
Can I help you?

　Mako put down her cup and stood up.
　He used polite words because it was his client who had approached him.
　He was a man with an elegant moustache.
　He was dressed in well-tailored clothes, but his skin was tanned and his chest plate was thick.

'I heard that Makoto-sama has burnt your coat, and I have prepared a replacement for you.
You don't have to be so careful.
We wouldn't want that to happen.

　Makoto accepted the coat the man offered him.
　It was the same black as the burnt coat, but it was far more laborious in comparison.

''This coat is made of lavishly used fire-rat leather.
"Fire rats?

　It sounds like a name I've heard somewhere.

''Yes, the fire rat is a monster that is resistant to fire. Naturally, this coat also has resistance to fire.
But that's a lot of money, isn't it?
Oh, no, no, thank you. You're welcome to stay for the service.

　I say this with a lot of emphasis on the service part, but if it's emphasized too much, it makes me nervous.
　Generally speaking, it means free, but when used by a salesman, it's quoted as paid.

Also, no.
Didn't you like it?
'No, that's not what I'm talking about...'

　I can't say I don't want it because I'm afraid it's going to be a problem if I get it.
　While I was looking for a suitable excuse, I suddenly remembered a dead adventurer.

I'm just doing what I asked, so I can't take anything special. If you are still willing to do that, would you be willing to pay everyone here an additional fee?
My God!

　The man's eyes widened in surprise.
　It was the same for the adventurers around him.

''Aren't they stupid to return such expensive equipment?''
No, it's just to show them that this isn't enough.
But you don't look like you have very expensive equipment, do you?
Fool. You were bitten by a spell and didn't get hurt.
''An item that nullifies magic? Surely a fire-rat leather coat would look cheap if you showed me something like that.

　It's a terrible assessment.
　No, well, I'm speaking for myself, so it must be hypocrisy, but please don't talk about it behind my back.
　But--

'No, that One is a virtuous soul.
'He has good intentions. I can see that.

　The wind changed at the words of the female priest and Frank.

'If you say so, Mr. Frank, it must be so.
So the guy attracts libs with his personality as well as his strength?
'Yes. You wouldn't be able to put together a team of three women without a great personality, would you?

　Apparently, he's settled on the fact that he has a personality.
　But still, it's a brilliant flip-flop.
　I'm starting to distrust people.

May I ask why?
'I've heard that the monsters that attacked us were more powerful than ever. Some of them did, in fact. That's why.
'Oh, oh!　How kind of you!

　The man exclaimed, impressed.
　The action was over the top and clownish.
　I thought he didn't really feel anything, but he didn't say it.
　I don't care where the truth is, as long as I don't have to accept the coat.

'Let me promise to pay you an extra 600A per adventurer!
'Awesome!　They're paying extra!
You look different, Makoto.
Yeah, I knew it.

　The adventurer was jaded as the man declared.
　Well, anyone would be happy if they were held for three days and their 600A job turned into 1200A.

'Then I'll return your coat to you.
No, no, no, I can't take what I've given you once.

　The man waved his hands from side to side.

'Yes, no, but--'
'We'll get the extra reward and Mako-sama will get her coat. Is there a problem, sir?

　The man grinned.
　Apparently, he wants to give the coat to Makoto at all costs.
　But why do they want to give him the coat so badly?
　I'm not going to be able to get it, but I'm not going to be able to not take it, because I said I'd rather give everyone an extra reward than give you the coat.
　It's not good to be told that there will be no additional compensation because Makoto won't accept the coat.

''I'll take it gratefully.''
No, no, it's a service.

　After all, I say this with an emphasis on the service part.
　I no longer have a bad feeling about it.

By the way, Makoto-sama. Can you tell us the name of your team?
Team name?
'Yes, the team name is an essential part of marketing yourself as an adventurer.
The name of the team is Black Flame!

　As Mako was muttering team name, team name, Liv shouted.

'Oh!'　Great, great team name!　Most of all, the fact that we know that Makoto-sama is the leader is amazing!
Yeah. That's the best team name to know you're the leader!
'Right?　I've been thinking about it for a while now!

　The man said ostentatiously, and Fene and Liv snidely agreed.
　Mako moaned softly as she was hit on the back by her member.

''........Black Flame. That's fine.
Yuka, you too?

　Yuka grinned.

Do you have your team's markings in mind?
No.
That's not allowed.

　The man shook his head grandly.

'The more famous a team is, the more obsessed they are with their marks.
Is that so?
That's right!

　The man assured him emphatically.

''It can't be helped. Let's let the Rogers Chamber of Commerce take responsibility for creating the Black Flame Mark.''
No, you don't have to do that.
It's a service!

　d*mn it, I hate you.

"Are you going to sell merchandise?
No, no, we have no plans to sell merchandise.

　The man shook his head as if to say he was out of his mind.
　Perhaps it means that when the team becomes famous, he will propose to sell merchandise.

''Of course, a coat for every member and--''
I'm a cape.
I'll bring black coats for two and capes for one.
Please give me your royalties when you sell merchandise.
Ha, I don't know what you're talking about, but I understand.
'I heard that. If you tell a lie...
Should I drink a thousand needles?
I'm going to set fire to you.
Ha-ha, I'll do my best not to set you on fire.

　The man laughed cheerfully and walked away from the scene.
　The poor man was a poor man to be entangled with a vicious kramer.
　Mako let out a loud sigh and sat there.
　It was only a few minutes of exchange, but it was more exhausting than the battle.
　When I looked next to him, I saw Yuka smirking.

''What?''
It's nothing.

　Just," Yuka continues.

'I love that you're trying so hard to be a good guy.
It's like his face doesn't match his words.

　It's like saying a cat loves rats.
　Makoto let out a sigh and drank the soup.