*

Fene.
I know.

　Makoto called out, and Fene picked up the slingshot.
　He grabbed the arrowhead, but he still didn't pull the string.
　She lowered her arms and twitched her ears.
　They are looking for signs of a monster.

Can you take care of the alert?
'Of course, sss. My brother needs to focus his attention on Mary and Anne.
Thanks.

　Mako thanked him and turned his attention to Mary and Anne.
　Mary is advancing with her spear and Anne with her bow at the ready.
　They don't seem to have noticed the presence of the monster yet.
　We continued along the river for a while--.

"...Mary, please be careful. There's something in there.
Okay.

　They stop and scurry around.
　There is a rustling sound and they turn their attention to the bushes.

'I'll go check on them, I'll leave you to cover them.
Okay.

　Mary approaches the bushes with her spear at the ready.
　It stops about ten meters away.
　But the monster doesn't jump out.
　Ten seconds pass.
　The next moment when they let out a breath of relief, the monster jumped out of the bushes.
　It's a rabbit with reddish-black fur. It's about the size of a medium-sized dog, with horns sprouting from its forehead.

''---!

　Anne launched an attack, but the arrow pierced the ground.
　Usagi didn't duck it.
　She missed.
　No wonder.
　It was a false move.
　And moreover, she's just starting out.
　It's better that she was able to launch an attack.
　The rabbit rushes forward.
　Fast. You'd be surprised how fast a rabbit can move this fast.
　Mary doesn't run away.
　She takes a big step and thrusts out her spear.
　But the spear pierced the void.
　The rabbit ducked the spear.
　It also turned at a right angle.
　It's an unbelievable sight.
　But that's where the rabbit's speed slowed down with a thud.
　There was a hole in its flank.
　The arrowhead from Fene had pierced my flank.

"Brother!
Ignition!

　Mako raised her foot and swung it down to the ground.
　A sound similar to the sound of an explosion rang out and a crack ran across the ground.
　Jet-black flames erupted, pushing the cracks apart and closing in on Usagi.
　The rabbit kicked the ground after showing a puzzled pretense.
　I intend to run away.
　But it's too late.
　Jet black flames engulf the rabbit and turn it into dust.
　A slightly delayed knocking sound can be heard.
　It's the sound of the arrowhead and the magical stone falling to the ground.

That's what I'm talking about!　Cool!
Yeah, right. Sometimes I try to give the guy I'm using directionality...
Super hot!

　Fene praises me and I scratch my head, somewhat embarrassed by the praise.
　But I don't feel bad.

'The two of you--'
He's fine.

　Mako and the others turned their attention to Mary and Anne.
　They slumped into place.
　After a moment, they staggered to their feet.

'We thought you were going to kill us,'
...me too.

　Mary says in a tone of relief, and Anne responds with a sigh.
　It's the right recognition.
　If it wasn't for Makoto and the others, Mary would have been killed.
　I look at Fene with a sideways glance, relieved that I was able to do my part.

'Was that one strong?'
"The Horn Rabbit is the weakest monster in the neighborhood.

　Small fry, Mako frowned.
　I feel like that's true since I haven't used magic.
　But it's that speed.
　Furthermore, he had the intelligence to attack us after we let our guard down.
　If it's not good, even a veteran would probably be hit.

''I've never seen a unicorn rabbit that big before.
...usually the size of a rabbit.

　Mary screams, and Anne blurts out.
　A rabbit the size of a rabbit - odd to say, but that's not a common unicorn rabbit, apparently.

'They can get as big as that when they're well-fed.
No way.

　Anne blurts out.
　He has an idea of what nutrition is.
　Makoto has an idea of what it is, but--'

'Just in case you're wondering, is that a meat eater?
'Of course. So what are you two going to do?

　Fene nodded and asked them both.
　They didn't know the meaning of the words.
　The two of them are puzzled.

'What do you mean, what do you do?'
I mean, why don't you go check and see what the unicorn has eaten?
Well, that's...

　Mary clammed up at Fene's words.
　She turns her gaze to us for help.

'We're insurance, you know. You'll both have to make up your own mind about the policy.'
There's no need to check. The leftover food might make another unicorn giant.

　I thought there was a problem, but I wouldn't talk about it.
　Besides, Fene is kind, if you can call it kind.
　He's asking what we're going to do based on those issues.

''........What do you want to do?''
What about you?
I'd like to see if there's room for it.
Yeah.

　Mary nodded at Anne's words and glanced at me.

'What would you do, Mako-san?'
We're insurance, okay?
I know, but I was just wondering if you could give me your opinion.
Now, when the time comes, I'm basically putting my guys' safety first. So, if it's safe and not a detriment to the team, it's a pain in the ass, but I'll go check it out. It wouldn't look good if someone died or got injured without checking, even though they could afford it.
...I see.

　Mary nodded with a divine look on her face and raised her eyebrows in difficulty.

''Well I'm going to go check it out.

　After a long silence, Mary opened her mouth as if she had made up her mind.

'What made you think that?'
'We are in a state of mind that we can afford to be in, thanks to Makoto and the others. So we decided that we should go and check it out. I'm sorry to be altruistic, but...''
I think it's a very good idea, don't you?

　There's nothing wrong with borrowing the help of others when we can.
　It's better than trying and failing to get by on our own.

''Then I want you two to track it down.
Well then, I will. I'm still on the edge of being a hunter.
Nice to meet you.

　Yes, Anne nodded and headed for the bushes where the unicorn rabbit had popped up.
　Mary soon followed, with Makoto and Fene following somewhat behind.
　Anne looked at the bushes sullenly.
　If you look closely, you can see what looks like a beast path behind the bushes.
　The unicorn rabbit from earlier must have always used this path.

''........I'll follow the beast path.

　Anne murmured in a daze and began to follow the beastly path.
　Mary followed after her.
　Fene nodded with some kind of satisfaction, speaking of which.

'Let's go.'
I know.

　As Mako started walking, Fene followed at a fast pace.
　Anne led the way through the forest.
　It's a fairly easy walk, although the undergrowth is thick with grass.
　Thankfully, I'm an amateur when it comes to mountain hiking.
　I'm grateful that I'm a novice when it comes to hiking in the mountains, although it's a bit chilly to think that a rabbit has been coming and going here for a long time.

'You were nodding with satisfaction earlier, does Fene have experience in hunting as well?
I've done most of the D-rank requests I can get on my own.

　'It's my style about hunting, though,' Fene added in a whisper.

'Are you in a lot of pain?
That's right. Adventurers grow up through painful experiences. Isn't it the same for you?
Well, I've almost died more times than I can count.
Is that much?
I fell into the lowest level of the dungeon all of a sudden.

　Makoto muttered sincerely.
　I'm amazed that he didn't die.

I understand why my brother is so strong. It's a good thing that you're not the only one who can do this. It makes me feel responsible.
'It's not something Fene cares about. Well, you should be a little grateful to Yuka, though.
Why is Miss Sargeant coming out?
'Yuka almost fell down a vertical hole when the ghost clung to her.
So, did you save him?
Yeah, I couldn't leave it alone.
My brother is a softie.

　Fene murmured in a muffled voice, and that's when I felt a tingle in my neck.
　Somewhat belatedly, Anne stops and raises her hand.
　It's a signal to stop.
　Makoto and the others stopped and followed the beast path with their eyes.
　Ahead of them, there was a man lying hidden in the grass.
　Several unicorns are crowded together.
　It's a smaller individual.
　Is it a child of the individual I just saw?
　It's hard to see clearly, but they seem to be eating.

It's dead, right?
In every case, he's dead.

　When I checked to make sure, Fene gave a small nod.

''It's not like they're always undead, is it?
But that doesn't make me feel any better. I don't want to take a whack at the approaching place.
That's a horror story.

　It's like a scene from a horror movie.

What are you going to do?
I'm taking a shot from here.

　Mary said without hesitation at Mako's words.
　It's a natural decision.
　But--''

If the goal is to annihilate them, wouldn't it be better for me to go?
I don't want you to do that for me, Makoto-sama.

　Mary said apologetically, but there's a chance that she might miss a shot with a long-range attack.
　If we get to this point, we should move in the direction of annihilating the unicorn rabbit.
　After she hesitated for a while--.

''........could you please?''
Oh, I'm on it.

　Mako opened her legs back and forth and bent her knees.
　I'd like to use the ki that I was able to use in the Kuzuha fight.
　But we should be safe here.
　After all, it's a skill I just learned.
　If you fail, you can't expect to get anything done.

''Let's get a backup just in case.
I'll take care of it.

　Fene nodded vigorously and Mako felt a little better.

''Alright, let's go--!

　Saying that, he kicked the ground hard.
　In the next moment, Makoto obtained an explosive acceleration and was flying through the air.
　It's like an unleashed arrow.
　In the blink of an eye, it jumped over the head of the unicorn rabbit.
　Of course, it was just as I calculated.
　Twisting his body in midair, he reversed and kicked the tree trunk.

''Ignition!''

　He slams his right fist into the ground, surrounded by jet black flames.
　The ground shakes with a thud and a shock wave spreads.
　Ikkaku Usagi and the others were struck by the shockwave and fell to the ground.
　Makoto raised his body and waved his right arm.
　The flames engulfed the Ikkaku rabbits, leaving only the magical stone and human corpses.
　He let out a breath of air and extinguished the flames.

''Quicksilver, brother--!
Thank you for your hard work, Makoto-sama!
Thank you very much.

　Mary and Anne rushed over to me.
　Fene, who was interrupted from speaking and beat me to the punch, had her lips pursed in frustration.
　Makoto chuckled and looked down at the corpse.
　It seems it hadn't been that long since it died, and it wasn't decomposing.
　Like an adventurer, he wears crude leather armor.
　He doesn't have any weapons.
　He probably dropped it somewhere.
　Anne is standing beside the corpse, staring at the metal plate around her neck - a pass.

"...Mary.
I didn't see you around for a while and here you are.

　Anne gave her a look and Mary scowled.

'Friends?'
I just know him.

　Mary gave a small shake of her head.

'The wound on your thighs looks like a fatal wound.

　I don't know when he arrived, but Fene was kneeling beside the body.
　I fish out a pouch and take out a vial.
　There's something inside that looks like herbs.

You're not going to steal it, are you?
I can't use it if it's this bad.

　Fene said, a little miffed.

'How could this happen...'
I was just picking herbs, and I feel a rush.

　Fene took the pass and released it to Mary.
　It was a spur of the moment thing, but Mary managed to catch it.

I don't know if it was an unexpected encounter or an attempt to defeat a monster, but when you receive a request, it's better to focus on fulfilling the request. Otherwise, this is what will happen.
"--!

　Mary and Anne gasped at Fene's words.
　It was not unreasonable. They were trying to proceed with the request and the defeat of the monster in parallel.
　Of course, it's not absolutely true that this would happen.
　But it was plainly shown that this was what would happen if they chased two rabbits.
　He had thought that the review meeting would be held after he returned to the 'Golden Sheep' pavilion, but there is a timing for everything.
　It would be more effective to speak in front of a corpse.

''I suggest you don't chase two rabbits while you're just starting out.
I understand.
Okay.

　They nodded with a divine look on their faces.

'What about my brother?'
I think it's a good thing that you were able to react when the unicorn jumped out at you. However, the accuracy of the attack was not so good, so I think it's better to train to improve the accuracy of the attack. I'm sorry I can't say much useful stuff about it.
'No!　That's not true!
''........Yes, because it's unlikely that you'll be instructed by a high-level adventurer.

　They shook their heads and said.

'You don't have to be so grateful, you know. Just take these opinions to a certain extent.'

　Yes, they nodded.
　After a slight pause, Mary timidly opened her mouth.

'Um, what should I do with my pass?'
If you take it to the church, they can pray for your soul.
What do we do with the body?

　Anne blurts out.

'Brother, can you do me a favor?'
Are you sure you're gonna be able to turn him to dust all by yourself?
It's okay.
I don't want to be accused of a crime. I don't want the monsters eating it all up.

　Mako scratched her head and remembered Christine's men who had been killed by the bandits.
　At that time, he had said that the body would be recovered later.
　Considering that, the adventurer's treatment was light.
　At the very least, I'd like to leave the bones behind.
　While being very conscious of leaving the bones--.

''Ignition, flaming bullets.''

　Mako muttered, and flames erupted from his right arm, forming a sphere.
　He released a flame bullet. The moment the flaming bullets touched the corpse, they exploded and swelled up.
　The flames were extinguished in about five seconds, leaving only bones left.

''Bones left.
I left it.
You can tweak it like that.
I don't get to use it much, though.

　The last time you used it was to rescue Laura from a bandit.

"Well, since we've taken care of the unicorn, why don't we get on with the job?
"Yes!

　They replied cheerfully.
　The rest of the day was uneventful, and the two of them succeeded in collecting the medicinal herbs.

*

　In the evening - Makoto and Fene decide to return to the "Golden Fleece" pavilion ahead of the others.
　The gathering of medicinal herbs was a request that Mary and Anne had received.
　They thought they should report to the church.
　We walked in through the swinging doors.
　Sherry was inside the counter and Yuka, Liv and Fujica were at the counter.

'Welcome back you two,'
Welcome home.
Hey, good to see you.
Like, "Welcome home.

　Shelly is followed by Yuka, Liv and Fujika.
　Makoto has a reserved seat - at the end of the counter, and Fene sits next to him.
　With five people sitting there, it's pretty cramped.

'So, how were Mary and Anne?'
We had some trouble, but we got the herbs right.
That's good to hear.

　Sherry exhaled in relief and placed the glass in front of Mako and Fene.
　Makoto took the glass and held it to his mouth.
　He was rehydrating frequently, but the taste of lemon water here was exceptional.

'Mary and Anne are our new guests, right?　What do they have to do with Makoto?
I was going to pick some medicinal herbs and asked my husband and Fene to take care of them. I may have gone too far, though.

　Shelly answers Liv's question.

'And Mako-san is very caring,'
It's called being a goody-two-shoes, not being a goody-two-shoes.

　Fujika said, impressed, and Yuka cowered lightly.

'Come to think of it, what was Liv doing?'
I was interceding because there was a dispute over who would take Frank's place as acting Commander,
It's disgusting.
Don't worry, we're not looking for a faction or anything.

　'I see,' said Makoto, patting his chest.

'You didn't want to get involved or anything, did you?
I'm going to have to deal with this if I get involved. I just think it's too much trouble.

　Yuka says with a nasty smile, and Makoto corrects the content.

'I mean, has the ring expired already?
It's never been effective in the first place.

　Hmph, Yuka sniffed.
　She looked down at her own hand - the ring - and smiled with a hefty smile.
　Good. The ring still seems to be in effect.
　Makoto patted his chest inwardly and turned his gaze to Liv.

''Hmm, you were going to help me.
That's what we do.
You're a sweetheart. That's what I'm talking about. But thank you.

　Liv said miffedly, then smiled.

'Yeah, but hey, what's the point of getting in trouble if it's not a faction fight?
I'll be the deputy commander, we'll have a fist fight and a power struggle.
As far as I'm concerned, you're a terrible liar.
People love to celebrate, and they want to make a big deal out of it.
'Is it okay to make a fuss about Mr. Frank's collapse?'

　Yuka said with a frown, and Liv raised her eyebrows in annoyance.

'Ahhh, there. Umm, what can I say?'
These are the kind of people you see in the Bison Horns.
f*ck. Can't argue with that.

　Fene said with a sigh, and Liv grunted huskily.

'I'm sure they have a different view of life and death,'
Tsk, you put it all together nicely.
It's not exactly a tongue-in-cheek thing to do.
Of course I'm going to have to click my tongue.

　Hmph, Yuka sniffed petulantly and poked her cheekbones.

'It's about time our vacation was over. What's next--'
Next time you want to see me level up.
Well, in that case, you'll get an extra day off.
I don't know why you would say something like that!

　Fujica hissed.

'About that, I've been thinking about it for a bit.
I hope you'll think long and hard about it.

　'Uggh,' grunted Fujika.

'I can't get visions of you being useful when I raise the level.
Are you an ogre?

　Makoto was quick to butt in.
　There are good things to say and bad things to say in this world.

'There is no reason for such merciful demons.
"The road to hell is paved with good intentions, right?
No one in hell!

　Yuka turned bright red and said--'

'So I thought about it for a minute.
We're getting back to that.
It's annoying. I have to take another route, another route.

　Yuka said, sounding miffed, and crossed her arms.

'I feel like Fujika doesn't fundamentally understand how to get around in combat. That's why I feel like I can't make good use of it when I level up and learn magic.
No, it's the rear guard.
'I'm a rearguard myself, but I'm getting around pretty well, and I can handle some white knuckle fighting.

　When Fujika muttered gobbledygook, Yuka snorted with pride.
　It was indeed a great success against Kuzuha.

''Don't get too carried away,''
I'm aware of that. My abilities as a hand-to-hand combatant are beyond my profession. At best, I can kill the rear guard with ease.　Hee-hah! I'm just going to turn the tables on him.

　Yuka accepted Makoto's advice with open arms.
　Well, I'm not sure about the latter part--''

''The bottom line is that you're not experienced enough to establish your own fighting style.
So, what do I do...

　Fujica said at a loss.

'I'm in the dungeon alone--'
I'm dying!　And that would absolutely kill me!

　Fujika interrupted Yuka's words, saying.

'You won't grow up until you put yourself in a harsh situation, will you?
It would be a dead end for me.
'Okay, okay, okay, okay. I'll leave it up to Makoto to decide how to handle that.
Don't leave it to me.
I'm a leader.

　Yuka said as a matter of course and leaned forward.
　In fact, she looks happy.

''What's it going to be like?　As for me, I'd like to ask you to keep me alive and not kill me.
Well, well, Makoto!　Like, please be gentle with me, please be gentle with me!
I don't know if it's all right with you, but I've got an idea.
What's it like?

　Just when Fujica tilted her head back.

I'm back.
I'm home.

　Mary and Anne's voices echoed, and Mako turned around.