Lionel and I walked back downstairs to the first floor and I ate a meal with everyone while I told them that the men who hung the black powder on us at the Adventurer's Guild had already been captured.

'That's why I want you to rest easy today. Especially for Jord-san and the others, there's a possibility that the adventurers will come to receive their healing after tomorrow, so please take your time to rest.

'I understand. So the men who came to attack you, are you going to enslave them again and use them for defense and such?

''No, after the hearing is over, I'm going to give it to the Adventurer's Guild and see what they can do. We can increase the number of slaves, but they're also hungry as long as they're alive, and they don't have plenty of money to do so. Besides, even though they are slaves, if we don't treat them humanely, the name of the church will be damaged if we don't treat them humanely, and if we let them starve to death just because they are slaves in a country where there are many beastmen, then I think that would be related to the dignity of the Healer's Guild...
I'm piling on the excuses, mixing real and constructive thoughts and feelings.

''........I see. If that's the case, then what do you do with the crime slaves from yesterday?

'I'll let them work in the Healer's Guild until security is truly restored, but after that I might get them to pledge and release them, or I might sell them to the slavers. I will make that decision after I get to know them and this country properly.

Okay.

　Mr. Jordo must have had some thoughts. He seemed to be thinking about a lot of things.

　After that, we had a question and answer session and chit chat about the magic we did in today's demonstration, and after we finished eating, Lionel and I went back to
I decided to head back to the basement.


　Lionel called out to me while I was heading to the five underground levels.
''Luciel-dono, you are naive. Are you aware of that?''
I stopped in my tracks at the abrupt words.

'There is. But inevitably, I can't do an act of disregard for human rights just because I'm a slave. Even if the slave belongs to its owner.
　I would make that statement to Lionel, my slave.

'Hm. Then you know there is a difference between kindness and sweetness?
But Lionel put a hand to his chin and asked calmly.

'Aye. Was sweetness an act of wanting to make people like you or seem good, and kindness an act of caring?'

Come to think of it, in a past life, when I had a subordinate for the first time, I was too concerned about him and stunted his growth. Afterwards, I got scolded by the section chief when he invited me out for a drink at a tavern.

You need to be a little tougher. Then you will be able to make people follow you, even though you are young.

　The things Lionel is saying, the words I'm hearing, I'm sure they are familiar to everyone I've met.

I'm aware of it, but.......maybe I just think I know.
If you don't become a little more conscious of it, you won't be able to show your subordinates what you're doing.

''I get it. Then I'll get used to it with Lionel, little by little. I'm going to go with the crime slaves when we build a temporary healing center in the labyrinth, so you'll keep an eye on them.

This is not the same thing...

'You're changing so fast I appreciate the advice, Lionel. Now consider yourself lucky that you were bought by a sweet me.

"It was impertinent of me, but I advised you because I felt that Lord Luciel was in danger... if you continued on as you were.
　Lionel lowered his head.

　Why do the old men who meet me know me better than I do?
　I vowed to take Lionel's words like a mentor deep into my heart and change little by little.

　A little later, we arrived at the fifth level underground.


''It's late, meow~''

'Okay, if you're going to be so light-hearted, Ketty should take a bottle of Object X to make her stronger.
　I laugh at that, and Ketty pulls and shakes, pausing in her prayer pose as she says it.

'That's the only thing I'd like to have mercy on~'
　I give the order, thinking, 'I'm not halfway through my groove.

''It can't be helped. Then go take over the mission with Piazza Priest Knight.

Yes, sir.
　Ketty ran up the stairs in the blink of an eye.

'Is this it? You're a good actor by the way.
　I muttered and Lionel shook his head.

'That's the look you get when you really don't like it.
That's what I said as I looked at the direction Keti had run to.


　That's how much of a threat object X is to the beastmen - that's what I thought, and when I came to the prison, the leader man called out to me.
'S-class healer, may I ask you something?'
　The grimy atmosphere was gone.
'Good,'

What do you think of the beastmen?
　The question was so abrupt that I didn't know what it meant.

"...doesn't make sense?
Don't you feel any differently about it than the humans?

　Beastmen? Do you think it's a cute gesture? Ah, but I'm afraid of male beastmen, so no. Then it's a feature?
The ears are distinctive and the tail will come in handy once you get used to it.

'....That's enough. I'll spit out all the information I know, and you can swear that I don't discriminate against beastmen and half-beastmen.

　You're a rude guy for answering a question and then flushing it out because it's not your cup of tea, and with that thought in mind, I agree because it's not a problem.

''Eh? That's totally fine. I swear to God. I'll tell you everything you need to know, okay?
　The stunned man froze for a few seconds, then let out a loud sigh.

''........Huh~. First of all, was that why Shazza was being so broad? That's because it involves him and his race of tiger-beast people, the dragon race, and the medicine man guild.

　I knew those two races would be involved. But the Adventurer's Guild's two tops didn't seem so bad though! For now, I'll ask them ahead.

''What do you mean?''

'I'm not a hostage, but this country didn't have a Healer's Guild. That's why they healed injuries and illnesses at the hands of medicine men in the Medicine Men's Guild.

　There's no Healer's Guild, so that's all we have.
''Yeah. I know about that.

''After the Medicine Master's Guild decided to invite the healers, I approached the dragon race who became the chief of Yenis and asked them to remove the attraction. That's when they decided to offer him a discount on gold and medicine. The dog-beast, cat-beast, rabbit-beast, and fox-beast, on the other hand, began to charge between two and five times as much for their medicines as they did for their medicines. They got into a lot of trouble, but eventually they decided to use force to hold them down, and if they disobeyed with the medicine, they decided not to sell it this time.

　 But even so, the other.......you said that this is the only city in the country, so the guild is only in this city too? What about those adventurers?

''........Is that what the adventurers were agitated about?

''Yeah. There's a difference between the guys who have been with us for a long time and the adventurers from other countries, but there's enough of a difference between the freshly registered adventurers to make a pecking order on their own.

Can you give that testimony tomorrow at the Adventurers' Guild?

Yeah, I'll testify with my life. I'll testify for my life.
　I felt like there was some resolve reflected in his eyes.
''Yeah. Eat this and wait for tomorrow.''
　I handed him a bowl of bread and a bowl of curry and went back downstairs with Lionel to discuss what we should do.

'Is it because of Ketty that the man has become so honest?
Well? But it was a face that didn't lie.

''Ah. Tomorrow morning, I'll have the Priest Knights call the Adventurer's Guild Master or Deputy Guildmaster here. Also, since that man might come with enough maneuvers that he's prepared to die, it looks like the Healer's Guild should decide to deploy the barrier all day tomorrow.
　I don't know how I came to be so flabbergasted, but I had a feeling that if we could survive this, the Healers' Guild would be firmly rooted in Yenis.

　The next day early in the morning, three priest knights went out to the Adventurer's Guild with my letter, but they came back immediately.

You're early, aren't you somewhat tired?
　The three of them were exhausted from what had happened in thirty minutes.

　Piazza-san replies as she recalls.
'When we went to the Adventurer's Guild, the Guildmaster and the Deputy Guildmaster were both there, but after reading Luciel-dono's letter, they got quite angry and left the Guildmaster's room, so we had no choice but to come back.

　Mr. Blitz gets on board with the story.
'As we were leaving the guild, the beastmen you all were cured of yesterday started calling out to us and grabbed onto it.

　Dortus-san closes.
''I have returned because the Deputy Guild Master, Lord Gyas, asked me to wait for him at the Healer's Guild.

Thank you for your help. I've done what I can, so I just need everyone to be vigilant.

"Ha.

　I muttered as I stared at the three of them as they walked out of the Healer's Guild's master room.
''Don't come attacking us, dragon race,''

　Lionel, who was at my side, grabs me by the shoulders and says

"At times like this, the best thing to do is to move your body and not think. I'll deal with you on the fourth underground level.
Lionel just wants to fight, right?

I'm beginning to understand why Whirlwind took an apprentice.
　I'm weak when my master's name is mentioned. Surely it would be more efficient to train as long as there's nothing to do, I think, and I tell Lionel.

'Today is the day I'm going to get past that ironclad shield.
Recklessness is a young man's prerogative, isn't it?
　So Lionel replied with a laugh.

　With this word, I decided that I would definitely go through with the attack and headed to the training grounds.

　It was a few hours later, when it was approaching noon, that many beasties crowded into the Healer's Guild.