Once we escaped from the labyrinth, we took a break in the square where we came out. We didn't encounter any demons on our way back, and we were able to get here without any problems.

We didn't encounter any demons on our way back, and we were able to get here on our own. I just got in a little while ago and now they're already out.
You got a bunch of girls here and you got a harem of them?
'Cowardly man, I can do better than that. Not just foraging, but at night too.

　A middle-aged adventurer with a mohawk (apparently there was one in the labyrinth country) head and a long haired guy with a mohawk (apparently there was one in the labyrinth country) who looks at the group of us and yells an inaudible yap and laughs at us with a crude joke and a gahaha.



　There were some in the Eighth Ward who would take novices on a quest in the name of teaching them, but I don't think they were that vicious. There were some people who seemed to have tried to take the treasure from the side when they fought the juggernaut - but if you think about it, I've seen some bad guys, or rather unfriendly opponents in their own right.

''........Those guys, do they want to die?''
''Wait, Ellie, that's too low of a boiling point........''
'Wow, I know, I know. But those guys said some bad things about Aricht...
'It makes me nervous when Ellie says it, because those people wouldn't be able to deal with it. I wish I could say something to them too, but...
'Oh no, I don't mind. They just don't know how we came to be... hmm?

　The sign of Theresa, who was a little behind me, has suddenly disappeared. No way - in the next moment when I thought - I thought.

''.........''
"Wow....What is this woman, when did she........
You can't mess with the garrison here, the garrison won't be able to keep their mouths shut...

　Theresia, who had moved without any sign of her presence, was holding a throwing dagger (Small Dark) at the neck of the Mohawk man who had called me a 'coward'.



　Soooo, the blood in my body goes cold.

　It's good to be told about myself, but I can't stand to be told about my friends.

　In a moment, Theresia looks at me - I can tell what she's thinking, even without words.



You're a cheeky little b*tc*, you know that?
.....

　The long-haired man struck Theresa - which Theresa instantly reacted to with a buckler.


　◆Current Situation ◆

　Aricht activates Support Attack 1 and Defense 1 → Target: Theresa
　Wells" attacks "Theresa" → no damage
　Karma in "Wells" is up.
　Theresa's attack → Wells is hit. Support damage 11

Guhooooo.....

　What Theresia unleashed was just a kick - but the impact of the fixed damage 11 carried at the same time seemed to be considerable, and the long-haired man stepped on the tatara and collapsed from his knees. Perhaps because he is not a close combat type of profession, his defense seems to be quite fragile.

　There's no increase in karma - it means that if you fight back against the one who made the first move, it's considered self-defense.

''Teeeeeee........''
Stop it!

　It was when the companions were about to move to cover Theresia - a dignified female voice echoed in the square.

''Gi........Guild Saber.......oh, oh, we're nothing......''

　--the one who appeared, of all things. Back at the Guild Saber's headquarters, it was Seraphina, who I thought I would not be able to see for the time being.

　Today, she was acting alone, or she didn't have her subordinates with her. However, she was wearing the Guild Saber armband, and just her presence made the air in the square tighten and tense.


No, no, this subhuman threatened me with a dagger...
You're the one who spoke ill of us first. Just because we came out of the labyrinth together doesn't mean we have any right to be called a harem or anything.
"Geez ... shut the f*ck up, you little b*tc*!　You wasted a lot of time noticing the color in front of a man, you.......huh?

　Seraphina's anger intensified when she saw the man yelling at the maple tree. I'm angry too, but the intensity of her rage is so high on the level that I can't help but flinch.

''If you back off like this, we'll let you off. Otherwise, I'll have to beat your guts back in my own way...
No, no, no, no, no....

　The man, who was crowded by Seraphina-san and grabbed by her chest, shamefully sat there, shamelessly sitting down. Looking at the men, she shrugged with a huff.

''Why would they cause a quarrel outside of the labyrinth... it's outrageous that those who only enter the labyrinth at a minimum would speak ill of those who are constantly searching.

　''Constantly exploring'' - that's a fact, and I thought I was diving too much in a row, but it seemed to be an unusual thing for other searchers to do, and I could feel the surprise around me.

'I am sorry, Atobe-dono, I am sorry. I don't think this kind of forceful approach is your preferred method...''
'No, not really. Now, even if there were penalties, I couldn't keep quiet about it, so... I'm not a strong armed man, so Theresa saved me.
..........

　Theresa looks at me as if this is the right thing to do. No need to worry about that, I laugh. I can always be grateful to her.

'I'm sorry I'm such an ungrateful husband. I really wanted to beat the shit out of you myself.
..........

　Theresa shakes her head slowly. Then she bends her own arm to show me - she seems to be telling me that I'm more powerful than her, even though I'm not visibly bulging with a power hump.

'What have you done to offend Lord Atobe to such an extent?　Then I'll still have to beat my guts back....
'Yes, no, I think that's enough. I don't think you'll be able to recover easily if you pass out like this, and I've felt somewhat better myself.

　I don't forgive Theresa for being insulted, but it would be tough to pass out in public looking pathetic and not be able to get any treatment for her. Karma is up, too.

　Ms. Seraphina takes out her license and begins to operate it - she looks at it, wondering what she's looking for, and she makes a bitter face.

'These men have had their share of quarrels before. It seems that the party has collapsed, you can no longer dive into the labyrinth, and you spend your days squandering your savings.

　If a long-time companion is missing, the balance of the party could be thrown off and it could be impossible to rebuild.

　I definitely don't want to make the same mistake - every single person in this party has an indispensable role to play. Not only that, but it's hard to get everyone to get along without a fatal disagreement in personality.

''Mister Atobe, you don't need to look like that. If you're still in the seventh district, you can find your way back to being a decent explorer. There are educational facilities in the guild, and the rebirth of explorers is very active.
''The guild is even involved in that sort of thing ... really, it's all about everything in the labyrinth country.
It is our duty to do so. Now that the original king has been disqualified, the Guild needs to assume the role of government in this country.

　The king's forfeiture of power - the country called 'Labyrinth Country' originally had a king, but now he was expelled from the First Ward, and the guild leader and the head of the temple are the supreme authority, Louisa said.

''However, the guild's ultimate goal is only the fulfillment of the labyrinth search, the training of searchers who can enter the super difficult labyrinth. A normal nation would look outside the walls that surround the country, not the labyrinth, so it would be different in that respect.
'Outside the walls ... yes. If you're surrounded by walls, there must be a world outside, right?

　Like Igarashi-san, I didn't think much of it either. If you enter the labyrinth, you can feel the vastness of the earth, you can see the sky high enough to pierce through, and you can see many natural environments - so you don't have a constant sense of entrapment.

'Then I will order my men to take them in.
''Oh I'm sorry Seraphina, I thought the Guild Saber's headquarters were in a higher district.
'Yes, our headquarters are in the Fifth Ward. We received a request in the Seventh Ward branch and decided to stay there temporarily. Wards with large populations are always short on manpower...

　Due to the lack of manpower, Seraphina-san is patrolling alone - then would it be difficult to get her to join the party again?

''........Atobe-dono, you've entered the 'Sheep God's Bed'. There are flying beetle demons, and I used to struggle with them when I was a rookie.
My little tinny hit a named arrow that was flying really high. We were in an uproar.

　One mistake and it wouldn't be an injury, but the way Misaki said it, there wasn't an ounce of tension. I was wondering if Serafina-san would laugh at me too--when I thought that.

''The name, Tsuki........that, uh, super altitude flying beetle.......?''
''Oh, no, I guess I should say it was really lucky or not, but it turned out to be good. There was a guy called 'Backstabbing Beetle', and we all worked together and managed to defeat him.
I'm sure he'll be surprised when I report it to the officer in charge.
'I think I surprise them every time. Louisa gets defensive at first when she sees Alito's face when he comes back from his quest.

　Elitia is smiling - she's always cool, so her smile feels precious. Suzuna also smiled happily at that.

'Thank you for the advice, I'll try to report it carefully.
'It would be better. I'm very surprised myself and as with the last time, you seem to be guided by some kind of destiny.

　It's hard to say that the person who is guiding that fate is our party's lucky person, Misaki - no, it's a big help to have her there.

'Fate has a nice ring to it - dramatic. Oh, I just remembered the drama I recorded... my brother, he always over-records and erases it.
Another nostalgic story I'm sure people would be saddened to hear that.
''Haha........you're so kind, Aricht-sensei. We've already reminisced about our past lives a lot, so we've sorted out a lot better.
Ibuki was talking about how he wanted okonomiyaki or octopus balls a while ago.
Hey, don't... don't tell the teacher that, it's embarrassing.

　Yes, even in another world, the food is delicious, but the feeling of missing Japanese food is always there somewhere. In my case, I want to eat Soba - I can't resist the first bite I take after dunking a croquette in the warm dipping sauce at the station's stand-up restaurant Soba.

'As for food, I can have the guild guide you to the restaurant of your choice. In the seventh district, the ingredients are from the labyrinth, but there are restaurants that serve French and Chinese food. If you're willing, why not go there for a visit?

　When the names of the dishes I knew were mentioned, I reacted to them, too, to no small degree - but the greater reaction was from my friends.

'Huh, French food... no, I can't get rid of Chinese food... ramen, fried rice, shu-mai... oh, what to do...' .........
Which one do you prefer, Mr. Aricht?

　Suzuna soothed Misaki's troubled shoulder with a pat on the shoulder and asked for my opinion.

'I was just thinking about soba noodles. It's not quite the same as Soba, but it looks like there's going to be some ramen or some other type of noodle dish, so I'm thinking Chinese.
'We had pasta, but it would be nice to have more options for other noodles.

　As Igarashi says, if the taste is as close as possible to what we're used to in Japan, whether it's ramen or yakisoba, it will help to soothe the homesick feeling a little.

'Is that okay with Madoka and Melissa too?　Let me know if there's anything else you'd like to eat.
'Yes, I'm fine. The only thing I can't eat is the tomatoes.
''I'm also open to any restaurant that serves demon food. I'd really like to have the catch I caught today cooked but I'll leave that for another time.

　The materials of the demons we defeated today are being sent to Melissa's storeroom. However, is there any place for that full-body armored monster to eat - since the crab is also wearing an exoskeleton, is it surprisingly delicious? I'm sure you need courage to eat it.

　◆ ◆ ◆.

　We returned to the upper guild's 'Green House'. It was late afternoon, and at this time of day, there were few searchers in sight, as if few people had business with the guild.

''Brother Arihito, do you always report to everyone?　Ryoko's sister is representing us.
'We, too, have your rear end reporting back to us all the time. But since we had a joint search today, it's probably best that we go together as two representatives.
'Yes. Igarashi-san, could you wait with the others?
'Yeah, I'll be around, so call me when you're done and........ Don't get too carried away just because I'm with you two.
''Ha.........yes, I'm very aware of that, so on that note.......''
You're just giving me a little reminder. Don't go back to acting like you used to, you're making me nervous.

　I was pressed quite softly on the second arm. What is this, this frustrating skinship that even a high schooler doesn't get to do very often?

　Everyone followed Igarashi-san, and Theresa, who remained until the end, comes over to me with a floppy walk - no, I don't hear footsteps, but.......

''..........''
Wha... what's the matter?　Theresa.

　I wonder if Igarashi-san's actions bothered her, and Theresa touches herself where she touched her. And then he tries to confirm the touch - very embarrassed, but what the hell am I doing?

'.............
''........Oh, oh. Igarashi-san just did it somehow, and it didn't mean anything profound.......Teresia?

　Theresia suddenly starts running and chases after Igarashi-san and the others - she suddenly becomes embarrassed, and even from a distance, I can see that she is subtly reddening.

''Wow.......what's that, it's so sweet and sour. My face is getting hot and bothered.
'I think I know what she's trying to say, even though I haven't said anything... it's sad.
What, what........is it sad or something?　Not because you admire your teacher and want to touch her for some reason?

　Kaede, Anna, and Ibuki were whispering to each other - beside them, Ryoko seemed to be thinking about something, but she seemed to be able to separate herself from them and approached me.

'We're both leaders. I don't think we have any reservations about working together... what do you think, Atobe-san?

　If a woman full of adult charm, equipped with a swimsuit underneath her boa coat, were to say such a thing, on the contrary, a chore would arise from nothing.

　The loose, wavy hair that goes over her shoulders and her large eyes are somewhat cat-like - and this is not the time to check her appearance again. I know at the first meeting that she's beautiful.

''That's right.......we're both leaders. Ryoko-san is right.''
Oh no, Alihito was just smitten by Sister Ryoko's scent.
'I have wheat skin in a bathing suit, why do men have a weakness for that kind of thing?
'Anyone can wear a swimsuit, so we can compete with Ryoko. I think they sold them in the Seventh Ward store...

　The three guys from The Four Seasons also walked out while talking - something about swimsuits or something, but I wonder if they thought I had a weakness for women's swimsuits or something like that.

(.........wait.......wait....

'Excuse me, you should have dressed more normally. Maybe it's because of my profession, but it's hard to find better equipment than this.
Boa coats and the like are pretty rare equipment, aren't they?
''Ha, yes. In order to make the surface water-repellent treatment, I had to defeat the frog demon in the 'Noon Wetlands' in District 8... I managed to defeat it, but I'm so bad at frogs that I can't touch them to begin with. Still, it's a good piece of equipment, so I can't take it off.
'That was a tough one. Speaking of demons that can take waterproof material, we also fought a guy called 'Gaze Hound', and even though he looks like a dog, he has the power to stun us with one eye...
'One eye ... such a demon?　Mr. Atobe, tell us more about it.

　Her wheat skin gives the impression of being active, but Ryoko is usually very calm and relaxed, and there is something soothing about talking to her. Maybe it's because we're only one year apart in age.

.........a, t, b, b, s, ma?

　I knew then that the cartoonish reaction of 'giggle' was something that could happen in real life.

　Again, like a cartoon, I turned into a rusty tin doll when I ran out of oil and turned around in a lazy, cold sweat - and there was Louisa, holding a leather-bound file of documents as usual, smiling at me.

''You're Atobe-san's 'staff member in charge', aren't you? Once again, I'm Ryoko Natsume, and I've had the pleasure of exploring 'with him' today.
"It is I who am in charge of Atobe-sama's 'first day in the labyrinth country', Louisa Falmer. Atoobe-sama and I have already reported to him 'many times' after our search, 'together'.

　What would happen to me if I ran into Louisa-san and said, "You don't have to dare to say it that way," what would happen to me - no matter which side you stand on, you'll get a corner, then even if you're called indecisive, I'll choose to 'stand up for both'.

"Ryoko-san and the rest of the party who have the same goal in mind were able to cooperate with each other, and that helped us tremendously today.
No, no... we're the ones who are always getting help from Atobe and the others...
''Louisa-san, I know you've just arrived in the Seventh Ward and you're busy with a lot of things, but can I report the results of your search as soon as possible? Since it's a good report, I wanted to tell Louisa-san as soon as possible...
'Yes, yes of course, that's why I've been waiting for you...'

　Somehow it's safe - I think, and then I realize. This is called the eight-sided beauty, and if you look at it objectively, it's probably not a very likable behavior.

　I need to become a more hard-boiled man so that I won't be looked upon as a harem again. I want to be the kind of person who can put aside my weaknesses and not upset the harmony in a party with only women, and I want to be the kind of person who transcends selfishness.

　That is the "rear guard. When you think about it, I am the one who watches over the party members and must never touch them - is it just my imagination that I want to go off the path on the contrary?

''Then, let me show you around. Atobe-sama, Natsume-sama, please come this way.

　Louisa-san, who has returned to the face of a good guild employee, walks with a good attitude - the guild employee's uniform looks good today. I wonder if someone's will is at work in the fact that the guild staff's uniforms are tight skirts.

''Atobe-san, you came to the higher level guild from the beginning, right? Excuse me, but the pecking order is...''
'I'm 294th. I was able to make a good contribution in the Eighth Ward...
What...?

　Ryoko stopped. Yes, I hadn't told you the details of our pecking order yet.

　What rank would the Four Seasons be? If they had just risen to the top guild, would that mean they were between 2001 and 3000th place?

''........Oh, um.
It's a secret between me and Atobe-sama. Whether I can share it with Natsume and the others will depend on the future.
''Ha, yes........I'll work hard with those girls to make Atobe-san trust me. I'll be looking forward to working with you in the future........!

　Ryoko-san asked me to shake her hand, and she shook my hand - and for some reason Louisa took off her glasses and smiled at me.

　But I was somewhat sure of that. Just as Igarashi-san and Louisa-san became friends over a drink, I was sure that I would be able to break the ice with Ryoko-san.

　The art of living after my reincarnation will become if you do it, and it will become what it will be - you can't start by being afraid.

''...Atobe-sama, after I show you to your quarters today, may I have dinner with you?''
'Oh, well then, we'll be happy to join you and those girls were happy to have a friend and I'd like to talk to Louisa and all of you.

　The number of people at the dinner party was swelling to an unprecedentedly large number. I wondered if it was possible to book a Chinese restaurant for such a large number of people, I wondered absentmindedly, remembering the time I was the organizer of a year-end party.