I thought about the meaning of Sophia's words.

　Sophia was going to quit the Order with me, she said.

　Then what was she going to do with the Knights of St. Sophia, which was named after Sophia?　Besides, if I quit the Order, I would lose my power and authority as a leader.

　I opened my mouth fearfully.

''That Order was created by Sophia, Creon and I over the years. To quit the knightly order that was called the strongest in the empire...

Unthinkable?

　Sophia asked me back.

　It's true that I didn't even think about quitting the Order until Creon and the others sentenced me to banishment.
　I've finally developed a strong organization and gained fame and power as the deputy leader.
　I thought that if I kept going, I could capture all the ruins and help people with the profits from the ruins.

　But, I reconsidered.
　I looked back at Filia and the others behind me.

　By quitting being an adventurer, I was no longer in danger of dying in the attack on the ruins, and I was freed from the drudgery of running the Knights.
　To begin with, I hadn't been able to contribute to the battle, just as I had been kicked out of the Knights because I was called useless in the Order in the first place.
　On the contrary, there are people here who need me.

　Even if Creon and the others didn't expel me, quitting was not a bad option.
　I think so now.

　I told Sophia shortly afterwards.
　Creon and Arte and the others said I was useless as a lack of dexterity and sentenced me to expulsion from the Order.
　And that Creon told me that Sophia was also in favor of the banishment at that time.

　Sophia heard that and sighed.

''Creon-kun said it in a way that could be misunderstood, didn't he?

What do you mean?

I was asked for advice by Creon. I'm not going to be able to tell you what to do. Like Shea, who was killed, Solon might end up dead.

　When she said that, Sophia's face was slightly shaded.

　Shea is a girl who used to be one of us. Shea joined us when we were a small party, before we called ourselves the Knights of the Order.

　She was a young wizard, one year younger than Sophia, who told us that she decided to become an adventurer when her master died.
　He was a good kid, bright and honest, I think.

　And then Shea was killed by an enemy in the ruins and died.

　To Sophia, Shea was like a sister to her, and bringing up her death would be an effective way to persuade her.

'So you're saying that Sofia agreed to get rid of me because she was afraid of me being weak and getting hurt?

　Sophia made a troubled face.

It is true that I may be a little stronger than you. But if that's all you want to do, you were the one who used to protect me in the past, so now it's up to me to protect you.

There's no need for Sofia to fight while protecting her henchmen.

No. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be the leader of the group even now. I want you to stay, so I will protect you. It is my own wish to protect him because I want him to stay. But...

　That's when Sophia cut off her words.
　Sophia stared at me with her jade-colored eyes.
　There was a color in those eyes that made me afraid of something.

I'm afraid. Fighting in the ruins is a very dangerous thing. Defeating a large number of demonic enemies and going so deep underground that you can't easily turn back.''

It's a dangerous thing to do. But we both knew that we were doing it and we knew it was dangerous. Freeing the ruins will give us resources, land, and treasure, and it will save a lot of people.

I knew it. ─ I knew it, but I thought it was enough. I have the money, the honor and the power, but there is nothing more I can ask for and if I die I will have nothing left. Do you remember what you promised me, Solon?

"Promise?

You made a promise to me, Solon.

　That's right.
　We were classmates in magic school, and we made one promise in our first year.

　Together, we would become the strongest adventurers in the Empire and make a place for ourselves.
　That was the promise.　

　At the time, Sophia was neglected by her family and her classmates, and she didn't have a place to belong.
　I wasn't a nobleman or anything, and although I was able to get into the magic school, I couldn't imagine myself succeeding in the future.

　So that promise was a distant aspiration for Sophia, a young girl, and a reckless ideal for me, an ordinary person.

　Sophia smiled gently.

'The promise is half fulfilled,'

Half?

'We made one of the strongest knights in the Empire. But we haven't fulfilled the promise of the other half.

　The first half of the promise is to be the strongest adventurers in the Empire.
　The second half of the promise is to make a place for ourselves.
　The second half of the promise, according to Sophia, is the second half.
　I shook my head.

'There is a place for Sophia. That Order belongs to Sophia.'

No. The promise was to create a place for me and Solon, right?

　As she said this, Sophia took my hand in hers.
　Then Sophia looked straight at me with her jade-colored eyes.

''There's more than one way to make your wish come true. That's why I'm quitting the Order.