Since His Majesty and the others had gone, the remaining 7 of us started to discuss what we were going to do next.

"Well, we should each get ready and meet at the transition gate in an hour, right?
Wait a minute, why are you in charge?

　Brown-haired Longuet──Aberto was flirted with by a warrior-like red-haired guy named Garon or something like that. I'm not good at this type of person. It looks annoying.

I don't mean to, but... Then you'll be the one to set the tone for this party?
I don't have a policy. All I have to do is to go to the island and get the haymaker.　I'll go alone and you guys can wait here. I don't want you guys to be slowed down.

　That was a weird thing for him to say.

"Aren't you stupid?　If you fail, it means that we fail too. How could I trust two white gold coins to a wooden doll?

　The tattooed Miss Big Breasts──Rose says to Garon with a heartfelt mockery tone. I'm sorry to say it, but I feel the same way. Why should I entrust a stranger with the chance to get a lot of money?
　Ignoring Garon and Rose, who have begun to glare at each other, the wizard, Mr. Burgess, who is holding a wand, walks off somewhere. Huh?

See you at the Transference Gate in an hour. Excuse me.

　That's all I had to say, and then he went off with Sta. No, he's a selfish person in a different direction than Garon.
　Dom-san, the dwarf, also left with a stern look on his face. Miu-san, the cat-eared beastman, also started to walk away.

''Well, I'll see you in an hour.
Keh.
"Hun.

　I guess they decided it was inevitable to stay, and Abelto, Garon and Rose also left the academy.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find the right one for you.

"They all seem to be troublesome.
Adventurers have their own peculiarities. This tendency is especially strong at higher ranks.
I see. That's why Your Majesty is a gold-ranked man.
Don't be so sure. You don't have to explain yourself.
Oh, Your Majesty?　And Karina-sama?

　You'll be able to find a lot of people who have a lot of experience in this field. I'm sure you'll be able to find a great deal more to say about this.
　I'm going to be able to retreat back to my seat and kneel down and hang my head.

You will be able to find out what you are looking for.
I just thought I'd give them a pep talk and say good luck. I'll tell you what, the Flame's first duty is to keep an eye on their activities, right?　Don't help more than you have to because you want the request to succeed. Even if you get along with them.
Yeah.

　A difficult thing to say.........

'By the way, how much more than is necessary is...'
It's enough to make the flame become the main part of the party. It's just that you don't have to play too much of a role in the party. Just don't stand out. You can't just stand out. Don't be afraid.

　You have to be patient. That's the hardest thing about this job I've ever done.

And here's a little something else. This backpack contains three days' worth of food, some simple medicine, and various other things. I've given it storage, so you can store quite a bit more than that.

　When His Majesty created a magic circle in the empty space, he took out a small, young grass-colored backpack from it.
　Inside, a magical storage space was unfolding, apparently it could hold dozens of times more than the size of the backpack. And it doesn't feel heavy. I like this thing. The design is cute too.

Can I have this?
That's because I need it to do my job... what?　The backpack?　Hmmm... well, I don't mind, but...
Yes!

　Hehehe. I'll brag to Shizuku and Nagi next time.

Be sure to call in on time. Just make sure you hide your phone. It's something you might not want to do if they find it.

　I understand that. The only people in this country who have smartphones are people in important positions, some people on special missions, and His Majesty's relatives.
　In this case, relatives in this case doesn't mean family members, but people close to you. The mistress of the innkeeper Silver Moon has one, and so does her maid, Rene.
　In my case, it's someone on a special mission. Well, that's what being a ninja is all about.
　People who know about the phone know about it. In other words, everyone who has this thing is under His Majesty's protection, so anyone who knows about it won't be able to touch it.
　No fool would oppose His Majesty head-on, who has various rumors of having crippled a rebel in the Regulus Empire, extinguished the Celestial Emperor of the Celestial Kingdom of Euron with the light, given eternal torment to the slave king of the Sandra Kingdom, and so on and so forth. If there was, it would definitely be a fool.

''Then, belonging to the Brünnhild Knights Covert Department, Sarutobi [Sarutobi] Flame [Homura], I will return to my duties!
Yeah, you have a good day. You have a safe trip.

　His Majesty smiled and gave me a small nod. Alright, let's go for it!




　An hour later, the seven of us gathered again in front of the transition gate. Each of us had our own equipment and luggage. The one with the largest load was Dom, the dwarf, while I was the lightest. In contrast, I was the lightest of the bunch. It's only a flimsy backpack, right?

"Don't ask for a share of the food later. You're on your own.
Don't worry. At least I won't have to worry about you.
"f*ck, that's a cheeky little kid.

　Ha, you are a man of few words. I'm going to stick my tongue out at Garon as he walks through the transition gate with his back to me. You're carrying a huge shield on your back, but you're not.

"Well, we'll be going with you.

　Abelto starts walking after Garon, who goes ahead of him. Rose, Dom, and Sargees followed, while Aya and Miu began to walk to the transition gate.
　There are three transition gates to get to the Dungeon Islands. Each one leads to the island where the dungeon is located, but this time we'll be using the transition gate on the island where there is a dungeon called 'Amaterasu'.

Are you sure you don't want to buy food?
'What?　Oh, okay, okay. No problem.
Yeah.

　Miu, who was walking beside me, comes to talk to me. Her voice is not solemn, but she was worried about us.
　It seems that the guild contacted us properly, and the gatekeepers at the transition gate, who confirmed our names and guild cards, let us through with no problem.
　Since the gatekeepers are also knights of Brunhild, they know me. I often meet them in the cafeteria.
　They pretended to be ignorant about it, but when everyone except me passed through the transition gate, they all gave a thumbs up and said, "Good luck! He gave me a silent sign saying "I'll do my best!
　I said, "I'll do my best! He replied with a thumbs up and walked through the arched transition gate.
　The end of the gate was inside a mausoleum-like building set up near the beach where the sea breeze blows through. It's a building, but it's a bare windy one with only circular columns.
　To my shame, this is the first time I've ever been to the Dungeon Islands. I've been busy with missions and training, and I can't swim, so I didn't really want to come to the beach.
　But it's hot..... According to what I've heard, it's supposed to get really cold at night. Is it true?　I've heard it's quite cold and hot.

'First, let's cross over to the island where they say there's a fireweed. We should be able to reach it by bridge.
I know what I'm doing.

　Garon murmured with a small tongue lashing at Abelt's statement. You could have heard it for sure, but Abert just gave a small shrug.
　Surges-san takes out a map from his pocket and checks it.

''........It's about a kilometer north of here. The bridge there will take you to your destination island.

　The Dungeon Islands are made up of seven islands of varying sizes.
　Three of them had dungeons, as the name implies, and were named Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi, and Susanoo, respectively.
　But those were the names of the dungeons, and the islands were different again.
　The seven islands were named Sandy Island, Mandy Island, Chuzdi Island, Wenzdi Island, Saazdi Island, Freidy Island, and Satadi Island, respectively. It's an odd name, but it was His Majesty who named them.
　Of these, Amaterasu is on Sandy Island, and Tsukuyomi and Susanoo are on Mandi and Wendy Island.
　We're currently on Sandy Island. Our destination island is Chusudi Island.
　The second largest of the seven islands is accessible by a bridge from here.
　After a short walk, we saw a large bridge. A stone bridge stretched out over the sea all the way to the island in the distance.

'Amazing, isn't it?
I heard that King Brunhild made this bridge too. It's a bridge with reinforced magic, so it can't be destroyed by a little effort.
Apparently, they've set up a special warding to protect you. Apparently, the demonic beasts can't cross this bridge. That's absolutely ridiculous...

　Rose, Abert and Mr. Surges look at the bridge and give their impressions. They say that all seven islands are connected to each other by a bridge. That means you can walk to any of the islands on foot, although it takes some time.
　The only islands that have transition gates are Sandy Island, Mandy Island, and Wendy Island, so you have to go to one of these three islands when you return, though.

"Don't be a bum, let's get across quickly.
Shut up. I know!

　Rose yells back at Garon's words. I wonder if he can't choose his words a bit more, she said.
　We all started to cross the bridge. The view is so good that we tend to fall behind everyone else as we take in the scenery.
　But it's hot. The bridge appears to shimmer in the heat. I took my water bottle out of my backpack and drank the water inside. Gosh, it's sticky. It's so good, and it's so cold.
　Time stands still in the backpack, and you can take out hot food while it's hot and cold while it's cold. The food doesn't go bad either. You can't put a living thing in it, but if it's dead, you can.
　As I put my water bottle in my backpack, I saw something in my vision. I see something over Chusudi Island, where we're going. Is it a bird?　But that was.........
　I activated my magic eye so that people wouldn't notice me.
　The magic eye I have is the magic eye of distant vision. It's clairvoyant. It allows me to jump over even the slightest obstacle and see things in the distance.
　The field of vision expands in my right eye. Ugh!
　What I saw there was a dragon. It had scales that emitted a dull luster, a long tail and large wings. I'm sure it's a flying dragon of sorts from the fact that its front legs are assimilated with the wings.
　There's even a dragon on this island!　I'm not sure what to do.　I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this. I don't think our party can handle it. I'm not sure if this is a good idea, but I think it's a good idea to have some equipment for the Order, and Shizuku or Nagi.
　Before I joined the Order, I heard that the senior members of the Order were fighting against more than 100 dragons. I heard that it was all thanks to the support of the equipment and the support of His Majesty and others, but could I do it too?
　For now, I shall inform the chieftain of the watchdog that there is a flying dragon.
　Pretending to wipe sweat off with a towel, I took control of the phone hidden in the towel and sent a text message to the chieftain.

　Beep.
▶︎ Flying Dragon confirmed. I'll send you instructions.

　The chieftain replied immediately.

　Beep.
▷No problem. I'm ready to continue with the mission.

　Geez. Do you mean to tell me that I have to take care of this myself?
　No, maybe it's sudden troubles like that that will test your abilities as an adventurer, but....

Hey, don't you feel bad?
'What?　Oh, okay, yeah.
That's fine, but just let me know if it's too tight. I wouldn't want you to get knocked down.

　I was pulling a face, when Dom the dwarf approached me. The way he said it was harsh, but I wonder if he was worried about me.
　I'm sure that Miu, the beastman, and I am, by all accounts, the youngest among them, so perhaps they are concerned about me.
　When I looked up, the flying dragon was already gone. Yes, it was probably just a dragon passing by........
　After crossing a long bridge, we arrived at Chusudi Island from Sandy Island.
　Now that we're past the bridge's warding, we can't be too careful. We don't know where the magical beasts will come from.
　Burgess stopped and checked the direction of the magnet.

''This way. There's probably a fireweed around that mountain.

　At the end of the cane I saw a mountain of red rock faces. Wow, that's so far away. We can't do it today, right? ........hmm?

...something's coming.

　Almost at the same time as I sensed a presence, Miu shouted.
　Everyone braced themselves at the sound of his voice, and looked around to see what was going on. We heard a rustling sound from the forest in front of us.
　A small fawn jumped out in front of us with a bang. Everyone relaxed and let out a deep breath.

"You scared the hell out of me, you little...
What, you're scared?　You're pathetic.
''What?!''

　Just as Garon and Rose were about to start arguing with each other again, a cute little fawn with crinkly eyes was devoured by a large magical beast that leapt out of the side.
　As we stood there suddenly, the sound of cracking bones and spurting blood reached our ears in a very graphic manner. The fawn's head fell out of its mouth with a thud.
　Its gaze catches us as it mugs its bloody mouth.
　The lion's head, long fangs, tiger-striped limbs and mane were blood red, and its eyes were shining gold.

Blood Liger........!

　The name of the demonic beast leaks out of Rose's mouth.
　Blood Liger........ As I recall, it's a demonic beast that lives in the mountainous region. And, uh, uh........what was it again?　The chieftain once told me about this hexenbiest!　I shouldn't have listened to you!

'Gogaaaaaaaaah!

　Towards us, the Blood Liger let out a sharp roar. ''Oh no!
　As if we had been released from a golden bind, we each readied our weapons.

'Keep your distance!　He's...!
Ooh!

　Rose was about to say something, but regardless of that, Garon rushed in.
　He swung his sword down at the Blood Liger, but it ducked with a flutter. As a counterattack, Liger's strike strikes Garon.

"Heh, this much...!

　Garon blocked the liger's front legs with the large shield he was carrying. Garon withstood the blow that would have blown me off. Oh.

"Get away from me, you idiot!
''Ah!''

　At the same time Rose shouted, the Blood Liger spat out flames from his mouth.

''Guaaaah!''

　Garon, who was exposed to the flames, falls over. It's a good thing that you're able to get a good idea of what you're looking for.
　Liger's eyes turn to us as he notices Hatchet and jumps backwards in a big way.

'Watch out!　He spits fire!　It's not safe to go near them!

　That's right!　Now I remember!　Rose was right, he's going to breathe fire, man!

["Come on, rocks, crush the giant rocks, rock crash!"]

　When Mr. Surges chanted a magic spell, a rock the size of a large barrel appeared above the Blood Liger's head. But his timing was slow, and he ducked into the liger with a whimper. The rock fell to the ground and shattered into pieces of wood.

''Too late!　Can't you do something more?!
'It's hard to focus my magic!　I don't want to be asked to do anything unreasonable in this situation!

　Abelto thrusts his sword at Liger. Mr. Surges yells back, as if annoyed by the sound of his voice.
　Rose swings her whip to get Liger's attention.

'Forget this one, wizard husband, don't do something about the guy lying there!

　As I was told, I started to cast a recovery spell towards Garon, who was kneeling, as Surges-san was kneeling.

'Hey, lass!　Don't swing your whip at me!　I'm going to cut you down!

　Just as Dom was about to unleash his battle-axe on Liger, Rose's whip flew in front of him at an inopportune moment.
　This is no good, everyone is in pieces.
　I pulled out a couple of stick shurikens from my pocket and threw them at Liger's face. One of them stung the liger's eye perfectly. It looks like I was aiming for it, but it was a coincidence!

Gurgaaah!

　The eyes are blinded and the liger begins to chase after me as it changes its target to this direction. Oops, you can't catch me.
　I grab a tree branch, spin my body around and use that momentum to leap to another branch. The liger is chasing me, but I leap from one tree to the next to escape. This is the art of monkey jumping.
　When I was far enough away from the others, I descended to the ground and drew my ninja sword from my waist.
　The movement itself is not fast. It's not just a matter of time before you'll be able to get your hands on a new one. If you're careful about the flames it spits out, even I might be able to kill it on my own.
　Ahhh... but it would be a bad idea if I killed him alone, wouldn't it?　He told me not to stand out.
　Well what do I do?