That's all for this morning. Go outside and have a lunch break.

　I called a break for the last group that had completed the fifth lap.

　Only Ailey's sixteenth team and Cheri's fourth team are in the middle of their sixth lap, so if I only wait for those two teams, it's time for me to take a break too.

　As I waited, blinking the Magical Fungus from the side of the spring, the sixteenth group arrived in about thirty minutes.

Good work," he said. We're taking a lunch break.

　The girls responded cheerfully, "Yes," and left fornicately. It's a sense of leisure at its earliest. They asked me if I would like to eat with them, but I refused, saying I still had work to do.

　About three minutes later, the fourth group comes in.

　...... In sharp contrast to Team 16, all of them looked exhausted.

　No, it's not the case with Cheri, the squad leader. You can see the negative emotions such as impatience and anger in the fatigue.

"Take a lunch break. Get some rest.

　When I told them that, the faces of the fourth group sighed in relief.

　At this point, I had a pretty good idea of what to expect. Probably because Cheri-chan is rushing ahead on her own, she's neglecting the condition of her team members.

　It's true that the gap between Cheri and the other 9 members may have widened. But that's why Cheri-chan needs to 'stand up to the abilities below'. The same is true when an advanced player takes an underclassman to conquer a dungeon. In Mevion, this is called carry, and it was common knowledge in carry that "if the top doesn't match the bottom, it won't work".

　However, it was unlikely that she would listen to him honestly when he warned her with his mouth.

　What should I do? As I was wondering what to do, Cheri spoke up.

'I'm going to take another lap and then rest.

　This guy is an idiot: ......!
　I was stunned by how stupid I was.

'Mr. Cheri, you need to take a break here.
'Our group isn't in first place right now, you know?　I wouldn't really want to take a break.
But don't you think we could use a break?
'I don't particularly need it. Besides, on the battlefield there is not a single second to rest. Well, if you really want to eat, why don't you just walk and eat?

　The squad members complained about the quandary, and Cheri firmly opposed it. Since she was high up in the pecking order of the First Court Magic Division, the squad members were becoming more and more delegated.

''But we're already ......
What is it?　In the first place, the reason I'm losing now is because of your--

Second Lord!

　Finally, the moment Cheri was about to say a forbidden word - Sylvia's well-worn voice drowned out her words.

　Rushing over to us in a hurry were Sylvia and Eco, who were on a high-speed patrol.
　I called out to Sylvia while patting Eco's head as she clung around my waist as usual.

Good night. I think it's safe to say that the roll call is done over here too, but is there anything wrong?
No, I have no problem with that. But,
He remembered something.
Do you remember?

　What?

'Yes, I've seen him!　Then I remembered clearly!

　In person?　You met with him?

　As I was tilting my head in the air, the kids from Group 4 behind me suddenly buzzed.
　I followed their gaze to see what it was, and there it was: ......


It's been a while!　Second!
Long time no see, Mr. Second.


　There was a twirly-eyed young lady with brown hair in a curly vertical roll and fluffy occassions and a loose female spirit with brown skin and long, dull white hair.




　With the attack of the unusual guests, Cheri's break problem became a moot point.
　Or rather, there was no way she could act on her own when the Countess and A-ranked adventurer of the Countess and genius spirit magician, the very famous Cherie Lumberjack, was here.

I'm going to have lunch with you first!　And then we'll talk!

　Sherry says such things as a matter of course. In the blink of an eye, I was led to the plaza used by the First Court Wizardry Division as a place for a lunch break.

　The plaza was in an uproar. If we were to compare it to the sudden appearance of a national idol in a family restaurant, it would be noisy. Even Commander Zephyr was surprised by the unexpected appearance of a celebrity.

'Don't move too much, you guys! Eat your food and take a break!

　It was too loud, so I gave her the appropriate instructions and then sat down in the empty space. Sherry looked a little lost and then sat down directly in front of me. Complaints erupt from all over the plaza about "cheating," "abuse of authority," and "f*cking instructor. Sherry's stuff was so popular: .......


'Hee, it's been a long time since we've seen each other, hasn't it?'

　He spread out his lunch, turned to me, and that was the first thing he said.

'I just heard that,'
Shit, that's what I'm talking about!
You okay?　The "head
It's okay!

　He seems to be nervous for some reason. The tsukkomi is not as sharp as it used to be.

Oh, I see. Well, let's just get something to eat.
I like that.
Thank you, sir.
Have a good day.
I knew you weren't okay!

　When I tsked, Shelly blushed, "I made a mistake. If this guy has turned into a bloke? In a double sense.


　We spent the next 15 minutes or so, until we finished our lunch, with me tweeting endlessly at Sherry's odd behavior, which I couldn't tell if she was serious or a joke.
　Sylvia is happy to be pampered and has been tending to her bow for a long time to show off to those around her, Eco is eco-friendly and engrossed in her meal as usual, and Terra, the great spirit of the earth next to Sherry, is just smiling fluffily and not saying anything in particular, so no one helped me. Well, I didn't even expect it to happen in the first place.


''Hey, hey. Let me hear what you said earlier.

　While I was mulling over my after-dinner tea, Sherry beckoned Sylvia a little bit before saying such a thing. I'm sure you're not the only one who has remembered," she said, and then she hit her hand with a pop.

''Hmm. I saw a girl who looks like Sherry-dono.
Oh, for me?　She must be very noble and beautiful, isn't she?
I'm by that rock. Here.
Hmph. Come on, you're not normal. You don't look like a normal person at all.
No, next to it.
"Not a cockerel!　And she's got a bad look in her eyes!

　Whoa, Cheri.
　I see. It's that spare, desperate, jealous feeling, or whatever. If I thought I looked like someone else, I looked like the old Sherry. Sookie Sookie.

　...... Oh, yeah. Just in time to see if there's a resemblance between you and Sherry.

"Hey, Cheryl.
Why am I looking at her like that?

　Huh?　It occurred to me that Shelly's acting weird, and not just to me.　Why?　Because you haven't seen him in a while?　He glanced over at Terra and smiled at her with a smirk. I don't know about you, but it's very annoying.

'Do you want me to get an Angolmore?'
Please don't do that.

　For now, he mentally attacked Terra and then turned to Cherie.

'That guy Cheri, you know, he's tongue-in-cheek or dry, he's an honor student, but he's rebellious, he doesn't listen to you. He didn't follow the instructions to take a break earlier, and he was going to do another lap.
'Oh!　That's it~

　It was Terra, not Sherry, who reacted. You were so scared and small at the name of the Great King just a few seconds ago, and now you're all recovered and grinning. On the other hand, Sherry's cheeks were tinged with vermilion and she was glaring at Terra as if she were protesting.

''That guy's squad is ranked second at the moment, so I guess he's trying his best to be number one, but it's too much to ask anyway. The team members are exhausted because the squad leader is selfishly going through the motions. I'm sure it would be even more repugnant if I just tried to convince them, and that's why I want to give them the benefit of the doubt.
'Eh. Err. ......

　When I asked, Shelly looked as if she'd come up with something for a moment, and then immediately looked like she had a bitter worm in her mouth.

　She closed her mouth for a moment and was troubled, and then it was Terra who broke the silence.

'It's just like you~, Master.'
............

　At Terra's words, which could be taken as an agitation, Cherie makes an awkward face. Maybe she sympathized with Cherie in some way.

'It's easy~, Second-san. To make her understand~, you should make her make a terrible mistake for once~
You want me to fail?
'Yes~. That's exactly what our master did some nights--
Let him say it!

　Terra is repatriated by Sherry, who lost his temper.

　Ah, I just remembered. Speaking of which, this guy tried to attack Prolin before me by riding in alone, and as a result, he was beaten to death by Mithril Golem, bleeding his nose to death, while he was a heavyweight: ......


"...... hmmm.
'Moo!　Don't laugh!

　Sherry is red-faced and faintly slapping my chest. Is this guy acting funny because he's seen me masturbate?　Something tells me that's not the only factor, but it seems to be a definite one.

'Lord Second. It's about time.

　That's where the originally planned break ended. Sherry had no choice but to move away from me, even though her cheeks were puffed up. When I looked around me, I saw a tremendous amount of jealous stares from the men. Suck it up. I hold up my middle finger for now.

''Well then, the afternoon session starts in five minutes - don't forget to have a banana every hour...''

　When I gave the order, each team got together and began preparations and strategy meetings without me giving them instructions. As expected of a soldier, they never tire of practicing their formations day in and day out.

　Now, let's go back to the hollow where the bosses spring up - and when I turned my attention to the glutam dungeon. Suddenly, Sherry tugged on the hem of my clothes and said this.

'Hey ....... I've got a good idea.





　The way Sherry came up with it. It was an exchange of squad members.

　The content is simple. The plan is to exchange the leader of Team 16, Ailey, who is currently ranked first, and the leader of Team 4, Cheri, who is ranked second.

　When we proposed the idea, we received a response from Team 16, "If Second-san's instruction is given," and Team 4 responded, "We'd love to," and it was clear that the team leaders would be exchanged.


　So the team leader was exchanged.
　As for the status of the two groups that had exchanged heads, the answer was .......

"Oh, that was fast, Team 4, the 13th round, and we're still in first place!
Yay. Mr. Second, can I get this stamp card too, when you're done?
That's good.

　It was just as Cherie had hoped.

　At first, Cherie's Team 16 was in first place, but from the 10th lap, their pace was clearly slower, and finally, on the 11th lap, Ailey's Team 4 passed them.

　Ailey is a normal girl who is still going at her own pace, and Cherie is a girl who is running alone. It was obvious which of them was better as a leader.

　There is a limit to their ability to annihilate alone. Their individual MP is also limited. There is fatigue in both the body and the mind. Unless we could find an optimal solution that took into account all of these factors, our efficiency would only decline.
　No matter how fast a racing car is, it is not possible to race with several cars in tow when they are out of gas. Naturally, a team of ten cars would fall behind.

　Cheri might have realized by now what would happen if she raced alone. Still, I'm not sure if he's already retracted, or if it's .......


''There you are, Group 16, lap 13. We're currently in second place.
I know!

　Cheri, who is breathing hard, hands me a stamp card with a desperate look on her face. All the members of Group 16 are wobbly, passing through exhaustion. It might be worse than the fourth group in the morning.

　Cheri is certainly a first-class racing car, and that would be a monster machine. If you're a first time member of the team and you can pull this far even if you're forced to, your ability is undeniably genuine.
　If she learns to look back at her friends and match their strides even a little bit, her squad can certainly come in first place. But she only looks forward and up. She can't help but aim so high that she can't adjust to the bottom. Is her pride getting in the way, or is she being stubborn in a strange way? I hope this failure will cause some kind of awareness change: .......





　And.
　Finally, the time limit arrived.

　The fourth team finished first. They set a record of 17 laps, the only one of all the teams.

　As for the sixteenth team.


''You're ...... slow,''

　Beside me, Ailey-san makes a worried sound. The nine members of the fourth group are also waiting for the sixteenth group to arrive with me.

　The sixteenth group had dropped further down the order from second place.

　Ignoring my words that we're running out of time, we're now the last group to turn 16 laps.

　I'm 5th in the standings. That's some serious guts. Cheri is well, but especially the nine members of the sixteenth team. I wanted to give them a special award.

Second-dono, I'm back. Sixteenth team is right behind you.
Tadaimaima.

　And that's where Sylvia and Eco came in, one step ahead of Team 16. Behind them, Sherry and Terra could be seen as well. Apparently, they were going around together.

　Sherry looked tired and said, "Aren't these two too tough? He was complaining about it. Well, to begin with, the cumulative amount of experience is different, and the number of laps today is different, too. We are proud of our rearguard and vanguard.


''Ah.

　Suddenly, Ailey called out. Immediately after, I knew it was because I saw Cheri-chan at the entrance of the cavity.

　Cheri's face is hmm ...... "angry". I have a bad feeling about this.


Good job, 16 laps. Final position is 5th.

　When I said that without stamping, Cheri clenched her fists and shook and shuddered. The stamp card in her hand folded limply.


'Ah ......'

　Someone in the sixteenth group blurted out. It was one of the kids who had been happy to hear that they would be given a souvenir when it was over.


''--!''

　Cheri looked back at her squad members. I can't forgive her - she had that look on her face.


'I can still turn!　What are you getting so worked up about?　It's because of you guys that we lost!


　Her frustration, which had been pent up until now, explodes. 'It's because of you guys,' she said. 'It's worse if you can't follow me,' she continued her rant.

　It's true that Cheri is more competent than you. It may be true that she was dragging her feet. Hence, the squad members are unable to say anything.


　But ...... that's not the case. That's not true, Cheri-chan.


　I'm going to have to make this guy understand. When I was about to take a step forward.

　I was about to take a step forward, when Ailee began to pedal away and approached Cheri.


　She was angry ...... and I knew it in an instant. She turned Cheri-chan around, shook her right hand, and -.



　Everyone in the room would have thought that Cheri would be hit by Mr. Ailey's slap on the wrist.



　But that didn't happen. I couldn't let that happen to me.


'.......'

　With his right hand raised and grabbed by me, Ailey's eyes met mine. Instantly, an expression of confusion ...... immediately changed to one of regret.

　I'm sure that in a momentary rush of emotion, I tried to touch my friend - well, that would be regret.


　I grinned and let go of Irie-san's hand and turned to face Cheri.



''What, what--''



　Before she could open her mouth and finish speaking.




　I shook my fist as hard as I could and punched her morosely in the face.




　Cheri was blown a few feet off the ground and rolled on the ground, falling on her back with her nose bleeding and passing out.


''!

　Everyone is exclaiming in surprise and confusion.



　...... I should have relaxed just before my fist touched it, and I should have done my utmost to take it easy, but I didn't expect ...... yikes to have such a flying distance. It was fine to pretend, just pretend. The only thing I wanted was the fact that I hit him. This is a total assault case.


　No, no, but that's not going to happen now.

"Fix him up, Eco.
Reekay!

　Pretending to be as calm as possible, I give instructions to Eco, who is in a good mood for some reason, and then leave.


　As I was leaving, Sherry said something like, "You're surprisingly good at taking care of yourself, aren't you? I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work. I don't know what that means, so I nodded meaningfully anyway.


　And then the night comes.