A magic item that resembles a pine tree that contains an enormous amount of magical power. The shape is similar and the way the flame comes out is the same.
　However, the important thing is that it is a magic item.
　It's essentially different from the existence of a pine tree. This magic item will continue to burn even if you put it in water.
　Moreover, for a long period of time, the fuel of magic power was enough to keep it constantly generating light. The fact that it's still burning should prove that.


　Well, it's more than that magic item. There was the book I was looking for.
　It was displayed in a place like an altar with an evil black aura.


''This one?''


　Pick it up.
　It's not heavy, but it's not light either.
　There are probably about one middle finger's worth of pages.
　There are no gaudy decorations.
　There is no fancy ornamentation, just a few white letters on the black-based exterior that look like they might be difficult to read.


　That should complete the request for now.
　Or so I thought.


--a moment. I noticed a number of things unfold from the magic circle on the altar where the books were displayed.


　It's so much that the detection magic that had been activated made to detect the amount of magic power that could shake the underground dungeon.
　Letters appeared on the altar.


'To him who lusts for power, I give the final trial.'


　There will be few who can understand it just by looking at it.
　But I was clearly aware of the fact that I was deploying detection magic. --I'm not going to be able to get a good idea of what to expect.


"It's amazing. I didn't notice it at all.


　I couldn't help but say what I had been thinking about.
　Normally, these installed magic formulas are supposed to have magic power passing through them, even if it's faint. The principle is similar to magic items. This one didn't even have a residue of magic power.
　In other words, it has never been used.
　The fact that no one had come to the deepest part of this - to test whether or not this magic formula would really succeed.
　A sign of overwhelming confidence. Could it be a sign of competence? He must have had the ability to do so. The Demon King who wrote this book.


　For the time being.
　He froze the magic formula that was the cause of the problem.
　However, that alone would not stop what was already being activated.


Transition.


　There are more and more demons.
　If this continues, we won't be able to find the adventurers in the underground dungeon. But first.


Wow! Who are you!　No. I'd rather you run for your life.　What the hell is going on here!
Hey, transference.


　The first.
　A man in his thirties or so with a giant axe is brought back to earth.
　Only I'm still in the dungeon.
　Next.


'Noooo!　I thought it was a new demon: ......
"Transition.


　Three.


　The fourth.


　Fifth.


　I haven't counted since I crossed the twenty mark.
　But I've come to the point where there's only one left.


　The lower levels of the dungeon are already filled with demons.
　There was a handsome blonde-haired man at the transfer point.
　Who was he? He must have been something great.
　It was him.


"Jade, Jade!　What the hell are you doing?　It's going to be pretty bad, so let's get out of here!
"Transition.
Nuh-uh.


　This is the last of them.
　That's everyone.


　There's only me and a huge number of demons in this underground dungeon.
　We're going to concentrate our magic at their feet.


--Once, in my forbidden forest floor, there were demons that could control the ice and snow.
　It even froze my food demons and gave them a hard time.
　But now, that demon's magic is--


Type 2-- Cold Prison.


--I've become something I can use, too.


　I'm not going to be able to get a good idea of what I'm talking about. The freezing speed is about the speed of a cat and dog running as fast as they can.
　In this intricate underground dungeon, they wriggle as if they were real creatures.


　They are indeed powerful demons. The lower you go, the higher your rank is. There are probably two-digit S-rated demons as well.
　It's not possible to exterminate them all.
　This is a dungeon, for all intents and purposes.
　Even if all the treasures in the basement are taken, there are still demons. There are people who make a living doing just that.


''Ugh, that's about it.


　We've done most of the processing.
　We froze and crippled the operating magic formulae and froze the spawned demons to death.
　Release the magic supply to the magic that went by.
　There was a cracking sound like glass breaking, and everything frozen disappeared like dust.
　Now I could wipe my own ass. I'm sure it was my client's fault in the first place. Well, it's just that we didn't check enough.


"Transference.


　Now I'm transferring myself out of this dungeon.
　I'm back in the forest with no substitute.
　There were those who were stunned, those who were impatient, and those who noticed my appearance and did not try to hide their astonishment.
　And then there was the client with a somewhat hateful look on his face.


'Here. The book you asked for.


　I give him the request form as well as the book.
　My client checks the document and the book.


"Jeed, huh. ...... Yeah. Yeah, I got it. Here's the money for the job.


　He takes the book I handed to him roughly, taking it and tossing a linen cloth full of money in my direction.
　What did I do?
　There's no reason for them to go this far, though.
　I open the linen to check the money I've requested.


d*mn it. Hey, why are you opening that?


　His tone of voice is very rough, a complete change from the first time.


'I was just trying to check, sir.
Don't you trust me?
'It's through the guild, so I trust them. But the guild has taught me that it's part of the protocol to check.


　I popped it open and found a gold coin inside.
　I counted each one: ......
　It's not enough.
　It's also ten cards short. It's significantly lower than the amount that was planned.


'It's not enough?'


　Obviously, there is no margin for error.


'Oh?　By the time I checked, it was there. You stole it.


　No, no, no.


"How could I have stolen it in a flash when I was so close?


　Essentially, these things happen.
　That's why the guild may receive the fee first through an intermediary.
　However, exceptions to this are those who are trustworthy - for example, those who have made more than ten requests through the guild, or an organization - may give the gold directly to you. The guild's intermediary fee could be given another day, and so on.
　It is used in this case for multiple appointments, or when it takes a long time to go to the guild and give the gold in person.


"Hey!　I'm a priest of the 'Society of the Brave'!　This is not money we can give to people who don't know what kind of horse's bones we're talking about!　This request should have been given to someone of high rank, of definite origin!　You think this is going to pass the test!


　My client yells at me.
　The Society of the Brave. A priest. A man of high rank. An exam.
　A lot of words I didn't know. If Kåñëa was here, she would probably summarize the story, but she seems to have left without even accepting the request money.


'In the first place!　This request should have taken more than three days to complete!　You must have cheated from the start, and you knew about the test from the beginning, and you knew about the loophole or something!　I'm not going to give it to such a coward: ......!
'Bailias Madden. I know who you are, and so do all the adventurers here. I'm sure you are aware of that. That's why I'm addressing you in this way.
Ugh, Mr. Weeg Stairbeats: ......


　.... This is where a handsome blonde guy walks in between me and my client. I'm not going to be able to get my hands on him. You know, I'm not the only one to have a name like that, but I'm the prince of the Kingdom of the Steelebeets. In short, he's a man of high rank.


But Jade doesn't seem to know much about the world. I'm sure he didn't know my name, so of course he didn't know your name either.


　Weeg said briskly.
　No, I at least knew my client's name. It was written in the request form.
　And, well, I don't have anything to say about it because it's in the way.


''But if you knew about Bailias and drank the request money you gave him as is, ...... you would have been a rotten priest of the heroic society.
Nope.
I want you to count it again. I do not want to be a disappointment. I am destined to be a hero. I don't mind getting stained in the process. I don't mind getting stained in the process, if it's necessary to execute justice. But if someone else has the stain, you will have to pay it. Whether it's a militant demon king or my people. By any means. I was willing to take the defilement for that reason.


　Oh.
　This guy has changed from the first one, and he's got a much nobler attitude.
　I wonder why he didn't show this from the beginning. I wonder which one is the real one.
　Either way, you said it well. I know it stinks about dirt and demon kings and all sorts of other things.
　Well, a number of points of concern spring up, but more importantly, the client, Bailias, produced another linen cloth from his pocket.


''Sorry about ....... Come to think of it, this one was an additional amount as well.


　Probably after I transitioned them all, they swallowed the situation.
　And reduced my portion.
　Well, if it's not too much trouble, that's fine with me.


Thank you. And thank you, Wieg.
Oh, oh!　That 'Saint of the Light Star', the man that Soria recognized ...... is my rival!


　He said it in a kind of taut way.
　I wondered what he meant by rivalry, but well, I got the general idea of what he was talking about.
　To be honest, though, I'm not ...... interested in it. It wouldn't be a good idea to have a bailiwick of a priestess who's staring at you in the first place.
　Let's get out of here in a hurry.


Transference.


　I made the transition for the umpteenth time today and returned to the inn where I was staying.