The Water Magician: Arc 1 Volume 5 E-Book

Tadashi Kubou

• Herausgeber: J-Novel Club
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Serie: The Water Magician
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 553

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

After helping handle the mayhem in the royal capital, Ryo finally returns to Lune. Back home, he accepts a job with the members of Room 10 in the coffee-growing haven of Kona! As he and his friends solve the village’s problems and savor its delicious food, he learns something wildly unexpected—his best friend and partner in crime, Abel, is the second prince of the Kingdom of Knightley.

While Ryo is still processing what he initially brushed off as a joke, the Handalieu Federation declares war on the neighboring Principality of Inverey! To make matters worse, his beloved disciples are kidnapped after being embroiled in the war...

If his enemies think they can disturb his peace, they have another thing coming! They’ll be trembling in fear when Ryo shows them what his water magic can really do. And when he joins forces with Prince Abel, their enemies won’t know what hit them! The adventures of the strongest, freewheeling water magician continue in this frenetic fifth volume!

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Cover

Prologue

To the Village of Kona

The Vampire Kalinikos

Intermission: The Hidden Temple

The Secret Feud in the West

Back to the Principality of Inverey

A Defensive Battle in Aberdeen

The Siege of Fion

Assault on the Main Host

Conclusion

Unexpected Visitors

Epilogue

The Fire Magician V: Prelims

The Fire Magician V: Showdown

Afterword

Color Illustrations

Character Bios

Map of Phi

About J-Novel Club

Copyright

Landmarks

Color Images

Table of Contents

Prologue

“Abel, are you serious?”

“Of course. One hit.”

They stood in the courtyard of the high-class inn, The Golden Wave, where the Crimson Sword stayed regularly as guests in the city of Lune. Ryo and Abel faced each other, the latter ready to thrust with his red, glowing sword and the former frowning.

“You haven’t forgotten the fact that I’m a magician, have you?”

“Nope, and that’s exactly why.”

Abel’s breathing remained steady, measured as he spoke, intent on ending his friend.

“Abel, I made a mistake! Forgive me!”

“No excuses! Prepare yourself, Ryo!”

“Urk... I guess I don’t have a choice. Ice Wall.”

“Take this! Sword Skill: Piercing Peak.”

A lightning-fast step and a quick thrust. Krak.

“Impossible!”

Abel’s newly acquired Sword Skill had pierced Ryo’s ice wall. Piercing Peak was an advanced version of Total Impalement. Even Abel, a swordsman of superior skill, had only recently become proficient at using it.

Watching his ice wall, his pride and joy, shatter, Ryo fell to his knees in shock. Abel, meanwhile, stood proudly after having accomplished the seemingly impossible. Their contrasting tableaux were a direct reflection not only of the outcome of their battle but their difference of spirit.

“I never imagined a sword could actually pierce it...” Ryo said, slapping the ground.

“Ahhh, sure is nice to see the fruits of your labor, huh?” Abel said, reveling in his success at mastering the new variation of Total Impalement, which hadn’t been able to even scratch his friend’s ice wall.

Simply put, he had summoned Ryo to test the power of his new technique. After hitting the ground several times, Ryo lifted his head and stood, determination stamped all over his face.

“Abel, do it again. Exactly as you just did.”

“Huh? No way. You know that executing Sword Skills back-to-back will only tire me out.”

“No excuses! Now, experience the terror that is an ice wall! Laminated 10-Layer Ice Wall.”

The moment Ryo chanted, an ice wall appeared—except this was a special version, which was gradually building up, thickening layer by layer until—until it attacked Abel!

“Hey, you jackass.” Abel leaped to the side. “Stop! Like I can pierce this monstrosity!”

In the end, he treated Ryo to dinner at the Golden Wave. All’s well that ends well.

“I’m throwing in the towel. I can’t even move anymore...”

Inevitably, Ryo booked a room at the Golden Wave and stayed the night there. What else had he expected after eating enough food to feed four people...?

◆

After the mayhem in the royal capital, Ryo returned to his orderly life in Lune. Occasionally, Abel used him as a test subject for his new skills, but even that didn’t do much to disrupt said orderly life. In the mornings, he dedicated himself to alchemy and magic. In the afternoons, he sparred with Sera in the knights’ training ground. And in the evenings, he would eat dinner, take a bath, then spend more time on alchemy and magic until bedtime...

Sometimes, Sera would show up unannounced in the mornings and read books in his living room. On those days, they would eat lunch together at one of their usual haunts, like The Fill-Up Station, then head to the training ground afterward. That was how his days went.

He had learned a lot from Kenneth, the genius alchemist, during his time in the capital. After he had returned to Lune, Ryo had thrown himself into the study of alchemy. And the results...

“Heh heh heh. It’s finally mine!”

He didn’t even realize how sinister his cackle sounded.

“What is it, Ryo?” Sera stared quizzically at him.

“Sera, come outside with me and take a look, please,” he said.

So out they went.

“Afterimage 8.”

When he chanted the spell, eight Ryo look-alikes appeared roughly thirty meters away.

“Wow! There are eight of you!”

“I tried to project myself into the air using water vapor and ice particles—and it worked! So that’s not the problem...”

An image appeared in his mind.

“Floating Magic Circle.”

Eight magic circles formed around him, perpendicular to the ground and facing the afterimages. Then he fired an Icicle Lance from each circle toward each afterimage.

“Oooh!” Sera, having never seen such a thing before, was amazed by the fantastical sight.

Ryo looked pleased with the fruits of his labor.

“What a lovely bit of magic, Ryo!”

“Isn’t it? Wait...? Did you say ‘magic’? But...it’s supposed to be alchemy...”

“Alchemy? Goodness, is it really? Hmmm, a technique not in my repertoire, then. Nevertheless, quite wonderful!” she said, beaming.

Now he himself wasn’t sure whether what he’d just done was magic or alchemy... Either way, Sera smiled and complimented him for it. That was just the way Ryo was.

On Phi, general alchemy was the study of magic phenomena produced through magic formulas and magic circles. Alchemists engraved both methods into their tools, but...apparently, Ryo hadn’t done that. It would be some time before he realized this.

Incidentally, he had finally succeeded in creating a magic circle capable of firing a single Icicle Lance... He’d been generating them without the circles for some time now, so there was no increase in his fighting power at all. Not even a little bit. But that was just fine with him. Being cool—or wonderful, in Sera’s eyes—was worth a lot more!

That evening, Ryo headed to the adventurers’ guild for the first time in a while. About a month had passed since his last trip, which had been on the day he and Abel returned to Lune. They’d dropped in together, made their report, and that was it.

To his sadness, he didn’t pass the crepe stand on the way there. The owner had pulled up stakes before his return to Lune.

After Nina poured their tea and left, Hugh spoke: “There’s only one reason I asked ya to come, Ryo.” More quietly, he continued, “I sold the last o’ the magic stones.”

He smiled a strange, unnerving smile. Even Ryo, accustomed to Hugh’s quirks, felt unsettled.

“Took a while b’cause we sold ’em all hush-hush since ya boys wanted to keep yer involvement a secret.” Hugh handed him a piece of paper. “Here’s the final amount we’ll be transferrin’ to yer account.” The sum written on it was...

“E-Eleven digits...?”

...well over ten billion.

“Yup. ’Course, that’s after deductin’ taxes ’n’ fees. Goes without sayin’ that it don’t include Abel’s share either. Pretty hefty, eh?”

Hugh sat back in his chair, looking utterly and unrepentantly smug.

“I didn’t expect this much... I could live like a king on this for a year!” Ryo joked.

“Damn, boy, how much ya plannin’ to spend?” Hugh quipped back.

“Well...as long as I don’t build a ship, this should last me a long time.”

“What’s this ’bout a ship?”

“You see, I saw a magnificent one in Whitnash and...”

“Ahhh. Hate to break it to ya, but yer gonna need another digit for that,” Hugh said with a sigh and a shake of his head.

“Nooo...”

“I know which ship yer talkin’ ’bout. The Rain Shooter, right? It cost three hundred ’n’ seventy billion florins to make.”

“That’s...expensive.”

“Ain’t that the truth.”

They both sighed in unison then. Ships like that weren’t built by regular folks like them.

Since Ryo had come all the way here and now had even more money to spare, he decided to treat himself by, as you may have guessed, eating at the guild dining hall. The rush hour had passed, and there were a fair few people there at dinnertime. While he was looking for a place to sit, someone spotted him from afar and waved at him. It was Amon from Room 10. Of course, Nils and Eto were also at the same table.

“It’s so crowded tonight, isn’t it?” he remarked, taking a seat.

“Rare to see you at the guild, Ryo,” Nils replied while eating the daily dinner special.

“In a way, an adventurer who barely shows his face at the adventurers’ guild is pretty amazing too,” Eto said with a smile. He was eating grilled chicken skewers for his meal.

“Well, I had an appointment, so...”

Ryo ordered the daily special.

“You are always holed up at home working on your alchemy, Ryo.”

Amon had ordered pizza, which was apparently a new item on the menu.

“Is that pizza?”

Ryo did a double take. Because right in front of Amon was most definitely pizza... Margherita-style at that.

“I did. I thought I’d try it since they just added it, and it’s delicious. It’s evidently very popular in the Empire, and it has finally attracted interest here in Lune too.”

Amon cut out an eighth of the pizza and gave the slice to Ryo. Grateful, he took a bite. It was most definitely Margherita pizza! What’s more...

“Fantastic!” Ryo exclaimed.

“Right?! I think it will be a hit with everyone in the city.” Amon nodded in eager agreement.

“See, Ryo, we’re gonna be away for a few days on a job.”

That was why they’d decided to eat dinner in the guild’s cafeteria, known for being both tasty and cheap. Of course, that made Ryo wonder what they usually did for meals...

“We usually cook for ourselves,” Eto said with a knowing grin.

Ryo realized that cooking their own meals might be the most economical since they rented a house together.

“We’re heading to the village of Kona, about a day away from here,” Amon explained.

“Kona...” Ryo couldn’t help but react. Just hearing it brought to mind Hawaii’s Kona coffee.

When he’d been on Earth, he hadn’t had any hobbies, but he’d loved coffee and drank different types depending on the day and his mood. Because of this, he’d become picky about his coffee without even realizing it, and Hawaiian Kona had been one of his three favorite beans.

Ryo’s father had installed an espresso machine made by a company with a name similar to the adventurer named Delong. However, he might have been influenced by his son’s love of coffee. And that machine had made incredibly delicious coffee...all by itself! The wonders of automation!

“Yes. It’s a village that grows the beans used for a drink called coffee.”

“Kona coffee!” Ryo gasped, his reaction to this additional information even more emphatic.

A devilish look passed on Nils’s face. “Ryo, weird bugs have infested the coffee trees recently, and strange things have been happening in the village. Since the job was open to D- and E-ranks, we accepted it, but...”

The swordsman and leader of the trio paused there on purpose.

“But?” Ryo prompted, taking the bait.

“The village sent the request not just to Lune but Kailadi too, and one of their D-rank parties accepted too...”

“Then doesn’t that mean the guilds will ask the village to withdraw one of the petitions?” Ryo responded, remembering the regulations for commissions.

“Normally, yeah, but they negotiated that they’d pay both parties properly because they wanted the problem taken care of as quickly and effectively as possible. Both guilds made an exception for Kona, since it’s become famous for its coffee.”

“Wow. That is some incredible political power,” Ryo said, astounded.

He’d assumed the village was quaint and idyllic, but perhaps he’d been wrong. After all, they had successfully convinced not one but two adventurers’ guilds to accept their terms.

“But thanks to that, this has suddenly turned into a standoff between the guilds...” Nils lamented.

“It wasn’t like that at all when we accepted the request. Hard to believe things changed so quickly in only a day...” Eto added, a troubled look on his face.

“Long story short: This is a fight we can’t afford to lose, ya know?”

“I completely understand! Life sometimes turns out that way, doesn’t it?” Ryo said sympathetically. There were some battles that one just couldn’t afford to lose.

“Apparently, the coffee you can drink there is particularly good.” With that bit of information, Nils doubled down for good measure.

“I bet it is!”

Ryo looked happy as he imagined the taste, the smell, the very sight of that coffee.

“So what do you say, Ryo?” Nils asked, driving it home. “Wanna tag along too?”

“Yes, I’d like that.”

He didn’t know that at that moment, Nils, Eto, and Amon all clenched their hands into triumphant fists under the table. The trio knew from experience that most jobs went much more smoothly with Ryo accompanying them.

And this time, for whatever reason, it had turned into a competition with another guild. Failure was not an option. The party members of Room 10 breathed a sigh of relief, having succeeded in gaining an unexpected and powerful pinch hitter.

To the Village of Kona

“Glory, glory, hallelujah! Kona is going to fall straight into our hands! ♪”

“Why are you singing what sounds like an invader’s march?” Nils said.

“You know, Nils, lately you’ve been sounding more and more like Abel...”

“Really?! Aw, shucks, that’s gonna go straight to my head!” Nils replied in delight—especially when he heard the word “Abel.”

As they walked together, Eto and Amon chuckled while listening to their conversation. They were on the way to the village of Kona from the city of Lune, having left at dawn to arrive before dusk.

“Setting aside the business of insects we’ve never seen before...I’m curious about the strange phenomenon,” Amon said to the group at large.

“I know, right?” Eto cocked his head. “There was no mention of monsters or anything, just some odd mystery. I wonder what we’ll find.”

“Doesn’t matter what it is. I’ll slice and dice it!” Nils shouted, a typical hotheaded muscle-brain. He was the party’s leader.

With a covert glance at him, Ryo realized that a party leader didn’t need intellect—they just needed the ability to rally their followers.

“Ryo, I know you were thinking something seriously rude just now.”

Nils’s uncanny intuition made Ryo’s brain short-circuit. “Wh-What... Whatever could you be referring to?” he said stiffly.

Nils’s sharp gaze didn’t waver. He clearly wasn’t about to let Ryo out of this pickle without a real answer.

“I was simply impressed by how well suited you are to leadership, Nils,” Ryo declared boldly. It wasn’t a lie, at least.

“O-Oh, yeah? In that case, I guess I’ll drop it.”

Eto and Amon thought Nils was a bit of a soft touch when they saw how apologetic he seemed.

“Nils, Ryo was definitely...”

“...thinking something mean.”

The two whispered to each other, their voices so low that Nils and Ryo didn’t hear them.

And so, they arrived at the village at two in the afternoon, earlier than they’d planned. The village itself was fairly large, its roads lined with rows of houses. Farther back, they could see a vast coffee plantation.

“I’d heard about it but didn’t expect this scale...” Nils mumbled.

“The population is over five thousand, so...it’s basically a town, huh?” Eto murmured.

“I wonder why it’s still called a village,” Amon said.

“Because this place is under the direct control of the royal family.”

The three of them turned around in surprise.

Ryo wasn’t surprised because he’d known someone was approaching them, but he was surprised to learn that bit of information.

Does His Royal Majesty like coffee too?

The person who’d approached was a mature man in his mid-forties. He was tall with an elegant gait, deeply tanned skin, black eyes, and chestnut-colored hair. Perhaps the reason Ryo assumed he wasn’t a farmer was his clothes: His shirt, although thin, was obviously very well-made, coupled with his cropped pants and sandals.

“Ah, excuse me. I’m the magistrate here in Kona, dispatched by the royal family. My name is Goro Ganda. You can call me Goro.”

Goro? That sounds like a Japanese name, but...his face looks Latin? I mean, his features are so chiseled.

“Hello, we’re the adventurer party, Room 10, from the city of Lune. I’m Nils, and this is Eto, Amon, and Ryo. We accepted the commission this village posted.”

Eto took the relevant form from his bag and handed it over to Goro, who read it over.

“Thank you. Everything looks to be in order. Follow me to my office. I’ll explain everything to you there. It also doubles as a residence, so you can stay there while you’re in Kona.”

Goro started walking, leading the way.

“I’m sure you’re already aware, but we also submitted this request to Kailadi’s adventurers’ guild. A party from there is scheduled to arrive in the evening, which is why I’ll explain everything once they’re here too. Apologies for the inconvenience.”

“Not a problem at all. We understand,” Nils replied politely. He knew how to deal with clients like Goro.

Even a meathead like him is just fine with the interpersonal stuff, hm?

For some reason, Ryo nodded condescendingly. How very rude of him.

“About your lodgings... Considering the nature of this village, bureaucrats and aristocrats often visit from the capital, so you can expect the accommodations to reflect that.”

“Are you sure it’s all right for adventurers like us to stay there?” Nils sounded a little anxious now.

“Of course. As the magistrate, I have sole discretion over such matters. Besides, don’t you think it would be more of a waste not to use the residence?” Goro was smiling a bit.

Ryo had assumed that officials like Goro would act arrogantly toward adventurers and commoners alike, so he took a liking to Goro, who didn’t behave like that at all. Of course, that bossy image was just a product of his imagination, as he’d never actually met a local magistrate until now.

The group arrived at the magistrate’s residence and entered the conference room next to his office. A fairly large round table sat within; he used this room to hold meetings and receive reports from each department.

“Please, take a seat over there.”

Goro sat in the center seat while the other four sat to his right. The empty chairs on the left must have been for the party coming from Kailadi. As soon as they were seated, a staff member brought drinks—Kona coffee, of course.

“Since you made the journey out here to Kona, you must try our coffee. We’ll talk after,” Goro said with a smile.

The smell of coffee permeated every corner of the room. Goro, who’d been served a cup along with the others, brought it to his nose and inhaled deeply. The other four followed suit, picking up their cups and sniffing the aroma before taking small sips.

This is different from Earth’s Hawaiian Kona. Of course it is. But...it’s still delicious. Clearly, they threw out any bad beans before roasting, resulting in an almost perfect flavor. Ahhh... These people take coffee very seriously, don’t they... They didn’t use the drip method either. I think this is...press? What was it called? French press? This was what we drank when Mom and Dad were both alive...

Ryo drank his coffee while reminiscing over fond memories.

Goro watched him with keen interest. Compared to the other three, who drank their coffee gingerly, Ryo gave off the air of someone who knew what good coffee was. No wonder Ryo had drawn his eye.

However, he didn’t say anything. Goro wasn’t so uncouth. He knew that food, drink, and the tastes and aromas they held could bring back memories of the past. And some of those memories were ones best not to intrude upon, so he wouldn’t ask any tactless questions. Goro Ganda was an extremely competent man.

They talked for an hour about all sorts of things, then Goro received word that the adventurers from Kailadi had arrived.

“Please wait here while I see to them.”

The four spoke to each other in soft whispers after he left the room.

“He seems like a decent enough sort,” Eto said.

“Yes, indeed he does,” Amon agreed.

“I hope we can say the same about these other adventurers,” Nils said, worried.

“This village is under the direct jurisdiction of the royal family, right? It makes sense, then, that they submitted their requests to not one but two separate adventurers’ guilds.”

“Oh, damn...” Nils couldn’t think of anything else to say in response to Ryo’s comment.

“Nils... You forgot to tell Ryo, didn’t you?” Eto asked with a rueful smile.

“You’re so mean...” Ryo slumped against the round table.

Soon enough, Goro returned with the adventurers from Kailadi.

“This is Dragon’s Jaw, the party from Kailadi. And these are the members of Room 10 from Lune.”

While Room 10 consisted of four men, Dragon’s Jaw was made up of three men and two women. Everyone introduced themselves politely after the others sat down too. And like clockwork, another round of coffee was served. To Room 10 as well.

Once more, Ryo savored the aroma and taste. His three friends looked like they’d grown more used to the beverage now... Or at least they desperately tried to make it seem that way.

Not a single person from Dragon’s Jaw touched their cups. Goro noticed that too.

“Is our Kona coffee not to your liking?” His tone was calm, neither intimidating nor arrogant.

“Nah, the coffee ain’t the problem,” said the swordsman—likely their leader. “We just don’t wanna eat or drink with them.”

Ryo almost spat his coffee out, but that would have been a waste of perfectly good coffee, so he managed to control himself. Besides, he was more worried about Nils flying off the handle, but when he looked next to him, he saw that his friend remained composed.

Anybody who couldn’t control their emotions in front of a client was third-rate scum. Abel had, in fact, drilled this lesson thoroughly into Nils. Ryo didn’t know that, hence his surprise. Eto and Amon, however, nodded slightly in approval. Nils was definitely growing up.

Eto was the only one who noticed Goro’s eyes narrowing just the tiniest bit when the Dragon’s Jaw leader spoke. He sighed internally.

How dumb do you have to be to make the client uncomfortable right from the start? This party may turn out to be a real thorn in everyone’s side.

“I see. Then let’s get right into it. I’ll explain the details of this assignment. You may ask me any questions at the end,” Goro said. “There’s an insect outbreak of the likes we’ve never seen before destroying our coffee trees. Currently, five percent of our crop has been infested. As far as particulars on the creatures go... Well, that’s difficult. We consulted a specialist in the royal capital some time ago, but they couldn’t identify the species. At the moment, we must search for them one by one with our eyes, then pick them and crush them by hand. If you can think of better methods, please let me know. That’s the first issue. The other has to do with people disappearing from the village.”

At that point, Goro spread out a map on top of the round table.

“This is a map of the village. Those who disappeared were often last seen near the entrance to the eastern forest. However, it stretches far and wide, and many monsters live there, none of which have ever come close to the village until now. Therefore, we’re unsure if they’re the cause of the disappearances. If they are, we’ll ask you to hunt them down. If not, we would like you to investigate. These are our requests.”

He paused, took a breath, then continued.

“If you have any questions, please ask away.”

The swordsman-cum-leader of Dragon’s Jaw raised his hand.

“I don’t think we can work with them. So the most efficient thing to do here would be for us to look into the disappearances while they deal with the bugs.”

I guess people like this do exist, hm? Openly hostile from the get-go... I’d really like to know what the higher-ups at Kailadi’s adventurers’ guild were thinking when they sent them.

Ryo was careful not to let his face betray his thoughts.

“We don’t mind how you choose to proceed,” Ryo said. “All I ask is that you don’t cause any trouble for the village or its residents. Let me remind you that this place is under the direct control of the royal family. You may think of the villagers as His Majesty’s immediate vassals.”

The weight he placed on that last sentence didn’t go unnoticed. It was also the first time since he met everyone here that his voice took on a stern tone. Even the members of Dragon’s Jaw stiffened in reaction, their expressions tense.

“Room 10, are you amenable to the proposed division of labor?” Goro asked Nils in his original mild-mannered way.

Nils stole a glance at Eto, who gave him a small nod. Then he responded, “Yeah, we are.”

His answer surprised the other party. They had assumed he would object and argue. The insect problem was obviously an impossible task unsuited for D-rank adventurers. Nevertheless, Room 10 accepted the unfair terms.

Once Goro finished his explanation, he offered more Kona coffee. Of course, the four members of Room 10 accepted. Since Dragon’s Jaw refused to drink it again, he summoned his secretary to show them to their lodgings and answer any questions they had.

After they left, the five people remaining in the conference room nursed their coffees. Originally, Goro had planned to give both parties a tour simultaneously. In terms of efficiency, that was the best option. It was the same reason he’d waited until both parties were present to debrief them.

Unfortunately, the two parties might as well have been oil and water, mostly due to Dragon’s Jaw’s one-sided hostility... That explained why they left when he offered coffee again, and Room 10 stayed.

A pretty smart way to separate us so that tensions don’t explode, Ryo smugly thought while drinking his Kona coffee.

“Moving forward, I’ll make sure to work with your party and theirs separately,” Goro said with a wry smile, one hand holding his cup.

The other four responded with awkward smiles of their own. Apologizing didn’t feel right in this situation...especially when the other guys were the ones being jerks! But insulting them behind their backs didn’t feel right either... So all they could do was smile awkwardly.

After about fifteen minutes, they finished drinking their coffees and Goro showed them to their lodgings and the dining room while elaborating on the current circumstances.

“I can’t deny that the disappearances are worrying the villagers. However, for better or worse, the size of our population has prevented things from escalating. I doubt that would be the case if this were an ordinary village with few residents.” He paused there, his expression turning grave. “I think you’ll face myriad challenges on this commission, but I sincerely hope you can help us.”

Then he bowed his head deeply to the four of them.

◆

“Okay, guys, it’s four o’clock and the sun’s setting in less than three hours. What do you wanna do?” Nils asked, looking at his beloved pocket watch.

“Why don’t we talk to the people working at the plantation? We may learn something.”

The other three agreed with Eto’s suggestion.

The coffee plantation was behind the main part of the village. When they arrived, they saw a vast field of coffee stretching into the distance. As much as he loved to drink it, even Ryo had never seen a coffee tree before. The trees rose as tall as people, aligned in endless rows at two-meter intervals. It was a dazzling, overwhelming sight.

“Incredible...” Ryo murmured.

The farmers were harvesting only the ripe beans from the trees. Far off in the distance, Ryo spotted an air magician using an Air Slash-like spell to trim the weeds between the trees... A scene straight out of a fantasy setting!

“All right, guys, let’s do this.”

The other three weren’t nearly as impressed as Ryo. That disappointed him just a little bit.

After they’d talked to several farmers, the harvesters agreed to show them the insects plaguing their crops. But first, they had to actually find the pests. The farmer showing them around, a man named Takka who’d just come of age, studied the trees where the infestation had begun. Three minutes later, he called them over.

“Here’s one.”

He pointed at a pitch-black insect about half a centimeter long. Even if it stretched its legs out wide, it would still only be about the size of a pinky finger nail.

“That’s a lot of legs,” Ryo muttered.

“Ryo?” Nils said, overhearing.

“It has ten legs.”

“Wow, it really does,” Amon murmured, peering at it.

“Now that I think about it, don’t most bugs have six legs?” Nils considered for a moment. “Wait, spiders have eight.”

“Indeed, they do. I learned that spiders are more closely related to horseshoe crabs and scorpions.”

“Scorpions are the ones with venomous tails and enormous claws that live in the desert, right? A long, long time ago, my grandfather showed me some alcohol infused with a scorpion. I had no idea spiders were relatives...” Amon remarked while remembering the past. He trembled, apparently terrified of the memory of the creature.

Wow, soaking highly poisonous substances in alcohol is a custom everywhere, huh?

That was what Ryo was thinking.

While they discussed the topic, Eto stared silently at the bug.

“Eto?” Ryo called out.

“Huh? Oh, Ryo. I was just thinking it’s a bit too small to examine properly... If only it were a bit bigger...” Squinting, Eto drew closer to the insect.

“Well, today’s your lucky day, because I have the perfect water magic spell.”

Ice Lens.

As he chanted the words in his mind, a palm-sized convex lens made of ice formed. In the beginning, it had taken him more than fifteen minutes to create one. Now, he could do it almost instantly. Ryo reveled in the fruits of his labor.

“Look through this,” Ryo said. “It’ll look larger.”

“Wow...” Eto said, then he began his scrutiny of the insect.

Five minutes later, he lifted his head. After returning the ice lens to Ryo, he nodded and spoke.

“I think I know what this is.”

◆

“I think it’s likely that they’re cacodemonic insects,” Eto said firmly back in Goro’s office.

“Cacodemonic insects? This is the first I’m hearing of them. Would you elaborate?” Despite his confusion, Goro pressed him for more details.

“They’re one species of the cacodemons’ minions. When a cacodemon is resurrected, it sends these out to gather power on its behalf.”

“Cacodemons...” Goro said the word out loud in fear.

Cacodemons!

Meanwhile, Ryo said the word in his mind in delight.

We’ve had devils and demon kings and...demon princes, was it? But weak, every last one of them... Then does this mean cacodemons are the real deal in Phi?!

Both demon kings and cacodemons were staples in isekai reincarnation stories! However, one was always strong and the other weak. Or, more often than not, only one type showed up. And now that the cacodemon had finally made its debut, Ryo’s excitement skyrocketed.

“Having said that,” Eto continued, “I only learned about them during my studies in the Temple, so I recommend you seek out a specialist on the subject.”

“The one we requested before specialized in insects, so it never would have even occurred to me that we needed someone whose field of study was cacodemons...”

Goro exhaled deeply. Then he suddenly lifted his head like he’d had a sudden flash of insight.

“Eto, the folklorists at the central temple would know quite a lot about cacodemonic lore, and thereby these insects, right?”

“Yes, they’re very knowledgeable on the subject.”

“Excellent. One of them, whom I’m acquainted with, is currently on a sojourn in Kailadi, so I’ll send out a request for aid right away. And I won’t take no for an answer.”

Decided, Goro quickly penned a letter and handed it to his secretary to be posted immediately to the city by bird courier.

“Now we simply wait.”

Then he exhaled again.

“Frankly, I didn’t expect the insect problem to be solved so quickly. I’m glad your party has a priest,” he said with a smile.

“Oh, no, it’s nothing, really...” Eto replied, a little embarrassed.

“In a pleasant twist of fate, the earlier division of labor turned out to be a very good thing, considering Dragon’s Jaw has no cleric.”

The other party consisted of a male swordsman, a female scout, a male axman, a male magician, and a female archer. No priests or priestesses among them.

“Well, there just aren’t very many adventurers who are clerics,” Eto answered with a nod.

◆

The four of them accomplished their assigned task just under two hours after their arrival. From that information alone, you could say they produced excellent results. Of course, the folklorist would look into the situation tomorrow and inspect the insects themselves, but for today, their work was done.

“First things first: bath time!” Nils gleefully commanded.

“Hooray!” the others cheered.

Since this residence frequently housed nobles and government officials, it was naturally furnished with a large bath. Apparently, it was also open to the villagers on weekends.

It’s the best way to maintain facilities. Because if things aren’t used, you’ll find them broken down when you need them.

Ryo’s opinion of Goro rose even more.

After the bath, it was dinnertime. Goro had told them the head chef also prepared meals for him and his high-ranking guests, so the four had high expectations. Would he meet them, though? Let’s find out...

“This is freaking amazing!”

“Delicious!”

“I couldn’t agree more!”

“Both the meat and the fish are superb!”

The dinner satisfied Nils, Eto, Amon, and Ryo.

Watching from afar, the head chef nodded happily.

To no one’s surprise, the four adventurers devoured every last bite despite the fairly large portions. They practically licked their plates clean. Eto, whose appetite was usually small, also ate it all up. Their hunger might have had something to do with the long walk from Lune, plus the fact that they’d only had dried meat for lunch.

And, of course, they finished off the meal with Kona coffee.

As the four were enjoying their after-dinner coffee, the five other adventurers of Dragon’s Jaw, the party from Kailadi, entered.

“Tsk.” The swordsman clicked his tongue loudly.

Of course, the four members of Room 10 heard it. Ryo was worried about Nils. During Goro’s explanation that afternoon, Nils had kept a lid on his temper because the client was right there, but that wasn’t the case now. With that thought in mind, Ryo looked at Nils.

However, Nils continued drinking his coffee without a care in the world. The other two had the same nonchalant attitude.

They’re so mature!

Ryo was impressed by how much the three of them had grown.

This lasted all of ten seconds.

“Hey, Ryo, didja know?” Nils said. “The smaller the dog, the louder its bark. So, in the same vein, the more useless the adventurer, the louder they click their tongue.”

No, I didn’t! And you definitely just made up that last bit!

“Say that to my face, asshole!”

Naturally, the five members of Dragon’s Jaw couldn’t stay quiet after hearing something like that. Instantly, they grew enraged. The two women looked just as ready for a fight as the men... Maybe it was a case of them turning into the people they surrounded themselves with...

Ryo shook his head slightly.

“All right, gents, I say we head back to our room. Chef, thanks for the meal,” Nils said politely.

“Thanks for the meal,” the other three echoed.

Then the members of Room 10 stood up from their seats, completely ignoring the other party as they left the dining room.

“Hey! Get your asses back here!”

The Dragon’s Jaw swordsman tried to grab Ryo, who brought up the rear, by the shoulder.

At that moment...

Clatter. Crash.

The swordsman tumbled noisily to the ground. No one had noticed that the floor beneath his feet had frozen over. On his way down, he knocked over a nearby chair and a vase on the table, leaving the area in a shambles.

“Oh, no, are you all right? You should really watch where you’re going or you might hurt yourself,” Ryo said loftily, walking right out of the dining hall.

Only the five furious adventurers with no outlet for their anger and the chefs, grimacing from the kitchen, remained. Ever the professionals, though, the chefs did their jobs and served them dinner. But the butler later testified to Goro that the adventurers from Kailadi looked displeased from start to finish.

The next morning, Room 10 leisurely got ready for the day. When the butler told them that Dragon’s Jaw had already left for the eastern forest after an early breakfast, the four glanced knowingly at each other and nodded.

Now that they wouldn’t have to deal with the annoying quintet for a while, they nursed their sumptuous meals. They even drank coffee before heading to the magistrate’s office. Last night, Goro had requested that they see him by ten o’clock. They were led to the same conference room, where they found him with another person.

He’s not wearing a cleric’s white robe but formal holy attire... I’ve never seen that crest before, though. So this is a folklorist... Ryo thought.

As far as he could tell, the man looked roughly the same age as Goro. He was as tall as the average man and built slim. Not lean like Ryo, but genuinely skinny. If Ryo had to say, in terms of build, he was closest to Eto.

“Good, you’re all here. Everyone, this is Viscount Larshata Deveaux, the folklorist from the central temple. Larshata, these are the adventurers from Lune I was telling you about, Room 10,” Goro said.

Eto lifted his eyebrows. “Viscount?”

“Hello, and nice to meet you. I understand your confusion. It is awfully strange to hold a title while being part of the Temple, hm? Let’s just say my circumstances are...tricky, and leave it at that. Now, why don’t we discuss these insects?”

“Yes, of course. Here you are.”

Ryo placed the ice box he’d been carrying under his arm on the table. Inside was the black bug they had caught yesterday.

“Well, well, what do we have here? Truth be told, I’m more intrigued by this box— Ah, but the insect itself is fascinating too... Are you a water magician, then?”

“Yes, I am.” Ryo nodded.

“Looking at this box, I’m reminded of the tale of ‘The Ice Goddess and the Frost Sovereign.’ Over ten thousand years ago, or so the story goes...”

“Larshata, I hate to interrupt, but the insect first, please,” Goro interjected, redirecting his friend’s attention to what had brought him here.

“Ah, forgive me. Right you are, right you are,” Larshata replied with a chuckle.

Then he began to inspect the insect, muttering to himself the whole time.

After three minutes of this, he turned to Ryo.

“Would you be so kind as to open this box?”

“Of course.”

Ryo took off the lid. Larshata reached inside, grabbed the insect, then balled up his fist, crushing it in the palm of his hand. He opened his hand, spreading his fingers.

“Hm... Red bodily fluid, just like legend states...”

A red liquid reminiscent of blood leaked from the insect remains smeared across Larshata’s palm.

“Which means...” Goro prodded.

“A cacodemonic insect indeed,” Larshata responded with a nod. “It must be the ‘cacodemon sealed away in the south’ which has regenerated and is gathering the strength to rise up once more,” he continued thoughtfully.

“Understood. The first thing I’ll do is send a report to the capital. I’ll be writing your name and Eto’s as the individuals who verified the identity of this creature. I trust that is fine with you both?”

“Do what you need to do.”

“Of course, I don’t mind at all.”

“Eto, are cacodemons strong?” Ryo asked from next to him, his voice low.

“Um...” Eto blinked, surprised by the question. “I...think so. But, truthfully, no one really knows. It’s been centuries since one has been reported...” Eto then glanced inquiringly at Larshata, the folklorist.

“Spot-on, young man. Eto, was it? It is as he says. The last record chronicling a cacodemon’s defeat was nine hundred and fifty years ago. Of course, that doesn’t exclude the possibility of others being defeated that weren’t recorded. Adults are wont to make such decisions for one reason or another, eh? I suspect that the cacodemon this time is the same as the one from nine hundred and fifty years prior, though.”

“This time?” Ryo asked.

“Yes. According to the legends passed down in the Kingdom, two cacodemons were sealed, one in the south and the other in the east. Many tales about the eastern one have much to say about its terrifying strength. Evidently, the damage it caused not only extended to the eastern part of the Kingdom, but also to the area that is now the Handalieu Federation.”

Larshata propped his chin on his hand and thought for a bit.

“In light of this, is there a possibility the nation will deploy additional forces this time?”

“You mean like knights?” Nils asked.

“Maybe the Bureau?” Eto joined.

“High-ranking adventurers, perhaps?” Amon asked.

“Or the Hero?” Ryo wondered.

The three jolted, turning to stare at Ryo in shock. Nils recovered first and broke the silence.

“Ryo, the current Hero’s in the Western Provinces. There’s no way he’s here,” he said, extremely confident.

“Heh heh heh. Nils, Nils, Nils. Obviously, your information is outdated. Allow me to inform you that Roman the Hero and his party were, in fact, in the royal capital just recently,” Ryo said with the certainty of someone who’d just fought side by side with them.

“Are you serious?!” Nils’s eyes widened.

“Oh, yes,” Larshata said. “I did hear about the Hero assisting in the defense of the central temple’s underground levels during the mayhem in the capital. I must say, you’re well-informed, Ryo.”

“Okay, but...a decent amount of time has passed since then, so I seriously doubt he’s still here.”

“Do you really think so? Well, that’s a pity.” Ryo didn’t mean a word of what he said.

Ryo wholeheartedly believed Roman the Hero was a good guy. The young man possessed a spirit perfectly suited to that of a hero. After the chaos in the capital, he had challenged Ryo to spar with him countless times. Ryo had quite literally lost count of the number of times and eventually had to hide his annoyance at Roman’s persistence. Even though he had no problem sparring with Sera, he thought dueling the Hero would be nothing but a pain in the neck. Ryo was not a good guy.

While the others chatted, Goro returned to the conference room.

“I’ve arranged for brief reports to be sent to the royal capital, Lune, and Kailadi.”

That fast?

Ryo was surprised. Not even half an hour had passed, so the man must have been something else to have gotten the task done so quickly.

“I drafted most of my message yesterday after Eto suggested it was a cacodemonic insect. Once Larshata confirmed his suspicion today, I jotted down the additional facts, duplicated the report using Transcribe, then sent it to all the relevant parties,” Goro explained casually, smiling.

“Ever the paragon of work. Don’t you get tired of putting a layabout like me to shame, Goro? Do you still have no plans to return to the capital?” Larshata asked his friend.

“Not as of now, no. I love this village too much. But more than that, I love Kona coffee.”

His timing couldn’t have been more perfect. Just then, the door opened, and one of his staff entered to serve them Kona coffee. With their meeting and his reporting done, it was now time to drink the liquid ambrosia. And what a blissful time it was...

◆

“Right then, I’m heading back to Kailadi for now,” Larshata said when their blissful time ended.

“Gah, don’t tell me...” Goro trailed off, already suspecting his friend’s answer.

“You would be right. I tossed my work aside to come here.” Then Larshata burst out laughing.

“Well, I suppose I should apologize for that.”

“No, it’s fine. Thanks to you, I saw a cacodemonic insect with my very own eyes. I would like to see how our forces handle the cacodemon itself, soooo...I’ll make sure to finish my work and return as quickly as possible. Sit, sit, no need to see me off.”

And with that, he left the conference room.

“Though he calls himself a layabout, that is very much a lie,” Goro prefaced with a small smile. “For some time, he returned to secular life. In other words, he quit his post as a priest to inherit his family’s title. However, his status as a folklorist was such that it was difficult to replace him, so the royal family and Temple granted him special permission to return to his post while remaining a viscount.”

“That’s...unheard of. He must be truly incredible, then...” Eto, as a priest himself, was the most surprised by Goro’s revelation.

“Is he really that amazing?” Nils pressed.

“Yes. Normally, such exemptions are unthinkable. Even saints rarely receive them.”

“Ohhh. Well, when you put it like that, I definitely get it.” Larshata’s talents as a folklorist were even rarer than saints’ talents—to the point that he was allowed to retain his title of nobility and return to his post as a priest, an impossibility in the Central Provinces.

“All right, gentleman, we’ll be tabling the matter of the insects for now. I’ve done my duty of reporting to the royal family, so how we proceed is for them to decide. That leaves us with the problem of the disappearances...”

Goro grimaced.

“And, unfortunately, Dragon’s Jaw, who seems to regard you all in a hostile light.”

He sighed deeply.

“Yes, they do... We’re sorry about that.” Eto bowed his head.

“No, it’s not your fault... It isn’t, yes? You haven’t quarrelled with them before, have you?”

“Nope. I mean, our first time meeting them was here,” Nils said. “It’s not like we’ve even met adventurers from Kai—”

“Nils?” Ryo asked his friend, whose expression looked odd.

“Well, the only time we had anything to do with Kailadi was...the time we took the job for my village. Now I’m wondering if that has something to do with their lousy attitudes?”

“You know, I actually wondered the same thing,” Eto said. “Maybe they were one of the parties that beat a hasty retreat after suffering serious injuries, or the villagers turned them away right out of the gate...”

“Yeah, maybe,” Nils replied.

Meanwhile, Amon and Ryo nodded at the same time at Eto’s suggestion.

Goro had been listening to them silently. Eto gave him a brief rundown of what had happened. To put it simply, the other party’s resentment might have been unjustified.

“I see. It’s possible that Dragon’s Jaw was one of those parties. Whatever the case, the problem doesn’t lie with you all... In truth, it would be best if both parties contributed to the investigation of the disappearances, but it would be troublesome if something happened in the forest... For now, I want you all to stand by. I’ve sent my report to Lune, so we may hear back soon.”

And so, the four members of Room 10 enjoyed a brief, magistrate-approved respite.

Word came to Goro’s office two days later. Both Room 10 and Dragon’s Jaw were summoned to the large conference room. The folklorist Larshata, back already from Kailadi, was sitting beside Goro.

“We received communication from the royal capital. At present, they won’t be sending any official reinforcements. Instead, the government will be requesting aid from the adventurers’ guilds of Lune and Kailadi. In other words, the two cities will be dispatching additional adventurers.”

That meant the ones coming to Kona would be high-ranking adventurers. Amon’s prediction turned out to be correct. He nodded vigorously. Nils looked just a tad frustrated.

However, one person remained entirely unconvinced. Of course, it wasn’t a member of Room 10, but the leader and swordsman of Dragon’s Jaw.

“Like hell they will! This here’s our job. You really think we’ll just let these latecomers snatch it away?! Latecomers from another city, to boot! To hell with that!”

I understand how you feel, but this isn’t something you should say in front of the client.

Even Ryo, with his scant experience with adventuring jobs, knew the man had made a faux pas. You could only imagine what the other three in Room 10 were thinking.

“Dogon, mind your tongue. This is a decision by the royal government, made by someone even higher up the rung than us in the village, your clients. It is, effectively, the royal family’s decision. Do you understand that opposing the royal family means committing the crime of high treason?” Goro said in a low, reproachful tone that the members of Room 10 had never heard before.

Even Dogon seemed daunted by the mention of the words “high treason,” his pallor turning sickly. Still, he felt like he had to say something. Cornered as he was, he decided that things wouldn’t improve at this rate. And in his childish rebuttal lay the problem.

“I bet these scumbags from Lune are lying their asses off about the bugs being cacodemonic insects or whatever! They’re just trying to make themselves look good and take the credit! How can we trust anything they say?!”

The four members of Room 10 collectively gulped. They weren’t annoyed or interested in arguing back. They simply knew that—

“I was the one who identified those creatures as cacodemonic insects,” Larshata interjected. “If you must know, I’m the head folklorist at the central temple.”

“Th-Then you conspired with them to make up that cock-and-bull story!”

That’s absolutely absurd, Swordsman Dogon... Though I suppose it’s only natural for a cornered animal to lash out.

Ryo prayed for him in his mind.

“I am a priest, yes. However, I am also Viscount Larshata Deveaux. Do you understand now? That means I’m a noble. So I advise you to watch the way you speak to me.”

“A noble,” Dogon muttered, shocked. The other four members of Dragon’s Jaw were also speechless. Silence fell over the conference room.

After a while, Magistrate Goro spoke.

“We’ll maintain the status quo until additional aid arrives from Lune and Kailadi. Any further actions depend on who arrives, so I’ll decide then. I request that both parties please remain in the village in the meantime. Since your stay here has been extended, your compensation will be increased accordingly.”

The members of Room 10 internally pumped their fists. The others were none the wiser, of course.

With that, the meeting ended, and as usual, Goro invited them to join him for coffee afterward. As usual, the five members of Dragon’s Jaw declined and left the conference room.

◆

Goro, Larshata, and the four members of Room 10 remained. When the coffee arrived, Larshata spoke first.

“Goro, what is with those Dragon’s Jaw buggers? Naturally, I don’t expect them to be as friendly as the young men in Room 10, but I must say, I’ve never met such horrid adventurers before in my life.”

The four glanced at each other with wry smiles.

“I don’t disagree,” Goro said. “To be perfectly blunt, the reputation of Kailadi’s adventurers’ guilds falls lower and lower by the day... I had my misgivings when I first submitted the request to them, and, unfortunately, these adventurers have proven those doubts well-founded.” He shook his head in disappointment.

“Has Kailadi’s guild always been this bad?” Ryo asked in a thoughtful murmur.

“Well, when we visited, the submaster was a decent enough guy. What was his name again?” Nils trailed off.

“Landenbier,” Eto supplied.

Though they spoke quietly to each other, it was difficult not to be overheard, considering how few people were in the conference room.

“Submaster Landenbier was what one might call Kailadi’s conscience,” Goro interjected with a rueful smile. “But about half a year ago, he was appointed master of Acray’s guild. Ever since then, Kailadi’s adventurers’ guild has been on the decline...” He sighed deeply.

Acray was the largest city in the southern part of the Kingdom and the capital of Marquess Heinlein’s territory. You could say that becoming its guild’s master was quite a promotion. However, organizations that lose talented people often end up in a sad state...

“Well, the situation being what it is, I sought aid from both Kailadi and Lune. While Kailadi is a bit closer to this village, there are other factors to consider, as you learned earlier. That is why I ‘mistakenly’ reached out to Lune in the first place.”

Magistrate Goro was a capable man.

Two days later, time was passing peacefully in the village of Kona. Anytime the villagers found a cacodemonic insect, they exterminated it by peeling it off the tree and crushing it. The four members of Room 10 helped them with the task, sometimes training in between, occasionally drinking coffee, before helping again...

For whatever reason, the five people in Dragon’s Jaw went to the eastern forest every day.

“Hey, are they even trying to do what the client wants?”

“Shhh!” Ryo held his finger to his lips.

“Wh-What the heck, man?”

“Don’t say anything else. You might just trigger an event flag.”

“And what exactly is that supposed to mean?”

“It’s a frightening phenomenon where words become reality. For example, if I say Nina is going to reject you...”

“Hey, don’t even finish that thought!” Nils snapped.

“You hate the idea of it, right? Now you understand how important words are. So let’s not be rash with the things we say.”

“I still don’t get it, but...I guess I’ll keep my mouth shut on that front.”

No one would call Ryo’s event flag explanation satisfactory. Nevertheless, he had a bad feeling. If Nils said anything else, something bad would happen... Of course, that was just Ryo being Ryo, making baseless assumptions.

But sometimes, those assumptions become certainties. That afternoon, the first wave of reinforcements arrived from Kailadi. As if they’d been waiting for them, Dragon’s Jaw magically appeared in front of Room 10 to introduce the five arrivals.

Everyone in Room 10 looked displeased. They all felt a sense of foreboding at the situation.

“This here’s the C-rank party Five Binary Stars,” Dogon said. “They’re Kailadi’s most experienced party.”

If they’re veterans at only C-rank, doesn’t that mean they don’t have the talent to move up to B...? Ryo wondered.

The party consisted of five men in their mid-thirties.

They all look like villains.

Ryo continued entertaining his rude thoughts.

“You guys must be D-ranks, huh?” the lancer of the Five Binary Stars said. “That means whatever we say goes, since we outrank you.”

“Is that how it works?” Ryo asked Eto, who was next to him.

“It’s technically not a rule, but it is a custom. When multiple parties accept escort jobs, usually the leader of the higher-ranking party takes charge, right? So, like that.” Eto didn’t bother disguising his irritation, which stood out like a sore thumb given his usually nonchalant nature.

“There you have it.” The lancer’s mouth twisted into a derisive smirk. “We’re feeling reeeal tired from the trip here, so be good boys and rub our feet, eh?”

Both his party members and Dragon’s Jaw burst out laughing. For whatever reason, they’d found that funny.

“Screw you,” Nils muttered through gritted teeth.

“Huuuh? I didn’t catch that. Wanna run it by me again?” the lancer said in a menacing tone.

Ryo stepped in front of Nils. “Um, we understand.”

Nils grabbed his arm. “Ryo, what the hell?!”

Ryo ignored him. “However, I’m not sure about your claims of being C-ranks...”

“What’d you say, you little shit?!”

“Therefore, would you kindly show us your guild cards?”

“Fine. You better rub our feet once you see we’re telling the truth.”

“Of course. If you’re telling the truth.” Ryo nodded magnanimously.

While rummaging for his guild card, the lancer walked toward Ryo—and tripped.

“Gaaah!”

And what a dramatic fall it was. Naturally, on Ryo’s Ice Bahn. At this point, the spell might have been the one he used most often in these situations...

“Oh, no, are you all right?” Ryo called out, feigning concern without approaching.

“God damn it, how the hell did I slip like that?”

The lancer put his weight on his feet in an attempt to stand...and promptly fell again.

“Nggh!”

“G-Goodness gracious! You’re not hurt, are you?” Once more, Ryo pretended to be worried.

After his second tumble, the other three in Room 10 had an inkling that this was Ryo’s doing. When the man fell for the third time, their inkling became certainty. They didn’t know how, but they knew it was him. So they went along with his act.

“Sure you’re okay?” the other three said. Naturally, they leaned into the illusion and looked genuinely concerned. Performance like this demanded deception rather than honesty.

“Shit... What in the hell is going on...”

The lancer couldn’t get up. This ice was much, much more slippery than the ice he was accustomed to... Moreover, it formed instantaneously under his feet. Imagine someone trying to walk on a wooden floor covered in marbles... They will, without a doubt, fall... The lancer found himself in that exact situation—in hell, in other words.

His nine comrades from Kailadi began realizing there was nothing normal about this. They didn’t know exactly what was happening, but they knew something was up. It almost looked like some kind of curse had befallen their friend...

“Hey, Ryo, what are you hoping to get out of this?” Nils whispered to Ryo next to him.

Every time the lancer tried to stand up, he just fell down. Again and again. The other adventurers from Kailadi stayed well away, afraid of touching him with a ten-foot pole.

Nils had no idea what Ryo was planning to do next. Neither did Ryo, naturally. He hadn’t thought that far ahead. So...

“Um, I guess I’ll just leave him like that until Lune’s reinforcements arrive,” Ryo said.

“Are you serious?” Nils muttered. Even he thought that was insane. No one knew when the others would even show up, and there wasn’t even a guarantee it would be today. Imagining the lancer suffering that whole time actually made Nils begin to feel sorry for him.

“Speaking of...” Ryo replied, also whispering.

Nils turned his attention back to Ryo and whatever was about to come from his mouth next.

“I wonder who’s coming from Lune.”

“C’mon, man,” Nils said, sighing. “Is that really what we should be talking about right now?”

But then a funny thing happened...

“I hope it’s the Crimson Sword. Since we may have to defeat a cacodemon, wouldn’t the guild send its strongest asset?”

Amon, the most sensible member of Room 10 despite being its youngest, had taken the proverbial baton from Ryo and started running.

That in itself was something of a shock to Nils.

So even Amon’s been infected by Ryo, huh?

How rude.

But the hits just kept on coming for Nils...

“I’m almost positive the Crimson Sword is in the west on a job,” Eto said, joining the craziness. “Buuut...they may just end up coming here once they get back to Lune. I guess we’ll find out!”

As party leader, Nils couldn’t help but let out the deepest sigh he could muster. Then he thought to himself, Guess I don’t have any choice except to roll with the punches...

And that was exactly what he did.

“Sera of the Wind is another possibility, although she’s a long shot,” he suggested.

“No way,” the other three said without a second thought.

The lancer’s saviors arrived thirty minutes later in the form of two carriages bearing the crest of Lune’s adventurers’ guild. They came to a halt in front of the magistrate’s office building, right next to where the lancer continued to slip on the ground.

A fierce-looking giant of a man stepped out from the first carriage.

“Hugh?” Ryo muttered.

“Guild Master?” Amon said.

A young swordsman stepped down after Hugh.

“Roman...”

The rest of his entourage from the Western Provinces exited the second carriage. Ryo knew them too. Guild Master Hugh McGlass, plus Roman the Hero’s party, numbered eight in total. This group turned out to be the reinforcements from Lune’s guild.