Part 7
I left dealing with the Incubi to Loli Succubus and returned to the Adventurer's guild.
After locating Lynn and the others who went back before me, I joined them at the table.
"Oh, you're back. What happened to the Devils?"
"I've taken care of that. Oh, and I heard some really bad information──"
I gave them an abridged version of what happened while leaving out anything that has to do with Succubi.
When I told them that the forces of the Demon King's Army are far larger than we expected, they gave me wide eyed looks.
"Hey, isn't this bad?"
Keith muttered under her breath, but none of us replied.
It's probably because all of us are thinking the same thing.
"We might have a few adventurers above level 30, but even so we really don't have that much combat power. Wouldn't this be pretty tough?"
"I agree with Taylor. It might be impossible to simply rely on adventurers alone."
Taylor and Lynn both said with serious tones.
"Even if you say that, we don't exactly have a lot of other options. There's the guards and the cops, but they aren't particularly strong and there are very few of them. Someone strong enough to fight on par with adventurers…"
"It'd be reassuring if we could get Vanir-san and Wiz-san on our side."
I did pay a visit to the magic item shop to make sure, but they happened to be out at the time.
I don't think they'll fight against us, but it's unclear if they will actively help us. Wiz will probably be willing to do it, but Vanir is a former Demon King's general, after all.
"I wonder. I have high hopes for Sir, but I can't read his mind."
Even after spending so much time at his side, I still have no idea what goes through his head.
I do know he loves the dark emotions that humans produce when they experience disappointment, but that's about it.
"In that case, the only thing we can do is get stronger, but there's a limit as to how many levels I can gain in such a short period of time. We might be able to level up faster if we had the weakest class like Kazuma, but for us, getting one or two levels would probably be the limit."
"It's just as you said, Dust. If only there's a way for us to suddenly become stronger in a snap."
Taylor's words caused us to cross our arms and sigh.
Raising our levels would be the best option, but I doubt we'll be able to gain that much power in such a short time.
In this situation where we had nothing to do but worry, Lynn suddenly looked up from the floor and stared at me.
"But, even if it is impossible for us, can't Dust do it? If he can get back his strength as a Dragon Knight?"
Hearing that, Taylor and Keith suddenly turned to look at me.
"Oh, yeah, training Dust up is our shortcut to victory."
"Leaving everything to Dust doesn't sit well with me, but it seems like that is the only way."
Normally I would've flatly turned them down because it's too troublesome, but this time is different. If I could regain my former strength, it might open up a path to victory.
"Alright, leave it to me! I'll endure any sort of training you send my way!"
I put on a strong front in order to inspire my companions.
"What kind of training would be best, I wonder? A painful course that leaves you one step away from death would probably be best."
"Hey, Lynn."
Why are you suddenly saying such dangerous things out of the blue?
"Ah, how about we throw him into some dangerous dungeon somewhere. He probably won't die with a spear in hand. Yeah, that could work."
"Hey, Keith."
Why are these guys saying such callous things like it's none of their business?
"No, wait, we should think about this seriously. If we want him to regain his strength, the best way to do so would be to fight against large numbers. However, if he's going up against weaklings, it wouldn't be much good as training."
Oh, as expected of Taylor. He's the only one who has given a proper suggestion.
"So we need an enemy that's fairly strong, numerous, and is also something Dust will fight against to his last breath. If only there was such a convenient enemy…"
"Would there even be a foe that would fit all those requirements? But, well, as long as Dust is willing to fight them, the rest should fall into place. You'll be fine with anything that's humanoid and looks pretty enough, right?"
"Oh, you do get me."
As I nod in complete agreement, Lynn glared at me.
"Female monsters that come in large numbers… Ah, I just thought of something."
Keith clapped his hands together before whispering in Taylor and Lynn's ear.
After hearing it, their faces lit straight up and they started nodding in agreement.
"Oh, that's a really good idea, Keith!"
"Yeah, yeah, it fills all the conditions!"
"Hey, don't just keep it amongst yourself, tell me too. It's just making me more curious."
"Oh, you'll know when you get there."
The wide smiles the three of them gave me made me even more concerned, but they wouldn't tell me anything more no matter how often I asked.
My instincts are telling me this is a dangerous place to be.
I silently slipped my chair back.
"Oh, I just remembered I have something important to attend to. Seeya."
I hurriedly tried to get up, but Keith and Taylor grabbed me by the shoulders before I could leave.
"Where do you think you're going? Didn't you say you'll endure any sort of training?"
"Don't worry, you'll meet with the female monsters you like so much. And she'll have huge tits too."
"Isn't that great, Dust?"
"Who would believe that!? And stop talking to me in that fake gentle tone! Faitfore, stop eating and help me!"
I called out to my partner, who had been busy filling her belly this entire time, for help.
She glanced in my direction and looked like she was about to stand up, but Lynn slid her dessert in front of her, and she instantly sat back down.
"Don't let your appetite get the better of you! H-Hey, why are you approaching with that rope!? Come on, let's talk this out calmly, yeah? C-Come on!"
My companions ignored my words entirely, and soon I was tied up and being airlifted to the destination.
As I swayed in the wind, I could see the plains flying past below me.
We flew along at speeds far surpassing that of any carriage, and Axel quickly disappeared from view.
Did Princess Leonor see the same scenery when she was strung up like this?
"Umm, say, can't you untie me now?"
"No way. If we untie you, you'd run away."
"Where would I run to!?"
Right now, I'm currently tied up as we flew through the sky.
To be more specific, I'm currently hanging from a rope attached to Faitfore's neck.
Lynn is the only one riding on Faitfore's back.
Having Taylor and Keith along would be too heavy for Faitfore, so Lynn was the only one who came along. They were looking at Fatifore enviously as we left.
…Seems like they really wanted to ride her.
"Yeah, this wind feels good."
I tried to enjoy the situation in order to escape the reality of the situation, but that didn't change anything at all.
"Hmm? This scenery looks familiar."
"Of course it would. You've come here before."
Hmm? I've been here before?
We flew in a straight line ever since we left Axel… Ah, right, if we go in this direction, we'll reach…
"Did you forget? If we keep heading in this direction, we'll reach Alcanretia."
"Pfft!? H-Hey, are you serious? What business do you have bringing me to the headquarters of the Axis Cultists?"
I have nothing but bad memories of that city.
Between the aggressive recruitment efforts and the chaos that Sir Vanir caused, I have no desire to go back to that city filled with nothing but crazies!
"Let me down! I'd rather die than go to that city again!"
There's no way I would come out unscathed if I fell from this height, but it's better than going to that city.
As I flailed around with that in mind, my body suddenly descended towards the ground.
"Uwaaaaaaah!?"
"If you want to go down so badly, then I'll give you what you want."
Faitfore swooped down, stopping right before hitting the ground, at which point the rope attaching me to her was cut and I was tossed to the ground.
"That hurts! What are you doing!?"
"I just did what you asked. Oh, and here's your spear too. Good luck~."
The spear she threw impaled itself into the ground just a few fingers away from me. Hey that was dangerous!
Lynn, riding on Faitfore's back, gave me a casual wave.
"Wait a minute! What are you trying to do, dropping me off in a place like this!? Which direction is Alcanretia!?"
"You don't need to worry about that. This is our destination. Plus we've passed Alcanretia a long time ago. Dust, listen closely. This is the territory of a certain type of monster. All you need to do is survive. Good luck with that."
After saying that, She and Lynn quickly ascended and took to the air.
I suppose this is better than being taken to Alcanretia.
I don't know what kind of monster lives here, but I'll just take them down when they show up.
As I took up my spear and scanned the area, I spotted a small dust cloud in the distance. It seems to be rapidly approaching.
"What is that? A pack of Lizard Runners?"
I squinted my eyes in that direction, and the figures slowly became clearer.
The moment I realized what they were, I broke out into cold sweat.
"Everyone, look! There's a handsome blondie over there!"
"That slick and wild look is just my thing!!!"
"He looks like he has a strong sex drive! I can't wait!"
A horde of female orcs appeared on the horizon with those loud cries.
"Y-You're kidding me…"
Orcs are a race of monsters with an extremely high sex drive and whose male popluation has been completely wiped out.
Worst of all, they aren't just attracted to their own kind, but to humans too.
It'd be fine if they at least looked like humans, but even the ones who had hair had pig-like faces and rotund, hairy bodies. For most humans, that's completely unacceptable.
And now a group of such creatures were rushing over to me while drooling the entire way.
It's a nightmarish sight.
"Stop joking! Hey, Lynn! Get down here this instant! If you do it right now I'll forgive you!"
"You can do it. I believe in you. …Make sure you protect it."
Don't cry fake tears for me!
"What do you mean by protect!? Make it clear! Are you talking about Axel? Or my partner!?"
I shouted at Lynn, but she simply waved at me as she flew off even further into the distance.
"You seriously abandoned me… You best remember this. When I get back, I'm going to strip you naked and fondle those pitiful breasts of yours!"
Just as I whipped around with my spear, the spear head fell off.
You're kidding me, right? Without a spearhead, this is just a long stick!
That old man cheated me!
"Oh, my, what are you planning to do with such a long rod in your hand?"
"If you really want to fondle breasts that much, you can do it to your heart's content!"
I fearfully turned around, only to find that the orcs have already formed a semicircle around me.
All of them were blushing and breathing heavily. Don't push your breasts together to emphasize them!
Their glowing, lust-filled eyes were just like that of a hunter after having located his prey.
"S-Say, don't you think humans and orcs are incompatible with each other?"
"It's fine, we don't discriminate against other species, so it's fine! You just need to stare up into the sky and do nothing!"
That's not reassuring at all!
I looked for a way out, but they've already surrounded me. Just how many of them are there?
"I wonder if your hidden weapon is as wonderful as that stick you're holding. Pant, pant."
"No, no, it's just as shabby as a rusty dagger! It'll definitely disappoint you!"
"I'm not one to discriminate based on your weapon. Even if it is a rusty dagger, I'll be sure to polish it into a mighty greatsword with my mouth."
"Seriously, give me a breaaaaaak!!"
I don't even want to think what would happen if these guys got their hands on me.
If orcs at least looked similar to humans, I'd be happy to go along with them, but no matter how I squint, I can only see them as pigs that happened to walk on two legs.
"A cute adventurer boy got away from me the last time, but there's no way I'll let you escape!"
"I was so close to stealing his first time!"
I don't know who they're talking about, but if someone else got away from them, then so can I!
"Don't you move! If you take one step closer…"
I waved my blunt stick around in front of me as a warning.
"No way. There's too many things I can't do if I don't get closer."
"I don't dislike pain. We can start with you beating me, then I'll take a ride on you."
"Definitely not!"
Crap, these aren't creatures I can reason with.
If I get taken down, I'll definitely be squeezed dry!
There's no way out of this but defeating them with this stick. God dammit all!
"I can't take it anymore! Let's get wet and slimy together!"
"I'll let you take the upper half, but I'm taking the first ride on the lower half!"
The horde of orcs closed in on me.
"Graaaah! I'll definitely get home with a clean body! I'm getting the best dream from the Succubi once I get back!"
After making that declaration, I shouted to the sky and charged at them with manly tears in my eyes.
Relying on my spear as a walking stick, I barely managed to stay standing. I'm completely naked from the waist up, and the only thing I had below that was my underwear. My hair is a complete mess too.
I took a deep breath and shouted to the sky.
"Hah, hah, hah. I escaaaaaapeeeed!"
The joyous cry echoed throughout the plains.
After taking down a few of them, I managed to break out from the encirclement and use the forest and guerilla tactics to take them out one by one, but their amazing recovery speed meant that they kept coming back to join the battle.
As a result, I couldn't reduce their numbers at all.
No matter how many of them I defeated, they just kept coming back for more. It was a never ending nightmare.
After fighting for an entire day, I finally managed to escape from their clutches.
"When there's a will, there's a way…"
The sense of relief and freedom brought tears to my eyes.
I took a deep breath to calm myself.
"The head might have fallen off, but this still is a pretty good spear."
The spear turned long stick held up very well. I've lost count of the number of times I've stabbed or bludgeoned something with it, and it's still fully intact in my hand.
I casually swung around the stick that has been in my hand for half a day.
The sound it made as it swung through the air is clearly different. It's now completely a part of me.
In fact, the more orcs I took down, the better this stick sat in my hands.
"Is it all thanks to them?"
It's only thanks to being thrown into such adversity that I was able to regain my skills with a spear.
That time when an orc caught me and tore off my shirt──
Or that time when an orc licked my bare chest──
Or that time when I was this close from becoming one with them──
It's all thanks to those experiences that I became stronger. I should thank my companions who threw me into this desperate situation…
"Like hell I can!"
Just thinking about the despair and fear I felt when I was being cornered made all the hairs on my body stand on end.
"I'll never forgive you! I'll never forgive you!"
After vowing revenge on my companions, I spotted a small white dot in the distance.
Seems like Faitfore is coming to pick me up. Though I still held a grudge against her for choosing to fill her belly over helping me, she definitely didn't understand the situation at the time, so I think I'll let her off.
However, I'll never forgive those guys! Just wait till I get back to Axel.
Part 8
"We're sorry, Dust. This is our apology, please accept it."
When Taylor spotted me entering the guild, he immediately approached me and said before I could even get a word in.
"You can't resolve this with a single apology… Hey, what are you trying to do?"
I glanced into the bag he placed on the table and noticed quite a bit of money was in it.
"You can take it all with you. Go ahead and use it on women or gambling or anything else you want."
"I'll pretend nothing happened today."
"O-Oh?"
I was taken aback by the sudden kindness of my friends, and my rage immediately subsided.
With this much money, I can pay off all my debts and still live comfortably for a few days.
"We'll take care of Faitfore-chan for you too, so feel free to let loose."
How considerate of you.
"If you're willing to go that far, I'll forgive you. Alright, I'm going to find a pretty lady to play… play…"
A sudden chill went down my spine.
Why did that orc's face pop into my head? I'm about to go have fun with a pretty lady…
"Ara, Dust-san, you're back."
In response to that voice, I turned around to see Luna walking towards me with her respectable pair of breasts wobbling──
"Eeeep!"
"Eh? What's the matter!?"
For some reason, I let out a scream upon seeing her chest.
"Ah, no, I mean, umm, sorry, but stay away from me."
"Y-Yes?"
Luna walked away with a suspicious look on her face.
W-What's wrong with me? For some reason, the moment I saw her breasts, my heart rate immediately spiked.
"You look pale. Is something wrong?"
"I-I'm fine."
Seeing Lynn's face calmed me down.
J-Just what was all that about?
I took a deep breath and looked around the room to calm myself down.
"Hmm?"
Upon seeing the waitresses and the female guild guild staff, my heart started beating rapidly and I once again broke out in cold sweat.
"What's wrong with my body?"
I pressed my hand against my chest and looked at Lynn's face, and the feeling immediately went away.
…It can't be. I had an idea about what's going on, so I decided to test it.
I looked back to the large chested waitress. Immediately, my heart began beating wildly.
I turned to Lynn, and I immediately calmed down.
So that is what is going on.
"Why are you glancing at me like that?"
Lynn said, her cheeks flushing slightly as she put on a mask of anger.
"Well, you see, after having all those orcs chase me, I can't help feel queasy when I see big breasts, but when I look at you I'm suddenly calm…"
With a slight crick, Lynn stood up.
Keith took his mug and backed away, and Taylor quickly led Faitfore away from the scene.
That was when I realized what a terrible mistake I made.
"Oh, so seeing large breasts reminds you of the orcs, but looking at me makes you calm, huh?"
"Ah, no, I don't mean it that way"
"Then what exactly do you mean? Fufu, fufufufu."
Don't wave your staff at me while laughing like that!
What are you going to do if even flat chests give me goosebumps!?
"Sigh~. I really feel safe next to you."
"Where did that come from? Ah, did you finally notice my charms?"
After somehow escaping from a really angry Lynn, I found myself in front of the Succubus shop before I realized.
I saw Loli Succubus cleaning the floors with a broom, so I sat down and looked dreamily up at her.
"Ah, maybe."
"W-What happened to you? If you keep staring at me like that, I'm going to get all hot and bothered."
Loli Succubus placed a finger on her cheek and started nervously twisting around.
Her body has no protrusions at the front or the back, so it doesn't remind me of an orc at all.
It really helps that I don't feel fear even when I'm next to her.
"Come to think of it, what happened to the Incubi?"
"It's going well. My colleagues and senpai are showing them around town. It seems like what they see is causing them to relax."
"It'd be great if this could cause them to reduce their forces."
"Ah, speaking of which, it seems like Kazuma is back in town. Vanir-sama told me when he was back at the shop."
Oh, so Kazuma is back from his training. I heard that he went out with Sir and Wiz for some exercise, but I wonder how strong he has gotten.
He's probably hanging around the adventurer's guild, so I suppose I can buy him a drink and listen to his stories while I'm at it.
"Right, I'm heading back to the guild to ask him about it."
"Please wait, I'm going with you. I want to hear all about Vanir-sama's accomplishments too."
"Couldn't you just ask Sir directly if you want to know?"
There's no need to go around him to hear it from Kazuma, right?
"Well, see, Vanir-sama said 'I'm busy arranging a large business deal, so I don't have time to concern myself with you' before chasing me out of the shop. Ah, but his cold attitude is nice, too."
She really is a diehard fan of Sir to the end, isn't she?
"A large business deal, huh? Did he find a way to make a large amount of money? I really want to be a part of it, but I suppose I can ask him about it later. You can follow me if you want."
"Okay, I'll go with you~."
With Loli Succubus in tow, I returned to the guild and joined up with my companions.
Lynn was glaring at me, but it seems like her mood is much better than it was before.
"I'm back. I heard Kazuma's back?"
I avoided meeting Lynn's gaze and asked Taylor.
"Kazuma just left. It sounded like he exaggerated things, but he really spun an interesting tale about his trip to the dungeon."
"So I just missed him. Ah, I wanted to share a mug with him while trading stories."
"That's a shame. Oh yeah, Kazuma is planning to leave tomorrow, so he asked us to teach him as many skills as possible before he leaves. It seems like he spoke to pretty much everyone who was here before he left."
Keith said something strange as he nursed his drink.
"Even if he knows the skills, where is he going to get the skill points from? He couldn't have leveled up that much."
"Vanir-san and Wiz-san helped him level up. From what he said, it went really well."
Lynn joined in the conversion, still sounding somewhat grumpy.
"I heard that Adventurers find it easier to gain experience. Also, they do say that people without talent gain levels more easily."
Hearing Taylor's statement, I instantly understood.
By all metrics, Kazuma is by no means talented. His high luck and his ability to pull through at the last moment is remarkable, but his physical attributes just aren't suited for an adventurer.
That's why he could level up so quickly.
"But, even if he has gotten stronger, is it really okay?"
I can understand Lynn's worry.
"Going after Aqua-nee-san means getting close to the Demon King's castle. If he messes up, he might even end up right inside it."
I said it jokingly, but knowing Kazuma's knack for getting into trouble…
Kazuma has already gotten involved with several Generals of the Demon King's Army on multiple occasions. Considering his luck and his performance so far, it wouldn't be surprising if he really ended up fighting the Demon King.
"Well, I'll help him out. It's just skills, after all. If he wants them, he can have as many as he likes."
"Yeah. And if a beginner adventurer from Axel really did end up defeating the Demon King, it'd be an unprecedented feat."
"They could even turn this place into a tourist attraction as the town that raised the hero!"
"Taylor, Keith, you're being way too optimistic. But, well, it sure would be nice if it did happen."
My companions looked at each other and shared a laugh.
If Kazuma really did manage to defeat the Demon King, he'd probably be hailed as a hero.
"As his best friend, I'll support him to the best of my ability. If he really succeeds, I'd be hailed as the good friend of the hero too, right? So everyone would be all over me too!"
"No, no, that's not happening." x3
"No one would believe you even if you say you're the good friend of the hero."
"Kazuma would just go 'I don't know that guy. He's a stranger.'"
"Yeah, that sounds like him!"
Not just my companions, but the other adventurers in the guild who happened to be listening in joined in as well.
They're having a blast saying all kinds of bad things about me.
"Hmph, Kazuma isn't that heartless of a person!"
"But the last time you were arrested for sexual harassment and turned to Kazuma for help, he said you were a stranger, didn't he?"
"Come to think of it, didn't he act like you're a stranger during the trial too?"
Now that they mention it…
"No, no, that's just him being embarrassed! Isn't that what friendship between men is all about?"
"Not at all!" x3
"Whoever said that just now, stand right up! I'm going to feed you my iron fists of fury!"
When I woke up, it was morning.
It seemed like I fell asleep on the guild floor. I stretched my stiff body.
I don't remember too much about the big fight, but it seems like I fell asleep immediately after that.
"How long are you planning to sleep for? Everyone's already at the meeting point."
Lynn was looking down at me.
If she was wearing a skirt, this would be the perfect angle, but there's nothing to get excited about when she's wearing a pair of shorts.
"What meeting point are you talking about?"
"You really are… Kazuma and the others are boarding a carriage to leave town. Didn't you say you'll teach him skills before he leaves?"
"Ah, yeah, come to think of it, I did say that."
I stood up and picked up the sword that was propped against a nearby wall.
This sword was given to me by Princess Leonor. At first glance, it's just a regular sword, but it is a genuine magic sword.
If I trust what Princess Leonor told me, this sword is worth an untold amount of money.
She gave it to me even knowing that…
"Hey, what are you doing? If you don't hurry, you'll miss Kazuma."
"I know, I know. I'm coming."
I hung my sword on my waist and followed after Lynn.
There already was a crowd of adventurers waiting at the carriage pick-up point. Kazuma, Megumin, and Darkness were there, too.
And with them was Sir Vanir and that giant bird.
They seemed to be talking about something, but they soon wrapped up. I took a step forward as the representative of the adventurers and pulled out my sword.
"──Right, then, Kazuma, are you ready to learn some skills?"
The next step is for all the adventurers present to teach him skills.
"You're heading off to fight the Demon King mano a mano, so it's only right for us to beat you… I mean, properly train you before you go. Think of it as our farewell gift."
"You were about to say beat me senseless, weren't you? And I'm not planning on charging at the Demon King and fighting him one on one! Truth be told, all I really want to do is bring Aqua back!"
Kazuma was desperately denying it, but Megumin and Darkness simply nodded along behind him with wry smiles on their faces. It seems like they fully intend on fighting the Demon King.
Despite his words, I'm still surprised that Kazuma chose to go on such a dangerous journey to retrieve Aqua-nee-san. The other adventurers seem to share similar sentiments.
"Say, Kazuma, maybe it's best if you don't go on this journey."
Suddenly, such worried words came from the crowd.
"I'm glad for your concern, but right now I'm one of the strongest people in this town. Leave Aqua and the Demon King to me, you guys just make sure to protect this town where my mansion is located."
Seeing Kazuma brazen bragging, all the adventurers, me included, tensed up.
This is followed by a storm of insults and complaints.
It's all stuff like "weakling who relied on Vanir and Wiz's power to become strong", or "scumbag who used money to buy power" and other similar sentiments.
"You guys will make a great warm up before I take on the Demon King! Show me all the skills that I haven't learnt yet! My name is Satou Kazuma, I'll take you all on!"
Kazuma's statement pushed everyone present over the edge.
We traded glances, weapons in our hand, and immediately rushed Kazuma all at once.
"…W-What happened here?"
A voice that sounded very much like Wiz's echoed around the carriage pick up point.
I somehow managed to turn to face her, and saw Wiz fumbling with a large package. It seemed like she had something to give to Kazuma and was late because of that.
Well, normal people would be taken aback upon seeing such a sight.
Countless adventurers lay sprawled all over the ground.
After a fierce battle with Kazuma, everyone is laying on the ground, unable to move. Of course, that included Kazuma too.
I admit that I underestimated him as the bearer of the weakest class, but even so, he did pretty well.
Sure, he used all kinds of underhanded tricks, but his growth really surprised me. I can't believe a single adventurer managed to push us this far all by himself.
But don't get the wrong idea.
It's not like Kazuma defeated all of us by himself.
Things only ended up this way because quite a few of us saw how he was about to cry and went easy on him. That's a very important point!
Still, Kazuma should've learnt all kinds of skills from that exchange.
With his current strength and his ability to make snap decisions and his knowledge of underhanded tactics, he might actually give the Demon King a good run for his money.
"Are you taking a nap, Dust-san?"
"If you really think so, you might as well gouge out your eyes and throw them away."
Loli Succubus crouched down next to my head. Don't take this opportunity when I can't move to poke my cheeks.
"What are you doing here? Did you come to see Kazuma and the others off, too?"
"That's part of it, but I'm mainly here to see you, Dust-san. I happened to be passing by the old man who runs the general store, and he asked me if I could give this to you."
Saying that, she left a spear in front of me.
I paid a visit to him yesterday, complaining about the poor quality of the spearhead that fell off so easily, and he promised to fix it by tomorrow. I never expected him to really do it.
"All customers who are taking the carriage to Alcanretia, please board immediately."
Hearing the driver's voice, Kazuma and the others got onto the carriage.
The rest of us gathered by the carriage to see them off.
"Now then, I'll be heading off to bring that idiot back!"
In response to Kauzma's words, the adventurers responded with shouts of encouragement.
Rather than giving him any kind of strange pressure, it sounded just like our usual ribbing.
There is one thing I'm worried about, though. His weapons.
The sword Kazuma had hanging off his waist isn't a bad weapon, but it's just an ordinary sword. It's not really an adequate weapon for someone heading off to fight the Demon King.
I let out a huge sigh and looked down at my waist.
This precious sword has been with me all this time ever since I left that country.
The truth is, this sword has a special ability that I've yet to tell anyone.
If the wielder is attacked by a spell that would cause fatal damage, it has the ability to completely nullify it once, no matter what it is.
Princess Leonor entrusted it to me because she was worried about me after I became an exile.
I was planning to keep it with me for the rest of my life.
But it's not only a protective charm; it's also a chain that ties me back to my home country… To Princess Leonor.
As long as I have this, there's no way I will be able to forget my past as a knight.
"Hey, Kazuma! That sword of yours, it's just an ordinary sword without any sort of magic on it, right!? Just in case, you should take this with you!"
I removed my sword from my waist and tossed it to Kazuma.
"That's technically an enchanted weapon. It isn't a legendary-tier weapon that can only be equipped by a specific class, so even you should be able to make use of it. Just make sure you bring it back to me after you defeat the Demon King!"
I put on a cool front and grinned at him, and Kazuma responded with a look of surprise.
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It seems like he finally realized how manly I am.
Lynn stared at our exchange from the side, before something sparked in her eye and a mischievous grin came over her face.
"Oh, I see. In the one in a million chance that Kazuma actually defeats the Demon King, that sword would become known as the sword wielded by the hero, and be worth a whole lot more. Kazuma, I'm pretty sure Dust picked up that sword from the body of a fallen adventurer he ran across in a dungeon, so there's no need to give it back~."
"Dammit, Lynn, how could you ruin my get rich quick plan!?"
I pretended to be angry and chased after Lynn. While we were running around, Kazuma's carriage departed.
Naturally, we stopped and turned to look at the carriage as it went off into the distance.
"Was it really okay? Isn't it an important item you got from the Princess?"
Lynn stared at me with a serious look that was at complete odds with how she was just a moment ago.
She knew how important that sword was to me and still went along with my story. I'll have to thank her later.
Thank you for everything you've done, my partner. Please protect my friend.
"It's fine, I have this spear. Plus… I don't need that sword anymore."
Now that I've cut ties with Princess Leonor… with my past, it's no longer of any use to me.
I'm sure it'd be more useful with Kazuma than with me.
"If he really did defeat the Demon King and bring that sword back, I'd be sure to make a fortune."
"Defeating the Demon King sounds like some far-fetched story, but for some reason, I really feel that Kazuma and the others might actually do it."
"He's my best friend, after all. Now then, it wouldn't be much of a funny joke if he defeated the Demon King only to come back home to a pile of rubble. We should do our best, too."
We don't have time to worry about him now.
The Demon King's Army would be attacking Axel within a few days. We need to clear our mind and make ready to intercept them.
Earlier, when Kazuma and Wiz were talking, I overheard them saying that Sir Vanir and Wiz will lend their power to the defence of the town.
This would greatly increase our strength, but it's far from a sure-fire thing.
There's a limit as to how many levels the adventurers in town can gain in a few days, and I can't expect them to get dramatically stronger in such a short amount of time.
Now, then, what should we do…