1. Second Life

I was starting to get used to my new arm.

It’d been about a week since I started using the armband Wawok Seiv had made me. The band allowed me to use a type of magic called Magi Raegas to manifest a right arm formed of mana. I’d gotten to the point where I could use it for most activities.

Wawok was a vampire inventor and researcher, one impressive enough that even Rila once tried to recruit him to the demon lord’s army. However, he disliked pure demons and turned down Rila’s invitation.

We’d thought he could fix Rila’s collar and searched for him but never expected he was the collar’s original creator. And to our surprise, he explained that creating a new collar was quicker than fixing a broken one, so we asked him to do precisely that.

He also made the armband during this time. I didn’t request that of Wawok; he’d indulged in it entirely as a side project. Yet the item had become priceless to me.

“Mr. Roland, I’m so glad…that you have a prosthesis now,” Milia said when she spotted me using both of my arms to work, just like old times. “You’ll need to thank the maker.”

“No need. Apparently, he considered the chance to make it the highest honor he could receive.”

“Really? He sounds like an odd person,” Milia replied, looking taken aback. I rather agreed with her. Despite being a vampire, Wawok seemed more like the personification of scientific inquisition.

He was a strange character, but his skill was undeniable.

I’d tried to repay Wawok, as Milia had suggested, but he’d insisted that feedback on the band and suggesting improvements were thanks enough. The limb generated by the band was blue and partially transparent. Naturally, that would raise questions, so I wore a black cover that went from my fingertips to my shoulder.

I’d had a lot of trouble with fine motor skills initially, but that had improved with practice, and I could write with a pen using the arm. Most people thought the limb was the work of a craftsman who specialized in such prosthetics.

The original plan was actually to reattach my severed right arm, which Rila preserved using magic, but someone had stolen it. I was surprised anyone would want such a thing. Most people would sooner scream upon seeing it than desire to take it.

After we discovered the limb was missing, Elvie, a member of the party of heroes, visited to secretly inform us of King Rubens’s sudden death.

“You heard? Apparently, the king of Rubens died,” said an adventurer in the guild reception hall.

“Yeah, heard it was from some disease. It was before they chose a successor, too, so it’ll probably become a giant dispute,” replied another.

Elvie, who was a captain of Rubens’s royal guard, had told me the death would be publicly announced as an illness, but in actuality, he’d been assassinated.

A killer had penetrated defenses Elvie, someone I trained, had built. Elvie had requested that I investigate, and after accepting, I headed to Rubens. However, my inspection of the crime scene revealed only one person could have managed such a difficult assassination: me.

I refused to consider the possibility the culprit genuinely was “me,” until my doppelgänger kidnapped Rila to draw me out. His goal was to kill me and take my place. Unfortunately for him, I saw an opportunity to test my new armband in battle.

Wawok’s handiwork functioned perfectly, granting me new abilities for combat. In the end, I successfully captured my body double.

We could have been mistaken for twins. He looked and thought like me to the point that even his skill matched mine. After his capture, we attempted to wring information from him, but failed. Elvie and the others tried, too, but nothing worked. That only served to reinforce that this man mirrored me perfectly. I’d heard that he was executed shortly after.

Though he was a fake, I felt somewhat uncomfortable knowing someone exactly like me had been executed. I wondered whether his sudden appearance and the disappearance of my severed right arm were linked. If an entire person could be re-created from their arm, then…

“Mr. Rolaaand? Our lunch break is starting! Would you like to eat with me?” Milia asked. Her face looked unusually serious today.

Rila had prepared a boxed lunch for me. Apparently, it was normal to rest at some point during the workday, although eating was optional. Skipping a meal wouldn’t affect my productivity, but it seemed that forgoing any nourishment or rest and dedicating oneself to their work wasn’t considered normal.

“Then please allow me to join you.”

“Huh? Really?”

“Yes. You were the one who invited me, Miss Milia.”

“I—I did, but I didn’t think you’d say yes. Let me get ready!” Milia hurriedly straightened up her desk. After fixing her hair and prodding at her face while looking in a mirror, Milia picked up her coin purse and let out a determined little huff.

“Shall we go?” she said.

“Sure.”

When we tried to leave through the guild’s back door, we heard a rather loud “ahem.” Milia’s expression tensed, and she looked over her shoulder.

“What is it, Branch Manager?”

Turning to see what was happening, I spied Branch Manager Iris standing just outside her office with a purse. “Going out for lunch today, are we?” she said.

“Are you going to join us?” Milia questioned.

“Coincidentally, I decided to take my lunch break at the same time today.”

“You were clearly waiting for us!”

“Would you mind terribly if I joined you?”

“I knew it! I know you saw us walking down the hall and came rushing over! You’ve always bragged about how you ‘don’t take lunch breaks during actual lunch’ since ‘everyone takes turns, and the manager goes last’!”

“I just so happened to be taking one at this time today.”

Milia puffed out her cheeks. “Ugh.”

“Whenever I see you two headed out for lunch, I’ll force my way in no matter how awkward it is.”

“How selfish. Fine, do whatever you want.”

And so Iris joined us on our break.

The branch manager took us to a spot she recommended. “I’m paying, so think of this as an opportunity to save a little money,” she explained.

“Sure, I guess…,” Milia groused.

The restaurant was relatively quiet, with only a few other customers. It didn’t seem the sort of place that raucous adventurers visited.

As I looked over the menu, I spied an adventurer who seemed rather out of place sipping liquor at a distant table.

I’d never worked with him, but I’d recognized him nonetheless.

“That’s Stein Markov… I think he’s a D ranker,” Iris whispered. “He’s been frequenting this place a lot recently.”

“I haven’t seen Mr. Stein at the guild much, yet here he is drinking.” Milia didn’t sound especially surprised. Apparently, he hadn’t visited our office lately.

“I guess that means he doesn’t feel like taking on any quests,” I remarked.

Iris replied with a crooked smile. “It does look that way.”

“You typically help the tenacious adventurers who are serious about their work, Mr. Roland. In reality, most adventurers are more like Mr. Stein,” Milia said.

That was likely true. I was known for approving adventurer hopefuls based on their personal circumstances, even when they fell short in certain regards. Sometimes, I assigned them quests higher than their rank, too.

I always took each individual’s strengths and personality into account. That meant most people who came to me for work sought to become powerful and dreamed of climbing the ranks. Naturally, that meant their quests would become progressively more difficult.

Based on appearances alone, Stein was over forty-five. Perhaps his physical prowess had started to wane. His heyday was likely twenty years ago. All he had under his belt were low-rank quests.

2. Work in Hand

Everyone at the guild began recommending new workplaces for adventurers who could use a change in profession. Some were puzzled by this, while others were upset, as they took the suggestions to mean we thought they were unfit for adventuring.

Those who took offense were predominantly low rankers with pride in their questing. We’d just implemented this system and needed to adapt our procedures. Evidently, a direct route of suggesting different jobs wasn’t the best way to go about it.

Ravi stopped by the guild alone. She’d recently been partnered with the veteran adventurers Neal and Roger because she had a defensive skill that made her a good fit for group work. I wondered if they’d argued again since she was here by herself. Ravi was about fourteen or fifteen years old, so she often butted heads with Neal, who was in his midthirties—especially about small things.

“Hello, Roland.”

“If you’re here to complain, I’m not going to listen.”

“Urk… I-I’m not.”

“Then what are you here for?” I asked as I continued with the paperwork in front of me.

“I wanted to ask what Dey is up to.”

“She’s out on a quest and won’t be back for a while.”

Before partnering with Neal and Roger, Ravi spent time with Dey. As a vampire, Dey was most powerful at night and about as useful as the average human when weakened during the day. Ravi’s skill paired well with her talents.

Apparently, Ravi had taken a liking to Dey.

“Aw, man…,” she whined.

Dey had a well-built physique and seemed graceful, making her popular with just about everyone.

Spying one of the work-transfer forms, Ravi asked, “What’s this?”

“We’re helping retiring adventurers find new employment,” I explained.

“I had no idea you did stuff like this.”

Come to think of it, I’d made Ravi become an adventurer because I couldn’t find another job for her. The nature of her skill made her perfect for questing, anyway.

However, maybe she would have preferred something else.

“Ravi, if you don’t like working as an adventurer, I can arrange another job for you. Although your options are limited.”

Once the groundwork was laid, Lord Bardel immediately volunteered to take adventurers. A blacksmith, butcher, and farmer were also seeking employees.

The conditions and their treatment of former adventurers weren’t terrible in the least. We’d already explained that adventurers were by no means meant to be treated as indentured servants.

“So the lord needs guards, pages, gardeners… Wow…”

Ravi seemed interested, but only passingly so.

After that, Ravi started telling me what she’d been up to recently. I guess she quite liked me as a conversation partner. Since I wasn’t too busy, I responded as needed while handling my paperwork.

“Um…”

“Oh, welcome,” Ravi said to someone.

When I looked up from my desk, I saw a timid dark elf standing behind Ravi.

“Looking for a quest? Leave it to me!” Ravi declared.

“Hey, don’t make assumptions,” I chided her.

I suspected this was a bit more complicated than the typical fare, so I shooed Ravi away and invited the dark elf to sit across from me.

“Are you here for a quest?” I asked.

“No… Um, for that.” The dark elf pointed at a work-recommendation sheet.

A dark elf in town wasn’t the sort of person who could go unnoticed. He’d likely worked as an adventurer outside of Lahti.

“You want a new job? If you normally take work from another guild, you’ll need a letter of recommendation. Did you bring one with you?”

“I did, yes.”

He handed me a rolled-up letter and his adventurer permit. His name was Hanbard Geschtenolg, and he was a B ranker.

“If you wish to change careers, you’ll need to work at the place we recommend for a set period. Are you all right with that?”

“Yes, that will be fine. I’m all right with quitting today.”

I couldn’t help but think that was a waste of talent.

Dark elves were rare. Unlike regular elves, who lived in the woods, dark elves didn’t have a single place they called home. However, they often lived in remote regions like the mountains or deserts, where survival was tough.

Their kind possessed unique and powerful magic that made them challenging opponents who could rival vampires.

“I’m not much of a talker…”

“I see.”

“That, coupled with my appearance, leaves people afraid of me…”

“I know that’s something lots of dark elves have to deal with.”

“Yes, at first everyone said I was strong and amazing, and they praised me, but once I rose to B rank, no one spoke to me anymore… And I was never one for conversation. I don’t have a bubbly personality, which only made things worse…”

I tried to imagine what it might be like for a dark elf at a high rank at that guild Hanbard frequented. Given his quietness, I doubted others approached him to talk.

The letter he brought described his personality as follows:

He may be misunderstood due to his reticent nature and looks, but he is a diligent worker and skilled with his hands.

Hanbard was apparently an excellent adventurer, but the staff at his guild branch didn’t wish to force him to remain in the life if he wanted out.

“I’d like to work with others, but no one is willing…”

“And you’d prefer a job that facilitates that?”

“Yes, but my appearance is too much for most people.”

So he wanted someone who didn’t care how he looked. That seemed to be the source of his unease.

“I want someone who will treat me as an equal.”

Reviewing Hanbard’s completed quests revealed just how skilled he was. The records contained details down to the minutiae. I could feel the emotion behind the staffer’s meticulous documentation. Hanbard was a truly great adventurer, and the guild workers at his regular branch must have noticed he was unhappy.

“How would you feel about working at a blacksmith?”

“A blacksmith?”

The suggestion undoubtedly came as a surprise to him, for he looked puzzled.

“Perhaps you could start out just observing?” I proposed. Hanbard nodded, despite still appearing confused.

There was a smithy on the outskirts of Lahti. It sold some things right at the forge while peddling others out of the town’s weapons shop. Merchants also purchased some of the smithy’s works to sell in other regions.

“Is this a famous smithy?”

“It’s not that well-known, but it puts out good work.”

I knocked on the door to the forge, and someone opened it almost immediately.

An elderly person with a wrinkled forehead emerged from inside. He looked as ornery as ever.

He glanced at Hanbard behind me.

“I’m here regarding the work-placement program. Would it be all right if he observes what goes on here for a bit?”

“…Fine.”

The smithy was a man of few words. He bid us follow merely by turning his back and walking off.

“Are you sure about this?” Hanbard questioned. “He seems like a terribly frightening person.”

“I’m sure other people think the same of you, Mr. Hanbard,” I replied.

“Huh?”

“Folks judge books by their covers, after all.”

“Sorry,” Hanbard whispered, evidently embarrassed.

We followed the smith into the forge.

“He mostly crafts blades,” I said. “Swords and knives and such.”

The smith returned to his work without a word to either Hanbard or me. His hands moved silently. Very few people visited the forge. The wares on display were covered in a thin layer of dust.

Hanbard absentmindedly reached out to a bow.

That drew the smith’s attention. He stopped and looked over at the dark elf.

“…”

“Can ya? A bow?”

“Huh? Me? A bow?”

“He means to ask whether you can make bows,” I clarified.

“Oh, um, yes, I can.”

“…The materials are over there. Have a go.”

“Um. All right.”

The smith gestured at some materials with his chin. Hanbard gathered them and quickly set to work.

Neal, whose preferred weapon was a bow, had once told me, “That smithy churns out some nice swords, but I dunno about his bows. He can’t even repair them. I bring my bow when I head to the capital and get it repaired at a nearby town instead.”

The man who owned the forge produced first-rate blades, but the same couldn’t be said of his bows. It was a completely separate skill set, after all, and required a different methodology.

At first, the smith had been reluctant about having a worker arranged for him, but it seemed that he had quite a few requests for bows. He was surprisingly cooperative once we broached that topic.

Elves were skilled with their hands, and Hanbard was no exception. He finished the bow very quickly.

“I tried to prioritize adaptability for quick firing with this one, and…” He spoke quickly while he worked. The jargon interspersed with what he said made it difficult for me to keep up. “This one will require a heavy draw. Few people will be able to use it, but it has long range and the power to drop a target with a single arrow.”

The smith hummed.

He took one bow, then the other, and inspected the bowstrings.

“If ya wanna stick around, ya can.”

Hanbard’s eyes went wide, and I said, “It looks like you can work here if you want. What would you like to do?”

“Are you sure?” Hanbard asked the smith, who nodded without a word.

“Th-then, yes, of course!”

I let the two of them hash out the details and left.

No one would bother Hanbard about being a dark elf here.

Customers would think him friendly by comparison when set next to the taciturn smith.

“Boss! The bows at the Lahti weapons shop look really good!”

According to Neal, Hanbard was settling into his new job quite nicely.

“Seems the smith over there is getting better at bow crafting,” Neal said. He seemed oddly pleased despite being ignorant of the fact that a dark elf was the bowyer.

3. The Inspector

After the morning meeting at the guild one day, Iris asked me to come to her office. Whenever she called on me like this, it was because she had some other work for me.

The guild office opened as usual, and adventurers started to trickle in. None of them asked for me specifically, so I stood to go see Iris.

“I wonder what the branch manager wants from you?” Milia asked as I left for the office. “Sh-she’s not going to use her position of authority to force you to go out to eat with her, is she? That’s an abuse of power, Mr. Roland.”

Evidently, Milia was fretting for me, as any senior employee would for their junior, I suppose.

“She isn’t the type of person to abuse her authority, Miss Milia.”

“Hmph…the amount of trust you give her is reeeally suspicious.”

Milia gave me a reproachful look, but I bowed to her and headed to the boss’s office, knocking before entering.

“Pardon me.”

“I’m sorry for calling you like this constantly.”

I shook my head to show her I didn’t mind, then sat on the sofa seat she offered me across from her desk.

“I heard something concerning from an adventurer working at another branch office,” Iris told me.

“Something concerning?”

“Yes,” she said before continuing. “It seems their rewards are low.”

“That doesn’t sound like an especially unusual complaint.”

“I wouldn’t call you for something so trite.”

“Sounds like you have a job for me that goes beyond my usual duties.” Iris didn’t deny it and gave me an awkward smile. I shrugged. “A reward should be based on the quest’s level. That’s the standard, at least.”

“From what I hear, the rewards are ten to twenty percent too low.”

“That could be excusable, depending on the situation. Not all jobs are equal,” I replied.

Undoubtedly, Iris knew that. She must have noticed something fishy about the payouts.

“Would you be willing to check whether this is happening because of the clients or another reason?”

“Why do you feel an investigation is necessary?” I asked.

Iris rarely went out of her way to trouble herself with other offices’ matters.

“An S-rank adventurer I have a long history with told me about this issue.”

“I see. So you want to earn some goodwill with one of the few S-rank adventurers.”

I could understand that, I suppose.

Few quests demanded anyone that skilled, but when an S ranker was needed, the guild reached out to one directly. Usually, guilds issued formal quests for them when a catastrophic monster needed slaying or an entire horde appeared. Such jobs were paid by the guild directly because most individuals couldn’t foot the reward.

“I’m sorry to ask for a favor. I’ve reported this to the guild master, but it looks like he’s a little busy and can’t get to it.”

“That doesn’t sound like a favor, just something that will help the guild.”

“I’m glad you think so.” Iris laughed. “I’m not sure what’s causing this, so please be discreet.”

“Yes, ma’am. I’ve never been a lawful adventurer before. It might be fun to try while investigating this office.”

“Oh, really? Ha-ha. What a lovely idea.” Apparently, Iris was on board with my proposal. However, she soon cocked her head to one side. “What do you mean by ‘lawful’?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Once this is over, I’ll treat you to a meal. Sound good?”

“I’m not so sure…”

“Rila can come, too! Y-you’d be fine with that, right?”

Iris had come up with a defense after I’d turned her down so many times already.

“All right. In that case, let’s go—with Rila.”

“Did you really need to stress that she’ll be joining us?”

Iris’s expression looked conflicted.

I made my way to Imil and headed to its guild office.

This city was only second in size to the royal capital, and it was the very same place where Lord Moisandle had run the underground arena.

I hadn’t been back here since then. Now Imil was under the management of a noble who supported King Randolf, and it seemed to be doing much better. The bright faces of passersby were quite different from those I had seen on my last visit.

The guild office was one of the city’s significant centers of foot traffic. That made it very easy to find.

The building was an imposing three stories tall, a reminder that Lahti’s paltry one-floor structure was a far cry from city life.

It’d been a long time since I acted as anything other than an assassin or a guild employee.

“Welcome. Is this your first time at an Adventurers Guild?” a female employee asked when I entered. Her job was likely to help newcomers. I guess she didn’t recognize me.

“Yes, I was thinking of becoming an adventurer.”

“Please head to the third floor. The staff there will help with your application. A proctor will administer a test, and if you’re qualified, you’ll be able to become an adventurer.”

I thanked her, then headed to the top floor.

There was a long counter up here, just like the one below. I found a guild staffer and told them what I was here for. They directed me to one of their male coworkers who had the look of an ex-mercenary. Small scars from blade cuts decorated his face. He hardly seemed the type to wear an Adventurers Guild uniform.

“You wanna become an adventurer, huh?”

“Yes, I’m looking forward to working with you.”

The proctor started reading through the application I’d filled out.

“Soland… Twenty-three… No special skill…” He suddenly grabbed me by the shoulders. “Listen. I’m telling you this for your own good. Just give up.”

“Huh?”

“I’m sure you’ve got some reason for doing this, right?”

“Yes.”

“You won’t make it big starting out as an adventurer at twenty-three, that’s for sure. It’d be another story if you had a skill, I guess. You’re better off putting your nose to the grindstone and just working a regular job instead. Understand?”

The proctor appeared quite rough, but he was actually a decent man. His advice was certainly reasonable.

“I’d still like to become an adventurer,” I replied.

The proctor let out a dramatic sigh. “We’ll do a mana analysis in a bit. If that goes well, we can try sparring—you against me. If I think you’ve got promise, then I’ll approve your application.”

“All right. Understood.”

“You seem pretty mild-mannered, which is great and all… But you really haven’t got the adventurer look to you, mister.” He scratched his head. “Honestly, I’d show you the door if it were up to me. However, the new regulations say I’m to consider personality and potential, not just mana and physical prowess. It’s a whole lotta work I don’t need.”

I lowered my head at his complaints.

“I’m sorry.”

Following my lecture on proctoring adventurer exams, the standards had undergone a revision. The proctor was surprised by my remark but didn’t linger on it and proceeded with the exam.

He brought over a mana measurement crystal, a device I was familiar with.

“Hold your hand to it.”

I did as he asked. Starting at F rank would make collecting information difficult. Other adventurers wouldn’t chat or gossip with someone on the lowest rung.

I always placed new adventurers in F rank, but a proctor could assign someone a higher position at their discretion.

“If I’m able to reach thirty thousand, please consider me for C rank at minimum.”

“Ha-ha-ha! Thirty-what-now? Only a mage trained from when they were a child could do that, mister. Do you know what you’re saying? Fine, then. Let’s see you try!”

I unleashed my mana on the crystal. If I actually called upon my full potential, the crystal wouldn’t be able to measure my mana, forcing me to hold back.

“Whaaaa—?! Wh-what is this light?!”

The crystal flashed, and numbers appeared on its surface.

Hmm. I managed to gauge it perfectly.

“Th-thirty thousand exactly?! Hey, what the heck are you?”

“Nothing special. Shall we move on to the next portion?”

“How can you act like this is ordinary?! Could you react a little more like a normal person?”

I urged the dumbfounded proctor to continue the test. While I considered what I’d need to do during the practical portion to get C rank, I felt the proctor grab my arm.

“Not so fast.”

“I’m sorry. I should be listening more closely.” I already knew how these procedures went. Paying attention to the proctor’s explanation felt like a waste of time to me. However, that’s not what he was upset about.

“Are you really fine with just being a C ranker?”

“Yes, I intend to adjust my abilities to match that rank during the practical.”

“You’re adjusting your… What?” The man gripped his head as though fending off a dizzy spell. “Tell me more about your magic. What can you do with that much mana?”

“I know some basic spells.”

“Anything intermediate or higher?”

“I’m not suited to the upper-level stuff. I just can’t get it to come out right.”

“So you’ve got mana, but you can’t use advanced spells. That correct?”

“I’m able to cast demon magic, though, if you allow it.”

I created several shadows and controlled them all simultaneously.

“That’s even more impressive than producing a normal high-level spell… All right, take a seat.”

“What about the practical?” I inquired.

“We won’t bother. I’ve already seen what you’re capable of. I’m not sure how to put it. You’re the classic average man who’s got more to him than meets the eye.”

Evidently, he’d sized me up using his experience as a proctor.

“You’ve gotta have a reason for starting as a C ranker. You said you were adjusting your abilities to match that rank.”

“…”

“Fine, fine. I won’t pry.” The proctor raised his hands. I was grateful he’d caught on so quickly. “Look, Soland… I’m not gonna ask who you really are. The aristocratic house of Moisandle used to control this city. I wouldn’t be surprised if somebody came to check on how the current lord is doing.”

The proctor had determined I was an investigator, although for the wrong purpose.

“Have you been working at this guild for long?” I asked.

“Me? Yeah, I suppose. It’s been about a decade.”

That was a reasonable amount of time. He undoubtedly knew all the regular adventurers in the city.

“Here ya go,” he said, handing me my new adventurer permit.

The card listed me as a C-rank adventurer.

“Don’t ya go embarrassing me, you hear?” The proctor chuckled and slapped my shoulder.

For all his gruffness, he seemed like a good-natured man. He tried to explain the workings of the guild to me, but I stopped him and said that wasn’t necessary.

“I’d like to join a party and take on quests. Do you think there’s anyone who would accept me?”

“You’re an unknown right now. I saw a little of what you can do, but that’s not enough to convince other folks.”

“I can also induce hallucinations and eliminate the effects of magi—”

“Okay, okay, that’s enough. Let’s just say you’re an unusual mage who can use demon magic.”

Based on the examples I’d given, people would assume I was a support caster. The proctor started to write something. It looked to be a recommendation letter.

“Hand this to an adventurer named Orlando, the one who’s got the big-ass sword. Pretty sure you two would do well together.”

“Thank you.”

I tucked the letter away into my pocket and shook hands with the proctor.

“What if I wound up being a pawn of demons who were only here to cause trouble?” I asked.

“Then you’d end up dead. And so would I.” The proctor laughed deeply. I thought he was rather quick to trust others, but maybe that was just part of his charm.

I left the third floor for the second, which was the home of the intermediate reception desk. There were more adventurers there.

I spotted the one with the gigantic sword right away.

So that’s Orlando.

I’d caught him in the middle of reporting back for an appraisal.

“Are you Orlando?”

The slight man was sitting on a sofa, and with his back to me, his sword completely eclipsed his body. When I called to Orlando, it felt like I was speaking with the weapon instead.

The adventurer turned around and nodded at me.

Based on the name, I’d assumed Orlando was a man, but I was mistaken. What’s more, she was an elf, too.

She looked surprised that I wished to speak with her.

“I’m looking for someone to form a party with,” I explained. “The proctor said you might be interested.”

Orlando accepted and read over the proctor’s letter, then she looked between me and the document with clear surprise.

“Dan neeever writes recommendations…”

“Is that right?”

Apparently, Dan was the name of the proctor I’d met earlier.

“You’re new, but you’re already a C ranker?”

“Yes.”

“Wow.”

Orlando was definitely impressed, but she seemed to be an elf of few words.

I’d briefly glanced at Orlando’s permit and saw she was an S-rank adventurer.

Perhaps she was the one Iris mentioned?

“All right. You can join.”

“Thank you. I’ll do my very best.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

The only other elf I knew was that fussy one. What a relief it was to learn that some possessed more tranquil demeanors.

“Miss Orlando Faeglee, your appraisal is ready.”

When a staffer called her, Orlando stood and headed over to take her reward. Her movements were nimble in a way that suggested her gigantic sword weighed nothing to her. I expected her to return immediately, yet she lingered at the counter for a while.

This made me assume she was arranging her next quest, but instead, she came back looking discontented.

“Is something the matter?” I asked.

“The reward was less than what was promised.”

Orlando explained she’d accepted a B-rank quest. The compensation was roughly 30 percent less than what she’d expected.

“They said it’s because of a handling charge, and because I took too long to report in.”

“Has this happened to anyone else?”

Orlando slumped. “I don’t think so.”

From the way she explained it to me, there was nothing unusual about the quest itself or the initially promised compensation. I’d suspected the complaints of low pay were just typical run-of-the-mill adventurer gripes when I heard about the trouble from Iris. However, it was clear this was a problem with this guild branch itself.

“Time to celebrate our partnership,” Orlando said.

I had no idea what she meant, but I followed her out of the guild to a dining hall.

Orlando ordered some wine and dishes to pair with it. Evidently, this was her version of socializing. We raised up our cups and quietly clinked them together.

“Enjoy,” she said.

“Thank you.”

“I’ll pay. Don’t worry.”

“No, I can cover it. I owe at least that much,” I replied.

“All right. Thank you.”

Upon learning I would foot the bill, Orlando drained her cup. Her pale face quickly reddened.

“One of my drinking buddies…listens to my complaints. She’s kinda high up in the guild.”

I had an inkling of who that was.

“Can a drinking buddy do anything, though?” I asked.

“Not really. Still, she said she’d try.”

So that was how I’d ended up here.

“If you aren’t being paid fairly here, why not go to another town?” I suggested.

Orlando sighed. “Other places…don’t have high-rank quests.”

She had a point.

Cities were hot spots for adventuring work. Lahti saw one B-rank quest a month, at best.

From what I’d heard, Imil had two to three B-rank or higher jobs a week.

Guild staffers all operated under an unspoken rule that high-ranking adventurers shouldn’t get lower-ranked quests. We needed S rankers available at a moment’s notice. They’d end up taking all the work away from weaker adventurers otherwise.

I’d been planning to collect intel steadily, yet I’d come upon an unexpected source thanks to Dan the proctor.

“I’m not sure who’s responsible, but I think we should look into this. You endanger yourself on quests. No one should skim off the top of your payment.”

After that, Orlando kept drinking even though it was barely noon. She was quite pleased I was paying. I couldn’t tell if this was her normal demeanor or if she was in high spirits.

She started to stagger and nearly fell out of her seat, so I reached out to steady her.

“Perhaps you’ve had too much to drink,” I remarked.

She glanced at me, face red, and whispered, “So handsome… You make me nervous…”

“What are you talking about?”

I settled the tab and offered Orlando a hand, but she shook her head and stood by herself.

“I know better. If you touch a handsome man’s hand…you get pregnant.”

“I’m not handsome, so I doubt that will happen.”

Plus, holding hands wasn’t the typical cause of pregnancy.

Orlando paid me no heed and lumbered off. I worried about her, and that was quickly justified when she gave in to the weight of her gigantic sword and kissed the ground. At that point, I lent her my shoulder, worked the name of an inn from her, and took her to her bed.

I told her I’d stop by tomorrow, but I doubted she’d remember.

Many adventurers acquired a certain arrogance after climbing the ranks, but Orlando wasn’t like that. I understood why Iris wanted to help her. Orlando didn’t strike me as the type to complain openly. She seemed quiet and nonassertive. Perhaps that was why she was being exploited.

It was still daylight out. There was plenty of time before the sun would set.

I headed back to the guild, approaching the building from behind this time.

A man exited through a service door, so I took the opportunity to bring a hand down on his neck lightly. He slumped over, and I dragged him into the shadows.

“I’ll be borrowing this. I’ll have it back to you shortly.”

I traded clothes with him, donned his uniform, and headed through the back door and up to the second floor.

There were a lot of staffers moving about. A quick tally put the number at around a hundred. One unfamiliar face wouldn’t stand out.

If there was an issue at the guild, I figured there was something to be learned from the quest stubs.

Although this was a different branch, the work was still the same, so it didn’t take long to find where documents were stored. I fished out Orlando’s completed quests.

“What are you doing?” a male staffer asked me, suspicious.

“I was assigned to the first floor the other day. Apparently, the quest stub of an adventurer I manage was put here by mistake.”

I made up that lie on the spot.

“Oh, that happens.”

Such errors were pretty common, actually.

The male guild staffer offered to help, but I politely turned him down.

“The second floor is only for C rank and above, so be careful, okay?”

I gave him a friendly bow as he left, then I took all of Orlando’s quests from the last month. Each one was at least B rank. They had appropriate reward totals listed. Nothing about them was odd at a glance.

However, every one had a note that Orlando was an elf scribbled on the back.

“…”

Feeling curious, I checked through a pile of other quest stubs. There were notes like those on Orlando’s, but only if the adventurer wasn’t human.

The Lahti branch didn’t think recording that sort of information was important.

“What? Why? There’s got to be something wrong!”

“Unfortunately, it’s far past the stipulated time. I’m afraid that means your reward needs to be reduced…”

There was a commotion coming from the service counter. Another adventurer was facing a payment penalty, much like Orlando.

“I’m never coming back! You hear me?!”

A dwarf stomped out of the guild.

I noticed something starkly different between this guild and the one in the capital. There were much fewer nonhuman adventurers here. The larger a city, the more diverse the peoples. However, I hardly saw any nonhumans in this city, which was supposedly second only to the capital in terms of population.

“Sorry, but could you file this away?”

The male staffer who’d been helping the dwarf was the same one who spoke to me earlier. I nodded and took the stub.

“He seemed quite upset.”

“That he was. But it’s the branch manager’s orders. There isn’t anything we can do.”

So their manager had told them to do this.

On the back of the stub, I saw the word dwarf written out. The payout decrease was evidently based on a contrived excuse.

I had my suspicions of why they were doing this.

I’d seen discrimination between different species often before the war. Unfortunately, the unified effort against demons had yet to stamp it out completely.

I took several stubs with me to the manager’s office and knocked on their door.

“Branch Manager, may I have a moment?”

“For what?”

“It’s about the rewards.”

I got permission to enter at that point.

When he saw me, the somewhat overweight middle-aged manager cast a dubious look. He cocked an eyebrow.

“You’re a new face.”

“I joined just a few days ago.”

His office was surely filled with people he didn’t know, and he accepted that excuse without question.

“So… I just need to lower the rewards for elves, dwarves, and beastpeople adventurers, then?”

“I never said that. Not directly. Heh-heh-heh.” The man rubbed his jowls while chuckling. “I just said to give them a hell of a time. If they don’t like it, they can go somewhere else. We still give those pseudo-humans quests.”

Pseudo-human was the magic word that made all other races your enemy.

I hadn’t heard it in a while. Bigots favored it prior to the war.

“I think it would benefit the adventurers and the guild if we gave them the appropriate rewards.”

“We don’t have to treat them like they’re human. Want to join the reduction challenge? The more you skim, the more money you get to keep.”

The man let out another hearty laugh that made his double chin jiggle.

“I’m going to report this to the guild master.”

“The boss, huh? Heh, now that’s a funny thing to say. I get righteous types like you every once in a while, but the moment your kind takes a bit of money, you all back down. In the end, you’ll come around and apologize.” This manager was just as corrupt as the previous lord. I should have known. “Go ahead and report it. Do whatever you want.”

“I will.”

“Who do you think the master will trust? The words of a trivial little staffer or the man in charge of an entire city’s guild branch?”

“Have you heard about the guild established in Bardenhawk as part of the broadscale quest?”

“Yes. What about it?”

“Who do you think the guild master will trust? The staffer who was entrusted with overseeing that broadscale quest or a bigot?”

That got his brain working. His face froze in a scowl.

“Well, that’s all I had to discuss, so if you’ll excuse me.” I bowed and turned to leave, but I heard clattering behind me as the man ran into his desk and sofa in his hurry. He rushed over and grabbed me.

“Wait, wait, wait! Wait, wait, wait, wait! Just settle down. Let’s take a seat, okay? What would you like, hmm? I’ll get you a recommendation, and we can make you a branch manager, too. All it’ll take is a word from me. What do you say? Sounds good, right? That will be enough to forg— Huh?”

“I’m afraid I don’t work at this branch, so I don’t think you have anything to offer.”

“Huh? What do you mean…?”

“Your biased views have affected your work. I’m afraid I need to report this.” I brushed the hand from my shoulder and walked away.

“Wait! Wait!! What are you planning to do to me?!”

I activated Unobtrusive.

“Wh-what?” I made sure he’d lost sight of me and leaped out of a window nearby. “H-he disappeared?! Was he just an illusion?!” This man loved to shout. “I—I see! So he was just a dream!”

If only—for his sake.

I traded clothes back with the staffer who was still unconscious and headed to the capital with the stack of quest stubs.

Once I got a hold of Tallow at the headquarters, I told him everything, then I left him to deal with the cleanup.

The next day, when I headed to the guild with Orlando, we spotted the pale-faced manager being taken away by several people.

Orlando looked puzzled.

“I don’t think you’ll have any trouble with reduced payments anymore,” I said.

“Really? That’s a relief…”

To prove my point, we finished a quest. The reward was indeed the original amount.

“I got paid right. Why?”

“Who can say? All I know is that this is normal,” I replied.

Since my job here was done, I revealed who I was and apologized for hiding my identity.

“You’re a guild employee, Roland?”

“Yes, I work for Iris.”

“Iris!”

She knew exactly who I meant. I’d guessed right about the identity of her drinking buddy.

“Iris told me about you. I’m sure she’ll meet with you again soon.”

“Yeah… Maybe I’ll pay her a visit.”

I bobbed my head slightly and left Orlando.

Once I was back in Lahti, I reported to Iris that I’d solved the issue. While she celebrated, she asked, “Y-you didn’t touch her, did you?”

“Who do you think I am?”

“Well, elves are beautiful… And once she starts drinking, she doesn’t stop until she’s wasted.”

Iris knew Orlando’s quirks well. I guess that was to be expected of drinking buddies.

“I wouldn’t make a move on someone simply because they’re pretty, especially while they’re drunk. I don’t need alcohol to impress anyone.”

“What?” Iris seemed to latch on to something I’d said. “Are you saying you can get a free pass even when alcohol isn’t involved?”

“Maybe. I’ll leave it up to your imagination.”

She gave me a wry smile. “You are one ridiculous employee.”

“No, I’m a normal employee.”

“Give up on that already… Oh, please thank Rila for me.”

“Rila? Why?” I asked.

“You’ll find out.”

Something must have happened while I was gone. I’d ask Rila later when I delivered Iris’s message.

4. The Demon Lord Staffs the Guild for a Day

5. As Friends

“Looks like someone has free time on her hands.”

That was the first thing Almelia said when Elvie arrived at the orphanage.

“I actually don’t. I just heard that Lina was here while I was working, so I came to check on her.”

“That means you’ve got nothing better to do.”

Almelia acted exasperated, but there was a hint of a genuine smile on her face.

“That room over there is free, so why don’t you wait in there?”

Elvie did as she was told and waited for Almelia and Lina, as well as Serafin, who hadn’t made it yet. The room, which resembled a parlor, was furnished with an office desk, an old sofa that seated three, and an inconspicuous coffee table. Elvie heard the excited cries and yells of children beyond the window, where the light streamed in. Supposedly, Almelia the hero-princess often busied herself here between official duties.

After a while, all three of the people she’d been waiting for made their way to the room.

“Are we having a reunion or something?” Almelia asked, confused.

“If so, I think we’re missing a very, veeery important someone, aren’t we?” Serafin added.

“Roland’s coming?” Lina’s eyes glittered.

The girls talked among one another just like the old days, when they were in a party together.

“El, don’t you have plenty to deal with back home? You’re the captain of the royal guard, aren’t you? I know you didn’t come here just to pass the time,” Almelia said. While leaning on the desk, she slowly wrapped an arm around Elvie.

“I really did mean to just check in.”

“So you’ve got some ulterior motive, then. Right?” Serafin, perceptive as always, took a seat on the sofa and patted her lap. It was an attempt to lure Lina over, but the girl ignored Serafin and plopped beside her instead.

“Roland’s coming? He is, right? Ally, did you ask him to?”

“I haven’t. I only found out that El was coming over today, and she called Sera.” Almelia shook her head, which prompted Lina to squeeze her favorite stuffed rabbit tightly.

“Roland…”

“Actually, I need to talk about Roland,” Elvie stated.

Almelia and Serafin knew their friend well. They immediately understood this was a serious matter, and both women tensed.

A surprised Lina asked, “Did something happen to Roland?”

“You know that he has a roommate, right?”

There was a moment of hesitation before Almelia replied, “Yes. You mean Rileyla, don’t you? I’ve spoken with her a few times.”

“Do you know why Roland lives with a demon woman?”

“…What are you implying?”

Almelia likely knew what Elvie was getting at already. She watched her friend cautiously.

“Roland left us behind to defeat the demon lord on his own, then disappeared from our sight.”

Lina nodded. “But he was still alive,” she said.

“Yes. None of us believed that he died. And after a while, we learned he was living as a guild employee,” Elvie recounted.

Serafin hummed. “It seems like he’s been doing a lot for the guild, too. The guild master, Tallow, had a lot of good things to say about him.”

“Considering your sharp instincts, Serafin, I’m surprised you didn’t notice something was wrong before me,” Elvie remarked.

“Oh? I’m not sure what you mean.” Serafin produced a smile—a fake one.

“Fine, have it your way, then. Anyway, Lina aside, I see where you two stand. I’ll get to the point. The demon woman Roland is living with must be the demon lord.”

“Is she?” Almelia’s response seemingly implied that was no great issue.

“Oh, really?” Serafin’s response was obviously an act.

“We found the demon lord’s—well, it turned out not to really be hers—but we found a corpse at the site of the battle. And because we did, the demons believed their ruler had been defeated and withdrew.”

“When I met Rileyla, I suppose I did think she looked kind of familiar,” Almelia admitted.

“Then why didn’t you—?” Elvie began.

“Because I didn’t feel any mana coming from her. She couldn’t be the demon lord without any magical power.”

Serafin added, “Roland has my collar. It wouldn’t be a stretch to assume Roland sealed the demon lord’s strength with it. Although it might be damaged somewhat.”

“When I visited Roland’s house, she wasn’t wearing the collar,” Elvie said.

Almelia and Serafin, who hadn’t been aware of that, both went silent.

Lina was the only one unable to follow the conversation. It literally passed over her head.

“Roland did come to me inquiring about the collar’s origins. I suppose it really did break.” Serafin seemed to believe Elvie’s story. “So what do you want to do about Rileyla? Or do you see her as the demon lord?”

“After traveling together, I thought I could trust Roland… I think we all assumed that. But he tricked us and allowed the demon lord to escape.”

“So you’re upset with him, Elvie? You’re not happy that he lied, left without a word, and let the demon lord—powerless though she may be—escape?”

Elvie had thought the flame of righteousness had died in her after the war, but perhaps it still burned somewhere deep in her. “She’s not powerless. I saw her use her strength myself.”

“Look beyond her title, El,” Almelia chided her. The princess recalled how she’d become fast friends with Rila, and how that might have been because they shared similar circumstances.

“Roland is with Rileyla. There’s no one better equipped to stop her. She was the demon lord once, but not anymore. That’s all there is to it,” Serafin said.

“I don’t understand what Roland is thinking. He never would have done something like this in the past. Why would a coolheaded man like him allow the lord of the demons who made so many humans suffer go free? Did she charm him with her beauty? That doesn’t seem like Roland to me.”

Serafin laughed. “Roland’s usually the one doing the seducing.”

“Okay, El, you’ve made it clear that you don’t accept the current situation,” Almelia said. “But you should drop this. It’s weird.”

“You think I’m the weird one here?!” Elvie shouted a little louder than she intended, and Lina flinched.

“El, don’t be mad…,” Lina muttered.

“I’m sorry,” Elvie replied. “I’m not actually upset.”

Elvie petted Lina’s head silently for a moment.

“If word of this ever got out, the world would know that the party of heroes lied. We’d be impostors who defeated a fake. The repercussions would be earth-shattering.”

Almelia took on a fiery tone to match Elvie’s outburst. “But the war is over. Isn’t that enough? Who cares if the demon lord who died was a fake? It ended the fighting.”

“You always rely too much on Roland.”

“You’ve got it all wrong! It’s not like Roland hasn’t thought about any of this. He’s probably considered the dangers more than we have! He thinks way into the future!”

“And what will we do if he’s had a change of heart? He’s different these days. I’m sure you’ve noticed.”

Almelia and Serafin didn’t reply. They couldn’t. Both of them knew that Roland had softened lately. A once sharp edge had become a warm ray of sunlight.

It seemed like a good transformation to them.

“You’re overthinking it,” Almelia said dismissively. “Just leave it alone. It’s not like we could beat him anyway.”

“So you’ve considered it, too, Al? You’ve thought about us fighting him?”

“No… I didn’t mean it like tha—”

Lina realized the argument was reaching perilous territory. She started to look frightened. Serafin gently patted her head. “It’s all right, Lina. This is normal.” Then she clapped her hands

“All right, all right. That’s enough.” With a pointed look at Elvie and Almelia, Serafin said, “There’s no point in arguing when the person in question isn’t here. First, let’s get a hold of the facts. Speculation will only make this worse… That’s what Roland would say, I think.”

Almelia nodded. “I agree.”

6. Assembling the Old Team

It was morning. I got out of the bed quietly to keep from waking Rila.

While I was preparing for work, I noticed an envelope stuck in the door. I’d felt like I was being watched recently, and now there was a letter. It bore no indication of a sender or where it was from.

Undoubtedly, it had nothing but bad news for me.

“I hope it’s not an assassination request.” I allowed myself a sarcastic grin, then opened the missive and investigated the letter.

“…”

It was from Elvie. I’d expected it to be an update on her home country, but it was nothing of the sort.

Roland, before his execution, the copy suggested that you are living with the demon lord. I would like to confirm this claim. If it is true, I wish to know why you let her live.

One of Elvie’s subordinates must have been watching Rila and me.

I massaged the wrinkles forming on my forehead.

“Why do you frown so?”

Rila grabbed me from behind, clothed only in a bedsheet.

“It looks like we’ve been found out.”

“Hmph?”

“This is a letter from Elvie. It seems my double revealed you were the demon lord.”

“To that female knight?”

Elvie was a stubborn one. To her, the demon lord was the demon lord. It didn’t matter whether Rila was powerless. However, considering her powers weren’t sealed anymore, I couldn’t begrudge Elvie for her caution.

Apparently, Elvie couldn’t accept that I’d allowed the very person who’d started the war to survive and share a home with me.

“What shall we do? Will you defeat me yet again?” Rila snickered. She seemed to know already that wouldn’t be happening. “Why not make another fake corpse, just as we did at the castle?”

“I doubt that would work a second time.”

We’d been found out by the most troublesome person possible. My copy had probably told Elvie specifically because of that. I’d fully intended to kill the demon lord in her castle, so I understood why Elvie couldn’t tolerate the current situation.

Something about being an assassin gave one a certain intuition. When people faced someone like me—a person who, in their eyes, was essentially the grim reaper—they revealed an aspect of themselves that showed whether they were a good person.

I’d determined that Rila wasn’t as evil as we first believed. That’s why I’d tried using the collar. Would Elvie, a veritable personification of justice, be convinced by that alone?

Now that I thought back on it, there was some part of me that had wanted to quit being an assassin. I’d told myself it was all part of my job, but a portion of me always disliked killing good people. It’s why I sought a normal job…

“That the knight sent a letter suggests she is still amenable to negotiation.” Rila’s remark pulled me from my thoughts.

“Yes. She’s written that she’ll bring the other members of the party of heroes with her. She’s even specified a date and time.”

The letter had been delivered inconspicuously. Hopefully, that meant Elvie didn’t intend to reveal to the public that the demon lord was alive. If it got out, the world would fall into panic.

“Rila, you’re not a bad person. At the very least, you seemed good enough to give me pause.”

She’d only started the war as part of an overarching political decision. Rila was hardly some bloodthirsty tyrant. That meant little to all the humans who’d suffered because of damage from the fighting, though.

“I am well aware that I have caused you distress. And that you are protecting me.” When I turned around, Rila was smiling. “To the humans, I am a heinous criminal. Regardless of the reason, I invaded your country and took things that can never be returned. I knew a day like this would come.”

“Don’t be so quick to jump to conclusions… Elvie only wants to talk. She hasn’t taken any action yet.”

“In the past, you have claimed that if anyone attempts to kill me, you will face an entire division, army, or country to save me. Is that still true?”

“Yes,” I answered.

“Even if it means standing against your old friends?”

“Of course.”

“Ha-ha. You truly do love me.”

As she hugged me, I slowly stroked her back.

“I fell for the strongest demon lord in history, after all.”

Once I was prepared for work, Rila saw me off at the front door, just as she did every other day.

“Mr. Roland, is something on your mind?” Milia asked me while we were working.

“It’s nothing big.”

“Still, that’s unusual for you.”

“Yes. I’m going to meet some old friends later…”

“Isn’t that a good thing? What’s the problem?”

“I’m embarrassed to admit this, but they found out about a lie I told them a while ago. And now they’re upset.”

When I explained the gist of the events without revealing details, Milia grinned.

“Oh, I see! Everyone tells one or two white lies at some point. If you apologize, I’m sure you’ll make up and remain friends.”

Her smile was as warm as the sun.

Perhaps she had a point. Maybe I was worrying too much.

“You’re right. I’ll do what I can.”

Would a simple verbal apology suffice? Elvie held fast to the rules. She wasn’t exactly the flexible type. However, we’d fought through some gruesome battles together.

But we’d also gone through gruesome battlefields together.

If I explained the situation, would Elvie’s strong sense of justice permit her to let this go?

Throughout the day, I mulled it over, trying to come up with an answer that would put my mind at ease.

Elvie’s meeting fell on one of my days off from work.

I wondered if she’d asked around to find out when I was free. If nothing else, she was very considerate in specific ways.

I heard a knock at the door, which prompted me to stand.

“Sounds like she’s here.”

“Y-yes…”

Rila sounded anxious.

No matter what the others tried, Rila and I outpowered them. They undoubtedly knew we had the upper hand in a fight, but they still wished to talk. Or maybe interrogate was a more appropriate word.

Rila’s nervousness was perfectly understandable. This meeting would determine whether the others would accept her continued existence.

“Roland? Hello?” I heard Lina’s cheerful voice through the door.

A group of familiar faces greeted me when I opened the door. I’d seen each of them recently, but we hadn’t all been gathered since the attack on the demon lord’s castle.

“Roland!” Lina hugged my waist.

While I petted Lina’s head, Serafin peered inside. “So this is your house, Roland. It’s so modest. You could have found a much nicer place.”

“The building was abandoned, and we fixed it up. It serves well enough for living a quiet life.”

“A ‘quiet’ life? You haven’t been quiet at all,” Almelia quipped.

“Personally, I consider this living quietly.”

“How can you say that with all the fighting you’ve done?” The princess cast me an unimpressed look. Presumably, she was referring to the fight with Amy.

Although everyone else conducted themselves as usual, Elvie exuded the reticence and gloom I’d anticipated.

“Rila is waiting. Come in.”

All of them had met Rila, save for Serafin, but none knew she used to be the demon lord. I worried that would color their opinions of her.

My home lacked a parlor to host guests, so I led everyone to the living room instead.

“Sit wherever you like,” I said, and the four obliged, each taking a seat on the sofa. Rila should have been here, yet I didn’t see her anywhere.

“Hey, Rila. They’re all here.” When I peered into the dining room, I saw Rila sitting and looking quite pale. “You don’t look so good,” I remarked.

“…Indeed. I can only imagine what they will say to me.”

“I thought that you were more prepared than this.”

“These people are important to you. I cannot ignore their opinions, although I wish I could.”

“Cowering in this room won’t fix anything.”

Rila took a deep breath, then she looked directly into my eyes and nodded. I took that to mean she was ready.

We returned to the living room together.

“I’m sorry for not introducing you all properly sooner,” I began. “This is Rila… Rileyla Diakitep. She’s the former demon lord we tried to overthrow.”

Rila seemed loath to allow any silence. She immediately followed my words with, “I am Rileyla, a demon. Presently, I live with Roland here in this house. I mean no harm to the citizens here. You can take me at my word.”

“Rila, th-thank you for everything!” Lina stood up and bowed.

“What did you do?”

“Nothing.”

“All the slaves you freed and cared for are at the orphanage now. I never told you how grateful I am…”

Right…

Lina was referring to the kids I’d brought home from the underground arena. I’d asked Rila to look after them, and she’d worked hard to prepare their baths and clothes.

“That was kind of you, Lina. I bet you wanted to tell her for a while now.”

The little mage smiled at my praise. “Yeah.”

Almelia cleared her throat rather pointedly. “I met Rileyla in the capital and we’ve interacted here, too, so I don’t have anything to say.”

They’d gotten to know each other at the market while I was attending a seminar. Rila’s coin purse had been stolen, and Almelia helped her.

“I put your collar on Rila, Serafin. As it happened, while it sealed Rila’s mana, it also had another function that turned the wearer into a talking black cat. From what I understand, the maker added that just for fun,” I explained.

“So, just to be sure, that lecture you gave me was about…” Almelia looked between Rila and me.

The former demon lord flushed. “Um, yes, that is correct.”

The very imaginative princess turned red and jabbed a finger at me. “Y-you’re not supposed to do that with a roommate! Wh-wh-wh-what do you think you’re doing?! A-a-a-and you even kissed me!”

“Let’s save this for later.”

This was only going to complicate things.

“What?!” Almelia stood from her seat, clearly unwilling to drop this. However, I turned the conversation to Elvie, the reason we were gathered.

“You’ve spoken to Rila yourself, haven’t you, Elvie?”

She’d shown us hospitality when we stayed at the Haydence estate to help solve the mystery of King Rubens’s assassination.

“Yes…I’d heard you were living with a demon. I assumed she couldn’t pose a threat because you wouldn’t keep a threat so close…” Elvie stared pensively at the floor while she spoke. “I was surprised to learn Rileyla was the demon lord, but it made perfect sense when I thought back to the war’s final battle and what you did, Roland.”

It seemed she understood Rila was harmless and not a bad person. However, she couldn’t accept the situation.

“I’d like to apologize for concealing who I used to be,” Rila said. “I know the war was a mistake, and that apologizing now cannot fix it… So I shall do whatever is in my power to make amends to the country and the people who have suffered.”

She couldn’t simply ask for forgiveness. Everyone would have to come to accept her on their own terms after grappling with their memories of the conflict with demons.

Rila didn’t mention it, so I wasn’t going to bring it up, but she’d never wanted to start a war.

The demon lord carried the burden of all her army’s crimes. She had a responsibility to make amends for what happened. To that end, Rila had brought crops from Hell to Bardenhawk, Maylee’s homeland.

“I am not a child,” Elvie said. “I assume you did not start the war purely of your own desire. There were surely circumstances leading up to the decision. However, there’s one thing I can’t wrap my head around.” She turned her attention to me. “You, Roland.”

“What about me?”

“I—no, not just me—Al, Sera, and Lina agree. Why didn’t you tell any of us?”

Presumably, she’d been wondering this since learning the truth about Rila.

“Why did you disappear without telling us anything? Instead of killing the demon lord, you rendered her powerless with that collar. For how coldhearted you can be, that’s the sort of kindhearted decision that is very in line with your character. You could have just told us. Did you think we’d harm a defenseless woman?” Elvie started to sob. She pursed her lips tightly, but she couldn’t stop them from trembling as she wiped a tear with a finger.

When Almelia saw that, she put an arm around Elvie’s shoulders and stroked her hair.

“I understand, El,” she said. “We never believed that Roland was dead, but we still worried. I was so glad to learn he was alive. But then as soon as I thought about it, I wondered why he kept it a secret. The idea that we weren’t important enough to tell made me feel awful…”

Elvie sniffled and gazed at me through her tears.

“Yeah, that’s right! I was sooo sad, too,” Serafin added. Her shoulders quivered, and she hid her face with a sleeve, although she peeked to see my reaction.

I decided to ignore her and her fake tears.

“I just want you to stay,” Lina declared.

“Lina, that’s not fair of you to say,” Almelia chided.

Lina cocked her head at the princess.

“We were supposed to be important to you, but you abandoned us and went off to live it up with the ex–demon lord… I’m so sad… You could have let us join in.” Evidently, Serafin was upset for an entirely different reason than the others. She was really no different than usual. Whenever a conversation turned serious, she couldn’t help but act silly.

“First, let me apologize to you, my friends, for lying.”

Back at the time, I couldn’t explain to them why I’d spared the demon lord. I was only a cold assassin who knew nothing of the world. Things were different now, though.

Since becoming a guild employee, I’d learned of warmth and what counted as normal. Understanding how different an assassin’s life was allowed me to finally reveal what happened in the demon lord’s castle.

An assassin kills anyone for the mission, regardless of whether they’re good or evil. Since quitting that life, I’d figured out why that had felt so off-putting.

“I’m sorry for vanishing without a word, too.” I bowed my head at the four women, who received my apology in silence. “I’d decided that would be my last assassination mission, yet I failed to kill my last target. I’d felt that the demon lord was a good person and decided that sealing her powers was enough. Then I made a choice very unlike me. However, I didn’t keep it from any of you because of a lack of trust. I hope you can believe that, if nothing else.”

I’d believed I couldn’t let anyone find out the demon lord was alive, even if she was powerless, and that kept me from revealing the secret to my friends. Things might have played out very differently had I told King Randolf or my party members.

“El, can you accept what Roland’s said?” Almelia asked.

“Yes, as long as he is with Rileyla, we have nothing to worry about.”

Rila was obviously relieved to hear that.

“Al, may I ask a question? What was that about a kiss?” Elvie inquired.

“Huh?”

“You said you kissed Roland.”

“That’s— Oh, who cares about that…?” Almelia turned away and shot me a bashful glance.

“Hey, did you two just exchange a look?!”

“S-so what if we did?! There’s no problem! Just leave us alone!”

Almelia tried to stand, but Elvie grabbed her. “No, there’s definitely an issue here.”

“I haven’t kissed Roland yet,” Lina stated.

And I had no plans of it ever happening.

“Oh yes, I haven’t gotten one, either.”

Likewise, I didn’t intend to kiss Serafin.

Rila snickered to herself as she watched. “So this is the party of heroes. I see. Traveling with them must have been difficult at times.”

The living room grew quite noisy as Elvie demanded details while Almelia staunchly refused. Lina hovered around the two nervously, trying to stop their argument.

“Roland, do you have anything to drink?” Meanwhile, Serafin brazenly asked for alcohol as though nothing was amiss.

“Ah yes, I believe you are the one who can hold her drink,” Rila commented. She headed to the kitchen and brought back wine and glasses, then began to pour.

I quickly whipped up some snacks and brought out something nonalcoholic for Lina.

The conversation turned to chatting about what we were doing these days, interspersed with reminiscing.

“I like that story. You tell it, Roland,” Lina said.

“You mean when Almelia wet herself?”

“Ally peed her pants. Heh-heh-heh.” Lina had heard the story multiple times before, yet still requested it from me and laughed to herself as she recalled it.

“Don’t talk about that while we’re eating! Also, I never peed myself!”

Serafin smiled. “I seem to remember Lina peeing in her sleep several times.”

“I—I did not!”

“And then you had to go to the battlefront with no underwear since you didn’t have a new pair to change into…”

“Nooo! Nooo!” Lina tried to cover my ears to keep me from hearing.

Admittedly, I already knew, so I let her do as she pleased.

Everyone chatted easily, likely because of the alcohol.

“And El would cry at night because Roland’s training was too harsh,” Almelia said.

“You did as well. You hypocrite.”

Everyone laughed.

“Have you any embarrassing stories of him?”

“Rila, don’t ask that.”

All four of my old party members considered the question, but Almelia was the first to speak up.

“During an attack at night, Roland once fought entirely naked.”

“I remember that. Why weren’t you wearing any clothes?”

“Oh, c’mon, that’s obvious. Roland was dedicating his energy to another kind of ‘assault,’ so his clothes were off and he… Heh-heh… He was naked because… Heh-heh. Roland, since when was your weapon of choice a spear? Pfft!”

“Let’s move on to another topic.” I punched Serafin in the side to stop her.

“Ha— Hrgh…” She fainted, but it would only last a short while.

“As reliable then as you are now,” Rila commented with an exasperated sigh.

“Why don’t you tell us about Roland, too, Rileyla?”

“Yeah, I want to know your side of things. Tell us.”

“Ha-ha. Then I shall regale you.” Rila launched into a story with clear pride.

It seemed all of them—except Serafin, who was still unconscious—were curious to learn what had happened before we’d all reunited. Most of what Rila said was the unembellished truth, so I had little cause to interject.

“No guild staffer would ever do those sorts of things, Roland.”

“I thought it was all normal, personally.”

“No, Al’s right. You haven’t been living quietly at all.”

I tilted my head. I couldn’t believe it.

“Roland was being Roland,” Lina stated, as though delivering a definitive point, and Almelia and Elvie nodded.

We kept talking and sipping at our drinks.

After I took Lina up to a bedroom when she grew sleepy, I came back to find that everyone else had succumbed to their liquor.

“It seems the cleric is not as stout as she appeared,” Rila said.

I nodded. “Yeah. She enjoys her drink but can hardly endure it.”

I took Almelia, Elvie, and Serafin to the bed Rila and I normally used, which quickly became rather cramped.

Rila poured me another glass. “It seems I am the only one able to keep up with you.”

“But you can’t drink much yourself.”

“It’s true.” She laughed, but turned serious quickly. “So those were the people I fought against during the war…”

“They’re a tad idiosyncratic, but they’re good friends to have.”

“They showed no signs of hostility or vigilance when my powers were sealed away. What tremendous trust they have in you.”

“I don’t believe you’re dangerous, and I think they sensed that.”

Once we were back together, we mostly spoke like we had in the old days. I’d thought something had changed, but that worry was unfounded.

“Oh, I meant to ask earlier what happened to Yorvensen,” I remarked offhandedly.

“Yorvensen…”

That was the first region our side took in the war. Its keep was known as the former demon lord’s castle.

“I heard that the demons haven’t returned since the army withdrew. Supposedly, monsters and magical beasts have taken it over.”

I hadn’t seen a single quest for the area, so I doubted there was anyone living there.

“I see,” Rila muttered.

“Are you sure you don’t want to tell them? You fought to take over, but you had your reasons.”

“That would simply be an excuse coming from the aggressor. And those who wanted battle only sought it because of my overwhelming power.” Rila was rapidly growing melancholy in her drunkenness.

“Don’t beat yourself up for it. The war is over, and you’re no longer the demon lord.”

“Indeed,” Rila said as she sipped from her glass.

In times like these, Roje was quick to cheer Rila up, but the elf was nowhere to be seen when she was needed most.

We were silent for so long that Rila reclined on the sofa and fell asleep. When I tried to put a blanket over her, I saw she was crying.

“The cruel and ruthless demon lord, was it…?”

Rila had adopted that persona after declaring war. In actuality, she’d been the kind and caring daughter of a king. Even when I beat her, she never tried to struggle. Instead, she looked freed of a burden.

The war must have been difficult for Rila.

She was no longer the demon lord in name. However, the memories from that time still haunted her.

7. The Cruel and Ruthless Ruler

8. Runaway

When I returned home after work, instead of finding Rila waiting for me as usual, I was greeted by a bored-looking elf.

“What are you doing here?”

“Don’t give me that. I informed Lord Rileyla that I would be here today. I thought she had returned, and now I find you instead.”

Then she gave me a dramatic sigh.

“Where’s Rila?”

“Was she not out shopping? She was not here when I arrived in the afternoon.”

I checked the living room, kitchen, and bedroom, but Rila was nowhere to be found.

“Hey, tell me where Lord Rileyla has gone. Y-you don’t think she’s been kidnapped, do you?!”

Roje was beginning to panic, so I tried to calm her down. “She has her powers back and would be able to use a Gate. She could easily go to the capital or anywhere else.”

“So you’re saying she might be far away? She knows I was going to come by today. Lord Rileyla has never missed one of my visits.”

Roje had served as Rila’s personal guard, so it was no wonder she was anxious. I had to admit that it was odd that Rila had left without a single word to Roje on the day of her visit.

“Hey, human. Do you have any idea what’s happened to her?”

“…”

Any idea…

Rila had rather abruptly asked about Yorvensen. I had no idea if that was related, but it was the only thing I could think of.

“Roje Sandsong, did Rila ask you anything about Yorvensen?”

“Yorvensen? No, not in particular. Why?”

I told Roje about what had happened recently—the fake me, how Elvie realized Rila was the demon lord, and that my old party members came here to talk.

“Th-then one of them must have— The party of heroes took Lord Rileyla! It must have been the Maiden of the Shield!”

The Maiden of the Shield was another name for Elvie.

“Calm down, you idiot. They couldn’t abscond with Rila that easily.”

“Then why isn’t Lord Rileyla here?” Roje seemed close to crying.

We looked for signs of kidnapping.

“…”

I suddenly remembered that someone had been watching Rila and me lately. I’d thought it was whoever delivered Elvie’s letter, but if they only meant to give a message, why spy on us?

Was there anyone else who might be interested in Rila or me?

While Roje and I tried to figure out what happened, someone else stopped by. I opened the door to find a rather unusual duo.

“I heard you were here, Commander Roje. I figured that promised to make this a veeery fun night.” Dey glanced at Almelia beside her. “Did you invite her, too?”

“A vampire and an elf… Roland, what were you planning to do?” Almelia gave me an exasperated look.

“It seems the hero-princess has too much time on her hands,” I countered.

“Don’t give me that.”

“Sorry, but we don’t have time for this today. Rila’s missing.”

“Oh my,” Dey said. Meanwhile. Almelia’s expression hardened.

“Do you have an idea what’s happened to her, Almelia?”

“I can’t say, but El’s been acting weird lately. I came by today to ask you for help.”

“Elvie, huh?”

“Yeah. We cleared everything up last time I was here, but she’s since started talking about how she can’t let it go… Maybe it’s related?”

I understood where Almelia was coming from. Elvie wasn’t the type to change her mind easily. However, if she intended to blame Rila for the war, she would have done so at the earliest opportunity.

“You mean to say the Maiden of the Shield found Lord Rileyla’s weak point a-and captured her?!”

Rila was good at heart. She wouldn’t resist if the responsibility of the war victims was levied against her.

“I’m going to see Elvie,” I said.

“I’ll go, too,” Almelia added.

Dey nodded. “Then I’ll tag along as well.”

Asking Roje was a waste of time. She wore a grave look that suggested she was prepared for war. Since we’d all be working together, I thought it best to tell Almelia who we’d be working with.

“This elf is Roje Sandsong. She’s known as a dark elf, but this is her true form. She often visits because her master, Rila, lives here.”

“I see. And I assume this one has a similar situation?” Almelia cast a look to Dey, whose smile didn’t so much as flinch as she greeted the hero-princess.

“That’s right. I used to be part of the demon lord’s army. Now I work as an adventurer and I’m sooo very close with Master Roland.”

“…” Almelia seemed disgusted to hear that.

“Dey, don’t cause misunderstandings. Her name’s Candice Minelad, and she’s one of my top two adventurers.”

Almelia sighed. “Sounds like there are more stragglers from the former demon lord’s army than we thought.”

She was probably right. There were undoubtedly others like Dey who’d been stranded on this continent and forced to hide to protect themselves.

Our group totaled only four, but we had power to spare.

Dey, in her usual lackadaisical tone, said, “I’m so happy to get to work with you, Master Roland.”

“Hey, Candice, we’re not doing this for fun and games!”

“Oh my. All fighting’s fun and games, though.”

“Hmm? R-really?”

Dey snickered at Roje, who was entirely too gullible.

Almelia pointed at the pair. “Are you sure about them, Roland?” She sounded worried.

“They pull their weight when they need to.”

I couldn’t be certain that applied to Roje, however.

“Let’s go.”

We used Roje’s transportation magic to travel to Rubens’s capital, Wegal.

There was no telling who might see us, so we teleported to a deserted hill overlooking the city.

Almelia whispered, “The demon lord was known for being cold-blooded, vicious, and evil, but Rileyla seems far from that image…”

Just as Almelia said, Rila was entirely different from her demon lord persona.

“Lord Rileyla is kind at her core. After the war, she was constantly tormented by guilt. I have watched her closely all this time. The war’s damage pained her dearly.”

Roje was likely right.

“I can’t accept what the demon lord’s army did, but I couldn’t hurt someone who’s recognized their crimes and wishes to atone for them,” Almelia replied.

Presumably, Rila hadn’t known what to do about her transgressions and desired to rectify them in some manner. She’d done what she could to help restore Bardenhawk already.

“Let’s find Elvie and see what she knows. There’s still no telling if Rila is with her.”

I summoned my shadows and had them investigate Elvie’s estate. We’d visited before, making it easy to sneak the shadows in to collect intel.

“You’ve learned some strange magic.”

“It’s a demon spell. Rila taught me.”

“Hmph…” Almelia pouted. “You couldn’t manage much when I taught you, though. Yet you can do all that after Rileyla shows you. Hmm…”

She looked so disappointed. I explained, “Human magic has a lot of roundabout and redundant aspects compared to demon magic, and that didn’t suit me.”

“Are you saying that demon magic is a better fit for you?”

“Well, I’ve still only learned a small amount of it.”

One of the shadows found something. I linked my senses to it and saw the courtyard from a low height. I heard a conversation through the walls, so I had the shadow move closer, keeping silent all the while.

“Who do you think our lady brought to the guest room?”

“It’s the pretty woman who was with Sir Roland. I believe her name was Lady Rileyla.”

“Really? Do you think it’s carnage in there? Do you?”

“Of course not. Our lady wouldn’t. She would never resort to something like that.”

“Our lady is the type to face someone directly.”

“Really? You think she’ll be straightforward and declare that she’s better for Sir Roland?”

“Naturally. I’m sure it’s tense in the room right now.”

“Oh, I hope it goes well for our lady.”

Honestly, the servants’ imagined situation sounded preferable to the real one.

I cut my link from the shadow.

We still needed more information, so I had the other shadows gather at Elvie’s estate and wait for us.

“It seems that Rila is with Elvie. From what the servants have said, she isn’t being treated harshly.”

She was in a guest room, so she was probably all right.

“If the Maiden of the Shield knows that Rila is the demon lord, she could have alerted others and gathered a human army. We can assume she’s kept that information secret and wishes to resolve her issues behind closed doors,” Dey said.

“Likely.”

Rila and Elvie had drunk together and spoken face-to-face. Did Elvie really only see her as the demon lord that entire time?

“You know…,” Almelia began, apparently recalling something. She stared into the air for a second. “She started wearing a different sword right about the time she began to change.”

“I’m sure she carries a different weapon on occasion,” Roje said dismissively. However, Dey shook her head.

“Two blades can feel very different in combat. I doubt she’d make a decision like that so abruptly.”

“Roland’s here, so there was no need to go this far, even if Rileyla’s the demon lord. Silly El.” Almelia thrust out her rather diminuitive chest and put a hand on her hip. “It’s all going to be fine, though. I’ll go in to talk to her directly!”

“How reckless,” Dey commented.

Roje replied similarly, “There is such a thing as being too foolhardy…”

Almelia’s confidence and rash behavior had sprouted from her powerful abilities. However, I knew her demeanor inspired hope in others.

Elvie had said my duplicate told her the truth about Rila. A sense of foreboding chilled my skin like the northern breeze. Whenever I had that instinctual feeling, it was likely because things were rapidly approaching a worst-case scenario.

As I gathered information from my shadows, one stopped moving.

I took on its senses and found myself staring directly into the eyes of a squatting woman.

“So you are here…”

It was Rila.

Naturally, she’d noticed my shadows already.

There were many things I wanted to ask her, but I couldn’t speak through my shadows as Rila did.

“I do not seek rescue. I came here of my own free will. And I did not wish to burden you… I am sorry for making this decision on my own, but it has already been done.”

Rila’s voice was gentle and forlorn. She did something to the shadow, and my connection to it was severed. The shadow itself had dissipated.

I did the same to my other shadows and told the others what I’d learned.

“Rila is in a guest room of the estate. She is not a captive and claims she’s here of her own accord. I assume that’s why she isn’t restrained. The security hasn’t changed compared to the last time I was here.”

I quickly outlined the guards’ positions, but I was unsure about whether to reveal one particular detail.

The others waited for me, puzzled by my hesitation. I was concerned Rila might resist us, rather than Elvie.

“She told me she doesn’t want to be rescued.”

“Oh, really? So now she’s being stubborn?” Almelia didn’t seem particularly concerned.

“Even if Lord Rileyla does not desire it, my duty is to protect her from harm. I, Roje Sandsong, shall do all in my power to safeguard her or die trying.” Roje’s declaration was full of vigor. Sometimes she managed to say something sensical.

Dey, however, seemed to receive that statement a little differently. Her face twisted into a half smile.

“Y-yes, Commander Roje. Pfft… I hope for your sake that clichéd line hasn’t tempted fate to actually kill you… Pfft.”

“What’s so funny?”

Roje was confused, but Dey shook her head as she held back her laughter. Regardless of Dey’s amusement, she clearly agreed with the rest of us.

It didn’t matter whether Rila wanted this.

“Roland, I’m ready when you are!”

“I as well.”

“I’m ready to go whenever.”

We wanted this.

Sorry, Rila, our egos have gotten in the way.

We moved between dark spots down the large roadway, dodging the moonlight.

As we approached the back gate, two bored-looking guards yawned. I’d known their location in advance thanks to my shadows.

They’d be taking a nap for a while.

I activated my skill, Unobtrusive, and approached them. An open hand against their necks rendered them unconscious. I found some footholds and scaled the wall with nothing but my bare hands, then landed on the other side.

After confirming no one was around, I quietly opened the back gate from inside.

That’s when Almelia started making a fuss.

“El! Come ooooout!” she yelled from the front of the manor. I sensed motion inside. People were headed to meet Almelia.

The princess was great at standing out.

“How is that hero so loud?!”

“My, how unbecoming.”

Roje and Dey entered through the now-open gate.

“It’s fine. She’s creating a distraction.”

“You’re using a hero as a diversion? What a fiend you are, Master Roland.” Despite Dey’s criticism, she looked captivated by me.

“Securing Lord Rileyla is our priority, human.”

“If she’ll let us without a fight.”

“It’s not a matter of ‘if’! We shall! We must be firm in our resolve!”

“All right, all right,” I said to placate Roje. She was huffing through her nose.

A visit from the hero was an unusual event. Most guards didn’t leave their stations, but Almelia certainly occupied their attention.

We used that to slip in undetected as I invoked my skill.

I made sure to take out every guard. One, two, three…

Roje and Dey followed after.

“H-how quickly you work…”

“That’s my Master Roland.”

“Don’t talk without good reason.”

These two were apparently less vigilant together.

I stealthily traveled through the hall, rushing to the guest room I’d once stayed in, relying on memory alone to find it.

“Here we go.”

Once we reached the door, Roje grabbed the knob.

“Hey, it might be a tra—” I tried to warn Roje, but I was too late.

She had already opened the door and taken a step inside.

“Lord Rileyla! I, Roje Sandsong, have come to—”

“Master Roland, get back!”

I reacted quickly without needing Dey’s warning and withdrew.

A magic circle formed.

“Huh? Uh?! Oh sh—”

Roje had realized something was wrong, but it was too late. She disappeared without a trace.

“It’s a court order rank mono spell called Subspace. As far as I know, only Lord Rileyla is capable of casting it. It’s advanced magic that sends someone to another space entirely,” Dey explained.

I’d seen it from a distance once. An entire army division had fallen into a trap and vanished.

“Pfft… Pfft… She was so enthusiastic and ended up being the first one out…” Dey, who was hardly acting cautious herself, tried in vain to hold back her laughter. “She’ll reappear after the caster ends the spell.”

“Evidently, Rila doesn’t intend to let us get to her without a fight.”

“It sure seems that way.”

Getting back my runaway cat was shaping up to be quite a lot of work.

We remained vigilant for other traps as we stepped into the room. Fortunately, we didn’t encounter any more, and Rila and Elvie waited inside, just ahead.

“Roland. If only you hadn’t gotten in the way, this could have been settled without further issue.” Elvie brought a hand to her sheathed sword.

“Oh dear, oh dear. Oh my, oh my. How terrible. How can you say all that drivel while knowing you’re a powerless nobody?” Dey summoned spears from thin air.

“A vampire… You’ve grown quite close to demons, Roland.”

“And you appear to judge people based on old prejudices rather than who they are. Your values as a knight have changed substantially.” My attempt at a taunt didn’t elicit much from Elvie. She remained stone-faced. However, that’s how she looked when she couldn’t stomach something.

“Rila, why did you do this?”

“You did not speak with me when Amy returned, knave.”

She was right.

I wished Rila had asked me for help instead of going off alone, but she likely felt the same back then.

Rila tapped a heel against the ground. The scenery around us changed.

“The guest room is much too cramped,” she said.

We were suddenly taken to a place of endless wilderness.

“Lord Rileyla, why don’t we go home with Master Roland? I prefer it when you two are together.”

“I am sorry, Dey.”

“Elvie, what are you planning?” I questioned.

“The demon lord wishes to be punished. She says she can’t endure the heavy guilt of her crimes. She doesn’t want us to fight, so please back off.”

“Sorry. I can’t do that.”

Talking wouldn’t solve anything now. My only option was to drag Rila home, whether she liked it or not.

“I’ll take her away by force, if necessary. Just try to stop me,” I said.

Dey readied her spear, and Elvie drew her sword. The blade pulsed with excess mana, rippling. This was the sword Almelia had spoken of.

Elvie’s old weapon had been simple and well-used. This was obviously some manner of demonic blade. From what I gathered, it amplified her magical power. Supposedly, when humans gained more mana than they were capable of holding, they were overcome with a false sense of omnipotence.

“Master Roland, be wary of that sword.”

“I know. I’ll leave Rila to you, Dey.”

“I’m not sure I’m powerful enough.”

“No, I think you’ll put up a good fight.”

“Oh my. My, my. You have so much faith in me. I’m overjoyed.”

Honestly, I didn’t think she could win against Rila, but I had a hunch about something. If I was right, then Dey stood a chance.

The demon before us was Rila in appearance and mannerisms. Something was off, though. The best way to describe it was to say it seemed as if something else wore Rila’s skin.

“Roland, I’m warning you for the final time: Please back off,” Elvie said.

“You’d be better off abandoning all thought of fighting me,” I replied.

“I bet you’re about to tell me that I should focus my strength on protecting others instead of fighting.”

“Sounds like you remember the lesson well enough. Why not heed it?”

Elvie didn’t have her usual large shield. I wasn’t sure if that was because she didn’t intend to use it or because we’d caught her off guard. Whatever the case, she only had that demonic sword.

“All righty then, Lord Rileyla. Let’s get started before they do.”

“I never expected a day might come when we would face each other.”

Dey readied her spear and dashed straight for Rila.

Rila moved back to dodge. At the same time, she created a sword from mana and blocked Dey’s next attack.

Dey must have come anticipating this battle. Her motions were flawless.

She attacked swiftly and in succession, never letting up. Her strikes prevented Rila from having the time necessary to use magic.

I had to wonder how long she could keep it up, though.

“Has your arm healed already, Roland?”

“I’m stronger than you remember. This will end soon, and you’ll regret ever fighting me.”

That sword had some power that gave Elvie enough confidence to cast aside her shield, even though I’d lectured her on the subject during the old days. I found that concerning.

The mana empowering the blade glistened more brightly than before.

Elvie’s skill was Impregnable Fortress.

It drew all enemy attacks within a certain range to her and also increased her defense and that of her equipment greatly. It was quite a unique ability.

Anyone would have told Elvie to focus on guarding after learning about her skill.

It was an easy skill to grasp, very useful, and remained potent even if enemies knew of its effect. All this made it an excellent ability in every way.

She only needed a shield to take advantage of it, yet she had none.

“I’ve decided to exact my own form of justice,” she said.

“Big words for someone so powerless.”

As I dashed toward her, I sensed her activating her skill. Rila and Dey, who I’d been keeping an eye on, vanished. My surroundings clouded over. Only Elvie remained visible.

This was my first time being subjected to Impregnable Fortress. I understood why it was so compelling.

Elvie swung her sword with such force that it whistled as it cut through the air. For all her training, attacking with brute force was apparently all she could manage.

I easily moved past her and invoked Unobtrusive. When she lost track of me, Elvie turned around and slashed blindly.

She knew me and my tactics. That deserved a bit of praise.

However, I knew her just as well. I’d never intended to rely on my usual tricks.

Instead of moving behind Elvie, I’d remained in front of her, and she realized that too late.

I aimed a punch at an opening in her armor.

“Urk?!”

Elvie’s face scrunched up, yet she still tried to fight back. She tried to land a diagonal cut on me, but I activated Unobtrusive again. I stealthily drew her other sword; a spare, apparently.

“I’ll be borrowing this.”

“When did you get behind me?!”

Elvie had powered up her defense, but I’d show her who was superior.

Still, I didn’t want to hurt her too badly, so I aimed for the back of her knee. The skin there was supposed to be thinner. However, it felt like trying to cut through a boulder to me.

“You’ve moved again?!”

“Unlike you, I have a loser skill, so I have to rely on other things.”

Elvie held her sword in front of her. Mana crackled around the blade like lightning.

What was she planning?

Mana was clearly gathering in her blade, which only grew stronger.

“I don’t want to kill you, so dodge!” Elvie cried as she brought down her weapon. A surge of light erupted from the blade.

The silver ray of mana roared as it sped for me, yet I evaded it easily.

Something so big and obvious would never hit me unless Elvie distracted me first somehow.

“So what do you think, Roland? That’s the power of the demonic sword Hols.”

Was that supposed to be the weapon’s name?

“So then that wasn’t your mana alone.”

I knew immediately where she was getting her extra power. Rila.

I sensed mine, Elvie’s, and Dey’s, too, but most of it had come from Rila.

“It absorbs mana and releases it, then?”

Admittedly, that seemed appropriate for a demonic sword. Where had Elvie obtained such an item?

With that weapon at her disposal, I understood why she’d abandoned my teachings and believed herself capable of handling Rila alone.

Elvie’s attack gouged deep trenches in the subspace realm Rila created, clear evidence of the power behind her strike. The sword looked to be recharging. I didn’t feel the same power coming off it as I did earlier.

“What an interesting toy,” I remarked.

Elvie’s shoulders heaved with her breath, but she didn’t say anything.

“I have a new weapon, too.”

I activated Unobtrusive.

As Elvie furrowed her brow, I fired off my right arm. She clearly sensed some projectile approaching, even though she couldn’t see it, and brought her sword down to cut through it.

However, before her blade made contact, my arm broke into droplets and rained down, pummeling her.

“Seems I can also use it like a volley.”

“What did you do to me?!”

Elvie’s bolstered defenses meant she came out of the attack mostly unscathed. I’d been experimenting more than anything else, and it had been something of a success.

The smaller mana shots weren’t powerful, but they had uses.

I waited for Elvie to falter, then circled behind her. All I needed was a moment of weakness. If slashing and buffeting didn’t work, then…

I brought my arm around Elvie’s neck and squeezed.

“Guh, urgh…”

She flailed around but fainted almost immediately.

Her skill finally deactivated. I could see Rila and Dey again.

“Master Roland.”

Dey appeared at a loss, and I saw something near her that seemed melted. Describing it was difficult. It resembled what might happen if a person were boiled for hours.

The subspace realm vanished, returning us to the guest room. A blacked-out Roje lay at the base of the door.

“Right before that flash of light, Lord Rileyla melted away like ice.”

I glanced at Elvie, also unconscious, and her demonic sword.

“That sword seems to absorb mana from around it. Once it’s sufficiently charged, it releases that blast of light,” I said.

“Now that you mention it, I did feel like I had less mana. But I certainly didn’t melt,” Dey answered.

“Perhaps she fell apart because she wasn’t a full person.”

Apparently, that was what I’d felt was so off about Rila before. She’d been duplicated, just like me.

Dey used a spell to restrain Elvie while she was still knocked out.

“This spell’s called Bondage,” Dey said. “Isn’t it positively obscene?”

She laughed as she told me that, though I’d never asked her for the magic’s name.

We carried Elvie to the bed and did the same with Roje, too.

“Master Roland, do you think Lord Rileyla is…?”

“You fought a fake version of her,” I said.

“That makes sense. I felt like something was missing.”

Dey stared at the tip of her spear; the weapon abruptly vanished.

“Does that mean the real Lord Rileyla wants to come home with us?”

“No, I think the part about leaving was true for the fake and the real Rila.”

I’d realized from fighting myself that the duplicates had the same thoughts as the original.

If the false Rila felt guilty, then so did the real one. Otherwise, things would have turned out differently.

I sighed slightly.

“Miss Hero, you can’t! Please, you can’t just barge in— Ah! Wait!”

“It’s fine. I’ll explain it to El later. I’ll make sure none of the servants or guards get in trouble!”

I heard the shuffle of feet outside and bewildered voices as the door flew open.

“El! I know you’re in… Wait, you guys are already here?”

“You’re late.”

After peering into the room and realizing the battle was already finished, Almelia cocked her head to one side.

“Where’s Rileyla? Is she not here?”

“It seems she never was…”

“Hmph. I see.”

It almost sounded as though she’d wanted to fight Rila.

Rila was undoubtedly more powerful. However, Almelia was a quick learner. If she used the defensive maneuvers and dodging techniques I taught her before she’d fought with Amy, she might have put up a good fight.

Since Almelia was here now, too, I slapped Elvie’s face to wake her.

Almelia scolded Elvie and flicked her on the forehead.

“You know you’re no match for him, silly El.”

Elvie lowered her head.

“I thought that maybe I had a chance this time. I normally wouldn’t assume I could win against him without a plan.”

“It must have been the sword that made you act that way.”

Elvie looked over at the blade that was currently sheathed and propped up in a corner of the room, then she nodded slightly. “I followed what I thought was right. I don’t regret it. You can do with me what you will.”

“We’re not going to do anything to you.” Almelia cast me a look that asked Right?

“Hmm. Even if we did, there’d be no benefit. But, Elvie, I’d like to know where that sword and the fake Rila came from.”

“Fake?” Almelia was obviously confused.

Dey explained, “Lord Rileyla was here, in a way, but it wasn’t the real her. The fake melted.”

“It melted?”

“Pretty much. Maiden of the Shield, did you really think you could handle Master Roland with that sword? Were you in your right mind?”

Dey was right, but her tone was turning self-righteous.

Why did Elvie act alone? She was normally prudent. She would have informed the army and taken other preparations.

“After I visited your house, a man appeared with that sword.”

A man?

“Who?” Almelia asked.

Elvie told us that she didn’t know much about him but said, “He claimed his name was Van. He gave the sword to me and explained that it was a prototype. The sword has a strange power. Once you use it, it feels as though you’ve obtained raw power. I felt an absurd amount of proud confidence.”

She’d been granted a great amount of strength but overestimated her abilities. It really was a demonic blade. Just as the name implied, it corrupted people.

Had Elvie gone up against anyone but me, things would have turned out badly.

Perhaps Wawok can learn something by inspecting that blade.

“Why did he give you that weapon, El?” Almelia inquired. The rest of us were wondering the same thing.

“I’m not sure. Van claimed he was from Rubens, but he had an accent from the south. He also knew that the king was assassinated under my watch.”

Because she was the captain of the king’s personal guard, it was only natural for Elvie to feel guilty for the murder and wish to restore her honor.

Had she captured the demon lord, she would have been dubbed a hero in Almelia’s place. Elvie’s natural sense of justice had been exploited.

“Wait… The assassination was a secret. How did he know about that?” Elvie seemed to have a moment of realization when I pointed that out.

How had Van learned something confidential?

I doubted that anyone would be so quick to talk. That fake me probably told him. He knew of Elvie’s position and personality, plus he was the one who’d assassinated the king.

“Van must have found out you were a member of the party of heroes and decided you were a good target for the sword,” I said. Elvie would have been the perfect person for the prototype sword.

A prototype…

It seemed that this man had some connection with me, and he’d created a demonic sword. He’d known that if Elvie took the fake Rila, I would come to get her. He’d orchestrated this to see how the fake Rila and the demonic sword would perform.

He’d manipulated us.

“What happened to the fake me when you took care of him? Did he melt, too?” I asked.

“Are you suggesting the same person made the fake Rileyla? I didn’t ask for details, but I’ll look into it later,” Elvie said.

“Thank you. Do you know the real Rila’s whereabouts?”

Elvie looked down. “Sorry. I have no idea…”

Van made that demonic sword. He probably had some manner of creation skill.

“May I take that weapon?”

“Yes. That’s fine. Use it however you like.”

With luck, examining the blade would reveal something useful.

9. The One Given a Mission

10. The Slumbering Weapons and the Demon Lord’s Castle, Part I

Two days had passed since we returned from Rubens.

Elvie arrived at the house with Roje.

“Did you find anything?” I immediately asked her about the matter I’d requested she look into.

“You said the fake Rileyla melted. The fake Roland didn’t, but he did decompose into bone quickly.”

My copy was made from my right arm, so maybe his abilities and flesh were proportional to what he’d been made from.

“I see. So we can safely assume that Van made duplicates of me and Rila.”

According to Elvie, he had an accent from the south, the sort shared by many people from Yorvensen. Rila had recently asked how that country was faring. That person we’d detected spying on us recently was probably some servant of Van’s, not Elvie’s.

They must have reported back about our relationship. Then later, he’d made contact with Rila. I could only guess what he’d said to her. Whatever it was had convinced her to go with him willingly. Van must have leveraged his ruined homeland against Rila to get her to cooperate.

“Hmm. Okay. Now then, why are you here, Roje Sandsong?” I said.

“What do you mean?! We must search for Lord Rileyla! The Maiden of the Shield has agreed to help, and I am desperate enough to accept her assistance and yours.”

Elvie stood behind Roje looking quite embarrassed.

“Elvie, are you fine with accompanying this idiot elf?”

“Yes. Rubens will break into fighting for the throne soon. If I remain there, I’ll be placed into one faction or another. I’d rather be abroad.”

How very like Elvie.

Almelia peeked in from another room, dressed in an apron. “What is it? Is someone there?”

“Oh, Al. What are you doing here?” Elvie asked.

“Urk, El… What are you doing here?”

“I was planning to aid this elf with the search for Madam Rileyla…”

“Hmm.” Almelia looked Elvie up and down for a moment.

“What?”

“Nothing. Looks like you’re back to your usual self. You’ve been different for a while.”

“I’m sorry about that, and I should apologize to you, too, Roland.”

“It’s fine. This all started because I kept a secret from all of you. I can’t blame you for this.”

Perhaps I should have asked Rila to put on the collar as soon as it was completed. I shouldn’t have left the decision in her hands simply because a lack of powers might have been inconvenient.

“How long do you intend to stand around talking, you scoundrel?!” Roje had a fearsome look on her face as she marched right in.

“Come in. We don’t have much to offer, though,” Almelia said.

Elvie glanced at the princess and gave an awkward grin. “You’ve settled in nicely.”

“What? Do you have something to say?” Almelia gave Elvie an unhappy look, to which Elvie only responded with a shrug.

All sorts of food lined the dining table. Elvie’s eyes went wide at the sight.

“Did Almelia prepare all this?”

“That’s right! I went around to the market and dining rooms and bought the breads, meats, and soups and arranged the table!”

She seemed very satisfied with herself as she raised her chin to gloat.

Roje looked exasperated. “Uh, normally, people make this sort of stuff themselves…”

“Yes, I went shopping all on my own and made a well-balanced meal!”

“Uh, sure.” Roje appeared at a loss. She cast a look at me.

“These two are from well-to-do families. They’ve never even gone shopping for themselves,” I explained.

“Hmph. I suppose that just means they’re lesser than Lord Rileyla.”

Roje’s pride in her master was written all over her face.

“Lately I’ve been bathing all on my own. And it’s been super easy.”

“Me too. And without maids.”

Almelia and Elvie sounded as though they were competing, although I had no idea what for.

As the one who’d taught them the basics of battle, I needed to set them right.

“Hey, you two, bathing alone is normal.”

“I don’t think I want a lecture from you about what’s normal, Roland.”

“Me either.”

Why?

We ate the meal Almelia had prepared while discussing our next moves.

“Want me to call Lina and Sera?” Elvie offered. I shook my head, however.

“It would be better for those two to stay put in case anything happens.” Honestly, I didn’t think things would get too hectic, though. “I don’t want to get Lina involved in a fight. Pulling her away from her peaceful life, even for only a short while, feels wrong.”

Almelia and Elvie agreed, nodding. We wanted Lina’s time in the party of heroes to be a small blip compared to the life she had now.

“Hey, human, we don’t know where Lord Rileyla is. We could use any help we can get.”

“Elvie, do you have any ideas? You’re the only one who’s seen Van,” I said.

Since the fake Rila had been with Elvie, the real one was presumably with Van. I had a guess of where they could be, but that wasn’t much to go on.

“I have no idea where he is or what he could be up to. I heard that Van used to be part of some crafting guild, but I can’t say if that’s true, and I’m not certain of his skill.”

After the battle with Elvie, I’d given the demonic sword to Wawok for inspection on the way home.

“It looks just as you described. The sword increases its user’s mana and steadily drains mana from them and the surroundings. Apparently, it makes the user mentally unstable. The longer it’s used, the worse the effect.”

That’s what he’d told me.

According to Elvie’s description of Van, he was slightly older than me. He was the sort of young man you could find anywhere. He’d ordered the king’s assassination, but it was possible he’d never met the ruler of Rubens directly.

“Presumably, he was just testing his abilities.”

He must have thought I could manage the task and sent my copy to confirm it. The same seemed to apply to the demonic sword and the fake Rila.

Almelia tore off a piece of bread and shrugged. “There’s no telling what he’s plotting.”

“He’s a dangerous man. My duplicate slew King Rubens, so it’s possible the copies have to obey Van. If so…”

“He can create mass-produced copies of Lord Rileyla. He could destroy the world.” Roje looked grim.

“Say, Roland, who’s stronger? Me or Rileyla?” Almelia inquired.

“I think you’ve grown stronger thanks to your training, but Rila is probably still more powerful.”

“Oh, I see…” Almelia didn’t look pleased to hear that.

Whether or not Van intended to mass-produce an army, he’d tried to dispose of me, and he might do the same to Rila.

“She’s such a handful,” I muttered.

“Why would Rileyla go with a man like Van? They don’t know each other, do they? I can understand what happened with El. She was a member of the party of heroes—lots of people know about her.”

Almelia posed a good question.

“It’s likely—,” I began, but Roje interrupted.

“You don’t think that Lord Rileyla…is in love with this Van scoundrel?!”

“Doubtful,” Almelia shot back.

“How can you be so certain?!”

“Well, because she likes Roland, doesn’t she?”

Roje squinted with evident discontent but nodded.

“So it’s probably another reason, right?” Almelia looked to Elvie, who nodded.

I didn’t quite understand. Roje seemed equally confused.

“Okay, this is nothing more than a theory, but I think Rila went with Van because…Rila found out Van is from Yorvensen. She could be working with him to atone for what she did,” I said.

“Atone?” Almelia repeated.

“Yeah. Rila’s struggled with guilt for a while. She started a war she never wanted. I think she’s been waiting for punishment and a way to make things right.”

I exchanged a look with Roje, who offered no objection.

“After she was forced to invade, she did all in her power to end the war quickly. She repeatedly sent envoys to negotiate, but they were all ignored.”

I’d heard rumors to that effect, but I assumed her dispatching envoys was an attempt to mock humans.

“So Madam Rileyla was even willing to abandon you, Roland, to atone for her crimes…,” Elvie remarked.

That was how heavily Rila’s sense of responsibility bound her.

“Roje, would you investigate Yorvensen Kingdom, where the demon lord once held a castle?”

“All right. I likely know my way around better than any of you.”

To my surprise, she agreed to my proposal without complaint. When Rila was involved, Roje became much easier to work with.

A week passed. Roje had yet to report back.

I doubted that was due to travel time. She had access to Gate magic, after all. There was no evidence of her attempting to return, either.

“What is that idiot elf doing?” I grumbled, despite myself. Even if she’d turned up nothing, she could have come back and let us know.

“Idiot elf?”

When I looked up from the reception desk, I saw Orlando, a girl I’d worked with for a short time.

“Oh, Miss Orlando. I had no idea you were here.”

“I wanted to see you and Iris.”

“Thank you for coming all this way.”

Orlando stood out in the guild. She carried a large sword, and elves were rare in countryside towns.

“Would you like me to call the branch manager over?”

“Sure. But what was that about an elf?”

“Would you recognize another elf by name alone?” I asked.

“Probably,” Orlando replied, nodding.

“Her name is Roje Sandsong.”

Roje had served in the demon lord’s army, so there was no telling whether Orlando knew her.

“Sanny?”

“‘Sanny’?” I parroted.

“She…was a friend.”

“Then you do know her.”

Considering Orlando’s use of past tense, perhaps they weren’t in contact anymore.

“I thought she was dead.”

Roje was a regular elf, but she’d joined the demon lord’s army disguised as a dark elf so others wouldn’t look down on her. I didn’t know much else about her beyond that.

The female adventurers waiting in line after Orlando were all listening in.

“Do you think Mr. Argan knows that elf with the gigantic sword?”

“Could she be Quick Sword Orlando, the S ranker?”

I decided to finish helping the adventurers waiting in line first. The conversation with Orlando threatened to run long.

I met with her at a tavern after work.

“I was close with Sanny and her little sister, Marion. The trees in our homeland were reeeally special. The humans knew that they could be used for something, so they cut down lots.”

Orlando was drinking.

I’d taken a seat across from her. There was clear nostalgia in her eyes when she launched into her story.

“That’s very common,” I said.

Elven forests were often pristine. Rare trees and minerals flourished there.

When some greedy humans had discovered the woods, Roje and the others fought them off.

“Sanny was the daughter of our leader. She fought. So did Marion and me. But it was no use. Lots of us died, including Marion and our leader…”

Roje had later joined the demon lord’s army for revenge. By some stroke of luck, Orlando survived and now earned a living as an adventurer.

“Is Sanny doing okay?” Orlando asked.

“I think so,” I replied.

She hadn’t returned from Yorvensen after I asked her to investigate, though. Roje had left in high spirits, eager to find her beloved Rila. Had I been wrong about Rila’s possible whereabouts, Roje would have returned to complain immediately, yet I’d heard nothing from her.

If Roje only sought to find Rila, then I wouldn’t be surprised to learn she never meant to come back. There was a chance she’d simply taken up residence with Rila, reasoning she belonged by her master’s side.

“Sanny, it’s been so long…” Orlando, who was very drunk at this point, started telling me about her childhood.

Evidently, she’d been friends with Roje and her sister since they were young. I would have liked to reintroduce them, but I had no idea where Roje currently was. Perhaps I should have asked Dey to go instead, but I’d refrained since I knew she was busy with quests.

“No, really. For real.”

“You liar. You must have been seeing things.”

In the din of the tavern, I heard the voices of a pair of adventurers—two men sitting side by side at the bar.

“No, seriously, really. It was the former king. I’m sure of it.”

Orlando evidently heard the conversation, too. She finished her cup and ordered another.

“There’s been a lot of talk like that recently,” she said.

“Really?”

“Yeah. Supposedly, there’s a place where you can see the dead again.”

There was no departed person I wanted to see again.

I stood and approached the two men. “Um, excuse me. About what you just said, where did you see this person?”

They both realized who I was immediately, so they told me without bothering to inquire why I’d asked.

“I saw him near the demon lord’s territory. Oh, right, that’s not the demon lord’s territory anymore.”

They were referring to the lands that encompassed Bardenhawk and Yorvensen. The former had been restored, which meant…

“It must be Rila and Roje…”

I thanked the two adventurers and returned to my table. It looked like Orlando had finally quit drinking, but closer inspection revealed she’d merely passed out with her chin propped on her hand.

“You’ll catch a cold like that.”

I placed my coat on Orlando and paid the check, then left.

11. The Slumbering Weapons and the Demon Lord’s Castle, Part II

12. The Demon Lord Is Sealed Once More

When I visited Wawok to have him analyze Elvie’s demonic sword, I’d told him all the details of what had happened.

Today, I returned to tell him everything that had transpired since and to pick up something I’d asked for.

“Oh? Army Maker, huh? Sounds like a wonderful skill. I could see the results of my research immediately with that at my disposal,” Wawok said as he fiddled with something small in his hands. “Though I guess it would be unfulfilling in a way, too.”

“Why is that?”

“The results are important, of course, but I think the memories and devotion you put into something are critical, too. The attachment you form, you know?”

Attachment, huh?

I remembered the first knife I’d been given. It was a perfectly common dagger, but I kept it for so long that I grew attached to it.

Wawok reached a stopping point with his work. He began to inspect my armband. “Have you noticed any trouble? Ever find your arm isn’t listening to you or isn’t functioning correctly?”

“Not in particular. It’s working well enough for me.”

“Ah, is that right?”

Wawok nodded a few times, looking satisfied.

“Thought so. I know you’ll use it properly. If anything is off, it’s likely a fault on my end, but I’m confident nothing is wrong.”

He asked me whether I wanted improvements, but I was pleased with my arm, so I had nothing to request.

“I’ve finally met a human who can use and understand my work. I’d like to make one with further improvements…”

“It’d be a problem if you adjusted it and made it worse.”

“That’s true.” The pale man laughed. “What happened to this Van fellow, then?”

“He was taken to Rubens. I haven’t heard about what they’ve decided yet.”

I hadn’t asked Elvie to keep me in the loop. Perhaps Van had already been executed.

“I’d like to go see these sorcerous weapons that Van re-created sometime.”

“That should be easy enough.”

Wawok had been most interested in those when I told him the story about Yorvensen. Since learning of the sorcerous weapons, he’d started to make rather overbearing requests. He’d asked me how they moved and what they were made of, and about their shape. I’d tried to tell him everything I could remember.

“Let’s leave the rest for next time.”

“Aww.”

Now he was acting like a child.

“I have something else I need to take care of today.”

Iris had offered me a meal as reward for solving the issue of the incorrect guild payouts, and all the trouble with Rila had pushed that dinner to tonight.

“Oh, wait! I finished the thing you requested last time.”

When I tried to leave, Wawok rushed after me and handed over a small box.

“This will be helpful. Thank you.”

“It’s nothing. When you have time, take me to see the sorcerous weapons. Perhaps they’ll serve as inspiration. And visit again soon. I never grow tired of talking with you.”

“All right. See you later.”

Wawok returned to his endless pursuit of knowledge. I heard he was much older than any human. He was an oddball, even for a vampire, but that might have been a good thing.

“It’s an amazing place,” Iris said as she led Rila and me to the restaurant.

“Ah yes, Miss Iris Negan. This way, please.”

A formally dressed waiter showed us inside. The deep-red carpet matched the rest of the decor in the restaurant. It was indeed as amazing as Iris had claimed.

“I had no idea a place like this existed in Lahti,” I remarked.

“Right? I hardly ever come here, though,” Iris replied.

“This seems a most appropriate restaurant for myself,” Rila said. She nodded as though this were normal.

We followed the waiter to the farthest seats in the establishment. Once seated, we ordered drinks and clinked them together.

“Have you known Miss Orlando for long?” I asked.

“Yes. Since I was young.”

Apparently, Iris met her before coming to Lahti.

Orlando had helped Iris when she’d drunk too much and later came back to her for quests. This was when Iris still worked at reception.

“Orlando’s kind, isn’t she?”

“Yes.”

“She ought to have been more upset with the reduced quest payments, but instead she grew depressed. I knew I had to do something.”

Although Rila knew that Orlando was an old friend of Roje’s, she seemed to have no interest in the conversation and occupied herself with eating and drinking.

“It’s been a long time since Miss Orlando left the woods. She’s experienced the worst of discrimination, so maybe she’s grown accustomed to poor treatment. Perhaps she assumed making a big deal out of a relatively small issue wouldn’t get her anywhere,” I remarked.

“There are fewer of them, but bigots still exist. Still, I’d never heard the branch manager in Imil was one,” Iris said.

“I think we ought to consider elf and beastperson employees at the guild,” I stated.

Iris nodded. “You should work your way up in the guild and institute that change, then.”

“You’ll climb up the ladder before me, Branch Manager. You should be the one to make change happen.”

“You have a point, but I don’t really want to climb too high…”

Iris stared at her tilted glass of wine as she gave me a troubled smile.

“You would do well to cease speaking only of work and rudely leaving me to my own devices!” Rila was already several glasses in and on the verge of slurring her words. “Diswrrespect!”

“Okay, okay,” I said, placating her.

Her face all but commanded us to bring her; into the conversation.

In the days that followed, Orlando showed up at the Lahti branch on occasion. We had no S-rank work for her, so all we did was talk. Apparently, she and Iris had drinks together after work sometimes.

Rila ordered us to pass the crackers, then the cheese, then the dried fruits.

Each time, she opened her mouth after commanding, “Feed them to me.” Then she would wait.

I fed her a cracker, then tilted her wineglass for her; next was the cheese… I went along with all her requests.

“Oh, Rila, it sure must be nice to have Roland feed you.” Iris laughed. It was clear she was teasing.

However, Rila was drunk and didn’t pick up on that. “Indeed.” She chewed on her food with great contentment.

The following morning, I received a letter from Elvie informing me of Van’s demise.

“A public execution, then,” Rila muttered as she peered at the missive.

“His official crimes aren’t stated, but he is the one behind the king of Rubens’s assassination.”

This seemed like the appropriate call.

“He was too simple-minded and regarded himself too highly, like a child,” Rila said.

“That’s what happens when you have a skill that’s too useful,” I added. “He successfully replicated you and confirmed his Roland’s skills through an assassination. As he climbed higher, he was consumed by greed.”

He’d wanted to create his own new country. Something like that would have been the stuff of dreams without the power to make it happen. But Van’s power was an exception.

His Army Maker skill could make dreams a reality.

Had we not interfered, perhaps he would have succeeded.

As for Yorvensen, I went to meet the elder who’d taken up the position of leader. Luckily, he knew about the Adventurers Guild already, so I left some quest-submission boxes and regularly went to retrieve them.

“It seems the sorcerous weapons he re-created are gone. When I went to visit, the Yorvensen leader told me that they don’t have any.”