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The Eight Swordsmen of Shiga 

Satou here. I like attractive older women, especially the type who are normally straitlaced but occasionally show a glimpse of vulnerability. Gap moe is great, isn’t it? 

“Young master!” 

I turned in the direction of the voice to see Neru, sweating in a tank top as she grilled takoyaki. 

I waved and walked over to her stall with the rest of my group. 

“Hello, Neru. You’re setting up shop near the airship docking area today?” 

“You know it! With the Eight Swordsmen of Shiga visiting Labyrinth City, we’re sure to make bank!” 

Neru flashed a smile with a single protruding canine, gesturing at the crowd that had gathered in the airship docking area in the west of Labyrinth City. 

Word on the street was that some of the Eight Swordsmen of Shiga were coming from the royal capital today to investigate the A mighty king shall appear who reigns over the sea of sand prophecy. 

Beyond the mountains that surrounded Labyrinth City, a large airship was coming into view. 

“Nerucchi, I’ll take one order of takoyaki with mayo and no seaweed, please.” 

“What’s ‘mayo’? It’s not as tasty without sauce, y’know.” 

“Oh, right, there’s no mayo yet. With sauce, then, please.” 

Arisa was already buying snacks. 

I was sure Tama’s signboard masterpiece “Twirling Takoyaki” had roused her appetite. 

“Mew?” 

“What’s the matter, Tama?” 

“Something’s weeeird?” 

“What? The skewers are delicious, sir.” 

The beastfolk girls were digging into some meat skewers. 

Mia, Nana, and Lulu were snacking on fries, too. 

Food cart snacks are irresistible even when you’re not hungry. 

“Hmm? You’re here to welcome them, too, Sir Pendragon?” 

The foxfolk officer appeared from the crowd with a chicken skewer in hand, accompanying his captain as usual. 

“Good afternoon. We’re here to observe—that’s all.” 

“Ooh, I see. Maybe we should just watch, too?” 

“You know we can’t do that, idiot!” 

The captain bopped the foxfolk man with his fist. 

It felt like it’d been a while since I’d seen this little routine. 

“Ouchie! You’re so cruel, Captain. Weren’t you wishing for the same thing a few minutes ago?” 

“That’s got nothing to do with this. Don’t even think about trying to sneak off on your own.” 

The duo was here on official business, to greet the Eight Swordsmen of Shiga as representatives of His Excellency the general. 

“Want to come with us, Sir Pendragon? We can introduce you.” 

“Indeed. I’m certain it will only be Sir Heim the Weedy or Lady Ryuona the Grass Cutter.” 

Unfortunately, it wasn’t going to be either of those two. 

Also, those seemed like pretty rude nicknames for such elite knights… 

“Then I’m sure General Erthal will be drinking with them later. I might as well wait until then.” 

I tried to refuse, but the captain and the foxfolk officer insisted, then ended up dragging me over to the front line to greet them. 

It appeared that only people who were invited there on business were allowed into the fenced-off welcome area, not ordinary citizens or even nobles without business there. 

“Sir Satou!” 

A young voice called out to me from the crowd. 

It was Princess Meetia of the Nolork Kingdom, with her stoic knight in tow. 

Behind her, I saw the viceroy’s third son, Gerits, accompanied by his usual hangers-on and a guard from the viceroy. 

“Thou art here to welcome the Shiga Eight as well, no?” 

“Yes, Sir Kinkuri and company invited me along.” 

Using my trusty “Poker Face” skill to hide my reluctance, I responded to Princess Meetia with an equally bright smile. 

“Indeed? Sir Gerits here is representing the viceroy, and he was kind enough to bring me at my insistence.” 

Behind them was the middle-aged government official I’d met when we first came to Labyrinth City, who was probably the real guide in charge. 

“Ahem, ahem.” 

Luram, the son of Baron Tokey, cleared his throat in a painfully obvious bid for my attention. 

Because he was a regular customer of the food stalls that Neru and the other girls ran, I saw him fairly often. 

“Sir Pendragon, when might you be opening the explorers’ school? Lord Gerits was quite worried about it, so please answer for his sake.” 

“Did thou say an explorers’ school?” 

“Yes, or at least a series of lectures for nobles.” 

Gerits and the other nobles, including Princess Meetia, all looked at me eagerly. 

I remembered the guildmaster’s words: We’ve had some kids around, like the princess from that little country and the viceroy’s third son, to ask when we’re planning to start classes for nobles or a young explorers’ school. 

“Could you not simply hire instructors to come to your homes instead of waiting for the nobles’ classes to begin?” I asked. 

Even if I did start a course just for nobles, I would probably prioritize the poorer kids who couldn’t afford to hire private instructors. 

“But then there’d be no point,” Gerits answered immediately. 

“What do you mean?” 

“All they would do is flatter us without ever letting us train for real. Alternatively, they would simply tell us stories of their own adventures in the labyrinth.” 

This time, it was Baronet Dyukeli’s daughter Mary-Ann who answered me. 

That was probably true for the children of the noble families who controlled Labyrinth City, I supposed. Any instructors who brought their kids into the labyrinth and risked endangering them would face serious repercussions. 

“I know! Thou ought to teach us instead, Sir Satou!” 

“Great idea, Princess Meetia! Sir Knight has ventured deep into the labyrinth many a time!” 

Princess Meetia made an unfortunate proposal, and Mary-Ann agreed, her cheeks flushing. 

For a second, Gerits glanced at Mary-Ann, looking unhappy. 

“Y-yes, I suppose Sir Pendragon is a garnet-badge explorer.” 

“He’d be perfect.” 

The rest of Gerits’s gang of noble kids started chiming in. I didn’t like where this was going. 

“…No, we can’t do that!” 

Gerits suddenly objected loudly, then clamped his mouth shut. 

“And why not?” 

“B-because…because we just can’t, that’s why!” 

Gerits shook his head fervently at his friend’s question. 

I was sure he didn’t like that the object of his affection might be harboring a crush on me. 

“Do you mind if I chime in?” 

I beckoned to the squabbling noble kids to listen. 

“I am terribly sorry, but my party and I are in the midst of training to challenge a floormaster after Sir Jelil. Every spare moment is dedicated to those preparations, so as much as it pains me, I cannot accept the position of your teacher. Please try to understand and forgive me.” 

I attempted to make my tone as regretful as possible as I declined their request. That last part might’ve been a little over-the-top, but nobody seemed to notice. 

The foxfolk officer, who’d been smirking in amusement off to the side, pointed at the airship that was now nearly above us. “Sir Pendragon, they’re landing soon.” 

Casting a black shadow over the crowd, the ship slowly began to descend. 

As I watched, Arisa tugged on my sleeve. 

“Master, Tama’s found some suspicious-looking characters.” 

Covering her mouth with her hand, Arisa communicated to me with the Space Magic spell Tactical Talk. 

There weren’t any red dots on my radar, but Tama had her eyes on a group of men in gray robes with hoods covering their faces. 

According to my AR display, they were merchants from Parion Province. They had titles like Merchant , Shadow Guide , and Demon Lord Worshipper , though all but the first title were being hidden with some kind of recognition-inhibiting item. 

In addition, their affiliations read Ketotuul Company and Light of Freedom . The latter was hidden like the two titles; most likely, it was a similar group to the demon lord–worshipping Wings of Freedom, who had revived a demon lord in the old capital. 

Fortunately, they didn’t seem to have any dangerous short horns or long horns, items that turn humans into demons. 

As far as I could tell from my map search, the eight men here were the only members outside of their base in the trade city Tartumina. 

I quickly marked all the demon lord worshippers on my map. 

“Sergeant Tama, Sergeant Pochi, I have a mission for you.” 

“Aye!” 

“Sir!” 

The two of them saluted enthusiastically. 

I warned them to be silent with a lip-zipping gesture, then continued my instructions. 

“I’m going to toss the men in gray robes away from the crowd. Once they’re unconscious, I want you two to tie them up. Lulu and Nana, make sure the noble kids are safe. Arisa and Mia, you’re the lookouts. Liza, be prepared to deal with any unexpected occurrences.” 

The group nodded discreetly, and Tama and Pochi weaved through the crowd, waiting in the plaza beyond. 

“We’ll begin as soon as the airship lands and the visitors start coming down the ramp.” 

That was probably when this group was planning to make their move. 

I used the Space Magic spell Clairvoyance to keep a bird’s-eye view on the situation. 

“Looks like they’re sending out Holy Knights first.” 

As the foxfolk officer murmured, four Holy Knights marched briskly down the ramp, lining up at the bottom to await their master. 

Two of them were equipped with the Magic Swords I’d given to the kingdom as samples. 

“Hmm, so it’s not Sir Heim or Lady Ryuona. It’s Lady Helmina the Uptight…” 

The captain’s observation was drowned out by cheers from the crowd. 

At the same time, the demon lord worshippers nodded to one another. 

“Go time.” 

Signaling my group with Tactical Talk, I used Magic Hand to grab each of the demon lord worshippers and toss them into the plaza where Tama and Pochi were waiting. 

The men shrieked, but their voices were lost among the screaming crowd. 

The only people who noticed them flying through the air were a handful of people at the back and Miss Helmina of the Eight Swordsmen of Shiga. 

Only one of them had the “Item Box” skill, so I made sure to slam him into the ground to ensure he was knocked unconscious, instead of just tossing him like the rest. 

There was no telling if he was hiding any short or long horns in his Item Box. 

Hmm? 

It was faint, but my “Sense Danger” skill warned me of something in the direction of the airship. 

I looked up and saw a red point appear on my radar at the same time. 

The dot was right behind Miss Helmina, who whirled around before my eyes. 

A spiky arm lashed out and sent her flying. 

As she trailed blood in the air, the creature who’d struck her—a level-45 intermediate demon—broke through the airship’s hatch and flew after her. 

“Liza, come with me!” 

Without waiting for an answer, I broke into a run, jumped lightly, and caught Miss Helmina in midair. 

“Yes, sir!” Liza leaped between us and the oncoming bristly demon. 

Gwoooooryleeee. 

Howling, the six-armed bristly demon glowed silver. 

He appeared to have used something that improved his defense. 

“…Urgh. What was that?” 

In my arms, Helmina recovered from her momentary daze. 

Gwoooooryleeee. 

The bristly demon howled again. 

“An enemy.” 

I dodged the stone spears that sprang up from the ground as I answered. 

They were being produced by the bristly demon’s Earth Magic. 

Once I finished dodging, I put Miss Helmina down on the ground. 

The four Holy Knights had run up to where Liza was facing off with the bristly demon, so I gestured for her to fall back. 

“That’s the thing that struck you from behind, Lady Helmina.” 

“I see. I suppose you saved me, then… <Open.>” 

Using the “Item Box” skill, Helmina produced the gun I’d seen on her back before. 

“As thanks, I’ll show you how a Swordsman of Shiga fights.” 

“Allow me to provide some small assistance, then.” 

“Assistance?” Helmina blinked at me, then grinned. “You’re not half-bad.” 

I’m glad you seem so unruffled, but your knights are in trouble over there. 

The Holy Knights’ mithril swords and Magic Swords couldn’t break through the demon’s bristly fur, but his claws were tearing through their shields and armor with ease. 

He seemed to excel at close combat. 

“Sir Pendragon! That’s an intermediate demon! Stay away while we go get the general and the guildmaster!” the foxfolk officer shouted. 

Behind me, the captain was evacuating the nobles and citizens. 

“Did he say ‘intermediate’? How unlucky.” 

Helmina briskly removed some ammunition from her gun and loaded it with different bullets from her Item Box. These ones had glittering gemstones affixed to them. 

Her rifle at the ready, the woman charged it with magic. 

As I kept an eye on her, Liza and I fended off the stone bullets that occasionally flew toward us from the bristly demon. 

“Very unlucky indeed…” 

The amount of magic in her rifle suddenly intensified. 

She must be planning to unleash some big attack right away. 

“…to end up having me as your opponent.” 

With confidence all over her face, Miss Helmina put her finger on the trigger. 

“<Pierce>—Water Butterfly Gun!!” 

At the key word pierce, water droplets appeared surrounding her rifle, forming a whirlpool that swirled around the muzzle. 

When she pulled the trigger, a bullet exploded out at incredible speed, almost as if the spiraling water had accelerated it. 

The bullet left a streak of blue behind it as it sped toward the bristly demon’s forehead— 

And missed. 

The demon twisted himself out of the way right before the bullet struck, sacrificing one of his arms but avoiding a fatal wound. 

Still, her bullets could clearly break through the bristly demon’s silver fur. 

Gwoolyelyelyeee. 

“I’m impressed he dodged that—wait, there are more?” 

After a twitch of her eyebrows, Helmina’s expression turned to one of astonishment. 

Five more demons identical to the first one had appeared around him. 

According to my AR, the new ones were copies of the first, all around level 30 with skills specializing in close combat. 

“Master, there are more demons now. Will you be all right?” 

“It’s fine. They’re just lesser demons around level thirty.” 

“I guess that’ll be all right, then. Should we keep evacuating civilians for now?” 

“Sorry, but yes, please. Liza, you and I will keep backing up the Shiga Eight.” 

“Understood.” 

We quickly discussed our strategy with Tactical Talk. 

“Damn demons!” 

“These ones are strong, too.” 

“It’s not an illusion?” 

“Grrr…” 

The bristly demon sent one copy after each of the Holy Knights surrounding him, then took the last one along to charge toward us—specifically, Miss Helmina. 

“I’ll take one of them.” 

“Be careful.” 

Helmina agreed to my proposal without even a glance. 

Then, flinging the Water Butterfly Gun into her Item Box, she produced two pistols instead. 

Each of them had a small bayonet blade. They were so cool that I almost slipped back into my nerdy middle school fantasy phase. 

“Don’t assume that a shooter like me can’t handle close combat.” 

As the demons closed in, she fired with her pistols one after another. 

I guess hitting them with the recoil or jumping around wouldn’t be all that practical. 

These bullets didn’t seem to pack as much of a punch; the demon was able to ward them off with his arm as a shield. 

“I’ll be your opponent.” 

I parried the copy’s attack with my fairy sword, grabbed him by his fur, and tossed him to Liza. 

Glancing over at the Holy Knights, I saw that the pair with the Magic Swords was doing decent damage against the copies, so I decided to focus my Magic Hand on supporting the other two. 

“Liza, keep the demon in place.” 

“Understood.” 

Liza’s Magic Spear pinned the demon copy to the ground before he could stand. 

Beyond her, I saw Helmina bend backward nimbly to dodge a punch from the bristly demon. 

“<Reload,> armor-piercing ammunition.” 

At Miss Helmina’s words, the two pistols glowed. 

Clearly, she was able to reload them with a single action, just like in some first-person shooters. 

Although it’d still be easier to use a Magic Gun than going to the trouble of loading real bullets. 

Still bent backward, Miss Helmina shot at the bristly demon from below as he jumped toward her. 

…Ouch. 

The bullets pummeled into an area that made me wince, and the bristly demon howled a different kind of scream. 

I guess even demons have a weak point there. 

“Master!” Liza cried. 

One of the copies had knocked his Holy Knight aside and was barging toward the fleeing crowd. 

Princess Meetia’s knight and the viceroy’s guards had their hands full keeping their respective charges safe, so I couldn’t count on them to help. 

“Dimension Snare, sneaky mode!” 

Arisa used a chant-less Space Magic spell to trip up the demon copy. 

“Take this!” 

Lulu fired into his eyes with her Fire Rod rifle. 

The copy tried to dodge with the same superhuman reflexes as the bristly demon, but since his legs were tangled up in Arisa’s magic, he couldn’t dodge fast enough to avoid his ears being burned. 

A throwing knife imbued with “Spellblade” flew from somewhere beyond the crowd and pierced one of the demon’s eyes, and Lulu’s second shot hit the other. The former must have been thrown by Tama. 

Gwogworlyzeee. 

“Shield Bash, I declare.” 

As the copy screeched, Nana pummeled her buckler into his torso. 

“You guys take care of that one. Keep it busy for a bit and then finish it off.” 

“Okey-dokey. I don’t like to toy with my opponents, but I will if it’s an order from you, master.” 

Arisa responded with a heroic-sounding line. 

It was probably safe to leave that copy in their hands. 

A little ways away, I could see one of the other copies send a Holy Knight flying, and I started to run. 

Leaving Liza to take care of the copy we’d been fighting, I ran to stop the one that had just broken off. 

It was hard not to use “Warp” or “Blink” when I was in a hurry, especially when lives were on the line. 

“I’ll be your opponent.” 

I slashed into the copy’s back with my fairy sword. As he whirled around to swing a fist at me, I dodged his attack and kicked his exposed torso to send him tumbling toward Miss Helmina. The demon copy kicked up rubble as he plunged across the ground. 

“<Pierce>—Water Butterfly Gun!!” 

Having switched back to her rifle, Miss Helmina shot the copy in the head. 

My kick already reducing his health, he turned into black dust and vanished. 

“Impressive as always, Lady Helmina.” 

“No need to fear demons as long as we have one of the Eight Swordsmen of Shiga on our side!” 

Witnessing the copy’s defeat, the Holy Knights cheered. 

They were covered in dirt, blood, and scrapes, but they were still bursting with morale. 

“Aaaaah!” 

Right after shooting down the copy, Miss Helmina took a hit from the bristly demon and tumbled across the ground. 

She had suffered only a single strike, yet her health was reduced by half. 

The demon charged over to finish her off, his fearsome claws glowing red. 

I don’t think so. 

I sped to her as fast as I could without using “Blink” and dealt a flying kick to the bristly demon’s side. 

I was careful to hold back so I wouldn’t kill him in one blow, but the bristly demon showed his ultrafast reflexes again and avoided a clean hit. 

Gwolye. 

Staggering back, the demon glared at me and took a guarded stance. 

The three arms on one of his sides sagged limply, and his fur’s silver glow was fading on that side. 

I guess my kick did more damage than I thought. 

Gwooooryleee. 

As he howled, Miss Helmina’s bullets pummeled into his side. 

The bristly demon reacted in time to protect his head, but the faded arms were destroyed easily, and he took a large amount of damage. 

Miss Helmina’s defenses might be paper-thin, but evidently, her attack power was extremely high. 

“Leave this to us. You protect Lady Helmina.” 

“All right. Just don’t die.” 

Exchanging lines that definitely seemed like death flags, the two Holy Knights came to Miss Helmina’s aid. 

The other two Holy Knights seemed like they were in danger of being killed by the copies any moment now. 

“I’m sorry, master.” 

When I heard Liza’s apology and turned around, I saw the copy she’d been fighting turning to black dust. 

She must have accidentally defeated him when she was trying to hold back. 

“We took our guy down by mistake, too.” 

The copy Arisa and the others had been dealing with was destroyed around the same time as Liza’s. 

Perfect timing. 

“That’s all right. More importantly, go take on the two copies the Holy Knights are fighting, please. Tama and Pochi, can you come over here, too?” 

“Okey-dokey!” 

“We already turned in the bad guys to the police, sir.” 

According to my map information, the viceroy’s guards had surrounded the demon lord worshippers. They could probably handle things from there. 

“Lulu, protect Arisa and the girls in Nana’s place, please. Nana, come over here.” 

The group all cheerfully agreed. 

“We’ll take care of these two. Go and help Lady Helmina, please.” 

“Don’t be absurd. These are demons!” 

“They’re on another level from labyrinth monsters.” 

The noble Holy Knights were reluctant to let us fight the demons in their place. 

“Gorillas belong in a zoo, I declare.” 

Nana made an expressionless “Taunt,” drawing the two demon copies’ attention away from the knights. 

“Take this!” 

“And this, sir.” 

Tama and Pochi ran over with their Magic Swords flashing red, slamming into the two copies like bullets. 

The Holy Knights gaped at them in disbelief. 

“See? We can handle this.” 

“R-right.” 

“Okay then.” 

Clearly still shocked by the scene, the Holy Knights agreed to withdraw. 

Just then, Mia’s Healing Magic quickly restored the knights’ wounds. 

“Thank you.” 

“Be careful.” 

With that, the two Holy Knights ran over to Miss Helmina. 

The only remaining enemies were the bristly demon that Helmina was fighting and the two copies that we were now dealing with. 

“Nana, keep one of them distracted, and, Arisa, you obliterate him with Fire Magic. Liza, make sure the other one doesn’t get away.” 

Once I’d given these orders, I turned to check on Helmina. 

The Holy Knights had surrounded the bristly demon to keep him pinned in place, and Helmina was shooting at him from behind them, whittling down his health. 

She was surrounded by the glimmering glow of defensive Light Magic spells like Ray Shield and Ray Ring Armor. 

Gwoooorlyeee. 

The bristly demon cast the Toss Stone spell around himself, blowing the knights backward and sending a fresh spray of blood into the air. 

“We’re not done yet!” 

“A Holy Knight shield doesn’t break so easily!” 

The gutsy Holy Knights shouted battle cries as they charged back to the front lines. 

“Reckless,” Mia grumbled, healing them again with magic. 

“““ ? Ray Shield Koujun!””” 

In unison, the Holy Knights cast the Light Magic spell Ray Shield on top of their physical shields. 

Their powerful defensive Light Magic wasn’t the only reason they were able to serve as tanks so well despite their levels ranging from 32 to 37. 

They were wearing top-quality armor and helmets, and they were loaded with defense-oriented skills like “Indestructible Body” and “Parry.” 

“Hefu, cool it with the over-ambition.” 

“Maybe you should try working without gawking at Lady Helmina, Lakas.” 

“Hefu, Lakas, enough chitchat.” 

Gwoooorlyeee. 

“It’s preparing an area attack. Get ready!” 

The Holy Knights strengthened their defenses with skills and Light Magic. 

They seemed to use the official sword style of the Shiga Kingdom, so I thought I’d get another chance to see the Cherry Blossom Flash technique the viceroy’s guardian knight had used before, but they seemed to specialize more in creating openings for Miss Helmina to attack than doing the attacking themselves. 

I had managed to reproduce the Cherry Blossom Flash technique myself, but the Spellblade fragments that were supposed to make the cherry blossom petals came out big and red when I did it, so it was more like a Rose Flash. 

I’d been hoping to see it again so I could figure out what I was doing wrong. 

Behind me, there was a loud whoosh and a wave of heat. Turning around, I saw that Arisa’s flames had burned one copy away into black dust. 

The other copy was on the verge of death, too; Pochi wasn’t very good at holding back. 

“Master!” 

With my “Keen Hearing” skill, I heard Arisa’s scream amid the roaring noise of the flames. 

The bristly demon was right in front of me, holding his three working arms aloft. 

He must have closed in on me while I was distracted for a moment. 

“Cherry Blossom Flash!” 

…Oops. 

Since I had been thinking about the Cherry Blossom Flash just moments ago, I accidentally whipped out my imitation version on the spot. 

Red light fragments scattered from my fairy sword like rose petals. 

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the bristly demon’s health bar plummeting downward. 

“<Pierce>—Magic Bullet Massacre!” 

Just then, Miss Helmina’s finishing move struck. 

Two light bullets closed in on the demon, surrounded by a sparkling spiral, and struck the back of the bristly demon’s head. It was a pretty impressive move. 

The headless bristly demon fell to the ground and disintegrated into black dust. 

The copy that my companions were fighting disappeared when the main body was destroyed, too. 

Now, what excuse was I going to make for the Cherry Blossom Flash? 

 

“Thank you. You were a huge help. I am Helmina Kiriku of the Eight Swordsmen of Shiga.” 

Miss Helmina donned a cloak from her Item Box to cover her tattered clothes. 

“I’m glad we were able to be of some assistance. I am Satou Pendragon, hereditary knight of the Muno Barony.” 

Even sweating like a waterfall, Miss Helmina still introduced herself smoothly, so I did the same. 

For some reason, she blinked in surprise at my introduction. 

I didn’t want to rock the boat by questioning it, though. I just handed her an absorbent sweat towel from my Garage Bag and waited for her to speak. 

“Thank you. By ‘Muno,’ do you mean that Muno territory?” 

This was probably a polite way of asking the cursed territory? so I nodded. 

“Yes, that’s right. The bravery of Baron Muno has cleared the curse from his land.” 

I went on to explain that the Undead King Zen had laid the curse on the area out of a grudge toward the former marquis Muno, but he had already been exorcised. 

Judging by her name, she was probably related to the noble family of Kiriku County to the southeast of the trade city Tartumina, and she was a charismatic member of the influential Eight Swordsmen of Shiga, so I was hoping she would spread the word for us. 

“So you’re a knight of the Muno Barony? Are you in Labyrinth City to sell cores, then, or perhaps to become an explorer?” 

“Not exactly. I’m staying here awhile to train my compatriots.” 

It felt a bit like an interrogation, but I could tell she didn’t mean any harm, so I responded honestly. 

“Are your Holy Knights all right?” I asked. 

“Yes, they’ll be fine, thanks to the healing from one of your friends. They’ve been through worse.” 

The wimpy-looking Garleon priest traveling with them was casting Healing Magic on the battle-worn Holy Knights. 

“Besides, our priest Jeida is well-known in the capital for his healing arts, so he can…” 

Helmina suddenly staggered. I caught her just in time. 

I felt something wet on my hand and assumed it was sweat, but my palm was red where I’d touched her. 

“That seems like a pretty severe wound.” 

“It’s nothing to concern yourself over. The Light Magic has all but closed it up already.” 

She was putting on a brave face, but according to my AR, her health gauge was still 70 percent of the way down. 

If it was still this bad after recovering, she must have lost a lot of blood in battle. 

“Who are those men?” Miss Helmina asked, noticing the demon lord worshippers being arrested by the guards. We went over to look. 

The captain and the foxfolk officer approached. 

“Good work, Sir Pendragon. What would we do without you?” 

“Have you figured out who they are?” 

“Hmm? Didn’t you capture them because you knew they were demon lord worshippers, Sir—?” 

Miss Helmina anxiously interrupted. “Demon lord worshippers? You knew about this, Sir Pendragon?” 

I couldn’t blame her for being surprised, since she’d come to Labyrinth City to investigate a demon-lord-related prophecy. 

“No, I was just keeping an eye on them because they looked suspicious. Then they took out some kind of drugs, so I went ahead and captured them.” 

“I see…” 

She seemed a little disappointed by my answer. 

I explained the situation to General Erthal and the guildmaster once they arrived, and we decided to talk to the viceroy about it after we delivered the demon lord worshippers to the prison. 

“…I see.” 

“I knew I saw promise in you, Sir Pendragon. You never disappoint.” 

When we explained what had happened to the pair, the viceroy’s wife looked as pleased as if she’d taken care of things herself. 

General Erthal and the guildmaster nodded with satisfaction, too. They seemed to be proud that their younger drinking buddy was pulling his weight. 

“So where did this intermediate demon come from?” 

“Well, according to witnesses…” 

Helmina answered the viceroy’s question. 

Witnesses reported that one of the slaves on the airship had taken out a hidden purple egg from their Item Box and thrown it, producing a magic circle from which the demon appeared. 

“If he was a slave, there must be a master behind him, right? Have they been arrested?” 

“Yes, along with all his slaves.” 

This group was apparently in the magic-sealing prison underneath the viceroy’s offices, along with the demon lord worshippers. 

“Your Excellency…” 

One of the viceroy’s guards ran up to the viceroy and whispered in his ear. 

“We forced one to open his Item Box and found some of those horns inside.” 

A horn—it was likely a short horn or long horn that could turn people into demons. 

“The short kind?” 

“No, there were five of those, but one of the long ones as well.” 

The two were whispering, but I overheard it all with my “Keen Hearing” skill. 

Good thing I nipped that in the bud. 

If five lesser demons and another intermediate demon had appeared in the crowd in the midst of that situation, I doubt I could have kept everyone safe without revealing my full power. 

“Do we know who these insurgents are?” 

“According to the ‘Analyze’ results from the Yamato stone you lent us, they belong to a group called Light of Freedom that’s been spreading on the western side of the continent.” 

The west—if I remembered right, Hayato the Hero was currently on business there, so he would probably clean up this group while he was investigating demon lord rumors. 

“I see… So we’ve been invaded by a group from another province.” 

“If only there were someone to fill Poputema’s shoes…” 

The viceroy and his wife murmured among themselves. 

The former Counselor Poputema, also known as the “noble in green,” had apparently left a huge hole as the head of intelligence. 

“Is there some new information?” 

Once the couple’s conversation trailed off, Miss Helmina spoke to them. 

The viceroy beckoned Helmina, General Erthal, and the guildmaster closer and relayed the information I’d just heard. 

“That is grave news indeed. If there had been any more demons on the scene back there, I doubt even I could have taken them down.” 

The viceroy’s wife chuckled. “So on top of saving Labyrinth City from great peril, our Sir Pendragon even protected Lady Helmina of the Eight Swordsmen of Shiga in combat!” 

Judging by the pleased look on her face, this was likely to come up at the next tea party. 

“Yes, with the strength he showed me, I’d wager he could be nominated for the Shiga Eight himself.” 

At that, a murmur ran through her Holy Knights and the viceroy’s guards who were in attendance. 

I guess being nominated for the Shiga Eight was a pretty big deal. 

“Oh my.” 

“Hmm.” 

The viceroy’s wife and General Erthal, familiar with my goals, sent a “what do you want to do?” look my way. The guildmaster, meanwhile, was smirking at the prospect of ratting me out over drinks this evening. 

“…Or could it be that you do not wish to be nominated?” 

I was using my “Poker Face” skill to keep a calm expression as I worried over how to politely decline, but Miss Helmina saw right through me. 

“Ridiculous.” 

“Who would turn down such an offer?” 

“Agreed.” 

“He was crazy enough to jump into battle with an intermediate demon without even any armor! He must love fighting.” 

The Holy Knights all murmured in disbelief. 

I had a thing or two to say about that last comment, but instead, I nodded at Helmina’s inquiry. 

“…Quite an odd one, aren’t you?” 

That seemed rude to me, but everyone else in the room nodded in agreement with her. 

Come on—what’s wrong with not wanting fame and glory? 

 

“Lovely weather today.” 

Three days after the incident, we were seeing off Miss Helmina and company as they headed into the desert to investigate. 

In the days since, Baron Dovun of the royal capital—the master of the slave who’d thrown the purple egg that summoned the intermediate demon—and the members of his group were arrested, and the Parion Province merchant who’d sold the egg to Baron Dovun was captured. 

The demon-lord-worshipping Light of Freedom group had headquarters in the trade city Tartumina, so I went there as the Hero’s vassal Kuro and dispensed with them myself. 

When I arrested them, I gained “Parion Province Language” and many other western-language skills; the group seemed to have sway in a wide range of areas there. 

When we went to the western side of the continent to go sightseeing, I had better get rid of this Light of Freedom bunch first. 

At any rate, whatever they were trying to do in Labyrinth City had been thwarted, and the royal-capital specialist would likely investigate exactly what their plans had been. 

I’d rather leave torture and other such nasty things to the professionals. 

“It’s a little too bright for me and my hangover…” 

One of the Holy Knights shielded his eyes and glowered weakly at the sun. 

“Sir Pendragon, thanks again for last night.” 

“Indeed. I thought that rum was a boorish drink for sailors—who knew it was so delightful?” 

“The Ishrallie liqueur cocktail was excellent, too.” 

“…Sir Pendragon, the title of Heaviest Drinker in the Shiga Kingdom is yours for now. But I won’t lose next time.” 

I’d befriended the Holy Knights at General Erthal’s drinking party. 

One of them was clutching his head and groaning, but I pretended not to notice. 

Besides, I already had the Drunkard title, thanks. 

“Certainly. Let us drink together again when you return from your investigation.” 

“I’m looking forward to it.” 

From the high-class to the humble, most military men in this world seemed to enjoy drinking, so handing out liquor was a nearly foolproof way of getting to know them. 

I’d enjoyed learning more about the Holy Knights and their adventures, as well as their opinions of other knight groups. 

“Hey, looks like they’re done talking over there.” 

Miss Helmina, who had been chatting with the viceroy’s wife, General Erthal, and some other officials, came back over to the Holy Knights. 

“Sir Pen—” 

Noticing me, she started to say my name, then turned red and looked away. 

Evidently, she got drunk easily and had a habit of growing clingy when she did so; the mischievous guildmaster had loaded her up with lots of high-proof liquor, and she wound up latching on to me. 

She was probably embarrassed about that. 

Personally, though, I wasn’t particularly bothered by having a pretty lady hanging off me. 

Miss Ringrande of the Hero’s party had done something similar in the old capital. I was starting to think there was something about my face that made me an easy target for drunks. 

“Lady Helmina, here. A parting gift.” 

“A Water Bag?” 

At the drinking party the night before, I’d learned that they weren’t actually taking the airship into the desert—it was just there to carry a sailboat-like vehicle called a “sandboat,” which they’d be using to get around. So I decided to bring them a water source. 

“Wow, a Pure-Water Bag, nice!” 

The heavily equipped foxfolk officer looked surprised. 

It was a magic tool that was sold in Labyrinth City magic-item shops for explorers. 

I’d traded the water stone inside for a water pearl, so it should last longer and require less magic power than the ones sold on the market. 

“And you brought enough for everyone? You’re a lifesaver!” 

The foxfolk man took one of the bags and rubbed his cheek against it. 

He was going along with the Eight Swordsmen of Shiga party as their desert guide. 

At the party last night, he’d complained, “Why do I have to be the guide? I’m the army’s analyst!” and received a sharp “Quit whining! You know the desert better than anyone!” along with a bop on the head from his captain. 

Looking away from the poor soul now, I turned toward Miss Helmina. 

“There aren’t any watering holes in the desert, so please hold on to these in case of emergency.” 

“Thank you, Sir Pendragon.” 

Accepting the Pure-Water Bags, Helmina shook my hand. 

Then she leaned over and brought her lips close to my ear. 

I heard Arisa and Mia muttering the word “cheating?” to each other from behind me, but I insist that I’m innocent. 

After all, I only have eyes for Miss Aaze, the high elf of Bolenan Forest. 

“Sir Pendragon, I’ll use a magic tool to send a signal to the watchtower in the mountains to the west every day at noon. If ever the signal fails to come, it means something’s happened to me—most likely, it will mean that we ran into the demon lord and lost. If that happens, don’t come looking, even if they ask you to. Just run away. Have Sir Juleburg—the head of the Eight Swordsmen of Shiga—come from the royal capital to take care of it.” 

With that, she pulled away and went up the ramp into the airship. 

I guess she was planning on being the proverbial canary in the coal mines. 

“…Well, there won’t be any demon lord showing up anyway,” I murmured quietly as the airship took flight. 

I’d had more than enough of demons and demon lords by now anyway. 

Still, for the sake of my friends’ safety, maybe I should check the labyrinth’s Lower Stratum just in case? 





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