Sevens (LN) - Volume 9 - Chapter 103

Chapter 103 – The Big Names
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Our role changed starting the day after.

Until yesterday, we were placed at the center to help out there as well as for guarding the non-combatants.

But, from today on we were recognized as capable fighting strength and placed at the front line.

As we traveled, we were walking around the Porter as we stayed alert to the surroundings.

Until now, we had been passing through areas that were already cleared, but it would be different from now on.

Aria and Eva were staying vigilant toward the surroundings.

I myself was clutching my Jewel while probing the surrounding area.

──I knew that we would enter a battle with a group of monsters if we kept advancing like this.

But, this was also an experience.

I didn’t tell Aria and Eva about my discovery.

Eva was especially wary, watching the surroundings from the Porter’s ceiling for monsters lying in wait on the rooftops.

Aria was walking on the ground as she stayed alert, especially of the monsters possibly hiding within buildings.

「It’s unpleasant with how many hiding places there are here.」

There were many dilapidated houses lined up here, so there wouldn’t be any difficulty in finding a hiding place.

It would be troublesome if there was something lurking there.

I could see the enemies’ location, but my companions couldn’t do the same.

Shannon complained that it was unfair, but Aria said 「It’ll become a nice practice」 and accepted it.

She had become reliable.

Novem was approaching me.

「Lyle-sama, you came back late last night, so how about resting inside Porter?」

I said thanks to Novem who was being considerate to me.

「Thank you. But there’s no problem, I’m only walking.」

「You’d normally be tired from the constant vigilance you need to keep up, though..」

In fact, Aria was starting to tire mentally.

She frequently took a break to rest her mind, but it was painful that we lacked manpower that could be used as Aria’s substitute.

「I want to increase our number some more, but I wonder if our reputation has increased a bit from the case this time?」

It would be easier to recruit party members if we had a reputation.

After all, anyone would want to join an influential group because of it being more profitable that way.

「There will also be people who approach us with the intention of making use of us, in that case. Lyle-sama, please be careful.」

「That will be problematic too──」

Even the Sixth’s Arts wasn’t omnipotent.

It wouldn’t react to someone who was trying to use us.

But it could see through those who tried to trick us. What was important was whether they had hostility or not.

Aria stopped walking as we were talking and stretched her hand to the side.

Everyone stopped moving and took their weapons. Aria then slowly picked up a small stone on the ground──and threw it into one of the houses.

Then the monsters who realized that they had been detected crawled out from the house.

I applauded Aria.

「Great job noticing them.」

Aria turned around in exasperation at my praise.

「They werern’t that hard to detect. Forget about it, don’t just watch, help out some.」

The monsters were goblins──no, they were hobgoblins, a bigger type of goblin.

They were about as big as humans and smarter than goblins.

They could use tools deftly, and they were also stronger than humans.

They were plainly troublesome monsters. The guild’s data mentioned how they often hid inside a building to ambush adventurers like this.

Novem stepped forward when I was about to unsheathe my saber.

Her hands were holding her silver staff and she fired magic toward the monsters.

「Wind──Cannon.」

Wind gathered at the tip of Novem’s staff and produced a flow of wind at the surrounding.

The wind immediately grew stronger and flowed irregularly.

The hobgoblins who were hit by the magic got sent flying by the unseen wind.

The monsters crashed on the ground and walls. They didn’t get back up again.

「Only one hit, huh?」

I spoke in admiration. Novem then turned around toward me.

「There is no need for Lyle-sama to bother yourself with monsters of this level.」

Certainly they weren’t a hard opponent, but it still made me feel awkward to not do anything just because of that.

There was one more person who didn’t realize how I was feeling.

──It was Shannon.

「Ee~, that makes him like a gigolo if he doesn’t do anything. Or rather, it’s that he genuinely is a gigolo, isn’t he?」

Gigolo──she must be saying it in the meaning of a man who was making a woman work in order to provide financially for him.

I wasn’t anything like that, but I also knew that there were people thinking that I was like that.

But, I was working, so I wasn’t a gigolo.

I pinched Shannon’s cheek with my fingertips.

「You’re calling me a gigolo? You’re working even less than me, you can’t call me something like that.」

「Ehen I ham horhing~」

She must be saying Even I am working, but I myself was working.

「Do you understand that if you’re treating me like a gigolo even though I’m working the same amount as you, then you’re just the same as me?」

Sophia was exasperated seeing me arguing with Shannon.

「Both of you, enough with the quarrel already.」

Aria went around checking whether the monsters had really died or not while Eva was staying alert to the surroundings.

May was sleeping inside Porter while Clara was driving.

Novem was looking flustered while Miranda was watching us and laughing.

「Lyle-sama isn’t a gigolo. It’s just that Lyle-sama mustn’t get bothered by small fries like this──」

「Oh? I’ll be fine even if Lyle is like that you know? Lyle, just say it if you want to become a gigolo at any time. I’ll provide for you then.」

Miranda teased that she wouldn’t mind taking care of me, but there was a fellow who was taking it seriously.

「Gigolo──what a wonderful word! As expected, it’s chicken dickwad who is worthy to be this Monica’s master. I will take care of everything from morning until night without chicken dickwad needing to do anything.」

Both Shannon and I were creeped out seeing Monica genuinely rejoicing.

Novem was also making a seriously angry face.

She became expressionless and began to scold Monica dispassionately.

「I’ll be troubled if you pamper Lyle-sama too much. In the first place, it’s also a kindness to sometimes be strict for Lyle-sama’s own good. Your help will only make humans fall into depravity.」

Monica talked back to Novem with a smile.

「Depravity is fine! The meaning of my existence is to be of service to humans. A gigolo bastard chicken dickwad who doesn’t feel like doing anything by himself will be the ideal master to serve. I won’t mind at all even if he’s a lowlife who can’t do anything as a human! Aa~, gigolo──what a wonderful concept! When I imagined chicken dickwad who can’t do anything without me serving him──ah, I can’t, I’m drooling.」

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Both Shannon and I calmed down after seeing Monica say that with serious eyes.

I swore in my heart.

「I’ll fight next.」

Shannon was also the same.

Something must be in her mind.

「I’ll also work harder. I’m going inside Porter to study.」

「Work hard~」

I sent her off with a wave of my hand. Monica got seriously panicked seeing that.

「Why are you getting motivated!? Even though this Monica will take care of everything for you!」

「If I’m going to be treated as a gigolo from you taking care of me, then I’ll do my best to work hard.」

Novem smiled at my statement.

「As expected from Lyle-sama. It’s important to have such feelings.」

It seemed her joke-like exchange with Monica just now was actually serious.

And then, Monica was also similarly serious.

「No waay~!!」

I looked away from Monica, who was disappointed from the bottom of her heart, and clutched the Jewel.

A 3D map of the area was displayed inside my head.

I understood where the enemies were hiding very clearly.

「──This way.」

I relieved Aria and walked at the front. My party members were following me.

Aria sighed seeing the defeated monsters.

「It feels unpleasant leaving behind magic stones and materials without collecting them. It doesn’t feel like we’re earning anything.」

Sophia also felt the same. She was looking at the defeated monsters.

「It seems the supporters behind will collect them later, but it still feels like a waste to me.」

Dismantling magic stones and material from the monsters we defeated was in our line of work.

It seemed they couldn’t calm down about leaving the monsters here, but kept walking.

Was this what people called an occupational disease?

No one would be able to guess that just a year ago they would feel disgusted about dismantling monsters for their magic stones and materials.

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──There was a man who was observing Lyle’s party.

It was Albano.

He was sneakily following behind Lyle’s party and watching their situation.

「That guy, he keeps going without getting lost inside this labyrinth.」

Albano noticed that Lyle’s party had never once entered a dead end and going back the way they came from. He guessed that they might have an Arts with that kind of function.

「They aren’t just strong. Are they a party that’s specialized in dungeons?」

Albano was thinking a lot by himself and scratched his head.

「They must have also realized that I’m following them around.」

Albano saw Lyle’s party efficiently discovering the monsters lurking in the area and stopped following them.

「Well, it’s enough to learn that they are a strong party I guess.」

Albano traveled jumping from rooftop to rooftop. He was smiling.

「An interesting bunch has come. Looks like it’ll be fun in the future.」

Albano returned to his own party from there.

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On the night of the same day.

The parties that Albano and Creit were leading were gathering around Porter.

They prepared several bonfires and held a little party.

Both Albano and Creit were enjoying drinking alcohol in front of the dishes that Monica cooked.

「Haha~, it has been a long time since I ate something this delicious!」

Albano was starting to eat a meat dish heartily. Creit was eating beside him with a straight back and proper manner.

The two’s personalities were really the opposite from each other.

「Albano, how about you eat with a bit more manners?」

「The food will get cold if I eat courteously like you. More importantly, Lyle, it was a big help that the route you guys passed was easy to travel.」

Albano’s party who was traveling behind us didn’t encounter any enemies and had it easy.

Creit looked at me with admiration.

「So you’re not only capable in battle but also in scouting? I don’t know whether it’s your own capability or your comrades, but it looks like your party is a really capable one.」

Albano pointed his fork at Creit.

「This guy is obstinate, just like his appearance, after all. His comrades are all obstinate people too.」

「Who’re you calling obstinate! We’re just serious.」

「Hah! You guys are too serious. Your party is strong in battle fully-armed, but useless in everything else.」

「H-how rude of you, calling us useless. I-it’s just not our forte.」

Creit was looking embarrassed, so surely what Albano said was true.

I tried asking Creit.

「You aren’t considering polishing skills other than fighting, or maybe recruiting people with those skills?」

Creit shook his head at my obvious advice.

「Of course I’m considering it, and I’m also taking applications for that kind of member. I’m taking applications but──I have a dream.」

「Dream?」

Creit suddenly talked about his dream, but just this one time, Albano didn’t make fun of him.

「I want to become a knight.」

「A knight?」

「It’s not like I was born in a family of knights, but I have admired knights since a long time ago. There are also comrades who agree with my dream, so I’m forming party with people who have the same ambition like me.」

However, Creit’s shoulders slumped down.

「Because of that too, many people are unable to get used to our party’s atmosphere and resigned. Especially those people who’re like the typical adventurer, they said that our party is stuffy and left.」

When he noticed there were only comrades with the same dream to become knight staying in the party, he was unable to bring himself to tell these people to polish other abilities that are useful outside of fighting.

But, even with such conditions their party still produced results, so it was hard to tell them to change.

「I understand that it’s no good to pursue nothing but strength, but our party is getting stronger and our earnings are also increasing with this method. So I’m unsure on changing our party’s policy.」

Albano let out a ridiculing laugh at Creit’s predicament.

「Thanks to that a muscle-brain gathering that specialized in battle is formed. A party without practical application is really troublesome isn’t it~」

Creit’s eyes turned sharp.

「Albano, your party is also the same. It’s true that our party is unbalanced, but your party is also considerably unbalanced.」

「How? My party has a lot of clever guys and can deal with many kinds of situations. We’re doing well as adventurers.」

Certainly his party could do anything well.

But, they were a bit──rough if I had to say. They looked like bandits.

「Your party only looks like a gathering of guys with sticky fingers. How can you aim to be a knight like that, huh?」

I looked at Albano in surprise. He seemed embarrassed and gulped down his alcohol.

「You got a complaint!? We’re rising in the world in our own way. Yeah. First we’re going to form a mercenary group. Then we’re going to make ourselves famous in war. With that a country somewhere is going to employ us. Even you also planning something like that right?」

「Well yeah, but…」

The parties of the two of them didn’t even reach twenty people right now.

As adventurers, their parties’ size could be considered strong, but it felt like their parties were still too small if they planned on forming a mercenary group.

Albano turned the topic toward me.

「And, that’s how it is. Lyle, how about you work together with me too? If you lend me your strength, I’m thinking the next time war breaks out I’ll join it as mercenary. If this obstinate Creit also come along then we’ll get around fifty people.」

I got invited to form a mercenary group, but if I had to say it, I was the one who wanted to invite him.

I mentioned Neu-san to divert from this topic.

「You’re not inviting Neu-san? I think that person is really strong.」

I had also seen the party that he was leading, but unlike Albano and Creit, his party was balanced.

Albano averted his gaze from me.

「Boss Neu is no good. Everyone will think he’s the leader if he is in the same group as us. Besides, even I cannot order that person around.」

I got the impression that he recognized Neu’s strength, rather than holding a feeling of idolization toward him.

Albano was acknowledging Neu’s superiority while Creit was respecting him.

「Neu-dono was a real knight in the past, after all. I admire him. However, I think it’ll be difficult to invite him into a mercenary group.」

「Why?」

「──That person also has his own circumstances.」

I was glad that I could talk with the prominent adventurers of Beim at this chance and heard various things.

Even so, I could understand if it was Creit, but I never expected that even Albano was aiming to become a knight.

But, in Albano’s case, rather than saying that he aspired to become a knight, I got the feeling that his objective was to rise in the world.

While I was enjoying the conversation with the two, a cheer rose from a slight distance away. Albano turned his gaze that way.

「What happened?」

「Ah, it’s my companion. She’s an elf, so she wants to sing at this kind of event.」

Eva was singing with Albano and Creit’s party members surrounding her.

Eva was also in a good mood with such an excited crowd around her.

They were from different parties with leaders that hated each other, but after drinking alcohol they laughed together while holding each other’s shoulder.

They looked like they were having a lot of fun.

Creit smiled while watching that going on.

「She has a nice singing voice. I’m honestly jealous that you have such comrades.」

Albano snorted at Creit’s words and made a vulgar talk.

「What do you mean comrade? Just say it honestly that you’re getting horny seeing such a pretty woman. When tomorrow comes we’ll be able to relax at the back. The merchants will also come along with the prostitutes. You’re also going to partake, aren’t you?」

「You’re always making fun of me like this!」

Seeing how red Creit’s face became, it looked like Albano hit the bull’s eye.

「It’s true, isn’t it?」

It seemed Albano was teasing him knowing that.

The two of them were starting to quarrel, so I tried to stop them.

「Well, let’s stop there.」

Then the two’s gaze turned toward me.

「Lyle, tell us your story too.」

「Eh!?」

Albano placed his arm around my shoulders.

「Don’t hide it. Even for a harem party it’s rare to have a gathering of such beautiful women. How many of them have you slept with? Or perhaps, you’ve slept with all of them?」

Albano asked with a grin. Creit’s face reddened hearing that but he was also looking really interested.

「I’m curious too. Do you have a favorite among those girls, Lyle-kun? But if you actually have one girl who you love then a harem is just, you know…」

I was troubled even if you said that to me.

In the first place, it was already a harem situation when I realized it. It wasn’t like I was carefully choosing my comrades to create this situation due to my own wish.

「No, how should I say it──I still haven’t slept with anyone, our relationship isn’t like that.」

Albano looked really disappointed hearing that.

「Haaaa!? Are you stupid? Your party has that many beauties and you haven’t made any move at them. What are you being so hesitant for, huh? Just do it already. Your world will change after that.」

「No, you’re exaggerating, saying the world will change.」

Then Creit stood up and made a fervent speech.

「It will! Your world will change! I too hesitated before, but I understood after experiencing it. You’ll really feel that you have shed off your old self as a man! Lyle-kun too, you should shed off your old self! If you want I’ll even introduce you to a popular establishment in Beim.」

This guy, he looked so serious and earnest and yet he had actually played around a lot?

Albano was also in high spirits, saying「Ooh, I’ll come any time!」

『Heh.』 Snickers could also be heard from inside the Jewel.

『Yeah.  Lyle should become an adult soon.』

The Third’s teasing voice was irritating.

『The first time is important. After all, it will have a lasting effect if you fail there.』

The Fourth’s advice caused anger to well up inside.

『The safe choice for this kind of thing is to get through it with someone experienced for your first time.』

What do you mean safe? Who do you mean by someone experienced? There ain’t anyone experienced in my party!

The Sixth was getting strangely high-tensioned.

『That’s why I told you to go play. Listen well, Lyle. The first time is crucial. If you fail there, it will leave a lasting effect even on your next relationship. It can’t be helped. When we get back we’ll go straight to the brothel. The cheap place is no good. After all, it’ll be hit or miss at that kind of place.』

The Seventh spoke coldly at the Sixth who was strangely knowledgeable about this kind of thing.

『As expected from someone who almost got stabbed in the back from all their womanzing, you sure do know a lot.  But putting that aside, Lyle is the formal heir of the Walt House. You can’t avoid this kind of matter. You should ask for some instruction from someone experienced.』

I should ask for instruction, he said.

Are you guys having fun watching your descendant in that kind of scene?

Aren’t you guys just wanting to have a laugh at me, using me as joke material?

I only had enemies inside the Jewel, and no allies.

Like the Third right now who was having fun.

『Lyle, it’ll be fun when we get back!』

It wouldn’t be fun at all.

──But, I was a bit interested.

Creith asked me joyfully while I was hesitating.

「Oh, are you perhaps scared? It’s fine. There isn’t anything to worry about. Have you perhaps decided who will be your first partner? In that case you should confess to her immediately. We’re in this kind of business. We don’t know when any of us is going to lose our life.」

This guy suddenly turned damn serious.

Setting that aside, there was one problem with me.

「N-no, that’s──I don’t know who should be the first one I lay my hand on.」

Then both Albano and Creit looked at each other and shook their heads.

「This extravagant bastard. So you got a lot of choices huh.」

「Truly. I never heard of that kind of worry until now, not knowing which woman should be the first one you lay your hand on.」

These two, were they actually on good terms with each other?

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I was lying on the inn’s bed, resting my body after returning from the dungeon expedition.

After that, the expedition party safely accomplished the objective and returned to the surface.

We used the floor transfer device for our return, but it was different from the device at Arumsaas. The device here made me feel somewhat uneasy when riding it.

There were several round boards that weren’t hung from above or supported from below.

Those round boards were going up and down at the center of the cylinder shaped dungeon cave with adventurers riding them.

We rode them up until the surface, but seeing the device made me worried it might fall down.

It was convenient so we would continue using it in the future, but I couldn’t stop myself from feeling bothered about it.

I was lying on the bed with my hands under my head. I was talking with the ancestors.

『So I guess it was just as Lyle thought. It’s good that you didn’t hurry to take the test.』

After the Third said that, the Sixth talked about the parties that he got interested in through the expedition this time.

『You have talked with several adventurers, but the one that interested me was Albano. His party has good prospects for the future.』

In contrast the Seventh was recommending Creit’s party.

『What is good from that kind of bunch? If I have to invite someone then it’ll be Creit’s party. They’re questionable as adventurers, but they have no shortcoming as war potential.』

The adventurer hating Seventh favored Creit’s party.

Certainly, Creit’s party was really reliable if you only counted them as war potential.

But, the Fourth nitpicked at the Seventh’s opinion.

『They’re a bit too, hmmm, fixated with the idea of knights. I wish they’re thinking were a bit more flexible.』

From the Fifth’s perspective it seemed that neither was good.

『Those guys are just right for balancing each other out though. But rather than them, I’m more curious in the former knight called Neu.』

I had few chances to talk with him since he was one of the people in charge of the expedition.

I wanted to ask him various things if possible.

「I’m also curious about that person. He seems to be someone reliable.」

I acknowledged Albano and Creit’s skill.

They were also strong. I wanted to win them over to my side by all means.

The Third was also intending that.

『We can’t ask for extravagance, but I still want Neu-kun. I also recommend Albano-kun and Creit-kun. Well, you won’t be able to find a perfectly capable person. It’ll depend on whether Lyle can use them well or if you’ll need to train them yourself.』

「Right. Besides, I also want to increase the member of my party.」

As I thought, having a lot of comrades would be better.

The door was knocked on when I was about to continue the talk.

The ancestors fell silent. I stood up and walked toward the door.

It was Novem.

『Lyle-sama, there is a summon from the adventurer guild.』

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I took Novem with me to the adventurer guild. The staff who talked with me before was waiting there.

「Haha~, I already heard. You finished off a subspecies with one attack didn’t you?」

「I was just lucky that time.」

The staff looked very happy. It seemed he had heard about my evaluation from the other adventurers.

I didn’t know whether he was faking his happiness or if he was genuine.

「We greatly welcome any capable adventurer. Please make use of Beim’s dungeon freely after this.」

The guild gave me permission to use the dungeon.

I was relieved, but Novem kept her composed look without any particular change in her expression, as though this was only natural.

I made a small talk with the staff.

「I’m relieved that it looks like we’ll be able to earn some income from now.」

「Please earn as much as you can. After all, it’ll also bring profit to the guild. But other than that, from now on we’ll be able to offer you even more requests than before.」

Most of the quests that were brought to the guild could be categorized into several categories.

Until now we could only accept trivial quests like cleaning work or helper work, but from now on we would also be able to receive bodyguard quests or monster extermination quests.

That meant the guild had evaluated us quite highly.

「Thank you very much.」

The talk was over. We stood up and left the room.

We passed by several staff members while walking in the guild’s corridor.

Novem talked to me.

「It ended up just like Lyle-sama predicted.」

It ended up just like I predicted.

We could have also taken the test early, but I was satisfied with this result.

「We could also have taken the test right away though.」

「Lyle-sama’s decision isn’t mistaken.」

「I wonder about that. I often make mistakes, after all.」

I had made many mistakes until now.

No──rather than making mistakes, I simply wasn’t making any decision and only let myself get swept by the flow all the time.

Novem never refused my decision because she had this side in her that was blindly devoted to me.

I was happy about that, but it also made me feel lonely. I couldn’t feel that Novem was saying what she really thought to me. I got the feeling as though she was seeing something else when she was looking at me.

Novem’s expression turned slightly clouded and she changed the topic.

「But──」

「But?」

「──If Lyle-sama is going to make use of a brothel, please choose a place that is as safe as possible. Even with healing magic, a disease is still scary.」

「Buh!」

Novem panicked seeing me coughing in surprise.

「Lyle-sama, are you alright!?」

「I-I’m fine. But more importantly, Novem──where did you hear about that from?」

Novem looked a bit embarrassed.

「From Albano-san’s party. They were talking excitedly about Lyle-sama several times when we were in the expedition together.」

Albano──did you have some kind of grudge against me?

「The brothel talk was just a joke. I won’t go to that kind of place.」

「Lyle-sama won’t?」

「I said I won’t!」

Novem made a troubled face seeing my strong rejection.

「Lyle-sama is also a man, so it’s important to take care of your sexual desire. If Lyle-sama doesn’t like that kind of place, should I help Lyle-sama out with that?」

「Eh!?」

I was embarrassed with myself who became happy for an instant and almost agreed.

The ancestors were making a ruckus inside the Jewel about something, but the beating of my heart was speeding up and I went red until my ears that I couldn’t hear what they were saying.

But, although it was extremely regrettable──I refused.

「N-no, I want to treat this kind of thing more seriously, or rather, is Novem really alright doing something like that?」

Novem showed me a smile.

「I don’t mind anytime if it’s what Lyle-sama wished for.」

But, her smile and words felt somewhat dampened.

I myself didn’t really understand just what this out-of-place feeling was, and if possible I also wanted to embrace Novem but──her smile right now wasn’t right.

It was a smile that was filled with affection that would accept everything, but was she really looking at me with that smile?

No, I understood that she cherished me, but it felt like it was somewhat different from treating me as her lover.

「──I’m fine, so don’t mind it.」

「Is that so?」

Novem looked at me with a worried face, but I started walking a bit faster.

When the receptionist counter came into view, I caught sight of some acquaintances there.

「Amazi~ng! You’re amazing, Erhart-kun!」

「Ehehe」

Erhart’s group was there at a counter.

They were wearing brand new equipment. It looked like they had gone shopping.

Even so, all their equipment was only cheap light equipment.

Erhart was dressed in his usual tank top attire, but he also had a new greatsword on his back.

I stopped walking and looked at Erhart’s group. Novem also stopped with me.

「Aren’t they the group who picked a quarrel with Lyle-sama?」

「Yeah. And their receptionist is Marianne-san.」

Marianne-san was a woman who seemed to have a hidden side to her.

She was singing the praises of Erhart’s group who had come to show her their new gear.

「All of you have worked hard until now. Recently your group’s evaluation for the cleaning work is also good. All of you are getting closer to being fully-fledged adventurers. I’m having high hopes for all of you.」

It seemed Erhart’s group was working diligently.

Marianne-san was excessively praising them for that too.

Erhart and his friends looked happy. Looking at them like that──made me feel sad just for a bit.

The reason was the adventurers around us.

They were making conflicted expressions seeing Erhart’s group that was getting showered by praises from Marianne-san.

There was a pair of adventurers. One of them was a veteran while the other was a rookie.

The rookie was looking at Erhart’s group in exasperation.

「What’s with them, getting praised for doing cleaning work like that? They’re looking lovestruck like that in front of a beautiful receptionist. Aa~a, I’m jealous.」

The veteran taught the envious rookie.

「You, you’re jealous of them?」

「Even I also want to get praised by a beautiful receptionist.」

「You don’t get it. Those rookies are ignorant country bumpkins who recently arrived at Beim. They’re what you’d call the king of the hill from where they came from, I guess. Well, troublesome guys like them aren’t that rare around here.」

「Haa, and so what does it matter?」

「Look at them, getting manipulated so easily just from getting praised a little bit by a pretty woman. The guild is also really slick. They prepared beautiful receptionists to train those kind of guys into convenient adventurers for the guild.」

「──Eh?」

The rookie made a surprised face and looked at Erhart’s group.

Erhart was talking about their ambition for the future to Marianne-san.

「Just watch us, Marianne-san! We’re going to earn a lot from now on and become first class adventurers!」

He was motivated to defeat a lot of monsters and earn some money.

Seeing Erhart’s group like that, Marianne-san praised them but──.

「If it’s you and your friends, Erhart-kun, then surely there won’t be any problem. But, an adventurer’s job isn’t just defeating monsters, you know? Remember to do the quest from the guild too, okay?」

──She added a reminder for them to do the quest from the guild too.

「Leave it to us! If it’s Marianne-san’s request then we’re going to drop everything else for it!」

「I’m happy~y. Thank you!」

The veteran adventurer looked down when he heard Marianne-san’s flirty voice from the counter.

「Convenient adventurers for the guild are created like this. Watch and learn.」

The rookie adventurer’s image of a beautiful receptionist that he pictured in his mind was crumbling.

His shoulders slumped.

「──Isn’t there any case of love blooming between adventurers and receptionists who often meet each other?」

「You’re an idiot, huh? That might be the case if your face is handsome or you earn a lot of money, but they’re here for working. Look at those guys. Do they look handsome? Do they look like they’re earning a ton of money?」

When I looked at Erhart’s group, none of them looked particularly handsome.

Besides, it was clear they were beginner adventurers if you looked at their attire. They didn’t look like they were earning a lot of money.

「If you’re a woman, will you give them the time of the day? That’s how it is.」

「Reality is really bitter.」

「Go to a brothel if you want to see a dream.」

I became sad after those two left.

The surroundings were sending sympathetic gazes towards Erhart’s innocently rejoicing group.

The young adventurers looked envious toward them, but the adventurers who understood the real situation had a conflicted look on their face.

The Third spoke while watching Erhart’s group.

『Well, this isn’t that bad of a deal for them, is it? It certainly bothers me a bit that they’re tricked, but thanks to that they can gather equipment like this and start to live like adventurer for real.』

The Fifth also had the same opinion.

『It’s still better compared to dying a dog’s death.』

Erhart’s group finished boasting at Marianne-san and left the counter.

Then they noticed that I was here.

Erhart walked toward me. Novem moved to stand in front of me and stand up for me, so I told her 「It’s fine」 and made her step back.

When Erhart arrived in front of me──.

「I lose against you right now.」

──He spoke words that I never expected.

I completely thought that he had become more confident after obtaining new equipment and came to pick a fight.

「Eh?」

「That’s why, I’m saying I lose. ──As frustrating as it is.」

Erhart’s friends behind him also looked down or averted their gaze away.

They had become far meeker than before.

The Fourth got slightly happy seeing their attitude.

『Oho, how nice it is to be young.』

The Sixth was also similar. He was delighted by the change in Erhart’s group.

『So he has the capacity to admit his own defeat. Lyle, you better remember these guys. If they survive, they will surely become strong.』

Erhart stared straight toward me.

「To be honest, I was looking down on you. But, the way you fight, or this and that──I saw a lot before this, it made me felt wretched.」

I knew that he also participated in the expedition but, did something happen to him there?]

「E-err──did something happen?」

I suspected if this might be an impostor of Erhart with how drastic his change was.

Erhart started talking awkwardly.

.

──It was something that happened on the day the dungeon expedition ended safely.

The day the expedition accomplished their objective and returned to the surface finally came.

Erhart who participated as a helper was emitting an atmosphere that made him entirely unapproachable even though he was still helping with the daily work. People around him were waiting for the floor traveling device to arrive while rejoicing with others that the expedition ended safely.

But, Erhart was the only one who couldn’t rejoice.

(Dammit. Why is that guy recognized while I’m not? Even though I’m more amazing than him. Even though I’m far more amazing than him.)

He had developed his Arts until the third stage and is the strongest in his village.

He came to Beim with such self-confidence and believed that he would be able to flourish even here.

And yet the reality was different.

It was Lyle who was recognized, while the other adventurers wouldn’t even give him their time of day.

Erhart was sitting alone on a wooden box while waiting to return to the surface. Neu who saw him walked toward him.

「Do you have a bit of time?」

「What do you want, old man?」

Erhart acted rudely, but Neu only smiled at him.

「I’m concerned because you’re alone here. Let me sit beside you.」

Neu sat down and started talking a bit happily.

「Even so, you’re working seriously this time unlike before. Thank you, you’re a great help.」

「──Not really. I’m just carrying the luggage, it ain’t anything worth mentioning.」

He was pushed around at his village to do the menial works.

People would yell at him to help out because his strength was the only thing worth mentioning. Even when he helped out, people would still yell that he was too slow.

His work here was easy compared to that.

「It’s important to carry out the work that you’re given. Trust is formed by piling up such accomplishments one by one. That also applies to adventurers.」

Neu said that it was necessary to do this kind of work diligently if one wanted to succeed as an adventurer. Erhart was irritated to hear that.

「What the hell do you know? It doesn’t matter how hard I work, it’s always the other guy who gets praised. It’s also the same this time. Even though Lyle’s party had been doing nothing but cleaning the street since coming to Beim got acknowledged, we’re──shit!」

He keenly felt how large the difference in strength between him and Lyle was.

Even so, it was frustrating to lose against someone who he had been looking down on.

There were only good looking girls accompanying Lyle, and in addition he was stronger and more reliable than him.

He hated that Lyle.

「Are you comparing yourself with Lyle-kun? Then you better stop that right away.」

「You also think that I can’t win against that guy? Me!?」

「It’s meaningless to compare yourself against other people. Besides, how do you know that Lyle-kun hasn’t been working hard?」

「T-that’s.」

Erhart didn’t know what Lyle had been doing until now.

「He is strong. But, it’s hard to believe that he became that strong without any effort. Certainly such prodigies do exist, but he had made enough preparation in the test this time.」

「Preparation?」

「He has acquired the information about the structure of this dungeon, and then the type of monsters that come out here. He must have gathered other information too. He has also prepared all the necessary things for the expedition.」

「I-it’s just information」

He thought that one could defeat monsters even without such things as long as they were strong.

Neu asked Erhart.

「Did you challenge this dungeon after making that much preparation?」

「──I──didn’t.」

If it was his party then they would believe they would manage somehow. Erhart’s party didn’t make any preparation before.

It was also the same when they came to Beim. They didn’t make any plans beforehand.

「The you right now won’t be able to win against him. Just knowing that is good enough, isn’t it?」

「But! ──I want to win against that guy.」

He was frustrated. At the same time, he hated himself who was unable to win against Lyle.

Neu said to such Erhart.

「You won’t grow stronger even if you envy him. Besides, it’s fine even if you can’t win against him right now. What’s important is what you’re doing right now in order to win against him in the future.」

Erhart lifted his face.

The floor traveling device had arrived and people started boarding it.

「To win against him in the future?」

Neu stood up with a smile and headed toward the floor traveling device.

「Do your best.」

Erhart saw off Neu’s back. He then stood up and strongly clenched his hand.

「Cooolllll!」

It was dubious whether he really understood what Neu said, but it still gave him strength..

.

「And so!」

I watched Erhart throwing out his chest confidently while thanking Neu-san in my heart.

Thank you very much. You’ve reformed this troublesome guy.

Erhart pointed at me.

「It’s fine that I lose against you right now. But, one day I’ll win against you! Just wait and see, I’ll build a greater harem than yours in the future!」

The gazes of the surrounding gathered on Erhart, who just declared that very loudly.

Naturally, their gazes also gathered on me. It was embarrassing.

In the first place, why were you trying to have a harem competition?

It wasn’t like I was trying to compete in that kind of thing.

「I-I see.」

Well, if you’re fine with that then I have nothing to complain about. I thought about saying that.

But, Novem stepped in front of me and replied back with a serious face.

「Lyle-sama won’t lose against you, even in the future.」

──Why are you acting so stubborn in regards to that?!

Novem is a bit strange, but she also felt cute somehow when acting hopelessly like this.

Erhart’s self-confident attitude didn’t crumble even when facing such Novem.

「No, I’ll be the one who wins. From now on I’ll earn a ton of money and also train like crazy. We’ll become strong. We’ll become even cooler and stronger than Lyle!」

Novem was smiling, but she didn’t show any sign of conceding at all.

「At that time Lyle-sama will also have become even stronger and become even cooler and earn even more than you.  You won’t be able to match Lyle-sama at all.」

Even though they could just concede, both of them wouldn’t give way and it devolved into an argument.

「I’ll be the one who wins!」

「Impossible. It’ll be Lyle-sama.」

「No one knows what the future will bring!」

「Even so, Lyle-sama won’t lose.」

The Third sounded amused seeing Novem calmly but strongly denying Erhart’s claim.

『I never thought that Novem-chan would get into an argument with Erhart.』

The exasperated Seventh spoke from the Jewel.

『Lyle──it’s embarrassing, so stop Novem. Good grief, why does she have to be that stubborn?』

Really.

A strange switch in Novem had been flipped. It was a pain to stop the two’s argument.