CH 26

Chapter 26: A man named Zenos.

Aston and Gyle came to the favela later that day.

"Damn, I didn't want to come to this dirty little place."

Next to Aston, who was swearing, Gyle looked around curiously.

"But isn't there something different about the atmosphere?"

"...."

Indeed, the gloomy air and heavy tension that had dominated the city had disappeared, and they could hear bright, lively voices coming from everywhere.

Has something happened to this city?

As Aston was making a dubious expression, Gyle beside him said.

"But, Aston. I'm sure that Zenos is long dead in wild."

“Well, that’s the problem.”

At first, Aston was hoping that Zenos would die in the wild, because it would be troublesome if people heard that he was in the Phoenix of Steel, but things have changed a bit.

If it had already disappeared from the world, the party's revival plan would suddenly come to a halt.

But....

"There's a chance he's alive. I gave that guy a gold coin as a consolation, you know."

"Oh, right. Then I guess he can survive a bit."

"I'm tearing up at my own mercy, man."

After a brief laugh, Gyle craned his neck around.

"But the favela is a big place, man. How are we going to find him?　There's no way anyone would know about Zenos."

"I suppose you're right. But I've got an idea about that."

Aston pulled up the edge of his mouth, looking proud of himself.

"Really?"

"You know that in the favelas, the three major demi-human powers are fighting for territory."

"I've heard of them. I think it was a lizardman, a werewolf, and an orc."

"We can ask that face to help us find Zenos. Those guys have all the information in the city, and they're much faster than us looking for them."

"I see. You're the best, Aston."

"Oh Of course."

He've always been good at taking advantage of others.

You're one of them, Gyle, Aston added inwardly.

Aston and the others approached a lizardman man who was walking down the street.

"I'd like to meet your leader. I have a job to do."

"Who the hell are you guys?"

"I'm the leader of a gold class adventure party. I'm not suspicious."

The lizardman man looked at Aston's adventurer's license for a moment, then said, "Follow me."

After passing through a few streets, they came to a covered plaza-like area.　

"Oh Chief. This human wants to ask you for a job."

"Work? I'm going to see sensei now, so I'm busy."

A woman cross-legged on the sofa in the back answered languidly.

She was a mixture of lizardman and human, with black hair and slitted black eyes.

As you would expect from the leader of one of the three major powers, she has a dignity that can be recognized at a glance.

She's also a good woman.

When I become a nobleman, I'll be happy to add her to my harem.

Aston took a step closer with a serious look on his face.

"So you're the boss here. I'm the leader of the Gold Class adventure party, the Phoenix of Steel, and my name is Aston.""

"You're taking too long to introduce yourself, we're losing daylight. Just tell me what you want."

"I need you to find someone for me."

"Who are you looking for?"

"It's a guy named Zenos. He must wandering in the favela about a month ago. His race is human, and he looks like with a dark-haired--"

However, before Aston could finish, the female leader began to laugh loudly.

"Hahaha, yeah, I see. So you're the party of idiots who are rumored to have expelled sensei. You sure do look like idiots."　

"W... What the hell....!!"

When Aston unintentionally put his hand on the sword at his waist, the lizardmen who had been waiting around him stood up at once.

She held up one hand to control her men, and waved them away as if to chase away a dog.

"Don't bother to leave. The person you're looking for doesn't have time to deal with you."

"....Wh...at..."

Aston said dumbly with his hand on the hilt.

"Do you know Zenos? What the...."

"Just get the hell out of here. My men won't be happy to see you go any further."

".... Kuh...."

Aston, whose entire body was bathed in the killing energy around him, had no choice but to turn around.

As he left, a word was thrown at his back.

"Oh, yes. If you do anything unnecessary to the sensei, I won't let you get away with it. Remember that."

"....."

Both Aston and Gyle left the place in silence.

The moment they got back to the main street, Gyle spoke up.

"Hey.., W...W..What's going on, Aston....?"

"I don't know. Damn it, what the hell happened?"

The face of the favela seemed to know Zenos.

And it wasn't just that they knew him, they even seemed to respect him.

No, there must be some mistake.

"W... What we will do...?"

Aston answered a confused Gyle in a forced and calm voice.

"...... Don't worry. There are still two of the three major powers left. Let's get to the warwolf."

+++

"Hmm, so you're the stupid party that kicked out Zenos-dono. Linga thinks it would be better if you died once and were reborn as toilet worms."

The next place they visited was a werewolf hideout.

The one who spouted venomous words with a tidy face was a female leader who flapped her beast ears protruding from her gray hair.

"Y.... You know Zenos, too....!"

"I don't think Zenos-dono has any use for a toilet worm. It would be better for you if you left quickly."

"W... What did you say...!"

"Are you going to do it?"

"......"

Under the cold gaze of the werewolf surrounding them, Aston and Gyle had no choice but to turn on their heels.

A sharp word pierced their backs.

"The werewolf will not forgive you if you do anything strange to Zenos-dono. Carve it into your stupid brain."

"...."

Both Aston and Gyle left the place without saying a word.

"W... What the hell is Going oooooooooon."

"I... I dont't know...."

When they came back to the main street, they both held their heads at the same time.

They had no idea what was going on. Apparently, the leaders of two of the three major demi-human groups were in admiration with Zenos.

Are we dreaming?

"...... A, Anyway, We'll just have to meet Zenos once and hit him again with our power relations."

Aston said, taking a forceful breath.　

"It's last one, let's go see the orcs."

+++

"Huh. So you're the trash party that expelled Zenos. What do you want now?"

In the rocky mountain cave where the Orcs live.

A beautiful female leader with chestnut hair and fiery red eyes told them so.

"....."

They no longer had the energy to even ask anything back.　

Surrounded by a large number of Orcs, Aston and Gyle decided to turn back in silence.

"Hey. If you mess with Zenos, the Orcs won't be quiet."

"...."

They came back to the main street and stood in silence for a while.

"Aston......"

"...... Don't say a word, Gyle."

Aston bit his fingernail.

He can't believe it, but does that mean that Zenos is adored by all three major powers in the favela?

But there is no way that is true.

"...... Oh, yeah, I got it! It's someone else. He happens to have a wonderful man whose name is the same as him."

"I see!...... No, but they even confirmed the banisment party."

"The only thing I can think of is that there was a guy named Zenos who happened to be in a similar situation, including there. The demihuman said that some idiot banished him by mistake, it's the awesome one, Zenos-san. It's the party's slave Zenos we're looking for."

"Sure, that makes sense."

"We're gonna find that guy anyway, Gyle."

If only I could see him, he'd be wagging his tail and wanting to get back to the party.

But the most important thing is that I don't know where he is.

The only thing I can do is to look for him in vain.

Just as Aston was getting dizzy imagining the amount of effort it would take, Gyle's eyes widened and he pointed to the far end of the street.

"H..... Hey... Aston..."

"....?"

Aston turned around slowly and saw a man in a jet-black cloak about to cross the street.

Aston gulped and mumbled his name.

"Zenos...."