Volume 4 - CH 1

I fought against a threat in the form of a group of orc that attacked the baron territory where I once stayed in the past. There I was reunited with my former teacher……well, Viro was quite laissez-faire with his teaching but, he was still my teacher. Together with his teammate the magician Samantha, we went to subdue the traitor Grave.

I fought against and then together with the mythical beast Coeurl──Nero. We were able to drive away Grave but failed in finishing him off. I renewed my determination to have a rematch with him but, Viro brought up a new request for me.

It was a request to protect the royalty who would challenge a large scale dungeon……a request to protect Elena.

I didn’t intend to refuse to do that. I would protect Elena if she was in danger. After all that was my oath.

But Viro told me that to do that I needed to enter his adventurer party, Rainbow Sword.

Viro was smiling at me as though he had just told me something good. It made my eyes automatically narrowed in annoyance to him.

「I refuse.」

「Haaah!?」

When I flatly refused like that, Viro looked dumbfounded while croaking in puzzlement because he had been thinking that I wouldn’t refuse.

“Rainbow Sword”──if I remembered correctly, it should be the rank 5 adventurer party which was a rarity even in this country. I don’t understand why Viro was inviting me to join it. But, if they needed a replacement for Samantha than they should invite an orthodox magician. Viro too had been looking for a magician all this time.

Besides I had been acting solo until now, so I didn’t really get how to fight in a party. I wouldn’t say that I couldn’t do so but, with my fighting style that was using stealth and assassination, I judged that I would be more effective in acting independently like with the battle against the orcs.

「Hyahhahhah, you got flatly rejected again, boy!」

「Granny, don’t talk like I just got rejected by woman! Even I at least have a girlfriend just so you know!」

「Another woman is tricking you for your money? You really never learn your lesson……」

Samantha’s gaze was a mix of exasperation and pity. It made Viro angry for some reason.

「No no no, it’s different this time! Aria-, you too mustn’t believe granny’s nonsense! No, that’s not it.」

Viro finally recalled the main topic again. He ruffled his brown hair roughly while turning his gaze at me suddenly.

「Viro, you’ll turn bald.」

「Shaddup! Now listen to me, Aria.」

Viro made a complicated expression as though he was enduring a lot of things and explained to me the reason why he invited me.

Even if the factor of replacing the magician Samantha was taken out of the equation, it seemed that the scout Viro had also started looking for his own replacement.

Usually adventurer would think about retiring when they reached 40. But, high ranked adventurer with large mana aged slowly. It wasn’t rare for them to stay active even until their 50. Viro too still looked like someone at his later twenty despite being at his later thirty. He was still doing well for an adventurer.

「Even I’m not going to retire soon, but “Rainbow Sword” with its long history is special. We can’t just accept anyone as replacement, and it’ll also take several years to pass down my know-how to the newbie. Besides……my woman said that she want a man with stable job, and the black ops is also inviting me officially to become an instructor for their knights. They’re offering me large salary……」

「…………」

The talk was gradually deviating to a strange direction.

「Lass-, you should take the story about this boy’s woman with a grain of salt-! He kept getting into that kind of development once every several years before returning back dejectedly in the end-!」

「Understood.」

Samantha retorted from the side. I too nodded in agreement. Just as thought, so it really was something like that.

「What’s with you two! This time is for real! No, that’s not what I want to talk about. In other words I thought that if it’s you then you can also become my replacement later. Besides not just any adventurer can get picked to be the princess’s guard. After all in the end it’s a request for the adventurer party “Rainbow Sword”. It doesn’t matter how much the princess is trusting you, the people around her definitely won’t agree to it right?」

If that was the reason then I could understand. Certainly my standing was only as an adventurer who was formerly an orphan. Even though I had reached rank 4 and got more famous as an adventurer, that didn’t mean that the trust of the society toward me had also gone up.

「Think of this as joining a clan instead of joining a party. Even you know how I’m also doing solo work right? We’re skilled individually so we also accept solo request, while we work as party only for big job. Besides, this is you we’re talking about. You’re just gonna skedaddle as you please if you don’t like being in the party anyway.」

Viro really knew me well. I also nodded quietly to what he said.

「……I see.」

I understood that only trusted adventurer party like “Rainbow Sword” could accept request from the country itself.

Previously I was 『a child introduced by the reputable Viro』, so I was overlooked without too much cautiousness to be the princess’s maid. But the current me had grown somewhat in appearance and I also had gotten stronger. There was no way the people around Elena would allow me to approach her now.

The black ops was really lacking manpower that they would invite Viro to replace the deserting Grave. Similarly it must have gotten even harder now for someone suspicious to join in.

About being Samantha’s replacement too, magician was necessary in adventurer, but it wasn’t really indispensable for a party. And even for a party in the caliber of “Rainbow Sword”, it seemed there would be problem in their relationship with their employer if they took a break too long for searching high ranked magician to join them. And so it seemed they decided that even a rank 3 light magician would be acceptable for them to resume the party for the royal family bodyguard job this time.

For the matter of keeping the underworld in check too, the reputation of “Rainbow Sword” that had more than a hundred years of history behind it wasn’t just for show. It might be really effective to keep the underworld in check. ……But.

「Displeasing. It’s like I have no other option but to accept from the start.」

「That’s how dirty adults are. But you know, you realize that you can’t refuse only because you have the smart to understand that. I trusted that you can understand if it’s you.」

The self-proclaimed dirty adult Viro lightly tapped the shoulder of the indignant me while laughing lightly.

Well……can’t be helped I guess. The royal family must also have proper bodyguards protecting them so I don’t think it will change anything even with me not being there, even so the possibility of Elena returning back will be higher if I protected her.

「Roger that, Viro. Allow me to join not the “party” called “Rainbow Sword” but the “clan”. Is that fine?」

「Of course Aria. I have high hopes for you.」

「Hyahhahhah」

I decided to join the rank 5 adventurer party, “Rainbow Sword”.

There was merit and demerit for me joining a party, but this time I decided that the merit outweighed the demerit.

It seemed there were also times like this time when the members acted as a party once a year but, this offer wasn’t that bad if the members were allowed to act individually like how Viro usually was.

「Yosh, if that’s decided then let’s talk a bit about the schedule.」

「Nn.」

In summary, first the participants──the youngsters of the royal family including Elena who would go to the dungeon four months from now.

Two of the participants were the same age with me so they had leeway but, the other two protection targets would enroll into the sorcery academy at the beginning of next year, so it seemed the dungeon exploration had to be finished within this year.

And the dungeon that they would enter was──

「One of the three great dungeons in this country, located in an island under the direct control of Duke Fudale.」

The 『three great dungeons』 of this country was the dungeon under the royal family’s direct control that I entered together with Carla, and the dungeon in Duke Lacuston’s territory at the southwest area of this country. And then the dungeon that we would enter this time was at the island under the direct control of Duke Fudale.

The large scale dungeons were managed by the royal family or a duke house which was a cornerstone of the country. Most likely large scale dungeon contained something important that necessitated going that far.

……Was the purpose to hand down that important thing to the next generation royal family?

Elena……would she be alright?

Anyway, my next mission had gotten decided. There were still four more months, so I thought of going back to master’s place once but, it seemed I was required to go to the capital once in order to get introduced to the other members of “Rainbow Sword”.

That’s, well, it’s reasonable. Besides I got no time to ask Galbas to look after my weapon, but currently I wanted to ask his little brother Gelf to check my armor, so I’d prioritize that.

……Because recently it became harder for me to move my waist and chest area. While I was thinking of that, Viro finished giving himself some simple treatment and picked the thrown away luggage before starting the preparation of leaving this place.

「Then let’s go back to the capital first. Three weeks should be enough for us two to arrive there.」

「You’re really in a hurry.」

If magical healing was needed than both Samantha and I could do it. And yet Viro looked like he wanted to depart as though running away from something. When I expressed my suspicion about how he acted, Viro’s shoulders trembled slightly.

「No, it’s not like……」

「Hyahhahha, you see, the boy want to get away from here before the duke’s men come here! Even the Coeurl is gone after all, it’ll be like throwing mud at the duke’s face!」

「That can’t be helped granny! Most of the nobles who I get along with are in the royal family faction. It’ll be annoying if the noble faction find us. And so we’re going right away, Aria!」

It seemed that the current royal family was prioritizing domestic demand, so territories with weak industry became destitute and they could only earn money from commerce with other country. This kind of nobles made up the noble faction and they got into hostility with the royal family because they were causing the influence of other countries to spread within this country.

「That’s fine but, what about Samantha?」

「Aa……I got to take care of granny’s reward too huh. The money would be paid through the guild if the mission succeeded but, what’re you going to do granny? Are you going to meet Dalton at the capital?」

Samantha frowned when Viro addressed her. She found the topic bothersome.

「Who want to see the mug of that old dwarf and that quirky elf again! Just tell those guys whatever boy. I’m gonna go home and play with my great-great-grandchild right away.」

「Got it. What’re you gonna do about the reward?」

「Reward from the black ops is just going to be small change anyway. Buy equipment or something with that money for this lass! Theen, see you again, boy, lass! HYAHHAHHAH!」

Samantha said that loudly before she broke into a run through the highway just like when we first met without even any time for me to talk to her. She left cloud of dust behind and vanished from view in the blink of eye.

「……Is she really senile?」

「I’m not sure now……, she’s definitely behaving “senile” though.」

「I see.」

Her compatibility with the straight man Viro should be good. Samantha was human, and yet her age was already over a hundred, but it felt like she would be able to live for one hundred years more. ……She really isn’t an apparition right?

.

And so Viro and I decided to head to the capital for the time being so that I could be introduced to the members of Rainbow Sword.

If it was just Viro and me then we could use stealth, ignored monsters, and traveled through wild mountain, but it seemed a city person like Viro didn’t like that and the option of shortening our travel time was rejected.

「Come to think of it Aria, other than your combat strength, do you have anything else to prove that you’re level 4?」

Viro suddenly asked me that along the way.

「It’s my dark magic that reached level 4. I more or less know about level 4’s chanting, so I think I’ll be able to use it if I practice a little.」

Dark magic’s level 4 had 【Illusion】 and 【Confusion】. I had been taught about the chanting and their meaning by master. Shadow Walker was also level 4 after a fashion but, the magic wasn’t really common.

「That’s fine then. Go update your rank at the capital’s adventurer guild as requirement to enter “Rainbow Sword”. Before this I planned to register you into the party officially only later even if you joined us but, if you’re already rank 4 then it makes easier to register you.」

「Roger.」

I needed to join “Rainbow Sword” in order to guard the royal family. Even so their impression would be really different depending on whether I was level 3 or 4, so I should update my rank in order to make the surrounding recognize me being Elena’s bodyguard directly. That seemed to be Viro’s idea.

Not even half a year had passed since I updated my rank to 3. It felt like this would become troublesome again…….

「Originally we should drop by a small dungeon somewhere where I can pound the minimum required knowledge and protocol into you for this but, if it’s you then there won’t be any problem even if I do that right at the actual scene. Prepare to learn there.」

「Got it.」

His style was laissez-faire like usual but, that method actually suited me just fine so that was why Viro kept using this style of teaching. He was a relaxed person but he wasn’t sloppy.

「I’ll talk to the capital’s adventurer guild. If we’re lucky we should also be able to meet up with someone of Rainbow Sword there. The leader Dalton might want to test you though, be careful cause he’s an intense guy.」

「Nn?」

So the leader’s name was Dalton, got it. But……

「Viro isn’t going to the capital with me? That isn’t like the plan you told me.」

「I’ll be going with you until the capital. But you knoww……the fact is that Grave got away from us, so it’ll be bad if I don’t report it directly. Pray that they won’t treat this request as a failure.」

「Roger.」

Viro looked somewhat annoyed even while behaving with dread. I even smiled a little seeing that.

But, in that case there was also no need for us to go to the capital together. I was also practicing level 4 dark magic, so it would be bothersome for me to do that in a city, although it wouldn’t be as bothersome as practicing other element.

After that we stayed together on the road for around ten days where I asked him to teach me about dungeon exploration, and then we parted and I headed to the capital alone.

With me being alone I didn’t feel any need to stop by at city during my travel other than for replenishing my food supply. I traveled through forest while practicing Illusion in the forest at midnight. It was then I suddenly felt something instinctually.

「…………」

There wasn’t any dangerous creature within the range of my detection. My vision and my detection, including the sense to detect danger that I had learned in these three years didn’t catch anything.

But……no. I lifted my head and stared at far away. There at the moon hanging over the mountain summit, the figure of a “black beast” was reflected just for an instant like illusion.

「Nero……are you there?」

.

It took me some time, around a total of three weeks for me to arrive at the capital without any problem.

I heard some rumors along the way. Duke Helton who dispatched a force to subjugate a mythical beast seemed to fail to produce any result, but he then announced that the safety of the highway had been regained and with that the incident was concluded.

The information spread really quick, but I heard that adventurer guild and merchant guild had magic tool to talk from afar. Most likely there was noble who really wanted this news to be spread that necessitated the use of this tool.

「Come to think of it, this will be my first time coming to the capital’s adventurer guild……」

I had come to the capital several times but, I had been avoiding place with a lot of people because I had many enemies, so I never stopped by at the capital’s guild.

The capital’s adventurer guild was located in the large building right behind the merchant guild at the main street. The building was as large as a noble’s mansion. No matter the city, the adventurer guild was always adjoined with the merchant guild. It was the merchant guild that invested in the establishment of adventurer guild, and this positioning was to make it more efficient for them to purchase the materials that the adventurers brought. The merchant guild was always located in a conspicuous location, so it was very easy to locate it.

Many adventurers were rowdy, but it seemed that those who came to the capital possessed common sense to some degree, so the place wasn’t as dirty or damaged like in other city. Even so the double door at the entrance was kept open with how many people are coming and going here and also because as expected, the people wearing armor or carrying weapon might cause damage to it when passing through.

When I entered inside the adventurer guild, there was a lobby with stone floor that was as large as a dance hall. Several tables and chairs for business discussion were lined up. Magical lighting was shining from the atrium above. Further inside there were around ten receptionist counters and beautiful looking receptionist ladies that were hard to find at other city.

Ignoring the scale and the extravagance, the building’s structure itself wasn’t any different from the typical guild. I arrived when it was a bit past noon but there were ten-odd adventurers inside. They sent a glaring gaze seeing someone young like me entering.

I surveyed the inside lightly but, there was practically no “youngster” here both age-wise and strength-wise.

Most of the adventurers that came to the capital had polished their skill at other place and came here looking for connection with noble or wealthy people, so they were inevitably older and high ranked.

Among them there should also be new adventurer who was born in the capital or just passing by adventurer who stopped by here but, setting aside the latter case, I heard that at the capital most of the requests were for high ranked adventurer, so rookie would quickly leave from the capital.

Almost all of the adventurers here were inevitably rank 3 or above but, those who looked shocked or blatantly averting their gaze after seeing me had most likely used Appraisal on me.

Conversely adventurer who underestimated me just because of my appearance didn’t need to be feared. Appraisal skill was the ability to convert the opponent’s magic power and strength that they felt from their eyes and with their skin into number. Anyone with a lot of actual battle experience and actual strength would be able to measure someone else’s true strength even if they couldn’t use Appraisal, so I believed there would be few people who would actively pick a fight with me in the capital that was filled with strong people.

Sometimes the receptionist ladies in the guild were also former adventurer, and naturally they might possess Appraisal skill, so several of the receptionist ladies who “saw” me left their seat and replacing them an old gentleman with nice appearance walked toward me from behind the counter.

「Welcome to adventurer guild. Correct me if I’m wrong but, are you perhaps the “Ash Crowned Princess”?」

「I never called myself like that.」

「Pardon me, Aria-sama. The rumors has been reaching even the capital, but I never expected that the person in them would be this young. I had heard the story from the members of “Rainbow Sword”, and so please allow me to take charge of Aria-sama’s rank update today. The staff who will be officially in charge of interacting with you shall be decided at the later date, so please be content with me for the time being.」

「Uh huh.」

Most likely Viro had contacted here from a guild in other city beforehand. It looked like each guild was gathering information from everywhere using magic tool to talk to afar, even so, I never thought that this “nickname” that the underworld arbitrarily spread would also reach until this far that even the adventurer guild was using it normally.

This old gentleman too, he spoke of that name only as a mere nickname, just like when calling high ranked adventurer with their nickname. He didn’t look like he had any other intention.

I had no intention of complaining from being called “Ash Crowned Princess” after this late. It didn’t please me being called that but I had gotten used to it in a sense because people of the underworld had continuously called me like that.

But, that name was more well-known in the underworld rather than at the open. I forgot that even among adventurers, there were some that were doing work of the nature that was “close to the underworld”.

「Oi oi, this little girl is the “Ash Crowned Princess” you said?」

A frivolous looking lightly equipped warrior who seemed to be at his latter twenty called out like that with a smirk. It seemed that he overheard my conversation with the old gentleman.

「There are some matters that the guild need to confirm with Aria-sama. Please keep your question to yourself for later time.」

「It’s not going to take long. I just want to ask this little girl who only has that pretty face going for her, what kinda trick she used to crush an assassin guild or join the “Rainbow Sword”. It’s really curious yeah.」

「…………」

He seemed to be around rank 3 judging from his bearing……. This man judged me based on appearance and thought that I entered Viro’s party using some kind of trick instead of because of my strength.

He evaluated his opponent from appearance. He couldn’t measure his opponent’s true strength. He knew my nickname, and yet he thoughtlessly picked quarrel with me, which meant he wasn’t someone from the underworld but he was still a person with violent way of living that wasn’t too different from people of that side. I guessed he was just a thug who luckily had talent. Most likely he had acquaintance in the underworld and heard about me from there.

You could obtain this much information in less than a minute if you had vigilance. Even without using Appraisal, I didn’t feel any sign of this man concealing his actual strength. This man didn’t worth much, exactly like his appearance suggested.

Then I had no more business with him. I just sent a single glance at him before walking toward the old gentleman. Then the ignored man’s presence swelled up a little.

「Oi, don’t act cocky you little girl. Say something, c’mon.」

It seemed that I had touched his nerve. Even his proper way of speaking at the beginning was taken off and replaced with a thuggish tone. If I was bothered I could just say something to end it peacefully but, no reason came to mind why I should be considerate about his mood.

「Aria-sama, please keep this amicable……」

The old gentleman who had “seen” my combat strength sighed and asked politely. He wasn’t worried about me, but the man’s health.

I too didn’t actually want to cause bloodshed at the first day.

「Don’t worry. I won’t make the floor dirty.」

「That’s……」

My upper body turned back while my left arm rose quickly. The light warrior looked alert just for an instant. But it was too late. My attack couldn’t be blocked unless he had moved to dodge or defend when I raised my arm.

*Gatsun!*

「──Gah!?」

The weight type pendulum came out from my Storage at the same time with my arm moving up. It swung down on the top of the man’s head following the movement of my hand swinging down.

「……aga……」

The man fell on his knee from the attack. I didn’t plan to kill him but the man was still glaring at me while kneeling. Perhaps I had gone too easy on him. I sighed.

……Perhaps I should just kill him.

When I looked at him with such intention, the man’s face twitched slightly and gradually turned white. But just before I carried out my intention, I heard the voice of an unfamiliar woman.

「Restrain this man-, quick!」

「W-what are you doing, let me goooo!」

With those words, the guard who was staying still until now pinned down the man and dragged him somewhere else without him being unable to resist satisfactorily after getting his head struck.

Let alone the guild, usually even guards wouldn’t move to interfere with a quarrel between adventurers. Even if it resulted in punishment, at best it would only be lowered evaluation from the guild. Sometimes it was because there wasn’t anybody who could stop high ranked adventurer, but more than that it was because the life of ruffian like adventurer was far cheaper than the ordinary citizen.

The guard in the guild was also there for the sake of client who might get dragged into trouble with adventurer, so they wouldn’t move even in a case like this time. Even that old gentleman only tried to stop me, but he didn’t do anything to make the guard acted.

Was the reason that guard moved because I was involved with “Rainbow Sword” that received request even from the country itself, or because it was “me” who was here…….

In that case, who was that person who ordered guard around?

「Tabatha-dono, why are you here?」

「I was afraid that blood would be spilled if thing kept going like that, so please excuse me for interfering like that. I shall take care of this person’s business from now, so you can leave this to me.」

「Isn’t this out of your jurisdiction……?」

They should be a fellow staff of this guild, but the old gentleman looked at the woman who gave the guard order with a quizzical look. The woman herself only dodged the question without any change in her expression.

「That, is not something that is your concern. Leave quickly.」

「Very well……」

After the woman settled the matter with the old gentleman, she turned back toward me and smiled sweetly.

「Are you “Ash Crowned”……Aria-sama?」

「……Uh huh.」

The woman looked at my hair to check and said that. I replied while narrowing my eyes just a little.

This person……she’s strong. She wasn’t even a receptionist and also not a staff. She was wearing a loose robe so I couldn’t use Appraisal on her accurately but, I felt that she was as strong as Sera who was in the black ops.

Someone who wasn’t a staff of adventurer guild but in the position of being able to order the staff……who is she? That woman seemed to notice my wariness and her smile stiffened a little before she quietly bowed her head.

「My apologies, Aria-sama. We are attracting quite a bit of attention here so, can we move this conversation inside?」

.

I was shown into a room that seemed to be a reception room and made to wait around half an hour before that woman returned into the room carrying some documents.

「Forgive me for making you wait, Aria-sama. ……Does this drink not suited for your taste?」

「I’m not thirsty.」

On the table in front of the sofa where I was sitting was a cup of what seemed to be herb tea that the woman brewed before she left the room. It had been left untouched while growing cold.

「I see.」

But the woman didn’t look offended by that and said that while smiling. Then she finally got down to business.

「Please allow me to introduce myself once more. My name is Tabatha, the one who happened to be appointed as the inspector for this guild.」

The woman who introduced herself as Tabatha said that and bowed her head lightly.

「Inspector?」

I automatically muttered from hearing that unfamiliar word. Tabatha might interpret my mutter as a question and she started explaining.

「Yes. You might have noticed but I’m not a staff of the adventurer guild. I was dispatched from merchant guild that is also the adventurer guild’s parent organization. Because of that, there are also those who don’t think well of me, which was the reason why I took so much time outside.」

That was apparently the reason why I was made to wait here.

But according to the “knowledge” inside me, I thought that inspector was a role to monitor and investigate the internal situation within the same organization, but what kind of business someone with that position had with a mere adventurer like me?

「I have heard about the matter of Aria-sama’s ascension to rank 4. That in itself is not a problem. Originally a guild staff should verify it and take care of the procedure for becoming rank 4 but……」

「Is there a problem?」

Tabatha hesitated a little. She continued speaking after I urged her.

「My job as an inspector from the merchant guild is inspecting the financial affairs of this guild but, actually my role also include monitoring whether there is influence of some particular nobles reaching inside the guild or not. Because of that sometimes the person holding this job will also be exposed to danger and it became required for the holder of the post to possess strength to some degree.」

It seemed that Tabatha wanted to apologize for how her combat strength had made me wary. But it wasn’t like I was bothered by that at this point.

「This time the influence of a noble is becoming problematic.」

Let me try summarizing the talk that Tabatha explained to me.

When adventurer became first class, a lot of them would also became involved with noble.

The nobles in this kingdom weren’t monolithic. Even now they were divided into the royal family faction and the noble faction and in conflict with each other over various interests, but if a particular noble became influential within the guild, the information about the opposing noble would leak out and the guild would become impartial. Not only that, it seemed that it would also harm the reputation of the adventurer guild and merchant guild.

「I understand that. But, what does that matter for me?」

「Those in the know knew that Rainbow Sword is close to a particular noble house. On the paper it’s only a bodyguard request but, the talk that of the rank 5 party taking on a “bodyguard” job that required them of going as far as adding a new member caused a higher-up of the adventurer guild to butt-in by questioning whether it’s really fitting age-wise for Aria-sama to be promoted to rank 4.」

「Is that person in the side of the opposing faction?」

「It is my job to investigate about the veracity of that doubt, but most likely it’s exactly like that.」

There was still no evidence but, it seemed that noble was trying to get in the way with the bodyguard request by obstructing my joining with the Rainbow Sword that was close to the opposing faction.

「You’re saying that the guild is meddling with party’s composition?」

Although it was a rank 5 party, it was also made up from rank 4 like Viro. I don’t think it would be a problem even if my rank stayed as 3 but…….

「Normally the guild won’t but, because of Aria-sama’s young age, the guild can also put in limitation using the excuse of protecting a young adventurer. Originally it’s a limitation to prevent young adventurer to be treated like disposable item by malicious adventurer but, it could be misused like in this case.」

「I see……」

The story of rookie getting worked like slave was something that I had been warned about when I registered in the adventurer guild.

「Then it’s not like I need to join Rainbow Sword.」

「Eh……」

I said that and stood up. Tabatha looked taken aback for a moment.

「My objective is with the “work’s detail”. It might become somewhat problematic but, I think the client will make contact with myself directly later.」

Viro said that the reputation of “Rainbow Sword” would be necessary to be a guard for the royal family but, if the one who requested Viro to search for me was Sera, I should be able to participate in the job either way even if it took time.

「P-please wait a second, Aria-sama!」

Tabatha hurriedly called at me to stop when I moved to exit the reception office.

「When you said “client”, are you referring to someone from the royal family?」

「Who knows? Not divulging such matter is also a part of the matter of “reputation” correct?」

In fact, I had only been told about the job of guarding the royal family, so I didn’t know anything about the noble house that was behind the request.

As someone from the merchant guild, she must wished to confirm the detail about the request from the client of the Rainbow Sword if possible but, I had no intention of talking about something that Viro and his party hadn’t told them.

「I see……」

Even so Tabatha seemed to be able to guess to some degree about what I was hiding. She fell into thought for several seconds before turning her gaze toward me once more.

「Then Aria-sama……can you accept a request from the merchant guild?」

「……What do you mean?」

「Allow me to explain about that and more.」

The request from Tabatha and the merchant guild was simply doing a job from Tabatha. Doing the job itself was the content of the request.

In other words the actual content of the job didn’t matter. The fact that I did a job that Tabatha requested would be used as evidence that there was no problem with me being rank 4. With my rank increased, my joining into the “Rainbow Sword” would be recognized under the merchant guild’s name.

With that the higher up of the adventurer guild who was influenced by the noble would contact his employer. Tabatha would confirm which noble house it was and dismissed the guild higher up. That was her objective.

With that I would be able to avoid troublesome matter and got the spot as Elena’s guard……but.

「How will I prove that there isn’t any problem with my strength?」

「Of course, I will confirm it at the field.」

It seemed Tabatha who was as strong as rank 4 would come with me during the request. Of course that would be more expedient. And conveniently there was a request that the merchant guild would originally send to the adventurer guild. That request would be used for my rank 4 promotion test.

I don’t know whether the person who belonged to the opposing faction in the adventurer guild would accept that but, I too consented with that method.

Well, it couldn’t be helped. After all his was just me reaping what I sow.

.

The work that the merchant guild requested seemed to be an investigation of a coal mine that had been closed a very long time ago. It was located not that far from the capital.

「Anyone should be fine if it’s just for investigating an abandoned mine though?」

If it was an investigation of abandoned mine that was near the capital, rank 2 adventurer party should be the right sort for taking the request. The guild’s atmosphere was flurried for some reason. We stealthily got out of the building from the rear entrance and got into Tabatha’s carriage. When I asked Tabatha about my question, she nodded without giving any denial.

「What I am going to say from here is something that is not known by many people even within the merchant guild, so please keep it to yourself. The closing of that coal mine happened more than a hundred years ago but, a merchant heard from a nearby village that monsters had settled in it and ordered his guard to check it out. It turned out they found that there was a sign of “dungeonification” there.」

「Dungeon……」

A dungeon was a place that was dungeonificated when an ancient hermit crab that turned into monster possessed the place, but its ecology was still not really understood.

If it was a new young specimen that possessed the place then that would be fine but, if it was a specimen that had abandoned a ruins that was its shell somewhere else and drifted away to here, it might lure strong monsters to settle inside it. Such case was known to happen.

We were doing this investigation secretly from the adventurer guild because Tabatha said that the way the merchant guild and adventurer guild would deal with this was different.

「In adventurer guild’s case, when a dungeon is discovered near human settlement, they will prioritize eliminating the dungeon itself after it has been investigated. But in the case of merchant guild, we will prioritize evaluating whether the dungeon has any worth or not.」

In the dungeon, things like minerals that were located deep underground would be turned into “treasure”. Even in an abandoned mine where iron or coal couldn’t be mined anymore, the ores underground would surface to a reachable position due to the stimulation from the dungeon. If there was silver there, it was even possible that it would get affected by the dungeon’s mana and turned into “mythril”.

Mythril wouldn’t rust or decay, and it had great strength even when it was thin, so it was suited to become armor. And if it was used as weapon using its nature that could transmit mana easily, the weapon would become able to inflict damage even on evil spirit or spiritual life-form.

And the mythril itself had beautiful appearance. I had never seen it myself but, there was also myhtril coin that was decorated with beautiful design……nicknamed the platinum coin. It had the price of ten times a large gold coin due to its rarity and artistic beauty.

A dungeon could have that much value depending on the situation. But, there was also a possibility that the nearby village would get destroyed by the monsters the dungeon called. The adventurer guild couldn’t possibly overlook such risk so they would choose to destroy the dungeon, while the merchant guild’s thinking was that they could just move the whole village along with its residents if they got on the way.

Tabatha and my job was to check whether that place had really gotten turned into dungeon or not, investigated the type and rank of the monsters, and the job also included removing the monsters if they were dangerous even if the place hadn’t turned into dungeon.

「What’s your weapon Tabatha?」

「I’m a water element sorcerer. I’m not as good as you when it comes to direct attack power, but I’m good with defense so there is no need for you to protect me.」

Tabatha who was wearing a loose robe to hide her body curve really looked like a sorcerer. She didn’t even have a single knife on her waist, so she might keep another weapon hidden somewhere or that was just how confident she was with “herself”.

.

After that we arrived in a day at the abandoned mine that was said to be turning into dungeon. We didn’t stop for food or camping and had meal of ready-made food that we bought at the capital, so we were able to arrive at night of the same day.

It really wasn’t that far away from the capital. It must be a vestige from the distant past that there was a coal mine this close to the capital, but there was still a village nearby even though this mine had been abandoned must be because that village was a wheat producing location to supply the capital with food.

If a dungeon that called monsters to it was formed at such place, the village would be in danger unless a decision was quickly made whether to destroy or manage the dungeon.

……That was only if there really was a dungeon here.

It seemed Tabatha decided to head directly to the abandoned mine instead of stopping by at the village. I still didn’t know how long it would take to investigate an abandoned mine, but there was no guarantee that we would be able to secure a lodging even if we arrived at the village this late, and I myself had no intention of wasting time.

「Then, let’s go inside.」

「Roger.」

We left behind the carriage driver and entered the mine. There was no lighting but it was unnecessary for those with Night Vision.

I went ahead with Tabatha following behind. It wasn’t like I was knowledgeable about coal mine but, judging based on my “knowledge”, this place seemed like a common coal mine. Even so it seemed like people still entered this place even after it became abandoned. There were some signs that the place had been ransacked like trace of rock surface being scrapped off and the like for several dozen meters from the entrance.

「It doesn’t look like there is anything here.」

If this place was turning into dungeon, there would be signs like the ground turning unnaturally flat, or trash getting absorbed, but I couldn’t really see anything like that.

「Perhaps the change is starting from the inside. Let’s try entering further.」

「Got it.」

A dungeon would have a unique atmosphere, a feel like there was mana coiling around in the air, but there wasn’t anything like that in this abandoned mine. That coiling mana made it harder to detect the existence of monster inside the dungeon, but there wasn’t any monster in this place from the start.

But, I was finally able to see a visible abnormality after getting deeper.

「Is this……a kobold?」

Tabatha grimaced seeing the corpse of a monster with dog head inside the darkness.

It was possible that this rank 1 monster simply got lost into here but, this kobold was killed by a sharp weapon. There was also a rusty short sword lying nearby. And looking closer I could also see a trace of blood as though a fight had happened here.

「That’s a trace of monsters fighting each other. This might be a dungeon where humanoid monster gather, just like the large scale dungeon near Lester territory. Aria-sama, let’s go deeper.」

「……Right.」

A dungeon would have the trait of various places. Bug or animal monster would appear in forest area, bird or worm monster at rocky area, aquatic life form at waterside area. And at a place where human lived, humanoid monsters would appear in great number.

With that in mind, it seemed that the dungeon here was filled with beastman type monster. Tabatha urged me who was investigating the kobold corpse to go deeper into the dungeon.

「……Aria-sama, what is that?」

Tabatha seemed to notice the smell on the way. She showed a dubious expression seeing me scattering liquid from a porcelain jar along the path of the abandoned mine.

「Monster repellant. Don’t worry, it’s not poisonous.」

「I see……」

Perhaps she knew about how “Ash Crowned” used poison to annihilate an assassin guild. I didn’t know whether she feared that or she was simply vigilant but, this thing really wasn’t a poison.

There was another kobold’s corpse when we went deeper. But, there wasn’t any corpse of the monster that defeated the kobold. The kobold corpses also weren’t that many.

Even so Tabatha and I kept going deeper without hitting any dead end even once. And then there was a crossroad that seemed to double as a place to dump accumulated rock and soil. The instant I stepped into that place──

*Hyun!*

There was a faint sound of something slicing through the air. I was on my guard and jumped to dodge, at the same time an arrow hit the rock wall behind me with a loud sound.

I used martial art to dodge the arrows that kept on coming while checking the spots the arrows originated from. ──Four, five, six…….

「──Shadow──」

A phantom to trick Night Vision inside darkness appeared. The arrows that were fired in turn were diverted to it. I aimed at the moment all the arrows had been fired and rushed forward and swung the weight type pendulum at the spaces where the arrows were fired from using Stealth.

『──!?』

*GAN-!*

Two presences moved to dodge, while the third presence blocked the pendulum and repelled it.

I felt the presences panicking and fired arrows once more but, the arrows lacked the precision from before and I planned to rush forward using the phantom as bait, but right at that moment, a “linear” killing intent burst from behind me and I somersaulted to dodge.

There was no new enemy from the entrance. But, you were there.

「Is that your weapon? ……Tabatha」

「……Unbelievable. You knew?」

Tabatha really looked disbelieving while swinging around a thin silver chain with thorny weight attached at the end. A string controlled weapon similar like mine……most likely it wasn’t made from silver but mythril.

「How can I trust someone who doesn’t turn on “light” when investigating a coal mine?」

It wouldn’t be strange for someone as strong as Tabatha to have Night Vision but, it was just too unnatural.

Besides you were too vigilance against me. Even if you actually weren’t my enemy, it was impossible to feel heartfelt trust toward someone who was wary like that at me.

There were also other reason but, Tabatha looked convinced even while still looking disbelieving.

「Should I say, as expected from the “Ash Crowned”? I already heard but, you’re really a troublesome opponent. You guys, turn on the light! This girl is more dangerous than you guys!」

Tabatha yelled that. It seemed she thought that the darkness would be advantageous for me. Then fire and magical light lit up around us and the figures of the attackers came into view.

As I thought, this place wasn’t a dungeon but a place where an ambush “trap” was laid out.

Based on my feeling all of them had combat strength around 300……lower rank 3 huh. Six women at the age range of teenage until twenties, wearing blackly dyed leather armor. They were readying their bow while glaring at me as though I had killed their parent.

No, that wasn’t really a wrong expression. Several of them had trace of burn injury that hadn’t vanished completely.

「Remnant of assassin guild.」

I could feel their nervousness when I let out those words.

「Calm down-!」

But when Tabatha raised her voice with scolding tone, the slight opening that they showed was closed. They readied themselves for any strange movement that I could make while slowly taking position to surround me. All of them threw away their bow and readied short sword or short spear instead.

「……Really sharp aren’t you, Ash Crowned. It’s just like you guessed, these guys are survivor from the northern frontier district branch. By the way how did you notice that this is a trap I wonder?」

「……Revenge huh.」

I ignored Tabatha’s question and looked at my surrounding. She shrugged with a casual gesture seeing my response.

「That’s their reason. Nearly six years ago, I transferred from that branch to the central branch here, so I don’t have any grudge with you. I didn’t see eye to eye with that Dino……. To be honest I laughed when I heard that guy was crushed the moment he became the branch head.」

「Big sis-!」

The young woman from the former northern frontier branch raised her voice hearing those words that mocked her former home, but Tabatha only glared at that woman with annoyance.

「Annoying……. I took the trouble to make use of you all when you came to me for help in deference of our old friendship you know? Do you understand that?」

Tabatha sighed in displeasure. She ruffled her hair even while keeping her vigilance toward me.

「Well, doesn’t matter. I also have business with you. Can you tell me what is the royal family faction is planning? But, it’s fine even if you don’t answer me right away. Though you’ll get tortured by these girls who hold grudge with you in that case. You all, you know what to do-!!」

「「「Yes!」」」

The first young woman shrunk back from Tabatha’s words while the other women also hurriedly replied back. The women were hiding their face with mask, but just from their reaction it was clear that they were really scared of Tabatha.

Tabatha infiltrated the adventurer guild……no, the merchant guild was to investigate the royal family faction’s movement? Even so there was no way someone from assassin guild could infiltrate easily, so even inside the merchant guild there should be Tabatha’s client, a faction that was under the influence of the noble faction.

It was obvious what kind of request that the noble faction would pay an assassin to do.

Assassination of royal family…….

I kept up my guard with just my gaze, in contrast Tabatha took position that blocked the entrance, while the women moved silently to surround me.

If someone lost their patience and made a move, a gap would be opened there but, the experienced veteran Tabatha had completely controlled the women and didn’t allow such blunder from occurring.

「Now, Ash Crowned, surrender obediently. You don’t think that you can win in this situation when you don’t even have a plan right? I might kill you painlessly if you talk honestly you know? That too will depend on them though but──」

「──Pain──」

「──tsu!?」

Tabatha stiffened from the Pain that I casted. But, she must have also obtained information about me. There was the feeling like something was blocking me. Tabatha backed away to take distance from me.

I too from the start never thought that I would be able to kill a rank 4 like her with one hit. That was why I made her took a bit of distance from me.

──*Hyun!*

「──tsu!?」

I threw the weight type pendulum the instant everyone’s focus was directed at Tabatha. It grazed the side of the head of the first young woman. She tried to dodge the knife from me who rushed toward her, but it still tore at the side of her stomach.

I stopped the rank 4 for an instant. Everyone’s attention was directed to that Tabatha for an instant. If there was that much “time”, I could kill at least one person.

But, I didn’t kill her yet.

「Youu!」

A woman rushed from the side with a look of anger. I blocked her short spear with my dagger. I leaped back and slipped out from the encirclement.

I never underestimated these women from the start. Even just Tabatha alone was as strong as me. And these six women, although they weren’t as strong as Keira of the assassin guild, with all six of them at rank 3 even though at lower scale, it would be difficult even to just run away just as Tabatha said.

That was why at the start I intentionally inflicted a heavy injury at the weakest one.

The woman had her stomach slashed and her head hit. She would definitely die if she was left alone.

The assassins at the base of that assassin guild branch would most likely abandon her. But, these women survived that situation and harbored strong feeling of fellowship toward each other. That was why they chose to “take revenge” despite being residents of the underworld. Such action didn’t befit an assassin. That was exactly why they would be concerned with their heavily injured comrade.

You guys were elated from having the advantage and gave me too much information.

「Stop her!」

Tabatha recovered from the illusionary pain and yelled. The women rushed at me with their weapon at the ready.

My close quarter combat skill was still level 3 although I had become rank 4. Although my Martial Art and String Control had become level 4, it didn’t give me overwhelming advantage in this situation.

「Don’t face her alone, surround her!」

*GIGINN!!*

I blocked the short sword and short spear that attacked from left and right with knife and dagger. Tabatha rushed in at that moment and swung down her mythril weighted chain.

The thorny weight would rip my flesh. It would cause a lot of bleeding even if I avoided lethal injury. The equipment that Gelf created might be able to block a hit but, I had no plan to test it out.

「──Shadow Walker──」

*GAKIN!*

「What!?」

My figure vanished into shadow in that moment and the thorny weight struck the rock wall. At the same time I leaped out from Tabatha’s shadow and swung my black knife──

*GIN!*

The knife tore Tabatha’s robe but something underneath it blocked the slash.

「You’ve really done it now, Ash Crowned!」

Tabatha discarded her robe. A chain mail that shined silver appeared below it.

……That was also mythril huh. I thought that she wasn’t a sorcerer right from the start but, the effect of Pain was weak must be because mythril that could transmit mana easily weakened my sorcery’s effect using Tabatha’s mana in it.

「Troublesome brat!」

「That’s my line.」

I was able to fight in equal footing until here but it still didn’t change the fact that I was in disadvantage. Right now one woman had stepped out of the fight completely to give emergency treatment to the heavily injured woman, but she too would return immediately after she finished the treatment.

「Don’t let the Ash Crowned do anything! She doesn’t has any plan anyway!」

Tabatha frowned seeing two women out of the fight, even so she gave instruction to the remaining women. At the same time she swung her thorny weight. I deflected it with my dagger but I was being slightly pushed back due to the slight difference in our skill.

The women aimed at that opening and attacked. I couldn’t dodge them all completely and got my arm and shoulder grazed.

Just as Tabatha said, certainly it would be difficult to handle attacks from five people in a cramped place like this without any plan. But……who said that I didn’t have any plan?

「Die Ash Crowned!」

The women attacked with their grudge driving them stronger than Tabatha’s instruction. I escaped to above in order to dodge them. Tabatha’s thorny weight attacked me at that timing.

「It’s over, Ash Crowned!」

I kicked on the air at that moment and dodged the thorny weight using the recoil of that movement──

「──Fire──」

I lit the piece of cloth I took out from my Storage, wrapped it around a throwing knife, and threw it at Tabatha.

「You’ve lost your mind!」

Tabatha’s eyes widened for a moment seeing my evasion, but then she calmly dodged my throwing knife without even deflecting it.

But Tabatha, what was behind you? You were at the direction of the entrance in order to prevent me from getting away. Over there──

「What!?」

Flame burst out from there. It wasn’t a strong fire. But, it would definitely spread if it was left alone. In this narrow passage, the toxin from fire would deal serious damage.

I could endure it just a little. I would also be able to reduce the toxin I inhaled if I covered my mouth with my shawl that was knitted from spider string. But……what about you guys?

「Are you insane!? How can you use fire attack even in this kind of place!」

Certainly I also used fire attack when crushing the northern frontier branch. It wasn’t intentional but I was lucky. The surviving women who still had burn mark on their body was clearly starting to behave oddly.

「It wasn’t poison right?」

「This isn’t funny!」

The origin of the fire was the “oil” that I scattered on the way here. Fear of fire came from the heat and the poison that was generated from it but, the greatest trap that I laid out was the “anxiety” that was caused by the fear of getting dragged into fire.

Anxiety would reduce one’s strength and dulled their judgment. As proof Tabatha didn’t even notice that the women were slowing down from their trauma. She also swung her thorny weight with a crude movement.

Your strength was above me if it was in close quarter combat. But we were even if it was in String Control skill. I had the advantage in the current situation.

「Wha-!?」

My pendulum and the thorny weight’s chain fought each other with our respective String Control──

「──Hih!?」

When the string entwined around the neck of one of the panicked women. In that instant, her neck was strangled because Tabatha and my hand pulled as though to drag a prey to ourselves. Her neck broke.

With this one down──.

「You’ve done it now!」

Tabatha didn’t stop and pulled her chain. Her physical strength dragged the woman’s corpse together with me toward her. While I lost my balance, Tabatha drew out the short sword on her waist and swung it toward me.

It would be difficult for me to dodge it in my current situation. I made an instantaneous judgment to give up doing counterattack and focused on defending. But suddenly a powerful “pressure” burst out from behind Tabatha in that moment.

「What-!?」

「Tsu!」

Tabatha and I stopped moving from the intense pressure. There was only the flame that I lit up behind Tabatha. I lit fire in the passage to not allow Tabatha and the women to run away, but it was also to prevent the carriage driver outside who was possibly also Tabatha’s comrade from going in.

In that case, who was it who entered into this abandoned mine without even caring about the flame?

The next moment, a large man who was clad in mana and a cloak cut through the flame to rush inside. That man discarded his cloak that got caught in fire and pulled the great sword on his back to disperse the flame.

「……This is an unexpected situation but, who’s the bad guy here?」

The person who said that and pointed his huge sword toward us was──

「……Feld?」