I am an assassin affiliated with the Assassin’s Guild. My name is Tise‧Garland and I possess the Divine Protection of the Assassin.

  I was sold by a slave merchant when I was young and purchased by the Assassin’s Guild and had worked to feed myself as a killer for as long as I could remember. My favorite food is fish paste oden.

  A lot of things happened and I ended up participating in the Hero-sama’s party.

  I had a short-lived dream that perhaps an assassin like myself could be a hero too but my employer the Sage Ares-sama told me clearly that I was only a stand-in until he could find another member. What a pity.

  My pet is a jumping spider named Ugeuge-san. Its name includes the ‘san’.

  Its act of raising its front legs and swaying back and forth is extremely cute. I’m glad that there is the 『Spider Empathy』 skill that allows assassins to use poisonous spiders.

  Even in this terrifying circumstance, Ugeuge-san was still happily standing on my shoulder and waving its small front feet as if to cheer me up and comfort me. Thank you. I’ll splurge on your meal today.

  I got a warm and fluffy feeling from seeing Ugeuge-san innocently rejoicing.

  “How much further until Zoltan?”


  Came a chilly voice that penetrates into one’s body.

  “I believe it will take around three days more ……”


  “Amazing. Even though it would take up to a week for a fast ship to do that.”


  She was probably happy. Even though her expression did not change at all.

  My heartbeat quickened by 1.5 times. My hands were trembling and cold sweat was coming out from my entire body.

  Naturally, that was the scream coming from my body’s survival instincts.

  Hero-sama once commented that I was fine even though I was nearby her. And she patted my shoulder but it was terrible! It was only because of my training to separate my facial expression and my feelings …… I was crying on the inside.

  Currently, I was maneuvering the flying ship.

  According to the legend my close friend in the Assassin’s Guild told me, there was an Orc on the side of justice by the name of Hero White Fang who fought alongside the humans and betrayed the previous Demon Lord or the Demon Lord before that and stole a flying ship.

  Of course, she did not believe that story either but she was a great narrator.

  When I asked, she said that her Divine Protection was Deadly Courtesan, in other words, an assassin prostitute. Most likely her speech was pleasant to the ears because of that.

  And in the story that she told, there was a scene where White Fang taught his beloved young female slave the method to steer the flying ship.

  It was a scene in which the method to maneuver the flying ship was taught through a song like the counting song but I never imagined that knowledge could be used to actually steer a flying ship.

  There were some minor differences but having allocated the skill points that I had leftover for emergencies into the common skill 『Handling』, it intuitively taught me the portions I lacked as I piloted the ship.

  Thanks to that, even though there were some functions that I have no idea what they were for, I could somehow operate it to move normally.

  Although that had bitten me in the back as I was dragged along by Hero-sama in order to steer the flying ship.

  “E-er ……”


  “What is it?”


  “I-it’s okay if you don’t want to say it but why Zoltan?”


  I actually wanted to ask why did she leave her companions behind but I was too afraid to ask.

  Save me, Ugeuge-san.

  “?”


  I looked to Ugeuge-san for help and it tilted its head like it was troubled.

  Cute.

  Hero-sama looked like she was hesitating for a while before she took out a small paper package from her pocket and showed it to me.

  “Even though I have the recipe to compound this medicine, I do not know the skills required to do so. That’s why we are heading to Zoltan to where the person who made it is located.”


  “Medicine?”


  “Yes.”


  “.……”


  “.……”


  “Er-erm, what medicine is it?”


  At that moment, a terrible thing happened.

  Hero-sama stared intently into my eyes …… and she spread the edge of her lips and smiled.

  I heard from somebody. That smiling was originally a ferocious expression.

  I felt fear from the depths of my heart.

  “So-sorry ……”


  “This medicine is my hope. But there are only three left. The effect will run out in one week. That’s why I need to be able to periodically replenish it …… for that sake, I wish to reach Zoltan as soon as possible.”


  “Ye-yes! I’ll do my best!”


  Ah! I shouldn’t have asked!

  I should just transport Hero-sama without thinking about anything. Right, I am part of the flying ship. I am a gear. 《Guru guru guru guru》


  Ugeuge-san was hopping up and down on my shoulder. It was telling me to cheer up.

  Yup, I’ll do my best. I promised Ugeuge-san that I will find it a cute partner.

  Ugeuge-san’s gestures were the supports of my heart.

  “What great weather.”


  Hero-sama said as she looked up into the sky.

  I am a gear. 《Guru guru guru guru》


  ☆☆

  “I have been in your care!”


  Al bowed his head low.

  It was evening.

  Today, Al helped out in the shop for the whole day and trained with Lit in the evening.

  Then, he happily ate dinner with us …… and left the shop.

  “Hey, you could leave tomorrow morning too?”


  Lit asked.

  Al smiled happily but he shook his head.

  “No, this place is comfortable so …… if I stayed until tomorrow morning, I would end up staying until the afternoon, then until the evening too.”


  “Is that so.”


  On Al’s waist was the shotel I passed to him.

  On his shoulder was a sturdy traveler’s cloak that Lit chose. His upper body was covered by a silver breastplate that Big Hawk gave him, the breastplate was apparently chosen by Albert.

  Even though they had never met directly, the fact that the breastplate fit Al’s body perfectly showed how Albert even gave equipment advice to his companions who lacked ability so that they would not die during B-rank requests.

  On his back was a backpack. Inside were preserved food, whetstone, rope, and soap. Lantern and oilcan. A flint. Hemostatics, antidotes, and three cure potions that I chose. Iron pot and dishware as well as a sleeping bag.

  Equipment that would not shame an adventurer no matter where he was.

  “Thank you for preparing dinner for me too.”


  The female dress in a sister outfit bowed.

  She was the female priest originally from Albert’s party. Her name was Leah.

  That’s right. She and a number of other adventurers have formed a party with Al to mark the start of their adventuring journey.

  They formed an E-rank adventurer party with Al included.

  After the incident, there was another disturbance.

  The Contract Demon and Albert’s escape from the prison.

  What remained was Big Hawk who had lost his extravagant flab and became a skinny and shabby Half-Orc youngster.

  Normally, Big Hawk would not be able to escape execution due to what he had perpetrated but the Central Demon Study scholars expressed interest in the living survivor who had a contract with a Contract Demon so he was escorted to the Imperial Capital just yesterday.

  In the end, it was quite a big incident.

  The number two of the Thieves Guild and the number one adventurer of the town colluded, the residents caused a riot, there were secret maneuvers by a demon, an unknown mystery drug and there were casualties too.

  Nevertheless, today, Zoltan had returned to its daily routine.

  The South Marsh residents were dissatisfied, there was prejudice in the upper class and the lower class and they hated the guards.

  Albert was lost but Byuui was accepted as a B-rank adventurer in his place and it seemed that he was doing well.

  However, something strange happened.

  “I was moved! When Al-kun’s words prevented the fight before it happened, I thought that perhaps that was the true role of a hero!”


  Albert’s companions were at the scene too.

  After the uproar, this female priest Leah offered to form a party with Al and Ademi because she was touched by their speech. It seemed that there were other applicants as well.

  Al immediately agreed after hearing Leah’s offer.

  “I am still a level 1 novice but …… I look forward to working with you!”


  Instead of the youngster who was afraid of his own Divine Protection when he first met me, now, he had the strong gaze of an adventurer that have accepted their Divine Protection and was trying to move forward.

  This incident had changed Al.

  “See you!”


  Al extended his right hand.

  Lit and I shook his hand tightly.

  “Do your best.”


  “You can come by anytime if you need medicine. I’ll give you a discount.”


  “No! I will find amazing treasures and become rich so that I can pay for enough medicine for Red-san and Lit-san to get mithril silver rings as presents!”


  “That would be wonderful!”


  “Mithril silver huh, that’s a grand dream.”


  Sounds good, people like him will go far.

  I pat Al’s curly head hair. That was probably the last time I could treat him like a child like that.

  It felt somewhat lonely.

  “Good luck, Adventurer Al.”


  “Yes!”


  Al showed a full-faced smile and a slightly sad expression ……

  And left Red and Lit’s Apothecary.

  “He has left.”


  “Yup, he has.”


  “It somehow felt like we had a child.”


  “Yeah, I felt the same too.”


  The two of us looked at each other.

  “Children huh, it’s not that bad.”


  “It’s not bad.”


  The two of us smiled together.

  That’s right, let’s return to the happy everyday Zoltan life too.