… …. …


  ◆Black Haired Sage, Chiyuki

  「The surviving Striges….」


  I glare at Reiji with an expression that’s as cold as possible for me.

  But Reiji’s showing a nonchalant face while ignoring my glare.

  Even if he notices it, he’s not the kind of man who cares about the ill intention of others.

  I want him to at least notice it, though.

  「Yeah, the corpses of goblins and orcs that were already turned into zombies had gathered around the rampart just yesterday night. So, it might have something to do with the surviving Striges, right?」


  Striges are demons that possess a form that crosses between a human woman and an owl.

  They should have been exterminated by us around one month ago.

  At that time, we made use of Nao’s perception ability to search for their survivors inside their nesting place.

  Currently, only the undead made by them as intercepting force could be found in that tower.

  Could it be that that undead has come out of the tower?

  But the undead shouldn’t be able to move without its master command.

  When I think about it, maybe it was because there were no Striges in that tower at that time we searched or they might have hidden from Nao’s perception with some kind of means.

  In the first place, those Striges were the ones in the wrong.

  However, from Reiji’s story, it seems it couldn’t be concluded whether the culprit was really those Striges.

  「What shall we do then?」


  So I coldly enquired him.

  「Ah, let’s beat those Striges for the sake of this kingdom」


  Reiji’s smiling while saying so.

  「Humph, for this kingdom huh…. Then I assume that it’s a request coming directly from princess Almina, right?」


  Reiji nods to my question.

  It seems that Reiji was sauntering around with Almina to enjoy the festival when we were enjoying the hot spring.

  Thereupon, she asked him to take care of the zombies’ matter during that time.

  But, I know that it’s just a lie. There’s no need to hide his whereabouts if he was just enjoying the festival with her.

  It’ll make you even guilty. Thus, I can imagine the general situation. That is the reason why I’m looking at him with such a piercing cold glare.

  「Look at me, where do you think those Striges are right now? 」


  「Who knows?」


  Reiji is raising his hands to make a gesture indicating that he does not know the answer.

  「Youuu….」


  I place my hand on my forehead.

  The one at fault during the previous incident is definitely the Striges. Their nest location is also well known.

  But we don’t know whether the Striges are the culprit in this incident.

  「Geez…. We really can’t do anything unless we know who the real culprit is」


  I can’t believe it, this man received such a request without knowing the situation just because it came from a princess.

  Maybe we have to start from looking for the culprit first? Please stop making such unreasonable promises since we are occupied with the Diehart matter already.

  「Well, we’ll be able to do it somehow」


  Reiji is smiling confidently.

  I’m staring daggers at Reiji.

  「Reiji-kun, be more serious about this matter, you’re basically the one who’s responsible for this」


  「I’m always serious you know」


  Reiji retorts so in a nonchalant tone.

  He doesn’t seem to be serious at all.

  「But then, I don’t feel like searching for the culprit」


  Reiji is surprised upon hearing that.

  「Searching?」


  I nod after hearing what Reiji asked in a questioning manner.

  「You won’t search the culprit?」


  Reiji nods.

  「Why?」


  When I ask him for the reason, his reply is as follows:

  「Because they’ll show themselves sooner or later. It seems they’re making use of those zombies. I’ll make my move at that time」


  I understand what his plan was after listening to his words.

  「They definitely will show themselves….」


  They’re definitely that type. They’re bound to cause some sort of incident.

  Maybe it’s faster than scouring for the culprit one-by-one.

  It seems Reiji’s answer has few meanings.

  Reiji hates simple jobs such as gathering information and investigation.

  He never even considers the option of preventing the incident; he always makes his move after the incident has happened.

  In exchange for that, he moves as soon as the incident happens.

  The problem lies in the fact that there might be some victims if he moves after the incident has happened.

  Not choosing to prevent the incident but to settle it after the incident has happened. Maybe his actions are just like a hero in a certain meaning. At any rate, he’s praised by everyone for that kind of action.

  「Thus, let’s take our own time until it happens」


  I think “Is that so?” in hearing his words.

  「Hey, Chiyuki-san. If it’s about Striges…. There’s that tower, isn’t it?」


  Shirone suddenly interrupted my conversation with Reiji.

  The tower she’s referring might be the tower where those Striges made their nest.

  「Well, the culprit might be there but….」


  「In that case, we should try searching in that place」


  「Certainly, it’s better if we investigate this matter faster」


  I reply with slightly evasive words.

  「They are quite the troublesome people…. It’ll be a different story if we demolish that tower, though」


  Reiji responds with such extreme words. Though Reiji will have no trouble in destroying that tower with his power, it’s way too barbaric.

  「Reiji-kun. We won’t know whether there are Striges or not in that tower if you end up demolishing that tower. If you’re going to do that, do it after proper investigation」


  Will this incident be solved as long as that tower is demolished?

  So, we should investigate this matter properly. But that tower itself is bothersome since the inside resembles a labyrinth. Moreover, I don’t want to approach that place due to those loitering zombies.

  In fact, that is the reason why I’m hesitating to investigate that tower. Moreover, the result of our investigation might end up being completely unrelated to this incident. Honestly, this matter is annoying.

  Though it’s not Reiji, we might as well demolished that tower the last time we went there.

  「Shall we travel to that tower tomorrow?」


  Shirone suggests that.

  「Shirone-san, I think it’s better to leave the investigation part to Nao-san」


  Shirone isn’t that good in terms of investigating. If it’s for investigation, Nao and I are better choices.

  When I glance at Nao, she shakes her head indicating that she doesn’t want to go. Well, I don’t want to go, too.

  「We will only look at the situation for a while. Beside…. I want to swing my sword a bit」


  It seems that’s her real intention. After losing the way to return to our world on top of losing to Diehart, Shirone fell into a slump. Maybe she wants to vent her stress out.

  「I see, that sounds good to me」


  Reiji agrees with her, too.

  「In that case, please lend your hand, Shirone-san. I think you won’t meet any danger, but run as soon as the situation becomes dangerous」


  Though there might be no danger, just in case.

  「Yeah, just call my name if you ever encounter some dangerous situation, Shirone. I’ll come to save you right away」


  Reiji asks Shirone to call for him if needed.

  Though he can’t use normal transfer magic like me, he can use stalking move magic. This magic can be used to teleport toward the position of the people that become the magic’s target.

  What makes it different from standard transfer magic is the fact that it can only transfer one person and will fail if the target resists it.

  Reiji always saves us from danger with this magic.

  The exception was when Diehart raided the temple. It seems that dimension freezing magic was applied to prevent any transfer magic inside the temple during that time; thus, he couldn’t save Shirone.

  But, it seems that Reiji will go to save Shirone no matter how far the distance is as long as there’s no dimension freezing magic.

  「Yeah, I understand」


  Shirone starts smiling after hearing our words.

  「He~y, are you done with this topic」


  When I look toward the source of that voice, I could see Rino puffing her cheeks.

  「If we don’t finish this, our meal will become cool!!」


  The already prepared meal is placed on top of the table in front of us. These dishes are cooked by Sahoko and the Rox Kingdom chef.

  「Yeah, it’s the dishes that were painstakingly made by Sahoko-san. Let’s enjoy it」


  Eventually, though Reiji doesn’t make a decision about what we have to do, we felt that things usually played in this manner.

  I do a kampai with everyone.

  That was the beginning of our small banquet.

  === === ===

  ◆ Rox Kingdom’s knight, Rember

  「What’s the matter, Almina? 」


  When walking alongside with Almina, I feel that her behavior is rather strange since a while ago.

  「It’s nothing…. I am just a bit tired」


  Almina was accompanying the hero and just relieved from her duty. So it’s normal for her to feel tired.

  That hero-sama might be in the middle of a banquet with his wives right now.

  So, it’s natural for Almina to not participate in it. With respect to that, Almina responded that there’s no way she could fit between such beautiful girls.

  Which reminds me that such things are natural since Almina has no place around such level of beauties. Gallios is worrying too much.

  「Ooh, it’s Rember, isn’t it?」


  As we are meandering like that, Gallios’ couple approaches us.

  「Nee-san, senpai. Are you guys sightseeing the festival?」


  「Who knows. We just don’t feel like entering our house right now….」


  「Eeh, so that’s it. It’s just a bit, you see….」


  Gallios and Peneroa reply with a sly grin on their faces.

  What just happened?

  「Come to think of it Rember, how about that matter? 」


  He is referring to the incident that happened to the temple knights.

  This evening, we found five temple knights collapsed in the back alley of the west street.

  Since the one who discovered first was a man with wounds on his shin, he told Gallios about this matter, avoiding the palace guard.

  After Gallios and that fellow carried those temple knights to doctor Orua living closest to that place, he informed me and the villa of the hero about the incident.

  Maybe Gallios is just curious about what happened later.

  「No problem. They were moved to hero-sama’s mansion」


  「I see. But then, I feel uneasy about the one who defeated those temple knights」


  Gallios is pondering while touching his chin.

  That’s also one of my worries.

  The temple knights of Holy Republic Lenaria are said to be the best in the eastern continent.

  Each one of them is a master of martial arts. Moreover, a majority of them are magic users, too. Even Gallios and I combined won’t be a match against them, that’s just how powerful those temple knights are.

  Someone who can beat those temple knights is currently in this kingdom. So, it’s just natural for us to worry about such things.

  「It’s certainly a worrisome matter…. But we can do nothing even if we ponder about it」


  「Sure, that’s true」


  Gallios laughs heartily on hearing my words.

  What can we do against an opponent who can easily dispatch those temple knights?

  Moreover, it seems that the one who attacked the temple knights isn’t a dangerous person.

  If one were to ask for the reason, it was because all of the attacked temple knights received nothing but minor injuries. The culprit also didn’t steal anything.

  Maybe that person just gave them a little lesson.

  And, if the culprit is a dangerous existence like a goblin, they’ll surely aim for the lives of the temple knights.

  I’m worried about what that guy will do to me.

  We then separated from the couple.

  「Let’s go, Almina」


  「Yes, Rember」


  We continue our stroll.

  Nevertheless, I wonder who’s the culprit of this incident. The reaction of the maid when we carried those guys to the villa of the hero was weighing on my mind.

  If I’m not wrong, that maid is called Kaya-sama. She’s a beauty yet hardly displays any expression; I even wonder whether her beautiful face is just a mask.

  The expression of the maid called Kaya changed ever so slightly when she saw the injury on those temple knights.

  Could it be that she has a clue about the culprit of this incident?

  Even then, I can’t help but worry about such things. Well, I just want to enjoy my time with Almina right now.

  === === ===

  ◆ Black Haired Sage, Chiyuki

  「Reiji-kun. You are still drinking liquor!! 」


  I lost track of how many times I warned him about this.

  Reiji’s drinking his liquor. Moreover, it’s a distilled liquor.

  「It’s okay, Chiyuki. Oh!! This new product is great, isn’t it?」


  「Uhm, it seems it’s to your liking, Rei-kun」


  Reiji and Sayoko continue to enjoy their drinks while having such a conversation.

  It seems they’re blatantly disregarding my words.

  Surely, Sahoko dishes are delicious.

  It’s possible to recreate Japanese food as long as one uses the fish sauce made from a fish resembling sardine in this world.

  It seems that Sahoko has made Reiji’s favorite dish using that fish sauce.

  「Don’t worry, Chiyuki-san. If it’s Reiji-kun, he’ll be okay no matter how much liquor he drinks」


  Shirone is comforting me.

  But, I can detect a slight smell of alcohol from her breath.

  You’re drunk, too. I wanted to retort to Shirone like that.

  But it’s as Shirone says, Reiji’s never drunk no matter how much liquor he takes. Just like back in our home world. Frankly speaking, Reiji’s physical power was just too abnormal.

  It became beyond abnormal after coming to this world. It’s already not at the level of a heavy drinker anymore.

  In fact, our bodily functions have become abnormal ever since we came to this world.

  It seems that we won’t suffer from acute alcohol poisoning no matter how much liquor we drink. I think the way he drinks right now is his way to get revenge since he still conducts himself properly back in our home world.

  Not just in terms of liquor, but also in terms of food. We won’t gain any fat no matter how much we eat.

  A wound will be healed immediately. Our skin has become glossy; our health’s also top-notch.

  We became even more beautiful after coming to this world.

  Considering such circumstances, I might just be needlessly anxious about this matter.

  The reason why a minor[Miseinen] is forbidden from drinking liquor as it’ll cause harm to their yet-to-mature body. On the contrary, it’s okay to drink liquor as long as it doesn’t harm your body.

  Moreover, there are people who drink liquor at our age in certain countries outside Japan.