… … …


  Though some men don’t give a damn about such things, I’m similiar to Rember in this matter.

  「Maybe it’s a good idea to travel along with Kuro-dono after retiring from my post as a knight …」


  Rember is saying so while looking at me.

  Rember is an excellent man. He might just be fine even if he cast away his previous social position as a knight.

  Though he didn’t have to do that, he has no choice in this situation.

  And then, I thought that his retirement might be the most grievous news for this kingdom later.

  I am clear that a man like Rember is needed during peaceful times. Though it doesn’t seem much, the daily peaceful life of this kingdom is protected by someone like Rember. Though he seems like a tedious and boorish person, one will notice how important he is only when they lose him.

  I think that it isn’t something that exists in Reiji. Though Reiji will shine brightly during emergency situations, he’ll rot away during peaceful times.

  That is the life’s meaning of the man hailed as a hero. Because a hero won’t get the spotlight without a calamity called the demon lord.

  「Journey … I’m going to leave this kingdom by tomorrow morning, but we might be able to meet again somewhere else as long as we continue our journey separately」


  「Please accompany me for a drink again during that time, Kuro-dono」


  Rember is laughing. It seems he managed to regain a bit of his spirit.

  Rember who’s striving to become stronger is manlier than one who keeps sighing non-stop. I also want to be like him.

  「Yeah, definitely」


  I reply so to Rember.

  I don’t know which direction Rember is heading for. But, I pray for his good luck and for us to meet again someday.

  === === ===

  ◆ Freedom Fighter of the Rox Kingdom, Gallios

  「Geez … What the hell is that? Even though we were doing our best, too」


  Steros, another freedom fighter like me, is complaining so.

  Steros is looking at where the hero is being surrounded by many ladies.

  Due to our achievements, we, the freedom fighters, were also invited to this banquet.

  The young women from all over the country were invited to this banquet in order to give a praise to the people who gained merits in this incident. Young freedom fighters like Steros had come here with a licentious look on their faces but, since all the other women are being monopolized by the hero, currently, only the male camp is enjoying the food and beverages.

  「Well, it’s how things are. Hero-sama is special, you know」


  Thus, I comfort Steros.

  「Gallios-san … But still …」


  Steros is saying so as if to express his dissatisfaction at me.

  It seems that there’s no other way to dispel his dissatisfaction.

  After that short conversation, a woman approaches us.

  「Shirone-sama!」


  Steros, showing his dissatisfaction until a while ago, is blushing upon seeing her.

  The woman who came to meet us was one of the hero’s women, Shirone.

  「Thank you for your efforts today, everyone」


  When she said so with a beaming smile, the dissatisfaction of the young freedom fighters vanished completely.

  The coming of this flower to this stinking den of men was then followed by a loud cheer from the freedom fighters.

  「Are you okay with this? Aren’t you going to stay by hero-sama’s side?」


  I’m saying so while approaching her.

  It’s a woman only zone around the hero. It’s already too late now, but aren’t you worried about an illicit affair?

  「It’s okay, Reiji is special after all」


  It seems she has no worry about such things after all.

  「I see …」


  It seems I missed the point. If the women around the hero disperse, they might come toward Steros.

  The woman before us is also a special existence. She is also unattainable no matter how much Steros want her. That’s why it’s better if there’s a woman in their arm, but now it’s impossible.

  Even if this girl seems different from the others, she’s also one amongst the many girls who are waiting to serve the hero, for no girl can become the hero’s wife unless they have a big enough heart to allow such events. In case of me, if I were to do the same things as the hero, Peneroa will surely stab my back with her kitchen knife.

  「Uhm, Shirone-sama … May I have a moment? 」


  Someone suddenly interjected our conversation.

  「Uhm … Are you you alright, Nimri-san?」


  Nimri is nodding.

  「The words of black-haired sage just now have been in my mind, but …」


  「Ah, about that huh …」


  I also nod upon hearing Nimri’s words.

  「Chiyuki-san’s words? Uhm, what did she say?」


  「Before this banquet begin, I recalled that the person who saved black-haired sage-sama might be Kuro-dono」


  Before this banquet begin, black-haired sage told us about the one who contributed the most in this battle.

  The person who hid his face is undoubtedly Kuro-dono. At that time, Kuro-dono said that he’s going to stop this thick fog and took a different action path than us.

  Thus, the one who stopped this thick fog might actually be Kuro.

  Though we couldn’t tell her at that time since we were too far apart, now is the best chance to tell her. For the one with the most merit to not be praised is strange.

  「Kuro?」


  Shirone is tilting her head. [TL : He’s dropping his inner honorific starting from this point, Shirone’s share took a nosedive]

  It seems she completely forgot about his existence despite going to the tower along with him.

  Nimri and I explain to her about Kuro.

  「U~hn. In fact, I don’t know since I never met the person himself. Let’s try to confirm it with Chiyuki-san later」


  「Please then, Shirone-sama」


  I bow to her.

  Though Kuro doesn’t like to stand out, a man like him should come out to the spotlight.

  Even if no one believe my words, he’ll be recognized as a brave as long as the hero’s comrades say so.

  But, from Shirone’s attitude, it seems she didn’t trust me. I couldn’t expect anything from her.

  And yet, I’m still bowing toward her.

  === === ===

  ◆ Black-haired Sage, Chiyuki

  Honestly, that was annoying.

  Influental persons and the upper echelon of this kingdom keep coming at me one after another.

  Thanks to that, I can’t feel at ease.

  Why am I always getting this kind of job? Properly speaking, you guys should go to Reiji, right?

  When I glance at his direction, Reiji is besieged by numerous woman. To be honest, it’s annoying me.

  Sahoko and Almina by his side are showing a dissatisfied face. Almina might have also noticed this fact right now about how it feels to have a relationship with Reiji.

  The duo of Rino and Nao are nudging toward the food. Kyouka is feeling down as usual. Thus, she left the party along with with Kaya. Shirone left toward the freedom fighters who fought along with her.

  And here I am, having a long chat with these geezers. To be honest, I want to slip out from this hell.

  「Can I have a minute with you, Chiyuki-san …」


  Shirone, who was supposed to be with those freedom fighters, suddenly called out to me.

  Good job, Shirone! I give a thumbs up to Shirone in my heart.

  「I’m sorry. I’ll excuse myself for a moment …」


  Thus, I leave those geezers while saying so.

  「You saved me there, Shirone-san. What’s the matter you want to talk about?」


  I express my gratitude and then ask for the matter that she wanted to tell me.

  「There’s something that I want you to hear …」


  Thus I’m listening to Shirone story.

  「I might be wrong but you see……….」


  Shirone narrated about what Gallios said to her, the fact that the man who saved me and Nao in the basement might be a freedom fighter called Kuro.

  But, it seems Shirone doesn’t think so. As for the reason, it’s because that man was also unable to withstand the magic of the vampire when they went along to the tower.

  And that masked man is stronger than that vampire. Thus, it’ll be strange if that man called Kuro won against that masked man.

  「I understand, that man called Kuro should be at Gallios’s place. Let’s go to meet him tomorrow」


  I don’t know whether that Kuro is the one I’m looking for. But, I’ll know as long as I meet him.

  Since, without him, I don’t know what will become of us and this kingdom.

  I suddenly think about Reiji who’s being surrounded by many girls.

  The person who should be praised right now isn’t Reiji, it should be the one who saved me. This kingdom should say their gratitude again if he really turned out to be Kuro. Naturally, it includes us, too.

  I wonder what he is doing right now.

  === === ===

  ◆ Dark Knight, Kuroki

  「Ar~e yo~u The~re, Kuro-dono~」


  Rember is dead drunk right now.

  Honestly, I want to ask myself, what the hell I am doing in this place.

  「Rember-dono … I think it’s time you stop drinking …」


  「No wa~y! ! I am yet to drink to my fi~ll! ! ! Drink with me too, Kuro-dono~」


  Though I don’t know what the hell he is talking about in the end, Rember keeps drinking the liquor.

  Even if you say so, I don’t want to drink liquor, thus I won’t drink them. I did try to drink liquor with my senpai in the dojo before, but I feel sick just by looking at it.

  Ever since then, I decided to not drink any liquor.

  The drunk Rember keeps drinking his liquor. He’s already the worst amongst the dead drunk.

  「Why the heck did it turn out like this …」


  I wanted to cry.

  Thus, the night passed by.

  === === ===

  ◆ Dark Knight, Kuroki

  After packing up my luggage, I informed the Gallios couple that I’m going to leave.

  「I see, where are you planning to go after this …」


  Gallios is saying so with a reluctant face.

  Both Gallios and I returned quite late last night.

  Thus, I am informing them about my departure this morning.

  Though the Gallios couple requested me to leave tomorrow, I decided to leave now since there’s something that I’m worrying about.

  「I have an urgent business …」


  I gaze at the mountain visible from the kingdom – the one where the holy dragon lives.

  「Thank you for what you did to Rember last night …」


  Peneroa-san expresses her gratitude. Rember was dead drunk last night. Thus, I delivered him to Gallios’s house since I don’t know where he lives. He’s sleeping soundly in the guest room right now.

  I think it’s a good thing that I met Rember.

  「See ya, Kuro!」


  I nod upon hearing his words.

  I’ll come again.

  It’s regrettable, but I left the Rox kingdom.

  === === ===

  ◆ Black-haired Sage, Chiyuki

  「He left right in the morning?!」


  I’m told so when I go to Gallios’s house.

  It seems I’m one step too late.

  It’s not like I can force the Gallios couple since I neither said anything to keep him here nor I told them that I’ll go meet him. That man called Kuro also didn’t tell them about his destination.

  「What’s the matter, Chiyuki-sama?」


  Kaya, who came along with me, asks that question. I wanted Kaya to confirm his identity since she had already met him once.

  「It can’t be helped, let’s go back」


  Moreover, there’s a chance that we’ll meet again if he’s actually following us. I should give up on him right now.

  When I decide to go back.

  The pouch on my hips are starting to ring.

  When I open the pouch, the thing that’s ringing is the bell that I got from Rena.

  「No way … Diehart」


  I then gaze at the mountain where the holy dragon lives. This bell is informing us about Diehart’s arrival at the mountain.