VOL7 OVERLORD

Chapter1 - Death Invitation

Part 1[edit]

The capital of the Baharuth Empire, Arwintar, lies slightly to the west of the center of the empire. The imperial palace, the home of the reigning king by the nickname Blood Emperor (Blood Emperor) - Jircniv Rune Farlord el Nix - stands at the center of the city. Surrounding the palace are numerous universities, magic academies, various administrative offices and other important facilities spread from the center of the capital in a circular style. Truly, a city worthy of being referred to as the heart of the empire.

Despite having fewer inhabitants than Re-Estize, the capital of the Re-Estize Kingdom, the imperial capital was more majestic in comparison. Not only this, due to years of refinement, the Empire is currently undergoing the largest wave of development ever in history. New things are constantly being introduced to the public, which increases the chances for traders to explore new markets. A constant stream of goods and talents existed in the imperial capital. For the residents living inside the capital, it was a time for true hope and opportunity.

Inside the noisy and busy city, Ainz walked with Narberal beside him.

Under different circumstances, Ainz might have wanted to spend a few moments exploring the city, like one from the village coming to the metropolis for the first time. After all, there were many different things between the Empire and the Kingdom.

However, Ainz could not relax the streets right now.

His movements began to reflect his thoughts, slowly becoming more and more unsettled.

The feeling that enveloped him from within could be explained with a sentence - Uncomfortable.

The more Ainz thought about the purpose behind his visit to the Empire, which Demiurge had already planned, the more he frowned, even though his face was an illusion.

For Ainz Ooal Gown, the absolute ruler of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, the phrase "survive" should not exist in his personal dictionary. There should be no need to suppress his emotions. Ainz's sentence should have been absolute, where white would have been black if he had said so. There is no reason to the contrary.

But the current situation still ended like this as Ainz could not find a valid reason to deny Demiurge's offer.

The whole purpose is - to show Nazarick's power. It was easy to understand Demiurge's plan, and the results could also be seen straight away. On the other hand, what Ainz disliked was that he felt like he was about to throw mud at things that his old colleagues had carefully constructed.

However, rejecting a carefully crafted plan just because of his personal emotions is embarrassing. Also, Ainz did not want others to think that he was less generous to accept offers made by other individuals.

To reject the current plan without providing any alternative was something that Ainz, who was not as the supreme ruler but as a member of society, felt unacceptable.

Ainz repeated the things he had thought about before once again in order to calm down. He needs to cool his head. Between logic and emotion, choosing logic should be the right choice. Although those who are driven by their emotions will one day get extraordinary results, most of them are simply irrational people. Not only that...

"...It's just that it's too late to back off now! Yaaa!"

Ainz inhaled and exhaled deeply using his non-existent lungs. And did not show any concern for the city guards and the residents there who were giving strange gazes towards him as he walked past them.

Because Ainz was indeed tall and a figure of amazement, he was already the center of attention. This became even worse after he was considered a hero. Not attracting any attention would be strange. Therefore, Ainz was already used to ignoring the gazes of people, even more able to do so after he rode Hamusuke.

After taking many breaths, Ainz was finally able to reduce his uncomfortable feelings to a minimum. It was then that he realized the amount of effort his subordinate, Narberal, had to put in to keep up with him.

"I'm sorry, maybe I've walked a little too fast."

The pace required to be able to cover the same amount of distance between the footsteps of a man wearing full body armor like Ainz and the robe Narberal wore was completely different. It was not difficult for Narberal to be able to follow him because of his physical abilities, but as a man, it was still necessary to apologize for not paying attention to his walking speed.

"No, I didn't protest one bit."

"Is that so..."

Ainz did not know whether the reply was the usual reply given by the servants to their master or whether Narberal really did not mind. While reducing his pace, Ainz searched for a topic to discuss.

Ainz was somehow embarrassed by the unapproachable atmosphere that radiated from a moment ago. Therefore, in an attempt to get rid of the awkward atmosphere, Ainz tried to make an effort to think of a topic to discuss. But nothing came out of his brain.

Ainz thought of the start of a futile conversation that marketing people often used, such as talking about the weather. Talking about sports is also a good option, but one has to figure out which team the others support first.

Considering whether to start this kind of conversation or not, Ainz began to mutter in his deep heart.

Why should I be concerned with someone like Narberal, who is only a subordinate? well, since it's already like this, maybe I should use this opportunity to practice the dialogue between master and servant. Even so, it should match the status of a ruler. What is a person with the status of being a ruler talking to their subordinates/servants?

Rethinking the daily conversation that was inside Ainz's old company, something like that shouldn't be okay, right?

Ainz was the supreme ruler of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, not some sort of senior executive of a corporation. If a comparison were to be made, he would be more precise like a company president or CEO.

No, it's still a little different from a president.... By the way, what kind of conversation did the king and Gazef Stronoff have? It will be useful as a reference.

Even so, they have already arrived here. If they continued like this, the mood between them would end up too heavy for Ainz to hold back. Finally he tried to force open his mouth.

"...Narberal..what do you think of this voice?"

Ainz pointed to his voice box, or rather, pointed towards the place where the vocal cords should be. Ainz pressed the area where his throat should be with his gloves. He only felt a metallic sensation from his gloves, however, there was a sort of elastic feeling, tormenting an incredible impression as if his throat was truly there.

"Actually, I don't think that this sound is good. It sounds strange, I think the voice used by Momon-sa. Indeed I understand there is a reason behind all this, I admit to being happier with the old voice."

"Is that so? I'm so happy with this voice... Neuronists chose it from about fifty people. There's some sort of inexplicable attraction to him."

Suddenly, Ainz recalled that while listening to the recording of his voice, he muttered something softly and calmed the sudden worry that had popped up in his head.

"Is that so? Anyway, I still think Momon-san's real voice sounds better."

"I'm glad to hear that, Narberal. By the way, I don't know if I can wear this either..."

Unsure whether Narberal's response was merely his modesty or his original thought, Ainz once again pointed towards his neck, feeling the creature clinging to his throat - the Lip Bug (Lip Insect) - wriggle.

Ordinary people would definitely feel itchy.

Was it just because I didn't know, or was it indeed the rules that somehow changed on their own? The lack of information on this kind of thing could also provide certain dangers in the future. Not only in this world, but the knowledge of YGGDRASIL must also be studied again.

YGGDRASIL games are designed with the intention to let players enjoy exploring the unknown. Because of this, there is a need to test different kinds of things, which resulted in an enormous investment of the company into the resources in its development to create the system. Thus, players could face a world that was completely unknown.

Not only the lack of information on the maps given at first, the knowledge related to the dungeon as well as mining, cooking, monster farms etc. There is a kind of world where players are forced to discover new things on their own. For more details, even what kind of trivial things can be used and what does not require trial and error from the players themselves. Although there are raid and information websites, the data posted on these sites is well known, or the information provided is not credible. YGGDRASIL is a game designed for players to explore. Seeking knowledge is like searching for treasure. There is no benefit in telling it to other players for free.

Hence, the only reliable information came from within the guild itself, or from exchanges made with reliable guilds. The other things were just useless third-grade inforations.

There was also a time when the forums were flooded with suspicious threads starting with "I plan to leave my guild, so I'll release all their information."

Well, there is indeed some original information released among them...

There was once a guild called 'Three Burning Eyes'.

The guild is formed by the site owners who charge their members every time they access the information. And having specialized in sending spies to join other, higher ranked guilds to steal information and other such suspicious actions. Gaming Adaministrators do not punish such actions and are secretly accepted as one way of obtaining information. However, the stolen guild would not forgive him.

What happened was that the guilds formed an alliance and attacked 'Three Burning Eyes'. After capturing the respawn point within the guild headquarters and the respawn point within the temple that was around the streets, the alliance began to PK against the members of the 'Three Burning Eyes' guild', and when they lived again, then in PK, not letting a single person off. They continued to do this until 'Three Burning Eyes' was disbanded and the rest of the members spread out.

And in the end, the most memorable part is the part when they make their information site freely accessible. How awkward, Ainz thought.

Well, there must be no spies inside Ainz Ooal Gown... However, if not for this incident, perhaps we would have more members....

Due to the incident, the recruitment process for Ainz Ooal Gown was halted, and the guild was formed with 41 members, which was the minimum amount needed for a guild that belonged to the upper level.

When it comes to the end of YGGDRASIL, the chances of reliable information being made public on the web are high. However, the only time Ainz focused his attention on information websites was when the golden age of Ainz Ooal Gown was at its peak. The amount of useful information was really limited that time.

My knowledge of gaming seemed to be at its peak at that time. Although I still have to pay attention to the announcements made by the Game Administration.The world seems to contain YGGDRASIL players other than myself, therefore I must also consider the risks to be accepted due to their lack of knowledge.

Through the captured Eight Finger members, Nazarick was able to obtain useful information in large numbers. However, that information was mostly about the Kingdom and the Empire. There was very little about Theocracy, the Holy Kingdom and the Republic. There is a need to increase the collection of information even further.

"Trouble, I've thought about it a lot, but in the end I'm still worried. It's time to change the topic to a lighter one."

To change the conversation, Ainz somewhat looked around.

"By the way, Empire seems to be very crowded."

"Is that so? I feel it the same way as in E-Rantel."

As Narberal said, Ainz once again stared.

"The streets are full of life and people's eyes are very bright. It was a sign that people believed they were living well."

Although Narberal responded from behind with "As expected of Momon-san", Ainz was slightly embarrassed by his own sentence and did not reply. It was just a bit of a feeling Ainz had about the people on the streets, and whether it was true or not, Ainz still had no confidence in what he saw.

Not because I'm following Pandora's Actor's style..."It's a sign of something". I didn't think I could say this sentence out loud without shame... It looks like I'm turning into a poet or something.

As he was expected to behave like a hero within the royal capital, Ainz was used to the hero's thought, and it seemed that it was starting to become his habit.

The face behind Ainz's head covering showed a slight shy expression - it was certainly impossible for a skull to turn red - and then Ainz saw the hotel that Fludder had shown him.

Even from a distance, one could distinguish the best hotels from the imperial capital much more luxurious compared to those in E-Rantel. That is one way of explaining it, but that impression is only based on the level of facilities and stylistic differences. One could say the upscale hotels in the Kingdom are surrounded by history while the ones in the Empire have just opened, and if asked which one is better, all of them will have different opinions.

"I'm not sure I want to go in, but the atmosphere does look good."

Ainz touched an adamantite plate with a mushy that hung in front of his chest and headed towards the entrance.

Similar to E-Rantel, athletic teams in leather armor stood guard at the entrance and exit. As Ainz and Narberal approached, the guards stared at them with question marks. After all, after focusing on one point, they quickly looked the other way with wide eyes.

"A-Are they the real ones? I think they're real, judging by the equipment they have..."

Hearing the whispers coming from his partner, the other security guards tried their best to stand up straight and hide their nervousness. However, as they shortened the distance, the pressure was obvious, yet he was nevertheless unable to speak politely.

"Pardon the servant, adventurer adamantite-sama. I'm very sorry for the inconvenience, but may I see your identity?"

As Ainz handed over his license plate and asked, "Does this hotel only accept members?"

"Yes, in order to maintain the reputation of this hotel, we only accept regular members or those who are advised. However, adamantite ranked adventurers were the exception to that rule."

Wiping both hands with his sleeves, the other security guards carefully took out the identity plate Ainz handed over as if he was afraid of damaging it. Flipping the plate, he read aloud the sculpture behind him.

"Darkness'...Momon-sama?"

"It's true."

"The verification is over! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to hold an adamantite plate!"

His attitude when returning the plate is still as careful as before. The plate that served as proof of the status of the adventurers was made with the same type of metal that implied the rank of the adventurers. Although the plate is relatively small, the cost of making an adamantite plate is very high. Although the plate itself was extremely difficult to destroy, the possibility of accidental loss was still there. For someone like a hotel security guard, the thought of reimbursing the cost of losing an adamantite plate was completely unbearable. Security guards heard many stories of adamantite plates missing before. Like for example when they try to return the plate, a crane-parrot (a type of bird) will fly past and steal it. Stories like this are not told to make people more careful, but the real events have happened before.

A relieved face developed on the faces of the two security guards as Ainz retrieved his identity plate.

"Then now, can we come in?"

"Yes, Momon-sama. Let me show you the way."

"Is that so? We're counting on you then."

Tipping is not common in the Kingdom. Hopefully the same in the Empire. Ainz finally remembered this kind of thing when he was led in.

After walking past the spacious lobby with marble-like floor tiles, they arrived at the reception counter.

"Announce the arrival of adamantite ranked adventurer Momon-sama and his partner."

Sitting behind the reception counter was a man whose appearance was like one who had received a proper upbringing. After being introduced, the guard turned towards Ainz then bowed respectfully before returning to his post.

"Welcome, Momon-sama. For giving us your presence during my visit to Empire, I would like to say a big thank you."

The receptionist bowed deeply to Ainz.

"No, please don't worry about it, now I want to stay one night."

"I understand. For starters, please sign here for guest registration."

Ainz smiled from behind his head cover. After practicing writing his name using the language of the Kingdom many times, he without any gaps marked the paper after picking up a pen.

"Thank you very much. What kind of room do you prefer?"

To Ainz, all rooms were the same whether they were cheap or luxurious. However, as usual, he had an appearance to maintain.

I do not need to eat, although the accommodation includes free food I am fine without it.

Ainz suddenly remembered the food in this world.

Juice with a green color that does not smell sweet and delicious. Pink food that looks like scrambled eggs, carefully sliced cooked meat covered by a bluish liquid that makes the meat look more mushy and juicy. Every time the mention of the food stimulated Ainz's curiosity, but unfortunately he couldn't eat it.

...Libido, appetite, and sleepiness. Despite the many advantages of gaining an undead body, many important things were lost. Too bad. But on the other hand, the chance of being immersed in lust would be too high if I obtained my human body.

Imagining being in bed with Albedo, Ainz finally tilted his head.

A boss who sexually abused a female employee - that was the image that appeared inside Ainz's head after his shadow.

Even though Albedo had already expressed her love for me. If only I hadn't screwed up .. oh!

"Sorry for the delay. Any room that is appropriate for our status may also... By the way, can we pay with Kingdom currency?"

"That's not a problem. The average exchange rate of one equals one."

"Is that so? I'll hand it to you then."

"certainly. I will start preparing a suitable room for Momon-sama. In the meantime, please rest inside our lobby."

Ainz saw the arrangement of the chairs in the lobby separated into small groups where the distance between each group was very far. More than fifty seats are quite luxurious for officers with upper levels provided. His appearance alone made the chairs very comfortable. There were even singers who were playing soft music as the setting.

"Everything inside the lobby, including food and drinks, is a free service, please relax and enjoy it."

In any world, as long as a certain amount of money is provided, a corresponding amount of services will be provided. Even so, the service provided here did not please Ainz at all.

"I understand. Come here, Nabe."

Ainz entered the lobby with Narberal and chose the nearest seats to sit.

There were a few other guests also resting inside the lobby. Most of them are adventurers. If high-ranking adventurers could complete the demand that gave great rewards, their standard of living would instantly increase as well and they could pay for living in a hotel like this.

No matter where they were, whether in the capital of the Kingdom or E-Rantel, all adventurers had the same lifestyle.

Ainz made sure that the adamantite plates hanging around his neck were visible to others, so that they would be the topic of conversation among the guests at the hotel. It was not a bad thing to raise one's profile through this method.

While realizing the attention he was getting, Ainz opened the menu that was beside him.

Can't read it...

Ainz slowly turned back the menu, although he could not read, to avoid others realizing it.

Although Ainz brought with him the item that had been lent to Sebas in order to make him read any language, in the current situation, it would be very strange to suddenly pick up and use it.

"Free... and Tsuare..."

The image of Sebas and Tsuare appeared in Ainz's brain as he thought about whether or not he would use the item.

"Is there something about that woman?"

"Ah, no, not a big thing. I wonder how he's adapting."

Even though Ainz had already handed everything over to Sebas, he still had an obligation to ascertain Tsuare's state because he had made a promise to protect her.

"I don't think there's a problem. Currently, since the butler is currently under house arrest, Sebas-sama himself taught him the skills needed as a servant. Once he learned some of the right attitudes, then he would study cooking and some other types of work. We plan to teach him a little bit of everything so that we can find what job suits him."

"Is that so? Well then, it should be fine to hand it over to Sebas. And also, it was time to release the two of them from house arrest... Albedo's anger should have been cold by now."

Narberal lowered his head without saying anything.

Realizing their conversation had stopped, a servant walked towards them.

"Have you both decided what to order?"

"I ordered the Makyatia Ice. What do you want, Nabe?"

"I'm the same."

"It's okay to order something you like."

"No, I want the same drink. Oh, and also, I want milk mixed into it."

"Of course."

After receiving the order, the waiter bowed deeply, then left quietly.

Makyatia is a drink that looks similar to a latte, and Ainz often sees it on E-Rantel. It smells the same as a latte. However, because lattes and coffee also exist in this world there must be a difference. After all, Ainz would never know because he could not eat any food or drink. He had previously experimented with trying to eat and drink, but the only result was that everything was scattered from under his chin without feeling anything. Not a single benefit was found.

The reason why Ainz chose this drink was because it was only provided in a high-end environment. Perhaps it is the most suitable choice for the current state of affairs.

While wiping away the non-existent sweat, Ainz thought of the most pointless question.

"Nabe... how does Makyatia taste?"

Knowing Narberal had tried to drink this before, the curious Ainz asked him.

Narberal made an expression as if he was thinking. It was an expression made by someone when asked how coffee tastes by someone who has never tried it in his life.

"Hmmm...If I explained it, I would say it felt similar to Shakerato. Unless this drink leaves a thick milk flavor."

"...Is that so? sounds good."

Never heard of a drink called a Shakerator before. Is this perhaps the type of drink that only exists in this world? The chances are high.

"Not bad. That's pretty good." Reply Narberal.

As Ainz responded to Narberal with "Hmmmm", the ordered drink had already arrived.

"Don't mind me and drink. If it wouldn't look weird if none of us touched this drink."

After getting used to wearing his headgear for a full day, Ainz did not notice the strange thing about not taking off his headgear even though a drink had been ordered in front of him.

"Thank you."

"It's okay if you drink mine too. Anyway, listen. For now, the plan was to first circle the capital for the next two days. I hear the amount of stuff they sell in the central market is incredible. Definitely worth seeing. And also, they sold magic items in the central area of the northern market and adventurers often visited the place."

This information was obtained from the 'Eight Finger' members who were caught. Although the reports received were mostly black market related, Ainz did not plan to visit him. He only knew in one glance from the report given.

"The third day was to visit the Adventurers Guild. If possible, I would like to make a connection with some adamantite adventurers from the Empire, otherwise, then it is enough to just finish our current task and go straight home. That should be about seven days. Do you have any other advice?"

Narberal, who stopped his drink in the middle, listened well and shook his head.

Part 2[edit]

The Empire's capital, often regarded as the embodiment of the Empire's power, contained many aspects that shocked the people. One of them is something that will amaze the majority of travelers when they arrive in the capital - that is, every street in the capital is covered by stone and brick.

Among neighboring countries - even in the more technologically advanced Theocracy - the thought of covering streets across the city with rocks would leave most horrified, but the fact that the Empire's capital was able to accomplish this added to the Empire's power even further. It was something that often made diplomats from other countries sigh.

Especially the design of the street; when one walks on it, he will instantly be able to admire its elegance and usefulness.

Unlike the streets in general elsewhere, the streets in the capital are divided into separate lanes where in the middle is the road to drive a cart and the train is the lane on both sides is for pedestrians.

To ensure safety, the side lane is higher than the ground and protected by a fence. At night, street lamps are placed in pairs on each side of the road, lit by magic. Furthermore, many knight troops were patrolling regularly on the streets to ensure peace.

On one of the streets inside the Empire's capital, a young man was seen muttering and smiling as he walked leisurely down the side of the path. The man may have been 170 cm tall, and looked like he was 20 years old. With blond hair, blue eyes, and healthy skin ensuring he was frequently exposed to the sun, the figure could only be described as common throughout the Empire.

He's not the kind of pretty handsome boy. If included in one group of ten people, the man would definitely not be conspicuous. However, the inexplicable attraction of it seemed to attract others. Perhaps it was due to the feisty smile on his face, or his confident way of walking.

With each step he took, a metallic clattering that seemed to be caused by the friction of chains sounded from behind his clothes. Observers who have extensive knowledge will realize that it is a sound made because it wears chain mail (a vest of metal clothes strung small by a chain).

Two swords hung on his waist. From their length, they looked like short swords. Part of the handle was completely covered by the safety of the hand, with the sword eye hidden inside the sheath. One would know that those swords were definitely not cheap. And finally, a club and a yoroidoshi were placed behind his waist. [TL Note: Yoroidoshi is a variant of tanto and lit. an 'armor piercer'. Such a short sword was often used by samurai.]

Having two weapons was common in this world. However, it was very unnatural to see someone with a weapon that could be used to slash, stab, and make blunt attacks.

To ordinary people, the man looked like an adventurer. However, a well-informed person would be able to tell that he was only a worker from the fact that adventurers needed to wear metal plates around his neck. Worker. This phrase is used to describe people who leave their careers as adventurers.

The work given to adventurers was directly provided by the adventurer Guild, where the content and difficulty of the task had already been directly investigated in the previous detail. Only people were considered suitable as adventurers and had a corresponding rank according to the difficulty of the task. In other words, such seemingly unfeasible work that might endanger public safety, or violate laws such as investigating plant matter used to make narcotics. Such a request would be instantly rejected by the adventurer Guild.

Also, work that might damage the ecological balance of an area is rejected. For example, adventurer Guilds would never issue a request involving the extermination of monsters that had an important role in the ecosystem. This is because of the fear that the extermination of the monster will trigger the collapse of the ecological balance in an area, that would probably result in hordes of other monsters leaving their habitat and causing damage within the human settlements. However, if the monster left its own habitat and entered into human territory, it would be considered a different matter altogether. In other words, adventurers are friends of justice.

However, the world does not work on such principles alone.

No matter how to explain it, there are people who want to take high-risk jobs just because of the reward. There was also a kind of person who only enjoyed slaughtering monsters.

These people, when compared to the adventurers who stood in the light, preferred to stay in the darkness. The 'Dropout' of adventurers. That's what some people call it.

However, not all workers are the kind of people mentioned earlier.

Hypothetically, if a village spitter was seriously injured and a group of adventurers were able to give healing magic that happened to pass by, would they be allowed to cast a spell to save the boy?

The answer is no.

There were strict rules forbidding adventurers from using magic healing to ordinary people at least a certain fee was paid to adventurers.

This is because the use of healing magic is generally prohibited by temples, where patients who need it must come to the temple and pay a fee to receive healing. If the adventurers ignored this system and freely healed the surrounding people, the temples would not be able to feed themselves.

For this reason, the temples were pressuring the adventurer guild strongly to enforce that regulation.

If the adventurers could not abide by the rules, then they could choose to become a worker.

although this would make the temples look like bad people, this was not for no good reason. Because of the influence of magic in people's daily lives, magic can be considered as another political tool for power. In order for the temples to benefit society without being controlled by politics, the only source of income they receive is from the community. In return, the temples will provide healing, cleanse the undead, as well as research and develop new healing spells.

If the adventurers disregarded regulation and used healing spells freely, the temples would be forced to become more secular, and their initial ideology would become corrupt.

There are always two sides to a story. Without light, there would be no shadow. The existence of workers can be considered the same. For money, they will be willing to ignore regulation and often mess things up, however, there are also cases where they provide benefits to the community, such as making cheaper drugs.

Having said that, this was the kind of profession that the man had - Hekkeran Termite.

"Hmmm.... What to buy?"

There were indeed too many magic items that Hekkeran wanted. For a while, he should have focused on the defensive items first. After that, there is another one that is desired for special reasons.

"First I have to deposit the money.the rest will be used to buy magic items needed for adventure. Eh? The wrong order. First buy the items, then deposit the rest." Heckeran scratched his head.

If so -

"As a front-row guard, I need a greater defense magic, maybe it's time for me to get my savings out as well. No, if one day I still have to rely on fighting the undead from Katze Plain for living expenses, it might be more for me to buy items that are more resistant to poison, paralysis and disease."

High-value magic items in this world. Especially useful when fighting are highly sought after by adventurers. If it was a top-tier item, then he just simply gave up buying it.

For a while, the items in his memory were not the most expensive. However, it still required years of savings for ordinary people to be able to afford it. That was why he was casually thinking about this matter carefully.

His relaxed face, which could not bear the smile behind his excitement suddenly became tense as he looked at a group of knights currently standing at the side of the road.

The group consisting of knights with light and heavy armor stood guard at the crossroads. Due to the presence of the temples of the four great gods that were around there, the number of officers patrolling the area was high. Although these knights did not suddenly start questioning the passing society, Hekkeran still felt the gazes of the knights gathered on the weapons he was carrying.

It might be okay for adventurers, but for workers like Hekkeran who do not have the backing of any organization or influential people, it was not wise to plunge into conflict with the knights assigned to protect the Empire.

As he pleaded, Hekkeran walked past him without any incident. After checking his face with the wanted criminal list and not finding a match, the knights did not move any further. After passing through the temple territory, he could finally be relieved and direct his gaze far ahead. A large building came into his view, and along with the building, the sounds of fighting and bloodthirsty cheers rang out.

That unique building was the Grand Arena, which only existed in the Empire's capital. It is also the most iconic building within the capital.

For Hekkeran who had seen enough blood spilled when working and was not interested in gambling, the arena was a place that had no meaning for him. However, for the people of the capital it is one of the most important sources of their entertainment. Even from where he was walking, cheers could be heard. Looks like the arena is really full today anyway.

"Is it final? The hoopla is really high."

In the past, Hekkeran had brought his team of workers into the arena, where they had to fight in succession against hordes of monsters. Since the monsters did not accept surrender, losing only meant death. Of course, the battle between fellow humans was never a casualty.

On an ordinary day within the arena, it was rare to see a single person die. If such a thing really happened, the pressure exerted by the audience was strong enough to kill someone, because the event with many deaths was very famous.

Among these events, the one with the most average casualty rates is the most famous, grand fighting tournament.

Heckeran shrugs.

He had absolutely no interest in seeing such a bloody scene, and did not wish to visit the place. However, the events taking place within the arena were hot topics that many people would often talk about, so there was always a reason to leave.

I'm not planning on signing up today, but when I get back maybe I should ask for a snippet. It seems that the ongoing match is very stressful.

While trying to remember the plan he made, Hekkeran started walking towards the area containing various kinds of shops. Soon after, he saw a familiar sign saying "The Singing Apple Pavilion".

The shop is said to have started with bards making their instruments out of apple tree wood, but now it is a bar and an inn. From the outside, the store looks outdated, but the interior turns out to be very neat and in good condition. Keep the cold outside. The floor is also frequently scrubbed. The quality of this store is actually very high but not too expensive. For Hekkeran and his colleagues, not in fact, for the majority of workers, this shop is among the best inns no doubt.

Although it cannot be compared to the high-end hotels within the Empire, such types of hotels are indeed more suitable for adventurers who stand on the stage of the general public.

First, the work given to the workers usually requires confidentiality. Hotels that are eye-catching in public places are not a good thing at all for such people who need the services of workers. But at the same time, they can't always meet in a suspicious place and do their business there.

Next is the need for many groups of workers to live in the same place and at the same time. Therefore an inn like 'The Singing Apple Pavilion', which was much more secretive and where guests could discuss things in person, was an ideal location that met the needs of the clients. Due to the fact that workers do not have supporters from organizations such as Adventurers Guild, clients have to find their own team of workers. It would be very troublesome for everyone if the workers lived in different places.

Moreover, from the point of view of the workers, living close to each other brings a friendly atmosphere, as well as the advantage of avoiding work conflicts that will lead to unnecessary bloodshed. And last but not the least - which is also the most important reason - the food here is really good.

While thinking about dinner today, Hekkeran opened the door of the inn. If it is his favorite****boiled, he will be very happy. While thinking so he walked in, the sentence he heard was not the kind of 'Welcome back' or 'good job' he expected but

"I told you! I don't know!"

"No, no, even though you said that..."

"I'm not the guard or the girl's brother, so it's impossible for me to tell you where she is."

"Are you not his friends? I can't just accept the 'I don't know' answer and leave. This is my job anyway."

On the first floor of the inn, in the middle of the dining room, a man and a woman were staring at each other.

He knows the woman well.

Although his eyes emitted a powerful ferocity, the most striking figure was as thin as an ear that was longer than an ordinary human ear. Even so, his ears were still only about half the length of an ordinary elf-elf's ears. True, the race of women is half-elf (half-elf).

The elves tended to be slimmer when compared to humans. It seems that this woman also inherited these traits. His whole body is very slim. Whether around his chest or waist, there were no obvious indentations on his body. He's a flat board. From afar, it was no wonder that people would mistake him for a man.

Clad in neat leather armor, without the bow and arrow as usual, the only weapon he had now was a short dagger on his waist.

Her name was Imina, and she was one of Hekkeran's associates.

However, Hekkeran was not familiar with the man who was currently having a fight with Imina.

Although the man was seen worshipping before Imina by lowering his head, there was not the slightest hint of sincerity visible in his eyes. In fact, the feeling that was present there was disgust. At least for now, it seems he is trying to stay polite.

The man's arms and chest are filled with muscles. Her appearance alone could force anyone standing in front of her to give her anything she asked for. While she doesn't look the type of person who relies on violence to get things done, Imina is still able to handle it if the man forces her.

Although Imina did not look very strong, deep inside her body stored enough strength to handle the delinquents who relied solely on their muscles.

"Don't I say that from the beginning."

Seeing Imina's voice that started to become distressed with emotion, Hekkeran quickly interrupted.

"What's up, Imina?"

Hearing a familiar voice, Imina turned her head and was shocked when she saw Hekkeran.

For a ranger like Imina, who was an expert in perception and the surrounding alertness, not knowing the approaching Hekkeran showed how sidetracked he was.

"...Who the hell are you?" ask the man who saw Hekkeran like an intruder.

After seeing each other, Hekkeran felt the atmosphere between them was on the verge of a beating. However, to someone like Hekkeran, who had survived many situations between life and death, that gaze was nothing compared to the strong gazes of ferocious monsters.

"...That's our team leader."

"...Ooh, so this is the famous Hekkeran Termite-san."

He was disgusted by the sudden change in attitude.

Although Hekkeran did not know the purpose behind the visit of the man, he did, if he had come all the way here to the place that the team-mates of Hekkeran considered their fortress - the inn - the chances of him not knowing Hekkeran were nonexistent.

Perhaps the rigors of the previous argument were to measure to what extent Hekkeran's ability. If Hekkeran shows the slightest signs of weakness, the man may proceed to use further intimidation.

Among the workers or adventurers, there are always those who are able to split monsters but are clumsy towards humans. Even so, most likely all they would do was take one step back, but if things were forced further, it would definitely end up in a bloodbath.

Even though we had just met, he was already like this... This guy must be the kind of person I can't stand.

It is true that this was one of the commonly used methods of negotiating, It was a method that Hekkeran disliked. He would prefer it if the other party went straight to the point rather than circling around in circles.

"...Can you please be a little more subtle? This is an inn, and you've been troubling the other guests. I'd be so happy if you did."

Even though he said so, not a single guest was seen nearby. Then where did the people go? Not that they were hiding, the guests of this inn were already very used to this kind of talk because the majority of them were also the former workers.

However, it was rare for this place to have no one.

Hecker stared at the man who used strength equivalent to a mythrill rank adventurer. As if facing a monster, the man shriveled.

"I-I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that at first."

After successfully calming his voice, the man tried to speak once more. However, he instantly became shrivelled again when he saw the gaze of Hekkeran. Judging from his reaction, it was obvious that the man was used to this kind of work, where violence was common.

What is a man like this doing here?

Although the type of work Hekkeran's team did was under-the-table businesses, he did not recognize this man, and Hekkeran did not know why he was sent here. He just doesn't fit the profile of someone who came to bring the job.

It disturbed Hekkeran, and he finally weakened his gaze and asked the man directly.

"....Why are you here?"

"About that, I'm looking for someone who Termite-san also knows, Furt-san."

Hearing the name Furt, a picture of a person appears in Hekkeran's memory.

Despite that, it was hard to imagine she had any relationship with this man. That is the conclusion of Hekkeran.

"Arche? Did something happen to him?"

"Arche...Uh! Thats why. I was confused earlier, but we were talking about Furt-san here, Arche Eeb Rile Furt-san."

"Then?! Did something happen to Arche?"

"No, no, I just wanted to discuss something with her. The content of the discussion was personal, which is why I wanted to know when she would return."

"I know that." Heckeran replied sharply.

To someone who had never spoken directly, the man was slightly stunned by Hekkeran's words.

"If that's the case, the conversation is over."

"Ma-Mau how else. If so, I'll wait for him here."

"Go."

Hekkeran beckoned to the entrance of the inn with his chin. Hekkeran's attitude made the other man speechless once again.

"I'll be outspoken, I don't like you at all. I just can't tolerate someone like you in my view."

"But this is the tavern area, I should have.."

"Ah, that's right, isn't it? This area is a shop. But don't forget this is also the place where the fight between drunkards," Hekkeran smiled at the man. "But you don't worry. Take it easy, even though you will be severely injured, we have a priest here who can use magic healing to heal you. As long as you pay the right price, that's it."

"You know what else if you have to charge more. Otherwise the temple will be irritated. We definitely don't want to provoke the attention of any assassin sent by the temple" Imina said. A grin appeared on his face. "well, at least we'll give you a discount. Just remember to thank me, don't you?"

"And that's what's gonna happen."

"If you plan to buy"

The sentence that was cut in the middle of the road came from the man, because he saw a drastic change in Hekkeran's face.

Hekkeran took one step forward, until the distance between their faces was only one inch.

"uh huh?! The threat? who is threatening? Is that weird if there's a fight at a bar? What, I gave you advice to live a long and healthy life and you said I was threatening you? Do you want to start fighting?"

The current appearance of Hekkeran was just like the face of someone that one could ever have faced death.

Faced with the pressure coming from Hekkeran, the man took one step back. He clucked his tongue slightly then with ogah-ogahan stepped towards the entrance. Although he wanted to hide the fact that he was terrified, a single look on his back could already confirm it. As he reached the entrance, the man turned around and shouted at Hekkeran and Imina once again.

"Tell the boy from the Furt family! Tell him the deadline is near!"

"Well?!"

Hearing the loudness of Hekkeran's reply, the man hurriedly rushed away.

As soon as the man disappeared, Hekkeran's expression quickly returned to normal. That sudden change would make the person who saw it would probably think that the whole scene was just an act. And then, Imina started clapping, as if Hekkeran had managed to put on a great show.

"So, what the fuck was that?"

"Eitherway. He just told me like he told you."

"Damn it, I should've listened to him a little longer before I got rid of him."

He held his head like a loser.

"Just wait and listen from Arche himself when he comes back."

"...But, isn't it good to dig too deep into someone's problems."

"Well, even though what you say is true, you are still a leader. Do what you can!"

"Then, I will use my authority as a leader to be able to ask him about it. It would be better if such a fellow woman asked, didn't it?"

"Come on, that's right, I don't want to ask her either."

Both of them smiled bitterly at each other.

There are some reasonable rules among adventurers and workers, where certain things cannot be done. First is to open up the past of teammates. The second is to show excessive desire.

For the second problem, to a certain point, excessive desire is inevitable due to the fact that many people choose to become workers for personal reasons. But that too has its limits. Too much desire can cause a team to lose coordination. For example, it is difficult to trust a teammate who constantly grumbles about money. Letting your teammates keep your back when moments are dangerous is a fundamental part of cooperation and unity. Therefore, all teams require a minimum level of trust between each other. But how much can you trust someone who is known to be greedy when you take a job with great risk and reward?

Right now, there seems to be a problem related to Arche, which will affect its reliability. That's not a problem that can be missed.

While doing the work, they would risk their lives to the hands of each other. Hence they could not have the slightest trace of doubt to their comrades.

Heckeran shook his head, while showing the attitude of ogah-ogahan on his face.

"It seems inevitable, then, I'll ask when he comes back."

"I'm counting on you~."

Heckeran squinted his eyes at Imina, who was smiling and waving her hand, and said, "Don't think you can run. You should also come talk to him with me, yo."

"Eh, uhhh..." Although Imina was obviously eager to resist, she gave up immediately as she saw the determination on Hekkeran's face. "Oh yes, how else. I hope it's not a big deal..."

"however, where did Arche go?"

"Eh? Ah, he's gathering information behind the job."

"Aren't Rob and I in charge of that?"

After returning from Katze Plain (Katze Plain), they accept a new assignment, in exchange for a good job. So they started preparing to take the job.

Initially, Roberdyck was the most coock for such a thing, to examine the background of the person appointed as compensation. Heckeran headed for the Empire's administrative office to take payment for the suppression of the undead - all work related to quelling the undead on the Katze plains was considered government work by the Empire - and at the same time, the Empire, use alternative methods to gather information similar to Roberdyck's.

Imina and Arche were supposed to wait at the inn.

"Not only that. Rob needs to investigate the history and conditions around the area of operation."

Hekkeran nodded his head, as if an epiphany had descended upon him. Even though Arche was out of the Imperial Magic Academy, he probably still had contact there. He might be more suited to gathering academic-related information and he could also visit the Magician Guild to gather additional materials.

"So that's why he's coming too. Rob is also very knowledgeable, and has connections with many temples. Anyway, how's the road going?"

He made a sound as he sat in a chair and spoke.

"Although the request is only given to the workers, the content of the work is also not bad. The reason why they prefer to hire workers this time is probably because the location of the work is located in a place that can not be addressed by adventurers. However, as the client had said before, it seemed that they had made contact with the other team as well."

"Are we really going to work with the other teams we're contacting? even though they say the ruins they found look like they've never been touched, I never thought they'd invest this much without the income it would look a little..."

"The man named Greenham - from one team to another contacted - said the same thing. But in the end, 'Heavy Masher' seemed to be planning to accept the request. If we don't decide until tomorrow, things might get troublesome."

So far Hekkeran's team has only listened to the contents of the request, and they have not received it. Even though they promised to give a reply to the client tomorrow, if they would receive it, they would start preparing it immediately.

"Then, at an important time like this, something else comes up... Are the two related?"

"We can't get it out of the suspicion that this was done by another team that wanted to benefit from this, but I think we should still wait and hear Arche's explanation before deciding. If this is really a scheme started by another team, are we going to back off or continue?"

"Of course we go on. If they're planning to start a fight, then we just need to beat them up until no one else dares mess with us again, 'til we lose all their teeth."

"That sounds very exaggerated."

Although Imina seems too harsh on the outside, Hekkeran also thinks his approach to a problem is good.

It was indeed not too big of a problem to be underestimated, their reputation would also fall if they retreated. Losing reputation is something that people who have a working profession want to avoid.

At the same time, a burning determination burned from within the eyes of Hekkeran, a creaking sound from the open door coming from the direction of the entrance. Two human figures walked into the inn.

"-We're home!"

"We're back!"

The first voice that was heard to be a crybaby belonged to a girl, followed by a voice from a man whose eyes were filled with virtue. A momentary pause came from the doubt covering up the soft voice of his female counterpart.

The girl who first went inside was not too skinny. The phrase 'beautiful young lady' would explain herself.

With an appearance between the ages of fifteen and seventeen, the girl had a face with fragile features and shoulder-length hair. Her beauty was very elegant, yet both now and then, she also gave the impression of being a lifeless puppet.

His hand held an iron stick that was the same height as him. The surface of the stick was covered with symbols and ancient writing that could have been sentences or pictures. The girl was wearing a loose robe, and underneath, the stiff clothing offered a little protection. He was clearly a magic caster.

The man in full body armor - despite having removed his head covering - and outside the armor was an outer robe embroidered with the symbol of an emblem. A morningstar weapon hung on his waist, and a necklace that had the same emblem as his outer robe hung around his neck.

With a neatly styled hairstyle and a well-cut beard, the man gave off a sincere impression. Wise-looking, about 30 years old.

They are both partners that are awaited by Hekkeran and Imina, Arche Eeb Rile Furt and Roberdyck Goltron.

"Ooh, welcome back!"

Can this be considered a good time or a bad time? Hekkeran thought so while turning around to greet the two of them in a stiff voice.

"What's wrong? Is there something going on with you two?"

Roberdyck used a tone that did not indicate the seniority of the two of them. One reason is because of personal choice, the other is because of equality between workers.

"Ti's...There's no problem."

"Be..Right enough. As Hekkeran said."

Arche and Roberdyck looked at the two of them waving in denial.

"Before that, err. About the drink - Oi, Imina. Where's owner?"

"...Out shopping. I'm keeping this place in his place."

"Is that so? Then what should we do? Didn't I take out a bottle or two?"

"- I don't drink."

"Ah, neither do I, thanks."

"...Is that so? then let's start the meeting from 'Foresight'."

The relaxed expression that was on every member's face disappeared. At the same time, they leaned the weight on the table, making everyone approach. Although there were no guests at the moment, this kind of attitude had become an old habit that was hard to get rid of.

...

...

"First, I want to confirm the contents of the commission." When he made sure he had everyone's attention, Hekkeran continued. His tone and expression were completely different from before. As the leader of the group, it was indeed necessary for him to act seriously and maintain authority when the situation required him. That is what is expected of a leader.

"The client this time is Earl Femel. The content of his request was to survey a decapitation - it looked like an underground tomb - found within the Re-Estize Kingdom area. Compensation consists of DP 200, followed by 150 after completion. The quality of the contacts and the amount of rewards offered this time around was very high. Excludes bonuses that will be obtained in the end based on the results of the investigation. All magic items found during the investigation will belong to the Earl; however, the person who found them during the investigation will receive an additional bonus of half the market price of the magic item. As for gems such as jewelry and precious metals, artwork and other treasures, once their value is verified, half of the amount will be given to the discoverer. Also, they have made contact with other team workers as well. Depending on the situation, it looks like it will be a joint operation - well, I've explained enough."

After sharing the information he got with Arche and Roberdyck, Hekkeran returned to the contents of the commission.

"Maximum duration is three days. The main purpose was to explore the inside of the tomb. The most important part that must be noted is, suspected later will meet with unknown creatures. From the looks of it, this commission really looks like a simple investigation."

It was natural for many monsters to use neglected ruins outside of human civilization as their lair. Therefore, the task of 'survey' given to the workers tends to be considered as a direct reconnaissance mission of fire (reconnaisance by fire).

"The most important aspect about this commission is that it looks like an unexplored tomb." The moment it was said, the atmosphere around the group changed.

Two hundred years ago, when the era before the defeat of the Demon Gods, many kingdoms were destroyed.not just the kingdom of humans were destroyed, but the, demi-human and other heteromorphic species were also wiped out. The ruins of these civilizations often contained many extremely valuable treasures - the chances of encountering magic items were also very high.

Finding this treasure is a dream owned by both adventurers and workers.

Therefore, the untouched ruins were something that adventurers and workers wanted to find. And all of a sudden, here it is, right in front of their eyes.

After confirming the excitement within the eyes of his colleagues, Hekkeran fed his ball to two people who went out to gather information.

"Finally, the marks needed for the journey to come and go from that place would all be borne by the Earl. That's all the information I got. Next, Arche, Roberdyck, tell us the results of your investigation."

"-Then, I will begin, Earl Femel's standing within the palace is very unkind. There are rumors that the bloody Emperor ignored it. And also, from what I got, it doesn't look like he's in need of money."

"Regarding the ruins found within the Kingdom territory, both Arche-san and I have tried to examine the past history of the civilization once written. So far, we can't find any record of the cities erected near the ruins. If it is true that it is a tomb, we should also be able to find the clues left behind in the books... To be honest, I couldn't figure out why there was a tomb erected at that location. Only a few small villages exist near the area, maybe it would be better to search for information from there?"

"You know how else, we've been ordered to keep this operation as secret as possible. The client asks for only as few witnesses as possible, in other words, we should not make any moves that are not necessary."

"-Of course, the area belongs to the Kingdom. If the operation is uncovered, we might become enemies of the Kingdom and the Vaiself family."

Exploring the ruins found in different countries, illegal work on the border line like this is the reason why the workers are chosen rather than the adventurers.

"So in other words, what we do is just plain old dirty work."

"Although it can look like that, there's still a bit of a sensitive issue."

"really so. If the Worker of the Empire is caught in the Kingdom, the Earl will definitely be dragged along with us."

"Which brings us to the main question."

"Where did the information on the discovery of these ruins come from?"

"yeah. No matter how I think about it, it's weird."

"Is that so? Isn't the place very close to the Great Forest of Tob? It might have been found while searching for wood."

"-odd. Look at this." Arche opened the map and pointed towards the point given a circle. "Although the details are very unclear, but a place like this.." Poking his little finger around the map, Arche pointed towards his destination.

"There's a village here too. But the size is very small. I can't believe a village like that is capable of creating such a vast open ground within the forest."

"really so. The chance of this open ground being cleared by a small village is highly unlikely. Especially if the forest is inhabited by many dangerous monsters... It would make more sense to think it was done by a government project, but I can't see any reason why the Kingdom wants to open up land in that part of the forest. In the end, we still lack information."

The four people became confused afterwards. Should they accept the request or not?

Unlike adventurers, with the support of the entire guild, it was extremely important for the workers to properly investigate all the details regarding the job offered before deciding on it. First, they must investigate the client's background and connections, then the location of the work. Finally, based on the details gathered from the job description, a decision will be made whether it is accepted or not.

Despite all of this, one day it was still not enough. If a person is not able to do this, then they should quit the job of a worker. No matter how good the pay from the job will be, it would be better to refuse it if you can not clean the dust that eventually contaminates your hands.

"...I've made sure of the payment, it's given as a first-pay"

Hecker put a metal plate on the table. The surface of the plate was filled with all sorts of ancient symbols and writings. Even though he was given this plate, he would return it if they decided to refuse his job.

"I've checked with the Imperial Bank. The amount that's been put into my account, can be turned into cash at any time."

A metal plate is a type of guarantee used by banks within the Empire, similar to the role of a check.

To avoid counterfeiting, the plates were made with extra care and refined. Although its manufacture takes a very long time, and will definitely provide additional payments for the people who use it, the advantages are still far greater than the disadvantages.

In other countries, this sort of thing was usually handled by the Adventurers Guild; however the metal slabs used in the Empire were guaranteed by its own government.

"From the looks of it, it's not some kind of trap, well, I know they're very serious when they make a deposit."

If it was a trap, there should be no need to make such a big payment. However, it might have been made for people to think that way, even though Hekkeran did not believe that he was somehow slightly offending the nobles so it was enough to provoke a trap that targeted him specifically.

"I-i"

"Stop. Imina, I'm not done yet. Please, keep your mind a little more flexible."

"Yes, yeah. Let's just listen up. About the work offered to us. It seems that they are very timed, however, there are still points that I disagree with. For example, working multiple team workers, what do you think?"

As Imina pointed out, considering the amount of time taken to make contact with the many teams, it would be more reasonable to take the first team to agree and rush to the grave site, he said, consider jobs like these that are tight with time.

"- I'm not sure either. First, I don't understand why they're trying to rush with this. I also did not receive any information on the emergency situation that occurred to the Earl. It is not as if there is any event or ceremony that will come soon in the next few days. One thing I could think of was that they were afraid that the ruins might be found by the Kingdom. Hiring multiple teams might just be to increase the success rate?"

"About that, Hekkeran. Did you hear anything from Greenham?"

"Not much to say. I just went and asked if they were contacted, but it seems that they also closed the information about this job. It's hard not to open anything to them."

He shrugged helplessly.

"-If that's the case, then maybe there's a third party who's also after the ruins?"

"That's a possibility. If this is true, it would explain why so many workers are employed. Oh right too, there seems to be a major incident that happened recently in the Kingdom. However, it seems to have nothing to do with the area close to E-Rantel...."

"Let's hear about this more, Rob."

Due to the lack of accurate information, Roberdyck was only able to explain what he had heard. Because the most detail related to this incident was gathered from rumors, the overall picture collected was ultimately unclear or believable.

"Hmm, we can't be sure if this incident is related. However, I still think what Arche said was the most likely situation. Rob agrees too."

"If that's the case then.hiring a lot of team workers, and considering the location of the work that is within the Kingdom territory, and, is it possible that we will clash with Kingdom adventurers sent to explore the ruins? If it is like that then there is no point in gathering any further information within the Empire."

"Another thing to look out for is the siege that will be made by the teams of other employed workers. I certainly don't want to lose a life when we get to our destination."

"We also want to be aware of the incursions made by the adventurers. Despite already saying this, I prefer it to be done by adventurers. At least we can try to negotiate with them and it won't look as dangerous as it is with the other workers."

"If it is done by the workers, then the situation will end in bloodshed."

"-What should we do, chief?"

The overall issue has been raised and discussed, and each member's opinion has also been voiced. What remained was some speculation before arriving at a conclusion.

"Before deciding, I'd like to ask you one thing.... I think everyone needs to listen to this." Heckeran sighed deeply, and Imina, who sat beside Hekkeran, held her breath for a moment.

"Arche, a foreign man came and said he wanted to see you."

Hearing this, Arche's eyebrows shot up on the face that normally did not have that expression. Seeing this reaction, Hekkeran understood that Arche knew the man.

"What did the man say in the end?... What was that?"

Hecker blatantly asked Imina. What he received in the end was a look that said "What did you say?". However, upon realizing that Hekkeran had completely forgotten, Imina retorted with a tired voice.

"Tell the boy from the Furt family. Tell him the deadline is near!"

"Yep, that kind of thing."

Being highlighted by the lamp, Arche took a deep breath and said in a heavy voice.

"I'm stuck in debt."

"Debit?!"

Hecker exclaimed in surprise. Of course, not only Hekkeran, Imina and Roberdyck also had shocked expressions. Since there are no ranks within their team, the income is divided equally. And after thinking back on the amount they had gotten so far, a debt was a strange thing.

"How much did you borrow?"

"Three hundred gold coins." Hearing the reply from Arche, the three people stared at each other once more.

The amount he borrowed was something that ordinary people could not imagine. It was something that even the wokers at their level would not be able to obtain in a single job. Although the deposit amount of the current request was three hundred and fifty coins, that amount was entirely for the team. After being reduced by maintenance costs and also buying the equipment and items needed, the amount left for each member was only about sixty coins.

Moreover, their team counts among the top working professions. Using the same set of criteria as adventurers, they would be equivalent to a mythrill rank. Although at that level, they couldn't get it in one job. It shows how much debt is.

Arche's face began to be confused as he felt the doubtful gazes of his comrades on him.

He did want to avoid this kind of conversation, if he did not answer it now, it would not be surprising if he would later be kicked out of the team.

After a moment of consideration, Arche finally opened his mouth.

"...Since my family considered it a great disgrace, I never told anyone this, but.... The blood emperor has erased my family's noble status."

Blood Emperor - Jircniv Rune Farlord el Nix. Famous for staining his hands with blood.

Due to certain events, the previous emperor was forced to retire. Soon after, what was once the five great families of the Empire, the family of the emperor's mother of blood, were accused of killing the emperor and exterminated. The situation became acidic afterwards, where the brothers of the Emperor's blood died one by one, and in the end, even his mother was caught and perished.

Of course, there was resistance during this period. However, this resistance was useless for the Blood Emperor, who had already controlled the Knights in the Empire while he was still the crown prince. Using great military might, every aristocrat capable of fighting him was wiped out like wheat by a huge scythe. All that remained were those who swore allegiance to the emperor from the bottom of their hearts, and ended up with an absolute concentration of power on him.

However, the blood emperor did not stop there. Many remnants of the aristocracy were soon stripped of their titles due to incompetence. In fact, ordinary people were able to be given the opportunity to rise in status.

In conclusion, there are two points that most shock people. First, the power of the empire did not diminish in the slightest when the mass removal of the titles of the aristocrats. The second was that the Emperor who had obtained all of this was only a boy who was eleven or twelve years old.

It was not strange to see the families who had lost their noble status. However

"Even now my parents still have the same lifestyle as before. Of course we can't bear the cost. That's why my parents borrowed money from suspicious places."

Hearing this, the three people arranged for each other.

Although the three of them hid it well, feelings of uneasiness, annoyance, displeasure and anger passed between them.

"- I am confident in my magic abilities. I want to join." This sentence was uttered by a thin little boy who was holding a stick that was longer than himself.

The image of a little boy with an expressionless face, who was holding his staff with both hands while standing in front of them, suddenly came back into the memory of Heckeran and the others. Then, the image of a dumb-ass face after they saw the appearance of Arche's power in magic coming across their heads, echoing with nostalgia.

In the two years that passed, after experiencing various adventures and surviving adventures where even one wrong move would result in death, the money they earned amounted to very promising. However, Arche's equipment changed very little from the start.

The reason was finally known.

"Is that true? Do I have to go and have a good talk with them?"

"I think it's time your parents listened to the voice of the gods. No, no, maybe they should have met the fist-fists of the gods before."

"Arche, I don't want to sound bad saying this but you don't have a voice for this job."

"-It's okay. For someone who needs money, I can understand if my voice will be harmful because of my debt problems."

That is what it means to be blinded by greed.

"-Actually, I have an idea that might end up getting kicked out of this team."

"What did you say? After having a magic caster who is as good as you join our team, it is a huge loss for us to just let you go."

This phrase does not mean to calm. That is the truth.

Innate talent from Arche. A pair of eyes that were endowed by a miracle, had helped the Hekkeran team many times in the past.

If a name were to be given to the Innate talent Arche, 'All-Seaing Eyes' might be the most suitable to explain it.

The Magic Caster Arcane continued to be surrounded by an invisible aura enveloping their bodies. However, the Innate Talent Arche made him able to see that directly. Not only that, he was even able to see what level of magic the opponent was capable of using.

The advantage of being able to measure the strength level of an opponent goes without saying.

There was only one other person that Hekkeran knew within the Empire who also possessed this ability. And that person is the highest magic caster in the Empire - Fluder Paradyne.

Although their eyes were the only one that was the same, it showed how valuable Arche was, as he was comparable to Fluder.

"I didn't think the Magic Academy would let go of such a gifted child."

"Absolutely. Being able to use magic of the same level as me at such a young age was truly unbelievable. Maybe Arche can reach level 6 in the future."

"-I think that would be very difficult to achieve. However, I would be happy if that possibility existed."

As the atmosphere that had been destroyed slowly returned, Hekkeran clapped his hands. Everyone's attention was once again focused on the topic this time around.

"Then now, this request, do we accept it or not?Roberdyck."

"I don't mind."

"Imine?"

"Why not just do it? This is the kind of job I've always wanted to do."

The work given to the wokers is usually not a trivial thing. Just a few days ago, they were still focusing on the Katze plains crushing the undead. Such a job is very different compared to what is offered now.

"Then so-"

"-If it's because of me, please don't. Even if we refuse the offer this time I still have many other ways."

The three people stared at each other, and a smile then appeared on Imina's face.

"It's impossible, in hindsight, that this time's request wasn't the usual bad job. The prize is also very much. Isn't that right, Rob?"

"so. It's not because of you at all. There were many opportunities to find items within the ruins. Isn't that right, Hekkeran?"

"That's, Arche. It's a pity that we can't be famous because we were the first explorers of the ruins."

"-I thank you so deeply."

Seeing Arche lower his head, the three people looked at each other and smiled.

"Then, Arche and I will go and exchange these plates for cash. You two go and prepare the items needed for this adventure."

The items needed for an adventurer could include things like these ropes and food supplies, as well as certain magic items. For someone as meticulous as Roberdyck, and Imina who had the skill of a thief, this kind of work was perfect for them. On the other hand, one could say Hekkeran does not fit into tasks like this.

"All right, let's get started!.... Arche."

Looking towards Arche who was tilting his head with a puzzling explanation, Hekkeran finally shouted what he wanted to say earlier.

"The income from this job is not enough to cover your debt."

"-No problem. This much is enough to give an extension of the deadline."

"You can borrow it from all of us."

"really so. You can always pay us later using the income earned from future employment."

Of course it will not be given free because the members of 'Foresight' are equal.

"Just hold on for a while. I've returned the largest amount of what my parents borrowed. But give me time to consider it again deeply."

"It's okay. Just relax."

The four people stared at each other one last time before heading to the place to fulfill what was assigned to them.

Part 3[edit]

Inside a certain upscale residential district within the Empire capital, which occupied a vast land, lined up these mansions built on land, looming in style the old days. Walking through these mansions will bring out a nostalgic feeling of history. Everyone would be able to guess the type of people who lived here were mostly aristocrats.

The mansions of the aristocrats were a symbol of their status. Everyone can see it as a waste of money, but if not lavishly decorated, they seem to be the subject of insults.

Furniture, jewelry, clothing, mansions, courtyards - all these need to be maintained in order to gain status among the upper class. For the aristocrats, who continued to make connections and colleagues, this was necessary to show their wealth. Living in a flat luxury house is enough to be a reason for ridicule and underestimation. Because of this, aristocrats interested in politics and power must continue to decorate their bodies and possessions. Realistically, this was akin to a show of strength among military forces. This is a privilege for those who are strong.

This is what people will see when they walk around.

Even within the capital, this area was one of the most orderly districts, where everything was nice and quiet. However, if observed more closely, that silence can make a bit frightening, due to the absence of human presence.

In fact, the majority of these mansions are uninhabited and empty. Due to the events carried out by the Blood Kaiser, the majority of the owners became unable to sustain the expenses from the living expenses within this district.

Among these empty mansions, there were still some used. Unlike before, the courtyard garden was left extremely rough and there were no more servants waiting outside.

The Arche family lived inside one of those mansions. He was welcomed home by his parents, who looked like royalty in general with luxurious clothes and a proper attitude.

"Ooh, welcome Arche."

"Welcome back."

Before replying properly, Arche turned towards the glass craft item that was carefully molded into a glass. It exuded the atmosphere of an expensive item.

Arche's face changed from never seeing it before.

"-This?"

"Oh, this is the property of Artist Jan-"

"- I didn't ask questions like this. This is something we didn't have before, why do we now have?"

"That's because it was just bought this morning."

It was an ordinary reply from his father, using the same tone as if he was saying something like 'Good Morning'. Hearing this, Arche's body began to tremble.

"-How much?"

"Hmmm... I think it's only about 15 gold coins. Cheap, isn't it?"

Arche lowered his shoulders in despair. He had originally planned to use the deposit from his current job to pay off some of the debt, and now he knew the debt had grown a lot more.

"-Why did you buy it?"

"As an aristocrat, if we can't even buy things like this, we'll become everyone's laughing stock."

Hearing the proud laughter coming from his father, anger began to shine through Arche's eyes.

"We are no longer aristocrats."

Arche's father's expression hardened even more upon hearing that sentence and his face turned completely red.

"That's wrong!"

Arche's father stomped his hand violently towards the table. Because of the firmness of the table, the glass art object was not affected by the blow. Although Arche didn't mind if the thing was destroyed, his father probably wouldn't feel regret. It cost only fifteen gold coins, that was what his father would think.

"As long as that shit dies, our family can instantly regain its status! Our family members were nobles of the Empire for over a hundred years. It is inexcusable to end up in our generation. This is an investment in our resurrection! And also, this show of strength is to show that fool that we still haven't given up!"

So stupid.

It was Arche's opinion of his father, who was currently out of breath due to the red. What this 'stupid' meant was the Blood Kaiser. To people like him, the Arche family was not worth considering. If they were really planning to obtain their title, this was definitely not the method used.

Trapped in his small world, they would not be able to see what was happening outside.

Arche shook his head helplessly.

"You two stop fighting."

Seeing his mother sitting back, Arche decided to stop arguing with his father.

Soon after, Arche's mother stood up and sent Arche a small bottle of perfume.

"Arche. This is perfume, bought for you."

"-How much?"

"Three gold coins."

"Thank you. thank you."

While counting in his heart the eighteen wasted gold coins, Arche thanked his mother. After receiving a small bottle containing a very small amount of perfume, he placed it into the bag.

It was difficult for Arche to look towards his mother with such a cold gaze. At least perfume and make-up are more useful than art objects.

Dressing properly and attending a high-class party was a way for nobles to blend in and make connections. If one considers marriage, pregnancy and birth to be the happiness of a woman, then the most important thing for a noble daughter is to decorate herself, at least from the point of view of the nobles.

However, even though that was the case, in their current situation, Arche simply could not waste any money on it. And also, three gold coins was enough to feed an ordinary family a whole month.

"-I've said this many times, keep spending to a minimum. Just buy what's necessary."

"That's exactly what I need! This is necessary!"

Tired of arguing, Arche just stared at his red-faced father. Constantly reminding them such simple things were becoming too much for him. He could only blame himself for all of this. If he were to use force to resolve this from the beginning, the end would not be like this. And also, he wouldn't make trouble to 'Foresight'.

"- I will no longer send money home. I'll take my brothers and live somewhere else."

Hearing the soft words spoken by Arche, his father began to heat up once again. Most nervous his father might have been for the loss of income, Arche thought he didn't care.

"Who raised you from birth to now?"

"- I've paid all my obligations."

Arche forced an end to the conversation. The amount of income he had earned so far, was indeed not unusually high, still including a hefty amount. The money was earned during adventures with his peers, and should have been used to strengthen him as his teammates had done.

Seeing himself who never updated equipment, how did his colleagues think?

Not having strong equipment meant that he was the weakest member of the team.

However, the members of 'Foresight' never said anything about him. Arche's been too spoiled by this.

Arche stared intently. After receiving a full blast of Arche's anger, his father gave up and turned his back. For a person who had already gone through a life and death situation, there was no reason for Arche to lose to a grumbling aristocrat like his father.

Arche looked once more at his silent father and left the room.

Walking out of the room, Arche heaved a sigh of relief.

"Ojou-sama."

"-What's up, James?"

James had been the butler for the Arche family for a long time. A tense expression appeared on his wrinkled face. The face had been seen many times since this family fell from greatness.

"Although I don't want to say this to ojou-sama yet..."

Arche raised his hand and stopped his words. After considering that it was not the right of a butler to say so, James retreated to keep his distance.

Arche took out a small pouch and opened it. Different kinds of light shone from within. The majority of the light was silver, followed by bronze. The least is gold.

"So this is at least enough, isn't it?"

After handing over the bag. James looked inside and finally had a relieved face.

"Praise, and also flowers for traders... I think it should solve the rest. Ojou-sama."

"-That's great."

Arche was finally able to relax. Although it was an almost minimal amount, it was enough to scrape it.

"-You can't stop me from buying it?"

"You know how else. The swordswoman came with a noble friend. Although I've reminded you many times..."

"It turns out so."

The two men breathed.

"- One small question. How much should I prepare to clean everything up?"

James widened his eyes, then returned with a sad smile. Perhaps the reason why there was no movement in his eyes was because he had already expected this.

"certainly. When I'm done counting it, I'll take it."

"- I'll count on you then."

Just then, the sound of people running could be heard from within the corridor. Although without looking, Arche knew who it was.

Softening his face, Arche turned away as he saw a shadow running towards him and leaping without reducing his speed.

The figure that jumped towards Arche's embrace had a height of less than a meter. He was about five years old, with eyes similar to Arche's. Hugging Arche, this girl raised her face and showed a dissatisfied expression with enlarged cheeks.

"Too hard."

It's not directed at Arche's flat chest.

Arche was wearing clothes for adventure. The area around the chest and abdomen has been strengthened with hard skin to increase defense. Crashing into it would definitely feel like hitting a hard surface.

"-Are you okay?"

He touched the girl's cheek while rubbing her head.

"Mm, I'm fine. Onee-sama."

Seeing the cheerful face of his sister, Arche started to smile.

"...Then I will leave you both" Arche thanked the butler who did not want to disturb the two of them, then turned once more to rub his sister's head.

"Ulei. when in the hallway..."

Arche suddenly stopped talking in the middle. He would say that it was not elegant for a noble princess to run around inside the house, but after telling her father that they were no longer nobles, advising like this was no longer necessary.

During this time, Arche's hands did not stop though, even though the girl had messy hair did not mind at all and continued to laugh.

Arche looked around, and made sure that one more person wasn't here.

"Where's Kuude?"

"In his room!"

"Is there some things I want to talk about with you two, let's go together."

"M."

Protecting the happy smiles of his younger siblings is Arche's responsibility. Holding Ulei's hand, a warm feeling immediately grew within the Arche. The small hand of Ulei was something that not even Arche's hands could fully close.

"Onee-sama's hands are so hard."

Arche looked towards his hand. Due to the injuries he received from the many adventures, this hardened hand was no longer called a hand that matched the ojou-sama of the noble family. However, he has no regrets. This hand was proof that he had already lived together with his friends - his comrades within 'Foresight'.

"But I still like it!"

With his hands held tightly by his two younger siblings' hands, Arche smiled and said:

"-Thank you."

As usual, the market north of the Empire's capital was full of energy. However, the number of customers who often come to the northern market is less when compared to the central market, due to its specialization in products sold. Therefore, it is not difficult to explore the streets that are not crowded.

Looking at the atmosphere surrounding the market, Hekkeran and Roberdyck loosened their shoulders and began to search.

The reason why they were able to relax their vigilance was because they were in the northern market - probably because it was one of the safest districts within the capital.

"Then, Hekkeran. What should we buy?"

"First are the items for healing. We need to stack up the stock of 'Wands of Cure Light Wounds'. Depending on the situation, we might also need 'Wands of Cure Moderate Wounds'...Do not choose one that has a low usage count. From what I heard, our target location is the tomb, we might need to use it for the undead. After that, we must collect items that are used against undead creatures, toxins and diseases. We also need to create an antidote to negative and undead energy without physical form... Items that had unlimited use were too expensive, so it might be better to also collect scrolls that were augmented with magic as well."

A wand (small wand) is a type of item that can hold many single spells. Its users could continue to cast spells until the limit amount was exhausted. Therefore, when compared to scrolls that can only be used once, the wand is more valuable for certain applications, such as healing.

"Is that so? I thought we were here to buy a present, and you wanted my advice."

"Gift?"

"...Don't worry about it, Hekkeran. Let's start looking for what's necessary."

"...Oh, okay."

The shops inside the northern market were all sold openly, neatly laid out and filled with items for passers-by to see.

The items displayed are usually placed on one sheet. One sheet per item. However, the majority of items sold at each store are only medium-quality items. Smelly or unknown items are rarely seen here.

The majority of vendors here seem to be able to handle themselves well. They had either weapons that looked powerful or were dressed like magic casters. Compared to the traders in general, this is like a seasonal warrior.

One look at these vendors looking like they don't fit into the surrounding, yet they are really the owners of each of these stores, even if only today. During other days, they usually work as adventurers or workers. In other words, the actual work of the vendors was similar to that of Hekkeran and Roberdyck.

They usually sell equipment or items that are no longer needed, or anything they find during their adventures. Compared to selling them to merchants specialized in magic items or magician associations, finding their own buyers could eliminate the cost of the process and could lower the price of their items. The amount that can be saved is greater than the costs that must be paid to set up their own store.

For this reason, adventurers and workers such as Hekkeran often visited the northern markets first in search of the sale of goods. Some even come every day if they have time.

And lastly, this is the main reason why the average criminal rate in northern markets is low. Who was crazy enough to cause a commotion inside a district filled with combat veterans?

After spending some time wandering around looking, the faces of the two of them were neither moody nor relieved.

"Find anything?"

"Nothing."

Since the items sold were mostly unwanted items, it was difficult for Hekkeran and the others to find the items they wanted. Although these items might be suitable for inexperienced and low-ranking adventurers or workers, for the two of them - despite taking their comrades into consideration - there was indeed only nothing useful.

"Dearly enough. As I thought, it looks like it'll be faster if we go to the usual place to buy it."

"I'm just here hoping to find a bullet. How else if we can't find anything. Well, this is just the first step for us to start saving."

"Saving huh... Wonder, what do you think we should do?"

"Just say this a little bit and you can already catch, are you a high-level magic caster or what?... It's obviously about Arche."

"You already know about that."

"Well, from what's been said I can guess a little."

"Then you know what to say, right?"

"...This might be our last adventure, right?"

"Please don't say a sentence that could make us unlucky." Roberdyck laughed bitterly. "Although it looks like that. If Arche-san says he will take care of his younger siblings, it seems that our future adventures will not be easy anymore."

"As you say. Although someone still needs a job, but that doesn't mean just from adventuring."

"It will be easier for him to find another job. After all he was a third-rate magic caster. His family - even though we don't know how many younger siblings he should be fine if he only needs to look after three or four people."

"Ah, I think so too. That's why he's probably gonna make this decision."

"And now the problem is on our side. If our wizard leaves the team, what should we do with the next member?"

"If only a third-rate magic caster suddenly fell from the sky."

"Please try to separate your dreams from reality... If we are adventurers, then Guilds will help solve our problems.we only need to rely on luck if we have to search for ourselves."

The two people looked at each other and sighed.

Losing a partner. Unable to pursue. Or be the only person on the team with striking power. This is a frequent reason for an adventurer or worker to leave their team. This situation is not rare. What is rare is a team that continues to have the same members from start to finish. In common cases, a team will change members at least two or three times.

The same goes for Hekkeran, Roberdyck and Imina.

Despite that already said, great magic casters were hard to find - especially those who could use tier 3 magic. For those workers who currently have no colleagues, the quality of their character throughout is a separate issue that must be expressed.

"How about training a level 2 magic caster?"

"We're doing it as a last resort. I want to avoid it as much as possible."

"It is also difficult in terms of choosing new members. The majority of those who become workers tend to have a messy personality. If we choose wrongly, things might get pretty messy, like accidentally picking a battle maniac."

"... Come to think of it, we're already very lucky aren't we?"

"It is rare that the entire team is filled with those who want money. Well, Arche's case is a little different."

"It used to be that when Arche-san first approached us, we were just thinking of how to fill the empty space for the last member."

Roberdyck gazed in the distance remembering the past. I felt like he was thinking the same thing.

"I remember that time again drinking... The moment Arche-san arrived was so precise that I started to think our team formation was brought by the will of the Gods."

"Heh, that's amazing. I just remember vaguely. What are you drinking?"

"Water."

"Isn't it the same as usual?... You really don't drink alcohol at all. Though annoying if you start drinking like Imina."

"You know how else. I'm not a drinker... Although I have to admit Imina-san's drinking habit is a little scary."

"Well, Rob, a glass is enough to make your face turn red, then blue and finally white. I'm still wondering what happened back then if we didn't use magic to remove the poison."

"Other people might even be standing here. Not that no one has died from alcohol poisoning before.Maybe we should go back to being adventurers again?"

"I just can't stand the temple's regulations. If it has to be like that, I'd rather retire."

"Repension, huh... Not a bad idea."

"I still have the savings we get, I'll find a job where I can help others or protect the weak. Not bad also become a farmer in the village who advanced while studying the teachings of the Gods. What about you, Hekkeran?"

"Hmmm, what am I supposed to do?"

Roberdyck's mouth changed.

"... Is it something you can decide for yourself?"

It took Hekkeran time to process everything that Roberdyck said. After finally understanding, he raised his head.

"-aaa!"

"Nails.." It was an evil laugh, "You don't think I know?"

"Aah. Aahs. Ahh! No, it's not something I'm trying to hide. You know, the time... Is that what we're talking about? Gifts."

"Who wants to give who?"

"Hey, Rob! Look over there!"

In the direction Hekkeran pointed to, two people were currently looking at the items that were being displayed behind the beautiful pavilion.

One of them was a warrior who was covered in dark black armor, in a deep red robe behind his back and carrying a gigantic sword.

"What a strange change of topic... Well, no problem. I just have to find out later. Hmmm, incredible equipment. If the wearer had equivalent skill, then he must be a capable warrior. Is it the person we know, who managed to upgrade their equipment?"

"I'm not too sure, but at least I didn't think they were from the capital. For example, see that woman hiding over there? I've never seen his face before."

"The corner from my place is bad. How does she compare to Imina-san?"

"-Please don't ask me that. I may not be able to answer it! ... Honestly, the woman over there is really pretty."

"Imina-san is also very beautiful. Even his girlfriend said so... So it is so, they both are either travelers or adventurers who are traveling. Maybe they decided to move to the capital."

"After all, they were looking at items that had magic, wasn't that a bit strange?"

Under the beautiful pavilion, the rows of magic items were neatly arranged. However, unlike the magic items used by adventurers and workers, the ones on display there are everyday uses. Examples are places to keep things cool, essentially acting like a cooler that prevents food from getting stale. Or items such as fans, able to blow the wind.

Magic items of this type were offered by a minotaur famous as 'The Boastful Sage' two hundred years ago.

Although he already offered the manufacture of many items, he could not explain why these items should be of a certain shape and how they work, he said, so in the end this warrior was not able to create it and ended up with a title like this.

However, his abilities as a warrior were already more than top grade, and left behind a legend of a one-time swing his axe being able to create tornadoes and split the earth. He is also well known for improving the status of humans in the Great Minotaur Nation (Great Minotaurus Nation) of a species considered as food to be slaves for use as manual laborers.

It was extremely rare to see adventurers, who tended to live inside the inn, seeing items that had magic produced by these demi-humans and were useless for adventure.

"That's not weird. The magic knowledge in the Empire is very advanced. It is also cheaper than other countries. Maybe they think that even after calculating the cost back, it's still cheaper to buy it here?"

"Ah, so that's the reason. I-i know... That's one way I didn't consider before."

"It's true from our point of view that their actions do look strange, but not that strange if you consider them a traveler."

"Ah, right too, if it's thought like this then I can understand."

The warrior with the armor was carefully inspecting the magic items. Open it, then close it, pick it up, turn it around. To the point where the merchant's head was sweating.

"We should be as serious as they are when looking for magic items."

"Yeah."