No doubt. This isn't human work. ...... It's the Demon Lord's men. There have been a number of peddlers killed in the past,......, but I didn't expect such a large merchant force to attack as well.

　The leader of this band of merchants, an older man, said with a serious expression.
　The main members of the group were gathered in front of a bonfire that had been lit to keep out the beasts.

　Nearby, a group of men are digging a large hole. They are digging a large hole to bury a body that has been dismembered. There is no time to cremate them or bring them home. Jobs that travel long distances outside the city can't afford a proper grave. I'm sure the people at Gustar knew that, but they were just being sentimental.

"Commerce is a supply line. We can't keep fighting without food and supplies. That's probably what they're after.

　The Demon Lord Rainer. That's apparently the name of the Demon Lord that Romburg is blocking. Looks like he's the leader of a bunch of hexenbiests.

　The woman looked human. She smelled like a human, but then again, Arbatos smelled like a human when he was in human form. If she had managed to pull off that tragedy by herself without even screaming, she was quite powerful.

　The leaders of the various merchant associations and the leaders of the escorting mercenary parties were discussing, each with a serious look on their faces.
　I lay down by the fire and listened intently.

It'll take a week to get to Romburg, even if we hurry. If their goal is to cut off our supply lines, they'll definitely come at us again.

We'll have to face them.

　Apparently, the woman didn't belong to any business association. But there are a lot of people in this company. Even if there was a stranger in the mix, it was normal to assume that he belonged to a different trade association.
　And while a large group of merchants meant a certain degree of safety, it also meant that they would be slower. Even if they abandoned their cargo, it was unlikely that they would make it to Lonburg alive.

It is unlikely that a professional mercenary who is used to escorting people would be unable to raise a single voice in response to an attack. He was probably killed in the ...... ambush. There aren't many opponents, but ...... maybe not even one.

　Senri speaks up as a demise knight and an expert in dealing with monsters. Everyone listened to the words of Senri, the only one who had fought a woman and saved the lives of two mercenaries.

　I could probably wipe out the Gustar Trading Company. But a head-on assault would at least give them time to give the signal.
　There were five mercenaries attached to the Gustar Trading Company. Depending on their abilities, they would have a 50-50 chance to take him out.

　The guards the merchant hired were not weak.
　They're just human. Because they are human, their physical abilities are greatly inferior and they are prone to collapse if they are taken by surprise. It may be that he was caught off guard by the fact that his opponent was a woman.

　If you ask me, if the opponent is a member of the Demon King's army, it is hard to imagine that he is alone.
　It would be a foolish act to attack a huge army of merchants alone, not knowing what they might be. I'm not used to reading information from situations like this, but Senri's words made sense.

　I also understand that there aren't many of them. I'm not used to reading information from situations like this, but Senri's words made sense.

I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that.　I'm sorry.

　The trading captain looked at Senri. Senri looked down at me and I made a small sound.
　I'll help you. He's been so good to me, I should at least do that. My nose can detect a surprise attack from a distance.

　Senri stroked my head with the palm of his hand and said seriously.

"The Baron's nose can detect an attack. He's the one who figured out that the woman was the enemy.

...... If that's true, he's an incredibly good dog. It's a lot more useful than a hound. ............ Where did you get it?

............ I fed him and he took to me and followed me.

　I licked the finger Senri offered me without hesitation.
　I licked her finger without hesitation. As I wagged my tail triumphantly, Senri looked down at me in disgust. Her cold gaze seemed to be questioning my dignity as a human being.

　Senri continued.

And I can use magic to sense the ............ area. Together with Baron, we should be able to prevent a surprise attack.

　The mercenaries' eyes widened at his words. The mage's expression turns quizzical.
　Senri's skill with a sword is already known. I'm not sure what to make of it, but I think it's a good idea.

　The captain was a little reluctant to speak up, but he spoke up for everyone's doubts.

I'm not sure if you've ever heard of this, but I'm sure you've heard of it.　You've helped me many times, and you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but I don't think ...... you're just a mercenary.

　A hesitation crossed Senri's face. We're being hunted. We should hide our origins as much as possible, but our names are already known. The only identification my father had given me was mine.
　All eyes on me. I've already got their attention. Senri straightened his back and said plainly.



　There's nothing demeaning about his appearance.

I am ...... a former member of the Knights of the End. For some reason, I'm now traveling alone and with one animal. I want this to remain a secret.

　The captain's eyes widened to the limit at these words. A Knight of the End is not an existence you see often. If a mere mercenary had told him, he would have been rebuked, but Senri had an air of humanity about him.

　And from that day on, we became "the mysterious Goddess of Victory and the Dog, the former Knight of the End.
　Apparently, the impact of a former demise knight was greater than that of a dog that could detect an attack.



§



　From that day on, the form of commerce changed. This is an emergency situation, we can no longer talk about the friendship between the merchant associations or the secrets.
　At the cost of comfort, the formation during the night break became more dense, with the non-combatants in the center and the mercenaries guarding around them.

　The air was tense, and the children quieted down. I kept quiet, too.

　The raids took place nightly. The woman did not appear as she had the first time, but a beast that was clearly not of the wild attacked the camp and several people were injured.

　Now that I think about it, the woman may have been a member of the team who was trying to blend in with the traders. If it had collapsed from the inside, this rather large force would have collapsed in a matter of seconds.

　For recovery, exploration, and combat, Senri had done a great deal of work on all sides.
　Her power of exploration was based on the effective use of positive energy. By altering the nature of the energy, she could detect moving objects with a network of weak force wires.
　My detection is based on smell, but Senri's requires no smell. It may not be able to see as far as I can, but it's clearly superior. I'm out of my depth. I was also troubled by the fact that every time she used the power of exploration, my body would get a little tingly.

　The woman's scent was quite distant, but it always followed me around. It was a sign that she was still trying to get to me.
　I wondered what she had sensed and if she was following the caravan precisely. Maybe he's using the same smell as I am.

　And on the fifth night. As Lomburg was approaching, the captain called everyone together and said.

"It's time to play the odds. Let's annihilate them. If we keep getting attacked, we'll be on our last legs. We're holding our own for now, but we're not exhausted.

　His words were a mixture of truth and lies. The wear and tear is not zero, but for now, we can safely ignore it. If we want to be safe, we shouldn't make a move.
　But perhaps the captain is thinking about the future.

　This company is quite large. That's why they were able to recover from the first attack. If it had been Gustar's company alone, they would have been wiped out and everything would have been buried in darkness.
　And it wasn't just this merchant who was carrying the goods to Romburg.

"At the very least, the demon in the shape of a woman should be dealt with while she's still around. If we let it go unchecked, it will definitely slow down the distribution.

"...... is quite formidable.

But Senri-dono can defeat it. Don't you think?

　The captain, who seemed to have become a fan of Senri's work over the past few days, smiled at Senri's words.

　It certainly doesn't sound like a bad idea. The mercenaries alone had been able to fight off the demons that had been attacking them for the past few days by working well together.
　Even though Gustar's company has been wiped out, there are still many guards left in the company.

　The woman is not nearby. To defeat them, we would have to initiate the attack, but even if we sent a number of men, including Senri, on the offensive, there would still be enough to protect the merchants. With all the wagons in one place, we have a little more room to maneuver.

　The captain asserts with a serious expression.

There are few humanoid demons. Perhaps that female demon is the key to this attack.

............ What do you think?　Barron.

"Yup.

　If you can defeat her, you should defeat ...... her. Of course, I'm worried, but I can't get anything if I keep thinking about it.
　We don't know what they're planning to do with these daily attacks. However, the captain's opinion that we will be impoverished if we wait seems to be correct.

　To get a return, you have to take a risk. Just as I've done everything in my power to gain my freedom.

　Senri closed his eyes and was silent for a moment, but then he looked at the captain with light purple eyes.
　We were hired as guards. We were hired as guards, so this is outside the scope of our duties, but given Senri's personality, there's no way he won't cooperate. Of course I'll help.

"............ Okay. I'll cooperate.

"Thank you. Senri-dono.

　And so our mission began.