24 Come on, Bess.




You'll find your way. I don't mind that either.

 There was blackness. Not darkness, not nightfall. Just a black haze. A shadow loitered there.

"Very well. Rougis. You've chosen to forge a new path, despite the unexpected consequences. You have chosen a path that will devour your bones, scorch your body, and twist your fate!

 It was like a monologue, but in a tone as if speaking to someone. It's an exaggerated, clownish tone. It's like looking back at something, like looking at something nostalgic.

But the past is not an easy thing to traverse. It is always crawling on the ground, watching to see if it will eventually find its footing.

 He sounds both amused and saddened. Unreadable. The expression of the shadow is completely illegible, and the expressions of joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure are scattered. Therefore, the words are only spoken. They have no meaning, they are only uttered to those around them.

"But I am the one who carries. I welcome your choices and respect their consequences. So be it. Whatever your choice may be in the future, I welcome it. Especially if it's close to the outcome we want!

 The monologue, the words that seemed to be speaking to everything, suddenly stopped.

 And then he muttered.

"Let's resume.

 The city-state of

 The city-state of Garou Amalia. The city-state of Garou Amalia. Compared to other surrounding nations and regional cities, there is no other group that respects freedom and independence as much as this city.

 The city is surrounded by a solid wall. In addition to the fact that it had used it as a shield to prevent numerous interventions and invasions from other countries, this city, which prospered as the center of trade between the East and the West, had already established a firm autonomy. Because of its influence, similar city-states have been set up around it, and the group of city-states closely coordinated around Garou Amalia is no longer a single country. Not all of them are monolithic, but they are not easy to deal with.

 In all of history, this city-state has never fallen. Well, at least not yet.

 He gets off the carriage as he enters the city, strokes his chin with his finger, and sighs lightly.

What's the matter, sir? Did you hit your head in the carriage?

 A large, shaking barrel calls out to me.

 No, it is the combination of a girl and a huge barrel that is so unbalanced that it looks like that.

 The girl unloads the barrel from the carriage, which her petite body seems unable to lift easily, and shouts cheerfully while carrying it on her back. She was Largud Ann, the guide assigned to us by Mr. Nines in Galuamaria.

 Looking at her young age and the imbalance between her and the large barrel, I felt a sense of unease well up in my heart. Why is he carrying a large barrel on his back? Why is he carrying a large barrel on his back, and why is he wading through the crowd as if it were natural? There is no end to my anxiety.

 However, if he is a guide prepared by Mr. Nines, there is no doubt about his abilities aside from his appearance. He is a man who does not make such flaws in contracts and promises.

"Hey, Lugis ......, that guide has stumbled again.

 Kalia pointed at Largud'an, who had lost her balance and was about to be crushed by a large barrel, with a quizzical voice.

 There is no mistake. Perhaps it should be.

 I support the barrel, which is several times her size, and thank her, but she stubbornly refuses to drop the load. I don't know if Largd Anne is a proud merchant or if she has another reason for carrying the barrel, but to be honest, it's a bit of a hassle for me to have to support her at every turn.

I'll take you both to the guild, as you requested. Leave it to me. This place is like my garden!

 I'm sure you'll agree that this is a great place to start.

You've been bouncing around in that garden, are you sure it's all right?

 "Are you sure you're not in trouble?

 This guy is really relentless. Isn't he devoid of all the compassion and gentleness that is necessary to interact with people? Such a question arises in my mind. At Kalia's words, Largud Ann sagged down with a pale face.

 The task at hand here in Garou Amalia is how to get Kalia to settle down here, and me alone to escape. I don't know when my life will be in danger if I leave Kalia free. Therefore, I need something to tie her down.

 In addition, it's a bit risky to stay here too long at this time. It's a trading center between East and West, which is fine in times of peace, but in times of turmoil, it can be a center of trouble. But in times of turmoil, it can become a center of trouble.

What's the matter, Lugis ......, get a move on. Oh, or are my heirlooms too heavy for you?

 As you wrinkle your brow in thought, the voice of Kalia creeps up behind you. Oh, this guy doesn't seem to have the ability to cooperate with others. I guess her hobby is to exploit people's pain points. As evidence of this, Kalia's face is grinning with an oddly happy expression, and she leans down to push me back.

I've been worrying about my future life. There are no taverns or inns that I'm familiar with. There are no familiar taverns or inns, and you never know what kind of introductory fee the guild will charge you at first glance.

 You never know what they'll charge you for an introduction.



 A guild is a mutual aid organization of merchants, merchant associations, and engineers.

 Initially, guilds began with the exchange of information, price agreements, and monopoly arrangements, and now each guild is under the patronage of a great noble or equivalent power, and has incorporated those who call themselves adventurers into its ranks.

 The adventurers are the guild's lives that can be exchanged for money, and they are also the guild's private army to maintain its power and prevent interference from other organizations. Of course, there are some differences between countries, but they don't change much no matter where you go. This is because merchants traveled from east to west and formed guilds on the spot.

 If an adventurer travels to another country, it is impossible not to join a guild. Adventurers who did not join a guild were no better than vagrants, and it was no wonder that they were seized by the authorities and sent to jail just for walking the streets. Therefore, the guild would always accept the name of a great noble in exchange for a large amount of money, and adventurers would be protected by the guild in exchange for their lives.

 In other words, those of us who don't have any backing to live in this city are forced to belong to some guild no matter what. Even if you have citizenship, if you have no affiliation, you are immediately lined up as a suspect in a crime.

The Gargantuan Commerce and Industry Guild ...... Hey, hey, hey, can we, or should I say I, really belong to this place?

 I ask Largud Ann, my cheeks twitching involuntarily in front of the guild's tavern. Before I knew it, my voice may have turned upside down as if my throat was convulsing.

 First of all, the gate is different. The weak guild I used to belong to in the Kingdom of Garleist used random wooden boards for signs, but the sign here is a high-grade piece of wood cut from a single piece of wood for that purpose. The entrance is not deserted and is probably cleaned on a daily basis.

 Even if Garou Amalia is a place where commerce is flourishing, this guild is obviously on a different scale. It's probably one of the best guilds in the city. This gate is proof of that. It's so out of place that I cower.

"Yes. The Gargantuan Commerce and Industry Guild is one of the two most powerful guilds in Galuamaria. I'm sure you'll be able to find something that works for you.

"...... Hero, sir? What's that? I've never heard that word before.

 It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for and how to get there.

 Hero-dono. Heroes, heroes, saviors. Oh, that reminds me of something bad. I don't think any of those words are appropriate for me. I don't remember advocating it, and of course I don't want to. I wonder what mixed up with what to come up with such a story.

 As I rubbed the back of my neck and let my eyes wander, Largd Ann looked straight at me.

I've heard from Mr. Nines that Lugis-sama is a hero who rescued the imprisoned Caria-sama and left the capital to become a hero!

 I'm not sure what to make of this. I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one who's a fan of your work. I wish you would just disappear into the crowd and be gone.

 It's true that I said I would live to be a great adventurer. But that's not the same thing as being a hero. A hero is one who is loved by fate. A hero is one who is favored by the gods. I don't really fit either. Yes, if anyone would fit, it would be that man. d*mnably, though.

 As if he didn't give a d*mn about my feelings, Largud'an, still shaking her large, unbalanced barrel, made her way to the entrance of the guild.

 --Clank, clank.

 At the same time, a pair of men and women crawled out of the door in the shadows. The bell at the guild entrance tinkles dryly.

 Her eyes widen. Eyelids twitching, refusing to even blink. This is ridiculous. How is that possible? I can't breathe as if every organ in my body is being grabbed. Chills. A chill, yes, a chill that crawled up my body from my heels the moment I saw the figure in my eyes, and a feeling of dread.

 A girl with an exotic appearance, swaying her long black hair and pouting her lips. And the blond man with the soft face who accompanies her as if to appease her.

 Oh, right. That's what you said.

 --We've known each other a long time.

 You were saying. I did. It's not that I forgot. I just didn't think it was the right time. My gaze is stolen, my throat is dry, my body refuses to move in fear.

"...... what. What's so unusual about my hair color?

 The girl's gaze may have distracted her, and she shook her long black hair with her fingers. Her raised eyebrows indicate that she is in a particularly bad mood.

 There is no mistaking this girl. A member of the journey to salvation, a sorceress, my difficult enemy. Fialaat la Volgograd.

"Mr. Fearart. Don't talk to me so belligerently.

 And a man with a soft voice shushes Fialaat. This man. Yes, this man.

 The man who decided my fate, my undeniable nemesis, the man who gave birth to envy from the bottom of my heart. The man who filled my heart with the demon called hatred and took all the glory and blessings from God into his own hands.

 Yes, yes. This is the man who will be called a hero and a hero in the future, the savior who will be the beacon that will save the world - Held Stanley, the man.