The girl, who called herself Oz, was definitely a former colleague of mine - a soldier who used to belong to the agency.

　Her bright orange hair was short-cut and tousled, and her round eyes and innocent face gave her a lively impression. Her height was around my chest, and her build was similar to that of a middle school girl. In fact, she must have been about that age.

　The girl looks the same as before.
　I know her well - yeah, I know her really well, she's a problem (・・・・).

Why you, ......?

What's wrong, 28? Oh, maybe you're nervous because you haven't seen me in a while?

It's ...... change.

Again with the jokes. I know you're happy to see me.

　Oh, you're such a pain in the ass. .......
　I want to kill Oz for poking me in the side with his elbow. I felt the urge to punch him, but I barely restrained myself from doing so, and I called out to Chris on the 'communication paper' that was still connected.

"Hey Chris. What's going on here?

"No matter what you say, I'm a man with firepower, just like you wanted. With the 02s, we can deal with your weaknesses.

That's true, but ...... you have to take care of my heartache.

I'm not sure what to do. I've got to go. ...... I'm getting busy. See you later, Twight.

　The communication was cut off in a slightly messy manner.
　Suddenly my whole body feels heavy. I'm sure Oz's help will ease the physical burden, but the mental burden will likely double.

...... At any rate, let's go introduce Oz to the target of the escort.

"Oh, you're going to introduce me already?　I thought we were going to have to wait and see.

"To tell you the truth, I'd like to, but I can't afford it. If the two of you are going to be guarding each other in the future, you can take a strategy where one of you stays by Mize's side and the other one goes to defeat the bandits. The two of you should get acquainted now so that either of you can stay by Mize's side.

Okay. Well, unlike 28, I'm very friendly, so I think I'll fit in easily.

I'm gonna kill you.

That's true.

　It's true, but ...... it's annoying.

When you're around other people, you should call me "Twight.

Oh, that's right. I'm not used to it yet, so I used the old name.

　It's either naive or unthinking. .......
　It's true that, given the current situation, it's not a bad idea to bring in Oz. Her strengths compensate for my weaknesses. Instead, I'm going to have a hard time holding the reins on her.

You're too late, Twight. Who's that girl, ......?

　When we got back to the guild tavern, Gran saw Oz next to me and asked.

"He's a former business associate of mine.

"I'm Oz!　Nice to meet you!

　Oz greeted me with a bright smile.

Oz smiled brightly and greeted me, "You mean the cleaner?　But you look so young. ......

"Haha, well, we're a little bit of an odd place to work, with no age restrictions. Well, let's leave it at that.

　Oz looks around at the faces of my schoolmates and says.

"Well, if you don't mind, I'd like to join you.

　Gran, Elysia, and Mize all rolled their eyes at the suggestion.
　I understand that this is an abrupt suggestion, so I'll give an additional explanation.

Oz has recently moved out of the dormitory at work and started living alone. Because of that, he's been spending a lot of money. So when I heard that he was going to sign up for a guild, I suggested ...... that we take on some requests together. I'm not going to force you to do anything, but ...... I can guarantee that you'll be a force to be reckoned with.

I'm not going to force you to do anything, but I can guarantee that you'll be able to help. I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want to do,.......　I'm sure he's not a bad guy.

I have no problem with that. The more people you have, the more you can do.

　Gran and Elysia are quick to agree.
　Gran and Elysia nodded in agreement.

I have no problem with it either. I don't have a problem with it either. Expanding your network of contacts like this is one of the best parts of being an adventurer. I look forward to working with you on ......, Oz-san.

"Yes!　Nice to meet you, guys!

　Afterwards, the five of us resumed dinner with Oz, and deepened our friendship.
　As he said himself that he was very friendly, Oz fit right in. It was a far cry from me, who Elysia still calls 'suspicious'.

I'm a little curious about the abilities that Toate guarantees.

"Hmmm. That's something to look forward to later.



　During the meal, Oz responded to Elysia's words with a wry smile.
　Unlike me, Oz has a flamboyant fighting style. Perhaps all three of us will be surprised.