TL:    Yuki

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「 You know, I kind of noticed……」

 

On the way to the guild, I secretly called out to Youmu, who was walking with me, and I wanted to ask her what happened to Shino while I could.

 

「 Yeah, that’s the thing……」

 

　At the same time as Youmu opened her mouth, Shino spoke about the future plans.

 

「 Sorry, I’ve decided to stay at the guild.」

 

And what came back was a surprising response. Yesterday, the pressure was so strong that she wanted us to include her in the mission even if we were forced to, but now, she said so as if the thorn had been removed from her.

 

「 It may sound like an excuse when I say it like this. It may seem easy to throw myself away like that……, but that’s probably not the way things work, is it?」

 

「 That’s why I’ll be on standby at the guild, in case something should happen. 」

 

Shino said calmly, though she seemed to have some regrets.

 

For those who have escaped…… one may see it that way. And that’s something Shino herself probably understands best.

 

However, Luka said that the worst that can happen is that we’ll use her as a pawn…… But in fact, we, the actual troops, will not be able to overlook this…… and I’m sure she knew that, too.

 

So the best thing to do from the beginning would have been to keep her on standby and not add to our psychological burden unnecessarily. But forcing her to do that would not have made her feel better. Maybe she gave her the night to make her think about it and give up voluntarily.

 

　That’s what I’ve been thinking about……

 

「 Are? You could really could have gone either way though, you know?」

 

As I said this, El Luca suddenly appeared in front of me.

 

「 Uwah!? Gui, Guild Master!?」

 

「 Are? I told you to call me pretty Luca-chan, didn’t I? Hi, how are you?」

 

「 hi! Luca-chan!」

 

Luka smiles innocently and cheerfully, and Chibi raises her hand and replies. I mean, it’s like they were completely reading my thoughts…… oh god, adults in the fantasy worlds are scary.

 

「 More importantly, you said you didn’t care which……」

 

「 I mean……」

 

Why did, Luca makes a slurping sound and pulls a vermilion-painted rope out of her pocket? After taking it out of her pocket, the rope then…… 

 

Luca shows that she was tied up in a 【 Turtle Shell Bondage】.

 

　……eh, why?

 

「 I’m the one who’s going to be caught trying to infiltrate them 」

 

　…………Hai?

 

「「「 Haaaa!?」」」

 

The three of us shouted in unison. Chibi’s ears and tail perked up at the sight. I’m sorry, Chibi.I mean, what the hell is she wearing in front of the public!?

 

「 Wha, What are you trying to do……」

 

I couldn’t help but let those words come out of my mouth.

 

I tried not to react, but it’s impossible. The key to the chain of command is trying to offer herself as bait to by the other side, there is no such thing as a set of rules. It would totally be a bad move.

 

「 Are? Didn’t I tell you, right? I’m going to get caught to find out what’s going on inside, how can I let one of the newest members of the guild take on such a role while I’m sitting idly by at headquarters? 」

 

But Luca, on the other hand, looks as if she’s taking it for granted. In a way, she seems like a good subordinate boss, but the fact that she is in a turtle-tied rope and has an excited face ruins everything.

 

「 Also 」

 

　Luca speaks as she fusses with her hair.

 

「 The guild will run better without me.」

 

「 That means we’re always in big trouble, right? That’s not okay at all, is it?」

 

「 Oh, well, you could say that.」

 

This person…… she even admits it. 

 

I almost held my head in my hands, but Youmu pats me on the shoulder.

 

「 Well, she’s never going to stop talking, so give up. I’m sure you’ll be able to protect yourself, even if she’s like this, she’s still good enough to be in charge of a guild. 」

 

Youmu told her with a somewhat resigned look, and turned to Luca saying 「 I’m not going to help you in any way, no matter what!?」.

 

「 Oh, you’re worried about me? You’re so cute. Come on, do to me what you did to Shino-chan……mufuuu? 」

 

With a devilish look on her face, Youmu immediately covered Luca’s mouth.

 

　Shino, on the other hand, had a 「 Muheee?」 expression as if she was distracted by something. I’m not sure if I can think of anything, but I wonder if they did something to her. Chibi said that Youmu is getting stronger, so there might be a reason for that.

 

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「 I don’t want to be daring, not in public, in broad daylight like this.」

 

「 Do you really want me to strip you and give you to the goblins?」

 

Youmu almost groaned, and I was wondering what had happened, but I thought it was best not to pursue it too deeply, so I broke out in a cold sweat and looked at Luca’s figure again. I’m not sure what to make of that. To be honest, if we weren’t in a town like this, I’d like to take my time looking at her, but it’s too bad for Chibi’s moral education.

 

「 Chibi shouldn’t be like that, okay?」

 

「 Wafu?」

 

She doesn’t understand. No, perhaps she’s just too pure to understand it.

 

「 So, are you serious about this? Even if the guild does run without Luca, you’re still putting yourself in danger, right? At least with us……」

 

「 Hmmm, well, that’s right. It’s nice of you to be so considerate, but there’s an element of calculation involved, you know? If the goblins are within our current expectations, we can get by with just you and your forces. I’m not so weak as to be killed that easily, you know? I’m also not so naive that I would just let myself get killed. 」

 

「 And if the Lord has grown beyond our current expectations, I will be there to deal with it immediately. Of course, I can’t guarantee my survival if that happens, but I’ve given the guild staff a complete guide on what to do if that happens. Once again, the degree of growth of the Lord this time is extraordinary.」

 

「 So in case I make a mistake, if I need to risk this life, I’ll do it my way, okay?」

 

　I’m not sure what to make of it. However, the resolve and resolution put into it…… makes you feel pressured by the sheer power of her will. It’s definitely the determination of those who stand at the top of an organization. It’s a great way to make sure you’re getting the most out of your life.

 

　She is probably one of the people I should learn from if I am to survive as a 【 Demon Lord 】 in the future.

 

「 By the way, why the turtle shell bindings? If you’re going to be tied up and taken away, why not just tie her up like normal……」

 

「 Ah, that’s just a hobby of mine 」

 

　…………Should I just quickly retract my previous statement?

 

◇

 

「 Now that that’s out of the way, let’s meet up with the other kids first. I’ll have the others wait for you in the cafeteria.」

 

With Luca leading the way, I made my way to the guild’s first floor dining hall. I think it was the D class adventurers who said there were three others besides Youmu, and they seemed to have told her about my situation to some extent beforehand, so she didn’t have to worry too much, but I can’t help but feel nervous.

 

「 You don’t have to be so nervous, okay? They’re a little strange, but they’re nice guys…… Oh?」

 

Luca stares at my thighs as she says this.

 

　It’s true that you can’t help but be drawn to the glistening thighs between the skirt and knee-socks, It’s embarrassing being seen like this. They say women are sensitive to the fact that men are looking at their breasts, and yeah…… this eye movement is certainly revealing.

 

「 Eh, wa……it, what?」

 

「 Oh, I’m sorry, I just thought you bought a pretty nice wand.」

 

What, you were looking at the dagger in the holster? But how did you know this was a wand?

 

「 Oh, and something like this is expensive.……I think?」

 

Now that I think about it, I remember that you can appraise things as well. I’ve been so busy testing the strength of monsters and people lately that I forgot that it also works on goods. Let’s try to appraise all the information on this wand just to see if it works.

 

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【 Sword of Honor in the Night Sky 】

Rank: Unique 

Rarity: A

 

-Description-

 

A ceremonial sword said to have been forged with a special mineral known as tears of night.

 

Because it was used in rituals to worship the god of night, it is compatible with magic that belongs to the night.

 

Since it is only a ceremonial sword, it does not function as a sword.

 

-Effects-

 

Attack power: 5

 

Magic amplification: 150%.

 

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［ Magic Skill 【 Appraisal 】 Lvl increased from 3 to 4.］

 

「 Ueeeeeh!?」

 

There’s another term I don’t understand…… That is, Unique and I don’t know exactly how much unique’s worth is, but it’s not a low grade, right? It’s not something you can just get as a bonus.

 

「 Oh, you bought it without knowing its value. That’s no less than a few dozen gold coins if you buy it normally, you know?」

 

「 Naa!? No……but, I didn’t know how good it was and  because they just gave it to me like an added bonus…… 」

 

I knew that it was a strange shopkeeper who gave it, but there’s no way he couldn’t do an appraisal because of his profession…… So he certainly knew what he was doing and gave it to me without much explanation. I’m not sure what to make of it.

 

Even though it was an introduction from Adlas, it was a bit excessive.

 

Was there something else he was after? These thoughts were running through my head, but there was no way I could get an answer to it.

 

　Luca, noticing this, patted me on the shoulder and said, 「Well, that’s good. Think of it as a win-win.」.

 

「 And as long as the Lord is still out there, the merchant will lose a lot more than a few dozen gold coins, so it’s a very reasonable investment, don’t you think? And besides, it’s not like you’re the one doing it. Who would do such a thing? Well, he may be a peculiar shopkeeper, but I can vouch for his character. 」

 

　That’s what she said.

 

The guild master’s strong credibility…… is enough to prove that he is worthy of some kind of trust.

 

But only if the guild master is not a lascivious woman who walks around in turtle shell bindings.