“Team leader, we’re done here.”
Through the strewn bodies of the mines and the half-reconstructed, broken-down buildings, a woman emerged and spoke.
“This side’s all clear too. We can just request additional support for the final cleanup.”
Even though Erin was merely a pure mage, taking on stray enemies, already weakened without their leader, posed no problems. The truly dangerous ones had long been wiped out by the hero who had come before. Despite the saying that one should never let their guard down in battle, this task was so simple that such caution held no meaning.
“Ore Golems sixteen, Beastmen seven, and I destroyed a device containing Magic Stones, which I assume was some sort of barrier.”
“This side was similar. Good work. Let’s call it a day and head home early.”
After shaking off any dust from her gloves, Erin slipped them back on and replied.
“Team leader, are we really promoted?”
“Why? Doesn’t the regular paycheck indicate that we have every month?”
“…Team leader. Now that the topic of paychecks has come up, surely you haven’t purchased something strange again last month, right?”
Erin’s previously steady response fell silent, an answer that needed no words.
“Ha… Team leader, just leave the financials to me. While it may not bring prosperity, at least this squandering wouldn’t happen. How can you be making twice as much as before yet still living so frugally?”
“Sh, shut up! Didn’t you eat plenty when I said it was delicious last time!”
“…The only thing I took was some chocolate, surely it wasn’t that expensive, right? Anyway, I just can’t understand luxury items.”
“You can’t help it! You crave sweets after using magic! If you’re going to criticize, then don’t eat them.”
Spinning around, Erin turned her back to Stella and pulled chocolate from her pocket, placing it in her mouth. It was the same chocolate they’d discussed earlier.
“Ah, let’s drop that.”
Removing her gloved hand from the cumbersome gauntlets, Stella quickly approached Erin from behind, snatching her hand into Erin’s pocket.
“!”
In a flash, Stella’s hand emerged from Erin’s pocket, holding the same chocolate Erin had just eaten.
“Wow, this chocolate actually has magic applied to its wrapping. This must be why no matter how much you stuff into your pocket, it doesn’t melt.”
Muttering that this was surely the reason it was so expensive, Stella unwrapped the chocolate and stuffed it into her mouth. Despite wanting to give her a punch or slap for being so annoying, Erin’s magic-infused fists were no match for Stella’s physical prowess. Though as team leader, Erin technically held authority, with each passing day Stella grew cheekier, and such discipline was fruitless now.
“Hmm… Anyway, this is what I mean when I say the promotion doesn’t feel real. Sure, we are promoted, but there’s no one working under us.”
While saying this, there came annoying sounds from the chocolate being moved around in Erin’s mouth.
Stella had no complaints about operating as a duo. Nonetheless,
“Of course, supporting the hero is important, but in the past three years, we’ve never been directly requested for support. Regardless of how many demons there may be, the hero often goes with an elf and some kid while taking down superior demons on her own. We’re usually stuck with just the remnants.”
“Didn’t you once say your dream was to hide behind my back while stretching things out?”
In truth, Stella too could independently manage her own team. However, the only reason she still worked under Erin was due to the presence of the person herself. Even though Erin would be embarrassed to admit it, there was a high chance she already understood. She had never wanted to leave the care of Erin, who had once pulled her out of a ditch. On the contrary, if anything, she might as well just discard everything.
“But still, I feel like we should use our skills better. Thanks to this, we even got a permanent license to use these weapons, yet there’s no place to properly use them now.”
Three years ago, Erin and Stella had defeated a superior demon. Although not the prime movers, they had helped take down the demon believed responsible for destroying the city. This alone should have warranted their promotion. Not many in this continent hold their level of strength and accomplishments.
“…Yeah, the current hero is a bit unsettling to watch, even from afar sometimes.”
As much as it was destiny for the hero to defeat the Demon King, there was an obsessive streak in Alicia’s battle against demons. Despite seeming a bit better lately, in the early days of her adventures, it made others anxious just watching her.
“Still, if you’re needed, wouldn’t she call you? Stop grumbling unnecessarily later on.”
“Ah, didn’t you recently hear the hero’s group expanded by two members? But one of them seems familiar…”
Furrowing her brows, Stella tried to recall, but the memory was too hazy, leaving only faint impressions.
“…Thinking about the new members, it seems like we won’t be summoned.”
In contrast, Erin, the fellow mage, already knew the identity of the newcomer. Since she frequented the royal palace due to her direct service with the emperor, she had crossed paths several times before, though they had never conversed directly.
Presia Gatina, one of the only two mages endorsed by the emperor.
Though there are several Archmages, only two were personally favored by the emperor. The other one was Isis, the chief royal mage and the aspiration of all mages. Presia, even before achieving Archmage status, had already won the emperor’s approval.
With Presia joining the hero, it was unlikely they’d need support from Erin and Stella. Unless, of course, it was an exceptional situation like hunting down the Four Heavenly Kings or the Demon King.
High-ranking position, but not particularly demanding.
Transcending the emotions of joy or sadness, they turned their steps toward returning to the city. Perhaps, the only advantage after their promotion to dedicated support for the hero was no longer needing to work overtime.
“Well, let’s return now. We’ve lingered too long, and the sun is almost set.”
“Oh, in that case, let’s celebrate this day’s end with some drinks!”
Kicking away a mine corpse from her feet, Stella followed Erin and suggested.
“…Didn’t the inspection team just come by a few days ago?”
“But seriously, they come every time we drink? Isn’t it enough that while supporting the hero, we eat, sleep, and even have a drink?”
While their funding didn’t decrease due to direct support from the emperor, as a team leader, having subordinates drinking was embarrassing. Especially after the inspection team left, it was best to keep appearances.
“I’d say let our team leader treat us, but knowing how tight she’s been about money lately… What! I’ll treat you. Unlike the team leader, I’ve been saving diligently and have enough for a little extravagance.”
This was yet another reason for the collapse of the team leader’s authority. Erin, of course, knew she should avoid accepting treats from a subordinate despite any sense of embarrassment.
“…Then let’s just have a little.”
The temptation of alcohol was too strong to resist.
By the time they arrived in the city, as the sun had set and the moon had risen, they immediately went to a meal and drinks. The restraint they had practiced under the watchful eye of the inspectors made the evening last longer than usual. Though their drinks were still bought by their subordinate, it was still easier than worrying about the inspectors. Stingy as it could be considered, had they not previously taken many drinks and snacks from Stella?
Thus, for the first time in a long while, Erin got so drunk that she lost consciousness. Naturally, she woke up with a nasty hangover.
“Ugh…”
Clutching her head, Erin stood up. The headache from the hangover was bad enough, but the thirst was also intense. Nevertheless, as Erin tried to rise from the bed, she found herself questioning her own state.
Naked under her kicked-off blanket — it could have happened from the heat of being drunk.
But why was her subordinate Stella lying beside her, sound asleep? And why was Stella also in the same state of undress?
Forcing fragmented memories back together, a single shocked utterance escaped Erin’s lips:
“This mad…”
It was the first time Erin, who seldom swore, let out such a panicked expression.
Intermediate Demon Dekil truly detested these humans.
When the hero had come sweeping through, they thought they might die, but fortunately, the hero hadn’t noticed their presence. Despite having weaker powers compared to other intermediate demons, Dekil relied on their tenacious life force and excellent stealth.
The efforts of deceiving death by feigning death through self-harm weren’t fruitless. Somehow, the hero never noticed Dekil and left.
Thanks to this, Dekil was able to regroup the remaining mines after the hero’s departure, as the hero had killed off all other demons apart from Dekil. Ironically, this turned out to be a lucky break for Dekil, who had often been looked over due to their perceived weakness.
But not long after reconstruction began, two women arrived and once again destroyed all their efforts. Worse still, all the mines and beastmen Dekil had gathered were now dead.
Thankfully, because their subordinates were attacked first, Dekil was able to evade once again. Even though the two women were strong, they failed to notice Dekil’s stealth, which had even misled the hero.
In the weeks following, with fewer but enough efforts, Dekil managed to gather another group of minions. Though it embarrassed Dekil’s pride to seek out mines instead of having them find him as a demon should, imagining the power they could someday wield in the Demon King’s army made it worth bearing.
But what misfortune was this?
Due to the prime location of their stronghold, Dekil hadn’t moved, and they hadn’t imagined their enemies would attack again after the first instance. This second ambush was undoubtedly due to their own negligence.
However, the third repeat scenario was nothing short of cruel, even for a demon.
Again, the few remaining subordinates were annihilated. Dekil was now in hiding, pondering where to collect new masterless mines and beastmen from.
Being discovered was never a thought. Hadn’t the hero, one of the strongest humans, failed to detect them too? There was nothing unfounded about their confidence.
“Keh… I smell demon.”
But the voice of the red-haired kid made Dekil flinch. A faint sense of menace came from peeking face of the red-haired kid. It was a predator’s instinct, similar yet different from the last time they faced the hero.
“Hmm? Linn, could you scout around?”
“Okay! Don’t worry! I’ll have the ghosts search thoroughly!”
At the sight of the ghosts swarming out, the head Dekil had poked out returned hurriedly into the shadows.
It’s fine. Still undetected. They’ll likely go away soon as usual.
While reassuring themselves, a cold sensation pressed against Dekil’s neck hidden in the shadows.
If they moved, their neck would surely be severed.
Dekil remained still, only moving his eyeballs to identify the person with the sword.
A blonde girl stood, sparkling under the sunlight.
“You hid well, but your adversary is not ideal. I’m quite sensitive to stealth.”
Celian’s eyes firmly locked onto Dekil even in the darkness. This was not a mere guess.
“Ah, I smell it here…”
And then came the voice of the red-haired girl, Ann, turning the corner.
“Here? Oh! Celian found it first.”
Ann opened her eyes from sniffing around to see Celian already with the sword pointed at the demon.
Ghostly figures along with Linn and Yuli surrounded the area. Despite the chaos, the intense negativity made it impossible for the demon to stay hidden from Linn’s heightened senses.
All hope for escape was lost, but Dekil trusted their life force. Even if their head was cut off, they could recover after a few days of rest.
“A demon should be left to me.”
But a voice dashed Dekil’s remaining hope.
The pink-haired nun was recognizable to Dekil as well. Along with the hero, the saint was one of the most feared creatures to demons.
The last thing Dekil saw before purification was the heavy iron mace.
“Still, a saint wielding a mace is strange to see.”
“If the hero doesn’t protect me, shouldn’t I protect myself?”
Even for Celian, seeing Mariel swing a sacred weapon with divine power a short while ago failed to become familiar.
On the contrary, having never witnessed something like it in her past life made it seem all the more awkward.
“Kyaa! This is so annoying. Can’t we just drop this and move on?”
Once satisfied that everything was cleared, Ann lifted her luggage that had been momentarily set down. The pack was much larger than Ann herself, obscuring her body entirely.
At least the monstrous strength Ann possessed made the complaints of its bulk irrelevant.
“But we can’t simply abandon it. Let’s ask a few ghosts to help carry it.”
After distributing the items to three ghostly helpers, the mass significantly decreased. Though still larger than a full-sized backpack.
“Still, we’re getting closer. Hang in there, Ann.”
Chasing the rumors yielded fruit. Though they occasionally followed false leads and sometimes old rumors several years outdated, this track wasn’t too old. A little more. With a little more effort following the trails of Elicia, they could hopefully meet her again soon.
It would be soon.
