Project Necro is an official initiative by Re:Library.

“Hey, you… Now that I look closely, aren’t you that pervert from back then?!”
“Oh, you noticed? Well, I’m not a pervert, though.”
“And we’re not performers either!”
“Um, Arje-san. Are these people acquaintances of yours?”

I hesitated over how to answer the question that had been thrown at me while I was talking to Terrier-chan.
If asked if they’re acquaintances, that’s certainly true, but if asked if they’re good acquaintances, I don’t think so.
They were trying to enslave me and sell me, and I blew the three of them away to get food from Zeno.
If I were to explain it to Kuzuha-chan, “We know each other as enemies” would be the correct way to put it.
However, Kuzuha-chan aside, I don’t really hate them that much. If anything, I’m actually quite fond of them. After all, they’re interesting people.
I decided I should introduce them while incorporating those feelings, so I opened my mouth to Kuzuha-chan.

“Kuzuha-chan, they’re traveling entertainers.”
“Oh, entertainers!”
“““Don’t lie to her!!!”””
“They’re yelling, but that’s just part of their act.”
“So they’re professionals, then…!”
“““That’s not it!!! We’re a bandits!!!”””
“That’s the backstory.”
“So it’s all part of their act!”
“““Why does it have to be like that!!!”””
“They have a habit of dragging people into their act, which is why they’re setting us up like that.”
“Involving amateurs in their act—that’s truly professional of them!!”
“““Cut it out already, you pervert!!!”””
“Huh? Who are you calling a pervert? Could you please stop giving me dishonorable nicknames on your own, Funny Puppy Acrobatic Troupe?”
“““Look in the mirror and say that!!!”””

Ah, what am I going to do with these people? They really are incredibly funny.
It was a lot of fun bantering with Felnoute-san, but here, all three of them are firing back at once. And they’re perfectly in sync, too.
Behaki is looking at me with clearly exasperated eyes, but since he isn’t saying anything, I decide to leave him be. Besides, I want to watch these guys for a little longer.

“So, you three, why are you here?”
“Hah, listen well and listen good!”
“Watch and be amazed?”
“Don’t be amazed! Do you want to hear this or just make fun of us? Which is it?!”

I soothed Terrier-chan, who was getting angry with veins popping out of his temples, with a “Now, now,” and he calmed down, though he still had a slightly annoyed look on his face.
He cleared his throat, struck a pose that looked a bit like he was doing it for no reason, and began speaking again. He’s probably just trying to look cool, but it’s so funny every time, I just can’t.

“We went a little overboard in the kingdom. We ended up being wanted all over the country.”
“Huh…”

Listening to Terrier-chan explain this with a smug look on his face and his head glowing, I was genuinely surprised.

……So they’re not just a bunch of idiots.

I’d thought they were just a group of comedians who were funny, but if they’re wanted by the authorities, that means they must have committed some pretty serious crimes.

On top of that, they’ve managed to escape all the way to the border in this state. The trick the three of them showed me earlier—moving swiftly through the gaps between the trees—looked quite polished, too. In other words…

“So you’re veteran performers, huh?”
“You’re not seriously asking that, are you!? Right!? I’ll kill you!!”

The veins in his temples, which had just faded, bulged again as Terrier-chan drew his knife.
I braced myself, expecting him to throw it, but he immediately sheathed the knife.
He looked at me with eyes full of hatred but no murderous intent, and Terrier-chan let out a loud click of his tongue.

“Tch. I can’t fight you here… It’d be a hassle if the Border Patrol found us.”
“You’re right.”

To be honest, I feel the same way.
I think it’d be easy to fight them off, but if Dachscund-chan’s bomb went off or we caused a commotion with our antics, that’d be a problem right now.
Our goal is to leave the country without being spotted or found out. And that’s a goal we share with the Terrier Bandits.

Seeing that Dachshund-chan and Chihuahua-chan don’t say a word in response to Terrier-chan’s words and actions, it’s clear there’s a strong bond of trust between them, and that those two understand the situation as well.
If we’re all on the same page, there’s only one thing left to say. I stow my weapons in the Blood Box and speak.

“For now, let’s keep a low profile until we cross the border.”
“Right. Just watch your backs. …Let’s go, you lot!”
“Aye, Boss!”
“Aye, aye, Boss!”
“Understood, Mister Boss!”
“Which way should we go, Terrier-chan?”
“Oh, first we’ll take that slope over there… Hey! Why are you two tagging along like it’s the most normal thing in the world?!”

……Well, it just looked easier.

From the looks of it, the three of them are used to hiking in the mountains.
After all, they’re bandits. They must be good at navigating rough terrain.
Kuzuha-chan seems good at hiking too, but you can never have too many people like that. Since I’m not used to the mountains, I’ll take advantage of… I mean, ask for their help.
Also, it’d be a problem if they got caught by the Border Patrol in a place I don’t know about and raised the alert level. I think we could break through in the worst-case scenario, but that would cause a commotion.
The Terrier Bandits might be quite the formidable bandit, but I don’t know just how strong they are, and I don’t know the Border Patrol’s strength either. I want to eliminate as many uncertainties and unknowns as possible.

“It’s fine. It’s not like it’s going to hurt you guys.”
“It will! It’ll hurt our motivation!!”
“There’s no way you’re not happy that us cute girls are coming along with… Aah, I see, so you guys are like that… That’s why you only have men in your group…”
“What the hell are you trying to label us with now, you b̲a̲s̲t̲a̲r̲d̲?!”
“If you don’t cut it out, I’ll really r̲a̲p̲e̲ you!”
“Don’t mess with me, you s̲l̲u̲t̲!”
“Wow! Such a convincing performance! All three of you look like you’re really angry!”
“We are angry, as you can see!”
“About time you figured that out!”
“What kind of innocent idiot is this?!”
“Now, now. We’re going together from here on out, so let’s get along, shall we?”
“““Why did you decide our plan without asking us!!!”””

I don’t want to be subjected to lewd acts by weirdos like Terrier-chan and his crew, but I’m already set on tagging along. If they don’t want me to, I’ll just go along anyway.
Kuzuha-chan seems totally up for it too; it’s funny how she’s approaching Terrier with her eyes sparkling.
Behaki was looking at the band of thieves with an expression of deep pity. His small, round, horse-like eyes were filled with what looked like deep sorrow. I wonder what’s wrong with him—he’s looking at them as if they were his own kind.

“You’re seriously coming with us…? Damn pervert.”
“Ah, my name isn’t Pervert—it’s Argento Vampyr. You can just call me Arje, okay, entertainers?”
“My name is Kuzuha. It’s a pleasure to meet you, mister performers.”
“““Stop calling us performers!!!”””

That reaction alone makes them entertainers.
And so, for the time being at least, we ended up heading down the mountain with the Terrier Bandits.
Even though I know I have to stay quiet, I can’t help but feel like teasing them.