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“…He died”

Tengai informed me about that fact with a monotonous tone.

“Yes, that’s true. Oh, Joey, you were showing off until the bitter end… you have mistaken being heroic and showing off. You’re a small fry like all others, and now you know how it turns out when you try to act cool-”

I spontaneously spilled my grumbling. Then, suddenly I realized that Tengai and I are looking at the same person.

“Tengai, you unexpectedly care about Joey huh?”
“…It’s not like I care about him or anything, it’s just that I happened to see him after that foul mouth had been with the princess for several days.”

Uwaah, what’s with this tsundere?!

“Be that as it may, it appears the battle has started to favor the monster’s side.”
“Yes, it has.”

It can be said the human side is almost routed.

Around the headquarters, elite adventurers and the army were somehow holding them at a stalemate, but they were outnumbered after all. Once they get surrounded, that will be the end.

The way I see it, I can now roughly understand the strength of human adventurers and monsters in this land (If this was Eternal Horizon Online, at best their strength would rival monsters at the second town where players arrived after they finished the tutorial).

There were almost nothing left to see here, so I thought… But why is it that, inside of my chest, there is a swirling mist? I don’t think it’s that I want to help humans because I was originally a human.

In the first place, my impression of the monsters that I have met since I resurrected here was that their behaviors are all similar to humans, if I leave out their brutish appearances. There’s no need for me to distinguish them. They show anger, laughter, and grieve through their actions, the likes of which humans keep a secret since they tie it to profit and loss. The monsters are very honest, and I like that.

Therefore the scene below, for me, it’s like watching a war in a distant country.

…However, something is making me not fully satisfied.

“By the way princess, it’s just my personal opinion but―”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“Is that fine with you, not bringing the monsters in this land as followers of our ‘Imperial Crimson’?”

Hearing those words, the hazy mist in my chest burst open.

“―Now that you mention it, that’s right. I have done nothing but assert one side, not asserting the other side would be unfair right? Good work for pointing that out. Then, Tengai, could you send a message telepathically to bring 2-3 helpers from the castle?”
“Affirmative.”

And then, I again glance at the small corpse which lies down at the corner of the battlefield.

“…And I still haven’t handed you your quest reward either.”

◆◇◆◇

It can be said that the battle outcome was already decided.

In front of the injured people who were being carried one by one, Gald was fretting about what he was going to do. Should he retreat from here? Or should he bank everything on one suicide attack against the ogre king who had yet to release his entire battle strength?

“Vice Master Gald!”

The call which contained a bit of panic from his subordinate could be heard there.

“Mia? You’re still in a place like this!? Shouldn’t you take the injured and quickly take refuge behind here!?”
“Umm… Joey is.. Joey is not with the injured people, did he come through here?!”

In a desperate state, she grabs Gald’s chest, even so Gald shakes his head.

“No, after he went to the front lines, I never saw him.”
“Is…that so.”

That alone made Mia understand the boy’s condition; she tightly bit her lips. Suddenly a person came towards them, leaning on his companion’s shoulder. Mia opened her eyes wide confirming it was really him.

“Guild Master! You were safe!!?”

Gald also became disgruntled from hearing that; he rushed over to that person, Collard.

“Ou, you made it out alive!”
“…Yeah, thanks to my devil’s luck.”

Nonetheless, his magical power was completely used up, and he was unable to walk from total exhaustion.

“Still, you came at a good time. ―Mia, please take the guild master and withdraw behind here. Collard, sorry, but when you have regained a bit of your strength, please take over command for me.”
“You…what are you going to do?”
“Well, though I don’t know how far we can go, I shall help out with the last struggle in vain.”
““….””

In contrast with Gald who was grinning fiercely, Collard and Mia realized the meaning of his words and looked down silently.

Then―

“W-what is that….!?!”
“…An Ancient Dragon?!”
“No, that’s not it! I never heard of an Ancient Dragon that huge!!”

At the place where the three directed their gaze, there was a huge dragon shining in gold. It had a wingspan of 200m and the length from the tip of the head to its tail was about the same. There was no doubt it was currently descending from heaven.

But, what made those three direct their gazes wasn’t because of that, it was the one who stood proudly on the dragon’s head. A very tiny figure compared to the dragon’s large size, and yet it was someone who gave out the presence that was no less than the dragon. The girl who wore a jet black dress with red roses.

◆◇◆◇

Joey’s body became comfortably warm, it was a nice sensation like getting into lukewarm water. Slowly he opened his eyelids.

“Yo, Joey. How is your body’s condition?”

Joey tried to raise his body that was lying on the ground and sat in a half raised position. He turned toward the faintly shining palm; there Hiyuki was smiling carefreely. Joey suspected that this was heaven, and the one before him was certainly a goddess.

“You…why…wasn’t I dead…”
“Yes, you were dead. I didn’t know if resurrection in this world was usable, so I just abruptly performed it. Looks like it works. You had good luck eh.”
“Resurrection…? What’s that?”
“Oh, it’s my skill. Come think of it, I haven’t told you my occupation. To tell you the truth, I have two. I have obtained both the highest peak of swordsmen ‘Sword Master’ and the highest peak of priesthood ‘Saint’.
Don’t you think its quite interesting? A vampire princess who has the highest affinity with darkness has two jobs, and one of them is ‘Saint’. I was called ‘Race cheater’ and ‘Dark cheater’. Really, how rude of them.”

Hiyuki said that in a huff. Feeling like it was the ordinary Hiyuki, Joey laughs.

“Haha, I don’t know what you’re talking about. But, you sure are an amazing person.”

“…You’re quite amazing yourself to brush that off with one word. Putting that aside, I have a reason to bring you back from the underworld. If you remember, I still haven’t paid the quest reward to you right? That’s why, well… the money is more like a fee for crossing Styx River, but I believe I shall pay you here.”

Saying so, Hiyuki brought out the continent’s common silver coin from her back pocket.

“If I am not mistaken, the average payment was 2 silver coins and 8 copper? Then with the overdue fee, I’ll leave it out as 3 silver coins.”

Getting presented with silver coins in her small hand before his eyes, Joey sank into silence with a bewildered expression.

Behind them (or more accurately, behind Tengai in his dragon form), two people, or rather — since the other one was carried on the back of a large man — three people jumped hastily out from within masses who were viewing the situation from a distance.

“Joey!”
“Joey, you are safe?!”
“Why is this young lady here…?”
“My, everyone was safe. Unfortunately this is none of your business, so could you all calm down a little?”

Her plain words made the three who were approaching suddenly stop.

“Well now, Joey. Since after this I have other business, I wonder if you would accept this?”
“………No.”
“Hmm? Are you discontent with the amount of money?”
“That’s not it. I’m receiving a fee when I didn’t work for it at all. That’s why I won’t accept it.”
“Nah, I believe that as a client I am already satisfied with the result. ―Hey, what should be done in a case like this, Mia?”

Mia’s mind went blank for a moment, getting put on the spot all of sudden, but she pulled herself together and replied.

“Concerning dealing with a case like this, and on top of that without a prior contract with a clear document, it is left to the discussion between the adventurer and the client.”
“Hmm, then, in the end you won’t say yes. I wonder what would make you agree.”

Hearing that Joey thought about it with several breaths.

“That’s precisely why you should allow me to guide you around the town. After I’ve done that, I will accept the payment.” He said it clearly.
“…Nah, even though you say that you’ll guide me around, the town is in such a bad condition. I also plan to go to my next destination.”
“Then, when you have free time, it’s okay if I guide you around right?”
“I don’t know when I’ll have that time you see?”
“Anytime is fine with me. In the first place, didn’t you say yourself that ‘the quest’s period isn’t fixed’? If that’s the case, then no matter how many years pass, there won’t be a problem with the contract right?”

That speech made Hiyuki open her eyes and mouth wide dumbfounded. Joey, who was previously always getting told off, was finally able to get back at Hiyuki and that made him smile like a brat.

“…I give up, it’s true I said that before. Then it can’t be helped, the contract will be continued until the next time I come. ―Then, I’ll have to do something so that the town will be safe until I finish sightseeing, right? Good grief, you just can’t deal with a natural airhead over logical reasoning eh.”

Hiyuki shrugged her shoulders and muttered to herself. Hearing that, Collard and Gald look at each other’s faces with a surprised expression.

“Then, I have to clear up this other business, it’s time for me to go.”

Joey got up and faced Hiyuki, he asked her lonesomely, “―You’re coming back, right?”

“I already said it before, until you become full-fledged, my money is in custody, so I will come back at that time.”

“Ah yes. Then, I’ll see you later.”

“Yeah, stay well.” Then she proceeded to address the three who stood completely still behind him. “And you three. ―Mia, even though I said it like that, he’s still not listening to me, that’s why you had better keep a leash on him. Vice Master Gald, keep mastering your body rather than your head with the same training. Guild Master Collard, I think you have a problem as someone in the top position, but as a person, you are a fine man.”

In the end Hiyuki said that and waved her hand, turning around. Even toward the ferocious monsters led by the ogre king, she walked relaxingly.

Joey once again gave a farewell, “Goodbye, Hiyuki,” and the other three gave their salutes behind her back.