Peter began with expining the job he and his party would like to take on along with Yuuji and the others.

  To put it simply, it was monster hunting. Specifically, the mohat appeared around the town.

  It was a on and standard type of work adventurers, especially newer ones, would take on. It was retively safer than having to iigate a monster’s or subjugate a monster deep within the forest, while still being more profitable than simply gathering herbs, doing deliveries, and the various odd jobs copper or silver-ranked adveake on.

  It also allowed them to stay close within their current base of operation or their homes, ahe area around the town safe from mohreats, while they polish their own respective skills and their teamwork.

  There was truly no downside. For a silver-ranked party of adventurers, they would be able to accumute experiend improve their skills in a retively safe enviro while also gaining some silver for their daily needs and saving them for the future.

  And for many with a more pessimistic view or those who had came to a realization that they could not improve anymore and had no other skills worth mentioning, it was… a way of living they could accept.

  The silver they would gain from killing low level monsters and taking minimum risk was much better than being a borer or a huntsman in a small vilge somewhere iskirts. At the very least, it’d allow them to save up faster for their eventual retirement when they could live fortably with their family.

  Of course, Peter and the Swords of Darkness were doing this job for the former reason. They wao improve their skills while also gaining some nice silver from the monster bounties and save up little by little to, perhaps, upgrade their equipment and raise their quality of living.

  The pn this time would be simple. The two parties would simply be searg for monsters in a nearby region, oskirts the forest b the Siheocracy to the south.

  The only creatures in that region that could hit the baes were some goblins with arrows, which shouldn’t pose too much of a danger.

  They won’t be, however, entering the forest, sihe mohere would either be too difficult for them to fight in their skill level, or to for them to even think of defeating.

  Proceeds of the hunt would be equally divided amongst both parties.

  “I uand. I have no problems with this arra.”

  In fact, the arra Peter had proposed would be overwritten by the quest they would soon receive from Nfirea, if everythi acc as Yuuji and the others expected.

  So, Yuuji readily agreed with him.

  “The us fight shoulder to shoulder and make sure we all return here in one piece.”

  Yuuji extended a hand to Peter, who’s eyes light up in relief aement, and took his hand.

  “Likewise.”

  The young, blonde-haired man could not help but feel a sense of security and awe from the mere act of shaking hands with the armored man.

  His handshake was firm, purposeful, and strong, and even though he could not see it, Peter could feel a strong gaze from beh the helmet directed towards him.

  He was not overwhelming or overbearing, but his presence was unmistakably that of a great person. That was the only eter could describe the feeling of awe he felt upon shaking the hands of the white armored warrior.

  “Well then, since we will be hunting together, it would probably be good to get questions out of the way at this point et to know each other a bit more. Do you have anything to ask us?”

  “Me!”

  A hand shot up to the ceiling. It beloo Lukrut, whose eyes gleamed with enthusiasm as he leaned forward from his seat and onto the table.

  “Of course. What would you like to ask, Mr. Lukrut?”

  Yuuji him, gesturing to him to tinue.

  “Ms. Lupu! May I ask what is your retionship with Mr. Alexahe room was immediately filled with silenbsp;

  Yuuji, Aika, and Momonga, albeit having seen him do it in the anime, didn’t actually expect him to do it now, with the four of them here.

  Moreover, they were also quite surprised that Lukrut went for Lupu instead of Aika. After all, even though most of her face was hiddeh her fox’s mask, her figure and the slight glimpse of the lower part of her face was enough to put her beauty even above Lupu, who had turned into a succubus.

  Perhaps… he was intimidated by Aika’s aura?

  After all, pared to Lupu, who a friendly smile, Aika’s immense beauty and the mask she wore made it difficult for others to even start to approad talk to her.

  Lupu turo the vulgar little i and looked at him for a moment before answering.

  “Hm~? He’s… my leader.”

  In truth, she was quite unsure how to describe her retionship with Yuuji. He was the master of his heart, body, and soul. However, while they were ag as adventurers, such a thing must be kept a secret.

  In the end, she gave a vague, yet still true, ao him.

  After Lupu answered, Lukrut’s few words threw the room into an uproar.

  “I’ve fallen for you! It was love at first sight! Please go out with me!”

  Peter and his friends all looked at Lukrut in pure shock, while Yuuji, Aika, and Momonga simply watched in silence while silently praying that the little, lithe man wouldn’t be squished down like a bug by Lupu..

  “Oh~? Love? Did you really, now~?”

  Lupu narrowed her eyes as her lips curled into a wide grin, sending a shiver of pleasure and shock to the nervous Lukrut.

  She looked… absolutely bewitg. Dangerously so. And the fear mixed with lust and i simply made him tremble in pce as Lupu gazed down at him.

  “Heh~ But that’s too bad~ Don’t put anyone who’s not even as strong as Alex and half as handsome as he is in my eyes~ So you try again never~!”

  “Eh?”

  The Swords of Darkness, as well as Lukrut, couldn’t help but turn towards the man in white and gold draic armor in both shod curiosity.

  “...”

  Yuuji kept his silence. But before he could deny it and drive the versation away, Aika stole the mar him with her giggles and spoke.

  “Fufu~ They all seemed curious, Alex. How about you take off your helm and show them~? After all, it’s only courtesy to at least show your face to those you’ll work together with, right~?”

  Yuuji could not believe he would be betrayed by Aika like this… But once again, before he could reject her, Aika quickly turned her attention back to the Swords of Darkness.

  “I would show my visage as well if possible. But unfortunately, I ’t remove my mask. Lest a disaster I ot trol would e.”

  Aika’s little giggle entrahem for a moment. But soon, they snapped out of it and began w what she meant by those words.

  Did she not donned her mask to simply hide her beauty? Was it some sort of magical item that suppressed her power?

  They’ve heard rumors about one of the members of an Adamantite ranked adventurer party based in the royal capital of Re-Estize always wearing a mask.

  There were specutions that she wore it to hide her true powers. Perhaps, she was the same?

  Meanwhile, seeing their rea, Aika began giggling inwardly.

  Yes, it would indeed be a massive disaster. A disaster for the guys who saw her, sihey won’t be able to love any other woman in their lives.

  Yuuji sighed helplessly at Aika’s little shenanigans. But since she said it, it couldn’t be helped. He raised his hands to his helm, and raised it, revealing his visage.

  He had turned back to his inal human form, but his appearaill stuhe entire Swords of Darkness.

  Especially the lone female disguising as a male.

  Yuuji quickly put his helm ba and stood up.

  “Well then, since our discussion is over, let us begin preparing for our trip.”

  “E-Eh…? A-Ah, yes!”

  Peter was the first to snap out of his shock, and the rest of the guys followed suit, albeit still taken aback from seeing Yuuji’s true appearanbsp;

  The st to snap out of it was Ninya, whose cheeks were blushing redly as her heart beated chaotically for the first time in her life.

  Upourning to the guild hall, Yuuji noticed that the number of adventurers had increased. And their attention was focused on a certain, blonde-haired teenager before all eyes turowards them.

  Yuuji, Aika, and Momonga reized the boy instantly. He was the entire reason why Momonga did what he did yesterday.

  Nfirea Bareare, a talented Alchemist with a retionship to e Vilge with the Talent for using any magical items.

  He was someone Yuuji would like to have uhe Nazarick banner.

  The boy went to the receptionist, who’s face slowly morphed into an expression of shobsp;

  Their eyes met, before the receptionist’s gaze fell onto Momonga, and made her way towards them.

  “Excuse me. Momon-san, there is a job asking for you by name…”

  The girl said towards Momonga, and instead of Yuuji and the others, the Swords of Darkness were the ones shocked by the news.

  Momonga slowly turowards Nfirea, most of his face still cloaked by the hood of his robe.

  “Are you the one who asked for me by name?”

  “Yes. Pleased to meet you. I was the one who put out that job.”

  The boy nodded slightly, and Momonga returhe gesture.

  “I see… However, I apologize. My party and I have already made arras with someone else for a job, so we won’t be able to accept your request right away.”

  Yuuji nodded in agreement to Momonga’s words. However, seeing their rea, Peter and the Swords of Darkness’ rea became much more intense.

  “Momon-san! Alexander-san! He asked for you by name!”

  From Peter and his friends’ rea, Yuuji could more or less uand the gravity of being requested personally by name by someone.

  They, of course, pnned on accepting Nfirea’s request. However, they were tyring to build an image of a righteous, powerful, and noble party of adventurers worthy of being called heroes. This was a necessary dispy.

  “That may be so. However, I believe we should carry out the job we’ve been requested to do earlier. Don’t you agree, Alex.”

  “I agree.”

  The adventurers around them, who heard their versation, heir heads in admiration. They couldn’t help but look at the party in a new light.

  “But… our job is hardly a request. iF we don’t meet any monsters, there won’t be any pay to speak off…”

  Peter’s words to Momonga and Yuuji trailed off, and he sounded relut to speak them. Being hired by the boy with the famous grandmother was a far cry from wandering around the pce trying to kill monsters. That was why Peter sounded like he wao give up on the job.

  “... Then show about this, Peter-san. We shall hold out any decisions until after Bareare-san tells us about the job’s details, payment, timeframe, and so on.”

  “I’m alright with that, of course.”

  With that, the Swords of Darkness joins Yuuji’s party, after his encement, and o discuss the job he wao give them.

  Upoering the same room they just came out from, Yuuji and the others, including the Swords of Darkness, introduced themselves to Nfirea, and vice versa.

  Then, he began expining his request.

  “I see… Bodyguarding.”

  It was a simple request. To guard him as well as helping him harvest some herbs within the danger-filled forest.

  “pared to the usual amount, the payment will be-”

  “Please wait a mihe task of bodyguarding suits the Swords of Darkness well. Peter-san, how about we take you on instead?”

  “Eh?”

  “If it is a job that involves bodyguarding and harvesting herbs, I believe it would be more effective with Lukrut-san being the ranger and Dyne-san the druid.”

  “Oh, good-eye, Alexander-san! As a druid, I show my true ability in the forest,

  perhaps even more so than Lukrut the ranger!”

  The druid and ranger began arguing over their prided field of expertise. But in the end, both of them agreed.

  “I’ll take that to be an agreement, then. If we see any monsters on the way, we’ll kill them and cim the reward whe back to town. As for Bareare-san’s payment, what if we divided it equally, Peter-san?”

  “If you’re fih it, then I have no objes, Alexander-san.”

  “Bareare-san, sorry for the wait. If it’s alright with you, could you permit everyoo accept the job that you just offered?”

  “I don’t mind that. Then, I’ll be ting on all of you. Ah, you just call me Nfirea.”

  Yuuji nodded.

  There was no more need for him to firm Nfirea’s straion of requesting a mere copper-pte adventurer personally whose names he only ever heard once before.

  It was obviously to get closer to them and specifically Momonga, who gave out the blood-red minor healing potion to the adventurer girl in the inn the previous day.

  Everythi acc to pn. And now, it was time to establish a close retionship with Nfirea, bringing him under Nazarick, while also stopping the spiracy that loomed over the city of E-Rantel.

  VergsX