M-Makoto-kun!

The moment I enter the adventurer guild, a blonde beauty jumps on me.

Oof.

Her boobsare hitting my face.

I am back, Mary-san. (Makoto)

Welcome back! (Mary)

She hugs me tighter.

It feels really good, but I feel gazes prickling me at my back.

{{{Tch!}}}

I heard people clicking their tongues.

The gazes of the adventurers I havent seen for so long hurts.

Hey, who is that person thats hugging my knight? (Furiae)

A receptionist of the Adventurer Guild called Mary-san, Fu-chan. (Aya)

Who is that Fu-chan?

Lucy, you are back!

Emily, it has been a while! (Lucy)

I heard the voice of a girl from my back.

Heya, Makoto! To think you would become a Hero in the short time you werent here!

Ouch! (Makoto)

Someone slapped me hard on the back.

When I look at the direction of that slap, I see the veteran adventurer of Makkaren standing there.

Lucas-san, it has been a while. (Makoto)

Thats an otherworlder for ya. (Lucas)

Lucas-san laughs with a slightly sad expression. This is the first time I see him making an expression like that.

Makoto, to think you would become a Hero! Congratulations, you bastard!

I turned to the direction where my shoulder was slapped at and

Jean, it has been a while. (Makoto)

An adventurer I met in my newbie phase was standing there.

Theres a silver badge shining on his chest.

You are Silver Rank now. (Makoto)

I thought I finally caught up to you. (Jean)

Jean answers with a bitter smile.

My adventurer rank is still Silver, you know. (Makoto)

Thats wrong, Makoto-kun. A Hero is the representative of that country. Including the adventurers and the knights serving that country. (Mary)

Mary-san corrects me with a serious face.

When you put it like that, it is pretty pressuring.

Hey, Makoto-kun, tell me a whole lot of stories. (Mary)

Mary-san guides us to a big table.

Mary-san, dont you have guild work? (Makoto)

It is okay, it is okay. Providing reception for the Hero-sama is the job of the guild staff members too. (Mary)

Mary-san winks at me and smiles.

Arent you using my title as Hero to drink in daytime?

(Well, fine.) (Makoto)

I am finally back at Makkarens Adventurer Guild.

I do have a lot to talk about.

Cheers!

Things happened here and there, and the people of the Adventurer Guild gathered and it became a big party.

Theres a whole lot of food lined up on the table.

All of it is food from Makkaren I havent had in a while.

That Makoto is a Hero now, huh Haah, I should have gained more favor from him. You were calling Makoto unreliable. Cause you know, he is an Apprentice Mage, you know? Right.

(I heard everything, you guys.) (Makoto)

Using [Eavesdrop] as if it were natural is a bad habit of mine.

But I am interested in what others say!

Hey hey, Lucy and Aya-chan, are you two the girlfriends of Makoto-kun? How far have you gone?

Huh? Eh?

(Oi!) (Makoto)

I heard a dangerous topic!

N-Not yet! We are not like that! (Lucy)

Emily-san! It is weird to have two girlfriends, you know! (Aya)

Lucy and Sa-san get flustered at the question of Emily.

Eeh, but a Hero-sama normally has a harem party, right? (Emily)

Uuh, hm, thats true (Lucy)

Sakurai-kun had 20 wives (Aya)

Lets not go there.

Hey, Makoto, you must have had a whole lot of delicious food over at the capital there, right? Are you okay with having horned rabbit skewers?

Boss, I wanted to eat this. (Makoto)

Theres thigh skewers well-roasted in front of me.

Yahoo! It has been a while since I have had these skewers!

I munch on the hot and juicy meat.

Aah, this deep junk taste.

Right right, this kind of stuff is nice.

Hey, whats this? (Furiae)

Furiae-san points at the skewer with interest.

Horn rabbit skewers. Try them. (Makoto)

R-Rabbit This is my first time eating that (Furiae)

She hesitantly grabs one, and bites it.

Ah, tasty. (Furiae)

Right? (Makoto)

It seems Furiae-san likes it too.

Hey hey, Makoto-kun, who is that incredible beauty? (Mary)

Ah, Mary-san, she is (Makoto)

Nice to meet you, I have come from the commercial country of Camelon, my name is Furi. Because of circumstances, I am having Hero Makoto guard me. I come from a certain noble house, but please forgive me for being unable to speak out its name. (Furiae)

Furiae-san smiles elegantly.

O-Okay. I am a staff member of the Adventurer Guild here, Mary Gold (Mary)

Mary-san responds nervously to the perfect feigned innocence of Furiae-san.

She comes from the commercial country of Camelon thats really far from Rozes. She is a noble, but because of circumstances, she cant say her family nameis the setting we are going with.

If we say that, they might go filling in the blanks like: a heir problem, maybe she is the child of a mistress, or something like that.

It is a complete lie though.

Hoh, a noble of Camelon~ (Mary)

A drunk Mary-san is so easy it is nice.

It looks like she isnt suspecting anything at all.

Ooh, Makoto, you drinking? (Lucas)

Lucas-san, it really is relaxing being back in Makkaren. (Makoto)

A Hero normally lives in the capital, you know. (Lucas)

Lucas-san finishes up his drink in one gulp and orders more.

Arent you drinking too much? More than normal.

Haha, Lucas, dont get jealous just because Makoto has become a Hero.

Shut up! I am the man who couldnt become a Hero anyways! (Lucas)

Eh?

The conversation of Boss and Lucas-san made Jean and I look at each other in surprise.

Lucas aimed to become a Hero in the long past. In the end, his highest rank as an adventurer was Mythril though.

It is in the past. I am currently a retired adventurer that has fallen to Gold Rank. (Lucas)

I didnt know he had such a past.

Well, it isnt only Lucas. Me and the adventurers of my generation all aimed to become Heroes.

Boss said as if nostalgic.

I am feeling bad for becoming a Hero so easily

Well, take pride in it. You became a Hero with your achievement in saving the capital of the Water Country. It isnt something anyone can do. (Lucas)

Lucas-san slaps my shoulder.

It simplywent well by chance. By the way, hows Makkaren lately? (Makoto)

I tried changing the topic.

Monsters of the Demonic Forest have increased in numbers lately. To the point that theres not a single day where theres no requests to subjugate stray monsters. (Jean)

Jean says with a serious expression.

The Demonic Forest, huh (Makoto)

A big forest that comprises most of Spring Log.

Deep in it, theres a dungeon.

It is the same recommended rank of Laberintos, Iron Rank.

It seems like the Silver Rank Adventurers that went to the Demonic Forest recently didnt return. (Lucas)

Isnt that bad? (Makoto)

I was startled by what Lucas-san said.

Silver Rank Adventurers going missing?

The dungeon of the Demonic Forest is under the jurisdiction of Spring Log. Adventurers from Rozes interfering too much with it would be strange. It is a troubling matter for Makkaren thats at the national border though.

Boss explains.

My old home has fallen into this kind of situation in the short while I was away.

Is this the influence of the Great Demon Lords revival? (Makoto)

Rightthe center of the Demonic Forest has the Demon Lords grave. It might be related.

The Demon Lords grave.

It apparently exists somewhere in the Demonic Forest.

One of the 9 Old Demon Generals that ruled the West Continent and was defeated by the Savior Abel 1,000 years ago, the Immortal King, Bifrons.

It is said its corpse is sealed there.

The body of the Immortal King is eternal, and was sealed by the legendary mages, Johnny and the Great Sage-samaright? (Makoto)

I tried searching for it in the past, but I couldnt find this grave of the Demon Lord. (Lucas)

You went deep into the Demonic Forest, Lucas-san? (Makoto)

Long ago. Before the monsters grew active. On top of being pitch black in broad daylight because of the magic trees blocking the light, it does the same thing as the Forest of Lost, it derails your sense of direction. Moreover, the danger level of the monsters isnt fixed. A weak ghost might be floating around together with a Calamity Designation Dragon Zombie. (Lucas)

Uwah, thats a terrible place.

Honestly speaking, I have a harder time dealing with the Demonic Forest than the Lower Floor of Laberintos. (Lucas)

Hey, Makoto, how low did you go in Laberintos? (Jean)

I was on the verge of death at the Mid Floor. (Makoto)

Jean and I sigh together.

The Demonic Forest doesnt sound like something we can deal with.

Why did you go to such a place? (Makoto)

Dont you know? It is said that a treasured magic tool used by Savior Abel is somewhere in the Demon Lords Grave. Well, if it is as the legends say, it cant be used because of the Curse of the Immortal King though. I was thinking about selling it and getting filthy rich. (Lucas)

Huh, I see. (Makoto)

A cursed legendary weapon, huh.

If it is just cursed, our Furiae-san might be able to lift it.

I glance at the curse professional.

Is there no more of this? (Furiae)

Lady, you have some nice appetite.

There, I see Furiae-san gobbling the Bosss skewers one after the other.

She must have noticed my gaze and said I have taken a liking to this and licks her finger that has sauce on it.

It is slightly unrefined, but that gesture of her red tongue licking her porcelain-like finger looked kinda lewd.

Dayum lewd.

{{{}}}

I noticed that the male adventurers were staring intently at that.

Furiae-san must have noticed the many gazes, she smiles and waves her hand.

Haw! What a graceful person. Who is that? She is apparently called Furi-san. Talk to her. She is apparently the comrade of Makoto. Damn it, not having enough with Lucy and Aya-chan, he even has a beauty like that now

The male adventurers were being defeated by the appeal of Furiae-san.

And the female adventurers had eyes as if they werent liking this.

(She is charming people with her looks alone) (Makoto)

I should warn her later.

Makoto, lets drink together! (Lucy)

Takatsuki-kun, I will fill your glass! (Aya)

Lucy and Sa-san came.

Looks like they ran away from the barrage of questions of Emily.

Uhm, it is cramped here (Makoto)

Lucy and Sa-san were sandwiching me.

The hot skin of Lucy, and the cold and refreshing skin of Sa-san were leaning clean onto me.

I cant calm down.

Oh my, flowers in both hands? (Mary)

Mary-san hugs me from behind.

I give up.

Lets drink.

On that day, I drank till late into the night.

Night passes.

(It has been a while since I have felt this.) (Makoto)

I wake up at the dirty Adventurer Guild resting area.

Male adventurers were sleeping in a huddle here and there with their snoring.

I folded the thin blanket for common use at the corner of the room.

By the way, Sa-san and Furiae-san are staying at the same inn as Lucy.

Furiae-san is not an adventurer, so she cant stay in the rest area of the guild.

Sa-san seemed to be fine with either, but I had her stay in the inn with Furiae-san.

It would be nice if the three get along.

I rub my sleepy eyes, wash my face on the water well at the back of the guild, and use water magic to wash my body and clothes.

I hold the dagger in both hands and pray to Noah-sama.

The morning light reflects in the water well and it is dazzling.

(I drank too much yesterday) (Makoto)

While I was drinking the water in order to wake up from my hangover

Help me please! Where is the famous adventurer of Makkaren that subjugates goblins?!

It was early in the morning, so the Adventurer Guild was quiet, but at the entrance of that guild, a loud voice resonated.

Famous adventurer for goblin subjugations?

I notice that the gazes of everyone in the Adventurer Guild gather at me.

Goblin Cleaner.

I did have that nickname

l