I barely succeeded in getting back inside the city walls. I should never sneak out of the city again. That resolution came as a bonus.

CRASH!

"Catch him!"

"One of them is getting away! Chase him!"

"Don't lose him!"

Just what was all this commotion?

On my way back to the inn, I noticed the streets were in chaos. It seemed an arrest operation and chase had been going on since dawn.

"Move or I'll kill...!"

However, amidst all that, I was deep in thought.

A contemplation on why, out of all places, these damn incidents always had to break out near me, right on my way back.

THWACK!

"Keugh!"

"You insect..."

If I had to add one more thing, there was this. Just how unlucky were these damn criminals to bypass so many streets and come exactly to where I was?

Even though it was the time when the sun was just barely about to rise, making me the only person walking around.

Gasp. Or could this be a conspiracy too? The world's scheme to screw me over with crazy coincidences?!

"Grooooan."

As if that could be the case.

I quickly shot down my over-interpretation and roughly guessed what kind of criminal this guy was.

Judging by how fast the guard unit was tailing him and the time of day, it seemed like the guards had deliberately launched a surprise operation.

"You are...!"

"Take him."

"Thank you for your help in arresting the demon worshiper!"

... Even so, it didn't have to be a demon follower.

Did they launch a massive sweep operation because of the previous incident—the one that caused the checkpoint to close? They did a good job finding them even though it hasn't been that many days.

"Urgh."

Regardless, it was all the same that he was someone deserving of arrest.

I handed the man I had subdued over to the guards. Perhaps because he was struck in the solar plexus and slammed onto the ground, the guy was groaning intensely.

"Ah, thank you for your help."

"D-Damn it...!"

"Stay still!"

However, no one paid any attention to him. In fact, some of the guards even used additional violence on the subdued man.

It wasn't a pretty sight. Not that I had the intention or the right to stop them, though.

"Damn it! If Envy... if Envy had been here... the likes of you...!"

"...?"

But somehow, it felt like the name of the one I killed was coming up.

I narrowed my eyes as I watched the arrested demon worshiper being taken away.

There was no need to suddenly grab him and interrogate him now... but seeing him shout Envy's name, I guessed they were followers of Envy. But Envy is already dead. Is there any value in following him?

"Shut up!"

THUD!

"Keugh!"

I pondered why the followers of Envy were here, and why they were acting as pathetic as an ex-lover, but soon shook my head.

Demon worshipers were like cockroaches, so I decided there was no point in reasoning about why they were here.

"I should just get some sleep..."

Crucially, I hadn't slept for a few hours because of the dawn duel, so I was a bit sleepy. I dragged myself back up to the inn.

BANG!

"Catch him!"

... And then came back down. It seemed they really were conducting a deliberate search in the city because of what happened last time. The commotion really didn't stop from every direction.

* * *

The Inquisitor returned after finishing her dawn prayers and heard a surprising story.

"A sweep... you say?"

"Yes, the operation has just been concluded. The arrested individuals have currently been moved to the interrogation room."

To think that all the seeds of evil hiding in the city had been caught. It was good news, but somewhat bewildering.

For now, she wiped off her flowing sweat with the towel draped around her neck. Rattle. Meanwhile, her other hand pulled back a chair, and she sat down.

"If I had known, I would have helped too."

If she had known they were going to subjugate a group of evil, she would have postponed her prayers for a while. The Inquisitor felt a slight sense of regret at that fact.

"Who wouldn't know the Inquisitor's heart... but one doesn't need a sledgehammer to crack a peanut, do they? It is surely because they were enough on their own that they did not send a request for cooperation."

However, the Archmage's words weren't wrong. Unless there was no other option, mobilizing excessive force when an appropriate means existed was clearly foolish.

The Inquisitor agreed with her words.

"More importantly, how did they even get the information?"

"I do not know either. This was an operation entirely planned by the guards."

Meanwhile, the one who had arrived just a little earlier than her threw out a question. The Archmage's hand stroked her chin.

"I heard the Temple was merely asked for cooperation just in case, and for effective suppression."

"Hmm."

"Is there a problem?"

She didn't want to admit it, but there were very few times when things went well after that slacker showed an unpleased reaction.

The Inquisitor immediately hardened her expression and focused on the conversation. Just in case.

"It's just a bit strange... that they found them all simultaneously like this."

Was... that so? Then again, it might be. Demon worshipers were like silverfish, constantly gnawing at the world but not easily discovered.

Meaning, they had to be killed and she wanted to kill them, but they weren't easily spotted unless by coincidence.

"I found that part quite fascinating as well... but Bemurhen's guard unit normally roots out one or two groups of demon followers a year. So wouldn't this also be the result of their hard work?"

"Still, catching one or two groups a year is on a whole different level from arresting remnants scattered across seven locations all at once like now, isn't it?"

"If you put it that way, I have nothing to say... but wouldn't there be some aftermath from the incident a few days ago in its own way?"

"... That they grew vigilant and searched harder? True. It's not like that never happens."

However, seeing the Archmage and the slacker converse and convince each other, her ears also grew thin. Was it really the guards' hard work...?

"But it still feels like they found them too fast... No matter how vigilant they became, it's only been a few days, yet they just happen to find what couldn't be seen until now..."

Ah, was she wrong...?

"Plus, they've been constantly sending out scouts to guard against the mermen's movements. Considering the guards are soldiers in the end, shouldn't they be short on manpower?"

"Then what are you suspecting?"

"No, it's not exactly that I'm suspecting something... I'm just worried. If it's not a coincidence but the result of someone's intention... they might be aiming for something by doing this."

"That is not an incorrect perspective. The problem is, if this was a planned act, for what reason would they have done such a thing..."

While the Inquisitor was feeling confused, the Archmage and Deathbringer steadily exchanged opinions.

"Even if we assume it was the work of other demon followers... I wonder if they'd have a reason to do this. Since they caused an incident at the city gates, they would have been discovered eventually, but they still could have been used if left alone."

"But unless they were fellow demon followers, would anyone know their locations so clearly?"

"That is also true. Unless they were accomplices to begin with, there's no way they would have stayed silent until now while knowing the demon worshipers' locations."

"Then that means there's something worth gaining... Is there?"

"... We will only know once the interrogation results come out."

Unfortunately, they could not come up with an answer yet. They ultimately postponed coming to a conclusion until later.

"If an incident is going to break out anyway, I'd prefer it happens after the sword is finished."

"I agree with that. He said it would be finished in a few days... so I hope that is the case."

"Where should I place the soup?"

"Ah, please place it here. Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

Instead, they decided to focus on the food being served. Dishes that avoided luxury but weren't modest either were placed on the table one by one.

"... She's late."

However, just as the slacker said, one person who should have arrived by now was nowhere to be seen.

"Now that you mention it, the Berserker is not here," the Inquisitor agreed, blinking her eyes. As an aside, the empty seat of yet another person needlessly came to mind, dampening her mood.

"She already said she would be late before she left."

However, thanks to the Archmage's words, they were able to stop their useless thoughts. Since the Archmage's face was calm as she answered, they judged there wouldn't be any major problems. Of course, had they known that she had previously been rejected by the Berserker, and that, coupled with the Demon Knight's affairs, she had lost the confidence to intervene with others, they wouldn't have been so at ease.

"Just what kind of training is she planning to do to even say she'll be late..."

"Maybe she wasn't training, but met a strong opponent...?"

"That makes sense too."

But because they didn't know, they could wait with peace of mind. Furthermore, they even put forward plausible guesses.

"More than that, a strong opponent recognized by that Fighter Boss with her high standards. I'm curious who it is."

It was actually quite a spot-on guess. Though they couldn't even dream that the person in question was someone they knew.

* * *

I meant to sleep for an hour at the inn before leaving, but I ended up sleeping straight for three hours.

I knocked on the workshop door, newly realizing a flaw in the sleep system—that after sleeping the set time and waking up, I could just fall asleep again.

"Come in."

Like always, the door opened automatically and let me inside. The person I thought would be angry at me for being late was engrossed in his work, his face covered in heavy dark circles.

A few flasks that looked like they belonged in a science lab and a bubbling pot somehow made him look like an alchemist.

SWISH.

I neatly folded my taken-off coat and placed it on the table. However, the Meister didn't even pay it any attention. Whatever he was working on right now must have been more important.

"Hoo."

Then, for a moment. After a long while, the man took his hands off the reagent bottle and leaned back in his chair.

"Over there, the ones to put magic into."

Several batteries were stacked on another table.

Considering I left the workshop at 7 o'clock yesterday, and had put magic into all the batteries he'd made up until then, this was quite surprising.

When exactly did he make them? Even taking into account that I was a bit late today, he shouldn't have had the time to make them.

... Did he stay up all night, by any chance?

"Phew."

Even the way he moved showed significantly heavier fatigue compared to what I had seen over the past few days.

I injected magic into the batteries and looked at what the Meister had been making. It was contained in reagent bottles, so I couldn't tell what was what. Was he doing some sort of scientific research?

"I'm dying..."

Well... if he wants to do it, he'll do it.

I watched the Meister let out groans of pain and sat down on the couch. Whenever I suddenly felt an unpleasant gaze, it belonged to the Meister.

"I'm sleepy and hungry."

He spoke in a very dry and plain tone, one that perhaps even felt like he was looking down on me.

"I said I'm hungry."

Thanks to that, I couldn't understand what he was saying right away.

Of course, how could I immediately reconcile someone who looked exactly like the cliché 'Flashy-looking aristocrat character #1 who has germaphobia and obsesses over etiquette' whining like a child? My brain simply refused to comprehend it.

On top of that, the content of his words was the same.

I get that you're hungry, but so what? Persona aside, you're not even close to me... We aren't close enough to have this kind of conversation...

"Have you given up your intelligence using fatigue as an excuse."

I glared at him with an emotion a half-step behind contempt. While I had shown him kindness a few times, it wasn't to the extent of becoming his errand boy.

"It's not that bad, so put that gaze away."

And the Meister knew that too. He didn't whine anymore.

"Let's make a deal."

Instead, he offered something else. "Since you said you were an adventurer, maybe 'commission' would be a more fitting word?" As if he had planned this from the start, his following words were neat.

"The details."

"Delivery of goods."

It was the appearance of the type of side quest I liked. That is, in the sense that it was peaceful, minor, and simple.

"I trust you won't refuse just because it's trivial. Filthy adventurers who only look out for their own interests might pick and choose their missions, but surely someone of your caliber wouldn't do that."

The Meister even pandered to the pride of my persona.

He gently provoked me so I couldn't refuse, yet by not stating it outright, he completely eliminated any way for me to push back strongly with a 'So what?'.

"... Such a sly trick."

"Thanks for the compliment."

"Just tell me the items."

As a result, if I refused, I would be the only one looking petty. I urged him on irritably—while secretly rejoicing at the minor side quest.

"First, deliver those finished products to each client. That's the first thing."

However, it seemed the phrase 'delivery of goods' entailed quite a lot, as the Meister's words gave off the nuance of dragging on.

"Every time you deliver a finished product, the clients will pay the remaining balance. Collect that payment and buy the specified materials. That's the second thing."

"Is there more."

"Among the materials to buy, there are some that require secondary processing. Hand those materials over to the respective workshops and commission them for processing. That's the third."

The Meister finished his words by stating that the fourth was delivering the remaining materials to him.

It was simple, but I had a feeling it would require a whole lot of going back and forth.

"Ah, I have to include this too. Deliver this bottle and letter to the castle. If you give my name to the gatekeeper and leave them, he'll take care of it. It's not a commissioned item so there won't be any payment. You just have to deliver it."

Hmm. I should correct myself—it wasn't a feeling, it was a certainty.

"For reference, I'd like you to get it all done within the morning. Right now I can't research your equipment because my work is piled up, but I should have some spare time in the afternoon."

There was even a time limit on top of that.

Since I had no intention of putting it off, the time limit hardly mattered, but he really seemed to live efficiently. He even took into consideration that he couldn't research the equipment if I stayed outside for too long.

"The price."

"Hmm. 100,000..."

100,000?

"...200,000 gal."

Under my intense, downward gaze, the Meister changed his tune. Compared to the commissions I had completed so far, it seemed very small, but looking closely at it, that wasn't necessarily the case.

No, it might actually be a bit much?

From what I remembered, the sewer cleaning commission was around forty or fifty.

If a commission that involved risking my life to hunt demons paid that much, then 200,000 for a simple delivery quest wasn't bad. Probably.

"In exchange, if the items are damaged, delivered incorrectly, or lost during transit, you will compensate me."

"That won't happen."

"Then that's great for me."

After saying that, the Meister added his final words.

"When you come back, buy some porridge from the inn you're staying at."

Right, he said he was hungry. Makes sense that he'd order that.