Saikyō Fuyoshi no Mujikaku Hāremu Bōkentan: Nakama no Kao mo Sujō mo Shiranai kedo Tabun Zen'in Otoko da to Omo u | [Chapter 1] (Patreon)

The headquarters of Unknown is located in the town of Avantail within the Kingdom of Farnas. It’s one of the most developed cities in the realm, and it's pretty well-known as a major hub for adventurers. Its claim to fame is the local delicacy: grilled marbled lizard.

There are two top-tier, S-Rank parties operating out of this town.

One is Silver Blade.

The other is Unknown.

Unlike Silver Blade, who took their time and built their reputation through steady, reliable achievements, Unknown shot straight to the top at breakneck speed. Because we're basically the new kids on the block, people still look down on us, and we've got plenty of detractors throughout the kingdom. Well, we've systematically thrashed anyone who ever tried to cross us, so it’s not like it’s actually caused us any real trouble.

Our beloved Unknown headquarters sits quietly nestled within Avantail’s residential district.

It boasts a magnificent gate and a stately brick mansion. There's a massive yard, complete with a training ground where we can test out various combat techniques and magic spells. This is just what happens when you look for a building with enough rooms for all your comrades to live together under one roof. Supposedly, it used to belong to a former nobleman, but the design isn't overly gaudy; it has a calm, settled vibe that I absolutely love. It cost a pretty penny, sure, but I don't regret it for a second.

Right now, I was sitting alone on a sofa in the mansion's spacious living room, waiting for the clock to tick down.

"I can do this. I've got this. I can get them to talk. Just relax."

I was about to conduct interviews with my party members. New recruits? Nope. I was giving every single current member a one-on-one performance review. It was all for the sake of building a deeper bond of trust, of course. To be completely honest, though, right now I had absolutely no idea where to even start.

If anyone called me out for waiting until now to do this, I wouldn't have a leg to stand on. But a party is ultimately a professional relationship. Unless you form one with childhood friends or buddies, you generally don't pry into each other's private lives. In fact, that approach had worked perfectly fine for us up until now. As long as someone is strong, has decent common sense, and possesses a bare minimum level of cooperativeness, everything else is usually irrelevant.

But recently, a realization dawned on me: isn't it kind of a disaster that I know so little about them?

It all started with an incident three months ago.

A certain mid-tier party brought on a newcomer to act as their baggage carrier. Despite having a modest, reserved personality, this rookie was terrifyingly competent.

However, that competence proved to be their downfall.

Before long, every member of that party letting their own skills go to their heads, drowning in their own complacency. Their treatment of the rookie grew sloppier by the day, eventually escalating to outright physical abuse. Then, one day, the rookie vanished without a trace. Naturally, the entire party searched for him. But he was never found. As it turned out later, the rookie had been using a fake name, and the background he’d given them was a complete fabrication.

Having lost their highly competent ally, discord fractured the party. They started bickering among themselves and ultimately disbanded. Since they were a pretty famous party within the kingdom, the whole saga spread everywhere as major news.

Saying this much is probably enough for you to get the picture.

Our party is in pretty much the exact same situation.

Every single member is ultra-talented. Naturally, as the leader, I’ve been letting my chest puff out with pride. I don't intend to treat anyone poorly, but it's not impossible that I've been doing it subconsciously. Or maybe I’ve inadvertently stepped on a landmine without realizing it. If any of them decided to vanish, I would have absolutely no way to track them down. If that happens, there's no guaranteeing we won't fall into internal strife just like that other party. In short, we're facing a potential breakup crisis.

Once that thought took root, I realized I desperately needed to know what my comrades actually looked like beneath the surface. If possible, I wanted to get a handle on their actual backgrounds, too.

Once the thought consumed me, my burning desire to know their faces and true identities simply wouldn't quiet down. Forget their backgrounds—I didn't even know their races or genders. Even their names might be fake. Now that my attention was locked onto it, my curiosity was thoroughly piqued.

I want to know, I want to know, I want to know, I want to know, I want to know, I want to know, I want to know, I want to know, I want to know, I want to know, I want to know, I want to know, I want to know, I want to know, I want to know, I want to know, I want to know, I want to know, I want to know, I want to know, I want to know, I want to know, I want to know, I want to know, I want to know, I want to know, I want to know, I want to know.

Trying to ask anyone for advice felt way too embarrassing at this late stage, and since there wasn't a soul in this town I could talk to outside of my own party, I was at a total loss. That was when I thought of the church's confessional. A place where I could get advice without anyone finding out—it was an absolute stroke of divine inspiration.

And so, following the advice I received to build true trust, I was attempting to tackle these interviews. If I could extract even a single personal worry out of them, I'd consider it a massive win. From there, I could deepen our bond and eventually see their real faces.

The ultimate goal: a true, ultimate party where everyone shows their real selves.

A knock sounded at the door. When I gave the word, my sub-leader entered the room.

"An interview? How incredibly unusual for you. Mind if I sit?"

"Go right ahead."

Exuding the aura of a perfect knight, he took a seat on the sofa with a natural yet highly refined grace. He wore a mask over his eyes, and long, flowing hair that looked like spun gold trailed down. His race was human. Male. Eighteen years old.

Ferris-san—he’s Unknown's primary attacker and our sub-leader. His moniker is "The Flame Sword," a title earned because he wields fire in battle. He and I have been together since the party's inception. It’s only been three years since we met, but it feels like we've been working together for a lifetime. He’s a partner I can comfortably call my best friend. He also happens to be the only member whose race and gender are actually known to me.

With a slight smile playing on his lips, he maintained a perfectly composed demeanor, looking entirely ready for whatever I had to throw at him.

"Alright, let's get started. Is there anything you've been struggling with lately?"

"Let's see. If I had to pick something, it would be the fact that our leader is frequently referred to as a total scumbag."

"Hey."

"As your comrade, it's quite embarrassing."

"This isn't a tribunal for you to air your grievances."

Next topic, next topic. Keep messing around and I'm docking your bonus, got it?

"Anything else?"

"The pantry is running dangerously low on ingredients. It would be an immense help if you could restock it. Also, as I’ve mentioned several times before, isn't it about time we got a pet? Given the nature of our work, our hearts tend to grow calloused. We could really use a little source of comfort around here."

"I'll take care of the pantry. As for the pet, that's still under consideration. Depending on the animal, they can scratch up the walls and furniture, right? Then we'd have to repair everything, and there's no guarantee we're going to live here until we die. I want to avoid anything that drops the property value when we try to sell it."

"A reasonable point. Then how about this? We agree to get a pet. We can figure out the exact details of what kind of animal to get as we talk things through over time. Naturally, I will take full responsibility for its care."

He leaned forward, directing an expectant gaze right at me. He must really, really want a pet.

A source of comfort, huh? Do we really need that? Well, Ferris-san does always cook for us, bakes treats, and he even gave me a handmade muffler last year. He takes care of us in so many ways, so I kind of want to indulge his whims a little bit.

"Fine. If it's a pet that won't wreck the mansion, I'll give it the green light."

"Hehe, I knew you'd be reasonable, Lux-san."

Seemingly satisfied, he leaned back into the cushions.

It didn't look like I was going to extract any deeper worries out of him. In that case, time for the real question.

"Lastly... how long do you plan on keeping that mask on?"

"I'm terribly sorry, but I cannot show my true face even to you just yet. For now, all I can say is that the time hasn't come. It seems our interview is concluded. If you'll excuse me."

Swiftly cutting off the conversation, Ferris-san exited the room.

Exactly the response I expected. What do you mean "when the time comes"? Don't just leave me with ominous, cryptic parting words. If anything, it just makes me extra curious and totally restless.

A knock came at the door, and the second person entered. Dressed entirely in pitch-black, I recognized him the instant he stepped inside.

"W-What did... you want to... talk about...?"

"For now, just take a seat. I just want to hear if you have any complaints or worries."

"............"

Speaking in a somewhat difficult-to-comprehend cadence was Zain-san.

He was entirely wrapped in black cloth, bound tightly from top to bottom by countless belts. The single eye peeking out came through a crude hole cut into the fabric, making it completely impossible to determine his race, let alone his gender. He was a man of few words, frequently lapsing into total silence. Ironically, due to his bizarre and terrifying appearance, he actually had a surprising number of fans, and more than a few people had become adventurers out of pure admiration for him.

Taking a seat on the sofa, Zain-san stared intently at me with his bloodshot eye.

"How have you been feeling lately? Anything troubling you?"

"Y-Ye... ye... ye... yes. The flowers... in the yard... need... fertilizer. We... have none."

"Fertilizer, got it. Anything else?"

"P-P-P-Pa..."

"Paper and ink?"

"Yes."

Zain-san was the person I'd known the longest after Ferris-san. At this point, I could pretty much decipher what he was trying to communicate.

Zain-san was the one taking care of the flowers in the yard. He meticulously tended to them every day, and he even managed a small vegetable garden out back. He occasionally begged for paper and ink like this, but I had absolutely no idea what he was doing with them in his room. Yeah, that's exactly the problem, isn't it? Because I've shown zero interest in what my comrades are up to, they don't truly trust me, which is why they won't reveal their true identities.

"Any other worries? Requests are fine too."

"More... blood."

"Are you talking about how you barely get any screen time as our healer? Well, it's true that opportunities to treat people have dropped. We just haven't been getting injured lately."

"I w-w-want... everyone... to get hurt... a lot."

"No way. Why on earth would we purposely go out of our way to get hurt?"

Healers are mages who specialize in mending wounds and curing illnesses using Holy and Light attribute mana. Despite his appearance, Zain-san was an incredibly powerful, top-tier healer. On top of that, he was highly proficient in hand-to-hand combat, rendering him an absolute elite with no equal in that field either.

"Come to think of it, didn't the guild mention something about rookie training? There'll be plenty of injured people there, so I think it might be good for you to participate once in a while."

"I'll... go."

"Alright, I'll pass that along to the guild."

Zain-san seemed happy. Of course, I couldn't see his expression. It was just a feeling.

I cleared my throat, shifting gears. "Lastly..."

"If it's impossible, you don't have to force yourself, but... you know... if you could show me your real face soon... it would make me pretty happy."

"A-A-Ah... AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

"Yikes?!"

Abruptly leaping to his feet, Zain-san bolted right out of the room.

"I guess that's a no..."

The third person entered. It was a massive figure clad in a full suit of heavy armor.

His name was Grannotes-san. He was the third member to join our ranks.

Position-wise, he was our vanguard. He always did a magnificent job operating as both our tank and attacker. His weapon of choice was an axe. And not just one—he dual-wielded them. He effortlessly swung weapons of absurd weight with single-handed grips. It was exactly the kind of manly combat style I admired most. As you can see, his race and gender were also completely unknown.

Psssshhhhhhh. Steam erupted from Grannotes-san's body.

Every now and then, he would vent hot air through the gaps in his armor like this. Seriously, what kind of creature is he? His eyes glow red sometimes, too.

"IS IT ALRIGHT... IF I SIT?"

"Go ahead, go ahead."

Thud. The heavy duty sofa creaked loudly just from Grannotes-san sitting down.

His voice was incredibly bizarre. It wasn't distinctly male, nor was it female. Calling it safe or androgynous felt off, too. If I had to describe it, it sounded like a rigid, slightly muffled voice being projected through some kind of filter. Occasionally, strange mechanical noises like thud, clack, or bzzz would mix into his speech.

I stared into the pitch-black void where his eyes were supposed to be.

"How are things going? Are you getting along well with the other members?"

"NO PROBLEMS."

"I see. Then, do you have any worries? Requests work too."

"I WANT... BOOKS."

"I could've sworn I bought you a massive pile of them just the other day."

He spread his arms wide and shrugged his shoulders, as if to say he’d already read them all and was bored.

By the way, reading happens to be his hobby. He also regularly buys massive barrels of alcohol to drink in his room, giving me the distinct impression of an intellectual, heavy-drinking gentleman. He was surprisingly nimble, and I frequently spotted him wandering around town. Thanks to his massive size, he was incredibly popular, and you could always find a swarm of kids trailing behind him.

"Alright, I'll procure some new books for you. Anything else?"

"I WANT... A MORE EXCITING... ADVENTURE."

Exciting—meaning a job where he can cut loose, huh? We haven't had any quests requiring the full party lately, so maybe I'll look for a solo request he can handle. Given his track record, Grannotes-san would probably return without a single scratch anyway.

"Lastly, isn't it inconvenient for you to wear that full suit of armor twenty-four seven?"

"NOT AT ALL."

"Oh, is that so?"

Completely oblivious to the turmoil in my heart, Grannotes-san exited the room.

Are you kidding me? How is that state of being not inconvenient? Could Grannotes-san actually be a golem? Maybe the part I think is armor is actually his physical body, and the inside is completely hollow. My curiosity was spinning out of control.

A knock sounded, and the fourth and final member stepped inside.

Their name was Silk-san. To put it in a single phrase: a giant white furball.

My best guess was that long white hair completely covered their entire body. Given the sheer volume and length, I had never once seen so much as a hand or the tip of a foot. Since they were a mage, a staff would occasionally poke out from amidst the fur, but the area underneath remained completely dark and impossible to verify. If you tried to peer deeper into that darkness, it felt like an abyssal pitch-black was about to reach out and grab you, forcing you to look away. It was terrifying.

"I heard there was an interview."

"Yeah, that's right. Hey, do you want some tea? I can brew some."

"Unnecessary."

Despite my attempt to show some hospitality, Silk-san gave a little shake of their head. Then, they plunked down onto the sofa.

As always, just a giant ball of fur. For some reason, it reminded me of a fluffy dog.

What does the inside look like? Truly an absolute mystery.

Silk-san was the last member to join the party. Unlike Zain-san or Grannotes-san, they spoke fluently and possessed high communication skills. They were quite considerate of others, making them the member most conscious of party harmony after Ferris-san.

Their magical prowess was completely off the charts, to the point where I couldn't even accurately gauge their upper limits. I'd witnessed it firsthand up close, so I knew they were absurdly powerful, but the sheer scale of it was so far beyond my comprehension that I couldn't even read what heights they had scaled. On the flip side, their mysterious creature-like silhouette made them incredibly popular with children. Though, I often saw mothers desperately pulling their kids away from them.

They were also the only member of the party with a clear, explicit goal. Silk-san was pursuing a legendary ancient ruin known as the "Sky Castle."

The Sky Castle is a mythical ruin that continuously drifts through the clouds. According to common lore, it's an ultra-high-difficulty dungeon created by a demon god who once ruled the continent. However, because it continuously moves while flying, very few have ever managed to board it. Furthermore, since the number of people who have ever returned alive stands at a solid zero, it's counted as one of the Five Unexplored Great Dungeons.

As for why they were aiming for the Sky Castle, they still hadn't shared that reason with me.

"Any troubles or worries lately?"

"I want that new item called 'shampoo and conditioner' that came out recently."

"Why's that?"

"Apparently, washing with it gives your hair a beautiful sheen. I take great care of my fur."

I... see. Now that they mentioned it, it did look a little unkempt. Ferris-san had requested the same product, so procurement wouldn't be an issue.

"I'll stock up on it. Anything else?"

"I want to go to a ruin where ancient magic was utilized. Entry is restricted, so we can't get in without an official request."

"Understood. I'll pass it along to the guild."

"Thank you."

For some reason, Silk-san seemed to emit a soft, fluffy aura. They were probably happy. The stray tuft of hair on top of their head was bobbing up and down, too. Definitely a mysterious creature. Man, I really want to know what's under all that fur.

"Lastly... do you ever plan on cutting your hair?"

"Hair is precious. It keeps me warm."

Ah, so you're sensitive to the cold, huh? Good to know. Yeah... makes sense.

The white furball promptly left the room.

"I tried the interviews, but there are absolutely no leads. How am I supposed to get them to open up about their worries like this?"

Left alone, I buried my face in my hands.

My party is packed to the brim with absolute weirdos. Nothing is going according to plan. It's no wonder people on the streets call us a freak show. Outside of a few fanatical die-hards, we're an S-Rank party of oddities that gets zero mainstream support. That is our proud Unknown.

But I can't just leave things like this. Even if it's a bit late in the game to realize it, it's a terrible look for me as the leader to know absolutely nothing about my own team. Sure, back in the day, I went through a phase where I thought as long as I was strong, everything else was just trivial details. When we first formed the party, we were desperately short-handed, after all. So I just hired every single person who showed up, and this is the result.

"Am I not required to take an interview?"

"Nah, it's fine, it's fine. I already heard what I needed to from the people I wanted to talk to."

"Is that so? Well then."

"Wait, what?"

I whipped around with a start. I could've sworn I heard a voice, but there was absolutely no one behind me.

Just my imagination? Am I just tired? Let's just call it a day. Our party has five members. There's no way a sixth person could be hanging around.

A knock sounded at the door, and Ferris-san walked in. As usual, he had an apron fastened over his armor.

"Dinner is ready. You guys should come eat."

"Perfect timing, I was just getting hungry. But what do you mean by 'you guys'?"

"?"

Leaving a thoroughly confused Ferris-san behind, I headed toward the dining hall. Totally oblivious to the fact that yet another presence was trailing right behind me.

I strolled out from the main thoroughfare and stepped inside a certain building. The absolute instant my foot crossed the threshold, the ruffians who had been guzzling ale all locked their eyes onto me. This was the Adventurers' Guild. The place where we pick up the vast majority of our work.

An adventurer's job is basically acting as a glorified jack-of-all-trades, covering everything from gathering medicinal herbs to monster extermination and escort duties. Heck, there are even quests to find lost cats. Unlike mercenaries, combat against other humans is a rarity. We aren't warmongers. Though, we do what we must when it comes to escort missions or unforeseen emergencies.

An S-Rank party's primary duty is to take on high-difficulty requests that mid-tier or even seasoned veteran groups can't handle.

The catch is, those kinds of jobs aren't exactly growing on trees.

Unlike the royal capital, Avantail is a somewhat awkwardly developed countryside town. The surrounding monsters are relatively weak, meaning the mid-tier and veteran squads can handle almost everything on their own. Since our name doesn't automatically pull in mountains of work like our S-Rank peers over at Silver Blade, we naturally find ourselves starved for jobs. People already avoid us purely based on our appearance, and since we rocketed straight to the top, our rank and our actual public credibility are completely out of sync.

In short, even though we're S-Rank, we still have to diligently hustle for business every single day just to keep the lights on.

Honestly, I just want to make a quick fortune and retire already.

I want to till a field in the countryside, surrounded by a cute wife and kids, living a peaceful, perfectly ordinary life. And then at night, my wife and I can get all tangled up and whisper sweet nothings to each other.

"Hey there."

Walking further into the guild, I headed straight for the counter handled by a female receptionist I knew well. The moment she caught sight of me, she let out a heavy sigh for some reason.

"Lux-san, we don't have any S-Rank work available."

"Are you serious? Again?"

"All the direct requests automatically go to Silver Blade. Unless it's an absolute emergency, I highly doubt anything is going to be passed down to Unknown."

"Then what was the point of us climbing all the way to S-Rank in the first place?"

"Right? Oh, come to think of it, the Guildmaster was looking for you, Lux-san."

"I'll head over right now."

Silver Blade... those guys are as infuriating as always. Just because they have slightly better looks, a built-up track record, a sterling reputation, and immense popularity. Let me tell you, if we're talking about pure combat strength, our party is hands-down the strongest. Come on, throw us a bone and share some of the workload. Pretty please?

"Look at that. The leader of the freak show is here again."

"Looking for work today too, Lux-san?"

A bunch of rough-looking guys who had been downing ale since midday scoffed and sneered in my direction.

The guild had a built-in tavern. Needless to say, the guys getting plastered in the middle of the afternoon were usually just a bunch of good-for-nothing mid-tier or veteran adventurers.

"You're a dedicated one, aren't you? Checking in every single day despite being S-Rank. Why don't you take a breather?"

"Come over here and have a drink with us, Lux."

Naturally, I knew them. They had terrifying faces, but deep down, they were all good guys.

"My wife just had a baby. The rest of the party and I were actually just celebrating."

"Are you serious? That's awesome, man! Alright, just one drink then."

After getting a cheer from the staff, I clinked my glass with the older guys.

Guess I have no choice. It's a celebration, after all. I suppose I'll pick up the tab for this round.

"So... you're telling me you were drinking until just now?"

"My bad. I only intended to have one. So, what's the situation?"

Sitting on the sofa across from me, the Guildmaster let out an exasperated sigh. He was a slender man with streaks of white in his hair. He used to be a famous S-Rank adventurer, and even after retiring, he still ran the guild like this. Since we met up so often, our relationship had become pretty personal.

"To be honest, a rookie party that went into the dungeon hasn't come back yet."

"An emergency request, huh? Where are they?"

"The Corridor of the Dead."

Ah, that place. It was a labyrinth meant for beginners, crawling with undead. They called it beginner-friendly, but the actual difficulty was decent. Reaching the lowest floor was pretty tough unless you were pushing toward mid-tier rank. Because of that, the standard strategy for rookies was to stick mainly to the shallow areas of the first and second basements.

For a party to go missing in a place like that, they either went down to a floor way past their skill level, ran into some kind of trouble... or they were already dead.

"Why come to me? Isn't that a job for mid-tier or veteran adventurers?"

"They're promising rookies, you see. I've been keeping a casual eye on them. And besides..."

"Don't play mysterious on me. Tell me, or I'm not helping."

"Lately, there have been reports of sightings that sound a lot like a Dullahan. I want you to verify whether that's true. If it is, the veterans won't be able to handle it."

"A Dullahan, huh? I didn't think those showed up in the Corridor of the Dead."

Dullahans were high-ranking undead. They were souls with powerful lingering regrets in this world that had turned into monsters, and it was said they usually came from people who held high status in life, like knights or nobles. They were highly skilled with weapons and could inflict the 'Paralyze' debuff, making them widely feared as a major pain to deal with. Without a Mage or an Enchanter who could cast resistance magic, a party could easily face total annihilation.

There was a high chance those promising rookies had the terrible luck of running into that Dullahan.

I hope they aren't dead, but if they are, don't blame me.

"What's the reward?"

"How does fifty gold coins sound?"

"It's a Dullahan. At least a hundred."

"How about ten if you can rescue the rookies, plus an extra hundred if you successfully subjugate the Dullahan?"

"Yeah, fine. I'll take it at that price."

Alright, I needed to head back home and decide who to bring along. By the way, I couldn't perform any attacks myself, so I'd be relying entirely on my vanguard. I'm strictly support, after all.

My stomach wouldn't stop growling. Our food supply had completely run out. We hadn't planned on staying in the dungeon for a long period in the first place, so we had only brought the bare minimum of rations.

Akane-san, our leader, was peeking through a crack in the door to check the other side. Watching over Rinoa-san, who was lying down with her injuries, I called out to Akane-san in a small voice.

"Is it still out there?"

"It doesn't even look like it's trying to leave. Why on earth is a Dullahan in a beginner dungeon?"

"Akane-san, you're going to wake Rinoa-chan."

"Sorry."

Bleeding from her abdomen, Rinoa-chan was sweating bullets, her face twisted in agony. I had managed to give her emergency first aid, but as a mage, I couldn't completely heal her.

Why did things turn out like this? No matter how much I thought about it, it just felt like terrible luck.

We were a rookie party called 'Little Flowers'.

It consisted of three members: Akane-san the swordsman, Belle-san the mage—which was me—and Rinoa-chan the thief.

We had visited the Corridor of the Dead to hunt skeletons. No matter how many we hunted, it wouldn't bring in much money, but as rookies, we needed the experience. We had patiently come here time and time again, making maps, defeating enemies, and feeling ourselves grow bit by bit. Until that showed up.

A Dullahan was a high-ranking monster among the undead. It wasn't the kind of creature that belonged in a beginner area like this. Caught by a surprise attack, Rinoa-chan was immediately taken out of the fight. Carrying her while she was unable to move, we somehow managed to escape into this room, leading up to right now.

However, help still hadn't arrived. Perhaps sensing that we were running on fumes, the Dullahan refused to move from the front of the door.

Our next move would probably be our last. Both Akane-san and I were reaching our physical limits. As for Rinoa-chan, she was in a truly critical state. It was about time to either take a gamble or brace ourselves for the worst.

"Is help really not coming?"

"I'm sure a search party is out looking for us. It's been a while since our scheduled return time. But if the searchers are D-Rank or C-Rank, they won't stand a chance against a Dullahan."

"What should we do?"

"Don't give up. There's still one option left."

Akane-san drew her sword and took a deep breath. Then, she instructed me to carry Rinoa-chan on my back.

"I'll draw its attention. While I do that, Belle, take Rinoa and escape to the surface."

"You're going to act as bait?! Absolutely not!"

"This is the only way left!"

I gripped my staff tightly and bit my lip. I couldn't forgive myself for being so powerless. If only I were stronger...

Thud... Rumble.

The ground shook, and dust rained down from the ceiling. Immediately after, the door was smashed open as the Dullahan came flying inward, crashing hard against the wall before slumping to the floor.

"Ah, man. You broke it."

"If you have a complaint, Lux-san, would you care to be my opponent instead?"

"Blood... Give me... blood..."

Emerging from the swirling cloud of dust were three adventurers.

A blond swordsman wearing a mask.

An enchanter with messy black hair who looked completely unreadable.

And a humanoid figure clad entirely in black, bound tight by belts from head to toe.

"Blood..."

"Eek?!"

The person in black bent their body backward in an impossible angle, locking onto me with the only thing visible—their bloodshot eyes.

"That guy's a healer. When he says 'blood,' he means he wants to heal you."

"O-Oh, okay..."

"Blood! Give me blooooood!!"

What is up with these people?

The Corridor of the Dead. Rumor had it that the place was an ancient graveyard. Whether it was true or just a street whisper, people said it had become a nest for the undead due to the buildup of miasma.

Zain-san used holy magic to purify a whole group of skeletons all at once.

"Man, bringing you along was definitely the right call."

"Holy magic is incredibly effective against the undead, after all. Zain-san is so dependable."

"D-D-Don't praise me so much! You're making me blush!"

The healer bound in a black bodysuit of belts was Zain-san Helnard.

This guy was truly an enigma. Setting aside his appearance, when you actually spoke to him, he was surprisingly straightforward and meekly followed orders. Above all, the holy magic he wielded was incredibly high-spec. He could handle healing, purifying miasma, exterminating undead, and even dispelling curses—he was an absolute jackpot of a talent. On top of that, he was even skilled in hand-to-hand combat. As far as party roles went, you couldn't ask for a more valuable asset.

His only flaws were his terrifying appearance and the fact that he regularly shut himself away from society. Oh, and he got arrested by the town guards about once a month for looking like a suspicious person. Every time a rookie guard got stationed in town, they'd freak out over Zain-san. At this point, it was basically an Avanteil tourist attraction.

"A fresh batch of skeletons. Allow me to handle this."

"You got it."

Skeletons rushed down the dim, chilly stone corridor, their hard feet clattering against the floor. Ferris-san drew the sword at his hip, slipping through them like a gust of wind and slicing down three of the enemies in a flash.

As expected of a master swordsman. He effortlessly cut right through the hard bones of the skeletons. More than anything, his cool, serene smile looked straight out of a painting. With his androgynous features and elegant bearing, the mask mysteriously concealing his eyes only added to his charm.

The vast majority of his fans were overwhelmingly female. He was incredibly reliable as an ally, but there was no one more troublesome to have as an enemy. Even if you just got into a minor scuffle with him, word would somehow spread to all the women in town, and you'd end up getting treated like public enemy number one. It was rough. Honestly, he probably had over a hundred fighters under his thumb.

"The miasma seems pretty thin around here."

"It doesn't start pooling heavily until the fifth basement floor. No need to purify just yet."

"Not... purifying...?!"

"If things look bad, I'll ask you to do it."

"Leave it... to meeeee!!"

Zain-san leaned his face in so close we were practically touching. His bloodshot eyes rolled as he locked onto me.

Yeah, way too close. His sense of personal space was completely broken, as usual. But hey, he had a great personality despite looking like that. You really can't judge a book by its cover.

By the way, miasma was a toxic air favored by the undead. If the living breathed it in, their bodies would become paralyzed, and they'd gradually lose their sanity. Undead spawned where miasma gathered, and miasma generated where undead existed. Either way, it wasn't a place you should charge into without a plan.

We continued down the stone hallway. Blue flames flickered from torches mounted at regular intervals along the walls.

"We're assuming that rookie party ran into the Dullahan, but shouldn't we consider the possibility that they failed to return due to some other factor?"

"You're not wrong, but from what I've heard, they don't seem like the type to neglect their mapping. They seem to know when to pull back, too. If they're quick on their feet, there's a good chance they're still alive. What bothers me more is why a high-ranking undead like a Dullahan is even here."

"Did it come from the outside?"

"It's entirely possible it was drawn in by the miasma here. Though it's a total nightmare for the rookies."

Suddenly, my sensor triggered. I constantly kept a web of magical energy spread out in a full three-hundred-and-sixty-degree radius around me.

"Enemy ahead."

"How many?"

"Just one. I'm also picking up three reactions close by, but they aren't moving at all. That's probably the rookies we're looking for, holed up in a room after running from the Dullahan."

"Then that single target is the one that needs to be cut down."

"I'll leave the enemy to you, Ferris-san. Zain-san, go check if the rookies are injured."

"Blood... I will heal... all the blood...!"

Standing in front of a tightly shut door was a set of black full-plate armor. However, it had no head, and its right hand gripped a well-worn one-handed sword. A high-ranking undead, the Dullahan. Exuding a malevolent miasma, it slowly pointed its blade toward us.

"I am your opponent."

Ferris-san drew his sword once more. It was clearly a masterpiece forged by a master craftsman; the blade reflected the light like a mirror without a single nick on it. As he channeled his magical energy into it, the ancient magical runes carved into the blade glowed, bursting into flames.

Even I couldn't read the characters engraved on that sword. Based on the effect, I assumed it was the power to control fire. A lot of ancient magical scripts had been lost over time, making them incredibly difficult to fully decipher.

In a single breath, they both closed the distance. Ferris-san was a fraction of a second faster. Switching to defense at the very last moment, the Dullahan blocked sword with sword. However, it couldn't fully withstand the flames and the impact, and with a booming crash, the Dullahan smashed backward right through the door.

As the heavy dust swirled around, we stepped into the inner room.

"Ah, man. You broke it."

"If you have a complaint, Lux-san, would you care to be my opponent instead?"

"Blood... Give me... blood..."

There's no way I'd complain. Come on, Ferris-san, don't be like that.

Leaving the Dullahan to Ferris-san, Zain-san and I went to check on the rookies. Zain-san was already examining the condition of a black-haired girl who looked like a thief, lying on the floor with her injuries. I decided to call out to the mage girl with her green hair tied in braids, who was staring blankly at us.

"Glad to see you're safe. We came to rescue you, so you're going to be fine now."

"Um... who are you guys?"

"We're Unknown."

The one who answered was the red-haired swordsman girl.

"An S-Rank party?! People like you came for us?!"

"It was a request from the Guildmaster. We also came to check if the Dullahan sightings were real. Honestly, I'd love to complain and tell him he should've put out an investigation request to us before things got this bad. But anyway, I'm just glad you're safe."

"Please help my friend! Her wounds are really deep!"

"That's already taken care of."

"Huh?"

Zain-san unleashed a light of healing onto the black-haired girl. The holy healing effect closed the wound in the blink of an eye, and on top of that, it instantly purified the miasma filling the room. To think that was just a low-tier Cure spell was insane. The effect looked more like a mid-tier High Cure.

The mage girl was completely speechless.

"Chantless holy magic...? It even purified the miasma... Was that High Cure?!"

"I-I-I... healed it all. If she rests... she can... w-walk tomorrow..."

Zain-san rolled his eyes toward the mage girl, staring intently at her. The sight must have been terrifying to her, because she let out a tiny gasp of fright.

Now, all that was left was Ferris-san.

Slowly rising to its feet, the Dullahan pointed its blade at Ferris-san once again.

Its sword was subtly decorated, striking a nice balance between practicality and flair—it looked like quite a fine piece of work. The armor was also grand, resembling that of a high-ranking knight. Perhaps it had been a royal guard protecting a noble in life.

A Dullahan was a headless undead. The powerful emotions from its past life inhabited its equipment, turning it into a monster. Unlike skeletons or zombies, their lingering regrets ran deep, and even in death, they wandered aimlessly trying to fulfill those past desires. To defeat a Dullahan, one had to destroy the possessed equipment.

Ferris-san and the Dullahan clashed. It was the Dullahan whose sword was deflected.

Despite how he looked, Ferris-san was a power-focused swordsman. While he fell slightly short of a greatsword user, he possessed enough strength to match them. And then there was that fire. From the Dullahan's perspective, it probably wanted to complain that he was the real monster here.

Closing in, Ferris-san and the Dullahan traded blows. The screech of clashing metal echoed out as sparks flew. Neither side gave an inch in their rapid exchange, their arcing blades continuously crossing.

"Flame Flash!"

A red flash unleashed in a horizontal swipe melted and tore right through the Dullahan's armor. The heat and shockwave turned into an aftermath that raged through the room, embedding the Dullahan deep into the stone wall. As Ferris-san approached with steady, clicking footsteps, the Dullahan found it difficult to even stand up.

"Poor wraith. Allow me to grant you salvation."

A sharp slash capable of cutting even steel. The Dullahan's sword was severed right from the middle. Immediately, the armor fell apart, clattering loudly across the floor. It looked like the sword had been the main body after all.

"Amazing..."

The swordsman girl was completely mesmerized by Ferris-san's strength.

Carrying the still-immobile thief girl on my back, I left the Corridor of the Dead behind, with Zain-san and Ferris-san walking alongside the other two.

It was early morning, with birds chirping. Heading to the Adventurers Guild, my bedhead was in full effect as usual. Once I hit the bustling main street, some guys casually called out to me.

"Hey, Lux-san, heading to the guild today too?"

"Yeah. Honestly, I want to start getting requests without showing my face, just like Silver Blade."

"Well, you're getting ahead of yourself. Take it one step at a time."

The old man at the shoe shop seemed in high spirits today. I think he mentioned having a fight with his wife yesterday, but looking at him now, it seemed like they had made up.

An old lady running a shop with vibrant vegetables on display called out, "Lux-san!"

"You're looking pretty gloomy today. Did you fail a request?"

"I didn't fail. I'm an S-Rank adventurer, you know. How are sales on your end?"

"So-so, I guess. I'll give you a little discount, so why don't you buy some from me?"

"Alright, just fill up a paper bag with a random mix of vegetables like usual. If you bring it over to our place, Ferris-san will pay for it."

"Much obliged!"

The vegetable lady instantly cheered up. No doubt she was happier about getting to see Ferris-san than actual sales.

A pack of kids started swarming around my feet.

"Look, it's Lux-san! Still single?"

"Shut up. Go away."

"Ahaha! Lux-san's mad!"

Getting mocked by kids... heavy sigh. Whatever, I'm single anyway. I'm already twenty-three and still haven't found anyone. Just you wait, you brats. One of these days, I'm going to get an incredibly gorgeous girlfriend and make you all eat your words.

Leaving the market, the sign for the Adventurers Guild quickly came into view. Once you got this far, the majority of people you passed were adventurers. You'd see a fair number of beastmen alongside humans. Elves and dwarves were rare. You'd occasionally spot dragonewts too, but they were nomadic people, so they never stayed in one place for long.

Just before reaching the guild, a veteran adventurer I knew stopped me.

"Heading to the guild now?"

"Yeah, you look like something happened."

"Some guys are causing a scene at the reception desk. Looks like they're outsiders."

"And you ran away without trying to stop them?"

"Don't be reckless, man. My kid was just born and my life's finally coming together. If I get dragged into some weird trouble, I'll just make my wife and kid cry. You can handle this easily, right, Lux-san?"

"Is it okay for me to get dragged into trouble?!"

"You're one of the only two S-Ranks in this town. Anyway, counting on you!"

He gave me a bright smile, patted my shoulder, and bolted. Did he mistake an S-Rank party for some kind of convenient handyman service?

Well, I guess I'll go take a look. Depending on who it is, the guild staff might not be able to handle it on their own. Besides, it didn't sit right with me to let the guild and adventurers of Avanteil get pushed around. This place had its own rules. If people came rolling in from the outside acting all arrogant, they needed to be taught a lesson firsthand. Ideally, I wanted to resolve this peacefully, though.

"What is wrong with this guild?! This was supposed to be a pristine Spike Rat! How does this only come out to five silver coins? It should be worth at least twenty!"

"As I have explained multiple times, the materials you handed over were covered in scratches and in terrible condition. The preservation quality was also extremely poor, which is why it resulted in this amount."

"Covered in scratches?! Don't screw with me! It was pristine when I brought it in! These guys saw it clearly too. You're just trying to rip us off!"

"We would never do such a thing!"

Four men were making a scene at the counter. The guild receptionist looked completely at a loss. As soon as I walked in, I moved along the wall to watch how things played out.

You get guys like this every now and then. Probably a crew from the Royal Capital. Over there, they have a lot of rookie staff, and the total number of adventurers is on a completely different scale, so the guild often throws in a little extra cash just to get rid of them and avoid wasting time. Guys who get a taste for that think they can use the same trick to turn a profit in the provinces. It's a huge pain for those of us working in the countryside. Now, what to do...

"Pristine? It was covered in arrow wounds!"

The clear voice belonged to a red-haired female swordsman. She looked to be about sixteen. With her bright eyes and lively expression, she had a charming, cute vibe. Even without checking, I knew she was the swordsman girl I had rescued yesterday.

"Let's drop it, Akane-chan. I hear those guys are a C-Rank party."

"There's no way I can just stand by and watch this. Belle, you can step back."

"Rinoa will help too. Belle, move. You're in the way."

"In the way?!"

The mage girl was trying to stop the swordsman girl.

With her green hair in braids and a quiet, refined face, she wore a wide-brimmed pointed hat and robes while holding a long staff—a textbook mage style. The blue necklace hanging from her neck was proof of her being a graduate of the Royal Magic Academy. Looks like she was a rookie mage fresh out of school.

The other girl, the thief, was just as ready for battle as the swordsman. She had short black hair and narrowed eyes that constantly scanned her surroundings. Her expressionless face possessed a striking beauty that anyone would call gorgeous. However, maybe because of her combat class as a thief, her presence was incredibly faint, to the point where you might miss her beauty entirely if you weren't looking closely.

"What's your deal, brats? Are you rookies? Hey, look, some snot-nosed kids are trying to pick a fight with us. Classic countryside guild. None of you have any manners."

"I don't care if this is the countryside or whatever, what you're doing is just straight-up extortion. Threatening the guild to extort money is completely out of line. We're handing you over to the guards."

"That's a false accusation. The materials I turned in were definitely pristine. The guild is the one trying to scam us. Hey, if you're gonna talk big, why don't you guys make up the difference? I wouldn't mind if you paid with your bodies instead."

"No thank you, you trash."

"Oh, you want a piece of this? You think rookies can beat a C-Rank party like Mud Snake?"

A heavily built man drew his sword, prompting the other men to pull out their weapons as well. In response, the swordsman girl and thief girl readied their sword and knife almost simultaneously.

"Alright, alright, let's everyone put their weapons away."

"Who the hell are you?"

Unable to just watch anymore, I stepped in between them. The swordsman girls seemed to recognize who I was, their faces twisting in surprise.

"I'm the leader of Unknown."

"Wait, the S-Rank party?!"

"The guild in this town doesn't pull scams on adventurers. Anyone you ask will tell you the same thing. The assessment you received is accurate. If you're going to keep throwing a tantrum, I'll be your opponent."

When I said that, the men burst into laughter.

"The leader of Unknown is an Enchanter, right? A combat class that can only buff people and has zero ways to attack is gonna fight us? Don't make me laugh!"

"If we take this guy down, we'll become famous, right?"

"He's an S-Rank, after all!"

"Even we can win this! Let's do it!"

Far from backing down, the men bared their teeth with even more fighting spirit.

"An Enchanter is just a class for people who couldn't cut it as a Mage. All you can do is cast buffs. I'm gonna teach a low-tier knockoff Mage what happens when they pick a fight with a vanguard!"

"Looks like a fight is unavoidable. Sorry, but mind if I handle this right here?"

I asked the guild receptionist behind them for permission. She flashed a smile that silently communicated, Please, go right ahead.

"You're probably just some lucky bastard who stumbled into S-Rank anyway. Come on, take him down!"

Three men, who looked more like lackeys than actual teammates, drew their swords. Before they could even make a move, I drew a magical rune in the air with my short wand.

'Grief.'

'Reverse.'

'Extreme.'

The men dropped their weapons and collapsed to the floor. One groaned while clutching his head, another went rigid while covering his mouth, and the last turned pale while squeezing his stomach.

"What are you doing?! Attack!"

"I don't think they can. If they move, they're going to leave a permanent stain on their dignity that they'll never forget. I hit them with three types of enchantment magic: a headache, vomiting, and extreme diarrhea. It's a perfect debuff combo for fighting humans. The only downside is that people complain it's too vulgar."

"No way... you cast that many enchantments in a single instant?! Weren't you supposed to be a combat class inferior to a Mage?!"

"You seem misunderstood, so let me clarify: an Enchanter isn't a low-tier Mage. We're specialists dedicated entirely to buffing and debuffing. Our effects far surpass any enchantment a Mage can cast."

"What...!"

In an instant, I drew a 'Paralyze' rune and cast it on the leader.

"Gah?!"

"I've applied paralysis. How does it feel to be taken down by the Enchanter you looked down on, Mr. Mud Snake of C-Rank?"

I could have paralyzed all of them at once, but since there was a Mage among the four, I needed to shut his mouth first. A Mage can still cast spells as long as they can move their lips.

Besides, it doubled as a light warm-up. For an Enchanter, the speed of their writing directly dictates the speed of their casting. Even when it isn't an official job, keeping my hands limber like this ensures everything moves exactly as I picture it when a real crisis hits.

"Are Enchanters really this strong?!"

The one who cried out was the swordsman girl. Accompanied by the mage and thief girls, she looked at me with sparkling eyes. Looking closely, the other two also had expressions of pure awe.

"Lux-san, thank you so much for saving us the other day!"

"Oh, uh, yeah."

"The fact that Rinoa made it back alive is thanks to Unknown. Much appreciated. The enchantments... were also amazing."

"You hesitated a bit there at the end."

All three of them looked to be around sixteen. Surrounded by these cute girls, I found myself getting completely flustered.

Seriously, someone help me out here. I cast a subtle glance toward the guild receptionist, but she just gave me a bright, teasing grin.