Salos Village.

Although it was a small mountain village, people had been gradually gathering there for some time. George knew when that was. It was after Gustan of the Greatsword had settled in the village.

George was a regular customer at this restaurant with no sign. The food was quite delicious, and because it was a restaurant run by a grateful person who reliably protected the village, he made a point of stopping by to eat at least once every two days.

Putting aside all the miscellaneous reasons, where else could one eat a dish made by the famous Gustan of the Greatsword?

Not just the cooking. And what about the serving of that fearsome Red Witch? The sight of her bringing food floating on her palm made one exclaim in admiration.

Magic serving. Where on earth could one receive such service?

Also, sometimes a white fox would be curled up asleep by the sunny window, and its fur was so soft that touching it could start the day off happily.

And so, George visited Gustan's restaurant for breakfast today as well.

He visited...

"Welcome."

"...?"

A man he had never seen before, wearing an apron, was standing crookedly and greeting him. He was a man with rare red eyes, and his gaze was not ordinary.

'What's with that gaze...'

George unknowingly avoided his eyes. He swallowed hard.

"Uh, I'm here to eat..."

The man stared at him blankly, and then said bluntly.

"Sit wherever you're comfortable."

"Ah, yes."

George resolved to finish his meal as quickly as possible and go, and ordered the breakfast he always ate. Of course, as politely as possible.

"Uh, I'd like the warm meat stew with bread and butter, please. And fresh milk."

But the man, after hearing the order, frowned.

"What?"

"I-is there a problem?"

"You're eating quite a lot for breakfast."

"...Pardon?"

But the man, without listening to him further, sauntered into the kitchen, and then kicked the kitchen door open and shouted.

"Hey, owner! Meat stew with bread and butter here! And fresh milk! Got it?"

"...."

George was very flustered. The owner here was Gustan of the Greatsword, and to think that he would speak to him so rudely? Who on earth is that crazy guy?

At that moment, a girl sat down opposite George, who could not hide his bewilderment.

"...Hmm?"

She was a girl with bright green hair braided in two, and she naturally joined his table without a word and then put her head on the table and stared at him with wide eyes.

Just as George was blinking and meeting her gaze, and was about to ask who she was, a woman with black hair approached and grabbed the girl's ear.

"What are you doing here!"

"Ah, ouch, ouch..."

"I told you to clean up in the kitchen. Why are you out here?"

"But I'm bored."

"Come here."

"Eeeh..."

The woman, who spoke in a tone that her father or grandfather would use, despite her appearance, grabbed the girl's ear and dragged her to one side.

George, sweating profusely, looked around and then met the eyes of the Red Witch, who was watching silently while puffing on a long pipe.

She smiled faintly and explained the situation.

"They're new kids. They're still new to the job, so they're a bit clumsy. Please understand."

"Ah, I-I see."

As he was waiting, wiping the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief, the red-eyed man he had seen earlier came with a tray.

The man, who had placed the ordered food on the table one by one, stood there blankly even after placing the food.

George was about to eat, but he glanced at him.

"Why..."

The man waved his hand.

"Don't mind me."

"Pardon?"

"I'm just checking if you're eating well. This is also part of a waiter's job."

"Ah, yes."

Did a waiter have such a duty? George was slowly beginning to understand why there were no customers in the shop today.

And so, just as he was about to take a bite of the stew with a spoon, a strand of hair floating in the spoon caught his eye.

George muttered to himself without realizing it.

"There's a hair..."

But he immediately regretted his action. Because at that moment, the man's eyes flashed with a frightening light.

The moment their eyes met naturally, George thought to himself.

'Ah, I should have just eaten it.'

The man's eyes flashed and he shouted so loudly that the shop seemed to shake.

"No, what is this! How can this be! A hair? Customer, are you alright?"

"Pardon?"

"That was a close call. Oh my god, Ketel! How can such an unfortunate thing happen!"

"I'm fine..."

"I'll kill the chef right now."

"Pardon?"

"Just a moment."

The man, before he could say anything, immediately stormed into the kitchen... and a little later, he was thrown out of the kitchen with a loud thud.

The man staggered up and approached George, and then said in a very gloomy voice.

"...I failed."

"...."

He clenched his fist as if he were frustrated, and then said, as if making a promise.

"I'll definitely kill him next time. Don't worry."

"No, there's no need for that..."

"I'll take care of the hair."

A blue flame rose from the man's hand, and then it burned the hair in the stew.

Fwoosh!

The problem was that the stew also burned black.

"Oh? That's not it."

George looked at the man with a dumbfounded face...

"Aaaah!"

He soon screamed and ran out of the shop.

The rumor that a madman had come to the restaurant spread through the village in an instant.

***

"Why are there no customers?"

At some point, the customers had stopped coming.

[Do you really not know?]

"Just because of a few mistakes. Are the people in this town so strict with new waiters? Is this the so-called 'village hazing'?"

I heard that there is affection in rural villages. It must have all been a lie.

[Yes. It seems so.]

The Heavenly Demon muttered, as if he had given up.

"Well, it's comfortable for me, so it's good."

I looked at Shushruta and Linda, who were gathered in a corner, talking with Miho as if they were intrigued.

When did they become so close, when they were so wary of each other, circling each other?

I muttered with displeasure.

"Who knows what that thing's identity is."

Perhaps because its appearance was cute and pretty, they couldn't connect it with a magical beast at all.

I looked at Scarlet, who was occupying a table and puffing on her cigarette, and then, remembering something, I went upstairs for a moment.

"Sis."

"Hmm?"

"A gift."

And then I handed her a fist-sized jewel.

My sister's eyes widened as she received the jewel and examined it.

"...This is?"

"It's nothing, I picked it up on the way."

It was the jewel that had been embedded in the tip of the flute-playing magician's staff. Shushruta had kept it separately, and since I didn't know its identity or what it was used for, I had been keeping it, thinking that Scarlet, as a fellow magician, would know how to use it.

But my sister's reaction was quite serious.

"This, where did you get it?"

Scarlet looked at me with wide eyes. It seems it was a rather precious item. Well, he had been firing off magic spells by banging his staff, so I had guessed that it wasn't an ordinary jewel.

I scratched my cheek and replied.

"I got it after beating up an old crazy magician. But I thought you would be able to use it better than a dead guy, so I brought it. I did well, right?"

Scarlet looked at the jewel with her mouth half-open.

"I couldn't find this no matter how much I looked. How did you..."

"Do you like it?"

Scarlet nodded.

"Yes, I like it very much. Thank you. This will be a great help to my research."

"Don't mention it."

"What about mine?"

At the voice that suddenly came from behind, I turned around and saw the leader, who had come out of the kitchen, wiping his hands on his apron and staring at the jewel in Scarlet's hand.

"Jeez. When did you come?"

"Just now. What about my gift?"

I fumbled in my pocket and then took out another gift.

"Here."

The leader stared at what was on his palm.

"...What is this?"

"A pebble from my tumultuous journey in the Blake Kingdom. It contains all the memories of my journey."

The leader clenched his fist.

Crack—

The pebble crumbled.

I glared at the leader who had annihilated my memories without a trace.

"You're ignoring my sincerity?"

The leader pointed at the shop door.

"Get out."

"What?"

"Get the hell out. The customers have stopped coming because of you. I've never seen a waiter who can't work like you. Get the hell out."

I glared at the leader and then roughly took off my apron.

"I was going to quit anyway. The Red Eye Devil is a restaurant waiter. Does that make any sense? I can't do this anymore."

"Good thinking."

"Let me make it clear, I was already thinking of quitting. I wasn't fired, I quit. Got it?"

"I get it, so get out."

I said, heading for the door.

"Shushruta, let's go!"

Shushruta, who was chatting with Miho, immediately trotted over.

Linda looked at me.

"Devil, what about me?"

"You work here. You're still lacking a lot."

"In what?"

"Anyway, you're lacking a lot. Learn a lot while assisting my sister. I'll see if you've improved when I come back. Got it?"

"Okay, I get it!"

Before leaving, I said goodbye to Scarlet.

"Sis. I'm leaving."

"Yes, take care."

I glared at the leader.

"I've never seen such a pathetic restaurant owner like you."

"I've never seen such a foolish waiter like you either."

"I'm going."

"Take this."

The leader threw something. When I caught it, it was a clinking money pouch. It was quite heavy.

"It's your pay for working. Take that and get the hell out."

It was an excessive amount for just one day's work.

I smiled and said.

"The amount is far from enough, but I'll let it go for old times' sake."

The leader let out a small laugh.

"You crazy bastard."

I kicked the door open and left the restaurant of Gustan of the Greatsword and the Red Witch.

Since the two pillars of the mercenary corps had declared their retirement, it would be polite to respect that. It's not like I could stop them if I tried.

"I had a good time!"

As I shouted those words, I felt something pungent brush the tip of my nose.

Only half a year had passed, but so much had changed. The situation, and their hearts.

But as my sister said, you can't go back. The more you try to force it back, the more bizarrely twisted it will become.

Are memories beautiful because you can't go back to them?

Yes, I'll admit it. Sherwood is dead. The Sherwood I knew died at the same time I fell from the cliff.

But if there is an end, there is also a beginning.

Since the previous Sherwood died with me, I will create a new Sherwood with my own hands.

"Ashuban. Where are you going?"

Shushruta said, following me out.

I strode west and said.

"To Milestone."

The place where the Sherwood Mercenary Corps had been. I will go back there and rebuild Sherwood once again.

"Shushruta. Are you ready to run?"

"Anytime."

Hwoooong—

I created the wind of the Floating Step all over my body.

"Let's go."

We became two gusts of wind and ran west with frightening speed.

***

Gustan watched the two figures who were moving away at a frightening speed.

Scarlet, who was leaning against the outer wall of the building, let out a small laugh and looked at Gustan.

"Leader. You made him a waiter on purpose, didn't you?"

To chase away the procrastinating Ashuban under the pretext of not being able to work, and to give him money under the pretext of having worked for a day.

Gustan had made Ashuban a waiter from the beginning with this in mind.

"That guy. He's become unbelievably strong."

Gustan muttered lowly.

"You're telling me."

Scarlet, who was holding a long pipe in her mouth, exhaled smoke.

"At that level... he won't get beaten up by the other guys."

Gustan stared blankly at the two figures who had already become a dot in the distance.

Scarlet looked at Gustan for a moment, and then... said to the white fox that was circling her.

"Go on. You were bored too, weren't you?"

Miho looked up at Scarlet.

"Well then, I'll be back for a while."

The white fox jumped in the direction the two had disappeared and then disappeared in an instant.

"Eeeh... I want to go to the devil too..."

Scarlet placed her hand on the head of the sullen Linda.

"He'll be back to get you soon."

"Really?"

"Of course. Shall we do something fun with your sister in the meantime?"

"Eh?"

"You said you like poison, right? Your sister knows a little about poison too."

Even after Scarlet had taken Linda inside, Gustan remained alone and watched the direction they had disappeared for a long time.

(End of Chapter)