After finishing off Hydra, I rested for a while.

Because rest is as important as training.

Since there were no major injuries, I shook off Linda who was clinging to me, saying she would treat me, and then I just rested quietly.

Just by doing that, all the various minor injuries were completely healed.

Because I have an incredible regenerative ability inherited from the Heavenly Demon.

[The purer and deeper your internal energy becomes, the better your body's regenerative ability becomes.]

"Ah, really?"

[The energy that circulates through the vessel of your body has become thicker and clearer, so it's a natural principle.]

Well... so be it.

Anyway, it means that my regenerative ability has improved even more than before.

I already had an incredible regenerative ability, but now I feel like I've almost become immortal.

I heard the Heavenly Demon snort. I guess that's not it.

Anyway, while I was resting, my next destination was decided.

Milgard, the capital of the Maia Kingdom.

The purpose is to arrest a former Sherwood Mercenary Corps member.

The identity of that former mercenary corps member is none other than Dofang the braggart.

Everyone who knows him calls him Dofang the braggart.

Because for a night-walking assassin, he's quite talkative.

He says he's a successful assassin, and the man who preached the strange theory that the more you talk, the more skilled an assassin you are, is Dofang.

That eccentric Dofang has his own method, which is to announce his theft in advance.

[...? Why would he do that?]

"I don't know either."

What kind of idiot would do that, but that's why he's a phantom thief.

A phantom thief is not something else. A phantom thief is someone who easily commits crazy acts that other people wouldn't even think of.

Like the guy who is walking with a bounce, with his hands behind his back, next to me.

"...."

Perhaps feeling my gaze, the phantom thief Shushruta looked at me.

"What are you looking at?"

Since I had nothing to say, I pushed the guy's face with my palm.

Shushruta, who was disgusted, hit my arm and walked a little away.

Anyway, back to Dofang the braggart.

He wanders around here and there, pretending to be a phantom thief, and usually commits two or three notice crimes, turning the area upside down, and then he gets out before his tail is stepped on.

I don't know why he does that. He says it's a hobby. It's hard to understand the thoughts of crazy people.

[That's not something you should say.]

If the place is the capital, there's a lot to steal, so he'll commit at least three crimes and then leave.

Since there was a commotion in Milgard, the capital of the Maia Kingdom, there are now about two crimes left.

Usually, there is a certain interval between two or three notice crimes until things quiet down.

So he has a bad habit of waiting until the commotion dies down and things get quiet again, and then he strikes again, so there's some leeway.

Therefore, I decided to receive the results of the platinum rank examination and then leave for the capital.

And so, I am currently wandering the streets like a loafer in broad daylight, waiting for the examination results.

Shushruta came along, saying she was bored, and Linda is lying down with a hangover. Mary is taking care of that Linda.

...Good grief. She drank that strong poison and didn't get poisoned, but she got a hangover?

Anyway, she's a funny guy.

As I was wandering the streets without any particular purpose like a leisurely loafer... I suddenly became curious about something and asked Shushruta.

It was about the Eight Sword Masters.

"By the way, are there Eight Sword Masters here in Maia too?"

Shushruta answered as if it were obvious.

"Of course. One is certain, and there might even be two."

I stared at Shushruta blankly.

"Didn't you say you knew all the owners of the nine famous swords of Ophosis?"

Shushruta answered with a shameless face.

"I had to persuade you somehow since you were going to hand them over. Is the truth that important? The truth can be bent and twisted depending on the situation."

"...You're something else."

Anyway, it means that she definitely knows one.

"So, who is it?"

"I heard that the Grand Duke of the North is the owner of the sixth famous sword of Ophosis, the Turquoise Sword."

[Hmm. The owner of the Turquoise Sword.]

He wasn't someone I didn't know.

Since he's so famous.

I've even seen him once.

...I didn't know he was one of the Eight Sword Masters.

"Hmm. That guy?"

"Have you seen him?"

"From a distance, once."

When the monster wave came with the winter.

I went to participate in the subjugation and defense battle, and I saw him, the commander, from a distance.

What should I say, he was a man like a white lion.

I didn't see him fight much.

At that time, I was busy trying to find my own way to survive against the magical beasts that were rushing in without end.

Instead, I know from the rumors.

I think I heard that he was as strong as the leader.

[Hoo.]

'As far as I know... they're quite close?'

I scratched my cheek.

I'm not sure. They must have met at least once.

"And the other one?"

"The nine famous swords. Among them, the very first sword and the first famous sword Ophosis made, the Jet-Black Sword."

"...The Jet-Black Sword?"

"It's also called the Black Iron Sword. I heard that it flowed into Maia... but I'm not sure."

Why isn't this one certain?

When I asked, Shushruta's explanation followed.

"It's the first famous sword. There are many fakes."

"Aha."

"As many fakes are circulating, there are also many false rumors."

So there's a lot of information, but it's hard to find reliable information.

Because rumors about the Jet-Black Sword have been created randomly, it's now impossible to know what the truth is.

"Because information has flooded, it's now impossible to even know what the sword looks like. Some say it's a two-handed sword, some say it's an ordinary longsword, some say it's a dagger, and some say it's a greatsword."

"Hmm."

"The other swords all have unique colors, but there are many black swords. The fact that it's an environment where fakes can easily flourish must have also played a part."

I thought for a moment and then asked.

"Is there a white sword among the nine famous swords?"

"There is. The White Sword. It's also called the Pure White Sword."

"Then there must be many fakes of that too?"

Shushruta shook her head firmly.

"No, that's not it."

"Why?"

"Because the hero of the Holy Empire of Hilka is the clear owner of the White Sword."

"Oh..."

Shushruta looked at me with a dumbfounded expression.

"You didn't know?"

"I wasn't very interested."

Shushruta clicked her tongue.

"You're something else."

"...."

I felt a little annoyed, so I flicked her on the forehead and ran away.

"Unyak! Stop right there!"

"You think I'll stop?"

I ran away, leaving a trail of wind.

I'm a man who does his best even when running away.

"Eek! Why are you so much faster!"

"Because I've realized the principle of the wind."

In the end, I was caught by Shushruta.

But since I was caught after running away for quite a long time, I felt a sense of pride.

Padadadak!

Of course, I had to give her my shoulder for a while to her sharp front paws.

***

When I returned from my walk with the thieving cat, Mary came running over.

"Mr. Ashuban. Sister Hud wants you to come up."

"Why?"

"I don't know either. It seems to be about work. A guest came while you were out."

"Hmm. To think she's ordering the leader around."

Shushruta patted my shoulder and then went up the stairs.

"You'd better go up quickly before Hudmilla gets mad."

"...."

I stared blankly at Shushruta's back and then asked Mary.

"Am I the leader?"

"Probably?"

The treatment of a leader...

I looked at the door where Linda was groaning and lying down and said.

"What about Linda?"

"She drank something from a water glass and then fell asleep right away."

"Suicide?"

"She's breathing."

I clicked my tongue and said.

"It would be better to wake her up by slapping her cheek if she's not breathing."

"Her cheek?"

"Yes. Slap her hard, without mercy. To the point where it makes a slapping sound."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"And don't be too surprised if her pulse doesn't beat for a while. She'll come back to life after that."

"Yes."

After giving Mary the instructions, I immediately went up to the second floor and knocked rhythmically on Hudmilla's office door.

A voice came from inside.

—...Ashuban. Come in.

I was a little surprised and entered her office.

"No, how did you know?"

"Shut up. Come and sit here."

Since the atmosphere was somewhat serious, I followed her instructions without a word.

I saw that Schmitt had also been called.

I sat down opposite her and asked.

"What's going on?"

Hudmilla said with a lot of weight.

"A request came in."

I looked at the red lizard and the fluttering butterfly that were walking around on her desk and answered.

"And?"

"It's the Saluki Merchant Group. You've heard of it, right?"

"Hmm."

If I know it, it's rare for people not to know it.

It was one of the leading large merchant groups in the Maia Kingdom.

"A big case came in."

I gently pushed away the deer that had come to me without notice and was pushing its head against me, and answered.

"I'm listening."

"It's a carriage escort request. They want us to escort them until they reach the capital."

"Hmm."

"You were going to Milgard to find that person anyway, right?"

I gently stroked the squirrel that had somehow crawled into my lap and answered.

"That person? To our leader of the Jilentine Task Force."

Hud snorted.

"What leader? Don't you know that that person colluded with the leader behind our backs and got a few glasses of Jilentine?"

"What? When?"

"You didn't know? It's a dirty truth that was revealed while you were falling off the cliff. We had a big fight because of that, probably."

"...No wonder the operation never succeeded."

To think that there was so much scheming going on behind the scenes.

I never dreamed of it.

I trembled my fist and muttered.

"I've missed a lot of news while I was away."

"Ask that person for the rest."

"I will. I'll have to beat him up a few times and have a chat. The price for deceiving me is high."

"Do as you please. So, what do you think?"

Hud put her hands on the desk and looked at me.

"It's chaotic these days. There are a lot of news about the appearance of large magical beasts here and there, and there are even rumors of crazy people who turn into magical beasts. The Saluki Merchant Group seems to want to go safely."

"What about the payment? Is it good?"

"It's good. It's the Saluki Merchant Group."

Hud moved her hand with the quill and said, as if organizing.

"The number of people to be dispatched from the Sherwood Mercenary Corps is three. You, Schmitt, and you can decide the other one."

The dispatch of two platinum tags?

The scale of the merchant group's transportation seems to be bigger than I thought.

Or they are escorting something that valuable.

"Hmm."

I looked at Schmitt, who was sitting quietly next to me.

Schmitt also stared at me with his clear golden eyes.

Hud's words continued.

"The transportation procession is longer than I thought. Since only three people can't manage that scale in detail, I'm thinking of hiring other mercenaries and forming a team. You have to lead the escort procession by giving them various instructions. Do you understand what I mean?"

"Roughly."

"So, what do you think?"

Leading a procession...

It's simpler and better to just beat up magical beasts or beast-like humans.

I thought for a moment and then answered.

"I don't like complicated things."

At my rather listless answer, Hud said, as if she had expected it.

"No, you have to. I've already accepted the request."

"...Then why did you ask?"

Hud glared at me.

"Wouldn't it have been nice if you had just said yes?"

I looked at Schmitt, who was next to me.

"No, why am I getting scolded?"

Schmitt just patted my shoulder.

Hud said to me.

"I told Boris to pick out some useful mercenaries, so you go and take a look tomorrow. Because you'll be the one leading them."

I looked at Hud for a moment and then muttered in a new tone.

"...A manager role. I've never had such a big role before."

It was true.

I had only ever followed someone's instructions, and I had never looked at the overall picture and given various instructions.

Hud answered in a firm voice.

"You have to. You're the owner of a platinum tag now."

Hud's purple eyes shone seriously.

"The weight of a platinum tag is by no means light. If you wear a crown, you have to bear the weight that comes with it."

"...Damn it."

I learned that a platinum tag is not necessarily a good thing.

***

The next day.

I went to the guild to see the mercenaries who would be on the same boat.

"Oh, Ashuban!"

And there, I met a familiar face.

It was a man with a black eyepatch over one eye.

(End of Chapter)