Heroine Survival Vol 4 Chapter 1

Rainbow Sword

I fought against a threat in the form of a group of orc that attacked  the baron territory where I once stayed in the past. There I was  reunited with my former teacher……well, Viro was quite laissez-faire with  his teaching but, he was still my teacher. Together with his teammate  the magician Samantha, we went to subdue the traitor Grave.

I fought against and then together with the mythical beast  Coeurl──Nero. We were able to drive away Grave but failed in finishing  him off. I renewed my determination to have a rematch with him but, Viro  brought up a new request for me.

It was a request to protect the royalty who would challenge a large scale dungeon……a request to protect Elena.

I didn’t intend to refuse to do that. I would protect Elena if she was in danger. After all that was my oath.

But Viro told me that to do that I needed to enter his adventurer party, Rainbow Sword.

Viro was smiling at me as though he had just told me something good. It made my eyes automatically narrowed in annoyance to him.

「I refuse.」

「Haaah!?」

When I flatly refused like that, Viro looked dumbfounded while  croaking in puzzlement because he had been thinking that I wouldn’t  refuse.

“Rainbow Sword”──if I remembered correctly, it should be the rank 5  adventurer party which was a rarity even in this country. I don’t  understand why Viro was inviting me to join it. But, if they needed a  replacement for Samantha than they should invite an orthodox magician.  Viro too had been looking for a magician all this time.

Besides I had been acting solo until now, so I didn’t really get how  to fight in a party. I wouldn’t say that I couldn’t do so but, with my  fighting style that was using stealth and assassination, I judged that I  would be more effective in acting independently like with the battle  against the orcs.

「Hyahhahhah, you got flatly rejected again, boy!」

「Granny, don’t talk like I just got rejected by woman! Even I at least have a girlfriend just so you know!」

「Another woman is tricking you for your money? You really never learn your lesson……」

Samantha’s gaze was a mix of exasperation and pity. It made Viro angry for some reason.

「No no no, it’s different this time! Aria-, you too mustn’t believe granny’s nonsense! No, that’s not it.」

Viro finally recalled the main topic again. He ruffled his brown hair roughly while turning his gaze at me suddenly.

「Viro, you’ll turn bald.」

「Shaddup! Now listen to me, Aria.」

Viro made a complicated expression as though he was enduring a lot of things and explained to me the reason why he invited me.

Even if the factor of replacing the magician Samantha was taken out  of the equation, it seemed that the scout Viro had also started looking  for his own replacement.

Usually adventurer would think about retiring when they reached 40.  But, high ranked adventurer with large mana aged slowly. It wasn’t rare  for them to stay active even until their 50. Viro too still looked like  someone at his later twenty despite being at his later thirty. He was  still doing well for an adventurer.

「Even I’m not going to retire soon, but “Rainbow Sword” with its long  history is special. We can’t just accept anyone as replacement, and  it’ll also take several years to pass down my know-how to the newbie.  Besides……my woman said that she want a man with stable job, and the  black ops is also inviting me officially to become an instructor for  their knights. They’re offering me large salary……」

「…………」

The talk was gradually deviating to a strange direction.

「Lass-, you should take the story about this boy’s woman with a grain  of salt-! He kept getting into that kind of development once every  several years before returning back dejectedly in the end-!」

「Understood.」

Samantha retorted from the side. I too nodded in agreement. Just as thought, so it really was something like that.

「What’s with you two! This time is for real! No, that’s not what I  want to talk about. In other words I thought that if it’s you then you  can also become my replacement later. Besides not just any adventurer  can get picked to be the princess’s guard. After all in the end it’s a  request for the adventurer party “Rainbow Sword”. It doesn’t matter how  much the princess is trusting you, the people around her definitely  won’t agree to it right?」

If that was the reason then I could understand. Certainly my standing  was only as an adventurer who was formerly an orphan. Even though I had  reached rank 4 and got more famous as an adventurer, that didn’t mean  that the trust of the society toward me had also gone up.

「Think of this as joining a clan instead of joining a party. Even you  know how I’m also doing solo work right? We’re skilled individually so  we also accept solo request, while we work as party only for big job.  Besides, this is you we’re talking about. You’re just gonna skedaddle as  you please if you don’t like being in the party anyway.」

Viro really knew me well. I also nodded quietly to what he said.

「……I see.」

I understood that only trusted adventurer party like “Rainbow Sword” could accept request from the country itself.

Previously I was 『a child introduced by the reputable Viro』, so I was  overlooked without too much cautiousness to be the princess’s maid. But  the current me had grown somewhat in appearance and I also had gotten  stronger. There was no way the people around Elena would allow me to  approach her now.

The black ops was really lacking manpower that they would invite Viro  to replace the deserting Grave. Similarly it must have gotten even  harder now for someone suspicious to join in.

About being Samantha’s replacement too, magician was necessary in  adventurer, but it wasn’t really indispensable for a party. And even for  a party in the caliber of “Rainbow Sword”, it seemed there would be  problem in their relationship with their employer if they took a break  too long for searching high ranked magician to join them. And so it  seemed they decided that even a rank 3 light magician would be  acceptable for them to resume the party for the royal family bodyguard  job this time.

For the matter of keeping the underworld in check too, the reputation  of “Rainbow Sword” that had more than a hundred years of history behind  it wasn’t just for show. It might be really effective to keep the  underworld in check. ……But.

「Displeasing. It’s like I have no other option but to accept from the start.」

「That’s how dirty adults are. But you know, you realize that you  can’t refuse only because you have the smart to understand that. I  trusted that you can understand if it’s you.」

The self-proclaimed dirty adult Viro lightly tapped the shoulder of the indignant me while laughing lightly.

Well……can’t be helped I guess. The royal family must also have proper  bodyguards protecting them so I don’t think it will change anything  even with me not being there, even so the possibility of Elena returning  back will be higher if I protected her.

「Roger that, Viro. Allow me to join not the “party” called “Rainbow Sword” but the “clan”. Is that fine?」

「Of course Aria. I have high hopes for you.」

「Hyahhahhah」

I decided to join the rank 5 adventurer party, “Rainbow Sword”.

There was merit and demerit for me joining a party, but this time I decided that the merit outweighed the demerit.

It seemed there were also times like this time when the members acted  as a party once a year but, this offer wasn’t that bad if the members  were allowed to act individually like how Viro usually was.

「Yosh, if that’s decided then let’s talk a bit about the schedule.」

「Nn.」

In summary, first the participants──the youngsters of the royal  family including Elena who would go to the dungeon four months from now.

Two of the participants were the same age with me so they had leeway  but, the other two protection targets would enroll into the sorcery  academy at the beginning of next year, so it seemed the dungeon  exploration had to be finished within this year.

And the dungeon that they would enter was──

「One of the three great dungeons in this country, located in an island under the direct control of Duke Fudale.」

The 『three great dungeons』 of this country was the dungeon under the  royal family’s direct control that I entered together with Carla, and  the dungeon in Duke Lacuston’s territory at the southwest area of this  country. And then the dungeon that we would enter this time was at the  island under the direct control of Duke Fudale.

The large scale dungeons were managed by the royal family or a duke  house which was a cornerstone of the country. Most likely large scale  dungeon contained something important that necessitated going that far.

……Was the purpose to hand down that important thing to the next generation royal family?

Elena……would she be alright?

Anyway, my next mission had gotten decided. There were still four  more months, so I thought of going back to master’s place once but, it  seemed I was required to go to the capital once in order to get  introduced to the other members of “Rainbow Sword”.

That’s, well, it’s reasonable. Besides I got no time to ask Galbas to  look after my weapon, but currently I wanted to ask his little brother  Gelf to check my armor, so I’d prioritize that.

……Because recently it became harder for me to move my waist and chest  area. While I was thinking of that, Viro finished giving himself some  simple treatment and picked the thrown away luggage before starting the  preparation of leaving this place.

「Then let’s go back to the capital first. Three weeks should be enough for us two to arrive there.」

「You’re really in a hurry.」

If magical healing was needed than both Samantha and I could do it.  And yet Viro looked like he wanted to depart as though running away from  something. When I expressed my suspicion about how he acted, Viro’s  shoulders trembled slightly.

「No, it’s not like……」

「Hyahhahha, you see, the boy want to get away from here before the  duke’s men come here! Even the Coeurl is gone after all, it’ll be like  throwing mud at the duke’s face!」

「That can’t be helped granny! Most of the nobles who I get along with  are in the royal family faction. It’ll be annoying if the noble faction  find us. And so we’re going right away, Aria!」

It seemed that the current royal family was prioritizing domestic  demand, so territories with weak industry became destitute and they  could only earn money from commerce with other country. This kind of  nobles made up the noble faction and they got into hostility with the  royal family because they were causing the influence of other countries  to spread within this country.

「That’s fine but, what about Samantha?」

「Aa……I got to take care of granny’s reward too huh. The money would  be paid through the guild if the mission succeeded but, what’re you  going to do granny? Are you going to meet Dalton at the capital?」

Samantha frowned when Viro addressed her. She found the topic bothersome.

「Who want to see the mug of that old dwarf and that quirky elf again!  Just tell those guys whatever boy. I’m gonna go home and play with my  great-great-grandchild right away.」

「Got it. What’re you gonna do about the reward?」

「Reward from the black ops is just going to be small change anyway.  Buy equipment or something with that money for this lass! Theen, see you  again, boy, lass! HYAHHAHHAH!」

Samantha said that loudly before she broke into a run through the  highway just like when we first met without even any time for me to talk  to her. She left cloud of dust behind and vanished from view in the  blink of eye.

「……Is she really senile?」

「I’m not sure now……, she’s definitely behaving “senile” though.」

「I see.」

Her compatibility with the straight man Viro should be good. Samantha  was human, and yet her age was already over a hundred, but it felt like  she would be able to live for one hundred years more. ……She really  isn’t an apparition right?

.

And so Viro and I decided to head to the capital for the time being  so that I could be introduced to the members of Rainbow Sword.

If it was just Viro and me then we could use stealth, ignored  monsters, and traveled through wild mountain, but it seemed a city  person like Viro didn’t like that and the option of shortening our  travel time was rejected.

「Come to think of it Aria, other than your combat strength, do you have anything else to prove that you’re level 4?」

Viro suddenly asked me that along the way.

「It’s my dark magic that reached level 4. I more or less know about  level 4’s chanting, so I think I’ll be able to use it if I practice a  little.」

Dark magic’s level 4 had 【Illusion】 and 【Confusion】. I had been  taught about the chanting and their meaning by master. Shadow Walker was  also level 4 after a fashion but, the magic wasn’t really common.

「That’s fine then. Go update your rank at the capital’s adventurer  guild as requirement to enter “Rainbow Sword”. Before this I planned to  register you into the party officially only later even if you joined us  but, if you’re already rank 4 then it makes easier to register you.」

「Roger.」

I needed to join “Rainbow Sword” in order to guard the royal family.  Even so their impression would be really different depending on whether I  was level 3 or 4, so I should update my rank in order to make the  surrounding recognize me being Elena’s bodyguard directly. That seemed  to be Viro’s idea.

Not even half a year had passed since I updated my rank to 3. It felt like this would become troublesome again…….

「Originally we should drop by a small dungeon somewhere where I can  pound the minimum required knowledge and protocol into you for this but,  if it’s you then there won’t be any problem even if I do that right at  the actual scene. Prepare to learn there.」

「Got it.」

His style was laissez-faire like usual but, that method actually  suited me just fine so that was why Viro kept using this style of  teaching. He was a relaxed person but he wasn’t sloppy.

「I’ll talk to the capital’s adventurer guild. If we’re lucky we  should also be able to meet up with someone of Rainbow Sword there. The  leader Dalton might want to test you though, be careful cause he’s an  intense guy.」

「Nn?」

So the leader’s name was Dalton, got it. But……

「Viro isn’t going to the capital with me? That isn’t like the plan you told me.」

「I’ll be going with you until the capital. But you knoww……the fact is  that Grave got away from us, so it’ll be bad if I don’t report it  directly. Pray that they won’t treat this request as a failure.」

「Roger.」

Viro looked somewhat annoyed even while behaving with dread. I even smiled a little seeing that.

But, in that case there was also no need for us to go to the capital  together. I was also practicing level 4 dark magic, so it would be  bothersome for me to do that in a city, although it wouldn’t be as  bothersome as practicing other element.

After that we stayed together on the road for around ten days where I  asked him to teach me about dungeon exploration, and then we parted and  I headed to the capital alone.

With me being alone I didn’t feel any need to stop by at city during  my travel other than for replenishing my food supply. I traveled through  forest while practicing Illusion in the forest at midnight. It was then  I suddenly felt something instinctually.

「…………」

There wasn’t any dangerous creature within the range of my detection.  My vision and my detection, including the sense to detect danger that I  had learned in these three years didn’t catch anything.

But……no. I lifted my head and stared at far away. There at the moon  hanging over the mountain summit, the figure of a “black beast” was  reflected just for an instant like illusion.

「Nero……are you there?」

.

It took me some time, around a total of three weeks for me to arrive at the capital without any problem.

I heard some rumors along the way. Duke Helton who dispatched a force  to subjugate a mythical beast seemed to fail to produce any result, but  he then announced that the safety of the highway had been regained and  with that the incident was concluded.

The information spread really quick, but I heard that adventurer  guild and merchant guild had magic tool to talk from afar. Most likely  there was noble who really wanted this news to be spread that  necessitated the use of this tool.

「Come to think of it, this will be my first time coming to the capital’s adventurer guild……」

I had come to the capital several times but, I had been avoiding  place with a lot of people because I had many enemies, so I never  stopped by at the capital’s guild.

The capital’s adventurer guild was located in the large building  right behind the merchant guild at the main street. The building was as  large as a noble’s mansion. No matter the city, the adventurer guild was  always adjoined with the merchant guild. It was the merchant guild that  invested in the establishment of adventurer guild, and this positioning  was to make it more efficient for them to purchase the materials that  the adventurers brought. The merchant guild was always located in a  conspicuous location, so it was very easy to locate it.

Many adventurers were rowdy, but it seemed that those who came to the  capital possessed common sense to some degree, so the place wasn’t as  dirty or damaged like in other city. Even so the double door at the  entrance was kept open with how many people are coming and going here  and also because as expected, the people wearing armor or carrying  weapon might cause damage to it when passing through.

When I entered inside the adventurer guild, there was a lobby with  stone floor that was as large as a dance hall. Several tables and chairs  for business discussion were lined up. Magical lighting was shining  from the atrium above. Further inside there were around ten receptionist  counters and beautiful looking receptionist ladies that were hard to  find at other city.

Ignoring the scale and the extravagance, the building’s structure  itself wasn’t any different from the typical guild. I arrived when it  was a bit past noon but there were ten-odd adventurers inside. They sent  a glaring gaze seeing someone young like me entering.

I surveyed the inside lightly but, there was practically no “youngster” here both age-wise and strength-wise.

Most of the adventurers that came to the capital had polished their  skill at other place and came here looking for connection with noble or  wealthy people, so they were inevitably older and high ranked.

Among them there should also be new adventurer who was born in the  capital or just passing by adventurer who stopped by here but, setting  aside the latter case, I heard that at the capital most of the requests  were for high ranked adventurer, so rookie would quickly leave from the  capital.

Almost all of the adventurers here were inevitably rank 3 or above  but, those who looked shocked or blatantly averting their gaze after  seeing me had most likely used Appraisal on me.

Conversely adventurer who underestimated me just because of my  appearance didn’t need to be feared. Appraisal skill was the ability to  convert the opponent’s magic power and strength that they felt from  their eyes and with their skin into number. Anyone with a lot of actual  battle experience and actual strength would be able to measure someone  else’s true strength even if they couldn’t use Appraisal, so I believed  there would be few people who would actively pick a fight with me in the  capital that was filled with strong people.

Sometimes the receptionist ladies in the guild were also former  adventurer, and naturally they might possess Appraisal skill, so several  of the receptionist ladies who “saw” me left their seat and replacing  them an old gentleman with nice appearance walked toward me from behind  the counter.

「Welcome to adventurer guild. Correct me if I’m wrong but, are you perhaps the “Ash Crowned Princess”?」

「I never called myself like that.」

「Pardon me, Aria-sama. The rumors has been reaching even the capital,  but I never expected that the person in them would be this young. I had  heard the story from the members of “Rainbow Sword”, and so please  allow me to take charge of Aria-sama’s rank update today. The staff who  will be officially in charge of interacting with you shall be decided at  the later date, so please be content with me for the time being.」

「Uh huh.」

Most likely Viro had contacted here from a guild in other city  beforehand. It looked like each guild was gathering information from  everywhere using magic tool to talk to afar, even so, I never thought  that this “nickname” that the underworld arbitrarily spread would also  reach until this far that even the adventurer guild was using it  normally.

This old gentleman too, he spoke of that name only as a mere  nickname, just like when calling high ranked adventurer with their  nickname. He didn’t look like he had any other intention.

I had no intention of complaining from being called “Ash Crowned  Princess” after this late. It didn’t please me being called that but I  had gotten used to it in a sense because people of the underworld had  continuously called me like that.

But, that name was more well-known in the underworld rather than at  the open. I forgot that even among adventurers, there were some that  were doing work of the nature that was “close to the underworld”.

「Oi oi, this little girl is the “Ash Crowned Princess” you said?」

A frivolous looking lightly equipped warrior who seemed to be at his  latter twenty called out like that with a smirk. It seemed that he  overheard my conversation with the old gentleman.

「There are some matters that the guild need to confirm with Aria-sama. Please keep your question to yourself for later time.」

「It’s not going to take long. I just want to ask this little girl who  only has that pretty face going for her, what kinda trick she used to  crush an assassin guild or join the “Rainbow Sword”. It’s really curious  yeah.」

「…………」

He seemed to be around rank 3 judging from his bearing……. This man  judged me based on appearance and thought that I entered Viro’s party  using some kind of trick instead of because of my strength.

He evaluated his opponent from appearance. He couldn’t measure his  opponent’s true strength. He knew my nickname, and yet he thoughtlessly  picked quarrel with me, which meant he wasn’t someone from the  underworld but he was still a person with violent way of living that  wasn’t too different from people of that side. I guessed he was just a  thug who luckily had talent. Most likely he had acquaintance in the  underworld and heard about me from there.

You could obtain this much information in less than a minute if you  had vigilance. Even without using Appraisal, I didn’t feel any sign of  this man concealing his actual strength. This man didn’t worth much,  exactly like his appearance suggested.

Then I had no more business with him. I just sent a single glance at  him before walking toward the old gentleman. Then the ignored man’s  presence swelled up a little.

「Oi, don’t act cocky you little girl. Say something, c’mon.」

It seemed that I had touched his nerve. Even his proper way of  speaking at the beginning was taken off and replaced with a thuggish  tone. If I was bothered I could just say something to end it peacefully  but, no reason came to mind why I should be considerate about his mood.

「Aria-sama, please keep this amicable……」

The old gentleman who had “seen” my combat strength sighed and asked politely. He wasn’t worried about me, but the man’s health.

I too didn’t actually want to cause bloodshed at the first day.

「Don’t worry. I won’t make the floor dirty.」

「That’s……」

My upper body turned back while my left arm rose quickly. The light  warrior looked alert just for an instant. But it was too late. My attack  couldn’t be blocked unless he had moved to dodge or defend when I  raised my arm.

*Gatsun!*

「──Gah!?」

The weight type pendulum came out from my Storage at the same time  with my arm moving up. It swung down on the top of the man’s head  following the movement of my hand swinging down.

「……aga……」

The man fell on his knee from the attack. I didn’t plan to kill him  but the man was still glaring at me while kneeling. Perhaps I had gone  too easy on him. I sighed.

……Perhaps I should just kill him.

When I looked at him with such intention, the man’s face twitched  slightly and gradually turned white. But just before I carried out my  intention, I heard the voice of an unfamiliar woman.

「Restrain this man-, quick!」

「W-what are you doing, let me goooo!」

With those words, the guard who was staying still until now pinned  down the man and dragged him somewhere else without him being unable to  resist satisfactorily after getting his head struck.

Let alone the guild, usually even guards wouldn’t move to interfere  with a quarrel between adventurers. Even if it resulted in punishment,  at best it would only be lowered evaluation from the guild. Sometimes it  was because there wasn’t anybody who could stop high ranked adventurer,  but more than that it was because the life of ruffian like adventurer  was far cheaper than the ordinary citizen.

The guard in the guild was also there for the sake of client who  might get dragged into trouble with adventurer, so they wouldn’t move  even in a case like this time. Even that old gentleman only tried to  stop me, but he didn’t do anything to make the guard acted.

Was the reason that guard moved because I was involved with “Rainbow  Sword” that received request even from the country itself, or because it  was “me” who was here…….

In that case, who was that person who ordered guard around?

「Tabatha-dono, why are you here?」

「I was afraid that blood would be spilled if thing kept going like  that, so please excuse me for interfering like that. I shall take care  of this person’s business from now, so you can leave this to me.」

「Isn’t this out of your jurisdiction……?」

They should be a fellow staff of this guild, but the old gentleman  looked at the woman who gave the guard order with a quizzical look. The  woman herself only dodged the question without any change in her  expression.

「That, is not something that is your concern. Leave quickly.」

「Very well……」

After the woman settled the matter with the old gentleman, she turned back toward me and smiled sweetly.

「Are you “Ash Crowned”……Aria-sama?」

「……Uh huh.」

The woman looked at my hair to check and said that. I replied while narrowing my eyes just a little.

This person……she’s strong. She wasn’t even a receptionist and also  not a staff. She was wearing a loose robe so I couldn’t use Appraisal on  her accurately but, I felt that she was as strong as Sera who was in  the black ops.

Someone who wasn’t a staff of adventurer guild but in the position of  being able to order the staff……who is she? That woman seemed to notice  my wariness and her smile stiffened a little before she quietly bowed  her head.

「My apologies, Aria-sama. We are attracting quite a bit of attention here so, can we move this conversation inside?」

.

I was shown into a room that seemed to be a reception room and made  to wait around half an hour before that woman returned into the room  carrying some documents.

「Forgive me for making you wait, Aria-sama. ……Does this drink not suited for your taste?」

「I’m not thirsty.」

On the table in front of the sofa where I was sitting was a cup of  what seemed to be herb tea that the woman brewed before she left the  room. It had been left untouched while growing cold.

「I see.」

But the woman didn’t look offended by that and said that while smiling. Then she finally got down to business.

「Please allow me to introduce myself once more. My name is Tabatha,  the one who happened to be appointed as the inspector for this guild.」

The woman who introduced herself as Tabatha said that and bowed her head lightly.

「Inspector?」

I automatically muttered from hearing that unfamiliar word. Tabatha  might interpret my mutter as a question and she started explaining.

「Yes. You might have noticed but I’m not a staff of the adventurer  guild. I was dispatched from merchant guild that is also the adventurer  guild’s parent organization. Because of that, there are also those who  don’t think well of me, which was the reason why I took so much time  outside.」

That was apparently the reason why I was made to wait here.

But according to the “knowledge” inside me, I thought that inspector  was a role to monitor and investigate the internal situation within the  same organization, but what kind of business someone with that position  had with a mere adventurer like me?

「I have heard about the matter of Aria-sama’s ascension to rank 4.  That in itself is not a problem. Originally a guild staff should verify  it and take care of the procedure for becoming rank 4 but……」

「Is there a problem?」

Tabatha hesitated a little. She continued speaking after I urged her.

「My job as an inspector from the merchant guild is inspecting the  financial affairs of this guild but, actually my role also include  monitoring whether there is influence of some particular nobles reaching  inside the guild or not. Because of that sometimes the person holding  this job will also be exposed to danger and it became required for the  holder of the post to possess strength to some degree.」

It seemed that Tabatha wanted to apologize for how her combat  strength had made me wary. But it wasn’t like I was bothered by that at  this point.

「This time the influence of a noble is becoming problematic.」

Let me try summarizing the talk that Tabatha explained to me.

When adventurer became first class, a lot of them would also became involved with noble.

The nobles in this kingdom weren’t monolithic. Even now they were  divided into the royal family faction and the noble faction and in  conflict with each other over various interests, but if a particular  noble became influential within the guild, the information about the  opposing noble would leak out and the guild would become impartial. Not  only that, it seemed that it would also harm the reputation of the  adventurer guild and merchant guild.

「I understand that. But, what does that matter for me?」

「Those in the know knew that Rainbow Sword is close to a particular  noble house. On the paper it’s only a bodyguard request but, the talk  that of the rank 5 party taking on a “bodyguard” job that required them  of going as far as adding a new member caused a higher-up of the  adventurer guild to butt-in by questioning whether it’s really fitting  age-wise for Aria-sama to be promoted to rank 4.」

「Is that person in the side of the opposing faction?」

「It is my job to investigate about the veracity of that doubt, but most likely it’s exactly like that.」

There was still no evidence but, it seemed that noble was trying to  get in the way with the bodyguard request by obstructing my joining with  the Rainbow Sword that was close to the opposing faction.

「You’re saying that the guild is meddling with party’s composition?」

Although it was a rank 5 party, it was also made up from rank 4 like  Viro. I don’t think it would be a problem even if my rank stayed as 3  but…….

「Normally the guild won’t but, because of Aria-sama’s young age, the  guild can also put in limitation using the excuse of protecting a young  adventurer. Originally it’s a limitation to prevent young adventurer to  be treated like disposable item by malicious adventurer but, it could be  misused like in this case.」

「I see……」

The story of rookie getting worked like slave was something that I  had been warned about when I registered in the adventurer guild.

「Then it’s not like I need to join Rainbow Sword.」

「Eh……」

I said that and stood up. Tabatha looked taken aback for a moment.

「My objective is with the “work’s detail”. It might become somewhat  problematic but, I think the client will make contact with myself  directly later.」

Viro said that the reputation of “Rainbow Sword” would be necessary  to be a guard for the royal family but, if the one who requested Viro to  search for me was Sera, I should be able to participate in the job  either way even if it took time.

「P-please wait a second, Aria-sama!」

Tabatha hurriedly called at me to stop when I moved to exit the reception office.

「When you said “client”, are you referring to someone from the royal family?」

「Who knows? Not divulging such matter is also a part of the matter of “reputation” correct?」

In fact, I had only been told about the job of guarding the royal  family, so I didn’t know anything about the noble house that was behind  the request.

As someone from the merchant guild, she must wished to confirm the  detail about the request from the client of the Rainbow Sword if  possible but, I had no intention of talking about something that Viro  and his party hadn’t told them.

「I see……」

Even so Tabatha seemed to be able to guess to some degree about what I  was hiding. She fell into thought for several seconds before turning  her gaze toward me once more.

「Then Aria-sama……can you accept a request from the merchant guild?」

「……What do you mean?」

「Allow me to explain about that and more.」

The request from Tabatha and the merchant guild was simply doing a  job from Tabatha. Doing the job itself was the content of the request.

In other words the actual content of the job didn’t matter. The fact  that I did a job that Tabatha requested would be used as evidence that  there was no problem with me being rank 4. With my rank increased, my  joining into the “Rainbow Sword” would be recognized under the merchant  guild’s name.

With that the higher up of the adventurer guild who was influenced by  the noble would contact his employer. Tabatha would confirm which noble  house it was and dismissed the guild higher up. That was her objective.

With that I would be able to avoid troublesome matter and got the spot as Elena’s guard……but.

「How will I prove that there isn’t any problem with my strength?」

「Of course, I will confirm it at the field.」

It seemed Tabatha who was as strong as rank 4 would come with me  during the request. Of course that would be more expedient. And  conveniently there was a request that the merchant guild would  originally send to the adventurer guild. That request would be used for  my rank 4 promotion test.

I don’t know whether the person who belonged to the opposing faction  in the adventurer guild would accept that but, I too consented with that  method.

Well, it couldn’t be helped. After all his was just me reaping what I sow.

.

The work that the merchant guild requested seemed to be an  investigation of a coal mine that had been closed a very long time ago.  It was located not that far from the capital.

「Anyone should be fine if it’s just for investigating an abandoned mine though?」

If it was an investigation of abandoned mine that was near the  capital, rank 2 adventurer party should be the right sort for taking the  request. The guild’s atmosphere was flurried for some reason. We  stealthily got out of the building from the rear entrance and got into  Tabatha’s carriage. When I asked Tabatha about my question, she nodded  without giving any denial.

「What I am going to say from here is something that is not known by  many people even within the merchant guild, so please keep it to  yourself. The closing of that coal mine happened more than a hundred  years ago but, a merchant heard from a nearby village that monsters had  settled in it and ordered his guard to check it out. It turned out they  found that there was a sign of “dungeonification” there.」

「Dungeon……」

A dungeon was a place that was dungeonificated when an ancient hermit  crab that turned into monster possessed the place, but its ecology was  still not really understood.

If it was a new young specimen that possessed the place then that  would be fine but, if it was a specimen that had abandoned a ruins that  was its shell somewhere else and drifted away to here, it might lure  strong monsters to settle inside it. Such case was known to happen.

We were doing this investigation secretly from the adventurer guild  because Tabatha said that the way the merchant guild and adventurer  guild would deal with this was different.

「In adventurer guild’s case, when a dungeon is discovered near human  settlement, they will prioritize eliminating the dungeon itself after it  has been investigated. But in the case of merchant guild, we will  prioritize evaluating whether the dungeon has any worth or not.」

In the dungeon, things like minerals that were located deep  underground would be turned into “treasure”. Even in an abandoned mine  where iron or coal couldn’t be mined anymore, the ores underground would  surface to a reachable position due to the stimulation from the  dungeon. If there was silver there, it was even possible that it would  get affected by the dungeon’s mana and turned into “mythril”.

Mythril wouldn’t rust or decay, and it had great strength even when  it was thin, so it was suited to become armor. And if it was used as  weapon using its nature that could transmit mana easily, the weapon  would become able to inflict damage even on evil spirit or spiritual  life-form.

And the mythril itself had beautiful appearance. I had never seen it  myself but, there was also myhtril coin that was decorated with  beautiful design……nicknamed the platinum coin. It had the price of ten  times a large gold coin due to its rarity and artistic beauty.

A dungeon could have that much value depending on the situation. But,  there was also a possibility that the nearby village would get  destroyed by the monsters the dungeon called. The adventurer guild  couldn’t possibly overlook such risk so they would choose to destroy the  dungeon, while the merchant guild’s thinking was that they could just  move the whole village along with its residents if they got on the way.

Tabatha and my job was to check whether that place had really gotten  turned into dungeon or not, investigated the type and rank of the  monsters, and the job also included removing the monsters if they were  dangerous even if the place hadn’t turned into dungeon.

「What’s your weapon Tabatha?」

「I’m a water element sorcerer. I’m not as good as you when it comes  to direct attack power, but I’m good with defense so there is no need  for you to protect me.」

Tabatha who was wearing a loose robe to hide her body curve really  looked like a sorcerer. She didn’t even have a single knife on her  waist, so she might keep another weapon hidden somewhere or that was  just how confident she was with “herself”.

.

After that we arrived in a day at the abandoned mine that was said to  be turning into dungeon. We didn’t stop for food or camping and had  meal of ready-made food that we bought at the capital, so we were able  to arrive at night of the same day.

It really wasn’t that far away from the capital. It must be a vestige  from the distant past that there was a coal mine this close to the  capital, but there was still a village nearby even though this mine had  been abandoned must be because that village was a wheat producing  location to supply the capital with food.

If a dungeon that called monsters to it was formed at such place, the  village would be in danger unless a decision was quickly made whether  to destroy or manage the dungeon.

……That was only if there really was a dungeon here.

It seemed Tabatha decided to head directly to the abandoned mine  instead of stopping by at the village. I still didn’t know how long it  would take to investigate an abandoned mine, but there was no guarantee  that we would be able to secure a lodging even if we arrived at the  village this late, and I myself had no intention of wasting time.

「Then, let’s go inside.」

「Roger.」

We left behind the carriage driver and entered the mine. There was no  lighting but it was unnecessary for those with Night Vision.

I went ahead with Tabatha following behind. It wasn’t like I was  knowledgeable about coal mine but, judging based on my “knowledge”, this  place seemed like a common coal mine. Even so it seemed like people  still entered this place even after it became abandoned. There were some  signs that the place had been ransacked like trace of rock surface  being scrapped off and the like for several dozen meters from the  entrance.

「It doesn’t look like there is anything here.」

If this place was turning into dungeon, there would be signs like the  ground turning unnaturally flat, or trash getting absorbed, but I  couldn’t really see anything like that.

「Perhaps the change is starting from the inside. Let’s try entering further.」

「Got it.」

A dungeon would have a unique atmosphere, a feel like there was mana  coiling around in the air, but there wasn’t anything like that in this  abandoned mine. That coiling mana made it harder to detect the existence  of monster inside the dungeon, but there wasn’t any monster in this  place from the start.

But, I was finally able to see a visible abnormality after getting deeper.

「Is this……a kobold?」

Tabatha grimaced seeing the corpse of a monster with dog head inside the darkness.

It was possible that this rank 1 monster simply got lost into here  but, this kobold was killed by a sharp weapon. There was also a rusty  short sword lying nearby. And looking closer I could also see a trace of  blood as though a fight had happened here.

「That’s a trace of monsters fighting each other. This might be a  dungeon where humanoid monster gather, just like the large scale dungeon  near Lester territory. Aria-sama, let’s go deeper.」

「……Right.」

A dungeon would have the trait of various places. Bug or animal  monster would appear in forest area, bird or worm monster at rocky area,  aquatic life form at waterside area. And at a place where human lived,  humanoid monsters would appear in great number.

With that in mind, it seemed that the dungeon here was filled with  beastman type monster. Tabatha urged me who was investigating the kobold  corpse to go deeper into the dungeon.

「……Aria-sama, what is that?」

Tabatha seemed to notice the smell on the way. She showed a dubious  expression seeing me scattering liquid from a porcelain jar along the  path of the abandoned mine.

「Monster repellant. Don’t worry, it’s not poisonous.」

「I see……」

Perhaps she knew about how “Ash Crowned” used poison to annihilate an  assassin guild. I didn’t know whether she feared that or she was simply  vigilant but, this thing really wasn’t a poison.

There was another kobold’s corpse when we went deeper. But, there  wasn’t any corpse of the monster that defeated the kobold. The kobold  corpses also weren’t that many.

Even so Tabatha and I kept going deeper without hitting any dead end  even once. And then there was a crossroad that seemed to double as a  place to dump accumulated rock and soil. The instant I stepped into that  place──

*Hyun!*

There was a faint sound of something slicing through the air. I was  on my guard and jumped to dodge, at the same time an arrow hit the rock  wall behind me with a loud sound.

I used martial art to dodge the arrows that kept on coming while  checking the spots the arrows originated from. ──Four, five, six…….

「──Shadow──」

A phantom to trick Night Vision inside darkness appeared. The arrows  that were fired in turn were diverted to it. I aimed at the moment all  the arrows had been fired and rushed forward and swung the weight type  pendulum at the spaces where the arrows were fired from using Stealth.

『──!?』

*GAN-!*

Two presences moved to dodge, while the third presence blocked the pendulum and repelled it.

I felt the presences panicking and fired arrows once more but, the  arrows lacked the precision from before and I planned to rush forward  using the phantom as bait, but right at that moment, a “linear” killing  intent burst from behind me and I somersaulted to dodge.

There was no new enemy from the entrance. But, you were there.

「Is that your weapon? ……Tabatha」

「……Unbelievable. You knew?」

Tabatha really looked disbelieving while swinging around a thin  silver chain with thorny weight attached at the end. A string controlled  weapon similar like mine……most likely it wasn’t made from silver but  mythril.

「How can I trust someone who doesn’t turn on “light” when investigating a coal mine?」

It wouldn’t be strange for someone as strong as Tabatha to have Night Vision but, it was just too unnatural.

Besides you were too vigilance against me. Even if you actually  weren’t my enemy, it was impossible to feel heartfelt trust toward  someone who was wary like that at me.

There were also other reason but, Tabatha looked convinced even while still looking disbelieving.

「Should I say, as expected from the “Ash Crowned”? I already heard  but, you’re really a troublesome opponent. You guys, turn on the light!  This girl is more dangerous than you guys!」

Tabatha yelled that. It seemed she thought that the darkness would be  advantageous for me. Then fire and magical light lit up around us and  the figures of the attackers came into view.

As I thought, this place wasn’t a dungeon but a place where an ambush “trap” was laid out.

Based on my feeling all of them had combat strength around 300……lower  rank 3 huh. Six women at the age range of teenage until twenties,  wearing blackly dyed leather armor. They were readying their bow while  glaring at me as though I had killed their parent.

No, that wasn’t really a wrong expression. Several of them had trace of burn injury that hadn’t vanished completely.

「Remnant of assassin guild.」

I could feel their nervousness when I let out those words.

「Calm down-!」

But when Tabatha raised her voice with scolding tone, the slight  opening that they showed was closed. They readied themselves for any  strange movement that I could make while slowly taking position to  surround me. All of them threw away their bow and readied short sword or  short spear instead.

「……Really sharp aren’t you, Ash Crowned. It’s just like you guessed,  these guys are survivor from the northern frontier district branch. By  the way how did you notice that this is a trap I wonder?」

「……Revenge huh.」

I ignored Tabatha’s question and looked at my surrounding. She shrugged with a casual gesture seeing my response.

「That’s their reason. Nearly six years ago, I transferred from that  branch to the central branch here, so I don’t have any grudge with you. I  didn’t see eye to eye with that Dino……. To be honest I laughed when I  heard that guy was crushed the moment he became the branch head.」

「Big sis-!」

The young woman from the former northern frontier branch raised her  voice hearing those words that mocked her former home, but Tabatha only  glared at that woman with annoyance.

「Annoying……. I took the trouble to make use of you all when you came  to me for help in deference of our old friendship you know? Do you  understand that?」

Tabatha sighed in displeasure. She ruffled her hair even while keeping her vigilance toward me.

「Well, doesn’t matter. I also have business with you. Can you tell me  what is the royal family faction is planning? But, it’s fine even if  you don’t answer me right away. Though you’ll get tortured by these  girls who hold grudge with you in that case. You all, you know what to  do-!!」

「「「Yes!」」」

The first young woman shrunk back from Tabatha’s words while the  other women also hurriedly replied back. The women were hiding their  face with mask, but just from their reaction it was clear that they were  really scared of Tabatha.

Tabatha infiltrated the adventurer guild……no, the merchant guild was  to investigate the royal family faction’s movement? Even so there was no  way someone from assassin guild could infiltrate easily, so even inside  the merchant guild there should be Tabatha’s client, a faction that was  under the influence of the noble faction.

It was obvious what kind of request that the noble faction would pay an assassin to do.

Assassination of royal family…….

I kept up my guard with just my gaze, in contrast Tabatha took  position that blocked the entrance, while the women moved silently to  surround me.

If someone lost their patience and made a move, a gap would be opened  there but, the experienced veteran Tabatha had completely controlled  the women and didn’t allow such blunder from occurring.

「Now, Ash Crowned, surrender obediently. You don’t think that you can  win in this situation when you don’t even have a plan right? I might  kill you painlessly if you talk honestly you know? That too will depend  on them though but──」

「──Pain──」

「──tsu!?」

Tabatha stiffened from the Pain that I casted. But, she must have  also obtained information about me. There was the feeling like something  was blocking me. Tabatha backed away to take distance from me.

I too from the start never thought that I would be able to kill a  rank 4 like her with one hit. That was why I made her took a bit of  distance from me.

──*Hyun!*

「──tsu!?」

I threw the weight type pendulum the instant everyone’s focus was  directed at Tabatha. It grazed the side of the head of the first young  woman. She tried to dodge the knife from me who rushed toward her, but  it still tore at the side of her stomach.

I stopped the rank 4 for an instant. Everyone’s attention was  directed to that Tabatha for an instant. If there was that much “time”, I  could kill at least one person.

But, I didn’t kill her yet.

「Youu!」

A woman rushed from the side with a look of anger. I blocked her  short spear with my dagger. I leaped back and slipped out from the  encirclement.

I never underestimated these women from the start. Even just Tabatha  alone was as strong as me. And these six women, although they weren’t as  strong as Keira of the assassin guild, with all six of them at rank 3  even though at lower scale, it would be difficult even to just run away  just as Tabatha said.

That was why at the start I intentionally inflicted a heavy injury at the weakest one.

The woman had her stomach slashed and her head hit. She would definitely die if she was left alone.

The assassins at the base of that assassin guild branch would most  likely abandon her. But, these women survived that situation and  harbored strong feeling of fellowship toward each other. That was why  they chose to “take revenge” despite being residents of the underworld.  Such action didn’t befit an assassin. That was exactly why they would be  concerned with their heavily injured comrade.

You guys were elated from having the advantage and gave me too much information.

「Stop her!」

Tabatha recovered from the illusionary pain and yelled. The women rushed at me with their weapon at the ready.

My close quarter combat skill was still level 3 although I had become  rank 4. Although my Martial Art and String Control had become level 4,  it didn’t give me overwhelming advantage in this situation.

「Don’t face her alone, surround her!」

*GIGINN!!*

I blocked the short sword and short spear that attacked from left and  right with knife and dagger. Tabatha rushed in at that moment and swung  down her mythril weighted chain.

The thorny weight would rip my flesh. It would cause a lot of  bleeding even if I avoided lethal injury. The equipment that Gelf  created might be able to block a hit but, I had no plan to test it out.

「──Shadow Walker──」

*GAKIN!*

「What!?」

My figure vanished into shadow in that moment and the thorny weight  struck the rock wall. At the same time I leaped out from Tabatha’s  shadow and swung my black knife──

*GIN!*

The knife tore Tabatha’s robe but something underneath it blocked the slash.

「You’ve really done it now, Ash Crowned!」

Tabatha discarded her robe. A chain mail that shined silver appeared below it.

……That was also mythril huh. I thought that she wasn’t a sorcerer  right from the start but, the effect of Pain was weak must be because  mythril that could transmit mana easily weakened my sorcery’s effect  using Tabatha’s mana in it.

「Troublesome brat!」

「That’s my line.」

I was able to fight in equal footing until here but it still didn’t  change the fact that I was in disadvantage. Right now one woman had  stepped out of the fight completely to give emergency treatment to the  heavily injured woman, but she too would return immediately after she  finished the treatment.

「Don’t let the Ash Crowned do anything! She doesn’t has any plan anyway!」

Tabatha frowned seeing two women out of the fight, even so she gave  instruction to the remaining women. At the same time she swung her  thorny weight. I deflected it with my dagger but I was being slightly  pushed back due to the slight difference in our skill.

The women aimed at that opening and attacked. I couldn’t dodge them all completely and got my arm and shoulder grazed.

Just as Tabatha said, certainly it would be difficult to handle  attacks from five people in a cramped place like this without any plan.  But……who said that I didn’t have any plan?

「Die Ash Crowned!」

The women attacked with their grudge driving them stronger than  Tabatha’s instruction. I escaped to above in order to dodge them.  Tabatha’s thorny weight attacked me at that timing.

「It’s over, Ash Crowned!」

I kicked on the air at that moment and dodged the thorny weight using the recoil of that movement──

「──Fire──」

I lit the piece of cloth I took out from my Storage, wrapped it around a throwing knife, and threw it at Tabatha.

「You’ve lost your mind!」

Tabatha’s eyes widened for a moment seeing my evasion, but then she calmly dodged my throwing knife without even deflecting it.

But Tabatha, what was behind you? You were at the direction of the  entrance in order to prevent me from getting away. Over there──

「What!?」

Flame burst out from there. It wasn’t a strong fire. But, it would  definitely spread if it was left alone. In this narrow passage, the  toxin from fire would deal serious damage.

I could endure it just a little. I would also be able to reduce the  toxin I inhaled if I covered my mouth with my shawl that was knitted  from spider string. But……what about you guys?

「Are you insane!? How can you use fire attack even in this kind of place!」

Certainly I also used fire attack when crushing the northern frontier  branch. It wasn’t intentional but I was lucky. The surviving women who  still had burn mark on their body was clearly starting to behave oddly.

「It wasn’t poison right?」

「This isn’t funny!」

The origin of the fire was the “oil” that I scattered on the way  here. Fear of fire came from the heat and the poison that was generated  from it but, the greatest trap that I laid out was the “anxiety” that  was caused by the fear of getting dragged into fire.

Anxiety would reduce one’s strength and dulled their judgment. As  proof Tabatha didn’t even notice that the women were slowing down from  their trauma. She also swung her thorny weight with a crude movement.

Your strength was above me if it was in close quarter combat. But we  were even if it was in String Control skill. I had the advantage in the  current situation.

「Wha-!?」

My pendulum and the thorny weight’s chain fought each other with our respective String Control──

「──Hih!?」

When the string entwined around the neck of one of the panicked  women. In that instant, her neck was strangled because Tabatha and my  hand pulled as though to drag a prey to ourselves. Her neck broke.

With this one down──.

「You’ve done it now!」

Tabatha didn’t stop and pulled her chain. Her physical strength  dragged the woman’s corpse together with me toward her. While I lost my  balance, Tabatha drew out the short sword on her waist and swung it  toward me.

It would be difficult for me to dodge it in my current situation. I  made an instantaneous judgment to give up doing counterattack and  focused on defending. But suddenly a powerful “pressure” burst out from  behind Tabatha in that moment.

「What-!?」

「Tsu!」

Tabatha and I stopped moving from the intense pressure. There was  only the flame that I lit up behind Tabatha. I lit fire in the passage  to not allow Tabatha and the women to run away, but it was also to  prevent the carriage driver outside who was possibly also Tabatha’s  comrade from going in.

In that case, who was it who entered into this abandoned mine without even caring about the flame?

The next moment, a large man who was clad in mana and a cloak cut  through the flame to rush inside. That man discarded his cloak that got  caught in fire and pulled the great sword on his back to disperse the  flame.

「……This is an unexpected situation but, who’s the bad guy here?」

The person who said that and pointed his huge sword toward us was──

「……Feld?」

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