Invaders: Chapter 5

Part 1

Several worker teams had already gathered on the Earl's estate before dawn. The last

team to arrive was Hekkeran's 'Foresight'. In total, eighteen people were present. The

workers gathered for this job were considered to be among the cream of their

profession in the capital.

The worker teams maintained a distance between each other as they sized each other

up. When the four members of 'Foresight' finally arrived, they were welcomed by the

collective stares of the other worker teams. This scene could almost be considered

spectacular in its own way.

"Ah, somehow I feel like I've seen all these faces somewhere before. Such as Beetlesan

over there, didn't I see him recently at Kattse Plains?"

"Eh? Did I not mention this in the hotel? Greenham's team also accepted this

request… Did I really not say this? Somehow I feel like I've said this before… In any

case, the worker teams that are gathered today all possess considerable fame within

the capital! Let's have a round of applause for the deep pockets of the client."

"I think I'll pass on that. Anyways, the ones over there are the team leaders, right?"

In the area between the separated teams, three people had gathered in the center,

exchanging information.

"Greenham should be over there, it seems. No doubt about it. Well then, time to go

and greet them."

"…Tch! Urgh, that guy is also there? Ah, I see. Then, the elf girls over there are…

Hmph, that guy is absolutely the worst. Die, you piece of shit."

Imina practically spat that last sentence out. Although she kept her voice down, it still

worried Hekkeran and the others enough that they had to quickly check their

surroundings to see if anyone else had noticed.

"Imina-san!"

"I know, I know, Rob. He's going to be a colleague for this job… However, I really don't

want to see that guy's face."

"—I don't like it either."

"Well, if I had to pick between like and hate, I also dislike him. Even so, you still need

to consider the situation."

Hekkeran, who broke into the conversation between Imina, who was showing a vexed

face, and Roberdyck, helplessly shrugged.

"…Oi, oi, you still have to greet him afterwards, so don't think about unpleasant

thoughts, or they'll show on your face, okay?"

"Do your best, leader."

Hekkeran frowned in response to Roberdyck's encouragement, as though saying

"don't poke into other people's businesses", and then walked towards the group of

three.

The first person that greeted Hekkeran was a worker who wore a steel-blue suit of full

plate armor. The design of the armor was oddly rounded, almost spherical. Due to the

especially large pauldrons, the man wearing the armor appeared more like an upright

beetle than a human.

However, after seeing that the helmet had a horn-like design which stuck out from the

forehead, it became obvious that the armor was intended to look this way.

However, one thing that wasn't intentional was the length of the man's legs. They were

very short. The sight of him wearing the armor was like a real rhinoceros beetle that

had been forced to stand upright by children who were playing around. To put it in

kinder terms, short legs like those of dwarves gave more stability. It was one of the

traits which suited a warrior.

"Just as I had foreseen, thou also came, Hekkeran."

"Yo, Greenham. I thought the request wasn't too bad so we came."

Hekkeran raised his hand as a gesture at the remaining two leaders in a casual

manner. The two of them responded back without any unpleasantness. Although

Hekkeran was the youngest and least experienced of the four of them here, his skills

as a worker were on the same level as them.

"About your side…" Hekkeran said, after glancing over to Greenham's team and

quickly counting them. "There's five of you. What happened to the rest?"

"Resting, recovering from fatigue. Due to our previous work being of similar nature,

some of our members had to stay behind to help with the transportation and repair of

damaged goods."

This man, Greenham, was the leader of 'Heavy Masher', a worker team comprising of

fourteen members.

Having more members definitely had its advantages, such as having more options

available in choosing how to handle each request. In particular, it provided the

flexibility of being able to select the best suited members for each different request.

However, it was not without its disadvantages, such as receiving less income due to

having to split the payment between more people, or running into more conflicts due

to disagreements between members, which made it more difficult for them as a team

to take fast action.

When taking into consideration the personalities of typical workers, it wouldn't be

unusual at all for a team to just suddenly disband. Being able to maintain full control

over such a large team of workers demonstrated just how strong Greenham's

management and leadership skills were.

"Fuuhn, how tiring. How about supporting us so you can earn enough not to

disappoint the comrades you left behind?"

"Thy suggestion is foolish. After we finish this job, bonuses will be given based on the

leader's performance. As unfortunate as it is, the best performance will naturally

belong to me."

"Oi oi, spare me already. It's fine to speak like you normally do."

Greenham simply grinned. Sensing that he had no intention of stopping, Hekkeran

shrugged and turned towards the other man.

"I think it's the first time we've met face-to-face."

Hekkeran stretched his hand out, with a "pleased to meet you" intention. The other

man grasped it and shook back. He had a very strong grip.

He moved his eyes and stared directly at Hekkeran.

"—'Foresight', I've heard a lot about you."

It was a voice that sounded as clear as a bell, which matched very well with his

appearance.

"Likewise, 'Tenmu'."

The genius swordsman that was undefeated in the arena, there wasn't a single worker

who wouldn't recognize who he was. This man's 'Tenmu', was in a sense a team

composed purely of himself. Part of it was the reason why Imina made her previous

unpleasant face.

"The sword genius who's said to be a match for the Kingdom's strongest, Gazef

Stronoff. It's reassuring to have your squad with us."

"Thank you. However, I think it's about time for it to be said the other way around.

That man should only be referred to as being able to match up to this Eruya Uzruth. "

"Oh. So good with words."

Eruya smiled faintly, fully displaying his arrogance. Seeing this smile, the unpleasant

feelings concealed inside Hekkeran almost surfaced again.

"Well then, we'll be relying on you inside the ruins."

"Of course. Leave it to me. It'll be great if there are monsters that can put up a decent

fight inside the ruins."

Eruya said as he tapped on the weapon hanging by his waist, producing a 'pon pon'

sound.

"It's completely unknown what kind of monsters might exist inside. Perhaps we'll

even run into dragons?"

"That would be quite scary. Monsters such as dragons would definitely put up a hellof-

a fight. However, victory would still be mine."

Putting up a 'is that so?' smile, Hekkeran was the last one to react due to forcefully

having to suppress his other emotions.

Taking only the skills with a sword into account, there were rumors that Eruya could

even win against orichalcum ranked adventurers. Considering this point, there was

some basis behind his boasting. Having confidence was a good thing, since it was also

important for workers to showcase their abilities and appeal to their clients.

However, there should be a limit to just how much one can boast.

The world's strongest race, Dragons.

Masters of the sky, capable of producing powerful breaths, with scales that were near

impenetrable, and possessing a physical prowess that was superior by far. As they age,

they even became able to use magic. Having a life span that humans simply couldn't

compare with, the wisdoms that they accumulate would humble even sages.

They were the kind of existences often described in legends, whether as evil villains

or as beings that aided the heroes. Just like in the tales of the Thirteen Heroes, the

last opponent in their adventures was a dragon known as the 'Dragon God'. In many

stories, dragons tended to be the final opponents of heroes.

Even though these existences were only used as an example during conversations, but

to still be able to act this arrogantly was rather surprising. No matter how one

interpreted it, Eruya's words seemed like a joke. However he could tell that Eruya was

completely serious just from the looks in his eyes. Just how self-conceited could he

be?

It was still uncertain what kind of monsters would be in the ruins. Eruya's sense of

judgement would definitely be a hindrance to the overall operation of things.

It's probably best to stay away from him.

It would be convenient if he was to perish by himself, but it would still be troublesome

if the overall formation became broken. A faint smile appeared on Hekkeran's face as

he reached his conclusion, and adjusted his attitude towards Eruya, towards the

direction of 'discard after use'.

"Over there must be the members of 'Foresight'. Oya—"

The look of his eyes when he saw Imina was filled with prejudice and disdain.

There were rumors that Eruya hailed from Slane Theocracy, where humans were

considered the most superior race. As an alleged citizen of the Theocracy, he had the

tendency to treat those with mixed blood as lower-class humans.

For a man like that to see a half-elf such as Imina to be participating as an equal simply

did not make him any happier.

It's because of this that the rumors end up becoming so credible… However, people

from the Theocracy should have a baptismal name, although there's also been

rumors that he's forsaken it.

Hekkeran considered this deep in his heart, and said out loud just in case.

"…Oi, oi, don't be so hostile to my comrade, okay?"

"Of course. We'll be comrades for the same work this time. I'll definitely be

cooperative."

"I will take your word for it."

Perhaps the powerful wild child Eruya matured, but Hekkeran was still afraid that he

would run amok. In short, he could feel the mental instability of Eruya. Hekkeran

couldn't relax even after giving the warning, that's how unpleasant the atmosphere

was.

"Ay, trust me. Anyway, returning to the previous topic, I don't mind letting someone

else take leadership during this trip. As long as there are no special cases, I'll follow

the orders given. If we encounter battle, I don't mind taking the frontlines. I'll let you

guys witness my blade skills."

"Yes yes, understood."

"…Well then, I'll be returning to my team then. If there are any problems just call me."

Eruya bowed, and walked off.

Hekkeran's face slightly twitched after seeing a number of women following Eruya.

However, showing one's emotions here was simply unacceptable. It was not

uncommon for situations to suddenly turn unfavorable after one's emotions were

exposed. As the leader of a team, this kind of behavior would be unacceptable.

Hekkeran suppressed his emotions, and removed all facial expressions.

Looking away from what he considered as trash, he greeted the final person.

"Hello, elder. I see you're still healthy and well."

"Hoi, Hekkeran. You're also looking well."

The sounds produced from the words said were due to the loss of frontal teeth.

Parupatra 'Green Leaf' Ogrion.

Also known as the 'Origin', he wore armor that looked as if it were brimming with

lights reflected from green leaves wet from the morning dew. The armor wasn't made

from metal, but rather from the scales of a Green Dragon. Parupatra's team was able

to successfully hunt a dragon. Of course, from the size of the scales one could tell that

it wasn't that powerful. However, even then a dragon of that size was still an existence

that posed a severe threat to adventurers and workers alike.

Furthermore, Parupatra was over eighty years old.

Typically, in this line of work, the majority of people would have retired by their early

forties, sometimes even before forty. There were very few adventurers above the age

of fifty. As harsh as it may seem, for a profession which is constantly surrounded by

death, it's hard to ignore the decline in one's physical abilities.

In fact, even as a special case, when compared to his peak, the time when he was at

Orichalcum rank, his skills had dropped considerably. Even so, Parupatra still hadn't

left the front lines.

Many people within the industry respected Parupatra for continuing to adventure

despite his advanced age.

"Fumuu. However, that guy seems a bit dangerous."

The wrinkled face of Parupatra became tense as he spoke in a hushed voice. Hekkeran

also agreed.

"That's right. It doesn't matter if he ends up killing himself, but it'll be bad if we end

up getting dragged down with him."

"Indeed, it's true that guy is really strong, but his overconfidence could endanger the

rest of us. He's like a walking hazard."

Greenham also chipped in with a whispered "So troublesome to deal with". After

seeing Eruya's attitude, almost none of the workers would think otherwise.

"Also, just how strong is that guy anyways? I haven't been to the arena recently."

"Does thee not know? I however, do—does elder also know?"

"I've only heard about it but never witnessed in person. I might be able to find out

more if I ask my comrades. In the end, how do we define the threshold for strong? If

we use Gazef Stronoff as the reference point, from what this old man currently know

of… for example, ah that's right… where would we place the Four Knights of the

Empire?"

"The knights titled 'Heavy Explosion', 'Unmovable', 'Lightning', and 'Violent Wind'

huh… That's quite difficult to judge. Although it's true that when compared against

that man, the Kingdom's Warrior Captain, the Four Knights are slightly weaker.

However, the time of Gazef Stronoff being the strongest is already over. The passage

of time have finally triggered the arrival of stronger beings, signaling the birth of a

new era."

"Are you talking about Uzruth? Is he really that strong? Besides, I've never witnessed

the actual strength of the Empire's Four Knights in person… The strongest that I've

seen so far would be the captain of the Mithril Imperial Guards under the direct

command of the Emperor. He's also quite strong… maybe on the same level as the

Four Knights?"

"From what this old man knows so far, the strongest amongst all would be the Dragon

Lords from the Republic. Those aren't something that humans can go up against."

"I did hear that there were five or seven of them… Opps, let's first get back to putting

a rough estimate on the strength of Uzruth. Let's limit it to just the swordsmen among

humans for now."

"If we're doing it this way then we'll have to exclude the swordsmen from the Argrand

Republic since they're mostly composed of demi-humans. It'll be the same for the

Warrior King of the arena. What's left would be the Valkyrie Knight of the Holy

Kingdom who wields the Sacred Blade, but that means we'll only be comparing sword

skills in the end."

For workers, gathering information on those who were strong could be extremely

important for the completion of requests. Because if they ever ended up as opponents

that needed to be faced during a request, one could quickly decide how to proceed.

Beyond this, it's also natural for those who live by their swords to collect this kind of

information.

That was what was happening right now. Originally, it was supposed to be a discussion

on just how strong Uzruth really was, yet it was slowly turning into an information

exchange of those who were strong. It was almost becoming like an argument between

children where phrases like ''that guy is so strong!'' could be heard.

''While the overall skill level of those in the Slane Theocracy is quite high, I've yet to

hear of any particularly prominent ones. Anyways, even if there are, we won't be

including divine magic casters here right?''

''Doesn't the Kingdom also have a female warrior that is of the highest adventuring

rank? How good is she?''

''Ah, that 'Boob-less Big Chest'. She's quite strong indeed. However, I heard that she

lost to the Warrior Captain during the tournament.''

''…I seem to recall that she had almost beaten an adventurer to death for calling her

that. Hya, hya, hya... Such a scary woman!''

''At the pace we're going, it's getting more and more difficult to name more. Let's see,

the one referred to as the Dark Knight of the City Alliance, Serabright the 'Flash' from

the adamantite rank adventuring team 'Crystal Tear' and Optics the 'Crimson' from

the worker team 'Great Blaze of the Crimson Lotus', both from the Draconic Kingdom.

Also, hailing from the Kingdom… Brain Unglaus.''

The conversation stopped for the first time.

''Brain Unglaus? Who the heck is that?''

Parupatra inconceivability asked Greenham in a surprised manner.

''Does elder not know? He's also a famous swordsman of the Kingdom… how about

thee?''

Hekkeran shook his head. It was a name that he did not know.

''I see, thou knew it not…''

Unable to hide his disappointment, Greenham used an unreliable tone as he tried to

recall what he knew.

"Although this was from before, back during the time when I entered the tournament

held by the Kingdom, he was the opponent I faced during the quarter-finals. The me

of that time couldn't even reach his ankles."

"Wasn't that the tournament where Gazef Stronoff also participated in?"

"That's right. The result was that Brain Unglaus lost to Gazef Stronoff. However, a

match between the strong can truly be described as spectacular. It was almost like a

perfect textbook play for swordsmen, how they deflected and parried each slash, how

they decided the angle of one's swing based on the given situation at hand… et cetera.

Those can only be described as eye openers truly showing you the depth of

swordplay."

For a man like Greenham to be saying this, it definitely showed just how skilled that

Brain Unglaus must have been in order to be able to fight evenly against the strongest

warrior known in the Kingdom. His skills would definitely be first class.

Hekkeran sighed. It appeared that there were still plenty of strong guys out there that

he didn't know of.

"Fumuu… Well then, between Unglaus and Uzruth, which one would be stronger? Tell

us your thoughts."

"Uzruth." Greenham answered "If compared against the Unglaus of that time then the

winner definitely would be that guy. It was only recently that I watched some of his

battles in the arena, so I'm sure of it."

"So in other words, Uzruth would have been able to match evenly against the

Kingdom's Warrior Captain of back then? Is he really that strong!? Otto!"

Due to over excitement, Hekkeran accidently raised his voice and had to suppress

himself.

"I see. Unglaus huh. Looks like I was able to gain a bit more information about the

Kingdom… Oh that's right, have you guys heard? Doesn't the Kingdom now have its

third adamantite ranked adventurer team?"

"Of course, I've already heard, elder."

"Ah, sorry. I haven't heard."

"Hekkeran… Thou ignorance could bring much harm to thy team. "

"I already know that. However, it's really difficult to gather information on those of

the same profession as us within the Kingdom. It's also a waste of money."

"Hya hya hya. So courageous. This old man does not dislike that!"

"Elder, I wish to hear thy opinion on this. I've heard lots of rumours about Momon

from 'Darkness', but some of them are just ridiculously outrageous. For example,

being able to successfully subjugate a Gigant Basilisk with only two members and

without the support of any healers."

"Uwah, aren't those simply false rumors?"

Even for adamantite adventurers, to be able to defeat such a strong opponent like the

Gigant Basilisk with only two people was simply near impossible.

"Does thou also agree, Hekkeran? The more information I gather, the more dubious

the whole thing seems. Even regarding the information on the event that happened

within the Kingdom's capital, the rumors were that they defeated a demon with a

difficulty rating of over 200 in just one hit. In my opinion, it seems more likely that

the Kingdom's Adventurer Guild deliberately spread wrong rumors out of personal

interests, just to gain additional adamantite ranked adventurers."

"That's possible. The appearance of new high ranking adventurers is definitely an

amazing thing. However, would the Guild really do something like this? They're very

strict on certain things, that's why they're called a guild."

"In that regard, it's a bit different in each city depending on the Guildmaster who's in

charge. Back when this old man was still an adventurer, the Guildmaster that was in

charge of my city was the absolute worst. I ended up punching him straight in the face.

Hya hya hya! I've been a worker ever since that incident."

Parupatra laughed happily.

The story behind why Parupatra became a worker was extremely well known. It might

be reasonable to say that there shouldn't be any workers within the Empire's capital

that didn't knew it. This was something that was often brought up by Parupatra after

he gets drunk.

"Having said this much, I don't think it's likely that the Guild would do this kind of

stuff."

"In that case, you think it's true then?"

"It's hard to believe. Even when I try to think about it rationally, a difficulty rating of

200— it's already hard enough to imagine just how terrifyingly strong that would be,

to be able to defeat that kind of opponent in just one hit is simply impossible. Even if

that was possible the probability would have to be extremely low. Could it be that the

event happened more like this, a super high difficulty rating demon appeared and

countless teams tried to subjugate it, and the final blow was delivered by the

'Darkness'?"

"If you say it like that, then it sounds a lot more believable."

"I think it's possible. It wouldn't be that strange for someone within the adamantite

rank to be that strong. The skill range between adamantite rank adventurers can be

extremely big."

"So Hekkeran and I are of the same opinion, but elder thinks it really happened as

told, is that right?"

"Hya hya hya. I do think of it that way."

"Seeing in person beats hearing a hundred tales. Now I want to meet him at least

once… yet at the same time I don't."

Just as the two of them were about to agree to what Hekkeran had said, the sound of

someone getting hit, followed by the cries of a woman, interrupted their conversation.

The workers that were present quickly focused their attention on the source of the

disturbance. Some had already drawn their weapons and entered their battle state.

The source of the scream, which came from Eruya's direction, was one of Eruya's

female companions, who was laying on the ground. Considering the situation, it

seemed that Eruya was the one who had sent her flying. His face was distorted with

rage, while a fearful expression could be seen on the woman as she begged for his

forgiveness.

While desperately trying to suppress the feelings that fluctuated within his chest, the

first thought that flashed in Hekkeran's mind was his comrade—he hurriedly cast a

glance at Imina.

Having made up his mind, Hekkeran eliminated the expressions on his face and

remained where he was. However, the pressure that was emitted from Hekkeran

suggested that if anything further happens, he would definitely be the first to strike

out.

Hurriedly, Hekkeran signaled to Roberdyck and Arche, instructing them to stop

Imina from taking any independent actions.

Personally, Hekkeran felt the same way as Imina. However, right now he didn't have

the right to meddle in other team's affairs. Of course, if he really wanted to, there was

nothing stopping him from taking action. It was just that he would then be required

to take responsibility. Because of reasons like this, the other teams also didn't show

any signs of wanting to be involved and simply expressed their disgust.

In the end, Imina was finally able to come to her senses, and suppressed her emotions.

She made a rude gesture towards Eruya's back and spat on the ground.

"…It seems he can only match his swords skills with the Kingdom's Warrior Captain.

It would be great if he could also match his personality, but that's just asking for too

much. Well then, let's just end the useless chattering here."

"…I agree. Since Hekkeran has already arrived, it's time to decide on the most

important thing."

"Since that guy has already backed out from this it's just between the three of us, but

who will take the overall command of this operation?"

Suddenly everything became quiet.

There were four worker teams here. The amount of combat potential from the

combined four teams could already be considered as something remarkable, however

if not properly commanded, much of it would be wasted. No matter how many arms

one might possess, if one was unable to make use of them in harmony, it's no better

off than having just a single arm.

Managing multiple teams with a diverse range of personalities was already a difficult

enough task to accomplish, to do so without receiving any complaints was even

harder. Mistakes that occurred when giving commands could directly result in failure.

And if the leader prioritized his own team first, then he could even end up being the

target of everyone's resentment.

To make it clearer, it's a responsibility that requires ability, yet comes with more

demerits than merits.

Knowing this, the leaders quietly waited while studying each other's expressions.

After nearly one minute of silence, the tired Hekkeran made a suggestion.

"Honestly, I think it's better not to do it this way."

"This will only delay the problem. What if it gets messy once the battle starts?"

"…I propose we dost take turns. This way dissatisfaction can be kept to a minimum.

We can also discuss this further after we arrive at the ruins."

"Ah—"

"That's right."

Thus Greenham's proposal was accepted by both Hekkeran and Parupatra.

"In that case, let's use the arrival order to determine the turns."

"What do we do with Uzruth's 'Tenmu'?"

"It doesn't matter even if we skip that guy's turn. After all, he isn't capable of leading

in the first place."

"I can only agree, elder. In that case, the first one to take leadership will be me, 'Heavy

Masher', the one who proposed this system."

"We'll be in your care then, Greenham."

"I'll be relying on you, young one."

"Understood. However, the likelihood of us encountering dangerous monsters inside

the Empire's territory is almost zero. It's only when we are in the Kingdom, near the

Great Forest, that problems may occur."

"Ah, we should have reversed the order."

The two of them quietly laughed as Hekkeran face palmed himself when he stated

that. However, their laughter quickly stopped when they noticed a man was walking

towards them.

Light finally started to shine within the Earl's courtyard when his butler made his

appearance. Walking with his back straight and tightened, the butler walked in a

manner which reflected the standing of those who served the Earl.

Arriving in front of the workers, the butler stopped and bowed. Although no-one

returned his bow, the butler didn't seem to mind and started speaking.

"Time is up. On behalf of the earl, I would like to express his gratitude to everyone

here who accepted our House's request. There will be two representatives from our

House who will be coming along for this trip. Including the adventurers hired for the

security of the carriages and a few other things, all together there will be six additional

people. The destination is the unexplored ruins located near the border of the

Kingdom—from the structure it appears to be a tomb. The designated period for

investigation is three days. Additional bonuses will be given out after the Master has

confirmed the received goods discovered from the ruin. Are there any questions?"

The details that were given by the butler were almost the same as the initial request.

The only new information was that adventurers would be guarding the carriages.

Many were interested in the details about the chosen travel route, but as workers, one

quickly learned to differentiate between which questions were allowed to be asked

and which weren't. It was clear that this was something the Earl did not plan to reveal,

otherwise it would have already been made public.

If it was a clean request, they would have hired adventurers instead. Since it was dirty

work, the requestor obviously wouldn't reveal everything. Some things were simply

safer not to know.

"…Well then, I will be leading everyone to the carriages we have prepared."

Without saying any words, the entire group followed the butler.

Hekkeran's 'Foresight' was at the very back of the group.

"That eru-shit, he's much better off dead. How about it? Should we do it?"

Unable to tolerate Eruya any further, Imina whispered this to Hekkeran.

"Although I've heard plenty of rumors before, but seeing it really shows just how

despicable that man is."

"—Absolutely the worst."

The remaining two members also couldn't hide their disdain.

To 'Foresight', this type of opinion came naturally. Since they've already made the

woman Imina into their comrade, the things that Eruya did were unforgivable.

In Eruya's team, except for himself, every other member was female. They were also

elves.

If it was just that, then Imina and the others wouldn't be expressing as much

contempt. However, they did have their reasons as to why they considered Eruya as

the lowest of the lowest lowlife.

The female elf members only possessed the bare minimum of equipment, their clothes

were made from the plainest fabrics available, without any defensive capabilities.

Furthermore, their short-cut hair revealed the stumps which showed the remains of

what had been the distinctive long ears that elves normally possessed.

The reason why they, Eruya's team members, were in this state, was because they

were slaves bought from the Slane Theocracy.

Slavery also once existed within the Empire, but during the previous Emperor's rule,

many things were changed. Although they were still referred to as slaves, the meaning

became completely different. However, nothing had changed for the demi-human

slaves such as the ones fighting inside the arena.

The elf slaves that belonged to Eruya also fell under this category.

The Baharuth Empire, Re-Estize Kingdom, and Slane Theocracy, the percentage of

human citizens living in these three countries could almost be calculated as 100%.

Compared to other countries, these three clearly displayed more disdain towards nonhuman

races. Because of this, even those who were half human—like Imina—had

experienced difficulties.

The only exception were the dwarves. The Azellerisia mountains spanned the border

between the Baharuth Empire and the Kingdom of Re-Estize, and inside these

mountains existed the Dwarven Kingdom. As long as the Empire still maintained

trade relations with the Dwarven Kingdom, the rights of Dwarves were protected.

"I do feel sorry for these elves, but right now isn't the time to save them."

Imina sighed deeply, deep inside she was aware of that, but her feelings simply

couldn't be let go so easily.

"Let's go."

As Imina began to walk ahead, Hekkeran and others hastened their pace to catch up.

What they saw once they caught up to the main group made their eyes widen in

surprise.

Two carriages had been prepared for the journey to the ruins. There was also a group

of people surrounding the carriages. They must be the adventurers that had been

mentioned before. The plates hanging from their necks were all brimming with a

golden radiance.

However, what had surprised them wasn't the carriages nor the adventurers, but

rather the horses.

"—Sleipnirs."

The sound of surprise could also be heard from amongst the other workers.

With four pairs of legs, Sleipnirs were much larger in size compared to normal horses.

Due to their superior muscle strength, endurance and mobility, Sleipnirs were

regarded as the most versatile type of magical beast for travelling across lands.

Of course, the cost for one was also astronomical, enough to match the price for five

or more battle horses. Even for aristocrats, it was uncommon for one to possess them.

Each carriage was pulled by two Sleipnirs. When taking into account the possibility of

losing these horses during the adventure, the people that were aware of their worth

couldn't help but appreciate the generosity of the Earl. Or maybe he simply feared

that normal horses wouldn't have enough strength to pull all the treasures that would

be found sleeping inside the ruins.

The others must have thought of this as well. The sound of people swallowing their

saliva could be heard.

"Please make use of the carriages provided. Provisions have already been placed

inside. For the safety of the carriages, as well as the security of the camp sites, we

especially hired adventurers. Also, please be aware that they've signed an agreement

stating that they will not enter the ruins."

Suddenly thinking ahead, Hekkeran left his comrades and headed towards

Greenham.

"My bad, Greenham. There's something that I wish to discuss."

"What's wrong? What do you wish to talk about?"

"It's about the pairing for the carriages, can you help me not being in the same carriage

as 'Tenmu'?"

"En? Ah, I see. Thou unease is understood. It's reasons to do with your companion

right? In that case our team will pair with 'Tenmu' instead."

"Sorry about this, you've helped me a lot."

"Don't worry about it, we're all in it together as companions during this job. It would

be bad if something happens before we even start the investigation. If—"

"—Is it really okay for us to be relying on these gold ranked adventurers? What do we

do if the campsite was overrun before we come back? Or if monsters manage to break

through the security perimeter of the campsite?!"

Suddenly, a voice as loud and clear as a burning fireball could be heard by everyone,

causing Hekkeran and Greenham to turn their focus elsewhere.

Eruya's words were directed towards the butler. However, he didn't bother concealing

his voice. It was as if time suddenly froze, the movements of the adventurers who were

moving the luggage stopped on cue.

Naturally, for those who are aiming towards the top, it was obvious that the path

became longer and steeper the further one travelled along it. Although it didn't matter

how far one could reach at the end, the effort required to get to where they were now

wasn't something that could be achieved easily. Their feelings after hearing what

Eruya had said could only be described as unpleasant.

The profession of an adventurer was a highly competitive one, to have one's ability

doubted—especially by the commissioner—could heavily impact their future career.

It would then be necessary to display their strength.

Regardless of whether they were an adventurer or a worker, to be able to fearlessly

dish out these words, the speaker must at least be at a powerful enough position which

allows them to get away with it. As such, Eruya did not seem to mind the current

atmosphere at all, and continued on.

"Well, I have to admit they're at least good enough to qualify as luggage lackeys, but

when it comes to keeping everything safe, I'm not so sure."

Give me a break, please. It wouldn't be good at all if things turn ugly. Those guys are

also restraining themselves due to already being hired…

The workers currently present were all as strong as mithril ranked adventurers. In

other words, stronger than those adventurers. However, there were still certain things

that one should definitely not say, based on the given circumstances.

Can someone give him a beating so he can shut up?

The atmosphere amongst the workers also started to tense up as the majority of them

began to glare at Eruya in disapproval. Looking around, Hekkeran hurriedly rushed

to the side of Imina. It wouldn't be good if blood started spewing.

However, the person that made the next move wasn't a worker.

"You must be Uzruth-sama. I do not believe there will be any problems."

"…Is that under the assumption that we will also help in securing the campsite?? If

it's like that then I can still accept your reply."

"That's not it. It's just that we requested the aid of someone stronger than those of you

present—Momon-san."

As if responding towards the words spoken moments ago, a warrior clad in full plate

mail stepped out from one of the carriages. Due to the helmet he was wearing, his face

could not be seen.

"Please allow me to introduce everyone. Reaching the rank of adamantite with the

power of only two people, the adventurer Momon-san from the 'Darkness'. His

teammate Nabe is also present. With these two to protect the campsite, this

arrangement… I hope everyone is satisfied?"

The atmosphere suddenly became completely different. To adventurers and workers,

the one standing in front of them was one who had reached the peak of their

profession. Under the presence of the strongest, every worker, regardless of who it

was, kept quiet.

Seeing how the workers reacted to the appearance of an adventurer of the highest

rank, the mood of the other adventurers improved. An affectionate smile emerged on

the face of the leader of the adventurer team as he conversed with the warrior in black.

"Please let us handle the rest. In the meanwhile, could Momon-san continue the

exchanges with the workers? Also, please take over the role of leadership and advise

us on the security plans for the rest of the trip."

"Understood. Although I am still lacking, if your team have no problems with it, I will

accept. However, I will still be relying on you guys as the main security force. Your

team contains more people. It will be more convenient for us to assist instead."

"No! What are you talking about!? You're not lacking at all! Doing it that way will drag

Momon-san—"

"No, your team will still be tasked with the main security. Do make use of us. Now

then, Nabe."

Having ended the conversation there with a voice which carried the hint of a faint

smile, Momon walked down the stairs from the carriage. The person following behind

Momon was a woman of astonishing beauty.

Usually, when a beautiful woman appears, there would always be some kind of

commotion. However, things became very different if the level of beauty was

overwhelming. In the presence of a truly beautiful woman, the only thing one could

do was have their eyes stolen.

"Hekkeran. That person…"

"Aye, Rob. I was thinking the same thing. We saw her at the North Market. Over

there… Momon of the 'Darkness'. Having only one companion. If it's like that, it seems

like the rumor of defeating a Gigant Basilisk wasn't as big of an exaggeration as I had

initially thought."

"Giga—! About that, is that true?"

"Seems like it. There's also a rumor that they defeated a demon with a difficulty rating

of over 200 using a single attack. I heard this from Greenham."

"—That can't be real right? A difficulty of over 200 is beyond the limit of human

capabilities. That isn't a territory humans could ever reach… Could it be that you

misheard 100 as 200?"

"Even if it's like that, it would still be amazing. Yet somehow I get the feeling that it

really did happen like it was said in the rumors. At least, that's how I feel."

Even though it was only a brief moment of conversation with the gold ranked

adventurer, the personality of Momon seemed to have been made clear. It was

consistent with what the people expected of adamantite ranked adventurers. The

impression given off by Momon was that of a likeable man.

"Before we begin the exchange… there's something I wish to hear from you guys."

Momon's voice wasn't particularly loud. However, the impression that one received

when hearing the sound of his voice was that of majestic grandeur.

"Why have you decided to go to the ruins? Because you've accepted the request?

However, different to how the Guild can sometimes force adventurers to take a

request, there's nothing preventing you from rejecting this request. What is your

reason for deciding to go?"

The workers exchanged glances at each other, hesitating on who should respond. In

the end, the first to speak up was someone from Parupatra's Team.

"That's obviously because of money."

The perfect answer to the question. There was no other reason. The reason why the

workers hesitated to answer wasn't because the question was hard, but rather, they

were trying to determine Momon's true purpose of asking such an obvious question.

After confirming that every worker agreed with the given answer, Momon continued

to ask.

"In other words, the reward offered from this request is enough for you guys to risk

your life for?"

"That's right. The amount offered was enough to entice all of us. Also, bonuses will

also be given if we discover additional treasures from the ruins. Isn't that enough for

us to bet our lives on?"

The one who responded was Greenham.

"…I see. So this was the final decision you guys made. Understood. Looks like I've

asked a pointless question. Please forgive me."

"What you asked wasn't particularly offensive… Please don't mind."

"Hya hya hya. Looks like you are done with the questions. In that case, could this old

man also ask something?"

"Please go ahead, senior."

"I've heard many rumors about you. Whether they're true or not, this old man wishes

to find out for himself."

"I see. Seeing something in person beats hearing a hundred tales huh? Alright. I'm

fine with it. Then allow me to, no, allow us as the security guards to demonstrate our

worth. In what manner would you wish to do this?"

"About that, obviously it's to have you face off against an opponent right?"

Everyone present suddenly focused their attention towards—

"—Of course, it'll have to be the one who proposed it. This old man himself."

"What? So senior wishes to choose himself? …I will apologize first then, but I'm not a

man who is used to holding back when fighting. Although I may not have the

intentions of wanting to cause injuries, I do not have enough confidence that I can

control my strength properly—are you still fine with this?"

"Hya hya hya hya! As expected of the adamantite rank! This old man has already

decided on taking the risk. I won't blame you for anything that happens."

A faint laughter could be heard from underneath Momon's helmet.

"That's expected, senior. This is the difference in in battle strength—I'm strong.

Stronger than everyone present. That's why I'm adamantite ranked."

Overwhelming conceit, and an attitude as if looking down from above. However, not

a single bit of unpleasantness was felt by the workers present. This was obviously due

to the impressive pressure emitted from the man called Momon. His words were

accompanied by an overwhelming pressure which gave the impression of staring at

death itself, thus the words felt as if they contained the power of persuasion.

"…How amazing."

"…Aye, really amazing."

Most of the people in the audience couldn't help but let out their voice due to the

emitted pressure.

There were many women that fall for strong and powerful men. In terms of respect

and admiration, many men were also fascinated by the strength of the strong. Like

moths attracted to flames, the people living in this world of blood and steel couldn't

help being mesmerised by that irresistible charm, even though they were aware that

they would get burned if they got too close.

"Hya hya hya! Looks like there won't be anyone here objecting to you being

adamantite ranked! Although I've said it this way, since it's a rare opportunity, I will

still carry on despite knowing that I will lose. The carriages over here are in the way.

Can we use the empty area over there instead, butler?"

Having received the permission from the butler, Parupatra took the lead and went

over to the empty courtyard. All of the workers followed. The adventurers and the

butler also came.

"Judging from what Elder had said, it seems like we won't be able to witness much."

"—That man seems really strong."

"Uun, not just strong, more like outrageously strong. It feels as if he's stronger than

any of the other adamantite-ranked adventurer teams in the Empire."

"Seems like it. The only reason the adventurer team 'Silver Canary' has the adamantite

rank is because all of their members are people with rare professions. Although they

possess strange abilities, their actual strength isn't quite up there yet. 'Eight Ripples'

made it to where they are mainly due to relying on their numbers and spectacular

teamwork."

'Silver Canary' was a team lead by a Bard who had reached the heroic tier, while its

members had many strange professions. 'Eight Ripples' had been founded by nine

members, but due to their numbers, they were often regarded as a team whose

individual members were not at the adamantite level yet. However, if it was about

teamwork, they were known to excel beyond everything other adamantite-ranked

teams could achieve.

Nevertheless, all of them were considered as having achieved the impossible feat of

ascending into the realm of adamantite-bearers.

Whispers of such discussions could be heard from the team members from behind.

The contents of the discussions wasn't only limited to the previous remarks. If one

listened carefully, many things could be heard. The most discussed topic was how long

Parupatra could last, things like that. There wasn't a single person who believed he

could defeat Momon. The primary reason for that was that the man known as Momon

had emitted an amount of pressure only those of the adamantite rank would be able

to create, even if it had been only for a brief moment.

While Hekkeran was deep in thought, someone walked up to his side. Considering the

metallic sounds that were produced, it was obvious who it was.

"What does Greenham think about the upcoming fight between the two?"

"Although I feel bad to say this, but I just can't see how Elder can win. At this point,

what's left is simply to see to what extend Elder can take it to, that's all. Does thee plan

on going next after Elder?"

"No way, please give me a break. What about you?"

"I will also give up. I'll be satisfied with just witnessing the strength of a superior

warrior. However, I hope to be able to receive some guidance on the sword during this

trip."

"I'm also thinking about doing that— Oh!"

Arriving at the courtyard, Momon and Parupatra began to back away from each other

as they started readying their stance.

Parupatra's gaze was definitely not something an ordinary old man would be capable

of making, they were definitely the eyes of a warrior who was used to combat.

The atmosphere gradually changed to one filled with killing intent, the peacefulness

surrounding the courtyard no longer exists.

As the audience was watching, the tension created a feeling of anxiety and some of

them even started to sweat.

"…Oh my, not good. Elder seems to be completely serious."

Greenham, who was standing by Hekkeran's side, unconsciously exposed his true self.

"Against an opponent of the adamantite rank, it's understandable for him to go at it

as if his life is on the line—"

While replying, Hekkeran shifted his line of sight towards the warrior in black, trying

to put himself into the elder's position, and gasped.

He couldn't feel a single thing from Momon.

Both of his hands were lowered by his sides without showing any signs of taking any

defensive actions, meeting the bloodlust head on as if it was nothing. It was

completely as if he was facing against a harmless child holding a sword, that kind of

feeling.

"Ahriya! Amazing! Confronted with that kind of killing intent and not showing any

signs of reaction. It's impossible for him to not notice this amount of bloodthirst being

emitted, could it be that he's reached the very peak of the warrior, the ultimate mental

state of nothingness!?"

"Swordless Heart? Or has his mental state reached the Realm of Cloud and Water? To

be able to stand so fearless like that when there's that much of a difference between

the weapons of the two, he must really be confident of his skills… really, how

terrifying. "

The spear in Parupatra's hands was a magic item made from the tooth of a dragon,

whereas the weapon that Momon was holding was a wooden staff borrowed earlier

from one of the adventurers. No matter how you look at it, it was definitely not imbued

with any kind of magic. Weapons imbued with magic could increases their sharpness,

boost the user's abilities and provide various additional effects. Looking at nothing

but the weapons, Parupatra had an overwhelming advantage.

"No, I don't think so. Although it's true that there's a strong difference in terms of

weapons, Momon-sam's armor should be well above Elder's in terms of magical

properties. Also, the additional magic items equipped should be better as well. The

overall difference isn't that large, but Momon-san should hold the advantage."

"Don't you think it's a bit early to come to a conclusion? I've heard that the number of

magic items in Elder's possession is far greater than what most adamantite-ranked

adventurers could possibly have.. Elder has been adventuring for a long period of

time, and has completed countless requests. If we consider just the amount of

payment he's received, no-one in the Empire has more than him!"

"No, no, wait up—"

"The one that should wait should be—"

While the two of them were still arguing, the tension within the courtyard had reached

its climax and the first sparks of battle finally started to appear.

"Well then, let's go!?"

"There are still important things that needs to be done after this. Don't make it too

hard for yourself and come at me, senior—"

Without even finishing the sentence, Parupatra charged towards Momon with a speed

that most people would never imagine an eighty-year old man to be capable of.

Smooth and with strength, he completed the action with such fluidity that his

opponent Momon still hadn't raised the staff in his hands.

"「Dragon Fang Thrust」!"

Hekkeran's eyes widened in surprise at Parupatra's sudden use of a martial arts at the

very beginning of the fight.

A consecutive two-hit piercing attack with the spear bending like the tooth of a

dragon. On top of dealing additional damage based on the attributes imbued by user,

this martial art technique also included a homing effect which increased the chance

of dealing critical damage. Using 'Piercing Strike' as the base, this technique was

something Parupatra had created forty years ago. A well-balanced technique known

by many and even now a lot of people were still studying it.

In addition to the 'Dragon Fang Thrust', Parupatra layered an additional 'Blue Dragon

Fang Thrust' on top, which caused extra lightning damage.

Just what is that old man thinking! Even though we have healing magic at hand

here, who really goes all out like that?

The effect of the used martial arts was that even a minor scratch would cause a

considerable amount of lightning damage. It was most suited when fighting against

opponents wearing armor made of metal. His decision to use this attack showed

Parupatra's seriousness.

However, for an attack that was known to be troublesome to deal with for those

wearing metal armor, Momon easily avoided it like it was nothing. His actions made

it seem as if he was wearing an armor as light as feather. The sluggish movements that

normally should have been caused from when wearing full body armor did not show

at all. What made it even more surprising was that instead of making excessive

movements like leaping backwards, Momon was able to evade the incoming attack

with minimum effort while standing still.

"Impossible! Just how good are his kinetic vision and physical capabilities?"

"—「Gale Acceleration」!"

Parupatra responded immediately with another martial art.

That old fart is going way over the top! Has his brain already become a fossil?

"「Dragon Fang Thrust」!"

Using the same technique as before, Parupatra struck once more at Momon. The blade

of his spear was brimming with a white layer of coldness which came from the 'White

Dragon Fang Thrust' he used this time.

A four hit consecutive attack that didn't give the opponent any breathing room—

A commotion could be heard from amongst the audience watching.

Of course. Even an attack like that wasn't able to land a single hit or scratch on

Momon's armor.

Parupatra quickly leaped away to create some distance from Momon. Sweat started

to build up on his forehead. It wasn't from exhausting his stamina, but rather from

the sheer amount of mental pressure he received during the face off against death.

"Amazing!"

"—Stronger than Hekkeran."

"Obviously, Arche. Don't use me as a comparison. What you're seeing there is the

highest of the adventurers. The absolute peak of everything. The power of an

adamantite-ranked adventurer."

"Well then, looks like it's my turn to attack."

Momon slowly raised his staff, entering a stance. In contrast, Parupatra rested his

spear on his shoulder, relaxing his posture. He was giving up, having completely lost

any will to fight.

"Magnificent. I give up, I resign. Forget about winning, this old man can't even put a

scratch on your armor."

"…Is that so."

Towards Parupatra who announced his loss, the majority of the audience gave off a

"uooooh" sound as they sighed. It was without a doubt, an overwhelming victory by

Momon, as if he was an adult who played around with a child.

Discussions such as "which martial-arts-school did the footwork technique used by

Momon belong to?" started to appear as the overly excited audience began to share

their thoughts with each other. Not caring about these things, Hekkeran and

Greenham walked towards Parupatra who was busy wiping away his sweat while

conversing with Momon.

"Already done, senior?"

It feels as if the atmosphere and speaking tone suddenly changed.

"…I thought you wanted to display your real ability."

"…hya hya hya. That would be too much for an old man like me. What I've shown is

already my real ability, Momon-dono."

"—Ah, my apologies for being disrespectful."

"No need to apologize, but to be honest I am quite sad about it. Also, you don't need

to be so modest with your words. What we old timers respect is strength and not who

has lived longer. To be treated with so much respect by someone as overwhelmingly

strong as you just doesn't make me feel good."

"…I see. So be it then. However, to just end it here like this without letting me even

take a swing leaves a bad aftertaste for me. If there's going to be a next time, I'll be the

one to start. Well then, I will have to get back to moving the luggage."

"There are other people already working on it. You shouldn't need to be doing that

right?"

"I do not think so. No matter what kind of status I have, when a task is assigned to

me, I must still finish it properly."

Having said that, Momon turned around and headed back towards the carriages.

Following him was the woman possessing peerless beauty. Hekkeran and Greenham

whose path crossed by couldn't stop their eyes from being glued to them once more.

Entranced by the silhouette of the larger than life's back of Momon.

"Hya hya, you're making the face of a man wanting to ask questions."

"—Elder, what was your thoughts on this?"

Parupatra's wrinkled face started to distort, as if wanting to smile bitterly.

"Very strong. No, that should be as expected due to being adamantite ranked.

However, I never imagined to what extent that was. The moment we clashed, I got the

feeling that no matter how I attack, I would never be able to hit him."

Hekkeran had the exact same feeling. Every single attack of his would probably be

evaded by the man named Momon, and then the counterattack would come. Even if

he was able to land a hit after using the best tricks he could think of, the image of his

attack being repelled by that armor still appeared in Hekkeran's mind. Parupatra, who

experienced it firsthand, must have received an even stronger impression.

"So that's… the adamantite rank huh?"

"That's right. That's the so called adamantite level. A realm where only few can ever

reach. Aahh, truly magnificently stunning. A height that you cannot reach and touch…

Well, are you guys satisfied from witnessing this?"

"Without a doubt! Thanks to being an observer, I was able to see the whole thing in

detail. If I had been the one fighting, I would have never been able to calmly observe

everything. Although I have to apologize for saying this to Elder, but personally, I

really wanted to see the Momon-dono the moment he was about to attack."

"That wouldn't have been possible. Momon-dono never had the intention to attack in

the first place. He didn't even show any fighting spirit. Most likely, it was just as he

had said, that he wasn't used to holding back. If he had really attacked, Elder most

likely would have lost his life."

If it was said like that, it would indeed sound quite arrogant. Elder Parupatra was also

a warrior of considerable strength, a veteran that should not be underestimated.

However, it was exactly because having achieved it showed just how strong

adamantite rank adventurers truly are.

"That can't be helped. There's a huge difference in strength between this old man and

that person. Even though I was quite unhappy about it, there is nothing I can say after

he was able to evade all of these attacks like nothing

That was what it meant to be strong.

Choosing a weapon that he wasn't familiar with, where the weight and balance was

completely different, showed just how much confidence he had in his own abilities.

The difference between the two was just that big.

With a final sentence of "so tiring, so tiring", Parupatra turned and walked away

towards the carriages.

As Parupatra's figure gradually got further and further away, Hekkeran heard him

utter the following words.

"Even during my prime I was unable to reach that level, so that is the adamantite rank

huh… too distant to ever reach."

Parupatra's figure seemed much smaller when compared to that of Momon's, which

gave off an overwhelming pressure.

"So that's the highest rank… adamantite."

"Yeah. Truly amazing."

Only the sound of agreement could be heard from those two.