Chapter 100

The day after Iona visited the dormitory, Rio and Shiraha visited the Adventurers' Guild accompanied by several guards, including the captain of the guard.

The guild was filled with skilled adventurers, who had formed a defensive line at the entrance. Facing them, the martial members of the Horned Family were lined up, with the evil man Conrart at the forefront.

In the midst of the tense atmosphere, Rio entered with a strained face.

"I feel like we're causing a lot of trouble for the residents."

"Don't worry. There are no residents here anymore."

As Shiraha casually replied, the surrounding houses were eerily quiet, as if they were dead. Even though the Night Stalker had been defeated, the area around the guild was now considered a danger zone.

"And there was the attack by the White Masks. I really feel bad about it."

Looking back, it seemed that most of the commotion had started with Rio and Shiraha. However, Rio and his companions were also victims. It didn't make sense to apologize.

Changing his mindset, Rio stepped between the two groups that were glaring at each other. Iona and the guild staff, who had been waiting, noticed Rio and Shiraha.

"Thank you for arriving early. Although we are not enemies, both sides have their positions."

Iona, carrying the Divine Bow, said this and handed the agreement to the guild staff. The guild staff read the agreement aloud.

The content was simple. They would infiltrate the former territory of the old Schweet Kingdom and investigate the White Masks' facility. The information obtained would be shared with all parties involved. To prevent interference from the White Masks, the Horned Family and the Adventurers' Guild would jointly guard the old border and prohibit entry to all.

After reading the detailed terms, the guild staff rolled up the agreement.

"Is there any objection?"

Everyone nodded in agreement, and the cooperative relationship for the duration was established. The guild and the Horned Family immediately began to move. Iona extended her hand to Rio.

"Once again, please take care."

Surprisingly, her fingers and arms were slender, long, and her nails were neatly trimmed. Shiraha grabbed Rio's wrist as he was about to shake hands.

"We will cooperate, but we don't trust you."

Saying this, Shiraha glared at Iona. Iona smiled wryly and lowered her hand.

"I seem to be disliked. Given the past, it's understandable."

Iona lifted her bow.

"Let me explain. The Divine Bow Nieve has the effect of making the target of its shot fixate on it, or forcing them to look away."

Up close, the bow was beautiful. It was a short bow made from the strong bone of an evil beast, coated with a special blue metal, and inscribed with what looked like text on its surface.

"The bone used as the core material is believed to have come from a new species of animal that evolved from a magic core. Despite being a short bow, it has a wide range due to the strength of the core material. Be careful not to stand in a straight line with it."

"Bone can bend?"

"Thanks to the coating, it's not very visible, but it's made of layered bone plates. The bone itself is very flexible, as you can see."

Iona pulled the string, and the short bow changed shape, showing how flexible it was. Rio checked the surroundings to ensure no one could overhear and spoke in a low voice.

"My weapon is custom-made but has no special effects. It's a sword designed to fit my self-taught swordsmanship. The magic cutting is achieved by breaking through the limits of body enhancement, expelling excess magic power, and expanding the core of the magic to cut it."

"Breaking through the limits of body enhancement... That's not possible for our martial members."

Given that the technique was designed for those without talent in existing swordsmanship, Iona looked troubled. However, as an organization formed from refugees, there should be talented individuals if they looked hard enough.

"Would you like me to teach you?"

If he taught them, he wouldn't need to participate in the battle against the evil god Kazuha. He proposed this with that intention, but Iona shook her head.

"How many years would it take to train someone to fight against evil spirits? You may not realize it, but using your talent to fight evil spirits is essentially suicidal."

Against creatures that can use body enhancement and innate magic, a high enhancement rate is essential. A low enhancement rate would result in a significant difference in strength, akin to a child facing a wild beast unarmed. Attempting such a reckless challenge with just technique is naturally considered suicidal.

"Since Lord Conrart likes you, your martial prowess must be considerable. However, it's too much to ask others to do the same."

"Well, I don't think they'd do it if they didn't like it—Shiraha, why are you glaring at my sword? And it's your turn to introduce yourself."

While hiding his sword from Shiraha, Rio encouraged her to introduce herself. Shiraha glanced at Iona and quickly introduced herself.

"Shiraha. Magic sword. Evil sword Night Stalker. Disappears at night."

"That's too quick. There should be more details, right?"

Rio, worried if this was okay, felt a black cat, Churas, land on his shoulder. The large cat was quite heavy. Iona smiled faintly, unable to hide her delight.

"What a fluffy and cute cat. What's its name?"

"My name is Churas."

"…Huh?"

Iona froze with her mouth half-open. Rio looked at Churas on his shoulder, who waved his front paws in front of Iona.

"I am born from a magic core. I prefer to stay out of the limelight, so please keep it confidential. I possess the divine collar Eleteri. If combat arises, I will assist in your escape alongside your divine bow."

"A, ah… Yes…"

Iona, whose thoughts were in a whirl, simply nodded, overwhelmed by the atmosphere.