Chapter 68

It's going to be a bit long.

Since the special class with Class 1-1 went smoothly, things have finally settled down for now.

I thought the third-year students might try something, but nothing happened, and the days have been uneventful.

Professor Monica hasn't been around the academy much lately, but from what I've heard, she's wandering through various cities.

Apparently, the official reason is a business trip for research, but with her raise, she's probably drinking in some place, right?

Well, there are other professors for the classes, and Yolnard is handling the practicals, so there's no problem.

By the way, I still haven't beaten Yolnard. I could use magic, but even considering that, Yolnard isn't even trying his best...

By the way, the season is already shifting to autumn, and the temperature, which was hot, is gradually becoming more comfortable.

Every year around this time, Quinn's movements become a bit sluggish, but after evolving, Quinn is energetic regardless.

Even now, on weekends, we go into the labyrinth together to check on our companions. Luna and Yomi come along too, so we have a picnic with sandwiches and other things.

Speaking of which, I heard that the old man's meat skewer shop is doing well and is quite popular.

I tried it out, and the seats were almost all taken, which surprised me.

Well, the food was originally delicious, so it had a lot of potential.

Those meat skewers were so delicious that you couldn't find them anywhere else, and with the novelty, it's no wonder they became popular.

So, I've been checking on the recent situation, but even though I'm supposed to be lazy, I feel like I've been busy with various activities.

...In my previous life, my mentor often said, "Buy trouble if you have to."

But thinking about it, I definitely wouldn't want that... Trouble is something I'd rather not have at all!

A peaceful and ordinary life is the best, right?

"Hey, we're here. Lebrant, are you around?"

I came to thank Lebrant for the school festival.

Of course, I prepared a gift, changing the flavor of the fruit to a spicy one and grinding it into a powder.

I prepared ten small bottles, and I hope he likes them.

"Oh, it's been a while, Owl. I just got back from a business trip to the empire."

The empire, huh. The third princess of the empire is in Class 1-1.

"Thank you very much for your help during the school festival. Thanks to you, we managed to be the top earner. This isn't much of a thank you, but please take it if you like."

"Thank you for your thoughtfulness. But the school festival helped us a lot too. We've strengthened our connections with the nobility even more. Well, there are a few minor issues, but they're trivial."

A few minor issues... I suspect it's about the paid snacks we set up.

But without them, we wouldn't have been able to reach Class 1-1, so it couldn't be helped.

"I thought as much, Lebrant. So, I prepared a few recipes for you to use."

"...You always surprise me. You don't seem like a ten-year-old at all. I'd like you to work for me after you graduate from the academy. I'll prepare the money for the recipes as usual."

Being a merchant is not a bad option, but I think a leisurely life in agriculture suits me better.

"Haha, you flatter me. Besides, I plan to live a leisurely life as a farmer in the countryside. But I hope to continue to be in your good graces, so I'll bring you a gift next time."

"That's a shame. But I hope we can continue to have a good relationship. I look forward to your gift."

After that, as we chatted, Lebrant looked at me with a deadpan expression, probably after seeing the contents of the gift.

I turned my gaze away, and I could faintly hear a sigh, but I ignored it.

"It wouldn't be right for a merchant to just take things. ...This is still unverified information, but it seems there's some unrest in the empire."

"Unrest, you say?"

Lebrant said this:

Currently, a religious group called the Cult of the Evil God is causing trouble in the empire. The Cult of the Evil God is a secret organization that has never appeared on the surface, and it's known only to the nobility and royalty of various countries and a few merchants.

In the empire, several villages have already disappeared due to the Cult of the Evil God, and a few nobles have been killed. So far, it seems to be limited to the empire, but the kingdom might be in danger in the future.

Moreover, the Cult of the Evil God has many members with unusually high combat skills, and it's rumored that they possess some kind of secret technique.

There are also stories about using curses and multiple blessings, among other things.

"The Cult of the Evil God, you say."

"Yeah. But it's best not to mention this name carelessly. ...You might be targeted."

"...I understand. I'll be more careful."

"Well, I'm sure you'll handle it, Owl!"

After that, I left the Lebrant Trading Company.

Still, the Cult of the Evil God. I've never heard of it, but I remember reading about the Evil God in a book in the library.

I made a note of it, but I might need to go back and check it again. There might be something I missed.

By the way, he mentioned that a few nobles were killed. ...Could the assassination of the kingdom's prime minister also be related to the Cult of the Evil God?

While thinking about this, I returned home before I knew it.

Luna, Yomi, and Mirei went out for a girls' day, so I'm alone at home.

It's still before noon, and they won't be back until the evening, so I can do anything I want.

So, I'll make a gift for Lebrant before I forget.

Lebrant had a magic bag, but you can never have too many.

I want to make something practical for him. Besides, I want to try using the magic array I saw in the library.

"Let's start with a prototype."

There's plenty of monster leather to choose from, so I won't run out of materials.

I made a bag similar to a monk's satchel by processing the monster leather to a decent size.

I made ten of them as a prototype, but I think they turned out pretty well.

"The next step is to see how well they work with the magic array and enchantments..."

The library books had basic magic arrays, so I'll use those this time.

However, I haven't studied magic arrays properly, so more than half of it is self-taught.

Thanks to the "Skillful but Poor" ability, I can do a decent job to a certain extent.

I must admit, it's a really cheat-like benefit.

I tried various things, but the results were mostly items with low capacity.

The best one had a capacity of 500 kg, and the smallest one was 30 kg. Magic arrays are deeper than I thought...

Since this isn't enough, I made a bracelet version of the ring we gave everyone.

It has a double barrier and the same storage capacity (10x10m, 500kg). I haven't taught it any spells.

I might be overdoing it, but I plan to continue to rely on Lebrant in the future!

Before I knew it, I had forgotten to eat lunch and was absorbed in my work.

It's almost dinner time, but I don't sense anyone coming home, so I'll take a bath first.

A leisurely bath alone is incredibly refreshing. Technically, Quinn is in a small bucket in the bathtub.

What came to mind in the bathtub was the Cult of the Evil God.

"Tomorrow is school, so I'll check the library after class."

There might be some information in a book I haven't read yet.

After soaking in the bathtub for about an hour, I got out, but the three of them still hadn't come home.

"It's dinner time already? They're really late. Did something happen...?"

Spatial Awareness! Presence Detection!

When I seriously searched for everyone's location, I found that the three of them were surrounded by several people.

However, they were too far away to determine the strength of the opponents...

"There are ten of them. I hope they're just thugs..."

I immediately prepared weapons and armor and set out. Since it's night, I'll take Quinn with me this time.

With full Body Enhancement and a wind barrier to reduce wind resistance to the minimum, I can move quickly.

"Quinn, stay hidden in the space for now. Let's go!"

Shiver!

I rushed to their location, cutting through the wind from the second-floor window.

With Spatial Awareness, I could tell that only four of the opponents were left. It seems the battle has already started.

The location is inside the city walls, but it's probably a secluded alley with few people.

I wonder why they're in such a place, but that's not the time to think about it.

As I got closer, I could sense the strength of the opponents. From their magic power and movements, it seems there are four skilled fighters.

They don't seem to be as strong as Luna and Yomi, but it seems they're not using their full strength to avoid affecting the surroundings.

I can hear their voices through the voice transmission magic item, but I can't hear them...

I'll be there in a few minutes, so please be safe!

---

**Side: Luna**

Today, Yomi and Mirei and I are having a girls' day! "Girls' day" is a term I learned from Master, but it feels right, so I'm using it.

We planned to go shopping in the capital, and I was so excited that I only slept for about 7 hours the night before.

Master had something to do with Lebrant, so after having breakfast together, we left immediately.

I think he was considerate so that we could enjoy our day. He's really kind!

"Look, Luna. Even though we're just going out to play today, we should bring our equipment just in case."

That's right. Now, Yomi and I are A-rank adventurers, so we can't be unprepared.

We usually keep our equipment in the ring, but I almost forgot it because I fell asleep without putting it away.

Mirei is about four years younger than us, but we're like sisters now.

Mirei recently moved in with us, and the room that used to be a storage room is now her room.

Today, we'll probably talk about Master's proposal. I want to hear more about it too.

I'm quite envious, but I haven't talked about my past yet.

...I think it's time to talk about it, but I don't want to cause Master any trouble.

My beloved Master. If possible, I want to stay by your side forever, no matter what form it takes.

"Yomi! Luna! I'm ready! Let's go!"

"Hehe, right. The weather is nice, so let's go."

"Yes! Let's go!"

The season is changing, so there might be a lot of cute clothes!

Mirei doesn't seem to have much money, but Master gave us a lot of money for Mirei's share.

Besides, we've earned money as adventurers, so we can buy a lot!

"Hehe, Mirei, you're only 11, but you're developing well? And you're wearing such sexy underwear, which is surprising."

"Hey! Stop teasing me! Besides, Yomi wears even sexier underwear!"

"Both of you, you're being too loud!"

It's a good thing there were only women around, but if a man saw us, I'd be so embarrassed that I'd lose my memory... Cough!

By the way, we had lunch at a place where Master is friends with an uncle. As expected of someone Master likes, the food was really delicious.

We also heard about Mirei's proposal, which I envy.

After that, we went to several clothing stores, and before we knew it, it was evening.

We thought Master would make dinner, so we decided to end our day...

"Hey, Yomi, haven't we been followed since just now?"

"Luna, you noticed too? ...And it seems there are quite a few of them."

"What? We've been followed?"

Mirei didn't seem to notice, but it's probably because they're quite skilled.

"Yomi, who do you think they are?"

"Hmm, well, if we're lucky, they're just some noble's idiot lackeys. In the worst case, they're from the underworld."

"What?!"

This might be a bit troublesome.

"Hey, Luna. We can't fight properly in this place, so let's go somewhere further away."

"Right. Mirei, come with us. It's dangerous to separate here."

We could ask Master for help, but we don't want to bother him on his day off.

Besides, we have our rings, so we won't die.

We used Body Enhancement to move along the roofs to a secluded area, and the presence followed us closely.

"Is this place good? Come out quickly!"

As Yomi shouted, about ten people in black outfits emerged from the shadows.

"You recognized our presence and moved to a different location. Impressive, Water Bloom and Silver Thunder. But even you can't handle this many. Besides, you have a liability with you."

A liability... They must mean Mirei. Compared to us, she's indeed weaker, but Master has trained her, so she's stronger than most people.

"So? Do you have something to say to us?"

"There's no need to talk to you. Die quickly!"

The leader of the black-clad group finished speaking, and ten people quickly approached us.

Yomi, Mirei, and I