Chapter 2

"Hey!! This isn't a yakisoba potion!! Who would drink a croquette potion!!"

"Hey, what the heck!! You said it was 'Morning Black Tea'! What is this? It's just black bean tea!!"

*Clatter, Clang!*

One after another, the various supplies were thrown.

This was happening in the meeting room of the inn where the party had rented the entire building.

Anbus, dissatisfied with the croquette potion, deliberately spilled its contents and threw the empty bottle.

Sheila, a child who couldn't even taste it, whined and demanded that he buy expensive tea.

"And! Stop it!! It's my fault, okay?!"

"Shut up!! You, look! Despite being a useless errand boy, don't you dare talk back!!"

Saying this, Algas threw a new potion, still full, at him. Despite wearing heavy knight armor, he moved with surprising agility at such times.

*Smash!*

"Ouch!!"

It hit his head dead center, and the smell of croquettes filled the air.

"Ugh, it smells like croquettes! Hey, stop it! Guen already smells like an old man!"

The one complaining with a pout was the little Sheila, dressed like a young witch with a pointed hat. Despite her cute appearance, her mouth was so foul that she was utterly detestable.

In the meeting room, enveloped in harsh voices, the other companions also complained about Guen's shopping mistakes. Despite telling him to "buy it quickly," they only made unreasonable demands.

"Stop it! It costs money, you know? Besides, in this frontier—"

"Hey, old man!!"

*Smash!*

"Ugh!!"

With a shattering sound, a high-quality bottle of 'Sword Maintenance Oil' hit his head. The one who threw it with such force that it shattered was none other than their leader, Manack.

"Be quiet! Old man, it's your fault for choosing the wrong quest, bringing us to this frontier. Don't make excuses, just go buy it again!"

"But, that's—? Besides, if it's a mistake in quest selection, ... I did it for everyone—"

Guen tried to argue further, but then the enraged Manack and Anbus threw the bag of supplies Guen had gathered at him.

*Crash!*

*Scatter, Scatter...*

"Ugh!!"

The contents were spilled all over, hitting Guen's body. The intense pain made him writh on the floor, and relentless follow-up attacks rained down on him.

"What? What's this about doing it for everyone? It's because you're a coward!!"

"Right, right! We're 'SS' rank! We should be able to defeat the strongest of the Four Demon Kings! But, old man! It's because you insisted on starting with the weakest one that we ended up in this frontier—!!"

The attack on the Demon King's army, a constant request from the Adventurer's Guild, includes a special quest to "Defeat the Four Demon Kings."

Recently, with the Demon King's army becoming more active, the guild has pushed this special quest to the forefront.

Of course, there were hardly any parties willing to take on such a quest. Why?

...Of course, because it's dangerous.

Who would take on a reckless quest like stepping into the Demon King's territory, where monsters roam, to defeat the Four Demon Kings?

But, the 'Warriors of Light,' who were on a roll (or so some thought), jumped at the request without hesitation.

After all, the reward for completing the request was not only a huge sum of money but also a rank-up in the guild.

The 'Warriors of Light,' already rumored to be of legendary strength, would be just a step away from the true legend, 'SSS,' if they ranked up.

So, there was no reason not to take it.

"—But, you, a nobody, have the nerve to speak up... If we defeat the weakest of the Four Demon Kings, we can rank up, but it will tarnish our record!! You parasite!!"

*Thud!!*

Algas's legged greaves kicked Guen, who was curled up on the floor after being hit with supplies.

"Ugh!"

"Exactly! Thanks to the old man, we're stuck with the weakest of the Four Demon Kings, the poison user 'Nyaro Kanso'! Look at this wretched frontier and swamp!"

*Bang, Bang!*

Manack continued to beat Guen, almost as if taking out his frustrations.

Their argument was that they wanted to defeat the strongest of the Four Demon Kings, the 'Flame Dragon,' who was ravaging a place near a southern resort, and then go on vacation in the southern islands.

However, the Flame Dragon was incredibly strong, and it was clear that it couldn't be defeated with a vacation mindset. Guen had tried to persuade everyone to start with the weakest of the Four Demon Kings, 'Nyaro Kanso,' to gauge the situation.

To Guen, even the weakest of the Four Demon Kings was too much, but there was no way he could be heard.

After all, Guen, despite being a veteran, had no real say in the party.

"Hey, everyone!!"

A voice of salvation...! Ah, finally, you came...

"Doing such mean things to Guen again!"

"Oh, we got caught, huh?"

"Hey, it's Regina..."

Manack and the others scratched their heads, and Sheila looked guilty.

"Are you okay, Guen?"

"I, I'm fine..."

Guen, who had staggered to his feet, was met by Regina, the top of the Holy Church, who was rumored to be the reincarnation of a saint.

"I'm sorry. I didn't expect this to happen while I was at church..."

Regina, looking apologetic, bowed her head.

"No, it's not your fault, Regina..."

Guen, captivated by her compassionate eyes, felt a light healing spell as she bent over. A gentle light enveloped them both.

And the wounds...

"Thank you..."

Tears welled up in his eyes...

"That's good... It seems to be just minor bruises, so you should be fine, right?"

"Yes..."

Guen, trying to hide his embarrassment, quickly stood up and bowed to Regina, who had a youthful and almost childlike appearance but was beautiful, with golden hair and eyes of the same color. She was truly a saint.

"Hehe, it's okay. You always carry the luggage, do the chores, and even go shopping for us."

That's right...

"Without Guen, this party wouldn't function!"

"Really?"

Guen's face turned bright red as his hand was squeezed tightly, but...

"Ha—Just an errand boy. Wasting potions, too."

"Right, right. Since you're useless, just keep quiet and do the chores and errands."

"I don't know..."

The members, who had sat back down in the sofa to avoid being caught, started complaining about the quest, completely ignoring Guen as he frantically gathered the scattered supplies.

"Man, what a boring quest. How long do we have to wait?"

"Wait for Liz to return. She's been scouting for three days... She should be back today. She looks young, but she's a promising new force the guild has sent us. Let's see how she does."

"Got it. ...So, tomorrow is the big day?"

"Right. Tomorrow is the day we defeat the Four Demon Kings—let's get pumped up!"

They talked about Liz, who was out on reconnaissance.

"Liz"

A dark elf with brown skin, her profession is an assassin.

She is the guild's new promising force. Manack and the others, who judged that the party lacked reconnaissance and information-gathering skills, had the guild recruit her. Normally, Guen, with his quick feet, would have handled such tasks, but it seems there were complaints.

Perhaps because of this, Liz, despite being a recent addition to the 'Warriors of Light,' was well-received in the party for being quiet but hardworking.

...At least, she was treated much better than Guen. Her equipment and rewards were better, too.

Well, that couldn't be helped.

After all, Guen's usual tasks overlapped with hers, and they divided the work, so they hardly interacted. They might have only met once or twice.

Perhaps,

they were deliberately adjusting their tasks to avoid overlap.

There's no point in two people doing the same job...

In other words, Liz was the superior version of Guen.

Surely, before long, Guen would be...

"Ugh, waiting for Liz... This wretched countryside. I thought we'd get to see girls in swimsuits in the tropics. This is a joke!! Hey, everyone, let's go for a drink."

"Hey, Anbus. In the middle of the day? Really?"

Regina frowned at Anbus's attitude.

"I'll have apple juice."

The little Sheila was delighted to be offered juice.

In the end, Anbus, after thoroughly berating Guen, left the meeting room with a warning to "not forget the yakisoba potion," leaving the supplies in a mess. Sheila followed closely behind.

Of course, Guen was not included in the drinking invitation.

And,

"Hey, Guen. Make sure you buy it this time!! If you can't, you're fired!—I'm at my limit. We can't afford to hire a nobody! Fortunately, we have new talent... Ha"

Spitting on the floor, Manack kicked the scattered supplies and left.

Left behind was Guen, lying on the floor, battered and bruised...

"Gu, Guen?"

Regina?!

Please, say something to these people...

"Um... Guen, I'm really sorry. But, we ran out of soap... Could you please get more?"

Regina, looking apologetic.

"!"

(Just an errand boy, huh...)

...In the end, they're all the same...

I forgot that everyone in the party is the same...

After saying their piece, Manack and Regina left.

And, with everyone gone, Guen was left alone in the messy meeting room.

"Ugh, ugh, ugh... Damn..."

Guen, tears welling up, wondered how it had come to this.

He used to be part of a friendly party with Manack.

Feeling humiliated, tears streamed down Guen's face.

The laughter of the party, growing more distant, only made it worse.