Chapter 43: Information About Classmates
“About two months ago, a group of seven claiming to be ‘Heroes’ appeared at the Adventurer’s Guild in the city of Grim.”
“Grim?”
“It’s a city located roughly five days northwest from here. It’s the closest base for diving into the nearest dungeon from the Royal Capital.”
Oh, so there are dungeons in places like that. But a group of seven calling themselves Heroes…
“Was there actually a Hero among those seven?”
“No, I haven’t heard anything like that. They just call themselves Heroes. However, due to their impressive track record of rapidly conquering dungeons, it seems hardly anyone doubts their claim.”
“I see…”
“But… I’ve never heard of those Heroes being involved with the royal family.”
Is that so? The rumors of the Summoning haven’t spread. Even though my classmates claim to be Heroes, they haven’t been spreading the word about the Summoning. If they had such powerful individuals in their ranks, it would likely elevate their status, but since Summoning is essentially a form of abduction, it might have a negative connotation.
“By the way, do you know the names of those Heroes?”
“Yeah. There’s Masayoshi Shimizu, Hitoshi Manaka, Tact Neguro, and Kuya Oda among the four men, and Mei Nagai, Kyouka Hino, and Honoka Ootori among the three women.”
The moment I heard those names, I could see Rio’s expression stiffen. Those were the people who had mocked her as “useless.” I had been mostly isolated, so I hadn’t suffered their scorn, but I couldn’t harbor any good feelings toward those who treated Rio that way.
Still, I finally recalled the names of the remaining two. The otaku, Kuya Oda, and the introverted Tact Neguro.
“Your expression says you know those seven.”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“…If they’re comrades of the Heroes, then it makes sense they have the strength to take down a Murder Raptor.”
At Bildine’s words, I felt my eyebrows twitch in surprise.
“Hey, don’t lump me in with them.”
“That’s right. We’re not comrades or anything.”
“Is that so…? My apologies. I heard they would be returning soon, but it seems you won’t be joining them. However… the Third Princess is involved in the Summoning? If that’s the case, then the Heroes must have ties to the royal family… What could the royal family’s intentions be?”
We exchanged glances at Bildine’s mutterings. Perhaps the Guild being an organization that transcends national borders isn’t entirely wrong.
“Who knows? They said they summoned them to fend off the attacking Demon King.”
“What? …I have heard rumors of the Demon Tribe making unsettling movements along the northern border.”
He continued to mutter to himself, deep in thought. It’s a bit different from what my master said; I wonder what that means. After spending fifty years secluded in the Forest of Enchantment, perhaps his information is outdated. But he did mention occasionally using magic to conceal his horns when he ventured into town.
“So, the Demon King really does exist.”
“Of course. What are you talking about? The Demon King of the Demon Tribe’s country, Bergstein, is quite famous.”
“Does he possess some incredible power or something?”
“…What are you asking? The Demon Tribe is inherently skilled in magic, but I’ve never heard any rumors about the Demon King having any special powers.”
Hmm. My master’s words aren’t wrong. The Third Princess really is a piece of work.
“Well, considering he became a Demon King, I assume his strength is quite formidable.”
“Is it a meritocratic country?”
“That might be the case.”
If that’s true, then what does that make my master? It’s hard to believe that someone with such strength is just an ordinary citizen. It would be more believable if he were the leader of the country’s magical army or something.
“Is it about time to wrap this up?”
I called out to Bildine, who seemed to be lost in thought. “Ah…” he responded absentmindedly, so I took that as my cue to leave the room.
“I heard quite an interesting story.”
“Yeah. I never expected to find classmates so close by.”
“Could it be that we were summoned to the Royal Castle?”
“That might be possible.”
“They say they’ll be back soon, so we need to be careful not to run into them unexpectedly…”
“Yeah. I really don’t want to see them…”
I felt like a flag had been raised, but I decided not to voice it. It probably wouldn’t resonate with Rio anyway.
As we exited the Adventurer’s Guild, we began to browse shops for our shopping trip. Having unexpectedly come into a large sum of money, I could shop without hesitation. Moreover, since our spoils were still stored in the Dimensional Box, we could sell as much as we wanted.
“Hey, Shuu… aren’t you buying too much?”
“Ahahaha, you think so?”
It seemed I had gotten a bit carried away, and Rio was scolding me. I was somewhat aware of it. But knowing that monsters wandering around the Forest of Enchantment could sell for such prices made it hard to hold back.
“Shuu?”
As I pondered this, Rio’s gaze sharpened further.
“Oh, yes. I’m sorry.”
If I spent half of what I made from selling the Murder Raptor, I would definitely get scolded. I guess I should try to rein it in or find a way to earn even more.