King began walking toward the dense crowd. As he approached, the people there parted like the Red Sea.He continued walking until he stopped right in front of a certain man.“……? Your Majesty? Is something wrong?”The man stared at King with a puzzled expression.“Now that the Atirari is complete… I thought this was the perfect timing. Since the opportunity has arisen, I’ve decided to do this with my own hands.”“H-huh…?”The man grows even more confused, unable to grasp what King is saying.Then, King draws the sword from his waist.“……!? W-what are you…?”The blade King held had a black edge and an unusual appearance.“Leaving you like this would just be a nuisance. The Emperor has no use for sewer rats. Filthy sewer rats are best exterminated.”“? What do you mean—”　The next moment……“Huh!?”The sword in King’s hand pierced the man’s abdomen.“Gah…! W-what are you—”“It means you’re no longer needed, you sewer rat with the Rihibel Kingdom’s collar.”“Wh-what…!?”　The man was stunn

Men are pouring out one after another from the entrance we just came through. The guy we ran into earlier must have called for backup and brought them here.But because the entrance is narrow, the number of people who can pass through is limited. No matter how many reinforcements he brings, it’s pointless if they can’t get through.Lily and Randall should be more than enough to handle those guys.　Leaving the reinforcements to those two, I approach King.“Oh? You’re not seriously planning to take on Your Highness all by yourself, are you?”“Yeah. It’d be too much for Randall to handle. I decided I’d do it myself.”“Whoa, whoa. You’re pretty confident, aren’t you? You know, you can all come at me together if you want. I’ll even make sure not to get in the others’ way.”“I don’t need them. How could I trust a bandit like you?”“Well, if that’s how you feel, fine. The outcome won’t change anyway.”King laughed derisively, then glared at me.“Who the hell are you, anyway? Some mercenary h

“!? H-hey, wait—everyone’s gone!?”“It suddenly got dark!?”Both of them were taken aback by the sudden change.“Calm down. We’re in a different place now.”“A different place? Where on earth are we?”“It’s the cave we found when we entered the forest.”“So this isn’t connected to the Emperor’s fortress…?”“At least, I don’t think they’ll be able to find us here easily.”We’re currently inside a cave we found in the forest. It’s dim and we can’t see the back, but it’s a dead end and not very spacious.It’s a fair distance from the Emperor’s base. Plus, it’s a cave deep in the forest.There’s no way they’d be able to find us here.“A cave… Oh! No way!”“Yeah. I actually came here once before heading to the Emperor’s base. I wanted to secure a teleportation point for Atirari. I found this spot just in time. I widened it a bit so Atirari could fit inside.”“Is that so…”We were lucky to find a cave that was just the right size.“So, thanks to you, we were able to escape. Did you use a mo

This is the Emperor’s Fortress. We are at its very summit.A large crowd had gathered at a certain spot, pressing in close.“!?!?!?!”“W-wait a minute! Where did they go!?”“They vanished right before our eyes!?! What the hell is going on!?”Everyone present looked around with expressions as if they’d witnessed something unbelievable.It was no wonder they were shocked. After all, the three people and the ancient weapon that had been right in front of them had vanished in an instant.After Zest escaped using Manta’s ability, those left behind were confused, unable to comprehend what had just happened.“Damn it! Where did they run off to!?”“Search for them! Don’t let those bastards who underestimated the Emperor get away!!”Everyone present began searching the area.It was then.“Over here! Mr. Dimos!”“Hmm?”　Two men appeared from the entrance.The man in front pointed toward where King lay, while the man behind him stared intently in the direction he was pointing.“The intruders wer

As adventurers, we were heading out for another monster-hunting expedition today. Everyone had finished preparing, so all that was left was to head to the hunting grounds. Before leaving, however, I wanted to talk to Lise.“We're going out to hunt monsters, so I need you to stay home and watch the house, Lise.”“Huh...? I can't come with you?”“Wait, you're not taking Lise with us?” Lapis asked.Ah, right. I forgot to tell everyone.“Yeah. For a while, I'm planning to keep going out with the usual members.”“W-Why can't I come? If you're going, Zest, I want to go with you!”“Leaving Lise behind all alone seems kind of lonely, though. I thought she was coming with us,” Fiene said.“Well... that's the thing. To be honest, I'm already reaching my limit.”“My limit?” Fiene tilted her head.It wasn't like I hadn't thought this through. There was a proper reason for it.“You see, when we're fighting, I'm constantly watching Lapis, Fiene, and Lily while keeping track of the situation.”“That