“U-Um! Is something wrong?”“N-No! It’s nothing! I just remembered something that had been bothering me!”“I-I see...”Crap. I ended up shouting.I had only half-listened to that suspicious fortune teller before. I never thought her prediction would actually come true.Maybe she wasn't a fake after all.“Well then, I shall take my leave.”“Y-Yeah. Sorry again. I’ll be more careful next time.”“Yes. Until we meet again.”The girl slowly started walking away.As I watched her, the bird on her shoulder—or rather, the Dramo—let out small chirps and occasionally pecked lightly at her head.I see. That Dramo was acting like a guide dog for her.While watching the scene, I found myself thinking about what the fortune teller had said.She had claimed that only I could save the blind girl.Did that mean I was supposed to cure her eyes?But... impossible.I had no way to do that.If her blindness had been caused by an injury, maybe there would have been a chance. But a condition she was born wi

Several ant-type monsters were moving around in the distance. Nearby was a hole in the ground, and the ants were constantly entering and leaving it. Their behavior was exactly like that of normal ants.“Do we just have to defeat those?”“That's right. They're called Big Ants. They're monsters that dig holes and live underground.”“Huh. They're surprisingly slow.”They were slightly smaller than a human, many times larger than ordinary ants, but their speed had decreased accordingly.They were slow enough that anyone could escape simply by running.“There seem to be quite a lot of them. Will we be okay?”“Big Ants aren't very strong. Individually, they're weaker than goblins.”“Oh, really?”“But they make up for it with numbers. There are more of them than goblins. A lot more. There are probably hundreds living inside that nest.”“T-That many...?”They were the type of monster that compensated for their lack of strength with overwhelming numbers.If someone underestimated them because

There was no sign of any monsters nearby. It seemed the Queen Ant they had just defeated had been the last one. After confirming the area was safe, I walked over to Teresia."That should keep things safe for a while. Now that the Queen Ant is gone, they shouldn't be able to multiply anymore. Are you alright?""Yes. Thanks to everyone protecting me, I was able to remain unharmed and avoid any attacks from the monsters. Thank you very much.""Glad to hear it. Though honestly, this level of threat could've probably been handled even without me."Big Ants were numerous, but weak. Even the Queen Ant wasn't particularly strong. The others could have dealt with them just fine on their own. That said, I still stayed alert just in case something unexpected happened."That was my first time fighting so many monsters at once. There were even more than when we fought the goblins...""Monsters that appear in numbers like that are pretty rare. Big Ants are more the exception than the rule.""I see.

After Teresia arrived, we talked things over for a bit, and in the end, we decided she'd basically stay here at the mansion, just like Lise. Since she said she'd take care of all the household chores, I decided to leave everything to her.Even though she could now see, she was still blind.As an adventurer, that was far too severe a handicap.So, for the time being, she'd be living here.With this, Lise shouldn't have to feel lonely while we're out on subjugation missions anymore. Fortunately, she and Teresia got along well, too.I never imagined I'd find the kind of person I was looking for in a situation like this. You never know what life's going to throw at you.That night, I was relaxing alone in my room.It was then—"Lord Zest. I'd like to speak with you for a moment. May I come in?""Hm? Ah, sure.""Then, excuse me."The one who opened the door was Teresia. She slowly opened it before stepping inside.She then began walking toward me, but..."...!""Whoa! A-Are you okay!?"Som

While I was relaxing in the living room, I heard a knock at the front door along with someone's voice. The owner of the voice was Leon.When I headed to the entrance and opened the door, Leon was standing there with impeccable posture."Leon, what's up?""I've received some new information regarding that matter, so I came to inform you. If it's convenient, I can explain it immediately. What do you think?""That matter... Ah."Crap. I forgot.I'd asked Leon to look into Lise."About that... there's actually something I need to tell you too.""Then shall we talk inside the carriage? This way, please."Leon gestured toward a luxurious carriage.As always, it looked like an expensive, magnificent carriage.Just as I was about to step outside, I noticed Teresia in the back."Ah, Teresia. I'm going out for a bit, so if anyone comes looking for me, could you let them know?""Eh? Ah, yes. Understood.""Teresia...?"As I stepped outside and headed toward the carriage, I noticed Leon had frozen