After defeating Gulf, I stepped off the ring immediately once the match was over.Just as I was about to head down the hallway, I bumped right into Fine. It seemed she had been watching the entire match.“Zest! That was amazing! To actually beat a dragon that big—”“We’ll talk later. We’re in a hurry.”“W-what’s going on? Where are we rushing to…?”“To where that bastard Iago is. He might break his promise again. I won’t let him do whatever he wants any longer.”“R-right! We have to save my sister!”“This time, I’m going to get her freed. Hang in there, Lapis.”I hurried toward Iago with Fine in tow.　They asked a staff member they encountered along the way for Iago’s location and headed straight there.After searching for a while, they heard a familiar voice.“This is ridiculous… It can’t be… It’s impossible! Impossible, impossible! For that hero, Galf, to lose… That Galf, who undoubtedly possesses S-rank strength… Why did he lose…”　That voice... it must be Iago.As I headed toward

After Gulf walked away, everyone fell silent. In that atmosphere, Lapis was the first to speak. “Um… he was quite the guy, wasn’t he…” “He must have been through some hell to get where he is. I can see why he’s an S-rank.” “Well… Mr. Zest is really popular, isn’t he!” “I’m not exactly thrilled about being popular with guys, though…” I feel like I’m always getting hassled by weirdos. I just fought normally. Why do they try to hassle me that much? Oh well. I’m done here. “Let’s head out. I don’t want to run into any more weirdos.” “R-right. Let’s go.” “Okay.” We stood up and were just about to leave the dressing room when— A stranger walked in through the door. “Excuse me. Is Zest here?” “…………” ………………Not again!! “What is it now!? Why does everyone keep coming to see me!? What did I even do!?” “Huh? N-no. I’m here to give you your prize money…” “Prize money?” “Yes. Since Zest won the finals, you’re eligible to receive the championship prize money…”

The night we bought the house.I was in my room, about to settle into my fluffy bed for the night, when Knock knock“Hm?”“Um, it’s me… Is it okay if I come in?”“Sure. The door’s open, so come on in.”“Okay, I’ll come in then.”　The door opened, and Lapis walked in, her face slightly flushed.“What’s up at a time like this? Do you need something?”“…………”“……?”For some reason, she was fidgeting and seemed to be struggling to speak.“Um… well…”“What is it?”“I-is it… okay if I sleep with you?”“Huh?”I was wondering what she was going to say…That was an unexpected thing to say.“What’s suddenly gotten into you? Can’t you sleep?”“I-is that… okay…?”“No, it’s not like it’s not okay…”“W-well, I’ll go over there then.”“Eh… O-okay…”　Lapis slowly approached and crawled into the bed I was in.It felt like she’d forced her way in, but whatever.“…………”“…………”Lapis lay silently right next to me, staring at me.We lay there like that for a while, neither of us able to sleep, when Lapis s

We arrived at a certain square. This is where the Great Boar was placed.Lily was already waiting in the center and seemed ready to go.As I was getting ready myself, Lapis called out to me.“Hey, wait a minute. Why did we end up fighting that person?”“I don’t know. It just happened that way.”“She’s huge, isn’t she… I wonder what you have to eat to get like that…”Lapis’s gaze was fixed on Lily’s chest.She was muttering something under her breath, but I decided to ignore her.“Um… g-good luck! I believe you can win, Zest-san!”“Alright. I’ll wrap this up quickly, so just wait here and don’t worry.”　Pumping himself up, he heads toward Lily.When he stands in front of her, she greets him cheerfully, as if she’d been waiting for him.“Good to see you! Just so you know, I’m strong! If you want to surrender, now’s your chance!”“I’d love to, if I could. But if I lose, things are going to get even more complicated, so I’m going to win this.”“Ha! It’s no use trying to act tough! I’m goi

The next day.After waking up, everyone gathered in the living room and sat down.I sat down nearby and addressed the three of them.“So, we’re heading out on our quest right away, but before that… Lily. Do you have your Adventurer Card?”“I do. I’ve put it away safely so I won’t lose it!”“Can I see your stats? I haven’t had a chance to check your abilities yet.”“Sure. Here you go.”“Let’s see.”I took it from Lily and checked her stats.―――――――――――――――LilyRank: FLevel: 24　STR: 259　VIT: 56　INT: 1　AGI: 85　DEX: 15　―――――――――――――――　H-hmm...　How should I put this... your stats are developing in a really straightforward way...“Wait, you’re actually level 24?”“I’ve been grinding a lot since way back! I’m pretty strong, right?”“Uh, yeah. I don’t think your average weak enemies stand a chance against you.”“Heh heh!”He’s higher level than me, and his stats are excellent.By the way, I’m still only Level 14.My stats look like this.―――――――――――――――　Zest　Rank: E　Level: 14　ST