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“Team Leader, everything here is all sorted out.”

A woman stepped out from the rubble of half-collapsed buildings, where demon-like beings lay defeated.

“This side is also done. I think we just need to request support for the rest of the cleanup.”

Even though Erin was purely a wizard, facing off against the leftovers, the remnants of an army that had already lost their leader, posed no problem at all. The strong ones had already been swept away by the hero who came before. You could say that while one should never let their guard down on the battlefield, such a simple task hardly meant anything.

“Sixteen demons, seven magical beasts, and since I saw devices including magic stones likely to set a barrier, I destroyed them.”

“That sounds about like what we had here. Good job. Let’s head back early today and take a break.”

Perhaps dust had gotten on her gloves; Erin peeled them off, shook them out, and answered as she slipped her hands back in.

“By the way, Team Leader, is it true that we got promoted?”

“Why? Every time I see my salary coming on time every month, I can feel the promotion.”

“…Team Leader, since we’re talking about salaries, you didn’t buy something strange again last month, did you?”

Erin, who had been responding routinely, suddenly fell silent. Her lack of words told all too clearly what she thought.

“Sigh… Team Leader, just let me handle the budget! It’s not like I’ll gain anything from it, but at least we won’t be struggling with spending like crazy anymore. How is it that you’re getting paid double yet still living even more tightly than before?”

“Shut up! You ate a ton of those tasty snacks just last time!”

“…The only thing I’ve snatched recently is chocolate, and was that really worth putting a strain on living expenses? Honestly, I just don’t understand luxury items.”

“Well, I can’t help it! After using magic, I always crave something sweet! If you’re going to complain, then don’t steal them!”

With a quick turn, Erin turned her back on Stella, reached into her pocket, and promptly pulled out a piece of chocolate to pop into her mouth. It was the same chocolate they had just talked about.

“Ah, that’s a different story.”

Stella quickly pulled her hands out of the cumbersome gauntlets and stealthily approached Erin’s back, sliding her hand into Erin’s pocket.

“Whoa!”

Surprised by the sudden raid, Erin barely had a moment to react before Stella’s hand came out of her pocket, holding the chocolate Erin had just eaten.

“Wow, what kind of chocolate has a magical wrapping? This is why I can shove a ton into my pocket without it melting!”

No wonder it’s expensive, Stella muttered as she unwrapped the chocolate and greedily popped it into her mouth. Erin felt a strong urge to smack her or punch her, but as a wizard, there was no way her fist could touch Stella, who was all about physical strength. Of course, she could just suppress her with status, but with each passing day, Stella had become more and more crafty, making that a pointless endeavor.

“Well… the reason I’m saying all this is that it doesn’t feel like a real promotion. Even if I am promoted, there’s no one coming in below me.”

As she rolled the chocolate around in her mouth, the unnecessary sounds of swallowing interrupted her speech intermittently.

Even if she complained, Stella didn’t actually mind the fact that it was just the two of them on the team. However,

“Of course, I understand that supporting the hero is important, but you haven’t requested direct support in the last three years. Whether facing a bunch of weaklings or a high-ranking demon, you’ve always just charged in, proving you can handle it alone. We always just deal with these leftovers.”

“Weren’t you the one saying you wanted to be the weak, sneaky one hiding behind your Team Leader?”

In reality, Stella was capable enough to form her own team. Yet the only reason she still worked under Erin was most likely just Erin herself. Erin figured that she hadn’t ever mentioned it out loud, but Stella probably knew it too; there was never a moment where she wanted to escape from Erin, who pulled her from the depths.

“That’s true, but it still feels like a waste to have such strong abilities, as you’ve taken down higher-ranking demons before. Plus, thanks to that, we’ve got a constant license to use our weapons, but we still don’t have any proper use for them.”

Three years ago, Erin and Stella had taken down a high-ranking demon. Even if she wasn’t the instigator, it was a high-ranking demon presumed to have destroyed a city. Wasn’t it because of that accomplishment that they got promoted? It was quite rare for someone with that level of achievement on the continent.

“…That’s also true. The current hero looks a bit unstable from a distance.”

No matter how much it was destined for the hero to defeat the Demon King, Elysia’s obsession with demons was verging on excessive. Although it looked like she had improved a bit recently, during the early days of her activities as a hero, anyone watching would become anxious too.

“Still, if the need arises, won’t you call us? Just don’t be whining later saying it’s hard.”

“Ah, but I heard the hero has two more companions now? I feel like I’ve seen one of them somewhere…”

Stella scowled, trying to rattle her memory. However, her recollection was too faint, and it only fluttered in her mind with no clear place to pin it.

“…Thinking about that new companion, it looks like we won’t get called at all.”

On the other hand, as another wizard, Erin knew her identity well. Given her relationship directly tied to the imperial palace, she often encountered her before. Though they had never spoken.

Frecia Gatina. One of the two wizards recognized by the Emperor.

There were many great wizards, but only two wizards caught the Emperor’s eye. The other one was the Chief Wizard of the Imperial Palace, Isis, the idol and aspiration of all wizards. Frecia had enjoyed favor from the Emperor even before reaching the level of a great wizard.

If Frecia joined the hero’s party, it seemed even less likely they would get called. Of course, if they ever aimed to subjugate the Four Heavenly Kings or the Demon King, they might request support, but still…

A key position but also a lowly one.

Walking away from mixed emotions of whether to be happy or sad, Erin made her way back to the city. The one good thing about being promoted and assigned to support the hero was that she wouldn’t have to work late anymore.

“Let’s head back then. If we dawdle, we’ll be caught in the dark.”

“Hey, then since we’ve wrapped this up, how about we head back and have a good drink for once?”

Stella nonchalantly kicked away a demon corpse lying at her feet and trailed after Erin.

“…The audit team came a few days ago.”

“What, those guys came again? Don’t tell me they’re dropping by every time we want to drink! The hero’s party can eat, sleep, and even have a drink while working, you know.”

Of course, thanks to direct support from the Emperor, expenses have been cut, and there wasn’t any busy work to do. But still, as the team leader, it was best to always be cautious. At least following a visit from the audit team, she couldn’t do anything but pretend to be self-restrained.

“I want to tell the Team Leader to treat us, but considering I know your wallet situation, it’s a bit… Well! Today I’ll treat you. Unlike you, I’ve been saving diligently, so I can spare a bit.”

This was also one of the reasons why Team Leader’s authority crumbled. Of course, Erin knew that it was a bit humiliating to get treated by a subordinate. She understood that, but,

“…Well, maybe I’ll just have a little.”

It was hard to refuse the temptation of alcohol.

By the time they reached the city, the sun had set, and the moon rose for the night, so they had a meal and immediately transitioned to drinking. Maybe due to keeping an eye on the audit team; even while drinking, they had restrained themselves, making the drinking session be longer than usual. Sure, the alcohol they were drinking at that moment had been purchased by a subordinate, but at least it felt much less burdensome than worrying about how the audit team was looking at them. Some might call it petty, but technically, hadn’t Stella eaten a ton of expensive drinks and snacks that she bought herself?

Because of that, Erin was able to drink to the point her memory faded after such a long time, and it was only natural for her to wake up in agony with a hangover the next day.

“Ugh…”

Erin clutched her head as she sat up. The headache from the hangover was bad enough, but the thirst was also considerable. Yet, as she tried to push herself off the bed, she couldn’t help but deeply contemplate if she was still drunk.

It wasn’t unusual to find herself lying there naked. Perhaps she had stripped off her clothes because she was too hot from the alcohol.

But why was her subordinate, Stella, lying right next to her sleeping soundly? And even more bizarrely, Stella was in the same state of undress as her.

As Erin forced herself to untangle the obscure memories rising in her mind, she blurted out, “This is insane…”

It was a single line filled with astonishment from Erin, who never swore.

*

The mid-level demon Dekil truly loathed humans.

When the hero swept by, he genuinely wondered if he was going to die, but thankfully, the hero didn’t notice his presence. Despite having weaker physical prowess for a mid-level demon, he was confident in his strength due to his tenacious life force and excellent stealth.

In case he was discovered, he even harmed himself to avoid being stabbed by the holy sword, playing dead in the process. It must have worked because the hero passed by without noticing him.

As the hero only killed demons and left, Dekil managed to regroup the scattered swarm again. Though all other demons were wiped out, their lack of strength had made them easier to disregard, making him feel relieved.

However, not long after he started his recovery, two strange women appeared and smashed through everything he had just built back up. This time, even the demons and magical beasts he had gathered under him were all dead.

Fortunately, since his subordinates were taken out first, he was able to hide himself safely again. Although this duo was strong, they were unable to detect his stealth, which had even evaded the hero’s gaze.

Weeks passed. Although not as strong as before, he barely gathered enough to put on a show again. It was humiliating that he, the demon, had to seek out the demons rather than the other way around, but thinking of the glory he’d earn in the Demon King’s Army made him swallow that disgrace.

But what a stroke of misfortune this was.

Though he hadn’t changed locations due to the fortification’s excellent positioning, he never guessed that they would come back after the initial raid. Thus, he could only see the second raid as a result of his complacency.

However, the third occurrence was undoubtedly cruel, even from a demon’s perspective.

Once again, his small group of subordinates faced total annihilation. Dekil lurked in the shadows, pondering where he could find demons and magical beasts without a master.

He didn’t even conceive the thought that he might get caught. After all, even the hero, regarded as one of the strongest humans, had overlooked him. This wasn’t a baseless confidence.

“Sniff, sniff. I smell demon nearby…”

However, when the red-headed girl spoke, Dekil jerked, startled. The aura emanating from this child was quite unsettling. It felt like encountering a natural enemy. It felt different from his confrontation with the hero but similar enough to stir dread.

Yet luckily, she appeared to just be guessing, not realizing he was hiding.

“Really? Linne, can you check around?”

“Okay! Don’t worry! I’ll ask the ghost friends to scrounge around!”

When dozens of ghosts burst out and flew about, Dekil instinctively retracted his head, forcing himself into hiding.

It’s fine. I haven’t been discovered yet. Maybe they’ll return like the hero and those other unnatural creatures did.

As he reassured himself—

Swish!

A chilling sensation targeted the nape of Dekil’s neck as he hid within the shadows.

Knowing that even the slightest movement would earn him a severed head, Dekil could only roll his eyes to see who was aiming a blade at him.

A girl with shining blonde hair stood there, sparkling in the sunlight.

“You’ve hidden quite well, but it seems like you picked the wrong opponent. I’m quite sensitive when it comes to stealth.”

Selian’s eyes fixed directly on Dekil, lurking in the darkness. It was no mere chance shot aimed his way.

“I can smell you from over here…”

Then, with a sniff, the red-headed girl, Anne, came around the wall.

“Found it? Oh! Sel found it first.”

As Anne opened her eyes, which she had previously shut to focus on the smell, she discovered Selian already aimed her sword at the demon.

And then, ghosts gathered around, Linne and Yuli approached as well. The commotion was strong, but when it came down to sensing negative energy, none were more sensitive than Linne, whose glowing demonic aura was far too strong to miss.

With the area closed off, there seemed to be no chance of escape. Yet Dekil had faith in his life force. Even if his head was severed, he believed he could recover back to his original state after a few days of rest.

“Leave it to me if it’s a demon.”

But then he heard a voice that crushed what little hope Dekil had left.

The pink-haired saint was someone Dekil recognized well. It was only natural; like her counterpart, she was one of the beings that demonkind must be most cautious about.

Just before purification, the last thing Dekil saw was the heavy head of a mace.

*

“By the way, seeing the saint wield a mace never gets old.”

“Since the Hero doesn’t protect me, I need to keep myself safe, right?”

Even for Selian, it was hard to grow accustomed to Mariel wielding a weapon full of divine power to purify a mid-level demon.

In fact, because of not seeing it even once in her previous life, it felt all the more awkward.

“Ugh! This is really annoying. Can’t we just drop a little of this stuff?”

After confirming that the situation had calmed, Anne began to gather her belongings again. The load on her back was so enormous it almost completely concealed her.

Despite her immense strength, the fact she didn’t whine about the weight was a relief.

“We can’t just throw it away. Instead, I’ll ask a few ghosts to carry it.”

As the Ghost Friends helped lighten the load on Anne’s back, it still exceeded a typical backpack by quite a bit.

“Still, we’re getting closer to the trace. Just a bit more, hang in there, Anne.”

It was rewarding to follow the rumor. Even if there were false steps at times and some were remnants from years ago, this trail felt fresh. Just a little more. Just a bit more, and if they followed the trace of Elysia, they could meet her again.

Soon.

 

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