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“Senpai, you’re late.”

The table was surrounded by dishes already prepared, and everyone awaited just one person.

Five chairs, one of them empty.

As everyone subtly turned their heads to check the time, it had already been over an hour since Elysia left. While one hour might seem short for a typical demon hunt, considering Elysia’s skills, it was more than enough time to deal with low-level demons.

“…I’ll go reheat it.”

Lindy, carrying the now cold stew, returned to the kitchen. Seeing her get up, Frecia also stood up—not to help Lindy.

As Frecia moved, Gomtaengi, who had been sitting on her thigh, jumped down, and Tokki wriggled free from Luna’s grasp and slipped under the chair.

“I have to go after her.”

“Eh? Do you know where Senpai is?”

“Since I made a contract with Elysia last time… unlike before, I can definitely know her location. Also, her general condition.”

This contract magic was on a different level from the temporary one we had previously. For three years, not knowing Elysia’s whereabouts was difficult. Unlike typical contract magic that boosts combat abilities, I gave up all the additional functions just to keep track of Elysia’s condition.

It was all for situations like this.

“Truly, you’re a great master! Next time, please let me join too. I don’t need to be the same as you; just a slave marking would be enough!”

“Wait a second. Even if I know the location, I still don’t know where that is. I’m going, so come with me.”

Returning with the reheated dish, Lindy spoke to Frecia. In her hands was her bow instead of the warm food.

“Me too! Me too!”

In the end, everyone at the table naturally followed Frecia.

Of course, nothing might have happened to Elysia. But what if I thought too lightly of it, and she was in real danger? Three years ago, I had a plausible excuse for Frecia’s fainting; in the current circumstances, not having an excuse would only amplify my guilt.

Two humans, one elf, one demon, and two dolls left the house to find Elysia, who hadn’t returned.

—

“Just over that hill. There’s an abandoned shack that neighborhood ruffians sometimes use; she’s probably hiding there now.”

“Thank you for guiding us. You all can head back now.”

“Just in case she tries to escape, we’ll wait outside.”

Originally, there were two people hiding as watchmen and one as a guide. There was no way I would miss a low-level demon, so there was no reason to have three people unnecessarily working overtime. They would have been eating dinner with their families by now.

“Don’t worry. The only demon detected by the Holy Sword hiding in the shack is the low-level one; you won’t miss it. Even if you do, I can catch it quickly.”

“Still…”

“If you keep this up, I can only think that you don’t trust my abilities!”

“Understood. Then, good luck.”

After dismissing the people, I stealthily headed towards the shack. I approached without even a sound, peering inside. There was a demon sitting against the wall, looking around nervously as if fearing someone might come to the shack.

But what good is it to be on high alert? They wouldn’t even notice me peeking through the window.

Of course, the chance of a low-level demon detecting my stealth was slim to none. If a low-level demon recognizes me, it would only be when I purposefully reveal myself. Even at the moment of losing its head, that demon would not see me.

However, I couldn’t just wait outside like this. I opened the shack’s door and stepped inside.

As expected from an abandoned shack, the long-neglected door squeaked loudly, announcing my presence.

Naturally, the demon’s gaze, which had been darting around in caution, turned towards me. Quick on the uptake, rather than attacking, the demon was attempting to escape through the window.

“Hey, where do you think you’re going?”

Good judgement and quick action, but that just meant misfortune for the demon.

I grabbed the demon’s hair as it tried to run and slammed it down to the floor. Crack! The wooden floorboards suffered a bit of damage, but since it was an abandoned shack without an owner, it wasn’t a big deal. Even if it were, Lindy would clean it up later.

“Ugh… Was I followed by a tracker?”

“Eh? A tracker?”

“Damn humans. The Demon King will definitely deal with you…!”

“Right. That’s a cliché farewell. Farewell.”

It seemed there weren’t any traps or ambushes, only a stray demon being chased. There was no need for interrogation, so to save time, I quickly pierced the demon’s heart with the Holy Sword, killing it.

Purified by the Holy Sword, the demon’s body turned to ash, leaving no trace behind. The wind blew through the open door, scattering the ashes away.

They must all be waiting for dinner, having not eaten while waiting for me. I rose to return home at once.

“Tracks of the escaped demon lead this way.”

Voices came through the crack of the open door. It sounded like the trackers mentioned by the demon I’d just killed. Yet, somehow, the voice of the tracker felt familiar.

As soon as I heard the voice, my heart began to race unexpectedly fast. For reasons unknown, I forced myself to calm my wildly beating heart and stepped outside the shack.

“Surely, the demon scent is coming from this direction…? Huh? The scent suddenly disappeared? And this scent is….”

As I hesitated about whether to return silently or assure them that the demon I dealt with was no longer a concern, the faces of the trackers began to emerge over the hill.

That’s when I realized why that voice sounded familiar, and why my heart was racing.

Why was a single tear rolling down my cheek?

“Selia…”

“Eli…”

Why were Selian, Anne, Yuli, and Mariel here? Those thoughts could wait.

The first thought that surfaced was one of relief. Faces I had thought I’d never see again. By some twist of fate, I was face to face with those I had missed and pictured in my mind over the three years.

But I couldn’t express my joy, nor could I stay here in a daze. I had wronged them, and having left without fulfilling my promises, I had committed more sins. I had no right to face their faces.

Instead of greeting them with joy, I hid my body in the shadows cast by the setting sun. Three years was certainly a long time. However, it was also too short a time to surpass the realm. Selian, who hadn’t regained her strength yet, and my friends who hadn’t reached Selian’s level wouldn’t be able to stop me.

“Ghosts! Surround them!”

But that was a hasty judgment.

Just as the long-absent Linne shouted out loud, the ghosts surged out around Yuli, quickly encircling the area. If I tried to escape through the encircling ghosts, it was clear I would be discovered.

Thus, just as I was about to leap over the surrounding ghosts—

“Haah!”

Bam!

Before my foot could hit the ground, Anne’s fist slammed down first.

She struck the ground, and the earth around her heaved upward. I stumbled, losing my balance in the sudden terrain shift, but thankfully my stealth remained intact.

Yeah. My stealth was perfect. Even a high-level demon wouldn’t detect me.

“Please bear with a bit of pain.”

Thud!

“Selia…? How…?”

But why was it? Despite the impossibility of being detected, Selian’s voice reached my ears, accompanied by an unsettling thud.

I needed to take off and escape immediately, but my legs wouldn’t listen. I felt my body tilt as gravity drew me closer to the ground. Yet, just before I fell completely, I was softly caught by gentle hands.

“If you’re hurt, I can heal you, so don’t worry. Hero.”

It was Mariel’s kind voice that greeted me. However, the darkening sight that came into focus was a mace.

The mace hanging from Mariel’s waist, which I had never seen before, made even her gentle voice seem frightening.

What on earth happened over these past three years…?

Before I could finish my thoughts, my consciousness faded as my eyes closed.

 

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