The next day, after a night at the mansion.
After a delicious breakfast eaten with great relish, we were seen off by everyone at the mansion, including Monstro, as we departed Port City for home.
We flew along, enjoying our conversation until, around the time the redness of the setting sun was recoloring the western sky, we arrived above the royal capital.
“I’m sure we’re all tired, so we’ll definitely stop by the house, but what should we do after that?” I asked.
“My butt hurts, but I’m not all that tired otherwise,” Oltea said.
“We were just sitting here, after all,” Frieze said.
“I’m fine too,” added Tigaro.
“In that case, shall we just head to the guild?” I asked. From our vantage in the sky, I quickly spotted the main street of Section One and began to fly toward it.
“Once Kaito reports his defeat of the Southern Demon King, everyone in the guild is going to be overjoyed, aren’t they?” Oltea said.
“He’s going to be absolutely engulfed in cheering! That’s how much the stampede terrified everyone!” Frieze said. The two of them seemed to have been excitedly awaiting our return to the guildhall. I, too, wanted to report the news as soon as possible. Even more, I wanted to give everyone peace of mind.
“Hey, it’d probably be better for me to wait outside the guildhall while you go in, right?” Tigaro asked shyly.
Oltea had sat in front for this flight, with Frieze behind her, myself after that, and Tigaro behind me, taking up the rear. Because Tigaro was at the back, I could not see her face, but her voice sounded lonely.
“You should come too, Tigaro.”
“B-But...I’m not an adventurer, right?”
“It’s not like non-adventurers are barred from entering the building, you know. The guild has a mess hall inside, and it’s open to the public.”
“Really? I guess it should be okay, then...” Tigaro said. It sounded like there was something else she wanted to speak up about. From the way she spoke, it was clear that she wanted to enter the guildhall with us, but even though she now knew she’d be able to, she didn’t seem much happier.
Maybe...
“Tigaro, I have one thing to ask of you,” I said.
“Of me? Is it cleaning?” she replied.
“No, it’s not cleaning. If I get promoted to rank A, I’ll have to find two more party members. I’ve kept my eye out, but nobody has really fit the bill. So, if it’s all right with you, would you like to join us and become an adventurer?”
“Me? An...adventurer?” Tigaro said. Her tone of voice had suddenly brightened. Just as I had suspected, she had grown lonely tending to the house all on her own.
There was the attempt on her life, the attack of the devil fly swarm, and even my battle with Beelzé. A lot had gone wrong, but even despite all of that, Tigaro had, from the bottom of her heart, enjoyed herself. That was why she wanted to travel by our side from here on out.
“Ooh, that’s a fantastic idea!” said Frieze.
“I completely agree!” said Oltea.
“Y-You’re really all okay with me joining you?”
“Of course!” said Frieze. “I told you a long time ago that we’d become adventurers together!”
“With Tigaro joining us, we can travel without worrying!” said Oltea.
“B-But it would make more sense for you to recruit someone who’s stronger in a fight...”
“I’ll handle the monsters. Anyways, just defeating monsters and coming home gets boring. I enjoy traveling a whole lot more with friends by my side,” I said.
Receiving our welcome, Tigaro’s voice was lifted by a happy energy.
“Thank you! If that’s how you really feel, then I’ll happily join the party!”
“Well, with that decided, we ought to throw a party to celebrate the admission of a new member!” Oltea said.
“And a party for Kaito’s A rank promotion!” Frieze added.
“You two are going to drink again, aren’t you...” Tigaro said warily, regarding them with an awkward smile.
We continued talking as I lowered our altitude until we touched down on the ground in front of the guild. I let Stick Beam disappear and stepped inside.
“Oh! The Sword Saint has returned!”
The moment I opened the grand entrance door, we were greeted with shouts of joy. The adventurers who were making merry in the mess hall lifted their beer steins, and the people lined up by the reception windows rushed over. Everyone was smiling ear to ear.
“We heard! You stopped the stampede!”
“Not even just held it back but exterminated the entire horde!”
“And you even slew the Demon King of the South, right?!”
“Thank you so much, Sword Saint! Now we can live without fear!”
The guild was full of excitement. Somehow, the news from Port City had arrived here in the capital and spread like wildfire in no time at all. Already, the tale of our exploits was common knowledge through the entire city—no, throughout the entire country.
“You’re incredibly popular here, Kaito...” said Tigaro.
“Of course he is! He defeated the Demon King of the South after already taking out Vlad!”
“I couldn’t be more proud of you as a friend!” Oltea said.
“Same. Kaito is the best friend I could ask for!” Frieze said.
Still glowing from the praise of my three friends, I went through the crowd, shaking hands one by one. After countless shakes, hand tingling with pain, I slipped free to accompany Oltea and the others to our usual reception window.
“Welcome back, Mr. Kaito! It seems you were quite successful in your endeavors at Port City! You exterminated the devil flies and, moreover, killed the Southern Demon King. You’re a proper hero!” said the receptionist.
I was happy to be congratulated, but the sheer amount of praise was beginning to embarrass me a little.
“Thanks. I know this is abrupt, but I’d like to report the completion of the Great Forest Survey assignment.”
After leaving Port City, we’d traveled to the Great Forest. The swarm that had attacked the town had been eradicated down to the very last fly, but that didn’t preclude the possibility that some individuals had remained in the forest. Because I wouldn’t settle for giving an incomplete report on a contract I’d accepted, we had made sure to check just in case.
“Our inquiry into the situation revealed that there are no devil flies to be found in the Great Forest.”
“I see! In that case, I’ll pay out your reward right away!” the receptionist said and placed the gold coins on the counter. “Here is your compensation: thirty gold coins! In regard to your reward for killing the Demon King of the South, a messenger from the king will visit you tomorrow! Additionally...” she said, but then spoke no further. Instead, she followed the word up by placing a shiny new pin on the counter. Proof of rank A, the pinnacle of an adventurer’s career. The golden badge.