Category: Cute Guild Master

It happened when I went shopping in town with Anya.

A strong wind blew up from below.

Anya’s lovely skirt fluttered up and my gaze was drawn to it.

Anya held down her skirt with her hands, so I couldn’t see anything.

“Mouu, Perverted Wind.” (Anya)

Anya’s face blushed as she said that.

It was springtime. The season when strong winds known as the “spring breeze” blow.

While chatting at the grocery store, and while shopping at the fishmonger’s, the spring breeze had lifted Anya’s skirt countless times.

However, as expected of a guildmaster, Anya was quick to react. As soon as her skirt lifted, she immediately held it down with her hand.

“Anya, you’re defense is quite high.” (Wilhelm)

“Hehehe, as a lady, I have to be cautious about such things.” (Anya)

Even as we were talking, her skirt was lifted again, but unfortunately, nothing could be seen.

While I was feeling disappointed, a nearby Liliana walked up to me from the front.

She must have noticed me focusing on Anya’s skirt this entire time. She looked utterly baffled.

“Wilhelm-kun, despite your age, are you still interested in peeking under girls’ skirts?” (Liliana)

“No, not at all.” (Wilhelm)

“Your lie is so obvious. I saw everything that happened just now.” (Liliana)

Not only Liliana but even Anya was now directing suspicious glances at me.

Ah, here comes the spring breeze again.

I looked at Anya. She pressed down her skirt.

I looked at Liliana. No chance. She elegantly held down her skirt.

“That’s too bad, Wilhelm-kun.” (Liliana)

“No, I wasn’t expecting anything.” (Wilhelm)

“Your lie is so obvious. You were clearly looking.” (Liliana)

Liliana returned to work while saying unnecessary things like, “You’re always cooped up, so your gaze becomes lecherous.”

As she left, Anya and I resumed our shopping.

“As expected of Liliana-san. She’s truly a lady.” (Anya)

“Liliana is an adult, after all. She won’t easily show what’s under her skirt. She even did it with style.” (Wilhelm)

“So that’s how adult women are. I want to become an adult like Liliana-san.” (Anya)

“Yeah, do your best.” (Wilhelm)

Sofia-san was walking towards us from the main road. She noticed us and happily waved at us.

“Hey~! You two shopping together?” (Sofia)

That’s when it happened.

The spring breeze passed through us.

Anya pressed down her skirt, but Sofia-san was defenseless. The inside of Sofia-san’s skirt was completely exposed.

“Ah! Oops.” (Sofia)

I looked at Anya’s face. Anya looked at my face. Then, together, we looked at Sofia-san again.

“W-What? Why do both of you look disappointed? Anya-chan, was the pattern weird or something?” (Sofia)

“The pattern is cute. But, I couldn’t help but think that Sofia-san wasn’t quite a lady with how she acts.” (Anya)

“Huh? I-I’m definitely a lady!” (Sofia)

Ah, the spring breeze again. Sofia-san’s skirt was effortlessly flipping up once more.

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Thanks for reading!

Yes, this was the side story xd

I’m not sure if this spring breeze thing is a Japan thing or a worldwide thing, but I at least know it exists. I still don’t know what it is, but I’m guessing it’s just a strong wind season.

Anyways, next is the start of vol 2. I bought the LN already, and the illustrations are quite cute and nice as usual.

Anyways, here’s a picture of the vol 2 cover.

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1. None

“Don’t mess with me! Who gave you permission to come back here?” (Robert)

“W-Wait!” (Wilhelm)

I narrowly escaped being cut in half by the family heirloom sword.

I was blissfully taking a nap in my bedroom, also known as paradise, when it happened. I had let my guard down completely and I was moments away from being killed by my father.

Ah, my nose got a little scratched. I guess I didn’t dodge my father’s attack completely. Ouch.

“F-Father. [Grand Bahamut] has already been completely restored. You must have seen Anya’s performance in the Guild Competition.” (Wilhelm)

As a high-ranking noble, he should have been sitting in the king’s VIP section. He must have been watching Anya closely while enjoying some fine wine poured by the maids.

“Oh, I saw it. Anastasia was so beautiful, that it reminded me of her mother. Back then, her mother was more beautiful and stronger than anyone else.” (Robert)

Hmm, so Anya inherited both her beauty and her sense of combat from her mother, huh?

If Anya continues to polish her skills, she’ll only grow stronger. I sense incredible talent in her. Both in strength and beauty.

“So, Father, you acknowledge Anya as well. Well then, let’s cut to the chase. I’m going back to nap, so please leave my paradise.” (Wilhelm)

“I cannot allow that.” (Robert)

Whoa, that was close! I parried his attack with my sword. I won’t allow anyone to split my paradise in half. Not a scratch is allowed on it.

“What are you so angry about? Please tell me the reason.” (Wilhelm)

“Seeing your face just makes me irritated reflexively. Isn’t that an obvious enough reason?” (Robert)

“That’s the worst reason as a parent.” (Wilhelm)

“By the way, what about the payment of one million gold for next year? The guild’s operational fees for the country occur annually. Without you, Anastasia won’t be able to afford it at all.” (Robert)

Ugh… That’s harsh to hear. It’s highly unlikely that Anya and Sofia-san alone could afford it. Even if the number of requests to [Grand Bahamut] increases in the future, there’s a limit to what they can achieve with just the two of them. There’s no way the business will run smoothly.

“There are still other concerns.” (Robert)

“Regarding [Grand Bahamut]?” (Wilhelm)

“That’s right. The guilds in this city aren’t just [Grand Bahamut] and [Cosmic Falcon]. Guess how many guilds there are in the entire country.” (Robert)

“I don’t know. About ten?” (Wilhelm)

“Even a hundred would be a laughable number.” (Robert)

Seriously? Competition is quite fierce huh?

“[Grand Bahamut] would undoubtedly be at the bottom of the list in terms of performance among those numerous guilds. There’s even internal talk among officials of revoking [Grand Bahamut]’s business license due to its poor performance. History has shown that struggling guilds tend to be a place where unsavory characters gather. [Grand Bahamut] can’t ignore this anymore. In such a situation, I wonder if Anastasia’s dream will ever come true.” (Robert)

“G-Grr…!” (Wilhelm)

Anya’s dream is to make [Grand Bahamut] the top guild in the country. It’s definitely impossible as it is now. In fact, it would be a disaster if strange guild members gathered.

By the way, my father won’t stop pushing his sword onto me.

His eyes are filled with madness and it’s terrifying.

“Also, Wilhelm.” (Robert)

“Is there something else?” (Wilhelm)

My father applies even more pressure, pushing the sword further.

How much does he want to kill me?

I put all my strength into my defense stance. There’s no way I’m losing.

“I’m seriously considering your marriage with Anastasia.” (Robert)

“So, you want to kick me out of the house and downgrade me to a commoner, is that it?” (Wilhelm)

“Well, to put it bluntly, yes.” (Robert)

I was completely taken aback. What a despicable adult. Not only that, but he’s the worst parent ever.

“Oh, and there’s something else I remembered.” (Robert)

“What is it?” (Wilhelm)

“There’s something I’ve been repeatedly told by the inspection officer of the guild, um, yes, the young lady from the Shootingstar family.” (Robert)

“Liliana?” (Wilhelm)

“Yes, Liliana. She mentioned something about you.” (Robert)

“What was it?” (Wilhelm)

“She said, ‘Your son has a disappointing tendency to retreat into his shell whenever he’s pampered, so please never spoil him,’ or something along those lines.” (Robert)

What’s she talking about? Didn’t we spend one entire night dancing together? What happened to our friendship? Damn it, next time I see her, I’ll whisper complaints in her ear.

So, I was promptly kicked out of the house. It seems like the seal on my hard-earned paradise was tightened even more than before.

“Welcome back, Wil-sama. You’ve returned quite early.” (Anya)

When I returned to [Grand Bahamut], Anya greeted me with a smile.

“Would you like a bath? Or perhaps dinner? Or maybe… me?” (Anya)

“Where did you learn such newlywed lines?” (Wilhelm)

“Hehe, from the neighbors.” (Anya)

There’s definitely a neighbor who’s constantly whispering strange things to Anya. Maybe I should meet them next time. I’m curious to see who they are.

“Since I started Kenbu, my bust has gotten a little bigger. I really want Wil-sama to see it so I tried saying some lines to seduce men.” (Anya)

I take a look at Anya’s chest.

Hmm, I can’t really tell if there’s been any growth. Has she really grown? At the very least, it’s not enough to be noticeable on top of her clothes.

Anya, while looking embarrassed, proudly accepts my gaze on her chest. She seems somewhat happy.

“Well, maybe in three years.” (Wilhelm)

*Gasp* I can see a hint of shock on Anya’s face.

“Well, but occasionally, it would be nice if you could wash my back again.” (Wilhelm)

“Oh, yes. I’ll do my best to satisfy Wil-sama. Hehe… I guess we could bathe together. Wil-sama ecchi.” (Anya)

She quickly brightened up. That’s good.

“Whoa, look who’s back mew.” (Mew-chan)

Mew-chan, who emerged from the back, looks incredibly unhappy.

“I thought you went to the demon city or something mew.” (Mew-chan)

“Huh? Why would I go there?” (Wilhelm)

“According to the newspaper, there’s a theory that Wilhelm Wondersky is the Demon King mew. The demon city seems to welcome you anytime mew. Look, the people there are even saying they’re waiting for Wilhelm-sama in interviews mew.” (Mew-chan)

“There’s no way they’re really waiting for me. Don’t get swayed by gossip articles.” (Wilhelm)

“But, at that time, the Neet didn’t know yet. That this would foreshadow what’s to come mew…” (Mew-chan)

“Hey, don’t go making ominous remarks. I’m not a Demon King.” (Wilhelm)

Last year’s trauma is coming back. The Demon King thing was the worst trauma that caused me to shut myself in last year.

“It’s okay. Wil-sama is not the Demon King. He’s the hero who saved [Grand Bahamut] and this city. I know that better than anyone.” (Anya)

Anya is such a good girl. I pat her head and gently stroke her hair. She just lets me do it. How cute.

“Anya, I’ll be relying on you for a while again. I look forward to working with you.” (Wilhelm)

“Y-Yes, likewise.” (Anya)

I think I’ll stay shut-in for a while, but by next year, I’ll earn 1 million, no, that’s too small. I’ll aim for 10 million, no, even 100 million. I’ll make a big profit and ensure the stability of [Grand Bahamut].

Then, I’ll proudly stay shut in for as many years as I want. No one can complain. Not even my father.

“Wil-sama, what would you like to eat for dinner tonight?” (Anya)

“Hmm…” (Wilhelm)

When I suggested my favorite dish, Anya happily agreed.

Isn’t it fine for a shut-in like me to be taken care of by the cute guild master?

After all, because of my brilliance, I’m going to make [Grand Bahamut] the top guild in the country.

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Thanks for reading!

It took a while, but vol 1 is finally done. Well, I guess not really since there’s still the short story, but I’ll do that one sometime later today. Short story was supposed to come out at the same time, but I just got Persona 5 Royal, so I spent a lot of time today playing that. Soz.

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1. None

I stuffed my cheeks with the cookies Sofia had baked at home.

Delicious. I need something to drink with this. Tea… no, it’s gotta be coffee. Maybe I should make it myself for a change. I’ve been relying on Anya too much.

It’s already nighttime, but Anya is still practicing her Kenbu diligently in the garden.

Sofia was next to me, desperately adjusting the Kenbu costume she wore last year to fit Anya’s size.

Both of them are hard workers. I hope they don’t push themselves too hard and end up collapsing.

“Hey, Neet, mind if I ask you something, Mew?” (Mew-chan)

“What is it, Mr White Fluff?” (Wilhelm)

Mew-chan stuffs the cookies into its cheeks. Quite the eater, huh? Maybe that’s why he’s so big.

“Do you think she can win mew?” (Mew-chan)

“Hmph, of course she can. After all, I’m the one who trained her. There’s no way she won’t win.” (Wilhelm)

“Coaching from a Neet, huh, mew…” (Mew-chan)

“Got a problem with that?” (Wilhelm)

“Hah, just this once, mew, you seem a bit dependable.” (Mew-chan)

“Well, that’s good to hear.” (Wilhelm)

I eat another cookie. Still delicious. Alright, maybe I’ll make some coffee.

I wonder what Mew-chan is rummaging around in the back of the shelf for. Is there something back there?

Mew-chan pulls out a nice-looking bottle.

“What’s that?” (Wilhelm)

“It’s honey wine from the neighbor mew. It’s still too early for her, so I kept it stored away in the back mew.” (Mew-chan)

Well, you can’t drink until you’re sixteen so it’s definitely too early for Anya.

“Are you going to drink it now, Mew-chan?” (Wilhelm)

“Yeah, want to celebrate ojou’s victory together beforehand mew?” (Mew-chan)

“That sounds great!” (Wilhelm)

We bring out the glasses and pour each other’s drinks.

Ah, what a lovely aroma. It’s like all the fatigue from labor just disappeared. Even though I didn’t work today.

Mew-chan extended the glass towards me and I took it.

“A pre-celebration for ojou mew.” (Mew-chan)

“Ah, cheers to Anya’s victory!” (Wilhelm)

With a cheer, we clink our glasses together.

“Wow, this is delicious!” (Wilhelm)

“Delicious mew. I could have as many glasses as I want mew. Aren’t you quite a drinker for a Neet mew?” (Mew-chan)

“You’re one to talk, drinking like a beast. Oh, your glass is empty already. Let me refill it.” (Wilhelm)

“Ah. Yours is empty too, Mew.” (Mew-chan)

“Oops, sorry about that. Wow, you’re good at pouring. Thanks.” (Wilhelm)

Surprisingly, this honey wine goes well with the cookies.

This is unstoppable. There’s no point in leaving it, so I might as well finish the whole bottle with my little friend here.

“Hey, Wil-kun, why are you celebrating when there are two girls here working hard?” (Sofia)

“Oh, Sofia-san, want to join us?” (Wilhelm)

“Yeah, I want to try it!” (Sofia)

I also clinked glasses with Sofia-san.

Sofia-san, who was drunk, got really excited.

When Anya came back all sweaty, she looked at us, who were drunk, with envy. Just wait four more years. Then we’ll drink together.

◇

Celebratory cannon fire echoed through the city.

The long-awaited Spring Festival has finally begun.

Drink, sing, dance.

The harsh and cold winter is over. Let’s celebrate the blossoming of spring together.

Today, everyone can let loose. It’s a day for everyone to enjoy themselves to the fullest.

Wherever you walk in the city, it’s bustling with lively and happy laughter. I doubt there’s anyone whose spirits aren’t lifted by this atmosphere.

On this joyous day, Anya woke up at six in the morning to make fruit cakes with Sofia-san. After all, it’s also a good chance to make some money. We need to sell a lot of them.

I also woke up early today to help Mew-chan prepare the street stalls.

By the way, I dressed Mew-chan up in a festive outfit, with a hat and colored glasses. She’s wearing an apron too, isn’t she cute? Hopefully, she won’t scare off the kids too much.

“The streets are filled with balloons, flowers, and flags mew.” (Mew-chan)

“Yeah, it would have been nice to have some flowers at our stall.” (Wilhelm)

“Then why don’t you go buy some mew?” (Mew-chan)

“I don’t have any money, you know?” (Wilhelm)

“Alright, Neet, then go get some from outside the city mew.” (Mew-chan)

What a dreadful beast. Treating a noble like myself this way.

Well, it’s fine. With wind magic, I can get there quickly, and I know the location of the flower field. I’ll just swiftly run over and grab some.

The sound of woodwind and brass instruments fills the air. There are even people cheerfully playing the accordion.

Many people are dancing. A woman in a long, red skirt is gracefully tap dancing, drawing attention.

There are street performances and magic shows everywhere. It looks incredibly fun.

Watching the happy people around, my mood starts to lift.

I swiftly ran over, gathered some flowers, and returned.

Arranging the flowers in a vase, I think our stall has turned out quite charming.

At exactly 1 PM, we started selling the fruit cakes and surprisingly, they sold like hotcakes. Even the additional cakes that Sofia-san made were sold out.

It was a huge profit.

Both Anya and Sofia-san were smiling from start to finish.

It was wonderful to see them welcoming this festival with such happiness. Despite everything, I think their hard work paid off.

◇

The time for the showdown had arrived.

It was 6 PM. In the city’s main square, amidst loud cheers, the Guild Competition commenced.

A vibrant makeshift stage adorned with flowers had been set up.

Countless spectators filled the seats, stood in the aisles, and even climbed onto nearby houses and trees to enjoy the highlight event of the Spring Festival.

The Guild Competition was the centerpiece of the festival.

Young maidens, dressed in beautiful attire, danced and battled gracefully.

Everyone was thrilled, sending warm cheers of encouragement.

One of the good things about this battle is that even in defeat, you can still smile. Regardless of victory or defeat, fair applause is given to the beautiful maidens who have adorned the festival.

Now, let’s focus on Anya and Clara. Both of them are excelling in their performances.

Anya fights like a delicate fairy, while Clara battles like a spirited princess. Both seem to have captured the hearts of the townspeople. They are unquestionably beautiful young ladies.

Now, it’s time for the highly anticipated final battle of the exhilarating Guild Competition.

Facing off against each other are our very own Anastasia Milkyway of [Grand Bahamut], and Clara Voyager of the city’s leading guild, [Cosmic Falcon].

Both of them are hardworking individuals who became guild masters at a young age. I hope this grand stage becomes a memorable battle for both of them.

Of course, I want Anya to win. I want her to win and then I can brag to everyone in the town that it was I who trained her.

Anya and Clara gracefully walked to the center of the stage.

Under the watchful eyes of the king, my father, those who have always supported us, and the entire town, the two maidens drew their swords.

Both of them were shining brighter than anyone else.

Anya’s attire exposed her shoulders, back, and one leg boldly in a white outfit, reminiscent of a wedding dress or an angelic attire. It suits the pure-hearted Anya perfectly. By the way, this outfit was worn by Anya’s mother, then by Sofia-san, and now inherited by Anya. I think it’s a very cute outfit.

As for Clara, she wears a passionate red outfit. Similar to her usual attire, her skirt is adorned with frills, but that’s not all. This outfit has translucent areas, exuding a mature feeling. Furthermore, it exposes her midriff and cleavage, seemingly inspired by a dancer’s attire. I wonder if men would get excited seeing Clara. Judging by the cheers, she seems to be popular among women too.

As a rival to the lovely Anya, Clara’s bold and beautiful appearance is impeccable.

Voices of betting can be heard everywhere, arguing over whether red or white will win.

Some voices joyfully discuss which color is cuter.

Additionally, voices from the generation who know their mothers reminisce about the past.

“Anya, you can do it!” (Wilhelm)

I encouraged Anya, though I’m not sure if my voice reached her.

“Anya-chan, you’re the cutest in the world!” 

I could hear Sofia-san’s voice. It’s quite clear. Perhaps that voice reached Anya.

Sofia-san is closer to the stage than I am since she’s accompanying Anya. While I’m in the front row of the VIP seats, I’m still a bit far from the stage.

Near me are the members of [Cosmic Falcon]. Their loud cheers can be heard.

All eyes are on them. It’s the moment of truth.

Gradually, it’s getting quieter.

It’s the tension before the match starts. We swallow nervously, waiting for the signal to start.

“Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho. You’ve come this far without running away. I’ll give you some praise, Anastasia.” (Clara)

With the gradual silence, Clara’s voice carried well.

“Yeah, I’ve come to win against Clara-chan. Let’s have a fair and square match.” (Anya)

“You said it. I’ll show you the difference in strength. What is weak can’t beat the strong. I’ll prove that and make [Grand Bahamut] the property of [Cosmic Falcon].” (Clara)

“Mmm, I’ll win. So let’s drop that talk. After this is over, let’s dance together until dawn.” (Anya)

Their gazes meet.

They have cute smiles, but as expected from daughters born into guilds, their gazes are filled with determination to win.

Liliana, who serves as the referee, walked to the center of the stage.

Considering her role as a guild inspector, Liliana must have been entrusted with this role.

Given the significant responsibilities entrusted to her, she might be on the fast track for career advancement. The gap between her and me seems to be widening even further. It’s making my stomach churn.

I think Liliana looks stunning in the blue dress she’s wearing. She’s likely to gain a lot of fans today.

Anya, Clara, and Liliana gathered at the center of the stage. It seemed as if there were beautiful flowers blooming over there.

Liliana raised her hand high. Once it’s brought down, the sword dance will commence.

“Are both of you ready?” (Liliana)

The audience was eagerly anticipating. I felt the same way.

“Then, let the final guild battle, begin!” (Liliana)

Liliana’s hand came down.

A huge cheer erupted all at once.

Undoubtedly, it’s the biggest cheer since the festival started today. The city’s excitement and fervor are directed towards this stage. I could feel the incredible energy.

Anya and Clara clashed their swords against each other. Then, they gracefully stepped back, creating distance between them. This marks the true beginning of the match.

This isn’t about overpowering the opponent by force.

It’s a contest of elegance, aiming to gracefully strike the opponent’s body.

Both of them, perhaps due to their petite stature, moved swiftly.

They elegantly approached each other, swaying their long skirts.

They swung their swords, testing each other’s skills.

Neither seemed to be falling behind as their swords clashed.

Clara’s expression turned confident.

“You’re quite good. But can you keep up with this?!” (Clara)

She attacked with strikes from high, mid, and low angles, spinning as she did so.

Anya didn’t parry with her sword but deftly dodged, dancing around to evade every strike. This evasion technique had been honed through rigorous training by me and Sofia-san. With the speed of Clara’s attack, it wouldn’t be easy for her to land a hit on Anya.

Clara looked surprised as Anya evaded all her attacks.

Alright, there’s an opening for Anya to strike now.

Anya carefully dodged her opponent’s attacks and, as the flow of attacks momentarily ceased, she gracefully approached her like a butterfly. It was the traditional style of Kenbu of [Grand Bahamut], passed down from Anya’s mother’s era.

Unfortunately, Clara elegantly evaded Anya’s attack by performing a backward somersault.

But that was okay. Anya’s sword dance remained intact.

Clara’s acrobatic evasions further heightened the excitement of the audience, eliciting thunderous cheers that could almost deafen.

They continued to engage in an intense exchange, dodging each other’s attacks, and dancing around.

Clara’s Kenbu seemed to evoke imagery of cherry blossom petals fluttering in the wind. Sometimes vibrant, sometimes melancholic, it seemed to dance with the breeze, displaying unexpected movements. It was quite elusive to grasp.

Anya knew that her opponent was not unbeatable.

“Anya! Keep a close eye on your opponent’s movements!” (Wilhelm)

Whether my advice reached her or not, at least Sofia-san seemed to have heard it.

“Anya-chan, be careful!” (Sofia)

Voices of concern reached her ears.

“Ojou! Be the pride of the city’s number-one guild!” (Audience)

Cheers for Clara were also audible.

Unconsciously, I found myself sweating in my palms. My blood boiled with excitement.

Honestly, the large crowd made me a bit dizzy.

But strangely enough, I realized that I was grateful for the presence of so many people around it.

Because it’s more exciting like this. Because it’s making me feel so passionate. And because it’s so much fun.

It wouldn’t be like this if I were alone.

If I were a shut-in, I wouldn’t be able to experience this excitement.

After all, I was completely absent from last year’s Spring Festival. I was cooped up alone in paradise, spending my time quietly.

Since then, there have been ups and downs, but right now, I feel happy to be here like this.

I’m glad I met Anya.

And Sofia-san, Clara, Mew-chan, and Liliana too. Thanks to everyone, I think my life has become a little more colorful.

After this, I’ll probably go back to being a shut-in again, but I think I’ll try to interact with people occasionally like this.

Oh, Clara’s movement has changed.

“Anya, Clara’s finishing move is coming! Be careful!” (Wilhelm)

Unlike Sofia-san, who is near the stage, I’m in the audience seats for VIP. It couldn’t be helped because there’s a rule that only girls can be near the stage.

From here, I don’t think I can provide Anya with advice. It’s frustrating.

Clara deliberately created an opening.

I can see that, but Anya, with her limited combat experience, probably doesn’t.

Anya gets caught up in the attack.

The moment Anya enters Clara’s range, Clara’s eyes light up.

“I’ve got you now, Anastasia!” (Clara)

“Huh?” (Anya)

Clara gracefully dodged Anya’s sword by lowering her posture.

And now, here comes her special move.

Clara spins rapidly while rising up. It’s fast, incredibly fast. And beautiful, like cherry blossoms.

“Here it comes! My ultimate move, [Sakura Tornado]! How do you like that!” (Clara)

She did it.

With the strength and speed of her spin, Clara effortlessly took the sword Anya was holding.

The sword flew far away into the sky.

Anya is left without her sword. She can’t attack like this.

In fact, it’s even worse than that.

When her sword was taken away, Anya instinctively reached out her arm, leaving her torso wide open.

It seemed like the match was decided. Everyone must have thought so.

The excited cheers turned into cheers of blessing.

But it’s not over yet.

Here. This is it. This is the only chance. The real battle starts here.

With all the strength I could muster, I shouted at the top of my lungs.

“Anya―――――! Do it now!” (Wilhelm)

“Yes!” (Anya)

I felt like I got a response.

Anya had only been training with the sword for about a week. She worked hard every day, but her sword skills were still immature.

However, I taught Anya one of the Hero’s Divine Sword Techniques, though she hadn’t mastered it yet. There just wasn’t enough time.

Anya showed a smile.

Seeing that smile, the audience seemed to think there was still something more to come.

And indeed, there was.

Anya hadn’t mastered the Hero’s Divine Sword technique.

No, let me rephrase that. She hadn’t fully mastered it.

In other words, Anya could only use the Hero’s Divine Sword technique when certain conditions were met.

It was the result of my excellent guidance and Anya’s diligent efforts – the culmination of our hardships.

Anya can only use one of the Hero’s Divine Sword Techniques when the condition of not holding a sword is met.

Anya’s silhouette flickered.

“It’s over! [Cosmic Falcon] will win the competition this time!” (Clara)

“Not yet, Clara-chan!” (Anya)

From the flickering outline of Anya, multiple images of her emerged, floating out like a mirage.

It looked as if seven angels had descended to earth. It was the beautiful and graceful Hero’s Divine Sword Technique Anya learned.

“T-There are seven of you? W-What’s going on?!” (Clara)

“This is the Hero’s Divine Sword Technique, taught and customized by Wil-sama himself. Its name is [Mirage Step]!” (Anya)

“T-The Hero’s Divine Sword Technique?!” (Clara)

Yes, the Hero’s Divine Sword Technique—I specifically customized it to be more suitable for Kenbu.

Originally, one of the Hero’s Divine Sword Techniques, [Mirage Attack], creates illusions of the user like a mirage, confusing the enemy and breaking through their defenses.

However, its offensive nature was too strong and didn’t quite fit with the spirit of Kenbu.

So, I customized the technique to be more suitable for it. That’s how the Hero’s Divine Sword Technique, [Mirage Attack], transformed into [Mirage Step].

While its offensive capabilities are lower, in return, it allows Anya to multiply herself and perform different dances while significantly confusing the opponent.

The audience seemed to be holding their breath.

And no wonder. Seeing one beautiful Anya was mesmerizing enough, but now there were seven of her, gracefully dancing across the stage.

This is undeniably cute.

All seven Anyas are smiling, which adds to the charm.

In contrast, Clara looks bewildered, her expression stiffening.

“W-What is this? What kind of cheat-like special move is this? I’ve never heard about this or seen anything like it!” (Clara)

Clara complains as she tries to strike nearby Anyas, but they gracefully evade. By the way, what she just saw was an illusion.

The real Anya, however, is carefully watching for an opening from afar.

Anya’s sword is not in her hands. It’s just starting to fall from the sky.

She needs to retrieve that sword to attack, but if she does, [Mirage Step] will end.

The only chance lies in exploiting Clara’s opening while simultaneously retrieving the sword and launching an attack. There’s no other option.

To achieve this, Anya strategically places illusions.

She guides Clara to the center of the stage using illusions.

Meanwhile, the real Anya, dancing gracefully, gradually moves behind Clara.

The audience erupts. Everyone is impressed by this spectacular sword dance they’ve never seen before.

Anya has become the star of the stage.

She doesn’t stop dancing. While each of the seven Anyas shows a different dance, they all follow the same rhythm. The audience naturally starts clapping along. Anya’s dance becomes even more captivating.

“Th-This! I-I feel like the cute me is being sidelined!” (Clara)

Clara, your anger only creates openings.

In this dazzling stage, showing an opening will cause victory to slip through your fingers like sand.

Anya has completely taken Clara’s back.

All the Anyas raised their hands overhead.

Clara seemed bewildered by their movement, instinctively assuming a defensive stance.

However, the real Anya is behind Clara. Even if Clara remains vigilant against attacks from the front or sides, there’s nothing she can do.

“Clara-chan, that was an amazing match!” (Anya)

The sword falls into Anya’s hand.

Under the light of the bonfire, the sword shines brightly. It looked as if an angel had descended from the heavens with a sacred sword.

Clara turned around, and simultaneously, the six illusions of Anya. It felt like awakening from a dream.

Checkmate.

“Let’s battle together again next year!” (Anya)

With a gentle tap, the sword is lowered onto Clara’s head.

As it’s a blunt sword, it wouldn’t cause any harm. Still, Clara seemed to have taken some emotional damage. Her expression twisted in frustration.

However, she quickly smiled.

“Fuu… You win. Congratulations, Anastasia.” (Clara)

There were no objections from the judging panel. Liliana raised her hand towards the sky.

“The winner is Anastasia Milky Way from [Grand Bahamut]!” (Liliana)

As if a dam had burst, cheers flooded in.

How much energy did they have left? Normal people sure are on a different level compared to shut-ins. The cheers are so loud, I can’t even make sense of it anymore.

Applause, cheers, words of blessing, and even people crying with emotion.

Isn’t this the most excitement we’ve ever had? I haven’t been watching every year, but I’m sure it is.

The audience is getting more and more hyped, chanting ‘Anastasia, Anastasia.’

Sofia beckoned me over. Is it over already? I crossed the barrier and approached Sofia.

Wow, Sofia is crying so much.

“Congratulations, Sofia-san.” (Wilhelm)

“Thank you, Wil-kun. I… I… I actually thought [Grand Bahamut] was done for, but ever since you came, things have been getting better, so I can’t thank you enough.” (Sofia)

“It’s thanks to your leadership, Sofia-san.” (Wilhelm)

“That’s not true. It’s because of Wil-kun and Anya’s hard work.” (Sofia)

The two of them look up at Anya on the stage.

Anya is shaking hands with Clara.

Then Clara applauds Anya.

Anya bows to the audience and smiles.

“…Maybe Anya-chan’s dream has just come true, even if just a little.” (Sofia)

“Dream? Ah, to make [Grand Bahamut] the top guild in the country. Indeed, it might just have.” (Wilhelm)

Being the winner of this festival’s battle, where even the king is watching, the winner is undoubtedly [Grand Bahamut].

Sofia applauded for Anya, and I followed suit.

Anya, who noticed us quite late, gave us a double peace sign.

◇

The prize for winning was 500,000 gold.

We also received a massive trophy and got to shake hands with the king.

It seems even the king was deeply invested in Anya’s match, showing quite a bit of excitement.

“Today marks the birth of the city’s new heroine. Looking forward to next year,” he graciously remarked.

With even the king’s acknowledgment, [Grand Bahamut]’s fame is bound to skyrocket.

Anya seemed quite shy but had a cute smile on her face.

On the other hand, Clara looked sulky and uninterested, and for some reason, she was sticking quite close to me.

“Ugh… To think that the clumsy Anastasia, who always just followed behind me, would…” (Clara)

“Anya really put in a surprising amount of effort, you know.” (Wilhelm)

She practiced swordsmanship and the Hero’s Divine Sword Technique from early morning to late at night, making time whenever she could.

“But even if she worked hard, there wasn’t much time, right? It’s impossible for Anastasia to suddenly surpass me like this desu wa.” (Clara)

“Well, of course, my excellent guidance played a role in this.” (Wilhelm)

I raised that girl. I feel like shouting it out loud for everyone in the city to hear that I was the one who raised Anya who won the guild competition.

I feel like I could receive praise from various people.

“That’s how it is, isn’t it?” (Clara)

Clara looked up at me with a disgruntled expression.

“Defeating the Kraken, driving away the ancient magical beasts, and winning the guild competition—all of that happened because Wilhelm-sama was there.” (Clara)

It’s kind of embarrassing to be praised like this.

“In other words, it’s all thanks to Wilhelm-sama that Anastasia and [Grand Bahamut] are being so highly praised.” (Clara)

Clara looked up at me with a slightly resentful gaze.

This girl knows exactly how to use her cute looks to perfection. Those upward glances are just too much. It really makes me want to hug her.

“Wilhelm-sama, I’d like to extend my invitation once again. Won’t you join [Cosmic Falcon]?” (Clara)

“No, I refuse.” (Wilhelm)

“Gununu… How about this? In addition to a hefty contract fee, we’ll provide delicious meals three times a day, along with the finest beds. And as a bonus, we’ll even hire a young maiden as your personal caretaker. How about that?” (Clara)

“Huh…” (Wilhelm)

That’s quite tempting. What an amazing offer.

But… but…

I caught a glimpse of Anya out of the corner of my eye.

I couldn’t betray that girl. If I were to leave, Anya would surely feel lonely. Plus, I don’t think I’ve repaid her enough for her delicious meals yet.

So, I…

“I’ll stay with [Grand Bahamut].” (Wilhelm)

“That’s disappointing…” (Clara)

“If it’s not [Grand Bahamut], then the only other place is paradise.” (Wilhelm)

“Huh? Paradise?” (Clara)

“Don’t worry about it. Look, Anya’s here.” (Wilhelm)

I gave Clara a playful shove. She instantly looked exhausted.

“Ah… You finally came…” (Clara)

Anya carefully entrusted the large trophy to Mew-chan, who was following her quietly.

Anya happily went and hugged Clara tightly.

Clara seemed reluctant, but I didn’t miss the faint smile she showed.

Several large fireworks went off from the direction of the castle.

The city erupted in cheers and applause.

The real festival is just beginning. From now until late at night, fireworks will illuminate the sky, and the city will host the official night parade organized by the kingdom. The night shops will thrive, and dance music will echo throughout the night.

Tonight, even children are allowed to stay up late.

“Clara-chan, will you dance with me?” (Anya)

“I-It can’t be helped, I suppose. Anastasia just can’t seem to let go of me.” (Clara)

“Tonight, I won’t let you sleep, okay?” (Anya)

“That’s my line desu wa. When it comes to stamina, I won’t lose, you know.” (Clara)

Both of them are pumped up.

As soon as they start dancing, they immediately attract everyone’s attention in the city. Naturally, a dance circle forms around them, and the music and singing soar. Everyone was happily enjoying themselves.

The most adorable pair in the city danced all night long as they moved around the streets, attracting crowds wherever they went.

As for me, I was dragged into dancing by Sofia-san, and I danced so much that I felt like I had endless energy. I’m definitely going to have muscle soreness tomorrow from all that dancing.

Exhausted, I went to get dinner, enjoyed the festivities, and indulged in plenty of dessert.

Then, feeling happily tired and full, I began to make my way back to the guild, only to bump into Liliana unexpectedly.

I couldn’t refuse her invitation to dance.

After all, Liliana was dressed in a beautiful dress.

If I were to refuse, it would embarrass Liliana. Being from a prominent noble family, I can’t afford to shame a well-dressed lady. Besides, she’s someone I’ve been indebted to since my school days, so it’s only right to repay the favor a little.

So, I danced around with her.

Liliana looked more beautiful than ever before. She seemed so happy, never once losing her smile.

…I’m grateful that she danced with someone like me.

For me, even though I was exhausted by then, it was still enjoyable.

If only I had spent my school days normally, I might have danced with Liliana like this last year too.

The fireworks show no sign of stopping, continuing to paint the night sky.

The energy of the festival is mysterious. Even though I’m tired, I feel like I could continue dancing endlessly.

We danced and danced for what felt like forever.

Occasionally, I crossed paths with Anya and Clara while dancing. We exchanged smiles as we passed each other. Sofia and Mew-chan were also dancing, and we laughed as we occasionally passed by.

A day as fulfilling as this might be a first in my life.

The city during the Spring Festival never sleeps.

Everyone laughs, sings, and dances to their heart’s content.

The enjoyable time continued relentlessly until morning arrived.

---

Thanks for reading!

I like how the final fight isn’t the ancient magical beast but just a friendly battle between Anya and Clara. I mean yeh, the stakes are kinda high in Clara’s favor, but it sure doesn’t feel like it and we naturally know that Anya’s gonna win.

Yes, this is the end of ch 6. I wanted to split this up even more, but it would probably break the immersion so I just did everything in one go. Next is the epilogue followed by an extra short story. I don’t remember if I mentioned this, but after that’s done, I’ll continue with vol 2.

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1. None

“I’ve had enough of this! Wake up already!!!” (?)

“Uwaahhhhh!” (Wilhelm)

I was mercilessly stripped away from my futon and tumbled ungracefully off the bed.

What a rough way to wake someone up.

“Hah, Mew-chan, couldn’t you have woken me up a little more gently? I’m a delicate, anemic guy in the mornings, you know.” (Wilhelm)

“It’s not even morning, and your issue isn’t anemia, it’s just plain oversleeping. It’s already noon. Honestly, you haven’t grown a millimeter since your student days.” (?)

“Hmm? Mew-chan?” (Wilhelm)

I reluctantly opened my heavy eyelids.

Though I still wanted to sleep, being woken up was unavoidable.

“Ah, class rep.” (Wilhelm)

“Wilhelm-kun, are you still half asleep? I haven’t been a class rep for three years already.” (Liliana)

“Three years ago? Huh? Oh, Liliana. That took me a while. Anyways, why are you here? This is Anya’s house.” (Wilhelm)

Back in my student days, I was more outstanding than anyone else, but unfortunately, I had a habit of oversleeping.

And it was none other than Liliana, who was the class rep at the time, who woke me up every morning.

Nostalgic. Liliana’s way of waking me up was always rough and forceful.

She was the kind of person who would stick mustard up my nose to wake me up. Compared to that, today’s wake-up call was much more milder than usual.

I looked up at Liliana, or rather, class rep again.

She seemed much more mature than the class president in my memories. She had makeup on now, and her lips looked particularly alluring. She looked like a dignified and beautiful woman.

“You’ve really become beautiful.” (Wilhelm)

“Hmm… Are you still half asleep? Instead of saying something stupid, go and wash your face already.” (Liliana)

“I’m not half asleep. I’m serious about what I said just now. Ahh… Liliana, have you gotten married or found a boyfriend yet?” (Wilhelm)

“My lover is my job, so I don’t see myself having that kind of conversation anytime soon.” (Liliana)

“Wow, so you’re the late bloomer kind when it comes to marriage.” (Wilhelm)

“That’s completely sexual harassment, you know.” (Liliana)

Well, I guess it is. I start taking off my pajamas and casually changing clothes. Liliana seems somewhat pleased as she stares at my body.

Oh, she’s trying to touch me. She’s tracing my chest with her fingers.

“It’s strange, even though you were a shut-in, your muscles haven’t deteriorated at all. You’re just as robust as you were back then.” (Liliana)

“Well, that’s cause I’m a genius, you know.” (Wilhelm)

“Hehehe, muscles~” (Liliana)

“I told you, no touching!” (Wilhelm)

“Hehe, but isn’t it fine~” (Liliana)

“What kind of tyrant are you? Isn’t this the real harassment?” (Wilhelm)

“Aren’t we on good terms, Wilhelm-kun?” (Liliana)

“What kind of terms?” (Wilhelm)

“We’re on ‘touching muscles is allowed’ terms.” (Liliana)

“That’s definitely not true!” (Wilhelm)

“Oh, it’s wonderful. Such magnificent muscles. Hehehe. Let me touch them a little more, please.” (Liliana)

“Oh…” (Wilhelm)

What does she think she’s making me do? This teasing has gone too far.

Honestly, she should be aware that she’s become an attractive woman. Her touch is way too suggestive. It’s making me become aware of Liliana as a woman.

Liliana, with heavy breaths, continues to stroke my muscles meticulously.

She’s definitely a muscle fetishist. Nothing has changed since our student days. I wonder if there’s any way to break this bad habit. Probably not.

“Alright, I’m putting on my clothes. That’s enough, that’s enough. So, what did you come here for today?” (Wilhelm)

“Well, of course, to touch muscles… Hah… I mean, no, that’s not it. But Wilhelm-kun, your body still looks as great as ever.” (Liliana)

“You’re still breathing heavily.” (Wilhelm)

Liliana closes her eyes, looking embarrassed, and clears her throat.

Finally, Liliana’s usual expression returned.

“Wilhelm-kun, I came here today to thank you. Thank you for dealing with the emergency quest so quickly. Thanks to you, the city was saved. You know, your name is on everyone’s lips in the castle recently. They’re all convinced that you’re a real hero.” (Liliana)

“Wow, that’s quite something.” (Wilhelm)

“There were a few government officials on-site, and they were thrilled by the sudden appearance of Bahamut while they were scouting the ancient magical beast.” (Liliana)

“Oh, so there were people watching. It was so cool and amazing, wasn’t it? Not to mention, it was incredibly powerful. That was undoubtedly the king of the biological world.” (Wilhelm)

I descended the stairs. I washed my face. Oh, terrible bedhead. Was Liliana looking at this face of mine?

Well, it’s too late now. She’s someone who’s seen my face plenty of times in the morning.

“Wilhelm-kun, don’t you have any intention of becoming a civil servant? You would definitely excel more than anyone else. Considering your family is a prominent noble family, I think you could climb the ranks endlessly.” (Liliana)

“Hah, no way. My occupation is forever a shut-in. So, today, I’ll continue to shut myself in as usual.” (Wilhelm)

After all, the debt to the country that [Grand Bahamut] owed has been fully settled through the emergency quest.

Moreover, we still have enough money to cover our living expenses. There’s simply no reason for me to work anymore. So, I’ll proudly continue to be a shut-in.

“Being a shut-in is definitely not the way to go. With such overwhelming talent and ability, why don’t you want to use them for the world and for others?” (Liliana)

“Using them for the world and for others… the scale of that is too grand for me. If there are people nearby who need me and rely on me, I’ll still use my strength to support them.” (Wilhelm)

I tried saying something a little cool.

When there’s no one who needs me, I just want to laze around in bed. That’s the kind of person I am.

Liliana touched my muscles, and I felt something.

“I need you, Wilhelm-kun. The civil service needs you.” (Liliana)

Is that so…

“But I like my bed.” (Wilhelm)

“If you work hard, you can sleep in an even better bed. How about a memory foam mattress, with a fluffy down comforter? Doesn’t that sound appealing?” (Liliana)

“The bed here is good enough. Luxury is the enemy.” (Wilhelm)

“You’re talking like a commoner. Aren’t you the eldest son of a prominent noble family?” (Liliana)

“Oh, right. I was, huh?” (Wilhelm)

“You’re the only one who could forget that. Oh, by the way, I met your father at the castle this morning. I asked if there were any messages he wanted to relay to you.” (Liliana)

I wonder what my father would say. 

—My child who saved the city is a hero among heroes. Please return to the paradise named your room. 

Or something like that.

“Don’t get too cocky just because you got out of a tough situation with [Grand Bahamut]. Until you become a full-fledged man, never return home. If you dare to come back now, I’ll strike you down on the spot. He specifically asked me to convey that message.” (Liliana)

“That damn old man.” (Wilhelm)

“So, in other words, he’s telling you to work seriously as a civil servant.” (Liliana)

“No way.” (Wilhelm)

“By the way, there’s one more thing. Your father mentioned that a recommendation letter for university admission for you has arrived again.” (Liliana)

Ah, that old story. It’s probably the same one that came when I was suspected of being the Demon Lord but I declined it.

I prefer being a student to working, but it’s too late for further education now. Waking up every morning is such a hassle, and I don’t have the passion for studying. It’s just impossible for me now.

“I don’t think I’ll go. Please let my father know.” (Wilhelm)

“Can’t you show a bit of motivation for something? It would put my mind at ease.” (Liliana)

“Are you my mom or something?” (Wilhelm)

“After all the trouble I’ve gone through for you, I might as well be.” (Liliana)

“Do you have to agree with that…?” (Wilhelm)

Liliana chuckled happily.

I wonder how long it’s been since I last saw her smile like that.

When I was suspected of being the Demon Lord, Liliana was undoubtedly the one who worried about me the most. She came to check on me every single day. She even came to the castle where I was detained. Every single day, without fail.

…It took some time, but I’m happy that I could see her smile.

I’m glad I worked hard on the ancient magical beasts incident.

“Mew… Hey, you NEET, if you’re awake, go have lunch already. It’s still warm.” (Mew-chan)

“Oh, thanks.” (Wilhelm)

“Huh, wait? Did the Sodane Mew talk just now?” (Liliana)

“Oh, he did. …Hmm, you’re one dirty-minded person, aren’t you?” (Wilhelm)

“What? My heart is as clean as glass, you know?” (Liliana)

What are you talking about?

Mew-chan’s voice can only heard by people with clean hearts. People like me, with dirty hearts, can hear Mew-chan’s voice. This is the conclusion I arrived at.

Apparently, even though Liliana looks serious, she’s actually someone with a dirty heart.

◇

During the leisurely lunchtime, we gathered in the backyard behind [Grand Bahamut].

Anya, Sofia-san, and I all brought swords. We were here to practice swordsmanship in preparation for the guild competition at the Spring Festival.

In the guild competition, it’s not about brute forcing your way with swords. There’s a rule that you’ll be disqualified if you don’t use a special sword technique called “Kenbu (sword dance)”.

Even if you defeat your opponent with brute force, the outcome of the match is separate. If the judging panel determines that what you’re doing isn’t Kenbu, you’ll lose.

Since it’s meant to add style to the festival, you have to fight with elegance, grace, and beauty.

[Grand Bahamut] participates in this event every year. Sofia-san used to compete in it until last year.

So, first, we decided to have Sofia-san teach us the basics.

Sofia-san stood in front of Anya and me, ready to explain.

“Are you both ready? So, Kenbu is a form of sword technique, but it’s closer in concept to dancing. On the day of the event, you’ll wear glamorous costumes like dancers and move your sleeves and skirts a lot while fighting to make it look beautiful.” (Sofia)

Sofia-san’s explanation continued.

“Sword dancing has been around for a long time, so there are many styles and schools. I learned the one I know from Anya-chan’s mom. Let me give you a little demonstration as a reference.” (Sofia)

Sofia-san drew her sword.

Then, she swayed her hips. Spinning around which lifted her skirt.

She held the sword gently and swung it gracefully.

With moves like that, it’s probably too gentle to inflict fatal wounds on the opponent. But since it’s a technique meant to not cause harm, it’s fine as it is.

“…Beautiful.” (Wilhelm)

I couldn’t help but murmur my thoughts.

It looked like movements to enhance the beauty of a woman. If done on stage, the audience would surely be thrilled.

I should have paid more attention to this since my student days. I didn’t watch much of it before as it was always crowded. What a shame.

Sofia-san’s sword dance ended. It seems she showed us all the basic moves.

The image of Sofia-san’s movements is like that of a butterfly. Moving like a butterfly dancing over spring flowers. I’m starting to grasp it somehow.

“I’ll give it a try. Please watch.” (Anya)

Anya tried to imitate Sofia-san’s movements.

However, it’s not something you can master in just one or two tries. The Spring Festival is only about a week away. Fortunately, we don’t have to worry about finances anymore, so if she spends the next few days practicing diligently every day, she should be able to make it in time. She needs to work hard to beat Clara.

“Oh, is that Kenbu? It’s very cute.” (Liliana)

A woman’s voice came from beyond the garden fence. It was Liliana.

“You’ve been coming here quite often lately. What’s up today?” (Wilhelm)

“I came to touch Wilhelm-kun’s muscles… not. I brought some work. When I asked Sodane Mew at the shop, she said everyone was in the garden, so I came here.” (Liliana)

Being able to have a normal conversation with Mew-chan… Her heart is still as dirty as ever.

“Well then, thanks. Anya, let’s take a little break. We’ve got some work to do.” (Wilhelm)

“Okay.” (Anya)

“Oh, right. Since you’re a girl, Liliana, you took Kenbu classes at school, didn’t you?” (Wilhelm)

“Yes, I did.” (Liliana)

“Would you mind sparring with me for a bit?” (Wilhelm)

Liliana graciously agreed.

She carefully lectured me on the basics of Kenbu that she learned at school.

Then, we sparred in a practical setting.

I tried to use Kenbu in combat, mimicking her movements but it’s frustrating.

It’s frustrating when I can’t attack effectively when I want to. Dancing takes priority but defense is important too. It’s frustrating.

It seems that without a considerable amount of practice on the steps, one can easily lose. But once I master them, I’ll be able to control the distance between my opponent and me. Then, I can exploit their breathing patterns and land graceful strikes. Kenbu may have many unnecessary movements, but it’s certainly not weak. It’ll be tough to master, though.

“Thanks, Liliana. You’ve helped me grasp it. Anya, remember, the basics of Kenbu are like dancing. Remember when we were in the mountains, and I sang while you and Sofia danced around the campfire? We can approach it the same way.” (Wilhelm)

During that night, I sang while Anya and Sofia danced around the campfire. If we imagine that dance, we can get the hang of it.

“Singing…?” (Anya)

Uh-oh, this conversation is taking a bad turn.

“Okay, could you sing for us?” (Anya)

“Sofia-san…” (Wilhelm)

“Then I’ll dance with Anya-chan. How nostalgic. Anya-chan’s mom used to sing for us too.” (Sofia)

“Liliana…” (Wilhelm)

“I’ll join in the Kenbu as well. Do your best, okay?” (Liliana)

Ugh, these girls have it easy.

I might be tone-deaf. This isn’t the secluded mountains; it’s a busy street outside the garden, with other shops and houses nearby. I won’t deal with any complaints about my tone-deaf singing.

Embarrassing as it is, I decided to accompany the song with clapping.

But no one said anything about it.

I was worried, but everyone is gracefully twirling around without paying it any mind, so maybe it’s not a problem.

“Hey Anya, you’re practically a pro at Kenbu now. Your moves are just as good as theirs.” (Wilhelm)

Liliana and Sofia agreed.

“Really? It’s easier than I thought.” (Anya)

“You’re a great teacher, Wilhelm-kun. It usually takes months to learn this at school.” (Liliana)

“Oh, I didn’t do much. It’s all thanks to Anya’s exceptional talent.” (Wilhelm)

Anya looked pleased.

“Wil-sama, do you think I can beat Clara-chan?” (Anya)

“You’ll probably lose.” (Wilhelm)

“E-Even so, I’ll do my best. There’s still plenty of time left. I’ll definitely win and then dance with Clara-chan all night at the festival.” (Anya)

So, that’s what she wants after winning against Clara.

Clara wants to merge [Grand Bahamut] with [Cosmic Falcon] if she wins, meanwhile, Anya is just being cute.

But that’s just like Anya. That’s her charm. It’s wonderful how pure-hearted she is.

“Hey, Anya, effort is important, but…” (Wilhelm)

I puffed out my chest and put on a proud expression.

“Winning against strong opponents requires something special, right?” (Wilhelm)

“Something special?” (Anya)

“Yeah, that’s where I come in. I’m going to teach you one of the Hero’s Divine Sword Techniques. Once you master it, Anya, you’ll definitely be able to beat Clara.” (Wilhelm)

There it is. Among the Hero’s Divine Sword Techniques, there must be one that can be applied to sword dancing.

If she can master that, not only will she defeat Clara, but the audience will also be thrilled.

And so, from that day on, Anya’s intense training began.

---

Thanks for reading!

I like how MC isn’t even participating in the event but he still joined in on the training. Character development moment?

I picked up a new series feel free to check it out. It’s called “The S-Rank Hero Wants to Retire! ~The Leader of the Kingdom’s Strongest Party Doesn’t Realize He’s a One-of-a-Kind Commander~“

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1. None

It was dawn. It seems like the three girls woke up during the sunrise.

I was surprised to find a freshly made juicy sandwich in front of me right when I woke up. I didn’t even wake up by intention; I was woken up by its aroma.

I washed my face and immediately started eating.

It was a bit heavy on the stomach, but it’s incredibly delicious. 

Once everyone finished eating, we quickly packed up the camp and headed down the mountain path.

After about two hours of walking, we finally emerged on the other side of the mountain.

Truth be told, I had been feeling the immense pressure of a life force for about ten minutes before crossing the mountain. That feeling was definitely the presence of a monstrous magical beast.

However, the magical beast that can be seen in the distance was far more monstrous than what I had imagined.

“It’s huge…” (Wilhelm)

It looked like a gigantic lizard clinging to the mountain.

Just the size of its face alone was enough to astound me. It was like a massive boulder come to life. Upon closer inspection, it had eyes and a mouth with terrifyingly sharp teeth.

How tall was it? It’s definitely taller than the royal castle that’s for sure.

And its length was just as astonishing.

I wonder how far its tail stretches. It’s almost impossible to see from here.

This is just one species of ancient magical beast—the largest and strongest being on the surface after living for tens of thousands of years. It’s clear that it surpasses all other forms of life. In front of this creature, humans are like insignificant beings.

There are many species of ancient magical beasts, but this one resembles a wingless dragon. It has fierce red eyes, sharp teeth, and thick scales covering its entire body, making it intimidating. Those scales are riddled with cracks and moss as proof of its long history.

It’s unbelievable that such a massive creature is alive and moving. The pressure of its life force and weight alone is enough to make one faint.

For the first time, I felt the mountain trembling in fear. There’s a legend that says ancient magical beasts would devour entire mountains when they got hungry, and maybe that’s true.

Step by step, it took its time to tread carefully and firmly on the ground.

But even with just one step, the ground beneath us trembles violently, enough to make us stumble if we let our guard down. And the sound of its footsteps is deafening, almost making me want to cover my ears.

Its large eyes blink slowly, and even its breath escaping from its nostrils emits a deep, resonating bass that feels like it could crush one’s heart.

Though the ancient magical beast moves slowly, each step brings it closer to where we are. If it continues weaving through the mountains, it will eventually reach the city where we live.

Anya grabbed onto my arm.

“Wil-sama, if that thing were to come to reach the city, it wouldn’t just crush it.” (Anya)

“Yeah, just its sneeze alone could blow away entire shops and houses in the city.” (Wilhelm)

“What a terrifying creature. Even though it’s right in front of us, its overwhelming presence makes it feel unreal.” (Clara)

“Hey, Will-kun, can we really do something about it? I mean, can humans even deal with something like that? It’s way bigger than a Kraken, isn’t it?” (Sofia)

Sofia-san sounded uncertain.

“We have to try, even if it seems impossible… Actually, looking at it now, 3 million gold wouldn’t even come close to being enough to take care of this.” (Wilhelm)

I set down my baggage and stretched lightly.

“A-Are you serious? There’s no way swords or magic would work against something that massive desu wa. Wouldn’t it be more prudent to run to the city and call for evacuation? Right, Wilhelm-sama?” (Clara)

“Not at all, Clara. I’m definitely going to finish this quest. Just watch. I’ll show you my secret weapon.” (Wilhelm)

“If by any chance it notices us and strikes back, it’s over for us desu wa.” (Clara)

“Like I said I’ll handle everything, Clara. Don’t you know who you’re talking to? There’s nothing to worry about.” (Wilhelm)

Alright, let’s do this.

The opponent is unbelievably huge. It makes the Kraken look cute in comparison.

Logically speaking, there’s no way for humans to stand against it. Clara’s right; the best course of action would be to return to the city and call for evacuation.

It reminded me of history lectures, where there were stories about humanity relocating entire cities to escape from ancient magical beasts.

The fact that human cities are often located in relatively remote areas is said to be a result of choosing land that wouldn’t be trampled by ancient magical beasts. I remember hearing theories like that.

Even our own city, I learned, developed from a place hidden at the foot of cliffs.

Humanity could never stand against ancient magical beasts. That’s the common knowledge in this world.

But I’m a genius who transcends common knowledge.

So, I have a means to counter ancient magical beasts.

――Yes, this happened from back when I was an excellent student.

During an ordinary lunch break, I stumbled upon a corner of the school’s grand library hidden by sealing magic.

It was an exceptionally high-level magic, so advanced that even those with low magical abilities wouldn’t notice its existence. Moreover, it was sealed with multiple layers of magic, which only piqued my curiosity further.

This sealing magic could only be sensed by someone as skilled as myself.

Though no one believed me, I spent three months breaking through that seal. Beyond it was a laboratory. Upon investigating, I discovered it contained research on what was known as “Ultimate Magic”, said to be usable only by a Demon King.

Presumably, it was a laboratory once used by someone referred to as the Demon King.

It was surprising to learn that the Demon King was an alum of our school, but the research intrigued me greatly. Thus, I remained there, absorbing and mastering all the research left behind.

Among the spells I mastered was one that could summon the Great Dragon King, for example.

I focused intently, steadily increasing my magic.

I elevated and gathered magical energy from my surroundings. The surge of magical energy created a gust of wind, lifting Anya and Sofia-san’s skirts. But I paid it no mind, as I was deeply concentrated. One was pure white, the other was mature black. I paid it no mind, as I continued concentrating. White and black. I wouldn’t remember them anyways. White and black. I’m definitely not trying to store them in my memory. By the way, Clara, why weren’t you wearing a skirt? I would’ve liked to see that too. No, focus, focus.

Hmm… I felt like I made eye contact with the ancient magical beast.

To it, I must have seemed like a mere grain of sand. Perhaps my increasing magic caught its attention.

Still, I continued to raise my magic to its maximum.

Beyond individual capabilities, reaching the pinnacle of magic that could shake the world, no, even further, reaching the ultimate pinnacle of magic that no one in human history had ever reached.

“Now, witness this! The ultimate magic of the true Demon King! And within that, the summoning magic of the gods!” (Wilhelm)

“Wil-sama’s eyes!” (Anya)

“What are you…? Those eyes of yours, and that overwhelming amount of magic… This is beyond human capabilities…” (Clara)

“Wil-kun, the ancient magical beast is looking this way. I think it sees you as an enemy. Is this going to be okay?” (Sofia)

“Of course.” (Wilhelm)

My eyes must be similar to those of that magical beast. Eyes like those of the ancient magical beast, which has lived for countless years and possesses an immense amount of magic to move its colossal body.

Yet, despite only living for seventeen years, I can wield such power. That’s the mark of my exceptional talent.

“This is my Magic Eye.” (Wilhelm)

I turned my attention slightly towards Anya.

“Hey, Anya, remember how you idolize the Great Dragon King which the guild is named after?” (Wilhelm)

“Y-Yes… Bahamut has been my idol since I was little.” (Anya)

I extended both hands forward.

“I’ll show you now. Here we go, the ultimate of ultimates in magic, the pinnacle of summoning, the king among kings. I call upon your name. Under my command, come out, Bahamut!” (Wilhelm)

An unimaginable surge of magic erupted before me.

It unleashed a fierce storm, no, a massive explosion.

Trees and rocks were blown away.

It’s coming. The Dragon King with the greatest power. Bahamut.

From the torrent of magic emerged the face of a dragon.

Its head emerged, followed by its arms, its massive body, and then its enormous wings. It stomped the ground forcefully with its legs, and its long, extended tail swayed heavily.

“GGGUUUYYYYYAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!” (Bahamut)

It was an unimaginably loud and intimidating roar.

My eardrums felt like they would burst. No, perhaps my heart might burst.

I couldn’t help but cover my ears. The intimidating force was too overwhelming. The ground shaking was beyond anything I’d ever felt. Anya, Clara, and Sofia also fell on their backsides.

“GUOOOOOOOOO!” (Ancient Beast)

The ancient beast responded with its own intimidation.

The sound from it was just as terrifying. The deafening roar left my entire body in pain and numbness.

The ancient beast must have been startled.

After all, a dragon much larger than itself suddenly appeared right in front of it.

Yes, Bahamut is much larger than the ancient beast. Just in terms of body size, Bahamut is at least one size larger than the ancient beast.

With its mouth wide open, Bahamut could probably bite off the tip of the ancient beast’s nose. And if it spread its wings, it could almost entirely envelop the ancient beast’s massive body.

Living beings naturally feel fear towards entities larger than themselves.

Moreover, Bahamut is considered the king of dragons, an overwhelmingly formidable presence. For the ancient beast, it was not a good match. No matter how you looked at it, Bahamut was an opponent that couldn’t be dealt with.

However, it seems the ancient beast wasn’t willing to just give up.

As the ancient beast charged, tearing through the ground, an unbelievable earthquake ensued. Both myself and the girls bounced with the tremor.

The ancient beast swung its heavy forelegs, aiming to claw at Bahamut’s belly.

But it was ineffective.

Bahamut’s scales were not so easily pierced.

Instead, Bahamut retaliated, pushing back forcefully against the ancient beast with its claws, tearing through its scales and flesh.

An overwhelming amount of magic accumulated in Bahamut’s mouth.

Even I shudder at the thought. If Bahamut were to unleash that magic, the entire area in front of us would likely be transformed into a horizon. I felt the terror of its potential to annihilate everything—earth, rivers, trees, mountains, every single thing.

The ancient beast clearly felt that same terror.

The ancient beast drooped its shoulders, lowered its tail to the ground, and showed a frightened expression.

Within those terrified eyes, the ancient beast displayed a hint of defeat, looking remarkably weak. It was like the eyes of a puppy that had lost a fight with an adult dog.

Turning sideways, it fled without sparing a glance for Bahamut.

The direction it fled was northwest, the same direction that had been discussed with Liliana beforehand.

It likely won’t come back. It must have tasted the fear of facing Bahamut here.

Emergency quest, successfully completed.

With the quest completed, I commanded Bahamut to return.

With both the ancient beast and Bahamut gone, the absence of their immense life forces left an uneasy feeling.

The mountain seemed restless.

The trees, the birds, the animals, and even the other magical beasts, all seemed to have just gone through a nerve-wracking ordeal moments ago.

Even I could feel my heart pounding. Despite having summoned it myself, the presence of Bahamut, seen for the first time, was truly overwhelming.

That was undoubtedly the Dragon King. No, it might even surpass the title of Dragon King. It could be said without exaggeration that it is the ruler of all life.

“I-I might have witnessed something incredible.” (Sofia)

Sofia-san, with her legs spread open after falling on her rear, is quite a sight. I can see something incredible too, you know?

Anya was in a similar position.

Both of them were beautiful.

“Wow… Bahamut, the one I admired… The great Dragon King. I never imagined the day would come when I could see it with my own eyes. How adorable it is.” (Anya)

Is she using “adorable” correctly?

I wish she would say something like “cool” instead.

“Wil-sama… You truly are amazing. I really… respect you.” (Anya)

It’s an honor to be praised by Anya.

Oh, Clara is crying. She looks incredibly frustrated. I wonder why.

“I-It’s… so frustrated… In our guild, there’s no way we could have handled it… this emergency quest… That’s… so frustrating… And… what was that… dragon? It was so overwhelming, I even felt moved…” (Clara)

“Clara-chan…” (Anya)

Anya stood up. Then, slowly, she walked towards Clara.

With a gentle expression, she slowly reached out her hand to Clara.

“When we have these tough quests in the future, let’s cooperate, okay? Let’s join hands and elevate each other’s guilds.” (Anya)

“I absolutely refuse.” (Clara)

With a swift motion, she brushed away Anya’s hand.

Both Sofia-san and I were stunned. Is it normal to brush someone’s hand away like that?

Clara stood up, crossing her arms and looking self-important.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself. It’s better if my guild is on top and Anastasia’s guild is below. That’s absolute. Instead of joining hands, it feels better for me to one sidely bestow favors upon Anastasia.” (Clara)

“Ahaha, that’s so typical of you, Clara-chan.” (Anya)

Anya smiled gently.

Clara’s remarks were pretty harsh, weren’t they? It gave me a good understanding of just how twisted her personality can be.

“Anastasia, don’t think you’ve won yet. Our real showdown will be in the guild competition. I absolutely won’t lose. I’ll defeat [Grand Bahamut] for the honor of [Cosmic Falcon].” (Clara)

“Yeah, I’m up for the challenge. I want to become strong, just like Wil-sama. So, I’ll easily win the festival tournament.” (Anya)

“You said it. That’s why you’re my rival.” (Clara)

“A rival and best friend, right?” (Anya)

The two of them cutely bumped their fists together.

Surprisingly, these two seemed like they could become lifelong best friends. It made me a bit jealous. After all, as a shut-in, I don’t have a single friend.

---

Thanks for reading!

Imagine if he just went, “I wonder what this magic does” back when he first discovered the magic. If this thing pops up in the city, it’ll just get wiped out before it even took a step. 

After the whole competition thing, it should be the end of the first volume. I’m interested to see Anya vs Clara. At least, it’s better than MC vs literally anything cause we know MC is gonna win.

---

1. None

It is predicted that the ancient magical beast will reach the city by the evening of the day after tomorrow.

The best-case scenario is that we encounter the ancient magical beast as far away from the city as possible. That’s why we decided to depart early in the morning.

At the designated meeting place, which is the eastern gate of the city, Sofia, Anya, and I have already gathered. Now, we’re just waiting for Clara.

Clara’s probably taking a longer time than expected to prepare. After all, the distance we’re covering isn’t short at all, so there’s probably a lot of baggage.

Furthermore, because it’s an emergency, she might not have had enough sleep.

But the ancient magical beast won’t wait, so I hope Clara will arrive on time.

Yesterday, Liliana showed us a topographic map. If we can encounter the ancient magical beast beyond the third mountain, diverting its path to the northwest will be easier.

If we encounter the ancient magical beast closer to the city, there are hardly any paths leading to the northwest. Well, there are some, but they’re meant for humans so they’re not wide enough for the colossal body of the ancient magical beast to pass through. If we encounter it there, the quest will become more problematic.

“Still, why is Clara coming along? It’s not like she’ll benefit from this at all.” (Wilhelm)

Although I didn’t address the question to anyone in particular, Anya was the one who responded.

“Clara-chan has a sense of pride in inheriting the number one guild in the city from her parents. So, despite the emergency situation, the fact that the city didn’t rely on the largest guild, [Cosmic Falcon], must have hurt her pride. She likely wants to reaffirm that our guild was the one who can handle this request by going to see the ancient magical beast with her own eyes.” (Anya)

“I see. Clara does have a strong sense of pride.” (Wilhelm)

Even if they lost one quest, the trust in the city’s number one guild wouldn’t be shaken that much. Is Clara more stressed about this than I thought she would be?

“Did something happen to Clara’s parents?” (Wilhelm)

“Clara-chan’s mother passed away shortly after giving birth to her… As for her father, he fell ill last year and went on a special emergency quest assigned by the country…” (Anya)

“A special emergency quest? Was it for an ancient magical beast?”  (Wilhelm)

“No, it was to gather materials to make medicine for a prevalent illness. They needed to hunt down large quantities of powerful magical beasts to obtain the ingredients.” (Anya)

Ah, that’s the illness that was going around while I was shut in.

From what I heard, it was caused by the venom of a rare plant-based magical beast. Once infected, one obvious symptom is an incredibly high fever. Adventurers who accepted a quest to collect materials from it got infected, and it spread throughout the city in no time.

“Wait, so you’re telling me that someone sick was sent on a quest?” (Wilhelm)

“Yes… Clara-chan and others tried to stop him, but… her father was a man filled with courage… He couldn’t stand not doing anything during the city’s crisis. No matter what people said, he just gave a thumbs up and replied with the same line. ‘Don’t worry, leave it to me, I’ll take care of everything,’ he’d say…” (Anya)

Wow~ What a cool guy.

“Clara-chan’s father also stopped by our place before going on the quest. He gave my father a thumbs up and said the same thing, ‘Don’t worry, leave everything to me, I’ll take care of it all’.” (Anya)

Wow, that’s impressive.

“So, what did Anya’s dad reply?” (Wilhelm)

“He said, ‘I don’t need your help. I’ll just drink some alcohol, and I’ll be fine.’” (Anya)

“No way, did he actually drink alcohol thinking it would protect him?” (Wilhelm)

“Despite our desperate attempts to stop him…” (Anya)

“He actually drank it…” (Sofia)

“Yes, he drank it straight from the bottle.” (Anya)

Oh no… he actually did it…

“And the next day, he peacefully passed away to heaven…” (Sofia)

Well, that’s how it goes.

“My condolences…” (Wilhelm)

But you know, I kind of admire him for his absurdity.

“By the way, what happened to Clara’s dad afterward?” (Wilhelm)

“He ventured into the distant mountains and discovered a herd of herbivorous monsters that were natural enemies of the plant-based monsters that caused the illness. Thinking that these monsters could have secrets of a potential cure, he engaged in fierce battles, facing them one after another… And after obtaining the necessary materials, he entrusted them to his fellow guild members and peacefully departed to heaven. His final words were, ‘See? Everything would have been fine if you left it to me.'” (Anya)

Wow~ What a really cool guy.

Compared to Anya’s dad… Well, let’s not make that comparison.

I think I understand the difference in the two guilds’ charisma now. With Clara’s dad around, people would naturally be drawn to that guild.

But despite the difference in their fathers’ coolness, Anya and Clara are in similar situations, aren’t they? Both inherited their guilds at a young age, unexpectedly.

Anya is working hard to revive her struggling guild, while Clara is striving to maintain the position of the most trusted guild in the country.

They’re both hard workers.

Maybe Anya and Clara could become even closer than they are now, like their fathers. That’s how I feel.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. Looks like everyone’s here.” (Clara)

Speak of the devil. Clara has arrived.

It seems like Clara managed to pack everything into a not-too-bulky backpack. Instead of her usual frilly dress, she’s wearing comfortable shorts and white tights, with sturdy boots on her feet. She looks ready to trek through the mountains for hours.

I was a bit worried she might prioritize fashion, but it seems like she’s aware of her role as a guild master. I’m glad my concern was unfounded. She even arrived three minutes earlier than the agreed time.

“Alright, let’s go then. Since we don’t have much time and it’s quite far, I’ll use my wind magic to speed up everyone’s walking pace.” (Wilhelm)

The three of them tilted their heads in confusion at my suggestion.

—

Even with my wind magic pushing them forward and making their steps lighter, climbing up and down two mountains is incredibly tiring.

I’ll probably have muscle soreness again tomorrow. Well, I don’t think it’ll be so bad that I can’t move my whole body like before.

…It’s amazing how far I’ve come, from being a shut-in not too long ago to being able to travel this far.

Turning around, I couldn’t see the town at all; the mountains obstructed the view completely. We’ve traveled such a long distance that even if we wanted to go back, we wouldn’t make it today.

I’m starting to miss the city.

“After this is over, I think I want to go back to being a shut-in.” (Wilhelm) 

I muttered this quietly to myself. Ah, I want to go home to my paradise.

And I want to eat the meal Anya made. Just that would make me incredibly happy.

While thinking about such things, I lit a firewood. Being the skilled person I am, I succeeded in lighting it on my first go.

Then, I cast a magic barrier around the perimeter to keep wild beasts out.

With that, the camping preparations are complete.

Traveling through the mountains at night is tough, so we’ve decided to camp here.

Right now, we’ve just crossed over the middle of the third mountain and this one seems particularly tall.

The scenery is nothing short of spectacular. The mountains are tinged orange in the evening, making the view even more magnificent.

By the way, the women are bathing in the river. Once they return, we’ll all have dinner together.

“NOOOOOOOO” (Clara)

That was Clara’s voice.

She sounds so energetic. I wonder what they’re so excited about.

“Heeeeeeeee! Wil-sama, Wil-samaaaaa!” (Anya)

Anya too? I guess both of them have plenty of energy left.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?” (Wilhelm)

“Whoa, wait. It’s forbidden to look this way! Anya-chan, Clara-chan, hide behind me!” (Sofia)

“What are you talking about? If anyone needs to hide, it’s you, Sofia-san. Now, get behind me desu wa!” (Clara)

Wow… That’s quite…

When I turned around, I saw Sofia’s breasts, Clara’s breasts, and Anya’s breasts, all on full display.

It was overwhelming for me. I quickly averted my gaze.

“What kind of service is this? Are you inviting me to bathe with you?” (Wilhelm)

“Not quite, Wil-kun. There’s a bear out there. Hurry up and get rid of it!” (Sofia)

“Ah, figures. We’re in the mountains after all. I feel bad for it so I’ll just scare it away.” (Wilhelm)

The bear isn’t a magical beast. There’s no reason to kill it, just scaring it off should be enough.

I went to the river and quickly scared it away with some fire magic.

This should be an easy task for adventurers even if they’re naked. Well, at least I got to see something nice.

—

Night fell.

It’s pitch black out here once you move away from the campfire. It’s the kind of darkness you don’t normally experience in the city.

Strangely enough, I’m feeling a bit pumped up. It’s weird to feel excited in such a situation, isn’t it?

Maybe it’s because of the campfire. The warmth of the fire might be heating up my spirits.

And the breathtaking beauty of the starry sky is also adding to the excitement. It’s a sight you don’t normally get in the city.

“Clara-chan, this beef is delicious.” (Anya)

Anya is currently munching on the roast beef Clara brought as a snack yesterday.

We were supposed to eat it last night, but since it can be preserved, we decided to save it for today. The special sauce is especially exquisite, and I find it truly delicious.

Looks like Clara is quite the cook herself, she isn’t falling behind Anya by much.

“That’s good to hear. There’s plenty, so please, help yourselves.” (Clara)

Of course, I accepted that offer without holding back.

By the way, in addition to the roast beef, we’re also enjoying some salted chicken that Sofia grilled on the iron plate, vegetables that Anya brought and grilled, and Clara’s bread topped with cheese and baked. 

Everything is delicious.

Back in my student days when I camped alone, I never had such a delicious dinner. All I remember is gnawing on preserved jerky and hard bread.

Having girls around really changes the camping food scene. I’m grateful.

I pick up a piece of chicken with my fork. Ah, the seasoning and pepper are just right.

Anya seems to be in high spirits.

Her eyes are sparkling, and she looks cute.

She speaks to Clara with a cheerful expression on her face.

“Being around the fire like this reminds me of the Spring Festival.” (Anya)

“Yes? Why is that? Oh, I see. Because of the campfire at night, right? Singing and dancing through the night, yeah, I can see the resemblance.” (Clara)

“Yeah. Mind if I sing?” (Anya)

“Feel free to do so.” (Clara)

“Great, then I’ll sing.” (Anya)

Anya’s angelic and adorable voice fills the air.

It’s a soothing sound to the ears.

It reminds me of listening to my mother’s songs during my childhood. It’s a voice that naturally warms the heart.

Sofia also joined in and started singing.

Her voice is just as lovely.

Now, Clara, it’s your turn to sing.

I shot a glance at Clara, but she seemed reluctant. Instead, her eyes seemed to say, “You sing, I’m not interested.” No way, nobody’s asking for a song from a guy like me. Come on, Clara, sing.

Sofia starts clapping her hands.

I join in with the clapping.

The stage is set for Clara to sing. Come on, sing!

She turns her face away with a huff. Such a proud and shy girl.

But when she turned her face, Anya was there.

Anya looks at Clara with delight. She reaches out her hand.

“Clara-chan, want to dance together?” (Anya)

“No desu wa.” (Clara)

“It’s fun, you know?” (Anya)

“I don’t know what you’re talking about desu wa. Please enjoy dancing by yourself.” (Clara)

“But I want to dance with Clara-chan.” (Anya)

“Then, win against me in the Guild competition at the Spring Festival and become the champion. Unless you do something like that, I won’t dance even if I die.” (Clara)

Quite stubborn. It would be nice if she could be a bit more flexible.

Anya looked a little sad. But she didn’t insist. Instead, she started singing again with her gentle and beautiful voice.

“Alright, Anya-chan, shall we dance?” (Sofia)

“Sofia-san, are you sure? Thank you so much!” (Anya)

As expected of Sofia-san. Anya is back to her energetic self.

But if the two of them are dancing, then there’s no one left to sing.

Clara, it’s your turn to sing.

When I sent her a glance, she turned her face away again. I could hear Clara chuckling softly.

“Well then, Wil-kun, you do the singing.” (Sofia)

Why me, Sofia-san? My singing voice, of all things…

Well, whatever. It’s just in the mountains at night anyway. No one’s going to hear it except maybe bears.

Ah, but singing, it’s been a while. I might be a talented guy, but even I’m not confident I can still sing properly.

Anya and Sofia-san whirl around, sometimes apart, sometimes hand in hand, moving their bodies with smiles. It’s graceful and fun. Their smiles really light up the scene.

My singing voice and clapping echo through the quiet mountains.

No one says anything, so I can’t tell if I’m bad or good. But Clara, she’s the only one, covering her mouth with both hands, smiling happily.

---

Thanks for reading!

What a chill chapter. Well, except for the revelation about how Anya’s father died. Someone should have definitely forcefully stopped him.

Also, if you still remember, there was that one illustration of Anya and Clara dancing, so I guess it’s safe to say who won the bet.

---

1. None

Today, I managed to clear eighteen quests.

However, the earnings aren’t all that great. There was one B-rank quest, but the rest were small quests, so I only made seventy thousand gold.

At this rate, we won’t be able to pay the country’s one million gold by the deadline.

Although the receptionist at [Cosmic Falcon] was impressed with my results, with earnings like this, it’s still not enough.

Tomorrow, maybe I’ll look at quests from another guild. With such thoughts in mind, I try to leave the guild.

“Wilhelm-sama, could you wait a moment?” (Clara)

“What’s up, Clara?” (Wilhelm)

I was called out by Clara’s voice from behind the counter. She’s carrying a large basket. It looks quite heavy.

“Sorry, the load is a bit heavy.” (Clara)

“What’s this?” (Wilhelm)

“It’s a meal offering for [Grand Bahamut]. It has bread, meat dishes, and various other items. It includes food that can be preserved, so if you can’t finish it in a day, you can save it for your next meal.” (Clara)

“Seriously? Clara, you’re really something. This helps a lot.” (Wilhelm)

“We have a good rivalry with [Grand Bahamut]. It wouldn’t be fun if everyone starved themselves out so soon. I can lend a hand sometimes.” (Clara)

“Thank you. I’m sure Anya will be delighted to hear this.” (Wilhelm)

If only Clara had a more straightforward personality and could get along well with Anya.

I carried the basket as we walked to [Grand Bahamut]. Well, it’s actually pretty close by, so the traveling wasn’t all that long.

“I’m back!” (Wilhelm)

“Welcome back.” (?)

Oh, we have a guest. It’s quite unusual for someone to come after the sun has already set.

Since she’s wearing a navy blue uniform, she must be a civil servant. Wait… isn’t she my former classmate, Liliana?

“Good evening, Wilhelm-kun. Good evening, Clara-san.” (Liliana)

“Good day to you, Liliana-san.” (Clara)

“Oh, good evening. Aren’t civil servants supposed to finish work at five? Working late into the night? Stop it, you’ll die from overwork at this rate. Even if you don’t, you might get depression.” (Wilhelm)

“Civil servants are often associated with easy work, but for national civil servants, there’s definitely overtime. Those who can go home at five in the national civil service are either clueless or middle-aged people who’ve lost their jobs.” (Liliana)

Her words are quite sharp.

You can see on her face that she’s seen a lot of incompetent senpais.

“The reason I worked overtime today is because there was a special request. There’s something I want to ask [Grand Bahamut], or more specifically, Wilhelm-kun.” (Liliana)

“Me? Muscles again?” (Wilhelm)

“Not this time. Today, I’m in serious mode. Muscles can wait for another day.” (Liliana)

Oh my.

“If it’s a request related to the guild, can Anya also listen in?” (Wilhelm)

“Of course.” (Liliana)

I sit in a guild chair.

Liliana and I sat facing each other across the table. Anya and Clara were on either side of me. Sofia-san, who had just returned from questing, sat next to Anya.

“This is a formal request from the country. It’s a significant matter and classified as a special emergency case.” (Liliana)

Liliana placed the request document carefully on the table.

It was written on high-quality paper with beautiful characters in a polite tone. It was a special quest assigned by the country to [Grand Bahamut].

Anya read aloud the words that caught her eye.

“The migration of an ancient magical beast?” (Anya)

“Yes, even though it’s called migration, it’s just one beast. However, this creature is said to have caused a catastrophe of historic tragedies.” (Liliana)

That’s to be expected. Ancient magical beasts are the most feared creatures by humanity.

“The creatures known as ancient magical beasts are unbelievably enormous. They surpass even the size of a Kraken and are capable of crushing everything in a city if they were to come. They’re overwhelmingly beings.” (Liliana)

“Everything?” (Wilhelm)

“Yes. For example, the size of a Kraken is often likened to a small island. But when it comes to an ancient magical beast, it’s comparable to a mountain. You know the mountain on the west side of the city, right? The one where children often go for picnics. Imagine that mountain growing legs and walking towards us. That’s the kind of imposing presence an ancient magical beast possesses.” (Liliana)

A sense of tension ran through everyone.

Wasn’t that mountain nearly twice as tall as the highest point of the royal castle? If something like that came with legs attached, it would be catastrophic for the city.

It would trample over houses with a single step.

This was not something to take lightly. There’s a reason why the country treats it as an emergency case.

Especially Anya seemed to be listening more seriously than anyone else, perhaps due to her sense of responsibility as the guild master.

“Um, Liliana-san, is there a reason why this ancient magical beast would come to this city? Is there some delicious food here?” (Anya)

“An ancient magical beast doesn’t eat humans. They may consume large organisms, but only while they’re actively moving. Basically, they’re special creatures that can directly absorb energy from nature.” (Liliana)

“And?” (Anya)

“In the world, there are places called dragon veins where the energy of nature gathers. They monopolize those places and continue to absorb nutrients while sleeping. For hundreds, even thousands of years, they live by absorbing energy while asleep.” (Liliana)

“Wow, that’s amazing. I’m so jealous.” (Wilhelm)

The women in the room looked astonished.

Well, isn’t it enviable? I’d love to live a life of eating and sleeping.

“However, there’s been a change in the lazy lifestyle that even Wilhelm-kun envies. In other words, the position of the dragon vein where the ancient magical beast had been sitting for so long has shifted. Can you imagine what might have caused it?” (Liliana)

Anya was the first to react.

“Is it due to tectonic movements?” (Anya)

“Exactly. There have been significant tectonic shifts near the coast of this city lately. As a result, underwater volcanoes have been erupting, right? Due to these tectonic movements, the dragon vein has shifted significantly. And that’s why the ancient magical beast is reluctantly getting up and heading towards the new dragon vein.” (Liliana)

I totally understand the feeling of being forced to move.

“Liliana-san, where is this new dragon vein?” (Anya)

“Most likely, it’s at the bottom of the sea on the opposite side of the continent. That area has stable tectonics. However, to get there, we inevitably have to cross the continent where we live.” (Liliana)

“So, unfortunately, our city happens to be along the way across the continent.” (Anya)

“Yes, unfortunately.” (Wilhelm)

“So, the migration of this ancient magical beast poses a serious threat that could destroy the entire city.” (Clara)

“Without a doubt.” (Liliana)

I guess the reason why the Kraken relocated to the beach was to stay away from this creature.

I recalled a conversation with Mew-chan from some time ago. Mew-chan’s insight is really impressive.

The atmosphere in the guild is becoming increasingly heavy.

Liliana’s eyes are filled with a sense of urgency. She must have rushed to the [Grand Bahamut] knowing the scale of the quest, even though it’s nighttime.

“We earnestly request all members of the [Grand Bahamut] to divert the path of the ancient magical beast at all costs. If you can redirect it to the northwest, not only will this city be saved, but there will also be no risk to other cities. Please, for the sake of everyone in the city and for the country, we sincerely ask for your cooperation.” (Liliana)

Liliana bowed deeply. It’s clear that she’s requesting it with sincerity and seriousness.

Liliana must be feeling the pressure too. If the ancient magical beast were to come to the city, it would be more than just a panic. She’s working hard as a civil servant to keep everyone safe. She’s always been a serious and caring kind of person since our school days.

Meanwhile, Anya seems a bit proud.

“It’s an honor for us, [Grand Bahamut], to receive such an important request.” (Anya)

Upon hearing that, Clara seems dissatisfied.

“Hmm, indeed. Why couldn’t this important request have been given to the [Cosmic Falcon]? If you think about it logically, it would have been appropriate for us to receive it.” (Clara)

“Unfortunately, [Cosmic Falcon] doesn’t have Wilhelm-kun, I mean, we could use the help of the unparalleled genius and once said to be the strongest, ‘Hero with Magic Eye’.” (Liliana)

All eyes turn to me. It’s embarrassing, isn’t it?

“If we were to set the difficulty level for this request, it would surpass even the highest difficulty, S. But even so, you could achieve it. Right? Hero with the Magic Eye?” (Liliana)

“Me…? Hey, Liliana, what’s the reward for this quest?” (Wilhelm)

“It’s 3 million gold.” (Liliana)

“What?!” (Wilhelm)

“It’s 3 million gold. In other words, after settling the payment to the country that the [Grand Bahamut] owes, there will still be plenty of change left over.” (Liliana)

“I’d be more than happy to take on this quest!” (Wilhelm)

Isn’t she actually a good person?

I thought she’d become completely cold-hearted once he started working, but it turns out Liliana is still the same caring person she always was.

“As expected of you, Wilhelm-kun. I was counting on you for this one. I have more hope in you than anyone else in this city.” (Liliana)

“Yeah. You can trust me more than anyone else. Hey, Liliana, we were classmates in the same school, so you should know that no quest in this world is impossible for me to accomplish. No matter how huge or overwhelmingly powerful the opponent may be, I will always clear it perfectly.” (Wilhelm)

“Yes, I know. That’s why I brought the request to [Grand Bahamut]. Please, save our beloved city.” (Liliana)

Without delay, we began preparations.

This is a major event for the city. The three members of [Grand Bahamut] are preparing to tackle it together. Also, Clara will be joining us as well.

Each of us will prepare and depart early tomorrow morning.

---

Thanks for reading!

Ouhh that’s interesting, Clara will also be going. I wonder if she can fight or is she gonna bring some people from Cosmic Falcon?

I’m no geography god, so the explanation for that tectonic plate stuff is gonna be a little wonky.

Also, I’m sure Sofia had a line somewhere during the conversation, but I couldn’t distinguish between hers and Anya’s.

Ok, I realized that I keep interswapping between Sofia and Sophia. I’m gonna just use Sofia from now on.

---

1. None

“I believe I told you to leave the house, didn’t I? Um, what was your name again? Wil… Wil something, right?” (Wilhelm’s Father)

“Oh, come on. You should at least remember your eldest son’s name. Don’t make me smash all those expensive vases in the house.” (Wilhelm)

“Haa… Unfortunately, I still remember. It was Wilhelm.” (Wilhelm’s Father)

This is my parents’ house.

As soon as my father saw my face, his temples started twitching. He looked like a demon. It was clear he was on the verge of exploding with anger.

As soon as my father saw my face, his temple started twitching. He looks like a demon. It’s clear he’s on the verge of exploding with anger.

But still, I wanted to talk to my father. I had to. That’s why I swallowed my pride and came back home. I absolutely needed to ask him for money.

“Father, I have a request. Please hear me out.” (Wilhelm)

My father let out a deep, heavy sigh.

It was a heavy, burdened sigh. It felt like the air had been trapped in his lungs for years.

“Wilhelm, let me make it clear first. Your so-called paradise of a room is locked with three different keys, sealed with powerful magic, and heavily guarded by soldiers. You won’t enter so easily, no matter how you try to use your incomprehensible magic or swordsmanship.” (Wilhelm’s Father)

He looked at me with disdain and not a shred of love. Instead, it was a face reveling in the joy of cornering someone he disliked.

“Do you really have to go that far?” (Wilhelm)

“Obviously. To ensure the growth of my beloved child, a father would shed tears of blood if necessary, even if it means being hated by his child.” (Wilhelm’s Father)

“For someone talking about shedding tears of blood, you seem quite cheerful.” (Wilhelm)

“I was just thinking about how much I’m looking forward to your return.” (Wilhelm’s Father)

“You’re thinking that huh?.” (Wilhelm)

“This is your father’s version of love.” (Wilhelm’s Father)

A blatant lie.

“Well, that’s fine. I’ll reclaim my paradise eventually. But more importantly, Father, I have something very important to discuss.” (Wilhelm)

“Oh, really. Have you decided to get a job? Congratulations! Shall I buy some sea bream (some tasty fish) and send it to the [Grand Bahamut] for you?” (Wilhelm’s Father)

“No, I need money!” (Wilhelm)

“Don’t mess with me!” (Wilhelm’s Father)

He threw a powerful straight punch. I easily dodged it.

“Hey, stop it! It’s not wise for a father to hit his beloved child!” (Wilhelm)

“I can’t help but want to do it. Deep down, I don’t want to do this. My hand hurts more than you getting hit, and what’s more, my heart hurts from doing this.” (Wilhelm’s Father)

“Stop lying. It’s me who’s hurt by this. I’m the one with a heart pain.” (Wilhelm)

“That’s absolutely not true. Anyways, let’s continue!” (Wilhelm’s Father)

“Stay away! And wipe that smile off your face!” (Wilhelm)

My father shook his arms, cracked his neck, and skipped closer to me.

This guy is hopeless. I need to get what I came for and leave quickly before things get more troublesome.

“Hehehe. This is going to be a great stress relief. Now, my dear foolish son, if you truly love your father, offer your left cheek. I’ll gently hit you while shedding tears of love.” (Wilhelm’s Father)

“There is no love in hitting someone!” (Wilhelm)

“You’re a hundred years too early to lecture me about love. Come on…!” (Wilhelm’s Father)

“Father, [Grand Bahamut] is lacking money.” (Wilhelm)

“I’m well aware.” (Wilhelm’s Father)

“Then give me the money!” (Wilhelm)

“It’s your job to figure that out. Ha—!” (Wilhelm’s Father)

Whoa, he’s much faster than before.

Like a professional fighter, he closed the distance in an instant and threw a straight punch. My father is much stronger than I thought. I can’t let my guard down.

“W-We don’t even have enough for living expenses.” (Wilhelm)

“If it’s you, you can earn enough for your daily meals in no time. What did you go to school for? Come here—!” (Wilhelm’s Father)

Whoa! Now he’s kicking. Damn it! He grazed my cheek. If he landed a direct hit, it would be much worse than just pain.

My father doesn’t have a single ounce of love. He’s happy to pound down the filth that’s been clinging to the Wondersky family for so long. But this really makes you wonder who’s the filth here.

“Why are you dodging?” (Wilhelm’s Father)

“Because you’re trying to hit me!” (Wilhelm)

“If I don’t hit you, it’ll be boring for me.” (Wilhelm’s Father)

“If you hit me, will you give me money?” (Wilhelm)

“I won’t.” (Wilhelm)

Well then, I’ll continue dodging. Despite having loads of money, he’s so stingy.

“Father, can I at least have some bread (pan)?” (Wilhelm)

“Huh, a punch (panchi)? You want one?” (Wilhelm’s Father)

“No, bread. The kind you eat.” (Wilhelm)

“Oh, bread. That’s boring.” (Wilhelm’s Father)

“Aside from me, Anya is going through her growth phase. She barely ate a leaf for lunch. Aren’t you worried?” (Wilhelm)

“Of course, I’m worried, but I don’t intend to spoil Anastasia any further. I already sent off the esteemed eldest son of the Wondersky family. Is there any further assistance needed? Now, grit your teeth.” (Wilhelm’s Father)

“I refuse!” (Wilhelm)

Hmph, we both turned away from each other.

I don’t want to see his face for a while. I’m getting out of this house.

Ugh, how petty can parents be?

Haa… I thought that things would work out somehow. I closed the door behind me and left my father’s room. He shouted at me not to come back, but I ignored him.

“Master Wil.” (Richard)

Richard Sebastian, the butler, was there.

It seemed that he had been waiting for me to come out, standing tall and dignified as always.

He looked sharp and handsome as usual today too.

“I’m sorry. It’s embarrassing to show such a petty quarrel between parent and child.”

“Oh no, not at all. It was just a disagreement between loving family members. I believe it’s important to speak up during such occasions.” (Richard)

He approached me.

I couldn’t help but be on guard after being attacked by this so-called loving family member earlier.

I tensed up… But nothing alarming happened. Richard simply placed something in my pocket.

“What’s this?” (Wilhelm)

“It’s a souvenir. Please enjoy something delicious with the guild’s young lady.” (Richard)

I could tell by the touch. It’s money. And a significant amount of it, too.

Since my father didn’t give me any money, Richard, as a butler, couldn’t openly hand it to me. So, he discreetly slipped it into my pocket.

I was moved. Isn’t this what real love is actually about?

Richard has been looking out for me since childhood. He’s like another father to me. No, perhaps Richard is the real father figure here. Let’s demote the other one to a fake father. Yeah, that sounds right.

“I’m truly grateful.” (Wilhelm)

I took Richard’s hand and squeezed it tightly.

I don’t know if my feelings will be conveyed with just this, but with nothing else to offer, this is all I can do.

“Even though it’s the spring season, the nights are still chilly. Please take care not to catch a cold and stay healthy.” (Richard)

With a hearty laugh, Richard left.

I expressed my gratitude to Richard’s retreating figure once more before leaving the house.

The money Richard gave me was enough to cover living expenses for more than two weeks for two people and a pet. I’ll gratefully use it for our living expenses. I truly appreciated Richard’s gesture. With this, we have a bit of breathing room so we can forget about the leaves for a while.

I arrived at the shopping district from home.

There was a curious bustle, and it seemed that preparations for a festival were slowly starting. Everyone seemed to be happily setting up flags and chatting about how it was already time for the festival again.

“…I see. The Spring Festival is coming up soon.” (Wilhelm)

It’s a festival of flowers and fruits, held every year with the cooperation of the entire city. I used to love this festival when I was a kid.

By the way, I stayed indoors last year, so I didn’t participate.

I wonder if I’ll skip it again this year.

I probably won’t even have the money to enjoy the festival.

===

Until nighttime, I worked hard on quests to earn money.

By the way, there weren’t many quests available at the [Grand Bahamut], so I ended up taking quests from the [Cosmic Falcon], which offers many high-quality quests.

The commission fees were painful but unavoidable.

It was also frustrating that there weren’t any quests available that could earn me a big profit like defeating a Kraken.

I completed numerous quests, each earning between 2000 to 7000 gold.

I tried to concentrate on quests in the same area to tackle them all at once. However, I only managed to complete about ten quests. In the end, I could only earn 45,000 gold.

I’m a pitiful man. Even though I worked so hard, this is all I could earn.

But I didn’t show any gloomy expression. After putting on a smile, I returned to the [Grand Bahamut].

I reported my earnings to Anya, who was in the kitchen and handed over all the money.

“This is the money I earned from working, although it’s not much. Please use it for the guild. And this money here is from my family. Please use it for living expenses.” (Wilhelm)

“This is a lot… As expected of Wil-sama. Thank you very much. Also, Sofia-san gave me some bread. So, dinner tonight will be a bit luxurious.” (Anya)

“I’m looking forward to it.” (Wilhelm)

After all, I hadn’t eaten anything decent since just a leaf for lunch.

Unless I eat delicious homemade food from Anya, my hunger won’t be satisfied.

Please wait a moment. Anya brought dinner to the table much faster than usual.

“W-What… is this?” (Wilhelm)

It was a surprisingly unexpected dinner.

“It’s a slightly luxurious dinner.” (Anya)

There was bread and a single piece of dried fish on a white plate.

“N-No, this is definitely not luxurious at all. If anything, it’s rather plain.” (Wilhelm)

“Sodane.” (Mew-chan)

Mew-chan agreed as well. Yeah, it’s plain, isn’t it?

“But we don’t have any savings, and if we don’t save, we won’t be able to make ends meet…” (Anya)

“Nonono, you need to eat delicious food to feel motivated to work.” (Wilhelm)

“For a NEET like you to talk about work mew. Show some willingness to work before you speak mew.” (Mew-chan)

“Shut up for a moment. And, I actually worked hard today.” (Wilhelm)

“Oh, is that so, Mew.” (Mew-chan)

You can’t work on an empty stomach.

I persuaded Anya to make dinner properly.

We went out and searched for any shops still open and managed to get some leftover fish and vegetables.

With these, we should be able to have a decent meal.

On the way home, Anya noticed that the city was starting to prepare for the Spring Festival. She looked up at the flags with vacant eyes.

“The Spring Festival is coming soon, isn’t it?” (Anya)

“Yeah. It would be nice if we had some money saved up by then.” (Wilhelm)

That’s something that requires a lot of good quests. Hopefully, I’ll come across some good quests and make some money.

I’m not sure how many quests the major guild replenishes in a day, but I’m planning to wake up early tomorrow and search for good quests. Good quests are likely to be taken by other guild members if I go later in the day.

Anya walks solemnly while looking in the distance.

“[Grand Bahamut] always serves fruit cake at the festival. It was my mother’s specialty. It’s been a tradition for a long time. The guild member who used to make it is no longer with us…” (Anya)

“I see… I would’ve liked to try it too.” (Wilhelm)

“I’m sorry. Maybe next year…” (Anya)

I don’t want to see her make such a sad face.

I want to do something for her. I want her to somehow manage to make fruit cake this year too.

But there’s not enough time until the festival. It’s only two weeks away. Right now, it doesn’t even seem like we’ll have the resources to set up a stall at the festival.

===

Just after I finished eating, a visitor came to the guild.

I was excited, thinking it might be someone with a request, but it turned out to be Clara, the guild master of [Cosmic Falcon].

Today, she had a big pink ribbon on her head. Her clothes were pink, and even her shoes were pink. Was today Pink Day or something?

The pink was a bit overwhelming, and I felt a little dizzy.

On the other hand, Anya seemed happy to see Clara. If she had a tail, she’d probably be wagging it happily.

Clara seemed a bit exasperated as she tried to maintain some distance from Anya, but Anya kept getting close, so she wasn’t having much luck.

“Anastasia, could you step back for a moment? I didn’t come here to socialize. I heard that you were all hungry, so I baked some pies at home. Feel free to enjoy them.” (Clara)

“Wow, thank you!” (Anya)

Clara placed a large basket she was carrying onto the guild counter.

When she removed the covering cloth, the quality of the pies was so good that they seemed like they could be sold in a shop.

These would definitely supplement our meals for today and tomorrow. I’m truly grateful.

“And there’s one thing I wanted to tell you desu wa.” (Clara)

“You need something? Sure, Clara-chan go ahead and say whatever you want. No need to hold back in our friendship.” (Anya)

“We’re rivals and not friends, remember? Anyways, I have a little quiz for you desu wa. Can you solve it?” (Clara)

“A quiz?” (Anya)

“Yes, here’s the quiz. Spring is in full swing now, but what is the specialty of spring?” (Clara)

“Hmm, cherry blossoms?” (Clara)

Indeed, cherry blossoms are a spring specialty.

Cherry blossoms brought all the way from a distant eastern country as a symbol of friendship, are planted in the city.

In spring, these cherry blossoms bloom beautifully, creating a beautiful landscape. It’s a flower scenery that everyone in the city looks forward to every year.

“Bzzzt (wrong answer) desu wa.” (Clara)

Clara looked at me. So, she wants me to answer too?

“Then, strawberries.” (Wilhelm)

I want to eat them.

“Bzzzt desu wa.” (Clara)

Once again, I turned my gaze to Anya.

“Is it the entrance ceremony?” (Anya)

“I want to eat yellowtail.” (Wilhelm)

It should be in season right now.

“Sodane. And I want to eat bamboo shoots mew.” (Mew-chan)

“Bamboo shoots, huh? Isn’t it a bit off-season? You have to harvest them at the beginning of spring, or they’ll grow too big and become tough.” (Wilhelm)

“Bzzzt desu wa, all of the answers are wrong.” (Clara)

All of them are wrong, huh?

So, what’s the answer? Expectations rise. Both Anya and I, along with Mew-chan, looked at Clara with hopeful eyes.

Clara proudly puffed her chest.

“It seems like no one can answer. Truly fitting for a small guild desu wa. The answer to the quiz is the Spring Festival. When you think of spring, it’s always about the Spring Festival.” (Clara)

Oh, I see. The Spring Festival, huh? The answer is somehow disappointing.

Anya, Mew-chan, and I all sent disappointed looks to Clara.

“Clara-chan, isn’t that a bit too obvious for a quiz? The answer is kind of lame, isn’t it?” (Anya)

“Ugh… I should’ve made it more challenging if that’s the case.” (Clara)

As she said this, Clara seemed a bit embarrassed for disappointing everyone.

“…So, may I ask, what are [Grand Bahamut]’s plans during this year’s festival?” (Clara)

“Well, it seems we won’t be able to have a stall this year…” (Anya)

“Oh my, that’s very unfortunate, isn’t it? Oh-ho-ho-ho!” (Clara)

She seems extremely pleased. Perhaps it’s the satisfaction of winning against a rival.

“Well, I have a suggestion for you. If you’re interested, I could cover the cost of the stall for the festival. Of course, there’s no need for repayment. It’s simply an act of goodwill desu wa.” (Clara)

“Rejected.” (Wilhelm)

I swiftly responded on behalf of everyone. 

“Sodane” (Mew-chan)

Mew-chan agreed. Anya probably feels the same way.

“Ara, why is that? I believe it’s a good offer.” (Clara)

“[Grand Bahamut] and [Cosmic Falcon] may be different in scale, but we’re rivals. Creating debts over something like this might eventually lead to a day when [Cosmic Falcon] isn’t good for business. I also want to prioritize the pride of being rivals.” (Anya)

“Tch” (Clara)

She clicked her tongue.

Despite her appearance as a young lady, she lacks refinement.

“Also, if we want to we’ll just earn the money for the stall ourselves.” (Wilhelm)

“Well, that’s certainly true. Thanks to you blitzing through our guild’s quests at an unbelievable speed, our guild is thriving more than ever.” (Clara)

Grr… The more prosperous [Cosmic Falcon] becomes, the fewer requests are coming to [Grand Bahamut]. But it can’t be helped for now. Money is needed for survival.

“Is that all you wanted?” (Wilhelm)

“No, there’s one more thing.” (Clara)

“Is it an invitation to tour the festival with Anya?” (Wilhelm)

Anya’s eyes sparkled when she heard this, but Clara’s gaze seemed displeased.

“Hmph. Who would do such a thing? We’re rivals.” (Clara)

“But do you have any other friends to tour with?” (Wilhelm)

“Ugh… Well, yes, I do. I have a hundred friends, you know. When I’m feeling generous, I might even let Anastasia make it into the top hundred desu wa.” (Clara)

“Eh, you have other friends?” (Anya)

Anya delivered a perfectly timed blow, hitting Clara right in the heart. It seems to have dealt significant damage.

“W-Well, yes, I do have other friends…” (Clara)

“What kind of people are they? Do I know them too?” (Anya)

“Enough of that desu wa. Let’s move on to the next matter. Now, here’s a quiz for you.” (Clara)

Another quiz?

“When we talk about spring specialties, we think of the Spring Festival, but what’s the iconic item of the Spring Festival? Yes, Anastasia, please answer.” (Clara)

“Well, of course, it’s the fruitcake that [Grand Bahamut] sells, right?” (Anya)

“While that is delicious, bzzzt desu wa! The correct answer is the Guild Competition desu wa.” (Clara)

Ah, right, that exists.

It’s a heated competition that always draws a large crowd due to its popularity.

“The Guild Competition. It’s a splendid battle that’s the highlight of the festival. There’s even prize money from the country. The eligibility criteria are simple: Only young women affiliated with a guild are allowed to participate. Although there are no specific rules, the unspoken rule is that they have to be younger than 24 years old.” (Clara)

So that means Anya, Clara, and even Sofia, are eligible.

“I intend to showcase the greatness of [Cosmic Falcon] during the Guild Competition to everyone in the city.” (Clara)

“Clara-chan, you know that this year Sophia-san will win, right?” (Anya)

“No, this year you should participate, Anastasia. I will also join. Let’s settle our long-standing feud there.” (Clara)

“But there’s no feud between us?” (Anya)

“T-he-re is de-su-wa. Read the room and just accept it. If Anastasia loses, [Grand Bahamut] will come under the umbrella of [Cosmic Falcon].” (Clara)

“Ehhh?!” (Anya)

“It’s a promise. So even if you run away and don’t participate on the day of the event, Anastasia, it will still count as your loss.” (Clara)

Clara hurried towards the exit before Anya could argue back, seemingly intent on making a quick getaway.

She glanced back once, then lifted the hem of her skirt.

“Well then, goodbye (gokigenyou).” (Clara)

She elegantly left the guild.

It’s rare to see someone make such a grand exit, even among nobles. She’s just a commoner trying to act like a noble.

“Hmm… Well, if I win, maybe I’ll ask Clara to tell me the names of her hundred friends.” (Anya)

Let’s not do that. With that kind of personality, she probably doesn’t have any friends at all.

---

Thanks for reading!

I’m back from all my school stuff, and what a chapter to come back to.

Putting aside MC’s father who clearly doesn’t care about [Grand Bahamut], I’m guessing this is where the Anya training arc begins. If they win they could totally ask Clara to pay off their debts. 

I’m not sure if MC was joking when he said Clara is a commoner trying to act like a noble, but she probably is a noble.

Also, asking Clara to name a hundred friends as the prize is brutal lol.

---

1. None

“Wow, how unusual. The NEET managed to wake up on his own mew.” (Mew-chan)

Mew-chan, who was washing dishes in the kitchen, gave a sarcastic remark instead of a morning greeting.

“Shut up, you fluffy magical beast.” (Wilhelm)

I woke up earlier because I felt like something noisy was happening.

But no one was raising their voice. Was it just my imagination?

I washed my face, fixed my bedhead, and looked towards the shop.

I was going to greet Anya, but she was attending to a customer so I shouldn’t disturb her. I thought about going back, but the customer in the shop was someone I knew.

“Ah, WIl-sama, good morning.” (Anya)

Nevertheless, Anya noticed my presence.

“I apologize. Since you usually don’t have breakfast, I haven’t prepared anything.” (Anya)

“Morning. No need to worry about it. I can wait till lunch.” (Wilhelm)

I checked the clock. It was 10:30. There was more time until lunch than I thought. Maybe I woke up too early. No wonder Mew-chan was surprised.

Anyways, the aforementioned visitor was Lilianna, the inspection officer for the guild.

“Wilhelm-kun, did you just wake up? Shouldn’t you strive for a more regular lifestyle?” (Lilianna)

“Ah, shut up. Are you my mom or something?” (Wilhelm)

“No. If you say such things to a girl, you’ll be disliked, you know?” (Lilianna)

“I wasn’t that well-liked to begin with. Fwah… Should I go back to sleep? Why is Lilianna even here so early in the morning?” (Wilhelm)

“Of course, I came to touch Wilhelm-kun’s muscles, didn’t I?” (Lilianna)

This muscle fetish girl.

I guarded my chest with my hands.

“Just kidding. I can mostly control myself properly, except when we’re alone.” (Lilianna)

Please control yourself even when we are alone together. I beg you.

“Today, I have a serious work-related matter. Unlike someone, I actually have a job.” (Lilianna)

Ugh… Coming on strong in the morning, huh?

It felt like an arrow had critically hit my heart.

“To be specific, I heard that [Grand Bahamut] made a fortune with the Kraken incident. So, I came to collect it before Wilhelm-kun spent it all.” (Lilianna)

Ah, so that’s why there was commotion. Thanks to that, I ended up waking up.

…Although, Anya looks terribly disheartened. I’ll ask about the details later.

“Have you settled your business?” (Wilhelm)

“Yes. I’ve received 200,000 gold, so the remaining amount is 750,000 gold. Please make sure to pay it within two weeks. Now, excuse me.” (Lilianna)

Liliana straightened her posture and gracefully exited the shop.

Anya released the tension as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She even let out a sigh.

“Was she always such a serious and inflexible person?” (Wilhelm)

I hate work. I felt like it brought the worst out of people.

Being a shut-in is probably the best choice, after all. That way, you can become a wonderfully open-minded, calm, and kind person like me.

I hope she becomes like that too. She seems to be cornered by work or something.

◇

“I apologize. This is all we have for lunch.” (Anya)

“Huh?” (Wilhelm)

On a white plate, there was just a single leaf.

It’s a green leaf. Vegetables…? I’m not sure if I’ve seen it before or not. It’s probably just a normal leaf.

“Did you pick this up somewhere?” (Wilhelm)

“No, it’s a leaf I cultivated in a planter. When you chew it, the flavor gradually comes out.” (Anya)

“Ah… I see… It’s quite simple today again…” (Wilhelm)

My stomach made an embarrassingly loud, empty sound.

Complaining that this isn’t enough makes me feel ashamed. As someone who’s a shut-in, I have no right to complain.

Let’s just eat it properly.

“Itadakimasu.” (Wilhelm)

Hmm… It tastes like a leaf. If I chew it well, the taste is… sort of… there… or not… Hmm…?

No, I can’t tell the taste with my tongue, and this amount won’t even fill my stomach. What happened?

“Anya, tell me the truth. What happened to this guild? Did Liliana really take only 200,000 gold?” (Wilhelm)

“Yes… It’s just that our savings were running out, to begin with. Living expenses are getting too hard to manage…” (Anya)

“In other words, Lilianna took all the money. She sure is heartless.” (Wilhelm)

“No, it’s all my fault. I haven’t paid the money I should have.” (Anya)

“There’s no way you can earn 1 million gold at your age. Liliana is an adult so she should be more considerate.” (Wilhelm)

“No, if I can’t earn it, it’s probably best to disband the guild…” (Anya)

Anya is a smart girl. She probably understands the situation she’s in very well.

However, even though she understands, it seems like she can’t come up with any solutions.

Her eyes lack strength, and she can only slump her shoulders weakly.

While eating the leaf, she shows a sad expression.

“This leaf is actually used for making tea or adding flavor to dishes. I apologize it doesn’t taste good. I’ll figure something out for dinner.” (Anya)

“No, it won’t just magically work out. We don’t have money.” (Wilhelm)

“I’ll get some vegetables from the neighbors again.” (Anya)

“Don’t rely too much on that kind of thing.” (Wilhelm)

Anya looks even more disheartened.

“Yes, you’re right… It’s as Wil-sama says.” (Anya)

“Work, you NEET.” (Mew-chan)

Mew-chan’s words hit home.

That’s right. I should be the one working. I owe them for the meals until today, and I have the ability to earn more than Anya. In terms of age, I should be the working one.

“I’ll be heading out on a quest today. I might be back late, but I’ll earn enough money by the time it’s close to dinner.” (Wilhelm)

“I apologize… But please, don’t push yourself too hard.” (Anya)

Even though it’s supposed to be just a meal, the atmosphere is heavy.

I have a gloomy expression, Mew-chan has a gloomy expression, and Anya looks thoroughly disheartened.

This somber atmosphere doesn’t suit a meal setting. I need to put an end to this.

Anya seems to want to say something. She glances at me, then looks down, repeating the cycle.

As I waited for her while drinking water, Anya mustered the courage. She regained strength in her eyes and approached me.

For some reason, she took both of my hands in hers.

Although they are childlike hands, I could feel them gradually turning into the firm hands of a woman.

Wondering what Anya intends to do by taking my hands, she surprises me with something unexpectedly bold.

Gently and modestly, she presses them against a very soft area.

It’s her breasts.

Anya’s breasts. Despite just beginning to develop, they are distinctly feminine, warm, soft, and irresistibly charming.

*munyu munyu*¹

I don’t know why, but I find myself being squeezed by Anya’s breasts.

W-Why is this happening? There’s really no reason to rile up a shut-in, you know?

“T-This NEET…” (Mew-chan)

Well, I’ve enjoyed it, but Mew-chan is angry. That’s to be expected.

“Hey, Anya. What was that? Doing something like this with your precious body before you get married.” (Wilhelm)

Anya squirmed, looking embarrassed.

“W-Well… I apologize for doing something indecent. But I wanted to check if Wil-sama would find my breasts satisfying.” (Anya)

“Of course I will. They’re the cute and lovely breasts of adorable Anya.” (Wilhelm)

Anya looked happy.

“S-So, do you think I can earn money…?” (Anya)

“Huh? Earn money? How?” (Wilhelm)

“With my breasts. If I serve alcohol to men in a night shop, I can earn a large amount in a short period.” (Anya)

“Soda ne… not! It’s frustrating that I can only say ‘Soda ne’ and ‘mew’. Oi, you NEET! Stop her, even if it costs you your life!” (Mew-chan)

“I know without you telling me. Hey, Anya. That’s a no-go.” (Wilhelm)

“A no-go…?” (Anya)

Her face suddenly looked like she might burst into tears.

The kitchen is gradually filled with a more and more sorrowful atmosphere.

“Indeed, I still have a childlike figure. No waistline or anything… When I think about it, even if I wear revealing clothes, I might not look good.” (Anya)

“That’s not the point. Everyone who loves you—me, Sofia, Mew-chan, and even your father—would be saddened. Even if you use your body to earn money and keep the guild going, your father would never be happy about it, right?” (Wilhelm)

“Ah…” (Anya)

Regret flashed in Anya’s eyes.

She must have remembered. How she and her father had cherished and nurtured this guild together. She was trying to taint a guild that should have been filled with love with her reckless ideas.

Tears welled up in the corners of Anya’s eyes.

She released my hand weakly.

The sensation of her breasts disappeared from my hand.

“I apologize. It seems I couldn’t see the obvious until you scolded me, Wil-sama.” (Anya)

“That’s because you were pushing yourself too hard. It’s okay, I’ll go earn some money.” (Wilhelm)

“But then, I… I want to do something for [Grand Bahamut] and Wil-sama.” (Anya)

“Mew…” (Mew-chan)

“Oh, Mew-chan too. Of course, I haven’t forgotten.” (Anya)

Good for you, Mew-chan

I gently patted Anya’s head and continued to stroke it gently. Oops, Anya’s hair became a bit messy.

“Wil-sama, w-what are you doing? It feels nice, but I can’t have messy hair when attending to customers.” (Anya)

“Anya, you’re a good girl. That’s why, in the end, the nightlife business isn’t suitable for you. Let’s definitely avoid that. Instead, I’ll teach you how to fight. It might take some time, but I’ll make you strong enough to conquer quests like me. So, until then, rely on me as much as you need.” (Wilhelm)

“As strong as Wil-sama…?” (Anya)

“Yeah, that’s right. As strong, or even stronger.” (Wilhelm)

“Is that possible? I have some pretty clumsy parts.” (Anya)

“It’s possible, it’s possible. Besides, a guild master looks cooler when they’re that strong.” (Wilhelm)

“If Wil-sama says so, I feel like I can do it.” (Anya)

Anya’s expression returned.

That’s good. I was worried about what might happen if she continued down that desperate path.

In a way, I’m like Anya’s guardian due to our age difference. If anything were to happen to her, I would likely face social consequences.

I must take responsibility to ensure that Anya can grow into a strong and fine adult.

Oh, someone is entering through the back door. This has happened before. It must be Sofia.

“Good morning! Well, it’s already afternoon. Good afternoon!” (Sofia)

It is indeed Sofia. She’s always full of energy. When she greeted us, her ample bosom bounced. Today, her cleavage is more prominent than usual, thanks to the fantastic outfit.

“Huh? Is it just me, or have Anya-chan and Wil-kun lost weight?” (Sofia)

Her breasts are nice. They look delicious.

Instinctively, breasts do resemble a luxurious meal, considering we used to drink from them every day as babies.

My stomach let out a loud growl. It was a terribly embarrassing sound.

I think I heard Anya’s stomach growling too. It sounded cute.

“Hey, w-why are you both staring at my breasts? Huh? Is something strange about today’s outfit?” (Sofia)

Anya stared intensely at her breasts. Her expression looked like she might start drooling.

“No, the outfit is cute. We just thought your breasts looked delicious.” (Anya)

“Anya’s right. Sofia-san’s breasts do look delicious.” (Wilhelm)

“Wait, wait, let’s all calm down. Are you both under some kind of hypnotic spell or something?” (Sofia)

“I’m perfectly sane. …Do your breasts produce breast milk, Sofia-san?” (Anya)

“Anya-chan, what are you saying? Of course not!” (Sofia)

So, it doesn’t produce breast milk. It’s not turning into a luxurious meal at all.
No breast milk in those large breasts. It’s all just a dream. Haa… My stomach feels emptier than I expected.

---

Thanks for reading!

I-I don’t know what to say except that that got depressing real quick.

A 12-year-old really shouldn’t have to deal with this much stress. Not to mention, doesn’t she live in the guild? If she gets forced out, won’t she be homeless or something?

This chapter is quite short so this part is shorter than usual.

Also, I changed from Lillianna to Lilianna. Basically, just removed one extra l.

---

1. I don’t know what sound effects are these.

After subjugating the Kraken, we swiftly returned to the guild, [Cosmic Falcon].

We conquered an A-rank quest so I thought I’d be treated like a hero in the guild.

However, things turned out differently from what I imagined.

The moment we entered the guild, all eyes were on us. It was an unpleasant atmosphere, filled with disdain.

“Hey, everyone! Nii-chan and his friend are back!” (Guild member)

—Followed by loud laughter.

“Hahaha! What’s wrong? You’re back pretty early. Thinking of changing quests? That’d be a smarter move. Gyahaha!” (Guild member)

The burly men erupted into a chorus of laughter like a bunch of frogs, making an annoyingly loud and unbearable noise. It was downright noisy and irritating.

Dealing with a loud burst of noise for a shut-in like me can be exhausting and overwhelming, so I wished they would stop.

“If you’re talking about the quest, we cleared it properly!” (Sofia)

Amidst the chaos, Sofia’s female voice smoothly entered the mix. For a moment, the laughter came to an abrupt halt. However, it lasted only a moment.

“Hahaha! I see, I see! It’s not even an A-rank quest, right? You took on lower-ranked quests as a cover-up, didn’t you? Hahaha!” (Member)

“We cleared an A-rank quest, you know?” (Sofia)

It’s no use. Nobody seems to be listening. They’re laughing loudly, making fun of us with their nearby friends.

Sofia seemed annoyed, but well, it’s okay to let them laugh. After all, we could soon present the proof.

We arrived at the guild counter.

Guild Master Clara Voyager was elegantly sipping tea with her pinky finger raised on the other side of the counter. She was seated in an incredibly comfortable-looking chair. As expected of a top guild master.

Clara seemed to be engrossed in some paperwork, as there were stacks of papers spread out on the counter.

“Oh, welcome back. You’re back quite early, aren’t you?” (Clara)

Clara swiftly tidied up the papers and leisurely stood up, looking down at us with a mocking smile, despite being shorter than me.

The guild members were ready to burst into laughter, sensing that I might say something stupid.

Too bad for them; they were the real fools.

“We cleared the quest. Give us our reward.” (Wilhelm)

“It was super easy!” (Sofia)

Sofia opened the quest logbook on the counter, where the results were automatically recorded by magic.

Of course, the result was “Quest Completed”.

“…Let me confirm this. Ara? Ara ara ara? Wait, what is the meaning of this!” (Clara)

Clara lifted the quest logbook and scrutinized¹ it intensely, repeatedly checking it.

After a thorough examination, she raised her head, looking as if she’s about to collapse from shock.

“You… have indeed defeated the Kraken…” (Clara)

“Gyahahahahaha! See, they couldn’t defeat the Kraken after all… Huh? What? Miss (ojou), what did you say just now?” (Guild member)

“They have defeated the Kraken. Without a doubt.” (Clara)

“Huh? Th-that’s absurd. Ojou, the Kraken is a monster of legends. It devours people, swallows entire whales, and if it gets hungry, it might even devour a small island. Any sensible person wouldn’t even dare to approach such a terrifying creature!” (Guild member)

Clara checked the quest logbook once again.

“We really did defeat it. I can hardly believe it myself.”

A somber silence fell within the guild.

No one was laughing anymore.

On the contrary, the atmosphere had turned uneasy. They must have realized how stupid they looked after mocking others.

“Um… may I inquire about something?” (Clara)

“Oh, sure, go ahead.” (Wilhelm)

“According to this achievement report, it states that the Kraken has been defeated, and furthermore, it mentions the delivery of the Kraken…?” (Clara)

*whispers… whispers…*

A hushed exchange filled with disbelief started around us. Mentions of it being impossible can be heard… But it was indeed possible.

“Oh, that. Yeah, since a request for the Kraken itself was stated, I brought it back. I’d like the guild to buy it.” (Wilhelm)

“Brought it back…? But where is the creature? Did you bring back even a single leg?” (Clara)

“No, I brought back the whole thing. The entire body is intact. It’s just that it was too big to fit inside the guild.” (Wilhelm)

Sofia ran outside the guild and quickly returned, dragging one of the Kraken’s legs. Well, even that single leg couldn’t fit through the entrance.

“Here it is! It won’t fit inside, but this is the Kraken’s leg. Wil-kun is currently floating it with his magic.” (Sofia)

Several burly men went outside. Soon after, they let out screams that sounded like a mixture of shock and terror. It seemed they were utterly stunned by the immense size of the Kraken.

Seriously, it’s about the size of a small island. And here it is, levitated in the sky by my magic. Seeing it out of the blue would certainly be a shocker.

By the way, the outcry in the town was quite something after we brought it back. There were even newspaper reporters following us along the way. 

According to them, there’s a legend that Kraken is incredibly delicious. We got into a lively discussion about how exciting it would be if it could be eaten.

“How about it? Will you buy it?” (Sofia)

“Well, I’m surprised. The purchase price is 50,000 gold².” (Clara)

“That’s a huge amount of food we can buy~ but can you add a bit more color to the deal?” (Sofia)

“Well, that… It’s something the client decides.” (Clara)

Fair enough. After deducting the commission fee, we ended up with a neat 150,000 gold. This should be good news for Anya.

“Wil-kun, we did it!” (Sofia)

“Yes, and thanks for your hard work, Sofia-san.” (Wilhelm)

I gave Sofia a high-five with my right hand. As we were celebrating, Sofia’s breasts bounced up and down joyfully. It was a delightful bounce.

Now, let’s give them a little taste of their own medicine.

I glanced around at the burly guild members in the guild. With confidence, I gave them a smug look.

“So? I wonder who said we couldn’t clear the quest?” (Wilhelm)

Silence. No one answered.

“Didn’t some of you even offer the kind advice to switch to another quest?” (Wilhelm)

Everyone seemed to avert their gaze from me. Some even hung their heads low.

“Oi oi, why the silence? This quest you all abandoned months ago. We kindly went and completed it for you, didn’t we? Instead, shouldn’t you be asking yourselves why you left it unattended for so long? Or could it be that members of this guild are incapable of even completing quests of this level?” (Wilhelm)

The silence was deafening.

The burly men all seemed to sweat profusely, their ears turning red from the uncomfortable silence.

Hehehe, no one’s saying anything, huh? Can’t blame them. They’ve got no right to do so. These big guys even look smaller than me right now.

They may have ridiculed and laughed at me, but at least I feel a bit relieved now.

If they’ve learned their lesson, they better not mess with members of the [Grand Bahamut] Guild again. Otherwise, they’ll end up embarrassing themselves even more.

But seriously, these guys aren’t saying anything at all.

“Hey, what’s the matter? How about saying something? Are your mouths just for show?” (Wilhelm)

Everyone trembled, lips pressed tightly in frustration. Some clenched their fists, but not a single word was uttered.

They’re probably reflecting on their own foolishness and stupidity. It must be spinning in their heads right now.

Pathetic. It was way too early for them to pick a fight with someone as exceptional as me.

Well, that’s enough of that. I gave them a gentlemanly smile.

“Well, I guess that’s enough teasing. Let’s get along a bit better from now on. We successfully defeated the Kraken. Everyone can now enjoy the summer beach without worries. Feel free to play in the sea as much as you want.” (Wilhelm)

I’ll play nice just a bit.

And then, those burly men looked at me brightly all at once.

Wow, what simpletons. It’s written all over their faces.

“Nahahaahaha! Hey, you’re a good guy! Let’s be buddies, bro!” (Guild member)

“Bro, you’re amazing! Honestly, I believed in you all along!” (Guild member)

“Quit lying, you’re the one who used to make fun of them the most. But you know, secretly, I’ve been wishing for your success, bro.” (Guild member)

“That’s a lie, too! Gyahahaha! But who cares about all that now? Let’s eat the Kraken. We’re having a feast tonight boys! Get the booze ready!” (Guild member)

They’re quite a cheerful bunch now. 

“W-Wait a minute! The Kraken is the delivery item desu wa. We have to transport it to the town hall for our client. Touching it is strictly prohibited!” (Clara)

Nobody paid attention to Clara’s words.

By the way, even with dozens of burly men from [Cosmic Falcon], they couldn’t transport the Kraken. So, I took care of the transportation. Seriously, what a bunch of simpletons, and they’re such a handful.

◇

Night falls, and I find myself in the town’s main square. 

People from all walks of life are gathered here, from commoners to nobles and even members of the royal family.

The reason is simple: the town is providing Kraken dishes free of charge. Apparently, they mobilized all the town’s chefs to cook for this occasion.

The legendary Kraken being defeated became the big talk in town. Even with little advertising, the news became so widespread that people gathered in numbers beyond belief.

The Kraken is huge. Even with thousands of people, it would be impossible to finish it all.

Any leftovers will be dried or smoked, and the town will take responsibility for storing them until winter. Looks like we won’t have to worry about food this winter.

Anya, being careful not to burn herself, took a cute bite of the Kraken.

“Wil-sama, this grilled kraken (kraken-yaki) is incredibly delicious.” (Anya)

It’s a simple skewered Kraken legs dish, seasoned with salt and pepper, and grilled. Simple but delicious.

“Oh, seriously, it’s amazing~ The flavor is rich, the saltiness is perfect, and it has a nice depth. This goes really well with grape juice.” (Wilhelm)

“Yes. Let’s also bring some as a souvenir for Mew-chan.” (Anya)

I’m sure she’ll be thrilled.

In reality, Anya wanted to bring Mew-chan along, but bringing such a magical beast would likely be troublesome, so she decided to keep her at home. Right now, she’s probably lonely, guarding the [Grand Bahamut] guild.

“Anya, let’s go get some soup next.” (Wilhelm)

“Yes, I’d also like to try the steak.” (Anya)

There are also various other dishes lined up, including pasta, fried foods, salad, and even bread as side dishes. 

Everything looks delicious, and the people in the town are happily enjoying the feast.

It’s incredibly lively, and even though it’s nighttime, the town seems so bright. It feels like a festival.

As a shut-in, a place like this would be exhausting to be in. I feel a bit overwhelmed by all the people here.

But still… somehow, it’s fun.

My mood naturally lifts. Knowing that I was the one who created this lively atmosphere makes me feel proud.

Today, I decided to eat to my heart’s content without holding back. After all, it was none other than me who brought back the Kraken.

“Ah, it’s Clara-chan. She’s a friend of mine who’s the same age as me.” (Anya)

Indeed, I could see Clara from [Cosmic Falcon] in the distance.

She’s wearing different clothes from earlier in the day. This time, it’s a black gothic lolita dress.

“Does she always dress like that?” (Wilhelm)

“Yes. It’s cute, isn’t it?” (Anya)

“Well, yeah.” (Wilhelm)

From a distance, she looks as cute as a doll. However, she doesn’t quite exude the same guild master vibe.

Clara spotted us from a distance and started approaching us while Anya waved at her happily.

“Hmph, you’re acting as familiar as always.” (Clara)

“Of course. We’re friends after all.” (Anya)

“We’re not friends, we’re ri-v-al-s. We’re in the same business and we’re no longer children, so please don’t get too overly familiar.” (Clara)

“Hehe, Clara-chan, you’re really cute today.” (Anya)

“This girl hasn’t heard a thing. Well, whatever. How’s the business going, Anastasia? Is [Grand Bahamut] still standing?”

Straight to the point, as always.

It pierced through Anya, and me, and also happened to stab Sofia-san who was passing by.

“I-It’s totally fine. Thanks for worrying.” (Anya)

Lies. If you two are friends, she should just be honest about it.

Clara sighed in exasperation.

“Sofia-san and Wilhelm-sama came to my guild to look for quests, so there’s no way business is okay over there.” (Clara)

“Ugh… B-but it’s okay, really.” (Anya)

“Anastasia, I have a suggestion. Why don’t you put up the [Cosmic Falcon]’s sign at your place? That way, any requests that come to us, I can easily hand them over to you³.”

“I’m sorry. That’s a no. My home is [Grand Bahamut], it’s a guild I’ve cherished alongside my father. That’s something I can’t change.” (Anya)

“Then, may I at least have him?” (Clara)

Ah. Clara suddenly entwined her arm with mine and stuck to me as if we were a couple.

“Wilhelm Wondersky-sama is a very capable guild member. I’d love to have you work with us.” (Clara)

“No.” (Anya)

Clara smiled mischievously.

“Oh, why is that? [Cosmic Falcon] has far more quests than [Grand Bahamut], and there will be plenty of challenging and exciting tasks for Wilhelm-sama. If that’s the case, isn’t there no reason for him to stay with [Grand Bahamut]?” (Clara)

No, I’m a shut-in, so even if there are heaps of quests, I won’t do them. I have no desire to challenge myself either, and I don’t need any extra excitement in my life. All I ever want is a bed to retreat to.

Also, I owe Anya for her delicious meals, while I owe Clara nothing. That’s why there’s no reason for me to work at [Cosmic Falcon].

Anya looked embarrassed at her comment. Not frustrated, but embarrassed.

“What do you think, Anastasia? Any response?” (Clara)

“W-Well, you see, Wil-sama is, um, eventually going to be… my husband, so…” (Anya)

“Ha?” (Clara)

Clara froze in response.

“Could you please say that one more time?” (Clara)

“U-um, Wil-sama will become my husband. He’s going to be my future spouse. I’ve already received approval from her father, Uncle Robert (Robert oji-san). That’s why, I can’t hand him over to [Cosmic Falcon]!” (Anya)

“Eeehhhhhhhhh? That’s not acceptable at all! No matter how outstanding of a guild member he is, his appearance is not so impressive!” (Clara)

Oi! The person in question is right next to you. You just wounded my delicate heart.

“Anastasia, there are plenty of more handsome men out there than him. I’ll choose for you, so please reconsider.” (Clara)

“Clara-chan, there’s no man more handsome than Wil-sama in this world, you know?” (Anya)

“Your eyes seem to be malfunctioning. Is there an eye doctor nearby?” (Clara)

“Oh come on, what are you saying? My eyes are perfectly fine.” (Anya)

“But, still…” (Clara)

Clara glanced at me for a moment.

Her face turned uninterested.

“Isn’t the Kraken much more handsome?” (Clara)

Hey, come on! Saying I’m lower than a monster really cuts me deep, you know? I feel like hiding away for a month now.

Anya turned to look at my face and when she did… her face turned bright red.

It was the face of a maiden-in-love. So cute.

“Obviously, Wil-sama is overwhelmingly more handsome than the Kraken.” (Anya)

Clara glanced at my face again, her eyes seeming uninterested.

“I… don’t… see… it. Anastasia, do you even realize that you’re a beautiful young lady? Marrying such a dull man doesn’t suit you. I can’t sincerely bless you for such a thing. Why do you have that look of a maiden-in-love? Please reconsider this quickly—” (Clara)

However, Anya didn’t change her mind.

To think that she cares so much about me. It made me feel proud.

The town is more lively than ever.

There’s an abundance of food and even alcohol is being served.

Ah, what a wonderful night it turned out to be.

◇

There was a booming sound as if fireworks were being launched in the distance.

No, my intuition tells me that was a sound produced by nature.

After a while, there was a noise like small stones hitting the roof, scattered and bouncing.

Anya was in the bath. Mew-chan was sitting on the sofa, reading a newspaper, so I decided to ask her.

“Hey, what was that noise just now?” (Wilhelm)

“Huh? Probably an underwater volcano eruption mew. Happens quite often mew. Well, wouldn’t expect a NEET to know, huh?” (Mew-chan)

He turned to me with a teasing expression so I returned a silly face.

“Hehe, that’s quite an amusing expression you’ve got there mew.” (Mew-chan)

Since she laughed, I guess I won. Mew-chan neatly folded the newspaper and placed it beside the sofa. She seemed to have a serious expression.

“Hey, NEET.” (Mew-chan)

“What’s up? You look serious.” (Wilhelm)

“It’s about the Kraken.” (Mew-chan)

“How was it? Delicious?” (Wilhelm)

“Soda-ne! It was really delicious mew. It had an amazingly rich flavor!” (Mew-chan)

It seemed she enjoyed the souvenir that Anya and I brought back. That’s a relief.

“But that’s not it mew. I was wondering why the Kraken was on the beach mew.” (Mew-chan)

“Maybe it came looking for food?” (Wilhelm)

“If that were the reason, it wouldn’t stay on the same beach for months mew. There must be another reason mew.” (Mew-chan)

I see. I hadn’t thought about that. Mew-chan’s point was indeed something to question.

“The Kraken is originally a magical beast that resides in the deep sea. There must be a reason it couldn’t stay in its usual place mew.” (Mew-chan)

“And that reason is the underwater volcano…?” (Wilhelm)

“So that’s it. But the Kraken should know the location of the volcano mew. If that’s the case, it could have avoided the danger by changing its resting place. Yet, it chose to come near to the surface. That suggests there might have been another reason mew.” (Mew-chan)

“…Could it have been in danger of being preyed upon?” (Wilhelm)

“That’s right mew. There’s a significant possibility that there was something suspicious happening underwater.” (Mew-chan)

Seriously? Something might still happen.

It seems like the underwater volcano erupted again.

A creature capable of preying on the Kraken. What kind of monster could that be?

Due to the impact of the underwater volcano, a small earthquake occurred.

Both Mew-chan and I felt a strong sense of unease.

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Thanks for reading!

Tbh, I’m quite surprised that Clara actually does her work. I thought she was just the figurehead who keeps going ‘oh-hoho’ but apparently everyone around that age works properly.

Maybe the earthquake is caused by Kyogre and Groudon fighting each other. What was their mythological counterparts again? Leviathan and Behemoth, right?

Also, I don’t think mew-chan has a gender so I sometimes alternate between he and she cause I forgot which one I used.

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1. Scrutinize means examine or inspect closely and thoroughly.
2. Tbh I don’t really get this, but my guess is that the guild pays for it and pass it to the client, then once accepted they give you the client’s reward.
3. I think this is a roundabout way of trying to acquire [Grand Bahamut]. Either that or she allowed them to use the [Cosmic Falcon] brand for their own business.