As expected, this is another continent beyond the open sea. The people who live here seem to have high levels, something I can tell with only a small glance.
In addition, humans are being treated as slaves.
Is not a good sight as a human, but thinking about it better, itâs strange that they arenât dominated by another superior race. In that way, itâs kinda ârelaxingâ.
It was more a matter of mood than anything else, and it didnât matter to me.
âHey, youâre that Aide fellow I heard about, arenât you?â
I was having a drink in a bar when a stranger called out to me.
This is common these days. I was now a bit of a celebrity as a solo adventurer.
âWhat is it?â
âWould you like to work for us for a while?â
ââŠHow many members?â
âThere they are.â
I turned from the counter and looked at the table. There were four men and four women.
They are at level 200 but they donât seem very skilled.
Just some small fry.
Well, I would have been stunned a little while ago, but now Iâm quite used to it. Although getting used to it is a bit scary.
âIâm not interested inâŠâ
âYou better not turn me down like that. I know the secret of your sword, you know.â
The man looks down at my sword.
Itâs covered in bandages to hide itâs identity, but it looks like these guys still took interest in it. But I canât let my guard down. I still donât know the implications of the existence of this magic sword.
Itâs an unknown land after all, itâs best to be cautious.
âWell, you have my interest now. Maybe we can chat a little.â
âThat sword is a special magic one, isnât it? Youâve come from the center? â
âCenter?â
âIâll keep the magic sword thing a secret.â
The man seemed to have guessed right from my reaction. Judging by his words, it seems that magicians are admired quite a bit.
What a hassle.
So, itâll be hard to make a move here, more so now that this guy knows about it. But itâs also bad to just disappear.
I donât like it but⊠should I accept?
While I was thinking about it, a well-dressed young swordsman cut in.
âHey, I know you. You are the one who is always defrauding people with his companions. If you donât want to get dragged off by the guards, just leave.â
âUgh! Hero Zig⊠Ahaha⊠I just remembered that I need to do something. Seeya!â
The man stops talking and runs away from the bar with his companions.
This man, called Zig, sat beside me after the other guy left.
âI should thank youâŠâ
âForget about it. I just got rid of him because he was in my way. You are a solitary adventurer, right?â
âAnd what if I am?â
âIâm thinking about recruiting you. But Iâll have to see how good you are.â
Thatâs a good way to get to know the people in your area.
A level 500 Hero. His skills stand out⊠no, actually there are two good ones.
âAwareness Inductionâ and âSeal Breakingâ
Awareness Induction is only an instant ability, but it can change the subjectâs superficial consciousness. Itâs basically an illusion. It is generally recognized as a rare skill that can be used reasonably well.
On the other hand, Seal Breaking is a skill that just does that. The thing with it is that it can break skill seals, but it doesnât work on the wielder. Itâs a very valuable skill and itâs very rare to find someone with it.
I can remove the seal on my Demonic Eye of Seduction with that skill.
Also, is this guy a beast master?
I can see the name of three beasts with my appraisal skill.
Well, thatâs interesting, isnât it? Iâd love to see if I can absorb any of them.
I grinned beneath my full face helmet.
âIâm not cheap, you know.â
âWho do you think I am? Iâll pay you what youâre worth.â
Thatâs a lot of confidence. I wonder if heâs an aristocrat.
Heâs very well-dressed, and although his speech and manners are rude, his every move shows his upbringing.
I donât like him to be honest. He got the looks, he got the ability, and heâs a Hero. In addition to that, is a noblemanâs son allowed to do this? Thatâs the position Iâm supposed to be in. Thatâs something I deserve. I donât like things this way.
Iâll take everything from him.
âPlease treat me well.â
âYeah.â
We shook hands.
In one moment, I got inside the enemy defences and ran my blade through them. The enemy was weakened enough, so Zig just hit him and it was over.
The demon bear fell.
âThis Aide guy is good â Itâs good to cooperate and sparkle together ââ
âThatâs right. You can understand the partyâs movements. Were you a part of a famous party in the past or something?â
âI was⊠a while ago.â
Seltina and Zig praised me.
I was the leader of an S-ranked party, so I knew exactly what Zig was looking for.
Also, Iâm older and more experienced.
I know how to fight demons better than them.
âCheers for Aide â!â
âYouâre being too loud, Seltina.â
âItâs better to be noisy, itâs a celebration â!â
âThanksâŠâ
The three of us sat around a table in the tavern. It had been a few days since I joined the «Holy Forest Ensemble».
I laughed at the celebration.
âYouâre smiling, Aide!â
Seltinaâs words surprised me.
Normally, you canât see through me. This woman has a good eye, huh.
Moreover, sheâs my kind of girl.
She reminds me of Lisa, with her shining eyes and deep darkness behind them.
I like both her appearance and style. If I can use the Demon Eye of Seduction, Iâll make that woman mine.
âHey, Zig, is Aide an elfâ?â
âHeâs in this country, so I think he is.â
âIs that right, Aideâ?â
Damn it, youâre asking a lot of questions, you fool.
âIs that information importantâŠ?â
âNot really, to be honest. I donât care if you are an elf or a beast. Itâll be better if you were an elf, but if you donât want to show your face, I donât care.â
âThatâs trueâ! Aide is Aideââ
Iâm relieved. Itâll be bad if they kick me out now.
I need Zig to break the seal on my skills.
But, I need to be careful with Seltina. She seems to have a lot to say.
I pull back my mouthpiece so I can eat my food.
The helmet has a mechanism that allows me to open my mouth while covering my eyes, so I donât have to worry about exposing my face. Itâs a technology we donât have over there.
ââŠâŠâŠâ
âWhat?â
âItâs nothing.â
They were staring at me, so I shot them a glare.
Hmph! Are you that interested in my face? Itâs a shame then, I wonât show you.
I put a piece of spiced red meat in my mouth.
âMnnghh!?â
âEhhh~ so Aide is not good with spicy food? â â
âThatâs probably the dish that Seltina ordered. I always tell people not to order without telling me, but youâre out of luck.â
What is this!? Is spicy!!
My tongue and lips are tingling!
âZig doesnât like spicy food eitherâ~â
âIâm telling you, Iâm not good at that level. You donât have to sweat to eat. Thatâs why the lower classes eat so much.â
The two of them are having an unimportant conversation.
Water! Water! I canât believe it, I canât even get rid of the sting!
âIâm trying to make spicy food more popularâ! I hope Aide will be the first one to join inâ!â
Seltina offered me a dish that is slightly red. It looks good, but I can smell the spices in the air.
This is impossible.
âI think Aide is a good comrade â! Try it!â
âIâll do my bestâŠâ
There are a number of barriers that must be overcome in order to gain trust. This will be one of them.
Hang in there, Sain. You can do it!!
âHigiiiiiiiii!! My butt is burning!!â
The next day, I screamed in the bathroom.
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!