Five years ago, when I found myself in this body, I made a vow that I would never break.

—Never get involved with the hero’s party.

The protagonists of this novel are constantly entangled in countless incidents, both before and after the story begins. Just thinking about each event is exhausting enough, and they happen one after another.

In both my previous and current life, I preferred staying indoors and living comfortably rather than running around outside, so this was a rule I absolutely could not break.

Unfortunately, in order to live comfortably, I needed money. And to make money, I needed rare magical materials.

In the end…

"I’d like to join your party."

"Huh?"

Standing before me was a handsome man with sharp features and rare black hair. The protagonist of this world, the leader of the hero’s party, the man who would defeat the Demon King and save the world.

I told the hero, Aswel, that I wanted to join his party.

He was in the middle of reviewing requests at the adventurer’s guild when he looked at me, clearly caught off guard.

"Uh… Are you a minor by any chance…?"

"I'm not a minor. I’m a magician."

Sure, I may be short, but thinking I was a minor was a bit much. I glared at him, and Aswel quickly backtracked.

"Oh, ah! I see. A magician, huh?"

"Yes."

"Nice to meet you. My name is Aswel, though the title of ‘hero’ has been rather generously bestowed upon me. Let’s sit down and talk, shall we?"

Despite my sudden approach, Aswel responded kindly and led me to a seating area in the guild.

I sipped the drink he offered me and observed him.

"Do you live around here?"

"No, I was staying near the capital."

"Really? Then you’ve come quite a long way."

"The hero’s party’s movements are well known, no matter where you are. But shall we get to the point?"

"Ah, yes."

Currently, the hero’s party consists of four members.

There’s the hero, who leads the party and handles both offense and defense. The saint, who enhances the party with healing and buffs. The archer, who attacks and supports from long range. And finally, the knight, who joins the hero in frontal attacks while protecting the two in the back.

Of course, besides Aswel, the other three are all heroines. At first glance, you might think the archer could handle the long-range attacks, but the role of a magician is quite different.

An archer, who could be seen as a long-range assassin, is best suited for small-scale battles. In contrast, a magician is viewed as someone who can dominate large-scale combat with overwhelming firepower.

Right now, the hero’s party lacks a heroine, or rather, a person, who can provide such large-scale firepower. That’s why the hero is in need of a magician.

"It’s true that we’ve been feeling the absence of a magician. But…"

"I understand what you're worried about."

"Huh?"

"You haven’t seen my abilities yet, and considering everything you've been through over the past year, I understand why you’d be hesitant to take on a new member."

The hero’s party's exploits are known throughout the empire. Their skills are widely recognized, but they know nothing about me.

"To be clear, I’m not a combat magician."

Sorry to say, I won’t be the large-scale firepower you’re hoping for. I can manage something similar, but that’s not the role I have in mind.

"Haven’t you been feeling like your equipment is getting weaker lately?"

"…It’s not unusable, but it's definitely not holding up as well as it used to."

The hero admitted their situation readily. Over the past year, they had grown so much that the word “exponential” wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

Though it’s hard to quantify their growth, it’s as if they’ve advanced to the next level.

In terms of magic, it's like progressing from a 2-circle magician to 3-circle, or even 4-circle. Their power has outgrown their weapons and armor, and it’s becoming uncomfortable.

"I can help with that."

"Equipment? Wait… are you actually a blacksmith, and I misheard?"

"No, I’m definitely a magician."

To prove it, I opened my hand and cast a simple spell. Aswel, still filled with doubt, nodded in understanding.

"Uh… let me show you something simple."

I waved my hand, opening a space, and pulled out a glove.

"Wait… what was that…?"

"This is a glove imbued with protective magic. My specialty is enchanting equipment with magic or creating magic tools."

In any case, the witch heroine will be responsible for large-scale firepower later. I’ll support the hero’s party by focusing on my specialty: research and technological development.

"So, if you let me join the party, I can repair and upgrade your current equipment or even make new ones."

I can handle equipment for up to four people.

I showed Aswel the pile of prototype gear stored in my spatial pocket. His eyes seemed to tremble with indecision.

"Uh, um…"

"If this isn’t convincing enough, I could show you a large-scale spell, though I’d rather not…"

"No, no! It’s not that I don’t believe you. I mean, I don’t completely believe you, but…"

The flustered hero waved his hands, stopping me from getting up. Then, he asked me to close the dimensional space I had opened, so I sealed it.

"Uh… why do you want to join our party?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, with your abilities, it seems like you could travel alone without any problems."

"Shall I be honest?"

"Please do."

"I just want to gather materials."

"Materials?"

"Yes. I figured the hero’s journey would yield plenty of rare magical ingredients."

And if I could make some money on the side, that would be great too. I have no intention of getting close to the hero’s party or forming any personal bonds.

"In that case, why not just commission us to gather materials in exchange for your equipment?"

"I might need to see and select the materials myself, or disassemble them in person."

That’s the only way to preserve their freshness and maximize their efficiency.

As I spoke, Aswel fell into deep thought.

"Hmm… From a leader’s perspective, this is a great proposal. But, it seems unfair. We’d be gaining a lot while you get very little."

Ah, what a guy.

He’s the hero for a reason. Even when offered an advantageous contract, he hesitates to accept because it’s unfair.

Still, he’s clearly a decent person. No wonder so many people, besides the heroines, are drawn to him.

"So instead of fully joining the party…"

"Then, just grant me one more thing."

"One more thing?"

"Exclude me from taking night watch or cooking duties. I’m terrible at both."

In a party that spends most of its time outdoors, those two tasks are crucial. Asking to be exempt from them is a significant request, even by my standards.

"That’s really all you need…?"

"Yes. I’m only here to gather materials, after all."

"Hmm… very well. If you don’t need to stop anywhere else, shall we head to the inn where we’re staying?"

Is this it? Am I in?

I let out a quiet sigh of relief and followed him as he got up.

"My things are already packed, so I’m ready to go."

I wasn’t one to leave stuff lying around, so I was good to leave right away.

"Ah… a dimensional space… I see. This way, please."

"Sure."

"By the way, what’s your name? Since we’ll be working together, it’d be easier to communicate if I knew."

"…Just call me Louis."

"Louis. Got it."

"You don’t need to use formal speech with me. I’m younger than you."

"…Alright, Louis. You can speak casually with me too."

"This way works for me."

After a short while, we arrived at the inn where the hero’s party was staying. Since they were receiving direct support from the royal family, it seemed like there were no other guests.

Creak.

The door opened, and I followed the taller hero inside.

"Everyone! We have a new member joining the party! Please welcome them!"

One gaze came from the staircase, another from the dining table, and the last from the training room.

Three pairs of eyes fixed on me.

"...I’m Louis, the new magician. It’s a pleasure to meet you."

After a long time, I bowed. My body felt a little stiff. Then, I slowly raised my head and took in the sight of the three people staring at me.

Just like the illustrations from the original novel.

The saint, a calm-looking human woman with golden hair and the unmistakable aura of a priest. Unlike the saint, there was the elf archer, with her long green hair and pointed ears. And lastly, a human knight with sky-blue hair, dressed in armor like the hero.

Each of them had a face and figure fit for a heroine. Be it in the modern world or this one, these were the types of women many men would adore. And all three of their hearts belonged to the hero standing in front of me.

The shared emotion in their eyes as they looked at me?

Suspicion.

But I wanted to tell the heroines one thing.

Don’t worry. Nothing like that is ever going to happen.

You don’t need to be on guard with me. If anything, I’ll help make sure you end up with the hero.

I guarantee, I’ll be the only one in the hero’s party who won’t marry him.

"Wait a second, Aswel. You said there’s a new member?"

And so it began—the interest in the new party member.

The first to speak was the green-haired elf archer.