It was the third night of my visit to the Kingdom of Calmhelio.

Unlike the first day, the second day was spent quietly at the inn and rested, and tonight we were to go to the castle of Calmhelio to meet the brave men.

Standing dinner party...... It doesn't seem to be something casual, but it seems to be a somewhat rigid feeling, so I have to be aware of the position of the servant again.

 

"But I'm used to what I'm used to when it comes to dressing."

 

I got out of the private room with my team clothes and put my hands through the sleeves of the team clothes for the upcoming meeting party and put them on lightly.

I fastened the collar bracket and buttons, closed the front tightly, and nodded to check if there was anything wrong.

 

"Alright, Ferm.

"Oh."

 

Ferm, who was lying on a nearby sofa, sank into the shadow of the dark magic and assimilated from under my feet.

It's assimilated into the inside of the clothes and myself, so you can't tell from the outside at all.

 

"You can't have dinner during the party today, can you?"

"Don't you think I'm a glutton......?"

「…… Isn't it?"

"Oh, no, it's different!!"

 

Yesterday, I saw the food at the store and wanted to eat this, and it was amazing.

By the way, you were the one who ate the most of the meals served at the inn.

…… Well, there's nothing wrong with eating Mr./Ms., but we're in a position where it's easy to get attention, so we can't go around it, so let's have to be patient today.

 

"Looks like you're ready."

"Oh."

 

When the assimilation is complete, Nea in the form of an owl stays on her shoulder.

 

"You don't look good in that uniform, do you?"

"Well, we're used to seeing it."

"Hahaha"

 

He smiles wryly at the muttering of Nea and Ferm.

Well, it's not a dress code or a pattern, and this uniform proves my position as a life-saving team member, so it's not surprising that I'm wearing it on a formal occasion.

 

"I'm ready for this, too."

 

And here, a senior who is dressed like me comes out of the private room.

Black dress with gold decorations.

Unlike me, the front of the uniform is open, and you can see what looks like a military uniform and a black skirt underneath.

And the seniors themselves have their usual long black hair tied high and flowed back.

 

"Huh, Suzune Inugami, it's a childhood friend version."

「…… Where's that?"

"This royal road ponytail ......!!"

 

Sure, it's a ponytail, but isn't that a pretty prejudice for a childhood friend?

 

"If you keep quiet, you'll look like a cool military man."

"Oh, really? Should I go this route from now on!?"

"As long as you're quiet."

"Kyayes."

 

If you don't make any unfortunate remarks, you have a crisp impression with a cold atmosphere, so considering the meeting after this, wouldn't it be better to do the opposite?

You don't have to be fooled...... Good.

 

"Then I'll keep it behind me with a scared face."

"Why?"

"No, why?"

 

I scoop up my hair and try to be aware of a scary face about 40% of the time.

Then, I lined up behind my seniors as a servant and stood in front of ——— large mirror attached to the living room.

…… yes, it's going to be pretty good, isn't it?

 

"Usato-kun, um, with this composition, it looks like a young lady and her apprentice...... right?"

"Huh, now you don't have to be fooled."

「…… Certainly...... Whew!"

 

I don't have enough dignity, so I'll cover that with power.

Nea has also assimilated into the dark magic, and somehow both I and my seniors are ready to head to the castle, so we move to the carriage to the castle of Calmhelio, which is waiting outside the inn.

 

"Inukami Suzune-sama and Usato Ken-sama, I will take you both to Calmhelio Castle."

 

He is greeted by the Knight of Calmhelio, who was waiting in front of the inn, and gets into the carriage.

While shrinking into a luxurious carriage based on white, he sits in a seat facing his seniors.

 

"Are you still nervous?"

"I'm getting used to it, but I'm a little nervous."

 

I've had a few meetings and parties, so it's okay compared to the first time.

However, the opponent is an important person of Calmhelio and the heroes of each country, so it is not an opponent that can be dealt with with without being careful.

…… Maybe you can shake it off with small talk to distract yourself a bit.

 

"Senior, how many novels have you read?"

"Whew, I've only read about half of the book."

"What? It's pretty slow."

 

I have an image that seniors are quite fast readers, so I thought I had read about one volume.

 

"I'm quite a Rano...... I like to read, so I'm usually a fast reader...... It's going to be tough this time."

「…… Uh-huh."

"It's like reading a stun trick once a page."

 

Is that why the pace of reading is so slow?

But what does it mean to damage every single page...... From what Kate Mr./Ms. said the day before yesterday, I guessed that it was a romance novel for women......

 

"If you're going to go that far, you don't have to read it, do you?"

「……」

"Senpai?"

「…… Whew."

 

No, what is it? That melancholy smile.

He leans his elbows on the carriage window and tilts his head as he gazes out at the night streets of Calmhelio illuminated by the light of his magic tools.

 

"Did you read Ferm?"

"For the time being, I burst out laughing at the description of Usato defeating demons with brilliant sword skills."

"It's okay, even if I show you some brilliant swordsmanship."

"You've never shown yourself to be brilliant."

 

Don't think that only facts are always correct!

It's certainly not a pattern, but it's okay for me to be brilliant in the world of creation!

Whether I want to see it or not!

 

"I think what's wrong with that part of it is that it's becoming more like you."

"Ah, I know, I guess you're incorporating rumors in a good way. The training is stupid and the quick-witted...... The elements that aren't accepted by the general public are cut down, and the guy who writes it is good.

"Eh, so the me in that novel is the me who has been remodeled to make it easier for everyone......?"

 

If I had to name it, it would be Perfect Usato.

yes, I definitely don't want to see it.

 

"Well, if you're too perfect, it's easy to see your weaknesses, so in that sense, you're more troublesome in reality.

"Certainly, I think you're of a bad nature, because you seem to have a chance to take advantage of me. Don't worry.'

 

I know you're complimenting me, but do you know I'm being so rude?

 

"There's a saying that facts are stranger than fiction, and that's exactly what you're meant for!" yes!!"

"Don't push ......."

 

Aren't your seniors also gradually inspired by Nair and Ferm?

- I twitched my cheeks to the senior who stabbed me with a smile.

 

●

 

The castle of Calmhelio is a tall structure similar to the castle of the Kingdom of Lingle.

It is surrounded by white buildings, and now it is illuminated by the magic of the Mr./Ms., and even at night it is as bright as daytime.

Mr./Ms.'s carriages are lined up at the end of the castle gate, and there are many soldiers guarding the heroes of each country and knights belonging to Calmhelio, indicating that security is quite strict.

When we arrived there, we were greeted by a servant waiting at the entrance of the castle and ushered into the hall of the castle, where the event was to be held.

 

"It's finally time."

"Oh, I have to brace myself too."

 

I haven't seen any of the other heroes before I come here, but I wonder if they've already gathered.

If you walk straight through the wide passage that resembles the castle of the Lingle Kingdom, you will see a large door that stands out.

When the knights lined up to guard the door open the door, a large hall spreads out beyond it, and a lively voice can be heard.

 

"Please wait here."

 

A servant urged him inside, and as he stepped in, he saw a group of people dressed in a wide variety of clothes standing inside, his gaze fixed on the servants who had now stepped into the hall.

 

"Is that the ...... of the Ringle Kingdom?"

"Are there only two of us?"

"It doesn't look strong."

"The person behind me looks very scared......

 

Perhaps the heroes of each country and their followers.

The rest of the people are related to the Kingdom of Calmhelio...... Well, he must be an important person or something.

I made eye contact with my senior, trying not to pay too much attention to her probing gaze, and moved to the empty space, trying to walk behind her.

 

"You're still being watched."

"Well, I can't help it."

"If there's a healing wizard with a ferocious look behind you, I'm sure you'll be able to see it even if you don't like it."

"Certainly."

 

It's still noisy inside me.

I can't reply with a lot of attention, so I have no choice but to endure it here.

 

"It looks like Mr./Ms. Leona hasn't come yet."

"Ah, the brave man who is coming...... I think there are about five of us in total?"

 

I still don't know who the heroes are, but it's still easy to tell because the heroes and their attendants from each country are dressed in their own distinctive attire.

Thick clothes that you would wear in a cold place, clothes that are extremely revealing, and a wide variety of cultural people seem to gather here.

 

"——— Suzune Mr./Ms. Usato Mr./Ms."

"Hmm? …… Oh, Naia-sama."

 

Mr./Ms. Naia, who was already in the hall here, called out.

As expected, there are eyes here and I looked at Mr./Ms. Naia while calling her by her name, and she looked at me and twitched her cheeks.

 

"We don't have all the heroes yet...... Uh, Mr./Ms. Usato? It's okay if you still relax your shoulders, okay?"

"Oops, excuse me."

 

As expected, I can't intimidate the princess, so I restore my expression.

 

"Does Naia go around to say hello?"

"To put it bluntly, yes, I'm allowed to do a lot of things freely, but I'm the first princess in terms of status. At first, I thought it would be good to know people, so I thought I'd talk to Mr./Ms. Suzune first."

 

Okay, so let us know.

Thinking that the princess is having a hard time, Naia puts her hand on her cheek as if she is a little tired.

 

"Actually, Kyle was supposed to be here, but he might be rough with the heroes of other countries...... No, I already have a criminal record that has caused trouble for Leona, so I'm throwing her into the study room now as a punishment."

"Ahaha......

"...... you really can't help it, do you know that if something happens, I won't be able to take care of you......?"

 

Oh...... Well, Prince Kyle seems to be a jerk.

But Princess Naia doesn't seem to be strict with him because she doesn't like him, and I hope he will reflect on it.

 

"But I know that Naia cares about Prince Kyle in some way...... He's a big brother to you."

"What? Yes, that's right."

 

…… Senior?

- She looks at her senior, who is a little strange, and looks at her curiously.

Mr./Ms. seemed to be suspicious of her senior's words, but she quickly looked around and turned to us.

 

"I'd like to talk to you a little more, but I have to say hello to the other heroes...... I'll talk about the heroes of other countries later."

"yes, later."

 

As I watched Mr./Ms. walk towards another hero, a senior sighed lightly and lightly pressed his forehead.

 

"Usato-kun...... It's really late, but I'll tell you, Usato-kun."

"What are you doing?"

"I had a brother in the original world."

 

…… I see.

When I heard that he had a younger brother, I somehow understood the situation.

 

"I shouldn't be listening here, I'll make time to talk to you later."

"Eh, I'd like you to talk about it here and let it flow."

"You don't look like that, do you?"

「…… Haha, ah, yes......"

 

Clearly, he doesn't have an expression that can be easily shed.

Both Nea and Ferme read the air enough to be quiet.

 

"That's it, Usato Ku———."

"I found ———"

 

Someone other than us calls out to interrupt the senior's words.

I looked over in surprise and saw the orange-haired girl I had encountered in an alley in the city two days earlier.

 

"You're ......."

 

A girl wearing a thick long coat and a scarf even though she was indoors walked up to me while looking at me with languid eyes.

She looked into my face with her bluish eyes, and I was a little overwhelmed.

 

「……」

"Uh-huh......

"I thought it was."

"What?"

"Healer wizard, he seemed to be much stronger than I had heard."

 

Were you sure when we met in that alley......?

No, no, if that's the case, then it's a hero relationship at the point where this kid is here.

 

"I'll listen to your excuses, this person."

"Hey idiot, what kind of freak did you attract this time?"

 

And my inner friends put pressure on me in a very low tone.

- Damn, it's frustrating that I can't deny the fact that I've attracted a freak ......!

 

"Are you the hero of the Nesha Kingdom?"

「…… yes, that's right———

 

"Sister!?"

 

As soon as the girl nods, someone comes again.

Two people came running up to me: a girl with blue hair tied in two buns, the same age as Amako, and a woman dressed in a robe.

 

"Sister, what are you doing!?"

"I found it, so I talked to him right away."

"No, I found it...... Who?!"

"Hmm."

"Don't point fingers at people!!"

 

As I let the girl's hand go down as she pointed at me, another blue-haired girl looked at me.

The girl, who seemed suspicious at first, took out a book with a familiar cover from the bag on her shoulder and compared it with mine.

 

"Oh, it's completely different from ...... book."

"Wow......"

 

Damage is caused by voices coming from unexpected angles.

Eh, my bibliography creation!? Is there such a thing!?

 

"And who are you? We're from the Ringle Kingdom......

"Oh, I'm sorry...... Oh, sister, introduce yourself!!"

 

The blue-haired child, who was stunned by the words of the senior who finally returned to himself, urged him to introduce himself to his sister.

The girl looked at me with a look of unsure what she was thinking, and opened her mouth.

 

"I'm Liz."

"......, that's all about yourself?" Oh, yes...... Hey, I'm the hero of the Nesha Kingdom! I'm my sister Elisha!! I'm so sorry!!"

 

I could see the rough relationship between this sister who was too free and my sister who was having a very hard time.

But why the girl in the first place...... Did Liz reach out to me? I know that he is a hero of the Nesha Kingdom, but I have no idea why he is contacting me.

 

「……」

"Hmm? Hey, hey...... What?"

 

Liz walks up to me, closes her eyes, and makes a gesture as if she is sniffing something.

Hmm? I couldn't see it because it was hidden by my hair, but I was wearing a headband that was the same color as my orange hair. …… Is it a magic tool or something in terms of shape?

 

"You're wondering."

 

Opening her eyes, she tilted her head curiously.

For some reason, the gesture is reminiscent of his companion in the kingdom of Lingle.

 

"It smells similar to mine, why?"

 

Why is this the case?

What is a similar smell? I didn't understand the meaning for a moment, and when I tilted my head, a senior who seemed to be impatient here intervened.

 

"Hey, you're a little distancing, aren't you? This person is my squire, so let's move away, shall we?"

"I'm not interested in you.

"What's going on!? Who is the type of woman who wants to keep her distance? I've only been told that once!!"

 

It's been there once...... I don't know! The boiling point of seniors has been lowered due to confusion!

When I try to stop it for the time being, my sister Elisha grabs Liz's hand and pulls her before I can do it.

 

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!! Excuse me!! Sister, I'm going to leave if it's going to be a commotion! And the teacher should not shut up and watch, please help me!!"

"Mmmmm~"

 

Even though she is a brave person, both I and my seniors are stunned by Liz, who is being pulled by her sister Elisha and a woman in a robe called Sensei.

What the hell was that......?

Maybe all the brave people I'm going to meet now are like that...... Or so it seems?

 

"This is a complete drawback."

"What are you really? You're going to be mad at the end, aren't you?'

"Usato-kun, you can't deny the words of the two of you......

「…… Sumimasen"

 

Probably...... Maybe it wasn't my fault, but for some reason I apologized.