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The path to the closest resting point, the outpost, was not as smooth as I had expected. Contrary to the lack of danger we had encountered deep in the temple, we faced far more enemies when retracing our steps.

‘As expected, it’s troublesome.’

The unique entities adapted to the demonic realm all had powerful traits. Some even looked like deer, charging at us with their sharp horns as if they were going to stab us.

All monsters, known for being ferocious even outside of the demonic realm, were indeed exceedingly difficult to deal with.

‘It’s becoming increasingly clear that Shione is running low on mana.’

Mana wasn’t just depleted during battle; using magic — which was akin to our lifeline — drained vast amounts of mana rapidly. Shione had been guzzling mana potions, and whenever she found a moment, she sneakily approached me, complaining about feeling bloated.

‘If we dig too deep, we might find ourselves in serious trouble.’

Deciding to stop the investigation at the temple and return was a wise choice, it seemed.

As we finally arrived at the outpost, we could see that it was even more bustling than before.

From the scale of it, it didn’t seem like a rear guard on a dedicated mission either… It appeared to be a support team that had come to find the designated location after hearing about it.

“Now that we’ve arrived at the outpost, we’ll take a break! Those who are tired or injured should receive healing from the priests here!”

“Yes!”

“I will comply!”

Some had gotten hurt during the subsequent battles.

Despite the crisp responses, I wasn’t sure if they’d really be able to rest.

They seemed eager to boast about what they had faced and seen during the fight.

If they felt like dying, they’d know to seek out a priest. If any issues arose, Diolia and I would just end up shaking them down for their souls anyway.

“Deputy Commander, you should go rest too.”

“Does that mean Diolia should rest as well?”

“I’m just going to share a few things about the outpost with the late arrivals before I rest. It seems like more guards and defense troops have been sent from the Count’s House. They will need some information to adapt easily.”

“It’s impossible for me to rest while the commander is working so hard. Then, I will stay with Princess Shione.”

“As expected of the Deputy Commander. It would be even better if you didn’t always talk about sparring though.”

Well, saying I’m assisting Shione is just a cover; in reality, it only meant resting and chatting together.

Apparently pleased with my response, Diolia turned around and waved as she left.

‘Now, where is Shione—’

Ah, there she is.

Thanks to her, the number of people increased, and various supplies were steadily piling up. However, the once tired-looking Shione was now busy exploring the outpost with a rather excited demeanor.

“Princess Shione, you’ve been here all along.”

“Ray, you made it! Look over there. The longbow and that armor – looks like some members of the castle’s defense unit have been dispatched here.”

“It appears they came as part of the support team. Relying entirely on mercenaries for outpost protection doesn’t seem right, so it seems like they’ve called some troops from various units.”

“Right? Our Rangers rushed in, and I thought there was something up, but I recognized some familiar faces.”

…I had told them to rest and see a priest, but they dashed over there instead?

“I’m relieved everyone is getting along well. I was worried about fatigue, but they seem full of energy.”

Our knights, boasting confidently, while the archers from the castle’s defense unit clapped lazily in response with indifference.

It seemed less like they were friends and more like our rangers were unilaterally bragging about their achievements.

Well, they had worked hard, so as Shione said, it’s good they looked energized.

‘It’s true that our special mission team is the most outstanding from the Count’s House.’

The elite knights of Siabel’s order? In front of our special mission team, they were nothing more than a setting sun.

Unless Ainel, the sword master, steps in, there’s no way anyone can stop the rising sun that is Princess Shione’s special mission team.

After getting caught up in knightly tales with Shione for a while, we returned to talking about work.

“Once the special mission team retreats, it’ll be the expedition’s turn to make their mark.”

“That’s likely the case. Our priorities will shift to the ruins we found, and the priests will begin their purification efforts. Scholars and mercenaries will also get moving.”

It would be from the moment the outpost began to truly fulfill its purpose that the special mission team would start making serious accomplishments.

With the paths opened up through the priests’ purification, our operations would be much more flexible, and information about monsters and terrain would become increasingly clear.

After this operation, Shione would be attending a gathering of the central nobility, and although she hadn’t shown it, her magic usage had been increasing, leading to a gradual decrease in the time her magic could be sustained. She had also been subtly expressing her difficulties in managing her magic to me.

If she could increase her skills in magic while keeping a proper schedule, she’d be ready for deep explorations pretty soon.

If we had decided to head back to the Count’s House, one thing we needed to keep an eye on was clear.

“If we withdraw to the Count’s House, we’ll be busy for a while. Lady Siabel must have finished preparing for the trial by now.”

“That’s probably right. But I’m not worried. My sister has certainly prepared well.”

She would promptly interrogate the head maid and Piana Trilla, raising Shione’s standing even further through the trial.

Shione seemed quite confident in her older sister.

‘Well, that’s understandable.’

She had boldly claimed she’d throw herself on trial if needed, along with Ainel.

The determination of someone who begins to acknowledge their past and feel ashamed about their mistakes could only strengthen that belief.

Now that she had the reliable ally Aheira at her side, she was surely proceeding with her preparations more thoroughly than anyone else.

“I’m not going to trial just because I did something wrong, you know?”

Shione said with an air of confidence.

“I’m going to win. No doubt about it.”

She fully intended to come out victorious in the trial.

*

When the special mission team returned to the Count’s House, everyone there was worried about us.

Since we had come back sooner than expected, it could only be assumed that we faced a significant setback during our operation or that something had interfered to prevent us from advancing.

Rumors began to spread that the special mission team had encountered difficulties, and as the phrase “the demonic realm is indeed the demonic realm” circulated, we confidently unveiled new books and weapons left in the temple, and once again the Count’s House was thrown into an uproar.

‘How fascinating is it that we even brought back weapons from an ancient era?’

We had commissioned artists among the wizards to recreate the temple’s illustrations we had previously seen, and asked a statistically skilled priest to write about the situation at the time of our discovery.

Including the remains of the monsters we had hunted in the temple, revealing everything at once made it impossible for everyone not to be awed.

I had just been coming back to suggest a change of attire and discuss the trial when, thanks to that dazzling result, Ainel, who had been itching for a break, could no longer contain herself and ultimately called for Shione.

“… I was planning to take a break now, but it ended up like this. I’ll be back, Ray.”

“Then I’ll rest in my room. When you’re finished, let a servant know to call for me.”

“Just take a short nap. It might take a little longer than I expect.”

“I will do that.”

Just as she finished her response, it seemed like she was ready to leave immediately. However, for some reason, Shione stood there, frozen, staring at me intently.

Her gaze was filled with strange expectation, not the first time she had looked at me like that.

I shrugged nonchalantly and redirected her attention.

“Do you have something else you wanted to say?”

“Originally, it’s common for a wife to kiss her husband before going to work.”

“Is that so?”

“…The protagonists in novels usually do that?”

“That’s just what the protagonists in novels do.”

“I-I’m also the protagonist of my own life, so it wouldn’t be a problem to follow that logic…! After all, we’re both protagonists…!”

As she boldly declared, there was a hint of shyness about her which was adorable. Seeing her get all pouted and upset was amusing.

“Chee… if you’re not going to do it, just stay right there.”

Shione began glaring at me sharply.

In that state, there’s no way I could go meet Ainel. So, just as I opened my mouth to ease her anger, she quickly turned her head away, shooting me a sidelong glance as she spoke.

“I’ll just handle it on my own.”

“Eep…!”

It wasn’t a soft peck but a forceful smack of a kiss from Shione.

The intense kiss left my lips tingling with a strange pain.

As I stared at her blankly, trying to comprehend what just happened, she was smiling mischievously, like a little devil.

“See? You should have just done it willingly. I’m off now!”

Before I could say anything, Shione swiftly exited the room.

In the end, I was left to rub my lips as I returned to my room, wasting some time.

Well, after suffering that little pain earlier, I wasn’t feeling sleepy at all.

‘I should think about what to prepare for Tania’s party.’

I pondered what would be fitting for Tania, who had contributed considerably during this operation as a model of self-sacrifice.

Since if I only took care of Tania, the others might feel left out, I might as well prepare something for Elvis and our Cotton Puff as well.

Despite having three spirits, each has a distinct personality, so it was a relief that coming up with a rough idea of what to prepare wasn’t too difficult.

After some time had passed, a servant finally came to call for me to find Shione.

“Oh, right. I heard roughly when the trial will be. It seems it’s going to be held in about a week.”

“Y-Yes…?”

“I heard that the expedition is finally starting to get back on track. According to the manual we set up, it has been running smoothly, so they said to mention it.”

Ainel wanted to gather her daughter’s elated thoughts on the subject of the expedition in a lively manner.

“Then they promised to be as prompt as possible.”

What kind of mood would it strike when a daughter, returning immediately after an operation, brings up the subject of trial?

“What do you think? Isn’t that great?”

At least I’m betting three gold that the trial will be held within a week.

 

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