Published: March 21, 2026
"...Ah, no problem."
When I answered, the hero let out a relieved breath for some reason.
I tilted my head.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say the hero and I disliked each other.
I had been keeping my distance out of consideration because he seemed to dislike me, so I wondered what had changed.
While I was thinking that, Crow spoke up.
Seeing the room feel cramped with more people, Crow sharpened his already piercing gaze even further.
The hero and the others shifted.
Mr. Zeal seemed used to this; as if it didn't concern him, he sipped the tea that had been brought out.
"Honestly, I’d like to tell everyone except Zeal-boy to get out of this house..."
Crow shot a glance at me.
"But I'll pardon you this time, given you're just recovering. Make a fuss and you'll be sleeping outdoors without question."
His words were as merciless as ever; I gave a wry smile.
He seemed to be trying to look out for me, in his own way — a born tsundere, it seemed.
Because of the number of seats, everyone except the hero and Kyousuke stood.
Crow sat in front of Mr. Zeal, I sat in front of Crow, and Amelia was beside me.
The hero sitting across from Amelia blushed at her beauty, but Amelia didn't even glance his way.
Kyousuke, sitting in front of me, met the gaze of Yoru who was perched on my shoulder, and they exchanged a silent standoff.
There's definitely sparks flying.
"First, Crow. What about Ringa?"
I asked about what I had requested he investigate when I had collapsed from magical power exhaustion.
The conversation wouldn't progress on its own, and Crow didn't seem inclined to take the role of facilitator.
All eyes turned to Crow.
He frowned as if annoyed at the attention and sipped his tea.
"...That guy's clean."
I was surprised.
I had thought Ringa had guided the Demon Clan in. Given the circumstances, Ringa had seemed the most suspicious.
Even if the labyrinth was rumored to be created by the demon king, there’s no way you can pinpoint-teleport to a specific labyrinth entrance.
Even Mahiro’s magic circle would need some kind of marker at the exit.
Leader Saran once said magic isn't omnipotent.
While there are spells that instantaneously take you where you want to go, they can only take you to places you've been before.
Mahiro’s magic circle must have similar constraints.
Ringa, as the guild master of the town with the labyrinth, and someone of reasonable ability, should have been able to mark the lowest layer of the labyrinth — that's what I thought.
"But there was another shady one."
Crow clenched his fist.
His nails cut his skin and blood flowed.
Crow didn't seem to notice.
"The guild master of the Adventurer Guild in the largest city Uruk. That guy's rotten through and through."
"Name?"
Yoru reacted on my shoulder.
I felt Amelia stiffen too.
Crow's eyes indeed held killing intent as he spoke the name.
"Name's Gram. Former prime minister of the Beastmen, and the current king's nephew. He's the one I want revenge on."
My eyes widened at that name.
I’d heard it before.
I looked at Yoru.
'As you thought, my lord, the man the Uruk knights who tried to abduct Miss Amelia in the Elf territory mentioned as the ringleader had that name.'
Yoru had said there had been a prime minister named Gram, but I didn't expect him to have become Uruk's guild master.
And he was Crow's target for revenge.
"...This is the first I'm hearing Crow wants revenge. Had Amelia and Yoru heard about this?"
Information sharing was clearly lacking.
Things had been hectic recently, and with Amelia having been abducted and such, there hadn't been time for a proper discussion.
"I heard it on the day I was taken by Aurum. From Yoru."
"Talk about that over there. I don't want to hear it."
Crow averted his face as if the subject was unbearable.
I glanced at Amelia to signal we'd talk later.
"So what's shady about this Gram fellow?"
At my question, Crow turned his face toward us.
"What do you mean how? The guy's a walking pile of crimes. Just a little digging and you find embezzlement, dealings with the underworld, all sorts of dirt."