Published: March 21, 2026
I'm very sorry for being so late!!!
I've finally gotten used to university life, so I'll resume updates starting today.
From here begins the content of volume three.
The moment Akira was gone, the room fell completely silent.
The hero in front of me kept glancing this way and that, but said nothing.
Asahina, whom Yoru regarded as an enemy, sat there deep in thought.
"...W-well then, first of all, why is the princess here? And where do you intend to go from here?"
While everyone remained silent, a man who introduced himself as Nanase timidly addressed me.
When I looked up to meet his gaze, for some reason he flinched and looked away.
I sighed and answered.
"Our final destination is the Demon King's Castle at the very back of the Demon Clan territory. We came to the Beastmen territory because Akira's weapon was worn out and needed Crow to reforge it. Whether we go straight to the Demon King's Castle from here will be decided after consulting with Akira and Yoru."
I deliberately didn't say the others' names.
Because Akira didn't seem to want them to come.
"May I ask next?"
After Nanase answered 'go ahead,' I turned my attention to the five who weren't seated.
"You two must have a different opinion from those two over there, right? You're against acting together with Akira."
When I asked if they were different, the two nodded.
They were the oddly-talked woman, Ueno, and the apparent trainer, Waki.
The other three's reactions were ambiguous.
"Before you try to persuade Yoru or me, get your own opinions aligned. Fortunately, both Akira and Yoru are exhausted, so they'll need time to recover."
We didn't have an abundance of time, but there should be at least enough to sort out the party's thoughts.
When I said that, the hero, who had been frowning silently until then, bowed his head.
"We'll do that. Thank you."
Saying that, he stood up.
Asahina, standing beside the hero, also rose, bowed to me, and followed the hero out of the room.
The others followed suit.
They're all polite people.
Akira can be like that sometimes too, but those who come from another world are generally well-mannered.
Come to think of it, I've heard the people of the Yamato Kingdom in the Human race territory are very polite too.
Surely the hero who founded the Yamato Kingdom must have come from a place called Nihon, where Akira and the others originally lived.
"...Yoru, do you think Akira wants them to come?"
Yoru, who had been wearing a troubled expression at the living room table when it was just the two of us, turned to face me.
His golden eyes pierced me from below.
Yoru thought for a moment and shrugged.
'Sure don't know. I don't really know what master is thinking. However, that arrogant brat seemed to be close to master.'
Yoru had been needling that man named Asahina more than necessary.
He probably disliked the idea of someone knowing his master better than he does.
'Also, the trainer and that weird-talking woman clearly seem to be hostile toward master. It's not wise for master to act together with such people.'
I nodded in agreement.
But if they intend to harm Akira, what about me?
I nearly killed Akira.
It's true my body wasn't under my control at the time, but it was still due to my carelessness.
And being kidnapped by the Demon Clan in the first place was because I wasn't strong enough.
Thanks to shadow magic, there isn't even a scar, but without it Akira would have died.
Seeing me fall silent, Yoru peered at my face with concern.
'Miss Amelia, don't worry about what happened in the labyrinth. In the end, master didn't die—he's alive. That was Mahiro's doing. Master also probably doesn't think you did it on purpose.'
I forced a smile and nodded.
"Yeah. Thank you, Yoru."
Yoru looked satisfied and nodded, then fell into thought again.
Leaving him there, I stepped outside the house.
I entered the nearby forest and felt the trees welcome me, the High Elf.
The Elf race lives in harmony with the forest.
Long ago, they chose the Sacred Tree over territory size or wealth because if other races managed the woods they might cut them down.