Published: July 3, 2025
"Take Kona into my hands!"
"Why are you singing the invader's song?"
Nils criticized the lyrics that Ryo sang.
"Recently, I feel like Nils has started to resemble Abel..."
"Mr. Abel is incredible!"
Nils reacted to the word "Abel" that Ryo mentioned.
As they had this conversation, Eto and Amon were walking while laughing.
On their way from the City of Run to Kona Village.
They left the City of Run at dawn and plan to arrive in Kona by evening.
"I’m curious about the anomalies, aside from the unknown bugs that have appeared."
Amon said as if he was asking no one in particular.
"That's right. It's not like there are any names of monsters mentioned, it's 'anomaly.' What could be lurking there?"
Eto answered while tilting her head.
"No matter what it is, I'll cut it down!"
Nils blurted out a muscle-headed line.
He is the party leader.
Ryo was convinced that the ability needed for a party leader is not intelligence, but the power to maintain the members' motivation, glancing at Nils.
"Ryo, you just thought of something really rude, didn’t you?"
"N-No, I didn’t say anything!"
Ryo stammered at Nils's sharp remark.
Still, Nils looked at Ryo with a piercing gaze.
"I was merely impressed by Nils’s qualities as a party leader."
Ryo stated confidently.
He wasn't lying.
"O-Oh. If that's the case, then..."
Nils, so easy to manipulate.
Just then, Eto and Amon caught a glimpse of Ryo's slightly mischievous expression.
"Ryo is…"
"Seems like you were thinking something bad."
The two whispered very quietly to each other.
And so, the four of them arrived at the village.
It was around two in the afternoon.
They managed to arrive a bit earlier than planned.
It was a village… though it looked quite populated.
Along the road, houses were lined up. And further back, vast coffee plantations spread out.
"I’ve heard about it, but not to this extent…"
Nils murmured.
"The population exceeds five thousand… it’s practically a city."
Eto remarked.
"Why has it remained a village, though?"
Amon spoke in a normal tone.
"That's because this is a royal territory."
The three turned around in surprise.
Ryo wasn't shocked since he sensed someone approaching, but he was surprised that it was a royal territory.
(Does his majesty the king also like coffee?)
The person who spoke from behind was a middle-aged man, around his mid-forties.
He was tall, walked gracefully, had brown skin, black eyes, and chestnut hair.
Ryo felt that he didn't exude the vibe of a farmer, which might have been due to the clothes he wore.
He wore a thin yet well-tailored shirt, ankle-length pants, and sandals.
"Oh, my apologies. I am Goro Ganda, dispatched here as the daimyo of Kona Village. Please call me Goro."
(Goro? It sounds like a Japanese name, but… his facial structure is Latin? He has deep features.)
"I apologize for the rudeness. We are the adventurers from Room 10 in the City of Run. I am Nils, and this is Eto, Amon, and Ryo. We are here to accept a request that originated from this village to the City of Run."
Upon hearing this, Nils mentioned, and Eto took out the request acceptance form from his bag and handed it to Goro.
Goro confirmed it.
"Yes, indeed. First, please come to the daimyo's office. I will provide an explanation there. Also, we have accommodations available, so you'll be staying there."
With that, Goro started walking ahead.
"As you may know, this request has also been submitted to the adventurers' guild in Kairadi. Adventurers from there will also be arriving, expected by evening. Therefore, I apologize, but I would like to provide the explanation after they arrive together."
"Understood. Please don’t worry about it."
Nils replied politely to Goro's request.
He had learned how to respond properly to clients.
(It's fine even if he’s muscle-headed.)
Ryo nodded with a sense of superiority for some reason.
That was quite rude.
"As for the accommodations, due to the nature of this village, bureaucrats and nobles from the royal capital often come here. These places are used for their lodging."
"Is it really okay for us to stay in a place like that?"