episode_0125

Mayor Garein of Kubel was anxiously biting his nails in his mansion.

A rebellion broke out in the capital city of Pifnel, leading to a change in kings.

Furthermore, the new king sent out official letters to each city.

The choice was simple: stand with the capital of the kingdom or oppose it.

In reality, it was almost like a half-hearted threat.

If a city refused, it would be deemed an enemy state, and war would be declared as a threat.

Garein had long ruled Kubel peacefully.

But now, this was happening.

“Ugh… Do I have no choice but to protect the city…?”

He didn’t want to fight.

He had endured so much to turn this city into a hub of trade.

The thought of war, getting involved in such a terrifying event, was not something he desired.

After all, history favored the victors.

Even if a leader of a rebellion without legitimacy became king, stability would eventually come with time.

But if Kubel got dragged into a war just by rebelling…

As Garein pondered, the door of the mansion suddenly opened.

“Wh… Who’s there?”

“…”

The figure that appeared after opening the door was Milaia, a female swordsman with long black hair and an expressionless face.

She had already received permission from Yunoa.

If Kubel fell into the hands of the rebels, it would disrupt Yunoa’s plans.

So, the solution was simple.

As the one with the authority, Mayor Garein could prevent Kubel from falling into the hands of the rebels.

“I am Milaia.”

“Uh… Yes? Milaia… then…”

Garein had naturally heard of Milaia’s name.

Even if he had no interest, he had heard of the woman known as the strongest among adventurers.

But why was she here?

“I’ll be straightforward. Reject the demands from the capital city.”

“W-What? But…”

“Reject it.”

“N-No, even if you suddenly come here and say that…”

Garein’s face turned pale, unsure of what to do.

He had the skills to turn Kubel into the best trading city, but he was a weak-hearted person.

On the other hand, Milaia exuded an intimidating presence that suffocated people.

“Reject it.”

Milaia repeated.

On Garein’s desk lay the threatening official letter from the capital.

After a moment, Milaia walked forward and tore the letter to pieces in front of Garein.

Garein’s face looked like he was about to cry.

Rejecting the demands from the capital would make Kubel hostile to the kingdom.

That was a terrifying prospect for Garein.

But the woman in front of him was even more terrifying.

He couldn’t even dare to look her in the eye.

With no expression or emotion, there was no room for emotional appeals.

For an adventurer to come to the mayor’s mansion and make such a threatening demand was something that should never have happened.

But the current state of the kingdom made it possible.

With the rebels occupying the capital and self-proclaiming a king, the system that protected Garein had crumbled.

“I-I’ll do as you wish…”

In the end, Garein couldn’t withstand Milaia’s pressure and spoke.

He had no desire to continue as the mayor of Kubel in such a terrifying situation.

“…”

Milaia quietly stared at Garein.

Then, with a sound of tearing, Garein hastily fled from the mayor’s mansion.

And he never returned.

* * *

A restaurant in front of the Kubel Adventurer Guild.

Sylphy and Jem came out for a quick lunch.

Sylphy leaned her massive bow against her chair and diligently ate meat dumplings with a fork.

She was well aware of the chaotic situation in the kingdom and the current atmosphere surrounding Kubeel.

As someone who had now become someone far removed from an ordinary adventurer, I became curious about how these recent events appeared from the perspective of someone living the most adventurous daily life, like Sylphy.

“I do worry. Adventurers tend to get anxious when their surroundings keep changing.”

“Is that so?”

“But with you here, I’m sure everything will be fine, right?”

Sylphy looked at me with a reassuring smile.

She seems to think highly of me.

“In a situation like this, what can I do? I don’t even know where to start dealing with the threat of the Demon Lord’s soul.”

“It seems like you lack confidence, Senpai.”

“Really?”

“So many people rely on you. You’re trusted by the guild master… You’ve quickly risen in adventurer rank, and your magical abilities are so impressive that they’re unmatched.”

Sylphy spoke as if stating the obvious, looking straight at me.

Hearing such direct praise made me feel a bit embarrassed.

Do I really lack confidence…?

“Senpai.”

“Yes?”

“What did you do before becoming an adventurer?”

What did I do before becoming an adventurer?

Oh, right. In this world, I was just a homeless person living on the streets. I worked as a janitor at the church where Sistina was, and then I came to Kubeel to build the foundation of an adventurer.

“It wasn’t anything special. I used to work as a janitor at a church in the neighboring city.”

“What about before that? When you were younger.”

“Why are you so curious?”

“It’s natural to be curious. Isn’t it normal to wonder what my respected Senpai was like when he was young?”

Sylphy really knows how to push my buttons.

My life before… If she’s referring to my life before coming to this world, I didn’t really want to talk about it.

Why did I want to come to this world so badly in the first place?

Even though I knew it was impossible, I searched for a way to come to this world, trapping myself in a dead-end life.

Honestly, until my school days, I was just a normal kid.

I hung out with friends, had typical childish dreams and aspirations, and lived a mediocre life without standing out too much.

But things started to unravel at home when problems arose with my family.

My parents’ issues led to constant arguments every day, with my father starting to drink and my mother constantly talking about dying.

The tension at home began to affect my school life, making every moment feel like walking on thin ice.

Going home became terrifying, as I became the target of my mother’s drunken rants and insults.

Whenever I tried to do something, my father would belittle me, saying, “What can you do? You’re just like your mother, you’ll end up living a pathetic life.”

I never wanted to go back to that life.

Now that I’ve come to this world, I don’t know what happened to the me in that previous reality.

My father wouldn’t care if I disappeared or died.

“I don’t have many good memories to recall.”

I told Sylphy.

She must have sensed the negative emotions on my face, as she didn’t press for more details.

“I see. It was just my curiosity, so if there’s something you don’t want to remember, you don’t have to worry about it.”

“Yeah.”

“But still, you’re truly an amazing person now, Senpai. At least to me, you’re like a benefactor.”

“Are you praising me too much?”

“I just… wish you had a bit more confidence. Am I being too forward?”

It seemed like Sylphy was being sincere.

I didn’t realize I seemed so lacking in confidence….

“You’re here, Yunoa.”

At that moment, a familiar voice reached my ears, and I turned my head.

It was Milaia.

“Oh, Milaia?”

“Ah… hello….”

I awkwardly greeted Milaia with a nod. Even though we had fought together before, I still found it difficult to deal with her.

“Yunoa, Kubele won’t be joining the rebels.”

“What? Did something happen?”

Come to think of it, Milaia had asked for my permission to take care of things so that I wouldn’t have to worry about the kingdom’s affairs.

But why had she returned so quickly? What had she done exactly…?

“I told the mayor at the mansion to reject the capital’s request.”

“….”

“It wasn’t intentional, but the mayor ran away.”

“Ah….”

What does that mean?

“As Milaia said, the mayor of Kubele couldn’t handle the current situation and ran away.

The position of mayor in Kubele is now vacant.”

“So… who will manage Kubele now?”

“That… ”

With the capital in its current state, there wouldn’t be a new mayor appointed. Even if they were to appoint a new mayor after learning of this in the capital, there would be no reason for the rebels to listen.

Perhaps they would storm the mayor’s mansion and take matters into their own hands.

It was a very Milaia-like approach, but upon reflection, it seemed like the fastest and most efficient way.

Although I didn’t intend for the mayor to run away…

“Yunoa, how about you temporarily take on the role of mayor?”

“What? Me?”

“Mayor of Kubele.”

“Pfft!”

Milaia’s expressionless words almost made me spit out the drink I was having.

No, if I were to do that, it would seem like I had used Milaia to seize control of Kubele. Besides, I had no administrative abilities whatsoever.

“But someone has to do it.”

“Even so, it shouldn’t be me. Above all, the citizens of Kubele would never accept me.”

“Is that so? Well, then there’s nothing we can do.”

“But….”

But wouldn’t it be more convenient if someone who was clearly on our side temporarily took that position?

Someone who could fill the void left by the mayor of Kubele without succumbing to the pressures from the capital and who could gain the approval of the citizens of Kubele without much resistance.

“Perhaps Algot… ”

If Guild Master Algot were to take on that role, it might be more convenient in many ways.

She was proficient in guild master duties and various administrative tasks, and she was clearly on my side.

“Do as you wish, Yunoa. I’ll go back.”

As I was thinking about that, Milaia spoke again.

“Where are you going?”

“Because the issue of the kingdom’s rebels still remains.”

Is she really planning to do it?

Honestly, there were some concerns on my mind.

But the narration had said that she had the ability to solve the kingdom’s problems.

Dealing with the rebels who had taken over the capital was not a problem that could be solved through sheer force.

“Milaia, promise me one thing.”

“Yes.”

“Don’t sacrifice yourself like you did with the hero in the past.”

“I understand.”

Milaia replied, maintaining her usual expressionless demeanor.

I couldn’t help but wonder if everything would be okay, but for now, I had no choice but to trust her.