"Actually, there's something I’d like to ask you about."
Having finished my adventurer registration, I addressed the receptionist.
"Certainly. What is it?"
"I'm looking for an adventurer named Ageha. Have you heard of her?"
In truth, the primary reason I had come to the Adventurer's Guild was to find some trace of Ageha’s whereabouts.
"No, I’m afraid not. I've never heard that name before."
I see. In the future—a century from now—the Vampire Eudite had spoken of Ageha as the Hero who slew the Demon King. I had assumed she would already be a household name, but it seemed I had missed the mark.
"Well then, do you know anything about the Hero?"
Even if she didn't know Ageha by name, she might have information regarding the Hero.
"Are you interested in joining the war effort, Kiska-san? Having a Platinum-Rank adventurer on our side would be a tremendous asset."
"War? What war is that?"
"Oh, I'm referring to the conflict between the Hero Army and the Demon King Army currently taking place in the western Arianne Region."
Now that she mentioned it, the history sounded familiar.
A century ago, a massive war broke out between the Demon King and the Hero’s forces. If memory served, the Hero Army achieved a decisive victory, and the Demon King was forced into a desperate retreat. To history, the conflict was known as the Battle of Arianne.
So, that war was happening right now.
"What do I need to do to participate?"
Since Ageha was a Hero, there was a high probability she was involved in this conflict. Joining the war myself seemed like the fastest way to track her down.
"Well, let me see. I believe they were calling for recruits..."
The receptionist began flipping through her documents to confirm the details.
It looked like it might take a moment. As I stood there waiting—
Bang!
The heavy doors swung open with a resounding crash, followed by a commanding shout.
"I heard there is an adventurer here who conquered the Kataroff Dungeon! Step forward at once!"
I turned to see a female knight clad in full armor standing in the doorway.
An adventurer who cleared the Kataroff Dungeon? Well... that would be me.
"I know you’re in here! Identify yourself!"
The knight’s expression was terrifyingly intense. I hesitated, unsure of whether to speak up. If identifying myself meant getting dragged into some massive headache, I’d rather keep my mouth shut.
Maybe I should just stay quiet and mind my own business.
"Ah! The guy who beat the Kataroff Dungeon is right there!"
The man pointing at me was the same villager who had guided me to the guild earlier. He was standing right next to the knight, so he must have been the one who led her here in the first place.
"So, it is you," the knight said, stepping up to me with a fierce glare. "Why did you not identify yourself immediately?"
"Uh, well... I was in a hurry..."
It was a weak excuse, but I couldn't think of anything better on the fly.
"No matter. Every second is precious right now. Come with me."
Without giving me a chance to protest, the knight grabbed my arm in a vice grip and yanked.
I tried to pull back, but this woman was obscenely strong. I couldn't budge her at all. Before I knew it, I was being hauled out of the Adventurer's Guild like a sack of grain.
She dragged me all the way to the entrance of the Kataroff Dungeon.
A group of about half a dozen men and women were gathered there. They varied in age and appearance, but they all shared one trait: every single one of them carried a weapon that looked exceptionally powerful.
Clearly, this was a party of high-level adventurers.
"I’ve brought him," the knight announced, shoving me toward the group. "The adventurer who supposedly cleared the Kataroff Dungeon."
"Hmm? This kid?" one of them remarked. "He doesn't look like much."
"Now, now. Having someone who knows the dungeon's layout will be a huge help. Tell me, friend, what’s your name?"
A tall, handsome man with kind eyes spoke to me.
"Kiska."
"Kiska, then. I’m sorry to be so sudden, but we have a vital favor to ask of you."
"A favor? What kind?"
I didn't exactly have the luxury of time to be running errands for strangers, though I doubted they’d let me leave easily.
"Wait, are you really going to explain our situation to some man we can't even vouch for!?" the female knight—Kariana—interjected.
"Calm down, Kariana. If we want his cooperation, we have to start by showing him that we’re trustworthy ourselves."
"My apologies. I stepped out of line."
Kariana bowed her head and retreated a few steps. Judging by the interaction, this handsome man was clearly the leader of the pack.
"Now then, Kiska. I need you to keep what I’m about to tell you in the strictest confidence."
"Understood."
He was being quite dramatic. Was the secret really that significant?
"We’ve been tracking a certain target, and we followed them all the way here," he explained. "We have confirmation that our target fled into the Kataroff Dungeon. That is why we were looking for a guide—someone who knows the interior as well as you do."
That made sense. When it came to the layout of the Kataroff Dungeon, I likely knew more than anyone else alive in this era.
"And who is this target?" I asked.
They must be someone formidable to choose a dungeon as a hiding spot. An ordinary person would be slaughtered by monsters the moment they stepped inside. To enter such a hive of death willingly, even as a means of escape...
I waited for his answer. The tall man spoke with an unnerving calm.
"The Demon King."
"What—?"
The sheer weight of the words left me speechless.
"Uh... then who exactly are you people?" I asked tentatively.
I could already guess the answer, but I needed to hear it.
"I suppose it would make the most sense if I told you that we are the Hero and his companions."
It seemed I had just been swept up in something incredibly troublesome.