The woman in the cloak cried out, her voice brimming with excitement she couldn't suppress.
My thoughts ground to a halt the moment she addressed me as "Master Orun."
"U-um! Would it be alright if I shook your hand?!"
She held out her right hand, her voice pitched high and trembling.
"Y-yeah. I don't mind, but..."
A bit overwhelmed by her intensity, I lightly grasped her hand.
"Kyaa! Lore, what should I do?! I just shook hands with Master Orun!"
She turned toward Loretta, practically vibrating with joy.
I gathered that "Lore" must be Loretta's nickname.
"Yes, yes, good for you. Now that you've had your fun, calm down. You’re bothering the neighbors."
In contrast, Loretta scolded her with a weary, exasperated expression.
"That's impossible! I mean, this is Master Orun, you know?! The hidden hand who protected Tsutrail from a massive swarm of magic beasts and thwarted the Empire's invasion! He is a true hero of this kingdom! To meet such a person by chance and not be overjoyed would be an insult!"
She was laying the praise on a bit thick...
However, the fact that I was involved in stopping the Empire's invasion should have been information known only to a very small circle. Even if she was the person I suspected, I didn't think the details had reached her yet. Or had the news already spread among the royalty, nobility, and their associates?
Yet another question to add to the pile.
One thing after another... Give me a break.
"Consider your station. If you make any more of a scene, I'm taking you back by force, understood?"
Loretta must have realized a gentle warning wouldn't suffice. She spoke in a low, threatening tone.
"Ugh...! I'll stop!"
Sensing that Loretta was truly prepared to drag her away, the woman fell silent, though she still radiated an aura of dissatisfaction.
Satisfied, Loretta turned her gaze back to me.
"Good grief... Anyway, I didn't expect to run into you in the Royal Capital, Orun. Is the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky planning to respond to the Central Army's summons?"
"No, we have no plans to head to the front. I came to the capital on personal business, but since that’s settled, I’m returning to Tsutrail tomorrow."
The cloaked woman looked like she was about to shout something again, but Loretta—anticipating the outburst—covered her mouth with a hand. The woman struggled, letting out muffled "Mmph! Mmph!" sounds.
"I see. Actually, we’re also planning to head to Tsutrail tomorrow. If you don't mind, would you be willing to let us accompany you? What do you think?"
As Loretta made the proposal, she glanced down at the woman whose mouth she was still muffling.
"...Sure, that’s fine. Let's head to Tsutrail together tomorrow."
I replied, catching Loretta's unspoken plea. I guessed she wanted me to act as a distraction or a conversation partner for the girl.
It was embarrassing to admit, but the short time we’d spent together was enough to show she held me in high regard. Even meeting her for the first time, I could tell that if we traveled separately despite having the same destination, her frustration would likely boil over. Loretta clearly wanted to avoid that for the sake of her own sanity.
For my part, spending hours with two high-status individuals promised to be far more exhausting than traveling alone. To be honest, it was a development I'd rather have avoided, but if I could put them in my debt, it would be worth the trouble.
"Thank you. In that case, shall we meet at the castle gate tomorrow at ten in the morning?"
"Understood. I’ll see you at ten."
Loretta nodded and led the cloaked woman back into Aida's pharmacy. Once they were out of sight, I turned and headed back to my own lodgings.
◇
The next day, I arrived at the meeting point with my horse to find the two of them already waiting.
"Good morning. My apologies, I hope I haven't kept you waiting."
"Good morning, Master Orun! It's no problem at all! We couldn't possibly let you be the one waiting for us!"
Loretta's friend was wearing the same plain, black cloak as yesterday. I felt it might actually make her stand out more at this time of day, but she must have decided it was a necessary precaution.
Furthermore, her energy levels hadn't dropped an inch since yesterday. I had hoped a night's sleep might have calmed her down, but it seemed that was wishful thinking.
"Morning, Orun. Sorry for the noise so early in the day."
"No, I don't mind."
After reassuring Loretta, I turned back toward the cloaked woman to introduce myself formally.
"—You seem to know who I am, but allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Orun Doura, an explorer with the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky. It’s a pleasure to travel with you."
"Yes, it’s a pleasure! I’m sorry for being late with my own introduction. Please, just call me Lucy!"
"Lucy," huh. As I suspected, she was definitely who I thought she was. She wasn't trying particularly hard to hide it; if she were truly serious about a cover story, she would have used a fake name rather than her nickname.
"I understand, Lady Lucy."
"Master Orun, there's no need for titles! I’d be much happier if you just called me Lucy!"
"If you drop the 'Master' from my name, I’ll consider it, Lady Lucy."
"You used the title again... Sigh... Fine. I understand. I’ll call you 'Orun.' That’s how I’ll have to address you in public eventually, anyway."
"I see. If that's the case, I should probably match you."
"Muu... Orun, you're surprisingly stubborn."
"My apologies. I may have gotten a bit carried away. Then, I shall call you 'Lucy-san'—when we aren't in public, that is."
"Understood. I would have preferred no honorific at all, but I suppose it can't be helped."
With the matter of names settled, Loretta spoke up.
"Well then, since we're all on a first-name basis, shall we get a move on?"
"Understood." "Roger."
We mounted our horses, passed through the castle gate, and set off down the road toward Tsutrail.
Lucy-san took the lead in the conversation, firing one question after another at me.
"Orun, you've been an explorer since you were that young?!"
She reacted with genuine admiration when I told her I’d started at the age of nine.
"Yes. It's only been about ten years, so I'm not sure how much of a reference I can be, but I feel that even veteran explorers are growing increasingly uneasy with the recent state of affairs."
Lucy-san must have spent all of last night deciding what to ask me. The conversation never lagged for a second. I shared as much as I could to help her understand the reality of being an explorer, while carefully withholding anything sensitive.
The fact that she was heading to Tsutrail right now was not particularly good news for us. She seemed close with Loretta, so I doubted she would make unreasonable demands, but it was best to lay the groundwork now. It would ultimately depend on how desperate they were, but it didn't seem like she would give up that information easily.
"I truly believe the Nohitant Kingdom has been able to maintain its diplomatic standing only through the tireless efforts of its explorers. Hearing your stories makes me realize that even more. I have nothing but gratitude for all of you."
Lucy-san’s face was hidden by her hood, but her tone was solemn. Gone was the high-tension fan from earlier; in her place was someone quietly and intensely discerning the situation—a demeanor much closer to the rumors I'd heard about "that person." I wondered what thoughts were racing through her mind.
"—Speaking of which, Orun, you defeated a Deep Floor Boss all by yourself, didn't you? I heard that because of that feat, you’ve earned the alias 'Dragon Slayer'!"
After a moment of pensive silence, she jumped to her next question as if she had just remembered it.
"That's the one. Though it's a bit of an unsettling title, if you ask me."
"Fufu, it certainly sounds intense, but in the context of history, I think it's a wonderful name."
By history, she likely meant the Fairy Tale Era. Magic beasts are born within Labyrinths, and those Labyrinths began appearing all over the world during that era. Legend says that back then, the Labyrinth Crystals were weaker, allowing many magic beasts to roam the surface.
Even in such an age, the Dragon Species—the category the Black Dragon falls into—was considered the pinnacle of ferocity. While there were other dangerous beasts, the dragons were the most feared of all races. That was why anyone capable of slaying a dragon was hailed by the masses, second only to the Great Hero and his party.
"To be honest, it’s a bit intimidating to be compared to the figures of legend."
"With the strength to solo a Deep Floor Boss, I don't think you fall short at all. I’ve heard many people say it's only a matter of time before you conquer the Great Labyrinth of the South."
"That is far too much credit. Even if the Great Labyrinth only has a hundred floors, we’ve only reached the 94th. That means we haven't even cleared half of the Deep Floors yet. We have no idea what kind of monsters are waiting further down, so it’s hard to say for sure that we’ll ever conquer it. Of course, that won’t stop us from giving it everything we've got."
"I see. It really is different hearing it from the source. It might sound cliché, but I'm truly rooting for you, Orun!"
"Hey now, Lucy. Aren't you going to cheer for us, Jade Gale?"
Loretta, who had been listening quietly, sounded mock-offended. However, the playful smile on her face showed she wasn't serious. Lucy-san caught on immediately.
"Fufu, of course I'm rooting for Lore and the others, too. But I'm a fan of Orun!"
"Thank you. I'll do my best to live up to the support, Lucy-san."
◇
(About halfway there. If I remember the map correctly, there’s a mid-sized Labyrinth nearby, along with Farila village, where our clan has a base.)
As we covered the halfway point to Tsutrail, I kept one eye on the road and the other on the mental map I’d memorized.
"—! Lore! My bad premonition came true!"
Suddenly, Lucy-san cried out. Her voice was no longer soft; it was tight with tension.
Loretta clicked her tongue, immediately firing a red signal flare into the sky before leaping off her horse. In a flash, she summoned two blades of different lengths: a greatsword in her right hand and a longsword in her left.
As she prepared for battle, I expanded my detection net. A massive swarm of magic beasts slammed into my awareness. Looking toward the horizon, I saw thick clouds of dust rising into the air.
(A Stampede... exactly what Abel warned me about. If this was triggered intentionally, the target is almost certainly—)
"Orun, I'm sorry for dragging you into this. I can't let you be a burden. Forget about us and ride for Tsutrail!"
For a split second, I wondered if I’d been set up again, just like in Regrif. But Lucy-san’s immediate attempt to send me away suggested otherwise. Had she really just wanted to talk to me on the ride? No, that was too optimistic.
Regardless, even if I was caught in this by chance, accompanying them had been the right move. Whether I was with them or not, the Stampede was happening; being here allowed me to react to it instantly.
Right now, we were sandwiched between the swarm and Farila village. If the beasts kept their current course, they would hit the village head-on. That meant members of the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky were in the direct path of the disaster. Even if there were explorers at the station, an unexpected flood of monsters would make it nearly impossible to protect the village without casualties—even for Senior Explorers.
I had to wipe them out here. Even if I couldn't kill them all, I had to thin their ranks and buy the village time to fortify.
Fortunately, I had an ace from an S-Rank party at my side. Judging by the signal flare, the rest of Jade Gale was likely rushing to our position from the rear.
I dismounted and gripped Schwarzhase. At that moment, the vanguard of the swarm crested the horizon.
"...Orun?"
Lucy-san watched me, her voice trembling with confusion.
"I have my own reasons for being here, so I'll lend a hand. Loretta, how long until your team arrives?"
"You noticed the flare's meaning?"
"Given the string of Stampedes in the kingdom and your reaction, it’s the only logical conclusion."
"—! How do you know about the other Stampedes...? No, that's not important right now. If you're willing to help, I'll take it. My team should be here in two minutes!"
(Two minutes, huh? They won't make it.)
The swarm would be on us in less than sixty seconds. For an S-Rank ace like Loretta or myself, the monsters themselves weren't a death sentence, but protecting Lucy-san while fighting them would be a nightmare. I couldn't let her get a scratch. I had to end this before it got close.
"Understood. I'll handle the first wave. Contact your team and tell them to be ready for the second."
"All of them by yourself?! Even for you, that's suicide!"
"She's right! It's too dangerous! I'll be fine—I have magic tools that can protect me for a few minutes! You don't have to throw your life away for me...!"
Nearly a hundred magic beasts were screaming toward us. As they said, it was a suicide mission for a typical front-line attacker.
—But that was only if I fought them at close range.
"Don't worry. I’m not called Tsutrail's strongest for nothing. Leave the opening move to me. —【Alteration】. 【Sixth Form: Mont Sechs】."
I stepped in front of the two women. Schwarzhase reacted to the converged mana I’d been storing inside my storage tool, melting into a fluid, glowing state. It reshaped itself, lengthening and curving into a great bow.
I pulled the remaining converged mana into an arrow and nocked it. As I drew the string, the sheer density of the mana began to warp the very air around the shaft.
I aimed high above the approaching swarm and released.
"—Reiten."