"On your knees. Faces to the floor. Now. Haven't I told you a dozen times to stop this? Why must you always find ways to be a nuisance?"
"W-We're incredibly sorry, ma'am!"
"Why are you prostrating yourselves to me? Look that way. Bow to these people. And who said you could raise your heads? Change direction while keeping your bellies to the ground. Yes, just like that. Learn to know your place.
—Um, please forgive us! I am truly sorry for the trouble they’ve caused. These two idiots are reflecting on their actions, as you can see!"
"..."
Before us stood a girl with a dark, twisted smile that suggested she had descended into the depths of some sinister madness—and two young men at her feet, performing the most manly groveling I had ever seen. When one of them tried to beg for mercy, whispering, "H-Hey, surely that's enough," the girl simply ground the tip of her wood rod into the back of his head.
"I didn't say you could look up, did I? Why can't you understand a simple instruction? Aren't you ashamed to be lectured by a child like me? Honestly, it's deplorable..."
"............"
The members of Silvery Grey were collectively speechless.
/
To understand how such a violent scene had come to pass, we have to look back a little.
The repairs to my prosthetic leg had cost us extra days, but the prospect of my discharge was finally in sight. As a final step in my rehabilitation, I had headed to the guild to find a way back home.
I could walk now, but with my body in this state, a leisurely journey on foot was out of the question. My options were to find a merchant looking for escorts who would let me ride in a carriage, or to wait for a communal caravan to be organized.
Traveling by water was a possibility, but the town of Luther was a fair distance from the nearest port, meaning we would need horses to get there anyway. More importantly, our party had a standing rule against sea travel because Atri possessed an unexpected weakness: a severe, bone-deep hatred of ships.
Fortunately, the movement of people is the lifeblood of civilization, and escort requests were the most common jobs at the guild. Merchants, in particular, were always looking for protection. The most successful ones didn't even bother with open recruitment; they handpicked reliable adventurers and nominated them directly. For an adventurer, receiving such a request was a mark of prestige, proof that their reputation preceded them.
And so, leaning on my cane, I had arrived at the guild with my companions.
"Ah—"
We hadn't been inside long when Yulitia suddenly stiffened. Following her gaze, I saw two adventurers loitering by the wall, looking around restlessly as if waiting for someone.
They looked to be in their twenties. On their own, they weren't particularly remarkable, but Atri’s eyes immediately narrowed with hostility.
"...Those guys. They were stalking Yulitia before."
"What?"
"They kept calling out to her. Tried to take her somewhere."
I see. So that had happened while I was incapacitated. And unlike the young boy from before, these two had been pestering her with far less innocent intentions. Yulitia really did have a magnet for trouble.
I supposed I’d just have to kill them.
"Oh—hey! You’re the girl from the other day! What a coincidence!"
"Wait, for real! You're even cuter today. Is this fate or what?"
"..."
The men noticed us and approached with an irritatingly casual air, as if they were old friends. Yulitia gasped and took a step back.
Hoh. How kind of them to step into my range. If they intended to approach her with such obvious ulterior motives, they would have to get through me and Atri first...
"—Excuse me."
A girl’s voice, cold enough to freeze blood, cut through the air. Simultaneously, a wave of absolute-zero magical power washed over the room. The two men turned pale and let out a strangled yelp, paralyzed where they stood.
The girl was dressed in a mage’s outfit—a pale beige robe with red accents. At a glance, she looked ordinary, but the aura of pure, unadulterated menace radiating from her suggested she could pivot to being a front-line brawler at any moment.
Despite the intensity, the girl maintained a fixed smile.
"I believe I told you to stay quiet and do nothing. Were you just about to bother these people? Are they acquaintances of yours?"
The men began to sweat profusely, their voices trembling.
"N-No, well..."
"Y-Yeah, just a little acquainted. Right?"
One of them threw a pleading look toward us, begging for a lifeline. Master, of course, answered immediately.
"I don't know them. In fact, they were pestering my companion and making a nuisance of themselves."
"Is that so?"
It was a perfect demonstration of what it looked like when someone snapped while keeping a pleasant expression.
And so, we arrived at the current scene: a girl grinding her staff into the heads of two groveling men while hurling abuse at them—a sight that was surely a poor influence on any children nearby.
"Sigh... I am truly sorry. I don't know why these two are always so frivolous. Come on, apologize again. Now."
"W-We're incredibly sorry, sirs!!"
"A-Ahaha..."
Yulitia looked genuinely intimidated by the men’s desperate apologies. Honestly, even I thought it was a bit much. There weren't many people in the guild this early, but the stares we were receiving from every corner were physically painful.
Master looked just as weary of the spectacle.
"Fine, I get it. Just don't let them near my companion again. We're leaving."
"...W-Wait, please!"
The girl hurriedly stopped Master as we began to turn away.
"Um... I know this is sudden, but you're adventurers, right? Could you... please help us with a request?"
"Hah? Go find someone else. We're here to find a ride to the Holy City."
"Then our request is perfect for you!"
She leaned forward, the words tumbling out of her in a desperate rush.
"It's an escort mission! To the Holy City! Please, just hear me out..."
"..."
Master looked at me, silently asking for my opinion.
Judging by the way the girl was clutching at straws, she was clearly in a dire situation. Since we were going to the same place, I didn't see the harm in listening.
"Why not?" I said.
"...I suppose. Fine, let's hear it."
"Thank you! Thank you so much!"
The girl’s face lit up with profound relief.
"First, I should introduce myself. I am Luerie. And these two idiots are..."
"Cain, sir!"
"Lloyd, sir!"
"We're a C-rank party called Windmill."
As it turned out, Windmill was a four-person party, much like our own. Luerie, the girl leading them, was a mage who carried a large wood rod.
Her pale violet hair was cut shorter than Yulitia’s in the back but kept semi-long on the sides. She looked to be around Yulitia’s age, perhaps slightly older, though her youthful voice and stiff, formal speech made her seem younger.
The two men still performing their "manly dogezas" were Cain, the blue-haired one, and Lloyd, the brown-haired one. They were handsome enough and seemed like they might have been sociable under different circumstances.
...Though I could certainly see why she’d call them "frivolous."
As for the fourth member...
"Actually, we're usually a group of four including my sister, but... she's currently unwell."
"Is it serious?" I asked.
"Y-Yes. But she's being treated properly at the local church."
So, while her sister recovered, Luerie and the others were trying to keep their party active. Her sister was likely feeling guilty about being stuck in a hospital bed while her team worked. I knew that feeling all too well. I felt a strange sense of kinship with her.
We gave our own brief introductions. Luerie carefully memorized our names before continuing.
"The thing is, we've accepted an escort job for tomorrow. There are two merchants, and they both have carriages. We're worried about handling two vehicles with just the three of us. Won't you please help us?"
It was an offer that was almost too good to be true. Even though we were an A-rank party, our only male member was a cripple, and the rest were three girls who didn't look particularly imposing. I doubted many merchants would be willing to take us on as guards.
But if we teamed up with Windmill, we’d have three men and four women—a solid headcount. Plus, Rosche and Anze were planning to travel with us. With a knight of the Chrys Knights and a Sister who could use holy magic, we would be such a formidable force that my presence wouldn't matter.
On paper, there was no reason to refuse.
Except for one thing.
"You want us to work with... them?" Yulitia asked, her voice flat.
She was clearly thinking about the fact that the two men had been stalking her. In an escort mission, your life depended on your teammates. It was never a good idea to work with people you couldn't trust.
Luerie sensed Yulitia's hesitation. She immediately kicked Cain in the ribs without mercy.
"I-I'll keep these two on a short leash! If they even look at you funny, you have my permission to beat them senseless and leave them in a ditch!"
I found myself wondering if they were actually friends. Cain was currently face-down on the floor, twitching.
Master crossed her arms. "Hmm. The job itself sounds fine, but maybe we should check if there’s anything else first?"
"I agree," I said.
"..."
Luerie’s face went pale, looking like a child about to be abandoned. I thought she was overreacting, but she was young; maybe the pressure of being short-handed was getting to her.
We scanned the request board. There were other jobs, but none of them fit. Some weren't going to the Holy City, some didn't leave for a week, and others were strictly on foot.
"It's either them or we wait for a caravan," Master noted.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Luerie waiting for our verdict with bated breath. There was a palpable sense of tragic desperation coming from her, as if she would collapse into tears if we said no.
It was incredibly awkward.
"...She seems like she's really in a bind."
"True. Three people isn't enough to guard two carriages. And since the job is tomorrow, canceling now would destroy their reputation."
Reliability was everything for adventurers. If a party abandoned a merchant at the last minute, word would spread. They might not get another contract for years.
"Senior... can I have a word?"
Yulitia pulled on my sleeve and hid behind me. "There's something bothering me..."
Since Yulitia had an opinion, we gathered in a tight circle for a quick meeting. All the while, Luerie stood a few feet away, her eyes fixed on us as if she were praying to a god.
The meeting lasted about three minutes.
"—Right. Let's hear the details, then."
We had reached a consensus. Luerie’s offer was the most convenient option we had, and we couldn't just ignore someone in that much distress.
When we told her we would help, Luerie looked like her legs were about to give out from relief.
"Th-Thank you! Thank you so much!"
"But as you can see, I'm missing an eye and a leg," I reminded her. "We'll need to make sure the client is okay with that."
"Leave that to us, sir!"
The ones who answered were Cain and Lloyd, who had been sitting in a formal kneel this whole time. They stood up in unison and thumped their chests.
"We'll show you the way, sir!"
"Just follow us, sir!"
Despite being the oldest ones there, they had adopted the persona of groveling underlings. I couldn't tell if that was their natural personality or if Luerie had simply broken their spirits, but they were suspicious as hell. Master and the others continued to glare at their backs.
/
"—Ah, hello there. I'm the client, Staffio. So, these are the folks who'll be helping us out?"
We found the client near the city’s defense gate, performing maintenance on a carriage.
He was the quintessential merchant—dressed in fine burgundy clothes with a slight paunch. Many merchants were arrogant toward adventurers, but this man seemed genuinely mild-mannered and kind.
"That's the plan, but we'd like the details first," Master said.
Staffio didn't look down on her because of her age. He nodded politely and began his explanation.
Essentially, the trip was to procure goods in the Holy City. We would leave tomorrow morning and arrive in three days. Because there were two carriages, the guards would be split between them. We were allowed to ride in the carriages unless there was trouble. They had some supplies, but we were expected to bring our own food.
It was a perfectly standard escort mission.
"One of our usual guards fell ill, but we can't afford to delay our schedule. Having you join us would be a lifesaver..."
"Is there enough room?" I asked. "We have a knight and a Sister joining us as well."
"Eh... a k-knight, you say!?" Staffio's voice jumped an octave.
"Is there a problem?"
"...Ah, no, of course not! It's just rare for adventurers to travel with a knight."
"He's a friend. He's more than capable."
"I see..."
Staffio rubbed his chin, likely calculating the logistics of the extra people.
"The knight has his own horse, so we only need one seat for the Sister."
"In that case, we can split into groups of four for each carriage. That would be perfect."
"Also... I have these injuries," I said, gesturing to my eye and leg. "I'll do my best not to be a burden, but..."
"I understand..."
After a few moments of consideration, Staffio made his decision.
"Don't worry about it. If we have a knight with us, the protection is more than adequate. It must be hard for you to walk in that condition, so please, feel free to use the carriage."
He looked toward Luerie and her team. "I'm satisfied if you are. What do you say?"
Luerie bowed her head imploringly, while Cain and Lloyd gave a stiff salute.
"Please, we're begging you! I don't know what we'll do if you don't help..."
"We swear we won't step out of line again, sir!"
"We'll do all the chores! Just give us the chance!"
Seriously, what was with the lackey act?
Regardless, the deal was struck. Master spoke for the group. "Then we'll take the job. We'll be in your care."
"Thank you! Truly!" Staffio beamed.
Cain and Lloyd's faces twitched as Atri continued to burn holes into them with her gaze.
—But in that moment, I saw it.
Master and the others must have seen it too.
As if she were being crushed under the weight of an unbearable sin.
Luerie stood alone, her trembling hands clenching her robe so tightly the fabric threatened to tear.
/
After that, Silvery Grey split up to prepare for the morning.
While I returned to the church with Liesel to meet Anze—only to be overwhelmed by both of them competing to wait on me hand and foot—another pair had gathered in a field just outside the city walls.
"I’m sorry for calling you out here."
"Nn, don't mention it! For a mademoiselle, I would gallop to the ends of the earth!"
It was the rare pairing of Yulitia and Rosche. Yulitia rarely spent time alone with anyone outside our party.
"So, what can I do for you, Lady Yulitia?"
"This."
Yulitia turned to face him, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword.
"I’d like to ask you for a sparring match."
"Hmm?"
"I... have to get stronger. I refuse to be useless ever again."
Rosche narrowed his eyes and offered a soft smile. Yulitia’s expression was composed, but the aura she projected was as sharp as a whetted blade—a level of martial focus that no thirteen-year-old should have been able to achieve.
"Besides," she added, "I’ve been interested in your style for a while. I’ve watched you spar with Senior many times."
"Nn, I’m honored! Of course! I would be delighted to assist a lovely mademoiselle!"
"—Then I'm next."
Another voice joined them. When Yulitia and Rosche turned, they found Atri standing there, having approached without making a sound.
"Ah, Miss Atri. You want to go too?"
"Nn. I want to."
Rosche’s smile faltered.
"...Hmm. Ah—Miss Atri? As a member of the Arsvalem Tribe, you might be a bit... much for me, don't you think?"
"?"
Atri tilted her head. "You just said you’d help a mademoiselle. ...Am I not a mademoiselle?"
"Of course you are! You’re one of the most beautiful mademoiselles I’ve ever met!"
"Nn. Then after Yulitia. Please."
"............"
Atri channeled mana into the brooch on her chest, releasing her Accessorize ability. A massive, lethal halberd manifested in her hand—a weapon so heavy that a normal adventurer couldn't even lift it, let alone swing it.
"Hup."
The heavy warrior of Silvery Grey took the gargantuan weapon and casually drove it into a nearby boulder as if she were sticking a pin into a cushion.
Crr-ack. The rock split effortlessly.
"You're equal to Wolka, right? So... it's okay if I don't hold back."
"........................"
Rosche looked like he was about to be physically ill.
In such situations, there was a convenient spell called Heartless. By coating a weapon in a film of mana, it converted lethal strikes into blunt, magical impacts. Originally used by ancient nobles for duels, it was now common practice for training or capturing criminals.
With that, he could spar even against a demonic weapon like that halberd without worrying about someone dying.
However, even if the lethality was removed, the impact still hurt like hell. And given the size and weight of that weapon...
The math was simple: mass times velocity equaled destruction. Even with a mana coating, being hit by a flying mountain was going to hurt.
"................................................"
After ten seconds of intense internal struggle, Rosche forced a brilliant, desperate smile and spread his arms wide.
"—Of course! For a mademoiselle, I will endure anything!"
"...Fufu."
A tiny, rare smile touched Atri’s lips.
A short while later, a passing adventurer witnessed a battle that looked like a localized hurricane leveled the area. He ran back to town convinced a high-ranking monster was attacking.
/
While Rosche’s muffled screams were likely echoing through the fields, I was back at the church.
"—A woman from a party called Windmill? No, we aren't treating anyone like that here. Are you sure you have the right place?"
The situation was starting to smell very fishy indeed.