“Everyone from Stray Cats Lost Cats, it’s good that you’re all here together. I have something to discuss. Would you mind opening this gate?”

The Grand Guildmaster of the Adventurers’ Guild, Ryuk Drop. Female. In her twenties.

Beside her stood the members of the A-rank party ‘Silver Scales’.

Stray Cats Lost Cats is the name of our four-person party.

It came from the fact that we all gathered together for different reasons. I was the one who named it.

Sensing the tense atmosphere, I immediately understood that this situation wasn’t good.

While feeling the pain in my right arm, there’s something I’ve been thinking about this whole time.

What exactly is the situation in this country right now?

Lesley and the others haven’t told me anything after worrying about my condition.

But I feel like if we make the wrong choice here, it could become dangerous.

So I instantly organized everything I had been thinking about.

The place where the Majin had been sitting was the deepest part of the ancient ruins.

Because there are many monsters there, people rarely visit.

But let’s assume someone actually managed to reach it… The traces of a Majin’s corpse would still remain there.

There are two suspicious points.

First, was it really a Majin?

Second, who defeated it?

If you think about it normally, it’s strange. If someone defeated a Majin, they would undoubtedly become a hero known throughout the world, and their status and honor would be guaranteed.

They would receive a noble title, and they would likely receive financial support for life.

And yet no one has stepped forward.

The characters in DWS aren’t idiots.

They’ll dig into the mystery until the question of why is answered.

Then they’ll investigate. Who did it, why they did it, how they did it, and by what means they defeated it.

I tug my sleeve down to cover my right arm.

Lesley and the others must have been trying to keep me hidden.

When they brought me back from the deepest part of the ruins, they must have taken great care to avoid being seen.

But the person standing before us now… is Ryuk Drop.

Lesley and the others are smart and extremely serious.

Which means this is where an idiot like me should step forward. Yes, intentionally. Very intentionally.

“Okay! I’ll open it now!”

Trying to hide my agitation, I jog toward the gate.

Lesley and the others follow half a step behind me, slowly.

Still, I’m surprised that even the ‘Silver Scales’ came along.

…They must have been the ones who found it. Seriously, that’s impressive.

Ancient ruins are like high-difficulty dungeons even in DWS.

The monsters there are around level 70, which in this world would be considered top-tier enemies. There’s no concept of levels here, but even A-rank adventurers probably fight monsters around level 50 most of the time. They must have fought through monsters all the way to the deepest level… yeah, that’s incredible.

As for me, I avoided encounters. Game knowledge is seriously a cheat.

“What’s going on? Is this an emergency summon for a named monster subjugation?”

“—I have some questions regarding the Majin that was defeated.”

At my question, Ryuk Drop gave a fearless smile.

Ryuk in DWS is one of those characters who split community opinion right down the middle, yet she’s extremely popular.

I don’t remember if she was the sixth or seventh Guildmaster, but she’s the youngest person to ever reach the top of the Adventurers’ Guild.

Messy orange hair, small and slender.

She has a friendly smile that looks harmless… but that’s absolutely not the case.

If I had to describe her in one word, it would be ‘wild beast’.

Her ability is ‘Physical Reinforcement’, meaning her entire body is a weapon.

To rise through the ranks among adventurers who are mostly men, she had to become stronger than anyone else.

She possesses speed, strength, and raw power. A true powerhouse.

And here’s the reason opinions about her split.

She’s gentle and approachable, but when it comes to criminals or rule breakers, she is extremely strict.

And when DWS says strict, it means she might kill them.

Parties that break rules are immediately disbanded. If they keep ignoring warnings, she personally uses force. Criminals are… as mentioned earlier… killed.

Of course, she thoroughly investigates before delivering justice. So she isn’t evil, and she doesn’t make mistakes.

Still, some people think she goes too far, which is why opinions about her are divided.

As for me, my opinion of Ryuk is neutral.

Because honestly… she’s terrifying.

But she’s also someone you can reason with. She would never repay kindness with betrayal, and if you’re honest with her, she’ll treat you sincerely like family.

Silence is golden… or maybe not. The thought crosses my mind.

But I don’t want to waste the efforts Lesley and the others made to protect me.

“So the Majin was defeated, right? Of course I know about it. Honestly though, who actually did it? —You don’t think we’re the ones who did it, do you?”

At my words, the members of ‘Silver Scales’ react with surprise.

I’ll skip explaining them for now.

“Fufu, Ray, you’re smart. You understand without me even saying it, which makes things easier. Yes, I’m investigating who defeated it.”

“I’m glad to hear the compliment, but I don’t have anything to give you. Also, it wasn’t us. If we had accomplished something like that, we’d be walking around town bragging right now.”

The first time I met Ryuk was when I defeated a large monster at the Adventurers’ Guild.

It was only because I knew its weakness from the original story, but we ended up talking a little back then.

“The king wants to know. The hero who defeated the Majin. Wouldn’t it be nice to celebrate them as a nation? Does anyone besides Ray know anything?”

“—Personally, unlike Ray, I do not believe the Majin was defeated. Not until I confirm it with my own eyes.”

Lesley answered calmly.

A very Lesley-like, confident response.

Many parties in this world, including ours, travel in order to defeat Majins. It would actually be strange to just accept the news without question.

“I agree. Will the Majin’s corpse be displayed at the Adventurers’ Guild? I heard through the grapevine that ‘Silver Scales’ discovered it.”

Next Eleanor answered.

I see, so it really was ‘Silver Scales’ who found it.

I’m grateful she mixed in information I didn’t know.

“I personally want to believe the Majin was defeated. However, we were not involved. And we know nothing.”

Finally Sophia answered in a completely neutral tone.

That was a very confident lie. I could never pull that off.

“Thank you. Personally, I actually don’t really care. That Majin was defeated. That’s all that matters. But I still have to finish these annoying interviews. —Ah, this is just casual conversation, but why did you suddenly buy a mansion in cash? It seems a bit big for a base.”

Gah!

Before the atmosphere could turn bad, I loudly answered again.

“I just wanted to live in a big house! That’s a man’s dream, right!?”

Eleanor laughs softly at my answer. Lesley sighs and Sophia smiles.

Ryuk also laughs.

“Ahaha, I suppose that’s true. Though I think it’s also a woman’s dream. —I actually imagined something else. Like maybe you defeated the Majin but were severely injured, so you bought a mansion to hide the injury from others. But it doesn’t look like you’re injured.”

—BINGOOOOOOOOOO.

Yeah, this woman is definitely not ordinary.

By the way, it’s not unusual for parties to buy mansions for the future.

And we’re a fairly well-known party. Sure, it’s a bit extravagant, but there’s nothing suspicious about it. Nothing at all.

Lesley and the others must have thought that through too.

But the fact that she still saw through it is surprising.

No… maybe that’s not it.

Ryuk has probably met countless people.

If she notices something suspicious, she pushes exactly where it hurts.

She’s testing whether cracks appear.

But we’ve survived countless dangerous situations. We even fought a Majin.

We’re not going to crack that easily.

Still… I wonder what the right answer actually is.

If I tell the truth here, no one else will suffer.

It’s true that I defeated the Majin. It’s also true that I might become a Majin.

Right now, the problem could end with just me.

“Well then, I have another appointment so I’ll take my leave. —Ray, your hair is messy. It’s kind of cute. Like you’ve been sleeping in bed the whole time. If you’re going outside, maybe you should at least comb your hair.”

But just as I was about to make my decision, Ryuk left with the ‘Silver Scales’ members.

Her sharpness is terrifying.

“…Ray, why did you suddenly run out like that? You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

“Wouldn’t it be strange if I was slower than everyone? I’m the youngest. I should be the one moving.”

“But it’s unsettling. From how she acted, I don’t think she fully believed us.”

“I’ll look into things at the church. Ray, you are forbidden from going outside for the time being.”

“No, actually I should go outside more. If I’m the only one who never leaves the mansion, that would make things even more suspicious.”

At my logical argument, the three of them look extremely sad.

Please stop. That hurts my heart.

“Ray, you must be tired. Exercise is forbidden today. Go sleep in bed.”

“I’ve been sleeping the whole time already…”

“I hung the sheets out earlier. Let’s sleep together. They’re soft and fluffy.”

“I’ll sleep properly tonight. Alone.”

“I’ll cast a sleep spell that will make you sleep until morning.”

“You’ve cast it so many times I’ve probably developed resistance already.”

This conversation continued even after I moved to the backyard.

But if the Ryuk Drop I know is involved, she has probably already reached the conclusion about Majinification.

There’s no way she’ll just leave things alone.

Ugh… there’s too much to think about!!!

Whatever. I’ll clear my mind for now.

It’s been a long time since I exercised. I’m just running, but it feels amazing.

But after a while, I trip on a small stone.

Partly because my body hasn’t recovered yet, and partly because the garden hasn’t been maintained.

Even if I were healthy this could happen, but Lesley and the others approach me with faces like someone just died.

“…Ray, I’m sorry. This is all my fault. I will protect your body.”

“Let’s go back to bed, okay? I’ll do anything for you.”

“Ray, running is forbidden. I’ll give you a massage until morning, so please rest.”

Heavy (emotionally).

This is way too heavy.

◇

Night.

Inside the Adventurers’ Guild meeting room.

“Whew… the interviews are finally over. Ryuk, good work.”

“Thank you. But aren’t you worried? The handsome leader of ‘Silver Scales’ spending such a late night with me?”

“Haha, my teammates aren’t the jealous type. —Still, who in the world defeated the Majin? Can it even be defeated? I saw the corpse myself, but honestly it looked more like suicide or natural death.”

“Hmm, why do you say that?”

“Because Majins are genuine monsters. I’ve seen one once before. Their firepower is absurd and their magic moves faster than humans can react. Who could defeat something that can destroy a nation overnight?”

“…You’re right. That’s what I think too. But there’s no doubt it was defeated. I’ve fought one before, so I know. That creature would never commit suicide, and dying of old age is even more impossible. —Someone killed it.”

“…You’re saying you fought one and survived? Ryuk, you’re the real monster here.”

“Thank you for the compliment. By the way, as the leader of ‘Silver Scales’, did you meet anyone who seemed capable of defeating one?”

“Honestly, no. I’m not bragging, but our party is stronger than anyone else in this country. Our rank proves that. —By the way, why did you interview Stray Cats Lost Cats? They weren’t even on the list. You told us not to speak so I stayed quiet, but can you tell me why?”

Ryuk looks at the Stray Cats Lost Cats adventurer registration list.

“I think this party’s rank doesn’t reflect their true ability. They seem like the type who focus only on defeating Majins and don’t care about recognition. So I thought it might be possible.”

“…Isn’t that contradictory? I mean, even if they could defeat one, they’d definitely celebrate it. At the very least they’d brag about it.”

“Perhaps. —But tell me, do you know about Majinification?”

“Sort of. Isn’t that when someone is hit by the cursed flames of a Majin and transforms? They lose their sense of self and slaughter everything.”

“That’s right. Let’s say your party ‘Silver Scales’ defeated a Majin. But one of your members becomes Majinified. You have a chance to kill them now. What do you do?”

The leader hesitates.

“…We kill them. It would be painful, but if it were me, I think my teammates would do the same.”

“That’s admirable. —Then what about this? What if only part of the body became Majinified?”

“…What do you mean?”

“For example, only the right arm is affected. Or only the left arm. Their personality is still human. They can still speak.”

“…That’s impossible. Just being hit by a Majin’s flames causes instant death. Majinification is like becoming a monster. You can’t return to normal. —And even if it were a companion, if they were Majinified I’d be too terrified to stand beside them. Anyone who has seen a Majin wouldn’t be able to stay calm. A normal person would probably be shaking uncontrollably.”

“Fufufu, that’s true. I’d probably feel the same. —I’ve seen many parties in my life. I’m confident in my ability to judge people. There are many parties stronger than Stray Cats Lost Cats even in this country alone. Including yours. But… I’ve never seen a bond as strong as those four. When they fought the large monster, they trusted each other completely. Especially Ray.”

“Huh? Isn’t he the weakest member?”

“In terms of raw strength, yes. But when Ray faced that large monster, the other three trusted him completely and focused on supporting him. None of them hesitated. To me, that was impossible behavior. What surprised me even more was how he moved as if he could predict the enemy’s attacks. I don’t understand it. But I feel like there’s something there.”

“…If your guess is right and someone among them has Majinified, what would you do?”

“Of course they’d be a hero. We should celebrate them as a nation. —But Majins are abnormal beings beyond reason. There’s a chance they would eventually fully become a Majin.”

“So you’d isolate them?”

Ryuk answers without hesitation.

“I’d kill them. Because when you weigh it against humanity’s lives, there’s nothing to think about.”

“…Ryuk, you really are scary.”

“Fufufu. But it’s not that I want to kill them. Once I confirm they’re a hero, I’d kill them with respect. I wouldn’t want to do it. But some things must be done. That part is important.”

“That somehow makes it even scarier.”

“Well, aside from that, I personally wanted to see Ray again. That boy has incredible potential. I’d love to train him myself.”

“…It’s rare to hear you say that about someone.”