Chapter 21
Epilogue
One week from the suppression of the Multifaceted Hekatonkheires.
In the Bronze Country third city Hairun, everyone in town was contributing effort for reconstruction. The remaining monsters were cleaned up by the adventurers, and the people of Hairun had repaired the fissure where the Multifaceted Hekatonkheires had emerged. The Bronze Country third Princess Ririade had apologized head down before the people for the whim of the Knights and army. Anyone would have thought that Princess Ririade would have been unfortunate. Ririade had prepared for herself to be blamed and have curses and rocks thrown at her for fleeing, but that didn’t happen. The people of Hairun already didn’t think well of the Knights from before. The apology of Ririade was accepted with a smile by the people.
As for the city of Hairun, though angry monsters had caused disaster two times within a short period of time, the city was overflowing with motivation of revival. Though Harumi was surprised at the town becoming battered while he slept, he said nothing.
On the bench in the warm sunshine of city park was a cat beastman who held a pillow in one hand. It escaped from a certain person.
“I can finally sleep. I have had to help with the troublesome reconstruction! It is irrelevant!” (Harumi)
No, it is highly relevant (大いに関係のある、いや)…soon after waking up after the revival of the Multifaceted Hekatonkheires, Harumi was made to help with the reconstruction and wasn’t allowed to take a nap. Since then, the S-rank party “Blizzard” had been assigned to keep an eye on Harumi and manage his time. While Harumi slept, Irori – Christa’s dual personality – told the details to Maia and Meer.
As the top priority…even if a monster on the level of the Hekatonkheires appeared, they were to prioritize managing Harumi’s sleeping time. It is just like Meer to bite off the same amount of work as Harumi. In particular Maia was amazing.
“Without Nee-san’s fist, today is nap day~ Goo’night—” (Harumi)
*Gon!*
“Ah!? …ouch.” (Harumi)
“Did you think you could escape from me?” (Maia)
“We have gotten used to finding you-n!” (Meer)
“…Cute.” (Christa)
Whenever Harumi tried to sleep Maia would hit him with her fist, producing a massive bump on Harumi’s head. Though only one week had passed, the bump was always there. Her beautiful smiling face was scary. At this time Harumi learned various things. Though he recognized Meer was troublesome…it seemed Christa was harmless.
“Hurts- Don’t pull my ear~!” (Harumi)
“It is useless to resist! How can you still be sleepy after sleeping for 10 hours a day?!
We will not allow that. Hey! You will continue to help the Guild!” (Maia)
“No~” (Harumi)
Harumi being pulled by the ears to be re-confined was already a familiar figure in the city. Everyone in town focused on reconstruction, began to smile while looking at Harumi.
From the guild, instead of Mainz, Gin had issued the instructions for reconstruction. Adventurers who had once not accepted Gin, thinking him a despicable being, now acknowledged him after the rescue of Ririade. Rather than complaining about Gin’s instructions, they were working hand in hand with little advising. (ギンの指示には文句を言わず、足りないところはアドバイスをして手を取り合っていた。)
“Oh! Harumi has returned. There was something I wanted to pass onto you before work.” (Gin)
Gin talks to Harumi who is being pulled by his cat ears.
“Hmm-? You are giving me a pillow?” (Harumi)
Appalled at Harumi’s apathetic voice, Gin drooped, but wanting to pass it on, he took the item out of his pocket. It was a necklace with a copper-colored sphere about the size of a large marble.
“This is a Guild card. You haven’t registered yet, right?” (Gin)
“Eh!? You were unregistered!? How did…?” Maia was extremely surprised.
Maia and Meer was sure that Harumi wasn’t S rank, but thought he was about an A rank adventurer. But, there was a reason they cared. They were going to recruit Harumi into “blizzard.” But to be put in an S rank party, one had to be A rank or higher.
“That’s right. This guy did not even have an ID card when he came here. Furthermore, it was wearing pajamas.” (Gin)
“…that seems like Harumi.” (Maia)
“This useless cat!” (Meer)
“…Cute.” (Christa)
Though Maia and Gin didn’t see, with a pleased sigh Harumi slipped on the small copper necklace over his neck immediately, as proof of his Guild membership.
“I can now sleep in any bed in the world.” (Harumi)
“Harumi. Listen carefully, the Guild is—” (Gin)
Harumi did not hear Gin’s story at all, having the delusion of sleeping in a variety of beds. It was the usual Harumi.
Avatar Mainz was also finishing the post-processing…as they were now missing the Avatar of Crow. In addition to the law ‘Death to the one who knows, or death to the one known,’ there was another. There must always be ten Avatars of disaster.
Currently Mainz was going to the first city. Officially, he was going to the guild headquarters as leader in third city Hairun to report the damages. The true purpose was to meet secretly with the other Avatars. Mainz entered a certain deserted bar in the middle of the night. The bar door was stood up incorrectly, and opened with a horrible creaking sound.
“It was the correct answer to eliminate that fool Ray. Old man Wind.” (Avatar of Sheep)
“That foolish woman was a trouble-maker, eliminating her was the correct answer!” (Avatar of Youth)
“It’s been a long time. Sheep, Youth.” (Mainz)
The middle-aged man who spoke earlier was the Avatar of Sheep, while the voice of the young girl was the Avatar of Youth. Neither figure nor face could be confirmed. To put it simply, these were the veterans of Avatar.
“Everyone has gathered now. Let’s begin with the story.” (Avatar of White Knight)
Then, the Avatar of White Knight (TL: from “Hakuba” which could also be White Horse)stood up and began the story. As a knight, he is a serious man. The strongest current Avatar is the Avatar of White Knight.
“What are the rest doing?” (Mainz)
Mainz reveals his doubt about the truth of the meeting. Though the avatar is strong in combat, he dislikes being tied down. This gathering is very bad. (TL: I guess it’s much smaller than usual, making it suspicious)
“Camel, Deer, and Cow cannot come because they have a mission. Boar and Gold are missing. To say that…when another vacancy has arisen…” (White Knight)
“Well, settle down, White Knight. These fellows need to hear the full story from the beginning. Instead of listening to us talk, there is basically a rule which says to not complain once a decision is made. Leave it alone.” (TL: In other words, any worries right now won’t matter by the end of their conversation) (Sheep)
“This occasion was an embarrassing failure.” (White Knight*)
“Perhaps it was. But that cannot be. I will continue the story. First, concerning Crow—” (Mainz*)
In the darkness the Avatars Mainz, Sheep, Youth, and Hakuba continued their discussion that would shake the world.
-Arc End-