“Ho ho ho… please come in…”

Following the suggestion to arrive a bit earlier and rest comfortably, we managed to finally reach our destination just as the sun hung low on the horizon, thanks to having lunch on the carriage. Indeed, being so close to the front lines, it wasn’t a large place that could be called a city; rather, it was a tiny rural village where the village chief had come out to greet us.

“Wow! Look at this! It’s way bigger than the uncle’s carriage that comes to the village once a month!”

With the village chief and a few of the village’s elders out to greet us, a handful of small children from the village also rushed out, curiously peeking at the carriage we had arrived in. Since it was a rural village, while they may have seen ordinary carriages, they likely had never encountered one this large and ornate, making it a sight of wonder.

As I watched the innocent faces of the children with a warm smile, one child among them kept glancing toward us, cautiously eyeing our group. I smiled and waved lightly as if to say they were welcome to look as much as they wanted without fear of being scolded, and only then did the child break into a wide grin and start to explore the carriage more enthusiastically. It seemed that this particular kid might be the local ringleader, as they appeared a bit taller than the others. What a sturdy little kid they were!

“Oh dear… our little rascals are being rude. It’s a tiny village, so everything is a novelty for them… where are the mothers? They should hurry and take the kids inside so they don’t cause more trouble.”

“Oh no, no! We’ve already unloaded everything, and we’re fine. What about Yuli?”

Even though I said I was okay, since the carriage was borrowed from House Atillea, I needed to ask Yuli, the only member of House Atillea present here.

“Hmm. Since it’s a carriage treated with all sorts of magic, the kids won’t break it with their playing, so it’s fine. The horses pulling it will be managed by the butler accompanying us anyway.”

Having heard Yuli’s words, the butler who had brought the carriage led the three horses toward the village stable, casually nodding his head in our direction before moving on.

For the record, every single horse pulling this carriage was a fine steed, none of them of low quality. I’m sure they didn’t just casually ask a villager to feed them but would personally oversee their care meticulously.

“Indeed, as the rumors say, you are a kind hero. Now, now. Please don’t just stand out there, come on in. You’ll need to unpack, and I’ll guide you to where you’ll be staying during your time here.”

Instead of the village chief leaning on his staff, a young woman who appeared to be around our age, probably his granddaughter, stepped in to guide us. Knowing our entire party was composed of women was likely a considerate touch.

“Well, since it’s a small village without any defining features, it’s rare for outsiders to visit… we don’t really have any inns. Instead, I’ve cleared my house, so you can stay there. It might be a bit tight since there are so many of you, though.”

“Then… ah, by the way, I didn’t catch your name. I’m Elysia Frentz. Well… as you can see, I’m a bit lacking, but somehow I’m a hero.”

“I’m Lupina, Lady Elysia. This place is quite rural, so we don’t really use titles like ‘Lord’ or ‘Lady’ here.”

“Um… if it’s alright, could you address me a bit more casually? Like Elysia-san or Elysia-chan…”

“Then… Elysia-san would be fine… is that okay?”

“Of course, Lupina-chan.”

Lupina, the woman who introduced herself, led us to a charming little two-story house. True to her word, it was a bit insufficient for our group of nine, but we were only staying a few days. Honestly, I was just grateful we could rent a house this nice so close to the front lines.

However, there were, of course, no enormous beds like in a castle for all of us to share. Instead, there were only a few beds that could accommodate two people at most, and it even looked like they hastily borrowed some from other houses. Well, the large beds back in the castle were more of an exception.

“Since you haven’t had dinner yet, would you like to eat at my grandfather’s house? The food places in the village are just small spots where villagers gather to drink here and there, so it wouldn’t be suitable for someone as esteemed as Lady Elysia. Of course, we have a kitchen, so if you prefer to cook for yourselves, we can prepare the ingredients for you.”

“Really? Hmmm… then I should show off my skills after quite some time…”

Preparing a meal for a group of nine wouldn’t be an ordinary task. Even if they offered it, requesting such manual labor from a village chief’s family, no matter how friendly, would only add to the burden. Rather than putting them out, I decided to cook myself. After all, it had been a long time since I last cooked, and my hands had been itching to do so.

“Wait a moment! Since you invited us, we should definitely accept! Don’t you all think so?”

However, before I could finish my sentence, Selian suddenly jumped in, shouting excitedly.

“Y-yeah! Of course! It’s not polite to decline!”

Selian looked around at the others, who all nodded, agreeing that her statement made sense.

“Eek… I just want to taste the senior’s cooking… uhmm!”

“Ahaha… you thought the teleport gate would make you sick since morning, didn’t you? Let’s just be quiet, okay?”

Luna seemed to want to back me up, but her words were quickly gagged by Lindy’s hand. Like me, Luna had grown up in the assassination guild since childhood, so she was probably just as clueless about etiquette as I was.

It was unfortunate, but there was nothing I could do about propriety. I would save my fantastic cooking skills for another time and accept help today.

“Then I’ll come back once I’ve finished preparing dinner. In the meantime, feel free to shake off the weariness from the carriage ride.”

With that, Lupina nodded and turned to leave. I gave her a light nod in return and stepped inside, and as soon as Lupina left, my friends began to argue over who would take which bed, just like when deciding seats in the carriage.

Nine of us. However, there were only five beds at most. Although each bed might be a little cramped, they weren’t too small for two people to sleep together. However, that way, one bed would be fully taken by one person. Naturally, it was easy to be greedy.

“Wait! Let me join in the rock-paper-scissors!”

Because of this, I called out to my friends immediately. I had realized too late on the way here and missed the chance to join in on the rock-paper-scissors for the carriage seats, but this time was different.

Thinking my friends would just brush it off like last time, they looked a bit surprised when I opened my mouth. Of course, sleeping in the same bed with a girl was certainly not a loss for me but rather something I would welcome. However, after being teased by Lindy during the ride, I wanted to sleep comfortably alone tonight.

*

Having won the rock-paper-scissors and hogged a bed all to myself, I got up the next morning and immediately made my way toward the front lines where the battle was taking place. It wasn’t a short distance to walk, but there wouldn’t be enough horses or carriages in a rural village to accommodate all of us. Besides, riding the carriage we arrived in would attract too much attention.

Finally arriving at the front lines after a brisk walk, I could see tents erected here and there to serve as temporary barracks. Thankfully, it seemed they had already been informed, as the soldier at the entrance quickly completed a simple verification and ushered us directly to where the commander was.

“Good to meet you. I am Pin Rakus, in charge of this unit, though I’m just a mere man, so call me as you like.”

“I’m Elysia. Nice to meet you.”

Upon entering, a young man with a solid build introduced himself and reached out his hand for a shake. After shaking hands and introducing myself in return, his gaze shifted to the rest of our group.

“Salute!”

Suddenly, Pin stood at attention and saluted. Wondering what was going on, I followed his gaze and saw Yuli just entering the tent. However, unlike our stunned expressions, Yuli greeted him back with a casual wave.

“Long time no see, Lord Rakus. But for now, I’m still a civilian, so please don’t treat me like a superior.”

It seemed these two already knew each other, with Yuli reminding Pin that she was not yet a soldier. But how many people could really act casually, even if they were familiar? Furthermore, even if Pin might have known, Yuli had decided to return to serving under the Grand General once the Demon King’s subjugation was complete.

Despite Yuli’s words, Pin continued to treat her with perfect respect.

“Um… that Pin fellow… must definitely hold quite a high rank, right?”

“Well, he may not be the top commander, but he’s certainly in charge of a unit where actual combat is taking place at the front lines. I wouldn’t say he’s a Sword Master, but his skills appear pretty solid.”

I whispered to Selian nearby, who didn’t seem to be unfamiliar with this situation, and she quickly answered. Since there hadn’t been a similar occurrence in our last regression, she looked just as surprised as I was. As she had said, the insignia on Pin’s military uniform clearly showed he was not of a low rank. In fact, it was much faster to count from the top than from the bottom.

While I had faintly heard that Yuli had spent the last three years as a soldier, she didn’t seem the type to brag, so I hadn’t gotten many details. Besides, with her sitting right next to me, there was no point in asking others.

Three years might sound like a long time, but in the grand scheme of a life, it’s quite short. If she had a diploma from Griffin Academy, it might have been different, but Yuli had thrown herself into the military at a young age, so it was no surprise that her rise through the ranks had limits. Still, for a commander of that caliber to salute her? A lot must have happened.

But while the surprises were notable, the immediate matter at hand was the priority. I could listen to Yuli’s stories about her past three years later, but I needed to move quickly and take down one of the Four Heavenly Kings as soon as possible.

“Now, I will report the current situation.”

Pin began his briefing as he confirmed that everyone was inside.