Added a Missing Chapter I Forgot to Add (8-21-2026):
Side: Mobu (Weed Adventurer's Guild Exclusive)
As usual, we were lounging around at the guard post in the demi-human village—or whatever this place called was.
After finishing our early morning training, Raiya, Kurse, and I are treated as the de facto leaders of the self-defense force. Because of that, we spend our days parked here at the post like this so we can handle any problems in the village at a moment's notice.
And it's incredibly boring.
It's basically like being assigned to a town as an adventurer's guild representative.
What we do is pretty much the same. Though as for the scale... well, it's a toss-up between the two.
At the Guild, you get dispatched all over the place for requests, while at the village, our basic operating range is wide. Still, since trouble doesn't happen around the clock, when we do have free time, it's so boring we feel like dying.
『Waaaaaaaah!!』
Voices like that echoed from a black object with a thin glass panel attached to it.
That's right—Yuki set up a television here for our entertainment.
We'd even learned how to use DVDs and such, so it was perfect for passing the time. The scary thing was that whenever we got absorbed in watching something, we'd forget to return to Weed and end up staying up all night.
Anyway, today Yuki and the others were broadcasting the dueling festival at the academy, so it was making for some good entertainment.
Apparently, they're running an experiment with live broadcasting—sending whatever the video camera is filming directly to the TV in real time. We were asked to watch it and report if there were any issues.
『Now then, that was a heated match, but we've only just begun!! Please look forward to the second match!!』
『There will be a 30-minute break, so please use this time to visit the restroom. Anyone feeling unwell, please head to the medical room...』
If I recall correctly, Zargis said something about mana having a better transmission rate than "radio waves" or whatever, so they were using a magic-based system to send and receive something-or-other...
The details don't matter. I don't really get them.
That kind of stuff only needs to be understood by the specialists.
As long as I know which buttons to press to watch the TV or DVDs, I'm good.
Right person for the right job.
"Hey, Mobu! We bought extra supplies from Weed."
"Here you go, Mobu-san. Beer."
"Oh, thanks."
Raiya and Kurse had returned from their shopping trip.
They called them "extra supplies," but as the word "shopping" implies, it's mostly personal items. The guns and various surprise weapons were always managed and replenished by Steve's men.
Then again, although we're calling this place a demi-human village, this is actually the only place on this new continent that has a secret direct connection to the dungeon.
The massive military dungeon led by Mino-chan and John has already been discovered by Enaria, and Mino-chan and the others are currently negotiating with them. Because of that, Mino-chan's dungeon operates under the standard rules and common sense of this New Continent.
In other words, on the surface it's only equipped with bows, arrows, ballistae, and the like. Of course they keep weapons stocked for emergencies, but they don't deploy them on the large scale this village does.
...Actually, "deployed in this village" isn't quite right—they're "deployed in the dungeon". The village and the dungeon can practically be considered two separate organizations.
We're technically stationed here under the pretext of protecting them, but the villagers aren't allowed to enter the dungeon facilities, nor can they sneak inside. It'd be dangerous in all sorts of ways if they could.
"Huh. So only Yuki's match is over?"
Raiya glanced at the television and muttered.
"What do you mean? I figured it would be over pretty quickly. Mobu-san, were you watching?"
Kurse asked with a puzzled look on his face.
"Yeah. Yuki was doing all sorts of things. I don't really know what his goal was, but to me, it looked like he was prioritizing buying time and making things easy to understand."
"I understand the buying time part, but what do you mean by 'making it easy to understand'?"
"You know how Yuki usually knocks people out with those incomprehensible abilities of his? Instead of doing that, he fought like a martial artist this time."
"I see. That makes sense. If he finished the fight in an instant, that'd kind of defeat the purpose of putting on a show."
"Exactly. Since this is supposed to be entertainment, if he doesn't overwhelm his opponent in a flashy and easy-to-understand way, the audience might start booing."
"We've had the same problem whenever we went to other places."
"Indeed. Even when invited, to them we were just an unknown adventurer party. Even if the Guildmasters knew our abilities and track record, it wasn't a pleasant arrangement for the local adventurers working at those Guild branches."
"They'd introduce us with the title 'Heroes of Defense,' but look at us. We're a bunch of old guys."
"Since we were 'exclusives,' they looked at us like we had retired from the front lines."
"Well, being young comes with its own set of problems too. That's why every time, Mobu-san would just beat up anyone who complained in a duel, plain and simple."
Chatting like that, the two placed the items they bought into the fridge.
"Anyway, that's why it's interesting to watch from a different perspective. Want to watch together?"
"Sure. We're done shopping, and there's nothing else to do."
"Yeah. I thought the match would already be over, so sure. Besides, I only went shopping so we could watch DVDs anyway."
Saying that, Kurse handed me a boxed lunch he had randomly picked out.
"Perfect timing since it's break time. Let's take it easy and eat. Oh, a steak bento!"
"Yeah. I figured you'd like it."
"Hell yeah."
I pulled out my chopsticks, opened the bento, and immediately began eating.
Man, for a boxed lunch, this stuff is delicious.
They don't last long, though, so they're not exactly portable rations. Still, it's a hell of a lot better than the rock-hard bread we used to eat.
"Still, I wonder why we're on standby here of all places. I don't mean we should be taken to the Academy, but considering everything up until now."
I mentioned a thought that suddenly crossed my mind while eating.
"If we had stepped up, there would've been plenty of situations that went smoother. Especially with scouting the city, or avoiding getting tangled up with that Magic Sword-wielding princess, right?"
"Well, we weren't accustomed to using doppelgangers back then, remember?"
"Yeah, that's unavoidable. But there were other times, too. Like when they deliberately brought those demi-human girls to the capitals of Jilva and the city of Betan. I understand why they did it, but if we'd been there, wouldn't things have been safer? People wouldn't have looked down on them so easily, either. You heard what Steve said, right? He ended up staying in a horse stable."
That's right. Yuki chose us for the New Continent survey team, yet he hasn't moved us from the first demi-human village we rescued.
Even though we should be the easiest to deploy out of the entire survey team.
"...He must have a reason. There's no way Yuki would leave such useful people as us sitting around here for no reason, just like you said."
"...Right? What could be here, though?"
"Hmm... Well, if you ask him, he'd probably tell you, wouldn't he?"
"Where's the fun in that? Let's make a guess and place a bet."
"What are we betting?"
"Why not another shopping trip? We're not tired of cards or rock-paper-scissors, but I'd like something a little different."
"Fair enough. So, Kurse, you in on this bet?"
When Raiya and I turned our eyes toward Kurse, who had been strangely silent, he appeared to be lost in deep thought.
"What's wrong?"
"Ah, no. Hearing what Mobu-san said just made me think about everything that has happened so far."
"Everything that has happened?"
"Yes. Everything that's happened since we came to this new continent."
Kurse put away his empty bento and leaned back deeply in his chair.
"Just as Mobu-san pointed out, the reason we're not being moved is because 'we can't afford to leave this place'."
"Can't leave this place?"
"Yes. There are other reasons, too. For one thing, none of the other countries on the new continent know anything about us."
"They don't know about us, huh? I see. Yuki and the others are now appearing publicly like this. If we started moving around, we'd become known immediately."
"Exactly. That has its advantages, but it works against them when they want to move covertly. Kirika and her group exist as a covert unit, but they operate behind the scenes strictly to support Yuki and the others. However, we can move entirely off the radar of foreign countries. Since we aren't seen as having any connection to Yuki, we can act freely in an emergency."
"What kind of emergency?"
"I don't know the details, but having zero political ties or fame as a country or public figure is a huge advantage. Our role is likely Yuki's trump card. Kirika and the others could manage various moves if pushed, but unfortunately, they are classified as monsters. Their ability to handle human interactions is also lower than ours."
"That's true."
"So, if Yuki and the others become unable to move, we'll step in and act in their place."
"Is that how it is? But if a situation like that happens..."
"Yes. A situation where Yuki can't move or can't respond in time... I hate to think about it, but we can expect it to be an extremely dire state of affairs."
Uh... a situation where Yuki can't move or respond—even if we move, what can we do?
Yuki is the strongest card Weed has.
"Well, there's also the possibility of being unable to move due to political relations."
"Ah, that side of things. I was imagining some monster even Yuki couldn't handle."
"Heh, if it were that, Yuki would just order an immediate retreat. That guy's policy is to never fight a battle he can't win."
"True. Come to think of it, you said we can't leave this place, but that didn't seem related to the fact that nobody knows about us, did it?"
If remaining unknown was all that mattered, they could simply have us return to Weed.
But instead, we're here guarding a demi-human village.
As Kurse said, there must be another reason we're stationed here.
"Yes. There's another reason we can't leave this place. Of all the places Yuki has passed through, this is the only one he has almost completely left alone."
"What do you mean? We're protecting the village and helping maintain public order, right?"
When I said that, Kurse looked a little troubled, pulled out a notebook from the shelf, and began writing something with a pen.
"Look at it this way. Yuki secured this place strictly to hold it as an entrance/exit for the dungeon. You can tell that from the absurd amount of weaponry here, right?"
"Yeah, but that also ties into protecting the village, doesn't it?"
"It does. But protecting the village itself isn't a priority for Yuki. From the very beginning, wasn't Yuki talking about wanting the negotiations to break down as quickly as possible?"
"Well, yeah, he did. It makes sense not wanting to carry extra baggage."
In this new continent, humans and demi-humans have been at odds to the point of outright hostility.
So Yuki becoming friendly with the demi-humans would create all sorts of problems politically.
Ah—so that's the reason.
"Did you realize it? To Yuki, these demi-humans could easily become a weakness. Right now, he has personal ties with Jilva, Enaria, the Academy, and Rhodei. But if this village gets out, far from just being criticized, the entire world could turn into his enemy. The King of Jilva suffered a complete defeat, and he understands Yuki's strength and his role as a handler for the demi-humans, so he will never speak a word about this village. But if the general public finds out, hostiles directed at us will become the standard common sense of this New Continent. If that happens..."
"I see. He'd be politically paralyzed."
"Yes. No matter how strong Yuki is or how easily he could crush them with raw force, the opponents would be countless civilians. He wouldn't use brute force against people like that. Though, that issue has mostly been resolved by his recent achievements."
"Hmm? What do you mean?"
"The achievements Yuki and the others have racked up as a mercenary band are impossible to ignore. Sure, there will be people who harbor envy and try to drag them down, but broadcasting with this video camera to the public is likely the final blow. Expelling someone who creates such over-technology is something no country can afford to do. Even if they tried to monopolize the technology, at this point, the faces of Yuki and his crew—the developers and providers—are famous across all nations. They wouldn't foolishly throw away a golden goose. The only threats left would be assassination by poison or taking hostages to intimidate them, but..."
"That's impossible. Poison doesn't work on him, and how would they even manage to capture a hostage?"
"Exactly. So, as things stand, the current world situation isn't an issue."
"Then doesn't that mean there's no point in us being here after all? I mean..."
"No, wait. I see... so that's what it is."
Raiya seemed to realize something and interrupted me.
"This demi-human village is the biggest powder keg, isn't it?"
"Yes. Hearing news that demi-humans—or rather, 'we'—won, demi-humans from various settlements across the land are gathering here. What do you think would happen if we weren't here?"
"...War would already have broken out... I see—so we're the ones keeping the demi-humans in check."
"Precisely. It makes total sense when you think about it. Yuki dealt with the leaders of nations, making them understand their weaknesses and his usefulness so that they couldn't touch him politically. But this demi-human village is different. It's an chaotic gathering of individuals filled with hatred and prejudice against humans. Above all, they have no central leader. There are village chiefs, but they are hardly reliable enough to unite everyone."
"With the Holy Sword wielder issue, Yuki has put the demi-human matter on the back burner, but down the line, this might turn out to be even more troublesome than the Holy Sword wielder. In fact, cross-referencing with the latest information, we should consider this place the most dangerous spark."
"The latest information?"
"Yes. The existence of a demi-human nation."
"This proves that, at the very least, demi-humans have formed a nation and have relations with other countries."
"Yes. The fact that a nation of demi-humans exists. That is proof that demi-humans have formed a state and interact with other countries. A country cannot exist in isolation. There are always connections, whether friendly or hostile. Right now, the war state between demi-humans and humans is in a lull. In Rhodei, trade exists as an open secret, forming a diplomatic connection. In short, the nation of demi-humans does not view humans as absolute enemies. Well, that's only natural—to ensure the survival of their nation, they need more allies. However, there are naturally demi-humans who refuse to follow that policy. And those are..."
Kurse paused, falling silent.
I hoped the unpleasant possibility forming in my head wasn't true, but I had to ask.
"...You mean the demi-humans forming these settlements?"
"Likely. Until now, they abandoned their nation and acted individually. But because of our incident, demi-humans are massing in this location. If that happens..."
"...The pro-war faction against humans might start a war..."
"Yes. But before that, there's someone they must eliminate first to sound the signal for war."
Oh boy, don't tell me...
"They'll have to eliminate us—the ones keeping the demi-humans here in check. Well, 'eliminate' as in outright try to kill us."
Ugh, he just blurted out the exact thing I didn't want to hear!
"So that's why Yuki placed us here. To be fair, many of Yuki's wives are from beastkin tribes too. If it came down to it, could they really bring themselves to kill them to stop them?"
"Indeed. Some among his wives might choose killing as a resolution, but it would inevitably cause turmoil for someone. That's why we, who are battle-hardened and used to these situations, were placed here—as human representatives, carrying the hope that we might somehow improve relations."
"...Man, he always leaves us with the troublesome jobs. But still, what are we supposed to do then?"
Now that we know the truth, what on earth should we actually do?
"Nothing special, really. Shouldn't we just carry on as usual?"
"Yeah. It's not something that can be fixed in a day or two. If trouble happens, a report will come in. We just take it easy, live alongside the demi-humans, and build friendly relations."
"Haaah, so it comes back to 'business as usual' in the end."
Relieved, I turned my attention back to the TV screen.
『Now then, the break time is almost over. The second match is about to begin, so guests wishing to spectate, please return to your seats.』
『Umm, yes, yes. An announcement regarding a lost child. Height...』
Oh, looks like the second match is starting.
"Ah, doesn't that mean our shopping bet is off?"
"Guess so."
"Ah, in that case, I'll go buy the next round. I was the one who dragged the conversation in a weird direction, after all."
In the end, our boring downtime looks set to continue for a while longer... Or maybe not?
Well, who knows?
If a riot breaks out tomorrow, writing the report is going to be a massive pain...
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