Let's put the tragedy of Ion-san's past aside for a moment. First, we need to deal with the immediate situation.

"So, um... Shamash-san. Is the monster outbreak really taken care of now?"

Shamash-san had leapt around sealing every active mine—or rather, placing summoned magical beasts to serve as living walls—so in theory, no matter how many monsters there were, they shouldn't be able to come out... or so it seemed.

In response to my question, Shamash-san nodded firmly.

I'd heard that this particular swarm was on the level of a Hitotsuzuki (Single Moon) event. For such a high-tier disaster, it felt surprisingly easy. Despite the suddenness of the situation, everything had been brought under control in just over an hour.

Rebecca-san had told me that normally, a Hitotsuzuki or Awasezuki required hiring dozens of warriors and taking several days to resolve. This level of efficiency was abnormal.

Then again, the plan relied entirely on Shamash-san's "cheat-tier" abilities.

"Is it always like this in Lucraella during a Hitotsuzuki?"

"No. Since this was a sudden outbreak, I just sealed all the shafts. Normally, we prepare in advance and try to defeat as many monsters as possible. It's a good time to make some money, after all."

That made sense. Since the timing and location of the spawns are predictable, letting them go to waste would be a shame, considering every kill drops a Mana Crystal. I'd heard the "final" monsters of a swarm are quite strong, but if you weigh the risk against the reward, the payoff is huge.

When we defeated that bear a while back, it dropped a massive Mana Crystal—about the size of a human head. Shello-san said that was the size of a Hitotsuzuki boss and was worth roughly 30 million yen. Of course, those boss monsters are incredibly powerful and usually require a team of warriors to take down.

Even the strength of the monsters themselves varies. Near Shello-san's house, a monster called the "Guardian Knight's Armor" once appeared and killed sixteen warrior-hunters.

Still... 30 million yen. It's definitely worth risking your life for...

"I see. It... doesn't really feel like a 'Great Disaster' then."

"True. That might be true for Lucraella specifically. There have been mines here since ancient times, so the methods for handling a Hitotsuzuki have matured over the centuries."

A disaster you can control isn't really a disaster. You can prepare as much as you want. But if that's the case, doesn't that make Lucraella even more dependent on Shamash-san? Her workload during a swarm must be staggering. If she becomes my slave and moves away, isn't this town in big trouble?

"...Hmm."

"Hm? Oh, don't worry. Toward the end of a Hitotsuzuki, I usually close all the shafts anyway."

Wait, really? I must have looked troubled, and she probably misunderstood, thinking I was worried about the powerful monsters that appear at the end of a swarm. I couldn't exactly tell her I was actually thinking, "Maybe it's impossible for her to move to my place if the town needs her this much..."

"The final monster of a Hitotsuzuki is too risky to fight just for profit. Lucraella is in a very blessed environment compared to the rest of the world. Perhaps that's why it developed the way it did."

"So, is this really the end of it? What happened to that 'strong one' that supposedly spawned? Is it still wandering around down there?"

"Yes. It seems to be tracking my magical signature. It's approaching us now. It isn't moving fast, but it's a very powerful monster. Well, it shouldn't be a problem, but—"

—Shamash-san paused.

She then looked up at me with a bashful, upward glance.

"...Or were you worrying about whether it would be okay for me to leave Lucraella? If so, that would make me happy... though maybe I'm being a little full of myself~"

What a thing to say.

I could practically feel the gazes of Diana, Marina, and Rebecca-san stabbing into my back! Shamash-san really has a "my pace" personality—or maybe she just doesn't care. She's very assertive.

"Goshujin-sama, it is as she says nodesu. Practically speaking, wouldn't Lucraella be devastated if she left? This proposal seems quite difficult nodesu."

Diana cut in with a dead-serious expression.

It did feel that way... though it also seemed a bit exaggerated.

To begin with, how long had Shamash-san even been living in Lucraella? Despite relying on her so heavily, the town's treatment of her felt oddly dismissive. With her contributions, she ought to be living in a luxurious mansion in a prime location. So why was she living in a cave?

The Demon and the Elf turned to face each other... A literal clash of Black and White.

"Are you opposed to it, Ancient Elf? Or should I say High Elf?"

"Please do not use strange titles nodesu. I am Diana Luna'Abella. A Princess of the Elves."

So she is aware she's a princess. Lately I'd been half-doubting it, but... yeah, definitely something I shouldn't say to her face.

More knightly than princess-like, really.

Shamash-san smiled at Diana's introduction—a smile of "adult composure". Even though Diana is an Elf, her actual age is only twenty-one; she stood no chance against Shamash-san's maturity.

"My apologies, Princess Diana. Since I am to be your junior as a fellow slave, I hope you won't bully me too much and that we can get along."

Shamash-san is totally committed to this. The barrier for becoming a slave is way too low in this world. You shouldn't just offer to be a slave that easily! Is it a low education level? Or a lack of moral education?

"Wh—! Are you serious nodesu? What about Lucraella?"

"What about it? I can just fly back whenever there's a Hitotsuzuki. It's not like they've asked me to live here permanently."

It's that simple? Well, it's true the distance isn't that far. For Shamash-san, she could probably wait until she sees the moon's position and still make it in time.

"...Besides, not to put too fine a point on it, but I'm an outcast here. I don't exactly owe them that much loyalty."

She laughed self-deprecatingly.

"Eh? You're disliked, Shamash-san? Even though you're so—"

Whoops. I almost said "so beautiful." I forgot that dark skin isn't exactly well-received in this world. This world is a paradise for people who like tanned/dark-skinned girls, though!

"Well, if that weren't the case, I wouldn't be living hidden in an abandoned mine shaft."

She shrugged with a weary gesture. It seems she wasn't exactly living that hermit life by choice.

"So there you have it, Diana. Anyway, since Diana said they can't live together, I was thinking of building a separate house nearby or an annex. It shouldn't be a problem. Either way, there are no more empty rooms in the mansion."

I can't exactly ask her to live in the attic.

"Did Princess Diana say she couldn't live with me?"

Crap. I said too much. I shouldn't be making comments that cause friction when we're supposed to be working together from now on. My bad.

"No, it is because I heard from my grandmother that Demons and Elves cannot share the same living space nodesu. That mansion is filled with spirit energy and is very comfortable for me, but for a demonkin... how would it be?"

"Ah, I see. It's true that a place with high spirit density might not be the most comfortable environment for me. I'd actually prefer a place close to a 'Monster Spot'—"

"A 'Monster Spot'? Like where monsters spawn?"

Shamash-san nodded. Everyone's eyes immediately shifted to Rebecca-san. Rebecca-san's house is right next to a Monster Spot.

"Wha? Wait! My place is definitely out! Two more people?! And the rooms... we have rooms, but... Princess Lucreion would be living there too, right? That... that might be a bit much..."

The house where Rebecca-san and Shello-san live has a few small guest rooms because it serves as a base camp during a Hitotsuzuki. It looks like a small house, but since it's on a vast hill, it might just be the scale of the landscape making it look small. But still, I can't just dump this on Rebecca-san.

"No, I mean just nearby. It would be rude to force everyone to live together. I was thinking of quietly building a house in the forest near my mansion. The only problem is... I have no money."

Seriously, I'm broke. Well, I have some money, but I'm planning to spend 100 gold coins on five Spirit Stones for Ion-san's Prison Crest, and I've already ordered gear from the Master Smith. My savings are going to be near zero.

In that sense, having them stay at Rebecca-san's isn't a bad idea. After all, Ion-san and Shello-san know each other.

I don't know how Shero-san feels about Ion-san, though... Wait, from Shello-san's perspective, isn't Ion-san the reason his daughter hit rock bottom? If so, she might not be very welcome.

I don't think he'd be immature enough to go "I'll kill you!", but that's just my assumption. Shello-san is always kind, but that might not be all there is to him.

Yeah, assuming they can live together is dangerous. Plus, the idea of Shamash-san living with Shello-san feels a bit too much like an "Eroge" plotline, and I'm not sure I like that. Umu...

"...Hey, Jirou."

While I was lost in thought, Rebecca-san shrugged and spoke up.

"You don't need to be that accommodating, you know? Princess Lucreion aside, that Demon-san is going to be your slave, right? Building a whole house for her is insane."

"Well... you're not wrong, but..."

She did say places with dense spiritual energy weren't good for her. Diana said the mansion's spiritual density was limited to the barrier area, so outside of it should be fine... but that still meant building something new.

Even without the spirit energy issue, we just don't have enough rooms for everyone to live together. We could squeeze Aurica into the attic or a tiny storage closet, but yeah, that’s way too harsh. I could put everyone in Diana and Marina's room since it's big, but that would definitely lead to tension.

To get along, private space is surprisingly important.

The only reason Diana and Marina work so well is that they're both a bit eccentric. Diana is a princess and doesn't think much about her "servant" Marina, and Marina is either the model slave or just a total airhead because she doesn't seem to find living with her superior exhausting. But adding a 'real' Princess and a Demon to that mix? That's asking for trouble.

Sigh... Thinking about it like this, the day I actually get to sleep at the mansion feels further and further away. I mean, I'm fine with my current style of going back home every day, but still...

"...Hey, Ayase-kun. Could it be—no, perhaps I didn't even need to ask. You're concerned about our living arrangements, aren't you?"

Shamash-san stepped closer to ask. You're too close!

"Yeah. It's not that you can't stay at the mansion, but there are issues with spirit energy, the number of rooms... things like that. Building a house for you would be a bit over budget, though."

"Fufu. I appreciate the concern, but it's unnecessary, Ayase-kun. I can provide my own place to live."

"For real?"

Come to think of it, she did say she built the house in the mine herself. But you need to source materials; it can't be that easy. You can't just cut down a tree and use it without drying the wood. Well, if she says she can do it, maybe she can. Even if she can't afford to dispel a Prison Crest, she probably has some savings.

All right. Let's put the housing issue aside for now and think about what comes next.

Ion-san's Prison Crest. The gear from the Master Smith. Decursing the rusty sword. Moving Shamash and Ion.

There was a lot to deal with.

"Anyway, we have a lot to cover, but let's not just stand around talking. Let's go somewhere we can sit down."

Now that the monsters are handled, there's no reason to stay here. I can't exactly take a Demon and a Crested Princess back to an inn, so Shamash-san's place is probably the safest bet for now.

"Yeah, you're right... No, wait... Something's wrong."

Shamash-san's expression turned grim as she looked toward the mines.

At the entrance, the evacuated residents were starting to return; it was regaining a peaceful atmosphere that made the earlier Goblin frenzy feel like a dream. Nothing looked out of the ordinary to me.

Nothing seemed out of place at a glance...

But Shamash-san stared at the tunnel entrance with a tense expression, like she might dash forward at any moment.

An ominous atmosphere...

In the next moment... a sound like something exploded echoed from deep within the mine.

"No good. The mimic was destroyed."

"Eh? What does that—"

Shamash-san took off running without answering.

Does that mean the summoned beast she used as a wall was defeated? She said it would be fine, so this must be an "unforeseen circumstance."

Wait, if the wall is gone, doesn't that mean the monsters can just come pouring out?!

"This looks bad. I guess we have to fight again—"

The moment I muttered those words to no one in particular, a voice echoed from within the mine—something that could only be described as a resentful howl from hell itself, reverberating directly into my instincts.

Neither a cry of grief nor a roar of rage, the words slammed straight into the soul, writhing as they struck. Every hair on my body stood on end. I understood without needing to see it.

—Something really bad had been unleashed.

The residents at the entrance didn't even scream; they scrambled away in a blind panic. Even Shamash-san couldn't enter the mine; she stood her ground at the entrance, tensed for combat.

And then, it slowly revealed itself.

It had a physique two sizes larger than even an Orc. An armor of red-black muscles that bulged in defiance of common sense. It carried a steel hammer as tall as a man that glowed with a dull, leaden light.

And most distinct of all: it had a single eye.

"UOOOOOOH! I’M SICK OF LIVING IN HOLES! I'M GONNA KILL EVERYONE ON THE SURFACE AND LIVE UNDER THE SUNNNNN!"

Shedding massive tears from the giant eye in the center of its face, the giant roared.