The speed of the carriage, which had been traveling for quite some time, gradually slowed down.

Passing through the gates of Labyrinth, the carriage soon arrived in front of the Mercenary Guild.

If there’s an advantage to a transport request issued by the Guild, it’s that you can get off at the carriage stop right next to it.

Thanks to that, the carriage stopped right in front of the Guild without the need to walk from the city gates.

Everyone stepped out of the carriage with exhausted faces, stretching their stiff bodies.

The sun had already begun to set.

Since it was a time when only the staff on duty remained at the counters, Ian returned after handing over the goods along with a brief return report.

As Ian opened the door and stepped out, the party members who had been waiting for him outside raised their heads.

’Is it already over?’

’It was a request where everything ends once the cargo is handed over, after all.’

’Still, it was B-rank, so I thought there would be something more...’

On the way back after finishing the report at the Guild, Ian walked through the streets together with his members.

Looking around at the familiar sights of Labyrinth after a long time, Rin muttered.

’Whew... Is it really over with this? That was tough...’

’What was tough? You were resting the whole time.’

’It was tough for me...’

Being stuck in a lodging without being able to move a muscle. It wasn’t that Rin wanted difficult and dangerous battles, but this was too much.

’I thought we’d end up fighting that spirit at the end...’

’I told you, spirits aren’t monsters.’

Tanya pointed out, hearing Rin’s grumbling.

Did she say spirits were like Tanya’s fairies? Perhaps because of that, Tanya continued to take the spirit’s side.

In Rin’s view, if it suddenly kidnapped people, there wasn’t much difference from a monster.

’So, what exactly happened with that spirit?’

’....’

She might understand if she heard what happened there, but the two fell silent whenever asked about their time with the spirit.

’Are you really not going to tell me?’

’....’

’....’

Rin’s question was directed at Ian this time.

Ian quietly exchanged glances with Tanya, and they shook their heads together.

Rin stared at the two of them with a suspicious glint in her eyes.

’Suspicious... Didn’t something strange happen in there?’

’I told you, we just talked.’

He wasn’t lying.

It was just a strange conversation that was difficult to talk about.

As they walked and talked, the base came into view. Since it was close to the Guild, they arrived at the base before long.

Whew...

Small sighs could be heard from here and there.

Since the schedule was practically close to a vacation, everyone had rested well for a few days, but they seemed quite exhausted, perhaps because of the long time spent in the carriage on the way back.

Ian opened the door and entered the living quarters where the lodgings were located.

’Ah!’

As if she had heard the sound of the door opening, Anne poked her head out from the top of the second-floor stairs.

’Guys! The Captain is here!’

Hearing Anne’s shout, the sound of everyone coming down the stairs echoed. After a moment, Karen and Seria, who were on the upper floor, also came down to the second floor.

’Were you waiting for us on purpose?’

’Yes! The schedule said today or tomorrow was the scheduled return date.’

In the meantime, Karen and Seria, who had come down the stairs, approached Tanya and asked stealthily.

’Tanya. How did the request go?’

’Huh? How else would it go. I just went and came back...’

’Then it was a success, right?’

It was just a simple materials transport request. Tanya nodded with a face that said she didn’t understand why everyone was making such a fuss.

’It’s a success!’

Along with Seria’s shout, the sound of applause suddenly erupted from all around.

Not only the three of them but even the staff who were still remaining began to clap toward Ian’s group.

Everyone looked around with bewildered faces while receiving the applause.

’Wh... what’s going on?’

’What do you mean ’what’s going on’. You’ve been promoted to a B-rank mercenary group, haven’t you?’

...Oh, right.

Everyone exchanged glances as if they had only just realized it, then hurriedly looked at Ian.

Ian nodded his head in affirmation.

The promotion requirements had already been fully met, and the only thing lacking was a B-rank request record.

That’s why the Guild had sent the proposal to take on this request first.

Since they had brought the goods back safely, the promotion review would pass unless there was a major problem.

Because no one had seriously thought of this as a promotion review, they had completely forgotten about it.

Only Anne’s group, who had heard they were going for a B-rank promotion review request, had been waiting with bated breath.

’Congratulations!’

’Let’s have a party right away!’

Ian and his group were pushed by the three and dragged toward the second-floor lounge, which was already prepared for a party.

* * *

Louise was slumped on a sofa on one side of the lounge.

’I thought I’d be able to sleep early for once...’

’Louise. It’s a commemorative party for our patron, so of course you should show your face even if it’s tough.’

’I know, I know...’

Elena, who was next to Louise, pointed out her attitude.

The place where Louise let out a sigh was the noisy lounge. It was a hurriedly organized promotion celebration party for the Ian Mercenary Group.

Thanks to the preparation in advance, it was a fairly authentic party for one held so suddenly.

It was all because Elena, who had noticed Anne’s group preparing for a party a few days ago, had helped them.

Parties and banquets have an inseparable relationship with the nobility. Naturally, Elena could be called an expert in them.

Once Elena stepped in personally, a proper celebration was created, quite unlike when the three mercenaries were clumsily preparing. Thanks to that, Louise had also been invited and dragged along by Elena.

Just then, Ian approached the two of them.

Elena offered her congratulations to Ian with a smile.

’Captain Ian, congratulations. I heard it’s the first time someone has been promoted in such a short period of time.’

’Thank you.’

’Congratulations... Please increase the number of staff.’

’...Thank you. It seems the shop work is very busy.’

Ian spoke after seeing Louise’s face, which looked more exhausted than when he saw it before departing.

’Still, I’m glad to see that the new potion you developed recently seems to be selling well.’

’That’s why I’m busy...’

Louise let out a small sigh.

At least, the various branches of the merchant guild that had taken on consigned production started selling the Crisis Detection Potion recently. Thanks to that, the number of customers at the main store was on a downward trend, but customers were flooding in again because of the new potion.

Usually, new works by ordinary alchemists received no attention at all, and they had to struggle just to sell a few bottles by advertising, but once a new potion came out of Louise’s shop, rumors spread through the entire city the next day.

’But Louise. Having a famous and successful shop has been your dream since a long time ago. You said you wished business was so good you’d collapse from exhaustion while selling.’

’Cancel that...’

Louise muttered dazed.

That meant she wished she earned that much money. If it actually came true to the point of literally collapsing from exhaustion while working without any flexibility, what was she supposed to do?

In comparison, Elena looked truly relaxed.

’I should have learned jewelry crafting too...’

Louise muttered to herself in her heart like that, but she had a memory of being rejected by Elena in the past when she tried to learn jewelry crafting techniques because her design sense was terrible.

While Louise silently swallowed her tears, Ian handed a glass to Elena and struck up a conversation.

’I’m sorry I haven’t been able to keep you company lately because I’ve been busy. How have you been?’

’It’s been reasonably interesting. I found decent items in this city from time to time. As expected, since there are many people, many useful things seem to gather.’

Elena, who replied like that, sent Ian an active gaze.

’Still, they really weren’t as good as the items the Captain has.’

Airi, who had been sitting nearby and accidentally overheard the conversation, was startled.

’Ah. Can you spare some time soon? An interesting idea occurred to me. I’m sure the Captain will be satisfied too.’

’Is that so? I’ll contact you later.’

Elena turned her head to Louise, who was resting beside her, and made a suggestion.

’Ah. Do you want to join too, Louise? It’s difficult for me alone, so I think it would be good to have one more person.’

’Me?’

Louise turned her head and looked at Elena.

And Airi also turned her head and looked at Elena.

One more person?

Then... the three of them?

Airi gulped and leaned in to listen.

’Don’t be like that. I’m trying to repay the Captain, and it would be much better if I had your medicine.’

’No way. The things you ask me to make are too strong. Once I make those, my head feels dazed all day.’

Louise shuddered, recalling the strong polishes and mana solvents Elena occasionally requested.

Since she was the type to work all day without resting once she started, Louise’s head hurt all day after helping with the work by her side.

Sweat trickled down Airi’s spine.

Medicine...

So, alchemists were... people who made things like aphrodisiacs.

Airi, who was eavesdropping with a gaze filled with somewhat serious prejudice, trembled at the content of that conversation and quietly listened.

At the same time, on the other side of the party room, members including Anne were gathered in one place.

It was to hear the stories of the B-rank request they had only heard about through rumors.

’Exactly what kind of request was it?’

’....’

’We did hot springs.’

’We slept.’

’We played...’

Hearing Anne’s question, the members each swallowed the answers they had come up with back down.

Since they couldn’t say such things in front of the three whose eyes were sparkling, Rin, who stepped forward as a representative, quietly replied with a firm face.

’I cannot disclose the contents of the request...’

’You’ve done it just fine until now...?’

Since they even held a party for succeeding in a B-rank request, Rin, who couldn’t bear to answer that they had come back after playing in hot springs, muttered as if making an excuse.

’I’m telling you, there’s nothing special just because it’s a B-rank request. If there was one unusual thing, it’s that Tanya and the Captain were kidnapped by a spirit...’

’A spirit?’

’Kidnapped?’

’As expected, there was no way there was nothing special when it’s a B-rank request!’

Anne, Karen, and Seria’s eyes sparkled upon hearing Rin’s story, which she had answered unintentionally.

’....’

’They’ll definitely ask about this.’

In order to protect the spirit’s honor, Tanya silently finished all her alcohol and collapsed before any questions could return to her.