第４６２堀：笑ってはいけない道中記 (Part2)
Well, that makes sense. It would be strange if they only had one source of income.
I’ll add that to my report, too.
Wait, am I actually working diligently?
"Hmm. Perhaps there’s some trouble. The Adventurer Guild is already lacking in veterans, so they might be sending people out to call for reinforcements and spreading their forces thin."
"I see. That is certainly a possibility."
...If they had even considered the possibility that their people had been defeated, they wouldn't have picked a fight in the first place.
"Well, plans going awry is common enough. Fortunately, we’ve managed to rendezvous with Nonoa and her group. With Nonoa, the God of Magic, and her disciple here, our combat strength has effectively increased. For now, we should just summon whatever monsters we can and station them in the forest."
"Indeed. I shall do that."
Ah, for the record, I’m officially considered the most skilled among Nonoa’s disciples.
Well, if I went around saying, "I’m a Dungeon Master and a Lich!", I’d probably be cut down on the spot.
In reality, I’ve never had a magic duel with her, so it’s hard to say who is stronger, but in terms of overall capability, I’m overwhelmingly superior.
After all, I have Yuki and my soulmate, Narjia, backing me up.
I’m never short on cunning schemes or broken, overpowered equipment. Hahaha!!
Oh, and there’s also my domestic helper, Hifi.
That said, I don’t have any complaints about being treated as a subordinate.
I understand the current situation, and I know that if I were the one standing at the forefront, I’d be swamped with work.
Unless I had some sort of autopilot processing like in the Hifi Holy Kingdom, how could I ever handle all that paperwork?!
Research is enough for me.
My current workplace is heaven!!
"The deployment is finished. Let’s go. I’d like to reach that village by the end of the day."
"Indeed. Let us do so."
With the deployment complete, we urge our horses toward the village, the site of the planned execution.
"Honestly, I never imagined they would actually go without any escorts."
"It cannot be helped. It’s clearly a trap. I and Princess Bicks might be able to manage, but the other knights could lose their lives, and a larger group would only slow us down. This was the best course of action."
Yes, just as Nonoa said—or rather, as Mauve and Kirika reported—these idiots were heading toward Ranks with only two horses and no guards.
I can understand the logic, but I suppose you’d have to call that "muscle-brained."
They’re a type of person I just can’t fathom.
As we chat about this, we reach the village without any issues.
Standing before the village gate are soldiers clad in luxurious armor.
They must be soldiers from Ranks.
"Halt!! State your names and the purpose of your visit!!"
"I am Nogosh, King of the Sword Kingdom. This is Princess Bicks, the rightful heir to Ranks. Accompanying us is Lady Nonoa, Queen of the Magic Kingdom, and her disciple, Comet. Inform the Hero of Ranks. Here is our letter of introduction as proof."
Oh.
So they actually do things properly.
I thought they might just start swinging their swords, but apparently not.
They’re the type who cling to the old ways, I see.
"Understood!! I shall take this!! Everyone, please excuse the intrusion, but wait here for a moment. I must go confirm this!!"
"Very well. That is fine."
Man, they’re well-trained.
It’s quite difficult to show proper courtesy to people you’re about to beat to a pulp.
Well, at least my abs survived that...
"Hmph. That soldier is well-trained. If he survives when we defeat the wicked Hero, I shall make him my subordinate."
"Indeed. To show us such proper respect—a soldier who knows exactly who his master is."
I was caught off guard by that.
"Pfft!!"
I burst out.
I couldn't help it.
I just couldn't hold it in.
It was a critical hit.
It was super effective.
"Is something the matter?"
"Hmm. Are you feeling unwell?"
Stop it!!
Don't bring those idiotic faces so close to me with such serious expressions—ugh, this is torture!!
Hurry up and get here, Taiki!!
Break this serious atmosphere!!
This story is one of those things that looks different depending on who’s watching.
To the people involved, it’s a matter of life and death, but to a third party like Comet, it looks like nothing more than a comedy routine.
Serious humor?
No, Nogosh is just a walking gag.
Come to think of it, is there no "Don't Laugh" special this year?
Anyway, that aside, I have some good news.
Well, I might have been on the rankings for a while, but I only just learned that such a thing existed when an acquaintance told me I was on the Tsutaya rankings.
I had heard other authors talking about the "Tsutaya rankings," so I figured this was what they meant.
On December 1st or 2nd—I forget which—I actually hit #1 in the Tsutaya Light Novel category.
I don’t know if that’s impressive or not. I think it is, considering I beat out *The Sage's Grandson* and others.
For the weekly ranking from November 28th to December 3rd, I seem to have put up a good fight at 3rd place.
This is all thanks to everyone here.
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you all once again.
Whether it sells or not, I’ll keep writing at my own pace here, so I look forward to your continued support.