Fifth chapter. Man, I have got to stop building it all up and releasing them all at once. Anyway, this is the last chapter that I have for today. And it’s a good chapter to stop on since it’s chapter 100. Enjoy.

The Preceding Hero"s Natural Enemy?

Even among the many Elves that love historic ruins and history, Fiona especially had a mania for them, and it was a time where I was thinking about how I should cut her off as she was tediously talking about the charms of historic ruins.

「Fufun. We"ve kept ya waiting, haven"t we, black hair.」
「「Kept ya waiting, black hair!」」

Taking along the tall lanky man and the short man who were carrying a large amount of luggage, Angelica the female pirate appeared.
In addition to her appearance from yesterday, Angelica had a large cutla.s.s and a pistol (well, since those don"t exist in this world, is it a Magic Gun?) hanging from the belt on her waist, and a black eyepatch with a skull drawn on it hid her right eye.
I guess you could say, she"s gotten really into it.

「Uh~m……Are they your acquaintances, Yashiro-san?」

Seeing the beauty that seemed like a disappointment going by her appearance and the two men behind her, Bernadette asked that looking like she wanted me to deny it.

「I"m sorry to say that they are my acquaintances.」

Yeah, it seems that Bernadette really wanted me to deny it.
She held her head and let out a sigh.

「Ya can"t go saying foolish things, black hair. You are going to become our 『Black Rose Sky Pirates』"s vice-captain. We"re not acquaintances, but c・rew・mates, right?」

Maybe because she didn"t like my introduction of them, Angelica patted my shoulder and smile with a broad grin.

「I totally didn"t say that I"d become your crewmate.」

Please spare me from being treated like a crewmate of pirates on your own like that.

「……Aniki. These guys reek of being amateurs but who are they?」

Kuon asked that while turning a gaze that looked like she was evaluating them towards Angelica"s group.
The amateur that Kuon mentioned probably meant 『amateurs in combat』.
Maybe because she became conscious of the muscles on other people"s body ever since she started her special training, Kuon noticed that the bodies of Angelica"s group weren"t bodies oriented towards combat.

「They"re acquaintances from the past. They opposed us, made use of us……Well, they aren"t decent acquaintances.」

Maybe because Kuon understood my answer, she muttered 「I see」and slowly drank the water that was in her hand.

「……Yuu, does that mean that you came burdened with something troublesome again?」
「Don"t say that, Fiona.」

I"m also thinking that they"re absurdly troublesome right now.

「Now then Black Hair, let"s go on the Magic Stone hunt! What we"re aiming for is a gigantic Magic Stone the size of a fist!」

「Ah~, about that……mind if I bring these three along?」

Putting one leg on the open seat, Angelica, having drawn out her cutla.s.s, made an exultant pose like a ship captain that ordered to set sail, and talked about the objective.
When I pointed out Bernadette and Kuon and then Fiona to that Angelica and then asked that, Angelica brightened her whole faced smile even more.

「I don"t mind, seeing as how it"s a request of a crewmate. ……Don"t worry, with this, you three are also part of the 『Black Rose Pirates』!」
「I didn"t mean it as an invitation!」
「What, so it"s not. Well, if they won"t hold us back, I don"t mind thinking about it.」
「In terms of battle potential, you Three Stooges are the useless one, dammit!」

d.a.m.n her. I didn"t think that I"d be completely on the tsukkomi making side.
But it can"t be helped.
Among Bernadette and the other two, who were quickly taking their distance away from Angelica"s group, there wasn"t a capable person that could be left with making the tsukkomis.
Bernadette had kind of become docile recently, and in terms of type, Kuon was on the boke side.
In regards to Fiona, she doesn"t have groundings in being the tsukkomi maker nor being the boke character. I especially can"t let her do the tsukkomis. She"d continue her tedious sermon with a severe tone until you became distrustful of other people.
In regards to that area, Sylvia was suited as the tsukkomi maker, wasn"t she. Though, I was more or less just struck with her fist.

d.a.m.n it, I came to another world, and here I am seriously thinking about tsukkomi and boke roles.

「……Enough. Let"s just hurry up and dive into the labyrinth.」

So, compared to the Three Stooges whose tension was at its climax, my tension was amazingly low.

We placed the money for the bill on the table, and left our seats.

「Come to think of it, Yuu, what"s the color of your Guild Card?」
「Ha? What the heck, saying something out of the blue again……」

We arrived at the labyrinth"s entrance that was under the Nordyord Guild"s management, but Fiona suddenly asked that seeming like she just remembered it.

「It"s not a topic that isn"t related to the labyrinth. So, what color is it? Hurry up and answer me.」
Placing her hands on her waist, Fiona glared at me. Although there should be a correction about her face, this time she really glared at me.
「Publicly, it"s 『Purple』 for C.」
「And?」
「……Technically, I also have a 『Black』 for SSS.」
「I thought so.」
When I said that with a low voice so that Bernadette and the others wouldn"t hear, as if to say that was only natural, Fiona went "good grief" and breathed a sigh.
「What the heck, right when you suddenly ask something, you go and breathe a sigh all on your own.」
「I was amazed at the degree that Norn-sama spoils you. Even though having things be more or less difficult for you would be just right for you.」
「……Just explain it to me already.」
Talking while leaving people behind. That was Fiona"s bad habit.

「Even though I look like this, I am a renowned scholar. So, thinking that it would be the world"s loss if that renowned scholar were to be lost, the Guild placed the shackles called guard on me, and won"t let me do research. Seriously, it"s an unpleasant story.」
「And?」
「Could you stop urging me on? I won"t talk if you don"t, you know?」
Why you little, even though you urged me on……
「And that"s where you come in, Yuu. Those guys of the Guild will definitely come in making a fuss in my research. However, although it"s from a different area, if a 『SSS Rank』 that a Guildmaster employed comes along, they shouldn"t have any complaints. Or rather, I won"t let them say any.」

Fiona declared that awfully filled with a lot of confidence.
But this is her we"re talking about. She"d threaten you with a curse or something.

「With that being the case, if they try to say something, quickly show them the Guild Card and silence them, got it?」
「I don"t really want to show it, you know~.」

Me having the highest Guild Rank, I"m AMAZZZINGG!, is something that I don"t particularly want to say.
Rather, I just want to have a peaceful journey.
I want to retire. Just like the t.i.tle says.

「Since them troublesomely sticking their heads in no matter how much you say you don"t want them will be the punchline in the end, just give it up already.」

I said that to Fiona, flat out refusing her. d.a.m.n, that was such a sound argument, she can"t object it.

「……You know, I really hate that part about you, Yuu.」
「Mu……」

Straightening out her bent back, Fiona turned her sharp eyes towards me. From the sudden serious conversation, I couldn"t think of words to reply with.
……Honestly speaking, we were comrades three years ago, but I didn"t do well with Fiona, and Fiona also didn"t have any good emotions towards me.

「Despite possessing such great power, you say you 『don"t want to』 and run away from that responsibility. Even though that power, is meant for the 『world』……」

*Hu*, the sounds of the surroundings disappeared. It was the magic, Silent.

「Fiona, I understand what you want to say. But I……」

「No, you don"t understand a single thing, Yuu. As proof of that, you"re in a place like this. In a place like this, you"re wasting time.」

In Fiona"s eyes, I could even feel hostility. She detested me, who wouldn"t fulfill his responsibility.