After returning from the dungeon, I had lunch, took a nap… and before I knew it, one of the nannies was waking me up.

Apparently, Seriana, who had gone out for some kind of meeting, was calling for me.

She seemed quite flustered, perhaps because Liesel was with her as well.

…Should I hurry?

I’m still in my jinbei… Maybe I should at least throw something over it.

Is there anything I can wear?

◇

“Excuse me for intruding.”

Out of habit, I almost headed toward Liesel’s office but instead arrived at the third conference room.

Inside were the usual members and some middle-aged men in the center.

Luick was there too, but for once, he wasn’t scowling… How boring.

After greeting Liesel, I sat next to Seriana. She handed me a lap blanket, so I wrapped myself in it and even took the liberty of resting on her lap.

I had woken up early today and taken a nap, so while I wasn’t exactly sleepy, I felt oddly sluggish.

As I remained curled up, a certain phrase caught my attention.

“Maou-shu?” (Demon King Type?)

It seemed that a powerful, named entity had been defeated somewhere.

The Demon King Type… Aside from the wolf I soloed, there was also the Cymodoki, the dungeon’s boss ape, and the boss mantis. Every one of them was a formidable monster worthy of the title.

I’d rather not fight another Demon King Type again.

I also don’t want to fight a Majin.

I prefer monsters that I can take down easily.

But if I don’t have to fight them myself, then information about Demon King Types is something I’m really interested in.

“That’s right. There’s a small kingdom called the Markto Kingdom in the northwestern part of the continent. Apparently, it was defeated there. I was informed of it on my way to Riana, so I don’t have much information myself, but a merchant who obtained part of its remains leaked the story in another country.”

“Oh…”

Markto Kingdom… I tried to recall the geography of the western part of the continent, but nothing came to mind.

However, the others seemed to recognize the name, though their expressions were uniform.

Is it a strange country?

“…Markto, huh? There shouldn’t be anyone there capable of taking down a named one, right?”

“…That country isn’t strong?”

I unintentionally interrupted the conversation.

Not only Demon King Types, but even adventurers have those with epithets.

Most of them are publicly listed along with their affiliations, but obviously, not all powerful individuals are recorded.

That’s why I found it odd that Zighart was so certain.

“Ah… You know about the Sage’s Tower, right? Markto Kingdom is adjacent to it and serves as a kind of intermediary. In exchange for handling all the troublesome negotiations with other nations, they receive the tower’s backing. As far as I know, no force has ever invaded that country. Because of that… While they have political power and the means to maintain order, they don’t really cultivate direct military strength.”

“…Oh?”

“They interact a lot with other countries, and if they had the military force to defeat a named Demon King Type, there would have been rumors. But there’s been nothing.”

“I see…”

Being in the west, they rarely deal with monsters, and they don’t engage in conflicts with other nations.

A country that doesn’t need military power, huh?

“Then, was it adventurers?”

“There aren’t many places for skilled adventurers to make money around there. It’s more likely to have been mercenaries… but if it were mercenaries, they would have publicized it as an achievement.”

Zighart folded his arms and tilted his head.

“The one who defeated it… That’s one thing, but first, what was the Demon King Type that was defeated? Yusef, do you have that information?”

“Yes, sir. It was a monster called ‘White Mist.’ However, we don’t have any details…”

…A Demon King Type I’ve never heard of.

I don’t remember every single monster listed in the catalog, but with such a simple name, you’d think I’d recall it…

It wasn’t just me—everyone else also seemed unfamiliar with it.

“…I don’t recognize it. Does anyone here know about it?”

At Liesel’s question, everyone shook their heads—except for one person who raised a hand.

“Just a little.”

It was Fiora.

She’s so knowledgeable… She knows about everything.

“Fiora, please enlighten us.”

At Seriana’s request, Fiora began her explanation.

The Demon King Type “White Mist.”

It is said to inhabit the northwestern part of the continent. Its characteristics include only appearing at night and having a massive white body.

Despite having such an eye-catching appearance, no one has actually seen it up close, leading to a time when its existence was even doubted. However, since casualties continued to increase, and traces of battle were found, it was eventually recognized as a Demon King Type and given a second name.

“…Is it some kind of undead?”

Seriana asked in a curious voice.

It sounds more like a ghost than an undead.

But Fiora shook her head and continued.

“No. Near every place where it was last seen, a large hole would always be found. It was assumed to have escaped through those, so people never investigated further and simply filled them in. However, in recent years, someone finally examined one of those holes. That person discovered a long, white, rope-like object.”

“…Fur?”

“Yes. The Royal Capital’s Mage Association purchased a few strands and stored them for research. It is believed to be either a mole- or rabbit-type monster.”

Zighart nodded at Fiora’s words.

“…Huh.”

Even so… It doesn’t seem all that strong to me, but the battle-hardened ones here have serious expressions.

“For such a seemingly weak monster to grow that powerful…”

I see… Considering how much damage it has caused, it truly did grow into a threat.

But it was defeated, wasn’t it?

◇

Though the conversation ended on a slightly grim note, the meeting soon adjourned.

Despite just having explored a dungeon today, the others were already planning to leave the city tomorrow.

They would head to the village governed by Luban and then take a direct ship to the royal capital.

Luban and his people would also return to the village with them.

It’s perfect for an escort mission.

If the direct route is developed a bit more, they’ll be able to travel back and forth more frequently… But that will still take some time.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Sera ・ 【Hideout】+1 【Prayer】 【Mira’s Blessing】 【Wind’s Cloth】 ・ 【Floating Orb】+1 【Shadow Sword】 【Scarlet Bee Needle】 【Fairy’s Eye】 【Dragon’s Lung】 【Amber Sword】 【Danrem’s Thread】 【Snake’s Tail】 【Ankle Bracelet】 【Amber Shield】 【Purple Wings】 ・ 15 cards

Seriana ・ 【Range Identification】 ・ 【】 ・ 28 cards

Elena ・ 【】 ・ 【Green Fang】 【Amber Sword】 ・ 4 cards

Alec ・ 【Strong Strike】 ・ 【Red Shield】 【Fierce Horned Trumpet】 ・ 8 cards