Kousuke and the others returned to the base where the merchant caravan was, and were first greeted by Bart and his group, who had come to see the situation after the monster attack had finished.
“Hey, what happened?”
Bart’s question was directed not at Kousuke, but at Layla. This wasn’t because he was ignoring Kousuke; he simply prioritized Layla, with whom he had a longer acquaintance.
“We defeated the Leader Species and the monsters around it,” Layla replied. She intentionally did not mention that the Leader Species was a paired unit at this time. She withheld the information because not only Bart but other adventurers were present. Layla had never heard of a paired Leader Species before, so she was uncertain whether she could simply spread it as a rumor.
Ignoring such circumstances, when the adventurers heard Layla’s response, they cheered. After all, they hadn’t expected that merely guarding the merchant caravan would lead to the subjugation of a monster group, including a Leader Species. The truth was that they had accomplished even more.
“I see. You’ve worked hard. Let’s head back to the base for now,” Bart replied simply. However, with his long association with Layla, he sensed that her answer was hiding something. He also understood that it was something that couldn’t be said at that moment. Therefore, he decided that it was best to first return to the base and calm down.
***
Kousuke and the others headed towards the large tent in the center of the base and were met by Carl, who had a stern expression.
“What happened?” Carl’s question was directed straight at Kousuke, not Layla. Carl had been present during the meeting with Gazeran, so he knew that Kousuke and his group were heading towards the Leader Species.
“We subjugated it,” Kousuke replied.
“Is that so?” Carl let out a deep sigh at Kousuke’s concise answer. It was, of course, a sigh of relief.
“To be honest, I had given up hope.”
“Hahaha. We’re safe, so let’s celebrate for now,” Kousuke said cheerfully, making Carl chuckle.
“You’re right.”
“That aside, the Division Head is probably waiting for the results, so shouldn’t we report first?”
“Ah, yes. This way, please.” Perhaps reminded by Kousuke, Carl looked startled and immediately went into the tent.
“Oh. You contacted me, so the subjugation is over, right?” This was the first thing Gazeran said when Kousuke contacted him using the communicator. Gazeran hadn’t doubted that they would succeed in the subjugation from the start.
“It’s over,” Kousuke replied.
“Oh. Good work. So, what about the merchant caravan?” Gazeran had been concerned that if there were any casualties, it would be the merchant caravan attacked by monsters Kousuke and his group had let escape. As for the merchant caravan, Kousuke didn’t know if there were any casualties. Kousuke turned his gaze to Bart.
“Several adventurers sustained serious injuries and some minor ones, but there was no damage to the luggage,” Bart reported.
“I see. That’s excellent,” Gazeran sounded relieved upon hearing the reply.
After that, they had a detailed discussion with Schmidt about future plans. Due to the injuries sustained by the adventurers, they decided not to depart immediately but to wait for two days and head towards the northern town on the day after tomorrow. The merchant caravan itself had factored in potential delays, so there were no issues with provisions. Even with seriously injured individuals, none needed to return to town immediately, thus the departure was set for two days later.
***
After the meeting, Gazeran called out to the main members. Currently remaining in the tent were Kousuke and his group, Carl, Bart, and Layla.
“So? What actually happened?” Gazeran asked Kousuke directly. Carl and Bart tilted their heads.
“Oh. You figured it out?”
“Of course. How many years have we known each other?” Gazeran had noticed Kousuke’s veiled remark from their earlier conversation. The fact that he hadn’t stated it clearly then made Gazeran realize something had happened. Additionally, he had noticed that Kousuke’s tone of voice was different from usual. While he wasn’t going to reveal his status as an Avatar, he had shown the individuals present that he held a significant position. Indeed, Carl and the others who noticed this showed expressions of surprise. However, Layla, who had witnessed the subjugation of the Leader Species up close, understood that it was only natural.
“That’s true. Regardless, there were two Leader Species; they were a pair,” Kousuke reported. Gazeran did not immediately respond to this report. In the past, there had been no confirmed instances of two Leader Species appearing simultaneously. Furthermore, this time, it wasn’t just two; they were a pair. Anyone would be surprised, not just Gazeran. Carl and Bart, who heard this report for the same time, held their breath.
“…And you defeated both of them?”
“Of course.”
“That’s good.” Gazeran did not harbor even a sliver of doubt that Kousuke had failed the subjugation. He even thought that if Kousuke and his group couldn’t achieve it, no one else could.
“N-No way…” Bart muttered in astonishment upon hearing that the Leader Species were a pair. However, Layla, standing beside him, shook her head.
“Unfortunately, it’s true. And that the subjugation is over too.” Hearing Layla’s reply, Bart gasped and looked at Kousuke and his group. Only now did he truly grasp Kousuke and his group’s strength. Or rather, he realized they were far ahead of them, but he couldn’t precisely understand how far. A single Leader Species had been defeated in the past. There were also adventurers who would later be known as heroes, not just in group battles. In that sense, a single one might have still been within the realm of common knowledge. After all, adventurers trained daily with such heroes as their goal. However, Kousuke and his group had achieved something even greater. Paired monsters, even ordinary monsters, exhibited considerable coordination. Considering that, one could imagine that paired Leader Species would demonstrate immense power. In reality, they didn’t even give them a chance to coordinate. Layla also refrained from mentioning this. Even she, who had witnessed it firsthand and participated, still found it hard to believe.
Ignoring their thoughts, Kousuke and Gazeran’s conversation continued.
“Did you bring back the Leader Species?”
“Of course.” Gazeran knew that Kousuke and his group possessed magic tools that functioned as an Item Box. He hadn’t expected them to leave the monster carcasses behind but asked just in case.
“Make sure you bring them back. They’re valuable research subjects,” Gazeran instructed.
“I understand.” Not just Leader Species, but rare monsters were subjects of research for the Adventurer Division. They studied everything from potential material uses to their ecology. In fact, this research aided in subjugation, making rare monsters invaluable samples for the Adventurer Division. Gazeran wanted to secure them for future purposes.
“Is it okay for the Crown to take custody of this time’s Leader Species?” Bart and the others agreed to Gazeran’s question. Originally, Kousuke and his group were the ones who accomplished the subjugation, so the right belonged to them. If anyone had the right to claim it, it would be Layla, who participated in the attack, but she declined, believing she hadn’t been of much help. However, Kousuke felt that was unacceptable and decided to share some monetary reward with her. With these matters settled, the current monster outbreak was brought to a peaceful conclusion.
***
After the meeting, Bart visited Gazeran’s room at Crown Headquarters to report on the incident.
“It’s hard to say whether it was good luck or bad, but I’m glad the damage wasn’t extensive,” Gazeran said, and Bart completely agreed. Containing the outbreak without a single fatality was nothing short of a miracle. Smiling at him, Bart decided to ask boldly.
“Those people… who exactly are they?” This was a question Bart had wanted to ask but couldn’t bring himself to until he came here. Gazeran stared intently at Bart.
“What do you want to know that for?”
“That… I only heard what they said, but they’re not normal. Why are people like that still unknown?!” If there were such powerful individuals capable of defeating a Leader Species without injuries, it would normally spread as a rumor. However, Bart had never heard of an adventurer party with such strength.
“It’s simple. They don’t usually work as adventurers. This time, they participated in the escort job as a little break,” Gazeran revealed astonishing words.
“A break…”
“Well, just be glad that the fact that such powerful individuals exist has become known.” Gazeran’s words conveyed that he had nothing more to say. Bart, understanding that he couldn’t pursue the matter further, sighed and nodded. Bart was stunned.
This concludes the series of stories.
