It's almost evening. Masahiko looks at the inn. It's rather modest despite its location. Masahiko guesses that this is because of how the merchants have enough space to build up tents if needed. There is a large camping site practically next to the inn.

Correo looks at the heroes while smiling confidently: “Giving the time and the signal, we know they’re in the canyon already.” Correo has his relic, after all, so unless there are other heroes nearby, it’s a fact. “Yet the canyon is vast and has several paths, so we should ask around here, if we can learn which one they took. Do you see this camp? They’re traders, but as we had the rainstorm yesterday and their tents are still dry, we can skip them. I'll still pry around there to be sure, so I would suggest that you ask around inside the inn. As you're from the same country as Katsuragi-dono and Momokawa-dono I'm sure that it'll be easy to confirm whether they stopped there or not.

“OK.” Masahiko nods at Correo who makes a sound suggestion while he looks at Yoshimura-kun and Hoshibashi-kun who don't look satisfied at all. “Teruko? Would you mind going ahead and look if you find any traces that might be them?”

“Sure.” From her look, Masahiko can tell that she's not very positive about finding anything conclusive. There are a lot of people going back and forth this route, after all.

“Someone should join you... Would you mind, Yoshimura-kun? Hoshibashi-kun?” Masahiko wants to give them that, so that they have the feeling that they're actually inching closer to Katsuragi-kun's party.

“...fine.” However, Yoshimura-kun sounds displeased while Hoshibashi-kun openly glares at Masahiko. Somehow this team-up doesn't feel like one. Maybe it's because Masahiko got so used to leading his party of friends that he may be a bit too bossy.

Nonetheless, Masahiko's job is now entering this inn and gathering information. This certainly feels like an RPG. The inn itself isn't that bright, there is also a sour scent in it, yet the music is as jolly and the crowd is as diverse as he could hope for in a fantasy world. He sees two dari, a group of strange beastman, part canine, part equine, part something he can't discern, also a few folksmen here and there. Yet the biggest ethnic group are humans. By far.

“Well,” Masahiko says while smiling a bit strained, “we have a lot of work.” He looks at Daichi, Eri, and Katsuo who are also a bit overwhelmed. “I guess we should search with a system. Katsuo, you begin with the dari, OK?” He nods, a bit relieved as he's not the best talker, yet he learned to deal with dari well. “Eri, could you ask around the traders in here?” She also has the [Trader]-class, so she may connect to them. “Daichi, you could ask the staff first and go to the mercenaries later.” Daichi is tall, that's why he might be intimidating, yet mercenaries and the staff here should be used to people of his size. “I'll ask everyone we can't classify.”

All of them split up and Masahiko looks around. One of them has to look special, to give him the idea: That person knows something.

On the stage is a group of musicians who play a beautiful song, telling about the wonders and the call of the far. Masahiko sees how many people are enchanted by this music, he's also about to just stand there and listen. Yet he has to find Kyou. The closer they get, the more his desire grows and the harder it is for his head to make the right calls.

One of the servers is looking at him while smiling, he smiles back which causes her to blush a bit. Then he looks for a table to sit on, seeing only one that's only occupied by one person, an old man with a dirty poncho. Masahiko feels an inkling, it's that special feeling he has whenever something is important.

That's why he goes to that man's table: “Mind if I sit down?”

The old man is eating bread, it looks like the cheapest bread someone could buy but what is lacking in quality is made up by quantity. He musters Masahiko for a moment, then nods. The man has white hair and a full beard, yet somehow he doesn't feel that old. It's his movements, they're still youthful. “What a surprise.”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

The old man narrows his eyes for a moment, it looks like he's carefully weighing Masahiko. “Where are you from, lad?”

“From Sapporo in Japan.”

“Never heard of it.”

“I'm sure. I'm a hero, coming from another world.”

“A hero?” This old man is amused, he smiles broadly while chuckling to himself: “What brings a mighty hero into this inn? Are you on your way to find a strong monster that's plaguing the people? Or maybe you're here to hunt some raiders?” His words are excited and joyful, not a hint of sarcasm, it feels like a grandfather asking of the newest exploits of their grandchildren.

“No, I'm looking for a friend.”

“A friend, you say?”

“Yes, Momokawa Kyou. She's in trouble.”

“I see. Well lad, tough for you. Are you in love with her?”

“What?”

“Are you in love with that girl?”

This is direct. “Erm...” Masahiko listens to his heart. “She's a dear friend of mine.”

“Ah, boring.”

“Bo-What are you talking about?”

“You look like the kind of guy who never ever fell in love while breaking the hearts of all the girls around you. Are you into men?”

“I don't know? I mean, it's not like I've never imagined- Hey, wait a moment.” Masahiko lifts his hand to show a server to come to this table. “I’d like something to eat. Something tasty. For me and my new friend.”

The old man looks surprised: “Usually, people ask me to stay away from them. I can't pay.”

“Don't worry, I'll pay.” He's an elder person, of course it's Masahiko's pleasure to pay him a meal, especially seeing how he chunks down that dry bread.

The server nods with a smile and hurries into the kitchen. The old man rests his head on top of his hand: “Really, you're strange.”

“I think I'm normal.”

“You're a hero, so you're supposed to feel special.”

“Have you met heroes before?”

“A lot. Most of them were arrogant, thinking that they could challenge the world.”

“Well, you can challenge it. The reply will just hurt.”

“What about conquering it?”

“I can't really say. I guess it'll be even harder. I've already met crazily strong people and other heroes, so even if you use violence you'll find a lot of resistance.”

“What about without using violence?”

“This might be the hardest. I mean, isn't that the reason why nobody could conquer the world at all so far?”

“Good point.” The old man looks like he wallows in memories. “Who needs the world anyway?”

“I don't know. Maybe I would have strayed from the path by now if it weren't for my shishou and my dar-friend. I may have ended up thinking that I'm plentiful strong and that might makes right.”

“Well, back to the really important matters. Are you gay or not?”

“I don't see why this is important, but if I had to choose between the two of them... most likely not.”

“Then tell me how you can be friends with a girl.”

“Erm... like I do it with guys?”

“...are you a child?”

“I'm a teenager, so somewhere between a child and an adult.”

“Get a beard.”

“What?”

“A beard. Grow one.”

“I don't know what-” The server comes back and puts two bowls of stew in front of them. “Well, thanks for the meal.” Masahiko begins eating, the stew is very juicy and delicious, just the kind that’s cooked over several days. It makes sense, as having a stew like this in a wayward inn, where most people spend only a night or two, is low on cost and work. “Delicious!”

The old man also begins eating his stew and he looks like he’s in ecstasy. “Trust me, lad, when you grow older, you will enjoy the softness of the roots and meat more than anything else.”

“I think that the dental care in this world is rather good.”

“You're from the kingdoms to the east, right?”

“Yes?”

“Ah, then you'll find the worst teeth ever soon. Don't know why, but the more you go west, the worse the teeth.”

“Hm... Maybe they don't have brushes and paste?”

“What's that?”

“Wait a minute.” Masahiko takes his backpack and puts his dental care products on the table. “Here.”

“Oh, I see.” Looking at the old man's teeth, they aren't that taken care of, yet they're still mostly intact. “Whenever I break off a tooth I ask a priest.”

“Magic can fix it?”

“Yeah, though my healer always gave me that bitter mouthwash. I hate it.”

“You should take care of your teeth.”

“Pah! You're not my mother! I'm too old to care anyway!”

“It's never too late.”

Instead of answering, the old man mumbles something under his beard and continues eating. Masahiko also eats while thinking about that conversation. It reminds him of when his grandfather was still alive. Ojii-san was very similar to this man.

“Hey, boy,” the old man says after scraping out his bowl. “Thanks for the meal.”

“You're welcome.”

“You're a good lad. So you're looking for a lass?”

“Yes.”

“I have seen people that look like you, including a lass. She and her companions left this inn this morning.”

“She has!? Do you know where she went?”

“I was lucky enough to catch some scraps of their conversation. They're taking the old path, it's been abandoned for at least decades. After the first crossroad, go west when you're at the first signpost, there is a path that's almost gone. Follow it and you'll come across old, abandoned signposts. That's the way.”

“Thank you!”

The old man gives a smile while Masahiko stands up to contact his friends who are all engaged in a conversation. He doesn't want to disturb them, so he waits while standing. “Everything alright, Inoue-dono?” Correo appears out of nowhere, asking him.

“I have a lead.”

“So do I. There is a bard in the camp who has been harassed by an elf. He says that a boy, a girl with exotic facial features, and a blond girl with ember-like eyes accompanied her.”

“I have met someone who knows which route they want to use in the canyon.”

“Great. Let's see what your friends will find. I'll get a table, something to drink, and some snacks. I'm sure that our trackers will also return soon. I'll also get enough provisions to cross the canyon, even if we have to feed a dozen people.”

“Thanks, Correo.”

“I'm just a merchant, so things like that are what I'll do for the mission. You have to take care of the fighting.”

“I don't plan to fight.”

“But they may. From what you and the king have told me, this might be a fight that's unavoidable. We are talking about trickery and mind-control here. There are also monsters to consider.”

Masahiko doesn't say anything. He still wants to believe that this won't be solved with violence, yet he also knows that Katsuragi-kun has shot him which should tell him to be extra careful. Also, why didn't he return the princess to her father for the bounty? So many questionable decisions... It's Masahiko's inner child that stubbornly denies that someone would plan something so despicable that it escapes his imagination.

“Masa-kun,” Teruko softly hits Masahiko's back, telling him that she returned, “too many tracks. I can't tell which one might belong to them.”

“A waste of time,” Yoshimura-kun adds to that comment. “Whatever. I hope you could enjoy the warmth.” He sounds a bit sulky while Hoshibashi-kun grunts twice to convey his discontent.

“Well, I think I know how to catch up to them. Let's sit down and talk. You can get something to eat with Correo. I'll wait for the others here and tell them to join you.”

“Thanks.” Teruko looks miserable. It has become cold around here, so it must have been freezing outside. “You two,” she points at Yoshimura-kun and Hoshibashi-kun: “Remember, just one more complaint, and-”

Yoshimura-kun sighs while Hoshibashi-kun glares at her. There might be some conflict here, but Masahiko thinks it's still their business at this point.

He looks at the table with the old man, who is standing up looking with an unreadable expression at Masahiko and his companions and then heads to the stairs.

―○●○―

“What a waste of time!” Lent Wood, formerly known as Yoshimura Rentaro, is angry and irritated at the morons that comprise Inoue's party, especially their leader. Currently, Lent is in a room he shares with his partner, Star Killer aka Hoshibashi Takashi, and Correo. “Hey, Correo. Why do we even need them?” This is the first time Lent even has a chance of talking to the merchant without anyone overhearing them. All three people in this room are servants of the Lady, the goddess living in the necropolis. Only her request and the chance to obtain Momokawa Kyou were able to even convince Lent of partaking in this entire mission. He had a war to lead in the necropolis, after all!

“Lent, I know that you and Star are strong and have much more experience fighting than before, yet I suspect that the same goes for the party of the princess. You remember how you lost to the elf and Katsuragi Kenta?”

“Only because we fought at the brink of death!” If Yoshimura Rentaro hadn't been such a weakling, he wouldn't have suffered that many injuries before Lent Wood took over.

“I appreciate self-confidence, Lent. Yet this shows that there will be resistance. From what I heard, their party consists of an elf, the princess, and the two heroes. The elf is supposed to be a white-haired girl, so most likely the same who fought you.”

Being remembered of that eyesore made even Star angry. “That's good, this time I'll crush her!”

Lent is a bit cooler, as he would rather have her join them and their cause. “You know that my new quest is to convince twenty heroes to join Kami-sama, right Correo?” If Lent fulfills his mission, he'll get a wish granted. “Inoue and his party will interfere, most likely.”

“On the other hand, Star has to kill a hundred heroes,” Correo repeats the obvious. “This is all calculated. My last plan failed because of several reasons, the biggest oversight was that I don't know much about those heroes. While traveling with Inoue-dono, I could ask enough to basically know Momokawa-dono like the back of my hand while I see that Katsuragi Kenta is in his core a loner.”

“So you brought Inoue and his party for intel?”

“Not only. My first draft of the plan is to set them up against the princess and Momokawa-dono. They're strong and motivated.”

“Huh, they're supposed to be strong?”

“They earned the respect of the king of Feuerberg, that's enough for me to believe in their prowess.”

Lent doesn't think highly of that coward king, yet it appears Correo thinks otherwise. “I don't know about your former plan, but you hadn't us back then.”

Correo grabs the brim of his hat for a moment, deep in thought. “That's exactly the difference between then and now. I will count on you. Speaking of the Lady, did she give you something for me?”

Grudgingly, Lent opens his backpack and retrieves three bottles with a midnight blue liquid inside. “What is this?”

“My reward for serving.” The merchant receives the bottles and looks at them with a satisfactory smile.

Lent snorts at Correo, seeing how corrupt the older man really is. Serving Kami-sama should be his own reward, but during Lent's training with Correo, the true hero learned that the merchant never does anything without compensation. It may be the greedy nature of that man.

Looking for some support, Lent turns to Star who is undressing to go to sleep. “Hey Star, I thought you also hate how we need to get rest here.”

Star doesn't even take time to look at Lent while answering. “Like the midget said, we can spare time by sleeping here and getting up early instead of setting up and breaking camp and everything around it. We won't be able to catch up before tomorrow anyway, so just shut up and sleep.”

“A good sentiment,” Correo adds.

Even Lent has to admit that discussing this has no merit at this point. Yet something about the merchant's explanation earlier made him doubting. “Hey, you haven't said much about your plans.”

“My plan is that you and Inoue-dono find a way to cooperate and leave it into your capable hands.”

So in the end, Correo only wants them to work together while leaving it to Lent to make the decisions. “It'd be easy to cooperate if he would just accept his place.” The place beneath Lent of course.

Correo looks at Lent for a moment then he points at Star who is already in his bed. “I think I'll follow his example.” Correo doesn't bother to undress, instead he pulls his hat over his eyes and lies down on the bed, just two seconds later he's already asleep. It's always astounding how fast the merchant can nod off.

Lent undresses and while he also tries to sleep, his thoughts return to the scene just before this. All of them sitting at a table, while listening to two different statements, Inoue telling that Momokawa Kyou and the rest chose the old route while his friends said that they're taking the one that's still safe. Despite having only one witness, Inoue's friends were quick to believe him and then he said that they should rest early as traveling at night is too dangerous if they're going on a monster-infested path.

Those weaklings! Everything Lent said to convince them fell upon deaf ears and, in the end, the midget meant that every preparation made to rest outside was a bigger waste of time.

Well, it won't matter in the end. Tomorrow is the day they will catch up. Then he'll show those idiots why they weren't needed in the first place.