I Got Reincarnated as the Villain and Saved the World, but After the Ending I Was Betrayed and Exiled. I Just Wanted a Peaceful Life in the Frontier, but for Some Reason My Former Companions Started Chasing Me with Yandere Eyes… - 17

Chapter 17: Strategy Meeting

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With the sudden appearance of demons, the townspeople had grown uneasy, and the adventurers had been summoned to the guild.

“Well then… The Adventurer’s Guild is issuing an emergency mission!! The task is to search for the demons still lurking deep within the forest. Parties ranked C and below are to conduct search operations only. If you find any demons, wait for a party ranked B or higher to arrive. Reinforcements from the kingdom are also on their way, so there’s no need to force a fight against the demons.”

With nearly all of the adventurers gathered, Aisha-san explained the situation with a tense expression as everyone’s attention focused on her.

“Excuse me, but if we’re told to wait, what should we do if we do find a demon? If we recklessly try to call for help, wouldn’t that be equally dangerous too…?”

Abel timidly raised his hand to voice his question.

“Allow me to explain that part.”

And the one who volunteered to answer his question was Elena. Unlike when she was clinging to Gustav, she now wore a serious expression. With her refined features characteristic of elves, she radiated an intellectual aura.

“Oh! Elena-sama!! She’s really here!”

“The hero who slew the Demon Lord!! With her here, we don’t need to fear the demons!”

“Ufufu~ Elena-san looks so adorable with her serious face!”

Ah, Elena was desperately holding back the smile that threatened to form from all the praise. Maintaining her serious face, she pulled a small, shell-shaped magic tool from her bag. It looked similar to a device for playing recorded sound, but it was different.

“This is a magic tool that can transmit voices even over great distances. Here, try saying something into it.”

“Y-Yes.”

Abel caught the shell-shaped magic tool that Elena had casually tossed to him, then spoke into it nervously.

『I wonder if this really works? I mean, Elena-sama is so cute…』

“I am of the cool type, not the cute type…”

““Ooooooooh!!! Amazing! As expected of the Great Sage! Of course she’s able to make something like this!””

Abel’s amplified voice came from the device Elena held, and the adventurers raised their voices in admiration. As I thought about how popular the Great Sage was, she pointed to me with a smug look.

“Fufun~ While it’s true that I’m a genius, the one who gave me the hint to create this was Gustav. Yes. The one who was standing over there. Without his idea, this tool would never come to fruition.”

“Eh, Gustav? The guy with the shady mask…?”

“The one ranked number one on the suspicious persons list…?”

The adventurers stirred, looking at me as if they couldn’t believe it.

Wait, is my reputation really that bad? Well, I guess it can’t be helped since I never show them my full strength…

By the way, this magic tool came about when I was talking with Elena about whether we could make something like a phone from my previous life’s knowledge. We thought it’d be interesting, so we made it together. Elena and I often worked together to create convenient magic tools or delicious-looking dishes using my knowledge from my past life.

“Master… I know how strong you are.”

“Uu, thank you, Tia… Your kindness really touches me.”

As I sulked, Tia patted my head gently. 

She’s not only cute but she can comfort people like a mother too? This disciple of mine… Her future potential is terrifying.

After the explanation of the magic tool ended, the atmosphere settled down.

“Um… Elena-sama, if you don’t mind, would you join our party?”

“No, let us be the one to receive the honor!! We have plenty of front-liners, and we’ll definitely protect you!!”

“Ohh, Elena really is popular, huh…”

As I watched her being mobbed with invitations, I couldn’t help but feel impressed. Then Elena, looking smug, met my eyes. As she walked toward me, people parted to either side like the sea before Moses, and she grabbed my arm firmly.

“Whoa?”

“Sorry, but my partner has already been decided. It’s this man here.”

“What? With Gustav…?”

“But… Elena-sama mentioned that he was the one who helped her invent this magic tool, so maybe he’s actually amazing…”

“Yeah, and there’s also that rumor he took down a troll…”

“That’s right, Master is strong and cool!! But it’s too late to realize that now!!”

Huh? Suddenly, I was getting a lot more attention. But at this point, I couldn’t even say I wanted to keep a low profile. The next time we encounter another demon, I might need to use my EEvil Eyes and besides, being looked at with respect like this actually felt kind of nice. 

“Fufun~ With you and me, and Tia, the demons are no match against us! Right?”

“Yeah, having you as an ally is reassuring, Elena.”

“Ufufu~ Let’s do our best together, the three of us.”

Looking into her eyes full of trust, I nodded. I had heard her true feelings, after all. She would never betray me, and now I could entrust her with my back.

After finishing our final weapon checks, we were about to head into the forest when a familiar face called out to us.

“Tia, do you have a moment?”

“Yes, what is it you need?”

It was Frau, the priest from the party that had expelled Tia. She gazed at Tia with a tense expression on her face.

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