After successfully completing their quest, the group emerged from the dungeon and enjoyed the fresh air following the chaotic adventure. As they reached the surface, they noticed two dark silhouettes that appeared to be adventurers.
"Red?! Why are you here?!" Miyu yelled at one of the silhouettes.
"Hmph, how could you be so rotten as to team up with this criminal, Miyu," Red muttered, pointing at Yuna.
"Sigh... This guy again..." Yuna sighed.
"Shut up, criminal! You're under arrest for attempting to release the monsters inside this dungeon!" Red yelled.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Miyu asked.
"Don't play dumb! You caused that dungeon outbreak too, didn't you? I saw you all doing something suspicious at the Cloak Tower. You lured out the monsters on purpose and then saved everyone to gain their trust! You're obviously brainwashing them!" Red accused.
"So... Is that why you brought me here, Red?" A silhouette stepped forward, appearing as an older man dressed in noble attire.
"Yes! She's attempting to destroy this country!" Red's sentence was cut off as the man slammed his head into the ground.
"You idiot!!! She's our savior. She not only saved this town from the monsters but also vanquished the demon we've struggled against for so long!" The man scolded Red in anger.
"W-what?" Red muttered.
"Don't tell me... You've also been influenced by that demon. You useless king of Inglis!" Red yelled, struggling in vain.
"King of Inglis?" Yuna mumbled, and Red lost consciousness. The king let go of him and approached Yuna.
"I'm sorry for his actions. Indeed, I'm Simon Daile Inglis III, the king of Inglis," the man introduced, extending his hand for a handshake.
"I'm Yuna, an adventurer," Yuna shook his hand.
"Now, if you'll excuse me. This guy will receive proper punishment for his accusations and for making fun of the royal family," Simon chuckled.
"Then we'll be on our way too." Yuna replied.
"See you later, Miss Yuna." The king disappeared into the forest, heading back to town.
"Let's head to the guild now. We still need to report our quest," Yuna said, leading the way.
As they returned to town, it was already sunset when they reached the main gate, where Alex was standing as usual.
"Ohh! Yuna and Yukki, welcome back!" Alex yelled.
"We're back, I guess," Yuna laughed. Yuna proceeded to explain everything to Alex, excluding Akane, which they intended to keep a secret for now.
"I see... It was quite reckless to complete the quest at the last minute, but I'm glad everyone's alright." Alex patted Yuna on the head, seemingly fond of giving her headpats.
"But to think that Red would involve the king in this..." Alex muttered.
"Well, it doesn't matter now. He'll be properly punished for his actions. And it seems like the king managed to handle Red's antics quite well. The king seems used to it," Yuna chuckled softly.
"That's true. Red has been a troublemaker since he was a kid. But I hope you can forgive him. He's not a bad guy. He just despises liars who spread false information," Alex explained.
"It seems like you know him quite well." Yuna tapped Alex on the back.
"Well, we'll head to the guild now to report our quest. See you all next time." Alex waved as they walked out of sight.
Now in front of the adventure guild, they noticed that the guild was unusually quiet for this time of day.
"Why is the guild so quiet? Usually, by this time, everyone has returned from their quests and is enjoying a drink," Yuna wondered aloud.
"No idea... Should we go in and find out?" Yukki suggested, beginning to open the door. Upon entering, they saw an old man dressed in noble clothes talking to Aira.
"The king?!" Yukki exclaimed, causing everyone in the guild to look at Miyu with worried expressions. It seemed they were having trouble processing the situation.
"Oh, you guys are finally back. Yuna, I have some business I want to discuss with you," Simon turned to Yuna and her friends.
"Sighs... Alright, alright. But can this wait until another day if it's not urgent? I'm quite tired, you know," Yuna sighed and muttered.
"No, it's fine. It won't take long. Shall we go inside?" Simon gestured to a room behind the reception desk.
"Are you sure? Isn't that room usually for staff?" Yuna questioned.
"It's fine. I've arranged for special treatment for you all. Besides, please bring that girl too," Simon pointed at Nerium, who had been hiding behind Yuna.
"Alright... We also have business with you," Yuna sighed and entered the room.
"So, what kind of business do you have with us?" Yuna asked as she sat down on a couch, looking at Simon with a serious expression.
"We want to establish a peace treaty with demons," Simon replied.
"Oh?" Yuna murmured, giving Nerium a reassuring headpat.
"You must know Nerium's identity," Yuna glanced at Nerium.
"As expected of the former hero," Yuna smiled.
"Hahaha... To think that you also possess the Appraisal Eye. Yes, I already know Nerium is a demon. Even though my Appraisal Eye is still of low level, I can at least determine someone's race," Simon replied.
"Appraisal Eye? Interesting. But too bad for you, mine isn't an Appraisal Eye. It's called the All-Seeing Eye," Yuna boasted, wearing a smug expression.
"And now, to answer your request. Nerium also wishes to establish a peace treaty between demons and humans," Yuna stated.
"I see. Then it's decided. Leave the paperwork to me, and you can continue your job as adventurers as usual," Simon stood up and extended his hand for a handshake with Nerium, who accepted it.
"Then, we'll be on our way now. If you encounter any trouble, don't hesitate to request our assistance," Yuna stood up and walked out of the room. As Yuna and Nerium left, Yukki was still waiting, while Miyu, Shiro, and Akane were sitting in front of the reception desk, where Aira usually worked.
"Oh? You're all still here," Yuna called out to them.
"Ah, welcome back, Yuna," Yukki replied. Suddenly, a growling sound came from near Yuna.
"Ah... It seems I'm a bit hungry. Now that's embarrassing," Yuna chuckled, patting her belly.
"Well, we did spend a long time in the dungeon. How about we celebrate tonight? We earned a reward after all," Yukki suggested.
"W-We're included?" Miyu stuttered, looking at Shiro.
"Of course! You're part of our party too, right?" Yuna gave her approval.
"T-Thank you very much!" Miyu and Shiro bowed their heads to Yuna.
"Like I said, no need for formalities. We're already a party," Yuna gave them a headpat.
"Y-You're right... Sorry... All right," Miyu lifted her head and smiled at Yuna.
"That's what I like to see. Fufu."
"Anyway, without further ado, let's go find a cheap restaurant!" Yuna raised her hand into the air, and everyone followed suit.
"Let's go!!" they all exclaimed in unison. It seemed that the peaceful life Yuna had been seeking was closer than she had expected
To be continued