There are several steps for Sylvie to fight her revenge target, and this event is the first step. The Guild quest is called ‘Bandit Subjugation’. This quest is not actually caused by bandits, but by humans who have been affected by miasma and turned into monsters.

That person was originally a mercenary who had done various bad things, and when being chased by Knights, they stepped into a place with miasma and underwent monsterization, which is, in a sense, their own fault. However, at the end of this event, you reach the Hunter’s Cabin… which can be investigated after defeating the mercenary, and there lies information about Sylvie’s revenge target.

However, this shouldn’t have occurred unless a Guild quest was accepted… Perhaps someone accepted it, or perhaps it’s happening regardless.

And I haven’t told Sofia and the others about this event—when I explained things in the Alastin Kingdom before, I didn’t mention Sylvie or Kuuza… I only talked about being reincarnated and knowing about this world as a story, and about the upcoming Southern Invasion and the Demon King’s magic. I also couldn’t explain the sub-events in detail because Kanan and the others were present—

“……Hmm.”

Here, Kuuza glanced at me and spoke up.

“It seems Ruon knows about it.”

“……Was it obvious from my demeanor?”

When I replied, Kuuza suddenly smiled.

“I see, so you really do know.”

“—Wait a minute. Did you try to trick me?”

“Yes.”

Kuuza nodded casually. This guy…

“So, what’s this all about?”

“Well, you see—”

“Hold on a moment.”

Here, Sylvie stopped our conversation.

“Ruon, a question: Is this matter related to the Demon Race?”

“……It’s an event that occurred due to the Demon King’s arrival, but there’s no direct connection.”

“Then… if we get involved in this matter, how much time will it take?”

“In terms of the story, it should have been a few days at most.”

“That much should be fine.”

Sofia said. Looking at them, it seems they are willing to investigate.

“……Currently, the story’s protagonists are not in a situation to fight the Five Great Demons. It might be okay to do this.”

When I mentioned it, Sylvie then spoke to Kuuza and Sofia.

“It looks like it will be unpaid work, but even so?”

“We can’t just leave it.”

“Well, I… agree with that.”

In response to the two who answered one after another, Sylvie also nodded in agreement and then turned to me.

“Regarding this matter, we’d like to investigate various things by ourselves.”

“You mean, without me?”

“Of course, you’ll be acting with us, but we, who don’t know the circumstances, will handle the resolution of the incident. We can’t always rely on Ruon, and there will be times when the three of us will have to handle things. It’s better to do this kind of thing now.”

…What Sylvie says makes sense, so I have no choice but to nod.

“Understood… however, if I determine it’s dangerous, I will take appropriate action.”

“Alright.”

Sylvie nodded… The difficulty of the quest isn’t that high. The only troublesome enemy is the demonized boss that appears at the end.

However, this boss is extremely troublesome… Perhaps his skills as a human were high, as he mastered sword techniques, and furthermore, his defense has become considerably high due to the effects of monsterization. In the game, it often led to prolonged battles. That being said, he doesn’t use special attacks like status-altering techniques, so if you prepare for a long fight, you can deal with him even at a low level.

What about now that it’s a reality…? But no matter what kind of ability it is, at least Sofia and the others should be able to clear it without any problems at this point in time – unless something unexpected happens.

“Well then, let’s see what you can do.”

When I said that, Sylvie replied, “Leave it to me” – and so, Sofia and the others’ investigation began.

From the next day, the three of them, excluding me, began to take various actions. First, a simple discussion in front of the inn.

“Anyway, first things first, information. Let’s split into two teams to investigate.”

It was Sylvie who suggested it. Sofia and Kuuza nodded in agreement.

“Kuuza and I will team up to gather information. Sofia will be with Ruon.”

“In that case, what about me?”

When I voiced my question, Sylvie responded immediately.

“The base book will follow Sofia’s movements. Even if you know the answer, try not to react as much as possible.”

—If this event proceeds according to the Guild’s request, they will first inquire at the Item Shop in Town. Then, relying on that information, they will visit a certain house, where they will find a Demonized Person, chase them to the mountain—and so on.

The scale of the event is small, but this is the first event where Sylvie can fight her revenge target, so it’s probably meant to be a light introduction. By the way, if Sylvie is not in the party, it’s just a rather bland request to simply defeat the enemy and be done with it.

“Well then, let’s get moving.”

The discussion ended, and Sylvie and the others began to move. I decided to follow Sofia… and then I noticed something.

“For some reason, Sylvie is taking charge.”

“She suggested this arrangement, and she’s also the most proactive. It seems to be part of her personality too.”

“…During training, there were times when she took charge like this, right?”

“Yes. She seemed to decide everything herself and just act.”

Sofia spoke with a laugh. While pushing forward alone can feel constricting at times, Sofia doesn’t seem to find it unpleasant.

“It’s probably because Lord Ruon explained the situation that her innate personality came out.”

“…So, she was still awkward before?”

“I don’t think her way of interacting has changed much, but she must have had some thoughts about it.”

…In Sylvie’s case, she joined the party knowing, to some extent, that I was hiding some power. Perhaps that’s why she didn’t step forward much.

“If we were to act separately, Sylvie seems like she could fearlessly move forward… though, someone to issue warnings would also be necessary.”

“Her personality seems to be compatible with Kuuza’s too, so splitting up like this is probably a good idea.”

“I see.”

“Besides, I am Lord Ruon’s attendant, so I cannot leave his side.”

She’s so persistent… and here we arrived at the General Store. We entered here first. It didn’t look like the Item Shop I heard about in the game, but… Sofia took the initiative to speak to the male shopkeeper.

“Excuse me, I’d like to ask about the commotion happening around here–“

While Sofia was asking, I thought about doing something myself. If things were to proceed as in the event, the boss, the Demonized Mercenary, should be around the town at this point.

After a brief incantation, I stepped out of the shop for a moment and sent out a familiar. When I re-entered the shop, I heard the shopkeeper’s voice.

“Ah… it’s been a long time since the commotion, but it still hasn’t been resolved. Warriors even came after receiving a request from the Guild, but…”

…Huh? Just as I thought that, Sofia asked another question.

“Where are they now?”

“I wonder. I won’t know unless I contact the Guild about that. But, since bandits are still appearing, it seems they haven’t been defeated yet.”

…Could it be that someone accepted the request, then neglected it or decided it was beyond their capabilities and withdrew? I directed my familiar towards the house where the event occurs. The bandits destroy walls and such when they escape… but the house in question showed signs of having its walls repaired.

So, this means… it seems it won’t be a simple event clear, I thought, as I continued to listen to Sofia and the others’ conversation.