The Gnome Dwelling—the entrance looked like a mere cave, but the emitted presence and magic power made me realize it was not just any cave.

“Let’s go in then.”

“Yes.”

“…Um.”

The one who spoke here was—Lefin. She appeared near Sofia and told us,

“May I guide you?”

“Have you been here before?”

Lefin nodded to my question.

“Yes. I’ve visited several times.”

“By the way, what for?”

“Various things. Mostly small talk.”

Does she really come all the way here just for small talk…? At first, I wondered, but then I reconsidered, thinking that spirits exchange information with each other, and didn’t ask.

Since there was no reason to refuse, we asked her to guide us and started walking. At the same time, I heard something like laughter from deep within the cave.

Was it from a Gnome…? As I was thinking, Lefin spoke up.

“They’re probably people who came to contract with spirits.”

Other humans… I looked around the cave again.

If I were to make a contract with a Gnome, there should have been an event and I should have been caught up in a commotion like in the Book. But the commotion has subsided.

The Protagonist and her group weren’t the ones who resolved it. They’re always observing with their Familiars, so there’s no doubt about that… Just like Sofia and I completed the Mercenary-related events, it must mean that other Humans dealt with the Gnomes’ commotion.

Immediately after reaching that conclusion, we came out into an open space.

“Oh.”

Kyarun exclaimed. What lay at the back of the Cave was a space like a meeting hall. Passageways were stretched all around, and there were many hole-like tunnels everywhere.

“Oh!”

Then, one of the Spirits noticed us and approached.

“Welcome to the Gnome Dwelling.”

He looked like a black-haired boy, not even ten years old. His attire was no different from a child running around Town. Looking around, I saw a Mercenary-like Human man who seemed to have been laughing, chatting with a red-haired boy.

“You’re the third group to visit today. Are you looking for a Spirit Contract?”

“Hello.”

Then Lefin called out. The Gnome’s eyes widened for a moment,

“–You are…”

“Hello, I’ve come to see an acquaintance.”

Perhaps to avoid revealing her status as a Queen, Lefin spoke first. This was also because Kyarun, who didn’t know the situation, was present.

The Gnome, though not directly addressed, seemed to understand and nodded slightly.

“Do you know the way?”

“Yes.”

“Then, please.”

He gestured towards a passage. Then Lefin exchanged glances with us… and looked at Kyarun, opening her mouth.

“Kyarun.”

“Yes?”

“As a Spirit, there is someone I must greet in this place. Shall we go our separate ways from here?”

…If she’s saying that, the person she’s greeting must be a pretty important Spirit. I can pretty much guess who.

“This is a place where you can freely wander around, so please find a Spirit that suits you.”

“Okay, but… what about Ruon and Sofia?”

“Sofia’s Spirit is saying this, so Sofia and I will accompany her.”

“I see.”

She seemed curious, but didn’t intend to press the matter, so she turned her back to us and started walking.

“Now, let’s go.”

Lefin said and moved… Here, I questioned her.

“Who are you meeting?”

“The King of Gnomes.”

Just as I thought. If we’re meeting the King, we’ll have to reveal Sofia’s identity, and it would be bad for Kyarun to be there. Speaking of which, will I have to explain my abilities to the Spirits I contract with in the future? I’ll need to confirm that later.

Speaking of which, will I have to explain my abilities to the Spirits I contract with in the future? I’ll need to confirm that later.

Sofia and I followed Lefin’s guidance and proceeded deeper. What we eventually arrived at was a wooden door. It was small, being for Gnomes, but it was just big enough for me, an adult, to pass through.

Lefin sent a glance my way. It must have meant for me to open it. So I turned the doorknob and, bending down, went inside.

The room had a quite high ceiling and was spacious. It was about the size of a large room in an inn, but there were very few things, and it felt desolate just being vast.

“Hmm?”

Amidst this, a boy was alone in the room. The golden-haired boy, elegant like a Noble’s child, walked straight towards us and spoke to Lefin.

“Visitors… and accompanied by Humans, how unusual, Lefin.”

The voice that came out was more like a young man’s than a boy’s, and it was sharp and intense.

“Hello, Akuna.”

Lefin said… it seems the seemingly young boy in front of them is the King of Gnomes.

“Hmm, so you’re with that woman? The Queen herself, what a turn of events… no, considering the situation on this continent, it’s a decision you’ve made, isn’t it?”

“Yes. I see potential in this person and am acting alongside them.”

Lefin said in a soft tone, explaining Sofia’s background. Sofia, in response, perhaps realizing anew the expectations placed upon her, changed to a tense, hardened expression.

After Lefin finished speaking, she reiterated the reason for their visit.

“Akuna, this time we’ve come to greet you and to find spirits who will act alongside this person.”

“The Princess of the Sage’s Bloodline, huh… I understand. But let me tell you, I cannot go with you.”

“I know.”

Lefin smiled… hmm, Lefin becoming a companion must be an exception.

However, being with her means there’s a higher chance of contracting with powerful spirits… I feel like Sofia is establishing her position as a protagonist.

“Since Lefin is accompanying you, an ordinary spirit won’t do… In that case, there’s a good one.”

“Who is it?”

“It’s Rokuto. He should be able to contribute significantly.”

“I know him. May I go and speak with him?”

“Yes, you may… Lefin.”

“Yes.”

“There was an incident here a while ago. We resolved it by joining forces with humans… but similar things might happen again in the future. Is your home alright?”

“I’ve made arrangements so that they can handle it even without me.”

Lefin glanced at me as she spoke. I merely returned her gaze.

“However, it’s surprising that you’ve allied with humans.”

Lefin turned the conversation back to Akuna. He shrugged his shoulders and said,

“It’s a strange connection. That person ultimately didn’t make a contract with us.”

“By the way, what was his name? I might try to talk to him if I get the chance.”

The Gnome smiled and answered the Sylph’s question.

“He called himself Richard.”

–That’s the same name as the person who taught Kyarun magic. It’s safe to assume they’re the same person.

Hmm, I’m really interested now. It might be a good idea to investigate him after all.

I had also told Lefin about Richard, but perhaps because she was conversing with Akuna, her expression didn’t change as she told him,

“I will remember that name. If anything unusual happens, please contact Wind Valley. I will make sure the message reaches me through them.”

“Yes, I understand… I wish you good fortune in battle.”

And so, the conversation ended. As expected, the King of Gnomes didn’t join them, but thanks to Lefin, Sofia seems to be able to contract with a high-ranking spirit.

“Now, let’s go meet Rokuto.”

Lefin said as we walked back through the passage. I then asked a question.

“You seem to know him, but is he strong?”

“I’ve heard he’s a spirit with very high potential among the gnomes. If we’re going to fight the Demon Race in the future, he should be a significant force.”

Lefin, who had spoken, smiled at us.

The next room we visited was at the end of a different fork in the path after returning to the entrance. A brown-haired boy was sitting against the wall there.

“…Are you, Lady Lefin?”

“Hello, Rokuto.”

Lefin greeted him. He stood up and showed a polite bow, one that seemed unsuited for a boy.

“It’s been a while… Who are these people behind you?”

“I’ll explain.”

Lefin began to explain the situation. In the meantime, I observed the Gnome—Rokuto.

Other Gnomes wore very common clothes, but he was different. He wore a red priestly robe with a hood, making it clear at a glance that he was different from the other Gnomes. He looked less like a Spirit and more like a young magic-user.

When he finished explaining, Rokuto nodded slightly.

“I understand… I will accompany Lord Ruon and Lady Sofia on their journey.”

Oh, that was easy… Well, I guess it’s natural since he was introduced by the King of Gnomes.

And so, the contract was easily made. I then said to Sofia,

“Alright, let’s head back to the entrance and meet up with Kyarun.”

“…What will you do with her from now on?”

She asked me a question. I shrugged my shoulders and said,

“What to do… Even so, having her accompany us all the time is… We haven’t told her anything about the situation.”

“That’s true.”

“What do you think, Sofia?”

As someone who had a premonition about Kyarun—I waited for her reaction, and Sofia made a difficult face.

“I myself told Kyarun that she would fight the Demon Race… but I also feel like becoming a companion is different.”

“I see… Well, we need to hear her opinion too, so let’s meet up for now.”

As I said that, I thought—next is the event I finally want to intervene in. It involves Alto, one of the Protagonists… It’s best to carry it out without being discovered by him, but there’s a good chance we’ll run into him, so I’m prepared for that.

Well, trying to avoid an event always comes with risks—anyway, I figured I just had to do it and headed to the entrance.

When we arrived, Kyarun was already waiting. She seemed to have already made the contract.

“Then let’s head back… Let’s go.”

We all left the Gnome Dwelling together. There weren’t any troublesome events like with the Sylphs… though I did have a hand in causing some of those.

“Alright, let’s go back to Town and think about what to do next.”

“Aren’t you going to make any other Spirit Contracts as is?”

Kyarun asked. I wondered if she intended to follow us that far—and shrugged my shoulders as I answered.

“It’s quite a distance to the Southern Lake where the Undines are. And the Volcano where the Salamanders are is also an area where the Demon Race is actively operating. It would be difficult to go to either, and I probably haven’t reached the ability to contract with more than two kinds of Spirits… What do you think, Sofia?”

“Honestly, I think it would be difficult to control two Spirits. I’d like to train in this state first.”

That’s true… I can align that training with the event I want to head to now.

“So, training around here?”

Kyarun said. Her eyes seemed to hold neither expectation nor dissatisfaction, but a pure question.

“That’s how it’s going to be… Now, where would be a good place?”

In this flow, I should make the training ground the relevant location. After the event is over… I’ll re-evaluate the situation of the Protagonists and respond accordingly.

Currently, Phili seems to be leveling up steadily. Kori, who joined the party in that Village, is also there, and her level might be the highest among all Protagonists.

On the other hand, Eina is involved with Knights from various Nations, so she hasn’t completed many events, and her level seems to be rising a bit slower. That being said, she is still a Protagonist. Like Sofia, she achieves remarkable growth by clearing just one dungeon, and seems to be a respected figure among other Knights.

Also, Alto is starting to move for the event I will interfere with from here. I will obtain information from my Familiars about him as needed.

As for the remaining two… one of them, unlike the other Protagonists, doesn’t have a core scenario other than the main scenario of defeating the Demon King, so his movements are slow due to a lack of purpose. At this point, I somehow feel that he is unlikely to be the one to defeat the Demon King.

The last one’s position is quite different from the other four, so he hasn’t moved yet. Well, I’ve dispatched Familiars for him too, so a report should come if there’s any movement.

“Alright, Sofia.”

I proposed to her,

“For now, let’s ask around in Town to see if there are any good spots nearby.”

I understand.

Hey, a question.

Kyarun mentioned this here.

I… I’ve achieved my goal, but I’m uneasy alone, so can I join you?

Will I end up joining them by default like this? …I thought, and sent a glance to Sofia.

She nodded. As expected, the premonition she felt herself must be weighing on her mind.

…Understood.

Thank you.

Kyarun thanked me. I gave a small nod in return… and decided to make preparations to head to the event.