And so, the next day. Phili teamed up with another party and delved into the dungeon again.

From what I remember, an event was supposed to occur after clearing the fourth dungeon, so there was still some time.

I tried to find out how the other protagonists were doing, but there was no change yet… so I ended up with free time–

“Um, excuse me?”

As I was idly munching on a sandwich at the tavern, someone called out to me. I looked up to see Kati.

“…What is it?”

“I have something I want to ask.”

Me? As I tilted my head, she sat in the seat opposite me.

Her expression was quite serious, so all I could do was brace myself and wait for her to speak.

“About when we went into the cave…”

“Ah.”

“To be blunt, the magic you used was ‘Heavenly Holy Water,’ wasn’t it?”

…Damn, that’s right. I messed up.

I immediately understood what she was getting at. Seeing the magic I used must have sparked a question in her mind about why I was in such a remote place.

“It was only the second time I’d seen that magic directly… it should be a high-difficulty healing magic. Why are you, someone who can use that, staying in a village like this?”

“…Am I not allowed to be here?”

“I didn’t say that. But I’m curious. This village is my hometown, so I know… there aren’t many strong monsters around here.”

Hmm… If it’s just curiosity, then a flimsy excuse might work… but if rumors start spreading, it could become troublesome.

If I were to reveal all my abilities here, I would undoubtedly be thrust into the War with the Demon Lord. And while I’ve reached a level where I can defeat the Five Great Demons, who are Executive Class, by myself… I can’t defeat the Demon King. In other words, no matter what I do, if I lead the charge in the War with the Demon Lord, it’ll be a straight shot to the Continental Collapse route.

There might be a way to force Phili along, but… the chances of the scenario collapsing would increase, and since there’s no going back, I don’t want to do that.

So I can’t use this method… even if I try to gloss it over, she won’t be convinced without a plausible reason. If it turns into a rumor because of that, it would be a complete loss. Here, I need to keep her quiet to proceed according to the scenario.

“……Indeed.”

I murmured softly and averted my gaze… I somehow came up with a somewhat logical explanation. However, it feels a bit forced, so whether she’ll be convinced or not—

Well, anyway, I have no choice but to do it.

“Um… well, I can talk about it, but there’s one condition.”

“A condition?”

“I’d like you to keep this to yourself.”

Kati frowned at my request.

“Okay, but is it that serious?”

“No, it’s just… well, I might be seen as a weirdo, I guess.”

Kati tilted her head. Realizing that I couldn’t explain further without getting to the main point, I opened my mouth.

“First… well, as I traveled around the Continent, I met someone who called himself a Prophet.”

“A Prophet?”

“He called himself that, so I don’t know if it’s true, but… I had him tell my fortune out of curiosity. And then—”

I paused for a moment, then glanced at Kati before speaking.

“He said I would die soon.”

“That’s… quite…”

“Normally, I’d just laugh it off and say he’s crazy, but he’s accurately predicted my background and what would happen in the future… So, even though I think it’s ridiculous, I’m following his advice.”

“What is that?”

“He said to find humans who can defeat the Demon King.”

At that, I picked up a glass and drank some water. Kati remained silent, and I continued talking.

“So, according to that Fortune Teller, I’m going to die in the War with the Demon Lord. I don’t know if I’ll participate in some battle or just get caught up in it… That’s why I’m looking for someone with potential.”

“And have you found anyone like that? Anyway, considering your magic, I don’t think there are many people around here with the skill to defeat you.”

After saying that much, Kati gave me a suspicious look.

“……Even that Cave, if you had led the way, it would have been an easier fight, right?”

“It wouldn’t make sense for me to lead when I need to find someone with potential… I need to assess their abilities.”

Kati had a subtle expression, as if she was both convinced and not. So I said, “Ah,” as if to gloss over it.

“And, I somehow thought, he… Phili, might become strong.”

“Do you mean strong enough to fight the Demon King?”

“It’s his latent ability. Well, it’s just my intuition, so you can believe it or not.”

Kati still looked unconvincd as I shrugged and replied, but… eventually,

“I understand. I can see that you have a reason to be here.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Contrary to her words, she looked like she had more questions… I guess she can’t be completely convinced. But, perhaps she couldn’t think of a way to press further, so she didn’t say anything more.

I’m secretly nervous, but I’m managing to maintain my composure. I’m still affected by my first conversation with Phili, but somehow… I’ll probably interact with the Protagonists in the future, so I want to correct this early nervousness.

From there, we chatted a bit. The topics ranged from the situation around this Village to the conditions in various parts of the continent. Currently, sightings of Demons are increasing, but Humans and the Demon King haven’t officially clashed yet.

However, knowing the scenario, I’m certain it’s in its final countdown… From here on, I’ll probably start acting officially as well.

For now, my policy is to act according to the scenario and avoid any events that leave a bad taste. Since that would lead to changing the scenario, I need to move carefully so as not to affect the Protagonists—

Eventually, Kati stood up. But as she left, she added a final word.

I might ask for your cooperation with something eventually.

I thought he was referring to the Demon Race’s attack, but that’s not it. It’s probably something like, if the Demon Race invades, they might ask me to participate in the battle depending on the situation.

I nodded and she left the Tavern. Then I let out a deep sigh… I was far more tired than diving into a dungeon.

Will he continue to interfere like this in the future…? No, it’s natural to interact with people to avoid various depressing events in the first place. I should get used to it now.

With anxiety in my heart, I left the Tavern for a change of pace. I looked around the village, but then remembered that this village would be attacked soon.

It’s rebuilt by the end of the game, but if it were up to me, I’d want to avoid the attack itself. However, that wouldn’t give Phili a motive to fight the Demon Race. But for me, knowing about it and just leaving it alone is kind of…

Then, an idea came to me. As long as I follow the scenario, the village attack is essential. So, I decided to return to the inn.