The Simple Job of Only Perishing to the Hero

――The qualification to undertake the final selection will be given to the six people who have won their way through the armed tournament. However, cases where it has been determined that there is good prospects even among the rest of the participants will be given a chance to be selected.

After that announcement was made, it was announced that a day of rest would be held and that the final selection would take place after that.

Although there was a person that was somewhat problematic amongst the remaining six, it was generally evaluated that people of a high level had been gathered overall.

However, as a matter of fact, that 「person that was somewhat problematic」 was actually a huge problem, and Narika’s angry roars resounded in her office in Elreim Castle.

「Don’t joke with me! Why is he in the top six!」

「……Narika-sama, it is because you said that being strong was the minimum condition, isn’t it?」

Narika threw a pen that was on the desk at Mazenda, who had narrowed her eyes looking annoyed, but Mazenda repelled it with an Attack Guard. After seeing that with an annoyed look, Narika struck the desk and shouted.

「I certainly did say that! Yes, I said it! But, I don’t remember saying that some savage should be appointed as a knight!」

Savage――The one that she described as such was Rutelis who had beat his opponent to the verge of death.

For Narika, whose ideal knight was one who magnificently wielded their sword like those in the tales of knights, it seemed that she didn’t like his fight that closely resembled an Ogre or something beating their opponent to death with a club.

「Do you understand!? The Chivalric Order that I, the legitimate heir to the throne, will lead must be strong, and beautiful! The greatest Chivalric Order where everyone will give praise to me, no matter who sees it! It was for the sake of that that I purposely opened this selection!」

「It seems that person, did not like the fact that the blades of the swords were taken off. If he were given a normal sword, wouldn’t he demonstrate the sword technique that you so desire, Narika-sama?」

After being told that, Narika recalled Rutelis’ figure and did a bit of thinking, then glared at Mazenda.

「……Do you plan on making me have the same thought as Nerigal?」

「By no means am I.」

Nerigal was royalty who was at this city of Kashnart several generations ago, and was the person who, after witnessing a fatal incident where a Human was split in half, decided to use weapons that had no blades in the arena.

「If I let a savage like that wield a normal sword, it’s obvious that something similar would happen!」

「There is no telling that. He might not split them in half, but instead send heads flying.」

「Are you ridiculing me!」

After haphazardly throwing things that were on the desk at Mazenda, Narika went *zeh zeh* and was breathing roughly.

「Anyway! Think of some sort of good method! A method that is more magnificent and will increase my popularity!」

「Even if you say that.」

Without hiding her emotion of “what a pain”, Mazenda tossed away a book on Magic Theory that she held.

「Hey, tidy up books after you are done reading them!」

「It was dull. To be mass producing a waste of paper like this, isn’t the self-proclaimed researcher embarrassed?」

Breathing a sigh as if to say that it was worthless, Mazenda put a hand to her chin.

She didn’t want to entertain Narika’s demand since it was foolish, but for the time being, she needed to calm her down with some sort of suggestion. Thinking about what should be done……a good idea immediately came to her mind.

「Ahh, there is an idea that could kill two birds with one stone.」

When Mazenda said that, Narika immediately had her eyes shining.

「Eh, what is it. If you have something like that, hurry up and say it!」

「Yes, it is a truly simple story.」

When Mazenda approached the desk, she took a single document from on top of it and presented it to Narika.

「Ha? What is this?」

Narika, who had delegated all of her day-to-day office duties to Mazenda, made a puzzled expression at the document she was seeing for the first time.

It was a report stating that two things that seemed like Goblins were found in the mountains in the vicinity of Kashnart.

The date of the report was two weeks ago, and if they really were Goblins, it could be calculated that the population would increase from two to about a small-scale settlement. Or maybe, if those two were members of a small-scale settlement and just happened to have been sighted in the middle of their move, then it wouldn’t be strange if it had now become a mid-scale to large-scale settlement.

The reproductive power of Goblins was just that tremendous, and depending on their numbers, there were often cases where even a competent Adventurer would be forced into a hard battle.

That is why it could also be said to be just right to demonstrate one’s 「ability」.

「I see……You mean a Goblin extermination, right?」

「That is right. It would be fine to rank them from the ones who hunted the most, and the masses will surely be thankful.」

Hearing those words, Narika nodded with a “fumu”.

There are a great number of things that cause fear and anxiety in places where people live.

Hunger and poverty, the threat of bandits. Even the fiendish Ogres and cunning Beastia trap people in anxiety.

However, the truth is that 「Goblins」, which should be the weakest amongst the monsters, were the beings that the people feared the most.

The reason for it was simple. They could create settlements anywhere, and could easily increase and rapidly expand their scale. And then, they were easy to understand, wild, greedy, and eat repulsive things.

If attacked by a large group of Goblins, there was the danger that a place on the level of a small town would be completely destroyed, and that sort of situation would occur from 「leaving Goblins alone for only a few months」. Rather than the Ogres that are seldom met, people fearing the Goblins that could be found anywhere was a self-evident truth.

「Hーn……Isn’t that fine? And if it’s against Goblins, magic would naturally be valid as well.」

「Indeed.」

「And how do you intend on counting the number subjugated?」

If it was an Adventurer, there is a function that would record the number subjugated on their card, but it wasn’t like all of the participants were Adventurers, and above all, the Adventurer’s Guild surely won’t cooperate.

Having a knight appointment with this timing was clearly a strengthening of military strength for the sake of the civil war, and cooperating with that would harm the neutrality that the Adventurer’s Guild has maintained.

「Let’s see. How about we go with the classic method.」

The classic method that Mazenda mentioned was the manner of presenting 「proof of subjugation」, which was performed before the card’s 「number subjugated」 function was developed. Cutting off a part of the subjugation target would be proof, but nowadays, it was only used for proof when hunting a bounty.

Having discerned the method she was talking about, Narika made a blatantly displeased face.

「……Don’t have them bring those into this castle.」

「Yes, I understand that very well.」

I wasn’t thinking of purposely wanting to hear your shrill resounding yells――while swallowing back that sort of line, Mazenda switched over to the announcement that 「the final selection will be done through a Goblin extermination」.

Leaving the office and closing the door, Mazenda, while walking through the hallway and making a *kotsu kotsu* sound, Mazenda muttered 「Ahh……」.

「That’s right, since this is a good chance, I suppose I should crush those worries.」

「Oh? What’re ya gonna do?」

A man who stood in front of a room, which had a plate that said “Laboratory” affixed to it, said that in an amused tone and raised one hand.

「……You, what are you doing in a place like this?」

The one that was there, was a longhaired man――It was Rutelis.

His figure as he loitered in the dim hallway made him seemed like a spirit of the dead or something, and he was producing an atmosphere that would make a weak-willed person raise a scream.

「What you ask. A discussion about things from hereafter?」

「I believe that I should have said to not make contact with me here so needlessly though?」

After Mazenda glared at him with a gaze filled with anger, Rutelis started digging at his ear and was showing no concern at all.

「Don’t say somethin’ so dull. I’m bored……Just when will things become interestin’?」

Hearing those words, Mazenda clicked her tongue thinking, “was it a mistake to include this guy in the plan”.

Although it’s been said “in order to taste the best fruit/profit, the greatest amount of time needs to be spent on it”, he didn’t understand that at all.

Thinking about it, this man had been like this since long ago. If not for his strong point of being strong, she would have cast him away long ago.

「……Let’s see. Since you’re already here, I suppose I could have you cooperate with several things.」

「Oh? What are we doing?」

「It’s really simple.」

After Mazenda opened the laboratory door, she invited Rutelis in.

「It’s a simple job……of just crushing some mice that snuck in.」