"Oi, you're late."
Shougo Oyamada muttered quietly in complaint.
"I am terribly sorry, Oyamada-san."
"If the goddess senpai wasn't a beauty, I would definitely be cursing her out right now~"
"Oh my, being beautiful really does come with benefits, doesn't it~"
"Well~, the line for what I can forgive is pretty loose when it comes to beauties, right~"
The girls from the Asagi group whispered among themselves.
"The worst."
"So annoying."
"Oyamada's face win rate is at best like putting on wooden clogs and winning seven out of ten fights or something."
This was Asagi's intention.
To plant bad feelings toward the Kirihara group within her own group.
A skillful manipulation of people's hearts.
It was probably to prevent anyone from defecting to the Kirihara group.
"Wait a second!? That person is seriously handsome, isn't he!? Ten wins out of ten fights is on another level!"
The group of four walking behind the goddess.
Two men and two women.
There was a slight sense of uniformity in their clothing.
The girl who made the fuss was probably referring to the man walking right behind the goddess.
However, he did not give off the atmosphere of being the goddess's subordinate.
Following behind that group of four was one large man.
He had a beard.
His appearance had a wild quality to it.
However, the air around him felt rather laid-back.
His facial features were deeply chiseled.
He looked like an actor from an overseas movie.
The tip of the sheath of his large longsword was dragging along the ground.
Behind the large man followed eight men and women.
They were also armed.
The atmosphere around them was a little different from the previous five.
At the very rear was Nyantan.
They all lined up neatly with the goddess at the center.
"Everyone's levels have risen to a surprising degree. I am truly delighted from the bottom of my heart. First of all, I would like to express my gratitude for all the hard work you have done so far..."
The goddess bowed gracefully.
It was a supple, elegant bow.
Once she finished the greeting, the goddess smoothly raised her face.
"...However, even if your levels have gone up, that only means your basic abilities have increased. You still lack combat techniques, in other words, 'skills.' Well, having said that..."
The goddess corrected herself.
"Sogou-san has her specialty in ancient martial arts, after all. I still clearly remember the time when you lost your sanity and tried to use violence against me, you know? Yes, of course I have not forgotten it at all. And actions come with responsibility. Even if you yourself forget, the other party tends to remember quite well. You never know when or where the effects of your actions might show up, so all you heroes should be careful as well♪"
"Off topic, and it's so long."
Oyamada grumbled.
The goddess placed a hand near her eyes in a sorrowful manner.
"I am sorry... I was just... sniff... Oyamada-san, that is the kind of person you are, right? Such unconscious harmful behavior will one day lead to influences that connect to regret... uuu... how terrible..."
"U-ugh, so annoying! Hey, since you called us out here, there has to be something, right!? Stop killing the mood and get to the point already!"
"Shougo."
Kirihara opened his mouth.
"Huh? What is it, Takuto?"
"Do not bite at everyone indiscriminately. Do not show such an unsightly display too much. You should start being aware of that empty habit of yours soon."
"But Takuto~"
"If it turns out the same way as it did with Nyantan, I will not be able to cover for you..."
"...Tch! Goddess senpai, I am sowwy! Please forgive me~! Pee!"
Oyamada gave an insincere apology.
The goddess returned to normal in an instant.
"Business as usual, Oyamada-san♪ Well then, since Oyamada-san is so impatient, shall we get right to it♪"
The people the goddess had brought with her.
They had gathered in order to train the heroes, she said.
She had called them in from various places.
The goddess continued her explanation.
"Those people are called the Four Holy Saints or something! Wait, did she just say they are all siblings right now!? Right!?"
"That means the older sisters with them are not dating Agito-san, right!?"
"Kyaa!"
"So, honestly, what do you think!? Who is better, Kirihara-kun or him!?"
"The routes are different!"
"I get it!"
Some of the girls were whispering excitedly and getting worked up.
The goddess continued her explanation with a smile on her face.
She seemed surprisingly tolerant of private conversations as long as they were kept modest.
On the other hand, Ayaka also felt her emotions rising.
(Those people called the Four Holy Saints... all of them are incredibly strong. The next person introduced, that Bainwolf person too...)
She sensed something unfathomable.
Just by standing there.
She swallowed her saliva.
(I might still have a long way to go...)
"...And with that, they will become the instructors who will train all of you."
Next, the goddess began assigning them.
"The Sword Tiger Corps will take Asagi-san's group, the Dragon Slayer will take Yasu-san's group, Nyantan will take the Takao sisters, and the Four Holy Saints will be in charge of Kirihara-san's group. Well then, I ask for your kind cooperation~"
(...Huh?)
Ayaka's group had not been called.
The assignments for everyone present were already finished.
If there was anyone left... it would probably be the goddess herself.
However, the goddess already had the air of having finished one task.
Ayaka raised her hand to voice her question, but before she could,
"It seems the assignment of an instructor for Sogou Ayaka-san's group has not been completed yet."
Someone raised the question before Ayaka could.
The goddess tilted her head with a smile.
"Hmm~?"
The one who voiced the doubt was Hijiri Takao.
She raised her hand with a composed expression.
Her standing posture was as beautiful as the goddess's.
She did not seem to feel any fear.
She was very resolute.
The goddess showed a troubled smile.
"...Ah, yes, that is right. That is correct. I am terribly sorry. Oh dear, what have I done... Really, my explanation was insufficient..."
While apologizing, the goddess gave her answer.
"Originally, the Five Dragon Warriors of the Black Dragon Knight Order were supposed to be in charge of Kirihara-san's group. However, they have died... so we have run short on instructors for the heroes. That is why I was troubled as well..."
The goddess placed a hand on her white cheek.
"Well, since Sogou-san possesses ancient martial arts that even the gods would fear... I thought that if she could teach it to the people in her own group, that might be enough... I ended up holding such a faint hope. Um, would that not work?"
"It would not work."
Hijiri flatly denied it.
"Hmm~? Why is that? May I ask for a logical answer rather than a personal emotional one?"
"Then may I also ask for a logical answer, rather than a personal emotional one, as to why only Sogou-san's group is not being assigned an instructor?"
"Eh~? D-Did you just... answer a question with another question right now? Normal people cannot do something so childish very easily, can they? Are you okay?"
"Is the goddess herself okay?"
"Eh~?"
"No matter what your true intentions are... is it all right for you to take actions that could give a sense of distrust to us sisters, who are S-rank and A-rank?"
"......Ah, just as Hijiri-san says. I am sorry. It was a measure taken because I truly trusted Sogou-san's abilities from the bottom of my heart... My words were insufficient. Um, please do not misunderstand and think there is any malice behind it, okay? Umm, but this is troubling... We cannot call in any more disciples of Vysis from other countries either..."
The goddess's gaze shifted.
"The reward will stay the same, but the effort will double... Is there anyone kind enough to look after Sogou-san's group? As expected, there is no one."
"Then, shall I take a look?"
"Oh my?"
The one who volunteered was the man called Bainwolf.
(I think his alias is the Dragon Slayer...)
He was the man in charge of Yasu's group.
"Bain-san, is that all right?"
"They are promising heroes for the future as well, right? In that case, I think we should take every possible measure to raise their survival rate."
"I see~"
Bainwolf stroked his beard.
"Hmm~... Or is there some kind of aim behind deliberately not assigning them an instructor?"
"Eh? What do you mean?"
"...No, it is nothing. Oh yes, in exchange for looking after them as well, I would like you to provide some high-quality alcohol as additional reward..."
"What a troublesome person you are. But something like that is no trouble at all♪ In that case, we shall prepare the highest-grade alcohol."
"Fufufu, thanks for that..."
"Ah, so that was your aim?"
"Well, I will leave the judgment to you."
The Dragon Slayer was being evasive.
It was hard to read his true intentions.
"However, can you train them without lowering the quality?"
"I intend to make every effort possible. Still, this Dragon Slayer who is famous for being lazy is stepping up to take it on voluntarily. I think it would be wise to take him up on the offer here..."
"......Understood. Well then, I ask for your kind cooperation."
Bainwolf scratched his head.
"Good grief... The silence from this goddess-sama is scary, you know..."
▽
"Recently, significant movements have been confirmed within the Demon Emperor's camp."
Once things had settled down, the goddess moved on to the next topic.
"Compared to past battles, the number of monsters gathering near the Great Oath Wall seems overwhelming. Therefore, the next battle against the Demon Emperor's army will be a large-scale fight that far exceeds our initial expectations. And..."
The goddess smiled mercifully.
She spread both arms wide and declared in a clear voice.
"In that next battle, the heroes that our Alion prides itself on, in other words, all of you, will also participate. Therefore, everyone, I ask that you please tighten your focus even more as you prepare for the next battle."