The strongest sage of disqualified crest

Chapter 146 Strongest Sage, Tests it Out

"It must be a mistake. It's true that this monster was the most passable one up to floor 18, but it's not really that strong of a monster...."

"No well... The fact that it's the strongest up to floor 18 is already weird in itself okay? ...Did you really defeat this with just four people?"

"I didn't participate, so three people."

"Unbelievable... Are you guys monster.... By the way, Mathias, what were you doing at that time?"

The branch head asked.
He probably knew my name from the guild card.

"I wasn't doing anything. Just watching."

"...You didn't want to help them?"

"The three of them were enough. I fully planned to help them if it looked dangerous though."

The branch head took a pen and wrote something on the memo after hearing that.
I can't see what he's writing from here since he's obstructing it... but I can guess by his muscle movements.
The hidden memo is written with, 『If the report is to be believed, the monstrous ones are Alma, Ruli and Iris. Mathias, the leader doesn't partake because he's a healer』.

Looks like they mistook me as a healer.
And then the branch head smiled.

"I understand the situation. ...I actually don't, but I understand. Either way, we're very grateful for having that monster killed. We can purchase the materials right away, however your reward for the subjugation will have to wait. It takes time to report the subjugation to the city ruler, and for the reward money to trickle down. Do you have any problem with that?"

"I don't."

We didn't defeat the monster because we took the quest, but it appears he wants to give us the reward regardless.
However, since the reward comes from the city ruler, we probably shouldn't expect much.
Thus, we managed to safely (?) sell the materials.

◇

Afterward, we had a meal in a random store, and headed back to the inn.
...On the way back.

My detection magic sensed suspicious presences.
Are we being tailed?
In order to ascertain that, I purposely took a back alley that we normally wouldn't have taken.

"Huh? Was our inn this way?"

Alma asked me who suddenly changed direction.
I reply her while taking care not to make it looks suspicious.

"Yeah. This route seems to be shorter."

While saying that I concentrated on the continuous detection.
It seems like both groups are following us. There's no doubt that they're tailing us then.

There are two groups of suspicious presences in total.
Both of them are trying to hide their presences.
....Their stalking skill's a mess. Walking out in the open at a place with a lot of people would have made them not look suspicious instead.

I activate telepathy magic while thinking that.

『You three, listen to me calmly.』

『...What's the matter?』

『Does this have something to do with the sudden turn?』

The three were surprised at the sudden telepathy but they quickly replied calmly.
And Alma is correct.

『We're being tailed. And by two groups at that.』

『Two groups?』

『Yeah. One of them is... no doubt, subordinates of the city ruler. And they don't seem friendly at all. They even carry equipment for capturing people with them.』

『...You know that much without seeing them?』

『Yeah. Once you're used to it, you can somewhat know the enemy's equipment and such with just Passive Detection. Particularly when they're carrying magic tools, it's quite easy.』

『No, I don't think that's easy at all...』

『First of all, even though I know there are human reactions, I don't know whether they're tailing us or not....』

Well, this stuff is a matter of experience.
Alma and Ruli should be able to do this much without focusing once they train a bit.

As for Iris.... it's better left unsaid.
Every human has something they're good at. She's a dragon though.

『And, the other group, I'm not really sure, but.... There's not a lot of them, and they don't seem hostile. So I'm thinking of coming in contact with this one.』

『...We're meeting the people tailing us ourselves? Isn't that dangerous...』

『We simply need to respond in kind if they try to harm us. Moreover, we can decide the timing if we're the one going after them ...Letting them to decide the timing is way more dangerous instead.』

I activated concealment magic after saying that.
Both of the tailing groups have lost us with this.
Next is...

『Now! Follow after me while being careful about the sound from your footsteps!!』

『『『YES!』』』

I simply go to our target with the three following.
And we arrived at... the path the group who isn't with the city ruler is going to take.
Now that we're here, they should find us soon once I cancel the concealment magic.

And then....

『Let's stop here. Make it look like we're only walking naturally.』

『『『YES!』』』

I deactivated the concealment magic after their reply.
We probably look like we're casually walking from their point of view.
People who could see through this camouflage wouldn't have done such a poor stalking.

Now then, what's coming out.
If they're attacking, I'll consider them enemy....

"...Am I correct to assume that you're Mathias-san?"

Just as I thought, they went ahead and talked to us huh.
It appears that... they're not our enemy.