11 people.
That was the final number of members selected for the Special Affairs Division.
At first, he had worried that the sudden increase in personnel might be burdensome, but...
‘This is pretty comfortable?’
Now, nearly a month later.
Oscar was spending his days more peacefully than ever before.
‘The balance is good too. Seven Level 4s, three Level 5s, and lastly, one Level 6.’
In fact, he had debated until the very end whether to select this Level 6 mage or not.
Frankly, considering the tasks the Special Affairs Division usually handled, bringing in such valuable manpower was close to a waste.
‘But the results are the results.’
Ultimately, the Level 6 mage who finally joined was Verdi Nakwind.
Having played an active role in the previous year's Night of Mages, he also put on a great match in his sparring with Killian.
He was also the only participant to fully max out the three-minute time limit.
‘Because of that, there wasn't exactly any justification to fail him...’
Above all, it seemed like he would be a good stimulus for those troublemakers.
‘Those guys, just because their skills improved a bit, had secretly gotten a little arrogant.’
He had been waiting for the right timing to bring them down a peg anyway, and Verdi was the perfect man for the job.
Verdi, a senior by one class, was a mage who was already eyeing Level 7.
Having a senior who was older and more skilled than them come in as a junior—there was nothing more uncomfortable than that.
‘It worked out well in the end.’
The guys who were just trying to enjoy moderate seniority treatment among their juniors started working harder than before.
Thanks to that, the speed at which the Special Affairs Division processed its work was on a completely different level compared to before.
It reached the point where he could sit here all day just looking out the window, and all he had to do was check and sign the activity reports when they were submitted.
‘I do miss going out to the field sometimes, but...’
At least it was good that the job of pulling out fat cats stuck in chimneys had disappeared.
"What are you thinking so deeply about?"
"Hmm? Oh."
The once-empty division office was now densely packed with partitioned desks.
Oscar looked at the youthful face that had come up to his desk to speak to him and asked back.
"Just this and that. By the way, don't you have any work today?"
"I finished it all before coming here. Here's the activity report."
Damian Proud.
This guy, who had now reached the late stages of Level 4, was also quite a welcome face.
It felt like only yesterday that he had been acting up, full of himself, and Oscar had taught him a true lesson on the podium.
"It hits me anew just how truly amazing I am."
"Suddenly?"
"Seeing how you've become a proper human being suddenly made me think that. You remember when you took my class last year, right?"
"Wh-why bring that up all of a sudden..."
Blushing in an instant, Damian avoided his gaze.
Come to think of it, his tone of voice had seemed obnoxious back then, but these days he was perfectly polite even to his seniors.
"Ahem, I was young and freshly graduated from the Academy. Puberty hits everyone."
"Benjamin and Sylvia weren't like that."
"That's because they're the weird ones."
Chuckling, Oscar checked the activity report and asked.
"How are things these days?"
"It's good. I'm still learning the ropes so it's a bit hectic, but I feel like I'm finally being of help to the White Tower and Sirin."
"Wow, how admirable."
Leaving a confirmation signature on the activity report, Oscar held out a piece of candy as a reward.
Staring at it blankly, Damian frowned.
"...What is this?"
"Why, don't you like lemon flavor?"
"That's not the issue here. Do you think I'm some kind of kid?"
"'I passed the exam, so I don't have to take your class anymore, right?' Your actual words."
"Gyaaaagh!"
Damian ran away like a ghost subjected to an exorcism ritual.
Seriously, teasing that guy was the joy of his life these days.
Wearing a wide smile across his face, Oscar stood up and approached the window.
Down below, the peaceful-looking city entered his vision.
‘Is this peace?’
To confess honestly, he had felt a bit strange over the past month.
He had been intentionally keeping his guard up, worried that if he soaked in these tranquil days and let his mind grow slack, demons might cross over the Red Mountain Range at any given moment.
He had even actually dreamt something like that and woken up panting for breath.
‘Even though I haven't had a single nightmare since acquiring the Black Tower's treasure, the Silent Night.’
That meant the dream in question wasn't caused by the Nightmare Baron's curse.
He merely guessed that he had dreamt it simply because he was worrying too much.
He had even seriously pondered whether he had perhaps become a person unsuited for a peaceful everyday life.
Out of concern, he looked up related documents and found that it was surprisingly a common symptom.
To the extent that even the Imperial Family operated separate treatment camps for returning soldiers.
‘I didn't even notice it when I was overwhelmingly busy after opening my eyes in this body, but to think I'd get more anxious now that the peace I wished for has arrived...’
Smiling bitterly, Oscar lightly shook his head.
Still, unlike his worries, the remnants of the Black Finger had yet to be found.
According to the Emperor he had contacted a few days ago, it really seemed like that was all of them.
‘Which means.’
Now, truly, once Old Man Heavenly Sword reaches Level 9, he could put an end to this anxiety.
Oscar clenched his fists tightly.
Regret over not being able to finish the job himself?
Honestly, he didn't have even a speck of it.
It was a matter of survival in the first place; he had never really wanted to be some sort of main character.
‘Phew, let's not get too excited.’
It wasn't over yet.
Until he confirmed with his own two eyes the moment when every last demon was eradicated from this land, he had no intention of dropping his guard.
‘Then, should I slowly make my move on this end too?’
As a result of continuously observing them, the Special Affairs Division had established a system and would run perfectly fine even if he stepped away for a bit.
If so, trusting that Old Man Heavenly Sword would return as a Level 9, he should make preparations on his end as well.
‘Since I told them I'm going on a business trip, the kids will handle things well on their own.’
There was no need to even pack a luggage bag.
Because he always kept most essential things fully stocked inside his subspace anyway.
The most important thing was simply the desire to go.
Snap!
Snapping his fingers, Oscar stepped into the portal.
As soon as he emerged on the other side, the salty smell of the sea and the heat of the scorching sand washed over him all at once.
‘Pilap. I think this was the meeting place.’
Looking at the sea dyed by the setting sun, Oscar initiated a communication with Tesila.
[Hello.]
"It's me, Oscar."
[Ah! I was just about to contact you anyway. Whereabouts are you?]
"I've already arrived. I'm by the beach in Pilap."
[Already? Spatial magic sure is convenient as expected. Then, come over to the inn we're staying at for now. The name is 'Pilap Seagull'.]
Ending the communication, Oscar immediately moved towards the town center.
As could be expected from its name, the lodging where Tesila's adventure party was staying was shabbier than he had thought.
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
"Oh! Over here! Over here!"
Waiting in the dining area on the first floor of the inn, Tesila waved her hand broadly.
Oscar approached that direction while examining the party members.
‘Definitely.’
Their levels were quite high.
Usually, when speaking of adventurers, the dominant assessment was that they were personnel whose skills fell behind the mages of the Magic Towers or the knights of sword families.
However, this party of five, excluding Tesila, was entirely composed of Level 6-class members.
"Welcome! It's been a while since the dungeon, right?"
"Yes, it's been a long time."
"Have a seat first. Also, are you hungry? What do you want to eat? Or maybe a drink?"
"Coffee, please. Hot, with no sugar."
As he was having a light conversation with her, a man wearing glasses sitting next to her quietly opened his mouth.
"Tesila, aren't you going to introduce us too?"
"Don't rush me. I was going to do that anyway."
Shrugging her shoulders, Tesila introduced her comrades one by one.
"This impatient, slender nerd is our adventure party's healer. If it weren't for him, the members of our party here would have been completely replaced by now."
He had thought the man was the only one in the party from whom he couldn't feel any magic power; so he was a cleric.
Oscar held out his hand.
"Nice to meet you. I am Oscar Crucian, a Level 7 mage of the White Tower."
"I am Eddie Barton, a believer of the El Terra Order."
"But can a believer of the Order become an adventurer?"
"In my case, it's more of a dispatch based on a contract where Tesila regularly handles tasks requested by the Order."
"Ah, I see."
In short, it was like a rented water purifier.
After they exchanged proper greetings, Tesila continued the introductions.
"You've seen this one in the dungeon, so you're familiar, right? She's our party's vanguard."
"Maureen Koshina. Leave the front to me."
She was a woman carrying a large hammer on her back that didn't suit her petite frame.
Honestly, he hadn't expected her to be in charge of the party's vanguard with that build.
"Next is a mage from the Blue Tower. He specializes in battlefield control and helps us run wild."
"I'm Tristan. I've heard many rumors about you."
He had been slightly worried when she said there was a mage from the Blue Tower, but it was an unfounded fear.
Because the eyes of the man looking at him were continuously sparkling with curiosity.
"After him is the party's number two firepower specialist and gunslinger, Mary Jane."
"...Pleasure."
The woman who nodded chicly was wearing a hat that looked like something pirates from the old era would wear.
‘A gunslinger, huh.’
He was looking forward to it since he hadn't yet met an expert who purely used a gun itself as their main weapon.
Likewise extending a greeting to her, Oscar turned his head.
"And the last one is none other than me. I'm the alpha and omega of this party, the beginning and the end, the very reason for its existence, Tesila Windroar. My occupation is a mage."
"Hmm, then there are three mages in this party alone."
The White Tower, the Blue Tower, and Tesila, respectively.
Oscar asked.
"Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever heard what attribute you wield, Miss Tesila."
"Me? I don't have one."
"...What does that mean?"
"Why do you think a genius of my caliber decided to become an adventurer instead of going to a Magic Tower? It's because no place would accept me."
She took a sip of her beer and explained as if it were no big deal.
"Because my magic circuit is so peculiar, I can't even formulate attribute magic formulas in the first place."
"But you said you were definitely a mage."
"Look at this guy? Even if I'm non-attribute, I still know how to use magic, you know?"
Honestly, he couldn't imagine what kind of magic one could use with raw, unrefined magic power that didn't even have an attribute to handle.
"Well, you'll find out when you see it. You'll probably be shocked?"
"Sure... I guess."
First of all, it was a certainty that she was a Level 7 and a Special-grade adventurer, so there shouldn't be any problems.
Because there was absolutely no way the Imperial Family would grant such a title to someone without the skills to back it up.
Thud!
Just then, the innkeeper slammed the bowls filled with food down as if throwing them, and then disappeared.
One would normally be annoyed by this, but Tesila's party began eating their food as if they were used to it.
"You guys must have quite a bit of money, so why purposely come to a shabby inn and receive this kind of treatment?"
At her words that pierced right through his thoughts, Oscar honestly nodded his head.
"I won't deny it."
"It's nothing grand, just a kind of routine. We really started from the rock bottom, after all."
She shrugged her shoulders while looking at the spilled food scattered on the surface.
"If we stay at the cheapest lodging in the nearby city before working, it somehow reminds us of those days and makes us work even harder."
"That's unique."
He had also started in the back alleys, but he hadn't particularly strengthened his resolve by reminiscing about those days.
No, had he studied magic harder because he didn't want to go back to the back alleys?
His Academy days were such an old story now that his memories of them were hazy.
"Well, I'm just thankful that everyone goes along with my stubbornness without complaining."
When in the Empire, do as the imperials do; as an outside mercenary, he had no intention of telling them what to do.
Nodding as if it wasn't a big deal, Oscar asked.
"When is the departure?"
"We'll gather at 6 AM tomorrow and head out right as the sun comes up. I've already secured a boat too."
"And the objective?"
"The annihilation of the mermaid variants that attack humans, and maybe snatching up some profitable items on the side?"
Smirking, Tesila raised her glass high.
"Raise your glasses! Let's score big this time too!"
Clink!
The glasses clashed together refreshingly.
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]

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