In the new house, there are two new slaves for maintenance, household chores, and other miscellaneous tasks. The senior slaves were quite expensive. It would be nice if they lived up to that price.
Every time I complete a request, it costs money to inspect my equipment.
Although I’m far from destitute, my cash balance has been decreasing nicely.
Naturally, I’ll return to my daily routine of completing requests…
I met Kasugal after a long time.
It’s the official settlement of our party’s dissolution.
Including the share from when we defeated the dragon horde.
Normally, the reward for defeating a dragon horde takes more time to be paid out, but the princess, who was the client, immediately arranged for it after confirming.
I’m grateful. I owe thanks to the princess.
I’m on the princess’s side. If the country ever splits, it would be good to lend support.
If I achieve something, I might even become a noble. Not that I want to, though… It seems troublesome.
“How about it, Kasugal? Life outside of being an adventurer?”
When I asked, Kasugal put both hands behind his head and seemed to be looking back after parting ways with the party.
“Well, at first, I thought time was passing slowly. But now that the shop is starting to take shape, the days fly by just as quickly as they did back then.”
He said with a smile. Is he enjoying it that much?
Kasugal used to be grumpy during our adventurer days. Being the party leader, he must have been under constant stress.
But now he smiles like this. It’s truly a case of mismatched talents and inclinations.
If I’m the strongest vanguard, then he’s undoubtedly an equally skilled rear guard. The title of “Fire Dominator” or even “Flame Demon” doesn’t do justice to the man who incinerated everything.
“As for the party’s assets, we prefer cash over items. We’d like to sell as much as possible and divide it up. What’s your opinion, Ahavain?”
“I agree. We’ve always liquidated what we needed, and the items currently in the party’s warehouse aren’t immediately necessary. We can buy consumables with gold.”
“Good. Glad we’re not arguing about it. I heard there could be disagreements.”
“Don’t lump us in with the small fry. The amount we’re earning is different; it’s not worth arguing over trivial matters.”
“Yeah… It’s been great teaming up with you. Without you, we probably wouldn’t be in this situation.”
“Same here. Teaming up with the strongest rear guard and healer.”
It’s been five years since the birth of the Empire’s strongest party.
We’ve been through a lot. Seriously. There were times when I thought I’d die.
Especially on that azure day. It was probably the worst and most dangerous day of my life.
The country was on the brink of destruction…
And it was also the day I first met the imperial princess.
I opened the bottle of premium wine I’d bought and poured it into our glasses.
“Cheers to the Empire’s strongest party.”
We raised our glasses and drank. The sweet taste flowed smoothly.
To the days of our youth and the new days ahead, cheers.
Kasugal handed me a check. As we’d discussed earlier, we split it into thirds.
The amount on the check… well, it’s enough to buy a prime location for a store.
And with that, the party that was once the Empire’s strongest comes to an end. It wasn’t surprising.
Even if I’m the strongest vanguard in the Empire, it’s difficult to reach the pinnacle again in the same way. Our companions were truly irreplaceable.
The new house is ready for occupancy, and it’ll be a few more days until we receive the slaves.
Should I earn money through requests? Even if we decide to defeat monsters, we’ll need information from the guild to find worthwhile targets.
When I arrived at the guild, the receptionist handed me a letter.
It wasn’t an ordinary letter. It came in a sturdy, high-quality envelope sealed with wax. The engraved seal was unmistakable—the kind used by imperial royalty.
It was a personal letter from the Imperial Princess.
The letter expressed appreciation for our party’s achievements, regret over our dissolution, and an invitation to the Imperial Palace to convey gratitude for completing the request.
Unfortunately, if Kasugal and the others are no longer adventurers, there’s no need for them to come. It seems they won’t be accompanying me. Kasugal and Renatishia both expressed their reluctance to meet with royalty.
