Currently, at the edge of the forest bordering the Elven Kingdom and the Dwarven Kingdom, we stealthily stride within the curtains of the trees in broad daylight. Our party is currently heading towards the hills overviewing the territory of the dwarves which located in the foot of the mountains.

Our mission today is to search and destroy as per order of Miss Higanbana’s collaborator.

Unlike our usual scuffle with the princess’ party, this mission raises our awareness and tension as this is crucial and one of the most jeopardizing as we may eventually face the army of the dwarves.

“This is the third time of this month, no? The dwarves kept drawing out these weapons out of nowhere but little do they know that we are actually benefitting out of their expenses.”

“Boss, could you explain to us again why we need to do this?”

As of right now, Miss Higanbana our Boss once again dons her disguise in order to hide her identity. I just hope she also gives us the consideration to hide our faces too.

We immediately came to a halt as we saw the foot of the mountain of the dwarves came into view. Between two towering mountains is a trail specifically made by dwarves. This is the only entrance to their kingdom and there’s a strict code before an outsider can enter.

A battalion of two-meter dwarves marches in unison while passing through the mountain’s entrance. There are at least a thousand of them but one would think it is not enough to go to war against the dwarves.

But, it is not manual manpower and physical labor is going to be at play in this battle…not for the dwarves at least…

“There it is again, our beloved target.”

“Where in tarnation are they pulling these monstrosities out from?”

“Now, now, it doesn’t matter how many of those things they pull out. It would be much better if they even use everything.”

“Ugh…damn it. This ethertech or whatsoever breaks my fuse.”

Our true purpose was not to stall the party of Asagao Lionheart. It is our mission to render these thirty-meters of moving metal called Ethertech Golems that the dwarves are planning to use against the elves.

Why is it annoying and most of all, scary?

As I said, it’s thirty meters in height and it’s made out of steel but not only that, it deploys magical barrier that renders both physical and magical attack useless.

What we need to do is to destroy or incapacitate it. It doubles as stopping the battalion of dwarves into a complete panic that causes them to halt and retreat. We have already thwarted the dwarves advances twice.

Truth to be told, none of us in the Reminiscence could actually scratch that thing. The only person capable of destroying it is none other than our boss, Higanbana.

What happens afterward is our work, scrapping the whole thing and surrendering all of it to her collaborator when she arrives.

We receive nothing out of it and we do not benefit much from the job. But, well, there are other things that Boss needs us for. Her knowledge of general knowledge is limited and all she knows are magic that can destroy.

Not a single daily life magic for necessary use.

What they do with the scraps afterward is something we are not allowed to know. Boss is tightly lipped about it. She warns us that if we want to stick our noses further into this affair, we should prepare ourselves for a commitment of a lifetime.

In other words, it is something confidential that if we are involved further, we need to become accomplices. In a far better term, we are going to be their dogs forever.

On a note, it means we do not need to worry about employment because this is literally a job of a lifetime. The con is we are deprived of our private freedom to keep us from talking about their circumstances.

Even Eleanora and Neffi are aware of it and set some boundaries regarding what they ask boss about.

“Okay, set up everything.”

It’s our turn.

Our routine in this operation is simple yet needed.

However, among us, Neffi has the hardest role.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Neffi, please start calming yourself.”

“Y-Yes!”

Lu immediately told Neffi as the person herself is becoming pale. This is the third time we are going to execute this but she still shakes from shoulders to toes.

Derria took Neffi’s bow and starts enchanting it with toughness and weaves more strengthening spells so it won’t break. After that, she started increasing the toughness of Neffi’s gloves to its utmost limits.

Eleanora starts casting several spells to hide our presences and uses detection magic at close proximity. She also starts maintaining illusion magic so our location will not be located by the dwarves.

Lu drew her shield out and gives Neffi a protection spell and damage divergence spell to mitigate anything harmful that may become a factor of failure.

Lastly, my job comes after Neffi’s job.

“Come on, let’s get on with it! Asagao’s group will be heading out pretty late but still, I don’t want to spend time here.”

“Eek! Easier said than done!”

“If you take too long there will be a penalty to your commission reward, you know? I know you are aware that I hate staying too long here.”

“Fine! I’ll do this!”

Neffi takes the strengthened bow from Derria’s hands in the grievance of Boss’s pressuring. Derria only gave Neffi a light pat on the shoulders before sprouting an impish smile which really didn’t help with Neffi’s situation.

She nocks an arrow to the bow after heaving a deep breath.

She then took another deep breath…

Neffi did two more deep breath…

Her breathing becomes repetitive…

“Are you laboring?!”

“I’m sorry! It’s not like I am used to this!”

“You are laboring.”

“Yeah? No! I don’t care anymore! Let’s do this!”

Neffi forcibly calmed herself through the power of retort and aims at the giant steel golem that the dwarves are rallying. The bow leaks out a creaking sound as she pulled it to its limit stretching the bow aboard her flat chests.

If this was done by a woman with a large chest, not only it will cause a detrimental damage but also a failed and inaccurate shot, but with Neffi’s natural disposition as a flat chest elf, it becomes a deadly technique specific for her.

“Okay, stand still and try to bear with it.”

“Damn! Why do I have to go through this shit?!”

Miss Higanbana walks up to Neffi who is holding on her stance. She places a hand on the tip of the arrow and in an instant, a bellow of power started swirling in its place. A swirling mist of darkness packed with dreadful power manifests that it churns my stomach from its chilling presence alone.

It’s the power she called Astlan’s Ira, a spiteful power that she said she inherited from her father. She didn’t give us sufficient details but what I clearly remember is that she mentioned it being a power that can slay gods.

Neffi who is directly infested with the power started tearing up. From this distance, I can tell that Astlan’s Ira has a huge adverse effect on one’s mentality.

“Keep your cool. Under this pressure awaits a road full of your slothful fulfillment.”

“Can you please word that a little less blunt?!”

“Look, the dwarves took notice of the presence of my power. Are you ready?”

“Yeah!”

As Miss Higanbana finishes imbuing Neffi’s arrow with Astlan’s Ira, Neffi’s eyes shifted from tear-ridden lids to an as sharp and fierce as a falcon.

“Watch me, the best marksman in the Elven Land!”

Neffi fired the arrow from a good kilometer of distance towards her target. The trail of the arrow is accompanied by a straight dark line that seems like an arrow tail. The shot was so powerful that the air barrier was bypassed by the sheer intensity.

Two seconds didn’t even pass and the attack hits the mark right at its center...

The magical and physical barrier didn’t even do their jobs to protect the steel golem. It was all useless in the face of absolute power that our boss possesses. Even the interior of the golem which is a thick layer of steel didn’t even last for any goddamn milliseconds.

The impact of the attack blasted away the dwarves guarding the golem and the remaining that stood on their feet are all dumbfounded of what just occurred.

Well, it didn’t take them any longer to rebound from their shock because this is the third time that it happened and they immediately started sending scouts towards our direction.

Although we perfectly hid our presences, the direction where the arrow came from is still traceable.

The disarray from our first mission wasn’t that prevalent this time and they started sending out capable and fast dwarves. In contrasts to their tall and massive stature, they move extremely lightweight as they skip through the rocky field.

Like the elves, the dwarves are also persistent in sending in their scouts and assassins but all of them miserably failed as we beat them up like what we did with the elves.

Although for the dwarves, we mainly beat them to a pulp while the elven women are stripped up to their underwear.

Don’t ask me, it’s Boss’ taste.

“Here they are. Everyone, prepare for defe—Eh?”

Boss has never really lost her cool. She was a level-headed person that can come up with the most absurd plan and the most annoying side comments almost about everything, however...right now, her countenance took a turn for the worse...

Her face is painted with rage and the ring that she uses to disguise herself is losing its potency. Her fox ears sprang up and her hair turns into caramel brown, like how it is originally.

Seeing how agitated she has become, everyone followed the place with their eyes where she is looking at.

Among the ranks of the dwarves, a brawny old man with a weird glass and a leather overcoat emerges. Even from here, I can tell that he has a smirk on his face while...

While...looking at our direction.

A chill runs down from my spine as the old man winks at us like he is knowingly aware that we are certainly here.

“Boss, that old man...he definitely knows we are here, right?”

“...Yeah.”

“Do you know him?”

“Yeah, he is one of the Arcana Sins known as Arcana Sin of Sloth, one of the people responsible for Asagao’s previous plights.”

“...What do we do? Fight?”

“......”

Miss Higanbana contemplated temporarily. In that very moment, the torrent of rage around her calms down and her calm ambiance returns amicably like she has a personality reserved for such situation.

“No, we shouldn’t engage in a battle with that sleazebag. Unlike the Arcana of Sin, Flow, the Arcana of Gluttony, that old man is a schemer way too far my league. What important right now is to report this matter to her.”

“To her? To your accomplice?”

“That’s right.”

The appearance of an enemy that even Boss feared...no, she does not fear him, but cautious of.

What in the world happened to her and Asagao Lionheart? Why do they know such dangerous people?

I want to know, however...this curiosity will lead me and my whole party to a boundary an adventurer should never step on, even though it promises a permanent employment.

Derria turned around and started retreating.

“We get it. Give up for that one, yes?”

“Correct. We have identified the source of the Dwarve’s new weapons and an enemy we need to be wary of. This is simply terrible, yes.”

“Is it because you need to keep the secrecy of your profile while interacting with people you know?”

“It’s hard...”

Boss’ disguise returns as she fully regained her composure and started walking away from the place. We followed suit knowing that it is futile to keep standing there.

Finally, we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. We are almost done with our guerrilla tactics but what forebodes is something else entirely different.

A bizarreness unbefitting of common people like us...