After Leaving the A-Rank Party, I Aim for the Deep Part of the Labyrinth With My Former Students

“……”
As I hurried along the road back to the inn, I sensed someone tailing me.
Whoever they were, I had no idea what they wanted.

Their pursuit was clumsy, though. This wasn’t the work of a professional thief. Still, it didn’t feel right. In a quieter part of town, they might try to attack. Either way, it was unnerving. I needed to prepare for tomorrow’s quest, but this situation needed handling first.
Fine. If that’s how it’s going to be, I’ll run.
Activating Physical Enchant, I enhanced my agility and broke into a sprint. I knew the eastern district like the back of my hand—every alley and side street was burned into my memory. After running for a while, the presence behind me disappeared.

(Have they given up?)
That’s what I thought, but it seemed I was being too optimistic. Whoever had been following me gave up on the chase and instead decided to wait for me in front of the inn.
“You’re Yuke, aren’t you?”
“Nope.”
“Don’t lie to me!”

I hadn’t really expected the bluff to work, but I had to try.
“If you were sure it was me, why bother asking?”
I sighed as I responded, and the figure glared at me. He was a man slightly older than me, round-faced and dressed in high-quality clothing. A merchant from a prominent family, perhaps?

“So, what do you want?”
“Leave that party.”
“Excuse me?”
I was left utterly baffled.
He was telling me to quit a party I had joined just three days ago.
And he was a total stranger.
“That’s not happening. I’m the leader of Clover, after all.”
“What? Leader? You?”
“That’s right.”
“Don’t screw with me!”

The man suddenly burst into a rage and drew the sword at his waist.
Screams of alarm erupted from the people nearby, drawing attention to the standoff.
Finis was a city where it wasn’t uncommon for people to carry weapons, but drawing one in public was strictly forbidden.
“I’ve asked them again and again to let me join the party! It’s dangerous, isn’t it? A party full of women! I even offered to protect them out of the kindness of my heart!”
“Unsolicited kindness isn’t kindness.”

Who exactly was this guy?
I agreed that the girls could be a bit reckless at times, but I highly doubted this man’s concern was genuine.
More likely, he had some ulterior motive involving three young and inexperienced adventurers.
Hmm.
I’d have to check with the girls later to see if they knew him.
For now, I needed to focus on this situation.
“I’m with them now, so you don’t need to worry. Is that all you had to say?”
“No way! I said, leave the party!”
“And I already told you, that’s not happening.”

The man clearly wasn’t listening.
“I was interested in them first! Get out of the way!”
“This isn’t about who saw them first or anything like that. Besides, even if I leave, that doesn’t mean they’ll let you join.”
“Shut up! If you don’t want to get hurt, quit the party and grovel!”
Brandishing his sword, the man yelled wildly, his face flushed with anger.
He looked either drunk or under the influence of some illegal potion. If this was his sober state, he’d need a visit to the church for purification. Something was definitely wrong with his mind.

“I understand your point, but my answer is still no.”
“You rookie scum! I’ll teach you a less—ugh!”
The moment he stepped forward, he slipped and fell spectacularly onto the cobblestones.
Good thing I had set up a Trip Snare spell under his feet the moment he drew his sword.

As the man groaned on the ground, I waved my fingers and cast Sleep Mist. It was a small-area spell, so the nearby onlookers wouldn’t notice anything unusual.
“What a troublesome drunk.”
I muttered loud enough for the crowd to hear and made my way back to the inn.
To the onlookers, it would seem like the man had simply fallen and passed out. Using magic in the city was as frowned upon as drawing a weapon, so I needed to be subtle.

Back in my room, I quickly changed into my adventurer gear and exited through the back door.
If I left through the front, I risked running into that man again, and I couldn’t afford any delays. I had to make it to the meeting spot within the hour.
With Physical Enchant boosting me again, I dashed through the city.
Looks like I’d make it on time.
Eventually, the adventurer guild came into view, and I spotted three familiar figures heading there.

“Made it just in time.”
“Right on the dot, Yuke,” Marina said, flashing me a cheerful thumbs-up.
“Alright, let’s head straight to the carriage stop.”
“…Yuke, did something happen?”
I froze at Rain’s sharp question.
Despite her usual dreamy demeanor, she had an uncanny ability to notice things like this.

“We’ll talk about it on the way.”
“Understood. Let’s move quickly,” Silk said, quickening her pace.
Her decisiveness in moments like this was one of her greatest strengths. Honestly, she was probably better suited to being the leader than me.
We bypassed the guild and headed straight for the carriage stop.

That man seemed persistent. I doubted he’d give up so easily. During the journey, I’d ask the girls about him and figure out a plan.
A man who would draw a weapon in the middle of a city… If it came down to it, I’d take strong measures to protect them. That was my responsibility as their leader and supporter.
“Yuke? Your face looks scary. Don’t worry. We’ll figure this out together as a party, okay? Now, smile.”
“Ah, right. I’ll rely on you all.”

Rain pinched my cheek with a soft smile, making me chuckle as we hurried to the carriage stop.
Thanks to that, we managed to catch the morning carriage just before it departed.