I, the “Clock User”, Was Kicked Out of the Craftsmen’s Guild for Being Incompetent, but at the Dungeon’s Depths, I Awakened My True Power – Even Though I Was Told to Return Because They Couldn’t Handle the Work, It’s Too Late Now, and I Will Live Freely as an SSS-class Adventurer V9C3

Translated by Hamster

**Volume 9: A Moment of Respite**

**03 The Suspicious Man**

---

With the parade scheduled, Cyclo and his companions spent a tranquil time, akin to a vacation, while waiting for the day. They temporarily borrowed servants from the Northphoria household to manage the mansion and began hiring their own staff little by little.

Through interviews and such, they slowly started to hire staff, but the real recruitment for the mansion's staff would begin after the parade.

With not much to do and still feeling the fatigue from conquering the Deep Hole, all the party members enjoyed their respective rests.

Two weeks later, the preparations for the parade were complete, and the whole town had been informed.

The day of the parade finally arrived.

"---I never thought I'd be riding such a fine horse."

Cyclo said while looking at the splendid military horse equipped for the parade, dressed in luxurious gear.

Mist, who was to ride with him, nodded with a sense of wonder and stroked the horse's back.

"I'm looking forward to today, horse."

The horse responded with a snort, as if acknowledging her.

---

And so, the parade began. 

The Northphoria knights led the way, followed by Cyclo and Mist on horseback, then Alice and Karim on two other horses, with the knights following behind to complete the procession.

Since Cyclo and Mist had almost no riding experience, a knight on each side guided their horses by holding the reins, adjusting their speed.

And then---the townspeople of Northphoria shouted various cheers towards Cyclo and Mist.

"Hero Cyclo!! Woohoo!"

"Look this way, Saint!!"

"Hey, isn't Sword Saint a beautiful woman...?"

"Sage is so cute~!"

Along with the parade announcement, the great achievements of Cyclo and his party members were also proclaimed.

Thus, the citizens of the town recognized all four as great adventurers.

Hero Cyclo. Saint Mist. Sword Saint Karim. Sage Alice.

Each was naturally given such an epithet.

"---This is the result of what we've done."

Cyclo murmured with emotion, seeing the cheering crowd.

"Now, the prejudice against Mist in Northphoria should decrease."

"Master..."

Mist, who had been branded as a heretic by the Skill Selection Church, had faced discrimination to avoid conflicts with the church.

Thinking that the parade might alleviate this somewhat, Cyclo felt a surge of happiness.

---But then, Cyclo suddenly sensed something odd with his clock perception.

"…! There's a strong presence."

Suddenly, he detected an unusually powerful presence among the crowd, even stronger than some of the monsters in the deepest parts of the Deep Hole.

Cyclo quickly looked towards where he felt the presence.

There was---a black-haired, black-eyed man who, unlike the excited crowd, was looking at Cyclo with a scrutinizing gaze.

The black-haired man, perhaps sensing that Cyclo had noticed him, smiled broadly as their eyes met, then disappeared into the throng. At the same time, the man's powerful aura also dissipated.

"Who was that...?"

Even during the festive parade, Cyclo felt a sense of unease and furrowed his brow.

"Master."

Mist pressed her hand against Cyclo's back as if to calm him.

"---Well, it's no use worrying about it now. It's a special day, so let's respond to the people of the town."

Regaining his composure, Cyclo played the part of the hero, waving graciously to the crowd in response.

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