Mushoku Tensei - Volume 14 - Baka-Tsuki

4/2/2016
MushokuTensei:Volume14BakaTsuki
MushokuTensei:Volume14
FromBakaTsuki
Contents
1Chapter133'RoxyBecomesaTeacher'
1.1Part1
1.2Part2
1.3Part3
1.4Part4
1.5Part5
1.6Part6
1.7Part7
2WebChapter134ThirdYearStudent
2.1Part1
2.2Part2
2.3Part3
2.4Part4
2.5Part5
3Chapter135'TrainingwithNorn'
3.1Part1
3.2Part2
3.3Part3
4WebChapter136WhatIRaised[23]
4.1Part1
4.2Part2
4.3Part3
4.4Part4
4.5Part5
5WebChapter137AFatherofDignity
5.1Part1
5.2Part2
5.3Part3
6Chapter138WaterKingClass
6.1Part1
6.2Part2
6.3Part3
6.4Part4
7Chapter7MarriageCeremony
7.1Part1
7.2Part2
7.3Part3
7.4Part4
8Chapter8FlowersinBothHands
8.1Part1
8.2Part2
8.3Part3
8.4Part4
8.5Part5
8.6Part6
9Chapter9BirthdayParty
9.1Part1
9.2Part2
9.3Part3
9.4Part4
9.5Part5
10Chapter10GraduationCeremony
10.1Part1
10.2Part2
10.3Part3
10.4Part4
10.5Part5
10.6Part6
https://www.bakatsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Mushoku_Tensei:Volume_14
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10.7Part7
11Chapter11FourthPhase
11.1Part1
11.2Part2
11.3Part3
12Chapter143.5SideStory'BirthofaNewSwordKing'
12.1Part1
12.2Part2
12.3Part3
13Translator'sNotesandReferences
Chapter133'RoxyBecomesaTeacher'
Part1
Iawaken.It'sbecauseofasweetsmell.WhileIwasasleep,whatdriftedbywasalovelyscent.
"!?"
WhenIopenmyeyes,thereliesGod.Afacethatcouldbedescribedasinnocentisturnedtowardsme,andI
couldheartheirpeacefulsleepingbreaths.
"Ohhh..."
Iquietlyleavethecoversandsitinseiza.Ijoinmyhandsandbow.Atanyrate,thisisanesteemedpersonage.
"Hangon,coulditbe,that,thismeans..."
InoticeacertainmatterandIraisetheblanketthatwascoveringGod'sbody.
WhenIdo,itisasexpected.
Truly,asexpected.
Whatliesthereis...
Whatliesundertheblanketis...!
ThenudebodyofGod!
"Ohhh...!"
Abodythatcouldbeconsideredtooyoung.Abodythatiscertainlynotwomanly,andwhosewaisthasnohips.
Though,itisdarkandIamuncertain,weretherenoturnaatherchest?Weretheynotthesameurnafoundon
theforeheadofBuddha?No,theyprobablyweren'turna.However,there'snomistakethattheyweresomething
asprecious.
"Gulp"
Isitnotfinetotouch?
Itisnotsomethingsinful.
Atanyrate,IamtheonewhohasbeenchosenbyGod.
Thereisnosininme,theMessiah,touchingthebodyofGod.
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Bethatasitmay,isitreallyfinetotouchherwhilstsheliesinthemidstofNirvana?
IfItouchherhere,willInotbeburdenedwithKarma,andbeunabletoreachNirvana?
WillInotbestoppedbyahalooflightandbepurifiedwith,"Begone,Mara!"theinstantItouchher?[1]
Eventhoughmydisciple/angel[2]issoPaulishthisearlyinthemorning...
"Mn...Cold..."
Godpullsintheblanketand,inherstirs,hidesherbody,andturnstheotherway.
"Ohhh..."
Howdivine!
Thatwhitenapethatpeeksthroughherbluehair!
Anapethatisanythingbutsultry!
ThosekissmarksthatIleftyesterday!
Magnificent.
Tobeabletoseesuchasight,there'snomistakingthatIamthehappiestpersonintheworld.
...Oops,nogood.There'snotimeinthemorning,so,I'dbestwakeherup.
"Roxy,pleasewakeup.It'smorning,youknow."
"Mn..."
Godopenshereyes,andslowlyraisesherbody.Theblanketslipsdown,andtheformofherbeautifulbackis
revealed.Behold,thisisthedawnofmankind.
"...Goodmorning."
Goddrowsilyturnsherhead.Hereyesaresleepy.Twournaareonherchest,and,belowthatisanadorable
navel.WrappedinsmallpantiesisasmallMajusaka.[3]Seeingthisbeforemyeyes,mystupabearsenough
Karmatoreachenlightenment.[4]
"Ah..."
Raisingtheblanket,shehidesherbody.Inthatinstant,IunderstandthatGodhaddied.Thelightwaslost,and
anageofdarknessbegan.
"What'swrong?You'remakingaregretfulface."
"IwasjustthinkingthatI'dliketoseeyouresteemedbodyinaplacewithmorelight,Roxy."
"...Though,Idoubtthere'sanythingenjoyableaboutlookingatit..."
"Whatwordsdoyouspeak?Comenow,pleasepartwiththeblanketandallowthehumblemetoreverethe
sun."
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"Whyareyousoenergeticthisearlyinthemorning...?Well,ifyou'rewillingtosaythatmuch,Iguessitdoesn't
matteratthispoint,but..."
Whilstsayingthis,Roxyslowlyrevealswhatwasunderthecloth.Whenshedoes,theworldisbathedinlight.
Lettherebelight,anditwasgood.
Iseethelight,andfinddarknessiflightwascalledApollo,thendarknesswascalledEros.
Bythedarknessarehernavel,Cupido,andherthighs,Amor.
ItistheFirstDay.
"That'senough,right?"
Shesaid,asshecoversherselfagain.Again,anageofdarkness...Ohwell,Iguessthat'senoughofthat.
"Um,Rudi."
"Yes,whatisit?"
"Thankyouforlastnight."
Roxylowersherhead.IrecallthedaysthatpasseduntilIfinallydid'that'withRoxy.
Itwasdecidedthatoncemychildwasborn,Roxywouldbecomeoneofmywives.Havingsaidthat,though,I
hadn'tdone'that'withRoxyuntiltoday.Iwasbusytakingcareofmychild.Roxyherself,heldback.Though
sheunderstood,Roxywasprobablyuneasy.
That'swhyItriedmybesttowipeawayherunease.
Asmuchaspossible,ItriedtotreatRoxylikeaprincessasmuchasIcould,Iattendedtoher.BecauseIwanted
hertoreceiveallmylove,IshowedherthecoreoftheRudeusStyle.
Becauseofthat,myjawstillhurt.Iusedmytonguetoomuch.Anyway,Ishouldhaveproperlyconveyedmy
love.Roxywassatisfied,afterall.
"Still,tothinkthatkindof...method?Technique?Tothink'that'thatexisted.Ihadnoidea."
Turningred,shelooksleftandrightasshespeaks.
"Huhu,theworldisalargeplace."
IusedallthetechniquesI'vecultivateduntilnow.A'course'thatmadeSylphycompletelyhelpless,andlefther
gaspingforbreath.
IwantedtomakeRoxygaspforherbreath,aswell.SothatIcouldfulfilmydesires,itwastheshortestcourse.
Or,sothat'showitshould'vebeen,butRoxywasalittledifferentthanIhadexpected.Sheaskedquestionsat
everyturn.
[WhatshouldIdo?]she'dask.
Thoughitwasinthemiddleof'anexchangebetweenmanandwoman',shewasearnestlystudying.Eachtime,I
wouldexplainindetail,andinstructherinvarioustechniques.
"Pleaseteachmevariousthingsnexttime,aswell."
"No,evenifyoujustlayinbed,Roxysensei,I'dcompletelytakecareofeverything,youknow?"
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"No,no,Iwanttobecomemoreskilledinthesesortofthings,aswell."
Honestly,shereallyisabitdifferentthanIthought.However,it'snotabadthing.SylphyandRoxyhavetheir
ownwaysofdoingthings.Bothletmesatisfymyself,soIhavenocomplaintsatall.
"...I'llbelateforschool,huh?"
Witharedface,shequicklyturnsherfaceawayfrommeandslowlyrisesfromthebed.Idon'tleavemyseiza.
Let'swatchhersmallwhitebuttuntilsheleavestheroom.
"Mn?Whatisit?"
"No,it'snothing."
SinceRoxyturnsbacktolookatme,Iputonashowofgettingchanged,aswell.
"..."
Suddenly,IcanfeelRoxygazingatmefrombehind.ShouldIraisemyarmsoverheadandstartdoingmuscle
poses?Or,soIwasthinking,whenRoxytottersovertomeandtouchesmyback.
"Sorry.ItseemsIscratchedyou.Doesithurt?"
"Mn?"
Iturnedmyheadtohavealook.Ihavefourswellslikelongearthwormsonmyback.WhenIgiveitatouch,it
stingsalittle.
Roxygavethemtomelastnight.Inotherwords,amedalofmanhood.Ahh,nowthatIrecallRoxy'sfaceatthe
time,I'mstartingtogethorny...Oops,notgood,notgood.Idon'thavetimetothinkaboutthatsortofthingin
themorning.
"They'refine."
"Ihopetheydon'tleavescars..."
Roxy'sfaceisbrightred.Shedoesn'tmentionhealingitwithmagic,andisprobablyrememberinglastnight,as
well.
WhenIlookatherface,mygazestopsonhereyes.ShehasbeautifullightblueeyesandIcouldseemyself
reflectedinthem.Sheclosesthem.Itwasthefaceofsomeonewaitingforakiss.IfIkissherhere,we'd
probablybeginasecondround.That'swhyIconfinedittojuststrokinghercheek.
"...Let'sgetchanged."
"Y,yeah.Right!"
Inapanic,Roxyjumpsawayfromme.Shethendresses,startingwithherbra.WhenIamsurethatsheis
changing,Igetdressedaswell.
"Rudi,doIlookweirdanywhere?"
Afterwefinishchanging,Roxydoesaspininfrontofmeandshowsherrobedappearancetome.Herthree
braidsgentlydancingintheair.
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"Youlookfine."
"Really?"
"Ofcourse."
Ireplywarmly.Ifthereareanybastardswhosayanythingaboutherappearance,I'mnotgunnaletthemgo.
That'showIfeelaboutit.
"Todayismyfirstdayteaching,huh.Ican'tmessup."
Sayingso,Roxyclenchesherfists.Startingfromtoday,shewouldgotoschool.Notasastudent,butasa
teacher.Andfromtoday,Iwouldbeathirdyear.
Part2
Nowthen,beforeItalkaboutmyfirstdayasathirdyear,I'dbettertalkaboutsomethingthathappenedalittle
earlier.
It'saboutthedayRoxybecameateacher.
Afewmonthsago
Itisaboutaweekafterwehadreturned.Thevariouscommotionshavestartedtocalmdown,andthishappened
whileIwasrelaxinginthelivingroom...
Roxysuddenlybeginstospeak.
"Rudi,IwasthinkingofworkingattheMagicUniversitybut,isthatokaywithyou?"
"Eh?"
Ididn'tgetit,soIaskagain,andwhenIdo,Roxylooksdownatmeandspeaksinherusualneutralexpression.
"Recently,I'vefoundthatIhavewaytoomuchfreetime,soIwaswonderingiftherewasn'tsomethingIcould
do."
"Umm...SothatwouldbeteachingattheMagicUniversity?"
"Yes.That'stheplan."
Roxynodsquietly.Roxycertainlydoesseemtohavebeenfreerecently.
Roxy'sabilitytodohouseworkisn'tthathigh.Roxyisasoloadventurer,andshecangetbyonherown.
However,ifyoucomparehertoSylphy,Aisha,orLilia,she'scompletelyinferior.Becauseourhousehastwo
maids,Roxydoesn'tgetaturntoshowwhatshecando.
Asforwhatshedoeshelpoutwith,it'sbasicallylimitedtohelpingmeoutinplaceofmylefthand.Livingwith
onlyonehandhasalotofvariedinconveniences.Beinghelpedoutwithchangingoreating,andthelike,really
isahugehelp.However,that'sit.
"Hmm..."
Ateacher,huh?Iknowthejoysofbeingtaughtbyher.IfIhadtoaddonanadditionalcomment,sheisn't
somethingthatexiststoactasmylefthand.Ihavenoreasontorefuse.RatherthanthesenseofsuperiorityIget
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fromkeepinghertomyself,it'smuchmoreimportanttometolettheworldknowjusthowwonderfulRoxyis.
"Thoughapersonlikeyou,Rudi,mightbethinkingthatsomeonelikemebecomingateacheriscompletely
ridiculous,IthinkIliketeachingpeople."
"Idon'tthinkit'sridiculousatall!"
It'sunthinkable.Nomatterwhatkindofparallelworldyoutravelto,you'llneverfindaversionofmethat
thinksofitasridiculous.Nomatterhowmanyworldsyoutravelto,it'sdestinyformetorespectRoxy.It'sthe
willofSteinsGate.[5]
"Ithinkyoushoulddefinitelybecomeateacherthere,Roxy!"
"ThoughI'mgratefulthatyousaythat,it'sabit,um,embarrassing,huh."
Allright.Sincewe'vedecidedonit,let'sfinishitinonego.
"ShallwegospeaktoVicePrincipalJinasnow?"
WhenIsaythat,Roxymakesasurprisedexpression.
"Eh,JinassanistheVicePrincipalnow?"
"Areyouacquainted?"
Roxyismakingatrulydisgustedexpression.
"...He'smyShisho."
Oh?WasJinasWaterSaintRanked?Though,IhavethoughthewasFireSaintRanked,itseemsI
misunderstood,huh.No,evenifyoucanusetwotypes,theydon'tcallyoudouble,twin,oranything.It'slikely
that,thoughIdidn'tknowit,JinascoulduseWaterSaintRankedmagic,aswell.
"Inthepast,Isaidsomethingsbeforepartingwithhim.Though,I'vereflectedonmyyouthfulindiscretions..."
"Ifit'ssomethingthathappenedinthepast,then,it'llbefine."
AccordingtowhatRoxysays,herShishoissomeonehaughtyandoverbearing.But,theJinasthatIknowgives
offastrongimageofbeingadiligentcorporateworker.TheJinasIknowdoesn'tmatchwiththeShishointhe
pastthatRoxymentions.
"But,whatif,whenImeethim,hestillhasagrudge?"
"I'llgetridofthegrudgeand,ifitisn'tfixed,thenI'llhavehimforgetit."
Though,IoweJinasforvariousthings,thisisforRoxy'ssake.Itisn'taproblemtome,evenifIaddonafew
moredebtstoit.
"Well,whenthetimecomes,I'llberelyingonyou."
AndsowedecidetoheadtotheMagicUniversity.
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Part3
Asusual,Jinasisburiedinamountainofpaperwork.
"My..."
SeeingRoxy,VicePrincipalJinasmakesabittersmile.Thoughhe'sapersonwhoalwaysmakessuchwry
smiles,today'sisparticularlybitter.
"Excuseme,VicePrincipal.Woulditbepossibleforyoutosparemeafewminutes?"
"Yes,ofcourseRudeussan.Shallwetalkelsewhere?"
ThoughJinasisprobablybusy,hewillinglysparesmethetime.ThoughJinasalwaysseemsbusy,whenIask
favorsofhim,healwayssparesmethetime.He'snotabadperson.
Wemovetotheinterviewroom.It'sbeenawhilesinceI'vebeenhere:probablynotsincethetimeIdueledwith
Badigadi.
"Pleasesit."
RoxyandIsitnexttoeachother,infrontofJinas.
"Firstofall...it'sbeenawhile,hasn'tit,Roxy?"
"Yes.It'sbeenawhile...Shisho."
"Thatyouwouldn'tcallmeShishoanymorewassomethingyou'dalreadydecided,wasn'tit?"
Atthosewords,Roxyanswerswithhereyescastdown.
"I'msorryaboutthat.Iwasconceitedinthosedaystoo."
"I'mthesame.I,too,hadtoomuchpride."
Thetwobowtoeachother.
Idon'tknowwhatkindofexchangestheyhadinthepast.But,theflowoftimeprobablywasheditaway.More
than10yearshavepassed,andpeopledochange.
Afterafewseconds,Jinascomposeshimselfandraiseshishead.
"So,whatdoyouneedofmeonthisday?"
"Shisho.Sincethen,variousthingshavehappened,andhavinglearntthejoysofteachingothers,Iwasthinking
thatitmightbegoodtobecomeateacherhere."
"Isee.ThatRoxy,whohadsaidthatteachersandthelikewereunnecessary,haschangedquiteabit,hasn't
she?"
Withabittersmile,Jinasspeakswordsfullofirony.Iwonderifheisn'tenthused.Whilstwonderingthis,Ilook
towardsRoxyandfindthatshe'salsosmilingbitterly.Itseemsthattheycametosomeunderstandingthrough
theirwrysmiles.
Whatisthis?Isuddenlyfeelkindofleftout.IhaveplannedonsellingRoxytoJinas,hadhebeenagainstit,but
Igetthefeelingthatit'llbefine,evenifIdon'tdoso.Onthecontrary,IwonderifI'mgettingintheirway.
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"Roxysensei.WoulditbebetterifIsteppedoutforalittle?"
"...Eh?It'sfineevenifyoustay,youknow?"
"IwasthinkingI'dshowmyfaceatanacquaintance'splace,yousee."
SinceRoxyandJinasareoldacquaintances,theyprobablyhavealotofthingstotalkabout.AndasforRoxy,
sheprobablydoesn'twantmetohearabouthergreendaysverymuch.
Whilstfeelingalittlelonely,Iinformherofmydestinationandleave.
Part4
IheadtoZanoba'sresearchroom.
ItwashalfayearagothatItoldhimI'dreturnintwoyears.Zanobawillsurelybesurprised.
I'msadaboutPaulandZenith.But,IhavenointentionofinvolvingZanobainthis.I'llproceedcheerfully.
"Alright!"
Iknockonthedoor.Withoutwaitingforareply,Ienter.
"Bignews,Zanoba!He'slike,totallyback!"
"Fah!?"
Withanexpressionfilledwithecstasy,Zanobaisleaninginonalifesizedmannequin.
"..."
"..."
Afterafewseconds,ImeeteyeswithZanoba.IwonderwhatZanobaisfeelingatthemoment.Iknowthathe
isn'tfeeling'like'or'hate'.Iknowthisverywell.
"..."
Iavertmyeyes,andshutthedoor.
Rustlingandclankingsoundsarecomingfrominsidetheroom.Iwaitforabout10secondsuntilthesounds
stop.Ithenheara[Comein.]comingfrominsidetheroom,andthrowopenthedoorwithabang.
"Bignews,Zanoba!He'slike,totallyback!"
"Ohhhhhhhh!IsitnotShisho!?"
ZanobaandIactlikenothinghappened,andhugeachotherhappily.Wedosowithoutreserve.ZanobaandIare
friends.Isawnothing.Nothinghappened.
"You'vereturnedquitequickly.Ihadheardthatitwouldtake2years."
"Well,alothappenedandIreturnedearlierthanexpected."
"Tocomebackinhalfayearfromajourneythatshould'vetakentwoyearsis...AsexpectedofShisho!"
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Ilookaroundthesurroundings.Dollsandbronzestatueswithethnicfeelsarelinedup.Though,I'musedto
Zanoba'sresearchroom,perhaps,it'sbecauseIhaven'tbeenhereinawhile,butitfeelsextremelynostalgic.
Still,intheshorttimethatIhaven'tseenit,thenumberofthingsintheroomhasincreased.Inparticular,thetop
ofJulie'sdeskispackedwithclayfigures.Itseemsthat,thoughIwasn'there,shedidn'tslackoffandcontinued
toworkhard.
"WhatareJulieandGingerdoing?"
"Thetwoarepresentlyoutshopping,andbecausethey'vereservedsomethingthatisn'tinstockexceptduring
theevenings,theyprobablywon'tbebackuntilevening."
Isee,sothat'swhyhewashavingatrystwithhislover,thedoll.Sinceitwassucharareoccasion,Iwonderif
I'vedonesomethingbad.
"Oh?Shisho,whathappenedtoyourarm...?"
Zanobasuddenlynoticesmyleftarm.Withadarkenedexpression,he'slookingatmyarmthathasnothingfrom
thewristdown.
"Abithappened.Imessedup."
"...Wasitanenemystrongenoughtotakeoneofyourarms,Shisho?"
"ItwasaHydrathatwasimmunetomagic."
"AHydra.Hm,quitethemonster,huh."
Zanobahashishandtohischinandthinksoversomething.Thinkingaboutit,whatwelackedwaspurephysical
attackpower.HadZanobabeenwithus,wemighthavebroughtdowntheHydramoreeasily.It'stoolatetotalk
aboutitnow,though.
"Ifitwasimmunetomagic,thenitwasprobablyatoughfightforShishoaswell."
"Yeah.Notonlythat,evenifyoucutoffitsnecksitwouldjustregenerate.Itwasreallyhard."
"Hohh,toevenbeabletoregenerate...Howdidyoukillit?"
"Father...Ourswordsmancutoffitsnecks,andIscorchedthem."
"Isee.Iunderstanditnow.TheideatoscorchitswoundswasShisho'sidea,wasn'tit?"
"I'djustheardastoryofasimilarsituation."
WhenIthinkaboutthatbattle,asighescapesme.Despiteknowinghowtotakecareofit,weendedupinsucha
state.ThemoreI'mpraisedaboutit,themoremiserableIfeel.
"You'relookingquitedepressed."
"Thoughwemanagedtobeatit,welostalot."
"Ah,Isee."
Zanobalooksatmyhandandseemstonodinassent.
"Sincethatisthecase,thisisperfecttiming."
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Withahappysmile,Zanobamovestotheheadworkdesk.He'ssearchingthelowestdrawerwithrustling
noises.
"Pleaselookatthis."
Whatheproducesfromthedrawerisamodelofahand.No,that'snotit.Forahand,theshapeisabitoff.It's
appearanceisnotunlikethatofagauntlet.Isitamodelofaglove?
"What'sthat?"
"Huhu,itistheresultofthishalfyear."
"Ohh?"
"ItisnotasifIhavebeenplayingaround."
Zanobaspeakswhilesuppressingalaugh.
Hugginghisdollswasn'tplayingaround,huh?No,thatneverhappened.Ididn'tseeathing.
"So,justwhatisthis?"
"Right,pleasehavealook!"
Withafaceoverflowingwithconfidence,heholdsuptheglovemodel,makesafist,andthrustsintoit.Hethen
chants.
"OhEarth,becomethineArm."
ThemomentZanobaspeaksthosewords,theglovemodeltwitches.Though,thehandisclenchedintoafist,it
beginstounclenchitselfslowly.Movingbetweenafistandanopenhandanditsfingersbentonebyone.Each
ofthosemovementsisshockinglysmooth.
"It'samagictoolhand,thatmovesasyouwish."
"..."
"AsShishoinstructed,Iresearchedthatdoll'shandandwithCliff'scooperation,wasabletoarriveatthis
success."
"..."
"Shisho...?Shisho?"
"Y,yeah.Sorry."
Iamspeechlessduetoshock.Certainly,Ihadtoldhimtofocushisresearchonthehandsfirst,but...Tothink
thathe'dcreatesomethinglikethis.
"It'samazing.Frankly,I'mshocked."
"Huhuhu,it'stooearlytobeshocked.Afterall,ifyouusethismagictool,youcanevenrestrainmypower."
"Really?"
"Yes."
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Zanoba'seyesnarrowandhehasprofoundemotion.Happinessseepsfromthatexpressionofhis.Beingableto
restrainhiscurseofsuperhumanstrengthmeansthathe'dbeabletocreatedolls.
Likethis,he'dbeabletocreatethethingsheloved.
Byhisownhands.
Iprobablycan'tevenimaginehowhappyheis.
"OhArm,returntoEarth."
AtZanoba'swords,themovementdisappearsfromtheglove,likeanonandofffunction.
"Wellthen."
Zanobaholdsoutthemagictooltome.
"Here,pleasetryit.Afterputtingiton,whenyouchantOhEarth,becomemineArm.,itwillbecomeyour
arm.Whentakingitoff,itshouldbefinetochantOhArm,returntoEarth."
"Right."
Astold,Iputmyleftarmintothemagictool.Myarmishandless.Itmighthavebeenbecauseitwasclenched
intoafist,buttherewastoomuchroominside,anditfeltlikeit'dfalloffatanyminute.
"Itseemslikeit'llfalloff."
"There'snoproblem.Pleasetrythechant."
"Yeah...OhEarth,becomethineArm.
ThemomentIsaidthat,manaisdrawnfrommyarm.Itisn'tahugeamount.SinceZanobacanuseittoo,that's
obvious.
"Oh."
Thenextmoment,theinsideofthemagictoolclingsfirmlytomystump.Thefeelingofbeingclungtoslowly
fades.Atthesametime,Icanfeelmy'fingers'.
"...Howisit?"
Itrymovingmylefthand.Iopenitup,andthenclenchit.Startingfrommythumb,Iclenchmyfingersinturn.
Thisbonelesshandofearthmovesasifitismyown.
"Itmoves.Itmoves!"
"There'sstillmore.Pleasetrytouchingsomething."
"Alright."
Itrypickingupacarvedwoodenfigurethatwaslyingnearby.It'safigureofahorse,aboutthesizeofafist.My
senseoffeelingisalittledull,andalsohard.Itfeelsalmostlikewearingworkgloves.But,there'safeelingof
havingmyfingertipstouchsomething.
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"Thisisamazing.Youevenwentasfarasputtingthesenseoftouchintothefingertips?"
"Yes.Ifyoucouldn'tfeelanything,youwouldn'tbeabletomakedolls."
Yeah.You'dneedtobeabletoadjustfinelyyourstrength.IfZanobacreatedthisglovewiththatpurposein
mind,thiswouldbesomethinghewouldn'tsettlefor.
Itryusingmagicwithmyfingertipsasatest.Imadeawaterbulletaboutthesideofmypinky.Itseemsthat
somehowthisglovewon'thindertheuseofmagic.
Hewasabletomakethisinhalfayear?Eventhoughitshouldn'thavebeeneasy...Iwonderifthisisacaseof,
'whatonelikes,onewilldowell'.
"Ididnotknowifitwouldworkwithoutahand,butitseemstherearenoproblems,huh?"
"Yeah,itmoves.There'sfeelinginittoo."
"Themoremanayouputintoit,thestrongeritwillget."
"Ohh."
"ButifShishoputsallhispowerintoit,itmightbethehandthatbreaks,huh.Ihadmadeittobestrongerthana
person'shand,butplease,takecare."
"Let'ssee,let'ssee."
Hearingthis,Itryputtingmymanaintoit.Veryquickly,theweightofthewoodenhorseseemstodisappear.
"Amazing."
ThemomentIsaythis,aCRACKsoundsfrominsidemyhand.
"Ah."
"AAAH!"
Thehorsefigure'sleghascompletelybroken.
"Ah,ahhh...Shisho..."
Zanobaglaresatmereproachfully.
"Sorry,I'llcompensateyou..."
"Uuu...Thishorsefigurewas...createdbythetraditionalcraftoftheextinctGiaraDukedom...Asecondone,
probablywouldn't..."
"I,ifyou'dlike,I'llcreateyouanewone.It'dbemadefromearthmagic,though."
WhenIsaythat,Zanoba'sfacesuddenlybroadensintoasmile.
"Ohh!ItseemsthatI'vepressedyouintodoingso.Mysincereapologies."
Despitesayingthis,Zanobaplacesthefigureinsidethedesk.Iwonderifhe'sgoingtoglueitbacktogetherwith
bondingagent.Ipraythathe'llbeabletodoitwell.
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Zanobaturnstofacemeagainandspeaks.
"Pleasetakethehand.Afterall,thoughitisstillaprototype,itshouldbebetterthannothing."
"Isthatreallyalright?"
"IfShishoandCliffhelpme,thenIshouldbeabletoproducesomethingsimilarinnotimeafterall."
Well,hedoesplanoncontinuinghisresearchafterall.Iwantthefeelingoftouchtogetevensharper.Ifitdoes,
Ishouldevenbeablerubboobswithit.
Notonlythat,either.Thisarmissomethingthatwidensmydreams.Forexample...Right,it'dbeinterestingifI
couldattachmodificationstoit.It'dbehandyforfigurinecreationsifIturnedmyfingertipsintodrills.Itmight
alsobeinterestingtohaveagunnozzletypethingthatIcouldshootmagicbulletsoutof.
"...Zanoba,thisisanamazinginvention."
"Right?ThoughImaysaythismyself,IcanboastthatI'vecreatedsomethingamazing."
Itwouldn'tonlyhaveusesasweaponryorfordollcreationeither.Youcanevenuseitformedicaltreatment.
Inthisworld,evenifyougetalimbchoppedoff,withhighlevelhealingmagic,youcanstickitrightbackon.
Woundsthatyou'dhavenochoicebuttoseekmedicaltreatmentforinmypreviousworldcanbeeasilyhealed
withElementaryRankedhealingmagic.
Idon'tknowifit'sbecauseofthis,butI'veneverreallyseenthingslikeprostheticarmsorlegs.Evenifyou
look,you'llonlyfindthingslikeCaptainAhab'swoodenpoleleg.
Ifyoucompletelylosesomething,it'llbehardtotreat.Peoplewhocanuseahighenoughlevelofhealingmagic
toregrowarmsarefew.IfyouwenttotheHolyKingdomofMilis,you'dprobablybeabletofindsome.
However,it'dlikelytocostalotofmoneytorelyonthemforthat.
Ifyousoldthismagictooltothosetypesofrichpeople,you'dprobablymakemoney.Thoughit'dbealossfor
thehealingexpertsofMilis,we'reontheoppositesidesoftheworld,andifweusedtheMagicUniversityorthe
Magicguild,Ifeelthatitmightworkout.
No,itwouldworkout.
"What'sthismagictoolcalled?"
"Ihaven'tnamedityet.NeitherInorCliffareverygoodatnamingthings."
"Isthatso?"
Butit'dbeboringtoleaveitnameless,likethis.
"Shisho,won'tyounameitforme?"
"Eh,yeah,it'sfineifyouwant."
It'snotlikeI'mgreatatnamingthingseither,though.ButifI'masked,thenIcan'tsayno.Ilookatthearmthat's
becomepartofmyself,andthink.
Sinceit'sadetachablearm,there'ssomethingthatimmediatelycomestomind.
RocketPunch,orsomething.
Butit'snotlikemyarmcanflyofforanything.ThoughIwonderifIcanmakeitflyoff...
Asimplenamelike[HandofGlory]alsocomestomind.Asinthesaponifiedwaxfromthehandofanexecuted
criminal.Ithasnothingtodowithabandana'd,jeanswearing,pervertedhighschooler.[6]
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Well,let'sstopwiththosesortsofnames.Thisisthefirstofitskindinthisworld.That'swhyit'llbefinejustto
usethecreator'sname.
"HowaboutifweusepartsfromthenamesZanobaandCliffandnameitZariff'sProstheticHand?"
"Shisho'snameisn'tinitthough."
"That'sfine.Ididn'thaveanythingtodowithit,afterall."
"...Idon'tthinkthatwasthecase,but...Iunderstand.Inthatcase,thatmakesthishandtheZariff'sProsthetic
HandPrototype01then,doesn'tit?"
Zanobaspeakshappily.
Likethis,myarmbecomesequippedwiththemagictoolZariff'sProstheticHand.Thoughit'snotas
dexterousasmyrealhand,noristhefeelingassharp,itdoesmoveasIwant,andthefeelingisthere.There's
alsoahugedifferenceinpower,onceIputmanaintoit.Thoughfinetuningthestrengthofitwilltakesome
practice,I'llprobablygetusedtoit.Asformygoal,itwouldprobablybetogentlyrubSylphyandRoxy's
breasts,Iguess.
"Though,Ithinktherearestillmanypointsthatrequireimprovement,Imustadvancemyresearchin
automatons.Whatwillyoudo?"
"Let'ssee..."
Itseemsthereareafewproblems.Forexample,theconsumptionofmana.ItseemsthatwithZanoba'smana
capacity,he'llbeoutofitafter2or3hoursofuse.Amongtheotherproblemsarethatthefingersaretoofatand
unrefined,forexample,orthatthesenseoftouchisalittledull.Ifthosetypesofproblemscanbefixed,I'msure
thatitwouldbethecompletionofsomethingamazing.However,intheend,thisisjustabyproductofresearch.
Ourgoalistocreateamovingdoll.Thisglovewouldsellwell,it'dbeconvenienttohave,andoneday,we'd
alsobeabletosellitforreal,buttakingtoolongonthisprojectprobablywouldn'tbegood.
"No,intheend,ourgoalistocreateamovingdoll.Youmusn'tforgetthis."
"That'strue."
"That'swhy,pleaseputthistothesideforthemoment,andcontinueyouranalysisofthedoll."
"IthoughtShishowouldsaythat."
ZanobaandIrenewourplanofaction.Thehandissomethingwe'lldoontheside.
Part5
Afterthat,ZanobaandIspeakforawhile.ThecontentsofourconversationaretodowiththedollsIsawonthe
Begarittocontinent.Whenhehearsaboutthematteroftheglassdolls,Zanoba'seyesbegintosparkle.
"Speakingofwhich,how'sJulie?"
"Theotherday,Juliecompletedadollofacertainpersonage.Sheprobablywantedtomeetyouandshowyou."
Mu.
Isitfinished?TheRuijerddoll,thatis.Iwanttoseeit.Iwanttoseeit,but...
"Isee.Butifshe'llbecomingbackintheevening,Idon'tknowifwe'llbeabletomeet."
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"Hmm,doyouhaveplans?"
"AfterSensei'sinterview,Iplanonshowingmyfaceatafewother'splaces."
"Sensei?"
Atthatmoment,therewasaknockatthedoor.
"Rudi,areyouhere?Itwashere,right?"
It'sRoxy'svoice.ItseemsthatwhileZanobaandIweretalking,theinterviewfinished.
"Pleasecomein.Iwasjustthinkingoftalkingaboutyou,Sensei."
"Pleaseexcuseme."
Whileturningherheadandlookingabout,Roxyenterstheroom,alittlehunchedoverinhesitation.Shethen
slowlywalksovertomyside.
"Thisisquitethesplendidresearchroom,isn'tit?Iwonderifit'sokayformetoenter.Itseemslikethisis
somethingthatoutsidersshouldn'tsee,afterall."
"Aplacethatyou,Roxysensei,shouldn'tenterdoesn'texistinthisschool."
"Isn'tthatjustsomethingthatyou'vedecidedonyourself,Rudi?"
"That'strue.Butthisplaceisfine."
WhenIsaidthat,Zanobastiffens.He'strembling.
"Zanoba,letmeintroduceyou.She'sRoxyM.Greyrat,mysensei."
"It'sbeenawhile,Zanobadono.Thatyouseemtobeingoodhealthismostimportant."
RoxybowsverydeeplytoZanoba.
"O,o,o..."
SeeingRoxy,Zanobatremblesallover.Hebringshistremblinghandstothetopofhishead.
"UOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHH!"
"Wah!"
Zanobasuddenlyletsoutawarcry.Hejumpsuplikeafrogandthenlands,prostrated,onallfours.Roxy
trembleswithastart,andhalfhidesbehindme.
"Ithasbeenalongtime,Roxydono!WithoutknowingthatyouwereShisho'sshisho,I'vebeenunthinkably
rudetoyou!"
"Pleaseraiseyourhead,foraprinceofacountryto,tome,it'stoomuch,whatifsomeonesees!?"
Roxy'sbehaviorlooksquitesuspicious.Iguessthere'snochoice.ShouldIhelpherout?
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"It'sokay,Sensei.Ifthere'sanyonewhocomplains,I'lltakecareofthem."
"Areyousayingridiculousthingstoo,Rudi!?"
Roxyisgoing[awaawa]inafluster,eventhoughthere'snothingforhertogetflusteredabout.
"Ishouldbeaskingyoutocalmdown,Sensei.Isn'titobviousthatZanobawouldprostratehimselfbeforeyou,
Sensei?"
"I,isthatso?CouldIhearthereasonwhy?"
"Hey,Zanoba.It'snatural,right?"
WhenIlooktoZanobaforagreement,stillprostratedontheground,heagreeswithme.
"Yes.ForsheisShisho'sshisho."
See?Zanobaissayingso,too.
"Don'tjustsay[It'sobvious],butpleasetellmethereason!"
"There'snosuchthingasareasonwhenitcomestoobviousthings.It'sfineforyoutojustcalmlyacceptitasit
is,Sensei."
"However..."
"Itcan'tbehelped,huh.Zanoba,pleasestand."
Sinceourconversationwon'tprogresslikethis,IhaveZanobastand.BecauseZanoba'stall,rightnow,hecan
probablyseeRoxy'shairwhorl.He'sprettyhaughty,standingaboveher.Well,whatever.It'snotlikehemeans
tobetall.
"Sohowwasit?Doesitseemyou'llbeemployedasateacher?"
"Yes,thankfullyJinasshisho...VicePrincipalJinasacknowledgedmyability."
"Sinceyouraisedme,that'snaturalhuh."
"Sinceyougrewallonyourown,Idon'tthinkithadanythingtodowithmyabilityasateacherthough."
Anyhow,itseemsthatit'sbeendecidedthatRoxywillbecomeateacheratthisschoolstartingfromnext
semester.Thisissomethingthatneedstobecelebrated,huh.
Celebration.Celebration,huh?
Roxy'sweddingcelebration.
Myyoungersisters'tenthbirthdaycelebrations.
Mysoontobebornchild'sbirthdaycelebration.
ShouldIhaveonebigfamilycelebrationinthefuture?Paul'sletterhasmentionedhavingabigcelebrationonce
wereturned,afterall.
Well,that'sforthefuture.Rightnow,we'rebusy,sowe'llworryaboutitaftervariousthingscalmdownfirst.
"Ah,that'sright.Itwouldn'tdoifIdidn'tgreetotherpeopleaswell,huh?"
"That'sright.I'msureeveryoneelsewillbesurprisedthatShishohascomeback."
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Zanobalaughshappily.Stringingalong,Ilaughaswell.SinceI'mlookingforwardtointroducingRoxytothe
others,itcan'tbehelpedthatIsmile.
"Wellthen,Zanoba,thanksforthearm.I'llcomeagain."
"Yes,whenyou'refreeagain,pleaseshowyourfacehere.Juliewillbehappyaswell,afterall."
"Ofcourse."
"Iftheconditionofthearmgetsbad,thenitmightbefastertoshowCliffratherthanme."
"Gotit."
Likethat,IpartfromZanoba.
Part6
Grindingsoundringsoutthroughthecoldhallway.
It'sthesoundofmyprostheticarm.Whilstwalking,I'madjustingtheamountofmanaIputintoittoseehow
muchwouldbebest.EachtimeIclenchandunclenchit,myprostheticarmmakesagrindingsound.Itseems
thatasexpectedofaprototypemodel,thereisn'tawaytokeepitquiet.
"Isthatprostheticarmamagictool?"
Roxywhoiswalkingonmyleftsuddenlyasksmeaquestion.
"Yeah.It'stheresultofZanoba'sresearch."
"That'samazing,isn'tit?Forittomovesoprecisely."
"That'strue.IfIcanmovethiseasily,thenitseemsI'llmanageevenwithoutyourassistance,Roxy."
"Ah...That's,true."
WhenIlookather,IfindthatRoxyismakingthefaceshedoeswhensheblunders.
"I'msorry.Ididn'treallyconsideryou,Rudi.Eventhoughit'dbehardforyouwhenI'mnotaround,Iwentand
becameateacher..."
"Ifit'saboutmyleftarm,thenyoudon'thaveanythingtoworryabout,Roxy."
Thoughit'dhelpme,it'snotasifIamaskinghertodoit.It'sobviousthatwhatRoxywantstodocomesfirst.
Sinceitseemsthatshewantstohelpmeoutinplaceofmyarm,Ididn'tsayanything,buttherearealotof
peoplearoundmewhoarewillingtohelpmewhenI'mtroubledafterall.
"Anyway,it'sgreat,isn'tit?Thatyou'vegottenalefthand."
"Yeah,withthis,IcantouchyouasmuchasIwant,Roxy."
Whilstsayingso,ItapRoxy'sshoulderwithmyprosthetichand.Roxy'swarmthandsoftnessistransmitted
fromunderherrobe.Itseemsthatthiscantelltemperatureapart,aswell.It'shighperformance,huh,thishand
ofmine?
"Anyway,Iwanttointroduceyoutoeveryone,sopleasefollowme."
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"Introduce...yes!"
Roxynodswithanervousexpression.
Afterthat,wegotoplacesonebyone,reportmyreturn,andintroduceRoxy.
Rinia,Pursena.
Ariel,Luke.
Then,Nanahoshi.
Though,IhavethoughttogotoCliff'splace,therearesultrysoundscomingfrominsidehisresearchroom,soI
passonit.
Eachperson'sresponsewasvaried.
RiniaandPursena'sresponseswereparticularlyinteresting.WithjustasniffofRoxy'sscent,thetwoofthem
startedtoshiver.Tothetwoofthem,whohadroundedtheirtails,ItoldthemthatthisistheShishothatI
reveredandloved.WhenIdid,thetwoofthembowedtheirheadtoRoxytogether.It'sprobablybecausethe
BeastRaceissensitivetosuchmattersthisisapersontheyabsolutelycouldn'tgoagainst,forreal.
Ontheotherhand,ArielandLukeweredulltoit.WhenIwenttogreetthemaftermyrepatriation,theysaid
somethingsarcasticlike[You'reshowingyourfaceafterreturning,Isee.]ThoughIsaythis,itwasn'tina
blamingtone.However,itwasbecausetheyhadassistedmealotformyjourney.Havingmessedupduetolack
ofpreparations,Ifeltnothingbutshame.That'swhyIapologized.
Butwell,that'sfine.WhenIintroducedRoxy,aftergivingablanklook,thetwoofthemthenlookedateach
other.Theycouldn'tbelievethatsomeoneasyounglookingasRoxywouldbeteaching.However,Iguessit'sas
expectedoftheprincessofacountry.ArielpolitelygreetedRoxy.She'sacapableperson.
Nanahoshiwasilllooking.Itmighthavebeenthatshehadcaughtacold,butwhilstcoughing,shelookedatmy
face,andsaid,[Withthis,we'llbeabletocontinuetheresearch,huh]andsighedinrelief.WhenIintroduced
Roxyandsaidthatshe'dbeworkingasateacherstartingnextyear,shejustrepliedwithacurt[Cool.]but
becauseshewasmuchtoocurt,IwentontolistRoxy'sgoodpointsatlength,shereplied,[Pedo.Gross.]and
frowned.Well,acommonhighschoolgirlwouldn'tbeabletounderstandRoxy'sgreatness,Iguess.
Part7
We'dfinishedgreetingeveryonerelatedtous.Whenitisabouttimetoheadhome,Roxypouts.
"Rudi."
"Whatisit?"
"ThoughI'mhappythatyouintroducedme,Ifeelthatyou'reoverestimatingmealittletoomuch."
"That'snotthecase."
"Really?"
"Sinceyourwonderfulnesscan'tbeexpressedinwordsbysomeonelikeme,thatmuchwasn'tenough,yousee."
WhenIsaythis,Roxyswiftlypointsafingeratme.
"Right,right!Coulditbethatyou'remakingfunofme,Rudi?"
"That'sridiculous.Ialwaysseriouslyholdyouinesteem,Sensei."
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"Hahhh,somehoweachtimeyoucallmeSensei,itfeelslikenothingbutyoumakingfunofme,Rudi."
Roxyletsoutamassivesigh.Thoughit'saproperevaluationinmyeyes,itseemsthatRoxyseesitasexcessive.
"Leavingthataside,thoughyouintroducedmeinalotofways,andevensaidthatIwasyoursensei,you
neversaidthatIwasyourwifedidyou?"
"Ah"
Atthosewords,Irealizemymistake.
It'samistakethatcan'tbetakenback.
Right.Roxyisn'tRoxyMigurdiaanymore.
She'sRoxyM.Greyrat.
IintroducedherassuchandRoxyalsoreferredtoherselfassuch.That'swhyIhadthoughtthatitwas
unnecessary.Arielshould'veunderstoodwhatitmeant.Butshedidn'tvoiceanycomplaints,andIthoughtshe
hadunderstood,but...
ButIsee.That'sright.WhatathingI'vedone.BecauseRoxyissomeoneamazing,Ithoughtshewaswastedon
becomingmywife,butIsee,shewantedtobeintroducedasmywife,huh?Thoughshe'sasecondwife,she's
stillawife.She'ssomeonewhomightevengivebirthtomychild.
"I'msorryRoxy,mysweetheart.ButIreallydoloveyou.Ifitsuitsyou,I'mfinewithtravellingtoyourparents'
placeandreportingourmarriagetothem,Roxy."
"Uu,no,there'snoneed.It'sfar,solet'sdosoonedayinthefuture."
Inthefuture,huh?IwonderifRobinsanandRokarisanaredoingwell.HavingmarriedRoxy,thosetwoare
likemyparents,aswell.Iowethemfromthattimeaswell,soIwanttogoseethem.Ifwewentthroughafew
ofthoseteleportcircles,itfeelslikewe'dbeabletogetthereinabout2months,but...
"Iunderstand.Inthatcase,onedayinthefuture."
Iguessit'sfine,fornow.Oneday,whenwehaveenoughtime,weshouldallgotravellingtogetherasafamily.
WhilstIentertainsuchthoughts,wereturnhome.
9RumorsoftheSchoolNumber1
"TheBanchou'sarmflies."
WebChapter134ThirdYearStudent
Part1
Firstdayasathirdyearstudent,
WhenIwakeupandcomedowntothelivingroom,Sylphyisthere.
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She'sgivingLucybreastmilk.
"Go,goodmorning,Rudi."
"Goodmorning,Sylphy."
Ithasbeenmonthssincethechildhasbeenborn,theprogressafterbirthisallright.
Motherandchildarehealthy.
Lately,Sylphyisbecomingmoreladylike,Ithink.
Isitbecauseherhairisgrowingorbecauseofgivingbirthtoachild?
Orisitbecausetheexperienceoftwentyyearsispilingup?
She'sintheprocessofbecomingabeautifulwoman,justlikeaHollywoodactress.
Herfigurewithoutdoinganything,justsilentlysitting,issurelyaprizebeyondother'sreach,tothedegreeof
makingothershesitatetocallher.
Practically,I'mrelievedthat,she'sstillmySylphywhenIcallorflatterher.
"Lucyisalsoenergetictoday."
IlookatLucy.
LucyiswholeheartedlyclingingtoSylphy'sbreasts.
Justlikemelastnight.
Inthisside,parentandchildarethesame,uhhuh.
Lucyisahealthybutdocilechild.
Differentfrombrotherorsister,myownchildseemstobespecial.
Everytimesomethinghappened,illnessorsomethinguncertain,Ihadoverwhelminganxietyenvelopingme.
Butthechildseemstobehealthy.
LookingatLucy'sstate,Liliasayssomethingthatsurprisedme,
"IrecalltimeswhenRudeussamaissmall."
Reincarnatedperson,
Thosewordsarerunninginmymind.
Iwasanogoodpersoninmypreviousworld.
Becauseofthat,I'malittleuneasy.
Isuspectwhetherthischildisthereincarnationofsomekindofbadman.
Becauseofuneasiness,I'veaskedmydaughterinJapaneseandEnglishwhethersomecrimetranspiredinher
pastlife.[7]
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Instantly,aftermydaughterwasbornfacingher,
Isaidsomethinglike,[Youshouldrealize,right?Thisisadifferentworld.]
[Youaremysunshine!Iamapen!][8],figureofparentwhoiswhispering.
It'shumorous,right?
Aishawhoislookingatmyfigurefromtheshadowswasgigglingandlaughing.
Ihavenoproof,butIthinkLucyisnotareincarnatedperson.
Whilelaughingathearingmywords,sherepliesnothingbutsomewordslike"Aba~"and"Abu~",
It'spossiblethatsheishidingit,butnotmanyadultscanmimicababy.
Evenifthat'sthecase,someonewhodesperatelymimicsababyisnotcute.
But,Lucyiscute.
TotheextentImnotboredbeingclosetothecrib.
Idon'tcareanymoreaboutreincarnatedornot.
EvenifLucy'ssoulisreincarnated,Iwilljustraiseherverycarefully.
JustlikehowPaulraisedme.
"Todayalso,mychildiscute."
"You'reright.Iwonderwhyshe'sbecomingsocute."
"It'sbecausehermomiscute,right?"
FrombehindSylphy,IturnmyhandaroundSylphy'sheadandhugher.
IpretendImkissingaroundthebackofherhead,tofeignburyingmyfaceintoherhair.
Thegentlescentisthescentofmilk.
It'sanaturalperfume.
"Ehehe,thanks,Rudi,"
Sylphywhilerubbingmyhand,laughswhileembarrassed.
Then,IseeRoxystandingbehindme.
"Mm,Roxy.Howaboutyesterday'sRudi?"
Roxyisshivering.
"Eh,ah...That,Ireceiveditwell."
"ThoughRudibecameroughwhensuchathinghappened,wereyounotscared?"
"No,it'snotscary.It'sthesecondtime,andRudiwasgentletoo...Then,I'msorry."
"There'snothingtoapologizefor."
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"Isthatso"
"Thatisso."
Bothofthemarestillawkward,butnotstrained.
Agoodbalanceisbeingpreserved.
Icanseetheintentionofthembecomingfriendly.
Somethingliketherelationofthreepeople,mustbestartedandconsistofthreepeople'seffort.
Particularly,IcausedSylphytrouble.
"Fo~od~,fo~od~,it's~break~fast~?"
There'sAisha,whoarrivestothelivingroomwhilesingingasong.
Thesongsucks.
Sheisprobablyimprovising.
ThegeniusAishaseemstohavenotalentforsinging.
"Goodmorning,madamsofOniichan!Today'sbreakfastissameasusual,itsgenerallythesame!"
Iseegreensoupandwhitebread.
Then,Aishahadpreparedwarmedhorsemilk.
Inthisarea,somilkcanproperlycomeout,motherswhogivebirthtoachildaregivenhorsemilk.
"Aisha,withoutbeingreluctant,explainthecontentofbreakfast."
TheonewhoenteredfrombehindAishaisLilia.
Sheseemedtobeinthekitchenagaintoo.
"Widebean,sweetpotatosoup,andwheatbread.Andthenhorsemilkfullofnutrition."
Inresponsetothewords,Aishaexplainsthebreakfastproudly.
Ofcourse,IknewwhatitwasevenifIdidnothearherbecauseitswhatIeateverybreakfast.
However,suchathingwillbeimportantasatradition,too.
"Good.Then,waitaminute."
Lilianodscontentedlyandentersthesecondfloor.
"Sorrytokeepyouwaiting."
ShecomesdownimmediatelywithZenith.
WhenZenithisinthelivingroom,shestopsandstaresatme.
Then,shesitsinherseatsilently.
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"Goodmorning,mother..."
Severalmonthspassed,Zenith'smemoryhasnotreturned.
Butshechangeslittlebylittle.
Particularly,itisremarkableseeinghershowdifferentactionswhenshe'swithNorn.
It'slikedealingwithatwoorthreeyearoldchild,suchafeeling.
Afterall,toherdaughter,therearethingstothinkabout.
Iwonder:willhermemoriesreturnlittlebylittle?
Probably,it'sbettertoseethesituationabitlonger.
"Then,letseat."
Weeatbreakfasttogether.
OnmyrightisSylphyonmyleftisRoxy.
Onthesideacrossthetable,linedupareAisha,Lilia,andZenith.
IfNornwerehere,shewouldsitdownnexttoZenith.
AlthoughIdonotrememberparticularlydecidingherseat,itbecamesuchcustom.
"Fromtoday,I'matschooltoo,andsoIentrustLucytoyou."
"Yes,Mrs.Sylphiette.Leaveittome."
BothSylphyandIreturntoschooltoday.
I'minmythirdyearandSylphyisinhersixthyear.
WhileIwenttoschool,IleftthechildcaretoLiliaandAisha.
However,Lucyisstillaninfant.
Shecannotlivewithoutthebreastofmom.
Inthatsense,I'maninfanttoo,butIputthatthoughtasidefornow.
Anyway,Iemployedanurse.
She'saneighboringwomancalledSuzanne:amotheroftwoandaformeradventureraswell.
She'smyacquaintance,butaboutthisperson,letsputherasidefornow.
"Thankyouforthedeliciousmeal."
Nowit'stimeforschool.
Part2
"Osu!"
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"Goodmorning!"
"Thankyouforthework!"
"Goodday,boss!"
SomeunknownpeoplegreetmewhenIentertheschoolsite.
Thereareonlytrashyguys.[9]
Didsomethinglikeabitdignifiedpresencecomeoutfromme?
Well,thisisalsobecauseIbecameafather.
I'mnotveryawareofthis.
"What'supppp!!!!"[10]
JustwhenIthinkaboutthat,themosttrashypersongreetsme.[11]
"Boss,goodmorningnya."
"MorningtoFittsandMrs.Roxy,toonano."
It'sRiniaandPursena.
Evenwhenthesepeoplebecameseniors,theydidn'tchangemuch.
Riniaisinsolent.Pursenaisbitingonsomemeatlikeham.
"Frommorning,bossisaccompaniedbytwoladiesgoingtoschool,suchagoodpositionnya."
"Discardingusandbringingtwopeople,fakkunano."
"Becausewegraduatethisyear,wemustfindsomeonenya."
"Thatisright.Duelthisyear,findpartner,andthenreturntohometownnano."
Ifeelproud.
Apparently,I,whoisblessedwithflowersinbothhands,amenviable.
NotSylphyorRoxy,butme,theman:
BossoftheSchool,
It'sthesymptomsofanewleadersickness.
"Doyourbest,bothofyou."
EvenSylphyislaughing.
Shealsocomestosay.
Thatisthesmileofsomeonewhohasaman.
Sylphyandthebothofthemaredistant,buthaveadegreeoffrankness.
"I'msorry,Iseemedtocutin."
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However,Roxyseemstoreceivethewordsatfacevalue.
Facingthetwoofthem,shelowersherhead.
"Nya!?"
"Wha!?"
ThenRiniaandPursenapanic.
"Ah,it'snotlikethatnya.Ididn'tmeanitlikethatnya."
"Tha,that'sright,itmeansourcharmwas,fakkunano,Ididn'tintendtospeakilltoMrs.Roxy."
Bothofthemapologize.
SinceRoxyisanexistencethatshouldberespectedsoitisnecessaryno,it'sabitunpleasant.
Ifit'stheseguysalonewhenseeingRoxy,theywillsaysomethinglike[Wearebetterthanthisshortynya!]or
[FuckMagictribenano!]
Iwillnotforgivethosekindofwords.
"Fittsmusthaveithard,butdoyourbestnya!"
"Thoughoutclassed,ifit'sFitts,youcandoitnano!
Afterapologizingforawhile,bothofthemclapSylphy'sshoulder.
"Eh?"
"It'sbettertoteachthesecondpersonsoonnya."
"Establishyourpositionatthetopnano."
"Aboutwhat?"
Sylphygivesitsomethoughts.
Thenshenoticeswith,"Ah,"thenlooksembarrassed.
"Um,doesRudilovemeproperly?
RiniaandPursena,doimitation"Gusu"soundswiththeirnoses.
"Sheisbravenya."
"It'stouching.BecauseFittsisnotstandingout,she'stheunfortunatetype,soiftheharemincreasesbythreeor
fourmoregirls,she'llgraduallybeignorednano."
They'resayingwhatevertheylike.
Idon'tintendtomarrythreeorfourmorewives.Evenifithappened,Idon'tintendtoignoreSylphy.
IdonotintendtoneglectSylphy,whohashelpedmewithherbody.
InRoxy'scase,itmightgiveherabadexperience.
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"Eh,thatwouldn'thappen...Right?Rudi?"
Behindthesunglasses,herexpressioncannotbeseen.
But,thevoiceseemstobeuneasy.
Insideherheart,Sylphymayalsobeuneasy.
Imustreassureher.
"Ofcourse,"
IhugSylphy.
Iwhisperout[Love]whilepattingherback.
ItwouldbebetterifIsayitclearlyinfrontofpeople.
"IloveSylphy!"
AfterIdeclareit,applausearisesinlargequantitiesfromallaround.
Sylphybecomesbrightredinmyarm.
"No,wai,Rudi.Stopsayingsuchathingatschool."
"Although,you'retheonewhoasked"
"ThthensaythesamethingtoRoxytoo."
WhenIseeher,Roxyislookingupatme.
"No...Don'tmindme."
Alookfullofexpectations,
IhugRoxywithmyleftarmwithouthesitation.
Roxyatmyleftarm,Sylphyatmyrightarm,
Ah,greatflowersinbothhands.
"Ilovebothofthem!"
AfterIsaythat,somestudentsboo.
TheyareprobablyMilisChurchbelieversafterall.
It'sfine.Ihaveadifferentreligionafterall.
Iwillnotinterferetoo.
However,havingattractedpublicattention,Sylphy'sfaceisbrightred.
"La,later.IwillgoaheadtoAriel'splace.
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"Yeah,seeyouagainatlunchbreak,Sylphy."
"Atschool,it'sFitts!"
Cometothinkofit,wasitsucharule?
BecauseIdidn'tgotoschoolfornearlyoneyear,Iforgotit.
Ithink,isn'titfinebecausehermaleappearanceisalreadygone?
Evenifanyonelooks,heorshewillonlyseeabeautifulwomaninmen'sclothes.
No,eveninmensclothes,she'sstilllovely.
"Iwillalsogotothestaffroom."
AfterascertainingthatSylphyrunsoff,Roxyalsoseparatesfromme.
"Yes,seeyou,Roxy."
"Ah,atschool,makesuretoproperlycallmeteacher."
Isitaboutnotmixingpublicandprivateaffairs?
Iunderstand.
ButitissoRoxyisalsoafemaleteacherfromtoday.
Femaleteacher,
Ithasaniceringtoit.Irecallthedeedfromlastnight.
IwonderifIcanrentoutthegymstoreroomtodoitforhours
IncidentallythenInoticesomething.
"WellRoxysensei,"
"Whatisit,Rudeuskun?"
Roxylooksupatmewithaneatface.
"Becausetodayisthefirstday,theteachersmaybedoingamorninggathering."
"Ah!"
Roxycriesoutafterdoingablunder.
Herfaceisdeepblue.
"So,sorry.Ishouldhurry!"
Roxyrunsinaflustertothestaffroom.
Sheseemstomisunderstandthescheduleabit.
It'snatural,Ithink.
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Itshouldnotbepossibleforastudentandteachersschedulestosynchronize.
"Then,weshouldgotoo."
"Nya."
"I'llaccompanynano."
Iaimfortheclassroom,withacatandadogasmyattendants.
Todayishomeroomday.
Althoughthewivesaregone,therearenewflowersinbothmyhands.
AmIpopular?
ButIwillnotlaymyhandsonRiniaandPursena.
Fufu,it'stoughbeingaman.
"Bytheway,Iheardarumornya."
SuddenlyRiniapointsherearsatme.
Hereyesareoverflowingwithcuriosity.
"Rumor?"
"Yesnya.Arumorthatbossfoughtapowerfulenemytotheextentoflosinghislefthandnya."
"Isthatso...
ThatremindsmeIonlytoldthemaboutthereturnreportandRoxybecomingateacher.
TheonlyonewhoheardthedetailedreportisZanoba.
Didthatguyleakittosomeone?
No,maybeCliffhearditfromElinalise.
"AsexpectedfrombossnyaGoingtoMagicContinent,battlingagainsttheSevenMajorPowers,andthen
reachingforvictoryatthesacrificeofjusthislefthand!"
"Huh?!"
Whatisthis?
SevenMajorPowers?
Wheredidsuchscarywordscomefrom?
"Moreover,theopponentisrunningawaywhileconfused.Asexpectednano."
"Wawawa,waitaminute."
Whatisthis?
Whatkindofrumorhasthislevelofexaggeration?
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Pleasestopwiththesekindsofthings.
Moreover,aboutthisrumor,howshouldIrespondaboutonesidedlywinningagainsttheSevenMajorPowers,
alone?
WhatshouldIdoiftherealSevenMajorPowersoverhear?
IfOrstedoverhears....
"So,that'swhatwethinkaboutboss'sstorynownya,nowisthetimetospreaditatgreatscalegyaaa!"
IgrabRinia'stailandpullitwithallofmystrength.
Afterthatcomesscratchesfromextendingnails,whichIavoidwithmydemoneye,
ThenRiniaholdshertailwithtearsandglares.
"Whatareyoudoingwithamaiden'stailnya!"
Iglareback.
"Don'tspreadrumorswithsuchexaggeratedstory."
"Eh!?Ah,so,sorrynya,"
Thesepeoplehavepreviouscriminalrecordswiththeserumors.
FirstcrimewasspreadingthatIhadED.
Well,that'sOK.
Thesourceisacertaintruth.[12]
But,thistimeit'sdifferent.
Thisisharmful.
Atworst,death,
It'sadangerousrumor.
"WehearditfromZanobanano."
Pursenasuddenlyadds,
"BosswasbattlingagainstaHydraresistanttomagicnano.[IfIfollowedShisho,thenhisgreatlefthandshould
notbelost.]"
"Thatisrightnya.But,wejustcouldn'tthinkitwasgreatenoughnya.Becauseofthat,wewanttospreadboss's
greatnessmore"
"Thatisnotyourconcern."
Certainly,Ibecamealittlestronger.
However,attheend,whenthetimematters,thoughtlesslyIfailedI'mauselessman.
Idon'tdesiretoreceiveanevaluationthathigh.
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"Butevenifwedonothing,whensomeoneseesboss'slefthand,manykindsofrumorwillspreadnano."
"That'srightnya,evenifwesaydifferentthings,nothingwillhappen."
"..."
SeemsthatIamthenumberonecelebrityatthisschool,itcannotbehelpedifthere'ssuchrumors.
ButpleasestopwiththeSevenMajorPowersrumor.
ThattimewhenOrstednearlykilledme,Irememberiteveryday.
"Whatkindofotherrumorsarethere?"
"Yesnya,thereareafewmorenya."
Letshearthemall.
"BattlingagainsttheSupardTribe,"
Checked.
"Stoppingflocksofonemillionmonsters,alone."
Checked.
"Succeededinancientmagicbuthandwaslostinreaction."
Itseemslikemanyunfoundedrumorsareflowing.
Ithinktheabsurdrumorswilldisappearsoon.
"Hmm"
Thinkaboutit,abouttheSevenMajorPowers,Ioughttobefamiliarwiththatrumor.
Thenumberonecelebritywinningorlosingwillbeasourceofrumors.
Ishouldnotworryaboutrumorsspreadingabitatschool.
"Sosorryaboutthetail."
"Humanracedoesn'tknowaboutthispainnya.Pullingamaiden'stailisunforgivablenya."
"Nexttime,I'lltreatyoutofish."
"Yeah,luckyday!Sometimesmakingamistakeisfinenya."
"Iwouldlikeredmeatnano."
ImovetotheclassroomwhiletalkingwithRiniaandPursena.
Part3
Homeroomwasjustlikeusual.
Fivepeoplesitsparinglywithmeinthecenter:
Zanoba,whowastamperingwithadoll,
Julie,whowasimitatinghim,
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Rinia,whowashandfilinghernails,[13]
Pursena,whowaseatingmeat,
AndCliff,whowasopeningabookandinthemiddleofstudying.
StandingbehindhimisGingerdon'tmindher.
Ihavegottenveryusedtothisscene.
Ineverthoughtthatinoneyear,twoofthemwouldstopbeinghere.
RiniaandPursenawillgraduatethisyear.
Well,there'sstilloneyear.
Oneyearwillbegoneinaninstant.
"Whichremindsme,Rudeus."
SuddenlyCliffraiseshisfacefromthebook,
"Wouldyoucometomyplaceforgreetings?"
Helooksdissatisfied.
ThatremindsmethatIdidnotmeetCliffforseveralmonthsafterIcamehome.
Todayisthefirsttime.
"SorryCliffsenpai.WhenIvisited,itlookedlikeyouwerebusywithElinalise.SoIrestrainedmyself."
"Well,IwassurelytogetherforawhilewithLize.Yes,it'sunavoidablelikethat.It'salsomyfault."
Cliffsayssoandwithdraws.
However,Arielislikethattoopeoplearoundherewouldnotmindmuchifit'sjustashortgreeting.
Incaseofadventurers,itisevenshorter.
"However,youshouldhaveletmeknowwhenyourchildwasborn.AlthoughI'mstillintraining,evenso,I'll
prayforyou."
"Isthatso..."
"Yeah,sorry.Sinceyou'renotaMilisbeliever,soprayerisnotneeded?Butrecentlyit'slikeyou'reavoidingme.
Evenifyou'rebusywithchildparenting,isn'titfineifyouvisitmeinthelaboratorysometimes?Youhavethe
timeforthat,right?"
Nowthatit'ssaid,Imightbeavoidinghim.
ThereisareasonfornotwantingtomeetCliff.
Needlesstosay,it'saboutRoxy.
IhavetwowivesandCliffisaMilisbeliever.
Hewon'tbehappy.
"Or,wasthereareasonthatyoudidnotwanttoseeme?Iwanttohearitfromyou,ifthereissuchareason."
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Today,Cliffisverystubborn.
Probably,heheardthedetailsfromElinalise.
But,it'salsoaboutElinalise.
[It'ssomethingthatcannotbeforgivenbyreligion,butifit'sforgiven,thenthevesselnamedClifflooksgreatto
me.]
Imightsaysuchathing.
Needlesstosay,it'snotnecessarytohaveCliff'spermissiontomarryRoxy.
However,it'sunamusingifthatbecomesdiscordwithCliff.
Fornow,letstrydancingonElinalise'spalm.
IwillsayitCliffwillforgiveme.
Ifheforgivesme,thenI'llpraisehisgenerosity.
Cliffwillfeelgood.
Nobodyloses.
Allright,I'madancer.Dancingandsingingandsayit:
"Asamatteroffact...""Excuseme."
Andtheclassroom'sdooropeninterruptingmyvoice.
Theoneswhoenteraretwopeople.
Theteacher,whoisalwaysinchargeofthehomeroomsession,
Whatishisnameagain?
Ohwell.
Aprettygirlentersafterhim,
Witharobedfigure,sleepyeyes,bluntexpressionandalittlenervous,
Itisachildthatseemedtodoherbest,anytime.
ItisachildwhomIwanttohugunintentionally.
Imean,it'sRoxy.
"Everyone,Iintroducetheonewhowillbetheclassteacherwhoisinchargeofspecialstudents."
"I'mRoxyM.Greyrat."
Aftershestepsforward,shelowersherhead.
Zanobaandtheotherswatchherwithdumbfoundedeyes.
Theclassteachercontinueshiswordswithoutregardtous.
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Thoughhertribesfigurelooksyouthful,evenso,herageisaroundfifty.Becauseshehasaconnectionwith
peopleinthisclass,shewillbetakingoverthisclassroom.Forawhile,she'llbeanassistanthomeroomteacher,
butfromnextyearon,she'llformallybethehomeroomteacher,soeveryone,too,inthatregard"
"Nya!WhatwillhappentoSamsonsensei?!"
Theclassteachernods[Yes]whenRiniaasksthat.
Itseemsliketheclassteacher'snameisSamsonsensei.
It'smachobutnotgay.
He'sapersonwhosecharacteristicishavingnocharacteristics.
"Iwillreturntomyhometownnextyear,becauseIhavenorelativesinthisclassanymore."
"Thatremindsme,wheredidRensenpaigo?"
"MylittlesisterenteredthemagicknightgroupatNerisDukedom.Sheseemstobefine.However,Idon'tknow
whatkindofmessshe'llmakeifIleaveheralone."
"Isthatsonya?"
Icametoknowaboutthislater.
Originally,theonewhowasinchargeofhomeroomatthespecialstudentsclasswasapersonwhohada
specialrelationshipwiththespecialstudents.
Itmaybebecausemanyspecialstudentsarequirky.
Itisdesirablethattheclassroomteacherisapersonthatcanbethereinsorshackle.
Thecurrentclassroomteacher,SamsonsenseiseemstobearelativetothepersonwhowasreplacedbyCliff
whenshegraduated.
ThatalumnahadaprominentmagicsenseandispartoftheroyalfamilyofoneofthecountriesoftheMagic
Triumvirate,theNerisDukedom.
RiniaandPursenaweregreatlyindebtedtoher.
Anyway,RoxywhohasrelationwithmeandZanobaseemstobetheidealcandidate.
Roxystepsforward,looksaround,andsays,
"IthinkIhavebeenintroducedtomanyofyoualready,though.MynameisRoxyM.Greyrat.Thesecondwife
ofRudeusGreyratwhoissittingoverthere.Althoughthecontactisdifferentbetweenstudentandteacher,I
thankyouinadvance."
"..."
Cliffisoffended.
Hesurelywantedtohearthewords[secondwife]frommymouth.
ThenhewouldhaveacceptedRoxy.
However,theplanhasbeendestroyed.
"Well...Cliffsenpai,"
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"Hoo,asecondwife.Doyounothavewhat'scalledintegrity?"
AsermonbeginsafterItalked,
"Yes.IthinkIhaveinsufficientintegrity."
"Thatday,IgavemyblessingbecauseyousaidtoloveonlySylphy,though?"
"Yes,I'mverythankfulforthattime."
"Ofcourse,IwillsaynothingelsebecauseIknowyou'renotaMilisbeliever.No,Ishouldcongratulateyou
instead.Congratulations."
"Thankyou."
Cliffmakesa'sniff'soundwithhisnose.[14]
"Isometimesmeetyourlittlesisteratthetown'schurch.Shesaidthatshewouldfindaspouseandbecome
intimatelikebrotherandSylphyneesaninthefuture.Whatdidshesaytoyou,whobroughtthesecondwife
home?"
"Shewasangry."
"Ofcourse,sheprayedforyouandherfather'ssafereturnalmosteveryday.Shewasverygladthatyoulived
andcamehometruly."
"Butintheend,sheforgaveme."
"Ofcourse,sheforgivesyouintheend.Shewouldbethrownoutifsheobjectstilltheend."
"Iwillneverthrowherout,though...
"Ofcourseyouwouldn'tdoso.However,youwouldn'tknowthatifyoustoodintheshoesofaweakgirl,right?
She,wholostherfather,hasonlyyouassomeonetodependon.Iwonderifyouguysshouldhaveconsidered
Norn'sfeelingsabitmore."
"Yes."
"It'snotagoodthingtomarrytoomanypartners,sincewomenarenotacollection."
Myearshurt.
Still,heisjustlikeaCatholicpriest.
Today'sCliffgivesoffanintimidatingfeeling.
"Yes...Well,Cliffsenpai."
"Whatisit,Rudeus?"
I'llgivethanksbecauseIgotsomeinformationthatIneverheardbefore.
"ForplayingwithNorn,thankyou."
"IonlyaccompaniedherbecauseIsawheratchurch...Oh,anddon'tletsuchasmallchildgoalone.Though
thisneighborhoodissafe,therearekidnappingsifyouenterbackalleys."
"Yes,Iwillrememberthat."
"Allright.Iwillforgiveyoursins,ifyoureflect,sinceLordMilisisagenerousLord."
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"Yes,thankyou."
Iwasforgiven.
Afterall,wasthisakindofconfession?
However,myfollowupwithNornwassurelyinsufficient.
Fromnowon,Iwillbetwiceaskind.
"Wellthenthetalkisover,thematterofcommunicating"
BythetimeCliff'ssermonwasover,Samsonsenseiresumesthehomeroom.
Standingnexttohim,Roxyisshowinganexpressionlikeshewantstorunaway.
ShelaughsalittleandscoldsmewhenIthrowakisstoher.
Part4
Theflowafterisn'tverydifferentfromhowitusedtobe.
IlookatZanobaandCliff'scondition,helpNanahoshi,researchtheabsorptionmagicstonesonmyvacant
times,andwriteabook.
Asusual,therearemanythingstodo.
Ifeelnostalgiafortheolddays,whenIonlydidoneortwothingsaday.
Therearesomechangesintheafterschoolwhenthelessonfinishes.
BeforeitwastimetogivelessonstoNorn,andnowit'stoteachherswordplay.
IamanxiousthatifIteachherswordplay,hergradeswilldecline.
Becauseshedeclaredthatshewilldoherbest,letswatchthesituationfornow.
Sheshoulddoitrapidlywhilethereismotivation.
Aboutthosethings,Iwillleavethemfornow.
Whentheclasswasover,IgotomeetSylphyandRoxythengohomewiththethreeofus.
WhenSylphyhasnightduty,it'sonlyRoxy.
WhenRoxyhasprolongedstaffmeetings,I'malone.
There'salsotimeswhenIgohomewithNorn.
Today,I'mpairingwithSylphy.
I'mholdinghandsandtalkingaboutmanythingswithSylphywhilewalkinghome.
Mainly,it'saboutschool.
Atnewschoolterms,it'ssaidthattheStudentCouncillooksfornewmembers.
"Rudishouldentertoo."
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"Ihavenotimeforthat."
Aftersayingthat,Ireturnhomewhileflirtingmoderately.
"I'mhome."
WhenIreturnhome,Aishahugsme.
"WelcomebackOniichan,wouldyoulikedinner?Abath?Or...me?"
Wheredidshelearnthosewords?
No,Itaughther.
But,Ididn'tteachittoAisha.
ItaughtittoSylphy.
First,Isay[Me]thentickleheronherunderarms,shecackleswhilerunningawayandLiliatargetsherhead.
Afterwardsisabath.
ThoughAishaputbathinherchoices,thebathwasnotprepared.
Sheisalsostillcookingthemeal.
Ultimately,therewasnochoicebesides[Me.]
Well,that'sfine.
Fortunately,Aishacleanedthebathatnoon.
Ionlyfillthewater,soIfinishpreparingpromptly.
Ioftenprefertakingabathwithsomeone.
Somewherealongtheline"enterthebathinpairswheneverpossible"becameanunspokenhouserule.
Whatkindofcountrywouldhavethiskindofrule?
Well,it'sfine.
Today,ItakeabathwithAisha.
ThoughAishaisalreadyelevenyearsold,sheisfrank,anddoesnothaveenoughshyness.
IfItalkaboutthistoayoungmaninthemiddleofpuberty,itwillbemisunderstoodinstantly.
"Aisha,pleasecoveryourfrontwithcloth."
"Why?"
"Itismodest."
"Yes."
Formodestyandshynessexamples,IthinkAishashouldfollowNorn.
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Youngersistersaretrulysomethinggood.
AishacramsherselfbetweenmylegsasIwashherbody.
Thewaysheasksmetowashherhairorherbackisreallycute.
IfIcouldbearousedbyher,Iwouldprobablysuggestmakinghermythirdwife,creatingahelllikesituation.
[15]
IwouldhaveexceededmypatiencelimitifSylphyorRoxydidthesamething.
Although,intheircases,itcanbesaidthatit'snotnecessarytoendure.
Anyways,it'saheartwarmingcontacttimewithmyyoungersister.
Whilewashingherbody,Iheartheeventsofthedayfromher:
ThatLucywascute.
ThatshewasconcernedaboutZenith.
ThatLiliasleptatthewindow.
Thatsheplantedanewplantatthegardengrounds.
Theyweretriflingstories.
Ohyes,IgavetheBegarittoriceseedstoAishaandaskedifshewasabletocultivatethem.
Sherepliedreliably,[I'lltrytoplantitafteritbecomesalittlewarmer.]
Ifit'slefttothegeniusAisha,she'llletmeeatriceeventually.
I'lllookforwardtoit.
"I'mback."
AfterIgetoutofthebath,Roxycomeshomeandishavingdinneratherowndiscretion.
Today'sdinnerisstewofriverfish,bread,beans,andpotatoes.
Inshort:asusual.
"Thankyouforthedinner."
Afterthemeal,SylphygivesmilktoLucy.
Lucyisachildthatisdocilebuteatswell.
Willshegainweightinthefuture?
Idon'twantSylphy'sdaughtertobestretchedtotheside.
Whenshegrowsup,I'llmakeherexercise.Yes.
Afterdinnerfinishes,Ispendtimewhilebeinginarelaxedmood.
IteachAishamagicRoxyispreparingfortomorrow'sclassinherroom.
SylphyiscuddlingwithLucy,butsometimestrainshermagicaswell.
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ImaymindwhenJiro,thearmadillo,comestovisit.
Bytheway,theonewhotakescareofJiroisAisha.
AishatrainedJirowellanditisbecomingafaithfulservantlikewatchdog.
"Wellthen,pleaseexcuseme.Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
ZenithandLiliagotosleepearly.
Aishatooisearly,shesleepsafterfinishingstudying.
"WellthenSylphy."
Aftereveryonefellasleep,
Iinvitethewifetothebedroom.
"Yes...
Sylphypicksupthehemofmyclothes,blushing.
Whenshedoessuchamovement,I'malreadyatmylimit.
Iliftherwithaprincesscarryandcarryhertothebedroom.
Andit'stimeforadazzlingnighttime.
Afterbeingsatisfiedinheartandbody,Isleepfasthuggingthebodyofmysmallsizedwife.
Part5
BeforeIfullysleep:
IwaituntilmywifehasfallenasleepIwalkoutfromthebed.
Thedestinationisthebasement.
Tiptoeingdownthestairs,
Afterglancingbackatthestairs,Iopenthesecretbasementdoor.
Theresthealtarthatisconcealingsomething.
It'senshriningobjectsofdivinity.
Thatclothandthatcloth,[16]
They'retoolstoworshipGod.
Ialsopraycalmlytoday.
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"TheBancho'seyesglow."
Chapter135'TrainingwithNorn'
Onemonthhaspassed.Thoughit'sstillcold,thesnowisstartingtomelt,andthegroundisbeginningtoreveal
itself.
Part1
Morning.
IgetoutofbedslowlysoasnottowakeupSylphywhoissleepingbesideme.BecauseSylphylikestousemy
armasapillow,Ineedtotakecarewhenfreeingmyarm.
IntheneighboringroomIchangeintomytrainingwear.I'mwearingsomethinglikeajerseythatSylphypicked
out.Thoughit'salittlecoldtowearinthewinter,onceIstartmovingit'sperfect.
OnceI'mdonechanging,Ipickupthestoneswordthatwasleftinthecorneroftheroom.Thismisshapenstone
swordissomethingIcreatedwithmagic.Itdoesn'thaveablade,butit'sheavy,soit'sperfectformypowerful
prosthetichand.
Sinceit'sapracticesword,shouldIgiveitafishname?TunaorMarlinorsomething?Cometothinkofit,I
haven'thadsashimisincecomingtothisworld,huh.Iwonderiftheydon'thaveacultureofeatingrawfish.
NowthatI'mdonepreparing,IsaygoodbyetoSylphy.Istrokeherheadonce.
"Mhuhu..."
WhenIdo,Sylphynuzzlesherheadagainstmyhandwithasatisfiedsmile.She'sprobablyhalfasleep.How
cute.
Ihappentonoticethattheblanketisoverturned.Sinceherpantiedbuttisvisible,Istrokethereonceaswell.
Despitehavinggivenbirth,it'sasmallbutt.Elinalise'sfigureisgoodaswelltheElvenracesureisanamazing
one.
Whilstthinkingaboutsuchthings,Igrabtheblanketandputitbackinplace.Thoughour'nightlife'hasbegun
againrecently,sinceit'dbetoughifSylphysuddenlyhadtobearasecondchild,wekeepthingsinmoderation.
Evenso,ifshegetspregnantthenshegetspregnant,andthereisn'tmuchwecando.Thisisalsoanaturalpart
oflife.
"Nnuu...youlater..."
IhearhervoicewhenIamleavingtheroom.
Yeah,seeyoulater.
WhereI'mheadedtoisNorn'sroom.Lately,we'vebeentrainingtogetherinthemorning.WhenNornisstaying
atourhouse,wetraininthegarden,andwhenNornisstayingatthedorms,Igomeetherattheschool
courtyard.Todayisoneofthedayssheisstayingwithus.
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"Norn,areyouready?"
Iknockthedoorandopenit.
"Ah,Niisa"
"Oops,excuseme."
Sinceshe'sinthemiddleofchanging,Iclosethedoor.
Norn'sbodyisstillyoung.ThoughI'mfinewithbothyoungandmaturedbodies,I'mnotarousedbymysisters.
Thoughit'salittlebitofashame,I'mrelieved.Tolovesomeonewithoutlustreallyisaspecialfeeling.
However,whenIconsiderthatthissisterofminewillonedaybecomesomeone'swoman,feelingsof
gloominessstarttosprout.Isthiswhattheycalltheheartofafather?
It'snotbad.I'lldothisinplaceofPaul.InplaceofPaul,I'lltakeonthedutyofsayingIwon'thandNornover
toanoname,shadybastardlikeyou.
"Geez,afterknockingpleasewaitformyanswer."
WhilstIwasthinkingaboutsuchthings,Norncomesoutwithswordinhand,wearinggymclothing.She's
wearingalongsleevedtopandlongpantsthataren'teroticatall.It'sthegymuniformdesignatedbytheMagic
University.Iboughtitattheuniversityandgaveittoherasagift.
WhenIhappentopeerintoherroom,InoticethatPaul'sswordishunguphighonthewall.Thoughinmy
previouslifeIwould'veleftaframedphotographofhiminthebutsudan,therearenophotosinthisworld.If
yousearchearnestlyyoumightfindamagictoolthattakespictures,butnormallyitisn'tpossible.That'swhy
thearticlesofthedeceasedareusedinplaceofabutsudan.[17]
"Norn,doyoumindifIenteryourroomforalittle?"
"Eh?It'sfineIguess?"
Ienterwithpermission.WhenIdo,IfindthatNorn'sscentfillstheroom.It'sascentparticulartobedroomsin
themorning.Nearbyisabedwithruffledsheets.IfIdivedintoitandsniffedit,I'dprobablygetnothingbut
Norn.Iwon'tdosothough.
IstandinfrontofPaul'sswordandbringmyhandstogether.
"Tousan.TodayI'mgoingtopracticetheswordwithNorn.Pleasewatchoverussothatnothingserious
happenstous."
Withthat,Ibow.WhatwouldPaulsay?Thatgettingwoundedhasvalue?Or,wouldhetellmenottoinjure
Norn?
Ihappentolookatherandfindthatshe'sonherkneeswithherhandsclaspedtogether,inthestyleoftheMilis
faith.
"Shallwego,then?"
"Yes,pleasetakecareofmetodayaswell."
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Stretchingexercises.Running.Practiceswings.EvenifIsay'swordpractice',rightnowwe'redoingnothingbut
buildingupherfundamentals.Thesepastfewmonths,Nornhasbeenstrictlybuildingupherfoundation.
ThoughIsay'strictly',thetrainingmenuthatIusewouldcrushNorn.That'swhywe'restartingwithafifthof
theharshnessofmine.SinceNornisstill10,itwouldn'tbephysicallypossibleanyway.IfIsuddenlyforcetoo
muchonher,allthat'llachieveisruiningherbody.WhileIhaveNorndopracticeswingsinthegarden,I'm
finishingoffmyownweighttraining.
"Twentyfive...!Twentysix...!"
It'samonotonoustypeoftraining,andbecauseofthatit'ssimpleandeasytogettiredof,butNornstillhasn't
complainedtothisday.It'ssomethingthatmakesmehappy.
"Fifty!"
"Alright,welldone."
"Haa...haa...Thankyouforinstructingme!"[18]
Afterthetrainingisdone,IgetinthebathwithNornandwecleanup.BecauseNornfelloveralotduringthe
runningpractice,placeslikeherkneesarewoundedandbruised.Iapplyhealingmagictothoseplaces.It's'pain,
pain,goaway'magicformylittlesister.
ItseemsthatforsomereasonNorndoesn'twantmetoseehernaked,soshewearspantiesandathinshirt.It's
probablypuberty.AishagetsnakedatthedropofahatsoIwanttohaveherfollowNorn'sexample.
Itakethisintoaccountaswellandputonpantsbeforewashingmyself.Still,ifItoldherthatthereareguys
whogetarousedfromseeingshirtsbecometransparentfromwater,whatkindoffacewouldshemake,I
wonder?ThoughIkindofwanttosee,Iwon'tsayit.It'dbelonelyifshestoppedbathingwithme.It'dbetough
ifshethoughtofherOniichanasapervert.
"Todaywasnothingbutpracticeswingsagain,huh?"
WhileI'mthinkingaboutsuchthings,Nornbringshermouthintoapout.
"WhenwillIbeallowedtolearnswordsmanship?"
"Aren'tyoualreadylearningit?"
"Notjustpracticeswings,butformsandtechniquestoo."
I'vebeenteachingNornhowtorunproperlyandhowtodopracticeswings.Runningandpracticeswings.
They'rewaystobuildupherbodyandhermuscles.Withoutastrongbodyandstrongmusclesthere'snopoint
inlearningtheformsandtechniques.ThatwaswhyIdidso.
"...You'reright."
Iwonderifherbody'sgottenstrongenoughtheselastfewmonths.
Thinkingthis,IlookatNorn.Hersmallbodyisinitsgrowthphase.Iwonderifherlimbsaremoremuscular
thancomparedtowhenwefirststarted.
It'sstilldifficulttosaythatherbodyisstrongenough.ButIgetthefeelingthatshe'sstrongenoughnottohurt
herself.Itmightbeabouttimetoteachherthefirstform.
"You'reright.Thenafterclasstoday,therealstuffbegins."
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"...!Yes!"
Whilehavingthisconversation,weleavethebathroom.
Part2
It'stheevening.
ThelocationisneartheMagicUniversity.
'TheThirdExternalTrainingGround'Franklyspeaking,it'sjustasportsground,andwe're
standinginoneofitscorners.We'rewearingourusualtrainingwearforeaseofmovement.
InfrontofmestandsNorn.She'swearingthesamegymuniformasIam.Withaswordinhand,hermouthis
shuttightandshewearsaseriousexpression.
Thoughtheywerefew,therearepeopleinthesurroundings.Robedstudentsengagedinselfpractice,and
studentswhoweresimplytakingastroll.Therewerealsobystanderswhowerewonderingwhatweweredoing
wearingourgymuniformatsuchanhour.Itdoesn'tmatterevenifwe'reseenthough.
"Norn.Todaywe'llstartrealswordtraining."
"Yes."
Nornreplieswithenergy.Herexpressionisfilledwithexpectation.Sheisoverflowingwiththedesiretostart
learningtechniquesalready.Thoughitwasjustforafewmonths,doingnothingbutbasicstrainingwas
probablytoughonNorn.However,neitherwieldingaswordnorbattlingisagame.Whateveryou'redoing,the
basicsareimportant.
"I'mtellingyounow,butIintendonbeingstrict."
"Yes."
Nornnodsseriously.
"Youmightcometohatemeasthingsprogress.Youmightthink[Oniichanisbeingthistoughbecausehehates
me].That'showstrictIintendonbeing."
"Yes."
"Tobefrank,it'llbetoughbeinghated.However,rememberthatcrudeknowledgegivesbirthtograveinjury.If
youdiebecauseIwashalfassedinteachingyou,Iwon'tbeabletofaceTousaninheaven."
Nornhasnotalentforthesword.IknewEriswhenshewasten,andNornhasnosuchtalent.Sheprobablyisn't
veryfarbehindtheaverageperson.However,strengthissomethingrelative.Inbattlethestrongerpersonwill
win,andtheweakeronewilllose.Losingwillprobablymeanlosingyourlife,soitisn'tsometriflingmatter.So
thatNorncanwinagainstmostpeople,it'llbenecessaryforhertoputineffort,forhertoundergoharsh
training,andforustoputeffortintocomingupwithsomemethodtohelpherwin.
"Atsomepoint,adaymaycomewhen,becauseit'sharsh,becauseyoucan'tdoitwell,andbecausesome
geniussurpassesyou,you'llwanttojustgiveup."
"..."
"Icanunderstandthiskindoffeelingaswell.Iwon'tcondemnthosewhogiveupontheirgoalsbecauseof
thesekindoffeelings."
"..."
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Norn'smouthpursesintoa.Fromherperspective,Imightseemlikeasupermanoverflowingwithtalent.She
mightbewonderingwhatbusinessapersonlikemehasspoutingoutsuchwords.Certainly,thisbodyofmineis
filledwithtalent.However,therearevariouspeopleIlostto.TherehavebeentimeswhenI'vealmostdiedas
well.Asmuchaspossible,I'dliketoavoidseeingthoseeyesonthevergeofdeath.
"Butabsolutelynevergiveuponthesword.Ifyoueverabandonit,Iwon'tteachyouasecondtime,andI
absolutelywon'tletyouuseTousan'ssword."
"..."
"Aslongasyoudon'tgiveup,I'llabsolutelynevergiveuponteachingyou,either."
IwonderifIwasbelievable.Inthefirstplace,IwonderifImyselffollowedtheadvice,Ijustgave.No,though
Igaveuponbecomingstrongthroughthesword,Istilltrainintheswordeveryday.Itshouldn'tbeacaseof
beingblindtomyownshortcomings.
"Understand?"
"Yes!Pleasetakecareofme!"
Nornreplieswithenergy.Bloodrushestohercheeks,andshelooksupatmewithafacefullofdetermination.I
wonderifthisishowPaulfeltwhenhesawmeasachild.
Ifthat'sthecase,itmeansthatonedayNornmightpartfrommyhandsandgosearchingforanotherShishoas
well.Onceshe'safineElementaryRankedswordsman,itmightbegoodtocallGhyslaine.Idon'tknowwhere
sheisthough.TothewestisalandcalledtheHolyLandofSwords.IfIputoutarequest,perhapssomeoneof
aboutSwordSaintwillcome.
"Verywell.Wellthen,let'sstartwithrunning."
"Eh?Weren'twegoingtodotrainingwithasword?"
"Yeah,ofcourse.You'llberunningwithswordinhand.Onthebattlefieldyou'llalwayshaveyourswordin
hand,afterall."
"..."
"Andyourreply!?"
"Yes!"
Onthemenutodayisrunning,thethreebasicsforms,andthenfreesparringwithme.
Iintendtoteachher,firstofall,thatswordsmanshipissomethingfrightening.Thatit'sfrighteningandpainful.
[Theywon'trememberunlessithurts]isn'twhatI'maimingfor.[19]It'sjustthatIthinkthatIhavetolether
knowaboutthepainandfearfromthestart.
PerhapsNornwillendupcrying.Imightendupmakingherhatemeinonego.However,Ihavetosteelmyself
anddoit.Whenitcomestothesethings,it'snogoodjusttokeephavingnothingbutfun.Ifyouhavenothing
butfun,oneday,youmightfindyourselfdyinghelplessly.
"Alright,followme!"
"Yes!"
Whilefeelingalittleuneasy,Istarttorun.
Part3
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"Alright,that'senoughfortoday!"
"T,thankyouforinstructingme..."[20]
Underthedazzlingeveningsun,Norniscollapsedontheground,breathingwildly.
"Tomorrowinthemorning,orlunchorwhateverisfinewhileI'mnotaround,repeatedlypracticetheformsyou
learnttoday."
"Y,yes."
Thefirstday'spracticegoesacceptably.Afterreturningfromrunning,Iteachherforms.Afterthat,wehavea
propersparwithwoodenswords.Whilewearedoingso,Icorrectthingslikeherfootworkorherstance.
Ifitwerethekendofrommyoldworld,theyprobablywould'vedonevariousotherthings.Buttherearenorules
inthisworld,andwhenitcomestofighting,realexperienceisbetter.Paulhadalsostartedknockingmedown
fromanearlystage.Ghyslaine,aswell,focusedonmeetingswords.That'swhythismethodshouldn'tbewrong.
However,Norncouldn'thelpbutbeaversetohittingpeoplewithawoodensword.That'swhy,firstofall,toget
ridofthatresistance,IhaveNornfreelyhitme.Whileavoidingstrikestovitalareas,Ijuststandthereandlet
herhitmewithoutdefending.
Norngrimacesatthesensationpassedfromherswordtoherhands,soIfaceherwithaposethatsays,[I'mfine,
evenifI'mhit.]Becauseofherpracticeswingsovertheselastfewmonths,herstrikeshaveacertainweight
behindthem.Asaresult,Iendupwithalotofdarkredbruises.
Afterthat,wesparasplanned.IknockNorndown,andourtrainingendsfortheday.Ofcourse,Igoeasyon
her.Butevenso,sheshouldhavealotofbruisesonherlimbs.Tobruisethatcutelittlesisterofmine,Iwonder
ifthisisreallytherightthingtodo.
However,Nornswungherswordatmeuntiltheend.Withoutcryingorcomplaining.Aslongasshe'sthat
determined,everythingwillworkoutasapositive.That'swhatIwanttobelieve.
"Howwasit,Norn?Didithurt?"
"...No,pleaselookaftermetomorrow,aswell."
"Alright."
Honestly,Ihavenoconfidenceinmyownteachingmethods.Ifmagicislikeacademics,thenswordsmanshipis
likemagic.I'msureI'mnotdoingitcorrectly.However,ifIdon'tcontinuethis,thenitwon'tgetbetter.
"Comehere,I'llapplyhealingmagic."
IsitNorndownandapplyhealingmagictoher.Ifshe'sinjuredinplacesIcan'tsee,shouldIhaveSylphyheal
her?Sinceshe'scominghomewithmetoday,Icouldhavehergetinthebathtogetherwithmeandhealher
then.Thinkingthis,IapproachNornandtakeoffherjacketwhenIsuddenlysenseapresence.
"Mn?"
WhenIturnmyhead,Ifindthatstandinginthelightoftheeveningareanumberofmalestudentslookingour
way.Iwonderhowlongthey'rebeentherefor.Thinkingbackonthings,theymighthavebeentherefromthe
start.ThoughIthoughttheywerejustcuriousonlookers,forthemtohavestayedgatheredthere,forsolong,
mightmeanthattheyhavesomeotherreasonforbeingthere.Doyouhavesomebusinesswithme?
"Norn.Gogetchangedfirstandwaitforme.Let'sgohometogethertoday."
"Eh?Ah,yes.Iunderstand."
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AfterquicklyhealingNorn,Ihaveherhurryofftothechangingroom.Ithenapproachthemen.
ThoughIhadthoughttherewerejustafewofthem,whenInearthemIrealizethattheynumberedinthedouble
digits.Goingbytheirfaces,allofthemseemunpopular.ThoughI'malreadyariajuu[21]withtwowives,Ihave
nointentionoflookingdownonthem.They'rethesameasIwasinmypastlife.
AsIgetclosetothem,theysendlooksfilledwithhostilitymyway.WhenIstarerightbackatthem,theyavert
theireyes.Whattheheckiswiththem,anyway?
"Doyouneedsomething,or?"
WhenIaskthemthis,theyalllookateachother.Askingeachotherinsmallvoiceswhattheyshoulddo,and
thenpushingeachotherforward.Eventually,onemanstepsforward.He'sprobablyabout18,huh?Hisheightis
aroundmine,andhegivesakindoflankyandunhealthyfeeling.Hehasaslightlybadattitude,andhis
cheekbonesprotrude.Hegivesareallymagicianeyfeeling.WereZanobatowearglasses,hemightresemble
them.However,Zanobaisinexplicablyoverflowingwithconfidence.Whattheseguysareoverflowingwithare
insecurities.
Heglaresatmeandopenshismouth.
"WhyareyoubullyingNorn?"
"...Mn?"
Bullying.Hearingthisunpleasantword,Icantellthatmyeyebrowscometogetherinafrown.Seeingmyface,
hetrembleswithastart.However,hecontinueshiswords.
"CertainlyNornchanisadunce,andshefailsoften.Herfailuresmayhaverubbedyouthewrongway.But
she'salwaysgivingitherall.Wastherereallyaneedtohurthertothatextent?"
[That'sright,that'sright.]goestheaudience.
"Inthefirstplace,Norndoesn'tdostufflikeswordsmanship.Eventhoughshedoesn't,foryoutoforceherto
pickupasword...Nomatterwhathappened,isn'tthatgoingtoofar?"
[That'sright!That'sright!]goestheaudience.
"Hmm."
IfIconsiderwhat'sbeensaidsofar,itseemsthattheythinkthatIforcedNorntopickupasword,andusing
swordsmanshippracticeasacover,Ibeathertomyheart'scontent.Thoughit'sregrettable,thatmightreallybe
howitlookedfromtheoutside.Mywayofteachingherprobablywasn'tthatgreateither,afterall.Anyway,I'd
betterclearupthismisunderstanding.
"Thatwas"
"Weknowthatyou'rethestrongestintheschool.Butifyou'regoingtotreatNornchancruelly,we'llfightto
protecther."
Speaksthevanguard,withavoicefilledwithdetermination.
Butthesurroundingvoicesthatsay[That'sright,that'sright]arequieterthistime.Onthecontrary,Icouldhear
smallvoicessaying,[No,goingasfarastohimis...]
...That'sright.There'ssomethingIhavetodobeforeclearingupthemisunderstanding.
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"Inthefirstplace,whoareyoupeople?"
"Eh!?"
Themenstartraisingtheirvoicesinchaos,andturnawayfrommetofaceeachother.Whentheyturnaroundto
facemeagain,theyaskmeaquestionwithtroubledexpressions.
"Whatdoyoumeanbywho?"
"Whatrelationdoyouhavetomysister?"
"W,well,sinceNornchanwasafirstyear,she'salwaysbeentryingherbest,andwe'vealwaysbeenwatching
her.Thinkingstufflike[Doyourbest]andwantingtohelpher,we"
Themansreplyisflusteredandincoherent.Whenheseemsabouttocontinue,theotherstartsspeakingoutas
well.
"HalfayearagoInoticedherand"
"Wehadpracticetogether,butshekeptfailinginfiremagicand"
"Isawherbeingscoldedbytheteacherduringmagicdrills,andIsawhercrying,andIunconsciously"
Theirwordsareclumsyandunskilled.But,Iamabletounderstandthem.
TheyareagroupthatnoticedNorninplaceslikeclassanddrills,andseeingthetearyeyedNorn,feltwarmand
thelike,andcasuallytriedtohelpherout.Inotherwords,theyare'that'.
Theyareafanclub.
Cometothinkofit,IthinkI'veheardaboutthiskindofthingfromSylphy.Well,Norniscuteafterall.Ican
understandtheirfeelings.Ihopethey'llcontinuetolookaftermylittlesister.
"Isee.Iunderstandnow.You'vealwaysbeentakingcareofmylittlesister.I'mherbrother,RudeusGreyrat."
"EEHH!?"
Theyarestunnedbymydeepbow.
They'reNorn'sfollowers.Amongthemmightbecertainextremistsandstalkers.However,themajorityofthem
purelywishtohelpher.Inthatcase,asherbrotherIshouldproperlypaymyrespects.
However,that'sitsownissue.Istillhavetosolvethemisunderstanding.
"There'ssomethingIwanttotalkabout.Theswordtrainingjustnowmaycertainlyhavebeenstrict.However,
leavingotherthingsaside,swordsmanshipissomethingthatyoulayyourlifeon"
Istarttoexplain.ThatNornistheonewhohadbroughtupswordsmanship.ThatIthoughthavinghalfhearted
resolutionwould'vebeendangerous.ThatNornhasnochoicebuttoputinmoreeffortthanothersdo.
Thoughtheywerebewilderedatthestart,theyunderstandwhatIamsaying.Therearealsoabunchwhosay,
[ForittobenecessarytohitNornchanthathard...]Ofcourse,Idon'tthinkthatmymethodsareabsolutely
correctoranything.Anyway,it'sfineaslongastheydon'tharboragrudgeagainstmeoranything.
WhenIcontinuemyexplanation,allofthembehavethemselves.SincethingsareasIsaid,theyassent.Though
they'restillyoung,they'realreadyconsideredadultsinthisworld.Itseemstheyunderstandjusthowharsh
battlesare.
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"Niisan,what'sgoingon?"
Norncomesback.Ontopofherusualblazerisaponcholikewinterwear.
"Ahh,it'sNornchan."
"Nornchan!You'readorabletodaytoo!"
"You'veworkedhard,Nornchan!"
ThemomentNorncomes,themembersofthefanclubsuddenlybecomesgrosser.However,it'snotlikeIcan't
understandtheirfeelings.TheappearanceofNornwithaponchooverherblazerisadorable.There'snodoubt
aboutthis.It'sacutenessthatmakesyouwanttohaveherholdaleafumbrella.
"Ah,senpai...Hello."[22]
Norntrembleswithastartandbowsherhead.However,shedoesn'tcometooclose.Asexpected,shecansense
thisweirdatmosphere.
"N,Niisan.I'veforgottensomethinginmyroom,soI'mgoingtogoheadit.Pleasewaitformeattheschool
gate."
Asthoughshesuddenlyrememberssomething,Nornsaysthisandheadstowardsthedorms.Ontheway,she
tripsandfallswithathump.
"Kuh..."
Nornslowlygetsup.Shethensneaksaglanceourway.Foraninstant,alightcouldbeseeninhereyes.
Seriously...There'snohelpingher.It'sbecausesheranaftertakingthatmuchdamagetoherbody.Whenweget
home,I'llgiveheramassagesothathermuscleachedoesn'tgettoobad.Sheshouldtakealongsoakinthebath
andgetridofherfatigue,too.
"...Ahh,Nornchanissocute..."
"Ifshegivesherallinrunning,we'llseeupherskirt."
"ThoughIthoughtthatithadtobetheschooluniform,thatoutfitisnicetoo,huh..."
"Butherrunningisslow,huh."
"That'sright,huh.Ifshegetstargetedbykidnappersorsomething,shemightn'tbeabletooutrunthem."
"IfNornchanbecomesaslave,I'llbuyher."
"AlifestylewithjustNornchanandI...Haa...Haa..."
Mn.IfNornbecomesaslave,you'ddefinitelybuyher,huh.Thenyou'dlethereatasmuchasshewanted.Her
face,aftereatingherfillbutforcingherselfnottowastetheremainders,would...
Ha!Notgood,notgood.That'snotit!Nornismylittlesister.AsifI'dletherbecomeaslave.Ifsomeone
abductsNorn,evenifIhavetotearthegrassoutoftheground,I'llfindtheguywhodiditandbeattheshitout
ofhim.IfNornbecomesaslave,I'lltrackdowntheguywhoboughtherandfuckhimup.
"Ahem!"
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"Ha!"
WhenIclearmythroat,thefanclubwhosedelusionsarerunningwild,comebacktotheirsenses.
"I'dlikeitifyoudidn'tlookatmysisterwithsuchstrangeeyes."
"S,sorry."
"Well,Norniscutethough,soIwon'tmindifyoukeepittowatchingherfromafar,immersingyourselfin
delusionsorwhatever."
"I,isthatso?"
Arelaxedatmospherespreadsthroughtheplace.
"Butdon'tthinkI'llleaveyoualoneifyoulayyourhandsonherforreal."
"Hii"
Justtomakesure,Igivethemawarning.Fornow,itdoesn'tseemlikethereareanyguyswhoplanondoing
anythingcheeky,andafterall,thesekindoforganizationswon'tallowtheirmemberstogetaheadofeachother.
Butyouneverknowwhatobsessedpeoplearecapableof,afterall.Someonemightevensuddenlysnap,and
attackNorn.
"Speakingofwhich,whataretherulesofyourclub?"
"Eh?Club?Rules?"
"Right.Accordingtotherulesofyourclub,howmuchcontactwithNornisokay?"
Thisissomethingimportant.Forexample,withidolfanclubs,essentiallycontactwiththemisforbidden,but
caseslikehandshakesareokay.Atthosetimes,therearealsoguyswhostickweirdthingstotheirpalms.Gum
forexample,orseaurchinforexample.You'dwanttomakeeveryonepromisetowashtheirhandsproperly
beforeahandshakeevent.
OrsoIwasthinking,but...
"Fanclub?"
"Mn?"
Isenseadiscrepancyinourconversation.Thereactiontowardswordslike'fanclub'and'rules'iswrong.Proper
fanclubsusuallyhaveclearlydefinedrules.Coulditbethatthoughthey'reclubmembers,theydon'tknow
aboutthem?
"Pleasewaitamoment.Who'stheoneinchargeofthisgroup?"
"Incharge...?No,there'snoonelikethat..."
"...Whatdoyoumean?Pleaseexplain."
Itryaskingforthedetails.WhenIdo,Irealizeastrangetruth.Itseemsthatthisgroupwasn'tsomethingthat
someonecameupwith.TheysawNorn'scutenessandnaturallygroupedtogether.Inotherwords,theydidn't
evenknoweachother'snames.
"Isee."
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It'sanextremelydangeroussituation.Atanyrate,agroupofunknownsizethatthinksofNornascutehas
emerged.Whenpeoplegrouptogether,theybecomecapableofthingsthattheywouldn'tbeontheirown.For
example,abductingthecuteNornandtakingherbacktotheirrooms.Whilemakingexcuseslike[It'syourfault
forbeingsocute,Nornchan],they'd...
Outrageous!
"Atthisrate,acrimeisgoingtohappen."
"Acrime?That's...Wejust..."
"There'snomistakingit.SomeonewillrunwildandlaytheirhandsonNorn."
WhenIsaidthis,theyallmadeafuss.
"That'sridiculous!"
"WehavenointentionofdoingsomethinglikelayingahandonNornchan!"
"That's,welikeNornchan,butwelikeherasasomethinglikealittlesister..."
What'dyousay,bastard?Nornismylittlesister....No,that'snottheproblemrightnow.
"Ithinkweneedtocreatesomerules."
Inordertopreventcrimessproutingfromthegroup,regulationsarenecessary.Theyneedtodecideontherules,
andwatcheachothertoprotectthem.Aslongaspeoplehaverules,they'llabidebythem.Wearingthesame
clothesandmufflers,andwaitingtogetherfortheidoltoleave,youknow?
Rulesaresomethingthatemergebecauseofhistory.Duringagroup'slonghistory,ruleswillbecreatedin
responsetonecessity.Itmightbebecausethehistoryofthisfanclubisshortthattheyhaven'tfinishedcreating
theirrulesyet.
However,it'sdangeroustoleavethemwithoutrules.It'sadangertoNorn.Ihavetousethischancetomake
surerulesarecreated.It'llbetoolateoncesomethinghappens.
Attheveryleast,someonehastodecideonthemfromthestart.Theproblemisjustwhowillbedeciding.AsI
thought,thepersonwhocreatesthegroupwouldbemostsuitableasaleader.However,theseguysdon'thave
suchaperson.Theguywhocameandtalkedtomefirstissurelythestrongestamongstthislot.Inthatcase,
shouldIleavethepositionofleadertohimandhavehimdecideontherules?
...Nay.
It'snotsuitabletoleavethepositionofleadertoaguywithnoselfawareness.
Amongstthosestandinghere,whoisitthathasthemostselfawarenesshere?
Amongstthosestandinghere,whoisitthatismostawareofhowmuchtheyshouldvalueNorn?
"Alright!"
It'sme.
Nornismyyoungersister.
Inotherwords...
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IAMtherules.
Year425oftheArmoredDragoncalendar.
AttheRanoaMagicUniversity,acertainsocietywasestablished:theNornGreyratOfficialFanClub.
Numbering30memberstotal,thisgroupwouldgoontobecomeanorganizationthathadagreatimpactonthe
MagicUniversity.
ThenameoftheirFirstGenerationChairmanwasundisclosed.
Accordingtoonetheory,theFirstGenerationChairmanviolatedtherulesthathehimselfhadsethehadgotten
inthebathwithNorn,andwassubsequentlydrivenfromhispositionbeforethethirddayhadpassed.
Hisnamebecametheshameoftheorganization,andwaserasedforeternityfromtheregisterofmembers.
However,theexistenceoftheFirstGenerationChairmanwasbynomeansanevilone.
Accordingtothatanecdote,hehadbroughtIronboundLawtothefanclub.
Severeandstrictironboundlaw.
Thenumberofthosewhohatedtheserulesandleftthefanclubbecamelarge.
However,theresultwasthatthefanclub'ssenseofunitybecamestronger.
Theirironboundunitywasofsuchstrength,thatrumorsofitspreadeventotheKnightOrdersoftheKingdom
ofRanoa.
Rumorsgavebirthtorumors.
Atsomepoint,theleadersofthefanclubbecameknownasproperandcourteouspeoplewhomaintainedorder.
Whentheygraduated,theyweremetwithfavorabletreatmentfromtheknightordersandmagicguildsofthe
surroundingcountries.
"AttheBanchou'ssingleshout,agroupof30peoplewillassemble."
WebChapter136WhatIRaised[23]
Part1
Let'shaveatalkaboutAisha.
Sheisenergetic.
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WiththedeathofPaulandthestateofZenith,shecontinuestopasshertimeenergeticallywithoutchanginga
thing.
Rather,sheseemsmoreenergeticnowthanshewasbefore.
Infact,youcouldsaysheisthemostenergeticwhenshe'sathome.
It'snothinglikethelistlessfaceseenonLiliaasshestaresoutthewindow.
NordoesshewearapainfulfacelikeNorn,whoidlystaresatPaul'sbelovedsword.
Thehouseworkiscontinuallydoneasifnothinghadhappened.
Duringthedaysheraisestheplantsinthegarden,andflowersinherroom.
AtnightIprivatelyinstructherinmagic,whileshefawnsalloverme.
TheredoesnotseemtobeanymournfulfeelingforPaulatallfromher.
ForAisha,Iwonderiffather'sexistencewasn'taverybigthing?
Norn,itseems,doesn'thavemanymemoriesremainingofBuinavillage.
Soit'spossiblethatAishaalsomightnothavemanypropermemoriesofPaulandZenithaswell.
ForNorn,theonlyreallengthoftimeshespentwithfamilywaswithPaul.
ForAisha,theonlyreallengthoftimeshespentwithfamilywaswithLilia.
Whenlookingatitfromthatperspective,it'sdifficultformetosaythatIalsoamproperlyabletomournas
well.
Ithink,ratherthanfeelingsadnessatthedeathofherFather,thatherdrivingforceisthehappinessshefeelsjust
knowingthatherMotherisaliveandwell.
"Life"toher,isn'taboutholdingontoregretsfromthedisastersthathavehappenedinherlife,butrather
findingawaytogetthemostenjoymentoutthelifesheisabletolive.
Part2
Now,itwasthemorningofacertainday.
Whileitwasaholidayformyself,unfortunatelySylphyandRoxybothhadtowork.
IthoughtabouthowIwouldspendthedayleisurely,evenwhiletakingcareofLucy.
Whilethewivesareworkinghard,thehusbandishavingarest.
Eventhoughthatseemedtogivemeadeplorablefeeling,Irationalizedthatevenanadultneedsdowntimetoo.
Well,asofrightnow,I'mnotpresentlybringinginanyincome.
Anditisalittlehecticaroundherewiththearrivalofmybaby.
Butstill,asforwhat'shappeningpresentlyandalsowhatIcanseeinthecomingfuture,therearen'tanymoney
problemsthatIneedtobeconcernedwith.
Whileconfirmingmythoughts,IseeoffSylphyandRoxy.
Then,IdoublecheckthatLucyisasleep.
Iletloosewithsomestretching,andheadouttothegarden.
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Atonepoint,thegardenwasdilapidated,andthereweremanyexposedpatchesofbareearth.
Howevernow,afternothavingseenitforawhile,ithadundergoneametamorphosis.
ThefirstthingInoticed,wasthatthreetreesofthetypetonotwitherinwinterhadbeenplanted.
Eachtreehadatypeofblossomthatcorrespondedtooneoftheotherseasonsspringsummerandautumn.
Icanonlyimaginehowintheworldeachofthemwerebroughthere.
Iseemtorecallaninquiryonanadventurerguildrequest,thatinvolveddeliveringsomethingthathadbeen
uprootedfromtheforest.
Ifthetransportationcostsweresaidtobeveryexpensive,receivingZanoba'sassistancecouldhavelentsome
assistancewithsettlingmatterbywayofescortcosts.[24]
Furthermore,therewasplaceinacornerofthegardenthatwasbrickedoff.
IknowofitbecauseIhelpedwithitscreation.
Inthisbrickedoffarea,therewasapaddythathadthericeseedsIbroughtbackplantedinside.
SinceIdidn'tknowhowtoactuallymakearicepaddy,thericewasbeinggrownnormallyintheground.
Presently,promisingstalkshavebegungrowingoutofthatpaddy.
Whileitseemstobedoingalright,asforwhetherornotricewillbeabletobeharvested,Ijustdon'tknowyet.
Aishawassquattingdowninfrontofthebrickedoffricepaddy.
Andcuriously,Zenithwasalsosquattingnexttoher.
"Whatareyouallupto?"
"Ah,Oniichan.We'repullingweeds!"
Pullingweeds.
ThisissomethingstraightoutofaShowaEramanga,isn'tit?
Afterlookingatthesectionforabit,certainlyAishahasmadeaneffortinherweeding.
EvenZenithnexttoherisalsosilentlypullingupweeds.
Cometothinkofit,thattimewhenIlivedbackinBuinavillage,Zenithusedtopasstimepullingweedslike
thisquitenaturally.
Afterall,pullingweedsisanintegralpartofgardening.
"Zenithsamahasalsobeensomethinglikeanassistantlately."
""
Thewayshesays'Zenithsama',leavesmefeelingabituncomfortable.
"Umm.Aisha.AboutthewayyourefertoMother,isitalrightifyoujustcallher'Mama'too?"
"Ican't.That'ssomethingMamaLiliawasveryagainst.AboutZenithsama,sinceZenithsamaistheproper
wife,Imustalwaysrespectherassuch."
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Lilia'sorders,huh?
Strictlyenforced.
However,sinceAishaisunabletolookatZenithasamother,isitadifficultmatterforher?
Aroundthetimeshewasborn,ZenithwasabletobecomeapropermothertoAishaafterall.
Well,it'sfine.
Inourfamily,callingherthat,mightaswellbeastrivialasanickname.
"SincewhenhasMamaZenithbeendoingthis?"
"Frombeforethiswasmade.AtfirstMamaLiliastoppedherwhenshewouldcomeouthereandhelpmewith
thegardening.ButsheismoreskillfulthanIam!"
That'sright,backinBuinavillage,Zenithdiddopropergardening.
Greatcarewasgiventotheplantsandtreesinthegarden.
Iwonderifthisbehaviorisinfluencedbyhowshewas?
Atanyrate,ifthereisachanceshecanregainanypartofhermemoriesbydoingthis,Ihavenoreasontostop
her.
Nevertheless,Ijustwatchtheladiessidebysidepullingweeds.
Therelationbetweenthosetwoseemsquitgood.
Whiletheyarenotconnectedbybloodatall.
Theylooklikeyournormalmotherdaughter
"Ah,Iforgot.Brother,youaretakingaresttoday,aren'tyou?"
Whileconsideringthings,Aishalookedbackatmeandspoke.
Hercheeksweredirtywithmud.
"Yeah,fortoday,I'llbeinthehouse."
"Inthatcase,canyoucometomyroomlateron,IhavesomethingIwanttoshowyou."
"Sure."
InoddedwhileIwipedthemuddycheeksofAisha.
Havingthemudwipedaway,shecouldonlysmilewithamischievous"nehehe~"
EvenIhadnoticedthatZenithwaswatchingthesituation.
Part3
[BecausethereissomethingIwanttoshowyou,cometomyroomlater.]
Thoseweresomeveryseductivelines.
Aishaisaprecociouschild.
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It'sverypossiblethatshemightstartdoingthings,likeabruptlyliftingherskirtandsaying[Iwantyoutoseeall
ofme!]
Nope,noway.
It'sallfornaught,sinceourrelationstogetherextendintotakingabathtogether.
Whatmorecanyouevenshowpastthat?
However,withherbeingsodirectlikethat,ahh,Iamworriedaboutherfutureprospects.
IsittimeformetoteachherSexEd?[25]
No,ifitcomestothat,Liliaiscertaintohavetaughtheraboutit.
Inallpossibility,theonewhowouldbegivingoutthewrongknowledgeaboutthathere,wouldbeme.
Ponderingthat,IenterAisha'sroom.
ThoughIwastoldtocomebylater,Ineverheardexactlywhen'later'wassupposedtobe.
Idon'tthinkshe'dparticularlymindifIwaswaitinginherroom.
It'snotlikeIhaveanyparticularinterestintheroomofan11yearoldgirl.
Thenagain,it'snotlikeIcansayIdon'thaveaninteresteither.
"Yeah.Sheisdefinitelyabletokeepherownroomclean."
Aisha'sroomwasveryorderly.
Allthenooksandcranniesofherroomhavebeenthoroughlycleaned,andnotasinglethingliesscattered
about.
Thebedisalsoproperlymade.
Atvariousplacesaroundtheroom,girllikeaccessoriescouldbeseen.
Forinstance,onthesideofthebedwasaplushdoll.
Itwasaplushdollmadeintheshapeofahumanabout20cmtall.
Brightlightbrownhairmadeofwool,wearingarobe,andholdingastaff.
ClearlyaMagician.
Aroundhereplushdollsaren'tsold,didyousomehowbuyitfromacertainpeddler?
Idon'tgetthefeelingthatZanobawouldhavehadadolllikethis.
Theninthatcase,it'saquitethetreasure.
Imean...surelysomethinglikethisprobablywasn'tmadebyherself.
Onthewindowsillthereweresomepottedplants.
FromtheseedsthatIhadgottenonmyjourney,thereweresomesprouts.
OnelikeaTulip,othersliketheCactus,orAloe.
Therewereabout10differentsizedpottedplantslinedup.
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UnlikethatofNorn,thiswasindeedagirl'sroom.
Openingtheclosetinthecorneroftheroom,threedifferentsetsofmaidclotheswerehanging.
Allofthemseemedtohavebeenthoroughlyused,andthepatchingstoodout.
Theyweretheapprenticemaid'sclothes.
AsAishasteadilygrowstaller,thetimeshehaslefttowearthesewillsoonrunout.
OrwillLiliamendthesefurtherwithabitofhertailoring?
Whilelookingaroundneartheedgeofthecloset,Ispottedarathercutesyandgirlishsetofclothes.
Somethingthatwouldlookratherfrillyifsheworeit.
'BattleClothes'Iwonder?[26]
Ifshewantedtoshowoffsomethinglikethis,thenIfeelabitsorryforher.
I'lljustpretendthatIdidn'tseethis.
Andso,Iclosedthecloset.
Iinsteadwenttoopenthedrawerunderthecloset.
Initwasaclusterofpanties.
Itwaspackedtothepointofoverflowingwithsmallfoldedpanties.
IfIhadanykindof'thing'forAisha,thencertainlythisspotwouldbeShangrila.
Nexttoitwasalsoaclusterofshirtsaswell.
Properlyinvestigating,Iwasabletoconfirmalargenumberofbrassieresaswell.
Nonetheless,withmy11yearoldsister'spleasantgrowth,shehasalreadysuccessfullymanagedtoequipthe
chestarmor.
However,isn'thersizestillthatofanAcup?
AccordingtoOppaisennin,onthesubjectofher'equipment',fromtheverybeginningAishawassaidto
becomeapersonofexceptionaltalentinthisarea.
Clink.
"!"
Atthatmoment,Iheardasoundfrombehindme.
Iusedmyforesighteyesandfilledmyhandswithmagicalpowerandlookedovermyshoulder.
Simultaneously,Iclosedthedrawer,andthenextendedafingertipinthedirectionIheardthesound.
"Who'sthere!"
Therewasnothing.
Therewasnoone.
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AishaandZenithareprobablystillinthemiddleofweeding.
AndLiliashouldbehandlinglunchpreparationsrightnow.
MaybeitwasJirothearmadillo?
Waitaminute,RoxyrodeJirotoschool.
Heshouldbetakinganapintheacademystablerightnow.
PerhapsthehorseIboughtbeforegoingtoBegarittoMastsukaze,sometimesIcheckuponhiminthetown
stablesbutit'sunlikelyforhimtocomeallthewayhereonhisown.
CouldthenoisehavebeenLucy?
Notpossible,Lucycanbarelyevencrawlasofyet.
Then,coulditbesomethingcompletelydifferent?
Athiefperhaps?
Somekindofhentaibastardwhoseonlyaimistopossessthebra,wornforthefirsttimebyacertainyoung
girl...
Iadoptalowposture,andbecomecautiousofthesurroundings.
Butstill,thereisnobody.
Therearen'tanyhidingplaces.
Butmysharpenedinstinctstellme,thatsomethingstrangeisgoingon.
Impossible,butcoulditbeaninvisibleenemy?
Usingamagicitemtomakethemselvesinvisible?
Inthatcase,theeffectwouldwearoffsoon.
"Soisitatestofpatiencethen?Finewithme."
Imutterthatalone.
Withoutanyonebeinghere,itcouldbethatIamanidiotanditisjusttherattlingsofthisoldhouse.
No.Certainlysomethingwasthere.
Itwasanuneasyfeeling.
Ineedtolookproperly.
Anythingthatlooksdifferentfrombefore.
...Plushdoll.
No,that'sthesame.
Thedoorhasn'tbeenopenedorshut.
Thebedisn'tdisorderlyatall.
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Eventheceilingisclean.Idoubtevenamoteofdustwouldfallfromthere.
Thatcanonlyleaveonething.
Thepottedplants.
Thereyougo.
Thenumberofpottedplantsisdifferent......nothat'snotquiteit.
Theredoesn'tseemtohavebeenanincreaseoradecrease.
Howeverthesenseofforebodingisdefinitelycomingfromhere.
Itwasthen,atthatmoment.
Astronglightshoneintothewindowsill,whenthesunhadreappearedfrombehindtheclouds.
Clink,Clink!
"Wha!"
Thesmallestofthepottedplantsshook.
Theplantthathadbeengrowingtherebegantomoveaboutinameanderingway.
Wigglingitsbodyaroundsothatitswholebodywouldbeabsorbedinthesunlight.
Whenevertheplantmoved,thenthepotitwasplantedinwouldmove,andthatwaswhatwascausingthenoise.
Sothislittleguywasthetruesourceofthesound.
However....
"Whattheheckisthis?"
WhenItimidlystuckoutafingertogiveitapoke,theplanttwistedinasurprisingway.
However,whenmyfingertipapproached,itimmediatelywrappeditsivyvinesslowlyaroundit.
Ihurriedlyremovedmyfinger.
Andtheplant,asifnothinghappened,resumeditssunbathing.
"Amovingplant?"
Howstrange.
WillitbychancedanceaswellwhenIsingasong?
""
Alljokingaside.
Iseemtorememberaplantlikethis.
Yeah,I'veseenitmanytimesnow.
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This.
Thisguyis...
ItisaTreant!
Part4
AnywhereyougoyoucanfindthemonstercalledTreant.
Itisaclassicexampleofademonthatlivesinthisworld.
Strictlyspeaking,it'sthesocalledSlimeofthisworld.
Ihavealsovisitedmanyplacesduringmytravels.
DemonContinent,MilisContinent,CentralContinent,andBegarittoContinent.
AndwhileIhaveunfortunatelynotyetgonetotheSkyContinent,Ihaveconqueredmostoftheworld's5
continents.
Andoneverycontinent,therewasalwaysaspeciesofdemonTreantthatexistedthere.
Whetherintheforest,orontheplains,itappearedfrequently.
WhileTreantisamonsterofthetree,itsoutwardappearanceisnotfixed.
StoneTreantlooksmorelikeapotato.
CactusTreantlookslikeacactus.
Theyeachhadvariousappearances.
AccordingtoastorythatIheard,thereisevenatypecalledElderTreantthatisabletomanipulatewater.
HoweverIhaveneverseensuchasmallTreant.
Thisoneisatmosthardlysmallerthan15cm.
Maybe20cmifIincludetherootsize.
Ithas4leavesand2vines.
Currentlyithasnobuddingflowersnorfruits.
It'sstillayoungtreethough.
Forthemeantime,I'vedecidedtocallthisguyBabyTreant,
Well,whatthenameisdoesn'tmatter.
Justnothavinganamemakesitinconvenientisall.
Nowthen,fortheproblemathand.
WhyisthereaBabyTreantbeingcultivatedinAisha'sroom?Whatexactlyisshedoing?
"Andthen,whatshallIdoaboutthisguy?"
"Wellaboutthat,yousee,itsuddenlystartedmoving."
Aisha,withoutahintofshyness,answeredso.
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"Whenwasthat?"
"AlmostimmediatelyaroundthetimeOniichancameback,soisn'titprettyamazing?"
Rather,shepridefullyboastedaboutit!
"Yeah,it'samazing.However,whyhaveyoukeptquietaboutituntilnow?"
"Iwasgoingtotellyou! HoweversinceOniichanlookedbusyallthetimeIpostponedtellingyou,andOnii
chanjustfounditbeforeIcouldtellyou!"
Aisharetorted,angrilypuffingouthercheeks.
Ah,she'sreallylovely.
However,nowIunderstand.
Thiswasontoday'sagenda.
Wasitthisyouwantedtoshowme?
"Sothen,therewassomehowaTreantseedmixedinwiththeonesIreceived"
"Eh,that'snotwhatI'msaying.IgotitfromtheAsuraKingdom,it'sagermofBacillus."
"Ah,isthat..so?"
"Yes.Don'tyouseehowthereareleavesonthevines? Injustashortwhile,itshouldstartbloomingpurple
coloredflowers."
AfloweroftheBacillus.
I'veheardthenamebefore.
Amaterialinaphrodisiacs.
Asidefromaphrodisiacs,itisalsocultivatedaspartoftherawmaterialstypicalintheproductionofperfumes.
However,whyissuchaflowerabletobecomeaTreant?
"Thisthing,exactlyhowdiditstartmoving?Wasitrightfromthestart?"
"Nope.Atfirstitdidn'tmoveatall.ButthenItransplanteditintothepot,anditsuddenlybegantomove."
Accordingtotheconversation,itfirstgerminatedinherflowerbed,thenafterashortwhileshetransplantedit
intoanewpotanditstartedtakingcareofitsgrowth.
Thenaftershegrewitabitmorecarefully,shewasgoingtoreturnitbackintothegarden.
Sheseemedtobetryingvariousmethodsofgrowing,andinthemiddleofthepottingplantstage,itbeganto
takeform.
"Heh."
Plantpotsarecommon.
Sometimeago,IevenwentwithAishatobuysomeatthegeneralstore.
Eventhoughinalllikelihoodtheplantpotwasn'tsomehowamagicitem.
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"Youhaven'tdoneanythingstrange?"
"Nope.Sameasalltheothers.IamonlyusingthesoilthatOniichanmadewithmagic.Afterall,comparedto
thesoilaroundhere,thesoilmadebyOniichan,isverynutrientrich."
Then,itseemsitisn'taquestionofthesoil.
IneverparticularlyconsideredtheeffectivenessofthesoilIproducedwithmagic.
Aishaseemstobefillingitwithallofthefeelingsofloveshehasforme.
"Ah,also,Iwilloccasionallygiveitsomeoftheremainingbathwater."
Theremainingbathwater!
Sothatmeans,inthetimesthatitisnotme,itgetstobathemainlyinthedissolvedsweatdropletsfrommy
belovedSylphyandRoxy?
Andevenonoccasion,leftoverdropletsofNanahoshiaremixedintoo?
Nowonder!
Thenitwouldbenomysteryatallthattheplantwoulddevelopsomeecchitentacles.
No,wait,itmightbestrangeafterall.
ButIcancertainlyunderstandit.
"Hmm."
Afterall,whatexactlyisthecause?
Anordinaryseedbeingraisedinanordinarywaybecomingamonster.
Isitpossiblethatsomethinglikethatcouldhavehappened?
IntheseedsthatAishareceived,bychancehadaTreantseedmixedin,thatmuchIcangrasp.
Treantareabletomimictheirsurroundings.
Sobythatprocess,itmightnothavebeensuspicioustochoosetheformoftheBacillusflower.
WhileIconsiderallofthat,onlyoneresultremainscoherent.
"Inanycase,itwouldprobablybebesttoburnittodeath."
"Whaaaat!?"
AisharaisedhervoicehystericallywhenIsaidthat.
"Butwhy!? Ittookalotoftimeandefforttoraiseit! Andyoudon'twanttodoanythingelsebutdestroy
it!?"
It'shardtobelieve.
Thatshewascryingoutsuchfeelings.
Certainly,ifIwantedtopridefullyshowoffsomething,andwasthentoldtoincineratethatsomething,wouldI
reactsimilarly?
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"Aisha.Evenyoushouldbeabletounderstand.ThisguyisaTreant.Amonster."
"Butstill,rightnowit'sjusttinyandcute!?"
"Evenifthat'showitisnow,thereisthechanceitcanattacksomeonewhenitbecomesbigger.Itisdangerous!"
"ButI'vealreadybeenproperlydiscipliningittonotattackpeoplealready!"
Aishaclingstomywaist
Andinhereyes,tearsgather.
Justnow,[I'lllookafteritproperly,andIwon'tletittroubleanyoneelseIpromise.]seemedtobesilently
conveyed.
However,it'snotlikeadogoracat.
It'saTreant!
"Say,Oniichan.Icankeepit,right?"
Aishapleadsatmewithupturnedeyes.
"It'snogoodevenifit'stinyandcute.Throwitaway."
"Evenif,thisguy,isn'tevenintheslightest?Evenifitbecomesfriendlywitheveryoneelse,anditproperly
listenstowhatItellitto?"
"Iknowthat'salie.ATreanthasnoearssohowcanyousaythatitlistenstothethingsyoutellitto?"
"Watchthis."
WhenAishareplied,sheextendedherhandtowardstheBabyTreant.
ThevinesofBabyTreantbegantowindthemselvesaroundthesmallfingerofAisha.
WhenthevineshadbeenwrappedaroundAisha,shegentlytickledandstrokedthesideofit'sleaf.
Whileitwasbeingpetted,theBabyTreantbegantowiggleitsbody.
Itwasastrangethingtosee.
Theplantwasbehavinglikeadomesticatedanimal.
"Yes,nowreleasefinger."
WhenAishasaidso,thevineunwoundwitharustlingsound,andstooduponthepalmofherhand.
"Whichoneisthepinky?"
Thevinetookamoment,seeminglyataloss,thencoileditselfaroundthepinkyfinger.
"Andnowthemiddle."
Thevinethenreleasedthepinky,andcoiledaroundthemiddlefinger.
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"Okay,nowthethumb."
FollowingthewordsofAisha,thevinecoiledaroundthemiddlefingerbeganworkingit'swayovertothe
thumb.
However,withoutsufficientlength,onlythetipofthevinecouldtouchthethumb.
"Goodjob,Release"
AishaandBabyTreantplayedinthatsortofway,forawhilelonger.
Andthensheturnedaroundandfacedme.
"How'sthat? Itlistenedtomeproperly,didn'tit?"
"AYeah."
Certainlyitwaspossiblethatthosetwohadcometobeabletounderstandeachother.
TheimpressionIgotfromwatching,wasthattheTreanthaddefinitelytakentoAishawell.
ShouldIchangemywayofthinkingjustalittleonthis?
...eventhoughTreantisademon.
Inmyimageofit,it'saferociousdemonthatmimicsatreetoambushandattacktravelers.
However,eventhoughIjustcallitamonster,therearethosethatgetusedtopeople.
ThelizardIrodeonintheDemonContinent,andevenJirotheArmadilloarealsodemonbeasts.
However,betweendemonbeastanddemon,ifIlookintotheoriginofboth,theycanbecalledthesamething.
IsitpossibleforBabyTreanttobedomesticatedintoademonbeastifitgetsusedtopeople?
Ifit'samatterofrisk,thenwouldn'tkeepingthelargersizedJirobeamuchbiggerrisk?
However,Jirowasademonbeastthatwastrainedbyaprofessional.
"I'mmoreworriedthatinthemiddleofthenight,itwilltakeadvantageofyoubeingasleepandstrangleyouto
death."
"InthecaseoftheBacillusflower,atbestitmightgrowtotwiceitscurrentsize,soIthinkeverythingwillbe
fine."
"But,Still..."
"ThensupposeIaminjured,andatthattimeitstillobeysme!"
"Bythetimeitwouldtaketogetbackhere,youmightbeinjuredbeyondanyrepair."
"MuuSay,surelyit'snotstillnogood?"
Upuntilnow,IhaveneverheardthestoryoftheTreantbeingdomesticated.
Idon'tknowitshabits,nordoIknowhowitshouldbetrainedinthefutureeither.
AndtheTreant,eventhoughitisasmallfry,itisstillademon.
Ifonewrongstepismade,Ihaveafeelingitcouldbecomeamajorincident.
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Evenifitonlygrowsatmostto30cmlikeAishasaid,Iguessthelevelofincidentcouldbeknown.
TheTreantwhichhasbeengerminatedfromaseedling,hadbeenraisedallthewaytohere.
Ifitwasabletobecomeaccustomedtopeople,thenitwouldbehardtoimaginethatitcouldcausesignificant
harm.
Hmm.
""
"Igetit.Evenifyousayitisnogood,Istillhaveaplan."
WhenIseemedperplexed,Aishaindignantlyraisedherlips.
Andthen,foldingherarmsdefiantly,glaredatmewithherupturnedeyes.
"Aplan?"
"I'lljusttalktoSylphyaneandRoxyane,about'thatthing.'"
"'Thatthing?'"
ItsoundedlikeIwouldbemetwithsomethingtroublesome.
Totheperplexedme,Aishaarrogantlydeclared.
"Why,thehiddenroominthebasement!"
"!"
Therearecertainpartstopeopleyoushouldn'tmesswith.
Forme,thathappenstobethebasementaltar.
Wheneveryoneisfastasleep,thatisthesacredplaceIsecretlyvisitandoffermyprayers.
AlthoughthegodIworshipisalreadybesideme,still,thisisthis,andthatisthat.
SuchathingiswhatIbelievein.
Theactofprayingisrelievingtoaperson,anditallowsonetolivetheirlifetothefullesteveryday.
Ihavealreadybeendoingitforsomanyyearsnow.
Ithasbecomeavitalpartofmyexistence.
Supposesuchaplacebecomesknown,whatwouldhappen?
WhatwouldSylphythink?
WhatwouldRoxythink?
IwanttothinkthatLiliaalreadysortofunderstands.
AndAishaatfirsthastakenthetroubletopretendnottohaveknown.
However,Nornwouldprobablydespisememoreifsheknew.
Andthenperhapsthey'ddemandIdestroythealtar.
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"Ah,Aisha.Iuh,amonlythinkingofyourwellbeingafterall.Treantisadangerousmonsteryouknow,and
evenifyouraiseit,thereisnotellingifitstillwon'tbedangerous."
"Don'tworry,InolongermindthatOniichanisapervert,butIwonderhowSylphyaneandRoxyanewould
feel? EspeciallyRoxyane,thatforalltheseyearsyou'vebeenholdingontoherunderwear,howwouldshe
feelifsheknew?"
Gununu.
Thisrascal.
HereIamjusttryingtolookoutforherwellbeing,andthenbam...shethreatensme!
Ahhh.Shit,HowshouldIhandlethis?
I'mdoingthebestIknowhowtodo.
Then,inthemomentthatIwasmosttroubled.
Thedoorbehindmesuddenlyopened.
"Umm,IthoughtIheardmyname,wereyoutryingtocallforme?"
"EH!"
"EH!"
MeandAishabothturnedaroundinwonderatwhowasstandinginthedoorway.
There,standingtheredressedinherrobes,wasthepersonIhadjustseenoffonlyalittlewhileago,Roxy.
Andshewaswearingablankface.
"W,WhyisRoxyhereandnotattheAcademy?"
"AhIhadleftsomethingbehind,andIcamebacktogetitrealfast.Atthistime,Idon'thaveanyclass."
HowRoxylikeofher,toforgetsomething!
No,it'snotlikethat.
"SayRoxyane,Didyouknow?OniichanhasRoxyane'sMFFFFFHFUFHHFFF"
IpanickedandheldmyhandoverAisha'smouth.
WhatshouldIdo?
""
""
Silencefillstheroom.
Andonthewindowsill,BabyTreantmeandersabout.
Roxy'seyeshoneinonit.
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...Allright.
Fornow,I'llletRoxyvoicesomeoppositiontoit.
SurelyshecanrelatetothefearofkeepingaTreantwellenough.
"ThisisaTreantisn'tit?"
"It,Itappearstobethatway,Roxy.ItseemsAishahasbeenwantingtosuggestthatshecultivateit!But,The
Treantisademontoo,andIwonderifitwouldn'tbedangerousinstead?DoesRoxyalsothinkthattheideais
nogood?"
Aishamakes'MffMff'soundswhiletryingtoprymyhandfromhermouth.
Fool,don'tyouunderstandmytruepower?
Evenifyoubiteit,Iwon'teverremoveit.
Ah,Wai,don'tlickit.
Ack,Don'tslurpiteither!
"Isn'titwonderful!"
Howunexpected!
Sheapprovedofit!
"Ifitisraisedproperlyandtakestoapersonwell,Idoubtoneofthissizewouldbedangeroustoaperson."
"Eh?Really?"
"Yes.WhileIhaven'treallytakenagoodlookatthisone,TheMigurudotribebredTreantstokeepharmful
birdsoutofthefields."
Isthatso?
ThattheMigurudoVillagehadsuchthings?
Whethertherewas,ortherewasn't.
DidIevenlook?
Ican'treallyrememberitallthatwell.
Well.
Wasitnotdangerousafterall?
ImovedmyhandoffofAisha'smouth.
"Aisha.Perhaps,Oniichanwasmistaken."
ThoughAishagavemeasuspiciouslook,eventuallyshegavemeabroadsmile.
"But,Oniichanwasalsotryingtothinkaboutmyselfaswell."
"Right.OfcourseIwas.Keepingademonwouldbedangerous,right?"
"Then,about'thatthing'...I'llkeepquietaboutitfornow."
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"ThankyouAisha.Howaboutyougocookussomethingdelicious,rightnow?"
"Sure!"
Aishaseparatedfromme.
AndthenranovertoRoxy,clingingtoherwitha'pyon~'
"IloveyouOneechan!"
"Ehah,okay?"
Finally,onlytheperplexedfaceofRoxyremained.
Part5
Thus,thehouseholdpetsnowincludedBabyTreant
Ofcourse,Iattachedseveralconditionsonthematterofkeepingit.
Firstly,ifheeverharmsapersonhewillbedisposedofimmediately.
Secondly,itmustbeproperlytrainedtonotattackpeople.
Thirdly,thefamilymustbeinstructedproperlyonwhatkindofplantitis.
Fourthly,takingintoaccounttheworstcasescenario,itistoneverbeputnearthebaby.
Etc.
ThoughsayingthesevariousrulesmadeAisha'smouthsour,shenoddedwithoutmakinganunpleasantface.
Butbecausetheordersweremostlyrelevanttotheprotectionofmychild,everythingshouldbefine.
Incidentally,inregardstothenameoftheBabyTreant,itwasgiventhenameBeet
Ihaveexpectationsforitsgrowth.
Certainlyinthefutureitwillbecomeawonderfulprotectorofmyricegarden.
Still,forhertohavefoundthataltar...
Itrulycannottakehermaidskillslightly.
"AmonsterlivesattheBanchou'shouse."
WebChapter137AFatherofDignity
Threemonthspassedagainintheblinkofaneye.
Summerishere.
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Thesnowhasalreadycompletelymeltedeverydayisdryingheat.
Part1
Thisyear,I'mcrazyaboutLucy.
WheneverIhavethetime,IhoverovertoseeLucy.
Sheismyfirstchild.
Imustadoreherverymuch.
Evennow,inacustommadebabyroomonthefirstfloor,IamstilllookingatLucy.
Lookingatherangelicyetnaiveandinnocentface,
Withnaturallyloosecheeks,andamouththatlookssloppy.
However,fornow,Iamthepillarofthishouse.
AlthoughIdon'thaveanydignity,Istillhavetopretendinfrontofmywivesandsisters.
IfIdoteonchildrentoomuch,mycoolimagewillfade.
So,IthinkIshouldbestricterwithmychild.
Yeah,strict.
Perhaps,Paulalsothoughtaboutitwhenhesawme,
Fathersaregreattheyshouldbethechildren'sgoal.
Once,IthoughtthatPaullookedlikeapatheticmantome.
But,nowisdifferent.
Paulwasagreatfather.
Althoughhewaslackinginsomeareas,he'sstillagreatfather.
Indeed,hewasroughwithhisrelationshipswithfemales,butthatwasnotsomethingIshouldsayabout,that's
whyit'senoughtoseethepartofhowgreathewas.
Fornow,Icansaylikethis:
IwanttobelikePaul.
"Aahn,Aah"
Ah,that'snotgoodLucywokeupcrying.
AndSylphyisn'taround.
"Begood,Lucychan.It'sdaddy,funnyface."
"Akyuwa,Kyakkya!"
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Oh,socute.
IsthereanythinginthisworldthatiscuterthanagrinningLucy?
Ifthereareangelsthatexistinthisworld,thischildshouldbeone.
Ah,notgood,
Iwasjustthinkingaboutthedignityofafather.
Ithinkafathershouldbeapresencethatiscloseryetfurther.
Usuallygentlewithchildren,butsometimeswillscoldthemseverely.
But,ifanythinghappens,afathershouldprotecthischildwithhislife,savingthechild.
Shouldbethatkindofexistence,
Anidealfathershouldbelikethat.
Eh?
ThisiscompletelylikePaul.
Tome,Paulistheidealfather.
Idon'twanttoletmychildrenknowIamauselessfather.
But,duetohisuselessness,IfeltclosertoPaul.
Thereweremanythingstolearnfromhim.
And,althoughIviewedhimasafailureofafather,
But,toNorn,hewasagoodfather.
Otherwise,shewouldn'thavebecomethatattachedtohim.
Whateveritis,cherishingchildrenisthemostimportantthing
"Ah,ahwa,wa."
Notgood,Lucyiscryingagain.
"Ohbegood.Lucychan.It'sdaddy.Carryhigh.Begood."
"Ukya,Akyakya!"
IcarryandrockLucyabout.
Lucyisdelighted.
Rockinginmyforgedstrongarms,shesmileslikeacupid.
Oh,socute.
"Iwonder,Dannasama."
"What'sthematter,Suzanne?
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WhileIcradleLucy,thenannySuzannecomestospeaktome.
She'saformeradventurer,andanacquaintanceofmine.
"CradlingOjousama,shouldn'tIbedoingit?"
"Pleasedonottakeawaymytimeofhappiness."
IknewherwhenIwasanadventurer.
Ihadnotseenherfor4years.
Whenwemetinaplaceforrecruitingnannies,Iwassurprised.
"Well,Ican'tstopyouifyouwanttodoit."
"Aretheremenwhoareunwillingtodothis?"
"Myhusbandisn'twillingtodothat."
"Thenheisnotselfconsciousenoughtobeafather."
IstillrememberedthetimewellwhenImether.
When,Iwas12yearsold,andbrokeupwithEris,Iheadednorthtocovermysorrow.
IwasatatowninthecornerofBasherantDukedom,alone,feelingtheindescribablelonelinessbroughtbythe
dissolved[DeadEnd]party.
Atthattime,inordertodistractmyselffromtheloneliness,Iacceptedqueststhatcannotbedonealone.
TherewasalsoatimewhenIwantedtogiveup.
AndthentherewasSuzanne'sgroup.
Twowarriors,onehealer,onemage:a4personparty,
HerpartyrankwasaBrankfourofthemwereveterans.
Suzannewasawarrior.
Althoughshewasnotskilledinswordsmanship,shewasstilloneoftheBrankadventurers.
But,sheisawomanwhowascaring,anddeservedrespect.
Shespoketomewhowasacceptingquestsalone.
[Thisquestneedsmorethanoneperson.Doyouneedhelp?]
Irememberedthatfeeling.
AndthenIreplied,[Oh,thenIamgladifyoucanhelp.Iwanttogainsomefame].
Toseemelikethat,Suzannewasshocked.
Sheseemedtobeinapanic.
Moreover,itseemedwhenIspoketoherinhonorificswithdeadeyesitmadeherfeelacreepinessthat
overwhelmedhershock.
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Inspiteofthatthought,Suzannewaswillingtohelpme.
BeforeIlefttown,sheinvitedmetojoinafixedpartymanytimes.
Afterallthat,shekeptsaying,evenifIrefusedtojoinaparty,Ishouldn'tbeeatingalone,andshetreatedmea
meal.
Inhindsight,Imighthavebeentakencareofbyheralot.
AndIappreciatedthat.
Afterthat,Suzanneseemedtohavemarriedoneofthemagiciansintheparty.
And,IstartedlivinginthehometownofmagiciansknownasSharia.
Now,sheisamotheroftwochildren.
However,thethirdoneseemedtobeaprematureinfantitdiedrightafterbirthunfortunately.
Eventhoughthethirdchilddied,shestillhasbreastmilk.
And,breastmilkcouldbesold.
Shefoundmynameintheplaceforrecruitingnannies.
Andthatishowwemetagain.
"Anyway,you'vereallychanged."
"DidIchangethatmuch?"
"Ofcourse,ifitwastheoldyou,youwouldnotbelittleahusbandinfrontofhiswife."
Certainly.
AndifIthoughtofthat,duringthosedays,Iwasextremelyafraidtooffendothers.
Thatfeelinghasnotchangedmuch,evennow.
But,probablyaftergoingthroughmanythings,itseemstohavefadedalittle.
"DidImakeyouunhappy?"
"No.Thatwillbefine.Justtakeitasajoke.Ialsocanfeelslightlysociable."
Itwasalsothesameatschool,
Makingjokestendedtoputusslightlycloser.
ZanobaandCliffalsowanttobecloseIalsofelteasier.
"Thatkindofspookyhonorifics,isitallrightnottousethem?You'retheemployer."
"Well,onemusthavemannersifonewantstobeclosertoanother."
"Right."
Suzannesayswithawrysmile.
Iamgratefultoher.
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Nomatterwhat,theonewhotoldmeaboutthecommonknowledgeoftheadventurersinthenorthern
continent:
Itwasher.
"Well,itsalrightwithmeaslongasIcangetmypay."
"Ofcourse,Iwillnotfailyou."
Itisgoodtogetmoregold.
Eventhoughthesewerejustspokenwords,Suzannedidherjobseriously.
Istillfeltuneasyduetocasesinmypreviouslifewherethebabysitterwouldabusetheinfant.
ButSuzannetreatedLucyasherownchild.
Well,LiliaandAishawouldalwaysbeinthehouseIalsoknowSuzannewouldnotdoanythingtoafriend's
child.
"Cometothinkofit,howareyoursons?"
"Bothofthemareterrificallyhealthy.Buttheysticktomygrandparentslikesuperglue."
Suzanneseemstobelivingwithherhusband'sparents.
Ofcourse,otherwise,shewouldnotleavethechildrenalonewhenshebecameananny.
Livingwiththemotherinlawseemstohavemanykindsofproblems,shewouldcomplaintoLiliaaboutthem.
Liliadidnothavemuchtosayinthepositionofamotherinlaw,butsheseemstobethesameageasSuzanne,
soconversingwithherwaseasier.
Ihavewitnessedthemoftendrinkingteatogether.
"Doyoufeelitisbettertohaveaboyasyourfirstchild?"
"Nonotreally,whydoyouask?"
"Youknow,it'sabouthavinganheir."
"Ah."
Childrenwereborntodothat,Iheardthatstorymanytimes.
Zanoba,Arielsaidthattoo.
Indeedroyalfamilies,noblefamiliesseemtobeconcernedwithboysandgirlswhowereborn.
BoreasnoblesintheAsuraKingdomalsosaidthat,themainfamilywouldadoptboyswhowereborn.
"Iamnotevenanobleoramerchant.It'senoughaslongastheygrowuphealthily."
Rather,girlswerecuter.
Recently,therewasanimbalancewithboysandgirlsinthehouse.
However,Ihadnocomplaintsespeciallywhencutegirlsaresurroundingme.
Theyarenotunreasonableoroppressive.
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Allofthemsupportme.
"That'snice.Myhusband,fromthetimeIgotpregnant,wentonandonabouthowwe'draisehimifit'saboy
Ineverevenconsideredwhattodoifagirlwasborninstead."
"Andthenaboywasborn,wasthatnotgoodenough?"
"Iguess.ThoughIfeelalittlebitcomplicatedaboutit.Well,thethirdonewasagirl."
"Oh,itI'msorryaboutthat"
IfLucywasadeadinfant,
AsIthinkaboutit,Iamhorrified.
"I'lljustgivebirthtoanother.It'salright."
However,Suzannewasquiteopenminded.
Iwonderedwasitlikethat?
Ifonecouldnotmakeitandjustgivebirthtoanother,
Iwonderedifsomethinglikethatcouldbeeasilythought.
Atleast,Iwouldnotthinkso.
Sylphiettehadabodythatcouldnotbethateasytoimpregnate.
Notonlythat,
Speakingofher,herfeelingswouldbemoredownthanI,withtearfilledeyesshewouldsay,[Iamsorry
Rudi'sbabyIdidnotmanagetogivebirthproperly,Iamsosorry.]
Oh,evenjustthethoughtpainsmystomach.
Stop.
Thisisjustanimagination.
LucywasbornSylphietteisalsohealthy.
Thiswasnotadream.
"Ara?"
Suddenly,Suzannelookedbehindme.
"Mother."
Iturntolookit'sZenith.
WithLiliafollowingfrombehind,
""
"Excuseme,Rudeussama."
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Zenithwalkedoverwithadazedlook,satinapositionbesidemyside,
WhereshecanlookatLucy,
"Mother.Todayagain,Lucyisquitehealthy!"
""
There'snoresponsefromZenith.
But,shestillkeepslookingatLucy.
IfelteversinceZenithcameintothishomethatshebegantomovemoreactively.
SheeatstogetherifNornisaround.
ShealsopullsweedswithAisha.
WhenIlookatLucy,shecomesoverherethesamewayshedid.
ShealsohasdifferentreactionstowardsSylphietteandRoxy.
Herexpressionsstillhadnotchangedsheisalsounabletospeak.
However,shecanmovebyherself.
Therewasachange.
Althoughit'slittlebylittle,sheisstillheadingtowardsrecovery.
""
"Akyawa!Kyan!"
ZenithreachesouttoLucy.
Withasmilingface,Lucyheldherhand.
"Lucy,yousurelovegrandmotheralot."
Initially,Iwasmorewary.
Zenithseemstohavethesocalledseniledementia,
Possibly,shemaycauseharmtoLucyafterachangeofsomesortofemotion.
However,itwasgroundless.
ZenithonlystaresatLucyquietly.
Therewerenonegativefeelings.
Rather,sheletsoutanatmosphereofagrandmotherwhocaresforhergrandchild.
WhyshouldIworrywhetherZenithwillharmLucy?
Inthefirstplace,Zenithhadnevergoneonarampage.
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"Ahu!Keke!"
Iwonder,didLucyalsoknowaboutit?
EachtimesheinteractedwithZenith,shewasalwayssmiling.
Granddaughterandgrandmother,itisaheartwarmingsight.
Thatsaid,there'snoknowingwhatwillhappenbasedonZenith'scondition.
Somehow,Ididnotfeelanythingwouldhappenafterseeingthissight.Butatleast,Ididnotknowwhatwould
happenIshouldnotleavethemoutofsight.
Itwasgoodforeachother.
Evenwithouttheintentions,accidentsdohappen.
""
Suddenly,Zenithraisesherhead.
Sheislookingatme.
Iwonderwhatiswrong.
Itfeelslikeshewantstosaysomething.
"AhEh!AhEh!"
Thenextthing,Lucystartstocry.
"Madam,Zenith.Ifyou'llexcuseme."
LiliacarriesthebabyawayfromZenithslowly.
Suzanneapproachesher,andbeginscradlingLucyafterliftingher.
Atthesametime,shecheckstheconditionofthediaperandLucy'sbackforrashes.
And,shenods.
"It'salmosttimeforherbreastfeeding."
Hasitbeenthatlate?
Tosay,afterSylphiettebreastfedherinthemorning,ithasbeenalongwhile.
"Verywell,Iwillexcusemyself."
"It'salrighttostayandwatch."
AlthoughSuzannesaidthat,Istillrefused.
Evenifshe'ssomeoneIknow,Ishouldn'tbelookingatanotherwife'sbreasts.
Afterall,Suzanne'sbreastswillneverlosetoZenithandLilia'ssize.
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Moreover,Ididnotknowwhethernowishermilkingperiod,herbreastsseemtobemuchbigger.
IfIsawthem,theSennin[27]frommyheartwillbeawakened.
ThenIwouldbedrippingsalivaoverLilia.
SylphietteandRoxywillbedisappointed.
Indeed,itsclearthattheirbreastscouldn'twin.
But,Ididnotchoosethembecauseoftheirbreasts.
Thatkindofworryisneedless.
Sayingaboutthat,Zenith:
DidshefeelthatLucywashungry?
Havingtheexperienceofbringinguptwochildren,shemightbeabletofeelthat.
Part2
Ilefttheroom.
Iamlookingoutthewindow,anditisraining,unfortunately.
Iamnotsureaboutthetime,butifitisbreastfeedingtime,itshouldbenoonrightnow.
IamjustalittleconcernedaboutLucy,andithasbeenalongday.
But,Ididnotfeelitisawasteoftime.
Tome,thisisaprecioustime.
Igointoanotherroom.
It'swhereI'vepreparedmyresearch,asmallroomonthefirstfloor.
RecentlythenumberofroomshaddecreasedasthenumberoffamilymembersincreasedIhadtomake
effectiveuseoftheremainingones.
But,forguestrooms,letsjustleaveone.
Iwalktowardsthedeskthatwastailoredtotheroom.
Placedonthedesk,thereweremyresearchreportsandthemagicstone.
Duringthishalfoftheyear,Ididnotjustplayaroundwithmysistersanddaughter.
Iwasalsoinvestigatingthingsaboutthemagicstone.
FromahardfoughtbattlewiththeHydra,amagicstonethatabsorbsmana.
Thismagicstoneseemstolooklikeapalegreenscale.
Ifithadnotransparency,itwouldlooklikeapieceofstone.
WhenIstudiedthemagicstoneatthelibrary,Ifoundoutafewthings.
Firstly,thenameofthemagicstone,
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Itseemstobeknownasa[ManaAbsorbingStone].[28]
ThestonewasmadefromaManatiteHydra's[29]body,andhastheabilitytoabsorbmanafromthe
surroundings.
ItseemstohavegoneextincttogetherwithManatiteHydra,itisnowconsideredaphantasmalmagicstone.
Mostdragontypecreaturesseemtobeabletogeneratemagicstonesinsidetheirbodies.
Itwouldbelikepearls,ormaybesomethinglikegallstones.
Theonethatisonmymagicstaff,itwasalsogeneratedfromthebodyofadragontypeserpentcreature.
Therearevariousdifferenttypesofeffects,butbasicallytheyofteninvolveaffectingmana.
Itcouldamplifythemanaorreducethemagicconsumptioncost,withthesamemanayoucoulddemonstrate
doublethepower.
Inotherwords,thereisnothingstrangeaboutamagicstonethatabsorbsmanainstead.
Theproblemisthetheorybehindhowitabsorbsmana.
Thismagicstone,ifleftalone,wouldnotabsorbmana.
Sothenhowcouldyoumakeitabsorbmana?
Ithoughtofsomeexperimentsandtriedthem.
Then,surprisinglyearlyin,Iobtainedsomeresults:
A"frontandback"werepresentinthismagicstone.
Theyweredifficulttoseeinappearance,buttheywerecertainlythere.
IfIplacedmyhandonthebackandappliedmana,thefrontwouldstartabsorbingmana.
Whenthathappened,ahighpitchedsoundwouldringout.
Itwasnotautomaticallyactive,andcouldbemanuallyturnedonoroff.
IfIwastotrysayingit,it'dbesomethinglikethesuckersonanoctopustentacle.
Apparently,thatHydraseemstoactivatethemagicstonethemomentitseesmagicanymagicthatfliestoward
itwouldthenberendereduseless.
Thosearewonderfulreflexes.
But,thatwouldbeobvious,ofcourse.
Forwildanimals,theirreflexesandvisionareoverwhelminglybetterthanhumansare.
Thinkingofwhich,Ruijerd'sstonethethingonSupardiaTribe'sheads,itshouldbethesamekindofmagic
stone.
Afterexperimentingfurther,Ifoundthatapparentlythemagicstoneseemstobe[notnecessarilyabsorbing
mana].
Ireleasedmagiconmyself:whileraisingthemagicstoneandshouting"Now!"Iactivatedtheeffect.Themana
Iusedwasalsonotrecovered.
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Rather,IfeellikethesameamountofmanaIusedtocastthereleasedmagicwasdrainedfrommeagain.
Althoughthereismuchtoinvestigateregardingthispoint,Itriedtomakeasinglehypothesis:
Coulditbethatmanageneratedintothebackofthestonetransformsinto[acancelingwave]throughthefront,
effectivelynegatingmagic?
Ithink,thoughithasaneffectsimilartoDisturbMagic,itsbreakdownpowerisatahigherlevel.
Ofcourse,somethingscannotbeexplained.
Forexample,eventhoughItriedhittingadollIhadcreatedwiththewave,itdidnotbreak.
Thedollisokay,yetthe[RockBullets]areuseless.
Iwonderwhatthedifferenceis.
Afterexistingforsuchalongtime,didthemagicdollbecomeunbreakableafterthemanastabilized?
Hmmmm,
Itcan'tbehelped,evenifItry.
Iamnotclearaboutwhatmanaactuallyisinthefirstplace.
Yetmorethanthefinerdetails,Iwanttoprioritizethinkingabouthowtouseitorhowtodealwithit.
WhileIwasthinking,Icarriedoutanotherexperiment.
Ifeelthatbyusingthismagicstone,itissomethingthatcandestroythingsthatDisturbMagiccouldnot.
So,forexample,a[MagicCircle].
IaskedClifftohelpmewiththisexperiment.
Theresult:IwasabletodestroyeverymagicbarrierthatCliffhaddrawn.
Althoughthemagiccircleonthepaperremained,aslongasItriggerthestone,itseemstoerasethemagic
withoutanyproblems.
However,therewasamagiccircleintheHydra'sroom:
Thatbloodcoloredmagiccircle.
Inaddition,magiccirclesinsideofmagictoolscantbeerased,aswell.
Insteadofbeingdrawn,maybebothcouldbeengraved?
Let'sjustrememberthatunder[thingsthatcantbedispelled].
Anyway,mostthingsareerased.
So,evenifIamtrappedinabarrier,Icouldescapeitonmyown,aswell.
Ofcourse,themostimportantthingistoavoidbeingtrapped.
Byinsertingitinthepalmof[Zariff'sProstheticHand],itmightbeusefullater.
But,itwouldbedifficulttousemagicwiththesamehand
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Part3
"Oniichan.Aguesthasarrived."
IwasinmylaboratoryforawhileAisha'sfaceappeared.
Withaprofessionalexpression:
"Whoisit?"
"It'sZanobasama."
Zanoba,JulieandGingeraswell,Imsure,
Isthereanyproblem?
No.Notnecessarytocomeoverjustbecauseofsomething.
Hecouldalsocomeovertoplay.
"Askthemtowaitinthelivingroom."
"Leaveittome."
Istandupandsayinaperfunctorymanner.
SpeakingofZanoba,hisresearchisalsoprogressing.
Itisthestudyoftheautomaticdoll.
Currently,hehasfinishedresearchingthehand,andnowisintheprocessofresearchingthefoot.
Intheprocess,hemade[Zariff'sProstheticLeg],butitisstillanunreliableproduct.
Abouttheleg,ithasthesamemechanismthatmyhandhas.
Ialsohelpedhimtomakeaprototype.
Zanobacameupwiththeblueprints,Imadethemodel,andCliffengravedthemagiccircles.
Theworkconsumedalotoftimeandeffort.
Ittooknearlyamonthtomakeone.
AlthoughsomedayIwanttosellprostheticarmsandlegs,theproductionstillhasalongwaytogo.
Well,afterresearchonbothhandsandlegs,Zanobahadbegunconductingresearchonthedollsbody.
Hecarefullyhadcutitsbodywherethelimbsjoined,opened,anddisassembleditfromtheinside.
Then,insidethecenterofitschest,hetoldmehefoundabigmagicstone.
Redcoloredamagicstonethathasthesamebeautifulshapeofacrystal,
However,itwasnotasolidmagicstone.
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Rather,acombinationofsmallmagicstonesthathasmagiccirclesengravedonthem.
Withoutadoubt,thiswouldbethecoreoftheautonomousdoll.
Ifonecananalyzethepatternthatiswritteninthiscore,
Thenmakingthesamethingispossible.
And,byadvancingresearchfromthere,itwouldmakethedreamMaidRobot.
Thatsaid:Zanobaseemedtobestuckalittlethere.
Thecontentsofthepatternweretoobizarre.
Moreover,therelatedwrittencontentsontheoldbookhaddiagonallinescancelingthem.
Inshort,wesawthatthemakeroftheautomaticdollwasstillintheprocessofresearchingthecore.
Asthecurrentproductwasincomplete,wewerealsonotclearaboutthemaker'sgoal.
Researchingfromhereonwouldbeextremelychallenging.
However,Zanobasaidthatthiswasfatehehaddecidedtodoitalloveragain.
Ihopedhedidhisbest.
"Sorrytokeepyouwaiting."
IreachedthelivingroomZanobawhowassippingteastandsup.
"Shisho,sorrytobotheryou!"
SoastomatchZanoba,GingerandJulie,whowerearoundthecorneroftheroom,alsobowedinsilence.
"Anybusinessfortoday?"
"Becausewehappenedtobenearby,soIcamewithagreeting."
Sohecameovertoplay.
"Okay,pleaseslowlytakeaseat."
Althoughitwasunusualofhim,itwasstillnothingbad.
WhileIwasthinking,Julieapproachesme.
"Grandmaster,thisone,itisfinished."
Asshefinishessayingthat,shegivesmeadoll.
ItwasthehomeworkIgaveher,aRuijerdDoll'sduplicate.
"Well,youveimproved.Continuethisway,fromnowon."
"Yes!"
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Juliebowscheerfully.
WhileIwasonajourney,thedollthatJulieundertook,itwascompleted.
TheRuijerdDoll,whichJuliemade,wasnotbad.
Althoughshemadeitusingmydollasthebasis,stillIhavetoadmitthatshediditbetterthanme.
Therearenomistakeswiththepose.
Evenforoutsiders,itwouldlookcooltothem.
AfterNornseesit,shemuttersinalowvoice"Iwant."Itisgiventoherasapresent.
Later,itwouldgoonhershelvesinherdormitoryroom.
Iseethesuccess,andorderJulietomassproducetheacceptedRuijerdDoll.
Althoughittakestimetomakeone,itisbettertomakeitonebyone,slowly.
Sheisalsogoingthroughmagictraining,andwhenitistimetosellone,thereisnolossifthereareafew.
"Yesterday,NornSensei,wemetatschool."
"Oh,really,youmet,whatdidyousay?"
"Shethankedme,soIthankedherback."
"Isee,that'sgreat."
IpatJulie'shead.
Julie'sbodyisalittlerigid,butshestillallowsmetotouchherobediently.
So,recentlyNornhadalsocompletedthebook.
Althoughshehasstartedtopracticeswordtraining,Nornhasneverquitwriting.
Thebookstoryisshortthewritingstyle,itlooksrough,
Andthere'sonlyonestory.
ItspokeabouthowRuijerdfoughtforhislord,yetwasbetrayedandwentoffforrevenge.Itwasallaboutthe
spear'sstory.
But,itisenoughtoexpresshissorrowandalsothestubbornnessofRuijerd.
Withalittleediting,it'llbeenoughtoreleaseittotheyoungones.
IreadittoJulie,anditisthebesttoher.
Shepersistentlykeepsaskingmetoreaditagainintheend,Ireadittoherthreemoretimes.
IfGingerdidnotstopher,Iwouldbereadingtoherforthefourthtime.
IhearthatnoonereadstorieslikethattoJuliewhenshewassmall.
Thedwarvenracedidnothavethatkindofculture.
OrshouldIsay,bothparentshadnotimetolookafterher,
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Well,eitherway,it'sgood.
Duetothathappening,IactuallyhadwantedtofindachancetoletNornandJulieknoweachother,butthey
havealreadymet.
Beingcalledasasenseiwhatever[30],suregaveNorntheshivers.
Nomatterwhat,aslongyougetalong,itsgood.
Gettingtoknoweachotheristhefirststepforagoodrelationship.
Anyway,theimageimprovingplanoftheSupardRaceisprogressingwell.
Researchandtraining,
Doingwhatcanbedone.
DoingmorethanisrequiredIwillbeoverloaded,indeed.
Onemightsayit'sbettertofocustrainingonjustonething.
But,IamafraidIdon'thavethatkindoftalent.
Itwastrueinthepreviouslife,anditdidnotchange,evennow.
Thereisalwayssomeonestronger.
Indeed,itispossibletomakethetopintheacademy,butthereareevenstrongeronesoutintheopenworld.
Therearetalentswhichnoteveneffortcansurpass.
But,itisnotalwaysnecessarytowinbyforce.
It'sokaytowininvariousturfs.
Ifitisnotpossibletowinbyconfronting,goforthesides.
Althoughthat'swhatIalwaysthought,
However,foesliketheManatiteHydramightstilloccur.
Justincaseofemergency,Ineedtohavethestrengthtoprotectmyfamily.
ButIamstillnotgoodatclosequartersfighting.
"Zanoba,doyouwanttolookatLucy?"
"Oh!Yourdaughter!?Isthatallright?"
"Sure,whynot?"
"Ohyes!Although,Iforgetwhichcountryitis,buttheresaplacewithcustomsthatdoesnotallowchildren
belowtheageof5tomeetoutsiders."
"Ipreferitit'sbettertoletherbeblessedbyallkindsofpeople."
Well,fornow,thisisnotthetimetothinkthatcomplicated.
Nomatterwhat,justmakesureeverylittlethinginviewisdone.
Everyday:bodybuilding,magicpracticing,doingresearch,andinteractingwithdifferentkindsofpeople
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I'mnowbeyondcomparisonwithmypreviouslife.
Thecurrentsituationformeistoodamngood.
So,thereisnothingtobehastyabout.
Iftoohasty,itwillblindyoufromthesurroundingsandyoufallsometimeswhenyouareblind.
JustlikewhathappenedthattimewiththeHydra,
That'swhyforeverythingIdo,Imustputineffort.
Iwonder,whatwillbemynextstep?
Ihavemyprosthetichand.
Researchisprogressing.
Getalongwithmywives.
Mysistersanddaughterarehealthy,aswell.
Theresourcesathandarestillenough.
Andlifeisstable.
Nowforthenextthing:
TimeforRoxytoteachmeWaterKingclassmagic.
"TheBanchoulovessmallchildren."
Chapter138WaterKingClass
Part1
SomewhereintheMagicUniversity,lustfulvoicesrang.
"No,stop!"
Outsideofastoragethathadbeenrepurposedbystudentsasagymlocker.
Ayoungmangrabstightthehandofagirlwithaquahair.
"Eh,sayyes!Sensei,please?"
"Nomeansno!"
Butthatgirlrefuseshisadvances.
Sheshookherhead.
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Evenso,theboyrefusestoquit.
"Once,justonce!"
"Isaidno.Letgo.Lunchbreakisoveralready."
"Don'tsaythat!"
Theboyletsgo.
Thetroubledgirlsearcheshersurroundings.
Outsidethegymlocker,therearestillafewstudentsmillingabout.
Buttheyquietlyturnawayfromthegirl'spleadingeyes.
Why?Becausethatboyistooscary.
He'sthemostwellknownriffraffofthearea.
Soeveryonethought,
EvenifItrytohelp,herfateissealed.
Notonlythat,butItoomightexperiencesomethingterrifying.
Knowingthat,there'snotonepersonbraveenoughtohelpher.
"Sensei,pleasereconsider.Itwon'tfeelbadforeitherofus.Well,firstyoumighthateitalittle,butitwillfeel
betterlateron."
"Well..True..."
"Ifyoudothisfavor,I'lldoanythingSenseiasks?"
"Oh,but..."
Thatboy'spursuitagainstthereluctantgirlisrelentless.
Bunchingclosertoher,asiftowhispersomethingtoher.
Thatmotionmakesherfaceflushed.
Fiddlingwithhertripleponytail,sheshylydroopsherhead.
"TheStudentCouncilcame!"
Justthen,thesocalled[MostHandsomeManonCampus]hasarrived.
Withasunglasswearing,whitehairedgirlbehindhim.
"Kyaa!Lukesama!"
"It's'SilentFitts'!"
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StudentCouncilmembersLukeandFitts.
"Lukesama,you'resocooltodaytoo!"
"Givemeahug~!"
"Fittssama,you'relookingcutereveryday."
"Pleaseshowusyourface!"
Withpeoplecheeringthemon,thetwoapproachestheboyandgirl.
"WereceivedreportsthatRudeusattackedanotherfemalestudent..."
Lukesighs.
TheboybeforehimistheonecalledRudeus,andthegirlRoxy.
Notastudent,noristhereanattack.
Withthefactschecked,heturnsaroundandheadsbackthewayhecame.
"Fitts,I'llleavetheresttoyou."
"...Oh."
Fittsnervouslyrubsherearandnods.
"Haa."
AfterLukeleft,Roxysighstoo.
"Femalestudent,huh?"
"Itcan'tbehelped.Lotsofpeoplestilldon'trealizethatRoxysenseiisateacheryet."
Rudeusnodsinsympathy.
"Eh?Sylphy,what'swrong?"
HesuddenlyrealizesSylphyiswearinganunhappyexpression.
Slightlypuffsacheek.
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"Em,Rudi.Justbecauseyou'remarried,doesn'tmeanyoucanbesoforceful.Girlshavetimeswhentheydon't
wanttotoo,youknow?"
"Eh?Yeah,sureIunderstand."
"Well,eventhoughRoxysenseimightbebetteratit,I'mhereforyoutoo..."
Fittsmumblingherwords.
"...Unless."
RudeusapproachesFittsvisiblyexcited.
HepokesFitts'sonepuffedcheek.
Withthepuffedcheeksuppressed,buttheothersidepuffsup.
"Haha!Sylphyisjealous!"
RudeushugsFittstightly.
Notenoughtoputhercompletelyatease,butherangerisgone.
"Jjealous,noteven..!"
"Don'tworry,Sylphy.Idon'tplantoleaveSylphyouteither."
"Eh,what,then,youmeanthe3ofus...?"
RudeuswhispersinFitts'sear.
"That'sright.Let'saskRoxytoteachustogether."
"Umm,Roxywillteachus?"
"Ofcourse,sheknowsitthebest."
Fittsglancestoherside.
Roxyinstantlyturnsaway.
"Ihaven'tagreedtoit."
"Don'tsaythat.Fittswanttoknowtoo?"
"Bbutit'sembarrassing..."
FromwhenRudeusstartstohugher,Sylphybeginstofidget.
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Dressingasaboy.
Butwithhersunglassesyoucan'treadhermood,butshe'sprobablyalreadywet.
"Wwell,it'sforRudi'ssake...okay?"
"Sylphy!"
Moved,Rudeusburieshimselfinherhair,enjoyingitssoftnessandsweetscent.Hishugtightens.
Losingherselfinhisfirmbiceps,Fittsletsherselfgo,readyforwhatever.
Tooeasy.
Roxylooksatthescenewithenvy.
RudeusdidnotrelentinRoxy'spursuit.
"Whydoyourefuse?Don'ttellme,Roxyhatesme?"
Rudeussays,lookinghurt.Roxyrushestoanswer.
"No,noteven!IlikeRudithemost.Love,Iloveyou!"
"Then,why?"
"Well,ifItaughtyou,thenIdon'thaveanythingIcanbeatRudiinanymore..."
"Whocaresaboutwinning.Roxy'sexistencealoneisgreaterthanI!"
"Hey,Rudi.Nowthatyoumentionedit,I'mnotasgreatasyouthink.I'mjustpettyandscaredthatmystudent
willsurpassme."
"It'sfine.Evenyourpettiness,Ithinkit'sgreat!"
"Basically,learningthismighttakeafewmonths?Well,RudiandSylphyaremoretalentedthanIam,somaybe
alittlefaster..."
Justnow,Fittsrealizedshemighthavemisunderstoodsomething.
Comingbacktohersenses,sheasksherman.
"Em,sorry,Rudi.Whatarewetalkingabout?"
ToSylphy'squestion,Rudeusreplies.
"Ah.IwasaskingRoxytoteachmeWaterKingclassMagic."
Sothat'swhatitwas.
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Part2
Rudeus'sPOV
Bicycleofyouth.
Asinwhenanadolescentboyandgirlrideabiketogether.
Theboybusypedalingwithagirlridingbehind.
Sittingsidestraddleonthebackrack,grippingtightlytotheboy'swaist,whiletryingtosubtlykeeptheir
distance.
Occasionallytherolesarereversedtoo.
Eventuallyridinglikethattogether,theyarriveatariverbedcoloredredbysunset.
Thecrimsonsunconcealingtheirflushcheeks.
Rightnow,mysituationissomethingsimilar.
Eventhoughthesunstillhangshigh.
ButbeforemyeyesIcanseeSylphy'snape.
Juststickingmynoseoutabit,Icanenjoytomyheart'scontentofSylphy'ssweetscent.
IwrapmyarmaroundSylphy'swaist,crossingnearhertummy.
Keepingherupperhalfwrappedtight.
Sylphy'sbeatingheartcanbeclearlyheardfromherbosom.
Howwonderful.
Bytheway,Ikeptourlowerhalvessubtlydistant.
Thereasonshouldbeobvious.
Evenawifedeservessomepropriety.
Also,harassingabusydriverisjustbeggingforaccidentstohappen,soIhaveheardinmypreviouslife.
"Matsukazeissuchagoodhorse.Obedient,trustworthy,andstrongtoo!"
AvoicefromSylphy'sfront.
Ilookoverhershoulderandseeaquacoveredhead.
Roxy.
ShesitsinfrontofSylphy.
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"That'sright.Suchagreathorseistrulyrare."
Comfortablywe'reridingasinglehorsetogether.
Roxyinthefront,SylphyandIintheback.
Thepetleastcaredforbythefamily,Matsukazetrotsahead,completelyunhinderedbythethreeitcarriesonits
back.
"IfIremembercorrectly,Gingerpickedhimout.Thatpersonreallyknowsherhorses."
"DoesSylphyknowalotabouthorses?"
"Ah,no,notreally.ButIhaveseeninAsurapalacetheonetheyclaimedasthebesthorseoftheland.Theone
riddenbyKnightCaptainsan."
"Thenitmustbereallygreat."
AssoonasIsaidthat,Matsukazeneighsloudly.
"Ah,sorry.You'regreattoo.OnlytobeexpectedofGreyratHouse'shorse."
RoxybusiesherselftocomfortMatsukaze.
Doesthishorseunderstandhumanspeech?
Orrather,doesRoxyknowhorse?
No,nomatterwhatkindofpet,ifyoutalkwithiteveryday,youcanreadthemeventually.
AishaseemstotalkwithJirouoften.
"Butsittinginthefrontatmyageiskindofembarrassing."
Roxyhasahabitofhidingherblushingfaceduringphysicalcontact.
Sheprobablyfeelslikeridinginababyseat,forridinginfrontoftheoneholdingthereins.
"MaybeIshouldrideJirouinstead."
"Notallowed.Sayingthat,areyoutryingtomakearunforitagain?"
"I'mnotalittlekid.Iwon'trun."
Whilelisteningtomywives'friendlybanter,Itakeinmysurroundings.
We'reontheoutskirts.
Ontherightaprettylittlecreek,andontheleftanexpansiveemptyfieldandforest.
Eventhoughwe'resofarupNorth,thereisplentyofgreenthisseason.
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Justnowwecanseefieldsoftaroandwheat,butnowthere'sonlyvastwilderness.
Wedidn'tplanonhowfarwe'regoing,justsomewherewithoutmanypeople.
Fishinthecreekdancingunderthesun.
AtributaryofthemajorrivernexttoSharia.
Eventhoughthisisn'tveryfaroff,butfishinghereonanicedayshouldfeelquitenice.
Well,Iactuallyneverfishedbefore.
"Nowthatit'sdecided,Iplantoteachproperly."
Ithastobehere.
AfterRoxyfinallyrelented,shemadethatcondition.
"ThespellI'llteachisWaterKingMagic[Lightning]."
Roxylooksalittlereluctant.
SylphyandInudgeourselvesagainsthershoulders.
SoLightning,huh?
Fromthenamealone,itsoundslikethelightningmagicweoftenthinkof.
Well,thinkingaboutit,LightningMagicdoesn'tseemtoexistinthisworld.
AndKingClasstoo.
Mustbesomeaweinspiringmagic.
"Okay,hereshouldbefine."
Arrivedatsomepoint,Roxyjumpsdownoffthehorse.
ShetiesMatsukazetoatreeroughlythewidthofmythigh.
Hownostalgic.
IlearnedWaterSaintMagicinaplacelikethis,withahorsetiedlikethis.
"Sensei,doyoustillrememberKalajav?"
"Ah.Paulsan'shorse.Hownostalgic..."
Roxysays,hereyesofftoadistance.
Iwas5backthen.
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12yearshavepassedalready.
Ilearnedmanythingssincethen,butit'sfinallytimetoreachKingRank.
FeelslikeItookaverylongdetour.
Ah.
Thattimeourhorsealmostdiedbylightning.
Itsurvivedbarely,butdyingfromthatwouldn'tbeatallstrange.
Roxymighthaveforgottenaboutitalready,butjusttobesafe.
"It'ssafethistime,right?"
"It'ssafe.ButyoushouldcoverMatsukazeup,sohewon'tcatchacold."
"Gotit."
Followingherinstruction,IbuildanearthfortressforMatsukaze.
Matsukazedidnotobject,buthidhimselfinsideit.
"Then,shouldIkeepmydistancetoo?"
"No,it'sfine.Icanonlydoitonce,sowatchcarefully."
SylphyandRoxyweartheirraincoatsastheytalk.
WeweresoakedduringSaintClasstoo.
Ifitrains,thenthoseareobviouslynecessary,sowebroughtsomealong.
"Allset?"
"Okay."
"Gotit."
Roxynodsandpointstoafarawaytree.
Ahugetree.
Evenfaraway,it'sobvioushowwideitis.
"Iwilltargetthattreeoverthere.Icanonlydoitonce,sopleasewatchcarefully."
"Okay."
Roxynodstomeandtakesadeepbreath.
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"Phew...Haa..."
Roxyholdsupherstaff,closeshereyes,andconcentrates.
Thepreparationtimeisunusuallylongforher.
SaintClasswasrightaway,butKingClassmustbedifferent.
"Phew..."
IfsomeoneusedMagicPowerEyestoobserveRoxy,theycouldprobablyseethemagicgathering.
Roxystayedlikethatforawhile.
Andalittlelater,suddenlysays.
"Then,I'llbegin."
Iholdmybreath.
Roxysticksherstaffontheground.
Herlefthandholdingtheshaft,herrightholdingitsmagicstone.
Then,recitingeachlinediligently,shebeginsincantation.
"Ohgreatwaterspirit,thesonofthelightningemperorwhoascendedtotheskies!!Fulfillmywishes,rain
downyourferociousblessings,andshowmeyourstrengthtothistinyexistence!Letyourgodlyhammerstrike
theanvil,anddemonstrateyourauthority,anddevourtheearthwithwater!!"
Something'soff.
No,thisisn'tright.
"Ah,therain!!Destroyandwasheverythingaway!"
Suddenlydarkcloudscoverthesky,turningpitchblack.
Andimmediatelyrainbeginstopourdown.
Blusterywindblows,andIwassoakedinstantly.
Electricflashescoverthesky,soontobecomelightning.
ButthisismerelyWaterSaintMagic[Cumulonimbus].
"Ohgreatlightspirit,helpthelightningemperorinthesky!"
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RightwhenIwasthinking.
Roxycontinuestheincantation.
"Hadyounotseenthatstandsontheground!Risingarrogantlyagainsttheemperor!Asswordofthethunder
god,strikehimdown!Letyourpowershine,showthewrathofhismajesty!"
Thecloudsshrinkwitheveryline.
Thosedarkcloudstightlygatherinasinglepoint.
Squeezedtightly,asifstrugglingthedarkcloudsletoutflashesoflight.
Soonafteritreachesthesizeofapea...
"[Lightning]!"
Abeamoflightreachesuptothesky.
Orrather.
Fromthecompressedcloud,thebeamstrikestheground.
Lightningstrikes.
Bang!
Withaslightdelaythethunderroars.
Fromthecornerofmyeyes,IspySylphycoveringherearsandwrinklesherface.
Icanonlywatchinawe.
"..."
Lostforwords.
Speechless.
Unconsciouslymyclenchedfisttrembles.
Iswallowmyspit.
Afterthethunder,nothingremains.
Thedarkcloudscoveringthesky.
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Thepouringraincleansingtheearth.
Andthelightningbrightasday.
Andthatgrandtreeofftoadistance.
Gone,allgone.
Clearskies.
Onlywetgroundremainsfromtherain.
Onlycharcoalremainsfromwhatwasonceatree.
"Ha..."
Roxystaggersastep.
Herstafffell,andshefellforwardaswell.
Irushtocatchher.
"Areyoualright?"
"It'sdone.Atmymagicpower,evenwithmystaffIcanonlydothisonce...Moreimportantly,[Lightning],did
youseeit?"
"Yes,Sensei."
Isawit.
Idefinitelysawit.
Imemorizedthewholeincantation.
"Canyoudoit?"
"Letmetry!"
IleftRoxyinSylphy'scareandheldupmystaff.
ArrogantWaterDragon.
SinceIwas10yearsold,shehasbeenmypartnerthroughthickandthin.
PerhapsevenwithoutitImightbeabletodothis.
ButIraiseditanyways.
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Irecallthescenejustnow.
AndtowardstheskyIshout.
"Ohgreatwaterspirit,thesonofthelightningemperorwhoascendedtotheskies!!Fulfillmywishes,rain
downyourferociousblessings,andshowmeyourstrengthtothistinyexistence!Letyourgodlyhammerstrike
theanvil,anddemonstrateyourauthority,anddevourtheearthwithwater!!Ah,therain!!Destroyandwash
everythingaway!"
Terrifyingmagicpowerflowsthroughthestaffinmyhandandshootstotheclouds.
Formingasathundercloud,magicbeginstorage.
For[Cumulonimbus],justthisisenough.
ButIcan'tstopyet.
IfIstopnow,compressingitmightproveimpossible.
Sobeforethemagicstabilizes,Imovetothenextstep.
"Hadyounotseenthatstandsontheground!Risingarrogantlyagainsttheemperor!Asswordofthethunder
god,strikehimdown!Letyourpowershine,showthewrathofhismajesty!"
Witheveryword,magicragesevermore.
Iforcefully,desperatelypushfurther.
Ashowofforce.
Thismagicrequirescontrol.
Untilnow,Ineverneededtoforcesuchlevelofcontrolinaspellbefore.
Itmightfail.
No.
Ididitbefore.
Irememberthisfeeling.
ThesamefeelingasahighpowerStoneCannon.
Amomentofclarity.
Controlimmediatelybecomeseasier.
"[Lightning]!"
Themomentthattheincantationfinishes.
Ifeelaholeopenunderneaththecompressedmagic.
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Andmagicpowerpoursdown.
Bang!
....Itlands.
Agreatlightingstrikes.
Withouttarget.
But,itindeedlandswhereIwasaimingfor.
"..."
Then,nothingremains.
Thecloudsintheskyhasdisappeared.
Onlyabeautifulopenskyremains.
Thegroundiswetbytherain.
Andtheirraincoatscoverinwaterdrops.
Onlyashadowburninthebackofmyeyes,andringinginmyears.
Success.
"...Amazing!"
BehindmeSylphy'sshockcanbeheard.
IbecameaWaterKingMagician.
Part3
"Ifeelalittlefrustrated."
Onthewayback,Sylphysaid.
AfterIsucceed,Sylphytriedaswell.
Afterafailure,shesucceededincastingWaterSaintMagic[Cumulonimbus].
But[Lightning]failed.
Failed,andshealsodepletedhermagicpower.
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Lookslikemagiccompressionisextremelydifficult.
Icandoit,probablybecauseIhappentohavealwaysbeenusingit.
ButSylphyisclever,soIthinkshe'llfigureitoutinafewtries.
"Istillfailoneoutoffiveattempts."
RoxysaidthattocomfortSylphy.
Eventhoughitwaseasyforme,IthinkSylphy'sfailurehelpedRoxykeepface...
Fromthis,itseemsthatSylphy'smagicpowerexceedsRoxy.
Probablybecauseshepracticedsofrequentlyasayoungchild.
ButRoxy'smagicpowerisbynomeansloweither.
"Rudididitonhisfirsttry.That'samazing!"
"Yeah,Ithoughtitmightbepossible.Butwithsuchease,Ifeelalittlelost."
"..."
Idon'tknowhowtorespond.
IndeedIhavebeenpracticingmagicsince2or3,andworkedhardtoincreasemymagiccapacity.
Buteventhough,toreachthislevel,Ihavetochockuptomyspecialconstitutiontoo.
Imadeeffort,butIfeellikeIcheatedsomehow.
Thus,Idon'tknowhowtojointheconversation.
Nomatterwhat,bringingmytwoexhaustedwiveshomesafelyismyjob.
AndIshouldmassagetheirshoulderswhenIgetback.
Nosexytimewiththemtoday.
They'retired.
"Ah,Rudi,look!It'ssopretty!"
IlooktowardsthewesternskywhereSylphyispointing,wherethecrimsonsunsets,
Thatkindofnaturalbeautyisthesameinanyworld.
"Ahh,howpretty."
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No,you'reprettier.Ishouldbesaying.
"Phew..."
Sylphyistiredtoo,sheleanslightlyagainstmybody.
Weshouldbehomebeforenightfall,butIshouldstayvigilant.
Rightnow,neitherofthemcanusemagic.
Ifamagicbeastappears,I'llprotectthem.
Sopayattentiontomysurroundings.
"...Recently,sometimesIwonderifthisisadream."
Roxysuddenlysaid.
Sylphytiltsherheadinconfusion.
"Dream?"
"Erm.WhetherI'mstilltrappedinthatLabyrinth,asweetdreambeforeIdie,likethat."
IstayonguardasIlisteninontheirconversations.
Thosetwochatslowly,withexhaustedvoices.
"Thepasthalfyearhasbeenwonderful.Married,becomingateacherlikeIwishedfor.EvenifSylphy
consideredmejustanhindrance,thethreeofusridingtogetherlikethis,Ican'thelpbutfeelblessed."
Ahindrance,whenshesaidthat,Sylphyshuddersalittle.
"Eh?Hindrance?That'simpossible.I'mhappytoliveatpeacewithRoxy.IfRoxywantedtotakeRudiaway,I
don'tthinkIcanwin."
Sylphysaidwithoutanounceofconfidence,becauseofthat,Itightenmyhug.
Withonehandattherein,asiftotellme"Iknow"shecaressminewithherother.
"Inmyview,IwasjustluckytomeetRudiwhenhewasstillyoung...Ifnot,Rudiprobablywouldn'tevenlook
atme."
"That'snot..."
"IfIhadn'tmetRudi,Iwouldn'tbealiverightnow."
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IfIhadn'tmetRoxyandSylphywhenIwasyoung.
WhatkindoflifewouldIbelivingrightnow?
Atleast,withoutmeetingRoxy,Imightstillbeashutinrightnow.
IfIneverleft,IwouldnothavemetSylphy.AftertheMetastasisevent,wouldIhavesurvivedtheMagic
Continent?
IfInevermetSylphy.
ThenIwouldn'thaveheadedtoFortressCityRoa.
ThenIwouldn'thavemetErisandGhyslaineeither.
ButImighthavegonetoschool.
Onthemagicside,soonerorlaterIwouldhitabottleneck,andrequesttoattendtheMagicUniversityat
Sharia.
Maybeunderdifferentcircumstances,Paulwouldn'tdemandthatIwaituntil12,andokayitrightaway.
But,Sylphywon'tbethere.NotevenifIwaited.
PerhapsIwouldstillbefriendPursenaandRinia,andeventuallyevenbecomelovers.
Then,aftergraduationheadtotheGreatForesttolivewiththeBeastRace.
No,aftertheMetastasisEventhappens,IprobablywouldheadbacktoAsura.
ButIgotafeelingthatI'llstillmeetthemeventually,andreunitewiththem.
InScienceFictionthiswouldbecalledCauseandEffect.
Inotherwords,fate.
Destiny.
"..."
IreachoutmyhandsandhugRoxyandSylphytogether.
"Rudi..."
Whathashappened.
Whathasn'thappened.
What'simportantrightnowisjusttocherishthesetwo.
Inthesettingsun,weheadhome.
Part4
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Aftercominghome,IattempttosummarizeWaterKingMagic.
[Lightning].
Thelogicbehindthismagicisfairlysimple.
Pourenormousamountofmagicintothesky,thencompressit,andstrikeadesignatedspot.
That'sit.
Makecloud,getlightning.
Withthatconsideration,[Cumulonimbus]and[Lightning]aretwospellsofthesamevein.
Strengthwiseit'sthestrongestspellinmyarsenal.
ConcentratethemostmagicconsumingspellIknow,[Cumulonimbus],intoasinglepoint.
Indestructivepower,itmightevenexceedStoneCannon.
Withthismuchpower,withoutadoubtit'llcomeinhandyinthefuture.
Eventhoughit'scalled"Lightning,"fundamentallyit'smagiccompression.
PerhapsotherKingRankedmagicsoperateundersimilarprinciples.
Regardlessofwhat,aslongasIreciteanincantationonce,thereafterIcanalwaysusevoicelessincantationfor
it.
Nexttime,Ishouldtrytoshortenthetimefrom[Cumulonimbus]tolightningstrike.
Butevenwithpractice,theremightnotbeanopportunitytouseit.
Asasingletargetspell,StoneCannonshouldbeplenty.
[Lightning]mightbeOVERKILL.[31]
Let'sweakenitslightly.
WiththatthoughtItryoutvarioustactics,andincidentallycreatedanelectriccurrent.
Icanusevoicelessincantationtoformaminiaturethundercloud,compress,anddesignateatargetfor
[Lightning],andstrike.
Perhapsthevoltageistoolow,itspowerisvisiblyweakened.
Idon'treallyunderstandtheprinciples,butjustaswell.
Itmightbeweak,butwhenitflewoffmyhand,Istillzappedmyself.
Ohwell,Iwon'tdie.
AtworstIjustfeelnumbforabit.
Thiskindofmagiccancauseselfharm,soitwon'tdomuchinanemergency.
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But,alittlemorepractice.
Disablinganopponentisanusefulskilltohave.
Electricstrikeishardtoavoid.
Andtheelectricitynumbsthenervoussystem,soitmightcomeinhandyagainstpeoplethatweartouki.
Idon'thaveatestsubjectrightnow,butifBadigadievercomeback,I'llaskhimtohelptestthisout.
Maybeitcanbecomemytrumpcardoneday.
Bytheway,eventhoughitwasalreadynamed[Lightning].
Todistinguishthis,Igaveitanewname[Electric].
Ilearnedsomeawesomemagictoday.
"TheBanchoisamonster."
Chapter7MarriageCeremony
Part1
ThenightIbecameWaterKingRank.
Thatnight,Iplannedtosleepalone.
SinceRoxyandSylphywerebothexhaustedandinnomoodforthosethings.
Iwasalittletiredmyself,buttogetherIdefinitelywon'tbeabletocontrolmyself,soIendedupsleepingin
anotherroom.
Hearingthat,Aishavolunteered"Oniichancomesleepwithme!"
Evennowthishappensratheroften.
Ineverinitiatedmyself,butifsheasksIwon'trefuseeither.
Thus,Igotpermissiontosleepwithher.
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Ofcourse,there'snoplanforpervertedstufftonight.
Coincidentally,Nornwashomethatnight,sheevenlookedalittlejealous.
ButNornisNorn.
EvenifIaskedshewoulddefinitelyrefuse.
Despitethinkingthat.
BeforeItoldAishaokay,ItriedtoofferNornaswell.
Forsomereason,sheactuallysaidyes!Thusthethreeofusendedupsleepinginarow.
AishatomyrightNorntomyleft.
Thetwoofthemsleepingquietlyinmyarmpillows.
EventhoughIamstuckinbetweenandcan'tevenbudge,Ican'thelpbutfeelcoveredinhappiness.
LikeI'mcompletelystuffedbysomethingunknown.
Astheysay,youneedtwowingstofly.
Suddenlyashotofinspirationhitme.
[IwanttodothiswithSylphyandRoxy.]
Adevil'stemptation.
Thesnakeofdesirebeginstorearitsheadandflicksitsdisgustingtongue.
No,Ihavetostopmyself.
Thelegendarymnagetrois.[32]
Ihavebeeninterestedforalongtimenow.
Butactuallyaskingthemfeelsimpossible.
EventhoughIsaidIwilllovethembothtogether,butdoingit,obviouslyonlyoneatatime.
SylphyandRoxymusthaveassumedthesame.
It'dbegreatiftheywereokaywithit.
Butit'dbeterribleifmypettydesiresendupdestroyingthispeacefullife.
Itmakesmeanxious.
Besides,it'snotlikeIdon'tfeelsatisfiedwiththecurrentsituation.
Tohavetwoonceinagenerationbeautiestomyself.
Andoneevengavemeadaughter.
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ButIstillwanttotryitonce.
Becausethey'redifferenttypes.
Sylphyissubmissive.
ShedoeseverythingIask.
Isaythis,andshe'llbeembarrassed,butnod.
Isaythat,andevenwithfearinhereyes,shewon'trefuse.
Evenso,she'snotlikeadeadfishinbedeither.Herreactionsarewonderful,andwoulddesperatelyclingonto
me.
Allforme.
Howendearing.
Incomparison,Roxyisthetechniquetype.
ShewilloftenseekherShisho(Elinalise)forguidance,wisdomtoimprovehertalents.
Isaythis,andshe'llconsiderhowtoimproveuponit.
Isaythat,andshe'llofferanalternative.
Eventhoughthere'sadifferenceinstamina,hereffortandhardworkaremorethanenoughtoovercomethat.
Allforme.
Howendearing.
Sylphyistheaccepteverythingunconditionallytype.
Roxyistheresearchandimprovetype.
Idon'tplantomeasurethemagainsteachother.
Evenif,whilemaintainingthiscurrentlife,myfeelingsstartleaningtowardsoneside,Idon'tplantoneglectthe
other.
Iwilldoeverythingtotreatthemequally.
Right.Equally.
AndifIsayIwanttotreatthemequallyatthesametime,isthatreallyunreasonable?
No,itshouldn'tbe.
Atleastonce,that'stheheartofman.
Allmenareweaktothedesiresoftheflesh.[33]
But,Ican'tsayit.
Leavingselfishdesiresatthedoor,that'sthesecretofmaintainingamicablerelationships.
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Thus,eventhough3Pisconstantlyonmymindthesedays,that'sasfarasitgoes.
Iwon'tsayitinthefutureeither.
Atleastthat'swhatIthought.
Part2
Nextday.IcametoCliff'sresearchlab.
Cliffiscurrentlyresearchingmagictools.
Researchforremovingcurses.
Iputmyearatthedoortolisten.
Incasenoisecanbeheard,Iwillrefrain.
Confirmedthatit'ssafe,Iknockedonthedoor.
"Comein,it'snotlocked."
IheadinandseeElinalisesittingonthewindowsill.
Hergorgeoushairofnaturalcurlsdroopdown,hereyespeeringoutthewindow.
Justasalways,whensilentshe'sapieceofart.
But,she'sprobablythinkingsomethingpervertedasusual.
"Justyourself?"
"Yeah."
Cliffhasbeenbusyrecently,butwithresearch.
Recentlyhehasbeenconsideringtheuseofthemagicabsorbingstonestoimproveexistingtools.
Butnotmuchprogresshasbeenmadeinthepastmonths.
"Cliff,isalsomakingpreparationsfortheweddingceremonytoday?"
That'sright.
CliffandElinalisearegettingmarried.
"EventhoughIwanttohelp,hesaiditmustbedonebyhimalone."
"That'saman'spride,sopleaseforgivehim."
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Gettingmarriedonceshecomeshome.
Cliffmadethatpromise.
Butbythetimewegotback,Cliffhadn'tgottenanythingready.
Itcan'tbehelped.
Wesaidtwoyearsbeforeweleft.
Andwecamebackinhalfayear.
Itwouldbestrangeifhewasready.
ButCliffisamanwhokeepshispromises.
Showingshockingtenacity,hehasbeenmakingpreparationsinthepastmonths.
Aplacetolive,furnitures,allthebasics.
Itriedtohelptoo.
Butintheend,allIdidwashelpwithfindingaplace.
Unlikeme,hedidn'tplantobuyabigplace.
Justarentedapartmentonstudentstreet.
Hesaidthatifiteverbecomestoosmall,thenit'stimetomove.
AwfullyhumblefortheusuallyshowyCliff.
Butit'snotlikeCliffisshortofmoney.
Allthefurnituresheboughtaretopclass.Evenifitwasanissue,Elinalisewouldhavehelped.
I'mwellawareofhowloadedElinaliseis.
"Inanycase,congratulations!"
Nextmonthisthewedding.
CallingElinaliseanewlywedmightbepushingit,butaslongasthey'rehappy,it'lldefinitelybeawonderful
ceremony.
"Anyways,justwaitabituntilCliffgetsback."
"Okay."
WiththatIsitdownonachair.
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Elinalisehasyettoturnarounddespiteherreplies.
Then,alongsigh.
"Ha..."
Soshehasstuffonhermindshewantstoshare.
AsighfromElinaliseloudenoughtobeheard.
"Areyounotsatisfiedwiththewedding?"
"No,ofcoursenot.Cliffissosincere.He'salmosttoogoodforme.NowayIwouldbeunsatisfied."
True.
Evenasaman,IcantellCliff'ssincerity.
Ofcourse,he'snotperfect.
Infact,hehasalotofflaws.
ButCliffisbarely20.
Lookingforwardtothefuture,he'lldefinitelybecomesomeoneexceptional.
"Then,Elinalisesan,whydoyousigh?"
"Doyouneedtoask?"
"Idon't?"
Oh,bedroomstuff.
"RecentlyCliffhasbeensobusythatwecanonlydoitonceeverythreedays!"
See,Iknewit.
"Butitcan'tbehelped.Hasn'tCliffbeenworkinghardforElinalise'ssake?"
"Em,ofcourseIknow."
"Onceyourlovenestisbuilt,youtwowon'tbeleavingforaweekanyways."
Afterthetrip,ElinaliseandCliffhunkereddowninthislabforquiteawhile.
Itmakesonethinkwhetherthey'reonlyfulfillingtheirbodilydesires.
Well,I'mnotonetotalk.
Itcan'tbehelped.
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Ilovesexytime.
"Ha,I'msojealousofRudeus."
"ButevenIhavethreedaybreakssometimes."
"ButyoucandoitwithSylphyandRoxytogether,right?EventhoughI'msatisfiedwithCliffalone,butI'm
jealousthatyoucanhavetwoatonce."
OfcourseIobjecttohersuggestion.
"Nonono.Mnagetroisneverevencrossedmymind."
"Eh,never?Themorethemerrier.Don'tyouevenwanttotryatleastonce?"
Bad.
Adevil'stemptation.
Imustnotlisten.
Begone!Mara![34]Amen!
"Mnagetroisisjusttooshameless.OnlyinElinalisesan'svocabularydoesthatevenexist."
"Idon'tthinkSylphyandRoxywillmind?"
"Liar!It'lldestroyourrelationship!"
"True.InsomewaysRoxyisstillpure.Ifyoupopthequestionoutoftheblue,youmightscareheroff."
"See!Itoldyou!"
Right.
That'lldefinitelyhappen.
Sylphyissubmissive,andshe'lldoeverythingIask.
Idon'tknowwhatshe'llthink,butshe'llatleasthearmeout.
Somehowfeelslikeasacrificiallamb.
ButRoxyisdifferent.
She'sstillamaidenatheart.
IfIpushformnagetroistoohard,shemightreply[I'mdone.I'mgoingbacktomom's.]Thenwhat?
"Ah,howabout..."
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Elinalisesuddenlyhastheappearanceofaguardianangel,inatrustworthyvoice.
"Ilaythegroundworksforyou?"
Groundwork!
Ofcourse!
Itcan'tbeoutoftheblue.
SinceRoxyisalreadyreceivingguidancefromElinalisealready.
Ifshesubtlymixinsomemultiplayerinformation.
AndnonchalantlymentionittoSylphy.
Thenwithoutworries,wecandothiswithouttrippingup!
"Elinalisesan!"
Icanalmostseeahaloaroundher.
RightthereIbowmyheaddown.
Onthewaydown,IcanhearElinalise'scheerfulvoice.
"Araara.WhatshouldIdo?Igetnothingoutofthis."
"Oh."
Soshehasdemands.
Terriblewoman.
ButI'magoner.
AlreadyI'mdancinginthehandofthedevil.
Likedanglingacarrotinfrontofahorse.
"What,doI,haveto,do?"
Iraisemyhead,Elinalisewithawickedsmile.
Whatadisgustingsmile.
EvenIwon'tmakesuchadisgustingsmile.
Probably.
"IrecallthatyoushouldstillhavesomeofAsuraKingdom'streasuredaphrodisiac."
"Ah,indeed.Stillthere."
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"Then,givethemtome?"
AsuraKingdom'streasuredaphrodisiacs.
TheonesIgotfromLuke,thoseaphrodisiacs.
Honestly,Ineverhaveachancetousethem.
Mystaminaandvigoralreadyexceedthosetwo,usingthatImightactuallybreakthem.
AndIcan'tmakethemdrinkiteither.
Iwastroubledbyhowtodisposeofthem.
"Whatfor?"
"HoneymoonwithCliff."
"Isthatevennecessary?"
"IwantClifflikeabeastforourweddingnight."
WhyisElinalisesosincerewhenitcomestosex?
Ithinkshe'sdemandingtoomuchoutofCliff.
"Elinalisesan,haveyouconsideredthatCliffwouldhateitifyou'retoodemanding?"
"Never.Ifhehatedthat,thenwewon'tworkoutinthefirstplace."
"Neverconsidermeetinghimhalfway?"
"EvenifIdo,soonerorlaterthingswillfallapart.Ifso,Ishouldjustbemyselffromthestart."
AsexpectedofElinalise.
Thinkingcarefully,neveroncedidClifftrytochangehimselfforElinalise'ssake.
Wellthere'sbedroomstuff,butIdon'tthinkhefeelsforced.
Feelslikethey'rejustsatisfyingeachother'sdesires.
I'malittlejealous.
"Igotit.I'llbringthemnexttime."
"Thanks.Ah,adruggedCliffthatlostanyselfcontrol,Ahh.."
Lostinherfantasies,Elinalise'sdrooling.
Well,em.
Aslongasitdeepenstheirrelationship.
Part3
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Amonthlater.
SaintMilisChurch.
TheonlychurchinallofMagicCitySharia.
AforebodingsolemnatmospherelikeaCatholicchurch.
Linedwithsimplepews,aMilisChurchsymbolshinesunderthelightshiningthroughclearwindowglass.
Infrontofthechurchsymbolstandsapriest.
ThepriestcurrentlyofferingtoGodasolemnprayer.
"SaintMilisforeverwatchoverus."
Amanandwomanstandssidebysidebeforethepriest.
Bothdressedinwhite.
Behindthem,sometwentysomeguestswatchingoverthem.
"Whenapersonappearstoseparatethem,SaintMiliswillshieldthem.
Whenapersonappearstoharmthem,SaintMiliswillcondemnhimbythesword.
Iftheirloveistobecomefalse,SaintMiliswillcomedownfromheavenandscorchthem."
I'malsoaguest.
DressedinRanoaKingdomformalsuitandstandingattheheadofthepack.
SylphytomyrightRoxytomyleft.
Bothofthemwearingtidydresses.
Becausenoneofusactuallyownsuitordresses,weendupbuyingnewones.
They'llseeusesaftertoday,soitdoesn'thurttobeprepared.
ArielandLukestandbesideSylphy,wearingexpensivelookingformalwears.
BehindusaredignitarieslikeZanoba,Pursena,andRinia.
AndafterthemJulieandAriel'sothertwoattendants.
Ican'tseefromhere,butNornandAishashouldbehereaswell.
They'rewearingdressesalso,buttheirsarerented.
They'restillgrowing,soItoldthemit'stoosoontobuyforthem.Theyreluctantlyagreed.
ThereareothershereIdon'trecognize.
Bytheway,Nanahoshiisabsent.
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MilisChurchweddingsseemtoseatguestsbysocialstatus.
Theclosestarethehighdignitariesandthenewlywed'sconfidants.
Arielnaturallybelongshere.
SylphyisElinalise'sonlyrelative.
Asherhusband,thatmeansI'mherealso.
Herattendant,sotospeak.
Butstandingupfrontfeelsratherparticularlyforbidding.
Ofcourse,theonewhofeelsitthehardestshouldbeRoxy.
Assocalledsecondwife,herexistenceisanaffronttotheChurch.
Perhapsasaresult,Roxyhasbeenrigidfromthestart.
ButLukesaidtherearemanynobilityoftheMilisfaithinAsuraKingdomthatneverthelessignoredtheone
husband,onewifecommand,sodon'tworrytoomuchaboutit.
"Thehusband,CliffGrimoire,doyousolemnlysweartoloveElinaliseDragonroadfortherestofyourlife?"
"IpromisetoloveElinaliseDragonroaduntilthedayIdie."
Thatsoundsfamiliar.
IsthatnecessaryevenfortheMilisfaith?
Well,Cliff'swordsholdweight.
Hewilldefinitelyfulfillhisvows.
Elinalisewillbetheonlyoneinthislife.
EvenIwouldyearnforthatmanliness.
Well,Icouldn't.
"Thewife,ElinaliseDragonroad,doyousolemnlysweartoloveCliffGrimoirefortherestofyourlife?"
"IswearmyloveforCliffwillneverchange."
Elinalise'stoo.
Butwillshe?
Well,thatcurseremains.
Andlifespanpoisesaproblem.
Cliffwillgofirst,andafterwardsElinalisewillprobablymoveon.
ButIprobablyshouldn'tsayrudethoughtslikethis.
Yeah.
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Still,ElinalisewhoenteredthetheMagicUniversitytohavesexwith15yearoldkids,gettingmarried,huh?
Lifesurehasitsupsanddowns.
"Now,letthegroomplaceonthebridethenecklaceofMilis."
Cliffreceivesanecklacefromthepriest.
Onithangsmanyvariousdecorations.
Anornamentalnecklaceknownas[NecklaceofMilis.]
AreplicaofoneactuallywornbySaintMilis.
ArequirementforeveryMilischurch.
"Eli,loweryourheadalittle."
"Ah.Sorry."
Icanheartheirwhispers.
Elinalisebendsdown,andClifftipshistoestoputthenecklaceonher.
It'skindofembarrassing.
Cliffisn'tverytall.
"Bride,pleasegrantthehusbandakissofoath."
"Yes."
CarefullyElinalisebendsdownandkissesCliffonhisforehead.
Notthelips,forehead.
ThisceremonyseemstooriginatefromaSaintMilislegend.
Onceuponatime,beforeheadingtocertaindeath,hegaveanecklacetohismostbelovedone.
ThemostbelovedonekissedSaintMilisonhisforehead,andwishedforhisreturn.
WhenSaintMiliswasindirestraits,themostbelovedoneofferedthatnecklacetoGod.
God,touchedbytheexquisitenecklaceandthemostbelovedone'slove,savedSaintMilis.
Thatwasthelegend.
Discerningfactandfictioninthisworldisdifficult.
Sothatmighthavereallyhappened.
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"God!Pleasegrantthesetwoeternalhappinessandprosperity!"
Atthatmoment,thestaffonthepriest'shandshoneadazzlinglight.
Itbathedthechurchinwhite.
Thebrideandgroombecomeasinglesilhouette.Theirwhitedressesgiveanillusionswallowedbythelight.
Ascenethestuffofdreams.
Buttomethatcanonlythinkof[Ah,thatstaffisamagictooltoo]itwasalittlelackluster.
Part4
Thenewlywedsleftwiththeguestslookingon.
Theweddingceremonyhasthusended.
Inessence,they'retheretoshowtheirproofoflovetoGod,andwe'remerelythereaswitnesses.
Noreceptionorafterpartyeither.
Iguessforroyaltiesitmightbedifferent,butunfortunatelyCliffisn'tone.
ButifBadigadiwerehere,he'ddefinitelyyellloudlyforanafterparty.
Iwasinthemoodforonerightnowtoo.
It'satimeworthcerebrating.
"Socool!"
"Thebridelookssopretty!"
AishaandNornseemexcitedbytheweddingceremony.
Fromthestart,theywerebusyexchangingtheirthoughtsaboutthewedding.
Rightnow,youcan'teventellhowtheyusuallydon'tgetalong.
Butrecently,theyhaven'tfoughtmucheither.
They'reonsurprisinglygoodtermswitheachother.
"AMilisweddingissodazzling!"
"Iwanttowearthatoneday!"
Thetwogirlsyappingamongthemselves.
Nornwillprobablyfindsomeoneonedayandwearthatwhitedress.
Thatsomeonewillbesuchaluckyman.
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Myweddingpresent?Apunchtotheface.
AndAisha?
Ican'timaginehermarried.
Somehow,shegivestheimpressionofacareermaid.
"Iguessgirlsreallydoyearnforthat?"
IaskSylphybesidesme.
"Oh.Butit'snotlikeIwasunsatisfied.Ithoughtourswerereallyheartfelttoo."
Sylphysaidwithasmile.
Ofcourseifshewantedit,Icouldhavedonethesame.
ButsinceI'mnotofMilisfaith,it'smoreofanact.
IcanalwaysgodownonmykneesandbegMilistoactasthepriest.
Kneelingforwomenisthehonorofmen.
NomatterhowmanytimesIhavetokneel.
"..."
SuddenlyIfeelatugonmyleftsleeve.
IturnaroundtofindRoxylookingstraightatme.
Herbeautifulface,lightlycoveredinmakeup.
Afaintrednesscoverhercheeks.
"...Roxywantsaweddingreceptiontoo?"
Roxyhasn'thadherreceptionyet.
PartofitwasduetoPaul'svigil.
TheMigurdRacedoesn'thaveanypracticesofweddingreceptioneither.
That'swhyRoxyherselfsaiditwasunnecessary.
Butseeingthisscene,sheprobablyhasachangeofmind.
"No,it'sfine.But..youknow?"
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Withthatsaid,Roxycloseshereyes,puckersoutherlipsand"Mm."
Beforemyeyesabeautifulgirlwaitswithhereyesshut.
Sothisishavingsomethinghandedtoyouonaplatter.
Bonappetit.
IgrabRoxybyhershoulders,andkissheronherforehead.
"Eh?"
"Excuseme.It'sabeautifulforehead."
"Oh,really..Haha."
Roxylooksalittleflustered.
Becauseshewaskissedatadifferentplacethanexpected.
But,shehasn'tstartedlaughingherselfsillyeither.
Tooeasy.
Butthatisanicepointtoo.
Alright,it'sdecided.TonightI'llhaveRoxy.
"Ah,Rudi.Metoo,metoo."
Sylphyleansonmyrightwiththesamerequest.
OfcourseIhavenoreasontorefuseher.
Noreasontohesitatewhenitcomestokissingprettygirlsontheirforeheads.
"Ehehe..."
Eventhoughitwasherownsuggestion,shestilllaughsanyways.
Ah,Sylphyissocute.
WhatdoIdo.IwanttohugSylphy.
ButIalsowanttohugRoxy.
CanIhugthemboth?
WillElinalisecomethrough?
Ithinkitshouldbefinenow.
Theaphrodisiacsarealreadyhers.
I'llaskhernexttime.
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"...Niisan.Inthisplace,canyouholdbackalittle?"
Nornbeginstocomplainassoonasmypervertedfacebeginstoshow.
Itsaysonherface,I'msohappyafterseeingsuchaniceceremonynowdon'tgoruiningit,thatkindofface.
Sowatchingherrelationsflirtinglikethisisnogood?
Also,doingitwithtwomighthavebeenpushingit.
"Itcan'tbehelped."
"Ah!Holdon,stop!"
IpickupNornandkissherontheforeheadaswell.
Herfacebrightredasshetriesdesperatelytoscruboffherforehead.
Hownice.
"..."
Aishalookswithafaceofenvy.
Writtenonherface:Iwantit?CanI?WhatifIwasrefused?thosefeelingsarethere.
Ofcourse,there'snoreasontoworryatall.
"Aisha!"
Withopenarmsandafaceofgrace(inmyopinion)Ifaceher.
"Oniichan!"
Herfacegleaming,sherunsover.
Ipuckerherforehead,andsheclingsonmelikeacat.
Come,restinmyarms.
Butevenherlegswrappedaroundmeisabittoomuch.
She'swearingaskirttoo,soherpantyisgoingtogetexposed.
"Aisha.Don'twrapyourlegs.You'rewearingaskirt.It'llbetroublesomeifyourpantiesshowed."
"Okay."
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Aishatakesherlanding,leadingaheadwithafaceofsatisfaction.
Seriously.
Iguessat11she'sstillachild,butmanygirlsinthisworldarealreadyfineladiesat10.
Ishouldwatchhercarefully.
"..."
Suddenly,Iremembered...
IntheletterPaulwrotebackthen,hesaidtoproperlycelebrateonceeveryonereunited.
Ihavebeenmeaningto,buthalfayearpassedintheblinkofaneye.
Neithersistereverevencelebratedtheir5sand10s.
Butmineweregrand,soIfeelalittlesorryforthem.
Right,timetocelebratethesehappytimes.
Okay.
Ihavedecided.
Let'shaveaparty.
"TheBanchoisgreat."
Chapter8FlowersinBothHands
Part1
Twoweeksaftertheweddingceremony.
ItookSylphyandRoxydowntown.
TobuybirthdaygiftsforNornandAisha.
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Wedecidedonasurpriseparty.
Secretlypreparingasurpriseforthesisters.
There'sanotherreasonthatthethreeofusaretogether,butI'llexplainthatlater.
Part2
Wearrivedattheplaza.
Perhapsduetotheharvestseason,thecityisparticularlybustling.
Carriagesrushingtoandforth,peoplesellingfruitsandvegetables,facesfullofsmiles.
Foodrightnowisbothplentifulandcheap.
Aplatformrisesinthemiddleoftheplaza.
Soonit'llbetheHarvestFestival.
Allthefestivalisabonfireintheplaza,usingbigpotstocooktheharvest,andeveryonehavingafeasttogether.
Noothereventbesidesthat.
Merelyagatheringaroundthebonfiretothankearthfortheharvestandfeasttogether.
Nosingingordancing.
Speakingofwhich,ingredientsarefreetoeveryonewhobringsapotover.
Lastyear,whileIwasaway,Aishacametopickupsome.
Shesaiditwasn'tverygood,sincetheingredientsarejusttossedtogether.
MaybeI'llhavesomethisyear?
Evenifitdoesn'ttasteanygood,Istillwanttotryit.
"Thisseasonsureislivelyasalways."
"Yeah,peoplefromallwalksshowuparoundthistime."
RoxyglancesbackandforthwithcuriositywhileSylphyreplies.
Studentsenjoyingthemselvesintheplaza,searchingformerchants,
Farmerswithcartloadsofvegetablespassingby,
Adventurersarguingitoutafterwalkingintoeachother.
OnlyinthisseasonwouldMagicCityShariabesolively.
ManyBeastRacecanbefoundinthePlazatoo.
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Strongones,wieldinggreatswordsthesizeofmachetes.
They'repartofthefestivities.
ThefestivalcoincideswithPursenaandRinia'smatingseason,sowarriorsofallagesgatherattheMagic
Universitytowintheirhands.
SeemslikeRiniaandPursenaarereadytofindmatesaswell.Theyaretakingthechallengesseriouslythisyear.
Butregardlessoftraditions,theydeclaredthattheywouldonlypickamongsuitorsthatcandefeatthem.
SwordmustbeSaintRankorbetter,MagicmustbeAdvancedRankorbetter,adventurersmustbeatleastA
Rank,ideallyhaveabeautifulpelt,awildyetgentlemanwithuprighttailandears.
EvenIthinktheirstandardsmightbeatadhigh.
Well,Ihopetheyfindagoodman.
Someonelikeme.
"..."
Ilookaround.
Roxytomyleft.
Sylphytomyright.
Truly,aflowerinbothhands.
"Um,Sylphysan,Roxysan."
"Whatisit,Rudeussan?"
"Yes?"
"MayIwrapmyarmsaroundyou?"
Asuddenboutofinspiration.
Allmendreamofthisonce.
Thatpopularsensationtohaveagirlinbotharms.
Onceuponatime,I'dspatoutfromseeingaguylikethat.
But,inmyheartIstillyearnedforit.
Imusttryit.
"Em."
"...Fine."
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Sylphyleansinmyright.
Roxysheepishlyleansonmyleftarm.
Ohh,enviouseyesshoweruponme,likeduringtheResurrectionofJesus.
Howpleasant,tobeenvied.
Justkidding.
Ratherthaninmydelusions,basicallynoonelooked.
Merchantsarealltoobusy,andallthebeastwarriorsarerushingtotheMagicUniversity.
Afewstudentssheepishlyglancebutquicklylookaway.
Adventurerstoo,whetheratthetavernorbickeringoutside,wastenotimetojeeratus.
Evenso,I'malreadysatisfied.
Inparticular.
Thesensationsfrommyrightarm.
Thattactilefeedbackfromhereandtheresimplydidn'texistfromSylphyinthepast.
'Hereandthere'mightbeabitrude.
Herbreasts.
Leaningagainstagirl'sboobsinpublic.
Suchawondroussensationfromsomethingsosimple.
Myheart,desertedbyyouthinmypastlife,feelsrejuvenated.
Justalittlemore,andthisoasismaysoonreturntominisizeperfectionlikeElinalise's.
Inotherwords,righthereexiststwinislandswheredreamsaremadeof.
Thetreasureislandsarerighthere!
Ofcourse,notonlywithSylphy.
Inmylefthand,Roxy'sflatchestisalsowellcherished.
Butflatdoesn'tmeannonexistent.
MywelltrainedhandeasilydiscoversthesoftnessofRoxy.
Oh,howwonderful.
I'mthankfultomywelltonedmuscles.
Becausewithoutthem,shewouldmerelyfeelhalfassoft.
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Haha,don'tbejealousofmybiceps.
You'rewonderfultoo.
"...Ufufu."
Icouldn'tcontainmysmile.
Thereasonwecameouttodaywastopickpresentsforthesisters.
Butthatwasn'ttheonlyreason.
Afewdaysago,Elinalisetoldme.
"Iconveyedthemessage.Thethreeofyougooutsomewhere,andwhenthemoodisright,findadecenthotel
anddothedeed."
Inotherwords,thatthing.
Today,it'shappening.
Thepleasureoftwogirls,onebed.
WillIabletosatisfythemboth?
Ah,Ican'twaittofindout.
"Rudi,Rudi?"
Sylphy'scallingbroughtmebacktomysenses.
"You'redrooling.Hungry?"
Roxywipesmylipscleanwithahandkerchief.
Nogood,nogood.
Delusionsoverwhelming.
Ofcourse.
EventhoughI'mlookingforwardtotheendgamethemost.
Ihavenoplanstoneglectthejourney.
FindgreatgiftsforNornandAisha.
AndanenjoyabledatewithSylphyandRoxy.
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"Sorry,mymouthfeltalittlelax."
WhileapologizingItrytoregainmyfocus.
Part3
Wespendawholedaylookingforpresents,traversingthetown.
Firstisthecraftdistrict.
Thecraftdistricthasavarietyofmagicitemsavailable.
Ofcourse,thebusinessdistricthasmagicitemsaswell.
Buttheonesavailablethereareallcommercializeditems,practicalbutexpensive.
Craftdistricthavemanyinexperiencedmagictoolmakertrainees,soalotoftheirpracticeworkscanbefound.
Noneofmuchuse,basicallyalltoys.
But,youmightfindarareitembyafuturegeniusheretoo.
AccordingtoRoxy.
SeemslikeoneofRoxy'sclassmatesstudiedintheCraftDistrict.
Butunfortunatelyhealreadylefttown.
"AlthoughIdon'tthinkwe'llfindanythingforthegirlshere."
Despitewhatshesaid,Roxybusiesherselfcheckingoutallthemagicitems.
Ofcourse,Idon'tthinkwe'llfindAishaandNornanythinghereeither.
I'mactuallyheretofindapresentforRoxy.
EventhoughRoxyandIalreadymarried,weneverevenhadaweddingreception.
Shesaidweddingceremoniesareunnecessary,butweshouldatleasthaveareception.
SoIplantocelebrateitalongwithAisha'sandNorn'sbirthday.
Ofcourse,Roxydoesn'tknow.
Thistooisasurprise.
Asurpriseforonethathelpedprepareit.
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Iplantodropbyinsecrettomorrow,ifRoxysays[Iwantthis]here.
Ifit'samagictool,itmightbepricey.
Rightnow,myfamilyincomeincludesSylphyandRoxy'swages,royaltiesfromthescrollIgotfrom
Nanahoshi,andmyshareofearningsfromtheLabyrinth.Fourincomesourcesinall.
Inparticularwiththelastone,includingtheinheritancefromPaul,there'senoughthereforustoenjoyfor30
yearsorso.
Notenoughtosquanderfrivolously,butplentythere.
Still,youneverknowwhenatimetousemoneycomes.
That'swhyIstillavoidbeingabigspenderineverydaylife.
Butcommemoratingaweddingisanexception.
EvenifRoxysaid[IwantaPorscheCayenne]Iwouldbuyitforher.
ButrecentlyRoxyhasbeenridingJiroueverywhere,soIdon'tthinksheneedsanewride.
"Thispotfreezesanythingwhenyoupourmagicinit.ItmightworkforAisha?"
"IthinkAishawantssomethingcuter."
"Ah,true,weshouldn'tgiveheranythingworkrelated..."
WhileSylphyandRoxydiscussthisandthat,IcarefullykeepaneyeonRoxy.
Untilnow,IhaveyettofindRoxyfawningoveranything.
SofarshehasonlydiligentlylookedforgiftsforAishaandNorn.
Completelyignoringherownfeelings.
"Rudi,areyoulooking?"
"Yes.LookingtolickRoxyallover."
"Pleasetakethisseriously.Wasn'titRudi'sideatobuypresents?"
Ofcourse,IwasthinkingaboutpresentsforNornandAishatoo.
ButIthinkwewon'tfindanythingherealso.
Part4
Weheadtothebusinessdistrict.
OurtargetistheclothingstorethatSylphyfrequents.
Thesameshopwheresheboughtmetherobe.
Sofar,thisisthemostlikelyplacetofindgifts.
"Thisplacelooksreallyupscale."
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Roxyhesitateswhenshesawthestorefront.
Shenervouslychecksoverherownrobes.
Ishouldprobablytellherthatthestoredoesn'thaveadresscode.
"Eh,thisisupscale?"
Sylphytiltsherhead,puzzled.
Whenitcomestoclothing,sheonlyshopsatupscalestores.
Thatdoesn'tmeanshe'sabigspender.
JusthabitsshepickedupfrombeingconstantlywithAriel.
Youtendtoshopwhereyourfriendsshop.
Sylphyisn'tloosewithmoney.
She'sjustshoppingatplacesshefeelscomfortablein.
Inotherwords.
Noonereallythinksoftheirownstuffasupscale.
"No.ThisisperfectlysuitablewiththemoneyintheGreyrathouse.JustthatIdon'tfrequentthistypeofstore
myself."
"Rreally....it'sthatexpensive..."
Sylphylooksdejected.
Herearsflopdown.
"Eh,Rudi.HaveIbeenspendingtoomuchmoney?"
"Ofcoursenot."
Sylphy'swagesbasicallycoverherclothingexpenses.
Sheonlyspendsherownmoney.
NothingIneedtochideinabout.
"Idefinitelywasn'tthinkingthatSylphywaswasteful.WhenIwasacourtmagician,Ifrequentedstoreslike
thisaswell.It'sagreatplacetoshopforbirthdaypresents."
"Oh,yeah,forbirthdaypresents...Yeah..."
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Roxyadds.
AsexpectedofmyShisho.
Instantly,shefollowsthrough.
Ishouldhelpaswell.
"Ithinkclothingslightlyontheexpensivesideisjustfine."
"Ithinkthey'retasteful."
"Whatshouldwedo?Maybeweshouldlookelsewhere...Butbesideshere,allthestoresIknowareexpensive
too."
"It'sfine.Wecanjustshophere."
Sylphydoesn'thavemuchpersonalclothinginthefirstplace.
Andshe'sdressingupallformysakeanyways.
EvenifIshouldn'tthankher,Idon'thaveanycomplaintseither.
Tobehonest,frommyperspectivetheclothinghereisonthepriceyside.
Butthat'sbecauseI'musedtowearingthecheapstuffforadventurersanyways.
Besides,justenjoyitevenifthey'repricey.
Wehavemoney.
"Oh,ifitisn'tGreyratsama!Welcome!"
Shopassistantscircleusassoonaswearrive.
Theyprobablyrecognizealltheirfrequentguests.
"Whatareyoulookingfortoday?"
"Birthdaypresentsfor10yearoldgirls."
"Isee,comethisway!"
Withthatsaid,ashopassistantimmediatelyledusin.
They'rewelltrained.
Ourtargetisanareawithvariouschildren'swear.
Everydaywear,robes,dresses,etc.
Theoptionsareplentiful.
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Iguesslotsofpeoplecometoshopfor10thbirthdaypresentshere.
"SomanythingshereIdon'tevenknowwheretostart."
"Winteriscoming,somaybesomethingwarm?"
RoxyandSylphychattinghappilyinfrontofapileofclothing.
Asexpectedofgirls.
Completelyoppositeofthat'anythingwoulddo'redhairedgirl.
"Um,Rudi,whatdoyouthink?"
"Nornisalittleshortinwintercoats,maybeanewoneforher?"
IgaveSylphymyopinionwhensheasked.
Bothgirlsnodinapproval.
"Ah,thisovercoatlooksquitenice...HowaboutAishachan?"
"AfewdaysagoAishamentionedthatherbootsarefeelingabitsmall."
"Boots?Thatsoundsgood.Let'sgowiththat."
Ourtargetsdecided,webegintoshoparound.
Withoptionssoplentiful,wequicklyfoundtheperfectfitsforbothofthem.
ForNorn,abrightlycoloredovercoatforAisha,apairofembroideredboots.
Bothalittleonthebigside,butsincethey'restillgrowing,itshouldbefine.
Afterwardswebrowsedthestoreforalittlemore.
Isaidnoreasonthatwecanonlygiveone,sincethatwasn'tacompletelie.
ButthetruthisIwantedtofindapresentforRoxy.
"DoyouthinkAishawilllikethisfabricbrooch?"
"Yeah,sheseemstolikeflowers."
"No,maybeit'stoomature?"
"Say,whatdoesNornchanlike?"
"Norn...Well,Idon'teverrecallhertalkingaboutherlikesandsuch..."
"Nornsanseemstolikearmorandhorsesandswordsandsuchboyishthings."
"Eh,howdoesRoxyknow?"
"Ireallywanttogetalongwithher."
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Wewalkandchat.
"..."
Suddenly,Roxystopsinhertracks.
Arobecatcheshereyes.
AMagician'srobeandhatonprominentdisplay.
Sizedforanadultmale,they'reprobablytoobigforRoxy.
Lookinglonginglyatthehat,sheremovesherown.
Then,nearlyintearsshestaresdownatherownhat.
Thehatlooksratherancientincomparison.
SheprobablyworethisbackinBuinaVillagetoo.
Whilenotincompletetatters,it'svisiblyfrayedafterbeingaroundtheblockafewtimes.
Buttheblackcoloringhelpsthatfrombecomingobvious.
Roxyreplacesherhatbackonherself,andslowlyonhertippytoes,reachesforthehatondisplay.
Sheflipsitaround,eventuallylocatesthepricetag,dismaybefallsherface.
Instantlysheputsthehatbackintoplace.
Lookslikeit'stooexpensive.
"Sigh..."
Roxysighs,asifnothinghappened,sheheadsbacktowardme.
"Hey,Rudi."
SuddenlyInoticedSylphybesidesme.
"That'sit."
"Yep."
SylphyandIareinagreement.
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Withthat,Roxy'sgifthasbeendecidedaswell.
Afterwards,Iplacedanorderfortheovercoat,theboots,andsecretlythehataswellbeforeheadingout.
Pickupisthedayoftheparty.
Giftwrapisincludedaswell.
Ican'twait!
Part5
Finally,wewanderovertowheretheadventurersgather,thetaverndistrict.
Sincewe'vebeenallover,it'salreadynighttime.
AroundthistimeiswhenadventurersreturnwiththeirhaulfromLabyrinthraids.
Also,thoseshortoncasharepawningwhattheyhavearoundnowaswell.
Sotherearedealstobefoundhere.
Butmagictoolsarequitepriceystill,andnomusthaveseither.
Windowshoppingisapleasureinitself.
Butthat'sjustme.
"Look,Sylphy.Thesearewhatadventurerswear.Thisiswhereregularfolksshop."
"Okay.Igetit.ButIneverworeclothinglikethesebefore.Idon'tknowhowIwouldlookinthem."
"IthinkSylphywouldlookgoodinthis.Sinceyou'reslender,thiscloakshouldlookgoodonyou."
Theychatamongthemselves.BeforeIrealizeit,theyhaveanentireoutfitputtogetherforSylphy.
Inthestyleofamagicswordsman,itevencomeswithanelbowprotector.
Lackinginelegance,butithasthecharmofanewadventurer,andisactuallyquitecute.
Withthis,Sylphycanbecomeanewadventureranytimeshewantsto.
AnFRankAdventurer!
Well,shehasworkalready,soshehasnoneedtobecomeanadventurer.
Evenmore,herworkoutfitareallmagicitems.
SoIdoubtthere'sachanceforhertoeverwearthis.
"Haha,thankyou."
ButSylphylooksquitehappy.
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Whilewe'reshopping,allthestoresstarttocloseshop.
Themerchantswon'tbothertosellintothenight.
Thus,wenaturallywalkaround,andnaturallywesteertowardthediningarea.
Obviously.
TheonlyonesnaturalhereareSylphyandRoxy.
Everythingwentaccordingtomyplan.
Knowingthiswillhappen,Ialreadyhaveaplacebooked.
WeheadtowardsaSRankadventurer'stavern.
Elinaliserecommendedthisplaceas"thelaststopforthedate."
Thefoodisdelicious,themoodisjustright,thebediswide,andthesoundisolationisperfect.
Thatkindofplace.
"Ah,grandmatoldmeaboutthisplace.ShetoldmetomakeupwithRudihereifweevergetintoafight."
"Eh,Sylphytoo?"
Buttheyalreadyknewaboutthisplace.
Intheend,we'remerelythreelittlelambsdancinginElinalise'spalm.
Still,evenifweallknew,that'sfineaswell.
"Elinalisesanalsosaid,onedayImightcomeherewithRudiandSylphy.And,whenthathappens,that
means..."
"Shetoldmethesamething...sothatexplainsit."
"Rudiisapervert!"
SylphyandRoxybothlooktowardsmewithscorn.
Butnotwithdisgust.
Elinalisehasdoneherjob.
Thus,bothhavealreadycometotermswithmyscheme.
AllthankstoElinalisesan.
No,allhailElinalisesama!
"Butwedidn'tsaywewouldstayouttonight.I'mworriedaboutLucy."
SylphysuddenlymentionsLucyasifshejustremembered.
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But,Ialreadytookcareofthat.
"Don'tworry.IalreadyaskedLiliasantotakecareofher."
Liliasaid[Countonme]assoonasItoldhertonightwilldecideeverything.
"Youasked...Well,Iguessshe'llbefinewithLiliasan."
Sylphyprobablywantstocomplainthatparentsshouldn'tbothdisappear,evenifeverything'stakencareof.
Iunderstandthataswell.
But,well.
...Idon'thaveanyexcuses.
I'msorry,Lucy,Iloveyou.
Pleaseforgivethisfatherforbeingaslavetohisdesires.
"I...haveschooltomorrow."
Roxyisworriedaboutherattendance,butIhavethatcoveredaswell.
"We'lljustheadhomeabitearlier."
"Willwegetupintime?Idon'thaveanyconfidence...afterthat."
"Countonme."
"Eh,ifRudisaidso,thenplease..."
It'llbitatightfit,butI'malreadysetonspendingthenightouttonight.
"Then,Dannasama.We'reinyourcaretonight."
"Pleasetakecareofus."
Mytwolovelywiveslowertheirheads.BattlepreparationsOK.
Part6
Butheadingtobedstraightawaynowwilljustberude.
Firstwewillhavedinnerinthefirstfloorofthetavern.
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Thefoodhereisindeeddelicious.
Food,drinks,flirting.
Gettingintothemoodisimportanttoo.
Myloveforthemgoesbeyondmeresexualurges.
Iwon'tdenymyurgesarestrong,butIstillwantthemtoenjoyapureustimetogether.
"Wow,thislooksamazing."
"Youcan'teatthisjustanywhere..."
Sittingsidebysideinfrontofthecuisinesbeingserved,bothexclaimed.
IntheNorth,foodispriceyandquantitylacking.
Thus,everydaymealstendtobeontheplainside.
Butrightnow,inthemiddleofharvestseason,andatsuchaupscalerestauranttoboot.
Arichsaladmadefromfreshveggies.
Aspicysoup,stewedwithriverfish.
ABlackAngussteaktoppedwithspices.
Allcuisinesthatyoucan'tfindeveryday.
Inaddition,awinewithastrongwhiskeylikearoma.
"Thissoupisdelicious.Iwonderwhatflavoringtheyused."
"Ithink...mustardseedsimmeredinoil?"
Sylphy,concernedwithLucy,isabstainingfromalcohol.
Butsheseemsquitecuriouswiththesoup,repeatedlytastingit.
"Iwanttolookintothisabitmore.Rudi,ifImakethis,willyoueatit?"
Sylphytiltshertinyhead.
Ifshedoes,I'llwolfitdownwithoutadoubt.
"Haha,I'llhaveitwithasideofSylphy."
"Seriously,Rudi."
Thefinaleisdesserts.
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Thisrestaurantofferseverydessertyoucanthinkof.
Evenso,fortimeconsumingstufflikeonesIhadatHolyKingdomofMilis,they'llbealittledifferent.
Themaindesertisanapplelikefruit.
Ihadthisbefore.Comparedtoapplesofthepastlife,it'sabitsour.
Cutbitesizedanddippedinhoneylikesweetsyrup.
Tasteslikeafruitpreserveorafruitpunch.
Quitedelicious.
Eventhoughtheonlythingthatcomestomymindwithapple/honeyflavorissweetcoffee,butthatismy
mistake.
"Thisis...!"
Roxyreallylovesthedessert.
Hereyessparkling,andrelentlesslyshefeastsonit.
MySenseireallylovessweets.
Orperhaps,allMigurdiaRacelovessweets.
"Amazing,Icaneventastesomethinglikethis,thisfarNorth!"
Roxydoesn'tsaymuch,butshelookstrulymoved.
IfeellikelightisshiningoutofRoxy.
Likeshe'llstarttalkingloudlyaboutthejewelryboxinhermouthatanymoment[35]
"Aww..."
Finishingherdessertinaninstant,Roxylooksattheemptyplatefilledwithregret.
"Youcanhavemine."
IpushmyplatetowardsRoxy.Astonishmentovercomesher.
"Eh,really?"
Foodshouldbeeatenbythosewhoenjoythem.
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"Ofcourse.Here,ahah."
"AhHuh?Iamnotalittlekidanymore...Ahah."
Roxytakesabiteanyways.Happinesssweepsherface.
EventhoughIwanttofeedhermore,butregrettablymysharehasdisappearedaswell.
Nexttime.
Wellthen,nowthatwehaveourfill.
Stuffedwithsweets,thesetwoprettyladiesturnparticularlysweetaswell.
"Well,ladies."
"Whatisit,Rudi?"
"What?"
"Actually,Ialreadybookedaroom..."
IfinallysaidthelineIwaitedmywholelifetosay.
"...Oh.Well,Roxy,letmeaskagain...areyoufinewithme?"
"Yes.I'llbeinyourcare."
RoxyandSylphyshareaglanceandanod.
Ipickupakeyfromthelobbyandrushthetwointoourroom.
Aclothrackbythedoorway,andathickcarpetcoverthefloor.
Inthefarendalarge,fluffybedbigenoughforfivetorollin.
Darknessbythewindow.
Ihurrytoshuttheblindsandlightupthealreadypreparedcandles.
Thus,inthisdimlylitroomthesilhouettesoftwolovelygirlsappear.
"..."
"..."
Blushing,bothslowlyremovetheirouterwear.
Iwatch,convincedagainthatthisnightwillbethemostwonderfulnight.
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"TheBanchoisrich."
Chapter9BirthdayParty
Part1
Dayofbattle.
Nornishomethatday.
Roxyisonbreakthatday.
EventhoughSylphyisn'tonbreak,sherequestedthedayoffaswell.
PreparationOK.
Allthatremainsistheactualbattle.
IcallNorn,Aisha,andRoxytogether.
"Ihavethingstotalkabout.Ihopeyou'llaccompanyme."
"What?"
Bothsisterstilttheirheads.
ButIalreadyinformedRoxyaboutthesurpriseparty.
Whilemakingfoodandpickingupgiftsfromtheshop,wehavetotakethesistersoutsomewhere.
"Igotit.It'sfine."
Roxystraightforwardlyacceptedtherequest.
Hohoho,shedoesn'tknowshe'spartofthecelebrationsyet.
"Eh,mom.CanIleavemyworktodayandgo?"
"It'sRudeussama'sinvitation.Ofcourseit'sfine."
"Alright,I'mheadingout."
AishagotLilia'spermission.
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"..."
NornlookstowardSylphy,slightlybothered.
"Roxysanisgoingtoo,sowhynotSylphyneesan?"
"Eh?"
Nornsuddenlyasks.IsexcludingSylphytooobvious?
"Well,yousee,IhavetotakecareofLucy!"
"Afewdaysago,youlefttogethertoo.Sylphyneesan,areyoufinewiththis?"
"Wwell.."
Sylphylookstowardmydirectionforhelp.
But,assoonasshespotsRoxy,Icanalmostseehereyessparklewithinspiration.
"Aactually,thiswasmyplan."
"Eh?Whatis?"
"Nornchan,youdon'thaveagoodrelationshipwithRoxyyet,right?"
"Oh,that'strue."
"We'refamilynow.It'sbadifwedon'tgetalong,soIthoughtachanceoutthehousecanhelpyoutwogetto
knoweachotherbetter.Ifyouspendsometimetogether,youshouldbecomemorecomfortablewitheachother,
right?"
"...Sothat'swhy.Igetit."
LookslikeNornboughtit.
Ontheotherhand,Aishastartstoshowsurprise.
Becauseit'snotlikeAishaandRoxydon'tgetalong.
WhenRoxypreparesherlessons,Aishawouldevenbringteaandsnacksforher.
Thosetwogetalongjustfine.
Butamomentlater,somethingseemedtoclickforAisha.
Withashrug,asmileresurfacedonher.
...Didshefigureitout?
"That'swhy,thefourofyouenjoyyourselvestoday."
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"Yes."
"Okay."
"Sorryforthetrouble."
Stillsweatingbullets,butIsuccessfullyescortthosethreeoutofthehouse.
Part2
Prepworkwilltakealotoftime.
Cooking,decoratingtheroom,andpreparingthepresentswithjustthetwoofthem.
Justincase,weshouldstayoutuntilatleasttheafternoon.
Eventhough,wecan'tgotothebusinessdistrict.
It'llbetroubleifwestumbleuponSylphyonherwayfrompickingupthepresents.
Ofcourse,wecangotothetraveldistrictorthecraftdistrict,evenwastingtimeatschoolwouldwork.
ButIenduppickingthatplace.
"Let'sgofishing."
Weheadoutthecity.
Andarrivedataquietcreek,farfromthehustleandbustle.
Intheclearcreekwatersmanyfishcanbeseen.
"Ah.Isthisreallyagoodwaytogettoknoweachotherbetter?"
"WhatSylphysaidwasn'tentirelyalie."
Roxyquietlywhispersasshetakesoutthepreparedfishinggear.
Nofishingreelorartificialbaits.
Justaregularwoodenstickcombinedwithspidersilkfromgiantspiders,asimplesubstitute.
Inaddition,wehavecheekpouchesofRadiataFrogsasfloats,andhooksofironIfashioned.
Thebaitisearthworms.
"Ineverfishedbefore."
"Meneither,butIalwayswantedtotry."
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Thesisterspicktheirowngearastheysaythat.
Aishaquicklyinstallsherhookandfloats,preparesthebait,andrunsbesidesthecreek.
ThenshecastsherfishingrodoutlikeSanpei.[36]
Hasshereallyneverfishedbefore?
"Niisan,whatamIsupposedtodo?"
"Hehe,Niisandoesn'tknoweither.Ineverfishedbefore."
Inmypreviouslife,Iwasanindoortype.
Neverfishedbefore,neverinterestedinfishingeither.
Ofcourse,aftercomingtothisworldIneverfishedeither.
IfIwantfish,Icanjustfreezethiscreekandcallitaday.
"Then,Nornsan.CanIteachyou?"
Roxynervouslyofferstohelp.
Lookslikeshehassomeexperience.
Ifshedoesn't,itwouldbefuntoexperimentbetweenthe3ofustoo.Sincesheoffered,I'lljointhelessonas
well.
"...Please."
WithsomemixedfeelingsNornnods.
AsaMilisbeliever,IguessshereallydoeshavesomereservationsaboutRoxy.
But,sheprobablydoesn'thateRoxyherself.
"Okay,nowtryityourself."
"Likethis?"
"Yep.Goodjob."
"...Thankyou."
Roxy'steachingsaredetailed.
Nornlistenscarefully.
Good,good.
IalsohopethatRoxyandNornwillgetalong.
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Part3
Thenwestartfishing.
Roxyhasawealthofexperience.
WhatImeanis,shelookssocool.
SittingonachairImadewithearthmagic,withonehandontherod,hereyesfocusonlyonthewatersurface.
Inthatpose,shelooksjustlikeamonkinmeditation.
Thenwheneventhetiniestvibrationreachesherhand,shewillpulltherod.
Althoughatthebeginningsheswungempty,butbythispointshe'sfarinthelead.
"Roxysanissogoodatthis."
"WhenIwastravelingalone,Ihadtolearntocatchfoodonmyown."
"Ohyeah,inhistravels,Ruijerdsancaughtfishaswell."
"Hecanfish?"
"No,withaspear,hejuststabsthewater,andcomesbackwithtwoorthreefish"
NornsitsbyRoxy'sside,makingcasualconversations.
Stillabitwooden,butthemoodisthere.
"Ah,Nornsan,yougotabite.Trytopull!"
"Eh,Eh!oh,oh!Ah.."
"Thishappensprettyoften.Baititandtryagain."
Nornkeepslosingfocusandmanagedtoletanotheronego.
ButRoxyseemstobeenjoyingherself,withatopicrelevanttoher,hermoodvisiblybrightens.
"Haha,Oniichan.Youdon'tlooksogoodthere.Somethingwrong?"
Aishaisinherbestshape.
Althoughsheswungemptyafewtimes,shealreadycaught3.
"Don'tforget,wepromisedthattheloserhastolistentothewinner'scommands."
Earlier,IacceptedAisha'schallengetosee"whowillcatchmorefish,"butsofarmyresultsare0.
LookslikeI'lllose.
Well,doesn'tmatterifIdo.
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But,eventhoughwearebothbeginners,whyisthegapbetweenusthatlarge?
Aishaisgreatnomatterwhatshedoes.
"Onlystuffwithinmyabilities."
"WhatshouldIchoose?Holdmetightallnightandwhispersweetnothingslike'Aishaiscute'?Ormaybethe
stuffyoudowithRoxyaneandSylphyane?"
"Nopervertedstuff.Dadwillgetmad."
"Don'tbringdadintothis"
Shemightsaythat,butintheendshe'llprobablyaskforsomethingexpensiveanyways.
Well,losingisfine.
Icanletmysisterwinthistime.
No.
Isn'tthisachancetoshowmyselfoffasthecoololderbrother?
Ratherthanagentle,unreliablebrother,Iwanttobeastrongandreliableone!
"Aisha,I'llnowshowmytrueform."
"Soyouhaven'tbeentakingitseriously?"
"Haha,fromnowon,I'llusemyDemonEye!"
"Ehh,that'scheating!"
Whateveryousay.
Thisismytrueform.
Itmightbejustasecondintothefuture,butthatshouldbeenoughformetodemonstratetheoverwhelming
skillgapbetweenus.
IopenmyDemonEye.
Andfocusonmyfloat.
<Noreaction.>
<Noreaction.>
<Thefloatbeginstoshake.>
"Fiiish!"
Aswinghonedthroughdailyswordpractice.
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Wriststrengthenhancedbyanartificiallimbthatignoresanyresistance.
WithabitofforceIpullupthehook.
"Oh!It'sabigone..?"
Ihookedaboot.
"..."
Bootexistsinthisworldtoo?
Well,thiscreeksitsdownstreamfromMagicCitySharia.
Peopleoftencometoittowashandfetchwater.
Sosometimes,forwhateverreason,abootfallsinandgetslost.
Ormaybefurtherupstreamsomewhere,anadventurerlostit,andittraveleddownstream.Thatispossibletoo.
"Oniichan..."
Aishalooksatmeinshame.
No,let'schangeourthoughtprocessalittle.
Thisisn'taboot.
Thatwouldwork.
Yep.
IfIthinkaboutit,thislookslikesomethingelseentirely.
Yep.
Lookingcarefully,isn'tthisafish?
Indeed,callingitafishisn'tcompletelyunreasonable.
Itlookslikeafishnomatterhowyoulookatit.
Itlookslikenothingelsebesidesfish.
ThusIputthebootinsidethefishtank.
"Alright,that's1.I'llcatchupsoonenough."
"Hey!Thatwasaboot!"
"Itmightlooklikeabootatfirstglance,butit'sactuallyaveryrespectablefreshwatercreature.Icallit...Shoe
Fish."
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"You'resofullofit!There'snosuchthing!That'scheating!"
Aishaplungesahandinthefishtankandtossesthebootbackinthecreek.
"Ahh!"
Don'tthrowtrashinthecreek.
Well,no.That'scatchandrelease.
Thebootisjustababy.
Ifweletitgonow,it'lldefinitelyworkbacktotheoceanandeventuallyreturn.
I'llgowiththat.
"Ah!Oh...Gotit!That'sNo.4."
WhileIwasbusythinking,Aishahasalreadycaughtherfourth.
Ugh.
I'llloseforsurenow.
SorrySylphyandRoxy.
I'mAisha'sbedwarmertonight...
"Justlikethat,verygood.Nowpull,pull!"
"Arg...Grr...Ah!"
"Doyourbest.Careful!"
Gettingnoisyallthesudden,Iturnovertolook,Norngotabite.
Abigone!
AlmostthesizeofaKoifish.
"Wow!Icaughtone!FirsttimeIevercaughtone!"
"Wow!Andit'ssobigtoo!"
Nornlaughshappily.Roxyclapsherhandinexcitementtoo.
Suchaheartwarmingscene.
Thistripwasworthit.
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Part4
Justlikethat,thesunbeginstoset,andit'stimetoheadhome.
"Weshouldheadbacksoon."
Thesistersbegintodragtheirfeetassoonastheyhearme.
"Eh,goinghomealready?"
"...Iwanttocatchanotherone."
Timefliesbywhenyouhavefun.
Icanappreciatethemwantingtospendmoretimehere.
Buttherealdealawaits.
"Ifitgetsdark,monsterswillcomeout."
"We'refine,ifOniichanishere!"
"RoxySenseisaidsotoo..."
Indeedthere'snoconcernwithmagicalbeastsinthisarea.
RoxyandI.
UstwoshouldbeplentytoprotectAishaandNorn.
RightnowIshouldhavethatkindofstrength.
Butthat'sadifferentissue.
IfIagree,we'llbehereallnight.
Evenifwedon'thaveplanslater,bettersafethansorry.
"No.We'llcomeagainnexttime."
"Oniichanisjustbitteryoudidn'tcatchanything..."
"IfIwanttobeserious,IcancatchasmanyfishasIlike."
Icanuseelectricshockandexplosions,noreasonthatIhavetohookthem.
DefinitelynotbecauseI'masoreloser.
"Alright,let'sgohome."
"Fine"
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"Fine."
Iusemagictoflashfreezethefishwecaughttotakethemhome.
Onthewayback,Ithoughtaboutfryingandeatingthem,butit'sbetterifwegotothepartyhungry.
Fishcanwaituntiltomorrow.
Onthewayback.
AishaandNornarearguinghappilyaboutwhocaughtmore,whosewerebigger.
RoxyandIfollowbehind.
Roxyhasafaceofsuccess.
HerrelationshipwithNornhadbeenalittletense.
Aftertoday,itshouldimprovealittle.
"We'reback~!"
"Congratulations!"
Clappinghandsthemomentwecameintothehouse.
Sparsebutenergeticclaps.
SylphyandLilia,alsoZenithliningupneartheentrance.
AlthoughZenithcanonlystareblankly,butmaybeit'sjustmyimagination,butIfeelasmilefromher.
"Eh?"
Nornsoundsshockedbytheambush.
Cooperating,RoxyandIbegintoclapbehindthemaswell.
Nornturnsherheadaroundandmakesanother[Eh?]sound.
Doesn'tlooklikeshefigureditoutyet.
IhurrytheconfusedNornandsurprisedAishaintothediningroom.
Theroomisdressedinsimplebutprettydecorations.
Nobannershanging,butthewallhasbeendecoratedwithflowers.
Invariousplacescandlesshine.
Coveredwithawhitetablecloth,aflowervaseanddinnerplateslinethetable.
Drinkswereprepared,butnofood.
They'llprobablybeservedlater.
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Bythetable.
Twosocalledbirthdaychairshavebeenprepared.
Iaskthemtositdownthere.
"Eh?Why?"
Nornshowsafaceofsurprise.
ButAishabeginstogiggle.
Soshefigureditout.
Whataclevergirl.
Aftertheysitdown,LiliaandZenithsatdownaswell.
SylphyandRoxysitontheirregularseats.
Aftereveryonesatdown,Iclearmythroat.
"It'sbeensevenyearssincetheMetastasisEvent.Alongtimehaspassed,andthefamilyhasfinallybeen
reunited.Eventhoughdadisgone,andwhethermomwillrecoverhermemoryisstillupintheair.But,ifwe
staygloomylikethis,dadwillneverbeabletorestinpeace.Ithinkifdadwerewithusrightnow,hewouldbe
allsmilestoo.Itwasdad'slastwishtohaveeveryonegatherandcelebratetogether.Sotoday,followinghiswill,
let'senjoyourselves.Cheers!"
Withthatsaid,Iraiseatoast.
"Cheers!"
BesidesNorn,everyoneelsequietlyraisestheircups.
Nornisstillinadaze.
ButAishaseemstounderstandcompletely,grinninghappily.
Say,Iwastryingtobecheerful,butsomehowmyeyesarewellingup.
Nono.
Ineedtobesmiling.
"Sylphy!"
"Ah,right."
Sylphyhearsmycallandimmediatelybeginstomove.
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We'reonthesamewavelength.
Sylphytakesthemoutfromunderthetable.
Twolarge,beautifullywrappedboxes.
SylphyhandsonetoRoxy.
ThenSylphyandRoxyeachtakeonetoAishaandNorn.
"Happy10th!"
"Happybirthday!"
NornandAishabothlookcompletelybaffled.
"But,we'realready11...?"
FirsttimeIhaveeverseenAishasobaffled.
Fromthelookonherface,evenAishadidn'texpectthatshewouldbereceivingapresent.
"Um.Wedidn'thaveachancetocelebrateforyour10th.Eventhoughit'salittlelate,butPaulsaidwithinayear
isfine."
"Oniichan...?"
Aishalooksrathermoved,hangingtightlytothebox.
Then,shelookstowardsLilia.
LiliagentlynodstowardsAisha.
Aisha,unabletocontainherexcitementanylonger,turnsbacktoSylphy.
"CanIopenit?"
"Ofcourse!"
Withthatsaid,AishaandNornbegintomove.
Readytotearthroughthewrappingpaper.
But,insync,theysuddenlyrealizesomething.
Thenslowlytheyunwrappedtheribbonsandremovetheprettywrappingpaper.
Nocluewhythey'resoinsyncrightnow.
Theyreallyaresisters.
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"Wah~,boots!Nornanewhatdidyouget?"
"Look,Aisha,Igotajacket!"
Lookingovertheirpresents,theylaughhappily.
Withthemsohappy,evenusgiversfeelgratified.
Then,LiliaandZenithcomebesidethem.
"Mom,mama!Looklook!"
NornshowsoffhernewjackettoZenith.
Asexpected,noreactionfromZenith.
Ifeelalittlepainedseeingthis.
Zenithusedtobesofrolickyinthesesituations.
Shewassoexcitedformy5th,[Howisit?IknowexactlywhatRudiwanted,right?]withthosefeelingsshe
gavemeabookaspresent.
Ifshewashernormalself.
ThenshewoulddefinitelyberileduplikealittlekidwithNorn.
ButtheZenithrightnow.
Looksblank.
Seeingthat,Ifeelglum.
IfsheeverrecoversandhearsaboutPaul'sdeath,willsheshowanypain?
Butstill,seeinghercompletelyemotionlessrightnow,itmakesmychesthurt.
WhileIwasthinking,justaforabriefmoment.
Zenithsmiled.
"...Eh?"
Andquicklyhersmiledisappears.
Justforamoment.
MaybeonlyIsawit.
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"Didshejust...smile?"
No.
Everyonesawit.
Lilia,Aisha,Sylphy,Roxytoo.
EveryonelookingtowardsZenithinshock.
"....Mother?"
Theonethatwitnessedthatsmilefacetoface,withwideopeneyes,tearsgushingoutasNornlooksatZennith.
"..."
ZenithfollowsupbypettingNornandAishaontheirheads.
Thatrubbingisgentlerthanusual.
Zenithisveryhappytoo.
Becauseherdaughtersaregrowingup.
"Madam...thankgoodness..."
LiliaquietlyholdsontoZenith'sshoulder.
OnLiliaatearfilledsmilingfacesherarelyshowed.
ZenithwithablankexpressionrubsLilia'shand.
Liliabitesherlipsastoholdbackhertears.
"ThesearefromMadamandI."
AftertakingZenithbacktoherseat,Liliaturnsaroundtogivethegirlstheirpresents.
Apairofmatchinghandkerchiefswithprettyflowersembroidered.
"Thankyouverymuch.Liliasan."
Norncandidlyacceptshers,butAishalookshesitant.
Doesgettingthesamethingmakeheruncomfortable?
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"Em,mother,canIacceptthis?"
"Oh,ofcourse.YouarealsoPaulsama'sdaughter."
Themoodhaschangedsomehow.
LiliahasalwaysbeeninstructingAishaofherroleasamaid.
"Fromtodaytoo,pleasecontinuetoserveRudeussamaandNornsamawithrespect."
"...Yes,mother."
Ah,LiliaisstillLilia.
Butevensayingthat,recently,whetherinthetoneofhervoiceorwhatever,
IhaveneverseenhersternlylecturingAisha.
Shehasherownthoughtprocess.
AfterLiliareturnstoherseat,Zenithplacesahandonhershoulder.
"Madam..."
"..."
LiliaputsherownonZenith'shandandquietlythanksher.
"Thankyouverymuch."
Theyseemtohavereachedalevelofunderstandingbeyondwords.
Roxyseemsdeeplymovedbythisscene.
"Oh?"
SomeonetuggedmysleeveswhileIwaslookingatRoxy.
Iturnaroundtocheck,anditturnsouttobeSylphy.
Inherhandadifferentboxthanthesisters'.
Ohyeah.
Ialmostforgot.
"Roxy."
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Roxyturnsherhead.
ShelooksatmeandtheboxinSylphy'shands,puzzled.
"Wwhatisit?"
Sylphysays,
"Oh,this,isourpresenttoRoxy."
"Eh,ha,eh,that,whatfor?"
"Aweddingpresent.Roxy,congratulationsonyouandRudigettingmarried!"
Sylphy,withthatsaid,handstheboxtoRoxy.
"Comeonnow,openit."
Roxyunderherurgesopensthebox.
Andseeingthehatwithin,hereyeswiden.
"This,Sylphy,Rudi,Isthis?"
"Roxy.Let'slivehappilytogether,justlikeZenithsanandLiliasan."
Sylphyhasthesmileofanangel.
Roxybitesherlips,seeingthatsmile.
Andwithherheadslightlylowered,pressingthehattightlyagainstherbosom.
Then,withavoicealmosttoofainttohear,shesays.
"Truly,thankyou,Sylphy..."
TearssparkleinRoxy'seyes.
Afterwardsshetoldme.
ThatmomentwasthefirsttimethatRoxytrulyfeltSylphy'sapproval.
Part5
Thepartywassmoothsailingafterwards.
Firstthecakewaspresented.
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Bakedsoft,likeasponge,butnobutter.
Lotsofdriedfruitsinside.
Eventhoughithadaslightlybitteraftertaste,butthefruitssweetnesscovereditwell.
IremembereatingitatAsuraKingdombefore.
Duringmy10thaswell.
Hownostalgic.
IsErisdoingwell?
Thatgirlislivelynomatterwhathercircumstances.
Butwillshebemarriedlikeme...Probablynot.
Ifthere'saguythatcanhandleher,hehasmydeepestrespect.
IaskedLiliaaboutthecake,andapparentlyit'satraditionalsnackofAsuraKingdom.
Preparedforeveryholiday.
ButweneverhaditatBuinaVillage.
SeemslikePaulhatedit,soshenevercouldmakeitthen.
Likes,hates,that'sPaulforyou.
Sylphylearnedhowtomakeitthistime,soshe'llmakemoreherselfinthefuture.
Nornreallyenjoystheflavor,andIdon'tdislikeiteither.
ButAishaseemsnotparticularlyfondofit,tryingtopickoffthedriedfruitsandeatingonlythecakeitself.
Liliadoesn'tlookverypleased,angrilytellinghernottobepicky,whilesaying"youremindmeofyourfather"
withasmile.
Aishasaysplayfully,[Oniichan,helpmeeatthis],butshecaughttheattentionofRoxy'ssweettooth.
Theyprobablywillenjoysharingwitheachother.
Iwatchwithalightheart.
ButRoxyseemstohaveamisunderstanding.
"Aishasan.Youdon'trealizehowluckyyouare.Therearetimeswhenonegetssohungrythatonehastoeven
eatpoisonousscorpions."
"Oh,ah,okay."
Andthelecturebegins.
FeelslikeGhyslainehadsaidthisaswell.
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EvenIhadtoforcemyselftoswallowsometerriblemealsduringmytimeintheMagicContinent.
ButIdon'tthinkIactuallyateanythingpoisonousbefore.
IsupposeIalsohavenocluehowluckyIam.
"Don'twasteanyofyoursweets.Treasurethem."
"Okay."
Notangry,yetveryconvincing,evenAishagotscared.
Then,quietlysheworksthroughhercake.
Thinkingaboutit,thisfeelslikethefirsttimeAishaactuallydoesasshe'stold.
No,shealwaysdoesanythingIsay.
Butifyouthinkaboutit,beingpickyisn'tthatbigofadeal.
It'sonlycake.
ButIcouldbewrong.
AsexpectedofRoxy.
"Butifyoureallycan'tfinishit,I'llhelp."
Roxyhasalreadyfinishedhers.
Oh.
AsexpectedofRoxy.
"Ireallycan'teatanymore."
Aisharepliesimmediately.
ScaredthatRoxywilllectureheragain,sherepliesimmediately.
"No!Eatityourself!"
SylphyandIneverreallyscoldAisha.
Perhapsasaresult,Liliastartstorefrainherselfaswell.
Aishaisclever,butshe'sonly11.
Shedeservestobescoldedonceawhile.
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Roxyisgettingalongbetterwiththesisters.
SlowlybutsurelyNornandAishaceasedfighting.
Zenith'sconditionisdefinitelyimproving.
Ifeellikethefamilytiesaregrowingcloserthanbefore.
Partysuccessful.
Ah,partiesaretrulywonderful.
NornandAisha.
Let'shaveanevenbetterpartyfortheir15th!
"TheBanchoisbald."[37]
Chapter10GraduationCeremony
Part1
Intheblinkofaneyeayearhaspassed.
Theseasonchanged,andwinterreturns.
Iam18already.
OntheschoolsideIsafelyadvancedagradeandwillbea4thyearsoon.
Researchhasbeengoingwell,nothingmajortoreport.
EventhoughIsuccessfullyadvanced,Elinalisewasforcedtorepeatagrade.
Becausesheleftforhalfayeareventhoughshe'saregularstudent.
Eventhoughshedoesn'treallymind,butbecauseitwasformyfamilytroubles,Ifeelalittleresponsible.
Bytheway,Sylphyhaspoorattendancetoo,buthergradesarethebestinschool.
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Andsinceshe'salsoPrincessAriel'spersonalguard,shesuccessfullyadvancedagradeaswell.
Ofcourse,everything'sfineonthefamilysideaswell.
Lucyisgrowingwell.
Sheweanedreallyearlyandisnowwolfingdownbabyfood.
Andafewdaysago,outofnowhere.
Shecallme"RuDi"forthefirsttime.
Not"papa,"not"daddy,"not"Mr.Bubbles,"[38]butRudi.
Well,noonecallsmepapaathome,soitcan'tbehelped.
YetshecallsSylphy"MaMa,"butthat'sbecauseofSylphy'sparentingskills.
MaybeIshouldchangemyfirstnameto"papa."
No,intheendshe'slearningtotalk.
Ishouldn'tbeimpatient.
Whenshegrowsbiggershe'lldefinitelycallmefather.
Ah,say,whyisthegirlalreadytalkingafterbarelyayear?
Ismydaughteragenius?
No,evenIknowthisisnormal.
Soonerorlaterkidsstarttotalk.
SylphyandLiliahavebeendiligentlyteachinghertotalk,sothisisthefruitoftheirlabor.
Butstill,mygirlistalkingalready,Ican'thelpbutthink"amazing!"
But,atthisrate,soonshe'llstartsayingstufflike"Idon'twantmypantieswashedwithpapa's."
Ican'twait!
WithLucygrown,Sylphyhasstoppedlactatingaswell.
Thatsweet,delicateflavorthattastesofexcitement,isgone.
Apity,butitcan'tbehelped.
Atthesametime,herenlargedbosomhasreturnedtoitsnormalsize.
Smallisn'tbadeither,butIfeelatingeoflonelinessthatthebonustimeisover.
Also,sincewenolongerneedawetnurse,ourcontractwithSuzanneended.
Thistooisfate.Ifsheiseverinneed,Iwilltrytolendahand.
Likeifherchildrenaretoattendschool,thenI'llhelpwhereIcan.
Butbythen,Imighthavegraduatedalready.ImighthavetoaskNorninstead.
NornandAishaarebothdoingwell.
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TheybothexclaiminonevoiceoverhowcuteLucyis.
Fromtheirperspective,shedefinitelyfeelslikealittlesister.
Ialsooverheardthemhavingastrategysessionbehindtheladder,"Don'tfightinfrontofLucy."
Besidesthat,theyalsohavevariousotherplans.
Mostlyabouthowtoshowoffascoolbigsisters,somethinglikethat.
Recently,thingshaverarelygoneuglybetweenthem.
Peoplenaturallybecomemorerespectableoncetheyhavesomeonelookinguptothem.
IfbecauseofLucy,they'rewillingtomakeup,that'dbewonderful.
Roxy'steachingcareerisgoingwell.
Forsomereasonregularstudentsarealittlescaredofher.
Shedoesn'tseemtohaveanybadstudentsinclass,andfornowisenjoyingahappyteachinglife.
Zenithremainsthesame.
SometimeseatingwithNorn,sometimesweedingwithAisha.
SometimesholdingLucy'sfingersandsmiling.
Also,afterAisha'sandNorn'sbirthdayparty,Zenithstartedtosmilequiteoften.
Asmall,delicatesmile,barelytwitchinghermuscles.
Butanyonecantellthatit'sasmile.
Shestillcan'ttalk,andotherwisealmostexpressionless.
Butindeedshe'srecoveringwell.
ThatIbelieve.
Part2
TodayistheGraduationCeremony.
EventhoughtheEntranceCeremonywasoutdoors,theGraduationCeremonyisindoors.
UntiltodayIhadyettoentersuchalargelecturehallbefore.
Initalargestageisinstalled,andonebyoneeachgraduatereceivestheirgraduationcertificate.
Around500intotalatmost.
Eventhoughthestudentbodyexceeds10,000,graduatesonlynumberinthe500s.
I'mafraidthis7thyearclasswasalmost2000tobeginwith.
Astheyadvanceeachyear,onebyonestudentsquit,untilonlytheseremain.
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Easytoenroll,hardtograduate.
AdvancedRankMagicandMeldedMagicareverydifficult,somanypeoplefailedtoadvanceduetolowmagic
power.
Andforothers,eventhosewithtalent,thinkjustlearningElementaryMagicisgoodenough.
Andthereareprobablyplentyofothersquittingforvariousreasons.
ButsinceI'maSpecialStudent,theschoolhasbeentakinggoodcareofme.
Teacherslineupbesidethegraduates.
Aroundathousandinall.
Feelsliketherearemoreherethanthegraduates.
Realistically,therearetwo,maybethreehundredteachersatmost.
Butthat'salreadyplenty.
Makessensethatthefacultyroomstakeupanentirebuilding.
Amongthem,thatparticularlysmallfigureisRoxy.
Evenfromafarsheseemstoglow,andIspotherimmediately.
Bytheway.
Regularstudentshavetodayoff.
Entranceandexitceremoniesarebothvoluntary.
Notjustthat,attendanceneedsspecialpermissions.
Asiftheceremonyitselfisaspecialprivilege.
IstandbesidestheStudentCouncil.
TheStudentCouncilisinfullattendance.
ButIonlyknow4amongthem:Luke,Arielandhertwoattendants.
AlsoSylphytoo.
AtworkSylphylookssoforbiddingasalways.
NotlongagoSylphywasoftenmistakenforaboy.
Butnowherhairhasreachedshoulderlength,andmaybebecauseshehasbecomeamother,herfemininityhas
reallybeguntoshow.
Likeacareerwoman.
Cuteandcool.
Makesmewanttoloudlydeclaretotheworld,thatshe'smywife!
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Butthere'sasurprisetoo.
NornissittingatthebackwiththeStudentCouncil.
Ineverheardaboutthis.
Don'ttellmeshejoinedtheStudentCouncil?
Notofficialthisyear,butofficiallyinthenextterm?
IfsheplanstoannounceitattheEntranceCeremony,asabrotherI'llbeveryhappy.
"Graduaterepresentative!RiniaDedorudia!AndPursenaAdorudia!It'sanhonortobestowyoutwothese
graduationcertificatesandMagicGuildDRankconfirmation."
RiniaandPursenawereselectedasgraduaterepresentatives.
Eventhoughtheyhadgoneastrayattimes,theyendedupwithexcellentgradesintheend.
Besides,they'reBeastRaceprincessesofDorudiaVillage.
Statuswisethere'snocomplaints.
It'sonlyexpected.
Whenselectinggraduaterepresentatives,highsocialstatusisanobviouscriteria.
Ifbetweencommonerandnobility,thechoiceisobviouslynobility.
Thiswaythere'slesstrouble,anditwon'thurtthenoble'sfeelings.
Ofcourseifacommoner'sgradesarebetterbyawidemargin,thenthat'sanotherstory.
Roxywasoutstandingtoo,butIdon'tthinkshewasselectedasrepresentative.
Officially,theMagicUniversitytakesprideinwelcomingallkindsofstudents.
Butasahumanenterprise,informalrulesstillexist.
"RiniaDedorudia.It'sanhonor."
"PursenaAdorudia.It'sanhonor."
"Mayyouventureonthepathofmagic."
RiniaandPursenastanduplookingmajestic.
Theystepuponthestageandreceivetheirgraduationcertificateswithclass.
Duringmatingseason,suitorspoppedupeverywheretoconfesstheirlove,buttheywereallbeatensenseless.
Standingatopcountlesscorpses,murmuring[Wearetoostrong~nya][Merelyemptywords~nano],thatawe
inspiringsightstillfloatsvividlyinsidemyhead.
Theimageofaking.
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Iseeshadowsofkingofbeastsbehindtheirsilhouettes.[39]
Thatnighttheyspenttheirtimeinthetavernsaying,[Wedon'tneednoman~nya!][That'sright,mencanget
fucked~nano!]anddrownedthemselvesinalcohol.
Part3
AftertheGraduationCeremonywrapsup,IdropbyNanahoshi'sresearchlab.
"Cough,cough"
Nanahoshiiscoughingandwrappeduplikealadybug.
"Anothercold?"
"Cough...lookslikeit."
Nanahoshi'shealthhasbeenprettybadthispastyear.
Alwayswithadrycoughorafever.
EverytimeIwillcureherwithDetoxificationMagic.
Andsoonaftershe'llgetsickagain.
"Maybeyoushouldstartlivingabithealthier."
Nanahoshibasicallyneverleavestheroom.
Shewillgooutsidewhennecessary,butshebasicallyspentthewholeyearinthelab.
She'llgotothecafeteriaforlunch,butthat'saboutit.
Breakfastanddinnerarejustleftovers,everydayarepeatofthisunhealthylifestyle.
Ofcourseeventuallyherimmunesystemwilldeteriorate,andshebecomeseasilysick.
Idon'twanttotellheroff,butsheneedstotakebettercareofherself.
"Atleastuntilyourcoldgetsbetter,howaboutalittlebreak?"
"Researchisgoingwell,soIshouldn'tstoprightnow."
Aftershesaidthat,sheturnstowardsamagiccircle.
Nanahoshi'sresearchhasindeedbeengoingwell.
FewmonthsagoPhase2wassuccessfullycompleted.
SummonedmatchingcapforthePETbottlefromPhase1.
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NowisPhase3.
Summonalivingbeing,likeaplantorsmallanimal.
That'scurrentlyunderway.
Justabitmore,andvegetablesfromthepreviousworldmaysoonappearinthisone.
Goingwellindeed.
"Todaylet'sbeginthePhase3experiment."
"Shouldn'twewaitforCliffandZanobatobehere?"
"Ah,right.Then,canyougogetthem?"
Ishakemyhead.
"Sorry,theyhavethedayoff."
"Bothonbreak?Howrare,what'stheoccasion?"
"GraduationCeremony."
"Graduation...Ah,isitthattimealready?"
Nanahoshifrowns.
Shedoesn'twanttohearaboutthegraduationceremony.
Becausethatmarksanotheryearshe'sstuckinthisworld.
"RiniaandPursenabothgraduated.Theybothplantoheadhome,soIwanttohaveafarewellpartyforthem.
Pleasecomeaswell."
"...Eh,fine."
RiniaandPursenaareamongNanahoshi'sfewfemalefriends.
Eventhoughfriendsmightbepushingit,butasfarewell,sheshouldparticipateaswell.
Theyseemtogetalongbetterthanbefore.
"Theywillprobablybecomeprincesseswhentheygetback."
"Ican'tseeit."
"True."
WillDorudiaClanreallybealrightwiththosegirlsasmatriarchs?
Well,eveniftheydon'tlookit,itshouldbefineifthey'rerecognizedassuch.
Theyshouldbefine.
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Knockknock!*
WhileIwasthinking,adoorknock.
"...Em?Comein."
"Excuseme~nya."
"I'mcomingin~nano."
Twofamiliarfacescomein.
Acheekycatandadrowsydog.
RiniaandPursena.Walkinmajesticallyintheiruniforms.
"Boss,wewerelookingforyou~nya."
"Pleasegrantusyourpresence~nano."
Buttheyfeeldifferentthanusual.
What'sdifferent?
IsitbecauseRinialooksalittlejittery?
OrbecausePursenaisn'tchewingsomemeatwithhermouth?
Thesamefeelingasourinitialmeeting.
Theirusualselfwouldbejokingaroundlike[Flirtinginanothergirl'sroomwhenFittsandRoxysamaarenot
lookingagain~nya.][She'llgetangry~nano.]Butrightnowtheydon'tfeelsolighthearted.
Anotherduel?
Settlingthescorebeforegraduating?
...Idon'treallyliketofighttobehonest.
"Boss,please~nya."
"Please~nano."
Simplewords,butIcanfeeltheirdetermination.
FromtheireyesIcanseetheirconviction.
Theywon'tleaveiftheylose.Don'ttellmethat'swhattheyhaveinmind?
Theyhavetheirownpride.
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Well,fine.
Sincethisistheend.
I'llplayalong.
Itooamaman.
It'dbebadiftheydecidetodosomethingtoSylphyinstead.
"Iunderstand.Nanahoshi,I'llleaveforabit."
"Wait,whatabouttheexperiment?"
Nanahoshilooksobviouslyangry.
ButRiniagrabshershoulder.
"Youcometoo~nya.Specialpermission~nya."
"Permitted~nano."
"Wait,holdon.Why?"
TheywantNanahoshiastheirwitness?
IdoubtNanahoshiplanstotestifyforanyone.
ButSilentSevenStarisprettyfamous.
Havingheraswitnessisdefinitelytrustworthy.
Part4
Thescenechangestooneoftheschool'semptyfields.
Arequiredstoponthewaytothestudentresidences.
Becauseittightlyhugstheforest,andiscoveredinsnow,it'sratherwellhidden.
"Thiswillwork~nya."
"...Hownostalgic~nano."
ThiswasoncethelocationwhereZanobaandIstagedourkidnappingofRiniaandPursena.
Thefirsttimewefoughtwashere,soinsomewaysaplacefilledwithmemories.
Andit'sinthisplace,RiniaandPursenastandbeforeme.
Standingaroundtenpacesfromeachother.
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Facingeachother.
Notme.
...Eh?
"WehopeBossandNanahoshiwillbeourwitnesses~nya."
"Forwhat?"
"RiniaandIwilldecideonceandforallwhoisstronger~nano."
Inotherwords,aduelbetweenRiniaandPursena.
"Why?"
"ThewinnerbecomesheadofDorudiaClan~nya."
"ButIthoughtDedorudiaandAdorudiaareseparatetribes,sothere'snoneedforthat?"
IfIremembercorrectly.
AlthoughIonlyspenttimeinDorudiaVillage,butIrememberhearingaboutAdorudiaVillagebefore.
But,therecanonlybeoneclanhead.
Sothe[DorudiaClan,ClanHead]overseesallthedifferenttribes?
"Thatwaswhatwethoughtatfirst~nya."
"Butrecentlywechangedourmind~nano.Theworldishuge~nano.There'smoretolifethanjustbeingclan
head~nano."
"Wehavesisterstoo~nya.Wecanteachthemwhatwelearnedfromschoolevenifthere'sonlyoneofusgoing
back~nya."
"Livingafreelifeismorefunthanbecomingclanhead~nano."
Thisagain?
WhatshouldIsay.
Howaimlessandirresponsible.
Youknow,becomingclanheadhasbeentheirlife'sdream,whathappenedtothemthatchangedtheirminds?
"Eitherway,we'llhavetofightwhenwegetback~nya."
"IfweloseintheGreatForest,thenwe'llbeforcedintoaboringlife~nano.They'llmakeusmarrythestrongest
warriorinthevillage~nano."
"Inthatcase,whynotdecideitonceforallrighthere,andwalkadifferentpath~nya."
"Thatwaywewon'thaveanyregrets~nano."
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Soclanheadremainsastheirultimategoal.
Andiftheycan'treachit,thenliveaninterestinglifeoutsideoftheGreatForest.
Isthathowitworks?
Eh,there'stoomanyholesinthisstory.
Rather,alotofproblems.
Forone,thisisn'tsomethingforyoutodecide.
Butthisisnotmytimetolecturethem.
Theyspentalotoftimethinkingthisthroughbeforecomingtotheirdecision.
Hatingbeingtieddownathome,wantingtoliveafreelife,Icansympathizewiththem.
"Igetit.InthatcaseIwon'tstopyou.Goahead."
"Isthatfine?Lettingthemfightitout?"
Nanahoshidoesn'tlookveryhappy.
She'sjustaregularhighschoolgirl.
Sheprobablydoesn'twanttoseeherfriendsfight.
"EvenifIrefusetowatch,they'llfightanyways."
They'reprobablyevenlymatched.
Withoutajudge,theymightnotbeabletodecideawinner.
Ifsomethingweretohappen,thentheyneeda3rdpartytostepin.
Theydefinitelyneedawitness.
Also,Nanahoshiisn'tentirelycorrect,thisisn'tafight,thisisaduel.
A"duel"todecidea"winner."
"Iappreciateit~nya."
"Thankyouverymuch~nano."
RiniaandPursenabothgivetheirthanks.
Then,againfacetoface,deepbreaths.
Andstaredownoneanother.
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"Hsss!"
"Grrr!"
Menacingsoundsthatshouldnotbepossibleforyoungmaidensemitfromthem,checkingeachother.
Tensionfillstheair.
It'llstartatanymoment.
IopenmyDemonEye,andNanahoshiwearsaring,amagicitem.
Startingnow,thesewildbeastswillseriouslytrytokilleachother.
"Pursena.I'vebeenmeaningtotellyouforalongtimenow,Ihavealwayshatedyou~nya."
"That'smyline~nano.SinceRiniawasababyyoualwaysstucktomyback~nano.You'rejustalittlesister,and
nowyoudaretosaythat~nano?"
"Ha?!You'rethelittlesister~nya.Rememberhowwhenwe're4,Pursena,youpissedyourpantsandIhelped
youhideit~nya?Adorudianeverforgetsafavor,sothatwasalltalk~nya."
"ItgotwetbecauseIwassavingRiniafromdrowning~nano.Drowning,eventhoughDedorudiaaresupposed
tobesograceful,howembarrassing~nano."
"ThatonlyhappenedbecausePursenadroppedthetoyweborrowedfromgrandpaintheriver~nya!"
"TheonethatdroppeditwasRinia~nano!"
Whatisthis?
Idon'tfeelabitofhateinthisargument.
Anger,hostility,suchfeelingswellup.
Butnotanounceofhatebetweenthem.
Purposelybringingoutoldgrudgestotaunteachother.
Liketheycan'tgothroughwiththisiftheydon't.
"Pursenaisacrybaby!"
"Riniaisanidiot!"
Theycontinuetossinginsultsateachother.
Thenitbecomesjuvenile.
"Pursenaisadummy!"
"Riniaisashorty!"
"Wha...!Pursenaisafatty!"
"Ha,Iamnotfat!"
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TheonethatbreaksisPursena.
Themomentfatcomesup,shesnaps.
"Garrr!"
Pursenaleapsforward.
PlungingatRiniawithfistclenched.
"Haa!"
WithcatlikereflexesRiniareacted.
Counteringwithasimilarpunch.
"Grr..."
"Ha..."
Evenlymatched.
Theystaggerapart...theduelfinallybegins.
Part5
"Ah!Pursenalungesforward!
ButRiniadodgesgracefully!
PursenapursuesafterRinialikeaheavytank!
Riniauseshit&runtacticstocounterPursena'sattack!
Pursenamightbestronger,butRiniahastheadvantageofspeed!
Riniahasnochanceofwinninginadirectbattle!
Butstrengthalonecan'tguaranteevictory!
Ifshecan'tcatchheropponent,thenthatstrengthwon'tdoathing!
PursenafiresabrilliantkickatRinia!Jab!Straight!
Riniaistoofar!Itwasn'teffective!Justastepshort!
Ahh!AstraightfromPursenablowsupRinia!
Riniaisstaggering!Pursenapressesherattack!
Whatwillyoudo,Rinia?Run?Orwillyoutakeastand?
Riniachoosestostandandcounter!
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Leftjab!AnotherJab!Asuperfastjab!
Pursenaisgettingexhausted!
Riniaisthesame!
Strengthwiseshemighthaveadisadvantage,butshewon'tbackdown!
Pursenawithdraws,buthereyesshonelikeafoxhound!
PursenaattacksfromRinia'sright...!
Ah!Pursenaisbleeding!
DidRiniapulloutaknife?
No!It'sherclaws!RiniahasextendedherclawsandscratchedPursenawithherpunches!
Suchasharpcatattack!
Butitisn'tplayingdirty!It'safightwitheverythingyougot!
Riniaextendsherclaws,punch!Anotherpunch!Aleft,rightbarrage!
AnentirelydifferentpainfromPursena'shardknuckles!
Suffering,Pursenacoversherface..!
Ah!Rinia'sclawsaretearingPursena'sclothapart!
Youcanalmostseepartsthatshouldn'tbeseen!
But!Pursenaletsoutaroar!She'sfine!
PursenalandsahookonRinia!
Riniawincesinpain,adirecthit!
IsPursenagoingtowin?Isitalreadydecided?"
"Sincetheycanuseanything,thenwhynotusemagic?"
"Yes.Suchclosecombatprecludeanypossibilityofamagicbattle.Becausetheyimmediatelyclosethe
distance,there'snochanceforincantation.IfitwasSylphyandI,wemightbeablewithvoicelessinvocation,
butthosetwocanonlyfistfight.Inthesekindofanaerobicactivity,evenbasicwordsbecomedifficulttosay.
Imagineaskingamarathonertosingasheruns.Impossible,right?Sameidea"
"Thatmakessense.Sorryforinterruptingyourcommentary.Pleasecontinue."
"...Riniastopsmoving!
Infighting!Aclassicinfight![40]
It'slookingbadforRinia!Pursena'spuncheshavethrownheroffherpace!
Hit&runhasbecomeimpossible!
HasRiniabecomeabutterflywithoutherwings?Willshebetrampledonthegroundbythevictor?
No,Because!
Look!Miss!Riniadodged!
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Riniauseshercatlikereflexesanddodged!
Acounter!Catpunchsmash!
ShescratchedPursena'scheek!Bloodsplattering!WithabouncePursenatriestoleapaway!
Riniapresseson!
Riniapresseson!
ABrazilianHighKickrightattheknockers!
Ah!Pursena!ItconnectedwithPursena!
Wait,Iseeteeth!Pursenasomehowmanagedtobitethelegthatwasaimingforherhead!
That'sright,she'sawolf!Notknuckles,shehasteeth!
JustlikePursenahasRiniaontheground,smashedherdown!
IsRiniadone?
ButPursenaisn'ttheonlyonewithteeth!
Riniaflasheshershinyteethandbitesback!
Adeathmatchbetweentwobeasts!"
"AllIseeisamessofafight..."
"Well,yeah,that'struetoo."
"Hey,canIaskaquestion?"
"Sure."
"Thosetwoarefightingsodesperately,butwhyareyouhavingsomuchfunwithit?"
"Sorry."
Part6
Itwasalongstruggle.
Firsttheinsultsfly,thenthebattlebegins.
Thebeginningwashighlyskilledclosecombat.
Butendedwiththemrollingaroundbitingandscratchinglikekids.
Anintensestruggle.
Likeplayingonthesnowastheyfought.
Then,atsomepoint,theystop.
Andthenonlyonestands.
"Iwon~nano..."
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It'sPursena.
Herbodycoveredincuts.
Herclothtorn,wetwithsnow,stainedwithblood.
Biteandscratchmarkscoverherbody,drippingwithblood.
Afiercefigure.
Aproudfigure.
It'safigurethathasovercamemortalcombat.
"..."
PursenasneersdownattheRiniastilllyingontheground.
Forabriefmomentshowingsomemixedemotions,thenturnsaway.
"Iwon~nano."
"Ah,um.Congratulations...Sitdown,bothofyouletmehealyou."
IplaceahandonhershoulderasIfinish,butsheflicksitoff.
"Thesescarsaremypride,soIwanttokeepthemall~nano."
"Thankyou,butthat'snotnecessary~nya."
"Really?"
Pride?
Theywereserious.
Somewherealongtheway,Ithoughttheyweren't,howembarrassing.
"Idon'tknowifI'llseeRiniaagain,apity~nano."
"No,butyoushouldatleasthavemorechancesbeforeleaving?"
"No~nano.Thisisgoodbye~nano.Wealreadypackedup,andareleavingtoday~nano."
Soeverythingwasdecidedalready.
Fromnowonthey'llgotheirseparateways,andtodaydecidedeverything.
Somehow,socool.
Then,betternothavethatfarewellparty.
Feelslikeit'llruinthemood.
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"...Nohealingmagicisfine,buthowaboutIdressthewounds?"
"Igotit~nano."
IwatchPursenaasshestaggerstowardsthestudenthousing.
Thensuddenly,Nanahoshichasesafterher.
ShecoversPursenaunderherownjacketandlendsherashouldertoleanon.
Nanahoshihasagentlesidetoo.
...Okay,next.
"Stillalive?"
IlookdownatRiniaontheground.
Shehasn'tlostconsciousness.
Juststaringblanklyupthesky.
"Stillalive~nya."
She'salsoamess.
JustasbadasPursena.
Herclothtornwithbitemarks.
Bloodfromhershoulderstainthesnowred.
Maybebecauseshetooktoomanypunches,herentirefaceisswollen.
Spittingblood,butthereshouldbenointernaldamage,justafewcutsinhermouth.
"Ruiningsomethingsobeautiful."
"True~nya."
SuddenlyInoticed,IcanseeRinia'sfigurebetweenhertorncloth.
Hardnottostare.
Itakemyjacketandputitoverher.
Butitisrathercold.
Nanahoshilentherjackettoo.Hopefullyhercoldwon'tgetworse.
"Thankyou~nya."
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Riniawobblestoputherheadunderherhands.
Lyingonthegroundrelaxed,withherlegscrossed.
"Ahah...Ilost~nya."
Whitevaporfliesupwardwitheveryword.
"Itwasabeautifulfight."
"Whatbeautifulfight~nya?Boss'svoice,wecanheareverything~nya.Youwereenjoyingyourself~nya."
Um.
Well,Ishouldhavereadthemood.
Butitwasanexcitingfight.
Acatfight.
Imean,apassionatestrugglebetweenwarriorsunderthelimelight.
No,ifImakeitacompetitionshemightgetmadagain.
"Well,what'simportantintheendisbehappy~nya."
"NowIfeelbad."
"It'sfine~nya.Foroutsidersit'lljustlooklikeaquarrel~nya.Behappy~nya."
Withthatsaid,Riniacoversherface.
Mustbelickingherwounds.
"You'renotgoingtousehealingmagic?"
"Thesearescarsofaloser,sohonestlyIwantthemgone,butIwillendureitthistime~nya.Thesekindof
thingswilleventuallybecomemypride~nya."
DoalltheBeastRaceIhavefoughttreattheirwoundsasasourceofpride?
"..."
Rinialookstotheskyinsilence.
"..."
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Ilookupaswell.
UniquetotheNorth,agreyskyasfarastheeyecansee.
Tonightwillsnowaswell.
"Well,whatareyougoingtodonow?"
"Fromnowon~nya?"
"Yousaidafreelife,butdoyouhaveanythingyouwanttodo?"
"Yes~nya.Aftertravelingaroundforabit,getintotrade~nya."
Trade,huh?
Ihaveabadfeelingaboutthis.
Ithinkshehasbetterchancesasanadventurer.
"Anyspecifics?"
"Ofcourse~nya."
Riniasaidconfidently.
Aslongassheknowswhatshe'sdoing.
No,itstillfeelswrong.
Ifshegoesaboutitsocasually,she'llgetintrouble.
"Ifitallgoesaccordingtoplan,in5yearsIcanmakeatonofmoney~nya."
"...Well,then,ifyougetintrouble,comeaskformyhelp?"
"Nyahaha.AfterIsucceed,I'lllendmoneytoBoss~nya."
Riniaseemsratheropportunisticeventhoughshelost.
Shemighthavedecidedonherown,butnowshe'snolongerboundbyhome.Shehaswonherfreedom.
Ormaybe,she'sjustputtingupanact.
Regardless,herfacereads,it'sfinallyover.
Part7
RiniaandPursenadidnotsaygoodbyetoanyoneelse.
Theyeachreturntothestudenthousingatseparatetimes.Afterdressingtheirwounds,theyimmediatelytook
theirluggageandlefttheschool.
NanahoshiandIeachwatchedPursenaandRinialeavebythemselves.
Neithersaidmuchmore.
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TheyjustaskedustoletZanobaandCliffknow.
TheyalsoapologizedtoSylphyandAriel.
PursenawillheadbacktotheGreatForestandworkhardtobecomethenextclanhead.
Idon'tknowthedetails,butRiniawilldoassheplanned.
Theydonotplantomeetagain.
Thatwastheplan.
Thiskindoflifestyleissocool.
Abitofgossip.
Thatnight,Iheardarumor.
"SomeonesawtwoBeastRacegirlswithluggagequarrelingatapubliccarriagestop."
Supposedly.
Iguesstheyforgottoscheduleseparatetimesatthepubliccarriageandaccidentallyranintoeachother.
Howcareless.
Comingyear:
3rdYear:Norn(Bancho'sSister),Elinalise(OldElf)
4thYear:Rudeus(WaterKingClassMagician)
5thYear:Zanoba(FigureMonster),Cliff(Normie[41])
6thYear:Nanahoshi(SummoningSister)
7thYear:Ariel(AsuraSecondPrincess),Sylphy(Motherof1),Luke(HotGuy)
Graduated:Rinia(Loser,Cat),Pursena(Winner,Dog)
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Chapter11FourthPhase
Part1
Daysafterthegraduationceremony.
RightnowI'mlookingatagiantmagiccircle.
Atfirstglanceitlookslikeabrick.
ActuallyastackofA2sizedpaperwithmagiccirclescoveringthefrontandback.
Atleast100sheetsorsotall.
Woodenframeskeepthestacktogetheronfourcorners,andtheframealsohasamagiccircledrawnonit.
Probablyamagictoolofsorts.
Constructionhastakenareallylongtime.
Ihelped,butithasmostlybeenNanahoshi.
"Ifyouplease."
Standingbesidesthemagiccircle,Nanahoshisaid.
CliffandZanobabesideher.
Theyalsohelpedwiththeresearch.
Thustheyalsowanttowitnesstheresearchadvanceaswell.
Nanahoshiwasreluctant,butsinceit'stheirrighttoask,shecavedeventually.
That'stheexcuse,buthonestlythey'rethereincaseNanahoshigoesberserkifitfailsagain.
AndtohelpconsoleNanahoshi.
Consoledbytheoppositesex,itshouldhavesomeeffect.
Menandwomentogether,ithasworkedforme.
Atleastfindafewguystopamperher.
Headtoatavernsomewhere,ordersomeDomPerignon,andgocrazy.
Cliff,Zanoba,thethreeofus.
ButthistimeIfeelconfident.
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Cliffguaranteeditwhentheblueprintwasoutlined.
Thankstotheprostheticlimbresearch,Cliff'sskillshavereachedanotherlevel.
Itshouldwork...probably.
Okay.
"Magicinjectionbegins."
Iplaceahandovertheedgeofthemagiccircle.
"..."
Mymagicbeginspouringin.
Rapidlymagicissuckedfrommypalm.
Theconsumptionrateisincredible.
Probablybeyondthecapacityofanyoneelse.
Thinkingcarefully,it'sobvious.
Backinthedays,Sylphywasexhaustedafterjustasingleoneofthesemagiccircles,soequivalenttoan
advancedlevelmagicinconsumption.
Andnowwehave100ofthem.
AlthoughCliffhelpedlimitthemagicconsumption,soit'snot100times,itshouldatleaststillbe10,20times
theusual.
"Howtimeconsuming.Weshouldimproveonthisareaabit..."
"Shh."
Cliffmurmurstohimself,butNanahoshistopshim.
Bloodlike,magicstreamscontinuouslyfrommyheart.
Themagiccirclesshineinreactiontothemagicpower.
Nothingfeelsoffthistime.
Andthemagicflowhasbeennormal.
Lightfromthemagiccircleoutlinescomplexpatterns.
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Colorschangingconstantly.
Yellow,red,purple,white...
Dejavu.
Ihaveseentheselightsbefore.
MetastasisEvent.
Thesamecolorsasbackthen.
WhatdoIdo?ShouldIstop?
Ifithappensnow,thenZanobaandCliffwillfallinaswell.
No,itmightleadtoabiggerdisaster.
SylphyandNornhaveschooltodaytoo.
No,notjusttheschool,thecity,Lucy,everything...
But,nothingstrangethusfar.
Inthefirstplace,themagiccirclewemadedoesn'thavethatkindofpower.
Wespentalongtimegainingexperiencetopreventthatfromhappening.
It'llwork.
It'sfineit'llwork.
"...!"
Lightglowsbrighter.
Then,itbeginstodim.
Dong.
Asoftnoise.
Magicflowquicklyceased.
Lightdisappearsfromthemagiccircle.
"..."
Middleofthemagiccircle.
Agreenobject.
Aprettyroundthingpatternedblackandgreen.
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Ashiny,wateryitemfromearth,inpatternsofblackandgreen.
Awatermelon.
"Success!"
"Awesome!"
Nanahoshistandsup,avictorypose.
"Congratulations,Shisho!"
"Wedidit!"
CliffandZanobaapplausecheerfully.
"Say..."
Cliffapproachesthewatermeloninanticipationandpokesit.
"Greenandyellow,whataninauspiciousexterior...CanIholdit?Willitbite?"
"Okay,butdon'tdropit.It'sunexpectedlyfragile."
"Oh...It'sratherheavy."
Cliffpicksupthewatermelonwithcuriosityandlooksalloverit.
Awatermelon'scolordoeslookratherunlucky.
Forpeopleofthisworld,theblackandgreenpatternissomethingtobefeared.
Theinsideisbloodredtoo,ofcourseitlooksabitdisgusting.
Butthisworldhasmanystrangelyshapedfruitsandvegetablesaswell.
Ifwesearchcarefully,it'spossiblethatsomethinglikewatermelonexistsinthisworldtoo.
IthinkIrememberseeingsomekindofamelonbefore.
"Hey,Nanahoshi."
"What?"
"NowthatIthinkaboutit,wouldn'tsummoningaYubariKingbebetter?Sincethat'sahybridcultivar,it
definitelywouldn'texistinthisworld."
"You...doyouevenknowthedifferencebetweenregularandhybridmelons?"
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Havinghersaythat,Iwasabitstumpedaswell.
Atbest,Icantellprincemelonandcantaloupeapart.
"Anyways,Ican'tgothatdetailedyet.Actually,Iwastryingtosummonacabbagethistime."
SubtleemotionsurfacesasNanahoshisaid.
Thisworldhasvegetableslikecabbagetoo.
Socouldwetellthedifference?
Figureoutwhetherwesummonedacabbagefromthisworldortheother.
I'mnofarmer.
NeitherisNanahoshi.
Summoningvegetablesmighthavebeenamistakefromthestart.
"..."
No,it'sfine.
Anexperimentisbasedontheory,andwehaveresults.
Then,thiswatermelonshouldbefine.
Althoughwecan'tconfirmwhetherit'sfromthisworld.
But,allinall,watermeloniswatermelon.
Callingitasuccessisn'talie.
"Well,sinceit'sasuccess,let'scelebrate!"
Zanobalooksuninterested,probablybecauseitwasn'tdollshaped.
"Ah,fine."
Badigadi,Pursena,andRinia.
Thoselivelypeoplearegone.
Thepartywillfeelabitshabbywithoutthem.
But,let'sputthatasidefornow.
Part2
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Thatnightwehostedabanquet.
PursenaandRiniaaregone.
ButRoxyandNornsubinforthem.
Bycount,onlyBadigadiisshort.
Lostafewlivelyfolks,butgainafewmorefamily.
Themoodisdifferent,butthat'snotabadthing.
Nanahoshichugsdownmugsofbeerononehand,holdingJulielikeadollonherlapwithherother,while
chattingwithElinalise.
ElinalisehasalovingsmileasshelistenstoNanahoshi.
ZanobaandCliffarebusydiscussingsomethingwithRoxy.
Fromthelookontheirfaces,they'retalkingabouttheresearch.
"Okay,hereRudi."
"Ah,thankyou,Sylphy."
Sittingbesidesme,Sylphypoursmeadrink.
"Sylphy'snotdrinkingtoday?"
"I'mweirdwhenI'mdrunk,soI'mgoingtoholdbacktoday."
"...Really?"
"We'renotstayingouttonight,andIneedtosaygoodnightwithLucyafterwards."
"Iunderstand."
ButIthinkSylphyissocutewhenshe'sdrunk.
Thatuninhibitedflirting.
Butthatkindofselfcontrolshowsoffhermotherlysidetoo.
AsIthinkandflirtwithSylphy,Roxycomesover.
"Rudi,mayI?"
"Em?"
"Pulloutachairforme?"
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FollowingherinstructionsIpulloutachair,butinsteadshedecidestositonmylap.
Herhairbeforemyeyes.
Icanfeelherbuttonmythighs.
This.Howwonderful.
Ah,thisisbad.
"Roxy,areyoudrunk?"
Sylphyaskswithaforcedsmile.
"Alittle."
Lookingcarefully,Roxylooksalittleflush.
Sheusuallydoesn'tdrinkatall,howstrange.
AmIwitnessingararemomentwhenRoxyletsloose?
"Phew~"
Roxyleansagainstme.
Pushingherweightgentlyonmychest.
Icanhearherheartbeating.
Amazing,fromthisangle,ifIpulljustalittleonherrobeImightseewhat'sinside.
WhatshouldIdo?
Iwanttosee.
Let'sgetheralittlemoredrunk.
"Hownice...Iwantaturn."
"Ofcourse,Sylphy."
Ifnot,Roxyonmyleft,andSylphyonmyrightworkstoo.
Fewdaysagowhenwe'resleepingtogether.ItwasalsoRoxyleft,Sylphyright.Thatwasamazing.
Happinessoverflowingfrombothhandskindoffeeling.
"...Brother."
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Oops,withmypervertedthoughtsexposed,Nornhasbeenstaring.
Nogood,nogood.
Withoutrealizingit,IhavebeenneglectingNorn.
She'snotfamiliarwithmanyinthiscircle.
Sheprobablymeteveryonealready,butIdoubttheyhavehadmanyconversations.
Allshedidwasstarequietlyatmefromthestart.
"Sorry,Norn.You'reprobablynotusedtothis."
"No,it'sfine.IhavesomethingIneedtotalkabout,canI?"
"Ah,sure."
IsitRoxyonthechairnearbyandturntofaceNorn.
"Em.Well,it'sabouttheStudentCouncil."
"Oh,thatthing."
OnGraduationDay.
NornwassittingatthebackseatfortheStudentCouncil.
NornlookedtroubledwhenIspottedher.Itmadeanimpression.
"Arielsamainvitedme.Shesaidalthoughmygradesarenotspectacular,Ihavethedrive."
"Sothat'swhathappened...DoesSylphyknowaboutthis?"
"Yes.I'maware."
IaskSylphyandshenodstoconfirm.
Iguesssheknew.
IfIhavetoguess,Roxyshouldknowtoo.WhenIturntocheck,Roxypurposelylookedaway.Sosheknewtoo!
Theonlyonethatdoesn'tisme.
Whattheheck?
"Sorry.Nornchansaidshewantedtotellyouherself,soIkeptquiet."
"Isthatso?"
Sylphylookstroubledassheapologizes.
Maybeshe'snotdrinkingpreciselyforthis.
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Norncontinueswithatroubledexpression.
"So,brother.MayIofficiallyjointheStudentCouncil?"
Ofcourse.
IwasjustabouttoanswerwhenIstopmyself.
Nornisalreadybusywithtwothings.
Swordtrainingandwriting.
Thebookdoesn'thavetobehurried,justonceaweekisenough.Wecaneventakeabreakandstartagainina
fewyears,butswordtrainingneedstobedonedaily.
Swordtrainingandregularstudies.
AndStudentCouncilontopofthat,canNornhandleallthat?
Nornisn'tworsethanothers,butsheisn'tparticularlygoodeither.
Canshejuggle34thingsatonce?
"Norn."
"Yes."
"Canyouhandlesomanythingsatonce?"
"..."
Nornbitesherlips.
Maybesherealizesherselfthatitmightbetoomuchpressure.
"I'mnotagainstyoujoiningtheStudentCouncil,butwillyougiveuphalfway?"
"Iwon't."
"Youstartedwritingandswordtrainingonyourowntoo.Well,writingwasoriginallymyjob,solet'signore
that.Whataboutswordtrainingthen?Schooltoo,thirdyearwillbeevenharder."
"I'llworkhardatschoolandswordtrainingtoo."
Easiersaidthandone.
Butdoingsomanythingsatonce.
Ifyouchasetworabbits,youwillsurelylosethemboth.
"Rudi."
Sylphylooksatmeworriedly.
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"Nornchan.Shehasdonewelluptonow."
Really?
Uptonow.Indeed.
Butwhataboutinthelongterm?
Willshecrashandburn?
"Say,howlonghasshebeenhelping?"
"OverayearattheStudentCouncil.IremembersinceitwaswhenRudileftonhisjourney."
"Eh?Wow,that'salongtime."
Duringmyjourney.
Inotherwords,evenbeforeswordtrainingwithme?
...Eh?
"Don'tworry,Rudi.Iguaranteeit.EvenafterNornchanbecomesanofficialmemberoftheStudentCouncil,
shecandoitall,andshewon'tcavehalfway."
Sylphysoundsconvincing.
Really?
Soit'snotaquestionofwhethershecanhandleit,theydropthequestionafterknowingforsureitcanbedone.
Inthatcase,whoamItodisagree?
"Yes...Nornhasalwaysbeenworkinghard."
WhileI'mnotlooking,Nornhasbeendoingherbest.
Thatmakesmereallyhappy.
Ahappinesshardtoputintowords.
"Igetit.AlthoughIdon'tthinksheneedsmypermissionforthis,butI'llpermitit.Norn.Pleaseworkhardfrom
nowon."
"Yes,brother!Thankyou!"
Nornbowshappily.
Ultimately,it'suptoher.
Butcheeringheronisthejobofusaroundher.
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SoI'lldomybesttocheerheron.
WhileIwasthinking,IsuddenlyhearNanahoshi'svoice.
"Let'scutthewatermelon."
Everyonegotasliceofthewatermelonwesummonedtoday.
It'ssweeterthanIremembered,butalittledry.
DefinitelyfromCalifornia.
Puttingthetasteaside.
Inoticedonethingwhenwecutitopen.
It'sseedless.
Thatgrowingmethodshouldbeunknowninthisworld.
Inotherwords,it'sasuccess.
Part3
Thebanquetreachesitsclimax.
Maybethat'sabitoff.
NanahoshisingingNorndancing.
ZanobatalksdollswithNorn.
SylphyistakingcareofthewastedRoxy.
CliffandElinalisearebusyingthemselves.
Withthebanquetcomingtoaclose,Ifeelaparticularfatigue.
Lettingthealcoholtakeover,Ileanagainstmychair.
Thisfeelsnice.
"...Welldone."
Justnow,Nanahoshicomesbesideme.
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"...Cough,cough..."
Nanahoshilooksunwell.
Unwellbecauseofdrinking?
Ifshehasacold,sheshouldhaveheldoffonthealcohol.
"Wantmetohelpwithdetox?"
"...Please."
Icastdetoxificationandhealingmagiconher,andshefinallylooksmorerelaxed.
Lookingalittlebetter,shecanfinallyrelax.
"Anyways,thankyou.Withthisdone,wecanproceedtothenextstage."
"That'sfine."
IhavebeenassistingNanahoshi'sresearchfor3yearsnow.
Timesurehaspassedfast.
ComparedtoPhase1,Phase2and3havebeeneasy.
OfcourseZanobaandCliffhelpedtoo,butithasproceededfarsmootherthanmyanticipation.
"IfIrememberright,Phase4istosummonananimal."
"That'sright.Ihaveafriendinthisarea,soIplantogoaskaboutit."
Thesummoningexpertshementionedbefore?
"Don'ttellmeit'sOrsted."
"No.AlthoughOrstedcanusesummoningmagictoo,it'ssomeoneelse."
Someoneelse.
Say,Orstedevenknowssummoningmagic.
AstheHitogamisaid,Orstedreallyknowsallthetechniquesofthisworld.
Butusingandknowingareseparateissues.
Innovatoranduseraretwodifferentthings.
"SoIhaveasuggestion."
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"Whatisit?"
"IhaveyettorewardyouforthePETbottleexperiment,right?"
"Ohyeah."
Nowthatshementionsit,Ireallydidforgetit.
Backthen,IwasbusytakingcareofLucy.
Peoplewon'taskformoreoncethey'resatisfied.
"Includingthistime'sfavor,howaboutIintroducethatpersontoyou?"
"Introductions?"
"Honestlyspeaking,ifyou'reinterestedinsummoningmagic,thenlearningdirectlyfromhimwouldbebetter."
Well,Idon'treallywanttolearnotherworldsummoning.
True,summoningvariousthingsfromtheotherworldcanberatheruseful.
Ialsowanttotrytosummonababybottleorastroller.
ButIcanlivewithoutthem.
I'mcontentwithwhatIhave.
ButI'mratherinterestedinregularsummoningmagic.
Iprobablywon'thavemanyopportunitiestousethis,soit'spurelyoutofcuriousity.
IfIwanttounderstandthecauseoftheMetastasisEvent,thenthisknowledgeisindispensable.
"Isthatpersonthatbigofadealthathe'sworthtwofavors?"
"Em.Perhapshecandosomethingaboutyourmother'smemorylossaswell."
"What...?"
Hearingthat,Icouldn'thelpbutjumpup.
Nornleansovertoo,probablywantingmoredetailsaswell.
"Really?"
"Idon'tknowforsure,buthehaslivedforalongtime.There'sagoodchancehemightknowaway."
CureZenith'smemoryloss.
AlthoughIthinkherrecoveryhasbeenrathersmooth.
Butwedon'tknowifhermemorycanreallyberecovered.
184/195
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Evenifthere'snocure,butifwecanfigureoutthenameandcauseofherillness,alongwithmyknowledge
fromthepastworld,thenmaybewecandosomethingaboutit.
Myknowledgeofthepastlifeissoso,butit'spossible.
"AreyoutalkingaboutNanahoshi'sShisho?"
"Ifpossible,pleaseintroducemeaswell."
Idon'tknowwhen,butZanobaandCliffhavecomeoveraswell.
ElinalisestickingbehindCliff.
She'sbusyingherselfwithhisear.Idon'tknowwhatfor,butatleastshelookshappy.
"Well...Youhelpedtoo.Icanmaketheintroduction."
Nanahoshilooksalittletroubled.
Probablynotaneasycharactertotalkabout.
"Ah,metoo!"
WhileIwasthinking,Sylphyleansoveraswell.
Roxyfellasleeponarowofchairs.
Nornisprobablynotinterested,she'swatchingusfromadistancebesideRoxy.
Ifwedogo,thentheyprobablywanttojointoo.
IncludingNanahoshithat's7inall.
"Wouldn'titbetroublesomewithsomanypeople?"
"...Thatshouldbefine.Hesaid12orlessisfine.Evenifeveryonegoesitshouldnotbeaproblem."
Nanahoshinods,lookingcomposed.
Basically,ZanobaandCliffwanttogo.
ButifNanahoshi'ssideisokaywithit,thenIdon'thaveareasontorefuse.
"Willthevisittakelong?"
Afewmonthswalk?
Maybeabitfasterwithusingtheteleportationruins.
Travelingtotheteleportationruinsalonetakes5days.
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Toandfrom,that's10days.
Includingtherestofthetrip,it'lltakeatleastamonth.
WithLucyhere,Idon'twanttostayawayforsolong.
"Itonlytakesadayifwewant."
"Ah,that'sawfullyclose.Soyoumeetoftenthen?"
Onlyaday?
Soonly2daysoftravel.
Evenifwestayoverforafewdays,thenwecanbebackinaweek.
Atthatdistance,wemightaswellbringLucytoo.
"Distancewiseit'snotparticularlyclose.Wedon'tmeetveryofteneither.Butifwedo,there'saway."
Communicationviamagictool?
AlthoughIhaveyettoseeamagictoolliketelephones,Ihaveseeninstantteleportation.
Then,maybetelephoneexiststoo.
Mailstakealongtimetosend.
Butiftheyhavesomethingsetupalready,thenitcouldbefasterandeasier.
Likeasignalflareorsomething.
"AhIsee.Then,who'sthispersonyouspeakof."
Nanahoshifrowns.
Shelooksaroundatallthecustomersaroundus,thensignalsustocomecloser.
Liketellingasecretweputourheadstogether.
Nanahoshiquietlysaid.
"Promiseyouwon'ttell?"
WeallnodafterNanahoshiasked.
Then,shesaid.
"ArmoredDragonKingPerugius."
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400yearsago,theonethatledhumanstovictoryintheLaplaceCampaign,oneofthethreeheroeswho
vanquishedtheDemongod.
Chapter143.5SideStory'BirthofaNewSwordKing'
Part1
TheSpaceofthePresent,theHolyLandofSwords.
TherekneeledthreeSwordSaints.
NinaFarion.
JinoBritts.
ErisGreyrat.
StandinginfrontofthemwastheSwordGod,GullFarion.TheSwordGodleisurelymovedhishandtothe
swordathiswaist,overlookingthethreeofthem.Heslowlyopenedhismouth.
"YourswordtechniqueshavealreadysurpassedtheboundsofaSwordSaint."
Atthosewords,Jino'sshouldersfaintlytrembled.
"Ithinkthatit'sabouttimetochoosethenextSwordKingafterGhyslaine."
Jino'seyeswidened.Fistsclenched,hetrembledallover.Hisbodywastakenoverbyfeelingsofjoy.Hewas
singlemindedlykeepingincheckhisdesiretojumpupinjoy.
However,theSwordGodcontinuedtospeak.
"Beforethat,aquestion."
"..."
"DoyoulotunderstandthedifferencebetweenSwordSaints,SwordKings,andSwordEmperors?"
"...Isittheirstrength?"
TheonewhomutteredthiswasNina.Youcouldseeinalltheireyesthattheywereaskingiftherewasanything
elsebesidesstrength.However,atthesametime,theyallknew.TheyknewthatwhattheSwordGodwantedto
hearsomethingthatwasbeyondthat.Thathewantedtohearwhatcamebeforethisstrength,andwherethis
strengthcamefrom.
NotansweringNina,theSwordGodinsteadaskedheranotherquestion.
"Nina.WhatwasitthatyourShishotoldyoubeforeyoulearnttheLongswordofLight?"
Nina'sShishowasn'tSwordGodGullFarion.ShewasthedirectdiscipleofJino'sfather,SwordEmperor
TimothyBritts.Recallinghisteachings,Ninasqueezedoutherwords.
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"[Becauseyou'rerighthanded,trainyourlefthand.]hesaid.IwastoldthatuntilIcouldusetheswordperfectly
withmylefthand,Iwasn'ttousetheLongswordofLight."
"That'sright.Thehandthatisn'tdominantisneededfortheLongswordofLight.Doyouknowwhy?"
"Ifyourdominanthandisfilledwithpower,thetipofyourswordwillshakesidetoside."
"Right.Collectingallyourtoukiandcuttingrightthrough.It'ssimple,butthat'stheheartoftheLongswordof
Light."
Swordsmanshipwastocutdownamovingopponent.Ifyoujustfoolishlyslashedheadon,yourattackwould
justbesimplyavoided.That'swhyslashesfrombelow,slashesfromtheside,slashesthatslantedvarious
slashingtechniquesweredevisedsothataswordsmancouldcuttheopponent.
However,thefirstgenerationSwordGodwasdifferent.Hehadnouseforsuchthings.Hewouldjustswinghis
swordfasterthananyone,andcuteverythingintwo.
"TheheartoftheLongswordofLightisfilledwiththehistoryoftheSwordGodStyle."
TheSwordGodtappedthepommelofhisswordwithasound.
"ThethingthatShodaisama[42]somehowmanagedtodo,iswhateachgenerationofSwordGodsafterhim
spenttheirtimerefinementlittlebylittle,untilitfinallybecamethepresentSwordGodStyle.TheLongsword
ofLight...Therefinementofitskeypoints,theprinciplebehindit,andthewaytotraininitwhenthesewere
followedtotheend,whatweendedupwithwassomethingsimple.Itbecamesomethingthatanyonewitha
littletalentwillbeabletouse.ThischangemarkedthebeginningoftheSwordGodStyle'srecognitionasthe
strongest.WeSwordGodshaverefined[43]Shodaisama'stechniques,andtogetherwithhimwereabletospread
thenameoftheSwordGodStylefarandwide."
Withasound,theSwordGodtappedtheswordpommelagain.
"TheLongswordofLightistheultimatetechniqueoftheSwordGodStyle.It'swhatotherstyleswould
callasecrettechnique.Eventhoughyou'vealllearnedthesameprinciples,somethinglikedifferencesin
strengthappeared.SwordSaint,SwordKing,SwordEmperor...It'sridiculoushuh?Eventhoughyouallknow
thesamebloodythings,fortheretobestrongguysandweakguysis,youknow...?"
Havingsaidthat,theSwordGodturnedtofaceJino.
"Whatdoyouthinkthedifferenceis?Jino,tryanswering."
Havingbeenaskedthis,Jinoloweredhisface.Hisfacewasplasteredwithanxiety.Hedidn'tknowtheanswer
tothequestion.However,theimpatienceofnotbeingabletoanswerquicklyforcedhismouthopen.
"T,thinkingaboutitlogically,exceptingtechniques,itwouldbetheskillandstrengthoftheirfootwork,orit
couldbe...w,thequalityoftheirweapons?"
"WEAPONNNS!?You,justhowmanyyearshaveyoubeenpracticing!?Wouldn'titbebetterforyoutostart
fromscratchagain,huuuh!?"
"I,I'mtrulysorry!"
AttheSwordGod'sangryshout,Jinocompletelypaledandhunghishead.
Jinohadwantedtoanswerability.However,heknewverywellthatitwasn'ttheanswerthattheSword
Godwanted.Itwouldn'thavebeenananswerthatyoucouldsoeasilywriteofftheproblemwith.Atanyrate,it
wasadiscussionaboutwhattheheartandoriginoftalentwas.Hadheanswered'ability',hemightreallyhave
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beenchasedoutofthisplace.
"Sinceyou'restillabrat,youdon'tgetit,huh?Well,whatever.Eveniftheydon'tgetit,strongpeoplewill
remainstrong.Alright.Wellthen,Nina,youtryansweringitthen."
"..."
Beingaskedthis,Ninacarefullyconsideredit.WhathewasaskingwasprobablyaboutSwordGods,Sword
Emperors,andSwordKingsthedifferencebetweenherandtheonesaboveher.TheyhadsomethingthatNina
andtheotherslacked.Cometothinkaboutit,theSwordGodandSwordEmperorsallhadpartnersalready.
Somethingthatshewanted.Aboyfriend?Ahusband?SheglancedtowardsJino.Hewashanginghishead.His
expressionwastrulymortified.Itcouldn'tbehelpedthathe,whowasyounger,wasrecentlyonNina'smind.
AndatthatmomentsherecalledthewordthattheSwordGodoftenused.
"...Isitdesire?"
"Hah,latelyyou'verealiseditaswell,huh?Asexpectedofmydaughter."
TheSwordGodsmiledasthoughpeeringintothedepthsofNina'sheart.Ninawasperturbed.Thistypeof
trainingcontinued.
"Desireisn'twrong.Butyanno,justhowfarcanyouendureforyourdesires?"[44]
"Endure...?"
"Forexample,betweenmarryingJinoorbecomingSwordKing,ifyouwereaskedtochooseone,whichwould
youchoose?"
Hearingthewordmarriage,NinaandJino'sgazesoverlapped.Nina'scheeksturnedalittlered.
"...IwouldpickbecomingSwordKing."
BetweenmarryingJinoorbecomingaSwordKing,shewouldprobablypickthelatter.Inotherwords,her
desirewasofthatlevel.Ninarealisedthemistakeinherwords.
"You'reasnaiveasever,huh.ThenEris,whatdoyouthink?"
"It'sresolve."
Erisimmediatelyreplied.Withoutthinkingaboutanything,sheimmediatelyreplied.
"Resolve.That'swrong,huh."
TheSwordGodsmiledandrejectedit.However,glaringattheSwordGod,Erisrepliedoncemore.
"It'snotwrong.It'sresolve."
WhatfloatedthroughEris'smindatthatmomentwasascenefromlongago.ThefigureofRudeusbeing
stabbedthroughthechestbyOrsted.Shewhohadlamentedherpowerlessness,andhewhohadfallen.
Shehadbecomestrongersincethen.Whetheritwasherpowerorspeed,therewasahugedifferencecompared
toafewyearsago.However,shecouldn'twinagainstOrsted.ThesepastfewyearsoftraininghadallowedEris
toseeherlimits.Itwasprobablythecasethatnomatterhowmuchshetrainedfromnow,shewouldstillnever
reachOrsted.
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However,aslongasshewaswithRudeus...AslongasshewaswithRudeus,herhandwouldreachOrsted.He,
amagician,andshe,awarrior,woulddoittogether.
Eveniftheystabbedeachother,aslongasshecouldstopOrsted'smovements,Rudeuswouldfinishtherest.If
Rudeuscoulddefeathim,thenitwastheirwin.Ofcourse,shewoulddieandRudeuswouldlive.Werethisto
happen,she'dneverhaveafuturetogetherwithRudeus.However,eventhatwasfine.Ifsheconsideredthe
future,shewouldgetcoldfeet.Ifshegotcoldfeet,herswordwoulddull.Ifhersworddulled,thenRudeusas
wellwoulddie.Inthatcase,itwasbetterthatshedied.
Eriswasresolved.
"Inthatcase,areyoufineevenifyoudon'tbecomeaSwordKing?"
"Idon'treallycare."
"Don'tyouwannagetstronger?"
"Yeah.Ido.Butsomethinglikeatitledoesn'tmatter,right?"
TheSwordGodthenmurmuredhappily,
"Alright,ErisandNina.Youtwofight,andthewinnerwillbechosenastheSwordKing!"
Part2
ErisandNina.Thetwoofthemstoodfacingeachother.
"..."
Thetwoofthemwerebothholdingwoodenswords.However,withbothofthemusingSwordSainttechniques,
itwouldbeeasyforthemtolosetheirlives.
"ThisbringstomindthetimewhenIfirstcame,huh?"
"Yeah,itdoes,huh."
WhatfloatedthroughtheirmindswassomethingthathappenedafewyearsagothetimewhenGhyslainehad
broughtErishere.Becauseofthatbeastlikegirl,humiliationhadbeenplantedinsideNina.Infrontoftheother
SwordSaints,aswellasJino,shewasshamefullymadetowetherself.Whensherememberedthis,itmadeher
wanttocoverupherfaceandrollaboutonthegroundinembarrassment.
However,shedidn'tbearanyhatredtowardsEris.BecauseofEris,shehadbecomestronger.Herconceitwas
gone,andshewholeheartedlyappliedherselftohertraining.Thinkingaboutitthatway,shecouldsaywith
confidencethatthehumiliationhadfueledhergrowth.
"I'lldefinitelywintoday."
ThemomentNinasaidthis,bloodlustwelledupfromEris.However,Ninadidn'tfalter.Withaclearexpression
likethatofamonkwhohadreachedenlightenment,shebeheldEris.
"...Hmph."
Thenextmoment,Eris'sbloodlustquicklydisappeared.Then,anexpressionincontrasttoNina's,appearedon
Eris'sface.Shewassmiling.Itwasanunpleasantsmile,butEriswassmiling.Itwasthesmileofawildbeast.
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Ninainstinctivelyfeltfearatthatsmile.DuringtheirtrainingwithWaterKingIsolte,shehadfoughtEris
countlesstimes.Andshehadlost.Ofcourse,therewerealsotimeswhenshewon.However,onlythethe
memoriesofherfailuresremainedburnedinhermind.
"..."
Erisdidn'tmove.Withthatbeastlysmilestillplasteredtoherface,shestoodstill.ItwassomethingrareforEris
whoalwaystooktheinitiative.
Theword'counter'floatedinNina'smind.ThecounterthatshehadfacedcountlesstimesinbattlewithIsolte.
Eriscouldn'tusethetechniquesoftheWaterGodStyle.However,therewerealsocountersintheNorthGod
Style.ThatwasprobablyEris'saim.
Asilenceflowedthroughtheplace.
TherestoodErisinamiddleguard,andNinainahighguard.[45]
Thetwostoodstillatarange[46]ofasinglestepandswingawayfromeachother.
Ninawasexpressionless,andEriswassmiling.
Likeastrangeartwork,thetwoofthemmerelystoodthere,glaringateachother.
ForthoseoftheSwordGodStylewhosemottowas[Victorygoestohewhomovesfirst],itwasararestillness.
Thetwoofthemstoodclosetogether,stockstill.
Franklyspeaking,theSwordGodsighedatthem.
"Howlongisyourmarriageinterviewgoingtogoonfor?"
Thosewordsbecameatrigger.
TheonewhomovedwasNina.
Shetookasharpstepforward.
ItwasamovementoftheSwordGodStylethatshehadpracticedtensofthousandsoftimes.
Takingastepintotheabsolutelymostoptimalandlogicalplace,shesentexplosiveenergyintoherupperbody.
ThatenergycombinedwiththetoukiemittedfromNina'sbody.
Itwastransmittedthroughherarms,andthenintoherblade.
TheLongswordofLight.
Theswordwhichboastedanoverwhelmingvelocityswungdownwardsfromherupperguard.
Herexecutionwasperfect.
ItwassoperfectaLongswordofLightthatanyonewatchingmighthavebeenmesmerisedbyit.
However.
"GAAH!"
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Ninasufferedaterrifyingblowtoherabdomenandwassentflyingbackwards.
Shesmackedintothewallofthedojo,andthencollapsedontotheground.
Herdougiwasripped,andherwelltrainedabdomenwasvisible.
Onthatabdomenofhers,aswelllikealongredearthwormwasbeginningtoform.
Whileshefeltaburningpain,theSwordGodmadeadeclaration.
"That'senough!"
NinalookedatEriswithadumbfoundedexpression.Eriswhosebrowwaswetwithlotsofsweat.Thoughher
dougiwasalittletornattheshoulder,thatwasit.Herfacewasnolongersmiling.However,herfigurewasthat
ofavictor.
"...Kuh."
Ninacomprehendedwhathadhappened.
ErishadsteppedinatroughlythesametimethatNinahad.Then,inthefaceofNinawhowasusinganupper
guard,ErisdroppedlowtothegroundandsimultaneouslyletlooseinahorizontalslashherownLongsword
ofLight.
However,shecouldn'tunderstand.Inthatcase,itshouldhavebeenherattackthatconnectedfirst.Ninawasthe
onewhomovedfirstandherswordswingswerejustalittlefasterthanEris.Furthermore,anattackfroman
upperguardshouldhavebeenevenfaster.Sincethatwasthecase,evenifErisloweredherheadalittle,it
wouldn'thavebeenstrangeforNina'sownswordtoreachfirst.Eventhoughthatwasthecase,theresultwas
thatitwasn'tevenasimultaneousattack.Forsomereasonshecollapsed,whilstEriswasstanding.
"Youdon'tneedmorepowerthanwhat'snecessarytoknocksomeonedown."
Erishadspokenquietly.Ninadidn'tunderstandthemeaningofthosewords.
WhatErishadusedwasatechniqueoftheNorthGodStyle.Normally,theLongswordofLightwas
somethingwhosepowerwasoverkillforuseoneveryopponent.Eristradedthatpowerforspeed.Shelimited
theamountofpowerinherswingtowhatwasnecessarytoknockNinadown,andmovedquicklywithjustthat
much.TheabilitytodistributetoukiwassomethingthatshehadlearnedthroughtrainingtheNorthGodStyle.
However,thespeedthatshegainedfromsuchathingwasjustaslightamount.Comparedtotheamountof
deadlymighttheswinghad,thespeedgainwasdisproportionate.However,becauseofthatslightspeedgain,
shewasabletoturnthetablesbyjustahair'sbreadth,anditwasenoughtodecidevictoryordefeat.
"Welldone,Eris.I'llgrantyouthetitleSwordKing."
Ninaslowlygotup.Shefeltadullpainatherabdomen,andgrimaced.
(Iwascompletelydonein.)
Becauseitwasawoodensword,ithadendedwithjustbeingknockedaway,buthaditbeenarealsword,her
organswouldprobablyhavespilledout.Ofcourseitwouldn'tbestrangeforaLongswordofLighttocuta
personintwo,butjusttheslashNinawouldhavereceivedwouldhavebeenmorethanenoughtokillher.On
theotherhand,Erishadgottenawaywithjustacuttotheshoulder.Ninahadcompletelylost.
Ninaletoutasigh,andstoodupstraightwhereshewas.Shehadlostineveryway.Shehadmovedfirst,and
thenlost.Shelost.
Lost.
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SomethingheavyandpainfulbegantoriseintoNina'schest.
"Areyoufrustrated,Nina?"
"Yes."
LargedropsoftearswereflowingfromNina'seyes.
"Youstillhaveroomtogrow.Focusonyourtraining."
"Yes,Otousan."
Onthatday,Ninahadreferredtohimasherfatherforthefirsttimeinalongtime.
"..."
TheSwordGodwaiteduntilNinahadstoppedcrying.Eris,withhermouthupturnedintoa,andwithher
armscrossed,waitedaswell.
Part3
AfterhehadmadesurethatNinahadstoppedcrying,theSwordGodspoketoEris.
"Eris.You'vegainedthetitleSwordKing,butIalreadyhavenothingtoteachyou.I'llgiveyoutheproofof
mastery."[47]
Proofofmastery.Whentheyheardthesewords,NinaandJinolookedateachother.Thiswasatitlethatneither
thetwoSwordEmperors,norGhyslainehadbeengiven.Theproofofmasterywasthatamazingofatitle.
"Thoughit'dalsobefinetojumpyoustraightuptoSwordEmperorbut...you'dhavetofightGhyslainehere.If
youwanttojumpuptoSwordGodthenyou'llhavetokillme."
[Whatwillyoudo?]
Asifaskingthis,theSwordGodmovedhishandtohissword.Erisshookherhead.
"Idon'tcareabouttheSwordGodorwhatever."
"Right?...Wellthen,whatdoyouplanondoingfromnow?"
"FirstofallI'mgoingtogotowheremyfamilyis."
LookingrightintoEris'seyes,theSwordGodfelttheirradiance.
Hefeltthatshepossessedsomethingthathehadlostatsomepoint.
Becauseshepossessedanearnestattitudetowardsgettingstrongerwithoutlosingsightofhergoal...
OritcouldbethatbecauseshewasEris...
HethoughtthatperhapsshemightbeabletodefeatthatpeerlessOrsted.
"Come,Eris.AsproofofyourascensiontoSwordKing,I'llgiveyouoneofmysevenswords."
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"...Yes."
Thatday,itsignaledtheendofErisGreyrat'slongtraining.
ErishadpartedwiththeSwordGod,andtheceremonyforbestowingtheSwordKingtitlehadfinished.Only
twopeopleremainedthere.
"..."
"..."
Forawhile,thetwosatthereinsilence.Bothoftheirchestsheldfrustrationandenvy.However,theywould
absolutelyneverspeakofthesefeelings,norshowthemontheirfaces.
"..."
Withoutdoingeither,thetwoofthemstoodup.Walkingsidebyside,theymovedtothecorneroftheSpace
ofthePresentandpickedupthewoodenswordsthatwereleftthere.
Foralittlewhile,thesoundsofwoodenswordsstrikingeachothercouldbeheardfromtheSpaceofthe
Present.BecauseitwastheHolyLandofSwords,thiswasasoundthatcouldbeheardanywhere.
Tobecontinued.
Translator'sNotesandReferences
1.Note:Foranyonewhoisn'tBuddhist/familiarwithBuddhism,Mara:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mara_%28demon%29
2.Morningwood.NSFW
3.Note:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycoris_radiata
4.Note:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/StupaAlsoaeuphemismforhisdick.
5.Note:SteinsGate,inthetitularSteinsGate,referstoacertainworldlinewhereneitherWW3nor
Illuminatidystopiaoccurs.Thisparticularphraseisaquotefromtheprotagonist(achu2)whowould
oftensaynonsenselike"ThisisallaccordingtothewillofSteinsGate!"
6.Note:http://gsmikami.wikia.com/wiki/Tadao_Yokoshima
7.Needediting
8.ThisiswritteninEnglish.
9.thewordusedhereis(gara)maybeshortfortrash()
10."Chiiisu!"EdittogoodEnglishequivalentplease
11.Sameasabove
12.Somekindofjapaneseproverb(nemohamo)
13.I'mnotsosureaboutthis.ED:hangfiledtohandfilingasitistheonlythingthatmakessense
14.What'stheenglishequivalentofthissentence.EDCliffsniffwithhisnose.:snort:istoostrong.
Imagineadaintyandyoungminister,sniffatthetransgression,andstartlecturing.Whataboutasniffle?
Itwouldgosniff(silent)<sniffle(sound)<snort(loud)
15.Heuses(shuraba)here,whichmeanssomethinglike"asceneofcarnage"butalsoisusedto
refertorelationshipdifficulties.Itwastranslatedas"Hell"whenitshowedupasachaptertitle,sothat's
whatI'mgoingtousehere.
16.Roxy'spantiesandSylphy'svirginbloodcloth
17.Note:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butsudan
18.Note:otsukaresamadesu
194/195
4/2/2016
19.Note:There'salineinShiguruisaidbyFujikiGennosukethatgoes"Ushimatadono,theywon't
rememberitunlessithurts."Itmightbeareferencetothat(it'smildlyfamousonthenet).
20.Note:otsukaresamadeshita
21.Riajuuisinternetslangforsomebodywhohasagoodlife:http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?
term=riajuu
22.Note:Otsukaresamadesu
23.Doesthetitleofthechapteris"I'llRaiseit"(mainpageversion)or"WhatIRaised"(chapterpage
version)?
24.TL:IgottheimplicationherethatZanobasentGingerasanescorttoassistwhoeverwasbringingthem
back
25.TL:Healthandphysicaleducation.JPterminology.
26.TN:Shoubufuku,impliedhereasaseductionoutfit
27.OppaiSennin,akatheoldimaginaryhorndogcheeringonhissexualexploits.Literaltranslationis
somethinglikeBreastSage.
28.Kyuumaseki.
29.Manataitohyudora.
30.Japanesecustomcallinganauthor"sensei".
31.Rudi,Rudi~!Thereisnosuchthingasoverkill,only"OpenFire!"and"MoreReloads!"
32.Threesome.
33.Unsure," "
34.Buddhistdemonoftemptation.
35.ReferencetoacatchphraseofJapanesecomedianHikomaro.
36.TsurikichiSanpei,afishingmangabyTakaoYaguchi.
37.Thiswasabouthimnotbeingabletocatchanyfishturningintohimbeingbaldviatherumor
circulatinglikethetelephonegame,iirc
38.Bioshockreference
39.Unsure:
40.fightingorboxingatclosequarters
41.actually/RearCharge:2chslangforsomeonewhoissatisfiedwithhisreal(offline)life.
42.Note:Shodai=firstgeneration.YouguyswatchNaruto,yeah?
43.Note:Strictlyspeakingit'snot'refinement'by'clarification'or'makingclear'.Basicallytheyresearched
thetechniqueandmadecleareverythingaboutit.
44.Note:morelit.'howfarcanyourdesiresendure'?
45.Note:Forpplwhoaren'tfamiliarwithswords,leftisNina,rightisEris
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/FENCING_AT_AN_AGRICULTURAL_SCHOOL.jpg
46.Note:maai
47.Note:lit.thatshe'sgunnagainMenkyoKaiden.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menkyo#Menkyo_Kaiden
BacktoVolume13 ReturntoMainPage ForwardtoVolume15
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title=Mushoku_Tensei:Volume_14&oldid=386403"
Thispagewaslastmodifiedon28August2014,at16:43.
ContentisavailableunderTLGTranslationCommonAgreementv.0.4.1unlessotherwisenoted.
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