Chapter 172 The Death of Princess Priestess

"...After all, this is what happens..."

In the middle of the desert, there is an altar surrounded by big rocks.

Ryuna Maafern, the princess and Priestess, looks up at the sky with her
hands and feet bound and sighs softly.
Above her head, the sun is slowly fading. It seems as if it is being eaten
away by a monster.
The darkness gradually closes in around her. Then, as the darkness closes
in, Ryuna sees countless corpses. All of them were children, all of them still
young.
A stone altar in the middle of the desert. The corpses of children were
scattered around it as if they were offerings.

"Hahahaha! It seems the sun is fading. It's time for the ceremony!"

An old man with a bald head appeared before Ryuna.

His wrinkles all over his face indicate that he is of a certain age.
However, he is tall and fearless. His thick muscles pushed up the white
vestments he wore.
And this old man with a wrinkled face colored with joy. Ryuna knew the
man's name.

Guru Rudanaga.
He was the monstrous monk who appeared suddenly in the kingdom
several years ago and captivated the king's heart with his strange arts.

"I wondered what would happen when the Priestess ran away... but the
sacrificial lamb is back in my hands! You should be honored, little one. You
will be sacrificed to the Lord, the true rulers of this land. Let your sacrifice
be the foundation for the revival of the old world!"

"Uggh..."

Rudanaga grabbed Ryuna's arm and forced her to stand. He tramples on

the children’s corpses and takes her to an altar built in the center of the
desert.
As Ryuna was placed in the center of the altar, the smell of rusty iron
came from all directions. It was the smell of blood from the children who
had been sacrificed earlier.
And just as the sun was about to completely close in, something strange
happened.

"""""AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"""""

"...!"

A wail escaped from the mouths of the children who were supposed to be
dead.
It was like resentment. Like sorrow. It was like the voice of death from
hell echoing from the depths of the earth.
And something pale and white came out of the mouths that were opened
to the limit. From the mouths of dozens of children, a strange orbs gathered
on top of Ryuna, who was lying on the altar.

"Ah, ahh..."

Ryuna's face tightened, and her mouth started to speak naturally in fear.
The sun completely closes in the sky, and darkness envelopes the
surroundings. At the same time... something happened.

'OGJRG`J`R'PIT`SVJ”GR`H*}=FJEWG*EJGGE`IEG!!!]'

A strange sound that could never have been made by human vocal cords
echoed.
It sounds like a yell of a beast or an infant crying out for its mother.
Then, a pitch-black hole opens in the empty space.
Emerging from the hole is the head of a giant snake.
It is a gigantic agit that could swallow a small human being in one gulp.
Its body is covered with white scales, and its eyes are red like fresh blood.
On its forehead is a woman's upper body contorted in anguish. The naked
woman with a sorrowful expression on her face was as dry as a dead tree
without a drop of water on her face.
 Her mouth was moving and speaking... but Ryuna could not hear her
inaudible voice.

"Oh, ohhhhhhhhhhhhh...! You've returned! My Lord! The great god

Illyanka Noburunaga!"

Rudanaga kneels down in the desert to celebrate the Lord's return.

Tears of joy streamed down his wrinkled face and fell to the dry earth.

"Thousands of years have passed since that goddess kept you away from
me. I have been waiting for your return! My Lord, I have prepared a new
sacrifice. Please eat this Priestess' body and resurrect yourselves here on
earth!"

Hearing these words, Ryuna finally understands her situation.

(I see...I am going to be sacrificed. For this huge snake... For the

resurrection of the evil god)

And at the same time, she is convinced.

If the god in front of her is resurrected, everything will be over.
The people that Ryuna loved. The nation that Ryuna loved. Everything in
this world will be turned upside down.
This world will be hell. Like the apocalypse, doom is imminent.

'“PUFJEUP*HG{=WIGF*B}RBHOW'EGJ”{!}'

The mouth of the evil god is opened to its limit. Inside the ripped mouth
is not a tongue but countless human hands.
The humans who have been eaten and killed by this evil god are reaching
out to Ryuna, seeking new friends. They were trying to drag her, who was
lying on the altar and unable to move.

"......!"

Ryuna, cowering in fear, was faced with a choice.

 There is a way to escape without becoming a sacrifice to the evil god.
She had prepared for this day in secret.
All it takes is a little determination. A little courage.

"Sister... Father..."

Ryuna thought of the faces of her beloved family. She could not let them
become victims of the evil god.
For a few seconds, she was hesitant. But to protect her loved ones...
Ryuna bit her teeth as hard as she could.

"Ugh...!"

There is the sound of something shattering.

The poison in her back teeth spreads into her mouth.
The specially formulated, fast-acting poison instantly drained her life,
and black blood gushed out from the back of her throat.

"Hey... you!"

'GW "POGW'*G_KBJ'W{WQ'*VJGWGTPF¥}...'

Rudanaga shouts angrily.

Then, somewhat disappointed, the evil god moves away from Ryuna.
The giant snake can only eat live prey. A poisoned sacrifice is out of the
question.
Ryuna dared to commit suicide by drinking poison, thus avoiding the
future sacrifice to the resurrection of the evil god.

'=JBGWPGI*{=JBGWPGI*{B...'

With the sacrifice's loss, the evil god's body disappears.

Above her head, the sun is gradually appearing, and the sun's total eclipse
is about to end. And even if Rudanaga heals and revives Ryuna now, it will
be late before the eclipse is over.
After thousands of years, the time for the resurrection of the evil god has
come. But it was interrupted by the determination of a girl.
 "No, no way... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Rudanaga's exclamation can be heard in Ryuna's fading consciousness.

A feeling of "Suck it up!" comes over her... but she doesn't care about
that anymore. It doesn't matter anymore.

(Sister... Father... Please live well, all of you...)

Ryuna passes away with a satisfied smile, wishing happiness to her

beloved family.
"A dream?"

Apparently, she was asleep.

Ryuna's consciousness wakes up, and her vision gradually becomes
clearer.
When Ryuna woke up, she was lying in a tent. She is on a carpet spread
out on the sand.

"Ouch...!"

Her head ached. It was probably caused by the dream she had just had.
After having a 'Precognitive Dream,' which is one of Ryuna's Priestess
abilities, she often gets a headache.
For a while, she crouched down and held her head, and the pain gradually
subsided.

"That dream again... it seems that 'the time' is approaching..."

The dream in which she was captured by the Guru Rudanaga and
sacrificed to the evil god.
It was the same dream that Ryuna had experienced many times since her
awakening as a Priestess, and it was an affirmation of the end of her life.
Ryuna has felt her 'death' since she was a child. With each passing year,
'death' comes closer to her step by step.
Shakuna's sister, Shakuna, tries to save her, but the premonition never
disappears.
 She saw the premonition over and over again as if the end of the dream
was a definite future.

"I was caught off guard... I hadn't had it recently."

About six months ago, she stopped having the premonition.

The presence of death, which had always been with her, disappeared, and
she began to have other dreams instead.
Instead, she had another dream in which the Maafern sisters were being
devoured by a man.

"Baskerville-sama..."

Ryuna squeezes her bosom, calling his name as if she is longing for him.

He is the main character of this nightmare. He holds the sisters in every

possible way and position and devours them with his lust... It is not a very
good dream, but for Ryuna it is a gospel of hope that she may survive
without being devoured by the evil god.
At first, she fainted with shame every time she woke up from the dream...
but she had begun to look forward to the young man's appearance in her
dreams.

Many years before she met him, Ryuna Maafern had fallen in love with
Zenon Baskerville.

"Baskerville... is that your honey's name?"

"......!"

A third person's voice is heard on Ryuna's back as she gets up.

She turns around in a hurry, and before she knows it, a tall brown-
skinned man is standing in the tent.

"You... are the demon. You brought me here."

 "YES, that's right! This great me is the crazy demon who killed your
fellow priests and took you away from your honey... the Knight of Hell,
Veinrune, that's who I am!"

"......"

Ryuna's face twists.

She remembered that her companion Hadiss had been stabbed in the back
and died.
She glares at Veinrune as if to offer some resistance, but it does not make
any difference to the man, who is a high-ranking demon. After all, he just
hummed to himself and spoke to her.

"FOO... this great me may look like this, but I feel sorry for you, okay?
Sacrificing yourself for the resurrection of the old gods, seriously, this great
me feel sorry for you. Even if it's a love rival, who loves the same man... it's
really pathetic."

"Do you know about the evil god Ilyanka Noburunaga?"

"Yes... that's her name. I mean, I know her, but... well, she's just an
acquaintance of my parents, that's all."

"Acquaintance of your parents?"

"The demon is a being created by that goddess from a certain old god's
body and soul, so you could say this great me is a child of an old evil god.
But...that doesn't mean I want the evil god to come back!"

Veinrune licks his lips and shakes his shoulders in amusement.

"That man... my cooperation with Rujanaga is just a contract. This great

me is only employed by him for a limited time in return for his sacrifice. I
thought it would be a thankless job... but I was lucky to meet V-Very pretty
honey."

"Honey... uh, well, that's okay. But please don't say it."
 Ryuna shook her head and felt deep sympathy for the man she loved.
It seems... he has been spotted by a pervert man.

"So... what can I do for you?"

"Yes, this great me here to pick you up because the ceremony is ready.
It's almost eclipse time. Time for the ceremony."

"Kuh...!"

Veinrune grabs Ryuna's arm and pulls her to her feet.

Ryuna tries to resist, but there is no way she can win in a contest of
strength with a demon.
She is dragged out of the tent.

"Well, do you think honey will come here to help you? If so, great. If so,
great. We can make love to our heart's content this time!"

"Well... I don't know. I don't see it either."

Ryuna bites her lip.

She wonders if he will come this far.
To help her. Will he come to a place where he might die?
On the one hand, Ryuna wants him to come, but on the other hand,
Ryuna does not want him to come because of the danger.

"Which... do I want?"

"We love the same man, 'kay. If you have a last will and testament, I'll
listen to it."

"...I don't have a will. There's nothing I need to tell you. Nothing at all."

"FOO... I see.... then do as you please."

Veinrune shrugged his shoulders in reply.

 Ryuna was taken to a desert altar surrounded by big rocks.
It was the 'altar of the snake god' that she had seen many times in her
dreams.

"Hahahaha... The sacrificial lamb. An offering to our true Lord."

"......!"

And an old man was waiting.

His face is wrinkled, but his body is well muscled.
His age and background are unknown.

"I was in a great hurry when you ran away, but I am relieved to see you
back in my possession... The sun has just begun to fade. It's time for the
ritual."

Rudanaga smiles as he utters the same words Ryuna has heard in her
nightmares.
Above her head, the sun was beginning to wane, as if it were being eaten
away by a monster.
The Principle of a Philosopher by
Eternal Fool “Asley” – Chapter
308, The King of the Dead
As soon as Sagan saw the monster — the SS-ranked Living Dead King —
he drew his sword from the sheath on his waist.

“A… AA……”

The Living Dead King’s body swayed as it groaned.

Then the shaking gradually stabilized, until its movements looked more
deliberate — a controlled vibration. An ominous wind sharted blowing
around it.

“AAAAAAAAAAAA!!”

Its groan turned into something… eccentric, causing Sagan’s face to warp
in horror.
On the other hand, Asley was calm — and so was Pochi next to him.
They had already fought the Devil King once, after all; even the powerful
Living Dead King was no enemy of theirs.
However, the one fighting this SS-Ranked monster this time was Sagan.
This War Demon Emperor was talented — so much so that a former Holy
Warrior considered him a genius — but he was still human.
The young man’s cold sweat turned greasy, and the look of horror on his
face shifted to one of determination.

“HAAAHHH!!”
Sagan readied his sword and put one foot forward, and at the same time, the
Living Dead King rushed forward.

“Ngh–!”
[That thing’s actually skilled. It’s matching up its movements with Sagan’s,
waiting to hit when he’s vulnerable. This is why humanoid monsters are so
tricky — Sagan’s gotta be careful.]

As Asley expected, the monster moved in to attack, exploiting Sagan’s

opening.
As Sagan pulled his leg back with the intention to stand his ground and
counter, the Living Dead King leaped up.

“Hah!”

Its method of attack was simple — smashing down with both its fists.
Sagan guarded with his sword.

“Hmph!”

And as he groaned while holding his stance, his arms and legs bulked up.

“Ooh! Nice muscles!”

“KAHHHHHH!”

Asley’s strange monologue faded into the night, while Sagan dug his heels
into the earth, standing his ground head-on against the Living Dead King’s
attack.
Eventually, Sagan gritted his teeth and swung, knocking the monster away.
“Ngh… rock solid!”

Looking at the Living Dead King’s arms, which Sagan had defended
against with the sharp edge of his sword, he saw that the cut was far too
shallow.
After all, even if it was the size of a normal human, it still was an SS-
Ranked monster.

“Let’s try this, then…”

[It’s gonna be fire magic… right?]

Both Asley and Sagan, through the latter’s defense against the physically
powerful opponent, had seen the same clue to the winning solution.
Sagan, seeming to notice Asley’s tense gaze from behind him, grinned as he
concentrated some arcane energy into his left fist.

“He’s switching to mainly using magic-based attacks… Good call.”

Asely muttered to himself, putting one hand under his chin as he observed
Sagan’s actions.
Saga’s dominant hand was his left… but he still wielded his sword with his
right. At his current level of ability, he had to rely on his better arm to use
magic spells and magecraft that demanded attention to detail.
Sagan himself knew that as well. He took one deep breath to improve his
concentration.

“Hmph!”
And as he started drawing, the Living Dead King closed in on him again,
stepping from side to side.
Trying to keep up with such movements would only result in dizzyness, so
Sagan opted to not look at it at all.

[Its movements are erratic, but by the time it’s close enough, it’ll be at one
of my sides… No need to worry about where it is while it’s out of my
sword’s range!]
“AAAAAA!”

As the Living Dead King appeared right in front of him in a low stance,
Sagan sensed its split-second hostile intentions and parried its uppercut.
The powerful blow slightly bent the face of Sagan’s sword, but the impact
was mitigated.
Its attack deflected, the monster’s body sprang up, and it attempted to shoot
a kick at Sagan’s abdomen.
Sagan repositioned his sword, directing its shard edge ahead at the kick just
before it landed. And then… he relaxed his right arm.
With his sword knocked back by the kick, Sagan let it draw an arc using his
arm as the fulcrum, looping it back around to his opponent.
The Living Dead King now realized that the impact of its kick was coming
back to hurt it — and it felt threatened.
The next moment, Sagan tensed up his right arm and clashed against the
Living Dead King’s next attack — an instantaneous burst of strength
achieved through a combination of grit and technical skill.
The subtle change in the Living Dead King’s eyes suggested that it was
finally taking things seriously… and then it looked surprised.
Grit and technical skill… were not the only cards up Sagan’s sleeve.
The monster saw light in a corner of its eye.
It came not from Sagan’s attacking right hand… but his left.
The arcane energy concentration in that left hand was minuscule, but to the
Living Dead King, it was a major obstacle.

“Burst!”

Grit, technical skill… and magic — those were Sagan’s cards.

His sword was now going at the Living Dead King with more speed and
power than before.

“Huh!? You’re not using fire magic!?”

“I know what I want to achieve, Leole Mask!”

The monster turned away in an attempt to avoid Sagan’s sword, but

compared to the speed of Sagan’s spin attack… it was slower.
An impact echoed — of the distinctive metal-on-bone kind. It was so loud
that Asley’s ears twitched, but he kept his eyes open to see how the clash
unfolded.
The Living Dead King had folded its arms to block the blade, and
succeeded… at an extremely crippling cost.

“I got you…!”

Sagan shouted out the pit of his stomach.

His sword was touching only one of the monster’s arms, which was only
slightly scratched.
Its other arm, however…

“AAAAAAAAA!?!?”
The Living Dead King’s right arm fell to the ground.

“Hahaha…… amazing.”

Asley subconsciously let out a word of admiration.

“How was that, Leole Mask?”

[He WAS writing a fire spell in the beginning… But then he expanded the
formula’s frame and added a whole new spell formula into it! In other
words… he rewrote a spell’s formula while drawing up its Circle… Man,
he’s really done it–]

Asley knew what this technique was.

He had already researched something similar before, but had abandoned it
due to lack of success.

“…Rewrite Magic.”
“Listen, Leole Mask… a Nation does not revolve around doing a single
thing. Broadening our horizons… sometimes calls for heavy-handed
methods. You WILL have your reward, Leole Mask… I will make sure of
it, even if I must force things with my own two hands!
HAHAHAHAHAHA!”
“Well, well…”

War Demon Emperor Sagan was laughing in the face of an opponent clearly
much stronger than him.
Ingenuity was what was important — Asley knew that well. But as Sagan’s
mentor, he had taught him something different.
Not just straightforward ingenuity… but the willingness to brute-force
things through.
“…I can’t let myself be left behind.”

Sagan, able to tell without looking back that Asley’s eyes were sparkling
with excitement, chuckled briefly before looking at the Living Dead King,
whose face was once again warped in pain.

[I came here to teach him, and here I am, being taught something… So this
is the real reason why I got sent to this era! You really got me this time,
God…]

Asley, noticing that he had cracked a dry smile, shook his head.
He could not let Pochi see him making that face, since she was sure to
comment on it.

[Wait a second… what’s Pochi up to? She hasn’t spoken a single word since
we started…]

With that in mind, Asley turned to Pochi… and saw that she was looking at
neither him nor Sagan… and not the Living Dead King, for that matter.
After all, she was facing away from all of them.
Asley, having been with Pochi for so long, immediately could tell that she
was on high alert.

“Something’s approaching us…”

Pochi said, and only Asley next to her got the message — because the
former did not want to distract Sagan from the fight at hand.
Asley divided some of his attention to the direction in which Pochi was
facing, while keeping himself faced forward, so as to not alert Sagan with
unnecessary signs.
Both Asley and Pochi could tell that this approaching presence was not all
that strong.

[Just a few… wait, it’s just one.]

“It’s coming this way despite us and an SS-Ranked monster being here…
Must be a VERY hungry creature… right, sir?”

Powerful arcane energy of various signatures drifted in the air. No one in

their right mind would dare to even get close to this area.
Although inferior to both Asley and Pochi, the Sagan and the SS-Ranked
Living Dead King were powerful in their own rights.
Asley’s energy could intimidate a fair bit, despite the cap being severely
reduced.
And then there was Pochi, far more powerful than everyone and everything
else around here.

“Well… that, or maybe it’s just stupid.”

Asley let out a dry chuckle, and at almost the same time, Pochi’s eyes
widened with surprise.

“Wait, could that be–!?”

Pochi’s reaction caught Asley’s attention, prompting him to turn and look.

“Hah hah hah… hah!!”

A figure appeared, approaching with an uneven pace and drooling all over
the ground.
Eventually, it revealed its form — its body dark red and gigantic. Its arcane
energy aura suggested that it was somewhere between Ranks A and S in
strength.
Still, Asley and Pochi were surprised. They both had a feeling… that they
had once seen a creature that acted just like this.
They tilted their heads and pondered that feeling over.
And then a ray of moonlight shone through the dark clouds, giving them a
good look… which prompted them to exclaim in realization,

“”Ah!””

With Pochi held forward her front paws in further surprise, and Asley
cracking an ‘I knew it’ grin.
The creature’s face, uncaring of appearances due to just how hungry it was,
resembled someone the two knew quite closely.
Then Sagan, noticing its arrival in a corner of his eye, muttered out its
name…

“…Ah, it’s a King Wolf Garm.”

Seeing a Garm appear before him, Asley’s face twitched.

“Hah hah hah… hweh–!?”

It was too hungry to notice all the unusual characters right in front of it.
A few moments passed until it realized what kind of scene it had just
walked into.

“Hah… hah… hah…?”

And then… it sat down on the spot.

As the duel between Sagan and the Living Dead King raged on in the
background, Asley glanced at Pochi in a corner of his eye.

[I don’t think I’m seeing things…]

The Garm’s line of sight was locked on to Asley.

[Judging from the way it acts… this one is very likely Tarawo, sir. Hell, I’d
even say it’s TOTALLY him. Look…]

Pochi communicated so to Asley through eye contact.

Getting the message, Asley took another look at the Garm.

“GRRRRRR…!”

In return, the Garm groaned and glared at Asley.

Technically, the one with the least and weakest arcane energy here was
Sagan. But the Garm could see that he was holding his own in a fight
against the Living Dead King, an SS-Ranked monster.
And then the one with the second least power was… Asley.
His energy capacity had been restricted by God, causing the Garm to get the
wrong idea…

…That it had a chance at killing and eating this man.

Pochi held back her laughter as she glanced at Asley.

[She sure is enjoying this, huh? Good God…]

Asley directed a cold, displeased glare at Pochi. The Garm, consumed by
hunger, took this chance to leap at him.
However, arcane energy capacity was the only thing Asley had lost upon his
arrival in this era.
His brute strength was still perfectly intact… and made him technically the
strongest of everyone present.

“HAIYAH!!!!”

With one simple slap, the Garm was blown away.

The impact was so great that even the Living Dead King, fighting in the
background, was startled.

“GWEH!? Yawp–!?”
“Aha! He’s saying his catchphrase, isn’t he!? ‘I will never live this down,’
was it?”
“H-how are we supposed to even tell, sir!? But… well, I’d say he probably
did!”

The King Wolf Garm, despite being on its last legs, still approached Asley.
Asley looked at it and whispered,

“Give it up. In that state, you don’t stand a chance.”

Asley put on a gentle look in his eyes — but failed to consider that humans
and monsters spoke different languages.

“Ouch–!? What the–! Dammit!”

“Grr! Grr! Gah! Guh-rrr!”
The Garm managed to cling to Asley’s arm… by biting it.
Asley’s physical strength was far too great, however, and the weakened
Garm could only hold on for just a few seconds.

“Grr! Grr! Grr! GRRRRRR!!”

[He’s sure as hell gonna starve to death if I chase his away. Ugh… okay,
fine. If he’s Tarawo, then I can’t let him die anytime soon…]

Asley heaved ad deep sigh and started drawing a Spell Circle.

Sagan, currently holding the upper hand in his fight, stole a sidelong glance
at the spell. Its formula was so beautiful that it seemed to glitter in Sagan’s
eyes.

“Rise, Storeroom.”

Unable to comprehend the appearance of the Storeroom before it, the Garm
could not bring itself to walk forward.
Asley reached his hands into the Spell Circle.

“Huh… where’d I put that?”

As Asley muttered to himself, Pochi grumbled, exasperated by what he was

doing during what technically was a combat situation.
But then Pochi’s nose twitched.

“Huh–!?”
She promptly turned back to face Asley… and saw what he had in his
hands.

“–! ARF～♪”

The Garm barked happily.

And then…

“AAAHHH! THAT’S MINE!!”

Asley’s Familiar, Pochi, let out a bewildered cry.

What Asley had taken out of the Storeroom, and now being held in his
hands… were two tasty-looking whole roasted chickens.

“What’re you saying? You just ate! These are MINE!”

“But Master, what’s yours are mine!”
“Then you could at least look at ME, not the FOOD!”

Despite Asley’s protest, Pochi’s eyes stay glued to one of the chickens.
When Asley held the chickens up high, Pochi stood up tall on her hind legs,
and when he pointed them to the side, Pochi’s eyes followed.

“Sit!”

He shouted, prompting both the Heavenly Beast and the King Wolf to sit
down in unison.

“”WOOF!””
Both of them stuck out their tongues, waiting to be fed.

“”ARF ARF ARF!””

“All right, Pocchie Mask! Catch!”
“AWOO!”

As one of the chickens was thrown far away, Pochi chased after it, and the
Garm sat up.
However–

“Not yet.”

Despite not being anywhere as loud as a yell, Asley’s voice was so

intimidating that the Garm was petrified.

“Arf!? Arf arf arfarf arf arf arf!”

[Yup, he’s TOTALLY saying his catchphrase…]

The Garm’s glare grew sharper and sharper, but Asley’s aura was too
powerful for it to look him in the eyes for too long.

“Let’s make a deal.”

“Grr… Woof!”
“I’ll give you this, but you must agree to leave this place — and to avoid
interacting with humans as much as you can.”
“Woof woof!?”
“Gah… Okay, listen. This place is the territory of strong people like me and
my friends. And humans are under my protection. So you keep away from
us and hunt beasts instead. Got it?”
“Grrrrrr… Woof!”
[Damn, this guy’s stubborn…!]

Asley’s face twitched in annoyance for a brief moment, and then it turned
into a look of surprise.

“GIAHHHHHH!!”

Hearing the scream, Asley knew that Sagan’s opponent — the Living Dead
King — had been finished off.

“Whoa! It took him no time at all to kill an SS-Ranked monster… by

himself, no less!”

Sagan, hearing Asley’s compliments, happily smiled back.

And then–

“Oh? OOHH!? OOOOOOHHH!?!?”

Asley noticed something changing within his body.

Pochi, happy to have gotten her chicken, looked back to an eyeful of
blinding green light.
Arcane energy erupted high and wide into the sky like a flaming pillar.
Sagan’s jaw dropped, in awe of what he was seeing.

“What in the world…! I can see your arcane energy aura with my naked
eyes… I didn’t know that you were hiding so much power, Leole Mask!”

With Sagan’s objective fulfilled, Asley’s arcane energy was fully restored.
“Man, my powers are finally back! So our mission here is complete, huh?”
“Ooh! Master, congra– Oh, that chicken was delicious!”
“At least say the whole word, damn it! …Ah, wait, we’re not done here
quite yet.”

Asley looked at Garm, and saw that it had been scared stiff yet again.

“Here, take it.”

Then he shoved the whole chicken into the Garm’s mouth.

With both his hands free, Asley proceeded to unleash his Ultimate Limit
form for a brief moment.
Sagan was taken aback by the even greater boost of arcane energy.

“Absolutely amazing. He might actually stand a chance against the

Philosopher of the Far East…”

He muttered, but his voice reached no one’s ears.

Asley, having shown Garm the true extent of his power, shot a sharp glare
at the monster and whispered,

“Monster, this is my territory. After finishing your meal, take your leave…
Understood?”
“Arf arf arf arf!”

Hearing Asley loud and clear, the Garm nodded repeatedly. It was
panicking so hard that, despite it being so close to starving to death, it had
not taken a bite of the chicken in its mouth.
“All right, go ahead and eat, then.”
“Woof!”

Garm, with Asley’s permission, began to wolf down its meal.

“Hehehe… taming a monster? You sure are full of surprises.”

Hearing Sagan’s cheerful voice, Asley disengaged his arcane energy.

“Impressive work, my Lord. I must apologize for being distracted midway

through, though…”
“No need for that — I don’t mind. If that Garm had intervened, the duel
might have ended up with worse results… perhaps with me dead. Your
presence was necessary.”

After Sagan was done giving his words of appreciation, Asley bowed to
him. Pochi, after finishing her chicken, promptly followed suit.

“So… you are leaving already?”

“Yes. We’ve already achieved our objective.”
“Surely there are still things that need to be done?”
“You’ll do that for us, won’t you, my Lord?”
“You just answered a question with a question… you fool.”
“Hahahaha… that’s what everyone calls me. Oh, also…”

Asley looked at the Garm, and saw that it had already finished its chicken.

“Could you please spare this dog’s life?”

“This POWERFUL MONSTER, you mean? …Very well. It is your choice
to make, Leole Mask. I’ll pretend not to see it for today.”
“You heard him. Better remember to stay away from human cities, all right?
Even a monster stronger than you can end up… like that.”

Asley pointed to the actually-dead remains of the Living Dead King.

The Garm looked into the eyes of the cruelly slain monster. The dead, jet-
black eyes of the monster considered the king of the dead.
Feeling the very concept of fear being engraved into its body, the King Wolf
trembled… and once again, it repeatedly nodded its head.
Seeing an image of Tarawo overlap with the Garm, Asley subtly chuckled
before turning back to Sagan.

“Well then. Thank you for taking care of us, my Lord.”

“What are you saying? It is I who was taken care of.”
“May the Nation find prosperity under your rule.”
“I will make sure it does; such was my intention from the start. Hehehe… I
sounded like a poet.”
“Oh! And please make it so that the people can eat tons of delicious food,
my Lord!”
“Very good idea, Pocchie Mask! I promise to see that it is done!
HAHAHAHAHAHA!”

As Sagan exchanged words with Pochi, he sported a natural, non-forced

smile.
Sensing that, Asley said while drawing his Spell Circle,

“My Lord, one day you will find the best Familiar you could ask for. Please
remember — treat it well; give it a good life…!”
“Not good enough, Leole Mask!”
Sagan rejected Asley’s words… but he did not deny them.

“You and I are friends, aiming to be the very best… Call me Sagan!”

He spoke proudly of the friendship between them.

At the same time, he saw that Asley’s Spell Circle was complete.
Asley and Pochi proceeded to remove their sunglasses and said,

“Well… I… My name is Asley!”

“And I’m his Familiar, Pochi!”
“Asley and Pochi! Very fine names! HAHAHA!”
“Sagan! I won’t ever forget the friendship between us!”
“Neither would I!”

Then Asley shouted out,

“Time Teleportation…!”

A flash of light wrapped around them.

The light soared above Sagan and Garm’s heads, tearing through the sky
like a lightning bolt returning to heaven.
Sagan looked up at where it had gone and muttered,

“Farewell…”

And before long, he directed his sight to the Garm.

“Woof?”
“You ought not to overstay your welcome. The people of this nation are
strong… and territorial.”
“Woof!”

Having turned away by the time the Garm answered him, Sagan slowly
walked back to the dried-up Regalia Lake.

“Oh, I almost forgot that I’ll be meeting another skilled mage tomorrow.
What’s her name, again? …Ishtar, was it?”

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

~~One O’clock in the Morning, Third Day of the Sixth Month, Ninety-
Sixth Year of the War Demon Calendar~~

In Asley’s room in the original Pochisley Agency building…

“Whew. We’re finally back… right?”

“Hah… I’m exhausted, sir…”

Pochi hopped onto the bed, landing with a thud.

“Hey, now isn’t the time for that! Now that we’re back, we’re in a race
against time! As we speak, Lina is–“

As they continued to argue, they heard a loud noise coming up the stairs.
Asley grabbed Pochi by the nape of her neck, and at the same time, the door
to his room swung open.
Pochi’s sleepy eyes, and Asley’s startled eyes, turned to where the sound
came from.

“Hah hah hah…! Ngh–!”

Each of the overlapping gazes was of various different emotions.

But there was one emotion common among them: joy.
The first thing Asley saw was a tattered uniform of the Royal Capital Magic
Guardians. And the next, an exhausted body… of none other than his very
first student of the arcane arts.

“…It’s good to be back, Lina.”

A short, simple greeting.

But it would remain echoing in the young woman’s ears forever.
The following moment, tears burst from Lina’s eyes, as if they were a
breached dam.
The droplets were ceaseless, and her voice trembled as she sobbed.
But as hoarse as Lina’s voice was, she squeezed out all she could to say,

“…Welcome back…”

She stood before Asley — her honored teacher, and her beloved.
So that he could see how much she had grown.
“Damn it! Again!? Why!?”

In a room filled to the brim with research apparatuses…

A man vented his frustration by slapping his desk with both hands.
Years after the clash with the Devil King’s army, one boy who had
overcome the Legends themselves — Bright — had grown up big and
strong.
The adolescence is his face was long gone, which would make him one
looker of a gentleman… if not for his gaunt countenance and unkempt
facial hair.
He stared bitterly at the point directly in front of him, in which a faintly
luminescent liquid substance was contained.

“Why was he able to do it, but not me…!?”

A large figure stood behind Bright, its appearance cloaked in the shadows.

“Give it up, Bright. You are not like my father. And remember what Kaoru
and Jun’ko told us — only those chosen by God may obtain it.”
“Ngh–! Are you saying that I was NOT chosen, then!? Chappie!?”

Bright scowled at his long-time friend.

Chappie met that gaze head-on… exactly because they were friends to each
other.

“I suppose this is what it means to not be doable. Drops of Eternity aren’t

something you can create… intentionally. At least that’s what I think —
even if you follow the same recipe as my father and the Shamanesses.”

Chappie said bluntly, as if to admonish Bright.

“…So you’re saying that my life’s efforts have been all for nothing?”
“No. The magic and magecraft you have invented can be passed down to
future generations. That’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
“It must be nice to be you, Chappie — getting to live a long life and all that
jazz! But no — this thing is nothing if I don’t finish it myself! Fifty years is
the most I have left! I must finish this… or it WILL be all for nothing…!”

It took no time at all for Bright’s anger to turn to sorrow; tears of frustration
welled up in his eyes.

“Bright…”
“…Give me a moment, please.”

Bright said, implying that he did not want his friend to see such a
disgraceful side of him.
Chappie pondered over his choices for a moment, then sighed and left the
room.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

Standing near the summit of a certain mountain, Ferris looked up at the sky
and asked,

“How has Bright been?”

“Not exactly well… He’s holed himself up in that cave. You should say
something to him, Ferris. If something goes wrong, I’d feel like I’ve
wronged him… and it won’t feel right to face my father and mother ever
again.”

Chappie spoke his true feelings.

Upon hearing the news from Giorno and Lylia that Holy Warrior Poer had
disappeared, the one most distraught was none other than Bright.
Chappie had been so hurt to witness Bright’s composure break apart that
instant as he asked — in great detail — the remaining Holy Warriors what
had happened to Poer.
It seemed like Bright had merely been using Poer for his own means, but in
truth, he had felt a close connection between them — and respected the
latter more than anyone else.
Feeling responsible, Chappie had decided at one point to tell Bright about
Poer’s uniqueness — that Poer was an immortal.
Since then, Bright had begun obsessively researching the creation of Drops
of Eternity.
Distancing himself from home, he had set up base in a Dungeon deep in the
mountains, and single-mindedly continued to pursue what Poer had
achieved.
Chappie, out of a sense of responsibility, had followed Bright and never left
him alone… and frequently visiting them was Ferris, who still had feelings
for her childhood sweetheart.

“Just let him do what he wants. He’ll be fine.”

“But why? He’s been growing more and more distant from you, too —
shouldn’t you be worried?”
“Ugh, why do you have to be so blunt, chicken? I’m fine with this! I’m
interested in seeing where he goes from here!”

Ferris lashed at Chappie, causing the latter to groan in exasperation.

Chappie contemplated saying something back, but in the end decided
against it.
And at almost the same moment, the look in Ferris’ eyes suddenly changed.

“…Who could be climbing this random mountain in the middle of

nowhere?”
“I wouldn’t feel THIS alert if they were normal climbers. Who are
they…?”
For a second, Chappie’s body swell up — the same thing that had happened
before whenever Shi’shichou got near him.
Despite having trained year after year, in an era without the Devil King,
Chappie felt that he was under threat. Ferris was now on high alert, too.

“They’re strong…”
“But in this era, no one is as powerful as us… Wait, actually…”

A gust of wind blew past them.

Chappie narrowed his eyes while facing forward. For a second, Ferris did
not seem to notice any change, then she sensed that the ‘threat’ had circled
around behind them. She turned around.

“Ah.”

Ferris uttered, prompting Chappie to turn around as well.

“How did you even find us?”

He proceeded to say, sounding not at all hostile.

“We LOOKED — All over the place.”

The calm voice echoed as light green hair fluttered in the wind.
And to the voice’s side stood a crimson Ox.

“Lylia and Weldhun! Long time no see!”

The ones who had appeared before the two… were none other than the Elf
Warrior and the Crimson King Ox.

“Hmph, still the same old tomboy princess, I see.”

Weldhun threw a sarcastic remark Ferris’ way, which she simply shrugged
off.
Ferris knew well what Lylia had meant just now. The Elf had to have a
good reason to search specifically for them — An absolutely unavoidable
obligation.
A hint of Lylia’s reason could be seen painted on her face.

[She looks… uncharacteristically sad…]

Ferris subtly groaned before sitting down on a nearby fallen tree.

“…So, what happened?”

Lylia sat down next to Ferris.

Then, after a few moments of silence, Lylia started talking,

“……Giorno has… passed away.”

Ferris and Chappie instantly widened their eyes wide; the former stood right
up, caught off guard by the abruptness of the news.

“W-what? Are you serious? I know he’s past his prime now, but he should
still have some decades left in him!”
Lylia could sense the anger in Ferris’ voice, but she did not answer.
All she did was cast her eyes down, obscuring the sorrow on her face.

“H-hey! Say something!”

Lylia proceeded to unsheathe the sword on her back, but not the one on her
waist.
She held it with great care in both her hands — something she had never
done to her own weapons.

“That’s… his…”
“He left this behind for me…”

Sensing tender emotions in Lylia’s voice, Ferris now understood…

…That Giorno definitely was dead.
Ferris sat back down on the fallen tree, then fell silent just as Lylia had.
Chappie closed his eyes. Despite being a Heavenly Beast, he felt the same
pain, as he himself had been raised by a human.
Weldhun seemed somewhat uptight, but ultimately did not carry as much
grief on his back. He had spent most of his life in nature — that may have
made him resilient to such changes.

“…But how?”

Ferris finally asked.

“…After the Devil King was destroyed, Giorno went all over the place,
teaching humans and Elves alike his way of the sword. Many people told
him it was a stupid thing to do, what with the world finally being at peace
— but he’d always say…”
‘I cannot do much by myself, but all these little things will help with the
development of the art form… and in turn, will be of help to my friend.’

“His friend… Poer, right?”

Lylia nodded.

“But then he went and died in vain…”

“It’s been a decade since the rest of us last met him. He still looked
perfectly fine back then, too…”
“…The epidemic got to him. No one knows where it came from, and the
doctors couldn’t do anything. There have been rumors floating around that
it’s the Devil King’s curse, but he’d always laugh it off… clearly suffering
all the while…”
“Ugh… those people should learn when jokes go too far.”
“Heh, I understand how you feel, Ferris. Giorno, he… he kept smiling and
laughing to the very end.”
“Oh, really…”

With that, the two of them looked up at the sky.

Chappie did so as well, then Weldhun groaned and said to Lylia,

“Hey, cut to the chase already.”

It was something incomprehensible to Ferris — since it implied that the

news of Giorno’s death was not the main topic at hand.
That prompted Ferris to look at Lylia.
“…What?”

Lylia cast her eyes down for a moment, and then shook her head as if to
shake her grief out of it.
When she looked up again, Lylia’s eyes had turned unnervingly calm.

“……I have business with Bright.”

Vol6-Chapter 98: The Target Seems
Big
Zara Yessel was born into a Marquis family, but her qualities were
not so high, and her family did not expect much from her at all.
The heir to the Yessel family has been decided to be her eldest brother.
Although he was a mediocre man, he was engaged to a Viscount’s daughter
with a high level of magic, and his father, the Marquis, had high
expectations for the next generation after the eldest sibling.
However, the marquise, whose power of influence has been declining
significantly in recent years, could not just settle for a one-shot deal like a
gamble.
The other siblings – especially the good-looking Zara were given roles of
their own.
She was to marry a man with a high magic level and have many children.
If even one of these children was born with high potential, that was good
enough. They planned to bring that child into the Yessel family, hoping that
they would be the ones to revive the family, keeping the bloodline alive.
That is why she entered the best school in the country.
Frankly, she was fed up.
It is natural for an aristocrat to devote herself to her family. Even more so
if you are a woman.
She was neither honest nor auspicious enough to accept such a trend.
For the first three years after entering the school, she took advantage of
her father’s orders and enjoyed free love.
However, due to her abusive and self-centered nature, and the rumors that
spread about her constant switching from one man to another, now that she
is a senior, the only male students who try to approach her are those who
are just looking for a temporary pleasure.
(It’s ironic that the only decent one left is Alex, the best student in the
school.)
Zara smiled to herself as she sipped her tea elegantly on the open terrace of
the school.
“Did you remember something funny?”
Alexei Gouberg, the man in question, said as he turned the book’s pages in
front of Zara. He seemed to be concerned about Zara, but his gaze never left
the page.
“Nothing. By the way, Alex, is it okay for you to kill time in a place like
this? You’ll get a bad reputation for being alone with me, won’t you?”
Until last year, Alexei Gouberg was the most talented student on campus,
and as the next head of the Gouberg Count family, he was of good family
standing.
He is also blessed with good looks and is a leader of the aristocratic
faction, which is concerned about the future of the country and is
committed to aristocratic supremacy, even as a student.
It is not just female students who are after him. There were rumors that
some princesses from other countries were also courting him.
It is safe to say that the competition is the highest in the country.
(Well, this stiff-one is not my type, and he probably wouldn’t want me in
the first place.)
The reason why he keeps his distance from the female students is that
they are aware of each other’s “exclusion of choice”. The “comradeship”
aspect also plays a strong role.
However.
“Rumors, huh. I’ve been suspected of having a relationship with you on
several occasions. But only recently.”
“Ara, then, isn’t it even worse?”
“No, I can use that to my advantage. I can discuss the future of the country
with you, my comrade, without hesitation. Of course, you should be careful
not to leak the contents of the conversation. Besides…”
Zara, who had been listening to the conversation, heard something
unexpected.
“I don’t mind if this happens with you in the future.”
She couldn’t believe her ears, but she was convinced by Alexei’s attitude.
It’s hard to believe that he was confessing his love to her so blatantly,
without taking his eyes off the book.
“Even if my influence has decreased, I am still a Marquis. It’s perfect for
rising in the aristocratic world. Is that what you mean?”
“I don’t deny it. But it’s not a bad thing for you either, is it? It is mutually
beneficial.”
That was so, indeed. If it was Alexei that she was marrying, her father
would not only have any complaints, but he would be thrilled. But…
(If only it was two months ago, I would have accepted it as a possibility.)
Now, she had already lost interest in him.
In fact, her interest may have changed, but it was still there. But that too
disappeared with the appearance of a certain male student.
“If you’re talking about ‘interest,’ isn’t there someone more suitable for
you?”
Alexei’s eyebrows twitched.
“Charlotte Zemphis. Is there anyone better than her, in terms of family and
qualities?”
“……She doesn’t judge things based on interest. And she seems to adore
her brother, who is not related to her by blood.”
“Fufufu, then you should just drop it in the right way. Even if she has
someone she adores, she’ll give up if that guy is another woman’s
property.”
Alexei looked at Zara, who was licking her tongue, for the first time.
“What are you up to?”
“I’m interested in ‘him’. I am interested in her brother, whom she admires
so much.”
“I see. His ability is unknown, but his family background is perfect.
Hopefully, the two of us can take on the Zemphis family, which is the
leading royalist faction.”[TN: LOL, you’re just a vic…. volunteer]
She was not interested in such a thing. What she was interested in was…
（Only as a ‘vessel’.)
Zara was in despair.
She can only live as a cripple, as her father commands.
She appeared to be free and uninhibited on campus, but in fact, she was
bound by her father’s orders.
Whether she found a suitable marriage partner or not.
After graduation, her career as a courtier was already cut short. After
returning to her parent’s home, she would have to live a life as her father’s
tool, which would be no different from the one she was used to.
There was no meaning to life.
It was never there from the beginning.
That is why she despaired.
But…
Perhaps it was a curse that she did not have the good-natured disposition to
simply despair.
Zara Yessel desired.
She desired a way out of this crippling life.
[Pray to our God. Lucifera will not answer to the type of desire, but to its
quality.]
She met Baron Val Agos two months ago.
He was a gentlemanly man with an air of mystery about him.
She had no intention of putting her trust in God at this point.
Still, she prayed as if she were enchanted by Val Agos.
And then…
[Oh, that craving is pleasant. It’s too fragile as a ‘vessel’, but it’s just right
for a trial.]
Immediately after that voice echoed in her head, something entered her
mind.
As the word ‘trial’ suggested, she was just a start. She was chosen as an
experiment to find a more suitable ‘vessel’.
 Therefore, she does not share consciousness with Queen Giselotte, who
is in close contact with the main body.
She is disposable, with only a small share of divine power.
However, she was originally chosen because of her unwillingness to give
up.
It was her plan to move into a larger ‘vessel’, keeping herself fused with it.
(Charlotte Zemphis would also be fine, but then he would get in the way).
It’s not too late for her to move to him first and see the quality of the vessel.
(Maybe he would fit in better than that girl.)
Furthermore, the unidentified black warrior. She might even be able to
get close to the man.
“So, I’m going to go see him now. Let’s both do our best.”
Waving a hand to Alexei, who shrugged his shoulders, Zara went to
Professor Tiarietta’s research building.
(What’s happening, ……?)
Zara was stuck in the middle of the messy conference space.
Across the table was Haruto Zemphis. And at the entrance to the room is
Tiarietta, who also looks rigid and motionless.
Zara then turned her gaze to the side.
“You are a demon.”
A strange man, dressed all in black, pointed a finger at her.
I stayed up all night watching anime and slept like mud in a log house
by a quiet lake until past noon.
What disturbed my restful sleep was the emergency news from my alter
ego, Hart C. .
“Erotic nee-chan is here.”
As I was still sleepy, I could barely respond to his words with only ‘What?’
.
“You know, that one senpai with yandere flavor and S tendency.”
“……Ah, Zara something ?”
“Yeah, yeah. I don’t know why, but she came to visit Haruto. Not Charu. I
am not good with that type. It’s more of a natural enemy. The main body
should handle it.”
If my copy isn’t good at it, then inevitably I’m not good at it either, right?
Well, I had some business with Zara-senpai, so I could save myself the
trouble of going over to her. …… but what is it about?
I got up suspiciously and got dressed and went to the meeting place in
Professor Tia’s research building where Zara-senpai was waiting for me.
Zahra-senpai was sitting across the table from me and gazing at me with a
nasty, price-gouging gaze, licking all over me.
I felt creeped out.
Professor Tia is not there, which is important. Iris is also in the class.
Porcos-shi, who guided Zara-senpai, is also gone because he is preparing
for the class as well.
It’s just the two of us. I feel suffocated. I’m sleepy.
“So, what do you want from me?”
“Before that, let me introduce myself. I am–“
Zara-senpai gave us all the information I already knew. I yawned.
When she finally finished introducing herself, she folded her hands on the
table and leaned forward with her big breasts on the table.
“Now, let’s get down to business. Do you have a girlfriend?”
“…… Yes?”
“Oh, that’s too bad. I see you already have. May I ask who it is?”
“Ahh, no. That wasn’t meant as an affirmative response. It was more like a
question back to you, asking what your intention was in asking such a
question.”
“Did you mean that much by that one word? Well, okay. You don’t seem
to be very perceptive, so I think it’s best to start from the beginning and
explain it to you properly.”
I was lightly dissed, but I was too sleepy to care.
“My intention is to ask the opposite sex if they have a partner, then to start
with ‘ I want to get along with you’.”
“Haah. …….”
“In short, I am interested in you. However, even though we are both
aristocrats, I would not suddenly say ‘on the premise of marriage’. You
want to enjoy free love, don’t you?”
“Yes. ……”
“What a dull reply. Are you even listening properly?”
“I am listening, but I don’t understand the reason why we are in this
situation.”
“Honesty is good, but you have to think first, don’t you? If you’d think a
little harder, you’d understand.”
“I’m not very good at guessing.”
Fuu, Zara-senpai sighed and shrugged her shoulders.
“I wonder if it’s more of a lack of awareness than a lack of understanding.
You’re quite well-known in the academy, you know? Despite having only
just entered the academy, you have completed the Olympian Ruins
exploration assignment and have been exempted from classes. With your
good family background and good looks, there must be a lot of girls who
want to get close to you, right?”
“No, there’s nothing like that happening.”
There has never been any kind of confession event.
“Ara, I’m surprised. Am I the first?”
I nodded.
While reflecting on how I hadn’t offered her tea until now, I decided that I
didn’t need to entertain her and didn’t notice.
“Maybe they think you are just too high-class and reserved. If so, I’m
lucky.”
Zara-senpai was beaming, but if she had known better, she would have
realized that she was heading for a ‘no-go’.
“Hey, if you don’t have a specific partner right now, why not try dating for
a trial period? At the very least, it wouldn’t hurt to check out our physical
compatibility, right?”
She posed with her breasts in a cuddling pose and gave me a bewitching
look.
“I’m not interested.”
I refused firmly and clearly, and Zara-senpai opened her eyes wide.

“Don’t you think it feels good?”

Perhaps it does, but the thing is, I’m not interested at all.
I’ve been a virgin since my previous life, so I should have been attracted
to it, but strangely enough, I haven’t had any sexual desire since I was
reincarnated.
“Please leave.”
Immediately after I said that it occurred to me.
Come to think of it, I have to use this person to solve the mystery of the
magic level.
Well, it’s hard to do when she’s coming aggressively, so I might as well
give up and attack her from behind while she’s trudging home. Devil’s
thought.
But Zara-senpai did not give up.
“It’s just a trial, so it’s okay. I want to get to know you better, and I don’t
think there’s any harm in that, do you?”
I’m worried about reputational damage caused if I befriend a slutty bitch,
you know? Well, let’s not say that. Even I can read the air, you know.
Now, let’s think about how to get rid of the senpai who is reluctant to give
up.
In such a case, should I put on a naive boy’s move and say, ‘I have someone
I like!’ ?
‘Then, in order to get along with her, let this sister teach you(Haruto) a few
things.’
Ummm, I saw this in an erotic manga. This is no good.
What should I do?
I was sleepy and my thoughts were blurred, but I was already in trouble,
so I decided to do what I had to do.
I gathered magic power in my eyes.
“Heya, Zara Yessel-kun, if you’re here, don’t you at least go say hello to me
too?”
Professor Tia, who was also smiling, came into the room with bloodshot
eyes.
Where have you been?

Zara-senpai was sitting down and half turned her head to look at
Professor Tia.
Without a second thought, Zara-senpai’s back came into view.
“Now Haruto-kun, this is your chance! Do it right away…hmm?
Hah? Don’t move. …… No, no, no, not me, but her—–Muu!?”
So noisy.
I’m already doing it, so shut up.
I realized that I had a weird switch on.
Well, it can’t be helped. It’s just the way things are.
“What is ……? Is that thing a …… barrier?”
Zara-senpai stood up suspiciously.
“!? I-I can’t move!”
I immediately restrained her with the warding.
“You’re a demon”
I made an exact copy of Shiva, the Black Warrior, and struck a pose.
Well unlike the Copy, he can’t move automatically, so I’m controlling him.
Well, I’m surprised.
When I tried to see tubes that should be extending from her back – the
concept of magic level – I couldn’t see them at all.
This is just like that guy.
The one I caught, that demon guy called Val Agos…
What is happening to me?
Zara was confused as she suddenly couldn’t move, but she immediately
tried to understand the situation.
(Space immobilization …… is an advanced barrier. I don’t think I can
escape with the way I am right now.)
She exhaled and relaxed her shoulders.
She then turned her gaze to Shiva, the black warrior.
He was standing firm in a strange pose, twisting his body and pointing his
finger at Zara.
(This guy …… is empty inside …….)
Just a puppet. She doesn’t feel the magic power that comes from within.
If this is the case, the real Shiva must be hiding and controlling it
somewhere.
Or perhaps…
This time, she didn’t look at him but only let her consciousness drift to the
seat opposite him.
(Haruto Zemphis. Don’t tell me this guy is ……?)
He was looking blankly at her and didn’t seem to be invoking any
particularly powerful magic.
(It’s not the same after all, is it? Well, it is too early to conclude.)
In any case, it is certain that Shiva is nearby.
She thought that any bad move or word would immediately result in a
second attack.
Zara spun her thoughts at high speed and chose the right course of action.
“Demon….. what do you mean?”
She straight up lied.
“Ehh”
The empty puppet exclaimed in surprise. It froze in a strange pose and then
moved with a staggering walk.
Ahead was Tiarietta who was also frozen in place and unable to move.
Shiva’s doll is talking to her.
Tiarietta, who looked stunned, was responding to something, but she
didn’t hear her voice.
Shiva’s puppet turned around and pointed at her.
“It’s no use fooling around!”
(This is gonna take forever if I continue, isn’t it?)
When she thinks about it, she is dismayed.
“I’ve already seen through it.”
On what basis? She would like to ask, but she thought he would dodge
the question.
“You smell just like Val Agos, Mercumenes, and those other disguised
demons who turn into giant werewolves!”
Shiva explained lamely. It was not a very convincing argument, though.
(Anyway, “Demon” huh ……. If that’s what he misunderstood, then I guess
there is room for negotiation.)
She is possessed by a ‘Demon God,’ a higher existence than a demon.
It is difficult to say that she is a demon god herself, but it would be very
troublesome if she were known to be one.
“I can’t hide it from you, can I? Yes, that’s right. Two months ago, I became
an apostle of Lucifera, the Demon God.”
“I knew it! Fuhahaha, I just tried to trick you, and you confessed. Stupid
fellow.”
So out of sync.
His jumping with strange steps and his multiple overlapping voices also
increased the discomfort.
(No, he’s trying to confuse me by using bizarre words and deeds to take the
initiative.)[TN: Nope, he’s just trying to entertain his sister]
While being impressed by Shiva’s discretion even after being restrained,
Zara reminded herself not to be taken in by her opponent’s pace.
“Yes, Val Agos and Mercumenes are my brethren, but I am not as loyal to
Lucifera as they are to the demon god.”
“Fu, it’s futile to catch me off guard. All the demons say so.”
“No, they don’t say that, do they?”
“Hmm? Yes, well, I guess so. They didn’t say that!”
Is it still an attempt to confuse her by changing his pose as he speaks?
“That’s why, if you want information, I’ll give it to you. However,
information on Demon gods is limited due to the restrictions.”
She couldn’t help but provide a certain amount of information. If the
information’s not verifiable, there’s no problem with falsehoods.
“It will take time before you can trust me. I’m not saying that you should
break these restraints right now, but I’m also in a position as the daughter of
nobility.”
There was a dull thud behind her.
When she turned around, she saw Hart, who was distracted by the Shiva
puppet and had lost consciousness and collapsed. There was blood dripping
from one of his noses.
“Eh? I’m telling you, it wasn’t me, you know? I didn’t do anything—
Gugaa!?”
Her back was burning hot. What’s more, it was an uncomfortable
sensation as if several hands were rubbing the insides of the body.
“Wha-What are you doing!”
Shiva Puppet was pointing one of his hands at her as if to show off.
It’s bad.
So much that she had no idea what was going on or what was being done to
her.
（I have to run away. This “vessel” is already…)
 No.
Zara- the demon god Lucifera’s consciousness, which had melted into her,
immediately decided to abandon the “vessel” and ran away.
“Ah….no, it’s-it’s not like that. It wasn’t me, it was just some weird guy
who was inside of me. ……”
And now, only Zara Yessel was left.
“Yeah, looks like it.”
A man in all black comes up to her.
Zara remembers the time when the demon god had fused with her, and of
course, the exchange here and now.
All she could do was clench her teeth in horror.
“I have some questions for you, but I also want to have a private
conversation with you. So, go back to sleep.”
A black hand covered Zara’s forehead.
“Ah, …….”
Immediately after receiving a jolt of electricity, her consciousness was
suddenly cut off.
★
Ah, I’m tired. My head is pounding.
It’s difficult enough to watch those “tubes,” but I had to whisper to
Professor Tia while moving the black warriors and watching their reactions.
I was exhausted.
I erased the black warrior and stood up.
“You’re a great actor, aren’t you? At least they didn’t know you were
controlling the puppets.”
“Is that so? Well, I don’t really care.”
Zara-senpai was asleep while standing. When I focused my attention on her
back, I saw a total of 22 tubes, some connected to the ground and some not.
Yeah, she is back to her true self.
“I see. Apparently, as you guessed, something possessed her. Perhaps the
Demon God?”
I thought she was a demon, like Val Agos and the others, but Professor Tia
seemed to think she was ‘above that,’ based on Zara-senpai’s speech.
“But was it right to let her go? It’s unclear if we can get any useful
information from her now, isn’t it?”
“If she could escape at any time, she would have told a lot of lies anyway.
She seems to have memories of when she was possessed, so this is better.”
“Well, yes, that’s true. But I don’t think you’re doing it out of pity for her?”
There is no such thing.
But as a result of having dispelled the possession, it is a form of selling my
gratitude.
We must make progress in gathering information.
In fact, we made progress.
Zara-senpai became quiet like a rented cat and talked to me about various
things.
Among them, the most fruitful one was…
“Heh, so the Demon god is in the Queen.”
Professor Tia was in charge of the questioning. The Black Warrior was
also with her. (I was hiding).
And what a surprise. Gieselotte is possessed by something like the main
consciousness of the demon god Lucifera.
Could this be the final battle between mother and son?
Anyway, I will examine the information and decide what to do.
By the way,
I wonder what that Demon or Demon god is doing here?
Chapter 103: She Was the Beast King

After I defeated the monsters and bear beastfolk who were rampaging in the
city, I left the post-processing to the knights and went to a hill that
overlooked the harbour city.
I moved to this place since I would be in trouble if those soldiers asked me
questions.

「But then, why hasn’t the fleet come closer?」

I could see the fleet far away on the open sea.

Strangely enough, they hadn’t gotten close at all.

「What is the thing that’s flying around the fleet?」

When I strained my eyes, I could see something like a bird silhouette flying
around the fleet.
Moreover, there were two of them.

But even with the enhanced eyesight of an undead, I couldn’t get a clear
view of those two bird-like silhouettes.

The fleet seemed to be fighting those two silhouettes, but…

Well, like hell there was a giant bird whose size could rival a ship.
Even if such birds did exist, they would be flying closer to the ground rather
than sea.

「So you’re in this place, huh.」

The one who came was, of course, the female Holy Knight.

「It seems the harbor city has almost been recaptured, and it was thanks to
your effort.」
‘…How did she know that I was in this place?’
「I just made a wild guess that you might be in a deserted place. And my
guess was correct.」

Please, stop reading my mind.

「With this, we can ambush their main forces with our best… But then, it
might be quite difficult to beat them if we consider their war potential.」

According to the female Holy Knight, this country had the geographical
advantage.
The coast of this country was filled with rocks. Ships wouldn’t be able to
land safely without a properly maintained harbor city.

「Victory might depend on how many of the enemy ships we can take out
with our cannons. Wooden ships will sink immediately, but the same thing
can’t be expected from armored ships.」
「Uh, we might have to request your assistance again.」
「Your Eminence?」

This time, it was the pope who showed himself.

「Why are you in this place?」

The female Holy Knight couldn’t hide her shock.

After all, it wasn’t a good thing for the top brass of the country to come to
the frontlines.

「We’re still in danger if they take the harbor city anyway. Since that’s the
case, me having come to the frontlines might give a morale boost to the
army.」
「B-but…」
「Moreover, we have our reliable ally here.」

I would be troubled if you were over-relying on me, you know?

「It seems the rumor about you has spread in the harbor city… Some
people think that you might be the No Life King thanks to your distinctive
hair and eye color, but most of the rumors about you are positive since an
undead saving humans is against common sense.」

Not many people knew that I came to this country, even amongst the Holy
Knights.
Even fewer in the general population knew this.

"
"
Well, not that they had the leeway to feel scared when they were put in such
a precarious situation a while ago.

But since I would be too conspicuous, I decided to hide myself on this hill
until the arrival of the main forces of the beast kingdom.

「Well, it’s not like you have to wait in this kind of place. You can actually
borrow a mansion to station the troops. And you can use one of the rooms
in the mansion for a short break. Naturally, uninterrupted.」

Seeing that there was no reason for me to refuse that offer, I descended back
to the city along with the pope.

The building that would be used as a temporary headquarters was the

biggest mansion, which was located right in front of the harbor.
The garden of that mansion was filled with bear beastfolk.

It was the boss bear who was defeated by me.

Maybe because his attire and armor were torn to shreds when he
transformed into a beast, the only attire left on his body was a loincloth that
was coiled around his waist.

「Your Eminence, he refuses to talk despite our attempts to interrogate

him.」
「What about the other beastfolk?」
「We investigated the captured beastfolk and managed to gain various
information, but there’s been nothing important so far. They refuse to tell us
their tactics… Or maybe they don’t even have any to begin with…」
Basically, the beastfolk’s army had no in-depth tactics.

Even in this case, they might simply have the same goal—namely 「Let’s
destroy the holy country first」.

Even the vanguard they sent was supposed to be used for gathering
information such as the terrain and the military power of the opponent, but
this operation seemed to be different.

「Egh… T-this smell… That white hair…」

The boss bear suddenly startled.

Although I hid my face with a hood, this guy seemed to be able to detect me
with his keen sense of smell.

When the Holy Knights were wondering what was happening, the boss bear
suddenly spoke with a trembling voice.

「D-don’t get cocky just because you… you defeated me! Beast King-sama
is far more powerful than me! Not even you can defeat Bea―」

Right at that moment…

Everyone who was looking at the boss bear suddenly looked up at the sky.

「「「W-W-W…」」」

…And let out a mute scream.

That was just how overwhelming the existence that suddenly appeared
above their head was.

「Thunder… Dragon Emperor… There’s the Darkness Dragon Emperor,

too?」

The pope was the only one who could speak in that situation.

The ones who suddenly appeared in the sky above the harbor city were
none other than those two dragons.

Oh crap… They found me again…

『I feel Master’s mana around this area.』

『Yeah. No doubt about it.』

Ah… I was discovered since I released my magical power while fighting

the boss bear a while ago…

But they shouldn’t be able to get my clear position since there were so
many people.
Since that was the case, I should use this chance to escape…

But the thing that had been on my mind was the giant monster gripped in
the hind leg of the Thunder Dragon Emperor.
It was a tiger with beautiful silver fur, but… I got a really bad feeling about
this for some reason…
Suddenly, the boss bear screamed aloud.

「BEAST KING-SAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA?!」

SERIOUSLY, THAT WAS THE BEAST KING!

New Future Evolutions
Python… Nun… Azhdahak… Apocalypse… Chronos… Coming this far,
all these five future evolutions are available to me.
My choice will be tremendously crucial. It’d be less stressful for me if there
were fewer choices, though…
The highest priority is something that can kill God’s Voice for good. The
stronger it is, the better. However, God’s Voice doesn’t seem to have
anything resembling a weakness.
Even with [Spirit Servant], which should have been only usable by Saints,
God’s Voice was able to use it without heed for its restrictions. The
limitation of two servants was broken, four servants came out at once.
Seeing it boast that it would use those to send the world into disarray, I can
assume that the maximum range that Lilixira’s [Spirit Servants] had
shouldn’t apply to God’s Voice, too.
It wouldn’t be strange if God’s Voice could use any kind of skill. I should
proceed with that assumption. With that in mind, I should avoid any skills
that can be rendered ineffective by the opponent’s skills.
That said, firstly, I can’t make a decision without first seeing the actual
contents, though…
【[Python: Rank L+ (Upper Legendary)]】
【The dragon said to be the personification of the great earth.】
【It’s said that the world’s lands were created from the Python’s skills.】
【Legends record that entire countries have been sent to the depths of
Hades from fissures in the ground from its rage.】
【From mud, it is able to create armies of monsters and clones of itself.】
【The Python boasts ferocious stats and skills, but it lacks in speed.】
Upper Legendary… huh. With a focus on skills affecting the ground, the
Python seems to be a type that trades mobility for the capability to crush
enemies with wide-ranging firepower.
Honestly speaking, the anecdotes aren’t useful for decision making. All the
species explanations I’ve seen so far make that clear. What’s important is
that there’s a high chance it’s abound with wide-area attack skills, clone
skills, and versatile skills; and that its stats aren’t bad with the exception of
its speed. Its attribute might also be earth.
It looks like it has many other advantages, but speed is undoubtedly the
most important stat.
【Nun: Rank L+ (Upper Legendary)】
【The dragon said to be the origin of life.】
【It’s said that all life was borne of the water controlled by Nun.】
【The scale of the white magic it controls is completely out of reach of the
likes of human beings.】
【Even one drop of its tears can be used as an elixir to restore one’s
youth.】
【Legends say that those who ate its flesh became immortal.】
【It excels at healing, but its ability to attack is weak.】
Nun… the healing-specialised type, huh. God’s Voice doesn’t seem like the
type of opponent that I can fight by somehow relying on others. It’d be nice
if I could gather information by forcing a battle of attrition. However, the
lack of attack power is unfortunately a bottleneck.
【Once, feeling despair at the repulsiveness of the life it had borne, it
returned the world to naught with a great flood.】
…Its ability to attack is weak? N-no, well, I don’t know how big the world
was back then, and even if it’s said to be weak, it’s probably within the
context of upper legendary rank beings. I needn’t place that much trust in
the anecdotes in the first place. It’s probably enough to just regard it as a
healing specialist. I won’t know anything else without first evolving to it.
【Azhdahak: Rank L+ (Upper Legendary)】
【A three-headed evil dragon.】
【Each of its three heads is said to govern pain, misery, and death
respectively.】
【In addition to each head being able to continuously cast large-scale attack
magic, it possesses a terrible poison.】
【If the Azhdahak’s blood is spilled, the ground it lands on would probably
become a poison swamp that all monsters would refrain from approaching
for the next thousand years.】
Another dangerous thing appeared… On top of being a multi-headed
dragon type, it seems to be versed in magic and poison. It might be similar
to the oneiros in how it fights indirectly. It seems like it might be even more
predisposed to indirect fighting than the oneiros. Yet, against God’s Voice,
I’m doubtful whether indirect attacks or poison would work.
…Hearing about a multi-headed dragon, I can’t help but think of my
partner. Yet, I confirmed the last time that she wouldn’t return, even if I
evolve to something with multiple heads. Because of that, I honestly want
to avoid choosing this evolution.
Frankly, there’s probably more disadvantages from growing another two
different personalities. It’s not likely that I would have much desire to
evolve into this dragon. It was great that my partner was a good person, but
I don’t even want to think about what living with two other differing
personalities in the same body would be like. I’d accept it if I had no other
choice, but it also doesn’t seem to hold much in the way of advantages over
the other two I’ve seen.
【Apocalypse: Rank L+ (Upper Legendary)】
【The dragon said to appear at the end of the world, in accordance with the
final prophecies recorded by the Holy Guidance.】
【A calamity of red and black will fly throughout the world in a single
night, burning all to ashes with the flames of hell.】
【However, what makes it truly terrifying is its fangs and claws.】
I’ve already checked out so many choices, but there really is nothing but
unbelievable evolutions to choose from… The Holy Guidance was
Lilixira’s thing, I think. If I evolve into such a thing, there’s no way I’ll be
able to go into civilised areas… But, well, that’ll be the same for any
evolution I take at this stage.
The end of the world bit is ominous, but it’s probably fine if I don’t put
much stock in that, right? However, I don’t have much information on what
that entails. It’s a dangerous dragon for sure, but maybe I can’t expect it to
have particularly unusual skills.
【Chronos: Rank L (Legendary)】
【A golden dragon controlling time and space, referred to as the [God of
Spacetime].】
【In addition to literally being able to reverse time, it can distort space to
create fake clones of itself, and can release piercing attacks that completely
ignore defence.】
【However, its physical abilities aren’t very high.】
【The humans who once laid eyes upon the chronos believed it to be a
god.】
It’s able to reverse time… huh. I don’t understand how far it can go, but it’s
really an unbelievable skill.
However, it looks like its physical abilities aren’t high. That’s the
bottleneck. On top of that, its rank is one lower than the rest. Apparently, I
can also evolve within my current rank this time.
Honestly, there’s one major uncertainty with this evolution. After evolving
into the chronos, will I still be able to evolve, or does it stop there? In the
first place, it’s questionable whether I’ll have time to gather enough
experience points to evolve again.
I have the choice of not evolving until I acquire [Deva Realm] as well.
However, if I do that, then I’ll have to fight those monsters on the surface
world in my current state. Furthermore, the very existence of the [Deva
Realm] skill is unclear. I have too little information to decide, but I have no
choice but to do so now.
At the very least, I would have liked to have gained advice from the reliable
senior Miia. If I’m unlucky, there might be evolutionary paths that exert an
evil influence on my mental state like her thanatos. Leaving aside the
question of whether I’ll have the power to deal a decisive blow, my ability
to maintain rational thought has to be a factor too.
Python, which excels in large scale attacks but lacks speed. Nun, which
excels in healing ability but lacks attack power. Azhdahak, which excels in
magic and poison but is a three-headed dragon. Apocalypse, which
probably excels in close combat but I don’t have clear information on.
Chronos, which has atrocious skills but likely has inferior stats because of
its lower rank…
Each of them cleanly has its pros and cons. If I pick out just the advantages,
starting from the python it’s large scale attacks, healing ability, indirect
attacks, close combat, and special skills. It’s difficult to choose. Honestly
speaking, I want all of them if I can.
On the other hand, arranging the disadvantages, there’s slow-footedness,
lack of firepower, extra personalities, unlikeliness of new skills, and low
stats. In addition to the azhdahak having extra personalities, I’m
apprehensive that its stats might be a little on the low side since it’s an
indirect attack specialist. It’s only conjecture at this point, though.
『Hmm… master-dono, that is troubling…』
I decided to discuss it with Aro and treant as well. We arranged ourselves in
a circle in front of the tower. Thinking it’s better to have more thinking
heads in this discussion, I asked Aro to split into three with [Darkness
Kaleidoscope] as an experiment, after draining a little MP from me.
『There is little to be gained from brooding over this though. Let us
gallantly decide things right now. No matter how much we think about it,
the unknowns will remain much larger than the knowns, won’t they?』
There is some truth in what treant is saying, but even so, I don’t really feel
like it can be decided that easily. Even if it’s irrelevant to the result, I want
to reach a conclusion by using some logical reasoning. At any rate, what
choice I make will have a large effect on my destiny.
『How about the python? It’s of the earth attribute, and somehow or other, I
can feel some affinity with it! If it is a slow monster, I believe its health and
defence will probably be high, so how about it? When the unexpected
occurs, I think the python being unable to die from a surprise attack is a
massive point in its favour…!』
『…Sorry, I get what you’re trying to say, but honestly I’m thinking it’s the
first to be struck off the list.』
『Is that so…』
Treant dejectedly hangs his head.
…Sorry, treant. Its excellent wide-area attacks are a low priority, and its low
speed is a huge disadvantage. I can make up for treant’s slow-footedness by
carrying him and flying around, but there won’t be anyone to cover for me
if I were to become slow-footed myself.
『But, to some extent, I do want to evolve into a sturdy dragon.』
There’s a high chance that the python is sturdy. True, I’d overlooked that.
It’s enough to take into consideration, but of course the slow speed is the
bottleneck. It’s not suitable for me.
Even if it’s sturdy, if it’s slow, it seems easy to land hits on in exchange for
its sturdiness. Excelling at such a tank role isn’t so easy unless you
specialise in it to the extent of treant. It doesn’t seem likely that it can just
shrug off attacks from God’s Voice, and if I can’t perform as our primary
attacker, it also seems unlikely that I can reduce God’s Voice’s HP, either.
『But, like treant said, I don’t understand what methods God’s Voice is
going to come with. There’s a chance that I’ll be hit with something that’s a
guaranteed kill the first time it’s used. I’ll need to choose something from
which I can expect some degree of defence…』
Most likely, God’s Voice is something that I can’t take down by simply
landing multiple consecutive attack skills. I need to make and attack a weak
point after observing it and grasping its true state. For that to happen, it’s
important that I don’t get killed while I’m still in the middle of observing it.
With that in mind, the nun has a high priority with its great healing ability.
However, it’s bottlenecked by the lack of attack power, which is essential.
“Dragon-god-sama, our opinions are the same.”
“If we may be excused for receiving some mana from you.”
“But, because of that, I think we’re able to approach the problem from
various angles.”
The Aros look confident for some reason.
『Oh? Please explain.』
The Aros nod at my words, and speak similar words at the same time.
“We should collect the chronos’ skills.”
“The apocalypse is a safe choice.”
“Let’s go with the azhdahak!”
…They didn’t match at all. After speaking, the three simultaneously turn to
glare at each other.
“Why did you two look so confident even though your thoughts were
completely different from mine!?”
“Are you taking this seriously!? The chronos is definitely out of the
question!”
“I changed my mind! Let’s go with the azhdahak!”
Treant covers his face with its wings, and heaves a deep sigh.
They’re not united at all… Instead, they’re broken up to this extent. How
does [Darkness Kaleidoscope] even do this…?
『T-truly, it looks like you’ll be able to hear various viewpoints…』
Treant lands a followup shot with his best effort. The three Aros
simultaneously turn to glare at treant, and he shrinks back a step… They’re
in sync at times like this, huh.
『It’s not particularly bad that your opinions are separate, though. Can you
explain one by one why you picked that evolution?』
“U-Umm, since it’s an opponent that is unlikely to be defeated by normal
means, I don’t think we can discount the chronos with its abnormal skills. It
might be better to gain something that can be relied on besides stats…
God’s Voice is unmistakably an opponent that must be fought using skill,
and not by strength alone.”
I see… that’s true, it seems as she said. It’s a dialogue that’s especially
rational. The chronos’ time manipulation and defence piercing attacks have
a slim chance of winning against whatever ability God’s Voice has. The
chronos not having sufficient stats is worrying, but there truly is a high
likelihood that the skills will make up for it.
“What are you saying? In the end, skills have the role of covering for
insufficient stats. Dragon-god-sama, powerful skills shouldn’t be flashy
techniques, but should only be for making up for a lack of speed or
firepower! For impractical skills, just having them in mind is enough.”
Aro chatters on and on without pause. I had thought the three Aro sisters
would have been persuaded with the first’s arguments, so her vigour has
taken me by surprise.
『Y-yeah… T-that might be true.』
Certainly, that was the case. Even Miia’s [Eclipse]; it was powerful and
flashy, yet it wouldn’t be that difficult to deal with if we were outdoors. The
rays of black light were fast, but the wind-up time took so long that it would
have been easy to get away. She could have forcibly restarted the skill, but
if she didn’t have an overwhelming advantage in MP, that battle tactic
wouldn’t be effective. It’s definitely a skill limited in its use.
I might even be able to say that [Godspeed Flash], the skill that raised her
base speed for a moment, was a bigger threat than [Eclipse].
“In the first place, as long as your stats are high enough, nothing else is
needed. It’s important to have some means of attack and healing, but that
should already be in dragon-god-sama’s possession. Hence, the apocalypse
should be chosen since it has a high chance of having great stats. The
chronos is definitely unthinkable!”
A declaration was made… The first Aro’s expression turns indignant.
“You’re speaking too frankly to dragon-god-sama! And you can’t paint all
skills with such a broad stroke! There’s no telling what skills it might
have!”
“It’s normal to say things directly since this is so important. I’m saying it’s
bad precisely because we don’t know what skills it could have. If the stats
are low, won’t the skills all be too restricted to use? Look, since we don’t
know anything about what possible skills there are, anything we say about
them is pointless. Don’t get so worked up about it.”
“Excuse me, dragon-god-sama! I’ll shut this child up immediately!”
The chronos Aro grabs at the apocalypse Aro. The apocalypse Aro nimbly
dodges the arm extended towards her, and nervously furrows her brow.
“I, I didn’t say anything wrong! In the first place, dragon-god-sama only
uses the oneiros’ skills in such a simple way. Even if he obtains some
powerful skills from the chronos, it’s questionable whether he’ll use them
properly…”
“D-dragon-god-sama, it’s not like that! I, I don’t believe that! Y-you fake!
I’ll make you disappear right now!”
“Wait, stop! Don’t pull my hair! I just said what’s right, so why are you
doing this?!”
The two grapple each other with their bare hands. In the midst of that they
get tangled up and fall down, and resume jostling with each other on the
ground.
『O-oi, you two, calm down! I get what you’re trying to say! A-and, I also
knew I haven’t been using the oneiros’ skills much. Okay? I definitely think
it’s something I should be taking into account.』
The apocalypse Aro frowns with a ‘hmph, see’ expression, fixing a glare
onto the chronos Aro. The chronos Aro awkwardly glances away, then
looks towards me.
“I-I was only bothered that this child was speaking to dragon-god-sama in a
disrespectful way! Even so, dragon-god-sama isn’t supporting me but her
instead?!”
She points a finger at the offending apocalypse Aro.
『Calm down, Aro, you’re both Aro to me… Speaking of which. Can you
explain the reasons you’re pushing for the azhdahak? We haven’t heard it
yet.』
Without regard for this terrible scene, there’s logic in what both Aros are
saying. I had viewed the healing-specialised nun somewhat favourably, but
I’ve started to think that either the chronos or the apocalypse might be
stronger.
Sorry about it treant, but currently the python is first on the chopping block
of dragons to avoid. Now, it’s: Chronos = Apocalypse > Nun >>> Python, I
think. I want to hear what the Aro on team azhdahak has to say.
『Aro…?』
I repeat myself once more as she didn’t respond.
“Ah, sorry, it’s my turn isn’t it.”
The azhdahak Aro seems to finally notice and looks up at me. It’s probably
because she was focused on the two other Aros. As if embarrassed that she
didn’t realise she was being called, she scratches at her cheek with her
index finger.
“Ummm… if dragon-god-sama gets three heads, then it’ll be nice since
there’s three of us too.”
Her cheeks are flushed red as she speaks, and she gives an embarrassed
smile.
…It was an opinion that didn’t consider ability at all.
The tense atmosphere between the other two Aros vanishes and they turn
pale as they move to surround and glare at the azhdahak Aro.
“W-what is it, you two…?”
The two Aros gradually start closing the distance with her.
“D-don’t say disgraceful things in front of dragon-god-sama!”
“Even though we were having a serious discussion, how can you say
something so brazen? Even though everyone is waiting back in the original
world! Are you messing around?”
“I-I’m sorry, I’m sorry! In the end I couldn’t think through which choice
would be most useful… I, I don’t understand difficult things… B-Because
of that, I wanted to choose something that would undoubtedly make me
happy… But, that, well, it’s not that I absolutely want dragon-god-sama to
choose the azhdahak!”
The azhdahak Aro is captured in an instant by the other two.
“Keep a lid on it! Ugh, this child, I’ll take her back!”
“Hey, stop struggling!”
“Wait! Wait! Dragon-god-sama, um, if you could consider it for the time
being…!”
She becomes a mass of black light and is drawn back into the chronos Aro.
Apparently, she’s the original Aro.
『…The clones with their own self-determination might keep this up until
only one is left.』
Treant absent-mindedly says something rude. I poke his head lightly with
my forefinger.
For the time being, thanks to treant and the Aros, I was able to narrow down
the evolution candidates.
Unfortunately, treant’s first choice, the python, is out of the question
because of its slowness. I can appreciate the benefits of toughness and
power, but in my experience, some amount of speed is needed. Slow
monsters are suited for reliably defeating lower-ranked opponents, but can’t
do much aganist stronger opponents. The wide-range skills are attractive,
but compared to the other options, it’s not enough.
The azhdahak proposed by Aro no. 3 has its strengths and weaknesses, but
there’s little reason to choose it over the other candidates. I’d rather not
choose a multi-headed dragon if I can help it. I don’t think I can expect
powerful skills from the azhdahak like I can from the chronos.
All that remains are the healer nun, the close combat apocalypse, and the
skill-focused but low-rank and lo- stats chronos. These three are the
promising candidates.
I still have a lot of good recovery skills from my time as an ouroboros, so
there might be little point in evolving into another healer. I already have
[High Rest], [Autoregeneration], [Wide Rest], [Ligne], and my recovery
skills. I still rely on a lot of these skills.
As an L+ healing specialist, I could probably expect to replace them with
more powerful skills, but the fact that I already have sufficient healing is
reason enough take the nun out of the running. I also have the unconditional
full recovery of [Butterfly Dream], even though I don’t trust it at all. I have
enough healing already. It should be okay for me to not pick the nun.
『So it’s down to just the apocalypse or chronos…』
Should I go for the time-manipulating skills of the chronos, or the high stats
of the apocalypse?
“Chronos… You should go with chronos! Dragon-god-sama! You’ll
probably get skills that can take God’s Voice by surprise!”
The chronos Aro desperately appeals to me.
“Dragon-god-sama, please think this through calmly. There are times when
a single skill can make the difference, but in those situations, having a little
higher stats from the start would usually be enough to win reliably. Against
an opponent with much higher stats, sometimes no matter what clever
scheme you do, it’s impossible to win.”
The apocalypse Aro says, her tone slightly accusatory as she offers her
reasoned arguments.
『…I’m going to go with apocalypse.』
The apocalypse Aro’s arguments were correct. In addition, if the apocalypse
is a physical attacker, then in addition to a high attack stat, I can probably
expect a decent amount of health and defence. I won’t get new healing
skills like I would with the nun, but with my ouroboros skills combined
with the apocalypse’s physical stats, I should have enough survivability.
In the end, speed, damage output, and stamina are indispensable. I have
versatile attacks from being an oneiros. I might also gain some new useful
skills as an apocalypse, and most importantly, I think I should prioritise my
stats.
I’m a little worried there might be some sort of negative mental effect like
happened to Miia, but the apocalypse’s species explanation didn’t suggest
anything of the sort. Besides, Miia herself said that the adverse effects of
the thanatos on her mental state built on her hatred for God’s Voice, and the
main culprit was God of Madness. If I were avoid choosing the apocalypse
for this reason, then the other options would be dubious too. I shouldn’t
worry too much about that at this point.
The chronos Aro slumps her shoulders in disappointment.
“U, uu…”
The apocalypse Aro crosses her arms and looks at the chronos Aro proudly.
To be honest, I was persuaded when the apocalypse Aro pointed out that I
hardly ever use my oneiros skills, besides the simplest ones. Illusion
resistance is too common, and [Hellgate] is to slow and the backlash is too
severe, so it’s pretty rare to have chances to use it…
For [Wormhole]-san, the activation time is too long and my destination is
broadcasted, so I can never find times to use it. The origin matter did use it
effectively against me, but that was only worked because the origin matter
itself was slow, and because it could spam the long-range [Dark Rays]
while casting it. I wouldn’t be able to do the same without having to wait an
unbearably long time for the [Wormhole] to complete, and then also be
unable to dodge anything right after coming out. Th-that’s why it can’t be
helped that I don’t use my fancy new skills…
The apocalypse Aro stares at me, as though seeing straight through my
thoughts.
『Uguh…!』
Sh-she shouldn’t have [Telepathy]…
Immediately, the chronos Aro steps behind the apocalypse Aro and hugs
her.
“Sorry, dragon-god-sama. I’ll get rid of her now…!”
“W-wait! Umm, I still have things I want to say to you and dragon-god-
sama…!
The outline of the apocalypse Aro breaks down into black light, and is
sucked into the body of the chronos Aro. She’s gone back to being one
person.
『Aro… Umm, if you have something you want to say, you don’t have to
hold back, okay?』
“No, that’s not it! She’s not me!”
Aro vigorously shakes her head in refutation. Aro seems against it, but that
her opinions were useful as a reference, so I would have liked her to stay
out a little longer…
I close my eyes. My next evolution will be the apocalypse.
There’s also the option of postponing my choice, but I’d like to raise my
level here a little first before returning to the surface. With that in mind, it’s
best if I get through the evolution quickly.
【Apocalypse: Rank L+ (Upper Legendary)】
【The dragon said to appear at the end of the world, in accordance with the
final prophecies recorded by the Holy Guidance.】
【A calamity of red and black will fly throughout the world in a single
night, burning all to ashes with the flames of hell.】
【However, what makes it truly terrifying is its fangs and claws.】
As soon as I decide to evolve, heat runs through my body. My body
becomes stiff as it contracts. The pressure increases, as does my internal
temperature. My blood, muscles, and bones melt away. But, mysteriously,
there’s no pain or discomfort.
Then, I feel my body suddenly expanding.
“O…OOO…GuooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
I roar. The booming sound shakes the earth.
【Characteristic skill [Dragon Scales] has risen from level 8 to 9.】
【Characteristic skill [Presence Perception] has risen from level 5 to 7.】
【Resistance skill [Instant Death Nullification] has been acquired.】
【Resistance skill [Curse Nullification] has been acquired.】
【Due to the title skill [Dragon King: Lv-], the level of all possessed
resistance skills has increased.】
I can feel my body surface becoming harder.
[Instant Death Nullification] and [Curse Nullification]? To be honest,
neither of them seem very important. Both curse magic and instant death
magic only really work against lower rank opponents. Well, it’s better to
have them than not I suppose. There’s no guarantee that God’s Voice or the
spirit servants won’t use them.
【Normal skill [Paralysing Claw] has risen from level 6 to 7.】
【Normal skill [Dragon Tail] has risen from level 2 to 4.】
【Normal skill [Autoregeneration] has risen from level 5 to 6.】
【Normal skill [Death] has risen from level 7 to 8.】
【Normal skill [Hellgate] has risen from level 5 to 6.】
The levels of my normal skills are rising one after the other. Of these, the
one I’m most grateful for is [Autoregeneration] for sure. I’m more curious
about my new skills though…
【Normal skill [Curse Knight: Lv4] has been acquired.】
【Normal skill [Limbo: Lv4] has been acquired.】
【Normal skill [Dite: Lv4] has been acquired.】
【Normal skill [Cocytus: Lv4] has been acquired.】
【Normal skill [Doomsday Tone: Lv-] has been acquired.】
【Title skill [Final Evolution: Lv-] has been acquired.】
…They all sound dangerous. I didn’t get any new characteristic skills, but
got five new normal skills. I didn’t expect to gain this many. But, well, I
already kind of feel like I have all the skills I need, so I don’t expect much
use from these.
My evolution finished, I can tell my eyes are much higher above the
ground. I’m still not as tall as treant in his normal form, but I’m perhaps
half as tall now. I look down at Aro and treant.
Both of them look up at me uneasily.
『…Do I look that scary now?』
As I ask, treant stands up straight and flaps his wings.
『N-no! You look really cool!』
Suddenly, I realise my field of view has changed. I blink my eyes, and
discover that I’ve apparently got an eye in my forehead.
『[Mirror Counter]』
A magical wall forms in front of me, reflecting my appearance.
My red-black scales are broken up by large demonic curved horns. A pale
mane extends from the back of my head to my back. My wings are large
enough to wrap my entire body, and unsettling eye-like patterns. My thick
tail ends in a large crystal that also looks like an eyeball.
I look at the talons of my forefeet. My legs look like powerful crow legs
now, their claws a poisonous purple. I instinctively know that just a touch
would kill an ordinary person.
I smile bitterly, and notice my sharp teeth. Each tooth is like a sinister
magic sword.
『It looks like I won’t ever be able to enter human lands again…』
I can probably stay humanised for quite a while now, but it’d be over the
moment my true form is seen. Besides, my humanised appearance is also
influenced by my appearance as a dragon. It’ll probably look quite scary
too.
This species doesn’t have such a sinister name for nothing. My appearance
sure has enough gravitas to justify being called a creature that brings the
end of the world.
…Well, it’s a bit late to be worried about my appearance. I’m relieved that
there doesn’t seem to be any significant mental effects at least.
“I-it’s okay, dragon-god-sama! Umm… If there’s somewhere that doesn’t
accept you, I’ll make them…!”
Aro clenches her fists tightly as she consoles me.
『Absolutely don’t do that!』
…I’m not in a place where I can worry about whether or not I can enter
human lands. I need to stop God’s Voice. If I fail, God’s Voice will continue
to toy with countless lives before eventually reviving Foren and destroying
the world.
However, considering that, it’s definitely not a good omen that I’ve evolved
into an apocalypse, the dragon that the Holy God religion says will appear
in the end times. I didn’t have the leeway to let a superstition be a factor in
my evolution choice, but if Foren ends up being released in this era, then
the prophecy will turn out to be true.
For the time being, I’ll take a look at my status.
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
[Irushia]
Species: Apocalypse
Condition: Normal
Lv: 1/175
HP: 365/2979
MP: 358/2411
Attack: 2575
Defence: 1421
Magic: 1697
Speed: 1651
Rank: L+ (Upper Legendary)
Divine Skills:
[Human Realm: Lv-] [Asura Realm: Lv-] [Hungry Ghost Realm: Lv-]
[Animal Realm: Lv-] [Naraka Realm: Lv-]
Characteristic Skills:
[Dragon Scales: Lv9] [God’s Voice: Lv8] [Grisha Language: Lv3] [Flight:
Lv8] [Dragon Scale Powder: Lv8] [Dark Attribute: Lv-] [Evil Dragon: Lv-]
[Automatic HP Recovery: Lv8] [Presence Perception: Lv7] [Automatic MP
Recovery: Lv8] [Perseverance of a Champion: Lv-] [Dragon Mirror: Lv-]
[Demon Lord’s Favour: Lv-] [Demon Eye of Terror: Lv1] [Domination:
Lv1] [Magic Brainwashing: Lv1] [Butterfly Dream: Lv-]
Resistance Skills:
[Physical Resistance: Lv6] [Fall Resistance: Lv7] [Starvation Resistance:
Lv6] [Poison Resistance: Lv7] [Loneliness Resistance: Lv7] [Magic
Resistance: Lv6] [Dark Attribute Resistance: Lv6] [Fire Attribute
Resistance: Lv6] [Fear Resistance: Lv5] [Oxygen Deprivation Resistance:
Lv6] [Paralysis Resistance: Lv7] [Illusion Nullification: Lv-] [Instant Death
Nullification: Lv-] [Curse Nullification: Lv-] [Confusion Resistance: Lv4]
[Strong Light Resistance: Lv3] [Petrification Resistance: Lv3]
Normal Skills:
[Roll: Lv7] [Status Inspection: Lv7] [Scorching Breath: Lv7] [Whistle:
Lv2] [Dragon Punch: Lv4] [Plague Breath: Lv7] [Poison Fang: Lv7]
[Paralysing Claw: Lv7] [Dragon Tail: Lv4] [Roar: Lv3] [Heaven’s Drop:
Lv4] [Return to Ground: Lv2] [Humanisation Technique: Lv8] [Wind
Slash: Lv7] [Neck Breaker: Lv4] [High Rest: Lv7] [Autoregeneration: Lv6]
[Travelling Companion: Lv-] [Death: Lv8] [Soul AppendmentFake Life:
Lv6] [Holy: Lv5] [Telepathy: Lv4] [Wide Rest: Lv5] [Ligne: Lv5] [Holy
Sphere: Lv5] [Flash That Drives Away the Darkness: Lv1] [Dimension
Claw: Lv7] [Mirage: Lv8] [Gravity: Lv8] [Dimension: Lv8] [Hellgate: Lv6]
[Gravidon: Lv8] [Mirror Counter: Lv8] [Ideal Weapon Lv9] [Wormhole:
Lv1] [Curse Knight: Lv4] [Limbo: Lv4] [Dite: Lv4] [Cocytus: Lv4]
[Doomsday Tone: Lv-]
Title Skills:
[Dragon King: Lv-] [Walking Egg: Lv-] [Clutz: Lv4] [Simple Fool: Lv1]
[Infighter: Lv4] [Pest Killer: Lv8] [Liar: Lv3] [Evasion King: Lv2]
[Chicken Runner: Lv3] [Chef: Lv4] [Gutsy: Lv4] [Big EaterGiant Killer:
Lv5] [Pottery Craftsman: Lv4] [Group Leader: Lv1] [Laplace Interference
Authority: Lv8] [One Who Knows Eternity: Lv-] [Ant King: Lv-] [Hero:
LvMAX] [Dream Dragon: Lv-] [Demon Lord: Lv6] [Final Evolution: Lv-]
It’s as I hoped. My magic is a little low, but in exchange, my attack,
defence, and speed are excellent. My magic isn’t too low to be useful
though. It’ll be hard to deal a decisive blow through magic, but as has been
my main tactic for a while now, it’s suited for keeping my opponent incheck
with long range skills and then finishing them off in close combat.

Chapter 36
"Hey, Tenji. Are you free after this?"
It was Aika Asagiri who approached Tenji.
Unlike in the dungeon, Aika's chestnut hair was slicked down at school.
Because of this, a soft floral scent blew into Tenji's nose.
Turning back, just behind Aika, were several eyes looking at Tenji. Tenji
guessed that Aika came to talk on behalf of everyone, or something like
that.
[I know it's hard for you to talk to me, but... I've been coming to school
without missing a day for the past month.]
Tenji, still distant from his classmates, thought about that.
"Is something wrong?"
"Yes, we were talking about going to the dungeon in Yokohama to look at
weapons and suits with the rest of the class after this. Tenji-Kun knows
more about it than the rest of us, so I was hoping you could give some
advice or come with us... No?"
Seeing Aika tilting her head cutely, Tenji thought, "Ka, cute..." but at the
same time, he felt a little pain.
Yokohama's Dungeon Street was famous for having the best selection of
weapons and items in Japan. He wanted to go there so much, but
unfortunately, Tenji had something he couldn't miss.
With a truly apologetic look on his face, Tenji spoke back.
"I'm sorry, but I have something I can't miss today. I'll talk to you about it
next time if you want."
"Well, I don't feel the best about it but I understand. So can you give me
your contact number?"
"Mine?"
"I'm not going to be able to talk to you about it if I don't have your contact
number. From tomorrow starts the summer vacation, so I won't be able to
see you at school... No?"
There was no way Tenji could refuse Aika's request, who tilted her head
cutely.
"I'm not sure if I'm the right person for the job. But Here you go."
"Thank you!"
Tenji exchanged the contact information with Aika, although he knew it
was too late for that.
Even though Tenji was poor, he only had a smartphone, which was essential
for him to attend to his luggage-carrying job. He couldn't even get a part-
time job if he did not have one. But that didn't change the fact that the
phone's monthly bill was a painful expense.
Aika's eyes widened in surprise when she saw the names of professional
Explorers lined up in Tenji's contact.
"Wow! That's amazing!"
"Huh?"
"It's amazing that you know the contact information for so many famous
explorers that I would even know."
"...Well, most of them can't be reached anymore."
"Oh, is that so?"
Tenji's distant look made Aika realize that she shouldn't have asked that.
Still, Tenji was not hiding anything from her, so he tells her the gist of the
story.
"'No, I'm not going to work with a luggage carrier who can't fight at all!' I
was scolded like this many times, haha. But Godo-san kept nominating me,
even though I'm like this, you know?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't realize that was possible. Sorry, I asked a strange
question."
"No, it's fine. It's a common thing with luggage carriers, and even more so
with useless luggage carriers. Still, I'm grateful for the one time I've been
partnered with them because without them I wouldn't even have that part-
time job."
"Still, it's terrible. No one should do such a thing. I am also in Godou-san's
camp."
"We really can't thank you enough, can we, Mr. Godou? Ah, it might be bad
if I don't go soon."
"I'm sorry I stopped you while you were out running errands! Are you
working part-time as a Luggage carrier again?"
"No, I have an appointment to meet someone today. See you later, Asagiri-
san."
"Yes, I will be in touch!"
Tenji looked at the clock on his phone and got up in a hurry.
He kept his bag on his back and said "Well, see you later," to Aika. He then
left the school. Tenji walked out the front door passing by uniforms that
looked the same but were of various colors.
The nearest station to the High School is Jiyugaoka in Tokyo, and Tenji
heads for the train, clutching his commuter pass.
On the way there, he pulled out his phone, thinking he should call ahead.
The contact was labeled "Mr. Kaido". He then dialed it.
"Hi~, I'm Kaido. Is this Tenji-Kun?"
"Yes, this is Amagi. I've just finished school and I'm on my way to you
now. The nearest station is Yutenji, is that correct?"
"That's right... Oh, sorry, I was taking a little nap."
"No, it's fine. Shall we cancel today then?"
"No no no no no... I've been wanting to meet Tenji for a long time. I'm
really sorry, okay? Suddenly Leon also starts saying he's going to Spain."
"You're being pushed around by Mr. Leon, aren't you?"
"Did you think I was lying? Haha, this is Leon. As you wish, freely, non-
interference, this is his motto, you know. That's why I'm allowed to take
naps."
"Haha, I'll be on my way now."
"Yes, I'll be waiting."
Tenji thought he was crazy when he heard Kaido's disengaged, sleepy
voice.
[I had promised to meet Kaido in person when I was in the hospital, but he
had to leave for Spain on short notice, so our plans were extended and we
were finally going to meet today.]
With such an important person to meet, it was no wonder that Tenji had
refused Aika's invitation.
It is three stops from Jiyugaoka to Yutenji.
Three stations in Tokyo are just a few minutes train ride away.
[As I left the station through the ticket gate, I found a quiet residential area
near Yutenji station.]
[It's smaller than I thought it would be. Is it a three-story building? I wonder
if no one knows that this is the office of that zero-grade explorer.]
The office building was a stylish building with a distinctive glass wall.
The wavy steel plates were used on the facade, a tasteful design that
showed that it was probably ordered and made by someone other than Leon.
The scale of the place was quite small, and it was the kind of place that can
accommodate a large number of people. He would be convinced if he were
told that it is really just a luxurious house.
As Tenji quickly entered the premises, he grabbed the folded snacks he had
bought in advance and pressed the button.
A ping-pong sound was heard, followed immediately by a clattering sound
through the screen.
"Yes, Tenji, is that you?"
"Yes, sir."
"Hey, wait, I'll open it."
Almost as soon as he said that he heard the front door open.
Tenji opens the surprisingly large door and walks into the office.
Tenji's mouth dropped open involuntarily when he saw the interior.
The entrance hallway, a three-story stairwell, was spread out, and Tenji was
welcomed by stylish paintings and plants.
The ceiling and walls were white and the latest appliances were visible in
places.
The basic structure of this place was like a dream house to live in, and it did
not feel like an office.
"Oh, you think it's more of a house? Haha, I get that a lot."
Kaido appeared from the corner of the narrow passage in the doorway.
He was dressed in a ratty, fashionable top-and-bottom set-up, and his hair
was dyed silver with a modern mash.
Tenji was surprised to see how handsome he was, which he couldn't
imagine from his voice.
"Ah, it's Tenji!"
"Ha-ha-ha, don't be nervous. Come on, don't just stand there, come over
here."
"Yes, yes! Oh, this is a trifle."
[TLN: Trifle: a cold dessert of sponge cake and fruit covered with layers of
custard, jelly, and cream.]
"Oh, thanks for coming out here."
Tenji handed the snack to Kaido and, without prompting, began to walk
through the house and into an office that looked like a living room.
There were four stylish work desks set up there, as well as a sofa and a TV.
It was already arranged to make you feel at home.
On the sofa, a woman was sleeping on her stomach.
The white camisole and red-hot pants are skinned at a very high level, and
when looked at from a different angle, it was a sleeping figure that could be
seen in a variety of ways.
[The full breasts that I have never seen before, and a glimpse of white skin
from her tight waist.]
Her face was Japanese, but her hair was pure white.
Her appearance was too intense for an adolescent high school student in
many ways, and Tenji couldn't help but stare at the woman.
"Oh, don't worry about her, she usually sleeps here."
"Who is she?"
"Shiroushi Chigo, she's the only explorer belonging to the Busy Guild
besides Leon. Leon was the first one to recruit her because he fell in love
with her talent. She is really strong, did you know?"
Tenji was speechless at Kaido's explanation.
The first woman to be scouted by a Zero level explorer, one of only four in
the world.
Plus, the fact that she was said to be as strong as that Zero-level explorer.
Instantly, the woman's presence seemed larger than ever.
"It's so awesome, I don't know what to say..."
"Hahaha... Then maybe you'll be disappointed when you hear why she
joined."
"Why did she join?"
"Well, just sit there for now. Can I get you a cup of coffee? Or would you
prefer tea or something?"
Kaito said so-and-so and avoided Tenji's question, urging him to sit on the
facing sofa that had been set up by the window.
It seems to be a place for reception, and various small things have been
organized there.
Tenji does as he's told and takes a seat.
"Thank you for going to the trouble. I would drink coffee."
"Oh, you can drink coffee in high school? Whatever you have will do it."
Kaido jokes and heads towards the kitchen, taking what appears to be a
pack of tea from the shelf and placing it in a cup.
"Phew, tea after a good night's sleep is good for you."
"Yes, it's delicious."
Tenji was enjoying the delicious tea.
Of course, the poor Amagi family did not have the custom of drinking tea,
and they had spent their lives in a style where water was insufficient.
"Ah, that reminds me, we were talking about Chigo-chan."
"Yes. Is it a shame why she joined or what?"
"Oh yeah, she's got this so-called "I don't want to work" disease. That's why
she's always sleeping here. When she wakes up, she just plays games or eats
dinner."
"She's an explorer, isn't she?"
"That's right, even that one, Chigo, is a second-grade explorer. She's as
strong as a demon with a pretty face."
"I'm ashamed to say that I've never heard of her before."
"Chigo hasn't been to the dungeon by herself for years. But she's three years
older than Tenji."
"Three years older than me, that means she's just 19 years old!"
"Oh yeah, Chigo-chan has a distorted background and strength. Oh, and if
you ever get a chance to talk to Chigo, don't ask her if she's an albino.
Chigo-chan isn't an albino, her hair color is like that because of her calling."
"Wow, okay. I'll keep that in mind."
"Yeah, well then... It's time to get down to business. About your calling,
Tenji."
Tenji gulped and swallowed his spit.
[I've already made a distinction between what to talk about and what not to
talk about in the past month. How much can I pull out of Kaido's
knowledge? It would be difficult; I mean he works for the smart explorer
Leon.]
This was where Tenji's power was to be shown.
The secret would remain secret, and only information that he was willing to
disclose would be used to achieve maximum results.
Tenji began to talk about his calling in public for the first time.
Editors Note: Thank you very much for the support! I hope you guys keep
reading our novel >< Keep supporting us! It's really a big help with us :3
Tenji was facing Kaido in his office.
"Where should we start with?"
"Oh, by the way, I won't waste my time talking about Tenji-kun to anyone
else. You can trust me."
Kaido sat down on the sofa facing the office and drank a cup of tea while
relaxing. He sipped his tea and smiled softly at Tenji.
Tenji was still a little nervous, but he was more relaxed than he had
expected to be.
"Personally, you mean?"
"Yes, yes, because Leon doesn't tell me anything. He's all hard to follow,
telling me not to get too involved, or to just keep my heads up."
"Ohhh, I see..."
"Well, it's just my personal desire, so if there's something you don't want to
talk about, don't say it. I'm not going to force you to talk about your calling,
and no senior explorer wants to talk about his or her calling either."
"Hahaha," Kaido gave a blank laugh.
Suddenly, he remembered some bitter experience, and his eyes looked like a
dead fish for just a moment. However, he quickly switches his interest to
Tenji.
Tenji also took a deep breath once to let out the tension and refresh the air
in his lungs.
"First of all, have you ever heard of a 'special calling'?" Tenji asked.
Tenji first decided to ask about the grade 'special' which he had never heard
of.
Kaido pondered as he searched through his memory, then unconsciously
reached for his tea and began to sip it continuously. He looked up as if he
remembered something.
"Special grade, huh?... The name itself doesn't sound familiar, but it might
ring a bell."
"Oh, really?"
Tenji, expecting to be told that 'I don't know', involuntarily lifted his hips
and bent forward.
Looking at Tenji with a serious expression, Kaido replies.
"About fifteen years ago, maybe? After Leon returned from a first-grade
dungeon in America, he reported to me that he saw a monster with white
eyes. All the attacks from Leon were ineffective against it.
"Is that the monster with the white eyes that Mr. Leon's attacks don't work
on?"
"You learned about them at the Explorers High School, didn't you?"
"Yes, of course I know."
Monster pupil color indicates strength and grade.
The fifth grade is "purple", the fourth grade is "blue", the third grade is
"green", the second grade is "yellow", the first grade is "red", and the zero
grade is "red and purple".
So far, everyone knows about it, and its so common knowledge that even
ordinary junior high school students can learn about it from watching the
news and reading articles.
There was no such grade with 'white eyes' there. So, Kaido answered by
connecting the white eyes with Tenji's 'special grade calling' which he had
never heard of.
"Well, it doesn't matter that they're white."
"No, it's very helpful."
"Well, that's great. The "special calling", from the way the word, is special,
isn't it? In terms of grade classification, is it above grade zero?"
"That's what I'm thinking too. Or maybe it simply can't be expressed in
terms of grading categories."
"I see, there's the possibility of an off grade calling. If I get any information
about it then I'll be the first to tell you, Tenji-kun."
"Oh, thank you!"
"Yeah. Do you have any more information to disclose?"
In response to Kaido's words, Tenji asks the next question.
"Do you know of any calling that has such an ability to summon
something?" Tenji asked another question.
"Summoning?... There are some, but very few. I know that kind of calling
that duplicates weapons, a calling that stores items, a calling that generates
vast amounts of water from a vial, and a calling that summons a gate like a
wall. All of them are generally about summoning some sort of thing or
items."
"I knew it... Like it was like that too, as far as I could tell from my library
research. I've never heard of summoning a living thing, have you heard
about it?"
"Creatures?... Well, that's a bit new to me."
"I know, it seems that my calling is a first lineage after all."
"What are you summoning?"
To Kaido's obvious question, Tenji answers with the answer he had
prepared.
"I don't know yet but I feel something."
"Ahh, you're still a student, aren't you? As expected, you can't master your
calling right now."
Tenji hid the existence and the summoning of the "Goblin".
Tenji hid the existence of the "Goblins" from others by daring to use the
word "creature" instead of "demons". If people knew that he had a calling
for summoning demons, which were clearly evil, they would not have a
very good image of him.
And summoning Hell Beasts wasn't just for Goblins, someday there might
be other Hell Beasts which could be more dangerous. It was the right thing
to do with the uncertainty.
"I may not know much about my calling while I'm still a student. May I ask
you the next question?"
"Yeah, okay. What information is going to pop up next?"
Kaido bends forward a little with excited eyes.
It appeared that Mr. Kaido was simply interested in Tenji's calling.
Tenji's cheeks unintentionally relaxed at the sight of Kaido's somewhat
boyish cuteness.
Tenji drops a bomb just like that.
"Can you measure what grade this weapon is?"
The one that he took out was the "Red Demon Sword", a weapon from the
Red Demon series.
Suddenly, the red and black sword came out of the empty space as Tenji
twisted his hands holding the hilt. It came out without a sound but with
some spark of light. Kaido was about to sit up and take notice.
In a blink of an eye, Tenji found himself gripping a sword.
No wonder, Kaido was surprised.
"Ohhhhh Myyyy Goddddddddd!!!" Kaido screamed in surprise.
"Oh, I see. I'm sorry."
It was already a common sight for Tenji.
Although others could not see it, Tenji could see the 'Book of Enma'
fluttering noisily, the letters turning silver and glowing with a dazzling
light.
For others, it appears as if it came out of nowhere without warning.
"I'm so, so amazing... I am so surprised, but it's really amazing. What did
you just do?"
"Uhmmmm, I summoned a weapon."
"From your mind?"
"Yes, I think so."
Again, Tenji withheld information.
To be precise, it is to touch the silver letters by way of the 'Book of Enma',
and to remember the item in one's head. However, Tenji hid the existence of
the 'Book of Enma'.
Still, he felt that Kaido was somehow hiding something from him.
"I see. Let's take some measurements then. Wait a minute."
Kaido said and got up from the couch and went to the next room.
When he emerged from that room in less than ten seconds, he had one item
in his hand.
Tenji inwardly gutted that the item came out just as he had imagined.
The item is roughly the kind of expensive item that can't be owned by an
individual and is owned by major guilds or large corporations.
So there was no way Tenji could use that item. Although the high school
has it, it's basically forbidden for students to use it.
"You know this, right?"
"Yes, 'MP Atomic Measuring Pearls', right?"
"Exactly! Well, it's a simplified version. As expected of the students of
Explorers High School, you know it. Well then, I'll measure it quickly."
Kaido says that and tells Tenji to put that sword on the desk.
Tenji did as he was told and gently placed the 'Red Demon Sword' on the
desk, and Kaido let the item gently touch the sword. With just a moment's
touch, the 'MP Atomic Measurement Pearl' began to glow with seven
different colors.
"I've never seen it before."
"Oh, really? I've often seen Leon bring home items that I've never seen
before, but it's certainly not something you see very often with regular
students."
"Yes, it glows such a beautiful color."
"Oh yeah, this is surprisingly beautiful. Ah, I think we're about to see the
results."
Just as Kaido said, the light of the 'MP Atomic Measurement Pearl' slowly
dimmed down, and within the pearl, there was something like a thin layer of
text visible.
Tenji and Kaido peeked into it.
Tenji and Kaido looked into the 'MP atomic measuring Pearl' and tilted their
heads in unison.
"Shachihachi Ke$"=>G+, 9-Ksadw*+?"
The text was completely garbled.
Something that wasn't Japanese, a string of characters that made no sense,
clearly indicated that it was unmeasurable. Tenji couldn't help but shrug at
the result.
[I knew the concept of grade itself doesn't comply with the hell beast and
this red demon sword. I thought it was weird to begin with, but now it's
clear. In hell, the concept of grades must be different...There's still a lot we
don't know about my calling.]
The Goblin's obviously deviated from the usual fifth grade and was so
monstrous that it could even lift up huge trees.
Even Tenji, who is not a skilled swordsman, can easily slice through the
thick branches of a giant tree with the red demon sword.
In short, the grade that Tenji and others know in this world has a separate
standard than the grades of hell.
He acts to figure out his calling, but the results only add to the mystery.
"I don't know what it is. I've never seen the results being this garbled
before."
"I wonder what it really is. It seems that my calling is a little distorted after
all."
Tenji and Kaido agreed on mutual annoyance, and then fell back on the
couch with a thump.
It was then.
A sweet, cookie-like aroma wafted into Tenji's nostrils.
It was the sweet vanilla perfume unique from a woman that made his nose
twitch involuntarily.
"-hmm? What is this some kind of disastrous weapon... Oh no, it's a sword.
Oh, well? And you? Are you a student?"
The woman approached without a sign of her presence, and Tenji's body
involuntarily reacted with a startle. He turned his face in the direction of the
voice with great haste.
Right next to his face, right in front of Tenji's eyes and nose, were the
stunningly beautiful moonlit eyes of Chigo Shiroushi. Tenji was so close to
the beauty that it took his breath away. He could not even think of any
words to say to him.
"Chigo, your face is so close. Tenji-kun is startled."
"Oh, I'm sorry about this. It's so rare to have a guest in the house so I got
carried away. When was the last time you had a student from the Explorers
High School?... And that uniform color is unusual to be wearing..."
She judged that by looking at the color of Tenji's black uniform.
At the High School, students can designate their uniform color when they
enter the school and when they advance to the next grade.
The color clearly defines the role as an explorer. However, you may change
your mind, and the color of your uniform can be changed if you request it
from the school each time.
The uniforms with white lines on a blue background, like the one worn by
Rui, are called 'attackers' and are worn by students who aim to play the role
of damage dealers to monsters. They are required to always be on the front
line of the raid and perform lion-heartedly. That's why they have a tradition
of wearing blue, which is said to restore calmness to the mind.
Aika was wearing a uniform of dark green with white lines, which has the
role of 'support role'. Recovery, buffing, debuffing, the students who deal
with these things wear this uniform.
They are always expected to coordinate, heal and give to the entire group.
They often wear green, which is traditionally known for its healing
properties.
Students with burgundy fabric and black lines are often referred to as 'shield
players' or 'the shielders' and wear uniforms that are mainly red, which is
said to be the only color monsters can see.
The red color also had the advantage of making it difficult to see blood. It is
said that people with a strong mental focus are suited for the role of a shield
because they are required to be unmindful of the monster's gaze and to
ignore the blood. Another characteristic of the shielders is that many of
them are former sportsmen.
And then there is Tenji's uniform, which is black with gray lines.
This uniform is a bit special and is worn by those who stand out on the
basis of being 'unnoticeable'. There are various patterns, such as students
who work part-time as luggage carriers like Tenji, or students who have a
calling that specializes in secrecy.
That's why there were extremely few wearers, and they caught Chigo's
eyes.
There are a few students in the high school who wear pure white uniforms.
They are so rare that they are rarely seen in high school, and even Tenji
hasn't met many of them.
White uniforms are a special color that only school recognized geniuses are
allowed to wear.
The reason why the students of Nippon Explorers High School wear
different colors of uniforms is so that when they form a group with
professional explorers, they can understand their roles with a glance. It
works in the same way as a sports uniform.
It was a system that had been introduced about ten years ago, so that at a
glance it could be judged in an instant on the battlefield.
Chigo looks at Tenji in his unusual black uniform, and she curiously brings
her face closer to his and begins to stare at him as if she's licking her whole
body.
"Yes, yes! I'm Tenji Amagi, I'm 16 years old, I work part-time sometimes as
a luggage carrier!"
"Oh, you're a luggage carrier. Hi Tenji! My name is Chigo, nice to meet
you."
"Hey, nice to meet you too"
Kaido smiles unintentionally at Tenji.
When she saw a cute highschooler Chigo also smiled back.
Chigo immediately switched her gaze from Tenji to the red demon sword on
the desk and reached out to grab it in a natural motion.
Tenji couldn't say anything or be alarmed.
"Woahh!!!"
Suddenly, A spark flew between the sword and Chigo's hand.
From the side, it looked like the red demon sword was rejecting her.
"This isn't an ordinary sword, is it?... What grade is this weapon?"
"Chigo, you've got the same thick nerves as ever. You shouldn't be the first
one to try to touch an unknown weapon. That's the thing it's unmeasurable."
"Unmeasurable? You used the MP atom measuring Pearls we have, didn't
you? I've never heard of it becoming unmeasurable."
"I don't understand that part either. It seems that this sword is created by
Tenji's calling ability, but it gets garbled like this."
"Wow, that's a strange sword. Tenji, can you hold this?"
Chigo seems to have a tendency to be close to the personal area.
Tenji was so close to her face that he couldn't help but warp his back against
the arm rests of the couch to escape.
She asked curiously as she looked into his eyes, right under his nose.
[Her eyes are shining yellow like the setting sun, even though she is
supposed to be Japanese, and I feel that she has some kind of mysterious
power.]
Tenji blushed and hurriedly averted his gaze, gripping the red demon sword
as he escaped from Chigo.
Seeing the sword without sparks, she nodded her head several times and
began to wriggle her fingertips as if she were manipulating a string puppet.
When she did so, she found a dense thread was taking shape in her hand,
and a sword was complete.
It was pure white.
It was a slender western sword, and everything about it was white, from the
blade down. The sword was hardly decorated with any ornaments, and the
only thing that made it stand out was the white thread that seemed to be
clinging to it.
The sword was reminiscent of a sacred beauty that suited Chigo's
appearance.
"Just a little experiment."
Chigo said in a light tone and held that white sword in her left hand, turning
her gaze to Tenji.
Tenji returned a questioning look, unsure of what he was getting at.
"Uh..."
"Why don't you swing that sword down on this one as hard as you can? It's
okay! This is consumable, and it won't matter if it breaks!"
"Well, let's see... I understand."
The eyes were so interested that there was no way Tenji could say no to her.
"Uh, uh... okay."
The sight of the shabby white skin slightly sweating was already unbearable
for Tenji. It was more than unbearable; for Tenji, a young teenage male, it
was a sight for sore eyes.
Tenji holds the Red Demon Sword in the upper position as if to shake off
evil thoughts.
Then he decided to swing down as hard as he could as he was told.
He thought that he would be repelled normally.
But that shallow thinking was easily betrayed.
The red demon sword sliced the white sword in half as if it were slicing tofu
with a kitchen knife. The white sword's tip fell to the floor with a thud.
Chigo had a half-broken sword in her hands which she was not comfortable
to hold.
"Eh, lies..."
"Wow, it's really sharp. That sword."
Tenji felt that he had done it, but Chigo let out a voice of admiration. Even
Kaido, who was watching from the side, was stunned and left his mouth
open.
"I'm sorry!"
Tenji hurriedly bowed his head.
Tenji had never imagined that something like this would happen, and the
word 'compensation' instantly popped into his mind. He began to calculate
the amount he would have to pay to compensate for that sword.
However, Chigo smiled and said as if she didn't care.
"It's fine. By the way, my Thread sword got sliced up like a toy. I like it, I
want one too. Buy this for me."
Chigo sounded spoiled and gave an innocent smile to Kaido.
However, Kaido quickly shakes his head and denies it.
"I can't. This is Tenji's, and it's not for sale. This by the way is no ordinary
sword as you can see. It sliced your thread rapier easily"
"Really, what is this..."
Kaido and Chigo's interest had completely shifted to Tenji.
Tenji, who had not expected such a situation, began to panic, his eyes
darting left and right as to what he should do.
Then Kaido coughed and gave me a helping hand.
"I was just talking about it now. Chigo, if you're interested, come sit here
and listen to what we have to say."
"What? Sure then."
Chigo replied with understanding and sat down next to Tenji.
Because of her appearance and overflowing talent, Chigo had no one she
could call a friend except for Mr. Kaido. She had never even had a
boyfriend.
Everyone takes one look at Chigo and either falls in love with her or reacts
that she's beautiful. Then they get involved with her and weep about their
lack of talent. They realize the wall of talent that separates them from her.
So far, this is the pattern of behavior of people who come in contact with
Chigo.
"Oh, um, it's close to..."
"Don't worry about it, I'm always like this."
Chigo sat down close to him, almost skin to skin.
Chigo wouldn't leave. Tenji turned his gaze to Kaido, who was sitting
opposite him, as if in contemplation.
"Does that sword have a name?"
"No, probably not."
Again, Tenji lied.
Since the red demon sword contains the word red demon, it was daringly
hidden.
But in front of Chigo, the lie didn't work.
"No, you do. You definitely have a name, you can't fool my eyes, okay?"
"Hey, Chigo-chan. I told you not to use your skills in public, didn't I?"
Tenji was startled for just a moment when Chigo gave him a sharp shove,
but Kaido stood up and attached a cup of hot tea to her neck as if to control
her.
It seems he gave her a physical order, not just a verbal one. Chigo jumped
up with a jerk and immediately curled up into a small ball like an angry pet.
"Hot... Ughhh, a little bit of that is fine..."
"I'm sure there are things you don't want to tell me."
"No! No! Not that one!"
"Then don't push Tenji if you don't want to. Okay?"
"Uh, okay. But it's not like that."
Seeing this, Tenji was suddenly released from his nervousness.
'' I'm sorry, Tenji-kun. I'll be your stopper if anything happens, so don't
hesitate to tell me."
"Yes, well..."
Tenji decided to continue the conversation to get more information from
Kaido.
Chigo joined him, but he decided not to pay too much attention to her. But
it was inevitable that Tenji's eyes would glance at her ample breasts.

Chapter 160: Secrets of the New Products

In the guest room at the headquarters of the Garfish
Trading Company, the conversation with the
company’s representative, Mardai, continued.
“So, the ‘cloth that doesn’t allow you ‘get wet’ that
was explained to me along with the ‘lantern’ the
other day……”
‘Yes. So you did exactly what Aeris described and the
prototype didn’t turn out well?”
“Yes! How did you know that!”
Mardai bent forward, closing in on Tauro across the
desk.
“If I’m imagining it right, the slime’s bodily fluids
didn’t settle on the fabric.”
“Yes, it didn’t! The surface didn’t become as smooth
as the cloth Tauro-dono showed us!”
Mardai wanted to know why.
Tauro looked around the large guest room.
“This is a big room,”

He pulled out a large workbench from his magic

storage and placed it in a corner of the guest room.
“This is ……, a workbench, right?”

Mardai asked Tauro as he stood up and looked at the

desk closely to make sure.
“Yes, But it’s not just a workbench, it’s a magic
workbench.”
“it has magic specs?”

“You do know that magic stones don’t come out of

slimes, right?”
“Yes, of course. Therefore, it is the weakest demon
that is not even a target for defeat. However, if left
unchecked, it is a nuisance because it melts many
things. ……”
“Melting ……, oh, I just thought of that! No……
sorry, we were talking about cloth now. The slime,
however, has a weak magic power in its bodily
fluids.”
“Body fluids?”

“Yes. So this desk has a magic circle that uses the

slime’s weak magic power to fix itself to the cloth.”
” ……, that means …….”

“If you don’t work on this desk, no matter how many

times you work elsewhere, the slime’s bodily fluids
will never settle on the cloth. Aeris just watched me
work on it at home, so she didn’t notice it.”
“I see. ……. So that’s what you meant! This is great.
Unless you have this workbench, there’s no way to
imitate it anywhere else.”
“I have a few of these workbenches available, If you
have a tabletop, all you have to do is put the magic
circle on top of the tabletop and glue it to the surface
of the workbench. If you peel it off, the anti-theft
system will erase the magic circle, so it can’t be
stolen.”
“Can I have some workbenches delivered to the
fabric store that we have contracted with? If we don’t
start the work, the fabric store will become a slime
farm since we’ve already collected slime as raw
material…….”
“That’s troubling, let’s head over there right now.”

Mardai must have had a large amount of slime

collected in advance for the production of “non-
wetting cloth.
The cloth store was located far from the Garfish
Trading Company, so we decided to go there by
horse-drawn carriage.
After a long ride, we found that the cloth store was
located on a large plot of land near the city walls,
which was not a good location.
“The cloth merchant used to be a cloth producer and
wholesaler, but he was on the verge of closing his
store because of competition, so we set him up here.
It is far from the center of town, but we were able to
secure a large plot of land, so in addition to
production and wholesale, we also invited a sewing
shop to streamline the entire process of creating
products. Since we are in a remote place, we
haven’t received any complaints about the slimes.”
Mardai explained as he got off the wagon.
‘So this whole area belongs to the Garfish Trading
Company?
‘Yes. I thought about owning land in the center of
town on the workshop street or the sewing street, but
the land is expensive and the lots are small, so I got a
lot of space here away from the center of town at a
low price. All it would cost me is the cost of
transportation and time.”
Mardai is a merchant after all.
When Tauro had talked to him before about
improving efficiency, he had immediately understood
and put it into action, purchasing such a piece of
land.
He must have originally had a plan to abandon this
cloth shop, but when I told him about the “non-
wetting cloth,” he immediately changed direction,
quickly gathered slime, and is now trying to make a
prototype, so I bow down to his ability to execute.
However, I wish he would not do this without
consulting me…….
Mardai showed us a large warehouse in a remote
location, where many barrels were piled up.
The contents of the barrels in this warehouse are all
slime.
“Huh, ……. All of this?”

“Yes, all of it.”

“……We still don’t know if we can sell it, isn’t this too
much ……?”
“It’s okay. Don’t worry, these will sell just as well as
the lanterns!”
Mardai said confidently.
“No, the lanterns haven’t sold yet either, have they?”

“Tauro-dono, you must be confident! I guarantee you

that this will be the biggest seller since Reversi!”
Ha-ha-ha!
Mardai’s exuberant laughter echoed through the
warehouse.
Tauro thought to himself, “I’ll leave the rest up to
this clever merchant”.
When I returned to the inn after my business meeting
with Mardai, the representative of the Garfish
Trading Company, I found that the adventurer who
had been sent to investigate Marquis de Vandyne’s
family had arrived to report his findings.
“Ah, thank you for your hard work.”

“I’m reporting today that ……, the subject of the

survey appears to have given birth.”
“What?”

Tauro asked back.

“The subject’s partner was so happy that he bragged
to everyone around him, ‘Now that the child has been
born, I still have a chance to become a marquis! ‘he
said.”
The only way for Uwakin to become a marquis is to
wait for Aeris to come of age and take her as a wife.
That is impossible because Aeris refuses to do so.
The only other way is to have a child with Aeris and
become a father, but that is also impossible.
After all, the Marquise of Vandyne and Uwakin
would probably announce that the child born to them
was between Aeris and Uwakin.
Since Aeris has the blood of the Marquise of
Vandyne in her veins, there is still a possibility that
the bloodline of the child could be falsified by
disposing of Aeris’s body and presenting the
Marquise of Vandyne’s blood when the bloodline is
magically investigated, since the child’s bloodline is
connected. Her husband, who can testify, is already
gone, so she must have some idea of how to deceive.
However, there is a serious drawback to this.
Aeris will deny it.
Therefore, in order to prevent her from denying it, it
is necessary to kidnap Aeris and fake her death by
 claiming it was due to postpartum malady.
Or, after assassinating her, they could fake her
corpse. ……
Either way, the rumor that Aeris will have a guardian
and that it will be announced the day after tomorrow
must be spreading and heard over there, so they must
think they don’t have much time.
The truth is that they are almost deadlocked with the
attempted kidnapping of Aeris, but by the looks of
the report Uwakin is probably not giving up just yet.
It is a well-known fact that Aeris is not pregnant, as
she has met with many of the nobles, so it was easy
to imagine that he still thinks he can fake it, although
it’s pathetic that he thinks he can still fake it before
the announcement.
In fact, if the royal family had announced it once she
was under guardianship, this would have negated the
royal family’s decision, which would have stopped
them, but since no official announcement has been
made yet, that may have backfired on us.
‘…… today or tomorrow.’

Either of these is the only date the other party can

carry out the attack.
Tauro gathered Aeris and her escorts, the
Kingsguard, and told them about the report from the
adventurers and Tauro’s prediction.
“…… haven’t given up yet?”

The escorting guard was taken aback.

“I think they will try to kill Aeris with all the men
they can muster today or tomorrow.”
“I see. I’ll have to be off duty tomorrow as well and
join you here…….”
The escort by the Kingsguard is basically done by
those who are off-duty.
It’s dangerous, but does it make your blood boil?
“Huh? That’s not it! I j just don’t want to impose it on
others because I know the danger.”
Contrary to Tauro’s imagination, he was a very
responsible person.
This Kingsguard was the one who had been in charge
of capturing the assassins during the last
assassination attempt on Tauro at the empty Tree
tower.
“I apologize for repeatedly putting you in harm’s
way.”
Tauro apologized, and Aeris bowed with him.
“No, I won’t feel good if we fail to you them after
we’ve come this far, especially since we know
they’re going to attack us”
The Kingsguard laughed and nodded along with the
other Kingsguard.
If we know the attack is coming, we know what we
have to do.
We decided to move quickly from the inn to a house
on the grounds of the Garfish Trading Company’s
cloth store that we had visited during the day.
We could not involve people who were not involved
in the attack, as there was a high possibility that the
other party would come after us by any means
necessary.
Moreover, the area surrounding the trading
company’s premises is tranquil and open, making it
easy to take countermeasures against an attack.
When we arrived at the house on the site we had
moved to, the guards checked the surrounding area.
They were convinced that this would make it easier
to protect us.
I was convinced that it would be easier to defend.
We had asked the innkeeper to inform Mardai, the
representative of the Garfish Trading Company, that
we were renting the house, but of course had not
received a reply.
I told him to stay away from me because I would get
him involved, so he couldn’t refuse.
“I’ve sent a request for help to the Commander, and
I’m sure many off-duty people will be on their way
starting this evening.”
One of the guards reported this, probably to reassure
Tauro and Aeris.
Speaking of which, there were only three guards, and
one of them seemed to have gone out to call for help.
“Aeris, take care of the rest with your barrier magic.”

“Finally, I can be of service.”

Aeris smiles wryly and sets up two or three layers

of warding around the area.
With this, she created a state where she could
respond to different situations, such as detecting
approaching people, people with malicious intent,
and countermeasures against magic.
“……Tauro-kun. We have some uninvited guests”

“I checked too. These aren’t the reinforcement of the

Kingsguard.”
The Kingsguard, who had been outside, must have
noticed with their skills, and came into the house to
warn us.
“There’s only one guard left, so I guess they thought
they had a chance.”
Tauro went outside, drew his bow and arrow, and
fired an arrow as a preemptive strike toward the
darkness that the enemy was approaching in.
The assassins sent by the Marquise Vandyne
numbered thirty-five in all.
Not only those from the assassination guild, but also
mercenaries like myself, adventurers, and vagabonds,
all of whom had been hastily rounded up.
The plan was to attack the inn tomorrow night and
kill everyone, including witnesses, but since the
target had moved to a new location and the guards
were down to three, we decided to take a chance and
attack in the cover of darkness.
The area was so dark that it would be completely
dark by the time of the raid.
The other party had apparently moved to a house
with a good view of the surrounding area, which was
almost empty, so we could attack without worrying
about witnesses.
The target woman is said to be only 15 years old, so
the profit margin is small, but the reward is good.
Besides, it’s such a dirty job.
I’m sure my employer will continue to use this as a
story to extort me in the future.
In the distance, I saw a house with a light in it.
It looks like the house with the target.
I thought, “Maybe it’s time to scatter around and
surround the target house,” but no one said anything.
It was at that moment.
For a moment, I thought I heard a sound that cut
through the atmosphere.
“Aaah!”

“Gah!”

“Ouch!”

“Ow!”

The man next to me fell with a short cry, and the men
behind me fell in succession.
If you look closely in the darkness, you can see an
arrow piercing deeply into the right shoulder of the
man in the back.
That is to say, one arrow had pierced through three
men and seriously wounded a fourth.
The next moment, before I could confirm it, several
more men are mortally wounded by a single arrow
and scream in the same way.
“Such a powerful and accurate arrow in such
darkness! Scatter, or you’ll be a good target!”
I warn the people around me, astonished.
At that moment, another few victims are already on
their way with a single arrow.
“Take cover in the shadow of the guys with a shield!”

It’s an open area with no hiding spots.

Those with shields had no choice but to block the
arrows flying from the darkness.
I stepped forward with my shield at the ready.
Then, the lights of thehouse in the distance went out
and it was completely dark.
The next moment, a white light appeared from
beyond the darkness.
“illumination magic? Target that one, we’re going to
attack too!”
The commander was angered by the fact that I had
given an order while ignoring the chain of command.
“You don’t give orders without my say-so! I’m in
command…”
The commander shouted as he hid behind a soldier
holding a shield.
A dark light approached at high speed and penetrated
the soldier holding the shield, along with the shield,
and an arrow pierced through the commander’s chest.
“An arrow of light granted to an arrow! The guards
have magic buffs watch out!”
The power of the light arrow that pierced through the
shield scared the others.
When the huddled hobos saw this, they screamed and
ran away.
However, the five assassins from the assassination
guild were not intimidated, but saw their immediate
target as an escort who would fire a bow and arrow,
and they scattered to the left and right, closing in.
I ran to catch up with them, but as expected of the
assassins from the assassination guild, they were too
fast for me to catch up.
The next moment, I couldn’t see the assassin who
was running in front of me.
The assassin running in front of me touched an
invisible wall, screamed like he had been hit by
lightning, and stopped moving, paralyzed and
smoking.
A trap by warding magic?
While he was surprised by the higher magic and
stopped in his tracks, the other assassins were not
frightened and stepped out.
The reason is that once a trap by warding magic is
activated, it disappears.
But one more touched an invisible wall and was
engulfed in flames.
A double trap!
This made the assassins stop in their tracks.
Then, another arrow flew out, and one of the
assassins fell to the ground with a short cry.
The two remaining assassins readied their
shortbows and fired arrows at the tips of the flying
arrows to keep the enemy in check.
I caught up with the halted assassin and stepped into
the trap, not fearing the trap, passing it as I went.
Nothing happened.
“There are only two traps in the barrier!”

It was the moment I told those following me.

With a roar by my face, two arrows sliced through
the air and shot through the two assassins.
I hurriedly readied my shield and closed in on the
guard who fired the arrows.
I caught sight of the fearsome foe in the darkness,
……
A child!?
I stopped in my tracks in surprise, and at that
moment, an arrow was released from the bow held by
the child.
I saw the arrow close in on me, and it was the last
image of my life.
***
Tauro was approached by a hodgepodge of assassins.
They fired arrows of light, which made them more
visible in the darkness, and the enemy rushed to
Tauro like insects to light.
Then, the two Kingsguard guards separated from
Aeris and joined the fray.
“You’re amazing! Leave the enemy to us two and
shoot arrows without worrying about them!”
The Kingsguard said as he dodged through the
arrows and cut down the approaching enemies.
The battle was going well; the five assassins from the
assassination guild had been defeated, but the rest of
the enemies were also up in arms, and the battle was
going back and forth.
Tauro, who had been shooting arrows, pulled out his
small sword to fight back as the enemy began to get
too close.
Gradually, they began to be pushed back by the
enemy, who had the advantage in numbers.
Someone said,
“The target is inside the house.”

And that was when

With a neigh of horses and the sound of their hooves,
a troop of cavalrymen appeared.
It was the Kingsguard, led by Count Conowen.
The enemy realized that the situation had changed
drastically, but before they could flee, they were
surrounded in a flash and surrendered
In the morning, the guards rushed in to examine the
bodies.
One of them was that of the man who had
commanded this hodgepodge of assassins, Uwakin.
“This man, I believe, is the one who was rumored to
have had an ugly affair with the Marquise de
Vandyne. It is not good that this man is dead.
According to those who we captured, their employer
was, at least for the time being, this man. Without the
testimony of Uwakin, we cannot prove the
involvement of the Marquise de Vandyne.”
The head of the guard raised a practical issue.
‘You have the testimony of the perpetrators of the
attempted kidnapping, don’t you?”
Tauro, who was present at the inspection, pointed
out.
“About that, he was killed last night in his cell by
someone. Besides, without physical evidence, it’s
difficult to accuse a high ranking nobleman when the
testimony of a lowly person is gained by the
authorities. So it would have been nice if we could
have at least had Uwakin testify, even though he was
an amorous lover and a fallen nobleman. ……
“You mean you can’t charge her with a crime on
circumstantial evidence?”
“We have received secret orders from the royal
family. We are trying to find out the connection
between the Marquise de Van Dyne and the guild of
assassins in order to find physical evidence. Judging
from what happened this time, these two parties must
have signed a number of contracts. It would not be
surprising if there is at least one document that can be
used as evidence.”
“Documents, I see……”

“If there were, it would be irrefutable evidence, and

we’d have a shot.”
“…..I understand. I will try to find them.

Tauro answered, and then wondered what he should

do.
Aeris, who had been sleeping in the house for a
while, woke up.
Behind her is a Kingsguard wearing luxurious sheet
metal armor, who is not on duty.
Since an assassination attempt of this magnitude had
occurred, the royal family, her guardians, had
instructed him first thing in the morning to protect
Aeris’ safety.
“What’s wrong Tauro? You have a scary face.”

“Oh, good morning, Aerith. I’m here to see you, Do

you know the layout of the Marquis of Vandyne’s
mansion in King’s Landing, and where the vaults
are?”
“Of course I do, but what are you going to do?”

“Of course. Lupin stuff.”

“Lupin?”

“Well, he was a thief.”

“Excuse me!? We’re the Marquise de Vandyne, a

leading neutralist. It’s not easy just to get into our
house ……, but, that could work”
“No?”

“You can go with me. The guards are very strict on

the outside, but they’re loose on the inside, so once
you’re inside, you’re in.”
“No, no, no, Aeris! They tried to assassinate you! it’s
not safe for you to jump in there!”
“Of course, we’ll have to get the Kingsguard to come
with us.”
“But won’t they see you then?”

“She knows that if she continues as she is now, she

will lose her position the moment I have a guardian.
She will not tolerate such humiliation because then
the guardian will control everything. So I’m sure
she’ll bite when I tell her I’m going to help them. So,
what are you going to steal?”
“Documents showing their connection to the
Assassination Guild?”
“…… I see, they tried to kill me. If you have proof of
that, that means he’s finished too…….”
“……, do you want me to stop?”

“No, I can’t be naive after all this. We’ve got a lot of

people involved, so let’s get this settled properly.”
” …….Then let’s head to the Marquis de Vandyne’s
mansion right away”.
Without warning, Tauro and Aeris took the
Kingsguard with them and visited the residence of
the Marquis of Vandyne”
The Marquise thought about fleeing in a panic when
she heard that her daughter had visited with the
Kingsguard, but the Guild of Assassins had reported
that the captured servants had been silenced by the
Guild of Assassins.
“I should be able to act unaware’ she thought.

The other party was the one who had killed Uwakin,
and although I hate her, I have to be patient and meet
with her to make her feel sorry for me as a victim.
Yes, I should hold the baby in my arms and welcome
it.
The nanny had been left with him, and I hadn’t even
seen his face yet, but I had to get him here as soon as
possible.
“Bring my child here. As for Aeris and the others,
take them to the guest room! I’ll take him in my
arms. Hurry up, you worthless bastards!”
The maid, having informed her of Aeris visit, said,
“Yes! Immediately!” and leaves the room in a hurry.
The nanny, saw the baby was sleeping in the crib,
took the sleeping baby in her arms and brought him
to Aeris’ mother.
The baby was sleeping, but when she took him in her
arms, he woke up and began to cry.

Chapter 190: Yug, King of the Spirits

“So,Sophie?”
“What is it?”

“Well, I’d like you to let go of me now”

“Eh~? No way!”
Sophie’s personality has regressed to that of a
toddler. If that were all, it would be great because she
is just cute, but there’s also a kind of black haze. And
it seems to me that she’s Sophie and not Sophie at the
same time.
“Zero! Sophia-chan is possessed by a devil!』

“What? A devil?』

“I don’t know if she was forced to be possessed, but

her status is much higher than normal. But as a result,
her ego has gone crazy.”
“But she’s okay, right?”

“Does this look okay to you?”

“………”
She doesn’t look sane by any stretch of the
imagination, so I guess she’s not okay.
“Do you want Sophia back?”

“I want her back.”

” I understand. Wait a minute.”

“Yug stopped talking after saying that. I wanted to

ask Zeal what was going on, but he was in the middle
of descending spirits, so he couldn’t tell me
anything.”
“Ne… ne? Who were you… talking to?”
“The spirit king”

I was honest about it, but I regretted it a little. Maybe

I should have said something different here.
“Heh, you can afford to talk to other women when
I’m so close to you?”
“Ow, ow, ouch! My neck…!”

“How can I make you see me as a woman? Can’t you

look at me as number 1? As I thought i have to seal
the deal.”
Sophie tightens her embrace. This caused my neck to
close up a little. A spear of water came flying at
Sophie. I was so busy trying to break Sophie’s
embrace that I didn’t notice it until it hit her.
“What?”

But even though the water spear had hit Sophie’s

head, she had not been damaged at all. By the way, it
was Elira who fired the water spear. I mean…you
can’t just shoot it at her head without hesitation.
“Do you also want to interfere in me and my
brother’s love?”
“At the very least, I’m hundreds of times more
worthy of being with your big brother than you are
right now, don’t you think?”
“I’ll kill you.”

“Oh, by the way, that mock battle we had earlier

didn’t end well, did it? I’ll play with you”
Sophie said and moved away from me. She was
about to turn to Elira.
“Brother, back off a little. I can’t kill her.”

“I can’t.”

If I let Sophie go now, she would really kill Elira. So

I stood in front of her and blocked her way.
“If you don’t retreat, I’ll knock you out, okay?”

“Zero! Release the spirit descent!”

Yug said to Sophie’s line. I immediately canceled the

descent of the spirit. Suddenly, I felt an endless flow
of magical power flowing into my body.
“Give that magic power to Yug!”

“I did as I was told and gave the surplus magic power

to Yug. I gave Yug the surplus magic power and
embodied her as it was”.
“Oniichan, are you going to kill each other with me?”

“Huh? of course not. Yug just did it unilaterally.”

And just as Sophie was about to make her move, Yug
made her move first.
“Gravity.”

As Yug said this, Sophie crawled on the ground.

Sophie struggled to move, but seemed completely
unable to do so. It is impossible to do spirit descent
with Yug, but it seems that as long as there is a
significant amount of magic power, it is possible to
use spirit magic with Yug.
“Let’s just peel off the demon for now.”

This time, as I said this, I turned my right hand into a

gun-like shape and pointed it at Sophie, who was
crawling on her knees. I was not worried about
whether Sophie would be all right or not. I know
what Yug wants to do. I am the one who is doing the
spirit magic in Yug now. It’s just Yug who is the main
player, and I am the one who uses the magic. So of
course I know what I’m going to do.
“Divine Retribution.”

Then a divine light poured down from high in the sky

toward Sophie. And it covered Sophie. And with this
magic, I knew that Sophie had made a pact with the
devil. I hope this contract is not disadvantageous like
mine with Yug and Zeal….
“I’ll take care of the two devils, and you take care of
Sophia, Zero.”
“Okay.”

“And I’ll explain more about what’s going on later.

Roughly speaking, it’s about spirit users and the
power of your new race. Also, I’m asking you to
settle this as soon as possible, because I’m getting a
little reckless with Zeal.”
“Got it.”

“While we were talking, the light from the sky

stopped. On the ground, besides Sophie, two other
women were lying there, looking as if they were in
pain. I am sure these must be devils, and the other
one is dressed as a maid.
“Repulsion.”

Yug said, and the two demons flew off into the
distance. Yug went with them.
As Yug moved away, the magic disappeared and
Sophie got up as well. Elira and the other elves tried
to move, but I told them to keep their mouths shut
and to stay out of it. Then they all moved away a
little. Elira looked stunned…
”…is brother going to kill me from now on?”
I had hoped that with the devil away, her
consciousness would have returned to normal. But
that was not the case.
“I’m going to have a sibling fightwith Sophie.”

“Sibling rivalry?”

“Yes. you and I are going to fight one-on-one, fair

and square. Whoever wins gets to say one thing to
whoever loses.”
“Anything?”

“Anything.”

Sophie didn’t seem to be very interested in just

calling it a fight between siblings, so I added a
condition. Now I would no longer have to worry
about Sophie harming the elves around her. I’m
going to win, though, so there’s no problem. I’ve
already decided how I’m going to use my victory
condition.
“Do you have enough magic?”

“I’ve got a lot of it now that those devils are gone.”

“That’s good to know.”

I don’t have my spirits and Sophie doesn’t have her

devils.
The actuality is that magic power is almost unlimited
for both of us.
The two of us have exactly the same conditions. Until
now, only I had a contractor, a spirit, and only Sophie
had almost unlimited magic power. But this time, for
the first time, the conditions were exactly the same.
And now Sophie would really come for me to get the
right to say whatever she wanted to say when she
won.
“Then, let’s begin, shall we?”

“Oh! Bring it!”

And so began a serious sibling fight between me and

Sophie.
“Hey hey hey! That’s too sudden!”
Sophie fired a barrage of magic. Each and every one
of them is a very powerful magic. If it hits you, you
will probably suffer a lot of damage. If it hits, that is.
“That’s my big brother.”

I cut down all the magic.

“Space-time double enchantment.”

“Oh, my God! Seriously?”

I didn’t expect Sophie to double enchant. The space

magic enchantment suddenly shifts her, albeit for a
short distance. The time magic enchantment suddenly
makes her go faster or slower. Sophie’s close combat
is even more difficult to fight with because she can
unleash her magic without chanting. It’s difficult to
fight.
“Close combat against me? That’s a little too naive!”

“Oof …….”

I took advantage of Sophie’s opportunity and kicked

her in the side. This method of Sophie’s works only if
it’s against someone other than me. This is a bad
move against me. Sophie’s double enchantment can
be easily dealt with by using the divine speed reflex.
As for magic, we’re in close combat, so she can’t
shoot wide area of effect spells where she can also be
hit. So the magic is easy to cut. Also, I don’t think
Sophie has ever had any instruction on close combat,
so there are a lot of gaps.
“Sophie’s double enchantment…”

Sophie took a little distance after she was kicked

away, as if she wanted to restart. Then she instantly
used recovery magic. However, if Sophie, who is
mainly a long-distance fighter, is also going to double
enchant, I can’t go on like this.
“Raiden enchant…”
“Piccone”

“Triple enchantment acquired.”

I had heard a fair amount of announcements since the
battle with Emperor Moth, but I had ignored them.
But this time, I had heard it correctly.
“Raiden enchantment…”

‘Picone!

“Half enchantment acquired…”

Apparently, all I can do now is 3.5 enchantments.

“Now I’ll go first, okay?”

“Feel free.”

“Then I won’t hesitate, thunder shrink”

Then I suddenly jumped into Sophie’s bosom. I

swung my sword at her from below, but she ducked.
But she was in such a hurry when she ducked, or
maybe she just bent over too much, and there was a
lot of room. I did a heel drop to Sophie’s stomach,
3.5 enchantments worth, my body was screaming a
little, but I could withstand this much for about 30
minutes.
“Gghh…”

But Sophie withstood my heel drop and extended her

arm toward me. Then she grabbed my arm. I can’t cut
magic like this! This is bad!
“Hellflame!”

“Ice Bolt!”

I couldn’t compete with Sophie’s magic with half-

baked magic. I managed to squeeze out a
combination of ice magic and thunderbolt magic.
Picon! I was in the middle of a fight, so that wasn’t
important right now. My magic and Sophie’s magic
collided at close range. Of course, the magic
exploded. The explosion blew me away. Sophie was
lying on the ground, so she was knocked to the
ground.
“Damn…I knew I’d lose in magic”
Sophie’s magic was more powerful than mine. So, I
was slightly burned. However, I was glad that I only
got a few burns thanks to the Raiden armour. I
wonder if I would have been unscathed if my
resistance skill level had not been lowered…. Or, if
the skill level of ice magic had not been lowered,
would I have been able to push through and win the
fight?
“I was impressed with your skill level. Big brother.”

Sophie appeared unharmed from the violent cloud of

dust. No, I’m sure she would have been wounded.
But I think she had healed it cleanly with her
recovery magic. I don’t intend to use any potions in
this quarrel between the siblings. I’m sure Sophie
should feel the same way. Since that’s the case, I’m a
bit at a disadvantage.
“I guess you can’t win if I get in a close fight with
you brother. I won’t let you get close during the fight
anymore.”
Usually, you stick so close to me, but now you’re
leaving me? Onii-chan’s sad. Lightning shrink!”
If Sophie narrows it down to long distance only in
earnest, it will be troublesome, so I’m going to use
lightning shrink to get close to her and not leave her
any more.
“Ah!”

But the thunder contraction ended before I reached

Sophie. Because there was a wall of ice between me
and Sophie that hadn’t been there before.
“You can only move in a straight line, right?”

It’s hard to do when your opponent knows what your

skill is. But even without using lightning shrinkage,
my agility is probably quite high right now. If that’s
the case, I should just run and approach her….
“Here we go?”
I took a step forward with my left foot to run, but I
fell because my right foot did not move. My magic
high-speed sense showed me that some magic was
being applied near my right foot. I had been on the
lookout for Sophie’s movements, but I should have
been alert to what was going on around me. I hastily
used my sword to cut off the magic near my right leg
with my sword.
“Hora, there’s more coming!”

“Ah… damn!”

And from there, Sophie unleashed magic unilaterally

from all directions. The amount of magic was lightly
more than three times the amount of the initial
barrage. Particularly troublesome were gravity magic
and spatial magic. The gravity suddenly became
heavier or lighter, so the timing of slashing was off.
The spatial magic was probably the one that fixed my
leg earlier. It’s troublesome because it sometimes
fixes body parts. I cut wide-range magic and avoid
magic that is not wide-range. I would like to slash all
of them, but I have only two hands, so I can’t do it in
time. I have managed to avoid being hit by magic for
now, but it’s only a matter of time. In this battle,
where magic is almost unlimited, my concentration
will probably run out first. But that doesn’t mean I
can afford to run away from this magical siege. I’m
looking for something to do….
“Ah…”

I found a hand. With this, I might be able to win.

But…personally, I don’t want to use it if I can help
it… I don’t have the time to think about it, so I guess
it can’t be helped…
In order to make room for a moment, I slashed all
magic once, regardless of range. Because I slashed
forcibly, my stance is bad. If she unleashes magic at
this point, I will lose, but it doesn’t matter. I removed
all enchantments.
“Divine Lightning Half Enchantment.”

I was clothed in divine pure white lightning.

“Yes!”
My plan worked. I didn’t want to use the divine
lightning, which I believe to be the one that killed me
in my previous life, but I had no choice.
Incidentally, since the power of the divine lightning
is unknown, I can’t use it under normal
circumstances because there is a risk of accidentally
killing someone. And even if I were to use it without
that, the physical burden on me would be too great. If
the burden is too great, it would be impossible to
enchant it. I would not be able to move even a single
step. However, if it’s a half enchantment that I
acquired during the current fight, I might be able to
withstand it, right? I thought. Well, I wasn’t sure if I
could enchant the non-magic divine lightning, so that
was a gamble…. As a result, I succeeded in half-
enchanting and my status skyrocketed to the point
that I could slay all of Sophie’s magic even from an
impossible position.
“Iggi……!”

However, even though I was half-enchanted, having

my status increase that much was still a great burden
on my body. As soon as I finished moving, I felt a
pain that felt as if my whole body was being torn
apart. The pain was so great that I fell to my knees
and crouched down. However, this pain was just
barely bearable, and not so much that I could not
move. The problem was the damage to my bones and
muscles.
As soon as I went down on my knees, I was wary of
Sophie’s magic. However, perhaps because she didn’t
know the identity of my enchantment, she seemed
wary and didn’t release her magic.
‘Recovery triple enchantment…’
But there were still a few enchantments left. I
performed three recovery enchantments that did not
increase my status at all, but merely restored my
stamina and injuries.
“Haa…haa…”

Thanks to the recovery triple enchantment, I

managed to move. There is still some pain from the
divine lightning half enchantment, but as for the bone
and muscle injuries, the recovery triple enchantment
will heal them. Now that I was able to move, I slowly
stood up.
“Onii-chan? What kind of magic is that? I don’t know
any magic like this. I’m your sister yet you’re hiding
things from me. I’ll cry, you know?”
“I didn’t think you, who has more secrets than me,
would say that.”
I don’t know anything about Sophie’s status, like
how much magic she can use or what kind of skills
she has.
“Hmm…?”

I muttered in a voice that Sophie could not hear. It’s

just a little bit, but my magic power is decreasing.
Until a while ago, when it decreased, it would
immediately fill up again. Ah! I see! Consumption is
more than supply! Divine Lightning Half
Enchantment consumes that much magic! This was
no time to be dazed and staring at each other. I went
towards Sophie to bring her into close combat.
“Shit!”

As soon as I headed for her, a wall of ice appeared.

Sophie must have thought I was using lightning
shrink because I was going too fast. But now I was
just running normally. So I can cut through the ice
created by this magic.
“Kaha…”

Then I hit Sophie in the stomach with the belly of my

sword while keeping the momentum of running. This
sword, which has blades on both sides, does not
allow for a blunt strike, so if I were to attack with the
sword, I would have to hit her in the stomach. If he
had attacked with the blade, he would have won, but
that would have cut Sophie in half and killed her,
which he could not do.
However, I could not reap her consciousness just by
doing this. I kicked the ground after Sophie, who had
been blown away, in order to reap her consciousness
this time.
“Magic release!”
“What…?”

My recovery triple enchantment was suddenly

removed as if it had been popped. This caused me to
stop moving, even if only for a moment. However,
there was no way that Sophie would have missed that
momentary opening, and she cast a spell at me
“What is it this time…!?”

Fortunately, Sophie’s spell was a lump of earth to get

me away from her, so it was not high power. I slashed
the magic in the air and landed on the ground. But I
was about 10 meters away from Sophie.
And since the recovery effect for the divine lightning
half enchantment was gone, the physical pain started
to come again endlessly. But if I do the recovery
triple enchantment again now, she will think I can’t
move without it. I want her to think that the status
increase is limited to what it is now, and that the
recovery is insurance in case Sophie’s one blow hits
me with a level of magic that knocks me out. I stood
up calmly, acting strong.
“…why do you still have that enchantment?”

“Huh? Why not?”

”…You didn’t use spirit magic, did you?”

“I would never do such a thing.”

If I start enchanting with spirit descent or spirit
magic, Sophie would also call a devil to possess her.
So I can’t do that.
“What kind of skill is it then?”

“That’s… hm? Unusually for you, you’re asking for a

lot of details, aren’t you?”
Normally, Sophie would not ask about skills in the
middle of a battle. And when I asked this question,
Sophie suddenly became silent.
“I mean, is there a reason why you want to know
about my skills…?”
“………”
I seemed to have hit the bull’s-eye. Ah! Come to
think of it, when Sophie came to help me with the
demons, she suddenly deactivated the skill I was
using. The magic must have been deactivated in the
same way. Ah…I see…divine lightning is not magic,
so the half enchantment wasn’t canceled?
Hmm? Then how did she disarm the Raiden armor
back then? That’s not magic either. From what I can
guess from the situation just now, maybe there’s a
way to disarm skills that she knows the names and
details of, like magic? If it was Raiden Armor, I’ve
tried it in front of Sophie, so she would have known
the details.
“Enchantment lock.”

Sophie whispered something to me. Of course I

didn’t hear what Sophie said.
“What? Why won’t that enchantment lock?”

“Hmm?”

Sophie suddenly started to be surprised, but I didn’t

understand what she meant. At any rate, my strength
is almost at its limit and I want to treat my body.
“Recovery triple enchantment. ……… eh?”

I feel like I should have done a recovery triple

enchantment, but the only effect is a double
enchantment. While Sophie was a little confused, I
tried to make it a double enchant this time. Then the
effect became a normal enchantment. Next, I tried to
make it a normal enchantment. But it didn’t trigger.
“…… I see, that’s how it works.”

After thinking about it a little, I found the answer.

Sophie must have used some skill to disable my
enchantment. Double enchantment is probably
triggered by using both enchantment and double
enchantment. That’s why the double enchantment
became a normal enchantment. So the same principle
applies to triple enchantment…. I guess she didn’t
hear the word “half” because I usually just whisper it
when I do enchantments. So to stop the current divine
lightning half enchantment, she must have
accidentally made the other enchantment unusable.
“As for what big brother is doing, I can slowly ask
him later….I know how fast you are now. It’s fine
even if you have that enchantment.”
Saying that, Sophie quietly began to prepare for the
enchantment. And I held up my sword to aim for an
opening at the moment the magic was released.
“Gravity.”
“Ugh…”

Sophie’s gravity magic almost crushed me to the

ground. I unintentionally got down on both knees.
This time, the gravity of the magic was so much
stronger than before that I felt like she was just
playing around previously. But just because I was on
my knees did not mean I could not move, so I swung
my sword and tried to cut the magic. But before I
could swing my sword, the gravity magic was
released.
“Area lock.”

“Hm?”
Since the gravity magic was lifted, I tried to move
normally, but I couldn’t move at all. Could this be the
spatial magic that fixed a part of my body earlier?
Was that spatial magic able to cover the entire body,
not just a part of it?
“If you move at that speed, you won’t stand a chance,
so don’t move, okay?”
Was Sophie trying to trick me when she said that she
knew my speed and that I would be fine…?
Then, Sophie slowly began to prepare her magic.
Hmm…? Slowly? If it was the usual Sophie, she
would have finished her preparations instantly and
unleashed her magic on me. Come to think of it, why
did she cancel the gravity magic earlier? Or rather,
what was the meaning of that gravity magic? If it
fixes the space, why bother using gravity magic at
all? There is only a downside to being alerted.
…Perhaps it is difficult to fix a large space? Is that
why she wanted to make the space to be fixed as
small as possible by making me crouch? And since
she’s concentrating on fixing the space, she has to
slowly prepare the magic?
“Thunderburst!”
Just because I can’t move doesn’t mean I can’t use
magic. At any rate, I hurriedly unleashed thunderbolt
magic in order to interrupt Sophie’s magic
preparations.
However, the thunderbolt magic was evaded. Yes,
she avoided it. Normally, she would have just
canceled the magic. But I guess Sophie didn’t have
much freedom to do anything else right now. If she
thinks I only use thunderburst magic, she’s mistaken.
There is no one around but me and Sophie. And we
are far enough away from the tree that it doesn’t
matter.
“Thunder Spark!”

I fired lightning indiscriminately over a wide area.

Although less powerful than Thunder Burst, it would
be impossible to avoid. It also hits me and recovers
my magic power.
“Magic release!”

Poof! And the Thunder Spark disappeared. At the

same time, the space loosened its hold. It seems my
guess was correct. With this, I could break through
by force.
“Lightning shrink”
For the time being, I used the “lightning shrink” to
get away from the place in a hurry. It would be
impossible for Sophie to let me escape from the
spatial fixation just like that. She will take some kind
of countermeasure. I don’t want to be caught by that
anymore.
“Lightning shrink, lightning shrink, lightning
shrink.”
I used the lightning shrink three times, and then I got
behind Sophie. The reason why I’m not running is
because I’m in double enchanted recovery mode, and
I’m starting to feel a dull ache in my body. I want to
minimize moving as much as possible.
Sophie noticed the moment I came around directly
behind her. She then tried to guard against my attack
with her mace.
“Thunderburst!”

“A-a-a-a”

So I dared to attack with magic instead of physical.

The reason is that it’s almost impossible to stun
Sophie with a single blow with my physical attack.
No matter how much I attacked her, she would be
somewhat knocked out and would not pass out. But
that doesn’t mean that I can attack with a force that
might kill her on the assumption that she will pass
out. So, instead of thinking about how to strike a
second blow, I decided to make it impossible for the
first blow to be ignored.
What I employed was Raiden magic. Since I had
never used magic in close combat before, she would
be less wary of magic. Even with Sophie, if she were
to be hit by a high-powered Raiden magic at close
range, she would indeed go numb, and she would
also take damage. And, as a matter of course, Raiden
magic didn’t knock her out. I had expected that
though.
“Mari…”

“Too late!”

Sophie tried to do something even though she was

numb. But I was quicker than that and hit Sophie in
the jaw with my sword.
“Agh……..”

Then Sophie floated a little in the air and fell on her

back.
“Kaha…!”

And at about the same time that Sophie fell, my

magic power was reduced to zero, and all
enchantments were forcibly removed.
“Hah… hah… hah…!”
My enchantments were removed, so my magic power
immediately became full, but it was a close call.
Even though the enchantments were reducing the
magic power little by little, I used too much magic
power with the Thunder Burst. If I had been a little
slower and had less magic available for Thunder
Burst, I might not have been able to use the thunder
magic that was powerful enough to paralyze Sophie.
“Zero-kun! Good work!”

As I sat down to rest, Yug appeared dragging a

limp…demon in both hands. What happened over
there?

Chapter 12: The Most Powerful Onmyouji

Master Kidnaps the Slave Girl
Ifa seemed to be talking to the forest elf about
something.
However, due to the magic of the air pressure, the
wind is too noisy to hear well.
I wondered what they were saying, and then Ifa came
running toward us.
Facing the dragon, who is putting his head on the
second floor terrace, she leaps up as high as she can
and reaches out her hand.
“Seika-kun!”

“Yo.”

I grabbed her hand.

Pull her up as hard as I can and set her down.
“I’m sorry I’m in the middle of something. I’m in a
bit of a hurry. Hold on tight.”
“Yeah”

“Ifa put her thin arm around my belly.”

After confirming this, I tell the dragon to go, and the

light Shikigami flies in front of me.
The dragon looked doubtful that he was going to his
home, but eventually raised his head and spread his
wings.
The magic output is increased.
Barometric winds begin to blow strongly.
I smile and tell the prince and the forest elf.
“I’ll be waiting for you all at the summit. Oh, and
please bring food and other supplies with you.”
The dragon beats down its wings.
The huge body rises, gripping the dense air.
Eventually enough altitude is gained, and now the
momentum gradually builds forward.
It tilted its left wing and made a wide turn. Turning to
face its destination, the dragon began its leisurely
flight toward the mountain where it lived.
“Wow, I’m flying!”

In the sky, Ifa on his back makes an excited sound.

In a good mood, I talk to Ifa.
“How do you like it, Ifa, how does it feel to fly?”

“I’m a little bit scared. But …… It’s beautiful. I’ve

never seen a view like this before.”
Ifa mutters while looking down.
That’s right.
“But it’s amazing. Seika-kun.”

“Hmm?”

“I can’t believe I’m riding a dragon. You said we

couldn’t before. ……”
“That’s right!”
“Huh !? What …?”
“I didn’t think it was possible until just a few minutes
ago. But then I made an amazing discovery!”
I explain with excitement.
“It’s basically impossible to fly on a winged creature.
When it flaps it’s wings, your core will move up and
down due to the reaction. You can’t usually ride on
it’s back. It’s not possible. “
“Oh, that’s right …”

“But in fact, there was a place that did not move up

and down even if it was flapping its wings.Do you
know where it is?”
“What……? oh, by any chance, the head?”

“Yes! Whether it’s a bird or a dragon, only the head

is fixed so that it does not move as much as possible.
It has to keep its vision, and we can’t think properly
if our brains are shaking.”
“Uh, Um…”

“If it were a normal dragon, I might not be able to do

it, but if it were as big as the Greater Dragon, I could
ride on its head! Only this dragon can be ridden!
Maybe this is how the dragon knights of fairy tales
flew.”
Then Ifa was slightly silent.
Suddenly, she started laughing loudly.
“Ha-ha-ha-ha! No way! A dragon knight riding on a
dragon’s head is not cool.”
“Is it not cool?”

Is that so?
I mean, I used to ride on Mizuchi’s head even in my
previous life … Maybe I was seen as strange by
people around me?
“’Ha ha …… and if it’s such a big dragon, it won’t
make any difference whether it’s got a human on it or
not.”
“Wel certainly…… No, but sometimes you need a
person to control the base……”
As I say this, I am beginning to feel that it’s
becoming more and more outrageous.
“ Fu Fu, but I’ve never seen Seika talk so
enthusiastically before.”
“Well, it’s fine, I don’t mind sounding like an otaku.”

“Yeah … I want to hear more. How did you get along

with the dragon?”
“ah……”
I’ll reach the top of the mountain before I talk about
everything.
And by the way, they’re also approaching.
“It’s going to be a long story. I’ll tell you when we’ve
calmed down.”
“Okay, …… and thanks for earlier, Seika-kun.”

“ Eh!, what?”

I asked back at the small mumbled words, but Ifa did

not answer anything.
Hmm? Oh well.
“Even though It doesn’t move it’s head, it shakes a
little. So hold on firmly.”
“Mm.”

Ifa pulls herself together and puts strength into her

turned arm.
I kind of like that …… soft feeling against my back,
but …… I try not to be aware of it.
Flying in a straight line to its destination, the dragon
soon reached the summit.
We both jump down from the dragon, when it lands
on the rocky outcrop where it lives and bows its
head.
“This is the dragon’s nest …?”
“Oh. The rocky hill over there is the dragon’s bed.
The egg is there too.”
“Huh……what, egg?”

“I’m sorry. I don’t think I have time to explain.”

At that time.
From the forest that spreads beyond the rocky area, a
squeaking sound began to echo.
Suddenly, in a straight line toward us, several trees
begin to be knocked down from the depths of the
forest.
Finally, heaving through the trees facing the rocky
terrain, a huge —- red and black tiger appeared.
Behind me, the dragon backs away, as if pressured.
The monster approaches with a vicious killing intent.
Facing it, I activated the jutsu.
《Earth phase —-, the art of blocking and decoys》.

The reddish-black tiger crashed into several quartz

pillars that stood in its way.
From there, further pillars protrude diagonally from
the perimeter to enclose the tiger’s lava body,
completely trapping the monster.
“Guuooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
ooooooooo!”
Lava-tiger barked and bit one of the pillars.
As before, the quartz pillar does not move at all.
Gradually, however, its surface slowly melts under
the heat.
It won’t keep for long.
Well, but I guess I’ve had enough time to waste
talking about it.
I take a breath and raise my voice.
“Hey, Zect! I know you’re in there. Come on out.”

“You’ve come back at a troublesome time, scholar.”

Emerging from the forest were a sorcerer wearing —-

robes, a grimoire open in his hand, and mercenaries
with swords in their hands.
Behind his hood, the summoner, head of the Zect
Mercenaries, lifts the corners of his mouth.
“I was going to leave with the commission fee after I
collected one egg, but …… looks like I’m going to
have to eliminate a couple of people now.”
“Hmmm, so you were after eggs from the very
beginning after all. His Highness told me that they
sometimes appear in the market, and I thought that
might be the case.”
“Oh of course. If I sell one dragon egg, all of us can
live happily for a year. Hahaha, the prince was a
fool.”
Zect chuckles slyly.
“There’s no way we can defeat the Greater Dragon
with this many men! A whole nation would have
had to use all of its strength to defeat this monster,
but he believed me when I showed him the Lava-
tiger. But it’s easy enough to just drive it away.”
I laugh back at the Summoner.
“I was right after all. You’re a fake expert.”

“Ah …? Kid, It seems like you don’t understand the

situation.”
Zect’s mouth twists into a smile.
“My lava-tiger is not a monster that …… you can
handle with your puny magic.”
The sound of banging.
Lava-tiger had just snapped the quartz pillar that was
melting.
The monster slips out of its transparent cage and lets
out a murderous roar.
“ You’re going to get eaten alive as burnt flesh!”

Legs in red-black lava bend for jumping.

At that time.
A huge column of water erupted from the feet of the
Lava-tiger ・・・・
“What !?”
The lava beast, bounced up by the water column,
rolls on the rocky ground in front of the astonished
Zect’s eyes.
The large volume of water that erupts falls directly to
the ground. The water flowed down the slope and
swallowed up Zect and the mercenaries.
I was as surprised as he was.
A great flow of power.
The one who was manipulating it was a blonde-
haired girl who pointed her right hand with a ring at
the enemy.
“I can’t be silent anymore.”

Ifa muttered with a quiet expression.

Seeing this, I open my mouth involuntarily.
“Ifa …”

“Seika-kun, um…”

“Amazing! You reacted so well”

“Eh, eh”
At the sound of my excited voice, Eefa’s expression
fell.
She says, puzzled.
“Because Seika-kun told me the other day…..”

“Usually it’s not something you can do just by

hearing it once. You’re really courageous.”
“I, I see.”

“I knew I was right to bring you here. I was surprised

that you could handle water magic this well. I’m
amazed.”
“…… ehehe.”

“Damn, what kind of magic is this, don’t tell me ……

you’re one of those woodland elves!”
Caught on a rock, the soaking wet Zect rants.
I tilt my head.
‘”Woodland elves……? What the hell is he talking
about?”
“Um, you see, Seika-kun. ……”

“Well, it’s a continuation, but Ifa. It was good to use a

lot of water, because a small amount of water
evaporates instantly with the heat of lava which can
be dangerous … see, look at it. “
I pointed to the Lava-tiger staggering to its feet.
It’s no wonder that the movement is awkward.
The lava armor was mostly solid black.
“You see how the red part has hardened into a
rounded, bumpy shape? After the surface cools
down, the lava inside flows and forms a shape like
that. Rocks like that are also formed when volcanoes
erupt and lava flows into the sea.”
“I see…”

“Guoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
oooooooo!”
At that moment, the Lava-tiger growled.
The surface of the hardened armor cracks and new
lava begins to flow.
“Don’t think this is the end! That half-hearted magic
doesn’t work for my lava-tiger !!”
Zect shouts as he stands up.
Ifa’s expression turns grim.
I gently grabbed her right hand as she was about to
raise it and made her put it down.
“eh……?”

“It’s okay. I’ll do the rest.”

《Soil phase ――― The art of fire nets》

A white cast net covered the lava-tiger.
The lava beast violently flails about out of resentment
at being prevented from moving.
As expected, the asbestos could not withstand the
heat of melting quartz, and the rope was beginning to
break in places.
Zect laughs, the edges of his mouth hanging open.
“Ha, you idiot! You can’t catch a lava-tiger in a
net!”
“No, I’m not trying to catch it.”

I muttered quietly.
A single Shikigami appeared out of thin air and I
pointed it at the rampaging lava beast.
“I just wanted it to be a little quieter.”

《Phase of the sun ―――― The art of flames》

What was spat out from the Shikigami was a

dazzling white flame.
It swallows the Lava-tiger trapped in its net in one
gulp.
Soon after it disappeared, there was nothing left of
—-.
“Huh …………?”
Zect sounds stunned.
The only thing that could be called a remnant of the
Lava-tiger was a stone block of a high-melting-point
mineral that was attached to the armor.
There was no trace of the main body, the lava, or the
asbestos mesh. On the contrary, even the ground had
melted and boiled, and the cooled areas were
vitrified.
I snicker and mutter.
“I told you I was going to extinguish it, but there isn’t
even any charcoal left……. ”
It is a true-white flame that can melt even ash-heavy
stone (*tungsten ore), forcing the combustion
temperature up to the heat of the sun.
It’s no big deal to vaporize a lava monster.
“What the hell are you ……?”

I laugh and reply to Zect, who opens his eyes and

mutters in horror.
“I’m the most powerful magician in the world.”

“Screw you, ……! Hey, you guys! Be the

vanguard, be the wall! Work for your wages!”
The mercenaries who had been swept away by the
water and caught on rocks and trees staggered to
 their feet.
At that time—-,
“Gurururuoooooo — !!”

Behind me, the dragon growled.

In an instant, the panic propagates and the
mercenaries begin to foam and flee.
“Fuck you!”

“I can’t deal with that thing!”

Zect peels his eyes out and shouts at the mercenaries

who turn their backs on him, swearing.
“Wait! Don’t run away!”

“Oh yeah, it’s cowardly to run away.”

With that said, I restrain the scattered mercenaries

with “vine binding”.
Then I laughed at the standing Zect.
“So now all that’s left is you.”

“You didn’t catch me ………… like them…..are you

toying with m!?”
“Yes, it’s tiresome, so why don’t you put on the
shackles yourself? It’s too much trouble.”
“Ha, then I’m going to make you ………… regret
it!”
The grimoire held by Zect glowed strongly.
Behind that hood, a vicious smile appears.
“I’ll show you! I can’t even control this thing, it’s
my trump card! I don’t know what will happen to
you and that town, but it’s hot!”
With a stupid voice, Zect suddenly let go of the
grimoire.
“What? My grimoire?”

Zect’s grimoire was burning.

It should have been wet with water, but it was
enveloped in orange flames and turned to ash.
“That’s a substitute for a cane, isn’t it?”

Ifa looked at Zect with fixed eyes and said.

“Is that it?”

Around Zect, orange flames begin to appear in a

spiral.
It is the familiar flame of a hitodama that I have seen
since my previous life. (TN: In Japanese folklore,
Hitodama (Japanese 人魂; meaning “human soul“)
are balls of fire that mainly float in the middle of the
night. They are said to be “souls of the dead that have
separated from their bodies,” which is where their
name comes from.)
“I hope it’s over. Because it’s going to be …… a little
bit hard to burn even you.”
Zect slumped down into the insect like cage of the
hitodamas.
He was completely broken.
“…Um Seika-kun, was that fine?”

Ifa looks at me with expectant eyes.

“Oh, yeah. You’ve done a good job, Ifa. He almost
summoned some unknown monster.”
When I patted her head, Ifa’s eyes squinted happily.
I am a little disappointed, however.
…… I wanted to see it for a moment, the trump card.

The art of flame

A technique to shoot a flame of 5,000 ° C that raises
the combustion temperature to that of the sun.
Tungsten is the element with the highest melting
point, but it still melts above 3,400 ° C. Even
tantalum carbide produced by modern technology has
a limit of 4,200 ° C. The temperature of 5,000 ° C is
enough to melt all the substances in this world and
evaporate most of them. Due to the color
temperature, the flame light shines white (about
5,000 Kelvin = the color of a neutral white
fluorescent lamp). Originally, radiant heat poses a
danger to the caster himself and those around him, so
this time the main character placed a Shikigami with
the technique of the shadow phase around him to
absorb the excess heat.
It was only a few minutes later that I returned to the
Governor’s residence.
I really wanted to wait until the prince’s men or
someone else came to the summit, but the deadly
dragon was poking and prodding Zect and the
mercenaries.
In the meantime, we wanted to hand over the sinners,
so we decided to bring them down from the mountain
before they were eaten.
When the dragon descended into the garden of the
official residence again, it spat out the vine that was
in its mouth. Zect and the mercenaries who were
bound fell into the grass with a thud.
In the garden, the prince, his retinue of woodland
elves, and a large number of guards were gathered.
Will it be like this for the second time?
When I climbed down from the dragon with Ifa, the
prince asked me, stunned.
“Se, Seika-dono, what in the world is this ……?”
“These men are con artists and poachers, Your
Highness.”
I say.
“They lied about being able to slay the dragon. They
were going to cheat you out of your money, take the
egg, and run away.”
“Such …… what egg ……?”.

“Of course, it was a dragon egg. This dragon was in

the process of raising its young.”
I will talk about the facts I saw on the summit and
my reasoning.
When the prince heard, he shook his head in
disbelief.
“No way, that’s …”

“It’s true, and I think it’s a reasonable line of

speculation. I intend to keep it in my report. If you
want, you guys can go up the mountain and take a
look.”
“But……that’s dangerous.No, in the first place……
Why is Seika-dono so much accepted by the dragon?
not only did you not get attacked, you helped raise its
child? Even if it was an ordinary beast, such a thing
……”
“In a way, the dragon is a special kind of beast.”
I’ll explain.
“It is not uncommon for creatures to engage in child-
rearing. However, an even smaller portion of them,
allow individuals other than the parents, also
participate in child-rearing. Many birds, foxes and
raccoons, a type of dog, and very few fish. A very
wide range of creatures, though limited in number,
have this trait. And so do —- dragons.”
I continue.
“I saw a record of the past in the library. When
breeding one hundred and fifty years ago, it seems
that the child born earlier was looking after other
children. In other words, dragons are monsters that
raise children in their families.”
“… But”

The prince insists.

“If it were it’s own kind, but Seika-dono is a human
being! Why would you accept someone who is not
your kin, much less a different species?”
“There are species in which unrelated individuals
participate in child rearing. Besides, Your Highness,
have you forgotten the lore of the dragons of
Astiria?.”
The Prince widens his eyes.
“You don’t mean to say that it was hatched …… by
the queen? But that’s just a storytale……“
“If we know how, we can hatch them. Besides, if the
lore is true, it explains everything. It’s no wonder
that the dragon used me to take care of the egg
because the opposite has always been true.”
“Opposite……?”

I say, “Listen, Your Highness. For this dragon, its

parents are human beings. Their children are their
family. And I’m sure that the inhabitants of the city,
living in the same territory, would have thought of it
as family, too. And of course, their children.”
I keep talking.
“I heard that this dragon once fought alongside
humans against enemy armies and demons. Why do
you think that is? Why do you think it never
attacked the inhabitants and watched the city change
over such a long period of time?”
“Well then, no way……”

“Yes, that’s right”

I say.
“The dragon of Astilia has been helping humans raise
their children for hundreds of years.”
The prince gasped. The soldiers escorting him also
rustled slightly.
I look up at the gentle dragon that has been quiet all
along.
“At least he was going to do that. That was the norm
for this life.”
I look back at the prince and tell him.
“Return the favor, Your Highness.”
“……”
“You owe it hundreds of years of gratitude. For this
dragon, which has no mate, raising a child is a hard
task. Help him with a human hand. You haven’t been
in touch with him for so long that his heart has
almost been separated from you, but It has never
forgotten the debt of gratitude it owes for raising him.
The fact that he accepted me is proof of that. It is not
too late. The people of ProtoAsta can return the
favour to this family of dragons.”
I’ll add.
“Besides, if the child dragons are nurtured by human
hands, they will come to think of humans as family.
Even if they leave the nest someday and settle near a
human village, there is a strong possibility that they
will not try to attack humans. Or they may even be
able to interact and live together. Much like the
dragon in Astillia.”
I will say this last.
“I’ll put that in my report, too, and say that the threat
is low. What do you think, Your Highness?”
The prince was silent for a while.
But eventually, he shakes his head.
“It’s useless”

“……why?”

“Well…That won’t convince the imperial lawmakers.

There is no proof in your story.”
I say to the weak prince in dismay.
“ I will prepare my report in such a way that it will
make it easy for you to persuade them I’ve done all
the work for you, so you’ll just have to do whatever
you can to convince others and talk your way out of
it. You’re a politician, so you should be able to do
that.”
“It’s impossible. You don’t know……The Parliament
of the Empire is a nest of old raccoons who keep
demons in their bellies. I can’t ……”
“hm……”

Hey … is this guy is really okay?

You’re too lacking in confidence.
“You say no, but what if ……? There’s no other
way. Your Highness’ idea of defeating the dragon
was impossible in the first place.”
“…… you’re at least good enough to defeat Zect’s
summon, aren’t you? Would you be willing to slay
the dragon?”
………huh?？

To my dismay, the prince continues to say things that

make me question his sanity.
“No, it is even acceptable to the residence. If you
can get your hands on a poison that works on
dragons, you may use it.”
“Poison, no way right…..? Is that all you can say
after listening to me? Are you seriously out of your
mind? Everyone is indeed taken aback.”
“You don’t understand!”

The prince suddenly exclaims.

There was a definite tinge of impatience in his eyes.
“As the first prince, I have to make a difference in
this city! If I can’t solve this problem on my own, I
can’t be the next king!”
“….”

“Seika-dono …… again, I ask you. Will you help us

to slay the dragon?”
I cast my eyes down and shook my head.
“I refuse. It is not my responsibility to do so, even
without my feelings. There is no reason for me to
help you.”
“Well ……, then i’ll take you into custody. You
guys.”
With the prince’s command, the guards drew their
swords.
I was stunned and muttered to myself.
“Huh? Why?”

“You are suspected of having brought about the

malfunction of the dragons of Astillia by your magic.
We will take you into custody and …… then ask
Count Lamprog for an explanation for you. I assure
you that you will be treated well.”
“Hm, does that mean you’re going to take me
hostage…… ? No, but my father is well known, but
he’s far removed from politics, you know? You
can’t do much by threatening him.”
“But he is still a count of the empire. You will never
know unless you try.”
……If you don’t try, you won’t know!

I was completely dumbfounded. I was at a loss.

It seemed that the guards too were at a loss.
Of course , It’s absurd.
I think it’s frustrating.
It seems that it would be easier to escape here after
being caught quietly …
“Ifa! Come here!”

Suddenly, the prince called out to Ifa.

Eh … no way right?
Ifa silently looks at the prince.
“You’re free! You no longer have to obey your
shady master! I will confiscate Lord Seika’s
property once and grant you citizenship in Astillia.”
“….”

“Come on, get over here now! You’re in danger if

you stay there. ……”
“Haa —- enough!”

I couldn’t help but yell at him.

With resentment, I say to the prince.
“You’re after a woman at a time like this! You’re
still a politician! You were saying absurd things but
I kept quiet because it was only politics in another
city, but in the end it was all about Ifa! Don’t you
have any shame towards your citizens!”
“Now …”

“You’re too short-sighted to begin with! Don’t try to

rely on others for everything! Don’t just think of the
easy way out! No one will follow you like this!
Think about what you have to do before taking credit
or women, young man! What, just “Come here, I’ll
set you free” You. —-”
I shouted with all my might.
“—- You can’t have Ifa!!!”

The garden of the official residence is quiet.

“Se, Seika-sama, ……?”

I was startled to hear Yuki’s voice in my ear.

I’m afraid, I look at Ifa next to me. Then Ifa, who
was looking at me with her eyes wide, swiftly turned
her gaze away.
I turn blue.
Maybe I … have I done it again?
“Ha hahahahaha!”
 Suddenly, the garden of the official residence was
filled with the sound of lively laughter.
The owner of the laughing voice was the forest elf
squire who was called Rize.
“’Mm, no, excuse me. ……. Put your swords back,
boys. Let us put an end to this farce.”
“Haa, Rize !? That’s ………”

Glared at by the squire, the prince shuts down.

The soldiers, returning their swords to their sheaths,
looked somewhat relieved.
The forest elf then looks at Ifa and asks.
“I’m going to ask you something. Ifa, is that what you
want?”
“yes”

Ifa smiles and says to the prince.

“Your Highness. I am honored by your invitation, but
once again I must decline. I will return to the school
with Seika-kun.”
“But Ifa. Your will is ……”

“It is my will. Besides.”

Ifa says in a chilling tone.

“Even if I’m free, I won’t support you.”
“No … no, but …”
“Young Prince!”

The forest elf squire says accusingly.

“You need to back off. You’ve been rejected.”

“Ah …”

Ignoring the stiffening prince, the forest elf says to

me in a cheerful tone:
“I’m very sorry, Seika. First of all, thank you very
much for your help with the dragons. I’m glad that
you found out the truth of the matter. I’m also very
grateful to you for capturing the guilty party. We will
follow your advice on how to deal with the rest.”
“Okay…..”

“And, at the risk of sounding too forward ……, can

you forget everything the prince said just now?”
“That’s fine, I was also a bit rough with my words.
……”
“Thank you. When will you return to the empire? The
carriage is available to you at any time.”
“The new school year is coming up, so I’d like to get
there as soon as possible. It’s hard to stay here for too
long.”
“I’m sorry. Then I will make arrangements quickly,
along with lodging along the way. I would like to talk
to …… Ifa alone at some point, if you will allow
me.”
“eh……”

I Involuntarily look next to me.

Ifa looked at me and gave a small nod.
“… I understand. Go ahead.”

“I’m sorry.”
The garden of the Governor’s official residence.
A short distance away from the escorting soldiers,
Rize said to Ifa.
“Apparently, I was misunderstanding you.”

“Misunderstanding…?”

“As that slave dealer said, I thought …… your

feelings for your master were unavoidably held.
People, in no small part, are afraid of new situations.
They try to believe that the present is the best. But
…… your heart seems to be different from that.”
Rize says again.
“You love that boy.”

“Ah !?”
“Then there’s nothing more to say ……. Give me
your hand.”
Ifa, her face bright red, does as she is told and holds
out her right hand.
Rize took it, and with her index finger, which had
been smeared with blood before she knew it, she
drew a pattern on the back of her hand that resembled
a magic circle.
Some kind of small incantation is chanted.
Then the blood magic circle quickly disappeared as
if absorbed by the hand.
“I’ll give you a few of my spirits.”

Ifa noticed that some of the vast amount of spirits

that Rize was clothed in had shifted to her side.
They seem to be gathering at the vanishing magic
circle on the hand, not at the magic stone or ring.
“The spirit of light is rare. If you get used to it, you
can do that.”
Ifa follows Rize’s gaze and looks at her own left
hand.
The cut on her thumb made by the wind blade had
healed without a trace.
Rize says, abruptly.
“You remind me of a fairy tale princess for some
reason.”
“eh……?”

“A princess of an exiled kingdom who uses the magic

of the Forest People Elves. The daughter of charity
who was a companion of the heroes, but even the
demon king took pity on her. …… If it’s you, you’ll
be fine. I’m sure your feelings will be heard.”
“Well, is that so …?”

“I still have no doubt that the boy is alien. But ……

the boy himself said that even if we are different
from each other, we can be a family. Dragons and
people have lived together, it’s much easier than
that.”
Rize said at the end.
“Stay safe, my kin”

Chapter 28:In a strange place (Part 1)

All my senses were dull.
It was as if I wasn’t myself and the sights I was
seeing were shifting independently of my will.
Before he knew it, Ren was watching his own back.
Like a shadow following, he followed at regular
intervals.
———-The village was on fire.

Unlike the current Ren, the Ren carrying only two

little boarrs was walking dumbfounded along the
field road.
The knights walking next to him were speechless.
“Mother….?』\

Suddenly, Ren threw away the little boars and started

to run.
The knights who started running as well ran shoulder
to shoulder, and the group rushed to the Ashton
family mansion.
……..The house was on fire when they arrived at the
destination.
Ren saw this and almost fell to his knees in
weakness.
However, he approached the mansion with his body
trembling.
My mother must be in that house.
Unable to think of anything else, he wished only to
hear his mother’s voice.
But he was stopped.
The knight pinned him down and he was deprived of
his freedom.
“You can’t! 』\

“Let go of me! My mother is —-!』\

“No… If you jump into that fire, you will be ……

too! 』\
Ren still continued to resist.
But he was weak.
The figure I saw was so weak that I could not believe
it was me.
“I made a promise to my father at the end of his life
that I would protect her……. 』\
Then, there it was.
“Retreat! Quickly! 』\

A girl’s voice came from behind, mingled with the

sound of hoofbeats.
When the two Rens turned to look at the voice, a
dazzling light enveloped the entire area.
—- Soon after, a new scene unfolded.

This time again, he could see himself from behind.

A self that wasn’t him.
It was the evening sky.
Ren was on a plain at the edge of the village,
standing in front of a number of burlap sacks lined up
between his eyes.
“Dear Ren, it’s Grandma Rigg……..”

“I know……. I was already prepared for this.”

Ren answered without turning to the knight, his

shoulders shaking.
The knight bowed his head behind him and walked
away.
Then Weiss, his armor stained with soot, appears in
his place.
“—- boy.”

Weiss took the stunned Ren in his arms and gave him
a powerful hug.
Weiss soon has tears streaming down his cheeks.
After a few moments of this, he apologizes again and
again.
“I’m sorry. If only we had arrived earlier.”

“It’s okay……. It’s all because I was weak.”

“But …….”

“No…… it’s the same with my father. The night he

died, I should have gathered up my courage and gone
to pick rondo grass. Then he wouldn’t have died and
I might have been able to handle today’s banditry.”
“Not so! It’s our fault!”

“Some of the knights lost a hand or a leg fighting for

us. It was thanks to them that we were able to defeat
Thief Wolfen, whom my father had driven back.”
So it’s not their fault, Ren says.
“And they helped my mother. And Weiss-sama wiped
out the bandits, too.”
“…… No, I let one of them get away. I’m sorry. If only
I had gotten there a little earlier.”
“Stop it. If I let you keep apologizing, I’ll get in
trouble with my father.”
“And besides,” Ren continued.

“The one you mentioned now is the young lady…

right? I’m just seeing her for the first time.”
“Ah, yes. The young lady was so traumatized by the
winter of the Thief Wolfen that she came with me to
this village on behalf of my master…….”
“The saint is amazing, isn’t she? She can dispel the
flames of the mansion.”
“………Oh.”
“I’m so grateful to her for saving my mother’s life. I
can’t resent Weiss and the others for that.”
After he finished, Ren sat there helplessly.
He hugged his knees and fell face down in front of
the human-sized burlap sacks that lined the plain.
A few moments of silence passed, and Ren stopped
to think.
What am I going to do from today?
We can’t live in this village anymore.
Most of the houses have been burned down and there
is very little food left.
The uncertainty of the future slowly began to occupy
his mind.
“I’m going to sit next to you……. ”

Then came the voice of a girl —-, Licia.

Ren looked up and saw her.
Licia with bandages covering her fingertips, grazes
on her cheeks and other parts of her body.
“I treated your mother’s body and the other villagers
as best I could…”
Licia did everything in her power to rescue the
villagers, despite her wounds, without regard to her
own status.
“Thank you… that was…”
“But we need to treat her better. I don’t think she’ll
wake up. So I will escort everyone who survived to
my town and other villages.”
Licia looks at Ren’s face as she finishes.
Licia then uttered that the bandits were probably
from the Heroic Faction or the Imperialist Faction.
The Clausel family was involved in a factional war.
Those who were working to expand their faction
would have attacked the village in a forceful and
brutal manner.
However, nothing was forseen. There was no
element of forewarning, in this case.
Weiss and his men’s arrival was just a coincidence
and without that coincidence, Ren would have lost
his mother as well.
Still, Licia and Weiss were saying that it was all their
fault.
Licia, in particular, was willing to do whatever it took
to make amends.
“…… honestly, I don’t know what to do. I can’t afford
to hold a grudge against you. I’m too busy with my
mother, who is seriously ill, and the villagers.”
Licia said nothing, but nodded with a somber look on
her face.
“But my father told me that we’re knights in the
service of the Clausel family, and we protect this
village with our lives. So it’s not reasonable to hold a
grudge…… and I can’t think of anything else to
do…..”
Tears spilled out of Ren’s eyes.
He’d been able to put up with it all this time, but
now, his strength failed him.
Licia gently embraced him.
Was it a dream?
Ren opens his eyes and thinks half-asleep.
(Could that be Ren and the lady in the …… game
……?)
I felt as if I had been shown an event in a world line I
didn’t know, and this expectation unexpectedly
flashed through my mind.
But I don’t know.
Assuming that it really was a story that was never
told in the game, why did I suddenly see it?
Moreover, by the looks of it, I feel uncomfortable
with the flow of Ren killing Saint Licia.
If the events of that world line were true, it wouldn’t
be hard to understand if Ren’s murderous act was
motivated by his hatred for the Clausel family and his
desire for revenge.
But that wasn’t the case.
I can’t rule out the possibility that Ren in another
world line would cool down after that and decide to
take revenge on the Clausel family, but from the
looks of it, I don’t think that line is very likely.
After all, I couldn’t find the answer even if I thought
about it. ……
So I worked hard to understand the current situation.
(This scent…)
The first thing he perceived was a musty smell mixed
with the scent of trees.
Next, he felt an unpleasant shaking throughout his
body and soon the sound of creaking wood reached
his ears and he also heard the sound of something
being stepped on.
It had been too dark to see clearly, but when I
squinted and looked around, I realized that I was
lying in a space reminiscent of an old hut.
(Where am I?)
I could tell from the light coming through the walls
that it was daytime, but I couldn’t make out anything
else.
But when I heard the sound of labored breathing
coming from next door, I turned my head to look.
This is when I realized that my hands and feet were
bound.
And when I saw the person who was at the end of my
sight, I finally understood everything.
“Ojou……!”

I don’t remember anything since I was put to sleep by

the Demon beast master.
In other words, we must be in the process of being
taken somewhere since then.
“Huh …… huh …… huh …….”

“Young lady, it’s me! Ren Ashton!”

“Huh……a……”

Licia doesn’t answer when I speak to her.

She could only let out a pained exhale at one point
and let the large beads of sweat on her forehead
trickle down her cheeks.
“I’m surprised you’re awake.”
Suddenly, a voice came from outside this space.
It was the voice of the beast master I had heard in the
mansion.
“You slept well, didn’t you? Four days of sleep
should be enough.”
(Four days……?)
If he slept that long, they must have come a long way
from the village.
“Ren Ashton. If you stay quiet, you’ll be safe. Don’t
think about anything else, just bear with it for a few
more days.”
“What about the young lady —- what’s going to
happen to the girl?”
“Fufu, you’re clever, aren’t you? You think I don’t
know who Licia Clausel is, and you’re reiterating it
to avoid revealing her true identity.”
Ren’s brow furrowed at the fact that he knew what he
was thinking.
“Answer me. Is the young lady safe?”

It’s not that he was reopening the matter.

The only thing is that he couldn’t ignore the fact that
the beast master might have done something to Licia,
so he asked again, this time in a stronger tone of
voice.
“Of course. fuhaha, but can you trust me to answer
that she’s safe?”
“……. that is.”

“But don’t worry. I don’t lie.”

The Demon beast master said with a smile.

“It’s just that I didn’t plan for her to be ill in the first
place. If I can get medicine along the way, I’ll
administer it.”
Licia’s illness is not life-threatening on its own, but
complications could lead to death.
Weiss had mentioned this before.
Licia’s condition was worse than when she was at the
mansion.
It was probably due to this poor environment.
(We must have been put in a carriage.)
It was only natural for her condition to deteriorate in
an environment that smelled of mold and allowed
little sunlight to penetrate.
In addition to administering the medication as soon
as possible, we need to make it easier for Licia to
rest.
“I had taken care of the two of you by giving you
potions until today. You should be thankful for that.”
“Now……I’m short of things to say…….”

“…… huh ……a…….”

Next to Ren, who is on the verge of rage, Licia

continues to let out a pained breath.
For her sake, I can’t keep this quiet.
(I wouldn’t trust their word if they could get the
drugs.)
I had no intention of trusting the man who attacked
the mansion and took the lives of the knights.
So, I had to escape.
Licia would be in danger if we didn’t escape from the
demon beast master and somehow get the medicine.
But Ren had never left his village before.
And if they had been on a horse-drawn wagon for the
past four days, he didn’t know what would happen
even if he could escape from their assailant.
Since he didn’t know the area, he might die in the
open somewhere.
But even so…
(There is no way I would abandon her.)
It seemed that if I kept quiet, I would be assured of
my own safety, but I wasn’t ready to accept that.
Even if Licia lost her life in the future, and it was
confirmed that the same future as the legend of the
seven heroes wouldn’t come, I was sure that I would
regret if I abandoned her here.
(I don’t have my magic sword.)
It was still summoned, so it seems the Demon beast
user hid it somewhere.
But it doesn’t matter to Ren. The magic sword just
needs to be re-summoned.
“That’s right. Keep quiet.”

“Don’t talk to me. Your voice makes me sick.”

”Ha-ha-ha! I’m sorry about that.”

Ren didn’t want to run away right now.

The best way to do this is to escape when the demon
beast user was asleep.
If I don’t increase the probability of success as much
as possible, I don’t know what will happen to the
lives of not only me but also Licia, who’s not
considered to be very important, in the event of
failure.
(I feel like an idiot for planning to flee at night in a
place I don’t know the lay of the land.)
But it seemed better that way.
I thought about yelling out somewhere crowded, but
that wouldn’t necessarily get anyone to help me.
After all, the only person I could trust was myself.
*******************************************
*
It has been a while since the light stopped shining
through the gaps in the timber.
(Is it night already?)
After waking up and realizing that the first night had
come, Ren suddenly noticed that the carriage had
stopped.
“By the way, what if I yell out and call for help?”

“It would only end in vain. Only I can hear the sound
from inside. I’ve got that kind of magic equipment
set up.”
That’s convenient. Ren sighed.
“……a…….”

From next door, he could hear the sound of Licia’s

labored breathing.
The pain seemed to be getting worse than during the
day.
This shouldn’t be the worst possible outcome.
“Speed up the carriage.”
“It’s night already. Sleep today and we’ll search the
village again tomorrow.”
The carriage shook as the beast master stood up after
saying this mercilessly.
He had been sitting in the coachman’s place, but
when he stood up, he went to the side of the carriage,
unlocked it, and opened the door.
Ren, who was at the end of it, was thrown food by
the beast master.
It was dry meat, bread and water in a leather bag.
“Feed them to your precious lady.”

As soon as he finished saying this, the door was

quickly closed.
Ren crawled inside the carriage and emptied the
leather canteen.
With it in his mouth, he brought it to Licia’s mouth
and dripped some water and she began to drink a
little.
After a while, Ren dripped the water onto a piece of
dry bread and let it soak.
Immediately apologizing, he put the softened bread
between his lips and gently placed it on Licia’s lips.
It looked a little hard to eat, but Licia chewed a few
bites while being snarled.
(She won’t even stand it for a few more days like
this.)
Licia, and even Ren, would lose strength.
If they were going to escape, they had to move before
that.
(It has to be tonight. I can’t afford to wait and see
what happens.)
Once I’d made up my mind, I felt strangely calm.
Perhaps because I was prepared for this to be the only
way, I was surprisingly calm and didn’t let fear take
control of my body.
—- Soon, I began to faintly hear the sleeping breaths
of the beast master.
In the same way, I can even hear the Maneater’s
breathing from outside.
(I have no choice but to do it.)
But I must not think of defeating the beast master.
The goal is to escape, to get away from this place.
There’s no other way but to do so, since there is a D-
rank equivalent Maneater.
“My lady, will you entrust your life to me?”

I said to Licia in a whisper, and I felt the edges of her

lips part a little.
Seeing this, Ren takes a deep breath—-.
Before he knew it, his heart was beating loudly and
repeatedly.
Knowing that he was nervous without realizing it,
‘don’t weaken now!’ He told himself strongly to
boost his confidence.
(Let’s go, Ren —-!)
He said the words less loudly than the sound of
leaves rubbing against each other, and re-summoned
the iron magic sword.
With a thud, it fell onto the wagon and he rubbed the
chains that bound his arm against it. It was a metal
chain, but the iron sword cut through it without any
difficulty.
Ren broke the chains binding his legs, and then the
chains binding Licia.
He knew by the sound that the carriage had a key.
Ren carried Licia up and tightened his grip on the
iron magic sword.
His body was heavy as he lifted his arm.
Still, it was fortuitous that he was able to move his
body.
In fact, he had been in a coma for four days, so it was
only natural that he Shouldn’t move at all.
(As I recall, there was something about potions.)
That’s a different concept from my previous life, an
item that plays a part in fantasy.
In the game era, in addition to restoring physical
strength, it helps to get rid of abnormalities.
In addition to this, I may also be affected by my
physical ability UP (small). ……
(Whatever it is, it helped.)
Ren cleaves the iron sword horizontally without
making a sound.
Then, in a single vertical flash, he cut the carriage
lock in two.
Then the carriage door cracked and Ren removed it
while holding it down so as not to make a sound.
(…… It’s all right. He’s not awake.)
He leaned outside and found the beast master sitting
in the governor’s seat, but fortunately, he was asleep
with his arms crossed without waking up.
Relieved, he looked around and found himself in a
forest in total darkness.
He had no idea where he was.
But Ren, who had made up his mind to run away,
took a step forward.
He was determined to escape and took a step
forward.
“Grrrghh』\

It was at that moment.

A voice came from a towering tree nearby.
Ren looked up in that direction and saw the two
maneaters using a thick branch as a bed.
The maneaters were glaring at him, their eyes
glowing crimson as they writhed about in an eerie
manner.
“—-How did you escape?”

The Beast master woke up and got out of the

carriage, approaching Ren.
The maneaters also raised their body and spread their
wings.
“The sword was supposed to be by my side, why is it
in your hand?”
“…… It’s my sword, so what does it matter?”

“Oh, it’s certainly not my sword. But don’t do it. If

you stay quiet, you’ll be safe and you’ll see your
parents again.”
“But I don’t know what will happen to the young
lady.”
“Such beautiful loyalty, It dazzles me.”

The beast master said with a sneer.

“This is your last warning. If you don’t return to the
wagon yourself, know that it’ll be a painful journey.”
He intimidates Ren with his ruthless voice.
The two maneaters are already floating behind him.
If the beastmaster doesn’t receive the answers he
seeks, the two maneaters will wield their power over
him.
Licia’s voice reaches Ren’s ears as he watches for an
opening.
“…… alone…… run away…….”

When did she wake up?

“No, if I’m going to run away, we’re going to do it
together.”
These words were the signal.
The beast master in front of them snapped his fingers
and gave the order to the maneaters.
The two monsters flapped their wings and
approached Ren from behind.
The sound of “Geeee!” was the cry that filled the
forest.
Ren, clutching his iron sword, took a deep breath and
pushed himself forward.
“Heh! You’re young and naïve! Did you think you
could win with a sword when you’re up against a
beast master!”
“I wonder!”

As Ren steps forward, the maneaters close in on him.

The first thing it did was to stretch out his neck to
bite Licia that Ren was carrying.
Ren’s heart still rages at the sound of painful
breathing coming from his back.
In the midst of all this, Ren abruptly changed the
direction of his body.
He went behind the wagon and avoided the
maneaters who were closing in behind him.
He swung up his sword without slowing his
momentum and smashed the carriage from behind.
Ahead of him, he saw the face of the beast master
behind a gap in the wood.
Ren threw the iron magic sword at his face.
The beast master tried to avoid it by twisting his
body.
The iron sword scratched his neck slightly and the
necklace that was decorating his neck danced in the
air.
“Hmph…… you’re a fool to throw your weapon—
What!”
The iron magic sword disappeared without a trace
shortly after passing right next to the beast master.
Instead, the wooden magic sword in Ren’s hand
caused the earth to rise, and brought out roots of a
tree that extended and restrained the beast master’s
feet.
Ren saw this and jumped from the back of the
carriage.
In doing so, he saw the dagger Weiss had given him
and retrieved it.
He also grabbed the necklace that flew from the beast
master’s neck.
The necklace had a broken chain and the pendant was
shattered.
(Don’t try to defeat that guy! Don’t be greedy!)
Maybe I can beat him.
It’s not easy to say, take a life, but if he could take the
life of the beast master, the maneaters could
disappear at the same time.
But now that his strength was depleted, there was no
certainty that he would be able to defeat him, and he
couldn’t make up his mind.
“You’re doing great! But that’s enough!”

The beast master picked up a white wooden staff.

At the tip of the staff, a ball of light in a variety of
colors begins to wriggle.
“……Make it!”

I don’t know what he’s trying to do with the staff, but

it’s disturbing.
A moment after he takes the staff, Ren summons the
thief’s magic sword himself and waves his arm.
“Wha- my staff…..!”
The staff disappeared from the astonished beast
master’s hand and instead it was in Ren’s hand.
Luckily, he was able to take it from the beast
master.
But there was no relief.
One of the maneaters was coming right at Ren, and
the remaining one was right in front of the beast
master.
“Graaaaaah!”

Ren ducked once in mid-air and hit the maneater with

the staff he had taken from its master.
He also hit the coachman’s seat in rapid succession.
The impact shattered the part holding the horse in
place and the cane also shattered due to Ren’s
physical strength.
The horse, startled by this, rushed forward and Ren
reached out his hand to force the horse to ride.
“Without a staff….that power is …… after him!”

Hearing the voice of the beast man, the maneaters

flapped both wings more strongly than ever.
At this time, Ren, who had never ridden a horse
before, was struggling to get on the horse.
Ren had returned the thief’s magic sword and instead
used the wooden magic sword he had summoned to
create vines to bind himself and Licia.
Making sure their bodies were never separated, they
rode through the thickly overgrown forest.
“Demon beast master! I know your weakness!”

“Weakness……?”

“You know it yourself! That’s why you’re in such a

hurry!”
The beast master let out an exasperated voice.
“Monsters that dwell in the forest! Listen to my
voice!”
After the distant echo of the beast master’s voice, the
sound of movement could be heard everywhere in the
forest.
Numerous Monsters passed over Ren’s head and
right beside him as he rode his horse.
They were beasts that reminded him of little boars, or
monsters that looked like giant beetles.
“Gigi gigi! 』\

“Giiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii』\

The high-pitched voices of the maneaters pierced my

ears.
However, as ten or twenty seconds passed, the
Maneaters began to lose momentum, and by the time
a few minutes had passed, the distance between them
and the Maneaters was almost too great.
The same was true for the monsters nestled in the
forest.
“……Are we safe now?”

After another dozen minutes of riding, Ren was

confident that they were safe.
(I guess distance is still his weakness.)
This was the true meaning of the words he had told
the demon beast master just a moment ago.
Besides summoning the maneater, the user can only
command monsters that are weaker than himself.
However, all of these orders had the aspect of being
less effective when they were away from the beast
user himself.
(Here’s the problem.)
I’m happy that I was able to use the knowledge I
gained from the legends of the seven heroes.
However, I can’t let my guard down, because I have
another major goal waiting: to escape the strange
forest and find a human settlement.
Still, just when I thought I had reached the end of my
quest, I felt a sudden surge of exhaustion.
“I’ll get the medicine for you, ojou-sama, I promise.”

When I told Licia in my usual tone of voice, she

uttered in a faint voice, “I’m …… sorry.”
Weiss’s famous horse looks like an ordinary horse at
first glance, but in fact, it is faster and more enduring
than other horses because it has the blood of a
monster mixed in it.
He used this as an advantage to search all around
Ren’s village.
However, he couldn’t find Ren and Licia.
So he ordered his knights to join him on the way,
while he himself rode to report to Baron Clausel.
He returned to Baron Clausel’s mansion on the
morning of the fifth day after Ren’s escape from the
beast master.
In other words, it was the morning of the ninth day
after Ren and Licia were taken away.
“I will take all the punishment in place of the dead
escort knight. But I ask for a reprieve until the young
lady is saved.”
Returning to Baron Clausel’s residence, he reported
to Baron Clausel’s office what had happened in the
village ruled by the Ashtons, and the fact that both
Licia and Ren had been taken away.
“Why did you leave Licia’s side?”

“…… because of an error in judgment.”

“That’s why I’m asking you! Why did the Knight

Commander leave Licia’s side?”
Baron Clausel was so close to Weiss that he grabbed
him by the chest and raised his voice.
Soon, he had a look of surprise.
“Are you hiding something from me?”

Weiss’s eyes swam.

“It’s about Licia. She cursed her own failure when
she fell ill, didn’t she? To repay her debt to the
Ashton family, she asked you to help her defeat the
monsters that had increased out of the blue, didn’t
she?”
Weiss was silent, saying nothing, but his silence was
as good as an answer.
“…… sorry about that.”

“No, it’s still my fault. I have the most ability, I

should rather have sent my own men to hunt, and
stayed behind as a guard.”
“It wasn’t a mistake, it is righteous loyalty. How
could I punish you in response to Licia’s strong
wish?”
Weiss, who was overcome with remorse, couldn’t say
anything in response to the sorrowful tone of voice.
Baron Clausel’s hand was clutching his chest, and he
walked slowly to the window.
Outside the window, a heavy rain was falling, which
seemed to indicate the state of mind of the two men.
“We can’t sit still any longer.”

Baron Clausel said in a strong tone.

“I’ll contact the Imperial City! Not only the nobles of
my faction, but also the Emperor must be informed of
what has happened!”
When he received the report in his office, he was
furious and shook his fist.
But there was no proof.
Baron Clausel was convinced that Viscount Givens
had committed the crime, as before.
But there wasn’t enough evidence to judge him.
“We must be very careful not to make false reports. It
would be a good thing if we could get reinforcements
to search for Licia. By the way, Weiss, how are the
Ashtons doing?”
“They are being evacuated to a safe village with the
villagers, accompanied by knights other than
myself.”
“Good. Then we’ll move quickly.”

First of all, we need to contact the capital.

Of course, we also need to contact the nearby
neutralist nobles.
Whatever we have to do, we needed reinforcements.
“If we make a bad move, the other factions will eat us
alive. We must move carefully.”
“Ha!”

We’re going to be busy from now on.

Baron Clausel, his mind tightened, was about to pick
up his pen, when a moment later.
“My Lord!”

The usually calm butler came to his office without

knocking.
“A visitor from the Imperial Capital has arrived……!
Please hurry to the hall!”
Baron Clausel was startled by the butler’s ghastly
appearance, but thought it was no time to be
surprised to hear that he had a guest from the
imperial capital.
Who had come all the way here and for what
purpose?
With doubts in his mind, he left his office and walked
on the thick crimson carpet to the hall.
He was surprised to see the manner of dressing of the
people.
“Baron Clausel, isn’t it?”

“Ah…… you are …….”

They were civil servants in gray robes, belonging to

the legal affairs bureau.
“We are here by order of His Excellency the Minister
of Justice.”
One of them steps forward and reaches into his
pocket.
He unfolds a rolled parchment and presents it to
Baron Clausel.
“In accordance with the great imperial law, Baron
Clausel, you will stand before the tribunal.”
“Huh —- why me!”

“Baron Clausel, you’re suspected of gross

misgovernance. As you’re aware, the nobility
entrusted by the Emperor with his lands have several
obligations.”
Weiss muttered the following to the civil official who
spoke without hesitation.
“Viscount Givens, I never thought he’d involve the
imperial capital as well.”
Following Weiss’s hateful muttering, Baron Clausel
says.
“I’m well aware of that! We nobles have a duty to
protect the people of our lands and the wealth of our
lands! But which of these have I violated?”
“In addition to the continued damage to several
villages, Baron Clausel’s failure to take prompt
action has spread the monster’s damage to the
neighboring Viscount Givens’ territory. The Minister
of Justice has received a report from Viscount Givens
and has decided on this trial.”
Baron Clausel had a counterargument.
At the very least, it was all beyond the scope of the
disturbances that could occur in his domain.
But when he tried to open his mouth, the civil servant
from the legal department interrupted him, saying,
“At the tribunal.”
“I’m told that Viscount Givens will arrive the
morning after tomorrow, so the first arguments will
be made here in Clausel on that day. The day after
that, the verdict will be handed down—-“
“If you are dissatisfied with the verdict, the next
round of judgments will be held in the Imperial City.
If you are still dissatisfied with the verdict, you will
go to the Great Temple of the Imperial Capital for a
trial before the gods.”
“That’s correct.”

Everything happened too fast.

Things were unfolding at an overwhelming speed,
including the attack on Ren’s village.
No doubt, this was a trend that had been set in motion
for some time.
Baron Clausel and Weiss realized this.
“We’ll leave you now.”

The civil servant from the legal department bowed

his head for the last time, said he would stay at an inn
in town, and left the hall.
“If I am found guilty by the judges, the Clausel
family will lose their titles.”
“But my lord! All territories suffer damage from
monsters! No lord should be held responsible for
something as trivial as this!”
“That’s right. That’s why Viscount Givens claimed
that the damage had spread to his territory.”
“It’s a fabrication, as we all know.”

In the first place, Baron Clausel dispatched knights to

villages whenever possible and did his utmost best to
protect his subjects.
Was it all pressure from Viscount Givens, or perhaps
the heroes? The conflict between the heroes and the
royalists must have become even more intense.
Baron Clausel kept his eyes down and began to
ponder what the best course of action was.
“I don’t even know why the two were taken away.”

Viscount Given was obsessed with Ren, but if wanted

to take a hostage, Licia should have been enough.
For example, it should be no problem to threaten the
Clausel family and try to bring them into the faction.
Considering the heinous acts that had been
committed against the village, the possibility that
they would kill Licia in the event of an emergency
couldn’t be dismissed.
But it’s difficult to ask whether Ren is worth it as a
hostage.
He’s no different from any other boy with a bright
future ahead of him. ……At the same time, Ren had
just left a village.
He was dressed in a dirty robe, something he had
never done before.
This was a disguise to keep a low profile. It was a
humble one that he had obtained in a village he had
found the day before yesterday by bartering for
materials from a monster he had hunted along the
way.
Naturally, Licia was also dressed in the same outfit.
Instead, the clothes they were both wearing have
already been discarded.
Even though they had been cared for with potions as
meal substitutes, they hadn’t been completely taken
care of and although dirt is natural to human life, it
was unhygienic.
“Ojou-sama, I’ll stop the horse a little further away.”

Ren, on the horse, said to Licia, who was sitting in

front of him.
“Ah… okay.”
After about ten minutes of riding the horse, we were
approaching a forest.
The villages scattered around this area are the same
as the village where Ren lived and the terrain is such
that you can reach the forest quickly after a short
ride.
Ren stopped his horse in the shadows of the trees and
dismounted.
As a young boy, Ren wasn’t tall enough, and from
the side it looked as if he had jumped off his horse.
(Not cool, indeed.)
Even with his arms outstretched, he couldn’t
dismount Licia. So until today, he had to stop the
horse next to a step to get off.
Today I didn’t see any fallen trees or rocks, so I was
trying to figure out what to do.
(…… Well, it’s too late now.)
I had an idea.
I was lost for a moment because I had to use a
wooden magic sword for that, but I had shown it to
her anyway when we were running away from the
demon beast master and when I was fighting the
monsters as we fled the forest, so it was too late now.
“Ojou-sama, excuse me for a moment.”
Ren used the tree roots he had created with his
wooden magic sword as a scaffold to gain height and
when he was at a height where he could reach her, he
put his hands on either side of Licia, and as if to hold
her close, and set her down from the horse.
As he sat her down against the tree roots, Licia
smiled weakly, though she was exhausted.
“……It really is a strange power.”

“I think so myself—-Well, first of all, some water.”

Ren gives Licia a leather water bag to drink from.

Next he took out the wooden bowl he got from the
village.
Inside was a thick, light green liquid with a foul
aroma.
“This is grated meal grass. Rest assured, I had it
grated right in front of me…….”
Meal weed is a medicinal herb that is effective
against abnormal conditions. The legend of the seven
heroes explained that it is also effective for
headaches and high fever.
However, this herb is not as valuable as rondo grass.
 That is why Ren, a stranger, was able to get it
exchanged easily.
(Good thing I remembered that.)
The information was just an added bonus, since the
main characters never catch a cold.
But now that I have made use of it, I’m pleased with
my memory.
“What should I do with it?”

“Please drink it. I hear it’s extremely bitter, but I want

you to swallow it patiently.”
“Alright…”

However, Licia’s hand is shaking weakly.

As expected, he wondered if it would be a good idea,
but Ren took the wooden bowl back into his own
hands and scooped up the grated meal grass with his
fingertips.
“I’m sorry” he apologized, then brought his fingertips
to Licia’s lips.
Licia hesitated for just a moment, but quickly vacated
her lips to accept.
“Nn… bitter.”

“Please have some water. Be patient and don’t

vomit.”
Licia swallowed repeatedly, and it took several
minutes for the wooden bowl to get empty.
It was all for Licia’s sake, even though it seemed to
be pushing her to the limit when she was already ill
and in pain. Still, Ren couldn’t help the pain in his
heart.
*******************************************
***********
As the evening wore on, Licia’s condition improved.
Her breathing, which had always been irregular,
began to calm down, and Ren, who supported her in
the back, could tell that her body temperature had
begun to drop.
The condition that had worsened under the poor
environment was now approaching what it had been
when they first met at the mansion.
“Hey.”

“Yes… what is it?”

“Thank you…….”

“Don’t worry about it.”

Licia’s voice had a little bit of her usual personality.

There are still other meal weed left over from the
exchange. Ren, relieved, decided to give her another
dose of meal grass tonight.
“—-We’re on the edge of Viscount Given’s territory.”

“Eh?”

“What do you mean, “eh?”

“I, you know? I— I”(TN: Previously, licia used a

grandiose way of referring to herself but she
suddenly referred to herself using a normal girl’s “I”
(watashi) hence Ren’s confusion).
“Oh, come on, it’s okay with me. It’s easier to talk to
you that way, right?”
After some hesitation, Ren decided to take Licia’s
word for it.
I feared that I would stutter in a more urgent situation
than now, so I thought that for this journey alone
would be fine.
“…… I had my hands full looking for a village, how
did the lady know this was Viscount Givens’
territory?”
That aside, Ren also knew that this was Viscount
Givens’ territory.
He knew this because when he found the first village,
he posed as a traveler and asked the villagers about it.
 They thought to themselves that how could a young
boy such as myself be traveling …… and the
villagers looked at me suspiciously, but I couldn’t
resist asking.
“Look at that.”

Licia pointed emphatically to a mountain range

visible in the sky behind the trees.
Beyond them was a huge range of mountains with
silver snow still lingering near their tops.
They seemed to go on forever, and their rocky slopes
were as sharp as polished blades.
“What are they?”

“The Baldor Mountain. If you look up there, you can

get a rough idea of the location.”
Ren nodded with a mysterious look on his face as he
received the answer.
“I see. That’s the Baldor Mountain.”

“Did you know it?”

“Yes. Just the name.”

I know many other things.

That place is where you fight the last boss of Legend
of the Seven Heroes I.
(I didn’t know much about it because I used to travel
around in a Lunar Whale in the game days.)
A Lunar Whale is a kind of magic tool.
There is also another means of transportation called a
magic train, both of which are huge vehicles powered
by magic stones.
In Leomel, every medium-sized or larger city has a
station for such vehicles.
The Baldor Mountain, however, had been identified
on the map even after Ren had become a resident.
But as I thought, I didn’t fully understand the
geography because of the different ways of traveling.
“Does that mean that the young lady will lead the
way?”
“Yes. I’m sure I can.”

“I’m glad to hear that. It would be very helpful not to

have to move around blindly.”
Until today, the search was for a village having
prioritized Licia’s condition, but of course, during the
search, I had been advancing my horse, looking for
familiar landscapes.
Thanks to Licia, I felt I had finally seen the light of
day.
(And the villagers I met said they didn’t really know
the route to Clausel either.)
Like Ren, all of them had never left the village where
they were born.
“I think we need to get back to Baron Clausel’s
territory first.”
“…… I guess so.”

Licia’s voice was unclear as she replied.

“What’s wrong?”

Licia nodded quickly.

“The village you were in is too far from here.”

“Aah…… that’s true, if you think about it. By the

way, if we were to go from here to Clausel, how
many days would it take us to get there from today?”
“…… I think it would be about four days.”

The village where Ren lived to Clausel takes around

ten days by horseback.
This was if you headed straight for it, but apparently
the Demon beast master was heading somewhere
without much deviation from that path.
Fortunately, this was the reason why it took the same
number of days to get to Clausel.
“Then, let’s continue on our way to the lady’s
mansion.”
Licia, supported by Ren, spoke up without hesitation.
“No. I’m going to send you back to your family
first.”
“What are you talking about? Our priority is to send
you back to your mansion.”
“Huh? I’m the one who caused the trouble, so you’re
the one who should get home first. —“
“I’ll be fine. You don’t need to worry.”

Ren’s voice was encouraging, even though he had no

proof of what he was saying.
“We should definitely go to Clausel, because there’s
no guarantee of safety in the villages along the way,
and I don’t know what happened to my village after
the attack. If my father and the others had evacuated,
there’d be no way for us to meet up with them.”
Licia felt helpless as she listened to these words
with a wry smile on her face.
At this point, she was touched by Ren’s kindness, but
at the same time, she felt a strong sense of disgust at
herself for being so dependent.
Even though she was feeling sluggish in her head,
tears were beginning to form in her eyes.
But then, he said.
“I’m going to go sightseeing in Clausel, and then I’m
going to meet up with my family. I’ll be able to greet
the baron as well, so it might be better than you
think.”
Ren’s voice, which is filled with kindness in his
mature words, naturally relaxes her cheeks.
“Thank you…….”

Without even realizing it, Licia was leaning further

into the warmth she felt on her back.
WM – Chapter 342: Takatsuki Makoto goes to
meet the Goddess
“The place of Noah-sama, huh…” (Makoto)
In other words, the Deep Sea Temple.
Now that the seal has been undone, Noah-sama can apparently go to the
Divine Realm and other worlds, but Noah-sama said ‘the Divine Realm is
just asphyxiating!’ and is lazing about in the Deep Sea Temple.
Now then, how should I go there?
I am currently in the space of Ira-sama in soul only.
I direct my gaze at the small Goddess by my side.
“What?” (Ira)
“Want to head to the Deep Sea Temple together?” (Makoto)
“Eeh…” (Ira)
She made a blatant unwilling face.
“Go alone.” (Ira)
“I am actually not good at Teleport…” (Makoto)
“You still haven’t mastered it?” (Ira)
“Isn’t it difficult? I can’t go to the places I want to go to at all.” (Makoto)
“Haah…you are one unskilled man. Here.” (Ira)
Ira-sama extended her small hand to me.
I grabbed that small hand of hers.
The next instant, the scenery in front of me warped and was wrapped in
light.
◇◇
When my vision cleared, a silver world spread before me.
(Wait, eh?!) (Makoto)
A blizzard was raging.
A scenery of intense cold like that of the arctic.
“Ira-sama!! Where in the world are we?!” (Makoto)
I shouted loudly so the blizzard doesn’t erase my voice.
“Where, you ask?! Obviously the Deep Sea Temple!!” (Ira)
Ira-sama shouts back with a loud voice that didn’t lose to mine.
This is…the Deep Sea Temple?
“Aah! This is unbelievably hard to talk in!” (Ira)
Ira-sama snapped her fingers and a light film covered our surroundings and
cut off the blizzard.
Looks like she placed a barrier.
“Takatsuki Makoto, aren’t you cold?” (Ira)
“I am controlling the Water Spirits to adjust the temperature, so I am fine.
What about you, Ira-sama? You are wearing thin here.” (Makoto)
“There’s no way a Goddess like me would be hampered by mere cold,
right? …That said, that Noah is still in a bad mood. What’s Eir-oneesama
doing?” (Ira)
It took me time to understand the words of Ira-sama.
“This blizzard is happening…because Noah-sama is in a bad mood?”
(Makoto)
“Most likely.” (Ira)
Ira-sama easily states this.
S-Seriously?!
I once again look back outside the barrier and strain my eyes at the
blizzard.
Ah…the Water Spirits and the Ice Spirits are tap dancing.
The fact that Spirits are involved in this must mean that it really is the
influence of Noah-sama, huh.
“Why is she in a bad mood?” (Makoto)
“I am the one who wants to know… Isn’t it because you don’t go meet
her?” (Ira)
“But I do go meet her every now and then though?” (Makoto)
“Really? Hmm, seriously, what’s the issue here? Let’s go for now.” (Ira)
Ira-sama advances through the blizzard.
I hurriedly follow after her to not get left behind.
I would say it has been around 10 minutes since then.
A giant ice castle suddenly showed up in front of us.
A beautiful castle that had ramparts, roof, ornaments, and everything made
out of ice.
“It seems like Noah is here.” (Ira)
“Why in a place like this…?” (Makoto)
“Who knows…” (Ira)
Ira-sama and I tilted our heads at the same time.
But the situation won’t just be solved by staying here.
I slowly opened the door made out of ice.
This outer door easily opened.
I thought the inside of the ice castle would be darker, but it was filled with a
gentle light.
Light was reflected on the ice, creating an illusory sight.
“The Light Spirits are here.” (Makoto)
“These guys are cheerful~.” (Ira)
“I wonder why they don’t show displeasure towards a Holy God like you
despite them being Spirits.” (Makoto)
“Now that you mention it, that’s true. Wonder why.” (Ira)
Even when they are Spirits, Dia would be scared of Ira-sama or be
rebellious.
“…Light Spirits don’t think of anything, Our King. Their heads are all
light.”
“Dia?!” (Makoto)
I jolted at being suddenly spoken from behind.
It scares me when you appear out of the blue like that.
“Hey, Undine, how’s Noah feeling?” (Ira)
Ira-sama asks Dia.
“I can’t say it myself… Our King, I will be leaving our great Goddess to
you.” (Dia)
Dia said this and disappeared.
“What did she even come here to do?” (Ira)
“Maybe she is telling me to go to Noah-sama quickly?” (Makoto)
Ira-sama and I advanced deep inside the castle with quick steps.
We arrived at a grand hall.
Deep inside the grand hall, there’s a giant throne.
The elegant girl sitting there was resting her chin on one hand while looking
displeased.
It goes without saying who it is.
My Chief God and the Goddess of freedom and beauty, Noah-sama.
Ira-sama brazenly walks towards the throne.
“Noah!! Why aren’t you showing up in the meeting of Gods at all?! …That
goes the same for Naia though! It is always so hard to get the opinions in
order, so participate!” (Ira)
Ira-sama was shouting at Noah-sama.
“……”
Noah-sama didn’t answer at all.
She glanced at me and Ira-sama.
……I felt chills run down my spine.
The pressure of an absolute power which I hadn’t felt in a long time.
I feel like a sheep that was thrown into the den of a vicious dragon.
Noah-sama’s so scary!!!
Or more like, her utter disgust!!
“Hiih!” (Ira)
Ira-sama lost strength in her legs.
“Ira-sama, are you okay?” (Makoto)
“A-About what?! Of course I am okay! More importantly, do something!”
(Ira)
Ira-sama shouted angrily at me in tears.
(Haah. Deep breaths, deep breaths.) (Makoto)
And then, I activate Clear Mind.
Alright!
Let’s go.
“…Noah-sama, your familiar, Takatsuki Makoto, has arrived.” (Makoto)
I nervously speak to Noah-sama.
“…”
There really is no response.
Our eyes meet for a bit.
—Pui!
And she faced away.
“N-Noah-sama?” (Makoto)
She is still facing the other way.
Hmm, this is troubling.
I look at Ira-sama.
She shook her head vehemently to the sides.
Seems like she is giving up.
(…Guess we should come at another time.) (Makoto)
“Apologies for the sudden visit. We will come at a later date.” (Makoto)
Just when I said this and was about to leave…
“Why are you trying to leave as you please?”
“?!”
Noah-sama was by my side by the time I noticed, and she was grabbing my
arm.
Her face is as beautiful as always.
However, I can tell from her expression that she is in a sour mood.
“Come on, sit, Makoto.” (Noah)
Noah-sama snapped her finger and the ice castle disappeared, turning into a
flower field.
A fancy table and a number of chairs appeared there.
I sat at one of those.
Noah-sama didn’t say anything, and sat at the chair right by its side.
Ira-sama hesitated for a bit and then sat at the chair in front of Noah-sama.
There’s a teapot with steam rising and empty tea cups on top of the table.
Judging from the scent, it seems to be black tea.
It is most likely a brand from Earth that Noah-sama likes.
The first flush from Darjeeling, I think?
I grabbed that and poured it in the order of: Noah-sama → Ira-sama → Me.
Noah-sama picked up the teacup and elegantly carried it to her mouth.
Ira-sama blew on it with a ‘fuu fuuu’ and then drank it.
Does she have a cat tongue?
I also grabbed my cup.
I wanted to add milk and sugar there for a moment, but I remembered that I
was scolded for doing that before.
I try drinking it straight as it is for now.
It is a bit bitter.
I was thinking about how I don’t understand the charm of black tea as I
waited for the words of Noah-sama.
There’s warm sunlight showering down on the flower field.
It is most likely thanks to the Light Spirits which the Great Water Spirit
mentioned before.
I could hear the chirping of birds every now and then.
A peaceful time.
“Makoto.” (Noah)
“Yes, Noah-sama, what is it?” (Makoto)
“……” (Noah)
“Noah-sama?” (Makoto)
She spoke to me, but the conversation is not proceeding.
Ira-sama is drinking the black tea and munching on cookies without
interfering.
It was only after a few minutes.
“Geez~☆, Noah, you just have to say that you were lonely since Mako-kun
wasn’t visiting.”
A blonde Goddess with blue eyes showed up gently.
And then, she sat down on a chair as if it were natural, poured tea on her
own cup, and drank it with glee.
The familiar face is the Water Goddess.
“Eir-sama, so you were here.” (Makoto)
“Eir-oneesama!! Where were you?!” (Ira)
Ira-sama and I speak to her.
“Hey, Eir, can you please not just say whatever you please?” (Noah)
Noah-sama glared at the Water Goddess.
“Pushing yourself~☆. You lost your temper so much when Lucy-chan and
Aya-chan were having ‘se—’ with Mako-kun… Wait, don’t choke me. It is
a lie. I will shut up. Don’t kill me.” (Eir)
“Oh, Takatsuki Makoto. So you graduated from virginity?
Congratulations.” (Ira)
“…Is it because of me that you are in a bad mood, Noah-sama?” (Makoto)
“M-Makoto?! T-That’s not it. That’s not it at all!” (Noah)
It has turned chaotic.
I watch Noah-sama who is getting all flustered here.
I don’t really get it, but it seems like I am at fault.
I stand up and kneel at the side of Noah-sama.
“I will be increasing the frequency of my visits from now on. If that’s not a
problem with you, that is.” (Makoto)
“It is obviously not a problem! Well, coming a whole lot is a good
mindset.” (Noah)
Noah-sama’s expression loosened up a bit.
She is in a bit of a better mood?
“But you are bad at Teleport, right? Can you really come so often to the
Deep Sea Temple?” (Ira)
Ira-sama retorts.
…Yeah, that’s the issue.
“I have no choice but to do my best and practice.” (Makoto)
“Fuh, that’s where I come in, Takatsuki Makoto! I will accompany you
every night in your Teleport practice! In exchange, help me out in my
work!” (Ira)
“Eh, really? Please do.” (Makoto)
Saying this, I was about to exchange a handshake with Ira-sama…but my
arm was grabbed.
The one grabbing my arm was Noah-sama.
Ira-sama’s arm was being grabbed by Eir-sama.
“Ma~ko~to~, why are you asking for the teachings of a different Goddess?
You can just ask me!!” (Noah)
“Ira-chan, I have been telling you countless times already! That you
shouldn’t easily let a familiar (man) of a different God into your room so
easily!” (Eir)
““O-Okay.””
Ira-sama and I were overwhelmed by the threatening attitude of the 2
Goddesses.
But there’s something I would like to say.
“Noah-sama, Eir-sama, forgive me for speaking out here.” (Makoto)
“What, Makoto. If you have a problem, say it.” (Noah)
“Mako-kun, Noah is saying she will teach you directly. Are you dissatisfied
with that?” (Eir)
“Noah-sama, you taught me Teleport before, right?” (Makoto)
I have actually been taught by Noah-sama when I recently became a God.
“I have.” (Noah)
“Oh my, is that so, Noah?” (Eir)
Looks like this is the first time Eir-sama has heard of this.
“You also taught me how to use Teleport…” (Makoto)
“That’s right! I can teach you anytime you ask me! Why are you asking Ira
instead of me?!” (Noah)
Noah-sama was fuming here.
That sight of hers is really cute, but…
“Noah-sama, can you please explain to me once more, here, how to use
Teleport?” (Makoto)
“Got it. Listen up.” (Noah)
Noah-sama turned into her teacher outfit and raised a finger.
“Basically:
①You imagine the place you want to go, right?
②Then, you go ‘pyon!’ and fly to that place!
See? Simple, right?” (Noah)
“…Thank you very much.” (Makoto)
I thank her first.
By the way, what she taught me before was practically the same.
“How was that, Eir-sama, Ira-sama?” (Makoto)
““……””
Eir-sama was holding her head and Ira-sama had an ‘eeh…’ face.
“W-What’s with that reaction?! In the first place, Gods can use Teleport
from the day they are born! How am I supposed to explain in any other
way?!” (Noah)
The words of Noah-sama.
Looks like Teleport is like breathing or blinking for high ranked Gods.
It would be troubling if someone were to ask you ‘how do you breathe?’.
Because of that, Noah-sama is by no means airheaded.
Not at all.
There’s no faults in the perfect and happy Noah-sama.
“And so, I am having trouble mastering Teleport.” (Makoto)
“Can’t you have that elf comrade of yours, Lucy, teach you?” (Ira)
Ira-sama asked.
I obviously have also tried that out already.
“The Teleport that she uses on her own effort and mine, which is activated
by asking the Time Spirits, are different. That’s why Lucy told me ‘I can’t
teach you’.” (Makoto)
“…Got it.” (Eir)
Eir-sama spoke.
“The one teaching magic to Mako-kun will be Ira-chan! But the place
where the teaching happens is in the Deep Sea Temple!” (Eir)
“Hey, why are you the one deciding, Eir?” (Noah)
“At this rate, Mako-kun will find it hard to come to the Deep Sea Temple,
you know? Also, fix your lack of Angels already, Ira-chan. Have you been
hiring?” (Eir)
“…There’s no applicants…” (Ira)
Ira-sama’s shoulders droop.
She has it rough.
I would like to help out if possible, but that’s apparently no good since we
are of different God factions.
“At those times, you either increase the pay, or loosen the conditions…
Wait, I already told you that, didn’t I?” (Eir)
“But I don’t have the funds… Also, wouldn’t it be vexing to have them do
work that’s easier than mine?” (Ira)
“Fix up that black company mentality, Ira-chan.” (Eir)
The two Goddesses are having a complicated talk over there.
“Alright, you over here, Makoto.” (Noah)
Noah-sama grabbed my face tightly and she forcefully made me face the
front.
The beautiful face of Noah-sama was in front of me.
Or more like, isn’t it too close?
It is a distance where our noses might touch.
“…”
She is staring at me.
I feel like I am going to get sucked into her gem-like deep blue eyes.
“N-Noah-sama?” (Makoto)
“Speaking of which, you are the type who would not feed the fish you reel
in.” (Noah)
“……Eh?” (Makoto)
The scenery in front of me is warping.
Right.
I came to meet the Goddess in the world of dreams, so I have to wake up
eventually.
“Next time, come here sooner.” (Noah)
The words of Noah-sama resonated in my ears.
—I woke up.
◇◇
When I woke up, I saw a pretty familiar ceiling.
Wall paintings of the Water Goddess and Angels.
There’s no doubt that this is the Rozes Castle in the Water Country.
“Hm?” (Makoto)
Why am I in the Rozes Castle?
Wasn’t I in the residence of Lukich-kun?
Did I sleepwalk here?
No matter how you think about it, it is not a distance where I could achieve
that.
“Oh, you woke up.”
The one who opened the door and came in was Princess Sofia.
“I heard of it from Lucy-san and Aya-san. Thanks for your investigation
concerning the human sacrifice tradition of the remote village. Moreover,
you even confirmed the safety of the sacrificed children.” (Sofia)
“Uhm…why am I here?” (Makoto)
“Lucy-san and Aya-san carried you here. It seems like you were tired. You
weren’t waking up even when they tried to, Hero Makoto.” (Sofia)
“Is that so.” (Makoto)
I did something bad to Lucy and Sa-san.
I was knocked out cold on the bed while the two were off to report their
duties.
“The Ancient Dragon was apparently an acquaintance of yours 1,000 years
ago.” (Sofia)
“No, that was just a coincidence…” (Makoto)
“What’s most important is that we have resolved it all peacefully.” (Sofia)
Princess Sofia said this as she sat down on the bed I was lying on.
And then, she slowly drew nearer.
“Sofia?” (Makoto)
“I heard from Lucy-san and Aya-san.” (Sofia)
“What?” (Makoto)
“It seems like…you had fun last night.” (Sofia)
“…Eh?” (Makoto)
The expression of Princess Sofia didn’t change.
It is the usual cool beauty.
I can’t read her emotions as always.
“What’s the matter, Hero Makoto?” (Sofia)
“Ah, nothing.” (Makoto)
(Eir-sama! Princess Sofia is not angry, right?!) (Makoto)
I called her, but there’s no response.
Kuh, even though you would speak to me at unnecessary moments!
“Can you please tell me in detail?” (Sofia)
She smiled at me.
It doesn’t look like she is angry, but maybe she actually is?
And so, I had to explain the details of last night to my fiancee, Princess
Sofia.
■Comment’s Response:
>So who was the one that got the virginity of Makoto?
→Lucy. She won in rock-paper-scissors.
>Momo must be pissed~.
→I plan on telling this story at a later time.

No Matter How Deep The Desire, There Is Always A Point Of

Compromise
Five days had passed without contact from Representative Holiday.
During that time, the “World Conference” continued every day from
morning to evening. And at other times, discussions and coordination on the
agenda progressed. But I no longer had a part to play in those meetings.
The relationship between countries is not something I can interfere in.
Though, I have heard that Windle Republic has been using this occasion to
meet with VIPs from major countries.
Cardinal Thomason and Her Holiness the Pope discuss on how to lead the
conference every night.
「—It’s been a while, young lady.」
「Reiji… You have changed since we last met. More people are depending
on you now. And your black hair looks great.」
「I can say the same about you, young lady. You have grown even more
mature in this short time.」
「That’s the best compliment.」Lady Eva smiled.
We were in a courtyard near the mansion assigned to the representatives of
the Kruvan Holy Kingdom. A chilly breeze blew over the garden basked in
a slight afterglow indicating the arrival of autumn.
Looking at the beautiful chalk castle and mansions, and the magic airships
that constantly arrive and depart, you realize that this is a place of great
importance in this world.
The young lady and I were finally able to meet. The young lady’s escort and
the chief butler—people I was indebted to while I served in the Sillys
residence—kept a distance from the bench the young lady and I were sitting
on.
The Earl went to a dinner with Duke Grenjido and a representative from
another country.
「How are you feeling today, young lady?」
「I am doing good. Though, I was called a little girl by someone just a
while ago.」
The young lady also seems to be facing her own struggles.
Not much time has passed since the Red Gate incident, but I can still see
that the young lady has matured much more since then. Her manners and
gestures are becoming more and more refined.
「More importantly, Reiji, how do you view this conference?」
「My view?」

「Seeing as how Her Holiness the Pope has guaranteed your identity,
everyone seems to think that you are sided with the Church.」
「I’m not really a representative of the Church, though…」I said, with a
wry smile.
However, what the young lady pointed out is also true. I have been
receiving requests for a “meeting” from the dignitaries of every country; not
the representatives themselves, but their close aides. I refused all those
requests, though.
I suppose it would have been fine to meet them… But I wasn’t really sure
what to talk about.
The other parties might be expecting to receive some beneficial knowledge
or something… but there’s not much I can do.
「I know that, of course. But my father said, “Please get some information
regarding the Church from Reiji-san”.」
「Haha… the Earl is direct.」
「What I wish to ask is what is your personal opinion, regardless of your
affiliation to the Church.」
「My opinion has not changed. Did you read the letter I sent?」
The young lady nodded in response.
In the letter I addressed to her, I wrote about the danger of this world
collapsing.
And I also wrote,
『I don’t want Lady Eva to come to the front lines because it is going to be
a very dangerous situation. With that said, I am sure the young lady will
definitely head to the front. Since the young lady knows that the front line is
where she can effectively use “Magic Eye of Inspire”. But please be sure to
let me know when she arrives. If anything happens, I will protect the young
lady.』
「Even knowing that this whole world will turn into a battlefield, I still
think we should move forward with the plan to fuse the two worlds. I don’t
want to spend my days pretending that everything will turn out okay if I
don’t look at it.」

「…Even if the casualties might be high?」the young lady asked.

I know. That there will be casualties.
But still I have to move forward.
People grow and develop by moving forward.
「Yes.」
I was completely hesitant and perplexed until I was able to say this one
word.
But with everyone’s support, I am now able to say it with confidence.
That “everyone” includes the young lady too.
If given the choice, I am certain the young lady would choose the one with
the brighter future.
「I have the same opinion.」
The young lady said with a smile. …Oh, her soft, gentle smile warms my
heart as it always has.
「Reiji, I think the meeting is moving in a bad direction.」
I nodded in agreement.

Since the first day, the meeting has not progressed forward at all.
Each country -「How do we handle the depletion of skill orbs?」
Church -「It’s an omen of the collapse of the world.」
Each country -「There is no evidence of this. And the Church should
disclose all known information about the depletion.」
Church -「We have disclosed all information. We must progress with the
fusion of the worlds to prevent the collapse.」
Each country -「There are not enough skill orbs to deal with the increase in
the number of monsters which will occur with the fusion. That is impossible
right now.」
Church -「This is a race against time.」
Each country -「There is no evidence of that. Or is the Church hiding
additional information?」
Each country is skeptical of the Church. And due to the suspicion that arose
due to the depletion of skill orbs, they cannot have any constructive
discussions.
Furthermore, not all countries are wealthy; countries such as the Windle
Republic have little direct military force, and there are also countries whose
administration is in a perilous state. Those countries rely on the Church’s
aid, and that’s all the reason they attended this conference in the first place.
「It seems that the Pope and the Cardinal had the same idea, and originally
wanted to promote the fusion of worlds with the consent of each country at
this conference, and to establish a joint front for the battle with the monsters
that will come after that.」I said.
「Looking at the current situation, that’s not possible…」
「We have to look for a realistic point of compromise.」

「A joint front involving only countries that are in alignment with the
Church?」
As expected, the young lady caught on fast. I wonder if it’s Earl Sillys’
training?
「Yes. Even if monsters appear, it is unlikely that they will appear all over
the continent. Even when I went to the other world, their presence felt quite
uneven.」
There are chaotic giants present in the same location as the undeveloped
land “Canion” in the other world, but other than that, it is possible to
control the appearance of monsters by gathering military might. This
information has been relayed to every country.
「But how many countries are in alignment?」the young lady asked.
「The Kruvan Holy Kingdom–」
「–In agreement, of course.」
…Thank goodness. This whole matter would have become much more
difficult if I had to convince Duke Grenjido.
「Since the Holy Kingdom participated in the Red Gate campaign, we
understand the threats of the world beyond.」the young lady said.
「Ah, I see now…」
「But conversely, most countries do not understand that threat, so they are
not in agreement.」
It certainly felt that way even when I was observing the situation of each
country at the conference.
「Reiji. Is it possible to revoke the Covenant immediately?」
「It is possible. I think the Church has prepared to revoke it after a month
or so after the conference is over. That is why the church has gathered all
the race representatives.」

「The Pledgers, yes?」

「Yes.」
I explained to the young lady again. About the Covenant consisting of 8
articles. About the Librarian, Beast King Race, Gnome, High Elf, Dwarf,
Holy Blue Human, Continental Human.
「But Reiji, there are only seven.」
「I don’t know much about Article 8.」
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ Significance of the Covenant (/)
・ □□□□□□□□ makes the Covenant’s □□ the mediator □□, □□.
・ Should the Covenant be revoked, □□□□□□□□ will change □□ to □□.
I am unable to relay this article clearly to the young lady due to the
restrictions of the Covenant. Sometimes I even wonder if it’s a meaningless
Covenant.
「But since Article 8 does not specify a Pledger, we have no choice but to
assume that there will be no problem.」
I can’t fully grasp the Covenant without absorbing【World Alliance】, but
I’ve been able to use that power little by little because I have had to
alternate between World Alliance and World Ruler these days. So, I can still
recall the articles of the Covenant even without absorbing World Alliance.
Though it does bother me a little that that is all a 12-star skill is able to
do…….
「Hmm, is that so?」

「At the end of the day, even if there is still a month left until the
revocation of the Covenant, it serves no purpose if the countries of the
world do not begin preparing for the coming battle.」I said.
「I don’t think this plan will work unless there is a visible profit.」the
young lady said.
「Profit, huh.」
「Pay the nations to get ready for defense.」
「But… only the countries which oppose the Church’s proposal will get
paid, and the ones who are in agreement lose. That said, however, paying
each and every country is not possible, either.」
Actually, the church had already considered that idea. Cardinal Thomasson
explained it to me with a grin.
——All of them are misunderstanding that the Church has money. That
they will get money if they grumble enough.
The Church, however, is already looking at the “post-fusion” world, and
expects that it will require a lot of materials, food, and money at that time.
Therefore, those resources cannot be distributed to the countries at this
juncture.
It is not enough to simply defeat the monsters. They are thinking about the
future of the world after that.
To that extent, both the Cardinal and Her Holiness the Pope are seriously
striving to achieve a meaningful outcome at this conference.
「In that case, why not provide benefits other than funds.」the young lady
said.
「Meaning?」
「I have heard that the taxes for the maintenance of the federation are a
significant burden within the Keith Gran Federation. The Church can
provide tax exemptions for the duration of the defense period. For other
nations, free treatment from the Church.」
「That seems to be Her Holiness’ line of thinking as well. It is already
incorporated as part of the compromise.」
「Is that not enough?」the young lady asked.
「Yes.」
「…My father and Duke Grenjido seem to be willing to release the 5-star
skill orbs of the Kruvan Holy Kingdom.」
「HUH!?」
A voice escaped my mouth despite myself.
Those skill orbs are in the possession of 5 of the 6 Great Duke Houses and
an Earl House.
Duke Rozier’s【Sword Technique ★★★★★】.

Duke Reese’s【Heroic Commanding Technique ★★★★★】.

Duke Ebene’s【Secret Compounding ★★★★★】.
Duke Luciel’s【Dragon Sword Technique ★★★★★】.
Duke Lamer’s【Mana Enhancement ★★★★★】.
Earl Montagne’s【Prayer Technique ★★★★★】.
The Holy King Order’s【Holy Swordsmanship ★★★★★★】- though, it
has since been lost.
Even in Kruvan Holy Kingdom, which possesses complete monopoly on
the First Altar, these are the only skill orbs with 5 or more stars in their
possession.
If a 5-star or higher skill orb exists in other countries, it would only be one
at most.
The Holy Kingdom intends to release such rare articles?
「The Duke Houses won’t be convinced.」I said.
「But in doing so, all the other countries would be able to understand how
seriously the Holy Kingdom views this matter. Reiji… Do you remember
what Duke Grenjido said when he was still the Holy King?」
「Yes.」
Duke Grenjido said at the Sprout and New Moon Banquet:
——From now on, you will choose your skill orb, learn a lot of things,
sometimes fight with each other, sometimes fail, sometimes feel joy, and
sometimes suffer. Since you were born with noble blood, you will have to
fight that fate…
I remember being impressed, thinking that this was a true noble. Although,
it did seem strange to me at the time that someone is “noble” due to their
birth. Duke Grenjido must have known the royalty’s duty as a “Holy Blue
Human”. His was a duty to sacrifice. That is why he had such a strong
fixation on “birth”.
「The current Holy King has already explained the situation to the Duke
Houses. I think this matter will be revealed in the conference tomorrow or
the day after tomorrow.」
My chest trembled.
Born with “noble blood”, donating the skill orbs must be more painful than
having their bodies torn apart. In order to persuade the countries of the
world.
「However, Reiji… The problem is that those countries might not be
convinced with that alone.」
「…I am aware.」
There is no limit to the desires of people. Some countries would complain
that it isn’t enough, while others would complain they didn’t receive the
only 6-star skill orb.
「I wish we had a little more deciding factor. Duke Grenjido and father are
now talking to the other representatives in search of it.」
I greatly admire those two who are working so hard to coordinate the
countries of the world. I knew from the start that it would not be easy to
coordinate the countries to fight against the monsters in unison.
Representative Holiday must have thought of revoking the Covenant alone
assuming that coordinating every country would be difficult.
「That one last push to move the countries into setting up a joint
defense…」
Without it, the first to fall victim would be innocent civilians.
Isn’t there anything else?
Money is not possible.
There are no more rare skill orbs.
The Lev Magic Empire is in the process of recovery after the Red Gate
campaign. We can’t ask for their help.
There must be something else. Something, something, something——.

「I am sorry, but I have been eavesdropping on the conversation.」

A voice came from a distance. Figures of several people were approaching
the garden where we were.
Looking at the shocked state of Lady Eva’s escorts, they probably didn’t
notice those individuals.
Eavesdropping from such a far distance?
No– Given that their voice has reached us from that distance, did they use
magic?
More importantly, however, I reflexively stood up when I saw the person
who approached us.
「Asha!!」
Accompanied by the elves of the Secret Service.
「Ah, it’s okay. She’s my acquaintance. She is Sylvis Kingdom’s–.」
「——I am Asha, an adventurer.」
Asha was about to be blocked by the young lady’s escorts. So I tried to
explain who she was, but Asha loudly stated that she was an “adventurer.”
The Secret Service looked displeased. Thinking about it carefully, Asha did
leave the country to become an adventurer, but the kingdom still provides
escorts, huh…
「Reiji, who is this person?」
The young lady asked, while carefully observing Asha as she approached
closer.
「This is Asha. She just recently became an adventurer… but she is a High
Elf who used to live in the Elven Forest.」
「I am Asha, an adventurer. I travel with Reiji-san.」
Asha came and stood right next to me.

……Oh my? Why is she standing so close? She usually stands about half a
step away.
I moved slightly to the side. But Asha came closer, despite.
「Reiji, are you not a member of Silver Balance?」the young lady asked.
「Ah yes. But Asha still hasn’t–」
「Yes, I am not a party member.」Asha said.
Huh? Why does she sound displeased?
「No. Let me rephrase that. I am going to join the party soon.」Asha said.
Wait… Was Asha always so assertive?
I feel like we have never talked about her joining Silver Balance at all…
「Uh, well, Asha, this is Lady Eva, from an Earl House of the Kruvan Holy
Kingdom. I used to work as an escort for their House in the past…」
「I see. Your former employer, right?」
Huh?
「I am still willing to hire. Reiji, you can always come back.」
Huh?
「That will not do. Reiji-san said that he would travel with me…」

「Hmm… That’s the first time I am hearing it. Reiji, is that true? Didn’t
you promise to take me on a trip around the world?」
「Eh? Wait a minute. Why do I feel like the situation is getting tense?」
「Not at all~. It’s just that… your previous employer is quite a beautiful
person…」
「No, everything is alright. I am just confused to learn about this person
since you did not mention it in your letter…」
…It definitely sounds like there is something going on.
「So, Asha. Why did you come here? I mean, it’s not a good habit to
eavesdrop on other people’s conversations… but did you use magic for
it?」I asked.
「A-About that… I apologize. It seemed like you two were having a
pleasant conversation, so I got curious…」Asha mumbled in a very soft
voice.
…Well, I suppose it’s okay since she has apologized.
「But I understand the general story. Some countries are in trouble due to
the depletion of skill orbs, and you are trying to move them to prepare for
defense within a certain period of time, right?」Asha said.
「Yes, that’s right. We are missing one last element…」I said.
「In that case, I think I can help you. You are aware of what the Sylvis
Kingdom governs, correct?」Asha said, with a smile.
「The Elven Forest and the Third Forest, right? –Wait, don’t tell me…」
「Yes, what you’re thinking is correct. The wise Majesty King Sylvis have
decreed thus:」
——Release all the skill orbs stored in the national treasury and distribute
them to the needy countries. And prepare for the upcoming threat.
「I accompanied Matvey-onii sama, who came to pass this message onto
the congress. Yuri-onee sama must have heard the news by now. Now that
the depletion of the Third Forest has begun, His Majesty thinks that we
don’t have any time to waste. In short, everything will be settled at
tomorrow’s World Conference.」
Chapter 145: Oath Barrier
“I will be guiding you to the room where the ring is. Please follow me.”
The place we arrived at after being told this with a serious face by Shizun-
san was a room that has a fancier door than all other rooms.
“Elm-san, good work keeping watch.” (Shizun)
“I am honored by your words.” (Elm)
Shizun-san spoke to the man in front of the door, took out a key from his
pocket, opened the exaggerated lock, and went in.
“Now, go ahead everyone.” (Shizun)
We enter the room.
When everyone entered, the big door closed with a very loud sound.
The door is apparently made in a way so that someone has to hold the door
or it will automatically close on its own.
The floor, walls, ceiling; that place, where everything was furnished with
pure white tiles, didn’t have a single piece of furniture.
The only things decorating this room were…
Pillars that stretch at both sides in the middle of the room.
“Wa!” (Ina)
“Hooh, this is…” (Mitsuki)
Seeing this, Ina raised her voice in admiration and Mitsuki narrowed her
eyes.
At the center of the room, there were thin pillars of the same shape.
No, the two pillars aren’t exactly the same. I guess it would be easier to
describe as one of the pillars being cut right at the center and having an
opening of several centimeters in size.
But what’s different is what comes after that.
In between the two pillars that normally shouldn’t have anything, there’s a
rainbow film.
And then, there’s 4 colorful crystals floating before it as if protecting that
rainbow curtain.
Also, if you strain your eyes really well…those red, blue, yellow, and green
crystals have sparkly light particles floating around, and they are gathering
into the openings between pillar and pillar, creating the rainbow wall.
Within this atmosphere where everyone was looking at the pillars in the
center and the crystals as if they had their voices taken away, Shizun-san
said proudly.
“These pillars and crystals test the qualifications of the family head: the
Oath Barrier. Within that rainbow curtain lies the ring that’s said is going to
be stolen, the Immortal Oath.” (Shizun)
—The first head of the Aken family and hero, Lord Aken, was also known
as the Impenetrable Fortress.
He mastered the essence of barrier magic and obtained the invincible
defense.
That barrier could take any physical or magical attack without flinching,
and he traveled through many battlefields with that absolute defense, and
returned unwounded from all of them.
But this barrier that was thought to be absolute had a single fault.
—Status ailments.
Even as someone who had an impregnable defense, he didn’t have perfect
resistance against status ailments like poison and paralysis.
There’s rare cases where monsters with high intelligence would show up.
One of those had noticed this weak point.
Under the orders of the monster that had intelligence, attacks that caused
poison, paralysis, confusion, sleep, and petrification rained down on him.
But he endured it.
Even when hit by poison and feeling dizzy; even when hit by paralysis and
feeling numb; even when hit by confusion and having his senses fail him;
even when he was hit by sleep and fell asleep while standing up; even when
he was petrified and couldn’t move his body; that strong will of his to
continue enduring the attacks didn’t falter.
But, at the end, he finally fell on his knees after being hit by a certain status
ailment.
—Instant Death.
Even he couldn’t endure this no matter how much of an iron will he had.
No matter how great of a warrior you are, no matter the hero you are,
there’s no path other than falling when your life is ripped out of you.
It was most regrettable.
If only he had resistance to death, he wouldn’t have been one-upped by
guys like these.
If only he had resistance to death, he wouldn’t have fallen at a place like
that.
If only he had resistance to death…
That strong desire of his created a miracle.
A few seconds before that body reached death completely…in that brief
amount of time, he poured his own mana into a ring of his.
That ring shone dark, and even after his body collapsed to the ground and
disappeared, the ring still remained there without a single scratch.
That ring was sent to his wife and children, and it is still being protected by
his descendants as the living proof of a great hero.
“That’s the story passed down in our family of the ring that holds absolute
resistance to death: the Immortal Oath.” (Shizun)
After finishing his long story, my comrades let out an impressed ‘hooh’.
Now that I listen properly to it, I feel like there’s a whole ton of things to
retort to, but you could say it works as an epic.
Also, there’s a descendant right in front of us and the ring spoken of is
there, so it amplifies the weight of that story.
“We understand the ‘Immortal Oath’ now. However, what’s this about the
Oath Barrier that was spoken of before?” (Mitsuki)
When Mitsuki, who was the only one that didn’t lift a single brow at the
story of Shizun-san just now, asked this, he nodded deeply.
“Those crystals and the light curtain are there, but it would be faster to
actually test it out.
I don’t care what method you use, can you please try to destroy that barrier
right now and take the ring?” (Shizun)
Mitsuki’s cat ears twitched, and she looked at Shizun-san with cold eyes.
“‘I don’t care what method you use’, no taking back those words?”
(Mitsuki)
“Of course, I won’t.” (Shizun)
Just when that response from Shizun-san was about to finish…
“Hmph!” (Mitsuki)
Mitsuki suddenly took out her sword without any preliminary motions.
There was still a bit of distance between her and the pillars, but that’s
nothing for Mitsuki.
With a glare of her favored weapon, Tsukikage, she rushed to the rainbow
protection and…
“…I see.” (Mitsuki)
It was easily stopped.
“E-Eeeeh?!” (Ina)
Ina, who knows the most about how fearsome Mitsuki is, raised her voice in
surprise.
But Mitsuki herself wasn’t shaken at all.
“Then…” (Mitsuki)
Understanding that she couldn’t break that defense after just one attack, she
changed targets.
That next target was not the barrier, but the crystals that are most likely
creating that barrier.
Mitsuki’s next slash certainly hit the target, but…
“Hooh…” (Mitsuki)
It made a hard *kan* sound and stopped in place.
Even when Mitsuki swung her sword, the crystals floating in the air were
unscathed and didn’t flinch.
She then cut the pillars as if it were a passing thought, and after confirming
she dealt no damage, she sheathed her katana.
“Do you get it now?” (Shizun)
Seeing this, Shizun-san approached Mitsuki with a somewhat proud look.
Mitsuki’s cat ears trembled for a moment as if displeased by this, but she
didn’t show that at all in her face and answered calmly.
“Yeah, it is quite impressive. Looks like this barrier cannot be broken with
normal means.” (Mitsuki)
There’s no mistake in the words of Mitsuki.
Mitsuki’s attack power is number one within NPCs.
Depending on how I do it, I could achieve even higher power but, even if I
did, that wouldn’t make a difference here.
The devices here are all Indestructible.
They can’t be broken.
“That’s right. You have to use barrier magic in order to undo this barrier.”
(Shizun)
Saying this, Shizun-san went to the front as if switching with Mitsuki and
held his hand aloft the crystal.
“Hah!” (Shizun)
He let out a powerful voice. Blue light flew out from his palm and hit the
red crystal directly.
The crystal was basked in the blue light, lost its light, and changed to
black.
“The logic is simple. You just have to bask the respective crystal with the
opposite element of barrier magic.” (Shizun)
Shizun-san sent red light to the blue crystal at the side as he said this.
The moment the light reached the blue crystal, it lost its light again, and at
the same time as it did…
“Ah, the barrier…!!” (Ina)
The rainbow barrier disappeared.
“If 2 of the 4 crystals are turned off, the barrier will disappear in this way.
With this, it should now be possible to take the ring.” (Shizun)
Hearing this, everyone’s attention was directed at the space between the
pillars.
In between those two pillars, there’s a pedestal that extends from below, and
there’s certainly a pitch black ring on top of it.
“So t-this is that Immortal Oath.” (Ina)
The closest one there, Ina, grabbed the ring.
Ina was looking at that ring as if in admiration, so I warned her teasingly.
“Make sure not to drop it. That would apparently go for as much as 3
million E if you were to sell it.” (Souma)
“T-Three m-million!!” (Ina)
The hand of Ina holding the ring was trembling from how nervous she was.
…Looks like it would be better to not tell her that we got 80 million from
the subjugation contest.
“But this is the proof of the family head, right? Is it really okay for you to
not be wearing it?” (Sazan)
On the other hand, Sazan, who doesn’t seem to be that hung up on money,
asked this without showing much agitation.
Shizun answered as if nothing at the decent question you wouldn’t expect
came from Sazan.
“Yeah, it doesn’t matter. Or more like, it must not be worn. Because…once
you wear it, you won’t be able to take it off.” (Shizun)
The moment Ina heard this, she jumped and went ‘hiiih!’ and was close to
dropping the ring.
It seems like Sazan couldn’t ignore this.
“H-Hey, isn’t that cursed?” (Sazan)
He looked in the direction of Ina as if finding this creepy and asked.
But Shizun-san shook his head, unfazed.
“No, there’s no way. It is simply the consideration of my ancestors so that
the ring doesn’t get lost once it is equipped. Also, you can properly take it
off if you pay money to the church.” (Shizun)
“That’s totally cursed!!” (Sazan)
It is a rare instance of Sazan retorting.
“S-Souma-san, w-what should I do with t-this…?!” (Ina)
Ina asked for help with teary eyes.
What to do, you ask. You can just return it. It seems like she can’t think of it
because of how panicked she is.
Or maybe she thinks she can’t just decide because it is a valuable item.
Shizun-san said with a laugh at the panicking Ina.
“There’s no need to be so scared. Let’s say it is cursed. Even if that were the
case, it is simply that you can’t take it off once you wear it. There’s no other
bad thing it would do.” (Shizun)
Ina reacted as if she had seen the light in hell at the follow-up of Shizun-san
and agreed vehemently.
“R-Right?!! Y-You could even say it is relieving since you would have
resistance to instant death!!” (Ina)
“That’s right… Well, you will be turned powerless to other status ailments
aside from instant death though.” (Shizun)
“…Eh?” (Ina)
The blood was drained from Ina’s face at the foreboding words that were
said casually.
“You heard the story, right? Lord Aken-sama could endure the other status
ailments, so in exchange for gaining complete resistance to instant death,
the resistances to other ailments must have been thrown away. What a man
of fortitude.” (Shizun)
The face of Ina grew paler in contrast to Shizun-san who was laughing
heartily.
“Speaking of which, there was a record of a family head a long time ago
that accidentally touched a poisonous mushroom while wearing that ring.
The poison was not that strong, and yet, it easily circulated in his body, and
no matter what they tried, he couldn’t recover. It was apparently pretty
hectic.” (Shizun)
Shizun-san laughs.
And Ina trembles profusely.
“S-So, what happened to that person?” (Sazan)
Sazan asked instead of Ina who couldn’t speak because of how much she
was trembling.
Shizun-san smiled gently at that.
“Fortunately, the panic of the poison was only for a little while.” (Shizun)
“Meaning that it was cured soon aft—” (Ina)
Seeing hope, Ina turned cheerful, but Shizun-san answered her with a nice
smile.
“No, he apparently went to heaven soon after.” (Shizun)
“Noooooooooooooooooooooo!!!” (Ina)
After that, I somehow soothed Ina who was trembling like a Stray Slime
that had 1 HP remaining, and returned to the ring on top of the pedestal.
When I took the ring from Ina’s hand, Ina looked at me with eyes as if a
notification dropped, telling me: ‘affection drastically increased!!’.
“Souma-san, you really are my savior!” (Ina)
She shouted this and showed just how easy of a heroine she is, but leaving
that aside…
“Now then, I will be closing the barrier.” (Shizun)
After confirming that the ring was returned, Shizun-san approached the
crystals.
“In order to activate the barrier, you do the opposite of what I did before.
You pour mana of the same element as the crystal.” (Shizun)
Shizun-san sends red mana to the red crystal and blue mana for the blue
crystal.
When he did, the crystals regained their light.
“Ah, the barrier…” (Ina)
The rainbow curtain unfolded in between the pillars again.
The pitch black ring couldn’t be seen anymore.
“I think you understand now with this, but you need to be able to use barrier
magic of two elements at the very least to open this Oath Barrier. That’s
why, obtaining the ring that’s deep in this barrier is proof that you are a
skilled user of barrier magic. In other words, the proof that you are the head
of the family.” (Shizun)
Seeing that we nodded at his words, Shizun-san announces austerely.
“And…my four children can’t undo this barrier yet. My oldest son is fire,
my oldest daughter is water, my second son is earth, and my second
daughter is wind.
They all have an element they are good at, but it also means they can only
use that one element satisfactorily.” (Shizun)
That’s when the face of Shizun-san warped in pain.
“At this rate, the first one who can use two elements will become the next
family head. My children are desperately polishing their skills for the sake
of that, but because of that, you can’t really say they get along well. To the
point that it wouldn’t be strange even if there’s someone who would think
about stealing the ring before any other sibling were to become the family
head…” (Shizun)
Shaky family circumstances were suddenly revealed.
Shizun-san made a sudden action while we were listening, dumbfounded at
this.
“This is the second reason why I suspect the culprit is from the inside. You
can’t obtain the Immortal Oath unless you use barrier magic. And the only
ones who can use barrier magic are me and my 4 children. That’s why,
please…” (Shizun)
Shizun-san goes down on both hands and knees, and with head on the
ground, he shouted.
“Please protect this ring!! And please save my children from a foul sin!!”
(Shizun)
…Hm?
Was this a serious event?
We had Shizun-san lift his head, and just before we left the barrier room…
“Ah, wait for a moment.” (Souma)
I suddenly thought of something. I scratched a corner of the floor with my
sword to create a mark.
I took the trouble of moving Shiranui in a careful manner, and succeeded in
writing ‘not yet’ even if it wasn’t the best looking.
I pumped my fist lightly at the completion of this.
“…Souma?” (Ringo)
Ringo turned around with a questioning look in front of the door. I simply
shook my head, telling her it is nothing, and was the last one to leave the
room.
The one waiting for me when I exited the room was Mitsuki with eyes filled
with suspicion.
“…What were you doing?” (Mitsuki)
“Eh? A-Aah, I was leaving a mark in the corner of the room. Just a bit of an
idea. There’s no big meaning behind it, you know.” (Souma)
“I see. A mark, huh.” (Mitsuki)
Mitsuki nodded once as if convinced, but her eyes were still glaring at me
coldly.
That state continued on for a while, and after making me feel uncomfortable
for a while, Mitsuki spoke.
“That Immortal Oath ring apparently has resistance to instant death.”
(Mitsuki)
“Y-Yeah. So it seems.” (Souma)
“In other words, as long as you have that ring, you wouldn’t have to fear
Leila. Don’t tell me…you are thinking about stealing it since it is going to
be stolen by someone else anyways…” (Mitsuki)
“D-Don’t bring up such accusations!” (Souma)
I hurriedly stopped Mitsuki who was about to say something dangerous.
Shizun-san looked back in wonder, but I played it off with a smile.
After confirming that Shizun-san was facing the front again, I protested to
Mitsuki.
“For your information, you can’t block the attack of Leila even with that
ring!” (Souma)
“…Really?” (Mitsuki)
Leila’s Death to the Infidel!! Is not a special attack or a skill, but more of a
system kind of thing.
If you could block it by making your resistance of instant death perfect, it
wouldn’t be feared that much.
“Also, if I were to take the ring from there and make it mine, that’s already
normal theft, right? Don’t worry, I won’t do something that stupid.”
(Souma)
To be honest, I want that ring.
It is not impossible that it can now block the instant death attack of Leila
now that the world has become real, and even without that, it would be
great to block instant death.
It is painful that you lose the resistances to other status ailments, but now
that I have more leeway in the other accessory slots, it is not impossible to
remedy it.
For example; the most dangerous status ailment to prioritize aside from
instant death is petrification.
Not only can you not move at all, it is hard to recover naturally. But even if
you get petrified, you can solve it without issues by just having a single
piece of equipment called the Gargoyle’s Circle which allows you to move
normally even in a petrified state.
That’s why I want the ring.
I do, but…
There’s something more important than that.
“If I did that, that ring would become a stolen item!!” (Souma)
If you steal something from someone else, that item will get the stolen
mark.
And if it is discovered that you have an item with the stolen mark, you go
straight to the criminal route.
I can’t take such a pointless risk.
“…I am finally convinced.” (Mitsuki)
Mitsuki nodded with her cat ears flapping as if finding this hard to
swallow.
I sigh in relief after being freed from the asphyxiating gaze.
Maybe that’s why…
“In other words, even if you had the will to steal the ring, it is impossible
because of the restriction of the ‘game’, right?” (Mitsuki)
“Eh? Ah, no. There’s the trick of taking it away from the culprit once it has
been stolen by them.” (Souma)
I ended up letting my tongue slip at the confirmation of Mitsuki that
followed.
“I knew it. You…” (Mitsuki)
She once again directed eyes of suspicion at me.
“No no no no! I am really prioritizing the completion of the request!”
(Souma)
It is true that at the very very beginning, a Nekomimi Neko player would
have prioritized the ring rather than a crest that you don’t know what the
use is for. They would purposely not solve the crime, then steal the ring
away from the culprit, and escape just like that.
But that’s at the very beginning.
The moment it was discovered that the crest opens a hidden dungeon, the
importance of the two items did a reversal.
There were no people who chose the cursed ring that is hard to find uses
for.
I don’t have any immediate need to go to the hidden dungeon, but the crest
has a lot more importance when speaking of priorities.
Also, the core of the issue is not in that part.
I looked straight at the eyes of Mitsuki instead of the top of her head and
protested earnestly.
“Just think about it. Even if it is the root of conflict, I would be stealing an
important heirloom for those people. Do I look like a person that would be
able to use an item like that with my chest held out while carrying such
regrets?” (Souma)
Mitsuki is probably misunderstanding who I am as a person.
I am on the peaceful side even within the Nekomimi Neko players that
don’t choose their means for the sake of their objective.
I am not such a deplorable person that would gleefully perform actions that
would hurt others.
“…Right. Truly persuasive words.” (Mitsuki)
But Mitsuki responded with her usual cold voice and slid her gaze to the
side.
“…Hm?” (Ringo)
Ringo tilted her head at the gaze directed at her, and at her waist there’s the
Wakizashi (which on the inside is the heirloom of the Hisame household,
the Gouging Vajra).
Cold sweat flowed down my forehead.
“N-No, that time could be considered an exception of sorts, but I normally
do my best for the sake of everyone’s happiness, you know? Even at the
time when I was at your home, I did my utmost best so that no deaths would
happen and…” (Souma)
I desperately tried to explain myself, and Mitsuki suddenly laughed with a
‘fufu!’ and softened her expression.
“Mitsuki…?” (Souma)
I was unable to follow that sudden change of hers, and Mitsuki lowered her
head.
“I am sorry. The situation was just too perfect, so I ended up distrusting
you. But I know better than anyone that you are someone that would work
hard to get the best results in any situation.” (Mitsuki)
“Yeah…” (Souma)
Looks like Mitsuki also didn’t think I would do something like that and just
tried to confirm it.
I sighed in relief.
“That’s a relief. If you were thinking about doing something that deviated
you from the right path, I was considering using whatever means to stop
you from doing so.” (Mitsuki)
Mitsuki was brushing the scabbard of her katana for some reason as she
said this, and the cold sweat gushed out again.
“I-I am glad that you are feeling at peace now.” (Souma)
Now that I think about it, even when her father was killed, even when the
whole world turned into your enemy, Mitsuki was someone who would stay
as an ally of the player.
I don’t think I will be killed like with Leila if I were to mess up, but it
wouldn’t be easy to escape from her.
Mitsuki has far more searching ability, fighting power, connections, assets,
and cat ears than Leila.
…The strongest hidden yandere might have been close to me.
“Uhm, what’s the matter, you two? Shizun-san said that he would be going
ahead to tell the other people of the house about the situation.” (Ina)
While I was trembling at a fearsome future, Ina and the others who were
walking ahead had come back worried.
“I see. We might have worried Shizun-san there.” (Souma)
He probably left thinking that we have some sort of secret discussion
between us.
If that’s the case, I feel bad about it, but I will be using this opportunity.
“I plan on not placing any restrictions in your actions this time around. But
there’s one thing I want to warn you about at all costs.” (Souma)
My emotions must have transmitted when I began speaking with a serious
tone, everyone moved to listen to me seriously.
Even Maki, who was thinking for a while now and not saying a single
word, raised her head.
I begin speaking after confirming this.
“Try not to stay for long in that room. Especially if you are trying to wait
for the culprit to show up. If you do something like that and you are
unlucky…” (Souma)
“I-If you are unlucky…?” (Ina)
I looked at the eyes of Ina who asked scared, and I declared clearly.
“…You will disappear. From this world.” (Souma)
The moment I said this, Ina went ‘hiiih!’, Maki frowned, Sazan went
‘Banishment this World?!’, and the usually expressionless Ringo and
Mitsuki made slight surprised looks.
But this is not a lie.
This is the…danger…that was added later in this super easy and safe quest
of the Aken Family’s Ring: the sudden death room.
Actually, this quest has very few cons and the solution is easy.
A seasoned Nekomimi Neko player wouldn’t search for the culprit in their
own arena.
The flow of the events does make it so that you can’t enter the room at the
time of the crime, and the room is locked, but that’s powerless in the face of
the wall jump bug.
You could easily slip into the room with Infinite Mirage Prison, use a
random stealth skill, and wait for the culprit until the time of the crime,
which most players did to solve this.
There’s also those who would set recording devices before leaving the room
to record the moment of the crime, others who would set traps or monsters
to kill the culprit, set skulls so it is impossible to traverse in it; players could
do what they pleased.
It is not like everything bore fruit, but even in the Wiki, this quest was
looked down upon to the point that it was written on the quest: this quest is
the easiest in this game.
The developers of Nekomimi Neko raged at this.
Even when there were still a lot of bugs left to fix, they did a patch where
they were ‘increasing the difficulty of quests’ which you would question
their sanity for.
They prohibited the use of skills inside the residence in order to block the
wall jump bug and many other things, but the biggest change was the
sudden death room.
This is a post that had become a topic of conversation for a period of time
right after the patch was implemented. A certain player camped the room,
and it suddenly got pitch black without any sign of it, and then, he was
standing at the Monolith at some point in time.
This is clearly the animation of when you die, but the reason was unknown.
There were no monsters or anything around, and no NPC or trap coming to
kill the player.
Then, why did the player in the barrier room die?
The answer was in the patch history.
-The subquest [the Aken Family’s Ring] has been adjusted so that abnormal
behaviors that hinder the progress of the event will get reset.
It was hard to pinpoint what this was trying to say, but by using this as a
hint to verify, the truth was revealed.
To everyone’s surprise, just before the culprit acts, all the foreign objects in
the barrier room had been adjusted to…be eliminated.
To be more precise, it would be that the map is recreated to its initial state.
Because all things in that room that have been changed or were not there to
begin with are reset, the things that the Nekomimi Neko players did that
were like hidden tricks had been rendered pointless.
This is especially fatal if the player is personally inside the room.
The player has no means to fight back against this system process.
No matter how strong of a character you have, no matter if you have
resistance to instant death, you are left with nothing if you are hit by a
delete.
And so, the players that were camping at that room would be met with the
bitter experience of instant death.
“That’s why make sure you definitely don’t do a stakeout in that room.”
(Souma)
I finished my detailed explanation and looked at everyone’s faces, and they
all nodded obediently.
I was worried whether they would accept it since that’s game talk here, but
this concerns their life, so they all listened properly.
By the way, this is a bit of an aside, but this change that could be called
detrimental obviously angered the Nekomimi Neko players.
…Or so you would think, but maybe because they tinkered with the quest
too much and missed some triggers for the events, after the patch, if you
had already cleared the quest, you could take that same quest again which
was baptized as the Forgetful Knight Captain Bug. This was met with
delight by the players.
Unfortunately, there were no means to deal with the patch. In the first place,
this world that reflects the latest patch can’t take advantage of this bug, but
if this quest can be taken two times, we could steal the ring from the culprit
in our first run, and then solve it normally in the second run to get the crest.
The change that was created to make players suffer brought benefits to the
players instead. You could say that’s just like Nekomimi Neko.
“It is okay! There’s no need to worry that much!”
The one who spoke a cheerful statement in this heavy atmosphere after
being suddenly told about the threat to their lives was Maki.
She began to talk a whole ton as if it had been a lie that she was quiet until
now.
“Also, this is a mystery, so I think those players(?) are the ones in the wrong
for using such insulting means to solve it! Let’s find the culprit fair and
square!!” (Maki)
Saying this, Maki tightened her fists and showed her motivation.
“R-Right. You must not cheat. No cheating!” (Ina)
“Hmph. Even without using such underhanded means, there’s nothing my
Demonic Eye can’t see through.” (Sazan)
Ina and Sazan both agreed with this.
And Mitsuki was the one who gathered up this motivation into a clear
objective.
“Let’s see. About the method to find the culprit, there’s 6 people that might
be the culprit, and we also have 6 people. How about we each stick to the
one we suspect the most, and keep an eye on them one on one?” (Mitsuki)
This is the first practical opinion that was given since coming here.
The one who agreed instantly to this was unexpectedly Ringo.
“…Got it. I won’t miss a single instant.” (Ringo)
She said with a stronger tone than usual and…
“Hm…?” (Souma)
—She grabbed my arm tightly.
Uhm…what’s going on?
When I directed Ringo this questioning look, Ringo also looked at me.
“…The most suspicious one is Souma.” (Ringo)
She said that all so naturally.
No, more importantly…
“W-Wait wait wait! No, that’s just weird! This is an actual case and the
culprit is—” (Souma)
I was desperately protesting here, but Ringo looked at me with eyes more
serious than me and stated this firmly.
“…I will make Souma a decent human being!” (Ringo)
I don’t know if I should be vexed about being called a deadbeat, or be
relieved that I am finally being treated as a human being.
But before I could come up with the answer…
“Nooo!!!” (Maki)
Maki came and tore me away from Ringo.
“…Maki?” (Souma)
I was confused by the sudden outburst of Maki and…
“I-It is not that you can’t stick to Souma right now. That’s not good either,
but uhm…I can’t agree with the idea of Mitsuki-san!!” (Maki)
Maki said this with her eyes swirling as she pointed at Mitsuki.
As for Mitsuki herself, she opened her eyes wide as if saying ‘Eh? Me?’.
Maki coughed, and after making sure Ringo was separated from me once
again, she began to talk like a machine gun.
“I hesitated for a bit myself, but I think a plan like this is not good. Cause
you know, solving the case would be simple. Mitsuki-san can simply grab
everyone in the residence, and have them forcefully be removed from the
place for today, or bring that ring out of the barrier room and have Mitsuki-
san just swallow it to keep it in her stomach or something.
It goes the same with catching the culprit. Mitsuki-san could discipline
them in a bit of a nasty manner, and have them confess at once.
But that’s not a mystery at all, right?!” (Maki)
“Leaving aside the details, why am I the one doing all the dirty work in
those examples?” (Mitsuki)
Mitsuki was indignant at how she was brought up for reference, and the
others were all shocked by this, but Maki, who had her mystery-loving
blood boiling here, didn’t stop.
She began to disclose her personal opinion as if the protest of Mitsuki
didn’t happen.
“You see, Mitsuki-san, there would be times in mystery novels where there
would be people who would suggest to hold hands and make a circle around
the item that will be stolen as if saying ‘please pull off a trick’. Why do you
think that is?” (Maki)
“That’s…it would be hard for me to say.” (Mitsuki)
Looks like even Mitsuki doesn’t know how to deal with people like this.
Maki nodded as if saying ‘I got my confirmation there’ at the confusion of
Mitsuki.
And then…
“It is the fair play spirit!!” (Maki)
She said this nonsense with full confidence.
“Even you, Mitsuki-san, would want the other party to do their everything
when you are fighting, right? It is the same as that! It is only after you stand
in the arena of the opponent and they do their trick that you then crush
them!! That’s the best essence of mysteries which has held on since ancient
times!” (Maki)
“I-Is…that so?” (Mitsuki)
No, I am sure it is not so.
There’s no way they could hear my mind, so Maki’s speech continued.
“That’s why, even when detectives know that there’s a high chance the one
who proposed this unnatural countermeasure is the culprit, they would still
go with it. And yet, to use such underhanded means that are akin to a round-
robin…that’s not like you, Mitsuki-san!
That’s petty!! Unfair!!” (Maki)
She went all in at trying to convince Mitsuki with her berserk passion.
“Uhm, am I underhanded…?” (Mitsuki)
Mitsuki showed a rare sight of being flustered, and sought help from me
with her eyes alone.
But I shook my head to the sides.
Stopping Maki when she is like this is not easy.
Also…
“…Got it.” (Mitsuki)
My response must have been the finishing blow.
Mitsuki’s cat ears withered and drooped.
“…Then, let’s scrap this plan.” (Mitsuki)
“Yay!!” (Maki)
She declared her defeat.
Looks like even Mitsuki can’t win against crying children and Maki.
I watch this rare sight of Mitsuki with her shoulders drooped down and
Maki celebrating while making a grin.

And then, after deciding that our basic policy here will be to ‘observe and
let things flow’ which you could hardly say is a clear plan, we finally
returned to the living room that was the first room we were brought to at the
beginning.
—The ones who welcomed us were 7 people.
“Oh, what took you so long? We are all gathered up here already.” (Shizun)
The owner of the residence and a middle-aged man with good physique,
Shizun-san.
“……”
A butler at the prime of his life, who was keeping watch on the barrier room
just a few moments ago, bowed in silence.
“E-E-Excuse me! I am truly honored that you have blessed us with your
presence, honored guests…”
The maid was panicking all over as she poured tea.
“Tch! You guys are the representatives of Spark Hawk-san? Are you really
useful?”
A bright red-haired man who doesn’t look friendly.
“I am counting on you all. That ring is destined to be mine after all.”
A woman with long deep blue hair flowing behind her who seems to have a
lot of pride.
“Eeeh?! Don’t joke around! That ring is mine!!”
A selfish-looking young man with blonde hair spiked up.
“U-Uhm…I don’t think fighting is good…”
And then there’s a slender girl with short black hair timidly waving.
A whole bunch of quirky suspects that you could say are the very definition
of an unstable family.
The first thing we did after gathering was to introduce ourselves.
Our party has me, Ringo, Mitsuki, Maki, Sazan, and Ina.
The residents of the manor are: the head, Shizun; butler, Elm; maid,
Rirumu; eldest son, Fai; eldest daughter, Mizu <Water>; second son, Earth;
and the second daughter, Fuu <Wind>.
I know both sides, so I am an aside, but it must be really difficult to
remember 13 people at once.
Maki had industriously taken out a notepad and was writing down the
information.
Once the self-introductions are over, I think it will go to making
countermeasures for the case, but…
“If it is exactly as the theft notice states, the culprit will be moving at night.
There would be no point draining ourselves being on edge the whole time.
How about we act freely until 6:00 p.m?” (Shizun)
Shizun-san said this.
You might think that’s really naive, but this is the basic route of this quest.
We know that the culprit won’t move until night, and there’s no reason for
me to object.
I thought Mitsuki would be the one to complain out of anyone here, but the
person herself only had her cat ears twitch and stayed silent.
“…If I use the Explorer Ring, it is the same no matter where anyone is.”
(Mitsuki)
Mitsuki must have sensed my questioning look, she answered me in a low
voice.
She really is someone I don’t want as an enemy.
Maybe because of the policy of letting things flow, there were no objections
from our side, and the proposal of Shizun-san was accepted.
We agreed to gather at the barrier room at 6, and we decided to move freely
until then.
Honestly speaking, this is just adjusting the time in the case you arrive at
the Aken residence early, but you could say this is the opportunity for the
player to do some preliminary investigation before the actual case.
Maki, who is acting like a detective, wanted to begin the investigation at
once, but I told her investigating the inside of the residence comes first.
And so, we decided to get guided inside the Aken manor.
However, Shizun-san was busy and the butler Elm-san returned to his job of
keeping watch of the barrier room.
And so, the job of guide ended up being passed to…
“N-Now then, I -Riruru- will be e-everyone’s guide toshay!” (Riruru)
It is the useless maid-san that was pouring tea excessively in the room
before.
Mitsuki raised a brow at the maid who was already clattering her teeth like
crazy.
“Riruru…-san? If I remember correctly, in the self-introduction of before,
your name was Rirumu though.” (Mitsuki)
“Ah, I-I am sorry! I-I was so nervous that I got my name wrong!” (Rirumu)
Her shocking words baffled everyone.
This is something I thought at the Hisame dojo too, but clumsy maids are
only forgiven in fictional stories, and it would be disconcerting in reality.
The first thing you would want to do is shout at them why they hired
someone like this.
Even if you accept those parts, mistaking your name is not on the level of
clumsy, but already in the realm of forgetful.
But this useless maid that is without doubt a product of fiction didn’t read
the room like the useless maid she is, and continued her self-introduction.
“U-Uhm, I am the maid, Rimuru! N-Nice to meet you all.” (Rimuru)
Shock ran through my comrades at the sudden 3rd name that showed up.
Not only Ina, even Sazan took a step back, Mitsuki looked calm but her cat
ears went ‘shaa!’ as if trying to intimidate with its hairs standing up.
“…Souma, do men like something like that?” (Maki)
Maki directed eyes of criticism at me.
“N-No, that’s not…” (Souma)
I was about to finish what I said, but the maid that heard us came over here.
“E-Excuse me, do you have a questio—kyaaah!!” (Rirumu)
“Uwah!” (Souma)
She slipped on the carpet and fell on top of me.
What I could feel from my hands that caught her were two squishy things
that don’t fit her small body.
“I-I-I am sorry!” (Rirumu)
“D-Don’t mind it…” (Souma)
I responded to the maid that was all flustered while thinking this has its
charms in its own way.
“Souma, you really…” (Maki)
“…Souma, come back!” (Ringo)
The cold eyes of Maki and the voice of Ringo as she held my arm tightly
made me snap back.
…Good grief, this template useless maid is fearsome.
This is something I already knew, but the guiding of the useless maid was a
train wreck.
“Uuh, what you can see at the right is, uuh…eeeh…a painting!!” (Rirumu)
“Yes, we can tell.” (Mitsuki)
“Aw…!!” (Rirumu)
There are pieces of art in important points of the manor that seem like they
have some incredible history, but she has practically no knowledge of them.
“Ah, what we have here are…stairs.” (Rirumu)
“…And what’s on the second floor?” (Mitsuki)
“The second floor? Uuuh, eeeeh…ah, my room is there!” (Rirumu)
“…I see.” (Mitsuki)
Mitsuki would throw in some assistance at times, but destroying them all
was the power of this useless maid.
It seems she at least can feel that she is lacking here. By the time we went
around the 1st floor and arrived at the 2nd floor, the maid was speaking a
whole lot less than before.
This time around, it is Maki who speaks as if following up on this.
“B-But the pieces of art here are incredible. See, this vase has really bold
colors, and it is as if the color of the vase went out and colored the pillar
too. It feels really artistic…” (Maki)
“Ah, I-I am sorry! That’s because I dropped a bucket of red paint…”
(Rirumu)
“…”
Maki fell silent with a face as if red paint had been spilled on her face, and
as if taking her place, Sazan began speaking, looking at an armor that was
nearby.
“Hmph, I don’t know about art, but I can tell that the Aken family is a
household of warriors. The many scratches and dents etched on this armor,
these are truly the marks of a—” (Sazan)
“Ah, I-I am sorry! That’s because I crashed and dropped it countless
times…” (Rirumu)
“……”
Mitsuki stood to the front as if taking the place of Sazan who had fallen
silent.
“Speaking of sights, the making of this vase is impressive. If you look
carefully, there’s small patterns up and down—” (Mitsuki)
“Ah, I-I am sorry! I broke that vase before, so I glued it together with
instant super glue, but the cracks remained…” (Rirumu)
“…E-Even if so, that’s quite the skillful repair. I am impressed.” (Mitsuki)
Different from the two, she managed to barely get a word in, but her cat
ears were going ‘I want to jump into a hole if there’s one!’ and were
completely bent as if hiding themselves.
Mitsuki was also shot down.
That’s when Ina bravely jumped in as if saying it was now her turn.
“S-Speaking of art, this stone statue…” (Ina)
“Ina-san, that’s a wooden statue.” (Mitsuki)
“Aw…!!” (Ina)
But Mitsuki pointed out her mistake before the useless maid could speak,
and that was the end of her.
However, the maid approached Ina with sparkling eyes in contrast to Ina
who has her shoulders drooped.
“I feel like I could become friends with you, Ina-san!!” (Rirumu)
“P-Please wait! I am happy about that, but why did you arrive at that
conclusion?!” (Ina)
After Ina showed her own clumsy side of hers, we went up to the 3rd floor.
“U-Uhm, the barrier room is over here, and Elm-san is keeping watch there,
so please keep it low… Cause Elm-san…is really scary when angry!”
(Rirumu)
The moment we arrived at the 3rd floor, the useless maid said this with a
not so silent voice, and Elm-san, who was guarding the door of the barrier
room looked over here.
“Hiiih!!” (Rirumu)
And directed a fearsome smile at the useless maid.
“I-I am sorry! I am sorry!” (Rirumu)
“Ah, hey…” (Souma)
The useless maid hid behind me from how scared she got.
“I will only break 3 plates a day from now on! I will make sure to spill
drinks that are not too hot! That’s why, please spare meeee!!” (Rirumu)
She shouted conditions as if she were conceding yet it didn’t sound like she
was doing so at all while she clunk onto me. Something soft was being
pushed onto my back.
By the time formulas were jumping around in my head from this hectic
situation, Maki and Ina had torn the useless maid away from me.
And at the same time as they did, Ringo pulled my arm and moved me even
further away from the useless maid.
“You calm down a bit.” (Mitsuki)
“Y-Yes.” (Rirumu)
Even Mitsuki, who was reprimanding her, was a bit baffled by this.
On the other hand, I had now calmed down after being freed from the threat
that was the chest of the useless maid, and looked around the 3rd floor.
“There are a whole lot of rooms that look the same.” (Souma)
This is something that I thought about in the game and when we were with
Shizun-san before, but there’s not a lot of decorations in the 3rd floor
compared to the 1st and 2nd floor.
And yet, the corridor is long, and the several doors of rooms are the exact
same, so it feels like you would be lost immediately if you are not familiar
with this place.
If I had to point out something that could serve as a guiding point, it would
be…
“Ah, this armor, it is the same as the one below.” (Maki)
The western style full armor that Maki found.
It is completely the same design as the one in the lower floor, and it is the
same in the part that it has scratches and dents here and there too.
“Can you get inside and move?” (Maki)
“G-Get inside of it? I-I think it would be difficult. It wasn’t made to be
worn to begin with, so it is heavy, and there’s the issue of size.” (Rirumu)
“I see…” (Maki)
It is true that the size wouldn’t match Earth or Fuu who are small, and
Shizun-san who is plump and the useless maid that is bountiful in one area
wouldn’t be able to use it.
The useless maid must have been happy to be questioned, she continued her
explanation.
“This armor is seriously heavy. The only ones who can carry this alone in
this manor are me, Elm-san, and Fai-san. That’s right, despite appearances,
I am strong!” (Rirumu)
That’s where the useless maid appealed her strength with a puffed out chest,
but there’s obviously something else here that’s being emphasized more.
“A-And so, whose room is the one beside the barrier room?” (Souma)
The eyes of Ringo and Ina were stabbing at me when I was looking at the
useless maid, so I hurriedly changed the topic.
I actually know the arrangement of the rooms in this manor, but I should be
able to divert the topic with this.
“Eh? Uuh, that’s…” (Rirumu)
“The one at the left is the room of Mizu-sama; the one on the right is
currently an empty room.” (Elm)
The one who answered instead of the pondering useless maid was the butler
Elm-san.
“M-My job!” (Rirumu)
Maki moved to the front, leaving aside the useless maid who is shocked
here.
“Would you mind showing us the empty room?” (Maki)
“Go ahead. It shouldn’t be locked.” (Elm)
Having obtained permission, Maki opened the room on the right without
hesitation and peeked inside.
“It is the same shape as the room with the barrier, huh. Could it be that
Mizu-san’s room is also…” (Maki)
“Yes. I can’t show it to you, but all the rooms on this floor have the same
arrangement.” (Elm)
Maki nodded after hearing this, and wrote something new to her notepad.
We apparently can’t enter the barrier room, so we thanked Elm-san and left
the 3rd floor.
It is a 3 story manor, so that means we have checked out almost all the
places.
On the way to the 1st floor, Ina spoke to me.
“That maid-san is really clumsy, but she at least doesn’t feel like the
culprit.” (Ina)
“Who knows. Can’t say anything.” (Souma)
“Ah, refusing to answer is unfair!” (Ina)
Looks like she tried to get info from me who knows about the culprit.
How conceited even though she is Ina.
I decided to retaliate a bit here.
“But ignoring all that, shouldn’t you be careful of her?” (Souma)
“Eh? Why?” (Ina)
“Cause you know…her character traits overlap with yours.” (Souma)
The moment I said this, Ina’s face turned bright red and she shouted.
“I-I am not clumsy to that degree!!” (Ina)
And then, after a brief pause, the sound of something dropping rang.
“…Ah.” (Ina)
Looking at the direction where the sound was made, the vase that Mitsuki
was praising before had fallen and broken into pieces most likely because it
got hit by Ina’s hand.
Ina turned pale white.
That’s when the useless maid noticed the incident and approached.
After seeing the situation, she instantly went…
“Here.” (Rirumu)
She gave something to Ina with a big smile that doesn’t match the
situation.
What was given to Ina was a tube shaped container that doesn’t match a
medieval fantasy.
What’s written there is ‘Super Glue’.
After leaving Ina at the fearsome 3d puzzle, we returned to the living room.
There were no residents in the living room anymore, and we decided to
disperse there.
“I will go question the residents of this house!” (Maki)
Maki said this and was the first one to leave.
“Then, I will also check out the place a bit. I want to crush the possibility of
an outsider being the perpetrator.” (Mitsuki)
Mitsuki said this and left the room.
“Fuh, the saga of the dark side adventurer is inviting me to an endless
quest.” (Sazan)
Sazan was excited about being in a new place and wanted to resume the
exploration of the house, so he left at once.
“T-Then, I will also return to my work! Ehehe, actually, I thought of a way
to use wind magic to finish my cleaning without much effort!” (Rirumu)
The useless maid left with a statement that I could only see death flags for
the tableware.
And so, in this room, there’s now only me and…
“……”
Ringo who is for some reason observing me from the shadow of a pillar.
Is she playing something here?
I was thinking about leaving her be if she was having fun here, but…
“…”
Just getting stared at without saying anything is extremely uncomfortable.
“Uuh…Ringo?” (Souma)
“?!!”
When I spoke to Ringo, she visibly flinched and hid her face behind the
pillar.
“No, I can still see you. Or more like, I noticed you from the very
beginning.” (Souma)
When I said this, she poked her head out.
“Don’t stay there and come here. This sofa is comfy, you know.” (Souma)
Ringo shook her head even when I said this.
“…I-I am currently keeping in check.” (Ringo)
She was pretty stubborn.
But…
“If you are doing that, you can do so by my side. Doing it from there makes
me uncomfortable instead. Come on.” (Souma)
Saying this, I slapped the side of the sofa, and she came out as if she had
given up.
She hesitantly sat by my side.
“Why are you so suspicious of me?” (Souma)
When I asked this, Ringo answered without looking me in the eye.
“…Cause Souma…was making an evil face just before.” (Ringo)
“Eh?” (Souma)
Was I making a face like that?
I don’t remember.
But if that’s the case, I have to fix this misunderstanding.
I moved to the front of Ringo, made direct eye-contact with her, and said
clearly.
“No need to worry that much. I simply thought about wanting to make
countermeasures for Leila. I am not thinking about anything else aside from
that, and I am not thinking about causing trouble for the people of this
house at all.” (Souma)
And at the end, I added ‘of course, I would also like to get the crest if I can
though’, and Ringo relaxed her expression.
“…Hn. I will believe you.” (Ringo)
I finally sigh in relief at the words that were muttered out in a low volume.
The atmosphere softened in one go, and Ringo yawned with a low
‘fuwaah’.
Seeing this, I got a bit worried.
“Speaking of which, have you been feeling better since then? Any place
you feel pain at again?” (Souma)
When I asked this, Ringo hesitated for a bit before saying…
“…I am okay right now.” (Ringo)
If she is saying ‘right now’, does it mean that there’s times when she is not
okay?
I stared at her intently and she answered in a low volume while wriggling
her body as if finding it ticklish.
“…It is just that…I can’t sleep.” (Ringo)
“Insomnia? Then that means you really are not feeling—” (Souma)
Ringo shook her head lightly and denied it before I could finish.
And then, after hesitating for a longer time than before…
“…I have dreams of Souma leaving.” (Ringo)
She answered in a really really low voice.
“Me…?” (Souma)
I was a bit shocked by what she said.
I can only think of one reason for this.
It must be about me leaving to the real world.
At that time, Ringo said she would support us in returning to our world.
But maybe Ringo actually doesn’t want me to return.
“…I feel as if you will disappear the moment you leave my sight.” (Ringo)
“That’s why you were keeping an eye on me today?” (Souma)
She nodded lightly at my words.
“…Sorry.” (Ringo)
Ringo even said that while facing down.
“No, it isn’t something you have to apologize for…” (Souma)
There’s nothing Ringo has to apologize for.
The one who should apologize is me.
But thinking about Maki, I can’t say I won’t return to my world.
In that case, I decided to at least hold Ringo’s hand.
“…Sou…ma?” (Ringo)
Ringo raised her head in surprise, and I tried to convey as much of my
feelings as possible.
“I am sorry for not noticing your worries, Ringo. But I won’t be going
anywhere right now, so…so that’s why, uuuh…it is okay to go to sleep
without any worries.” (Souma)
I stuttered as I said this, and understanding slowly spread onto the face of
Ringo.
“…Hn.” (Ringo)
She timidly tried to lean her head on my shoulder.
She looked at me as if saying ‘is it okay?’ and I nodded silently.
And then, she leaned on me as if relieved from the bottom of her heart.
The moment I felt warmth on my right shoulder, I soon heard her peaceful
breathing.
She must have been really tired.
“…I really am sorry, Ringo.” (Souma)
I say this as I gently brush the hair that was on her face away, and pet her.
A mumble leaked out in her sleep.
“Souma, don’t leave…” (Ringo)
I felt as if my chest was squeezed from those words.
“I…won’t go.” (Souma)
I responded to her as gently as possible and held her hand tightly.

“…Oh?” (Souma)
It seems like I ended up falling asleep at some point in time too.
When I woke up, something fell from the top of my lap and made a loud
sound.
“…Souma?” (Ringo)
Ringo opened her eyes, surprised at that sound.
“Sorry. Did I wake you up?” (Souma)
“…No, it is okay.” (Ringo)
I apologize once more to Ringo, who shook her head and was still sticking
to me, and lifted my body.
I don’t remember having left anything on top of my lap, so I leaned over to
pick up what was dropped while thinking this in wonder, and…
“This is…” (Souma)
After seeing what fell on the ground, I woke up completely.
What had fallen onto the fancy carpet was the one and only gem that
released ominous light.
“…The Eye of the Heavens, huh.” (Souma)
This thing that Sazan should have thrown away somewhere had jumped all
the way here that should be a different dimension.
I slowly picked up the Eye of the Heavens and put it inside the adventurer
bag.
If this has shown up, it means that it has already been 6 hours since then.
It is about time…
“Ooh, so you were here!” (Shizun)
Shizun-san called me from the upper floor as if endorsing my thoughts.
“It will soon be 6 o’clock. Let’s go to the barrier room.” (Shizun)
We looked at each other’s faces and nodded, and then stood up with our
hands still held.
With this, the stage has been set.
The artifice-filled Aken residence case finally begins!

The Beginning of Great Feast Festival of North Grand

A cave was located right in territory of North Grand. A man around two
meters tall walked inside the huge passage, far too big for a human. The
man wore navy blue attire with strips, with pure white feathers on his black
coat, and his face bestial, his entire face was covered with red hair.
A man with red beard stopped in front of a giant, blue dragon whose length
surpassed ten metres.

『Ho, a rare visitor.』

With interested look on their face, the giant blue dragon muttered so while
bending his neck to see the red bearded man,.

「Yeah. The last time we meet was in Deboa’s campaign.」

The blue dragon frowned upon hearing the word 【Deboa】 from the man
with red beard.

『That one seems to be dead.』

Said so with wry smile on its face.

「Yeah. It is also rumored that it got defeated by a human.」

『Is that true? A human beating that monster sounds like a lie though.』

The blue dragon swung his head,

「As if that’s the truth. The point about only a human defeated it is a lie.」
The red-bearded man replied with profound remark.

『What do you mean?』

The blue dragon muttered in irritation,

「Wooah, calm down now.」

Though the man apologized, his face showed otherwise.

『Just fess it up already!』

Upon hearing the blue dragon urging the man to continue, the latter
shrugged his shoulder begin,

「It seems they won by using contract spirit, spirit king of earth; Titan.」

He told the truth to the blue dragon.

『Titan? How ridiculous! There’s no way a single spirit king can beat that
evil dragon!』

Blue dragon thought that the other party was lying, and was pissed off.

「No, that’s the truth. Right, officer Ashmedia?」

The man grinned widely as he asked the robe-clad blonde-haired woman in
standing behind him.

「Yes, that’s the truth.」

『How can you say that? Did you personally witness Titan slaying
【Deboa】?』
「No, we did not.」
『Then it must be a lie!』

The blonde-haired woman smiled wryly upon seeing the blue dragon
dismissing the news as fake.

「According to the human information broker, duchess Felis Loto Amelia

from Amelia kingdom is the one who used Titan, she cooperated with
several figures from underworld organizations to subjugate 【Deboa】.」

And added that piece of the information.

『Don’t mess with me!! No matter how much the likes of those humans
gather, they can’t never beat 【Deboa】! Don’t mess with me! Not even a
speck of your bone will be left if I burn you, Ashmedia! 』

The blue dragon roared in rage till spark of flames came out from their
mouth toward the blonde woman in black robe.

「Though there’s some complication in the information, the big shot of

Babel and Amelia kingdom has the same onion. That’s why this
information is without a doubt, true. It seems that even the legendary evil
dragon 【Deboa】 is getting weaker after being sealed for too long.」
Even though the air in the place was trembled due to the angry roar of the
blue dragon, the blonde-haired woman replied with cool face without even
twitching her eyebrows.

『Even if it getting weaker, it’s still that 【Deboa】! Bug who used by the
likes of human can never beat it!』

The blonde-haired woman only shrugged her shoulders upon hearing the
blue dragon’s remark and,

「About that, there’s mismatch in each sides’ opinion. Hero, sage, holy
knight, the current human is not strong to the point that we can’t beat them.
The factor that playing in their victory might be duchess Felis’ special gift,
strengthening Titan’s power which allowed the latter to defeat the weakened
Deboa.」

The blonde-haired woman refuted as she stated her opinion.

「I also agree with them. This is already unavoidable situation, Cetus. If we

didn’t do anything, we’re most likely going to be exterminated by that
human.」

The man with red beard spoke as if admonishing the blue dragon, Cetus.

『HAH! GIFT!GIFT!GIFT!GIFT!GIFT! IN THE END, THOSE HUMAN

ARE NOTHING MORE THAN THE GOD’S PAWN! BUNCH OF
VICIOUS BASTARDS WHO LOVE, THE WEAKEST RACE!』
Upon hearing the blue dragon cursing the gods,

「It should be called 『Divine Protection』 instead of gift in god’s circle

right, Aldebaran-dono?」

The blonde-haired woman asked for the confirmation from the man with
red beard, Aldebaran. Aldebaran nodded.

「That’s right, I received an oracle which taught me the method to receive

『Divine Protection』 from our god.」

He looked up as he spread his arms.

『『Divine Protection』 of our god?』

The blue dragon, Cetus, narrowed their eyes in suspicion upon hearing
Aldebaran’s remark, upon seeing that, the smile on Aldebaran’s face
widened, he then snapped his fingers.
Upon seeing that, Aldebaran’s attendants who stayed behind him nodded
lightly and then went even deeper into the cave.
Pair of man and woman appeared a while later. The man carried sack that
seems to contain a creature inside, the woman carried something with
human shape.
That something in human shape was restrained with metal bangles on each
of their limbs, they also put on deep hood that hide their feature.
『What’s that?』

Upon hearing Cetus asked with unusually perturbed voice, Aldebaran

snapped his fingers again.
The demon race man who carried a sack on his shoulder opened the string
that sealed the sack and threw out the content of the sack. The creature
inside the sack turned out to be a young bird folk―― Garuda tribe.
And then, when the female attendant unfolded the hood of human creature,
it turned out to be a man with dog-head, numerous thick blood vessels were
bulging out on his skin.

『He look different but, a kobold eh.』

The blue dragon, Cetus muttered so while narrowing their eyes,

"
"

「Nope, he’s one of my people who can’t pay their tax.」

Aldebaran corrected Cetus.

『He’s, a demon race? Then why did he look like a kobold?』

「Well, see for yourself.」

Aldebaran then sent a signal with his eyes to his male attendant. The male
attendant then brought the dog head closer to the youth from Garuda tribe
who still trembled nonstop.
And then, the mouth of the dog head suddenly opened wide as if his jaw
was dislocated――

――CRUNCH!

He bit the head of the Garuda youth in one go. Blood spurted like fountain
from the headless body.
As the man with dog head chewed the head of the Garuda youth, pair of
pure white wings appeared from his back. That was definitely the trait of
Garuda tribe.

『What the hell is that?』

Upon hearing Cetus ask that question after they saw that eerie spectacle,
Aldebaran pointed toward the right-hand of the man with dog head and,

「This is my divine protection――『Gluttony’s Offering』!」

And declared loudly.

『『Gluttony’s Offering』？』

Seeing Cetus flabbergasted,

「It’s power that allow your kin to become stronger by forcing them to eat
the others.」
Aldebaran explained his power with proud look on his face.
Even the blonde-haired woman took a step back, frowned upon seeing that
bizarre spectacle,

『How did you managed to get that divine protection!?』

Cetus’ body moved toward Aldebaran; Cetus’ eyes were filled with
undisguised lust for power.

「Cetus, you’re also chosen just like me. Calm down, you’re eligible to
receive the divine protection too.」

Upon hearing Aldebaran’s remark which completely sounded like a

missionary,

『Enough that useless chitchat! Just tell me about the oracle now!』

Cetus cut short Aldebaran’s roundabout remark with undisguised

excitement in their voice.

That moment――

『Ni~ce! The train of thought that lacks any kind or ethic, action and is
extremely faithful to your own desire! You guys are the best! You make my
heart throb!』
A squirrel hiding in the pocket of the blonde-haired woman stated their
joyous feeling.

Thus began, the 【Great Feast Festival】 that would dye North Grand in
the color of blood and slaughter.
After giving some harsh training to that idiot prince(Gilbert), I received a
strict reminder from Rose.
Well, I was aware that I overdid it a little bit. I even prepared to receive a
penalty from Babel’s management, but the reminder turned out to signal the
end of the matter. Well, even if they tried to punish me, I never intended to
surrender to Babel peacefully, even though I would feel bad for Rose’s
almamater, I would fight back.
Royalty aside, it was a fact that I grabbed her brother’s head, and forced
him to eat from ground. I was pretty much prepared to hear Rose’s
complaints about this matter, but the she only said, 「This’ll be a good
medicine for Gil」 with strangely refreshed look on her face.
Originally, Rose was supposed to be a kind of person who hated these
methods. No matter how notorious the other party was, she wouldn’t stoop
so low as doing the same deed as the other party. And yet, her reaction
showed that she was really satisfied with my actions. Maybe that showed
just how much she couldn’t put up with the shi*tty personality of her
brother anymore. I mean, informally speaking, her reaction was still too
kind for someone who had almost been sold to the empire, or become a
pervert’s plaything by her shi*tty brother’s conspiracy.
Well, various things happened and our lives in Babel had only just started.
We never met Lumine or Lyla after that, Lumine must be begging Lyla to
change their inn. For some reason, Lumine had been thinking I would take
away Lyla from her.
Thus, after one week tour around Babel, we finally arrived on the exam day.
To be honest, I was reluctant to take the exam but finally gave in, under
Rose’s relentless-and annoying-ranting.
According to the news from the information broker, it seems that the hero
team was also staying in this city and they’re frequently going in and out of
Gilbert faction’s mansion. Seeing that sage Satoru of the hero team was
Gilbert’s royal guard of for this crown contest, it wouldn’t take someone
smart to guess that the hero was also part of Gilbert’s faction.
In short, this city itself had already turned into den of Rose’s enemies. I just
happened to be poking my nose into this matter. Not that I had the intention
to abandon Rose halfway too. Anyhow, since it was literally impossible for
me to leave Rose’s side in this place, the most rational option was me to
play along with this playing school life.

「Kai, as usual, please show some restraint. Safety is our top priority.」

I headed toward the Babel’s center where the examination was to be held,
seen off by Rose, who used a mother-type language with me.
The first floor of the giant tower was covered with red carpet, an ornament
resembling a divine bird decorated the wall. It somehow reminded me of
hunter guild but then, I came to know that the founder of the hunter guild
was the first headmaster and founder of Babel tower.
Nevertheless, even that spacious first floor was filled with examinees.
Lining up for a long time left me at the reception, my turn was here.

「This is my admission ticket.」

I handed over the admission ticket I got from Rose. The male receptionist
with split hair manned the reception. I received a plate with number
【20456】 written in it and schedule for the examination,

「Please head to the examination hall with that plate.」

Examination hall, eh. There were various writings in the pamphlet.
I scanned the contents, and sure enough, it was the exam schedule.
Aptitude test in the morning and afternoon was reserved for practical test.
According to Rose, aptitude test was to examine whether the applicant had
the minimum amount of knowledge to study in Babel. The most important
part was the practical test, the aptitude test was to see whether the examinee
fulfilled the minimum requirement. Well, my gift was『The Most
Incompetent in This World』. Not to mention that I couldn’t use attribute-
magic. Though I could breeze through the aptitude test, that was the limit of
what I could do. Not that I wanted to participate in this playing a student
anyway. If I really don’t pass the test, I guess I would to think another way
to protect Rose during her stay.
On the way toward examination hall,

「WHY ARE YOU IN THIS PLACE TOO!」

I heard familiar shout and turned, sure enough, I saw the figure of blonde-
haired girl with bob-cut, snarling toward a brown-haired, handsome youth.

「I SHOULD BE THE ONE TO SAY THAT!」

The brown-haired youth snarled back at the girl.

Yes, they were Roman and Lumine. Seeing this, I came to a conclusion.
Lyla was also taking the exam.
So this was the reason why she told me that I didn’t have to send a letter to
her before departing from Lamour back then. From the very beginning, she
wanted to move in to Babel and make this place as the base of her activity. I
mean, why should I send a letter for her since both of us would end up
living in Babel anyway.
「THAT’S ONLY NATURAL SINCE I’LL GO WHEREVER MY SISTER
GOES TO!」
「I’M GOING FOR TRAINING IN BABEL! YOU CAN’T TELL ME
OFF!」

These two are really peas in the same pod. I mean, their level of arguments
sound so childish.
And then, when I was looking at their childish quarrel from afar,

「Kai?」

I heard an extremely nostalgic voice. I turned toward voice, there―― stood

a beautiful girl with long, blonde-hair. Her appearance hadn’t changed a bit
since the last time I saw her, she examined me with surprised look on her
face.

「Ly… la?」

And of all things, the first word coming out of my mouth was a question,

「Geez! Who else you see beside me then!?」

Lyla ended up pouting .

「Ah, my bad, just a slip of tongue.」

I patted Lyla in the head, just like how I did long time ago. That action had
helped me regain my composure, which shook for the first time in a really
long time.

「…」

Lyla raised her face to see me for a while.

「Kai, have you grown up a bit?」

Why did she ask the exact same question as my mother?

「Well, maybe because I’ve been experiencing so many things

nowadays.」

I replied with a wry smile. Nevertheless, this was bad news. Unlike with my
mother, I couldn’t revert back to my old tone at this timing.

「AAH, KAI HEINEMAN, GET AWAY FROM MY SISTER!!」

「KAI! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?」

The childish pair who discovered me at the same shouted at me at once.

Good grief, they really are peas in the same pod.
「Well, I’m living in this city for the time being. Let’s meet again later.」
I waved toward them as I turned around and left. I left with a remark that
didn’t sound like me, and blended in amongst the group examinees.
All-rounder Healer Chapter 173:
The Mystery of the Great Healer
“Um …”

I looked around to make sure, but I knew that Mimi-san was the
only one besides me.

Mimi-san seems young—no, let’s stop. That smells dangerous.

Anyway, no matter how I look at it, Gordo-san’s eyes are looking at

me. I think I’m the target.

When I looked at Mimi-san, she smiled and nodded.

No, I don’t want to be nodded at…

Even if I think so, no one is on my side.

Tired-looking clan members were lying around Gordo-san. In other

words, the training exercise is already over.

This means that an excuse like “because I will get in the way of
the others” would work. I have no choice but to do it.

“Umm, so what do you want me to do?”

“Oh? You’re finally ready to do it? Nothing difficult, just give it

everything you’ve got!” (Gordo)

No, I’m not that motivated…

 But I do know that I need to show my strength here. There’s Subs
the son of the Clan Master. No one has ever said it directly to me as
he did, but I understood from the other day that there are a certain
number of clan members who don’t have a good impression of me
as an F-ranked member. If I don’t manage to show my ability to the
extent that I am recognized by those around me, it may have a bad
influence on my future activities.

In other words, I think it is a great opportunity to be given a chance

to show my ability at this gathering of clan members.

I made up my mind and walked slowly toward Gordo-san, spinning

my staff with my right hand as a preparatory motion.

As I walked, I wondered what I should do, but no good ideas came

to mind. It was too much of an impossible battle, to begin with, so
there was no way I could come up with a good plan. However, since
I could not say so, I thought of a way to get back from among those I
could do and connected them to form a plan.

Gordo-san uncrossed his arms and put his hands down.

His appearance was casual, without any stance, but he had no

gap.

But the lack of a spear is a problem, but even before that, I can’t
imagine what I would do even if I had a spear. No wonder the
adventurers just surrounded Gordo-san and didn’t attack him. They
knew it was a bad idea, so they couldn’t just go charging in.

However, there was nothing I could do about it, and if I couldn’t get
in there, I would have to start with a long-range attack. So, I
prepared my magic.

It might not be the lowest level of magic, but I had to do with what I
could.
“Light, shoot down my enemies!”

The magic power that flowed out from the pit of my stomach
gathered in my right hand and into my wand. The magic power is
concentrated from the right hand to the staff to the point where
“Nothing can enter”.

My breathing becomes shallow with tension.

I can hear the voices of adventurers talking around me.

I feel a burning sensation in the pit of my stomach, probably

because I pushed myself to the limit.

At the moment when it gets hot and I began to sweat, the moment
my right hand trembled, I unbearably activated the magic at once.

“[Light Ball]!”

With that activation phrase, a large ball of light shot out from the
tip of the wand and flew straight at Gordo-san.

It was the biggest light ball I had ever used.

Gordo-san lightly thrust his right hand forward and caught the light
ball in the palm of his hand, saying, “Oh, you started with magic.”

With a booming explosion, the light ball lightly bounced off in his
hand. But, of course, he was unharmed. But this is to be expected.

During the explosion, I jumped out at once to close the distance

and aim at his throat with my staff.
“Ha!”

“That’s not a bad thrust.” (Gordo)

Gordo-san dodges the thrust as if it were nothing by simply pulling

back half his body.

With my momentum, I throw a lower kick with my right leg, but that
too is dodged with a swift pull of his leg.

I continued to rotate in a fluid motion as I gathered my momentum

and threw a middle back kick, which was also dodged.

It had been a long time since I had fought a serious opponent. I

was reminded of my parents’ dojo, where I used martial arts
seriously for the first time in a long time, partly because I didn’t have
a spear. But there was no time to dwell on memories. The real battle
was about to begin.

I took another step forward so as not to kill my momentum, and

lightly tossed the staff in my right hand in front of Gordo-san’s eyes.

“Hmm?” (Gordo)

Gordo-san reacted for a moment to my incomprehensible behavior

and stopped suddenly.

There!

Grabbing the scabbard on my waist with my left hand, and with my

right hand, I pull out the Dark Crystal Short Sword and pour in
magical power immediately to make a horizontal slash. I swung with
all my strength.

“Oh!?” (Gordo)

He gave a solid response.

Gordo-san was falling back and holding out his right hand to catch
it.

A thin streak of blood ran across his elbow.

Alright! I hit him! That is all I have.

I restrain myself from losing my composure, and I turn the Dark

Crystal Short Sword that I had drawn out and try to follow up with
another blow…

“Guh!”

A sudden impact from the left caused air to leave my mouth.

The next moment, the ground was right in front of me.

The habit that has become ingrained in my body is to roll my body

before my brain can assess the situation, and I unconsciously take a
defensive stance.

I landed on the ground on my back as if I were rolling, trying to kill

the momentum, but perhaps I was knocked away more than I
expected, or perhaps the momentum did not drop off, so I continued
to roll on the ground, taking two or three more defensive actions.
 When the momentum finally dropped, I stretched out my legs and
tried to use the momentum to get back up.

“Ugh…”

But a dull pain in my left side makes me fall to my knees.

Oh no. This might have taken a rib or two. One blow and this is
it…

As I looked up in pain, I saw Gordo-san more than 20 meters

away.

Seems that I had been blown away quite a bit.

I could not help but let out a laugh at the difference in strength.

This is a little tough. No, I knew from the beginning that there was
a desperate gap in ability, but experiencing it for myself made me
realize it even more.

“Healing Light, [Heal].”

In the midst of the pain, I managed to knead my magical power

and tried to activate the recovery magic, but the pain made it difficult
to concentrate and I couldn’t send a lot of magical power. In other
words, I cannot strengthen my recovery magic and I cannot heal my
side.

This may be an issue in the future. I need to be able to

concentrate even when I am in pain.
 While I was struggling to heal my side, I heard various voices of
clan members around me. But I couldn’t understand them.

“Did I overdo it? Well, you can cure yourself.” (Gordo)

Gordo-san approached.

He bent down in front of me on his knees and continued talking.

“I guess I’d give you a grade of C. Considering your age, you have a
promising future. Or are you a half-elf or something?” (Gordo)

“I’m not… Half-elf. I’m 15 years old, just like I look.”

“Your composure is a bit suspicious, though.” (Gordo)

When I was told that, I only replied with a chuckle.

Half-elf. In other words, it seems that I was suspected to be a

long-lived race.

The number of half-elves is said to be quite small, but half-elves

may have ears the same length as those of the common humans,
but their life span and youthful period are longer than those of the
common humans.

In this case, I look like a child but have the brains of an adult, and
my name is Rook, the great healer! In this case, I may look like a
child but have more experience than my appearance.

Well, in fact, I became a little younger than my actual age, and I

am not a half-elf but a quarter-angel, and he has not even guessed
close to that. I can’t help but chuckle in that sense.
 I close the door to my room and lie down on my bed collapsing.

“Ugh…”

“Kyu!” (Shion)

A groan escapes due to the pain in my side, and Shion, who has
been thrown out of the hood, cries out in protest.

It seems that a simple heel can’t heal my injury after all.

Magic becomes more effective as the INT increases, but there

may be a limit to the low-level recovery magic.

“Divine Light, heal your people, [Holy Light].”

The shining aura spread from my right hand on my side healing

the injury.

And after a few seconds, the pain was gone, as if it had never
happened before.

“I knew Sacred Magic was amazing.”

I murmured as I rubbed my injured side.

It seems to be okay to the touch.

I noticed when I healed Dan’s wound that this [Holy Light] seems
to be able to heal most wounds.
 Lacerations and broken bones with some level of internal damage.
If it can get this far, it should be able to do most of it.

I just don’t know if it can put the missing parts back together. I
don’t think I’m going to try that any time soon.

“Hmm, still… Gordo-san was really strong.”

I get up and sat on the bed and put Shion on my lap and pet him
while thinking about the training exercise.

This world’s leveled-up system-the Goddess’s Blessing raises an

individual’s abilities. I thought I understood it well, but when I tried to
fight against a high-level overwhelmingly superior person like Gordo-
san, I realized the tremendous effect of such a system.

The Goddess’s Blessing raises not only strength and magic but
also all abilities such as defense and speed. When you are at a high
enough level, you are far beyond the normal human, and when there
is a difference in level between me and Gordo-san, things like
ingenuity and tactics become almost meaningless. Even if I were to
attack Gordo-san in his sleep, I would not be able to beat him. That’s
how much difference there was between us.

“I have to think about something.”

I’m sure there aren’t many people as strong as Mr. Gordo, and I
doubt I’ll meet many of them, but I need to think of a “something” in
case I meet someone like that and we end up in a confrontation.

But even so, the only thing I can think of right now is to get the
Goddess’ Blessing.
 Other less certain methods would be to hope for new Sacred
Magic or to look for an artifact with amazing abilities, but the latter
would be difficult, not to mention the former.

As for Sacred Magic, I have to search for it steadily. As long as

there is no information, it is impossible to search for it.

“Kyu.” (Shion)

Shion’s nose twitched, and he stood up from my lap to look at me.

“Is that time already? Come on, let’s go.”

“Kyu, kyu!” (Shion)

I tucked Shion into my hood, got up from the bed, and walked out
of the room.

As I walk down the stairs, illuminated by the slightly reddening

sun, my nose is finally able to catch a whiff of the delicious aroma.

I went downstairs and entered the cafeteria as usual and got in

line—somehow I felt the atmosphere was different from usual.

It was as if everyone was paying attention to me—

“Hey, newbie!” (Adventurer)

“Eh?”
 I got a slap on the back, and when I turned around, there was a
big guy standing there.

Who was this guy? He looked familiar… but not someone I know.

“You’re a real piece of work, aren’t cha? I can’t believe you wounded
Gordo-san!” (Adventurer)

“Umm, thank you?”

I was a little surprised by the praise, and the person in front of me

looked back at me.

“Hmm? Oh, thanks for healing me a while ago!” (Adventurer)

“Ah, sure.”

I was wondering if this person was the one who was punched in
the face by Mr. Gordo.

However, I was puzzled by the sudden 180-degree change and

friendliness, when usually none of them tried to get involved with me.
Even the lady at the cafeteria said, “Oh my! I heard you worked
hard!” It seems that the rumor about the training exercise we had is
getting around.

“Hey, here!” (Cyrus)

“Hey, hey!” (Seam)

 As I was looking for a seat for today’s dinner, Cyrus-san and
Seam-san waved at me from a nearby table.

I responded and took an empty seat at the table where they were
sitting.

“You were quite the achiever. I never thought you would hit Gordo-
san.” (Cyrus)

“Yep, yep.” (Seam)

“No, it just so happened that… or rather Gordo-san, took it easy on

me, and that’s why it happened that way.”

It was a successful tactic because Gordo-san gave me an

opportunity to attack to measure my ability, but none of my attacks
would have been attacks that Gordo-san even need to avoid. If
Gordo-san was serious, I would have been crushed instantly before I
could have even attacked.

“No, it was really awesome! Even the knights here can’t imitate that
kind of flowing barrage of attacks. Rook must have learned proper
techniques somewhere, right?” (Cyrus)

“Ah, well, yes. I learned it from my parents when I lived with them.”

“Parents… then from a knight’s house or an aristocratic house?”

(Cyrus)

“That’s ridiculous! I am not that high up! Well… we’re like priests.”

Somehow a strange misunderstanding was coming together, so I

immediately deny it.
 It may be troublesome later if you think that a nobleman, a knight,
or the birth of such a house.

“So, a clan of priests? …I’ve heard that there are some countries
where all their priests are learning martial arts…” (Cyrus)

“No, I’m not from such a country… Is it possible to learn some

proper swordsmanship with the Knights?”

The conversation was about to go in a troublesome direction, so I

forcibly changed the course.
“I heard that’s what they say. I think I heard that there’s a teacher of
the Anything-goes-style teaching there. Right?” (Cyrus)

“I don’t know if that’s true.” (Seam)

No, I don’t know any Anything-goes-style.

I took out Shion from inside the hood of the robe and put him on
my lap.

“Well, there was a rumor has been that this country has been
teaching that swordsmanship to the Knights since it was a
kingdom… you know. If you swing the sword, anyone can use it as it
is, but we adventurers are generally self-taught. When I was
watching Rook’s battle, I also wanted to learn a little technique! You
do this, move on to the next attack so that it flows after the first
attack… What should I say? All your actions seem to be connected
to the previous action… ” (Cyrus)
 Cyrus-san tried to express something with his body language as
he said this.

Then I tore off a piece of brown bread and brought it to Shion’s

mouth, then slurped the stew with a spoon and asked.

“Couldn’t you teach me that Anything-goes-style?”

“That would be impossible. I heard that it is only taught to the

children of knights and nobles. I don’t even know who the teachers
are, so I can’t help. Well, Clan Master and Gordo would know, but I
don’t think they would introduce you to him.” (Cyrus)

“Shion—Look here!” (Seam)

Seam-san tries to bait Shion by waving some dried meat taken

from somewhere.

Shion, who was easily baited, waved his head from side to side
and leaped.

After all, historically Earth basically tried not to let the spread of
martial arts outside too? I am sure that there were many schools in
Japan in the past that were not allowed to have the technique leave
the school or were only handed down from one generation to the
next, so there is a possibility.

Skill and knowledge are assets. In modern Japan, there is no need

to use martial arts, so it is less meaningful to keep techniques secret,
and in the information society, even if they are hidden, it is no longer
possible to hide them, so various techniques are made public.

Come to think of it, I think Dan also said that he asked an

adventurer who came to Gildan-san’s store to teach him how to
handle a sword, and thinking back, I don’t think I remember seeing a
place like a dojo for a martial arts school in the town. There was no
such space in the guild either. Maybe there are not many places
where ordinary people can learn combat techniques.

“Well, thinking about it, it sounds like a lot of trouble, and it’s not for
me.”

“Shion can eat anything, plus he’s smart!” (Seam)

Seam-san then gives Shion the dried fruit that she took out of
nowhere, and then when she took out a dried lizard-like reptile that I
didn’t know, I immediately picked up Shion and put him back on my
lap.

The unknown object is still way too early for Shion, so please try
again next time.

Hmm… No, in the first place, it seems to me that people in this

world tend to see technique as something less important than raw
strength.

For example, Gordo-san, who I fought today, is tough, fast,

powerful, and has top-notch reflexes. That’s great, but it’s he doesn’t
have any techniques… in other words, the difference in our raw stats
is really wide.

I was overwhelmed by the sheer difference in our physical ability.

It is natural that it would be so. In this world, there is an easy-to-

follow “system” called “Goddess Blessing” that does not exist on
earth.

If you defeat monsters and level up, your abilities will clearly
increase. This is far easier and simpler to do than practicing every
day and gradually improving one’s skills, which is difficult to learn. If
there had been a similar system like the Goddess’s Blessing on
earth, martial arts would not have evolved as much as they did.

Because of that situation, the demand for martial arts may not be
very high in the general public in the first place. But among knights
and nobles, its importance is recognized and demand is high, right?

Well, it’s hard to know at the moment—

“Hey!” (Voice)

While I was talking with them, I suddenly heard a loud voice from
the side.

I had a bad feeling that I had heard that voice somewhere before,
but when I looked in that direction, as I expected, there was Sabs.

“I got it, okay!? I still don’t approve of you!” (Subs)

He said loudly and immediately turned on his heel and walked out
of the dining hall.

I looked away and returned my attention to the two of them.

Cyrus-san shook his head silently, shrugging his shoulders, while

Seam-san covered her ears with her hands.

I’m sure I’ve shown my ability, but instead of being recognized, I

feel like I’m being viewed as even more of an enemy… So, what do I
do now?
 But there is one thing that has improved since last time. That is the
atmosphere in the dining hall. Unlike when I first met Subs before, I
feel like there are fewer negative stares.
The time mage’s strong new game ~
I returned to the past to rewrite it
as the world’s strongest – Chapter
30 – The second demon king
This chapter is told from Labrys’ point of view.
“I’m ending that future right here.”
After slashing the icicles, Chrom pointed his sword at the mages.
Six glared at him, as he was cornered against one of the cultivation tanks.
“D-damn you, how… How much do you know!?”
“Dunno.”
“A-answer me! Or else…”
The mages threatened Chrom by pointing their staves at him.
“Or else what?”
The staves held by the mages crumbled.
“…Eeek…!?”
Most mages frantically screeched.
None of them understood what was being done to them, and nothing was
scarier than what they didn’t understand.
“…W-wow.”
Labrys whispered.
It was a one-sided battle against extremely powerful opponents like the
first-class mages.
No, it wasn’t even a battle.
She knew Chrom had gotten stronger… But this was simply too abnormal.
(How is Chrom this strong…?)
How was he even so used to fighting, when he was so weak just two days
before?
How did he know the plans of the Sorcerer Association?
She didn’t understand. She didn’t understand anything.
“I-it’s not over yet!”
Cried out Six while taking something out of his pocket.
(T-that’s…!)
Labrys was taken aback, as she saw the syringe filled with demon king
cells.
“Chrom!”
Labrys tried to warn Chrom, but Six was faster.
With a light smile on his face, he pointed the syringe to his own neck.
“Ah, I figured it was about time you’d try that. That’s the only move you
people have left.”
“…Ah?”
Six suddenly noticed the syringe was gone.
He looked at Chrom, and saw him twirling it in his hand.
“W-wha…!?”
“So, where’s the rest of the demon king cells? Can you bring it all out?”
Chrom also looked at the mages behind him.
“…What are you planning to do with them if we tell you?”
“Destroy everything so no more demon kings are born, of course.”
“Fu, fufu… I see. So that’s your goal…”
Chrom’s sword was still pointed at Six, who realized he couldn’t put up a
fight any longer.
“…All right, I’ll bring them.”
He raised his hands and hung his head, seemingly surrendering.
But then, a menacing smile formed on his face.
“Then… Take as much as you want!”
“…!”
Chrom jumped back, and as Six spread his arms wide and yelled…
“Awaken, monsters!”
The monsters in the cultivation tanks all opened their eyes at the same time.
The glass on the tanks began to crack, until the monsters broke through,
sending glass and cultivation fluid flying everywhere.
“Buhahahahaha! Here are the demon king cells you wanted! Don’t be shy,
take as much as you want!”
“Kyaah… Uh?”
For some reason, only the cultivation tanks around Labrys didn’t break.
“Are you all right, Labrys?”
“Eh? Uh… Chrom?”
Before Labrys knew it, Chrom was standing right in front of her.
“Did you get splashed by that cultivation fluid?”
“C-cultivation fluid? I don’t think so…”
“…That’s good.”
Chrom looked very relieved.
“Is that fluid… Demon king cells?”
“…It is.”
Labrys remembered the syringe from earlier.
When people were injected by those demon king cells, they burst, so what
would’ve happened if that cultivation fluid did splash on her?
“C-Chrom…”
Labrys, sounding anxious, grabbed Chrom’s clothes again.
Chrom responded by smiling to reassure her.
“It’s all right, Labrys. The plans may have changed, but I intended to fight
‘that thing’ anyway. It just saves time.”
“…That thing? What do you mean? Chrom… What do you know?”
“…”
Chrom silently and slowly shook his head.
“In any case, you’ll be safe if you stay here. Listen carefully, no matter
what, don’t release magic energy.”
“Magic energy…? Y-yes…”
She didn’t understand, but at least Chrom’s expression didn’t look
pessimistic.
It looked like he had some sort of strategy in mind, and he stared at the
cultivation fluid like he was waiting for something.
But the fluid wasn’t the only problem.
“…”
The monsters that crawled out of the cultivation tanks approached Chrom
and Labrys.
They appeared to be warped chimera created with strong parts of various
monsters.
They weren’t fully mature yet, but the magic energy they were carrying in
those bodies was already beyond the norm.
And there were hundreds of these monsters.
“…Stampede…”
It was the only way to describe the sight in front of them.
If those monsters got outside… Almana would be destroyed for sure.
But it wouldn’t stop there.
The whole Kingdom of Historia could fall into ruin.
It was a desperate situation… But it didn’t end there.
“Now! Evolve!”
The mages pierced their necks with syringes… And burst.
Only Six retained his form.
“I-I am the only suitable vessel… But that’s fine. It was a success.”
Six’s entire body began to change and grow rapidly.
With cries of anguish one wouldn’t think came from a human being, his
blood vessels expanded, and his robe and mask were ripped apart as horns
and wings grew.
“Gu… Yogah, Gagooh!”
And finally, with those roars, what appeared was… A monster many times
bigger than a person.
Its horns looked like some sort of twisted crown, and its black wings looked
sinister, like those of a demon.
It truly looked like a demon king.
The demon king let out a shrill laugh while breathing erratically.
“Fuhyahhahahaha! I reached it I reached it I reached it! It’s me, I am the
second demon king!!”
From this demon-like body, an intense pressure was released in the form of
magic energy.
“Ku…!?”
Labrys couldn’t take it, and fell to her knees.
She had never seen such powerful magic energy. It was unbelievable.
It very clearly surpassed the amount of magic energy a human could hold.
“W-w-w-w-wonderful! Don’t you find this wonderful!? You may rejoice as
well! You witnessed the birth of the second demon king!”
Releasing magic energy was all it took to distort the scenery around them,
and to crack and break the floor.
“T-this is a demon king…!?”
It already boasted a hopelessly large amount of power when it was a first-
class mage, but now, it was incomparable to when it was human.
This was a disaster.
It was not something humans could simply deal with.
Every few years, a calamity called demon king shook the world, and such a
thing was just born right in front of Labrys and Chrom.
Labrys’ face was increasingly painted with despair, but…
“No…”
Chrom shook his head.
“No. That’s not the demon king.”
“Eh…?”
“That small fry doesn’t matter. The problem… Isn’t that former mage, or
those chimera for that matter.”
“W-what do you…”
It was then that Labrys noticed.
Chrom wasn’t looking at that demon, or the chimera around them.
His gaze was fixated on the pale-blue cultivation fluid on the floor.
“Fuyahahahahahahahaha! You have a special seat for my presentation! The
second act of this calamity is about to begin…!!”
The demon laughed loudly and with a shrill voice.
And then, hundreds of chimera were swallowed by the cultivation fluid.
“Fugyagaga, ha… Ha?”
It all happened in front of the dumbfounded demon.
It sounded as though the cultivation fluid was chewing, as it melted the
chimera.
It was as though the cultivation fluid had a mind of its own.
Like it was alive.
“W-what…. Is that cultivation fluid… Alive?”
After it was done eating the chimera, the cultivation fluid zigzagged as it
crept on the floor like slime, and rushed towards the demon.
“W-what do you want!? I am a demon king!! All monsters obey me! O-
obey me! Why won’t you obey me!? Cultivation fluid like this…!”
The demon shot magic bullets and scattered the cultivation fluid, but it was
just too much.
In fact, it seemed the more magic energy the demon released, the more the
fluid crept around its giant body.
“…Yes, it really will get eaten.”
“Eh?”
Labrys mumbled, but then she remembered what Chrom told her.
Don’t release magic energy.
She finally understood what he meant.
This cultivation fluid reacted to magic energy and moved towards it.
“S-stop…! Stop it! It hurts it hurts it hurts! Nooo! Stop! Gu, gah, aaaaaaah!
No, no no, no no noooo! I don’t want to die! Someone help! Help… Help,
Rains…”
The demon’s voice suddenly stopped, as its giant body was buried beneath
the cultivation fluid.
All that was left was the uncontrollable cultivation fluid. It all gradually
combined into a pile that looked like a giant slime.
“W-what is that…”
The demon was strong, but that was still somewhat understandable.
This cultivation fluid on the other hand, was beyond comprehension.
It devoured that immensely powerful demon in a second.
What was the limit of its power? Did it even have one?
“That’s a demon king.”
“Eh…?”
Chrom finally answered quietly.
“Those mages never expected the cultivation fluid itself to be a demon king.
That’s why they didn’t keep it in check… I noticed it too late too.”
And then Chrom declared.
“…The second demon king had already been born.”
The second demon king, Ultimate Life-Form Ultimelt.
I know the demon king that appeared in front of me from records I saw in
the future.
‘Nation Devouring Slime’, ‘Crawling Ocean’, ‘‘Gluttonous Demon King’…
It had many names, and none of them were an exaggeration.
The first time around, this demon king ate some countries, was incredibly
massive, and kept expanding.
This demon king’s power is Universal Synthesis.
It melts whatever it touches, consumes it, and takes in its power.
Matter, spirits, magic energy, spells, knowledge, techniques… Just by
touching, this demon king melts, eats, takes away…
This led to demon king Ultimelt being known as history’s worst demon
king.
(…I didn’t expect it to be born already.)
I see the large slime eating the former mages.
Every time it twists itself, it carves walls and the ceiling of the dungeon,
sending rubble downwards.
But the Ultimelt I know isn’t this small.
It wasn’t created in accordance with the mages’ plans.
Judging by how it was the first time, it should’ve appeared a week from
now, but… Because of my meddling in history, it was released when it’s
still in its ‘infancy’.
(…I know how to beat it.)
Of course, I thought of a countermeasure before coming here, and prepared
a trump card to defeat the demon king Ultimelt.
But right now, I can’t win.
There’s someone behind me I have to protect, and I need to prioritize
getting Labrys to safety.
“Labrys, let’s get out of here while it’s eating them.”
“…Y-yes.”
In the future, I checked documents about Ultimelt.
After it was born, it was a primitive being that was drawn to strong magic
energy.
The former mages and the dungeon’s nucleus… The two large magic
energy reactions in this place.
They should buy us some time.
“Chrom…”
“Don’t worry, I’ll cover you.”
She looks at me with her eyes shaking with uncertainty, so I grab her hand
and run.
I can’t use magic, or I’ll draw the attention of Ultimelt. I use my sword to
cut slime that attacks us, and throw magic stones as bait.
“C-Chrom? We’re running away, right? That’s not where the exit…”
“No, this way’s fine.”
I’m heading towards the dungeon’s control panel.
I jump at the control panel sitting on a table, and quickly operate it with my
fingers.
Complex magic writing appears on the light screen projected in the air.
“All right. There’s still magic energy.”
Having that said, the dungeon’s nucleus, its source of power, is beginning to
be eaten by Ultimelt.
I don’t have a lot of time left.
“Do you… Know how to use that?”
“…Yes, I’ve handled it a few times.”
“Eh…?”
I was at the top of the Sorcerer Association the first time around, so there’s
nothing those mages can do that I can’t, even if the mode of operation and
features vary depending on the dungeon.
(…Every dungeon should have a transfer feature to position monsters.)
The dungeon is collapsing thanks to Ultimelt.
If I head to the exit with Labrys, we might end up buried before we make it
outside, but with the transfer feature, I can send her out in a second.
“Here it is…!”
I found the dungeon’s transfer feature, but…
“…!”
I try to use it right away, but it makes a warning sound and spits out a
warning message.
It’s stuck on authentication because of magic energy wavelength. These
mages probably tampered with it.
I don’t have time to break through security.
“Dammit…”
If I knew when it was used to send something outside, I could just rewind
the control panel’s time to that point.
But there’s no way for me to conveniently know that. Or is there?
I quickly place the palm of my hand on the control panel.
“‘Time, turn back’.”
The control panel’s time returns to when it sent something outside.
Thankfully, I actually do know that exact time.
The goddess calendar, tenth day of the fourth month of the year one
thousand two hundred, six thirty six in the evening.
The moment when it all began.
When the ancestral dragon and that huge group of monsters were sent
outside.
And it looks like I was correct.
Teleportation magic circles start shining underneath the broken cultivation
tanks around me.
“Labrys, step on one of those magic circles! It will take you outside the
dungeon!”
“Really!?”
“Yes, trust me.”
“…Y-yes.”
Labrys doesn’t really understand what’s going on, but seems to trust me, so
she slips into one of the broken cultivation tanks.
I go after her, but stop in front of the cultivation tank.
“Chrom, hurry…! The demon king will be here soon…!”
I turn around, and see Ultimelt really is slowly drawing near.
I guess there’s no way it’s not going to react to the transfer feature and the
magic I just used, but…”
“…”
“Chrom?”
“‘Time, turn back’.”
I say, and glass fragments scattered on the ground start floating.
“Eh…?”
The transparent fragments dance in the air like flower petals, and form a
cylindrical glass container as though they were puzzle pieces.
The cultivation tank has been restored to how it was before it was broken,
with Labrys inside.
“Wha…!? What are you doing, Chrom!? Now you can’t get…”
“Sorry Labrys, I’m staying.”
“…Eh?”
“I need to end that demon king right here.”
I need to take Ultimelt down now, or Labrys, El, and Almana itself will end
up being devoured by it.
To defeat this demon king it has to be fought at its smallest and weakest,
right after it’s born.
And in this era, only I can do it.
“…Sorry, but we can’t leave together.”
“Y-you’re kidding? That’s absurd…”
“…”
“Y-you’re not serious…? Y-you’re joking?”
“…Sorry.”
“T-this is too much! I don’t know how strong you’ve become, but that
thing…! It’s going to kill you!”
Labrys starts banging on the glass, but the shine of the teleportation magic
circle is intensifying.
She’s eventually enveloped in light.
“C-Chrom, come here quickly…! No… No! We finally made up…! I want
to be with you more! Don’t leave me alone Chrom… Big brother Chrom!”
Tears start pouring from her eyes.
“…You’re still such a cry-baby.”
She doesn’t get along with people easily, but is actually prone to feeling
lonely.
She puts on a brave front, but she’s actually a kind cry-baby.
That’s why… She ended up becoming a demon king the first time.
“…This time, I really will honor my promise.”
“Eh…?”
When we were younger, I promised I’d come to her rescue.
And yet, the first time around, all I could do was kill her while she cried.
I’ve regretted all this time, over these hundred years, but now… In the past,
I’ll make it right.
“Don’t worry Labrys, I’ve become strong.”
I place my hand on the glass.
“I’ve worked hard, and became strong enough that you don’t have to cry
anymore. I’ll stay with you, and protect everyone from now on, so…”
I smile and try to reassure Labrys just before the light takes her.
“So smile, Labrys.”
And then… She’s gone.
Only a few particles of light remain in the cultivation tank.
I can’t hear her voice anymore.
The small hand that she placed above mine through the glass is gone too.
It looks like she was successfully sent outside.
“…Well then.”
I feel something creeping up on me, and turn around.
I see the giant slime that consumed the dungeon’s nucleus.
Every time that giant body moves, the dungeon collapses further.
‘Nation Devouring slime’, ‘Crawling Ocean’, ‘‘Gluttonous Demon King’…
A calamity that ate several countries, and had to be sealed away the first
time around, because it couldn’t be destroyed.
I stand before the worst demon king in history, alone.
“Let’s begin, demon king Ultimelt.”
Labrys is out of the dungeon, and I’m facing the giant slime alone.
“Let’s begin, demon king Ultimelt.”
And then, as if responding to me, what looks like the upper half of a
person’s body is created from the top of the giant slime.
It looks like the shape of a girl… Labrys’.
“…Hey, do you love us?”
“…Hey, will you be with us?”
“…Hey, will you play with us?”
From multiple parts of the slime’s body, I hear what sounds like baby
voices patched together.
I think it attained a degree of humanity after eating humans.
“Hey, play with us.”
“Be with us.”
“Become us.”
“Let’s play.”
“Hey, come on, let’s play.”
“…Forever.”
Many human arms grow out of the demon king Ultimelt’s body.
These arms that will melt everything they touch feel almost like the arms of
babies looking for their mothers.
Slow, viscous, wet… They stretch over my way to eat me while foaming
with a pale-blue mucous.
“Sorry, but… I have a place I have to go back to.”
I grab my sword and unsheathe it while unleashing a sword flash.
The pale-blue arms that were coming after me fall and writhe on the
ground.
“And because of that, I will end you here.”
I fix the melted sword by rewinding its time, and point it at Ultimelt.
“…Oh?”
“Strange?”
“Weird?”
“Why do you deny?”
“How come?”
“But you’re so weak?”
“It’s no use?”
“Right?”
Ultimelt seems confused, as it looks at the cut arms.
The arms regenerate right away.
No, they don’t just regenerate, there are many times more arms than before.
“Hey, will you accept us?”
“Don’t be scared.”
“Don’t feel lonely.”
“Everyone will be us soon.”
“Your family too.”
“Your friends too.”
“Your hometown too.”
“This world too.”
“Everyone… Everyone will get to be us!”
The slime arms then come at me like a spear being thrust.
“Haste Ⅴ!”
I crunch down a magic stone after throwing it in my mouth, and dodge the
arms as I accelerate.
I hear a loud noise, and both the wall and the control panel behind me are
pierced by many arms. Everything that’s pierced by them melts.
“Hahahaha!”
“We know!”
“This is called tag, isn’t it?”
“Kya kya!”
“It’s fun!”
The floor and walls of the dungeon are broken by the pale-blue arms.
As the walls are melted, the dungeon is starting to collapse increasingly
faster.
It’s raining rubble, and it’s all melted in a second as I run at full speed from
Ultimelt’s arms.
(This really is the worst demon king…)
I can’t let my guard down just because it talks like a child. This life-form
will melt and eat everything, and keep expanding without stopping.
And it hasn’t even reached full maturity. This isn’t it at its strongest.
(If it manages to swallow me…)
This demon king will do as it said, and destroy the world with the cruelty
and innocence of a child
It will eat the dungeon, Labrys, El, Almana… And even a few countries.
No one can defeat it in this era. It will continue to melt the world until it’s
finally sealed a few decades from now.
That’s the original, correct future. The way it should be, but…
“I refuse to accept that future.”
I stop after taking some distance, and face the demon king.
“Ooh?”
“Over already?”
“Weak weak.”
“Boring.”
The demon king Ultimelt laughs loudly like a kid.
Yes, as I stand now, I can’t beat it. It’s just not a good match for me.
Ultimelt can’t be damaged by physical attacks. And it would be hard to
advance its time and kill it by making it decay with age, since it doesn’t age
at all.
There is also pretty much no magic energy I can take in, since Ultimelt is
eating magic energy around it.
And if I target it with time magic, it might learn it.
The idea of this demon king using time magic on top of it all is a nightmare.
Still, I have to win.
I have people and a time to protect.
So… I have to defeat it no matter what.
“Demon king Ultimelt… The worst demon king, but not necessarily the
strongest. I know that for a fact.”
I take ‘that’ from my cloak, the syringe with the demon king cells I swiped
earlier from the mage.
I inject them into my own neck without hesitating.
“I’ll show you something ‘stronger’.”
That very moment, my whole body swells like a huge bolt of lightning
exploded.
“…!?”
“No!”
“Won’t let you!”
Ultimelt sounds concerned for the first time.
A wave of slime arms rushes towards me, but it’s all scattered by the
lightning I’m releasing.
Everything around us is painted by the color of the lightning flashes in the
blink of an eye, until…
I manage to get it under control. The ‘power’ that flowed into my body and
almost ripped it apart.
I didn’t want to know where these demon king cells were just so I could
retrieve them and destroy them.
I’ve broken all sorts of taboo in order to gain power, so there’s no way I
wouldn’t get my hands on this.
But… Originally, I wasn’t compatible with these demon king cells.
If this era’s me were to take in these cells, he would’ve exploded instantly.
That’s why I spent time on it the first time around.
I took in demon king cells one drop at a time. Even just that much was like
a deadly poison for a body that wasn’t compatible, like mine.
The first ten years were hell.
I was constantly assaulted with pain, like my body was ripping itself apart. I
was always vomiting blood and shedding tears of pain.
The pain was too intense for me to sleep properly. I slept when I eventually
fainted, and had nightmares every time.
But even in this state, I insisted on studying time magic and running around
battlefields to become stronger.
And ten years later, I managed to control one drop of demon king cells.
I upped the dose to two drops over the next ten years, and ten years later, I
went further…
I slowly took in demon king cells, until I was fully able to control them.
Before I knew it, my body stopped developing. My hair turned white, my
skin had bruises that looked like black cracks, and a pattern that looked like
the face of a clock appeared in my eyes.
Eventually, I was able to touch ‘time’.
I completely understood the thing we call ‘time’.
I had the power I needed to protect everything.
But… I took too long.
At that point, everything I wanted to protect was already gone.
I didn’t save anything I wanted to save.
I had the power to protect people, but they just feared me. I had become just
an enemy of mankind, a monster.
Those were my hundred years.
I didn’t become the hero I wanted to be when I was younger, but it was fine.
Position, renown, wealth, none of that mattered.
If I can just save the people that are important to me… I’ll turn into
whatever monster I have to.
Now let’s introduce ourselves. My name is…
The third demon king, Space-Time King Chrom Chronogate.
That’s most certainly not the name of a hero.
It’s the name of the most feared ‘calamity’ in the future.
Nonchalant as usual, guild <Eden>
Today's May 1st, and the academy looks particularly vibrant today.
Not to say about the staff frequently going in and out in the aristocrat's
dormitory, causing commotion, even the usually gentle dorm mother looks
quite hyped.
With today also being the final appraisal day, I heard that academy is
generally much busier on this day.
But of course, <Eden> is operating as usual today too. There's basically no
one in our guild who need to fret about this, hence we're going to carry out
our usual schedule, dungeon raid.
"Today's another wonderful day for dungeon raids, let's quickly decide on a
party!"
"Truly, you really are unperturbed as always"
Said so Sierra, slightly amazed at my plan to carry out everything as usual
while a storm is brewing in the academy.
We're currently in our guild room, discussing our today's schedule.
It's such a rare chance that all the members have been gathering from quite
recently after such a long gap, that's why I think it would instead be rude to
them if I don't make best of this and let them know the joy of dungeon
I would be sorry for everyone if I don't do that.
"Today's the last day for us, first years, to be exempt from classes and since
we are going to start a new page of our youth, academy life, I want to raise
others level to 30 today"
It was the plan I had long ago decided on. Others don't seem to have any
objection either.
"Hmm, this party formation...... Are you really going to bring two parties
and do a joint exploration?"
"Yup. Today's target is the beginner-mid grade dungeon, <Battle wolf of the
shallow forest dungeon>. Because this is the least used dungeon among
students. We can grind to our heart's content since it's almost empty today.
That's why I think it would be more efficient to do join party raid than one"
I replied to Sierra's query. The main point is our cooperation.
Well there is a limit to how many people can be in one party, but at least,
you can explore the dungeon with 2 or more parties. You can also say
<Joint exploration>.
Although the XP or rewards everyone receives will be much lower, the
exploration becomes quite easy in a joint party.
However joint exploration is effective only upto the boss battle, as it's
already set, only five people at once can fight the boss at the same time.
One more person and they will be expelled from the boss room.
Well, not including some exception like <(Guest) bracelet> of course.
That's why, today's goal is to merge the party of Lulu, Celia, Celestine with
Shizu and Pamela and have them grind the boss. I also intend to carry them
along with Ester so there will be a total of 7 people.
When I explained it, a hand raised up quietly.
The first to pose a question and so punctually raising the hand was none
other <Eden>'s top attacker, Ester.
"Yes, Ester, ask"
"Thank you very much. What I want to ask is , can't we use <(Guest)
bracelet>? We don't need to break the party as I can just equip the <(Guest)
bracelet> and accompany it as a party of 6 members?"
"If it was just so easy. <(Guest) bracelet> will break if you start fighting. It's
considered as entering battle mode each time Ester run the carriage over
monsters. Once equipped, you can't unequip the bracelet midway in the
dungeon, you would be treated as a different party when it breaks which
will continue to be in effect until you left the dungeon. Since everything is
same no matter we do it by hook or crook, we might as well start with 2
party from the beginning"
Of course, we can travel to the lowest floor while defeating monsters that
come our way, but carriage would lose its meaning that way.
Carriage's role is to carry the party to the lowest floor as quickly as possible
while ignoring the monsters. It's no different from exploring on our own if
we still have to proceed while defeating them one by one.
Besides, Ester carriage can only carry upto 7 members. So unless two party
members equate this, it's not practical. It's all together another matter when
carriage size increases though, then it can easily carry 3 or 4 parties.
Lana, Sierra and Hannah are going to join the remaining party of Rika and
Karua in their exploration of <Tsukumo bamboo forest dungeon>.
"So that's why. Thank you very much for explaining"
"Welcome. Since no one has anything to ask, let's commence today's
dungeon raid!"
" " "Let's go!" " "
At the end of my remark, the guild room buzzed with the energetic reply of
Lana, Lulu and Karua.
Parting away with Karua and Rika's team at the dungeon gate, I and Ester,
along with other 5 new party members, quickly dived into the <Battle
wolves of the shallow forest dungeon>, and set off to our destination in a
carriage.
The first thing I wanted to do is to let new members, who aren't acquainted
with each other, introduce themselves and exchange greetings.
"Celestine, I feel it's been ages since we have chatted like this, no? Let's do
our best!"
"Yeah, it's been a while-desu! Best regards-desu!"
"Same here, it's been a while, Shizu-san. Pamela-san. I will be in your care
today"
The three members of <branch family> greeted each other. Gracious, I
almost forgot that the three of them were introduced by <Eden>. They
obviously know each other.
"Lulu is Lulu! An energetic <Lolita hero> fighter! Nice to meetcha!"
"I really can't get enough of Lulu's cuteness. I'm a <Spiritualist> Elf,
Cecilia. Please, feel free to call me Celia. I specialise in magic attacks, so I
took a rearguard position. Let's do our best together"
Continuing after them, Lulu's cuteness overloaded greetings quickly won
the heart of everyone, softening the atmosphere and Celia introduced
herself politely in the end.
It's been 5 days since they have joined the guild but this is their first time
facing each other. As expected, when it's about how to get closer, nothing
beats a gathering.
I was peeking at the carriage's inside through the window, sitting next to
Ester and was glad to see everyone getting along. Especially energetic Lulu
and Pamela hit it off with self-paced Celia
Shizu and Celestine on the other hand seem to have assumed the listener's
role.
"Pamela-san and Shizu-san cleared the ghost dungeon yesterday, right?"
"That's right-desu! We somehow cleared it, albeit borrowing the help of
Hannah and Sierra most of the time-desu!"
"Amazing"
Pamela and Shizu challenge the <Ghost cave dungeon> yesterday to not
clash off with our exploration. Looks like Sierra has safely taken her
revenge, given how much she hates ghosts.
She has grown up. I should congratulate Hannah and Sierra sometime later.
Pamela squirmed in embrassemeny, receiving the praises of Lulu and Celia.
"I'm content with all the praises-desu! I don't need anything else-desu!"
"Please have some tea"
"I mean, anything except the tea-desu!"
"I also have sweets. Please have some, Lulu-san. Celia-san too"
"Thank you! Lulu likes sweets!"
"Thank you very much, Shizu-san!"
"Shizuuu, that was deliberate, right-desu?"
"I would never do such things. So, you also want to have some?"
"...... B, Bon Appetit-desu!"
As long as they are getting along.
While I was busy back and forth giving instructions to the Ester as the
carriage raced through the dungeon and ascertaining the situation from the
assistant passenger seat, we arrived at the deepest floor without any hitch,
running over the countless monsters.
621 – Nameless 2nd year Priest
Breaking news.
<Macho’s> has surprisingly defeated <Fat ball ghost>!
622 – Nameless 2nd year Adventurer
Wha… seriously!?
Did they finally win!
623 – Nameless 2nd year Magician
Terrific.
They have finally ended the legend of “Muscles can’t win against ghosts”.
But what’s that feeling in my heart…… I am not moved despite the
legendary feat…
624 – Nameless 2nd year Priest
Well, you aren’t alone.
It has been quite a while since this news has been out.
And haven’t made any sound.
625 – Nameless 2nd year Adventurer
Don’t forget its <Macho’s> we are talking about… they must be fine.
626 – Nameless 2nd year Magician
Their rival, <Eden>, has already made their way to Intermediate dungeons.
I'm quite interested if <Macho’s> can recover their fame or they will go
down the spiral.
627 – Nameless 3rd Investigator
I managed to interview them, and was even able to ask what their source of
motivation was.
I was blocked by the imperial guards when I wanted to interview <Eden>,
but this time was a hit.
628 – Nameless 2nd year Adventurer
Ohh, it's investigator-senpai!
We were just waiting for an informant like you, senpai!
629 – Nameless 3rd year Investigator
First is the comment on their win.
Everyone had headbands tied around their head for reasons unknown.
And that’s the answer I got – Fatty ghosts aren't even our opponent if we
make our muscles heave-ho!
630 – Nameless 2nd year Priest
What does it even suppose to mean!?
Did something happen in recent days?
631 – Nameless 3rd year Investigator
Oh yeah, they also said to call them by <Phoenix’s muscle order> from here
on.
632 – Nameless Nameless 2nd year Adventurer
<Macho’s> was an amusing party, no?
.
.
.
.
67 – Nameless 3rd year Supporter
The news of a carriage racing around in the dungeons is becoming a hot
topic recently.
68 – Nameless 2nd year Adventurer
Indeed!!
69 – Nameless 1st year Lancer
In fact, I didn’t believe the rumors in the beginning so I personally went out
to check the validity.
I have no words to tell how shocked I was when I saw it.. What in the name
of god was it?
70 – Nameless 2nd year Priest
I can relate, I also wanted to see it with how many eye witnesses there are
already!
But alas, I couldn't catch any glimpse of it...... !
71 – Nameless 2nd year Magician
This rumor has recently sprang up out of nowhere, though I didn't go to
confirm it.
Would anyone happen to know whose deed is this?
Could it be a new species of monsters as said in the rumors?
72 – Nameless 3rd Investigator
Let me solve your doubts.
73 – Nameless 2nd year Swordsman
Investigator-senpai!
You have come to save the day as usual!
74 – Nameless 3rd year Investigator
Well yeah.
It was an official quest from the academy this time.
We can't let it cause any irrecoverable damage if it's really the new monster
subspecies.
Academy itself has a lot of things on its plate with the fateful day right
around the corner, so this case has been handed to us.
75 – Nameless 2nd year Swordsman
Senior ability in investigating is almost second to none after all.
76 – Nameless 3rd year Investigator
Anyway, it was assumed in the beginning that carriage racing in the
dungeon is just a nonsensical rumor.
But there were so many eyewitnesses to simply dismiss as rumors, and
there was even one freshman who came to ask me if the dungeon could
even pop up the carriage?
Though, I flatly refused saying "That's impossible!" that time.
77 – Nameless 2nd year Priest
Oh the poor freshman...
78 – Nameless 3rd Investigator
To draw the conclusion, apparently it's <Eden> that has been using the
carriage.
Any rumors about new monster subspecies is outright lie.
To begin with, Monster subspecies are the topic of high grade dungeons, not
even by mistake will they appear in beginner dungeons.
79 – Nameless 2nd year adventurer
...! <Eden> again!
Why are they even more adventurous than us, adventures!?
80 – Nameless 3rd year supporter
Well, we have to admit there's no shortage of impossible feats they are not
capable of.
81 – Nameless 2nd year magician
Looking at how you phrased it, Supporter-senpai seems to have already
expected this outcome?
82 – Nameless 3rd year Supporter
Rather than to say I speculated, I only uttered "Oh, it's them again".
But, it's a carriage this time, huh.
I know <Knight> job holders are famous for fighting while riding the
horses. But that was at best, limited to the living creatures.
There are many Knights who fought in the dungeon riding a horse, Pegasus,
wolf or Machikko but never once I heard anyone using carriage instead.
83 – Nameless 2nd Adventurer
Hmm, I'm quite curious about that Mochikko you mentioned last...
Are there Knights who fight while riding it? Aren't everyone just being too
adventurous...... What about the position of us, true adventurers......
84 – Nameless 3rd Investigator
I tried investigating since I also have never heard about it.
So I searched and found out about the recipes of <Carriage> equipment in
the records of <Grand Library>.
85 – Nameless 2nd year Priest
Carriage equipment? Details please, Senpai.
86 – Nameless 3rd year Investigator
To be more accurate, it's about the recipe collection of the <Vehicle>
category, including the carriage.
Several pieces of equipment from the simple trolley to the mini-size
carriage has been mentioned there. Also, you can go and search by yourself
how to make them.
Unfortunately though, there wasn't any record about a carriage as luxurious
as <Eden>'s one. It's my guess at best but the recipe must be a drop.
The party themselves hasn't clarified it yet but that's more or less I believe.
87 – Nameless 3rd year Supporter
I see. Roger, we will share it here later.
88 – Nameless 3rd year Investigator
I am leaving that to you then.
Either way, the rumor will be settled with this and I can give a positive
report to the academy.
The bestest part of this quest from the academy is that I didn't have to do
much.
Thank you everyone from <Eden>.
89 – Nameless 2nd year Adventurer
Hey, don't leave me on a cliffhanger, at least tell me about Mochikko!!
.
.
.
.
823 – Nameless 3rd year Trapper
Are there any girls left who has still has yet to acquire their jobs一!?
If there are, you can let me know and I will carry you till the venue!
824 – Nameless 2nd year Alchemist
Stop it, you pervert!
Even with my toe I can judge you absolutely have ulterior motives!
10 out of 10 things that guy said has ulterior motives behind, don't listen to
what this guy says!
825 – Nameless 3rd year Trapper
Wha, what are youー! Don't slander me!
I atleast am not as wretched as you make me look!
I will safely carry them to the venue!
826 – Nameless 2nd year Berserker
Ohh, but it surely doesn't sound convincing when you limit it to girls only.
827 – Nameless 3rd year Supporter
You guys, I'm astounded you have the leeway to appear in a forum. And
here we are, completely battered.
Though, the points gained from the academy are amazing, so not like I have
anything to complain about.
828 – Nameless 3rd Investigator
It's an important event that comes once a year after all.
We can also gain points for each student who is stuck and can't make it out
to carry to the venue!
Any first year looking at this reply can ask me for my help!
829 – Nameless 1st year Lancer
I have a question!
What's that point that all the seniors are mentioning for a while?
830 – Nameless 3rd year Trapper
Ohh, my bad but I'm allergic to boys.
I'm busy looking for any damsel in distress right now, so let the questions
come from them.
831 – Nameless 2nd year Alchemist
Don't mind that sicko pervert!
Also don't worry, you will soon come to learn about the point when your
classes begin officially.
832 – Nameless 3rd year Supporter
To make it easier, they are also called quest points.
They are given as reward when you complete a quest given by the academy,
events like the freshmen last appraisal day, victory in the guild battles,
making a significant contribution to the academy and so on.
Points are very valuable that can be used to exchange for material, items,
resources, equipment or the rights to use academy owned facilities.
Why I call them precious is because whatever you exchange from the
academy as a reward is much stronger in aspect than the one that you will
find in stores normally.
Well, of course the more valuable something is, the higher the point cost is.
833 – Nameless 2nd year Berserk
Helping any student who seems like he or she will not be able to make it to
the appraisal venue will also count as a contribution and we can gain points
through this way.
That's the general gist.
I've been earning points for a while by delivering <Crystal dragon statue>.
834 – Nameless 3rd year Investigator
Once a year, which of course is today 一 the fateful day ー academy
distributes point quote lavishly.
That's why we are so busy that we would even borrow a cat's hand, this is
the only prime time we students can make a huge profit.
835 – Nameless 1st year Lancer
Woah, seriously!? I didn't know that!
Can I also gain some points if I help?
836 – Nameless 3rd year Investigator
I don't want to be like that but lad, first years should stand inside obediently.
837 – Nameless 1st year Lancer
Hiiii!?
838 – Nameless 2nd year Berserk
Well, it would obviously be a great help from the teacher's perspective, but
from us, the senior's perspective, that would be like a thieving cat.
So hehe, leave today's matter to us and stay quietly.
839 – Nameless 1st year Lancer
Y, yes sir.
840 – Nameless 3rd year Trapper
What should be done in the case girls blatantly begin to avoid me?
Dean watching over the students on
thier fateful day
May 1st.
In some people's mouths, it's said to be the day where their fate would be
sealed and in others, it's akin to judgement day.
For the reason is, if the day passes by even a minute, the student's job
section, who still has to acquire any job, will be forcefully changed to
<Beginner>.
For better or for worse, today's the day they must make a choice. People
also call this day the last appraisal day.
It's not only students, even the academy seems to be awfully busy for the
day which will influence students' lives.
The whole staff is getting ready for job appraisal and upperclassmen, whom
all classes are cancelled for today, are flurrying to support the staff.
Many venues have been prepared for this specific day and all first year non-
job holders are asked to present in the venue by at least 8:00 p.m. That's
where job's appraisal will be performed.
The time limit of 8 p.m is given because there are some students who will
otherwise lose themselves in searching for jobs till the last moment and
appears when the day is just about to change.
As a matter of fact, there have been a number of tragedies where the
appraisal venue was jammed packed by the students who thought the same
thing in the past, which resulted in several hundreds of students acquiring
<Beginner> for not being able to make up in time.
Ever since then, a time limit of 8 p.m. has been imposed on the students and
a penalty is given to those selfish pricks who don't make it in time.
They have even prepared countermeasures such as students handbooks will
buzz constantly to remind them of this and for those students who couldn't
move, are sleeping or those who have weak constitution, would be
delivered <crystal dragon statue> by staff or upperclassmen.
Staff or upperclassmen themselves are running around in the academy with
the motto [Come hell or high water, there shouldn't be any <Beginner>
only].
All in all, it's a very busy day.
And of course, not only for staff, it's also a hectic day for students.
Whether thier hardcore pay off or not, thier future will all depends on
today's result. This pressure by no means can be compared to the
university's admission. In literal terms, their life will depend on today's
appraisal. They wouldn't even have the option to redo. (Actually, they can.
The career job...... )
Freshmen have done all they could do in this one month.
For those who didn't give their all will receive low rank jobs and even
worse, those who have slacks off will receive <standard job>.
Conversely, those who have put in a bone breaking effort will at be able to
get a mid rank job, so most first years usually don't slack off.
Many freshmen have already formed a long line in the morning,
envisioning their life from there on.
All are those who didn't back down at the face of any adversary and keep
paving their path for their targeted job. They all have equally serious
expressions on their faces.
And overlooking them from a distance were two men, one looking old and
one past his prime.
"I like how the look on everyone's eyes, as energetic as past years"
"Indeed! This year students were even more fierce in their training
compared to previous years, seemingly triggered by the appearance of a
certain someone! They naturally looks more resolute"
"It wouldn't be possible without you, a great part of this is thanks to you
who revealed the prerequisite for a high rank job, am I wrong, Miston?"
"Fuhahaha! Well there's that, but of course, the appearance of promising
guilds like <Eden> or <Machos> didn't influence them any less. No matter
the era, only a fellow coeveal can ignite the flame of motivation in his
fellow coeveal!"
That's right, on one hand is the Dean Vandam of <National dungeon
academy for support and exploration • Main branch>, who with his long
beard and old look, can easily be mistaken as Santa Claus.
And the man past his prime next to him is the research institute head of
National dungeon academy.
He's currently the man of hour, for his achievement of elucidating some
prerequisite of the high rank job, and for helping many students achieve it.
He's Miston, and also a self-proclaimed handsome man.
"<Eden>, and the <Brave>. Never did I expect the storm called <Brave> to
affect this academy to this extent."
"Yeah. I guess that's what they called heaven above heaven. The conditions
for a high rank job he imparted to us in a roundabout way, monster
subjugation, sub jobs details, jobs system, routes concept and so on, there's
just so many things he has taught to us I can't explain. However all the
research institute staff do agree on one thing, it was like they have gotten
several steps closer to the truth after being exposed to his knowledge.
Compared to him, us researchers are like side characters! Hahaha"
"It's also thanks to his kindness that we can laugh about it. He really makes
my old mind wonder how he get that knowledge"
"That's the best part about it! I investigated his background and the result,
he was just a normal village kid you can find anywhere. Nothing special to
mention, neither was he a kid who ever exhibited any kind of research
tendency. I dare say, his perception power might just be special out of other
humans. Or to say, it could be the intangible influence of <Brave>"
"<Brave> effect huh...... "
Whether the <Brave> truly has the intangible effect of paving the path for
others, guiding them or not, Vandam doesn't know, but he does think the
possibility of this is extremely high.
If that's not the case, it's simply out of question that an ordinary village boy
could make such an upheaval in the prestigious National dungeon academy,
which has been continuing to exist for several hundreds of years already.
"Don't you have something else to ask too? I absolutely want to take a peek
at the knowledge of the <Brave>"
"It's not that we don't have it. We just don't have the capacity to catch up
with that knowledge right now, as unfortunate as it may be. The information
he has imparted to us is already so enormous that researchers haven't even
digested it. The knowledge of <Brave> is just that much impactful. We
would need a huge amount of time along with many others who have at
least fundamental knowledge around that part before we could finally catch
up with that"
"So much...... "
Vandam groaned, after realising just how enormous the knowledge <Brave>
has brought forth. Well, his groaning isn't unjust.
Right now, the national dungeon academy is welcoming the flood of
researchers or scholars scattered all over the Shiyatona kingdom.
And that influence is merely from uncovering some conditions about a high
rank job. And why Vandam couldn't help himself groaning is at the fact that
not even the researchers or scholars from all over the kingdom have the
capacity of accepting the next stage of information.
The most terrifying aspect of this phenomenon is all this information was
received from an hour chat with <Brave>. And after listening to it, there's
also a need for time to digest and decipher all the information.
Although he's very much curious about what kind of person <Brave> is and
the information he possesses, it's very much important to not carelessly ask
him about it.
It's not something easily resolved just by increasing the personal. The
colossal amount of information first of all can only be received by those
who have a great understanding and knowledge about jobs.
Dean Vandam took a sigh and decided to refrain from approaching the
<Brave> until they are in the state to accept any more information.
Besides, there are also the eyes of the king watching over. He doesn't want
to cause a blunder and provoke that side.
It's fortunate that he's only observing for now. After summing this, Vandam
changes the topic.
"What might be the number of students who can gain high rank jobs this
year according to your estimation?"
"I can't say anything concrete but 20% should be set in stone for sure. In
combat jobs alone, nearly 40% students will be able to get high rank jobs.
But production or other types of jobs are less likely to appear as high rank.
Or maybe defeating a monster condition is only limited to battle oriented
jobs. There's mountain of things we have yet to uncover after all"
"Amazing. Besides, look at your face now, you seem much brighter now.
Compared to your previous smoke stained appearance, that's a complete
reversal"
"Oops, now you're making me embarrassed. But it's thanks to him that I
regained my past passion. If anything, I feel indebted to him. I am going to
give my all!"
"Good for you, Miston. Also, Do your best. I am anticipating your next
research"
Cherry Blossoms of the Night
“He seems to have gotten through.”
While defeating the surrounding monsters, Ritsu gazed at the explorers
climbing the wall.
“But Misumi-san is still headed over here…”
Ritsu sighed while looking at the two.
(Seriously, this would have gone much faster had I been on my own.)
“Yozakura-san! Are you okay? Where’s Ren-kun?”
Sayuki and her friend head towards him while raising their voices.
“Ren!!? Where are you?”
Yuu approaches Ritsu while cutting down the monsters in her path.
“That kid already went back towards the wall. Didn’t you see him?”
“Eh!”
“More importantly, get away from here. Right now it’s mostly low-level
goblins, but soon the higher-level ones will start appearing.”
Ritsu looked at the two with sharp eyes.
“I shall fight with you.”
“I can, also fight.”
They declared, while gripping their swords.
“No, go back. I’ve seen Misumi-san’s performance inside the labyrinth, but
if a high-level comes it’ll be dangerous.”
“I can fight. I’m prepared to do so.”
Sayuki replied to Ritsu with a slight frown.
“I can also…” “Stop.”
Ritsu overlapped the words of Yuu, who tried to follow-up with Sayuki.
“To tell you the truth, it’s a drag. I’ll have no choice but to fight while
covering for you two. Keep your own abilities in mind, and step back from
here.”
“But… We wanted to support you.”
Yuu doubled down, after looking side-wards at the downtrodden Sayuki.
“Yuu, he is…”
“I appreciate your feelings. Now, head back.”
“Is that fine? I don’t sense any magic in you, and to be honest, I can’t
believe you’re that strong.”
Yuu asks him in a worried tone.
“Yuu, he is…”
“It’s fine.”
“But…”
“Wait…Yuu. Let’s go back.”
Sayuki stops her, and decides to head back.
“I’ll clear a path for you, so strengthen yourselves and make a dash for it.”
“[Sakura Ichi-monji].”
Ritsu released his attack in the direction of the wall, and opened a path.
“Go. I’m going to fight seriously now, so it’ll be a pain to have you
involved. Once you reach the wall, don’t move from it no matter what.”
“Yuu, let’s go…”
Saying that, Sayuki broke into a run.
“Ah! Sayuki!”
Yuu pursued her, hesitatingly.

“Hah. That was exhausting.”

Ritsu let loose a few attacks in their direction to protect the two, while
dealing with the monsters that were beginning to get stronger.
“It’s a relief being able to kill these monsters before they get to display their
commandeering abilities. I guess I’ll prepare as well. It would suck if there
were any casualties in this battle.”
Muttering so, Ritsu wrapped himself in Ki that was incomparably stronger
than usual; causing the ground at his feet to start cracking. The goblin next
to him tried to sneak an attack, but got assaulted by the dense Ki instead,
and disappeared after being ignited from the inside.
“You all came so greedily onto me till now, is this Ki really that scary?”
Seeing the attacks of the bloodthirsty monsters around him stop all of a
sudden, Ritsu curled the corner of his mouth and smiled.
The Ki around him becomes ferocious and starts engulfing everything
around it. With glittering clothes and hair, Ritsu wraps the rampaging Ki
around himself as if to appease it, and looks at the goblins as if he saw
through them.
“I guess it’s ready now.”
Seeing Ren wave on top of the wall, Ritsu took a deep breath with his
sword sheathed, and stopped moving.
“[Ren-ou].” (Smoldering Blossoms)
While simultaneously drawing his sword, the surrounding goblins get
engulfed in Ritsu’s Ki and burst into flames. Along with the swung sword,
the cherry blossom petals filled with Ki, turn into waves and attack the
goblins, evaporating them one after the other.

“I wonder if the ones heading to the wall have been cleared up. The sun’s
also just about set now.”
Staring at the smiling Ritsu from a distance, the monsters remain stationary
as if they couldn’t move. Ritsu’s Ki diffuses into the battlefield as if
crawling around, and a heart-gripping bloodlust dominates the area.
“I can only use this technique at night.”
Sensing imminent danger, the goblins move at once to stop Ritsu.
“It’s too late.”

“[Kyouya-zakura].” (Mad-Night Cherry Blossoms)

From the ground that lost its color in the darkness of the night, countless
cherry blossom trees popped out and pierced the goblins.
The remaining goblins also touched the scattered flowers, and burst into
flames, unable to endure the trapped Ki in them. Cherry blossoms were in
full bloom throughout the battlefield.
With nowhere left to go, the remaining goblins scattered into mutiple
directions out of insanity, but they too get burnt up.
After releasing his technique, Ritsu sheathes his sword into its scabbard,
while standing on a carpet of cherry blossom petals mixed with goblin
entrails.

“Oi! Get up on the wall quickly!”

After cutting through the goblins and reaching the wall, Sayuki and Yuu are
greeted by the explorers awaiting them and climb up the wall.
“Kid! The signal!”
“Yes!”

“Nee-chans! I’m so glad…”

After sending Ritsu the signal, Ren runs up to the two of them.
“Sorry… I made you worry.”
Yuu hugs Ren and apologizes.
“Oi, kid. It’s gonna start now. You better watch. An Ousei‘s battle isn’t
something you see everyday.”
Approaching Ren, Ryukawa points his finger towards Ritsu.
“OUSEI!?”
While widening her eyes and raising her voice, Yuu’s face goes pale.
“If you knew then tell me…”
Seeing Sayuki’s reaction, Yuu murmurs as though blaming her.
“Sorry.”
Sayuki darkens her expression and looks down.
“Nee-chan did you mess something up?”
“No, that’s…….”
“Did you get angry and pick a fight with him?”
Seeing the two’s expressions, Ryukawa softens his face and guesses.
“”A bit.””
“I see. I’ve also done the same thing as you two and gotten yelled at. Don’t
worry about it too much.”
Ryukawa goes “hahaha” as if he remembered something, and comforts the
two.
“I,”
Sayuki tries to say something, but stuffs her mouth.
“Sayuki, let’s do our best at our own pace, okay?”
Yuu places her hand on Sayuki’s shoulder and says that.
“Nee-sans…”
The moment Ren calls out to them, an unnerving air runs through the area.
“Oi oi… I’ve never seen such a skill before. The goblins burst into fire all
of a sudden.”
Ryukawa says, seeing Ritsu’s attack.
“There’s no way, I could reach that…..”
“Sayuki…..”
“Awesome…..”
Ren’s eyes sparkle at the spectacle in front of him.
“A tree? Cherry blossoms? They’re the same as the ones in front of the
headquarters.”
One explorer says while looking at the trees in full bloom on the battlefield.
“Amaz…”
Captivated, Yuu tries to lean over the edge of the wall, but is stopped but
Ryukawa.
“Don’t. I have a bad feeling about those.”
“The goblins that touched those flowers all burst into flames.”
Ren widens his eyes at the unbelievable phenomenon.
The surrounding explorers also break into discussion over Ritsu’s
technique.
“Something like that is even impossible for [change in magic nature], isn’t
it? How’s he doing that?”
“Maybe it’s fire element mimicking the shape of cherry blossoms.”
“In that case it’s a ridiculous skill. Nothing within the realm of humans.”
“Maybe it’s possible with the highest level [Perfect Manipulation]…..”
“If that’s the case, then it could even be a special attribute…”

“It looks like the reinforcements have arrived, so I’ll explain the situation.”
Ryukawa runs off towards the large group of explorers heading their way.