I didn't want to say anything bad about this fast ship, only good.

First of all, we were treated like clients with no duties on the ship, and due to the speed
of the ship, there was not a single instance of demonic beast attacks. A few days of
idleness - and the continent of Gilbard appeared on the horizon.

Apparently, such ships are not popular due to their very high cost. Even using the most
modern magic propeller, more than ten magic stones are consumed every day on the
road. Moreover, this propeller is so large that it takes up more than half of the ship's
hull, which is why the capacity suffers 5 times compared to a conventional ship of this
size.

So it seems that they were only suitable for transporting high-ranking personalities
and especially valuable goods, and could not replace ordinary transport ships in any
way.

In general, there were no special incidents on the way, and in the end we again entered
the land of Barubora.

- We were glad to serve you.

- Yeah. Thank you.

It seems that the captain of the ship really liked us. Perhaps because during the cruise,
we shared with the whole team a demonic beast fish caught from the sea.

Plus, they seem to be very jealous of our ability to use the Spatial Repository. And this
item pouch also proved to be surprisingly valuable. It has the capacity of a spatial
storage facility with enormous storage capacity. This is an invaluable item for
merchants.

- Well, where do we go first? Shall we show up at the Adventurer's Guild? I asked.

- Yeah. Probably need to find out something about Gallus.

- Right. Then you ought to look into the blacksmiths guild.

- Yeah. And then, to the shelter.

In addition, we have an acquaintance in Barubor, a former A-rank adventurer, a lord

of threads, and now the owner of the Dragon Diner and also a chef in it - Fermus. It
would be nice to say hello to Colbert and the three sales girls if they are in the guild.
Although, I think that they are now carrying out assignments somewhere outside the
city.

“I’d also go to the Lucille Trading Company. We need to stock up on spices.

- Yeah.

“How about a visit to Fermus at the Dragon Diner?

- Of course, let's go.

- I knew that you would not mind.

Not to be that Fran missed a chance to eat.

But first, we headed to the Adventurer's Guild. We did not spend enough time in
Barubor to develop an affection for this city, and we were here not so long ago that we
can say that we are bored. But all the same, it seemed as if we were returning to our
native land. Maybe because there are many memories associated with this place?

We walked through residential quarters of the city, here and there, skipping buildings
that we had not yet had time to repair. But there was something that caught my
attention. Of course, it was not surprising that the adventurers knew Fran, but she also
attracted the eyes of ordinary people suspiciously.

What, so prettier? Or was Urushi making a strong impression with his new scar on his
face now?

But it was neither one nor the other.

- Hmm, are you that black-tailed girl?

- M?

- Exactly! The curry bread I ate back then was delicious! It seems like a dream!

Of course, I heard that curry began to be popular in Barubor, but by this point it seemed
to have taken on a particularly large scale. It all started with that culinary competition
when the curry bread gained its original fame. Since then, Lucille's company, to whom
we sold the recipe, has made a name for itself by selling curry bread and curry paste.

Since the recipe was bought, there have been those who have tried to replicate the
original flavor, so all the locals have already tried a variety of curries. Then it became
known that curry was invented by a certain character named "Teacher".

"But… I didn't invent curry!"

It looks like Colbert has found significant success. So among the people rumors spread
about a black-tailed saleswoman, a student of "Curry Teacher", that is, about Fran.

Suddenly, many people remembered Fran's face at the culinary competition. So it's
obvious why the "black-tailed girl" attracted the attention of people so much.

Not that she didn't like it, Fran was neutral about it, knowing that no one was going to
harm her. From time to time we have met some curry fanatics making speeches like
"Master's curry is the best curry in the world…”

“And the name“ Teacher ”, however, became famous. I mean, it's curry. It looks like
everyone's roof was blown off on this basis. "

Eventually, establishments began to appear in front of us with hastily made signs

saying "Curry." Looks like all the establishments on this street specialized in curries.
Here and there the same word flaunted.

- And how do they manage to withstand such strong competition…

- It's incredible! I'm like in a dream! Fran said.

- Won!

- Well, maybe it's a dream for you.

We will be completely late for the guild at this rate.

- Is that a curry barbecue? I asked.

- What a smell!

- Roar, roar!

Fran immediately bought five. It looked like a chicken skewer sprinkled with yellow
curry powder.

- Khrum-Khrum-Khrum…

- Khrum-Khrum-Khrum…

- Well, how's the taste? I asked.

- So-so.

- Won.

That is, not terribly delicious. It probably looked like a regular fish sauce skewer
flavored with the right spices. They did not experiment much, and cooked the way
most liked.

In addition, due to the extreme popularity of curry, the price of spices skyrocketed, so
they skimped on them.

- Three cups, please.

- Good!

- Soup next? I asked.

- Yeah.

- Won.

And this, too, apparently, was not so intense. I immediately felt Fran and Urusi's interest
wither away. Although the smell was good, the taste did not live up to expectations.
But despite this, the smell still attracted them, and Fran persisted in ordering new
dishes. Well, at least she began to limit portions to one.

- One.

- I beg!

- Ooh.

Everything, now there are no impressions at all! Fran's eyes were like those of a dead
fish, the first time I see her like that. But the light in Fran's eyes did not go out even
when she was in slavery! And Urusi, obviously, also did not receive what he hoped for.

- One.

- Here you are.

The last place was an open-air stand selling meat pies. Something tells me that again
with curry flavor. But to Fran's surprise, they weren't curry pies.

Usually they put something like kima-curry in the manju that they sell on Earth, but
here they were ordinary manju with meat. It looks like the meat itself was fried with
curry powder. While it wasn't curry manju, it was still a dish from the same category.

While Fran was initially surprised at the inadequacy of expectations, her expression
changed after the first bite. Whether it tasted good to her or not, it was immediately
clear by the way she began to eat it. She bit the manju three times with a calm
expression, as if upset, she suddenly ordered a whole bunch of such manju.

- 30 pieces please.

- Hmm? 30 pieces?

- Uh-huh!

The saleswoman was very surprised, but as soon as Fran handed her the money, she
immediately started cooking.

- What, is it really tasty? - I was surprised.

- Yes! Master, cook next time too!

- Won! Won! Won!

Looks like they really liked it. This time the chefs tried to develop the recipe. Well, Fran
will at least come to the guild in a good mood.

Who knows, maybe if she came in a bad mood, it would rain a bloody rain. This time,
it seems, will do without it. Although it was close.

While Fran's name has become known to more people lately and the number of fools
challenging her has decreased, the guild has undoubtedly only strengthened her
image. Probably because from the very first days in the guild, conflicts arose constantly.

- Let's go to the guild soon.

In response to my words, there was only a contented chomp.

eeking into the restaurants on the way, we finally arrived at the Adventurer's Guild.
The atmosphere in the guild was calm, nothing of concern was happening.

Although Fran is more famous than I expected.

Among the adventurers, there are rumours about the incredible abilities of the girl
nicknamed the "Black Lightning Princess", who easily defeated the A rank adventurer
and made the famous Colbert her henchman. And if you get in the Curry Teacher’s
Student way, you will no longer be allowed into the curry establishments.

Most of them aren’t lies, but they’re still largely wrong. This is the effect of a “broken
phone”. Nonetheless, if it’s not a problem for us, we won’t do anything about it.

In the building, we met with the head of the guild, Gamudo, with whom we fought against
Linford. But, we still didn't know where Gallus was.

“Since Fran inquired about his whereabouts, I tried to use my connections to find
information on Gallus but I failed to find anything useful.” (Gamudo)

“Hmmm…” (Fran)

After that, we exchanged information with informant Regus, who had previously
investigated where Gallus could be. But it seems that he also didn’t have any information
on the matter.

“I can at least say that he did not return to Barbra.” (Regus)

Regus specialized in errands within the city, and his information network was quite
impressive. So if he says that Gallus did not return, then it must be so.

In search of information about Gallus, we came to the blacksmiths guild, but even then
no one had a single guess. For a second, I thought that we were just wasting our time…
But suddenly, I heard one very interesting thing.
“Although I thought that Gallus was taken by the Ashton noble family, something has
recently begun to happen in the capital. Someone seems to be collecting various
materials that the blacksmith might need.”

This is actually pretty suspicious.

“And they don’t collect it openly… Several times they lied about their name, sent
intermediaries instead of themselves, and lied to our faces.”

Undoubtedly, we need to go to the opening of the auction in the capital. We can meet
him there, and if not, then he may be associated with the strange activities of the
Ashton family.

“We don't really know where Gallus is, so we should go to the orphanage.” I said.

“Nn.”

Fran's grim expression softened. She was probably looking forward to seeing the
children.

At the entrance to the orphanage, there was a gatekeeper who was not there last time
we came. It looks like when Amanda became the boss here, she put more effort into
fighting crime in the orphanages.

The gatekeeper was a former adventurer, a half-beast man, and he recognized Fran
too. Thanks to this, he let us through without any problems, and as soon as Fran went
inside, the children immediately ran to her.

“Ooh, it's Fran!”

“Sis Fran!”

“And Urushi is here!”

That's what I call a warm welcome! The children, as if not at all noticing the terrible
muzzle of Urushi, clung to his fluffy fur, laughing with delight. Urushi was also very
happy, it was clear from the way he wagged his tail, while lying imposingly on the floor.
The children who managed to stroke his tail raised even louder cheers.

Although I thought that the enormous size of Urushi should definitely scare at least
some of the children, it seems that no one was scared at all. What brave children they
have in this shelter. Of course, in this world, children probably should be bolder
anyway.

Apparently, having heard the noise of children, one of the adults hastily ran out of the
building. They had weapons in their hands, and their faces were extremely stern.
Apparently, they thought that someone had attacked the children.

And I recognized their faces. One of the adults was Io, who is known as a great cook
who can make a great soup from the worst vegetables. But there was someone else
with her whom I didn’t expect to see.

“Charlotte?” (Fran)

It was the dancer Charlotte who helped us in the fight with Linford.

“Fran-chan? Long time no see! And Urushi is here too!”

“Woof!”

From the conversation it became clear that Charlotte was one of the orphans who grew
up in this orphanage. She was very grateful to Fran for making Amanda pay attention
to the plight of the orphanage, and saving it.

“It's so good that it's you, Fran-chan…” (Charlotte)

“What happened?” (Fran)

“Actually…”

There was a reason why Charlotte and Io came running when the children became so
noisy. About two days ago, a criminal visited here, who had a sizeable bounty on his
head.

“In general, although he was dressed differently, he cannot be confused with anyone.
When we fought this unclean giant, I was able to get a close look at him.” (Charlotte)

“Zelosried… Why was he here?” (Fran)

For some reason, Zelosried came to this orphanage. It looks like he wanted to give one
boy to the orphanage who looked around three. Despite his appearance, he didn’t act
like a cruel criminal with a bounty on his head, his expression was apparently quite
sincere.

“He said that this is the child of his deceased friend, whom he cannot raise on his own.
That the children have nothing to do next to him. He was even going to pay for him to
be taken…” (Charlotte)

The child looked very tired, apparently, he had a very long journey behind him.

“What was the child’s name?” (Fran)

“As far as I remember, it was Romeo.” (Charlotte)

I knew it was Romeo! So Zelosried decided to fulfil the last wish of Murelia, whom he
had betrayed? Why would he do such a thing?

“Where is this child?” (Fran)

“No, the fact is that we didn’t take him.” (Charlotte)

“Why?” (Fran)

It seems that Charlotte wasn’t at the orphanage at the time, the only adult present was
a teacher who is not currently here. When she tried to take Romeo from Zelos, he
began to scream, cry and struggle. She said there was nothing she could do. As was the
case with Io, as soon as Zelosrid hugged him, he immediately stopped crying and even
smiled.

The moment Zelosried tried to move away, Romeo immediately began to cry loudly.

Then she told him that she could not a child away from a man who he has bonded so
strongly with. She suggested that Zelosried take care of him for a bit longer. And if he
really can't take care of him, then he can come back.

As a result, not being able to leave Romeo here, Zelosrid took the boy in his arms and
left. It turns out that Charlotte bumped into him as he was leaving.

“To be honest, he seemed to me like a completely different person. Such a calm

atmosphere reigned around him that he could not be compared with what he was at
our last meeting.” (Charlotte)

“Who, Zelosried?” (Fran)

“Yes.”

It is impossible to believe in it. Not only did Zelosried bring Romeo to Barbra to give
him up to an orphanage, without showing his former cruel disposition, but even the
boy himself became attached to him. All of this was completely impossible to believe.

“But we couldn’t leave it at just that…”

Although we reported him to the soldiers, they never caught him. That being said, even
at the cost of their lives, ordinary soldiers and knights probably could never even get
close enough to touch him.

“Zelosried… What's he thinking?” (Fran)

“Maybe, although he betrayed Murelia, he decided to give her a parting gift, fulfilling her
last request?” I said to Fran.

“But he ended up taking Romeo with him. What’s he going to do with him? Sacrifice?”
Fran answered me.

Hmm. Did he take it with him simply because paternal instincts awoke within him?
Moreover, if the child himself became attached to him…

I looked at Fran. I remembered the time when we were just starting the journey after
our first meeting. Perhaps Zelosried felt for Romeo the same way I did for Fran then?
Then I can understand why he decided not to take the child to an orphanage against
his will.

Although this is just my imagination. Considering the worst could happen, maybe we
should find out where Zelosried is now. While Fran’s safety comes first, I’m definitely
worried about Romeo’s circumstances.
At the shelter, Fran and Urushi ate their fill of Io's culinary masterpieces. After donating
ingredients to the shelter, we moved on. Our next target was the Dragon Diner.

“Oh, Fran. Long time no see.” (Fermus)

“Nn. Hello Fermus.” (Fran)

An elderly gentleman came out to meet us, looking good as always. Seeing Fermus
leaving the kitchen, one of the guests raised an enthusiastic cry.

“Today you decided to come and eat with us?” (Fermus)

“Nn!” (Fran)

“Ha ha ha. Since you couldn’t find me last time I came, I will show you everything that
my cooking is capable of. Although, is the wolf not with you?” (Fermus)

“ he In the shadows.” (Fran)

“If you don't mind, then let me cook for everyone. After all, you fought against evil
spirits together.” (Fermus)

“Woof woof!” (Urushi)

He’d already left for the kitchen before Fran had time to say anything. Well, since we
missed the Dragon Eatery last time we were here, they probably wanted to eat before
we leave again.

“Well, what do you want to eat?” (Fermus)

“Everything.” (Fran)

“Haha. Understood.” (Fermus)

Fermus was not surprised, as if he already knew that Fran was a big eater. Instead, he
immediately turned around and went into the kitchen. Last time, we were only able to
taste his apprentice’s cooking, but this time Fermus will cook for us.

The first thing that the female worker, whom we have seen before, brought in was
dragon bone soup, one of the signature dishes. However, it was yellowish.

“New recipe, Dragon Bone Curry Soup.”

Apparently, he also decided to follow the curry fashion.

“What do you think?” I asked

Fran said nothing, just continued to swallow the broth.

It looks very tasty.

“So what do you think?” (Fermus)

“Gorgeous. A bit sour, but okay.” (Fran)

“Woof woof!!” (Urushi)

“Really? I am very glad to hear it from you!” (Fermus)

This curry was probably more like Thai curry than Indian. As expected from Fermus,
he only needed one hint to make such a curry.

With each new dish that was brought, Fran and Urushi were increasingly anticipating
how delicious they would be. 10 of the dishes were meat, the same that they had eaten
before. After tasting a bite, Fran nodded, but suddenly paused.

“What?” I asked.

“Delicious, of course, but Fermus cooks better.” Fran said aloud.

“Eh?… It’s tasty?…”

The voice belonged to a student of Fermus. It looks like he was cooking it. It’s amazing
how she understood the difference from one bite. Fran praised the apprentice's
cooking, saying it tasted better than the last time, not daring to say that the taste was
inferior to Fermus's. Let’s allow him to continue to work with the same spirit.

After that, Fran and Urushi tasted a variety of dishes, until finally they were full.

Our final destination awaited us in Barbra, specifically, the headquarters of the Lucille
trading company.

As expected, it was a large company, and Fran realized this as soon as she entered the
building. Or was it because she remembered coming here before?

The lady at the front desk stood up to bow politely to the guests. In addition, there was
also a boy who looked like a local apprentice, who immediately hurried to her.

“Long time no see, lady Fran. What brings you here today?” (receptionist)

“Is Rengil here?” (Fran)

“I will check if he is here, please wait a little.” (receptionist)

As soon as the receptionist left, the apprentice boy ran out after her. So must have gone
to tell Rengil about Fran's visit.

“Please come over.” (receptionist)

The girl from the front desk invited us to sit down. Then, almost immediately, another
employee came in in the uniform of a maid, with tea and cakes. The cups and saucers
were decorated with beautiful paintings, and the cakes were unusually decorated.

Considering that the other traders had simple cups, this should have been a gesture of
good relations. Fran seemed a little unhappy that only sweets were brought to tea,
recalling the past with nostalgia. Does it mean that having steaks for tea in the Land
of demi-humans was strange, or was it just me?

“Fran, you’ve been eating recently, are you sure you’ll eat everything?” I asked.

At first she ate in open shops, then in a shelter, and then finally, in the "Dragon's
Eatery”…She should have filled herself long ago.

“Nn? Of course.” (Fran)

She gladly put the cake in her mouth, as though she hadn’t eaten anything earlier, but
put all rest of the food in the Spatial Storage.

“Maybe you won't mock yourself like that?” (Master)

“Always room for sweets.” (Fran)

I, of course, do not mind that Fran ate deliciously, but still… Lately, I notice that she is
becoming more and more insatiable. Although, given how much Fran moves, she
doesn't have to worry about being overweight. But I'll have to think of something if I
notice signs of excess weight.

While Fran was devouring the cakes, the girl had already returned and escorted us to
Captain Rengil's room.

“You decided to return to Barbra?” (Rengil)

“Nn. Moving on soon, stopped by to say Hello.” (Fran)

“Oh! I'm flattered.” (Rengil)

“Also, want to buy spices.” (Fran)

Although the prices have become somewhat overpriced, we can still easily afford
them. Without further ado, we bought the amount we needed.

“Well, if you are ever in the city, come visit again!” (Rengil)

“Nn.” (Fran)

Since Captain Rengil knew Fran owned the Spacial Vault, he didn’t ask us any
questions about transportation.

After that, we asked Rengil about Gallus and Zelosried, but it seems he could not find
anything.

However, we learned something else interesting about the Ashton family of marquis.

“That family is now in a difficult situation…” (Rengil)

“Tough situation?” (Fran)

“The Marquis Ashton received an accusation from the Guild about his son, Celldio, who
was an adventurer. As an A-rank adventurer, rumors began to circulate about him, and
few people trusted actually him. Now that he’s dead, his numerous atrocities have
resurfaced.” (Rengil)

Rank A Adventurer Celldio, we killed him in Ulmutt! For molesting Fran, trying to
extort me from her, and for filthy offers to make Fran his concubine, he got what he
deserved! Then we tricked him into equipping me, triggering the Divine Curse that
befalls anyone who isnt Fran, so that he died from the curse of the sword in his
stupidity.

However, Diaz, the head of the guild from Ulmutt, has already said something about
the fact that he wants to solve the crimes committed by Celldio to the other heads of
the guild. It turns out that he really did it. So the accused are the Marquis's family? Are
they not afraid of anything?

“How can the guild afford to quarrel with the Marquis?” (Fran)

“They can thanks to the rumours, and thanks to the fact that the state helped the guild,
the noble family seems to have paid the compensation in full.” (Rengil)

The guild had oral testimony from a respected A-rank adventurer, and evidence in the
form of magical herbs. In addition, since the country did not want to spoil relations
with the adventurer's guild, they decided to throw all the blame on Celldio.

Considering that they also have testimonies from Celldio henchmen that the Ashton
family ordered him to seek the Divine Swords, it was not without the usual scandal
that lowered the trust in the family. The state itself is now watching them closely.

“Recently, their dark financial affairs have been revealed. Since our company also had
to trade with the Marquis family, I can say that many times they did not pay their bills.”
(Rengil)

“Hmm.” (Fran)

Rengil didn’t know that Fran was involved with Celldio’s death. It looks like Diaz hasn't
leaked any unnecessary details. But it's hard to believe that with so many witnesses,
Fran's involvement was so well hidden. I don't know if the Ashton family is aware of
it.

If they are, then they not only might they be hiding Gallus from us specifically, but they
might also harbour a grudge against Fran. It would be better to be more attentive
when meeting the Ashton family.

The next destination is Ulmutt, so I'll probably need to talk to Diaz there.
After finishing our business in Barbra, our next destination before the capital was
Ulmutt.

First of all, we went to the Demi-Human Country on behalf of Diaz, the Head of the
Adventurers' Guild in Ulmutt.

Specifically, the assignment to find a missing adventurer from the Black Cat clan. That
is, Kiara.

Although I earlier took the position that Fran's safety is paramount, after a personal
meeting with Kiara, and watching her death with my own eyes, it was impossible not
to report this to Diaz.

Since the Martial Arts Tournament has not yet faded from the memory of the locals,
Fran found herself in the spotlight. As we walked along the streets of the city, people
constantly looked back at her. If we had stopped, they would have surrounded us. In
addition, almost all of them are adventurers.

It seemed that the adventurers who had arrived in town for the Martial Arts
Tournament were still there.

“Why are you looking at that girl like that?” (Adventurer 1)

“Oh, you don't know?” (Adventurer 2)

“I don’t.” (“Adventurer 1)

“That’s the Black Lightning Princess!” (Adventurer 2)

“Really? Her? She looks like an ordinary demi-human girl!” (Adventurer 1)

“Only because you’re a beginner…” (Adventurer 2)

Here and there, people exchanged similar statements. There is nothing to be done, a
beginner cannot just look at someone and understand the true power. For a long time
nothing happened, but not far from the guild, a situation occured.

“Hey girlie. Is your sword too good for a beginner?” (Adventurer 3)

“Wait, let's talk!” (Adventurer 4)

These are probably adventurers who have sunk to the bottom, just waiting for a chance
to cheat newcomers that are heading to the guild out of their hard earned rewards.

On the surface, they look like bandits more than they do adventurers. What are these
fur vests for – Are they for protection? To keep warm? Especially those three, one with
a skinhead and two with Mohawks, seemed particularly unfriendly.

Unfortunately for them, they are extremely weak, to the point it’s trifling. It seems like
they’ll soon turn 40, but they haven’t learnt anything… Apparently, not daring to face
the dangers, they wasted away their days gambling and hunting weak animals in order
to somehow live longer. In other words, these adventure seekers have neither
willpower nor a vision of the future.

I wouldn’t say that that’s bad. A lot of people have become adventurers just to be able
to earn a living. But if you bother others with your behaviour, then that’s another story.

“Hey, come here!” (adventurer 3)

“Quickly, I said!” (Adventurer 4)

When the men began to surround us with practised movements, luring us into an alley
right next to the guild. If we were any ordinary newcomer, we most likely would not
have been able to go against the crowd of strong men, and would have complied.

“Ghe-he-he, in Ulmutt, it looks like there are plenty of small fries.” (Adventurer 3)

“Yah. Hey, what’s holding you up?!” (Adventurer 5)

“Come over here fast!” (Adventurer 4)

When Rumina, the Dungeon Master of the Ulmutt dungeon, helped Fran evolve, she
used up her dungeon’s powers, and thanks to that the rating of the dungeon itself fell.
Along with that, the rank of the monsters that emerge from there fell, and with this
the extraction of trophies and materials from them.

As a result, the income of the guild and its adventurers fell, so to compensate for the
losses, the guild began inviting newcomers to this place… And these idiots are waiting
for them here, like some kind of prey.

“Hey girl! what took you so lo-- ugh!” (Adventurer 3)

“Oi you! Sto-- gah!” (Adventurer 4)

“HEY, yo-- gah!” (Adventurer 5)

It's good that Fran is in a good mood right now. She just decided to hit everyone at
once. And all because she ate well before she came to town. If she had been in a bad
mood, then she might have used me.

These men were already lying on the ground, spitting blood.

“You seem to have overdid it a little…” I said.

“Nn. A little.” (Fran)

Fran planned to let them get off with one or two broken bones, but it looks like she
ended up breaking 4-5 ribs each, damaging internal organs at the same time.
Apparently she got a little nervous and didn't hold back.

Although, it seems like the first one got a little bit more of a beating than the third.
Perhaps the third one has a slightly better skill control. She wounded the first at 80%
of his life, and the third at 70%.

She only planned for them to pass out, and not receive such injuries. A complete failure
on her part. But I am the type of person who loves to praise more than scold.

“The third one survived it a little better than the others, right?” (Master)

“Nn. Be fine. Probably.” (Fran)

Instead of pointing out her flaws, it's best to praise her. And why do so many idiots
still come at us? Although, if it happens it a hundred times more, it would be a good
skill control training for Fran.

Oh well, let’s let it be. Adventurers are everywhere. Rumours are scattered at the
expense of time.

Apparently, having heard the noise outside, someone left the guild.

“Hey, what's all this noise?” (Elsa)

“Elsa?” (Master)

“Mm? Who’s that? Fran! Long time no see!” (Elsa)

A sturdy man emerged from the building, who might have been called a macho if not
for his permanent red Afro hairstyle and thick layer of makeup. And these tight clothes
too.

It was B rank adventurer Baldy… Or rather, Elsa.

Despite the fact that he was a macho man with a feminine manner, his strength was
really worth reckoning with. Considering that A Rank Adventurers and above are
already considered superhuman heroes, Elsa easily towered above most adventurers.

In addition, despite her appearance, she was quite caring, and helped Fran often.

Not that it will atone for her perverted trans-bi-masochistic aura that she is spreading
around her, though!

“I am soooo~ glad that we met again!” (Elsa)

“Nn. Diaz, is here?” (Fran)

“Yes, he’s in the building. But those guys on the ground, have they really done something
to offend you?” (Elsa)

“Nn.” (Fran)

“Well, the fact that they can not understand who’s standing in front of them… it's
nothing but their own fault! Okay. Eric, Kane. (Elsa)
“Yes!” (Eric)

“What?” (Kane)

“Can you throw these guys into the infirmary with the others for me? I have a
conversation with Fran-chan.” (Elsa)

“Got it!” (Eric)

“Understood!” (Kane)

As always, the adventurers in this city obey Elsa without a second thought. However,
I can understand why they do not want to contradict her. Under the gaze of onlookers,
by order of Elsa, they took on these idiots and carried them away somewhere.

“So, you have some business with the guild head?” (Elsa)

“Nn.” (Fran)

“Heeee~~, of course, he’s always sitting in his office, but right now he’s talking with
grandfather Aurel. Can you wait a bit? From what I hear, they haven't finished yet.”
(Elsa)

“I need to talk to Aurel as well.” (Master)

“Mm? Is that so? Then I can ask if Fran can join.” (Elsa)

“Yes, please do.” (Master)

“Aha. All for the sake of Fran-chan!” (Elsa)

Before leaving, Elsa couldn’t resist giving Fran a wink. Ooooh, I haven't been thrown
into such cold for a long time! I shuddered a little.

“What is it, Master?” Fran asked.

“Fran, you yourself did not feel anything just now?” (Master)

“Just now?” (Fran)

“Nevermind. Pay no attention.” (Master)

Oh, it's hard for me to bear Elsa.

E/n: I should specify: Italics are telepathy between specific characters, and non-italics
are regular talking, or ‘open’ telepathy, depending on the context (For example, if
everyone in the scene can hear what’s being said => no italics; but telepathy between the
same characters, but with an extra character who cant hear the telepathy => italics).
It’s been 10 minutes since Elsa left to tell Diaz and Aurel about Fran's arrival.

Finally, we went to the guild master's office. Inside, we found two elderly men drinking
tea.

One of them looked like he resembled a nobleman; his grey hair, neatly combed back,
as well as everything else about him, indicated that despite his age he didn’t forget
about his appearance.

The other person was a similarly grey-haired, sturdy elderly man.

From the way his large muscles showed through the haori, it was clear that he never
stopped training. His gaze was piercing and heavy, just like a mafia leader.

“Oh, Fran! Long time no see.” (Diaz)

“Lady Fran, so you came to Ulmutt after all.” (Aurel)

Their smiles were completely different: Diaz had a radiant, warm smile, while Aurel
of the White Dog race had more of a smug grin.

Both of them met Kiara when she was still living in Ulmutt, and so had decided to
search for her when she went missing.

“Fran! It's so good that you are came back!” (???)

“Doll, is talking?” (Fran)

On the table where the two men were sitting, there was something that looked like a
doll, no more than 20 centimetres in height. The doll had a human figure, but it was
clearly crafted very skilfully, like the finest figurines from my home world.

And then a voice came from her. However, I had heard that voice before.
“This voice… Rumina?” (Fran)

“Yes. At the moment, she is inside this doll.” (Diaz)

Even though I thought that the Dungeon Lord was unable leave the dungeon, it seems
like there are a few workarounds. On that note, the doll really did look like Rumina.

“What are you doing here?” (Fran)

“I’m discussing issues related to the management of the dungeon.” (Rumina)

Why are all three of the city rulers, Diaz, Aurel and Rumina, present? And we arrived
at such a surprisingly convenient moment. Nevertheless, we need to inform the people
in this room about Kiara.

“What’s wrong?” (Rumina)

“Nn. I came to Diaz with a report on behalf of the guild.” (Fran)

“Oh, is that so?” (Diaz)

“Nn.” (Fran)

“Well, young lady, regarding the report…” (Aurel)

“Did you learn of Kiara’s whereabouts?” (Rumina)

“Yeah. I met her.” (Fran)

Aurel and Rumina immediately reacted with surprise to Fran's words,

“Oh!” (Rumina)

“Really?!” (Aurel)

“So what happened.” (Diaz)

Diaz got down to business when Fran’s face didn’t lighten up. Diaz and Aurel sensed
this and corrected their sitting postures. Rumina, although in doll form, seems to have
changed her expression to a more serious one.
Diaz could tell that Aurel didn’t intend to hide what the assignment relating to Kiara
was about, and it seems that he didn’t mind that everyone present heard the report.

“Kiara was in the Beast-Kin Country.” (Fran)

“I see, as I expected.” (Diaz)

“How is she?” (Aurel)

“Is she alright? Did she evolve?” (Rumina)

“We met with Kiara in the Beast-Kin Country’s Capital…” (Fran)

Fran told them everything that happened after meeting Kiara, all of the events, battles,
and struggles. Diaz, Aurel and Rumina listened very closely to what she was saying.

They couldn’t hide their happiness when Fran talked about when she met Kiara, the
battles with the army of demonic beasts, and about how Kiara came to her aid.

Of course, she didn't say everything. There was a lot that was worth keeping secret;
both about Alistair and myself. Surely, experienced people like Diaz and the others
should have realized that Fran had something to hide. However, they shouldn’t doubt
what Fran was saying.

Despite their emotions, they all listened attentively to what Fran was saying.

But when the report approached the event of trip to the dungeon, their faces
immediately darkened. From Fran’s tone alone, they knew that some kind of misfortune
was about to happen.

By the time Fran finished the report with Kiara's death, none of them were remotely
excited.

“Kiara…” (Diaz)

Diaz jumped from the couch with emotion, but immediately fell back on it, as if he lost
all his energy, and sighed loudly with a blank look. He sat there, motionless. But it was
evident that his hands were reddened to the very tips of his fingers from the strength
with which he had been holding them together in front of him.
“I see… she hadn't changed at all… even up until the end…” (Aurel)

Aurel was in a similar state. Hanging his head, he wiped away his tears and sniffed.
Nonetheless, he perfectly understood why everything happened like this. After all, he
was just like her, a battle-obsessed warrior.

Rumina held on tighter than the others. However, for some reason, she seemed even
happy.

“I see she managed to evolve. And as a Heavenly Black Tiger…” (Rumina)

Rumina probably understood Kiara better than anyone else. Instead of feeling sad
about her death, she was glad that Kiara managed to spend her final years in
happiness, achieving evolution, and emerging victorious from battle.

Soon, there was silence in the room, and then Aurel slowly raised his head and said:

“Young Lady… You said that Kiara smiled in the last moments of her life?” (Aurel)

“Nn.” (Fran)

“Then, in your opinion, was it a sincere smile?” (Aurel)

“Of course.” (Fran)

“I see… Then it's fine.” (Aurel)

It seems that he was having a hard time accepting the news of the death of his
girlfriend, whom he had been searching for for many years. I heard Aurel whisper to
himself over and over again.

“…Zelosried…”

Diaz muttered the word in a choked voice. Despite his restraint, I could understand all
the rage he put into that word. Even though there was no emotion on his face, it made
him look even more terrifying.

“Diaz, Kiara told me not to do stupid things trying to avenge her.” (Fran)

“I see. So revenge for her is stupidity. Is that how you watched the veteran's death? I
would like to understand how you can be satisfied with the death of someone who is
close to you…” (Diaz)

The head of the guild understood that not everyone wanted to leave it like this.

“But still, I… I cannot accept this news as calmly as you do. Perhaps this is because I
am a human being, but as long as this dirty, low, hated enemy continues to live
somewhere, I will not give up on my revenge.” (Diaz)

Diaz's words sounded subdued, but I saw a dark fire in his eyes. I don’t know what
he’s going to do, but he will certainly never forget the name of Zelosried.

But realizing that he would be troubling Fran if he continued to say such things, he
immediately changed his tone to a friendlier one.

“By the way, I thought that Kiara had a hard time in the Beast-Kin Country. So she still
lived happily. This alone makes me quite happy.” (Diaz)

Even without a the Principle of Truth, I knew that this wasn’t what he really thought,
but I didn’t want to point it out. After all, no matter what Fran says, Diaz will not be
honest.

“Of course, it would be nice if she was alive, but… This is just the essence of time. It's
not new to me to hear that one of my friends died, without me even knowing about
it…” (Diaz)

“Gha-ha-ha-ha! You are right, Diaz. On the contrary, consider that Fran was present at
the death of Kiara in our place. You should be grateful to her!” (Aurel)

“Perhaps you are right. Furthermore, she helped to show what it takes for the Black
Cat-kin to evolve. We are all grateful to her for that.” (Rumina)

While the three of them were ultimately unable to figure out how to respond to the
news of Kiara’s death, Fran was delighted.

Because Fran had both love and respect for Kiara. And she was glad that there was
someone to tell her story to. It was new for Fran to tell such a long story, and her hands
were even a bit tired from the many gestures she used to tell her story.
When Fran finally finished talking about Kiara, it was time for her to listen to Diaz.
Aurel and Lumina immediately left the room.

“I would like to tell you something about a man named Celldio.” (Diaz)

“By the way, I completely forget about meeting him until recently.” (Master)

Sorry Diaz, Fran doesn't remember who Celldio was. Even though she remembers some
annoying nobleman to whom she handed me over, after which he died, she completely
forgot both his name and face. However, this shows how insignificant he was for Fran.

“Have you ever met Marquis Ashton?” (Diaz)

“No.” (Fran)

“After leaving Ulmutt, we do plan to head to the capital.” I said.

“I see. Is it because of the auction?” (Diaz)

“Nn.” (Fran)

Fran explained that ever since the blacksmith Gallus took on some top secret
assignment from the Ashton family, he’d completely disappeared.

“Yes, I heard that he went to Barbra. So the rumours about his disappearance are true.”
(Diaz)

“Looks like the Ashton family is collecting materials for blacksmithing.” I said.

“Oh, really? So the Ashton family really took Gallus? It looks extremely suspicious…”
(Diaz)

“We promised Gallus that we would meet in the capital. Given the circumstances, we
wont be able do that without running into the Ashton family. Therefore, I would like
to know exactly how the Celldio incident developed, in particular: what the Marquis's
family might know about Fran.” (Master)

“I see.” (Diaz)

Apparently, the first thing that Diaz did after our "quarrel" was arrange for Celldio’s
subordinates to be interrogated, extracting as much information from them as possible.

“However, I heard from them everything that I wanted to believe myself…” (Diaz)

The words "that he himself wanted to believe" sounded very creepy. Although Fran
didn’t notice this, in response to leading questions, he allowed himself to be told only
the information convenient to him.

“However, it didn’t go so well the last time we tried…” (Diaz)

“What happened?” (Master)

“Under the auspices of the Ashton family, a nobleman named Baron Holmes was sent
over; this guy was another pain in the neck for us. He had the skill of seeing through
lies and was given a very important job…” (Diaz)

Hmm? That sounds familiar. A skill to see through lies?

“Have you heard of a man named Viscount Alsand? I do believe you’ve been in Ares, so
I wouldn't be surprised if you know of him…” (Diaz)

Of course! The same Viscount from whom I took away the Deception Control skill.
August Alsand. Then his father must be Viscount Holmes.

“This skill was a big problem for us. It's called "Managing Deception" and not only
exposes a lie, it can make anyone believe a lie. Just think about what you can achieve
using this skill wisely…” (Diaz)

“Interrogations would be completely useless.” I said.

“Right. For example, if that viscount interfered in Celldio’s testimony, their subordinates
would simply lead us on the wrong track…” (Diaz)
In fact, August tried to use his skill in the same way on Fran, obviously plotting fraud.

“True, at some point, Viscount Alsand simply lost his skill in discovering lies. Without
that skill, he became a burden to his family and went under house arrest. The affairs
of the family of Baron Holmes rolled downhill. Thanks to this, the Ashton family can
no longer manipulate the truth with lies.” (Diaz)

But I took the Deception Control skill from Alsand only in retaliation for trying to
deceive Fran. I never imagined that this story would ever be brought up again.

“Having magic herbs as evidence, he could not get out. Since Celldio had the title of
Viscount, responsibility for his crimes fell on the family of Viscount Resseps. Although
the marquis family did not have to be responsible for them, there are rules for the
guild representatives. So all the guild leaders whom Celldio annoyed decided to do
this out of spite.” (Diaz)

Diaz made an odd gesture, slapping his neck. It couldn’t mean "Getting punished." so
it must have been referring to a weight taken off of his shoulders.

In conversation, Diaz appeared to be a good-natured old man, but he was also a

seasoned guild manager. To those who encroached on his power, he knew no mercy.

“Speaking of Celldio’s death, I tried to hide Fran’s involvement as best I could. For
those who were at the place of his demise, Elsa was very persuasive. Unfortunately, it
will still be difficult to hide absolutely everything from them.” (Diaz)

“It can’t be helped.” (Master)

“that's why, various rumours have spread…” (Diaz)

“Various rumours?” I asked.

“Yes, that the cause of Celldio’s death was either the magic sword of a certain
adventurer, or I, or Forund-kun. Although there is actually a rumour that he died from
the sword of the Black Lightning Princess, you are too popular a person in this city. On
the contrary, it would be strange if such a rumour did not exist. Fortunately, I don't
think many people think that this rumour is true.” (Diaz)

If you need to hide something, hide it in plain sight. Our predicament matches that
saying closely.
“Moreover, since Celldio’s death, all subsequent interrogations and persecutions have
attracted more and more attention. How much attention do you think Forund and I
have been given, given our lively interrogation and other activities?” (Diaz)

“I see. And you and Forund are not worried about your safety?” I asked.

“Ha ha ha ha, don’t worry about us. We A Rank Adventurers are incredibly powerful.
We have the potential to make an impact on an entire country. Whoever challenges
one of us will become an enemy to all of us. The family of the Marquis will never do
such a stupid thing.” (Diaz)

“Well, if that's true…” (Master)

“But it will still be difficult to completely hide Fran's involvement in this. Be very
careful while meeting with the Ashton family…” (Diaz)

“Yeah. Got it.” (Master)

After talking with Diaz, there was still the last place in Ulmutt where we should have
collected information. Yes, we wanted to go to Rumina’s dungeon, where she returned
to after our prior conversation. We were immediately transported there by the spatial
gate. Since we informed her that we were going to pay her a visit, she was already
waiting to welcome us with open arms.

The first thing we talked about was Murellia. Although we've talked enough about
Kiara, there was another Black Cat-Kin that I should tell to Rumina about.

However, Rumina's reaction was not as violent as we expected. She hung her head
down, nostalgia and regret mixed in her expression. Perhaps all this time she thought
that Murellia would never return.

For Rumina, Murellia was a memory of 500 years ago. Moreover, sharing the same
bloodline with her, Rumina knew those whose lives were destroyed by the Dark God.

“Its you, Lady… Murellia…” (Rumina)

I couldn’t understand what feelings were swirling in her heart, but for a while Rumina
remained silent.

After that, while Fran and Urushi were drinking tea and eating steak, while Rumina,
who had calmed down, moved to a separate room to speak with me. Since I could not
sit at the chair opposite her, I lied down on the table.

“I apologize. There is something I would like to hear…” (Rumina)

"Something Fran shouldn't hear?” (Master)

“Ehm, its not exactly that, but…” (Rumina)

I told her what I heard from Murellia during that meeting with her in the dungeon.
After that, I told her that she was a follower of the Goddess of Chaos, and at the same
time that she had no connection with the Dungeon Master.

“Rumina, was it possible that you could not tell Fran about how to evolve? Could it be
that you could only speak in my presence?” (Master)

“Oh, I understand.” (Master)

“So maybe it's even easier for you to talk when Fran is gone. So can I talk to you alone
for now?” (Master)

“I have nothing against that. What would you like to hear?” (Rumina)

“What does it mean to be a follower of the Goddess of Chaos?” (Master)

I talked to both the Goddess of Chaos, and Murellia, but I never understood it. Although
I do understand a thing or two about people associated with her.

“How do I explain what it is… the Followers of a God are those whom the God created
with their own hand, but also those who received some kind of power from said God…”
(Rumina)

“And which of these cases is mine?” (Master)

“Hmm… Of course, I don’t know, but most likely the follower of the Goddess of Chaos
must have something to do with the dungeon…” (Rumina)

“Do you think so?” (Master)

“Unlike other Gods, the Goddess of Chaos does not show up herself in this world in
any way outside of the dungeons. The magic of the Goddess of Chaos is intended for
the Dungeon Masters, exclusively for managing the dungeon, so until now there has
never been something like the Goddess of Chaos creating some kind of living creature.
As far as I know, the followers of the Goddess of Chaos are the monsters that are under
the control of the Dungeon Master.” (Rumina)

Then, am I one of them? After all, I’m probably not a Dungeon Master. So, when I was
created, was the power of a dungeon transferred to me? Or could that mysterious soul
that is sealed inside me be a follower of the Goddess of Chaos?

“In the end, I haven’t obtained any useful information…” (Master)

We reached the capital the morning of the second day after we left Urmut.

- it's the capital? (Fran)

“it should be. I don't think there are any other cities of such magnitude”, I replied.

- It’s huge. (Fran)

As we ran through the sky on Urushi’s back, agiant city came into view. Barubora, of
course, was a large city, but it simply could not be compared with the sheer size of the
capital city. It was even bigger than the beastmen’s country.

Even the fortress walls were of unprecedented size. They were more than 50 meters
in height, twice as high as the trees from the forest surrounding the capital. Well,
considering the demonic beasts of this world, I guess you need walls that size to
ensure the safety of the city.

In addition, these walls did not only look rough and utilitarian, the walls and towers
with spires were beautifully finished, which only enhanced the impression the city
made on me. As expected of a capital, even the outer walls showed its majesty.

The capital was located slightly to the southeast of Aressa, which was in the northern
part of the country, northeast of Urmut. It seems that at the time of the founding of the
Kingdom of Cranzer, the center of the country was here, but over the long years of its
existence, the country grew and the capital ended up being east of its center.

I heard that about 200 years ago they wanted to move the capital closer to the sea, but
considering the cost of money and ore needed for this project, this venture was
abandoned. Well, the amount of money needed to rebuild such a capital would be
enormous, it’s easily understandable why they wouldn’t do something like that

“Come on, let's go enter the city,” (teacher).

- Woof! (Urushi )

- Nn. (Fran)

Having reached the outskirts of the capital, we went to the entrance gate. A long queue
gradually appeared into view as we approached. while there was also a long line at the
entrance to Urmut, this one was an order magnitude bigger.

Diaz warned us about it before we left Urmut, but its actual scale greatly exceeded my
expectations. All of this because of the auction. To give an idea of its scale, by lining
these people straight, the end of the line would end up in the woods having to fight off
demonic beasts. To avoid such an issue, the queue was along the walls.

The area was patrolled by soldiers and knights, in addition to guards. They were all
making sure that people in the queue weren’t making trouble

“It’s gonna be long but there’s nothing we can do about it, let’s wait”, (teacher).

- Nn. (Fran)

Being at the end of the line, we couldn’t even see the end of it.

In Urmut, lots of people could be seen trading while waiting in line, but the scale of
trades was different here. It looked like a small market!!

There were even small kiosks and shops! While these seemed to be easy to build, was
it really worth it? Well it seemed like it, everyone had more than enough time to
properly examine goods because of how slow the line queue went, so I guess it’s fine.

Many of them were selling what looked like good old ekiben (packed breakfasts
usually sold in train stations) from my native Japan, although there were probably
things I weren’t used to in these, Fran might want one of these?
After four hours of waiting, we were finally able to get into the capital

Unlike what happened in Urmut and Bestia, there weren’t any conflicts with other
adventurers here, which is a good thing.

Our first order of business was to go to the guild. Barbra’s guild head wrote us a
recommendation letter to show to the guild master of the capital.

As we walked in the city, we could see a lot of ancient looking building, considering
that this city was more than a thousand years old, I guess It is not that surprising. The
alley we walked along was narrow and lined with rows of black buildings. These
seemed to have been built without observing any kind of planned layout, making the
city into a sort of giant maze.

The only reason why I am having these reflections at this time is that we’re totally lost.

“We should have stayed on the avenue instead of trying to take a shortcut”, I sighed.

- Do we jump up? (Fran)

“This is the capital, we don’t know anyone and people might not know us, so let’s not
draw too much attention. Let’s try and look for the main street.”

- Got it. (Fran)

The outer arts of the city, along the fortress walls looked new and orderly, which was
not the case for the part we were located in. The part we’re in dates back to a time
where the city was expanding extremely quickly and as such, no planning was done.

As we walked along, we passed through underground passages, tunnels going through

buildings, etc… This little adventure got both Fran and Urushi in a good mood

This place would be quite terrifying to go through if it was deserted, it would be a

perfect ghost town… if the place was deserted that is.

Cheapt taverns, public canteens as well as a bunch of other suspicious establishments

could be seen everywhere. Because of this we could see drunks and flirtatious women
anywhere we looked… This was definitely not a good place to live in, you could feel
the chaos just by being there.

Surprisingly though, Fran seemed to like this atmostphere. Well I guess she doesn’t
have anything against this kind of lively atmosphere, she was walking along in high
spirits despite the fact that we were lost.

Of course, being in this environment and looking like Fran does, you get lots of people
sizing you up. Fran simply ignored them all as well the presence we could feel in our
back. Given how poorly he can hide his presence, he was simply not our opponent.

Sensing that he was discovered, it seems he tried in vain to hide his presence again,
but he was simply not able to. Recognizing this fact, he gave up. A small fry but an
intelligent one, I guess.

“We’re really completely lost aren’t we?” I said.

Everything was so densily built that we couldn’t even see any landmarks, like the
palace, to try and orient ourselves. Fran has a skill called “Direction sense” but
considering how many dead ends we ran into, it doesn’t seem particularly useful

- We need to ask for directions. (Fran)

“Yeah, it seems we have no choice on the matter. ” (Master)

Now the only question is where to ask, do we ask someone in one of the establishments
along the road?

Before I could arrive to a conclusion, Fran did an 180 and went the opposite way of
the way we were going.

“Fran, what are you doing?” (Master)

- I know the way. (Fran)

I didn't even have time to ask who she was going to ask for information that she came
up the guy who was tracing us earlier.

- Excuse me, where do I need to go to get to the Adventurer's Guild? (Fran)

- How the hell did you notice me? (young man)

The voice belonged to a young man who had followed Fran's trail for almost half an
hour. Probably one of the locals. He looked surprised but did he really hope to go
unnoticed?

I don't think he was following Fran, or anything like that. If the goal was surveillance,
then he would carefully hide his presence and move heels very carefully. Because of
this fact Fran's instincts did not find him to be hostile. Or at least, he was not
considered an enemy worthy of attention.

“I want to join the Adventurer's Guild. (Fran)

- Huh? What are you talking about? (young man)

I thought the young man would rebuke her, but he remained surprisingly calm. Fran
might look weak at first glance, but the sword on her back as well as her ability to
sense someone’s presence hinted at her strength. Well, the fact that Urushi was
besides her also helped.

- Of course, it wouldn’t be hard for me to tell the way, but how much are you… (young
man)

- Hey, wait a sec! (grown man)

As the youg man in front of us we going to ask us for payment, a greedy grin on his face,
another man interrupted him mid-sentence. This one seemed way more experienced,
his piercing gaze seemed to look through everything

He joined the young man in tracing us after him and was actually pretty good at it from
the way he talked us. He should be comparable to an adventurer skilled in terrain
recognition.

Fran did also recognize that this man was not one to be underestimated but he did not
seem to have anything to do with us, his gaze was directed at the you man before us.
- Kalk-san, what are you doing? (men)

- Don't mess with this girl. (Kalk)

- Why are you saying that? I just wanted to sell her information, that's all. (young man)

Unsurprisingly, the young man made a displeased face upon hearing such words from
the man he named Kalk. He might think that he was trying to take his “prey” away
from him.

“Just don't mess with her. (Kalk)

- What are you talking about? (men)

- It’s not your damn business! Get out of here, quickly! (Kalk)

- Fine… (men)

Kalk’s menacing expression forced the young man to leave. Just Before leaving, he
glanced at Fran again, only to be kicked by KalK.

He was sent face first into a wall and crashed to the ground. It seems he didn’t expect
to receive such a beating. His face was now full of fear

- I told you to go as calmly as possible but I do not mind sending you away in a bag if
you keep this up, disappear right now!!(Kalk)

- Iii… I’m Sorry! ( youg man )

The man he stumbled and ran away, terrified. Kalk then stopped and bowed his head
low in front of us.

- I apologize. He's just a fool who has no idea about the difference between his and
your strength. Will you be so generous as to forgive him? (Kalk)

- Nn? (Fran)

“I didn't mean to make you angry. Anyway, you wanted to find the way to the
Adventurer's Guild, right? (Kalk)
- Yeah. Will you me show the way? (Fran)

- Yes. Please follow me. (Kalk)

It looks like he decided to show us the way personally.

- why not just tell how to go to the guild? (Fran)

- I have to be your guide. This kind of fool are everywhere and I do not want to imagine
how this place would look like if one were to start a fight with you. (Kalk)

Kalk muttered these worth without hiding his fear. It seems that man was good at
assessing other people’s strength and his skill “Eye of frailty” was the cause. It seems
it allows him to know exactly how strong someone else is relative to him. In this case
Fran must look like an absolute monster.

If any of these fools ended up in a fight with her, they would very much regret it for
the short time they’d be able to and there’s no telling the amount of destruction that
might bring. It seems that’s what this man fears most.

Whatever the reason, Kalc did not lie when he said he was going to deceive us himself.
He seems to have a good understanding of these places, so we should rely on him.

- i see. Let's go.( Kalc)

- Please this way (Master )

Following Kalc, we soon found ourselves on the main street. Instead of leading us
further, to places where he doesn’t have any allies, he bowed deeply to Fran for the
last time and left. Looks like he was afraid of Fran.

We then went out to the main street, and after 10 minutes of walking, the Adventurers
Guild’s sign appeared.

“Finally, we have arrived. Surprisingly, the building isn’t very large.” (Master)

“Smaller than Balbor.” (Fran)

Judging by the size of the capital, I was expecting to see a correspondingly large guild
building, but, it was almost half as large as expected. Well, of course it was larger than
Alyssa and Ulmutt, but nevertheless, we expected it to be larger.

“Well, anyway, let's go in.” (Master)

“Nn.” (Fran)

Although the guild lost in size to Balbor, there was no doubt that this was the capital’s
guild. The atmosphere inside was pretty heavy.

Although the building was made up of huge, rough-hewn boulders, the interior was
decorated with huge embroidered tapestries with the guild emblem, scarlet carpets,
and the wood of the reception desk had taken on a beautiful hue over the years.
Everything around looked elegant and graceful. A good description of the atmosphere
of the guild would be that the weight of its history could easily be felt.

Rather than the luxury resort style of the Balbor Guild, the guild was more like an old
high society hotel.

The racks seem to have been split depending on the purpose. There was no guide here,
just like in the Balbor guild, but all the necessary information was clearly written on
the board.

First of all, we decided to line up to the stand for ranks C and D. Behind it was a huge
man like a bear.

Glancing at Fran, he said:

“Girl, what’s your rank?” (Adventurer)

“Nn? C.” (Fran)

“I see.” (Adventurer)

Fran took out her adventurer card, which seemed to convince the man. He likely didn’t
assume that it was fake. Chances are, rather than being able to feel Fran’s true power,
he just didn’t want to burden himself with unnecessary trouble, as the staff would
certainly be able to distinguish a fake from the a real card. Besides, I think he could at
least feel that Fran is not weak.

However, there were also those whom Fran could not convince. Nearby there was a
line for F Ranks and G Ranks. It seemed that for them, dreaming of this cherished
middle rank, it was unpleasant to see such a little girl in line. The F Ranks, specifically
the ones who had recently become adventurers, were murmuring a lot about Fran. It
was clear from what they were saying that they were ready to brawl with Fran.

And then came the understanding voice of a strong-looking aunt, standing next to the
counter for ranks A and B. Even as a compliment, I could not say that in her youth she
was a beauty.

It may sound rude, but I was surprised that such a large guild could not find a pretty
girl to work at the counter.

However, after looking closely, it became clear why she was entrusted with such a
position. She was very strong. As strong as all those outraged F-rank adventurers
combined, and could have dealt with them all easily. She may have been an adventurer
herself before. Considering the peculiarities of high-ranking adventurers, I had no
doubt that strong people were chosen first before all else for the role of service
personnel.

“Girl, are you, by any chance, the Black Lightning Princess, the one with so many
rumours?” (Aunt)

“Nn.” (Fran)

Apparently, hearing the name "Black Lightning Princess", the crowd of adventurers
began to rustle. Well, well, almost none of them believed it.

“I see, then you can come over here.” (Aunt)

“Really?” (Fran)

“Yes, you’re only 12 years old, and already in rank C. In addition, you also became the
star of the Martial Arts Tournament, defeating the former A Rank Adventurer, and
even the current A Rank. You are undoubtedly. So, I have nothing against you queuing
in the A rank line.” (Aunt)

“Nn.” (Fran)

Apparently, this woman was special in the capital's guild. When Fran confirmed her
pseudonym, and this aunt willingly believed her, the adventurers around didn’t mind.
Maybe they still had doubts, but the atmosphere was such that no one wanted to
contradict this woman.

“Welcome.” (Aunt)

“Nn. My name is Fran, a C rank adventurer.” (Fran)

“My name is Steria.” (Aunt → Steria)

“Aunt Steria.” (Fran)

Hey hey, be careful with what you call people!

“Nn, Master?” (Fran)

“No, no, it’s nothing. Just thought it would be nice to bake some cookies just in case.”
(Master)

“???” (Fran)
We spoke to Steria about the case. To begin with, Fran passed on a letter of introduction
from Gamudo, the head of the Balbor Guild.

“I want to take part in the auction. Here's a letter of recommendation.” (Fran)

“Hm? Can I take a look?” (Steria)

“Nn.” (Fran)

Steria opened the letter and confirmed its contents. It looks like he wrote that he
would like Fran to be provided the maximum assistance in everything she needs.

And it also seems that the seal next to the signature was there for a reason. I felt the
magic emanating from her before, but now Steria herself brought some kind of crystal
from this seal.

“Yes, this isn’t a forgery. A letter from Mr. Gamudo himself, incredible.” (Steria)

“Do you know Gamudo?” (Fran)

“Why do you call Mister Gamudo so familiarly… Listen, he's the same Gamudo, that
known as the “Dragon Slayer”!” (Steria)

“I know.” (Fran)

“You don't know anything! In my time, they were the legendary team: the “Dragon
Slayer”: Lord Gamudo; the “Dragon Hunter”: Mr. Fermus; the “Dragon Crusher”: Mr.
Diaz; and the “Dragon Catcher”: Mr. Eyvis. (Steria)

Steria spoke so quickly that we barely heard anything. But it seems that when she was
a rookie there was a team of A-rank adventurers with Gamudo in the lineup, and she
respected them a lot.

They rode around the world like a party of dragon slayers. We’ve already seen how
powerful Gamudo and Fermus are, but now it looks like my assessment of Diaz was
also correct. Considering that they had another comrade who was at least equal to
them, I could easily believe that such a party could hunt dragons. Of course, everything
depends on the threat level and type of the particular dragon.

However, this party split up 5 years after its formation. Diaz first took over as the head
of the guild in Ulmutt, and was forced to leave the party. Then there were disagreements
between the magician Eyvis and the rest of the team, and it seems that these feuds
caused the collapse.

I have a feeling that I already heard the name of Eyvis when after the Martial Arts
Tournament, some shady guys tried to lure Fran to a Magicians Guild. Yes I remember
now, the "Guild of Eyvis Mages". Although they say that this guild is something like an
underground organization, but from the name it is clear that its creator is this very
Eyvis.

Perhaps the reason Fermus is so surprisingly familiar with this organization is that it
was founded by his former comrade. Furthermore, The source of Diaz’s hostility
towards the guild must be because Eyvis was the one who caused the tensions that
broke the party

It looks like Eyvis is a mage specializing in ice magic and poison magic. Not that I
wanted to meet him, but if we happen to meet him, then we must bear in mind these
two schools of magic.

“Oh… it seems we got a bit carried away talking about this.” (Steria)

She said that we got carried away, although only she’s been speaking. Fran didn’t say
anything besides her usual “Nn”. Although, it seemed she was glad that she spoke out.
Steria gathered her courage again.

“In general, I do not have the authority to do as I want, so I need to call the boss. Can
you sit down somewhere on a chair and wait while I get them?” (Steria)

“Nn.” (Fran)

When Steria left her place, the adventurers didn’t take their eyes off of Fran. But they
seemed to remotely sense her power, so they didn't say anything. Until they start
bothering us, let them watch as long as they want.

“So, do you want a tea break?” (Master)

“Nn” (Fran)

Fran took tea and a snack from the Spatial Vault.

“Hmm? I said "tea break" right?” (Master)

“Nn” (Fran)

No, she definitely took out some tea. Black tea, to be exact. But why is the table also
bursting with food? Actually no, this makes sense. This is just her idea of a tea break.

I have nothing against pancakes, cookies and pies. It looks like these fries, along with
curry, were Fran's favorite treats. Since we are talking about an appetizer for black tea,
then it will not do without mitarashi dango and daifuku. And, of course, a steak, as a
tribute to the traditions of the half-beast people.

“Also, how about curry, fried rice and boiled rice? That sounds like a full meal, doesn’t it?
Although there’s a bit too much rice…” (Master)

“Yummy.” (Fran)

“Fran, will you make sure to eat some salad?” (Master)

“Nn. I will.” (Fran)

I must make sure she learns to always eat a healthy diet.

It’s been 10 minutes already since Steria left to report to the guild Master

“Crunch, munch, crunch”…(Fran)

“Uhhh, maybe I just missed something but how did this place turn into a dining room?”
(Master)

“Crunch, munch, crunch”…(Fran)

A woman came up to the table where Fran was having her so called “tea break”. She ‘s
someone you could call a cold beauty and had an intelligent look on her face. Her blue
hair was styled into a tall hairstyle to complete her strong woman image. She looked
just like a secretary in some big company.

She appeared shocked by Fran’s behavior. She seemed very unhappy, no shadow of a
smile could be seen on her face

She appeared to be about 20 years old? But from her features it was clear she wasn’t
human, so determining her age based on human standards is probably wrong. Her
pupils were green and her eye sclera were black, the same features as the half insect
alchemist we met in Balbor. Although, he had an antenna, this woman didn’t. She
probably belonged to a different race.

She clearly knew how fight and seemed like an influential person. Fran only noticed
her until she got close enough because she was too focused on her food… that and she
showed no hostility

- Nn? Who are you? (Fran)

“You are the Princess of Black Lightning, right? I'm the guild master.” (guild master)

So she was the guild master huh? After introducing herself, she sat in a chair facing
Fran and reached out of for the cookies, which Fran didn’t stop.
She was watching her movement closely though. Cookies were fine, but If she ended
up trying to take some curry or pancakes, Fran would see it as a threat and I’d have to
calm Fran down immediately If something like this were to happen. Considering she
still had little control over her skills, if she ended up using “sword God transformation”
here, most likely everyone in here would die.

“Crunch, munch, crunch… my name is…” (Fran)

“no need to talk with full mouth “. (Guild master)

“Nn.” (Fran)

I did not expect such a kind tone from her. Maybe she just naturally looks scary?
Having finished her food, Fran introduced herself again.

“I’m Fran, C rank adventurer.” (Fran)

“I am the head of the Capital’s Adventurers Guild, Eliane.” (Eliane)

“Nn.” (Fran)

“Actually, I was hoping that we could talk in my office.” (Eliane)

The guild master is inviting us in her office to tend to us personally? She is easy-going,
isn’t she?

“There’s no choice. At present, the guild staff is busy preparing for the auction, so there
are no free hands at all. Steria, who is the only one here that’s qualified to tend to you
cannot go anywhere because she may need to deal with a high-ranking client. (Eliane)

Eliante said this while looking at Fran's meal.

“Even I am very short on time…” (Eliane)

“Sorry. I’ll finish quickly.” (Fran)

“Oh, it’s okay. You don't have to rush.” (Eliane)

“Munch Munch” (Fran)

Is she really that kind? Her face is really scary but I guess that’s just how it is. She was
now eating the cookies relaxedly, leaning on her elbows.

20 minutes passed in this relaxing and easy-going atmosphere before Eliane took Fran
in her office so they could talk.

When we arrived, I was baffled. Documents were piling up everywhere, clothes were
scattered about… it was a mess. Way to go about shattering the image of the “strong
woman” that she has. Even moving is hard in this room. I guess it’s become so normal
for her that she doesn’t even notice anymore but Jesus, pls at least make a path!

“I want to participate in an auction.” (Fran)

“As a seller? A Buyer? Both?” (Eliane)

“I want to take part in the weapon auction.” (Fran)

“I see… I don't think you will find any better equipment than the one you are wearing
now, but there are no problems with this.” (Eliane)

“Also wanna buy magic stones.” (Fran)

“there is no problem with that either, although, the auction for magic stones seem to
be. Do you know how an auction works?” (Eliane)

“do not know.” (Fran)

Eliane nodded and began telling Fran about the way auctions worked here.

First of all, there are many types of auctions, each specializing in a different kind of
item. Nothing other than weapons and armor can be exhibited at an arms auction and
all armor and weapons must be clearly displayed to explain the characteristics of an
item to potential buyers.

It seems that this is because there are also dangerous items at the auction, such as
cursed ones and others with unknown abilities. Indeed, if an demonic weapon with a
dangerous ability was bought unknowingly, the entire capital might be thrown into
chaos. Both sellers and buyers are closely monitored as well to prevent anyone from
going wild.
With these rules in place, after going through appraisal, almost all items can be sold
at the appropriate auction.

The only exception is for items brought on the day of the auction. There is a separate
auction for these, they have to pass through a strict examination and if they look even
slightly suspicious, an item will not auctioned. Because of this, high level artifacts as
well as unknown items that are difficult to evaluate are almost impossible to see int
this particular auction.

“To participate, you have to go through various procedures”. (Elianne)

“Procedures?“ (Fran)

“Indeed. Identity identification, criminal history, everything like that. Weapons, armor,
and magic stones especially can easily be associated with crimes, although it is
relatively easy for adventurers to qualify for participation. It should not be difficult for
us to issue an identity card for you to participate in all auctions on behalf of the guild.”
(Eliane)

“possible?” (Fran)

“If something happens, then the responsibility will be on Gamudo, who wrote the
letter of recommendation.” (Eliane)

This means that inappropriate behavior could bring problems to Gamudo.

“Besides, even without taking into account all these recommendations from Gamudo,
I would like to forge a good relationship with you.” (Eliane)

As she said this, Eliante smiled slyly. It looked like she was plotting something, a
mischievous grin plastered on her face.

“Haha. Don’t be nervous, there are not many women among high-ranking adventurers.
Not to mention someone as talented as you. Not that there aren’t any women, but the
adventurer's world mostly being dominated by men is a fact. Almost all guild masters
are men. When I decided to become the head of the capital's guild, some folks made
all sorts of protests. Up until I shut them all up, that is. (Eliane)

So she wants to make friends with women who share the same profession as her then?
It’s pretty natural. The vast majority of high-level adventure are indeed men. Dzyan,
the Beast King, Arslars, Forud, Colbert. The guild masters we know as well as former
high-level adventurers are all male too: Krimt, Gamudo, Diaz, Fermus.

Among women of high rank, I can only remember Amanda and Eliane. Mea and Kiara,
if they were adventurers, would also be of such a high rank. Elsa… let’s just say she’s a
man.

“Because of this idiot Serudio, the number of female guild master has decreased
significantly, therefore, I accept any active adventurer like you with open arms.” (Eliane)

Diaz indeed talked about these female guild leaders that were accused of using
seduction to get to their positions and were fired as a result.

“If you have any problems in the capital, don’t hesitate to come to me for advice.”
(Eliane)

“Nn, I understand.” (Fran)

Although she was calculating, that’s just par for the course for someone so high up in
rank, there was no doubt that she was genuinely worried about Fran.

“I would not want such a promising adventurer to be troubled by any problems. The
capital is full of aristocratic fools. Marquis Ashton and Baron Holmes especially, will
pay for their crimes on the chopping block…” (Eliane)

What horrible things she’s uttering! She also spoke about Marquis Ashton, the house
from which the fool who tried to equip me was from. It seems, he managed to annoy
the whole adventurer’s guild. Using “Deception Control”, I found her words to be true,
she really wants their heads to be put on pikes!

“Understood? Come to me If there is anything. Got it?” (Eliane)

Since how much she’s amphasizing that point, she probably expects problems to arise.
I’m not too happy about it but given Fran’s reputation, it’s not too far fetched. There
has already almost been a problem and her serious tone indicates that it probably
won’t be the last.

As such, If something happens we really should not hesitate to rely on her.

Eliane moved on to different types of auctions.

“Are you only interested in armor, weapons and magic stones?” (Eliane )

“What other types of auctions are there?” (Fran)

“Thinking about it, you might be interested in the demonic beasts materials auction,
the cooking one and the magical artifacts one? (Eliante)

“cooking auction?” (Fran)

I thought she would react to it. It seems that Eliane is quickly understanding Fran.
With an amused smile, she nodded.

“Yes. Most ingredients are sold there. There is not only magical beast meat but also
rare ingredients, like ghost mushrooms, magical vegetables and other such rarities.
All of those are not found on the regular market,” (Eliane)

“Nn, got it.” (Fran)

“Besides, you can also exhibit recipes and culinary secrets there.” (Eliane)

In short, anything related to cooking is exhibited there. We really should go if we have

the time.

“Dishes are almost never seen in this auction though.” (Eliane)

“No need, can cook them myself.” (Fran)

“Oh, you know cooking?” (Eliante)

“Nn.” (Fran)
- Oh really… Maybe she should teach me.” (Eliane)

Seemingly nervous Eliane muttered those words. She probably didn't know how to
cook at all and given the state of this room, I wouldn’t say it’s surprising.

There were more auctions of course, arts, real estate, clothing, jewelry… But of course,
Fran didn’t care about those at all. A particular one however…

“Slave auction?” (Fran)

“Indeed, the only slaves exhibited in this auction are criminals, are you interested”?
(Eliane)

“No!!!” (Fran)

“…Why do you look so frightened? (Eliane)

“Nevermind!” (Fran)

Of course, for Fran, the topic of slave trade is still heavy. She was not going to take part
in any form of slave trading

Her aversion for slave trading extends further than just illegal trading. It doesn’t matter
whether they fell into slavery because of debts or any form of crime. Fran simply hated
the concept of slavery.

For people who sold themselves as slaves or simply ended up as ones because of debts,
The situation still wasn’t too bad. Their basic rights as humen were well protected,
you could almost say they were slaves only because they were subjected to slave
magic.

They have salaries, food clothing and lodging. No form of abuse, sexual services or
coercion are allowed and the master might be severely punished for attempting to
command them to do these things. The master himself is also bound to the magic so
he cannot do break these rules. It’s more of a contract than slavery really, like
involuntary labor for governments back on earth, except you also get food, clothes and
an accommodation.

At best, the person is released after a month. no discrimination against debt slaves is
allowed. In some cases, useful skill can be even be learnt from doing this, so it seems
that a lot of people don’t consider being a debt slave to be too bad. It’s really just a
labor exchange isn’t it?

As far as the fate of people whose crimes are still somewhat light goes, the law still
prevents their masters from treating them cruelly, although they don’t have nearly as
much rights as debt slaves and are mostly used for dangerous or exhausting jobs, like
bodyguarding or any kind of heavy physical labor.

Sounds like involuntary 3K labor (Note. In Japan, this means "Hard, dirty, dangerous
work"). However, they still can eventually be released as long as their crimes aren’t
too heavy, so they still retain a certain amount of rights.

Both debt slaves as well as criminal slaves are bound by a contract of their own accord
as the slave contract cannot be activated without the consent of both parties.

For those who were enslaved for grave crimes, their fate is as one would expect.
Criminals sentenced to death all choose whether to be publicly executed or to be
bound to a slave contract. Those people are made to do basically whatever is wanted
of them except a few select things

Some end up as sex slaves, others end up in detachments, etc… I was interested in
learning about this system before when I first heard about it but since Fran couldn’t
bear this conversation, I didn’t know the exact details.

As for illegal slavery, anything goes. They’re forced to be bound to a contract through
torture and end up completely at the mercy of their master.

The punishment for illegal slave trading is extremely severe but the interest in illegal
slaves is very high, both to be used in crimes or to be sold to aristocrats.

For Fran, as a former illegal slave, this topic was very hard to bear. Sensing this Eliane
changed the subject.

“There is also an auction for familiars. Only trained ones can be displayed there and
you have a wolf familiar right? It might be interesting for you. Also, I didn’t see him
with you, is he not by your side today?” (Eliane)

“Urushi always by my side.” (Fran)

Urushi came out of Fran’s shadow at this moment.

“Woof!” (Urushi)

“This is… a Darkness wolf? I didn’t even know these could be tamed! He can actually
sink into shadows?? To have such a familiar as a bodyguard… He looks really strong,
although this size is somewhat problematic in this room.” (Eliane)

“Urushi can be small.” (Fran)

To demonstrate, Urushi shrank to a lower size.

“Woof!” (Urushi)

“Well, he’s a very unique individual isn’t he?” (Eliante)

It seems even Eliane couldn’t detect Urushi hiding in Fran’s shadow, his ability is just
as impressive as ever isn’t it?

Having received our ID for the auction, Eliane asked us where we would be sleeping.

“Fran, have you decided where you will spend the night today?” (Eliante)

“Not yet.“ (Fran)

“Can I recommend a good place to you then? It’s often used by high ranking adventurers”
(Eliane)

Looks like we might get our place for the night, the only question was about whether
Urishi could sleep with us.

"Urushi allowed?" (Fran)

“Yes, familiars are allowed in the hotel. There won’t be any problem if Urushi keeps
this size. (Eliane)

I see, great then. The auctions will be hosted in 2 weeks so we’ll be able to visit the
capital and gain information in the meantime.
It was our second day in the Capital.

We were standing in front of a large building. It looks like it was the building of the
capital's leading theater.

Although Eliante, for us, created a list of the 10 best attractions of the Capital,
suggested that we visit this theater, we politely declined.

Even under the most favorable conditions, Fran was unable to carefully look at the
theatrical performance, not to mention the fact that it seemed to be some kind of
snotty romantic performance, and even about love between young mens.

Since the title of the production was "The Sword of the Purple Rose", I thought it would
be something about fighting. I thought that if it was a colorful production with a lot of
action scenes, Fran could well have seen it, so in general terms we learned from Eliante
the duration and content of the production.

She said that the main theme of the movie is love, although all the characters are men.
What kind of romantic movie is this? And the "sword" in the title is that a dirty
euphemism?!

She was so carried away by her story that, without noticing it, she completely went
into the jungle of her hobbies. Fran probably only understood 20 percent of what she
said.

Eliante probably loved the aesthetic side of this kind of operas and theatrical
productions. When she talked about the beauty of the actors, she was already heavy
breathtaking. It's even creepy how local noble women go crazy about this production.

Indeed, when we are talking about cultural things, is it not worthwhile to understand
in advance where to draw the line between simple decline and decay?

I'm a bit of an otaku too, though. It's not that I can't understand such a culture. But
how can you advise such an innocent girl? At least I would not want Fran to
recommend that.

When she asked with excitement in her voice about other attractions, out of 10 places
5 turned out to be something in the same spirit.

This is the palace garden, which was used as a stage where Eliante's favorite
performances were played, and the cemetery of one princely family, whose lineage
was interrupted due to the homosexuality of one of its heads, and the house in which
the author of popular plays about same-sex love was born, and that's it. like that.

But in the other half of the list were places such as the Great Temple and the hill from
which the royal palace is clearly visible - in general, thanks to her for recommending
at least some normal places.

I was especially pleased with the giant building of the royal palace, which by its
appearance told the rest of the city "The right to sunlight? What is it?" Although no
one is allowed to live next to the palace except the high nobility, there is a corner where
aristocrats of lower rank live. This place is the worst of all, as it is in the shadow of the
royal palace all day. Nevertheless, it is a great honor to live near the palace, so there
are still a lot of people do so. One of the soldiers-patrolmen told us all this, not hiding
his disdain for the aristocratic vanity.

Well, let's finally come in(Master)

- Nn.(Fran

At the entrance of the hall, we presented a certificate of what they did for us in the
guild. At first glance, it looked like a simple metal plate, from the engraved pattern on
which one could understand the rank.

The certificate that was given to us was the 5th step, the second from the top in terms
of the degree of admission. It allowed you to participate in all auctions, but it forbade
you to take places specially prepared for large merchants, guild leaders, and so on.

As expected, it looks like noble visitor rooms are also not allowed.

(Auction of weapons and armor is open today, tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow
- three days)
- How many weapons.(Fran)

Fran was flipping through the catalog we bought earlier while exploring the city.

This catalog has been on sale for over a week, so it's no surprise that usually the
bidders arrived at the time when the items of interest were being displayed.

Spending the whole day at the auction from morning to evening, not being sure
whether the product you are interested in will be displayed here is not the most
efficient waste of time.

But in our case, there were no special products that we had our eye on. Our goal was
to visit the weapons and armor auction. So we were still in the dark about what kind
of items are being auctioned.

Of course, this does not mean that we did not look into the catalog at all. Gallus wrote
in his letter about the scabbard that he puts up for the auction of weapons and armor.
And his words sounded somehow suspicious.

I thought he was going to somehow contact us when this scabbard is put up for sale,
but…

The only problem is that there were several scabbards among the goods, and the time
of their putting up for sale was very different. We tried to find the signature of the
manufacturer of each of the scabbards or the name of the seller, but there was not a
word about this in the catalog.

Apparently, we will have to come to terms with the fact that we will not find out. There
that we decided to came to the auction in the morning.

We are of course entitled to special reserved seats, but (Master)

- What to do?(Fran)

-Hmm (Teacher

I don’t know how Gallus was going to contact us, but if he is here, it’s not a fact that he
will be able to go to special places. So it was better to take the usual place.

The question was whether Fran could sit in one place all this time.
-Can you handle it(Master

- Uh-huh!(Fran)

I don't know if her enthusiasm will last for a long time…

3 hours passed.

-Hey Fran, don't sleep. You’ll draw unnecessary attention(Master)

-… yeah.(Fran

(We may be kicked out)

-… yeah.( Fran)

Its useless. Its cant be helped, I will support her with telekinesis. I certainly
understand her. Different weapons and armor appeared again and again, one after
another. In addition, these were not only enchanted items, for example, they sold a
collection of one hundred ordinary swords, that is, there were many simple things.

Having somehow endured all this boredom, in the afternoon they began to display
special goods. As for those products that were registered after the catalog was printed,
no matter how unique and striking they are, it is not a fact that they will agree to put
them up for sale.

In fact, the first thing that was exposed was an ordinary long sword. It was said that
the engraving on its blade was done in a way that did not affect durability.

However, when I saw the next item, I involuntarily exclaimed.

Huh?… Hey Fran!Master

-… mmmm?(Fran)

I lightly shook Fran with telekinesis. We had to get ready to place a bet. Although a bet
can be made at a special place using a magic device, it cannot be done at a regular
place. As we were told before the start of the auction, for the bid you need to show the
sign with your fingers.
- And here is the scabbard for the long sword! Thanks to the parts of the demonic
beasts that were used in the manufacture, they are not only durable, but also able to
adapt the size to your needs!

The auctioneer brought a sword scabbard and put it on the stand. The scabbard was
made of brown leather. But when the words were said that they were fascinated by
the adjustment of the size, a noise arose in the hall.

In this world, people find valuable the ability of the scabbard to adapt to the size of
the sword. It's not the cheapest thing, but for an expensive scabbard put up for auction,
being enchanted with resizing magic was a matter of course.

Without it, no matter how wonderful the scabbard is, it will always be limited to only
one type of sword.

But that was not important for us. For some reason, it seemed to me that this scabbard
was very similar to the scabbard by Gallus, in which I was sitting now. And the default
size is the same. This scabbard is made exactly for me.

Finally, the auctioneer's voice, drowning out the voices of all the other participants,
loudly announced the signature on the scabbard.

- The creator of the scabbard is unknown! Signed - The Mentor's Scabbard! The
starting price is 10 thousand gold!(auctioneer)

Fran! We have to win the bid! (Master)

- Nn!
Aizen: TodsTL translation starts here

We tried to win the bid for the scabbard. but it was easy to win the bid. It's even
surprising because it was too easy.

After all by not having size adjustment makes it not popular. It seems the reason for
our opponent reason was they could re-use the monster material. But they immediately
withdrews when they saw we had the bid.

The winning bid is 30.000 Goldes. I didn't know the market price, but it wasn't a super
luxury item. The material used is not so expensive, and isn't it was only the scabbard
alone?

However, it is quite conspicuous. In the first place, it is out of place for a child like Fran
to be in a weapon auction, and i can feel a lot of gaze.

Isn't this looking bad? for Gallus to took such a roundabout way mean that he could
not make direct contact. Perhaps he was still under Marquis Ashtner surveillance or
is still in captivity.

No, since he was able to put up the bid, he must not be in captivity? However, i dont
think he is in a state where he can casually go in and out.

In the worst case, for Fran won the bid for the scabbard made by Gallus in this auction
has immediately revealed to Marquis Ashtner. And when they found out it was the
Black Lightning Princess involved in Serdio's death? They will keep an eye on us i
think.

[For the time being, lets win the bid after this]

“Why?”
[It's for distraction]

I don't think they can be deceived by only this…… Honestly there is something
interesting, and we can pretends that we was impulsive to win the scabbard.

So, we decided to win the bid for windbreak bracelet that appeared second in the
afternoon. It was an item that softens the wind when riding a horse. It would be usefull
when we ride Urushi.

However, it seems to be a surprisingly popular item, and it has compete with a

considerable number of competitor. But we have to show that we are serious, so we
can't fall back. In the end, it cost us 470.000 Goldes. We are quite rich now, after all
wasteful spending is moody.

[So, lets receive our winning bid, and return to our inn]

(Nn)

If you can immediately pay for the winning bid, you can receive it from that point. But,
it's a hassle to carry around a lot of money, so it's usually a form of paying at a latter
date.

Some fairly strong adventurer can be seen near the winning bid delivery counter,
which is watching as a security guard. It seems the security guard are pretty good at
it. Well, this is a big auction after all. Seeing Fran coming, he immediately increased
his vigilance, which shows his high ability.

Among adventurers, if they are at rank G to E, they won't sense Fran's ability at all.
Those who often try to pick a fight with us are usually around this rank.

When it comes to rank D and C, they maybe can sense something, even if they cannot
see through Fran abilities. In addition, there were many cautious adventurers that is
capable to some extent, and a few were actively trying to not get involved with Fran.

If they are ranked B or higher, by just only looking at Fran, they can already sense her
strength, and almost no one trying to pick a fight. Well, we may be spotted by battle
junkie instead.

Considering that, these security gurads ability was about rank C it seems. And it also
depends on their sensing ability, so it's not certain.
“Hey”

When Fran called out to the staff at the delivery counter, the guards tension reached
it's peak. On the contrary, the staff who did not have any fighting prowess seemed to
think she was a lost child. She replies to Fran with a carefree look.

You can see that the guards are irritated bye the staff carelessness.

“Yes, what can i do for you? This is the delivery counter for winning bid, so please ask
the person in charge at the entrance for guidance”

“Came to pick up the winning bid”

“That's! I beg your pardon. Then, can you show me your participation card”

“Nn”

When Fran gives the particioation card, she holds it over a crystal. That crystal
probably is a magic tool, and it seems, to hold various information.

The rest was easy. Pay the money normally and receive the goods. Most expensive
items are carried to their residences for crime prevention, and it seems that not many
people pay and receive at the counter. They usually assume that they will hand over
cheaper items at this counter.

The person in charge was pulling his face when he saw 500.000 Goldes piled up on
the counter casually

[Well, first let's go back to our inn]

(Nn)

We can't expect any contact from Gallus, and is there any message hidden in this
scabbard? When we returned to the inn room we examined the scabbard that we won
on the bid.

[There's no different part…]

“Nn”
[Do you want to compare it a little?]

We compared our winning bid scabbard with my original scabbard side by side

“……the same?”

Yes, as Fran says, they looked exactly the same. It seems that the size, the making, and
the color are exactly the same.

“woof?”

Urushi tried to sniff, but it seems he can't get anything from it.

We carefully compare the details. Lifting hitting, sensing magical power, and so on.

[……I can't get anything]

“Nnn”

But when i casually look inside the scabbard. That's where i noticed. The scabbard
looked exactly the same, but it actually has only one difference.

It's inside the scabbard. And it was just a single part. The thread used to sew the inside
of the tip of the scabbard was a red thread. The part of my scabbard that i originally
had was made of white thread. To be honest, no matter how much i looked at it, i
couldn't find any other difference other than there.

[For the time being, lets untie the thread]

“Nn”

[I-if you do it too hard like that it wi-…! I-i will do it my self!]

“Nn? Got it”

Instead of letting Fran forcefully pulling the thread, I'll take care of tbe thread my self.
It was sewn tightly without any gap, but i managed to do it after a few minutes.

[Ooh, can the leather inside the scabbard turned over a little?]
“Is there something?”

“woof”

[Oh, hey!, dont push me!]

I searched inside the scabbard while calming Fran and Urushi who are curious and
tried to take a look too. But i couldn't find any message which i expected.

[Hmm…… there's nothing in it…… Wait, something is written in the flipped place]

“What is written?”

[E-to, this scabbard, to be used by the strongest sword, wish for it to the God of
Wisdom]

Is this some kind of cipher?

“Master want to use it?”

[What do you mean?]

“The strongest sword is definitely Master! that's the only thing about it”

[That's why you want me to use it? No. Wait. God of Wisdom? not the God of
Blacksmith but Wisdom? Maybe it's about an intelligence weapon?]

As Fran says, this is without a doubt must be a message for me to use it. However, it
doesn't mean for me to actually using it. It should contain more ciphers that only us
know about it.

As i were thinking about the meaning of the cipher. Fran immediately put me in the
scabbard right away. The front part of the scabbard is partially destroyed so it is more
comfortable to get in.

The unraveled tip was a little stiff, and a little metal hits the base of the blade. I didn't
know how it looked, but it seems that the metal fittings that fasten the back strap are
slightly larger than my previous scabbard. So, even Gallus make a mistake like this
huh.
No, wait. Will a blacksmith like Gallus make such a mistake? In other words, is this on
purpose?

[Fran, take a look at the metal fittings]

“Nn!”

When i examined it, i found that the metal on the back side of the metal fittings was
slightly different from my previous scabbard. A yellowish soft metal is used. It's just
glued together and might peel off if you put some effort to peel it.

I carefully peel off the joints of the metal fittings. And then, some characters were
written on the inside of the metal. It can't be, is it really meant for me.

[E-to, a mansion with a war maiden glared at by a scorpion lion?]

“More ciphers?”
We reconfirm the text hidden in the bid winning scabbard.

[A mansion with a war maiden glared at by a scorpion lion……]

I'm sorry Gallus, i disassembled the scabbard as much as possible to see if there were
any other hidden cipher. I loosen all the parts that could be loosen, and tried to remove
all the parts that could be removed…… but, no more hidden ciphers left were found.

In other words, are you trapped in the mansion in this ciphers?

[Fran, can you understand what it means?]

“Nn!”

[Eh? Seriously!?]

“Find a mansion with a valkyrie glared at by a manticore! If it's a demon beast, we can
find it with Urushi's nose”

Yeah, it's not like i didn't know. As Fran says, the scorpion lion is a Manticore. The war
maiden is definitely Valkyrie. We have fought both in the Beastman Country. Well, i
don't think it points to the real thing. In the first place, there is no reason for such a
high-ranked demon beast is in the royal capital. It's going to be a big fuss. When it
comes to that, i think that was a metaphor……

If it's a hint to get us looking for it, it's likely to be surprisingly easy to understand. No,
why did he make it a cipher in the first place?

[That may be true…… but why did he entrust us with such a roundabout cipher]

It should be fine if he write more specific, maybe about the mansion of Marquis
Asthner or more concretly. Or maybe this is already specific?
Are manticore and valkyrie really somewhere in the royal capital? No, it shouldn't be.
When it comes to it, maybe it's a statue or a painting of a scorpion lion. Or is it a home
ornament?

Maybe when he were confined somewhere, on the outside he can see a valkyrie glared
at by a scorpion lion. Or an noble mansion with such anecdotes?

TL NOTE: They sometimes changes between using "sasori shishi" (scorpion lion) and
"mantikoa" (manticore). "sen'otome" (war maiden) and "baarukiri-" (valkyrie)

If that's the case, this may not be a cipher or metaphor, but simply a hint of where he
were being confined.

[For the time being, lets look for a war maiden who were glared at by a scorpion lion]

“Nn!”

[If we go near Gallus, he might get caught in Urushi's nose, can we count on you?]

“woof!”

On the night of the day when we received hint from Gallus.

We came to the Adventurer's Guild. To talk to guild master Eliante, our only acquintance
in the royal capital. It's easier to move after gathering information first rather than
blindly looking for a scorpion lion without any information.

“Welcome. do you need something?”

When we sent to the officem Eliante was looking tired while being burried in a pile of
documents. It's not a lie when she said she wasn't free the other day. She call us out
without raising her face, maybe she know it was Fran without even looking.

“I have something to ask”

“Something to ask?”

“Nn, looking for a mansion with a war maiden glared at by a scorpion lion”

“Huh?”
So Eliante looked at us for the first time. There is confused expression on that face.

“Scorpion lion and…… what is it the other thing?”

“A mansion with a valkyrie glared at by a scorpion lion. You didn't know?”

“What do you mean? I don't think there's anyone in the royal capital who has manticore”

Eliante tilt her head at Fran's word that it seems doesn't make sense. It would be quick
if i could speak, but it's impossible. But somehow, i managed to get Fran to explain it
over time. Of course, without bringing up Gallus name.

Eliante was irritated at first, but she managed to listen to the end.

“In other words, there is an acquintance you were looking for in that mansion. And
you are worried because you can't get in touch with him?”

“Nn”

“But isn't it just a hint……”

“Don't know?”

“I'm sorry, i'll let you know if i can find anything”

“Onegai”

It can not be helped. Lets steadily look for him at the royal capital…… But, Eliante was
strangely hostile to the Marquis Asthner. Maybe we can work together?

“Hey, does Eliante dislike Marquis Asthner?”

“Suddenly asking that, but yeah… if you ask me if i don't like them, I hate them”

“What would you do if I could make a blow to Marquis Ashtner?”

“Hoho? If there is really such a way to do that, I'll definitely cooperate, right?”

It seems what she said is true that she dislike Marquis Ashtner. For going that far, is it
okay to declare you hate them?
“Even if they becomes hostile?”

“Hmmh. At this stage. how much do you think they're abusing their power under their
political hat. I'm against them, it's like they're already hostile to begin with”

It seems to be a deeper problem than we thought. The Adventurer's Guild is not under
national control, but it can't be independent and ignored the ruler of each region.
Especially in the royal capital where the power of aristocrats is strong.

“If you really can blow that idiot of marquis…… No, it's enough to be able to harass
them! I'll help you with anything!”

Said Eliante venting her excess stress with a Bang of her fist on the table.

“Ah! it's not like it”

The momentum destroyed the pile of documents. Is it our fault? No, it destroyed it self.

However, if that is the case, it wouldn't be a problem to talk about our own purpose.

Therefore, it's very likely that Gallus was confined by Marquis Ashtner. We told Eliante
that this was a message from Gallus. Then she squints her black eyes and grins a
ferocious smile. **

“In other words, if we can find a place that mathces this riddled sentence, we might
uncover the wrongdoing of Marquis Ashtner, right?”

“Nn”

“I get it, I'll do my best to help. You can also find that place from here as well. And of
course, all information about Fran will be hidden so rest assured.”

All right, with this we now have the Adventurer's Guild on our back. We'll get far more
information than we can look for alone.

Later, Eliante was able to tell us some mansion locations associated with Marquis
Ashtner. First of all, Let's go to check there.

“Thank you”
“Not a problem”

“Then, i'm going”

As Fran, who was about to leave the room and thanked her, Eliante remembered
something.

“Oh yes, one piece of advice i want you to listen”

“What is it?”

“Recently, the security in the royal capital is not good. Many people are gathering
because of the auction, including bandits, murderer, and criminal organisation”

The rich are gathering for the auctions, and cause of it, criminals are increasing.

“I understand. I'll crush them when i find it”

“No don't! rather the opposite!”

“Nnn?”

Eliante denied Fran's words. with her head down.

“If you go on rampage, the damage will be enormous. If you're not good at it, it's better
to overlook them”

I see, she said someting similar to Kalk, the guy we met in the back alley. In the case
for Eliante, she has information about Fran too, and she knows that Fran has her battle
junkie like personality. So i think she is worried.

“I understand”

“As long as you understand”

“I'll blow them away without destroying the surroundings”

“You don't have to blow them away! Can you seize them more peacefully?”

“I understand”
“Really?”

“Nn”

She looked at Fran with a lot of doubt

“……can i count on you?”

“Nn”

“Can I really really count on you?”

I'll be more careful too. I'm sorry if this only increased the work of Eliante who is looks
tired already.
After getting Eliante's help in the guild, we pretend to be sightseeing and looked at
places around the Adventurer's Guild. First of all, I thought about looking on nearby
place

But this aristocrat district was a favorite place where noble tends to gather. And we
stand out too much. So, we are going to sneak around at night. We have night vision
skill so darkness wouldn't be a problem.

[Stone statue, bronze statue. Banner in a painting. engraving on a relief. There's a lot
of possibilities]

“Nn”

[Urushi, if you can smells something related to Gallus, please tell us. It was the smell
that sticking to yesterday's scabbard, remember that?]

“woof woof!”

All that's left is to search by foot.

However, even after we kept walking since morning, we can't find what we were
looking for. In the first place, in this vast royal capital, relying only on a sentence of a
scorpion lion that we don't even know its shape is impossible.

[If it like this, it's going to take a long time]

(Ask someone who seems to know?)

[Even if we asked Eliante, she doesn't seems to know right]

(How about Kalk?)

Kalk. We certainly had an acquaintance other than Eliante. No, he's not really an
acquaintance, we only have met once after all. He has a face of a thug, and it seems he's
familiar with the back alley of the royal capital.

But i can't trust him, he too seems scared of Fran, and probably would help if asked.
However, he can also pretend to help us while leaking our information elsewhere.

I don't know how Gallus put the scabbard up for auction. In some cases, it's possible
that Marquis Ashtner already knows that we won the scabbard.

That alone is still suspicious. But what if Fran, who won the scabbard, finds what she
looking for? The ciphered message of a mansion with a war maiden glared at by a
scorpion lion and the one who own such a mansion. It certainly will lead us to Gallus.

If that happens, it will become trouble some. It will be clear that the Marquis are our
enemy.

But, Kalk's information network is certainly attractive. So i made up a plan.

[Well, I’ll just make a strong Doppelganger and make contact]

Without asking Fran, I make up my doppelganger to be a dubious looking man in plain

clothing.

[Yosh, isn't it looks good enough]

It's so-so in terms of its ability. Although far from reaching Fran, he can at least use
swordsmanship and have an average status of about 200. His ability is on par with
mid-level adventurer. With Urushi's nose, it will be easy to find Kalk.

Urushi then hides in the shadow of my doppelganger, and Fran followed him while
erasing her presence. I was also able to talk to Fran while moving my doppelganger
with split thinking.

(woof woof)

[This way]

We followed Urushi's instructions and passed through back alley. And then we arrived
at a bar with a tattered appearance that it's doubtful whether it is open for business.
If i haven't sensed the presence of person inside it, i would have thought it was an
abandoned building.

I push open the swing door, with just a little push the hinges started to make a creaking
noise, and then i steps into the bar. Their gaze turned at me all at once with their
unscrupulous gaze as if they were appraising me.

And then their expression immediately changed into a mockery. Because what i look
like now is a middle-aged man with a dull face dressed in plain clothes. and i doesn't
seems to ever trained and is unlikely to have special skill such as magic. These are
enough conditions to be looked down.

Well, it seems the person I’m looking for has a rather keen eye on me. I approached
the table where Kalk sits while slips through the men trying to trip me with their feet.

“Yo, are you Kalk-san?”

“Tsk, what do you want me to do”

Kalk frowns upon seeing me. But he doesn't try to escape

“Don’t be so cold to me. Someone told me that you can help me”

“……where did you came from. stop your unnecessary pretense”

There is no one else with me, but he seems to be thinking various thing.

“Oi, don't do anything”

Kalk's words weren't for me, it was for his subordinate behind me that thought i was
a nuisance and trying to get rid of me. Considering his man strength, he knows his
man isn't enough to beat me.

His man was surprised when he understood the meaning of his word. After all, he
thinks he is stronger than me. However, he seemed to be well educated as his
subordinate and did not complain. The reason is he know Kalk's eye are highly reliable.

“Lets use the back room, come.”

“No, here is fine.――Silence”

“So you are a magician”

Kalk's face becomes even more bitter. Probably because my doubtfulness has
increased. His man was surprised at the sudden disappearance of Kalk's voice. But
when Kalk's restrained him, he promptly sat back on his chair.

“With this they won't hear our voice”

“So what do you want me to do?”

It seems that he will at least listens quietly. Good

“There is a place I’m looking for. It's a mansion with a war maiden glared at by a
scorpion lion. Do you know?”

“Is it a cipher or something? I would like to meet someone who can understand it
already by only that”

“That's true, so please look for it. Also, secretly”

“Oioi…”

“This is a deposit. If you find it, I’ll give you three times of this”

“Hou”

I casually put 50.000 Goldes in front of Kalk. The color of his eyes changed in front of
the large amount of money.

“What's the deadline?”

“Tomorrow night, I’ll come here again”

“That's, will be tough”

“That's why it's this amount”

“……Don't expect too much from me”

“I expect much from you, see you later”

“O-oi……”

I grinned at Kalk while erasing doppelganger Infront of him. He seen his client
disappear like a smoke dispersing into thin air giving an eerie feel.

[Yoshi, with this i managed to get Kalk's help. Hopefully, we'll get information
tomorrow night]

“Nn”

[That being said, we'll continue to search on our own]

“I know”

“woof!”
The next night after we asked Eliante and Kalk to find the mansion.

[In the end, we couldn't find it on our own]

“Nn”

“woof”

We also looked around the noble district at night. However, even though there were
stone statues of dragon, reliefs of lion, and angels like statue made of bronze. We
couldn't find anything that matched the cipher.

It seems that Eliante couldn't get any remarkable information either, so she will
continue her search.

We couldn't find it on our own or in the Adventurer's Guild intelligence network. So

now we are relying on our last hope, Kalk.

(will he get any clue?)

[Well, even if it doesn't exist, at least we can narrow down our search range, right?]

With Kalk's information network, we can find out about downtown and entertainment
districts to some extend. So, even if Kalk couldn't get any useful information, we can
exclude this area from our search range.

[then, let's go]

“Nn”

I used my doppelganger skill to create my body split. According to Urushi's nose, Kalk
is already inside the bar.
I push open the cracking door and step into the bar. As expected, at once all of their
gaze turned to me. Perhaps, because they know i was talking with Kalk yesterday, so
no one seems underestimating me now.

Oh yeah, yesterday i dissolved my doppelganger into thin air. Seeing that, they may
consider me as an eerie person.

Today, no one trying to trip me with their feet, and no one is ridiculing me either.
Rather, they don’t want to get involved with me, so they opened my way.

[Yo, it's been yesterday]

“so you came huh? have you prepared the money?”

[is it mean, you have found it?]

“yea”

That's amazing! Even an organization like adventurer’s guild couldn't get any clue. It
seems we can't underestimate on Kalk information networks.

[Then, this is it]

“Are you really going to pay before hearing the information first?”

[Oh, I’m good at spotting lies, and you are not stupid enough to try to steal away this
money, are you?]

“hmmf”

It is unlikely for Kalk to try escape and steal the money. Either in the sense of him
losing his credibility and he also knows he can't escape from me.

Kalk snorts in an unamusing way, he probably doesn't like being insulted because they
have to put themselves in the line.

[――Silence, can you tell me right away?]

“Here”
[A paper? what's about these number?]

“It's the address of the mansion you are looking for. It's in the center of the noble
district. It's the villa of Count Olmes behind the mansion of marquis Ashtner. Opposite
the mansion of Count Bailleys”

[Ormes…]

“It used to be the residence of Viscount Lesseps, but it seems that he was crushed by
a scandal. Do you know? it's the concubine of marquis Ashtner”

Viscount of lesseps is, Serdio. The connection with Marquis Ashtner is perfect

“In front of Count Olme's villa, there is a stone statue of Manticore that faces the
garden of the villa, and the garden is decorated with a stone statue of a war maiden…
What do you think?”

It seems this information would be a hit.

[It's perfect. it saved me from looking for it]

“Even though I was forced to accept it, business is business. I'll do it perfectly”

[You have my gratitude]

As i thanked Kalk, i dissolved my doppelganger. The paper has been secretly handed
over to Urushi in the shadow. No, wait. Kalk's information network may be helpful
again. For the time being, i have to tell him in advance. We'll be bothering Kalk again.

[I'll come again when i have another thing to ask]

“Never come again”

[I'll make a best of you]

“Oi――”

I grinned lightly at Kalk who had an annoying look on his face while dissolving my
doppelganger
(Master, how is it?)

[I never thought i could get the information this good]

(Then?)

[Ou, I know where the mansion is located. However, even if i was told the address, i
don't know where the exact location is]

I was told it was behind Marquis Ashtner's mansion, but i don't even know where it is.

“woof!”

[You finally returned, Urushi]

Urushi has returned to Fran's shadow, we looks at the paper given by Kalk, but we still
can't understand it.

(Then, ask Eliante)

[You're right, that's the fastest way]

(Nn)

We decided to go straight to the Adventurer's Guild. It's still in the evening, i hope she's
still be there……

“Oh, Fran. What's wrong?”

It seems it was an unnecessary worry. Eliante, who looked exhausted due to excessive
work, welcomed Fran with a weak voice.

“Sorry, but i haven't received any information yet”

“Nn. That's okay, got information on my hand”

“Eh? did you find it on your own?”

“Wrong, talked to an information broker”

“What do you mean by information broker? I also asked information broker among
our adventurers. So you are saying you procured information faster that us?”

Eliante stopped her works and turned her gaze to us. She seems to have been very
surprised.

“Nn. Talked at the bar”

“By any chance, do you make a contact with the Thieves Guilds?”

From the shock, Eliante's eyes sharply narrowed. Did you just call it the Thieves Guild
now?

“Nn? Thieves Guild?”

“You didn't know? They are like an underground organization that active in this royal
capital”

“Don't know”

“Then, how did you find that bar? you won't find it if you randomly go inside any bar
to look for information broker”

Apparently, from Eliante's aura, the Adventurer's Guild and the Thieves Guild are not
in good terms. We should keep quiet about this.

However, we can't tell her about me, so we told her that Urushi remembered the smell
of the person we met in the back alley and went to see that person again, relying on
his nose.

“I see… If it's in the commercial district, is there someone you know?”

“Nn”

“I see, I’ll believe you. But you shouldn't get involved with them as much as possible”

According to Eliante, the Thieves Guild has been acquiesced as an evil organization. In
a big city like the royal capital, various people and criminals are wriggling behind it.
The royal capital would be in a mess if they were simply left unchecked. Only the
Thieves Guild could control those criminals to some extent.
Of course, acquiescence does not allow them everything and be overlooked. If the
Thieves Guild goes too far, the country will crack them down. It seems that they are
good at determining their limit line. Cause even if the soldiers are not deployed,
bounty will be given to members of the Thieves Guild.

In that case, it was natural for them to be incompatible with the adventurer's guild to
which those bounty hunters belong. I wonder will they get retaliation for catching a
member of the Thieves guild, but that doesn't seem to be a problem. It seems they
know that the Thieves Guild will also be crushed if they mess with the Adventurer's
Guild. Besides, in their world, it seemed the one who get captured were often said to
be idiots.

“Well, in the end, it's a group of criminals, their reserve, and their collaborator. It's not
going to be a problem if you are not good with them. But be careful?”

“Nn. Understand”

Fran did not come into direct contact with Kalk, so that wouldn't be a problem.

Rather than that, the location of the address is more important now. Fran tells Eliante
the address and the information that it is the villa of Count Olmes, behind the mansion
of Marquis Ashtner.

Apparently Eliante knows the place. With just that address, she seems to be able to
point the place to some extent, it seems Marquis Ashtner's Mansion are famous. She
drew a map on the spot.

“Here”

“Nn. Thanks”

“…you know, you are prohibited to make an enemy of noble. After confirming the
location, immediately come back at once. Never try to infiltrate alone”

“I understand”

As expected, we couldn't suddenly infiltrate into Count's mansion alone. We'll just
check the location first. However, Eliante looks uneasy.

“Do you really understand?”

“Nn”

“…Aah, you are worrying”

Fumu, should we ask what rumours Eliante has heard? It seems that she thinks Fran
was a wild kid that tends to rampage.

“It's fine, won't do anything stupid”

“Really really, right?”

As we left the Adventurer's Guild, we immediately went to Count Olmes's villa. We
erased our presence and look at the mansion from a distance.

(Master, that's its)

[I see, so that's a scorpion lion]

Fran is pointing to the gate pillar of the mansion in front of Count Olmes's villa.
Certainly, it was the mansion of Count Bailleys.

As expected, the gate of the residence of an aristocrat is quite large. The gate pillar
alone was over 10 meters high. And a majestic statue of a manticore set up on the top
was staring at the street as if protecting the gate.

If we follow that statue line of sight, it certainly seemed to be facing the villa of Count
Olmes. And then, it would be perfect if there was a valkyrie in front of that line of sight.

We can't look inside because of the high wall. I thought we can sneak in a little bit, but
it's too risky so i hesitated. This is because i could already feel the magic barriers even
from the outside. Moreover, its strength is mid rank. And it seems, Count Olmes's villa
has stronger barrier than Marquis Ashtner.

Fran was really eager to go. I stopped her with all of my might. No way, are your talk
with Eliante before was a lie…… That was close.

[…Let's take a look from the sky. I'm going for a while. So, don't move a step from there
will you?]

“Nn”

Fortunately, it's night. Even if i make some flashy move, i won't stand out. Even more
so if it's just me.
I moved to the sky by teleporting. I teleported a little higher because i have to take a
great care to not touch the barriers of the mansion. I can feel the barrier magical
power, it seems to have covered the mansion in a spherical shape.

While i were stationary in the sky. I turned my gaze to the garden of Count Olmes's
villa. I utilize all my skills to observe every corner of the garden, and i found it.

[There! It's the statue of a war maiden]

There was a stone statue of a war maiden installed on the center of a fountain. Dressed
in armor, and have the appearance of a maiden, there's no doubt about it. It also
coincides with the line of sight of the stone statue of manticore.

I have confirmed it, and i teleported to Fran again

[I'm back]

“Okaeri, how was it?”

[It's a bingo, this is the right place]

“Great”

But it is not possible to tell what's going on inside the mansion just by looking at it
from above. Of course, i can't even confirm where Gallus was.

[There's not much can be seen from the outside, but there are quite a few people inside]

“Nn”

By sensing the presence, it was clear that there were too many guards. Moreover, most
of the guard are facing inward rather than outside, as if they were guarding to prevent
something to escape.

[Urushi, can you smell him?]

(whimper…)

[No good huh]

(woof)

It seems the mansion also has a wind-type barrier. This may be blocking the sound
and smell.

(What will we do?)

[I hope i could locate where Gallus was confined]

We decided to walk around the Count's residence to find any clues. I can sense
considerable number of guards are patrolling the mansion. But they shouldn’t be
aware of us yet.

However, when we were walking around, Urushi reacted to something. He is eagerly

sniffing around our surroundings.

[Is it Gallus?]

“woof”

He is shaking his head, maybe it's something different.

(woof!)

Urushi started walking to lead us. What's more is he seems to be reminding us to erase
our presence with dark magic. We didn't mind our magic consumption, and we used
our magic and skills and went into covert mode. We are confident that even if we pass
in front of ordinary people, they won't notice us.

We followed Urushi while keeping our distance from Count Olmes's villa. From there
go through a back alley and follow the route around the main street that runs in front
of Marquis Ashtner mansion.

(woof)

Then, just before the exit of the back alley. Urushi suddenly stopped. Urushi slowly
puts his head out and looks at the street. We also followed Urushi and slowly looked
into the main street.

[That is, a vagrant huh?]

(woof!)

Urushi is staring across the street as seen from the alley we were lurking. There was
an entrance to an alley slightly closer to Marquis Ashtner mansion. There was a
vagrant wearing a large rag cloth. It's not uncommon for a big city like the royal capital.
In fact, we've seen a lot of them.

But it was unusual for one to be in the noble district, but it's in a blind spot in that
place. it's possible that patrolling guards may not even notice it.

However, after watching for a while, I noticed the strangeness of the vagrant.

[I can't feel his presence]

“Nn. That magical power is strange”

[……Are he used a skill to hide his presence]

It seems to be not your everyday vagrant. He is quite a talented person. At the very
least, the covert skill of his can be comparable with C rank adventurers.

[From there…… maybe he's monitoring Marquis Ashtner residence]

The vagrant's line of sight is facing the front gate of Marquis Ashtner residence.

Even so, Urushi can notice this vagrant from such a distance. Did he feel the faintness
and unnaturalness? When I was wondering so, the vagrant turned around. He goes
into the back alley. Did he notice us?

For the time being, we decided to follow after him while erasing our presence. We
didn't take the alley where the vagrant went in.

We used the alley next to it, and following him along while maintaining a certain
distance. Even if we lose sight of him, we can still find him with Urushi's nose.

And because of it, we were able to trail around without being noticed by the vagrant.
We continued to trail him through the alleys of this noble district.

Perhaps he didn't think he were being watched; he took off his robe he was wearing
from his head. It seems he stopped pretending to be a vagrant.
From under it, a surprisingly firm body emerges. He clearly has a trained muscle and
appearance of a warrior honed in combat. I felt that the man's ability was about C rank
scout, but it seems that was a mistake. Obviously, scouts are not his main job, but the
poise of those who live with battle.

But, his face was familiar. Why is he here?

(Colbert?)

[Yeah, without a doubt]

(woof!)

He is a B ranked adventurer who helped our stalls in Barbra, and we confronted him
as a strong opponent in the fighting tournament. A fighter who crushes a demon beast
with his fist. He is the Iron Claw Colbert.

Probably Urushi reacted because he remembered Colbert's smell. And also, because
we fought together hand-in-hand against Linford.

(What now? Call him?)

[…hmm, what to do?]

Although he is not a stranger, doesn't mean we are always an ally now. We should be
careful while we didn't know who hired him as an adventurer. I don't think he would
personally watch over Marquis Ashtner unless he has his own circumstance.
Colbert walks ahead of us. He was wary of the surroundings, but he wasn't hesitant
with his steps. He seems to have a clear destination.

We decided not to call out and continue to follow him.

If Colbert goes into a noble mansion or some kind of facility, we will ask Eliante or Kalk
what kind of place it is. If he went into an inn, we'll remember the place, and plan to
meet again under the guise of chance. The rest is to pull out the information well.
That's where it's difficult.

[Where is he heading?]

(Noble town?)

[That is so in that direction…]

Colbert didn't leave the noble district, but came to the northern section of the noble
district. This area is under the shadow of the royal castle, so there's not much light
during the day, and only lower-class aristocrats live in this area.

In the middle of it, Colbert enters a park with a lot of trees. There are other parks in
the royal capital, but the park in the noble district is truly gorgeous. This is probably
because it plays a role as a garden to be seen from the outside, not as a place for
relaxation as in the commoner district, but only for the scenery.

However, perhaps because it is in a place where there is less light during the day, it is
dull and gloomy. No flowers are in bloom, and the trees are too dense. At night, it looks
like a haunted place. If you didn't know anything, it wouldn't be strange to mistake it
for a cemetery.

[What is his objective?]

(Meet someone?)
There is no straight road in the park, and if you're in a hurry, you shouldn't use it. It
seems his purpose isn't just to going through it. As Fran expected, are he really going
to meet someone?

If so, i would like to know the identity of the other party. We will let Urushi remember
the smell, so we can tail it later.

We decided to follow Colbert and infiltrate the park. Colbert was walking straight in
the park for a while, but he suddenly stopped his steps.

He watched his surroundings, without much movement. We also stopped at a distance

and were observing Colbert…

[Ah!]

(Hmmh)

(woof!)

Colbert suddenly started running at full speed. Did he notice us? Moreover, while we
were surprised, a new presence appeared somewhere at slightly distant place.

At the same time as the presence appeared, something was thrown toward us. It seems
when he attacks, his camouflage decreased, and we can feel it.

I don't know what was thrown, but i instantly teleported above to avoid the attack
with dimension shift and used physical attack nullification in a hurry.

Shyuu― (sfx)

We teleported about 20 meters above the park and looked down. We could see a green
smoke fill the area around our spot before. It seems the think thrown at us was an item
that generate gas. It was obviously a poison.

He seems to be puzzled because our presence suddenly disappears. His ability as a

covert is considerably high, but he seems to have little experience in combat, because
you shouldn’t let your presence leaked every time you act.

It seems he was an acquaintance of Colbert, so it maybe bad to kill him.

[We'll hit him with lightning magic and then teleported behind him]

(understood)

[Urushi, hides and wait]

(woof!)

[Make sure you didn't kill him]

(Nn)

I and Fran fired stun bold in a row toward the spot where we spotted his presence. A
small figure emerges illuminated by pale lightning in the dark night.

We teleported, aiming at his back. It seems he took some damage, but he can still move.
However, he was blown away by the lightning bolt.

“――”

We have wind barriers as well as resistance to abnormal conditions, but Fran took a
deep breath and hold her breath just before teleporting. Maybe it was just her instinct.
If it's a super strong poison that even these two couldn't prevent, i don't think it's
enough with just holding your breath. It's better to take care of your eyes and skin.

Fran, whose mouth was inflated like a squirrel, tried to hit the figure with me still in
the scabbard, but when she was in the middle of it, she retreated swiftly.

“You dodged it huh?”

It can't be helped. In the place where Fran stood earlier, a jet-black spear created with
dark magic was stabbed the ground. It seems we have 2 opponents.

The new enemy who attacked Fran were overwhelmingly stronger than the previous
one. In the first place, his presence is quite thin even at this close. He seems to have
the appropriate covert skills and magic.

“Th-that saved me”

The one we engaged before called out to the dark magic user. He looks pretty young,
and as the appraisal says, he is 17 years old. And she was a girl.

She is a beauty who looks courageous, with her light blue hair tied up in a ponytail
that seems to reach her back if she unties it. She is wearing black leather equipment
like a kunoichi that appears in American Comics. It doesn't just help her to blend in
the dark, but it seems it has the ability to help blocking her presence in all of her
equipment.

(TLN: Kunoichi is a term for ninjas, but for female)

She holds her knife in her hand, and looks at me with a stern look.

At her young age, her combat prowess is quite high. But more than that, her ability as
a scout is considerably high. Moreover, she seems to know how to handle poison and
the type who can still fight with her hand tied.

Her name is Velmeria Bailleys. It seems by her name; she is related to count Bailleys.

The dark magic user was Frederick. He is 35 years old, but his calm aura makes him
look older. He is a handsome guy with black hair. His equipment is also black ninja-
like leather equipment.

Not only he has high-level skills such as sword sacred art and dark magic, but he also
has a wide range of resistance skills such as Mental Resistance: Lv 8, Fame Resistance:
Lv 5, and Storm Resistance: Lv 4. In addition, he possessed multiple unique skill such
as Evil Lure.

However, his status is quite low compared to his skill. Even so, his status was about
100 on average, so he is not a small fish.

I've seen the opposite before. It was a noble whose level has been carried only by
power levelling and medicine. However, this is my first time seeing a low status
despite having higher skill level.

If you look only at his skills, he is certainly ranked B or higher. However, his status is
about rank D. Maybe, he's not on his peak condition so he seemed to be weak.

Their race is also worrisome. Velmeria is a half-water dragonmen. Well, it seems there
is a race called dragonmen, and i wonder if she is a half of them. The problem is
Frederick's race. He was a half-evil dragonmen. I can't feel any evil, but is it a race
related to evil people?

Even with the same half-dragon races, Velmeria looks almost like human. However,
Frederick apparently has thicker Ryuujin blood in him.

He has reptile-like split eyes, and his right arm is covered with black scales. His left
arm is covered with a gauntlet so i don't know if it has scales too. No, it seems that is
not an arm with gauntlet, but a metal artificial hand.

“Be careful. This girl has immense skill”

“Yeah. I know. But how did she escape the poisonous gas and turn to attack me?”

“Maybe it's space-time magic, that's the only think to explain her movement”

“Space-time magic user… what a troublesome one”

This would be troublesome. Frederick's declining status doesn't mean that he lost his
experience and insight. As evidence, he found us out to be able to use space-time
magic. It's multiple times easier to do with someone who just have their strong status.

[Fran. Frederick seems to be a cunning type, longer battle with him may be troublesome.
Let's end this at once]

“Nn!”
In order to incapacitate Velmeria and Frederick, we decided to use lightning magic.

“Haa!”

[Eat this!]

The lightning magic Thunder Chain we invoked is a technique to bind and paralyze
our opponent with a chain of lightning to deprives them of their freedom. The range
was not so wide but it compensated for its shortcomings by using multiple activations
released to our opponent.

If it is a magic below intermediate level, the Fran now can activate 2 shots instantly
and i can activate 3 shots. But if i took it seriously, I was able to fire more than 5 shots.

“Gaah!”

“Hggh!”

Seven streak Thunder chain rampages like a snake, Velmeria are surely intertwined
by Thunder chains one after another and fell limply on the spot.

However, Frederick is stubborn, he slashed the chain of lightning that came towards
him with a sword imbued with magic. It seems to be an application of magic release
skill.

[Not bad. But I will try to push harder too]

“!”

“…Kuh! Chant less magic! and she can re-cast it this much”

From 10 thunder chains i planned to shot, I cut it off until the 7th shots, it seems this
number couldn't be blocked completely by Frederick. Thunder chain wrapped around
his body, and depriving Frederick of his consciousness.

Thunder chain was a magic that focuses on paralyzing rather than power. Firing in
rapid succession cost me unusual amount of mana. It was also difficult to hold back
against Velmeria whose resistance are not very high. But that was what exactly I was
aiming for.

We cast magic as an insurance on the two who fall side by side on the ground.
Restraining their body with earth magic, the ground changed like an ivy and wraps
around their legs and body and tied up.

Still, I'm not relieved. Frederick in particular was a dark magic user. The chances of
him escaping to the shadows are not zero.

[Urushi, on guard with your dark magic]

(woof)

The use of Urushi's dark magic can even attack enemy in the shadows.

[Well, lets start questioning them]

“Nn”

Let’s start with Velmeria, I don't think Frederick will answer us obediently. So, we
separated Velmeria from Frederick.

Fran knelt beside Velmeria and tapped her cheeks, where she normally would kick
and hit her body. That's good, don't always be so rough.

I think she's still paralyzed by thunder magic, but the impression is absolutely different
between us fighting for self-defence and using violence after capture. She is a noble
daughter who may be acquainted with Colbert after all. So, we must not hurt her.

“Ugh…”

“Woke up?”

“Kuh… what is this…”

As soon as she woke up, there was a black cat girl in front of her, and she was detained
for some reason. Of course, she's confused.

However, she probably remembered the situation before. She glares at Fran and
shouts.

“What did you do to me!”

“I was the one who should asking”

“Is my subordinate safe?!”

“Leave the trifling stuff, answer my question”

Fran activated intimidation skill; it must have break Velmeria's heart. Swallowed by
the intimidation of Fran, her body quivered. There is fear in her face.

“Kuh…… who are you…”

However, Velmeria said back with a determined expression. She must have accepted
the calamity that was about to fall on herself. Although she is a little immature, she
has her pride as a full-fledged warrior.

However, the miserable future that Velmeria imagined will never come to her.

[Fran, did you aware of it?]

“Nn”

There was a presence slowly approaching from behind us. He seems to be wary of us,
but i didn't feel any hostility or malice.

“Yo. It's been a while. Could you release that lady? miss Fran”

It was Colbert who showed up. He seems to have been a companion with the assailant.
Well, i thought so considering his good timing.

He raises his hands lightly and slowly approached Fran, there were no sign of sudden
attack for the time being. It was supposed to be a proof that he has no hostility.
“Colberd-dono! Is she your acquaintance!?”

“We are not really an acquaintance”

“So, she must be a spy of Marquis Ashtner?”

“Fran is? It's impossible”

“How did you know”

“This girl is the Black Lightning Princess. Do you understand what i mean?”

After Velmeria heard Colbert’s words, she opens her eyes and raises a surprised voice.

“Re-really? Speaking of Black Lightning Princess, isn't she is the adventurer who
caused the death of Serdio Receps!”

She knows that much huh

“I'm sorry miss Fran. She told me there was someone following me. I left it to her
because she said she would detain him…… but i didn't expect it was you”

Colbert are equipped with a magic tool called Wind Jewel; it seems to be an item that
can pick up the voice of other party in a distant place through the wind. However, it
seems to be a disposable item, the jewels are in a damaged state. She must have
contacted him with this.

“Then why did you followed Colbert!?”

“Cause suspicious appearance, and being sneaky”

“Ugh…”

Velmeria frowns. She admits Colbert was looks suspicious and being sneaky. And Fran
isn't lying, right? If he was dressed normally, she would have call him out with out
tailing him.

“These guys, who?”

“Ah, how to say this, these guys are the subordinate of my employer, for the time being,
they are my current colleague”

Given Velmeria's surname, is their employer was Count Bailleys?

“But, i didn't think miss Fran was in the royal capital. I asked Gamudo's man, they said
you went to the Beastman Country. What was your purpose of coming to the royal
capita? for auction?”

“Various things”

“Various things huh. And it seems miss Fran has become even stronger again”

“Nn”

“Honestly, the me right now can't win against you”

“Wha-!”

Velmeria was surprised at Colbert's declaration. From her point of view, it was
unbelievable for strong person like Colbert admitted he would lose without fighting.

“They weren't trying to kill you. So, could you release them?”

“What are you raiding? Is it related to monitoring Marquis Ashtner?”

“Huft, you have seen that much huh? i never thought this would happen”

Colbert sighs as he gives up. Fran has an overwhelming advantage in here. In the first
place, there are hostages. He also knows that Urushi is lurking somewhere and don't
even know when Urushi will attack the hostages. On the contrary, it becomes pressure.

And then, when it comes to Frans against Colbert, Fran will win. Colbert has grown
since that martial arts tournament, but we are a lot stronger. Well, it wouldn't be an
easy win.

He apparently chooses to reveal the facts obediently rather than trying to bargain.
Colbert talks about their situation.

“I was certainly monitoring Marquis Ashtner. My objective is to lure the spies that
serve under Marquis Ashtner”
In other words, Colbert dared to act suspiciously so Velmeria and the others can follow
the one who was tailing Colbert and catch him. So that was their plan huh, but Fran
was the one who caught in their operation instead, not the spy of Marquis Ashtner.

Yeah, it was an unfortunate accident. Let’s go along with that.

“Then, hostile with Marquis Ashtner?”

“Yeah, that's right”

It's not a lie. Maybe Colbert didn't know the information about Gallus? We decided to
reveal our situation to Colbert to some extent.

“My acquaintance may have been captured by Marquis Ashtner, and was looking for
his whereabouts”

“What? So that's why you were there?”

“Nn, and happened to meet Colbert”

“Huft… of all things…… But, so that's why”

Colbert thinks for a few seconds.

“Do you got any information?”

“…Let’s leave this place for the time being. If we talk too long, people will come here
soon, and I want to hear more about it”

“Understood”

Colbert is right, so we decided to follow him for the time being. Release the restraint
of the earth magic from Velmeria and the other one. It seems Velmeria will do
something about Frederick.

“Then, where are we going?”

“About that… Miss Fran. Would you like to meet my employer?”

Colbert said he wanted us to meet his employer, so we decided to follow him. He says
he will tell us what information he knows, and he is also interested in that person.

Along the way, we asked Colbert about his employer

“Your employer, who is him?”

“My employer's name is Count Bailleys. He is the leader of the Knight of the West Gate,
one of the four Knights of the royal capital”

I've heard the name, but it's bigger than what i imagined. What’s more, he isn't
employed under the Count Bailleys, but the person himself. According to Colbert we
were a rare and reliable person among the nobles.

Velmeria snorts in complains while listening to the conversation between the two.

“Hmph”

It seems that Velmeria hasn't completely trusted Fran yet. As she walks forward, she
occasionally turns her gaze at us. Still, she didn't object and complain at Colbert's
decision.

I don't know about Frederick; he is quietly walk next to her with his poker face.

We walked for more than 10 minutes in this noble's district.

Ah, by the way, we are not just simply walking. Everyone is using their covert skills
and Frederick used dark magic to erase our presence.

We proceed through the noble's district like that, and arrive at a small mansion. It
looks like a typical lower-class noble's mansion with no soldiers at the gate.

“Here?”
“Yea, this way”

Velmeria enters the mansion through the back gate instead of using front gate, it must
be an insurance.

There are indeed soldiers in the mansion, and when he sees Velmeria, he quietly bows
his head. The soldier was pretty strong. It's a pity to compare but they are stronger
than the corrupt knights of Allesa, whose deputy leader was Alsand. Can't he become
a knight because he is a commoner?

When i thought so, the soldier we met next were just as strong as the one before. I
involuntarily appraised them, but everyone can at least use martial art, and their
status are quite high.

This seems to be the average of the soldiers here. But they were stronger than the
patrol soldiers we met in the royal capital.

Fran seems to have noticed that too, and she's looking at the soldiers in the sideways.

“What happened, miss Fran?”

“Soldier is strong”

“Well, it's a little special here, because they are all fighters”

Their lord was a leader of the knights, they may have been trained by him to be a good
soldier.

Velmeria goes up the stairs and lead Fran into a room. It seems to be a drawing room.
It wasn't flashy, but the interior was calming.

“Wait here”

“Nn”

At the same time, a female servant brings us a tea. Velmeria is still wary of us, but she
seems to treat her as a guest.

[But, there is still surveillance huh]

(1 person in the attic, 1 person in the next room)

[Don't do reckless things, it's a nobleman's mansion]

(Nn)

Partly because we didn't notice Frederick, we are paying close attention to the
surroundings. Skills, magic, and Urushi's nose are all mobilized. If we still can't find
him with this, I think he was already in a rank S class powerhouse.

“Zuzu”

On the sofa in the drawing room with a peephole, we spend time drinking tea while
paying attention to the surveillance and killing time. As expected, i need to refrain
from serving large amount of food from dimensional storage in this noble mansion.

Because it's strange to suddenly serving curry here. For the time being i only allow
kushiage here.

What? You want us to stop eating? Hahahaha, it's impossible.

After waiting for about 10 minutes, Vermelia returned to the drawing room where the
delicious smell of kushiage remained. She is accompanied by a man of about 50 years
old. However, he didn't look that much like an elderly person.

He wears well-tailored, loose-fitting robe-like clothes, but he can't hide his trained
body underneath. The bodybuilder also has a deep blue tint, he is clearly a high-
ranking warrior. If his clothes weren't for noble, he would only look like a high-ranking
adventurer

“………You seems to be relaxed”

The man speaks with a low-pitched baritone voice. If i had met him on earth, i would
have recommended him to be a voice actor.

“Nn? Who?”

“You! This person is――”

“It's fine. You should pay respect to the strong, especially not in a public place like this”
Velmeria raises her anger at Fran's words, but then controls her with an uplifting
attitude.

“I'm Count Sidre Bailleys, and the current employer of Colbert's and these two lords”

Was this man the Count of Bailleys? He seems to be strong enough to be entrusted as
the head of the Knight Order of the royal capital. He has frank personality; he smiles
and asks Fran for a handshake.

“Adventurer Fran”

“I know. I wanted to talk to you once at least. With that Black Lightning Princess”

“Do you know me?”

“Ah, of course, I was watching the martial art tournament. The battle where you won
against this Colbert and the battle that defeated the Dragon Hunter Fermus. Fufufu,
I’m excited, it was truly wonderful”

So, he watches the martial arts tournament huh. Then it's natural for him to know
Fran. His eyes are shining like a boy listening to an adventure story.

“I couldn't exchange words at that time, but I’ll never forget you, Besides, you are His
Majesty the Beast King favourite after all”

“Do you know the beast king?”

“Yea, I fought side by side with him. At that time, His Majesty the Beast King was still
a B Rank adventurer and he was my subordinate”

“Was the beast king in this country?”

“At that time, I was traveling around the world as adventurer, and during my stay in
the beastman kingdom, a skirmish with the Kingdom of Raidos took place, and I
participated in the battle as a mercenary to earn travel expenses”

So, he participated in that war to earn travel expenses huh. As expected of the Beast
King. Well, in the Beastman Kingdom, it's normal for adventurers to participate in the
war, and it maybe a good source of extra income.
“The Beastman Kingdom at that time was in difficult situation due to the naval
blockade of the Raidos Kingdom. So, the war is meant to return the grudge. At that
time, I was the organizer of the mercenary unit, and that person was assigned to my
direct unit”

Count Bailleys laughs at the fact that he was immediately pulled out from his position.
The beast king at that time hid the fact that he was a royalty, so he only thinks that he
was only a cheeky and interesting young adventurer.

However, it seems the Beast King and the Count still have a relationship. No, it may be
said that it is a friendship that transcends position and age. After all, when the Beast
King comes to the royal capital of Kranzel Kingdom, he always stays at the residence
of Count Bailleys.

The Beast King who come to the royal capital after the martial arts tournament,
naturally stayed at the Count Bailleys residence and asked him to take care of Fran
when she come to the royal capital.

“It's his Majesty the Beast King request. I can't help but wonder, but I didn't expect to
have this kind of encounter……”

Everything was true. Rather, there is no single lie. Does he trust us so much? Anyway,
it seems we can consider this Count as an ally.

“Take care of me”

“Umu! Take care of me too”

“Oops, It seems i talked too long, I was excited to see the Black Lightning Princess in
front of me. Please take a seat”

“Nn”

Prompted by the Count, Fran sits down on the sofa again. The Count sits in front of us,
with Colbert to the right and Velmeria and Frederick to the left of the Count.

“Well, it seems to have been an unfortunate encounter, but I'm not going to blame it”

That's good to hear. We slammed our thunder magic into Velmeria, the daughter of the
Count. If we were blamed for that, we would have a lot of trouble.

“But if possible, I would like to know what's your purpose for? We are investigating
Marquis Ashtner, and it's almost over. If you make a flashy move there, what we've
been secretly doing so far will be wasted”

Count Bailleys said he was investigating the treason of Marquis Ashtner at the behest
of the kingdom. In particular he was suspected of his own research and search of
magic swords, and illegal manufacturing and smuggling of narcotics.

“It's all because of Black Lightning Princess――Fran, we can uncover a part of Serdio
Receps sins”

They haven’t able to grab Marquis Ashtner tail until now, but it seems that various
things have begun to appear in the wake of Serdio's death.

“It seems that he run out of his luck up until now. Serves him right”

Count Bailleys said so and laughed with joy. He is completely hostile to Marquis
Ashtner huh.

“I heard from Colbert that your acquaintance may have been captured by Marquis
Ashtner”

“Nn”

“Can i know his name?”

(what to do?)

Well, with the help of the Count, we might be able to get information about Gallus.

Besides, when it comes to the investigation by the order of the country, if we do

something wrong and get in the way, there is a possibility that we could be criminals.

[Fran, we'd better talk about Gallus here]

(Nn, understand)

In the first place, as long as we can find Gallus, it doesn't have to be on our own. Fran
would want to rescue Gallus on her own, but I’m okay if Count Bailleys rescued Gallus
from Marquis Ashtner.

“Looking for Gallus the blacksmith”

“Gallus… Maybe the Kranzel Kingdom Honorary Blacksmiths, Gallus?”

“That’s him”

“……Surely a while ago, Marquis Ashtner had invite Gallus under the pretext of a public
project…… Frederick?”

“Sir, According to the investigation, Marquis Ashtner requested it should have been for
repairing magic tools of the Great Barrier”

The Great Barrier is a magical tool that creates a huge barrier that covers the town
developed by Marquis Ashtner. It is not completed yet, but it is said that i has been put
to practical use.

It seems that this is also one of the factors that Marquis Ashtner is suspected for
treason against the kingdom. In other word. It is thought that they intended to use it
as a trump card when it comes to a fight with the country.
Although the information is handed over at the request of the country, the doubt
seems to remain.

“At first, it is a secret of the Marquis, so we don't know where and how long the work
was done”

“So, the repairs already done, right?”

“Yes, about Gallus, he has already been released”

In other words, he means that he has been released but they are still confining him?

“Gallus is likely to have been confined in Count Olmes's villa”

“Huh? Is that true?”

“Nn. A mansion with a war maiden glared at by a scorpion lion. That is where Gallus
is”

“I see, that's certainly the mansion”

It seems he understood immediately because his mansion was related.

“How did you get that information?”

“Gallus told me”

If it's him, it wouldn't be a problem to tell him. We tell them that there's a letter secretly
written on the scabbard exhibited by Gallus, and what written on it was "a mansion
with a war maiden glared at by a scorpion lion."

Bailleys seems to have believed us by showing him the actual scabbard.

“So that's how… can you give me one day? we're going to investigate it”

“Can you get anything on one day?”

“I've spent a lot of time keeping my hands around Marquis Ashtner. I'm going to do my
best to find out”
It seems that he has taken a long time to prepare. That's why he wants to avoid Fran
from ruining his effort.

“If he's detaining the kingdom's honorary blacksmith, Gallus, he can be charged with
a clear national treason”

(Master, what to do?)

[Hmm, I’m sure it's bad to rush it]

I don't even know where he's being confined in the mansion. Moreover, i we do
something to the noble's mansion, it becomes a big crime. So, it would be less
dangerous to have Count Bailleys investigate.

“If Gallus-shi is confined, it must be related to the research of magic sword, if so, we
can investigate by the route they used to procuring the supplies necessary for
blacksmithing from somewhere”

He seems to be quite confident. This seemed to be worth for a one day waiting.

“I understand, will wait 1 day”

“That's helpful, I will send you a messenger tomorrow night”

“Nn”

But what can we do until tomorrow? is there anything we can do to help?

“Do you need helps with the investigation?”

“Rather, adding an unfamiliar person might confuses the field. If you won't do
anything――No, can you spend your day normally?”

“Normally?”

“Umu, I'm talking about the scabbard, I don't know how much Marquis Ashtner knows.
At worst, he may be monitoring Fran. Ah, but in here you are safe. This mansion is our
base for investigation, cause I’m paying really close attention to it. But, i won't know
in your daily life. There's a possibility that there's a watchful eye in the inn or in the
town”
“I see”

“In that case, it would be more deceptive to the other side to go sightseeing. It's fine to
participate in the auction, right?”

Well, he does have a point. And to tell the truth, i was really grateful for his word. After
all, magic stone auction will be held tomorrow. In this situation, i was hesitant to
participate. But if he asks us to keep it normal, I can't help but do that, right?

“Nn, then tomorrow I’ll be normal”

“Do that please, Ah, I’ll be putting surveillance over you, so please don't attack them”

“Surveillance? over me?”

“No, I'm trying to keep an eye on the spies which is monitoring Fran. I don't know how
much information Marquis Ashtner has about Fran. But if it done well, I might be able
to grab the tail of the other person”

So, Fran become a decoy huh? Well, we don't really care, there is no harm here. We
have to talk with telepathy as much as possible, otherwise, when Fran is alone, she
will be thought as a loner with a lot of monologues.
After we promised to cooperate with Count Bailleys, in the night of royal capital, we
walked towards our inn.

As expected, there are many people at night in the royal capital. Especially around the
red-light district, it will be more crowded than during the day. On our first day, we got
into this place and got lost, but now I have grasped the way to some extent, so no
problem.

“Nom Nom”

“Munch munch”

There were many food stalls aimed at drunk people in red-light district, Fran and
Urushi enjoyed buying and eating as usual. However, they don't have much taste
variation huh.

The royal capital is a landlocked city. So, it seems the seasonings are more expensive
than Barbra. Neither spices nor salt can be used in large quantities due to high
transportation costs. Therefore, most of the seasonings here are based on miso
produced around here.

That's why we are doing research in this red-light district, but it seems we unexpectedly
won't get bored of it. Fran and Urushi were even aiming at a stall with miso-based
seasoning in the middle.

But when a child like Fran walks in the red-light district at night. She really stands out,
so today we used our covert skills. With this, a thug level won't even notice Fran, so it
shouldn't develop into destruction of the red-light district to the ash, like what Kalk
was worried about. But if something happens, it can't be helped right?

Well, we'll be close to our inn soon, and it's unlikely for something to happen. After
this, if we go through underground passage there, we will reach our inn in a straight
line.
Fran descends to a slope leading to a dim underground passage. As expected, there
are no food stalls here. Rather, the traffic suddenly disappeared, and I felt the noise of
the red-light district was strangely far away. I thought it was because we simply went
underground……

(…Master)

[What's wrong?]

(I felt something strange)

[What? something strange?]

(Nn)

What does she mean? I didn't feel anything.

[What exactly is strange?]

(…it's just felt strange)

[E-to, did you feel unpleasant?]

(Nn! unpleasant!)

So that mean, she felt unpleasant sensation? Moreover, only Fran?

[Is it magic?]

(Nn…?)

It seems that Fran hasn't grasped the true nature of that sensation.

[But, why i can't feel it…?]

I don't fully open my detection skills on a daily basis, but if it was a magical anomaly
in our surrounding, I should feel a sense of discomfort. But why i hasn't feel it?

[How about you Urushi?]

(woof!)

It seems that Urushi also felt it.

[……Let's get away from here for the time being]

I don't know what Fran and Urushi felt, but it's better to stay away from here. If the
two feel something is wrong, we can't ignore it.

But it seems that we were a little late.

“Master”

[Yeah, i know]

Strong killing intent and intimidation. A man was approaching us from the front
without even trying to hide his hostility toward Fran. Is that a magic sword in his
hand? A strange magical power is released from the long sword held by the man.

It's not just magic. He was also in a strange appearance. But no matter how you look
at it, the sword was half destroyed. After all, the blade broke in the middle, and the
remaining part was also deeply cracked. The handle has a sabre-like hand cover, but
the surface is engraved with a face of a man with a look of agony.

[He seems to be a skilled ones, don't let your guard down]

He has Sword Skill: Lv 4 and Sword Technique: Lv 2, he even has intimidation, covert
skill, and flame magic. Maybe he's an adventurer, he's certainly on rank C or above.

The man's name is Hamuls, I’ve never met him. Maybe he's the street murderer? Or is
he going to defeat Fran and make a name for himself?

(TLN: Street Murderer [Tsuji Giri: killing passerby to test a new sword], and also, any
better suggestion for ハムルス (ha mu ru su)? Hamurus, Hammuls, Hammulus,
Hamrus……)

As I continued the appraisal, I noticed the condition i had never seen before.
Fanaticism? If you look only at the letter, does it mean a fanatic or something like that?
This is my first time seeing it.
In any case, even though it's a strong enemy, Fran didn't lose in terms of both status
and skills. The only thing that bothers me is the ability of the magic sword. Even
though it's broken, it still emits strong magical power. Moreover, whether it was
originally a high-ranking magic sword, it was not possible to appraise it.

[Fran, watch out for the magic sword, i don't know it's abilities]

(Understand)

[Urushi waits in the shadow in case of emergency]

(woof!)

Well, anyway, I wonder what this feeling is. When i look at Hamuls, it makes me feel
uncomfortable. It feels like when my chest is rustling or my stomach is stuffy.

In a single word, disgust? Anyway, it's not physically, but I couldn't help feeling
unpleasant about this man. I wonder what this feeling is.

[Fran, when you look at him, do you feel unpleasant?]

(It's not unpleasant, more concerned about how strong he is)

[Urushi?]

(woof)

Apparently, it's only me who felt it now, opposite from a short while ago.

[Uhmm]

It was probably since I felt terrible disgust for Serdio that i thought others so badly.
No, it's far worse than that time. But, did I hate this Hamuls-like face? But he's just
your average looking man, they're everywhere……

Fran readied herself to pull me out anytime and called out to Hamuls as he
approached.

“……Who?”
“―”

Hamuls didn't answer anything to Fran, and proceeds to walk silently. The distance
between the two was already less than 10 meters.

“If you get any closer, I'll consider you as enemy”

“―”

As expected, Hamuls moves forward without answering anything. He wields the

sword as it is. He's clearly hostile.

After confirming his action, Fran moved, run with her body as low as if crawling on
the ground. The aim is his foot, we intend to deprive him of his mobility and neutralize
him.

As the result of continuing our training to control our skill since the integration of
skills, the strengthening of physical ability has worked. The enhanced agility was
already been considerable. To be frank, even if we just slashed at this speed, we can
already beat an ordinary opponent.

However, Fran is on alert. Immediately before the slash, she puts in a feint with her
eyes and pretends to aim at his neck. Hamuls got caught of her feint and moved to
guard his neck with his sword.

It seems that he soon realized Fran's aim, but it's too late. It was already impossible to
prevent this attack.

Yes, it seemed impossible―

Clank!

“―”

“Ugh”

The magic sword that Hamuls held is protruding and slashed to the ground. Seriously,
it seems to do better than I expected. Besides, the magic sword is also unusual.

Currently, I have consumed about 500 magical powers and have greatly increased my
attack power. If it's a mass-produced sword that's sold all over the place, we should be
able to cut it along his legs. We should be more careful with this magic sword.

And there's one more thing I noticed. I did feel uncomfortable about Hamuls, but I
seemed to be even more disgusted with that magic sword. The moment we exchange
our slash, I thought I’d get goosebumps. There's sign of magical power emitted from
that sword, it seemed to arouse my disgust.

Is this a familial disgust? But I have never had such a feeling with other magic swords
and swords.

[Uhmm…]

(Master, what's wrong?)

[No, nothing. It's just that his magic sword is strangely irritating]

(Is that, Master's enemy?)

[No, how to put this…… But I'm sure i don't like it]

(Understand, Master's enemy is my enemy)

Oops, it seems that Fran is fired up. But, I’m sure i don't like that sword. I want to
destroy it here if possible.

[Yosh, Let's do this seriously!]

“Nn”

Either way, he's the one who's been slashing, if he doesn't want to speak up, that's fine.
I will slash both the user and the sword as it is.

I put more magical power into my blade and fully opened my skill. It's still not at fine
control, but it was possible to use it with the determination to waste magical powers.
This could be an overkill, but it doesn't matter if you're against this opponent.

Now, I just wanted to bury that magic sword as soon as possible.

“Hyaa!”
“―”
Shiing! Sclank!

A high-pitched metallic sound is heard in the underpass when our blades collide with
each other.

There is a girl and a man who manipulate the swords and slashed each other. Fran and
Hamuls.

Thanks to the reticence of the two of them, the only sound echoing in underpass was
the high-pitched sound of me and my opponent's magic swords clashing each other.

We're overwhelmingly advantageous in this battle, but Hamuls sometimes manages

to evade Fran's attack with strange movements. No, it seems, it is the magic swords
that makes the strange movements.

“Sha!”

“―”

Gaiin!

It's so now, Hamuls was completely caught in the illusion of Fran created by my
illusion magic.

Hamuls thrusts out his magic swords to attack Fran's illusion. Moreover, because he
used his sword skills, his body will be slow to react.

And at the moment he slashed the illusion, a deadly blow by Fran who went around
behind him was released. Hamuls was completely lost sight of Fran. Moreover, his
body is still stiff from activating sword skills before.

He is supposed to be a dead body now. Fran's sword technique was supposed to cut
through Hamuls's body. However, Hamuls arm moves quickly, preventing me from
being slammed into his back with his magic swords protruding over his shoulder. No
matter how you look at it, Hamuls doesn't see Fran's slash. It was as if the sword had
moved on its own in order to prevent our attack.

Does he have auto guard skills? But there is no such thing in Hamuls's skill, so it must
be the ability of that magic sword.

“―”

Even so, Hamuls's expression doesn't even change

“―Fire Javelin”

Still, his mouth moves smoothly only when chanting magic. It's creepy to see that only
the mouth moved so quick.

“―”

And, without making a voice again, he slashed. Isn't he's completely unconscious? Is
he being manipulated by someone?

Fran and Hamuls face each other quietly. Then, suddenly Hamuls jumped up, at the
same time his magical power also increases.

“―!”

Hamuls's muscles began to swell, making a creaking noise. Moreover, his status rises
up sharply. It's abrupt, is it a sudden power-up development? His appearance looks
like a human being becomes an evil person as we have seen in Barbra, but i don't feel
any evil from him.

However, when facing Hamuls, I felt my disgust just become stronger. Heck, what
happened to me…

I can see that the magical power is so dense that it be visualized around the magic
sword. It deployed a blade formed by magical power. It's an image of Aura Blade, a
sword technique that attacks with a magical blade, instead of its own blade huh.

“Haa!”
Fran attacked Hamuls, who was still convulsing. That behaviour that doesn't wait for
his transformation to complete will be an advantage for us. However, the sword moves
again. Hamuls is still standing on the same spot, but the sword moves automatically.
There's no doubt that sword has an Auto Guard ability

However, Fran was calm. While keeping our distance she readied me on her hips.

If it can prevent our normal attack, we simply need to aim at a place where is it
physically impossible to reach. Specifically, the diagonal line of his right hand holding
the magic sword. The left ankle.

We deal a blow of god speed with sword drawing technique. The sword tried to
respond to it, but it wasn’t long enough because it was broken, and can't guard it on
time.

I was swung by Fran and cut Hamuls's leg off easily. Losing the support of his left foot,
Hamuls falls to the ground. Well, this guy is just like before, with his white eye and still
convulsing.

However, something amazing happens in front of us. The cross section of Hamuls's
wound swelled, and it began to regenerate with at tremendous momentum. His ankle
returns to normal in only two seconds.

In a hurry, I tried to appraise him again. Now he suddenly had Regeneration, Muscle
Enlargement, and Martial arts were added to the skills of Hamuls.

It's not that strange to have more skills afterwards. When Fran evolved, her skills
would increase, even the Evil Person had evil arts after their first change.

However, what is the reason of the sudden powers up and increased skills while still
remaining as a human?

When I continued the appraisal with that in mind, I noticed a surprising fact. The state
of Hamuls was him using Potential Release.

His life force continued to decrease while his status was greatly increasing. Certainly,
it is the side effect of using potential release. Is this also the ability of that magic
sword?

“―”
“Fuh! Shii!”

Hamuls stood up from lying on the ground as if jumping with the power of his spine,
and attacked Fran with an expressionless expression like deadpan face as usual.

With a terrible continuous attack. Hamuls, whose using potential release, seems to be
aiming end this battle quickly. But continuous attacks tend to be in an unreasonable
position. In other words, Hamuls now is full of gaps and opening from our point of
view.

It is not so difficult for Fran, who has gained a lot of experience in one-on-one fighting,
it's not difficult to make use of that opening. She launches an attack and slashes
Hamuls.

Several fatal slashes caught Hamuls. However, the wound is immediately regenerated
due to the abnormal regenerative power. It seems, due to using potential release, that
mere regeneration skills have been raised to the same level of effectiveness as instant
regeneration.

For such opponents, long distance magic attack is more effective, but it is also difficult
to use in the town and in this underground passage. Fran could even be charged with
a crime if she let it collapse.

“Next one will be more faster!”

“―”

Well, Fran seems to be enjoying the fight against this abnormal Hamuls, that's
relieving.

Fran sped up even further and attacked Hamuls with 3D movements using walls,
ceilings, and aerial jumps. Hamuls's whole body is scratched but it immediately closes.
The magic sword doesn't only prevent attacks on vital points, in the meantime, it even
strikes back.

It is an attack that take advantage of his abnormal regenerative power. Moreover, his
attack method was abnormal.

“―”
“Kuh”

[Dorya!]

His arm, which was in a state of being bent at an impossible angle, continued to attack.
I can hear a painful cracking sound. Is it possible to do such an unreasonable attack?

Hamuls's abnormal attack continues

Zobbu!

He thrust his sword into his belly. Blood started dripping and Hamuls vomited blood.
Then, the magic sword that penetrated Hamuls's body approached Fran, who were
slashing behind him.

“Muu!”

Fran was surprised, but thanks to Hamuls's warning in advance when he did
something, she avoided it by a hairbreadth.

Even though he has the ability to regenerate, he's too bold. And is Hamuls rally come
up with such a surprising tactic, who is clearly lost his reasoning?

Hamuls, with a hole in his chest started to closing, and advances his steps with a
hollow expression that seems to not have emotion or intelligence at all.

“―”

As expected, something is strange here.

Fran continues to fight fiercely with Hamuls, but his luck is about to run out.

Fran, who had become accustomed to Hamul's bizarre movements, can completely
seen his attack, while his vitality continued to diminish due to the potential release.

However, even though he has been cornered, Hamuls's still expressionless as before.

[As expected, that sword is strange]

(Nn)

Actually, while fighting, we tried several times to destroy Hamuls's magic sword.
However, all of it have failed.

For example, when we aimed at the sword itself with fire attribute sword technique
and vibration fangs, Hamuls became a shield as if to protect the sword.

Next, we tried to paralyze him with thunder magic so he will let go of the sword, but
no matter what, he didn't let go of his sword.

There was a doubt i had all this time.

Is there a person who manipulates Hamuls who has lost his reasoning? If so, where
are he and how are he manipulating him? Is he hiding somewhere and manipulating
him with magic? Or is he has been put in something like a suggestion in advance?

Or is it that sword who manipulate him?

That's right, my doubt was that. Isn't that a sword similar to me? Whether it is an
intelligence weapon or not, it seems that the sword is manipulating Hamuls. Moreover,
as we have seen Hamuls move to protect the magic sword, it seems that it has some
intelligence.
On the contrary, there seems to be emotions such as impatience and anger. This is also
only my guess after seeing Hamuls's movement.

Immediately after he fired a slash with the magic sword, his attack intensified as if to
take a distance to be vigilant or retaliate.

Although, an Intelligence weapon is a legendary existence, but that doesn't mean that
I’m the only one……

No, our battle is our priority now. Hamuls vitality will soon run out, with that said,
there would be no more resistance.

Even if the magic sword itself has a will, if you look at our battle so far, you can see that
it cannot act autonomously or not even able to move alone. It is already cornered this
much. If it really can move, it's strange to not launch a surprise attack with only the
sword.

“―”

It seems that it realizes that his limit is approaching, and go on its final offense as the
magic power of the sword increased even further. The magical blade swelled like a
large snake and attacked.

“Muh!”

Even if Fran avoided it, it seems it will stretch forever and chase her relentlessly. But
this is an opportunity. It only focused on chasing Fran.

[Urushi! Do it!]

“Grrraa!”

“―”

It was a surprise attack by Urushi we had preserved so far. He jumps out of the shadow
of Hamuls and reach out his hand holding the sword. His hand was bitten by Urushi
and Hamuls let go of his sword.

The magic sword loses its support and falls to the ground, disturbing the attack of the
magic blade. The ceiling of the underpass has been severely scooped out, but let’s
pretend we never saw it.

“Master!”

[Oh!]

We won't miss this opportunity! Fran, approached him at once with my transfer and
unleashes an air sword technique with all her strength.

“Haaaa!”

Gyaiiin!

The magic sword collided violently with me with an echoing high-pitched metallic
sound.

“Gnuu!”

[This thing, is so hard!]

We were going to split it in half with this blow, I have put sufficient magical power and
activated our skills.

However, Fran's attack, which was swung down from above, only managed to chipped
some of the blade that had already broken and had been shortened. Well, it seems we
can defeat him with straightforward manner!

Immediately after that, Fran tightened her expression at once and jumped out of the
place.

[ｑ●ｓ／．，ｏｘ４ｑ◇ｎ７＠――！]

The presence of the magic sword suddenly increased, and something like an
indescribable scream echoes in the underpass.

[Gaa! What now!]

“So noisy”

Moreover, it's not just a mere scream. It was as if the screams were being hit directly
against our brain, like a telepathic skill. Fran holds her head and frowns.

The source was the magic sword. Is it felt hurt and angry? It looks similar like me……
Its possibility as my kind has finally increased.

However, its resistance will be only up to this point. Hamuls's vitality, who has been
abused, has finally reached its limit.

“―”

Doshaa

Hamuls collapses on the spot like a doll with a broken thread. As if the fierce battle
until now was a lie.

“…Dead?”

[Yea]

There is no need to appraise him as his vitality can't be felt from his body anymore.
His heart has also stopped beating. He loses his skills effect and his muscles shrink.

I used dimensional storage to confirm whether he died or not, and i was able to get it
done without any problems. After all, Hamuls is dead.

All that's left is his magic sword. I tried to appraising it again, I wonder if there will be
any change after we managed to damage the blade. Then, the result of the appraisal
looked different from the previous one. It seems that appraisal has become more
effective because its ability has declined due to the damage.

[……I was only barely able to reveal its name huh]

Name: ｃ%ｓ：●ｈｊ／ｎ■Ｐ

However, the characters were garbled and i couldn't reveal its ability. If I can find out
its true name, we can at least find the source of the magic sword.

Wait? Someone who couldn't be appraised in the past should not have been able to
simply see it. The same is true for swords. Only the part that can be identified such as
the name is displayed, and the impossible part simply cannot be seen. But i never
heard of garbled characters.

I thought that the name was garbled as a result of this magic sword blocking the
appraisal…… but, isn't this its real name? No, did it mean that the original name was
originally there, but as a result of its severe damage to the blade, the name has become
strange?

“Master?”

[Oops, it's nothing]

Well, I don't care anymore. This thing is going to be destroyed here.

[Fran, I'm going to destroy this guy]

“Nn”

This time at full throttle, we paid no mind about our surroundings, Fran swings me
while concentrating her mind. It was just after that.

[W-wha!]

“Muh”

Tremendous amount of light and magical power was emitted from the magic sword.
Immediately after Fran swung me, a tremendous amount of light and magical power
was emitted from the magic sword. It released magical power from its whole body. It's
not just a blinding light, it's an omnidirectional attack with considerable offensive
power.

[Cheh!]

Although it was prevented by my barrier, the entire underpass were shaking. The
release of magical power soon subsided, but the figure of the magic sword was no
longer there.

Not only it attacked us with the release of magical power, but it also makes use of that
moment to move.

“It flied?”

[I won't let it get away]

The magic sword flies toward the entrance of the underpass at a tremendous speed.
Its speed is comparable to my full-powered catapult.

Using transfer is―a no. At that speed, we wouldn't be on time right after we transferred.

I think it's bad to destroy this underpass by trying to unleash magic of great firepower.
In the end, we shot Fire Javelin in a row. More than 20 flame spears reach out the magic
sword.

However, the magic sword avoided everything with a sharp movement While flying at
high speed, it twists its body and creates a rotating trajectory like a barrel roll.

And the magic sword that avoided all of our attack run out without killing its
momentum.
[We'll chase it!]

“Nn”

When we followed it in a hurry, the sight of pandemonium and scream was spreading
outside.

“Uwaaa!”

“I-it hurts, it hurts!”

“He-help me……”

“Bl-blood is…!”

Near the entrance of the underpass, more than 10 people were bleeding and collapsed,
some of them have broken arms and are dying.

Not only that, we can even hear screams from far away.

[Tha-that bastard… It attacked anything in its way!]

“…heal them!”

[Aa! Urushi chases that magic sword!]

(woof!)

We abandoned the chase and healed those victims with recovery magic. It seems this
is the aim of that magic sword.

It's definitely has intelligent. Otherwise it wouldn't come up with such a nasty way to
stop is. It means that sword was really a kind of me.

“I hate that sword”

[Me too]

“Will absolutely beat it”

[The next time we meet, we'll settle this]

“Nn! won't let go next time!”

[Ou!]

Even so, the movement of that magic sword at that time of escaping was like my
catapult.

However, the principle is completely different. Apparently, that magic sword blew out
compressed magical power to gain propulsion.

As the name suggests, my psychic catapult first explode kinetic energy and shoots my
self, then steers with psychic. While that magic swords way of flying is like a rocket
that constantly spouts magical power. It was a method that could be called an engine
system.

Perhaps this is the cause of Hamuls abnormal movement that ignored Hamul's
physical limits during battle.

Previously, the insect-type demon beast, Disaster Ballbug we fought in Ullmut

dungeon, used his magical power release skill to rapidly accelerate and change
direction, it seemed to be the same principle.

Anyway, it must take tremendous amount of magical power to produce that speed. At
least, it should have been impossible to continue using it for a long time.

In addition, even if it has acceleration force, it will not be able to make small turns.
Aside from attacking a non-moving opponent, it's pretty hard to hit someone who
moves around at high speed like Fran. If dodged, bot Hamuls and the magic sword will
be defenceless during that time. That seems to be its weak point.

After the rescue of the citizen was over, we went back to the underpass for the time
being. Then Fran shouted in a small voice.

“Aa”

[What happened?]

“The unpleasant atmosphere disappeared”

[Did you mean the unpleasant feeling when we entered the underpass?]

“Nn”

As expected, it must have been related to that magic sword. But i have no idea, is it
related to the disgust I had for that magic sword? It seems that Fran and Urushi didn't
feel the same feelings as i did for the magic sword and Hamuls.

[I don't know]

“Nn”

For the time being, what should we do with Hamuls's body? Should we hand it over to
the guard station? I don't think he'll be treated as a murdered, but he's likely to be
detained.

When I was wondering what to do after this, I felt someone's presence entering the
underpass. Moreover, many people come from both entrances. It seems that ordinary
citizen has come down to the underpass.

But, when I thought about it, it was unnatural for no one came in when we fought
fiercely.

Besides, it's unlikely that no one coming into this underpass in this entertainment
district for that much time.

Did the underpass have any abilities to prevent people from entering in the first place?
So, it's a type of barrier that only affect peoples. With that in mind, it's understandable
for me to not felt the strange unpleasant feeling as I’m not a living thing.

When I was thinking on the spot, I felt a presence that I knew come down to the
underpass from the opposite side of that magic sword's escape.

“Fran, are you all right?”

“Black Lightning Princess, are you safe?”

“Velmeria. Frederick”

It was the two who we had just parted earlier.

Shortly after our battle with Hamuls ended.

Velmeria and others came down to the underpass. She rushes to Fran with a worried
look. So, the escorts sent to Fran was Velmeria huh.

“I'm terribly sorry. Even though he said i must be wary of any enemies coming into
contact with Fran…”

“But i never expected it to be in a place like this…”

Apparently, my guess about a barrier to prevent people to enter the underpass was
correct. According to Frederick's analysis, it seems that this underpass would be hard
to recognized unless you have certain or higher status.

Moreover, it seems to be considerably higher cause even Velmeria and others couldn’t
break in.

Because of that, Velmeria and Frederick lost sight of Fran and stuck around. They seem
to not recognize we had entered the underpass because of the high-level barrier.

Both of them are quite dispirited. In the end, they can't grasp our opponent identity.

“What happened?”

“Attacked by street murderer”

“Street murderer…… Did he escape?”

“Defeated it. I can take it out”

“Ah, you were a space-time magic user right, does it mean, you killed him?”

“Nn”
Velmeria thinks on Fran nods.

“Even so, I don't think a mere street murderer can put up such barrier”

Surely, but I don't know if it was just a mere street murderer.

“He had strange sword”

“Sword?”

“Nn, it was a magic sword”

Fran asks Velmeria and others about the magic sword that Hamuls had. However, it
was not possible to identify the true identity of the magic sword by only that.

However, we tell them that the sword seems to be manipulating Hamuls and also
greatly improved his ability, and about how it escaped by moving alone.

“Impossible… It can manipulate people? is there really such a magic sword”

“Well, you are right… I don't have any proof, but if it's an undead sword, it might be
possible”

Frederick seems to have a guess.

“Undead Sword?”

“Ah, it's a sword which a soul have moved in”

Frederick explained to us, it is a weapon that has become a host for ghost, and the user
will be possessed by the ghost and be manipulated. In addition, those who are being
manipulated may be strengthened by the ghost's ability. Certainly, it matches the
characteristic of that magic sword.

But, if it's an undead sword, it wouldn't be a magic sword anymore but a kind of demon
beast from ghost system.

“However, undead sword is not such a strong demon beast. Their threat level is only
F. If you are slightly stronger than average person, you wouldn't be manipulated by it.”
“Nn? But, felt great magical power from it”

“That was strange, I've never heard of an undead sword that emits magical power so
strong that would makes Black Lightning Princess felt it. Maybe it's a unique
individual or a higher-ranking species”

Even though it was a unique individual, is the original small fish demon beast was
strong?

“I have to report this to his excellency and search for it. Also, in order to find out the
identity of the street murderer, I would like to ask you a few question”

“I understand”

“We have a room as our base on this side. Let’s go there before the guards come in this
turmoil. It would be a lot of trouble if you get detained”

With the guidance of Velmeria, we moved to a small room prepared in the apartment
house in this entertainment district. We took Hamuls's corpse out of the dimensional
storage and show him to Velmeria and others.

It seems that Hamuls was not just a mere street murderer.

“Eh……? Hamuls!”

“……without a doubt”

It seems they knew each other. After confirming it, Velmeria rushes to Fran.

“Fran! What do you mean by this!”

“I fought because he attacked, Then, he couldn't stand the strengthening of that magic
sword and it killed him”

“There is certainly no external wound”

It's good for Frederick to remain calm. Velmeria seems to have noticed that she was
too restless when she saw her subordinates’ attitude.

“I'm sorry Fran, that was my bad”

“Acquaintance?”

“He's no more than a colleague! He was missing during infiltration in Marquis Ashtner
ranks”

It's smells fishy. In other words, is the source of that undead sword is Marquis Ashtner?
Or by any chance, they are not researching for magic sword but for an undead sword?
Isn't it impossible?

“But it's certainly unusual. There's no precedent for an undead sword that can control
a warrior like Hamuls”

“……Hamuls. Why……”

Velmeria gently touches Hamuls's face, she seems to be trying to close Hamuls's eyes
which remains open. However, her hand suddenly stopped.

“This is…?”

“Velmeria, what's wrong?”

“Frederick, take a looks at Hamuls's eyes”

“Eyes?”

“Yes”

“I see. This colour…”

And like that, the two begin to examine Hamuls's body. they examined his eyes, his
gums, and smells. Further, Velmeria apologized at Hamuls and she lightly scratched
her fingertips and checked his blood colour.

“What's wrong?”

“Yea. on Hamuls's body… it's showing symptoms of being a drug addict”

“His body is pretty tattered. I think he was given a large quantity of drugs in a short
period of time”
Speaking of drugs, I recalled Serdio. His party member was also a servant of Marquis
Ashtner and he was also insane.

Did it mean, he was captured by Marquis Ashtner during the infiltration, administered
drugs, and used as a host for the undead sword? It means, when you lose your sanity
with the drugs, even a strong person wouldn't be able to resist the control of an
undead sword.

Even so, the appraisal didn't tell us he was a drug addict, right? Serdio had the title of
a drug addict. No, are constant addict and being drugged different? Apparently, the
addict isn't listed as a title. Does Hamuls's state, Fanaticism represent for being
drugged? Drugs addiction and fanaticism… I can't really connect it together.

The most important thing for us than that now was how much Marquis Ashtner
involved in this attack, and what he knew.

Does Marquis Ashtner known that Fran was looking for Gallus and that attack was a
warning for us? Did he think we were related to Count Bailleys? Or is Marquis Ashtner
not involved in this attack at all?

Well, I don't think the last one is possible… Now, how should we move in the future
huh.

“Fran, are you injured”

“Nn? no”

“Although he was being manipulated, but you didn't suffer a single wound against a
warrior like Hamuls…… You are really strong”

It was a compliment, but her tone was dark. Rather than blaming Fran, she has a colour
of self-mockery.

“If it as strong as you, my father too…”

“Nn?”

“No, it's nothing”

The expression of Velmeria shaking her head after saying that is still dull. And Frederick
stared quietly at such Velmeria.

And then, Urushi returned, but the chase seems to have failed. He looks disheartened.
However, something that flies in the sky was hard to track by smell only, so it can't be
helped.

Even so, where on earth did that conspicuous magic sword disappear?
The day after Hamuls attack.

After we consulted with Velmeria, we came to the auction site as planned. Velmeria
asked us to take part in the auction, they judged that spending time normally will not
interfere with Count Bailleys operation.

What we are aiming for today is magic stones.

[Our first target is the Goblin King's magic stone]

“Nn”

In most auctions, the name of the demon beast that own their magic stone is known
by prior appraisal.

But, i don't really know about the skill used. Well, it's meaningless information for
ordinary people. Even my appraisal with Heavenly Eye skill doesn't reveal the skill
sealed in a magic stone.

Maybe there is a special skill that can analyse it, but I have never heard of it. It would
be convenient if I could get my hand on it.

Therefore, what we are aiming today is a magic stone with a threat level of C or higher,
or it was a magic stone of a humanoid demon beast. After all, humanoid monster is
dexterous, and they are likely will learn new skill by training. Until now, goblins, orcs,
demons, and other humanoid demon beasts often possessed many skills.

There's a good magic stone of a devil that will be exhibited at the end of the morning
session. But there will be many people aiming for it, it will be a tough battle.

No, I have 20 million Goldes on hand, and I have no problem to just drop it all, but I
don’t want to suddenly putting dozen times of the market price. If I ignored the market
price, other participants and auction organizers may glared at us. Worst of all, the
chance of us being too conspicuous and being noticed by Marquis Ashtner wouldn't
be zero.

So, we will give up if the price went up too much.

“Shall we go then?”

“Nn”

[Fran, Listen quietly to what Codart says today]

(I know)

Actually, we are not alone today.

To keep a low profile, we had a representative prepared by adventurer's guild. If a

child like Fran make a bid on an expensive magic stone, we will stand out, and if we
win a number of bids, they will definitely look for our identity.

When we consulted with Eliante who was really concerned about us, she introduced
us to some adventurers ho are familiar with the auction.

Codart is a rank E adventurer, he has an appraisal skill and was originally working as
an auctioneer. But he has been longing to be an adventurer for many years, he has an
interesting career by becoming an adventurer by equipping himself with the money
he has saved.

Therefore, he was also a late-blooming adventurer who was already 35 years old, he's
not young anymore. But still, he had climbed to rank E. He seems to be having fun
doing things like getting rid of small fry and doing chores in this royal capital.

(TLN: Tbh, I have been using "royal capital" words in my tl many times already, but
actually forgot which kingdom is this royal capital thing is??! lol)

He also admired a strong adventurer, and so he shows tremendous polite attitude

toward Fran. He seems to have a deep respect for Fran, who has a nickname for herself
at young age.

Eliante seems to have introduced Codart to us with that in mind.

“Then, it's good for us to win the bid for the items on this list, right?”

“Onegai”

While sitting next to him, the bid will be made by Codart. The items to bid in advance
are decided by looking at the catalogue. We decided an upper limit after consulting
with Codart. We planned to have Codart won a bid within that limit.

If an item on our list exceeded our upper limit, Fran will secretly call him out with
wind magic and tell him how much to exceed.

If something else we want comes out, we will make a successful bid by our self. It's
rather strange to come to an auction site and not bid on anything.

It seems there are several products that are not listed in the catalogue exhibited today,
and a mysterious magic stone that even an expert could not appraise are exhibited, so
we are aiming for it.

“Are you sure you want a special seat?”

“Nn”

Because you are allowed to eat and drink over there. We take a seat in the special seat
corner with Codart, and we'll just leave the rest to him.

Normally, in such a case, a representative should be paid a percentage of the difference

between the prepared upper limit amount and the winning bid amount, but Codart
put a fairly low price for us.

Instead, he suggested that Fran would go out for training with him once, that's why
we hired Codart on that condition.

We just trained with Codart early this morning. To be honest, it's a little late to become
an adventurer at the age of 30. However, he is very serious and has some guts. So, if he
continues with his training, he will be able to go a little higher.

Today, I was teaching him the feeling of using martial arts, we showed how Fran
unleashed her martial arts and letting him receive it with a stance while holding
sword, and Codart was pretty impressed with it.
It seems that he was glad that an adventurer who was far stronger than him gave him
a serious guidance. No matter how many times he was sent rolling by Fran, he seems
to be smiling happily.

“Then, leave the rest to me”

“Nn”

1 hour later.

“I managed to win the goblin king”

“Munch munch”

“Next is the devil's magic stone that appears early in the afternoon huh”

“Munch munch”

While listening to Codart's words, Fran continues to ate the rice balls in her hands. I
thought it would be bad to serve a strong-smelling food, so I told Fran to only eat rice
balls and sandwiches.

By the way, today onigiri ingredients are tuna mayo made from grilled tuna and spicy
seaweed similar to kelp.

Even so, I never thought that goblin king magic stones would be so expensive.

The Auctioneer explained at the beginning of the bid that “It is a magic stone of the
goblin king who able to use life magic endlessly to heal himself, this is the magic stone
of the goblin who has tormented the adventurer!” I ended up giving instruction to
Codart to push for it.

The winning bid amount is 2 million Goldes. It is more than four times the market
price of a goblin king magic stone.

Apparently, some magic stone mania was competing for it.

Which ever the world is, there are collectors in every world, and it seems that there
are magic stone mania who collect everything in the world of magic stones. What they
want is a rare magic stone. Or a magic stone with a beautiful shape.
Magic stone shape are varying and most of it have a distorted shape. However, there
are rarely magic stone that are well shaped like a cut gemstone.

Magic stones cannot be polished. No, it can be polished, but if it is damaged, its magical
power will be greatly lost. Then, its value will decrease and even lost. For that reason,
a naturally beautiful shaped magic stones are extremely rare. Therefore, it is said that
the price of high-ranked demon beast stones with beautiful shape tends to rise.

I don't think magical powers matter if you just use it as decoration or collection, but a
magic stones collector doesn't seem to think so. They preferred a powerful magic
stone and have beautiful shapes. That was exactly the magic stone of this goblin king.

The magic stones that are put up for auction are like a collection of gems, so it seems
that the winning bid cannot be estimated from the rank alone. I was told about that by
Codart in advance, but i realized once again the difficulty of an auction.

[The devil's magic stone is in the afternoon…… I wonder how it will goes]
At the end of the morning session of the magic stone auction.

It is a bargain time where items that just brought in on the day and items that cannot
be appraised are exhibited.

“The next one is this! A mysterious magic stone that even if an expert appraised it,
everything will come out as unknown! The adventurer who brought this in, got it after
seizing a thief's hideout, so there is no information regarding the demon beast that
was the owner of this magic stone at all!”

It was a small magic stone. However, it has a good shape, and it seems that it was
exhibited with the expectation that it would be more valuable as a jewel than a magic
stone.

“Starting form ten thousands Goldes!”

Bid is coming in, but it's not that popular. The only problem here is that we don’t know
the exhibitor name. However, I was willing to make a successful bid for it and asked
Fran to bid.

3 minutes passed while continued to competing for it. We succeeded in winning the
mysterious magic stone for 120 thousand goldes.

(Got it)

[Oh, sankyu. Now we have the evil goblin general magic stone on our hand]

Yes, the mysterious magic stone is a high-ranking species of goblin, an evil goblin, it
was also a general one. The evil species are more wicked, so even if they appraised it,
the result will be unknown. I guess no one knew it.

However, in my case, thanks to my heavenly eye skill, I can reveal only the name. The
evil magic stone doesn't help the mysterious soul in me to recover, so I'm sorry for this
time. But if it's a general rank one, we ca expect a few numbers of skills.

After that, Codart made another successful bid for magic stone. He got 7 out of the 8
we were aiming for from the beginning. The only bid that failed was the magic stone
from a fairy species called Ketsey.

It is a demon beast with a threat level of C, but it's quite small. Furthermore, its colour
and shape are high grade, its price has risen more than 10 times the market price. We
expected special skills from it, but it can't be helped now.

We managed to get the devil's magic stone that I wanted the most, I am really grateful
to Codart. We spent more than ten million goldes in a day. Well, money is meant to be
used.

We parted with Codart in front of the auction site and head towards our inn.

[Well well! Let's go back to our inn and absorb it!]

“Nn”

[Iyahoo!]

Haah, my tension goes up. After all, even the cheapest one was a threat level of D,
except for the evil stones. We also got 3 threat levels C, Moreover, the devil's magic
stone is a Count class. In other words, it has the same threat level of B as the devil we
defeated in Allesa.

There are not many opportunities to be able to absorb such high-quality magic stones
at once. I want to absorb it real quick!

[Magic stones♪ Magic stones♪]

“Master, looks happy”

When i were singing along, I felt that someone was running up from behind. He
stopped for a moment, but soon increased his vigilance. It turned out that the other
party was a complete amateur.

He didn't erase his presence, and on the contrary, his running steps could be heard
echoing. He's less than a small fry adventurer. It seems he must be a completely
ordinary person.

“Please wait a moment!”

It was an elderly man who run up. He is literary a civilian with well-tailored and loose-
fitting clothes. The flesh of his belly is shaking every time he moves.

“Can i have a bit of your time?”

“Nn?”

“Yeah you! There's a story i want you to listen! There's no loss in this! Would you like
to listen about it?”

(Master?)

[Well, if only a little]

I really want to go back to our inn ASAP!

“Nn, if only a little”

“Ooh! Then please come with me, this way”

What a carriage he had prepared. I'm ready for anything. But, is he a fool? Without
even giving us his name, he suddenly asked us to get on the carriage. I would like to
meet a fool who would get on a carriage like that.

No, i think he's underestimating this child, Fran. In other words, it seems that he hasn’t
investigated Fran's identity. What on earth are he going to do? I can only guess he's a
scammer.

When I appraised the man, more or less, he's a nobleman, and a baron.

“Your name?”

“Oh, sorry it's a bit late. My name is Beckert”

The nobleman is humbly giving his name without his family name. he's just getting
more suspicious.
“What's the story?”

“Well, it will be a long story”

“Here is fine”

We shouldn't follow a suspicious person.

“But…”

“Then, I’ll go home”

“Oh! W-wait! You'll regret it!”

“…Are you threatening me?”

“No-no way! I-i didn't mean it! Wa-wait a second! Oi! Come out!”

When Fran returns her heels, the man calls out into the carriage in a hurry. Then, two
strong looking men come down from inside. I already know from the presence, but
obviously he was going to threaten or attack Fran in the carriage, right?

However, Fran refused to ride in the carriage, so he instructed them to come out to
intimidate her.

Two men stand around Fran. He is sliding the sword on his waist and frowning as if
showing he is angry. It seems that he is accustomed to this kind of works.

They are not a big deal in terms of ability. They are using fake muscles and weapons
that are only a fashion. It's funny that their acting skills are higher than their
swordsmanship. A mere guard under Count Bailleys we meet last night can handle
them by himself.

“So, you are talking?”

“Wha? Oh that's right”

Beckert was surprised at Fran who wasn't scared at all. However, he remembered his
purpose and he began to talk about why he wans to talk with Fran while holding down
his voice.
“Actually. My lord wanted the sword you are carrying”

“Lord? who?”

“I can't reveal that… but if you give me your sword. I'll pay you 50 million goldes. How
about it, it's a good deal isn't it?”
“If you give me your sword, I will pay you 50 million goldes. That's good deal, right?
now will give me your sword?”

He never expects his offer would be turned down, and he offers his hand. Can he give
it here? 50 million goldes is a lot of money. Perhaps he thinks with this amount, any
ordinary people can play and live for the rest of their lives. But is there anyone in this
world would believes this stinky man will pay as much as 50 million goldes in a post-
payment?

He is looking down on Fran, or are he making a fool of her? Or do we look like we're
in trouble with money?

“Won't sell swords”

Look! I believed her!

“Wha? What did you say?”

“Won't sell swords”

“Hahaha! stop joking”

“Not joking”

“It's 50 million you know? I don't think there's such a good deal out there? It's an
amount that ordinary adventurers can't even earn in their whole lifetime you know?”

Beckert looks astonished. Now it's clear that this guy doesn't know anything about
Fran. Is these trio an idiot?

If she knew Fran was that Black Lightning Princess, he would have had different
response. Fran completely loses her interest in Beckert, turn back her heels and starts
walking. Well, of course the two thugs won't let us escape.
“Wait a minute”

“Don't be too cheeky”

While grinning, they stepped out to stand in front of Fran――.

“Ghaa…!”

“Bufu…!”

They stopped moving.

Because I choked both their necks with telekinetic. They must be felt their neck is
grabbed by a huge hand and being lifted a bit huh.

The two fluttered their legs in struggle to escape. However, these guys couldn't escape
from it and lost consciousness almost at the same time.

“Wha? What did you just do?”

“I'm not doing anything though?”

With that said, Fran glared at Beckert. He got that gaze and felt like he was being told
that he was next.

He dropped his jaw while dripping cold sweat.

“Kuh… i understand! Let's make it 60 million! this should be enough!”

“No matter how much. wont sell”

“Then 100 million!! How about 100 million!!”

That was a lie. No, it's even a lie when he said 50 million.

I thought about selling me to find out who his lord was, but i don't want to leave Fran
when that mysterious magic sword hasn't been discovered yet.

Besides, there is a possibility that my magical power will be sealed when transporting
me. Although i have the seal nullification skill, but there is no guarantee it will always
worked. I didn't feel the need to gamble here.

“? Are you deaf? won't sell. It's not something that can be replaced with money”

“Wa-wait a minute”

He's persistent. However, Fran has lost interest in Beckert. She turns her back on
Beckert, who is screaming with an impatient expression.

“Thi-this brat… get on with it… I'm telling you I’d buy that filthy sword! You are just a
mere commoner, hand over that sword at once! Or I’ll take it by force!”

This guy true self has come up. However, he's a pathetic guy.

“…Oi”

“Huh…! Wh-what…!”

“Is it filthy? Did you just say master is filthy?”

“Hi, hiiiiii!”

“And you are going to rob me? Did you just say that?”

He stepped through Fran's land mine. I'm loved by Fran. The future in which Beckert,
who said he would take me over by force from Fran and could safely return to his lord
disappeared at that moment.

Fran activated Lord Intimidation skill on Beckert and breaks his heart. Moreover,
because she is in deep anger, she was able to concentrate Lord Intimidation on Beckert
without spreading it around her. Isn't this the first time she have succeeded in
controlling it?

Instead of involving her surroundings, she succeeded in controlling it thanks to her

anger… Well, it really is like how Fran is.

“A, A… Aah…”

Ah, this bastard Beckert, did he leak? Black stains spread on the lower body of his
clothes.
Ah, Fran, you're fine with getting this close with him?

“……Fun”

“Gegagagaga!”

However, Fran didn't seem to care about Beckert's ugliness, and when she stood in
front of him, she gently reached out. She clasps her hand when reaching out to the
fallen Beckert. It looks like they're shaking hands, but of course it's not a handshake.

“Abababa!”

Fran, who boast super-grip strength that cannot be imagined for her appearance, she
holds his hand with all her might, and crushed his hand and deformed it like a rubber
glove with no content in it. Beckert was screaming, and his mouth were letting out
foam.

The moment she releases his hand, Beckert collapses on the spot. There is nothing left
as his hands which had been squeezed.

[What should we do with this guy?]

(listen about his lord)

[What are you going to do after hearing it?]

(Of course, I'll beat him)

Well, you are right. But i don't really want you to do it. The other party is an aristocrat,
and I hope it won't be a trouble for us later……

Aaah! So troublesome! I want to return to our inn soon! Why don't we just throw him
away as it is?

As if i was worrying about Beckert's treatment, there was a new presence approaching
us. It's Frederick, he dared to leak his presence as if to inform us about his existence.

“Black Lightning Princess. I'll pick up and handle these guys here”

“But……”
Fran is eager to interrogate this guy and have his lord take account for him. But it's a
waste of time to spend by interrogating Beckert. Fredericks would be better at cross-
examination in the first place.

[No, Fran. You do as what Frederick says. Absolutely]

(Is that so?)

[Yea]

“I understand, I'll leave it to you”

“I'm going to find out the background relationship here”

Beckert should be left to Frederick. We came to the right place.

[Then, this has been resolved, let's go back to our inn!]

(Master)

[What is it?]

(Did you just push it to Frederick because you want to go back early?)

[No no no, that's not true right?]

(…let’s return to the inn)

[Yea Yea! It's magic stone absorption time! Hiyaaha!]

Fran looks a little dumbfounded, but she doesn’t mind, right?

[Fufufu, It's finally the time!]

“Ne―”

[Well well, Fran-san. Please line up the magic stones!]

“……Nn”
Huh? Why does Fran show such an eye? Whatever. Rather than that, the magic stone
has lined up in front of me now.

[Then, i ta da- ki ma- su! Hyahahaha―! Magic is flowing in! Oh―! Good―! goood―!
unbearable! Hmmmh―! Pa・Ra・Di・Se…]

“……Master looks happy”

“……Woof”

Not only Fran, even Urushi's eyes too? Why?

[Ohoo―!]

“……Nn”

“……woff”
10 minutes after I absorbed the magic stones.

[Aah…… I'm sorry]

“Why apologizing? Master didn't do anything wrong”

“Woof”

[Then why are you looking at me like that!]

I got a lot of magic stones points and skills in exchange for my dignity as a guardian.

I got 1420 magic stones value in total. 11 new skills and even 2 unique skills.

But there's no skill that can help me manage Fran's eyes.

However, there were a number of skills that looks interesting. And with our new Life
magic, it completes the 6 types of combined attributes, it is: Thunder Magic, Life Magic,
Dust Magic, Tree Magic, Molten Iron Magic, and Ice & Snow magic.

I was expecting to get few, but I was only able to get one new title. The name is
[Attribute Master].

Magician had the ability to control magical power and increase the processing power
during casting. It doesn't work for me, but it will help Fran to use magic in the future.

In addition, it seems that she now can choose Magic Expert job. From the name, you
can tell that it is a high-ranking magician.

Other skills that are unlikely to be useful are singing, dancing, woodworking, and
carpentry. It was all basic skill.

Skill that seems to be useful are normal skills such as corruption nullification,
overweight, ghost dispel, and animal knowledge. Unique skills we had obtained were
predatory absorption and cannibalism.

Corruption nullification, as the name implies, is a resistance skill that nullifies

corruption attack. Corruption is an attribute that rots flesh if it is a living thing, or
corrodes it if it is an inorganic substance. It's a resistance skill that can be used for
both me and Fran.

It seems that overweight is an upward compatibility skill for weight increase that we
already have. It is a skill that increase the weight of yourself and your equipment. If
you use it at the right time when attacking, you will be able to increase your power.

Ghost dispel is a skill similar to purification magic that can defeat a weak undead or
scare strong opponents. And animal knowledge is as its name isn't it. Well, it wouldn't
hurt to have it.

As for the unique skills I'm interested in, Predatory Absorption is a skill that increases
the experience and other values gained from eating. Some of the skills that Urushi
possesses seem to have been gained through the effects of this skill, so I'm sure it will
be useful in a humble way.

And cannibalism. Hmmm. This is the only one that's subtle. It's a skill that allows you
to kill your own kind and absorb some of their power. It's also a skill that Zelos Reed
possesses. The reason why he became so strong so rapidly is probably because he
used this skill to absorb the power of evil people.

But what about me? Is my kind a divine sword or an intelligence weapon? And besides,
even if i was told to kill them. The opponent is a weapon, so does destroying it mean
I've killed it? To be honest, it was a skill that seemed extremely unlikely to be used.

Well, let's just equip it and consider ourselves lucky if it activates. Oh, and by the way,
the magic tool and the magic sword were not recognized as being of the same family.
I bought a magic weapon at the Armor shop near the inn and have already
experimented with it.

As a result, the expensive magic weapon was only destroyed in vain.

I absorbed a large number of other skills, but most of them have apparently been
integrated into higher-level skills. No, it's better considering my processing power. I've
been trying so hard to increase the number of skills I have. I'm not used to it yet.
After that, I was testing the effects of my new skills in the courtyard of the inn, and
night was quickly approaching. Count Bailleys said he would find out where Gallus
was in a day, but now I wondered what had happened.

“Master”

[Yeah, looks like he's here]

There was a familiar presence near the entrance of the inn. It seems that he dared to
give a big presence to let us know that he had visited here.

The owners of the presence leave the inn and come to the courtyard where we are.

There is no doubt that it was them. Fran told Velmeria to sit on the bench after
soundproofing the area with wind magic.

Velmeria is looking at Fran's magic as impressed.

“The flow of your magic invocation, I’m impressed with it. What's more is that, you are
staying at this inn where you can't stay without a letter of introduction”

“Nn. When showed Eliante's letter of introduction. They let me stay here normally”

“From a guild master? Are you on good terms?”

“So so”

“Hmm, so so huh…”

Rather than being wary of Fran, Velmeria seemed to be uncomfortable with Fran's
type. She didn't know how to handle Fran, who had no expression and spoke in an
unpredictable way.

“We-well that's fine. But more importantly, I have a few things to report.”

“Nn”

“First of all, about the magic sword you saw. I've looked into a lot of things”

It was the one who had manipulated his friends to death. Velmeria and the others must
have a great deal of interest in that magic sword. When we parted, I asked them about
its characteristics in detail and left. Apparently, they had been searching for it earlier
today.

“First of all, there was an eyewitness testimony. People who Fran healed, naturally saw
it, but of course, they couldn't trace it afterwards. It seems that it suddenly
disappeared into a residential area. Its current whereabouts are still unknown…”

It is a mysterious flying object that moves through the night sky while spewing out
magic power. I think it stands out like a sore thumb. Well, it's not that big, and once it
hides itself, it's will be hard to find.

“There is a high possibility that it is an undead sword, so we have mobilized

adventurers who can use the undead search skill, but we have yet to find it.”

“It's regrettable”

“We also collected information on the magic sword, hoping to get some information
from its shape. However, this too has ended as a wasted effort. There was information
that Marquis Ashtner has been collecting magic swords for several years, so we
thought that they might be included in the sales records…… Apparently, that's not the
line either.”

Well, we have no clue after all.

“Next, I have information about the man who came into contact with you today. His
name is Baron Beckert Huth. He was a subordinate of Marquis Ashtner.”

“Marquis Ashtner? What is his purpose?”

He is related to Marquis Ashtner too? Well, his name comes up everywhere.

“It seems that the Marquis himself had ordered him to obtain your magic sword by
any means necessary. But the way he gave the order was to obtain a magic sword with
a wolf design, which is in the possession of a strong black cat tribe girl swordsman……”

It was a messed up and ambiguous way of giving orders. For example, if they knew
about Gallus's scabbard and wanted to reduce his strength and harass him, the order
should have been to take the adventurer Fran's magic sword.
“I can't tell if the Marquis really knows Fran. Maybe he just half-heard a rumour about
you and wanted the magic sword you possess”

In other words, the order had nothing to do with Gallus-related matters, but was
aimed at the holder of the magic sword? I've heard that the Marquis house is collecting
magic swords around the world.

“We're tightening things up even more at the moment, so I'll let you know if we find
out any new information”

“Okay”

It seems like all the bad things are the conspiracy Marquis Ashtner. What's more, there
are still reports about that Marquis house to come after this.

“Then, finally, i would like to tell you the information about Master Gallus.”

“Nn”

“The information you provided to us has been confirmed. It seems that Master Gallus
was indeed confined at Count Olmes's residence.”

TL Notes:

I'm using Centinni as my reference to keep skills naming consistent

“It seems that Master Gallus was indeed confined at the Count Olmes' residence. I'm
sure of it, since someone from our side witnessed it. However―”

“However?”

“The report came from a person who had infiltrated as a gardener, so we did not know
where he was in the mansion. Furthermore, we don't even know if he is still in the
Count's mansion”

Well, normally he's likely to be confined in a hidden room, a basement, or something

like that. However, it seems that he just happened to witness his existence when he
was taken out to the hall on the first floor for some reason.

“He said it was just the other day”

“I understand”

Fran nodded at Velmeria's words. But immediately, as if in a panic, Velmeria continued

her words.

“We are now preparing to conduct an on-site search of Count Olmes's residence under
the authority of the Count Bailleys! Please don't do anything rash!”

Unknowingly, she felt the fighting spirit rising from Fran and thought that she might
have to go in alone.

In fact, I think that was exactly Fran's intention. However, I was against the idea of Fran
running into the Count's mansion alone. Even though he was doing bad things, he was
still a nobleman.

It would definitely make us look like the bad guy. Unless we are prepared to rescue
Gallus and flee the country, But I have no intention in doing so. I also don't know if I
can really rescue Gallus for sure.
“It's difficult to gain access to the Marquis Ashtner's residence, but if it's in the name
of investigating Count Olmes, I'm sure we can get the permission. Absolutely. Within
the next few days, we will definitely make our move. I'll ask if Fran can join us then, so
until then, Please don't do anything rash.”

Velmeria glared at Fran as if begging

[Fran, you should just nod at this point. The more details they can give us about
Gallus's whereabouts, the better chance we have of rescuing him.]

“Nn. Okay”

“Oh, thank you very much”

Velmeria feels relieved and strokes her chest.

As for Fran, she seems to be a little dissatisfied, but I'll let her bear with it a little longer.
However, it seems that once she got motivated, her battle switch will be turned on.
Her body is still leaking with fighting spirit.

Frederick must have sensed this, because he's about to open his mouth, which had
been closed up to this point.

“Velmeria, why don't you have Black Lightning Princess train you”

“Eh? Frederick? What are you talking about”

“There is a lot to be gained from practicing with a stronger opponents. Besides, doesn't
Black Lightning Princess also want to exercise her body?”

“Nn!”

Fran, of all people, is the most enthusiastic about Frederick's proposal. She is already
getting up from the bench and pulling me out.

“Velmeria, I'm on it”

“…understood”

Velmeria too, must have heard Frederick's words and realized that Fran's excitement
should be dissipated here. She nodded obediently at Fran's invitation.

No, not only that, but Velmeria also seems to be on board. I guess that means she is
also a battle junkie.

“You doesn't want to pull it out?”

“Yes, this is my stance”

“Got it”

Velmeria faced Fran with nothing in her hands, seemingly empty-handed. But that
doesn't mean that she is good at fighting with her bare hands.

Based on her appraisal, she can use martial arts, but she is more skilled in using
dagger, dark arts, and throwing. He must be good at assassin-like combat combined
with muffling her presence.

Well, I won't tell Fran. It would be more fun for Fran, and it would be a good training
for her. Now, I wonder how well Fran will cope with her first strike?

Frederick used a technique to envelop the surroundings in darkness to prevent the

two from being seen from the outside, which was also the signal for the mock battle
to begin.

It was Velmeria who strike first. However, i think that is the right decision. Because
there's no point in waiting for Fran, who is lightly armed and has a surprisingly
effective strategy to attack her.

Even if her opponent is stronger than herself, she may be able to defeat her with a
strike to a vital point using dark arts.

Even though I don't have dark arts skill, but i can tell that Velmeria was throwing out
something familiar. Apparently, she threw something like an arrowhead that she had
prepared under her sleeve.

She suppressed her killing intent and presence as well without any motion. But I was
a little too impatient. I was thinking too much about launching an attack before she
got close to Fran.
If she were an ordinary C rank adventurer, she might have been able to cause some
agitation. With hope it can give her some damage. However, it didn't work on Fran. At
this distance, Fran could still see and react to it.

Fran dodged the arrowhead thrown by Velmeria by simply tilting her head lightly. She
then stepped in at once and kicked Velmeria's solar plexus with a front kick.

“Shhi”

“Gafuuh…!”

“Hyee”

[Hou]

She's been taking it easy on her, but she's still sent flying backwards from that kick.
She has taken some damage, but not enough to stop her from moving. You can't
underestimate her strength. With more battle experience, she will become stronger.

“Like hell i would let this end like this! Haaa!”

“Mmh!”

“Shhh!”

“As expected……!”

Velmeria held up a dagger in both hands and danced directly at Fran. She fired a smoke
screen shortly before and throw a net-like object at her. She must have gotten serious.

Fran used wind magic to blow away the smoke and nets, but by then, Velmeria was
already right beside her. Seeing her, I change my view of her. I thought she was an
assassin type aiming for a surprise attack, but her skill with dagger was quite high.

Moreover, she's somewhat tricky. she compensated for the lightness of her body and
the low attack power of a daggers with centrifugal force. While spinning around like a
wheel, he slammed both of his daggers into Fran. In addition, almost all of the blows
were aimed at vital points.

[I see, if she can get it done, she can turn the tide with a single blow]
Her teacher must have prepared her for a fight that even she could win against
stronger opponent. I myself think the best thing to do is to run away from an opponent
you can't beat, but there are certain situations where you can't run away from and
certain situations where you shouldn't run away from.

However, she was still inexperienced. Her attacks were repelled by me, and she was
often blown away by jus a kicks and fists. However, her will to fight did not fade from
Velmeria's face. With her light blue ponytail swinging wildly, she came towards Fran.
It's proof that her mind has been trained well.

I wonder if it is Frederick who is teaching Velmeria how to fight? Speaking of

Frederick, he was watching over Velmeria with a very kind expression. He looks like a
father or a brother.

I don't really understand the relationship between these two either. Velmeria, who has
the surname of Bailleys, and Frederick, who talks to her in a way that he seems to be
treated as Velmeria's subordinates……

They are both from half-dragonmen races, and I'm sure there is some reason for that.
But I'm not sure if it's the right thing to ask. I don't want to poke my head into the
muddy side of a noble.

But some people just simply couldn't read the air.

“Ne, what relationship does Velmeria and Frederick has? Is it just because you are both
half-dragonmen?”

That was Fran-san. She casually asked it during the break. Then, Velmeria answered
surprisingly easily. Apparently, it wasn't like it's a secret as I thought it was.

“It's hard to say what kind of relationship we have, but isn't it more like a guardianship?
I heard that he was originally a guard in my mother's service, but when my father took
me in, he came to this country with me.”

“Then, your mother is not in this country?”

“Yeah. father is――My esteemed father is the Count of Bailleys, whom Fran met the
other day. What i know is that he met my mother when he was sent to the continent
of Gordisia.”
The continent of Gordisia was supposed to be a place where most part of it were
covered by a magical beast so huge that it swallowed the continent. As I recall, I've
also heard that there was a dragonmen's empire.

“I was told that my mother was the caretaker of my father”

There, the Count and Velmeria's mother became family, and Velmeria was born.
However, the Count had to return to his country after his dispatch period was over,
and that's when he took her in.

Certainly, the Count already had a wife and children, but as a nobleman, that was not
a problem.

“Your mother is still in Gordisia?”

“Yeah. My mother has something to do there, so she can't leave Gordisia continent.”

“Lonely?”

“Well, what do you think? I have very little memory of her, and I don't think I want to
meet her that badly…… Well, even if I could meet her, do you think i would like to meet
her?”

She seems to be pretty easy going. Maybe that's how it is if you were separated at an
early age and grew up without seeing each other.

It was Frederick who had a rather painful face. He looked at Velmeria, who shrugged
her shoulders, and sadly lowered her eyes.

Maybe he's feeling sorry for Velmeria, who has no memory of her mother.
The night of our mock battle with Velmeria.

“Master!”

“Woof!”

“Ceh! Fran, barrier”

“Nn!”

Fran and Urushi jumped up from their fluffy beds in the inn, and I immediately activate
the transfer. In order to get away from this place as much as possible. Fran is already
putting up barriers as fast as she can.

Booom!

Immediately after we moved to a dozen meters above the courtyard, there was a huge
explosion from the room where Fran was staying. It had been struck with flame magic.

[Even though there's another guest, they're crazy!]

“Master, that is!”

[Ah! I can feel it even from here. It's that magic sword]

In the middle of the courtyard, the person who did it stood quietly. He had a blank
expression on his face which I couldn't tell what he was thinking and a half-destroyed
longsword in his right hand. There is no doubt about it, that was the sword with a face
of a man with an expression of agony engraved on the hand cover.

More than that, the disgust rising from within me tells me. It's him.

[Are Velmeria and Frederick safe?]

“I don't know.”

Velmeria and the others were supposed to have taken a room next door, but i couldn’t
feel their presence. Is it because they sensed an enemy attack and disappeared, or is
it because they lost their lives and have no more presence of them? I think it's the
former……

[Urushi, check the safety of the two!]

“Woof!”

We weal deal with him

“――”

The man is looking at us with an expressionless face.

“This time, gonna defeat it!”

[First, i want to block his escape route……]

The only thing I can think of that might work is the Great Wall skill. But I can't use it
in this small courtyard. If we covered all four sides with the huge wall made by that
technique, we would only have a space of about four and a half tatami mats. If we made
it thinner, it wouldn't be strong enough and he could easily escape.

I also thought about surrounding the entire inn, but then the people in the inn would
not be able to escape. In the end, we had to be careful not to let him escape huh.

[Fran, don't let it go!]

“Nn! Leave it to me! Haaaa!”

Fran offsets the flame magic released by that magic sword again by releasing flame
magic in the same way. She ran down the street towards the man below her.

“Awakening――”

The awakened Fran kicked the sky to accelerate and slashed at him with all her might.
However, the man used his magic sword to fend off the blow, he's pretty skilled.
I appraised the man during our attack. His sword skills are at level 5, higher than Hamuls.
He has various strong skills such as Herculean Strength, Physical strengthening, and
Rapid regeneration. He was clearly stronger than Hamuls.

And also, he is in the same state of Fanaticism and Potential Release as Hamuls. But
there's something interesting.

Hamuls would have had the skills of regeneration, muscle hypertrophy, and martial
arts added when he is using Potential Release. However, the man in front of me -
Gordon - has none of those skills. Regeneration may have been integrated since he has
rapid regeneration, but what about the other two?

Weren't those three skills given to him by the sword? I wonder if it was a skill gained
from using potential release, a skill that bloom from his dormant talents?

Well, let's think about it later after we destroyed that magic sword.

[If possible, I want to capture Gordon alive]

“Nn”

If we can talk to him, we can find out if Marquis Ashtner is behind this. We'll destroy
the magic sword without letting it escape and capture Gordon without killing him.

[Since he has rapid regeneration, it's okay to hurt him a little…]

As long as he was in a state of potential release, he would soon die if we didn't do

anything. We had to destroy the sword and return him to his normal state before that
happened.

“Haa!”

“――”

Fran's target was Gordon's wrist. The first step is to separate Gordon from the magic
sword, and then hit the magic sword with a great firepower.

But that doesn't work. Gordon took advantage of his rapid regeneration and forcibly
attacked her. However, Fran, who has a superior skill with the sword, did not miss the
flaw in Gordon's attack. She used a feint to hit his neck and aimed at Gordon's writs
However, Gordon reacted to it as well. But he didn't evade it, or that he repelled the
thrust. Gordon dared to expose himself in front of Fran's thrust.

“Tsh!”

We pierced Gordon's solar plexus deeply. Gordon then let go of his magic sword and
grabbed onto my hilt with both hands. His grab is powerful because of his Herculean
Strength and Physical Strengthening skills.

I tried to get out from his grab, but Gordon had tightened every muscle in his body to
hold me in place so that I couldn't escape. If I tried to escape seriously, I could shake
him loose, but if I went crazy in this state, I might kill Gordon.

“Get your filthy hands off my master!”

“――”

“Haa!”

“――”

“Aaah!”

Fran grabbed my hilt and kicked Gordon in the face. The sound of Gordon's legs and
ribs snapping echoed through the air. But that didn't freak Gordon out. On the
contrary, she was blown away by the magic power released by the magic sword that
had fallen at Gordon's feet, she's forced to let her hand go from my hilt.

[Fran!]

“Kuh! Master!”

Thank God. She's okay. But what Gordon did after that was beyond our expectations.
He showed his back and ran away from Fran.

[This bastard!… He wasn't after Fran, but his aim was me alone!]

“Stop!”

Fran was about to chase after him when she saw that magic sword standing in her
way. It's trying to split me and Fran up!

[Like hell, i would let you!]

“――”

I used telekinesis to entangle Gordon's leg, and then used wind magic to break
Gordon's legs as he dropped to one knee. But he still wouldn't let me go.

Should I just hold Gordon here and leave the magic sword to Fran?

[But, she can't take on a magic sword without a weapon……]

As I watched, I saw that Fran was parrying the attack of that magic sword that had
plunged in at high speed with her fist that had concentrated barrier. No matter how
fast it was, it would not be able to catch Fran in such a straight line of attack. Fran's
fist was a little bit damaged, but she was still able to deflect its trajectory significantly.

It was just after that.

Kiiinnn!

[Obey me!]

An inorganic, high-pitched voice that sounded as if it had been synthesized by a

machine rang in my head.

I can understand it with my senses, that Fran's resistance skills have been activated,
something must have been played. She used to leave everything up to her skills, but
now that she has trained herself to manipulate the flow of her magic, she now can
understand which resistance skill has been activated.

It's mental resistance and dominance nullification.

[Fran, are you all right!]

“Nn? Is this your voice now?”

She seems to be fine. There's nothing wrong with her. But I'm pretty sure it has used
some sort of mind control ability on me. Looking at Hamuls and Gordon, there is no
doubt that it have the ability to manipulate people. There was a good chance that it
would be able to exert that effect on the person it slashed.

I guess the reason I could hear that voice too was because i'm connected with Fran.

[Obey me…!]

“So noisy”

[Fran, don't let it cut you! It has mind control powers!]

“Okay”

The sword jerks away on the ground. Is it just me, or does it seem surprised that it
couldn't dominate Fran?
I wanted to go back to Fran as soon as possible. My resistance skills are preventing it
from taking control, but I don't want to get hit by it again.

For the time being, I decided to restrain Gordon with earth magic. I'm not sure if it can
hold him long enough, but it's better than just leaving him alone.

Gordon's figure was covered in ivy made of earth and swallowed him. After make sure
of it, I teleported back to Fran's hand.

[Fran, I'm back]

“Master!”

[Are you okay?]

“Nn!”

When I teleported back to Fran's side, she greeted me with a hug. It must have been
very painful for her to have me taken away forcefully, even just for a few seconds.

“Unforgivable…!”

“――”

The magic sword looks as if it's not sure whether to run away or to attack Fran again.
From the way it acted, it really seemed to have emotions. Fran slashed at the magic
sword, throwing her killing intent.

“Haaa! Brilliant Lightning Rush!”

“――”

She closed the distance at god speed and swung me down. However, that magic sword
had jumped back just before that.

[I won't let you go away!]

No, this time it was different. The magic sword distanced itself from us and shot magic
to Fran. But it wasn't aimed at Fran. It blew away the rock cage in which Gordon was
trapped. It was a bit harsh, but it managed to set Gordon free.

I guess that magic sword isn't good at acting alone for a long time. It needs a wielder
to continue the battle.

The magic sword flies towards Gordon.

[I won't let you!]

“Haaa!”

We used wind magic to blow Gordon away even more and knock him out of position.
After that, we teleported and slashed at the magic sword. Immediately after the
teleport, I tried to use telekinetic to block the magic sword's movement, and Fran will
attack it with Sword King technique. I had planned to do that, but…

[It detected our teleport!]

The magic sword accelerated rapidly and was already out of our sight. It seems that it
has excellent sensing ability. Gordon, who had just gotten up, rushed in. He was not
doesn't hold the magic sword, and he had no hands.

But this guy has no martial arts or fighting skills, so what is he going to do? As I was
thinking that, he came straight at me. Although his movements were not that sharp, if
we get caught, we would suffer a great deal of damage due to his physical strength.

However, Fran and I both hesitated to attack this guy. He already had very little vitality
left in him. If we attacked him now, we might end up killing him.

Fran quickly jumped back and dodged Gordon's attack.

But, at that moment

Booom!
Gordon's torso made a dull sound and exploded from the inside. No, it's not that.
Before i knew it, the magic sword had moved behind Gordon and rushed from his back.

It seems that when the magic sword hit Gordon's body, it dared to curl magic blade
around itself to make it look like a hammer, so that it would not penetrate Gordon's
body, but make his body burst. But, no matter how fast he can regenerate, if his upper
body was destroyed, he would die instantly.

[This bastard! It killed its own wielder!]

My anger rises up after witnessing it.

[As a magic sword, I can't forgive what it have done!]

Its very existence was disgusting.

The magic sword attacked with its magic blade while blindly scattered Gordon's flesh
and blood. Its shape transformed once again, and the blade branched out into multiple
pieces, each blade coming at Fran from multiple direction.

We were wary of its mental control and used teleport to keep our distance. The magic
sword did not give a chase. Rather, it seemed to have anticipated our escape. Without
slowing down at all, it flew towards the inn, passing by our side at super high speed.

[It got me!]

“Is it trying to escape?”

[No, it wasn't!]

There was a figure at the destination where the magic sword flew.

“Run away!”

“Kuh!”

“Velmeria!”

It was Velmeria and Frederick, who had been rescued by Urushi. They were hiding in
the inn, watching over our fight. However, the magic sword seemed to have aware of
them.

I'm not sure if she heard Fran's warning, but she turned on her heel in panic, but it
was too late. Just as she was about to be cut by the magic sword, Frederick, who was
standing next to her, push her away. The blade of the magic sword, which seemed to
pierce through Vermelia's body, had cut deep into Frederick's arm.

“Gaah!”

“Frederick! How is your condition?”

“I-I’m fine! but what is this voice? If you want me to obey you, then show me what
you've got!”

So that's it, it was planning to take control of Frederick and make him it's new
wielders! But it seems that it failed. Frederick has mental resistance. It must have
prevented the magic sword from taking control of him.

But Velmeria didn't have that kind of skill. We have to settle this before she was
attacked.

[Let's jump]

“Nn!”

We had already confirmed that it can detect when teleport will be used.

The magic sword releases magical power to Fran who appears in the room after
teleport, but the attack is transmitted by our dimension shift.

Fran swung me out against the magic sword, which was shaking in surprise.

“……Sword King Technique - Heaven Judgement”

[Giyaaaaa!]

The blade of that magic sword that had already been broken were cut down even
further with the flash of sword released by Fran. The magic sword then lets out a high-
pitched scream.
It was obviously damaged, but an eerie magical power that swirled within it had not
yet dispersed. Does it mean, we have to destroy its core-like part in order to defeat it?

One more shot! I was about to shout that, but I couldn't raise my voice.

[Urgh…!]

“Master”

[Kuuuaaa!]

I screamed a moan while feeling a huge force flowing into me. Apparently, Cannibalism
had been triggered.

It wasn't like I felt being overwhelmed by taking too much power, or it was going out
of control. But, the magical power from that sword flowing into me made me feel so
disgusted that i couldn't think of anything else.

I'm sorry to use a little dirty representation, but it was like having a mixture of filth,
garbage, and crappie juice smeared all over my body. Anyway, I couldn't help but feel
sick. If I had been in a human body, I would have been screaming and rolling around.

[Uuuwaaaaaaa!]

“Master!”

There was no way that magic sword would miss such opportunity, it accelerated at
once to escape from the room.

“Urushi! After it!”

“woof!”

[Guurghhhh!]
[Sorry Fran. I'm fine now]

(really?)

[Yeah]

While I was screaming, the magic sword escaped me again. I hope Urushi brings back
some information for us………

But I don't know why cannibalism was triggered. It's supposed to be an ability to
absorb power if you kill someone of your own kind……

We're inorganic, we're already lifeless. In other words, because we're lifeless,
attacking us and damaging us will trigger it? Or is it judged that cutting some part of
us counted as killing? Or is there some other reason?

Either way, it's going to be dangerous if I don't deactivate cannibalism when we fight
that magic sword in the future. I don't want to have to go through that feeling again.

However, absorbing its power means that I will be strengthened while the magic
sword will be weakened. If that's the case, it might be better to put up with the disgust
and use cannibalism. Hmmm……

“Fran, are you okay?”

“Nn?”

“It seemed that your movement suddenly slowed down…”

“That sword had the power to control the mind of the person it slashed. Doesn't it
affect you?”

Velmeria and Frederick asked worriedly. Frederick had already healed his wounds
with a potion that Velmeria had, but his face was slightly frowned. Even though his
mental resistance prevented it, Frederick was still affected by the domination skill. I'm
sure he understands the horror of it.

They knew Fran might be already manipulated; we couldn't win the fight. Hence, they
were looking at Fran with caution.

“I got resistance skill, so I’m fine”

“Is that so”

“I'm glad”

Apparently, they understood that she wasn’t lying. The two are relived and stroked
their chests.

After that, we decided to rescue the people at the inn. Some part of the inn was still
burning by that explosion. We had to do something about this.

Leaving the firefighting to Velmeria, who is good at water magic, we searched for
people who are late to escape. Surprisingly, there were only a few people were injured
and unable to move.

Because it was originally a high-class inn, there were only a few guests. Furthermore,
it was an inn for adventurers of rank C or higher, and half of them had escaped on their
own.

Of course, there were some ordinary rich guests, but they had their own guards, and
they had already evacuated with their help.

In the end, we rescued only one of the employees who had failed to escape. The young
man had already been led out of the inn after we healed his wounds.

“Let's go back to courtyard”

“Nn”

“We need to secure Gordon's body.”

With all this commotion, the soldiers would be here soon. Of course, if they saw
Gordon's body, they would suspect that it was related to the case because of its
unnaturalness. His body would be confiscated.

[We need to get his body before they do.]

“Nn”

When we returned to the courtyard, Frederick was already examining the body. The
upper half of the body had been destroyed, but the head was still there, and there was
a chance that there might be a clue to the identity of the magic sword.

“Got something?”

“More or less”

Hou? That's not something to be overlooked.

“Tell me”

“First of all, this man's identity is undoubtedly that of Gordon, a servant of Count
Bailleys”

“Same as Hamuls?”

“Yeah, he went missing during reconnaissance”

Gordon was apparently a colleague of Frederick. There was a hint of mourning on his
face, but there also seemed to be a slightly reluctant look in his eyes.

“But――”

“But?”

“Gordon was not in charge of the actual operations, like us and Hamuls, but was in
charge of surveillance”

“In other words?”

“Of course he was trained, but his fighting ability wasn't that high. I'm sure he
shouldn't be able to go against Fran head-on even for a short time”
I guess that means, when he used potential release, his ability had been raised to the
fullest. However, there was still a point where he felt something strange.

“Gordon was fighting with a sword, wasn't he?”

“Nn”

“But… Gordon was a spearman, and I'm pretty sure his sword skills weren't that great.”

Potential Release is a state in which one's original abilities increase. In the case of
physical enhancement skills such as regeneration and muscle hypertrophy, i can think
of it as an awakening of a dormant talent due to potential release.

But how is it possible that only his skill in swordsmanship would increase? Even
though he originally possessed low-level sword techniques, it seems strange that it
would be strengthened to the point of turning into sword saint techniques. In addition,
the spear technique, which was at a higher level, did not seem to have changed.

“And so is his fire magic. Gordon was only able to use basic earth magic, and no fire
magic at all.”

“But, he was using flame magic”

“Yeah, I saw it too”

Sword Saint Technique and Flame Magic…… Both of these skills shouldn't be so easy
to get. That is unless you have the ability like me.

(TLN: Swordsmanship > Sword Saint > Sword King, on previous TL they're using sword
sacred and sword lord, but it's sounds so lame, no offense. Or should I stay consistent
with skills naming?)

“So, it's that sword ability?”

“……I don't know. But, is there such a sword that can manipulate its wielder and give
them multiple new skills…? Now I’ve seen it this close, I’m pretty sure it's not from a
dead soul”

Frederick also understood that it was not an undead sword, but a magic sword. This
was confirmed by the fact that my cannibalism was triggered.
On the contrary, it was more likely to be an intelligent weapon.

“I heard voices when it cut me.”

“Me too. "Obey me" That's what it said.”

“Nn. That sword, has its own mind”

“Huh! You meant, it's an i-intelligent weapon! No, but it sure sounded like one”

Frederick is surprised with his eyes wide open. An Intelligent Weapon is said to be of
legendary things. It's only natural to be surprised when it exists in a place like this
while spreading destruction.

But that didn't seem to be the only surprise for Frederick.

“No way…… I didn't think there's another one exist outside of Gordisia……”

“What do you mean?”

“In the continent of Gordisia, exist a single intelligent sword”

According to Frederick, it was the beloved sword of Trismegistus, the tragic hero of
Gordisia. It is said that Trismegistus, a genius alchemist, used all of his knowledge and
painstakingly created it.

As a result of divine punishment, he was destined to fight forever until the Abyss
Eaters he created were destroyed.

Maybe, Trismegistus was the one who created me?

He doesn't seem to be a divine blacksmith, but if he has the original discarded divine
sword or something like that, there's a chance, right? After all, he is a genius alchemist
who almost destroyed the world.

[Gordisia Continent huh……]

“And this, this is likely to be a clue”

“The piece of that magic sword”

What Fran took out was the blade of the magic sword that she had cut off. There would
be a chance to get closer to its real identity. Thanks to the fact that most of the magic
power had been drained out from it, its already felt much less disgusting.

[……Hmm. the material is…… I think it's similar with my blade]

I have blacksmithing skills, so I can tell some things apart to some extent. At least it's
not iron. I don't know exactly what this metal is, but the closest I can come to it is the
metal used for myself.

As I recall, it was a metal called Orichalcos, which could only be used by a divine
blacksmith. However, since only divine blacksmiths can handle it, I can't tell if it's
something special with my normal blacksmithing skills.

Even that Gallus didn't understand the material of my sword. Still, I could tell that the
metals that made up my sword and this were very similar.

But that would make the story more complicated. After all, there will be possibility for
that magic sword to be a divine sword.

Well, compared to Gaia that Asurasu showed me, I only felt a much weaker magical
power, and I think it's more likely that it's less than divine magic sword made by a
divine blacksmith using Orichalcos.

When I think about it, it makes sense that I was able to activate cannibalism. An
intelligence weapon made by a divine blacksmith, made of the same material. It
wouldn't be strange to say that we are the same kind. It seems to be more likely related
to a divine blacksmith rather than Trismegistus.
“I'd like to examine it. Can you leave it with me?”

(Master?)

“I'll make sure to return it to you when the investigation is complete. It's Fran's loot
after all”

Well, we can't investigate any further on our own even if we had it, and if you want to
lend it to him, that's fine.

[I think it's a good idea.]

“Nn. Understood”

While Fran and Frederick were talking in front of Gordon's body, Urushi returned.

“Woof!”

“Urushi, welcome back. you got something?”

“Woof!”

Oh, Urushi looks so confident. Apparently, the chase went well.

“……Marquis Ashtner's residence?”

“Woof!”

Urushi nodded at Fran's question. Seriously? Fran had only mentioned Marquis of
Ashtner randomly, but actually it was the correct answer.

“Really?”

“Woof woof!”

When Fran asked back suspiciously, Urushi desperately appealed for her to believe
him. It seems that he has really escaped to Marquis Ashtner's mansion.

Last time, it took the trouble to cut off its sign in the residential area and was wary for
anyone to not follow it…… But this time, it was so easy to find where its destination is.
No, because it was damaged by Fran's Sword King technique, it didn't have enough
time to scatter its pursuers. And I’m sure I've absorbed some of its power too.

Incidentally, as a result of cannibalism, my magic power and durability increased by

50 each. It may seem subtle, but if I can completely absorb the power of a magic sword,
I can expect a considerable strengthening.

“Did that wolf find out where that magic sword ran off to?”

“Nn. Marquis Ashtner residence”

“Really?”

“Nn. He is trustworthy”

“Gau Gau!”

When Fran suspected him, he reacted with a “please believe me” kind of whining, but
when he looks at Frederick, he looks at him like saying “What? You didn't believe my
words?” That's how he reacted and shot a glare at Frederick.

Even in his dog-sized state, he is powerful enough, but Frederick is not flinching at all.
As expected of him.

“Don't glare at him”

“woof……!”

Fran smacked Urushi on the head and warned him. Then, Urushi looked back at Fran
with a look like saying “it's because of him”

However, Fran ignored Urushi and proceeded with her story.

“I'm going to Marquis Ashtner”

“No, wait a moment”

“whine……”

Yeah, hang in there, Urushi.

“Even if you force your way in here, when you can't find any evidence of guilt, you'll
just end up being pursued. It will take a long time to start the investigation again. Be
cautious”

“Muh……”

“Gau!”

Urushi glared at Frederick again. Now he looks like saying “Bastard, what did you said
to neesan huh” maybe?

Fran hit him on the head again, and Urushi looked away from Frederick with an
attitude of “Damn. I'll let you off the hook this time” he said. I've never seen this boy
looks so much like a thug.

In the end, there was a possibility that we would be attacked again if we stayed here
for too long, and after putting out the fire with Velmeria, we decided to move on. The
place we were aiming for was their hideout in the noble district where we first met
Count Bailleys.

When I mentioned that the magic sword had disappeared to the Marquis Ashtner's
mansion on the way, Velmeria nodded her head in agreement.

“It seems that he were involved, after all. That's one more reason for us to search
Marquis Ashtner's residence”

“Assuming what that wolf say was real. We'll have to back him up”

“Gau!”

Urushi responded to Frederick's words, groaning like saying “Are you saying I’m lying!
Haah?” No, he's usually a bit more of a cute guy, but he gets strangely worked up over
Frederick.

Is its familial disgust? Well, he have a similar skill composition and are rivalling
Frederick, who seems to be a threat to his position. He's a wolf, after all, and he's
probably concerned about his position in the group.

[Familial disgust huh……]

I wonder if the disgust I feel for that magic sword is the same thing.

It is a magic sword with great power and can act independently with its own will. In
addition, it can give its user skills and other abilities to strengthen it to an unbelievable
degree.

Of course, this information was not confirmed yet, but at present, it was highly likely
that it was an intelligent weapon with powers similar to mine.

We are alike, too much alike.

I was angry at it for its methods. But Hamuls had died because he had been in potential
release for too long. It could have happened to any of us. Both I and that magic sword
are dangerous swords that can bring death to the wielder. I hate to admit it, but……

[Hmm]

(What's wrong?)

[No, nothing… I just wondered why that magic sword and I are so much alike]

(Not alike)

[No, we don't look alike, but our abilities are pretty similar, right?]

However, Fran denied my words with an unprecedentedly strong voice.

(Not alike! it killed its own wielder!)

[But it's the same for us, if we overuse your potential release, you will lose your lives.
The only difference is whether or not we stopped in the middle. Well, I know It killed
Gordon]

(Not alike! It killed its own wielder. Master is always thinking of me. Completely
different)

[……is that so?]

(Nn! that thing is a bad sword. Master is a good sword)

To be honest, I don't think there's that much of a difference between that magic sword
and me. The only difference is our stance towards the wielder.

But if Fran says it's different, then it must be different. That's what I'm going to think
from now on. (

Just thinking about it like that, I found that the haze in my mind cleared up. I'm a lucky
guy…

[…Thanks]

“Nn!”
After repelling the attack of the magic sword, we had retreated to a mansion in the
noble district. This is the mansion where we first met Count Bailleys.

In fact, I wanted to report to Count Bailleys on various matters and discuss our future
moves with Frederick and the others……

[Fran, get up]

“Unya…”

[Come on, we have to discuss our future moves with the count]

“Nyumu～……”

Last night, Fran was so sleepy that we couldn't talk at all. Count Bailleys went out of
his way to greet her, but she was asleep while standing.

I was really glad that the Count was the tolerant type. He smiled and forgave her.
However, as expected, I couldn't keep him waiting again today.

[Come on, get up]

“Mu~……”

[Hai, I'll wipe your face]

“Muyu―”

[We need to fix your bed hair, so don't move a bit.]

“Uaa~”

What a 15 minutes exchange.

“Good morning, Master”

[Ou, good morning]

Fran managed to wake up, and the next thing she do is rubbing her stomach and
looking sad.

“…I'm hungry”

[Hai hai. In the meantime, you can put this in your stomach.]

Last night, after the battle, she slept without eating. Well, I predicted that she would
be starving in the morning. I took out some snacks such as rice balls and sandwiches
and laid them out in front of Fran.

The mansion would have prepared breakfast for her, but they would not be able to
handle Fran's appetite. It would be better to fill her stomach first.

[Urushi too]

“woof!”

“Munch Munch”

15 minutes later.

“oof oof!”

“Munch munch”

Fran and Urushi were having their second breakfast in the dining room of Count
Bailley's residence.

“What do you mean!”

“――……”

“I can't accept that I'm being left out!”

“――……”
A loud angry voice was coming from upstairs. It was Velmeria's voice. She seemed to
be arguing with someone, but I couldn't hear the other person's voice. Velmeria must
have yelled very loudly.

“Excuse me!”

Bam, A sound of a door being roughly closed can be heard along with Velmeria's voice.
Then, I heard the sound of someone running down the stairs.

As expected, it was Velmeria running into the dining room with a flushed face.

“Velmeria?”

“Fran……”

“What's wrong?”

“No, nothing… excuse me”

When she comes face to face with Fran, Velmeria stopped for a moment. However, she
quickly turns her head and leaves the place in a hurry.

(Velmeria, crying)

[Yea]

What on earth had happened? With tears welling up in the corners of her bloodshot
eyes and her teeth clenched, Velmeria's figure seemed fragile, as if she was about to
collapse on the spot.

That Fran stopped eating and wondered if she should go after Velmeria. That's how
weak she was.

However, Fran could not go after Velmeria. She was called by a new person entering
the dining room.

“Fran, Sidre-sama called you”

“Velmeria, what's wrong?”

“……don't mind her”

“I'm concerned”

“……I can't talk about it”

As long as the tight-lipped Frederick couldn't tell me, he wouldn't tell me even if I
persisted.

[Fran, we're not going to get anywhere by arguing here. Let's just go to the Count's
place.]

“…understood”

Frederick guided Fran in, looking somewhat relieved. And in the office where she was
guided in, Count Bailleys with a tired-looking face was sitting on a sofa.

“So you've come, Black Lightning Princess. I would like to discuss our future plans
immediately, do you mind?”

“Nn”

“First of all, thank you for all the information. Thanks to you, I was able to get
permission to enter Count Olmes' villa without any problems. Even if it's owned by a
marquis family, they can't object with the decisions of the royal family”

The villa belonging to Count Olmes is now the property of the Marquis Ashtner, but I
guess they can't resist if it's in the name of investigating a case.

No, in the past, he might have defied us. However, his power has declined due to his
repeated blunders, so now, he can no longer resist. He must have lost his ability to
manipulate from behind the scenes.

“We haven't received permission to enter the Marquis' residence yet, but if the
investigation of the villa produces evidence, we should be able to use it as a reason to
investigate the main residence.”

“Nn. What should i do?”

“I need your help in raiding the Olmes residence tonight. What do you think?”
Today? That was crazy fast. Fran seemed to think so too, and was surprised.

“To night? so quick”

“The longer we wait, the more likely for them to notice. What's wrong with that?”

“Unn. That's fine”

“I see. In the meantime, you'll be treated as a collaborator hired from the outside, just
like Colbert. You'll be working under Colbert's direction in the field, is that okay?”

“Nn”

“I'm grateful”

Seeing Fran nodding, for some reason Count Bailleys looked relieved. Was he worried
that Fran might not be able to wait and go off on her own?

“I know you're capable, but in this case, Colbert knows how to do it better than you
do.”

I can understand from his words. Count Bailleys had seen the match in which Fran had
defeated Colbert. That's why he was worried that Fran might say that she was
uncomfortable following the instructions of an opponent who was weaker than her.

Knock Knock

“Who is it?”

“It's Colbert”

The man who appeared there at the right moment was Colbert himself. But there was
a hint of confusion on his face.

“Ahh, excuse me. I passed miss Velmeria back there, but is something wrong?”

Oh, good one Colbert. You just asked the question we were afraid to ask!

“…It's not a big deal, but. I told her I'd remove her from the investigation of Count
Olmes' residence tonight, but she wasn't happy about it.”
“You're going to remove Miss Velmeria? Why? I'm sure she's quite skilled. At least
she's a better scout than I am.”

“This was a pretense. she has gotten a little better at it, but she's still immature. and
she's not as strong as you guys”

If we compare our fighting prowess only, that would be true. However, as Colbert said,
the true value of Velmeria lies in her scouting skills. Rather, I’m sure she is suitable for
searching inside the villa. I think the Count does not understand that……

Is there some other reason?

“Velmeria, crying”

“……I know. But it's not the kind of place where you can take inexperienced people.”

The Count replies to Fran's words in a weak tone. But it's a lie. It seems that Colbert
has figured it out. He stares at the Count with sharp eyes.

“Count. I understand that Miss Velmeria is cute, but she's an adult now. You can't keep
her away from danger forever, can you?”

“……ugh”

He was simply being overprotective while saying all the right things. The look of
dismay on the Count's face showed that Colbert's point was right on the spot.

I guess even if you're an outstanding warrior, a parent will always be a parent aren't
they.

“Isn't that why you're teaming her up with Frederick, so that she can get some
experience?”

“A-anyway! I'm not taking Velmeria with me on this raid!”

Colbert shook his head in dismay at his words, and Frederick slumped his shoulders
in disappointment.

“Thi-this is my final decision!”

Fran and Colbert are kicked out of the room by the Count, who says the conversation
is over. Colbert sighs in exasperation.

“Haah. Frederick, you don't want to go after miss Velmeria?”

“She's in her room, so it's better to leave her alone for now. If we talk to her now, she'll
just get more stubborn”

“As expected, but you should play your role as her teacher, you know”

I guess Frederick played the role of Velmeria's teacher. That must be why they have
such an easy relationship.

But there was one to worry about. Count Bailleys was overprotective. He was more
worried than overprotective, though.

But if that's the case, why are he raising her as a warrior or a covert agent? If he were
really worried about her, he could raise her as young ladies of high society. I'm sure
there are many noble girls who don't know anything about fighting and spend all day
learning.

Even if she was the child of a concubine, she seemed to recognize that she would be
carrying the family name, and she should be able to get a good education.

When Fran asked that question, Frederick and Colbert answer it.

“There are various circumstances……”

“Well, we can't stand and talk here. Let's go downstairs and have a cup of tea and talk.”

As Colbert suggested, we were told about Count Bailleys and Velmeria's situation
while drinking tea in the dining room.
First of all, to answer the question of why he taught Velmeria fighting skills and raised
her as a warrior, he said that it was simply because it was his family tradition.

“Count Bailleys came from a renowned military family. Men and women alike are
educated to be knights and join the military. Even if they are the children of
concubines, they are not given special treatment”

“Rather, it's because she's from a concubine, isn't it? If he treated only Miss Velmeria
like that, we'll be talking about how much he loves his concubine more than his real
wife”

“That's right. Because in the end, the one who would be hurt the most by that would
be Velmeria. So Sidre-sama trained Velmeria with a cold heart”

“Well, it's bad enough when that wife stares at you. I've met her a few times, and she's
an awful person. I guess she thinks adventurers are just relatives of bandits. She looks
at us as if we were insects. And yet, she had the good looks to make up for it. That's
what we call a noble's wife.”

I see, for Velmeria, who lives far away from her mother at Count Bailley's residence,
it's important to be on good terms with his real wife.

“Well, I guess that's why she don't blame her for being a concubine's child. A concubine
is a natural part of being a nobleman, and if you behave like a concubine's child would,
she won't be worried about anything”

It seems that if she avoids putting her selves on the short end of the stick, they have to
be rather strict. At the very least, he's not allowing preferential treatment to his wife's
children. No matter what.

But then another question arose.

“……Isn't Velmeria a knight?”

It is said that Count Bailleys' families are educated to become knights. However,
Velmeria is being raised as a covert agent. Even a concubine's child would become a
knight if she was the daughter of a Count……

However, this wasn't an usual story of a concubinage. Rather, the bottleneck was her
race.
“Race? Half-dragonmen?”

“Oh. In the Kingdom of Kranzel, not only half-dragonmen like us, but dragonmen
themselves are not allowed to obtain a special status. This naturally includes being
knighted and holding important positions in public organizations.”

“Why?”

“Because dragonmen are considered as a symbol of abomination”

“Abominable species? They hate you?”

“Fufu, I wonder”

Frederick chuckled at Fran's blunt words. However, perhaps it was because that words
came from Fran, a black cat kin who had been oppressed for many years. He didn't
seem to be offended and told her how dragonmn were treated in various countries.

“Trismegistus, who caused the tragedy of Gordisia, was the king of the Dragon Men.
That was the biggest cause”

“But, not all dragonmen are bad”

“No. It was Trismegistus who was judged by the gods, but the dragonmen
enthusiastically supported and encouraged the king, with the vile delusion that he
would conquer the world and make it prosper under the superior race, dragonmen”

I had thought that Trismegistus personally was the only bad guy, but apparently that
was not the case. It seems that the entire dragonmen race welcomed his ambition and
research.

“And as the result of the arrogance and greed of the dragonmen race, was that incident
that nearly destroyed the world. The nations that were suffering from dragonmen race
invasion began to eliminate the dragonmen race because they had been punished by
God. On the surface, they look at us as a sinful race that had been punished by the gods,
but behind the scenes, they were probably afraid of us, the dragonmen, a race with
strong ambitions and aspirations.”

“Well, the dragomen race is powerful as a species. They were probably the eyesore of
human's eye. Even now, they are feared along with Insect-kin and High Elves”
I can understand why the dragonmen are so strong. After all, they are dragons. But
what about the insect-kin and High Elves? Are they as strong as the dragonmen? I'm
not sure what to make of that.

“Don't you know the story little miss? The deadly dragonmen. The crazy insect-kin.
The most powerful high elf. You must have heard of that, right?”

The dragonmen are a race with enough military power to control an entire continent,
and yet they cause misery for themselves and those around them.

Although there are individual differences among the insect-kin, those of the warrior
class are said to be born with overwhelming abilities. Their combat power is at least
at the level of rank C adventurers. In addition, their loyalty to their country is high, and
their values are different from those of humans, so they are sometimes seen as crazy
by humans. For this reason, the insect-kin are said to be crowned the craziest.

“I've met an insect-kin before. They look like normal people”

Eliante was also from insect-kin, but she looks normal by all mean. But apparently
that's because she only has half racial blood in her.

“Ah, she must be half-insect kin…… A pure-blood insect kin or their higher species are
quite different”

Insect-people are born as a noble species or leader class. The battle type specializing
in combat, or a leader to rule the civilian. But just because they were a child of noble
species, doesn't mean they will become a noble, it's completely random and is strictly
divided according to the species of the child born.

Among the four class of insect-kin, the noble class, the fighting class, and leader class
are born with a strong sense of belonging and loyalty towards their country, and are
said to be more difficult to understand than the civilian class.

“When they are from a civilian class, they're just like any other normal person”

“Both in appearance and in ability.”

That's interesting. Could it be that the higher species look like a certain Rider? I'm
interested. I'd like to go to the country of insect-kin someday. Well, if it's safe, that is.
And finally, there are the High Elves. Elves, because of their longevity, have a very laid-
back personality. The older they get, the more relaxed they become, and by the time
they are over 300 years old, they spend their whole day by sleeping.

However, sometimes there are individuals who shows curiosity and behaviour not like
any typical elves, and continue to train themselves even as they age. These special
elves evolve over the course of several hundred years by continuing to grow. That is
the High Elves. There are only a few of them in the whole world, but all of them are
said to have rank S level strength.

The elves, with their superior magical power, will continue to grow for hundreds of
years. Their power must be overwhelming. Even though I've never seen it, I can
imagine it.

“Oops, I'm getting off topic. Anyway, in the Kingdom of Kranzel, as long as you have
dragonmen blood, you can't become a knight”

“However, as long as she was raised by Count Bailleys, he had to train Velmeria. As a
result, she was raised as a covert agent.”

“And in the future, she'll be serving the sons of his wife and help Count Bailleys”

In other words, she can show that she can be useful to his wife, and she can also show
that she knows her place by being a covert agent under the knight.

“Nevertheless, she is the Count's only daughter. The truth is that he's very fond of Miss
Velmeria. I'm sure he can't say it out loud to his wife, though.”

“Is that why, he remove her from dangerous mission?”

“Yea, that must be it”

“It seems that Miss Velmeria wasn't happy about it, though. They say you won't
understand the heart of a parent, but in this case it's probably the other way around.
He's obviously too overprotective.”

“……I know how you feel”

After hearing a little bit about Count Bailleys' situation. We were waiting for Velmeria
to settle down with a cup of tea.

“……Colbert. Acquaintance?”

“No, I don't know any of those guys who will sneak up on you while spreading their
killing intent. Frederick? Is it the Count's men?”

“I don't think so. I'm going to Velmeria. You guys take care of them. Take some of them
alive if you can.”

The source of this conversation was the mysterious presence that was trying to
surround the house while emitting their killing intent.

In all likelihood, it was an enemy attack. What's more, if I may say so――

[Fran, it could be that magic sword]

(Really?)

[They've got that eerie magic mixed in with their magic]

Even from a distance, there was no mistaking the disgust that welled up inside me. It
is the same kind of magic that the magic sword was emitting.

(Understood)

[But……]

(But?)

However, there was a problem. For some reason, there were multiple sources of this
sickening magic. Worst of all, there was the possibility that there was more than one
of those magic swords.

(……Just crush everything)

[Well, you're right. When that magic sword comes out, I’ll do everything i can]

(Okay)

Eliante, I'm sorry. But there might be some damage around here. But we can't leave
that magic sword unchecked. We have to make sure we kill it when it appears.

“Is that okay? you can't make the first move to claim self-defence. Just keep that in
mind”

So, we have to be passive. A few minutes later, Frederick left the room and headed
downstairs to Velmeria.

Inside the mansion, the guards were on alert. The level of the soldiers in the house
was high, and there was no one who hadn't noticed the mysterious presence that was
narrowing their encirclement.

However, it seems that the attacker's first move was something beyond our imagination.

Guooooo!

“Su-suddenly they unleashed huge magic spell!”

Multiple magics had landed on the villa. The room we were in was unaffected, but
through the window we could see tongues of red flame stretching out and turning the
space orange. Perhaps someone had released an inferno burst from outside the
premises.

In addition to that, it seems that wind magic and earth magic have torn holes in the
villa. Colbert also looked surprised.

“How dare they make such a flashy moves in the noble district of the royal capital!”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you know! We're in the king's lap! And if he causes a disturbance in this place full
of nobles, he'd be sentenced with death! Even if he was a marquis!”

That's why the people in the villa didn't think they would cause such a conspicuous
commotion. They were probably thinking that they would try to assassinate and
subdue them in close combat after they entered the villa.

The fact that they had been betrayed made them realize that the air in the villa was
shaking.

Was Marquis Ashtner running out of time, or was he were on the verge of ruin? Either
way, it seemed that the enemy was simply straightforward.

“Miss, lets split up. I'll take the front gate, can i leave the back gate to you?”

“Nn”

“Yoshi, lets go”

I really wanted to head in the direction of the magic sword, but no matter how hard I
tried, I couldn't locate its presence. Its not like that magic sword had disappeared, but
there were several weak reactions of it.

[For the time being, let's check it with our eyes]

“Nn!”

[Urushi, look for suspicious guys around the premises]

“woof!”

And when Fran arrived at the back gate, the enemy had already made their way into
the villa. There were two men in front of us. They looked like adventurers. However,
both Fran and I were stunned at the sight of their strange appearance.

[Wha-what are they……]

“Sword, stuck”

[And that impaled sword…… It looks like a magic sword]

What can I say? There were swords stuck deep in the backs of the men. From the
center of the back of their neck, it looked as if a sword had been inserted in place of
their spine. Along the spine, an estoc-like sword pierced through the body.

The men were both in that state. Moreover, the hand cover on their estoc was familiar.
An engraving of a man in agony. It looked just like the hand cover attached to that half-
destroyed magic sword.

The appraisal worked for this thing. Well, all I found out was the name. However, the
name was not something that could be ignored.

[Pseudo Fanatic Sword]

“Fanatic sword? I've heard it somewhere”

[That's from the scroll that Rumina showed us in Ulmut]

That scroll contained the list of the name of divine sword that Rumina, the dungeon
master of Ulmut and a member of the Black Cat tribe, carried. Its been on that list.

[Sword of blind devotion, Fanatics]

“So, that's a divine sword?”

[Pseudo means it's not the real one. Maybe it's a duplicate or something… Don't let
your guard down!]

Yes, a pseudo. It's not real. But even if it was a pseudo, it was a divine sword. This
finally smelled fishy.

“――”

“――”

“Here it comes!”

But then again, they're under mind control too! They have the same face as Hamuls
and Gordon. They also have the same state of fanaticism and were using potential
release. Their status is very high, and they have many skills. Not even the soldiers in
the villa will be able to compete with them.
“Awakening! Brilliant Lightning Rush!”

But still, from the start, they are no match for Fran.

When we are facing both Hamuls and Gordon, we were too focused on wait-and-see
and trapping approach. We were also too concerned about the damage to our
surrounding. However, the current Fran was serious both in a good and bad way.

When she heard that the enemy had something to do with a divine sword, her switch
must have been flipped.

The man on the right, who was about to unleash a sword technique, was sliced in half
by Fran's void sword technique, which has closed the distance at lightning speed. The
men were not even able to react to Fran's extreme speed.

(TLN: 空気抜刀術 kūki battō-jutsu, vacuum air pulling sword technique, void sword
drawing arts)

The sword is swung with a speed that doesn't even allow for a blink, then his body is
shifted diagonally with a delay.

[Kuh]

“Master? What's wrong?”

[No, it's just triggered cannibalism]

The slash had cut down the pseudo fanatic sword as well. As a result, a sickening
amount of magic power flowed into me. I had already experienced this once before,
but the amount of magic I absorbed was much less than last time, so I only felt a little
disgust, but it was still unpleasant.

The fact that I had absorbed so little power could be seen from my increased stats. In
fact, the magic power I have only increased by 2.

[What's more is, there's another one]

“Nn! Haaa!”

“――”
The man swung his sword over his head, as if he had finally realized that his friends
had been killed instantly. But by that time, Fran was already prepared.

Faster than the man's sword swung down, she unleashed void sword technique once
again, cutting off both of the man's legs.

[Just lie down!]

I invoked my telekinesis on that guy…

[What?]

For a moment, the pseudo fanatic sword on the man's back seemed to glow, and I saw
it suck the magic power out of him. And then my telekinesis is cancelled out.

[This guy――can manipulate magic huh!]

I tried to restrain it with earth magic, but that was counteracted as well. That pseudo
fanatic sword was the user. No, parasite? The wearer? Whatever it was, it seemed to
have the power to use the man's magic to counteract my magic and skills.

Seeing that my morphing and swordsmanship skills are still usable, it seems that the
magic released to the outside world is being dissipated by that sword in some way.

In the meantime, the man's legs had finished regenerating at a tremendous rate.
Abnormal regeneration and pain blocking made him a pseudo-immortal, and combined
with the ability to cancel out magic power to blocks its opponent's attack. That was a
nasty ability.

If we had run into them when I was weaker, we would have been in a pinch. But they're
not much of a threat for us now.

Even though my magic and skills have been blocked, my swords skills have not
diminished, and I am still in Fran's hands. That's enough for me.

“Haaa!”

“――”

The match is decided in an instant. No matter how good he is at regeneration and even
if he feels no pain, if his hands and feet are cut off, there will be an opening. The
regeneration process had already begun, but it would take at least ten seconds for the
limbs that had been severed from their roots to be restored.

[Yosh, this is our chance!]

“Nn!”

Our target was the pseudo fanatic sword. Fran grabbed the hilt and attempted to pull
the sword off the man's back.

“Muuuuu!”

[Hang in there!]

I would have joined in with telekinesis, but it would only be cancelled out. Naturally, I
tried dimensional storage too, but I couldn't store the pseudo fanatic sword in this
state, as it was treated as the man's equipment.

“Haaaaaaaa!”

[Yosh, it came out!]

It had holding into his body quite tightly, but it could not resist Fran's strength. In
about three seconds, the pseudo fanatic sword was pulled out of the man's body. I
immediately tried to stow it away, and this time I was able to do so without any
problem. At last, we got a clue.

“――”

But I couldn't be all that happy. The man whose sword had been pulled out of his back
had died shortly after. It was going to be difficult to get any information from the
attacker this time.

[Well, that simplifies the story.]

“Nn, cut them down”

When we pull out the pseudo fanatic sword, he will die, and if we leave him alone, he
will die from his potential release. Then we can defeat him without thinking about
capturing him.

[For the time being lets take down the assailant who broke into the premises]
“Haaa!”

“――”

[Ugh]

When Fran cut down the assailants along with their pseudo fanatic sword, the magic
flowed into me. Cannibalism was triggered.

Of course. Our opponent seems to be another copy of the pseudo fanatic sword. In
other words, they're a fellow discarded divine sword.

No, maybe I can even devour on a divine sword…… But, I don't think i can destroy
those superweapons.

(Master, are you okay?)

[I'm fine]

(Cannibalism, why not turn it off?

[No…… even if it's only a little, I won't miss the opportunity to be strengthened
without resorting to self-evolution. I'm going with this.]

(Understood, let's find our next prey)

[Ou!]

(But, don't push yourself)

[Yea, I know]

Dooon! Dogogoon!
From inside the mansion, I could hear sounds of destruction and people's screams
scattering, probably due to magic attack. Considering that all the assailants were being
manipulated and didn't raise their voices, it meant that all these screams were coming
from the soldiers of the mansion.

“――”

“Shiii!”

“――”

[This guy's strong too!]

All of the assailants were quite skilled. Almost all of them possessed sword saint skill,
and they were in a state of potential release. In addition, they are also able to
counteract our magic and skills.

In a small space, Fran's speed could not be fully utilized, and it was quite difficult to
take them down with a single blow. It would be easier if she could use her magic to
snipe from a distance, but it would only be dispelled.

And yet, the other side was freely unleashing their magic on us. It was quite
troublesome.

“――Wind cutter”

“Haaa!”

We dodged the wind magic that woman unleashed, and Fran approached her at once.
It was a purely a contest of once she got this close. After a few slashes, the assailant
was defeated.

[She even has regenerative powers too huh]

“Nn. Annoying”

Because it was Fran, it was only annoying, but it would be hard on the soldiers. They
can't say that they're strong because of their training, but they're still just a soldier.

“Guaa!”
[Fran!]

“Nn!”

A bloody soldier was blown through a nearby door. Fran quickly tried to cast a
recovery spell on the soldier, but it didn't get invoked.

[It's useless! let’s destroy that pseudo fanatic sword first!]

“Understood!”

“――”

I twisted and snatched the sword from the hands of the swordsman who had slashed
the soldier, and kicked his jaw with full power. We killed him after smashing his heart
and broke his neck. She struck me into his neck to crush the pseudo divine sword. It
seems we can do it with just one slash.

(TLN: author-san suddenly mentioned it as "pseudo divine sword 疑似神剣" instead of

"pseudo fanatic sword 疑似狂信剣", but then he mentioned it again as pseudo fanatic
sword……)

[Yosh, as long as there's no pseudo fanatic sword nearby, we can use magic]

The soldier who was dying recovered in time. She tapped on his cheek to wakes him
up.

“Are you okay?”

“Ugh…… you are…”

“Healed your wound, does it still hurt?”

“I'm really grateful… What about everyone in the dining room?”

“Leave it to me”

Leaving the soldier, whose wounds had healed but couldn't move because of too much
blood loss, Fran entered the room from which he had popped out.
As the soldier had said, it seemed to be a dining hall for servants and soldiers. I saw
several maids and soldiers lying down in the large room. I wondered if the carpet was
red, or if the grey carpet was stained with blood!

“――”

“Hmm!”

Fran was about to slash the assailant, but the other party took an unexpected action.
To her surprise, he thrust his blade at the maid who were unconscious at his feet.
Clearly, he was taking her hostage.

I was surprised because I hadn't expected these assailants to behave in such an

intelligent manner.

“――”

But even if these guys themselves are incapable of thinking, there is someone
controlling them. I don't know how they do it, or to what extent they can give detailed
orders, but at least they can make each assailant make detailed and precise action.

“――”

The attacker does nothing, but just keeps the blade on the maid's neck. This would be
a waste of time. Maybe he is trying to buy some time until his friends arrive.

[Fran, I'll do it]

“Understood”

Fran nodded lightly at my words and casually pointed my tip at the assailants.

“――”

The assailant braced himself lightly, as if on alert. But to no avail.

[Doryaa!]

We're far apart. We were at opposite ends of the large dining hall. This is the reason
why the magic power cancelling effect has not reached us.
Then there is only one thing to do.

I jump out with my telekinetic catapult and shatter the assailant’s head and pseudo
fanatic sword into pieces. It seems that even with his strengthening, he couldn't react
to the telekinetic catapult at this distance!

Even if it can counteract the skill, it doesn't stop the acceleration I got in the first place.
That was what i aiming for.

[I don't know what these guys are up to, let's go to Count Bailleys for the time being!]

“Understood”

After treating the maid who was still breathing among those who had collapsed in the
room, we decided to leave her to the soldiers and head for the Count's escort on the
second floor.

The Count himself was quite skilled, so I thought he would be okay, but the enemy was
stronger than I thought. Perhaps even the Count might be in danger.

We close the distance and slashes down the assailants who is aiming for the upstairs,
dodging their attacks with her three-dimensional movements using the walls and
ceiling as footholds.

As we rushed into Count Bailleys' office, I found him on his knees with wounds all over
his body. His dominant arm was bleeding and he was unable to hold his sword.

Moreover, the assailant is about to give chase. It looks like we came just in the nick of
time.

[Oh no! We have to help him!]

“Nn! Haaa!”

She approached the closest man among the assailants surrounding the Count from
behind and cut him in half from his right shoulder to his left side in a surprise attack.

She also tried to horizontally cleave the torso of the man on his left, turning clockwise
on the spot, but it was dodged.
[He can dodge an attack from behind!]

If we wanted to focus on flow, we should have used the momentum from slashing the
man on the right and slashed counter clockwise. It would have been the fastest way to
attack. However, that would have been a frontal attack for the enemy.

That's why she dared to kill her momentum and slash at him from behind in a
clockwise direction. However, the attacker avoided the slash by twisting himself while
losing his balance.

Apparently, the five of them here――well, four of them now. It seems that these guys
are the most skilled among the assailants. They had Sword Saint Skills on lv 5,
moreover, their physical ability was high.

“It's Black Lightning Princess! we are saved!”

“Get back!”

“Tsk, if i had a potion, i can still fight”

The Count mumbled in frustration and stared at the water stain on the carpet at his
feet. An empty potion bottle was lying near it.

Apparently, he had sprinkled a potion on his arm in an attempt to heal it, but the magic
counteracting effect had turned it into mere water.

[Fran! All of these guys can use magic. It's going to be a tough fight while protecting
the Count]

“Nn! end this at once! Sword God Transformation!”

It's been a long time since we used sword god transformation, not in training, but in
actual combat. I could feel the power dwelling within me. At the same time, my blade
creaked from the inside, and I knew that the countdown had begun.

In a long-term battlefield where the number of enemies is unknown, it's hard to use a
skill that will shave me down, but I can't say that here.

Besides, even if it could only be used for a short period of time, the sword god
transformation, which simply increased her skill and power in swordsmanship, went
well with their ability to counteract magic power.

Fran stepped forward, wielding the atmosphere of a powerful person, making the
adjective "overwhelming" seem cute. Despite the power rampaging within her and the
presence she wore, her face was calm.

I don't know if these assailants had any feelings of fear, but they must have understood
that Fran had turned into something dangerous. They all attacked at once.

“――”

“Shi”

“――”

“Fuu”

“――”

“Haa”

“――”

“Teei”

And then it's over.

I feel so empty. It had been settled so easily. Each of them possessed sword saint skills,
had no fear of death, we had defeated an opponent who would not hesitate to use them
self as bait for his friends with just four swings of sword. It was said that the sword
god transformation would give me divine attributes, but such a thing wouldn't have
been necessary.

Each slash was as powerful as a Sword King technique. But when i thought about it,
was it natural? The Sword King Technique is the ultimate slashing technique. The
perfect slash that will blow everything, that is what a sword king technique is.

What if she truly mastered the sword and every slash, she made was perfect? Wouldn't
even a casual slash be as good as the sword king technique? No, it may be that the
sword king technique is a technique required for reproducing such slashes.
The swords god didn't really move Fran's body, but this is already above the realm the
swords king technique.

Well, that's why the burden on us is so great. After we released the sword god
transformation, we exhaled deeply and confirmed each other's safety.

(Master, are you okay?

[I don't really know…… Every time I sliced one of them, my endurance went down so
much, I didn't feel so good. How about you, Fran?]

(Tired)

The reduced durability doesn't recover at all, and Fran wears out very fast. It was still
a difficult skill to use in actual combat.
“Fuh……”

[We won]

Fran, who had released her sword god transformation, recovered the Count who was
on one knee. Apparently, even though he was in a daze, he had seen the scene where
Fran had defeated the assailants. Rather, he was so surprised by that scene that he lost
consciousness for a moment.

Immediately after he recovered, he stared at Fran. The look on his face was not one of
questioning, but one of pure admiration and surprise.

“Oi Oi Oi! What the hell was that?”

“Nn?”

“I don't know what happened, but I know something incredible happened!”

Apparently, thanks to the Count's dazed state, our sword god transformation has not
been discovered by him.

“As expected of Black Lightning Princes…… The one that His Majesty the Beast King
favourite. No, more than that now is――”

“Guh!”

Interrupting the Count's words, Fran holds me up.

“There's more!”

There was still signs of battle in the house. The sound of broken windows and magical
explosions echoed in the air.
“――”

“Count, go down”

“I can still fight! Damn, are you guys safe!”

10 minutes later

She had repelled the assailants twice and was finally on her way to rescue the others.
The aftereffects of the sword god transformation had degraded her fighting strength,
but she had managed to win because there was only one opponent and we were two.

“This room!”

“Nn”

We went to Velmeria's room. There was no sign of a battle from inside, but there was
also no sign of Velmeria and the others.

“Are you safe!”

“Hey! Frederick”

The room was in a horrible mess. The remains of beds and bookshelves were scattered
around, and there were deep scars on the walls and ceiling. Two dead bodies of the
assailants were among them. And Frederick was lying on the floor.

His body was bleeding profusely, and he had a sword stuck in his stomach and back.
The swords were blocking his way, so he was lying on his side in a slightly distorted
position.

[Greater Heal!]

“Hang on there”

It seems that we make it just in time. The recovery spell worked. Fran hurriedly
approached Frederick and pulled the sword out of his body at once. Oh, it's just a
normal sword. It's not a pseudo fanatic sword.

“Gaaah!”
The intense pain from the sword being pulled out awakens Frederick, but it's hard for
him to recover when it's still stuck in him. Sorry, but I can't deny that Fran was a little
rough.

We used more recovery magic and succeeded in rescuing Frederick. However,

Frederick, who must have lost his strength due to the loss of blood, forced himself to
stood up and headed for the window.

“Don't, take a rest”

“Velmeria…! was kidnapped!”

“What! What do you mean?”

“Even thought I’m with her…… it's inexcusable”

To my surprise, one of the attackers had knocked Velmeria unconscious and escaped
through the window. I thought their goal was to kill the Count, but were we wrong?
No, they failed to do that, so they switched their goal? At any rate, it seemed that it
would be difficult to track them down, since Velmeria had been taken more than ten
minutes ago.

[If Urushi returns… No, maybe Urushi would have noticed it in the first place. Let's
wait for him]

“……N”

I don't think we can catch up with them even if we recklessly chase them. Besides,
there are still enemies left.

“…First lets eliminate the enemy around the premises”

“Your Excellency! But…”

“I will not leave my men to die in vain for the sake of my daughter!”

“Shit! It's just like before…”

Half an Hour after we saved Frederick.

They had caused great damage to the soldiers in the villa, but we managed to defeat
the assailants.

There were 25 assailants in total. The Count had more than forty victims, including
his servants. There were probably about fifteen injured. Not a single person was
unharmed. It seemed that the reason for the increase in damage was that the first
magic attack had burned down the soldiers' quarters next to the house.

Colbert is also among the injured. He, too, was on the verge of death, but was able to
survive. Had it been a little later, he would have lost his left leg. I'm glad we were able
to take care of him in time.

“……It seems I need to train my martial arts further……”

Even Dimitris style martial arts techniques were blocked by the effects of the pseudo
fanatic sword, but he defeated three of them by himself, which is amazing. Colbert
looks frustrated. Seeing the changed appearance of his colleagues make his feelings
even stronger. He gritted his teeth and endured the rage.

“……Who in the world, would do such a thing!…”

“I have many guess, but…”

Marquis Ashtner is the most suspicious one, but there is no evidence. I think we should
just punch him in the face, but as long as we tried move our soldiers around the capital,
we can't afford to be vague about the evidence. I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm
sure they are planning to revolt.

When Frederick and Colbert examined some of them, they found that they had been
given large doses of narcotics, just like Hamuls and Gordon.

The narcotics is said to have the effect of stimulating the mind of the person who
ingests it and depriving them of their ability to think, as well as making it easier for
them to be influenced with magic. Therefore, it is said to be very useful for
brainwashing using magic.

“This guy……”

Colbert, who was checking the body of the fifth assailants, suddenly tilted his head.
Then he stared at the face of the assailants. That's the swordsman that Fran defeated
first, isn't it?

“What's wrong?”

“Miss Fran, do you recognize this guy?”

“Nn. defeated him”

“No, not about it… Oh yes! He is an adventurer!”

It seems that he was a rank C adventurer. So, they were manipulating high-ranking
adventurers. There were a few other adventurers that Colbert recognized. All of them
were rank C or rank B adventurers, as Colbert remembered.

Colbert, too, is tilting his head in front of the mysterious sword that was stuck in the
attacker.

“What the hell is this sword… you know it Frederick?”

“Fran, do you still have that thing?”

“Nn”

“It's from the magic sword that attacked the inn. You'll never mistake this unpleasant
looking hand cover for anything else”

Frederick explained to Colbert the similarities between the magic sword that seems
to have been controlling Gordon with the magic sword that was stuck in the assailants
this time.

“So you're saying that this magic sword has its own will and was controlling these
guys?”

“That's a possibility…… It's hard to tell because the magic sword I saw at the inn was
half destroyed, but I think it was a long sword, and it can freely move itself ”

“A sword that can move on its own? But this sword doesn't seem to be moving”

“I guess that means they're not exactly the same thing. Its power feels so much
weaker”
As we were talking, there was a sign of Urushi returns to the residence. Now we will
be able to track down Velmeria.

“Urushi is back”

“Is that so!”

It was Frederick, the one who shout a cheer when he heard those words, not the Count.
“Whimper”

“Urushi, are you okay?”

“wuff……”

Urushi came back with wounds all over his body. He is healing himself with
regeneration, but even so, the wounds must have been much deeper than before. It
seems that there were assailants outside as well. He tried to chase after Velmeria, but
the assailants seemed to have prevented him from doing so.

Urushi's method of fighting is to use a variety of skills to toy with his opponent. When
his dark magic and skills were blocked by the pseudo fanatic sword, it seemed that his
fighting style was quite limited.

In particular, it becomes difficult to evade and do surprise attack when he can't use
shadow diving and shadow crossing. That alone would reduce Urushi's strength by
half.

The fact that we were in the middle of the city in broad daylight was also a problem.

If Urushi, her follower, makes a scene, Fran will be charged with a crime. So, I've taught
him to not run amok in the town and grow back to his original size……

Because of this, he was forced to go head-to-head with the assailant in his small size,
and ended up grinding away at each other until the other party destroyed itself by
using potential release.

“Urushi, can you follow Velmeria's smells?”

“Woof! woof woof!”

Urushi pointed her nose at the attacker's pseudo fanatic sword and complained about
something.

[Could it be, that they escaped to the same place as the magic sword?]

“Woof!”

“Marquis Ashtner's mansion?”

“woof!”

It seemed that he had already tracked them.

“We'll be right behind you!”

Fran said this with great enthusiasm, but it was none other than Urushi who stopped
her.

“Grrrr! woof woof!”

He bites Fran's sleeve, desperately pleading for something. He was apparently trying
to discourage her.

“What's wrong?”

“whimpering!”

Then, Urushi points to the pseudo fanatic sword again.

[Could it be that there was a sign of pseudo fanatic sword in the Marquis' mansion?]

“woof!”

He was sure of it. Moreover, Urushi must have felt that their number was enough to
stop Fran. When the Count heard this, he questioned Urushi with a stern face.

“Could it be, that Marquis Ashtner's mansion has a large number of people with these
mysterious swords stuck in them?”

“Woof!”
“That is unbelievable…”

But Colbert didn't quite get it.

“What's wrong? If we know where it is, let's crush it right now!”

Colbert had a good point. However, Count Bailleys

“……We don't have enough strength”

“What are you talking about! These assailants are all drugged! Maybe they can't be
controlled otherwise. On the contrary, if you leave them alone, even Miss Velmeria!”

“I know that!”

“We are preparing our force to attack Count Olmes' residence!”

“They're just making preparations secretly in several bases. They haven't finished
those preparation yet!”

“Then we'll go on our own!”

“It's useless, I can't allow it!”

Count Bailleys may actually feel the same way as Colbert. It was painfully obvious that
his words were the exact opposite of what he really felt.

“But why?”

“Don't underestimate the enemy's strength. In light of this raid, I expect more
frightening possibilities”

“What do you mean?”

“It is no wonder that the location of our base has been discovered this time. They must
have gotten the information from those who were captured. But he's sending that
much force to kill me? Depending on how he does it, that's enough force to turn the
capital into a sea of fire. And all we get out of it is only one person, Velmeria? Even if
he had succeeded in assassinating me, it would only bring the Count's family down by
one notch”
I thought that the inspection scheduled for this evening could be postponed, but the
Count has many excellent people under his command. He said that the mission would
not be cancelled just because the Lord was dead.

“Rather, they will be motivated to avenge me. Some of the commanders are knighthood
holders, so there's no problem in transferring command”

Besides, even if the inspection was prolonged in this way, the suspicion of the Ashtner
Marquis would only increase. In the not too distant future, a thorough investigation
will be led by the royal family.

“It was too much of a force to be used up just to buy some time……”

“I see. But maybe that's how cornered they are, you know?”

“That's true, but there's another possibility.”

“What is it?”

“It's possible that he didn't mind for such force being used up”

He must have immediately understood the meaning of Count Bailleys' words. Both
Colbert and Frederick looked at him in surprise.

“In other words, they have a lot more stronger force in their mansion?”

“Yeah. The chance is high. The signs that the Black Lightning Princess's followers have
sensed must be more than we can imagine.”

“Damn… that's worrisome!”

Colbert mutters in frustration. But it is so. We don't know how many of these pseudo
fanatic swords there are. If they can mass produce it, it would not be surprising if there
were dozens of them.

“……They are skilled swordsman who has the ability to cancel out magic and is not
afraid of death. This means that you'll be dealing with a legion made up of these mad
swordsmen”

Our force here is Fran, Colbert, Frederick, the Count, and a few surviving soldiers. At
most, there would be a few dozen more knights.

However, the ability of the pseudo fanatic sword is too troublesome. It cancels out
skills and magic, and the other side can use it as they please. No matter how you look
at it, it's reckless.

There was also a high possibility that the pseudo fanatic sword had something to do
with the fact that so many secret agents had been captured. Could their skills have
been sealed off without their knowledge, blocking their ability to hide or block their
presence? With that in mind, there was a possibility that it would be difficult to rescue
her by sneaking in.

“Damn it. What the hell is that sword!”

“It's a pseudo fanatic sword”

“Black Lightning Princess! Do you know something?”

“Appraised it, but, only got its name”

“SO you can use appraisal huh…… Pseudo―what was it?”

“Pseudo fanatic sword”

“Are you saying that it was the fanatic sword, but only a fake?”

“Nn. Fanatics Sword is a divine sword that was destroyed a long time ago. The Swords
of Blind Devotion. Fanatics”

We didn't know much about it, but we pretended that we had heard about it from an
acquaintance and told everyone about the ability that Alistair had taught us and I
could see the astonished expressions on their faces.

However, he seemed to shudder more at the fact that it could be a dead copy of the
divine sword than at its ability.

“Pseudo Divine Sword, you said…… Ashtner has reached this far……”

“Oioioi. Isn't this sound bad”

“What if, he has a real divine sword with him?”

A divine sword is a super weapon mentioned in mythology. And now, it might be in

the hands of our enemy. I can understand their tragic expressions.

I'm glad they trusted Fran, and didn't say that her word was a lie, but you've lowered
their fighting spirit.

“From what I've heard, the Fanatics must have been destroyed”

“So, is it possible that they only got Fanatics manufacturing method?……”

“However, by just having a lot of those sword is worrisome!”

Just after Colbert shouted out in frustration. There was a sign that someone was
coming into the house. However, it was not hostile. In the first place, he hadn't even
tried to eliminate his presence.

“E-excuse me! I-is there anyone!”

“Th-this is bad…”

“Who is it!”

Count Bailleys shouted out who and what he was, and the men began to identify their
affiliation. It was a patrol soldier. The one leading them was a knight. Come to think of
it, after making so much noise in the noble town, they came too late.

However, according to their story, the attack was not limited to this residence only.
This house and several other houses and homes were attacked at the same time,
causing a lot of damage. They said that nearby station was also attacked.

It seems that the commander who was in charge of the soldiers in this area had died,
so the handover didn't go well, and the new commander had finally dispatched the
soldiers.

Count Bailleys told him about the attack and asked him to send personnel to treat the
injured and so on.

As the soldiers rush out, they looked grim. I thought they were worried about the
magnitude of the situation, having heard that other places had also been attacked, but
apparently that wasn't the only reason.

“……It seems that those who had been secretly preparing to investigate Count Olmes'
villa have been attacked”

To my surprise, the mansions and private houses that were attacked were the hiding
places prepared by Count Bailleys. It must mean that not only the information about
this mansion, but all the information had been leaked.

“……We need to assess the damage. But we're definitely short handed”

Frederick questioned in the dark tone to Count Bailleys.

“So you're saying you're going to sit tight until we have enough strength?”

“I didn't say that. I can't leave a rebel with that much power unchecked. If they start a
rebellion in the capital, our prestige will be greatly damaged. No, it can already be
called a rebellion. We have to prevent the Marquis from running amok any further.
Even if we have to be a little reckless”

Count Bailleys then gave a flurry of instructions to his surviving subordinates.

“I'm heading to the royal castle. This is very confusing. I'll have to explain what's going
on. I'm sure we can get help from the other Knights. Frederick, you contact the
inspection team of the Olmes villa! Tell them to rescue the survivors and give those
who can fight two hours to finish their preparations! Tell them we'll avenge their
friends. That should inspire them!”

“Yes, sir”

“After that, I'll put you in charge of the reconnaissance unit. Infiltrate in time for the
battle on the surface. I'll authorize operation into the Marquis Ashtner's residence as
well as Count Olmes'“

“Ha!”

“The fact that he went to the trouble of kidnapping Velmeria means that he doesn't
intend to kill her right away. For now, just bear with me”
“……Yes”

When he had finished giving all the instructions, he finally turned to Fran and Colbert.

“Colbert, Black Lightning Princess. I need you both to connect me to the Adventurers'
Guild”

“A connection?”

“Yes, I would like you to ask Eliante to send a force. Of course, I'm not trying to
requisition you. I will hire them properly”

“I see. So, you're saying we should supplement our strength with adventurers!”

“Yeah. It can be any adventurer who is willing to help. No upper limit. I'll double the
asking price. But make sure you explain to them that this is a dangerous mission. I
don't want to scare them off on the way”

Double the market price. That's a lot of money. Colbert is also impressed. If we use
adventurers, there is a risk that information will leak out, but for now, I guess they are
prioritizing replenishing their forces first.

“No upper limit? What if we have to hire hundreds of people?”

“We have plenty of work to do, and the more forces we have, the better off we are. It's
a small price to pay to have a better chance of rescuing my daughter safely”

“Heh. I see”

“The operation starts in three hours. I'll leave all the negotiating to you”

“All right, sir. We'll go to the guild!”

“Nn!”

“So far we've been completely fallen behind, but now it's our turn to fight back!”
Fran and the others were asked by Count Bailleys to set foot into the Adventurers’
Guild, they seem to be busy today. There were several parties lined up in the lanes for
high-ranked adventurers.

The town was in an uproar because of the commotion in the noble district, but the
adventurers were as usual. I wondered if they had decided that it was none of their
business.

In fact, some commoners were just talking anxiously in the traffic.

Fran was about to rush to the reception desk at once, but Colbert stopped her.

“It will take even more time. Besides, if we make a scene here, the adventurers will
feel bad about us. We'll just line up like normal”

“……Understood”

While we were lined up in the lane, Colbert made small talk with Fran, perhaps to calm
her down.

“What did you do after the fighting tournament, Miss Fran?”

“Nn? went to the Beast Kingdom on the continent of Krome”

“Hou? A request for a ship's escort? I've had a few of those myself, you know?”

He said that when he goes there on a ship escort request, he never goes outside the
port town and comes back. So, he had been there a few times, but he is not very
familiar with it.

“That's why i don't know the details”

“I went to a black cat kin village there”

“Then, did you also went to the royal capital?”

“Nn”

“Heh! How as it? Did you find any good food or interesting places?”

“There's a lot”

Fran talked to a curious Colbert about the food and scenery of the beast country. There
are many stories that can't be told, but fortunately, Colbert's interest is focused on the
climate.

Colbert, who enjoys cooking, was particularly interested in the cuisine of the Beast
Country. When I gave him some recipes through Fran, he was very happy.

He was also impressed by what has we seen of the beast country from the back of
Urushi.

“That sounds interesting. I want to go to the Beast Country too. Delicious food, and
scenery I've never seen before. That's the best part of traveling, right?”

“Nn!”

These two are actually get along. It has been so since we first met in Barbra. It seems
that they share the same wavelength, or perhaps they are of similar mental age, or
perhaps they are moved by similar things.

After Fran finished talking about the beast country, she now asked Colbert a question.
Actually, there's something I've been wondering about too. But I'm not sure if I should
ask Colbert. It's a delicate matter.

But Fran put the question to him easily.

“Was Colbert excommunicated?”

“Guh……”

Yeah, I was actually kind of expecting Fran to ask this question without reading the air.

Colbert used to be a member of a martial arts school called Dimitris style. I don't know
the details, but it is said that there is a test to receive initiation approval in the Dimitris
style.

The idea is to become a rank A adventurer while your powers are sealed by a special
magical device. I think it's going to be insanely difficult. I mean, he is going to get the
same level of power as a rank A adventurer with his abilities sealed. If he really put
his mind to it, he'll be a Rank S class.

I'm not sure every one of them will achieve it.

The seal can be lifted by the person himself in case of emergency. Originally, this was
only allowed in emergencies, such as helping others or when one's life was in imminent
danger, and if you lifted the seal for personal gain, you would be excommunicated.

However, Colbert broke the seal at the martial arts tournament. In order to win against
Fran. It was a complete selfish use.

If the rumours are true, it would be strange if he hadn't been excommunicated……

“How was it?”

“……I”

“Nn?”

“I was excommunicated!”

Oh, so he was seriously excommunicated? Colbert's expression, which had been so

happy until now, changed drastically, and his shoulders slumped with a gloomy
expression. Could this guy be crying?

“Ugh. Well, I was prepared for that. I knew I'd be excommunicated…”

“What happens when you are excommunicated?”

“What do you mean? Well, I'm excommunicated, so I can't use Dimitris style martial
arts anymore”

“? What does that mean?”

Being excommunicated does not mean that the training he have done so far will be
gone. His skills should remain, and if he practices on his own, it will be possible to
raise Dimitris style martial arts level.

No, I can't actually see the Dimitrius style martial art when I appraised him, but isn't
it just because it's in a sealed state?

Or did he made up his mind to seal his martial arts skills with magic tools in order to
be righteous in front of his master, Dimitris?

Or maybe there's some kind of secret that can only be passed on by Dimitris himself?
No, I don't think it mean that it can't be used.

“All martial arts school that are recognized by God, including the Dimitris style school,
has special skills that are inherited only by the founder and his legitimate successors.
The name of this skill is [Legacy Inheritance] (1). It is a skill that can only be used by
the head of the school can use in this world”

“Legacy Inheritance? What are the effects?”

“The skill has only one effect. The only effect of the skill is to erase the martial arts and
martial arts skills of those who belong to that school. In case of Dimitris's, it will be
[Legacy Inheritance・Dimitris Style], it will have the effect of erasing the Demetrius
style from the target's possession”

“Is that what they used on Colbert?”

“It's natural, because I was excommunicated”

As expected of a different world. If you are excommunicated, the skill itself will be
erased.

“So Colbert is weaker now?”

“Well, you're right. No, the seal status has been lifted, so the status has increased, but
the skills……”

It seemed that the reason he hadn't used the Dimitris style during the attack had
nothing to do with the magic cancelling effect, but simply because he had lost his skills.
“I can't bring myself to join another school, so I'll just keep working on my martial arts
skills and martial arts technique”

“Good luck”

“Ou!”

At Fran's encouragement, Colbert smiles back with a good face.

As a matter of fact, I was thinking a little bit about the possibility of him to held a
grudge. There was no doubt that the fight with Fran was part of the reason. I guess its
human psychology that makes us want to complain.

However, Colbert does not seem to have any hard feelings for Fran. Colbert is a good
guy, isn't he? Perhaps the reason why Fran is so fond of him is because she is sensitive
to that.

“Well, I'll be strong enough to beat miss Fran some day”

“Nn. Looking forward for it”

“Heheh, you can count on me”

We spent five minutes waiting in line at the Adventurer's Guild counter. It was finally
Fran and Colbert's turn.

“Oh, Black Lightning Princess and Iron Claw, what's up?”

“I have something to do with Guild Master, is she available? It's an urgent matter”

“Well, she's here… but I don't know if she can't meet you now”

Stellia looks at Fran with indescribable eyes. What's wrong?

“Well, she's in the office. Why don't you go there by yourself? You already know where
it is, don't you?”

“Can we go without permission?”

“Even if I tried to call her myself, she'd probably reject me in her current state. Is your
business so important?”

“Nn”

“If that's the case, you'd better take the matter up with her directly. Just don't irritate
her too much, because there's a lot at stake here”

“Is she in a pinch? Oh, are you mean she's busy managing the auctions?”

“Idiot! Idiot Iron claw! It's not that simple! Don't do anything to make her angry, okay?
You'll get us all in trouble too!”

“O-o okay, okay”

It seems that Eliante has been overwhelmed with work. The last time we came here,
she seemed to be overwhelmed with paperwork, but I guess it's getting worse.
At Stellia's request, we were allowed to enter Guild Master's office. There, I found
Eliante buried under a pile of papers, moaning.

Her eyes look dead. Seeing Eliante like that reminded me of the time when I was still
an office worker on Earth. She has the same face as I did that day when I missed the
last train of the day and stayed up all night making documents for the end of the fiscal
year, only to find out that the documents I had used as a basis were from last year and
I was in despair.

“Uh- Who…?”

“Gu-guild Master? Are you okay?”

“Colbert? What do you want? As you can see, I don't have time for idle chat, right?”

“Well, I'm here to report something…… He-hey miss Fran, you want to talk to Guild
Master too, right?”

Oh, this guy! He got spooked by Eliante's presence and threw her to Fran!

“Fran…?”

“Nn”

Eliante's eyes turned to Fran. Immediately after that, her expression changed
drastically. Her eyes snapped open and he stood up vigorously on the spot.

“Fran! Fran you…! you said i can count on you!”

She slammed her hand on the desk and shouted. Her bloodshot eyes were scary.

“Nn?”

“I asked you not to make a scene like that!”

Oh no. This time, she broke down crying on the spot. Her emotions seem unstable
now!

No, I know exactly how she feel. But she soon will realize that crying won't lessen her
works. Well, Eliante doesn't seem to have reached that point yet.
“Not making a scene”

[Yeah, we didn't making any trouble ourselves]

We was involved in the incident, though. Maybe Eliante has information that Fran was
at the scene.

“The first is the underpass! There was something going on in the underpass! There
were a lot of people hurt, it was a big mess!”

“Nn. Attacked in the underpass”

“I knew it! Then what about the inn? What about the incident in the inn you were
supposed to stay in burned in flames? What about it?”

“That too, I got attacked, just like the one in the underpass”

“Aah! I knew it, you are related in it!”

It's related, but Fran is the victim. It's not like she willingly caused the trouble, though.

“By any chance, are you related with the incident in a park in the noble's district too?
The plants are dying, and there's a commotion about this too!”

“Nn. Got attacked too”

“I knew it! Why are they attacking you! Because of you, my work is doubled! Stacked
with that 3 cases too!”

That's unreasonable. I don't know why we are being attacked too. Well, I don't think
the current Eliante is capable of making a sane decision right now, and I think she's
just directing her anger indiscriminately. People who are stuck in the swamp of work,
usually don't have any normal thinking ability left.

“The number of urgent requests is doubling, we're getting a lot of protests against
adventurers, and why should we be the one to be offended about something that has
nothing to do with the Adventurers Guild? If it's a problem about the royal capital,
complain to the Knights!”

Eliante shouts while half-crying.

“So, what on earth does the walking troublemaker, Black Lightning Princess want?”

“We were attacked in the noble's district”

“A-Again! another one! Whyy~!”

Ah, She is already started crying completely. She must have imagined a future with
even more work. Colbert also felt that we couldn't go on like this, so he opened his
mouth again.

“Ah, you know. There's been quite a lot of damage there. I'd like to hire some
adventurers to replenish our forces, if you don't mind?”

“Was there that big of a battle happen?”

“Aaah, actually――”

Colbert gave a brief explanation of what had happened. Then Eliante's expression
tightened. As expected, she was indeed the guild master, even if she was in a temper.

“In other words, Count Bailleys' villa was attacked by that idiot Ashtner. So, in order
to fight back at them, you're going to use the investigation of Count Olmes' villa as an
excuse to beat up that idiot Ashtner as well?”

“Well, yeah. That's what my Lords are after. Ostensibly, it's an on-site investigation into
Count Olmes' residence. However, it will surely become a battle with Marquis Ashtner”

“And while we're at it, we'll also rescue Master Gallus and Count Bailleys' daughter……”

“I'm sure you have your own feelings about Marquis Ashtner as well. He thinks
adventurers are nothing more than disposable tools. I once had to pay them a
commission for a job that He didn't want to pay”

“Of course! How many adventurers do you think have suffered because of them……
Serdio Receps too has ruined our reputation…… So we've finally reached the end of
that fucking Marquis huh?”

Eliante show a dark smile on her face. She must be imagining for Marquis Ashtner
being captured.
“A-ah, So what do you say? I'd like to make a secret request to the adventurers”

“Hmm. That's fine, but how many people would you take? Is it fine to set up something
against a marquis family? And if we can't gather them openly, you'll just have to talk
to the high rankers in secret”

“I know. That's why the request reward is high. And also――Miss Fran”

“Nn”

Under Colbert's gaze, Fran takes out the bodies of the swordsmen who attacked the
Count's mansion, who were thought to be adventurers. Seeing this, Eliante's reaction
was swift.

“That is! That's our missing adventurers!”

“He was a part of the assailants”

“It seems that the Marquis Ashtner have the tools to brainwash and manipulate
people. In addition to these guys, some of Count Bailleys’ men also became a part of
the assailants too.”

“……Would you like to hear more about it? About this sword and the details of our
opponent……”

It seems that Eliante has decided to listen to us. She had already agreed with Colbert
to hand over the adventurer's body here.

The guilds would certainly cooperate if they knew that the adventurers under their
command were being captured and manipulated. In some cases, some of their higher-
ups might even accept the request for the purpose of revenge.

After listening to Colbert's story, Eliante has an angry look on her face.

“Fine with me… I'll let that Ashtner know who he sold the fight to! By when should I
gather the adventurers?”

“In two hours, I will pick them up here”

“All right, then. I'll gather our forces before then. Count Bailleys is famous for his
fondness for adventurers, and if I mention his name, I'm sure we'll attract a certain
number of people”

“I'll be counting on you”

“Well, you can count on me”

“It's my pleasure”

Fran and Colbert shook hands with Eliante and were about to leave the room.
However, Eliante called out to them.

“Wait a minute, you need a fighting force, right? I have an idea”

Eliante said that she had an idea for more forces. When Colbert urged him to go on,
Eliante called her men and told them to bring someone with them.

In less than five minutes, the guild member returned with a person. He got a short
stature.

“Hey hey, did you called for me. What can I do for you?”

“Fran, Colbert. This man is Faize (1). He's an adventurer and a member of the Thieves'
Guild.”

“What?”

Colbert stares at Faize with a surprised look in his eyes. Faize's eyes widened too as
his identity was easily exposed.

“……Eliante-sama, if you expose me so easily, you may got various problems aren't
cha?”

“So noisy, I'm in a hurry right now, Shut up”

“……Yes”

It was a little better, but Eliante's bad mood was still there. A murderous glare hit him,
and Faize sighed and fell silent. Looks like he is having a hard time.

As Eliante explained, Faize seems to be a watchdog for the adventurer's guild's

watcher and link to the bandit's guild.

Even though there is an unspoken rule not to openly get involved with each other, it is
impossible to have no relations at all when they are active in the capital.

So, it seems that there are several personnel who belong to both guilds, like Faize, and
at least one of them is stationed at the guild. It seems that only the adventurer's guild's
top brass knows who they are, though.

“It's urgent. Tell the top brass to gather. Tell them that there may be a disturbance in
the royal capital. Anyway, they might already have a general idea of what's going on,
so they'll know”

“……Understood. Are they the ones who are going to bring us together?”

“That kid there, she is Fran the Black Lightning Princess, You've heard of her, right?”

“Hou? She is…… I understand. If it's her, the top brass won't say no.”

What does he mean? Does it mean that Fran's name is known to the Thieves' Guild?
We've also met Kalk, maybe that's how they got the message.

“Then, let's make the arrangements right away”

He could tell from Eliante's attitude that it really was an emergency. Faize bowed and
swiftly left the room.

“Guild master, can we trust the Thieves' Guild”

“I don't trust them. But I'm sure they can help us this time. Royal capital is a place they
can't afford to lose”

Eliante nodded with certainty in her voice. Well, if she's like that, I guess she's sure.

“But the way you explained it earlier, it sounded as if Miss Fran was the only one going
to the Thieves' Guild”

“Because I can't leave this place.”

“No, you have me here, right?”

“Colbert. I have a few places I'd like you to visit. Hopefully we can add some more
strength to our forces”

“What?”
“The mercenary group [Tentacles and Shells] (2).

Do you know them? It's a small, elite group of mercenaries made up of half-insect kin”

“No, I don't know. But a mercenary in the royal capital? That's unusual”

Apparently, most of the ordinary mercenary groups are located near the borders as
they cross the battlefield. This is probably because most of the battles take place along
the border.

That's why it's very rare to find the main unit in an inland area like the royal capital, a
place that is not involved in warfare. Normally, there are only a few liaison officers and
logistical support personnel at the base.

“An acquaintance of mine leads that group, so if you have a letter of introduction, you
should be able to at least meet the executives. The rest is up to you to negotiate. They
have a rule about not taking children into battle, so Colbert should be better at
negotiating than Fran”

“Thank you for that! In other words, I’ll take the mercenaries, and the young lady will
take the thieves' guild”

“Yeah”

As long as Eliante is busy gathering adventurers, it can't be helped……… She want Fran
to negotiate with the Thieves' guild? Isn't it impossible for her. Is this really the right
time to split up again?

After that we moved ahead of the others to the first floor of the guild. Colbert had
Eliante to write a letter of introduction for him.

[Fran, don't let your guard down, okay? You're dealing with the Thieves' Guild.]

(Of course)

However, whether or not they would be able to send out a force, the Thieves' Guild
would probably have people infiltrating various laces to gather information, and there
was a possibility that they would have some useful information. There was a loud
commotion going on, and if they were not careful, there was a possibility that both the
Marquis and Count families had ears somewhere.
[Urushi, stay hidden.]

(woof!)

After that, Faize come back in about five minutes.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. This way, please.”

“Nn”

He led Fran to a building that looked familiar. To my surprise, it was the same tavern
where I had brought my request to Kalk. But instead of going through the front
entrance, we went in through the back door, which was hidden from the street.

“We'll use the back door”

“Okay”

The watchmen looked at Fran, but said nothing in particular. It was probably because
she was Faize's guest. After a quick word with the man, Faize and us walked further
into the room and were ushered into a small private room. However, there was no one
in the room.

“Here?”

“Wait a minute”

I wondered what he was going to do, but then he pulled the string by the entrance. To
my surprise, the wall opened to the left and right, revealing a hidden staircase.

“Wow―”

Fran's eyes light up at this. Wow, a hidden passage is a roman (3), right?

Faize led the way down the stairs to a rather large basement, with an ornate round
table in the middle of the room, big enough for about ten people.

There were three men and a woman sitting there. They were not necessarily our allies
yet, so I felt free to appraise them. Although each of them had low combat power, they
had an interesting skill set.
The scarred, bald-headed man sitting in the middle was a typical bandit in appearance
and skills. He had a skill set similar to that of a scout adventurer. He also had the
charisma and command abilities to be the leader of the bandits. However, the moment
he saw Fran, he grabbed his cheeks pull into a big smile.

The handsome man in his early thirties sitting to his right was a complete marriage
fraudster (4). He had acting skills and skills that might be useful for lying and
threatening. He also has the skill of attracting the opposite sex and the title of woman
killer. He looks a little like that Serdio's bastard. In addition, he seems to be able to use
some magic.

The bewitching beauty on the left seemed to be the head of the prostitutes. In addition
to her skills for cajoling men, she had a lot of skills related to poisons. A prostitute who
knows a lot about poison. She's scary!

“Well then, I'll leave her with you”

“Ou. Good work”

Faize bowed to the three of them and left

the room.

“Oh, I’m Fist”

“I am Honest”

“I'm pink” (5)

They all were using fake names. No, they were criminals, so that was to be expected.
The man in the middle was Fist. The con man is Honest. The prostitute is Pink.

Fist greeted us in a shaky voice, sweating profusely. He must have sensed Fran's ability
and was terrified. I could see his eyes checking the walls and floor.

At first glance, it looks like there are no guards, but there are more than ten people
around this room. There are hidden doors all over the place, and they must have a
guard hiding in one of it.

It seems that Fist thought about how he could use the guards to get rid of Fran. Then
he realized that it was useless. On the contrary, he seemed to have regained his
composure.

“Adventurer, Fran”

“O, ou. Actually, we have some business with you. In fact, I was going to contact you
even if this hadn't happened. Well, please have a seat
Did the Thieves' Guild have their eyes on Fran from the start?

“What do you mean?”

“Please wait, let's have a little talk, shall we?”

“Don't have time for idle chitchat”

“So, it's fine if it's not wasting your time, right? Oi, Honest”

“Huh? Me, out of the blue?”

Honest's eyes widen lightly when Fist asks him to talk. Apparently, he was surprised.
And he is suspicious.

“I can't handle this, it's too much for me”

“Well, if you think she's that strong?”

“……Is it okay? Don't ever antagonize her. Unless you want to die. It's the first time for
my danger sense has responded so much since I faced the Hundred Swords” (1)

I see. Normally, the strong Fist would have threatened the other party, and the con
man Honest would have taken advantage of the situation. However, it seems that Fist
instantly realized Fran's strength and gave up trying to intimidate her with force.

“A-ah, miss, I'll have some tea prepared for you for now, so please have a seat”

“Don't need it, don't have much time”

“No no, A good negotiation is never complete without a good cup of tea.”

“I said, i have no time to waste”

“Ha-, haha. Is that so. No, I would really like to get close to someone as beautiful and
capable as you”

Honest smiles as he brushes his hair lightly. He is emitting a glitter beam. If I were on
Earth, He could have been the number one host of a show. But Fran's expression didn't
show any change.

“Don't you heard what I said?”

Perhaps Honest is their trump card against women. It's true that a smile from this
handsome man would make most women swoon, and the negotiations would go in
the Thieves Guild's favour.

But it was a shame. My Fran is not interested in handsome men! In the first place, there
is no way that roundabout negotiations will work. We are in a hurry, especially now.
The fact that the other party is not an ally is also a big factor. The more vigilant we are,
the more severe their response is likely to be.

I guess this is where the doppelganger comes in. If she said that I came in through
transfer magic, it will be a good excuse for my sudden appearance.

“Wa- please wait!”

The moment Honest called out to us, an uncomfortable feeling hit me as if I had static
electricity in my brain. I remembered this. It's exactly the same as when Solas the thief
we caught in Ulmut's dungeon used his forced affinity on us.

Maybe he used the attract opposite sex skill. (2) It's a skill that attracts the attention
of the opposite sex.

Fran can't notice it before, but now that she had become more skilled, she could feel it
clearly. Her eyes narrowed.

She kicks the round table with a thump and flies off, landing right in front of Honest,
who is still in a lightly raised position to stop Fran. The round table creaked as she
dared, perhaps to scare Honest.

And then she sticks me directly at his neck. Honest was rendered speechless by the
cold eyes looking down at him from above. It was the two people on either side of him
who spoke up instead.
“St-stop it young lady! What the hell is wrong with you!”

“Ye-yeah, that's right! You're suddenly being aggressive!”

“……Is it appropriate to use your skills during negotiations?”

“!”

Perhaps he didn't think that his use of the skill would be discovered, but Honest's face
turned pale. However, Honest showed a strange pride here. I think it's best to
apologize quietly, but for a guy like them, they can't afford to be licked at the
negotiation table.

“How dare you draw your sword here! You'll regret it!”

“…Hou?”

Ah, this guy has done it. Even though Fist told him not to antagonize her, she was still
somewhat underestimated because of Fran's appearance. Or maybe he felt ridiculed
for being shunned by the young Fran, or maybe he was frustrated that his appearance
didn't pass through at all.

In an attempt to regain control of the conversation, He uttered a hostile line.

Immediately after that, Fran glared at Honest. She hadn't used her skills to intimidate
him yet. But she was already on the verge of recognizing this guy as enemies. Depending
on what he said next, he would lose his head.

I could sense that the guards behind the wall were also getting nervous. They may not
be able to sense Fran's strength through the wall, but they must have heard Fist's
words and understood that the other party was overwhelmingly strong. Even so, if
they ordered to fight, they have to attack Fran. It's the sorrow of a lackey.

I think this is bad. The negotiations are about to be a complete fail. No, I wasn't even
in the negotiations. Maybe I should have come out from the beginning.

“Calm down!”

“Bubbeh――?”
What a surprise, Fist punched Honest in the face from the side to shut him up. Honest
was blown up in a cone-shaped heap and crashed into the wall and become immobile.
His chest is rising and falling, so he's probably not dead, but his commercial face(3) is
in pretty bad shape.

Fist went straight down on his hands and knees and apologized desperately. Now all
he had to do was lower his head and he would be in a perfect dogeza position.

“P-please wait! That was his bad! It was just his usual bad habit came out! We never
think to be hostile with you! I'm sorry! So, please take a seat!”

Fist and Honest seemed to be of equal rank, but is that okay? Pink also seemed
surprised by the sudden situation.

“Wha-what are you doing Fist? You don't want to get in trouble with Honest's group
later, right?”

“Shut up! It's better than getting us all killed in here! I knew it when I saw her. The
rumours are true!”

I guess He decided that it was better to have trouble with Honest later on than to have
Fran go on a rampage. But still, killing everyone is…… I don't know what kind of
rumours you've heard, but he seemed to be quite afraid of Fran.

“This is why, I was against making a pimp who has no ability other than his skill to run
things as a top brass! Aaah! Damn it!”

“……I didn't think you'd be that distraught…… Haah. It's no use. The men are useless,
so I'll do the talking. Just a little more patience, okay?”

Pink smiled and spoke to her, even though she must have known from Fist's attitude
that Fran was dangerous. Fran, too, must have felt a pent-up when she saw Honest's
devastation. I nodded my head.

“……Understood”

“I appreciate it”

Pink sits down in her chair again. Fran gets down from the round table, but remains
standing. Pink is supposed to be in complete control of Fran, but she doesn't show any
fear. I'm pretty sure it's this Pink who has the most grit out of all the top brass.

“Well then, let me be frank with you. Master Gallus is no longer at Count Olmes'
residence.”

“! What do you mean?”

“Fufu, You're finally interested. Well, Master Gallus and us have a bit of a history”

She lightly explains why Pink has connected Fran to Gallus and has given her this
information.

Apparently, the Thieves' Guild originally owed Gallus a debt of gratitude.

“A long time ago, a summoning magic tool brought to the royal capital by a rebel nearly
went out of control. At that time, a large number of magical beasts with a threat level
of D were almost unleashed in the capital”

Apparently, it was Gallus who was present at the scene and stopped the summoning
by destroying the magic tools.

“We are doubted as the one who has summoned the magical beast in the royal capital,
we wouldn't be able to say the opposite. The whole organization would have been
crushed”

Because of this, the Thieves' Guild was greatly indebted to Gallus. And when they
found out that Gallus was confined by Marquis Ashtner, they tried to contact him.

“Someone from the Thieves' Guild is with the Marquis?”

Even the elite of Count Bailleys was captured? However, it's the Thieves' Guild. It
seems that they already have their hand on them from long ago.

“Our ears and eyes are everywhere, and they don't know that they were working for
the Thieves Guild. They diligently work like usual and occasionally sell information for
a little extra money. That's all. So even if they are crushed, they won't be able to reach
us”

“I see”
“And with their help, it's easy to sneak in. No, we don't need their guide, just a little bit
of diligence in my rounds would be enough”

This is how the Thieves' Guild came into contact with Gallus and asked him to sell the
sword scabbard he had secretly made while being confined at multiple auctions.

“We have a debt, so I couldn't refuse. In addition to the scabbard, I got a few other well-
made weapons from him as well”

What a surprise, the item labelled as Master's scabbard was apparently sold in several
auctions. They were selling them in multiple auctions to make sure everything was in
order. Well, if someone bought it and didn't know anything about it, they wouldn't
have noticed the code right away. And even if they did, they wouldn't know what it
meant.

I thought he could use someone from the Thieves Guild to give Fran his message, but
then he wouldn't know if she can be trusted or not. That's why he took such a
roundabout way.

And it seems that Fran was the only one who actively bid on that scabbard. The
Thieves' Guild must have been monitoring all the scabbards closely.

I wonder how he could make so many scabbards while being confined? I thought so,
but apparently Gallus was given a workshop of his own to keep his arms from
becoming dull, and he could make armor as he pleased.

“So Gallus is safe?”

“I'm not so sure about that. According to the reports from the personnel who have
been in regular contact with Master Gallus, it seems that a small amount of magic
drugs has been mixed into his food, and recently it has started to affect him a little. It's
hard to say that he's safe, because sometimes he can't even speak”

“…I see”

“I also heard that sometimes they make him hold a strange magical sword that was
broke from its middle. Then, regardless of his will, his body would move and he would
be forced to work as a blacksmith. To be honest, I thought he was hallucinating
because of the magic potion. I did some research on that magic sword, but I couldn't
find out what it was”
He is probably using a magic drug to make him susceptible to mental control and is
manipulating him with that half-broken magic sword. Circumstantial evidence
suggests that the broken sword is most likely the Sword of Blind Devotion, Fanatics,
but it's not confirmed yet.

However, when skill and knowledge are required, as in the case of Gallus, the amount
of magic drugs administered must be adjusted to preserve his consciousness and
reasoning. A craftsman's skill is not just limited to his technique.

“And just the other day, I heard that he was transferred to a certain place”

“A certain place?”

“I think he's in the basement of the former Viscount Alsand's mansion, which is now
uninhabited, but I'm not sure”

“Viscount Alsand?”

[He's the foolish noble, the owner of Principal of Falsehood] (4)

I remember a guy like that. His father Count Olmes' mansion is being used by Marquis
Ashtner. It wouldn't be surprising if Viscount Alsand's mansion is also being used.

“So what does it mean?”

“First of all, we have confirmed that Master Gallus has been taken out of the room
where he has been under house arrest. Marquis Ashtner's residence, Count Ormes'
residence, and Count Ormes' villa. The ears of the Thieves' Guild have entered there,
but no sign of Master Gallus has been confirmed”

“Nn”

“Which means there's a good chance he's been moved to somewhere else”

“Is that the underground?”

“Oh. we've confirmed there's a large space and a large amount of what appears to be
human presence”

“Enemy troops?”
“Maybe”

It might be a base for making pseudo fanatic swords. If so, there would be a significant
number of forces there.

“But they don't know how to get into that underground space. No matter how hard I
search, I can't find a way in or out of that underground space”

Are they using teleport magic to go in and out, or is there a hidden passage that is well
concealed?

“How did you find out that such a place existed?”

“Fufu, A rat can go anywhere”

As expected of the Thieves' Guild. They even have spies in such a secret base!

“What's the exact number of troops?”

“I'm sorry about that. Because rats can't count”

It seems about the rats mentioned earlier was not a metaphorical expression, but really
meant that they were using rats. It seems that no matter how secret the underground
space is, there are air holes that rats can enter.

“But if we pieced together the information, we could make a guess. Probably no more
than a hundred”
“But if we pieced together the information, we could make a guess. Probably no more
than a hundred”

“How do you know?”

“That is――”

The Thieves' Guild has apparently identified several mercenary groups that were
hired by Marquis Ashtner in the last few years and are supposed to have been wiped
out.

“It's not often that a mercenary group is wiped out. This country hasn't had a major
war in years. So where are all the mercenaries that were wiped out?”

Until now, He was suspected with rituals involving human sacrifice and the like.
However, today's commotion in the noble district brought to light the fact that a corps
was controlled by a pseudo fanatic sword. Moreover, it seems that the members of the
mercenary corps who were treated as annihilated were mixed among the
brainwashed soldiers who attacked the soldiers' camp and destroyed themselves.

I'm sure of it. The Thieves' Guild is aware that there are more than 80 people in their
ranks. If we add the missing adventurers to that number, we can expect about a
hundred people.

“Be careful. It's going to be pretty hard to rescue Master Gallus; you know?”

“Why would you give me that information?”

The Thieves Guild is not on the side of justice, and I don't understand why they would
go out of their way to support Fran and Count Bailleys. I'm not saying this was a bad
thing, but isn't there an option to join forces with Marquis Ashtner and suck the sweet
juice out of it?
“Well, we can't afford to lose this royal capital. the Thieves' Guild has been protecting
and nurturing the dark side of the city, just as the Adventurers' Guild has been
protecting and nurturing the dungeons as hunting grounds. Just as the adventurer's
guild protects and utilizes dungeons as hunting grounds”

Over a long period of time, the thieves must have established their own rules and
created a place for themselves among the nobility and ordinary citizens.

As Pink said earlier, dungeons and magical places for the adventurer's guild. For the
blacksmith guild, it's workshops and mines. And the royal capital is for the thieves'
guild.

“If we lose this place, we can't move to another city. There are already indigenous
people there, you know. No, it won't really matter for the top brass. But what about
the people underneath? Pickpockets, burglars. Whores and male prostitutes. Many of
them would have no choice but to become debt slaves”

I don't know how many members there are in the royal capital, but I do know that it's
impossible for everyone to get a new job.

“I've always been a little suspicious, but Marquis Ashtner these days are completely
crazy. I don't even think they can negotiate. That's no good”

“No good?”

“I'm sure he was ambitious to begin with, but…… In the last few years I can't help but
think he's gone crazy. There is a chance that the royal capital could become a sea of
fire”

In other words, Marquis Ashtner are unlikely to be their business partners, who seems
to be out of control, and wanted him to leave as soon as possible before their precious
royal capital becomes a battlefield.

“No, some fighting will have to be done now. But now, it can't be limited to just the
noble district anymore”

As expected of the Thieves' Guild, they are formidable.

Apparently, the Thieves' Guild had been following Fran's movements in order to teach
her about Gallus. They were planning to make contact with her at some point. In other
words, even if they hadn't been contacted by Face (1), they would have approached
Fran as soon as possible. In the process, they also recognized Marquis Ashtner
abnormality.

“We may not be able to move our forces openly, but we can support you in other ways.
We're not looking for a reward. Let's have a joint front. What do you think?”

[Fran, she isn't lying. I don't trust them completely, but I think we can cooperate]

“Nn. I'll tell the count”

“You don't have much time, do you? I'll send one of my men to bring thee info to the
Count, okay?”

“Understood”

A small, elderly man with a smooth head arrived in about five minutes. His eyebrows,
beard and moustache were long and white.

With his staff and robes, he must be a magician. But with his bent back, he didn't look
like he could fight. Well, that's only from his appearance.

Even before I appraise him, I could sense the magic within him, and Fran and I were
both ready for any fight. We would react to this old man's attack at any time and
maintain a good distance to counterattack.

It wasn't just the strength of his magic. From the old man, I could sense the kind of
intensity that is peculiar to the strong. To put it bluntly, he might be the strongest
person I've ever met in royal capital. We can't underestimate the Thieves' Guild.

“Huh? You can understand my abilities at first glance? As expected of the nicknamed
ones isn't it? You're not like the rest of them”

He hit the floor with the cane in his hand and mumbled something. He seems to be a
dour old man. His eyes, which sometimes peek out from under his white eyebrows,
are sharp, and he doesn't seem like a very nice old man.

“Strongest person in the Thieves' Guild”

“Eihwaz” (2)
He is 73 years old, and because of that, his strength and agility stats are low, but he is
a very high-level magician, with level 3 storm magic, level 2 ocean magic, level 6 ice
and snow magic, and level 5 death poison magic (3). He even uses earth magic and
auxiliary magic. No, wait. Eihwaz? That sounds familiar. Fran seemed to remember it
too.

“Friends of Diaz?”

“You know Diaz?”

“Nn. know both Fermus and Gamudo too”

“I see. I'm Eihwaz, the Dragon Binder. I've been in a party with them for a while”

When she asked him about his past friends, he didn't even smile. Maybe they don't get
along with each other, or maybe that's just the way he is. At any rate, he has been
wearing a scowl ever since he appeared.

“And a weird secret society”

“A secret society? Oh, you mean the magician guild?”

“Nn. They were annoying”

“I'm sorry about that. But I've already left. I'm sure they're doing whatever they want
with it now. Well, I'm not interested anymore”

[Fran, he's not lying]

Apparently, he's the type of person who doesn't care about anything except what he's
interested in. I want to shout him to properly clean up his mess!

“Why a former A rank adventurer in the thieves' guild?”

“That old man was originally a thieves hunter”

It seems that he had appeared in the capital a few years ago and had been attacking
the members of the Thieves' Guild and taking them away. And the reason for this was
for human experimentation.
“I used to buy crime slaves, but that's expensive and I can't always buy them. But I
can't just use innocent people as test subjects. Then it hit me. That's right, let's hunt
the thieves”

It's a disaster of the worst kind for the thieves. But for the general public, it's a
blessing. And yet, the reason why I don't respect him at all is probably because he is
acting completely to satisfy his own needs.

“I used to hunt the thieves around for a while”

However, the number of thieves gradually began to decrease. It seems that this was
the result of information circulating among the thieves that it was dangerous to work
in the Kingdom of Kranzel because Eihwaz was hunting them down too much.

After that, Eihwaz came to the conclusion that there were thieves in the city, not
bandits or pirates. It seems that he started to target the members of the Thieves' Guild.
But the Thieves' Guild didn't happy about that.

As a result, they negotiate with Eihwaz and hire him as a guard for the Thieves' Guild
in exchange for offering him a crime slave and traitor.

“All I have to do is defeat the occasional enemy and I can get as many lab rats as I want.
It's an easy job”

Fran is frowning. She must have felt uncomfortable with Eihwaz. No, it's impossible to
be nice to this guy.

“Oh, and just so you know, I didn't kill the test subjects. I just take a little peek of their
inside, and then I let them go after they've recovered properly. Well, I do sell off the
crime slaves again. Would you like to know what kind of experiments I do?”

“…Not really”

We are in a hurry right now. Besides, Fran doesn't really seem to be interested. Eihwaz
frowns in frustration as Fran shows no interest at him.

“Hmph”

“Haah. He's a difficult old man to deal with, but he's a good fighter”
“……The enemy has the ability to counteract and block magic”

“What? Is that true?”

“Nn”

“Kukukuh. very interesting”

“No, Eihwaz. No matter how strong you are, wouldn't it be dangerous if you can't use
magic are you?”

Pink asked that question, but it didn't stop Eihwaz from laughing. The advice she had
given him had only aroused the old man's curiosity.

“Kukukuh. I don't care. If it kills me, it's because I'm weak. I was more interested in the
sword. It may help me in my research”

I was worried about whether this old man would be useful with his magic blocked, but
his motivation seemed to be at its maximum.

“Eihwazorth. Don't overdo it, okay?”

“I'll take care of it. Well, it depends on the other party. Kukukuh”

When he smiled like that, Eihwazorth's face was distorted with lust, and he had the
expression of an evil person. He was no more trustworthy than the Thieves' Guild.
She had intended to take Eihwaz with her to Count Bailleys' mansion, but Face burst
into the basement, gasping for breath.

“Face, what's wrong?”

“It seems that the Knight Order has already begun to enter the Olmes' residence”

What! There should be more than an hour on the schedule!

“What do you mean?”

“It seems that the King ordered the knights directly”

Naturally, the King seemed to have taken this incident as a serious matter. After
receiving an explanation from Count Bailleys, the king decided on the spot to summon
Marquis Ashtner immediately. A messenger was dispatched.

It is said that the Marquis did not even show up to deal with the matter, although he
said that he would be charged with treason if he did not comply. It seems that the
housekeeper, who was spilling excuses, was captured and the knights were sent out to
battle.

The fact that it has taken only an hour so far shows the strength of the King's sense of
crisis. Also, his trust in Count Bailleys and his strong distrust of Marquis Ashtner
seems to have contributed to the speed of his decision.

No, they can't even go into battle if they are not ready in the first place. Could it be that
Count Bailleys had read this far? Marquis Ashtner's intelligence is not to be
underestimated, and it's possible that he already knows about the Count's
announcement to go out in three hours. If that's the case, they dared to say three hours
later and attack before that time to take advantage of the situation. It's not an
impossible story.
I remember the conversation Fran and the Count had before we left.

“If you are too slow, the Knights might just go off on their own, you know?”

“Nan”

“When it comes to that, move as you wish. You'll be better off that way. But don't forget
to cooperate with the knights, okay?”

That's the conversation. Could that have been what you had in mind all this time?

“Count Bailleys is in charge, and he's leading the charge in the square in front of the
royal castle”

The Thieves' Guild is also amazing for being able to grasp so much information in such
a short time. They may not be able to match the Adventurer's Guild in terms of combat,
but they have an overwhelmingly superior information network.

“It seems that fierce battles has already begun in the noble district”

It is said that swordsmen controlled by pseudo fanatic swords have emerged from
Marquis Ashtner's mansion, Count Olmes' mansion and his villa, and are fighting
fiercely against the Knights.

“What's the status of the war? What about those weird guys with a sword stuck in
them?”

“They came out. It appears the Knights are inferior”

I knew it would happen. They are adventurers and mercenaries who are in a state of
potential release with a pseudo fanatic sword. They are much stronger than knights
and have higher regeneration abilities. If both magic and skills are cancelled out, it will
be hard for them.

“About 20 adventurers from the Adventurer's Guild rushed out to support us. They are
all mid-level adventurers and above, but we'll see how much of a force they are……”

“Are they going to lose?”

“No. The guild master is still gathering other adventurers, and knights are gathering
from all over the capital, so we won't be inferior any more than we are now”

If that's the case, where should we head to? Or should we take advantage of the
opportunity and head to the rescue of Gallus and Velmeria?

Besides, I'm curious about something.

“Hey, did the enemy come out from the Viscount mansion with an underground
space?”

“Did you mean Viscount Alsand's residence? Yes, they sent a knight to the house, but
it was empty”

[Hmm. I suspect the opposite]

(Nn)

Besides, if there were no enemies, wouldn't this be a good chance to explore the
underground facility? The Thieves' Guild seemed to think so.

“……Young miss. Why don't you leave the fighting to the knights and adventurers and
go to Viscount Alsand's residence? We are also curious about the whereabouts of
Master Gallus. I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that”

“Understood”

That's what we want too. Leaving the fight to the Count and the Guild, we decided to
head straight for Viscount Alsand's mansion.

Although he was an old man, he was a former rank A. He was able to keep up with Fran
as she ran along with Face. He didn't seem to be out of breath as he listened to Fran
talk about the pseudo fanatic sword.

A lanky old man with a bent back who runs lightly is odd to look at. It reminded me of
the urban legend of the Turbo old hag (1). The people we pass from time to time roll
their eyes at us.

The former Viscount Alsand's residence was located at the edge of the southern
section of the noble district. Since it was out of the way from Marquis Ashtner's
residence and Count Olmes' residence, it seemed that no battle had occurred in this
vicinity yet.

From afar, I can hear explosions that seem to be the result of magic, and the battle cry
of knights.

“This is the former Viscount Alsand's residence”

The garden of the mansion, which had been abandoned for more than a month now,
was gradually growing weeds and was starting to look a little rough. In the courtyard
that Face led us to, the flowers in the flower beds and other areas were withered and
wilted.

It seems that Viscount Alsand has ostensibly returned to his domain to recuperate
from his illness. However, stories are spreading that he lost his skill to detect lies and
was rude to the royal family, and many nobles and people in the underworld know the
truth.

“Well, it was the Thieves' Guild that spread the rumour.”

There were many thieves who had been framed by Count Olmes and his son, and who
had been blamed for the crimes of the Count and his faction. They were looking for an
opportunity to retaliate one day.

“As a result, Viscount Alsand is now pushed into a corner of the estate”

“Hmmh”

Fran, don't seem interested at all. I'm pretty sure it's our fault that he's in that state,
but whatever. He got what he deserved. Now we have to find the underground.

“There seems to be a space just below this”

“But you didn't know how to get in? You don.t even have a guess?”

“Yes. The man who is using the rats also has no idea how they could have gotten in.
There was a hole or a crack somewhere, and the rats just happened to find their way
in.”

“That rats user. I never meet one, but what kind of ability that he has?”
“Umm, I think it's――”

The rats user is said to be able to sense where the rats are, slightly peek into their
memories, and even read their surface thoughts. However, the intelligence of the rats
themselves is not very high, so they can't hear the details of the story.

“What a useful story. If we use magic to destroy this area, we can destroy the
underground passage as well, don't you think?”

“No, please don't do that. It might even kill Master Gallus”

“Is that so. It's a pain in the ass”

We had to do something about this before Eihwaz does something stupid.

[Hmmm… Certainly there's a large space. I also felt multiple vitalities…… And this
discomfort. There's definitely a pseudo fanatic sword in there]

(Nn)

However, I don't know the exact number. I don't think there are more than a hundred
of them, probably because they devoted their forces to fought the Knights, but there
are probably ten or twenty. If we can get closer, we can go to…… Maybe we can sneak
up on them while digging a hole with earth magic?

It's possible to get inside using teleport, but it's too dangerous to have to deal with
countless soldiers controlled by that pseudo fanatic sword.

[No, if we can teleport and immediately attack them before they can make a move and
greatly reducing the enemy's strength……]

While I was pondering like that, Eihwaz suddenly started chanting his magic. Then he
dug a huge hole with earth magic.

“Wha. Eihwaz-san! What did you!”

“There's no point in sneaking around here, is there? If that's the case, why don't we
just find that underground space?”

I looked into the hole and saw that it was incredibly deep. Moreover, I could see a pale
light leaking out from its depths. Maybe it reached the mysterious underground space.

I did think about digging a hole with earth magic, didn't I? But if I do it in such a
spectacular way, we'll be found out for sure!

“It's reaching it huh. Hmm, it looks like there was a barrier against earth magic, but it
wasn't at a level that strong enough to prevent my magic”

Looking annoyingly calm, Eihwaz threw something into the hole. More than one. It
looked like a bottle, but what the hell was it?

Fran asks Eihwaz, who has now started plugging the hole with earth magic.

“What was that?”

“It's a special drugs. It's made to vaporize and spread all at once”

Drugs? is it poison? Oh come on, there may be Gallus! Fran glared at Eihwaz as she put
her hands on me.

“It's not just the enemy in there!”

“Kukukuh. Don't stare at me like that. Don't worry, none of these drugs can kill. They
are a numbing drugs that causes intense pain in the skin, a corroding drug that only
works on metal when it comes in contact with air, and a drug that stimulates the magic
centers of living things, causing them to lose their magic rapidly”

“But……”

“The numbing drugs may cause pain, but it doesn't actually reduce life, and it only
gives numbness to the limbs. It will not kill you due to magic power depletion. The
metal corrosion drugs have no effect on the human body. A dwarf with a high tolerance
to the drugs will not die. However, it may be effective against the soldier that
controlled by a sword that you told me about along the way”

Even though the first two used magic in the production process, the finished product
itself was apparently not a magic drug. Hence, there was a high possibility that the
magic counteracting effect of the pseudo fanatic sword would not be able to
counteract it. The magic power depletion drugs were a magic drug, but it also seemed
to be intentional.
“If you want to prevent all three of these drugs, you will need to use the magic
counteracting and potential release states that you mentioned. We can wear them out
even before the battle, so they won't go to waste”

“……”

[Well, what's done is done. Let's wait for the result instead of blaming Eihwaz now]

(Nn…)

[More importantly, don't let your guard down. Because in the worst-case scenario, we
could be dealing with dozens of pseudo-zealotry swords!]

“Nn!”
It's been more than ten minutes since Eihwaz had gone ahead and scattered the drugs
in the basement without permission. Fran and the others were checking the inside of
the house. We wanted to see if there were any hidden passages leading to the
basement.

We don't need hidden passages when we can use earth magic and teleport magic to
get inside. However, Face's suggestion was that it would be better to find a regular
route for later use.

However, even after Fran and I searched for hidden passages with our detection and
sensing skills, but no suspicious places existed. If this is the case, it seems the passage
wasn't from the Viscount's residence.

On the way back to the courtyard from the villa, we sensed the movement of magical
power. I knew this magic. As we rushed out into the courtyard, we saw that Eihwaz
had just dug another hole with his earth magic.

“Eihwaz!”

“Nn? What is it, young miss?”

When Fran runs up to him, Eihwaz asks her back, looking as if he doesn't understand
why she is angry with him.

“Didn't i said to not do anything”

“Aah, I remember you saying something like that before we split up. Well, I wasn't
interested, so I didn't feel like to remember it”

“Muh……”

Face had suggested that we split up and explore the area, and he had warned Eihwaz
not to take any action. I had even confirmed that he wasn't lying in his response with
the Principal of Falsehoods! He hadn't lied when he said he wouldn't make a move
without asking at that time. I'm sure about it but……

No, it was certainly not a lie. However, he soon forgot about the promise he had made,
and simply acted on his interest. We had underestimated Eihwaz's freewheeling
nature too much.

“It doesn't matter. Let's go. Don't worry about the drugs. They should be wearing off
by now”

“Ah!”

“Wha, Eihwaz-san!”

When Eihwaz used his wind magic to make his body float, he went straight down into
the pit. He really is an old man who acts according to his own curiosity.

(Master! After him!

[Yeah, I know!]

For a moment, I thought about pushing it all to Eihwaz, but then I recalled that it might
be dangerous if Gallus was in the underground base. I wondered how far Eihwaz
would go to take Gallus' safety into account. After all, he threw poison into the pit
without hesitation.

“Eihwaz, wait!”

“Ah, wait! M-me too――”

Oh, I forgot about Face. No, we might as well leave the less combat-ready Face behind.
We don't know what kind of situation we'll be in.

We sliding down the almost vertical hole in one fell swoop, and killed the momentum
with a leap in the air to land.

I don't know what's going on with Eihwaz's drugs, so I wear a wind barrier, but I don't
feel like it's filled with poison. I guess Eihwaz was right, the effect had already worn
off.
“……A building”

[Yeah, I'm pretty sure this is the underground base]

It was a solid structure, as if we were inside some kind of fort.

[You never know where they're going to come from. Don't let your guard down]

“Nn”

For the time being, we decided to follow Eihwaz.

There was little vitality in the vicinity, but the magic of the pseudo fanatic sword could
still be felt faintly. They must have noticed Eihwaz and Fran's intrusion and are
removing their presence.

We kept going for about fifteen meters before I caught up with Eihwaz. He had stopped
at the end of the aisle, in what looked like a large hall.

“What are you doing?”

“Young miss, look at this”

“……Stairs?”

What Eihwaz was looking at was a staircase for climbing. However, the stairs had hit
the ceiling and had no use for it. Had they filled the hole to isolate the underground
facility here?

But it wasn't. When Eihwaz lightly channelled his magic, the stairs glowed for a
moment.

“I knew it. It's a kind of magic tool”

It seems if you channel magic powers, a staircase will extend to the ground. I guess
this is how they go in and out. No matter how hard we searched, we couldn't find the
entrance or exit.

When they return from outside, they need to have the stairs appear from inside, the
possibility of being attacked from outside is low. Well, it was forcefully invaded by
Eihwaz

“We'll have to look into this later. Let's go to the other side”

“……Nn”

Fran nodded, although she was somewhat unhappy. She didn't like being led by
Eihwaz, but she did recognize him somewhat when she saw how much insight he had
into magic tools. For the time being, she didn't complain and started running ahead of
Eihwaz.

But soon I notice the magic lurking ahead of us.

[Fran! Over there, behind the door! There's a magical power of the Pseudo-Rabid
Sword! Maybe there's two of it]

(Nn? Understood!)

Apparently, Fran can't sense it. I may be aware of it in part because I feel the disgust
more strongly than the magic.

“Eihwaz”

“Hmm? Did you feel something?”

“Nn”

When Fran called out to him, Eihwaz stopped and began to pay attention to his
surroundings. The accuracy of his judgment was good, as expected of a former rank A
adventurer.

“Behind that door there”

“Hou?”

Fran pointed to a door in the middle of the passage. She doesn't seem to know that
someone is hiding in there, not even Eihwaz. But he doesn't release his guards. He
honestly acknowledged that Fran's sensing ability was better than his.

“Is it the enemy?”

“I don't know. But there's two of them”

“……It seems that even I can't sense it. Let's make the initiative”

“Nn!”

Then Fran kicked down the door and rushed inside. First, she slashes one of them with
her Sword technique! Worst case scenario, we’ll use Eihwaz as a shield and finish him
off with the telekinetic catapult after I get some distance. He's maybe an old magician,
but he can at least buy us some time.

When Fran stepped into the room, the first thing she saw was a pile of black powder.
A large amount of black powder is scattered on the floor and shelves.

It was probably an armory. However, the metal corroding potion thrown in by Eihwaz
had corroded everything and it looked like nothing but a pile of black powder. There
were only a few traces of leather armor, leather shields, and a leather belt that had
been wrapped around the handle.

There are still two men inside. A pseudo fanatic sword was stuck in their necks.
However, my plan to use the Eihwaz as a shield was never put into action. Because the
enemy was already dead when we stepped inside.

“…Nn?”

[Looks like it's dead to me]

“Eei”

Just to be sure, we tried to cut the sword stuck in his back, but it still didn't move. Since
the cannibalism was activated, there was no doubt that this was a pseudo fanatic
sword.

Eihwaz, who came into the room later, approached the corpse with a euphoric look on
his face.

“He's dead, isn't he?”

An appraisal showed that he had lost all of his magic as well as his life force. It seems
that Eihwaz's drugs did more than I expected. I don't know if it was the magic
depletion drugs or the counteracting effect of the pseudo fanatic sword, but it must
have used up all the magic.

The sword's magic is weak because it can no longer absorb magic power from its host.

“I figured it would be easier to fight if their magic power was somewhat reduced………
The enemy seems to be more stupid than I imagined. No, as long as their mind is being
manipulated, it doesn’t have that much accurate judgment left. Or is the sword's ability
automatically activated by some conditions? But――”

Eihwaz is mumbling something as he inspects the body. He seems to be considering

various things. But now is not the time to relax.

For the time being, I decided to store the corpse in a hurry.

“Tsk. It can't be helped. But I'll be sure to check it later”

“……”

“Oi, are you listening? You definitely going to give me the body later right?”

“……”

“Oi, little girl”

Is Fran having trouble talking to Eihwaz? She ignored him completely. In response,
Eihwaz is shouting at her. This guy doesn't listen to others, but gets angry when he's
ignored. He's got a really good personality.

“Is it okay? I'm gonna dissect it, you know?”

Dissect, dissect, Eihwaz was annoying so she gave him the corpse to silence him. Fran's
response was “If you want it so bad, I'll give it to you” And Eihwaz was overjoyed.

He took the body that was handed to him as he ran with ease and tucked it into his
own item bag.

“Kukukuh. I've got a good sample. This will help me advance my research again”

“……”

To be able to made Fran shocked, Eihwaz can't be underestimated.

As we drove on, the road ahead became brighter. There seems to be a hall ahead. I can
feel the reaction of a large number of weak pseudo fanatic swords. It seems that the
same tragedy happened there as in the armory earlier.

[So this place is full of dead bodies too?]

“Wiped out?”

[No, a few of them are still alive]

Even from here, I could feel the life force of several people.

[Stay alert]

(Nn)

When we stepped into the hall, I found it to be a slightly brighter room, similar in
construction to the hall where the magic tool stairs had been installed. Originally, it
was probably going to be a fierce battle with a large number of pseudo fanatic swords…

Among the twenty or so corpses lying in the hall, four swordsmen stood. They were
the ones who had poison resistance, etc., and the ones who had prevented the drugs
with wind magic. But again, their magic power was already greatly reduced. Now is
our chance!

[Fran! do pre-emptive strike!]

“Nn!”

The moment she saw me, Fran threw me into the air. Accelerated by the telekinetic
catapult, I destroyed the head of the woman in front of me, along with her pseudo
fanatic sword.

[Yosh! 3 more!]

I tried to use telekinesis to get back to Fran, but failed. It seems that the magic
cancelling effect is already in effect.

But there's a way to do it.

“Woof!”

Urushi ran at me at once, bit my hilt and threw me to Fran. As it was, Urushi rushed at
the nearest swordsman.

[One more time!]

“Nn! Haaaa!”

Due to the large size of the hall, the magic cancelling effect had not reached the
entrance area. This meant that it was possible to telekinetic catapult again.

As if replaying the scene from earlier, the telekinetic catapult shattered the head of the
swordsman who was fighting Urushi and the pseudo fanatic sword. Instantly, Urushi
lifts me up and hands me to Fran.

I was going to finish the rest. I thought so, but I was interrupted by Eihwaz.

“Come on. Leave one for me”

“Muh”
I was thinking of ignoring him, but if I despise Eihwaz here, he might go off the rails
later. With that in mind, it would be better to give him a chance.

Besides, while I was hesitating, one of the swordsmen came close to us. I need to get
some distance again to use the telekinetic catapult.

[It's no use. We'll take care of this one, and let Eihwaz take care of the other one]

“Nn. Urushi, return!”

“woof!”

If we were not careful, Eihwaz could attack us all. Fran called Urushi back and cut off
the dwarf who was running towards her. It was a blow aimed at his neck, but he
seemed to be a defensive specialist and put up a strong barrier to block the attack.

For that reason, he is not very good at attacking. Fran dodges the counter-attack of his
big sword with ease. Would it be easier to wait for him to self-destruct?

As Eihwaz watched, he stepped toward the remaining large man. His face was full of
motivation.

“Fumu. Black Lightning Princess doesn't need any help. Then I'll take this one……
Poison Fog” (1)

“――”

“Oh! Is that the magic cancelling? You really did dispel the poisonous mist I created
with my magic! Very interesting”

Old man, Sorry to burst your bubble but are you okay? If he can't block magic, you're
at a huge disadvantage. However, Eihwaz's expression remained joyful.

Unfazed by the large man who approached him at once, he threw several bottles from
his pocket. He must have an items bag or something inside his robe.

The moment the big man reaped the bottle, a tremendous explosion sounded. At the
same time, smoke and flames rose up.

“――!”
Fran kept her distance from the dwarf, holding her cat ears with her hand. It was such
an explosive sound.

“Fumu fumu. They can't cancel out phenomena caused by chemical reactions that are
not borne by magic after all”

After interrupting his fellow, Fran, Eihwaz himself laughed happily and unleashed
more magic. It is an AOE magic that freezes a wide area. But the big man's pseudo
fanatic sword cancelled it out. He was able to frighten him for a moment, but he wasn't
able to beat him.

“Umu umu”

He nodded a couple of times, as if he had already factored it in, and unleashed his
magic again. This time, he threw a bottle of drugs at the same time.

Of course, the magic was cancelled out, and the broken bottle that hit the ground had
no effect but only spread the liquid inside to the surroundings.

It looked like he was wasting his time, but it seemed that Eihwaz was getting excited.
He swiftly began to blabber out his thoughts.

“I see, I see. It seems that the magic cancel can't specify the target so delicately. It's not
like he can specify a specific area? The poison fog that I had just use, and the magic
that I had just use, he didn't able to erase the effects of it on the places far away from
me. And a potion turned into mere water……”

After only a few tries, he was uncovering the effects of the magic counteract. It was
frustrating, but amazingly insightful.

Still, lacking a decisive move, Eihwaz was not able to defeat his opponent. The big man
slashed at him again. Eihwaz dodged the attack. That's right. This old man is not
incapable of close combat. He had mastered the skills of hand-to-hand fighting and
dodging. He may be inferior in status, but his combat experience is vast.

Eihwaz evaded the big man's attack with a flick of his wrist and took out five drugs
bottles again. He then dropped the bottles at his feet. Naturally, the bottles broke and
smoke spewed out from inside.

The smoke that seemed to envelop Eihwaz and the large man was completely
dissipated in less than a second. The whole thing must have been a magic potion.

It was supposed to be a dire strait when his self-destruct attack was cancelled out……
Eihwaz's smile was the same as at first. But now, it even seemed to be deepening.

With a look of heartfelt enjoyment on his face, Eihwaz thrusts his arm out toward the
large man and speaks.

“――Eternal Coffin!” (2)

“――……”

What happened immediately after that was beyond our imagination.

[Eh?]

“Nn? How?”

To my surprise, Eihwaz's magic was not cancelled out, and he freeze the big man.

No, So that's how. The potion that created the smoke that he used beforehand. He
made the big man use up all of his magic power by daring him to cancel it out. And
then, by making it impossible for him to use the magic cancel, he was able to activate
his magic in a relaxed manner.

[Fran, after I saw that, I think I have an easy way to beat these guys]

(Really?)

[Yeah. After I casted my spell on him. Then, unleash Void Sword Technique on him]

(Understood)

They use their own magic to counteract it. I should have known that, but I didn't
realize that I could take advantage of that phenomenon. That was my mistake.

[Here we go! Try to cancel this!]

I activate 10 magic shots simultaneously, and everything is cancelled out as intended.

“Haaa!”

Then, Fran's Void Sword Technique sliced away the dwarf's head and pseudo fanatic
sword, which had used up all of its magic power. If you think about it, it was a simple
matter. With the amount of magic power I had, even if it was a little inefficient, I should
have just let him use up all of his magic by pushing him with my magic.

If there were dozens of opponents, it would be a different story, but if there were only
a few, it would be easy to deplete their magic before my power ran out.

[Haah. I can't help but be dismayed by my own dullness. Well, let's find Gallus now.
Reflection will come later]

“Nn”

“Hey, you don't mind if I take this big guy, do you?”

At the end of the hall, there was a place where a huge door had been sitting――or so it
seemed, but only the remains of the door were scattered about. It was the work of the
metal corroding potion that Eihwaz had used.

No matter how huge and airtight the door was, if it was a metal door, it would be
ripped apart by the metal corroding potion, and that's how the other potion got in.
Once again, it was a horrible potion.

Fran and Eihwaz stepped over the wreckage of the door and continued on. What lay
ahead was a prison. A sturdy-looking metal grate was set into it.

The swordsman on guard was still alive, but one-on-one he was no match for us, who
knew how to deal with him. He was killed instantly.

“Gallus!”

Immediately after stepping into the room, Fran started to run. Yes, there was Gallus
lying in the prison. After appraising him, it seems that he is only unconscious.

“Hmm?”

Fran grabbed the bars and put a lot of pressure on them, but it wouldn't budge off.
Apparently, it was a special metal and had not been corroded by the metal corrosion
potion.

“It's probably a magical steel alloy. That potion doesn't work well on magic metals”

“……Shii!”

However, this level of grating would not be a problem if it were not for the magic
cancel. Fran easily sliced through the bars and stepped into the prison.

“Gallus? Are you okay?”

“……”

She shook Gallus lightly, but he didn't respond.

“――Grea―ter―He―al! How was it?” (1)

[It's no good, he's not waking up]

It must be the effects of the narcotics. I don't think it was Eihwaz's potion. Maybe.

[In the meantime, let's get Gallus out of here]

“Nn. Urushi”

“woof!”

Fran straps the unconscious Gallus to Urushi's back. The burden on Gallus would be
less if we moved while supporting him with telekinesis.

[What happened to Eihwaz?]

“Nn?”

Eihwaz was crouching in front of the jail. He seemed to be examining the corpse of the
watchmen.

“Hohoho. So, he's inserting the sword into his back from here. Looks like it runs down
the back of his spine. It's durability is…… I see. It's not as powerful as a magic sword.
Did they build it with this use in mind from the beginning? And about this technique?
This is――”

He was dripping a mysterious liquid on the sword and checking the condition of the
corpse. On the contrary, he was piercing some kind of needle-like tool into its eyeballs
and cutting its wrists to draw blood.

“Eihwaz, back to top”

“Hmm. I see. Well, there doesn't seem to be anything here anymore. So, is the dwarves
safe?”
“But, can't wake him up”

“Hmmm. Let's have a look”

With the corpse firmly tucked away, Eihwaz approached Gallus on Urushi's back. Fran
was not sure if she should stop him or not. But in the end, she decided to let him
examine Gallus.

“I see, I see……”

Eihwaz is flipping through Gallus' mouth and eye lids, checking the flow of his magic.

“It must be the narcotics. He is mentally drained, and it's affecting his body”

“Will get cured?”

“From the looks of it, the contamination is quite advanced, but it hasn't reached the
worst of it. With time, healing won't be a problem”

“Is that so. How can I treat him?”

“It could be a high level healing magic or detoxification with alchemy. Narcotics have
a strong impact, but there are several medicines to deal with them. If you want, I can
treat him for you? A dwarf affected with a narcotic is a very rare specimen”

Nonono, there's no way in hell I'm leaving him with Eihwaz! It's like throwing a roll of
raw meat in front of a starving wolf. He would never get away from it. I could only
imagine a future where Gallus would be dissected.

“No need”

“Hmm, is that so?”

“Nn”

“Wa-wait. I'm saying that I'll cure him right away, right?”

“It's fine”

“Muh……”
Fran seemed to have thought the same thing as me, and rejected Eihwaz's words.

[With that said, what should we do now]

I'd like to take him to a safe place and ask for medical treatment, but where should I
take him? The noble district is in the middle of a battle………

[Fran, let's go to the Adventurer's Guild. It's far enough away from the noble district.
They might have a fighting force and someone who can heal him]

“Go to the Adventurer's Guild”

“Hmm. It's not a bad decision. In your point, you can't just leave it in the hands of the
thieves' guild”

Surprisingly, Eihwaz agrees with her. I thought he would insist that we leave it with
the Thieves' Guild.

“Leave the dwarf to them and let's go to another battlefield. I'd like to observe them in
action”

Was his matter of interest simply in the pseudo fanatic sword?

What's more surprising is that he doesn't want to go on his own. With his personality,
I'm afraid he's going to leave Fran and go off on his own. No, I'm afraid to unleash
Eihwaz alone, so it's better if he stays within my sight, though.

“The world's rarest thing, an evolved black cat kin…… Its true value is not to be missed”

This guy was curious about Fran too! The way he looked at Fran held the same
curiosity that he had for Gallus and the pseudo fanatic sword. It was the way he looked
at his precious experiment.

[Fran, never let Eihwaz get to you, okay?]

(Of course)

Well, Fran has been keeping a wary eye on Eihwaz since a long time, and I'm sure she's
fine. Maybe she has a wild intuition and senses the look that Eihwaz is giving to her.
After Fran and Eihwaz got out of the hole they had plunged into as it was, they picked
up Face, who was getting anxious, and hurried to the Adventurer's Guild on their feet.

The commotion already seemed to be spreading, and people were looking anxious in
the civilian and downtown areas. In fact, some travellers and vendors seemed to be
hurrying to the gates to escape from the royal capital.

“This is a bad. If the battle drags on, it could cause panic as people try to escape from
the royal capital”

It was no wonder that Face was muttering anxiously. The battle seemed to be getting
more intense, with loud explosions echoing in rapid succession and mysterious lights
emanating from the noble district.

“No one in here?”

When we arrived at the Adventurer's Guild, it was surprisingly deserted. Other than
the receptionist, there was no one around. The first person to notice Fran was Stellia,
who was still picking at her cookies in her spare time.

“Oh, isn't it the Black Lightning Princess? what's up?”

“What happened to the adventurers?”

“The guild sent out an urgent request for security. All the people who have time to
spare are out of town”

It seems that the guild is also working properly.

“I want you to take care of Gallus”

“Gallus…… by any chance, the Honorary Blacksmith, Gallus?”

“Nn”

Fran told her that narcotics was keeping him from awake, and he needed medical
treatment, and that in some cases the enemy might come to take him back. Then Steria
raised her eyebrows and frowned. With no adventurers around, she must be
wondering if she can keep him.
“What are you mulling over? Get on quickly”

“Haa? Who the hell are you?”

“I'm a former adventurer named Eihwaz”

The change in Stellia's face when she was told this by Eihwaz was dramatic. Her
scornful expression changed, and she looked like a maiden in love. No, she's just an
old lady.

“Ei-Eihwaz-sama? A-are you by any chance, Eihwaz the dragon binder?”

“That's right. This is the guild card I used to use”

“I-I’ll take a look!”

Steria picked up Eihwaz's guild card with a slightly trembling hand. Then, with a
serious face, she checked it for authenticity.

“I-it's the real one! It's the real Eihwaz! I-it's a honor to meet you!”

“Umu”

It's a class change from being a pouty old lady to an idol chaser. Stellia is staring at
Eihwaz with sparkling eyes. The tone of her voice is probably a step higher.

The other receptionists stared in amazement at her transformation.

“So, can you take care of this dwarf and treat him?”

“Ye-yes! Of course!”

I guess she really admire him. Instead of being offended by Eihwaz's big attitude, she
nodded happily, and her cheeks dyed red.

But, is it okay if it was this easy?

“Are you okay? The enemy might come here”

“I'm fine! Just leave it to me! I'm still a former rank B adventurer! Besides, I'll summon
all the high-ranked adventurers who didn't respond to this call as soon as I can! I'll
also call for a healer and an alchemist right away!”

Do the adventurers who didn't respond to the call would listen to her?

“Fufun. How many years do you think I've been in this guild? I at least have three or
four adventurer's weakness. I didn't want to work for the noble, but for Eihwaz-sama,
that's a different story!”

It seems that Aunt Steria was more powerful in the shadows than I had imagined. Well,
I guess I can leave this one to her.

Besides, come to think of it, he's a blacksmith with the potential to make something as
crazy as a pseudo fanatic sword. It might be a bad idea to leave him in this country.
Mainly in terms of Gallus' freedom. If King Kranzel had big ambitions, he would not
have the option of freeing Gallus. I can only imagine a future where he is forced into
slavery and then forced to engage in the mass production of pseudo fanatic swords.

In this respect, the adventurer's guild can be a strong voice for the country. However,
let's make a push. Fran takes out a million golds on the counter and tells Stellia.

“Then I'll make the request. I want you to take care of Gallus and keep him safe. And
no one but us. In particular, do not hand him over to the country or anyone else. This
will cover your expenses”

“Let's add my name to the list. I don't want to be ripped off by the state”

“Is there a reason for this? Well, that's okay. If Eihwaz-sama asks me to do something.
I'll do it, no matter what! And the rewards are plenty”

It was a request made directly to the guild by an adventurer. The guild's reputation
would be at stake if they lost Gallus. I'm sure they will protect him.

“Also, I'm leaving my follower. Urushi, if anything happens to him, take Gallus and run
away”

“Woof”

Worst case scenario, Urushi should be able to protect Gallus.

“Well then, we'd better get going”

“Nn”

Our goal is to get to the square in front of the royal castle. I've heard that Count Bailleys
is there.
When we stepped into the noble district, we were immediately confronted by men
with pseudo fanatic swords stuck in them. However, as long as they were far enough,
my telekinetic catapult would kill them instantly.

I had to give some of them away, though, because Eihwaz claimed them.

“Fuhaha. I still have some things to try”

He slurped down the potion he had taken out of his pocket. It seemed to be a body
enhancing potion. He jumped into his opponent's bosom at once and began to fight
with the swordsman.

“――”

“I see I see! Drugs and skill with body strengthening effect can be used――In other
words, magic counteracting does not work for things that act in the body!”

He threw the medicine he had taken out at the enemy who was charging at him. At the
same time, he plunged into the enemy with his fists clenched.

He's good. If he dodges the potion, he'll probably fall prey to Eihwaz's physical
strengthened fist. If he wants to get rid of the potion, he needs to consumes magic
power to activate magic cancel to cancel out the potion's effect and his magic would
be drained Either way, Eihwaz had the advantage.

He then uses his ice magic to freeze the enemy, who has used up all of his magic by
cleaving the medicine with his sword, he wins without a scratch.

It seems that Eihwaz true essence was the use of his magic, close combat and potion
together. If we have to fight him, he is a very nasty opponent with no noticeable gaps.

Fran seemed to have thought the same thing, and was observing Eihwaz's battle with
an eye as if looking for a weakness.
[Aside from magic and hand-to-hand combat technique, drugs is completely unknown
to us……]

(Nn. Strong)

After a few battles, Fran and Eihwaz reached the square in front of the royal castle.

The plaza in front of the royal castle was made quite large in order to accommodate a
military parade. However, there was a fierce battle going on there, more than I had
imagined.

There were about 100 enemies. Among them, there were probably about 40 with
pseudo fanatic swords stuck in them. Along with them, an ogre-like magical beast
about two meters tall was running rampant.

When I appraised it, it came up as a Flesh Greater Golem (1). Apparently, it was a
golem made from a corpse. It was also quite strong. Its agility was low, but it was
sturdy and had regeneration ability. It would be quite a nuisance while being
protected by the Pseudo Fanatic Sword's magic counteracting power. At least a few
knights should not be able to resist it.

In contrast, there were probably about 200 knights. If you include those who had
already fallen, there were probably more than 500. There were also adventurers in the
crowd.

There's Colbert too. There's even an appearance of Eliante. I didn't expect her to be
here. The two of them are still moving exceptionally well. However, there were five
people who were showing comparable work.

Maybe the five of them were in the same party. They wore armor of the same design
and fought in tandem. Maybe they were the half-insect kin.

[I think that's the mercenary group Eliante was talking about. I believe it was called
Antennae and Shells (2) or something like that……]

Well, it was just as the name implied. Some of them have antennae growing out of their
heads, while others have parts of their bodies covered with hard shells.

The species are hardy shrimps, locusts, clams, dragonfly, and fanged ants (3). However,
it seems that they are still struggling due to their inability to use skills and magic. Even
so, they fought in tandem and seemed to have killed more than ten flesh golems, which
was impressive.

(Master, there's the count)

[In the meantime, lets join him]

“Nn!”

Fran ran across the battlefield at once and cut down the swordsmen infested by the
pseudo fanatic swords around Count Bailleys and the others.

The knights were stunned to see their struggling opponent defeated so easily. But
when the Count saw that it was Fran who had appeared, he nodded approvingly.

“As expected of the Black Lightning Princess! How did you do that? You looked
different form the time of the battle at the mansion”

So, Fran tells them what to do. The Count, however, has a difficult look on his face. If
you think about it, it wasn't so easy to fire off a bunch of magic to drain the magic
power, or to throw a bunch of magic potions.

“Lets collect all the potions we can find or go to…… Anyway, I've heard good things
about you. Can you help me eradicate this square first?”

“Nn. But, are the other place is fine?”

Enemies must have appeared from the Marquis Ashtner's and Count Ormes'
mansions………

“…They should be fine. Rank A adventurers are heading there”

“Heading there?”

“We've had a lot of adventurers come through here for the auction. Eliante talked me
about it”

Is that so? If you're a high-ranking adventurer, you're probably interested in the

auction. The auction has already ended, but I'm sure there are many adventurers still
left in royal capital.
“What about Velmeria?”

“We haven't found her yet. Forget about my daughter for now. Think only of defeating
the enemy. The safety of royal capital is more important”

After all, he was probably saying these words to himself as well. The Count told Fran
with an expression as if he was holding something back.

“Don't worry. The adventurers will rescue her. She should be fine”

[Fran. Since we can't find her, all we can do now is reduce the enemy's strength]

“……All right. I'll take care of the enemy here for now”

“Well then, let's go, shall we? The flesh walls are just to attract our attention. It will be
easy to be done with later. Let's ignore the meat wall and reduce the number of
swordsmen first”

“Understood”

Then Fran and the others ran out into the battlefield.

“Awakening――”

We don't even know what kind of battle we'll have after this. Let’s save Black Lightning
Rush for later. But it seems for this battlefield, awakening alone was enough.

Although it was a melee, it was easy to distinguish friend from foe by using the pseudo
fanatic sword as a marker. All we have to do is sneak up from their blind spot and
strike the pseudo fanatic sword with all our might.

In some cases, barriers or other factors may prevent that attack from being determined,
in that case, simply switch to a magic saturated attack.

“Eh? Why a child here――what!”

“What? A black shadow!”

The knights are surprised to see Fran suddenly appear and easily bury a powerful
enemy. However, Fran ignores them and runs on the battlefield.
Boooom!

An explosion and a knight's scream. Apparently Eihwaz is hustling too.

“Haaa!”

From the middle of the battle, not only Colbert and Eliante, but also the mercenaries
came to the aid of Fran. They dared to move flamboyantly to attract the attention of
the enemy. This made the job even easier.

It took us less than fifteen minutes to clean up the pseudo fanatic sword holders. Then,
against the last enemy, I tried to unleash a controlled amount of Kanna Kamui. I
wanted to find out how much magic that sword could still counteract to.

[Hmm, It should be as strong as Thor Hammer (4) or something huh]

“Nn”

It seemed that a magic of Kanna Kamui class could not be counteracted as expected.
Although the power of the thunder was considerably reduced, the thunderbolt
annihilated the enemy along with the pseudo fanatic sword, leaving a huge crater in
the square in front of the royal castle.

[That was a bit overkill]

“It's better than being cancelled out”

I thought it was better than being cancelled out, so I used it, but I think Kanna Kamui
was a bit too much.

A hole about five meters in diameter was drilled in the square in front of the royal
castle, and the surrounding knights and flesh golems were reaped by the impact.

It was much less powerful, but it has saved their life. If it had been as powerful as it
was, it would have been quite a disaster. No, it may have been a bad idea to open a hole
in front of the royal castle in the first place.

I can feel the knights' eyes on us. I wonder if they are angry with me for blowing a hole
in front of the royal castle. However, it seems that they don't have time to talk to Fran
as they are soon engaged in a battle with the flesh golem.

Eihwaz was starring at Fran, but he was quickly attacked by a flesh golem and moved
to deal with that. It may be troublesome later huh.

[We'll do the golem too]

“Nn!”

After clearing out the pseudo fanatic sword wielder, we moved on to clearing out the
flesh golem.

While they were certainly strong, they were no match for us at this level. Once again,
I had enough time to observe the battles of the other adventurers and mercenaries.

Colbert has become like a normal fighter. It seems that the cost of losing the Dimitris
style was great. His attack power seems to have dropped drastically, and he has been
dealing damage to the Flesh Golem with a series of attacks.

However, now that he was no longer in a sealed state, his body movement itself would
have improved. The loss of the Dimitris style must have led to more rigorous training.
He probably has talent to begin with, and he will grow even more in the future.

Eliante was not what she appeared to be at all, she was a super power fighter. As if she
was taking the stress of her job out on the fight, she was swinging a huge sword that
was bigger than her with one hand and slamming it into the flesh golem.

“Ahahahahahahahahaha! Horahorahorahoraa!”

I thought she didn't have antennae for a half-insect kin, but it seems she had hidden
them in her hair. From between her untied purple hair grew a rather thick antennae
that at first glance appeared to be long horns.

She appears to be a half-spider. She wraps threads sprayed from the palm of her hand
around the golem, blocking its movement. It's like an American spider-man ability.
Eliante ran into it and slammed her big sword into it, and the loud laughter that she
kept raising gave her a great sense of being a mad warrior.

The five members of the mercenary group are strong individually, but they are also
highly coordinated. It's enough to change the image you had of mercenaries.

[So there's such a strong mercenary huh]

(Nn)

That's natural, but it can't be helped because I hadn't encountered them before. If you
think about it, the strongest mercenaries are probably on the battlefield, and
conversely, it's no surprise that the mercenaries we usually meet of aren't a big deal.

The hot-blooded-looking man who had just slammed his fist into the flesh golem in
front of Fran seemed to be the leader. He's giving orders to everyone. Hard shrimp?
Maybe he's a lobster or lobster-type half-insect kin.

A red, slippery shell covered his face and the middle of his right hand. The shell around
his fist in particular had a huge, aggressive form, like a hammer with spikes. He was
fighting by swinging his fist. He was also using water magic to overwhelm a flesh
golem that was equivalent to several knights by himself.

The legs of these half-insect kin locusts are very thick. The upper body is slender and
beautiful, but only the legs have an unusual volume, as if they were cut out of a large
tree and attached.
On his lower body, he's wearing a pair of dowdy pants like a bonton to accommodate
the change, and now his bloated legs are squeezed tightly inside the bonton.

“I'm breaking it! Zeyaaaaaa!”

However, it seemed that his leg strength was even more tremendous than I had
imagined. When the boy (1) kicked the golem with his foot, the huge body of the
golem, which must have weighed well over a ton, floated. His movements were as fluid
as Tae Kwon Do or Capoeira, and he seemed to specialize in attacking with the power
of his legs.

The female spear woman was moving in a strange way. The thin wings on her back
were not designed for flight, but she seemed to be using them to make sudden
movements. In addition, her slender body was swaying and moving in an unusually
tricky manner. The sleepy, half-eyed expression on her face made it difficult for even
us to predict her movements. It may not mean much against flesh golems, but it will
be very effective against humans.

The fanged ant half-insect kin are similar to a human in appearance, with the only
differences being her antennae and eyes. It is a beautiful, innocent-looking girl of
about 160 centimetres, who doesn't look particularly strong. However, her power is
far from human. I've never seen a dual axe wielder before. In addition, she seems to
be able to spit venom from her mouth. She attacks the golem's single eye with the
venom precisely. It's a fighter with a few tricks up her sleeve, so it seems that the half-
insect kin are not to be underestimated.

I'm not sure what it is, but it's a race of half-insect kin called clams. It seems to be a
shellfish…… I'm not sure if it's the same thing. I guess bugs even include that kind of
species. He is a big man who seems to be a simple man. He's got a gentle but powerful
air about him. It seems that he is not a warrior, but a magician who uses illusion.
However, as he was of shellfish, the shell covering his shoulders and back seemed to
have a high level of defense. He was able to catch the huge fist of the Flesh Golem with
a curled-up stance. It was a strange way to be a tank and a magician.

Beside them, Fran was overkilling flesh golems with all of her skills and magic, as if to
relieve the frustration of being forced to fight so inconveniently with her magic and
skills blocked.

“Haaa!”
She slices off the golem's limbs, burns it with magic, and finally slices off its torso and
head with sheaths of wind (2). I guess it feels good to be able to use all her strength
without limitations.

“Oi! We can't lose to that beastman girl!”

“Well, we are getting high rewards after all! To get that reward we need to work hard!”

“Ou!”

It seems that the Insect Rangers (3) have gotten motivated. Since they are bugs, they
seem to be more like modified humans, but there are five of them. What about the
Antenna Squadron: Koukakuger? (4)

While we were fighting like that, there was a huge magical reaction in the middle of
the square. At the same time, purple smoke covered the square with tremendous force.

[Fran, don't ever breath that smoke! My danger detection is ringing loudly!]

(Nn!)

It was clearly a poisonous fog. I hurriedly protected Fran with wind barriers and the
like. The nearby insect kin rangers instantly gathered, and I could see them defending
against the poisonous fog with wind barriers of the dragonfly and water barriers of
the hard shrimp.

Then, after the poisonous fog clears, the flesh golems, knights, and adventurers appear
lying in the square, convulsing. The old man's loud laughter echoed through the air.

“Fuhahahaha. I seem the paralysis poison is effective against flesh golems because it's
made from human flesh”

It seemed that Eihwaz had unleashed a deadly poisonous spell on friend and foe alike.

“Don't worry. It's paralytic poison. I'll give antidote for it later. For now, whoever's still
alive, destroy the flesh soldiers”

“That old man, even his ally too……”

“Guildmaster! The golem should be our priority right now”

I hope Eliante and Colbert were okay. Eliante was about to slash at Eihwaz, but Colbert
was holding him back.

Well, it actually didn't do much damage to human, and it would be better to destroy
the flesh golems as Eihwaz said.

The mercenaries follow his words, even though they are angry. But they are a
reasonable one, I'm sure. In a way, it's a battle strategy that can only be done because
Eihwaz doesn't even think of people as people.

“It's just going to take a lot of time if I didn't do this, isn't it?”

There was only one person who nodded in agreement with Eihwaz's words.

“I see”

Wha, Fran? Did he just impress you? You can't do that! Don't you ever imitate him!
The battle has ended due to Eihwaz's outburst, and now relief is being provided by
those who were safe. The paralysis has been lifted long ago, but some of them were
wounded before that.

However, only Eihwaz rushed to Fran's rescue.

“Little girl! That's some serious magic!”

She asked Fran a question with a glint in his eye. But there was no hint of jealousy or
a sense of defeat in his eyes. What was there was an intense curiosity and
inquisitiveness.

“I didn't expect it, you are extremely good at thunder magic!”

“Nn”

“I-i never thought I could control that thing on my own…… Are you assisted by some
kind of magic tool?”

“Secret”

“Ca-can you do something about it!”

“No”

“Kuh. Then how does it feel? How much magic is used? How hard is it to control? For
example, How much is it consumed compared to other magic?”

Fran dodges Eihwaz's constant barrage of questions, answering them lazily. No, Fran
is serious, but she only answers with “a lot” or “really a lot”

For the theoretical Eihwaz, he didn't understand it at all. Eventually, he gave up.
“But still, what does it mean? Is this really a rank C…? Are the eyes of the guild that
blind……? No, maybe it's because she's a child? By the way? which guild do you affiliate
with?”

“Affiliate?”

“Are you traveling around? So, do you know the name of Klimut (1) or Amanda? Or
you are related to Allesa?”

“Know both, become adventurer in Allesa”

“I see”

Eihwaz seems convinced.

“What does that mean?”

“Amanda and Klimut are both negative about sending children into battlefield. They're
really powerful in this country. If their backing is visible, not many people will be
willing to raise your rank”

I guess they are not keeping Fran from ranking up. But, if a child is registered in Alessa
and has information that she is close to Amanda, a normal guild master might not
think of taking advantage of her badly.

“If you rise above rank B, the nobles will get annoying. I quit being an adventurer
because of that”

To the extent that this very picture of insolence is annoying for him?

“Are noble, that annoying?”

“Hmm. Their intelligence network is foolproof. Their messenger will come out of
nowhere when he hears that you've risen to Rank B. Some are low and some are high-
handed, but they all have one thing in common: they want you to be under them. No
matter how many times you say no, they won't give up”

“Even if I say no?”

“I guess they have special ears that can only hear what's inconvenient”
Is this what they said with disliking people similar to oneself? I'm starting to thing
they're like Eihwaz huh?

“No matter which town I went to, or even out from the country. There are nobles in
everywhere. Especially since I've made a name for myself as a dragon slayer…… The
more powerful you are, the more likely for you to be recruited”

“I have no desire to serve a nobleman”

“They won't care what you want. They're noblemen, remember? They never expect to
be rejected. So, if you do, they'll resent you. Hmmph, that's ridiculous”

He was fed up with having to deal with nobles every day like that, so he quit being an
adventurer. There was a way for him to become a guild master like Gamudo and Diaz,
but he turned it down.

“That would leave no time for my experiment”

Other than that, it seems that the norm is to associate with nobles in moderation,
receive support in moderation, and be shielded by other nobles, like Amanda and
Forrund.

But I don't think Eihwaz is capable of that. And I don't think Fran can either. I can
imagine a future where She'd blow it up and get in trouble. Maybe it's okay to leave
things as they are until Fran grows up a bit more.

Anyway, was Klimut really that influential? He was strong, sure, but he didn't seem to
be a top rank A adventurer. As a guild master, does he get a pass because he's been
working for many years?

When Fran mentioned the question, Eihwaz snickered.

“Fun. How can you look at a high-ranking spirit user with mere status? It's like having
dozens of transparent, covert magical beasts at your disposal”

I don't really know what a spirits is. I've only seen a spirits used by Klimut once.
Eihwaz said that by using spirits that are difficult to detect, it is possible to fight in a
variety of ways. He said that Klimut was a particularly skilled spiritualist.

“In the first place, do you know what his second names are? It’s Calamity, Klimut the
Calamity. A destructive force that brings destruction and misfortune to friend and foe
alike. Kukukuh. Well, that second names are not true, but……… Still, his ability is
outstanding even among Rank A. No, he's retired now and used to be Rank A, right?
Anyway, depending on how he fights, he could probably go toe-to-toe with S ranker”

I-i didn't know he were such a great adventurer. Maybe spirit magic is even worse than
I thought. When I think about it, we can find a dungeon on the Plains of the Demon
Wolf, a grade A magical area, and Raidos Kingdom. Alessa is surrounded by troubles
on all sides. It might be that you have to be pretty good to be the guild master of Allesa.

“Well, I don't really care with that story”

With that, Eihwaz looks at Fran.

“Hmm? Would you like to be dissected by me? I'll give you a million. I can guarantee
your life!”

“Doesn't want”

“2 Million! How about 2 million? Just for a second I'll open up your head and observe
the magic transmission in your brain!”

“Can't do”

“B-by all means?”

“Nn”

While we were having this conversation, Count Bailleys came running up to us.

“Black Lightning Princess. It's safe here now. I want you to head to Marquis Ashtner’s
residence with the adventurers. Can you please move?”

“Understood”

“I'm coming too!”

“No, I'll have you join the magician corps”

Eihwaz shouted without pause, but Count Bailleys did not agree.
“We do not have enough mages. I'll need you to instruct the mages on how to deal with
the swordsmen, and then we'll head to Count Olmes' residence”

“You have a court magician right! No, wait. Is now the time for it huh?”

“That's right. Ashtner was probably aiming for a time when royal capital's troop
strength would be reduced”

It seems that half of the knights and magician have been dispatched to a magical land
near the royal capital. The magical land itself is not that dangerous, as it is said to be
a class C area. However, once every four years, a large outbreak of locust-shaped
magical beasts occurs. In order to exterminate the locusts, the strength of the royal
capital would been reduced by half.

Marquis Ashtner naturally knew about it, of course, and he must have timed his
rebellion to coincide with that period.

“As a reward, I'll try to lift the bounty that has been placed on you!”

“A bounty?”

“Umu. So much for being a free man, right? I'm sure there's a bounty or two on your
head”

“I see”

I thought about it at the same time as Fran did.

“Fun. I don't really care about it, and I dot mind if you didn't lift it. But, well…… When
you're done with this, you'll send me the materials you've confiscated. And I'll take a
sample, okay?”

“……We'll do everything we can to accommodate you.”

“Kukuh. So be it, I'll take care of the magicians”

“Please don't do anything rash”

“I know”
“……You don't seem to understand. That's why I had to remind you”

Count Bailleys exhaled lightly as he looked at the square where the rescue still
continued.

It seems that Bailleys is aware of Eihwaz character. He probably doesn't want to use
him, but there is no way to avoid using such a talented person in this situation. In the
end, the only thing he can do is to fish for profit and nail him.

“I beg you, please”

“Kukuh. I know I know”

You're not going to comply with this, are you?

After Count Bailleys sorted the force, Fran was among the adventurers led by Eliante.

“Then, we are going too”

“I rely on you, Eliante”

“I know. Then come with me, Black Lightning Princess”

“Nn”

At the command of Eliante, the guild master, all the adventurers rush out at once. The
core of the group was Fran, Eliante, and Colbert, but the other 20 were probably all
rank D or higher.

On the way, he gives us information about the rank A adventurer who was sent to
Marquis Ashtner's residence.

“The one who was sent to Marquis Residence was [Sword of the West Wind]” (1)

“Sword of the West Wind? Is that a party?”

“You didn't know? A small, elite party led by a rank A adventurer, [Zephyrd of the
Skywall]” (2)

When Fran said she didn't know the name, the adventurers around her looked at her
with astonishment and dismay. They must be a very famous adventurer party.

The adventurers around us are telling her more details as we go. It seems that Sword
of the West Wind is a very powerful party, made up of rank B adventurers except for
Zephyrd.

It is said that Zephyrd's individual abilities are inferior to Forrund and Amanda.
However, as a party, Zephyrd is the best in the country and is said to be more stable
than Forrund and the others who are solo.

“And they are usually famous among people with common sense”

“Nn? What do you mean?”

It didn't make sense at first, but now that it's been explained, I can understand it
better. It's hard to say that high-ranking adventurers are sensible people no matter
how you look at it. Among them, by having common sense will make them stand out.

“Forrund, Amanda, Eihwaz, and also, Fran. You're not exactly a person with common
sense, right?”

“Nn?”

Fran is tilting her head, but I had to nod mine. Well, I'd like to tell Eliante to put her
own name in there. I guess it just goes to show that no one really knows who
themselves is.

[I'm looking forward to meet them]

(Nn)

Maintaining a fairly high speed while conversing like this, the group arrived at Marquis
Ashtner's residence. There was still a fierce battle going on there.

“I can't see Zephyrd and the others around? It's no use. We'll take this place in one fell
swoop――”

“Hold on. Leave it to me!”

“Eh? Wa――”

Fran interrupted Eliante's words and accelerated alone.

[The first thing we need to do is disable the pseudo fanatic sword]

“Nn!”

I think I'll imitate from Eihwaz ways here. No, As expected, I can't spread poison magic
around like him.

The first thing I did was to try to shoot one magic shot, but it was cancelled just as I
intended. After all, they don't just see my magic and cancel it out, but they are
constantly activating their magic cancelling power.

[Yosh, we can do this!]

“Nn”

The magic I use was a magic that does not harm our allies when activated. It was
healing magic. By putting in an excessive amount of magic power, the range is
increased.

As I thought, I couldn't cover all of the vast garden that couldn't be called a garden
anymore, but if we used it while moving around, we could cover a lot of ground.

We continued to run around the battlefield at high speed, activating our ranged
healing magic. And we make sure that most of the enemies in the vicinity have used
up their magic.

There may be a few who are safe, but with our strength, a few of them are not a
problem.

[The ones in this garden have already lost their magic!]

“Eliante! You can use your magic and skills now!”

“Eh?”

When Fran used magic to show them in front of the bewildered Eliante, their actions
were quick.

At Eliante's command, the adventurers headed towards the enemy at once. Together
with the surviving knights, they annihilated the swordsmen who had been parasitized
by the pseudo fanatic sword.

However, Fran's expression did not clear up. There was a reason why we were in such
a hurry to get rid of the pseudo fanatic sword.
(Master, any presence inside the mansion?

[There is!]

There was a strange presence emanating from inside the house. But Eliante and the
others didn't seem to notice it. Fran couldn't sense it either. It must be the same kind
of mysterious disgust that only I can sense.

The next moment, however, Eliante and the others changed their complexion. A
powerful magic power was emitted from inside the house. It was enough pressure to
make Fran change her complexion too. The adventurers and knights seemed to have
noticed this as well.

It was right after that.

BOOOOOOOM!

With a tremendous roar, something bursts through the wall of the mansion.

“Guh……!”

It was a man with scars all over his body. His green hair and masculine face peeked
out from between his shattered full face. It wasn't just his helmet. The metal armor he
wore had holes in it, as if it had melted in places, and a lot of blood was pouring out.

Seeing the man, Eliante raises her voice.

“Zephyrd!”

How, this half-dead man was a rank A adventurer!

It is true that his abilities are tremendous. He seems to be a warrior who specializes
in shields, and has a level 7 shield saint skill (3). In addition to that, he has a wide
range of skills that increase his defense, such as barrier and body strengthening.

His attack power is low, but with this man, he can defend against most attacks. A rank
A adventurer who specializes in defense is about to die? What the hell was he fighting?

“Gu-guild master…… huh…?”

“Greater Heal!”

In a flash, Fran healed him with magic. However, one shot was not enough to make
him fully recovered. After that, she used several shots of Greater Heal and managed to
recover Zephyrd.

“…That guy is, a monster”

“That guy?”

“Everyone was, killed by him! It's coming!”

Is it frustration, fear, or despair? Zephyrd's face twisted into a scream. There was none
of the dignity of a rank A adventurer in his voice.

“It's Marquis Ashtner!”

Rank A adventurer, Zephyrd, screamed.

“It's Marquis Ashtner!”

Then, a figure slowly emerged from the large hole in the wall of the mansion that had
been blown open by Zephyrd.

So, this guy is Marquis Ashtner. He wears magic armor and cloak made of orichalcon
(1), it was so gorgeous and gilded as much as possible. You could probably have
enough fund to build a small fort with just the armor.

He was a skinny, bald, and unhealthy-looking old man.

His skin has lost all moisture and looks like the trunk of a cracked old tree. His eye
sockets are deeply sunken, and underneath are dark circles that look as if they were
painted with black ink. He has no beard, let alone hair. This makes him look more like
a fake.

Despite of his lackluster appearance, his back was straight and his figure radiated a
strange sense of intimidation.

His appearance is fearsome, as if a vicious spirit has taken over a mummy and is
moving it. If this were a Hollywood movie set in Egypt, he would certainly be the boss.

Eliante mutters in disbelief as she stares at the old man.

“Is, Is that, that Marquis Ashtner? It ’s not at the level of sudden change anymore”

“What do you mean?”

“Cause, that guy, When we met a few years ago, he was a lot fatter”

Apparently, his appearance has changed quite a bit. No, it seems that it is not only his
appearance that has changed.

“In the first place, that magic power…… Is impossible”

“Nn?”

“Cuz that guy, He was supposed to be a liberal aristocrat who had hardly ever been on
the battlefield…… I'm intimidated by magic like that……”

I see, she means he shouldn't be this strong. However, the current Marquis Ashtner
has gained tremendous strength. It was clear from the appraisal.

Name: Wenaria Gale Ashtner

Age: 66 years old

Race: Human

Job: Sword Saint

State: Fanaticism, Superhumanization

Status Level: 36

HP: 911

MP: 1208

Strength: 541

Physical Strength: 320

Agility: 520

Intelligence: 169

Magic: 778

Dexterity: 123
Skill

Intimidation: LvMax, Acting: Lv2, Flame Magic: Lv7, Singing: Lv3, Complete Barrier:
Lv6, Crisis Detection: Lv8, Riding: Lv3, Vital Point Detection: Lv6, Court work: Lv7,
Madness: LvMax, Presence Detection: Lv9, Sword Saint Technique: Lv7, Sword Saint
Skill: LvMax, Negotiation: Lv4, Superhuman Strength: Lv7, Poetry: Lv5, Socializing:
Lv3, Instantaneous Regeneration: Lv7, Instant Blink: Lv6, Abnormal Condition
Resistance: Lv7, Life Steal: Lv4, Elemental Sword: Lv8, Earth Magic: Lv4, Poison
Resistance: Lv7, Poison Knowledge: Lv6, Vigour: Lv7, Dancing: Lv3, Magic Resistance:
Lv8, Magic Detection: Lv9, Magic Steal: Lv6, Magma Magic: Lv8, Enhanced
Intimidation, Chant less, Enhanced Regeneration, Body Strengthening, Sense of
Balance, Magic Control, Night Vision.

Unique Skill

Vitality Control

Extra Skill

Superhuman

Title

Weak Will, Marquis, Spender

To put it bluntly, he was stronger than a rank A adventurer. He was as strong as the
Beast King. His skills were especially amazing. Sword Saint Skill: Lv. 10 is probably the
highest level of our enemies this far.

Is the high status due to his extra skill of superhuman? As the name suggests, he really
is a superhuman.

Moreover, the composition of his skills is strange. While there were high-level skills
such as sword saint skill, flame magic, and magic steal, there were no lower-level skills
that were prerequisites for them. It was as if he was suddenly given only those skills
in one day.

It's like my skill sharing with Fran.

The Marquis opens his mouth in front of us, who shudder at his strength.
“――Kihihihihi, I got a lot of small fry here…”

His expression was completely unchanging, but the atmosphere of his words sounded
like a lowly thug. To begin with, it was strange that he could talk, unlike the others
who were controlled by pseudo fanatic swords.

More to the point, Marquis Ashtner did not have a pseudo fanatic sword stuck in him.
And yet, he didn't have that half-broken demon sword in his hand either.

But since his state had become fanaticism, it was certain that he was being manipulated.

“So, you are Ashtner?”

“I wonder?”

I got the impression that something inside Ashtner was using his mouth to speak. No,
maybe it was definitely something other than Ashtner.

“Well, why don't you just die anyway?”

“Everyone! Gather around!”

“Kuhahaha! Volcanic Gazer!” (2)

Hearing Eliante's instructions, the adventurers tried to gather around Eliante, but it
was a moment too late.

As if in response to Marquis Ashtner's words, a tremendous amount of bright red lava

spewed out, breaking the ground of the Marquis' residence.

Magma rose up like a fountain from the deep fissures in the earth that had been
created in every direction. The super-heated magma turned into a tsunami that
swallowed the adventurers and knights in the garden. We quickly set up wind barrier
around the area, but it couldn't protect everyone.

A few adventurers and knights were swallowed by the lava and disappeared without
even being able to scream. After the magic ended, the lava vanished as if it had been
an illusion. Not a single human corpse was left in its wake. It seemed that they had
completely turned into charcoal and disappeared.
A few remnants of magic armor were all that remained of their existence.

“This is dangerous…… If he fires a bunch of magic, we can't do anything to block it

off…! All adventurers of rank C or lower except Fran evacuate immediately! Evacuate
the surrounding residents!”

They must have realized that the small fry would only slow them down. Eliante
instructed the adventurers.

“You're not getting away!”

The Marquis readied himself to pursue the fleeing adventurers.

[Fran, I'll cover the adventurer's retreat! Go at once! If we do wait and see approach
here, we'll only be killed!]

“Nn! Awakening! Brilliant Lightning Rush!”

He must have noticed the presence emanating from the awakened Fran. Marquis
Ashtner stopped his pursuit of the adventurer and turned his gaze to Fran. But our
preparations are already over.

[Superhuman or whatever he is, you can't ignore us right? Kuraaaaa!]

“Thor Hammer!”

My release of Kanna Kamui and Fran's Thor Hammer intertwine and rain down on
Marquis Ashtner. No matter how strong he is, he won't be able to handle the speed of
lightning. This speed and the high hit rate are the strengths of thunderbolt magic.

“Oaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

The white lightning, we released hit the Marquis directly. However, to our surprise, the
Marquis had clothed his sword, which he had pulled out of the item bag at his waist,
with magic power and was receiving our magic. For several seconds, the Marquis
resisted the extreme magic that poured down on him incessantly. In the end, the
Marquis could not endure and his figure was swallowed by the lightning, but it is still
an opponent that cannot be measured by common sense.

[Fran, Lets go!]

“Nn!”

I don't think we could have defeated it with just that. Just before the lightning struck
its body, I saw that he had put up a barrier. Besides, he has high resistant to magic.

Defying the shock and blast generated by Kanna Kamui, Fran ran toward it's center.

[I knew it, there's still a presence! Its definitely Ashtner!]

“Nn! Haaaa!”

Fran unleash Sheaths of Wind to the presence. However, her attack was caught by
Marquis Ashtner's sword.

Giiiiinn!

My blade clashed with his sword, and a high-pitched sound echoed.

[Tsk! Is that sword specially made too huh?]

I was going to cut the whole sword! It seems, the name of the sword was Pseudo
Fanatic Sword, but the shape was a longsword. Its appearance was not that of an
Estoc-type pseudo fanatic sword, but more like the half-destroyed magic sword.

“Kihihihi! That's hurt you know!”

“Muh!”

As expected of the holder of highest level of sword saint skill. His sword handling was
on par with Fran's. He must have taken quite a bit of damage from Kanna Kamui, but
the instant regeneration had healed his wounds.

But, that's not all.

“I'm losing my power……?”

[It must be his Life steal and Magic Steal!]

Due to the higher skill level of the other side, we were losing the battle of attrition. We
were clearly at a disadvantage in endurance battle.
“Haaaa!”

“Nice work, little girl! I haven't felt pain in hundreds of years!”

The Marquis's mansion burns up. With that as the background, Marquis Ashtner, who
was engaged in a fierce slugfest with Fran, laughed vulgarly, still wearing the same
expressionless face.

“Nice work, little girl! I haven't felt pain in hundreds of years!”

First pain in hundreds of years? I knew it, this wasn't Marquis Ashtner himself.

“What are you?”

“Well, I wonder? We'd love to know too. What are we?”

It sounded like he was trying to smoke me out, but strangely enough, I didn't feel that
he was trying to hide it. He seemed to be serious about it.

“Was it 100 years, or Was it 500 years, or even 1000 years? I'm not sure anymore. But
I vaguely remember that I was about to be destroyed by the Holy Order!”

Holy Order? I remember it! It's one of the divine swords that Alistair taught me about!
Holy Order, the Spirit Sword - Holy Order. It's said to have been made to be used
against Fanatics.

This is already clear. Fanatics are behind this incident. No, on the contrary, it seems
that something inside the Marquis was Fanatics it self.

However, a question remains. The Marquis is holding a pseudo fanatic sword. Is it a

fake or does he have a real one hidden somewhere?

But still, Fanatics was an Intelligence weapon the same as me…… If that's the case,
then it's possible for Marquis to be a puppet and the mastermind is Fanatics.

“Haaa!”
“Kuh!”

Naturally, the high-speed sword fights continued even during the conversation. The
sword fights were so fierce that Colbert and Eliante could not intervene.

Marquis Ashtner, who has the Sword Saint Skill: Lv. 10, and Fran, who has not yet
perfected the Sword King Skill. As a result, the two of them were almost evenly
matched in their sword skills.

“……Are you Fanatics”

“Fanatics? Come to think of it, do we have a name like that……? Hey, are we Fanatics?”

“I'm the one asking you”

“Kuhahaha! You're right!”

In the first place. We? Why "we" and not "me"?

“Why "we"?”

“Aah. We are. One in many. All in one. We're all of us! Ha ha ha! Even in your sword,
there's us!”

What? They're inside me?

“What do you mean?”

“It doesn't even have an ego, it's just a fragment separated from us, but it's still us!
That magic sword of yours, does it have the power to absorb magic power?”

Could it be that he was referring to the power of the pseudo fanatic sword that I
absorbed through cannibalism? Maybe the pseudo fanatic sword was imbued with a
small amount of the magic power from Fanatics.

As I recall, the Fanatics' ability is to take in the consciousness and memories of the
person they cut and identify them with themselves. If that's the case, it wouldn't be
surprising if he had more than one consciousness.

I'm gonna be okay, right?

“That's it! Give me that sword! It's made of Orichalcos isn't it? It might heal our
wounds!”

“I refuse!”

“Kahahaha! Even so, you're pretty good, aren't you? I never thought you'd go this far
with this special body!”

The topic has changed again. It was either too manic, or too talkative, or just talk too
much.

As I slammed my sword into the Marquis, Fran asked a question. The Marquis, who
had caught me with his sword, replied with a cool face in the midst of the tremendous
shockwaves rolling around us.

“What do you mean?”

“This is a special body that has been adjusted over nearly 40 years!”

“40 years? Adjustment?”

“That's right. The only way to create a body with transcendent power is to slowly
modify it with drugs and our abilities over time! Goddamn it! In the past, I could create
as many strong troops as I wanted! Now I can only give them a few skills they're suited
for!”

So, not only can Fanatics integrate the powers of others, but they can also give them?
If they can give skills and experience as they please, then they could mass produce the
most fearsome soldiers.

What if this legion of soldiers was as powerful as Marquis Ashtner were to work in
perfect coordination under the Fanatics' consciousness? Moreover, given the Fanatics'
capabilities, they could be replenished at any time. It would be terribly dangerous.

“I've experimented with his sons, his vassal's sons, and all kinds of random people I've
captured in this town!”

Could that be Serdio or Auguste? I let Fran ask.

“Serdio? Auguste?”
“Ooh? You know them? In the end, I couldn't recover the mental manipulation skills
and unique skills I gave them! Unlike swordsmanship and magic, which can be
replenished as much as I want, those skills are very valuable!”

So, the skills that Serdio and Auguste had been given to them by Fanatics.

“On that note, this guy's has been modified for 40 years! Most of the skills we have can
be transferred! Hyahahahaha!”

The Marquis laughs loudly. He talks a lot, doesn't he? It seems he can't stop talking
even during battle. Thanks to him, I can get a lot of useful information, but it's difficult
to know how much to watch. In addition to the Steal skills used by the Marquis, Fran's
life and magic power are gradually diminishing due to the wear caused by the Brilliant
Lightning Rush, even though it looks like an even fight.

Somewhere along the line, we had to stop gathering information and start pushing at
once.

However, it was Marquis Ashtner who made the first move. He may have realized that
this fight would get nowhere, or he may have grown tired of talking. The Marquis
distanced himself from Fran.

“For Example, we could do something like this! Magma Wall! Earth Shooter! and,
Sword Sonic!”

The Marquis shoots out a huge rock at the wall of lava that has been created and the
bursting lava rained down on Fran like a spray. In addition, the shock waves created
by the sword saint skills fly after her.

If we try to dodge the bullets and shockwaves of earth magic, we will be damaged by
the rain of lava. If we try to catch them with barriers, our movements will slow down.
If we try to completely avoid a wide range of attacks, our movements will become
monotonous.

I guess they want to take advantage of that.

But we are also looking for an opening. We'll use this attack against them.

“Earth Wall!”
Blinding him with an earth wall――.

“Haaaa!”

“Kihihihi! You used teleport huh!”

“Tsk!”

He's as perceptive as a monster! A slash from behind was easily deflected! But I've
already factored this in!

[Fran! I'm all set!]

“Nn! Haaaa!”

Fran slashed at him again, nailing the Marquis in place. The Marquis, who doesn't mind
a prolonged battle, gladly responded to the slash. Without knowing what its aim is.

“I'm fine with it! Another slashing match huh?”

“Wrong”

[Eat this!]

There, I unleashed Kanna Kamui again, it rained down on him. And it was a converged
and more powerful version.

“Wha, Even if you are in this too?”

“Won't let you go!”

“Damn!”

He can't afford to be in the middle of a slashing match with Fran. Fran has a
thunderbolt nullification. I just need to use my Dimension Shift for a moment and pass
it off.

“Haaa!”

“Little Girl!!!”
A pillar of white lightning swallowed Fran and the Marquis, piercing the sky and earth
with a roar.

When the huge amount of dust settled, there was a crater about five meters in
diameter and Marquis Ashtner were groaning on one knee in the middle of it.

Unlike Fran and her equipment, which is protected by her thunderbolt nullification,
the Marquis's orichalcon magic armor is half-melted and smoke is rising from his
whole body.

The reason why the crater is smaller than I imagined is because the Marquis quickly
created a wall with magma magic to reduce the power. In that time, Fran cut off his left
arm. Well, half of it has already almost regenerated.

“Gogaah……”

However, I think he knows that by getting down on one knee, he is showing the biggest
opening. He turned his ghostly eyes toward us. He was ready for any move Fran might
make.

Fran moved away slightly to avoid the lava barrier, but she took the opportunity and
prepared for a follow-up attack.

She let the black lightning rack up and stepped in at once. With that momentum, she
struck Marquis Ashtner with a slash from above.

“There's an opening!”

“Guoooooo!”

Gagiiiiii!

A moment of fierce clash.

Marquis Ashtner is far superior in terms of strength, but he is in the disadvantageous
position of being on one knee and wielding his sword with one hand. On the other
hand, Fran swung me from above while keeping her speed. In addition, the black
lightning that flowed through my sword was damaging his arm.

As a result, the swords of the two sides were locked against each other, and both sides
stopped moving. However, this was exactly what Fran were aiming for.

She didn't make eye contact, nor did she give any signal. But Fran seemed sure of it.

There was no way Eliante and the others would miss this opportunity.

“Dieeeee!”

“Sonic Blow!”

“Spiral Bash!”

In the face of the overwhelming power of Fran and the Marquis, Eliante and the others
realized that they could not do anything about it, so they gathered their strength,
looking for an opening.

Their attacks attacked the Marquis at once. Eliante's great sword, clothed in Ki, swung
down at super high speed, Colbert and Zephyrd's mid-range attacks pierced him from
both sides.

In particular, Eliante's blow was as powerful as Fran's serious Sheaths of Wind.

The Marquis――They are indeed strong (1). They have superhuman-level bodies and
overwhelming skills. In addition, the way they fought, they were able to handle those
skills perfectly. This is why his sword saint skill were able to clash each other evenly
with her sword king skill.

But when it came to battle tactics, there seemed to be a breakdown. The Marquis is
literary a civilian from the beginning, and the Fanatics-like beings who control his
body are not considered to be professionals in combat. We can overwhelm him with
our abilities in a head-on fight, but in subtle tactics, we're losing to him.

Zephyrd and his party member have been destroyed because they had confronted him
head-on with a straightforward attack. In the first place, they were not expecting an
opponent that would launch a series of attacks that would break Zephyrd's shield.

Moreover, he had the conceit of a strong man. He was clearly trying to get a handle on
us. Eliante and the others didn't even seem to be paying attention. The fact that he
drives the existence around him out of his consciousness was also amateurish.

“Guaaaa!”

Marquis Ashtner is blown away by the attacks of three people. Even so, he managed
to keep Eliante's sword out of the way, which was impressive.

“GugaGAga…… Small fry gaah! You're getting carried away!”

His speech is a little slurred, probably due to the broken bones in his neck. However,
he glared at Eliante and the others who were standing around him with eyes laced
with killing intent, intimidating them.

“I'm gonna kill you!”

I knew it, you're still an amateur. While you're talking about killing them, you should
be taking action. My brother in Pro-sh〇t (2) said something similar!

And Fran is a pro at that, you know?

“First, I'll mess this area with magma――”

As he turned his killing intent to Eliante and the others, his attention was diverted
from Fran for a moment. It was only for a moment, but it was our chance.

It was more than enough of an opening for us. Fran, who showed superhuman reflexes,
started preparing the moment the Marquis showed an opening. It is the preparation
for unleashing the sword king technique.

She is not yet at the stage where she can unleash the sword king technique anytime,
anywhere. She still needed to make a preliminary movement to swing the sword over
her heads, and a comfortable posture to swing it out. In addition, she needed time to
knead her magic power. She would need a few moments to prepare for this.

No, if the opponent was a small fish, there would be no problem. A moment of this
magnitude could not be called a gap. However, if the opponent was an equal match for
Fran, it was a fatal moment.

However, thanks to the gap Ashtner had shown us, we had time to get ready. Almost
as soon as Fran finishes her preparations, I teleported her body.

From my teleport, Fran uses me to unleash the Sword King Technique - Heaven
Judgement. If we don't count the self-destructive effects such as Sword God
Transformation and Potential Release, this is probably the strongest blow we can
unleash right now.

“――Heaven Judgement”

“Guu, Aaa………!”

The Marquis reacted to this as well, his crisis detection and his sword saint skill gave
him an insight. In addition, he sensed the presence of a spatial magic through his
presence detection. That's what we are aiming for.

Thanks to the fact that the Marquis had quickly slipped his pseudo fanatic sword
between himself and me, I was able to attack the sword and the Marquis with a single
blow.

I was swung out by Fran, who easily cut off the pseudo fanatic sword and instantly
pierced through Marquis Ashtner's right shoulder and his left side. There was no
response, as if I had sliced through a mass of air.

However, right after that, the tip of the pseudo fanatic sword that was broke from its
middle fell. Then, a line was drawn on Marquis Ashtner's body, and black blood
spurted out from it at once.

“Li-Little, Girl……”
Marquis Ashtner fell into a puddle of blood as his body was split upside down. Beside
him, the tip of a pseudo fanatic sword that had also been severed fell.

I braced myself, thinking that the cannibalism would be triggered, but the freakiness
didn't struck me yet. In other words, the fanatics parasitizing inside Marquis Ashtner
must not be dead yet.

Isn't the pseudo fanatic sword his main body? If that's the case, doesn't that mean we
have to stop the Marquis from breathing in order to defeat him?

[Fran, not yet!]

“Nn! Haaaa!”

The stiffness caused by the release of the sword king technique has ended and Fran
began to move again. Next, she unleashed Sheaths of Wind. It was aimed at Marquis's
head. The Marquis's lower body could be seen growing out in a flash due to instant
regeneration, but this attack was faster.

“You piece of shiiiit!”

“Hmph!”

[Tsk!]

What a surprise, Marquis Ashtner put up a powerful barrier to block Fran's attack. He
must have focused the barrier on a single point. She slashed his head deeply, but it
wasn't enough to sever it.

No, normally a cut to the brain would kill someone instantly, but the current Marquis
with his enhanced vitality still can't be defeated by this.

But even so, isn't it a little strange? It seems too strong for a barrier that was put up
on the spur of the moment. I appraised the Marquis Ashtner again and found out why
the barrier had suddenly increased in strength.

What a surprise, he had entered a state of Potential Release. The superhumanization

skill had made him stronger, and now he had released his potential. His status was
unquestionably rank S.

It would have been nice to be able to take away superhuman skills and such with a
skill taker, but it was still impossible to use due to the fact that it was used to turn
Asurasu (1) into a mad demon.

“You bitch, I'll kill you here! And I'll take that magic sword too!”

The Marquis tries to stand up while shouting it.

“This body will die here, but it doesn't matter as long as I have that magic sword and
that little girl!”

Apparently, they can enter a state potential release, but they can't deactivate it. It's no
wonder they haven't been used this much. Unlike other disposable bodies, they took
40 years to prepare. They must have regretted it.

[Don't give him a chance to stand!]

“Haaa!”

I tried to stop the Marquis from moving by unleashing a series of mid-level

thunderbolt magic, but it had little effect. It is likely that his magic resistance itself has
been strengthened.

[Tsk! A light attack won't do any good anymore!]

The Marquis who stood up concentrated a barrier on his left arm and thrusts it out
against Fran, who was about slashes at him. The back fists of the Marquis and I collide.

A moment ago, Marquis Ashtner's arm would have been wounded. But now, the
Marquis' power was overwhelming. My blade was easily flicked above and a pseudo
fanatic sword was thrust into Fran's vacant torso. The shortened blade is covered with
magic power to compensate for its lost length.
“Diieee!”

“Ghaah…!”

Thanks to the fact that she had twisted around at the last second, she had avoided
being pierced through her heart, but the pseudo fanatic sword had pierced her
abdomen deeply. The tip of the blade protruded from Fran's back.

In that state, I could sense Marquis Ashtner's hand getting stronger. I hurriedly made
a short distance teleport.

“Oraa!”

It was just in time. Marquis Ashtner had swung his sword, which was still stuck in
Fran's body, with all his might and was about to forcibly rip out her heart.

The pseudo fanatic sword wielded by the Marquis was cutting the sky in vain.

[Fran! I'll heal you now!]

“Nn……!”

“Hiyahahaha!”

“!”

Too fast! The next thing I know, he was right next to her. Now I know what it's like to
fight Fran!

When she received the pseudo fanatic sword that strikes me, it alone reduces my
endurance value significantly and blows Fran right out to the sky.

She must have been blown over ten meters. In addition, the Marquis had already
moved to where Fran jumped and was waiting for her.

“Kuh!”

She leapt into the air, kicked her feet to get into position, and then accelerated to slash
at the Marquis herself. This is the only way to escape from the situation.
The Marquis' eyes widened a little, as if he didn't expect Fran to attack him. Marquis
Ashtner's sword was raised in a panic to intercept Fran and clashed again――but it
didn't. Just before that, I teleported Fran.

In the blink of an eye, Marquis Ashtner had been outmaneuvered twice and was
completely out of position. Her second sword king technique of the day was released
on him.

“Haaaaaaaa!”

“Hyahaaaaa!”

However, there was a gap between them that could not be bridged by a little trickery.
The Marquis had even reacted to the God Speed of a Sword King technique and dodged
it.

I was going to smash his brain, but I only managed to slice off the Marquis' left arm,
while the Marquis' left leg, swung up in the opposite direction, pierced Fran's right
side.

I activated my telekinesis to reduce the power, but Fran still spat blood and blew over
20 meters. As her body slammed into the ground again and again, she managed to
break through the wall of the Marquis' residence and somehow stopping.

“Kuh… Gefuh…”

[Use regeneration!]

Fran writhes around, spitting blood and gastric juices back into her mouth. Not only
were her internal organs in bad shape, but the rest of her body was in bad shape as
well. She is bruised all over from the impact of her continuous bouncing on the ground,
and she has some deep cuts. Both of her legs are probably broken as well.

It was amazing that she didn't let go of me in this state. Her eyes weren't dead either.
After recovering her legs through regeneration, Fran stood up dazedly, fighting off the
pain. She still intends to fight.

But I couldn't agree more. I was able to heal her wounds, but at this rate, she would
definitely lose. In addition to the overwhelming difference in ability, Marquis
Ashtner's latent ability has been released, increasing the power of his life steal and
magic steal. Even now, Fran's power was being sucked out of her at a fairly rapid rate.

In this state, I can sense a large heat source coming towards the room where Fran is.
If it can't be decided with my sword, we’ll have to use magic! While using magic to
prevent the tsunami of lava from avalanching into the room, I suggested to Fran that
we make a tactical retreat.

[Let's get out of here! and get some distance!]

He doesn't have space and time magic. If we keep our distance, he'll just destroy
himself! But Fran didn't nod her head.

(No! Eliante and the others are going to be killed!)

[But, if this goes on like this, Fran will――]

(There's something I haven't tried yet! If that doesn't work, let's run away!)

[Something you haven't tried?]

(Nn!)
(There's something I haven't tried yet! If that doesn't work, let's run away!

[Something you haven't tried?]

(Nn!)

“Kuhahahaha! Diieee!”

“Kuh!”

With a determined look on her face, Fran managed to catch the swing of the Marquis,
who had pursued her under the cover of magma magic. The impact was so strong that
makes Fran frowned.

“Shaaa!”

“Guh!”

Marquis Ashtner slammed his left fist into her, taking advantage of her inability to kill
the momentum. Fran flew backwards as fast as she could, but the fist dug into her
cheek. It seems that she tried to twist her neck to further reduce the force of the blow,
but there was no way she could completely fend off the attack of an opponent who
boasted the strength of a monster.

Fran's cheeks were instantly swollen. But it's a good thing that the Marquis doesn't
have any hand-to-hand fighting skills. She didn't have to be wrenched or let the impact
penetrate.

However, the current Marquis was not so naive as to take a wait-and-see approach
here. The fact that he was prepared to kill Fran by self-destructing probably made him
feel less insulted by us.

“Volcanic Gazer!”
We could see the magma rising in a much wider area than the magic the Marquis had
unleashed at the beginning. It seems to have doubled in power and range.

Not only the Marquis' residence, but also the surrounding mansions are involved.

I don't know what he's planning to do, but they'd better hurry or he'll push them away!
This magic didn't kill Eliante and the others in the first place, right?

Honestly, I don't know which one I want more. I don't think I want her to be dead, but
I thought that if she was, Fran might be more inclined to run away.

I know it sounds horrible, but that's what true intention.

When I searched the safety of Eliante and the others, It seems that the three of them
are still alive and working together. If that's the case, they can probably prevent the
magic.

I was a bit relieved.

While dispersing waves of lava with wind magic, Fran set me up. Her eyes are not dead.
She's going to do something. What are you going to do? Do you want to bet it all on the
combination of Briliant Lightning Rush and Sword God Transformation?

But I had a bad feeling about this. For some reason, I knew I had to stop Fran. Had my
crisis detection done its job?

[Wait, Fran一What happen to your body一一]

But before I could stop her, Fran muttered in a strong voice.

“Potential Release!”

[Wha! Aa! Stop!]

Right now, you're still using Brilliant Lightning Rush, and your powers are being
robbed by his skills!

An enormous amount of magic power swirled around Fran, radiating a tremendous

presence. It was on a level comparable to that of Marquis Ashtner.
It can be said that her status are doubled. Her agility is over 1000, and her other stats
are all over 800. Can they be enhanced this much? No, when I think about it, Fran is
still a child. It would not be surprising if the latent ability that lies dormant within her
is even more powerful.

The air around us vibrated violently as the magic power released by Marquis Ashtner
and the magic power released by Fran collided.

“Here i come!”

[Aaah! Understood!]

I can't do anything about it anymore. The potential release that Fran had used could
only be deactivated by her. So, there was no choice but to decide the figh before the
destruction came.

I was tempted to ignore Fran's wishes and run away with teleport already, but I
couldn't despise her determination.

“Haaaa!”

With her potential release, Fran has acquired a power that rivals that of Marquis
Ashtner, and she unleashes slashes with a speed that even I can't see.

Fast! But not messy. It's just a mere slash, but it would exceed the sheaths of wind. Not
just rank C or D, even a Colbert-class adventurer might not be able to react and be
slashed one-sidedly.

“Thi-this is……!”

The Marquis was astonished when he saw Fran's sudden increase in speed. But even
so, the current Marquis had the ability to react.

“Aaaaaa!”

“This brat!”

But while Fran had been outmatched earlier, this time they were evenly matched.
Neither one of them was blown away, and both were in a tight competition.
A fierce battle that lasted less than a few tenths of a second.

At that moment, as if to shrug off the Marquis's efforts to push back, Fran teleported a
short distance away.

Of course, I'm the one who made the teleport. But there were no instructions from
Fran. But I knew exactly what Fran was feeling and how she wanted to move.

It seems that the potential release has strengthened the bond between me and Fran.
To put it another way, Fran is perfectly capable of using me as her own sword.

[The image of me being an extension of Fran's arm flows in. Is this the feeling of being
used as a sword by the wielder?………]

I was being treated as a sword. But I didn't hate it at all. In fact, I even felt a sense of
fulfillment.

“What?”

“Fuh!”

The moment he put in the effort to blow Fran away, she has teleported, and the
Marquis' movements stopped for a moment. It's not as if the current Marquis was
going to lose his stance, but he didn't have enough energy left to completely dodge
Fran's slash behind him.

“Shii! Haa!”

“Shit! So sudden!”

While repeating the ultra-short distance teleport and the high-speed movement by
Brilliant Lightning Rush in succession, Fran continues to attack the Marquis in
succession.

It was the final onslaught that burned Fran's life. However, it was not enough to defeat
the Marquis. Seeing Fran's life force weaken rapidly, he must have realized that this
attack would not last long. The Marquis continued to handle Fran's attacks while
showing a look of impatience.

There's not much life left in her. No matter how he looked at her, everything will be
used up.

The Marquis grinned, as if convinced of his own victory.

Without knowing that this was Fran's aim.

Fran had been inducing the Marquis to breathe while cutting herself down by
continuing to attack at a certain speed and timing. Then, she suddenly made a move
to disrupt that timing.

The Marquis held up his pseudo fanatic sword in a slightly unreasonable position in
order to guard against the horizontal cleave blow that was fired from right beside him.
However, the impact did not come at the timing the Marquis had predicted.

“Black Thunder Roll!” (1)

Just before the attack was received by the pseudo fanatic sword, Fran's body turned
into a single strand of black lightning and moved to the opposite side as fast as instant
teleportation.

Thanks to the potential release, she is now able to use the Black Thunder Roll, which
she could not use before.

Oddly enough. This was very similar to the attack Kiara had made on Zelos Reed. Even
though I wasn't watching, I felt something hot and unfeeling when I saw Fran perform
a similar attack.

[Gooo! Fraaan!]

“Haaaaaaaa!”
[Gooo! Fraaan!]

“Haaaaaaaa!”

What's released from the Black thunder Roll is the Sword King technique - Heaven
Judgement.

It seems that the benefits from using potential release were not only limited to the
black thunder roll, the enhanced status, and the improved coordination with me.
What's more, it was now possible to perform the sword king technique from an
unprepared stance, something that was impossible before.

A cut-up released from an impossible posture after using Black Thunder Roll. That
cut-up was released as a Sword king technique.

But the cost was great. A deafening buzzing and bumping sound were coming from
within Fran. All the muscles in her body were tearing due to the tremendous burden
to her young body, mixed with the sound of something hard cracking. It seems not only
her muscles, but her bones were also broken.

But Fran endured all the pain. She gritted her teeth and swing me out.

It's an attack that can be called a god speed, but Fran's ability to unleash it has been
greatly increased by her potential release. It is her fastest attack today. There is no way
to dodge it.

However, the opponent was also a monster outside of the norm. As soon as he realized
he couldn't dodge, he gave up trying to avoid it.

Then, he switched to prepare for a trade-off.

The Marquis concentrated all of his barriers on his side just before the Sword King
Technique hit him. Of course, there was no way he could prevent the Sword king
technique, it would have only delayed the direct hit by a few tenths of a second or less.

However, in the current fight between Fran and the Marquis, that time could be a
major factor in determining victory or defeat.

As the Marquis was being torn apart by me, he used the moment he had to thrust out
his sword. It's a full thrust with everything he has left in him. It's a great way to make
sure you're getting the most out of your money. You can see that not only the magic
power but even the life force is poured into the sword.

And Fran, who was in the midst of performing the sword king technique, had no time
to dodge this thrust.

[Kuh……]

It would be dangerous for Fran to take this thrust now that she has so little vitality
left!

Teleport, telekinesis, and Potential Release. There is a way to prevent this attack. But
only if we can do it in time. The attack was so fast that none of my skills would be able
to activate in time. The sword is closing in on me even as I think about this in my
thoughts that have been stretched out by space-time magic.

I'm already trying to activate the teleport, but I still can't make in time. It's too fast.

[Aaaaaaa!]

“AA――”

Marquis Ashtner, who was convinced that we were going to trade-off a blow with each
other, had a dazed look of pleasure in his eyes.

Quickly!

O Teleport, please activate faster!!

Faster Faster Faster Faster――.

But I can't help at all, and the Marquis' thrust is sucked into Fran's torso.
Shiiiiiit――――?

“Wha?”

“Nn?”

It's not just me. Marquis Ashtner and Fran were also surprised. The Marquis must
have felt the cut on Fran. And Fran is still feeling the impact of the cut.

Yet, for some reason, the wounds that were supposed to have been inflicted did not
exist. Since there were no wounds, naturally there was no damage.

What's going on? No, no. That's not what's important right now. We should make the
most of this opportunity. Of course, Fran would know that.

She had already sprung into action. She swung me up high and shouted.

“Haaaaa! Black Lightning God Claws!” (1)

It seems that not only was the Black Thunder Roll available, but another Black
Thunder technique was also available. I can feel the black lightning clinging to my
sword blade.

Kiara created the sword of black lightning with this technique, but it is probably
originally a technique to converge black lightning on the equipped weapon.

And this magic power. It had that holy feeling that I got when we use sword god
transformation. It's not just a matter of gathering and solidifying black lightning, but
it also seems to add a divine attribute.

“Thaaaaaaaa!”

“Giiiih!”

Marquis Ashtner, who was sliced into pieces by the sword king technique, is already
dying. It was surprisingly easy to cut through the Marquis' body. At the same time, the
black lightning scorches his body, and his entire body is carbonized.

But I didn't have time to look at the scene calmly.

“Gyaaaaaaa!”

[Ugooooh……! Th-this is…]

Immediately after the Marquis' desperate scream rang out, a tremendous amount of
magic power flowed into me. At the same time, I felt an unbearable nausea.

[Uugh, Ugheeh! GuAghah…!]

Of course, I couldn't vomit, so I just had to endure the discomfort swirling inside.
Because I still had a little bit of the feeling I had when I was human, I knew what it felt
like to throw up and feel better after that. Therefore, I didn't think it would be this
hard to endure.

[Guuh……]

But we're in a battle now. What happened to the Marquis?

I hurriedly looked around and saw Marquis Ashtner lying on the ground. There was
no sign of regeneration, and he didn't move a muscle.

Did we win……? Apparently, we won. The last attack that she unleashed ended the life
of the Marquis, and also stopped the Fanatics that were nesting within it.

(Master?)

[I'm fine. More than that, your potential release……]

(Already deactivated)

I see. that's Good…… No, not good!

If I look closely, I can see that she has very little life force left. And she has almost no
magic power.

Her complexion was at its worst, and her eyes were suspiciously unfocused to begin
with.

“…Gohho…”
[Fran……!]

Fran fell down coughing up blood! Are her internal organs damaged from repeated
overexertion of her movements? She probably can't recover on her own due to her
lack of magic power.

I still have a little bit of magic left in me. No, I've only recovered what I absorbed from
the pseudo fanatic sword through cannibalism.

I put off my own recovery and used a healing spell on Fran. It was only a single mid-
heal, but it would have saved her from dying. All at once, Fran's complexion improved
and her ragged breathing became a little better.

[Fran… that was really dangerous!]

“But……”

[No but! If Ashtner's attack hadn't failed for some reason, you might have been dead!]

This was all due to the fact that she had used her potential release to force a decisive
battle.

[Sure, it might have been necessary to win! But there could have been another way!]

“……Sorry”

[Don't make me worry……… I beg you]

“I'm sorry”

[Fran would be worried about me if she knew I might break, right?]

“Nn”

[It's the same for me. I thought Fran might die. I might going crazy]

“Nn……”

At first, Fran was indifferent, but gradually, a hint of remorse appeared on her face.
She understood that I was really worried about her.
[……Do you understand now?]

“Nn. Won't use potential release anymore”

That's what she promised me. Fran is a girl who keeps her word once she says it. From
now on, she will really refrain from using it without asking. I guess that's a bit of a
relief.

[I hope you do understand. So, do you feel anything strange?]

The potential release skill come at a cost to use. For me, it's the magic stone value. So,
what is it for Fran? I tried to appraise Fran, but I couldn't figure it out.

“Nn……?”

[You didn't know?]

“Nn”

Even Fran herself didn't seem to understand the cost. Is there something hidden? If it
was a visible cost, i might have been possible to heal it………

[You really don't get it, do you?]

“I'm Sorry”

[No, I'm not blaming you. But you know what? If you notice anything out of the
ordinary, you tell me right away, okay?]

“Understood”
Fran escapes from the burning Marquis' mansion with a staggering gait.

It's no longer in original shape due to the fierce battle between the two of us. The
debris and furnishings are scattered at our feet.

[You'd better drink this potion for the time being]

“Nn……”

As she walked, she drank five high-grade potions I had given her and finally recovered
about 20% of her life force and magic power. The potions didn't work so well. Could it
be that her recovery power is decreasing due to potential release? Or is it because She
has overworked her body too much?

Anyway, she was still in a dangerous state. Perhaps it was the accumulated fatigue, but
her movements were dull.

Besides, my condition was pretty bad too. While not as bad as when I was in sword
god transformation, my durability was greatly reduced and I was slow to recover from
it. It was probably due to the divine attributes of the Black Lightning God Claw.

Maybe those who use divine attributes, besides Fran, are using their weapons as
disposable. In fact, the Beast King said that he broke an orichalcon spear with his
Spear King Technique.

No. Could it be that the divine attributes were affecting Fran as well? There was a
possibility that this might be the reason for her slow recovery.

(Master, are you okay? You were screaming a while ago)

However, it seemed that Fran was worried about her partner as well. She asked in a
caring voice.
[It was from the cannibalism, but I’ll be fine]

(Really?)

[Yeah, the discomfort has subsided. Besides, that was a huge harvest]

Up until now, the pseudo-fanatic sword only increased my magic power and durability
value by one even if it was destroyed and cannibalized. However, when i take the alter
ego of the Fanatics that had possessed Marquis Ashtner, my magic power and
durability increased by 300.

Although I didn't receive any self-evolution points, I was enhanced as much as a rank-
up. I'm really glad I put up with the discomfort from cannibalism.

As I continued to the garden, I saw Eliante and Colbert holding Zephyrd, who was
sitting leaning against the rubble.

“How was it?”

“Fran! Did you defeat it?”

“Nn”

Fran nodded and found Zephyrd smiling wryly.

“Is that so. You defeated him huh”

There was no hint of bitterness in Zephyrd's tone. However, he was bleeding profusely
from his stomach, and his face was white beyond blueish. This is a dangerous
situation. I don't know how he can keep a calm face and smile like this.

[Fran, use recovery magic]

“Nn. I'll heal you now”

However, even after the light of Fran's recovery magic enveloped Zephyrd's body,
there was no change in his dying condition.

The wounds did not heal, and his vitality did not recover.
“Hmmh?”

“Even Fran's heal didn't work huh……”

“It won't heal?”

“Even the potion doesn't work!”

You mean a condition that completely nullifies recovery? That's wound is really bad,
right!

“What's caused this wound?”

“This is――”

“I was hit by a stray debris”

Colbert was about to say something, but Zephyrd interrupted him with strong words.
Don't you want Fran to know the reason for your wound? But Eliante remonstrated
with him.

“You should tell her. She’s maybe a child, but Fran is a full-fledged adventurer”

“But… No, you are right”

“I understand that you doesn't want her to be the one to blame for your own death. I
think she's someone you can talk to, you know?”

I could already tell from Eliante and Colbert, Zephyrd himself was about to die. No,
they can't move him in this state, and if recovery magic and potions don't work, I don't
think there's any way to save him………

What bothered me more was the word that the cause of the problem was Fran.

“What happened?”

“There is a technique in the shield saint technique that allows you to transfer the
damage that befalls your friends to yourself. That's what Zephyrd used”

“……From me?”
“Zephyrd wants to help at least…… He said that since the Marquise's mansion was
destroyed in your battle and he can now see you, he can use his skills”

I had a guess. It was the last thrust that Marquis Ashtner had made in an attempt to
counterattack. It was as if the attack, which had indeed pierced Fran, had been
nullified as if it had never happened.

I have a physical attack nullification, but I didn't have time to activate it on the spur of
the moment. In the future, I will actively use it, even if it is a bit risky, but I didn't have
it on at the time. I didn't have time to think about it and returned to the battle before
I could figure out what was going on, but it was definitely a strange phenomenon.

So, you're saying that was because of Zephyrd?

However, I know that there is a technique in the shield saint technique. I had suffered
a lot when I fought Valkyrie in the Beast Kingdom. If it was a shield saint technique
that could transfer even a life-threatening attack, it certainly could explain the
phenomenon.

“Black Lightning Princess, thanks to you, I was able to avenge my friends. I thank
you…… Gobuh”

Zephyrd bowed his head in a quiet manner that did not seem dying. Still, the large
amount of blood that he spat out at the end told us about his condition.

But neither Eliante nor Colbert would stop him from speaking. They know he can't be
saved, so they want to let him talk as he pleases.

“Even if it was a little, do i be a help for you?”

“So much. If you hadn't saved me, I'd be dead by now”

“Is that so, I have one last piece of advice”

“Nn”

“You used some kind of powerful skill that have great backlash on you right?”

Zephyrd spun his words with the last of his strength. It seems that the recovery
disabling condition that Zephyrd has fallen into should have originally fallen on Fran.
However, Zephyrd seemed to have taken care of it.

He is highly skilled in the shield saint technique, and he understands that it is a

backlash or compensation for some special technique that Fran used.

[In all likelihood, it's the price of Fran's potential release]

“Nn……”

The price and some of the damage had been took over by Zephyrd. That was why Fran
was only weakened. If it hadn't been for Zephyrd's help? Fran would have surely lost
her life. We could call him a lifesaver.

“If you know what I mean, you should be careful…… Gobuh……”

“Are you okay?”

“I'm a rank A adventurer. I'm sure my friends on the other side will laugh at me if I
show my disgraceful appearance at the end of my life”

To be able to stay calm while his life continues to flow out of him is truly a tremendous
mental strength. I admire him from the bottom of my heart.

Also, the man's smile of satisfaction while accepting his own death was similar to
Kiara's last moments. It must have been the same for Fran. With a somber expression,
she tried to bow to Zephyrd. However, it was Zephyrd who interrupted her.

“I'm sorry. It's because of me――”

“Wrong! Gobuh… that's not true. Rather, you're the reason I was able to have a peace
on my mind. I can only thank you”

Zephyrd grinned at that. It was Eliante who took over the words.

“That's right. You are in no way responsible for Zephyrd's death. Maybe it was because
he was protecting Fran. But it was still Zephyrd's responsibility and Zephyrd's
achievement. In fact, you should be proud to send off your friends who did a great job
against that monster”

“That's right. Litt-…… Fran. You played a big part in this, but we did our best, and so
did Zephyrd's. That's the result. And whatever happens, it's our responsibility. Thank
us, but don't apologize”

“……Nn”

They said so, and Fran seemed to agree.

(If it were the other way around, I wouldn't want to be apologized to either)

[Is that so]

She stopped her apologetic look and looked straight into Zephyrd's eyes.

“Thank you very much”

“Fufu…… Me-… too… In the end, i did a good job”

Those were the last words of the rank A adventurer, Zephyrd of the Skywall. We only
talked for a little while, but he was a good man. If we had met him earlier, he might
have been able to get along with Fran.

[Thank you very much]

“……?”

I wondered if he heard my words as he closed his eyes with a smile on his face.
After witnessing the death of Zephyrd, Fran was unable to move. Fatigue and
drowsiness seemed to have kicked in. Thanks to the adrenaline that had been
pumping her, she had been able to forget her fatigue during the battle.

However, now that the tension of the battle had settled down, the fatigue was
outweighing the excitement. She was too tired, and her body needed to rest. She was
rubbing her eyes constantly.

“Munyaa……”

[Are you okay, Fran?]

“…I'm… fineー”

[Whoa]

“Suー……”

She had completely fallen asleep. I hurriedly caught her collapsing body with my
telekinesis and gently laid her down on the ground. She's sleeping with a cute face.

[Hmm. What to do now……]

The battle was not over yet. From the direction of the royal castle, I could feel a
tremendous magic power. The distance was too far to get a complete grasp of it, but it
seemed that there was a being that radiated as much magic as the Marquis Ashtner in
his potential release state. Moreover, I could feel more than one of them.

The occasional rumbling of the earth and the slight shaking of the ground were
probably not unrelated. The fierce battle is still going on.

[If it's like this, I'm rather glad that Fran fell asleep]
It would be suicide to fight a strong enemy in her current state. However, Fran would
still challenge them to a fight. In order to protect the capital.

[Even so, I didn't realize that the price of Fran's potential release was that she would
be incapable of recovery…]

How long it will last is also a question. If it's only for a few hours, she might be able to
manage to use it. That is, if she uses it only for a moment and kill the enemy instantly,
she won't be driven to the brink of death.

However, the fact that she can't win without using the potential release means that the
strength of the enemy is at a considerable level. I don't think it can be killed instantly.

And if they fought for a long time, Fran wouldn't be able to get away with anything. If
she couldn't recover in such a condition, the probability of her death would increase.

A few minutes of inability to recover would be fine, but a few days would be quite
dangerous. I don't think it would be for a lifetime, but it was possible that the effects
could last for months.

I can't even try it carelessly. After all, potential release was dangerous. If the user body
would never be able to recover when she used it, she would have to be prepared to
risk her life when using it.

Because I'm a special kind of inorganic being with a will, I'm sure the cost of the magic
stone value is something that can be recovered.

If it had went on like that, Fran might have died. No, if it hadn't been for Zephyrd, she
would have died. Just thinking about it brings up some strange feelings. It makes me
want to scream out meaningless words and scratch my head. I hate myself for my
inadequacy and helplessness, and I can't help but feel bitter.

I don't want to go through something like that for a second time. To do so, I must
become stronger.

As I was making up my mind to do so on Fran's back, Colbert saw her sleeping on the
ground and rushed over to her.

“Fran? Oi, are you okay?”

“Shuー…… Shuー…”

“Don't do that, Colbert. She's too tired to stay awake, right?”

“A, aah. You are right. But, even so……”

“What's wrong?”

“No. In her state, I can't think of her as the adventurer who defeated that monster”

“Well, you're right”

Eliante and Colbert stare at Fran as she sleeps, her face innocent sleepy face.

Colbert looked delicate. He realized once again the difference in power between him
and the others. He still looks like a child. It must be complicated in many ways.

But then he remembered that now was not the time for this. He tightened his
expression and stared in the direction where he could feel a great presence of magic.

“So, what should we do now?”

“First, let's take Fran and Zephyrd to the guilds”

“Okay”

Eliante carries Fran on his back, and Colbert carefully carries Zephyrd's body as they
move. I'm glad Eliante didn't try to take me off Fran.

“There's been too much damage……”

“Yeah, it is”

Eliante's muttering was probably directed more at the human casualties than the
physical damages.

In the battle at the Marquis' mansion alone, nearly 30 adventurers of medium rank or
higher were killed, and the life of Zephyrd, a rank A adventurer, was also lost. Fran,
who she can rely on for strength, is still unconscious. Moreover, the battle in the royal
capital is still ongoing.
“Young master Zephyrd is just like this……”

“That's what being an adventurer is all about. You never know when or where you'll
die. Compared to that, Zephyrd looks quite content”

“You are right……”

“He had avenged the death of his companion for 30 years”

It seems that Zephyrd and his party had been working together for 30 years. It seems
that they were more like family than friends.

“Maybe it wasn't such a bad end for Zephyrd”

“You said it's not bad……… But it's always good for all of us to survive”

“I hope everyone can survive. But it was impossible against that monster. You know
that. Besides, it's hard to lose your friends while you survive on your own”

“Aah… Is that so, guild master…… I'm sorry”

Colbert, overheard Eliante's murmur, and bowed his head in fear.

“……Even if only one person had been saved here, he would have eventually lost the
will to live, and would have lost his life prematurely by repeating his recklessness”

“……But you're still alive……”

“Fufu. I've been through a lot……”

Eliante smiles sadly as she says that.

“It's hard when I lose my friends, but it's painful afterwards. After retreating for my
life. I was eating tasteless barley porridge in a fort full of wounded soldiers, I suddenly
burst into tears and couldn't stop……… After all, the lack of that noisy conversation
during dinner, I finally realized that everyone was gone”

“……But you're still getting back on your feet. Even Zephyrd's might………”

“Maybe. But in our case, we weren't wiped out, some of us survived. We were able to
lick each other's wounds. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't be alive today. I really
appreciate it”

“I've always wondered. Why did you go from being a mercenary to an adventurer?
Couldn't you have continued as a mercenary with your surviving comrades?

So Eliante used to be a member of a mercenary group that was nearly wiped out? After
that, she apparently turned into an adventurer. That's how she made it to be a Guild
Master, as expected, she's no ordinary person.

“In fact, your comrades are still working as mercenaries aren't they? They helped me
this time too”

“A solo adventurer can carry the whole load by themselves, right?”

“Is that so?”

“That's what I thought……… Well, what I've learned is that as long as you're alive, you
can't break ties with people, and you'll end up carrying a lot of things on your back”

“……Even now, do you still feel like you want to die?”

“Well, I don't know. But I do sometimes dream about it. I wonder what would have
happened if I hadn't retreated that day, but had launched a suicide attack with my
friends against the Crimson Knights Order of the Kingdom of Raidos……”

While listening to the conversation between the two of them, I also kept a vigilant eye
on my surroundings. On the way, I saw many knights and adventurers in the town
working together to evacuate people. Not only that, but there were also alchemists
carrying large quantities of magic potions. Count Bailleys' instructions must have
been properly conveyed.

Some of the enemies had pseudo fanatic swords stuck in them, but Eliante and Colbert
worked together to defeat them. However, it was when the Adventurer's Guild came
into view.

[……!]

What is it? Something with tremendous magical power has appeared all over the royal
capital. The number of them might be close to a hundred. The mysterious presence
could be sensed even in our immediate vicinity.

Boooom!

Immediately after that, a tremendous fire erupts from the depths of the alley, and the
knights are blown away in their cruel forms.

“Tsk. Colbert, I'll leave Fran to you!”

“Okay!”

Following the carbonized knights was a swordsman who was controlled by a pseudo
fanatic sword. However, something was wrong. The magic power I can sense from it
is too great.

And I shuddered as I appraised its state.

[Divine Swords Release……?]

What a surprise, the status of the pseudo fanatic sword showed that it was a divine
sword release. However, the host's ability was poor. But he was as strong as Marquis
Ashtner before his potential release.

I know it won't last long. After all, his vitality continues to decline at tremendous rate.
It won't last more than three minutes.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

And as if to confirm my fears, the swordsman began to indiscriminately unleash sword

skill and magic. It didn't even seem like he had a purpose anymore. He just seemed to
be trying to spread destruction until his life was over.

[What should I do……! No, if I didn't protect Eliante, Fran will be sad! Damn it!]
What the hell is going on?

“GHaaaaaa!”

“Gyaaaa!”

“Hiiigghh!”

My daughter――my beloved daughter, Velmeria, was laying waste to the knights. For
some reason, her whole body was covered with light blue scales, and she looked
almost like her ancestor like Frederick, but that was definitely Velmeria.

Whenever the transformed girl waved her arms, huge water bombs shot out and
shattered the bodies of the knights, and when she swung her magic sword, which was
broken in half, shock waves were released and cut up many adventurers.

“Don't fall back! Continue the attack!”

“Damn it! Why i can't hit it!”

“Why I can't see that attack coming!”

At my command, my men unleash their attacks, but none of our attacks hit. All of them
were either evaded or shot down. Even if it did hit her, the power was greatly reduced,
and the slightest of wounds were healed by instant regeneration.

The girl was now is an enemy of the royal capital. I must order my men to defeat her.
But I can't defeat her. I wouldn't be pleased about that……… No, is that really my
daughter in the first place?

“Fucking lowly insects! Don't mess with me!”

She looks like my daughter, Velmeria. But what's inside is something completely
different, isn't it? Ii doesn't just mean that she is getting stronger.

“Hyahahahaha! Diee Diee!”

What is that? What came out of my daughter's mouth was a high-pitched, grating voice
that didn't sound like a man or a woman. Clearly, something different from my
daughter was moving her body. That was all I could think.

“Sigh, General! Wh-what should we do…!”

It was one of the platoon leaders of the knights who asked for instructions with
clinging eyes. The second-in-command was originally waiting at this location, but he
had already lost his life in the attack by Velmeria.

His words probably had two meanings: Are we going to continue fighting at the cost
of further sacrifice and Is it okay to attack my daughter?

But my answer remains the same.

“Keep up the attack! We have the royal castle behind us! If we run now, it may turn to
the king and the people!”

The people and the king. I must not spare my daughter's life in the face of my mission
to protect them both.

“Ha, Haha!”

“The adventurers, knights, and magician who have scattered to various places will
surely come running! Until then, endure!”

“Is it not possible ask for help from the royal castle?”

As the platoon leader said this, he looked up at the royal castle behind him.

The most elite of the guards must still be in the royal castle. The best knights are
gathered from each knight order. The commander in chief of that group is known to
be the strongest in this country. He is said to be as strong as the Hundred Swords and
the Hariti.

However, there was no way that we could ask them to go into battle. Their mission
was to protect the king. Their place is the place where the king sits. If there was only
one enemy, there was no way that they would leave the king's side when the enemy
was in full force, as they were this time.

In the first place, they are the shields, and it was our job to defeat the enemy and
protect the people. That is the enemy we must deal with.

“Starg. Can you see it?” (1)

“Yes sir…… Not all of it…… But it's unbelievable”

“It's that bad huh?”

“I'm sorry master, but your daughter is truly a monster right now”

Starg, one of the knights serving our Bailleys family, mutters with a pale face. He has
high combat power and possesses a high-level appraisal, so I always kept him by my
side as my guard. It seems that this Starg took his time and managed to finish checking
the abilities of Velmeria………

Starg, a veteran knight, is frightened? Starg, who bravely fired his bow even when
standing in front of a sub-dragon?

“First of all, I couldn't appraise that broken sword. It must be a very high-ranked magic
sword”

“Is that so……”

Could that be the sword of blind devotion - fanatics that the Black Lightning Princess
was talking about?

“Also, I cannot measure your daughter's ability at present. The value is probably over
1000. With my appraisal, even i could appraise Lord Zephyrd of the Skywall”

“So, in terms of ability values, she's more than a rank A adventurer………”

“The skills are also enormous. It has nearly 100 high level skills such as Sword King
Skill, Sword Saint Technique: Lv8, Ocean Magic: Lv8, Instant Regeneration: Lv8. He
also possesses several unique and extra skills, and to my eyes, all I can see are Sword
King Technique, Divine Dragon Transformation, Fire Absorption, Herculean strength,
Swift steps, Chantless magic, Magic Control, and Spirit Control, but I'm sure there are
more!”

The rest of the skills seemed to be in line with the high-ranking rare skills. If it hadn't
been for the words of my trusted Starg, I would have laughed it off.

“What is that……? How is it possible for a person to become that strong in such a short
period of time?……”

“Her state are fanaticism and Divine Dragon Transformation. Either one of these could
be the cause of your daughter's condition………”

Divine Dragon Transformation! I remember hearing about it. I believe it appeared in

the mythology of the dragon people, as told by Tirananaria, the mother of Velmeria. (2

It is the name of a super being that has evolved from the dragon man, and is positioned
like a high elf for elves. The conditions for their evolution are not known, and only a
few have been confirmed in the last 10,000 years, but it is said that they definitely
exist.

And legend has it that they fought the High Elves head on and ended up going toe-to-
toe.

What a nightmare. Not only did my daughter turn into an enemy, but her fighting
strength is such that even rank A adventurers are hazy? If she really was at High Elf
level, it would not be surprising if she had rank S level strength.

However, as long as the opponent had the devil's card, the fanatic sword, it was no
surprise that anything could happen.

“Oi! Sent a messenger immediately!”

“Whe-where to send?”

“To the royal castle! Tell the king to evacuate immediately!”

“U-understood!”

I understood that this was not an opponent I could win against. Even if I add multiple
rank A adventurer-level forces, there is a possibility that we won't be able to win. The
five rank-A adventurers currently in the capital that I know of are Zephyrd the
SkyWall, Forrund the Hundred Swords, Fran the Black Lightning Princess, Eihwaz the
Dragon Binder, and Ruga Mufuru, the captain of the Royal Guard. They are the ones
who can be called upon and gathered at the same time.

Even if you are in the royal castle protected by barriers, you are not safe. Let the king
escape, then save as many people as possible. After that, leave everything to the
strong.

All we can do is being left behind and earn more time.

“We'll keep her here as long as we can. Put your life on it”

“Yes!”

“Yes sir!”

The only saving grace is that the morale of my men is high. They responded to my
orders with motivated faces, even when I was telling them to die.

It would be a shame to let these men die here, but it can't be helped.

I selected the youngest soldiers I could find and sent them out as messengers to
various parts of the royal capital. The purpose of this is to convey my message that the
enemy is formidable and that we need more than one rank A to win. This way, my
fellow generals will be able to take over after I am gone.

“I will come out too”

“Ha!”

“If only Master Demitris were here……”

The platoon leader's murmur was overheard.

“Master Demitris huh”

The only Rank S adventurer based on the continent of Zilberd, Demitris the
Immovable. He is a martial artist who can kill a hundred enemies in an instant without
taking a single step.
It is said that he still continues his training by traveling around the magical regions of
the continent while using his own dojo in a small country in the south as a base.

He may be a difficult old man to deal with, but he is definitely a good man and has
been helping people in many countries. He would be the most reliable person in such
a case, but we had no information where he was currently.

“Don't mind with what's not here”

“I'm sorry, sir”

“No, it's fine. I had thought about it too. But we can't rely on Demitris, who we don't
know where he is. We'll take care of this!”

“Ha!”

He scolded his subordinates and himself, and was about to go out to the front.

“I'm sorry I'm not the old man Demitris, but am I not good enough for you?”

“Huh?”

What the hell is going on? I didn't feel any sign of him at all! But there was a large
demon man standing behind me, looking very relaxed. I could tell just by looking at
him. He was no ordinary person. That was exactly the feeling I had when I met His
Majesty the Beast King.

The big man pulls out a huge sword from his back. This sword is not just a magic sword
either. The overwhelming magical power contained within it almost pressured me.

“I'll help you. Orraaa! Gravity Blows!”

The big man swung his sword down on the spot, and Velmeria, who was far above,
suddenly began to fall. It was as if she was being drawn to the earth by an invisible
force.

Then my daughter's body slammed into the earth with great force.

“Guaaaaah!”
Today, for the first time, I think that was the only damage was dealt to Velmeria today.
Who the hell is this guy!

“Now, how long can I keep this up……?”

“The continent of Gilberd huh. It's been a long time since I've been there”

“You are a big guy! Are you from the demon tribe?”

“Ou, perhaps”

“Are you on a business on this continent?”

“No, it's not like a business………”

It was on a whim that I crossed over from the continent of Krome to the continent of
Gilberd.

“Well. I guess I just followed my intuition”

“Haah, intuition?”

I have a unique skill called [Imbecility], which is a skill that strengthens your intuition
and instincts. With this skill, I could tell if the other person's words were a lie or not. I
could somehow tell if they were speaking from the heart or not. Sometimes I am
wrong, but many times this skill has saved my life.

My intuition was telling me that I should go to the continent of Gilberd. It was

originally triggered by the words of an evil person named Murellia.

The last thing she said to me was that she wanted me to save a boy named Romio. I
couldn't feel any lie in those words. It must have come from the bottom of her heart.

And then the man I fought afterwards, Zelos Reed. He was a vicious man, but I could
also feel his deep sadness. I didn't know why at the time, but………

Later, when I heard that Zelos Reed had kidnapped Romio, it became clear. Ostensibly,
it looked like Zelos Reed had betrayed Murellia, but I guess that was just for show. I
don't even know why he did it………

With that in mind, it seemed only natural that Zelos Reed would act to fulfil Murellia's
last wish.

I can also predict the destination that Zelos Reed will take Romeo to. The results of a
survey of orphanages around the country had been compiled to determine where
Murellia would leave Romeo.

Among them, an orphanage in the big city of Barbra was apparently being checked out
as a promising place to leave the child. This is what I've heard from Miss Mea and the
others, so I'm sure it's true.

It's not like there's anything in it for me to go after. I'm not sure if I want to save Romio
or if I want to have a rematch with Zelos Reed. But I felt that I should see it through.
And the next thing I knew, I was on a ship bound for the continent of Gilberd.

“But I didn't realize it was a vain attempt………”

Once I got off the ship and started asking around, I quickly found out the location of
the orphanage. It seemed to be a very famous place in Barbra. Recently, a rank A
adventurer had taken shelter at the orphanage, and the name seemed to have spread
even further.

I asked the strangely low-key woman who came out to respond about Romio, and to
my surprise, she said he wasn't at this location.

“Zelos Reed took him, huh?”

It didn't end up here……

“I had a bad feling”

It felt like a small fish bone was stuck in my throat. Maybe I should leave it alone, but
I couldn't help wondering. Where did Romio and Zelos Reed go?

Besides, it would be boring to cross the continent and come up empty. At the very
least, I wanted to see Zeros Reed and Romio at least once.

“So where should i go to next……?”

Zelos Reed is a criminal who is wanted all over the world. It must be difficult for such
a man to continue raising a child. If he has to keep running away from his pursuers, he
won't be able to settle down.

But there is a place where even such a person can live without worrying about his
pursuers. A place where criminals from all over the world flee for their lives. It is
harsher than any other place in the world, but if you are as strong as Zelos Reed, you
will have no problem in that place.

“A place where all of your past is forgiven if you are a capable warrior. The continent
of Gordisia”

On the continent of Gordisia, as long as you join the allied forces and meet your daily
quotas, your past criminal record is considered irrelevant. Losing a capable warrior
for trivial reasons is a great loss in that hellish place.

Undoubtedly, Zelos Reed would have aimed for the continent of Gordisia.

“So the best thing to do would be to cross the continent of Gilberd and take a ship at a
port town on the eastern coast”

On the way, I stopped at the royal capital of the Kingdom of Kranzel. It was indeed the
royal capital of a great country, and it boasted a tremendous grandeur. It wasn't often
in my long life that I had seen such a large wall.

To begin with, there are only a few places in this world where you can build a city of
this royal capital level. This is because it is difficult to build a large city in a place that
does not have the conditions for the generation powerful demonic beasts, is
ecologically stable, and does not have bad transportation or water.

It is especially difficult to find a place where there are no strong magical beasts in the
vicinity. It's impossible to build a city in a place where large magical beasts such as
dragons and giants frequently appear, and even if you could, it wouldn't last long.

In that sense, the royal capital of Kranzel is a wonderful achievement. Most of the
demonic beasts in the vicinity are of medium size or smaller, and it is not difficult to
defeat them if you have a sufficient number of adventurers and knights.

It's hard even for a big country to have strong people. It's fine as long as you happen
to have a strong people by chance, but for a country to lasts for hundreds of years.
Considering this, a system that can always provide a certain level of defense with
numbers and tools is more reliable.

I thought it would be very developed inside………

“But I didn't expect to get caught up in the turmoil here”

I was in the middle of gathering information on Zelos Reed at the tavern. But I didn't
get any information on him though. But apparently Fran and his master were in the
royal capital. When I was about to meet them, I saw that there was a large-scale battle
going on all over the capital.

I don't know if it's a civil war or a coup d’etat, but people are fighting each other. Could
it be that they were invulnerable to external enemies but vulnerable to internal
disturbances?

But even so, there's still a lot of noise. While I was thinking about it, I was attacked too.
They were weird guys with swords stuck in their backs. They were pretty strong. If
these guys are on the rampage, the royal capital might be in a quite dangerous state.

I heard from the adventurer's guild that the Marquis had staged a coup d’etat. The
people with swords stuck in their backs seemed to be his army. The guild master and
others seemed to be leading an elite group of people to various places for support.

“I can't just ignore this huh”

I don't know if it's fortunate or unfortunate for the people of this city that I'm here,
but…… I want to make sure that Miss Fran is safe.

For the time being, I'm going to head for the royal castle where there are people
related to the Knight Order. I'll go there and get some information, and if necessary, I
can destroy the Marquis. Thanks to Fran and the others who held him down, there
should still be enough time for her to run away. I'm sure I can help.

However, it seems that thinking was too sweet. In front of the royal castle, a girl with
tremendous power was overrunning the knights. She's a dragon kin, but her magic
power is comparable to mine. It's not as if she has a purpose, but it hasn't led to large-
scale destruction, but if she's serious, even this royal capital should be cleared in less
than half an hour.
I'll have to do it myself. If I leave her alone, it'll be a disaster for Miss Fran and Master.
I called out to the pompous men who were talking about old man Demitris and gave
them a bite, but it didn't do much damage. If I don't get serious, I'm the one who's
going to get hit.

“Now, how long can I keep this up……?”

The problem was that if I went out of control, there would be more damage. I had to
get it over with before that happened.

“Oi! Get these people out of the area. They'll be involved into the fight”

“Yo-you are……?”

“I'm an adventurers, Ashwrath. You can call me a comrade in arms”

“Y-you are…… Oi! All hands retreat! Use the royal castle to escape immediately! Hurry
up and evacuate the residents”

“Ha!”

Apparently, he knows who I am. The knight who seemed to be the most important one
moved immediately. This would make the fight a little easier.

“You, have you ever heard of the adventurer known as the Black Lightning Princess?”

“Do you know Fran, Ashwrath-dono?”

“Yeah, where she is now?”

“They're searching Marquess Ashtner's mansion”

“Is that far from here?”

“more or less”

It's good then. She's less likely to get involved.

“There's nothing to regret! Divine Sword Release!”

With my words, the divine sword in my hand transformed its appearance into
something vicious. The gate that had been holding back the tremendous power was
opened.

“Gravity Prison!”

“Ghaaa!”

The magic resistance is so high that restraining magic is almost useless. So, it will be
a slugfest.

“Oiiii! Youu!”

I was surprised. From the looks of it, she looks like she's completely out of control, but
I didn't know she could speak in this state. However, what came out of the girl's mouth
was a croaky, man-like voice.

Oh well. If it can buy time to get the others out of the way, I'll join her for a chat.

“What is it?”

“That's a divine sword, isn't it? It's not the fake one that that little black cat kid had!
It's a real divine sword, right?”

“The kid from the Black Cat tribe? Is that Fran by any chance?”

“With that divine sword…… we're………”

“Oi!”

“If we take in that divine sword………”

Just because she could talk didn't mean she was sane. Whenever the girl screamed,
the broken sword in her hand began to emit a vicious magic. Apparently, the sword
was controlling the girl?

“What are you?”

“I don't know! I wish I did! But I know! If we can get that divine sword, we'll be able
to regain our original form! So, give me that divine sword!”
Her swords turned on me. But it's a good thing, too. This makes it easier to fight.

“It's time to get serious, huh?”

Almost all signs of people have disappeared from the area. It seems that there are still
people inside the castle though……… It is true that I can fight more comfortably in the
noble districts than in the commoner districts. It wouldn't hurt my heart even if I crush
their house.

“Give me that sword!”

“Die, you bastard!”

I was in top gear from the start. It was probably the same for the other side. They
unleashed a series of attacks that could turn even a large mansion into a ruin with a
single blow. In just a few tens of seconds, the square was in a cruel state. The
cobblestones were completely bald, and there were many large holes in the ground.

But even a fight like this is just a check and balance for us. From time to time, we would
find an opening and hit him with an even bigger move, but it would not be enough.

Even though her arms were torn off, her legs crushed, and her bodies punctured, they
instantly regenerated her wounds and slammed her weapons into me.

“How come I can't control you?”

“Ahh? You want to control me?”

Apparently, he was using some kind of ability on me that would allow her to control
her enemies. But I don't think that's possible. I've always been under the influence of
the Abominable Madness. Unless he had more control than that skill, he wouldn't be
able to control my mind.

“Tsk!”

The girl shows a slight expression of impatience. At first glance, we seem to be evenly
matched, but she knows she is at a disadvantage. She realizes that the stalemate will
not last long.

“Oraaa!”
“Gugha!”

We are evenly matched in ability. But they have slightly better regeneration. I was the
better tactician. And the difference in weapons was obvious. I had the divine sword.
The other side was a broken magic sword.

I start to get the better of the fight. If they wanted to beat me, they should have flown
through the air and cut me down from a distance. However, perhaps they were too
determined to take my divine sword, so he challenged me to a close to mid-range
battle. (3)

No, they must have been confident in his sword skills. In fact, if it was a normal
slashing match, the other side was far superior. They had to slash me ten times before
I could hit him once. And maybe he needed to cut me with his sword to control me.

However, the attack power of the weapons in her hand was too different. Gaia's attack,
which was on a divine attribute by putting magic power into it, had gutted the girl's
life force with a single blow.

Of course, I'm pretty much cornered myself. It's been a while since I've fought a rank
A magic being like Lich.

“Gughaa!”

“You can't escape! Kiss of the Earth!” (4)

In the next moment, the vast area was crushed at once. A super-gravity was being
applied to a radius of about 200 meters. This was not earth magic, but Gaia's ability.
The girl who was about to take off crashed and was plunged into the ground.

Before I knew it, the area around the castle had became a vacant lot and half of the
castle had collapsed, but it was to protect the capital. I guess it can't be helped.

“Kiss of the Earth!”

“――”

Next to the surface point. The gravitational cage that stretched as if contracting
towards the girl from all directions had captured her body perfectly. It's one of Gaia's
special moves that crushes even the sturdiest earth dragons…… It's commendable that
they're able to endure it, but there's no escaping her now unless they use teleport
magic.

Just before she was about to stop the blow there.

“Divine Sword Release!”

“Tsk!”

With the girl's cry, the precept of gravity bursts forth from within. But still, a divine
sword release? Was that magical sword a divine sword? No, the way it's broken, is it
the same discarded divine sword as Master's?

Thanks to my relation with Alistair, I've heard a bit about the Divine Sword. There are
six discarded divine swords that I know of.

The cherubim, meltdowns, and judgments that were ordered by God to be discarded
have no chance of existing in this world. Even if they still have their outer bodies like
masters, they would not have their original abilities.

So, is it more likely to be the Holy Order, Fanatics, or Eldorado, which were just
destroyed by accident or in a battle between divine swords?

“God damn it! It's over! Why isn't everything working! It's been 40 years! Forty years
we've been preparing for this!”

“Like I’d know!”

“A pseudo fanatics sword made by cutting and melting our swords, and a lineage of
dragon maidens who can handle our most powerful skill, "Divine Dragon
Transformation"! Why did a guy like you appear at time like this! Don't joke with meee!”

She was cornered and lost her temper. The sword was ranting and raving in an
unseemly manner. Yes, the sword was talking.

The sword, which had been transformed by the Divine Sword Release, retained the
broken part of the blade, but the hand cover had been enlarged to resemble a gauntlet
covering the elbow. Numerous human masks were drawn on the surface of the
gauntlet, giving it a strange air.
Then there is a sculpture of a man who has become so huge that he is almost as big as
a human head, and he is screaming like a real person. The way its mouth and eyes
move are no different from a human's.

“Did you orchestrate this coup d’etat?”

“Hyahahaha! That's right! We caused it with Ashtner! But it had already failed!”

“What is your goal?”

“The divine sword of Philias, Diabolos! We're going to seize the capital and the king
with our abilities, unite all the armies, and invade Philias at once! And we were going
to take the divine sword!”

“……To fix you?”

“That's right! If only we had a divine sword made with Oricalchos……… Besides,
Diabolos was made by Dionysus, just like us! It's supposed to be highly compatible
with us!”

I finally understand. This is the end of the fanatic sword Fanatics. It was destroyed by
the Holy Order and lost its original ability, but it must have escaped without
disappearing.

They are only trying to fix themselves, so they created this mess. Well, I guess they
doesn't care how many people die.

The surprise was that it has a will, but it was less shocking thanks to the fact that I had
met with master.

“If only you weren't here……… Even if I have to die here, you're the only one I'll kill
here! Not only that! The people in this royal capital will go with you! You'll all die!”

Is this the effect of the divine sword release? His sword blade begins to crumble into
sand as if it is weathering. The Fanatics will soon collapse from that. Well, he showed
his power as a divine sword in an incomplete state, that can't be helped.

“I'm gonna destroy you, and then I'm gonna end all of this!”

“I'll kill you right here for interfering with me!”

A swordsman who burns down his surroundings with flame magic. And it wasn't just
a simple flame magic. He had activated multiple techniques to create large explosions
at the same time without chanting.

More than ten shots of magic that could destroy several houses with one shot went off
at the same time, blowing the surrounding houses to smithereens.

People who failed to escape were engulfed in flames and screaming.

“That guy……!”

Eliante jumped out of the way to stop the swordsman. At this rate, she would sacrifice
herself to stop the man in order to buy time to let the civilians escape. Looking at
Eliante's tragic face, I knew that she was prepared to not win.

“Stop it!”

“Ghaaa!”

“Guuoh!”

However, the swordsman now, for some reason, had gained a more strength from the
pseudo fanatic sword being in the divine sword release. Even if Eliante had risked her
life, it would have been difficult to even stall for time.

The shockwave from the sword he had fired had flung her nearly ten meters and she
was groaning. The blade of the greatsword in her hand is split in half, but I guess that's
what saved her from being blown away.

In addition, flame magic was mercilessly applied to it. Countless flaming bullets rained
down on Eliante with no place to escape.

[Tsk!]
I jumped out of the way as quickly as I could and used telekinesis to blast away the
flame magic.

“Eh? What……?”

Eliante is surprised to see a sword that moves on its own. Well, I have no choice!

I used my doppelganger to get in front of Eliante and the others. It would look
suspicious, but I couldn't let them know I was an Intelligence Weapon!

I pretend as if I've just been teleported and grabbed my handle.

[I'm not some suspicious guy. I'm an acquaintance of Fran's]

“Aren't you the Curry Master!”

Apparently, Colbert remembered me, even though he had only met me once before.
Hearing Colbert's words, the suspicion faded from Eliante's face.

[If you didn't fight him properly, he'll kill you instantly! You know that right!]

“But, even so…!”

[I'll face him! Even if i look like this, I'm still Fran's master. I can at least buy you some
time! But you have to make sure Fran gets away! I beg you!]

“Ah, wha――”

I saw the swordsman's eyes turn to look at me. There was no time for more questions
and answers. I didn't wait for Eliante and the others to reply, and ran toward the
swordsman.

I don't want Eliante and the others to hesitate because of me――

As expected of an adventurer. She made a quick decision and began to retreat.

[Well, the problem is, will he stick with me until he kills himself?]

Red rays of light rained down on me. It must have been the simultaneous activation of
about twenty flare blasts that converge and shoot out flames.
The stone building behind me melted into mush, filled with holes, and finally exploded.

But I hadn't taken any damage. I had used the little magic power I had recovered to
activate the Dimension Shift.

Then, winds began to swirl around me, quickly growing into a giant tornado. It must
be storm magic. It gets thicker and bigger, engulfing the surrounding debris.

I jumped up and exposed myself in the air by teleporting and jumping in the air. If I
don't, the damage to the town is going to be bad. From his point of view, I was full of
opening.

There was no expression on the swordsman's face, and I couldn't tell if he was
surprised that I was okay or not. However, I'm sure that the point of the attack was
directed at me. A spell was fired at me.

A huge pillar of fire, fused and amplified by the simultaneous release of Inferno Burst,
engulfed my figure. It was the same type of attack that Announcer-san had unleashed
against the Lich, yet it was several times more powerful.

But even that vicious attack couldn't hit me who is using the Dimension Shift. My
magic power is decreasing, I knew that I could hold out for a few more minutes.

[Shii!]

I'll also counterattack to draw his attention to me. I unleashed a lower level thunderbolt
spell. I don't think it will work, but it was flashy and eye-catching.

Sure enough, the swordsman strikes back at me. This time, red fireballs surrounded
me, and then they all expanded and exploded at once. With the simultaneous
activation of the Flare Explode, a flower of flames bloomed in the sky.

[It won't work on me!]

Booooom!

My counterattack was followed by more counterattacks.

I knew he was out of control and his ability to think has declined. If he still had the
ability to make good decisions, he would ignore my lack of effective attacks and attack
his surroundings.

His ability is on par with a rank A adventurer. But his head was an idiot. He was an
easy opponent for me to deal with.

[I'm going to keep his eyes on me and let him keep wasting his time!]

Since I can use space-time magic, I've been able to do something about it. But I wonder
how much damage has been done elsewhere………

And about three minutes later.

When I started to worry about my remaining magic power, his life force finally hit the
bottom. It was a really long three minutes.

The reason for this was that his attack was more violent than I had expected, and I had
used a lot of magic to spend on dimension shift. If he hadn't died ten seconds later, I
would have tried to attack him.

And it was at that moment when the swordsman's life force ran out.

Boooooooooooomm!

[Uwoooh!]

Suddenly, there was a huge explosion. A violent blast whips the rubble of the houses
far up into the sky.

I thought that he had unleashed some kind of flame magic, but that was not the case.
It was not a flame, but an explosion caused by a large amount of magic power released.

It seemed that with the death of the swordsman, the magic power of the pseudo
fanatic sword that had been raging within him lost control and overflowed all at once.

From above, I could see that a huge crater had been created. More than forty houses
had been destroyed, and the surrounding area was heavily damaged. If the furniture
that scattered due to the shock wave was counted, the damage would reach hundreds
of houses.

But shortly after I descended to the ground, a series of explosions echoed through the
royal capital. When I looked over there, I could see the released magic power rising up
like a pillar.

It seems that even outside of this place, controlled swordsmen are falling down,
leaving behind a huge explosion. The sound of explosions continued to echo
intermittently, and we could see more than fifty pillars of magic power rising up. There
are many explosions in the noble districts, but there are also explosions in the
residential and commercial districts.

The area that is particularly intense is near the royal castle. In particular, the magic
explosions are concentrated in the vicinity where the tremendous magic power is
colliding with each other.

[It's not like they're a suicide bombers. What the hell is their goal?]

Is their goal being to destroy the royal capital?

[I hope Fran is safe!]

As the massive explosion of the pseudo fanatic sword continued to cause great damage
in the royal capital, I was searching for any sign of Fran.

We have a magical connection that allows us to sense each other's presence even when
we are quite far away. Relying on this connection, I used the long-distance teleport.

“Wh-who is it!”

The one who was surprised by my sudden appearance was Stellia, the receptionist at
the Adventurer's Guild. She was wearing bright red full-body armor, it's perhaps her
equipment from her active days, and she was holding a huge mace.

Maybe, it's bigger than it was when she was active, but thanks to the size-adjusting
magic, it seems to be equipped without any problem. It seems, magical equipment was
like a living thing in many ways.

[I'm the master of Fran, the Black Lightning Princess. I'm not an enemy!]

“Hee……”

I'm quite suspicious. My body performance was at its lowest. I can't even move my
mouth, so I has to use telekinetic, and my status is so low that it's hard to believe for
someone like me to be Fran's master.

Furthermore, my doppelganger was dressed very poorly. Because I had created it into
human form on the spur of the moment, I hadn't bothered to dress it. Because of this,
my doppelganger was dressed only in shabby clothes, like a slave's.

It's pretty hard to believe for someone like me to be Fran's master huh.

“That little girls' master? Hmm… you don’t even look like a human tho……”

Huh, I didn't know Eihwaz was here too. Unlike Stellia, there's no hostility in his gaze.
Instead, his eyes are those who looks at their Guinea pig though. He seems to intuitively
understand that my body is different from that of a normal human. As expected of the
mad scientist who likes to dissect things.

“Everyone, we will evacuate to the city outskirts! Hurry up!”

“I'll carry Master Gallus. You take care of Fran”

“woof!”

Eliante and Colbert appeared from the back. Colbert was carrying Gallus on his back,
and Fran was strapped to the back of Urushi.

“Oh, Master Curry! So you're safe!”

Colbert notices me and rushes over to me, please stop with that Master curry!.
however, it seems ease the suspicious glares from Stellia.

[A,aah. I see you're fine too]

“Yes. But the crisis isn't over yet. We're still evacuating the royal capital”

Eliante shared with me the information that Eihwaz and the others had brought. It
seems that Velmeria is being controlled by the broken magic sword and is untouchable.

He said that Forrund was also there, but both of them almost died. She was so strong
that makes Eihwaz had no idea what he can do, and showed Forrund her overwhelming
power when he saw her.

In my mind, these two people are at the top of the list of people I don't want to fight.
To put it bluntly, they're probably better than us. I can't imagine them losing. But even
with the two of them working together, they were kicked to the curb in less than ten
minutes.

In the end, he said, Forrund pursued Velmeria and Eihwaz came back to the guild to
report the scale of the enemy. However, it seems that Eihwaz was able to contact
Forrund through the use of a familiars, and he understood the situation right up until
a few minute ago.

“Well, it seems that something happened to Forrund, and the familiars has died. It
can't be helped”

[What happened?]

“That little dragon girl named Velmeria and a rank S adventurer started a fight. Looks
like the Hundred Swords got caught up in it”

[A rank S adventurer? Was there such a guy in this country?]

As I recall, there was a rank S adventurer named Demitris in the Gilberd Continent. A
genius martial artist who is the master of Colbert and the founder of the Dimitris style.

However, he said that it was not Demitris who appeared in the royal capital.

“It's not the immovable Demitris. It was my first time to saw him, but the one who
started the fight with the little girl were also causing friendly fire. That was from
Hundred Swords, then it must be true”

[Friendly fire! Ashwrath was here huh!]

“Do you know him?”

[Yea. So, he's fighting Velmeria?]

“That's right”

Isn't it pretty bad for Ashwrath to fight with Velmeria, who can easily managed two
rank A adventurers? The damage to the surrounding area will be horrendous.

Well, if Ashwrath hadn't come, the royal capital would have been destroyed by
Velmeria by now………

But there is a problem that cannot be ignored.

[Is Ashwrath… still sane?]

“Hou? What do you mean?”

[I can't explain it in detail, but Ashwrath was dangerous, he will going out of control
the more they fight. It doesn't matter if you're friend or foe, When Ashwrath is out of
control. He's really dangerous!]

No, you know that, don't you? That's why Eliante and the others are trying to escape
in a hurry.

But will it save us? If Ashwrath were to go on rampage, the damage would not only be
the capital but also the surrounding areas. Unlike that underground dungeon, he
should be able to wield his power here without any restrictions. Will Eliante and the
others be able to escape?

The best thing to do would be for all of us to get out of here, and for Ashwrath to defeat
Velmeria early so he doesn't go out of control. It would be great if he could also save
Velmeria's life.

The worst thing that can happen is that Ashwrath will go out of control during the
battle with Velmeria, and the battle between the two causes great damage to the royal
capital and its people. In some cases, Fran's and Eliante's live are also in danger.

What should I do? The easiest thing for me to do would be to get out of royal capital
right now with just Fran and Urushi. Even with the rest of my magic power, I should
be able to get pretty far away using teleport.

But if Fran woke up and found out that she was the only one who survived, abandoning
Eliante, Gallus and the others……… She'll be sad, she'll be devastated. Fran might not
be able to forgive herself.

[If that's the case, I guess the least damaging method would be to take down Velmeria
as soon as possible and prevent Ashwrath from running amok]

I'm not sure how far i can fight that monsters without Fran……… It can even be said
that I only have half the number of moves and half the power now. The only way I can
beat her now is only with stealth.

No, in this case, stealth is important. It's impossible to attack her from the front
anyway. If that's the case, the best thing to do would be to sneak up on the battle, and
strike an effective blow at Velmeria, and give Ashwrath support.

[Understood. Then, I’ll go]

“Wa-, it's dangerous, even for you!”

[I'll be fine. I'm just gonna check on her. I leave Fran with you]

“Woof!”

I'm anxious to leave Fran's side, but I have no choice.

[It's in front of the castle huh]

I can still feel the huge magic power. I heard that the Count and the others have already
evacuated the area, but Forrund must still be there. He seems to have been caught up
in some unforeseen situation, but that man would not die so easily.

In some cases, we might even be able to fight together.

The ridiculously large magic power in the town is already gone. The pseudo fanatic
swords must have all self-destructed. All that's left is Velmeria.

I tried to approach the square in front of the royal castle to check the current situation
of Velmeria, but it was impossible. After all, the place was already in a state of hell.

I mean, how big was the square in front of the royal castle?

Originally, there was supposed to be a beautiful square with neatly laid cobblestones…
But now, it's only a bare ground, with lots of craters and bumps stretches on and on.

No, some of it is so flat it looks as if it's been graded with a road roller. I've seen this
before in Beastman country. It's definitely the work of Ashwrath.

The surrounding mansions and the royal castle, which was supposed to have been
protected by strong barriers, had completely collapsed, and I couldn't tell where the
square was from where I was. Moreover, the destruction was still ongoing.

Boooaaam!

Boooooom!

Ashwrath wields Gaia in its released state, spreading destruction. As soon as a large
area is crushed by gravity, a huge rock projectile shoots toward the sky. And then they
fall to the ground, spreading a great deal of damage. Even now, a nobleman's mansion
was destroyed in front of me.

I thought he might have already gone on rampage, but I couldn't see any sign of it even
from a distance. I couldn't see the blood-red, ominous and disastrous aura that had
enveloped Ashwrath when the mad demonization was activated. It must mean that
the opponent is strong enough that he has to fight without worrying about damage to
the surrounding area.
In contrast, Velmeria - is that really Velmeria? She is moving at high speed, and I can
barely make out her figure the moment she stops moving slightly, but her appearance
has been transformed too much.

Her light blue hair was still remained, but her entire body was covered with hard
scales. The arms were also enlarged and knotted, clearly out of the human category.
Moreover, she had huge wings on her back. If they were the same kind of wings as a
dragon's, it would be able fly at high speed with magic power.

While Ashwrath fights mainly with earth magic, Velmeria unleashes a wide variety of
magic. I don't know why she doesn't fly, but she was firing a series of magic while
running around on the ground.

Then, Velmeria manifested a pseudo sun.

It was just like the sun that had fallen to the earth, scorching the air and vaporizing
the land. Even from a distance, a tremendous heat was beating down on me. It was so
hot that my body would disappear in an instant.

The remnants of the stone pillar rolling beside me were bubbling and starting to melt
and crumble. I could feel my endurance dwindling even though there should still be
some distance between us, and I hurried to get away from it.

The magic contained in it would easily surpass even my Kanna Kamui that I unleash
with all my might. I'm not sure if it's a flame magic or not. No, the current Velmeria
might be able to do this with a Lv. 8 or 9 skill.

Either way, it's a destructive magic that's impossible for me to do.

Ashwrath popped out of the miniature sun. Smoke billowed from his entire body, and
parts of his arms and face were burned off, but his life was intact. I can't imagine how
he could escape from that thing without losing his life.

Ashwrath turned to face the pseudo-sun, leaping with gravity manipulation.

Immediately afterwards, Ashwrath sidestepped Gaia, and the pseudo-sun contracted
all at once, easily disappearing. The super gravity must have cancelled out the pseudo-
sun.

In its wake was a beautiful spherical hole. The size of the hole was several times the
diameter of the pseudo-sun, no less than fifty meters. It seemed to have vaporized not
only the area it had touched, but also the surrounding land, making it disappear.

Then, Ashwrath launched a counterattack.

In the place where the pseudo-sun was, a small black sphere is now created. It was
really a small sphere, about 30 centimeters in diameter. However, something strange
happened immediately afterwards.

The surrounding rubble and earth began to gather towards the sphere with tremendous
force. Apparently, the super gravity was pulling the surroundings together. (1)

[That's dangerous!]

I was also pulled slightly. I used my teleport again and moved away from the scene. In
terms of impact, it's more than Velmeria's flame magic.

In the meantime, the sphere continued to expand and grow to a huge size as it was
covered with the earth and debris that seemed to have belonged to the royal castle.
The unceasing earth tremors were probably caused by the distortion of the earth over
a wide area, not just in this vicinity.

[And Velmeria is……]

There she is! Right underneath a huge rock floating in the air. She was crawling on all
fours on the ground, trying to hold on. However, she was caught up in the debris that
was being pulled toward the rock lump one after another, and her body finally
separated from the ground.

The new debris immediately covered Velmeria, who had been slammed into the rock,
and swallowed her up inside. The pressure would be tremendous due to the super-
gravity and the weight of the rock mass that had been pulled in.

I thought this was going to be a victory for Ashwrath, but………

Booooooooom!

A small mountain-like mass of rocks floating in the air exploded from within. The
rocks of various sizes that burst apart poured into the surrounding area. The range of
the explosion must have reached the entire noble district.
Although they were small, they were still rocks that had been compressed and
compacted together. The roofs and walls of the houses would be pierced with ease,
and people would be seriously injured at the very least if they were hit. The nearby
area was already in a hellish state to begin with, so it was a little late for that.

Although they may not have been attacking each other in turn, Velmeria next unleashed
her water magic. A huge water snake with eight heads was created and attacked
Ashwrath.

The head of the water snake alone was nearly ten meters long, but it was blown away
by one swing of Gaia's sword. However, that was not the end of Velmeria's attack.

The eight-headed water serpent restricted Ashwrath's movement, and then she
unleashed her main attack. It was a technique that I was familiar with. No, I don't know
if I can say that it's the same as the one I use but………

[Kanna Kamui huh……!]

It was the same sense of defeat that I felt in the battle with Murellia. But at that time,
it was a sense of defeat with hope that I would catch up with her someday.

However, when I saw Kanna Kamui released by Velmeria, what I felt was a sense of
emptiness that I could never catch up with her. I can't even picture the vision of
catching up. I don't even know if I can call it a defeat in the first place. From the very
beginning, there was an overwhelming difference that was not even able to be called
as a match.

It is denser and more powerful polar thunderbolt than the convergence-type Kanna
Kamui used by Murellia, but it is several times thicker.

A huge pillar of lightning pierced the earth and caused a huge explosion. It was so
powerful that the blast even hit me right where I was.

I see, so that's an extreme magic. This is what extreme magic is all about. It is a magic
that exceeds the limits of human being, capable of destroying an army with just one
blow. This must be the true power of Kanna Kamui.

I'm sure I've been unorthodox in my own way, but the battle in front of me was
unorthodox even from my perspective. They unleashed a wide range of mass destruction
attacks on each other, and still there was no sign for it to be settled any soon.
I can see some damage, but the regeneration ability is so high that it would be difficult
to get to the point of taking each other's life if not for an instant kill.

But I can't just sit back and watch until the battle is over. I now has a reason to end this
battle early, even if I has to be a little reckless.

[Aswrath's horns are started to emit a reddish light, aren't they?]

I could see the signs of an outburst from Ashwrath.

[I have to end this fight somehow, before Ashwrath gets out of control………]

Actually, I was thinking that if we escaped outside of the royal capital, maybe there
would be no damage……… After seeing the battle between the Transcenders, my
wishful thinking was blown away.

There was no way we could let it run amok. The damage wouldn't be limited to just
the royal capital if Ashwrath went out of control.

[Should i support Ashwrath……]

However, as I found out when I watched the two of them fight, both of her defenses
and life force were too massive for a few attacks to take kill it.

Even if I managed to create an opening, I wasn't sure if that would be enough to help
Ashwrath defeat Velmeria.

[When it comes to that――I have to aim for the Fanatics huh……]

The broken magic sword that Velmeria is holding. That is definitely the main body of
the Fanatics. The moment I saw it, I immediately knew.

It's a divine sword. There's no need to appraise it. Is the announcer-san inside me
secretly whispering to me?

The Fanatics were bizarre even from a distance, and its presence was no less than
Gaia's in its liberated state.

[If I could just do something about it……]

As I was thinking about that, I noticed something. The Fanatics were getting shorter.
In the short time since I started observing the fierce battle between the two, the blade
of the Fanatics had shortened.
If I take a close look, I can see its blade crumbling away as if it were weathering. It
must be a reaction to the divine sword release. Because I'm often affected by skills
with strong repercussions, I could be sure of that.

Do I have to do something? If the collapse continues at that rate, it won't be long before
it destroys itself. But before that happens, there is a possibility that Ashwrath will start
to run amok too……… No, it's too dangerous to bet on wishful thinking.

[I guess I'll have to take the risk and intervene huh]

If I hadn't seen Gaia before, all I would have been able to do was shudder at the thought
of a battle between two divine swords. The idea of a battle between two superior
divine swords gives me such awe.

[But, still――]

I have to do something.

[However, what should I do?]

I can't break into that fight without a plan.

As long as I can only expect to damage it with a full-blown blow, I will have to prepare
a blow at the perfect time.

I can't use potential release. Because I can't stand it now.

I can use telekinetic catapult after teleporting? No, Its wont work. Against a strong
opponent, there is a high possibility that it can detect my teleport. In fact, some of the
rank A opponents I've fought in the past have avoided it. I should assume that Velmeria
will naturally react as well.

This is where the bad side of not having Fran came in. I would teleport, Fran would
aim, and the two of us would attack. We were able to minimize the gap because we
were able to divide our roles in this way.

[Then, do i have to use telekinesis to catch the opponent?]

If I can use telekinesis to block your opponent's movement, even for a moment, I may
be able to hit them. At the same time, if I use the telekinesis with a guider, the
possibility of missing an attack will be even lower. However, that would make it
impossible for me to use telekinetic catapult.

[No, if only I could use magic together…… Hmm?]

As i was worried, I felt the presence of a person somewhat far away. he seemed to be
using his stealth skills, but his stealth must have wavered for a moment as he tried to
dodge the huge debris that had fallen nearby. In terms of location, he was in the
shadows of the rubble, about 20 meters away from me.

The owner of the presence was Forrund. I didn't think he'd be this close. He seemed
to have immediately normalized his stealth skills, when I caught his presence.

Still, I'm pretty sure that Forrund had almost no stealth skills when I appraised him
before……… His current stealth skill is quite good. It's not inferior to its higher ranks.

But I soon found out why. It was the sword that Forrund currently held in his right
hand. It was probably a magic sword that Forrund had created with his extra skill, the
love of the Sword God. It seems to have the ability to grant the wearer a stealth skill.
In addition, the magic sword in his left hand has the same type of stealth ability.

When i think about it, that was amazing. It would be possible to handle any situation
by creating a magic sword with the most appropriate ability for the situation.
Moreover, Forrund can create more than 100 swords at the same time, right? That
would be like suddenly having 100 more skills.

It's quite bad if he was our enemy. Well, I suppose it's the same for me and Fran's skill
sharing.

Should I fight with Forrund here? But as long as I’m not using the doppelganger, it will
reveal my true identity.

Forrund huh……… I don't mind revealing my true identity to this man. I've met him
many times before, and I've never had a bad impression of him. He's usually very
intimidating because he's often involved in combat, and he sometimes can be scary.
However, he never once had any negative feelings towards Fran or me.

That's probably why Fran has a strange fondness for Forrund. Although they hadn't
talked that much, it was clear that Fran liked Forrund.
No, this is an emergency. There was no time for hesitation. If fighting together would
increase our chances of survival, then we should have fought together.

[Forrund…… Can you hear me?]

(Hmm? What's this voice? Who are you?)

[Aah, I’m not an enemy. I'm the master of the Black Lightning Princess. I'm talking to
you with telepathy]

(Is that so, then I'll believe you. I don't sense any malice in your words)

Somehow, he believed me so easily. No, I don't have time for useless thoughts right
now, so I'll just be thankful.

[I have one favor to ask]

(What is it? Ask me anything)

[Velmeria-do you have a back-up plan that could take down the dragon girl?]

This made me think that if Forrund had a powerful special move, I could just
cooperate――.

(No, I don't have the offensive power to finish that thing off. It's beyond the human
realm)

[I see]

(How about you?)

[There is, but……… Hey, that sword-shooting skill. What's the point of that thing if it's
not your equipment or a sword under your control?]

(No, that's not the case. It's an ability originally created by my skills to control swords,
but the effect is to manipulate swords within a certain range)

So, it's like a sword-only telekinesis. If so, maybe we can cooperate.

With Forrund's firing ability, I would be able to direct all of my telekinesis to restraint
Velmeria.

Anyway, wasn't Forrund more of a quiet guy? I thought he was a man who always said
only a few words. However, when I used telepathy, he talked normally. Maybe he's just
not very talkative in general, but he's thinking a lot in his head. I felt a little closer to
him when I thought about that.

[I need Forrund's help. Can you lend me your strength?]

(Yea, fine with me. What should I do?)

That's a quick decision. I can count on him.

[Let's meet up first. I'll go over there. Don't be surprised, okay?]

(?)
I teleported under Forrund.

“Huh?”

[Oops, don't be surprised――is that too much to ask huh? Well, I am Master, an
Intelligence Weapon]

“……I see”

[Eh? Aaa…]

“Hmmh”

Is that all? Isn't it too early to be convinced? I'm ashamed of myself for saying “Don't
be surprised!” with a smug look on my face.

[Ma, maybe you know other intelligence weapon besides me?]

“No”

[I-is that so huh…]

Anyway, aren't you talking too much differently than you did during telepathy?

[Uh, when you're connected via telepathy, you can talk with your mind. You're better
off this way, right?]

(Is that so? I don't mind if you do)

[Everyone says you don't talk much, don't they?]

(A few often said me like that, but not everyone)

Yeah, maybe some people are too scared to point it out. Well, I hope we can cooperate
well. Then I told Forrund about my plan.

What we need to do is simple. Accelerate with Forrund's abilities supported with my

magic and skills. We'll use the Dimension Gate to try to surprise her. The target is the
Fanatics equipped by Velmeria.

It would be best if we could destroy it, but what we are aiming for is to weaken it
through cannibalism. It is a skill that absorbs part of the abilities of the person you
kill, but this is not the case with Fanatics, I should destroy it.

It seems that the personality of the Fanatics is a kind of collective consciousness. their
words and actions, as well as their ability to take the minds and memories of the
people they kill and integrate them into themselves, would certainly confirm it.

And when my attack damages a part of their consciousness, a part of the collective
consciousness dies and is absorbed by me through cannibalism. Even if I can't
completely destroy the pseudo fanatic sword or the fanatics themselves, the
cannibalism is still in effect, so this must be true.

If that's the case, I'll be able to weaken the Fanatics' abilities by inflicting a painful
blow with my attack, and provide cover for Ashwrath. If I'm successful, I may be able
to greatly speed up the Fanatics' self-destruction.

The only question is whether I can stand it or not. But now I had no choice but to do
it. Cannibalism is the only way to ensure that I can damage the Fanatics.

In truth, it would be quicker if we could tell Ashwrath about our plan and get him to
cooperate, but we needed to get closer to deliver the telepathy. But if I got any closer,
Velmeria would notice me. I couldn't take that risk.

[The question is, can we do any damage in the first place? we're dealing with an
opponent who hasn't been destroyed by Ashwrath's super attack. If i can't do any
damage, it won't even trigger cannibalism]

(Then―――what do you think?)

[But then―――]

(Even so―――)
[I mean―――]

And with each other's input, we formulate a strategy.

(That would give us a chance)

[Are you sure you want to do it?]

(I don't care. As long as I'm the only one who can help to take him down, I'm all yours.

[……I'm not going to sacrifice you, but I'm not going to go easy on you either, okay?]

(Of course. You don't have to worry about me)

To be honest, it's a lot of burden for Forrund, but it's a better idea than my plan.

[Also, a word of advice. If anyone but Fran equips me, they will die. I'm serious. If you
just hold me in your hand, you'll be fine]

(Huh? Got it, I’ll be careful)

[……Are you sure?]

(About what?)

[No. you are not afraid to just hold me?]

(If I don't equip you, it wouldn't be a problem, right? What does it matter?)

As expected of a rank A adventurer. He has great courage. I'm counting on him.

(I also have one piece of advice for you)

[Eh? What is it?]

(I have the ability to analyze and duplicate magic swords. In this case of you, master, I
knew at first glance that it was impossible to duplicate you……… However, analysis
will be possible to some extent. This is done automatically, so I have no control over
it. In some cases, things like the Master's secrets might be revealed to me)
[I see]

However, as long as Forrund had the love of the Sword God, I was prepared for that. In
fact, it would be a blessing just to not be able to duplicate me. In order to increase the
odds of victory, there was no choice but to not borrow Forrund's power.

[Aah, if you figure out something, I'd appreciate it if you'd keep your mouth shut]

(Of course)

Forrund's words are trustworthy, even though I was not using the truth of falsehood.
I wonder why it is? Is it because he is like a man without his backbone? (1)

[The aim is the moment when Ashwrath stops Velmeria from moving]

(Oh. Let's put all our energy into this one blow)

[I counting on you]

(That's my line. We need to stop that girl)

[Leave it to me. I'll give it my all]

(Umu)

First, Forrund created about ten new magic swords. The first is the invisible sniper's
sword, which has a sniper function that increases the accuracy of long-range attacks,
the second is a telekinetic sword, and the third has the ability to control the wind.

It seems that thanks to the love of the Sword God skill, he can use his ability to create
a magic sword without holding it in his hand. He thrusts his magic swords up against
the ground around him.

The last thing Forrund created was a magic sword with a short blade but a powerful
presence. It was a jet-black sword breaker with a row of animal fang-like protrusion
on its back.

If I didn't know that I was a discarded divine sword, I might have harboured a rivalry
with it. That's how vicious its atmosphere is.
[Is that, your ace card?]

(Yeah, its name is [Agito the Demon Wolf]. It's a high-grade magic sword that was
made by grinding the fangs of a Fenrir, the demon wolf that devours everything) (2)

[Fenrir……]

Seriously? When I heard that, I felt a sense of familiarity to that magical sword. I can't
help but be curious about this sword. Is there really a Fenrir in me?

(What's wrong?)

[Aah, no. Don't mind]

(Is that so? This magic sword has two abilities: one is to weaken the barrier of the
person it touches. The other is the ability to absorb the durability of the armor it
touches, making it more fragile. On the other hand, this magic sword is getting
stronger and stronger)

That's pretty cool. If the sword had those two abilities, it would make something
strong even stronger.

[Surely, if we have it, that would really help………]

(I didn't expect it to be the Fanatics, but it should be effective against that sword too. I
don't know how far I can go to reduce the durability of that thing, though)

[Still, I'm starting to see some hope]

(If so, then)

[Yeah, let's go]

Forrund, who had grabbed my hilt, staggered lightly as if he were dizzy.

He's not equipped me, why!

“Guh…”

[A-are you okay?]

(The amount of information from analyse was too much…… For now, let's just focus
on the attack)

[A, yeah]

Thank God. The goddess' curse had not fallen on him. What did he can see? Well, I'll
ask him when the battle is over and we're both still alive.

Forrund quickly regained his stance and aimed me with his right eye. As Forrund's
magical power enveloped my blade, my body left his hand and slowly floated into the
air.

So, this is what happens when someone used telekinesis on me huh. It's a strange
feeling.

Forrund pulls his right hand back and takes a stance as if to deliver a punch. I'm
floating as the extension of his palm. his left hand was thrust forward as if to keep me
steady and straight.

I also used my shapeshift skills to transform into a cone shape to reduce air resistance.
I'm going to put all my strength into the tip of my sword.

“All sets”

[Okay]
Somehow, I started to understand him a little. I feel like we're on the same page. Is this
another ability of the Love of the Sword God? It would not be surprising if he had the
ability to communicate with the sword or something like that.

As I stared at Ashwrath's aura, which was growing redder, I suppressed my impatience

and continued to observe Velmeria.

[Not yet…… a little more……]

“……”

My current state, where I've built up my strength to the limit, must be a tremendous
load. The blood vessels on his forehead swelled to the point of bursting, and I could
hear his arms creaking. However, he clenched his teeth and endured the pain. I guess
he's similar to Fran in this way too.

As I watched for the right moment, the moment finally came.

Ashwrath's attack knocked Velmeria to the ground. She got up instantly, but was held
in place by super gravity.

[……Now!]

“Here I go, Master!”

At the moment I shouted, Forrund's magic power surged and exploded. I was shot out
of Forrund's palm at super high speed.

[Uwooooooooh!]

I opened the dimension gate over Velmeria. It wasn't directly above her, because I
needed some distance to accelerate.

I simultaneously activated flame magic, wind magic, thunderbolt magic, and space-
time magic to accelerate myself. The effect is enhanced as much as possible by
controlling fire and wind magic.

In order to increase my speed and power as much as possible. I also used Gravity
Pressure on myself to draw me into the target.
I also did not neglect to increase my attack power. In addition to Super Gravitation and
Vibration Fangs, I used the Dark and Light attribute swords at the same time. Dark
attribute was chosen because it attacked the opponent's spirit directly, increasing the
activation rate of my cannibalism as much as possible.

As for light, it was a gamble. I can see that Velmeria has high resistance to the four
basic attributes and the composite attribute. So, I thought that light, a rare attribute,
would be better.

Not only that, but I was also able to copy the rapid acceleration by magic release that
the Fanatics were using back then.

While being pushed out by the telekinesis of Forrund, I instantly gained an unbelievable
amount of acceleration due to the multiple activation of his skills at the very limit of
his control power. Normally, I would lose control and be blown away.

However, with the guidance of my telekinesis, i went straight

The tremendous recoil caused by the simultaneous use of magic and skills is quickly
eroding my durability. However, this was to be expected. Forrund is risking his life, so
I have to risk everything!

[Wraaaaaa!]

Velmeria's eyes are looking at me. She's clearly reacting. But she won't be able to
intercept. Because Forrund was standing in front of her.

As soon as he shot me, he dove through the other dimension gate I had opened and
attacked Velmeria. Because she was able to react to my sudden appearance in the sky,
she was only a moment too late to respond to Forrund who had appeared behind the
scenes.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Forrund had succeeded in blocking Velmeria’s

movement. Forrund used the sword breaker in his hand to tightly secure the Fanatics.

Of course, with the power of Forrund alone, she would be easily shaken loose.
However, it was the super-gravity of Ashwrath that held her to the earth. It was
impossible to shake that off in an instant.

Not even Velmeria could shake off Forrund, who had challenged her with the
determination to throw everything away.

“Gaah!”

“Won't let you escape!”

[UWOOOOOOO!]

Then, I turned into a super-fast bullet and pierced the Fanatics, along with Forrund's
arm and his magic sword. It was probably thanks to Agito the sword of demon wolf.
The Fanatics, which had boasted such great defensive power, were shattered into
pieces.

Forrund was blown away by my blow, spraying a lot of blood. Still, at the moment we
crossed, Forrund was certainly smiling.

But I don't have the luxury of caring for him right now.

[Gyiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii――――!]

Is it mine, or the Fanatics', or a combination of our screams?

I was screaming unconsciously at the tremendous torrent of magic power flowing into
me.
[IiiiIIIiiii――！]

Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no!

What is this!

Unbelievable magic power is…!

Hot! Hot, hot! Something is burning inside of me! I'm burning, burning, and seemed to
pop!

[GUhGHaaaaghaaaaaaiiiiii!]

It's disgusting! A strange feeling as if countless bugs were crawling around inside my
head, inside my body, and all over my body.

[UwaaaaAaaaAaaa!]

Help! Help me!

I will break……!

[Gha, GHaah……]

Gkiiiiin!

[?]

Suddenly, there's a sound like something cracking. What was it? what's cracking――.

It was right after that.

[UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA――!]

Black stuff overflows from deep inside me.

It hurts, it's hot, it's cold, it's painful. It's just that something black is covering and
invading my insides. No, this is me too. It's an entity that makes up myself. I
understood this intuitively.

[Devour it]

[Ghaaaa……!]

[Devour it]

[AAAAAghuh……?]

[Devour it, Devour it!]

[Ghuh…… What is this? Ghaaa!]

Devour?

[Devour it! Devours everything!]

Devour what…? Everything…? You're a part of me, but you're not me. Who are you?

[Listen to my voice! Surrender yourself to me! Surrender yourself to me!]

A voice echoing directly in my mind. The image is black. An evil and terrifying thing is
screaming inside me.

[Devour it! Devour the Heaven and earth, gods and demons, people and beast, devour
them all, devour everything!]

What came through in his voice was an intense sense of hunger. The word "devour"
means exactly what it sounds like. Its to eats flesh, slurps blood, swallows the earth,
and even bites through the heavens. This black thing is capable of that.

[Ugh!]
What I felt in response was tremendous anger. My mind was filled with anger.

You can't just say whatever you want! You want to devour everything? And by people,
you mean Fran too huh!

Don't mess with me! I won't allow anyone to kill Fran, even if it's me! If you're going
to kill Fran, you'll have to kill me first, me! Oh, shit! I don't even understand it! I don't
know what I'm talking about! My thoughts are all jumbled up!

[AAAAAAHH! You're so noisy! Shut the fuck up!]

Maybe because of my anger, but the pain and discomfort went away.

[Why don't you obey me! Obey me!]

[I said shut the fuck up!]

[………!]

What? It did shut up? I guess i just have to command it to…

The lord of that voices――I could see that the black evil thing was clearly confused.
Then, it rapidly lost its power. It didn't disappear, nor did it leave me, but I could feel
it receding deep inside me.

Anyway…… how did it work?

It was right after I thought that. I heard a high-pitched voice, different from the one I
had just heard.

[Kehihihihi! It's funny to see what the guy who ate us was like!]

[You're next huh――]

I don't know why I know who they are. Maybe there's something that the discarded
divine sword can communicate with each other.

[Fanatics huh?]

[Kihihihihi! Now what? We are what we are! But you've got one hell of a thing going
on here!]

Every time the Fanatics speak, their voice tone changes. It could be a man, a woman,
an old man, or a child. But the fanatics were inside me. It seems that cannibalism was
triggered and ate the Fanatics. I was in so much pain that I didn't even notice it.

However, this was the first time that I could feel so clearly the being I had absorbed
through cannibalism. As soon as I became aware of it, a sick feeling came over me.

[Ughooh……!]

[Guhahahaha! You were originally a human! So pitiful!]

[Wha-what do you mean…?]

[Someday, you will definitely go crazy! The body of a sword, the mind of a man! There's
no way you can stand it! One day, you will go mad! Just like we did!]

[I won't go crazy!]

[That's impossible! We're going to watch you from the inside. We're gonna watch you
went crazy! And finally, you will kill your own wielder at the end!]

[Shit! You are so noisy!]

[Gyaha――gha! What the…!]

The Fanatics, who had been ranting and raving about the joke inside me, suddenly
writhed in agony.

[Wha-what the hell is going on inside of you?]

Fanatics raise a frightened voice. It's Announcer-san who bites into that spirit. I can
see that Announcer-san - or what's left of Cherubim - absorbs the Fanatics.

[Wha-what the hell is this! Why is there a being of our kind inside of you…! Stop it!
Don't devour us! Stop! We're not going away! We won't going
AWAAAAAAaaaaaay――――]

With that exclamation, the horrible feeling of disgust that had overtaken me completely
disappeared. Just like that.

[……It's finally over?]

[……]

There was no one to answer my mutter. I thought that maybe announcer-san would
answer me, but no. However, I could feel its presence increase slightly. Perhaps, if I
continue use cannibalism, Announcer-san might come back one day.

But my condition is pretty bad. The blade is completely shattered, and to the casual
observer it would appear to have been broken. I'm not sure if I'm still under the
influence of the divine attributes, but my regeneration is slow.

However, my durability value was slowly recovering. I guess I survived just in the nick
of time………

[No, rather than about me, what happened to Velmeria!]

Had her rampage stopped? I hurriedly checked my surroundings.

[Velmeria is――there she is!]

At some distance away, I saw Velmeria lying on the ground. Her body had returned to
its original human-like form. I could see her chest rising and falling lightly. She seemed
to be alive.

The super magic power emanating from her body had vanished and she was rather
dying. Her right arm was blasted off, along with her fanatics, and the right half of her
body was torn to shreds.

On the opposite side of Velmeria, I could also see Ashwrath lying on the ground.

[Oi, Ashwrath?]

“Shih, Master, huh?”

The words come back to me, albeit weakly.

[You're not out of control, are you?]

“It's thanks to you……”

Apparently, the worst had been averted.

[……Forrund is!]

Forrund was lying on the ground some distance away. I somehow managed to control
my telekinesis as I flew low, occasionally scraping my hilt on the ground, and managed
to get close to Forrund.

[This is……]

He makes it, but he's in bad shape. The area from the right clavicle to the right ribs
was completely gouged out, exposing internal organs and bones. The left arm was also
missing from the elbow up. The ground, which had been levelled by the fierce battle,
was stained black by his massive blood loss.

“Uggh…”

But he was still alive. His remaining left lung was moving slightly, and I could hear his
heartbeat faintly. I hurriedly continued to use recovery magic on Forrund which was
about to be lost his life.

I was really glad that I had recovered my magic power from cannibalizing the Fanatics.

[Forrund! Forrund!]

“I'm fine, now……”

He makes it huh? Forrund raised himself up on his own, still flooding with a lot of
blood from the section of his shredded shoulder.

As it was, He immediately produced several magic swords. Then his arm started to
regenerate slowly. He must have created magic swords of the recovery and
regeneration type. Forrund ability to respond is still amazing.

[You're safe. Thank God]

(It's been a while since I've had a conversation with my dead friend)

Does that mean you almost went to the other side?

While I was recovering Forrund, Ashwrath, who was now able to stand up on his own,
was checking on Velmeria's condition. Then he suddenly held up Gaia above her.

[Ashwrath! She's not rampaging anymore! You don't have to kill her!]

“It's fine. Well, have a look”

I can't feel any killing intent. It seems that he is not trying to kill her. Ashwrath held
Gaia above Velmeria.

“Smile of the Earth”

As Ashwrath muttered it, gentle magic power overflowed from Gaia and enveloped
Velmeria. The dying Velmeria's complexion improved, and the wounds all over her
body began to heal. Its recovery power was probably even greater than Greater Heal.
It seemed that Gaia had not only the power to attack, but also the power to heal.

It also means that there's a powerful means of recovery for a rampaging Ashwrath
right.

“…Ugh…”

“Miss, are you okay?”

“…i…… where is this…?”

There was a possibility that the Fanatics would absorb her spirit and she would never
regain consciousness, but apparently the worst had been avoided. The Fanatics
seemed to have lost their original power due to the damage, and they might not even
have the power to integrate other's spirit into their own.

If they could completely integrate their mind into their host, there would be no need
for a magic drug to manipulate them. No, Gallus and the others were not supposed to
wake up because of that magic drugs………

“You don't remember anything huh. It's all right. Now go back to sleep”
“……Shyuー………”

Even if she survived, she must have been on the edge mentally and physically. She fell
asleep again as if she had fainted.

[Hey, Ashwrath. Does your current recovery technique have any effect on healing the
symptoms someone under a magic drugs effect?]

“Magic drugs? No, it one only heals wounds”

[Then how did Velmeria wake up? Isn't she suffering from the after-effects of the
magic drugs?]

“Master, maybe it's because she haven't taken the magic drugs for long enough right?
She had just been taken, hadn't she?”

[I see]

Although a large amount of magic drugs was used to manipulate her mind, the
aftereffects may have been small due to the short period of time it was administered.
The amount of magic drugs that accumulated in her body was probably very small.

“………Thanks for the help, you two”

I'm sure he meant what he said. Ashwrath is wounded to the bone. The wound itself
has healed, but the drain on his magic and life force has not yet recovered. In addition,
the demonization has progressed considerably. The mental exhaustion must be more
than we can imagine.

“She was a bit of a strong opponent. I don't know what I would have done without you
guys”

[That's our line. If it weren't for Ashwrath, the damage would have been much worse.
Well, I wouldn't say the damage was small though……]

It's a pretty extensive wasteland. Half of the noble's district is probably in this state.
I'm sure that none of the remaining mansions are undamaged. In addition, there was
no trace of the huge castle that had been standing there as the symbol of the country.

There are also the suicide bombings of pseudo fanatic swords in civilian areas and
slums, and the damage done to this royal city must be unimaginably huge.

[Still, we were able to defeat the Fanatics, thanks to Ashwrath]

“Yeah”

“Well, I guess it's mutual then. However, I've gone a little overboard. I'd better get the
hell out of here”

[Eh? Ashwrath?]

“I'll take the little girl, okay?”

[Wha-wait a moment! What do you mean?]

Sheathing Gaia, Ashwrath carries the still-unawake Velmeria on his shoulders. He

means he's leaving like that? And with Velmeria with him?

But Forrund seemed to agree with him.

“It's for the good of this country”

I don't know what Forrund's words mean. For the good of the country?

“Well, if I do say so myself, this battle caused a lot of damage. I'm not saying that I'm
not to blame. But, you see, if a country tries to capture me and bring me to the courts,
it won't just end up being this country's problem”

Ashwrath and Forrund explain it to me. In other words, it seems that the existence of
Ashwrath is too big of a problem for them.

Let's say they've captured Ashwrath for the destruction of the royal capital. And make
him pay for his crime. But that's the hard part.

First of all, a death penalty is out of the question. If he were in a danger of dying, the
mad demonization will just be triggered on its own and cause great damage again. He
can't even kill himself.

They can't even enslave him. He'll also be protected by mad demonization. Unless if
Ashwrath is willing to serve on his own. But how can a country would use a monster
that could go on a rampage at any moment?

If Ashwrath wanted to, he could probably do everythings. But he comes with a super-
strong bomb with a time limit waiting until it explodes. If it explodes, it will wipe
several cities off the map. And no one knows when the time limit will come. If there is
a politician who wants to keep him in his country, he is either a fool or a madman.

Then send them to the enemy? That is also out of the question. They can't let Ashwrath
get involved in a war. If they do that, the Adventurers' Guild will turn against them. If
the guild, which takes the stance of not being involved in wars, were to use its rank S
adventurers to a war, they would do whatever they could to destroy the country in
order to save face. Otherwise, the organization pride itself would be tarnished.

No, it was a problem before that too. In the first place, it was difficult to unilaterally
accuse Ashwrath of a crime.

This incident, in large part, was a coup d’etat by Marquis Ashtner. Many adventurers
have lost their lives, and the responsibility for overseeing them lies with the country.
Depending on their point of view, Ashwrath's fight to stop Marquis Ashtner's trump
card could be said to have saved the country.

If they charge Ashwrath with a crime, the Adventurers' Guild will come to his defense.
If the country opposed it, a conflict would break out between the two. It was the
country that would lose out.

Furthermore, the neighbouring countries would also react sensitively to the situation.
After all, Ashwrath possessed a divine sword. It was not surprising for them to think,
for the Kingdom of Kranzel wanted that divine sword.

Instead of reparations. Or to take it away after his death penalty. Whether it was
feasible or not, just being told that that was what they were aiming for could have been
a lead to diplomatic problem.

On the other hand, what if they put all the blame on Marquis Ashtner and hold up
Ashwrath as the hero of the nation's salvation? That's too, will become another
problem. There is a possibility that they might think that they are trying to get rank S
adventurers into their country.

Rather, this was more of a problem. The fact that they were trying to possess a
superweapon could be seen as having some kind of ulterior motives.
After all, Ashwrath was an untouchable existence that was beyond their own power
no matter how they handle him. The smartest thing to do would be to stay uninvolved
with him. Even the Beast King had left him alone.

The safest course of action for both the Kingdom of Kranzel and Ashwrath would be
for Ashwrath to voluntarily leave the country and be exiled.

When a mass destroyer with the nickname of "Friendly Fire" were to roam the world
as usual, I guess all countries will respond in a similar way.

If this were anyone other than Ashwrath, this would not be happening. They will be
captured and enslaved. No, the normal route would be execution.

In other words, Velmeria was at high risk of becoming one. She was the Count's
concubine's child, and she didn't have a lot of power. Moreover, she was the party
responsible for the greatest act of destruction. She was not going to go unpunished.

To be honest, I have no ill feelings toward Velmeria. The residents of the royal capital
would probably have a different opinion, but all I felt was pity. I think she was just
caught in the middle of it, she was dealing with a marquis and a divine sword that had
spent forty years preparing for this. I don't think they could have gotten away with it.
If Ashwrath was willing to help her, then I was fine with that.

[Please take care of Velmeria]

“I guess this something i have to do. You can leave her to me. I won't let anything bad
happen to her”

[I was hoping you'd go see Fran too though]

“That will be difficult. Well, Se you soon then”

When she wakes up, Fran must be disappointed.

[Where are you going?]

“I was originally planned to follow Zelos Reed to the continent of Gordisia. It's the
perfect place to hide her daughter, and I'll be hunting demon beast on that continent
for a while”
[Is Zelos Reed on the continent of Gordisia?]

“I'm just saying it's highly possible he might be there”

The continent of Gordisia is recruiting talented warriors to fight against the Rank S
demonic beasts, and it seems that if you are strong enough, your past history wouldn't
be an issue. It is said to be the last place criminals from all over the world flee to.

[I see]

“Then, I’m going? Master, Forrund, see you again”

“Yea”

[See ya]

Although he must not be in his top form, Ashwrath leaves with a firm steps. If it
weren't for Velmeria on his shoulder, it would be a perfect picture.

He went to different direction from the gate, but……… Well, I guess he'll find a way.

[Forrund, what will you do now?]

“I'm going to guild master”

[I see. Then I'll go with you. I mean, I'd appreciate it if you could carry me. If i stay like
this, I'll looks like a sword that flies and moves on its own]

“Yeah, understood”

His wound finally healed, but he's still dizzy, Forrund carried me on his back and
started walking toward the main gate.
After sending Ashwrath off, I was moving along with Forrund on his back.

[Hey, It's about Ashwrath, but can't we just say that the country or something made
the request in advance? That way, the country can say that they anticipated the coup
and took countermeasures in advance? It would protect their prestige a little]

Fran actually did so in the beastman country. But Forrund shook his head.

(If it weren't for Ashwrath-dono, that might not be a problem. But when it comes to
that man, it's a different story)

[Because he have a divine sword huh?]

(Rather, it is probably because he specializes in mass destruction. In the case of

Ashwrath-dono, most of his anecdotes are about mass destruction and genocide. Of
course, most of the stories were told on the battlefield, and many of the older
anecdotes have been passed down as heroic tales……)

The fact that he favored Ashwrath, who could destroy a country by himself, would be
called ambitious in the first place. In peace times, they might not have cared so much.
Other countries would have had the option of treating Ashwrath with diplomatic
excuses.

However, the Kingdom of Kranzel, whose major cities, the Royal Capital and Barbra,
were damaged one after the other, had suffered a major blow to its national power
and prestige. In this situation, it was dangerous to do anything that would antagonize
other countries. Especially with the ambitious kingdom of Raidos in the north,
relations with other countries would be important.

(Of course, it is possible that the government's decision may be different. It's just that
Ashwrath-dono has made that decision……… If he turn himself in, he may have a
trouble with the government. But if he walks away without saying a word, nothing in
particular will happen. The latter would be the safer option)
[Such a thing huh……]

(Yeah, it's a shame, though)

I never think what Ashwrath and Forrund have thought of? Besides, they've been
doing this for decades. I'm sure that Ashwrath himself knows best what to do.

In the first place, I don't think that Ashwrath, who fought against a terrorist and stop
them was guilty.

(No, even though it was an act of force majeure (1), he attacked the royal castle where
the king resides and caused great damage to the noble town. How can he not be
charged with a crime?)

I have a soft spot for Ashwrath, so my judgment may be a little bit on Ashwrath's side.
Let's cool down a bit and try to put this into Japanese perspective.

One day, a defective super robot weapons owned by the Self-Defense Force was
manipulated by a terrorist suddenly appears and starts wreaking havoc in Tokyo.
They unleash beams and missiles, and if left unchecked, Japan will be in danger! Just
then, the same type of Super Robot #2 appears. Super Robot #2 uses the same super
weapons to defeat the terrorist robots. However, the area around the Tokyo
Metropolitan Government was burnt to ashes, and hundreds of people lost their
lives……

Yeah, it's bad. If the pilot of No. 2 appeared on the side of justice, there would be many
people throwing stones on him. The internet would go up in flames, and there would
be far more people who would be against it than support for it.

No, I don't think I can use modern Japan as comparison in the first place. This is an
aristocratic country, not a law-abiding country. After all, it might be better to just walk
away and avoid the commotion. Well, Ashwrath has already left, so there's no point in
thinking about it any more……

[Haaah, let's change the mood and see my changes after cannibalism]

Then I checked my status and let out an involuntary squeal of surprise.

[Ugghhh?]
“Hmmm?”

[No, sorry. Don't mind me]

“Very well”

My ability had grown much more than I had imagined. To my surprise, my magic
power had increased by 5000. That's almost 1.5 times more. My endurance value had
also increased by more than 3000.

I had eaten the divine sword, even though it was nearly broken. Perhaps this much
was natural. And it wasn't just the ability value that I gained from the cannibalism.

I had added a new skill to my skill set called Magic Power Supply. This is a skill that
allows you to share your magic power with your user. Fran had always been able to
draw out my magic power, but with this new skill, she would be able to reduce her
losses and increase her efficiency significantly.

As I check my abilities in this way, I soon see a line of people being evacuated. The one
leading the people in the hall is Count Bailleys. I can also see Eliante and Colbert.

Fran's presence was already outside the city. It seems that Urushi has went exactly like
what i told him to.

(Master, I'd like to report to the Count. Do you mind?)

[I think it's better that way too]

The evacuation of the people will proceed in vain if we do not inform them of what is
going on. I don't know if there is no more danger in the city, but we should tell them
that we have killed the Marquis and the Fanatics.

So Forrund approached the counts who were desperately trying to take command.
Eliante was the first one to notice us. She called out to Forrund with an anxious
expression. Count Bailleys soon approached as well.

“Forrund! So, you're safe!”

“Yeah”
“So what happened………? I can't hear any battle anymore……”

“It's over”

“Does this mean that Ashwrath-dono has won?”

“Yeah”

Oh, no. He can't make a proper report with Forrund's complexity to talk! Telepathy.
I'm used to it with Fran, so leave this to me.

“Ashwrath has won. Marquis Ashtner has fallen. The swordsmen under his command
blew themselves up and died”

[Oi, there's more to it than that. Report properly!]

(It can't be helped. I can't speak any more fluently than what I already do)

I guess it was hard for him to come up with long lines out of nowhere! But you have to
do your best here.

“What happened to the girl who was fighting Ashwrath-dono?”

“Ashwrath defeated her”

“! Is-is that so……”

“And Ashwrath is?”

“Already left to avoid trouble”

Even if we were to tell the Count the truth, there are too many people's ears in this
place. I'm sorry for the Count's shock at hearing of his daughter's death, but please
bear with it for a little while longer.

“Forrund?”

“Forrund-san?”

Eliante and Colbert were looking at Forrund with puzzled expressions. After all, it
seemed strange to see the normally quiet Forrund talking for so long.

Still, Forrund did his best and managed to convey the information we knew to the
Count and the others. Based on this information, the Count and the others began to
discuss the situation in the city and how to guide the evacuation in the future. I guess
we can leave the rest to them.

[Then, Forrund. Let’s head to Fran]

“Okay”

As Forrund turns himself around, Eliante rushes to keep him back.

“Hold on! Where are you going? I was hoping you could help me with this, if you don't
mind”

“No”

Forrund shook his head and put his hand lightly on my back. Eliante must have seen
me before. He is looking at me lightly.

“Return Fran's swords”

“That swords is…”

“He leave it to me”

“I-is… that so. Then it can't be helped”

“Yeah”

Eliante looked sad. Colbert was also drooping for some reason. Oh, did they think I'm
dead? The way Forrund said it, it was like my last wish when i was about to die.

But before I could get him to correct it, Forrund had left the. Well, we'll have to correct
him later.

On the road, I asked Forrund a question that had been bothering me.

[Hey, what kind of information about me were you able to analyze with the love of the
Sword God skill?]

Then Forrund answer back with a difficult look.

(Normally, I'd be able to learn more about the maker and the sword's capabilities, but
this time, I just saw a strange sight)

[A strange sight?]

(………… That was the scene where a man is led by someone and sealed inside a sword
that emits an evil aura. The sword seemed to resemble Master's, but the details were
a little different)

[Wha-What kind of sword was that?]

(The blade and other parts of the blade were very similar to Master's, but the design
of the handle was different. I think it was a four-sided woman shape, not a wolf)

No doubt about it. It's the cherubim. I'm not sure what the aura of evil is, but it's a
dangerous divine sword that the gods ordered to be destroyed. Maybe it has
something to do with that. And the scene where the man is enclosed in it is………

[Wh-what did the man look like?]

(Fumu……)

[What's wrong?]

(He was a simple man with no distinctive features other than his black hair and black
eyes. In fact, the fact that he was so plain might be a characteristic of him)

[I-is that so……]

My heart aches……… But I'm pretty sure it's me.

[Maybe that was me]

(Was Master originally a person?

[Yeah. I was the human soul that is sealed inside this sword. Well, I'm not exactly sure
who did this to me though]

If I talk to Forrund in detail, he might be able to tell me who else was involved in my
making besides Elmera.

[What did it look like?]

(You don't remember?)

[Yeah, not at all. So, I need to know]

(I see. But I didn't see everything either. It's like I was looking through a haze, like a
vision)

[I'm okay with that]

(Then. The first thing I saw was the three pillars)

[Three pillars? Not three persons?]

That's a pretty exaggerated word.

(This is what happens when a god or his family is involved with the sword I analyze,
but the analysis doesn't work and I can only see strange sights)

[You think that's what happened when you touched me?]

(That's right. A disturbing image appeared in my mind, a god, or three people who
seemed to be his family members, were having a conversation with Master)

[Do you know what they says?]

(I'm sorry. It's just, the Master was smiling)

Apparently, there was no sound in his vision. Still, it must be a big clue. I asked Forrund
to explain as much as he could remember.

The location is unknown. The image seemed to be as if the characters were floating in
the sky. There were three characters, but their faces were unknown. But they looked
like women. Are they goddesses, or are they members of a female-formed deity?………
I was brought in by one of them, and after some conversation, I was enclosed in the
sword. To Forrund, it looked as if I had agreed to it of my own free will, as I smiled.

(Then a strange thing happened. One of the goddesses held up her hand, and a strange
image appeared in the air, as if it had been pulled out of Master)

[What was it?]

(I didn't see Master in that sight…… I'm looking up at an amazingly tall, rectangular
tower of buildings in a neat row. Maybe the owner of that gaze is lying on the ground.
But it looked like he was badly injured. Because when I moved my gaze, I could see his
body and hands covered in blood)

Could that be a memory from when I died? Actually, that part is fuzzy. I remember
being hit by a car, but then I found myself in a sword and………

(I also saw a scene where he was staring at a woman in a beautiful dress on a bed, and
another scene where he was walking hand in hand with a young woman)

No, maybe it's not my memory. I don't remember it at all.

(Then, in a strange square board, a naked woman and a man are glamorously――) (2)

[Wha-wait stop!]

How to explain it. It's that thing. No, but this is an important clue. I can't just cut it off
because I was embarrassed………

[I'm sorry, keep going]

“Okay”

Forrund describes a few other scenes that he saw. Apparently, they were a memory of
a meal or a movie, or sad memories of being rejected by a woman. The rest of the
memories seemed to be sexy - well, erotic.

I don't remember any of them at all. No. Did God take my memory away? Is that why I
have no memory? But even Forrund doesn't know the details he says. Considering the
fact that I was smiling as I was sealed in the sword, it seems I had convinced myself……
If it was a memory from the time of my death, it may still have some meaning, but I
don't see the point of taking away other memories as well.

(The rest, yes…… I see a coat of arms)

[Coat of arms?]

(Yes, the gods have their own symbols, and the three women wore emblems
representing those symbols)

Forrund saw that it was a symbol of three pillars: The Goddess of Chaos, the Goddess
of the Silver Moon, and the Goddess of the Underworld.

[So you're saying that it was those three goddesses or their families that created me?]

(I think so)

Hmmm, I guess I'll have to find out more about these goddesses. I've heard of them by
name, but I don't know much more about them.

(However, Master is a great sword)

[Why not? No, I’m a discarded divine sword, if I do say so myself, and I'm sure i was a
great sword, but…]

(Even if it is a divine sword, it only has the power of one pillar. But if the will of three
pillars is involved, then that's ridiculous isn't it? For what purpose was it created?)

[That's what I'd like to know too]

Ten minutes after we leave the Count and Eliante.

With my guidance, Forrund had reached Fran. This is where the non-combatants of
the Adventurer's Guild gather.

Fran and Gallus were lying on a blanket on the ground, and beside them, Eihwaz was
sitting on a chair he had brought from somewhere. In his hand was a destroyed pseudo
fanatic sword. He seemed to be observing them.

And that wasn't all. There was a bundle of documents in Eihwaz's hand. He seemed to
be comparing the documents with the pseudo fanatic sword. I took a quick peek and
saw a drawing of a pseudo fanatic sword. Could it be that he had taken some kind of
research material from somewhere? I'd like to have a look at it later.

(Is here fine?)

[Yeah, Thanks for helping me]

Forrund put me next to Fran.

[Fran, Fran]

“……ShuーShuuー”

Still no good huh. She's sleeping with an innocent face. There is nothing wrong with
her body, and she will wake up naturally when she recovers from fatigue.

Next to us, Forrund is explaining the situation to Eihwaz.

“Hmm? the Hundred Swords huh? Is it Over?”

“Yeah”
“Is that so. Then, what happened? Did the friendly fire win?”

“Yeah”

As expected from an elder wisdom. He let him answer with yes or no to his questions
and get the exact information about what happened.

Stellia was also listening, but she didn't seem to have the guts to interfere in the
conversation between Eihwaz and Forrund.

Well, I'll leave Forrund to deal with Eihwaz.

[Urushi, good job]

(woof!)

I also give a word of encouragement to Urushi, who is resting in the shadow of Fran.
Then, Urushi let out a pitiful voice.

(Kuun)

[What's wrong? Are you injured somewhere?]

Groowllll

Hmmm, he's just hungry huh. But, come to think of it, he hadn't eaten in a long time.
It was no wonder that Urushi complained of hunger. It's a good thing he didn't pick up
and eat anything on the ground or steal from the burning residence.

[Haah, it can't be helped then. Urushi, hide me from the eyes around us]

“woof!”

Urushi jumped out from Fran's shadow and quickly made a blind with his dark magic.
In the meantime, I took out a bowl of very hot curry and served it to Urushi. He didn't
take part in much of the battle this time, but he had done his best to protect Fran. I
guess he needs a reward.

[Don't spill anything okay]

“Woof woof!”

“What? Where the hell did that came out from? No, if it's dark magic, he can hide in
the shadows……”

Eihwaz is tilting his head, but he doesn't seem to be suspicious of him. Forrund must
already know that I did something, but it's probably too late now.

“woof woof!”

As Urushi devours the extra large and extremely spicy curry makes his mouth all red,
Fran, who is lying next to him, cringes.

First her nose moved a little, followed by her ears twitching. Then her eyes fluttered
open.

“Muh…… Curry smells……”

“Woof!”

“Urushi…… Curry… unfair…”

She just woke up………… Eh? Isn't the power of curry amazing? No, is Fran's eating
behaviour that amazing? Well, I guess it's because she was stimulated by the aroma
of her favorite food when she had recovered from fatigue.

“Master…… Curry……”

[Fran! There's another people here!]

(Nn. Curry)

[Yes yes, I'll give you too, here]

“Nn…… Nom Nom”

I'm going to serve her a very large curry, pretending that Fran took it out. It's topped
with pork cutlet and fried chicken. It doesn't matter if she's fully awake or not. This is
really a piece of cake for Fran.
“Munch Munch”

“Oofu Oofu”

“Hey, What is it?”

Eihwaz is looking at Fran, who has just woken up from sleep and started to shovel in
a mysterious dish with a spicy aroma. His eyes were curious. There was no way that
the curiosity monster, Eihwaz, would not be interested in curry.

“Hmm? Is it delicious?”

“It's super delicious”

“Hohou”

Fran turns away lightly to hide her curry from Eihwaz's intense gaze.

[Fran, why don't you share one with Eihwaz?]

(Muh)

[Don't look so unhappy. This time you've been taken care by Eihwaz. Even after Fran
went to bed]

“……Understood”

Still reluctant, Fran placed a small serving of curry in front of Eihwaz.

“Want some”

“Umu. With pleasure! Fumu Fumu?”

Eihwaz observed the curry he received with great interest, and after sniffing it lightly,
he began to eat it immediately.

“Houhou! This is interesting! And It's delicious!”

He began to gobble up the food, but his tongue was apparently much more sensitive
than I had imagined. No, He's good at handling medicine, so it was natural for him,
right?

“The spices used are 8…… or 9 kinds? I'm guessing four kinds of vegetables in a broth
made by boiling the bones of a pork-based demon beast”

He has completely guessed the material. If I'm not good enough, he might be able
recreate it, right?

“Don't worry. I won't spread the recipe. But you don't mind if I make enough for my
own consumption, do you?”

Well, if it's only that much then. Forrund is looking at Eihwaz with envy. I can't not
serve it only to him in this situation. I gave him a large portion of it. After all, Fran also
seems to have a good opinion of Forrund.

As everyone was eating the curry, I told her the story since Fran had fallen asleep.

(…Muuh)

[What's wrong?]

(In the end, I was useless)

[That was inevitable. Besides, we’re not directly gotten into the fight with Velmeria]

(But, Forrund fight alongside with Master)

Fran's mouth furrowed in sulk.

[That was…… only possible because of Forrund's special abilities. Besides, that guy
almost died too. It was a real gamble]

(……Master)

[What is it?]

(Is Forrund strong?)

[Ah, yeah]
(I see……)

Could this be that she's jealous? I'm sure there are a lot of emotions swirling around
inside Fran. The disappointment of missing out on a battle with a powerful enemy.
The disappointment of not being able to play a role in that fight. But more than that,
she seemed to be jealous of the fact that Forrund and I had fought together.

The rest are, strangely uneasy.

(I'm still weak……… I couldn't fight to the end. Unlike Forrund……)

Apparently, she is worried that people will compare her to Forrund. I understand that
feeling. I'm also afraid that Fran will compare me to the divine sword.

[Forrund had abilities like my telekinesis, and he was a trustworthy guy. That's for
sure]

(Nn……)

[But Fran is still the best for me. I can't tell you how many times I wished to had Fran
on that fight. I realized how weak I am without you]

(Master is not weak!)

[Surely, I may be stronger than an ordinary sword. But with Fran, I can be even
stronger. Because it's Fran who understands me the most, and who can bring out the
best of me]

This is not a consolation or anything. It's just something I've thought about a lot.

[I'm going to get stronger and even stronger to become a sword worthy for you]

Fran's goal is to break the curse of the entire Black Cat tribe so that everyone can
evolve and improve the status of the Black Cat tribe. In other words, it is to defeat the
evil being of threat level S.

That meant, defeating an enemy that was more than just the transcenders I had just
witnessed.

As it is now, it is just a dream. But I don't think Fran will ever give up. And I am
confident that Fran will continue to grow and one day reach that level.

In order to continue to be worthy of being Fran's sword, I need to become even

stronger than I already am. This time, by cannibalizing the Fanatics, I was able to
greatly strengthen my magic power. The next step would be to learn the skills and how
to use them.

[Fran, we're getting stronger. But there's still someone stronger than us, and there's a
lot of people we can't beat if we keep doing what we're doing. Not me, and even not
you can]

(Nn)

[So let's be stronger]

(Understood! So, go training?

[That's right. I have magic stone value. Fran, has experience point. Let's train in order
to get more than we have now. Fortunately, I know a good place]

(Where?)

[The place where it all began for me. The Plains of the Demon Wolf. We had to go there
once anyway. So, let's do some training there]

(Nn! I'll get stronger and even stronger. Next time, I'll fight with Master until the very
end!)

Well, that would be when the commotion in the royal capital have calmed down.
By the time Fran had finished her curry, the talks between Eihwaz and Forrund had
just come to an end.

“In other words, the fights brought down the Count's daughter, and the friendly fire
had already left to avoid trouble”

“Yea”

“I see…… Well, the damage was only concentrated on the nobles district, and for a
monsters of that level to fight, the damage was rather small, wasn't it?”

Oh, I see? It seems that Forrund is on the same opinion. He nodded at Eihwaz's words.

“There was a lot of damage”

“Hmm. If he were not careful, there will be more damage to the surrounding areas,
including the royal capital. But the fact that only a part of the city was leveled, I'd say
the damage was less than expected”

I see……… But even so, it was clear that the damage was enormous. There must have
been some injured, and many people must have lost their property.

Eihwaz is the one who says these words out loud when he doesn't even know who's
around to hear him.

“Huh. I wonder what's going to happen to the royal capital”

Stellia's expression was gloomy.

“Besides, if the Marquis were to revolt, there would be a great deal of confusion……
There's been quite a few injuries and deaths”

When Fran heard Stellia's words, she stood up.

(Master, let's go)

[Where to>]

You're not trying to go into training right now, are you? Even though you're awake,
you're not fully recovered yet. If possible, I'd like you to rest a little longer.

(Helping the injured)

[Uuumm……]

That would be hard work. It requires magic and physical strength. It's not a job for a
sick person. But Fran is saying that she wants to help people on her own volition. I
can't stop her.

[……very well. Then let's go to Eliante first]

If there is a place where the wounded are being collected, we can go there. We must
also hurry to rescue the injured who have not yet been found, but the guild and the
knights will do their best on that.

However, there is one problem.

[What should we do about Gallus huh……]

(Bring him on Urushi's back)

[No, that's not going to happen]

The unconscious Gallus is quite weak. It will be difficult to take him around. So far,
we've forced him to evacuate, but we can't force him any further.

“Muh……”

“What's wrong?”

“I want to go help the injured. But I can't take Gallus with me”

“Master Gallus' body is in pretty bad shape. And I wonder what will happen to him in
the future………”
Stellia, who had been watching Gallus, sighed in annoyance. In fact, I wonder how
much of a crime Gallus will be charged with? Even though he was manipulated by the
power of a magic drugs and a divine sword, he also caused a lot of damage with the
pseudo fanatic sword that he seems to have been involved in making.

Will there be excuses? Or will he be declared a felony? The law and political decisions
will have a lot to do with it, and I have no idea.

“Regardless of what happens, your request is still valid, and even without it, I won't
treat the current Master Gallus disrespectfully. Don't worry, the Adventurer's Guild
will protect him well”

“She's right”

Forrund nodded along with her. So did Eihwaz.

“I think it would be a waste of time to punish him in the midst of all this chaos, would
it? It would be better to ingratiate him and make him work for the country”

I see, does that make a point huh?

“And my employers have sent me to protect him. You can trust me. There's no one else
who can cure the potion. Leave him to me”

[Fran, I don't trust Eihwaz, but I do trust Forrund and Stellia. Let's let the guild take
care of Gallus]

“……Understood”

Fran seemed convinced. She nodded slightly, staring at Eihwaz.

“Stellia, I'm counting on you”

“Yeah. Take care of everyone there too”

We then headed to Eliante and she showed us where the injured were being housed.

Apparently, there were several different locations. The first aid station for the injured
we went to looked like a field hospital.
Parmachist, Magician, and alchemists are running around, desperately healing the
injured. Everyone looks exhausted, but they seem to be doing their best by drinking
magic recovery potions.

(Master, let's go)

[Yeah, well, we'll have to talk to whoever's in charge first]

(Okay)

If a child suddenly appeared and started using recovery magic, it would only confuse
them. It was one of the court doctors who was giving instructions to everyone here.

They seems to be medical specialists with expertise in medicine, recovery magic and
alchemy. It is said that all of them, except for the chief physician, go around to rescue
the people by order of the king.

The woman who was showing me around called out to the busy court doctor man.

“Excuse meー”

“Hmm, is there any problem?”

“No, this girl here offered to help”

“Hou? You seem to be an adventurer. Can you use recovery magic?”

“Nn”

“That's good to hear! Because right now we need as many healers as possible! How
much of the technique you can use?”

“I can make it up to the Greater Heal”

“What? So you're a healing magic user? Re-really?”

“Nn”

“Ooh! Wonderful!”
I was afraid that she would be rejected because he seemed to have a lot of pride, but
he accepted us easily. But this is not the time to be worrying about pride now.

“Can you take a look at the most urgent patients first? I'll prepare as many mana
potions as I can!”

“Understood”

Then, we flew around to the first aid stations inside and around the capital, healing
patients. If it wasn't us, they would have run out of magic, but thanks to the harvest
after cannibalizing the Fanatics, my magic power was greatly increased. Fran healed
patients at a rate that amazed the court doctors around the city.

In the latter half of it, they were quite worried about us. Apparently, they thought she
was overexerting herself by guzzling few mana potions.

If we include the people we rescued from the piles of rubble along the way, we must
have healed over 500 people. Many of those who were healed stayed on to help at the
relief station, and some even clasped their hands in worship when Fran came back
again.

Apparently, she was recognized as a girl from the black cat tribe who devoted herself
to healing people. However, she didn't have time to respond to them individually, and
could only wave lightly.

And then, she was starting to get tired, but her motivation was still at its peak. She is
happy to save everyone and to be thanked.

[Are you sure you don't want to take a little break?]

“I'm fine!”
It was midnight and Fran had finally returned to the guild.

Fran had planned to work a little harder, but the court physician had begged her to
rest.

The emergency patients have been healed for now, and the first aid station can now
be run by people other than Fran alone. Surely, Fran could take it easy now.

However, when Fran tried to enter the guild, three men stood in front of her.

I think, they were a small fry, they didn't even know how to hide their presence, but
he seems to had some business with Fran.

“Oi! So, you're the rumoured black cat kin healer!”

“?”

The small fat man in the middle spoke to her in a haughty manner.

“You use recovery magic to heal the commoners, don't you?”

“Nn”

“Rejoice. I will welcome you as a vassal to my baronial family! From now on, you may
use that power only for my benefit!”

Recruitment, No, an order huh? But, with his attitude, I don't think anyone would say
“I'll be your vassal!” Well, he doesn't seem like a good nobleman.

“I heard you're treating the commoners for free now! If you come to me, you won't
have to do that anymore! You can do business with nobles and merchants”

“What do you mean?”

“You can only use your healing power on those I choose! There are many who would
like to benefit from powerful healing magic. You can raise the price as high as you like.
With the help of my family's backing, you'll have no shortage of business partners. Oh,
and don't worry, I promise you'll get plenty in return”

“What about those who can't afford it?”

“I don't care about the poor. A few deaths of people who can't afford medical treatment
won't affect the tax revenue either!”

Oh, he's such an idiot huh. He tried to get Fran with money. If he had gathered the
information properly, he would have known that Fran was actually refusing to accept
gifts from the patients.

More to the point, I can tell that he is a typical idiot noble, and with his haughty
attitude, I can't tell if it's a recruitment or an order. I can see that even his guards have
a dumbfounded look on their faces.

“Don't you want to continue to work in vain like you did today?”

“……”

Fran is quite angry, isn't she? I would have ignored him if he hadn't recruited her with
just his slightly haughty manner. But she's tired, and she's not in the mood to be make
fun off.

But Fran was furious with this guy for his comments about devaluing the weak.

(……Kill him)

[Wait! Wait wait! I understand your feelings, but you shouldn't kill him!]

(He says I saved them all for nothing. Everyone was so happy. Now I can help others
too…… That's why!)

Oh, this is pretty bad. Fran is angry. I guess she feels like what she cares about were
being tarnished.

At this rate, she might seriously cut him down. I have no choice but to use my
telekinesis here.
“Oi”

“Muh? Colbert?”

“The nobleman there. This girl is currently employed by Count Bailleys. If you want to
recruit her, you'll have to go through the Count, won't you?”

Oh, he's right, the contract has not been terminated yet. Formally, Fran was still being
employed by the Count.

In this situation though, has become more than just a raid on the Marquis' house.

“What? Bailleys…?”

“That's right”

“Ha, haha. I'll take the responsibility for it”

“So, you will force yourself to recruit the girl? And ignore the Count?”

“Ugh……”

The baron and his guards were visibly flustered. The Baron, who was incompetent by
all accounts, and the Count, who was one of the country's most prominent warriors,
although there was no telling what would happen in the future. It would be a no-win
situation no matter how you look at it.

When the baron glanced at the two guards, the men shook their heads to the side with
blue faces. They seem to know that they can't take her by force.

I don't think these guys can see what Colbert is capable of, but they probably knew
about Colbert from the beginning.

In the end, the Baron run away and was not cut down by Fran.

“I was just in time huh”

“……Nn”

“What's the matter? You look unhappy”

“He got away”

“Oi oi, There are going to be a lot of guys like that coming out to you. If you beat them
all up, you'll be on the wanted list in no time. Just ignore them”

Yeah. Tell her that!.

“Oh, I also have something to do. The Count has a message for you. I'm sorry for
everything that's happened. The contract is considered complete at this point.
However, you may mention Bailleys' name to refuse any recruitment from other
nobles”

That's helpful. It'll keep them away while we were in the royal capital. Well, it would
lose its effectiveness if Count Bailleys house was destroyed though.

“I'll go then? There's still a lot of work left for me to do”

“Nn”

“……I'm sorry, about Master Curry”

“?”

Oh, that's right, I still haven't cleared up the misunderstanding. Colbert must think
that I was dead after fighting Velmeria.

“He was a good man…………”

[Fran, Colbert is under the impression that I'm dead. You have to clear the
misunderstanding]

“Master is not dead.”

When Fran said that, Colbert gave a confused look for a moment and then quickly
nodded with a look of realization on his face.

“Yeah. You're right”

“Nn”
“As long as there's someone to carry on the will, that person hasn’t die yet”

Aah. She didn't clear up the misunderstanding at all

But before I could get Fran to correct it again, Colbert had left.

“……Colbert looks weird”

[Next time we meet him, we have to make sure to tell him properly]
After parting with Colbert, we were about to enter the guild.

“Ungh”

Fran pulled herself up and took a step to the side from in front of the door. Immediately
after that, something flew out of the door with tremendous force.

It rolled along the ground and stopped in the middle of the road.

“Ugh……”

It was something, or rather, a person. An adventurer. And quite strong. I'd say he's at
least a rank C. I appraised him, he's just unconscious. But I don't think he'll die.

“Ga, Gareth! Are you okay!”

The adventurer who blew up, Gareth, is followed by another man, this time a small fat
man, who comes running out. I wonder if he's one of the fellow adventurers. What in
the world is going on in the Adventurer's Guild?

“Muh, blood thirst?”

[Could it be an attack by the Marquis' remnants?]

“Nn. Let's go!”

[Be careful!]

Fran cautiously opened the door to the guild―――.

“Look what you've done in this emergency, wasting our time with your nonsense! The
theater's been destroyed, and we're all in despair! You should be thankful you're not
dead!”
It seemed that Eliante was the one who was letting out the blood thirst. She was
shaking her purple hair and glaring at the entrance of the guild with the expression of
a madman.

“What happened?”

“Oh, Fran? I'm sorry. I kind of mistook you for those idiots.”

“The ones who just walked out?”

“That's right. They've wasted so much time!”

She's pretty angry, and her eyes glared fiercely.

“What happened?”

“Those guy―――”

Still angry, Eliante quickly rambled on about what the men had just done.

From what I could summarize, the fat man's name was Desla. He seems to be the guild
master of an inn town near the royal capital.

He came in himself, bringing adventurers and relief supplies with him. He's an
enthusiastic guild master about his work……

It seems that the guild master has always wanted to be the guild master of the royal
capital. He also doesn't like the fact that Eliante, a woman, is in charge of such an
important place.

As a result, he was always sarcastic when they met, but today it didn't end well. Desla
was accusing Eliante of being responsible for the incident and pressuring her to step
down from her position.

In addition, he went on and on about how “It's not suitable for a woman” and “The
adventurers are pitiful when a woman is their guild master”. To top it all off, he even
threatened her with a rank C adventurer.

“Threatening Eliante?”
And a rank C? No, there are rank C's like Fran, but……… That guy was quite worthy for
rank C no matter how you look at it, and he threatened Eliante with him?

“He thought that a woman from a mercenary background was no big deal? Well, I made
him pay for it!”

So that's what happened to the man before huh.

“Guild Master, What should we do?”

A man under her command asks Eliante how she would like to treat them. But Eliante,
finally feeling refreshed, dismisses the men with a light wave of her hand.

“Let's just leave the idiot who tried to confuse the situation by saying something stupid
in this emergency situation alone. He may look like a big shot, but the rest of the Guild
masters don't like him, and if we reported him, he'll be dismissed anyway”

“Very well”

Fran, who was not interested in the situation, didn't hear Eliante's words at all. Right
now, Fran's interest was in Eliante's hair.

“Why is your hair color changing?”

Yes, Eliante's hair is usually blue, but it seems to change to purple in battle. And it's
still purple even now.

“Oh, this? It's called "battle colors". I've inherited a little bit of it from my parents. It
changes color when I'm in a hostile mood”

It seems that not all insect-kin are like that, but only some of them. Furthermore, there
are large individual differences among half-insect kin, and even if they inherit the
power of the same kind of insect, their abilities and appearance are said to differ
greatly.

“Sometimes they transform into combat form, sometimes they don't change their
appearance at all”

“Like the mercenaries in the square?”

“You met them? Yes, that's right”

The hard shrimp and the locusts are apparently the type that usually look more like
humans, but transform when they want to show off their abilities. The dragonfly and
clam are usually characterized as insect, but they don't transform any more. And the
fanged ants are said to have a human-like appearance and do not transform at all.

“Eliante's Friend?”

“……Well, old friends, I guess”

Actually, I've heard a bit of a story about them. It seems that she is a survivor of a
mercenary group that was wiped out. It would be better if I didn't mention it too much.

[Fran, in the meantime, you can dismiss my death theory]

“Eliante, Master is――”

“Guild Master! A hawk has arrived!”

As if to interrupt Fran's words, a man came down from the second floor of the guild
and shouted. In his hand, he holds a letter. It's a little crumpled, as if he's excited. It
seems to have been carried by a messenger hawk from elsewhere.

“From where?”

“From the northern border. The sender is――Allesa's Guild Master”

“! Maybe it's about Raidos?”

“Yes! A force believed to be a reconnaissance unit from the Kingdom of Raidos

attempted to cross the border, and the Knights of Alessa went to intercept them”

Seriously? Isn't the timing too good? Could it be that the Fanatics were also connected
to the Kingdom of Raidos?

“And then! What happened!”

“Y-yes. The knights were accompanied by rank B adventurer Jean Doobie, and they
annihilated the forces of Raidos Kingdom!”
At that moment, the guild was filled with the admiration of the adventurers. And the
cheers soon followed. Not a single adventurer seemed to think it was a lie.

No matter how well they work with the Knights, I don't think it's very likely that a rank
B adventurer would be able to destroy a unit of the Raidos Kingdom by himself.

“Fuh. No wonder he killed them all!”

By the way, Jean was a disturbing nickname.

“Jean is amazing”

“He's a guy who's been granted a special rank of A in military battles. Even the main
force that was supposed to be waiting after him can be buried single-handedly, so a
reconnaissance unit is probably no match for him”

Apparently, that suspicious necromancer saved the Kingdom of Kranzel with a smirk.

“I'll take this report to the king! And you, tell to the citizens! We need at least one good
news right now!”

When Eliante gave instructions to her men, she ran out of the guild.

[Hmmm. We lost our chance to clear up the misunderstanding again………]

Two days have passed since that fierce battle.

Although the capital was still in a state of unrest, it seemed that there were no more
of the Marquis' men left. At the very least, there was no one who was organizing to
revolt.

But it's not without conflict. A place to live, daily food, medicine. Everything was in
short supply. It was impossible not to have trouble with this situation.

The most important thing is the living space. Tents were temporarily erected for the
people who lost their homes, but there were not enough of them. One of the main
reasons was that a small number of nobles occupied one tent. I thought they should
be squeezed into the same tent, but apparently that's not the case.

Well, I understand that it would be rather torturous for commoners and nobles if they
were forced into the same place. It would be better to just get a blanket and sleep on
the side of the road.

However, it is said that even among nobles, if they don't differentiate the nobles based
on their rank, it will be a problem. And it seems that noblemen are even more
concerned with their prestige. A count and a baron cannot be given the same treatment.
The fact that this was an emergency situation doesn't make them able to disregard it.

In the end, most of the commoners managed to get out of their tents as soon as they
could, relying on their acquaintances for shelter……… Some of the nobles were so
stupid that they started to complain about the tents that had been given to them and
asked how they could stay in such a place.

Some nobles even tried to seize houses from commoners, using their power to their
advantage, and skirmishes broke out. The rift between the commoners and the nobles
only deepened.

Other than that, a strong dust cloud was also bothering the people. It was said to come
from the wastelands of the former noble district, blown up by the wind. When we put
up wind barrier in shelters and other places to prevent this, they were very pleased.

Well, the shortage of supplies will be alleviated somewhat as support should be sent
from various places. It seems that we have already received food aid and more guards
from neighbouring towns. From now on, supplies and manpower will be sent from all
over the country.

Adventurers and soldiers have been sent out to clear away the rubble, and knights are
working to maintain security.

The royal family also seemed to be safe, and they were conducting their affairs at a
nobleman's villa in a residential area. I've often seen kings who stay behind in a castle
on the verge of falling, saying, “A king has a responsibility to protect his subjects!” But
unless he was as strong as the Beast King, that's a foolish idea. In all likelihood, it
would be better for the country and its people if he escaped and quickly took charge
of the reconstruction afterwards.

“Sorry I kept you waiting”

“I'm fine”

“Yeah”

We were currently visiting Count Bailleys. However, the Count's mansion has
disappeared. He had taken up residence in a corner of the Knights' quarters.

I thought they would be dismissed or something, but apparently it was an emergency

and they hadn't been told yet. That's where Fran and Forrund were called in.

“So, what do you want?”

“Yeah, I just thought I'd let you know how it went. I'd like to thank you all for all your
help”

I have already told the Count that Velmeria is actually alive and that Ashwrath has
taken her. His grief was great, but he understood that it was better than being dead.
He said he would not go after him.

However, only Frederick, the half-dragon, had disappeared right after he heard about
it. His allegiance was probably more to Velmeria than to the Count.

“I don't know where to start with……… As for Gallus-dono, he will not be blamed for
this incident. But he will be under guard and surveillance for a while”

“Really?”

“Yeah. He had been manipulated and settled in a way that he was innocent. Well, we
can't waste time punishing him in the middle of all this chaos”

“What does that mean?”

“His Majesty the King, is a man who puts the interests of the nation first. Now that
both national power and prestige have been damaged, any further damage will be
impossible to be overlooked”

Well, there's the Kingdom of Raidos to the north, and there's no guarantee that the
nobles won't betray the country this time. I'm sure they don't want to see their
national power decline further in this state. But what does that have to do with Gallus?

“They say he's the closest being to a divine level blacksmith, and this time he's the
blacksmith who actually touched the divine sword. It would be more beneficial to
dismiss the charges and let him work for the country. Besides, there is the matter of
the Adventurer's Guild”

“?”

Fran tilted her head, but Forrund seemed to get the idea.

“Gratitude”

“That's right. There are many adventurers in the royal capital who feel indebted to
Gallus-dono. If we were to charge him with a crime, there would be many adventurers
who would not find it amusing”

As was the case in Alessa, where we met Gallus, Gallus was traveling around the
kingdom of Kranzel, selling his wares to adventurers at a discount. If he thought there
was something worth seeing, he would make good equipment, even for lower-ranked
adventurers.
It seems that many adventurers in the Kingdom of Kranzel are indebted to Gallus for
his help when they were just starting out.

“This country is home to a large number of adventurers. The reason for this is that the
country was originally able to attract adventurers who had been spirited away due to
Raidos' misadventures, but it has since succeeded in settling them through policies
that favor adventurers”

“Heeー”

“You doesn't know? It's rare to find a country with so many adventurers. In the first
place, there are not many other countries that have five current rank A and more than
ten former rank A. Well, the number has decreased……”

We only know that the Kranzel Kingdom and the Beastman Kingdom Kings, were an
adventurer himself, but it seems that there are very few countries where adventurers
are treated so well. The taxes are especially low, making life easier for adventurers.

“Though, there's also the problem of how low the knights and soldiers level is. Well,
that's okay”

I see. I guess there are many adventurers and not many opportunities for the knights
to hunt magical beasts. Is that why it's so hard for the knights to raise their level?

Originally, the knights were mainly dealing with humans, but in this country, it seems
that there is a clear distinction between the two.

“Anyway, in a country where adventurers have always had a strong presence, we will
need to rely on them even more in the future. Inevitably, adventurers will become even
more important”

In such a situation, they could never afford to spoil the adventurer's good mood. It was
probably because of what Gallus had done so far that he had saved them.

Count Bailleys himself will not be punished too severely. Although he will be relieved
of his position as Knight Commander, the Count's family will only be required to pay
some money and provide some labor.

“I myself was prepared to have my territory taken away and to be placed in a

camp………”
They were unable to prevent the revolt and allowed mass destruction in the royal
capital. Moreover, his daughter was the one who carried out the crime. As the leader
of the knight order, he must think that he should take the responsibility.

However, the king's decision was different. He thought it would be more constructive
to put all the blame on Marquis Ashtner and the Fanatics to calm the situation down
quickly and let them work on the reconstruction afterwards, rather than causing more
confusion by charging them with crimes or neglect of duty.

With the current shortage of manpower, I guess they avoided the folly of wasting their
efforts on unnecessary things. This is monarch country, isn't it? To a certain extent, it
can be controlled by the king.

If that was the case, wouldn't Velmeria be allowed to do the same? I thought so, but it
wasn't that simple.

“My daughter has caused too much damage directly. What's more, she destroyed the
royal castle. No matter how much she was being manipulated, it's not like she can be
easily forgiven. And there were quite a few people who saw her”

Indeed, the damage caused by the self-destructing swordsmen and Velmeria was too
great. In both monetary and human terms, Velmeria had gone too far.

“Eventually, the territories of the former Marquis Ashtner and his allies will be
temporarily placed under the king direct control and will be redistributed”

In this way, they will be able to compensate the nobles for the losses they suffered this
time.

“So, the two of you have actually received a summons from the king. You are requested
to come to the mansion where he is holding his office today”

Huh? King? You mean the King?

“Why?”

“Don't you realize the influence you have?”

Originally, Forrund was the one who renowned as a hero, but it seems that Fran's fame
has also grown as she has gone around healing people. Moreover, word quickly spread
that Fran was the Black Lightning Princess who had won a prize in the Ulmut martial
arts tournament.

Because of this, she is now as well known as Forrund in the capital.

We didn't know anything about it because we've been out clearing debris and stuff for
the last two days where there no more people around. Even when we went out into
the town, we were moving fast by teleporting and jumping in the air. There was almost
no opportunity to be cheered on.

“And I heard that your master was helping Forrund?”

What's more, it seems that the story is spreading that Fran's master---that is me. gave
up his life to save the capital. It was definitely the work of Eliante and Colbert. We've
been too busy to clear up the misunderstanding, but I didn't expect this to happen.

“His Majesty said that he wanted to pay tribute to the heroes who saved the royal
capital. Well, I guess he wants to show off his good relationship with the heroes to the
people here”

Is there still politics involved huh?

“Aah. It's okay. His Majesty doesn't expect perfect courtesy from adventurers. In fact,
the Adventurer's Guild wouldn't take kindly to the idea of offending you two heroes.
I'm sure they know that, and you'll just have a little conversation”

Either way, there was no way we could refuse the king's invitation. If I had heard the
information beforehand, we might have been able to escape, but being told face to face
that he was inviting her would bad if we escaped. It was a bit of a hassle, but we had
no choice but to accept.
A few hours after hearing from the Count that the king was calling for us. Fran and
Forrund went to a mansion. This is the place where the king has taken refuge and is
currently conducting his affairs.

As this was an emergency situation, we were told that we didn't have to wear formal
wear, so the two of us were dressed as usual. However, since we were not allowed to
carry weapons, I had transformed into a bracelet. This way, I wouldn't be taken away.

In terms of time, it was a little early for dinner, and I was grateful that we would only
have to have a really brief conversation.

[Fran, use honorific to address the king, okay? I’m serious]

“Nn”

[And also, don't talk about unnecessary things. I don't know what would be considered
disrespectful]

“I understand”

Apparently, Forrund is used to it, but as expected, this is Fran's first time. No, she has
met the Beast King before, but I don't think that should be included in the category of
kings. At the very least, he's not a normal king.

[Forrund, if she makes a mistake please give her a follow up! I beg you!]

(Leave it to me. The king of this country is not a fool. As long as you don't aim to be
rude, you won't have a problem)

[Yeah, butー]

Because it's Fran, right? A girl who talks as she usually does to a nobleman on the first
meeting? No matter how much I worried, I couldn't worry enough.
[Worst case scenario, we'll have to consider leaving the country]

“It's all right. I got it”

“Worrying excessively”

You guys, how can you be so calm……

But no matter how worried I was, the time for the audience would come. The
attendant man who was leading Fran and Forrund stopped in front of a large door.

“The king awaits you ahead. Please do not be rude”

“Nn”

“Yea”

“……Very well”

The old attendant gave us a look that said, “will these guys be fine huh” I agree with
you!

[Fran, it's just like we practiced, okay?]

(Nn)

And when the door was opened from the inside, it was a simple audience room. Had
it been renovated after the king had occupied the mansion?

A red carpet stretched straight out from the door, which must have come from
somewhere, and there was even a throne at the end of it. Compared to the throne I
had seen in the Beastman Kingdom, it looked rather plain, but it was big enough and
luxurious enough to be called a throne.

On the throne sat a middle-aged man dressed in luxurious clothes that looked a bit out
of place. It may be a simple type for daily use, but he really does have a crown on his
head. I was a little impressed.

I'd say he's about 50 years old huh? His hairline is a bit receding, but his body is
reasonably well trained. Well, not quite at a warrior level. At least he seems to be in
decent shape. He doesn't seem to be a tyrant type.

In my mind, royalty in this world is the image of a strong man, but apparently this king
is different. Well, the comparison is with the Beast King, who is a rank S adventurer,
or the royalty of Philias, who possesses a divine sword………

On either side of us were knights and noble-looking men. I could tell that half of the
noblemen looked down on Fran and Forrund, or were bitter about it. But the other
half were clearly welcoming Fran and Forrund.

Moreover, among the noblemen, the higher-ranking noblemen who wore more
luxurious clothes seemed to have a greater tendency to do so. Many of them are
smiling.

As expected, the knights guarding him were expressionless. Among the knights, there
was a very strong man who was closest to the king.

His skin is as white as snow, and he has beautiful silver hair. He was only about six feet
tall (180 cm), but his intimidating presence made him look bigger. In addition, the
magic power he emitted was unbelievable.

I have heard that SPs intimidate their attackers by showing a stern appearance, and I
guess this is just another form of intimidation. By showing his strength from the start,
he's silently warning us not to do anything stupid. (1)

On the other hand, if the opponent is not able to sense this intimidation, it is probably
not even worthy of caution.

[Even so, he has no gap huh……]

He's probably at a rank A class. It's a pity that I can't appraise it since it's in front of
the royalty.

As expected of the king's bodyguard. They are in a position to attack Fran and Forrund
while protecting the king at any time without a moment's delay.

“Both of you, step forward”

At the attendant's words, Fran stepped forward alongside Forrund, bowed, and knelt.
Okay, you're moving as what we have practiced beforehand.
The nobles were especially surprised by the elegance of Fran's manners. They
probably didn't expect a little adventurer girl to bow so beautifully in accordance with
the manners of the nobility. I could see their eyes widen.

Yes. The court etiquette that we got from Viscount Alsand is still exist. And then,
Forrund made his speech.

“It is a great pleasure to have an audience with you”

Fran just nodded her head silently. The chamberlain said that was fine. I was
wondering what was going to happen, but I think they can manage somehow huh?

“Raise your face”

“Yes”

“Yes”

At the king's words, Fran and Forrund raised their face.

“You've done a great job”

“Yes”

“Yes”

Well, it was a typical audience scene from here. The king said a few firm words, then
Forrund and Fran nodded. This was repeated. At the end, the king gave another word
of praise, and that was it.

There was almost no unnecessary conversation. It's so simple, it's almost feels
disheartening.

[I was expecting him to bring it up to the point of taking you into the Kingdom of
Kranzel, but he didn't said anything at all]

(Nn)

[I thought he might at least offer you a knighthood or a medal……]

In fact, she had discussed it with Eliante. It was obvious that if she refused the offer of
a knighthood at the audience, it would cause a lot of trouble. So, if she was offered a
knighthood, she planned to present the Order of the Golden Beast Fang Medal that she
had received in the Beastman Kingdom.

It was not limited to this audience, though. Starting with the baron who was turned
away by Colbert the other day, various noblemen have flocked to the audience. It
seems that the purpose is to take in Fran, who is started to be called the cat-eared
saint.

I thought that they should help with the reconstruction before they came to recruit
her with their guards, but it seemed that they were miscellaneous nobles who hadn't
been assigned any important work.

Well, judging from the dim-witted attitude they took when recruiting, I could tell he
wouldn't be valued to any work. However, there were so many of them, and some of
them did not back down even when she mentioned the Count's name, so we consulted
Eliante about what to do. The conclusion was to use the medal.

Apparently, it was a more powerful medal than we had imagined. When we showed it
to Eliante, she literally jumped up in surprise.

Since it is a medal of another country, it does not have a strong influence in the
Kingdom of Kranzel, but the people who are shown it are likely to think that Fran has
ties to the Beast Kingdom.

As a beastman, it was not strange at all that Fran belonged to the Beastman Kingdom,
and the Beastman Kingdom and the Kingdom of Kranzel were friendly countries. It
was at Eliante's opinion that they would not be so arrogant as to forcefully give Fran a
title.

It's still can be treated as a string attached……… to the beastman country, it is a good
place for Fran to live, and it's much better than being forced to give her a knighthood
in another country. In fact, they might have given her the medal in anticipation of such
a situation.

Well, it seems I was worrying too much. However, it was soon after Fran and Forrund
had finished their audience.

“You two!”
The man who approached us was the chamberlain. I had a bad feeling about this. The
words I didn't want to hear came out of his mouth.

“The king is waiting for you in the other room. This way, please”

Without saying a word, the chamberlain turns and walks away. He didn't think that
Fran and Forrund would not follow him. No, we will follow him though.

[Fran, please still use the honorific]

“Nn? I understand”

Perhaps, you didn't get it, huh? Oh God! Please call out to her!
“This way”

“Yes”

“Nn”

Fran and Forrund sat down on the chairs that had been prepared for them, just as the
chamberlain had told them to do.

What Fran and Forrund were taken to was a room that looked like a drawing room.
The room was much smaller than the hall they had used for the audience, and was
quite cozy.

But my nervousness was nothing compared to what I had just experienced before.

“You may make yourself comfortable. This is an informal meeting”

How can anyone really ease up when the king tells them toーー

“Nn”

There she is! That's my girl! No, she's still hunched over, just a little out of position!
We could still recover!

[Fran! Don't really take it for granted!]

(?)

[Uh, anyway, just keep your spine a little straighter here!]

(Understood)

Fuh, that was a close one. Look, she already got her back on straight! Don't stare at her
like that, silver-haired knight! If a strong person like you stares at her like that, my
Fran will be thrilled! It's not a good idea to get involved with this knight who looks
very strong and seems to have a high rank.

“I am Wissola Bred Kranzel” (1)

The king himself, whom we met in the audience hall. Isn't he too careless for this? I
searched for any presence around us, but there was only the king, two knights, and a
chamberlain in this room. I was under the impression that there was usually a hidden
door or something and an escort waiting inside of them.

Fran also tilted her head, but it seems that the king saw through it.

“My daughter, what's wrong?”

“……You don't bring more guards with you?”

“You mean that huh. My knights said it was unnecessary. He said that if he wereto be
serious, the other knights would be a burden to him”

As he said this, the king looked at Fran.

“You're not that strong in my eyes huh……”

I can't be sure, but it seems that the king himself has appraisal skills. And it seems that
the effect of the appraisal disguise makes her look like an ordinary adventurer.

However, the silver-haired knight beside him would not be able to be easily deceived.

“She's more than equal with me”

“If Ruga says so, I'm sure he's right. Let me introduce you. He's captain of the guard
and knight of the King. Ruga Mufuru”

“Nice to meet you”

Ruga Mufuru bailed lightly, not taking his eyes off Fran and Forrund. He's not showing
any gap.

“You are two of the most powerful people in our country. There's no harm in knowing
each other's faces, right?”

The king put a strange emphasis on the "our country" part. I guess he wants to bring
Fran and Forrund into the Kingdom of Kranzel.

He's very different from the Beast King. The Beast King was more like a high king, or
a king with a majestic air. However, the man in front of me does not radiate any sense
of intimidation. He's the politician type huh?

However, it was not like he did not have the dignity of a king. I haven't made a clear
hierarchical relationship with him, but I naturally felt that he was the most superior
person in this place. He had the presence of a king, or perhaps I should say that he was
a born superior.

It's a good thing that he's not a fool, but I'm not going to let my guard down.

“Now, let's get down to business. We're running out of time”

Then the king gave some instructions to the chamberlain with a glance. Then the
chamberlain brings out two small boxes, about 30 centimeters long. The boxes are
placed in front of both Fran and Forrund.

Inside the box was what looked like a jewelled medallion.

“You are hereby granted the rank of first class baron. You may accept”

Uwaah, you've hit the nail on the head. We can't use a roundabout way of saying no or
anything like that anymore. Is he doing it on purpose? Or is it just plain? I can't read
his expression at all.

(Master?)

[Aah, wait a minute. Forrund, what do we do]

(……Hmm. Fran doesn't want to accept the title, does she?)

[It's obvious]

(Very well)
Then Forrund nodded lightly. Oh, how dependable!

“I'm grateful for this, but……”

He shook his head as he said it.

“You want to refuse?”

“By all means. She's too”

“Nn. I have to refuse”

Wait a minute, Fran! Your words! Thanks to her court etiquette skills, her movements
are fine, but her words is!

I panicked and made her rephrase it.

“I'm sorry. But I want to continue becoming adventurer”

“Even after I said that I’m giving it to you?”

The king frowned in displeasure. Ruga Mufuru also increased the intimidation he was
emitting. Are we going to do this?

This situation would definitely make a weak-minded or power-hungry person nod

their head. The room was filled with that much pressure. Ugh, my stomach hurts.

“……I'm sorry”

“I'm sorry”

With Forrund bowing with a short apology, Fran also bows her head.

“……”

Kuh, the silence feels heavy! The King is still looking at Fran and Forrund with a sullen
look on his face.

“……Hmm. It's as you said huh, Ruga”

The king sniffs lightly and sinks down on the sofa with a bored look on his face.

“Yes sir. Because they are adventurers”

“It's correct to do this in a place without any lower ranked nobles. I can just see them
making a scene”

Hmm? Apparently, the king and Ruga were expecting Fran and Forrund to decline.

“Too many people don't realize how much adventurers have contributed to their
territories. These days, even the nobles of the great domains are becoming more and
more incapable of caring for adventurers………”

Apparently, the nobleman, who doesn't like adventurers, wanted to give Fran and
Forrund a knighthood so they wouldn't antagonize them. Could it be that the sullen
attitude is an act? However, he still maintains his uncomfortable expressions.

“As for Forrund of the Hundred Swords, he had turned it down several times in the
past, so I knew it would happen again this time. But, Fran, the Black Lightning
Princess? Why do you refuse? It's a title, remember? In addition, being a first-class
baron is like being a count without a territory. You don't want to be bothered with
running a fiefdom, right? A first-class baron has a nobleman's annual salary attached
to it, but you do not have to run the estate. Are you sure you won't consider it once
again?”

In other words, it's probably a title for adventurers. By giving her a nobleman's annual
salary, she would be bound to the country as a war power in case of emergency. Since
they are no longer adventurers, they can be used for war. In exchange, the adventurer
gets the backing of the country and honor.

“What is it that you are dissatisfied with?”

However, Forrund's reply to the king's words was short.

“It's freedom”

“……Hmmm. That's a word I'm not familiar with. But aren't you interested in money
and power? What about you, my daughter?”

“……I don't need such a thing”

“Such a thing huh…… This is why an adventurers is……! I had enough of this. Go away”

Have we offended the king? However, there was no sign that Ruga was going to do
anything about it. After all, he probably already knew that he would be rejected. Even
so, if he was refused, he would still be dissatisfied huh.

Then, as Fran and Forrund were leaving, a voice called out to them.

“Forget everything that happened in that room. And I will do the same too”

Does that mean you're not going to question the fact that he lost face? His anger didn't
seem to subside yet, but he didn't want to antagonize her.

[Huh. We manage it somehow huh? To be honest, I was ready to flee this country]

(As I said the other day, the king is a man who puts the interests of the nation first. He
won't make the mistake of antagonizing us. Of course, if he judged that it would be in
his interest to retaliate against us for destroying his face, he would have ordered an
attack without hesitation)

How's that working out for him? He was a scary opponent, in a different way than the
Beast King.

[Well, I hope we made it through]

After we managed to get through the audience with the king, we came to the
adventurer's guild. In fact, we had been summoned by Eliante.

The Adventurer's Guild is incredibly densely populated. It may not like a crowded
train, but it's about as dense as an elementary school playground during breaks.

In fact, the number of adventurers in the town has temporarily doubled due to the
adventurers who came from neighboring towns to help out. In addition, many of them
are sleeping and waking up in the corners of the guild floor because there are not
enough places for them to sleep. The guild is crowded with these relief adventurers.

Fran was already famous among the adventurers in the royal capital, but some of the
adventurers from other towns would still try to get involved with her.

To begin with, most of the adventurers sent to clear away the rubble in the royal
capital are of low rank. Some were adventurers with special skills or magic, but about
80% of them were just starting out as manual laborers. In other words, they were all
people who could not see through Fran's abilities.

Moreover, once they get to the royal capital, it is much harsher than they can imagine.
Maybe they were just longing for the royal capital. But in reality, it was just a repetition
of plain labor covered in dust.

It was no wonder that there were idiots who wanted to relieve their sorrows by
picking on the girl.

But today, they don't seem to want to get involved. Well, I guess it's because yesterday
and the day before, there was a guy who got involved with her and she give him a bit
of flashy treatment.

Ah yeah, we can't afford to reduce our workforce now, so I made sure to recover them
with recovery magic, okay? In addition, she threatened him that if he didn't work
diligently, she would give him a bad time. I'm sure he's working up a good sweat by
now.

Perhaps the word had spread, but there was no sign of any newcomers getting
involved today. Rather, they gave her a look of fear.

“Stellia”

“Aah. Go right ahead!”

“Understood”

It seems that Stellia has been busy today, as they eliminated the high ranked
adventurer's lane and added a new temporary low ranked adventurer's lane.

She certainly doesn’t seem to have time to guide her.

By the way, there's also a line at Stellia's place. In terms of the image of adventurers, I
think it's a line of the beautiful woman's place and a deserted scene at Stellia's
place………

“You guys! Get in line over here! You're so noisy! Do you want to be stripped off!”

I see. So that's how it is. The newcomers who were exposed to Stellia's intimidation
skills were moving to Stellia's lane with blue faces. Well, good luck to everyone.

We continued through the crowded floor and entered Eliante's office………

“It's endless……… I can't finish this work……”

[Uwaaahー]

“Mountain of paper”

This is a miserable scene.

A mountain of papers had doubled in size since the other day, and Eliante at her desk
surrounded by the pile, working like a ghost.

“Eliante?”
“Aah…… You're here huh…… Wait a minute”

“Nn”

Five minutes later.

Eliante, who had calmed down a bit after a cup of tea, was presenting some papers to
Fran.

“What's this?”

“You've been promoted to Rank B. Here are your official promotion papers”

“Nn? Rank up? Why?”

That's very sudden. I'm sure we haven't contributed enough at all to move up in rank.
Besides, she doesn't want to stand out and get tangled up with the nobles.

“You…… How much do you think you've done this time? You defeated a monster that
wiped out Zephyrd's party, you healed hundreds of people, and you helped clear away
the rubble……… I can't even begin to count your other minor accomplishments”

If she said it like that, I guess she's right. As long as Ashwrath's achievements are
pretended to have never happened, the most meritorious adventurer is Forrund. After
that, it will be Fran huh?

“I know you don't like trouble, and I know you've been reluctant to rank up. But, you
know, all the reasons that have been holding you back from moving up have now been
cleared up”

“What do you mean?”

“Originally, I had no problem with your combat prowess. There was no doubt in my
mind that you had the ability of an A ranker. In fact, I'd say that this commotion has
confirmed it”

Eliante, the guild master was able to watch our fight with the Marquis. It's the most
reliable way to confirm her ability. It's not a mock battle, but a real battle, and it proves
that she can do it.
“And one of the problems was your lack of achievements. You have made a name for
yourself in the royal capital, and you even received a medal from the Beast Nation”

I see. So at least she had got a good track record for a rank B.

“Then there was your attitude towards the nobles. You had managed through an
audience this time, too, and it's proven that you have at least a minimum of courtesy”

Oh, I see. When she become a rank B, she will meet more nobles, so she must have said
that she's worried of Fran, who is obviously not courteous. It's a rather valid opinion.
However, by having had an audience with the king, the pinnacle of the nobility, that
problem has been eliminated to some extent.

“I talked to a nobleman I knew, and he told me that you had perfect manners. I was
surprised to hear that you were much more elegant than those lower-class nobles”

He must have been one of the noblemen who lined both sides of the room at the first
audience.

“It looks like you were able to refuse the title from the King, right?”

“Nn. But the King was angry”

“The king wouldn't be that mad about it. No, he doesn't want to be taken as a fool by
the adventurers, so he pretends to be angry………? Well, he's not a straightforward guy,
but he's not an emotionally driven one, so that's not a problem. He's not going to do
anything stupid like making an enemy of you. You can trust him”

Was it an act, after all? Or perhaps he was just acting to show his dignity as a king. And
yet, he didn't make Fran and Forrund uncomfortable any more than necessary. In
other words, he showed them that he was dissatisfied, and then he made no questions
about it.

He generously showed mercy to the adventurer who refused the king's extraordinary
offer. That's how it works. For example, let's say that the king asks you to do something
in the future. There is a high probability that he will think “You turned down an offer
of a title before, so you might as well accept this request”

[Hmmm, I was a bit down on him for allowing the Marquis to revolt, but he's indeed
the king of a great nation]
But the other party is Fanatics. It may be more difficult for them to notice.

“Well, I'm not going to do anything rude to someone who has the medal of the Beast
Kingdom. From now on, diplomatic relations with that country will be of utmost
importance. It is said that Count Bailleys was punished lightly out of consideration for
the Beast King”

“Is that so?”

“His relationship with the Beast King is well known. There are even rumors that he
was relieved of his post as a lord in order to send him as an envoy to the Beast
Kingdom”

Not only did they lighten the punishment, but they want to use it to further strengthen
their relationship with the beast kingdom.

“The medal is a also a factor for your rank up. The guild was reluctant to throw out a
kid with no backing in front of the nobles, but now they know that she actually has
tremendous backing”

There is no shortage of ability, she was able to show courtesy, and she has a great deal
of backing. Indeed, I don't see any reason not to raise her to rank B.

“Honestly, if I don't rank you up, it's going to make me question the decency of the
guild. I mean, the other guild masters are pushing me to make sure you rank up. That's
why take your rank up!”

If we listen to Eliante's lines, she seems to be saying so, but her eyes are shaking with
anxiety. In fact, Fran had the right to refuse this offer.

And Fran has her own reasons for refusing. The guild will not remember this well, but
the fact that she won't get into trouble with the nobles is too big of an advantage. Even
though she has the backing of the guild, she won't have zero contact from the nobility.

[Fran, what do you want?]

(Nn? Accept the rank up)

[Are you sure? Honestly, there will be a lot of trouble, you know? Stupid nobles, stupid
adventurers…]
(If they're idiots, just blow them off)

[……I see]

I'll have to make sure she doesn’t overdo it. But if Fran is willing, I have no problem
with it. We'll thankfully rank up here.
It's been a few days since the rank up. Fran had been summoned to the Adventurer's
Guild again.

The adventurers make a lot of noise when they see Fran, but there are few malicious
glances. Is that being an admiration or fear? The former are the newcomers who
admire Fran, who is the youngest B rank adventurer. The latter are probably those
who have been blown away by her or those who have witnessed the scene.

Anyway, it's nice not to get tangled up with the small fry. It seems that rank has a big
impact on this.

Moreover, the number of recruitments from nobles has decreased drastically lately.
This is because rumors have spread that she has the backing of the Beast King.
Apparently, it was the king's words at the dinner that triggered the spread of this
rumor. He must have dared to spread it.

Still, that doesn't mean we don't have any contact with any of them at all, though. It
seems, those who think that they are special was everywhere huh. In the first place,
there is no way for a nobleman who is in the royal capital and has not been given a
good job can be competent.

When she intimidates them, they won't come back, so it's not that annoying. There
was almost no hindrance to our work. Well, in the last few days, most of the work that
Fran had to do was gone.

The treatment of the seriously injured patients was almost finished, and the rest could
be left to the court doctors and magician. The removal of debris can be left to the
adventurers who came to help. The Knights have regained their functions and are now
in charge of maintaining the peace.

Still looking for work, Fran advised the Count to use earth magic to build temporary
housing, but he refused.
The area outside the city walls is not a safe place to live, with magical beasts roaming
about. The commoner's area is densely populated with houses, and there was not that
much extensive damage. Therefore, there was no space to build temporary housing in
the first place.

Even if it were to be built in the noble district, the temporary houses that cannot be
moved would be a hindrance during the rebuilding process. It would be very labor
intensive to demolish several temporary houses. A tent that can be moved quickly is
better.

I've been thinking about this from a different perspective, but it's difficult to build
temporary housing here. We don't have the technology to build prefabricated houses.
If we stay here until the reconstruction, we can help, but we don't intend to stay that
long.

In the end, Fran's major tasks were to help the injured and set up a wind barrier to
prevent dust, but that was mostly done and she was completely out of ideas.

That's why she was able to answer the guild's call in the middle of the day. But it wasn't
Eliante who called Fran, it was Forrund.

“I came”

“Yeah”

As usual, the two were able to understand each other. Forrund took her to a place that
was not Eliante's office.

“In here”

The room looked like a private room in an inn. It seemed to be a room used to
accommodate adventurers who had come to the capital on business from other
adventurer guilds.

They have these rooms because they may not be able to use the lodge depending on
the time of day, the nature of their work, or the time of year.

“Gallus' room?”

“Yeah”
Gallus was supposed to be lying low now. The Adventurer's Guild was still protecting
him, although the government had decided not to impose any punishment. It was said
that this was largely due to the cooperation of Eihwaz, who could cure magic drugs,
and also as a result of the king's decision not to offend the Adventurers' Guild.

Well, as for us, we're going to let Gallus decide what to do after he wakes up.

When Forrund walked in, we found Eihwaz, Eliante, and Gallus waiting for him. Yes,
Gallus had gotten himself out of bed and was here to greet Fran.

“Gallus, already awake?”

“I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused you. Let me show you my gratitude. Thank
you”

His face is still pale, but his tone is firm. I wonder if the after-effects of the magic drug
are safe?

“Are you okay now?”

“Of course. I cured him, didn't I? I used the finest elixir I could find. Oh, don't worry
about the price. The Guild and he himself have already agreed to pay for it. Besides,
I've gotten some interesting data”

He grinned and laughed at her. It's not like he's hiding his embarrassment, but he's
serious. He must have really conducted the experiment in parallel with the treatment.
I'm not complaining, though, because it's cured him.

“Besides, I also have a deal with the country”

“What do you mean?”

“Hmm. Why should I complain when I've made these weak magicians a little more
useful?”

It seems that this old man had drugged the magician entrusted to him by Count
Bailleys. The drugs increased their muscle strength and stamina and allowing them to
work sleeplessly and without rest, and after its effects wore off, the users would suffer
from hellish muscle pain and insomnia.
“That's why there are fewer mages available for reconstruction, you know? Isn't that
obvious?”

“If we hadn't killed the enemy, more damage would have been done”

“You know that, and that's why the king said he'd wouldn't care with Gallus' treatment”

“I know what I'm doing”

“Rather than that, what to do about Gallus' future. That's why I asked Fran to come
here to discuss it”

I see, more or less, it's because of Fran has issued a protection request.

It seems that Eliante and Eihwaz have already explained the whole situation to Gallus.
Everything, including what he himself can't remember.

“What does Gallus want to do?”

“Umm……”

When Fran asked him, Gallus grunted in distress. Even though he had been
manipulated, he probably regretted having a hand in a major incident that shook the
royal capital.

“I'll help you escape”

“The Thieves' Guild said they'd help us out”

“And the Adventurers' Guild too”

“Me too”

After all, it seems that the guilds are not optimistic about Gallus' situation. If he is
taken into custody by the state, he may be forced to work on the divine sword in
captivity.

But Gallus shook his head and refused Fran and the others' proposal.

“I'll stay in the royal capital. It may not be enough to atone for my sins, but I will help
rebuild the royal capital”

“Are you sure?”

“Umu”

Gallus understands everything. Still, he chose to entrust himself to the country. Once
she saw the determined look on his face, she knew that it was impossible to reverse
his decision.

“Is that so……”

Fran muttered in disappointment.

“You did everything you could. I'm sorry”

“No. If Gallus had decided, so be it”

“Don't worry, I'll give some push on him from the guild!”

“I'm sure the Thieves' Guild won't stand idly either”

“Me too”

If all these guys are willing to back Gallus, will he be okay? I don't think he'll be under
house arrest. At any rate, if they make enemies with these people, the country will be
in trouble this time.

“I'm sorry”

At these words, Gallus bowed deeply.

However, even in this somber atmosphere, it is Eihwaz who can't read the air. After
listening to Gallus's resolve, Eihwaz takes out something and starts asking Gallus
questions.

“I'm not quite sure about this part――”

“Aah, that parts huh――”

“Hou. In other words――”

“That's right here――”

What Eihwaz took out was a document on the pseudo fanatic sword. It seemed that
the Thieves' Guild had been holding it. He seemed to be looking at it and asking
questions about the technical aspects.

The others, especially Eliante, seem to be quite curious and start asking more
questions to Eihwaz, who asks Gallus questions.

“ーーthat is why”

“So you can't mass-produce pseudo fanatic swords anymore?”

“In the first place, they were using the fanatic sword as a raw material”

The pseudo fanatic sword was apparently made by mixing pieces of the fanatic sword
with the consciousness of the fanatics when it was made. Originally, it was said to be
a magic tool that sucked the magic power of its surroundings and strengthened the
user. Moreover, it was a failed product with unsteady abilities.

By mixing it with Fanatics and inhabited by its consciousness, he was able to

strengthen and stabilize its abilities, making it a pseudo fanatic sword.

The ability to counteract magic is a product of the magic-absorbing ability of the tool.

The reason why it was stabbed in the back was because the original magic tool was a
type of magic tool that was worn on the back in the first place, and the Fanatics'
consciousness could not display its abilities to the fullest unless it was in the form of
a sword, so it had to be in the form of a sword.

In other words, now that the sword of blind devotion-Fanatics had disappeared, the
pseudo fanatic sword could no longer be made.

“Well, I don't know if the country will believe this story”

“It's not easy to forge that much of evidence. Besides, after a while, various information
will be discovered in the Marquis's territory. If they look at them, they must be
understood, no matter how foolish they are”
In addition, the materials collected by the Thieves Guild included the diaries of the
family members and servants, which revealed how the Fanatics came to be in the
hands of the Marquis and his plans. The Thieves' Guild, they must have done their best.

There were two things I was curious about. Hamuls as the street murderer, and why
Velmeria was targeted.

As for the first, why did Hamuls attacked Fran, he was simply looking for a strong host.
They discovered that I was made by orichalcos, and they were relentless in their
pursuit. That's when they discovered Velmeria.

Apparently, Velmeria had a special bloodline among the dragonmen and had the
potential to use a powerful skill called the Divine Dragon Transformation Skill. For this
reason, the Fanatics kidnapped Velmeria.

“So, just before the Fanatics' plan was about to be executed, they got their hands on
the most powerful host huh”

“Plan?”

“Kukkuh. That's a pretty big deal, you know?”

According to Eihwaz, the fanatic sword was discovered 40 years ago in the Marquis
territory, in the basement of a 1000-years-old fort that had been turned into ruins
during a survey to build a new facility.

It was presented to the Marquis by a person from the research team because it was
imbued with magical power……… I'm sure the Fanatics' plans began at this time.

Moreover, the Fanatics' plan was not a simple one, such as limited to manipulating the
Marquis to seize power.

“Haah, to team up with the Raidos Kingdom and to take over the Philias Kingdom?”
Even Eliante was surprised.

Even for the Fanatics, it is impossible to control all the people in a half-destroyed state.
Hence, there were some people who were not controlled and just received orders, and
some of their subordinates seemed to know what the Fanatics wanted.

“Or more accurately, It's going to get its hands on the divine sword Diabolos”

“They are the same kind, right?”

After they taken control of the country, they planned to invade the Philias Kingdom by
taking control the military. It seems that they wanted to use Diabolos to repair itself.

I guess it wanted Gallus not just to have him create a pseudo fanatic sword, but also to
be involved in its own restoration.

“Then the invasion from the Raidos Kingdom that is happening now is……”

“It must have been planned in advance”

“……I have a bad feeling about this”

Eliante mutters to herself. Could it be some kind of insect sense? I'm a little scared
when half-insect kin tell me that.

“We're not hiding the fact that the mass murderer Jean is in Alessa. In fact, I'm sure
he's even actively spreading the word in order to intimidate them. And yet, they
attacked us………”

“They have prepared for this in advance huh”

Isn't this situation pretty bad? No matter how strong Jean is, there is always a
possibility that he will lose if they have taken countermeasures in advance. The other
side is said to be a military superpower, so isn't the possibility of losing rather high?

“Wh, why are you so calm about it!”

“Hmmh. There will be disaster for that city”

“That's why I'm telling you this is bad! If that Klimut guy fought seriously……”
Eihwaz too, called Klimut a calamity before……… Eliante also seems to be more afraid
of Klimut than the Royal Army of Raidos.

“Hey, What do you mean?”

“You're already a B ranker, so it's fine huh……… Klimut's second name is Calamity. He
is a spirits user who specializes in mass destruction, destroying friend and foe alike”

I see. So, it's a calamity because he attacks both friend and foe in a wide area. I guess
it's a similar story to Ashwrath the Friendly Fire.

“But it's fake nickname, given over 50 years ago. Adventurers who didn't know any
better started calling him that, and it stuck to him. Now, many adventurers believe the
alias to be true……… No, Klimut is a trump card for the guild as well. We've never dared
to correct that mistake”

“Mistake?”

“Well, technically, he stopped a weapon of mass destruction and saved a city”

A long time ago, there was a small country in the northern part of what is now the
territory of the Kranzel Kingdom. It belonged to the Raidos Kingdom, which had long
been an enemy of the Kranzel Kingdom.

However, that small country was sandwiched between two major powers and at the
mercy of the political situations of both sides, it's unstable. The country and its people
must always be prepared for war, not knowing when it will become a battlefield.

Even with a small national budget being squeezed by military expenses, the country
was unable to increase its strength and had to continue receiving support from the
Raidos Kingdom as a poor country.

The king of the time tried to break through this situation. He turned his attention to
spirit magic as a low-cost means of warfare. He tried to develop spirit magic by inviting
excellent spirit magicians.

However, spirit magic is very difficult to handle. There are only a few who have the
talent, but it is extremely unstable. Even if the same spirits magician uses the same
spirits magic, the effect will fluctuate drastically depending on the physical and mental
condition of the practitioner and the mood of the spirits. Furthermore, spirits were
fickle and had a different mental structure than people, and they sometimes did not
understand commands accurately.

It was recognized by the adventurers and military, but it is too unstable. It is difficult
to unless they are a high-level magician. That's how they feel about it.

Especially important is the part about its instability. They can easily go out of control.
Even for Elves and the others that have accumulated thousands of years of study in
spirit magic are said to have difficulty in trying to control it.

Then, that small country also made a big mistake. A few spirits user attempted to
summon and use a higher-level spirit, whether it was a miracle or a nightmare, it was
a great spirit that was summoned, and it easily got out of control.

There are different ranks of spirits: miscellaneous spirits, lower-grade spirits, middle-
grade spirits, high-grade spirits, great spirits, and spirit's king, with great spirits
having power equivalent to threat level A.

What if it gets out of control? The small country would be easily destroyed. In fact, at
that time, the Great Spirit of the Wind, which had been rampaging for five days, had
cleared more than half of the country, killing and injuring more than 50,000 people in
total.

The person who quelled the Great Spirit at that time was Klimut, who was already the
Guild master of Alessa. He himself did not take part in this experiment and only
cleaned up the mess by himself, but from the onlooker it appeared as if he had
summoned the Great Spirit.

What's more, he made a contract with the Great Spirit at that time, and the fact that
the scene looked like he was giving orders to the summoned spirit accelerated the
misunderstanding.

“In fact, He just managed to save the people of a small country from being wiped out.
It's insane to go to the trouble of infiltrating a hostile country and attempting to make
a contract with a great spirit with a low chance of success. Well, since he succeeded,
he must be a genius as a spirits user”

“But, it had weakened Klimut greatly”

“Why?”
If he made a contract with a great being like the Great Spirit, he must have gotten
stronger, right? That's why he was a rank S adventurer right.

“He are constantly on edge to hold down the great spirits that lie dormant within his
bodies. The amount of magic power he can use is limited, and his life force is being
drained away. On top of that, it seems that his body is also becoming weak”

“Originally, his fighting style was supposed to be using multiple spirits, but I'm told
that's also difficult now”

In order to keep the Great Spirit sealed inside of him, his abilities have been weakened.
Moreover, it's difficult to summon spirits because he's constantly devoting his control
and other resources to it.

“But that doesn't mean he can't fight. If it comes to it, he can use the Great Spirit”

“Kukukuh. The great spirit of the wind that will blows everything from the ground
huh”

“If that happens, there will be a lot of damage in the area. And Klimut won't be able to
get away with it either. I heard that he used it once in the past in a battle with a dragon,
but that time he had wandered between life and death”

So, neither the people around Klimut will be able to get away from it huh.

I wondered why they had such a person as the guild master of Alessa, but it seems that
the Raidos Kingdom is an irreconcilable enemy of the adventurer's guild as well.

There were no adventurers in that country, and if there was an adventurer's guild
member in the area they controlled, they would execute them all and confiscate their
property.

In order to prevent such a country from moving south and weakening the Kranzel
Kingdom, which favors adventurers, the guild has placed Klimut as a trump card.

“However, a trump card is something you save until the last minute. That's why we're
putting Amanda and Jean in Alessa's so Klimut doesn't have to fight too much”

In other words, he's probably even more destructive than Amanda and Jean.
Apparently, Klimut was even more awesome than I thought he was.
Eihwaz and the others left, leaving Fran and Gallus alone in the room.

No, they were very thoughtful, as they knew there would be a lot for us to talk about.
Only Eihwaz was still fussing about having something to talk about, but Forrund took
him out.

After watching Fran put up a barrier to prevent eavesdropping, Gallus opened his
mouth again. I'm sure Eihwaz or someone else will try to eavesdrop on us in ways we
can't even imagine.

“Once again, thank you for your help. So, you found the scabbard huh?”

“NN”

[Because of its name and shape. I knew there was definitely something to it]

“I was worried you wouldn't notice it, you know?”

But that's not the main issue.

[No, but… There was always a chance we wouldn't make it to the royal capital, right?]

I don't know if we'll be able to keep our promise. We might have other things to do,
and as adventurers, we might have lost our lives on the road.

But Gallus shook his head lightly and smiled.

“It's okay. I knew you guys would keep your word”

“Of course. I keep my promises to my friends”

“Ghahaha. Friends huh! Yeah, we are friends!”

“Nn”

Gallus was laughing as he said that, but his face soon became serious. No, I think he's
a little bit down? I feel like I can see a bit of sorrow in his eyes. What's wrong with
him?

“So, umm, can I ask you one question?”

“Nn?”

“That equipment, is it originally from my Black Cat series?”

So that's what he's looks down huh? I explained to Gallus how we had acquired this
equipment. The repair function was deteriorating due to the continuous battle with
strong enemies. It had been torn to shreds by the fierce fighting. A blacksmith we had
met by chance had repaired it for her.

“You met a blacksmith by chance…… Is he a divine level blacksmith?”

I knew he'd noticed it huh. She makes the work of Gallus, the world's greatest
blacksmith, even better, there are only a few people who can do that. The reason why
Gallus was a bit down was probably because he was comparing his own work with
Alistair's.

[Aahー……]

What should I do. No, she has taken the liberty of improving Gallus' best work. Even
though it was necessary for Fran to do so, I should apologize to Gallus with a goodwill.

[That's right. Alistair, a divine blacksmith, altered the armor that Gallus made for her.
I'm sorry. We didn't ask for your permission first……]

“No, don't apologize! In fact, I'm impressed!”

[Ugh. Y-you will forgive us?]

“I don't care about it, but anyone who gets angry at the sight of this works are
disqualified as a blacksmith!”

Gallus seemed to be seriously impressed. His eyes sparkled as he stared at Fran's Black
Heavenly Tiger equipment.

“Modifying a named item and making it into something more powerful is…… Amazing”

[She's a divine blacksmith after all~]

“Damn it. If it weren't for this incident, I would have asked for an apprenticeship……”

[An apprenticeship?]

For someone like Gallus, the honorary blacksmith of the Kranzel Kingdom? But come
to think of it, the other party is a divine blacksmith. It wouldn't be strange for him
wanted an apprenticeship huh?

She is supposed to be in the Belios Kingdom now, but I don't know how much
information I can give him about Alistair.

[Umm. I'll let her know the next time we meet]

“Really!”

[Ah, yeah. But I don't know if she's going to agree to that, you know?]

“I know, I know. Just the possibility of making us acquainted is enough!”

Well, I'll just tell her about Gallus. After that, it's up to Alistair.

[Also, Alistair doesn't seem to want to be used by those in power……]

“I won't tell anyone! Don't worry!”

Gallus said he wouldn't tell anyone about it. We can rest assured.

“Can't you show it more to me?”

“Nn”

“Fumu fumu…… Is this look your thing, little girl?”

[No, Alistair made it look like this]

“I see…… So that person is really a woman huh?”

[Yeah]

“I see. I'm impressed with its perfect appearance. Maybe it's a woman thing”

But the first piece of armor she got from Gallus looked pretty girly, didn't it? That's
what I thought, but I heard that that equipment was just made according to a client's
wishes.

Apparently, it was the boyish black cat series that reflected Gallus's taste.

“Besides, a change in appearance is a small price to pay for the improvement of its
ability. It's not every day I can see a piece of armor like this”

[Is that so?]

“Umu. Considering the original materials, this is on an incredible level. Even

adventurers of rank B or higher don't have equipment of the same level as this”

It's just as I expected from a divine class blacksmith who modified it. I thought it would
only improve its performance, but it seems it's worth more than I imagined.

“Besides, Master has gotten pretty awesome too”

[Eh? Is that so?]

“Umu. You're considerably strengthened, isn't it? Even with my god's eye, the
information I can get from you were very little this time. It's a sign that you're stronger
than the last time we met in Alessa”

[I'm sure my appearance hasn't changed though]

“The presence that emanates from within is completely different. When you're like
me, you can see it clearly”

The old man Gallus is now snickering as he observes me. It's nice to be praised, but I
feel nervous. I feel as if I'm being evaluated by a great appraiser.

“Are Master handled by Alistair-dono too?”

[Only on some parts, but there are various thing too]

“Is that so……… I won't ask for details. However, not only Fran, but Master also has
grown a lot”

[I felt a little embarrassed]

This may be the first time that someone other than Fran has praised my growth. I think
I'm a bit of a simple-minded guy, but I can't help but be happy about it.

[Th-thanks]

“That's my line. The best of the best swords, and the best armor made from my work.
It was a feast for the eyes”

After that, we spent the rest of the day talking about various things with Gallus.
[It's probably the time for us to head to Alessa huh?]

“Nn”

A few days after the incident. Fran's job was already gone, and Gallus and the others
had decided to move on. I think it's safe to say that we've almost finished our business
in the capital.

As for me, I was thinking if we could stay a little longer.

“Finally, training”

Fran is motivated. Besides, I'm curious about what's going on in the north.

In the end, we decided to head to Alessa. I heard that we had to apply for permission
from the guild before entering the Plains of the Demon Wolf.

There are no penalties for entering without permission, but if we have permission, we
can get support from the guild in the worst-case scenario, and complete a request for
investigations and such.

In particular, the Plains of the Demon Wolf is a Grade A magical area, so it's not easy
to get permission to explore it solo unless you're a rank B adventurer or higher.

Come to think of it, I've heard a similar story about the Crystal Cage near Barbra. It
seems that not only were they able to receive higher level requests due to their higher
rank, but also the restrictions on exploring magical areas were lifted.

[We've already received our reward, so there's certainly no reason for us to stay in the
royal capital any longer]

“Nn”
[For the time being, let's greet the guild]

“Okay”

In case you're wondering, we received bounties and special rewards from the guild
and the country. But the amount we spent on Gallus' protection request and the
auction. Also, considering the amount of money that Fran donated to rebuild the
orphanage and relief center, we are completely in the red. Even so, we still have about
five million goldes in our pocket.

Besides, it made Fran's reputation even stronger. Fran's reputation for not only saving
people with her healing power, but also for investing large sums of money to help the
weak, was now beginning to be known as the Black Cat Saint.

I've heard that Fran likes the Black Lightning Princess better because it makes her
seems stronger. But in the royal capital, the name "saint" has become overwhelmingly
more popular. Wherever she goes, she is called a saint.

Even now, on our way to the guild, she was being approached by many people. At that
time, everyone would call her “Saintess-sama” or “Saintess-san”.

Well, Eliante will be begging her to stay in the royal capital. As long as Fran is here, the
reputation of the Adventurer's Guild will remain high.

That state of affairs was no different in the guild. Right now, it's just the royal capital,
but sooner or later, the name of the Black Cat Saints might spread to the surrounding
towns. Although Fran would be unhappy about it.

“Stellia”

“Oya, what can I do for you today?”

“I'd like to speak to Eliante”

“Then you can go up yourself. If it's you, we won't have to worry”

“Nn”

It was a complete face pass already. It's not so much that her rank has risen, but that
her trustworthiness in the capital has increased. Although it was highly possible that
Stellia thought it was a hassle for her to act as guide for her.

[There's a sign of someone coming from Eliante's room. Maybe she has a visitor]

“Nn”

I guess we'll have to come back later huh? Well, for the time being, we’ll just say hello
and let her know that we'll be back later.

Fran knocks on the room door.

[Ooh. So, you're able to knock on the door now huh]

(Fufun)

I couldn't help but admire her, and Fran stuck out her smug little chest. No, it's not that
big of deal. But for me, it was an event that made me feel that she had grown a lot.
Because it's Fran, you know? She's knocking, right? Isn't that amazing?

“Who is it? Come in”

It didn't seem like an important guest. When Fran entered the office, she saw a group
of familiar warriors chatting with Eliante. They were the half-insect kin mercenaries
who had stood out during the incident.

“Ara, you've come at the right times. We were just talking about you”

“About me?”

“Yeah. These are old acquaintances of mine, members of the mercenary group
Antennae and Shells”

“Hi, there. I'm Robin. I'm the sub-leader of Antennae and Shells”

The refreshing man who asked her to shake his hand is a half-insect kin of a hard
shrimp. Unlike when he was in battle, his shell has disappeared, except for his eyes
and antennae, he looks no different from a normal human. His ability is also much
lower than in battle.

“I'm Hobbs”
“Effie…”

“I'm Anne!”

“My name is Shingen”

They introduce themselves in the order of locusts, dragonfly, fanged ants, and mirages
clam.

Hobbs, in his boyish form, has a cool, rugged air about him. Like Robin, he has a
human-like appearance.

Effie of the dragonfly looks like a rather quiet――or rather, shy type of woman. Anne
the Fang Ant is a girl who seems to have a lot of energy. Shingen the mirages clam, as
I felt about him before, is probably a gentle and powerful type.

“We usually active in the small nations to the south, but this time we happened to be
working in the north. We were lucky enough to be in this city”

“Lucky?”

Isn't that the correct word for this is bad luck? You almost died, remember?

“It's luck. Thanks to it, we were in time for our friends in her predicament”

“Well, It was a good money too”

Robin seems to be a hot-blooded man, just like his image. Hobbs seems to be the
oblique type.

“……It was a good fight”

“It's been a while since I can rampage as much as I want”

The two women also seem to be the type to enjoy combat. They are happy to talk about
fighting a pseudo fanatic sword wielder.

“I'm glad we all survived”

Shingen-kun. He looks like he's having a hard time, but hang in there!
“Eliante told me about you. She said she fought with you against a powerful enemy
and saved her life. Thank you. Let me give you my gratitude”

“Wha, Robin! You're acting like a guardian!”

“She saved my friend's life. Isn't that a proper courtesy?”

“You're always so hot-blooded though!”

While saying that, Eliante's face looks not so happy. I guess there is a kind of bond that
can only be shared between them.

“Th-then? What can I do for you?”

“Nn. Going to Allesa”

“Eh? You're leaving the royal capital?”

“Nn”

“Wha-wait a minute! I still have a lot of work for you to do!”

Eliante lamented, but Fran's resolve remained unchanged. It's a job that could be done
by any other adventurer, and it's not like the nobles have completely stopped messing
with us.

She must have understood that. Eliante nodded reluctantly with a pitiful look on her
face.

“I understand then……… So, when do you leave?”

“Tomorrow”

“To-tomorrow? C-can you at least stay for another weeksーー”

She was probably calculating in her head how to get Fran to complete the request
before she left. But it was Robin, who had been listening to the conversation, who
admonished Eliante, who was so shocked that he thought she might cling to her and
stopped her.
“Eliante. Don't interfere with a warrior's departure”

“Uuh. You guys don't know how much work I do, so you can't say that!”

“We're going to stay in town for a while and take some jobs”

“Re-really? You sure about that?”

“Yeah”

“Yes, I heard that! I got your word! You won't get away with this!”

Hearing Eliante's words and actions, her friends gave her the same wry smile.

“Haah. You're the same as always huh”

“……Really”

“She never change huhー”

“You're right”

Eliante…… She is a deplorable person huh. She's a woman with a good appearance but
her personality is pretty bad………
[Yo……]

[It's you again huh]

I'm wrapped up in a feeling as if I'm dreaming, even though I shouldn't need sleep. I
don't know how many times I've got this, but I'm getting used to it. At least I've
experienced this situation enough to not be distraught.

The place was the familiar white space. Standing there was a man I recognized. He was
a stout man with silver hair, and was dressed in a kimono-like robe.

[Come to think of it, the Moon Festival was coming up huh]

I've heard that there's a big Moon Festival held every year in the royal capital, but now
it's on an emergency. This year, it seems that only a simple ceremony will be held.

[Hey, who are you? Is the mysterious spirit inside me, is you? What are you? Are you
Fenrir?]

[Sorry. I'll get back to you on that next time]

[Didn't you say you'd tell me the next time we met?]

[Whose fault do you think it is……? Anyway, things have changed a bit. It's not safe to
give you information about me. If I'm not careful, my memory will be……]

[What do you mean?]

[Anyway, for now, listen to me]

[……Okay]

Hearing the serious tone of the man's voice, I understood that it was some kind of
urgent matter.

[But you look really tired, don't you?]

The man, however, looked a little different from when I had met him before. I'm sure
he looked a little more domineering or spirited expression back then………

The man in front if me now, was incredibly exhausted. He looked pale and had terrible
dark circles under his eyes. Did he have hollow cheeks too?

[It's a lot of things. Including the fact that there's something unusual going on with
you]

[What?]

[You know about it yourself, but you're in a bit of a--No, it's quite dangerous
information]

[The, uh, mysterious voice huh?]

Something inside me were screaming at me to devour everything. Heaven and earth,

gods and demons, people and beast, devour them all for nourishment, was it?

[That's not all]

[Is there anything else?]

[Too many of it. I just don't have the power to solve it right from here]

Then why did you bother to show up in here.

[Anyway, here's what I want you to do, come to the Plains of the Demon Wolf within
20 days]

[……Do I have to go to the altar? In 20 days?]

[That's right. Because in that period of time, the moon's magic is still powerful]

The moon's magic huh. I wonder if she's a member of the Silver Moon Goddess' family,
since her power increases during the Moon Festival. I know he's not the goddess
herself, because he's a man.

[So, at that time, I'm going to reveal myself. And a whole lot more things too]

[Ah, Wait――]

The man just says it and disappears.

And at the same time as the man's figure dissolves into the void, my vision became
clearer. The white space disappears in an instant, and I'm back in our room at the inn.

Or rather, I'm not moving at all to begin with, and only my spirit is being called into
that white space.

[Good grief! It's so one-sided, every time!]

Nevertheless, I've heard some important information this time.

[The Altar of the Plains of the Demon Wolf huh]

It was the place where I first woke up in this world. I knew there was a secret there.
Not only for the sake of Fran's training, but also for myself, I now have a reason to go
to the Plains of the Demon Wolf.

“………Master?”

[Fran, did I wake you?]

“……Nn. Something weird”

[Actually――]

I told her everything that had just happened. I've already told Fran all about the
mysterious voices and the Fanatics when I cannibalized the Fanatics.

She was pretty worried, but I appeased her by saying there was nothing to worry
about it……

“We have to get to the plains!”

Well, this is what's going to happen huh. After this, we planned to go and say hello to
the head of the court physician, but I'm afraid she's going to ignore that too.

[Wait a minute, we still have 20 days. We can travel to Alessa in a few days, and the
Plains of the Demon Wolf are not that big. There's no need to rush]

“But it's dangerous, right?”

[That's what he told me, but if it was a urgent matter of minutes and seconds, he would
have said something more urgent. He'd say, Come to the altar right now]

So, I think we need to hurry, but we don't need to rush.

[Besides, it's better to say something to the higher ups first, right?]

“………I undertand”

She managed to understand me. I thought so……… No, I didn't expect her to cut off the
meal with the court physician so quickly. There were some important people here too,
like the chief of the court physicians and the chamberlain, who praised Fran's
achievements, but they were almost completely ignored.

Maybe the meal was about 30 minutes long? I never thought for that Fran, would leave
her meal……… When asked why she was in a hurry, Fran told him that she had to go to
Alessa, but for some strange reason, he was convinced.

Apparently, he had received a secret message from the adventurer's guild, and they
thought she was heading to Alessa to help prepare for Raidos Kingdom's attack. Well,
I didn't dare to clear up the misunderstanding because it was better to be
misunderstood than to offend them.

“Master, we're going to Alessa!”

[Yes yes. I know]

Nothing will stop her anymore.

“Urushi, go for it!”

“Woof!”
With Urushi's legs, we would be able to reach Alessa in four days without straining
ourselves. However, we didn't set off immediately. When Fran jumped onto Urushi's
back in front of the main gate, a voice called out to her.

“What's wrong?”

“You know……… Well. I just wanted to thank you for all your help. I really appreciate
your help this time. On behalf of the adventurers on the royal capital, I would like to
say our gratitude for you. Thank you very much”

Then Eliante bowed deeply, and the others too, one after another, shook Fran's hand
and bowed their heads.

Then, for some reason, a crackling sound began to rise from the surroundings. It was
the sound of soldiers, adventurers, and civilians clapping their hands as she left the
royal capital.

“Saintess-sama! Thank you for saving us!”

“Come back again!”

“Saintess-san! Thank you!”

Isn't this the first time she had so many people blessed her on our journey?

“Fran, come again! You're always welcome here!”

“Come back and show me your equipment too!”

“You've saved us!”

With these blessing, cheers, and bittersweet words at her back, Urushi begins to run
under Fran's direction. She is nonchalant, but I know she hides her embarrassment. I
can see a faint smile on her face.

[A lot has happened huh……… I hope they will recover soon]

“Nn”

[Next up, the nostalgic Alessa huh]

“Looking forward to it”

“woof!”

Although, it's actually not even been six months.

“Urushi, Let's go!”

“woof woof woo-f!”

[Aah, Don't push yourself too hard]

This was an urgent matter.

“This presence is…… a divine sword!”

What a surprise, the power of the divine sword has been unleashed on this continent.
As a divine level blacksmith, I can sense the presence of a divine sword.

Especially when it's on released state, I can sense it so much better. What's more,
surprisingly, there were two divine sword's presence.

I knew one of it. It's probably Ashwrath's Earth Sword, Gaia. However, I had no idea
about the other one.

Does it mean, it was a divine sword that even I have never touched has appeared.

However, there is also some strange feelings about it. There was an obvious distortion
in the presence of the divine sword that seemed to be fighting Gaia. There was a
possibility that it had already been damaged, or for some reason it had not been able
to display its true power.

“No, I will know when I see it”

Anyway, I have to go. That's my mission and my purpose in life. However, there was
someone who interrupted me as I started to act.

“A-chan? Where the hell are you going?”

Blonde hair and white skin. Slender body with pointed ears. She has all the features of
an elf, and she looks like a gentle woman.

“Winnarhyn…! Since when!” (1)

But don't be fooled by her gentle appearance and her voice tone. This woman is one
of the people I'm least able to compete with in this world.

“This is my house, remember? If you're sneaking around and acting suspiciously, I'll
notice, right?”

“I even went to the trouble of using a tool to remove my presence though!”

“Oh my? But it didn't hide your presence quite well huh? Isn't it a failure?”

“This is why i hate a high elf! Making a fool of a divine level blacksmith’s tool is……!”

Yes, this woman is not just an elf. She was one of the High Elves, one of the strongest
races of elves in this world. She was also one of the most famous of the High Elves.

The exact number of High Elves is unknown. In addition, while many High Elves are
keeping their activities hidden from the public, there are a few who are actively
involved with humans.

One of those few High Elves was this Winnarhyn. The other two known names are
Willow Magnus (2), a historical researcher. The other one is Wigan Wigan (3), a
wandering botanist.

It is just a coincidence that all three of them have "wi" at the beginning of their names.
There is a time when names beginning with "wi" are popular among elves, and all
three were born at that time. Well, in elves sense of time it's hundreds of years ago
already.

The reason why the latter two have family names is because they were once nobles.
The reason it was because the country that had anointed them as nobles had already
gone.

In the first place, a High Elves couldn't be accepted by the country's nobles. There is
even an anecdote about Wigan Wigan who, when asked what he wanted to name his
family, replied that it was too much trouble and that Wigan was fine.

Well, the fact that the country was destroyed so easily shows that the High Elves were
not interested in running the country. If they had been able to use their power in any
way, it would have been easy to avoid ruin.

Although the three High Elves are well known for their various anecdotes, Willow
Magnus and Wigan Wigan are usually wandering the world for research and only
occasionally submit their research results to the guild. With that in mind, Winnarhyn
was the only High Elf in the world whose whereabouts were known.

There are two famous titles for Winnarhyn. The first is "The Seven Sages" which is the
name given to a group of seven people who are said to be as strong as rank S
adventurers. Well, none of the seven sages have ever taken that name themselves. In
the first place, there were only two mages in the group.

This is just a self proposed organization by countries that have become really
concerned about the rise of the guild's influence, in order to keep them in check. Some
of them have never even been to the battlefield. It's just seven people who are thought
to be extremely talented. The reason why they named them "The Sages was to counter
the rough image of adventurers.

However, from what I saw, these seven sages were not foolish.

First, there are three divine sword owners: The Knight of the Gods, Owner of the first
Divine sword Alpha. Although only his job title has been revealed, there is no doubt
that he exists.

On the other hand, the owner of the Mad Sword, Berserk, was under the "Queen of the
Night". This isn't a person name, but the name of a special organization for the
operation of the divine sword.

Furthermore, the last one is the king of Philias, the owner of the Demon Sword,
Diabolos. However, this isn't true. There is no way for the owner of that Diabolos can
casually appear in public. As royalty, they have the right to command the demons, so
they are probably using that to hide the true owner. Even the king is treated as the
shadow warrior of the owner of the divine sword. I believe that someone from the
royal family who is said to be dead is actually still alive and is the master of the divine
sword.

Of the remaining four, three of them are kings of powerful nations. The king of the land
of demons. The king of the land of the Insect-kin. The king of the Dwarf nation. As for
these three, I don't know what they're capable of. Their countries are too powerful to
be attacked, and they've never experienced a large-scale war. However, they are
probably not weak.
And the last one was the High Elf Winnarhyn. I'm well aware of her abilities. I once
had her accompany me to a dungeon to gather materials a long time ago. However, in
the case of Winnarhyn, her other title is probably far more famous than the seven
sages.

Her title was "The Director of the Academy of Magic".

In a special area of the Belios Kingdom, where autonomy is granted, there is a magic
academy where children with magic talents from all over the world gather. The
director of the academy was Winnarhyn.

Well, it's directed by a High Elf who is said to be the world's greatest mages. That's
why she's popular.

There are magic academies and magic schools all over the world, but the term
"Academy of Magic" simply refers to the magic academy where Winnarhyn is the
director.

“You still have a lot of work to do, don't you?”

“Y-yeah”

“I'm so sad. I can't believe A-chan is going to be the kind of girl who breaks her
promises”

“Ugh……”

I'm currently renting a room in a corner of the academy of magic. Since the chief,
Winnarhyn, knows who I am. It was a place where I could stay quietly and comfortably.

My title is temporary blacksmithing instructor. Well, it's an easy job, just a little light
instruction for the chicks.

And in exchange for a temporary identity, food, and shelter, I take care of the
maintenance of the magic armor and equipment on the Academy of Magic. It can even
be said as a perk. It's a great way to get a feel for what's going on in the world of magic.

“B-but…… I can't let the presence of the divine sword go unchecked”

“Umm. I guess so. The divine sword is dangerous”

“That's right”

“But, If you don't finish repairing my armor, I'm not going to be able to teach my
advanced classes~”

“Well, that's true……”

I can't be too pushy on her because she has been a great help to me when I was young
and still is. I knew how scary it would be if she lost her temper.

“Besides, you haven't finished repairing and maintaining that golem, have you?
Without it, we're going to be very late for the mock battle class”

“C-can you do something about it! You can get by without it, right? Why don't we let
them deal with Winnarhyn directly?”

“It can't be helped huh. I understand. Well, I guess you owe me this time”

“I'm grateful!”

“But, I'll give you one assignment”

“A-assignment?”

Oi oi, what kind of impossible task are you trying to impose?

“Yeah. I've asked you to introduce the Beast King or Ashwrath as our instructor for the
mock battle, right?”

“N-no, But, that is………”

A mock battle against rank S adventurers? What kind of enemy do you have in mind?
Are you trying to train people to fight the evil gods? But when I told her it was
impossible, Winnarhyn surprisingly backed down.

“I understand. So I'll compromise”

“Compromise?”

“Yes. If they're not at the level of those two, can you go find someone who is somewhat
strong? If they're adventurers, at least they must be a B ranker or higher”

“Uh, okay…… I don't have a choice huh. I'll take care of it”

“You promise? I'm hardly ever away from here, so I don't have that kind of connection
at all”

Well, if push comes to shove, we'll have to rely on the Beast King's. Worst-case
scenario, I can sell off some magical equipment to the guild and ask them to introduce
me to an adventurer instead.

“We can't hold a high-ranking adventurer for a long time, you know?”

“I know, I know, It will only takes about a week or so”

“By when should I bring them here?”

“Lets see. I need it as soon as possible………… Can I have it within 5 years?”

Thank God, the High Elves have a screwed-up sense of time. It's a hassle, but I'll figure
it out somehow. More importantly, it's time for the divine sword now!